#but she says ''you mean Nick?'' and he's like ''the most important man in the room''

[sage-nebula]

3-5 should have ended with that incredible moment of Dahlia being exorcised from Maya's body. The fact that it drags on for so fucking long after that because Godot can't just give it up for bad-man-sad-man reasons (that the game uses Phoenix and Maya to try to convince you are so noble even though the alternative to him confessing is an indictment for Maya) drags the entire case down by a significant degree.

[traveler-at-heart]

Cat's out of the (super) bag

Summary: Natasha doesn't like going on missions with you. Learning the truth might make her change her mind.

Natasha Romanoff x F!R

Big thanks to @soggy-wet-cat for hearing this idea before I wrote it :)

--

Fury was going soft.

That was the only way to explain your presence on most of Natasha’s missions.

Rogers, she gets. He’s a super soldier and as capable as Natasha is, it doesn’t hurt to have an enhanced individual around.

But you.

Always slow, always too relaxed for Natasha’s liking. Insisting you could do more, but last week you weren’t even able to pick a lock.

Not to mention how much you avoid hand to hand combat. Natasha suspects it’s because your skill level is very low.

“She’d do better out of the field” Natasha complains for the tenth time. Fury smirks. “This isn’t funny. I’m risking my neck to protect her and she’s not even worried about getting better. I’m not doing missions with her anymore”

“Now, hold on” Fury protests. “That’s not for you to decide. And I thought you trusted me”

“It’s her I can’t trust”

“Too damn bad. You have a mission. No Rogers this time. And I better hear it went well, Romanoff”

Natasha rolls her eyes and leaves his office.

It will only go well if she convinces you to sit and wait at the jet.

—

“What did you do to piss off Romanoff?”

“Morning to you too, Nick” you smile, placing a cup of coffee in front of him. “I don’t know. It’s pretty obvious she doesn’t like me”

“I know that. Have you done anything to upset her?”

“I barely speak to her and when I do she doesn’t answer” you shrug your shoulders, going back to every interaction you’ve had with the redhead. Her intense glare comes back to haunt you. “Do you think she knows?”

“You tell me. Did you screw up?”

“I keep a low profile. Like you asked me to” you nod, knowing how important this is for him.

“Better stay that way. You’re both leaving for a mission tomorrow” the man hands you a folder and you skim it. “Keep your head down and don’t make her angrier”

“Is that even possible?”

“You don’t wanna know”

—

It’s a mess from the start. You try to stay away from Natasha, but every time your attempts go in the worst way possible. Like when she’s walking down the jet, and you move aside so she has space. Except you end up pushing a few buttons on the console and Natasha has to come back and straighten the ship.

“Stay still” she mutters, glaring. You nod and sit on your hands, more concerned with the woman’s temper than about the mission.

“Wait here” is all she says after landing the jet.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a very simple mission” Natasha says, without looking at you, focused on adjusting her widow bites. “So, if you really want to help, stay out of my way”

“That’s not the plan. I’m supposed to watch the south entrance”

“They’ll never even noticed I inflitrated the building”

“You’re not my boss. Fury is. And if he wants me to stand outside and watch the south entrance, then that is exacly what I’ll do, Natasha”

The redhead finally turns back to look at you, surprised. This is the first time she’s seen you upset. You’re walking past her, not bothering to look her way… have you always been this tall? It always seems like you’re trying to look small.

“Hey” Natasha tries to make you turn, grabbing your arm. She’s surprised by how strong you are. “You better not screw up. Or I’ll make sure you’re on desk duty for the rest of your career, Y/L/N”

“Oh, now that’s funny. I’ve been here far longer than you” you lean forward, whispering. Natasha tries to understand what you mean, her eyes scanning your features for a sign. Aware of how close you are to her, you take a step back and jump out the door, ignoring the ladder.

Ridiculous, to think that you (you!) are an incompetent agent.

Maybe Fury was wrong for asking you to do this.

You’re kicking the ground, huffing every few minutes, still fuming at Natasha’s words. All this time, you thought she didn’t like you and though it sucked, you could live with that. But saying you were bad at your job when it was the exact opposite makes you see red.

“Y/N?” Natasha says over the comms.

“Here” you answer.

“A little help”

Those three words make your stomach drop. Natasha asking for your help?

This must be life or death kind of bad.

“Tell me where you are” you ask, breaking into the building.

“Intelligence room. Surrounded by at least 20 guards”

“Use the vents to go out and grab one of their vehicles. I’ll distract them”

“You’re gonna take down 20 people all on your own?”

“Just do as I say, Romanoff”

It feels good to finally use all your strenght. You practically rip open a door that sets off an alarm, and then you throw a couple of grenades around.

Now, all eyes are on you.

Sure enough, it takes them a few minutes to come find you, but you’re ready to shoot at the first guards, and when the second wave has gone through their ammo, you prepare for hand to hand combat.

“I’m out but there are two individuals after me. Towards the east, away from the jet”

“Got it. Gentleman” you turn to the man. “Change of plans. Let me go or die. Whichever is fine by me”

They laugh, until you send one of them flying across the room, his neck snapping.

“Who’s next, ladies?”

—

How could this mission have gone so wrong? Now Natasha is navigating the snowy road on a motorcycle, being chased by two of the guards and dodging their bullets.

The cold air is stabbing her hands and face but she has to keep going. She is too far away to communicate with you, but hoped you had the good sense of going back to the jet.

She’d find a way to survive.

Or maybe not, as she notices a third motorcycle joining the chase.

Through the rearview mirror, she sees the new person approaching one of the guards. A fight ensues and an exchange of shots. Next thing Natasha saw was the motorcycles colliding.

“Y/N?” she tries the comms, hoping you aren’t stupid enough to be knocking down people. Whoever those two were, the force of the hit was enough to kill them.

And yet, one of them begins to run after Natasha and the man still chasing her. The figure is fast approaching, which is ridiculous, considering Natasha was going 150 miles per hour.

The brute is clearly scared, as his movements become more erratic, trying to get rid of Natasha and the mysterious figure at the same time. He shoots behind him and then at Natasha, getting to one of the tires in her bike.

She tries to keep the handle steady, but can’t turn on the curve ahead of her. Natasha is sent flying directly to a river, the cold water making her momentarily paralized. The currents confused her, and she couldn’t tell up from down. She swam and swam, until her arms were too tired.

She began to drift, and the last thing she saw was a shadow hovering above her.

—

“Natasha? Nat?” you plead, doing CPR as gently as you can. You don’t want to add cracked ribs to her list of injuries.

Finally, after what felt like hours but were only seconds, Natasha lunges forward, coughing and throwing up water. You hold her head, helping her until she can breathe again.

“I’m freezing” Natasha complains, looking around. “Did we lose them? How did you…” she then turns to you and widens her eyes. “You’re bleeding”

“Yeah, he shot me. It’ll stop in a second. And yes, we lost them. Though I’m sure HYDRA is sending more people to track us down. Come on” you stand up, offering your hand. Natasha takes it and is once again surpised by how strong you are.

Your body is also warmer than hers, even if you dived to rescue her. On pure instinct, Natasha comes closer, practically melting against your body heat.

“You’re hiding something” she states and you chuckle.

“Now’s not the time. Come on, I’ll carry you. There must be a safe house close to the river”

Natasha climbs to your back, and as if she weights nothing, you walk down the river, trusting she’ll keep an eye for any place to hide.

Sure enough, after ten minutes of walking, the redhead gets your attention and points at the right. There’s a small cottage hiding between some trees.

“Here” you say as you kick open the door, not bothering to find a key. You set Natasha down and go around the place, looking for blankets and anything that will make her warm.

“Did it stop bleeding?” she asks, looking at your abdomen. You nod, placing a blanket over her shoulder and checking for other injuries. “Are you a super soldier?”

You smile, thinking that Fury will be up in arms. But technically, you didn’t tell Natasha. She figured it out.

“Yes”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Who else knows?” Natasha says, pulling the blanket closer, as if it will help her cover from you as well. It’s clear she doesn’t trust you right now.

“Fury asked me to keep a low profile. He’s the only one that knows. I think he’s concerned about the integrity of SHIELD. You know him, keeping an ace up his sleeve”

“How long have you known him for?”

“Thirty years, give or take. My existence is top secret, and I spent some time away from the job. My father died, and he was the last person that I knew before everything, so… it was hard, I guess”

“I’m sorry”

“Me too. I didn’t like lying to you or pretending to be something I’m not”

Natasha kicks herself for not noticing sooner. It’s so glaringly obvious now that she has to roll her eyes at herself.

Your build, the fact that you never seem to be tired or catching your breath. Hell, the fact you never train with anyone else.

Natasha made an assumption and ran with it, instead of trying to see past it.

“Hey, you ok?” you ask, craddling her head in your hands. “Did you hit your head? Feel dizzy?”

“I’m just cold”

“We can’t start a fire” you regret, looking out. “Here” you pull her closer, your arms going around her shoulders. She tries to protest, but whatever she was about to say dies in her throat as soon as she feels how warm you are.

“This suit is all wet” she says, pulling away and taking it off. “Don’t look or I’ll kill you”

“Uh… what is going on?” your eyes dart to the ceiling, blushing. Then, you feel Natasha’s cold skin against you. “Jesus, Nat. You’re freezing”

You bury the both of you in more blankets, and feel her melting against your side. On instinct, your arms go around her waist and bring her closer, to which she responds by burying her face on the crook of your neck.

“So I can’t look but I can touch, huh?”

“Glad we understand each other”

—

“So…”

“So” Natasha says, landing the jet back home.

“Can we be friends? Friendly, at least?”

“No” she stands up, walking towards you. “Friends don’t look at each other the way you’ve been looking at me for the entire ride home”

“Can you blame me?” your eyes drift to her cleavage, remembering how she was practically naked and clinging to you as if her life depended on it.

“Wine and dine me, Y/L/N. And we’ll take it from there”

“Yes, Ma’am”

“Am I interrupting?” Fury shouts from the hangar.

“Yes” you say, but Natasha leaves, glaring at Fury on her way out.

“I’ve known you for thirty years and you still can’t keep it together around a pretty lady. And now I’m in trouble too” Fury says, clearly displeased.

“Hey, at least you don’t have that problem with Rogers, huh?”

“For now, Y/L/N. There’s always some trouble waiting around the courner”

You laugh and clap his back, leaving the jet. His plan may have failed, but you’re certainly not complaining.

Not when you have a hot date waiting for you.

[holylulusworld]

Their little maid (Prologue)

Summary: Mafia business is dirty. The brothers need someone to clean up their mess and more.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader x Nick Fowler

Warnings: shy reader, flirty brothers, mafia business, money trouble, Walker is the worst, injured reader (nothing serious)

Their little maid masterlist

You gnaw at your thumb. Is this the position you want? Cleaning other people’s houses wasn’t the job you dreamed of when you were a kid.

All you ever dreamed of was to open your own bookstore or to work at the library as an alternative. Sadly, the library closed, and you reached the end of the rope. No one wants to hire you, an unemployed librarian.

Sighing deeply, you push the button at the large gate to ask for entrance. An angry voice asks what you want, making you flinch. You’d love to just run and forget about the job, but you’re in desperate need of money.

“Uh—I’m Y/N Y/L/N,” you stammer. “I got an important appointment with Mr. Barnes.” You take a deep breath, waiting for the voice to deny you access or to open the gate.

“You’re two minutes later,” another voice says before the gate slowly opens. “Get inside. I don’t have all day.”

You duck your head and hurriedly walk past the gate. Messing up the first interview you have in weeks is the last thing you want. Before your anxiety can get the best out of you, you walk faster and faster to reach the front door. You cannot allow yourself to mess this chance up if you haven’t already messed it up by being late.

“Finally,” a man opens the door and immediately snarls your name. “I can tell, my bosses don’t like people wasting their time.”

He grabs your right upper arm to drag you inside the mansion, taking you by surprise. You shriek and slip on the floor. The man doesn’t stop your fall. He drops his hand from your arm and watches your knees hit the carpet.

The blonde man smirks down at you. He huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Clumsy little bitch. Get up. You don’t have a job yet. Or, stay on your knees,” he chuckles darkly. “Maybe you can get to work right away.” The man cups his crotch, making you sneer.

“Walker!” The man in front of you cringes when someone calls his name. He stiffens and steps away from you. “What happened here?”

“Clumsy thing slipped and fell,” he explains and shrugs.

“Why didn’t you help her up?” The other man walks toward you to offer his hand. You bite your lower lip, chewing on it as you place your smaller hand in his. "Doll, don’t be afraid. I won’t bite. I’m Mr. Barnes, and I’ll interview you for the position we have to offer.”

He flashes you a stunning smile, making you feel warm. His hand is rough, but gentle when he helps you up.

The most stunning blue eyes meet yours as he helps you back on your feet. He carefully grabs your upper arms, looking you up and down to make sure you don’t get hurt.

You hope he doesn’t judge your plain outfit—a pale blue shirt and jeans shorts. His outfit is stunning, just like his eyes and deep voice.

He’s wearing an expensive, dark blue suit and a matching tie. His hair is short and neatly styled, but behind his perfect styling, he hides something wild. You’re sure about it.

“Brother did the maid already arrive.” Another man steps toward you and Mr. Barnes. Your eyes widen, and you gasp because he looks exactly like Mr. Barnes. Same hair, same eyes, same suit. “Oh, she is already here.”

“You look the same,” you stammer, regretting the words the moment Walker snorts at your comment. “I mean…you must be brothers.”

“Guilty, doll,” Mr. Barnes chuckles at your confused look. “We are twins.”

“We didn’t grow up together, sweetness. I’m Mr. Fowler.” He looks you up and down, humming as his eyes land on your bruised knees. “I hope my brother isn’t the reason for your bleeding knees.”

“She’s clumsy, boss. The girl slipped and fell,” Walker repeats. You already figured that he doesn’t like you. “Maybe we should look for someone else.”

You whimper. No. He can’t take the chance away from you.

“You mean we should look for someone new?” Mr. Barnes puts Walker in his place with a glare. “So far, she didn’t do anything telling me I should look for a replacement. Maybe we should look for someone to replace you. A man who doesn’t even offer his hand to a lady in need.”

“Lady—” Your cheeks heat up. No man before called you a lady.

“Buck, stop flirting. We got our hands full today. Let’s get over with the interview... I can hardly wait to tell her about her tasks.

Part 1

Tags in reblog.

[thissongisawesome]

now, do i personally believe that maya and franziska would actively try to get phoenix and edgeworth together? not really. BUT. i don't see the harm in people writing scenarios in which they would? ik this sounds silly since maya and franziska wingmaning is one of the more popular ace attorney fic tropes, but i feel like recently i've seen a lot of hate towards and and i don't understand why!

think of it this way: maya is phoenix's best friend and like pseudo little sister, they're extremely close, and i'm pretty sure she teases him about his love life AT LEAST once in canon (it could be more, or i could've completely made this up, but i've played the trilogy enough where if i tried i could probably find an example but it's late and i'm tired). anyway with that said, why WOULDN'T she care about them getting together? she's shown in the first game to be pretty invested in "the deal with [nick] and edgeworth" her words, not mine. i'm not one to speak on later games because i honestly haven't touched them in over two years and even then they were a complete blur and i forgot everything except that edgeworth looked really ugly from the front. but. if my memory serves me i don't think their dynamic changed much? i can't see her caring AS much at 28 as she would at 17, because obviously she's grown and matured, but i don't think she'd be completely uninterested like some people say. maybe she wouldn't be wearing comical disguises to spy on them, but i could see her encouraging nick, or idk just telling trucy stuff about their old cases to stir something up.

i think the franziska side of things is where i'm a little more understanding, but also not really. on one hand, i get that she's very well put together and mature seeming. on the other hand, that's only how she SEEMS. i won't get into a whole franziska analysis because this post is already longer than i wanted and no one wants to hear me ramble about her, but she's not really as mature as she seems. anyway, would she care THAT much? the answer may surprise you!

now think of it THIS way: edgeworth is franziska's little brother. despite how she acts sometimes she obviously loves him dearly, and would (probably) just want him to be happy, with whatever foolishness it may endure. phoenix wright is franziska's sworn enemy. she can't stand him and feels as though he has personally wronged her before they even met. absolutely hates his guts (except for when they investigate together then they can be friends). franziska is incredibly smart, but she's clearly not the best emotionally. even with that, though, she seems to understand how important edgeworth is to phoenix ("earthquake blah blah blah" "are you thinking of miles edgeworth blah blah blah"). she kind of just accepts this, even though it implies that phoenix (a man he only recently reconnected with) would be on a similar level of emotional connection as his sister. maybe she doesn't think much about it though. she's just like sure whatever you're his most dear and indispensable friend i don't care anymore. do people really think that, if somehow she came to the conclusion that edgeworth had feelings for phoenix she wouldn't care in any way??? i'm not saying it'd necessarily be positive and all "you go girlfriend!", but to say she wouldn't CARE is so wild. she'd probably be furious, and so maybe she wouldn't wingman. but she does CARE about her brother, and honestly if it were presented to her on the right way she probably would wingman. one "hey franziska. i bet you can't make your brother get with phoenix wright. if they get together without your guidance then that basically means edgeworth beat you btw" and she's suddenly invested. (dramatized, but you get the point)

tldr; maya and franziska are not so nonchalant and cool that they wouldn't care about one of the most significant people in their lives having feelings for their courtroom rival of over a decade. that is all.

[tcvsfiredemon]

Platonic Narumayo and Romantic Tension

I was originally gonna post this as a twitter thread, but it started getting really long and that toxic sludgepit doesn’t deserve that kind of effort. Get yourself a snack or something, it’s gonna get rambly.

I think people who go out of their way to shut down the possibility that there could be any romantic attraction between Nick and Maya are missing out on a really cool aspect of their platonic relationship.

There’s a lot to be said about the many facets of the Narumayo friendship, from their bonding through shared trauma, to their building a found family with Pearl, to their effortless ability to trade off being the straight man of their comedic duo. But I think a lot of people miss how much of their friendship is informed by the fact that they both kinda want to kiss each other.

First off, Maya is constantly teasing Phoenix, and often in a weirdly flirty way. Just a few examples off the top of my head. She says Max is dreamy with stars on his face and immediately suggests Nick put stars on his face. She acts like a spurned lover when Phoenix is talking to Adrian, specifically in an attempt to get him flustered. She explicitly compares Phoenix rescuing her from being kidnapped to the DeLites’ love story. 

There’s quite a few moments like this throughout the games, and coupled with a lot of Maya’s actions and reactions, I get the sense that we’re supposed to believe that she has a thing for Nick. Maybe that’s just the shipping goggles talking, but it really does feel like the intended subtext. I mean, look at that what she instinctively drew when she was in 

(You’re probably wondering when the platonic part comes in. We’ll get there.)

But even if Maya does have a crush on Phoenix, does he return it? Obviously she’s very important to him, but is that really as a romantic interest? We often see him get flustered or stunned into silence whenever people assume he and Maya are dating(which happens a lot), but I feel like that can easily just be read as him being uncomfortable with people assuming he’s in a relationship with his assistant.

In general, Phoenix’s feelings for Maya are fairly ambiguous and probably not something that he’s thought through too much himself. That is, of course, until the waitress scene. That scene, in my opinion, is the single hardest thing to justify if you’re trying to deny any romantic tension within Narumayo. I’ve seen people say that it’s just Phoenix giving a compliment to his best friend/sister figure, but is that really the tone that’s being conveyed there? 

That initial comment on her voice. The pregnant pause when he sees her. The weird pick-up line that probably just came out of his mouth without any thought. That’s not the actions of a guy innocently complimenting his friend, that’s the reaction of a guy who just realized that he finds his friend hot. I’d argue that the case can’t even proceed the way it does unless Phoenix thinks Maya is attractive, because that’s what gives him the idea to try to get her to seduce information out of Kudo.

So between Maya and Phoenix we have two best friends with a lot of chemistry who are probably into each other, and whose friends definitely think are already togeyhet, but we never actually see them take that step into romance. And you know what? It fucking works!

(See, told you we’d get into the platonic stuff eventually.)

One of my favorite movies of all time is When Harry Met Sally, and while the titular couple does get together in the end, most of the film is about the two of them navigating being best friends while obviously having romantic feelings for each other. It’s a beautiful story of these two people building a wonderful platonic relationship and then very nearly ruining it when they try to turn it romantic. 

That’s the dynamic I see between Phoenix and Maya. They love each other and are probably in love with each other, but they insist on keeping things strictly platonic because to change that could mean to destroy what they’ve spent years building up. It’s an underlying tension that underscores a lot of their actions.

It’s the dynamic that the two of them still have almost a decade later in SoJ, where they find immense comfort just being in each other’s presence, investigating cases like old times. And no matter how much Phoenix gawks at Maya like a sun fish, no matter how many times Maya teases Nick while they’re investigating a wedding-based case, no matter how much they may or may not want to kiss, they’re so happy just to be friends.

(Not that I’d be mad if they did end up kissing…)

Obviously there’s nothing wrong at all with seeing Narumayo as siblings or as purely platonic friends who would never in their wildest dreams be romantically interested in each other, but I do feel like something is lost in that interpretation. 

Like, I’m not the biggest fan of romantic Narumitsu, but I don’t think you can truly appreciate their friendship while ignoring that those guys have a weird pseudo-romantic tension going on. Without it they’re just two dudes who used to be friends and don’t have a whole lot of chemistry but would still for some reason die for each other. Once you acknowledge that “oh, they’re kinda in love, aren’t they” it all makes perfect sense.

I don’t think platonic Narumayo exactly falls apart if you ignore their romantic tension. They still have all that other stuff I talked about, but their relationship loses a lot of richness if it’s reduced to just “besties” or “siblings”. Even the games themselves took a little time to explore the potential romantic tension between Phoenix and Maya, and I think that’s been pretty instrumental in making them one of the coolest male/female friendships this side of When Harry Met Sally.

[tip-top-cloud-surfer]

K's Master List

Hello there! I'm K and welcome to my side blog!

Minors please do not interact with my blog. I will block you. Blank blogs and ageless blogs have the same protocol. It's nothing personal, just trying to protect myself.

I do not do requests. It has nothing to do with you lovely people. I did requests for a previous fandom I was in and because I'm a natural people pleaser, it just became an unhealthy cycle. So, now I only write what I feel like writing.

Please do not copy or repost (i.e. copy and paste elsewhere - reblogging is a different thing and greatly appreciated) my work. This is the only place that I publish these works.

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I do tag lists for ongoing stories/series. Simply reply to or reblog the work/series and say that you want to be tagged

To be tagged, you must have a reference to your age in your bio. No exceptions. It's nothing personal, but because this blog is 18+ Only, I'd look like a dumbass hypocrite if I tagged ageless blogs. Help me help you and put your age in your bio/pinned post.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy my works! My actual Master List is below the cut.

Works are separated by character. Characters with more than five posts have a separate master list. Major content warnings (i.e. pregnancy, death, etc.) are provided but please check each work for more specific warnings.

If you see a [*] symbol, it just means that work is more suggestive.

If a work is listed with "OC | Reader," the 'Reader' is biologically related to an established character (i.e. Maverick's daughter).

OC characters might have an established race/appearance, so check the summary/warnings of that work first.

Top Gun

Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

See Separate Master List

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

Handyman - Fem!Reader (Wife!Reader)

Summary: When it comes time to give your newborn daughter a bath in the kitchen sink, it conveniently breaks. Fortunately or unfortunately, Maverick is a handyman.

Top Gun: Maverick

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

See Separate Master List

Jake "Hangman" Seresin

See Separate Master List

Javy "Coyote" Machado

A Walk Down Memory Lane - Bradshaw!Fem! OC | Reader

Summary: Rooster and Tweety Bradshaw look through their mom’s belongings as Tweety’s wedding to Coyote approaches.

Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia

Come Here - AFAB!Reader

Summary: You have your period. Fanboy takes care of you.

Family Man - GN!Spouse!Reader

Summary: After a long day at work, Fanboy returns home to complete his most important job: taking care of his family.

Robert "Bob" Floyd

See Separate Master List

Beau "Cyclone" Simpson

The Admirals Strike Back - Wife!Reader (Mitchell!Reader)

CW: Consensual and Very Much Legal Age-Gap Relationship (About 15 years); Non-Traditional Father-Daughter Relationship (Between Maverick and Reader)

Summary: Maverick knew that his somewhat estranged daughter was married. He just didn't know who she married.

Natasha "Phoenix" Trace

Bleeding Hearts - Male!Bradshaw!Twin!OC (Braedon)

CW: Hospitals; Exes; Unresolved Feelings; Best Friend's Brother

Summary: After the bird strike, Phoenix's ex, who just so happens to be Rooster's twin brother, comes to check up on her.

Daggers (All 7)

THE FAMILY AFFAIRS COLLECTION >

Mav's Reaction to Each of the Daggers Dating His Daughter - Mitchell!Fem! OC | Reader

Summary: Maverick finds out that his daughter is dating someone that he knows when she invites her new partner to dinner. And so he makes it his mission to greet them at the door first.

The Daggers and Their (Secret) Kids

CW: Pregnancy, see warnings for additional specific CWs by Dagger (include Reference Character Death, Strained Relationships, Divorce, etc.)

Summary: Headcanons about the families that the seven Daggers could have had going into TGM with, since there's nothing about their families mentioned in the movie.

The Love Game - Fem!Reader (Glitch)

CW: Unrequited Love; Angst; Emotional Angst; One-Sided Relationship; ‘He’s in Love with Someone Else’ Trope

Summary: Glitch has been in love with Hangman for years but he’s getting married to another woman.

A.N. Multiple Pairings: Hangman/Glitch; Hangman/Fem!OC; Glitch /Mystery Dagger

[jazminrhode1]

okay so this could be the weirdst requeust ever but i went to a wedding on the weekend and it got me thinking like what if you wrote a father of the bride speech from Jimmy to his daughter? like a need a really good cry so, go as hard as you can ahhahaahaa ! I love your writing so so much (i see people say that all the time) but thought this could be different than just a story. you don't have ot though, up to you xox

Father of the Bride Speech Sturniolo Triplets x Sister One Shot

Summary: The speech I think Jimmy would give if he had a daughter. Nothing to do with the triplets!

Word Count: 800 words

Author's Note: Such a cool request - thank you! I don't know if this is what you were looking for but, it was certainly fun (and sad) to write x

Jimmy had spent the whole wedding dinner outside practicing his speech. As he stood in front of a room full of friends old and new, he felt overwhelmed by the love that they all shared for his daughter.

He gripped onto the podium to stop his hands from shaking and took a deep breath.

"When MaryLou and I found out that we were having a girl, I panicked. I panicked because I grew up in a house with just boys and I didn’t know how to raise a little girl. Hell, I barely knew how to talk to girls before I met my wife.

When I pictured my future as a father, I saw Justin, Nick, Matt, and Chris. I pictured boys. Maybe not triplets but, I pictured boys. I pictured taking my boys golfing. Taking my boys fishing. Watching the game on Sundays. That’s all I knew. I didn’t know anything about what it meant to raise a girl.

Now, if you know anything about my boys, you know that they don’t love golfing. You know it’s a task to get them out fishing. They were never home on Sundays to watch the game with me. But, my girl was."

Jimmy pulled the handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed away the tears that were rolling down his cheeks before he continued, even as his voice shook.

"I spent 9 months panicking about bringing a little girl into the world but, from the second the nurses handed me my baby wrapped in her little pink blanket, I spent the next 27 years dreading the day that I had to give her away.

Because let me tell you what it means to be a girl dad. Being a girl dad means you fall in love all over again. Being a girl dad means you get to slay dragons to save the princess. Being a girl dad means you get to squeeze into pretty dresses and get your makeup done. It means you have a ballerina, a soccer player, a debater, a painter, a pianist, a boxer, a black belt, a cheerleader, a skateboarder, a dirt bike rider, a basketball captain, a golfer, a fishing buddy, a best friend and so much more.

But, being a girl Dad also means that one day you put her down and you don’t pick her up again. You start dropping her off around the corner from the school gate. She gets her license and you spend countless nights hoping that she gets home safe. She dates some loser in freshman year that breaks her heart and there isn’t enough you can do about it.

Being a girl dad means that your heart resides outside of your body. It means that one day you’ll drop her off at college in another state and cry the whole plane ride home. It means that one day some boy she met at a dive bar in Cancun will come knocking on your door and ask you for her hand in marriage. One day, you have the most important decision to make. Is this boy good enough for my daughter?

I realized when Jack was sitting at my kitchen counter that it wasn’t my decision to make. She will always be my baby but, she isn’t my property. And no matter how much I wish she was still that same little girl who couldn’t cross the road without holding my hand, I know that I have raised a strong-willed, independent, loving, kind, intelligent, beautiful, won’t-take-shit-from-anybody kinda girl."

Jimmy turned to face the bride and groom with tears in his eyes and spoke directly to his son-in-law.

"So, to you, Jack. Man to man. I am so glad that it’s you. I’m so glad that she chose you. I know that you love my daughter, I see it every single time you look at her. There is nothing I can say, no gift I can give to thank you for making my daughter as happy as you do. All I hope for you, Jack, is that when the time comes for you to become a father, you too are blessed with a daughter just like mine and then you’ll understand just how lucky you are."

His voice broke as he stepped away from the mic to compose himself before he continued.

"And to my baby… By some cosmic stroke of luck in this lifetime, I got the greatest gift of all in being your Dad. I am so proud to be your father, you have been such a gift to me, you bring so much joy into my life and I love you so much more than you could ever imagine. So, thank you, sweetheart, for being everything that I never knew I always needed in my life."

Jimmy raised a glass to the newlyweds as he finished his speech.

"And to you both, I wish you a lifetime of happiness. I cannot wait to bear witness to the life that you build together and know that Mom and I will be here to love, cherish, and support you on the wonderful journey that lies ahead."

As the crowd erupted in applause, Jimmy crossed the room to the newlyweds. He pulled Jack into a hug and said, "Take care of our girl, son."

He then pulled his daughter into a hug, placing a kiss on her head, unable to find the words he wanted to say. She pulled away, looked up at him, and said, "You will always be my hero, Dad, and there is nothing I am more thankful for than for being your daughter."

[ruiningsalads]

Happy Friday! How about “Ha. Don’t think too highly of yourself. Just because I crave your company every now and then, doesn’t mean you’re my weakness. You’re not.” for Varric x Cassandra from the 'I'm weak for you' prompts?

ugh I'm obsessed with these two. this maybe wasn't exactly the prompt, but it's making me feel all the feels. a lovely little ficlet for @dadrunkwriting

Varric's head lolled forward, his chin resting against his chest despite the muscles in his shoulders screaming in agony. He was simply too tired to keep his head up, even though he would prefer to see what his captors were doing.

Their plan was the most hare-brained scheme he'd ever heard: capture the dwarf to lure his Inquisitor friend into a trap. He was touched that they thought he was important enough that Lavellan would rush in without thought just to save him; but he also wasn't in any hurry to remedy their misconception. After all, they might just kill him outright if they knew. So, he sat on the most uncomfortable chair ever made with his hands tied behind its back and imagined all the horrible things he would do to them once he had Bianca back in his grasp.

He also now knew better than to wander off alone to take a leak. Apparently, that was when people liked to sneak up on you and throw a sack over your head.

The sound of fighting outside his little room had his head snapping up. The meathead left to guard him drew a small, but wickedly sharp, knife as the door splintered open. There, her sword and shield at the ready, was Cassandra, and she was mad.

"Stop, or the dwarf gets it!" The idiot actually held the blade to Varric's neck. He felt the cold metal nick his skin, releasing a warm trickle of blood.

Cassandra's cold gaze flicked from the knife to the thug holding it. "Do you think that threat works on me?" she demanded.

"You seem awfully eager to get him back," the man leered.

"Do not mistake my duty for eagerness," she retorted as she took a step closer.

Varric hissed as the knife cut a little deeper, and she hesitated. The man laughed, low and mean. "Duty, eh? I'd say the only duty you're doing is--" But before he could finish that thought, Cassandra swiftly pulled a small knife from her belt and threw it. Suddenly, the blade at Varric's throat was gone as something heavy fell to the floor behind him.

Cassandra moved to untie him, not paying any mind to the dying man.

"Duty, huh?" he rasped, pressing a newly freed hand to his neck wound.

With surprising gentleness, she pried his hand away and peered at the cut. "It's true. My duty is to the Inquisition and its agents." She tsked and pulled a small vial from her belt, poured some of its contents onto a handkerchief, and pressed it to his neck. Immediately, he felt a sting as the cut began to heal.

"And here I was thinking you actually cared," he grunted through the pain.

Her eyes locked with his. "Whatever my personal feelings are, they cannot interfere with my duty." Maker, he was starting to hate that word. But then she reached with her free hand to stroke his cheek. "That does not mean I will sit by and let someone harm you, not if I can stop it. Understand, Varric, that I cannot allow myself to have such a weakness, no matter how much I care about you."

He grimaced. "Yeah, I got it. Thanks for saving me anyway." When he moved to pull away, she gripped his shoulders to hold him in place. Reluctantly, he met her eyes.

"I love you, Varric. Never question that. I am only trying to say... I just mean..." She sighed in frustration. "You're far better with words than I could ever hope to be."

"Just say that first part again," he murmured.

Her smile was more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen. "I love you, you meddlesome dwarf."

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Only Yesterday 3

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon, voyeurism, intimidation, isolation, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Isolated and lonely in your life as your grandmother’s caretaker, you find yourself living vicariously through your neighbour.

Character: Nick Fowler

Note: A special thank you for those who waited on this. I was like tripping myself out about this.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you like a love song, baby. Take care. 💖

You put a coaster down before you set down the glass of water. The apartment door is propped open, letting in the stuffy air from the hallway as Nick carries in his tools. While you still don’t believe him, he’s committed a lot to keeping up his ploy. He is actually going to clean the windows and for that you won’t complain.

“Dearie?” Your grandmother calls from her bedroom as Nick nears you.

You go to brush by but he fills the space with his body. You recoil and step back, folding your arms under your chest. “Excuse me.”

“I figure clean windows are in high demand,” he muses as he bends his knees to put down the bucket and the heavy bag. He stands, an intimidating figure that has you wanting to cower in his shadow, “easier to see… won’t have to go out on the balcony.”

“Please,” you breathe.

“Did you enjoy the show?”

“Stop. It was a mistake. A bad judgment–”

“How long were you out there, hm? How much did you see?”

“I didn’t… I didn’t mean to. I should’ve gone inside sooner. I’m sorry.”

He chuckles and it only stirs your frustration.

“I know you're not who you say you are but you don’t have to do this. I’m very sorry.”

He hooks his thumbs in the loops on his jeans and leans in, “did you like what you saw?”

“What?”

“Come on, admit it. It’s lonely here with just the old lady, isn’t it?”

As if on cue, your grandmother calls for you again. “One second, nan,” you call back and try to move past Nick.

“Wait,” he grabs your arm, “I didn’t get to the most important question.”

“Let go,” you hiss as you try to shrug him off.

“Should I fuck you on the balcony too? Or do you think someone will see us?”

You scoff and shove him away. You let out a noise of disgust and elbow past him. You rush down the hall, wiping the sweat from the back of your neck. He’s just taunting. He’s not serious. He just wants to see you suffer, then you’re sure he’ll leave you alone.

You enter your grandmother’s room. She’s on her bed looking gaunt. She has a dress sprawled out beside her as she tries to catch her breath.

“Dear, won’t you help me get dressed? We do have company and all.”

“Yes, nan,” you go forward and pick up the dress. It’s a violet piece with roses patterned across it and a lacy collar.

“Did you get that man a drink?”

“Of course, nan.”

“Of course?” She blusters, “she says as if she hasn’t forgotten her manners.”

“I’m sorry, nan, I was just surprised by the man, that’s all.”

“You must be nicer,” she girds you as you unbutton the back of the dress, “you’ll never catch a husband the way you are.”

You sigh but don’t respond. You’ve had this conversation before. Not just with her, your parents are particularly fond of the topic. You won’t repeat yourself again and again.

“Put your arms up,” you move in front of her, “let’s get this on.”

She does as you say and you get one sleeve on then the other, pulling the collar past her head. You’re not very worried about her marital concerns, you’re much more bothered by the man you can hear in the front room. 

🪟

Nick wipes the sweat from his forehead with the back of his head. You can see it dampening the fabric of his ill-fitting shirt and beads of it in his dark hair. He retracts the long squeegee and squeezes out the excess water.

“All done,” he declares, “I’ll just dump this and pack up–”

“Oh, it looks wonderful,” your nan preens, fixing her glasses, “I can see the birds now.”

You don’t say anything. Her intonation is clear. The windows were dirty before, neglected. You stare at the wall, refusing to speak to either of them.

“Thanks, ma’am,” Nick says as he uses his arms to wipe away more sweat, “last call of the day, think I got the hang of it.”

“Ah, yes, what is the time?” Nan searches until her eyes focus on the hanging cuckoo clock, “why, dearie, it’s been such a long day, I’m sure you’re starving from all that hard work. Why don’t you stay for supper?”

“Nan,” you hiss, stunned by her invitation. Ever since her episode, she’s been less than fond of other people.

“It would be rude to let the man go with an empty stomach,” she insists, “in my day, we wouldn’t dare–”

“I couldn’t impose,” Nick says gallantly.

“Impose?” Your grandmother waves her hand at him, “I couldn’t send you off without showing our gratitude. Oh my, look at you, sir,” she leans forward and blinks through her lenses, “honey, why don’t you fetch him one of your grandfather’s shirts?”

You look at Nick. He’s playing up the flattery. How could you do this? How could you have drawn this man into your grandmother’s home?

“Really, that’s so generous…” he begins.

“Now, sir, I must insist,” she says, ��were my mother still alive, she’d be appalled to think I wouldn’t even offer you a meal. Even during the depression, she’d offer the farmhand a plate at the table.”

He smiles and you glance at Nan. Her mind is set. For the first time in a long time, she is putting her foot down. It’s a glimmer of the old matriarch that once held it all together. You resign yourself with a repressed sigh and as you stand, surrendering, Nick’s cheek dimples in victory.

You go down the hall and into your grandmother’s room. Hung in her closet are several of your grandfather’s old shirts. She refused to let them go, they made it past the culling of her life’s collection. You take out a short-sleeve button up in a brown and yellow plaid. It will look ridiculous on him.

You go back to the front room as Nick puts the empty bucket by the door and moves his bag beside it. He stretches as he stands at the end of the entryway, causing you to graze against him as you pass. You can smell his sweat and the tinge of his cologne.

“Here,” you push the shirt against his chest gruffly, checking that Nan isn’t looking.

“You mind if I wash up a bit?” He slithers as he grabs your hand around the shirt.

“Of course, dear,” Nan chimes back, “honey, why don’t you check the pantry?”

She reaches for her walker as Nick clings to you. You stare him down as he squeezes with all his strength. You gulp. He is terrifyingly strong. The tip of his tongue points out as he lets out a deep exhale. Finally, you rip away from him.

“Nan, be careful,” you spin and rush to her as she tries to stand. “I can take care of dinner.”

“Don’t baby me,” she grips her walker, “I can manage to put water in a pot.”

“I’m not, Nan…”

“I’ll let you ladies figure it out,” Nick excuses himself with a coy lilt and you listen to his footfalls trail down the hall.

You huff and help Nan steady herself. You follow her to the kitchen as she clacks her walker ahead of her. As she goes to the fridge, you stand tenuously in the doorway, glancing back towards the hall. You hear the bathroom faucet squeak and the pipes hum.

“Do you recall how to make chicken croquettes? I showed you when you were a girl, didn’t I?” She leans between her walker and the fridge door, “we’ll need the cream of celery from the pantry–”

“Yes, Nan, I remember,” you sniff and cross your arms, “let me get you a chair.”

“I am just fine,” she takes out the package of chicken and hobbles to place it on the counter. “Why don’t you go put some lipstick on?”

You furrow your brow as she faces you. What?

“Don’t make that face, it’s not very pretty,” she girds.

“Nan,” you reproach, “please–”

“He’s a very handsome fellow,” she trills, “I think he likes you.”

“I don’t wear lipstick.”

“You can use some of mine,” she suggests.

“I’ll grab the cream of celery,” you say.

She clucks and shakes her head. If only she knew. If only you weren’t a coward.

🪟

Nick sits at the table. The brown shirt strains across his broad shoulders and his hair is tidy. You can tell he wetted it and smooth it out from the humid curl that formed during his work. Nan lets you sit her down with him once the chicken is in the oven.

You busy yourself with the sides as the main cooks. Mashed potatoes and some peas. Plain. Nothing special.

You peek in as you hear her talking to him, regalling him with tales of her youth. He humours her well but it lends you little comfort. There’s a sinister tint to every word. He is being nice, but you know well he can be mean.

The oven dings and you portion out three plates. You just want this over with. You want the man gone. 

You bring out two plates, one for your nan, the other for the intruder. You go back to reclaim your own before joining them at the table. It’s unusual. It’s been months since you sat down for a meal like this and with the extra body, you feel even more upended.

“Isn’t this nice?” Nan beams.

“I can get your chicken,” you offer and use your knife and fork to cut up her piece. She lets you but you see the glint of humiliation in her.

“My granddaughter has a degree,” she chimes proudly, “did you know that, sir?”

“I didn’t,” he says.

“She’s very smart. And so helpful. She came to live with me to keep me company,” she continues, “and she’s not very old. Not too old.”

“Nan,” you pull your utensils away and turn to your own plate.

“She’s a bit shy,” she whispers loudly behind her hand.

Nick chuckles as he takes his fork and knife. You poke at the potatoes, drawing lines through the mash with the tines.

“And I see you have no ring,” Nan grins.

“Please–”

“I’m flattered, miss,” Nick smiles, “really, but I’d hate to be too forward. Your granddaughter…” he pauses and looks at you, “is very nice.”

“Isn’t she?” Nan sings.

Your eyes round and you stare at the wall. This isn’t happening. She isn’t trying to set you up with someone. The proudest she’s ever sounded of you and it’s trying to barter you off like cattle.

“Hon,” she looks at you, “why don’t you tell him about your degree? She loves books, you know?”

You cringe and shove your mouth full of potatoes and shrug. Nan’s smile falls and she manages to kick you with her toe. You gulp and make yourself look at Nick. He wears a taunting smirk.

“I did literature,” you say plainly, “nothing very exciting, like most girls, I was an Austen fanatic.”

“Austen…” he mulls it over, “I read Pride and Prejudice in school. Not bad.”

You nod. Really? You can’t imagine him doing that.

“I’m afraid it’s all my fault,” Nan chuckles, “I gave her a few books when she was young and she ran away with it.”

You twirl your fork nervously as Nick’s eyes drift away from you slowly, “can’t blame her. All that romance, bound to draw you in.”

🪟

You clear up after dinner as your grandmother continues to chatter. It’s been ages since she’s been this lively. You would be elated if it was for any other reason than that man.

You pack up the leftovers and rinse off the dishes. As you tidy up the counters, there’s a sudden silence that makes your heart drop. You hear Nan groaning oddly. You rush over to look in on her as she slumps at the table.

Nick stands and hurries over before you can reach her.

“Wait, be careful,” you gird.

He sits her up as she lets out a gasp, “dearie me,” her glasses hang at an angle, “I think I’ve overdone myself.”

“Nan,” you come close, forgetting about the man, not worrying about how close he is, “what happened?”

“Just a dizzy spell,” she assures, “must be my meds.”

“Just– I should call Doctor Harmon.”

“At this hour, don’t be silly,” she chides as Nick holds her up. If he didn’t have a hand on her shoulder, you’re certain she’d be on the floor, “I just need to lay down for the night. Have my tea.”

“Alright,” you acquiesce and drag her walker to her, “come on.”

You elbow Nick away and get your arm around Nan as you turn her in the chair. You lift her and try to get her feet set. Her legs are jelly and you nearly drop her. He quickly swoops in and catches her, scooping her up with almost no effort.

“Here, I’ll help,” he always has her in his arms. She looks even frailer cradled against his chest. “Show me where to take her.”

You stop and look at him. Nan murmurs and rests her head against him. You point him down the hall, “her bedroom is at the end.”

He goes ahead of you and carries her down to her room. You trail him and watch him lower onto the bed with care. You cross your arms as he backs up.

“Nan, I’ll get the tea on and come back to help you into your nightgown,” you promise.

“Such a gentleman,” she taps Nick’s cheek as he pulls away, “you be sure you offer him some dessert.”

You shrug her off and point Nick out of the room. He struts out, eyes boring into you until you draw the door shut behind him. You turn to face him in the cramped space of the hall. You don’t know what to say or do. He needs to leave but you know telling him won’t do much.

“What’s for dessert?” He asks.

[cellarspider]

11/30: Full steam ahead

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We return to Body Desecrator 2093, Prometheus. There were no post this weekend because I felt like it. Now I feel like it even less, because it’s this scene.

The horrors do not end here. The movie hasn’t even got to what it considers horrors, but I’d already screamed quietly at the screen by this point several times, so it’s safe to say that me and the movie were not simpatico.

There are times when a movie will do things that fall entirely outside your personal beliefs or understanding of logic, and you just roll with it. Magical realism does this all the time, as do movies reaching for the psychedelic. 2001: A Space Odyssey eventually dissolves reality itself around the protagonist as he travels through another dimension. On the first sit, you have no way of knowing what you’ll be shown next, but if the movie’s got you, then you go with it.

Then there are movies where everyone is acting according to some sort of logic, but it feels twisted, like things are happening for a reason, but the logic doesn’t connect. Horror movies love this, particularly ones with cultic antagonists–Midsommar being the most notable modern example, and the original Wicker Man being another.

I mean, the Nick Cage movie also has that, but sometimes it has that because Nick Cage is in a bear costume, punching a woman in the face and stealing bicycles at gunpoint like he’s in GTA.

Prometheus, unfortunately, unintentionally places itself somewhere between the two Wicker Men. The characters’ decision making is a shambolic mess. The movie intentionally invokes religious fervor in Shaw especially, and might intentionally invoke that plus megalomania in Holloway, but it doesn’t draw a line around those characters and their bad decisions. Everyone is just going with their bullshit. This suggests to the audience that in the movie’s world all scientists behave like this.

I mean, in our world, scientists sometimes try to fit entire oranges in their mouths (source), but I should like to think that The Orange Incident wouldn’t have happened if that guy had been on board the most important scientific expedition in human history.

Things just kept happening in this movie that made me feel like I was dissociating. The cast is back at the Prometheus, with their stolen artifacts and mortal remains. Cool. They need to be decontaminated. Like, inside and out.

Next, we see Shaw and Holloway in a lab, along with Maybe-Chemist-Lady whose name fell right out of my head as I watched, because she’s never given a character to speak of. They are wearing scrubs, hairnets, and blue surgical masks, which tells me the movie thinks this is appropriate personal protective equipment for handling an alien head. Holloway is sitting on a counter in the corner, getting drunk.

So many things have just hit me here. How long is this since they got back? Apparently no more than a couple hours. These people took their helmets off in an active alien biosphere, with worms in the dirt and an alien corpse on the ground and who knows what else. They should be quarantined forever, or at least for a couple weeks. 

When the Apollo 11 crew got back to Earth, they were quarantined for 21 days. NASA didn’t consider it likely that anything lived on the moon, but they were taking no chances. Here’s Nixon getting a chance to see what good people look like!

But no! No quarantine for Prometheus! The guys who breathed moon dust? Into the quarantine trailer. The people who stuck their faces near an alien corpse? Nah! It’s all good!

What about the head they looted from the structure? These people already got a dramatic reminder that altering the conditions around sensitive artifacts can cause them to degrade. I’ve already rambled at length about how NASA still sterilizes their equipment to not contaminate anywhere probes are sent to. Hell, as a geneticist, I can tell you that there is a very strict hierarchy of sample isolation and biosafety deployed when it’s appropriate–either you work fucking hard to protect the samples from you, or you work hard to protect yourself from the sample. 

But the crew of the Prometheus have scanned the head with a little light and declared “Sample is sterile. No contagion present”, which is an odd thing to declare now, after they already breathed all over it. Trusting their all-knowing (and wrong) computer, they take their surgical masks off. Fully sealed suits? A glovebox? Even movies show people using a glovebox sometimes!

NOPE! HAIRNETS AND A LABCOAT, LET’S GO

Do we kick out Shaw’s boyfriend who’s in his casual clothes? NAH, LET THE MAN BE COMFY. Are we going to pry the bottle away from him, because bringing drinks into a lab breaks basic safety standards? Standards that I’ve only ever seen broken by one place that also allowed open-toe sandals in a lab where boiling hot gel and mutagenic chemicals were regularly mixed? NOPE, LET HIM HAVE HIS BOOZE, HE’S SAD HE DIDN’T GET TO MEET GOD.

Don’t worry, that one lab doesn’t do the sandal thing anymore. And Holloway will pay for his crimes against laboratory safety.

But I can't stress enough how utterly uncanny this scene felt, unintentionally on the part of the movie. Every decision felt wrong. Everything everyone was doing, saying, and wearing was wrong. They’re not even wearing the right kind of gloves! They should at minimum be wearing nitrile gloves! They’re wearing PVC gloves, which have stupid high leakage rates, even if you double-glove! They’re not even more comfortable than nitrile gloves! This is my nittest of picks, I know! I’m doing it anyway!

The movie had lost me, but part of me was still hoping it would come back around, that something in it would be the movie I’d thought it would be.

Next time: the movie will not do that, and I will, paradoxically, find myself in more of the frame of mind the movie seems to want from the audience: not giving a shit about its characters. 

Stay tuned for some bonus workplace hazards below the citations.

⛬ 

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1. https://youtu.be/P1gn06np-7g  2. https://youtu.be/KhRo2WbWnKU?t=35 3. https://youtu.be/JjCh7lTVNwo  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airstream#Space_program  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronaut_transfer_van  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umarell  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upgrade_(film)#Production

Alright, let’s behold some images from my institute’s safety training module on compressed gas cylinders. Please note, these were not taken at my institute, these are probably the result of the team finding cursed images they wanted to inflict on their coworkers and us.

This was how they chose to communicate the idea of “don’t let canisters heat up, or they might explode”. How else might they explode? If the canister becomes old and corroded, develops any other sort of fault, or is stored improperly, especially near cylinders of other kinds. Like so!

This is the least bombastic of the images, but it exudes a quiet menace and/or the promise that Video Game Physics are imminent.

What do I mean by Video Game Physics? Glad you asked!

Terrifying yet also compelling! Finally, here’s a video from that most terrifying of places, a Russian highway.

Video description, which I realize I haven’t been doing up to this point and now I want to: A GazpromTech company truck carrying unsecured acetylene tanks passes a motorist on a separated highway at high speed. On the side of it, “ОГНЕОПАСНО” (“FLAMMABLE”) is briefly visible as it rockets by. It makes no to minimal attempt to slow down as a bus enters its lane, rear-ending it. The viewpoint car skids to a stop, and what might be the truck driver can be seen sprinting toward the central barrier of the highway. “Scream & Shout” by will.i.am and Britney Spears can be heard playing on the radio as the viewpoint car tries to back away, complete with an audible “Britney, bitch”. At 0:54 the view cuts to a camera on the other side of the highway, which one commenter estimated as being 200 m away based on the delay between explosions and the sound of the blast reaching the camera. 

There are, in fact, MANY explosions from the fireball that has engulfed the truck. A semi tanker is being guided backward away from the explosion, while a blue box truck does the same. A silver sedan, briefly visible in the first angle, is parked within under 50 feet of the truck. Its apparent owner is dithering on whether to try and reach it, eventually deciding, as they should, that this is not worth it. The cameraperson, on the other hand, apparently thinks this is worth it, as do several others in the other lane. 

One man is filming on a tablet. Multiple times, canisters and truck shrapnel can be seen rocketing off from the wreck to distances that make it clear everybody in shot is well within decapitation range from these things, especially as explosions fling more burning cylinders onto the roadway. At 1:45, Tablet Man gets the fuck out of there, but our self preservation-less cameraperson remains. At 2:14, a flaming canister in blown clear of the wreck and lands with its bottom end pointing directly toward the cameraperson, who still does not take the hint. Starting at 2:37, the body of the truck is blasted apart, a canister goes flying off past the camera, and a piece of the truck flips and lands on a nearby road sign. 

At 3:32 another cut happens and there are more people standing in view of the camera. Are they official emergency crew? Nope! Rubberneckers, although the cop car that’s even closer than them gets a wakeup call when a canister slams into the divider in front of it and tumbles away, still spitting gas. The cop backs up, and the video ends.

End description. Also, end post.

⛬

(Previous) | (Index) | (Next)

[sixstepsaway]

i've had some thoughts bouncing around for a while about ofmd s2, and in light of the news, i'm going to brain dump some of them. if you don't feel like listening to me complain about HBO and would rather just go cry about OFMD not getting season 3, that's chill, go ahead, no hard feelings

so.

season 1 was absolutely the definition of lightning in a bottle. it had great acting, great writing, gorgeous set and costume design, it was great, and not only that but it was unabashedly queer

jim had a whole episode dedicated to "actually i'm not a woman i'm just jim" and then everyone - even the bad guys, even the antagonists, even their nun nana, everyone - referred to them as they/them after that, no questions asked

the main character went through an arc that was basically figuring out his sexuality and going "oh shit, i love a man" on a show that was not directly advertised as "OUR QUEER MEANS DEATH" like a, y'know, Queer Show would be

and stede and ed's romance felt like it was important. It felt like the pirates of it all was mostly incidental, background, filler, just fun to pad out the situation and give them things to be challenged by (the badmintons!) while also being fun on its own. it's the kind of show where if you pulled all the characters out and slapped them into a whole other situation like space agents or time travellers or everyone lives together in a loft runs a bakery... it'd still work. sure, the badmintons would be less murderous and run a competing bakery or something, but it'd still work, because the focus was on the characters, and on the romance between stede and ed

the first three episodes of season 3 felt that way too. the love between stede and ed was paramount and if you swapped to a mafia au or a bakery au it'd still work (with some gentle adjustments for ed's Behavior™ to be fair)

but.

season 1, they kept saying it was a rom com, and it felt like one. it was just a rom com that was set at sea! how fun!

now, rom coms have tropes. they have genre-specific things that you kind of expect from, well, a rom com. you expect mess. you expect things like ed fucking off with jack because he doesn't feel good enough

(i've recently been rewatching new girl and although some of the humor makes me cringe, it's still a great show, and one of the main things about it is that everyone is messy. no matter how much schmitt loves cece, he's going to make mistakes. no matter how obviously nick and jess are going to end up together and belong together, they're going to sleep with the wrong people, make mistakes, break up etc. it's as much a rom com as ofmd.

one of the things that makes new girl so good and makes me love the main couples so much is how hard they work to be together, how they fight adversity and the mess of their own flaws and toxicity and still get together because they love each other most, in the end)

i remember in s1 thinking how if stede had been a woman, jack would have been too, and ed would've had at least one romantic/sexual scene with jack when he ran away with him

but i also remember thinking, "yeah, but the show hadn't explicitly done the his name is ed reveal and the kiss on the beach yet, and the reveal hits so hard, it makes sense not to do that earlier", and tbh i stand by that

which brings me to s2, after the first three eps, where they tried to go back to rom com and it just felt... forced.

rom coms usually have adversity. they have other characters that directly and truly threaten the main pairing by being interesting to those characters! no matter how you feel about izzy, he was framed as a love interest or as an ex that was still complicated, but the show very much tiptoed around that

does "i have love for you" and "i loved you best i could" make sense for the characters? yeah.

do i feel like if ed was a woman, she and izzy would've had a messy rebound relationship for stede to have to contend with, for the two of them to come out the other side of wanting each other from? yeah.

ofmd s1 felt unabashedly queer. s2 felt like they didn't want to be too gay.

they put olu with a Woman™, they put jim with a woman almost like it was less queer and more acceptable this way than queering olu, they completely waved off olu and jim's relationship and dropped any concept of polyamory because that would've made it even queerer, not less queer

(i'm using queer here as a definition more of breaking boundaries and being outside of the norm to the extent it makes cishets deeply uncomfortable and the queer in question aren't conforming to society's standards. and this reading of s2 (and s1) is entirely subjective, it's just what's been bubbling here for me)

pete and lucius went from "we don't own each other" to marriage, with no footnotes of what marriage meant to them specifically, whether they were, in fact, conforming with the 'norm' of marriage (exclusivity, labels, definitions etc) or whether they were still chill about these things or whether this now meant no more penis drawings

the queerest episode was probably the party episode (which was so good), but even that was especially queer because some cast members fought to make it so (con wanting izzy's drag to be beautiful not funny has HAUNTED ME, because that means it was originally supposed to be played for laughs!!) not because it was that way naturally

the fact i read somewhere that the party and the drag was originally lupete's wedding makes so much more sense to me because yeah, they WOULD have a wedding like that, but instead they got a lame final episode wedding because it would have been way too queer to do it at calypso's birthday with drag and queer joy everywhere

it also would have been more realistic to the lucius and pete we got in season 1.

there were a lot of things in season 2 that felt... weird. we've talked about it. we have all talked about it.

the final episode, even outside of the thing i hated most, was just horribly written imo. there's big sweeping gestures and no kind of real emotional pay off for the main relationships (lupete included), and everything got tied with a neat little bow at the end

i remember when we were told s2 was 8 episodes and how much the budget had been chopped thinking, "ha, we're so not getting a season 3"

i remember when i realized how weirdly rewritten most of season 2 had been thinking, "yeah, there's not going to be a season 3"

i remember when bitching about ed's arc being totally truncated and handwaved thinking, "mm, we're not getting a season 3"

and i remember when the Revenge sailed off into the sunset with everyone but ed and stede on board thinking, "oh yeah, we're done."

just enough was left open that a season 3 could happen.

just enough was left open that if a miracle happened, there'd be something to do with season 3.

but i genuinely, 100%, hand on my heart, think djenks knew he wasn't getting a season 3

and don't get me wrong, i'm not absolving him of the poor writing choices he made in season 2, but i am saying it makes a lot more sense if you think of it from the perspective of corporate meddling and having everything taken away while he was actively trying to make season 2

we already know HBO cut the budget a ridiculous amount so they just had to make everything work with what they had. we already know HBO cut the episode number.

season 2 plays out like they prepped a good chunk of it, ready for 10 episodes, and then HBO cut the budget and cut the episodes

and so things had to be changed and chopped about. ed's arc got lots of screen time and focus for three episodes (before the cuts) and then things got quicker, and fast

characters were cut for time and for budget reasons.

and then i think towards the end of production and the end of writing, djenks learned the odds of season 3 were minimal at best, and he panicked

i think the original plan was probably for ed's arc to go for the majority of season 2. maybe a middle piece where he and stede tried but it still wasn't Right (last night was a mistake) because ed had so much to work on and so much to heal

i genuinely wonder if the finale was completely rewritten at the last minute because to me it makes way, way more sense from a narrative standpoint for things to have been more staggered out. let's consider ten episodes instead of 8:

episodes 1-5: same as they were when aired, including the gravy basket giving us set-up for what ed's dealing with internally, giving us something to latch onto and prepare for his redemption. NO KISS AT THE END OF EPISODE 5. episode 6: ed is still wearing the bell. he's sort of done his amends with lucius, but now he needs to do amends with the rest of the ship. stede is still learning his piratey ways, so there's hijinks in the background. jim and archie and olu try to decide what their relationship is after the garlic and all, and debate room arrangements. lucius and pete announce their engagement. stede and ed nearly kiss. episode 7: more ed redemption arc. he's still working at things, he's shying away from violence because violence is what took him down this dark path to begin with. maybe we get some discussion of his father. stede, blind to ed's flaws, insists he's nothing like his father! ed tries to make amends with izzy but somehow this is the hardest of all because he hurt him the most of all. izzy gets chance to apologize for what he now sees as his part in pushing ed down into the darkness (trying to drag blackbeard back) and izzy's apology makes ed feel worse somehow and gives him some absolution when he finally figures out how to return his own. ed kisses stede but says he wants to take it slow. episode 8: wedding episode!! calypso's birthday!! ed uses his loot to bankroll lupete's wedding. stede reacts with violence to ned and we know from everything before that ed is actively trying to distance himself from the violence of piracy because, yeah, of course he is. is it a good idea? nope. does it make sense to his character for him to still be putting a good chunk of the blame on piracy for his actions, rather than accepting the parts of his whole and learning how to regulate those parts healthily? yes. anyway, stede reacts to his own violence by clutching for ed, ed feels after like his boundaries were pushed. same as show. episode 9: ed is having a meltdown. he and izzy have started to heal, so izzy watching him stare at fishing boats and just chatting to him like nothing happened actually makes a lick of sense. lupete are on their honeymoon at jackie's. olu gets to hook back up with zheng and archie and jim want to go along because they're not super happy on the ship still because although ed is doing better, the past of what he does still hangs over everyone. olu, zheng, jim and archie do not discuss the poly of it all properly, and it's hilarious and a mess, and gives us something to look forward to handling in season 3. ed freaks out about stede being violent when he's the one thing he felt like wasn't violent (and thus safe for him to be with), and about taking it not at all slow, breaks things off and runs away. izzy gets stede to come back to the ship. stede gets into a fight with zheng, the bombs go off, whatever (not a fan of this for her sake but if it has to happen, it can happen) episode 10: ed is off fishing but it's not going well and he's pissing pop-pop off all the time because he's not good at fishing. stede and co are handling the ricky of it all. the episode is mostly the same at the start, but instead of ed immediately going "omg, i gotta save bae" he doesn't find out about the attack until right at the end of the episode. stede and co make it back to the revenge and escape safely, and when ed retrieves his leathers and returns he thinks they're dead! he threatens/tortures/whatever some english and they say no, stede escaped! they all escaped! the season ends with ed, all decked out in his leathers, with his sword, now in the position stede was last season: staring out over the water, planning to find the man he loves.

this sets season 3 up for ed to be on his own for a little while, for him to handle and figure out how to channel his violence into something 'good' (wanting to find his love, wanting to protect his crew etc).

maybe season 3 flashes back to baby!ed again and the fact his first act of violence against his father wasn't motivated by anger or spite, it was motivated by wanting to protect someone he loved: his mum.

then season 3 they find each other again, and maybe they meet in the moonlight for the parallel to hit even better, they finally get back together properly, for good, with maybe some comedic issues along the way, and ed finds his place in the world to be less "blackbeard, the terror of the seas" and more "ed protects those he loves."

i honestly think this is probably how the show was originally meant to go, or at least something close.

i think midway through season 2, djenks heard it was over and he (rightfully) panicked and threw together a finale that tied up as many loose ends as he could because he knew.

and i dont think there's anything that could've been done about it. i think it was dead in the water (no pun intended) the moment all the MAX/HBO/whatever reshuffles happened, I think it was too queer and I genuinely think executive meddling made a lot of the more queer elements go away, possibly right down to trying to wipe away the exes/love interests of it all with that whole father figure thing

and, again, i'm not absolving djenks of some of his more baffling writing decisions. he's a grown man and he makes his own choices. but i am saying i think it explains a LOT about why the finale we got is what we got, and i'm not sorry stede and ed ended the show together rather than apart or with their lives hanging in the balance or something

anyway these are just a bunch of thoughts i've been having, tied together by the cancellation.

[fallout4-reacts]

Can you give your idea about every important npc like you've done about the companions ? (by important npc I mean Sturge, the long family, diamond city mayor, Fahrenheit and etc)

Interesting one and I am so eager that you will just hm... jump the list

(I will be so hated)

Part 1

Sturges - Fahrenheit - Tinker Tom - Irma

Sturges had to be gay. If not, he needs to be an ace/aro. It would be shame if he isn't.

Because you absolutely need Sturges as your gay best friend. The gay best friend of everyone.

Yes, he is a modest, ingenious man who comes up with his own words when none exist to express what he wants to say—not quite as intense as Tinker Tom, but you get the picture.

Everyone, even homophobes, needs Sturges as their gay best buddy. They just don’t know he is. They’ll appreciate him.

Furthermore, presuming he isn't Ace/Aro, Sturges is, secretly or not, attracted by Preston. And if he is Ace/Aro, he still has to have a platonic crush on Preston.

Well, that's all there is to it.

Although Preston is charming, the ragtag group of Quincy survivors would be severely lacking in charisma if it weren't for Sturges, our gay neutral buddy who possesses an excess of verve that overwhelms our feeble minds.

It is canonical that Fahrenheit is Hancock's daughter. It's in the code. That's it.

Why didn't Bethesda have the guts to include it in the game? No idea. Still, she's.

Now that we've covered that, let's move on to the two headcanons in the game.

To start, no one has mentioned the fact that she is actually Hancock's daughter.

It is clear that Hancock knew her mother before he turned ghoul. For one, Fahr wouldn't exist if it weren't for this. Second, she would be younger than five years old.

With this being, it's plausible that Fahr hasn't spent much time in Hancock's company, even given she's between the ages of 25 and 35.

For the most part, I'm fine with the 2-3 year time frame that's commonly used in fan fiction.

On the other hand, I have my own headcanon.

Fahrenheit was born out of a fleeting encounter with a girl, a bar, and a reckless young Hancock. Totally careless to the point where the pregnant woman wanted him to know absolutely nothing about her pregnancy.

An affair with the stunning McDonough for just one evening? Of course. Sharing parental responsibilities? At no point.

However, Hancock had found the truth in some way. Perhaps his own brother was aware of what was happening and wished for him to suffer hardship.

"You are such a disaster; Alyssa has fled Diamond City so you will never find out you are a father!"

When it happened, Hancock's havoc level skyrocketed. So much so that his friend Nick, who was becoming famous for his sleuthing abilities, once suggested he go after the girl and the child, who was probably a toddler by then.

And he found them.

Here's another set of diverging head canon. Some where Nick is unable to rescue the mother but the child, while others have Hancock watching after his ex-girlfriend from a distance as his daughter grows up.

But eventually, mom either dies or vanishes. And the Wasteland is no place for Fahrenheit to be alone.

Next, we have two more variances.

1. Similar to Piper and Nat, Hancock takes in and raises the girl as best he can. In contrast, Fahr is more of a rat street and does not receive much direct attention from Hancock. Nevertheless, compared to the Wasteland, being Diamond City's rat street, or kind of drifter, is greater.

Or

2. Fahrenheit is bestowed upon a family that Hancock has confidence in.

Whatever the case may be, Farh eventually shows up at Goodneighbor after Hancock turns into a ghoul and is almost definitely involved with Vic's expulsion. The still, small voice that encouraged Hancock to do it.

Fahr already sees her father's potential—with a little guidance—as a Master of Chest, and she wants to help him reach it.

She is quite helpful.

Rather than deal with a symbolic authority that she leaves to her father, she chooses to focus on the military corpus.

That concludes her relationship with Hancock.

Now let's talk about her personality.

The character Fahrenheit is more nuanced than her lines suggest, as is typical in Fallout.

An observer, she is.

She avoids bonding herself with anyone, as they are just pawns on her board.

No matter how fond she is of Hancock and how dedicated she is to his goal, she still looks down on him.

The wickedness she experienced as a child is largely to blame for this. She could have been led to believe by her mother that her father had abandoned the family. Or something.

Also, her mother perhaps has been cold and distant as she struggled to provide for her family. Perhaps she felt this way because her daughter was a bittersweet reminder that she will never get her heart's desire.

Whatever the case may be, it's given a Fahrenheit that doesn't connect to anyone or open to anyone.

She prefers to follow her own path and isn't interested in sharing it with anyone.

This is something that Hancock acknowledges and values.

That is why Hancock has her respect.

That is why they make a great duo to lead Goodneighbor in the right direction.

One of Deacon's greatest secrets is Tinker Tom.

Yeah, you heard me well.

Of Deacon.

There is an unstated origin story behind Tinker Tom. He was rescued by Deacon, who then integrated--hide--him in the RailRoad. That is precisely why Tinker is so incredibly paranoid. Simply put, he has an absolutely compelling reason to be so.

Everything he experienced and learned is a thousand times worse than anything you can ever fathom.

A timid young prodigy who was relentlessly exploited until Deacon came along and provided him with a safe haven.

Now, most people respect him; those who seek his assistance must first prove they deserve it.

He is under no more any sort of obligation.

Yet, he keeps a subdue attitude in face of the "RailRoad leader", but it's all a joke between Deacon and Tom, and Tom KNOW that no one can command him anymore, be mean with him in any meaner. 

Should one go on, Deacon would expose his worst traits, leading to the person's doom...

And somehow, everyone in the RailRoad realizes that.

Irma is a woman of power. While they were younger, she flirted with Marowski and took advantage of him.

Simply put, she is a woman with the big W.

A stunning lady.

But she refuses to be a pawn for anybody.

She had brought the Memory Den long before it became significant. It wasn't just anything; it was plainly a brothel.

Bawd suit well to Irma. A clever matron.

And Amari is a very wise lady as well.

Akin to Irma, she has seen the property's potential. The proposal was made by her. They have associate.

And that's Irma that tricked Nick Valentine in the Memory Den.

Because it was not otherwise.

After following the trail of a runaway spouse once, Nick arrived at the Third Rail. He was quickly spotted by Irma.

At that time, he was not quite as battered as he is today. Everything about him—his handsome style, his deep, cool voice, and his gentlemanly behavior—was exquisite for someone with an open mind.

His charms have captivated Irma.

She has exhausted every possible means to lure him into her clutches. However, he still manages to gracefully sidestep her traps.

And her attraction has just intensified. Nevertheless, she possesses an elitist aspect that should not be lowered. Never she would have kneel for him.

After that, a status quo of sorts. Just like him, she's a gamer.

However, if the SoSu are successful in their romance with Nick, Irma will go absolutely wild. SoSu, be careful with your drink if Irma serves it to you.

[dira333]

Too Close / Rules

Nick Fury x Reader

Your mother has given you three rules for live - but you break them all

Your mother might not have been the biggest part of your life, but you do remember the few times she had been present, remember the way she gave you advice - as if she was telling you the greatest secrets the world could offer.

“When you fall in love, there are many risks,” was the last advice she ever gave you, “But I consider three the most important ones. Don’t fall in love with a man that is older than you. Don’t allow yourself feelings for a man you work for. And you might think me silly but if you ever catch the eye of a spy, dear, leave him alone. If you do this, you will do better in life than I ever did.”

You did not really understand, but she smiled as if she knew that you would. When you’re older. Old enough.

It’s the last time you see her and you burn her words into your memory.

Years later, when your talents have already shown and all the secrets of the world are no longer secrets to you, you meet him.

You call him “pretty face” because you feel powerful and invincible, but you aren’t.

He tells you so when he finally decides to bring you in after months and months of him showing up in the coffeeshop you practically live in, glaring at you over a cup of coffee, dropping messages scribbled on napkins into your lap when he leaves.

His name is Nick. Nick Fury.

“I knew your mother,” he says and he’s too young to have worked by her side, but old enough to know her as a spy and not just as a legend. A legend you only learned about when she was already dead.

He doesn’t need much to convince you.

Working for shield means that you’re firmly on the right side of law and justice now, that you get paid every month.

Also he has that way of looking at you that makes you nod and agree without really thinking about it.

First you’re an agent.

Then you’re a special agent.

and then your office is suddenly right next to that of Maria Hill and you meet up with Nick and her at least once a week to discuss and disagree on one topic after the other.

You like this life you’re leading.

You like the job you’re doing.

You like your boss.

When you feel a pang of jealousy at the sight of Maria Hill entering his office for a meeting you’re not invited to, you realize that the last fact was wrong.

You might actually be in love with him after all.

You might actually be in love with a man you work for. Who is older than you. And who happens to be a spy.

You think of your mother’s advice with a dry chuckle and the same old bitter taste on your tongue.

Three simple rules and you manage to break them all in one strike.

-

“I want to quit,” you tell him the next day when you have your own private meeting and the surprise in his eyes is real.

“Why?”

“Because I want to,” you tell him easily, “Because we’ve grown too close for our own safety and well-being. I can take Coulson’s job. New Mexico doesn’t sound that much of a hassle.”

He looks at you before he pulls out a small card and writes something down, moves to slide it over to you but stops on the way, fingers pressed down on the card, his eye locked onto yours.

“You know, your mother gave me an advice, the one and only time we talked face to face,” he reveals.

“Ah…” you say, trying to hide your desire to hear more and failing spectacularly.

He smiles.

“She said there are many risks in our job. The biggest is falling in love. I should listen to three  things when I choose. Never fall in love with a woman younger than me. Nor one that works for me. And never, ever, fall in love with a spy.”

“Sounds like her,” you say, hiding your feelings with a joking tone, “Not that she ever listened to her own advices.”

He smiles and slides the card over.

You grab it, turn it and look down, your face void of any emotion.

“I will pack my things then.”

“I will have a mission report on my desk every Sunday,” he answers and shakes your hand.

It’s a short and simple good bye.

It’s a show, set up for everyone who is willing to look.

5 hours later, when your belongings are on the way to a place that is very, very far away from New Mexico, you park in front of an apartment building and pull out the card Nick had given you.

He has written down two codes.

One to get access to your next mission.

And one to get into his home. The very place he lived in.

The life he led outside of shield.

You know that the moment you step inside is the moment you change your life forever. That you break all the rules once and for all.

A part of you is scared, doesn’t want to disappoint your mother.

But this isn’t about your mother, this is about you.

There’s a smile on Nick’s face when he opens the door for you, as if he hadn’t been all that sure that you’d take the leap and come.

It smells like homemade food and coziness and he leans in for a greeting kiss, moves slow enough for you to step away.

But you don’t.

And when your lips meet for the first time it feels like coming home.

[hona-hona]

Order you fave characters, 1 being u like most:

Nick

Charlie

Elle

Tao

Isaac

Aled

Imogen

Tori

Michael

Christian

Sai

Otis

Oliver

you didn’t ask, but i gave a little comment to each, because i don’t want my rankings to exist without context. also added taradarcy! if we’re talking sai otis and christian we shouldn’t ignore our favourite lesbians

many opinions ahead! you don't have to agree

charlie (i have an extreme amount of feelings towards this boy) and nick (i can’t separate them, i love you i relate to you you are my son)

darcy (she’s so fun, even though irl i’d probably be a bit intimidated)

tao (i adore hstv tao, for me personally his quirky personality comes across better in the show than in the comic)

michael (he’s silly!!! he’s the silly man!! i’m looking forward to seeing him in the show)

elle (she seems like an overall good friend and a very cool, pleasant person to have around. i just want to be friends with her honestly) (although i do have questions for hstv elle for telling tao about charlie and nick without asking charlie first like girl um. why does that never get addressed)

imogen (she’s important to me, and if anything happens to her, i will destroy everyone in the room and then myself)

isaac (I LOVE ISAAC he’s the sweetest)

tara (she’s very kind and nice but i don’t have many meaningful things to say, so i placed her here)

tori (she’s great but i feel like compared to how some other fans feel about her i’m pretty neutral)

oliver (he’s an amazing kid!! i love the energy and the fun moments he adds to the comic, but i wasn’t horrendously upset when i found out he wasn’t in the show, so take from that what you will)

aled (i haven’t read radio silence, so sorry to say i don’t really have any strong feelings towards aled.. he seems nice, though)

otis, sai and christian (i mean they’re background characters they seem like decent friends to nick but that’s about it)

[ireadyabooks]

Books That Make You Feel Less Alone

What is a book that made you feel less alone? 💚 In honor of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we've rounded up some of our favorite books that speak honestly and powerfully about mental health. 

For anyone struggling with mental health, To Write Love on Her Arms provides resources and guidance on how to seek help at TWLOHA.com/FindHelp.

I Am Not Alone

Alberto’s life isn't easy: He's an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who lives with his sister's abusive boyfriend—but he'd always accepted his place in the world. Until he starts hearing the voice of a man called Captain America, a voice that wants him to achieve more, no matter the cost. When Alberto and Grace meet, they have an immediate and electric connection. But when Alberto is present at the scene of a terrible crime, he becomes a suspect. And with his developing schizophrenia, he’s not even sure he believes in his own innocence.Can Grace find a way to prove Alberto’s innocence to himself and the world? Start reading I Am Not Alone! 

Solitaire 

Tori Spring isn't sure how to be happy again. Then she meets Michael Holden, and they try to unmask the mysterious Solitaire (and survive high school) in Alice Oseman's stunning, unflinching honest debut novel, which first introduced her fan-favorite Heartstopper characters Nick and Charlie.

Here the Whole Time

Felipe’s plans for a relaxing winter break are turned upside down when he learns that Caio, his lifelong crush, will be staying with him for fifteen days. Felipe struggles with body-image insecurities and regularly attends therapy, something he thinks everyone should do, in this body-positive love story. Start reading!

Things We Couldn’t Say

When Gio’s mom comes back into his life after abandoning their family when he was nine, Gio’s life is thrown into disarray. Can he forgive her like she wants to be forgiven? Or should he tell her she lost her chance to be in his life? As he struggles to make sense of his emotions, he’s also finding first love with another boy on his basketball team and discovering that there are no easy answers to love – whether it’s family love or friend love or romantic love. Start reading Things We Couldn’t Say!

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling

Anna Chiu takes care of her mother, whose debilitating mental illness keeps her in bed most days. As her mother’s condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other. Start reading!

The Bridge

Tillie and Aaron both end up on the George Washington Bridge at the same time, intending to jump. The Bridge explores the echoes and weight of their choices on the people left behind, and most importantly, shows us how important it is to make the choice to stay another day.

The Ghosts We Keep

After his brother is killed in a hit-and-run, Liam has to not only learn to face the world without one of the people he loved the most, but also face the fading relationships of his two best friends in the process. Soon, Liam finds themself spending time with Ethan’s best friend, Marcus, who might just be the only person that seems to know exactly what they’re going through-for better and for worse. The Ghosts We Keep is an achingly honest portrayal of grief. But it is also about why we live. Why we have to keep moving on, and why we should.

Heartstopper Volume 4

Charlie and Nick's relationship has been going really well, and Charlie thinks he's ready to say those three little words: I love you. Nick feels the same way, but he's got a lot on his mind -- especially the thought of coming out to his dad and the fact that Charlie might have an eating disorder. As a new school year begins, Charlie and Nick will have to learn what love really means. Start Reading! 

One Way or Another

When Paige is presented with two last-minute options for Christmas vacation, she’s paralyzed by indecision. Should she go with her best friend (and longtime crush) Fitz to his family’s romantic mountain cabin? Or should she accompany her mom to New York, a city Paige has spent her whole life dreaming about? When she slips and hits her head, her life splits into these two possibilities. But before Paige gets her happy ending in either destiny, she’ll have to face the truth about her struggle with anxiety. Start reading One Way or Another!

I Don’t Want to be Crazy

When Samantha Schutz first left home for college, she was excited by the possibilities. At first, she reveled in the independence … but as pressures increased, she began to suffer anxiety attacks that would leave her mentally shaken and physically incapacitated. I Don’t Want to be Crazy is a true story about breaking down, growing up, and living with an anxiety disorder.

[finnofamerica]

Dinos & Dutch Bros - Nick Van Owen x Reader | Fluff

Summary: You met your friend Nick Van Owen by chance, but what happens when you want more?

Word Count: 1344

Date Posted: 05.24.23

TW: Mentions of Boudoir photo shoots

Note: Heavily set in Phoenix, AZ

|| Masterlist || Request Here || Fandoms/ Characters || Req by Anon

You met Nick Van Owen by chance. Genuinely by chance. You’d read Dr. Malcolm's book about his experience on Isla Sorna, where Nick was briefly mentioned, but you had never dreamed of meeting the man in real life, let alone at a Dutch Bros. Remember that Dutch Bros are drive-throughs with tables for people who walk or use public transportation. They are not intended to be sat at. But you loved them on days that weren’t too hot just to sit outside and maybe get a little work done. Not to mention, the staff were extremely friendly. 

“Excuse me? This seat open?” He had sort of a middle-range voice, and you couldn’t help but notice how some of his vowels had a sort of crunch to them that you found really pleasant. He was handsome and well-built but not outrageous-looking like most gym bros were. 

“Yes,” You smiled, though allowing a stranger into your personal space felt odd. This public space got a lot of foot traffic, so you felt safe. 

“I’m Nick,” He introduced himself, calloused hand jutting forward in greeting. You couldn’t help but notice the camera bag slung around his shoulder. “Nick Van Owen.” 

“You’re a photographer? Me too. What kind do you do?” 

“Documentation. You?” 

“Boudoir. My job is to make people feel sexy.” 

“Interesting. Making people feel sexy just so happens to be a hobby of mine.” He smiled wickedly, making you chuckle at his obvious flirting. Then it clicked. Nick Van Owen. Documentarian photographer. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t help but ask - were you part of the team on Isla Sorna that preluded the San Diego incident?” 

“So my reputation precedes me.” He joked, “Yeah, that was me.” 

“I read Dr. Malcolm’s book. You were mentioned briefly. Can I ask - what were they like? The dinosaurs, I mean.” 

“Beautiful.” 

You met up regularly after that, between his assignments and work with Greenpeace. He would tell you about the places he’d seen and the people he’d met. You loved hearing his stories and his impeccable comedy. You learned that he’d moved to the Phoenix area after Isla Sorna, looking to set up his home somewhere that didn’t reflect his experience. You were good friends. But if you were just ‘good’ friends, then how come you could never sleep at night whenever he was gone on whatever assignment he was commissioned to do? 

“Do me a favor; kneel at the foot of the bed facing the headboard, knees slightly apart, and hold your hair like you’re putting it in a ponytail,” You directed your client as you got in position at the head of the bed. “Soften the look just a little, like you’re home alone, wearing your lingerie just to feel sexy for yourself.” 

“So this mystery man you were telling me about last time? Going anywhere with him?” Clarice asked as she followed your directions. She was a regular client that very frequently booked these sessions. 

“No, He’s in Isreal currently.” You sighed, snapping your pictures and directing her to a different pose.

“Have you hooked up yet?” 

“NO! We are just friends!”

“Yeah? Then why haven’t you shut up about Nick Van Owen since you met him?” Clarice challenged. 

You sighed, “He’s a busy man, Clare. He wouldn’t have the time for me even if I wanted him to.” 

“Well, I ship it. I'll knock some sense into him if I ever get my hands on him.” 

The two of you finished your session as normal, promising Clarice she’d have her edited photos back within a week when your phone rang in your pocket. 

“Hey, Nick,” You answered, stopping Clarice in her tracks. You checked your watch, “Isn’t it like 2 am there? You should be sleeping.” 

“That’s not important. What are you doing right now?” 

“I’m at my studio. I just finished a session.” 

What is he saying? Clarice mouthed to you. You held a finger to your lips, focusing on what Nick was saying. 

“My jet landed an hour ago, and I’m starving for a classic burger. What do you say, kid, are you dressed for dinner?” 

He’s asking me to dinner, You mouthed back. You and Nick had casual dinners before, but this felt different. Firstly, he’d never surprised you by not telling you when he was coming home before. It was also rare that you had dinner together that wasn’t just drunk late-night Filiberto’s. 

“Um,” You inspected your outfit in one of the studio mirrors, “Yeah, I can be dressed for dinner.” 

“Perfect. I’m outside your studio.” 

“What?” You were in utter disbelief, “What do you mean you’re outside?” 

Clarice looked eyes with you and rushed out of the studio, ready to set her eyes on the man you haven’t been able to shut up about for six months. You followed quickly after, camera bag and backpack slung over your shoulder. 

True to his word, Nick was waiting for you outside, all tanned from his time overseas. His arms open wide, anticipating the way that you jumped into his arms. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?” You asked. 

“I wanted to surprise you.” 

“Mission successful,” Clarice snorted before introducing herself. “Anyway, I have to go. The husband is expecting me home.” 

You said your goodbyes to Clarice once again and climbed into the passenger seat of Nick’s car. 

“Where are we going?” 

“Nothing fancy, an Italian place called Burger Theory. Have you ever been?” 

“This is a big city, Nick. I can’t say I have.” You teased. 

“I heard it's nice, and I know you like food. So I figured, why not.” He was starting to word vomit now, rambling about how excited he was to be back and how much he missed the city. 

“Nick, I have to ask -” You decided to rip the bandaid off, “Is this a date?” 

He scratched the back of his neck. “I was getting to the asking part.” 

“I’d be happy to go on a date with you, Nick.” 

The burgers and brews were delicious. You and Nick had a great time talking about his time in Jerusalem. You talked about your boudoir photoshoots, and Nick joked about photographing you. Finally, you both got tired of the restaurant scene, and Nick offered to drive you both back to his apartment. 

The apartment was surprisingly clean for a bachelor pad, but then again, Nick was hardly home long enough to make a mess. 

“I always thought about you, you know.” He admitted as you lay next to him in bed, a movie playing that you were hardly paying attention to, “Every time I had to leave, I always thought that I was leaving you.” 

“You made me laugh, Nick,” You admitted, “I always liked guys who made me laugh. Frankly, it was too easy to like you.” 

“Remember that night we were playing that drinking game where you put the mustaches on the tv, and we got really drunk and ordered in Filib’s? That was when it all changed for me. You were being such a goof and talking about your last boudoir shoot, and you were just so comfortable in your skin. I fell for you right then and there.” 

You remembered it well. You and Nick entertained each other most of the night by pretending to be each other boudoir sessions. Posing dorkily, trying to be sexy while super drunk. Nick had collapsed onto you after you had put him in a high-stress pose. His lips had hovered close to yours, and you wanted to kiss him so badly. The moment had passed as soon as it had started. 

You adjusted yourself so you could look Nick in the eye. His warm brown eyes drew you in until your lips were a breath's width from his. 

“Kiss me,” You whispered into the quiet room. His soft lips sent butterflies aflutter in your stomach. You’d never known a man who made you feel this wanted. 

“Y/n,” Nick asked when you finally separated for air. “Do you wanna be my girlfriend?” 

“I’d love to.” 

Tags: Open