#and also tammy shes here too

[dapperbasil]

5, 13, 16

mwah

Mwah!

5. What's your least favourite clan? Why?

Oh you're playing with fire here. Okay, if we go lore as written, it has to be the Ravnos. In my opinion they just are not written very well and are much better when you disregard a lot of the... Problematic elements of their clan lore and focus on the individual. The Ravnos I have in my chronicle are fairly far removed from the clan as a whole (especially as antitribu) and they focus more on their flaw as a bigger part of their identity.

13. Do you have a comfort character? What makes them special to you?

So. I think it's cheating to pick Zacharias since he's technically not mine (but I am the one who developed him from the original concept) so to literally nobody's surprise I'm going to talk about Tammy. Surprisingly, she's not my first VtM character but she's the first who's game actually stuck around and I've become very attached to her.

She originally was a concept of "Person who has barely any qualities that would make her seem like a good pick gets embraced into clan Ventrue" and she cringefailgirled her way into my heart ever since. She tries so hard, despite the stacked odds, despite being clumsy and rash and stubborn and dumb as fucking bricks. Tammy is far from perfect, she's a terrible example of a Ventrue, yet she makes it work. She powers through every obstacle in her way, focused on her goal despite every setback every kidnapping every attack on her unlife, despite having her credit taken because a fledgling can't upstage the elders, despite losing her sense of self, despite losing her fucking EYE and not even being sure if she can achieve it. Her determination to reach her goal is beautiful, and that's all I can really say about that.

16. Do you have a character that was created from a dumb/ silly idea but now you can't imagine not having them?

And this is where I'm going to sound like a hypocrite! Because the character for this is my beloved Ravnos shovelhead Ricky Roberts. When I was creating the Dollhouse pack NPCs for my chronicle, I wanted to create characters that would compliment and fill in the gaps between my player characters. Ricky... Was not really that. Ricky was originally a concept I quite loved and wanted to execute. The luckiest shovelhead alive. Hated so much by his previous pack, the shovelhead who just wouldn't die despite how many missions he was sent on meant for him not to survive. Eventually he left that pack and joined the Dollhouse, finding a place where he belonged.

He's such a fun character, and genuinely so silly but also so important to the pack at this point. He ghouled a possum, he's a slut, he's got the lucky merit as well as nine lives, he was pre-law before his embrace. There's a lot more about him the pack doesn't even know. Yet he's the most ride or die for his new pack, the people who gave him somewhere to belong in this new, strange life.

[cheer-nympho]

Steve was always being brushed off when he asked people to read things aloud for him,

In middle school his assigned partner for their ‘Frankenstein’ project gave him a scornful glare and ignored him when he had asked them to read the passages aloud.

In his sophomore year, he’d turned to ask Robin Buckley to read a old newspaper article about the ‘Wild West’ to him, because he couldn’t make it out through the fonts and weird words. She had fixed him with a cold look but before she could respond, Tammy was tapping his shoulder offering her help.

Then, while studying with Nancy and Barb at lunch, Steve had asked for help reading study cards. His own study cards. The paper was too bright and the squiggles too squiggly. Both of them had looked at him, them each other, clearly trying to decide if it was a joke.

Barb had scoffed under Nancys pointed look and gone back to her own notes. And while Nancy hadn’t read them out for him, she had handed him her own notes on some nice blue and yellow cards. It took him a while, but he could read them. Maybe she thought he hadn’t wrote any.

After that, he went a long time without asking anyone to read him things. Turns out that once you graduate, reading isn’t much of an issue. He’d gotten by just fine by looking at his Archie comics and ignoring the swirling lines of articles surrounding them.

He didn’t need to ask again until Scoops Ahoy. For a cheap, overly themed ice cream parlour there sure was a whole lot of memorising and reading to be done. He couldn’t see the charts properly, couldn’t really make out the dates on the tubs in the freezer. But every time he asked Robin for help, her frown would deepen and deepen until she just snapped. It hadn’t been that mean, really. Just an annoyed yell followed by accusations of being lazy, her not understanding how he managed to graduate, one last comment of him being a ‘bumbling idiot’.

After the Russians, she never said anything like that to him again. And she always did the inventory and lists for him.

It takes until summer, 1987, for anyone to read aloud to Steve. They were laying across Eddie’s new bed in comfortable silence.

Steve had his legs dangling off the edges as Eddie leant back against him, legs pointing up against the wall in a way he swore was actually comfortable. He had been reading a new book called “Spellfire” and he couldn’t seem to put it down.

“Eddie?”

“Hm?”

“What’s your book about?”

“This? Well I…Not sure it’s really your thing, man.”

“Maybe.” He goes back to reading. “I could see if it’s my thing?”

Eddie twists his head sideways to look up at Steve with a slightly confused face. “You wanna borrow it?”

“Was thinking you could read it.” He fiddled with the pocket of his jeans in a hopefully casual and not freaking out way. He didn’t look at Eddie as he waited, but after a few moments he responded.

“Sure. That’s fine, yeah. Want me to start over or go from here?”

“From there is good.”

And it was good, it was really really good. Steve hadn’t been able to read a book since middle school, hadn’t really tried again after that. But as he lay back and let Eddie’s voice wash over him he couldn’t help feeling that he’d been missing out.

Sure, it actually wasn’t really his thing, but the way Eddie read aloud painted such a clear picture that Steve enjoyed it anyway. The other would change his voice slightly for different characters and added emotions into his speaking. If it was a tense moment, he’d go slow and add gaps in just the right places. If it was fast paced he’d speed up and get more and more manic until the action cut off. He felt like he was reading along. Felt like he could see the pages in the book, but also the characters and the dungeon they were combining through.

So, for the first time Steve hadn’t been brushed off. He had probably found the only person he knew who could turn reading a book into a performance. One he would happily be seated for every night.

From then on, new books turned up at the trailer every week, Steve not far behind.

[shrimpyjackal]

For your villian peri au, do tammy and tommy exist? If so how does peri feel about them? I can kinda see him being extra possessive if irep tries to get near them. Like talk to them and I will kill you or something like that, they are technically his niece and nephew after all.

Does dale try and get dev to get closer to them as an excuse to see timmy more in private?

And what about dev, what does he think of the twins?

In short: yes. They DO exist , but theyre living in different city. Ya know, its a bad idea to move kids & wifey with him im Dimmadelfia when kids are in their first grade. But Timmy have work in Dimma-city, so he like 80% of the month is not home.

/ yea i want to keep the theme from swap au of Tammy & Tommy being younger than Hazel & Dev, cause we have enough of interesting characters of THEIR age already /

And Timmy doesn't mention his family at all that much ( Also he tries to not bring work at home and vice versa), so that was quite a surprise for everyone!

The second Peri get the info abt the he tries to make sure Irep doesn't know any of that, but that was a stupid attempt, Hazel is hella exited to meet em if there will be an opportunity, she liked Timmy, so his kids must be cool too! Our girl can`t contain her exitement!

so Irep was unaware not that long, haha

Dev feels conflicted, cause like... theyre not here, he doesnt even know what they`re look like, but Peri is a godPARENT, and these are TiMmYs KiDdOs, and Peri was sad that Timmy didnt metntion em yet. But looks like Dev doesnt need to worry about at least one parental figure in his life-

[rivvyribbons]

have some of the step 4 qiu design predictions i doodled!! yapping down below

okay okay so!! i think in terms of fashion, qiu would stay somewhat similar maybe? experimenting with different styles here and there but like.. i think i can only pry away that puffer jacket from their cold dead hands

their fashion is pretty consistent over all, actually!! dark jeans + sweater (in step 2 + step three, its a white sweater with a pattern thrown on) and that bomber jacket once more

i think the factor of their appearance that they experiment with the most is with their accessories and hair!!

their hair is very, very important to them. in all steps, it's never goes above their jaw. and in step 3, it even goes somewhat down to their stomach!! most of their hairstyles however are very low effort, something you can do quickly (high pony, low pony, half up half down)

i imagine in step 4, they'd try to change it up with something that takes a little more time. maybe pins, claw clips (inspired by this). i think it wouldn't be too far to say that maybe they'd dye it a lighter color, or add some highlights!!

honestly, their accessories seem pretty consistent too. fingerless gloves, chokers / necklaces, earrings! maybe they would borrow some of their mom's jewelries (she's seen wearing rings and earrings!!) her accessories are gold, which is nice because its their favourite, but i can see them leaning towards silver jewelry as time goes on!!

i can also imagine that they would try out riding a motorbike instead of their usual bike (inspired by this). black or grey helmet with accents of gold!! it just makes sense to me -- its a way for them to clear their mind without having to use their phone and its something they can do alone!

although gold is their favourite color, i thought it'd make more sense to add it little by little instead of putting it everywhere. less is more yadda yadda

i wanted to do tammy in the same post but honestly she is not as predictable as qiu </3 but i love her and i will struggle for her

[buckysgrace]

i have a gator fic for you and it’s been one of those things i imagine while trying to fall asleep. gator developing a crush on a hooter’s girl. 👀 like bro would take such a liking to her and specifically ask for her table from then on out and be such a gentleman. like walking her out to her car after her shift and leaving a fat tip after every meal. eventually he would ask her out but just the thought of him coming in there just to see her and get to know her is so cute

i had to put hooters dale in here idk

You have no idea how much I needed this, thank you so much. Also gotta love hooters Dale <3

Gator is a lil vulgar and a bit of an ass but is that really surprising lol. He also refers to reader as girl and she/her.

He felt like a teenager when he walked through the doors, eyes wandering and locking in on the details. As in the uniforms. He stared at all the girls that walked by, admired all of their legs and their cleavage. It made him feel giddy, feeling similar to the nights that he had gone to The Tender Trap with the boys.

"What's good to eat here, anyway?" He asked as he plopped down at the end of the booth, sitting further towards the edge so he didn't have to deal with Davis bouncing his feet up and down.

"Does it matter?" Nugent was across from him, hat still placed on his head as he cocked his eyebrows. He looked a little too happy to be here, considering he had a fiancée at home. Then again, he always tipped extra for the gals that would dance up on him.

"Guess not." He mumbled, even though he hadn't eaten much since his lunch break. And that had been hours ago. Tits were nice, but staring at them wouldn't solve his hunger either.

"Nugent isn't worried about the food," Davis spoke up, a wry smile on his lips, "he just wishes Tammy's ass looks like that." He mocked as he pointed towards one of the waitresses that walked by, her orange shorts tight across her backside. Gator snickered, unable to help himself as Nugent glowered at them.

"He's lucky these bitches get off on the attention." He responded, trying to figure out what the difference between these workers and the local strippers were. They were all teases.

"Afternoon, gentlemen," a pretty voice sounded from his right, interrupting whatever Thomas had been trying to say. His face briefly turned to a scowl before his features relaxed, a goofy smile forming on his lips instead, "oh, my bad. You're officers. S'nice to meet you all, I'll be takin' care of you this evening. Do we want beers to start off with?"

Any confidence he had suddenly left him, his mouth feeling dry as his eyes landed on you. You were stunning, ethereal even. You bore a bright smile, a light amount of makeup as your eyes kindly wandered across the table. He was sure that all of the broads here played nice to get a bigger tip, but something about the look on your expression told him that you were different. Just a bit.

He momentarily dropped his gaze down to your shirt that clung to your chest just right, showing off just enough skin to still make him wonder what you had hidden away. Your orange shorts clung to your hips nicely too, making him worry that he'd start drooling.

It took him a second to realize that everyone was waiting for his answer, as your eyes had landed on him for the final answer. He shifted in his seat, all of his usual swagger and boldness gone. As if he had forgotten how to flirt.

"That would be nice." He choked out, trying to ignore the way his cheeks had begun to burn. He refused to look towards the men he was sitting with, feeling like their little tittering was enough to piss him off.

"I don't suppose I need your I.D's," you continued to speak teasingly, maybe even flirtatiously as you turned your attention back towards him, "or will I get in trouble for that?" A million dirty thoughts raced through his mind, but he didn't speak them out loud, suddenly worried that he might offend you. Or maybe you already were insulted over what he had said when you had walked up on them.

And that had never happened.

He didn't care what other people thought. Well, for the most part. But he certainly didn't care about hurting some chicks feelings, even if she was pretty. And you were really pretty.

"Off duty," Davis teased as he leaned forward, suddenly making Gator's blood boil. He didn't like the way he was looking at you, how his eyes lingered on your exposed skin, "no need to worry, doll face."

If it bothered you, you didn't let it show. He assumed you were used to far worse anyway. And that made him angry too. He just couldn't explain why.

"She's a cutie." Thomas said just barely after you had turned away, making him sure that you had at least heard him. He didn't like that either.

"Too bad you've got a lady at home." He spit out, more snarky than he meant. He couldn't believe he was letting some girl that he didn't know bother him so much.

"Hasn't stopped him before." Nugent mumbled, cocking his eyebrows in an arrogant way. Gator nearly spit out how he knew without a doubt that you weren't like that, but the venom died on his tongue as you returned with four empty cups and a pitcher of beer.

"You not gonna fill them up?" Davis was staring in disbelief, like it really was a bother that you hadn't done it yet.

"Patience is important, hun," you teased as you wagged a finger at Davis, making him wish that you were being playful with him instead, "it's a special trick." You nodded your head sincerely as you pulled a barstool up and flipped it so the seat was on the floor.

He gulped roughly, eyes greedily drinking in the way your shorts rode up on your thighs as you straddled the chair legs. You beamed as you picked up a cup in one hand, the pitcher of beer in the other.

He almost started drooling as you began to swivel your hips in a circle, making the chair move with you as you spun around three times before you slid the cup full of beer back onto the table. On the next spin you grabbed another cup, then repeated the process. He was sure that you were talking the whole time, but he heard nothing.

You were incredible.

"Last one." You grinned as you came to a slow stop, sliding the cup in his direction as the other three gave you a little applause. He felt his lips curling into a little smirk as he reached for the beer, his fingers dragging against yours softly.

"Best for last." He replied, finally feeling like his tongue had been freed from the knots you had created. Your smile grew as you nodded your head along, slowly beginning to stand up.

You stumbled as you did so, his body reacting quicker than his mind as he reached out to steady you. His hand fell against your back, right against the exposed layer of skin. He tried not to focus on how his hands burned from the feeling of touching you.

"Makes me a little dizzy after," you apologized as you patted his arm, making his insides melt, "thank you." You smiled down at him as he continued to stare, observing every little detail on your face.

"S'no problem." He replied as he let his hand drop slowly, trying to at least pretend he was a gentleman. Even though he wanted to keep holding onto you.

"You're working too hard, cutie." Davis continued on, his voice arrogant and irritating. To Gator, his tone was beginning to sound like nails on a chalkboard. He wondered if you were thinking the same thing.

"Oh, shucks," you waved him off for a moment, "alright, did everyone decide on what they'd like to eat?" You easily changed the subject, not letting anyone see if you were bothered or not by his comment.

Orders were passed around easily, but he was still struggling to focus on the letters that were printed neatly on the menu. His eyes kept drifting towards how you were holding the pen between your fingers, how you shifted from foot to foot and even the way your chest rose and fell.

"What do you suggest?" He asked as your gaze landed upon him, feeling a little giddy to have you looking at him fully once again. He could still feel your hand against his skin, like you had burned him.

"What do you like?" You asked as you tilted your head, a thoughtful look on your pretty features. He had a brief and sudden thought about drawing again, but he hadn't sketched anything in what felt like years. And he had certainly never drawn anything as beautiful as you.

"Everything." He said honestly, lips curling up softly as he watched you. Nothing really sounded good right now. Well, just one thing.

"Do you like spicy?" You asked as you pressed the end of your pen against your chin, thinking for a moment. Every second that passed made his heart thump a little harder inside of his chest.

"Love it." He said truthfully, chewing on his bottom lip as you nodded your head quickly. Even if he didn't, he'd say yes just to get your recommendation.

"The Daytona Beach wings are good," you said with a smile, pointing your manicured nails down to the suggestion, "with the curly fries and a side of jalapeño cheese. It's my favorite." You added as you touched your chest, making his heart flip inside of his chest.

"I'd think that would mess up your figure." Davis grinned as he leaned forward, a devious look in his eyes. You blinked this time, your expression cracking for just a second before you quickly covered it with a smile again.

"I'll take that then," he chewed on his bottom lip as he slowly handed you the menu, "thank you." He said, hoping to change the subject. You nodded as you took it from him, a fiery warmth spreading through him as you hoped Davis wasn't bothering you too much.

"She's working too hard for a tip," Thomas snorted, "see how she's putting herself out there?" He nudged Davis, sending Gator over the edge finally.

"Shut up." He snapped fiercely enough that the table went silent for a moment, pairs of eyes widening as they stared at him in disbelief. Then mischief spread over Nugent's features.

"Someone's got a crush." He teased, easing the tension as the other two joined in on his laughter. He shook his head, doing his best to deny it as his cheeks warmed.

"You're just fuckin' annoying." He stated in a matter of fact way, sometimes wondering why he even put up with these morons.

Dinner was fairly quiet as they munched away once you returned with food. He drowned out their complaints about their ladies and he had no interest speaking about his father or what was happening at work. He looked for you every chance he got, trying to think of some way to make a lasting impression but it was like his tongue was twisted into knots.

"Before we leave," Davis grinned again, opening his wallet to expose his loose dollar bills, "how about one last big smile?" He teased as he slowly began to pull the cash free, his eyes locking in on your reaction.

From a distance you remained your cool, flashing your pretty teeth towards him. But Gator was certain that your smile was more tense this time, a certain level of uneasiness resting against your stiff shoulders. You were tense now.

He folded up a twenty within a five, discreetly leaving it so he didn't get teased by the other three. He didn't do it because of your pretty smile, however. Part of him felt guilty, the other part was hopeful that you'd recognize how much he appreciated you.

"I'll see you guys later." He waved off the guys as he tumbled into his car, going as far as to place his keys into the engine to pretend that he was on his way too.

He just wasn't ready to leave, not just yet.

He quickly jogged back inside, walking past the hostess and around the corner towards where their table had been. He felt his pulse quickening as he looked at you, grateful that you hadn't left yet.

"Sorry about them," he mumbled as he walked back, trying not to stare at the way you bent over to clean the table off, "they can be assholes." You jumped at first, then relaxed as the corners of your lips formed into a grin.

"Comes with the job," you shrugged, still smiling. He wondered if you grew tired of that, or if you were just doing that because you thought that's what he wanted, "I'm sure you've seen your fair share too." You added as you straightened up, leaning against the table as you spoke towards him.

"Yeah," he nodded, pointing towards the booth you were blocking, "I forgot my hat." He replied as he gestured towards it, suddenly glad that he had placed it so carefully.

"Oops," you smiled as you moved aside, letting him quickly snatch it, "you wouldn't want to forget that." Your tone was still soft, carefree.

"It would suck," he smiled as he tapped it against his fingers, drifting his eyes across your features, "you have a good night now." He told you seriously, really meaning his words too.

"You too officer." Your wave was kind, eyes gleaming in amusement as he tilted his head towards you.

"it's sheriff," he corrected, biting down on his bottom lip, "deputy sheriff." He clarified a second later, eager to se what kind of reaction he'd get from that. He wanted to impress you.

"My bad, sheriff," you drawled out, eyes flickering in amusement, "you have a safe night." He was sure that he would.

-

He was back again the next night, unable to help himself. It was a long stretch, but the thought of seeing you again was worth it. He tried to be as discreet as possible when he asked if you were there, if he could be seated within your area. He had a feeling he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Back so soon?" Your hair was slightly different from yesterday, but you still looked just as pretty. He liked it. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked towards you, feeling more comfortable this time around.

"Couldn't resist the little spinny thing you did," he replied as he tapped his fingers against the table, watching the way you rested your hand on your hip, "and the wings were good."

"You lookin' for some more?" You asked him, making his stomach twist tightly together. You were vague enough to leave him wondering, but he couldn’t react fast enough to flirt back with you.

"Maybe," he mumbled as he chewed on his bottom lip, "sounds pretty good." He continued to stare, feeling like he had never been so in awe before. It was pathetic. He was like a middle schooler experiencing a crush for the first time.

"What would you like to start with, sheriff?" You asked, your voice as thick as honey and just as sweet. He felt his lips curling into a grin, not quite caring what he had as long as he got to listen to you talk more.

"A beer would be nice." He replied a second later, sure that he needed his ass beat. He hadn't been this awestruck for some time. It was embarrassing.

"Sure thing," you hummed, your fingertips brushing against his arm gently, "I'll have that right out." His heart hammered from your soft touch, his eyes following you as you turned away.

He really, really liked the way that you walked.

He ordered the same thing as the previous night, not having enough energy to look at the menu that was placed delicately between his fingers. His mind was stuck on you, on doing whatever he could to impress you.

"Do you like working here?" Small talk was easy to him, only because he knew how to gain the information that he wanted from people. And he wanted to know everything about you.

"Oh you know," you smiled gently at him, "it pays the bills." You shrugged your shoulders softly, but he could tell from your posture that you were a little stiff. But it made sense. There was no job out there that was all sunshine.

"I'm sorry if they were assholes yesterday," he told you honestly, knowing that he couldn't excuse their behavior entirely. They were always like that. He was like that, "it was just a long day."

"I get it," you said with a little nod of your head, "no hard feelings. Thank you for being so sweet." You seemed genuine, which made him feel all bubbly inside.

"No problem." He responded, blinking slowly as he analyzed the curve of your face. He wanted to kick himself. He was far too old to have a crush like some middle schooler.

He stayed around even after he was finished eating, trying to work up the courage to invite you out. He just couldn't figure out how to do it, or what you might like. There was no telling.

"I appreciate the tips," you told him as you cleared his table, "you want another water?" You asked as you reached for the pitcher, filling it up before he could deny you.

"Yeah, that would be nice." He said with a little chuckle, shifting in his seat as his mind went blank again. He wasn't necessarily thirsty, but he downed it anyway. As if it could give him some sort of confidence.

He sat for another few minutes, trying to figure out how to ask for your number when you appeared again. He sat up a little straighter, noticing how you looked much more relaxed this time around.

"Anythin' you need before I head out?" Your smile was bright, excited. It reminded him of how he felt when he was about to leave work too. He wondered what you were doing after, if you were seeing anyone.

"No, I was gettin' ready to leave too," he nodded, quickly gathering the rest of his things, "I can walk you out." He offered, knowing that it was much later than yesterday. He didn't want anything to happen to you.

"You don't have to." You said quickly, but he was already beginning to stand.

"I'd like to." He said seriously, heart hammering as he watched you debate his offer. He hoped you'd agree to it.

"Alright," you responded after a brief pause, "give me five minutes." You promised him, making him feel a little better.

Five minutes felt much longer as he waited for you at the front, suddenly wishing that he had snuck away to take a hit off of his vape. At least he wouldn't have felt so nervous, tense.

"Thank you," you told him as you wiped your palms across your shorts, "you really didn't have to do this." You looked a little relieved as you strung your bag over your shoulder, your posture more relaxed.

"I wanted to." He mumbled as he pulled the door open for you, hoping that you would be appreciative of what he was doing. He didn't want you to think he was a creep, that was for sure.

"Such a gentleman," you teased as you walked through the doorway, "you're very sweet." You added a moment later as he winced, glad that you were facing the opposite direction as he tripped over his own shoes. He straightened up a second later, trying to get himself to relax.

"You workin' tomorrow?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his neck, determined to make some sort of move. He knew he couldn't keep acting like an idiot.

"It's actually my day off." You responded as you came to a halt, eyes twinkling underneath the lights from the stars. He wondered if goosebumps had spread across your skin, based on the cloud that formed every time you exhaled.

"You got anything planned?" He asked as he bit down on his bottom lip, fiddling with his vape for a moment. He brought it up to his lips, taking a deep inhale to prepare himself for your reaction.

"Not really, how come?" You tilted your head, something mischievous hiding behind your expression. Like you knew what he was going to ask.

"Well-," he paused for a moment, trying to untangle his thoughts for a moment, "I thought I might ask you out for dinner. I know a nice place. I could pick you up at like six."

"I like dinner," you nodded your head along, your smile making his heart thump roughly inside of his chest, "I'll give you my number. I can text you my address later."

"I'd like that."

[cheezyburg]

Is it that obvious that I like Timmy that much, because for Kevin’s female version… well… i didn’t try at alll 😭 Tammy my beloved 🥺

ALSO here’s lots of doodles down belowwww

remember the role swap au I made? Welp, here are the designs of bradley and shawna

Okay, SO:

I feel like the only swap I did for bradley is instead of being gentlemanly, he’s so chaotic and a huge troublemaker, he also gets Kevin into lots of trouble. Anastasia and Percy clearly favour bradley, so to them he can’t do no wrong. Bradley’s clothes are inspired by Young Percy 👀

Shawna, so she basically is overly sweet and kind to the fact that it’s suffocating. Overtime her niceness turns into something so twisted and dark. She actually cares about society beauty standards. Has a huge crush on Timmy (tho he doesn’t reciprocate it at all, he finds her a bit annoying). BC BUD and her mom stay together too btw.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST!! Eltingville club doodle! I recently watched the pilot and mannn I wish it got picked up. I’d rather have this as my big bang theory. I know there’s comics out there, so I might get into ‘em!

[calexo]

pspspps.. totally not golden groovy woops

ANYWAYS HII!! heard u were open for requests. may i request tammy + qiu with and an artist reader :00

requests of my favorite fandoms are my catnip good gof woa who could this be‽‽ my reqs and my ask box are like always open btw >◡<

extra note/s: I refer to step 1 Qiu as he/him. Uhhh take this as platonic or romantic, I'll add an indicator for romance (𐙚) ^^

more under the cut > o

✧ At 10 years old, QIU's fascinated. How he discovers your interest and skill in arts varies but his reaction doesn't. He's impressed! Whether digital or traditional, Qiu would love to participate especially if you asked him yourself.

For this reason, he carries an extra pen and even those colored ones just in case you get bored or if you're suddenly struck by creativity when you two are playing :3

✧ The first time you show him one of your doodles you made during class, he's compelled to do the same whether or not you actually give him it. And ever since, you two've been exchanging these sketches during class. It's the cutest scene to walk into.

✧ URGH AND THE THINGS HE DOES WHEN YOU TELL HIM ABOUT ART BLOCK DEPENDING ON HOW AND WHAT YOU DRAW

You're into drawing sceneries? Trust that he starts telling you and Tamarack about more "special things" in the forest and/or the town.

Like the sky? There's this clearing a lot further into the forest at your backyards. Stargaze, watch the clouds and the sunset together?

✧ It's also necessary for me to mention that unlike his notes, lazily pressed against eachother and constantly on the run, anything you give him goes to a safe space probably in between a books pages, under the the matress of his bed or inside a drawer/container.

"They broke into my backyard accidentally, 'cause they were on a crazy investigation about a paper airplane. Plus, they got here a day ago and they're already looking out for me. Normally, I'm the one doing that."

"Besides, they're pretty. And they make me pretty. Look! Look how they drew me!"

✧ As for 10-year-old TAMARACK, she's curious. The things you draw, are they based on actual places? Actual people? Oh, you draw based on your imagination? Elaborate.

✧ At some point in the prologue, she says "All the forests in the world are different, and some places don't even have forests. I can show you good spots to find things since you're newer to this forest than me."

And I can't not think of her running up to you to give you all of what she gathered for you to draw like omfg

With all those leaves and tiny branches sticking out of her hair and sweater, she smiles brightly with her hands filled with her treasures. AUGH SHE MAKES ME SO SICK I LOVE HER

✧ Like Qiu, she has her own safe spot designated for only your drawings if you've given her any.

She shows off all of them. Especially if you've drawn her?? It'll be the only thing she talks about during literally any time for the rest of the month and the few months after.

"Out of all the friends I have here, you're the best one. We came to the same exact neighborhood, almost at the same time, and are he same age. You have fun outside and I do too."

"I think you're pretty. How you draw me is pretty! I've never met a kid who was just like me. That's important. That's serious."

✧ Now, 14-year-old QIU's pretty much no different. They're even more impressed when they see just how much you've improved. Nonetheless, they treasure your old drawings just as much as they do they new.

They take the liberty of providing you with both a pen and paper to draw on when you're together, in case you don't bring your sketchbook (if you own one).

On those days where you two just sit in silence in their hideout, their gaze drifts to your side quietly a few times to watch your progress. After a while, they settle with sitting right next to you and watching the stroke of your pen against the paper as the scene forms with each hatch.

✧ As a teen, they've actually been a tad bit farther off the town when they feel like taking a ride on their bike. They've seen many sights and burn the route into their brain for them to tell you about. They'd even be happy as to bring you there themselves.

✧ If you ask them to be your muse, good god you'd need to tell them what to do.

It's almost a funny sight. Qiu, the kid who knew what to do their whole life asks you, "Should I pose? Where do I look? Ah- what's my good side?"

𐙚 They can feel their breath hitch under your scrutiny. Suddenly, they're concious of every single thing about them. Where do their eyes go? Should they move their hands? Is their hair in the way?

They avert their gaze flusteredly, their head ever so slightly moving to the side when they do so.

And good god do their hands clutch the fabric of their pants when you tell them to look at you properly.

✧ Same goes for TAMARACK at 14. She's as intrugued as ever to hear about your work. She admires (you)r style from then till now and has learned to appreciate the time gone into things as simple as this, whether or not you've made it with her in mind. BUT GOD IF YOU TELL HER IT IS, it's always sitting on her desk and she thinks constantly about what you've done for her.

✧ And while she doesn't exactly bring you a pen, she's more than glad to hand you hers when you need it.

✧ Unlike before, she'd now be at your side when you two hung out at her backyard. She'd be sitting across from you, practicing the cello. The hum of her instrument accompanied by the sound of nature and the scratch of your pen against paper gives her a sense of calmness.

This may also be when she realizes she's been your muse! Her fingers trace over where your pen has been and boy appreciate isn't even enough for her to describe how she felt. It was definitely happy, but that wasn't the word either.

𐙚 Her heart pounds alarmingly as she admires your work. It's almost concerning to you that she sits silently with a blank expression as she held your sketchbook in her hands.

But that concern washes off you as soon as a warm smile curls the corners of her lips, tender adoration displayed all over her face.

[just-another-random-cloud]

For your Anti-Hero AU, I have 2 questions.

1. Could i ask who the new villains are?

2. What's going on with Paisley? Cuz we know abt Gourmand, Donita, and Zach- but what abt Paisley? Like is she dead? Is she alive? Is she not even a villain yet? [srry im just curious]

Well, I think there's many, many villains around, but most of them wouldn't last long since the bros are not very interested in keeping them alive.

I've been using a few villains created by @concook20 for some stories (thank you by the way, friend!), buuuuut I have a few villains I created that I also plan to use!

Here's some of them:

(Still doesn't have a fixed name yet, I'm between Tammy Tamer and Paloma Pedigree).

She's a excentric millionaire that is known for capturing, "taming" and selling wild and rare animals.

As soon as she hears about the brothers, it became her number 1 objective to capture them and have them as trophies for herself (using less than ethical methods and maybe a tampered suit or two).

Mortimer Morault (name can change).

Despite his name being a refference to Dr. Moreau, this son of a gun is not even a doctor. He's a bored rich man that likes to make gruesome tests involving animal features, and the brothers are his perfect testing subjects.

His scars and acid green eyes are a result of testing his projects on himself when he doesn't have fitting subjects. He's a lunatic but we have to admit he's a brave one.

Carlos and Marcos Brawler (my friend helped me name them!)

Twin brothers that capture wild, dangerous animals to either made them fight in front of a audience, or to perform stunts with them. And yes, they also would want to have the brothers on their grip to use them as fighters.

And finally...

Arthur Varmitech (Zach Lore Jumpscare!!!)

A washed-up actor down on his luck, he left his family when his son was just a child to pursue his dreams... what didn't work out for him quite well. He suddenly finds the milk as soon as he finds out that his son is now a billionaire, and wants to get some of that money reconnect. Zach obviously tells him to go kick rocks. Not one to give up easily, he tries to get his hands on his son's fortune by any means necessary. And since now Zach is kinda a ally for the Kratts, he's their problem, too.

(I also have Zach's mom in the drafts, but I think she wouldn't fit here since she's not a villain, maybe next time-)

As for Paisley, she's alive and well, and was never really a villain. I'm still figuring out what to do with her, though.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Sweeter Than Revenge

Steve sighed as Nancy and Jonathan walked into Scoops Ahoy, yet again. He was pretty sure they were coming in here to mock him.

"Your ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend are here again," Robin said.

"Yeah, I know that. Thanks for the update," Steve scoffed.

"Just trying to be helpful," Robin said.

"I don't think you are," Steve replied.

Nancy and Jonathan were in the back of the line. Every so often, they'd look at them and then turn to each other to laugh. Jesus. Could they drive the knife in even further? Wasn't it bad enough that she left him for Jonathan? Why did they have to go out of their way and rub it in? He could feel Robin watching him as he served another customer. They were one step closer to him.

"Pretty sure, they'd stop coming in here if you tried to flirt with Nancy again," Robin said.

"That's the worst revenge plan yet," Steve said.

"No, the worst revenge plan would be me pretending to be your girlfriend," Robin said as she took the next customer.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I don't date jocks even if it's pretend," Robin said. "Nothing personal."

"Well, Nancy left me for Jonathan. Wouldn't it be funny if I tried to steal Jonathan away from her?" Steve asked. "Ultimate revenge."

"If you're into that sort of thing," she said, looking at him strangely.

"Please, you know that I am," Steve scoffed.

"Uh. . .no, I don't. Last time I checked, you were a notorious ladies' man. Or at least I thought you were. You seem pretty terrible at it," Robin said.

"Robin," Steve said, lowering his voice. "You caught me with that dude on my break out back the other day. You seemed cool with it.".

"Okay. . .I thought that had been a woman," she said, blinking at him, and she also lowered her voice. "So, you're. . .?"

"Bisexual," he whispered after he served another customer.

Nancy and Jonathan were even closer to the counter now. He sighed.

"What?"

"Babes and non babes alike, Robin," he explained.

"Oh. Thanks for telling me," she said softly.

She looked at him as if she wanted to tell him something, too. She got choked up, though, and couldn't seem to find the words.

"Are you okay?" He asked and then turned to the customers. "Give us a moment."

He dragged her to the break room, where she slid to the floor. Steve sat down next to her.

"Just the babes for me," she said.

"Yeah?" He said with a smile.

"Yeah. . .Tammy Thompson. . .Mrs. Click's class. She couldn't stop staring at you, and I wanted her to look at me," Robin said.

"Tammy Thompson. . .doesn't she sound like a muppet?" He asked.

"Shut up, she's got dreams!" She exclaimed. "At least, I'm not hung up on my ex and her boyfriend."

Robin and Steve both burst into laughter. They fell into comfortable silence, Steve smiled at her.

"Fair point," he replied. "I'm pretty sure they're coming in here to mock me and this outfit."

"Then all the more reason to steal Jonathan, and if that doesn't work, then it will definitely make him uncomfortable," Robin said. "They'd have no choice but to leave."

"Alright, let's do this," Steve said.

They walked out the door to find that it was only Nancy and Jonathan were at the counter.

"The others got impatient," Nancy said.

"I guess they really wanted that cream," Robin said, and Jonathan said.

"Welcome to Scoops Ahoy, I'm Steve Harrington, I'll be your captain. Would you like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me?" He asked as he leaned against the counter, winking at Jonathan.

"Uh. . .we know who you are," Jonathan said.

"It's company policy now," he said smiling. "Your hair looks different today. Did you do something?"

"I brushed it out of my eyes?" He asked in confusion.

"Well, it's a good look. . .I can definitely see your gorgeous eyes a little better now," Steve said, smiling.

"Steve?" Nancy asked in confusion.

"So. . .what do you want?" Steve asked Jonathan, ignoring Nancy. "You look like you know what tastes good in your mouth."

Jonathan choked, and he could hear Robin gagging in the background.

"I mean, I like the USS Butterscotch," Jonathan blushed. "I know everyone does. . ."

"It's a great choice. Personally, I like the mint," Steve said.

He scooped up a sample cup and grabbed a little spoon. Steve dug in and put the spoon in his mouth. He slowly ate the bite of ice cream, his tongue wrapped around the spoon and licking up every bite. Nancy and Jonathan both watched him. Steve put more ice cream on the spoon and held it out for Jonathan.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"Go on, taste," he said.

Jonathan leaned forward and took the spoon in his mouth. He ate the ice cream, with confusion and also a little bit of darkness in his eyes. Steve smirked.

"It's good," Jonathan said.

"You know, my tongue had been on the spoon, and then you had the spoon in your mouth. . .almost as if my tongue had been in your mouth," Steve said. "Isn't that crazy?"

"It's not crazy at all," Jonathan said.

"Steve!" Nancy exclaimed, snapping out of her daze.

"What?" Steve asked. "Do you not like me flirting with your boyfriend?"

Nancy scowled at him before dragging Jonathan with her past the counter. Before he could tell Nancy off, she was dragging both him and Jonathan into the break room.

"He's taking a break!" Nancy yelled to Robin.

"You aren't the boss of us!" Robin yelled back.

Nancy dragged them into the storage closet. It was small, so it was a tight fit. Steve was surprised when they both shoved him up against the wall. He felt something hard of Jonathan's pressed up against him. Oh. He was more surprised when Nancy and Jonathan both pressed their lips to his neck. Steve let out a shocked, but not unpleasant, moan. Was this really happening?

"You have no idea what this outfit does to us," Nancy said, pulling away.

"I'm starting to have some idea," Steve gasped. "I thought you were teasing me."

"Oh, honey, you haven't seen us tease you quite just yet," Nancy said, cupping his face.

"But you will," Jonathan said as he also pulled away.

"You both want me?" Steve asked.

"Always have. . .we just didn't know how to tell you," Jonathan said.

"Sorry, it took so long," Nancy said.

Steve pulled Nancy into a familiar but, somehow, new kiss. She smiled against his lips. Steve pulled away and turned to kiss Jonathan. It was a good feeling to have their lips touch his. . .it felt like it was something that was always supposed to happen. When he broke the kiss, Jonathan was smiling at him in amusement.

"I definitely liked the taste of that in my mouth," Jonathan said and Steve laughed.

"Oh god, I don't want to ruin this," he said.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"When I thought you were coming in here to make fun of me, I got this idea in my head to steal Jonathan from you as revenge," Steve said. "I know, I'm better than that now. . .but I guess not really."

"You're an idiot, Steve Harrington," Nancy laughed. "I wish I could have seen that play out."

"You're beautiful, Nancy Wheeler," he said with a relieved sigh. ". . .and you're okay to look at, Jonathan Byers."

"Fuck off, asshole," Jonathan laughed.

Steve giggled and pulled them into a hug. Yeah, this was sweeter than revenge.

[purplesimmer455]

Nancy gets permission to go with Emily, and follows her to the docks. She glances at the boat that goes to Deadgrass Isle, and makes a note to ask her parents to go there sometime on the trip. She focuses back as Emily asks her about school, friends, and hobbies, and she blushes at how focused Emily is. "How are you feeling after your moms..." Nancy asks, trailing off, and Emily shrugs. "Okay, better than I expected. I was devastated when they first told me they were splitting, and I still feel kinda wistful over how it was before sometimes. I don’t want to tell them because they're both so happy with their new girlfriends." She says softly. "That's okay, Emmy. You're allowed to still feel sad and wistful and feel your feelings," Nancy says, and Emily nods. "Yeah, thanks Nan. You're a good friend," Emily says, smiling.

Emily changes the topic and admits that she's dating her classmate turned crush Kiran Oberoi. "They're cute and funny, and they've been with me through everything with my moms," Emily says softly, and Nancy forces a smile despite her stomach sinking. "I'm glad," she says, and Emily grins. "I heard from the parental grapevine that you're crushing on someone named Alex?" She teases and Nancy blushes and groans. "Oh gods, my mom told your ma?" She asks, and Emily nods. "Yeah, Alex is super cute. They're my classmate and we started hanging out, and they're always so nice to me and complimenting me," she says, blushing as Emily gives her a teasing look. "What?" She asks. "Nothing, you remind me of how I was your age, crushing over Kir." Emily says jokingly, and Nancy laughs. "When was that, Emmy, 100 years ago?" And Emily jokingly scowls but laughs too. "Come on, let's head back," she says, and Nancy nods.

They make their way back up to the beach, and Emily heads home with her ma and ma’s girlfriend Tammy. Nancy heads to the sand and builds a sand sculpture before walking around and enjoying the salty air. She's still a bit crestfallen that Emily is with someone else, but relieved that she can focus on her current crush Alex. Her auntie Sophia had given her the advice to just enjoy her crush on Emily and not take it too seriously*, and Nancy was stubborn at the time that Emily might like her back eventually, and felt sheepish now. Still, she's glad to have Emily as a friend and someone to talk to even if it won't be anything more.

Edit: I also included a photo of me sending Riley back to the lot. Just as they were coming back, Stephanie was trying to leave and I was like Steph, get back here. 🤨😂 Riley was apparently so enthralled by their wife that they turned their head to moon eye her. 😄

*Also, Nancy is 13 while Emily is 17, so Emily only sees Nancy as a friend and someone to talk to while Nancy was crushing hard on Emily. 🤔😊

[peppermintmagicianlynn]

TimBer Week 2024: First Sleepover

TimBer Week 2024 Day #7: First Sleeepover

Last one of the week. We made it!

It was amazing how casually it had come about.

They’d been dating for six months, officially boyfriends for only a few weeks. And yet…it felt like they’d been together for years. Bernard came by almost every day, they shared meals and swapped clothes, then bickered over whose turn it was to do laundry. It felt like they were sharing the boat as a home together and that filled Tim with delight that he couldn't fully express.

But the one thing they had yet to do was spend a night together.

N-not like that! Just…you know, sleeping in the same space. They’d done that a lot in high school, when they’d stay up late playing video games or watching movies, then crash at one person’s house. They’d make pallets across the floor or just collapse on top of someone’s bed, where parents would drape them in individual blankets.

It wasn’t a new thing… but this was a new thing!

One bed. One blanket. A pre-planned slumber party.

Granted, it had come about for a very non-romantic reason.

--

“Fumigate?!”

Bernard winced at his boyfriend’s outraged exclamation, setting the phone aside while he struggled to fold his clothes into his duffel bag.

“Yeah, some idiot called the health inspector on one of the neighbors. I don’t know what they found, but they gave us all an hour to pack up and get out. They said it won’t be safe to come back until tomorrow.”

“And where exactly do they expect you to go until then?”

Bernard wished they were on video chat so Tim could see his deadpan look. “Tim, babe, this is a low-income district. They don’t care if I sleep on the street as long as I don’t come back until they give the go-ahead.”

Tim squawked over the line while Bernd packed some underwear. “I’ll just sleep at a friend’s house. It’s fine. Jared has a pull-out couch and as long as Toby didn’t get kicked out of his girlfriend’s place again, I can just-”

“Stay here.”

“Huh?”

“Here. At the boat. With me.”

“Uh, are you sure about that?”

“Am I- Bear! You just told me you’re going to be homeless for a night. Why wouldn’t I want you to be here with me?”

“Well, when you put it like that, sure. I have a work shift for the next few hours, but I’ll come around sometime after 8. That cool?”

“Sure, that’s perfect. See you then.”

“Love you.”

Tim was quiet for a moment. Bernard was patient. Then, “I love you, too. See you later. Bye.”

Bernard grinned. It was a tactical risk pulling that on him. It hadn’t been that long ago Tim could call them boyfriends without stuttering. And now, they were going to have their first sleepover together since high school.

Bernard looked at his clothes as he packed them up, particularly his pajamas. They were hand-me-downs from Toby, and while Bernard liked them well enough, would they be a little too ratty for this? And moreover, would showing up there in Batman pajamas be a little too on the nose? He loved teasing Tim about his secret identity but that might actually get him suspicious that Bernard knew the truth. He’d need to pick up something else after he was done with work. He would not show up to his boyfriend’s boat looking like a slob!

--

Tim was a slob messy person. His mind was sharp, his deductive reasoning unparalleled, and his skills across various fields were masterful. But like most geniuses, he thrived in chaos of his own making, and there was no clearer sign of that than his houseboat. Once, his neighbor Lauren had stopped by to ask him to have dinner with her and Tammy, and nearly killed herself walking down the stairs when she slipped on a discarded takeout bag. Not Tim’s fault, though Tammy’s wrath after that incident said otherwise.

So while Tim definitely had to clean up any evidence of his Robin activities - case files, hardware, suit pieces, gadgets - he also gave the space a proper cleaning. Like on-the-floor-with-a-scrub-brush, window-washing, dishes-put-away kind of cleaning. The laundry… well, that went under the bed. He only had so many hours!

The fervor with which he cleaned his living space surprised even him. He had ignored it when his siblings talked about his junky boat; Bernard had already seen it this way from the very start. But he still wanted to make it shine for him. Make it just a little bit better for his boyfriend’s first night over.

--

Bernard arrived in the evening, with his necessities and valuables he didn’t want to leave behind where strangers might rummage through his drawers. A Gothamite born and raised. Tim tried not to linger over the idea that his boyfriend's whole life could probably fit in just three bags and met him on the dock for a welcoming kiss. They had been sharing a lot more kisses since officially calling each other boyfriends (though apparently, Bernard had been calling them that way longer). When they finally pulled back, Bernard was beaming with unrestrained glee. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Tim returned, picking up one of the bags and bringing it into his home.

Bernard gawked at the place. “Uh, did you buy a new house without telling me? Because I swear I haven't seen the floor of your boat since the day before you moved in.”

“Ha-ha,” Tim said, setting the duffel bag down on his clutter-free floor. “If you wanted to sleep in a Five-Star hotel, you should have spoken up sooner.

Actually, his back-up apartment over near Crime Alley might qualify. If Bernard was really uncomfortable sleeping on the boat, maybe he could bring him over there instead. He’d have to be extra careful about the access points to the Nest but…

“No way!” his boyfriend declared, sounding offended at the idea. “I love your boat. It's so cozy and homey and so totally you. It’s perfect just as it is, even when it’s messier than a frat-boy’s dorm!” He just couldn’t resist that last dig.

But Tim appreciated his words all the same.

--

They ordered delivery for dinner, a local Thai place that they both adored. While sitting around Tim’s table, Bernard brought out his laptop to show him his latest discover: a fan-made Green Lantern movie. Tim was genuinely impressed by the flick and was already plotting how to get Bruce into a situation where he couldn’t escape watching it. The aroma of green curry and spring rolls, Bernard’s theories that the filmmakers were actually part of a Lantern Corp splinter group wishing to sway public opinion and take over the universe - all of it felt right. For them, at least.

“It just makes sense,” Bernard insisted between bites of his curry. "By hiding in plain sight on YouTube, they can secretly influence galactic events and just blame it on the more famous members!”

Tim laughed, urging him on. Bernard's eyes sparkled when he was passionate about a new idea.

The conversation flowed effortlessly, weaving through topics of jobs, school, family and anything else they wanted. There was a lightheartedness to it all, but also a deeper connection, an unshakable comfort and safety that let them be as unfiltered and silly as they pleased. As the night went on and their movie ended, they were still talking, ignoring their food that had long gone cold. Bernard leaned back against the bench, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips. "This is what I like most about being here. It’s just you and me. It’s nice.”

Tim smiled, reaching out to squeeze Bernard's hand. "I love having you here.”

--

Bernard’s yawning told Tim they’d stayed up long enough. He had already called off of patrol for the night but the other still had work tomorrow, so they couldn’t burn the late-night oil like the might any other time. Tim insisted Bernard could head to the bedroom first and get changed while Tim cleaned up the mess.

“He’s already mending his ways,” Bernard wiped a fake tear from his eyes. “I’ve never been more proud.”

He ran to the bedroom, closing the door fast before the couch cushion could hit him.

--

Bernard felt far less sure about his choice of sleeping clothes now that they were on his body. He’d only allowed himself thirty minutes after his shift to dash into a store and grab a “respectable” set of pajamas off the shelf. No garish logos, no quirky patterns; just something nice and neat for when he shared a bed with his Significant Other.

But seeing himself in the light blue, pinstriped flannel, he looked...wrong. Like he was trying to hide behind something "presentable" and fake his way through. A harsh reminder to his teen years, causing a rush of those old insecurities he'd tried to hard to shed. He shouldn't have bought this. He was proud of who he was and what he liked. So why did he keep having these moments of doubt that made him do things he would end up regretting?

Tim knocked on the door, politely refraining from barging into his own bedroom. Bernard would have given anything to rewind, hit pause, and change his life’s decisions. But he couldn’t.

“Come in,” he said, his voice as steady as he could manage.

Tim pushed the door open, took one look at him, and smiled. “Cute.”

Usually, that word from Tim would make him happy, but this time it hit a little wrong. “Yeah, I know it’s… it’s stupid.” He gripped the offensive fabric between his fingers, hating it more with each passing second. “I should have worn the Batman ones instead.”

“Well, that would be very much your style, you fanboy,” Tim said, coming closer. He wrapped his arms around Bernard’s waist, pulling their bodies together, then murmured into his ear, “But these are nice, too. You're a handsome guy, Bernard, no matter what you wear. These look good on you."

Tim’s boldness was unusual, but his ability to read Bernard's insecurities and immediately sooth them was commonplace. Bernard hugged his wonderful boyfriend in gratitude for those words. He then left the room so Tim could change into his own pajamas, which were a lot simpler: basketball shorts and an oversized T-shirt.

Bernard didn’t let their dissimilarity of outfits bother him a second time. He chose to savor the moment; brushing his teeth together in Tim’s tiny bathroom, hip-checking each other for space in the mirror, and trying not to choke on foam amidst their laughter.

--

Tim’s bed wasn’t small, but it was compact. Enough for one person comfortably and two if they didn’t mind touching in the middle. Bernard waited to see which side the other preferred climbing under the sheets with him, taking the spot closer to the wall.

Was that intentional?

The dock lanterns outside shone their light through the windows, the only illumination they had. Bernard was 80% certain Tim could actually see in this dark, so he felt a little more self-conscious than he might have otherwise. A calloused hand found his beneath the blanket and squeezed it, offering silent reassurance to what he must have read on Bernard’s face.

Finding the right sleeping position was hard; Bernard was used to a much firmer (and lumpier) mattress, so his body was a little unsure how to work with Tim’s memory foam. For his part, Tim couldn’t seem to settle on what part of the bed he actually wanted, going from the very edge of his side to taking up a good chunk in the middle. There was a lot of shifting limbs, sometimes kicking each other which provoked retaliation, but that was a familiar part of their old sleepovers too. It was nostalgic.

“Fair warning: I’ve been told I snore,” Tim whispered.

“That won’t bother me. My roommates are like grizzly bears trying to harmonize with one another in an all-night concert. When my eyes are closed, I’m deaf.” Bernard paused, considering, before adding, “But, um, I might wake up in the middle of the night. I get nightmares sometimes.”

Tim was quiet; Bernard wished he could see his face. Then warm arms came up around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug that always felt like a safe place to hide. “I’ll be right here if you do,” Tim promised, soft yet unyielding. “I’ll be here when you get up tomorrow, too. You're safe, Bear. "

Bernard bit his lip to keep the tears of gratitude at bay. How had he found someone who care so much, who actually paid attention enough to see the fears he’d never admit to. Bernard shifted until his lips found warm skin, trailing them across Tim’s cheek until he could properly kiss the man he loved. It was gentler than what they’d had outside, but twice as meaningful. Simple but perfect, just like this moment. Just like every moment they got to share in this comfy houseboat.

The night dragged on, their attempt to sleep interrupted by whispered comments and gentle touches. Snuggling under the blankets was the best part by far, feeling heartbeats and gentle breaths, the warmth and safety of having a lover’s arms to hold you tightly through the night.

The bond they shared was already strong, but taking a step like this made it feel like they were truly unbreakable.

---

I wonder if you can tell how tired I was after a week of writing. Still, I gave it my best to end TimBer Week 2024 on a good note. That said, I might come back through these on a later date and do some editing. Not for a while, though.

Thank you to everyone who read even one of my posts and a special thanks if anyone joined me in this project!

Let's see what next year brings!

[janecea8]

Hey-hi ray-ray!! If i may be so bold to request, Qiu and Tama christmas headcanons? Since its around the time for it :3

Tamarack + Qiu Christmas headcanonsꔛ

step 1!

Qiu

— I feel like he's a big fan of this kind of holidays - everyone's happy and smiling and enjoying themselves. and he's not an exception.

— He'll also make sure that he's house is decorated properly. Tinsel, a Christmas tree, all hung with multi-colored lights, mistletoes here and there, nice garlands in the house and outside of it... Isn't his house looks the best for upcoming Christmas?

— Qiu will surely come to your porch and be like "hey, how're you feeling about building snowmans in front of our houses?"

— and if you agree, it may end up with a little snowball fight. why? well, it's just entertaining to be all covered with snow, as if you're real snowmans here. and plus because he just adores the thought of spending as much cool and funny time as he can with you!

— I think he'll be into going snow sledding, whether on sleds or snow tubes! he might also take you, Boy's club and Tamarack for a ride on them with him.

— Qiu can also give you a small sleigh ride if you want! He'd be so-o-o smug about it.

— Autumn will also prepare a small gift for you, his favourite neighbour, you absolutely deserving it. Guessing it'll be a small drawing of you, according with a fairytale book and some candies like candy cane.

— ...don't know why, but i can imagine him wearing a Santa's hat while gifting you his present and he saying things like "you witnessed a real Santa Clause, now that's our shared secret. don't tell anyone!"

Tamarack

— Oh! Tamarack is the most excited one beyond anything in Golden Groove about Christmas!

— I'm sure she'll make a plenty hundred of snow angels on the ground, - be careful not to step on them! - and will invite you to come here to her house and do that with her! if you want to, you can do that in your house yard too! Tammy bets you'll have so much fun!

— If you get cold, Tamarack will offer you to drink tea with her and share her gingerbread cookies with you. She will give you some cookies to bring them to your home to eat them later too, if they're to your liking that is!

— her favourite element of this special day is a Christmas tree. like, "a piece of nature we can bring in our house and decorate it? yay!"

— wishes to Santa Clause for everyone who she cares about to feel nice and safe and sound all the new year. this is important!

— Tama loves to ask Omi and Opa to turn on some cheerful Christmas music, to the point that she knows the lyrics of all songs.

— she will sing a couple of her favorite songs to you too and ask if you like them. and if you answer her question positively, she will be so-so giggly and later show you other songs from her Christmas songs collection!

— Tamarack would prepare a gift for you too. Feeling like she'll give it straight in the morning of the Christmas celebration day, and it'll be a small Santa Claus and a Christmas tree figurines that you can hang on your own tree at home or let it stand in your room! both ways are working with her, Tammy's just happy to celebrate this day with you.

A/N: OMGG HEY HII REGULUS!! I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU! i absolutely LOVE the idea of this request sincerely thank uu!! <33

though the headcanons r kinda small, I put a little bit of my heart into this, ahaha^^ that was fun!:33

[asexual-shelly]

In honor of lesbian visibility week, I present a full list of female characters from Total Drama who have canonically shown no attraction to men! (as far as I'm aware)

Staci - Only present for one episode and only spoke for one episode, having no lines in the finale. None of these lines hint at Staci displaying any interest in men.

Dawn - The closest thing I could find was the "I didn't know you were a beetle whisperer!" scene, but even then, that could easily be read as platonic. Svetlana - Similar case to Staci in that her lines are pretty limited due to being actively suppressed by Mike or Mal. However she has not, in fact, said anything that hints at her liking men in those few lines.

Sammy & Amy - Other than that one "Topher thinks you're fat" line of dialogue (which could easily be played off as Amy trying to mess with her), neither of them have shown any on-screen interest in men.

Scarlett - The only extensive interaction she has with men are Max, whom she DESPISES, and their alliance is only romantically framed for the sake of a gag.

Sugar - Nothing in canon hints at her liking men. She admires Leonard, but this is most likely due to his perceived magical abilities rather than any sort of attraction as she displays a similar interest in Max later on.

Tammy - Similar case to Staci, she only had a very brief speaking role in episode 1 and never in these lines was it implied she was attracted to men.

Mary & Ellody - Only here for a short time (with Mary only having dialogue in the episode she was eliminated in rip), but neither of them express interest in guys.

Laurie & Miles - Same deal as Mary and Ellody, they go pretty early overall but haven't been shown to like men.

Jen - You'd expect someone of her character archetype to mention looking for 'cute guys' or something similar, but surprisingly no? The closest thing she has would be her friendship with Tom, which is treated as 100% platonic by the show even if you don't take into account the fact that Tom is gay.

Taylor - Another surprising one imo, it's never stated or implied that she likes guys in the show, not even a passing mention from what I've seen which I could've sworn happened on first watch. Mandela effect I guess 🤷

Josee - Similar deal to Jen as far as I'm aware, being that her closest relationship to a guy is with a gay man and treated as platonic throughout the race.

Sanders - Pretty clear-cut, no scenes of her expressing interest in men or romance in general.

MacArthur - "What about Brody?" The only time she's shown to return his affection is during the finale and she's actively trying to throw him off his game by using his crush against him. She only asks Brody to call her in the Surfers ending, which she doesn't do at all in the Cadets ending implying that she's most likely only in it for the money.

Scary Girl/Lauren - While she does hold an interest in Damien, nothing in canon says she's attracted to him, only to the sound of his screams.

Nichelle - Too busy having no lines to talk about boys. seethingwithrage

Millie - Zero attraction to men in canon, the most interactions she has are with and about Priya. She's sorta friendly with Damien, but it doesn't rise anywhere above platonic (probably because she shoved him into a meat grinder but who knows) and actively seems to be disgusted by or otherwise pretty averse to most of the male cast.

MK - Has never been shown to be interested in guys or even romance in general. In fact, she actively seems to dislike it as seen in the episode where Caleb and Priya kiss where she goes “Yeah, that was sweet, but it’s also how you get mono” (this is ace mk propaganda btw). There was also Nichelle's intro in season 1 when she was looking at her starry-eyed, clearly a joke but yk still noteworthy.

Julia - My favorite lesbian <3 zero attraction or hints at attraction to men in canon + listen... we all watched season 2 you know what I'm talking about don't lie. The closest things she has to romantic interactions with men in canon are at most one-sided and always with her actively disliking said man on the other side (Wayne + maybe Ripper in season 1).

[maddie-dog-story-blog]

The Playdate - 2

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

It only took a few more minutes before Mia emerged back in the kitchen holding Sasha's hand and looking like a toddler ready to go to church. Mia's face was as red as a tomato.

Lisa gasped in delight as her girlfriend walked into the room. "Mia! You look absolutely adorable!" She exclaimed.

Sasha raised the hand holding Mia's and twisted it, forcing the other woman to twirl and show off all sides of her outfit to the room.

"What do you think, Tammy? Isn't Little Mia beautiful?" Sasha asked Tammy who, Mia noticed to her chagrin, had a purple ring around her mouth from the grape juice she had drank from a normal, plastic cup.

"Yeth, Mommy! Mia's sooooo pretty! She lookth wike one of my baby dollies!" Tammy yelled out enthusiastically.

"Little Mia even agrees with us, don't you Mia? You were just telling me how you want your Mommy to buy you more pretty dresses just like this one, right?" Sasha said.

Lisa raised her eyebrow. That didn't sound like her Mia, who would refuse to wear anything that looked like it was meant to be worn by anyone younger than a kindergartener. But, to her surprise and delight, Mia quickly confirmed Sasha's statement.

"Yes, Miss Sasha. This is a very pretty dress. I would like to have more just like it," Mia said reluctantly, blushing at having to speak the words.

Lisa stopped and pondered the statement for a moment. Was this Mia's way of telling her she wanted to regress further without outright admitting it?

Sasha spoke next, "Well, that's perfect! Since this dress is too little for Tammy, you can have this one to start your collection!"

Lisa beamed in delight. "How wonderful! Mia, what do you tell Miss Sasha for her generosity?" Lisa asked as Tammy took another messy drink of her juice.

Mia turned to Sasha, looking up at her, before politely saying, "Thank you for the pretty dress, Miss Sasha."

"You're welcome, little one! Now, let's get you some juice! You were thirsty when you got here; I'm sure you're parched now!" Sasha said as she headed back into the kitchen.

Lisa stopped her short, though. "Don't worry, I already have it handled." She reached over to a counter and grabbed, to Mia's horror, an extra-large baby bottle full of milk, not juice.

"Mommy! No! I'm a big girl!" Mia cried out in horror as her girlfriend offered her the bottle. Sasha had to cover a giggle as Mia, now looking more like a toddler than Tammy, had yet another emotional outburst.

"It's this or nothing, Mia. You already proved you aren't ready for a big girl glass with your little spill. You also lost juice and sippy cup privileges by having a temper tantrum and lying about your accident. Do you want to make your punishment worse by throwing another one?" Lisa asked as she lectured her partner.

Mia stomped her foot once before getting control of her emotions again. "But, I'm not a baby," Mia muttered timidly, taking the offered bottle from her Mom's hand.

"Mia's a big baaaby! Not wike me! Me's a big giwl! I dwink wif a big giwl cup!" Tammy said, unhelpfully. Mia wanted to cry.

Sasha, of all people, surprisingly came to Mia's rescue.

"Tammy, that was not nice! Mia is just a little girl who had a little spill and a temper tantrum, that's all. You've had plenty of both. Tell Mia that you are sorry, or I will make you sorry, little miss!" Sasha said, rounding on Tammy.

The large baby-woman immediately backtracked. Lips stained with purple juice, Tammy immediately apologized. "Sowwy, Mia!" she chirped out.

Dressed in a baby dress and holding a baby bottle full of milk, the apology did nothing to fix Mia's wounded pride.

Sasha continued though, turning to Mia. "You know, the bottle's not that bad? It means you can take it to the playroom without having to worry about making a mess! Why don't you go play? I bet your Mama might even let you use your little tablet while you calm down," Sasha looked expectantly at Lisa as she spoke the last sentence.

Mia looked up expectantly at her girlfriend as well. At this point, she wanted nothing more than to go hide away with her tablet and pretend she was anywhere but here.

"I guess that's alright. But, I expect you to finish that bottle in the next 45 minutes. You aren't going to go into the playroom and conveniently forget to drink it. The bottle is a punishment, after all," Lisa said.

That affirmation was all Mia needed. "Okay, Mom," she responded before grabbing her tablet and headphones in the hand not occupied by the bottle, palming a piece of bubble gum, and running off to Tammy's playroom.

Once in the room, she found a large, pink bean bag chair to settle into. She puffed her skirt out so she could comfortably sit down and popped the gum in her mouth. She put her pink, cat-ear headphones on and turned on her favorite show, My Little Pony. She started to blow bubbles with her bubble gum and let all of her attention be drawn into her tablet as she shut out the rest of the room. Mia was so enthralled in her own little world that she didn't even notice Tammy come into the room shortly after her.

Mia finished a whole episode of her cartoon before she remembered she was supposed to be drinking her bottle. She let the second episode start playing as she reached for the cursed container, put the nipple to her lips, and started suckling. Mia didn't really know what to expect, having never used a bottle as an adult, but actually getting the milk out of the bottle was much harder than she had anticipated.

Frustrated with how slow she was drinking, she set the bottle back down, moved the gum out of the back corner of her mouth, and started mindlessly watching her tablet and popping her bubble gum again.

During this whole process, Mia never looked up from her tablet once, failing to pay attention to her surroundings at all. Unfortunately for Mia, if she had been paying attention, she probably would have noticed Tammy staring at her malevolently from another corner of the playroom. She also probably would have noticed the larger woman slip off her pull-up. Had she been paying even a modicum of attention, Mia definitely would have noticed the large woman advancing on her. Mia wasn't paying attention though, so, when Tammy grabbed Mia by the leg and dragged her off of the bean bag, Mia was taken completely by surprise.

As Tammy grabbed Mia, the bubble of gum the smaller woman was working on popped, getting all over Mia's face and effectively sealing her mouth shut. Tammy immediately sat down on Mia's crotch once the smaller woman was on the floor, easily pinning Mia down. Mia struggled against Tammy's weight, but quickly discovered she couldn't move.

Once Mia was detained, Tammy ham-fistedly grabbed some of the gum off of Mia's face and smeared it into one of the other woman's long, braided pigtails. Mia struggled to reach for her hair, still unable to open her mouth to protest due to the rest of the gum, as she felt a warm, wet sensation growing from her crotch. Mia's eyes widened as she felt Tammy pee directly onto her crotch.

Tammy looked down at Mia, laughing maniacally. "Oh no! Did Little Mia have an accident in her pretty little party dress?" Tammy asked rhetorically, letting her overgrown toddler act temporarily drop.

Mia stared up at Tammy with pleading eyes. What was happening? Why was this happening? Unable to speak, she tried to let her eyes do the talking. Tammy didn't respond to the panicked looks. Instead, she grabbed Mia's wrists, pinning her down further, scrunched her face up again, and let lose another stream of hot piss.

"Oh no! The little baby pissed herself again! And here I thought you were such a big girl! So much bigger than and superior to gross little Tammy? You don't feel so big now, do you now, Baby Mia?" Tammy continued her taunt her prey before grabbing the remaining gum from Mia's face and rubbing it into Mia's other braid.

Tears started to form in Mia's eyes as she finally found her mouth free. She started to wail. Tammy quickly climbed off of the smaller, crying woman, leaving her lying in a puddle of urine. She then ran over to the dry pull-up laying on the floor of the playroom, pulled it back on, and sat on the floor, pretending to play with her dolls.

It only took moments for Lisa and Sasha to come running into the room once Mia started crying. The small woman was sitting in the middle of a puddle of urine on the floor, pulling on the gum in her hair. The once white petticoats of the toddler dress she was wearing was yellowed from the urine to match the rest of the dress.

On seeing the mess Mia was sitting in, Lisa immediately put her hands on her hips and glared down at her charge.

"Mia Eileen! What is going on here?!" She yelled as she stormed across the room. Sasha remained in the doorway, looking at Mia with a knowing smile.

"Mommy!" Mia wailed as she pointed at Tammy, "I didn't wet my pants! She did! Baby Tammy did!"

Lisa reached down and grabbed Mia by the hand, forcefully pulling the small woman to her feet. She looked at the puddle on the floor, then bent Mia over at the waist, easily exposing the woman's drenched cotton princess panties, dress, and sewn-in petticoats.

"Tammy wet your panties?!" Lisa said incrediously, "TAMMY wet YOUR panties?!? Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

Mia straightened up and looked her caregiver directly in the eyes. Screw emotional regulation, she wasn't taking the fall for this. She stomped both of her feet as her tears dried up, and she started yelling.

"BUT, SHE DID! SHE PINNED ME DOWN AND PEED ON ME!" Mia screamed at Lisa, willing her caregiver to believe her.

"Baby, you are clearly lying. Tammy come here," Lisa said, waiving Tammy over. The large woman stood up and made a show of waddling to Lisa's side.

"Yeth, Mith Lisa?" Tammy asked, now fully playing the role of the perfect adult baby girl again. Mia glared at the woman's act.

Lisa pulled up the hem of Tammy's sundress, revealing a slightly wet pull-up underneath. "What happened to Mia, baby girl?" Lisa asked softly like an adult talking to an actual two-year-old.

Tammy shoved her thumb into her mouth as she spoke. "Mia wath blowing pwetty bubbles wif her mouf. She blew a weally big one, and it popped! Da bubble got all in her hair, and Mia gots scared and went pee-pee!" She explained behind her thumb, giving Mia a dumb grin as she finished.

"That's a lie! That's not what happened! She pulled me off the bean bag, pinned me down, and…" Mia's rant was cut off when Sasha's hand wrapped around Mia's head from behind and shoved a giant pacifier into Mia's open mouth. Mia then shook her head as she felt a leather strap being tighter around her head, restricting her from spitting the pacifier out.

"Sorry, Lisa. I just couldn't take any more of Mia's naughty lies," Sasha said as Mia stomped both of her feet and balled her fists in frustration.

"That's totally okay, Sash! I agree with you. I don't know what's happening, but it looks like you were right on the phone the other day. Mia wants me to make her be my diaper filling little baby. I mean, obviously Tammy didn't wet Mia's panties. She's wearing a soggy pull-up for god's sake. How would Tammy even get the pee onto Mia's panties when she's wearing her, um, protection?"

Mia raged behind the pacifier gag as Sasha held her in place. Lisa continued to talk to her best friend over Mia's head as if she wasn't there.

"And Tammy's version of events make since," Lisa grabbed Mia's pigtails, "These cute little pigtails are covered in bubble gum! I think they'll have to be cut short."

Mia's eyes grew wide. She did not want to lose her hair. The bubblegum was so high up in her braids, she would only have a few inches left if Lisa cut it all out. She tried to protest through the pacifier, but couldn't form any words with the giant bulb pinning her tongue down.

"That'a exactly what it looks like to me too, Lisa. What are you going to do about this?" Sasha asked.

Lisa lowered her head to make eye contact with Mia. The stern yet caring look in her girlfriend's eyes made Mia start to tear up again. She started to cry.

Lisa grabbed Mia by the back of the head and drew it closer to her. Quietly, she whispered, "If you wanted this, you could have just told me. I'd have let you be my little baby. Secretly, I've been dying for you to ask. But, if you wanted to brat your way into being my baby, I'm happy to help with that too."

The tears were flowing at full force now. Mia was desperately trying to say something, anything, to alter the direction of her impending fate. However, the bulb of the pacifier in her mouth was so large all she could do was drool and babble incoherently around it.

Plus, at this point, Mia was almost certain anything she did would just be interpreted as her being an obstinate brat in an attempt to get regressed back to diapers. Given the look in Lisa's eyes and the seriousness in her tone, Mia wasn't even certain that safe-wording would work to stop what was about to happen, even if she could.

Lisa stood straight back up. She let her tone get more hostile and stern as she spoke, playing the role of the angry mommy she thought Mia wanted her to play.

"Mia, I am so disappointed in you. I thought you were a big girl who could do big girl things. Instead, it turns out your just a naughty little baby who lies and wets her pants. It's time for me to start treating you the way you've been acting!"

Lisa grabbed Mia's hand and dragged her to a nearby couch, leaving a trail of urine on the carpet with each step. Lisa sat down on the couch and pulled her charge face first, over her lap. She pushed the wet skirt and petticoats of Mia's dress up towards the small woman's head, exposing the soaking wet princess panties on her ass and effectively blinding Mia to anything that wasn't directly in front of her. Unfortunately for Mia, the only thing in her line of sight was Sasha and Tammy. Both women stood there, looking at Mia with self-satisfied grins.

"This is going to hurt me worse than it will hurt you," Lisa said.

Mia shut her eyes. She had never been spanked by her girlfriend. She'd be sent to her room, ordered to write lines, not been given desert, and grounded from anything but school and work. But, until today, she had never been spanked. That changed as Lisa dealt her first blow to Mia's pert little ass.

"This! Is! For! Lying! To! Me!" Lisa said, punctuating each word with a smack to Mia's butt. "You! Never! Lie! To! Mommy!"

Mia sobbed in shame and closed her eyes. The pain of the spanking was one thing, but the shame of being disciplined like a child, while wearing this dress, while wearing soaked panties, was too much. She'd been thoroughly beaten and humiliated by Sasha and Tammy. She couldn't watch them laugh at her as she broke down.

The spanking didn't last long. Soon, Mia felt her girlfriend stop stroking her and slide her wet panties down her legs. Mia didn't resist, she knew she had lost.

Lisa took the panties and hung them in Mia's face. "Say bye-bye to your panties sweetheart. Babies who wet themselves and lie about it get put back in diapers."

Mia let her sobs start anew.

"Look at this dress, too! Completely ruined! What are we going to do with you?" Lisa asked as she pulled Mia's skirts back over her now bare butt.

"Well, I do have one more outfit that would fit Little Mia here, don't I baby?" Sasha said, addressing caregiver and charge at the same time. Mia physically cringed, remembering the pink onesie from the closet.

"Really, that's wonderful. Stand up, baby. Let's go get you into something more appropriate for a pants wetting, little liar," Lisa said as she helped her gagged girlfriend off of her lap.

As Lisa stood up, Sasha immediately noticed a problem. "Lisa, sweetie, it looks like you got a little of the baby's potty on your pants," she informed her friend.

Looking down, Lisa immediately realized her friend was right. "Damn it. I guess I'll just smell like pee for the rest of the day," she responded.

"Don't be silly! I have all sorts of outfits you can borrow. Go down the hall and find something you like. I can get Little Mia here changed quick! I am an expert in this sort of thing," Sasha winked at Lisa. Mia, desperate not to be left alone with Sasha again, tried to beg Lisa not to follow Sasha's plan. The gagged woman's unintelligible prattle fell on deaf ears though.

"Thanks Sash! You're a lifesaver as always," Lisa said before turning to Mia. "I know you're acting bratty today, but please listen to Miss Sasha. She isn't your Mommy and shouldn't have to deal with your naughty behavior!"

With that, Lisa left the room, leaving Mia alone in the playroom with both Sasha and Tammy. Sasha strode up to Mia like a tiger coming up on it's kill.

"You heard your Mommy, baby girl. You need to listen to me. Let's go."

Sasha grabbed Mia's hand and dragged her back to the nursery for her first of what Mia truly fear was going to be many diaper change.

NEXT CHAPTER

[fandoms-in-law]

Best Beta Bros

Summary: Steve was happy not knowing how the people around him classed and never sharing his own beta classification. The Russians don't care and demand to know how two betas broke in alongside demands to know who Steve works for. At least he comes out of that with his coworker as a new best friend.

Author's Note: I think this came about because a month or so back Lance @fairysteve was asking what the most interesting ABO class? gender? I never know what to call those things is. It also came about cause 'Queer as Folklore' mentions the philosophers thing in the last section and I had thoughts for Robin to say. Plus writing friendships is the best.

~

It isn’t polite to ask or comment on the classifications of those around you. Most people would only be intentionally told whether their closest friends were alpha, beta or omega in their lifetimes, but that didn’t stop every job, official form and survey from asking for the information.

Steve found it intrusive, and decidedly stated he preferred not to say at all times when it was an option. Nobody needed to know he was a beta and he didn’t need to know what anyone else was either, especially considering his parents practically forbid him from mentioning it as soon as they knew.

All that to say that when he started working with Robin, despite his attempts to flirt and the occasional comment from old teammates from school, neither of their secondary classifications had come up. She might have made comments about the kids being extremely attached to him, but even they didn’t know for certain, except for Dustin.

If he’d had his way, that was how it would have stayed between Steve and Robin, even as she got dragged into the Upside Down mess and captured by Russians with him.

~

“What are two betas doing as spies?” One of his torturers demanded, growling enough there could be no doubt he was an alpha.

Steve glared back, “We’re not spies. We’re Scoops Ahoy employees.” He expected the punch, more focused on trying to listen for anything from Robin. She wasn’t in the room and he didn’t know if she was getting the same treatment as him or not.

The general standing further back spoke coldly, “Normally it’s alphas trying to sabotage us. What were you doing?”

“Looking for the way out! We’re high-school kids not spies.” He exclaimed, but knew that wouldn’t be accepted as more punches came.

“Who do you work for, little beta?” Was spat in his face.

“Scoops Ahoy!” Steve hadn’t heard anything from Robin yet and now doubted he would from the punch to his head causing his ears to ring. He could only hope she wasn’t getting beat up too. And that she wouldn’t mind they’d told him she was a beta.

~

It was worse being back to back with Robin, because now Steve knew that she would get targetted too, even if she hadn’t been hurt while he was.

“The doctor has medicine to help you.” Steve wanted to laugh, wanted to say that should never be an intimidating line, but all he felt then was fear.

“Robin, Robin, are you okay? They – they didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Her head shook against the back of his, “No, didn’t do anything until I was thrown in here and tied to you. I’m so glad you weren’t dead. What do they want?”

“They think we’re spies. Kept asking who we work for. I don’t know.” Steve mumbled, falling silent as the door opened again.

Time moved too quickly for him to keep track of for a while after that, it might have been because of the drugs they were injected with, or the concussion they were certain he’d got since he’d been knocked unconscious for a while.

It felt like it only slowed back to being comprehensible on the bathroom of the mall, as Robin spoke about having a crush on Tammy Thompson and the first thing he thought of to say to comfort her was, “We can be best beta bros with crushes on people who refuse to actually see who we are.”

She’d laughed at that, “Guess the Russians knew and didn’t like that we don’t fit their expectations of spies, right?”

“Yeah, sucks to be them.” Steve agreed, “Besides, gotta say, Tammy Thompson is a total dud.”

Singing badly with Robin, even with the horrible situation they were stuck in made it feel like things might just end up okay somehow.

~

“So you’re dating Robin now?” Dustin asked expectantly. He’d insisted on keeping Steve company through the hospital visit anyone with visible injuries was being forced through and seemed set on distracting them both from everything that had happened with the most annoying subject.

“Nope. We’re BBB’s.” Steve muttered, closing his eyes in the hopes he could tune the kid out for a while.

He got poked in his side for the trouble. “No sleeping so keep replying to me.” Dustin insisted, “And what does BBB mean?”

“Stuff.”

“I’ll figure it out. You tell me when I get it right.” The response was predictable for the kid who always wanted to be the smartest and hated not knowing something. Steve could cope with listening to that and responding for a while.

~

Steve had long since learnt that nothing biological tells people anything about who a person actually is. Women were not meant to be mothers and omegas were not placid caring people; He’d never felt that the stereotypes of betas being babysitters fit him until Dustin decided to be his friend, whatever obstacles Steve tried to put in place when they weren’t in life threatening situations, and there had been a few attempts at that.

The kid had a bike and would cycle around to insist on getting a lift somewhere even if it would have been easier to just cycle there from the start. More than that he’d got his mother involved in it too, getting her to invite Steve to dinners and anything else he could imagine a justification for.

It gave Steve experience in someone deciding to genuinely be his friend instead of be someone who hung out with him. It also prepared him for when Robin decided to do essentially the same thing, although she did get his permission to tell her parents they were friends, or lie about them dating since that could have been awkward if she hadn’t.

What it didn’t do was give Robin any expectation of Dustin adopting her to a smaller degree and doing everything he could to encourage both of them to do more than work at Family Video for their lives.

“Look at this! I thought it might give you some ideas of what you could be doing, or studying for.” Dustin placed the calendar on the counter of the shop, smiling brightly in expectancy of thanks.

With a groan, Steve flicked through the pages, “We don’t need a ‘Notable Betas of the Day’ calendar, Henderson. The one Family Video puts up is enough.”

“Come on Steve, don’t you want to be the doctor who saves lives?” Dustin protested, “And Robin, surely you want to become a linguist to beat out this one?”

“Kid, you are not lecturing us on this. We do what we want on our lives and surprisingly enough you don’t know everything we do.” Robin barely glanced at the calendar before replying.

Dustin huffed at them, “But you need to beat the stereotypes. You beat the Russians so some pesky societal stigma should be nothing.”

“And you need to head home.” Steve cut the oncoming lecture off. “I know your mom was making a nice dinner for you two tonight because she invited me and said I could have the leftovers when I mentioned having a shift.”

With a look at the clock, Dustin was hurrying out, cursing and calling out goodbyes as he went.

Robin and Steve shared a chuckle at it, only now actually looking at the calendar. “Take turns to tear the pages off until we get to today?” Robin suggested.

“Make three piles. One of people I’d like the achievements of, one for you and one for people we don’t think deserve to be on the calendar?” Steve agreed, grinning back.

Even if they didn’t want Dustin pushing his views of their lives on them, they could take any gifts happily and make them a game.

~

Sometimes, Steve wondered if society could be improved just by letting Robin broadcast her complaints and rants to everyone. He thought that was what the old philosophers used to do and they’re remembered even today over it.

Including inspiring one of Robin’s rants last week and apparently another today, given her first words since clocking in after rushing to work from school were, “Why are philosophers all wrong? All those Greeks were saying the third sex would be the best, get the important jobs because they’d be the most rational and less motivated by sex but instead we get this.” She gestured broadly around them, at the customers ignoring them and the people passing outside.

“Being treated like we can’t do what we obviously have done?” Steve asked, trying to figure out what she meant.

“No!” She protested, “Looked over for dates and told to just babysit.”

Steve pouted for a minute because that had been something said to him a few weeks before when a girl who had seemed to be flirting with him apparently stepped close enough to figure out he was a beta. He sighed, looking at his friend and wondering if something similar had happened to her at school that day or not. He wouldn’t get an answer until the rant was done though so instead he said, “Weren’t you saying last week that some philosopher started that idea about us being babysitters?”

“They were obviously wrong and knew nothing.” She scoffed, “The whole thing didn’t develop for centuries if not millennia later and scientists still can’t agree if it’s evolutionary relevant or a side effect of some grain we eat now.”

“Wait,” He paused, thinking and moving to look through the days torn off the calendar Dustin had brought, “First US President was a beta. We started off with that philosopher being right, whomever they were.” He held up a page for some current politician who was apparently the current highest beta political figure and had the note about the original president as a fun fact beneath their description.

Robin groaned, snatching it away from him. “We put that in the not deserving to be mentioned pile for a reason Steven. And there’s plenty wrong with the original president’s views that he doesn’t deserve a mention either.”

“Fine. How has society failed to work to the philosopher you learnt about today?” He let his argument go, and settled back to listen to her complaints while fielding the customers that approached. Thankfully very few did so Robin never needed to put her ranting aside to work more than loading and emptying the videos needing rewound.

At the end of the day, Steve still didn’t care who was alpha, beta or omega, but he was very thankful to have Robin with him now, able to understand the annoyances of being a beta in their world.

[madwhimsical]

i am still slowly rewatching The Ghost and Molly Mcgee, and like, I know the basic shapes of the arcs, I remember Scratch growing to care for Molly across s1. but the thing about going through each episode with a fine-toothed comb is, i am seeing this shift start to happen in significant ways a lot sooner than I thought it did. Like, in-the-second-episode sooner.

On the one hand, I understand a show needing to establish its character dynamic status quo early on. Episode 1 did a great job of that initial setup, and also preparing the audience to expect a kind of slowburn of Scratch's emotional walls coming down (I'm looking at you, the oblique Scratch-as-Andrea apology at the end of First Day Frights). This kind of vibe continues in Howlin' Harriet, as Scratch invents "safe" reasons for hanging around Molly (e.g. using the camping trip to pad out his scare report). And the show could have run with only this formula for a while: Molly's doing a thing, find an excuse to be on the periphery, grouse about it, but ultimately acquiesce and become invested. In fact, this is pretty much the setup for ep 3's Getting the Band(Shell) Back Together.

But something interesting happens in ep 2's The (Un)Natural. Tammy rips on Molly's lack of pitching skill, and Scratch intervenes (i will refrain from talking here about how protective Scratch is of Molly's feelings already, although it is a catalyst). Crucially, and allow me to continue the softball metaphor here, Scratch approaches clowning on Tammy/the Skylarks in a way that positions Molly and himself as being on the same team.

He's still denying friendship motivating his actions, but Scratch is unequivocally excited about cheating at playing softball with Molly. He outright says, "I cannot wait until the next game when we do it all over again!" And I find this use of "we" significant, because I think this is the first instance he's used first person plural to designate Molly as being part of his personal sphere/plans. Any other time he's used "we" in reference to Molly, it's been more in service of convincing her to exit an activity/situation he'd rather not bother with (hell, he does this earlier in this same ep, to try to persuade Molly to leave the Lemmings well enough alone so he can take a nap). But the guy is having fun alongside Molly here, rather than despite her or at her expense. He's enjoying having a reason to pal around with her, to say nothing of having a kind of blanket approval to be a little bit of a stinker to the other teams via ghost powers. I talked earlier about "safe" reasons to enjoy Molly's company, and i think being aligned against a common adversary accomplishes that for Scratch in that he could plausibly claim he was simply enjoying haunting them. This allows him a freedom to be more openly enthusiastic about the ongoing events without having to show vulnerability regarding his growing fondness for Molly. And across the subsequent games, he looks like he's super enjoying himself, like

He's having a blast, he's being silly! He's doing little antics to get Molly's attention so she can share in his good time! Like, the degree to which Scratch reaches out to Molly this episode is kind of mindboggling for how early in the series we are. I did not expect this level of sincere engagement from Scratch until a while later. And when Tammy jabs at Molly yet again, he invites Molly to give input on how to get back at her. There's another usage of first person plural here, too: "Let's just take this jerk down". He's specifically positioning them together, against Tammy, on Molly's behalf.

I think it's also worth mentioning that by this point, Scratch is legitimately invested in the Lemmings' success, like. He does not want to see them lose this game. And when Libby brings home the win, it's a win they share alongside each other.

Tellingly, as the Lemmings are celebrating their championship victory, Molly and Scratch are situated in the stands, apart from the group. A part of their own team. Molly even echoes this sentiment back to Scratch, vis-a-vis her aim to inspire confidence in the Lemmings: "We did it."

This level of support from Scratch is not consistent yet (he pretty immediately reverts to professing disengagement from Molly and her family in the very next episode), but I was so surprised to see it here this plainly. I guess that's the power of sports!