#and maybe it's like a bigger bill than usual and like maybe it's an older lady and she holds your hand and emotionally

[sergle]

there is something funny about the worry of being parasocial in regards to witnessing my bullshit rn. like. as if i'm not the one telling all my business on the internet. i feel like the terms "parasocial attachment" and "traumadump" rose in popularity at a very inconvenient time for my breakdown

[sunderwight]

Modern AU where Shen Yuan accidentally sugar-daddies everyone.

So for the purposes of this, Shen Yuan's family is basically $10 Bananas levels of cluelessly rich. Shen Yuan has almost never had to look at the prices of anything he wants. He and his siblings all get an allowance from the family's main account, which increases when they reach adulthood, and in the interest of fairness his parents made it all the same size. So Shen Yuan gets the same amount of money for his daily living expenses as his older brothers with their penthouse apartments and vacation homes and private jets, at least from the family account (since he doesn't work, he doesn't actually make as much as them in total because they earn more on top of their allowances).

And the thing is, Shen Yuan genuinely just lives a lot more humbly. He likes people but what would he do with a vacation house? Anything really nice would probably require him to fly to get out there, and he gets sick as hell on planes. Living in the central city is also not great for him, because the air pollution is so bad. Having a whole house to himself would also be ridiculous. So he has a reasonable apartment, in a reasonable area, and he splurges every so often on purchases that make him happy and take-out food that he likes, and of course he pays a cleaning service to come in twice a week. Most people assume he's comfortably middle class and has some tech job he does from home, but he's been getting a lot more than he's been spending in his monthly allowances for years now, and the figures are big.

Enter into this environment author Airplane and his trash novels. Novels, multiple, because in this AU there's no PIDW, and instead after some alternate PIDW prototype got popular in the harem genre, Airplane decided to churn out a series of copy-paste shorter stories rather than recycling the same subplots in one massively long epic.

Shen Yuan of course discovers Airplane's writing and becomes as obsessed with it as ever, except this time he notices that if there are delays between new stories, they seem to clear up faster whenever he throws some cash at the problem. And also that the drops in Airplane's writing quality coincide with times when Shen Yuan was having health issues and not keeping up with his VIP purchases. So, he works out that Airplane's probably doing the writing for the money, and that when Peerless Cucumber isn't paying the most for it, Airplane starts listening to the other buffoons in the comment section more to try and entice them to pay his bills instead.

Peerless Cucumber leaves a comment on one of Airplane's latest stories that kicks off the two of them actually chatting, and Shen Yuan eventually gets to the point of offering to fund all Airplane's writing, in exchange for Airplane not doing his crap sellout stuff to appeal to other readers anymore. Airplane thinks he's joking or maybe mocking him. Shen Yuan asks how much it would cost. Airplane fires off a ridiculous number. Shen Yuan doesn't even blink and wires him the first payment. Then he gets annoyed because Airplane leaves him on read for a while, but that's because Airplane is staring at his account balance in shock.

Of course, it's Airplane who starts referring to Peerless Cucumber as his sugar daddy. Shen Yuan is just like "based on your sex scenes I don't think anyone would pay you for that" and Airplane's all "but you WOULD pay for my sex scenes ^_~" and Shen Yuan's like "technically I am actually paying you not to write that shit" and so on. Usual banter. The quality of Airplane's writing improves dramatically, a lot of his readership drops off but he does get new readers and gradually builds up an even bigger fanbase than before, and so on, it all goes pretty well. He eventually writes a few things that take off to the point of getting physical publications and international translations. Technically Airplane no longer needs Shen Yuan to pay all of his bills by that point but he's not going to tell Shen Yuan that! The contract's still good as long as he keeps writing!

Then one of Airplane's online acquaintances runs into some financial trouble and asks for help.

Liu Mingyan used to beta read for Airplane back when he wrote fanfiction (she was like thirteen, Airplane was unaware because internet and hey free beta), and it seems her family has hit a rough patch. She wants tips on how to go pro, but Airplane explains that it was extremely difficult and he mostly lucked out by finding a single wealthy backer. Mingyan wonders if the same guy would be interested in her writing, Airplane sadly thinks not because Mingyan exclusively writes kinky danmei erotica and Peerless Cucumber seems pretty firmly in the closet still and also generally prefers plotty and world-building heavy stuff.

But like, Airplane has definitely gotten a vibe off of Cucumber-bro, and Mingyan's gorgeous older brother does video streams of himself doing cool martial arts and swordsmanship stuff. So he asks her permission and when she gives it, he recommends Liu Qingge's videos to Shen Yuan, being sure to mention that the guy in question can't really afford to keep up with his hobbies and oh what a shame it would be if he had to stop making art like that.

Haha, Airplane, you're not subtle.

Even so, Shen Yuan watches the videos and immediately agrees that Liu Qingge is beauty in motion, and that it would be criminal to deprive the world of more videos of his sword. Swordsmanship! That is the, the art of, martial arts! Definitely. He clicks the donate button, reasoning out that he'll just send a donation about the size of his usual monthly payments to Airplane and call it his good deed for the day.

Liu Qingge is very confused by this new follower from nowhere who suddenly dumped a little over a month's rent into his account. One thing leads to another, with Mingyan and Airplane conspiring to try and get Shen Yuan as a permanent patron, and then Liu Qingge being let in on it. Except that Airplane keeps referring to Shen Yuan as his sugar daddy, and well... it's not like Liu Qingge doesn't ever get 'those' kinds of comments on his videos. At first he's embarrassed, then offended, then mortified that his own younger sister is apparently setting him up to make premium private videos for what he assumes is some old pervert who is going to want him to do untoward things.

However, their options are pretty bleak at the moment, and Liu Qingge worries that if he doesn't do this then Mingyan might. She even mentions something to the effect of having planned to offer herself, and only didn't because she wasn't this "sugar daddy" guy's type!

Teeth clenched, Liu Qingge asks Airplane stiltedly for advice on how to... appeal, to this wealthy benefactor.

In the end though it's not nearly as bad as Liu Qingge feared. He winds up doing more videos in costumes and cosplay, which ought to have been an untenable expense, but Peerless Cucumber always ends up covering the cost of whatever he invests in plus extra. Sometimes he sends Liu Qingge stuff with a request to wear it, but so far it's just been like, badass warrior-themed or historical costumes. Nothing overtly pervy. He does some LARPing, he makes enough to start doing horseback archery again, convinces some of his good-looking peers from various clubs to spar with him, and ultimately the most risque videos he ends up doing are the ones where he demonstrates how to put on certain kinds of gear. He still locks those ones behind paid subscribers only, mostly because he feels like he's doing something illicit now, even if he used to show more skin on his older videos any time he took his shirt off.

Peerless Cucumber doesn't leave creepy comments, either. In fact he seems genuinely nice and supportive, it's hard not to like him, and so even once his situation levels out Liu Qingge decides there's not really much need to stop making videos for him. (He maybe even gets a little giddy thrill over... well, sometimes he finds it all a bit... just when he thinks about Peerless Cucumber watching him demonstrate his physical prowess and finding that alone worth... ANYWAY--)

So that goes on for a while, before Yue Qi enters the scene.

Yue Qi is the childhood friend of one of Shen Yuan's older brothers (Shen bros!) and Shen Jiu owes him a big favor for something that he won't talk about. At least he won't talk to Shen Yuan about it. But Yue Qi is also not the type to ask for help, and Shen Jiu is very bad at offering it, so when Shen Jiu gets word that Yue Qi is having some difficulties making ends meet, he tells Shen Yuan to act as the middle man. Go offer Qi-ge money, he knows you're nice he'll just accept it, and then Shen Jiu will pay the actual bill.

Well it turns out that Yue Qi doesn't just accept it, of course he sees right through it, and gently but firmly tells Shen Yuan that he's not interested in burdening Shen Jiu further than he already has. Etc, etc, stoic stiff upper lips and no proper communication all around. Shen Yuan panics because it's not working and he's also genuinely worried about Yue Qi by now, so he tries to figure out how to make it compelling and basically blurts that, well, see, the thing is that sometimes he pays men to entertain him. You know. To like. Do things, for him. So. He could also pay Yue Qi? To do something for him?

Yue Qi gets the wrong idea entirely, and at first is like, oh, no, A'Yuan, you shouldn't be paying people for that! These things should just happen organically! But Shen Yuan is very adamant that he believes in compensating people for what they do for him, it's not like he can't afford to, and it gets awkward but Yue Qi is like well he does have health problems. It's perhaps difficult for him to meet people. So then he starts worrying about Shen Yuan and all these strange men he's apparently paying for "entertainment". Does his brother know about this?

No of course Shen Jiu doesn't know! He'd hate it, and Shen Yuan doesn't want to hear about how he's doing everything wrong with his life again!

Then Shen Yuan mentions that his prior house cleaning service up and quit on him (they didn't), and if Yue Qi would like to earn fair compensation he could just come over sometimes to help instead, and Shen Yuan would pay him just to tidy up and hang out for a few hours! Which Yue Qi thinks is a fantastic idea, actually, even if Shen Yuan is only doing this because of his brother, this will give Yue Qi a chance to keep an eye on him and his so-called entertainers. Even if he sort of... ends up also being one?

Shen Yuan keeps everything above board, though his apartment always seems perfectly clean and he overpays way too much (Shen Jiu is still footing this bill after all), and Yue Qi starts to think maybe he actually is being paid for intimacy. Of a sort that they're maybe still working up to? Shen Yuan usually has a very thin face after all. He's kind of got two minds about this prospect. On the one hand, he's got his situationship with Shen Jiu, so dating his brother would be absurd. But on the other hand, it's not actually dating, and he does like Shen Yuan, and maybe if they can be good company for each other then Yue Qi won't feel so depressed and Shen Yuan won't need to hire strange men so often.

Meanwhile it's come to Shen Yuan's attention, perhaps through an offhand comment he read online somewhere, that people who are struggling financially often also struggle to "treat themselves". Because even when they have enough money to be comfortable there's often the looming specter of deprivation, and etc, so he figures he should start buying some of his dependents more treats and things. Since they might not buy them for themselves? And also he's enjoying doing this but shhh no he isn't, it's a huge hassle, he's only doing it out of basic moral decency, etc.

So like, Airplane starts getting little things that he'd put on some public wish lists, clearly sent by Peerless Cucumber. And he tells Mingyan to make a list for Liu Qingge too, and sure enough, Liu Qingge (bewildered, slightly flustered) tries to figure out what he's supposed to do with an album from a band he likes and some high-end leather polish. Ultimately settles on playing the music and wearing his nicest leather in his next video. Yue Qi starts arriving at Shen Yuan's place to be plied with his favorite coffees and to have scented candles awkwardly foisted onto him (Shen Yuan does not know what Yue Qi likes in gifts) (he buys these presents himself they're not out of Shen Jiu's pocket).

So finally Shen Yuan's parents start to notice that he's been spending a lot more than usual, and start to worry that he's either been taken in by a scam artist or is secretly dating a gold digger or has developed a drug addiction or something. But asking things directly like normal people is basically illegal in the Shen family, so they decide to hire a private investigator.

Enter Luo Binghe, a young man of humble background who is struggling to make ends meet after the untimely death of his adoptive mother, and is using his P.I. job and his online cooking videos to help pay his way through school (scholarship student). Usually his cases are more like, cyberstalking someone to find out if they're cheating on their spouse, or helping someone planning a lawsuit accumulate evidence on their corrupt employer, or other things like that. When he gets the Shen Yuan case, the idea that the Shen family's son is paying for "company" is well within his list of probable answers.

Though this one is a little... peculiar?

Mostly because Binghe can't find evidence of Shen Yuan actually getting what he would, presumably, be paying for. At first Luo Binghe just goes through the online paper trails, using the info that the Shen parents give him to figure out that Shen Yuan is paying Airplane and Swordmaster Liu (*cough*) what seem to be exorbitant prices just for trashy fiction and cosplay videos. He assumes this is a cover, that someone's actually delivering drugs or going over for "private meetings" or at least actually sending dirty videos as well, but even when he pays for Liu Qingge's VIP access it's just tutorials and such. Neither of these guys are even on any of the sites that are more lenient towards hosting explicit content. Luo Binghe's aware that kinks aren't always obviously sexual, but people don't usually pay through the nose for the kind of content they can easily find for free all over the place, either.

He digs a little more but keeps coming up empty on evidence to clarify which of the many vices the Shen family's son is actually indulging in. Which is a problem because that's the information they're paying him to find out. Plus his curiosity kind of piques as he reads Shen Yuan's seemingly quite invested comments on Airplane's writing and Liu Qingge's videos, looking to see if there's any kind of clandestine code or pattern. But near as he can tell, whatever else Shen Yuan might be getting out of these arrangements, he does genuinely like the stories and videos too? Well. Sometimes. Sometimes he's actually scathingly vitriolic towards Airplane's writing.

Luo Binghe decides that surveilling Shen Yuan himself is probably the way to go. That gets more complicated in court cases, but since the Shen parents just wants to know what's going on and aren't planning on prosecuting their son for anything, it doesn't matter as much if Luo Binghe gets information in sneaky or underhanded ways.

So, Binghe uses the account he created to access Liu Qingge's videos to chat with Shen Yuan a few times, and then recommends his own cooking channel. Shen Yuan doesn't seem too interested in cooking, so Luo Binghe makes sure to include a video that has an image of himself in his recommendation, and then films a few new videos of himself cooking with his shirtsleeves rolled up to three quarters and a few more buttons than usual unbuttoned, adopting a more flirty persona than he typically does for his shows. He takes his cues from some of Liu Qingge's more popular videos for how to be enticing bait.

It takes a few videos, but eventually Shen Yuan comments. Luo Binghe latches onto the chance to start talking to him, playing up a persona of a vulnerable young man with little means who is trying hard to make it through school, etc, and sure enough Shen Yuan seems interested. Well, most predatory people like vulnerable targets, don't they?

However... Shen Yuan just sends him a chunk of money.

Luo Binghe is confused.

Isn't he supposed to ask for something or create some kind of expectation of repayment first? But, maybe this is his approach to handling new targets. Maybe he's just trying to lull Binghe into a false sense of complacency, before he starts indicating what he wants from all of this. Luo Binghe makes sure to move the money Shen Yuan sends him into a separate account, so that if the Shen parents get angry about it then he can return it as a gesture of good faith.

But Shen Yuan just keeps sending supportive comments and donations. Eventually he leaves a comment that alludes to how badly he'd like to taste Binghe's cooking, and Binghe is like finally, but when he implies that they could perhaps meet in person and Luo Binghe could thank him for his support by making him something, Shen Yuan backs off.

Things eventually progress to the point where Luo Binghe, who is a totally normal person treating this like a totally normal job still thank you very much, is basically camping out in the bushes in front of Shen Yuan's apartment building. At some point he conscripts the aid of his weird cousin (finding his birth family was how he got into this business initially), and then almost immediately regrets it because Shen Yuan helps get Zhuzhi Lang a job doing landscaping for his building.

Why would he want Zhuzhi Lang close but not Binghe? Binghe is much handsomer! He'd make an excellent target for seduction! >:(

Anyway eventually Yue Qi catches Luo Binghe lurking around like a creeper and is like, finally, I have caught one of these suspicious men, whilst Binghe is like oh so he does have a lover, well this guy sucks and is clearly not good enough for him, and they both try and chase one another off and Shen Yuan comes home to a heated passive-aggressive-politeness war being waged in front of his apartment. Eventually he realizes the misunderstanding and calls everyone together (zoom conference? in-person meet-up?) to clarify that he is not paying any of them for "special favors", that was just Airplane being deranged about his sense of humor, and then he has no idea what to do when the prevailing response seems to be disappointment.

[goblin-jr]

And then i go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like i love you. 

Part 11 of 12

Synopsis: whodunit? More like who’s not doing the most at the midsummers ball. A look into JJ’s head

Pairing: unrequited JJ x Reader, Eventual Rafe x Reader

Warnings: violence?

masterlist

—

JJ’s loafers clicked softly on the polished floor as he walked into the ballroom, the scent of expensive perfume and overripe fruit hanging heavy in the air. There was something about these events that always made him feel out of place. The Kooks thrived on it—this display of excess, of wealth that didn’t belong to them but was flaunted like some kind of badge. He hated it. And yet here he was, once again, a part of it. 

The Midsummer’s Ball wasn’t just any party. It was the party for the Kooks. Extravagant. Ridiculous. A display of everything they stood for—money, status, and an obnoxious level of entitlement. The country club ballroom glittered with chandeliers, fancy drinks, and a crowd of smug faces that made JJ want to roll his eyes every time someone walked by. If there was a competition for the most extravagant Kook event of the year, this would be the winner. He’d been here before, but it never got easier to stomach.

Tonight, though, there was a sense of something bigger hovering over him. Three things he had to keep in mind, three things that kept him from getting too lost in the sea of perfect hair and oversized smiles.

First, serve drinks. Get the tips. That part was easy enough. He could charm a few of the older women in the crowd, toss out a few sarcastic comments, make them laugh, and pocket a couple extra bills. If he was lucky, he'd avoid the worst of the Kooks' weirdness and maybe even walk out of here with a few hundred bucks. 

Second, keep John B safe. It wasn’t just the Kooks that bothered him. John B was—well, John B. He had no business being here, and everyone knew it. He didn’t belong in this world, no matter how much he tried to act like he did. JJ could already picture the way the Kooks will look at him—especially Topper, who will be practically frothing at the mouth when John B makes his first public appearance with Sarah tonight. Topper wasn’t the only one JJ was keeping an eye on. There were bound to be others, too, people who saw John B as the perfect punching bag. He wasn’t about to let that happen. Not tonight. 

And then there was Y/N. The third thing on his mind. Y/N was acting differently tonight. He couldn’t quite explain it—maybe it was the way her eyes were shining a little brighter than usual, or the way she kept smiling at random moments, like she knew some secret that made the whole night seem like a fairy tale. It pissed him off. That wasn’t like Y/N. She was always so... grounded. So real. But tonight? Tonight, she looked like she had everything figured out, like she was actually enjoying herself here. And that confused him. A lot.

He looked at her again as she walked beside him, the soft curve of her lips pulled into a smile. He didn’t return it, of course. Instead, he muttered something about the Kooks and their ridiculous champagne glasses, trying to make light of it, but deep down, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Something about her.

“You good?” he asked, trying to sound casual, but his tone was sharp. Too sharp. 

Y/N glanced at him, and for a moment, their eyes met. There was something in the way she looked at him, something that made his heart skip. She was... happy. Too happy. He hated it. 

“Yeah, I’m good,” she replied, her voice steady but a little too light. There it was again—that smile. That confidence. It was like she didn’t need to hide anymore. Like she was finally okay with being here, with all of this.

“Right,” JJ muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked further into the ballroom. “Can’t say I’m feeling the same. This place is a joke.”

She laughed softly, but it wasn’t the same kind of laugh she usually gave. It was lighter, almost... carefree. 

He didn’t get it. What changed? He'd known Y/N for years, had watched her go through every kind of mess, every kind of heartbreak, but she’d always had that edge to her, that guarded, "don’t mess with me" attitude. She didn’t belong here, just like John B. But tonight, she didn’t seem to care about that. And that made JJ feel... unsettled. 

As they reached the catering area, Pope was already elbow-deep in trays of untouched food, and JJ tossed him a lazy salute. Pope just sighed, his frustration clear even from across the room.

“You set up all this mess yourself?” JJ asked, raising an eyebrow at the absurdity of the spread. There was more food here than anyone could possibly eat, but that didn’t stop the Kooks from acting like it was some sort of prize.

“Do you ever stop complaining?” Pope shot back, adjusting a tray with a little more force than necessary. 

“Nope.” JJ grinned back, slipping into his usual easy sarcasm. “The food’s not the problem, Pope. It’s the fact that none of these assholes are even gonna care to finish it. They’ll drink their champagne and pretend to care about all this ‘fancy’ food, and then throw it all away when they’re done, just like everything else in this goddamn world.”

Pope didn’t bother responding. He just continued arranging the food like he didn’t care anymore, which, honestly, he probably didn’t. They both hated being here, surrounded by people who didn’t even see them as human, but the money was good, and the world had a way of forcing them to stay put. 

“Yeah, well, don’t forget that we’re all just here to make money,” Pope muttered, and JJ didn’t argue. Pope had long stopped pretending to like any of this. They all had.

JJ’s eyes flicked back to Y/N, still standing by the drink station, her body language more relaxed than he’d ever seen it. She wasn’t looking at him, wasn’t paying attention to him at all. She was too busy talking to some Kook girl about something—probably some stupid brand of perfume or a new designer bag, knowing them.

That smile, though. He couldn’t shake it. 

He knew he should focus on the job, on keeping John B safe, on avoiding the Kooks as much as possible. But Y/N? She was making it damn hard to do any of that. It wasn’t just the fact that she was so... different tonight. It was the look in her eyes which looks like she has everything figured out, the way she barely looked at him anymore.

That was the thing about Y/N. She had this way of getting under his skin, making him feel things he didn’t want to feel. Like jealousy. Or uncertainty. He hated it. But he couldn’t just ignore it. Not with the way she’d been acting, not when she seemed like she was in on some secret he wasn’t part of.

He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. 

Tonight was about John B. Tonight was about staying one step ahead of the Kooks, about making sure no one touched his best friend. 

But damn if that little voice in his head didn’t keep screaming What’s going on with Y/N?

—

The air in the ballroom was thick, suffocating, with the clinking of glasses and the hum of conversation surrounding him. JJ moved through the crowd with his usual swagger, but tonight, it felt different. Tonight, the weight of every Kook’s gaze seemed to land a little harder on his shoulders, and it wasn’t just because of the way they looked at him. It was the way they looked at her—Y/N. She was everywhere, serving drinks and refilling trays with that damn smile on her face, like she actually belonged here. 

He’d been trying to keep his head down, serve his drinks, and get through the night without getting caught up in the mess, but every time he glanced in her direction, he found his eyes locked on her. There was something about her tonight that rubbed him the wrong way. She was too damn happy. Too effortless, too easy with the Kooks, laughing at their stupid jokes, making conversation like she wasn’t the same Y/N who used to roll her eyes at every Kook in sight. He couldn’t figure it out. 

It wasn’t like Y/N didn’t deserve a little fun. Hell, she was always the one holding things together, making sure everyone else was alright. But this—this wasn’t her. Not the way she was acting. Not the way she was fitting in with them, letting them talk to her like she was one of them. JJ couldn’t stomach it. She wasn’t a part of their world, and for some reason, it hurt to see her acting like she was. 

As she passed by him, her tray of drinks balanced effortlessly in her hands, JJ’s eyes tracked her every move. He watched as she made her way over to a table of Kooks—glistening with their designer clothes and condescending grins. They were looking at her like they were interested. And that wasn’t something JJ was prepared to handle.

His chest tightened, a hot wave of jealousy gnawing at him. She handed drinks out with that damn smile still on her face, and that was when he saw him. Rafe. Of course. 

Rafe was leaning against the far side of a table, his signature smirk plastered on his face. When Y/N got close, he straightened up, his eyes locking onto hers with a predatory gleam that sent an uneasy shiver down JJ’s spine. As she handed him a drink, a small bracelet glittered on Rafe’s arm. Their fingers brushed as their hands met. But it wasn’t just a casual hand-off. It was too slow, too deliberate. And when their hands lingered for a second too long, JJ felt a surge of irritation. 

There was something in the way Rafe looked at her. It was... familler. JJ knew that look. He’d seen it before. It was the look Rafe reserved for people he was too close to—people he thought he had some kind of claim on. And the worst part? Y/N didn’t seem to register it. She didn’t seem to notice the way Rafe’s gaze followed her like a shadow, tracking her every move. JJ’s gut twisted. There was something off about this. And he needed to find out what.

He couldn’t let it slide. Not tonight.

He slipped through the crowd, his eyes never leaving her as he moved toward the bar area where she was. When he finally caught up with her, he tried to keep his voice light, to make it seem like he was just messing around, but the tension in his chest couldn’t be ignored. 

“Yo, is Rafe bothering you?” He kept his tone casual, but there was a sharp edge to his words.

Y/N barely looked at him when she responded, waving him off like it was nothing. “No, not at all, JJ. He’s fine.”

But there was something in the way she said it, something that didn’t sit right with him. Her voice was too soft, too dismissive. And the way she wasn’t meeting his eyes? That was another red flag. Something was wrong, and JJ didn’t like it. 

His fingers itched to pull her aside, to demand that she tell him what was going on. But he couldn’t. Not yet. 

Before he could press her, the doors of the ballroom swung open, and suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. The crowd’s murmur grew louder, more excited. JJ turned to see who had arrived, and his eyes narrowed when he saw them.

Sarah and John B. 

Sarah looked every bit the Kook she was, her smile dazzling, her confidence radiating from her. She had the whole place eating out of her hand, even without trying. But John B? His messy hair, that plain shirt—it was like a neon sign saying, I don’t belong here. JJ watched him shift uncomfortably under the weight of every Kook’s scrutinizing gaze, his eyes darting around the room as if he was looking for a way out.

The whispers started instantly, loud enough for JJ to catch a few snippets. 

“Is that John B?”

"Why is he here? Who invited the pogues?”

JJ’s jaw clenched as the cruel laughter followed. The Kooks weren’t just gossiping—they were tearing John B apart like he was some kind of freak show. And JJ wasn’t about to stand for it. His blood boiled, and he could feel every bit of their judgment like it was a physical punch. 

“Damn, they’re ruthless,” Pope muttered from behind him. JJ didn’t need to look to know Pope was just as pissed. They both hated the way the Kooks treated people like John B.

“They always are,” JJ growled, scanning the room for any sign of Topper. Sure enough, he spotted the smug bastard weaving through the crowd, zeroing in on John B like he was prey. 

“John B,” JJ muttered under his breath. “I’m coming, man.” 

As he pushed his way through the crowd, JJ’s gaze caught on Kie. She had just entered, and damn, she looked hot. The way her violet dress clung to her, the confident smile she wore, the way she moved—JJ couldn’t help but stare for a second. He quickly shook himself out of it, though. Now wasn’t the time for distractions.

Kie noticed him watching, raising an eyebrow as she approached. “What’s got you all worked up?” 

JJ nodded in John B’s direction. “The usual. Kooks being Kooks.”

“Figures.” She crossed her arms, eyes darting between JJ and the group of Kooks. “You’ve got this under control, right?”

“Yeah,” JJ said, his voice low, still watching Topper’s every move. “Just gotta make sure they don’t escalate things.”

Topper was already making his move, slithering through the crowd with that smug, self-satisfied grin on his face. JJ knew exactly what was coming. Topper always had a way of making things worse. Always knew how to rile up the Kooks, to make them turn on anyone they saw as beneath them. And right now? John B was the perfect target.

“John B,” JJ muttered under his breath, more to himself than to anyone else. He started weaving through the crowd, cutting a path toward his best friend. 

He found John B by the punch bowl, looking a little lost, a little out of place, his hands hovering awkwardly by his side as Sarah chatted with some of her friends. 

“Yo, man,” JJ called out, tapping him on the shoulder. “You gotta watch out. Topper and his crew are already talking about you. They’re looking for an excuse to start something.”

John B glanced at him, then at Sarah, his frown deepening. “I can’t leave. I promised Sarah I’d stay with her.”

JJ sighed. He hated this. He hated that John B felt like he had to put himself through this just to be with Sarah. But he knew how much she meant to him. 

“Just keep your head down,” JJ warned, his voice low but firm. “Don’t give them an excuse. And don’t let Sarah get too close to them.”

Pope and Kie appeared behind them, looking just as concerned. “We’ll make sure he’s good,” Pope said, giving JJ a reassuring look. 

JJ gave a tight nod, but as he turned away, his eyes flicked back to the crowd. And there, lurking in the periphery, was Rafe. Again. Always watching Y/N. Never letting her out of his sight.

The night passed in a blur of drinks, whispers, and quiet tension. JJ kept a close eye on John B, moving through the crowd like a shadow. And Rafe—Rafe was everywhere, always within arm’s reach of Y/N, watching her with that same unsettling gaze. It was like the guy had an invisible tether to her, never letting her out of his sight. 

JJ wanted to intervene, wanted to ask what was going on, but something told him that wasn’t his place. It wasn’t the time.

—

The Kooks were loud, the music was booming, and JJ had been doing everything in his power to keep an eye on John B, but it wasn’t easy with the way things were escalating.

Suddenly, he saw John B make a move toward the back hall. JJ’s gut twisted. Don’t go alone, man.

“Pope!” JJ called out, his voice sharp. “Kie!”

Pope was already moving toward him, and Kie was right behind, the two of them looking as restless as he felt.

“John B’s heading to the bathroom,” JJ said urgently. “Topper and his crew are on the prowl. We need to go.”

“Of course, this is exactly what we need right now,” Pope muttered, his eyes scanning the crowd. Kie’s expression darkened as she followed him through the ballroom.

JJ’s eyes flicked back to Y/N for a brief moment, just enough time for him to catch a glimpse of her laughing with the Kooks. She didn’t look like she was in trouble—yet. But Rafe’s presence still gnawed at him. His focus snapped back to John B.

“Go,” JJ ordered. “I’ll keep an eye on things from behind.”

Pope, Kie, and JJ cut through the crowd, weaving between people like shadows. As they hit the back hallways, JJ cursed under his breath. They were too late.

Topper was standing at the bathroom door, the rest of his gang flanking him like a pack of wolves. John B was stuck, looking trapped as Topper smirked at him.

“Well, well, well,” Topper’s voice oozed with malicious satisfaction. “If it isn’t the Pogue who thinks he’s good enough for Sarah.”

JJ’s heart hammered as he pushed forward, Pope and Kie right on his heels.

“John B,” JJ called, voice low, but loud enough to be heard. “You alright?”

John B shot him a quick, almost relieved look. “You know how it goes, man. Topper’s just pissed I’m with Sarah.”

“Yeah, I figured that much,” JJ grumbled. He kept his gaze locked on Topper. “You need to move, man. This isn’t the place for this shit.”

“Not until I’m done,” Topper sneered, stepping forward. “You think you can walk around here like you belong, B? You’re nothing but trash.” He shoved John B, sending him stumbling back into the hallway wall.

JJ’s blood boiled. “Get your hands off him, Topper.”

But Topper wasn’t done. He swung at John B again, his group following in his lead. The hall was tight, but there was enough room for fists to fly. Pope stepped forward to back John B up, while Kie, cool-headed as always, sized up the situation.

Before JJ could get another word in, a punch was thrown, connecting with John B’s jaw. JJ jumped into the fray, grabbing Topper’s arm and twisting it behind his back, slamming him into the wall with a sickening thud. Pope had Topper’s lackeys occupied, keeping them from ganging up on John B.

Kie, standing near the ornate curtains that hung along the hallway, caught a glimpse of the situation escalating. Her eyes darted between the fight and the tension in the room. Without a second thought, she grabbed one of the nearby candle holders, lighting the end of one of the velvet curtains on fire.

The flames caught quickly, sending a wave of heat and light through the hallway. The Kooks’ eyes widened in fear as the fire began to lick the sides of the curtains.

“Shit!” Kie hissed, grabbing the fire extinguisher from the wall. She quickly sprayed the flames, but not before the fire had spread enough to cause a ruckus. The Kooks were freaking out, scrambling to get away from the heat.

“Let’s go! Now!” JJ shouted.

They didn’t need any more prompting. The Kooks scattered, some tripping over their own feet, others too stunned to do much. The fight had lost its steam as the chaos of the fire consumed the hall. JJ grabbed John B’s arm, pulling him away from the wreckage.

“You good?” JJ panted.

“Yeah, yeah,” John B replied, wiping his face. “Let’s get the hell outta here.”

They headed for the back door, but as JJ looked behind them, the sound of the fire alarms blaring and the chaos of the guests flooding into the hallway only added to the madness. JJ scanned the panicked faces in the ballroom but Y/N was nowhere to be found. JJ did another scan and his blood ran cold. Y/N was missing, but so was Rafe. With this realization, JJ turned on his heel and ran towards the parking lot. 

But as soon as JJ stepped outside, the cold night air hit his skin like a slap. The parking lot was eerily quiet compared to the chaos of the country club, the only sounds being the distant blare of fire alarms and the low hum of the streetlights. He was scanning the area, trying to catch his breath after the mess with Topper and his crew, when something—someone—stopped him in his tracks.

His heart skipped a beat.

There, with her back turned to him, was Y/N.

She was farther away than he expected, just past the edge of the parking lot, but there was no mistaking her. Her hair was glowing in the light, illuminated like she was caught in a scene out of a dream. And then, his stomach twisted when he saw him.

Rafe.

His hand was resting low on her back, fingers spread wide as though it was the most natural thing in the world. The scene hit JJ like a punch to the gut. The sight of Rafe, standing so close to Y/N, smiling down at her with that smug, self-assured look—like he owned the damn world—made JJ’s blood boil.

He could feel the heat rising in his chest, the anger flooding through his veins, pushing out everything else. What the hell is going on here? He barely thought it through before his mouth opened.

“Y/N!” he shouted, his voice thick with something between panic and fury. It wasn’t even the volume of his voice—it was the raw emotion in it, the protective streak he hadn’t been able to shake off for months.

Without a second thought, he took two strides forward, every muscle in his body coiled, ready to pull Rafe off her. He wasn’t going to let this happen—not when he thought something was wrong. He couldn’t explain why he felt so suddenly defensive, but seeing her so close to Rafe like that, it triggered something deep in him, something urgent.

But then—

She turned, her face illuminated by the moonlight.

It was subtle at first—just a soft flicker in her expression, but it was enough to make JJ stop dead in his tracks. His heart stuttered, the air in his lungs freezing.

Y/N’s smile wasn’t just a grin—it was something else. The kind of smile that lit up a whole damn room. But it wasn’t just that—it was the look in her eyes, the joy that was shining there like he’d never seen before. She wasn’t just content, or amused. She was radiating happiness. Pure, unguarded, untainted joy. The kind of joy that no one could fake.

Her laugh, soft and melodic, floated on the air, and it was in that moment, standing frozen in the parking lot, that JJ realized something that knocked the wind out of him.

Y/N was happy.

She wasn’t just smiling out of politeness, or trying to force herself through a conversation. No. She was completely in the moment, the tension in her shoulders gone, her whole body open and light in a way he hadn’t seen in months. 

A sick feeling washed over him, a cold realization that hit deeper than any punch could.

This wasn’t what he thought it was.

Y/N wasn’t in danger. She wasn’t upset. She wasn’t... anything he’d imagined. Rafe wasn’t threatening her, wasn’t making her uncomfortable. They were just... talking. Laughing. And it wasn’t forced. It wasn’t awkward. It wasn’t the nervous, shaky smile she used to give when she didn’t know where she stood.

Rafe’s hand, still resting on her back, didn’t look threatening anymore. It just looked like... well, it looked like something they’d both been comfortable with for a long time, something that had never been in JJ’s purview.

JJ stood there, watching them for what felt like an eternity. His legs felt heavy, like they were cemented to the ground, his chest tight as he tried to reconcile the image of Y/N—his Y/N—with Rafe standing so close to her, looking at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

His heart hammered, but in the wrong way now. The rage that had flared up in him moments before suddenly deflated, leaving nothing but confusion and guilt. 

Y/N wasn’t in trouble. She wasn’t even thinking about him. She was... happy. Happier than he’d seen her in so long. And he had no right to ruin that.

For a moment, JJ just stood there, paralyzed, as the scene played out before him. Rafe was leaning in, saying something, and Y/N was listening, hanging on his every word. JJ’s heart twisted, but he didn’t move. He didn’t step forward. He didn’t charge in like he had originally planned.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he made his decision. He turned, slowly, and walked away from the scene, his feet heavy as they carried him back toward the club. His mind was racing, filled with questions he didn’t have the answers to.

He wasn’t sure, but one thing was certain—whatever was happening between Y/N and Rafe, it wasn’t his place to interfere. Not tonight.

At least, not yet.

—-

A/n: this was highkey not where the story was going to go…. Shoutout to @immyowndefender for putting the thought of JJ figuring the mystery out before Y/N tells him in my head. 

I might do a bonus in a bit to see the ball from Y/N’s perspective. There is so much potential for cute rafe moments. 

One chapter left!!!

—

Next time: the end of the road

–

Taglist: ​​

@hockeybabe87 , @idiotussupremus , @certifiedhaters , @oatmealisweird, @sluggmuffin , @maybankslover , @ren-ni, @wh0reforbucknasty , @enjoymyloves , @bilssturns , @dragonslight , @willowpains , @sidney-86 , @urbrunettebombshell, @fluffybunnyu , @stars4birdie

[jelloteeeth]

Wait if the twins exist in the 3rd dimension, how DO they survive??? Like, does Bill possess them occasionally to get them away from danger? Does Bill possess some folks to take care of the twins? Do the twins miss being in the nightmare real or do they even know about it???

(I do think that bill as much as he hates the twins being in another dimension he prefers them being there than the nightmare realm since that dimension is slowly breaking apart)

So I'm still figuring some things out but-

The twins were born in Gravity Falls, they cannot leave its vicinity. So no Nightmare realm.

When the twins are awake Bill is very limited in how he's able to interact with them. From the book we know Bill can poses animals freely (unless I misunderstood that whole rat thing), unlike having to make a deal with people.

So I imagine most of the time Bill is following the twins as some sort of animal, like a bird or maybe a deer (though the bigger the animal the more tiring it would be for him). Most of the time Bill just watches them. If there's some kind of danger; dangerous animal, human, or something else- Bill would intervene with whatever animal he's possessing- or he would possess the danger if possible or scare them away. For food and shelter he would have to end up possessing animals (or people) for that as well.

When the twins are asleep (in the mindscape), Bill has total control over everything. Because of this he tries to keep the twins asleep as long as possible- though he usually doesn't get that long.

As the twins get older they develop the ability to 'shapeshift' somewhat, and are able to take a human form (Fords genes came in handy lol). This is both good and bad as they can help themselves more, but they also get into even more trouble now that they can 'properly' interact with people.

Also Bill is unable to posses the twins, its likely to do with them being the same species as him.

[divinelolita]

EHEEHEHEHEHEHEHE(i will be sending a gustav version of this soon cause it is also almost his birthday)

lemme get theeeee the third leg whopper(separate headcannons (OR just a full fic do you bae) of bill and tom) getting birthday sex from male reader cuz like😍😍😍 reader doing pretty much everything tom loves that reader does(if u wana talk abt the kinks in dms we can cuz i aint typin alat rn)

and for billl reader doing EVERYTHING(almost cuz bro is 100% subtop) bill likes in bed cause yk he would have some mf favorite things to do in bed cuz like😪✌🏾

OH i also do not care if younger or older bill and tom like u choose

2009 KAULITZ TWINS: BIRTHDAY SEX (seperate)

hi babe 😇 erm im doing headcannons cus i just did a full fic and I don't got that kinda motivation rn....uh we are doing 2009 cuz that's like my second fav era 😻

(Contains some smut themes so if you don't like that don't read!)

BILL:

・bro is a subtop.. do i even gotta explain?

・Like he understands he's bigger than you, in both ways, but dear god being submissive for you is so exhilarating.

・You better be nice to him on his special day, bae.

・Hearing your words of praise send waves of pleasure through him.

"So good, so perfect oh my god...."

・Sir kink 😻😻

・Just whimpering out a soft 'please sir' if you choose to edge him or something

・Making him stop his movements until he begs to continue? yes pls

・Hair pulling....

・Just tugging on the dreads, eliciting small whines and whimpers as he continues his pace.

・He really likes when you moan out for him, he loves pleasuring you and making you happy oh my GOD

・He can't help but kiss and bite your sensitive skin, leaving small hickies and purple bruises all over your neck and (sometimes) chest.

・Gripping onto your waist, leaning his head into your neck once he can't make out sounds, too focused on how good you feel around him.

・A bit of overstimulation never hurt anyone, right?

・Maybe riding him for another round after he's came, listening to his squeals and whines of pleasure as his eyes roll back.

TOM:

・horny ass mf..

・he's acting more superior than usual since it's his birthday

・He's a bit of a sadist.

・Spanking your ass or slapping your thighs listening to your moans of pleasure mixed with pain

・Slight dacryphillia

・Watching those tears fall from your eyes as he fucks you, dear lord...

・He likes when your hands go up to his cornrows, tugging at them gently.

・shh dont tell anyone he's a brat tamer 😴😴🤞

・I've said this before and ill say it AGAIN: SIR KINK

・Just hearing you barley manage a 'yes sir...!' as he pounds into you, sinking his nail into your waist..

・Watching you grip the sheets as you babble, moaning incoherent words is enough to make him cum.

・Leaving hickies on your neck as he continues his movements, listening to your little gasps and whines.

・His moans and groans as he tells you how good you are!!!!😻

"Oh fuck...god your so perfect. taking me so well M/N, so well.."

・He likes to wrap his hands around your neck or waist, aroused at how huge they are on your body.

[afictionaladventure16]

Reader being Pedro’s co-star (maybe along Bella in TLOU or if not in another show/film) and him basically taking her in after finding out she’s not being well taken care of in her home, so he becomes her surrogate dad

It's Gonna Be Okay (Pedro Pascal x Teen!Reader)

Pedro Pascal Masterlist

Word Count: 5,091

A/N: I may have took this request and ran with it.... but uhhhh I hope this is somewhat what you least expected... enjoy!

Warnings: mentions of neglect and abuse.

If it were up to you, you wouldn’t have taken up acting when you were younger. You were forced into it at a young age, it was so you could help pay bills because your father was on disability and your mother didn’t want to give up her position as a housewife. You eventually fell in love with acting, being able to just escape your life and family and just be someone completely different. 

You’d had been getting bigger roles now that you were older. At only age fourteen, you had gotten many roles in shows and movies. You were proud of yourself. Someone had to be. You were currently working on another film after just finished working on the Prospect, which starred Pedro Pascal as Ezra. You played Cee, a girl who is traveling planets with her father. This film you were starring in now was a small indie film, which had been something different than what you usually worked on. That didn’t mean that you didn’t like it, you liked the challenge. 

You walked into your trailer after shooting a couple of scenes. Your mom was on the phone with god only knows who. For the longest, you wished your relationship with your parents was better. You wished they could be proud of you and that maybe they did this because they wanted a better life for you. But that wasn’t the case, they were only thinking for themselves. 

Your mom hung up the phone, “your father and I were thinking about buying a new house.” 

“We just bought a house,” you stated as you began to undress from your wardrobe for your character and into some regular clothes. 

“Well, I think we could use something new. Plus with the money you made from your previous role, we can afford it?” 

You let out a deep sigh, “but that’s my money, shouldn’t I have a say?” 

“Your money? Sweetie, it’s our money.” 

“I was the one who did all the work, my name is on the checks!” 

“Don’t raise your voice at me, you know the money goes to an account that has me and your father as the trustees.” You couldn’t take it anymore. You’ve taken it for years and years, them using you to get money and you knew eventually you would be left with nothing. 

“It’s my money, that money is supposed to be left untouched.” 

Your mom let out a deep breath, “Well, it’s the least you could do for all we do for you.” 

“All you do for me? What? Sit around and not do anything!?”

She began to rub her temples, “sometimes I wish I never had you,” she spat. 

“If you hate me so much then why did you ever have me?” You asked, tears beginning to well up in your eyes.

“We had you because we thought you could fix us!” 

“So what I’m just some kid you have when your marriage is falling apart? So if that doesn’t work you can blame the kid? You were better off getting a dog!” 

“Maybe we were better getting a dog! At least the dog would listen and be more appreciative! And you know what? You shouldn’t even be talking to me like that, I am your mother!” 

“Barely! I only see you when it’s convenient! All I am to you is an ATM!” 

“You are so ungrateful, you have no idea what we do so you could be some superstar!” 

“You didn’t do shit! I did this! I walked myself to auditions! I took the bus to film locations! I did it!” You yelled, allowing yourself to finally yell out everything you had been holding back. 

“Fuck this,” she said as she walked away to grab her bag. 

“I’m not going home,” you said. 

“Ni te quiero ahi de todos modos,” (I don’t want you there anyway) she hissed as she walked out of the trailer. You didn’t know where you could go if you couldn’t go home. If you could even call that place home. 

You felt the warm tears make their way down your cheeks, and you were quick to wipe them away, “I don’t need them,” you said to yourself. You grabbed your backpack of essentials, you usually carried it around because it was stuff you needed for before and after shoots and now it was convenient because you couldn’t go home. 

When you walked out of your trailer, almost everyone had gone home for the night. Most of the shooting took place in Los Angeles which was where more than half the cast and crew lived. The others rented places to live in until the end of the shoot. 

You didn’t know where to go, but your feet seemed to lead you the way to the bus stop. It was almost like you were on autopilot to the only place you knew you’d welcomed. 

Once you had gotten on the bus, you noticed dark clouds beginning to cover the sunset sky. Usually, you would be happy to see that it was about to rain, but since you were stuck in a bus and would eventually have to walk the rest of the way to your destination, you were feeling the opposite to see the clouds. 

You had ridden the bus for a good twenty minutes, this was one of the routes you got to know over the past couple of months since filming. You’d ride the bus for twenty minutes and then walk the rest of the way, which was another twenty minutes. 

It only sprinkled during the walk to your destination. But it didn’t bother you as much as you thought it would. The whole walk to the neighborhood, you couldn’t help but wonder what life could have been if maybe your parents actually cared. What will life become if this continued? You couldn’t handle the way they treated you as if you were just an employee, you yearned for that feeling of being loved by your parents. 

You couldn’t quite remember when exactly it started, you thought it could’ve been when your dad got injured at work, but even then you felt it was before that. You admit, that the words your mother said hurt. You were only created to fix their marriage and even that couldn’t fix it because it was obvious to everyone that it was falling apart day by day. 

Once you had gotten to the neighborhood, you were glad that they didn’t live in a gated community or else this walk would’ve been for nothing. You ran the rest of the way to the house, running up the steps, and knocking on the door. 

You stood in silence for a few seconds until the door opened, “Y/N? What are you doing here?” Pedro asked in shock, “Mija, you’re all soaked, get in.” Pedro pulled you into the house, before running off to grab you a towel. 

“I’m sorry, I should’ve called,” you began to say. 

He chuckled, “Yeah, I could’ve gotten you a ride.” 

That was true, but part of you just wanted to be left alone. “Sorry,” you said again. 

Pedro wrapped the towel around you, “Take your shoes off, make yourself at home.” You never understood that phrase, maybe because you never knew what a home should feel like. You cleared your throat as you took your shoes off, placing them by the door. You followed Pedro into the living room, “You came just in time, I was gonna start a movie marathon…” Pedro looked over at you standing by the couch. “Pues, mija sit down.” 

“I don’t want to ruin the couch,” you gestured to your wet clothes. Pedro could care less if you got his couch a little wet, but he probably thought you felt uncomfortable in wet clothes. 

“Hold on,” he said as he ran up to one of the rooms. He came down a few minutes later, “I remembered one of my little cousins left some of their clothes here the last time they came to visit. These pajama pants should fit and I have one of my old Fleetwood mac tees here.” He handed you the clothes, giving you a grin. 

“Thanks,” you said with a smile. 

“You know where the bathroom is,” he gestured towards the hallway. This wasn’t your first time in Pedro’s house, in fact, you came over to his house pretty often. Since being in the Prospect together, you have developed a strong bond with Pedro. You still hung out with him whenever he was in town and you even went to visit him in New York a few times. This house has become like a home to you, a true home. One in which you could actually be yourself, when you came here you never wanted to go to the one where your parents were. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t as surprised to see you, just more surprised you didn’t call him. You quickly changed in the bathroom, and when you walked back out to the living room, Pedro had microwaved some popcorn. He pats the spot next to him for you to sit down. 

You rolled your eyes and sat down beside him, “What are we watching?” 

“I’ll tell you if you tell me what’s going on,” he asked in a serious tone. 

You sighed, “don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Do your parents know you're here?” 

“All they know is that I’m not home and they’re happy with that,” you picked up some popcorn and began eating. 

“Now why would you say that?” At this point he turned the T.V. off, giving you his full attention. 

“My mom and I got into this big argument,” you said, hoping he would drop it and you could just go back to ignoring the situation. 

“About?” But part of you knew he wasn’t going to just drop it. Pedro was a good listener and for some reason, he had done more for you in the little time he has known you, than your parents ever have. 

“Money,” you began, not even trying to hold it in anymore, maybe he could help you do something about it. “They’ve been spending everything I’ve earned like it’s no tomorrow and now I’m scared that that’s all they care about.” 

“What?” Pedro sat up, “They can’t do that, it’s your money,” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, he knew he had to be somewhat illegal. 

“I know,” You sighed, “but they're my parents” 

“Mija, they signed a contract. Only a certain percentage of that money goes to an account that they could spend for you, the rest has to go to a savings account for you.” 

“It’s all in one account,” you responded. “I don’t know what to do, I’m too young to get emancipated, and even then… I have no other family I can stay with.” 

Pedro got up, he knew he had to talk to someone about this, maybe one of the directors or even your manager. He just knew this wasn’t right. He grabbed his phone from the counter, Pedro hesitated for a second, what was he doing? The choices he made right now could change your life either for the better or for the worse. 

He went into his contacts, tapping on his phone a few times before pressing it to his ear, “Pedro?” You called out, walking in the direction he went. “What are you doing?” You asked as soon as you saw him. 

Before he could respond to you, someone had picked up, “Hello?” 

“Chris,” he began, your eyes widen, you couldn’t believe he had called your manager, you had forgotten that they had been good friends. “It’s Pedro.” 

“Pedro, what are you doing?” 

Pedro didn’t respond to you again, “Pedro, what’s up?” 

“Any chance you can come by my place? Y/N is here and we have something to talk to you about.” 

“Um, yeah, I can be there in like thirty minutes, sound good?” 

“Yeah, see you then,” Pedro hung up the phone, looking over at you, “It’s  gonna be okay.” 

“How do you know that?” 

He sighed, “because I’ll be there to help you, okay? You’re not alone, Y/N. Do you trust me?” You didn’t trust a lot of people, but Pedro was one of the few you did trust. He had shown you that you could trust him time and time again. You gave him a small nod. He smiled softly at you, “you hungry?” 

“I don’t think I can eat at a time like this,” you said nervously. Pedro understood he didn’t think he could eat either, but he knew it was rude to not offer. 

When Chris arrived, Pedro did most of the talking. You sat on the couch, nodding every once in a while or talking when things needed more clarity. But for the most part, Pedro was your advocate and you were content that you didn’t have to deal with it. Chris was overwhelmed with the information he was given, but he knew what to do in these kinds of situations. 

“I can get you a lawyer,” he began, “but I’m letting you know now, it’s gonna get messy. We’ll have to find a family for you to stay with-” 

“I have no other family,” you confessed. 

“Well, they might have you-” 

“She can stay with me,” Pedro blurted out. “If she’s able to.” 

“It’s possible. We’d just have to provide evidence that temporary guardianship is needed in this case,” Chris stated. 

“I have evidence,” you began, “just do whatever is needed and I can provide the evidence.” 

Chris sighed, “alright. I’ll keep in touch and It’s probably best if Y/N goes home tonight.” 

“My mom told me not to come home.” 

Chris glanced at Pedro before looking at you, he didn’t know what to say, “then I guess you’ll stay with Pedro for the night.” He didn’t say anything else before leaving. 

“You think it’ll work?” you asked Pedro, he had sat down next to you once Chris had left. 

“I like to think it will,” he gave you a reassuring smile before pulling you to his side. 

“Did you really mean it?” you asked, receiving a confused look from Pedro. “When you said I could stay with you.” 

“Of course I meant it,” he said. “You’re like a daughter I’ve never had, in just a few months we’ve known each other you have brought me so much joy and I have to admit, seeing you shoot your scenes, makes me feel so proud.” 

You felt tears begin to well up in your eyes. Someone who didn’t even know you for your whole life was proud of you, more than your parents ever could be. “What’s wrong?” Pedro asked as he wiped away a tear off your cheek that had managed to escape. You shook your head, “Something has to be bothering you, muñeca, what is it?” 

You let out a shaky breath, “it’s just… I wish my parents could say that they’re proud of me. I wish they could at least act like they loved me.” 

“Oh, mija,” he cooed. 

“You know what my mom said to me today?” you sniffled, “she said that they only had me because they thought I would help make their marriage work. What kind of person says that to their own kid?” You let out a soft sob, “Do I even matter to them? To anyone?” 

Pedro held you tight, “you matter to me.” He placed a small kiss on your temple, “they may say all these awful things but you are here for a reason.” 

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, “Sure.” 

“I’m serious, Y/N. You’re like a daughter to me and I believe you were brought onto this earth to shine some joy into my life,” he gave you a reassuring smile. “Okay?” You gave him a nod, “Now let’s watch our movie marathon, we’ll worry about everything else tomorrow.” 

You laid your head on Pedro’s lap, watching as the opening credits began to play on the screen, but you couldn’t help but wonder if everything was going to be okay. When you woke up that morning you didn’t imagine this was how you were going to end your day, but then again, no one ever really imagines how they would really end their day. 

You wondered if you’d need to move out and if so, how would everyone take it? Did that really matter? No, it didn’t. You know Pedro said he’d take you in, but would he be true to his word? You couldn’t help but think about all these intrusive thoughts, all you wanted to do was watch the damn movie, but your mind was so loud. 

The next day came and no word from Chris. You went back onto the set, your mother was there too. You played your best role yet, the obedient daughter. You sat and listened to your mother as she lectured you for not coming home last night, even though she had told you not to. 

Days went by and only one call from Chris, he was working on it. That’s all he said. You visited Pedro a few times before he went back to New York. 

Then weeks went by and eventually you finished filming. You hated when you weren’t filming, it meant you had to go home and spend most of your time there. 

It wasn’t until a month after the whole talk with Chris was when your parents received the knock at the door. You were at the kitchen table when your mother answered the door, you could hear the shock in her voice when the gentleman said the four magical words, “You have been served.” 

Your head the door shut, and the smile on your face only lasted a few seconds before it was met with anxiety. You heard the sounds of the envelope being torn apart and then complete silence. You were beginning to regret everything that had just happened, maybe it was just all a big mistake. Suing your parents was a big deal, accusing them of stealing was another big deal. 

You heard footsteps inching closer to where you sat. Then silence. You looked up at your mother standing at the doorway, It was at that moment you knew that it was probably best that she was served the papers when you weren’t there. Because up until that moment, you had thought that all your mother would do was mentally and verbally abuse you, or steal from you. 

“You bitch,” she spat as she threw the papers onto the table, “after everything we did for you!” She smacked her hand across your face, your hand instantly touching the spot she had slapped. “This is how you repay us!?” 

You felt tears well up in your eyes, you got up from your seat to leave but your mother quickly blocked your way, “move.” 

“This is how you repay us?” She asked again. You remained silent, not daring to look at her. It was all quick, her hand on your throat pushing you against the wall, “I’m asking you a question!” Her grip was strong, you scratched at her hand, hoping that it would pain her enough to let go. 

It felt like you were against the wall for minutes. Her phone began to ring, allowing you to break free. You fell to your knees as you attempted to catch your breath. “Leave,” she began. “No te quiero ver en esta casa nunca mas, no me importa donde vas.” ( I don’t want to see you in this house anymore, I don’t care where you go) You remained silent as you got up from the floor, “Me oiste?” You didn’t say anything again as you grabbed your phone from the kitchen table. “I asked you a question!” 

“Yes! I fucking heard you!” You yelled. 

Your reflexes weren’t quick, maybe it was because you were still trying to recover from being choked, or maybe it was because your nerves were everywhere. You weren’t quick enough to dodge your mother's fist, and you stumbled back. Quickly covering your eye, you groaned as you felt it throbbing. 

Your mother shook her hand, “Leave before I do something I’ll regret.” 

“You’re fourteen years too late for that,” you muttered. 

“Eres una disgracia, no eres mi hija. Quiero que todos que sepan que no tengo hija.” (You’re a disgace, not a daughter. I want everyone to know I don’t have a daughter) she muttered as you walked out of the room. You walked into your bedroom, and quickly looked at the damage to your eye, it didn’t look too bad but you knew it would bruise, not to mention the red marks on your neck. You couldn’t worry about it right now, you had to pack what was important and the essentials. As looked around your room, you couldn’t think of anything you wanted to take, just things you needed. 

As you began to pack things, you decided to call Pedro, it had only rang a few times before he answered, “Hey, Y/N! I was just about to call you,” He began to say. “I was gonna surprise you, but I might as well just tell you, I’m in LA! I have an interview tonight an-” he had rambled on, but you had to interrupt, or else he wouldn’t have stopped. 

“I need you to pick me up,” you cut him off. 

Pedro went silent for a moment, “Everything okay?” 

“My mom just got served, Pedro.” 

“Shit,” he mumbled, “I was hoping they’d tell me before they did anything, that way…” Pedro hesitated, he didn’t want to think about what could have happened. “are you okay?” he asks instead. 

“Can you please pick me up?” You asked shakingly. 

“Of course, Mija, I’ll be there right away, okay?” He said. 

“Don’t hang up,” you pleaded. 

Pedro’s heart sank, he could hear how torn you were, “okay, I won’t hang up.” You could hear car keys jingling on the other side of the phone, “I’m gonna connect the Bluetooth to my car, okay?” 

“Okay,” you had zipped up the last of your stuff into one of your suitcases. 

Pedro stayed silent for a few seconds, “are you still there?” 

“I’m here,” you said. You began to make your way out of your room, and you spotted your mother still in the kitchen, phone pressed against her ear. You walked out of the house, without saying another word to her. You didn’t know how your father would react and you didn’t want to know. “I’m outside,” you said into the phone. 

“I’m only a few minutes away.” 

It felt more than a few minutes, it felt like hours. You stood at the driveway, anxious that you wouldn’t leave in time, you wanted to make sure you weren’t home when your father got there. 

“I’m down the street,” Pedro announced. 

You quickly spotted his car and you ended the call once he was close enough. Pedro parked at the curb, quickly getting out to help you put your stuff in the car. Before you could get in, he grabbed your arm, placing a hand on your face, “Mija,” he began as he noticed the marking on your neck and the swelling of your eye. “Did they do this to you?” 

“Let’s go,” you pleaded. He sighed, he knew you were anxious to get out of there. He glanced over at the house you had come out of as you got in the car, he closed the door for you before getting in the car. 

The car ride was silent, which was different. Usually, the car rides with Pedro were filled with music and laughter, but this time there was no music and no laughter. You stared out of the window for most of the ride. Once you got to the house, Pedro took your bags and you followed him inside. 

“I need to make a phone call,” He informed you as he walked into his office. 

You walked over to the window, looking out at the scenic view. Were you making a big mistake? Was he beginning to realize it? 

You did the right thing, right? 

You took charge of your life and you did the right thing, right? Even if it feels completely wrong and you feel so much guilt. Is it wrong to feel a little relief? Usually, relief meant a good thing, so did this mean it was a good thing?

You felt something on your shoulder, you jolted a bit at the sudden touch. 

“Sorry,” Pedro apologized. You calmed down when you realized it was him, “I was on the phone with Chris and the lawyer.” 

“What they say?” 

“Well, I told them what happened and the lawyer is attempting to get an emergency temporary custody agreement from the judge so you could stay with me. He said he’ll be coming over to take pictures for evidence, but for now…” He sighed, “are you okay?” you shook your head. You didn’t need to say anymore, Pedro pulled you in for an embrace and you allowed yourself to feel everything. 

For once you felt like you were able to feel everything without feeling guilty for doing so or even wrong to think such horrible things. But now that the truth has come to light, you were able to feel. 

In most cases, this process would have taken days, but somehow the lawyers your manager hired made the process go by fast. Within a couple of hours, Pedro received the call that he was able to get temporary custody, but that’s all it was. Temporary. Eventually, you would have to go to court and maybe end up in foster care, but you didn’t want to think about that now. 

“Let me see,” Pedro said softly as he joined you on the couch once again, he had been making some phone calls for the past twenty minutes. “Fuck,” he said softly, “They really hit you pretty well.” 

“It hurts,” you groaned. 

“I know,” he had a frozen pack of peas in his other hand, along with a small towel. He wrapped the bag of peas in the towel before gently placing it on your eye, “leave this on for twenty minutes, then rest it.” You gave him a nod as you took a hold of the bag of peas. “You want to talk about it?” 

You shook your head, “not really.” 

“That’s fine,” he said, trying not to push you into talking. 

But that’s the thing, you wanted to talk about it. You wanted to cry it out, you just didn’t want to feel like a burden, especially not to him. Not after all he has done for you so far. 

Tears began to well up in your eyes, Pedro quickly took notice, pulling you back into an embrace. “I thought that I would be happier,” you cried. “They’ve always treated me so terribly and now that they’re no longer a part of my life… I don’t get it.” Pedro rubbed your back, “Why does it hurt so much? Why does it feel like-” 

“Like you’ve lost your parents?” you nodded. 

“Even if they never acted like parents.” 

“I don’t know, grief is funny like that,” he said softly. “Some people don’t deserve to be parents, Y/N.” 

You took in a deep breath, “you know what she said when I left?” he hummed in response, “Quiero que todos se sepan que no tengo una hija.” Every girl needs a mother, you needed a mother, and you had one. You just didn’t have the one that was portrayed in movies or the ones that your friends had. And you were always envious of that. You wished you had a mother that truly loved you and took pride in being your mother. Maybe you didn’t understand, what it was like to be a mother, but you think you could. 

Because if you ever had a daughter, you knew you would love that person unconditionally without hesitation. So, why couldn’t she? 

Pedro couldn’t understand it because like you if he had a daughter or even a son. He would love them unconditionally, just like he had tried to do with you. Like he was doing with you. Right now there was a hurting child in his arms and all he could think to do was comfort them even if he was fighting everything inside him to go punch your parents. He knew what he had to do at that moment, he had to comfort you because you needed him. 

He kissed your temple, “She doesn’t deserve such a beautiful, intelligent, talented daughter like you and it hurts that she can’t see what I see.” He leaned back from the embrace, holding your head in his hands. “Just because someone shares your DNA doesn’t mean that they are family. If there is anything you have shown me in the time I’ve known you, it’s how to be a father to someone who isn’t even my own kid.” 

You gave him a small smile as he wiped away a tear from your cheek with his thumb, “from here on out, we’re in this together, mija, okay?” you nodded.

Yeah, you really couldn’t understand it, but you didn’t have to because DNA didn’t mean they were truly your family. If there was anyone who actually knew you like the back of your hand, it was the man that was sitting beside you. The man who took time to be there for you when they couldn’t. 

The man who knew what to say on your bad days and what not to say, who knew your favorite foods and knew your pet peeves, just like a father would. He knew what time you should go to bed for you to be not grumpy in the morning and he knew what subjects in school you needed help in the most. 

And he mostly knew all of this in a short period of time. He spent time with you and not because he needed to, but because he wanted to. It didn’t take him long to create a bond with you and it didn’t take you long to consider him like a father. 

“Okay,” you said softly. The pain would only be temporary, you knew that and you allowed yourself to feel it. You were still nervous about the outcome of the future, but you knew you had a small support system and that was all you needed.

Pedro Pascal Taglist: @Sophieelizabeth01  @tracysnook  @cilliansangel  @change-the-world-someday  @graciegoeskrazy @oggystine93 @t-stark35 @twkobii @picklehat3r

To be added CLICK HERE

[vxntagedior]

pumpkins

summary | eddie stumbles upon a bakery with the sweetest owner

pairing | construction worker!eddie munson x fem!baker!reader

warning | fluff fluff fluff, eddie is a lovesick puppy, and his coworkers tease him

word count | 1.5k

It was the same routine every morning, get up after working a double, shower and head out to the construction site. Though it wasn’t his dream job, since moving into his own little apartment, Eddie needed money to keep up with the bills and not wanting to lose water again. 

Parking a few blocks away from the site, stepping out of the van, Eddie cracked his neck, letting out a loud yawn. He usually was never that tired, but coming back last night after a night out with some of his coworkers, Eddie didn’t get to work til at least 2am. 

Looking down at his clock, noticing he was still 20 minutes early, giving himself some time to stop somewhere to get him coffee before heading in. 

Luckily enough, the construction site was near the main road of Hawkins, giving him some options for some breakfast and coffee. Starting to walk towards the town, looking around to see what was open and what was interesting for him when he found it. 

The outside of the building was painted a burnt orange, with the sign ‘Pumpkins’ matching the exterior perfectly. The bigger glass windows let him see inside enough to see a few people in, along with the display in the back of the bakery. 

It was good enough for him, crossing the street, his work boots thumping against the ground with each step he took. 

Blueberry muffins was the first thing Eddie smelled when he walked in, stopping in his steps, taking in the smell before walking towards the counter. 

Music played softly in the background and the chatter of the other customers filled his ears as he looked over the menu. 

“Hi, welcome in!” Hearing your voice, made Eddie malfunction. He had never heard something so angelic and when he looked at you, it was like a real life angel. 

Eddie had never so starstruck over someone in such a short time, ringing out his hands to clear his nerves. 

“Hi, uh, can I get a large coffee with cream and sugar and a blueberry muffin.” His voice was soft when he spoke, something that was so off putting than his outfit. 

You took him in, noticing his hair down his shoulders, his boots big and heavy and the black attire and his helmet in his hand. Finally looking back up at him, noticing how he was already looking into your eyes, they widened slightly before looking down at the register. 

“Of course, that’ll be $5 even.” You smiled softly, wiping your hands over your apron when they started to become a little clammy. 

Fishing in his wallet for a $5 bill with only a few ones and a ten left, he pulled out the ten and handed it over to you. 

“Keep the change.” Eddie didn’t know where the rush of confidence came from, but he shot you a wink before heading to the other side of the counter. 

Holding the bill in your hand still, you froze before a smile formed, before you turned to make his coffee. 

Walking over to where Eddie stood, you placed his items on the counter in front of him, 

“I never got a name.” You smiled at him. 

“Eddie.” He gave you another wink before walking out and making his way to work. 

“Eddie.” You whispered to yourself. 

“He’s handsome.” You looked up to see Kathy, one of your older customers smirking at you, “I’ll take him if you don’t.”

“Kathy!” You gasped at her. 

“Go for it sweetheart, you need some friends in this town your age. Maybe more than friends.” Kathy finished, taking a sip of her coffee. 

“You need to stop eavesdropping, Kathy.” You ignored her comment before tending to the next customer. 

For the rest of your day, you couldn’t get Eddie out of your mind, hoping that you might see him again. And on the other side of town coming home from work, Eddie was always tired and hated his days, but seeing you that morning, seeing you and your shop made him feel a bit better than before. 

Wanting to see you again, and hopefully to talk to you a little longer, Eddie set his alarm 30 minutes earlier, giving him enough time to get ready for work and be able to see and talk to you for at least 15 minutes before he needed to head off to work. 

You always woke up early to open up the bakery every morning, and always you dressed comfortably because you worked a few extra hours in the morning before opening. 

You have to admit you did apply some makeup and dressed up a little more usual, a nicer top and a long skirt with a flower design. Your hair was freshly washed and styled to your liking. Not that you didn’t like dressing up for work, but during the days when you came in earlier than usual, you would end up with flour or something else all over your clothes and even sometimes you face. 

As the bakery opened, your usual regulars came in, Kathy sending you a little smirk as she took her usual seat, one that was by the door, letting her see everyone who comes in. 

Opening the door, and you not hearing the bell when you were in the bathroom, Eddie frowned when he entered and not seeing you at the front. 

Nonetheless, he still came in walking up to the counter, before looking around for you. 

“She’s in the bathroom.” Kathy spoke, clearing all his questions. Eddie turned to her, muttering a quick thanks before turning back, placing his hands over his cheek to clear the redness. 

“Thank you.” He smiled softly, turning back around to see you walking out from the back. 

“You’re back.” You beamed, grateful you went to the bathroom at the right time to fix your hair and to get some flour that was still stuck to your cheek. “Coffee and blueberry muffin.”

“Yes please.” Eddie smiled. 

Always the same routine now, both of you had got up a little early to see the other, having the small conversation before Eddie would have to leave to head to work. 

Soon enough, you had been seeing Eddie almost everyday for a month and neither of you were able to take the next step and ask the other on a date or to hangout outside of the bakery. 

Kathy teased you everytime after he left, asking why you would never ask, and most of the time you would ignore her. 

Over at the construction site, some of the workers noticed how Eddie was barely making it in on time, coffee cup in his hand and an empty muffin paper in his hand. The familiar logo was one everyone knew, causing endless teasing about Eddie having a crush on the owner. 

Unbeknownst to you, Eddie had finished up the job by your shop, the crew moving to another site on the other side of town by his apartment, close enough for him to walk to work. 

But still every morning, he got up earlier just to drive down to your shop, drive back home and head off to work. 

“Today is the day.” He muttered to himself as he walked down the sidewalk towards the bakery, “Ask if she wants to go to dinner, be calm.”

The self mantra helped right until he got to the door and saw you inside. 

Taking in another deep breath, Eddie opened the door, the little bell ringing above him. 

“Hi Eddie!” You beamed, walking out from the back. 

“Hi Pumpkin.” He smiled back. Soon after learning the origin of your bakery, and how the nickname was something your family always called you, Eddie started to call you Pumpkin as well. 

Though there were many men in town who tried the same, something you shut down immediately because you didn’t feel comfortable with having something so personal to be used. 

But with Eddie it felt comfortable, it felt normal, sweet, and just made you like him even more. 

“Coffee and muffin?” You asked, going back to the register.

“Um, not today.” He muttered, starting to feel a lump in his throat. “I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner tonight after you get off.”

“Like a date?” You asked, you looked over to Kathy who was invested in the conversation. You saw she looked over to you, nodding her head yes rapidly. 

“Yeah, if you’re okay with that.” Eddie answered. 

“Of course, that sounds really nice, I’d love to go to dinner with you.” Plucking one of the napkins out of the stack and a pen by the register, you wrote down your phone number before handing it back to Eddie. 

“I get off around 4, and need a minute to get changed, is 5pm okay for you?”

“Perfect.” He smiled, taking the napkin, looking down at you. “I’ll see you soon.”

Taking in his newfound confidence, he leaned over the counter, pressing a kiss to your cheek before giving you another goodbye before heading out. 

“About time that boy asked you.” Kathy mused, “I could tell he wanted to ask the second time he came in.”

“I have a date.” You smiled, looking over at Kathy, “An actual date.”

“He’s a gentleman, that’s good.” Kathy nodded. “I would like a wedding invitation.”

“KATHY!”

fin.

[verdemoun]

Wondering If you have some Isaac content to give us? Please? ( Asking politily)

absolutely my bOI

Canon era:

Isaac had biblical tantrums. Arthur really had to bite his tongue around Abigail and Jack because the absolute theatrics Isaac was capable of made Jack's little fusses seem like nothing. If you told Isaac no, it would be 3 hours of inhumane screaming.

It was obvious Isaac was going to be smarter than his parents combined. The older he got, the more Eliza asked Arthur to make an effort to come around often because he kept outsmarting her and she was at her wits' end.

Specifically, he was damned convincing. One evening when Arthur arrived to the small house he secretly considered his home, Eliza was sitting with her face down on the table while Isaac merrily ate a chocolate bar and candy for dinner. His argument was he needed the energy to go to sleep.

Isaac was absolutely terrified of horses. Arthur has no idea why, but the kid would look at the beautiful gentle giant Boadicea like she was a hellspawn demon sent to drag him to brimstone and eternal flames. Arthur simply accepted horse riding might not be something he has in common with his son, but thankfully drawing was! When he took Isaac fishing, and the kid quickly got bored and asked if they could draw instead, Arthur sighed in relief.

timewarp isaac!

It's a running joke in the gang that Isaac needs more therapy. It's usually a lighthearted response to him asking something way too personal, and said with the knowledge the gang would drop anything to help him out if he asked.

Case and point: one of the first one-on-one conversations a then 18 year old Isaac had with the recently timewarped Charles was very sincerely asking what it was like to bury Arthur. It was a very sincere, vulnerable conversation where Charles admitted it took him 6 months to go back and find Arthur's body, which was mostly bone and what little scraps of clothing that scavengers hadn't taken. Isaac offered the comfort that if a vulture or crow ate him, maybe a part of Arthur made it back out west before timewarp. Charles, while touched and oddly comforted by the thought, immediately followed up with 'How often do you see your psychologist?' 'Every Tuesday.' 'I don't think that's enough.'

Isaac's love language is physical touch. When he was reunited with Arthur, he would start wailing the second Arthur tried to put him down. It took two days before he'd even let Arthur not be in the same room as him, which Arthur was completely fine with.

However, after Isaac hit his growth spurt, the demand for physical touch became an issue for everyone. He can and will lift people up to hug them. The kids love it. His grandparents love it (he is much more careful not to crush them). Bill Williamson absolutely hates it - he's just not used to people being strong enough to lift him up and it's really unnerving.

Like most of the gang, Isaac gained a lot of weight as a kid due to no one understanding processed food, availability and modern era food trends. Arthur would not let anyone talk shit about his son, but also tried to tell Hosea to stop telling Isaac he'd hit a growth spurt and 'even out'.

Admittedly, Hosea was right, and just like his father Isaac suddenly shot up at age 18 and became an absolute brick wall of a unit just like a younger Arthur. With the addition of Kai dragging him to the gym once a week to Isaac's disgust, he bulked up and had to be reminded 'Isaac pls you're hurting me' regularly.

Sean exclusively called him 'little England' until he hit his growth spurt. His adult nickname is the British Empire, because Sean swears he's bigger than Arthur/English ever was.

Isaac simply would not have survived in the 19th century. He's too modern. He loves social science, pop psychology, queer rights, motorbikes and fast food way too much to have endured canon era. Arthur is quietly glad that Isaac got to grow up in modern era, where his eccentricities have a chance of being normal.

This is a lie Isaac is still considered a very weird dude by modern standards and Kai loves reminding him if they hadn't met in elementary school there's no way in hell they'd be friends.

[ithoughtghostsjustfloatedaway]

ok wair actually i Do have a question. FOR your fem losers designs do you have like. Specific reasons for why you designed them that way?

this is actually so sweet tysm for this question, i love my gals & don’t feel like i get to talk about them much!!

might be a bit long so i’ll put it under the cut

for my fem!losers designs, i took inspiration from the movies, other artists’ fem losers designs, & even some fanfics. i looked at a bunch of things & sketched a bunch before i came to what their designs are currently. & their designs are still changing, i’m always tweaking what they look like, but they’ve stayed relatively the same since i started drawing them as girls back in 2021. it’s mostly just finding a mix of making them look like their film counterparts, taking my own creative liberties, & just what seems right

as for more specifics, some of the designs just felt right & others i have a lot more hcs & reasons for why they look the way they do. for bill, mike, & ben, i don’t have a ton of hcs atm for why i designed them the way i did, they just felt right. bill seems like a short haired girl & she doesn’t seem like a huge dress girl. mike seems like she’d have big curls-that she always keeps back- & is more about practicality than style (tho bev loves to dress her up & she definitely doesn’t argue). ben would wear her hair back more often than not cuz it doesn’t draw attention, & she wears lots of skirts & big t-shirts for the same reason. & besides that i just wanted to make all their hair colors stand out more so i made bill’s a bit more red & ben’s more blonde than brunette.

stan is fun cuz i feel like she looks the most similar to her canon counterpart (at least, i try(?)), but i still take my liberties. she’s got more strawberry blonde hair, & she’s got big curls. i think she wouldn’t care for them much when she was younger but once she learned how to maintain them she grew to love her curls. i also draw her in a lot more preppy-styled, modest clothes cuz i think it just makes sense (cuz of her parents)

richie’s fun cuz i feel like her who design just makes sense? she’s got big hair (i made a whole post on my hair hc for her a while ago), of which she grows out & cuts throughout her life. she likes to keep part of it pulled up usually too, for variety (but mostly cuz she lets eddie borrow her scrunchies when she wants to pull her hair up & richie loves when eddie wears her scrunchies but you didn’t hear that from meeee) she wears a lot of mismatched clothes, lots of ripped jeans & ofc her hawaiian & other brightly patterned shirts.

eddie is by far the loser who’s design i have the most hcs for, & it’s NOT cuz of favoritism (…maybe a little). i’ve always had the most ideas for her cuz her characterization imo would be the most affected by her being a girl in the canon. she would have to fit sonia’s “perfect little girl” ideals, which is not eddie in the slightest. perfect little girl eddie keeps her long hair down at all times, always wear skirts & blouses, & always does what she’s told. real eddie pulls her hair up all the time (until she finally cuts it, i also made a post about my eddie’s hair hcs), wears t-shirts & shorts her friends keep hidden for her, & has a trash mouth that only rivals the trashmouth herself. i give eddie more freckles the older she gets (until chapter 2, she has less then) cuz she’s outside running around all the time (which sonia hates). idk if anyone pays attention to it, but i draw eddie (especially teenaged & up) with an hourglass body cuz i still think she’d be small, but she’s got a bigger chest & curvier hips (sonia kaspbrak genes). i also think it plays into that “perfect little girl”-> “desired woman” pipeline that sonia would believe it, & that eddie hates. idk if that even makes sense. 

i’ll be so fr, idek if any of that made sense, or was even what you asked for. but hopefully that was a little bit of a glimpse into my mind when it comes to these gals? i’m constantly thinking about them & i’m always messing with what they look like so if anyone has any suggestions/ideas/want to know more about something specifically just lmk!! <3 <3

[werebutch]

I’ve been thinking about a third rabbit since I got fawn almost a year ago (a year in November ^__^) .. so don’t worry this isn’t something I’m springing on myself. Throughout that time I look at Petfinder but there’s never really the perfect match .. I want them the same size and age.. and yes I am a little shallow coat colors matter to me Ok. Alright. But that bunny …. He’s perfect in all ways.. AND, less likely to get adopted because he is black. He could be my unlucky rabbit. HAHAH. Idk. It gives me hope to see sooooo many people in the online houserabbit community have trios or even bigger groups work out. It’s a lot harder than just a pair but it usually does work I feel like. Lynx will be a problem child as always when bonding but fawn is so calm she ends up dominating anyways. Obviously idk how that rabbit will be but I’m very confident in fawn, not as much Lynx.. Maybe once I think this through I will try and foster him just to see. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. Nowadays, shelters are so much more understanding about bonding so if I have to, he can go back to his old foster parents. My first foster rabbit, muffin, was SUPER easy to tell that she and Lynx would be very difficult and even dangerous to try to bond.. so we moved on in just 2 weeks.. then ended up with a match made in heaven with fawn. IDK. Financially, 3 rabbits isn’t much different than 2.. toys I make myself or already bought and litter and forage I can find cheap. Hay is the biggest expense, but maybe that will finally push me to find a cheaper independent farmer instead of ordering online. And shelter rabbits come desexed, so no cost there unlike with lynx. Mostly just hay and check ups will be more. By the time they’re old and needing vet bills (7 yrs about), I will probably be more secure in my life.. plus, since I’m pretty sure fawn is older than the shelter told me, when she eventually passes it won’t be so hard on Lynx. I know it’s morbid but it’s true. He will have another (probably just as healthy as him since new bunny’s not a lop) friend. And of course I’ll be getting another abandoned rabbit into a happy home. IDK. My worst fear is being an irresponsible pet owner 🙏

[bigsnzstanacct]

Thinking about Dad Sneeze Dads and their individual sneeze styles. Like as I said, James/Jamie has this incredibly vocal, stentorian shout of a sneeze, an orator’s sneeze, a “YYAAAHHH-HHHOOOOOOOO!!” (And like, I don’t know how to spell this but imagine it ends on a big round open “oh” not an “oo” okay?). And also he always, always sneezes at least twice and each subsequent sneeze is always, always bigger than the previous. So if the first is especially loud and deafening, you better really batten down the hatches for the second, and pray he doesn’t feel the urge for a third. (I also imagine that as he gets older, those third and fourth thunderous sneezes come more often). Sure, you get a warning about sneeze number two, unlike number one, but the second is so much louder than it jump scares people even when they’ve been bracing for it. Also I imagine that his normal sneeze is very neatly separated into two parts, but his biggest sneezes are just one single syllable, possibly shorter, just blast like “HAAHHHuuhhh!!” Maybe with a little trailing fall. Those hurt his throat and he always doubles over for them. Probably straightens up with a “God damn!” And maybe like “scuse me if I deafened you… and if I did blame Paul, he’s the one that infected me with his allergies! I swear, I didn’t sneeze like this til I met him!” “Oh, but your dad sneezed like that since I met him so I’m pretty sure those genes were coming out one way or another, and also for the millionth times you cannot catch allerg—“ “HEYYY-SSHHUUHH!! Whew… damn… that one took the wind out of me… anyway… what were you saying Paul?”

And then, for Paul, I was trying to figure out how he sneezes, because like… they can’t be as like… declarative as James’ but they also have to be just as thunderous and then I realized… he sneezes like… you know that guy sneezeguy (now I think KB) on t*kt*k?? He sneezes like that. Like… “HRRRRRUUUHHH!! HEEERRRRUUUssshhh!!! HRRRRSSSSHH!!” Like so growled and roared at the same time. And he has these fits and false starts, so it torments him for a while and he’s trying to find a light to look into and sometimes the only thing that will get his nose to finally let go of the big blast is to go outside and look into the morning sun, and then his whole face somehow crumples and arches simultaneously and—“ERRRSSCCHHH!!! RRRRRRREESSSCCHHH!!!” He’s off to the races. Sometimes there’s buildup between the sneezes but usually they come four or five or six in a row, and maybe a shorter second or third round. And he’s also one that can actually be around something he’s allergic to for a while without sneezing his head off… but the bill always comes due. And if he’s been around a dog a lot, and playing with the dog and rolling around with the dog (of course he adores dogs, the bigger and floofier and fluffier the better, allergies be damned) James almost hopes he starts sneezing early. Because the longer the sneezes wait, the more intense they are when they finally strike. And then he can fire off sneezes into the double digits without a break, just “GASP! ERRRRUUSSCHHHH!! HUUHHH— RRRRUUUSCCCHHHOOO!!! HEEHHH— ARRRRRSSSSCCHHUUHHH!!! HUUH! HEEEEIIISSHHH!!!” Just that classic pattern of one great big gulp of air and a big sneeze, and another gulp of air, and another sneeze.

[furys-burn]

( NICO & LUKE ) cont'd | @stygicniron Skittering back a step as the bag of chips dropped down next to his feet, Nico shot the older demigod an accusatory look although he knew better than to say anything. And a part of him knew better than to turn away free food. He hadn’t been on his own for too many weeks at that point, but that was more than enough time to go hungry, which he definitely had. Nico couldn’t remember much of his life before going to the military school in New England, but he didn’t think he’d ever been as hungry as he had been the last couple weeks. And as high and mighty as the idea was to find some way to pay for the food he wanted, he mostly preferred to just get the food. Reluctant fingers scooped up the bag of chips off the ground, drifting in the older demigod’s wake as he went to the front of the store. Only for his mouth to pop open in shock as Luke opened the register, selecting some bills for himself. He could justify taking food but taking money straight out of the register just seemed wrong somehow. Or maybe it was just because he was hungry and you couldn’t eat money. Nico’s mouth twisted. Not a runaway, he silently contradicted the other demigod. At least not based on what the other kids at Camp told him, but for some reason, ever since the older guy started talking, that all seemed kind of fuzzy. “You’re not like me,” he muttered, chips and milk now cradled uncertainty in his arms. “I’m– not a runaway,” he cut himself off, changing what he was going to say. He did have a nice smile, a smile that made Nico want to start talking to him and telling him everything that had happened. Maybe that was what almost made him stumble over his words and almost say something he would really regret. The alarm bells still sounded in the back of his mind but fainter now, and he swallowed thickly. Gods, he just wanted something to eat.

The till shut with a chirpy little bell and Luke could feel time ticking down on this little exchange. Soon, cashier-man is going to notice that he is not where he is supposed to be and come in a touch unhappy over his unnecessary excursion. Thalia could bend light enough to cover the missing pile of notes but Luke's stopped at soft willing forgetfulness. It's why they made such a great pair once upon a time and that thought ends with a twist of his mouth.

( He could slow him down, find the scrapped seconds he would have wasted on this shift ? Another tie binding them but his stomach rolled, relying on another's power never came easy. )

" Listen kid, Stanley out there is going be coming back confused with a plunger in five so we don't have time for a life story but I have an offer. " For years he heard the "Demigod Talk" given to confused tweens but that was usually with more tact than cheap junk food and dirty tile.

But if that kid was on the run he could imagine he had at least seen somethings. "Not a runaway I can get but if you're running from...camp, I am too. I know a place you can go, rest up, and actually eat something bigger than a bag of chips. If not— " He landed cleanly on the other side of the counter. " Then this is goodbye and good luck out there. "

[outbursthubnj]

Keep Your Home Flowing Smoothly: Expert Sink Repair Services in Manasquan, NJ

Does that persistent drip in your kitchen sink drive you up the wall? Or maybe your bathroom sink takes ages to drain, and you're left wondering if there's a bigger issue lurking behind the scenes. Whatever the case, sink issues can quickly escalate if left unattended, leading to water damage, skyrocketing water bills, and even a decline in your home's value.

For homeowners in Manasquan, NJ, staying on top of sink repairs is crucial—not just for peace of mind but for maintaining a healthy, functional home. Beyond identifying common sink problems, this guide offers valuable insights into why timely repairs are essential and how sink Repair Service manasquan can help.

Plus, you'll learn how to spot signs your sink needs attention and why regular maintenance is your best bet for long-term home care.

Common Sink Issues in Manasquan, NJ

Manasquan homeowners face unique plumbing challenges due to factors like weather, water quality, and aging infrastructure. Here are some of the most common sink issues you might encounter:

1. Leaks: The dreaded under-sink leak is as sneaky as it is destructive. It often starts small but can quickly lead to water pooling under your cabinets and damaging nearby furniture. If your water bill suddenly spikes, chances are, there's a hidden leak somewhere in your plumbing.

2. Persistent Clogs: Ever notice your sink draining slower than usual? Over time, grease, soap residue, and debris can build up in your pipes, causing stubborn clogs. Ignoring the issue can eventually block your entire drain, leading to an inconvenient—and expensive—repair.

3. Low Water Pressure: Living in Manasquan, you might occasionally experience annoyingly low water pressure, especially in older homes. This issue is often caused by blockages in the faucet aerator area, corroded pipes, or hard water deposits restricting water flow.

4. Rust and Corrosion: With Manasquan’s hard water conditions, rust and corrosion around your pipes and faucets are common issues. Besides being unsightly, these signs could indicate that your pipes are degrading and need professional attention.

5. Weather Effects: Manasquan's fluctuating weather, from humid summers to freezing winters, can create stress on plumbing systems. Constant temperature changes may lead to cracked pipes or loose connections, particularly in older homes.

Why Prompt Sink Repairs Are Essential

A small plumbing issue might not seem like a big deal at first, but postponing repairs can lead to severe consequences. Here’s why fixing sink problems right away is a smart move:

Leaks left unchecked can ruin cabinetry, flooring, and walls. Over time, water damage can lead to costly repairs, mold buildup, or even structural issues.

Addressing minor issues before they worsen keeps repair costs low. Maintaining regular plumbing health also helps reduce water bills and energy consumption.

A well-maintained home is more appealing to prospective buyers. Non-functional sinks or visible water damage can hurt your house’s value should you decide to sell. Standing water and leaks can create a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, posing health risks for your family.

The good news? Expert plumbers in Manasquan NJ, specialize in addressing these issues quickly and effectively, giving you fewer headaches and more confidence in your home’s plumbing.

Professional Sink Repair Services in Manasquan

Don’t DIY your way into further damage. Professional plumbers offer best sink repair services tailored to homeowners in Manasquan. Here’s what they can do for you:

Leak Fixes: Whether it's a drip in your faucet or a leak beneath your kitchen sink, experts have the tools and expertise to identify and resolve the issue.

Clog Removal: Say goodbye to persistent blockages. Professionals use advanced tools to eliminate clogs without damaging your pipes.

Hardware Replacement: Faucet not turning off properly? Rusty and corroded? Plumbers can replace faulty hardware to ensure your sink runs like new.

Water Pressure Solutions: Restore your faucet’s flow by tackling blockages, cleaning aerators, or replacing old pipes.

Preventative Maintenance: Many plumbing services offer routine inspections to identify potential weak spots in your system, saving you from future emergencies.

Local plumbers in Manasquan understand the unique plumbing challenges of the area and work to ensure long-term solutions. With flexible schedules and responsive service, repairs have never been more convenient.

When Does Your Sink Need Repairs? A Handy Guide

Not sure if your sink needs attention? Here are some key warning signs:

Strange Noises: If you hear gurgling, popping, or other unusual sounds from your pipes, it could be a sign of blockages or air buildup.

Notable Leaks: Water pooling under the sink or noticeable drips are clear indicators of problems that need fixing.

Slow Drainage: If water takes forever to drain, there’s likely a clog blocking your pipes.

Rust or Corrosion: Visible rust around faucets or pipes is a red flag that your plumbing might degrade further.

Water Pressure Trouble: If your faucet’s water flow is weak, it’s time for professional intervention.

Take the First Step in Sink Repair Today!

Your home deserves professional sink repair services that bring lasting solutions and peace of mind. Don’t wait until a minor drip becomes a major disaster. Contact trusted plumbers in Manasquan NJ, today for prompt repairs and regular maintenance.

Need help? Schedule your sink repair or inspection now and experience hassle-free plumbing solutions tailored to local homeowners. Better plumbing starts here—book your appointment online now!

[briamichellewrites]

33

Matt Damon was enjoying his dinner when he caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman being seated with three guys. She had long brown hair and a tall, thin body. He guessed she was in her early twenties. The guys she was with looked slightly older. Maybe they were on a double date or were just friends hanging out. He heard one of them mentioning not having been there before. She had always wanted to go, but for some reason forgot it existed.

She usually went to Nobu or the Chateau Marmont. Mike had dinner with her at Nobu. It was fifty dollars for a steak but it was the best steak he ever had! Rob jokingly asked him what the poor cow had to do to deserve to be eaten by him. They laughed. Wasn’t Phoenix there, too?

“Oh, yeah. He was”, he said.

“I’ll have to take you, him, and Jason out for dinner sometime.”

“Bria, you will never leave us hungry”, Brad joked.

“I love spoiling you guys. You guys are awesome and deserve it one hundred percent because you never ask me for anything.”

Thank you. They appreciated that. Rob jokingly asked for five million dollars. Fuck you. They laughed. No, he didn’t want that from her. He was content making his own money. What was she going to do now that she was home? She was going to research getting a horse. It was different from getting a kitten or a puppy because they had different needs. She didn’t want to do anything impulsively.

She knew they ate hay and they needed exercise. Mike agreed it was different. They were also more expensive because they were bigger animals than cats and dogs. He would help her research what she needed. She thought that would be an awesome idea. He pointed out she already had a barn with stalls. She could take care of a horse because of how well she took care of Woody, Missy, and Buddy. He just wanted her to be fully prepared. They agreed.

Since she had so much energy, she thought about using her pool. Mike would sit on the edge because he didn’t bring his swim trunks. Was she going to stay awake for another three to four days? She hoped not! They laughed. What happened? She just had too much energy? Yeah, her mind was so exhausted that it couldn’t calm itself down. It was like an overly tired toddler.

When she got up to use the bathroom, Matt finally made herself known. They all introduced themselves. Was their friend single? Yes, she was. He apologized but he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. They agreed she was gorgeous! She was more beautiful inside. He handed Brad a piece of paper and asked him to give it to her. I will do that. With that, he got up having paid his bill and leaving a tip.

Oh my god! He and Rob looked at the piece of paper. What was it? It had his name and phone number. He held it up for Mike to see. Oh my god! Bria was so beautiful, she could turn heads by walking into a room. It wasn’t just them who noticed it. But she was even more beautiful inside.

She was funny, independent, not afraid to keep them in line, and strong. But she also had a vulnerable side. Underneath her personality was a girl fighting against mental illness. Her mind played tricks on her and it wasn’t always kind. They saw what she couldn’t. When she got back to the table, Brad handed her the piece of paper. What is this? After sitting down, she looked at it before holding it up. Dude! They laughed. Oh my god! She got out her phone and texted him to see if it was legitimate.

Hey, it’s Bria. The girl at Koi with the three guys. Just making sure this is Matt. – Bria

They finished eating and paid what they could afford. She got the rest with her card. They all thanked her. They were very welcome. She left a great tip for the staff. It was something her parents taught her. Even if the food and/or service wasn’t the greatest, she should still leave a good tip. They told her that the staff depended heavily on tips to pay their bills.

It was also a great way of saying thank you and appreciation. Every time they went out to eat with her, they modeled what they expected from her. When they got back to her place, they said goodbye to Brad and Rob before going inside. It had been another fun afternoon and evening. She still had a lot of energy, so she was going to use the pool. It had been about a half hour since she finished eating and her stomach had settled. He went in after taking off his socks and shoes.

He sat on the edge with his pants legs rolled up. The water felt wonderful! Next time, he was going to bring his swim trunks so he could swim around with her. Maybe he would just put them into a bag in his car or keep them at her place. It would be easier that way. She came down with Buddy and Missy behind her. They whined because they wanted to use the pool. She asked Mike what he thought.

He thought it would be okay since they would be watching them. Yay! They ran inside. Thank you, humans! They laughed at their excitement. She took off Missy’s dress because she didn’t want it to get wet before getting in. Mike took it from her. He would keep it dry. The dogs got in after her and paddled around. They were as happy as dogs could be. Mike understood why she would be hesitant about letting them in. What if they drowned? She would hate herself.

It was why she had the door installed. They would have to be rinsed off to get the saltwater out. That was why she had the dog washing station installed in the laundry room. The house was designed and built with her animals in mind.

Haha yes, it is. It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself before. – Matt

Rob and Brad were stuffed when they got home. They both had leftovers, which went into the refrigerator. Rob kissed his cheek, making him laugh. Neither of them liked PDA so they always waited until they got home to be affectionate with each other. They were going home to Agoura Hills to have dinner with their families at Brad’s parents’ house.

It was only a forty-minute drive but they had been busy promoting their album. It would be them, their parents and brothers. Rob had a younger brother named, Dave while Brad had two younger brothers, Greg and Jeff. Their families loved each other and they wanted them to get married. They were talking about getting engaged. The only issue they were having was the question of children. Brad wanted children but Rob was unsure.

They didn’t want to break up, so they were working together on how to compromise. Brad was not going to push him into doing anything he didn’t want to. He knew and respected that. Even if they did break up, they were mature enough to not have it affect their friendship or the band.

Did she want to hook up? Yes. She sent Matt her address before getting ready. Mike had just left, so she hopped into the shower to rinse the saltwater off. She was getting dressed as the intercom buzzed. It was him. She told him she would be down in a minute. When she opened the door, she looked at the man standing in front of her. He was gorgeous! They introduced themselves before she invited him in. They then went upstairs to her room.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon

[diedindulvey]

A few headcanons so I don't forget them later there may be changes later

Ethan is from the Midwest, but his family moved to CA when he was about 14, after the bombing of Raccoon City- mostly because of the bombing. His parents were worried about the residual effects of the bombing- air quality, was their home at risk of becoming the next Raccoon (his father, a low level Umbrella employee until he quit just after the bombing, was particularly concerned), would they be overrun by any surviving refugees from Raccoon and would this increase crime in the area? They did not tell these worries to Ethan, feeling he was too young to understand, and instead stated "the schools are better out West".

Finding work was difficult for his father after the move; especially with the stigma against Umbrella employees as the news on their involvement with Raccoon broke. He worked odd jobs to supplement Ethan's mother's income. Misjudging the difference in the cost of living between their old home and their new, they had enough for housing, bills, and little else. Ethan got used to skipping school meals to stretch the money his parents had to put in for it, and getting clothes too big so he could grow into them, allowing them to last longer. Despite this, his mother always took the family out to eat for Ethan's birthday, and made sure they were able to get him gifts for Christmas, even when he tried to tell her he didn't want anything and to save the money.

Despite not being involved in anything more than tech support in the company, Ethan's father felt guilt for working for Umbrella. Every time there was something new and awful in the media about the constant he wondered how many people had he helped went on to develop things which killed Innocent people? How much of his paychecks had been funded by blood money? His guilt festered into depression, which he coped with by drinking and lashing out.

Ethan did not fit in with his new school across the country. The city was much bigger than his town back home and the people were different. He was often treated like a country bumpkin despite only really visiting the "country" a few times as a kid- his grandparents had a small farm before they passed; it was left to an uncle or maybe a cousin owns it now, he isn't sure. There were also rumors that he had been from Raccoon and was l that his dad was an on the run scientist and a murderer. The more he protested these lies the more his classmates doubled down on them. This lasted until he left for college a county over.

Ethan was shy and a little awkward. This hardly changed as he grew older. He began to react to the rumors or bullying at school by lashing out. Despite not looking like much, Ethan could throw a punch; more than that, he could take a hit and push on despite the pain no matter how many fights he got into, or with how many people. He was moved around to several schools by the time he graduated from an alternative school.

Ethan and his father hardly saw eye to eye on anything. Sometimes Ethan disagreed just to distance himself from the man. He had what felt like a million reasons to be mad at his father, but couldn't explain any of them to anyone else. The arguing only sometimes boiled over to physical blows. Every time this happened, his mother got between them. She often had to keep the peace between the pair. Neither Ethan nor his father ever hit his mother.

Ethan moved away for college. He earned a grant and took out loans. Despite his usually rocky relationship with his father, Ethan followed in the man's footsteps to take courses with computers. He graduated with a bachelor's and became a software engineer. He began a master's degree, but never finished it.

During college he met Mia. Theirs was an instant connection. Despite his father warning that they were moving too fast, the pair got engaged on their first anniversary as a couple and were married before their second.

Ethan never quite believed that Mia's family liked him. They were always nice to him, always seemed happy to see him; but he always felt they looked down on him. Like maybe they thought he wasn't good enough for their daughter. His family was but as well off as hers. His education was not as good as hers. His job didn't pay as much as hers.

Despite this, they moved to Texas once Mia finished her master's program to be closer to her family. Ethan was happy to pack up and move with her, with promises to his family that they would still visit every year. Even if he had to go alone, Ethan always kept this promise until his parents passed.

TBC

[kapowsandinterrobangs]

It's December again,

which meant that Jeap's in town for Christmas and New Year's.

We met today for a damn good nasi padang meal at Hjh Maimunah and to catch up as usual. Jeap was only craving begedil and lemak siput sedut (water snails cooked in coconut gravy), and I wasn't in the mood for beef rendang, so today's choice of dishes were evidently a lot more modest than usual.

We also drank teh while spilling teh about work, life, love, privacy and data protection (Did you know that apps requiring facial verification are likely to have started recording your phone screen even before you took the verification selfie? Or that in order to train their algorithms and models, private companies can obtain data about real people from governments and it's all perfectly legal? Well, now you know).

One of the things we talked about were how our relationships with our parents have evolved over the years as we grow older, and part of this relationship is the unspoken understanding that for kids like us, we are our parents' retirement plans. And it starts off with the household financials gradually becoming ours to shoulder as well.

As an example, I've sort of reluctantly taken the financial responsibility of paying for my sister's math tuition classes to the tune of $360 a month. My recent raise was about that much and a little bit more? So you can guess where my raise is going every month.

And it's something that I'm still wrestling with. On one hand, that's actually a lot of money committed that could have gone to my savings or something else (a Polène maybe?).

But on the other hand, this is me paying it forward. My parents did let me graduate debt-free and paid for all my sec sch, jc, and university tuition fees. Ibu baked over the weekends so they could afford extra money to send me to uni. Ayah worked day and night, every single day, driving on the roads of Singapore. All the sacrifices made on so many fronts just to make sure their firstborn had everything she needed to start her life in the real world. So this is the least that I should do to give back right?

I think the work that I need to do is to do it with sincerity, and to change the way that I think about this. It takes a village to raise a child, and of course that village includes me.

And one more thing that Jeap and I talked about is that because they spent their lives, energy, and money in bringing us up to the point that we were able to start our lives debt-free, they really don't have much left for themselves in old age. And who else can they depend on in old age if not us, the children that they've worked so hard to raise? This is just a small example of the growing expectation for me to pay for a specific thing in the household. Sure, I've been giving my parents a filial piety contribution every month which is most likely used to pay bills. But with this, I think it marks the start of bigger, heavier responsibilities ahead.

Anyway, adulthood am I right?