#also just to be clear they don’t live in a dog run. I just put them in there so I can clean their cage

[l3irdl3rain]

the Flat One is learning to use her legs so very well but she is still so very flat

[cafecourage]

Little Red Riding Hood where Reader is Little Red but also a werewolf

Love Interest and rest of chain can be assigned however

(Cause I'm always down for a fairytale au)

I did a little twist on this. Idk if this was what you wanted. I had to ask doggo experts for how doggos act around each other. I am leaving this off on a small cliff hanger because I do want to write more of this.

Twilight didn’t trust the new person in the group. Well. It’s more like he didn’t know what to think of her. She came in like a hurricane running after the Shadow like it was her prey. Then when the dust settled and she calmed down the group quickly learned of why. The short of it being that for some reason the Shadow attacked her brother and she took chase. Which then led to her to finally agree to join the chain. Much to the Ranchers chagrin. However, he knows better than to start an unnecessary fight. Twilight could be civil.

Civility could only go so far.

Little Red, as Warrior’s likes to call her, noticed Twilight’s presence and slight unease of her and ran with it. Twilight couldn’t understand just why she was always running circles around him talking about this and that. It confused him to no end when she instantly would stick to him even when he was wolfie. He had to on more then one occasion threaten to bite Little Red’s hands. She never cared or backed away from Wolfie when he showed a bit of aggression. “He is going to bite you.” Wild warned her as he watched Little Red try to play with Wolfie.

She looked up at Wild while holding Wolfie’s face, “what? No the baby is just playing.” That comment only made Twilight growl more.

“Baby? Wolfie isn’t a baby.” Wild was torn between being completely amuse and helping Twilight out as he did know about his slight distrust of Little Red.

“No no no, Champion. This is a wolf pup. He has to be like…” Her attention draws to the wolf as she observes the good boy. “Man… I have to say maybe 10? He is very small even for that age. Wolfie is like an adult dog size but he is definitely a wolf.” She boops the snoot and quickly pulled back as Twilight tries to bite her hand again. This only makes her giggle more.

“I think your wolves might be just bigger than my Hyrules.” Honestly to Wild, Wolfie was the same size as most wolves, but he just shrugs and not questions that further. Twilight couldn’t understand why you were like this, he wonders if it was just an eccentric thing. He has met a lot of weird people in his life and Little Red might be one of them. After being free from your grasp he takes it upon himself to run away for now. Only because you don’t tend to grab his face while being Twilight and thats the most annoying part of being wolfie around you.

It wasn’t until they finally came to her era that he finally understood.

The village Little Red lived in was small, but cozy. It reminded Twilight of his own home. People tended to light up when seeing Little Red. But given the size of the group following them most villagers tended to just say hi and remarks that they needed to talk to her later. “My house is a bit further.” Little red said pointing to a path that ran into the woods. “It’s just me, my brother and Grandma oh and our cat. I’ll make sure to keep her out of your stuff. But we should have room to fit everyone.” She explains as the path slowly clears up to a cottage in the wood with a small garden. There was a small pup running around in the yard playing with said cat. Who was purely annoyed at ready to pap the puppy in the head.

Little Red’s eyes brightened “Link!” She calls out gaining the Pups reaction.

She dashes towards the house as the puppy starts running towards her. They meet halfway and the puppy shifts into a young boy. “You’re back! You’re back!” This Link giggles as he gets lifted in the air by his sister and spun around.

“I am! For now.” Little red nuzzles her brother’s face as she shifts her grips on her brother to put his weight on her hip. “Boy’s this is my brother. Link these are the adventurers I’ve been traveling with.”

She turns to the group with a smile. The chain was utterly confused and silent before Wind speaks up “Did he transform into a wolf?”

[giggly-squiggily]

Hide and Tickle (Bungo Stray Dogs)

*Flips hair, knocking over several things* Why hello there.

So! Y'all might remember this little dabble I wrote a while back; I said in the description that I wanted to make this a proper fic eventually.

And then 2022 and 2023 passed by like two ships into the night...

SO HERE WE ARE! :D I will admit- I was a bit lazy and put the sentence starter dabble as the opener- so this is more an extended version of that! I hope you like it! :3

This is also part 1 of a series I'm making! I have the perfect request to follow this one up, so stay tuned (hopefully this time I'll be before the end of the year lols)

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@myreygn @thatbigbisexual29 @dirtpie39 @duckymcdoorknob @cupcake-spice13 @t-wordiiish @rachi-roo @mystwrites @chibisstuff @imjusthere07 @sevenincubistolemyheart

“I’m so boooooooooorrrreeeeed~” Dazai droned from his desk, eyes half-lidded with disinterest as he looked at the stack of paperwork before him. “Kuuuuni~ Aaaaatsushhhhhhi~ Entertain me!”

“Do your work. That should keep you entertained for a while.” Kunikida didn’t look up from his computer, unfazed by the brunette’s whining. “And sit up straight while you’re at it. You’re at work, not home.”

“But isn’t the armed detective agency our second home?” Dazai fluttered his eyelashes at them, pouting when neither paid him any mind. “I see how it is. I’m like the unwanted stray hoarded up in the family garage, living off scraps from the trash.”

“Did-did you just call yourself a raccoon?” Atsushi blinked, looking at Dazai. He fell right for his trap.

“Atsushi! You’ve noticed me!” Rolling over in his chair, he unceremoniously tossed his arms around the younger man, leaning on him with nearly all his weight. “Take me home and feed me delicious food!”

“I do have a spar futon…”

“Don’t entertain him!” Kunikida growled, giving up on his report as he slammed his laptop shut. “Fine, you want to play a game? Let’s play. You get ten seconds to hide.”

“Mr. Kunikida?” Atsushi blinked. Dazai seemed equally curious.

“What-”

“If we catch you,” Kunikida referred to himself and Atsushi, earning even more surprise from the weretiger. “You’re getting tickled. Is that clear?”

…Huh? No way Kunikida was suggesting that! Atsushi turned to Dazai, expecting some sort of coy reply or teasing remark.

Instead, he found nothing but air.

“Did he-” Atsushi blinked, watching as Kunikida took his seat once more, opening his laptop.

“That’ll keep him busy for a while. You’re relieved of your duties until my reports are finished.” The blonde jerked his chin to the office plant, Dazai’s foot sticking out comically. “See to it that idiot stays entertained.”

Atsushi looked between him and Dazai, the brunette subtly poking his face through the greenery to spy. Then he laughed, getting up with a nod.

“Be sure to type extra slow. Come here, Dazai!” Atsushi took off, charging the startled office plant full speed ahead. Dazai yelped as he dived, flying around the corner and sending the plant spinning. Atsushi’s quick reflexes saved them from the mess.

“Don’t make a mess!” Kunikida called after them, but his voice was muted at the noise. Dazai was sprinting between desks, putting as much distance as he could between him and Atsushi while giggling like a loon.

“Stahahay away! I’m nohohohoht reahahady!” Dazai wheezed, holding his hands up as he backed around Ranpo’s desk, the mentioned man eating snacks as he watched. “Ahahhahahtsushi!”

“Why so nervous? Running out of hiding spots?” The weretiger grinned, feigning left and right to throw off his boss. In the background, he could hear Naomi and Tanizaki giggling to themselves, amused.

“Quick, go left!” Naomi called out.

“No, right- go right!” Tanizaki added.

“Who are you two even talking to right now?” Dazai yelped, backing up towards the door as Atushi feigned a lunge forward. “Ahahahtsushi…”

“Coming around.” Yasano spoke from behind, her hands coming to his sides as she scooted. In that second, she pressed in sharply.

“EEHEE!” Dazai yelped, stumbling forward at the unexpected tickle. Right into Atsushi’s trap card.

“Thanks, Yasano!” The weretiger cheered as he quickly wrestled Dazai to the ground, quickly pinning his arms. “Mr. Kunikida-”

“On it.” The blonde was there in seconds, sitting on Dazai’s waist and rolling up his sleeves. “Not much luck hiding, was there?”

“Ahehehehehe, hehehehehahahha! Coohohme on- wahhahait! Thihihihs isn’t the mohohohost cohohoohmfortahhahable flohohoor!” Dazai giggled out his pleas, squirming some as he looked up with big eyes. “Spahahhare me?”

“Mr. Kunikida?” Atsushi asked, turning his attention to the other man.

“Hmm..” The blonde hummed, thinking. Dazai tried to smile.

“Get him.” He decided. Massive fail!

“Ehehehehhahahahaha! Whahahahit, wahhahahait pleahahhahahhahahse!” Dazai burst into giggles almost immediately, kicking his feet and laughing as Kunikida dug into his ribs. Above him, Atsushi grabbed both of his hands in one transformed paw; using his free one to slowly trace his tricep. “Aheahhhaha! Gheahahhaha! Nohohohoho! Nohohoho doohohn’t do thahahahhat!”

“Oo, he’s ticklish there?” Ranpo asked, now sitting on his desk. “I thought only Kenji was.”

“It’s not that rare of a spot. Tanizaki’s the same as well.” Yasano pointed out, earning a squeaky “Hey!” from the redhead. “Try his biceps too- he hates it when I examine them.”

“Yahahhasunohohoho don’t thehehell them thahahhhahahat!” Dazai’s complaints were quickly swept clean as Atsushi did just that- finding an even better reaction. “Aheahhahahaha!”

“So sensitive. It’s a wonder why you’d even try tickling others if this is your reaction.” Kunikida tsked gently as he moved up to his highest rib, prodding rapidly into the spot and making the other howl with mirth. “Atsushi- hold him tight.”

“What-Oh!” The weretiger yelped and scrambled his grip when Dazai suddenly shot his arms down, cheeks pink and head thrown back into Atsushi’s lap as the poet dug into his armpits. “Watch your head there, Dazai. You almost took out mine.”

“GEHAHAHAHAHHA! KUHUHUUHUNI PLEHAHAHAHHASE!” Dazai squealed, twisting and turning in their grip as his second worst spot was attacked. “IHIHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLES!”

“You don’t say?” The blonde growled, grinning at the squeaky wheeze the brunette let out. Having some mercy, he moved back to Dazai’s waist- a spot that wasn’t all that ticklish. “Are you not entertained?”

“Ehehe- aheahhahahhahaha! I meahahhan I ahahahm a lihihihiihittle!”

“He’s not fighting back, Mr. Kunikida.” Atsushi pointed out. Why he did so, he didn’t know. It was just odd how little Dazai was tugging at his wrists. “Maybe he’s getting tired?”

“No, he’s just enjoying himself.” Kunikida remarked. Such a simple comment, but it did wonders in flustering the man below them. Dazai let out a giggly whine and pressed his face into his arm, cheeks on fire and smile big.

Ah. Atsushi understood now. The running, the giggle fits, the lack of resistance.

This was Dazai’s plan all along.

In that case…

“Aww, is that right? Is it true you’re enjoying this, Dazai?” Atsushi cooed at him all sweetly, readjusting his grip once more so he could scribble against the back of Dazai’s ears- making him shrink up with a near silent laugh. “Is it true that you’re loving up tickling you? Huh? Huh?”

“Wow, he’s good at that.” Naomi mused from the background, Tanizaki and Yasano making noises of agreement. Kunikida even looked impressed.

“Are you gonna get back to work?” He asked. Dazai couldn’t speak, nodding rapidly.

“Should we let him go, sir?” Atsushi asked. The blonde thought about it some more.

“Yeah. Give him air. He might be a moron with a death wish, but he’s our moron with a death wish.” The tickles finally came to an end, leaving Dazai gasping for air and giggling softly. With no one holding him down, he was able to curl up, head against the cool leg of Ranpo’s desk. “Ehehehehe..ehhehehehehee…thahaht was fuhuhuhn..hehe..”

“Tch. Why did I know you’d say that?” Kunikida rolled his eyes without malice, heading back to his desk. “Get back to your desk once you’ve recovered. You still have paperwork to do-”

There was a flash. Dazai ran at him full speed; recovering rather quickly. Seconds later- Kunikida was face down on the ground, the brunette sitting on his hips. “Dazai! You son of a-”

“Atsushi.” That tone. Threatening and playful. The weretiger shivered all over. “I have all intended purposes of getting revenge for what you did to me. But I’m gonna make you a deal.”

Dazai turned to look back, brown eyes dark and dangerous and oh so daring. “Help me tickle Kuni, will you?”

Thanks for reading!

[koopageneral]

INANIMATE INSANITY SEASON 2 EPISODE 15 SPOILERS. PLEAASE GO WATCH IT

Omgaaa I need to EXPLODE cuz of Taco’s Tirade. Gonna go on a rant analysing it prty much line-by-line so STRAP IN!! (Shout out to everyone who worked on this masterpiece omfg)

It starts off with what might be considered ‘normal’ Taco. Her making fun of the contestants. There is a little bit of hinting at her sympathy towards the contestants, although it’s incredibly shrouded in her mastermind facade. Calling them ‘pathetic’ and comparing them to blindly obedient dogs with ‘how they run to fetch their sticks.’

We get a little bit more with ‘Sure, call me polemic, unsympathetic.’ It shows how shes aware that she’s a problem, although at this point in the song it’s unclear to the audience whether she’s saying it in a way of ‘yeah call me it cuz it’s true, I don’t care.’ Or if it’s ‘call me these things, yeah, but I’m more than that.’

‘Look at me and all you see is the debris of some defective outcast.’ Feels like it’s getting into the meat of the song, and the episode as a whole, of how Taco has realized how she’s pushed everyone away for the sake of the game. The fact she has her arms tucked away during it gives another interesting interpretation, of it actually talking about before her big reveal, and how she was treated differently because she was, in her words, ‘defective.’

‘A frenetic, antithetic (if poetic) iconoclast.’ Frenetic means wild and energetic, probably, again, referring to her season 1 persona. Antithetic means opposite of something, and iconoclast means someone who attacks cherished institutions. This gets into her want to tear this entire show to the ground for the suffering it’s caused everyone.

‘I wont live in the past. I almost won this game once, you know.’ I’m just gonna parrot what @lemonxlimee said cuz they put it pretty succinctly with two words. Taco. Girl.

Then we get to the lines that got me started on this tirade (Pun intended.) ‘History is rearranged just to credit those who win the glory. So reality has changed in the edit when they spin the story.’ AUGH. Her fucking staring down at the hotel made of the money she spent SO HARD and lost SO MUCH to try and get. I. I want to scream about this. I don’t know how to put my thoughts on this line into fucking words.

‘And we choose to feel this pain.’ Going off the last line, Taco, out of almost anyone in the cast, knows how much you have to go through just to get a chance to win, which goes right into the next line.

‘We lose more than we gain.’ She lost Pickle. You might say that she didn’t actually care, but I’m not sure if I believe that. I feel like she might not have at first, and maybe even never when they actually were playing together. But you can’t convince me she doesn’t hate herself for using him on a plan that resulted in nothing. She also lost Mic, and it’s incredibly clear how much that affected her. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and showed her the flaws in this system.

‘I will break this cycle of mistakes unlike all of these snakes whom I call to condemn.’ She is fucking DETERMINED to make everyone see what they’ve sacrificed. She speaks with a level of contempt towards them, yes, but I feel like it’s more her projecting her feelings about the contest onto the contestants.

Then we’ve got MePad being best therapy boy. ‘You are incapable of starting over.’ She wants to be better. But she doesn’t feel worthy.

And then MePad’s slightly naive optimism with ‘I do not know who you lost, but is it not possible to get them back?’ He’s programmed to see the best in everyone. He wants things to work out. He doesn’t see how hard it might be to just make things better after a relationship exclusively built on lies.

This naivete is immediately contrasted by Taco’s all-encompassing pessimism. ‘Clear the slate, start again, do you hear how preposterous that sounds? How do you not comprehend that for someone with my monstrous background, the whole slate has fallen apart.’ To Taco, the bridges between her and Mic or Pickle are nothing but smoldering piles of rubble after all the pain she’s put them through.

This contrast is even more stark with the duet of ‘It’s too late’ and ‘It’s not too late.’ I don’t even know what to say about that, it’s pretty black and white.

For the duet, gonna go one character at a time for simplicity. Starting with Taco.

We see taco’s turmoiled feelings on whether she’s to blame, with ‘It’s not I, it’s they who deigned to play.’ Even after all of this internal conflict and deep personal realizations, there’s still a part of her that wants to cast the blame of the pain she’s caused onto the ones she’s hurt.

Another deflection she throws out is, honestly, probably more fair, if still not great. ‘This game, so cruel and inhumane, base and uncouth.’ This really gets into her main philosophy for the episode. She’s afraid to take responsibility, and pins the blame on the show for pitting everyone against one another. I want to make it clear, her point is incredibly valid. We see during THIS EPISODE how much it turns people against eachother. The challenge is entirely built around making the contestants spill their true feelings about each other, and using that to fuel drama. Suitcase literally has to choose between two people she cares about over who she’s bringing into the finals, pitting Baseball and Knife against eachother. While the show is ‘cruel and inhumane’, I don’t think that should just be a het out of jail free card for Taco. Yes, she did it because she felt there was no other choice to win, but she still did horrible things. She manipulated 2 people into actually believing she cared.

‘They’re too afraid to bear the bed they made, can’t bring themselves to face the awful truth.’ This is pretty much just her saying that the other contestants are too blind to see how much pain they’ve gone through to get to where they are.

NOW. Baby boy therapist, MePad.

‘You’re no menace, Taco, how did they hurt you?’ He agrees with Taco on the grounds of how much pain the contestants go through, but he’s just a little more concerned about the tact needed to show them. He knows that Taco wants to change, but she’s afraid to. He knows how much she wants to apologize to the people she’s hurt. He feels that there has to be something external she’s dealing with to have this level of spite in her, even if there isn’t, and all of her hate is towards herself.

‘Please think this through’ is pretty self explanatory. As I said, he agrees with Taco about her basic ideals, but feels like there are better ways to deal with the issue.

‘Feeling double crossed is part of dealing with the loss, yes, but the healing is a process, that’s the truth.’ He wants to see Taco get better, and he’s trying to get through to her about the fact that her feelings are entirely valid, but she has to, at some point, let go.

I also feel like the sound mixing is very purposeful. Taco’s voice rings through clearly, able to be heard without much difficulty. MePad’s vocals are softer, and a little quieter and harder to make out. Taco is so in her own head about the pain she’s gone through, she refuses to listen to any outside voice.

Then we get to Taco trying her best to cover up her emotions again and put on her mastermind persona with ‘I’m turning up the heat to sauté, I’ve some beef to get grilled. But I guarantee that today all the beans that get spilled won’t be mine.’ I love how this foreshadows the challenge, but doesn’t make it obvious.

We see one last crack in her facade in the penultimate ‘I’m fine.’ Again, the ‘mistake’ in this line feels incredibly purposeful. It’s incredibly pitchy and bad, to an almost ear-splitting level. Taco knows she isn’t actually okay at ALL, and has trouble telling such a blatant lie.

And then the last line, ‘now it’s time’, is her fully donning the mask once again, ready to expose the show for what it is.

ANYWAY. Uh. Thanks for reading all this bs. I fucking love this song so much, and I think Taco’s motivation in this episode is fascinating. Any comments or constructive criticism of my analysis is MORE than appreciated, hope you all have a wonderful day/night/whenever.

[lvrhughes]

Best Friend's Teammate| Q. Hughes

if this does not line up at all, I've never been to rogers arena during hockey season and I literally just chose the first canuck to come to mind to so that's why we've got Brock

word count: 1.9k

pairing: Quinn Hughes x f!reader, platonic!Brock Boeser x f!reader

summary: there’s a family skate and your best friend convinces you to come, the issue being you can’t skate. but he has a solution, the defence man you’ve been crushing on will teach you

warnings: pretty fluff, kissing, falling?

requested: no

not my gif!

“I can’t believe you’ve lived in Vancouver for the past three years and you still don’t know how to skate!” Your best friend, and pain in the ass, Brock exclaimed.

You rolled your eyes once again, the third time this week he’s brought it up.

“Why do keep bringing this up? What’s happening?” You finally pushed.

“There’s a family skate tomorrow and I want to bring you” he finally caved.

Of course there was a skating event Brock would want you to go to. You looked up at him, he had his best puppy dog eyes out and you knew he knew he’d won once you looked at him.

“Fine.” You muttered crossing your arms, “but you have to teach me”

“Deal!” He was radiating excitement. “I’ll see you tomorrow, 10 am sharp Y/n/n” he called walking the path towards his place while you continued to yours.

What the fuck had you just signed up for, oh god. You knew Brock, so why you still agreed you didn’t know. Brock would definitely get distracted and leave you like Bambi on ice tomorrow, hopefully Elias would help you. Maybe Quinn would be there.

Everyone could see the small little crush you were pining over the young defenseman. It was clear to everyone but Quinn.

The morning rolled around sooner than you would’ve liked, having to get up earlier then you’d want. You had to search for the pair of skates you had from when you once tried to skate, several years ago.

About 20 minutes after you did find them, Brock showed up at your door, he didn’t even bother to knock he simply walked in.

“Oh dear Y/n” he chanted through the house, snooping through the rooms for you.

“Bedroom” you called back and waited for him to come.

He came running in, sliding his socks along the hardwood floor.

“You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be, but you got to promise you won’t just leave me” you made him swear to that, even though he’d break it at some point.

The drive to the rink was the worst part, you had time to think it over. You, who couldn’t skate, surrounded by hockey players, children, and other adults that could skate, you were bound to embarrass yourself. You tried to shake the thought of face planting in front of everyone but you could, but Brock noticed.

“Calm down, you’ll be fine.” He words barely comforted you but it was enough for the two minutes before you made it in the rink.

“What am I doing here Brock, I’m going to die!” You exaggerated, he let out a chuckle.

“No your not”

“How do you know?”

“Because even if I’m not with you, Quinn’ll be” he beamed.

What did he say.

“I’m sorry what?”

“I got Quinn to help teach you.” Brock looked so proud, you were going to kill him.

“You” you pushed your finger against his chest, “are dead to me.”

You knew you were being dramatic but you also knew he knew it was a joke. The smile across his face said so.

“Come on Y/n/n, he’s like the best skater on the team” he bargained.

“hmph” was all you mumbled out before finding a bench and sitting. Brock followed behind you, carry both of yours skates.

“Let me put mine on then I’ll help you” he offered but by some ironic luck, Quinn was there.

“It’s fine Brock I can help her” Quinn offered, Brock quickly accepted for you.

And so you were sitting on a bench, with Quinn at your feet tying your skates, definitely not how you pictured your Sunday going. He stood up, placing his hand out for you.

“Are you ready?” He questioned, no, but nonetheless.

“I guess” you said grabbing his hand, trying to stand. You hadn’t realized how unstable you’d actually be on skates. You almost immediately fell back, but Quinn was faster, he arms wrapping around your waist to stop you.

He let out a small chuckle, helping you stand up completely.

“Do you want to try getting on ice now?”

“God no, but Brock will kill me if I don’t”

So he lead you towards the ice, you could see Brock doing laps, talking to children as they came to him. He made it look so easy. Fuck it, if he could do it you could too.

Quinn skillfully glided on to the ice, you already envied that ability. He took your hand again, helping you to keep steady when you stepped on.

“Okay, just hold my hands we’ll go slow at first” he was so calm and nervous at the same time it almost scared you. But you did as he said, you held his hand, like you life depended on it, and he slowly skated backwards.

“That's good, just copy what I’m doing” so you tried, and you did it the first few times. The was before you caught a divot in the ice.

“Fuck” you said almost falling atop of Quinn, you quickly rolled off him.

“I am so sorry” you were quick to apologize but ur didn’t seem to care, he had a small smile on his face.

“It’s fine. It happens” and with that he got up and helped you up. This time only taking one of your hands, you missed the warmth he gave but wouldn’t dare say that aloud.

“You remember how to push?”

“Yeah”

“Okay do that, it’s the same as before but now you're beside me.” He was so gentle explaining how to push and glide it made you think skating was the easiest thing in the world, you just couldn’t understand.

He let go of your hand, you shook a little bit but we’re soon comfortable. He skated a bit ahead.

“Okay, now skate to me.” He told you. He had so much confidence in your ability, you thought. But you tried.

You made your way over to Quinn, slowly but at least you didn’t fall. Pushing and gliding your feet like he had shown you.

“Perfect” he said once you’d reached him, he took your hand again. He pulled you closer to him and spun. Giggles left your mouth as he did, he thought it was the best sound he’d ever heard.

“Quinn I’m going to get dizzy!”

He slowed so you were just standing in his arms, it was peaceful. All the sound around had faded, it was just you and Quinn in that moment. His eyes stared down into yours, they were so beautiful.

He was so beautiful. That’s all you had figured out, he was gorgeous and you had a crush on him. Unintentionally your eyes darted to his lips, back they were quick to return to his eyes. You saw his eyes look to your lips quick before letting you out if his arms.

“Come on, let’s go get a hot chocolate, then more laps”

A slight disappointment filled you, but you knew Quinn was too good for you. So you skated beside him, still holding his hand, to get off the ice for a drink.

Once you two both had drinks, and had enough of them for the moment he put them beside all your stuff and brought you back on to the ice.

You skated laps beside him, some laps holding his hand, some without. You preferred the laps holding his hand. A shiver ran up your spine, Quinn noticed.

“Here” he said taking off and handing you the hoodie he was wearing.

“No it’s fine, you’ll get cold.”

“Y/n, I basically live on the best ice, I’ll be fine”

You had no argument against that so you took his hoodie, sliding it over your head. It was warm and smelt like him. You just wanted to curl up with it and never leave it.

Quinn’s heart melted at the sight, you in his hoodie, it was definitely too big for you, but he thought it was adorable.

“Y/n” Brock called, skating over before icing both you and Quinn.

“I see you learned to skate” he snickered towards the fact you were now wearing Quinn’s hoodie and holding his hand.

“Shut up”

“She’s actually doing really well” Quinn contributed. Brock just laughed in reply, almost challenging to what Quinn had just said.

You had to admit, you were extremely competitive and petty. So what Brock had did, gave you reason to try and skate better than him.

“I can skate.” You declared. “One lap and you have to admit that I can skate.”

He nodded, you let go of Quinn’s hand and began around. Brock followed beside you, Quinn behind. It was a peaceful lap, until a small child cut in front of you and if u didn’t try to stop you would’ve ran it over.

“Fuck” you mumbled, now sitting on the ice. Brock laughed.

“Oh shut up, that wasn’t even my fault!”

“I know but it was funny” he couldn’t stop laughing, until Quinn nudged him acknowledging the look in your face.

Quinn was quick to help you up, pulling you into his arms while. You hid your face in his chest, knowing they’d seen your reaction to the teasing. They didn’t need to see your reaction again, embarrassment overcoming whatever you were feeling before. Quinn wrapped his arms around you, it was nice. He was warm and smelt good. The urge to nuzzle yourself deeper in his chest was so strong, you made yourself pull away before you could give in.

“I think I’m done for the day.” You said, getting positioned to skate towards the gate.

“No I’m sorry I shouldn’t have laughed, please you were having so much fun with Quinn. Continue on, I’ll go find the team” Brock excused himself before you could deny, your feet were beginning to hurt making you want off the ice anyways.

“Fucker” you whispered under your breath, yet somehow Quinn still heard.

“Do you really want off?” He looked a bit sad, and you knew you couldn’t say no to the kicked-puppy look he had.

“My feet just hurt that’s all”

“If you want we can get off?”

“No it’s okay, let do some more laps”

He smiled, his smile was so pretty, god you were in love. So you did more laps with Quinn, staying on the ice until you had to leave.

Yet again right before getting of the small child appeared to trip you, this time onto Quinn. Your face flushed, now you laying on top of Quinn.

“I am so sorry”

You didn’t even get the extent of your apology out before Quinn kissed you, it shocked you. You froze for a second before melting into him. Your arms found a place around his neck, his wrapping around your waist to keep you on top of him.

You both did have to pull back for air eventually, much to both of yours disappointment. He helped you up from on top of him, on the ice, and pulled you against him again.

“I am so glad you didn’t yell at me” he laughed, placing a kiss on your head.

"Why would've I yelled at you?" A little confused, your tone laced with it.

"I mean I just kissed you, I didn't even ask." he was soft with his words almost embarrassed, you just smiled at him.

"I'd never yell at you, Quinn. I've loved you since we first met."

"Really? That was like three years ago." he seemed shocked, it was a little intimidating, you had to admit.

"I thought I was the only one" he admitted shortly after.

"You've loved me since then too?"

"How could I could I not?" He had a smile on his face, he was practically glowing.

"I love you so much, Quinn"

"I love you so much more"

[razorblade180]

First Blood

Knock knock knock

Carmine:*unpacking* Door is unlocked.

Ruby:*peeks in* Yo.

Carmine:Hey. Something up?

Ruby:Nothing really. Just…checking in. Gotta get used to seeing you in the house again.

Carmine:I guess three years has gone by. Room feels a little smaller.

Ruby:You’re bigger. Practically my height. At this rate you’ll be taller than your dad before I know it.

Carmine:Pfft, like that will ever happen.

Ruby:How’s Oz?

Carmine:Probably how you remember him. It’s not like you didn’t check in.

Ruby:….

Carmine:Yeah I’m aware. Even if Oz hadn’t told me, you’re not the type of person to leave their kid fending for themselves.

Ruby:True enough. So, did he tell you our arrangement?

Carmine:No. All I know is there was a limit to missions I could on within a time period. My general behavior if I did anything crazy. Also-

Ruby:Mission number 126.

Carmine:…

Ruby:I’m gonna make this clear, this isn’t me nagging you. It’s a wellness check. Did Oz tell you I punched him in the face after he told me?

Carmine whipped her head to see Ruby casually shrug. The doting mother sat on Carmine’s bed and invited her take a seat beside her.

Ruby:Sooooo, you took a bounty mission. How’d you swing that?

xxxxxxxx

[Oz’s Office]

Carmine:REJECTED!?

Oz:Yes, as in not allowed. Pick another.

Carmine:Last time I checked, you were teaching me to use my skills where I needed. I’ve done your search and destroys, been a valuable bodyguard, and escorted the children to school hundreds of times because I understood those were important. “A huntsman should be flexible.”

Oz:Precisely, but not impatient. Help comes in many forms and despite what you think, I still believe the best form of it involves alternative methods.

Carmine:But you’ve never shied from murder either, Legend of Remnant. Your good deeds have many stories written and red.

Oz:Yes, and they were my stories. Taking down a bandit leader is not only a dangerous task, but one that tends to have only one ending. It’s not to be taken lightly. You’re still young and-

Carmine:Let’s skip my mother’s speech, shall we?

The man watched his disciple put her hands on his desk and stare dagger at him from behind red contacts that hid her true power.

Carmine:I didn’t run all the way here to be denied progress. I could’ve stayed in Vacou for that. A woman and her thugs have been taking lives lightly. Despite several attempts, they escape. Sounds like perfect training for the end goal.

Oz:Carmine-

Carmine:I’m gonna have to kill someone eventually. Last time I checked, Cinder and her thugs don’t like talking over their feelings.

Oz:I made a promise to your mother to train you correctly and fair. This mission isn’t training. It’s a turning point. I’m not gonna make you into something you or your mother won’t be proud of. I-

Carmine:Oscar, I’m not talking to you.

The man’s heart wavered, his eyes widening. Carmine took it a step forward, stepping on to the desk and swinging her legs around it to sit. Her feet rested on his legs and she dared to lean closer, her eyes never losing their shine.

Carmine:You owe a lot to my mother, so do I. However, let’s stop pretending you only took me in as a favor. The truth is you’re excited I’m here, aren’t you?

Oz:….

Carmine:Mom is a fantastic hero. Better than you in every way, and despite how proud that makes you, it’s not what you wanted. It’s not what’s needed. You want evil tracked and put down. That’s why you call us “Huntsman” and not heroes. You’ve always trained others to kill if necessary. Mom got Salem, but it must grind your gears a little that she let Cinder flea like a dog once. I doubt she’ll make that mistake again, but it never hurts to increase the odds of success.

Oz:Your mother doesn’t need incentive to kill Cinder. It’s why the witch hides and moves silently.

Carmine:Fair, you have your huntress for Cinder and Neo for that matter, but her thugs, the people with info moving about, my brother? If he gets ahold of mom before she gets Cinder, we’re both angry and miserable.

Oz:Is that all you have to say? You forget your entire family is remarkable. I doubt they will win.

Carmine:You never answered my question. *leans back* Mom told me how you met by the way. Tell me, what feels more incredible. The day you met a silver eyed warrior ready to change the world, or meeting me, the silver eyed warrior you can make into the exact huntsman you’ve always wanted and more? Mark my words, I’ll be everything you wanted my mom to be, so stop pretending you’re not happy I’m around and let’s get to hunting.

Cold and vexing words given by an angry girl seeking out evil to hunt without mercy, yet despite it all, her eyes never dimmed.

Oz:You understand I will not hide the job from your mother?

Carmine:That’s fine.

Oz:And that you’ll see ugliness that you might regret?

Carmine:If it means I win in the end .

Oz:And what is winning to you?

Carmine:Protecting everything I want.

Oz:….It would appear I should apologize. You resemble your mother and have her talents, but that may be where the similarities end. The rest however…well, let’s just say their eyes were just as terrifying.

xxxxxx

Carmine:He’s logical, despite being sentimental. People were dying and I could help. That simple really. I’m sure Goodwitch gave you my report and post mission evaluation.

Ruby:I’m not that snoopy. She told me but I didn’t read anything. I trust you, honest. How many?

Carmine:Only the leader. She was a huntress; a pretty tough one too. If she had been easy then I would’ve had more options. The other bandits were small fry and gave up pretty quickly when she went down. Can’t say they all made it out. Grimm.

Ruby:That’s practically unavoidable. Don’t put that on your shoulders. As for the leader, how’d it make you fe-

Carmine:Bad. Not a fan at all, but I hated seeing the people she caged more. Mom, I get it, okay? This isn’t kids stuff and I definitely don’t enjoy bounty missions. I just needed to know for certain I’m not gonna choke in dire situations.

Ruby:Is that why you only went on the one?

Carmine:Believe it or not, I actually want you to look at me and not feel disappointed.

Ruby:I never will be. I’m just scared is all.

She wraps her arm around her daughter and hugs her gently, keeping her close to the heart.

Ruby:Carmine, I only ask two things from you. Don’t let this work take you from me, and live a life you’re proud of. It’s harder than it sounds but makes things easier.

Carmine:*closes eyes* I promise. I love you.

[mingos]

*crawls out of the ground like a mole, coughing up copious amounts of dirt*

so, hello.

    i try to keep things as vague & light as possible when referencing my homelife because, honestly, the last time i brought up anything tangentially related i was essentially told “you being upset is making other people upset and ruining the fun” so being anything other than ✨chaotic positivity gremlin wilder ✨ here makes me paranoid, hence why i’ll just disappear for weeks sometimes. 

but. 

i’ve clearly been gone for a bit, will probably be gone for a bit longer, and since i’ve been getting messages from folks wanting to check in on me i wanna give a more detailed update than usual. i feel guilty for not responding directly, but for reasons i can’t get detailed on other than “the idea of having a conversation with 99.9% of people right now is terrifying” (is this what being nonverbal is, chat?) with even the .1% being a super recent development, a queue post into the void is my solution.

i won’t get that detailed, but if light references to domestic abuse, addiction, or just family issues in general are hard subjects for you - nothing past this paragraph is too pertinent anyway, so don’t worry about having to stop. all you gotta know is that some Bad Stuff with family happened, but i’m safe & i’ll be back in maybe another week or something. 

anyways. i was living out of hotels for about 3 weeks. 

more like 16-17 days if you want to get technical because 4 of those days i had an actual scheduled hotel for my twin’s wedding at the end of august - but i’ve basically been bouncing around since august 21st. the night of the 20th, i had a horrific fight with my family member and, for the first time ever, i left. don’t know if would call it brave on my part - since we were leaving for a trip anyway, this is just the first time my suitcase was already packed.

right now, i’ve been at another relative’s house since the 11th. i tried to go back on the 1st because, even after years of this, i’m apparently way too easy to convince everything is going to be fine…  but by the 2nd i was out of there again. 

currently mulling over my next move here because, as much as the common sense answer is to stay away, anybody who’s unfortunate enough to deal with this knows how complicated it is. i’m scared for this person’s safety as much as i am for my own. no one else really checks on them, and i’ve already had to deal with several medical emergencies they’ve had like bad falls & breathing problems. i don’t like leaving them alone for long because the guilt at the thought of something bad happening to them and no one knowing for possibly days or weeks eats me up.

i logically know i’ll have to get past that eventually because i can’t let my life be dictated by this incredibly toxic cycle forever or i’ll never be happy, but now isn’t the time. they also have a dog who would similarly be put at risk if something happened to them, so it’s a lot for me to worry about.

but, having said all that, we’re currently in the apology stage or i guess the negotiation stage because, after the shit that happened this time, i’m making it perfectly clear i’m not stepping foot in that house until they do something. detox, treatment, rehab, disulfiram, soberlink, therapy – something. we’re kind of running out of things for them to try at this point, but at least they used to try. they haven’t really been doing that this past year and I’m the one suffering the most because of it.

so yeah, that’s where things are at the moment. i’m mentally not doing so hot - but I’ve got my dog, and being able to sleep in a bed i’m familiar with for a change and not a hotel (I spent so much money on hotels, guys i’m cooked) is nice relief while I wait out whatever the hell is happening. talking to them over the phone again pretty much drains any of the energy I’ve got back, but it sounds like they’re starting to "get it' so hopefully they’ll start to take this seriously again because I can really only take one more year of this (if even) until I just need to accept these things aren’t my responsibility and move on.

honestly, having a close-knit group of friends/support system for the first time in years has really reminded me of that and given me the confidence to take a lot of steps to live for myself for a change, and to think about prioritizing my own happiness for once, which wasn’t the place i was in at this time last year, or the year before that, or the year before that - so I just want to say thank you again to anyone whose ever helped talk me through something or really just been nice to me at all. this is why i always remember to be kind because it can genuinely do a lot for someone going through something, because i know it has for me.

anyway uhhhhh i hope you are all doing well, and with any luck i’ll be chilling on here by the start of october. can’t miss spooky month and this insufferable pink bird’s birthday, after all.

much love.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I move into my own apartment for an internship instead of with friends like I initially said I (more likely than not) would for a while?

CW: kinda long but I don’t think I can put a readmore on anon :(

I (20sNB) have an opportunity to do an internship in spring of 2024. My friend (20sF) and her husband (20sM, we’re all within ~3yrs of each other) have been working on renovating a single-wide trailer in a trailer park in the same town as the internship, and it will be done with them living in it for at least a good few months before my internship. I’ve helped them with renovations whenever I’m in town and they’ve promised/shown me the room they’re reserving to be my space because they’re so sure I’ll move in with them.

I’ll be honest, I was planning to at first. But that changed with a variety of factors contributing, including but not limited to:

The trailer was reportedly full of black mold. Abandoned dressers would be opened and a puff of mold dust would emerge from the doors. It was also previously a hoarder’s house possibly due to the amount of junk in and around the trailer. Nobody wore PPE during renovations as far as I’m aware, and seem to believe they’re “in the clear” as they’ve shown no side effects yet. They’ve literally kept up only exactly what’s required to legally say they’re ‘renovating’ instead of tearing everything down and reusing the foundation, but it’s still a concern for me due to the casual way it was brought up and addressed.

My friends admitted that the neighbors don’t like them much due to the loud noises day in and day out from the renovation, resulting in the cops being called on them several times as a noise complaint. I have a rough time as it is being close to strangers, and that anxiety/paranoia? isn’t alleviated by hearing that and seeing people come out of their own trailers to glare at us whenever we work on the property.

My cat (20F) would be moving in with me. She’s indoor-only, but cats are bound to run around at some point. There are numerous unvaccinated and unfixed strays in the park and I’m concerned for her health; she’s having a hard enough time just keeping down food, a virus or infection would make me put her down.

My friends own a Pomeranian that does not respect other animals and continuously harasses them by barking and chasing after them. My cat does NOT like dogs, and my repeated warnings that having them in the same room would result in the dog getting blinded and possibly even more severely injured have been waved away with “The dog will learn soon enough to leave her alone!”. I would also have two relatively small lizards with me, both of whom leave their terrariums regularly for general holding sessions and to run around while I clean their tanks. There is a nonzero chance of them being beyond the safety of the glass and the dog eating them as the dog has a high prey drive.

Being with them would save me and my parents MASSIVE amount of money as rent is nearly nonexistent with how low it is in the park; I would mostly help with other bills (such as water, electricity, groceries) and general housemate things like cleaning up after myself and helping cook or chip in for takeout every now and then. Both friends know how restricted my ability to really develop is in my house due to my family (such as not knowing how to make anything more complicated than air fryer food) and have expressed that they are eager to help me learn and watch me grow into who I am.

But for a while I’ve been very strongly leaning towards an apartment instead despite rent being crazy (my parents are willing to pay half but with 0 guarantee of a paid internship and uncertainty as to whether I can hold a part-time job at the same time it would still be a blow to my savings). It’s gotten to the point where my language is full of “My future apartment will have….” “When I move into an apartment do you think I should….” when discussing the matter with my parents with zero verbal room for considering living with my friends. Advantages to the apartment include having my own space, being much closer to my internship location (though my friends weren’t all that far out themselves), and no concerns about my pets being around strangers or other animals. My parents and grandma agree that an apartment sounds the safest for my pets’ physical health and my mental health.

However, I have yet to tell my friends. The F is a friend of a decade now, and the M and I aren’t exactly close but regard each other as siblings. While she might be hurt but understanding, I don’t know if I want to risk him or both of them blowing up on me for my decision after at least 6mo of helping here and there and encouraging them to finish renovating their own place. The closest I’ve gotten to saying anything is warning them that it isn’t guaranteed I’ll move in with them when they use language suggesting it is and that I’m trying to keep my mind open to all housing options, including renting a space in a family friend’s basement. Neither of them seem to have caught on to what I’m doing, though. So, WIBTA if I finally break it to them that I’ve decided on an apartment and move into a space without them? This might seem like a non-issue to outsiders but it very much is to me :(

(For slight additional context: my friend is typically very understanding and we do our best to communicate our feelings about joint activities especially. Her husband is the type of guy to get mad at the ‘politics’ of the new Barbie movie and the joke made out of the Kens.)

What are these acronyms?

[randomidiocyncrazies]

i think you’re forgetting that till got to top 2 on his own merits even with his rebellious personality and him literally running away from attempts to market him. he dropped heavily from the rankings for killing freddie the alien guitar and STILL managed to make a comeback, only losing to the previous champion. saying that he “only won because ivan threw his round” is such an insult to his skills. i don’t deny that ivan’s sacrifice secured till’s victory, but that doesn’t mean till isn’t a strong competitor in his own right. ivan’s stunts definitely hindered his own score, but that doesn’t change the fact that till still got 89. im not arguing that till will beat luka, im just thinking you’re underestimating till

Oh I completely agree that Till has a very good chance under normal circumstances, but. Till stopped singing before Ivan threw his mic to the ground and started assaulting him to distract the audience—us and the aliens—from that, so I think it's pretty clear that Till was trying to lose (or at least not trying to win) and probably wouldn't have gotten such a high score if Ivan didn't cause a distraction, because the aliens would definitely have noticed that he wasn't singing. Like I said in the tags of the post, I think Till's singing is obviously very good in the song, I just think Till was also very obviously engaging in passive suicide by making it clear he's not trying to win (I'd argue he was actively trying to lose by stopping his singing before the song is over).

That's why I said the only way he won was because Ivan threw his round—not because he didn't have enough skill and charisma by himself, but because he had disengaged from the performance by literally not singing, and the aliens would've noticed & punished him for it if Ivan didn't flip from "obedient show dog" to "rabid dog" on stage. (Again, to be clear, the "rabid dog" comparison is from the aliens' perspective; we, the human audience, have access to their interiority and care about them for more than their function as performers.)

(That said, the audience in-universe did not notice Till stopped singing, so you're right that alien audiences would've anticipated a closer fight than what I've said in the tags I assume you're responding to. I do think the win would be complicated by the fact that imo quite a lot of aliens in both camps see it as an unsatisfying win? For Ivan fans obviously, but for in-universe Till fans, their boy's win is gonna be tainted by "his opponent went crazy and attacked him." I'd imagine in-universe fans are having similar discussions to what we're having now, which is completely intentional—it's pretty obvious that ALNST is a critique of the irl idol industry/elimination style tournaments, and we're intended to be the aliens in this scenario, albeit ones who have some access to their inner lives.)

Now onto Till vs Luka. I think we all want Till to beat Luka, or at least put up a good fight, but. Will Till really bounce back/regain his fire, or did Ivan's sacrifice only compounded the fact that he lost someone else, and that he'll keep losing—both in the sense that he'll keep losing people he cares about, and also in the sense that there's no real victory under this oppressive system? Given his actions in R6 (i.e. stop singing when the song is ongoing), I think Till's final rebellion would be a quiet thing—to just not perform from the start and refuse to give the aliens a show.

Tldr: Till is a very strong performer. I just also think Till would've lost in R6, not because he wasn't "good enough" in his own right, but because he disengaged from his performance in what would've been a pretty dang obvious way bc i think he just wanted an escape/wanted it to end.

Going into R7, I'm honestly not sure if Till even wants to 'put up a good fight' against Luka anymore, or if he'd rather be free and spite the system by denying aliens of what they wanted from him by not engaging at all. It'd be cool to see Till beat Luka, but I'm having trouble seeing how he'll do that: while he has the skills to at least come close, idk if he's in the right headspace to want that.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

May I request the Tokito Twins meeting the Reader who has also a twin and both of them are exactly like them?

It’s like the ooposite when Reader is more sweet and gentle while the twin is rude and rough.

-Twins were definitely a rarity, and for one set of twins to meet another was even rarer.

-You and your sister left your family home that you had grown up in, after it had been attacked, not by demons but by bandits, and after most of what little belongings you had left of your parents, you both decided to leave, looking for a safer place to live.

-In a world of danger and violence at every turn, your elder sister and you had your work cut out for the both of you, traveling cautiously, off main roads, because you knew there were many out there who would love to get their hands on a pair of pretty twin girls.

-You had stopped by a river for a break, your sister told you to stay put while she went to get firewood and you nodded, smiling up at her, “Yes T/N!”

-You were refilling the two canteens you both had before you heard a new voice, “Who are you?!” you looked up, startled by hearing someone else, and your eyes widened, seeing two boys, twins, one who was glaring at you and one who looked softer, “Don’t yell at girls Yuichiro!”

-Hearing the shouts T/N ran back in, dropping the sticks she had gathered as she entered the clearing, “Who are you?!”

-Yuichiro and Muichiro were stunned to see twin girls as T/N stood in front of you, defending you, before Yuichiro spoke, “I asked you first!”

-A tick mark appeared on your sister’s cheek, annoyed by this boy’s attitude before you put a hand on her arm, grounding her, “I’m Y/N, and this is my big sister T/N. Who are you?”

-Muichiro introduced himself and his brother, and both elder siblings were able to tell that you and him were similar while they were more like each other- gruff and protective of their younger sibling.

-T/N and Yuichiro spoke over the river, T/N telling them of your plight of the bandits and running from those who wouldn’t hesitate to capture and sell you, now looking for a safe place to live.

-Muichiro was concerned for the safety of both of you, putting his hand on his brother’s arm, questioning him, “Brother?” Yuichiro glanced back at him, scowling, but he was also worried, even if he didn’t let it show.

-Yuichiro relented and Muichiro smiled up at him, “You’re a good person big brother.” Which made his brother flush in embarrassment before Muichiro offered you and your sister their home, “It’s not much, but you’re both welcome to stay with us.” Yuichiro then added on, making one stipulation, “But you’ve got to help out with chores and the like!”

-T/N was hesitant, but this was the only chance you’ve both had had at a safe place, you smiled up at her, “I’ll follow you big sister.” She inhaled before she nodded, “Alright- we accept and we’ll help out.”

-Yuichiro and T/N were like cats and dogs, constantly bickering and fighting with each other, arguing over the littlest of things, while you and Muichiro just went with the flow, working hard on whatever you could.

-It was peaceful, living in a safe place again, but just like the boys, you and your sister were cautious, always being careful about the lurking threats, never going anywhere alone, as none of you wanted to lose their home or the family that the four of you had become, even if certain individuals wouldn’t admit it.

[starryblueeyesandstarryblueskies]

You Don’t Go To Parties-Part 2 | R.C.

Read part 1 here

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Summary: When you and Rafe run into each other at a party after your breakup, neither of you are sure what comes next.

A/N: I’m sorry that this took me literal ages to finish. I’m not quite sure if this is the part 2 that any of you wanted or expected but I hope you love it all the same!

As I am an adult, all characters I write for are written as adults. Any minor characters will be aged up to the general range of their actor’s age.

Warnings: drinking, drug use, allusions to panic attacks, overall angst

Word Count: 3.3k

-

“Y/N, please.”

“Sarah, there is no way I’m going to that party.” You throw a pointed look at the girl pacing in front of you.

“Please! Look, you won’t even have to see him.”

“You can’t promise that. He’s literally throwing the party at his house.”

“Okay yes, but it’s also my house, and it’s huge so the odds of running into him are low.”

You just shake your head.

“Maybe it’ll even be good for you. It could bring you some final closure. You could even meet someone new.” She grabs your hands giving you the biggest puppy dog eyes she can muster. “Please, Y/N! If you hate it and you’re miserable I promise we can leave.”

“Fine, but you owe me big time.”

-

If someone had told you last week that you would be going to a party hosted by your ex-boyfriend you wouldn’t have believed them, and yet here you are letting Sarah lead you through the crowd of people in her kitchen. You down the drink she puts in your hand, quickly grabbing another before she can stop you.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

“Come on, Y/N. You have to at least try to enjoy yourself. Just relax, okay?”

You reluctantly let your friend pull you to the living room to dance, unable to help the giggle that passes your lips when she spins you around and lowers you in a dip. She’s right, of course, and you find yourself having a pretty good time dancing and chatting, but at the back of your mind is always Rafe.

You haven’t been to a party since the breakup, and every aspect of it reminds you of the parties spent by his side. The house is full of memories itself and his friends filling every room don’t help. So you don't hesitate to down drink after drink, in hopes of keeping the painful memories at bay.

Sarah gives you a concerned look after drink five, but you just shake your head. You work at a bar after all, you can handle your alcohol. “I’m fine,” you tell her. “Just having fun.” She doesn’t seem convinced, but you drag her back to the dance floor, cutting her off before she can voice her doubts.

Sarah’s the life of the party, after all this is her world. People keep coming over to say hi and she greets them all happily, introducing you to the ones you don’t know. She spends a particularly long time hyping you up to an old teammate of Topper’s when he comes over to chat. She introduces him as Jake, or maybe Jack, you aren’t entirely sure. He’s pretty cute and nice enough, and it’s clear Sarah is trying to make a connection. You chat with him a bit, mostly using him to distract yourself from your spiraling thoughts.

You expected him to get bored and leave after a while, but he sticks by you and Sarah for the rest of the night. The three of you take a round of shots, then head back to the living room to dance for a bit.

Sarah seems to have finally caught up to your level of drunkenness and starts cracking cheesy one-liners left and right. Your sober self would have thought they were the dumbest jokes in the world, but in your intoxicated state they become the funniest thing you’ve ever heard.

You clutch at Sarah’s arms, laughing so hard that you sway sideways on your unsteady feet, and Jake has to catch you. You and Sarah start laughing again at your clumsiness, and he keeps his arm around your waist to steady you as it becomes clear you can’t keep your balance.

“Yo, Rafe!”

Your laugh cuts off abruptly and you stiffen, the sound of his name making you feel suddenly sober. You turn slowly to face the direction of the voice, and come face to face with Rafe. He's almost close enough to touch, eyes locked on you while Topper rambles obliviously in his ear.

Time slows and you can’t seem to tear your eyes off him, taking in every inch of the man who broke your heart. Your gaze trails back to his face, where your eyes lock on his. Wide, beautiful baby blues, with the pupils blown. He’s been using.

The world crashes back into you then, music too loud and lights too bright. You’ve got to get out of there. You push Jake’s hand away, turning quickly and almost stumbling in the process.

“Y/N?” You hear Sarah’s voice but it’s muted and distant, as if she's underwater.

“I can’t be here. I can’t-” You don’t finish the sentence, breath coming fast and shallow. “Get me out of here.”

“Okay. I’ve got you.” Sarah grabs your hand and pulls you behind her, heading for the exit. You stumble out the front door, hands on your knees as you frantically breathe in the cool air.

Jake has seemingly followed the two of you to the driveway. You can hear him mumbling something behind you, but your brain can’t focus on the words.

You cut him off mid sentence. “Look, Jake.”

“It’s Jack.”

“You seem like a really nice guy, but I can’t handle this right now and you do not want to get involved in my shit. You should really just go back inside and find a different girl with far less issues.” You press the heels of your hands against your eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay.

He nods his head slowly and makes his way back into the house.

Sarah comes to your side, rubbing your back in slow, soothing circles. “Are you okay?”

You shake your head in response. “Just take me home. Please.”

-

Two months since the breakup and Rafe hadn’t seen you once. He knew you and Sarah still hung out and she had told him you were doing well. He had to admit, it was impressive how well you’d been avoiding him, considering the small size of the island. The last thing he had expected was to see you standing in the middle of his living room at a party he was throwing.

When Rafe first heard your laugh through the loud music, he thought he was hallucinating and when he turned and saw you standing there, it was like he stopped breathing. He couldn’t even move, just standing frozen in his spot even after you went running out of the room. Topper had tried to say something, but he didn’t even hear it. He just mindlessly walked up to his room, where he stayed until the party ended.

Now the next morning, Rafe can’t stop replaying the scene in his mind. The man’s hand wrapped around your waist, the way your head was thrown back in laughter, and most of all, the panicked and hurt look in your beautiful eyes when they met his. It was the exact same look you had the night you broke up with him, and it hurt just as bad the second time around.

-

The week after the party goes by like a blur. It almost felt like going through your breakup all over again, just going through the motions, but not really being present. You spend the whole week in your bed, drowning in self pity and bittersweet memories.

A knock on your door pulls you out of your thoughts. You know it’s Sarah, just as it has been every day for the past week, so you just yell from the mound of blankets you’re curled in atop your bed.

“Go away!”

No more than thirty seconds later, you hear the blinds being opened and feel the blankets ripped off your bed.

“Hey!” you complain, pulling them back and snuggling in deeper. You should’ve known better than to give her a key to your apartment all those months ago. Sarah just pulls the blankets off again.

“Nope, up.”

“I don’t want to get up, Sarah. Just leave me be.”

“You’ve been in bed for a week. I know you're upset, but it's time to get up.”

“You say this every day and you have yet to convince me that it’s actually true.”

“I’m serious, Y/N.” Sarah puts her hands on her hips. “Wallowing like this isn’t healthy. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” She sighs before sitting next to you on the bed. “I’m sorry for pushing you to go to the party. I really thought it would be good for you.”

“I know.” Seeing Rafe again had rattled you more than either of you thought it would. “I don’t blame you.”

There’s a beat of silence before Sarah talks again. “You know, you still haven’t told me what made you run out like that. It seems like it was more than just seeing him again.”

You take a steadying breath before rolling over to face her. “It was his eyes. His pupils. He was high again.”

“Oh.” You can tell the statement surprised her, but she tried not to let it show.

“You didn’t know he was using, did you?”

She shakes her head no. “He told me after… everything, that he was going to get clean again, but I guess that hasn’t happened. To be honest, he hasn’t been telling me as much the past couple months as he used to. I wouldn’t have made you go if I had known, I’m really sorry.”

“No, hey.” You sit up, covering her hand with yours. “I’m the one who should be saying sorry. You’ve been so supportive after the break up. I didn’t mean to get in the way of your relationship with your brother.”

“You haven’t. I promise. This is just Rafe’s demon to deal with. There’s only so much I can do if he doesn’t want help.”

You nod.

“Okay!” Sarah jumps up. “Enough of that. You are getting out of bed and we are getting you out of this apartment. It’s time for a girls' day.”

You groan, but don’t protest as she drags you out of bed.

-

You hate to admit it, but the girls’ day was actually going pretty well. Sarah had dragged you to all of her favorite places, her nail salon, the restaurant on the pier, the little boutique with the cutest dresses, and her favorite ice cream shop. Now, the two of you are sitting in the park across the street, trying to finish your ice cream before it melts in the heat.

“Shit!” Sarah jumps up as drops of melted ice cream fall onto her shirt. “Okay, this is getting all over me. I’m gonna run and grab more napkins.” She takes off across the road, swearing as more ice cream stains her clothes. You laugh at her antics and shake your head.

Deciding to give up on the melting cone in your hand, you trek across the park to drop in the trash can. You inspect your clothes for any drops as you turn, causing you to run straight into the person behind you.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

“No, it was my fault-”

You both stumble over your words, cutting off abruptly when you realize who is standing before you.

“Oh, Rafe. Hi.” You take a step back nervously.

“Hey. Um, sorry.” Rafe removes his hands from where they were placed on your arms to steady you, quickly shoving them in his pockets. “I didn’t- Um, I was just looking for Sarah. Wheezie said she was getting ice cream. I didn’t realize you would be with her. I’m sorry.” He looks around uncomfortably.

“No, it’s okay. Um, she just ran back into the shop to get napkins. I’m sure she’ll be right back.”

He nods and you play with your fingers, both standing there awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do.

After an uncomfortable minute, Rafe breaks the silence. “So, I saw you came to the party last week.”

“Oh. Yeah.” That wasn’t what you expected him to say. You decide to avoid the topic of your hasty exit and painful moment that led to it. “Sarah asked me to come. Hope that was okay.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. You're always welcome.” Another beat of silence. “Your boyfriend too.”

That throws you for a loop. “What boyfriend?”

“The guy from the party.” You just give him a confused look. “Jack, right? Friend of Topper’s? I didn’t realize you two were seeing each other.”

“Oh! No, no, I’m not, we’re not.” Rafe visibly relaxes as you explain. “I hardly know him. I thought his name was Jake.”

He chuckles at that and you can’t help but join in. You missed these moments with him. It’s weird feeling so distant from him.

“I’m sorry, I must’ve misread it. To be completely honest with you, I was pretty…” He trails off, not wanting to say the word.

“High?” you offer.

He looks surprised. “You could tell?”

“I know you pretty well, Rafe. I can tell when you’re not all there.”

He nods slowly, looking sheepish. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that.” He says it so quietly you almost don’t hear, but you can tell he means it.

You don’t get a chance to ask him if he’s talking about last week or two months ago, because right then Sarah reappears. She gives you an apologetic look, but you brush it off, stepping away so the two siblings can talk.

-

Your conversation with Rafe has been playing in your head for days. You have no idea what to make of any of it, the said and unsaid. Luckily, you don’t anticipate running into him again any time soon. After two months of avoiding him, what’s a couple more days?

You certainly don’t think he’s going to seek you out, so when you leave the restaurant after a long waitressing shift and see him waiting at your car, you’re shocked to say the least.

He straightens when he sees you coming. “Hey.”

“Hey. What are you doing here?”

“I knew your shift would be over soon, and I wanted to ask you something.”

It surprises you that he still remembers your schedule after all this time. You can’t imagine what he came all this way to ask you, but it peaks your curiosity.

“Okay, what’s up?”

Rafe looks nervous, fiddling with keys in his hands, eyes not quite reaching your face. You’re not used to seeing him like this, so used to the confident carefree guy you met so many months ago.

“So I’ve been thinking a lot about our conversation in the park. There’s so many things I’ve been wanting to say to you, so many things to apologize for.” He takes a breath and clears his throat. “I know I hurt you more than I ever thought possible, but do you think we could ever get back to where we were?”

That’s the last question you expect him to ask, and you take a minute to respond, not quite knowing what to say.

“I- I don’t know, Rafe.”

He nods, disappointed but not surprised by your answer. “Do you think you would consider it, if I got clean again for you?”

You take a deep breath, thinking about your answer. You love Rafe more than you’ve ever loved anyone. You can’t imagine anything better than being with him again. But you also know that it’s not as simple as he wants it to be.

“I think you tried to stay clean for me once already and it wasn’t enough. Not that you didn’t love me, there’s just more to it than that.”

You close the distance between the two of you, reaching up to place a hand on his cheek. He leans into your touch, both of you soaking up the comfort of each other’s presence. His eyes gaze hopefully into yours.

“I think if you are truly going to get clean, it has to be something you do for yourself. I can’t be your reason, Rafe. You have to want this for yourself or it’ll never last.”

Rafe looks crestfallen at your words. You know it’s not what he wants you to say, but you also know it’s the truth. He reluctantly pulls your hand away from his face, giving it a squeeze before returning it to your side.

“I understand.” He gives you a small smile. “And thank you.”

You nod back, unable to say anything more in fear that you’ll begin to cry, and he turns away, walking back to his car.

When he pulls out of the parking spot, you climb into the safety of your car and let the tears fall. You hope with every fiber of your being that he finds a reason within himself to get clean, and you wish you could be by his side in the process, but you know you know it’s not possible.

-

“Hey, Sarah? Are you here?”

Rafe knocks on the door to his sister's bedroom. A minute later she pulls open the door, a concerned look appearing on her face when she sees his serious one.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“I talked to Y/N earlier. I want to get clean, for good this time. Will you help me?”

“Yes. Yes, of course I will.” Sarah pulls her brother into a hug. “I’ll be here the whole time. I’m really proud of you.”

Rafe can’t help the tears that fall at her words, squeezing her a little tighter. “Thank you.”

-

It’s been over a month since you last saw Rafe. The day after your conversation outside the restaurant, you got a call from Sarah. She told you that Rafe made a decision to get clean, and that she had helped him find an inpatient rehab facility on the mainland.

You were so happy for him, still are. You know how tough the decision to go to rehab must’ve been for him. You can’t imagine what Ward had to say to his son about it.

Taking your advice to heart, Rafe hasn’t attempted to contact you during his treatment. Sarah gives you frequent updates on his progress when you hang out, giving you peace of mind that he was doing well.

You try your best not to think about Rafe too much, but with Sarah out of town this week to visit him, you can’t control your wandering mind. As you drag yourself through the motions of work, making drink after drink for rowdy customers, you wonder what he’s doing right now.

When you see a tall figure approach the bar, you think you must be hallucinating, the long day catching up to you. There’s no way it’s actually Rafe standing in front of you.

“Hey, darlin’.” He grins at you, and your mind flashes back to nearly ten months ago when the two of you were standing in the exact same spots.

“Rafe,” you breathe out, a smile growing on your face. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m back.”

“You’re back. For good?”

“For good.”

You beam, pushing yourself up and over the bar to throw your arms around him. You hold him tightly for a minute before pulling away. “When did you get back?”

“Just now. This is the first place I came. I had to see you. I’m clean, Y/N. For good this time.” Rafe looks down at you, eyes so filled with love and pride you could cry.

“I have a very important question for you.” He leans closer to you, lowering his voice. “Will you go on a date with me, please?”

You reach up, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck before crashing your lips against his. Rafe holds you close, fitting himself to you as though he never left. You let yourself melt into the kiss, taking in his presence, his comfort, his touch. After a second peck, you pull away slightly to answer his question.

“Yes, I would love to go on a date with you.”

-

Writing masterlist

Tagging those of you who asked for a part 2: @beautifulvoidwinner @icanfixhimclub @proactivetypaperson @holy-macncheese-balls

[sweetyluvs]

𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

Tess Servopoulos x fem! reader

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒: while tess is at a bar with Joel, she catches sight of you. she approached, and it lead to something more.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: not a request or anything, i just love tess and thought she needed some recognition because she’s beautiful, strong, hot and just overall dreamy. She makes me smile and i love her so hopefully this doesn’t go nowhere and people love her as much as i do. (there also needs to be more fics for her!!) and i was high and had two cups of coffee last night so i was a walking zombie who got possessed by the writing ghost and whipped this out

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒 - alcohol, flirting(?), attempted harassment, (warning!) men, small kiss, idk lesbians? 😭

tess sigh into her iced whiskey, the ice tapping the glass cup against the gravity as her hand raised.

it wasn’t new for her and Joel to be here. This was the only good up and running bar in the QZ, not the usual amount of fights and murders as the usuals. also the only one who somehow got away with hosting people past the FEDRA guidelines.

joel was lazily leaning on the bar next to her, arms crossed as he glared at every other living life form in the room besides her, he was like her guard dog— not that she needed one, though.

Tess’s hazel eyes lazily scanned the room, bounced off the drunk men, to the drunk women, the beat up teenagers and the cranky asshole old men. Her eyes caught sight of a small group, scanning curiously.

You sat on a chair in the middle, surrounded by old men who were placing their hands on your knee, your thigh, bicep and shoulder. the skirt you wore did you absolutely no justice as look on your face could only be read as uncomfortable, perhaps even fearful. Tess had never seen you before. You seemed to be around her age, although your skin was clear and you looked rather young. Her eyes watched, squinted, as a man was bold enough to squeeze your inner thigh, causing you to shut your legs to get him away; only causing him to laugh.

Tess felt bile rise to her throat, disgust flooding her veins as she groaned, rolling her eyes she put her glass down.

“i’ll be right back.” she huffed to joel, ignoring his eyes on her storming away figure.

She approached you and the creeps quickly, pushing her way through them.

“move, you old bastards.” She said loudly, shoving them away. “fucking creeps.”

she grabbed your hand, yanking you off your sad chair in the corner of the room. You didn’t know who this woman was, but you’d rather be with her than back.. there.

Tess lead you to where she originally was, snatching her hand from yours and quickly gulping down the rest of her whiskey the second her fingers touched the glass.

You stared at her, watching as her throat lightly bobbed with each gulp, the way her skin glistened under the lighting, her bandana around her hair—

“take a picture, it lasts longer.” she spit, twisting on her heal and leaning her hip against the bar; facing you— her eyes met yours, and a strange electric feeling flooded you.

“oh! i’m sorry..” you covered your mouth, eyes looking away from hers bashfully.

“I’m y/n,” you introduced after a moment, outstretching your hand for hers to take. Tess’ eyes scanned you for a moment, seemingly observing you, than she took your hand in hers.

“Tess.”

you smiled. “Thank you, tess. I was.. uh,.. cornered.” you said the obvious, frowning when she dropped her hand from your grasp. “uh, yeah, i know.” she sarcastically replied, waving over the bartender. “you want anything?” her hazel eyes sent you a side glance, but you missed the way her eyes scanned your body.

“um— no that’s okay, i don’t drink. thank you.”

she murmured an ‘okay whatever’ before ordering what she had previously had, and turning back to you. “so, why’re you here?” she asked, her eyes lazily looking at you.

“I didn’t have anything else to do. there’s not much freedom in this dump.”

“you said it.” she grumbled back.

“what about you? why are you here?” you reflected the question, watching as the bartender slid her drink to her; the way her long fingers wrapped around it, bringing it to her lightly chapped lips.

“i dunno. nothing to do.” you nodded in response, sitting down on a barstool beside her standing form. “so,” she slid a little closer, so close you could smell her. “how long you been stuck in this shit hole?”

you laughed, glancing away. “Since a few years after outbreak day. There wasn’t really much of an option, especially after such heavy losses you don’t really.. know where to go.” you confessed, subconsciously fiddling with the old leather bracelet on your wrist, something tess caught notice of.

“yeah. that’s true. long time you’ve been here though, huh?”

“yeah. too long.”

silence followed, and as you were about to ask something— a man approached you. “hey, you free tonight?” he smirked at you, leaning unattractively on the bar, his orange hair looking like he’d sprayed it down with glue, smelling like fresh horse shit.

“i’m sorry, i am—”

“fuck off.”

Tess’ voice rang, making you practically whip your head to her. had she really just fearlessly told off this strong man?

you were sure your eyes were shining like stars as you looked at her.

“‘scuse me?” he barked, spit flying. Tess leaned closer, and you felt like a small child between the two.

“i said, fuck off. are you deaf?”

You glanced back to the man, who looked like he was about to throw hands, just before his face went ghost pale. “fuck you.” he said before practically running away. you stare after him, jaw lightly dropped when he leaves the bar.

you slowly turn back to Tess, did she have a gun or something?

your eyes land on her face, her Hazel eyes staring directly through you, and behind her— quite literally the biggest man you’ve ever seen. you were sure your face had gone as pale as the creeps because a laugh left the brunette’s whiskey wet lips.

“don’t worry, he doesn’t bite.”

you laughed nervously, swallowing the thick ball of nervous saliva in your throat. what didn’t help, was the way Tess was looking at you. Staring so deeply you felt.. well, naked.

you couldn’t help but stare back, entranced by your female prince in shining armor.

“i guess i should thank you again.” you gushed, cheeks heating up from uncanny embarrassment.

“yup.”

“i’ll buy you that drink,” you quipped, catching her eyes. “and the one before, and your friends, and as many as you’d like to have tonight.. a-as a thank you, of course.” Tess raised her brows, looking to Joel before smiling.

“great. That’s joel.” she leaned more onto the counter, her muscular biceps flexing. “you’re gonna be here a while, might as well buy yourself somethin’.” You grinned, shyly.

she waved over the bartender again, turning to you. “ladies first.” you blushed, looking away.

“a chocolate milk, please.”

the next few hours at the bar were spent talking to Tess, and occasionally Joel. You’d learned that they were close friends, not a couple. she emphasized that part. apparently she’d been in the QZ around the same time as you, and you wondered why you were just now having the privilege of meeting her. Tess was only a few months older than you— and she was the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen. you’d told her some funny stories from your childhood; one including how you’d grabbed a bee thinking it was a firefly, and getting stung right on the palm of your hand. She had called you Bee because of it. although, Tess didn’t say much about herself. mostly questioning you; where you’re from, your favorite drink, why you don’t just tell the men to fuck off. what she didn’t understand at first, was you weren’t a muscular woman with a big man behind you all the time.

Eventually, time flew by and it was 3 in the morning.

You laughed at a story she’d told you, cheeks not losing their rosy color once.

“that’s silly.”

“yeah, tell him that. i mean, c’mon, Joel.” she teased, shoving his shoulder.

he sigh, pushing himself off from his leaning position and giving her a certain look before glancing to the clock on the wall, and back away.

You’d noticed the two continuously communicate through simple movements, eye motions and gestures. It was interesting, really. it made you realize how close they truly were.

Tess let out a big huff of air, shaking her head before standing up fully as well.

“this has been nice, bee, but we gotta go.” You nodded, standing up as well. Tess waved over the bartender, observing you closely as you take out small bag you had and “paid” the bartender. You smiled at him, saying a friendly bye before looking back to Tess. She began walking, and you subconsciously followed.

“geez, it’s cold”. you shivered when the freezing night air hit your skin.

“that’s boston.” you nodded, watching Joel inspect the gate leading to a alleyway— you assume their going to jump it instead of taking the secret routes to hide from FEDRA for being out late.

Tess shuffled a little, pursing and un-pursing her lips.

“been fun, bye, bee. see ya’.” she said lowly, waving an awkward bye before you called her name.

“wait!— erm, i mean hold on, please.” you quickly walked over to her, watching as her eyes scanned your face the closer you got. You stopped only a few inches from her; her warm breath fanning your neck.

You hesitantly, and quickly, places a soft peck to her cheek, smiling upon seeing the smirk on her face.

“already?”

you laughed, now noticing the blush coating her cheeks.

“goodnight, tess.”

“goodnight, bee.”

Tess turned her back, her heart beating a little too fast for her liking.

Who knew a girl at the bar would eventually change her life for the better?

[midnight-laundry]

wrote this on twitter but i figure i should put my meta on the meta website

been thinking about the last episode’s title, and how this could apply to edizzy/steddyhands. warning: i’m very confidently wearing my clown makeup and wig and shoes and nose so buckle in.

where edizzy stand rn, it makes sense to want them to end things and move on, but does that really address the source of their dysfunction? when you’re young or just starting to understand relationships, it can feel like the best thing to do is end things whenever they’re no longer easy or supplying you with as much dopamine as it used to. but as you get older, and hopefully more mature, it could become more likely that you’ll look inward instead.

obviously, there’s a line between actual awful abusive relationships that should absolutely end, and flawed relationships where the ppl in them lost their way and stopped trying as hard. i’ve seen some ppl argue that izzy in the relationship IS abusive (i don’t agree, obviously, esp with ed as the one with the power between the two of them) but viewing their interactions and the way they’re familiar with each other, i really don’t believe that.

these two are in a dysfunctional spot when we meet them, “discomfort in a married state” “trouble in paradise” and so on.

ed is tired of blackbeard, tired of the role he plays and the life he’s built. but the show doesn’t try to tell us that /izzy/ is the reason life has gotten like this for them. it makes it clear that this ennui is a result of ed’s own unhappiness and restlessness.

piracy has gotten boring, he’s tired of the grind, of the constant planning and scheming. for ed, it feels easier to glomp onto this new guy and to run away to china. but better metas than this one have delineated why that wouldn’t have solved his issues, and the edstede relationship would’ve blown up eventually, either by ed becoming bored once again, or stede resenting that he left piracy after his “career” had barely even begun.

izzy has his own plethora of issues he needs to face, too. while he could leave ed and find another captain, what would stop him from repeating the same mistakes he did with ed? dedicating his life to one person, devotion without reciprocation, lashing out when the person doesn’t live up to the be-pedestaled image iz has in his mind?

what if, instead, edizzy can find a way to actually… change… for the better? what if izzy sees a different way forward than just “the only retirement we get is death” and is allowed the space and safety to find it? what if ed is given the chance to figure out who he actually is and what he wants, if he were to understand why he feels so restless in the first place?

could they learn to see each other as a whole complete person? not as just a loyal dog (izzy) or a wrathful god (ed) but as a lover, a partner, a confused man trying to make sense of the cards they’ve been dealt?

stede will have to go on his own empathy journey, but I’d love to see edizzy figure it out without stede. there’s still something there, these two built a life and it must’ve worked for a while for them. i think there’s still something there worth salvaging.

because “wherever you go, there you are” and learning to be better to each other would be how they can get somewhere else, because then they’d be /someone/ else. and what better way to fix their mistakes than with the person they’d initially made them with? i don’t know if this makes sense but: tl;dr edizzy should fix their relationship bc it seems to fit the show’s thesis of “talking it through” and dismantling previous notions of “how things are done”

edizzy are salty sea dogs but could still learn new tricks. and also djenks should give us steddyhands as justice for all the sad pirate threesomes that never came to be

[berrypass-de-murdler]

2 - 92 A Good Old-Fashioned Village Murder

New updatesss

Idk if this tumblr communities thing will catch on, BUT,

I have of course started a murdle group for all murdle fans :3 JOIN

please? :3

I also now have

A second blog, for my nonmurdle art (I can't believe i have other fandoms!)

so ye if you wanna see ;w;

Murdle Advent Day 13

Astrologer Azure witnesses a meteor shower!

DON'T READ THE EPISODES WITHOUT READING THE BOOKS!!

There’s only a bit more to climb before the oxymorons reach Castle Eminence. They arrive at a small village cluster. 

It’s a horrible place that’s completely dead and dried-out. The humans living there look miserable and diseased. One of them suddenly screams and points to a dead one.

PERSON: IT WAS THE NIGHT-EATER!!

Logico sees some suspects nearby, and doesn’t think that's true.

LOGICO: Why did you decide to live so close to the alleged night-eater anyway? 

Then he realizes that humans can’t be reasoned with. Radical Crimson and Sergeant Gunmetal are there.

R. CRIMSON: Thinking of fighting the night-eater? Good LUCK, Logico. You couldn’t survive if your life depended on it. GUNMETAL: I will not protect you! LOGICO: That’s fine. GREY: LogicOOOOOO 🎵

Earl Grey twirls nearby.

LOGICO: The fuck are you doing here? I haven’t seen you in ages. GREY: I was going for a fantastic hike, and it just brought me here! LOGICO: We’re halfway up a mountain!

Irratino sees a big fluffy dog too.

IRRATINO: Cloud! 

He runs over to them. 

IRRATINO: How’ve you been?

Cloud twitches, but doesn’t respond.

IRRATINO: Cloud?

Cloud’s eyes are invisible as always, but they have a dead, vacant expression. They’re emitting a low growl. But they calm a bit when Irratino strokes them. He decides to keep them company while Logico looks around.

LOGICO: Hooray, I love having no help. IRRATINO: I’m still helping!

He picks up a silver bullet off the ground. 

IRRATINO: Radical Crimson. LOGICO: How-

He goes to interrogate the propaganda perpetrators.

LOGICO: I feel like I’ve been asking this a lot but… why are you here? GUNMETAL: The victim is a great source of blood.  LOGICO: The fuck?? GUNMETAL: What? I need to make a sacrifice to the night-eater so it doesn’t kill me like it did this fellow. 

Earl Grey is prancing around, happy as can be.

LOGICO: What is wrong with you? GREY: I always dance at a crime scene. LOGICO: This is a diseased village! People are dying of radiation poisoning! And there could be Graywalkers anywhere! GREY: I’m not a Graywalker. I’m EARL Grey. LOGICO: …

Irratino has Cloud’s head on his lap.

IRRATINO: We saw a whole family of Yetis yesterday, that’s awesome, right? Wanna hear a weird riddle? It goes, “Who wanted to harvest blood?”

Cloud twitches and makes a concerning gurgling sound. They suddenly jerk their head up and stumble away.

IRRATINO: Wait! I know it’s gory, but I didn’t get to the answer! “The person in the abandoned manor house!” IT’S RELEVANT TO THE CASE!

When Logico puts all the pieces together, he declares that Cloud was the murderer all along. However, it seems they’ve gone missing.

LOGICO: How could you lose them? IRRATINO: It wasn’t me! 

Cloud appears again, crashing into a house and scraping at the wall.

IRRATINO: Cloud, buddy! What happened??

Cloud leaps, pinning down Irratino, and tries to bite him! Logico shoves them away with all his might. They vomit up a thick, greasy gray liquid, and snarl and thrash, giving themself wounds. The noises they’re making don’t sound like a person or a dog. Gunmetal shoots a dart at them to subdue them, and Logico and Irratino stare in fear. It’s clear what happened - they have witnessed the creation of a Graywalker.

LOGICO: All the Graywalkers… they could be people we know! IRRATINO: I told you I had a connection with them… this is horrible. They could die. LOGICO: Could the poisoning be coming from Castle Eminence?

A bat goes near the castle and immediately dies.

IRRATINO: …Yes. EMINENCE: [snoring mini-vampire noises]

The end!

IT'S FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH a great day for mini-vampires I presume

The power of Goat Lord compels you!

See you next time murdlers!

[housewifebuck]

Do you have any unpopular and/or strong opinions about car care? Products people get or don’t when they should?

I’m in the freaking out about getting a cat soon stage lol

🩵💜🩵💜

hiiii<3 congratulations you have pressed my special interest button! I have extremely strong opinions on proper cat care from the perspective of a rescuer since every day I am faced with cleaning up the messes of people who do NOT take care of their cats properly. I am putting everything under the cut since this will include mentions of animal abuse/neglect etc. And also it’s going to be very long I fear.

First and foremost as I’m sure you will soon be able to tell animal welfare is something I am very very passionate about. Rescue work is my entire life. These are all things I have had to repeat over and over to people who just don’t care/don’t get it and so if some of it sounds aggressive that is NOT directed at you (Michal) 😭 I’m talking to the royal you here since this is advice for everybody.

the most important thing in the world is to make sure your cat is FIXED. if she is coming from a rescue she likely already is, but if shes not, make sure you have an appointment set up to get it + rabies and FVRCP vaccines done asap (I also recommend getting the feline leukemia vaccine, which is not usually done in house by rescues). I would even make the appointment now if you know when you are bringing her home. on top of preventing countless health issues down the road, it will also keep her from reproducing if she ever accidentally gets outside. not only is that awful for the mom cat but we already have enough homeless kittens out there tyvm. PS this is just as important for male cats.

speaking of which, do not let your pet cat free roam outside*. Ever. here is a handy article outlining just a few of the many many reason why it is a terrible and irresponsible thing to do. I dont care if you think you live in a low risk area, or if your cat seems to want to get outside, or if you've had outdoor cats before with no issue. I have had to scrape countless dead cats out of the roadway after being hit by cars because their owners let them outside. Rat poison (very commonly found around peoples houses and in trash cans), if ingested, will literally cause an animal to exsanguinate and die in agony. Other stray cats in the area could be carrying FIV/FeLV or worse. If any of your neighbors grow lilies and your cat brushes against one and licks the pollen from their fur, they will die. There’s just so many reasons to keep your cats indoors I could go on about this forever. if you absolutely must take your cat outside either leash train them (properly, dont just take them out on a leash for the first time and expect them to be okay with it) or get a kitty stroller. But there are PLENTY of ways to keep your cat enriched and entertained indoors. Cat trees, shelves, bird feeders outside, interactive toys, treat dispensers, just to name a few. Go on chewy.com and just browse. They have an excellent selection and great customer service. Another alternative is building a catio! Just make sure your cat receives regular flea/tick treatment year round.

avoid the hell out of those backpack carriers with the clear plastic windows. those are terrifying for cats to be in they feel completely exposed and the ventilation is shit. get a proper hard sided (plastic) carrier. I recommend one with two doors (one on the front and one on top, otherwise known as a top loading carrier). When you travel outside or in the car be sure to cover the carrier with a towel or blanket. This calms them down a lot. The reasons I recommend against soft/mesh carriers are: they are impossible to clean or sanitize if your cat has an accident (very common in the car) or contracts an infectious disease, they provide no protection in the event of being dropped or if you are in a car accident or if you run into a cat-aggressive dog in the vet waiting room, and especially anxious cats can and will fight their way out of them and having a terrified cat loose in your car on your way to the vet is extremely dangerous for both of you.

Expect your new cat to be scared and shy for a few days-to-weeks, minimum. This isn’t always the case, but it is more often than not. I have had so many cats returned for not being friendly enough right away because adopters were too impatient to wait. It takes cats time to decompress in a new environment. I recommend keeping your new cat in a separate room like a bathroom or small bedroom for the first few days so a) it is less overwhelming and b) once you allow them access to the rest of the house, that room will be their “safe space” to retreat to. Also normal when a cat has experienced an environmental shift are: mild vomiting and/or diarrhea (I recommend keeping the cat on whatever diet they have been fed previously and doing a slow transition to your food of choice, + add in probiotics. Proviable and Fortiflora are two brands I like, both available on chewy), hiding in one place for the first 24ish hours, and occasionally stress induced urinary issues such as UTIs. To best avoid the latter make sure their litter box is somewhere they can get to easily without encountering any human or animal traffic. But don’t put it next to their food/water obviously.

And speaking of food/water! Cats tend not to like their food to be right next to their water. I recommend placing the dishes a few feet away at least if not in separate areas of the room. Also, cats by nature do not drink enough water usually so some amount of wet food in their diet is pretty important, and water fountains/bubblers also help get them to drink more. Chronic dehydration can cause urinary issues and more. Dry food is better for their teeth but higher in carbs and a dry-only diet often leads to an overweight cat, and wet food can cause plaque buildup faster but has a much higher moisture content. A balance of both is ideal. Avoid raw diets as well as these food brands: Hartz**, kit & caboodle, meow mix, friskies.

If you keep houseplants, be very very careful. Cats are curious and love to chew on anything that smells like nature and will go out of their way to do so, but a LOT of common houseplants are toxic to cats (for example, every part of the Lily flower, if ingested and not treated immediately, will kill your cat within a day). The ASPCA has a database online to search for plants and see if they are toxic or not.

The rule of thumb with litter boxes is 1 per cat +1. So if you have one cat, you need a minimum of 2 litter boxes, preferably in separate rooms of the house. Corners and secluded areas with little foot traffic are ideal. Make sure the box is the length of your cat standing up + about 6 inches for ideal comfort. Avoid “lightweight” litter; it’s super dusty and very fine and can irritate both your lungs and your cat’s lungs.

Stay on top of your annual vet exams. Even if your cat seems perfectly healthy it’s better safe than sorry, and having a good rapport with your veterinarian makes it much easier to deal with them in the event of an emergency. And on that topic, make sure you know where your local ER vets are + their hours and phone numbers. Cats are tough and resilient but they are also fragile and stupid.

*obviously different rules may apply if your cat is feral or semi feral and cannot live happily indoors. It is not typically a good idea to try and force a feral/working cat to be strictly indoors before they’re ready. But a regular domestic pet cat does not ever “need” to be outside, nor is it cruel to keep them in. This doesn’t always stop them from being interested though, so be careful around doors until you know how your cat will behave around them.

**while the other brands are just low in nutrients, high in filler byproducts, and just overall not super healthy, Hartz brand products (especially their flea and tick medication and shampoos) have been known to straight up kill peoples pets. Like, a LOT. I have seen this happen countless times. Everyone I know who’s ever used a Hartz product has a horror story about it. Do not ask me how they’re still in fucking business.

Honestly that’s all I can think of off the top of my head but I’m sure I’m forgetting some stuff. If you have any specific questions you can hit me up, I don’t mind! Part of my job as a rescuer is educating the public so this is information I am very happy to share. Congrats on your new kitty and good luck!!!!

[hettiesworld]

I'm Just Ken

Name of fic: I’m Just Ken

Pairing: Jeremy Renner x female reader

Plot summary: After Jeremy and Ava went to watch Barbie, and you get back from grocery shopping, you hear a certain song blasting on Jeremy’s playlist once you get back home…

Word count: 688 words

Warnings: Fluff, just fluff. Author’s note: I watched Barbie at the cinema and I absolutely loved it! I feel like Ava would drag Jeremy along to watch Barbie with her, and I stand by that. Also Jeremy is definitely a Ken, and I would think he would play Ken if it didn’t go to Ryan 😂 So enjoy this short drabble I just wrote!

As you get back home from a busy day of grocery shopping, you closed the door to the house you share with your boyfriend, Jeremy and his daughter Ava. You tried to carry two full bags through the front door as you call out to the two of them. “Hey! I’m back!” You heard Ava run from her room towards the front door as she went up to you, helping you with the shopping, taking the lighter bag out of the two for you. “Thank you Ava. Now, where’s your dad?” You ask him, as Ava smiled and pointed at his music studio.

You nodded back, thanking her before you both made your way to the kitchen. “How was Barbie, Ava?” You continued to ask her, you didn’t go with her as you already seen it with your best friend y/bf/n, so Ava dragged Jeremy to go and see it instead. “It was amazing! Daddy got me a Barbie and Ken doll afterwards! Can you play with me later?” Ava excitingly said to you, slightly jumping up and down.

“Of course, you go up to your room and prepare our playdate whilst I’ll go and surprise your dad, okay?” Ava nodded again as she rushed back to her room to get the dolls. In the meantime, putting away everything only took a few minutes, and that gave you time to check in on Jeremy. You knew he was currently making music because of two reasons: the first one being obvious as in his accident earlier that year, and the other reason being the writer strikes going on right now. You slowly walk towards the music studio, and your ears pricked up like a dog as you heard a familiar song going on behind the door. Is that…? You quietly opened the door and the song became more clearer as ‘I’m Just Ken’ by Ryan Gosling – that was in the Barbie movie – was playing through Jeremy’s speakers. And he was singing along to it. ‘Did this mean that he liked the movie then?’ You thought to yourself as you sneaked up behind him. You have always adored his singing voice, even before your relationship with him and you made that clear on your first date. 'Cause I'm just Ken

Anywhere else I'd be a ten

Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blonde fragility?

“Hey Ken!” You teased him as you tapped him on the shoulder, which made him jump slightly and turned around to face you. “Oh my God Y/n! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” He retorted at you, sighing with relief to find out it was you who sneaked up on him. You just laughed.

“I just got back from shopping and Ava told me you would be in here.” You explained to him as you noticed that he was wearing some Barbie merch, more specifically the ‘I’m Just Kenough’ shirt that Ryan Gosling wore in the movie. “Did you enjoy the movie then?” You asked him, trying not to laugh as you snigger to yourself. “I did actually.” Jeremy said proudly.

“Y’know… you could’ve been in that movie as Ken. I mean, you’ve got a good enough singing voice.” You suggested to him with a smile. “Yes, but Ryan is more attractive than me…” You snigger as you playfully push him. “That is not true, you know that! Would you do it though, if Scarlett was Barbie?” You ask him with a slight smirk on your face. Jeremy smirked back as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer towards him. “I would’ve done it either way.” He simply said, just before kissing you softly on the lips and you wrapped your arms around his neck. You were only slightly shorter than Jeremy, so you had to get on your tip-toes to kiss him.

"You're my Barbie, y'know that right?" Jeremy said to you, with a smile on his face.

"Yeah I know that..." You laugh at him, a smile on your face as well and both of your foreheads together. "And you're my Ken."