#and yes i did change Gabe again. it will not be the last time

[jesuisfinni]

MORE ORIGINAL ART!

Been working on this on and off for a while, got to a point where I felt like I was adding to it but not really improving it so I'm just leaving it here.

Thought about adding a background but I couldn't get anything to work, the price for doing the characters first. 🥲

In case anyone's curious about who these people are I thought I'd add names and pronouns further down;

Main character - Mo'na (she/he/they)

Mo'na's right shoulder - Casey (he/him)(though responds to any and crossdresses)

Mo'na's left shoulder - Gabriel (he/him)

Mo'na's lower arms - Ophelia (she/her)

At least half of them aren't in their usual attire cuz I'm indecisive and like making up outfits. 🙃

[ghostfacd]

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM! | JACK HUGHES

au masterlist

author’s note: this was in my drafts for the longest time but it’s finally out the dungeon! give a warm welcome to the newest member of the hughes, kayleigh ‘ky’ hughes 🫶 i might have to change my tag for ollie & daisy’s world to rory n jack instead!

ylerory third times a charm! 🎀 (p.s, third pic is when i told jack we were having another one!)

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jackhughes me and ollie are outnumbered!

elblue0 did jim and i just let out a scream? yes we did!!!!! call us as soon as you can

lhughes_06 i get godfather this time right?

ylerory you know it moosey!

trevorzegras the Hughes girlies are takin over

jackhughes they really are

trevorzegras wait so that means you two..

ylerory ZEGRAS STOP IT

quinnhughes already love her

user1 JACK’S FACE 😭😭

user2 yn and jack really continuing the hughes line

ylerory we told dais and ollie that they’re having a baby sister! daisy obviously doesn’t know what’s going on but ollie was the most excited boy ever, i already can tell he’s gonna be such a good brother to kayleigh 🫶 as for jack, he’s currently soaking up all the time he can with ollie and daisy (as you can see him in daisy’s crib! get outtt!) before the baby comes and we become too busy!

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quinnhughes tell that musty man to leave dais’s crib

jackhughes that ‘muStY MaN’ is daisy’s father!

trevorzegras kayleigh? we get a baby name reveal?

ylerory 🥸🥸

user1 their kids are so cute, i can already tell the third one is gonna get all the beauty genes

user2 oh to be yn lerory hughes and have 3 kids with the most finest man ever.

user3 daisy is so cute!! cant wait to see her be a big sister

elblue0 oh ollie has grown so much 🥹 his blue eyes

livvyhughes soaking up all the time i have left with my sissy in law before the new baby comes! i was her first child actually so :’)

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ylerory aw olivia, i love you so much. yes you and gabe were my first children, and you guys STILL ARE!!

gabeperreault 🫡🫡 you know it!

jackhughes ehhh whatever

ylerory one day you will have children livvy and our kids can become best friends!

lhughes_06 woah woah woah not anytime soon

user1 luke’s reply 😭😭

user2 jack’s sister and yn’s relationship is so cute, i love them

user3 livvy and rory is the ultimate duo, forget jack

user4 so real

elblue0 my daughters 💓

jackhughes dear yn “rory” lerory hughes, i’ve said this before and i’ll say it a million times again if I have to: thank you for bringing me happiness and for giving me the most precious gifts; ollie, daisy, and now our beloved kayleigh. i couldn’t ask for a better wife and best friend. i will love you in this life and in all the other lives we’ll have (yes, the last photo is of me telling my family members that we’re having another addition to the fam! 🏅)

tagged ylerory

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ylerory way to make a pregnant woman cry Hughes!

lhughes_06 nothing but love for u and rory

quinnhughes the sister and best friend we never knew we needed

ylerory quinnier 🥲🥲🥲

livvyhughes okay sap this was cute but i want more rory content!

user1 REALL miss olivia always speaking facts

ylerory haha just message me and ill send all my recent photos!!

[dancingtotuyo]

7. when she lets me call her mine

Woman | Joel Miller x Female Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: a year passes through Jackson

Tags: Joel Miller X Female Reader. Age Gap (13/14 years). HBO Characters. Mostly cannon compliant for show & game. Timeline is changed.

Chapter Warnings: angst, blood, grief (loss of a sibling, loss of a child), trauma, anxiety

Notes: Once again, thank you to @janaispunk and @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin for beta reading this! I appreciate all your comments and feedback, and I love you both so much!

Words: 8311

Series Masterlist | Author Masterlist | Playlist

Joel coaxes you awake the next morning. Your room is bright with sunshine. He’s dressed in his clothes from last night, smelling like your soap. Your body protests, wanting nothing more than to fall back asleep until the end of time. You groan burrowing into your pillow, making him chuckle. Then, the events of last night come flooding back. Adrenaline shoots through your body as you shoot up. Your head spins a little. “Maria?”

“She’s awake. Doc Pooley stopped by this morning, said she looks good so far.” Joel wraps an arm around you, tugging you closer. “Just wanted you to know.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, Sweetheart.”

You pick at the buttons on his shirt as you remember it all. “For last night. Everything.”

Your temple rests against his forehead. His steady breathing calms you until the two of you are in unison. Joel kisses your head. His fingertips brush across your thigh.

“I want to go over there.”

“Tommy said we’re welcome anytime. I think he feels better having you there.”

“Do I look as atrocious as I feel?” You turn to him. 

Joel chuckles, shaking his head. “Got some big bags under your eyes, and some gnarly morning breath.”

“Gnarly? Really?”

“Only the best of words for you.” Joel winks. “I’ll get you some breakfast while you get ready.”

“Thank you.”

Maria is sitting up when you get there. Her eyes are bloodshot, her shoulders sag with exhaustion, but she’s alive, and she looks a hell of a lot better than she did the night before. The baby lays contently on her chest. She smiles at you over his head. “If it isn’t my guardian angel.”

Your chest quivers with relief as you ease beside her, perching on the edge of the mattress. Out of the corner of your eye, Joel gives Tommy a delayed but obligatory congratulatory handshake. 

“I’m just happy to see you awake.”

“You look like shit.” Maria teases.

“Oh, I look like shit?” You raise an eyebrow. “Look in a mirror.”

Maria laughs softly, successfully hiding the cringe of pain behind it. “I’m never leaving this bed.”

“Bullshit.” Tommy crosses his arms. “She was tryin’ to get out of bed this mornin.”

You smile, eyes roaming over Maria, searching for any signs of something wrong. You can’t find any, but it hardly eases your anxiety. 

Maria squeezes your hand. “If something felt wrong, I would tell you.”

“Promise?”

She nods, a smile spreading across her face as her eyes flicker to her sleeping newborn. “I have someone dependent on me now.”

“He’s not the only one dependent on you,” You say with a sigh. When you look down at Jackson’s newest addition, you can’t help but smile either. “Though he may be the cutest.”

“He is, isn’t he?” Maria runs a hand over his tuft of dark curls. “You wanna hold him?”

You nod, carefully taking the infant into your arms. Other than the brief moment when you’re delivering a baby, you haven’t held one this small since Carter was born. “Does he have a name yet?”

“Yes,” Maria smiles at Tommy. He places a hand on her shoulder. Your heart swells every time you see them like this. As much as Maria championed your relationship with Gabe, you did for her with Tommy. “Meet Elias Joel Miller.”

“What?” It seems to tumble out of Joel’s mouth automatically. “Now why would you do a thing like that?”

“Maria wouldn’t be here without you,” Tommy says. You swear you see the sparkle of tears in his eyes. 

Joel clears his throat, eyes moving between his nephew and brother. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”

“I think they’re capable of deciding what to name their child, Joel.” You grin, pressing a kiss to Elias’s head. “Now come hold your nephew.”

Maria’s recovery isn’t easy. It takes a lot of time, more than either of you anticipate. You spend days at her house and nights on the couch, caring for her when Tommy is on patrol. Eventually, slowly, she returns to full strength. She cares for her son and husband and all of Jackson with the same grace, strength, and capabilities as before. When she does, she kicks you out of her home with a grin. 

It’s gradual at first, the way you pull away. Joel chalks it up to Maria’s close call, the amount of time you spend caring for her and Elias. 

As the air begins to cool, you ask to walk alone. Joel picks it up the moment he meets you on the porch that night. He sees the distance in your eyes. Kissing your forehead, he crosses the street to his home without so much as a word. You’re relieved despite the dull ache in your chest. 

You toss and turn that night. Your thoughts race with anxiety. The fall air seems especially chilly without Joel there to keep you warm. 

Joel joins you the next night, but you’re quiet, too quiet. He tries, bless his heart, to keep it light and cheerful doing his best to pull you from the sea of thoughts. Despite his best efforts, you only give him brief sounds and one-word answers. When he wraps his arms around you that night, you don’t lean in. 

None of it surprises him. He expects it. He would’ve done the same thing this time last year. What he doesn’t expect is the gaping ache in his chest as he watches it happen a little more each day like the autumn leaves falling from trees. The tighter he holds on, the more you slip through his fingers. So he takes the opposite approach. He keeps his distance. He stops meeting you in the middle of the road. He only comes over when you ask. 

You expect the space to grant you relief, but it only gets harder to breathe. You toss and turn at night. The bed is empty. You’ve grown accustomed to having Joel next to you. There’s no clarity to your thoughts, no sense to your actions. The push and pull is tiring: missing Joel but not letting him too close. 

You step onto your porch on a Friday in mid-October. You’ve walked alone, slept alone for almost a week. The only time you’ve seen Joel are the afternoons Carter asks to spend with him. 

Joel sits on his porch, leaning back in a rocking chair. His guitar is propped on his knee. It stops you in your tracks, stealing your breath. He’s had the unstrung guitar in his home since June, but now, even from across the street, you clearly see several silver strings running across the frets. A couple of bright notes bridge the gap between you.

Instead of stepping into the street and setting along your beaten trail, your bottom hits the wooden step. You stare across the street, transported to 20 years ago when you and Joel lived across from one another the first time. Even at the end of the world, some things never change. You remember him sitting on his porch in the Austin suburb, the same angle to his recline, fingers playing over the strings. You used to open your bedroom window at night, straining to hear the faint rifts he played. Sometimes, his voice drifted through your curtain as you pined for a man who very rightfully, never looked your way. Those were your favorite nights. 

Tonight, you don’t watch in secret. You don’t have to strain to hear the melody coming off the strings. You spent too much time wanting Joel, and he’s yours to have if you can only shake the fear away. It seems silly that the world ended and you somehow ended up with the only thing you wanted before it did. Now, you’re in self-destruct mode. You don’t know how to stop it. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you continue to watch Joel and his guitar without embarrassment. 

Joel clocks you the moment you step out. He watches you from his periphery at first, surprised when you take a seat on the steps instead of going for your walk. He plucks at the strings refamiliarizing himself with the instruments after decades of separation. He’s only been able to find 4 good strings, but it is enough for now. The taught strings feel like therapy beneath his fingers connecting him with something unseen. 

Joel continues to pick out the melody, becoming more confident with each play-through. He misses a few notes due to his missing strings, but something about it tugs at the strings of familiarity. 

Finally, you stand, crossing the street. Joel doesn’t look up when you make it to his porch. Resting against the railing, he plucks away as the melody finally hits you. You’re embarrassed at how long it takes you to recognize it. Landslide. Memories flood your mind. You ran that cassette until it busted. When the Dixie Chicks put out their cover in ‘02, you and Sarah played it on repeat. 

You focus on Joel’s fingers, the words forming in your head as he closes out the song. He leaves the guitar on his lap. Your arms fold over your chest, and his warm brown eyes reach yours. 

The breeze catches your hair. You bite your lip, yet Joe doesn’t say a word. “I love that song.”

“I know.” 

You raise an eyebrow. He chuckles. “You played that song on repeat for a week, Sweetheart. Sarah forced me to learn it.”

“Like you didn’t already know it, old timer.”

Joel pushes back a laugh, propping the guitar against the house. You catch the tension in his shoulders. Guilt shoots through you. You want to crack open his thoughts and curl into his brain. Is he upset? Hurt? Does he think you’ve come to call this thing off? This thing you’ve never labeled. Does he want to call it off after your actions?

“I’m sorry.”

Joel quirks a brow. 

“For pulling away.” You add. 

Joel lets out a deep sigh as he stands. Worry floods your body. You have succeeded. You pushed him away, and this is where things end. He steps forward. His body heat cuts through the fall chill. His fingers brush across your cheek and over your ear. Your head tilts into his palm. 

“Joel-” You whisper.

“I’ve missed you.”

His words cut all the anxiety from you with a surgeon's precision. “I missed you too.”

He kisses you, tentative and understanding. It doesn’t silence your fears but gives you the budding courage to face them. Joel’s fingers curl around your face. His flannel is soft in your clenched fists. As you tug him closer, a grin spreads across your face.

Joel trails his hands down your back and over your ass. He wants to tell you so much more. He wants to tell you that he’s more than missed you. His arms have ached without you. He wants to tell you you feel like coming home, that if he never spends another night without you, it won’t be enough. He wants to scream from the rooftops that he’s yours and he wants you to be his, but he knows that all of that will send you running. He still sees the fear in your eyes. 

Instead, he presses you against him, opening your mouth with his tongue. For the sake of not giving the whole town a show, he pulls you inside, dragging you to his bedroom.

The cold winds blow in and snowflakes drift about the sky as you follow Carter from house to house on Halloween night. He’s happily escorted by Ellie and Dina, relishing in their attention. The bright orange of Reese’s wrappers and red of Kitkats might be gone, but the town of Jackson knows how to improvise. Homemade sweets fill baskets and pillowcases. Joel walks alongside you, hand in yours. He wears an easy smile, one that keeps you warm as the sun sets behind the mountains. 

“Remember the year Sarah convinced you to come trick or treating with us?” A faint grin spreads across Joel’s face. 

“I remember all my Mr. Goodbars missing when I got home.”

Joel laughs. “Sarah always liked those.”

“Pretty sure it wasn’t Sarah I left unattended with my pillowcase.” You roll your eyes. “And she was more of a Reese’s girl.”

“Pretty sure 18-year-olds weren’t supposed to go trick or treating.” 

“Touché,” You smile. 

Joel presses a kiss to the back of your hand before furrowing his brow. “Your hands are freezing, Sweetheart.”

“It’s snowing outside, of course, they are.”

“Wanna go back to my house? I can start a fire.” Joel grins. Since the weather had turned, you spent more time at his house due to the beautiful fireplace in his living room and your home’s lack of. Evenings spent in front of his fireplace are some of your favorites.  

“We’ve only made it through half the houses.”

“I think Ellie and Dina are fine with Carter. He doesn’t even know we’re here.” Joel points. It’s true. He adores the ground those two walk on. 

You bite your lip, torn between seeing the rest of the evening out and the promise of Joel’s fireplace. Carter’s nose is tinged with red from the chill, but his grin is unbeatable. Joel’s breath is warm on your ear. “Made up your mind.”

“Promise it doesn’t make me a bad mom?”

“I promise.” Joel laughs. 

You double-check with the girls, making sure they know they can bring him back to the house at any time. They assure you it’s fine and then Joel drags you off. 

He has the fire burning in no time, casting an orange glow across the room. He sits down next to you, an overly full glass of whisky to share. Your legs rest over his thighs as he runs his fingers over your shoulder. “Warmer?”

You sip on the glass, handing it to him. “In more ways than one.”

Pressing the glass to his lips, he chuckles. “Gone are the days of subtlety I suppose.”

“I don’t need subtlety anymore.” Your head rests on his shoulder, tracing the seams of his jeans. 

He kisses your head. “Wanna raid Carter’s candy when he gets back?”

You grin. “Isn’t that the point of being a parent?”

Snow begins to pile up. The holiday season is upon Jackson. As you exit the clinic one day, it hits you, literally, in the back of the head. Cold and icy, some of it drips down your skin. You spin around, met with Ellie’s apologetic grin. 

“Oops.”

You furrow your brow, a teasing glimmer in your eye. “Gotta work on your aim there, Ellie.” Your bag drops to the ground, hands meeting the cold snow. 

“I didn’t throw it.” Her grin grows as she slowly backs away.

“Oh?” You take care to form the snowball, calling on your years of travel softball. “You need to get better at lying.”

“Duck!” someone yells. You manage to and the snowball hits Ellie square in the face. A laugh grows in your chest as Jesse appears around the corner, a handful of snow ready to stuff down the back of Ellie’s shirt. 

“Ellie, move!” instead of sending it her way, you barely graze Jesse’s head. 

Before you know it, you’re pulled into their war. Your hands go numb. Snow finds itself in places it should never be, melting from your body heat. Most importantly, you’re having fun in ways you haven’t for a long long time. 

Two strong arms wrap around you. They’re Joel’s. You would know them anywhere. His laugh echoes in your ear. Then, he’s pulling you down into a snow drift. Your coat rides up, cold snow pressing into your back. You squeal, trying to wiggle free, but he keeps you pinned. 

“You jackass!” You thrash under him. 

He laughs. “You should learn to pick on people your own age.”

“They started it!”

Snow smashes on the back of Joel’s neck. He yells, spinning around.  You’re forgotten as Ellie laughs, running away. “You little twirp!” Joel yells and then a snowball collides with his face. 

“See what I mean?” You stumble onto your feet, the ghost of the cold still pressed against your skin. “They’re asking for it.”

“You flank the left. I’ll take the right.” Joel nods.

The two of you are hopelessly outmanned by the 3 teenagers as snow pelts your face in such quick succession that you can hardly think straight. Within seconds, Joel calls out “Retreat!” 

His calloused hand grabs yours, dragging you toward his house like you’re teenagers running from the cops. Laughter spills from both of you the entire way there. Your hands shoot to your knees as you struggle to catch your breath. Joel assumes a similar position. 

“Gettin too damn old for that shit,” Joel says, laughter still in his tone. 

“But it sure was fun.” You wink. 

Joel eases up, his knees and back letting off a string of cracks and pops. You glance over at him, laughter playing in your eyes. He shoots you a look that tells you not to say a word, making you bite your lip. “I’m gonna get a fire going.”

You nod, kissing his cheek. “I’m gonna hop through the shower.” 

Joel catches your waist before you dash up the steps, pulling you snug against him. “Give me a real kiss, Woman.”

You crinkle your eyebrows at the name, but Joel lays a breath-stealing kiss on you before you have time to make a comment. Warmth spreads through your body. He pulls away with a grin. Your eyes flutter open, connecting with his eyes and then glancing down to his lips again. ”Sure you won’t join me?”

He groans. “If I do that, we’re not getting out of bed tonight.”

”I don’t see any issues with that.”

He squeezes your ass, giving you another kiss. “Go get showered. I’ll be waiting for you,” he says, practically pushing you towards the steps. You laugh. “And don’t go stealing all my hot water!”

You answer with a laugh.

Carter is in the living room when you come down. Your body hums with warmth from your shower. He sits on Joel’s lap, animatedly recounting something. Even from behind, you can see Joel’s face moving with exaggerated motions. Carter’s vocabulary is getting better with each day to the point where you can put together most of his stories now. 

You fall onto the couch, thighs pressed against Joel’s. “Mommy!” Carter launches himself toward you. You barely manage to avoid getting your two front teeth knocked in, kissing his chunky cheeks. 

“Carter!” You reply, squeezing him against you. 

Before long, Ellie comes stomping in, cheeks rosy from the cold. The four of you eat leftovers in front of the fire, spending time together until Ellie is pulled away by her friends and Carter passes out on the couch. You and Joel stay on the floor, his arm around your shoulders.

“I think I have a problem, Sweetheart.”

The words are like ice water in your veins causing your heart rate to spike and your anxiety with it. You’ve heard those exact words before. ”What’s wrong?”

“I’m getting too used to having you around.”

Your jaw sets, fist colliding with his shoulder. 

“Ow! What was that for?”

”Scaring the bejesus out of me.”

He kisses your head, hand roaming down your neck and shoulders. “Sorry. Guess I should work on my delivery.”

”Ya think?” You sigh, resting your head back on his shoulder. 

It falls silent. Blood rushes behind your ears. The adrenaline courses through your dysregulating body. It’s just words. Joel was just being silly, but your body won’t listen. It won’t settle. You’ve heard those words before. It turns your vision a red you can’t wipe away. Before you know it, your body is shaking. “Fuck.” You barely get it out before you lose control over your body.

Joel’s brow furrows as he cups your cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

Your head shakes as your fingers claw at his jeans, twisting in his shirt, desperate to find stability somewhere. Tears slip from your eyes, flowing over his hands. Fear rushes through Joel. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

You choke it out, barely over a whisper. “Carter.”

”He’s right there.” Joel brings you into his lap, turning you to look at your son’s sleeping frame. “He’s okay.”

You shake your head, sniffing. It hurts to talk like there’s a lump in your throat, your diaphragm constricting in painful ways. “No- my- my brother.”

Joel searches your wet eyes. You’re not here. You’re along the outskirts of Jackson in a place you’ve only alluded to. He knows Carter died. He knows that death left you on your own. He doesn’t have words. He’s not sure you would hear them anyway, so he crushes you against his chest, rocking you back and forth like a mother does to her hurt child until your body stops shaking. 

As the tension releases from your body, you weave your fingers through Joel’s. Eventually, you slide down, back against the hard floor, and head on Joel’s thighs. His thumb brushes over your wet cheek as you look at each other. The tears still pour from your eyes, but they don’t try to rip you apart anymore. 

The fire has died down, but it’s still warm against your side. The flames dance off Joel’s irises. When you can finally draw a breath without your rib cage rattling, you attempt to speak. “I’m sorry-“

”Don’t.” Joel is soft. “Don’t apologize for it.”

You nod. He keeps brushing his fingers across your face. “I'm ready to talk about it.”

He freezes for a second and then nods. 

“Carter was hurt when a group of raiders came through, but they didn’t kill him.”

Joel inhales sharply. You squeeze his hand. “He was hurt and there was nothing I could do.”

The image flashes before your eyes, your baby brother bleeding out slowly on the floor of a place with so many cherished memories. “He bled out so slowly.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“That’s not true.”

“Baby-”

“I could’ve-” You bite down on your lip, on the verge of breaking the delicate skin. “I should’ve helped him.”

“You just said you couldn’t do anything.”

“No- I mean…” Your chest shakes again. “He didn’t have to die like that. Slow and painful. He- Shit.” Your chest aches, tension tight across it.

Joel’s palm lands over your heart. It stays still for a minute and then moves in slow, pressurized motions. It doesn’t make it hurt less, but it eases the band constricting around your rib cage. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

You take one last deep breath and utter the words you’ve only said out loud once before. “He begged me to make it stop, the pain. I knew- I know how to make it quick. He spent hours in pain and I couldn’t bring myself to make it better.”

Hot tears roll down your cheeks again. Joel collects them on his thumbs. “Sweetheart.”

You ease into a sitting position, taking his hand and tracing the lines in his palm “What you said- about thinking you had a problem.” 

Joel traces along your hairline, following it behind your ear. “Yeah?” 

“He said that to me, right before I saw the blood.”

Joel leans forward, kissing your forehead. Another pocket of tension fizzles away. “I’m sorry.” Another kiss. “But thank you for tellin me.”

You nod, forehead pressed to his, fingers scraping softly at the back of his skull. He kisses your jaw. “Let’s go to bed.”

Joel stands, offering out his hand. You feel a little off-kilter on your feet, but he makes sure you’re steady before gently picking Carter off the couch, careful not to disturb him. Joel takes your hand, leading you upstairs. You tuck Carter into the bed of the spare bedroom. He’s familiar with it by now. 

Once you’re in Joel’s room, you shed your clothing, crawling under the cool sheets in just your underwear. Joel slides in behind you, strong arms keep you flush against him, his warm skin pressed against yours. 

“Joel…”

“Yeah?”

“When the weather gets nice, I want to go to my grandparent’s place. I want to visit him.”

Joel nods, lips warm against your shoulder. “Whatever you want, Sweetheart. I’ll take you.

The snow drifts melt away. The weather warms. Spring showers bring fresh green and pink buds, the grass growing more vibrant with each day. Birds chirp and the days grow longer. With it, your evening walks return, Joel ever-present beside you except when he’s on patrol. 

He spends free days outside of the wall. Your anxiety heightens when he goes out, but something else stirs too. You haven’t been out in years. You had been quickly nixed from the patrol lineup when your medical training had been dubbed too important. Since the walls were completed, you haven’t set foot outside of them. There’s a call, a tug, deep within you. For the first time, you want to leave the safety promised by the tall gates.

You walk the parapet sometimes. During the cold months, the breeze up there stings more, chapping your face. In the summer, it soothes you. 

Joel comes back one day with a small bouquet of barely blooming wildflowers. They’re tiny. They look even smaller in Joel’s large hands. He looks almost timid handing them to you. “Ain’t much. They’ll be a lot prettier ones come summertime.”

”These are beautiful.” You smile, taking the delicate buds in your hands. 

“It’s the thought that counts,” Joel says, eyes following as you find the best vessel to hold the tender gift.  

“That’s what they say.” 

Joel crosses his arms, hip resting against the counter. “I was thinkin’.”

”Uh-oh.” You shoot a teasing grin over your shoulder.

He lets out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. “How original of you.”

“I try.” You shrug, setting the flowers on the counter. You mimic his stance. “Now what were you thinkin?”

“That tomorrow would be a good day to go to your grandparents’ place.”

Everything in your body, your heart, your breathing, your brain, stops for a split second. You feel outside of your body as it happens. Joel steps forward, hand gripping your bicep. It snaps you back, eyes locking on his. 

“We don’t have to.”

”No.” Blood rushes behind your ears. “I want to. I’m ready.” 

“You went white as a ghost, sweetheart.”

You take a deep breath. “I want to, Joel.”

He searches your face, looking for any signs that you’re not. “You sure? I can’t have you floating away like that when we’re out there.”

”I’m sure. I told you I wanted to.”

”Wanting to and ready to are very different things.”

“I’m ready.”

Joel waits a second, weighing the options and your words. He takes a breath. “Okay, we’ll leave at first light tomorrow.”

”Thank you.”

 He kisses your forehead, arms wrapping around your shoulders. “I’ll turn us around if you do that, okay?”

Your fingers tangle in the fabric of his worn shirt. “Can’t tell Maria.”

”Gonna have to smuggle you out, huh?”

”Something like that.” You grin. 

Joel laughs, pressing a kiss to your lips. “Luckily, I have some experience with that.”

Joel has two horses saddled and waiting at the gate when you approach the next morning. Electricity buzzes in your bloodstream at the thought of stepping out beyond the gate for the first time in years. The air is crisp but promises spring warmth later in the day as birds start to chirp.

“You sure?” Joel asks, reigns in hand. 

“Yes,” you grin, taking them as you mount the horse. A rifle sits in the saddle holster. You shift in the saddle, taking a deep breath. 

Joel looks up at you, concern evident in his deep brown eyes. He’s worried, maybe even scared. A knife materializes. “Keep this on you. Somewhere accessible.”

You take it, hands warm against his. “I know.”

“This too.” He pulls out a pistol. 

You stare at the metal, flickering in the growing sunlight. You know your way around a gun. You’ve been comfortable handling them long before cordyceps. Growing up in Texas made sure of that, but you haven’t had to touch one in too long. 

“Darlin.”

You take it from him. “I’m good, Joel.”

“You can get us there?”

“Yup.”

He nods, ensuring you’re secured before mounting his horse. He looks at the gate attendant and they crack the door open just enough for the two of you to slip through. 

Wind and sunshine greet you and a huge smile crawls up your face. You kick the horse forward, Joel and his mount keeping pace next to you. The further from Jackson you get, the more you feel the weight start to lift from your shoulders despite the heaviness awaiting you. 

Joel sees it. The bits and pieces of your younger self come out in your smile and laughter. Your body seems looser, freer in the open. He makes a note to sneak you out more often. 

You take your time, an internal compass guiding you toward the place that kept you safe for so long. The sun warms your back until you slip into the woods. The soft babble of water pulls you deeper. Once you find the brook, you and Joel let the horses lap at the water. ”It’s not far up the mountain from here,” You say. “Probably 30, 40 minutes.”

Joel nods, handing you a canteen. “No rush. We have all day, Sweetheart.” 

You tilt your head to the side, accepting it. You hand him two apples. Once for himself. Another for the horse. You can’t help the smile that’s been on your lips all morning. You weren’t expecting to feel this way, but something in your body thrums with life regardless of the fact that you’re close to the place that holds so much of your grief.

”Thank you for doing this.”

Joel hooks a finger through your belt loops, tugging you nearer to him. “Any time. Especially if I get to see you like this.”

”Like what?”

Wracking his brain, he can’t seem to find the right words. His eyes search yours, sunlight filters through the trees, casting yellowish spots across your face. It feels warm and magical. He wants to stay here forever with you, basking in your smile. He wants to make the entire world a place that brings you such peace, blocking out all the bad things, the dark things. The thought of you feeling anything other than what you do right now makes him want to tear each infected limb from limb until the world rights itself. He can’t erase the marks it’s made, but he wants to help them fade because he-

His heart jumps, interrupting the thought before it materializes. His palms go sweaty. Could he think it? Could he say it for something that’s never been defined? Should he say it?

You catch it in his eyes. You don’t know how to explain it, but it’s there for you to read like a book. Anxiety balls up in your stomach. It doesn’t overpower the other feelings coursing through your bloodstream, but it gives you an answer. If he says it, you’ll bolt. You know it. 

You step backward, his finger dropping from your belt. “We should keep going.” You turn to the horse, checking that everything is still in place and secure.

Joel nods. He’s not sure what to say. “Sweetheart.”

You swallow, back turned to him. “I can’t give you anything else right now.”

”I know.”

You stay quiet for the rest of your trek following the brook toward the house. The familiar gate fades into view. It kept you protected from more than one group of infected and raiding parties for over 10 years. As you approach the gate, it hits you that you’ve spent just as much time away. 

Joel is on alert, keeping watch for any unwelcome parties while trying to stay in tune with you. You dismount before entering through the gate on foot. Joel follows suit. You hitch them to a post, pouring out grain for them to eat. 

“This is the Baldwin place?”

You nod. “My mom’s maiden name.”

“Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a while,” Joel says, easing a door open. 

“Patrols use it from time to time. I’m sure stragglers do too.” You follow him in. Joel is focused on making sure it’s clear. You’re not sure you can focus on anything. 

The wallpaper has faded in 10 years, a couple of windows are broken here and there, but otherwise, it looks just like you remember it. It’s a mix of comfort and dread. 

You let Joel clear the house room by room, leaving the great room for last. You don’t even have to tell him. It’s like he senses it, the way you look at that the door. 

Once the rest of the house is clear, you stand at the door. It’s just a room, one that used to bring you joy. It’s one, decade old blood stain. That’s all. 

“We don’t have to do this,” Joel says.

You meet his eyes and see nothing but understanding. You wonder if he would ever want to go back to where Sarah was killed, nature washing away her stain long ago. You wish that was the case for Carter, like Gabe’s blood stain in the snow, gone with the spring thaw. 

You swallow. “I want to.”

He nods and finally, you twist the door knob. Things are different from what you remember. Furniture has been moved from patrols stopping in. Your grandmother’s rocking chair is missing a leg, likely used for kindling in the big fireplace. It darkens the carpet, right before the hearth, brown and thick. Your attempts at washing it away had been useless. 

Your feet take you to it of their own volition. Knees hit the carpet. Your hand spreads over the large stain as tears gather in your arms. It comes out barely a whisper the first time, and then louder the next. “I’m sorry.” 

Then your chest begins to shake. It comes out over and over, sorrow and anger all spilling out after suppressing them for years. 

Joel’s hand rests against your back and you fall into him, letting it wash over you as years of built-up guilt finally release from your body until finally, you still. There’s no big moment of clarity or understanding, just the gentle ease of acceptance.

An hour later, puffy-eyed and tired, you pull a comforter out of the closet, the oversized one with faded pink rosebuds. To your amazement, it’s relatively untouched by moths. Dust flies free when you shake it out on the deck, sunlight sparkles off the little flecks floating around you almost like fireflies. Memories of stargazing and fireside nights flicker through your brain. Joel’s coughing ruins the slightly magical moment making you laugh. 

You settle on it, Joel unpacking lunch. The two of you stay quiet, basking in the sunlight as you eat. You save the strawberries for last, the latest crop just starting to produce in the greenhouse. They’re sweet on your tongue, pushing away the last of the salty tears. 

Joel shifts, his thigh pressing against yours. The deck looks over a valley, granting a serene look at the blooming trees and flowers, painting in broad strokes across nature. It's a welcome reprieve after winter, but it makes you realize how bearable this winter felt. It wasn’t a mild winter by any means but, you have him.

Your eyes drift to the man beside you. He’s at ease, leaning back, arms supporting himself. In the bright sunlight, his hair looks a little lighter and his eyes more like honey. You lean over, hand running over the scruff of his cheek, and capture his lips in a soft, languid kiss. A hand slides over your side, easing you closer. A bee buzzes a couple yards away. Birds chirp in the distance. Just through the thicket, a doe wanders through the forest. The kind of noise that feels silent, like time stands still for the two of you.

You feel it, the spark that’s been there for months. Up here, away from the rest of your small world, you can’t feel the trap tightening around you. You’re not sure it is a trap anymore. The flicker of it floats through your brain. The beginnings of those 3 little words. The anxiety flares. Somehow, you force it away with the words. The fuzzy feeling stays. You have Joel. That’s enough for now. 

You pull back, his breath fanning across your face. Joel drags his fingertips up and down your forearm. Once again, he feels the words wandering closer to his lips. Not yet. He can’t say them yet. 

“What do you want to do?” He asks, eyes fluttering over you. There’s no heat behind them, just the need to be assured that you’re okay, that you’re actually here. 

“One more stop before we go home.”

He nods, kissing your forehead. “Whatever you need, Sweetheart.”

You stop under the willow tree. The one your mom planted when she was a kid. The one you buried Carter under. Joel keeps his distance, holding the reigns of both horses. 

The dirt is hard, littered with tiny bits of rock and sticks that press into the knees of your jeans. You stare at the small boulder you shoved into place a decade ago. There’s no name, the paint washed away long ago. So many thoughts flood your brain. There’s so much to tell him, so much you wish he could see and know about you.

You tell him about his nephew. He never would have let you live it down knowing you named your son after him. You mention Jackson and the people, Maria mostly, a little about Tommy, and Gabe and Joel. You don’t tell Carter about your feelings with Joel, just that you’re happy and taken care of. Then, you sit in silence as if you expect a response. The silly thing is you do. You expect a sign or a nudge deep in your soul, but there’s nothing. You’re okay with that. 

“I’m okay. Surprisingly.” You smile weakly. Taking a deep breath, you rise to your feet. 

You stare at the boulder. Then up at the tree. Your parent’s initials are still barely legible in the bark. Your gaze flickers to the house behind you, your home for so long. It’s haunted now.

You feel it in your chest, solid and true. You’ve found all the closure you need. “ This is the last I’ll be here. I’m not coming back.”

Joel’s ears perk up. His head cocks to the side as you approach. He doesn’t ask and you don’t elaborate. Instead, you take the reins, mounting your horse. “Let’s go home.”

Summer brings all of its usual joys and festivities. The outdoor crops grow with the sun. The days are long and filled with hard work, tired bones, and sun-soaked lunch breaks. The flowers start to appear each time Joel leaves Jackson for patrol or pleasure. You watch the bouquets grow in size and variation. Your own measurement of the foliage growth beyond the wall.  

June bleeds into July. Maria brings out a cake to celebrate Elias’s first birthday. It seems incomprehensible that you’re a year removed from that night. After everything, it was hardly the worst night of your life, but the fear you felt that night was the culmination of all of it. It still haunts you from time to time. 

Joel squeezes your thigh, offering you a smile. Your heart clenches with joy, maybe even peace. It dawns on you that you’ve spent more than a year at his side, walking, talking, not sleeping. He kisses your temple. Across the table, Ellie scrunches her face at the two of you. Carter ogles the cake. Elias babbles happily on Tommy’s knee. Your best friend’s face says it all. She’s the happiest you’ve ever seen her. Looking around the table, you’ve never been more thankful to fall into the trap.

The bed is empty when you wake up one Sunday morning later in the month. The house is already hot, a warm breeze pours through the open window. You’re not used to the empty bed, especially having fallen asleep next to Joel. 

You roll over, hand spreading over the sheets. Your eyes follow the trail of sunlight to the window. Joel’s bare back stretches before you as he stares out the glass. The curtain billows softly in the breeze. It gives the air of a peaceful moment, but you know it’s anything but. His muscles are taught across his back. 

It takes seconds to settle across you. Last year, he spent the night before at his house. You didn’t even realize what day it was until after lunch. Sarah’s Birthday. 

You slip out of the bed, bare feet meet the hardwood. Your hand settles on his shoulder trailing across the expanse of his back down around his waist. He hums softly in acknowledgment.

“Joel…”

He wraps an arm around you, tugging you against him. You oblige, head nuzzling into him. He kisses right above your ear.  “Just stay near.”

You stay there until Carter knocks on the door, one of the skills you’ve been diligently working on. You move, but Joel beats you to it, opening the door, scooping the 3-year-old into his arms. Carter giggles. “You want pancakes for breakfast, Bud?”

“Yes!” 

Your heart clenches. Joel never liked pancakes, but Sarah loved them. 

“Maybe momma will make her special peaches?” Joel turns to face you, his head level with Carter’s. 

“Please,” Carter begs. 

He and Joel give you puppy dog eyes.  Almost impossible to resist. You see the sorrow Joel is pushing back, but something nudges at you. This is what he wants. He wants pancakes with your mom’s peach pie filling, just like Sarah always requested on her birthday. 

“I think we can make that happen.” 

Ellie bustles in ready for Sunday breakfast soon after. You wonder if she knows what today is. Tommy, Maria, and Elias wander in unannounced but welcomed nonetheless. Elias walks around on unsteady feet, still getting his sea legs under him. 

Joel pulls you out of the house after you eat, hand in hand. He doesn’t say anything to Tommy and Maria, leaving you with the impression that this was all planned in advance. Two horses are already saddled. “What do you have up your sleeve?”

“I’m taking you somewhere.” Joel smiles, handing you the reins. 

You go in the opposite direction of your last expedition. This ride is quieter, the breeze rustling through the tall grass and the horses’ snorts your only company. You travel over one of the smaller ridges, greeted with a smattering of blues, yellows, and oranges. You pull the horse to a stop in awe of the beauty. Joel smiles back at you.

“Is this where you’ve been gettin all the flowers?”

“They’re at their peak this week. Wanted you to see them.”

He grins. “C’mon.”

You hitch the horses to a tree near a stream. Joel grabs your hand, pulling you deeper into the field of wildflowers. Bees buzz. Butterflies flap around. Joel stops once you’re in the middle. He’s still, a butterfly, painted orange and black, lands on his shoulder. Your breath catches. He stares at it. You swear you see his lips move. His crow's feet crinkle, and the butterfly takes flight, flapping around both of you.

He pulls you to the ground, pulling you to sit between his legs. He buries his head between your shoulders. “I feel closest to her here.”

You smile, hands running across his jeans. “I can see why.”

He hums in acknowledgment, leaving the two of you to sit in peace. Eventually, Joel guides you to the ground, hidden by the growth. It spills out of him like water from a fountain. What he remembers most about her, and what he struggles to recall. What he thinks she would be like now.

He tells you the story of her 5th birthday. Sarah took a pair of safety scissors to her hair, leaving her curls lopsided and sticking up everywhere. She cried while Tommy couldn’t stop laughing at her. 

You laugh, back arching off the solid ground slightly. Joel’s chuckle echoes deeply in your ears. Tears gather in your eyes as he continues to describe the disastrous birthday. 

The sun hangs golden in the sky and the tall flowers make you feel a million miles away from everything, like it’s just the two of you in the whole wide world. Your body thrums like you’ve just woken up from a Sunday afternoon nap on the couch. The gentle breeze is cool against your neck as it rustles through the field

“Thank you,” Joel says. “I needed to talk about this.” 

You nod, looking over at him. “Of course.”

His deep brown eyes are on you, swimming with warmth and affection that makes your chest feel like it could burst. You know that look so well. You wonder if he sees it in you too. You know it’s there. It’s been there for a while now growing with each tender touch and silent moment. You’ve accepted it, but you won’t give it a name. You won’t say it out loud- let the world hear it so it knows what to take from you next. 

Joel cups your cheeks. His callouses skim across your skin so lightly it sends chills all the way down to your bare toes. You turn on your side, hair spilling to the side. You lean in, touching your nose to his, drawing closer to his lips before you pull back, teasing him.

He sighs eliciting another giggle from your throat. His fingers slide over you and land at the base of your neck, guiding your lips to his. He hums against you and you happily fall into him. These days of peace and laziness are so few and far between. Your days outside of the Jackson walls are even fewer, but you’ll sneak out with him any day if it means this. 

When you separate, it’s there in his eyes again burning brighter. His heart speeds up beneath your palm. You can feel the words developing inside him, threatening to pop out and tear it all apart. Joel’s lips barely move, no sound ever leaves them before you cover them with your hand. He looks confused, but he catches it. It’s the same panic he saw that night he found you crying under the pines, and when you turned away from him the first day he snuck you out.

You don’t need to say a word, but he hears your pleas, and he nods, covering your hand with his as you slowly pull it back. 

He kisses your palm, long slow kisses, making his way up your forearm, the crook of your elbow, bicep, shoulder, and collarbone. You’re returned to your back. Joel hovers over you. Your fingers dance over his brow, and his eyes flutter close for a few seconds. 

He’s so relaxed here. The wrinkles set in his forehead and around his eyes are less pronounced making him look 10 years younger. Your heart swells again and for a minute you contemplate throwing caution to the wind, maybe the universe won’t hear you here, taking cover in the wildflowers, muted by the gentle breeze. 

His lips are warm against yours. He moves slow and sweet like honey, like time is his to waste. 

When he pulls away, his eyes are a shade darker. Your breath catches as you notice the desire that’s beginning to pool in them. There’s another unfamiliar layer. It sends a rush through you because you know it’s love. 

Your hands fly to his mouth. You won’t let him say it. He can’t say it. Your head shakes softly, scared to ruin this perfect sacred moment. “Please,” Your voice is barely above a whisper, floating away on the breeze. “Don’t say it, Joel. I- I can’t.” Tears threatened to cloud your vision. You worry he’ll reject you, get fed up waiting for you to let him say it.

He inhales softly, lips deliberately pressing against your palm. “I know, Sweetheart.” Another kiss. “It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

He leans in, leaving soft kisses over your face. Your heart clenches. You should be able to give him this, on today of all days, but you can’t. 

His lips dip to your ear. His breath is hot against your neck. “Mine.”

Your hands thread through his hair. It’s longer than he usually keeps it. His lips touch your cheek and then your lips. It looks chaste, but there’s a promising heat behind it. He pulls back just enough to meet your eyes. “Be mine.” 

You catch the hint of fear in him that maybe those words will send you into a tailspin, but they don’t. It’s a complete statement: be mine. There’s nothing to add to it. You are simply his. It feels like a safe zone. A definition of what the two of you are. It soothes all your anxieties. You can live in the in-between with him. He’s not even asking to be yours but you know he is.

Joel’s forehead rests against yours. Your thumb brushes over his cheek. He’s looking into your eyes with such devotion. At the same moment, he repeats the words a third time, you tell him. “Yes.”

His eyes shine with wonderment like he can’t believe it like this is a dream.  

“I’m yours.” 

A smile tips his lips toward the sky and then they’re on yours. All the words and thoughts he holds back for you translate into the physical.  

Author’s Note: THIS MARKS THE END OF PART I of Woman!

If you’ve taken a look at the masterlist, you’ll see I’ve divided this fic into 3 parts! Please take a look at the short series Before between Parts I and II. It would mean so much! And you get to learn more about Reader’s back story! 💕 thank you all for your continued support!

[annieqattheperipheral]

Just watched saving sakic with lunch. I hadn't been clamoring to see it and only just sat down to do so bc my sis-in-law and i were watching trailers on prime video last night (why watch anything when you can just scroll thru listings and chitchat shittalk n comment💕) and she actually mocked me for calling myself an avs fan and not having seen it. Well then.

It is pretty interesting to watch sitting in 2024. Would the 2001 and 2022 cups have even happened without their star player turned vp then gm then president? Likely not. Pre-salary cap it would've destroyed colorado sports rep with this happening so soon after the nuggets collapse after losing their own star player (the doc explains this). Other star players (1996 cup winners) might've followed out. 2001 avs would've been in a rebuilding stage with five 1st round draft picks (received by nyr if avs hadn't matched the offer sheet) instead of being playoff contenders.

My biggest upset of the doc (beyond having to watch and listen to a bunch of old men at 1x speed) is not👏 enough👏 natemac👏 Truly upsetting. Every avs 2022 cup winning montage it was mostly EJ?? I mean yes ty ty🙏 we miss our horsegirl bring her home (was this a hint by the editor???) Nice nate shot at the parade, but that was at the end! puh.

One dude that was great to listen to was the mayor of denver (sry no not LOC) at the time this big huge beloved guy mayor webb, first black mayor of denver. Love that he understood what needed to be done but refused to be pushed around by the corporate men clamouring for a new arena and was like bish do the taxpayers even want to invest in you? Prove it.

It's not a spectacularly put together doc, has a very film studies student doc project vibe with stock image/ funny movie/reaction gif inserts. Also the worst thing is that they don't give much details on how much they raised from the revenue streams mentioned, so the resolution comes very fast once they mention where they got the money, and it's like what? i was just getting revved up for the climax and offer sheet deadline countdown, how did the climax just pass me by, i am so unsatisfied.

But that's all done on purpose bc that's not the climax at all!!!!!! Which is pretty neat! but like woof. Not as captivating as they might've hoped.

So am i glad i watched it? Yes

Would i watch again? No but i am inspired to watch the avs cup parade again!!

Should you watch it? Strong avs fan-- yes. Hockey doc lover-- yea why not. Casual hockey/entertainment/pop culture fan-- yea it's actually a cool case study of how entertainment/ pop culture/ business reputation works.

Also i want to know if avs players watched it, did they have a movie night at gabe's??

The big shocking spoiler reveal at the end:

if you're gonna watch it, idk treat yo'self, don't mess it up for yourself

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harrison ford himself saved joe sakic and I'm not even kidding.

Yes the movie air force one was the big mover n shaker, but it wouldn't have even had a chance if it weren't for harrison speaking his mind to the studio head to change the release date which led off the domino effect

[yankstrash]

september 24

drew told gabe he would talk to amelia for him

while he still wasn't thrilled with playing wing man to his childhood friend, he wanted to help his buddy out

who knows, maybe it'll get her to change her mind.

he texted amelia last night and asked if she was working the next day. when she said yes he said he would come see her on her break

drew was currently sitting at a table in the coffee shop, waiting for her to go on break

she finally did and smiled as she made her way over to drew

"sorry that took so long, busy morning" she said as she sat down across from him

"no worries meel"

the old friends got to talking

drew didn't want to bring gabe up right away

he didn't want to just throw it right at amelia the second they sat down

about 20 minutes went by as the two reminisced and talked about their high school life when they were apart

"i can't believe you got drafted!" amelia grinned as she brought up the topic "that is so amazing drew, i'm so proud of you! that's your dream"

drew smiled and nodded his head

"it was awesome, unforgettable moment for sure. and to the hometown team, how about that huh?"

amelia nodded, "yep, except now i'm not so sure if my dad will root for you." she joked

"you know he will, he has to"

drew took the topic of hockey as his chance to bring up gabe

"so speaking of hockey.." drew trailed off

amelia took a sip of her drink, listening intently

"i heard you've met my teammate gabe a few times.."

her lips tugs up at the mention of him

"so that's his name?" she asked

drew nodded

"gabe.. hmm" she hummed as she took another sip of her drink "yeah, he's come in here once or twice"

drew shrugged, "more like five or six.."

she pursed her lips in a tight line and let out a chuckle

"yeah, more like that."

"so.."

she quirked her eyebrow, "so..?"

"so why not give him a chance huh?" drew blurted

amelia huffed as she set her drink down

"so he asked you to be his wingman huh?"

drew shrugged, "maybe. more like begged.. trust me meel i didn't want to but he wouldn't let up."

she laughed and shook her head at his response

"but listen, for real, gabe is a good guy, i promise. look, i've known him for years. we've played together and become really good friends and i can confidently say in all the years i've known him he's never talked about a girl or tried so hard for one the way he does for you."

amelia kept her lips in a tight line as she listened to drew talk

"i'm serious, meel. gabe's not a player, he's not a bad guy, he's not gonna screw you over. trust me, i wouldn't be helping him with you if he was just gonna hurt you. and look, i swear, if he does end up hurting you, i will kick his ass. i promise." drew says as he puts his hand on his heart

amelia thought for a moment about drews words, not too sure what answer to give him

"i don't know drew.."

"just give him a chance. one chance. go out with him and if you absolutely hate his guts and think he's an ass then i'll make sure he doesn't bother you again, but just see what happens. and again, if it goes horribly and he's a jerk, i'll beat him up. you have my word."

she sighed, playing with her fingers

"just think about it, yeah? i've gotta get to practice, hangout soon?" drew asked as he stood up

amelia mimicked his action and stood up as well, nodding her head

"yes of course" she said as she gave him a hug

"one chance meel, that's all he wants. just think about it." drew mumbled into her hair

amelia nodded against his chest

she had a LOT to think about.

[kierancampire]

Percy Jackson and The Olympians spoiler for the show/book:

Episode 1:

So I really liked how they began it how the book opened, that was a really nice touch!

I also really liked how we saw Percy growing up and seeing things, focusing in the mechanical rhino was a nice set up for the second book. I also enjoyed how you saw the subtle training, like from Grover with the cards.

Speaking of Grover though, now, I won't focus too heavily on differences from the book and show, as I know there needs to be differences, but a huge part of Grover is his legs/walking difficulties, so Grover walking fine in shorts? I disliked that.

Another thing I disliked was Mrs. Dodds, she didn't take Percy somewhere private, Chiron just gave Percy Riptide, and Percy didn't have this awakening battle with her, it was just played off as an accident.

Two other character changes I disliked were Gabe and Sally. Gabe is no where near as bad, he is kinda timid, Percy isn't shown to be scared of him, he is way too accommodating, and kinda the main point of his character that is crucial to him, his smell, isn't noted at all. Then yes, Sally. She was just off the whole time. She shows herself being vulnerable in front of Percy, something she never does, she stands up to Gabe and back chats him, she gets angry, also she is way too open and transparent when her whole point is trying to keep everything secret to protect Percy, her character was just off.

30 minutes was way too short. They have to cram so much exposition and such into the episode, at one point they explain like 6 things back to back! I thought it coulda been paced out. Which to combine two points, Sally tells Percy everything, which again, she doesn't want to do, but also this means Percy sorta discovers nothing in Camp Half-Blood which ruins why that place was so incredible, I also think it woulda helped the first episode being less expo heavy having Percy discover everything at the camp.

Last thing I wanna say is Sally really wasn't that sad about losing Percy. Like she eventually gets choked up, but in the book, it clearly explains why Sally kept Percy, why she kept everything secret, and why she doesn't want him going to Camp Half-Blood. But until the final moment she shows almost no sadness about losing Percy, and there's just nothing to show her keeping everything a secret or wanting to be selfish in keeping Percy.

Episode 2:

So I really liked the detail of the beaded necklaces! That was a nice touch, the show was full of small details like that, like Luke's scar and such!

Another thing I like is the series includes Clarisse! It is so nice seeing her character unlike in the movie!

I really did not like Luke telling Percy about Thalia/Annabeth. In the book this is a huge thing and a huge mystery, also, nobody wants to talk about it as it hurts too much, but in the show Luke just says it all. I did notice this generally, all these quietly painful moments don't exist, the show just screams everything and takes away all the characters pains.

I love that they included Annabeth's hat! Again, vital thing that is nice to see included this time!

So, eh, I wanna word this carefully. I do not care at all that they changed the characters, as long as they have the personality and the relationship, who cares. However, one thing I found lacking was the lack of the Gods in the kids. In the book, it's sort of a big thing that they all share similar traits, so not only does this help you/Percy identify characters, but it shows who is related and how to separate characters. But in the show, they've just done nothing to the characters, so you have no idea who is who or what God they belong to, I kinda wish Annabeth's eyes were grey, or that Hermes' kids have upturned eye brows, or that Percy's eyes were green. They are meant to have a single same parent, biology dictates genes, I wish there was more shown to connect them to their parents and each other.

I really like the detail of Clarisse's electric spear, and the fact she made the comment about losing dessert privelages!

Another change I disliked is Percy discovering his power. Again, throughout the book there are SSSSOOOO many things hinting towards Poseidon, and one of those things is Percy being drawn to the water, being drawn to his dad. So the fact he has no intention of going near the water, noticing he is stronger in the water, and Annabeth just pushes him in it? Poseidon proudly claims him after he uses the water to show his power! It just was lacking.

Then the final thing I quite disliked, Grover telling Percy about his mum. Again, a huge secret pain is that Percy keeps it hidden the reason he accepts the quest is to save his mum, as he thinks he can get her from the Underworld. So needing to be told he can get her, that she isn't dead, and Grover tells him this? Again, they took a quiet pain and just screamed it.

There were other things like Percy having Riptide, Mr. D sorta solely being played for laughs and not showing his power/danger. Like, there were other changes that bothered me but again, I accept the show can't be entirely faithful, but the ones I mentioned just bothered me a lot more. I think the art style of the credits is super cool, I love the characters are more age appropriate, I know Rick likes this a lot more and is more involved, and there were positives. I just, yeah, wished pacing and dumbing down were different. The minotaur looked cool

[febreze-bottle-without-febreze]

TW: slit blood(Quinn)

"check your window he's at your window"

This other half has nothing to do with the drawing so you don't have to read it also SPOILERS well kind of ⬇️⬇️

I haven't talked about this man in a minute and I just watched the last Quinn video

{yes I know I'm late and sorry if this half doesn't make sense I wrote this wall half a sleep}

David's big brother vibe grows more and more with each video his in with Darlin and I'm loving it [

GBA does such a good job voicing Quinn, the rage and pain GBA expresses is perfect, and the way Quinn screams COME HERE at Darlin absolutely stunning

The icon changing and the screen flashing red every time Quinn gets hurt is just so satisfying

"just that it looks like something do stay the same even after years and miles apart short temper volatile nature of fury inside that you desperately throw in any direction to keep it from pointing inward again uh I guess now that you can't use my fangs to punish yourself and your new toy won't use his you've had to find other ways to work through your pain" Quinn if Darlin did stay the same you would probably be dead by now

"I've been close to them Sammy so close without them even noticing" Does that count as stalking cause he did say he was tracking them

the jacket was mentioned again!!![ I'm keeping my theory that Gabe gave them that jacket]

Darlin has grown so much and them walking away shows that perfectly [well In my opinion]

"[hit] that's for Frederick[punch] That's for his progeny.[bone crunching, screaming] and that's for me" first bright eyes mention in a long time

"I’ve got bad news for your “legacy”, scumbag. You don’t have the hold on them that you think you do. They showed you just now when they walked away. They’ve shown that every day that they’ve kept living after everything you tried to do to them. No one “owns” them. Least of all you. You are gonna die as worthless and alone as you lived. And if there’s any part of you left that still feels, I hope that thought fuckin terrifies you. Because you deserve fear. And misery. And pain on the way out.," Tell him Sam, got to be my favorite line in this video

gotta love it when Sam gets violent and protective

Sam and Darlin can finally take a break and go on vacation they both truly deserve it🥹

[haveyoureadthispoll]

Then. Twentysomething writer Chani Horowitz is stuck. While her former MFA classmates are nabbing book deals, she's in the trenches writing puff pieces. Then she's hired to write a profile of movie star Gabe Parker. The Gabe Parker--her forever celebrity crush, the object of her fantasies, the background photo on her phone--who's also just been cast as the new James Bond. It's terrifying and thrilling all at once... yet if she can keep her cool and nail the piece, it could be a huge win. Gabe will get good press, and her career will skyrocket. But what comes next proves to be life-changing in ways Chani never saw coming, as the interview turns into a whirlwind weekend that has the tabloids buzzing. Now. Ten years later, after a brutal divorce and a heavy dose of therapy, Chani is back in Los Angeles, laser-focused on one thing: her work. But she's still spent the better part of the last decade getting asked about her deeply personal Gabe Parker profile at every turn. No matter what new essay collection or viral editorial she's promoting, it always comes back to Gabe. So when his PR team requests that they reunite for a second interview, she wants to say no. She wants to pretend that she's forgotten about the time they spent together, years ago. But the truth is that those seventy-two hours are still crystal clear, etched in her memory. And so... he says yes. Chani knows that facing Gabe again also means facing feelings she's tried so hard to push away. Alternating between their first meeting and their reunion a decade later, this deliciously irresistible novel will have you hanging on until the last word.

[solar-sunz]

To my dearest Gabriel,

I do believe I’ve caught myself in quite the conundrum. I already know you're making that face at my words. Always had a way of seeing straight through me, you did. Would you be… offended, if I found someone new? I know you’d ‘want me to be happy’ and all that poppycock- but, would you truthfully want me to move on? I just- feel as though I’m betraying you, by even speaking to other people. I've- I’ve met this woman, you see… and she’s like.. No one I’ve ever met. She’s amazing-! Gabe and there's this other man, too… It’s obvious he has romantic intentions with me, he's not at all quiet about it. He, too, is breathtaking. Is that rude? I do not see myself in a longstanding relationship with him, or with her, but rather for fear of harming her. It’s been so many years- since we last laid together, since I’ve felt the considerate and careful touch of another person- I don't think anyone else could match up to you. But that's unfair to them, yes? I don't mean to be. It's been so long since I saw you last, Gabriel. I still remember how it felt. I feel disgusting, still feel ashamed of what that man was able to do to me. But you never pushed. Always allowed me to move at the pace I needed. And I think that's the most considerate and kind thing anyone has ever done for me. She is similar to you, in a way. Never pushes if I say ‘no’. Not that anything has happened, of course. I’m far too much of a coward to court her properly- and I’m not even sure if that's my intention! I’ve only known her for a month, and I knew you nearly all my life before I even considered the way I felt about you was more than friendship. And to my utter shock- you felt the same.

I do not believe she feels the same way about me, but I was never the best at being able to tell. She stayed the night at mine, last night… I gave her the bed, and I myself slept in a chair nearby- she had woken up in the middle of the night and came to fetch me, so I stayed nearby in case she roused again. I think she suffers from nightmares, poor dear. She's awfully kind to me, Gabriel. Like you wouldn't believe. Like I don't believe. Like I don't deserve, Gabe. I had planned to marry you. I don't think I’ve ever told you that. I wanted to run away together and have our own happy life- away from all the people who would harm us. It was always nice to think about- even if unrealistic. We could have been happy together, still- but… I do believe I’m at fault for that being an inability, now. I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a letter questioning our opinion, and now it's turned to this. I’m not sure if you even hear it when I read these to you, all these letters I’ve written to you. But I hope you do. Or at least, get to see them in some way. I wasn't given the ability to speak to or see the dead, but I hope you're doing well, wherever you are. I must return to my current home, now. Visitor to cater to and all. But it's always nice speaking to you. I'll be back soon after I’ve written to you again. I'm sure you know that, though. I think of you quite a bit these days, you know. I miss you terribly. It only seems to hurt more, the more people I see pass as I outlive them. But they say that my purpose is not fulfilled. They say once I complete my task they'll let me truly rest. I do not know what this task is, but I do hope they bring it around soon- I’m so tired. It's been too long. The civilians don't like me. I'm actively hunted. “Grab your torches and pitchforks!”, Like they're from the time we’re from. Unless I’m talking about the rifle-wielding ones. That's a whole other shoe box. I don't even want to begin to get into that. It’s harder to patch my wounds when you're not here to scold me for not being careful enough. The six have gained power. They reign over the city, taking up the most important roles and promising the people to get rid of me. And like sheep, they flock to them. They see me as the wolf. It's far too late to change my past actions or how the public views me. So I won't try. I’ll continue doing what I've done for the past 157 years. Pissing off the general public and taking out the true vampires in our society.

[aria-ashryver]

Hey Aria! I have a question for you, what would your characters say to you if they met you and knew who you were?

Sweet Stars! I missed you! Thank you for this ask lovely it made my heart so warm! 🥰💖

!!OK there are some minor spoilers for Starlight at the end of this!!

Given that we'd probably be talking about cancer stuff to begin with (and Luca wouldn't shy away from asking questions about it), it'd probably turn to them reassuring me like:

Gabriel: i think people will entirely understand that you need to put yourself first sometimes. Your health is important!

Luca: Yeah but don't forget to find joy in little places too. Like when was the last time you jumped on purpose? Keep moving. Dance in your bathroom. Climb a tree.

Me: my sweet darling Luca, you are seriously underestimating my fatigue levels

Cas: hey low-energy things can be cathartic too. Have you tried lighting something on fire lately?

Me: honestly, the thing that really got me through the last year was you guys. Writing your story. Seeing you find love despite all the pain.

*All three of them staring at me in varying levels of shock and hurt*

Gabriel: ...wait, you wrote all that? Everything that happened to us?

Me: well.. not all of the... I was drawing from things that happened in canon you know--

Gabriel: you're the reason I lost...

*Gabriel struggles to find his words, Cas is just staring at me, Luca is the first to wrap their head around the whole concept*

Me: In the original story... your parents died when you were young and you were raised by your grandmother. I changed that. I let you grow up with them. I gave you sisters, a cousin, a family dog. You were so loved, Gabriel.

Me: I'm so sorry I took that away. I don't want you to be in pain. Ever. I hate when you are hurting. But you need to know -- I've never seen a family so full of love before.

Gabriel, *nodding slowly*: l remember them because of you. I... I had them at all because of you, from the sounds of things. I can't begrudge you that.

*He takes Cas and Luca by the hands*

Gabriel: and these two... They are the greatest gift I have ever known. Thank you for bringing happiness into my life again.

Luca: I wouldn't change anything. All the shit that happened to me made me who I am. And it led me to these two.

*Cas blanks for a moment longer, then hauls me aside where Gabe and Luca can't hear*

Cas: ...did you have to make it hurt so much?

Me: I'm sorry love--

Cas: Don't. And... and why the fuck did you put them through so much?! Why did... why couldn't I protect them?

Me: You did. You protect them with your every breath! They are safer and happier and stronger for loving you. For having you in their lives. I know you struggle to believe that all of this is real, but I know how much they adore you, Cas, and oh my god, I wish you could see it! Their love for you is staggering.

Cas: ...wait, really?

Me: yes, sweetheart. I... look, I know your story has been rough, but I promise you, the three of you will have the happiest of Happily Ever Afters.

Cas: *finally breaking into a slow smile*

Me: In fact, I think you'll be disgusted with me how sappy and sweet things get.

Cas: psshhh, alright, shut up...

Me: hey, Cas?

Cas: Mmm?

Me: Your mama loved you. So much. I know she only got to hold you for a moment before she passed, but she was so proud of her baby boy. And she couldn't wait to watch you grow up into the brave, strong man she knew you'd become, and to tell you she loves you every day of her life.

Cas: ...

Me: I'll show you that memory one day. Or... Luca will. Memories of Ricky. Memories of the Adalhard family and Gabriel's childhood. All the people you've loved and lost. There will come a day when Luca figures out their gift. And he'll be able to bring you along for the ride to see them all one more time.

Cas: I'll g-get to see my mom?

Me: Mhmm. One day.

📢 AND THEN I GET TO GIVE CAS THE BIGGEST FUCKIN HUG IN THE WORLD YAY*

(Luca and Gabe too)

(hugs for days)

[eadanga]

When Love Last Part 6

Summary: When Yasmin gets a new job in the biggest company in the city she falls for her hot boss

Parings: GabexMC

Gabe drives out to Yasmin’s apartment as he waits at a light he realizes something Oh damn I forgot so flowers for her. Soon as the light changes he heads to a flower shop and gets a bouquet of flowers then heads over to her apartment. He heads to her apartment and knocks on the door.

Gabe waits patiently holding the roses in his hand as the door slowly slides open. Gabe doesn’t notice that he stopped breathing as soon as he sees her. Her pink dress that shows her curves her hair curled and pinned to one side. All Gabe could think about was how much he wanted to throw her on the bed and rip the dress off her. He snaps out his trance when he hears her giggling “Earth to Gabe”

“Huh oh sorry about that”

“It’s fine” She smiles “Are those for me?”

Gabe nods “Yes you like them?”

“I love them” She takes them out of his hand and smells them

“Umm you look…”

Yasmin smirks as she raises an eyebrow “Yes?”

“Amazing”

She grins “Thanks you look amazing too”

A voice comes out of the apartment “Yas thank me later when you get some action tonight!”

“Liz!”

Gabe laughs “I’ll thank you personally Liz”

“Don’t encourage her let’s go”

Gabe holds out his arm “Shall we?”

Yasmin take his arm “Absolutely”

They head out and Gabe leads her to his car they drive to a fancy French restaurant. Yasmin gets out the car and turns to Gabe shocked “Gabe this place is very expensive”

“I know wanted the best for us”

Yasmin smiles “That’s sweet Gabe”

They walk into the restaurant and the hostess greets them “Hi do you have a reservation?”

Gabe nods “Under the name Ricci”

The hostess smiles “Oh Mr. Ricci we’ve been expecting you follow me this way”

She grabs menus and they follow her a cozy table with candles and a balcony view. She grins “Everything is just how you wanted it Mr. Ricci”

“Thank you” Gabe hands her a tip and they their seats

****

Yasmin grins “You did all this?”

“Well I wanted tonight to be perfect”

“You’re amazing Gabe”

“So are you”

They look at the menus and place their orders to a waiter. Gabe turns back to her and smiles “Have I mentioned how stunning you look?”

Yasmin blushes as she giggles “Yes you did but I love hearing it again”

Gabe chuckles “Can’t help myself when you look so beautiful”

Yasmin smiles “Can I ask you something?”

“Ask away”

“Why me I mean I’m sure there’s many other girls out there”

“Well most of them just want one thing money and to be spoiled with gifts everyday” Gabe takes her hand “But you you’re different you clearly enjoy me for me”

“I do Gabe is fun to hang out with”

“I’m glad that’s why I like you you took the time to get to know me”

“Well so did you”

“Not to mention when you first came into the office for the interview you really caught my eye and you were so passionate and I couldn’t help but get lost in your eyes”

Yasmin blushes hard and looks down at the floor as Gabe chuckles “Let me see those beautiful eyes”

Yasmin feels her face heat up as she bites her lip and meets his heated gaze

Gabe smiles “There they are”

Yasmin giggles “You’re making me blush stop it”

“It’s my job to make my date blush” Gabe stands and takes her hand and has her stand too “Although if you want to take this more private I wouldn’t mind”

Yasmin smiles “Your place or mine?”

“Mine I don’t have a nosy roommate”

Yasmin laughs as he leads her out the restaurant. They drive over to his place and he leads her up to his apartment penthouse. Yasmin eyes go wide “This is really nice Gabe”

“Glad you love it” Gabe steps closer to her then cups her cheek tangling his fingers in her hair

Yasmin’s heart races as he leans in he kisses her deeply Yasmin moans as her arms wrap around his neck.

He pulls back and takes a breather “Yasmin…” He kisses her again and backs her into the wall Yasmin gasps as her back hits the wall.

Gabe continues to kiss her deeply before he pulls away breathing heavily “Sorry got carried away”

“It’s fine Gabe”

“I’m not gonna force anything on you especially not on the first date”

Yasmin nods “Oh don’t worry we have plenty of time for that”

“I can’t wait”

“But I want you set the mood make it absolutely perfect”

Gabe grins “Oh can’t wait for that and challenge accepted” He kisses her hand

Yasmin takes his hand and leads him to the couch “But I won’t be opposed to more kissing and we can cuddle afterwards”

Gabe chuckles as he sits next to her “I love that”

He cups her cheek and kisses her again he trails kisses down he neck as she sighs “God you’re so beautiful”

Yasmin falls back against the couch and Gabe crawls on top of her and kisses her. Yasmin’s arms and legs wrap around him “Mmm Gabe”

Gabe pulls away and rest his forehead against her “We should stop before I change mind and rip this dress off you”

Yasmin playfully smacks him “Don’t you dare! I just bought this!”

Gabe laughs as he stands and takes her hands lifting her off the couch “Then let’s go do that cuddling I’ll take you back in the morning”

Yasmin grins as she follows him to the bedroom.

Tags: @mfackenthal @indiacater @the-soot-sprite

[wildissylupus]

Updated Martina Reyes Headcanons

So I've wanted to update an old post I made awhile back on what I thought Martina Reyes was like. When I made that post I hadn't yet read "Code of Violence", not only that but I have gotten some more ideas on what she is like.

So let's get started;

Martina and Gabriel met during the Omnic Crisis after the initial founding of Overwatch and after SEP. Martina was an augmented general of the US army, her augmentations specifically increased her speed and agility to help match the first wave of Omnics. Her augmentations were rendered useless after the Anubis program learned how to counter it.

After Overwatch's founding during the Crisis she and the other soldiers helped out where they could, after the Crisis she was one of the first people to join Overwatch in it's peace keeping endeavours.

Gabriel and Martina married around three years after the crisis ended. It was a fairly small ceremony, only really with family and close friends.

Though Martina was offered military positions in both Overwatch and Blackwatch she felt that she could help more in peacekeeping endeavours, though she did still participate in active missions. Specifically the mission where the brought in Cassidy.

When Martina first found out about Cassidy's recruitment she made an off hand joke about Gabriel adopting him. However after she officially met the 17 year old she was the first out of the two of them to fully take him in.

Martina could be described as kind but deadly. Yes, she didn't really do field missions anymore but she was, and still is a force to be reckoned with.

The weapon she primarily uses are shot guns that shoot rockets... basically the weapon that reaper used in early concepts instead of regular shotguns. (cause I can and the original concept of Reaper's guns was cool-)

For the sake of this and future posts I'm going to be calling the Reyes kid "Allan", cause I'm not just going to continue calling him Reyes Jr in my head.

Ok so Allan was born 15 years ago. When Martina found out she was pregnant she immediately retired, wanting to be fully a part of her child's life. She encouraged Gabriel to do the same but he refused, and this was probably the start of the fall of their relationship.

As things with Overwatch got more and more complicated, the less and less time Gabriel spent with Martina and Allan. Falling into the same trap that Ana did with Pharah and Sam. When they did spend time together it would more often then not lead to a fight between the two.

Eventually Martina's visits to the Overwatch base went from visiting Gabe to visiting other members like Vivian and Cassidy. She even stopped calling him directly to check up on him, often either calling Jack or Cole, then later just Cole as Jack stopped picking up the phone.

When things got worse for Overwatch and Blackwatch Gabriel didn't think it affected Martina but he was wrong. Cassidy remembers with a chill how the kindness that was in her eyes slowly began to fade into numbness.

Martina and Reyes divorced a year before Moira was hired into Blackwatch, it wasn't in person, and they didn't even verbally talk to each other, only either talking through email or Martina's lawyer.

Martina didn't contact anyone from Overwatch after the divorce until she saw what happened in Rialto, that's when she and Cassidy got into contact again.

After the Swiss HQ blew up Martina was devastated, but she picked herself up for her kid. She didn't go to the funerals.

A month after the explosion she got a call from Cassidy, like how Cassidy stayed in contact with Pharah, he kept in contact with Martina and Allan. Though the same with Pharah, they couldn't ever have a long conversation.

Three years after the explosion she started dating again, she also changed her and her sons last name to her maiden name.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed that!!

[the-delta-42]

Firsts Part 2

[First] [Previous] [Next]

Firsts Part 2: Meeting the Parents

Clementine nervously chewed her bottom lip, Gabe had asked her to meet his parents, well, his dad and his dad’s girlfriend. Since the last time she saw his dad was after she and Gabe got into a fight at the start of the year, Clementine wasn’t expecting the night to go well. She raised her hand to knock on the door, when it suddenly swung open. Gabe, holding a garbage bag, stopped and stared at Clementine.

“Clem… you’re early.”

“…I can come back later, if you want.”

“No!” Exclaimed Gabe, dropping the bag, “No, it’s fine. It’s just, my sister…”

Clementine frowned, “Miranda?”

“Mariana.” Corrected Gabe, glancing back in the house, “She’s been harassing everyone, asking what your like, if you actually exist…”

“She thinks you made up a girlfriend?” Clementine raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but she also thinks you’re the psycho who torched my uncle’s car.” Said Gabe, getting a frown from Clementine.

“What was it?”

Gabe stared at her.

“What?”

“You, you actually torched someone’s car?” Asked Gabe, dumbfounded.

“I’ve torched, stolen, vandalised and totalled multiple cars.” Stated Clementine, “Walking traumatic experience, remember?”

“Who’s that?” Came a new voice, “Is it your imaginary girlfriend?”

“Yes, now I’m a shared delusion.” Snarked Clementine, as a Cuban girl pushed herself in front of Gabe.

“You’re real?”

“No, I’m just a hallucination.”

“Dad, Gabe’s been doing drugs again!”

“What?!”

“Again?” Asked Clementine, as Gabe’s dad appeared at the door.

“Oh,” David stared down at Clementine, “you’re early.”

“Which is fine.” Gabe said, quickly.

“We were expecting you at five.” Finished David, making Clementine frown.

“But,” Said Clementine slowly, “it is five.”

She held up her watch, “See?”

Gabe gently took the watch from her, before holding it close to his ear, “Clem, this watch’s stopped.”

Clementine went red, “T-that would explain somethings.”

“Okay, you two, get out of the way so she can come in.” Said David, guiding Mariana and Gabe to the side, “The living room in the first door on the left.”

Clementine quickly nodded, before hurrying into the house, pausing on the door matt, “Do you want me to remove my shoes or is it alright?”

“It’s fine.” David waved his hand, “Ava’s doing some work in the back yard, but she’ll be through in a minute.”

Clementine nodded, before walking into the living room. It looked spacious, with a couple of couches and some chairs. She spotted a sideboard and cabinet with some pictures in it, walking up to it, Clementine spotted a car that looked familiar, before spotting a familiar face and freezing.

“That’s Uncle Javí.” Said Gabe, making Clementine jump, “He and Kate recently got in contact recently, trying to patch things up.”

“R-really?” Squeaked Clementine, glancing at Gabe.

“Yeah, he’s the guy who had his car torched a few years ago.” Continued Gabe, as Clementine slowly paled, “It was a nice car too.”

Clementine hummed, hoping Gabe didn’t notice her change in behaviour.

“He and Kate are going to be joining us.” Said Gabe, making Clementine squeak.

“Are you okay?” Asked Gabe, getting a hurried nod from Clementine.

F

“How do you think Clem’s getting on?” Asked Duck, flicking through a comic book.

“Hopefully, she’s having more fun than we are.” Answered Becca, as Sarah threw up into a bucket.

Duck wrinkled his nose, glancing at the doorway of the living room, “What did you and Gill eat?”

“There was some left-over food in the fridge.” Groaned Sarah, before dry-heaving into the bucket.

“What food?” Questioned Duck, as Sarah stopped heaving.

“There was a tin in the back, had some meatloaf in it.” Sarah gagged, “It was really dry.”

Duck stared at Sarah, “You and Gill ate dog food?”

“Why do you take the labels off dog food?”

“We don’t, it’s home made.” Said Duck, slowly, “We use raw meat and part cook it when the dog eats.”

Sarah stared at Duck, before dry heaving into her bucket. There was a silence, before the doorbell rang. Sighing, Duck put his comic down and headed towards the door, “Hopefully, that’s Gill’s mom with a change of clothes.”

F

Javí sighed as he pulled into David’s driveway. He and Kate had been avoiding contacting him, since they’d had an affair behind his back and eloped after their dad died.

“You okay?” Asked Kate, making Javí look at her.

“Yeah, just,” Javí paused, “just thinking.”

“About what, that five-year-old you ran over?” Snarked Kate, before gently placing her hand on his, “Javí, that was an accident. Besides, Jesse doesn’t blame you.”

“Really? Because it feels like he does.” Huffed Javí, glancing at Kate, “He’s still not over not finding his sister.”

“That can’t be helped, I asked Joan for help finding her, but she said she needed a bit more than ‘Clemmy’.” Sighed Kate. Jesse was, currently, an eighteen-year-old that Javí stared fostering when the boy was thirteen. Javí hadn’t planned on fostering, not after that cold-gazed pyromaniac that stole, crashed and torched a custom, and expensive, dodge challenger. Jesse had opted to remain at their home, he wasn’t a big fan of family reunions. When he was six, his parents took him and his younger sister out, before depositing them, at different points, on the side of the highway. Jesse spent most of his time looking for his sister, which was difficult as he only remembered a nickname for her, and he couldn’t accurately describe how she looked. Javí the suspicion that child he accidentally hit was Jesse’s sister, but when he checked around for her, he couldn’t find her. He had assumed he’d imagined it, until he saw it on the news.

That hadn’t gone down well with the rest of the family.

“Well,” Sighed Kate, opening the car door, “time to face the music.”

Javí slowly followed her out of the car and started to approach the front door. He swallowed, at the door suddenly swung open and Mariana stared at them.

“You’re early.” Said Mariana, looking at them, “Dad’s almost everything ready and Ava’s talking to Gabe and his girlfriend.”

Javí and Kate shared a small look, before following Mariana inside. Javí froze in the doorway to the living room, his eyes falling on a familiar hat and face that had a mixed look of panic and embarrassment.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Gaped Javí, staring at Clementine.

F

“How do you think Clem’s getting on?” Asked Duck, getting a groan from everyone.

“Duck, please,” Pleaded Sarah, “you’ve asked us that question seventeen times every hour.”

“I’m sorry, I’m bored.”

“You think we aren’t?!”

F

Clementine sat stiffly next to Gabe, while Javí glared at her, and Mariana looked at her like she was her hero.

Ava glanced around the table, David was glaring at Javí, Gabe was looking between Javí and Clementine, and Kate was staring intently at her glass. She awkwardly cleared her throat, “So, Clementine, I take it you and Javí know each other.”

“Yeah, er,” Clementine glanced around the table, “he, er, tried to foster me a few years ago.”

“Biggest mistake I ever made.” Muttered Javí, making Clementine scowl.

“I torched his car after I found out he was trying to use me as a sympathy case.”

Everyone stared at Clementine, “When was that?”

“When I was eleven, I think, so about four, five years ago.” Responded Clementine, getting a growl from David.

“Seriously, you tried to take in a child to look good?” Growled David, glaring at Javí.

“I was trying to keep my job.” Defended Javí, “Things were tough.”

“You mean that gambling thing you did?” Asked Mariana, getting everyone’s attention.

“There were also the drugs.” Offered Gabe, leaning back in his chair.

“You were doing drugs?” Asked Clementine, looking at Javí.

Javí scowled, before getting up, “This was a mistake.” He stormed out of the room, with Kate quickly following him.

They all stared after them.

“Well,” Said Clementine, “That was dramatic.”

F

Clementine quietly closed the door to Alvin and Rebecca’s house. She sighed, the rest of the evening had been quiet, more or less. She and Gabe had planned on meeting with the others, only to receive a text saying Gill and Sarah had fallen ill, which gave her and Gabe more time with Gabe’s family.

“How was it?” Asked Rebecca, as Clementine walked into the living room.

“I think it went well, even if I met the guy whose car I torched.” Said Clementine, dropping down onto the sofa.

Rebecca frowned, “You ran into him?”

“No, he’s Gabe’s uncle.” Responded Clementine, dropping onto the sofa. The pair satin silence for a moment.

“Where’s Dad and AJ?” Asked Clementine, looking around.

“Alvin said something about a game that AJ wanted to see.” Responded Rebecca, putting her book down, “Clem, someone called here today. They said they wanted to talk to you.”

“Who?” Asked Clementine, frowning.

“They said they were your parents.” Responded Rebecca, making Clementine freeze.

[lowkeyclueless5137]

Doodles dump! Digital edition >:3c

Bcs on the sketchbook I did references for my current comic and thus I won't spoil u yet :3

This time is a lot of Jade for sum reason :v

We starting with the new au i didn't explain: the fight club au

The premise is basically MK meets Streetfighter, meets twst, meets real world. With Epel trying to get around New York and attending the prestigious NRC school for mages. He uncovers a secret fight club and gets recruited by a misterious fighter in order to uncover a secret drug ring.

The magical girl au :D

This was more of silly doodle time, but there are a few hints of the au's plot :P

Lowkey I didn't know how Ace was gonna look like at first, but now I know EXACTLY why he turned out like this. Parkour I guess :'3

This is from the lettler exchange p5 x twst au :v

Noting how I confirmed that the velvet room attendees are siblings, I HAD to make a few shenaningans in between them :3

Lavenza and Floyd are the ones who get a new fusion method, thus Igor(the deemed parent), Had to instruct Floyd first so he could tell Lavenza as well. I really like how the uniforms turned out tbh.

And yes, this implies that all the attendees are mers. Lavenza, Theo and Elizabeth are eels, while Margret and Azul are octopuses. Might draw those one day :v

For context, it's this spuerhero au. :'3

Ace is the funny lil guy that has and absolute TRAINWRECK of a backstory. And Riddle as well, but I wanted to practice a bit on backs and side profiles, but I also wanted to add sum context ;3

TWO :D

I tried to get around model references, because GODDAMN some of those peeps look like sum bones are in the wrong place :v

also colored vgs, bcs I saw some using those and I do enjoy sum complementary color sumtimes :'3

And what better au than jjba au? The first one is ur hint at the main plot idea of this au, while the latter is a ref for Azul and his stand: Dark Side Of The Moon. I tried to also see how realistically his stand would resist against things, seeing how it is made out of bulletproof glass, also a lot of Drag inspo for his stand tbh. :'3

You know it, I know it, WE AIN'T ESCAPING THE MLB MILD AU<3

It's a sort of tease of what happens during the mlb specials, which all happen post the main 4 seasons ya'll read and saw me losing my shit abt. :'3

YES, THERE WAS A REASON I TEASED MALLEUS'S FAM DRAMA!

Think that NY and Shangai Specials happen at the same time, but each of the our main 2 heroes go through sum self discovery post all that chaos with Madame Moth. Riddle with accepting the flaws of himself and coming in terms with his new family dynamic, while Malleus comes in terms with the tesnsion and the chaos around himself and the fact that he cannot ignore changes he doesn't like anymore.

And the other miraculous au, this time the maleidiazu hard au version.

Since Jade got the butterfly miraculous, I thought that the twins would be ABSOLUTE MENACES to Azul.

For Jade's design, I saw those very pretty butterfly decorations photos and I fixated on Gabe's butterfly tending hat. I also wanted to allude to his eel form, so I imagined a long, sleek, trein, reminescent of a cocoon, that can flare up and reveal it's true shape of a half wing, the top vest part acting as the 2nd part of the wing. He looks pretty aloof, the kind of person you'd assume would be nice, but the veil is like your warning sign, with the butterflies always sitting on the outside, all alert. I really liked how he turned out and probably is one of my favorite designs in this au tbh.

And again, Jade for the last one: the Jjk mild au. damn, I can't find the post

I knew right off the batch that I wanted this mf to get some inspo from Nobara's uniform, just because I think Floyd-pre curse era would have a more yuji insp uniform and since in cannon jjk these 2 were like besties and up to shenaningans at first, I thought it would be a fun and subtle reference. :3

The reason that yellow overall is shown, is bcs underneath the jacket, Jade has a top of a similar shape, mostly to accomodate his brother.

It's fun to think that Jade's so reserved and acts humble, but in here there's literally the truth. He's thrown in this world with 0 knowledge, trying to gather up the disaster that was left behind his brother and just fix things that he isn't responsible for in the first place, all for his own selfish reasons. It's fun :D

and that would be all for now :3

[doodling-doodle]

The Slice of Paradise Cafe

Kyle and Alex had been out of the military for years. And finally thought of something they could make on their own

Kyle hadn’t been able to work in years. He was discharged from the military after one too many injuries, and was still recovering from the same infection he got years ago. His voice was pretty much gone. Alex had retired with him. To take care of him and… because he loved him. They were only dating when they left, but when he got that infection, it lasted for months. He was proposed to in a hospital room when he was there for the second time in a month when he threw up blood. He started getting better three months later, being on antibiotics the whole time, and, they were worried about it, but he got to say his vows. He got to say “I do.” They had learned sign language as a just in case, but, Alex fully expected it to be that, and he cried when he heard it, even if it was barely above a whisper. That was a year after he got sick. more than a year after they left the military.

Matt and Gabe got married a year after them.

Things were going good. The morning after Matt’s and Gabe’s wedding, and they got home, they were discussing a few things. He had thought about getting a dog, kind of for therapy, but he didn’t tell Alex that part. But Alex actually had a different suggestion.

“What about adoption?”

He had a counter offer.

“Both?”

“Now, how can I say no to that?”

So, they started preparing. It was mostly Kyle, as Alex, who did have a better chance at getting a job since he wasn’t partially mute, (Though Kyle had started selling his artwork on the side, which paid well) got a job at a tattoo shop to help, though Price said that he would help if he had to if they weren’t getting enough from the state.

So Kyle took apart the guest room, and changed everything. The walls were painted a light cream color, the wooden floor was covered with a darker-colored carpet, and the wooden furniture was painted white. He was so proud of himself. And Alex was proud of him.

A few months later, they got their lovely daughter, Rosalie. She was only eight at the time, now fifteen. And a year after they got her, they got their German Shepherd, Iris, who was three-months-old, now six.

But, years later, Rosa was only ten, he got the infection again. This time, he needed to be on oxygen for months, nearly a year after it cleared up. And his vocal cords got even more damaged. He basically couldn’t talk. But every one of his friends had learned sign language for him. He could manage. Plus, Matt and Gabe lived nearby, and so did Alex’s family. And they lived their nice, pretty quiet life.

Now, they were pondering something.

They were pondering making their own business together. But they didn’t know where to start, or what to do.

Rosalie was at her boyfriend's house for the night, and they were up late in bed, talking about what they could do… Well, Alex was talking, he was signing.

“I don’t know how much longer we can do this. If I can never get a real job, then we’re fucked.” He signed.

“I know… And as much as I love the shop, it gets… tiring.” He sighed.

“What if we start a restaurant?” He said. “Like, just a… a small café, or something?”

Alex must’ve seen the realizing look on his face.

“Is that a yes?”

He smiled, and nodded. “You're a genius.”

“Let’s do it?”

“Let’s do it.”

Alex opened his laptop. “I swear I saw that old restaurant building with a ‘for sale’ sign. Y’know, that old Wendy’s?”

He nodded.

“Let me check. This could be a good opportunity.” He searched for about five minutes before smiling, and turning it to him.

It was stripped to the base building. They would have to work it from the ground up, but… this could be an amazing opportunity for a new life.

 "I'll put in the offer to buy it."

He nodded, and hugged him tight.

"We got this, baby. We got this…"

Rosalie came home the next day, dropped off by James, her boyfriend, who could drive on his own.

"Hey, munchkin!" Alex said as he saw her come inside.

"Hey, papa." She was a very beautiful young woman. Looked a lot like Kyle, really. Which, was a little shocking when they got her. Especially now that she was older. But, they never thought more of it. 

"How was your day?"

"It was good! We basically played video games and ate snacks all day."

"And you slept where?" Kyle signed, mostly joking.

"On the couch because we passed out while playing Minecraft. Yes, cuddling. Snuggling, really." 

“Seriously?” Alex asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay, munchkin. As long as you were warm and fed.”

“I was. Anything I missed?”

“We decided on what we’ll do.” 

“Oh? What?”

They both smiled, and Kyle signed, “We’re making a café.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. If our offer gets accepted to buy that old Wendy’s.”

She looked so happy.

The others found out soon after, and were all excited. 

All they had to do was wait.

Which they did for a month.

Rosa was enjoying her time with James while both of her dad’s were out. Just playing games, running around the yard with Iris, and cuddling until Alex came home.

“Hey, papa!” She said when she saw him come in.

“Hey, Rosie. Where’s your dad?”

“He ran to the store.”

“Damn, I was so looking forward to tell him as soon as I got back.”

“Tell him what?”

He smiled.

“We have the café.”

She was shocked.

"Really?!"

"Yep!"

She shrieked and hugged him tight. She was just as excited, and promised to help make it their own.

“Damn. Congratulations, man!” James said.

“I’m just excited to tell everyone.”

“Are they going to be here?” Rosalie asked.

“Well, Grandpa John did text me asking if they could come visit next week.”

“Yes! All of them?!”

“All of them. Even Grandma Ava.”

She was so excited.

Kyle got home not long after, and Alex told him. He just started sobbing in joy. And Alex hugged him tight.

“It’s gonna happen, baby. We finally got it.”

“We have to tell the others. We have to have an opening, or something!” Kyle whispered, though it still had some excitement.

“John texted me today. He asked to come over next week. They others will be here too.”

“... Can we tell Gabe and Matt now? They’re the ones that have been helping with everything.”

“Let’s get them on a video call.” 

Within ten minutes, they got on the call to tell them.

“Hey, guys!” Gabe said, smiling.

“We got good news for y’all!”

“Oh?” Matt asked.

“We can start on the cafe!”

“Are you serious?!”

“Yep!”

They both looked so happy, “Please tell me we’ll be able to help!”

“You can, if you’d like.” Kyle signed, smiling. 

“We will!”

They chatted a little more before Gabe left to start his nightly patrol. They were pretty shocked when they moved closer to them from Texas, on a nearby ranch, so Gabe still felt at home. But it’s apparently a small world, because Alex’s father, who grew up in the same area in Texas as Gabe, knew his father. Saw him a few times when he was a baby. But moved to West Virginia with Alex’s mother before his brother was born. (When both Matt’s are in the same room, it gets confusing.)

The next morning, they went to see their new place. It was the last building in a shopping center, detached from everything else, a good sized building. A medium sized café.

"Let's get planning." Alex said, wrapping his arm around Kyle's back.

So they did.

smooth plywood was put over the brick walls and painted white so Kyle had something to paint over. They talked about a theme for an hour that night, and decided: Deep forest.

And they decided to make everything themselves.

So they did.

Kyle had taken two full days to draw the design first, covering the walls with trees and wildflowers. The one wall that was kept as windows had a tinting over it, making it just slightly darker.

When he started painting it, he had so much fun. Like making Rosalie's room. Just with more detail. A lot of detail.

He took a full week to paint all the walls. Doing the smallest lighting details through the leaves, and the shading on the flowers on the bottom of the walls. 

Alex walked in with some news and supplies he asked for.

“Wow!” Alex exclaimed when he walked in.

He fucking melted.

Something about seeing Kyle, up on a ladder, hands covered in paint, doing the smallest details on the leaves… He just loved it. Maybe it was because he just looked so happy. He had a look of “I did this!” 

He quickly got off the ladder, hopping a little, so happy.

“Look at that! You did that, baby!” He put everything down, hugging him tight.

“I don’t wanna get paint on you.” He whispered.

“Don’t care! Look at this!” He let go, and took another look at everything. It was gorgeous. Beautiful…

Just like his husband.

...

Alex had a little experience with woodworking and furniture making from when he was a kid in his grandfather's workshop, so he managed to dig up his old tools from when he was a teen making wooden tables for money, and went to get wood from Home Depot to make tables and chairs.

The first few tries weren’t the best, since he hadn’t done it in years, but he got back in the grove of things. 

The tables were stained dark, but the wood was still visible. The chairs were painted black as a simple contrast color (Kyle’s suggestion).

He had finished two sets in a week. He was proud of himself.

He heard that whistle, and turned to see Kyle, who clearly just got home, walking up to him to the shed and carport he was working under with two glasses.

“Hey, baby.” He took the glass that Kyle offered, kissing his cheek as they sat on the chairs.

“Comfy.” Kyle whispered.

“How’s the painting going?”

“Good. I’ll hopefully get it done by the end of this week. But, then I’ll be left with… Nothing to really do, I guess.”

“Well, I know James is looking for things we can use so we don’t have to actually plant trees in the place. I do have a bunch of old bricks… We do need to tear up the tile. Tomorrow, I’ll come with you and see if I can get it started. Matt offered to come by and help with whatever he could, so, I may utilize him for that.”

He nodded, and was about to say something, but winced as his throat started hurting, so he signed, “I could find display cases. Acrylic or glass?”

“Let’s do acrylic. And then we need those massive coffee grinders. What about tea?”

“I have a plan. Grow our own tea, if we can?”

“Good idea. I could probably get a greenhouse here. Grow it all year. We'll need to get stuff for Hot chocolate, too. Maybe milkshakes? Fraps… Fuck, this is gonna be a lot harder than we thought.”

He chuckled a little, though it turned to a cough, which got Alex on his feet and close to him. It was rare for him to cough anything up anymore, and he didn’t this time, but Alex still got worried whenever he went into a coughing fit.

“You okay?”

He nodded, and signed, “What I wanted to say was that I know the base hot chocolate we could use because you make the best hot chocolate ever.” 

He smiled at that, and pulled him up. "Time to head inside. It might be the pollen."

He couldn't argue with him, so he just let himself get pulled inside, and to their room.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up, changed, and in bed."

He nodded, and Alex pulled him to the bathroom, with a change of clothes so he could shower.

God, Alex took care of him so well.

...

Rosalie had actually gone with Alex to get her own wood to make the menu boards. She had gotten an interest in wood carving and burning, so she asked to do it. They agreed.

She drew up everything she needed for the lettering and floral designs, got that printed on thick and large paper, cut everything out, and got to it.

She lightly traced it with a pencil first. Then carved it out before using a wood burner. She spent a good week just tracing everything, let alone carving the wood carefully, which took another week, and carefully burning it, which was another two weeks. She was glad it was summer so she could work on it all day. Plus, James could keep her company.

"So… what do you think gave them the idea?" James asked. 

"Papa came up with it, I know that. And dad loved it. So here we are!”

“Well, I have an excuse to hang out with you every day now.”

She chuckled a little, and had an idea.

So she texted Alex, who was with Kyle going to a wood mill to get a countertop.

“Hey, can I hide a little easter egg about me and James in one of the boards?”

“Hang on, I’ll ask your dad.

Yeah, go for it.”

“Okay, thank you.”

She quickly did a tiny heart on top of one of the boards, and “R+J” In it.

“You're adorable."

"No, I'm a Lil demon and crime lord."

"You're a muffin."

"I'm a Lil demon muffin."

"Okay, I'll go with that one."

She laughed, and went back to burning.

"Still waiting for the bigger prints to come in for the drinks?"

"Yeah. The smaller ones, I can just use normal paper, but the full-sized ones are pending. How about the wood stuff?"

"Just found something. You can order custom wood pieces."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Pretty neat, it's not real wood, it's just really thick foam. You can order bark texture, too, which is nice."

"Interesting. Send it to my dad's, they'll be pleased."

"I just did.” He stood as she finished up the last bit of lettering on one of the boards, but before putting the tool away, went back to the top and burned another heart, this one with, “A+K”

“You need to have muffins and call them ‘Rose Muffin’s”."

"Yeah, yeah… I think I'll change and hop in the pool for a bit. I wanna cool off."

"I think I have a swim suit here, right?"

"Yeah, you do. And I need to grab Iris."

"Okay, babe. I'll be ready."

She went inside.

And sighed happily as she got to her room.

God, she loved that idiot.

...

Things were coming together very nicely.

The walls and windows were done.

All the tables and chairs were done.

The tile floor had been ripped out in favor of red bricks.

The foam wood that James found was perfect for the fake trees in the corners of the building. (the leaves had a pretty hidden foam base, and Rosalie made cotton leaves for the more detailed ones, with lighting effects and all.)

The front counter had a beautiful slab of wood. It was lacquered and still had the bark.

The ceiling had been painted, too. To look like you were looking up in a thick forest. And Rosalie strung fairy lights, crisscrossing over the ceiling. They did have dim lights, but it just added to the mystical feel of it. 

The menu boards had a dark stain on them, and when the large prints came in, on normal paper, she laid it over the board, and somehow did it so the wood would still show through. They wanted the whole place to feel rustic. That was important.

They got display cases for the pastries. They had a mix of British and American stuff, and the main things were Kyle’s Victorian Sponge Cake and Alex’s apple pie. He served it heated with a scoop of ice cream. And Rosalie made all types of cake pops. She also made a bunch of baskets with James, the classic round type, to put biscuits and small pads of butter and packets of jelly in on all of the tables.

And finally, decor. Rosa had found these small fake waterfalls to put on the counter a long time ago. But that gave them another idea: a massive one to cover a wall. They chose the one to install it on, and figured out how it worked. It looked beautiful. It also had a very nice sound to it. All of them did. They decided speakers wouldn't be used for music, but forest-like sounds. Birds, bugs, wind. Anything that added to it, they took it.

The only thing they didn’t have was a name.

But. After nearly a year of work… They did it.

Rosa had gone to James’ house for the night, and they didn’t have much else to do, so they finished setting up a few of the big things, like the coffee grinders, ingredients, and such.

But they looked at everything they made.

“Damn… Where’d the time go?” Alex said, sitting at one of the tables. It was oddly therapeutic to hear the water.

Kyle was sobbing.

“Baby?” He reached out to him, and he sat on his lap, holding him tight.

“We did this… On our own…”

“We did.”

“We need to bring the others here. Have some sort of opening!”

“We will. I promise.”

They told all the others, and they all took leave to come see them and what they did.

Rosa told her friends, and they came, too. 

Gabe also brought his mother.

That was one hell of an opening. So many people even if it was just their friends and family.

And it was. Just their friends and family. But they didn’t even have a name yet, so they were happy with it.

They all showed up gradually as they got there from the airports from their flights. It was their relaxation after long flights. 

“Can we go inside now?! The suspension is killing me!” Price said, as he and Graves were the first to get there.

Oh. And Rosalie decided they needed somewhat uniforms to look a little bit more organized. Just black clothes. She had a simple dress and tights with grey knee-high leather boots. Kyle had a long-sleeved button-down shirt, black jeans, and combat boots. Alex, being proud of his tattoos and owning the place so no one could tell him to hide them, had a shirt that went to his forearms to show the best of his tattoos, and decided to get a nice pair of dress pants and boots. And James decided to pick it up, too, so he had a long-sleeved shirt and jeans with plain black dress shoes. And Kyle had a pin on his shirt that said, “I’m mute, bare with me : )”

“Alright. Come on, everyone!” Alex said, opening the doors.

It was like… As soon as they walked in, they calmed down. It was almost freaky. 

“Woah…” Graves said. “Holy shit, that… That’s fuckin’ magic!”

“Oh my god.” One on Rosa’s friends, Lily, said. “Can we come here to, like, do homework and study? This is relaxing.”

“Of course, come here all you like!” Alex said, going behind the counter, which Soap rushed to when he saw the all the sweets.

“Gimme everything.”

“Johnny.”

“Okay fine…”

They all found the things that they loved, and all got some type of sweet and a drink. (It was very entertaining to see Ghost ordering a strawberry boba. A drink that only Rosaile knew how to perfect. Most of her friends got them, too.)

They were just happy to see all of them again. The old team. All of them in one place. Plus, the extra friends that Rosa brought. And the addition of Gabe’s lovely mother.

“Honestly, this place is perfect.” She started.

“It’s a little slice of paradise.”

The day, sadly, went by too quickly, and they all left to hotels and homes.

“Well… A very lucrative first day, I’d say.” Alex said as they got to their room. They said is wasn’t necessary, but everyone insisted on paying and tipping.

Kyle tapped his shoulder.

“Remeber what Gabe’s mum said?” He signed.

“It being a slice of paradise? Yeah, that was sweet.”

“What if we call it that? The Slice Of Paradise Cafe?”

He loved it.

Kyle drew up a design, and Alex cut it out on Plywood for Kyle to paint in white.

---

The Slice Of Paradise Cafe.

Their own cafe…

Gabe and Matt are not my OC's. They belong to my friend, @angstkings. I have their permission to use them

[fixinglitg]

BOAT PARTY: IT CAN BE GOOD? Part 1

So Season 3 boat party, the last thing we would see added onto the old all before the game changed apps and started the proper downfall of quality.

I've played through it once before with Aj as my partner, and got back with her in the end. And it felt so unsatisfactory. Were any of the issues resolved? No. Did we really talk about it? No. Did it feel really anticlimactic? Yes.

So I decided I wanted to play it again, after years of not touching it, to see if I could make it good. Which meant not only doing something a little different, but also changing my whole original idea when I remembered that the route I'm doing currently was possible.

So let's get into this! And for once, I'm not even bothering with a disclaimer. Oh and there's multiple parts since I'm probably gonna use more than ten pictures so lmao.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

We start off the boat party with the usual questions and all, like who was your partner, did you split the money, are you living together, and what's your job.

And then you do a bit of customisation and pick a name.

Love this bitch.

Then, we get into the scene. It's raining in London, with a bit of a thunderstorm, and we're doing Lottie's personality quiz or something. I actually never read what it is, but I know I got meek mermaid. Whatever that means.

Then Lily enters with dinner, and things are going as good as they can momentarily (Lily was chosen because she's my least favourite LI so I wouldn't really feel much later on). And then, Lily and Gabriella start arguing.

I usually try to avoid conflict, so I go for the last option, but it ends up turning into the first anyways. It doesn't really solve anything anyways, because then the argument gets worse, until Lily leaves and doesn't make a sound for weeks.

Note: if you wanna see someone try and justify the reasons between the LIs conflict and why it's bigger than we think, go to this post by u/melaniekingswife

Then we get Nicky and Elle's text saying how they've got a surprise vacation (not so much a surprise anymore) planned out for them.

Gabe (since I cba to type out Gabriella every time) takes that as an opportunity to enjoy a break from the possible misery she's in, and packs her things. You then choose what swimsuit and fancy/everyday outfit you want before going to the yacht.

Now this part is really vague and all since it's the exact same for everyone's playthroughs, so I'm only really going into it when we get to the main attraction.

Finally, we're greeted by your best friend of the four options (I chose Elle) and you briefly say how things aren't going swimmingly well, but you're interrupted by Nicky saying how we need to get on the boat. Then you'll have three groups of people you can go see, I have no idea how relevant any of them are, so I won't go into that.

Soon enough, Gabe is approached by Nicky and Elle (Nicky shortly leaves again though) and they talk about the issues between Gabe and Lily.

And then we go to the cabin and come face to face with Lily.

During this whole segment, I try and choose the options that agree with her (mostly) since we're on holiday and I don't really have the time for some petty little arguments again. Lily mentions how she's going to find another cabin to sleep in, I say that that's cool, and then we get changed for the health and safety talk.

After that, we talk to Elle about everything properly, before we finally have everything off our chest, and ask how she is instead

Specifically wanted to add this in case no-one realised who I was talking about, currently I cannot for the life of me remember how to spell her name, and neither does my keyboard.

But then Nicky explains how we're going paddle boarding over the intercom, and we quickly switch to that scene.

And the more interesting stuff. See, though this side romance character you choose is the same for everyone (as in it's coded in the same way probably, I actually don't remember) it always feels different when you're with someone you actually like. And that's how the boat party could possibly actually be good. If we don't go back to original LI, and go to this new LI instead.

See most of the arguments at the beginning are pretty silly to turn into something massive. I think it's said that only Tai and Rafi's make sense. And I think that if you're going to have an argument like that? Over dishes? Or not being listened to? Or working out too much? Yeah, no. Any mature person would sit there and talk it out, not argue.

Back to paddle boarding though.

Lily partners up with Iona, slapping Gabe's thought of possibly partnering up out the window, so instead we have to choose another islander. Bill, Tai, and Ciaran aren't an option because they all have a partner (Bill and Miki, and Tai and Ciaran) but I was going with Aj anyways.

I totally wanted to say how much I just wanted her to steal me away instead, BUT I decided that I wanted to be respectful for an episode or two before properly starting the romance.

After a bit of a paddle board tutorial, we then finally get on the actual board itself, have some moments with Aj

Like I said, wanted to keep things respectful for this episode so I chose all the options that were mostly friendly.

Then there's a little moment when Aj says that this is romantic, and that we'd probably rather be with Lily right now.

And I think the best option here is to say "I don't want to compare" because you really shouldn't. Sure, you can take things that you learn from your previous relationships, but you shouldn't be comparing person A with person B. They're someone new, so take it that way.

And I think what Gabe says is correct. We're with Aj right now, we're enjoying ourselves, nothing else should really matter in that moment in time.

Though it's nice how considerate she is.

Then we race Nicky and Elle. I just wanted to add the second screenshot because I find it funny how Gabe looks like she's just came up with a master plan, but it's the most simple thing ever.

Anyways, juicy stuff continues in part 2! Once that's added, I'll link it at the bottom, along with parts following that. This was basically just the base storyline with a little interesting stuff at the end for the people who have never played this.