#but like. i want it. i want it ok. i want to see them fix gti and bring out its full potential. i love its story sm

[cherbii]

Jjk men walk in on y/n practicing her old ballet moves? Maybe they didn’t know she used to dance and they’re amazed 🩰🥹

PIROUETTE AWAY

ミ★ head cannons of them walking in on you practicing ballet!

ft. Gojo, Geto, Nanami, Toji, Sukuna, Choso, Ino, Shiu

a.n. Decided to do this in head cannon form bcs why not && did this in pink aesthetic js for u 😼

GOJO S.

❥ He’d have gotten back home from a mission when he heard soft music playing, naturally going to check it out

❥ He’d be extremely shocked and even in awe when he walks into your room, seeing you in your normal clothes except for your pointe shoes you’d fished from your cupboard, dancing, bent at the waist while your one leg spun you, the other almost creating a full 180° angle up in the air.

❥ Gojo would make some sort of crude remark, catching your attention like “Wow, so that’s why you’re so flexible!” Earning a look of shock, then annoyed from you.

❥ Would definitely prance over, claiming he could do better than you, and he’d do surprisingly well, except his ankle would roll and he’d go stumbling.

❥ Would ask for private lessons so he could be good, but really he just wants to see you doing something you’re passionate about!

GETO S.

❥ Geto would come home from running his religious group, wondering why you weren’t in the lounge or kitchen before slowly making his way to your room.

❥ Would stop in his tracks when he saw you practicing ballet, leaning against the doorframe while watching you with a small smile.

❥ When you did eventually spot him, frantically running to hit stop on the music, Geto would tell you not to be embarrassed

❥ Geto would push off the door frame before tying his hair up, saying something along the lines of. “You know, I used to practice ballet a few years back. Maybe we can see if I’ve still got it.”

❥ That man would definitely be graceful, taking you by the waist and lifting you up with ease and practice, shocking you at your shared talent.

❥ This man is SO black swan coded (does this mean Gojo is white swan…sigh, in another lifetime…)

NANAMI K.

❥ He’d walk in through the door and see you dancing with the broom while cleaning in the lounge, earphones plugged in so you couldn’t hear him.

❥ Nanami would kick off his shoes before quietly walking over, even though he’s tired from work, he’d always make time for you, and go sit on the couch.

❥ He’d tell you to continue when you stopped, looking flushed with embarrassment, he’d even make you play your music so he could hear, fingers strumming against his knee when you continued.

❥ Nanami would softly hum to the tune of your music, eyes crinkled as he smile while watching you.

❥ He’d give you a large applause when you finished, walking over and pressing soft kisses to your face, telling you sweet nothings of, “You did so well, my love. Best dancer ever.”

❥ Would sugar daddy you by buying tickets to go watch professional ballet dancers in theatre!

TOJI F.

❥ Ok but Dilf!Toji walking in and not seeing just you, but you AND little baby Megumi doing ballet??

❥ You’re teaching Megumi the basic poses of ballet, and even though the small child thought it was dumb at first, he slowly started mirroring you practicing until you saw and decided to help when Toji walked in from buying groceries.

❥ Yes you’d be slightly embarrassed since Toji didn’t know you knew how to ballet dance, but Megumi would be red red red with embarrassment.

❥ Toji would just laugh at the poor kid’s face before you’d scold him, so to make up for bullying Gumi, Toji would snatch up your discarded tutu, put it on, stretching it around his slutty beefy hips and learn ballet poses too!

❥ let’s just say that night Toji wants to try for a daughter, *cough cough Tsumiki*

SUKUNA R.

❥ You don’t realize he’s there until you hear the faintest scoff, and when you glance over, he’s standing in the doorway, crimson eyes fixed on you like a predator watching prey.

❥ His gaze sweeps over you, taking in every precise movement, and though his expression is unreadable, there’s an undeniable weight to his silence. “What’s this?” he finally asks, his voice a mixture of amusement and disbelief, the smirk tugging at his lips betraying his curiosity.

❥ He crosses his arms, leaning against the doorframe as if settling in, and the intensity of his stare makes you falter mid-step. “Don’t stop now.” His tone low and commanding, as though he’s already claimed this hidden part of you for himself.

❥ even though he’d try his best to appear nonchalant, he couldn’t help but smirk at you dancing.

❥ would definitely have you practice around him more, even getting you custom made tutus and leotards (maybe even similar colour to his hair???)

CHOSO K.

❥ Choso is as quiet as a mouse when he walks in on you dancing to the soft lull of music, like a deer in headlights as he watches you.

❥ You freeze, eyes widening in shock when you notice him, a flush creeping up your neck as you stumble, embarrassed by his sudden presence.

❥ You try to explain, but he cuts you off with a soft chuckle, his calm demeanor making you feel even more self-conscious, yet his attention never wavers from you. “No! Don’t be embarrassed! That was all so cool and peaceful!”

❥ This boy is the type to have a packet of snacks and watch you as if he was in a theatre and you were the dazzling dancer many came to watch.

❥ Choso who’s so utterly infatuated with you would have his brain short circuit, he’d be the type to suddenly drop on one knee and pull out a ring box, spewing nervous nonsense about how much he loves you and wants to marry you, messing his original proposal plan!!!

INO T.

❥ I just see Ino being some kind of gamer (got an idea now) and too busy with his game to hear the classical Tchaikovsky music drift in through the crack of his door until he decided he needs a break.

❥ would follow the sound until he found you dancing, hair pinned up and your ballet slippers on, fluttering your arms and tip-toeing to the music before spinning around, embarrassed when you heard his low whistle.

❥ “Oh don’t stop because of me, mamas. Go on! Let’s see you do your thing!” (idk felt like he’d low-key speak somewhat Spanish) before ignoring how his phone buzzed in his pocket of all his friends wondering why he’s still AFK before walking over and taking a seat on any nearby chair.

❥ would try flex, saying how he could totally pull the Dirty Dancing move, having you skip to him before jumping into his arms, lifting you high above his head.

❥ though this would last a second before his arms would wobble and you’d go crashing onto him. “Tch, that was the wind, mamas, let’s try again.” He’d scoff.

SHIU K.

❥ This man in my mind can COOK, so he’s in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up showing his beefy arms, cigarette dangling from his lips, ears to full of the sounds of swing jazz playing and the sound of sizzling food to hear the tranquil music wafting from your room until he’s finished cooking dinner.

❥ he’d call out your name, wondering why he got no reply or see you coming down the stairs so naturally he wants to see what’s up, pleasantly surprised to see you so focused on practicing ballet, which was new to him, until you spot him, feet faltering.

❥ he’d give you such a wide grin, crossing his thick arms over his chest. “What’s this, doll?” He’d ask, while you mumbled something about ballet being an old passion of yours.

❥ at the dinner table, he’d constantly ask you questions, even if theyre basic like ‘what was that little movement you were doing when I walked in?’ while your explain it was a bit from the Nutcracker ballet dance you’d watch countless times.

❥ I feel like this man would know a guy who knows a guy, and have you perform small shows, even if the crowd is 100 people, before you slowly grew a name for yourself and was now a big deal in the ballet industry (coz you’re oh so good!!)

[blingblong55]

Perfectly symmetrical- Keegan P. Russ

Based on a request: Hiiii :D Idk if u do requests or whatever but can I please ask for Keegan comforting OCD reader? Preferably OCD related to needing things to be symmetrical? Also please tag me when it's out OK byeeeeeee :D ---- GN!Reader, fluff?, comfort, established!relationship ---- A/N: this is a really old request I just found...I also will only tag the person who request it because I dont know if anyone on my tag list wants to also read about ocd reader (I've been scolded once or twice by you<3)

The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the heater in the corner. Keegan sat on the edge of the couch, elbows resting on his knees, his sharp gaze flicking between you and the coffee table. Your breathing was uneven, and your hands trembled as you adjusted the objects in front of you.

You shifted the coasters—two on the left, two on the right—aligning them meticulously. The edges still didn’t look right, gnawed at you like an itch you couldn’t reach. You frowned, pulling them a fraction closer to the centre of the table, trying to match their placement to the imaginary grid in your mind.

“It’s off,” you murmured, more to yourself than anyone else.

“Looks fine to me,” Keegan said softly, but his voice carried no judgment. His tone was low, reassuring, like a ripple over still water.

“It’s not fine.” Your voice cracked, and you quickly set the coasters down, clenching your hands in frustration. “It’s wrong. It doesn’t feel… even. It’s all wrong.”

Keegan shifted, leaning back onto the couch. “Alright,” he said, stretching out a gloved hand. “Show me what you’re seeing. Maybe I can help.”

Your gaze flicked to him, your stomach twisting. “You’ll think it’s stupid.”

Keegan tilted his head, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, but not in anger. “I wouldn’t be here if I thought that.”

His simple honesty made your chest ache. Taking a shaky breath, you pointed to the coffee table. “The left side looks heavier than the right. The coasters need to be perfectly symmetrical, or it… I don’t know, it just feels wrong. It’s like… like something bad will happen if it’s not fixed.”

Keegan nodded, his expression serious. “Alright. Let’s fix it, then.”

You blinked. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to,” he interrupted firmly. “You think I’m going to leave you to fight this alone?”

His words grounded you more than you expected. Together, the two of you adjusted the coasters. Keegan moved slowly and carefully, asking for your input each time he adjusted. When he saw the tension in your shoulders ease, he stopped.

“How’s that?” he asked, looking up at you.

You tilted your head, inspecting the layout. The relief hit you in waves, like a burden lifting from your chest. “It’s… perfect.”

Keegan leaned back, watching you with a small, satisfied smile. “Told you we’d get there.”

You sank onto the couch beside him, your hands finally still. Keegan reached out, tugging the blanket from the back of the couch and draping it over your legs.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “Just breathe. I’ve got you.”

And for the first time that day, you did.

Tags: @genderfluodvoid

[elliezlils11utt]

“you cant heal a bullet hole with a band aid”

summary: after Seattle you move to the farm to help ellie heal, yet she cant seem to let go.

pairings: mentally unstable!ellie x over caring!reader

contents: sfw? tlou au, no baby au, ellie isnt in a good place, ellie is an asshole, reader has no self respect, angst with some comfort. non sexual intimacy!

a/n: i had such high hopes for this and honestly its a bit shitty. i dont write angst. 🤷‍♀️

“Hey baby. How was hunting? Anything good?” The crease in your back straightens on impulse as you stand from the table. She stumbles through the door and kicks off her boots. Her eyes look down towards her feet. She ignores your first question and replies bluntly to the second.

“the usual.” good, this is good. some words are better than none.You help her out of her coat and hang it on the wrack. Her eyes meet yours for the first time in weeks, a cold no where behind them. The green looking into you. Her eyes flutter down your body and don’t leave, it’s almost judgmental look.

“Right. Uh- I made us dinner! You hungry?”

“You made dinner? You didn’t have to.” She sounds tired. So fucking tired. She plops down In the seat with a heavy sigh. She watched as you follow her to the table. “why’d you dress up?” She asks in her low voice.

you set her dish in front of her. “I dunno, wanted to look pretty. Is it too much?” You smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles in the fabric and flash her a cute toothy grin.

“yah, It’s not really ‘dinner-table-wear’, js wish you would’ve told me you were doing all this.” she sounds almost annoyed. Her voice laced with exhaustion. your smile slowly drops. ‘You can’t fix a bullet wound with a band aid’ you tell yourself again. Those words ring through your mind as you slide into the chair across from her. You just hum in response. Your girlfriend leaned back in her chair and folded her arms over one another. Her eyes fixed on you for a split moment before returning her gaze on the table. Another heavy sigh.

“look, im sorry. js tired i guess”

“yeah i know, i get it!! don’t be sorry..” you pick at your food mindlessly. Now it’s your turn to sigh. You grab her hand from across the table. Ellies eyes trace over your face, taking in all of you like she hasn’t in weeks. Her eyes trail down your eyebrows, to your nose, to your lips and back up again. Your grip on her hand tightens for a minute. She just looked at you for the first time again. For a brief moment everything’s okay. The sun shining through the sheer of the curtains, Joel in the next room playing guitar, your Ellie’s there giggling along with you, and the god forbidden name “Abby” doesn’t exist in your world. But of course that’s only for a moment.

“I didn’t mean to be like this, I’m just exhausted…”

“I know, I know baby. you still hungry? Or want me to run you a warm bath?” Her hand tightens in your own.

“A bath sounds nice.” She leans back in her chair again, your fingers searching for hers as soon as they’re gone.

“ok els, of course. Go change and I’ll run the bath.”

Ellie disappears into the bedroom, and you let the bath run as you clean up the forgotten dinner. Ellie’s finally speaking to you. Maybe a dinner wasn’t what she needed but just talking to you. You don’t even care about the dinner anymore, just happy your girl was looking at you again. Really looking at you. The dishes clank in the sink, & your humming the tune to a song stuck in your head.

“Bath ready?” Ellie’s deep voice spooks you. As you turn around Ellie’s in her sports bra and boxers. scars lace her body, enveloping the entirety of her. Her abs littered with battle wounds and bruises. A green and purple patch apparent on her lower abdomen. her body has been through so much. it pains you to see her like this. these scars aren’t something that go away. god these remind you too much of what happened in seattle. how serious her injuries were then. you told her they would leave scars. you knew they would leave scars, but i guess a part of you wished they wouldn’t. ellie didn’t deserve them. A frown tugs and your lips. She catches you staring and pulls the towel in her hands over her stomach.

“Yeah, should be. Tell me if it’s too hot okay?” without words she stalks to the bathroom.

you lean on the doorframe as you watch her undress. “Do u want me to join you? Or do you want to be alone right now my love?” Your tone is so soft, you speak to her as if she could break at any moment. because she could.

“Please don’t leave me alone.” She whispers.

“Ok baby. Of course. I’m here.” You slip off your clothes and slide into the tub & motion for Ellie to follow. She steps in and lays her back to your chest, sitting within your legs. The two of you lay in silence just enjoying each other’s presence. She speaks up after a moment.

“I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole. I hate when I get like this.” there she is.

“I know, your going through a lot right now. It’s okay, I get it. Don’t apologize.” You wrap your arms around her. You can tell she doesn’t know what to say. How to explain herself. She feels bad for treating you unfairly but can’t seem to shake the words that describe how truly sorry she is.

“I guess I just feel guilty…” she trails off. “Y’know, for taking it out on you.” Her head tilts up so she’s half looking at you, her fingers tracing circles in the water. Responding to Ellie’s words is hard. Ellie lost her father, but you were there in Seattle. You were with her. You were the one who almost died for her. And you are the one here with her now. Whatever she’s dealing with you’re right there with her. You may not have known Joel as well, but the pain of seeing Ellie like this is like loosing her. Anything to help your girl.

“I can take it. I know you don’t mean it. so for you, I’ll endure it.”

silence.

she cant say anything to you. she feels she doesn’t deserve to. your too good to her. way too good. “you cant heal a bullet wound with a bandaid” you speak softly into her hair. “you dont have to say anything. i know. im sorry”

[krirebr]

"Good morning," Steve murmurs, his voice husky with sleep. His hand traces lazy patterns on your back.

This would fix me.

Steve nods, standing up. "I should head to my room to get ready." He kisses you on the cheek, and it warms away some of the unsettled feeling in your gut.

I just really love how physically comfortable they are with each other. The casual intimacy that's finally developed.

You climb the steps to the stage, joining Steve on the side. The roar of the crowd swells as you take your place beside him since you’re not technically backstage, and he reaches for your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The simple gesture, performed countless times over the course of the campaign, feels different today. More meaningful. More real.

I seriously considered pulling together every time they touch in this chapter. It's become one of my favorite things. Their closeness is just 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

She mounts the steps to the bus ahead of you, and you turn to look at Steve, tapping your hand to your heart and mouthing thank you to him. He bows his head, a soft smile on his face.

Uggggghhhhhh I love them. I love him. What a good man.

Ok! There was so much good, nice softness in this chapter. Very needed after what happened previously! And I know that things are probably going to come to a head with Ross, but I'm more confident than ever that this team will be able to handle it together.

And I sort of get her mom. Can you imagine what that initial "I'm marrying Captain America!" phone call was like? We don't even know how much information she gave her parents. She seems really close to her daughter. I think a little protective wariness towards the man who 'pulled her into this' is understandable. And I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

Another great chapter, Aspen! I'm thrilled to get to read it for as long as you want to keep writing it. 💜

Red, White & True: Tuscon [11/?]

Characters/Pairings: Steve Rogers x curvy Millennial Female!Reader, Bucky Barnes Word Count: 4.7k Summary: Even though you're dealing with the AI photo attack, the full day you spend in Tucson shows in many ways how the campaign is more than just this one issue giving you reminders of so many other things that matter.

Content/Warnings: political policy discussion, marriage of political convenience, slow burn

Notes: This takes place in a post-Endgame scenario where Steve stays and generally most of TFATWS happened.

Author Notes: The third offering for my Birthday Jubilee. Captain America divider by @firefly-graphics.

Previous Chapter | Series

↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

[OCTOBER 12 - TUCSON, ARIZONA]

The harsh ring of the phone on the bedside table rouses you into consciousness and you rolled over to reach for the receiver - trickier than you are expecting since Steve’s arm is draped over you.

“Hello?”

“Wake up call for you and Captain Rogers, ma’am,” comes the voice from the other end of the line. “Your prep team will be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you,” you respond before hanging up.

You roll back over and shimmy close to Steve again. He hums pleasantly, squeezing his arm around you as you nuzzle into his chest. You settle for a few more moments into the warm cocoon of sheets, blankets, and Steve, savoring the peaceful moment before the day begins. His chest rises and falls steadily beneath your cheek, and you can hear the gentle thrum of his heartbeat. For a few precious seconds, you allow yourself to forget about the challenges that await outside this room.

"Good morning," Steve murmurs, his voice husky with sleep. His hand traces lazy patterns on your back.

"Morning," you reply softly, tilting your head to look up at him. His blue eyes are still heavy-lidded, but there's a tender warmth in them that makes your heart skip a beat.

For a moment, you simply gaze at each other, neither wanting to break the tranquil spell. But reality intrudes as you remember the wake-up call.

"The prep team will be here soon," you say reluctantly.

He groans softly, his arms tightening around you for a brief moment before loosening. "Right," he says, his voice gravelly. "Another day on the campaign trail."

You both reluctantly disentangle yourselves and sit up. Steve runs a hand through his tousled hair, looking adorably rumpled in his white undershirt. Despite the looming pressures of the day, you can't help but smile at the sight.

"Thank you," you say softly.

"For staying last night. For being here." You reach out and squeeze his hand. "It... it meant a lot."

He brings your joined hands to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to your knuckles. "Always," he says simply, his blue eyes holding yours. “You’re my wife.”

You both stay there, lost in each other's eyes. There's something unspoken hanging in the air between you, a tension, a pull that's both heady and unnerving.

But before either of you can say anything more, there's a sharp knock at the door.

"Steve?" Bucky's voice calls from the other side.

The spell breaks. Steve clears his throat, and slips out of bed.

"Coming, Buck," Steve calls out, his voice still rough with sleep. He gives you an apologetic look as he quickly gathers his discarded clothes from the night before.

You slide out of bed as well, wrapping yourself in the hotel's plush robe. "I'll get the door," you offer, padding across the room.

When you open the door, Bucky greets you with a grin.

"Morning," Bucky says. His eyes flick from you to Steve, who's just emerged from the bedroom area still pulling on his wrinkled dress shirt. There's a hint of amusement in his voice as he continues, "Didn't mean to interrupt."

Steve clears his throat. "You're not interrupting anything, Buck. What's up?"

“No?” Bucky sighs. “Shame.” But then Bucky's expression turns serious. "I've got some developments on the photo situation."

You feel your stomach drop at the reminder of yesterday’s disastrous development. "Come in," you say, stepping aside to let Bucky enter.

The lighthearted mood from moments ago has evaporated. You and Steve exchange a quick glance before focusing back on Bucky.

"What have you found?" Steve asks, his voice now all business.

Bucky steps into the room, closing the door behind him. "I've traced the origin of those doctored photos," he says, his voice low. "They were created by a small digital marketing firm called Apex Solutions. On the surface, they're just another PR company, but they've got some interesting clients."

You feel a chill run down your spine. "What kind of clients?"

Bucky's steel-blue eyes meet yours. "The kind that like to stay in the shadows. They've done a lot of smear work for people who pay a lot of money for total discretion, but the people who do this kind of work aren’t good enough to be totally infallible or else they’d be doing something else with their skills.

“And?” Steve prompts.

“And their client list includes some pretty influential political donors."

You cross your arms, fighting the ick that’s squirming in your gut. “I hate this,” you murmur.

Steve steps closer to you, placing a hand on your shoulder. "I know," he says softly. "But we need to know what we're up against."

You nod, taking a deep breath to steel yourself. "You're right. Go on, Bucky."

Bucky continues, his expression grim. "We’re running all the names, but the one that’s most interesting to me is none other than Thaddeus Ross."

You feel Steve tense beside you at the mention of the former Secretary of State and advocate and defender of the original Sokovia Accords, which had finally been repealed. “That is a big name to be involved in something like this,” Steve says.

"Ross?" you ask, your brow furrowing. "I thought he was out of politics after the whole Sokovia Accords debacle."

Bucky nods grimly. "Officially, yes. But it seems he's still pulling strings behind the scenes. From what I've gathered, he's been quietly funding several political action committees and think tanks that align with his particular worldview."

Steve's jaw clenches, his hand tightening slightly on your shoulder. "And now he's resorting to smear tactics. I can't say I'm surprised, but I am disappointed."

You look between Steve and Bucky, sensing there's more to this than you know. "What am I missing here? I know Ross was behind the Sokovia Accords, but why would he be targeting us - or Steve - now?"

Steve plants his hands on his hips, letting out a heavy sigh. "Ross has never forgiven me for opposing the Accords. He saw it as betrayal, and he's been gunning for me ever since."

Bucky nods grimly. "Ross has always been more concerned with control than justice. He knows Rogers presidency would be his worst nightmare - someone with the power and influence he’s had on both sides of the aisle means he’s been able to pull many strings for a long time. He knows he not only won’t have a seat at the table with Steve at the helm, he won’t be in the room or even in the building.”

"So what do we do with this information?" you ask, looking between Steve and Bucky.

Bucky runs a hand through his hair, his expression thoughtful. "That's the tricky part. Jake and i have been taking apart different scenarios. Each of them has their own web of possibilities to navigate.”

Steve nods, his expression serious. "We have to be careful how we use this information. We can't just accuse a former Secretary of State of orchestrating a smear campaign without solid proof."

"Exactly," Bucky agrees. "And even if we had ironclad evidence, going public with it could backfire. It might look like we're trying to deflect from the original accusations."

You sink down onto the edge of the bed, feeling the weight of the situation. "So we're going to sit on this information and do nothing?"

Steve sits beside you, taking your hand in his. "Not nothing. We use it to stay one step ahead. Knowing Ross is involved gives us insight into what kind of tactics he might use next."

Bucky nods. "We can also use our contacts to quietly apply pressure. Let Ross know we're onto him without making it public. But one of the narratives that has really strengthened Steve’s campaign is his refusal to go low or sling any mud while the two other parties are continually hurling hate as they always have."

You saw the wisdom, you really did, and you knew it was harder for you to be objective since you were the target the arrow had been shot at, and so you took a deep, steadying breath and chewed on your lip.

You nod slowly, processing the information. "I understand. It's just... frustrating to know who's behind this and not be able to do anything about it directly."

Steve squeezes your hand reassuringly. "I know. But we'll find a way to handle this. We always do."

Just as you're about to respond, there's another knock at the door. Bucky, being closest, moves to answer it.

When he opens the door, Sophia stands there, tablet in one arm and a caffeinated drink for you in her other hand. Her eyes widen in surprise at the sight of Bucky.

"Oh! Good morning, Bucky," she says, recovering quickly. Her gaze flicks past him to where you and Steve are sitting on the bed, still in your nightclothes. "I... didn't realize we were having a strategy meeting this early."

Bucky steps aside to let in your assistant.

“Me either,” you respond, standing up to meet her and accept the drink. “Good morning, Soph,” you add warmly, genuinely happy to see her. She’s been a rock since her first day with you.

Steve nods, standing up. "I should head to my room to get ready." He kisses you on the cheek, and it warms away some of the unsettled feeling in your gut.

Bucky walks out ahead of him, but as he reaches the door, Steve pauses, turning back to you. "Hey," he says softly, "We've got this, okay? Together."

You nod, feeling a surge of warmth at his words. "Together. See you on the bus.”

Later that afternoon as you step off the campaign bus into the sweltering Tucson heat for your third event of the day, you're immediately struck by the vibrant energy pulsing through the crowd gathered at Reid Park. The expansive green space is a stark contrast to the arid landscape surrounding the city, and today it's transformed into a sea of red, white, and blue. Campaign signs bob up and down like waves, and chants of "Rogers for America" rise and fall in rhythmic cycles.

The Arizona sun beats down mercilessly, but the enthusiasm of the supporters seems to create its own cooling breeze. You can see Steve up ahead, his broad shoulders and golden hair catching the sunlight as he makes his way through the throng, shaking hands and exchanging words with voters. Even from a distance, you can see the way people's faces light up when they meet him, the hope and admiration shining in their eyes.

Following in his wake, you make your way through the crowd, flanked by Sophia and a couple of Secret Service agents. The energy is electric, a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere of the past twenty-four hours. Despite the challenges, it’s undeniably invigorating being here, seeing the passion and hope in people's eyes.

As you move through the crowd, you're struck by the diversity of faces. Young college students stand shoulder to shoulder with retired couples. A group of nurses in scrubs chat animatedly with a cluster of construction workers still in their hard hats. This, you realize, is the coalition Steve has been building - a true cross-section of America.

After yesterday's media storm, you're not sure what kind of reception to expect at any appearance anymore. But as you make your way through the crowd, you're met overwhelmingly with warm smiles and encouraging words.

"We're with you!" a middle-aged woman calls out, reaching for your hand. You grasp it, feeling a surge of gratitude.

"Thank you for standing up for women," a young college student says earnestly as you pass.

The positivity is heartening, but you can't help but notice the handful of protesters at the edges of the crowd. Their signs bear harsh slogans, some referencing yesterday's false accusations. You steel yourself, remembering Steve's words from this morning. Together, you can handle this.

As you approach the stage, you catch sight of Jake off to the side, deep in conversation with a local campaign volunteer. He gives you a nod and a smile as you pass, and you can see the relief in his eyes. After yesterday's chaos, this event seems to be going smoothly so far.

You climb the steps to the stage, joining Steve on the side. The roar of the crowd swells as you take your place beside him since you’re not technically backstage, and he reaches for your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The simple gesture, performed countless times over the course of the campaign, feels different today. More meaningful. More real.

Steve leans in close, his lips nearly brushing your ear as he speaks over the noise of the crowd. "Ready?"

You nod, smiling up at him. "Let’s do this."

He gives your hand another squeeze as the city’s mayor introduces the two of you to come forward and join him.

The applause is thunderous. Steve waves to the crowd, his smile genuine and warm. You stand beside him, your hand still clasped in his, feeling a mix of pride and nervous energy.

"Thank you all for coming out today, Tucson," Steve begins, his voice strong and clear. "We're here to listen to you, to hear your concerns and your hopes for our great nation. You've got questions, and I'm here to answer them. Let's get started!"

As Steve begins taking questions from the crowd, you marvel again at his ability to connect with people. He listens intently to each person, responding with thoughtful, nuanced answers that go beyond simple soundbites. It’s plain to see why he's been gaining ground in the polls - he has a way of making everyone feel heard and valued. Whether it's about healthcare reform, climate change, or foreign policy, his responses are clear and concise, peppered with personal anecdotes that make complex issues relatable.

"Captain Rogers," a middle-aged man in a plaid shirt calls out, "what's your stance on immigration reform?"

Steve nods, his expression serious. "That's an important question, sir. Our immigration system is broken, and it's hurting families, businesses, and our economy. We need comprehensive reform that secures our borders while providing a fair, humane path to citizenship for those who are already here contributing to our society. You know I’m a New York boy. The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor as a beacon of freedom and a figure welcoming - even inviting - the people of the world to come to America. ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’ We turn our backs on that, and we turn our backs on what saved so many of our ancestors and made us who we are. We need to streamline our legal immigration processes, invest in smart border security technology, and create a system that's fair, efficient, and upholds our values as a nation of immigrants."

The crowd erupts in applause, and you feel a swell of pride. As he elaborates on his plan, you notice a commotion near the back of the crowd. A small group of protesters has pushed their way closer to the stage, waving their signs more aggressively. You tense slightly, but Steve remains calm, his voice steady as he continues to address the crowd.

"Now, I know not everyone agrees with my stance," Steve says, his gaze moving to the protesters. "And that's okay. That's what democracy is all about - the free exchange of ideas. But I believe that we're stronger when we work together, when we treat each other with respect and dignity, regardless of where we come from."

His words seem to diffuse some of the tension, and you watch as a few people in the crowd turn to engage the protesters in conversation rather than confrontation. It's a small moment, but it encapsulates everything Steve's campaign has been about - bringing people together, fostering dialogue, and finding common ground. They continue to hold their signs, but their chanting dies down as Steve goes on.

"Ma'am," Steve says, pointing to a woman near the front. "You had a question?"

The woman, her gray hair pulled back in a neat bun, steps forward. "Captain Rogers, I'm a retired teacher. I'm worried about the state of our education system. What are your plans to improve it?"

Steve nods thoughtfully, his expression earnest. "That's a critical issue, ma'am. Thank you for your service as an educator. Our teachers shape our future generations."

He pauses, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "Education is the cornerstone of our democracy and our economy. We need to invest in our schools, our teachers, and our students. That means increasing federal funding for education, raising teacher salaries, and modernizing our school infrastructure."

Steve begins to pace the stage, his passion for the topic evident. "But it's not just about money. We need to rethink how we approach education in the 21st century. That means emphasizing critical thinking skills, creativity, and adaptability alongside traditional subjects. We need to prepare our kids for the jobs of tomorrow, many of which don't even exist yet."

As Steve continues to outline his vision for education reform, you notice the sun beginning to dip lower in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the park. The crowd remains rapt, hanging on Steve's every word as he seamlessly transitions from education to discussing renewable energy initiatives and job creation.

Steve's energy never wavers as he addresses each new topic with the same thoughtful consideration, whether it's about renewable energy initiatives or plans to support small businesses. The questions keep coming, and Steve keeps answering, his passion and sincerity evident in every word.

As the town hall draws to a close, Steve delivers a final message that leaves the crowd buzzing with renewed hope and determination.

"Thank you all for being here today," he says, his voice carrying across the park. "Your questions, your concerns, your hopes - they're what drive me every day. We're facing big challenges as a nation, but I believe in the strength and resilience of the American people. And I believe the American people are more important than any political party and the partisan politics we’ve been beholden to for far too long. Together, we can build a future that's brighter, fairer, and more prosperous for all."

The crowd erupts into cheers and applause as Steve concludes his speech. You step forward to join him at the center of the stage, your hand finding his as you wave to the enthusiastic supporters. The energy is electric, a palpable sense of hope and possibility hanging in the air.

You make your way off the stage, and you're immediately surrounded by your team, with Jake at the front, a satisfied grin on his face. "That went well," he says, clapping Steve on the shoulder. "The crowd loved you both."

It’s the first time Steve’s spoken outright for an end to party politics, and it ignited a completely new kind of energy.

Sophia hurries up, tablet in hand. "Great job out there," she says breathlessly. "Social media is blowing up with positive reactions. #RogersForAmerica is the top trending hashtag across three platforms!��

The event had been livestreamed over multiple platforms. The plans had been in the works for weeks, hoping to capitalize on a potential surge in interest after the interview with Oprah aired, but the scandal breaking the day before brought even more eyes wanting to look and see what Steve was doing more seriously now.

As you bask in the afterglow of the successful event, you begin to make your way through the dispersing crowd towards the campaign bus. The setting sun paints the sky in vibrant hues of orange and pink, casting long shadows across the park. The air is thick with the scent of food trucks that have set up shop on the outskirts of the event - the aroma of sizzling tacos and sweet kettle corn mingling with the earthy smell of the desert after a warm day.

You and Steve make slow progress, stopping frequently to shake hands, pose for selfies, and exchange a few words with supporters who linger. The energy is still palpable, with people buzzing about Steve's speech and his vision for the future, and there weren’t any more campaign obligations scheduled for the night killing two birds with one stone so you could mingle with people and let the internet go to work processing what they’d just seen. You overhear snippets of excited conversations, words like "hope" and "change" floating on the evening breeze.

A young girl with braids tied with red, white, and blue ribbons shyly approaches you, clutching a well-worn copy of a children's book about the Avengers.

"Mrs. Rogers," she says softly, "would you sign my book?"

You kneel down to her level, touched by her request. "Of course, sweetheart," you say with a warm smile. "You know I’m not in the book though, right?”

“But you should be!”

Your heart wants to burst into a hundred happy pieces. “Well, maybe one day you could be, too! Do you want Steve to sign your book?”

“No, just you,” she says shyly.

You look up at her parents behind her, the mom filming on her phone. You give a small wave and then reach for the book. “What's your name?"

"Sophia," she replies, her eyes wide with excitement.

You can't help but chuckle at the coincidence. "That's a beautiful name. I have a friend named Sophia too."

The little girl's eyes light up. "Really?"

You nod, opening the book to the title page. "Really. And she's one of the smartest, kindest people I know. Just like you seem to be."

As you sign the book, you ask, "So, Sophia, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

The girl puffs up her chest proudly. "I want to be President, just like Captain America!"

Now your heart wants to burst into a thousand pieces.

You feel a lump form in your throat, touched by the girl's innocent ambition. "That's wonderful, Sophia," you say, handing the book back to her. "And you know what? I believe you can do it. Never let anyone tell you that you can't achieve your dreams."

The girl's mother steps forward, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you so much," she says softly. "You have no idea how much this means to her... to us."

You stand up, smiling at the family. "It's my pleasure. This is my favorite thing that has happened today, I mean that."

Steve, who had been chatting with a group of veterans nearby, makes his way over to you.

"Everything okay?" he asks softly, noticing the look on your face.

“More than okay. That interaction wiped away so much of the tough stuff I’ve been sitting with for sure.”

The day starts to catch up with you, but it was in no way as bad as the day before. Although the discourse online and in the media was still heated over all the fallout associated with the Oprah interview and the AI photos, that had bled only slightly into the interactions in person today - a true saving grace.

As you approach the bus, you notice someone familiar standing near the entrance talking to Bucky. It takes a moment for your brain to make out who it is, but when you register her signature hair style, stance, and mannerisms your heart skips a beat.

"Mom?" You say in disbelief as you rush forward.

"Hello," she says with a smile, opening her arms for a hug, and that single word wraps your heart in a warmth you didn’t know you desperately needed.

You embrace her tightly, feeling tears prick at the corner of your eyes. It's been so long since you've seen her, not since your wedding day, which feels like a lifetime ago in campaign time.

"What are you doing here?" You ask as you pull away from the hug, wiping away stray tears.

"Steve called," she says simply. "He thought you could use some moral support."

You shake your head in awe. From all you knew, Steve hadn’t had any real contact with your parents. This had you at a loss for words, grateful for his thoughtfulness and making the effort to start building a bridge with your mom.

"Well, I'm glad you're here," you finally manage to say. "Let's go inside."

She mounts the steps to the bus ahead of you, and you turn to look at Steve, tapping your hand to your heart and mouthing thank you to him. He bows his head, a soft smile on his face.

As you follow your mother onto the bus, she looks around in amazement at all the decorations and posters featuring both yours and Steve's faces.

"This is quite the setup," she comments with a chuckle.

You nod in agreement. "It's a different speed, for sure."

Your mother turns back to face you and can’t seem to stop smiling. "I'm so proud of all that you've accomplished, even if politics isn't exactly my area of expertise."

"Thanks, Mom." You knew that admission was a white flag of its own. You hadn’t had a lot of time to check in with your parents throughout the campaign, but your marrying Steve and joining the campaign had been a point of friction between you and your mother.

Still, you were so glad to have her here now, and she seemed to want to start on a new page, without the tension.

“How long will you be with us?” you ask.

“Until Friday,” you calculated that would give her two full days on the trail with you, “unless you want me to stay longer than that. But I know you’ll be busy, I don’t want you to fuss over me.”

"Friday sounds perfect," you say, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. "I'm so glad you're here. We'll make the most of the time."

Your mother nods, her eyes crinkling with warmth. "I'm looking forward to seeing this big adventure. Now, tell me everything."

As you settle into one of the plush seats on the bus, you begin simply by recounting the events of the day. Your mother listens intently, asking questions and offering words of encouragement. It feels surreal to have her here, in the midst of this whirlwind campaign, but her presence is grounding.

Sophia briefly interrupts to bring you both some dinner from one of the food trucks, and as you eat, you finally get into the events of the past few days - the Oprah interview, the doctored photos, the media frenzy. Your mother listens attentively, her brow furrowing over the difficulties you’ve had to face. Talking to her about it feels different than talking to anyone on the campaign - even Steve - because she knew you before all this - since birth, obviously - and it helps to give you more perspective, stripping yourself back from the enormity of what it has become while living it every waking moment of the day.

The staff begin to trickle back onto the bus, and you put your mother-daughter discussion on hold as you introduce her to different members of the team. Your mother is one of the most friendly women you know, you’ve grown up watching her seem so at ease generating small talk and interacting with strangers, making them feel welcome and like they aren’t strangers, and you’re glad to see her make quick connections with this group of humans who are in your orbit every day.

So it’s all the more jarring when that is not the case with Steve when he boards the bus and comes to sit by you.

For his part, he tries to greet your mother warmly. "I'm glad you could make it," he says, his voice sincere, and yet there’s something timid about it. "Thank you for coming."

Your mother smiles at him. "Of course I came, Steven,” she says. So formal. And there is just a hint of something being held back in her eyes.

Your eyes dart between them as you feel the palpable awkwardness in the air.

The next few days are perhaps not going to go the way you thought…

next part: coming 1/17

Hi, Mom! 🤭

But don't go hating on your mom yet! Remember how things went when we found out about your former husband Jeff, and trust me until next week! 🙏🏻

Also, I had said there were only going to be 12 chapters, and then last week adjusted that to 13, but... now I'm taking off the estimate. I thought this was going to be kind of a drive by highlights chapter to cover a lot of ground between October 12 and the first Tuesday of November, but that was silly. We all know me and how I've authored this fic. Any hopes of that were just SILLY SILLY SILLY. This chapter was inching up toward 8k, and that was just feeling like a lot to me. So you have a minimum of three chapters coming after this, but there's a slight chance it could even be four.

↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

I do not do tag lists, but FOLLOW @buckets-and-stories and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to be updated any time I publish a new work!

[skyward-floored]

first of all HIII HOW YA DOINNN :DD I HOPE UR GOOD YIPPIEEE

second, so i've heArd ur taking requests on ur incredibles au (IAU),, im right?

so in the first place i was going to ask something for Four (cuz Four my baby in every universe), BUT then Hyrule came to my mind, so maybe something about them both?? like, idk the relationship with those two (i'm really sorry if you already said that-), but i'll love to see the boys being bros, like, Four coming home after a bad day at school? idk like so much homework or something?? and then Hyrule comes and says: "yeaaah, you need a hug" or something Hyrule would do in this au

idk i'm not the best at expressing myself ;-;

HI THERE HELLO I’m doing ok at the moment! life has been kind of insane lately but we persist 👍

I tweaked your request just a tiny bit but here’s something with Four and Hyrule! Hope you enjoy it :)

————————————————————

Hyrule looked up from his book as he heard his brothers all troop in, kicking off shoes and backpacks and chattering about the day they’d had at school. Hyrule didn’t mind being homeschooled, but he did like to hear about the stuff that went on in his brothers’ days. Usually he rode along with his mom to pick everybody up and he heard everything then, but they’d needed an extra seat for some reason that Hyrule didn’t remember. Maybe they were dropping somebody extra off? He forgot.

Well long story short, Hyrule had five brothers’ news to catch up on, and he wanted to hear it.

Hyrule set aside his book, finished with the chapter he’d been in the middle of, then got up to grab a snack and listen to the gossip. He’d just made it to the doorway when a hand suddenly snagged his arm, giving it a little tug.

“Oh, hey Four,” Hyrule said, looking down at his little brother who’d suddenly appeared beside him. “You have a good day at school?”

Four shifted his weight, his face half hidden behind both his hair and the hood of his jacket. “Um, sorta. Can... I talk to you? Alone?”

Hyrule blinked. “Uh... sure?”

Four nodded and quickly tugged him down the hall, and Hyrule followed, feeling a mixture of bemused and worried. Why was Four so eager to talk to him? Was something wrong?

Four pulled Hyrule into the laundry room, the thump of the drier running blocking most of the noise from their siblings. It was a good place to go if you didn’t want to be overheard... which only made Hyrule more concerned.

“Okay Four, what’s this about?” Hyrule asked, and Four shifted his weight, then pulled his hood down and brushed back his hair.

Revealing a black eye and swelling up cheek to match.

“Whoa! Four, what happened?!” Hyrule asked in alarm, and Four frantically shushed him, looking around for any of their other siblings. Everyone was still down the hall though, and nobody seemed to have heard him over the drier.

“It’s just a black eye,” Four said awkwardly, and Hyrule got to a knee, carefully taking his cheek into his hand so he could look at it. “Um... can you fix it?”

“Well yeah, I can, but I kinda want to know what happened first,” Hyrule said. “Did someone hit you?”

Four shuffled his feet, looking awkward. “Just some other kids,” he mumbled, messing with his hoodie sleeve. “They were bugging me about my height, and I tried to just leave but they wouldn’t let me and I fought back... not very well.”

“At least you tried,” Hyrule said sympathetically, swallowing back his anger. Why would someone pick on Four? “Here, I’ll see what I can do. Bruises are tricky sometimes, but I’ll do what I can.”

Four nodded, and they both sat down with their backs against the washing machine. Hyrule lightly ran his hand along Four’s cheek and eye, wincing as he studied it. The whole side of Four’s face was beginning to swell, and his eye was mostly closed, the color dark and shiny. His little brother winced as he lightly prodded it, and Hyrule gave him a sympathetic look. Black eyes hurt.

Hyrule drew his healing powers up, lighting a hand in blue, and carefully ran his palm over Four’s cheek again. The swelling began to go down, the bruised color slowly fading with it. Hyrule managed to get it to the point where the bruise was just barely visible and the swelling was mostly gone before he stopped, and he smiled at Four.

“There you go. I did what I could— it’s still a little off, but hopefully nobody will notice too much. I’ll look at it again tomorrow to make sure it’s still good.”

“Thanks ‘rule,” Four sighed, leaning against him. He still seemed glum, and Hyrule fixed some of the hair that was falling from his ponytail.

“Did they hurt you anywhere else?” he asked gently, and Four hesitated, then shook his head.

“Not really. They pushed me around some, but the face was the big thing.” Four sighed. “I wish Dot hadn’t been at the dentist. Nobody messes with her.”

“Really? Nobody?” Hyrule said, and Four nodded his head.

“Yeah, her dad is on the school board,” he replied back with a smirk, and Hyrule chuckled.

Four fell quiet, and Hyrule looked down at him, still feeling worried. He could heal physical injuries, sure, but the emotional part? Hyrule didn’t know how to fix that. And if Four had been bullied... that was more on the emotional side than Hyrule was good at.

Should I go get Twilight? He’s way better at this than me...

Hyrule swallowed. He’d give it a try first.

“So... you didn’t tell anyone else about what happened?” he asked, and Four looked at his lap.

“No. I didn’t want a big fuss, and you know everybody would go on the warpath,” Four said with a sigh. “It wouldn’t help.”

“You can’t let those guys beat you up, though,” Hyrule said. “And if Mom and Dad find out you’re hiding injuries from them...”

“I know, I know. I’d been avoiding them okay up until now,” Four said with a miserable sigh. “I just slipped up today. I’ll be more careful.”

“You’re sure?” Hyrule asked seriously, and Four nodded.

“Sure. And anyway if they try again I know what not to do this time,” Four said with a wave of his hand. Then he winced a little and rubbed his cheek. “I don’t want a fuss.”

Hyrule nodded sympathetically, and Four was silent for a minute, head resting on his shoulder.

“You said they were teasing you about your height?” Hyrule asked quietly, and Four nodded.

“Yeah. And something about being a nerd too, but I think that’s just cause I won the spelling bee last week. I don’t know.” Four sighed and nestled a little closer against him. “...You’re not gonna tell anyone about this, are you?”

Hyrule hesitated. That was a loaded question. “...Not if you don’t want me to. But Four... you can’t just let those guys keep bothering you. You can’t tell a teacher or anything?”

Four squirmed, and fiddled with his hoodie strings. “I mean... I could. I just... everybody always thinks I’m too small to do anything. I want to solve this by myself. I don’t want to be useless,” Four said miserably, and as he shrunk into his jacket, Hyrule felt his stomach sink.

“You’re not useless, Four,” he said softly, and Four grumbled.

“Sure. I’m just tiny and powerless. Those are both useful traits,” he said bitterly.

“Being small doesn’t mean you’re useless, and neither does being powerless,” Hyrule argued. “You’re the smartest kid I know, Four. You’re seven years old and you know almost as much math as Wild does!”

“Well... yeah, but—”

“You won the school-wide spelling bee!”

“Okay but—”

“You made that working model of a catapult that dented the wall when you demonstrated it!”

“Okay okay, I get it,” Four said, face red. “But I still want to fix this myself. Please don’t tell anyone?”

Hyrule looked at him intently, and Four met his gaze, eyes determined and pleading.

Hyrule sighed.

“Okay. I won’t say anything. But if those guys hurt you again, you have to tell Mom and Dad, okay? And if you won’t then I will. I don’t want you to keep getting hurt,” Hyrule said worriedly, and Four agreed with a tiny nod.

“Okay. Thanks Hyrule,” Four said gratefully, giving him a quick squeeze, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Hyrule returned it.

“No problem. I’m glad I could help,” Hyrule said softly. “And... I’m sorry they said those things about you.”

“It’s okay. They were just jerks,” Four mumbled, but he tucked his face a little more against Hyrule’s shirt.

Hyrule patted his back, and they sat there in silence for a little longer, the drier’s steady thuds still blotting out any conversation in the rest of the house. Hyrule still wanted a snack though, especially after healing, so after a little while he gave Four a light poke.

“Want to get some food?” he asked, and Four raised his head and smiled.

“Yeah, I do.”

The two of them finally stood and headed off to the kitchen, and got there just in time to hear Wind’s story about how Tetra had convinced their substitute teacher to let them watch a movie in class.

[polkasharks]

ITS FINALLY FINISHED GODDDDDD !!!!!!!FINALLY TOOK THE TIME TO DRAW OUT MY BLUE TEAM FACECANONS ALL AT ONCE….. all in one sitting !! ^_^ 7 hours of work help me help me. Red team (including Doc ofc) + Carolina will come at some point…. I’ll prob make another separate sheet for the freelancers and another for the Chorus cast !! ANYWAY See below for some notes/explanations and shtuff :3

Alpha and Epsilon— No huge differences, I gave Epsilon curlier hair and facial hair closer to the Director’s because Alpha’s body is intended to be Private Jimmy which I have a whole different ramble prepared for that but I will spare everyone. Just wanted to set them apart in hair texture mostly ! Also Alpha looks significantly more repressed to me and that’s deliberate. Virgin Alpha vs Chad Epsilon. Anyways moving on

Tucker— OKAYYY OKAY my work for him here is my favorite :3 I’m biased incredibly but. Cough. Anyways. I like glasses Tucker I’m shameless about it. Honestly my three designs for him are all just amalgamations of my favorite things I see in fanon… also I did NOT forget to add his lenses in his second design that was deliberate because I think it’d be cool if all the alien biz fixed his eyes and he just popped the lenses out because he wasn’t ready to let go of them yet. 110% not projecting trust (lie) Also for the Chorus trilogy I did wanna make a point of him looking a lot more tired and fed up with shit becsuse!!! Damn !!! He is !!!! But yeah everythingb else is pretty standard in fanon … metrosexual good looks 😝!!!!

Caboose— Weirdly enough I had the most trouble w/ Caboose ? I wanted him to initially (as in during bgc) look pretty simple and standard and over time kinda grow into himself more I suppose …. I have yet to fully work on my red team hcs but its funny because my Donut and my Caboose share that in common big time. Chorus trilogy mini ponytail was a necessity I forever fuck with mullet Caboose honestly I just didn’t feel like expressing thag properly.

Washington— Wash … my everything….. wow…. He is not a white guy to me shrugs. During PFL I imagine he was never caught lacking roots wise His shit was prob so fucking fried 😭😭PUT THE BLEACH DOWN!!!!!!! Recovery One and allllll the Meta bullshite and stuffs obviously he stops giving a fuck about his appearance in general and keeps up just enough with cutting his hair for it to be convenient. Redemption Wash is pretty self explanatory he’s graying he’s tired he’s the happiest and the most miserable he’s ever been all at the same time he’s trying his best and its ok Also his scar is fading it’s not as noticeable as I wanted it to be but I didn’t feel like adjusting.

Kai— I literally just had fun with her😭😭 I was so close to abandoning this by the time I started working on her I just needed to have fun. I think she’d appreciate that sentiment . Decided to go with long hair AND short hair bc I love Kai both ways and didn’t wanna just pick one also I just think it’s silly that instead of growing it Out from a regulation cut she chops it all off lol.

Tex— gggguhhh Texas save meeee Texassss….. wanted her to look like Allison of course just sharper and rougher around the edges. I didn’t feel like including a second vers at this point when I could just share my vision here but I like the thought of her second incarnation coming back with black hair instead

Side note because my style doesn’t rlly allow for it LOL.. I could’ve made it work just didn’t feel like it— I imagine Alpha is also set aside from Epsilon in that his eyes are brown; not the Director’s green. Tex as well lacks Allison’s blue eyes and instead has completely black !

Also you may notice some overlap in coloring ignore thaaaatttt thanks 😇💜

[canirove]

Canary boy | Chapter 5

Previous chapter | Next chapter (coming out on Tuesday)

Masterlist

“I know that smile.”

“Holy shit, Inés!” Carla says, her phone almost falling from her hands. “Was that necessary?”

“Yes, it was. Who is he?”

“Who is who?”

“The guy you are texting with, Carla.”

“I'm not texting with anyone” she says with a nervous laugh.

“Of course… not!” I say, snatching her phone from her hands.

“Inés!” she complains. “What are you doing?”

“It sucks, doesn't it? Now you know how I feel when you do it” I say, sticking out my tongue and unlocking her phone. She says I need a password, but she's had the same one for years. “Wait, Mario?”

“Give me that!” she says, managing to retrieve her phone before I can read any of their messages.

“Are you texting with Mario? With Pedri's friend?”

“No.”

“Carla…”

“Ok, fine, yes. I am. Is there any problem with that?”

“No, no. But I thought nothing had happened between you two the night we met him.”

“And it didn't” she says. 

“You exchanged numbers, tho.”

“Yes, we did. But that's it.” 

“I knew you had liked him” I smile. “Cute.”

“Yeah, whatever” she says, hiding her phone and starting to get changed. 

While I'm doing the same, it's my phone the one that pings. A new message from… Pedri? Why is he texting me today? He is supposed to be on his romantic getaway with Nerea. 

Good luck, Inés. Show them what you've got 😉💙❤️

“Now you are the one smiling” Carla says. “What does canary boy say?”

“He's Canarian, not a canary” I reply, rolling my eyes. “And he is just wishing me luck.”

“He is texting you while away with his girlfriend?”

“Yeah” I shrug, sitting down to put on my boots.

I had had to tell Carla about everything that had happened during my visit to the campus. About how possessive Nerea had been with Pedri while he was cold and basically trying to avoid her. About how she had talked to me and hinted about knowing that I liked him, something that had made Carla scream an “I told you” so loud I'm sure my neighbours heard her. About how he had been a completely different person with her and when he had said goodbye to me. And, of course, about what Vic had said: that Nerea was jealous of me, which was something I still didn't understand. 

Why would someone like her be jealous of someone like me? She is clever, confident, beautiful. People turn their heads to look at her when she walks by and leave fire emojis on her photos, something I have never seen on mine. And even though I know I'm not stupid in any sense or an orc from the depths of Mordor, no one looks twice at me or leaves fire emojis in my photos. Not even Víctor has left something like that when he comments. The closest thing you could probably get to seeing one, is if I posted a photo of my face after a preseason training session or Pedri winking at me. 

“Inés, if she finds out, this is gonna get messy.”

“It's just a friend wishing luck to another.”

“Yeah, but one of those friends happens to be her boyfriend, and the other fancies him” Carla says. “And if things don't seem to be ok between them according to what you told me the other day, and she can't  stand you, her finding out about this can make it all be very…”

“Messy” I sigh. 

“Exactly. So maybe, until they figure things out, you should take a step back and stop texting him. Because Inés, I know you, and you've definitely started to get your hopes up after finding out that things with his girlfriend aren't what they seem on Instagram, and to think about your own love story with Pedri. And don't try to deny it, I know it is true.” 

Of course it is true. I mean, I've been imagining my life with him since the moment I met him. Though this time, knowing what I know and what I've felt when I've been alone with him, when he has touched me, when he has almost kissed me… It all feels more real. And more dangerous too. Because if it hurt when I found out he had started dating Nerea, if now they somehow managed to fix things…

“I just don't want him to break your heart, Inés” Carla says, taking my hand on hers. 

“I know” I smile.

“Good” she smiles back. “Now let's finish getting ready, we have a clásico to win.”

“We do. And Carla…” I say, stopping her before she gets up from her seat. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Inés” she says, kissing my cheek. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Tell us, Inés. How does it feel to score your first goal with Barcelona’s first team, doing it against Real Madrid, and to win the game?”

“Honestly? I have no words” I laugh.

Because I had just done everything that the reporter had mentioned. That, and also be named player of the match. Someone please come and pinch me. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Inés, we need to go inside. It's getting late and you still haven't showered.”

“Just two more people, please” I say to the staff member that has stayed with me while I sign autographs and take photos with the fans after finishing all my interviews. 

“Fine” she sighs. “Two more.”

“Thank you” I smile before turning back to the stands and to signing t-shirts, posters and whatever you could think of. And while I'm signing the last t-shirt…

“Fancy some churros, Inés?”

“I beg your pardon?” I say, looking up at the owner of that voice. “Pedri?”

“Hello” he says with that smile of his that makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

“What… What are you doing here? I thought you were away!”

“I was.”

“You… you…”

“Inés, we have to go” the staff member says behind me.

“Just one second, please.”

“We can't, Inés. C'mon.”

“But…”

“I'll be outside waiting for you. Now be a good girl and do as you are being told” he smirks.

“I… I…” I mumble, opening and closing my mouth like a fish. If my face had stopped being as red as a tomato after the game, now it was back to burning. 

“Inés?”

“Yes, sorry. Sorry” I say, following the staff member. But before we disappear through the tunnel, I look back one last time at Pedri. And there he is, smiling and…

“Inés, are you ok?”

“Yes, yes. I just tripped with a water bottle someone left over there” I quickly say. A water bottle, or Pedri's wink. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Did you know he was coming?” I say to Carla the moment I walk into the changing room. 

“What?” 

“Pedri.”

“He's here?” she gasps.

“On the stands, yes. We just talked while I finished signing some autographs.”

“But that's… that's not possible! He was away with Nerea! He… Mario.”

“What?”

“Mario asked me for a ticket for the game, but then this morning said he couldn't come because he wasn't feeling well.”

“So you think…”

“That he gave it to Pedri.”

But why? Why would he give him his ticket? And why would Pedri ask for it in the first place? But most importantly… Why wasn't he with Nerea?

“Inés… Inés!” Carla says, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

“Hi, yes, what.”

“Come back to earth and focus. Because this doesn't change anything and things can still end up getting messy, ok?”

“Yed” I nod. “But he told me he was going to wait for me outside.”

“Then you go say hello and then back home. Alone.”

“Alone” I repeat.

“Good. Now go shower, you stink.”

“Hey, show some respect to the player of the match” I say, hitting her arm.

“Meh meh meh” she replies, sticking out her tongue and making me laugh. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Hello, Inés.”

“Hi” I say when I meet Pedri in the car park. He's leaning against a car with his hands in his pockets, looking… well. Looking like he does basically 24/7: hot as fuck. 

“May I drive you home?”

“Since when do you have a car?” I ask him.

“I rented it for the weekend, and since it got cut short…” he shrugs.

“Did something happen?”

“Nerea got that virus we talked about the other day.”

“And Mario?”

“Uh?”

“Did Mario also get it?”

“He… no” he says with a shy smile. “That was a little white lie. Hope you and Carla aren't too mad at us.”

“I'm not. But Carla… you may have just lost your roommate.”

“Oh, well” he shrugs again, making us both laugh. “Anyway, may I give the player of the match a ride home?” Pedri says with his most charming smile.

“You may” I giggle. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

Flash forward a few hours. We are now in my kitchen, Pedri carefully putting some olives on his pizza while I just stare at his mouth. Because when he is focused, he pouts. And if his lips look very kissable just by existing, now they look… well, you can imagine.

“Done” he smiles after putting the last olive. “Can you open the oven for me, please?”

“Of course” I say. “Now what?” I ask him after he's put the pizzas inside and closed it.

“Now while we wait, we clean.”

“Are you seriously telling me that after the day I've had, now I have to clean? That the player of the match has to clean her kitchen?” I ask him with a teasing smile.

This is the joke we have had going on since leaving the stadium. That since I had been the player of the match, I deserved to be treated like a princess, and that was why he had offered to drive me home or to make me dinner. 

Remember what Carla said about taking a step back? Yeah, not happening.

“If your kitchen is a mess, it's your fault, Inés” Pedri says.

“Mine?”

“Who was the one who knocked the flour bag?” he asks me.

“Ok, yes, that was me. But it was your fault.”

“Mine?” he laughs.

“Yes, you. I was focused on my pizza, and you scared me when you walked past me.” When he walked past me, and when he touched my waist. My t-shirt was twisted on my apron (this time I had convinced him to wear one), and my skin was showing. So when I felt his fingers touching me…

“Not my fault that you are clumsy, Inés” he shrugs. 

“Me? Clumsy?” I say, taking a step forward towards him.

“Yes, you” he says, doing the same.

“Ummm…”

“Inés!” he gasps when I quickly cover my finger on flour and run it over his cheek.

“Sorry. I'm just a clumsy girl” I shrug, trying really hard not to smile. Who are you and where is shy Inés?

“Clumsy… clumsy…” 

“Pedri!” I gasp when instead of just one finger, he covers his whole hand on flour and rubs it all over my face.

“Now you look like a Real Madrid t-shirt” he laughs.

“Like a… You asked for this!” I say, taking a handful of flour and throwing it at him, starting what from now on will be known in history books as “the flour war”. 

“Inés… Inés, stop. I need a break” Pedri says after running like crazy around my kitchen throwing flour and each other, both of us laughing like two little kids. 

“Already?” I tease him.

“Yes, already. Only one of us is a professional athlete, you know?” he says, grabbing a glass and pouring himself some water.

“Weak.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said… weak” I smirk.

“That was so rude, Inés. So so rude” he says, pouring himself more water. But this time he isn't drinking it. He is walking towards me with the glass full to the rim.

“Pedri, what are you doing with that water?”

“What do you think?” he asks with a mischievous smile.

“You won't dare throwing it at me, will you? I'm covered in flour!”

“And so am I, Inés. Right now I look like a Targaryen.”

“So do I.”

“You do. But white hair doesn't suit you, so it's time we wash it.”

“Pedri, don't. Please don't do it, don't… Pedri!” I scream, closing my eyes and waiting for the water. Though it never comes. 

“You can open your eyes, Inés. I'm not going to do anything, I was just teasing you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Ok” I say, slowly opening my eyes. “Pedri!” I gasp when he splashes my face. 

“Sorry. Couldn't help myself.”

“You… You…” I say, looking for something I can use against him.

“Inés, did you just throw an olive to my face?”

“Maybe” I shrug. 

“That hurt!”

“Oh, c'mon. Don't be a baby, Pedro” I smirk. Seriously, tho. Who is this woman and where has my usual shy persona gone?

“You asked for this.”

“No, Pedri. Pedri!” I yell, when he threatens to empty the glass of water in my head. But like he said, I happen to be a professional athlete and manage to dodge it. “That was so sad” I laugh. 

“Don't make fun of me, Inés.”

“Or what? Will you throw another glass of water at me and miserably miss?” I chuckle.

“I may do this instead” he says, putting the glass down and pinning me against the wall with such speed that I only have time to gasp as I feel his body against mine, his hands resting at each side of my head. “Now who is the one laughing?”

“I… I…” I gulp. He is so close, that our noses are almost touching, his chest squeezing mine. And when I say mine, I say my boobs. And I'm wearing the thinest of bras, so he is definitely feeling it all. 

“You've been a very bad girl, Inés” he smirks, pushing me a bit more against the wall. “We are gonna have to do something about that.”

“Something?” I manage to say.

“Yes. Some kind of punishment” he says, looking at me in a way he had never done before, his eyes almost black. “And I think I know the perfect one” he says as he moves his hands from the wall behind me, one resting on my waist while the other caresses my jaw down to my neck and to my collarbone, making me gasp. 

“Pedri…” I whisper, my whole body already on fire.

“It's gonna be ok, Inés. Don't worry” he says before biting my skin where my neck and shoulder meet, making me gasp once again, my hands moving on their own and grabbing his t-shirt. But he doesn't stop there. He keeps moving up my neck, biting, sucking and kissing my skin, noises I didn't know I could make leaving my mouth. “Inés…” he whispers against my neck, pushing his body against mine even more. We are so close now, that I can feel all of him. All of him. Jesus fucking Christ. 

“Pedri” I hear myself moan when he kisses me somewhere close to my ear. Who knew being kissed there could feel so damn good?

“God, Inés…” he says as he starts kissing my jaw, now both his hands on my waist, grabbing it with such intensity that I'm pretty sure I'll have bruises tomorrow. There, and all over my neck. Though I may burst into flames first, because the heat I'm feeling is not normal. 

“Pe… ah!” I scream when someone rings my apartment’s doorbell.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Pedri asks in my ear, the feeling making me gasp for the millionth time in the past few minutes. 

“No.”

“Then ignore it” he says. But as those words leave his mouth, the doorbell sounds again. 

“I should probably go check who it is.”

“Urgh” he groans, kissing that first spot he had bitten and taking a step back, the heat I was feeling leaving with him. At least part of it, because I don't think this is going anywhere any time soon. 

“It'll be just a minute” I tell him before leaving the kitchen to answer the intercom, taking deep breaths to somehow make myself relax. Ha! Good luck, Inés.

“And?” he asks me when I'm back, already busy cleaning the kitchen. 

“Someone has sent me flowers.”

“What?”

“Yeah” I shrug. “The delivery guy is coming up.”

“And are you planning on answering the door looking like that?” he chuckles.

“Looking like… shit” I say, looking down at my apron and my clothes. I still am covered in flour.

“Here, let me help you” Pedri says, picking a kitchen towel and holding my face by the chin while he cleans it, my skin burning where he is touching me. See? That heat wasn't going anywhere. “There, much better” he smiles. “Though we must do something about the hair too” he says as he moves to stand behind me, first untying my apron and taking it off me, and then undoing the braid I was wearing, running his hands through my hair as flour surrounds us everywhere. Why is all this turning on me as much as everything he did before? “Now. Perfect” he smiles again as he moves to be in front of me, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. It's a miracle that I am still standing. “Go open the door.”

“What?”

“The door, Inés. The delivery guy just rang.”

“Yes, the door. Yes. Sorry” I say, my brain remembering how to function and making me walk.

“Who has sent you flowers? A secret admirer?” Pedri asks me when I'm back again. 

“My family” I say. “Neither of them could be at the game, and they've sent me this.”

“Oh, that's nice. You have two older sisters, don't you?” he says while cleaning around the kitchen. “I think you posted about them recently on Instagram.” There he is again, paying attention to what I post and remembering it. But why? Why, why, why. 

“Yes, for their birthday. Ingrid and Irene.”

“The three of you have names that start with an i?” he chuckles.

“Yeah” I shrug. 

“Are you close?” 

“Could be worse.”

“What does that mean?”

“They are ten years older than me, and they are twins. They didn't need anyone else, they already had each other.”

“Wait, ten years?” Pedri says after checking the oven. I had completely forgotten about the pizzas. “What happened there?”

“My parents tried to save their marriage. It didn't work.”

“Oh. I'm sorry, Inés.”

“Nah, it's ok. They got divorced when I was three and I don't have memories of them together, so” I shrug.

“Have any of them remarried?”

“My mother. She married when I was eighteen and moved to Manchester, her husband is from there.”

“So you stayed with your father?”

“Not really. He's constantly traveling because of his job, so since one of my sisters works in Madrid and the other in Paris, I've basically been on my own.”

“Welcome to the club” he smiles. “And the pizzas are ready. Can you bring a couple of plates, please?”

“Sure” I say, doing as he has asked me. “What about you?”

“Uh?”

“Your family.”

“I'll tell you about them the day you come to my place and cook and clean for me.”

“What?” I laugh.

“I think it's fair” Pedri shrugs. “These have to cool down before we can eat them, so while they do it, I'm gonna wash myself a bit and stop looking like I just came from filming “House of the Dragon”. Don't touch them, ok?”

“I won't.”

“I'm serious, Inés. They say fire can't kill a dragon, but we aren't real Targaryens” he smirks.

“I didn't know you were a “Game of Thrones” fan” I chuckle.

“I'm full of surprises” Pedri winks before leaving the kitchen and me, obviously, trying to remember how to breathe. 

He's seriously gonna be the death of me.

[crowwithacomputer]

Random Jayvik headcanons

I firmly think Viktor moves around at night because he struggles finding a comfortable position for his leg and back, until he finds the weirdest position that makes him look like he had a fight with someone, and often those positions lead to snoring.

Jayce is very tame around sleeping and usually doesn't move much, and doesn't snore easily. But if he does snore. Oh boy. Everyone get out of the building there's an earthquake we're all gonna die.

Viktor has a tendency to talk while sleeping. When Jayce is sleeping with him at times he wakes up because he feels Viktor's breath tickle his skin and he'll hear "I told him to fix it... And then they all died... The pineapples were good, thanks..." And never talk again during the rest of the night.

Jayce has the WORST case of bed hair ever to exist in the history of the whole world

Jayce says he uses kaomojis ironically but he uses them often enough to not be able to say he doesn't like them. Here's an example:

Viktor: hey I need you to come to the lab quickly, I have to show you something

Jayce: ok

Jayce: (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿)

Viktor: ?

Jayce: I'm going

Viktor: the emoji

Jayce: that's me

Jayce: and this is us (⁠●⁠’⁠3⁠)⁠♡⁠(⁠ε⁠`⁠●⁠)

Viktor: oh

Viktor: :)

Viktor and Jayce often give massages to each other. Actually like really often, since Jayce comes from the forge very sore and Viktor struggles with his back and leg pain. It's like a normal thing people would see if they came in the lab at any time. They just talk normally during it, too.

Viktor draws designs for canes he wants to have. He has 2 or 3 to choose from so he can match his vibe. But when his illness got worse and he needed the bigger cane he stopped drawing and just used that one. He didn't really care at that point.

I think this is canon but Jayce bites his fingernails. When he was little he was the type to bite too far and get to the part that was glued to the skin, but when he grew up (after his mother told him too many times) he just bit them as far as the white part goes, keeping them a healthy short. That's why in the cave his nails didn't seem to grow longer.

Also, if Jayce is not biting his nails he's biting something else. Viktor gifted him a baby teething toy once and broke it the next day.

Viktor puts music on his record player to get ready for work. Usually jazz, classical, or something with no lyrics. Example of song I think he likes:

Viktor likes music with no lyrics most of the time. During the day he'll hum the song he was listening to in the morning.

Jayce can't read sitting like a normal person. He has to do circus contortionism. If he doesn't he'll just not read at all.

Viktor naturally has really soft and low maintenance hair, and Jayce needs to put a thousand products in it to keep it barely fine (curly, thick, greasy hair that grows extremely fast and it's prone to frizz). A lot of his activities revolve around his hair wash day so he can do public and important activities when it's just washed. He used to shave before because the beard made him look a lot older, but also because he has a history of ingrown hairs that made his life impossible, so he kept it clean shaven.

Viktor LOVES very intensely Zaun's fast food. And often brings some to the lab:

Jayce: Hey, what's that? *pointing to a greasy open box Viktor's carrying*

Viktor: *entering the lab* Cheese slugs!!! Do you want some?

Jayce: ... Excuse me, what?

Viktor: Cheese slugs *walks towards Jayce and hands him the box. Inside there are around 10 slugs covered with cheese sauce, it smells like pure grease, various types of cheese and humidity* They're really good.

Jayce: Viktor, uh... That's... No, thank you.

Viktor: Come on! They're delicious *he grabs one and eats it, getting cheese all over his lips. Then, he licks them like he ate the absolute best meal of his life*. If gold was food, this would be it.

Jayce: No, no, thank you but-

Viktor: *grabs one and puts it in front of Jayce* Eat it.

Jayce: *with disgust, he takes a bite from the slug while Viktor holds it. Viktor awaits, but Jayce almost immediately turns a shade of green and grabs the nearest trash can and throws up like he just ate poison* What the fuck... What the fuck is this, V...

Viktor: *outraged by his response* A delicacy. *grabs the box and goes to sit in the nearest chair to keep eating* Not my problem that you can't appreciate a good meal when presented to you, Talis.

Jayce writes quick poems in his notes. Just small stuff that barely rhymes and/or has structure, but it's cute.

Viktor reads Jayce's notes when he's not looking. He's very nosy in general. He subtly asks Jayce about council matters or stuff that happens at meetings and parties (Jayce knows what he actually wants to hear, Viktor is everything but subtle)

Viktor does go to certain parties and meetings, the only thing he does not do is go places that he knows are going to be filled to the brim with people or any sort of presentation with lots of people looking. He does talk to people, but only when talked to. People notice him because Jayce goes to him every time he finishes a conversation and rests his head on Viktor's shoulder. Because of this, Viktor always carries two beverages in case Jayce needs something quickly.

I think, in canon, something happened between them. I don't think they ever actually fucked, but they have definitely kissed with tongue (multiple times) and almost had sex once they were really drunk. They got interrupted because Sky was looking and screaming for them because a fire started in the lab (they were working on something and left some cables loose and connected to a current) and there was no fire extinguisher because they used the last one and didn't think something would happen again, so they didn't buy one right away. Now they have two that, for legal reasons, need to be checked every six months. They never talked about that night again because both thought the other one didn't remember.

Also, this convo:

Jayce: *coming from the forge* Hey V, we ran out of copper and I can't make the bronze to finish [pieces for a project]. I called the suppliers and they said they're not sending any until next month. What do I do? I can't change to steel since we ran out of iron already for [insert another type of piece for a project].

Viktor: I know a guy *grabs his cane and goes to the door*. If anyone asks, I went home because I felt really dizzy and needed to lay down. Something about my back brace. Got it?

Jayce: Yeah, but where are you going?

Viktor: If I told you I would have to kill you.

Jayce: 😦

Viktor: I'm joking! ... But don't say anything *walks out*

*three hours later*

Viktor: *with a cart full of boxes, entering the lab slowly as he tries to get the cart into the lab without breaking the door frame while walking with the cane, he looks exhausted* Put these in the forge. But not immediately. We have to hide these and you grab from here when you need anything.

Jayce: What the fuck is this?

Viktor: Ah... Just a... A bunch of scraps.

Jayce: *he walks up to him and helps him with the cart. He opens a box, it's filled with parts and cables in really good condition* There are not scraps, Viktor.

Viktor: If someone asks, they are.

Jayce: But V, these are-

Viktor: You talk too much, did you know that?

That's it for now 🫶🏻

[dreadpirateella]

I promise we will get back to our regularly scheduled turtle posting soon but guys I have to yell about Sonic 3 bc ohhhh my gosh

Sonic 3 spoilers below!!!

this movie, y'all. I should preface this with the fact that I know next to nothing about Sonic outside of the live action universe, so a lot of my excitement comes from my limited knowledge of this franchise

Shadow is so much different than I thought he would be! Keanu did a phenomenal job voicing him imo. He made him seem a lot more like a person with actual feelings than I thought he was before I watched this. I kinda had an idea in my head that Shadow was this emo angry kid and didn't know why but this was an incredible subversion of those expectations and I'm so glad his character is the way he is!! He's so interesting to watch. His realization at the end that this definitely isn't what Maria wanted (or what he wants) was just so incredible. I loved his team up with Sonic!

Honestly the entire story of Shadow and Maria was just so devastating to watch. It's so important for how the audience views Shadow for us to see that past and how happy he was so that we can understand why he wants revenge so bad. It's so so so good and his sacrifice at the end of the movie was incredible. The fact that he was willing to give up his life to fix his mistake just says so much about who he is.

and Maria's line of how the light still shines even after the star has died was beautiful. That sentiment is just so heartwarming <3

Also I'm an "always watches the credits" girlie so YES I SAW THAT SCENE AT THE VERY END MY BOY IS ALIVEEEEEEE

and SPEAKING of credits scenes, THEY'RE MAKING ANOTHER MOVIE???? WITH AMY???? HELLO????? let's freaking go I'm so pumped

Knuckles and Tails were more of sidekicks in this movie than in the ones before, which was a tad bit disappointing. I know that with as many characters that are in this universe it can be hard to balance screen time between them all, but still. I think watching an entire show focused on Knuckles skewed my view a bit too, so that could just be my like weird warped perception throwing me off idk (and my love for Knuckles is definitely throwing me off haha)

I loooove the way Robotnik's story ended!!! He died doing something good, and I just rly like that. The closure of the plot line between him and Agent Stone was wonderful too!!

Maddie and Tom were (as always) absolute MVP's here! I love that they give the boys freedom to go do what needs to be done, but they're also always willing to get involved and help. It's wonderful I love them a lot <333

SPEAKING OF TOM????? dude I was PANICKED OHHH MY GOSH and Shadow's immediate regret at seeing how upset Sonic was GAHHHHH :(((((( SO glad Tom's okay bc omg I woulda lost it. I loved how Sonic was fueled by his grief and OH the part where Knuckles was gonna fight him over the master emerald but backed down bc he wanted to keep his oath???? that stabbed me in the heart I love him

Ok I'm done yapping thanks for reading my nonsense <3333 I actually can't express my excitement over these goobers I just love them so so so much

[thelibraryoferebor]

Rarepairs for When You Wanna Switch it Up

Woah, it's been a while since I posted, but I still haven't stopped reading tolkienverse fics, so I have a large backlog of fics to recommend. It's just the matter of getting them on a list and to you guys that's the trick...For your sanity I encourage you to consider this blog all but retired, even though I am going to try to get out the lists that I've had in the works for a while.

This list is basically what it says: rarepairs. Except, rarepair doesn't actually mean that the pairings are all that rare, just that the central pairing isn't Thilbo, Gigolas, or Barduil, since that's what I recommend the most of!

Enjoy!

~H

Spaces Between Us by Linguistic Jubilee 

|| general - 7.9k - completed - Di/D ||

Thorin pauses. “You have to understand that what I am about to say is so uncomfortable for me that I would almost rather fight the white orc again than continue, but. Dis. You must be blind if you cannot see that Dwalin stares at you the way you stare at him.”

Notes: Ok. So. I love Dis/Dwalin so much. Like I'm not even sure entirely why, but I adore it. This fic especially kinda like encapsulates all the lovely feels of the two of them and I think does really well by both characters and is just so worth reading. Even if you're initially iffy on the ship idea, give it a shot, you won't regret it. Also, mayhaps be looking at a whole Dis/Dwalin post in the future.

In Loving You With My Whole Heart by Lapin 

|| teen - 11.3k - completed - F/O ||

After the song comes on the radio, Ori is determined not to forgive Fíli. But it's not the first song Fíli has written about him, and it likely won't be the last.

Rock Band AU

Notes: This fic guys. It's just. So cute. And I love the Ori centric POV. It's desperately romantic and angsty all at the same time. I want more.

Fear and Family (Or, the One Where Kíli Is the Sensible One) by Lumeleo

|| general - 43.7k - completed - F/O;K/Ta;T/B ||

After the Battle of Five Armies, Bilbo isn't sure of his welcome in the mountain, and thus returns to the Shire as soon as he can. Somewhat to his surprise, Ori goes with him -- but it turns out Ori has his own reasons for leaving Erebor behind. Well, Bilbo's quite used to being the talk of the Shire.

The line of Durin might suffer of thick skulls, but fortunately Kíli is less stubborn than his uncle and brother, and decides to fix things, even if that means taking his newlywed wife for a ride all the way to the Shire and beyond. Of course, he doesn't yet know what he'll see there -- but he does know how to fix things. Even if it means giving up his claim to the throne.

(Let's not kid ourselves -- that's his favourite part.)

Notes: This is a bit of a fandom classic, tbh. I think that Kili is, tbh, the best part of this fic. He's so fun to read and I love the relationship between him and Tauriel (ofc) but also between him and Ori and Bilbo. The bond between Bilbo and Ori is also perfection.

One Hit by littlebrownshoe (Wolfy_Tales) 

|| general - 7.9k - completed - D/O ||

Dwalin was so busy making sure Thorin understood the gifts Bilbo graced the king with that he did not give much time to think over the items Ori gave him. It took the scribe giving Dawlin a punch to get him to finally realize.

Notes: Awww, Dwalin. That's how I felt for most of the fic, though sometimes it became an arghhh Dwalin instead. Definitely worth reading.

Settling Down by Shay_Moonsilk 

|| general - 1.8k - completed - F/O;D/N ||

Dori wants his brothers to settle down with a nice dwarf, but will he like the ones they chose?

Spoiler: Yes he does.

Notes: DORI!! He's so cool. So protective. So traumatized. I love him. And how much he cares for his brothers. Their relationship is explored and discussed in such a lovely way in this fic and I <333333 it.

I’ve Been Looking for You by Resacon1990 

|| teen - 28k - completed - D/O;T/B;D/N;Bo/N ||

It starts on the wrist when you're young. The first words your soulmate will ever say to you are tattooed in a colour, red, green, yellow, blue, any colour each with their own meaning, and the day they're said and the moment you touch your soulmate is the moment they travel up to settle on your forearm.

Five stories, five different bonds, five endings.

Notes: This fic I read a long time ago, but I remember enjoying. I believe that it follows each pair in it's own chapter which is cool. But it also has a lot of interesting discussions about soulmates and almost the impracticality (???) of it, or the ways in which the system is imperfect.

A Perfect Match by Chamelaucium 

|| general - 38.4k - completed - D/O;Bo/N;T/B ||

Bilbo tries his hand at match-making. What he doesn't expect is to find his perfect match in the process...

Notes: This is a classic trope. Almost the reverse of the Dwalin trying to get Bilbo and Thorin together fic from above. Def worth your time, a sweet little thing that just makes you feel fluffy.

In Carven Oak by bubbysbub 

|| not rated - 26.3k - completed - T/B/D ||

It's Yule time when Bilbo arrives back in the Shire- with a host of Dwarrow at his back, the sentimental lugs. Except now the assorted Aunts and Uncles have gotten quite the wrong idea in their excited interrogation, and he's stuck pretending that he's married a few of the hairy fellows.

If he could just get through the assorted required Baggins and Took social events without outing himself as a complete fibber or drunkenly attempting to kiss Dwalin and Thorin under the mistletoe, it may just be a Yule miracle.

Another attempt at writing a common trope fic that went completely off the rails.

Notes: Ok so I know this is still technically Thilbo, but it also includes Dwalin who is epic. I really love how casually the polyamory is treated in this and I think that it is a great introduction to polyamorous ships in fanfiction if you're curious about it.

Heavy with Many Burdens by moonbeam (luvsbitca)

|| mature - 39.8k - completed - D/O;T/B ||

Bilbo leaves Thorin and the company following Thorin’s words before the BoTFA unaware that he is taking more from their relationship than a broken heart. Months later Dwalin finds Bilbo in need of help in the Shire when he is delivering Bilbo’s share of the treasure. He remains in the Shire unaware that he is leaving Ori behind in a precarious situation.

Notes: This is such a sweet fic with Dwalin and Bilbo's relationship especially feeling particularly special. Poor Ori and Thorin, though. It all ends well in the end, though!

Back in My Right Place by frodomybeloved (rosequartzstars) 

|| general - 11.2k - completed - Fr/S;T/B ||

When Frodo is sick in time for Bilbo and Thorin's visit from Erebor, they spend an evening watching over him, along with a presence that has never left his side: Sam Gamgee. It is Sam who finally puts Frodo on the road to recovery with the unlikeliest of remedies— a kiss.

Eleven years later, Frodo is recovering at Rivendell, after being mortally wounded by the Witch King at Weathertop. He has been asleep for three nights, and already Sam fears he might never awaken. But when all looks dire, the same cure might be the thing to restore Frodo to life.

A story of two parallel evenings, years apart, created from art by YamBits (#98) for the Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang 2021.

Notes: One extended word: awwwwwww.

[wave-nine]

Hello Nine I love your funny art and how you stylize the calcium boys! They are all so fun and cute and sexy and and AH I LOVE THEM ALL! 💙✨

I was wondering if you would like to share how you see differences between Cash and Money? I remember you saying somewhere that Cash lost his brother(?) that sound interesting and I'm really curious! And maybe how Cash/Money see others like you did with the Mutt/Pup differences if that's not too much! ... I'm feeling really nosey about Cash

WAAAH thank you so much!! 🥰💖💖💖

I'm surprised someone remembered! That's right, his brother is dead and it's the reason Cash ends up a self-serving scumbag; after all, there was nothing stopping him from becoming the worst version of himself. If it will benefit him he is 100% going to screw you over.

Money, on the other hand, may be greedy but is much more reasonable. Will he steal your wallet? Yes. But would he scam you??? ... also yes. Hahahaha where was I going with that. Nowhere. He's not as terrible, though.

I'd actually drawn what the dogs thought of Cash for that post as well, but I didn't include it so here it is...

I won't do the same thing for them, but here's another simple relationship chart instead. With Cash at the center, of course!

[bluutooth]

Finally finished this

She's so cute bro omg also I love Dohna biggest Dohna fan alright make it know

[arsenicflame]

stede is 'oh this place has something related to my interest i must go in immediately' autistic and izzy is 'if we deviate one inch from my plan for today i will murder someone' autistic

[edgymilkshakeart]

two of them

[daemon-in-my-head]

Sometimes I can sit down and actually get shit done. Sometimes I can attempt that realism bit. And then I get too tired of blending, so whatever the fuck this is happens, and I'll just accept it. Close ups under cut.

[whentherewerebicycles]

nothing gives you insight into what parenting styles produce what types of kids like college essay coaching!! I feel like within 30 min of talking to a kid you can tell exactly what their parents chose to value/center in raising them… and you can also tell whether they’re going to have a rocky or reasonably smooth transition to adulthood as a result. if you were wondering the kids who are happiest and most secure in themselves tend to have parents who:

are warmly interested in their kid’s interests and engaged in their lives but give them LOTS of space/autonomy to explore those interests on their own and are in no hurry to rush in to “fix” things for their kid

communicate respect for their child and trust in their child’s ability to make good decisions and handle their own shit responsibly. it’s kinda wild how much pride kids take in their parents trusting them!! maybe you the parent don’t always get to see that (I assume that even teenagers who have good relationships with their parents are still teenagers lol) but as an outside person working with your kid, it is so so obvious that kids know when their parents trust them and derive a lot of self-esteem from being worthy of that trust. it is also painfully obvious when the parent can’t let go or trust their kid, so the kid internalizes a strong sense of “they expect me to fail/fuck up and they are just waiting for it to happen.”

encourage kids to try lots of different things and to derive fulfillment from the experience of doing things instead of external awards

treat and speak about others with empathy and respect. the kindest kids are the most secure kids and the most secure kids are the kindest. let your kids see you consistently interact lovingly and generously with others!! if they hear you constantly critiquing, tearing down, nitpicking, complaining, etc they seem to internalize an uneasy, insecure sense that this is how others must perceive them and they become soooo much more closed-off, guarded, risk-averse, unsure of themselves, and vulnerable to shaming or being shamed

set high standards for their kids in terms of doing well in school and committing to their activities, but make it very clear that these things are not a “means to an end” (get good grades to get into a good college) but are about learning how to work hard, persevere through difficulties, honor the commitments you’ve made to others, and develop a strong, grounded sense of self-esteem. honestly the kindest thing you can do for your teenager is to make it super clear that it does not matter where they go to college because you are so warmly confident in their ability to thrive wherever they end up

model having warm, loving relationships as an adult with friends and extended family. just in general the happiest kids are the kids who are surrounded by people who love them, listen to them, and are invested in their well-being!! the kids who, when you ask them to tell you about their closest relationships, spontaneously talk about people who aren’t just their immediate family but also their aunts and uncles, grandparents, family friends, beloved teachers or coaches, etc