#and i feel like tommy probably feels similarly because of this

[dazzle02]

Can we have the 118 really come through for Tommy for something PLEASE?! Like, really thinking about things, I feel so sad for him.

Like, he was clearly pretty close to both Hen and Chim by the time he left the 118.

But then they lost touch, which happens. It's fine. But TWICE Chimney has called asking for help, and both times he immediately came through.

The second time, he was risking his life, and his job if he survived. All for a hunch that Hen had that Bobby and Athena were in danger. He didn't hesitate to help them out. (Thank you Buck for pointing this out!)

It just makes me kinda sad... So yeah, I need him to need help and for them to help out.

And this isn't anything against Chimney or Hen, people lose touch and it's not like he reached out in all that time either. And I'm sure that if he had called them needing help with something they would've come through. It's just something I've been thinking about.

[mrs-stans]

Sebastian Stan Is “Still Shaking” After Getting Two Golden Globe Nominations

On the heels of recognition for both The Apprentice and A Different Man, Stan speaks to Vanity Fair about his “surreal” journey to awards recognition, as well as being nominated in the same year as Pamela Anderson.

BY SAVANNAH WALSH

It’s not every day that an actor earns a Golden Globe nomination, much less two in the same morning. But Sebastian Stan joined the likes of Selena Gomez and Kate Winslet on Monday by getting dual Globe nominations. “It’s certainly surreal,” he tells Vanity Fair, “still sort of shaking from it.”

Stan secured recognition for both his dramatic turn as Donald Trump in The Apprentice and his more comedic performance as a tormented aspiring actor named Edward in A Different Man. It is the first time that a male performer has pulled off double nominations in the lead acting categories since Ryan Gosling managed to do it back in 2012. “Listen, one of my favorite actors of all time,” Stan says. “I’d be very glad to be in that little stat with him.”

In the early hours of nomination morning, Stan was getting some shuteye—or, at least attempting to. “I actually woke up in the middle of the night at 4:00, and was like, Oh, okay, there’s an hour and a half. I fell asleep again, and then I got a call from my publicist,” he tells VF. Since then, “I’ve been sending a lot of pictures to my mom.”

Some excitement is to be expected, especially when considering what it took to get both of Stan’s nominated films to the screen. “I never would’ve dreamt that I was going to be going to the Globes with both of these films, I never would’ve dreamt that both of the films would’ve come out in the same year,” he says.

Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man sat in limbo for two years before debuting on the festival circuit this year. At the Sundance Film Festival, it was acquired by A24 for a fall release. The film then screened in Berlin, where Stan won the Silver Bear for best lead performance. Meanwhile, The Apprentice, directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Vanity Fair special contributor Gabriel Sherman, premiered at May’s Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews. But the film faced a treacherous road to distribution in the days before the 2024 presidential election.

“To even be in one room with both films is not something that’s ever crossed my mind,” Stan says. “So, I’ll be digesting that probably throughout the holiday season.” The recognition for each movie feels extra gratifying because “they both felt really challenging in terms of what the roles we’re requiring,” he says, “obviously one being one of the most famous people in the world, with a lot of people having very strong feelings about [him], and many, many impressions having been done. How do you go in there and find something new, or try to offer a different perspective?”

As it turns out, bringing a young Donald Trump to life during the dawn of his fortuitous relationship with Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong, now Globe-nominated for best supporting actor in a feature film) was only half the fight. Stan recently opened up about the struggle to promote The Apprentice in the wake of Trump’s re-election, including having to pass on Variety’s Actors on Actors because other participants were reluctant to talk about the president-elect.

“The movie has had a really uphill battle since Cannes,” says Stan, who also recently nabbed an Independent Spirit Award nomination for the movie. “It’s been hard for people to have permission to express how they feel about the movie, and today feels very gratifying in terms of having the Golden Globes recognize the film, and the work. It feels like hopefully going forward people can feel okay talking about it, and see it.”

Stan earned his first Globes nomination for playing Tommy Lee in 2022’s similarly controversial based-on-a-true-story project, Pam & Tommy. How does he feel to be nominated in the same year as the real-life Pamela Anderson, who became a first-time nominee for The Last Showgirl? “I’m so happy for her, and [it’s] so well deserved. It’s a beautiful film and a beautiful performance,” says Stan. “From our end, this was always part of the goal and the intention [of the series]—to somehow shine a light where it hasn’t been shined before, and hopefully contribute in a way [to her success]. So yeah, I’m ecstatic for her.”

Stan is also rooting for many of his other fellow nominees. “My two favorite films of the year are Sing Sing and A Real Pain,” says the actor, who then praises one of his competitors in the musical/comedy lead actor race. “Jesse Eisenberg, I want to say congratulations to him because he’s somebody I worked with years ago, in 2006 [via Fred Durst’s feature directorial debut, The Education of Charlie Banks], and the man’s a genius. I love that movie so much.”

He also spotlights The Substance, a film that, along with a release date, also shares themes with A Different Man—more specifically, issues of transformation and fixation on physical appearance. “There were a lot of articles that kind of put us together, in terms of the themes of the movies,” says Stan. “But they’re unique in the sense that they are original. Sing Sing, A Real Pain, I should say Anora while I’m at it—to be able to have films that are standing on their own without any IP, or anything about them that we know but their true original film storytelling, is amazing.”

The Globes are seen as something of a precursor on the way to potential Oscar gold—but Stan isn’t getting ahead of himself. “The fact that we’re here today in itself is such a massive step, but it is very much a one day at a time experience,” says the 42-year-old. “As an actor in this community, besides the work that you do on the day, when you go home at night and feel like you’ve left it all on the field, there’s nothing more gratifying than the actual recognition of your peers. I’ve been doing this for 20-some odd years, and I’m pretty grateful. So, knock on wood, and whatever happens next happens—but we’ve already won in a major way.”

[dashing-disaster]

Bad Beer and Naked Rodents

Thank you @xmidhel for beta reading!

also on AO3

“You know,” Sal drawls, twisting the cap off another beer and handing it over, “for someone with an above average IQ, you’re dense as fuck.”

Tommy glares but accepts the bottle without protest. It’s his third. He takes a long sip and shudders. Bud Light. Why did Sal have to be such a fucking stereotype? But he was too tired to complain. He was too tired to do much of anything right now.

“He’s not wrong,” Lucy said to his left and Tommy directed his glare towards her instead. Like Sal, she wasn’t impressed.

“What? You know it’s true. There you are, genuinely happy for the first time in…” she pauses to think, “for the first time since I met you, actually.”

“Ever” Tommy supplies miserably, sinking further into the couch cushions. Something pokes into his right kidney and he reaches underneath himself, pulling out a small doll with messy blue hair, a pink ruffled dress and a … horn?

“Unicorn Barbie,” Sal exclaims and snags the doll from his hand. “Thanks man, you just saved this household a lot of sweat and tears. Look, babe, he found her!”

“Uncle Tommy to the rescue,” Gina says dryly, without even looking up from her laptop where she’s furiously typing some email that’s probably important and Tommy feels a pang of guilt at intruding on her peace and quiet unannounced at 9pm on a week day, Lucy in tow. He’s unable to dwell on it, however, because Lucy pipes up again.

“Let’s circle back here for a moment, your life was going great, you were happy, your hair was even starting to look good-“

“Hey!”

“Don’t interrupt me, Thomas. My point is, you got scared of commitment for three seconds and tell Evan Buckley, Evan Buckley, to go off to frolic on Grindr? I’m sorry, but do you know how stupid that is? Do you have any idea what happens to guys like Evan Buckley on Grindr?”

“Say his name like that one more time and I swear to God.” It comes out with far more venom than intended and he cringes internally. Why does he have to be such a bitch? It’s a credit to their love for him that none of his friends even bat an eye.

They’re not gentle either, and Tommy’s kind of glad about it. He doesn’t deserve gentle. Not now, maybe not ever again.

“What happens to guys like him on Grindr,” Sal asks curiously and then frowns. “And what do you know about Grindr?”

“My cousin wanted to try it out but he’s super paranoid about technology stealing his data, man’s still got a Nokia. So we set up his profile on my phone. He decided it wasn’t for him 10 minutes in but I kept the app and sometimes I go window shopping when downtime gets too long.”

“Why am I not surprised in the slightest,” Tommy mutters into his beer. Lucy is undeterred.

“Anyway, Gabe’s no hag either and similarly baby-faced as Buck so every time I open the app they’re on him in minutes. Seriously, it’s like The Walking Dead and some of the messages I get are borderline illegal. And don’t get me started on the dick pics. They’re not even nice-looking dicks most of the time.”

“Is there such a thing as a nice-looking dick? I’ve always found they all look a little like mole-rats.”

Sal, who’s been fiddling with Unicorn Barbie’s hair in a futile attempt to get out some of the knots pauses and makes a pitiful little sound staring wide-eyed at his wife who’s still neither looking up from her screen, nor is she pausing her aggressive typing, and Tommy’s both impressed and a little scared of that level of multi-tasking.

“Don’t worry, bud, Gi loves your dick. You’ve got three little monsters to prove it.”

Sal shoots Lucy a look so dirty Tommy almost laughs.

“I love the man attached to it. It’s still a mole-rat, though.” A beat of silence, then Gina looks up from her laptop for the first time in two hours, finding her husband’s eyes across the coffee table. “I love mole-rats.”

Lucy snorts, but Sal looks so pleased even Tommy has to smile.

“Still, though,” Lucy picks up the previous topic again, “are we sure it’s a good idea to throw Buck into a world of mole-rats and creepy old dudes wanting him to call them ‘daddy’?”

Tommy decidedly does not look in Sal’s direction. He loves Lucy and Gina but this is a topic one only discusses with one’s very best of friends.

“A world of disappointment, more like. Buck’s had Tommy now, anything else will just be a let-down.” The dirty grin spreading on Sal’s face tells Tommy he’s about to be in trouble. And he’s right.

“We didn’t call my boy here Nine-Inch-Nail in high school for nothin’.”

“Okay, first of all, that is such a lie,” the grin goes impossibly wider, “and second, I am not 9 inches, okay?”

Three sets of eyes wander down to his crotch and if it wasn’t these exact three people, Tommy would be so uncomfortable right now. As it is, he simply huffs and shoves a throw pillow into his lap, crossing his arms like a petulant toddler.

“I’m 8.6.”

Silence.

Then all three of them burst out laughing. He tries to hold on to his petulance, but he only lasts about ten seconds before the corners of his mouth begin to twitch and he finds himself joining in against all odds.

“As I was saying,” Sal hiccups after they’ve all calmed down again, “Buck doesn’t need any other mens’ mole-rats. He only needs Tommy’s giant mole-rat.”

Tommy groans.

“God, I hate you.”

Half past midnight Gina pulls the plug and throws them out. Sal tries to offer him the guest room, but he declines. As much as he loves his best friend’s daughters, he doubts he’ll can be Fun Uncle Tommy in the morning and he hates disappointing them.

As they wait for their Uber to pull up, Tommy feels strong fingers wrap around his wrist and a moment later he’s pulled into a tight hug.

“Don’t fuck up your life like that, Tom, not again. You were finally so happy. And I like you happy. ” Sal’s voice is quiet next to his ear, but there’s a softness to it that is usually reserved for his daughters. Tommy feels his throat close up and he buries his face into Sal’s shoulder.

“I just don’t know how not to, Sallie,” he admits and hates how forlorn it sounds.

How forlorn he feels.

“You trust him. I know it’s the most terrifying thing to do, believe me I do. But you gotta.”

Sal pulls back to catch his eyes, but keeps hold of Tommy’s shoulders.

“This man is the best thing that’s ever happened to you, Tom, and if you give up on what you have now, you will regret it for the rest of your life. But in order to keep it, you need to let him in and you need to trust him to know what he wants. It’s not your place to decide that for him.

And I know you want to let him set the pace, but you can only do that as long as you’re able to keep up. This relationship is about the both of you and if things are moving too fast, you have to tell him that. It’s not fair to either of you if you don’t.

And Tommy, you have to talk to him about your shit.”

Tommy opens his mouth to protest but Sal shuts him up with a shake of his head.

“No buts. Buck isn’t stupid. Do you really think he hasn’t clocked by now that you have trauma? I’m not saying you gotta tell him all of it at once. But you need to start somewhere.”

Sal pulls him back in roughly and presses a kiss to his temple.

 “I’ve seen the way that boy looks at you. He wants to take care of your heart so badly. Let him. Let him love you. All of you.

And if it all goes to shit anyway, you know that I’ll be right here. I always will be.”

Tommy bursts into tears.

It’s 3am when he finally finds himself knocking at the same door he closed behind himself for what he thought would be the last time less than ten hours ago.

It’s telling that it takes Evan just under half a minute to open it. It’s more telling that his eyes are red-rimmed, and he’s still wearing the same clothes.

Evan’s terrible at hiding his emotions, doesn’t even try to most of the time. It’s one of the many things Tommy loves about him.

Right now, he seems to experience all of them at the same time.

Hope, when he opens the door. Relief, when his eyes fall on Tommy in the hallway.

Hurt, anger, fear, concern, fondness, and finally back to hope.

He’s silent. Waiting.

Tommy takes a breath.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

They look at each other, the insecurity and fear hanging between them like a cloud of vapor, so thick Tommy can almost taste it.

But there’s something else, too. Smaller, more fragile, and yet persistent like a moth chasing the light.

It’s the same thing Tommy’s seen in Evan’s eyes earlier.

Hope.

For a time, neither of them moves, as if they’re scared, that if they do it’ll spook and leave them alone in the dark again.

A minute passes. Two.

Somewhere in the building a baby begins to cry.

Evan steps aside.

[hannigramislife]

amen to bottom tommy kinard (re one of your posts), insert praying emoji here, but more importantly, i need to know: how does tommy like to take it, and what exactly about top buck make him really horny? insert curious eyes emoji here

Ohhh, I love these types of asks!

Bottom Tommy is definitely where it's at right now, for me, and I imagine what he likes the most is how enthusiastic Buck is about it.

Like, Tommy is a 6'2'' beefy firefighter who looks like he could bench press you without breaking a sweat; I'm willing to bet his previous partners/hook ups expected him to be the top. Hell, some guys probably approached him for that exact reason.

And now with Buck, who is similarly built, but so, so new to a gay relationship, Tommy probably thinks he has to take the lead, to gently teach Buck how sex between two men works, to make sure he has a kinder experience than Tommy himself did.

Except for the fact that Buck, the overeager little shit with a curiosity streak the size of Texas, a bottomless sex drive and a people-pleasing personality, wanted to absolutely devour Tommy. He probably would be such a service top, especially at first, making it all about Tommy, checking in every other moment, rambling even in the middle of going at it because he can't shut up, it's all "How is that? Am I doing good, Tommy? Does it feel good?"

Meanwhile, Tommy's brain is melting right out of his ears.

[diaz911]

I’ve seen some people say if Buddie is going canon this season why haven’t Buck and Eddie interacted much? It’s true, they haven’t really had a scene together since the premiere and I actually think it’s purposeful and Tim is kind of a genius, because having them not be together much means both of their arcs early this season won’t be about each other, and that’s a good thing.

If Buck and Eddie had a lot of scenes and deep conversations this season, then when Buck breaks up with Tommy it will seem like he’s leaving Tommy because of Eddie. But if they’ve barely interacted then the break up becomes Buck’s choice. He won’t have chosen between Tommy and Eddie, he will have just decided he doesn’t want to be with Tommy, which I think is important for Buck’s growth and the BT fans not turning on Eddie and Buddie going forward.

Similarly, if we’re getting an Eddie gay arc it shouldn’t just be about Buck. Like, Eddie shouldn’t just realize he’s gay because he might have feelings for Buck, he needs to unpack why he’s repressed that part of himself for so long, which isn’t about Buck but about himself and probably how he was raised in a Catholic household where he was told it wasn’t manly to show his emotions.

These two arcs happening away from each other is good, because it means when Buddie finally happens it won’t be this co-dependent thing where their lives just revolve around each other, because that sounds kind of romantic but it’s not healthy. Instead they are too fully realized people, who have gone on separate journeys to find themselves and ended up in the same place at the end. Together.

[userautumn]

You are always 100% right and valid btw. Because like buck and Tommy are broken up, but you also have several interviews released today where Ryan calls Buck and Eddie “brothers” and where Oliver explicitly says Eddie is straight so they will most likely continue to be just friends. So if it wasn’t for Buddie, what was the point in throwing away a relationship the audience was actually behind??

Yeah, this has always been my problem with the idea of Buck and Tommy breaking up and, now that it's happened, I can finally unload all my thoughts.

Listen, my Buddie mutuals are very assured that Buck and Eddie will get together and have this lush and beautiful arc where they settle into a relationship and feel out the kinks in their dynamic and really blend together, and I respect that. I would love to see that happen. But I don't have that same confidence. Don't get me wrong, I DO think Buck and Eddie will probably get together, I just don't think it's going to happen until the last episode of the last season in a way that's more reminiscent of Johnlock "canon" (for those who did not watch BBC Sherlock: John and Sherlock continued to live together and raise John's daughter, but this was revealed in a montage without ever actually seeing them get together, or confirm that they were in a romantic relationship) than anything.

Why? Well, because it's easier to tease your audience than it is to follow through.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Tim is teasing the fandom in a malicious way, and—if nothing else—I know he is very aware of what these boys and the implication of their relationship means to people. 9-1-1 has always handled their relationship with a particular gravitas, and I don't see that changing now. But Tim has been writing Buck and Eddie for years. He knows what gets people going, he knows what this fandom likes to see, and what they'll read into. So why would he rush into making them "endgame," especially if he knows he already wants to take them in that direction? He has no incentive to make it happen Right Now because everyone will lap up what he puts out anyway.

And I get it, because I do love Buck and Eddie's relationship. I love the way they interact with each other and, yes, I will lap up any scene between them. But that's the part I find so draining too. I'm going to be honest, I've never liked a "will-they-won't-they" couple. As a personal preference, I've always liked to have a clear vision of a story's trajectory when I go into it. That's how I write, and that's what I gravitate toward in fiction. So the idea of going through any number of love interests until Buck and Eddie are "ready for each other" (so sick of that phrase. sob.) is literally... exhausting to me, and not in a fun way. Because this is a loop that could theoretically continue on, and on, and on, until whenever the powers that be decide enough is enough.

Sure, Eddie is happy and free now. Great. But he still doesn't know he's Queer. What happens when he does realize that? Does he need to date a guy first in order to be "ready" for Buck? Similarly (because their romantic arcs always run parallel to each other), when Buck fucks and sucks his way through Los Angeles, does he stumble upon a hot girl/guy and date her/him until Eddie's "ready" for him? How many times, exactly, am I going to sit through another love interest until they're on the same page after, by my count, three false starts? You know?

I'm obviously along for the ride. Always have been, always will be, and I fought too hard over the summer to maintain my love for these boys and their relationship to let it waste away now. But I desperately, desperately need Tim to give me something substantial that CLEARLY, and EXPLICITLY indicates IMMEDIATE strides toward ROMANTIC Buddie Canon. And I mean crystal clear. Not "building a thousand words of meta off a single line/moment" clear. Not "this look probably definitely means Eddie was thinking about ripping Buck's clothes off" clear. I mean, I want it so damn clear, a sixty-five year old grandpa with cataracts can see it.

Otherwise I'm just going to get really annoyed.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Do you think Harry and Tom would be able to use each other's wands?

1000% yes, I believe they could.

I think I mentioned here, that Harry's wand sees Voldy (especially post-resurrection) as an extension of Harry, and Voldy's wand is considered kin. Like, the wands recognize each other and the owners.

So, I think Harry's and Voldemort's wands would, like, barely recognize it's a different person. Like, post-resurrection, Harry and Voldemort share blood and soul and their wands were already magically kin, so basically, it's like almost the same person.

If Harry picked up Voldy's wand, the yaw wand would be like: "Hmm, Tommy's a bit different today, oh well," and just roll with it. Same goes for Harry's wand.

I think a lot of magic is just going to consider Voldemort and Harry extensions of each other, and so would their wands.

However, I think it isn't true for all wands who accept them, just their interwind wands that share a core. Like, the Elder Wand chose Harry, and wouldn't accept Tom, because it's sentient in a different way than other wands. Draco's wand, which also accepted Harry, wouldn't accept Tom probably, because there the acceptance was based on Draco's feelings. But, their wands, which are just as bound together as Harry and Voldemort, yeah, they would barely notice if they were switched up.

Like, the wands won't notice, but Harry and Voldemort would.

On the Pottermore page about wand woods, it's said wands adapt to their user and their spellcasting style. So, I headcanon their wands have adapted to them over time. Harry would notice the Yaw wand is more sensitive to nonverbal magic since Tom probably casts nonverbally more often than not and the wand got used to it. The Yaw wand would probably be proud like its owner and won't allow a subpar wizard to use it (luckily for Harry, he'd be fine on that front) Similarly, Tom would find the Holly wand more volatile and prone to overcharge spells and be more protective of its user. Both wands would be chill with being used creatively though, considering Harry sometimes uses spells intuitively different than how they are meant to be used and Tom probably invents magic whenever he encounters a problem that doesn't have a magical solution yet.

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

i feel like we may not be happy immediately with bi buck reveal because it's probably related to tommy but to me you gotta do buck and men first and have him be comfortable with the idea of being with a man and experimenting before you get to the in depth realization of oh my god i'm in lvoe with my best friend. maybe eddie needs to have another near death experience so we can get to that juicy stuff. cause every other season one of them ends up in danger, eddie it's your turn boy.

Maybe other people won't be all that happy, but I certainly don't mind. If they do have Buck be bi, I don't care that he'll be with another man - especially if it's Buck realizing his sexuality.

I've personally always felt given who Buck is as a person it would make sense for him to "come out" to the audience by casually referencing a past boyfriend, or hooking up with men, or going to Pride with Hen - that kind of thing. And if Buck HAS been with guys before and Tommy is just the latest I don't mind that either, because either way, Eddie needs to know that's an option with Buck and Eddie can't know that's an option if the audience doesn't know it's an option. While in real life it would make sense that the characters know things about one another we the audience don't see, in a show, the audience has to know things, therefore the characters often find things out with the audience.

However if I had to bet at this point I'd say Buck will be realizing this as a new thing - given the serious conversations it looks like Buck's having with Eddie (and I think I saw others? I don't quite remember) - I think it might be that Tommy is Buck's first guy. In which case, I am delighted.

I remember feeling back in the day that Eddie needed to be with someone after Shannon and before Buck, and I feel similarly when it comes to one or both of them being queer. Eddie and Buck going from best friends to lovers will be the scariest step of their lives. They have so much to lose if it goes wrong. For Eddie and Buck to ALSO be each other's first time with a man? Even MORE terrifying. It feels only reasonable that Buck would try that with someone much more "low stakes" - someone where the relationship can be casual and there's nothing riding on it.

So while others might not be happy, I think it's great, and I don't mind at all if that's the direction the writers decide to go with it.

[modelbus]

I wrote these three snippets ages ago, but they work :)

Pairing: Cc!Tommyinnit x Gn!reader

Flufftober 8 - Need A Hand? (Love languages)

You’re talking with Wilbur, waving your hands animatedly in the air, when you sense the shift. It's subtle, like the ripple of a breeze, but it's enough. It tells you Tommy's behind you and definitely about to hug you.

And yup, he does.

Arms snaking around your middle, head resting atop yours. He's warm, like always. You can't help but relax into him. Wilbur, Phil, Ranboo, and Tubbo are the only ones he's this touchy around. You suspect it's because of his whole "big man" shtick.

To your credit, you don’t stop talking. "-It's just bizarre! Who even does that?!"

Wilbur eyes you with amusement.

"Wankers, man." He answers. "Hey Tommy."

"Phil went to get us food." Tommy tells you two, and you can feel his words. 

It's been a long day with a lot of filming. He's probably tired and desperately wanting physical contact seeing as he couldn't be overly affectionate on camera. Which explains him right now. 

"We didn't give him our orders." You point out.

"I told him what you wanted and just hoped he knew what Wil wanted." Of course Tommy knew what you’d get. "What? Wil, why are you staring at me like that?"

To suppress your smile, you try to bite your lip. It's really unsuccessful, and Wilbur gives a small laugh.

"You're a cute couple."

If this had been Tommy at the beginning of you dating, he would've rocketed away. Probably blurt some curse words. But instead, he seems to sink further into you. At this point it must look absolutely ridiculous.

You don’t care at all.

"Next up you have to find someone to date." You tell Wilbur. "Honestly, it's quite sad that we have more game than you."

Tommy snickers. "Yeah, Wilbur. Do you need some relationship advice? Hmm? We're the masters."

"Fuck you." Wilbur bites. "You look stupid."

"And you don't?"

"I-" He starts to sputter.

"Exactly." Tommy huffs, straightening up.

Subconsciously you chase his warmth, leaning back and up just a little. Somehow Tommy notices the subtle movements and takes his spot again.

"How do you deal with him? And… this?" Wilbur asks you.

"Eh. I love it." You blurt.

"...ew." He says, turning away. "That's enough of you two for now."

When Phil comes back with all their food, Tommy's forced to unravel himself from you. 

"Cute, mate." Phil notes.

"Fuck off."

-

"You are an absolute dumbass." You deadpan, backing away from Tommy slowly.

"Who? Me?" He grins back at you, eyes sparkling.

Hell no. Without much thought to it, you turn tail and books it out of there. Within seconds his footsteps are following you, echoing loudly on the sidewalk as you both sprint through the streets of Brighton.

After a second, you realize you’ve wound yourself through the grass park. And, of course, you realize this right before Tommy tackles you and tries to murder you.

Okay, that's an overstatement. He tackled you, yes, but quite gently for Tommy. And when they went down, he made care to be the one hitting his ass on the grass.

Either way, you both get the wind knocked out of you.

"Fuck." You wheeze, rolling onto a patch he isn't occupying.

"Sorry." Is his similarly wheezing response.

Tommy regains his breath quick, leaving you struggling to intake air. Really, it's unfair how fast he regains it.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Hey! We can talk about-" he lets out a yelp when you send an elbow his way, careful it doesn't actually connect.

You move closer to him, and he cautiously tugs you so that youre resting your head on his shoulder. Perhaps with a little too much caution than your elbow warranted.

"You're okay?" He asks, somewhat sheepishly.

"Yeah, fine." You quickly answer, propping yourself up on your elbow to overlook him.

"I swear I didn't mean for us to hit the ground so hard."

"It's okay Toms, I know." 

He still looks mildly worried though, so you press a quick kiss to his lips. Before pulling back and laughing.

"What? What?!" He questions.

"You've got so much grass in your hair!"

You run a hand through it, ruffling his hair to try and get it all out.

"So do you!" He protests, ducking away from your hand.

"I make it looks fashionable, you look like you're about to transform into a blade of grass."

He gapes at you, mock-offended. "How. Fucking. Dare. You."

-

"I look fine right? This isn't stupid?" Tommy asks, frowning at his reflection in the mirror.

You sigh, walking around him to block his sight of himself. He's been staring at himself for ten minutes already, stalling the video. It was technically a prank video, making Tommy nervous as fuck.

"Yes, you look fine. It is stupid, and that's why it's perfect." You tell him.

Reaching out, you help fold and flatten his collar. He holds perfectly still for once, watching you as you fix it. 

Part of you wonders if this is how he'll look when you get married. If he'll wear a similar black tuxedo, the same white button up. He hasn't asked you to marry him yet. You aren’t sure if you care or not. You don't need a ring and some vows to establish your love for each other.

But still. Eventually, one day, you’d like to marry him.

"Perfect." You hum, stepping back. "See?"

"I feel like a kid playing dress up." He scowls.

"Because you are playing dress up, Toms. Come on, you were so excited."

"I know, I still am! Just... what if he doesn't take it well?"

"Tubbo's your best friend. Take it well or not, it'll be fine." 

Tommy nods, tugging on his suit jacket. "Okay. Let's do this."

[madlori]

The Claw is our master.

I've had a few folks in DMs ask me how/why/when my shipping did such a completey 180. It's a fair question. I am, after all, someone who spent the last 2 years fervently Buddie shipping, writing fic for them, doing the same hoping/analyzing/searching etc that everyone else (well...not exactly the same, I've always been skeptical of most of the theories and such because I don't believe in a production's ability to be that sneaky, covert or mischievous).

And yet, here I am. I can't really even pretend I'm still a Buddie shipper anymore. Initially I said sure, I still hope for it. I...can't in all honesty say that now. I've firmly decamped for BuckTommy Land. Is this a recipe for heartbreak if they eventually breakup? Sure, but that's always a risk. No more than shipping a non-canon pairing, anyway.

And there's nothing wrong with shipping a non-canon pairing. People do it every day. Hell, it's practically the backbone of fandom. Obsessing about ships being canon is a one-way ticket to dissatisfaction and sometimes total unraveling. I've seen it happen more times than I can count over 30 years in online fandoms.

But if that's the case, why didn't I stay on Team Buddie? Why did I defect so thoroughly that I'm at the point now where not only do I not think Buddie will ever happen, I don't want it to, because I now want to see something different from those two characters, something I believe we will actually get from the writers.

The answer to that question is: I have no idea.

People ask this like I'm somehow in control of it. I'm not. The Fandom Brain is like The Claw in Toy Story. The Claw is our Master. The Claw decided who will go and who will stay.

Fandom Brain is my master. It decides what I'm going to ship, what I'm going to be fannish about and what I'm not, and when I'm going to stop feeling fannish about something. I have zero say in the matter, I'm just along for the ride. At some point in every fandom I have ever been in, my Fandom Brain has, usually with no provocation, decided "Ok we're done with this fandom now." And nothing I can do will make that not true. I can't force it. I can't cajole it. It just is.

Similarly, Fandom Brain has decided "Welp, we're done with this pairing now. We like THIS pairing now. Proceed." Are there reasons? I'm sure there are.

Is it just that it's a canon pairing? Possibly. There is something very seductive about a canon pairing after so long of looking for crumbs and tiny hints where there (mostly) none to find. But I've shipped plenty of non-canon pairings before.

Is it that I prefer Tommy/Lou to Eddie/Ryan? Absolutely not. I love Eddie, always have. I admit to being slightly more of a Buck girlie, but that doesn't mean Eddie means nothing to me.

Is it the immediate gratification? Maybe. Is it just how the relationship's being written? Possibly. Is it just a mental adjustment for my belief that Buddie will never happen, and Eddie will always be straight? Likely. But that doesn't change the outcome.

So here I sit, just...yep. Sometimes it just be like that. I didn't choose this, it's just what my brain decided was going to work for me going forward. If this goes up in smoke, my brain will choose something else, whether it's to run back to Buddie, or be done with 9-1-1 entirely, or who knows what else?

The good news for any of you who follow my writing is that I'm still working on the next Husbros installment. That universe is removed enough from the canon that it almost feels separate to me now, and I'm still feeling connected to it. Yes, I've written a few short BT fics, but so far I've not had any lengthy or involved plot bunnies for it.

So there you have it. I didn't choose the thug life, the thug life chose me. I don't know if I'd have chosen this if I could, but tbh I'm having a pretty good time with it so far, so. That's probably a big part of the reason.

[one-chaotic-neautral]

Heyo, just saw your post about the mcyt/sbi atla au and i was wondering if you could possibly share your plans? I just love the idea of an atla au and want to hear more!! Like; what kind of bender is everyone? Etc, etc,,,,

Please don't feel pressured to answer if you don't want to! Thank you! :D

Oh I'd love to talk about this! thanks for asking :D

Atm the Benders I have decided are:

Waterbender -

Technoblade

Charlie

Firebender -

Nikki (or waterbender)

Jackmanifold

Earthbender -

Tubbo

Eret

Sam

Airbender -

Philza

Quackity

Nonbender -

Schlatt

Wilbur (It's been a few years, not sure how comfortable I am including him in this AU now)

TBD

Tommy

Ranboo

Captainpuffy (earth or waterbender?)

+ any other CC's people think would be cool to add, feel free to suggest some i've forgotten or not thought of!

It's Sbi Centric, so mostly centred around Tommy, Techno, Phil, Tubbo, Ranboo and Nikki, but I'd like to flesh out the others involvement in it.

When I first made the AU I was obsessed with c!Technoblade, so most development is on him cause he is my favourite.

I originally had a poll on reddit about some of the types they'd be, and a lot of people thought Techno would be a firebender or earthbender, until I brought up Bloodbending as a part of Waterbending (Blood for the Blood God!).

It's not only the boodbending though, considering waterbending is the most versatile bending technique and probably has the most potential for someone who's creative and willing to abuse every use of a mechanic, which Technoblade is 100% going to do. The ability to create weapons out of Ice is something I have for him, as well as potions existing in this universe (basically liquid drugs absorbed through the skin) which he carries around.

^ The current redesign, I'll probably make a more detailed post when I finish it.

I had an idea that he'd have Albinism in this Au, making his eyes red instead of blue (which'll tie into his backstory) and he wears the Boar head not just for intimidation and the pig motif, but cause it kinda also works as a hat and sunglasses combo to protect his eyes and skin from the sunlight.

Phil Is definitely an Airbender due to his partiality to flying, and the crow motifs. people were pretty much in agreement about that.

He's an old friend of Techno's, and the only person he trusts. Originally I had his design as kinda silly with a missive broad-brimmed hat, that worked like a parachute. But I decided to replace that with (probably black) glider like wings, made of solid, light wood or metal poles and fabric.

He has his own backstory stuff, which is why he wears his typical green (earth kingdom clothing) instead of airbender colours, cause he is no longer affiliated with his homeland and uses more local garb. Him and Techno both travel around a lot between kingdoms, but not always together.

Tommy I've had a hard time deciding on, I considered airbender because of his more energetic nature, and in Origins smp he is an Avian and vegetarian, but he really wouldn't fit in with airbenders in universe, which i could tie into the plot similarly to Phil. I initially wanted him to be a firebender, which is still a strong contender.

^ The first design I did for the au in 2021, which used to be set in the dsmp universe i think, or at least had his clothes from there.

I also considered him being the Avatar, considering tommy takes on the protagonist role a lot. if he were then Techno, phil and tubbo could have been his element teachers, but I don't think I'll go with that anymore as it just doesn't feel right.

A few people seem to be inclined towards him being a nonbender in the poll from yesterday, which I think is an idea I could explore.

Wilbur I'd originally had as a nonbender, tho a lot of people liked the idea of firebender, but I thought a nonbender thief and conman who relied on charisma and manipulation instead of bending. He took Tommy under his wing as a pickpocket and scammer, which leads into Tommy's plot. (I still don't know whether to include Wilbur in this au, cause I don't like the CC anymore, but the character could be seperated from him, I just feel weird about it.)

Tommy's introduction was going to be that him and Techno met (and subsequently Philza) after tommy was bold enough to steal from Techno, who caught him but decided to spare him.

Tubbo is definitely an Earthbender, it just makes sense to his personality and everything. I feel like it could also tie into redstone, with that being a kind of rock and exists in this Au, similar to how Potions exist. (In the same vein I think Sam would be an earthbender, and Sam and Eret and both big builders so I think Earthbending suits that cause its the best for construction)

Nikki I think I've decided is a Firebender if we're going off her Dsmp plot, she initially was seen as a harmless weak bender who used it for baking, but she actually is quite skilled (Which Techno and Phil recognise later and ask her to join them) and has a more violent side, like burning down the L'mantree and hunting down tommy (which likely doesn't happen in this AU, but will have equivalents or aspects of that part of her character). I also considered waterbending if we took it from her Origins smp character, who is a mermaid, but I feel like theres less potential for lore there.

Ranboo I have no idea. my first thought was a waterbender who's afraid of water, but I'm not sure. Or half Earthbender/firebender cause of his eyes. It could be that he doesn't know due to his amnesia. I also considered Avatar for him, which fits his character imo, and is discovered later after befriending tubbo and tommy, and them + techno, phil and nikki could teach him their elements. But I haven't really gotten onto him yet and will probably make a poll for him soon.

I may add more but I think I'll leave it here for now, I hope that answered any questions and feel free to ask more! It helps me think about and flesh out the different aspects of the world :)

I'll likely post the updated art soon, I've already done a rough Techno and Tommy first interaction.

[flavored-soda]

Hiiii did someone say 9-1-1 and metal???? We should be friends!!

Also please imagine Tommy singing along to Death Diviner by Soilwork

.OH!!!

Or Ice Nine Kills, and then explaining the references/films they're based on! Movie night followed by album listening party?

hi, anon! my messages are always open so please come yell at me about 911 and metal! i need more mutuals in the fandom!

ok, ok. but have you considered tommy singing along to slipknot? or black sabbath?

personally, i like to think tommy listens to mostly 80s and 90s metal bands because he was born in ‘84 (if you’re going off of lou saying they’re the same age). so like metallica, dio, black sabbath, motley crue, probably even gwar. i think he got into newer metal bands from going to festivals or shows when he could and just finding what he liked. and thats how he got into bands like slipknot and motionless in white. but yes to ice nine kills too!

i think buck listens to punk and more alternative music himself. mostly like green day, the offspring, and bad religion. cuz he’s a 90s kid.

i’m sure he’s dabbled into metal as well, probably nu metal. so i think he probably knows some of the songs in tommy’s playlists but most likely not all of them. but if did hear ice nine kills and ask about them cuz the references aren’t too hard to figure out in most of the songs (at least if you’ve seen the movie or read the book).

but also i think that buck hates horror movies. like he’ll watch the cheesy slashers, sure. the classics like the original friday the 13th or nightmare on elm street. but i don’t think he’s keen on newer horror movies, especially after he joined the 118. something about not taking his work home with him. maybe he liked them more when he was kid or teenager but he almost grew out of them when he became a firefighter. i think he feels similarly about war movies too. so ice nine kills may not be his favorite band that tommy listens too, but he still likes the music.

either way i think buck finds it extremely hot when tommy is working out to his metal playlist.

[mrsegbert]

Joker (Brian Azzarello) Meta

Somebody's probably already made this connection, but I think Joker uses Jonny Frost as a stand-in for Batman at multiple points in the Joker graphic novel. Especially because we see Joker talking to himself as if he were talking to Batman in the story, too.

Compare lines Joker says to Jonny (and Batman) near the end of the story. "You have no charm at all. Just... Obviousness. Dumb, dull... Obvious." And in certain moments throughout the story, Joker describes Jonny as having these qualities.

After Joker schedules a meeting with Tommy Bang Bang, Jonny tells Joker that telling Tommy that they're coming would mean potentially walking into a set-up. In reply, Joker says, "I don't mind you saying that Jonny. Sometimes, I need to hear the obvious." Near the end of the graphic novel, Joker asks Jonny if he knows what he hates. Jonny replies that Joker hates everything, and Joker says, "My, my... Is it you've learned a lot... Or you're smarter than you look?" Which implies Joker thinks of Jonny as unintelligent. (This is reaching, but during a drove at night, Joker asks what Jonny sees, and Jonny says, "lights." Joker then describes the lights as nothing more than pinpricks in darkness, which could connect to the dull descriptor.)

We can use these moments between Jonny and Joker to see how Joker feels about Batman. Most obviously, Joker describes Batman as obvious when he stated beforehand that he sometimes needs to hear the obvious - or rather, needs Batman. There are also multiple occasions where Joker acts toward Jonny similarly to how he does Batman. For example, screaming at Jonny, demanding to know if he thinks he's better than him, holding a gun to Jonny's head and asking if he's one of his problems, talking about a story of a man trying to complete an impossible mission, it being something he admires. And when Jonny doesn't understand what Joker is talking about, Joker treats it as Batman being the one who doesn't understand. "Of course not - he doesn't have a funny bone in his broken body."

There's also a recurring theme of apologies in the story. When they first meet, Joker tells Jonny to never apologize for the way he looks. Later on, Joker says what he actually hates most is apologies. When Joker and Batman finally confront one another, Joker tries to shame Batman - implying that Bruce has something to apologize for. Then, he shames Batman for the window he has for his mouth on his cowl - finding something wrong with the way he looks. "A glimpse at the perfection underneath. Obvious - the chiseled good looks - not the jaw, the mouth of a monster."

This hints at not only insecurity from The Joker but potentially some form of attraction. Not to mention - hypocrisy. Which isn't unusual considering the character, but it stands out all the same given what's he said about not apologizing for one's looks.

Ultimately, I think this version of Joker needs or feels he needs Batman, is almost always putting on a performance for him, admires him, wanting to talk to him or get through to him, but also feels a hatred for him. Maybe even envy. He doesn't want to feel like, or have it be that, Batman thinks he's better than him. And because Jonny is no longer a Batman stand-in, now that Joker can finally be with him again, Jonny is killed and tossed aside like trash - just like anyone who he considers beneath him and Batman.

Also, there's a moment near the end where Jonny laughs as he and Joker are fleeing, and Joker strikes him in the face. Potentially this might be because he felt like he was being mocked, or because it's something too "out of character" for Joker to continue projecting his nemesis onto Jonny.

[scarlet--wiccan]

We know Wanda loves Teddy (and I imagine she’d feel similarly about David, but at this point it wouldn’t shock me if Tommy’s never introduced them), but how do you think Luna would feel about Monet (assuming the relationship lasts long enough to get to the “meeting the kids stage”) and Billy and Tommy feel/felt about Jericho (I’m sure that happened off panel)?

(I just realized Monet’s sisters are probably younger than Luna because they’ve never seemed to age despite definitely being older than her when they were introduced (and Monet might be their primary caregiver, since they seem to live on Krakoa), so if you have any thoughts on that meeting feel free to share).

Billy has been on page with Jericho a few times. They've definitely met, and even though Billy has never had the opportunity to be super-involved in the magical community like Wanda, my general impression is that he knows of and respects a lot of those people.

Billy and Wanda understand each other very intuitively, and Billy was also a Big Time Wanda Fan™ before they ever met. He would support Wanda being with anyone she likes and trusts, as she obviously does with Jericho, and I imagine that he really appreciates how good this relationship is for her. Tommy, on the other hand, is just very protective, and I think that "family" is a circle that he has a hard time letting people into. It takes time for him to warm up to anybody getting close to his mother or brother-- he's very similar to Pietro that way.

Monet meeting Luna for the first time would probably be really funny, and I hope we get to see it on page someday. Monet is not disingenuous, by any measure, but she is very intentional about her presentation and she has a lot going on beneath the surface. Luna is a precocious child whose superpower is, effectively, seeing through people. Her first impressions are always right, and she's not afraid to make cutting observations. Depending on what she sees and how she voices it, she and Monet will either butt heads, or get on like a house on fire. Personally, I think Monet would appreciate Luna's intelligence and honestly, and I feel like Luna might enjoy getting to spend time around someone from a more... aristocratic background, like her.

[hyperfixingfr]

I just had a 2 x Cree shipper try to follow me on main so I'm gonna say this bullshit again since grown ass adults can't get the damn point. Content warning for some mentions of weird proshipping stuff. Not in depth.

2 x Cree is a proship/comship. Aside from the disgusting age gap and role Cree has over Hoagie (most likely having babysat him and/or kids his age), she ASSAULTS him. With no reasoning behind it or comedy/playfulness to it. That's two different types of proship: abusive x abused, and authority x controlled. If you wanna say it for what it really is, much younger x much older.

I. Do. Not. Care. What. You. Change. NO ONE WITH A BRAIN DOES. You can't say, "but I made them adults", "but I made Cree nice" and expect people to take you seriously. The fact that you go as far as to change the canon character just to attempt to justify a disgusting ship should make you stop and think. If you need to change an aspect of canon to make it look better, your ship is disgusting and probably wrong. I don't know why you 2 x Cree shippers keep insinuating this makes it okay, because it doesn't. You don't look at siblings and decide, "how about we make them just really close friends so I can ship them!".

Cree is, as far as the canon has told, unwilling to change. She has no intention of it. She has "nice moments" with her sister, but that means nothing when you think about how people who act like that irl do it. They can't be all evil, or else no one would let them into their lives. It's completely unreasonable to change the very key villain aspect just for some stupid ship. If something were to happen in canon where she has a change of heart, then I would retract my statement. But she hasn't. And it doesn't seem like that will EVER happen, because Cree is supposed to be the villain of the Lincoln family. Her tendency to assault him alone makes it weird, but him being a very obvious abuse victim almost seems like a sort of non con justification/abuser support message. He has been hit and berated by his grandmother for at least since Tommy was a baby... His "feelings" for her in the show are most likely a trauma response at most (similarly to how S/A victims suffer from hypersexuality) and at least, they're just because he's confusing his feelings for Abby with Cree.

And that's just one reason why it's a disgusting ship. What makes it even more concerning is the gap. Look, if they met as adults with fully developed frontal lobes (aka 25+), I'd raise an eyebrow but I'd let 4 years slide. But they didn't. They met as little kids. Hoagie had been in the KND for a long while and most likely knew Cree ever since first grade - when she would've been in fifth grade. She has been there to watch him grow four years behind her ever since he was 7 (estimate). Not only that but the one episode implies that Cree frequently babysits for children of Hoagie's age, if not for Hoagie himself. Betty seemed to be extremely familiar with Cree and extremely trusting in her capabilities to babysit, implying it wouldn't have been her first time. Yes... I get that it was a dream. But the dream was also rooted in reality at the beginning. Hoagie thinking of her as someone to babysit him alone should make you feel weird about the pairing being together, even when they're adults. Because even as adults, they'll still have the same connection they had back then. Those connections don't go away. Normal people tend to always think of their babysitter as, well... Their babysitter. They would remember feeling that sort of connection with their babysitter, and vise versa. But even if she wasn't babysitting him, it would still feel weird. They have four years between them (for all we know, it could be closer to five due to uncounted months). That would make Cree in 9th grade (high school) while Hoagie is still in 5th grade (elementary school). That's such a big gap that Hoagie isn't even in the school level behind Cree, which would be middle school. He's so young, he'd still be in elementary school by the time Cree finally goes to high school. And to remind you once more... They know each other very well during this period. I'm sure they see each other frequently due to teens clashing with the KND. That, or visiting Abby and seeing Cree there.

I'm just gonna say it... It's ridiculous to ship them and try to justify it. If you're just proship and like pedo ships go ahead and just say it. I'm not gonna think of you any differently, but saying it out right is better than trying to hide it. There is NO REASON to want to ship them unless you like the problems the ship has. Abby is right fucking there, and she isn't abusive nor too old for him. It's the same family too - come on! If you personally don't ship 2/5 that's fine. But trying to ship 2/Cree instead is almost blatantly saying, "I wish 2/5 was more problematic". Cree is the older, more malicious counterpart of Abby. Aside from that, they're very similar. Cree is literally Abby's foil. There is no reason to think 2/5 isn't your flow, but 2/Cree is... Unless, once again, you like disgusting ships. And none of you hit me with the "but I ship Abby with someone else" because I don't recall anyone in this fandom bashing multishipping or polyamorous relationships. A matter of fact, most people in this fandom think of Sector V as polyamorous. Don't you dare use the fear of a harmless thing such as multishipping to excuse a creepy ship.

The maturity of you 2/Cree supporters/neutrals is shown very clearly through the amount of bashing and hatemail I've gotten from grown ass adults. None of you have acted any more mature than me and that says a lot.

To sum it up... I'm not a shipping wars person. I'm someone who has very reasonable evidence to support my feelings of disgust towards this ship. There's no reason to want to ship it unless you're proship with the existence of a near identical, canon, within normal age range, much more kind and loving character.

[astyrial]

puppy dog eyes joel miller x gn!reader (fluff) synopsis: something jumps out from the bushes word count: 1k warnings: guns, dogs (please be careful when dealing with an unknown dog :D) masterlist | requests are open

    cold fall air falls on the settlement's homes, a breeze wafting through the trees. the sun begins to rise for the morning and it shines brightly on the set dew. most people are still in their homes, and yet besides the people watching the perimeter, one person is sitting on an old wooden rocking chair. you sit cross legged with a blanket cascading off of the front of it. 

  normally you don't like waking up early, but the morning hours in maria's settlement is quite a view. your head leans back against the rocking chair's backing. a soft smile rests on your lips as you listen to the rain-like sounds that come from the swaying of the trees. 

  something interrupts this calm morning, though, and it's the sound of something rustling in the bushes. you look up from the front porch and your smile instantly falls. the first thought to run through your mind is that of a stalker, hiding in the bushes to catch its next prey. 

  you slowly get up from your chair. it'd been a month since you've come across any infected. with the work that tommy and maria put into making this settlement what it is, it was easier to live life. but now your heart is racing as if it could jump out of your chest and make its way out of the area.

  your feet feel the cold wooden panels of the porch while you slowly make your way towards the front door. it creaks just enough to make the thing jump out of the bush. "holy shit!" before thinking, you yell loud enough that joel could probably hear you.

  however, before you can open the door and run in, you notice fur. large ears that appears similarly to human hair. it's wavy and a chocolate brown with white spots scattered around. it's certainly not a stalker, or any kind of infected for that matter, it's a dog. 

  a fluffy dog that you hadn't seen since the infection first took over america. he starts sniffing around, his nose close to the dirt road. when he finally looks up and sees you, his paws stay planted on the ground. much to your surprise his nose starts wiggling as he makes his way over to you. 

  "oh hello little guy," you kneel down, cautious because it wouldn't be the first time you've come across a rabid dog.

  he cocks his head, lowering his body a little as he makes his way onto the porch. the little dog moves a little closer every few seconds. your eyes search him, looking for some sign of infection (fungal or rabies). however, nothing appears out of the ordinary. no foaming at the mouth and no fungi.

  suddenly he stops, and maybe you were too focused on the dog to notice, but the door behind you opened up. joel is standing there with a shotgun positioned in his hands, his feet spread and planted on the ground. 

  "what happened?" his voice is deep and raspy from having just woken up, your head quickly turning to see him. 

  he looks over at the dog and then back at you, his eyebrows raised in confusion, "you yelled 'holy shit' cause you saw a dog? honey, i get that you haven't seen a dog in a long time but that's a little bit-"

  "i thought it was an infected, okay miller? now don't scare him off, look at how sweet he is," you swat his leg, turning back to see the dog had backed away some upon the sight of the gun. 

  you wave your arms a little bit, urging him to come to you. "joel, can you please set the gun inside? it's clearly freaked out and as you can see doesn't have rabies or anything. besides don't you like dogs?" in an attempt to convince him to calm down, you give him an award winning smile.

  he sighs, dropping his shoulders while moving the gun so that it isn't pointed at anything but the ground. joel cautiously sets it back down and rests his hands on his hips, "you're lucky i love you.."

  "oh i know," you give him a quick wink before reaching out for the dog who has quickly returned to be a couple feet from you. 

  he leans forward, getting lower and lower to the ground until he's completely flat. his nose wiggles again as your hand gets a little closer. upon sniffing the air between him and your fingers, his tail starts to wag until it's creating a small breeze. 

  you reach out and pet between his ears, his fur soft but matted in spots. he crawls forward a little more so that your hand can rest on his back. he looks up with his tongue sticking out of his mouth, panting. when you feel the small curls in his fur, it does remind you of your time before the infection.

  a pet dog, a retriever mix of some sort, that stayed with you for years. a part of you hopes he died a simple death, nothing having to do with infected individuals. maybe it would be nice to enjoy something so simple like a pet in this world. a dog who sticks it out with you. 

  "we're keeping him joel-"

  "we are not keeping him, y/n."

  "you wanna keep him too, i know you do. and i know ellie would like having a dog around too."

  "a pet? in this time? plus we already have buckley here, what if the two don't like each other? then what?" joel squats down so that he's level with you.

  you look back at him, a pleading look in your eyes. usually he can keep himself from indulging in those wonderful eyes of yours. but when he sees how your fingers run along the dog's back, or how you give him a lopsided smile to convince him of anything. even the dog was giving him puppy dog eyes.

  he purses his lips, sighing, "fine, but i'm naming him.. and it's going to be rookie."

  "rookie? i'm only agreeing to that stupid ass name because i wanna keep the dog."