#Make Believe is Fun: Bedtime Stories for Children Book 2

[jjspina]

Make Believe: Bedtime Stories for Children Ages 5-8!

[redpool]

Because we are moving, I've been rewatching Supernatural while packing and I've decided i want to make a list of the episodes that i actually like (meaning that I actually like what I'm watching).

Season 1:

Episode 1 'Pilot' - Minus the intro, i usually skip that

Episode 2 'Wendigo' - That last bit, where Dean has the bandage on his throat... *insert debby ryan meme here*

Episode 3 'Dead in the Water' - Enough said, i mean come on..

Episode 5 'Bloody Mary' - I used to be terrified of this ep. But the way the boys are so soft and comforting towards the girls. (and Mary is pretty)

Episode 7 'Hook Man' - Love me some hook man. and the black shirt and brown jacket combo on Dean *chefs kiss*

Episode 12 'Faith' - Dean is just really attractive to me i this ep, he's so sick and pathetic looking and i love it... THE HOODIE

Episode 17 'Hell House' - AHDHGDGDHGDHBGDGDCVGDCB PRANK WARS!!!!!!

Episode 19 'Provenance' - Idk why "HOLY, BLONDE, CHEERLEADER, BATMAN" < I quote that so so much

Season 2:

Episode 2 'Everybody Loves A Clown' -

I want to say Bloodlust because of Benny but I hate that other shitbird

Episode 4 'Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things' - Its just a fun ep

Episode 5 'Simon Said' - ASH MY LOVE!!!!!

Episode 6 'No Exit' - America's first known serial killer

Episode 11 'Playthings' - "Of course, the most troubling question is: Why do these people assume we're gay?" "Well, you are kinda butch, but I just think you're overcompensating."

Episode 15 'Tall Tales' - GABE MY LOVE!!!!!!

Episode 17 'Heart' - uhhh werewolves, need I say more?

Episode 18 'Hollywood Babylon' - another idk why

Episode 19 'Folsom Prison Blues' - two words, Blue. Steel.

Season 3:

Episode 3 'Bad Day At Black Rock' - Bela *Insert debby ryan meme*

Episode 5 'Bedtime Stories' - another fun one

Episode 6 'Red Sky at Morning' - Bela, my love!'

Episode 8 'A Very Supernatural Christmas' - Protective Dean, "You fudging touch me again, I'll fudging kill ya!"

Episode 11 'Mystery Spot' - GABE MY LOVE!!!!!!

Episode 13 'Ghostfacers' - GHOST- GHOSTFACERS, I also love that we see a whole different version of the Winchesters. (sweary)

Season 4:

Episode 1 'Lazarus Rising' - The beginning of the longest queerbaiting relationship ever

Episode 4 'Monster Movie' - do I really need to explain?

Episode 6 'Yellow Fever' - "I'll man the flashlight!"

Episode 7 ' It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester' - ngl the title makes no sense, and there is a reason, i just can't think of it.

Episode 8 'Wishful Thinking' - another fun episode, this is the episode that, that kid that killed his mum and set out to take the Canadian prime minster out is in.

Episode 12 'Criss Angel Is a Douche Bag' - *shrugs*

Episode 13 'After School Special' - BABY SAM, younger Dean 😏

Episode 14 'Sex and Violence' - BI DEAD BI DEAN BI DEAN BI DEAN

Episode 18 'The Monster at the End of This Book' - also *shrug*

Episode 19 'Jump the Shark' - ADAM!!!! Adam ☹️😢

Season 5:

Episode 5 'Fallen Idols' - another fun episode

Episode 6 'I Believe the Children Are Out Future' - JESSE!!!!! There was so much potential in this kid, we could have the greatest duo with Jesse and Jack.

Episode 7 'The Curious Case of Dean Winchester' - BI DEAD BI DEAN BI DEAN BI DEAN

Episode 8 'Changing Channels' - GABE MY LOVE!!!!!!!!

Episode 9 'The Real Ghostbusters' - fair enough

Episode 11 'Sam, Interrupted' - ✨therapy✨

Episode 12 'Swap Meat' - fun episode

Episode 14 'My Bloody Valentine' - "I don't like it!" "No one likes it."

Episode 17 '99 Problems' - "Not you. Or me. Sam of course is an abomination. We'll have to find someone else." & "Well, what is she, exactly?" "The whore." "Wow, Cas, tell us what you really think."

Episode 18 'Point of No Return' - ADAM!!!! Adam... ☹️😢

Episode 19 'Hammer of the Gods' - GABE!!!!! Gabe.... ☹️😢

Episode 21 'Two Minutes to Midnight' - OH, DEATH, OH, DEATH, OH, DEATH,

Episode 22 'Swan Song' - THE BEGINNIG OF MIADAM!!!! funny story, when i had an iPhone i had "Hey, Assbutt" as my text tone and it was almost as scary as when I had Obi-Wan's "Hello there"

Season 6:

Episode 3 'The Third Man' - BALTHAZAR MY LOVE!!!!!!!!

Episode 9 'Clap Your Hands If You Believe' - Souless!Sam is a dick but I kinda love him.

Episode 17 'My Heart Will Go On' - BALTHAZAR!!!!!!!! "Sorry, you have me confused with the other angel. You know, the one in the dirty trench coat who's in love with you."

Episode 18 'Frontierland' - Why is Elias kinda hot...?

Episode 19 'Mommy Dearest' - I just like the bar scene

Season 7:

Episode 1 'Meet the New Boss' - "And who says you speak for God? You're wrong. I am utterly indifferent to sexual orientation. On the other hand, I cannot abide hypocrites like you, Reverend." "Okay, fun's over, friend" "Tell your flock where your genitals have been before you speak for Me." "And who the heck are you?" "I'm God.", basically the whole church scene

Episode 5 'Shut Up, Dr. Phil' - It's just a funny episode

Episode 9 'How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters' - "I think you pissed off my sandwich."

Episode 14 'Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie' - "Ha! I'm sorry, you look like you got attacked by some PCP-crazed strippers."

Episode 20 'The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo' -CHARLIE BABY!!!!!!

Episode 21 'Reading is Fundamental' - KEVIN MY LOVE!!!!!!

Season 8:

Episode 1 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' - That whole first scene, BENNY MY LOVE!!!!!!

Episode 2 'What's Up, Tiger Mommy?' - ALFIE!!!!!!!!! BENNY!!!!!!!

Episode 4 'Bitten' - outside perspectives are always funny

Episode 5 'Blood Brother' - BENNNY!!!! Vampirates.

Episode 6 'Southern Comfort' - GARTH!!!!!

Episode 7 'A Little Slice of Kevin' - KEVIN!!!! Dean isn't even trying to hide his gay.

Episode 8 'Hunteri Heroici' - I'll introgate the cat."

Episode 9 'Citizen Fang' - I hate this episode but yeah

Episode 11 'LARP and the Real Girl' - CHARLIE, MY LOVE!!!!!!

Episode 12 'As Time Goes By' - HENRY, MY LOVE!!!!!!

Episode 13 'Everybody Hates Hitler' - Adam Rose is in it, do i need to continue?

Episode 15 'Man's Best Friend with Benefits' - I hate witches but this ep is good.

Episode 20 'Pac-Man Fever' -

Episode 23 'Sacrifice' - The last scene and speech that Dean says to Sam.

Season 9:

Episode 1 'I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here' - GADDY!!!!!! MY BABY!!!!!!

Episode 4 'Slumber Party' - CHARLIE!!!!! TIIO!!!!!!

Episode 5 'Dog Dean Afternoon' - just a fun one, the pigeon is the best character in this episode.

Episode 7 'Bad Boys' - BABY DEAN BABY DEAN BABY DEAN

Episode 8 'Rock and a Hard Place' - "But when you get down to it, what's the big deal? Sure, there's the touching and the feeling all of each other, my hands everywhere, tracing every inch of her body. The two of us moving together, pressing, pulling, grinding, and then you hit that sweet spot and everything just builds, builds and builds until it all just... [Makes explosion noise] ...But the whole thing was just a little too sticky."

Episode 13 'The Purge' - Out of all of the creatures in this show the Pishtacos are my favourite.

Episode 15 '#thinman' - the return of the Ghostfacers, they're so gay for eachother.

Episode 16 'Blade Runners' - sexy

Episode 19 'Alex Annie Alexis Ann' - ALEX!!!!!!!

Season 10:

Episode 1 'Black' - DEMON!DEAN FOR THE WIN!!!!

Episode 2 'Reichenbach' - Demon Dean...

Episode 3 'Soul Survivor' - Demon Dean.

Episode 4 'Paper Moon' - KATE!!!!

Episode 5 'Fan Fiction' - Do I really need to explain why I like this one? 🎶"JOHN AND MARY, HUSBAND AND WIFE, BRINGING HOME A BRAND NEW LIFE, HIS NAME IS SAMMY, I'M BIG BROTHER DEAN"🎶

Episode 6 'Ask Jeeves' - the interactions are just really funny.

Episode 7 'Girls, Girls, Girls' - ROWENA!!!!!! the only witch I can stand.

Episode 8 'Hibbing 911' - JODIY AND DONNA SUPREMACY!!!!

Episode 12 'About a Boy' - Just a fun episode

Episode 13 'Halt & Catch Fire' - ghosts are always fun episodes

Episode 14 'The Executioner's Song' - the end of Cain

Episode 15 'The Things They Carried' - probably my favourite Cole episode.

Episode 16 'Paint It Black' - I just like this ep

Episode 19 'The Werther Project' - BENNY!!!!!!

Season 11:

Episode 4 'Baby' - self explained, i'd say.

Episode 5 'Thin Lizzie' - idk why

Episode 7 'Plush' - its just funny

Episode 8 'Just My Imagination' - 'She's got sparkle on her face!'

Episode 11 'Into the Mystic' -

Episode 12 'Don't You Forget About Me' - DAD DEAN DAD DEAN DAD DEAN DAD DEAN

Season 12:

Episode 6 'Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox' - It's just funny watching people react the way they do towards the boys.

Episode 8 'LOTUS' - ARTHUR!!!!!!

Episode 11 'Regarding Dean' - Considering that he was going to die this and the Zanna episode are my all time favourites.

Season 13:

Episode 1 'Lost and Found' - JACK!!!!!!! MY BABY!!!!!!!

Episode 2 'The Rising Son' - Jack means a lot to me.

Episode 4 'The Big Empty' - ✨therapy✨

Episode 6 'Tombstone' - GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY

Episode 10 'Wayward Sisters' - GIRLFRIENDS GIRLFRIENDS GIRLFRIENDS GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY

Episode 16 'Scoobynatural' - I like it when they give us a break from the on-going trauma filled story lines.

Season 14:

Episode 4 'Mint Condition' - fun episode

Episode 6 'Optimism' - fun episode

have you guys seen this yet? this is such a cool picture.

Season 15:

Episode 1 'Back and to the Future' - BELPHEGOR!!!!! (i only like Alex's version)

Episode 2 'Raising Hell' - a trip down memory lane

Episode 3 'The Rapture' - *shrugs*

Episode 7 'Last Call' - I just think its funny how Dean faked being able to sing for all those years, I assume to make Sam laugh.

Episode 8 'Our Father, Who Aren't In Heaven' - ADAM!!!!!!! MIDAM!!!!!!! THATS A RELATIONSHIP I WANNA JOIN!!! Oh and its a win for Destial too i guess.

Episode 15 'Gimme Shelter' - Jack & Dean bonding experience.

[honeyhalcyon]

HIII I saw you posted that you wanted some requests I believe? So I’m here to spread my regressor Alhaitham agenda :3 do you have any headcannons for him?

📗 Alhaitham Headcanons

Notes: I had a lot of fun coming up with headcanons for him ^_^

Featuring: Age regressor Alhaitham; mentioned Kaveh.

[Image Description: a DNI banner with a drawing of Shiho Hinomori on the left side of the image. She has a green pacifier and is holding Phenny, a yellow phoenix plushie with a jester hat. The text in the middle of the image reads: SFW interactions only please. There is a white border around the image, and green music notes decorate the edges. /End ID]

📗 Alhaitham is primarily a toddler regressor, usually 2-4 years old!

His main caregiver is Kaveh, but he also doesn't necessarily need to be around his caregiver; he's fine being an independent kiddo, and is perfectly happy regressing on his own (he won't admit it but he does find it more enjoyable when Kaveh is around to look after him)

📗 I think he likely began to regress without realizing as a result of stress, and upon realizing it was happening, did a ton of research to figure out what it meant

He found out about regression and how it can be therapeutic, and had virtually no problems accepting this part of him; after all, it's just a coping mechanism he can utilize

📗 Talking is a bit difficult for him when he's small, so he and Kaveh have developed their own sort of sign language to communicate better

He also loves playing with Kaveh's hair and trying to braid it, putting cute bows and such in his hair

📗 Alhaitham is very sensory focused in general, and has a lot of fidget toys and plushies to keep his hands busy!

Related to that, he definitely has a sand and water activity table, and will spend hours playing with that if allowed

📗 Alhaitham is very meticulous about making sure his pacis and teethers are kept washed and sanitized, and will refuse to use one that he feels isn't clean enough

His favorite paci would be a simple green one that Kaveh got him when Alhaitham was first discovering age regression

📗 He probably has a very specific bedtime routine, and is unable to sleep if it's not followed perfectly!

He has a huge collection of children's books, and Kaveh has to read him a story before bed every night

📗 Routines are a big thing for him in general, especially when he's small, and he can feel overwhelmed if his routine is disrupted

[Image Description: a transparent png of a slice of cucumber in the shape of a star. /End ID]

[treesandtheirberries]

Dad!Harry talks to his daughter about her questioning sexuality PART 2

part one

(Thank you all for liking the last post, my heart is so full.)

More about the twins, parents' discussions, and a girl's day of insight and vulnerability.

WC: 3.5 k

-----

After tucking June in bed, much to her playful annoyance, Harry made his way to the bedroom where the love of his life was resting. Crossing the hallway, he smiled to himself. There was nothing he loved more than being a trusted father. Having this responsibility lifted him, it guided him to be even better. Just replaying the conversation he had in his head was bringing extra moisture to his eyes. What could he say? He was a natural softie, this (y/n) knew so it was no different with his babies.

Right before making it to his shared bedroom, he instead turned to make his way to the younger ones' room. (y/n) might possibly be crossed with him if she finds out he awoke them just for some kisses, but she didn't have to know.

Shuffling into the room, lit by a nightlight that displayed soft stars on the kids' ceiling, he noticed both of them whispering to one another. Having them share a room was the conscious decision of the parents. Although they had a few rooms to spare, they preferred the twins to sleep together, as they quickly noticed how the two reacted when apart. Oftentimes, they'll find Mick in Mazzy's bed, or vice-versa. It is clear to the parents that the twins are most comfortable with one another, and separating them seemed borderline abusive.

"Hmmm, what're you two on about? Late, innit?" Harry softly spoke, with a smile on his face to clear any seriousness in his words.

"Dadaaaa" Mazzy dragged, smiling that her father was here. She sat up on her bed, making grabby arms as to drag her father further into the room. He was so weak for his babies and quickly made his way to her.

"Mazzy meet friends today. Talk dada," Mick explained in an annoyed tone, which Harry obviously found hilarious. Pardon him for not knowing the basis of their conversations. As he smiled to himself, he wrapped his arm around Mazzy as she further burrowed himself on his side, and he extended his hand to Mick (whose bed was a very short distance away from Mazzy's). "Bedtime dada, momma said sleep" Mick said seriously to his father as he reluctantly grabbed his hand.

Harry and (y/n) could see the personalities of the two strongly already: Mick adopted the role of the carrying older brother despite being born only six minutes before, and Mazzy the clumsy, caring younger sister. The twins upheld their roles quite well, and because of their personalities, they rarely left each others' sides.

"Oh baby, I know she did but I just want some snuggies. Don't kill me, 'kay?" Harry said, pulling his arm so Mick would get the message to hug his father. Despite wanting to seem ever-so mature, loved nothing more than to hug the most important man of his life and finally succumbed to 'snuggies'.

"Mumma said to sleep for school, dada," Mazzy inquisitively said to Harry, looking up at him questioning.

"Yes baby, you two need to start sleeping more, you'll start preschool later this year, and mums' not sure if they do nappy time like in daycare." He rubbed both of their backs in unison as he saw them interlock hands on his stomach. These moments, he thinks, are the exact reason he does what he does. He wants nothing more than to support his babies (all four, actually) and be able to watch them grow. "Just wanted to give you guys some kissies. Kissies please?" He finished by puckering his lips as he looks down at the two.

They giggle and lean up to press soft kisses on his cheeks simultaneously.

"Now what's this about some friends, Mazzy?"

"Yes papa, so nice to me. Mick wants to hear if good friends."

Harry continued to rub their backs, so proud of their bond. "Good job Mick, always taking care of your sister. You know she'll always do the same for you too."

"I know dada, told me Aidan was rude to her. We not friends again." Mick stated, again making his father's chest filled with pride.

"Good, we all know we need to treat our friends nicely but if they are not kind back, we can't let ourselves be their friends. What do we do, babes?"

The kids smiled, playfully annoyed once again yet said together: "treat people with kindness." dragging it out as most kids do with very little seriousness.

"I've gotta go now, let's tuck you both in so momma will never know I was here, 'kay?" He lifted Mick in his arms and carried him the short distance to his bed, while Mazzy tucked her legs back in her blankie. Making sure Mick was cozy, he planted a wet kiss on his forehead.

"Dadaaa" Mick smiled, knowing his father's antics by now.

After placing another kiss on Mazzy's head, he placed a palm on both of the children's bellies. "I love you two so dearly. You guys, June, and your mum are the best things in my life. Rest up so we can have another fun day tomorrow babies."

He finally made his way out of their room, seeing the two burrowings further into their respective blankets with their eyes closed filling his heart. Sneaking his phone out, he snapped a quick picture and sent it to his wife so she could keep a copy of the moment. (although, through this, he effectively ruined the small secret of waking them.) Fuck it, he'll just say this is how he found them.

-----

"She wanted to talk about the Sage situation?" (y/n) guessed, as her beloved crossed the threshold and planted himself face-first on their king bed. All spread out, he moved his back to crack it, due to the stress of every day and ... well, age.

"Said she heard about my sexuality more than yours. Bet you're jealous huh?"

"Please, I know the bond you two have. Is she okay though? You gave her the good ole' 'we'll always be there' parent talk?" (y/n) never doubted his ability to be a father, but these circumstances were a bit more sensitive than other matters. She finally shut her book, placing it on the bedside table that holds Harry and her's current reads. There was no better end to her day than kissing her babies and reading alongside the love of her life.

"She's okay, I think. It's hard for her, obviously. I hate seeing her in pain but this is just one of those things she has to do. As long as she knows we're here, I don't expect it to be too difficult?" He pondered. He did mean it, being a questioning teenager is difficult as is but adding sexuality to the equation? He was fortunate enough to be so self-assured that the concept of questioning himself wasn't that turbulent. "But she wants to hear from you too, obviously. Be prepared to share your life story babe," he giggled, turning his head to see his wife who now began to stroke his hair. God, that really did it when he was tired.

"Yeah, I think I recall her saying this week was slow since she finished exams, so would you agree that we could take a girl's day in light of it all?" She pondered, wanting to assure her daughter in the best, normal way possible.

Harry finally sat up, only to cuddle into his wife's arms. This was another reason he knew the two were soulmates: she loved being the big spoon as much as he liked being held in her arms. "Yes, definitely a good idea. Mhm, what'd I do to have someone as mindful and loving as you? M'life would be incomplete without you, you're everything to me, love." Still feeling as 'lovey-dovey' as ever, he burrowed his head further into her, almost physically absorbing the love she poured out.

"I just want her to feel normal, I guess. When I finally came out, it seemed like it was the only interesting thing about me. It was the only point of conversation for a while, and I don't want June to feel like it's such a hugely different thing. She's still our baby, always will be."

"Hmm, the parenting books have nothing on us. So happy we're a team," he says, grabbing one of her hands to intertwine their fingers. "Gives me a love boner just thinking about how good we are, God."

"Narcissistic asshole. Want a bedtime handie?"

Her words make him shudder, a moan itching to be released. "M'done for with you."

She smiles at his words, knowing that the man in her arms is unlike the general population in that he prefers her hand far over her mouth. Shifting a bit, she kept one arm around his shoulders, to keep him close, and inched the other one to his briefs. They were firm believers in comfortable sleeping, which often lead to sleeping in only undergarments or less. She began to touch him softly through the fabric, already feeling how hard he was. "Oh baby, what's got you all worked up already?" It was a taunting tone, something about their position made it common sense that he'd be more submissive tonight.

"Please, (y/n). Just a quick hand, please." He shifted his hips, trying to get her soft hand to come down harder. Lucky for him, she wasn't in a mood to see him suffer and pressed the heel of her hand more firmly. "You know exactly what that does to me. Please baby, I'll be quiet."

"I know you will, you deserve this, 'kay?" She finally ended the small foreplay and moved her fingers into his briefs. Having been with her for over 15 years, (y/n) knew exactly what got Harry off the quickest. Nothing sold him out faster than a quick, sloppy hand, and her coaxing and appraisal always made him finish embarrassingly fast. Wrapping her hand around his length, she immediately began to jerk him off, wiping his precome to make it smoother. "Such a good daddy to our babies, best father out there I swear."

Her words made him shudder, even more, her touch making him extremely sensitive. Given her arm wrapped around him, he moved his head to the crevice of her neck, feeling shy from her praise. "(y/n), you're going to-" he was interrupted by her thumbing his head again, letting out a breathy moan, "god, make me cum so quick, please."

"It's okay baby, come on now, give it to me." She smirked as she felt him press soft kisses to her neck, almost as a thank you for the fucking phenomenal handie he was receiving.

His breath increased, indicating he was nearing his peak. He began to whimper ever so slightly, wriggling in place and only pushing himself closer to her. "Cumming, god m'cumming." he moaned, finally releasing over her hand.

(y/n) didn't end there though, still dragging her hand to rub his cum down his length and creating a click-ing sound. It was left unsaid that he loved to be overstimulated and milked.

Finally pulling her hand out after Harry begged her it was enough, she got up to grab a hand towel from their en suite restroom. Coming back, she found him with his eyes shut, clearly ready for sleeping.

"Budge up, or this'll get all gross in the morning."

Moving sluggishly, he allowed her to clean. "Come on now, let me do the same to you," he slurred as he flipped on his side, patting the bed.

"No baby, that's alright. Just wanna sleep with 'ya." She smiled at him fondly, noticing his eyes once again shutting in content. The two were almost annoying cuddlers, and they were practically seared together when it came to sleeping.

"Alright, in my arms 'ya go now. Come." He said faintly as she crawled into the space he made for her. Immediately squishing her face in his chest, he wrapped both arms around her back, caging her in and digging his fingers in her loose hair. "Love you," he whispered, although given his face was over her head, it was pretty muffled.

"Love you."

------------------

"Let's do three more deep breaths, and then we can go see what your mum made for breakfast," Harry indicated, eyes still shut as he sat cross-legged by Mazzy and Mick on the floor, June also sitting on one of the twins' bed.

Before the two parents gave birth to June, Harry insisted that it would be vital to teach their children meditation: a practice that would help them understand and work through their emotions. (y/n) agreed quickly, after hearing many testimonials online of increased mindfulness in small toddlers. Harry tried more often than not to do what he called "Good Morning Heart" exercises before school, but if he was out (y/n) had no problem doing it alone. Today though, the two woke up slightly later than usual and had to split up their duties.

"Okay, good. Keep your eyes closed for now, my bugs. I want you to think about one thing you hope to achieve today. Talk to a new kid maybe, or participate in class. Anything, and take another deep breath as you think of it."

"Dada, done now," Mazzy said, smiling wide at her father. Obviously having meditated her whole life (although they didn't consider it meditation, more so family time) she was used to these exercises and her father leading the group. She didn't know exactly why they did it, but being able to frame your day as positive before it even starts did boost her already positive demeanor.

"Good job baby, so proud of you. Why don't you go run down to see your mama? Not on the stairs though."

"I take her, dada!" Mick excitedly said, unknowingly to others, his positive goal for the day was protecting his 'baby' sister.

Harry smiled, dimples shinning as he saw the two siblings scurry down the hall. "Finished bug?" He asked as June and he were the only two left in the twins' room.

"Yeah, going to ask mom about everything."

"She's ready, and she's so fucking proud of you."

"Thank you, Dad, for everything. I mean it." June leaned over to give him a hug, making her cheek squish against his shoulder. He moved his head over to give her a kiss over her hair, closing his eyes for a second, basking in the life full of love he manifested.

"You didn't hear it from me, but I have an insider report your mum made chocolate pancakes."

-----------

"Come here for your kisses, don't try to weasel out of it," (y/n) laughed, putting her arm over the center console to pucker her lips. Mick was first, giving his mom a kiss on the cheek, dimples resembling his father's. Mazzy followed with obtaining their daily kiss before daycare, both stumbling their way out of the car to meet a teacher that helped them inside. "God they're so precious, as are you," (y/n) said, as she softly pinches June's cheek.

"Mooom," June dragged, now in the 'always embarrassed by parents' teenager phase. "Could we talk about Yesterday? You know, with whatever Dad said?”

“Yes! Actually, before we start would it be cool if we play hooky?” There wasn’t a ‘cooler’ parent between the two as they usually were very lenient, but this definitely bought (y/n) some cool parent points.

“What?! Are you sure? Is Dad okay with it?”

“Of course, he encouraged it really. Just a girl's day for us, can go shopping and eat lunch? Whad’ya think babe?”

“Freak it.” Or for translation, June’s way of saying fuck it.

—————

“Can you maybe … tell me how it worked for you? How you … decided?” June said nervously, still nervous about the topic.

“Yeah, of course, baby. It’s a much longer story than your fathers, but I’ll try to condense it:

“At your age, it’s such a period of confusion, and a lot of times your family can agitate that. From seventh grade to about my senior year of high school, I had what I now call my ‘identity crisis. Really, it was rooted in sexual confusion and overall expression but at the time, it was the most dramatic thing happening since the death of mom.”

The two were sitting in the car, having stopped by a local cafe for coffee before sitting in the mall parking lot. It was an odd place, but comfortable given the two were together. (y/n) and Harry prided themselves off of being an open family and sharing details of their past, but this wasn’t something June had heard of in such detail yet. Because of this, she was extremely absorbed in what her mother was saying.

“It’s really funny to me now, because that’s how I deal with things, I guess. But at the moment, I was-“ (y/n) turned her head to look out the window of the car, needing a small moment before recalling the most difficult time of her life. “It’s ridiculous because I know I should say losing mom was painful, but this whole sexuality thing tore me apart in a different way. It was silent, and it was internal. There was no one I could tell, not until my junior year.

“Anyway, going back to the plotline, yes. I did have a close friend I liked. She is mainly the reason I began to question, that and being a little too obsessed with Stevie Nicks. Sidebar: that was one thing that your father and I initially bonded on.” (y/n) finally lifted her head to see her daughter who stared at her with much adoration. Although she was a mother, this specific conversation still made her extremely insecure due to years of denial from family. She could only hope to raise her kids in a contrasting environment. “It was really hard, and I did become depressed and, well, suicidal frankly. Coming from a background like mine, there isn’t a ‘good’ view on anyone who is gay and that combined with my father's overall conserved nature, I was terrified. Then there was the back-and-forth: am I gay? Am I straight? Am I faking it? Does it matter? And the answer, to the last one at least, is yes it does fucking matter.”

“It made you that sad? Trying to figure it out? Dad says I’ll always be the same girl, why was it such a big deal for grandpa?”

“It was hard on me that I didn’t have someone noticing this pain I was going through. I, unfortunately, did not have someone to tell me that it was okay, and it was normal. God, I felt like such a deviant,” (y/n) laughed in an attempt at raising the mood. “When I finally got around to telling your grandpa, he said that mom mentioned it to him once, before she passed. He claims that she said I was going to be different, and he would have to understand that. Mothers always know. And he did, at least, he tried. It was hard to go from always saying future husband to future partner but he got the hang of it. You’re never too old to change your views and grandpa is the best example of that. He’s also very proud of his son-in-law for being so open about everything including sexuality, says that makes our relationship stronger and is the biggest reason he permitted your Dad to propose.”

"I don't even know what to say, that's kind of insane mom."

(y/n) laughed. The pain of her past has subsided over the years, and it was relieving to be able to recount it. "So insane. What else can I say about this? Two aunts were really rude about it and dad got so angry. It made me cry seeing him fight for me. After that, things just all worked out. It's still a hard topic, it took me forever to tell your dad. I thought he was going to be grossed out," (y/n) laughed again out of remembrance, cheeks warming from embarrassment.

"Mom! How could he, I'm sure he was the same as when you two met but dad would beat himself if he ever hurt you. And, that's really nice to hear about grandpa." June was amused over the change of topic and touched her mom was letting this information out.

"No, no. He's always been so attentive and needy," (y/n) giggled, June joining. "You should ask him about it, he's such a sap but that story especially gets a few tears out of him."

"Oh, definitely will do."

-------------

After the two had strolled around the mall a bit and found a few new pieces of clothing (what could (y/n) say, she had the tiniest shopping addiction) June opened up the conversation once more.

"So, how long does it take to know know."

"Oh babe, there's no number I can give you that works for everyone. You can't really but a timeline on these things. I will say there are stages, like definitely a questioning period, but you might not spend time experimenting with labels or you will. It's really hard to say. Personally, it was like six-ish years for me?"

They continued to roam the store, June now looking at jeans with embroidered details. "Hm." She looked deep in thought, but not nearly as conflicted as Harry described her to be the night prior. "I'm thinking about it mom, and I might be sure about it."

As (y/n) moved June into her arms into a Styles' classic bear hug, she hummed in joy. "I am so happy to hear that baby. We are so proud of you, and you're still our same baby but you're developing your identity and we're just so proud to be your parents. Please, babe, don't worry about this, we're here always to defend you through anything. Although, half of our friends and family are gay or something too." (y/n) gave her a smirk, both chuckling at the situation. "Now, if we're done here maybe we can stop by your dad's fav strawberry dealer, he sent me a message he was craving some."

June followed her mom out of the store after deciding to buy the jeans, body warming at the thought of having what she considered to be the best parents in the world.

_____________________________________________________

Part two done! kinda obsessed with this storyline now, so let me know what else you want to see from this precious family. ily!

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers VANDEAD CARNIVAL ;; Sleeping Vampire ー Mukami Ruki

Source: Diabolik Lovers Vandead Carnival

Seiyuu: Takahiro Sakurai

Audio: Part 1 ll Part 2

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

“...Hm...? What’s wrong? You woke up?”

You ask Ruki what he is doing.

“Aah, my bad. Did you wake up because you were curious what I was up to? I was going to read till a good stopping point, but the book only made me feel even more awake. More importantly...What’s wrong? It’s unusual for you to wake up at this hour. Did you have a strange dream, perhaps?”

You nod.

“I knew it. I’m just about to start a new chapter (1). Instead of reading my book, I’ll talk with you instead. Try telling me what the dream was about. It might not be bad to listen to your idle talk every now and then like this...”

You start explaining the dream.

*TIMESKIP*

“ーー I see. So that’s what it was about. A picnic with the five of us, huh? That’s definitely an odd dream. However, they say that dreams reflect one’s wishes. You were wishing for something like that?”

You panic a little.

“Heh...Look at you get all flustered. Seems like I was spot on. Well, why not? It might make for a fine change of pace.”

You seem surprised.

“...Why are you giving me that look?”

You note you did not expect that.

“...Unexpected? Just who do you think I am? A cruel-hearted man who wouldn’t even grant a single wish of his own livestock?” 

You quickly shake your head.

“Pfft. ...Don’t try and deny it now. Honestly, I do not mind how you look at me; Now that I think about it, it is true that I have yet to do something for the sake of making you happy. I’m a dull man. Humankind tries to enjoy their life because they know their time is limited. However, Vampires don’t have this limit, right? As we live on, we become blind to the value or fun in life...And at some point, we even forget what exactly it is like to enjoy something. That’s why I never thought about entertaining you. Even if you find me boring because of that, I simply cannot deny it.”

You point towards the book.

“A book? You’re talking about this one? What’s wrong with it?”

You explain.

“...Aah, I suppose reading could be seen as one way to enjoy oneself. However, this is simply a means to kill some time. When you walk the path of eternal life, there are times where the nights feel very long. Although I doubt that is something a human such as yourself is able to grasp.”

You frown.

“...Don’t make that face. I am simply stating the truth, there is no other meaning behind it. Nor do I intend to refute the dream you saw or your wish. You are free to desire whatever you want after all.”

You tell Ruki he doesn’t need to force himself to go.

“I never said I don’t want to go. ...Do you really want to go on a picnic with me?”

You nod.

“Heh...Well, if you want to go with me, I don’t mind tagging along. However...Taking the others along as well will have to be for another time. If we’re heading outside and I have to watch over all four of you, it’d take an immense amount of effort.”

*Rustle*

“If it’s just the two of us...I’ll accompany you.”

*Rustle rustle*

“Oi, don’t get up. ...Good grief. Hey, don’t flip over the blanket.”

You scoot closer to Ruki.

“Heh...What a strange woman you are, wishing to go on a picnic with a Vampire. I’m sure it’ll be boring? I’m a dull man after all.”

You tell him it will be fine.

“...I wonder. Well, I suppose it isn’t up to me to decide how you will feel about it. If I go with you...I might just be able to remember what it is like to have fun.”

You ask what he said.

“...Nothing. I was simply thinking which book would be nice to read outside.”

You pout.

“What? Got a problem with that? You’ve sure come to think highly of yourself if you believe you have the right to comment on my preferences?”

You quickly try and apologize. 

“Pfft...I was joking, idiot. I’m not upset. However...Learning about their Master’s tastes is part of your duty as my Livestock. Why don’t you give these a read sometime as well?”

*Flip*

“This book was written during the Neo-Latin period quite some time agーー”

You ask about the language.

“...This? It’s Latin.”

You are impressed.

“There is nothing impressive about it. Anyone can read this with enough practice. ...However, I suppose it may be a bit of a challenge for you. The other day, you didn’t score too well on the foreign language test, did you?”

You ask him how he knows.

“Of course I know. I am your Master after all. I know my Livestock in and out. Well, I suppose you’ll just have to study a little more. Try your best on the next exam, okay?”

You promise to give it your all.

“Heh...So, what will you do? If you wish so, I don’t mind reading it out loud for you.”

You hesitate.

“...No need to be modest?”

You shake your head.

“...I see. I thought it would make for a fine bedtime story though. I guess for women or children, a tale from the One Thousand and One Nights is more suitable.”

You nod.

“Well then, you should go back to sleep soon. You don’t need to force yourself to stay awake with me.”

*Rustle*

“Make sure to cover yourself properly with the blanket. Come on. ...Close your eyes.”

You close your eyes.

*Flip*

“...”

*Flip*

You open your eyes again.

*Rustle rustle*

“...What? You woke up again? Didn’t I tell you to sleep?”

You explain.

“You feel wide awake? Haah...You’re such a child at times. That being said, I suppose I am partially responsible as well. ...It cannot be helped. Try telling me what might help you lull to sleep. I’ll do whatever you want.”

You offer to chat for a bit.

“...Talk? You’d be able to sleep if we talk for a while? But you declined by offer earlier, did you not?”

You explain.

“...Pfft, I see. It has to be in a language you understand, huh? However, this is catching me a bit off guard. Right...Should I imitate you and try talking about my dreams?”

You seem curious.

“As of late...I’ve stopped having nightmares. As a result, I can sleep well.”

You ask him about his dreams.

“Hm? What kind of dreams I have? Let’s see...Now that I think about it, I don’t have them often.”

You pout.

“...Oi. Don’t make your disappointment so clear. It hurts me a little too. Unlike me...Seems like you see all sorts of dreams? Am I wrong?”

You confirm his statement.

“Right? That’s what I thought looking at you. ...Heh, there’s no deeper meaning behind it. ...What kind of dreams do you see? Just pick one you remember. Tell me about it.”

You start talking about your dreams.

“...Hm...Heeh. Hm...? What’s wrong? Why did you stop talking?”

You assume it is boring to him.

“It isn’t boring. Stop having those ridiculous worries. I don’t dislike listening to your stories. While I won’t deny that you aren’t the best story-teller, and since you are talking about your dreams, the story is somewhat inconsistent and all over the place. However, I never expected a perfect story from you in the first place, so rest assured.”

You ask about his expectations.

“...Who knows? I’m not quite sure what exactly I was expecting. It’s just, right...I suppose I might have simply wished to listen to your rambling. I will admit that I have lost my edge to be satisfied by such a clumsy story. So...Don’t worry and tell your story the way you want. I want to listen to you talk.”

*TIMESKIP*

Ruki has dozed off.

“...”

*Rustle*

“Nn...Aah...I had nodded off a little.”

You blame your own story being boring.

“That’s not it. However...How do I put this? I feel so very at ease when listening to your voice. Furthermore, the content of these wishes reflected in your dreams are like those of a child, it is rather adorable.”

You start blushing.

“...What’s wrong? Why are you pulling a weird face? Aah, because I called you cute? ...That’s a little upsetting. I am pretty sure I have always doted on you like this, haven’t I?”

You get upset because he was sleeping instead of listening to you talk.

“Heh...Rest assured. Even if I’m dozing off, I’m still listening to you. On top of the dream about the picnic, you had ones about a house made out of candy and als one where you went to an amusement park, right? Finally you talked about a dream where you rode on top of the clouds. When you put them next to each other like that, all of your dreams are about having fun, aren’t they?”

You are impressed he could list them all off.

“See? I remembered, didn’t I? What do you think hearing them listed off like that? Don’t you think it only makes sense I would perceive them as childish?”

You go quiet.

“...Haha. Seems like you can’t deny my statement.”

You protest.

“You’ve had more mature dreams as well? Hooh, now that is interesting. I would love to hear about those.”

You flinch.

“Why do you seem uneasy? You’re the one who brought it up. Now explain yourself.”

You move away.

*Creaaak*

“Oi. Think you can get away?”

Ruki quickly pulls you back to his side.

“Did you really think you could deceive me by saying you’ve suddenly gotten sleepy? If you want to lie that badly, at least come up with something a little better.”

You nod.

“...I’m glad you understand. If you were truly thinking of deceiving me, I suppose I will have to discipline you again. ーー Well then.”

*Rustle*

“An adult dream, was it? Try telling me about it. You’re stuck like this until you do.”

*Creaaaak*

“Exactly, pinned down underneath me like this. Your fate is in your own hands.”

You get flustered.

“...What are you turning red for? Could it be...Something you can’t tell me about it? Hm?”

You protest.

“Aah...I get it now. This ‘adult dream’ you spoke of is related to me. That’s why you can’t tell me. ...Aren’t I right? Heh. You really are an open book. However, in that case, I am even more curious now. Try telling me. From beginning till end, without trying to cover anything up.”

You start talking.

“...Hm...Hah...How ridiculous.”

*Creaaaaak*

“Since you flushed red in shame, I was already wondering what kind of dream I should expect but...Let me break it to you, that is without a doubt another one of your childish dreams. I embraced you gently and we kissed? What exactly is so ‘mature’ about that? On top of that, it was like a Prince’s kiss? Children are the only ones who should still believe in that nonsense. Utterly ridiculous.”

You frown and lower your head.

“...Haah. Don’t be so down. I was a little too harsh with my words as well. However...I only just told you that dreams reflect one’s desires, right? I felt as if you were trying to express your dissatisfaction with the kisses I usually give you...So I became a little upset. Even right now, I’ve been trying to be kind to you in my own way...But it seems like the message did not get through to you.”

*Creaaaak*

“I can’t just turn a blind eye to what you said. That wish of yours...I shall fulfill it right now.”

Ruki embraces you.

“I have to gently hold you in my arms first...Right? Thenーー”

*Rustle rustle*

“A Prince’s kiss, was it? ...Nn...”

*Smooch*

“...Are you satisfied now?”

Your eyes widen in shock.

“Heh...Why do you seem so surprised? I kissed you in your dream, did I not? In that case, I don’t see a problem with me doing it to you in real life as well. Dreams reflect our desires. In short, you wanted me to kiss you.”

You pout.

“Hehe...So? What did you think of my gentle kiss?”

You whisper your response.

“...Pardon? I can’t hear you.”

You repeat it.

“...It caught you off guard so you couldn’t tell? Haah...How boring. You really are a dull woman...”

You protest.

“Pfft...I know. I’m just kidding. You truly believe that’s how I feel about you? However, if that’s the problem, I shall start asking for your permission first from here on out. When I embrace or kiss you. Even when I touch you, I will only do it after asking. What do you think? 

You shake your head.

“Oh? You don’t like the sound of that? Good grief, you are such greedy Livestock. ...Hehe. However, I don’t want to do something you don’t enjoy either. If it makes you happy, I’ll treat you with kindness any time you want.”

You smile.

“...Are you starting to get sleepy yet? We’ve been chatting for quite some time after all.”

You shake your head.

“...You feel even more awake? Heh...Because of the kiss? You really are still a child if that’s enough to keep you awake at night. Well, if you close your eyes and lay still, I’m sure you’ll eventually grow sleepy.”

You ask if he’ll sleep as well.

“Me? I’m not tired yet. I’ll continue reading my book for a little longer. ...Come on. You should hurry up and sleep. It is the optimal way to give your body some rest.”

*Flip*

“...”

*Flip*

“...”

*Flip*

“...Did I not tell you to sleep? What do you gain from looking at my face? If there’s something you want to tell me, then spit it out.”

You tell him he looks very handsome reading like that.

“...I was not sure what to expect, but you sure say the funniest things, calling a man in his pajamas ‘handsome’. ...Think before you speak.”

You insist it was meant in a positive way.

“...Yes, exactly. Even if it is a compliment. ...It would distract me and I won’t be able to focus on my reading. You’re the type who always voices their thoughts and emotions out loud. It makes you hard to handle. Well...I will admit that it doesn’t feel bad to receive said compliment from you.”

You ask for permission to watch him.

“...You’d still do it even if I say no, right? It can’t be helped. Only for today, okay? However, don’t say any more unnecessary things, okay?”

You promise.

“...Exactly. I don’t need to hear your impressions. I won’t ever be able to get some rest if I don’t get to a good stopping point. Don’t prevent your Master from getting his sleep. Understood?”

*Flip*

“...”

*Flip*

“...”

*Flip*

“...Oi. You want to fall asleep in that position?”

*Rustle rustle*

“You have to lie down properly to sleep. Otherwise you’ll hurt your body. Come onーー”

*Creaaaak*

“You don’t need to sleep while looking at me, do you? Go for a sleeping position which is the most comfortable for you.”

You protest.

“You grow curious? Because I’m next to you? ...Okay. In that case, I’ll return to my own roーー”

You quickly stop him.

*Rustle*

Ruki: Oi, don’t suddenly pull onto me. ...You don’t want me to leave, huh? You’ve gotten quite skilled at tempting me. However, you can’t sleep when I’m here, right? I suppose it wouldn’t be a problem if I were to sleep as well, but I’m still going to be awake for quite some time. In that case, sleeping separately would be much more effective.”

You ask him to sleep as well.

“...What do you mean ‘motivation to sleep’? How exactly should I try my best to fall asleep?” 

You pout.

“...Fine. In that case, I’ll hit the hay too. That’ll solve the problem, right? I could no longer concentrate either because you kept on catching my attention. Let’s go to bed so we’ll be well-rested in the morning.”

*Rustle rustle*

“Good grief. You sure are a handful. Come on, stop looking at me forever. Close your eyes. In that case...I don’t mind embracing you, shrouding you in darkness that way?”

*Rustle*

“Yeah, I suppose I’ll do that. I’ll be able to sleep quicker that way too.”

You seem reluctant.

“Heh...You really are a child. You still don’t know just how nice it feels to have someone hold you in their arms. Seems like the contents of your dreams won’t be changing any time soon then.”

You pout.

“...Don’t sulk. If you get upset, you’ll only have even more trouble falling asleep. If I can’t embrace you...How about stroking your forehead like this? They say that children enjoy having their head patted. Doesn’t it put you at ease?”

You nod.

“...I see. As long as it helps you get some sleep.”

You smile.

“...My hand feels cold and refreshing? Little late to notice that, don’t you think? I’m a Vampire, remember? Exactly. A Vampire is going this far for you, so just get some rest already, okay? If you really can’t fall asleep, I don’t mind sucking your blood until you grow anemic. Then you’d be able to sleep soundly, no?”

You protest.

“Heh...If you don’t want that, perhaps I should return to my own room after all? ...You want me to stay here, don’t you? In that case, be a good girl and sleep.”

You sigh.

“You’re to blame for refusing to sleep. Come on, scoot closer.”

*Rustle*

“You said you’d be too nervous to sleep when I embrace you but...Try looking at it this way. You should simply think that right here...that being in my arms is the most cozy place in the whole wid world. You...held my hand while I was sleeping in the past, didn’t you? This is no different. Think of these arms as something which bring you peace. By doing so, I’m sure you’ll be able to relax. ...What do you think?”

You admit feeling relaxed.

“I see. Then fall asleep like that. You can watch my face to your heart’s content again in the morning, can’t you?”

You ask Ruki if he will stay by your side.

“...Yeah. I’ll still be here in the morning. So rest assured and close your eyes.”

You close your eyes.

“...Good girl.”

You doze off.

“...Seems like she fell asleep. She really is still a child who needs to be put to bed, huh? ...Making such a pleased expression, I wonder if she’s having a dream right now? I wonder what kind of dream it is?”

*Rustle*

“One where she has childish fun? Or perhaps part two of the picnic? Or maybeーー A dream about me? I’ll have you tell me tomorrow.”

*Creaaak*

“Heh...When asleep, she leaves herself even more vulnerable than usual. ...Dreams, huh? This might be one of her wishes as well but, what if...Nn...”

*Smooch*

“...She might just get me actually kissing her ass she sleeps like this mixed up with her dream. That would be very much like her.”

*Creaaak*

“I suppose she’ll wake up again if I keep talking for too long.”

Ruki closes his eyes.

“...Suppose I’ll get some shut-eye as well.”

He closes his book.

*Rustle*

“I don’t see fun dreams like you do, nor do they interest me. But when I look at your adorable, relaxed sleeping face...I feel like I’ll be able to see an enjoyable dream just like you do. ...Especially tonight. I hope that you too...Will have a fun, long dream. ...Nn...”

*Smooch*

“...Goodnight.”

ーー THE END ーー

Translation notes

(1) 区切り or ‘kugiri’ is used to refer to a breakpoint in general. Since he is reading a book, this seemed like a fine translation in English. 

[ravenmamaillusionpapa]

Raven Mom & Illusion Dad AU Things (Part 2)

- Although she’s never met him, from what she’s heard from Lilith, Alexandra absolutely adores her father. She even has a locket with pictures of both her parents inside.

- Damian was Odalia’s brother; making her Alexandra’s aunt.

- Lilith is absolutely DISGUSTED that Odalia, her own sister-in-law, kidnapped her and Damian’s child, especially considering that Odalia already had two children of her own.

- Once Damian passed away, Lilith and Odalia did not interact at all, hence why she didn’t know that Amity was her little Alexandra.

- Although Odalia and Damian were siblings, they had never gotten along. All Odalia had ever wanted was a famous and successful company, while Damian was always the one who wanted to get married and have a family.

- Damian and Odalia’s parents had never approved of their son with Lilith; they thought she was too good for him. Not only that, but they were strong believers in Belos’ different coven relationships not being allowed rule.

- Alexandra absolutely LOVES Lilith’s raven palisman, Fiachra. It works, since the raven loves Alex too.

- Alexandra adores going for rides with Lilith on her staff. Not only does she get a ton of fresh air, that’s also the time when her and Lilith just spend time together and talk, as mother and daughter. They both love going for those rides.

- Alexandra is constantly telling Lilith how much better she treats her than Odalia ever did.

- Lilith doesn’t want Alexandra anywhere near Odalia, but still makes a point to have her daughter spend time with her cousins; Emira and Edric. Since they don’t all live together anymore, Alexandra handles them and gets along with them better.

- Anytime that Alexandra is referred to by the name Odalia gave her, she gets very anxious and uncomfortable.

- Even though she’s fourteen now, Alexandra still asks Lilith to read her a bedtime story and to tuck her in every night. Why? Simple- Odalia never did those things, even when Alex was younger.

- When it was revealed at Hexside who Alexandra REALLY was, Boscha and the others wanted nothing to do with her. However, this didn’t bother Alex too much, because she knows who her true friends are now- Luz, Gus, and Willow.

- Lilith also gets very defensive if people make fun of or hurt her daughter. Boscha especially is terrified of Lilith when she gets mad.

- Alexandra has constant nightmares of Odalia coming back to kidnap her again. She ends up cuddling with Luz after waking up, or wakes up her mother to talk to her about it. Lilith always lets Alex sleep with her those nights.

- Although she was upset that she didn’t get to raise Alexandra from birth, Lilith was at least grateful that she was able to watch her baby grow throughout her years at Hexside.

- Damian’s middle name was Alexander, hence where his and Lilith’s daughter’s name originated.

- Even Edric and Emira have been spending more and more time at the Owl House. They have no respect for their mother now that they know she had kidnapped Alexandra.

- There are nights where Lilith wakes up in the early hours of the morning and misses Damian even more than usual. Those are the nights where she brings Alexandra into her room, so she can have her daughter; that last piece of Damian there with her. Alexandra is used to it at this point, and she understands completely.

- Although she’s too afraid to, Lilith wants nothing more than to confront Belos about killing Damian. Alexandra wants to confront him as well, but Lilith won’t let her for obvious reasons.

- They’d be lying if Luz and Alexandra said they haven’t thought about their potential wedding someday. They want it someone related to Grom Night, since that was technically their first date.

- They also know that they at least want a daughter someday, and they’ve agreed that they’ll name her Azura, after the witch from that book series that they both adore.

- Lilith is genuinely considering fighting for custody of Edric and Emira. They all know that Odalia is an unfit mother.

- Alexandra’s a bit torn about having Edric and Emira as her siblings again. Sure, she loves her cousins, but they were always so much to handle when she lived with them previously.

- Lilith doesn’t know this, but Luz and Alexandra have agreed that if they ever have a son, they’ll name him Damian after Alexandra’s father.

- Damian had always put Lilith before anyone and anything else; before his coven, before his life, everything. She was his top priority until the day he was killed. Even then, his final thoughts were concerns about Lilith and their baby.

[111forgiveness]

1. Do you prefer writing with black or blue pen?

I like both, it depends though. Probably black.

2. Would you prefer to live in the country or city?

I’ve lived in the city my whole life, there are pros and cons to both options but I can picture myself living in a city when I have my own house

3. If you could learn a new skill what would it be?

Probably to speak fluent Spanish or Italian seeing as that’s the language my family speaks mostly. Or drums or saxophone !!!!!!

4. Do you drink your coffee/tea with sugar?

I don’t really like coffee so I seldom drink it, but I have a tea nearly every day with creamed honey

5. What was your favourite book as a child?

Hmm. This is sort of hard because I’ve always liked reading but only seriously started reading when I was 12 or so and I skipped YA novels and dove straight into like “adult” books. I re-read a book by a Canadian author, Raziel Ried, When everything feels like the movies maybe 3 or 4 times. I also love(d) diary of a wimpy kid.

6. Do you prefer baths or showers?

I shower every night and honestly I don’t care for baths much, I would like to, and I would like to take baths with lush products but idk I am hesitant

7. If you could be a mythical creature, which one would it be?

I would say a mermaid, dragon or maybe even a fairy or something that can fly!

8. Paper or electronic books?

Paper all the way

9. What is your favourite item of clothing?

Hard to say. I like this huge shirt I have from the mountain that has cats on it, I also like “dad” shirts a lot and fun seasonal grandma sweaters. Also shoes.

10. Do you like your name or would you like to change it?

I hated it as a little girl but I love it now, ans I like that I am named partly after my grandmother who has passed

11. Who is a mentor to you?

I would say maybe my aunt, Courtney love or princess Caroline 🤡

12. Would you like to be famous, and if so what for?

Probably an actress, musician or something like that

13. Are you a restless sleeper?

Sometimes but I have a lot of trouble sleeping anyways

14. Do you consider yourself a romantic person?

I am physically affectionate and I have many ‘love languages’ but I am not, and I detest the romantic rose petals on the bed and shit like that

15. Which element best represents you?

Fire or water id say

16. Who do you want to be closer to?

Some people on here I talk to, I miss my friends irl too who I haven’t seen in about a year

17. Do you miss someone at the moment?

My grandma, my boyfriend, my bunnies

18. Tell us about an early childhood memory

Walking down the hospital corridor holding my grandmas hand and holding a cream stuffed elephant and balloon in the other going to meet my newborn sister and my mom who I hadn’t seen for a few days because she was busy giving birth, peeing my pants at marine land, making “food” with flour salt and other things at home, playing coffee break with my mom where she’d give me the teeniest amount of coffee and we would pretend to be construction workers my dad worked alongside with, having cookies and milk in red plastic bowls as a bedtime snack in the kitchen

19. What Is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

I honestly cannot say

20. What are you most thankful for?

Love, and living and the small joys that are within both

21. Do you like spicy food?

Some, I like Siracha and jalapeños but I do not have a big spice tolerance

22. Have you ever met someone famous?

I met ALB in wisperland, Cody and Kevin from Crown lands and some dude from down with Webster by accident ant that is a horribly embarrassing story

23. Do you keep a diary or journal?

Yes

24. Do you prefer to use pen or pencil?

Pen, I hate pencil

25. What is your star sign?

Capricorn

26. Do you like your cereal soggy or crunchy?

Crunchy, soggy is disgusting

27. What do you want your legacy to be?

Hard worker and good and interesting person

28. Do you like reading, what is the last book you read?

Yes and I am reading Coraline and The Hobbit

29. How do you show someone you love them?

I show physical affection or tell them

30. Do you like ice in your drinks?

Sometimes

31. What are you afraid of?

Not being believed, kidnapping and dying

32. What is your favourite scent?

Lavender, my bed and fruit cellars

33. Do you address older people by their name or sir name?

Depends who I’m talking to but usually their fists name

34. If money was not a factor, how would you live your life?

I’d have way too many belongings and I’d live in an old Victorian mansion with cats and a fish pond and swans and I’d throw dinner parties

35. Do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean?

I’m afraid of the ocean. I like beaches though if the water isn’t salt water

36. What would you do if you found $50 on the ground?

Keep it

37. Have you ever seen a shooting star?

No

38. What is the one thing you want to teach your children?

Take no shit

39. If you had to get a tattoo where would it be and what would it be?

Let’s see next year!

40. What can you hear now?

The fans of the cases and freezers at work and the radio

41. Where do you feel the safest?

At home alone in my room

42. What is the one thing you want to overcome/conquer?

Fear and my sort of self hatred and envy

43. If you could travel back to any era, what would it be?

Late 80s to 2010

44. What is your most used emoji?

😭😞

45. Describe yourself using one word

Intellectual 😌

46. What do you regret the most?

Letting people treat me the way they did and my stick and poke

47. Last movie you saw?

Paradise Lost: the murders at Robin Hood hills

48. Last Tv show you watched?

Bojsck horseman

49. Invent a word and it’s meaning.

No❤️

I tag @softersoftestmp3 @mylifemymuse

Thank you Cierra ❣️

[everydisneymovie]

Review #21: Peter Pan

Post #24

6/18/2020

Next up is 1953′s Peter Pan

Enjoyment : [2]

Holy crap this is a hard movie to get through. The concept and setting are great, a fantasy world filtered through children’s bedtime stories? I am here for that. But honestly the characters really ruin this. Everyone without exception is selfish, self centered, racist and sexist. The characters only speak in snarky quips or weird bigoted statements. It is ok to write mean characters, but none of them do or say anything that shows further depth or growth. Tinkerbell is the only character who does anything redeemable and even then they muck up her heroic sacrifice with baffling editing. Other than a few funnt visual gags there is nothing enjoyable here.

Quality : [3]

The animation is average, albeit more than a little stiff. Only Tinkerbell and Tigerlilly are animated with any effort or personality and that appears to be purely fueled by the animators horniness. Captain Hook has some good animation and visual beats, but thats only because he gets to partake in easy-to-animate slapstick. The editing is down right awful. The scene were Tinkerbell sacrifices herself is the peak example of how bad the editing. Peter and Tink seems like they are about to have a moment of character growth, when it abruptly fades and moves on, with Tinkerbell perfectly fine in the very next scene. I think they had the ‘clap if you believe’ scene but cut it during production. The story structure is also garbage. I noticed this in Alice in Wonderland as well. Both movies are adaptations of children's books, and each movie seems to go chapter by chapter. This causes each scene to be really self contained and it doesn’t connect to the next at all. This is a really rough movie and all the corners show.

Hold up : [0]

Hey look the first zero on this list. This movie is easily the most offensive Disney movie I have seen so far. Song of the South is pretty awful, but the racism is non stop throughout Peter Pan. The characters just spew weird imperialist rhetoric about the ‘savages’ they are trying to colonize. Do I even need to bring up ‘What made the Redman Red?’ Yes. Yes I do. Holy crap this movie is garbage. How can this still get rereleased by Song of the South gets vaulted? I am kinda shocked. There is also a thick layer of sexism soaked into this movie. Every woman just fawns over Peter and he treats them all like trash. The only emotions any woman expresses is jealousy towards one another because they all want Peter and that’s their whole personality. Again, I don’t think I can find any dialogue not twinged with hatred or judgement. It is just non stop ugliness from start to finish and there is no good justification for it.

Risk : [4]

The only real points I can award is how dark and creative this movie gets. It isn’t much but the pirates openly talk about murder and actually do kill each other. I also liked that Tinkerbell was openly just a jerk from the start. Characters in Disney movies don’t have a lot of personalities so even negative personalities are fun to watch at this point. The storybook aesthetic could have been a lot of fun but it doesn’t really go far enough with it. I think Disney kept falling back on their comfort zones by animating slapstick instead of telling a good story. 

Extra Credit : [2]

Can’t really say much. I really liked the gag with Hook having different hooks for different occasions. Also a really creative shot is the X-ray of the bomb package. You can actually see that the bomb is a repurposed canon-ball and flintlock pistol fuse. The hands of the clock complete the circuit and set off the pistol, activating the canon-ball. It is very minor but I like the clear thought put into the actual functional design and how Hook would logically construct a timer bomb. I liked that they got into his head and what he would have on hand to construct a bomb.

Final thoughts:

Wow this movie sucks. I feel like Disney needs to apologize for making this. I feel like the characters were all set up for lessons that they never end up learning. Jerk characters need to learn their lessons and change by the end or we should at least be able to understand WHY they couldn’t change. The characters in Peter Pan just stay jerks, with the exception of Tinkerbell. I am actually glad Tinkerbell got her own spin offs she deserves better than Peter. This is hands down the worst movie I have seen so far on this list. I know for a fact there will be worse in the future but this one is just garbage.

Total Score: 11/50

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[withyounct]

What’s wrong kid? (2)

Reader x Single dad!Jaehyun

Genre: Fluff

Words: 2.6k

Prompt: You notice a child crying at a school playground. You decide to see what’s up and meet an extremely stressed/extremely handsome father.

Prev | Next

A/n: There is a slight Reader X Jaemin moment for like 12 seconds. Enjoy!

Watching Hyunjin was not only the easiest job ever it was also the funniest. She had such a ray of youthful exuberance mixed with an odd amount of maturity for her age. It was Friday night and you were putting her to bed when she hit you with a comment that completely threw you off.

“I hate this.” Hyunjin pouted, eyes brimming with tears. You immediately panicked. You were reading her favorite bedtime story. She was surrounded by her favorite plushies, her favorite star nightlight was on. Everything was downright perfect.

“You hate what Hyunjin?” You treaded cautiously while pulling her closer to you on the bed.

“You’re always gone when I wake up.” She admitted sadly, holding onto your side. You thought about it for a minute. For the past week you two spent every late afternoon and evening together. You would put her to bed and, in her mind, disappear until the next afternoon.

“I'm sorry. But you get to see your dad in the morning.” You reminded her hoping it would make her feel better. She just pouted more.

“Why can’t I see you both in the morning?” She asked innocently. The implication of staying over made your face hot, so you ruffled her hair in hopes to distract her from your slight panic expression.

“Well I don’t live here.” You laughed. You reminded her that you guys get to spend all of Sunday together. She accepted this begrudgingly and fell asleep after two more books.

You wandered into the living room to find Jaehyun on the couch reading through some documents. He looked up upon your arrival and sent you his signature smile, dimples and all. You stared at him questionably. How long has he been home? Why didn’t he say goodnight to Hyunjin?

“I didn’t want to interrupt. She would have been too hyper if I came in and its really late.” He answered before you could ask. You nodded understandingly and took a seat by him.

“It’s your house and daughter. You wouldn’t be “interrupting” anything. Plus, I wish you would have.” You added letting your head lean on the back of the couch. Jaehyun placed down the stack of papers and copied your movements.

“Why?” He turned his head in your direction and for the second time that night you had to hide your panicked expression. This close up you could see just how handsome he really was. You scanned his face and couldn’t find a single flaw. The raise of one of his eyebrows brought you back.

“She’s upset because I disappear before the morning. I sucked at explaining it to her; your input would have been helpful.” You blushed being caught staring dumbly. He smiled and turned his head back forward.

“You probably did a good job, but I’ll talk to her in the morning.” He reassured. You hummed and silence fell between you. After a few minutes he let out a heavy sigh.

“I’ve been so busy; I'm starting to feel like a shitty father.” He confessed. You were taken aback. In the week that you’ve know him he was anything but a ‘shitty father’. You sat up and nudged his leg.

“A shitty father wouldn’t wake up at the ass crack of dawn to prepare his daughter’s lunch and make breakfast. He wouldn’t take his time out of his already busy day to make sure her hair was done nicely, and her uniform was ironed. He wouldn’t care if she’s with someone that she actually liked watching her. He wouldn’t bust his ass day to day to make sure she has a happy and secure life. Jaehyun you’re nowhere near being a shitty father.” You ranted more concerned than you need to be.

There was a silence that engulfed you two unlike the first and you felt that you might have overstepped your boundaries. But, you weren’t going to apologize for being right. He looked at the leg that you nudged then at you. You saw a smile make its way across his face and he laughed.

“Has anyone told you your kind of amazing?” He asked while in a laughing fit. If your face wasn’t hot before it was then.

“Several times a day.” You lied, slightly turning away from him.

“Thanks.” A calm smile replaced its former. “I really needed that.”

“Anytime.” You softly smiled.

Since it was Friday you stayed longer than usual. You talked Jaehyun into putting his work away and to watch a movie with you. You, being the horror fan that you were, suggested The Conjuring. Jaehyun told you that he didn’t believe in ghost, which you thought was funny given how many times he got startled by a jump-scare.

Saturday rolled around and you were hanging out at Mark and Haechan’s apartment. Haechan had called you over to help him pick out and outfit for the party that night; the party you had no interest in going to.

“Mark ‘I never leave the music building’ Lee is going, and you can’t because?” Haechan grilled, throwing clothes on you while you laid on his bed. Mark shot a “I can hear you’ from the kitchen, but neither of you paid him mind.

“I got other shit to do.” You picked up a plaid shirt and threw it in the ‘no’ pile.

“Being what? You disappear more than I do nowadays. Which is fine, but we would like to know who you’re ditching us for.” Mark asked walking into Haechan’s room. You looked between your friends and saw a hint of concern in their expression. You asked if this was a common concern across everyone, including Kun and Ten, and they nodded.

“I've been babysitting this really cute girl.” You stated simply. They looked at each other then back at you.

“You like children?” They asked in unison.  

“Meh, but she’s really adorable and fun to be around.” You confessed. They looked at each other once more and shrugged, accepting your explanation. Mark pulled out his phone to text the rest of your friends and Haechan went back to throwing clothes at you.

About 30 minutes later you felt your phone vibrate.

“I’ll be right back.” You announced to the two.

“Jaehyun, what’s up?”

“Y/n, hey. My friends and I are taking Hyunjin to the aquarium, so you have the day off.” He informed happily. You could hear Hyunjin screaming in the background about fishes with another male voice; you guessed it was Johnny’s.

“Okay have fun.” You smiled.

“We will.” You heard Hyunjin and Johnny? scream ‘dolphins!’ before Jaehyun hung up. You chuckled to yourself and turned to walk back into the room. There you were greeted by a nosy Haechan leaning on the door.

“Oh man what a bummer, it looks like your plans are cancelled. So, you’re going to this fucking party.” He let out a cheshire smile. You always had a hard time saying no to him so after an hour of begging you gave in.

“I'm gonna go home and change.” You rolled off his bed and attempted to grab your keys. Mark got to it first and shoved it in his pocket.

“As if. We let you leave, and you’ll just lock yourself in your room till tomorrow.” He smirked. You squinted at him, but said nothing because he was right. Haechan pulled out his phone and dialed Ten.

“Hey, can you do me a favor and pick Y/n out and outfit for a party? Yeah and can you bring it and her makeup bag here too. Thanks.” You heard Ten yell “fuck yeah’ on the other end before it went dead.

Ten and Kun brought over the stuff and took your car back to the apartment. You begrudgingly got ready. The outfit screamed ‘Ten picked me out’ a red crop top with a lace bralette under, high waisted ripped black jeans with fishnets, and black boots. You finished up your makeup and stole a few of Haechan’s accessories when Mark announced it was time to go.

Since you had no intention of going you had no idea whose party it was. When you pulled up at Hendery and Xiaojun’s house you were surprised. They were friends of Yangyang and acquaintances of yours. They both came from fairly wealthy families, so they rented out the biggest and nicest house off campus.

“Holy fuck you look hot.” Jaemin greeted when you entered the house.

“Thank Ten.” You blushed at the sudden compliment.

You were suddenly dragged by Lucas and Xiaojun who demanded you do shots with them. Somewhere between the jello shots and real shots you were pulled to the dance floor by Hendery. To say you were having fun would be an understatement. You had a comfortable amount of alcohol in your system and you felt light as a feather.

More partying and shots later, you found yourself in an intense make out session with Jaemin. It was a mutual thing. After dancing for what it felt like hours, you drifted to his side on the sofa. The two of you were talking about nothing when lips met. He pulled you onto his lap and you carded your hands through his hair. You guys were going at each other for a good 5 minutes when you were interrupted.

“Umm.” Renjun’s voice broke you two apart. You looked down at Jaemin then back at Renjun and Jeno. You slid off of his lap and opened your mouth to say something, anything, when they both just walked away. Jaemin glanced down at you and the two of you squinted at each other. You were the first to break into laughter. Jaemin soon followed suit. He grabbed your hand and pulled you into the kitchen to do more shots with your friend group.

It was nearing 3am and you were beyond tired. You found space on one of the couches upstairs and was leaning on Lucas’s side when Jeno appeared.

“Y/n you okay?” He asked sweetly.

“Mm tired.” You pouted.

“Where’s Mark and Haechan?” Lucas asked while petting your head.

“Fucking it up on the dance floor. Y/n, here let me take you home.” Jeno, being the angel he was, pulled you up. You waved bye to Lucas and was gently place in the passenger seat. The drive was mostly silent since Jeno was the comfortable silence type.

“You don’t have to answer this, but do you by chance like Jaemin?” He asked suddenly at a red light. You weakly turned your head from the window to him. You could see the worry on his face.

“Not like that.” You answered, way to tired to elaborate. You rolled your head back to the window and sighed at the coldness on your warm face. When you arrived at your apartment you dreaded the walk up the stairs. While you were complaining in your head, Jeno got out the car and opened your side.

“Here.” He unbuckled the seat and scooped you up bridal style. You could have protested, but you were happy you didn’t have to make the walk and possibly trip and die. You informed him that Kun had your keys, so you both waited until they answered the door. Jeno passed you on and left. The last thing you remembered was Ten and Kun taking off your make up and putting you to bed.

Waking up the next morning sucked. Jaehyun had a full day so you had to be there by noon. You slammed your alarm off and sat up. You had a few sitting minutes so you pondered if you should text Jaemin, but decided to give your brain time to process what to say. So, you texted Jeno thanks instead. On your way out the door, Kun handed you coffee and Ten sunglasses.

“Did someone party to hard last night?” Jaehyun joked when he opened the door.

“You have no idea.” You muttered taking off your sunglasses.

“You can tell me over coffee. You look like you need more.” He said leading you to the kitchen. You smiled at his offer and tried to forget about his hands on your shoulders.

He placed a mug of coffee in front of you and you laughed at how much cream he put in it.

“So, spill.”

“I made out with one of my friends and had way too many shots.” You sighed. You noticed the shock spread across his face and another expression you couldn’t quite place.

“Oh, um well. Do you like this friend?” He asked awkwardly and you were a bit thrown off, but kept your face neutral.

“No. Not like that, but what if he likes me and it makes shit awkward.” You worried. Jaehyun’s face looked, what you would consider, relieved. But again, you kept your face neutral because there was no way. Right?

“You should talk to him. You guys are friends, so I'm sure it’ll be fine.” He ruffled your hair in reassurance.

“Wise words from a wise guy.” You joked. He cringed at how lame it was and you two talked until he had to go.

Hyunjin was taking her afternoon nap when you decided to suck it up and call Jaemin. Before you could get anything out, he spoke.

“Fam. You’re one of my best friends and I love you, but not like that. You just looked really hot, not to say you don’t look hot all the time I pride myself on having the hottest group of friends and I don’t know what happened, but I'm sorry. Are we cool?” Jaemin pleaded. You laughed because he was also lowkey freaking out.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. We’re good.” You smiled.

The day with Hyunjin was filled with its usual fun and adventures. You two spent some time in the garden and had an intense hide and seek battle. You got done putting her to sleep when you heard the door open. You looked up from your spot on the bed and saw Jaehyun smiling holding up a box. You carefully snuck out the room and followed him to the kitchen.

“Hyunjin told me your favorite dessert is cheesecake.” He smiled holding up the box proudly. You went to retrieve plates and told him about your conversation with Jaemin.

“Wise guy is always right.” He noted, placing a piece of cake on your plate.

“You can’t use my lame joke against me.” You laughed poking him with your fork. He smiled softly at you laughing and went into his pocket.

“Here. You can use this freely.” He placed down a key. You glanced down at it and picked it up. You were happy that he trusted you this much, but it seemed a bit fast. He must have picked up on your hesitation because he closed your fist with the key in hand. Your pulse jumped by a thousand at the sudden touch.

“Hyunjin is really good at sensing people to the point where it’s kind of scary. She trusts you as much as she trusts me even though she hasn’t known you for long. Please take this key for emergency and non-emergency purposes.” You saw the pure sincerity in his eyes and hooked the key to your keychain.

“You’ll regret this when I eat all your food.” You murmured trying to hide your growing blush.

“I doubt that.” He smiled.

Jaehyun slowly opened Hyunjin’s door and made his way over to her. He smiled down at the dolphin plushie that Doyoung bought her squished between her and the bed. Carefully, he petted her head. Despite his efforts, her eyes slowly opened.

“Did I wake you? I'm sorry.” He spoke softly.

“Daddy.” She smiled. “Y/n’s gone?” She asked. He nodded and noticed her sad expression.

“You really like her?” He asked more than stated. She sat up and nodded quickly. She proceeded to tell him everything she thought was amazing about you.

For the first time in a long time, Jaehyun wasn’t sure if his heart was swelling because of his daughter or you. But he did agree, he thought you were amazing too.

[cherryfi]

Bedtime Stories

Word Count: 4424.

Plot: Siren!Doyoung x female reader. The only way to get your kids to sleep is with a bedtime story and this time you tell them about how you met their father.

A/N: It’s Halloween Hoes!!! I’m kicking off the series with some fluffy Doyoung goodness! I’ve been sitting on this one for like a week now :(. I’m a little disappointed with it but, tell me what you think.

Requests are open!! Let me know if you have any other idols/ pairings you want for the series!

“Can you put them to bed for me?” Your husband’s frustrated voice calls out from the top of the stairs down to the kitchen; where you sat working on your next book. The sound of socked feet padding down the stairs quickly followed.  With your deadline fast approaching, you were working double time, trying to pull extra hours so that you could finish it on time.

Technically, it was finished but, following the success of your first book, there were obviously expectations set for you to write something bigger and better, the added pressure was stifling your creativity and making you question the directions you took your stories in.  A lot of the added pressure came from within. You were a perfectionist by nature; and you wanted to prove to your fans that you could consistently produce incredible works but, you also wanted to silence your critics.

You weren’t a one hit wonder; you were here to stay.

“Y/N? Did you hear me? Can you put them to bed for me?” Now normally, your husband wasn’t this easily frustrated but, it was the holidays and both of your children: your 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son were at home all day because it was the holidays. Which meant their father (your husband) had been watching them all day while you worked on your novel.

“Just one more line and then I’ll take over, I promise.” Doyoung wraps his arms around you from behind, squeezing you tightly and rested his head on your shoulder. A small sigh leaves his mouth, his lips next to your ear.

“I’m sure it’s perfect already, you’re just a massive worrier so everything looks like crap to a perfectionist like you. Plus, you’ve been looking at that screen all day , you need a break before you go mad. Anyway, the kids want you to read them and I need to head out. You’ve got it covered yeah?” You kiss his cheek and quietly agree.

“What time is it anyway?”

“It’s 9, you’ve been on it all day. I’m only going to be gone for a few hours but if you’re not up when I get back; goodnight and I love you. Tell the kids I love them too.” He kisses you tenderly and heads out the door into the crisp night air. You watch him grab his car keys from the breakfast bar and the gold plate from its spot by the door.

You roll your shoulders and prepare to get your energetic kids to bed.

“Alright you two little monsters I’m coming to get you!” You hear shrills of laughter as you comically stomp up the stairs; making roaring noises as you go.

As you turn the corner into your son’s room, you see both children dive under the bed.

“I see you!” You drag them both from under the bed, all 3 of you in fits of giggles. You tickle them both until you’re all on the ground, tired from laughing .

“How about a bedtime story?” Quick to their feet both of your kids climb onto your little boy’s bed.

Wracking your mind for a good story to tell, you try to find one in the bookshelf when your daughter pipes up.

“No Mummy I don’t want a book, make one up please?” She bounces excitedly with a sweet smile and who are you to tell her no? Especially when your 3-year-old chants “No books, no books!”

“Alright, Have I ever told you about when I used to be a fisherwoman?” You give a pause and watch both kids dramatically shake their heads.

“No? All right then.”

Deadhorse was a small town, just south of nowhere, that lay along the coastline. It was a fishing town, with no discernible features and nothing interesting to do. There were no tourists here.

If you had the displeasure of being born in Deadhorse, you did everything you could to get the hell out of town.

It was that kind of town. The kind of town that wasn’t on any major map and didn’t connect to the freeway. With a population of 1000, it was relatively sleepy. Everybody went to the same schools and worked in the same places.

The biggest attraction was a beaten up, old pub: ‘The moon and mermaid.’

It was boring and filled with small minded and old people but, it was home and until you could escape, you would the make the most of your situation.

But, it also had it’s perks. Being a sea town there was never a shortage of sea shanties and fire-side tales.

In every small, rural town there are the legends.

Be it myths about harbingers of death in the form of old hags carrying brooms or rakes, or whistled songs from forest depths carried on the wind that lure people in; each town had its story.

For Deadhorse it was the sea.

The sea was a dark and beautiful mistress – calm on the surface but bustling with activity in its depth.

Many a fisherman came into the pub and shared stories of sea creatures who would protect their boats during heavy storms or, recount hearing eerie songs that wrapped around them like the briny air. Though they’d remember hearing the song, they could never recount what it sounded like.

But this wasn’t about them, this was about you.

It was the summer of your 18th birthday, and your life was finally beginning to take shape.

You were going to a big college in the city and you were so close to achieving your dreams you could almost taste them – the same way you could taste the sea brine on the air.

“Pass me the crab cage Y/N?” Your father’s voice breaks you out of your stupor and shake your head. Reaching down, you pick up and hand him the cage. Loose sand shakes itself from the cage and you dust it off your arm.

You loved your parents more than anything, they were kind, hard-working people. They’d worked hard to put food on the table and keep you safe. You weren’t ashamed of your humble beginnings, in the same way that you weren’t ashamed of Deadhorse; it just wasn’t what you wanted.

Fishing was never your dream (was it ever anyone’s?).

“We’re going to have to come in earlier than normal today, Pete called in last night and told us that there’s a storm brewing and the meteorology office just put in a warning to the rest of the guys – storm’s coming in at about 5 so we’ve got to be back by the latest 4. Plus, have you seen the sky? It’s fire red.” He shrugs, throwing the cage into the back of the boat and unties the rope from the harbour.

“Yeah. Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailor’s take warning.” He laughed as you rattled off the saying in a deadpan voice.

You and your dad were close in an odd way. You could spend hours together in silence, doing absolutely nothing or working on tasks together. You were  always in sync and that’s what you had done the day everything changed.

You fished together, hauling nets and cages with the occasional remark until around 3pm.

The sky, that was previously a blazing red had gone black. As if the sun’s fire had been snuffed out.

If that wasn’t terrifying enough, the sea had gone eerily calm and there was stillness in the air that was choking.

It was the only time you’d seen your father scared. As an experienced fisher he’d seen his fair share of storms, so you knew this one would be huge.

“Let’s head in.”

“Yeah.”

You’d arrived home in the nick of time, as the waves had begun picking up as you headed back in.

It had gotten worse throughout the night, the thunder and waves beating a chaotic cacophony against the small town. Truly, it was the stuff of nightmares and had been one of the worst storms the town had seen in a long time.

But, in the morning, it was as if nothing had happened at all.

Everything resumed as normal.

Except it wasn’t.

It started with the singing.

Every night, just as the sun was setting a mournful song carried itself across the island – seemingly from the depths of the sea.

In the pub local fishermen debated that it must have been the sea itself.

“It’s the storm, brewin’ up all sorts of trouble. You know the sea’s alive. She needs to settle.”

“Don’t be foolish Pete! The sea’s not alive but, what’s in it is. I bet that storm probably woke some long dormant creature.”

“Maybe it’s the whalien.” Everyone turned to look at the new voice; curious to hear about this newly mentioned sea creature that they’d never heard of before.

“It’s this whale that sings at a different frequency to every known whale in the world. Apparently, it’s always singing because it’s lonely. Scientists think it’s probably one of the biggest whales in the world.” Sean was a level-headed, young Marine-biologist – he knew what he was talking about so, they agreed it must have been an amalgamation of all those things.

The Whalien, disturbed by the churning waves must have become scared and was calling out, hoping to find another whale like itself. It was plausible except for the fact that the song sounded entirely too human to be from any animal.

They were all wrong.

You’d heard the song and it wasn’t a whale.

It had to be a siren or a mermaid and to be fair, those that didn’t believe it was a whale were in agreement that it must have been some kind of Siren.

You’d read about them in the library (the only place where there was anything fun to do), you knew about them from ‘Odyssey’.

But that wasn’t what bought you to that conclusion.

2 days after the storm, you were walking along the beach in an area that was seldom travelled.

You hadn’t been searching for anything in particular; just walking. But the glare from the sun, reflecting off something in the sand made you take notice.

It was a gold plate.

It was heavy when you picked it up and to the best of your knowledge it looked like real gold.

There were inscriptions on it but, you couldn’t decipher anything – it wasn’t in any language that you could recognise (not that you were a linguistics expert).

You took it home to look at it later but,  for some reason, it didn’t feel right to tell anyone.

The singing started that night.

 Describing a siren song was hard. In Greek mythology, the song was meant to be captivating.

Sirens would sing of the loneliness they felt – trapped on their island and of the betrayal of the Olympians and the Muses.

It would lure pirates and sailors alike, who, hearing of these foreign tongued songs, would lose all care and steer into the island. They would be stuck there because their ships were ruined and would eventually perish not because (as is commonly thought) the Sirens would eat them but, because the Sirens couldn’t feed them.

They were immortals trapped on an island that had no need for food but, their mortal companions did.

They would forgo all human needs to hear the Siren song and would die.

This song, however, sounded like a warning.

It was a threat.

You didn’t know how to explain how you knew this; because you couldn’t understand its song and no one else in your small community seemed to have the same experience as you.

One thing everyone agreed on, was that the song was getting louder and seemed to take on multiple voices.

It had something to do with the golden plate. You just knew it.

The louder the song grew, the closer you knew the Siren was to the island – it was hunting you.

By the 5th day, the town had no fish.

Nets were empty and any catches made were often dead before they entered the net. The fish were avoiding the town.

This pushed the fishers into deeper, often unchartered, waters that still yielded no results. Savings were running dry fast and to top it off, the song was so loud that no one got any sleep.

You had to do something.

It was 2am on what would be the 6th day and here you were on the beach, plate in your satchel.

You took it out of the bag.

“Is this a scary story mummy?” Your little girl interrupts your flow, you’d lost yourself for a moment, almost able to smell the brine of the sea; wafting in your face.

Her blanket was up to her eyes and her brother was hidden behind it completely.

You sat on the floor opposite the bed. You quickly got up and picked up your daughter, setting her in your lap and pulling your son beside you.

“It might sound a little scary now but, I promise it has a happy ending. Should I continue?”

“Finish it please.” Your son responds hugging your arm tightly and you turn to your daughter for confirmation.

She gives you a toothy, gap-filled smile and nods quickly.

“Alright, where was I?”

“The plate!” They shout unison.

Yes, the plate.

You tried to hold it up above your head but, it was far too heavy.

Somehow, it had increased in mass (to the point where you couldn’t even hold it up) and was getting warmer, to the point where it soon began to glow white-hot.

“I guess you know that it’s here because it’s never done that before.” The singing had grown quieter and the plate was no longer glowing.

You kept talking.

“I don’t want it. I didn’t mean to take something that’s obviously so important to you, I just found it on the island. I’m guessing you lost it in the storm? I would love to return it to you. It must be awfully important given how loud you’ve been singing. Please bring the fish back. I was the one that did something wrong, no one else and I take full responsibility. You can get it whenever you’d like. Please just bring the fish back.” Honestly, you feel dumb.

Talking to the air, to the sea but somehow, you knew that the Siren was listening.

“Also, you have a lovely voice.”

You left quickly after.

In the morning, or well, the evening, it had become clear that you did the right thing.

The fish and crabs were back, almost as if they’d never left.

“How was today’s catch?” Your mother had asked. She’d been worried for your father. Aware of how  tense he’d been since the storm. But his answer immediately put her heart at ease.

“It was good. The sea was kind to all of us today. So, I’m thankful. I also apologise for making you so tense.” Just like that the balance was restored.

But, that night, there was no singing.

This should have meant that you could relax but, you were restless.

The plate was still in your possession.

After hours of tossing and turning, you finally fell asleep.

Only to wake with a jolt.

Your bed was soaking wet. The air heavy with the smell of, salt.

You couldn’t breathe. There was something lying on top of you.

In your alarm, you tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down and what felt like a hand reached around your neck, squeezing a little.

It was a warning.

Your eyes couldn’t adjust to the dark, couldn’t see what was on top of you but you knew.

It was the Siren.

“Y/N.” A hissed whisper next to your ear confirmed your suspicions. The voice that spoke to you was much deeper than the one that sang to you.

Fear shot through you like a jolt of electricity and you tried to scream but then it placed a hand on your mouth.

“Y/N, you have something of mine, I would like it back. If you cooperate, I will let you live.” The voice continued as the siren sat up, straddling your waist.

Please let this be sleep paralysis, please be sleep paralysis.

“I don’t know what creature causes this paralysis but, I am not he. I want what is mine and then I will leave.”

“I need to find it for you, can I get up?” The siren gets up and sits beside you on the bed.

“Do what you must but, if you deceive me, I will kill you and I will enjoy it.” You’re terrified and the Siren knows this, smelling the air around and laughing.

“Human fear, it’s so strange to me. Why are you scared when I’ve said I won’t harm you?” He laughs.

You’re certain this Siren is a man.

It’s only confirmed when you turn on your bedside lamp.

You look back at him and despite how wet he is; he’s beautiful.  His large eyes watch your every move, waiting for any sign of deception.

“Stop staring and do your part, human. Do what you promised me. Where is my Aegis?” Despite his hissing and the threats – he sounds tired.

“Here.” You take it from your bag and give it to, he holds it protectively.

“Hey, you’re bleeding.” His eyes are wide as he looks up at you, insulted that you would point out the obvious.

“Why is that your business?” You sigh as he looks at you, unsure.  He curls in on himself defensively.

“Wait here.” Honestly, you don’t know what you’re doing. Maybe it’s because his aggression only came  from the fact that he was injured or, maybe because you felt like you owed him (you did, after all, accidentally steal his property), you felt the need to take care of him.

Despite his obvious apprehension, he was still sitting on your bed when you got back. Your cat had taken up residence on his lap and was purring up a storm.

“I like your animal, this cat, he’s friendly.” You placed your first aid kit on the bed beside him and his large eyes immediately focused on it, his lips curled in warning.

“Yeah, that’s mouse, he’s a Maine coon. He loves everyone.” The cat meows in response, almost as if he knows he’s being spoken about and snuggles into the Siren’s lap. He shifts his stare back to you and juts his chin towards the kit, prompting you to explain.

“I’m going to clean your wounds, okay? It’s might sting a little but, I promise it’s going to help.”

“Are you an Apothecary? What is this cream? What is in it that will sting me? Is it venom?” He picks up the tube of antiseptic cream and sniffs it. You’re not sure if he’s a nervous talker or is just very curious but, it’s almost cute. As you watch him, curious yourself, you notice he’s a little green.

“It’s antiseptic cream. I’m going to clean your wounds with it and then dress them. You’re going to need to stay out of the water for a while; just until they close.” You clean the wounds, trying as hard as you can to be gentle.

It still hurts regardless, and he hisses at you when it touches his skin.

“How is this poison meant to help me when it burns this way? How do you know it won’t poison me? I am, after all, not of your kind.” That’s a good question actually – he’s clearly not human so how will it affect him?

You pointedly avoid his question.

“How did you find me? What are you anyway?” He smiles slowly; pointed teeth on full display. His dark eyes glinting dangerously in the dim light of your bedside lamp.

“You called out to me, with my Aegis, I followed your call.” He shrugs and goes back to playing with Mouse and you notice the webbing between his fingers.  

Pointed teeth bare at you when you apply the liquid dressings a little too heavy-handed in your shock. Mouse only meows in confusion but, doesn’t move from his spot on the sea creature’s lap. You cringe.

“Sorry. What got you so banged up anyway?” He looks at you quizzically, eyebrows furrowed.

“What injured you?”

“It was the storm, I lost my Aegis; the plate you stole, when the waves became rough. It heals me of injuries. You seafaring people used to steal these from creatures like me, mainly because you think it will give you immortality. Or because you want to trap us.” He’s finally calm and you take this time to really take his features in. He’s very slight and shivers a little as the water on his body chills him.

You gasp when Mouse climbs out of his lap and curls up on your bedspread.

“You’re naked.” He looks at you, incredulously.

“I have no need for clothes, I am a sea dweller.”

“Well, you’re going to freeze because you’re wet, and this is land. I’ll get you some clothes and you can stay here tonight and heal up.” He smiles, his jagged teeth on display.

They still scare you a little.

You smile when you realise that both your kids are asleep.

Picking up your daughter, you quietly carry her to her room, hoping that she doesn’t wake up.

Gently placing her in the she snuggles into her pillow, turning on her side.

“I love you, Peanut. Your daddy loves you too.” You kiss your forehead and head back to your son’s room.

Tucking him in, you kiss his forehead as well. “Good night, Honey. We both love you so much.”

 You laugh when you think about the first time you met Doyoung.

He had stayed the night, curled up on your bed with Mouse; while you took the sunbed under the window in your room.

He was gone in the morning, as was his ‘plate’.

You didn’t see him again until the summer was coming to an end.

The coastal winds were sending a chill across town and the days were getting shorter. It had been a month since Doyoung had ‘answered your call’; it didn’t feel real.

If it weren’t for the wet sheets and the briny smell in the air of your room, you would have been sure that it was a vivid dream.

In the weeks that followed, you’d spent every night at the beach’s edge calling out to him, the bitter night air whipping against your body and the moonlight casting an eerie glow against the crashing waves – he never responded, and eventually you gave up.

 You walk to your balcony and take a seat overlooking the sea.

The waves looked much the same as they did, the night that Doyoung finally came back.

You were heading away to university, finally. You had bought a house, just off campus, with some of your friends and had all your things packed up.

As much as you’d always complained about your small, middle of nowhere, town; you were going to miss it and all the characters that lived there.

But you also wanted to see Doyoung, just to know that he was okay.

The night before you left you walked to the beach again.

It would be the last time for a while that you would get to see the water and be this close to the coast. It was probably the last chance you would ever have to see him.

So, you’d called out to the sea, one last time.

“It’s me again. I’m sure you probably don’t care to hear from me, to be fair, I don’t even know if you can hear me; but I just want to know if you’re okay. I won’t be home for a while because I’m leaving. So, I suppose this is goodbye, unless I see you again.”

The moon casting a white glow on the inky waves as it hung larger than normal in the sky looked the same as seas at home in Deadhorse. No matter where you went, the water always looked like home.

A ‘Super’ moon the meteorology dept. had called it. They’d issued a warning about the high tide to the local fishermen and coastal folk.

And like the tide to the moon, your husband was drawn once again to the water. That’s where he was now;

Somewhere out in the water, he was doing whatever it was that Sirens did. Was he looking at the moon too? Was he thinking of you?

 When you and he first got together, you often worried that each time would be the last time you would see him. The call of the sea was powerful, and you feared that it would one day mean more to him than you. Maybe some day he would never come back. But, after 8 years and 2 beautiful children, your mind was at ease.

As selfish as it sounded, you always wanted him to be by your side; from the moment he walked into library and sat across from you, you were hooked.

 “What are you thinking about?” You nearly jump out of your skin when wet, webbed hands place themselves on your shoulder.

It rattles your mind for a moment until Doyoung’s smiling face comes into your view, teeth pointed again.

He always turned when he went to the sea. You’d never seen what he looked like in the water but, you’d seen its after-effects.

“I told the kids about how I first met you and I was just reminiscing about everything.” You shrug, leaving out the part where you were worrying about him leaving you.

Doyoung sits beside you and rests his head on your shoulder, making you gasp.

“Ew, you’re wet Doyoung!”  He laughs and shakes his head – splashing water droplets all over you.

“I just got out of the water, I’m still a little green but wait until I’m all dry, I’ll be back to normal. The water was great tonight, you should come with me on the next full moon.” He smiles and his jagged teeth show, slowly returning to a normal state. You smile in surprise.

Whenever Doyoung returned to the sea, it was his private time. This was the first time he’d opened the suggestion to you.

“Why now?” Doyoung dries his hair with a towel and wraps his arms around you.

“You’ve always been curious about that part of my life and I think it’s only fair that I share with you.”

[anciientboosh]

Hey, there! For the writer asks, how about 3, 11, 20, and 33?

Hey Ioco! Thank you so much for the asks, you’re a star <3 

3. What was the first story you ever wrote? 

This is a hilarious story I’m about to share with you. And Boosh related, oddly enough, which is even more fitting. When I was in primary school (I think it was about year 5 or 6 - so I would have been somewhere around the age of 9 or 10) my school held a competition where they asked a bunch of us to write stories and then the winners would read them out to the school and get some book coupons or something. 

At that age I would always be writing little bits anyway, I’d spent most of my times scribbling little plays to perform for my grandparents or my own bedtime stories (but this is the one I remember clearest as my first proper story). It’s also worth mentioning that at the age of 8 me and my slightly older cousin had already discovered Boosh on the telly, and we would pretend to go to sleep, only to stay up until about 2am to watch new episodes of Boosh Season 2 on BBC Three without any responsible adults knowing. And around this time Season Three was airing at the much more reasonable time of about 10/11pm, which made it so much easier for a 10 & 12 year old to watch it in secret... Can you see where this is going yet? 

Basically, I sat for a whole week every day after school to write my story, and I won the competition for my year, and all the winners were asked to read out their stories to the whole school. 

I wrote a fairy tale about two shopkeepers who made friends with a fox, but the fox turned out to be evil and bit the tall shopkeeper - making him sick with poison. Then he stole a magic apple from him so the girlish (but definitely not a girl) shopkeeper couldn’t cure his friend. The shopkeeper had to travel all through the woods to meet his wizard friend (that I cleverly called Nazoo) who gave him a potion to make him be able to find the fox and get the magic apple back just in time to give it to his friend and save him from dying. 

I basically ripped off a Boosh episode, gave it a twist, and that was the first proper story I ever wrote. My mum still has it somewhere I think... I should dig that out and post it here, cause I think it’s a pretty funny story. 

11. What’s your favourite book? 

Gosh this is rough. 

My first instinct was to say Good Omens (for very similar reasons as to what you replied I think!) because my mentor at university recommended it to me when I rocked up to his office sobbing because I had other tutors telling me my writing was a bit ‘eccentric’ and ‘flowery’ and ‘too casual, like you’re just talking to your reader and not telling them a story’ etc etc. And Good Omens, as you say, was a wonderful comfort to me as a young writer to realise that this eccentric, causal, jokey, conversational kind of style does work and can be published. 

But, the one series I continue to go back to at least once a year? Series of Unfortunate Events. I love the style (again, casual and conversational, like it’s a friend telling you a story rather than a stuffy narrator) and I still find them very charming. Especially as a kid they were the first books I fell in love with, and you know, they have a very good message of ‘don’t trust the people in charge just because they’re in charge, question everything, think for yourself’ which was refreshing for children's oriented books. Also each of those Baudelaire children was a mood. I too like to just build random contraptions for fun - I too like to read every book on a shelf - I too like to bite things as a way of expressing myself. I could go on.

Have I rambled enough yet? Probably. 

20. Do you prefer to write fiction or poetry? 

Oh my gosh this is possibly the hardest question anyone could have asked me. Both. I love both. If I’m not writing one I’m writing the other. Really I don’t think I can chose. It’s too rough. 

Thus far, poetry is the only medium I have managed to get published. I’ve managed to make the cut into a few anthologies with so far five (hopefully soon to be six) poems, so on the one hand logic dictates that would be my favourite. It’s also just so freeing. I find poetry I can be a bit more abstract with than fiction - and I like to be abstract, all my art is like that for the most part - and poetry has less rules. You can rhyme or you don’t. Stanzas or prose is fine. Speak it, read it, sing it. Subject matter is open. Don’t bother using a subject at all if you don’t want, just pour your heart onto the page - I love that freedom... but then there’s fiction. 

And I love to tell stories. There’s something so rewarding about sitting with a project for so long and then being able to put the product in the world with a story. Characters too, I really really bond with the characters I write - whether they’re mine or someone else’s in fanfiction - and I like being able to walk in their shoes a bit and lose myself in their heads and take them on journeys and develop relationships. My pretty flowery style suits itself a bit better to fiction, as well, I believe just because I can ramble for paragraphs about something if I let myself and poetry is a bit more compact than that. 

So I’m sorry, I find I cannot answer that one. It’s probably like 51% Fiction 49% Poetry 

33. Which themes do you like to write about the most? 

I find myself constantly drawn to this theme of family, but more often than not the situations I find myself drawn to writing about is this idea of a found family? Even the pairings and characters I’m drawn to for my fanfiction are those that have either been abandoned or went out of their own accord and found a family structure of their own (No one will ever convince me that Vince hasn’t built his own family in Howard, Naboo, and Bollo. Ever. That’s his family). 

Also Good vs Evil comes up a lot, and this relates back to Good Omens influence on me as a young writer I think, about the idea that no one is inherently good, or evil, that people are simply people and I like to therefore go through a process of looking at a characters flaws and how that doesn’t necessarily make them bad or broken, but how it contributes to them as a person. How they can still function and be strong through their bad points. 

There’s probably more, but I am well aware I am really going off on one even for me so yeah. I’ll stop now. Sorry for the word vomit!

[jjspina]

Bittersweet is growing wild once again and a story for children about this!

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #231

too lazy to even think of song lyrics to put, just have this

Do bridges make you nervous? Somewhat. Are there any movies that you find so dumb, you find funny? Aha, Napoleon Dynamite. Do you have any older siblings? Four + one I don't know. How often do you vacation? Pretty much never. Are you currently having any cellular problems? My phone is ACTUAL horse shit. Have you ever tried to meet up with someone from online? With Sara, multiple times now. :') It'd be fantastic if when I go to South Africa I can meet Shaylee when I visit to the KMP, and my other friend Alyssa knows how badly I wanna meet Mark, so she insists on me going with her one day if he ever goes back to PAX East. I'd love to meet Connie, too. If you could have any car right now, what would you want exactly? Eh, I don't know car types. Something medium/smallish (I don't want very small for safety reasons) that's either burnt orange or red and just pretty and sleek. Do you think it’s cruel to leave a live fish to die in an ice box? Um???????? YEAH????????????????? Have you ever done anything sexual with someone of the same sex? Yeah. Do you collect issues of a certain magazine? No. Have you ever pawned anything off at a pawn shop? Nah. Do you have stomach abs? Ha, I wish. Do you know anyone who is trying to physically impersonate a celebrity? No, but oh my god, so my friend Leon, right? He looks UNCANNILY like Leon Kennedy (WEIRD name coincidence????) from the Resident Evil series so much that he dressed as him one day. The resemblance is fucking unbelievable, especially when his hair was longer in the front. Do you have the Bakery Story app? Haven't heard of it. Do you watch Sister Wives? Haven't heard of that, either. How do you feel about polygamy? It's definitely not for me, but if it's KNOWINGLY between a consenting, happy group of people, you do you, man. Just hardcore practice safe sex. Have you ever seen a shuttle launch? No. What would your parents say is the worst thing you’ve ever done? I haven't got a clue. I'd assume Mom would probably say me texting her "fuck you" even though she deserved it. Dad, probably the letter I wrote him after the divorce. Are we having signs of the apocalypse? I don't even remember the Biblical signs besides like, swarms of locusts and humanity's focus shifting to materialism. I say rather we're having actually scientific signs of a mass extinction coming in the next few centuries, probably, or sooner. Historically, we're extremely overdue for one, anyway. Global warming, the ozone, overpopulation, pollution... you know, all that jazz. We're killing the earth. Would you rather see The Blue Man Group or Fear Factor live? Blue Man Group. Do you have any vintage clothing? Man, I wish. Are you glad to accept any certain person’s hand-me-downs? "As long as it fits and it’s like, clean, I guess?" <<<< This. Have you ever bought anything at Rue 21? Yeah, I like that store. The graphic tees section, at least. What color of colored contacts would you like to have? Like, purple or something. NO, cyan. Gimme a Manson feel. What’s on your bed? Me, Teddy, Roman, my laptop and mouse, my pillows, sheets, blanket, phone... Your floor besides furniture? My bookbag and purse. Wires. Shoes. Your dresser? My meerkat collection, along with some other plushies. The top shelf in your closet? I have no clue. Are there any dead stuffed animals in your house? Uh, you mean taxidermy? No. I am viciously against hunting "trophies." HOWEVER, I'm deeply into vulture culture and have mixed feelings about making art of NATURALLY deceased wildlife... A part of me says that's disrespectful, and then the other says it's very honoring and respectful, to immortalize an animal's beauty as art after experiencing a good life. It's something I semi-want to get into, but again, I'm torn on my thoughts about it. Do you know anyone who goes fishing, but doesn’t like fish? Do you mean like, eating fish? I'll fish with Dad if he invites me (I otherwise stopped as I don't support it if not necessary for food, but this has always been my and Dad's "thing"), but I hate fish as food. If you mean they don't enjoy fish as animals, I don't think so. What’s the best prize you’ve won on an amusement park/carnival game? I don't have a clue. Have you ever done anything sexual in a school? No, besides simple kisses. Have you ever been indoor skydiving? No. Would you have any interest in going on a cruise? No. Being out in the ocean scares me. Have you ever been to a Chinatown in any of the cities you’ve been to? No. How old was the oldest person you’ve dated? Maybe like, five years older. Do you know anyone who has their own podcast? No. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. How many children do you want, and how did you decide on this number? None. I decided because 1.) I would be a terrible mother, 2.) I'm not putting anyone's well-being above my own ever again, 3.) I'm not dedicating the remainder of my life trying to raise someone who might end up not even caring about me, and 4.) they're fuckin expensive and I've been poor my whole life and will do almost anything to keep my bills and expenses in general as low as possible. Where did your last kiss take place? The airport. Did you often read for fun when you were a kid? Oh, definitely. I loved reading. ^ What were some of your favorite books? Little-little kid books included Stellaluna, What Makes a Rainbow?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Rainbow Fish, 10 Minutes 'Til Bedtime... a lot. As like an elementary student, I was really into the Magic Tree House and Hank the Cowdog series. Then in middle school, Warriors dominated my bookshelf. Are you more of a visual learner or an auditory learner? Visual. Do you have any dietary restrictions? No. Do you prefer Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, or something else? I've never used any. What is your favorite coffee brand? N/A What is your favorite tea brand? N/A Have you ever worn false eyelashes? No. I probably only will for maybe my wedding. How old does someone have to be for you to see them as an adult? 21 I guess. Do you ever ‘manspread’ when you sit down? Uh. I actually don't know. I don't pay attention. Which of your good habits has made the biggest positive difference in your life? Coming to understand I have to put myself first, probably. Or learning how to talk to myself gently. Have you ever dated someone who was very lazy? No. Have you ever turned down a job offer? No. Have you ever been fired from a job? No. I always quit too early for that, really. Do you overuse smileys? I don't think so. At least not anywhere near how I did as a pre-teen in the "LOL rANdoM!!!!!! XD" phase. Who is better; Madonna or Blondie? Idk. Who is better; Elton John or Billy Joel? BILLY!!!!!!! Name three website you visit every day: YouTube, Kalahari Manor, and deviantART. Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? Tyler and I watched the first one. I don't remember what I thought about it, really. Have you ever worn black eyeliner? "Yeah. That’s the only kind I wear." <<<< This. Have you ever worn blue mascara? No. That'd look weird on me. Hm, or maybe not. Maybe it'd bring out my blue eyes. Ever spiked your hair? No. How long have you had a computer? I don't have a clue. Have you ever written something, and published it on the internet? Well yeah? When was the last time you played cards? (not on the computer) Hell, forever ago when I was at Colleen's with Girt and we played CAH. Can you play chess? Nope. When was the last time you read a book over 700 pages long? Shit man, no clue. I don't know if I ever have. Have you ever drank cherry Coke? GOOD STUFF Do you prefer using pens or pencils? Pencils, considering you can erase. I avoid using pens if I can. Have you ever skipped for a long distance? Maybe as a little kid? Are you excited for the holidays? Halloween was disappointing, as I did absolutely zip. I honestly don't care about Thanksgiving. We always just go have dinner with Ashley's bigot in-laws. I'm VERY hyped for Christmas 'cuz I'm probably gonna be with Sara!! Can you play any instruments? I played the flute for years, but I don't think I could remember how to now. Are you a Facebook addict? Nah. Are you afraid of stink bugs? YEAH. I hate beetle-like insects. Do you have a printer? Yeah. Does anyone own any embarrassing pictures of you? HAHAHAHA I HOPE SHE DOESN'T STILL HAVE IT, MY FRIEND ONCE TOOK A PICTURE OF ME IN THE MIDDLE OF EATING A HOT DOG AND I JUST REALLY HATE IT. Do you still live at home? Yeah. Are you currently enrolled in college? Yep. Do you care what others say about you? Way too much. Have you ever played Farmville? No. What is your favorite video game? Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus. What song represents your life the best? "Get Up" by Mother Mother makes me think of myself A LOT. Are you into anime? Yeah. Name one movie that has made you cry more than once. The Notebook. Always. Do you watch the Disney Channel? Not anymore. Do you swear? Way too much. Do you overthink things? You wouldn't BELIEVE how much I do. What’s the largest animal you’ve ever had as a pet? A fuckin ginormous black lab until Ashley moved out. He wasn't even full-grown. Do you own any kind of helmet? No. What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? As a kid, I was running on the gravel road and slipped and fell. I scraped my knees to the point of pus coming out. It took a loooong time to heal. I cried SO fucking loudly. Bad, bad memory made only worse because Dad got so annoyed by it that he yelled at me to shut up. Happy beyond words he changed so much after the divorce and stopped drinking. What is something you like to have conversations about? MARK and other YouTubers I love to an unreasonable height, meerkats, vidya games I enjoy, RP, bands I love... What all is in the trunk of your car? I don't have a clue. Do you ever put fruit on your cereal? EW no. I hate that shit. How do you usually celebrate your favorite holiday? By doing nothing, lately. I don't have anywhere to go, so no point in even dressing up. Plus I can't afford costumes. When was the last time you drove something other than a car or truck? Uh. I have zero clue. Have you ever eaten/drank something and then realized it was past the expiration date? Probably at some point. Do you own any jewelry containing your birthstone? I have an amethyst angel pin from my grandmother. When I was in high school and going through my most suicidal phases, I wore it on my shirt underneath my hoodies. What is something unusual that annoys you? Hm. Well, I think this resonates with a lot of people at least to a mild degree, but it really angers me when people don't put their shopping carts back and just sit them in/by a parking spot. Fucking lazy as hell. Does mind over matter work for you? Rarely. What was the last thing you were invited to? No clue. Well, besides the obvious things like my niece and nephew's b-day parties, I don't know. What item should never be shared? Stealing the last person's answer: your toothbrush. What do you usually order at Taco Bell? A cheese quesadilla and fiesta potatoes. Sometimes the cinnamon delight things instead of the potatoes. Have you ever sat all the way through Gone With the Wind? No. Does drinking alcohol make you act more like your true self? I don't know if it's my "true" self, but I'm more extroverted and calmer. Have you ever googled a name and found somebody? Uhhhh so this is probably so incredibly creepy, but I jumped through hoops finding Jason's landline a few days before my suicide attempt because I was absolutely desperate to talk to him. It was in the dead of night and his sweetheart mom picked up and spoke with me for like two whole hours trying to calm me down. Jason was asleep, apparently. I miss that woman. She was so patient and gentle that night. Okay I'm honestly getting pretty emotional recalling that night so MOVING ON. What is your favorite possession? My iPod, really. I've had it since middle school and has 1k+ songs on it that I, like an idiot, am too lazy to back up... soooo when it dies, which it's WAY overdue to do, I will probably tear the world in two. What makes you feel like you are young again? Laughing hysterically. Especially when I do this little squeaking sound. Girt pointed it out all the time and since then I've actually paid attention to it and it's fuckin cute tbh. Are you picky? You. Don't. Even. KNOW. You have one wish, what would it be? World peace. How tall is the person you like? Shorter or taller? She's just like two inches shorter at 5'2''. How tall was the tallest person you’ve dated? Fucking hell, Girt was AT LEAST 6', I'm sure taller. I only reached his chest. How many foreign friends do you have? Oh boy, plenty. Well, I'd say most are acquaintances, but still. I've been on the Internet too long. In which countries do they live? European countries and Australia are the ones I know off the top of my head. What was your dream birthday party as a kid? Hmmm, probably going skating with my friends. What’s the most interesting story you’ve never told anybody? I don't know. What’s the most complicated meal you’ve cooked? Nothing. Have you ever come up with your own game? As kids, my sisters and I did a lot. What is something you value a lot in your life? Having a home, food to eat, a family that loves me... the basics that unfortunately many people don't have. Whose hand did you hold last? Sara's. What was the last thing you planted? Habanero peppers, I think. What or who was the last thing you gossiped about? *shrugs* When's the last time you helped a senior citizen somehow? Probably by holding doors open? What's the most selfless act you have done? Probably compromising my mental health to help others. I dunno. Have you ever intentionally fed a house spider? wtf no get out of mah swamp Are you clumsy? If so, how? I'm a newborn deer ffs. I bump into and trip over shit every day. How many Lidls are there in your town? None. I think. I think the closest is in the next town over. How do you like your favorite beverage? Cold and freshly opened 'cuz carbonation. Are you going to any concerts this summer? Ozzy Osbourne is very likely and I am NOT over it even though that was decided forever ago. Have you ever been to a concert? Once. What do you do when you can’t escape thoughts of your ex? I have PTSD from that relationship, getting away from those thoughts isn't a thing until my brain decides it's over it. Like I mainly just look for a distraction, but honestly, the only thing that seems to be truly effective is time or sleep. Do you watch any TV shows where the setting’s a hospital? I enjoy The Good Doctor, but I've talked about my disinterest in TV plenty. Did your first real significant other change you at all? HI HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE BREAKUP??????????????? Are you waiting to have sex until you’re married? Nah, not anymore. I broke that "promise" anyway through total cheat methods or whatever you want to call them, but I'm ultimately glad I thought I was obeying abstinence through that time considering honestly with how serious we were and how impulsive I was, I genuinely wonder if I would've wound up pregnant. Let's NOT IMAGINE THAT ROUTE. How many schools have you been to? Six. What’s your favorite color to wear? Black. Isn’t it lovely when your S/O smells good? I mean yeah, would anyone answer "no"???? Who’s your favorite actor? Mark is an official actor now don't even fuckin try me about this Who can make you laugh no matter what? *points up* + Sara and Game Grumps. Has a movie ever made you cry? Which one(s)? The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Titanic, Old Yeller, The Lion King, Coco, Finding Dory, Johnny Got His Gun... man, a lot. I'm a baby when it comes to movies. Do you keep a list of movies you want to watch so you don't forget? No. What was the last song you heard for the first time and enjoyed? It was one of Highly Suspect's new songs. I think it was called "Snow White." What do you prefer -- the original fairy tales, or the Disney versions? Disney. Would you like more film adaptations of traditional fairy tales? Yeah, I enjoy them. Are there any comic books you'd like to see made into a movie? I don't read 'em. Are there any comic book movies you wish had been better? ^ Have you watched the Good Omens series yet? Thoughts? No. Who are some of your favorite female fictional characters, and why? Yrel from World of Warcraft is a fucking badass that needs to come back, I love Heather Mason from Silent Hill 3 with her being a realistic, relatable, and headstrong female protagonist that takes no shit, Bayonetta is my Mommy like have you seen that girl work (she served as some of my first evidence I wasn't straight, actually), I love Cynder from The Legend of Spyro saga with her personality overall and story... there's a lot I love. OH! Ellie from The Last of Us is impossible to not mention. It's beyond debate she's one of the toughest females in video game history, and it was interesting to watch her grow up in a post-apocalyptic world where horrors and tragedy were so normal. Something you didn't like that happened in one of your fave shows/books? GINGA DENSETSU WEED SPOILER: I will forever be livid Jerome died sobs I loved him more than I love myself. THE OUTSIDERS SPOILER: Dally's death devastated me. A character (in anything) you wish hadn't been killed off? Vol'jin's death in WoW was fucking stupid and entirely anticlimactic. Make the guy warchief & then Blizz doesn't know what to do with him and lets trash kill him, such shit writing, look guys I'm fuckin tilted about- What was the last video you saw that made you smile? Oh my god, I watched a clip of Shane Dawson at the Mall of America with Jeffree today, and he was physically in a state of shock, entirely speechless, and in tears. My lips were about to split my face in half smiling and almost crying. He deserves all he's getting right now beyond words. What's something exciting that's happened recently? A Heist With Markiplier was the best thing that ever happened to me ok. What about something upsetting? My grandma going downhill so fast. Cancer cells are now clearly visible in her blood. Do you have any calluses on your feet? So possibly TMI so look away, but I used to walk SO MUCH that my feet, especially my big toes, have the thickest calluses you could probably imagine. They bother me so much that I want to see whatever kind of doctor that can get rid of the damn things. Nothing I've ever done has helped get rid of them. I've CUT areas off in hopes of them going away, but it always heals BACK into a callus???? What was your last big purchase? Teddy's vet visit. Have you ever eaten grits? Grits are disgusting. What is the name of your YouTube channel, if you have one? 0zzkat. Do you wear the same shirt and shorts multiple times before washing? It depends on how long I wore the shirt and if I sweat. You'd never see me in shorts. What color is your favorite lip gloss? I don't use gloss. How many different states have you lived in? Just one. Are you allergic to bees? No. What color is the rim around your bedroom mirror (if applicable)? Black. What is your favorite flavor of saltwater toffee? I don't know if I've ever tried that. Have you ever vacationed on an island? No. What does your favorite bikini look like? Remember how I said you wouldn't see me in shorts? That goes even more for bikinis. What flavor was the last slushee you had? Strawberry limeade.

[iris-writes-things]

Two Guys and a Baby: Day 5

Read on AO3, FF.net or under the cut, or read up to 2 chapters ahead as a $1 Patreon patron!

“I swear, Ezra, he talked!” Crowley said with some exasperation in his voice. Ezra raised his hands in self-defense. “I believe you, dear,” he said in a tone Crowley knew was designed to calm him down.

Or, a lot of talk of talking, but no actual talking occurs.

Chapter 7 of 20 Ongoing 2199 words Romance/Humor

‘Anthony dear.’ 

Crowley hadn’t been called that in a long time. No one had called him by his first name since he started carefully avoiding Ezra, but once he apologized to the man for almost kissing him that one time, there it was again, awakening things in him that he’d painstakingly kept dormant, even with their now-increased contact.

And he said his eyes were beautiful.

Now, that was another can of worms on its own that awakened things in him which he would have a hard time pushing down. In fact, there wasn’t much of anything more cheesy, tropey, borderline romantic one could say to someone they liked, and Ezra had gone and did it.

He’d laid awake for hours after he had come home and tucked the already sleeping Adam into his crib, mulling over what all of it meant. Ezra Zacharie Fell was not exactly a paragon of subtlety, but what it meant- no, what it could have meant, was simply too good to be true. Crowley had done nothing to deserve something like that. After all, he was always on the verge of fucking something up one way or another and this couldn’t be an exception to the rule, he felt. 

Speaking of which, his morning was going far too smooth.

Adam wailed from his crib in the living room. There it was. At least it was better than being left alone with his thoughts any longer. He got up from his bed, pulled his ‘86 Magic Tour T-shirt over his head and slinked over to the crying baby, who was standing and hanging onto the edge of the crib. The kid calmed down slightly when Crowley came into his view. He stopped screaming and looked up at the man with tearful, blue eyes.

“What’s up, Adam?” Crowley asked casually, not expecting an answer in return. 

Instead, Adam made grabby hands at him, which could only mean one thing. 

“Up!” Adam said.

Crowley frowned. “Up?” he asked.

“Up!” Adam repeated.

Lucy hadn’t mentioned anything about Adam speaking, however small or simple the words might be. The man immediately rushed back to his bedroom to grab his smartphone, pulled up Whatsapp on his way to the living room, almost walking face first into a narrowly avoided doorpost. He opened his chat with Lucy and pressed the little microphone.

“Can you say that again, Adam?” Crowley asked expectantly, smiling in encouragement.

Instead, Adam looked at him with his big eyes and made a gurgling sound instead.

“Work with me here, Adam, I just heard you say it. Come on, you can do it.”

The boy’s little face scrunched up as he seemed to give this due consideration. 

“What’s up, Adam?” Crowley repeated, in an attempt to garner the same reaction, but nothing came. He sighed in disappointment and laid his phone down in the crib. “Okay buddy, time for breakfast.”

*

“I swear, Ezra, he talked!” Crowley said with some exasperation in his voice as Adam explored the ground floor of the bookshop again and, per the older man’s request, his sunglasses now rested on his hair instead of on his nose. “Man, I wish I could have just recorded it for Lucy. She’d love to hear it.”

Ezra raised his hands in self-defense. “I believe you, dear,” he said in a tone Crowley knew was designed to calm him down. “At this point, it’s important that you keep talking around him and to him. Ask him questions, so he can start associating words with people, objects and actions.”

Crowley nodded. “Duly noted,” he said curtly and he tried not to think of the day before. About the way Ezra had looked at him. Had talked to him. “So, what do you suggest we do?” he soldiered on.

Ezra shrugged. “Just talk to him constantly, don’t even think too hard on it, but do make sure you articulate. Oh, and you could read him bedtime stories.”

“Oh, I’m very good at that,” Crowley grinned. “I used to read picture books to Anathema every week.”

“Then you best get into practice again. I know I’m not a library, but you can borrow some of the picture books I have stocked here,” Ezra said as he got up and beckoned for Crowley to follow him, which he did closely. 

“That’s actually very generous. Thank you,” Crowley whispered.

“You almost sound surprised,” Ezra smiled softly as he looked back at him. “Just kidding, you’re welcome, Anthony,” he added. His eyes sparkled with… something or other. Mischief, probably. Pride, more likely, as no one in London believed in carrying out the seven heavenly virtues more than Ezra Fell and his family. But the sparkle, the smirk… suddenly, there wasn’t a single holy thought left in Crowley’s mind. Gaping like a fish out of water, his mouth abruptly felt very dry. If he was staring, Ezra didn’t seem to mind. But in due time, he turned away from Crowley and back to the matter at hand.

The children’s section of the bookshop was next to the staircase that went up to the second and third floor of the shop, and the apartment attached to it, was stocked with brightly colored, hardback picture books, as well as novels and informative books for young readers. It was decked out with colorful little flags and bean bags. Years ago, Ezra had the idea of organizing reading afternoons, where volunteers would read to visiting children while their parents shopped. It never caught on.

“Is there anything you’d like to read to Adam in particular?” Ezra asked as he crouched by the bookcase that contained the picture books. Crowley followed suit.

“Um,” he started. “I don’t really know any of these new ones. You’re the owner, what do you recommend?”

“A lot of the little kids that come in here are particularly excited about Rainbow Fish, because of the shiny bits, but I think the Very Hungry Caterpillar may be a better jumping off point. Oh, and Dick Bruna’s Miffy books are a personal favourite of mine. They have a very good sense of rhyme and rhythm.”

Crowley took the book Ezra held in front of his face, Miffy at the Zoo, let himself fall into one of the bean bags and opened the book to a random spread. With practised ease, Crowley found his storybook voice and read aloud:

“‘They must have traveled for an hour but now they’re here, you see and Father Bun steps out and says come Miffy, follow me.’ Oh, that’s cute. I’m sure he’ll like that,” Crowley noted as he looked back up to Ezra, who pointed to the space just beside his head. When he turned around, he found Adam watching over his shoulder, enraptured with the bunnies on the page. “Did you like that, Adam?”

Adam looked at him with bright blue eyes, a broad smile on his face and gave them a resounding “Bun!”

*

Ezra sat behind the counter as he listened to Anthony read three more books to Adam from his perch in the windowsill. He found his eyes closed and any tension left his shoulders as Anthony’s voice filled the shop. His reading voice was smooth, steady and well-articulated. That this was soothing, to say the least, reflected in that halfway through the third book, Adam had fallen asleep against his chest.

“You know, my dear, if there’s anyone you should call ‘angel’, it would be Adam. As someone who has worked with children in the past, I can guarantee you that children, much less babies this well-behaved are very hard to come by.”

“Ngk,” Anthony choked. “I really hoped you would have forgotten by now.”

“You seemed to make a point of repeating it, so no. I didn’t forget.”

“Right.” Anthony sat up straighter, but kept Adam securely cradled to his chest as he laid the book down.

Out of Anthony’s sight, Ezra’s hand still laid upon the magazine.

4. He acts differently around you. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you...” Ezra tried, but he found that the words he originally intended to say drowned in a flood of doubt. He frowned, looking at Anthony, who looked at him expectantly, if a tad uneasy. “If something were, so to speak, ‘up’... you would tell me, right?”

 “‘Course,” Anthony said almost hastily. He got up and walked up to the counter, still holding Adam like the most precious thing in the world. He looked up at Ezra, amber eyes piercing blue. “Ez, you are literally the best friend that I have, I can promise you that if something is up, you’ll be the first to hear.” There was an almost pleading quality to Anthony’s voice as he said that and a frown made deep creases in his forehead. 

“So the reason you’ve been acting so off lately is…” Ezra asked.

Anthony paled. “I…” he said, glancing down at Adam as if he would provide a well-timed distraction, as he had before, but the boy stayed soundly asleep. “I’m just… figuring stuff out, you know?” he finally admitted. “But like I said. You’ll be the first to hear.”

“When you figure it out?”

“When I figure it out.”

Ezra nodded. “That seems reasonable enough. And if you ever feel like you want to talk about whatever you’re figuring out—”

“I’ll know where to find you,” Anthony smiled apologetically.

“Good.” Ezra said with an almost satisfied nod. “And just for the record, I don’t mind if you want to call me ‘angel’. It’s just that no one’s ever bothered to give me a nickname before, is all. Especially one as ‘blasphemous’ as ‘angel’.”

“Well, like I said, it suits you. And you know I’m all about blasphemy according to your family, with my radical views on the world, what with that trans people should be able to transition, and same gender couples should be able to get married and whatnot.”

“Yes, well…” Ezra mumbled with a pout. He didn’t particularly like it when his family was brought up, especially when they’d been having fun before. He quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, it had me wondering what I should call you,” he tried. That ought to steer this conversation elsewhere.

Anthony chuckled and smiled his lopsided smirk. Ezra couldn’t help but gaze at his lips as he said, “I think I’ve told you upwards of a thousand times that you can just call me ‘Crowley’.”

Ezra’s cheeks heated up. He blinked hard and shook his head. “Well yes, but I don’t want to. That’s your family’s name, it’s not your name. I was thinking something more along the lines of—”

“Of?”

‘Handsome devil’, Ezra would have liked to have said in that moment, or ‘silver-tongued demon’, perhaps, but he quickly found that any such courage escaped him. He glanced away to the counter. “I forgot,” he lied, softly. “But I’m sure I’ll remember sooner or later. It’s a shame, though. It really suited you.”

Anthony smiled and hummed in amusement. “Sticking to ‘my dear’, then? For the time being?”

“I suppose so…” Ezra mumbled as he slid his magazine further under the counter. 

*

“Dearest ms. Device,” Ezra mumbled as he tapped the buttons on his cellphone repeatedly to get the letters he needed. It was the middle of the night, and as such, he lay curled up in his bed as he typed the electronic letter. The lights in Ezra’s room were still on, which bothered him, but the screen of his cell phone wasn’t backlit and had to be illuminated somehow. “It has come to my attention that your uncle Anthony has been behaving rather strangely as of late and I was hoping you could give me some insight into the situation, as he appears to be sending me rather mixed messages. One moment he’ll be borderline flirtatious with me and the next, he’ll be denying any such thing. It’s becoming rather frustrating, but I don’t know what to tell him. Thank you in advance. Yours sincerely, Ezra Fell.” 

He gave the string of three SMS messages another quick once-over before finally pressing the button to send them. Anathema was very wise for her age. Surely, she would know what to do. He put his cell phone down on his night stand and got up to turn off his lights when suddenly, his phone started buzzing frantically for what felt like an eternity. With shaking hands, he picked up the device and read its screen. “Ten new messages?!”

“He’s in love with you.”

“Like, head over heels.”

“I don’t think he knows how to tell you.”

“Or maybe he’s still in denial about it, tbh idk.”

“No wait fuck, he said he didn’t wanna ruin your friendship.”

“Obviously he loves you enough not to want to risk what you have.”

“While he definitely has trouble, you know, not acting on his feelings.”

“Which is kinda sweet but painful to watch.”

“But you didn’t hear that from me.”

“Love, Anathema.”

“Thank you,” he replied. Turned off the lights and his phone and crawled into his bed. “Obviously he loves you enough to not want to risk what you have…” Ezra sighed. Tears pricked behind his eyes. That wasn’t reassuring at all.

[morfinwen]

Could you do the BrOTP ask for Lauren & Ian? And then I'm not sure what other sets of your characters qualifies as BrOTPs, but how about #3, 6, 13, 15, and 18 for any you want to answer for? Thank you! :)

Ian and Lauren

1. What in-jokes do they have with each other?

- Referring to ‘Frere Jacques’ as “the French National anthem”

- Calling all birds “penguins”

- Pointing to a bell or candle and yelling “CHRISTMAS!” (Ian’s the only one who does this one in public)

2. Are they the “I’ll pay this time if you pay next time”-type friends, or the “I’ll pay for my food and you’ll pay for yours”-type friends?

Usually they pay for their own food. Sometimes Ian forgets his wallet and Lauren covers for him, and there are days when Lauren is super out of sorts and Ian takes her out and insists on paying. It seems to even out.

3. Who’s more prone to pranking, or otherwise messing with, the other?

Lauren doesn’t prank or mess with Ian because that’s not the kind of person she is. Ian doesn’t prank or mess with Lauren because that’s just asking for trouble.

4. How do they text/message each other? Proper punctuation and capital letters, egregious overuse of emojis, mostly in meme format…?

Ian mostly uses correct spelling, but can’t be bothered with capitalization or most forms of punctuation (he’ll use the occasional ? or ! for clarity or emphasis, apostrophes are a toss-up). Sometimes he’ll use a single emoji as a response.

For Lauren, it’s all about speed. She abbreviates liberally, uses more acronyms than most people know exist, only uses punctuation for emphasis (!!! or ???), and hates emojis. She tolerates them from Ian because he uses them as an efficient replacement for a multiple word response, but even then it sometimes ticks her off to see one on her phone.

5. Do they exchange jokey birthday presents, or deeply thought-out and meaningful presents? Or both?

Lauren’s parents could never afford to get their children more than one or two gifts a year, and it was common for the presents to be homemade or secondhand. Ian’s parents preferred to do something for him on his birthday, like go see a movie or visit the museum, and give him one or two big presents plus a few smaller ones at Christmas. Both of them learned to manage their expectations regarding presents. Getting or giving a gift that indicates a great deal of thought and consideration from the giver would require either a change in perspective, or result in potential miscommunication.

They occasionally get each other gifts, closer to thoughtful than jokey, but putting a lot of thought into it might make things awkward. Mostly it’s gift certificates or music CDs they think the other might like.

6. They go on a road trip together. Who drives, who picks the music, who’s in charge of snacks?

Ian puts together a CD.

They both buy the kind of snacks they want.

Ian starts driving.

Lauren hears one too many songs she’s not in the mood for on his CD, and switches to the radio.

This trip, Ian promises himself, he will ration his Twinkies. One hour in, he’s eaten the whole box. It’s fine, they need to stop for directions anyway.

Lauren buys a new soda. She doesn’t want the one she has.

Ian starts driving again, but Lauren insists he’s misreading the directions they got, so she drives. 

Lauren gets sick of the radio, so Ian puts his CD back on.

Ian runs out of Twinkies again. Lauren lets him have one of her snacks - one that she can’t believe she brought, she doesn’t even like that kind.

They’re lost. Lauren only admits it 45-60 minutes after she first starts wondering if she missed the right turn.

Ian tries using the GPS to figure out which way to go, but either he’s using it wrong or it’s confused about where they are.

They stop for directions. Ian has to ask, because Lauren is too angry to be civil.

It’s time for lunch, so they stop.

Lauren is still too worked up over having gotten lost to drive, so Ian starts driving. He puts on his CD for only a few minutes before Lauren switches to the radio.

Twenty minutes later, he realizes he got on the wrong highway, and they’re backtracking. He tries to get off to turn around, but instead winds up on another highway headed in a totally different direction.

They get off, and Lauren insists on driving. She gets turned around, and now they’re heading in the opposite of that totally different direction. 

They pull over and argue over the map/GPS for several minutes. It’s about a half hour before Lauren calms down enough to get back in the car.

Ian drives with the radio off. Lauren sulks in the passenger seat. They finally get on the correct highway.

Forty minutes later, Ian misses his turn-off, but because they’re on a rural highway in the middle of nowhere, he doesn’t realize it. 

Two hours later, they both start wondering, weren’t they supposed to reach a city by now? After arguing with the GPS again, they decide to ask for directions once they stop for dinner.

There’s nowhere to stop. Lauren thinks they should turn around, Ian insists it’s better to keep going.

Thirty to forty minutes later, still nowhere. Ian starts to think they should turn around, Lauren argues that they already know there’s nothing back there, there’s got to be something closer ahead. Ian can’t really argue with this.

The first place they see to eat is Lauren’s least favorite dining chain, so they keep going.

They have to stop for gas, and while Lauren doesn’t like any of the places she sees, she’s too hungry and tired to argue. Ian is less hungry, having eaten all of the snacks, but still ready for dinner.

It’s dark now. When they get directions, Lauren is furious when she finds out this happened because Ian missed the turn-off hours ago. Ian lets her rant – he was driving, after all.

They stop for the night in a hotel that is at least half a state away from where they were supposed to stop for the night. 

The next day, they turn around and go home, because this whole road trip idea was a terrible one to begin with, and things are only going to get worse.

On the way back, they get turned around three times.

7. What do they think of each other’s family?

Ian gets along with some of Lauren’s siblings, and is civil to but avoids interaction with the others. He finds her parents intimidating, her mother moreso than her father, and is instinctively on his best behavior around them. Overall he likes them, or at least doesn’t dislike them, but frankly he finds spending time around them kind of exhausting. 

Lauren sometimes wishes her parents were more like Ian’s parents.

8. Do they have any nicknames for each other?

Nope.

9. Who’d be the first to try and patch things up if they had a fight?

Ian. It’s always Ian, even when it wasn’t really a fight, just Lauren blowing up over something. 

10. One of their phones goes off in the middle of the night. Who’s calling whom, and why?

The only time either of them would call the other in the middle of the night is in an emergency. Lauren is very good at having a regular, sensible bedtime that gives her a solid eight hours of sleep. Ian is less good at it, but doesn’t generally feel like making calls at midnight, and definitely knows better than to bother Lauren if he did. 

11. What’s their favorite funny story about something that happened to the two of them?

Probably something Ian did in grade school to poke fun at someone who was harassing Lauren. 

12. Would they do a joint cosplay? If so, who would they dress up as?

By coincidence, Ian went as Link for Halloween one year and Lauren went as Princess Zelda. They deliberately did it again in college.

13. Do they have any TV shows that they watch together? Are there any shows they have wildly different opinions on?

Lauren actually likes reality tv – ironically it’s easier to treat the drama less seriously because it’s pretending to be reality. She likes the occasional sitcom, as long as the characters are equally jerks and/or stupid. Ian can’t stand either of those. He likes dramas and speculative fiction (he grew up watching all the Star Trek shows with his dad).

I’ve never seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer myself, but it seems like the kind of show they would be able to watch together: fantasy drama for Ian, funny/tongue-in-cheek enough for Lauren, though they definitely had different opinions on the characters and plotlines.

14. Which one is the “fight me” friend and which one is the one who tries to keep the peace and prevent their friend from punching a total stranger?

This question pretty much answers itself. 

15. One of them comes up with an ill-advised but mostly harmless idea. Does the other one egg them on because they think it’ll be funny, or try and talk them out of it?

Ian comes up with the occasional crazy-but-harmless idea. Lauren won’t egg him on, but if her half-hearted attempt to talk him out of it fails, she might stick around to see the outcome – as long as she’s far enough away no one mistakes her for being involved. 

16. Who would win if they arm-wrestled?

Growing up in the family she did, Lauren learned a lot of dirty tricks for arm-wrestling. Ian absolutely refuses to compete with her anymore, even if she insists she won’t use any of them.

17. Who’s better at what type of video games, and how competitive are they when they play together?

Ian is good with platformers and rhythm games. Lauren doesn’t really play video games. The only one they play together is Mario Kart, and Lauren is so nightmarishly competitive Ian just stays out of her way.

18. One of them ends up in hospital for something serious but not life-threatening. What does the other bring along when they visit in order to cheer them up?

Ian would bring Lauren a soft ball or something else she could throw or otherwise express her frustration physically upon, a CD of calm, meditative music, a kaleidoscope or glitter wand, and/or a coloring book of shapes or nature. 

Lauren would bring Ian a DVD set of a sci-fi show, most likely cheesy or low-quality because most sci-fi shows are and she doesn’t have the least idea how to judge them, a complete comic series, and/or a historical documentary. 

19. How huggy are they?

Ian isn’t a touchy kind of guy, and Lauren does not like being touched without permission, so not very.

20. What was the moment when they first realized that they’d become friends?

Ian pretty much decided they were friends from the first day he started harass – i mean following Lauren around in kindergarten. For Lauren, it was probably when Ian invited her to his birthday party and was clearly happy when she came – up until that point, she’d kind of assumed his parents made him invite her.

------

The situations in which the Quartet – Chris, Angie, Neal, and Reagan – interact are not numerous, but i’m going to answer this for them as a group anyway.

3. Who’s more prone to pranking, or otherwise messing with, the other?

Chris. He’s never intentionally mean or over-the-top, and never does anything that could hurt or get someone in trouble. 

On rare occasions, Reagan might pull something small, especially if she can keep her involvement secret.

6. They go on a road trip together. Who drives, who picks the music, who’s in charge of snacks?

Chris drives. He also has the map, the bathroom and meal breaks planned (both location and time), and the address of any hotels they’ll be staying at, as well as their room numbers. He has control issues, which he is open and honest about, but he’s still driving. If for some reason they’ve been driving long enough that it’s not safe anymore for him to drive, he will reluctantly hand it over; most likely to Reagan, since she’s got the next-highest tolerance for it.

Neal and Reagan put together CDs with different music. Neal because he’s good at balancing their tastes and is the most invested in what they’ll be listening to, Reagan because she’s usually got new music to introduce, and because she’s stronger-willed than Neal when it comes to telling Chris no, they are not including the entire soundtrack to every hit Broadway musical. No, not even most of them.

Everyone is responsible for bringing their own snacks, but Angie will always have extras in her bag – weirdly enough, usually ones that others meant to bring but forgot. She also has a good balance of healthy and sweet, in case one of the others (or rather, all of the others) were not as good at balancing and just brought candy -- or in Chris’ case, possibly just jalapeño-flavored chips.

13. Do they have any TV shows that they watch together? Are there any shows they have wildly different opinions on?

In the right moods, they can all watch the same show of any type  – discuss it seriously if it’s good, mock it if it’s bad. Otherwise, their tastes are way too disparate.

15. One of them comes up with an ill-advised but mostly harmless idea. Does the other one egg them on because they think it’ll be funny, or try and talk them out of it?

Chris sometimes comes up with ideas like that. He doesn’t need anyone to egg him on, but Reagan is the most likely to encourage him.

18. One of them ends up in hospital for something serious but not life-threatening. What does the other bring along when they visit in order to cheer them up?

Chris: Any length of time in bed would be so distracting as to nearly make him go mad, so even though he tries to hold himself back, he usually ends up overdoing it – an entire TV series on DVD (7+ seasons), plus some kind of handheld game, plus some kind of project (arts and crafts, mechanical, anything at all) that can be done while in bed, plus an ambient noise generator.

Reagan: Music, or an audiobook for Angie. For Chris, covers of classic or Broadway songs by new or obscure artists, with a few pop songs mixed in to keep him on his toes – if possible, she’ll find covers of those pop songs in a very different style, see how long it takes him to figure out he’s listening to a Latin choral version of “Call Me Maybe”. For Neal, long choral or classical pieces, and/or new age-style music. 

Neal: …. A balloon and a card, with a stuffed animal if it’s Angie or Reagan. He’s not very good at this.

Angie: Books. For Chris, either an action story or an exciting non-fiction book that reads like fiction, plus some Sudoku books or some other kind of puzzle book – the harder the better. For Reagan, either a fully-dramatized audiobook or something with more pictures than text – maybe a graphic novel, more likely something with pretty nature vistas or interesting architecture. For Neal, a book of poetry, plus a journal for getting his thoughts down.

Thanks for asking!

[nationalsupersagency]

Notes on “Crisis in Mid-Life! & Other Stories” Issue 1

So I had the pleasure of reading this comic and Issue 2 yesterday (and by yesterday, I mean the day I started drafting this post) after I returned from the mall. Honestly, I was expecting them to arrive later. Literally, as I drove out, I noticed a flat package on my front porch, backed up, pulled back into my driveway, and kept them in the car until I got home. I was excited to read them and was not disappointed.

There are two variant covers you can buy for each issue and I choose Gurihirus covers because I found them far more appealing. J Bones variations reminded me of the Boom Studios comics.

Each issue has three little stories. Two continue through other issues and one is a small adventure with Jack-Jack.

Anyway, here we go.

An * indicates potential canon information that can be helpful in writing fanfictions.

There are spoilers down below, so if you prefer to read the comics to learn what happens, steer away from here.

Crisis in Mid-Life! Part One

First, I’d like to say that I LOVE Gurihirus art style. By far my favorite and the characters look adorable. 

We begin at a black and white flashback with young Mr. Incredible.

He’s performing the classic ‘hit a mode of water transportation with a champagne bottle’ bit.

It was the nations first ‘Swordfish-Class Nuclear Submarine’ at Munciburg Naval Base*

A piece of scaffolding crumbles and the submarine starts to fall.

Mr. Incredible is able to hold the vessel up until everyone is able to get away, then he is able to place it down without sustaining any damage.

This moment is remembered in history as his “Greatest feat of strength.”* 

Fast forward back to the swinging sixties.

The lady interviewing Mr. Incredible says she was in Kindergarten when that happened.

Mr. Incredible is back to do the same thing basically but to a ‘Sunfish-Class Submarine’

I had to look up ‘sunfish’. Seriously. Here’s what they look like.

Google it and you’ll find weirder pictures.

When the reporter, Brenda, asks Mr. Incredible if it feels like old times to be back again, he answers, “It’s really about our brave men and women who serve on these submarines.”

Mr. Incredible is about to begin, when the ceremony is interrupted by Bomb Voyage.

Has Bomb Voyage not aged at all or is his makeup covering his wrinkles? He looks the same.

Oh, but he can speak English now. Guess they didn’t want to squeeze subtitles into the bubbles.

He blows up the support of the submarine, and basically, history repeats itself. 

Mr. Incredible catches it. However, he feels outweighed. He is unable to wait for civilians to run so he can put it down. It falls on him.

He’s under there for ten minutes before bff Frozone comes to his rescue.

Bomb Voyage got away. Again.

“Typical of his diabolical escape plans. He knew I’d catch the sub and save those people instead of chasing him. He must also have known this model’s heavier than the last one.”

No one got hurt, which is good.

The submarine captain tells Mr. Incredible the Sunfish-Class Submarines are three tons lighter than the Swordfish.

Reporter Brenda runs back up to Mr. I and goes, “Is your age finally catching up with you?”

Mr. Incredible claims he’s in the prime of his life! 

Frozone is Mr. I’s best bro and gently pulls him away from an uncomfortable interview by claiming there could have been other reasons why he couldn’t hold the submarine up.

He also tells his bro, “They’ll forget about this in a few days.”

Low and behold, guess what makes the front page of Munciburg Herald.

‘Is It Time For Mr. Incredible To Hang Up The Tights?’

Supers were just made legal again and poor Mr. Incredibles power may be declining.

Bob and Helen are at the Nation Supers Agency Medical Center.

Apparently, the NSA has a clinic/hospital for superheroes only, as I had believed they did.*

And Bob and Helen are there in civilian clothes, no masks, so it doesn’t look like they need to suit up to get examined.*

Helen is making him go to make sure he’s not sick. Bob thinks they’re wasting their time.

Doctor tells him he’s in good health.

“See Helen?”

“You’re aging though.” says the doctor. “You can’t expect to do everything you could in your prime.”

“But I’m in my prime right now!”

Helen is just like

The doctor tells Bob he’s not in his physical prime.

Bob is like

Back at home, Helen is trying to reassure him that he’s not all washed up, all while telling Dash not to run around the table, making sure Violet remembers her backpack, Dash remembers his jacket, and telling Jack-Jack diapers don’t go on heads. 

“You don’t need to qui-- VIOLET! YOUR BACKPACK!”

Bob decides to see Rick because he might have dealt with aging superheroes before.

Ricks is back with the NSA, out of retirement. Shortest retirement tbh.*

“I’m not in the best shape either,” he says. “But I’m wiser.”

He shows Bob a framed picture of his son, Rick Junior.

That’s right. Dicker has a son and his name is Rick Junior. He even has his fathers nose.* 

Junior graduated from the Academy (what academy you ask, I don’t know) with Honors.

“I look at him and I know I’ve passed on my knowledge... He’s my legacy and that makes it all worth it.”

Lightbulb goes off in Bobs head as he remembers he’s got three legacies.

Back at the Parr home, Dash is making Violets room messy after she just cleaned it.

Her walls and drawers are white. Her bedsheets are purple. She’s got clothes, books, a bag of chips, and some stuffed animals including a bunny which I bet is named Mr. Skipperdoo. 

Violet traps him in a force field and demands he cleans her room back up.

Pride leader Bob steps in.

Instead of telling Dash to clean up Violets room, he’s like, “You’re doing it all wrong. You want to mess up someone's room so they’ll have to clean it, mess it up like they would.

Uh... what the hell Bob. Dash is gonna start doing that now.

Then Bob advices Violet not to step on clothes when she’s invisible or people can see the indents of her feet.

Violets got Captain America socks. I think she’s low-key a fan.

The kids are all, 

Downstairs for family bonding time.

“Experience is the difference between a good hero and a great one.”

Basically, he tells the kids he’s gonna start training them and they’re pumped.

Helen is a bit concerned though.

Violet tells her it’s a family bonding experience. Dash adds that she mentioned how important it is to learn to use powers responsibly. 

Helen gives in, thinking in the end that it’s not a super bad idea as long as Bob behaves, but she’s still a little worried.

Bedtime Story Part One

When Jack-Jack shapeshifts after dinner, his tummy gets upset.*

He’s in his demon form jumping on Bobs bed. Bob says he’ll tell him a bedtime story if he behaves.

Jack-Jack becomes a baby again.

Bob goes into Story Mode. “This is the tale of the hero who saved the rest of the heroes.”

Superheroes in the Glory Days had an annual conference called “The Summer Crossover” and it was held at this swanky hotel called the Chez swank Hotel.*

It’s across the Metroville Bridge.

“We’d have seminars on subjects like super/civilian balance, secret hideout feng shui, and escaping the deathtraps in your own mind.”

Secret Hideout Feng Shui

Escaping the Deathtraps of Your Own F****** Mind

That sounds metal af.

So in the panel, I see Psycwave, Blazestone, Macroburst, Dynaguy and Plasmabolt but who is the other guy? He literally looks like a walking shit. Could it be...?

The main villain of this story is Baron Von Ruthless. We get to see a little of him.

So Big BVR was in a giant robot with lasers that sucked all the powers out of the supers except one. Any guesses who?

No?

Why, none other than Mr. Incredible of course!

Bob mentions here that there’s a super named ‘Junior Sidekick’.

Bob claims he took out the giant robot with one punch.

Dash and Violet barge in, calling bs on their dads claims.

And Bob is like, *gasp*. ‘I’m so offended you think I made this up.’

The kids start pointing out what’s wrong with his story/

Bob goes, ‘Ok, so I left out some parts. You think you can handle the real thing?’

“Could be a scam to trick us into some forced family bonding time...” says Violet, still loaded with sass.

The kids take their place on the bed to listen to dads story.

A Relaxing Day at the Park

This is the Jack-Jack story.

So, as we all know, the Parrs live in a nice house. Unsurprisingly, there’s a nice children's playground nearby.

Bob puts Jack-Jack in the sandbox then sits on the bench to chill.

JJ is playing in the sand and having such fun when he sees an animatronic turtle with a bunch of balloons. There’s a baby about as big as he is, trying to get these balloons but he can’t reach.

So the baby resorts to crying.

Jack-Jack sees the turtle as a bad guy that stole the balloons and decided he must take action!

His laser eyes blow up the turtle and somehow, the balloons don’t float away. JJ gives them to his new pal.

Bob only closed his eyes for a second and Jack-Jack had wandered off.

He sees the blown up turtle and goes, ‘Yikes. We’re not coming back here.’

So those were my notes for Crisis in Mid-Life & Other Stories. I will try to get to the second issue soon.