#Texas high school exchanged

[anistarrose]

Please don't tune out when you get to the non-partisan section of your ballot this November. First off, where state Supreme Court justices are elected, Republicans are trying their darndest to elect candidates who will destroy reproductive freedom, gut voting rights, and do everything in their power to give "contested" elections to Republicans. Contrast Wisconsin electing a justice in 2023 who helped rule two partisan gerrymanders unconstitutional, versus North Carolina electing a conservative majority in 2022, who upheld a racist voter ID law and a partisan gerrymander that liberal justices had previously struck down both of.

Second, local judicial offices will make infinitely more of an impact on your community than a divided state or federal legislature will. District and circuit courts, especially, are where criminalization of homelessness and poverty play out, and where electing a progressive judge with a commitment to criminal justice reform can make an immediate difference in people's lives.

It's a premier example of buying people time, and doing profound-short-term good, while we work to eventually change the system. You might not think there will be any such progressive justices running in your district, but you won't know unless you do your research. (More on "research" in a moment.)

The candidates you elect to your non-partisan city council will determine whether those laws criminalizing homelessness get passed, how many blank checks the police get to surveil and oppress, and whether lifesaving harm reduction programs, like needle exchanges and even fentanyl test strips, are legal in your municipality. Your non-partisan school board might need your vote to fend off Moms for Liberty candidates and their ilk, who want to ban every book with a queer person or acknowledgement of racism in it.

Of course, this begs the question — if these candidates are non-partisan, and often hyper-local, then how do I research them? There's so much less information and press about them, so how do I make an informed decision?

I'm not an expert, myself. But I do think/hope I have enough tips to consist of a useful conclusion to this post:

Plan ahead. If you vote in person, figure out what's on your ballot before you show up and get jumpscared by names you don't know. Find out what's on your ballot beforehand, and bring notes with you when you vote. Your city website should have a sample ballot, and if they drop the ball, go to Ballotpedia.

Ballotpedia in general, speaking of which. Candidates often answer Ballotpedia's interviews, and if you're lucky, you'll also get all the dirt on who's donating to their campaign.

Check endorsements. Usually candidates are very vocal about these on their websites. If local/state progressive leaders and a couple unions (not counting police unions lol) are endorsing a candidate, then that's not the end of my personal research process per se, but it usually speeds things up.

Check the back of the ballot. That's where non-partisan races usually bleed over to. This is the other reason why notes are helpful, because they can confirm you're not missing anything.

I've seen some misconceptions in the reblogs, so an addendum to my point about bringing notes on the candidates: I strongly suggest making those notes a physical list that you bring polling place with you. Many states do allow phones at the polling place, but several states explicitly don't — Nevada, Maryland, and Texas all ban phones, and that may not be an exhaustive list. There may also be states that allow individual city clerks to set policies.

You should also pause and think before you take a photo of your ballot, because even some states that don't ban phones still ban ballot photographs. But whether it's a photo, or just having your phone in general — in an environment as high-risk for voter suppression as the current one, you don't want even a little bit of ambiguity about your conduct. Physical notes are your friends.

[magpiepills]

Put It In, Coach

Rating: EXPLICIT 18+ MDNI

Pairing: Joel Miller x f! Reader

Word count: 3.4k

Summary: you are an 18 year old high school senior on the cheerleading team, and Joel is the beloved and successful football coach. He helps you with some stretching after practice.

Warnings: SMUT!! The girthiest age gap (18 & 56), consensual but extremely unethical sexual relationship, pervert Joel, power imbalance, dubcon (due to said power imbalance) but I assure you reader is of legal age and enthusiastically consents. piv, oral (m receiving) fingering, dirty talk, semi-innocent reader, blackmail, creampie, twist ending, possibly dark Joel.

A word from the author: This is a repost! Listen, I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. That is fine. Please don’t feel obligated to interact with this fic even if we are friends. It will be fine. I am posting this without making eye contact with anyone.

What is more important in a small Texas town than the high school football team?

Nothing, if you asked most anyone, including of course, head Lions football coach, Joel Miller- Coach Miller, that is. He had lead the team to numerous state titles, securing donations to the football program and filled display cases with trophies and framed team photos. Several former players had even gone on to play in the NFL.

Yeah, Coach Miller is a big deal.

You feel lucky when during your senior year the cheerleading team has to share practice space with the football team. Honored when Coach Miller helps your squad with conditioning. While the football team runs drills, he’s monitoring your time on the treadmill, checking your form during lunges, and helping you really lean into your stretches. He’s so helpful and encouraging. “That’s it, girls, get those knees up! Hustle!” He yelled as he watched you run by in your little shorts and sports bra. The one you took to wearing when you knew he might see.

Coach Miller knew a thing or two about cheerleading too, and he helped your coach to develop a cheer routine. You always blushed when his rough, steadying hands gripped your bare legs or circled your waist to help direct you. You saw how the other girls exchanged looks, but

Coach Miller had experience, he obviously knew enough about cheer. He knew what got crowds excited and lifted team morale. You beamed when he clapped and tucked his clipboard under his arm as you balanced on your teammates shoulders, one knee lifted high, both arms aloft, Pom-poms rustling in the hot Texas breeze. You felt butterflies that fluttered from your stomach down to your throbbing pussy. “Atta girl. You got it!” He praised.

The fawning newspaper articles never mentioned how handsome Coach Miller is. He’s probably in his fifties but you didn’t care. The other girls rolled their eyes, called him an old man. You liked the gray in his hair and beard. You liked the way his body was still so broad and strong, even if his belly was a little softer than it used to be. You liked the way his forearm flexed as he lifted the whistle to blow and get everyone’s attention. “Alright, boys go hit the showers, girls you stay and finish stretching.” Your cheer coach was busy with Megan and Lindsay and Tiffany, so you did your best to go through the regimen on your own.

You stood and twisted at your waist, first to one side, then the other. You spread your legs wide and bent deep to touch your toes, keeping your spine loose. You wanted him to see. “Ugh. He’s watching us.” You heard behind you. “He’s such a creep. He’s like a hundred years old.” “Yeah and you remember what happened with Monica. Nobody’s going to say shit to him.” You listened to the other girls talking, and tried to ignore them. Of course there were rumors about Coach that passed though the girls at school. They were probably just mad that he wasn’t giving them the time of day.

It was easy to forget the other girls and their hateful gossip when you saw that handsome man across the field. You stood and dabbed your shoulder. You winced and rubbed it, drawing the attention of Coach Miller. He jogged over, the muscles of his thighs rippling under his khaki shorts, belly rounding slightly under his royal blue polo shirt, and whistle bouncing as he made his way to you. “What’s ’a matter, sweetheart?” Care and concern painted his dark features, furrowing his brow. “It’s just my shoulder, Coach. I don’t know, it just is pretty sore.” You pouted up at him, giving him your best helpless face. He hummed and nodded. “You girls go on and get cleaned up, we’re done for today. I’ll let your coach know. I gotta deal with this.” He gestured to you, and you bowed your head sheepishly. The rest of the girls scoffed and muttered as they gathered their bags, shooting you looks of disdain and perhaps pity. Good riddance to them.

“Thank you Coach.” You said softly, bashfully. “C’mon, I got an ice pack in my office. Can’t let our rising star get hurt, can we?” You relished his attention. The hallways leading to his office were dark and empty, at 5:30 on a Friday, everyone had gone home. Once inside his office you sat on his desk, cluttered with papers and Gatorade bottles. You swung your legs and leaned back on your palms, letting the hem of your top ride up to expose a sliver of your belly. You hoped he would notice the way it was snug against your breasts. His office smelled like sweat and Lysol, but photos and framed newspaper clippings covered the walls. You used your phone to cover the framed photo on his desk of him and his wife and kid.

When Coach Miller returned with the ice pack, he found you innocently playing with the hem of your short cheer skirt. He hesitated, taking in your long, bare legs, smooth and pretty. He followed the line of them up to where they disappeared under that damn skirt, he wondered what he might find if he flipped it up. Wondered if you had on those little white panties he had seen once when you were practicing cartwheels with the other girls. He wasn’t stupid man. He knew that some of you young girls had little crushes on him. He'd be a liar if he said it didn’t stroke his ego or that he hadn’t jerked off more than a few times behind his locked office door. He would never, ever admit to a few consensual dalliances with a few girls. Always over 18, but always so young and beautiful and eager to please. Was it wrong? When they wanted him? Joel preferred to think of it as a perk of the job.

“Where’s it hurtin’, honey?” Coach Miller asked, his voice much more tender than he ever used with the boys on his football team.

“My shoulder, coach. It’s sore.” He made a sympathetic sound and slowly, carefully began to run his big hands over your arms. “Can you hold ‘em up for me? Good girl.” You held your arms out to the side and he palpated your shoulders, stepped back to look you over, checking for you didn’t know what. It didn’t matter. Your shoulder didn’t really hurt.

Joel frowned. “What is it coach? Is it bad? Your voice was small and wavering.

“No, darlin’ it’s just that I can’t get a good feel for your rotator cuff cause your shirt’s in the way.”

“Oh..”

“Well, here’s the thing, you know we got that big game comin’ up and your coach won’t let ya cheer if you’re hurt. Really would be best if I could just check it out. If nothin’s wrong we ain’t gotta worry your coach over it.” He winked at you conspiratorially.

“What if I just…I could just take this off.” You tried to sound casual. Like it was the most normal thing for an eighteen year old to be topless in a room alone with a 56 year old woodshop teacher/football coach.

“That’s what the boys all do, sugar. Ain’t a big deal, but I don’t want to make ya uncomfortable. I can just go get your coach and she can check ya out.”

There was no way you wanted your coach thinking you were injured. Not when you were gunning for a cheerleading scholarship. Missing any games now was out of the question.

“We don’t need to bother her, Coach Miller. I trust you.”

Joel nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell ya what- I’ll give ya a towel to cover up with. How’s that?”

“Sounds good, Coach. Just, could you help me unzip?” You gave him a little smile over your shoulder and held your hair out of the way for him to drag the zipper down.

Joel stifled a groan when he realized you didn't have a bra on under your little top. His cock was already beginning to swell in his shorts. You shrugged off the blue and yellow top of your uniform and clutched the tiny towel he handed you to your chest. “Is this good, Coach Miller?”

“Yeah that’s good. Real good. Arms straight up, now. Gotta check your rotator cuff.”

You did as he asked, and the towel slipped to your lap and he rubbed and squeezed at your shoulders, peeking over to catch a glimpse of your bare tits. They were so pretty, your hard little nipples making his mouth water.

“Good news. I don’t think it’s anything serious. A little massage and rest is probably all ya need. Couple ibuprofen.”

You thanked him, half heartedly bringing the towel to cover your chest again.

“Just one thing though, I noticed there’s not a current physical on file for you. You know, they take that stuff real serious. I know you’ve been workin’ real hard all year, I think you’ve got real potential and I’d hate for you to throw that away over a little form. If you want, I can give ya a quick check and it’ll be our little secret.”

“Gosh, Coach. You’d really do that for me?”

You knew damn well your physical was on file. You had taken it to the office yourself. It was something you’d been doing every year since you started playing sports in junior high.

“Yeah, won’t take but a minute. Don’t want ya getting in any trouble.”

You sighed gratefully. “Thanks Coach Miller. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Go on and hop up on my desk and I’ll make this quick and easy.”

He moved your arms one at a time, feeling for proper movement. He had you step on a scale and measured your height and weight, commenting that you were “full grown.” He had you bend forward and touch your toes, sliding his fingertips up the length of your spine to check for scoliosis, but taking the opportunity to admire the way your skirt rode up to expose just a bit of your panties, just barely brushing his hard cock over your ass. “Oops!” You dropped the towel, dramatically covering your tits with your hands, squeezing them together.

Joel looked at the form he was half-assing and scribbled on it, before sitting it aside and clearing his throat. “You uh, you do your regular self exams?”

“Self exams?” you blinked at him innocently, hiding the smirk that threatened to break through.

“Breast exams, sweetheart. Gotta make sure everything is like it’s supposed to be. Real important to check. Maybe I better show you how. Why don’t you lay down there and put your arms over your head for me?”

You did as he asked, lying back on his desk and didn’t bother hiding your lustful stare and he slid both hands up your rib cage to cup the underside of your breasts. He squeezed gently, kneading the supple flesh. “You’re doing great, baby.” You whined as he worked his way around your nipples, watching intently as they hardened. “Almost done.” He pinched at your nipples, making you squirm, he pulled gently, and rubbed them under his thumbs before squeezing your tits once more. “I think that’ll do.”

But he didn’t take his hands from you. He ran them over your chest, down your sternum, over your belly to the band of your skirt. He gripped your hips through the rough fabric, forgetting himself, or dropping the act. Either way, he found himself staring at the wet spot on your exposed panties. You bent your knees and rested your heels on the edge of Coach Miller’s desk. “Let’s see if he can resist this!” You’d thought, delighted with the way your plan was working.

Joel had his fair share of girls throwing themselves at him over the years, but you certainly took the cake. In half an hour you’d gone from a shy school girl to a sex starved slut right on his desk. It had been so easy, maybe too easy. Give you a little attention, some praise you weren’t getting at home, some touches like he knew the dumbass boys on his team weren’t going to learn about for another eight to ten years. Joel loved it when his plans worked.

“Something you need, baby?”

“Mhm. My backs kinda stiff. Maybe you could help stretch me. Get me loosened up.”

“This help?” Joel placed his hands on your knees and pushed them up, gently rolling your lower spine as he stood between your legs.he lowered them, letting your covered pussy brush against his rock hard cock, then repeated the motion, pushing your knees a little further each time.

“Feels so good, Coach.” You breathed, hands gripping the sides of his desk.

“Gonna open your hips up, you’re bein’ such a good girl.” He pushed again, letting your knees fall to the side, spreading you wide open. You could feel the way your panties clung wetly to your aching pussy, rendered nearly transparent by the slick that started seeping from you the minute you entered Coach Miller’s office.

Joel couldn’t play this dumb game with you anymore. He squeezed your plush thighs and pushed them down, dragging his thumb over the soaked gusset of your underwear. “I think ya got a bigger problem than a stiff back. Looks like you’re really hurtin’ right here. How long has this pussy been needin taking care of?”

Finally! “All day, Coach. I really need help to make it feel better.”

Joel’s finger slipped under the fabric to slide over your puffy lips.

“I got some other massages and stretches that’ll make this all better. Do you want that?”

“Yes, please! Please Coach.” You nearly shouted at him. If he didn’t do something soon you’d have to try to climb on top of him and just take what you needed. It’s not like you couldn’t see how hard his cock had been since the minute you got your tits out. He was a creep and everybody knew it, but he was too handsome to resist and if his bulging erection was any indication, well…

“Gotta get these panties off.” You lifted your hips for him to slide them off, then stretched your legs and demonstrated your flexibility by pulling your ankles down and holding your legs wide open for him. “Goddamn. Look at this. You do want this, don’t ya? Got so damn wet on my desk from just gettin your tits touched. Are all the girls on your team so slutty?” He marveled at how wet you were, slipping his fingers from your entrance up and around your clit, tapping your pussy firmly with the flat of his hand and groaning at the sticky slapping sounds.

His index finger teased at your opening while his thumb rubbed over your clit. Flames licked at your belly. “Just slutty for you, Coach. Need a real man.”

“Yeah? You need a real man?” He emphasized his words by sinking two thick fingers into you, “I’ll show ya what a real man can do for you, but you ain’t ever gonna be happy with a boy again.” He pumped his fingers into you and to your shock, dripped spit directly from his mouth to your clit. The slip made the sensation even more intense, and you squeezed his fingers as your orgasm crested. “Good, huh? Well, we ain’t done. I got a little more stretching for this tight little cunt.” You’d never heard anyone talk so crudely. You loved it. “Fuck yes, Coach, please. Please!”

Joel’s eyes snapped up from where he was watching his fingers disappear into your pussy. “Watch your language.” You whined and bucked your hips, eager for what you hoped was coming next. Joel worked a third finger into your pussy, the stretch stung and radiated, but faded into a pleasant feeling of fullness you’d never experienced before. Not with your inexperienced conquests.

Satisfied that he’d prepared you well enough, Joel hastily unbuckled his belt and let his shorts fall to the floor, weighed down by his wallet and keys. You watched as he tugged his turgid member, the biggest you’d ever seen. “C’mere. Get on your knees a minute. I know you know how to do that.”

“You want me to suck your cock, Coach Miller?”

He huffed at you, amused at your innocent act.

“Open your mouth.” You opened wide and took him deep, gasping and bobbing your head over his tip, hollowing your cheeks. You looked up at him and took him as deep as possible, relishing in the look of devastation that washed over him as you gagged and drooled.

Joel muttered something you didn’t hear before he pulled you off his cock by your hair. “Bend over the desk. Come on.” You did as he asked, and he slicked his cock with your abundant arousal, slapping the head on your ass a couple times, then held the base of his cock in one hand, and gripped your hip with the other. Slow and steady he pushed into you, taking his time until he was fully sheathed, hips flush against your ass. He waited there, leaning his forehead against your back and reaching under you to grab your tit.

“So fucking tight. Tightest pussy I think I ever felt. You’re not a virgin are you?” You shook your head. You weren’t a virgin. He was your third. He was your biggest and best. It would be hard to top him, you mused until he dragged his length out of you and slammed back in with more force. He did that a few times- pull out slow, slammin hard. Slow, hard, slow, hard. Then he switched it up, pushing your knee up into the desk he favored slow, deep strokes so he could watch how your pussy gripped him and sucked him back in, wetting his cock with your slick, so wet it dripped down to his balls.

He smacked your ass, leaving handprints on the unblemished flesh. “Fuck yeah, baby. Just like that. Taking this cock so good. Feel ya squeezing me so tight. Cock hungry little slut making me fuck her. Fuckin beggin for this dick.” He gritted filth through clenched teeth. You reached down to rub your clit, and let your hand wander further, feeling where your bodies joined, stretching your fingers to catch his balls as he pounded mercilessly into you. He smacked your ass hard, then reached up to hold your shoulders and his movements became uneven. “Coach, please! Please, come in my little pussy!” You’d heard that in porn and thought it sounded good.

Joel’s eyes squeezed shut tight as he let go, filling you with rope after rope of cum. You moaned, feeling him pulsing deep inside.

There was no kiss afterward. No hugging, no cuddling. Joel handed you the little towel to clean up with, Carter he watched his spend drip out of your wrecked pussy and onto the fabric of your skirt. He wished he had a picture of it. You wiped away what you could and put your shirt back on, your panties had disappeared and at 6:15 there was no time to look for them now. Coach Miller promised he would find them for you. You gathered your phone and backpack. He squeezed your shoulder as he walked you out to the main hallway and cleared his throat. “You know, if anyone found out about this, it could ruin your shot at any kind of scholarship. You might not even get into college at all. Now, I know you young girls make mistakes and I’m not going to tell anyone as long as you keep up your grades and your practice. If I hear about ya being a slut, though, I’ll have to inform the principal for your own good. Don’t make me do something we would both regret, sweetheart. Ya understand?”

“Yes, Coach. I understand.”

Joel breathed a sigh of relief. He had seven years until he could retire. He wasn’t sure how many more pretty little seniors would come sniffing around, but he thought maybe he should try to stop giving in to every doe eyed little slut that came along. Oughta try other ways of keeping his dick wet.

On Monday Joel was at his desk, drinking coffee, making out a supply request form for his woodshop lesson plan when his phone chimed. A message from an unknown number had sent an attachment. He squinted at the screen, and froze in horror when he saw his own face looking back at him, he was perfectly framed in the shot, a still from a video, and there you were, smiling at the camera underneath him. The message that followed was short. “See you after practice, Coach.”

[10001gecs]

I didn’t realize my vent/ask about my high school bully was getting so much attention, but I guess I should clarify a few things.

1) We flipped fucked (But I was first to top, he was too hung tbh)

2) For some reason he cried halfway through but he said he was fine but things could have been different if he learnt to love himself more. (I didn’t really know what to say because I’m not a psychiatrist)

3) We don’t genuinely hate each other, but I was certainly “hate-fucking” him when I was topping. Rough but not too rough.

4) We did cuddle afterwards, then went for drinks later that night, next morning he was back off to Texas.

5) We did exchange contact info just because he wanted to stay in touch.

thank you the girls needed an update

[patito-oward]

Always Been You

masterlist

Prompt: And the other is about how Pato falls in love with the reader, just how he says "oh yeah she's THE ONE"

since this prompt was pretty vague I took a lot of liberties with it, but I still hope you like it :)

Summary: After being dumped by his long term girlfriend, Pato realizes everything he’s ever wanted in a relationship has been right in front of him

WC: 4.1k

It happened very suddenly. Here’s the thing, Pato didn’t mean for it to happen at all. On the list of things he had planned for the year, this was definitely not on it. A 500 win? Definitely. A championship? Yep. Extending his contract with Mclaren? Right again. But starting the off season by being dumped by his long term girlfriend and realizing he’s in love with his best friend was not anywhere in his mind.

It all started at the last race of the season, Pato was leading the championship, and granted he got a podium on this race he would finally have his championship victory. To celebrate and support, almost everyone he knew came to Nashville. Pato rented out a block of rooms at a hotel, and one of the many people who showed up for him was his childhood best friend, YN.

So maybe it all started in 2008, when YN and Pato were in second grade and met on the playground at recess. YN was sitting on the swings reading a book when Pato approached her, he was new to San Antonio and didn’t have any friends, and wanted to know if they could be friends. From then on the two were inseparable. Pato was a daredevil at heart, and would often hurt himself, and YN would take the delicate time of walking him to the school nurse and kissing his injuries better. Pato always made YN laugh, and made sure she was never sad, no matter what happened in YN’s life, Pato was there everyday to make her smile.

As they got older their relationship changed, it lost a little bit of their childish innocence, but they grew so much closer. YN was at Pato’s first win in karting, and she was more excited than he was. When YN’s childhood dog died, Pato was at her house at 6:00 AM and spent the whole day with her, trying to cheer her up. They’d even started their own holiday traditions, every year on Christmas Eve, the two of them spent the day making cookies together and exchanged presents. YN had practically become family, she didn’t have the best home life, and the entire O’Ward family was so loving that she ended up spending more time with them than her actual family.

The two dated for a few months in eighth grade, and were each other’s first kiss, but when Pato began racing for F4 and was in France every weekend the two agreed it was best they just stayed friends. Since then that is all they had been, things in YN’s home got significantly worse as they went through high school and despite whatever Pato may have felt, he knew she needed his friendship and wasn’t willing to risk their relationship.

With Pato coming up through Indycar and YN being a full time student and having a job, it was easy to assume the two would drift after high school, that was never the case. They still saw each other everytime Pato was in Texas and Pato made sure YN made a couple of races every year. She remained his biggest supporter as he went from her hometown best friend to the most popular driver in Indycar.

Fast forward to now, things were going pretty perfect for Pato. He finally won the 500, he’s about to win the championship, and he’s got a great girlfriend, Maria. He figures he’ll marry her, he does love her, she’s supportive and nice and insanely hot. They’ve been dating for over a year and things have been going really well. The only time they’ve ever really fought is over YN, when she found out there was a “history” between them, and in hindsight Pato realizes maybe he should’ve told her sooner, but he never really thought about it. Yeah they’d dated for a few months a lifetime ago, but she’s always just been his YN, he doesn’t even think of her like that anymore. YN was one of the most sure things in his life, and sure for awhile he always thought what if?, but that was in the past.

All that being said, he didn’t think twice about inviting her to Nashville to watch him possibly win the championship. YN wasn’t able to make it to the 500, or any other race this year, and he wished she was there. She knew more than anyone how much this had meant to him, coming up after losses she was always the person he went to, and he wanted her to see him now that it had all been worth it. YN was reluctant to come, but after a lot of begging from Pato she agreed.

Thursday night he made sure everyone he invited out came to dinner with him at a steakhouse. There were 20 people at the restaurant, but Pato ended up with Maria sitting next to him and YN sitting across next to Elba. Maybe Pato should’ve realized it, the tension in her shoulders and how Maria’s smile tightened as he laughed at YN’s jokes, but he didn’t. So Maria sat there all night, and she really tried to be understanding, but she felt as if she was third-wheeling her own relationship. She had to listen to a million inside jokes she didn’t understand, and watch as his family fawned over YN.

It was at that dinner she realized that she’d spent a year dating a taken man. Pato was too good of a man, she knew he wasn’t doing it on purpose, but it became undeniable. As she watched him, she realized everything she felt for him, he felt for the woman across the table. At first she felt possessive, the need to prove that he was her partner, and that no matter what he’d chosen her over YN, but as time passed she felt less possessive and realized that there was no way to continue the relationship. It wasn’t fair to her, she deserved a man who loved her and only her, and Pato deserved to be with the person he loves.

After the dinner, they headed back to the hotel where Pato, who was utterly clueless of her realization, continued to be the perfect man, only making it so much harder for Maria to leave. She didn’t know how long she should let it go on for, if she broke things off now would she be getting in his head and ruining the weekend for him? Would continuing a relationship she’s already checking out of be just as cruel? Could she stand the rest of the weekend watching her boyfriend making heart eyes at another woman?

After sleeping on it, or rather not sleeping very much at all, she’d come to the conclusion that a clean break was best for everyone. They ordered breakfast to the room and as they sat at the small dinette she knew she had to bring it up.

Pato was halfway done with his breakfast, but she hadn’t eaten much at all, mostly just pushing her food around with her fork. “Pato, I think we need to talk.”

It’s rare that she’s this serious, and Pato knows that can’t be good, his silverware clatters as he sets it down and looks up at her. “Uh oh, what’s wrong?”

She hesitates for a moment, not knowing the best way to start the conversation. “It’s YN.”

Pato’s shocked, he doesn’t know what he expected but it wasn’t that, “What about YN?”

She figures there’s no reason to beat around the bush, “You’re in love with her.”

Pato’s a lot of things, surprised for sure, but also shockingly defensive and angry. “What? Babe, that’s ridiculous. I know you were upset about us in middle school, but I swear there’s nothing going on! I would never even think about cheating on you!”

She rested her hand on top of his, “I know you would never cheat on me, and I know you said there’s nothing and I believe you, but I saw the way you looked at her, and how she fit into your life, and it makes so much sense because you love her.”

Pato doesn’t really know what to say to that, “I love you.”

“But you are in love with her. Listen I love you, Pato, and you’re such a good man, but it’s not fair to either of us to continue this relationship. Not when your heart clearly isn’t in it.” Maria struggles over her words, voice cracking and eyes watering, but a soft smile is on her face as she says them.

“Are you saying what I think you are? You’re just giving up?”

“Pato, I’m letting you free, tell her how you feel, you deserve that kind of love.”

And maybe what she’s saying finally resonates with him because the best thing he says is, “I never meant to hurt you.”

She lets out a broken laugh at that, a single tear rolling down her face, “Oh, Pato, you never could, we aren’t meant for each other, but we still had a lot of fun, right?” He nods at her.

After that she’s on a plane and back to her home before he knows it. Pato’s sad, he feels a little empty, someone who had been such a big part in his life just walked out leaving the biggest mess in her wake. He thought about her words, but shook them off. He loved YN, of course he did, but it wasn’t like that, she was like a sister to him.

Although it’s not his sister he messages asking if she wants to come over. YN is at his hotel room within a minute of him sending the “you busy?” text. YN asks where Maria is, but all he has to say is “gone.” and YN knows to drop it.

YN knows him better than anyone, knows that he has an irrational fear of being destined to fail at every relationship. She knows he has never actually broken up with a girl, only ever been broken up with, and she knows he spent over two years single because he was afraid of being hurt. But she also knows that there’s no way anyone could spend more than an hour with him and not be in love with him, God knows she is.

It’s the way he knows her, inside and out, but it’s also the way he makes everyone around him laugh, and spends hours interacting with his fans to make them all happy, and how caring he is with animals and babies. YN is only human, how is she supposed to feel when her insanely attractive best friend is doting over her niece?

YN puts it all aside because she’s his best friend first, she’d made that promise to herself a long time ago and she’s always kept it. She sits with him and watches Friends reruns with him, he’ll talk when he wants to, but until then she’ll be by his side.

They don’t end up talking, the one good channel the hotel room has switches from Friends to Modern Family, and then Pato has to go practice. A quick google search helps her find the best tacos in Nashville, so while he’s gone she runs out to get them dinner. They had dinner plans with his parents and Elba, but YN texted Elba long ago to let her know that plans were changing. He’s a superstar, so of course he doesn’t let his life affect him and it still the fastest person in the first practice, YN thinks that’s a good sign.

When he returns he seems to be a little better, talking to YN about track conditions over their dinner. YN has had enough of waiting for Pato to bring it up, and she can tell he’s feeling better, so she has to work up the courage to ask him what happened.

“Are you going to tell me what happened with Maria or am I supposed to guess?”

His smile drops, turning into one that’s much smaller and forced. “She just left.”

“No explanation? She just woke up and was gone?”

“Oh, she had an explanation but it was bullshit. She probably just got tired of me, it's no big deal.”

YN furrows her brows at that. “Pato stop it, you’re so great anyone would be so lucky to be with you. Maybe there was some merit behind what she said.”

“Well she said I was in love with you, but I told her so many times we’re just friends and that’s all we’ll ever be.”

YN’s stomach sinks at that, it’s not like she expected him to confess his love, but he didn’t need to friendzone her that hard. “Oh.” Is all she can think to say.

“I mean you’re great, but you’re like a sister to me!”

YN forces out a laugh, “Right.” She also can’t help but feel like maybe it’s her fault this all happened, was her pining really that obvious? “Well then, she’s stupid for leaving because she’s not going to find anyone better.”

Pato’s smile is genuine for the first time since the conversation started, “Thank you, you’re the best friend I could’ve asked for.”

“Right, and don’t forget that when you’re trying to figure out what to do with all your championship earnings.”

He lets out a real laugh at that, a stark contrast to how mopey he’d been the rest of the day. “One, greedy, and two, I’m not buying you anything else. I'm tired of you getting mad when I spend money on you.”

“Pato, a graduation gift is fifty bucks, not a two thousand dollar tennis bracelet.”

He leans back in his seat and shrugs, smirking as he says, “Yet I’ve never seen you not wearing the bracelet.”

YN’s eyes go to her wrist where, sure enough, the bracelet was, just like everyday for the past three years. When Pato gave her the bracelet she refused to take it, saying it was too much and he needed to return it. After arguing for ten minutes she thought he’d finally agreed to take the bracelet back, but found it later sitting on her dresser. “What can I say? You have good taste.”

The rest of the night mirrored the morning, but had a much different tone, the two of them sat sprawled out on the couch quoting the episodes of Friends that were on, having seen them so many times they were known by heart.

When YN went to her own hotel room Pato realized how empty the place felt again, something he hadn’t noticed all day. He chose not to think too hard about how effortlessly YN took up space in his life.

The next morning, Pato had already scheduled to have everyone meet in the lobby so he could take them to the track for the day. YN had clearly told everyone about Maria because despite some odd looks no one asked about her and he was grateful for that. He didn’t think twice when everyone began to split into different cars and he pulled YN along with him, or when they arrived at the track and Pato sent most people up into a suite, but brought YN and his immediate family to the pits. Maybe that’s how it’s always been, and how it’s supposed to be.

Pato gets swept up in work for the rest of the day and YN gets to spend some real time with her second family. As soon as they’re alone, Elba doesn’t hesitate to start interrogating her.

“What happened with Maria?”

“Apparently she told Pato he’s in love with me and just left.” YN shrugs as she says it, still a little puzzled by the whole thing.

“Huh.”

“What? No ‘huh’ I know what that means just tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I just thought Maria knew by now and didn’t care, maybe she’s not as smart as I gave her credit for.”

“What do you mean? Knew what?”

“Come on, YN, Pato’s been in love with you since you were nine, I wouldn’t want to be dating him.”

YN is struggling to process what she’s hearing, and automatically turns to deflection. “He is not.”

“Oh my god.” Elba starts giggling maniacally.

YN has no clue what could be funny, “What!?”

“You’re in love with him too!”

“I am not!” Despite her refusal, YN can feel and Elba can see the heat rising up her neck.

“You totally are! All this time I thought you had to know it’s so obvious, I mean, he follows you around like a puppy, but you had no idea!”

“Ok, keep your voice down.” YN puts her hand over Elba’s mouth really not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation. “Even if I did like him, and I’m not saying I do, he does not feel the same. I mean you should’ve heard how hard he friendzoned me yesterday.”

Elba looks sympathetic then, “Babe, I think my brother has spent so long denying himself what he wants he doesn’t even know what that is anymore. I love him dearly, but relationships are not his strong suit.”

“Then I guess we’re at a stalemate because I am certainly not going to be the one to ruin our friendship.”

Elba’s exasperated, “Oh my god, you two are exhausting!”

By the time Elba finished her intervention, qualifying finished resulting in Pato getting the pole. Mclaren has been dominant the last few weekends, and this weekend is no different with all three cars in the fast six. Pato is in the driver’s lot, getting ready to head back to the hotel, everyone else had dispersed from the track, and Felix has tracked down Pato and is calling after him.

“Hey, Felix! What’s up?”

“Bro, you’re about to win this fucking thing.” There’s nothing but excitement from Felix for his best friend.

“I know, I just hope tomorrow is a clean race and we can bring this thing home.”

“You’ve got this, I know it. Hey, where’s Maria been all day?” Felix says it like he’s just realizing she’s not around.

“Who knows. Yesterday morning she woke up determined that I’m secretly in love with YN and got on the next plane out.”

“So you guys are done?”

“Yeah about as done as you can be.”

“And YN?”

“YN is my best friend.”

“No, I'm your best friend.”

“Sorry, Fro, even you lose to YN.”

“I don’t want to win what YN is winning.”

Pato rolls his eyes and stomps his foot, huffing, “And what exactly is YN winning?”

Felix puts his hands up in self-defense, “Listen, all I’m saying is if you looked at me like you do YN, I think Emille would feel threatened.”

“Very funny.” Pato kicks the ground, staring at his shoe, he thinks about his relationship with Felix versus his with YN, sure it’s different, but him and YN have so much history. “Look, I don’t know what I feel for YN, but I don’t care either because she’s too important as a friend for me to lose her.”

“Mate you’ve been practically dating for years, I don’t think making it official will ruin anything.”

With that last piece of advice Felix takes off, leaving Pato alone with his thoughts. The whole drive back to the hotel and the rest of the night he spent thinking about YN. If everyone closest to him is saying one thing, how could they all be wrong? He thinks about everything they’ve been through together.

His first win in karting when she was the first person he ran to when he got out of the car; how she comes to every family reunion and often traveled to Mexico to spend time with his family; their senior prom when she was sad about not having a date, but she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen that night; except for Christmas mornings when she’s in her pajamas and he gets to watch her eyes light up as they answer presents together. Maybe it’s been in front of him all along. What’s been missing from all of his other relationships has been right there.

It’s a lot to take in, but it doesn’t really matter because, like he told Felix, he wouldn’t risk their friendship if she doesn’t feel the same. He can handle a trail of failed relationships, but he could never handle losing YN. He went to bed that night knowing he had to just focus on the race and on bringing home the championship.

The next morning he’s awoken by a knock on the door. “Patricio! Open up, room service!”

He knows who’s behind the door before he opens it, there’s only one person who cares enough to bring him breakfast. When he lets YN in he sees the bag full of takeout food from a nearby diner. “Breakfast of champions, for the champion.”

Of course she’s already decided he’s a champion before the race. No one has ever believed in him as much as her. “Calm down, I don't want you to jinx me.”

“Au contraire my friend, a jinx would mean you’re winning by luck, and you are winning by sheer talent.”

It always amazes him how smart she is in the morning, he knows no more than 5 words for a solid hour after waking up, and she’s always speaking a million words a minute. “7AM is too early to be speaking another language.”

“Aw, pobrecito, ¿estás cansado?” She knew very minimal spanish, but had picked some up from time spent with his family, and used it pretty exclusively to tease him.

“You’re so not funny my brain hurts.” He is slouched over the table with his head resting on his arms.

She begins to unpack the food in front of him, “Alright, come on, time to wake up you’ve got a big day.”

The smell of eggs and bacon is what gets him to lift his head and start eating. He tries not to focus on the fact that she got him exactly what he eats every race day because that’s a can of worms he doesn’t want to touch. Regardless he eats the meal, and is sad when she pulls out her pancakes and begins to eat with him. She offers him a bite which he takes, but they both know he won’t eat any more than that because he doesn’t like big meals before a race.

After they finish, YN starts picking up their trash and Pato thanks her, “You take such good care of me, can’t believe you brought me breakfast I’m not worthy.” She’s glad for her back being turned to him because she can feel how much she’s blushing.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur, leave it to YN to be the eye in his hurricane, bringing calm before the storm. The race was close, a shitty pit stop meant Pato had to make some big passes to make up position, but Pato ended up pulling away with the final race win of the season and the championship.

YN and Elba leave the suite a few laps early so they can be on pit lane when he gets the win. After his victory lap and celebratory donuts he pulls into pit lane. Immediately his crew is flooding around him as he struggles to get out. Once he does there’s a giant group hug around Pato. Rossi and Fro also both make their way to his pits to congratulate him.

When Felix pulls Pato into a hug he whispers into his ear, “Why haven’t you gone to your girl yet, she’s waiting for you.”

Felix’s words had weight to them, all these people were surrounding him, but none of them had been on this journey with him as long as her. She waited for him for the last 15 years while he chased a career and different women, and now he’s at the peak of his career, having everything he ever wanted, and she’s not the one by his side. It hits him like a ton of bricks how bad he wants her to be the one celebrating this win with him, and every win for the rest of his life. Walking over to YN he pulls her into a hug, hoping that everything he’s feeling can be conveyed through the touch.

YN is in his ear, “I’m so proud of you, I always knew you could do it.”

He can’t find the right words, so all he says is, “I’m so glad you’re here.” he’ll explain later.

Holding her in front of thousands of people, Pato isn’t scared of losing their friendship anymore. He’s not sure of a lot, but he knows they’ll be ok, and that he’s loved her since before he knew what love was.

[watermelllonarchive]

Medo is a young man in Gaza who recently started caring for plants as a hobby. He shared this video on June 28.

His caption is "found me a new hobby!"

Before the genocide, Medo's Instagram focused on traveling, the gym, and time with friends. During high school, he was part of a student exchange program and lived for a year in Texas. He now shares scenes from his daily life as a displaced person in Gaza.

You can follow Medo on Instagram and Threads @ medo_halimy. You can donate to his GFM at this link.

Available Go Fund Me campaigns for people whose stories have been shared on watermelllonarchive can be found in the resources post.

[seat-safety-switch]

When I became a junior detective, I got assigned to work with Detective Math. Bob Math is a legend in the department: he uses arithmetic and problem solving to crack unusually number-specific cases. He's got a nemesis, of course, all the cool detectives back then did. Al Gebra kidnapped his wife once, tried to ransom her for a plane to Mexico. Math didn't stand for it: after figuring out the complex polynomial sequence that revealed the address of the shitty dockside warehouse he was renting, he subtracted a couple of Al's digits using a cleaver.

Thing is, he was all a fraud. One night, while we were riding from one case to another in his beat-to-shit Dodge Rampage, he told me that he never actually graduated high school. Back then you could get away with it, most of the detectives in his generation got there because they had read a book on detective skills by accident while their partner tortured an informant. He didn't know shit about math, in other words. One of the staff sergeants saw him (poorly) doing a Sudoku one day and decided he must be good at math, fast-tracked his detective exam, he was afraid to say no, so now he's "the detective who's good at arithmetic." Math wasn't even his name, either: he took his wife's name in the divorce to keep the scam going.

All this is prologue to the thing that really mattered: our big case. It seemed normal at first, a political corruption thing. "Sorry it's not a numbers racket! Haw!" shouted the chief as he handed out the assignments. Even so, there were still a lot of numbers.

It seemed like the Mayor Himself's Assistant Herself had been helping Herself to some dirty money from various car dealerships in exchange for a favourable ruling from the land zoning department. One of the spoiled rich kids that owned a Chevrolet dealership didn't get what he wanted out of the deal, and blew the whistle. Two days later, he was found dead in a truck stop bathroom, beat to death by a calculus textbook. Math's involved? Get me Bob Math, they no doubt thought. Detective Math was used to it, and he went about the usual pantomime in his role: carrying around an old Texas Instruments calculator with no batteries in it, interrupting meetings in the precinct to measure parts of the room with old bits of string, the whole schtick. Then we went down to City Hall to get a confession.

You guessed it: it was the mayor's assistant's teenage daughter, Becky-Sue, who did in Ted Chevrolet. She was the work-experience hire, selling Topkicks out of the back to her mom's friends, and finally had enough of him skimming her commission. Bob Math sighed as he realized that yet another murder case of his had involved percentage points of a dollar. He would have to put on his fake professor glasses to explain it to the media.

Even so, the press conference went great. The assembled reportage beamed with pride as they hung on every bullshit word of our imaginary arithmetic hero. Something didn't add up, though. I didn't notice that that cameraman in the back, who was missing a couple fingers, until it was too late.

[rwrbficrecs]

The Monarch Haven by @redlightsandicedtea (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I found this fic through @lieselsart's wonderful illustration. Alex isn't the First Son, but his parents are high-ranking politicians. Due to serious mental health issues, he lives secluded in Texas, where he runs a mental health refuge for teens— the Monarch Haven. Secluded, until a real prince seeks refuge there. Alex isn't thrilled but still wants to help. What follows is 76k words of slow burn and domesticity! It's beautifully angsty, with a gradual and moving development. A total comfort read !!

Whiteout by HarmonyWhitlock (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Snowboarder Alex and skier Henry almost collide on the slopes, followed by a heated exchange of words. At the end of the day though, they meet at the bar and, well... This story is part of a series which is all about the CMQ-influenced trope 'In every universe'. I got all giddy with every beautiful story I read: So carefully composed and very well crafted, the emotions and attraction swept me away. Hopefully many more to come !!

I Want Candy by @vanillahigh00 (book-verse)

@suseagull04: Alex as a dad and Henry's house being his daughter's first stop on her quest for Halloween candy are the ingredients to this very sweet fic!

Tiempo de Vals by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@suseagull04: Authentic Hispanic details (that are always one of my favorite things about this author's writing), a high school AU, and firstprince dancing- what's not to love?

Workin' On My Fitness by bananamilks (book-verse)

@na-dineee: After gushing to Pez about how hot fitness trainer Alex on Instagram is, he is actually indignant when Pez gives him a gift certificate for a training package to reach his (decidedly not) fitness goal: to be able to lift hot men onto countertops. As always, these two have the hots for each other. And the story around it is really sweet, two seconds angsty, also funny, and just delightful.

If U Seek Amy by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@dot524: Such a cute and meaningful 5+1 centering on Amy Chen and how she views the different members of the First Family. Love an outsider PoV and the sweet moments in this one.

Adrift by @milowren29 (book-verse)

@read-and-write-: An addicting pacific rim AU. I don't even go here and I fully enjoyed it, packed with action, life-threatening monsters and alex-and-henry typical obliviousness and refusal to talk about their feelings which is y'know, canon. Everyone needs to give an opportunity to this one.

In Plain Sight You Hid by @nontoxic-writes (movie-verse)

@dot524: Ever reflect deeply on why everyone hates Miguel? This story fleshes out what he did to Alex and expands on what happened during that hookup and what it had to do with Henry. This is also a study of Alex’s relationship with Henry and what made it special. An insightful and angsty (and sexy) addition to the movie canon.

the beagle, the ghost, and the wardrobe by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@suseagull04: I was immediately intrigued by this fic title's Chronicles of Narnia inspiration, and the fic itself didn't disappoint! Ghost Alex, star-crossed lovers- what more could you ask for?

Jump in with your heart first by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@suseagull04: This is a blind date that, despite a hiccup or two along the way, will make you believe in soulmates!

Foxden Park by @myheartalivewrites (book-verse)

@dot524: Really enjoyed the slow burn of this one as the story unfolded. So many fun scenes - horse riding, canoeing, sneaky rendezvous in the library. An addicting, enjoyable read!

check out our past Monthly Faves here ❤️

[respectthepetty]

Reading the (Visual) Rainbow Awards

Now that 2023 is officially wrapped up, I'm delivering awards to the QLs that gave the best visual narratives in 2023. In order to be considered for these awards, the series 1) had to air during 2023, and 2) had to finish airing by December 31, so out of the 108 BLs I watched this year, 14 are still ongoing and cannot be considered for these awards. Out of the remaining 94 QLs, 67 had some degree of consistent color coding.

*If a show is mentioned with an asterisk, it means the show was not considered in the nominations for not meeting the required criteria.

But before I begin the award ceremony, I must stay on brand and deliver one award for my namesake.

Petty Award: Only Friends & I Feel You Linger in the Air

This award goes to a show or shows that had great visual narratives but I refuse to write about it because I'm petty. Cinematographers Rath and Jim never fail, and they both delivered beautiful visuals in their shows, but these series know what they did to me, so now we got beef. Cutie Pie and Bad Buddy finally broke out of Petty Prison this year, so Only Friends and I Feel You Linger in the Air now join I Told Sunset About You behind bars for making me want to fight them in the parking lot of a Texas Chicken.

Now for the ceremony to begin!

Stats Awards [These awards are based solely on numbers]

Most Popular: Blue Boy

This award goes to the color that was most popular in a pair, number-wise. The stats: A Blue Boy was part of a color-coded pair 26 times this year. The next color-coded boy was a Black Brooder who was a part of 15 pairs.

The Best Blue Boy was Bed Friend's King. He is actually bi-colored with blue and black, so he represents both of the most popular color-coded boys well. He was loyal, dependable, sensitive, and a little arrogant, but always sincere, which made him a King among men, and he truly deserves the title of "Best Color-Coded Boy of the Year."

Most Popular Pair: Light x Dark

This award goes to the color-coded pair who were used the most in the year, number-wise. The stats: The Black x White dynamic was consistently used for 9 couples, and the Happy Human (Multicolored Menace) x Brooding Boy dynamic was used 3 times. A Yellow/Orange Oddity x Blue Boy pair was used for 7 couples, a Green Guy x Blue Boy were used for 6 couples, and Red Rascal x Blue Boy were used for 6 couples as well.

The Best Light x Dark Couple: Tew x Guy from My Dear Gangster Oppa perfectly represent what makes this color dynamic work. Tew was an actual gangster who murdered people and only wore black, while Guy was an innocent college student who only wore white, yet they both ended up owning a bar on a beach and wearing stripes of the other's color to show that everyone needs to find a balance within himself and his relationship.

The Outlier: Star Struck

This award goes to a series that delivered a colored-coded pair that no other series did. Korean drama Star Struck gave us the ONLY Black Brooder x Red Rascal pair of the year. The leads were color coded as children into adulthood, and the show included color-coded accessories and a color exchange.

Visual Rhetoric Awards

Best Boundary/Barrier/Bars - My School President

This award goes to a series that best displayed an internal conflict with a physical barrier between the two leads. My School President did this several times and each time was different, but throughout the sixth episode, as the boys recreated the music video for Tilly Birds' "Just Being Friendly," the line between friends and boyfriends was clearly represented. Both boys struggled with their feelings and the physical barriers were there as a reminder that one of them would have to cross the line in order to move forward. However, when Blue Boy Tinn finally did, it was after confirmation that Red Rascal Gun felt the same, and it was a gentle move which was true to his character and the high school context.

Best Balance - Between Us

This award goes to a series that best used the scene to outline the balanced dynamic between the leads. My Beautiful Man 2 did a fantastic job of slowly showing Hira and Kiyoi's evolving power dynamic by Hira going from laying down to kneeling in front of a sitting Kiyoi, but Between Us showed that Win and Team were a balanced pair from the very first episode during their sexual encounter. That scene stated that neither boy was being taken advantage of, and this visual continued throughout the show. Both boys were afraid of their feelings, yet both boys loved each other, equally.

Best Background (Noise) - Our Dating Sim

This award goes to a series that best used the background details to strongly reinforce the ongoing plot. Our Dating Sim's plot revolved around a company creating an interactive game that would serve as a dating simulation, and that basis played directly into the former friends-to-lovers' conflict. The very first scene involved Eddy inputting code into his computer to "FindProblem; ResetTime; BackToStage; RestartGame" then the company Ian was applying to and the one Eddy worked at was called RE:TRY with a controller that had a heart as one of the buttons. However, every episode had some degree of background noise speaking directly about the plot including additional game simulation scenes where an unidentified player would have to select future moves based on the boys' previous experiences.

Best Use of Clothing - Never Let Me Go

This award goes to the series that made the best use of clothing to show the evolving dynamic between the leads. Never Let Me Go wins because Nueng began the series in dark solid colors while Palm was in colorful patterns. As their relationship progressed, Nueng's colors became lighter, and patterns were introduced. Yet in the end, both boys stayed true to themselves and each maintained their style while incorporating components from the other. Palm's color darkened but remained patterned, and Nueng opted for neutral colors with patterned ties.

Colors Awards

Honorable Mention - Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

This award goes to a series that had a great visual narrative but could not be considered for these awards because it wasn't marketed as a QL (even though it's canon to me). If Oh No! Here Comes Trouble was marketed as QL, it would easily be nominated for the Best Overall Award. The use of the color red as a continuing reminder of the thin red thread of destiny, alone, would win it a spot on this list, but the show also included ample amounts of visual rhetoric, a "kiss of life," and color-coded matching outfits which deserve to be recognized.

Best Color Exchange - My Personal Weatherman

This award goes to a series where the leads were color coded and switching their colors demonstrated more than their love being mutual. My Personal Weatherman owned this category. The series was riddled with miscommunications between the leads regarding the love they felt for each other, but after Mizuki's possessiveness ramped up at the end of the seventh episode, the love was made clear, through bondage. Yoh, wearing Mizuki's blue, felt the love Mizuki had for him when he was tied up and being, essentially, held hostage by Mizuki. And yet by tying up Yoh, Mizuki could finally physically reinforce the way he felt for Yoh. He wanted Yoh. All of Yoh. To himself. And Yoh needed that to be made clear with a color-coded bonding moment (hehe).

Best Kiss - The Eighth Sense

This award goes to the series that best used a kiss to support the color narrative of the story. The Eighth Sense waited until the second-to-last episode to deliver this extraordinary color-coded kiss, but the wait was well worth it. Jae Won was color coded as a Brooding Boy (dark) and Ji Hyun was color coded as a Happy Human (light). After an accident involving the two, Jae Won was the darkest he had been, color-wise and mentally, so he isolated himself. But after several episodes apart, Jae Won walked out of the darkness, straight to Ji Hyun's, and kissed him on the street with all the colors of the rainbow pulsing around them perfectly showing that Ji Hyun was the color in his dark world, but that Jae Won also brought color to Ji Hyun's life and directly to his doorstep.

Best Pink - Be My Favorite

This award goes to the series that best used the color pink to demonstrate the love between the two leads. Normally, shows use pink lighting, pink clothing, or pink blankets to display this visual, but Be My Favorite used pink wisteria delicately hanging behind Pisaeng comforting Kawi. The flowering plant symbolizes friendship, love, and longevity and perfectly tied into the show's themes of valuing friendship and putting in the effort day-after-day to make any relationship last.

Best Heart - Love Tractor

This award goes to a series that best represented love by using a tangible item to symbolize a heart. Even before Yechan realized he loved Yol with the physical representation of Yechan's red gloves sprouting out from his left chest pocket in Love Tractor, Yechan let Yol know that he could be trusted with Yol's heart. During the third episode, Yechan taught Yol how to pick strawberries. He advised Yol to be gentle, to not use force, and to not put too much pressure on them or they would bruise or break. Yechan proceeded to use this method with Yol, and continued to give Yechan red fruits to enjoy as a means of encouraging Yol to experience things he had truly not before, like fresh strawberries, stolen fruit, and unconditional love.

Best Accessory - I Cannot Reach You

This award goes to a series that best used a color-coded accessory to support the ongoing plot. Usually, color-coded accessories are physical items such as a phone, a shirt, or a mug, but I Cannot Reach You instead color coded feelings via a bokeh effect. Blue Boy Yamato tried to deny his feelings for his best friend, Yellow/Orange Oddity Kakeru, but the colors don't lie, and the bokeh effect snitched on him each time. When Kakeru was tending Yamato's wound or when Yamato thought of kissing Kakeru, the bokeh effect would show both boys' colors to let the audience know that Kakeru was on Yamato's mind. But the biggest moment was when this phenomenon happened to Kakeru, which finally showed that he felt the same for Yamato. [GIF by @my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Best Blinding Light (of Love) - HIStory 5: Love in the Future

This award goes to the series that best used a blinding light to emphasize the overwhelming feeling of being in love. Taiwan and its long-standing HIStory series win this award because Taiwan showed everyone else why it's the expert. HIStory 5: Love in the Future waited until the last episode to use this with an established couple, which is why it deserves the win. Vincent had already quit his job and moved to the beach, where his boyfriend Wynn would visit, but in the last episode, Wynn quit his job as well and ran to the beach because he finally realized Vincent was the reason all his dreams came true. Vincent told Wynn he never planned to tell him because he didn't want Wynn to believe he owed Vincent, and Wynn told Vincent his love was genuine regardless of what Vincent had done for him. They kissed, and the blinding light hit as they solidified their love. Therefore, the light wasn't just for love, but for understanding what that love meant and where that love came from.

Best Lighting - Moonlight Chicken

This award goes to the series that best used lighting to support the story's narrative. Cinematographer Rath, who has regularly partnered with Director Jojo and Director Aof, never misses. Not once. And Moonlight Chicken is a flawless example of that. Warm and cool lighting were used to show the difference between neglect and care, isolation and warmth, and a house versus a home. The characters' development could be directly seen through the lighting surrounding them and projected on them. Heart's entire storyline is a beautiful progression through blues and oranges and reds, and we see that although Jim did not realize he was the heart of his community, the lighting made sure that the audience understood how important he was to each character he interacted with, even Alan.

Best Cinematographer: Nid Nidchaya - Dangerous Romance, Love in Translation, My Universe*

This award goes to the cinematographer who best supported the story through visuals without distracting from the ongoing plot. Thailand dominated this competition with Joy (The Promise, The Warp Effect*); Rath (Never Let Me Go, Moonlight Chicken, Our Skyy, Only Friends, Last Twilight*); Jim (Step by Step, Hidden Agenda, I Feel You Linger in the Air); and Suthipong (609 Bedtime Story, Our Skyy, Chains of Heart, My Dear Gangster Oppa), but only Nid deserves this win.

My Universe consists of twelve different stories, and each has had a slightly different visual presentation, but it's Nid's work in Dangerous Romance and Love in Translation that show off his true skill. When Red Rascal Sailom was drugged and attempted to call Blue Boy Kanghan, the bathroom was lit in blue as Sailom fell down from the purple, and when Kanghan cried while pinning down Sailom, they were surrounded by their colors. When Phumjai and Yan Feng kissed in their store, their colors enveloped them much like the colors would combine as they had sex in the same spot a few episodes later. The colors and the love were always present even if it was overlooked, which only reinforced the on-screen drama of failing to notice the ways love is always present, even when in conflict.

Best Rainbow - I Became the Lead in a BL Drama

This award goes to the series with the best use of a rainbow. There were many rainbows this year featured in opening credits and several more that were nominees of this award such as Our Dining Table's rainbow over the smiley face sucker, Dangerous Romance's rainbow over Kanghan's heart, Past-Senger's rainbow paper hearts in a jar, and Wen's office Pride flag in Moonlight Chicken, but I Became Lead in a BL Drama's rainbow in the opening credits of the first episode swooped in right before the clock struck midnight ending 2023. The reason it stole this award at the last minute is simple - it's queer. Regardless if a kiss happened or not, this series was still about two men falling in love, and that's pretty gay. But how the rainbow was used in the opening credits of the first episode with the Blinding Light of Love as the clapperboard hid the leads' kiss is what gave it the edge in this category. We only saw one practice kiss because the scripted one was never for us. That kiss was for the audience of the fictional BL drama, and the real kiss between the actors was just for them. It was gay. It was meta. It was Japanese BL.

Best Surprise - La Pluie

This award serves as a catch-all for a series that delivered a color-coded surprise while still incorporating it well within the plot. Several series offered color-coded surprises in 2023, but La Pluie, the show about soulmates, splendidly reinforced its plot through the two color-coded brothers at the center of the series. Tien was a Yellow/Orange Oddity who believed in the power of destiny, yet he ended up in blue with a person who wasn't his soulmate, and his brother, Blue Boy Tai, who never wanted a soulmate, ended up with his and embracing more yellow in his life. The story is more complicated, and so are the colors, but for a series about bucking fate, it resisted every common use of color-coding techniques in order to support that theme. Life is unpredictable, and so were the colors.

Best Group Effort - Destiny Seeker

This award goes to the series that best color coded a majority of its characters. Destiny Seeker had consistent color coding throughout the entire season, but it really excelled at color coding each of its three couples. The youngest couple color coordinated, the second pair were yellow x green, which is usually reserved for friends and not lovers and went well with their plot, and the main characters were the traditional Thai blue x red. The show gave three different color-coded pairs yet provided something new and fresh while still hitting each stop on the BL history tour, and no couple was wasted. Each one, and their colors, perfectly added to the story, and gave a nice depiction of the rainbow of colors that queer love can be.

Best Consistent Color Coding - Tie: What Did You Eat Yesterday? 2, My Beautiful Man 2, Naughty Babe

This award goes to the series that had the most consistent color coding throughout its run. However, this year we were blessed with sequels and additional outings from some of our favorite series and color-coded couples. Therefore, this award goes to THREE shows for not only having consistent color coding but for also openly using those colors as part of the plot:

Shiro x Kenji [What Did You Eat Yesterday?] - Shiro was always a Brooding Boy (dark colored) and Kenji brought color into his life, but the second season directly addressed this. Shiro wasn't ever going to be a colorful person, but he didn't need to be because the show repeatedly stated that relationships are about balance. Kenji loves Shiro because he is practical and saves for their future. Shiro loves Kenji because he is upbeat and optimistic. They have different colors, but they are the perfect match, just like their aprons.

Hira x Kiyoi [My Beautiful Man] - Hira was a loyal and reserved servant (blue) to his god Kiyoi (white). Yet the second season and movie continued to show that Kiyoi was not a god, but instead a man lacking love and color, and because of that, Hira had to learn to give his color to Kiyoi rather than mindless devotion. Both men shined the brightest when it was clear that Kiyoi loved Hira for his stalker tendencies, and Hira thrived knowing that the best way to show Kiyoi love was by being himself and doing exactly what he loved, which was taking care of Kiyoi with all his color.

Lian x Yi Kuea [Cutie Pie, Naughty Babe] - All polycule jokes aside, Lian and Kuea had a complete color-coded story in Cutie Pie, so Cutie Pie 2 U felt like a repeat of the first season, but then came Naughty Babe. The boys wore more of the other's color which proved they were very much still in love as husbands, and at their best friends' wedding, these husbands stood in red and took a serious moment in a season full of hijinks and shenanigans to look directly at the audience and state that "Love Always Win." Domundi has been beating this Marriage Equality drum the hardest, and it continues to use its characters to emphasize the importance of QUEER family and rights. The Next Prince and Love Upon a Time when?

Best Overall - Kiseki: Dear to Me

This award goes to the series that did it like nobody else to claim the ultimate prize, and no other show can even compete with Kiseki: Dear to Me. The promo material, as shown above, outlined the light versus dark dynamic the two couples would have in the show. The main couple would be the lighter love and the second couple would be the darker version. It also showcased that the main couple would be the loyal blues, and the second couple would be the defiant reds. Before the show even started, it told us there would be balance. One couple with their baked treats would be sugar and sweet, while the other couple with their torture tactics of chili peppers would be spice and everything-not-nice. It would be a group effort.

And once the fun got started, we got several color-coded cameos from couples in other well-known Taiwanese BLs, the Blinding Light of Love for both couples, and the pink light of love.

But it didn't stop there! The series gave the traditional color exchange between Blue Boy Zong Yi and his devoid-of-color future-husband Rui, but true to his word and actions, Zong Yi never took his color back. He was serious about his love and gave it ALL to Rui, which was also depicted by Zong Yi opening a bakery that specialized in strawberry goods, because in case it wasn't clear, strawberry =💗= love.

Even with all that, the second couple still stole the show for most viewers. Perhaps it was Eddie's rainbow cardigans and sweaters. It's possible it was Eddie's cat collars combined with Chen Yi's dog tags or the body pillows of each other that watched the other's back as they slept. Maybe it was the graffiti behind Chen Yi that stated he was "no good at goodbye" when he was lying to Eddie about needing him to help with business issues or that they continued to wear each other's clothing which WERE COLOR COORDINATED THE ENTIRE TIME!

Regardless of the exact reason people preferred one couple over the other, Kiseki: Dear to Me continued to serve a visual narrative that underlined the plot and provided additional context for both couples and the overall story. Color-coded boys in love get happy endings, and this series proved that.

Before the show even began.

[unculturedswine-101]

I'm the fox you've been waiting for! (Benny O'Donnell x reader)

Chapter 1: Schools out

A/N: The amount of Benny fics on ANY platform is abismal so I gotta do a solid for myself and all the Benny sluts out there..this will be a series don't you worry *also just for stories sake, Jodie is not Mitch's sister, you are.

Chapter 2

WARNINGS: Cigarette (via you and others), your ass gets smacked, quick peak down a shirt

It was the last day of your junior year of high school, and it couldn't be over any sooner. Before your final class, you helped Jodie and Darla load the last few bags of groceries into her truck, sighing as you felt the hot Texas sun beaming down.

Meanwhile, Ms. Wilks hadn't even arrived at her own class yet, as Shavonne, Jaye, Cynthia, Jodi, you and Pink discussed the best Gilligan's Island episodes. Before long, Pink was recruited by Don to leave the class, and things soon fell dull as you began to doodle in your sketchbook. Until Shavonne nodded her head towards the group and the four of you left to smoke in the bathroom (a very common ''trip'' you girls would take during class). As cigarettes were dispensed amongst the group, Jaye began ranting about the ''male pornographic fantasy'' on Gilligan's island. Shavonne and I exchanged looks, while Jodi argued that at least the professor was really sexy. You laughed and decided to make a dash for the hallway, hearing the booming laughs of the guys echo throughout the building.

''All right, let's go kick some ass!'' You heard Benny say, you jogged to catch up with them ''Hey you guys, wait up!'' At the sound of your voice, the boy's heads instantly turn toward you - most notably Benny, who runs up first. At Lee High School, you were known to turn the heads of guys and girls alike. You did take in how you looked; makeup, curlers before bed to set your hair and clothes that most of your paycheck went to. ''What?'' Benny asks ''Hey Benny, I've got a favor to ask you'' you asked, teasingly running your hands across his toned biceps. ''Whatever you need'' he smirks. You lean forward to touch his paddle ''Take it easy on my brother this summer, okay? All..of you'' Turning and facing toward Don and Pink to include them in on the subject. They chuckle, Mitch Kramer?'' Benny laughs, yeah Mitch Kramer'' you reply, hoping they'll have mercy on your freshman brother. ''Yeah, yeah I'm gonna give him a beating he'll never forget!'' He exclaims as he cracks his hand down on the hard wooden paddle. ''Just don't get him more than the other guys…any of you'' trying to compromise. You knew the guys had been waiting since September for this day to come, but you couldn't help but worry about your brother's sore ass all summer. ''You got our word sis'' Pink reassures; ''your little brother will be okay''. As he finishes, you notice Benny take a quick peek down your shirt, only for you to catch his eyes as you reply with a simple ''thanks, see you guys!'' As you turn away, you both hear and feel a big smack, courtesy of Benny on your ass. ''Ow! Benny…'' You turn around to see all 3 guys laughing as you catch up with Shavonne, Jodi and Jaye. ''These guys I don't know…'' you sigh to your friends as you return to class ''You know you like it'' Shavonne returns.

Seemingly everyone in the Classroom is bored out of their minds, with the vast majority of you staring at the ticking clock. Finally, it sounds leaving a herd of students to make a bolt for the front door. You get on the other side of Shavonne as she starts up her truck, Jaye climbing in the other side. ''Do you think Darla is just a little too excited about terrorizing these poor girls?'' You ask the truck. ''I mean totally, but do you remember how brutal our hazing was? It took almost a week to wash egg out of my hair'' Shavonne complained, running her fingers through it, as if the shells and yolks were still caking it.

[the-ferocious-kittyrose]

My first attempt at a Lucifer redesign

Just an outline but I’m still figuring out the colors

I’m disappointed by the show’s Lucifer. I’ve never been a fan of uwu sad misunderstood Lucifer. He is a complex character, but too often he’s over simplified by people who read Paradise Lost in high school and misinterpreted Lucifer as a tragic anti hero who was treated unfairly by the evil Angels. Lucifer can be tragic, even sympathetic. He can be fun and a caring father. But don’t forget that he is king of Hell. He is the prince of pride. He has an ego the size of east Texas and waged war against God himself. And let’s not forget that in the show he is the head honcho over a strict cast system that encourages violence, allows the worst of the worst to take power, and leaves the hellborn races at the bottom at a severe disadvantage.

In my rewrite, Lucifer and Lilith essentially switch places, except Lilith isn’t a pathetic push over, she’s an incredibly famous rockstar, who’s always busy and not around often, but still has a bigger role in her daughter’s life than her husband, who’s been mia doing king shit.

(And yes, he’s the one that made a deal with Alastor. He restored Alastor’s powers in exchange for him watching after his daughter.)

(Also, I like to imagine that when Lucifer and his army fell, their wings burned up, leaving scattered feathers everywhere. In order to fly to Eden, Lucifer gathered these burned feathers and turned them into a new pair of wings for himself. They were black, messy, and trailed billowing smoke, but they could fly.)

[chaos-chloe]

Dinner Disaster- Clooless x Reader

Summary: Meeting a new Friend with the guys? Think again, love.

TW: ANGST! car crash, pain, friendship ending, gore, cursing, made-up drama, mental illness, "intrusive thoughts". PLS DO NOT READ IF THESE TOPICS UPSET YOU.

Pezzy, Grizzy, Puffer, and Droid—decided to join forces for a dinner meetup. They were excited to introduce their new friend, Cleo, a charming and vibrant woman who had recently moved to their city. Everyone was dressed in their best business casual attire, eager to enjoy good food and refreshing conversation.

As the evening began, the atmosphere bubbled with laughter and friendly banter. Cleo was engaging and witty, quickly stealing the spotlight. But little did Pezzy, Grizzy, Puffer, and Droid know that her dazzling charm would soon take a sharp turn.

While they were enjoying appetizers, Cleo decided to add a twist to the night. With a dramatic flair, she leaned in to the group and recounted a "hilarious" story about her high school days in Texas. She painted a vivid picture of a bully who tormented her through those awkward teenage years—the details were rich, the emotions palpable. And to their surprise, she pointed right at you, claiming that you were that very bully.

The guys were stunned. “You? A bully?” they thought as they exchanged confused glances. Pezzy was empathetic, Grizzy appeared shocked, Puffer’s eyes widened, and Droid started backing Cleo’s tale, asking how you could have been so cruel. The more Cleo spoke, the more details she added, weaving a web of lies that seemed to trap the unsuspecting four.

You sat there, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief. You were from Tennessee, not Texas! Slowly, a sinking realization hit you. The room felt smaller, the laughter turned into uncomfortable chuckles, and one by one, they began supporting Cleo's story with their own jests. “Oh, come on, how could you? You don’t look like a bully!” Grizzy ribbed, chuckling nervously.

Feeling overwhelmed, it all became too much. You stood up, your heart pounding and tears blurring your vision. “You don’t understand!” you pleaded, but the raucous laughter drowned your voice. With tears streaming down your cheeks, you hurried out of the restaurant, desperate for fresh air.

You dashed to your car, trembling with a mix of emotions. It hurt that your friends seemed to have forgotten who you truly were, all sparked by Cleo's clever deception. You sat behind the wheel, the comforting hum of the engine surrounding you as you tried to breathe.

The world blurred around you as your heart raced, and for a moment, it felt as if time had frozen. Hitting the gas had been instinctual—a desperate attempt to escape the suffocating walls of betrayal closing in. As you crumpled the metal frame of your emotions into the crumpled metal of the car, the reality of what just happened began to seep through the haze of despair.

The screech of tires and the sudden jolt pulled you back to the present, but everything felt unreal—the scene around you, the fragments of shattered glass, and the ringing silence that followed the collision. Instinctively, you unclenched your fingers from the steering wheel and looked around, your heartbeat echoing in your ears. The impact was jarring, a sudden halt to the chaos swirling in your mind. Metal crunched, and a blunt force threw you forward before the seat belt tightened, a stark reminder of reality. Instincts kicked in, adrenaline flooding your system as you scanned your surroundings, heart racing against the backdrop of sirens wailing in the distance.

You could hear voices, though muffled, piercing through the fog of confusion. In the other car, a man emerged, frazzled but unhurt, yet an unmistakable anger filled his eyes, directed at you. You wanted to explain, to scream that it wasn’t your intention, that your mind had been clouded by pain and betrayal. But words stuck in your throat, tangled with the depths of your hurt and shame

Panic surged through you like a tidal wave, drowning out the distant sirens and muffled voices. You pressed your palm against the steering wheel, trying to anchor yourself in the present, but the world spun, a whirlwind of colors and sounds. Blood seeped through your clothes, pooling beneath you, mingling with the fragments of glass and metal that littered the scene. A wave of nausea rolled through you, and you fought the urge to close your eyes—to slip into unconsciousness where pain doesn’t exist.

The frazzled man, still clinging to anger, rushed toward you, his face a mask of concern beneath the fury. “Stay with me! Help is coming!” he shouted, though his words were barely able to penetrate the haze surrounding you. The scene had transformed into a surreal tableau, the sirens growing louder but feeling so far away, as if you were trapped in a liminal space between life and oblivion.

Your breaths came in ragged gasps, each one sending jolts of agony through your left side. You glanced down, horror creeping into your consciousness. The sight made your stomach turn—bone protruded from beneath torn flesh, and your limbs felt unresponsive, as though they belonged to someone else. You tried to move, to adjust your position, but the pain shot through you like lightning, forcing a cry from your lips that echoed in the chaos.

In that moment, the man’s anger faded into something softer—fear, perhaps, or concern. “You’re going to be okay. Just hold on,” he said, his voice steadier now. He shifted closer, trying to assess the situation, his hands awkwardly reaching out. “What’s your name?” he asked, urgency threading through his tone.

“Y-you don’t… you don’t need to know… don’t… call for help,” you managed to whisper, every word a struggle as you forced yourself to focus on the man’s eyes—trying to find comfort in the chaos around you. Your mind was racing through fragments of thought; images of laughter and warmth from the party before the crash, intermingled with visions of betrayal and loneliness, clawed at your consciousness.

“Please, stay with me,” he urged, his brow furrowing as he glanced around for any sign of first responders. “Can you feel your legs?” the man asked, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement. You tried to wiggle your toes, but the effort felt monumental; your body was betraying you in ways you never imagined.

"No…" The sound barely formed, a whisper swept away by the chaos swirling in your mind.

“It’s going to be okay. Just focus on breathing. In and out. You’re going to get through this.” His presence, though a stranger, offered a strange comfort amidst the chaos of the moment. His hands moved to stabilize your head, keeping your gaze steady on his as paramedics arrived, their red and blue lights illuminating the scene with frantic urgency.

“Stay still!” someone barked, kneeling beside you. You turned your head to see a paramedic, her face set in a mask of focused determination as she assessed your injuries. “We’re going to help you, but we need you to remain as calm as possible.”

They began working to stabilize you, wrapping bandages around your arm and assessing the other cuts and bruises that marred your skin. But despite the pain, your mind began racing again—the memories of the night flooding back. Cleo’s deceit. Your friends, slipping away, shadows of who you thought they were. The aching realization that everything felt shattered echoed within you, heavier than the physical agony coursing through your body.

Moments blurred, and finally, you heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps rushing toward you, and the brilliance of flashing lights filtered through your eyelids. Voices called out commands, focusing on you, on the situation—compelling your body to hold on. You felt hands pressing on your injuries, and the sharp sting of antiseptic invaded your senses, pulling you even further away from reality, yet somehow tethering you back to life.

“Stay with us, keep your eyes on me!” a paramedic shouted, their voice filled with authority. You wanted to fight, to resist the creeping darkness at the edges of your vision, but exhaustion surged like a tide, washing over you.

The darkness threatened to pull you under, but you clung to that bright light, willing yourself to stay awake, to survive. In the last moments of consciousness, as the world faded into shades of gray, you whispered a promise to yourself: that you would emerge from this stronger, more resilient, no longer defined by betrayal or despair. And as the paramedics lifted your body onto the stretcher, their voices fading into a blend of urgency and reassurance, you held onto that promise, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Bright white lights overhead blurred your vision as you drifted in and out of consciousness, each blink feeling like a battle. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air, more potent than the pain that radiated through your body. It was then you felt a warmth enveloping your fingers, and slowly, reality crystallized around you.

As your gaze sharpened, you saw their faces—the guys—Puffer, Pezzy, Droid, and Grizzy, huddled around your hospital bed like sentinels guarding your recovery. Their expressions, twisted with concern, morphed into a painful reminder of the chaos that had unfolded only days before. Each of them wore an aura of defeat, as though a vital piece of themselves had been stripped away alongside your accident.

You opened your mouth to speak, but the words caught like thorns, tearing against the rawness of your throat. Instead, you watched as Puffer, the most boisterous among them, gulped back emotion. He had always been your rock, the one who laughed the loudest and kept spirits high. His shoulders sagged now, the laughter seemingly lost in the void of worry.

“Hey, you’re back,” he finally breathed, a strained smile attempting to rescue the moment, but the tremor in his voice betrayed him.

“How… how long?” you managed to croak, wincing as your voice strained. Your body felt like it was wrapped in a cloak of lead; every inch throbbed painfully, a cruel symphony reminding you of the night that had shattered everything.

“Three days,” Pezzy chimed in softly, his usual enthusiasm replaced with a somber tone. “We were terrified… We thought…” His words lingered in the air, cut off by Grizzy, who placed a hand on Pezzy’s shoulder, grounding him.

Droid, always the level-headed one, stepped forward, his eyes glistening with unspoken worry. “You scared the hell out of us. We didn’t know what had happened when Cleo called. You just disappeared after that fight.”

Cleo’s name twisted a knife in your heart, reminding you of the betrayal and confusion you had endured.

A cold wave of fury washed over you, the warmth of their concern feeling more like a shroud than a comfort. Cleo’s name echoed in your mind like a death knell, making the memory of the betrayal swell like a tidal wave ready to swallow you whole. Every laugh shared, every secret whispered—they all felt tainted now when contrasted with the suffocating weight of her betrayal.

You shifted on the bed, your expression hardening, and pushed the familiar warmth of their collective concern away. “I don’t want you here,” you snapped, the words sharp and jagged as they tore through the air.

Puffer’s smile faltered, replaced by confusion, while Pezzy looked taken aback, his brow furrowing in disbelief. “What do you mean?” he asked, voice trembling with hurt.

Droid took a step back, his eyes widening, but your gaze remained unwavering. “You don’t get it, do you?” you shot back, words spilling out in a hot rush. “You all just stood there while she twisted everything. You took her side without even listening to me!”

“Look,” Puffer began, his voice raw but soft, “we didn’t know what was happening. We thought you needed space, and then—”

“Space?” You interrupted, your throat burning with frustration. “Space didn’t put me in a hospital bed! Space didn’t stop you from being there when I needed you most! You choose to believe her lies over my truth!”

The tension crackled in the air like a storm about to break loose. Grizzy, usually the peacemaker, looked like he was holding himself together by sheer willpower. Grizzy stiffened, his expression morphing from concern to something resembling hurt. “We didn’t know everything that happened! Cleo didn’t say—”

“Exactly!” You interrupted, your voice rising like a storm. “You didn’t ask. You just believed her lies!” The room felt oppressive, filled with the tension you had created.

The guys exchanged glances, faces drawn tight with confusion and remorse. You could see the shock settling in their eyes, as if your anger was a foreign language they didn’t understand. But no amount of pity or concern would mitigate the feeling of despair that now festered within your spirit.

“You think you know me, but you were quick to forget everything we’ve been through,” you continued, your heart racing, a mixture of desperation and despair spilling out. “You don’t get to act like you care now. You left me alone when I needed you most!”

The silence that followed was deafening. The weight of your words lingered in the air, an unbroken circle of pain, drifting between you and the friends who had always stood by your side. You turned your gaze toward the stark white ceiling, trying to contain the torrent of emotions that threatened to overflow. The vulnerability that had urged you to open up gave way to a wall of anger—an armor around the rawness of betrayal.

Finally, Droid spoke, his voice steady despite the crack that lay beneath. “We came to see you because we love you. We didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m sorry if…if you felt we abandoned you. That was never our intention.”

Your heart twisted at his words, the sincerity evident in his voice, but the anger wouldn’t relent. How could they not see? How could they remain oblivious to the betrayal that had blindsided you? You felt small again, trapped in the shadows of what once was, and that fear morphed into resentment.

“Love?” you scoffed, bitterness staining your voice. “You don’t love someone if you abandon them. If you take a side without hearing both stories.”

Puffer, looking crestfallen, finally spoke up softly. “It isn’t that simple. We were scared, and yeah, we may have listened to the wrong person. We’re sorry, but we’re still here now…can’t you see that?”

Their concern, now swirling with their guilt, felt suffocating rather than comforting. “I don’t want your pity. You should leave,” you replied flatly, determination crystallizing into a cold resolve. You didn’t want to hear their empty reassurances or their apologies. You were done with the world feeling so small and confined.

“Is this really what you want?” Grizzy asked quietly, the pain evident in his eyes, a stark contrast to your hardened exterior.

You remained silent, refusing to give them an answer. Your heart ached, not just from the physical agony that coursed through your body but from the wreckage of your friendships—the very foundation you had once turned to for solace. You wanted to shove them away, to protect what little dignity you felt you had left, rather than delving into complicated emotions you weren’t ready to face.

Finally, Droid broke the silence, looking more deflated than ever. “We’ll give you space,” he said softly. “But we’ll be right outside. Just…know that we care. And if you need us…we’ll be waiting.”

As they slowly left, the door clicking shut felt like a thunderous echo in the silence that followed. A weight lifted, but in its place lay an uncomfortable silence—a void that only reinforced the fracture in your heart. With the door quietly closing, you let out a shaky breath, the anger fluttering out like a deflated balloon, leaving only raw disappointment in its wake. You were alone now, a sense of relief washing over you, dulled only by the pain radiating from your broken body. You let the tears flow freely as you lay back against the pillow, the weight of it all crashing down.

The quiet settled around you, draping the room in a thick layer of solitude. The beeping of the machines felt louder now, mocking your aching heart with their relentless monotony. You were left alone, the echoes of their voices fading like distant memories lost to the winds of time. The anger, once a fiercely burning flame, now felt like embers—smoldering and bitter, feeding on your disappointment.

With a heavy heart, you turned your head to gaze out the small window across the room. The world outside felt alive and vibrant, a stark contrast to the suffocating stillness inside. People walked hurriedly down the hospital corridor, their silhouettes blurring together in a mosaic of ordinary life, while you were trapped in this box, both physically and emotionally.

Memories flickered through your mind like scenes in a disjointed film reel: the laughter, the adventures, the moments that once stitched you together in friendship. But between those happier images lay the knife of betrayal. Cleo’s laughter rang in your ears, intertwined with the memories of your friends standing by her side, leaving you alone to drown in confusion and pain.

Feeling the weight of that betrayal crushing down on you, a new emotion crept in—sadness. It burrowed deep within your chest, a thick fog swallowing your thoughts. You had spent your whole life building connections, trust, and a life with those who mattered most to you, and now it felt as if everything had disintegrated in an instant.

“Why?” you whispered into the stillness, your voice barely recognizable to your own ears. “Why didn’t they believe me?”

You turned your attention to the stark white walls, the fluorescent lights casting a harsh glow that illuminated the shadows of your heart. In that moment, you wished you could escape this bed, this room, this life where nothing felt right anymore. But reality was a chain wrapped around you, and fighting against it demanded strength you weren’t sure you possessed.

Gazing at the IV drip hanging beside you, you felt as if every drop of medication was a reminder of your vulnerability, a stark reminder of how fragile everything had become. It was hard to accept that the people you once trusted so freely now felt like strangers—people who had been complicit in your feelings of abandonment. The hurt was deep, but it also made you question: What kind of friend had you been to them in the chaos?

The question hung in the air like thick fog, obscuring the clarity you craved. What kind of friend had you been? You had poured your heart into those relationships, trusted them with your secrets, your fears, your hopes. Yet, in that moment of agony, with the memories of laughter now muted by shadows, you wondered if perhaps you had taken more than you had given.

As the IV drip continued its rhythmic beeping, you recalled the times you had chosen your battles poorly, the moments when you had clung to your own struggles rather than reaching out to support those who shared your journey. Had you been so engrossed in your own pain that you had neglected theirs? It was easy to turn inward, to focus on the hurt that had been inflicted upon you, but now you felt the thorn of self-doubt digging in. The familiar faces that frowned and looked away in those final moments—had you seen their anguish?

“Why did I even bother?” you mumbled to yourself, the bitterness pooling in your throat. “Why didn’t I see this coming?” You closed your eyes against the dampness, conjuring images of happier moments, only to watch them dissolve into shadows that whispered reminders of your failures. Was it my fault? Did I push them away? Should I have fought harder to hold onto them?

In your heart, a sinister voice crept in, soft yet insistent: Maybe you are the problem. If you weren’t so broken, they wouldn’t have left you behind. Each thought carved deeper, igniting a feeling of worthlessness you tried so desperately to escape.

The pain from your injuries was relentless, pulsating in time with the heavy weight of despair that now sat on your chest. But what was worse than the physical pain was the emotional ache that left you feeling exposed and raw. As you lay there, wrestling with the remnants of anger, it transformed into something darker—self-loathing.

A fleeting thought whispered in the back of your mind: What if it was easier to just disappear? What if the world would be better off without your burdens? Each pulse of pain felt like an affirmation of that thought, a cruel reminder of the weight you carried—the judgments, the whispers of inadequacy that hung in the corners of your mind.

What would it take to find relief? You pictured the momentary numbness that could drown everything out; your inner turmoil quieted through the pain—and you could do it, couldn’t you? Just a slip of something sharp, a momentary escape from the cacophony of despair.

But as those thoughts danced in the shadows, a flicker of something else broke through, fighting to surface—the promise you had made to yourself. You’d vowed you wouldn’t be defined by this; you wanted to emerge stronger, blossoming from the ashes of your pain.

You swallowed hard, tears still pooling at the edges of your vision. It would have been so easy to lean into that dark voice, to let it take control, but deep down, fear began to anchor you. Fear of the unknown, fear of what lies beyond those fleeting moments of numbness.

In that moment, as the pain pulsed through your torso and the shadows loomed on the edges of your mind.

[medusapelagia]

Steddie Events March Update

As everyone knows by now I’m an event addict... and a dealer! So I’ll try to do my best to share every event I know of each month!

Let’s start with my favorite pairing which is: Steddie!!!

Steddie Holiday drabbles (@steddieholidaydrabbles)After an amazing series of Christmas prompts, Steddie Holiday drabbles is ready to give us even more prompts during the year! These are some of their ideas, but keep an eye on their Tumblr page for more info! March 19th - Spring (think spring cleaning, spring into action, the season itself, etc.) May 25th-26th - Graduation (high school, college, kindergarten, anything) June 15th - Summer (vacations, heat waves, swimming, anything you may do in the summer) September 25th - Anniversary (getting together, wedding, dating, etc.) Event info

Steddie Microfic (@steddiemicrofic) Wynn (@wynnyfryd) and Mickala (@steddieas-shegoes) are so kind to give us a new prompt each month! This month's prompt is: pin! 388 words!  Event info

Steddie Song Fic (@steddiesongfics) The wonderful Mickala (@steddieas-shegoes) gives us lyrics prompts every month! This is MARCH TRACKLIST: Inertia - AJR Breaking The Law - Judas Priest illicit affairs - Taylor Swift Ohio (Come Back To Texas) - Bowling For Soup Cherry Bomb - The Runaways Super Rich Kids - Frank Ocean Event info

Steddie Big Bang (@steddiebang2024) It’s the Big Bang, it’s Steddie, what else can I say apart from how excited I am? Sign Ups for Authors, Artists, Pinch Hitters, Betas: March 15 - April 15 Event info

Sub Eddie Week (@subeddieweek) From the 14th to the 20th of April an entire week to write about Sub Eddie! Both in a sexual way or not! Event info

Steddie Summer Exchange (@steddiesummerexchange) The prompts have been assigned and we'll start posting in June!

As always feel free to reblog and add other events!

If you want to read something, under the cut the AO3 Collections and Master Post of some past events:

Steddie Vday Exchange OMEGAVERSE:  Here is the AO3 collection!

Steddie Vday Exchange NOT omegaverse:  Here is the AO3 collection!

Welcome to Steddie Love Month (@steddielovemonth) Here is the Master post!

[twisted-turtels]

Crossed Paths (Pt. 3)

Farleigh Start x black!fem!oc

Author’s note: Ooh things are getting a little bit heated. Also lmk if i should start putting warnings or anything. And leave me feedback as well. I like to know how other people feel about it.

1626 words

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Crossed Paths

‘im outside,’ Farleigh texts.

Jordan looks at her phone, quickly checking her outfit in the mirror before leaving. She walked down the stairs and noticed Farleigh waiting outside, leaning on the lamppost.

“Hi, stranger,” Jordan announces herself. 

“Hey, Jordy,” Farleigh says softly. 

“So where’s this bar at, or shall I say ‘pub,’” Jordan laughs to herself, “I’m hilarious.”

Farleigh looks at her in faux disgust, “Americans, tsk.”

“What, I’m funny,” Jordan responds as Farleigh stares at her, “Mmm, tough crowd, I guess.”

“Anyways, the bar is about a ten-minute walk, so we’ll be there soon, but try to keep up. I know you have short legs,” Farleigh jokes.  

“Maybe if one of your strides didn’t equal ten feet, I wouldn’t have to rush so bad,” Jordan rolls her eyes and whispers, “Big ass feet.”

Farleigh gasps, “ I heard that. You can find the bar by yourself.” He walks away dramatically.

“Wait!” Jordan throws her hand out as she tries to catch up with him, “Don’t leave me!”

Farleigh and Jordan enter ‘King’s Arm.’ 

“Farleigh! Jordan!” Venetia yells while waving her hand.

The two walk up to the siblings. “We already bought a round of drinks,” Felix explains, “Take your pick.”

“I’ve never had beer before,” Jordan says.

“You’re 19, and you’ve never drank before?” Venetia asks

“You have to be 21 to drink in America, Vee, but who’s to say I’ve never drank before?” Jordan continues, “There’s a lot y’all don’t know about me.”

Farleigh leans forward and rests his head in his hands, “Well then, tell us more about yourself.” 

The group stares at Jordan expectingly. 

“Uh,” Jordan looks around nervously, “Well, firstly, stop staring at me like that.”

The group laughs, “Sorry. You can continue,” Felix insists.

“Well. I’m 19. I was born on April 1 in Houston, Texas. I live with my mom in Houston. My favorite things to do are read, write, and play the Sims 2,” She ponders, “My home university is Rice University in Houston. Still, I’m here for an exchange program. I’ll be here for a year, so…” Jordan trails off.

“Rice is an Ivy League, isn’t it?” Farleigh asks. 

“Yeah, my SAT was 1500, I graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA, and I won numerous writing competitions,” Jordan states. The group looks at her in disbelief, “Not to brag or anything,” she clarifies.

“I think you’re the smartest one out of all of us,” Venetia says.

“Don’t say that,” Jordan laughs, her tone slightly uneasy. 

“No, really, you’re extremely intelligent. Oxford is going to be easy for you, I promise.” Farleigh reassures. 

The group continues to converse until the end of the night, gradually getting louder and more comfortable with each other.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jordan and Farleigh walk around the town square to pass the time. “Are you going home for Christmas?” Farleigh wonders.

“Farleigh, I just got here. Tickets are way too expensive to return for Christmas. I’ll probably go back sometime in the springtime,” Jordana responds, “What about you?”

“No, I’m staying here. That brings me to ask, do you want to go to the college Christmas party in two weeks,” Farleigh asks while taking out a cigarette, “Do you smoke?”

“No, I smoke other things, though,” Jordan responds with a slight smirk.

Farleigh stares at her curiously, “Like, what?”

Jordan gives a deadpan look, “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Lucky for you, there will be much of that at the party. So is that a yesss?’ Farleigh continuously pokes Jordan.

“Oh my god, yes, I’ll be at the party,” Jordan says while laughing.

“Good, I can’t wait. Now, let’s get you home.”

Jordan and Farleigh continue walking to her apartment while joking with each other. As they strolled through the dimly lit streets, the banter between Jordan and Farleigh continued, filling the night air with laughter. 

Two weeks later

“Farleigh, I have to do math tutoring with this asshole in my class. He’s so annoying, like, why is it mandatory for exchange students to do this shit?” Jordan holds her phone between her ear and shoulder while cleaning her apartment.

Farleigh chuckles on the other line, “Who’s the unlucky guy to be graced with your presence?”

“Firstly, die. Secondly, his name is Michael or something. He thinks he’s hot shit because he can do his times table in his head. Do y’all not realize I passed my SAT with a 1500? I’m no dummy. I can’t believe-” Jordan rants until Farleigh cuts in, “Michael Gavey? Yeah, I don’t like him. I think he’s even friends with Oliver.”

“Ugh, of course, they know each other. Honestly, if I have to hear one of Oliver’s lackluster essays again, I think I would rip my eardrums out.” Jordan complains.

“Right on sista,” Farleigh exclaims 

Jordan changes the subject, “So party starts at nine, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll be at your place around 9:30. You’ll have more than enough time to be ready,” Farleigh confirms. 

“Ooh, I’m so excited. My first English party. My outfit is so cute, oh my gosh. I can’t wait till y’all see it,” Jordan talks excitedly.

“You look good in anything, Jordy. I can’t wait to see it either.”

“Stop, you’re making me blush over the phone. But thanks, Farleigh, I appreciate the compliment.” Jordan says with a laugh.

“I’m just saying. So see you at 9:30,” Farleigh asks for confirmation.

“Sir, yes, sir,” Jordan says before hanging up, excitement bubbling for her first English party.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jordan walks outside and sees Farleigh, Venetia, and Felix all smoking while waiting for her. She lightly jogs over to them.

“Hi, guys!” Jordan exclaims.

“Oh Jordan, you look so pretty,” Ventia yells, “Do a spin for us.”

Jordan grins and obliges, twirling around.

“You look beautiful, Jordy,” Farleigh says.

“Thanks, Farleigh,” Jordan blushes.

“Did you make the dress yourself,” Felix asks as the group walks towards the commons building.

“Only part of it. The dress didn’t come with the fluffy stuff on it, so I had to sew that on real quick,” Jordan explains.

“A woman of many trades, I see,” Felix jokes.

As they continue walking towards the party, they hear the music getting louder. Farleigh walks next to Jordan and leans down to whisper in her ear, “I got in contact with someone to get you what you want.”

She looks up at him sideways, “Why are you whispering? It's just weed.”

Farleigh stands straight and clears his throat, “I like to be mysterious. Adds to the thrill.”

Jordan chuckles, “Fair enough. How much do they charge?”

“Usually 40, but I got it down to 25,” Farleigh says. 

Jordan pats on his chest, “Good job,” She grabs his hand, “Let’s go inside.” They share a laugh as they enter the lively atmosphere of the party. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The group enters the party, immediately engulfed by the pulsating beat of the music. The room is filled with students chatting, dancing, and enjoying the festive atmosphere. Venetia heads straight to the dance floor, pulling Felix along while Farleigh and Jordan make their way to the bar. 

“Are they playing Beyonce,” Jordan yells over the loud music.

“That’s what it sounds like,” Farleigh responds just as loudly.

“Is Lucas here,” Farleigh asks the bartender. “Yeah, he’s over there,” the bartender points to the corner where Lucas stands with friends.

“We’ll be back,” Farleigh yells at the bartender, “Have a round ready.” The bartender nods.

Farleigh grabs Jordan’s hand and pulls her over to Lucas. “Farleigh, what’s up,” Lucas yells.

“You know what I’m here for,” Farleigh digs in his pocket and pulls out 25£.

Lucas looks down at Farleigh’s hand and takes the cash. “Of course,” he puts something in Farleigh's hand.

Farleigh sees four pre-rolls. He nods at Lucas before he and Jordan walk back to the bar.

“Here you go,” Farleigh places two rolls in Jordan’s hand, “You even have one for later.”

“I didn’t think you were gonna pay for them. I’ll pay you back,” Jordan said, putting one of the joints to her lips. “Do you have a lighter?”

“Yeah,” Farleigh takes out his lighter and brings the lighter up to Jordan’s joint. Farleigh holds the flame steady as Jordan leans in, her eyes locked onto his. The soft glow from the lighter emphasizes the features of her face. Has she always had a mole there?

The air between them cackles with an unspoken tension.

As Jordan pulled away, a small smile on her lips, she exhaled the smoke in Farleigh’s face. Farleigh blinks, momentarily caught off guard. 

“Let’s take a shot,” she insists as she grabs a glass. 

“Uh yeah,” Farleigh grabs a glass.

 “Cheers,” They both yell out.

“Now let’s dance,” Farleigh grabs Jordan’s hand and leads her to the dance floor with Venetia and Felix. 

The group loses themselves in the rhythmic movement, the colorful lights casting a vibrant glow on their laughter-filled faces. Jordan’s moves are graceful, drawing Farleigh’s attention. Farleigh, matching her energy, moves in sync with the music. They dance close to each other, Jordan’s back on Farleigh’s chest. Jordan turns around, facing Farleigh, who puts his hands around her waist. Jordan takes another drag of her joint and pulls Farleigh’s face closer to hers, their lips almost grazing as she blows the smoke into his mouth. 

Farleigh breathes in and exhales slowly, “What are you doing to me?” he whispers.

“What do you mean,” Jordan teases with faux innocence before turning around and leaving to dance with Venetia.

Felix walks up to Farleigh, a knowing grin on his face. Farleigh looks at him and rolls his eyes, “Don’t say anything.”

“I didn’t even say any-” Felix starts.

“Shut up.”

The night unfolds with laughter, music, and the undeniable tension between Jordan and Farleigh. 

[murkystarlight]

Jentry Chau vs the underworld....

Okay. So I saw the whole thing in a day. And I have... mixed feelings about it. But long story short, oh god I loved it. So, just my personal opinions and rambles. And a whole bunch of spoilers down here 👍

Okay so- first off. Jentry. Amazing character. I liked her. Until like... the last few remaining episodes. She became kinda.... eh. So pretty thoughhh

Michael, he was okay. He's quite nice. But my personal choice. Is Kit. He is so sweet. Makes human skin? Craftmanship is amazing. His emotions and struggles were so well portrayed. I would at least appreciate the things he did if I was in Jentrys' place.

Stella, okay. So... I just really hoped that she wouldn't end up with Jentry. It just feels so forced and weird to me.

The music is SO SICK has got to be my favorite part of this show. I need to know more KATSEYE songs. I kind of do but. I need more. They put in so many good music.

The visual is quite nice. The effects are gorgeous. The animation.. overall very good. The characters! Gi looks so pretty

My main question is, how is Jentry in Korea? Exchange student? Are her parents born in China but just lived in Texas(or somewhere else)? Is Jentry born in China or in Texas(somewhere else)? Also, if she's in Korea... how tf does all her friends have dyed hair??? Korean school of arts let's you dye hair? It's not restricted? How many other high school don't restrict that?

I feel like they could've just... killed off both of Jentrys' parents and not go through the extra three(? I think) episodes. And instead made the finale of the main plot more longer. Cause the finale didn't- couldn't give me that strong feeling the show gave me at the beginning of it. And it felt kind of unnecessary.

There's also a lot of things that are left unsolved(that may or may not be because I missed information from the show by not paying enough attention to detail)(plus, looking at how it is... it doesn't really look like the story could have a season two to me). Like the fortune telling powers. How his parents knew about the fortune telling powers. Kits' parents, are they also just human skin or possessed(?) humans? The reason for how Stella was able to make all those paper talismans, how Xiao Lan was able to use the powers of the golden emperor as soon as she wore it even though she probably didn't know what it could do(which means she wouldn't be able to use it) and even if she did know what it could do, she's just a little girl who only used the powers right now- how is she so good at using them and how is she in perfect control of them?? How does gugu and Cheng know each other so well, there must have been a starting point. We still don't know why gugu's sister is in the jail. And I need confirmation if the yin yang guy really is gugu's ex.

And just some additional background stories for the other characters would've been nice in my opinion. Like the ghosts in Gugu's house. We get to see them during the scene where Jentry's mom(Moonie) is looking for her old self. In the newspapers, but that's all cut off(one of the ghosts sound like Gummigoo??) I want to know more about Kit. And oh my god! Kit!! That's really the end of him?? Just like that? Also, when did the little switch happen? It happened without nobody else noticing. How did he find the timing to go in Jentrys' place? Did they plan it before hand? No, it doesn't seem like it. Oh my god- Kit! I love you Kit I'm sorry

And the more Jentry tried to make lessons, the more I don't like her. It gets stranger and stranger. It doesn't fit in. Herr motives kind of change... like she said she wants her life to be normal, so she can't be with Kit. Okay. Okay... a bit sad. But understandable. But when Michael has the powers to see glimpses of the future it's okay? That amount of weirdness is okay? Uh.. alright.

One last thing before I go(I have a lot more to say but uh... memory issues). Jentry 100% was scared when she first met Ed.

Overall, very nice show. I enjoyed it a lot. Though, it was very predictable tbh- haha. I could tell what was going to happen. A lot of this stuff just sprouted so.... yeah. Don't take it seriously

[neuroprincess]

Law & Order: SVU - You meet again (Preferences)

Classification: Fluff

Pairing: Alex Cabot, Casey Novak, Liz Donnelly, Olivia Benson and Rita Calhoun

Warnings: None

Word count: +900

Alex Cabot

- It's been 18 years since you saw each other in person, during your teenage years you kept sporadic contact through letters and phone calls. You felt proud of her every step, supporting her in all the courses, internships, sleepless nights studying, but two months before high school graduation the blonde cut ties abruptly, there were many unanswered phone calls and letters that returned or were never answered. This didn't stop you, years later, from sending one last letter to congratulate her when you heard that Alex had graduated in Harvard, her dream since you were kids. In the meantime you went on with your life, graduated, bought a house in Texas and got married at 30, divorced at 32, the dream house was sold and you started your own business in NY, a coffee shop in a good spot. Weeks after opening a group of detectives walked in and you immediately recognized a blonde head accompanying them. Much taller than you remember, wearing a feminine suit that fit her body well, eyebrows coming together in a thoughtful expression that you know well. She took a moment to choose something in the display case, and when she looked up, she was in shock. Your name escaped through her lips in a whisper.

Casey Novak

- A simple softball game got you three days off work, a mild concussion and a pretty purple eye. The ADA visited you every day since the event, on the day you returned to work the veteran detectives made a few unfunny jokes about you being able to handle big men but getting knocked down by a ball, giving you slaps on the back in consolation for the attempt. At lunchtime you received a bouquet of yellow roses, a box of Swiss chocolate and a handwritten apology card inviting you to dinner to make up for the hospital trip. You had exchanged phone numbers at the hospital, so making the appointment was easy, finding a space in your professional calendar was not, and after two weeks you met at a restaurant a few blocks from your apartment.

Liz Donnelly

- As you work together you frequently bump into each other in the hallways, there are always cordial greetings and brief conversations about the case you are working on, but nothing beyond that. Two months go by quickly, you seem to have fallen in everyone's favor and perform your tasks with competence, making Alex proud and excited to celebrate your work, especially for being your first formal job in the law area, you meet after work in a chic Manhattan bar, not far from the office. About 15 minutes later another blonde joins you, dressed more casually than usual, a smile painting her lips as she walks toward you after meeting you by happenstance. "Well well well, Cabot and her ward, so what are we celebrating? I'll pay for the drinks."

Olivia Benson

- The same night of the misunderstanding the Captain sends you a message apologizing for the situation in front of your house. You talked for a few more minutes and she thanks you for always being the one with Noah on the occasions she can't, in the end you agree to let the kids meet on a weekend after their punishment. For your children it was long, but just two weeks forbidden to go out play after school and video games. Evelyn was anxious, running around the house to make sure everything is ready for Noah's arrival, initially you had arranged with the Bensons to meet at the park but the rainy weather made you change your plans, finally deciding on a day of board games. Catan, El Dorado, Detective, Monopoly, even Jenga and Twister, there is a table full of snacks and treats, a wine is kept in the back of the cupboard in case Olivia enjoys it, you don't know what they like so you buy everything. At the appointed hour the doorbell rings and you find mother and son as excited as you are. It would be a fun day.

Rita Calhoun

- She didn't show up for weeks, every Tuesday you drove customers to other tables to reserve that special one in the hope that Rita would show up, which didn't happen. After the fourth Tuesday in a row you gave up. The new manager didn't harass you anymore, while he didn't make things easy at work, denying you overtime and events that usually pay a little more, after all, the generous tip from those rich people is what pays your bills. You chose to resign when you realized that there was no advantage or anything that bound you there, the emergency fund lasted long enough until you got another job, this time in an Italian restaurant, not as fancy as your previous job but much more welcoming. Monday is usually a slow day, you found out after two months as a waitress, so you are alone with the chef, working overtime late at night when she enters the homely environment, looking out of place in her expensive suit and high heels worth a rent. "Miss Calhoun?" you whisper, an involuntary smile on your lips. "I told you to call me Rita, sweetie." she sits up and signals for you to come closer. "What are you doing here? Forgive me, but this restaurant… it's not up to your level, it's not fancy." deep down you wait for the answer that comes next, not being able to think of any other explanation for her being on the other side of the city alone on a week day. "I came after the service of my favorite waitress."

[canonicallysoulmates]

J2 Gold Panel Minncon 2023

Quick psa/reminder that this con took place while the actor’s union, SAG-AFTRA, is on strike. This means the boys cannot talk about any past, present, or future projects. But for the sake of clarity, I will be mentioning projects the boys are referring to by name.

Before the panel starts Jared notices a fan with an I heart Jensen sign, and says he does too.

Jared shows off a bit of his and Jensen's unspoken lingo, he does the sign for a brief pause. They got it from their director, Jensen says they had a lot of different hand signals for communication, and they also had names for certain types of shots. Jared mentions they had a friend in Van who's a larger individual and was always smoking pot so if they start the scene with a high and wide shot they'd call it the Murph. When the camera is on the dolly track and does a creep in if it's a little creep they'd call it a Mickey Rooney then Jensen says there are other ones they won't mention because they're very inappropriate.

Jared reminds fans that actors are currently on strike and thanks the fans for their understanding if there are any questions that they cannot answer. Jensen says that Jared can talk about his gardening skills and Jared says he loves him some zucchini and that he harvested some the previous week...I'm not gonna say it, but you know what I'm thinking 😉

Do they follow the Texas country music scene?

Jared always goes back to when in High School or Middle School Robert Earl King. Or Pat Green.

Jensen mentions Jerry Jeff Walker. He also says Texas certainly has its own country core, it's not like traditional Nashville country. x

The next fan had already asked Jared this question and now they want to know Jensen's answer: what kind of car would he have if money was no problem?

He doesn't have a holy grail and the reason he doesn't is because if he did he'd spend all his time figuring out how to get it; he'll watch car auction shows, used to watch them with Clif, and every one of them he'll want. He did see one car once, he and Jared had the opportunity to go to Concours d'Elegance which is the best, greatest car show there is in Pebble Beach. They close off the 18-hole golf course and line up the cars all along the fairways. It's right there on the coast and they were walking past the pre-world war cars and he saw an Austin Martin that took his breath away. He was like "this is outrageous you probably can't even get your hands on this" but if he ever had the opportunity to own something like that- he took more pictures of that car than any other car. x

The next fan doesn't have a question, they just wanted the boys to wish her a happy birthday and also show the tattoo she has of Jensen's face on the inside of her thigh, which took her 6hrs to get done. Jared jokes Jensen can't last six hours 🤣

What's the backstory behind the bracelets Jensen sometimes wears?

They've all been gifted to him by someone in his life, usually his wife or his daughter but he has friends that he has also traded with; there's always some sort of a back story to what he's wearing he doesn't usually go shopping and just buy stuff.

Then they get told a naughty joke: if a blackbird has black babies and a bluebird has blue babies what bird has no babies? A swallow. Both men have to walk away from the mic 🤣

Jared asks the next fan if they have any babies and even he's wondering why he says what comes into his head 😂

If they had to pick tattoos for each other what would they pick out?

Jensen points towards the fan that has his face tattoed on her inner tigh and says she already has it he would put his face on Jared's and Jared says "yeah I'd be more handsome." Gentlemen 👀

Jensen then says would put a bear growling on Jared's right hand. And Jared's like "why do they exist?" and Jensen just goes "to scare big things like you." Which I found a cute little exchange.

Jared would make Jensen get an enter at your own risk and an arrow pointing to somewhere that he's not gonna say but it would be in an old English cursive writing. Again 👀

Jared asks the fan what they would put on them and the fan replies that they would ask what they love and what describes them

Jensen comments that he and Jared had talked about getting something that represents SPN because when you're in it you're not thinking about how long the show is gonna go and so you know they talked about maybe getting the anti-possession tattoo or there was also talk about symbols of MOL but it's really come down that now that they're a few years removed from it and they're able to look back on it they're able to realize how big that part of their lives was for them and how forever it will be. That's not to say tattoos always have to be amazingly meaningful, some are just fun, but he feels they would because of how that show impacted their lives. x

If they were in Van and had a ping pong tournament with the cast and crew of SPN who would make it to the gold round and come out the victor?

They would. Jared says he thinks it happened a few times and they had to hide said ping pong table from them because they would sweat their makeup off.

Jensen says they would play that game so intensely as if they were running a marathon. They would be called back on set and be out of breath, show up panting- they had very intense games. I wanna make a dirty comment so badly involving the other things they were probably might have been doing on that ping pong table but I'm gonna keep it moving.

Jared says they represented Texas pretty damn well, and they're asked if they doubled up or destroyed the other. Both say it was pretty split, pretty even. It got to a point where they were just exposing each other's weaknesses like Jared would figure out Jensen's forehand was a little weaker that day so he'd send it straight into his forehand. x

Next is a fan wanting to know what they thought of her tattoo, and if they could give her artist a shoutout. They thought it was really awesome and the artist did a great job. x

If they go to a diner how likely is it that they would actually order a salad and a cheeseburger?

Jared says at a dinner he's kind of greasy spoon type of guy so like a burger or something. That's at a diner, but he probably orders salads more than burgers.

Jensen would probably go burger or burrito if they have it. And Jared says that's cause it's probably 2am, probably on the way home. He knows hubby so well 🥰

Jensen comments there's a dinner close to where he lives that they go to sometimes, and he's a creature of habit so they have this big massive burrito that he has no business eating all of but he does.

He mentions it has hot sauce so the fan asks if they like spicy food, they do, and Jensen says he likes jalapeños on his pizza all the time. They also mention Hot Ones and how they'd like to do it. x

J2 Gold Panel Minncon