#Mika was actually devastated

[bucketbueckers]

HEY GOAT! so ik you have finals rn so just ignore this until ur done BUT i have a long (as usual) paige x reader request for you this time👅 for some backround paige and reader went to uconn together and have been dating for a bit like 3 years and they both get drafted by the wings (reader being 12th pick) and they are super excited whatever. OKAY SO basically reader is like the first person in her family to graduate college and it was really important for her to be there in person and walk with her family watching but she didn’t expect to be drafted in the first round let alone so far away. so she goes to ask the head of whatever at dallas if she can go to her graduation and they say prolly not so she gets super upset and paige decides to plan something with the team and flys her parents out and stuff like that one video with mika and the storm last year. ykwimmm like something super fluffy and just a littttlleee bit angsty.

-⬇️

LOVE IS THE WAY

pairing: paige bueckers x fem!reader

content: language, 1% angst (like there's more fat content in some milk than there is angst in this story), unfathomable plot

wc: 5.4k

synopsis: As a first generation college student, graduation meant everything to you and your family. Your entire high school career was spent studying through the night, devoting yourself to academics, extracurriculars, and basketball, and reminding yourself that college was the goal. But basketball was your passion – your home away from test prep and the rigor of your courses, and the athletic scholarship from UConn saved your life in more ways than one. When you’re drafted 12th overall alongside your girlfriend of three years, it devastates you to find out that you wouldn’t be able to make it back to campus in time to walk across the stage. Luckily for you, Paige was more than willing to move mountains just to see you smile.

notes: HAPPY GAMEDAY CHAT (i deleted twitter this morning in honor of it) and HAPPY PB5 HOOPS DAY!!!! everyone lock in. this is generational. but real talk, as a first gen student, this request actually means the world to me 🤞 hoping i did this justice for u ⬇️ and i cannot thank u enough for these banger requests 😛 as alwaysss lmk what we're thinking and i hope y'all enjoy 🫶

Basketball wasn’t always the goal.

Anyone who sees you might not believe that at first glance. Your game is clinical – smooth, effortless. Your jump shot is perfect, technical in a way analysts have described as academically precise. You play like you were destined for the professional leagues, like you dribbled a basketball for the first time at three years old instead of in the sixth grade.

Growing up, you didn’t have a lot. Your parents weren’t well off but they worked hard to give you a good life. You excelled in school, got exceptional grades, and by eight you knew you would do anything to get into college after touring the local university on a field trip. Your parents weren’t able to go to college, coming from families where they had to prioritize working. College, while impossible for them, became something that was within reach for you. College – an education – was the goal.

When you first started middle school, you knew you needed an outlet, something more than your grades and wit. You tried a few things. Art, while pretty, wasn’t for you. You were a little too restless for it, too much of a perfectionist to fully appreciate the abstract. You briefly considered band but your parents had to make the decision for you when they looked at the cost to rent an instrument from the school.

Sports was your last option. You liked the discipline, the structure, and how you could get all of your energy out. You showed up to softball tryouts, but again – the price tag attached to the glove, the cleats, and the gear was too much. It was the same story for soccer. You arrived at basketball tryouts, not really having much of an interest in it, but figuring you could suck it up if there was any option you could play.

As soon as you picked up the ball for the first time, dribbling it a little clumsily around your body, and following the coach’s instructions on how to shoot it, it was like something ignited in you. You put a little too much spin on the ball and it clanked off the rim, but you knew you could perfect it with a few more shots.

So you tried again. And again. And again. Until you finally sunk the shot from the three point line. That was satisfying.

“It’s not a lot,” you remember Coach Kerrigan telling your parents – clearly in what he thought was a hushed tone of voice. “Just $50 for the entire season. It covers the uniform and tournament fees.”

Your parents had paused, clearly contemplating – and selfishly, you’d hoped they’d give just this once. You had done everything right. You kept your grades up, your room clean, and you’d exhausted all other options.

“I don’t know,” your dad admitted. Your heart sunk to your stomach.

Even years later, you recall the weight of your coach’s stare, how his eyes traced the arc of the basketball as it left your hands. The accompanying swish of the net, how you chased after the rebound, settling in to shoot again. “She has so much potential,” he’d said. “I’ve never seen anything like her.”

Your parents remained silent. You shot the ball, hoping, praying that just this once – you could try to find who you were outside of academics. Then, Coach Kerrigan spoke up. “Actually, I think we’ve got a little extra funding this year. So if you’d let her play…you don’t have to worry about anything.”

Your parents let you play. It took you years to realize the girl’s basketball team at your middle school hadn’t actually gotten any extra funding and that Coach Kerrigan paid the season fee out of his own pocket. And the next season’s. And when the high school coach approached you during your eighth grade year and asked if you’d be willing to give varsity a shot, Coach Kerrigan paid for that one, too.

High school basketball is where you truly flourished. It was a simple agreement with your parents – you could continue playing ball as long as you didn’t put college on the backburner. You pointed out that if you got recruited, you would be on scholarship and you truly didn’t have to worry about money anymore. Your parents believed in you. They’d seen what you were capable of, but when you grow up with so little, it’s hard to lose that worry that it could all slip away if you weren’t careful.

You upheld your end of the bargain. You kept your grades up, enrolled in AP courses, joined student government to round out your application. High achieving student. Honored athlete, Team USA gold medalist averaging 26.4 points a season and improving. Student body president. With a resume like that, you were sure you had a solid chance, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t keep working.

Geno Auriemma showed up to one of your games in sophomore year. So did Dawn Staley and several other college basketball coaches. Coach Auriemma kept showing up, though. After an electric win against a conference opponent, he’d pulled you aside and glanced at you like he was unimpressed, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes that reminded you of Coach Kerrigan’s unwavering confidence. Then, Coach Auriemma said, “You play like you’ve got something to prove.”

It wasn’t unkind. Just an observation. Your face was slick with sweat, your feet hurt, and you had a paper due for AP Lang that night. Your teammates were celebrating the win, but your job was far from finished. Isn’t that how it always is, though? Having to work a little extra harder now so you wouldn’t have to in the future. Sacrificing every day to prove to your parents that everything they poured into basketball wasn’t for nothing. Success was hard, exhausting, but God did it taste good.

Simply, you responded, “Don’t we all?”

Coach Auriemma paused. A slow smile spread across his face. He wished you a goodnight.

In junior year, you committed officially to UConn. Full ride athletic scholarship. Your mother cried and your father grinned proudly when the three of you got off the phone with Coach Auriemma.

Being a Husky didn’t mean you could rest easy. The draft was competitive and there was so much talent in the country. This time, there was no “agreement” between you and your parents. You were an adult, but they did have one simple request to get a degree in something versatile. A just in case.

So here you were – a biology major and student athlete. When you weren’t in lab, you were in practice. When you weren’t in practice, you were studying for calculus. And when you weren’t studying for calculus, you were a little busy falling in love with the sophomore point guard from Minnesota who made you realize that there’s a little more to life than ball and school. You had plenty of room for her – for Paige Bueckers – even though you didn’t make it official until your sophomore year at UConn.

It was her junior season. She’d suffered an ACL tear in August, right before classes started. It was a huge blow for morale – she was the heart and soul of the team, the leader on and off the court. But you were the glue who held everything together. Coach shifted you into a more traditional point guard role. You brought a quiet efficiency to the court and confident play-calling. You weren’t there to replace her. That wasn’t possible.

The feelings between the two of you had been growing since your freshman season although neither of you acted on anything. You were close friends but her injury, somehow, pushed you even closer. She texted you reminders to eat when she knew you had a gap in your schedule. You warmed up her heating pad and let her choose the movie on the nights you gave up the textbooks to stay in with her. You and Paige worked so well together and it became harder and harder to deny what you felt for her.

But when she kissed you for “good luck” before the first game of the season? You dropped a casual 23 points with 11 assists to take home the win and made her ask you out for real after the press conference.

That year, the early Sweet 16 exit in the NCAA tournament stung. So did the Final Four exit in your junior year. Paige was staying for a fifth year and you knew that the both of you had one more chance to reel it in for the last time.

And you did. Your senior season was hard but you loved (almost) every second of it anyways. When Azzi was cleared to return from injury. When Aubrey and Carol did, too. When Paige and Azzi tested every bit of your patience by spraining their knees at different parts of the season. When you lost to USC, Notre Dame, and Tennessee but blew out South Carolina – twice, once in the regular season and the second when it mattered the most. When your teammates had your back, unconditionally, just as you had theirs.

Your name started creeping into the mock draft predictions. Third round. Then second. Then first. You were hard to place – nobody could ever agree on whether or not you were a Sun, a Sky, or a Mystic. The only thing that was guaranteed was the fact your girlfriend would be a Wing and you’d cheer her on from wherever the draft took you.

Getting invited to the draft was a different feeling entirely. You had a shot. You were going to be selected, and for once, you truly allowed yourself to reflect – through thick and thin, for worse or for better, you’d made it here. Not just to the draft, but you made it through college, too, which had seemed so out of the picture. Everything your parents had ever sacrificed for you, you’d be able to give it back with interest. You got your degree, your education. You have your career in basketball. You have Paige. That was more than enough for you.

You flew your parents out for the draft in New York. They were ecstatic for you, nearly in tears when you showed them your dress for the first time – styled by Brittany Hampton, of course, because Paige was so keen on matching. It was made of a dark, lace material that glimmered under the lighting in the room, the bodice fitting you just right, and the skirt billowing out around your ankles, cut at the side to reveal one of your legs.

Paige nearly fell out the moment she saw you. You weren’t any better, either. Your eyes lingered (she was wearing her hair down – you might have fallen in love for a second time if you weren’t so drawn to the way her suit sparkled, too) while her hands traveled, linking her fingers at the small of your back and pulling you in. “You’re unreal,” she’d murmured as you wrapped your arms around her neck, smoothing out some of the baby hairs at her nape.

You just grinned, self-satisfied at her obvious speechlessness. Knowing you couldn’t ruin your makeup without your respective teams losing their mind, you press your temple to hers, relishing in the closeness before you’d be pulled away for interviews and to sit at your separate tables. “I could pinch you, if you’d like,” you offered. “Just to make sure you’re not dreaming.”

“Hands to yourself, aight?” she grumbled. “Sum’ about that biology degree makes you evil.”

“I don’t think that’s how that works,” you cooed softly. “Like at all.”

Paige just squeezed you around your waist, not saying much else, and the two of you made your way to the draft venue. Interviews were quick – pictures, not so much, especially when your entire team was in attendance to watch you, Paige, Aubrey, and Kaitlyn get drafted. You and Paige go your separate ways after the photo on the draft stage. She had a second outfit and you had to find your family – which leads you to now.

Your parents, CD, and Coach Kerrigan are waiting for you and you hug each of them one by one, although you linger on Coach Kerrigan. He doesn’t say much other than a “Proud of you, kid,” and you don’t either – not trusting yourself to speak without breaking down. You’re not sure if he knows the kind of impact he made on your life by welcoming you onto his team when he did, but he grins at you like he understands it just the same.

When Paige makes her way through the crowd, having changed into her second outfit, you almost fall out again. Somehow, you manage to keep it together, even as your jaw hangs slack in near awe while you’re examining the rings on her fingers, the fact that this suit sparkles too, and the devastating lack of an undershirt that has you ready to give up on the draft completely so you can run a few laps around the block to control yourself.

Obviously, she’s the first pick overall. She hugs everyone at her table before finding you and your family. You tell her that you love her and that you’re proud of you. She winks at you and asks you to keep an extra draft hat for her.

The next few picks go by agonizingly slow. You don’t think it should take this long for teams to settle on their next pick and the way the cameras linger on you makes your skin prickle. The Sky have the two picks late in the first round followed by the Wings with the last first round selection. When Hailey Van Lith is taken at #11, you deflate a little, thinking you’ve fallen to the second round. Truly – it’s not the end of the world. It just means you’d have to fight a little harder for a roster spot. That’s a challenge you’d be willing to take head on.

But when the commissioner steps up to the podium again to announce the 12th pick in the draft, you freeze when it’s your name that is called. You, to the Dallas Wings, the same organization that selected Paige only moments ago. Stunned, you hug everyone at your table, then your girlfriend’s family, before making your way up to pose with the Wings jersey. You’re only half-listening to the interview with Holly Rowe, too concerned about making it to the back for media and seeing Paige.

When you finally do, Paige’s expression is one of disbelief and awe and you fall into each other with breathless giggles. Your hat jostles from the force of her body against yours, but she reaches up to steady it, her hands cupping your jaw as she looks at you with something like wonder. Her eyes are the most disarming shade of blue you think you’ve ever seen – and this right here, this feeling of contentment, of knowing that you get to live out your professional dreams with your girlfriend? You want to live in it forever.

“Guess you didn’t need to save an extra hat for me,” she comments coyly.

You laugh, not even bothering with a response as you grab her face and kiss her. Paige sinks into you like you’re the only thing she’s ever been sure about. For a moment, you think that may be true. In a world full of ACL injuries, of never really knowing if you’ll be able to make it unless you work for it, the relationship the two of you have is something steady. Constant. You’ll always have space for each other, just like you’ll always know that loving each other is the easiest part of living.

After the draft, you and Paige don’t immediately fly out to Dallas. You have a final exam or two, shared victory tours and talk show appearances, rallies and loose ends to tie up. You’re booked and busy until the very last minute. Packing is difficult – you’re not quite sure how you’re supposed to fit the last four years of your life into a box and tape it shut. You just have to remind yourself that you’re not closing this door. Maybe you leave it cracked, because you’re not the type of person to abandon your past in search of your future.

But you do come across your graduation gown while you’re packing away your closet. It’s neatly ironed, ready for the big day – May 10th. There’s something about that day that gives you pause, so you pull out your phone to scan the email sent to you by the Wings front office. Your first preseason game was on May 2nd against the Aces.

The second preseason game? May 10th. In Dallas.

Your face falls. Your phone screen goes dark from disuse while you stare in silent disbelief at your graduation gown.

Basketball wasn’t always the goal.

It was a reprieve before it was your passion before it was the best part of your life. You didn’t know if you’d be able to play in middle school, didn’t think you’d get recruited to the best basketball college fresh out of high school. You didn’t know if you’d win a national championship or meet some of your best friends ever. You didn’t know that you’d get drafted.

College was the goal. The goal was beating the odds, of getting a degree and an experience that your family wasn’t lucky enough to put time away for. The goal was succeeding despite every barrier and obstacle that made it difficult for you. The goal was walking across the stage after four years, officially becoming a college graduate, making your family – and yourself – proud, to be able to say that you did. And, sure, walking across the stage doesn’t take away the fact that you did the time. That you excelled. That you sacrificed so much to be a student athlete and a STEM major. Whether or not you walk across that stage has no impact on whether or not you get the degree in the mail certifying that you did everything you wanted to and got something special out of it.

But walking across that stage was a physical reminder that you refused to quit – that you held out hope even when you missed out on so many opportunities because you lacked things out of your control. It’s a reminder for you, for your parents and your family who would fill the stands, a reminder that this is possibly the most important thing you’ve ever done in your life. No one would ever understand it if they haven’t lived it.

You knew you were stuck between a rock and a hard place. You couldn’t miss graduation – you didn’t want to. You knew that you couldn’t miss the preseason game, either. Not if you wanted to keep your roster spot. Not if you wanted to prove you had more determination than the other hopeful rookies on the team. Not if you wanted to prove you were an invaluable piece to the Dallas Wings roster. The most devastating part of the situation is that you truly don’t have a choice at all.

You’re still when Paige walks in, her voice startling you. “Hey, baby. You got another roll of tape? I completely fucked up and used like, half of it on one box, but it just wouldn’t shut–” She falters, her gaze meeting yours when she realizes that you’re barely listening and you’re staring catatonically. “You okay? What’s going on?”

“Graduation is May 10th,” you tell her, and she nods – because she’d had that date saved in her calendar the moment you submitted the documentation stating that you had all requirements and would be participating in the ceremony. “And so is our second preseason game.”

Paige’s body softens with regret and understanding all at once. You swear you see something curiously like guilt as if it’s her fault at all. Like she feels bad that she got the opportunity to graduate and walk across the stage when that was the one thing you’d set out to do with your life.

She doesn’t say anything. She just wraps her arms around you, letting you sink into her embrace while you try not to fall apart. Paige knows how important this is to you.

“I don’t think I can miss the game,” you confess, not having to look up to know Paige is listening as you rest your chin on her shoulder. “Not when I’m competing for a roster spot with Aziaha and Madison and JJ and everyone who’s not you, Arike, Ty, Dijonai, NaLyssa–” Your voice breaks, and you inhale sharply, feeling the familiar sting of tears. Paige runs a soothing hand down your back, comforting you enough to keep talking. “But my parents were supposed to see me walk.”

“They will, okay?” she murmurs, like she’s never been more confident than anything in her life. “It’s not over. You’re you. You wouldn’t make it this far just to give up now. Have you called Curt?”

“Well, I was a little busy having a mental breakdown before you walked in complaining about tape, so no, I did not call Curt,” you say dramatically.

“I’m so sorry I interrupted your spiraling,” Paige deadpans, which makes you laugh a little. She gives you one more squeeze before you extract yourself from her body, turning your phone on again as you take a seat on your bed. She follows suit as you scroll through your contacts for Curt’s number.

The line rings for a few moments. Paige, as if sensing your nerves, rests her hand over your knee for encouragement before Curt’s voice clicks through, greeting you. You remember your manners before you explain the situation to him. Graduation on May 10th. Preseason game too. Can I please miss the game so I can walk the stage and not crash the fuck out? You don’t say all of that – you use your professional voice, but the sentiment is the same.

Curt doesn’t respond for a moment. And when he doesn’t, you already have your answer. You deflate as he says, not unkindly, but clearly remorseful, “I’m sorry, I don’t think you’ll be able to miss it. The coaching staff needs you there for evaluation and your contract–”

You stop listening when he starts talking about contracts and roster spots and how he’s really sorry, but he just can’t make an exception right now. You can tell he genuinely feels terrible that it’s happened this way, but the league is competitive. You need to be there if you want to play basketball in May. Knowing doesn’t make the feeling go away, though, so you thank him for his time when he’s done explaining it to you and you hang up.

Paige doesn’t make you say anything, already reaching for your phone and turning it off. She pulls you into her arms again, her mood dampened as she murmurs an apology in your ear, pressing a consoling kiss to the crown of your head.

It does make you feel a little bit better, and maybe, one day, you won’t feel as bitter and as disappointed about missing your graduation as you are now, but you just can’t push the hurt to the side.

You let Paige hold you for a little longer, her hands rubbing soothing circles on your back as you curl up against her, your head tucked into her neck.

But she’s quiet – maybe a little too quiet, and you wholeheartedly miss the expression of sheer determination on her face like she’s plotting something that you’ll never know about until the time comes.

The move to Dallas goes better than expected. You and Paige lease an apartment not too far away from the facilities, but decently away from the bustle of the city. You spend a huge chunk of your time between Target and Costco and building furniture together – Paige has always been handy although a little…creative, when it comes to the instruction manuals, so you have to force her to follow them exactly. The last thing you want is your coffee table crumbling.

Between practice, shopping, and getting used to being in a completely different city, you hardly have the time to think too hard about how you have to miss graduation. You try to let yourself be happy, too. The Wings vets are incredibly kind and helpful, although they love to tease you and Paige, which is probably something you should have known was going to happen as soon as Cathy called your name at the draft. Despite the ache of missing Storrs, your teammates, and what you still consider home, you can see yourself loving it in Dallas, too. You can see the Wings becoming your family, too.

The first preseason game goes as well as it could have. Not wanting to risk injury, neither the Wings nor the Aces do anything too crazy, just wanting to get the rookies acclimated to playing professional basketball. Your coach runs different rotations, evaluating how everyone plays. It’s sad to know that by the beginning of the regular season, a few of your new teammates will be waived, even if you have to work extra hard just to make sure it’s not you.

Ultimately, the Aces take the win. Losing wasn’t something that you were used to in Connecticut, so you try not to take it to heart. You sleep on Paige’s shoulder the entire flight back to Dallas, blissfully unaware of the plans she’s making on her phone.

A few days after the first preseason game, you’re making your way through the tunnel in the Wings facility to get ready for another grueling day of practice. Before you can enter the locker room, Paige catches your wrist at the door, taking your bag gingerly as you stare at her in confusion.

“Do you trust me?” she asks you in a tone of voice that is screaming Don’t trust me!

“Under most circumstances, yes,” you respond. “What–”

“Wait here,” she says softly. “And close your eyes, please.” You sigh, but you do as she asks, even placing your hands over your eyes for good measure. You hear shuffling inside of the locker room before she comes out again. “Keep ‘em closed, but hold out your arms.”

You do, and she helps you into what feels like a large coat. You hear the sound of a zipper and then she’s carefully fitting a hat over your head. “You comfy?” she checks in.

“Just hoping my girlfriend didn’t team up with the vets for some weird rookie hazing ritual,” you mutter, listening to her laugh.

“Something a little better than that, I promise,” Paige swears. She links her fingers with yours, giving you a gentle squeeze. “Don’t open your eyes. Just follow me.”

You let her lead you through the facility, hoping that she remembers she’s an athlete with coordination and that she doesn’t run you into a wall accidentally. Before you know it, she comes to a stop, and nervously, she says, her voice echoing, “Okay. Open your eyes.”

When you do, your breath catches in your throat. You’re dressed in your cap and gown and you’re in the practice gym, but what truly captures your attention is the makeshift stage that’s been assembled at the center of the court. There’s a podium, where one of the coordinators from UConn’s Department of Biology stands – you’d worked with her a lot when it came to your academics since you were always booked and busy with class, studying, practice, and games. Your entire team sits in neat little rows in front of the stage dressed in their practice jerseys, but most of all, your parents are front and center, too.

“Paige,” you whisper, your voice catching, and she takes your hands in hers.

“Surprise!” she says, her tone soft. Despite yourself, you give a watery laugh, trying not to cry in front of everyone. “You weren’t able to go back to Storrs to walk across the stage. So…I pulled some strings and brought Storrs to you.” You take the scene in again, your heart full. You lock eyes with Arike, who’s holding a laptop. She lifts it slightly to show you the Zoom call she’s on. The screen is full of your teammates – KK, Morgan, Ice, Sarah – and you can hear their cheers through the computer speakers.

“Dr. Snyder agreed to speak and present your diploma,” Paige continues. “And I flew out your parents for the weekend.” She lowers her voice, ensuring that only you can hear her. Your lip trembles, the love you feel for your girlfriend almost overwhelming. “I know this means a lot to you. Graduating. I’m sorry we couldn’t be in Storrs to do this, but…you deserve to be honored. You deserve to do this.” Her eyes shine a little brighter, the affection almost stifling. “I love you, and I’m so proud of you. I hope you like it.”

“Like it?” you echo, disbelief lacing your tone as you laugh again. “Paige, I love this.” Her features relax a little, her grin widening as she pulls you into a tight hug. “This means everything to me.”

“Then let’s graduate.”

You pull away and your teammates, coaching staff, and trainers all clap for you as you make your way to the lone seat reserved for you in front of everyone else. You grin a little, shaking your head as Dr. Snyder steps up to the podium fully, taking her job incredibly seriously. She clears her throat.

“Esteemed graduate, friends, family, teammates old and new,” she begins, winking at you, and you let your smile grow without a care in the world. “We’re gathered here today to celebrate an extremely special individual who was unable to make it back to Storrs to receive her degree. But unconventional does not mean undeserving, and I certainly can’t name one other student who deserves this more than she does.

“I’ve guided many students in my career,” Dr. Snyder continues. “None of them are ever the same, yet she stands a caliber above the rest. She juggled a rigorous course load, a taxing athletic schedule, and she did this for four years with determination, wit, and unyielding perseverance. She has made such a profound impact on our university, on the basketball program, as well as in the lives of many people around her. I am proud to have advised her, but even more proud to stand here today to see her achieve her dreams. On behalf of everyone at the University of Connecticut, we are so excited to see you write this next chapter of your life.”

If there weren’t tears in your eyes during Dr. Snyder’s speech, then there are when she reaches for the degree cover and says your name. It feels like getting drafted all over again – but it’s even better than being drafted, because this has been your dream longer than basketball has been a reality. It was difficult, and most days it felt damn near impossible, but you did it.

You rise to the raucous applause in the gym, a beaming smile on your face as you make your way to the stage. Before you reach for your hard-earned degree, you give Dr. Snyder a crushing hug, thanking her profusely. Together, you hold onto your degree, smiling for the pictures that your parents, Paige, and the Dallas Wings media team take all at once. Even Arike is angling the computer towards you and you can vaguely hear KK over the computer screaming, “Screenshot it!” – which makes you laugh, because you know they’d have your back. Always.

You step down, degree in hand, and Paige grins at you with that soft, cheeky, scrunchy look of hers. You roll your eyes, the tears surging forward again and you wrap your arms around her tightly, burying your face in her neck and letting it all out. And when your parents step forward, too, wrapping the both of you in a large, crushing hug, you weren’t too sure how you were supposed to keep it together at all.

Graduation wasn’t how you thought it would be, but the knowledge that your family got to see you walk across the stage means everything to you.

You’ve accomplished one dream, and now, it’s time for the next.

[dadsbongos]

Oh my gosh the I GUESS part was so funny cfdjkfd It will always make me so sad that we'll likely never see the later seasons, it would have been SO funny omg How are you btw?? Anything fun you've done/have coming up? Also any random headcanon thoughts about possibly dating both laios and kabru would be as lovely as you <3 -Artemis

i giggle thinking about his snooty fucking "i GUESS" that and calling mika gay for being attracted to him, a man

i was in a bit of a rut the past week or so but i've been getting better, drawing a lot and working on personal writing projects. plan on going out with a fwend on Wednesday :3 and i'm trying to con a hot person into liking me

labru poly hcs below!!

ok to get together with these two is a nightmare though it is worth it!

i can see it being you and kabru chasing laios, being romantic rivals with laios not paying attention to either of you LOL

kabru gets charmed by you after viciously studying you for months on end to try getting a leg up on you and you're just like every other hot-blooded mammal and can agree that kabru's hot

i can see you confessing to laios (because god forbid kabru actually voice his feelings to someone) so kabru is just silently devastated until eventually being absorbed into the relationship

domestic chores were a bit of a battle at first because kabru doesn't maintain his own space and laios can't maintain common spaces bc he doesn't know what everyone else is okay with him tossing out and dishes are a NO for him

but kabru is great at delegating/managing tasks plus he can care for others. so he managed to think out a way for everyone to be happy: kabru does most of the basic chores (dishes, sweeping, dusting), laios does most of the yard work and shopping, and you the laundry/cooking ft. laios as a lil helper while picking up minor tidying (but obvi you guys can share and help as with all relationships yk)

non-negotiable tho you and laios and kabru are all legally obligated to indulging each other's niche interests. you and laios are ears OPEN to kabru's novelizations of world history and current gossip, and you n kabru listen to laios ramble about useless mythos and cryptids factoids

and ofc they listen to you prattle on about your own interests cuz that's love bby <3

when walking outside, laios likes to intentionally try finding cool bugs or dogs and kabru has to wrangle him by the collar of his shirt while you're just there like :) aw bfs

kabru looooves planning dates and doesn't usually like feeling out of the loop or surprised unless its something you three agreed wouldn't be orchestrated by him

blowout arguments are not common in any manner, since kabru's an ace at recognizing/dismantling how you feel and is flexible in asking how to better put your mind at ease

meanwhile laios just HATES fighting and arguments and is not the type to enforce his way of thinking/doing certain things unless it'll actually drive him insane (which is pretty uncommon)

kabru is probably in charge of finances cuz its just less stress for him

laios likes decorating the space but you and kabru have to nyx some of his stranger ideas (a fully functional bigfoot puppet hanging from the ceiling, fresno night crawler figures on the tv stand, etc.)

nautical themed bathroom is a for sure though i'm sorry i'm sorry, laios is white and kabru was raised by milsiril they're just going to have a nautical themed bathroom no matter how you feel about it

i have an idea i want to make a fic but can't find the time: basically the same thing where you n kabru hate each other but get along for laios' sake cuz you're both dating him. until you fuck nasty and bond for realsies <3

[new-tella-us]

Hey, so I have a seduce me situations ask! It's kinda sad though

How would each incubus react to their s/o being super sick? Like, in the hospital or unable to hardly move. If their home, they have to take tons of medication and such until they heal.

Not good I can tell you that. All of them would be devastated especially if they can’t identify the sickness cause something that unknown and dangerous is scary.

James isn’t going to work until he can confirm that Mika is on the mend. He tells the company as such. He’ll do online meetings and they can email him all the paperwork but anything that requires him to meet up in person will have to be postponed. Sometimes he’ll just stop typing an email to hold the hand of Mika. Make sure she knows he’s still there if she conscious.

Erik is not taking this well at all. I mean none of them are but he REALLY doesn’t know how to handle this. He gets paranoia spikes about the idea of Mika not making it and all those technics he used to use to calm others down, he’ll have to start using on himself. He’s not used to the idea of the life of someone he loves actually being in danger, especially from something he can’t control or stop.

Sam would be angry of course. Not with someone but maybe with himself. I can see him being the type that goes “what could I have done?” Even if there’s nothing he could have done. On top of that, he’d just be angry at the world since, to him, it’s not fair that someone like Mika has to suffer meanwhile much more evil people are doing just fine.

Matthew would be panicking and sobbing. Like uncontrollably but once he manages to calm himself down, he’ll do his best to entertain Mika assuming that she’s awake. Games, toys, shows, the whole nine yards. He’ll even tolerate Simon Tabby as he makes Mika happy. Though if she starts complaining about her pain that might be his breaking point.

Damien would also be crying and hugging her. He can’t feel her pain but he can relate and he can hear her pain. He knows she’s suffering and he knows he’s done all he can and he hates how little he can do. He just wants her to be able to rest. It’s not kosher for demons to use enthrallment to manipulate the emotions or pain receptors but he might just do it so she won’t suffer.

[mikaverleth]

What are your thoughts on the cirque du freak series?

🕸️

Favorite book/arc?

Favorite characters? Least favorite?

What’s something you wish was expanded on more in the books?

What are your thoughts on a possible cinematic universe with multiple tv shows and movies, live action and animated?

What type of merch would you like to see made available for the cirque du freak fandom?

Just trying to keep the fandom flowing with some conversation, sending this to anyone I come across

Oh sweet interview time lfg !!

Favorite book/arc?

The 4-6 arc easy. I loved all the vampires, the action and suspense of the trials, the devastation of the Kurda plot twist, the emotional aftermath from the battle, and of course the final twist for Darren in the last chapter of bk 6. All of it permanently rewired my brain at age 14.

Favorite characters? Least favorite?

Mika, Kurda, and Arrow are my forever top tier but I really adore all the vampire characters except Tanish and Wester (reaching back into the prequel series here). Also kinda squicked out by Murlough, Traz, and R.V. But I will say I actually don’t think there’s a single character in either series that’s badly written. They all have their roles and they all leave a lasting impression. Darren’s amazing for that.

What's something you wish was expanded on more in the books?

Ohh there’s a lot. Darren (author) is a VERY efficient writer when it comes to pacing and action but I yearn for down time and filler episodes. Specifically I could’ve used more of Darren (character) adjusting to his new role after bk6. I TOTALLY understand why Darren (author) timeskipped ahead 6 years but we don’t really get to see Darren (character) interact with his people as a Prince, aside from the core group he travels with. I want a glimpse at what kind of Prince he’d be, if he got a chance to grow into it without the weight of the war on his shoulders.

***edited to add we deserved more established Larten/Arra page time than we got in the prequel series, so also that!!!

What are your thoughts on a possible cinematic universe with multiple tv shows and movies, live action and animated?

Idek anymore tbh……. I used to be really thirsty for any sort of adaption but the more time passes the more I don’t want CDF to ‘go mainstream’ so to speak. I like living in my little delulu MikaKurda bubble without being accused of glorifying toxic relationships or supporting the death penalty or whatever the fuck else I could theoretically have to deal with if this was a big fandom rather than a handful of chill people enjoying their various niches and just happy to be there.

All that aside, if a new adaption ever takes off in any form, I just hope they proceed with the respect and loyalty the source material deserves. I’d rather no reboot than a bad one. And by ‘bad’ I don’t mean low budget or whatever. Big fancy productions can still fail if there’s no heart and soul to them and I don’t want that for CDF.

What type of merch would you like to see made available for the cirque du freak fandom?

T-shirts 100%. There’s unlimited potential for cool designs with canon quotes and stuff but I’d still be content with something extremely basic. If he’s going to discourage fans from making/selling merch for legal reasons, which is fair, why not give us an option that lines his pockets AND give us what we want? 🫠

All compelling questions thank u for selecting this blog to participate in the 2025 CDF census 🙏🏻

[dexjarxenoengage]

Since Fire Emblem Engage is often compared to Power Rangers/Super Sentai (likely as a way to mock its tone, much to my annoyance), I thought I would assign the main characters with their respective colors. This is all just my opinion, and I will explain my reasons for it.

The main characters are Alear (obviously), Alfred, Diamant, Ivy, Timerra and Veyle. And they all fall into the usual Five Man Band tropes that ties in with Power Rangers/Super Sentai (usually) , with Veyle being the Sixth/11th hour Ranger.

Alear, obviously has to be the Red Ranger. Most Red Rangers are the leaders of their respective teams, or at least are the main faces of their teams for the purposes of promotion. Alear just happens to fit these descriptions.

Even if Alear’s main color motif is blue for the symbolism purposes, Alear still fits the Red Ranger mold for the reasons I mentioned earlier. More importantly, Alear started off with the red color because he was a Fell Dragon. The blue was only there because Lumera gave Alear her essence. And even after Alear becomes an Emblem, the transformation is a temporary Super Mode. So Alear will always have some red in their design, outside of Engaging.

And for obvious reasons, I have to point out that, yes Diamant has more red than Alear, but that’s besides the point. We will talk about him later.

Alfred is my assigned Blue Ranger. Alfred is Alear’s self proclaimed best friend/husband who actually have plenty of blue to his design and background image by Mika Palazzo.

Blue Rangers tend to vary in character dynamics and gender, but I felt this was the right color to give to Alfred specifically.

Diamant being my Black Ranger may seem like an odd choice. However, if you look at his usual armor, it does have some black color built into it. The black there be there to help make Diamant look more intimidating.

There is also the Fire Emblem Engage opening lyrics. The opening clearly references the four nations. Diamant and Brodia are assigned as “the rising force of BLACKENED steel.” If that alone doesn’t give you Black Ranger vibes, I don’t know what does.

And people say Pink can’t look cool… by process of elimination, I had to give Ivy the Pink Ranger suit. It’s not like Pink Rangers can’t be deadly, just look at Jen from Power Rangers Time Force, where she and her Sentai counterpart are the real leaders of their team.

I could have given her a Violet suit, there is a female Violet Ranger in Sentai and Power Rangers, but I chose Pink for the sake of consistency.

Which obviously makes Timerra the Yellow Ranger. There are some yellow in her design and yellow can represent the sun. Which is fitting because Solm is supposed to represent Summer and Timerra’s bubbly personality (the exact OPPOSITE of Ivy). Granted, again, not every Yellow Ranger is female or bubbly like Timerra, but I still think it works.

And finally Veyle has to be the Silver White Heart, I mean Ranger. In all seriousness, this should be a no brainer. Veyle checks off many of the Sixth Ranger tropes; but as far as comparison goes, Veyle is more like Trent from Power Rangers Dino Thunder because they both suffered a Jekyll and Hide situation.

Coloring wise, again, her theme is called “Silver White Heart,” it doesn’t get any more simpler than that. Though I associate Veyle with Silver more because her evil counterpart has a “Black Silver Devastation” as her theme in contrast. That and Silver is a very common Sixth Ranger color, with Power Rangers RPM/Engine Sentai Go-Onger having its only female Sixth Ranger as part of a duo.

Really, outside of Diamant and Ivy, giving the Fire Emblem Engage main characters color wasn’t that difficult. It’s a fun little comparison to make, even if that shouldn’t be used as an excuse to mock Engage and its characters.

Edit: I just realized that some guy is going to come up here and say “actually, Vander counts as a main character because he doesn’t die.”

Vander would just be an extra ranger. And Vander is more of a servant than a mentor character in the main story. So I would just give him random color. Drop a comment on what color would you give him. And no, it can’t be silver.

[twig-tea]

Oppan 9: 0 for 9 and bonus points for a multi-minute sob

Friends, this show feels calibrated to devastate (in a good way) me every single episode. I know that I've had this running gag every post about how this show makes me cry, but I want to be so clear that it's almost never about anything bad happening. This show is about kindness, which is always my weakness. Good people who are trying hard to be kind to one another will get me every single time. It's the most beautiful thing to show, and I never get tired of watching different media depict this in different ways. And this particular depiction is very kind in and of itself; it lets people make mistakes, and holds them to account for those mistakes but also lets them try again.

This episode we get to see the culmination of Makoto's hard work. This man has worked so hard at changing himself so that he can be someone people in his life can talk to and rely on, and his reward is that his family, coworkers, and friends have started talking to him--really talking to him, trusting him with their vulnerabilities and fears and hopes for the future--and that he is getting to see and share in their joy when he doesn't mess up his response. Mika's joy at the concert and Makoto understanding what kpop has done for his wife, his marriage, and his family, was huge.

And as a result of his work, the people he cares about are also extending that same trust in humanity that he's proving to them is worth extending, and they are being rewarded with more positive relationships in their lives too. In this episode we get to see the older coworker Fui Kakeru explain what he doesn't like about the way his baseball teammates talk about women, and have that be internalized and confirmed as something that affects them all negatively, actually.

Hugely, we get to see Madoka and Daichi embody their newly out relationship in big ways; Madoka has an interaction with the baseball club that Kakeru has been speaking to, and as a result they are respectful of his relationship with Daichi and hero-worship him a little bit for being brave enough to hold Daichi's hand as they walk away. What a big, big moment. And then of course the biggest moment of the season, when Madoka decides his relationship with Daichi is worth pushing through his fear and having the conversation with his parents.

Tears watch: I thought this episode wasn't going to get to me. I thought I'd made it to the end. And then all of a sudden, Madoka realizes that his fears about coming out to his family are holding Daichi back from experiencing family himself--and this is something Daichi feels strongly about--and Madoka proposes to Daichi, offering to be his family, to talk to his parents, to build a life together. And they go to Daichi's mom and get sorely needed mom hugs. And I sobbed so hard. A gay proposal in a general Jdrama (in which of course the show pointed out that it could not be legal unless they marry overseas).

What a perfect episode for the end of pride month.

Thank you @isaksbestpillow, I am so, so grateful for this show!!

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

No Place In Heaven (MIKA)

For every love I had to hide/And every tear I ever cried/I’m down on my knees/I’m begging You, please-/There’s no place in Heaven for someone like me/Won’t You open the door and try me once more?/Cause there’s no place in Heaven for someone like me./There’s no place in Heaven.

“Ugh horrible I am literally crying while typing those lyrics ho1w embarrassing. My Diocese voted five years ago to acknowledge the status of and bless same-sex marriages. I’ve been a Christian my whole life and am heavily involved in service roles in the church, and our vicar at the time was a colossal homophobe. He was so ghastly about the whole thing that even congregants who were uncomfortable with same-sex marriage thought he handled it poorly. I’m very queer, but unintentionally very stealth about it, and I got engaged to my partner during all this: despite him also being queer we’re a straight passing relationship, and I had to sit with the discomfort of the fact that people were ~thrilled~ for us... because we looked right. But by everything we were being lectured on at the time (and said vicar’s rhetoric was honestly that of an aspiring cult leader) our relationship was wrong even as it stood, let alone if we’d been the same gender (which is something we’ve discussed a lot both because of my own loose relationship with gender and because his prenatal scans were misinterpreted and his parents were told he was girl). And knowing that people weren’t happy for *us*, they were happy for what they thought we represented made us gag. But we couldn’t say anything openly because the vicar was stomping on open dissent to his views (despite the fact that the WIDER church DID disagree with him). I heard this song for the first time during that. I don’t even remember where. But it was SO cathartic to sing along to, and I actually don’t cry easily but this song let me get so many of those ugly tears out. The story has a relatively happy ending btw: same-sex marriages CAN be blessed, that vicar threw a tantrum, left and DID set up his own cult, and we now have a priest who is a lot more compassionate and accepting and is actively working to heal the pain and mistrust the first guy caused.”

Poll Runner: So many of you have left beautiful, personal descriptions of these songs and how much they mean to you, and honestly I love them all, but this one is honest to god my favourite. It’s just so raw and real and made me feel so many feelings (I’m queer and grew up in a fairly homophobic community). The submitter didn’t want their url on the poll post for privacy reasons, but they told me that if anyone reading this wants to reach out to them over being a queer Christian, then they can message me (the poll runner) to get their url.

A Boy And His Frog (Tom Smith)

What can I say without you there to guide me?/How else am I supposed to give?/How can I sing without you there beside me?/How else am I supposed to live/You could never just do the expected/I was just an idea in a bog/But you sewed up your dream and we made quite a team/Jim and Kermit, a boy and his frog

“Tender, Muppet-y devastation.”

Poll Runner: No celebrity death has fucked me up as badly as Jim Henson’s, and I wasn’t even alive for it.

A Boy and His Frog submitted by @sub-ignis

[kursed-arcana]

Psycho Pass Providence Review

I saw it in theaters and it was even better then I imagined.

Turning Akane into a tragic heroine may have been the best choice for her character after all. Her self sacrifice elevated her character to another level in my eyes.

I have not yet watched season 3 or first Inspector due to patiently waiting for the dub, but knew akane's fate and how it resolves. I went into this movie hoping it would explain how Akane was imprisoned and fearing she would take the fall for Shindo based on the context the film provided, instead I was pleasantly surprised to see our heroine take her fate into her own hands and make a difficult choice. Her self sacrifice was flawless and I was nearly in tears when she broke down. There is even a fantastic parallel between her choice here and Kougami's at the end of one. They both leave each other letters and both call the other an idiot for their decision. I left the theater fully satisfied.

I really appreciate how Kougami and Akane are always on eachothers minds and how their past interactions motivate their present actions even when they're apart. I think they'd make an excellent couple and Kougami being such a stubborn baby and not apologizing to Akane and being shocked when she hung up on him was too funny. I feel like them understanding eachother so well is both a strength and a weakness. It could very well be what keeps a a clear canon paring for them from happening. But I feel like this ending for Akane opens a lot of doors for them going forward. In the eyes of sybil, they're now two of a kind. The power imbalance barrier from their different statuses is now gone! And from what I hear about season 3 and first Inspector, I believe we'll be able to get more content of the two of them working together again in the near future.

On to the rest of the movie and cast.

I can't help but enjoy Mika. I think her character arc in 2 was actually really interesting and a nice contrast to Akane. And seeing her devastation at Akane's actions after she had just tried to save her, really spoke to me. I feel like she's still very much that broken girl from season 1 and Akane's loss probably opened up those wounds again. Her character has a lot more potential than most fans acknowledge.

Gino also has a prominent supporting role in this movie. Whether interacting with Kougami, Akane and Frederica he really shines. He is clearly happy to be with Kougami again, but let's his pride get in the way. But at the end of the day, they are both incredibly loyal to Akane. While Gino protects her as a shield, Kougami fights for her like a sword. It offers a unique dynamic. They essentially have Akane on a pedestal, as does sybil itself, which makes her very public and on purpose fall from grace all the more interesting. What will these two men do now that Akane has made herself a martyr for the justice her ideals strive to protect? I think we all have an idea of where the story goes from here whether we've watched the next material in the timeline already or not.

Finally its worth noting that essentially the entire supporting cast gets a few moments to shine, whether from season 1 or 2, and of course some characters from 3. The cast from 3 may not be the focus this time but they are still present in the background and I believe this movie answers some questions about their pasts.

In closing some stray thoughts.

- I can't help but ship Frederica and Gino now. They had great chemistry and a moment of theirs mirrors and earlier Koihami x Akane ship baiting moment in the movie. Keep yours open for it!

-we lost a good man this go around. His death generally shocked me. Keeping it vague so I don't lessen the impact!

- the music for this movie is A+ however, there is no after credit scene if you dont want to listen to the ending

[glacialheart]

archon, venti, vision, freedom, delusion, adventurers guild, guizhong, rex lapis, barbara, sakura blooms, lantern rite, ganyu and dainsleaf <3

archon: which nation’s known ‘ideal’ do you like the most: freedom, contracts, eternity, wisdom, justice, or war?

freedom, definitely!! i'm all about freedom. and i also really vibe with wisdom and justice for some reason

venti: which character(s) do you think you’d actually get along with if you were to meet in person and who do you think you’d actually dislike interacting with?

if i went into detail about this with all the regions we'd be here all day so i'll just pick a few!! i'd get along with xiangling, jean, kaeya (we have banter hehe) kaveh, thoma, myyyb alhaitham on a good day, ayaka and navia!!

as for the ones i think i'd dislike: itto, myb? it always takes me time to warm up to the more louder people (and dori, i'd avoid her)

vision: if you were visionless, how would you compensate for the lack elemental boost? pure skill and wit or would you invest in some premium fatui-made delusions…

ew no delusions for mika, i'll just pick a god and pray (and also use my brain jsjdhsdjds)

freedom and delusion answered here!!

adventurer’s guild: which genshin group would you align yourself with?

the sumeru boys are entertaining i love him (not sure i'd fit in though) i'd def get along with people a lot in mond it's just so chill <3

guizhong: which characters have your favorite aesthetic and/or design?

i love kaveh's design for some reason?? and i love alhaitham's whole headphone thing but i'd definitely wear clothes like tighnari (love his hoodie thing)

rex lapis: what’s your favorite cultural aspect of each of the released nations?

i love mondstadt's festivals, liyue and fontaine's music and architecture, inazuman traditional decor and (i'm biased) sumeru's food and names and the familiarity jdshjsdhd

barbara: you’re a tourist traveling teyvat, which locations in the game would you want to visit in person?

ALL OF THEM I LOVE GOING PLACES

sakura blooms: what is/are your favorite world quest(s) you’ve done?

i tend to slack off on doing world quests so i don't really remember sjdhjsdhdsj

lantern rite: what is your favorite cutscene in the game so far?

THE LIYUE CUTSCENES ARE JUST SO AAAAAA but the one with the divine damsel of devastation is just so <3 i like wanderer's story cutscenes too

ganyu: which character’s rerun are you waiting for desperately?

no one in particular at the moment!! but i remember i was most desperate for kazuha

dainslef: what theory do you have about the lore and the archon’s involvement with the destruction of khaenri'ah

oh this is interesting!! atm i don't have very many thoughts but i suspect that celestia is the bad guy, so to speak?

[bllsbailey]

WSJ Editor-at-Large Destroys Morning Joe for 'Misinformation' Claim: 'Quite a Bit of Chutzpah'

It's always satisfying when someone duplicitous, holier-than-thou, and almost always wrong gets their hat handed to them. It's called schadenfreude, and it was served hot on Wednesday when Wall Street Journal editor-at-large Gerry Baker

roasted Morning Joe Scarborough and possibly the most dishonest name in cable news, MSNBC (CNN is a close second). 

While some have complaints about the WSJ being part of the mainstream media, it is in an entirely different quality lane than "MSDNC," as some like to call it, which doesn't actually have any quality.

Scarborough and his wife, the perpetually downcast Mika Brzezinski, are among the worst of the lot, so when Joe decided to take on the infinitely superior Journal, he must not have expected that he would get mocked into next week. He criticized the newspaper for daring to run an article Tuesday by JD Vance wherein the GOP vice presidential nominee criticized the Harris-Biden regime's hurricane response.

Baker wasn't having it:

"To be lectured by MSNBC on disinformation is quite a bit of chutzpah on their part. Remember, this is the same Joe Scarborough that told us, I think, days or weeks before that infamous presidential debate that saw Joe Biden pull out of the race, that Biden was in incredible shape."  "He also attacked the Wall Street Journal article which had just said Joe Biden was slipping. 'He is as sharp as he’s ever been, he’s brilliant.’ And of course, weeks later, we saw what Biden was like, and another month later, he pulled out of the race. We don’t need that kind of lecturing," he added.

Watch (Baker comes in at the 37-second mark):

The last name in news:

Joe Scarborough's Laughable, Bootlicking Effort to Run Cover for Biden Has a Small Problem

Scarborough Unglued: He Equates Jan. 6 With Kristallnacht, Says Female Fox Hosts Played With Nazi Barbies

WATCH: Fuming 'Morning Joe' Hosts Threaten to Quit for Being Pulled After Trump Assassination Attempt

Scarborough threw his hissy fit after he got his bum hurt when Vance dared to criticize Morning Joe's beloved Harris-Biden regime:

"The Wall Street Journal is publishing disinformation that might as well be in the Epoch Times. The fact that it’s from a vice presidential candidate matters not. This is the same man who lied about cats and dogs being eaten when the governor of his own state said stop. When you said there are no standards, this is a perfect example of it," Scarborough said Wednesday.

Scarborough would call Joe getting up and putting on his pants "an epic hurricane response." The reality is, however, there have been questions about the administration's efforts regarding the hurricanes and about their spending priorities. Baker:

"It may not be actually true that FEMA resources that could have been available in North Carolina had been given to migrants. But there’s no question about the broader orientation of FEMA under the Biden-Harris administration, which is to channel huge amounts of money to communities and to non-government organizations to help with the massive influx of migrants that they themselves have created."

Related: Harris-Biden Admin Turned FEMA Into a DEI Experiment – and Hurricane Victims Are Suffering for It

Speaker Johnson Levels Harris-Biden Regime on Hurricane Helene Response: They've Been a 'Massive Failure'

Tom Cotton Demolishes Kristen Welker When She Starts to Spew on 'Misinformation' About FEMA Money

Hopefully, FEMA will do a good job following the devastation that is likely to come from Hurricane Milton. It's hard not to laugh out loud, however, when you hear Joe Scarborough, of all people, whining about "misinformation" and a biased press. It's like hearing a cow complain about his neighbor's methane emissions.

[kaonaruniki]

arashi headcanons ; crocheting ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ౨ৎ ˚

crocheting is such an arashi hobby in my head.. like wow.. that's her.

she's always making the cutest stuff for herself and her friends + boyfriends. she's got pinterest boards filled with patterns or inspo for plushies, cute tops, long bacon scarves LMAO and anything else that could come to mind

most of the plushies in her room she made herself, i think she makes a lot of patterns herself too. maybe she runs a blog posting them for others to use

she's got like 50 of these suckers sitting around her room bc they remind her of niki and kaoru

she also makes them cat plushies so they have something that remind them of her <3

arashi and mika meet up to chill and sew / crochet together a lot too i think. they don't have thaaat much time to spend together sadly </3 but they've made it a weekly thing to come over to one or the other's place and spend a few hours yapping and working on their lil projects

i've also made the devastating realisation that mika made the bunny for tori in this card , and as some of you may know i am a little insane about that bunny.

maybe tori asks mika to make him stuff a lot </3 so everytime mika and arashi hang out he's working on a plushie for tori.. sobs

her fav thing ever is crocheting people stuff and then seeing them wear it or displayed in their room. i think almost every time she meets up with someone she's got a gift.

her and hiyori go to a cafe together and she pulls one of these out of her bag to give him bc she saw something similar on one of his mood boards </3 he wears it the next day n she gets sooo giddy about it </3

or she'd make cute little sweaters for mitsuru.. guy is pretty short i imagine it's tricky to find clothes that are actually his size ( well it is for me at least. maybe i'm just unlucky ) and arashi is happy to help ^__^

i think she makes little keycharms too, these two were for adonis <3

[coruscatiio]

to add to my contemplations from yesterday: Gray not being from Fiore / the general area makes even less sense when one considers that during the Sun Village arc, his alleged father was at the grave of Mika, shortly after freezing everything in Sun Village which to me opens the frankly very interesting option of Gray being from the area near Sun Village. There is also Gray himself going there after the Tartarus arc and Juvia following him there---while Silver might have some teleportation abilities, we know that Gray does not.

Following up on what was stated in the preamble of this post, here are a few considerations about Iberis:

It is the hometown of Gray, named for this particular plant.

Locals would say that calling it a town was very generous as the settlement was barely more than a 'very large village', but other locals would say that calling it 'our very large homevillage' was a mouthful. By the time Gray was born, this disagreement still came up now and then---the old mayor and his equally old sister liked to bicker about it when they had run out of other topics to bicker about.

Iberis was hardly a poor town / village---there was a nearby silvermine that provided plenty of work and that was also the source of the materials that Gray's mother Doria used for the jewellery she made as she was a silversmith. Gems and other kinds of ore can also be found in the Kerrona Mountains.

Not that anybody in Iberis knew, but in a strange (and magical) way, they had fairly . . . big neighbours, the giants of Sun Village. The reason why they did not know about their neighbours was that while during the arc named after the village, the location was easily accessible, it is usually near impossible to find it---unless you are a giant or have the sigil of the village on your body. In a way, Sun Village both is and is not on the Kerrona Mountains, having been affected by magic for longer than humans have settled on the mountain.

The neighbouring towns they were aware of also got destroyed by Deliora as the demon devastated the entire area. Whether or not Deliora was actually targetting Sun Village and, more importantly, the remnants of Atlas Flame is a question Gray has been trying not to think too much about.

In terms of education, there was a school where Aaron, Gray's father, was a teacher, and for a much younger Gray, his biggest worry was that he could possibly end up in his father's class after the holiday. Most older teens who wanted to continue their academic journey would enrol at the university in Helianthe after their graduation, Aaron's own alma mater.

[ollie-m-draws]

tagged by @buffyjackets , ty for the tag! :3

RULES: list 8 tv shows to get to know me better! but im going to break the rules and list 10, because i cannot help myself. btw, #1 truly is #1, but the rest are not ordered in any particular fashion

bojack horseman. this might come as a surprise because i hardly ever rb anything about it but this is probably the show that has had the biggest impact on me as a person. i could go on and on and on and on about how meaningful this show is to me

buffy the vampire slayer. i watched it first when i was a preteen, but now i'm rewatching it and it really has a chokehold on me lol.

the wilds. im devastated that it was cancelled. i love those girls. rip my silly little island show

orphan black. rachel duncan you will always be famous <3 also helena, mika, beth, sarah, and krystal

killing eve. simply pretend season 4 does not exist, and everything is fine. season 3's finale actually is a really good ending

doctor who. like btvs, i watched this first when i was a preteen. unlike btvs, it did not take me until several years later for it to rewire my brain.

la casa de papel. i just like seeing a fucked-up found family doing crimes together lol

yellowjackets. something that almost all of the shows on this list have in common is that they contain fucked-up women. this show has a high concentration of them, so it's an easy pick

the L word. i'll be honest that i have not rewatched this since i was like 13, but i DO remember bits and pieces very well, and it has so many iconic characters & quotes. jenny schecter is so unpalatable and i love that for her

dead like me. this is a bryan fuller show from like 2002 about a girl who becomes a grim reaper. fuller is more well-known for hannibal and pushing daisies, but this is the one i was obsessed with as a teen. (i think there's also an episode of hannibal that's like...a stealth crossover or a shoutout to dead like me? idk i haven't seen hannibal.) it definitely uses some...outdated language...but i think it still otherwise holds up decently well. it's funny and profound and i love love love daisy adair with my whole heart.

tagging: uhhh i am being called away to watch btvs w/ my sibling lol. so, anyone who wants to do this, consider yourself tagged! also note that i fully broke the rules and it was supposed to be 8 shows.

[yandere-daze]

hello daze !!! congrats on 3k ^_^ can i request shu w/ the fool & the lovers? tysm !

Thank you!! And you sure can, I always jump at the chance to write for my blorbo ☺️💕

gn reader

tw yandere, possessiveness, jealousy, obsession, Shu refers to you as “doll” once as a petname

The Fool - How deluded is this yandere when it comes to their darling? Are they self aware on any level? 

More than deluded, I would say Shu feels very entitled when it comes to your attention and time. Not many can proclaim that they´re part of the few people that Shu holds dear, so naturally, you should consider it an honor that he wants to spend so much time with you!

He has a very hard time opening up to other people so once he falls for you, Shu just expects that he also becomes your top priority in life. What do you mean, you agreed to meet up with some of your friends later today? Shu invited you to watch him work on the next stage outfit for Valkyrie so naturally, you´re already busy. Tell them that you don´t have any time for them!

And he just expects you to go along with his whims, actually offended and making a fuss when you tell him no. Why should you have a life outside of him when all he does is think about you all day? That´s not fair, is it? So take responsibility for stealing his heart, for making him so obsessed with every little thing you do or say!

Now, Shu definitely has gotten better in recent years, so he tries to not be as controlling anymore because he has seen with both Nazuna and Mika what kind of effect that can have on the people he cares about and he really doesn´t want to repeat his past mistakes with you.

And yet, he still can´t refrain from demanding all of these things from you anyway, from holding on to you for as long as he can because deep down he´s scared. That´s why this self-awareness that the way he treats you isn´t right only rarely crosses his mind when he´s in a particularly vulnerable state. He doesn´t let himself think about it for too long so he pushes the thought away as soon as it comes

The Lovers - How would this yandere deal with their darling being in a relationship with someone else? 

Not well, to say the least! As I said above, Yandere Shu comes hand-in-hand with a load of entitlement so when he finds out that you already have a significant other? He´s pretty devastated. How can this be? For how long have you been dating someone else? How come you never told him about this? Scolds you for not telling him about this sooner - he demands to be the first person you tell anything to

He´s noticeably quieter for a bit as he mulls over what this means for him. Excuses himself early and goes home where he spends the rest of the day spilling his feelings to Mademoiselle, who offers him comfort and an open ear. He didn´t want you to see the sort of effect you have on him so that is why he had retreated to his own home instead.

But you´re sorely mistaken if you think that means Shu will simply give up on you.

Shu doesn´t strike me as the type who would kill someone but he has no problems being openly hostile towards your significant other. I mean have you seen the way he talks to Eichi? It´s like that but somehow worse. Shu just refuses to be civil with this eyesore that dares to try and take you away from him. Takes every single opportunity to insult them as he tries to make you see how much inferior they are compared to him.

Are you too blind to see that there is a vastly superior option for a romantic partner right in front of you? He thought you had better taste than this

Will actively try to drive a wedge between you and your current “partner” ( he cringes at the thought) by just talking them down until they finally break and leave you because of the nasty behaviour of your “best friend” ( also seethes at that notion)

But don´t be sad, there is no reason to cry over someone that was so obviously not on your level. They were a fool to let you go and Shu is more than eager to finally take you for himself

He´s going to take great care of his precious little doll <3

[rayylock]

tell me some of your dangerverse hcs!

alrighty ! i’m gonna section them off so that it’s easier to read .

henry danger ( kinda leaks into df sorry lol ) :

- ray is a trans man . captain man says trans rights fr .

- schwoz is trans too . he’s weird enough i don’t think i need to put him through more shit through future hcs ( affectionate ) .

- henry does NOT become a complete asshole in dystopia . i’ve seen one too many fics showing he does and he did not spend his entire childhood being somewhat of a moral compass to do a complete 180 . he is a dork who says he’s in a band but immediately backtracks because he knows lying is pointless and giggles when complimented , all in canon .

- charlotte , robot enhancements and all her glorious self , doesn’t become president , but becomes a prosecutor of the law instead . after her gap year in dystopia , she realized how corrupt the system is everywhere , not only in swellview . she is now studying criminal justice in harvard :}

- jasper has a major glow up . not a hc just a fact . he also learned to fight outside of sleeping so he could react faster without having to wait to be konked out by the gum .

- kris and jake hart do their own thing now , but are still married . they came to the conclusion that even though their kids are out of the house they would still eventually need a support system . by they i mean kris . they both also still love each other , but aren’t in love yk ?

- after graduating from uni and having felt success from her social media fame , piper moved back to swellview to help track down villains , and mika appreciates the extra help , because it turns out piper is actually really good at doxxing people . i will not elaborate . oh and also she scares ray so she got him to actually pay the df kids lmao .

danger force :

- mika is a bi trans girl . deal with it .

- chapa is nonbinary and still uses she / her . she’s also aromatic but is open to queer platonic relationships !

- miles is unlabeled . we love that for him , truly a king .

- bose is bi because have you seen him ??

- chapa always carries a taser to she can get away with zapping people outside of fighting crime without raising suspicion .

- when miles first started randomly teleporting everywhere , he was overwhelmed by the constant change in everything that he had to teach himself how to calm down , and now he’s excellent at teaching and helping others calm down .

- after joining df , they would all train together , and one day while training , ray threw a ball at bose and he started lightly crying . he caught it , he just was happy crying because he never got to play the whole father - son catch cliché game .

- mika used to go out into the desert to practice her super screaming , but after a while she started fainting during the day , so now she trains in one of the many rooms in the man’s nest that has been renovated by schwoz to be soundproof .

- as much as ray misses his original kids , in one of his rarest mature moments , he realizes that he shouldn’t compare them . he also decides to be more careful with them than he was with henry , causing that whole “ no powers = no crime fighting “ situation in canon . he can’t risk losing more of his kids , especially so young .

- I LIED MORE SCHWOZ . when the df kids lost their powers , schwoz didn’t sleep until he came up with an antidote he thought would work based on the gas clown’s gas . when it didn’t work he was devastated , but he wouldn’t show the full extent of it . he knew it would effect the kids and he knew he could try again . the following days he spent in his lab , running on illegal caffeine , and eventually passed out from exhaustion . mika found him and put a blanket over him that miles made , having wanted to apologize for how unfair they were being towards him , because after all , he’s only human .

[bwoahtastic]

When the idea of including Nico in pack sex first comes up Kimi takes Seb aside to make sure he’s completely okay with the idea. He knows Seb had some insecurities around Kimi and Nico’s relationship when he first saw them together and he doesn’t want to make it worse. Kimi also knows how much Seb’s friendship means to Nico and he knows how devastated Nico would be if something would ruin it.

They start small and Kimi kisses Nico in front of Seb and Nico just melts into it. Seb thought he might feel a little jealous but really he’s just so intrigued. Nico seems so relaxed and he looks gorgeous all spread out and feathers shimmering. Seb kissing Nico and Nico just smiles up at him and there’s so much trust in his eyes.

It would take time for Nico to fully engage in pack sex with the other alphas. But Seb and Kimi being there makes him relax a bit. When Mika joins eventually they see just how special those two’s bond is because Nico is completely relaxed and lets go

Oh plss! Thet all know its a pretty normal pack thing and it would be good for Nico'a integration into the pack (i mean every alpha would have had their turns to integrate like thst too), but ofcourse its different eith this being the first person outside of the relationship.

And ofcoursr Seb had been unsure about Kimi and nico, and seb is nico's first omega friend he can't lose thst connection! But pls it actually turns out good, Kimi just kissing Nico in front of Seb and seeing his reaction, as well as.th3 reaction from the other Alphas and no one feels jealous. If anything, Seb is a little jealous of Kimi because he wants to kiss Nico too lol. Nico being so happy and purring a lot and just being so trusting with Seb and the pack, a little shy at times but clearly loving being included, and if it does get too much, some nuzzles from Seb or Kimi calm him down again!

It would take a little longer for the other Alphas to dare to touch Nico freely during pack sex but it just brings more harmony! Pls Nico and seb both getting kissed and touched by the Alphas while giggling at each other and it's just bliss.

It again takes some getting used to having Mika there too, but they all see how calm and happy Nico ie around him and its enough,proof they can trust him!

(Poor grandpa Toto stuck with all the kiddos those nights lol)