#crumpled chronicles

[desertfangs]

Items in the Suggestion Box at Court that Marius will definitely pretend he did not see: • Night Club Blood Rave like in Blade • Talent Show • Vampire Baseball

[pallases]

bro im so confused 😭 line sensing wasn’t working earlier in the week at first like the robot couldn’t even stay straight so i changed p control value from positive to negative and it was able to follow a straight line that way but then it got to a turn and ran into the wall and i thought hm maybe the p control value just isn’t big enough like it just can’t turn sharp/fast enough but now im back at it and it seems like it’s straight up turning in the opposite direction ??? but that doesn’t make sense bc the sign of the value was DEFINITELY the issue before like my robot was not responding right at All just nonsense movements and then i switched it to negative and bam straight line following like magic.. what is Going On

[austinswife]

DADA’S GIRL - Austin Butler

FROM SERIES — THE BUTLER FAMILY CHRONICLES

SYNOPSIS — Ever since Austin found out you were expecting a baby girl, he took it upon himself to handle the important task of dropping off and picking up Wren from school. Being the loving and protective dad he is, Austin never misses the opportunity to be there for his little girl. But today, as Austin preps for a special dinner, you pick Wren up from kindergarten instead. Things take a playful twist when some overly eager fans try to approach you, with a few even attempting to flirt with you. Wren, with her usual sass and fierce protectiveness over her mom and dad, handles the situation in her own way, causing a proud moment for Austin when you get home.

WARNING(S) — Family fluff, cute interactions, and a few playful, light-hearted moments, minor references to flirting, but all handled with innocence and humor from Wren’s perspective.

𝜗𝜚 ALL FEEDBACKS, IDEAS SUGGESTION — TO AUSTINSWIFE

Morning in the Butler household was always a gentle rush. Austin had woken up bright and early, like he always did, to make breakfast for you and Wren before she went to kindergarten. The smell of freshly made waffle filled the air, mingling with the sound of Wren’s little feet pattering against the hardwood floor as she rushed to her chair at the table.

You smiled, sitting down with your cup of coffee, watching as Austin brought over a plate of waffle with a little smiley face made out of syrup on Wren’s plate. He sat beside her, his eyes twinkling as he watched her dig in with excitement.

“You excited for your first day at school, sweetie?” he asked, brushing a blonde stray curl out of her face.

Wren nodded enthusiastically, her mouth full of waffle. “Mhm! I wanna play with the toys and see new friends!”

You and Austin exchanged a smile, your hearts both swelling with pride and a little bit of that bittersweet feeling that came with watching your little girl grow up so fast.

“She’s going to be just fine,” you reassured Austin, who had been extra protective ever since you’d found out you were pregnant with Wren. He’d insisted, from that very moment, that it would be his job to drop her off and pick her up from school. He couldn’t bear the thought of missing any of those milestones.

Austin chuckled, but there was a trace of emotion behind his voice. “I know, I know. I just can’t believe how quickly time’s flying.” He turned to Wren. “You ready for dada to drop you off at school?”

“Yesss mama!” she beamed, her syrupy hands in the air.

The morning drop-off had gone smoothly, like always. Austin waved goodbye to Wren as she confidently toddled into her classroom, her little backpack bouncing behind her. She gave him a big, gap-toothed grin over her shoulder before disappearing into her world of finger-painting and story-time.

With the day free, Austin decided to plan something special for dinner. He was feeling inspired, and since you’d been working extra hard on a film project lately, he wanted to surprise you with a home-cooked, fancy meal. So, as he spent the afternoon prepping ingredients in the kitchen, you took the chance to swing by the school to pick up Wren, giving Austin more time to focus on the surprise.

The afternoon sun was warm as you stood outside Wren’s kindergarten classroom, waiting with the other parents for school to end. The school bell rang, and before long, the classroom door opened, releasing a flood of giggling children, including your sweet little Wren, who ran straight to you with her arms wide open.

“Mamaaa!” she squealed, throwing herself into your arms.

You laughed and hugged her tight. “How was school, baby? Did you have fun?”

“Mhm! I made a picture for you and Dada!” she exclaimed proudly, pulling a crumpled drawing from her backpack. It was full of colorful scribbles that vaguely resembled a family portrait—you, Austin, and Wren holding hands in front of what appeared to be your house.

“Oh wow, this is beautiful,” you cooed, kissing her cheek. “I’m sure Dada’s going to love it very much, hon.”

As you were getting ready to leave, with Wren holding your hand, a group of young guys approached. At first, you didn’t think much of it—they seemed to recognize you from one of your recent roles, offering polite greetings. But soon, a few of them began to hover closer than necessary, clearly hoping for more than just a casual chat.

One of them reached out toward your arm with a cocky grin. “You’re even prettier in person,” he remarked, his tone a little too smooth for comfort.

Before you could react, Wren, with all the sass a two-year-old could muster, stomped her foot, glaring at the stranger. “Hey! Don’t touch what Dada’s!” she snapped, her voice full of toddler indignation.

The men blinked in surprise, taken aback by the fierce little girl standing protectively in front of you. You bit back a laugh, too charmed by your daughter’s loyalty to be annoyed.

You knelt down to Wren’s level, squeezing her hand gently. “Let’s go home, sweetheart. Dada’s waiting for us, and he’s making something yummy for dinner.”

Wren, still glaring at the guys, huffed. “Yeah! My Dada’s waiting!”

The men, realizing they were no match for a two-year-old’s determination, sheepishly backed off, offering quick goodbyes before disappearing down the street.

You couldn’t help but smile as you picked Wren up and carried her to the car. She wrapped her arms around your neck, leaning her head on your shoulder as you buckled her into her car seat.

“You’re so brave, Wren,” you said, still giggling to yourself as you started the car.

“I know,” she replied matter-of-factly, already distracted by her drawing. “Dada always says to protect you, Mama!”

You smiled warmly, your heart swelling at the thought of how protective Austin had always been of both you and Wren.

As you drove home, you asked Wren about her first day at kindergarten, and she happily chattered about the new toys she’d played with, the new friends she’d made, and how one of the boys in her class shared his snack with her.

“Did you have fun?” you asked as you turned onto your street.

“Yeah! But I missed Dada… and you!” she added quickly, her big eyes looking at you through the rearview mirror.

You couldn’t help but feel a little twinge in your heart at her words, but you smiled softly. “We missed you too, baby.”

When you finally pulled into the driveway, you could already smell the delicious aroma of whatever Austin had been cooking up. Wren wiggled excitedly in her seat as you unbuckled her and led her inside.

The house was warm and inviting, and in the kitchen, Austin was busy setting the table, a proud grin on his face as he saw you both walk in. “There are my girls,” he said, his voice full of love as he scooped Wren up into his arms and kissed her cheek.

“Dada!” Wren squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too, bug,” he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “How was your day at school?”

Before Wren could launch into her story, you touched Austin’s arm, trying to hide your grin. “Oh, before I forget… you might want to hear what your daughter said earlier.”

Austin’s brow quirked in curiosity. “Oh yeah? What’d she say?”

You stifled a laugh and explained, “When I picked her up, a few guys tried to come over and talk to me, and one of them even tried to touch my arm.”

Austin’s eyes immediately flickered with protectiveness, his hold on Wren tightening just a little. “They what?”

You held up a hand, still smiling. “Before I could say anything, Wren piped up and told them, ‘Don’t touch what Dada’s!’ in her sassiest little voice.”

Austin stared at you for a moment, processing the story, before a wide grin spread across his face. He threw his head back and laughed, full of pride. “That’s my girl!”

Wren beamed, clearly pleased with herself. “Yeah! They were trying to touch Mama, but I told them no!”

Austin hugged her tightly, still grinning. “That’s right, bug. You protect Mama, always.”

After a few more proud comments, Austin set Wren down and told her to wash her hands for dinner. You watched her dash off to the bathroom, still smiling at how much she was like her dad.

Once Wren was seated at the table, you all dug into the delicious meal Austin had prepared—perfectly roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, along with a small dessert of chocolate mousse for afterward. Wren, with her little hands clasped together, kicked her feet under the table as she munched on her food.

“So, bug,” Austin said, his voice soft and full of warmth. “Tell me about your first day at school. Did you have fun?”

Wren nodded excitedly, launching into her innocent, toddler version of the day’s events. “I made a picture for you and Mama, and I played with the blocks, and a boy gave me his snack ‘cause he said he liked my braids.”

Austin exchanged a glance with you, raising an eyebrow playfully. “Oh, he did, did he?”

Wren nodded earnestly. “Mhm! But I told him my Dada makes the best snacks.”

Austin chuckled, his chest swelling with pride again. “That’s right, baby. No one makes snacks like your Dada.”

As dinner wound down and the night drew on, you watched as Austin scooped Wren up and carried her upstairs for bed, the two of them whispering and giggling together like they always did.

It was moments like this, these quiet, everyday moments, that reminded you just how lucky you were. Austin wasn’t just an incredible actor; he was the most devoted husband and father you could have ever hoped for. And with Wren in his arms, safe and sound, you knew that everything in your world was exactly as it should be.

[haveihitanerve]

i forgot some so here they are!!!

(thanks @originalwinnercheesecake for reminding me of these💗💗)

faints when he firsts sees the plague victims which allows his wife to comfort gregor

is a great soldier

comforts nerissa

Reasons why York is my absolute fav Underlander extra character

His name is fucking York

canonically says fuck

is also canonically seven feet tall (this is important for many reasons but the main two are 1-hes fucking tall, and 2- he can comfortably look ripred the fucking raging rat in the eye)

hes exasperated when he learns howard didnt go home

allows nibblers to stay at the fount

comforts luxa when she asks for aurora

gives Gregor the Dad-glare when he says he and ares can take her home

smooths away luxa's hair

is literally the last line of defense with ripred when saving the nibblers

fights alongside fucking RIPRED without batting an eye or giving a shit which like- kudos man and it probably infuriated ripred so even more kudos

grunts when gregor says hello which makes perdita roll her eyes and introduce him

helps luxa to govern after the war

has the balls to actively ignore ripred

uses a broadsword and cuts rats in FUCKING HALF

is just genuinely a good uncle and i wish we saw more of him instead of fuckwit Hamnet but whatever

[fourovcups]

I've been reading Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire as research for a project of mine, and it has certainly been an experience.

Desert Solitaire was one of these titles I'd heard bandied about in American nature literature growing up (the kind of thing teachers recommended once you finished Hatchet), but I don't here his work mentioned as much anymore. I recently re-encountered the title on a literal ecofascist reading list. While Abbey doesn't sound like an ecofascist himself, I can easily see why nature Nazis like him.

The book chronicles Abbey's time as a seasonal park ranger at the Arches National Monument in Utah There is a kind of uncertainty and inconsistency in the way he writes, even in the way he acts towards his surroundings in the desert. Silent Spring had only been published a few years before Solitaire was, and the eco-cultural revolution was not yet in full swing. Abbey writes lovingly about his desert environment. He describes in stunning detail, for example, the everyday beauty of a bumblebee alighting on a cactus flower, and decries the reckless "development" initiatives of the Bureau of Public Roads. But on the next page, he will say something like this: "...it's a foolish, simple-minded rationalism which denies any form of emotion to all animals but man and his dog. This is no more justified than the Moslems are in denying souls to women." Sure dude. Okay, fine, he was writing in the sixties. Some insensitivity is par for the course. But then, after pages and pages of decrying humans driving desert flora and fauna towards extinction, he describes with glee an instance where he stones a rabbit to death for no apparent reason.

It's a bizarre passage, and shows Abbey at his most unhinged. He describes the rabbit as "cowardly" for running away from threats, unlike the brave mountain lion, who stands and fights. He throws the stone and hits the rabbit's head: "He crumples, there's the usual gushing of blood, etc.," and the creature is dead. "I continue my walk with a new, augmented cheerfulness which is hard to understand but unmistakable [...] I try but cannot feel any sense of guilt." Reflecting on the incident, he concludes that his killing of the rabbit has made him a part of the desert, a membership bought by killing or being killed, being "predator or prey". Even so, he decides not to eat the rabbit, which he says is probably diseased anyway. He also describes using his walking stick to crush and stir up an ant colony, also without any reason beyond not liking ants. "Don't actually care for ants. Neurotic little pismires." These are far from the only times that Abbey violates his personal philosophy of reverence for all living creatures.

It's clear that Edward Abbey came to Arches National Monument already dissatisfied with the outside world, and with some authority issues to boot (some quick googling on his background shows two demotions as a military police officer for clashing with higher-ups). The freedom of the desert, its simplicity and balance, is a significant part of what makes it appeal to him. But its harshness, the hostility of its sandstorms and lurking rattlesnakes, draws him in just as much.

Edward Abbey is not an ecofascist. If anything, his ill-defined political beliefs can be vaguely defined as anarchistic, if they can be defined at all. Deleuze and Guattari write in A Thousand Plateaus that fascism is "a cancerous body rather than a totalitarian organism". It is fluid, mutable. Sometimes it lies latent, benign; at other times it rushes outward, colonizing piecemeal and erratically, in "flows capable of suffusing every kind of cell". Elements of Abbey, and of Desert Solitaire, contain such microfascisms.

Let's turn back to the linchpin of it all: the killing of the rabbit, which he sees as a joyous, cosmic act; one that links him into a (circular? pyramidal?) chain of being he was previously alienated from, in the atomized world of civilization. His joy is only augmented when he realizes he is not guilty for killing the rabbit. In per-modern hunting customs across the world, the taking of animal life is never free and unmediated. Thanks may be given to the spirit of the animal itself, or to the unseen powers that led the hunter to their quarry. Naturally, the sacrifice of an animal to a god was just that: for a god, not the human involved. What Abbey describes in the killing of the rabbit is something utterly different.

In Federico Finchelstein's Fascist Mythologies, Finchelstein says that in fascism, "consciousness was not a repression of inwardness (as Freud understood the workings of the Ego and the Id) but its actual distillation. [...] [Fascist consciousness] was not contemplative but similar to that of a sublime sensation of ecstasy."

The fascist subject is most "conscious" precisely when they loose themselves in the ecstatic abandon of the act. Such fascist consciousness is the foundation of the free, easy violence it facilitates.

When Abbey describes casting the stone at the rabbit, it is in a Meursault-like twilight of awareness. He sets up the encounter as a game, one in which he is a scientist experimenting on a rabbit that has been "volunteered" to him, and whose death is justifiable through its natural cowardice. He hardly realizes that the action he is carrying out, and when the rabbit dies he is shocked out of his reverie for a moment.

"For a moment I am shocked by my deed [...] but shock is succeeded by a mild elation."

For Abbey, primordial violence is what at last allows him union with the sacred world of the desert.

"No longer do I feel so isolated from the sparse and furtive life around me, a stranger from another world. I have entered into this one. We are kindred all of us [...] Long live diversity, long live the Earth!"

By carrying out this act of bare violence, Abbey frees himself from the civilized world and achieves union with the world of Nature, in which violence is a simple act: one that creates its own order rather than supporting existing ones. It is this union that, while the moment lasts, allows him to rejoice in his newfound "innocence and power".

That is where I will leave things for now. There are other, more overt themes that Abbey explores that are the chief reason Desert Solitaire appeals to many ecofascists, such as its characterizations of industrial society and "Progress". Abbey's later work, such as The Monkey Wrench Gang, set even more explicit examples of direct action and sabotage that inspired right-wing accelerationists as well as left-wing environmental activists. This is my first long-ish post; if you're interested in these kinds of posts on ecofascism and ecocriticism, let me know and I might make more in the future.

[rosesofenvy]

I was very inspired by @sha-biest goldenfuture au so I wrote a drabble for some of her most recent posts that I’m linking below! (they're also linked in the fic)

The arm incident

Leoichi

Kendratello

Check out the goldenfutureau tag if you’re confused!

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I'll Be the Sweetest Thing To Ever Scare You (5350 words) by rosesofenvy Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles (Cartoon) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Leonardo (TMNT)/Yuichi Usagi, Donatello/Kendra (TMNT) Characters: Leonardo (TMNT), Donatello (TMNT), Yuichi Usagi, Kendra (TMNT), Michelangelo (TMNT), Raphael (TMNT), April O'Neil (TMNT), Cassandra Jones | Foot Recruit, Agent John Bishop (TMNT) Additional Tags: goldenfutureau, shabiest golden future, Post Movie, Violence, Loss of Limbs, bishop is a dick, kidnapped donnie, saving donnie from bishop, both leo and donnie lose an arm, Confessions, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Hurt, lots of comfort, Nightmares, Injury Recovery, lowkey donnie whump, but kendra makes him laugh so it's all ok

Summary: Leo doesn't regret his choices to safe Donnie from Bishop, it just means a longer recovery for everyone involved.

Enjoy :)

Leo doesn’t regret his decision. 

Donnie had been missing for a week, a week of no contact, a week of frantic searches, and a week of desperate calls to every friend and enemy they had ever encountered. They spared no expense in their efforts to find him, but it was almost a slap in the face to find that Donnie had been so close to them all along - he hadn’t even been taken out of New York. The sudden burst of Donnie’s mystic energy, coordinates and maps tracing to his exact location had been a source of relief and frustration as they mobilized and moved out. 

Leo doesn’t regret moving when he did. 

Raph and Mikey were holding down the lower levels of the base, guaranteeing their escape route since their abilities were dampened by whatever that mad scientist Bishop had cooked up. Leo was in charge of the extraction of their brother since he was by far the fastest and they were relying on the element of surprise here. Someone who’d been able to take down Donnie without their knowledge wasn’t someone they were taking lightly. Whatever Bishop had installed in the building had disabled most of their mystic powers, he can’t even risk using his portals if he didn’t want to lose a limb. 

That doesn’t matter, he didn’t need mystic powers. He would tear this building apart with his bare hands if that meant he’d get his brother back safe. Faceless scientists run screaming past him, those who attempt to stop his progression are swiftly taken care of. Whether or not those rebuffs are nonlethal doesn’t matter, what does matter is that he’s reached the main lab. Kendra had shown him the blueprints, this entire floor was a blackout but he could assume it followed the general path that the previous labs had. As he bounds up the stairwell - and enters the open floor plan, every sense screams to high alert. 

Even though Kendra was controlling every electrical aspect to the lab, this floor only had emergency lights. Even with the low glow of bulbs placed too far apart Leo’s senses are overwhelmed. There’s too much. Wires sparking from where they’d been torn from the wall blood on the floor static from a radio system now defunct thanks to Kendra’s interference blood on the wall his brother's blood everywhere. It reeks of iron and metal and sickness and despite the nausea curling in his gut Leo doesn’t hesitate to sprint forward because there’s his fucking brother. 

Leo doesn’t regret throwing himself directly into the path of danger despite every time he’s been told to stop being such a self sacrificial idiot. 

Donnie is crumpled near some sort of shadowed metal robot. Leo can’t quite make out the details with the intermittent flicker from the emergency lights, but it doesn’t matter as he darts across the length of the lab. He couldn’t see any humans in this room, something that made his scales itch with paranoia as he searched the dark corners of the lab for movement but he can’t afford to waste his attention on the absence of a being when what he came for is right in front of him. As he’s almost to Donnie, the robot his brother is kneeled in front of activates with a flash of red and a creaking of metal. 

Leo regrets not moving faster. 

There’s a blankness in Donnie’s gaze that makes Leo’s heart clench as the softshell staggers to his feet, clearly exhausted and with blood dripping from a number of wounds. Despite standing, he sways and Leo can see that Donnie doesn’t or maybe can’t register the danger directly to his right. Leo can’t tell if Donnie even recognizes him.

“Donnie! Move! ” Leo screams, finally getting in range of his brother, but it’s still not enough. There’s a red light shining over the both of them, a warning burst of heat just as Leo wraps his left arm around Donnie’s shell and uses his momentum to shove them both out of the way. The blaze that wraps around Leo’s shell and scorches his arm clean off is so sudden that he doesn’t register what had happened until Donnie is on the floor beneath him. Pain radiates from the remains of his arm and he gasps through clenched teeth as he takes in Donnie’s uncomprehending stare and the blood slowly seeping from the partially cauterized remains of the softshell's left arm. Leo slams his panic button as he takes in the physical wounds Donnie had suffered over the past week. 

“You gotta keep your eyes open for me, we gotta wait for Raph, no passin' out yet.” Leo pants desperately, trying to follow his own order as he practically collapses over Donnie, "Is anyone still here?” 

Donnie’s eyes flicker open, and Leo follows the path of his gaze up to where he recognizes an observational balcony. Leo didn't see it before in his desperation to grab Donnie, but there’s an outline of a man holding some sort of control panel. Bishop. Leo’s grip on Donnie’s shoulder tightens, but the human makes no move towards and instead sinks into the shadows where Leo couldn’t follow. The building shakes and Leo tries to lift Donnie, but it’s useless with the weakness that has filled his limbs. Pounding footsteps reach his ears and Leo turns to see Raph emerge from the same stairwell he had run up just moments earlier. 

“Leo, Donnie!” Raph’s voice is frantic as he runs into the room. Leo feels his muscles going limp despite his best efforts to remain conscious as their older brother scoops them both up, then punches the machine to destroy the glass embedded in the robot that had nearly killed them both. The floor splinters beneath their feet and Raph wastes no time making their escape. 

Leo regrets not being able to stay conscious during the destruction of the lab. He would’ve liked to revel in the downfall of one of Bishop’s pride and joys. 

Waking up in the med bay was unfortunately a familiar experience for Leo. The steady beep of a heart monitor - although it was doubled for some reason, the scent of antiseptic, and the herculean effort it took to pry open his eyelids. 

The light was nearly blinding as he tilted his head to the side, registering the flow of drugs from the IV drip making his limbs feel heavy and grimacing at the dryness of his mouth. Mikey was sitting in a chair at his bedside, and at his movement the box turtle leaps up and grips the bars to the bed. 

“Leo! Are you awake?” 

Leo can’t do much more than click in response, already wanting to go back to sleep but the stress in Mikey’s expression keeps him conscious. How long had he been out for Mikey to look so concerned? What had even happened this time? What were they all doing before…

“Here, I’ve got some water for ya,” Mikey says quickly, grabbing a cup and urging Leo to drink, “Do you want-” 

“Donnie?!” Leo interrupts, voice rough as the memory of his brother, bloody and bruised, surfaces. He realizes through the sludge of the painkillers that he’d managed to grab Mikey’s hand before he could help him with the water and his grip was trembling as he searched Mikey’s face for answers. “Is he here? Is he ok?” 

“Donnie’s fine,” Mikey reassures, pointing over Leo’s shoulder, “look he’s right there.” At Mikey’s gesture Leo lets his head fall to the other side and can see Donnie laying flat on his plastron still passed out. That nausea swirls again at the sight of all the bandages and wires that seemed to mirror what was hooked up to Leo so he tilts back towards Mikey with a small sigh of relief. 

“Does Yuichi know?” He asks after he takes a few sips of blessedly cool water and can talk without it feeling like his throat is being carved to pieces. 

“Can you worry about yourself for two seconds Leo?” Mikey murmurs miserably as he fidgets with Leo's blankets, “What do you remember? Raph didn’t see what happened and Kendra couldn’t pull cameras since Bishop had everything disabled on that floor.” 

“I had to get Donnie out of the way,” Leo replies with a frown, “If I didn’t then…” It all hits him at once. The scene in the lab, the blood, the pain of a part of him being rendered from existence. He rolls his gaze down to his right arm, feeling an odd choking feeling overtake him as he realizes that his arm ends at the bicep, wrapped tightly in stark white bandages. 

“Bishop had built something, I couldn’t see all of it since the power had been cut to most of the lab, but Donnie had just been left there. When I was trying to get to him, it lit up and I realized…” He trails off, swallowing hard as he recalls the sharp angles and the alien features of the robot, a shape that had often haunted nightmares, “If I didn’t get him out of the way, then he would’ve-” his words are cut off by his own choked sob. He’d been so close to losing his brother. Donnie was so close to being gone because of some stupid fucking scientist. 

“Ok ok I got it,” Mikey quickly says, trying to calm the rising heart rate of his older brother and prevent those pained noises from escalating.  

“You gotta tell Yuichi, Mikey you gotta call him, it’s been a week he’s probably worried sick, ” Leo gasps, tightening his grip on Mikey’s arm. The guilt of unintentionally keeping Yuichi in the dark was eating at every ounce of air in his chest. 

“I will, I’ll get Raph to do it right now ok?” promises replies, holding onto Leo’s hand with both of his until he can feel Leo’s grip loosening and can see his eyelids fluttering. 

“Okay,” Leo mumbles, the burst of energy leaving him as quickly as it had arrived. “Mikey imma sleep now ‘kay?” 

“That’s fine Leo, rest up,” Mikey whispers, patting Leo’s hand as the slider relaxes and almost instantly falls back asleep. Mikey breathes a sigh of relief once he’s sure Leo’s under then sends a text to Raph. 

-------

Yuichi knew that it wasn’t necessarily uncommon for Leo to go radio silent on missions, it came with the territory of keeping the world safe. However, it’d been a week at this point and with the abruptness of Leo’s departure, he was anxiously pacing the length of his room and overthinking everything that could’ve gone wrong. It had become his habit within the week, spending his downtime in this way but the routine is interrupted when his phone begins buzzing. 

He leaps at where it had been set on his bedside table, dropping it on the floor once before he manages to hold onto it, seeing Leo’s caller ID and nearly crying with relief. 

“Leo! It’s been a week, are you ok? What happened to Donnie?” He rattles off once he answers, clutching his phone up to his ear and holding his breath for the response. 

There’s a beat of silence before Raph replies. 

“Hey Usagi, I don’t want you freaking out ok?” Raph greets gently, “I’m gonna tell you what happened and then Mikey’s gonna bring you over here.” 

“What went wrong? Is Leo hurt?” Usagi questions anxiously, feeling his phone beginning to creak with how tightly he was holding it. All of the worst case scenarios he’d been considering claw their way to the forefront of his mind. 

“Leo and Donnie were both seriously injured in the escape from the lab that Donnie was being held in, but they’re both alive and recovering,” Raph reports, “Leo’s been in and out of consciousness for the past day and he just woke up for longer than just a few minutes. He’s been asking for you. Are you ok to come over?” 

“Yes yes of course,” Usagi replies quickly, darting around to grab his katana and tug on his shoes, “Get me over there.” 

A golden portal opens in front of him as he’s pocketing his phone and Usagi doesn’t hesitate to step through. Once the spots clear from his vision he sees that Mikey had pulled him into the atrium of their lair, both Mikey and Raph waiting for him. He can see the exhaustion in their expressions and it makes the anxiety that had been simmering begin to boil over. 

“Where is he?” Usagi demands, dropping his katana onto the nearest empty surface and flicking his ears to see if he can catch any sound of the slider. He can hear the slightly raised heartbeats of the brothers in front of him before he catches the steady electrical beeps further into the lair.

“I’ll take you to him,” Mikey says, raising his hands in a placating gesture, “He’s still kind of out of it from the painkillers, but he’s been asking about you since he woke up.” 

Usagi knows that’s supposed to reassure him but it just makes his heart beat harder as he follows Mikey to the medical bay. He’s seen Leo hurt before, but it was very rare that he or any of the brothers had to be completely hospitalized. Their healing factors often kicked in before it was needed, so the thought of both of them being injured badly enough to need serious painkillers was nerve wracking. Since Donnie was on the far side of the room, Usagi’s gaze catches on the softshell before he fully enters and turns to see Leo. 

He’s not sure what to look at first, eyes flickering from the bruises under Leo’s eyes to the bandages wrapping around his upper chest and his right arm - his right arm that was gone from the elbow down. He can’t help his gasp, moving quickly to Leo’s bedside. Leo opens his eyes at the vocalization, gaze taking a moment to focus before he smiles gently. 

“Yuichi,” He says, voice soft but clearly rough from disuse as Usagi scans the lines of IV’s and wires before leaning over and cradling Leo’s head. He wraps his arms as gently as he could, tucking Leo’s head against his own as he whispers his name. He waits until he can hear the steadiness of Leo’s heartbeat before he takes a shuddered breath and shifts to hide his face against Leo.  

“‘Chi?” Leo inquires, drawing back a bit as he can feel the heat of Yuichi’s tears against the side of his neck. 

Yuichi moves back just enough to meet Leo’s eyes as he bites back the angry choking thing that wants to scream about unfairness and instead presses his cheek against Leo’s, seeing the tears budding in the slider’s eyes. 

“Don’t you dare do this again,” He whispers fiercely, “Next time you leave, I’m coming with you.” He can feel Leo’s tears mingling with his own, and it takes only a tilt of his head to connect the two of them in a kiss. Usagi would normally worry about the fact that Leo’s brothers were likely still nearby, and would be concerned if Leo was in any pain with the proximity, but all he can think about is how he nearly lost the slider and he would’ve only known when his brothers had been able to contact him. He curls the fingers he has cradling the back of Leo’s neck, feeling the slider sigh into his mouth before he pulls back and searches out Yuichi’s hand with his remaining one. Once their fingers are intertwined, Leo visibly relaxes. 

“I won’t Yuichi, promise.” 

“Damn straight,” Yuichi says firmly, “And if you think I’m leaving anytime in the near future you’d be sorely mistaken.” 

“Well the angle you’re standing at doesn’t look comfortable,” Leo offers quietly, “Care to join me?” 

Yuichi frowns at the number of wires that Leo was connected to before carefully arranging himself on the bed beside Leo. He can feel the tension fade as he carefully tangles their legs and props his head against the side of Leo’s. The slider melts into his side, sighing in comfort and it brings Usagi back to many of their sleepovers. If there wasn’t the scent of antiseptic and the sounds of heart rate monitors, he’d be able to pretend that it was just another night after coming back from a mission. The sleepless nights spent worrying over Leo’s condition catch up to him, and he allows himself to rest with Leo tucked into his arms. 

-------

Kendra had seen a lot in her time. Being a teenage hacker often meant seeing things that she really wasn’t supposed to. Sometimes it was what the neighbors Tuesday afternoon drunken parties entailed, sometimes it was the ledgers of foreign governments and lists of experiments that were far from ethical. 

Helping two of the Hamato’s through their amputations? That was new. She can’t help but thank her instinct to pursue medicine (sure it was veterinary medicine but it had helped them out here hadn’t it?) as she clears away the materials she’d used for stitches.

She wasn’t sure what to think when she was first contacted about Donatello being missing. It seemed that the Hamato’s had just been going through each of Donnie’s contacts to see if they’d heard anything. She wasn’t sure if she was surprised that she was one of the first on his list since she was contacted mere hours after his disappearance, but she was not ashamed to admit that she threw herself back into her computer hacking days to provide her services. 

It was odd, returning to watching cameras and scanning security footage for any signs of the freakishly large turtle instead of attending to her much more morally correct job of a veterinarian. When Donnie’s systems finally pinged his location and the brothers had ran in yelling about his mystic energy, she remained as the “woman in the chair” despite every instinct to strap on one of Donnie’s battleshells and join the fight herself. 

She watched through security cameras while she remotely detonated the lab’s systems - reveling in the panic on the scientists faces as they realized that rooms were locked and sirens were growing louder thanks to her call to every station in the area regarding illegal experimentation and unauthorized lab usage. They wouldn’t be able to access the building until she opened the doors, but it was good to rile them up. The building would be going down regardless thanks to April and Casey’s actions to rig the foundations with Purple Dragon grade explosives. She had already evacuated nearby blocks, the only danger was to those that had chosen to imprison and experiment on Donnie and whatever other poor mutants Bishop had gotten his slimy hands on. Unfortunately the only area she wasn’t able to see, much to her and everyone else’s frustration, was the lab that Donnie was being kept in. 

This means that the only thing she sees when the battle ends is Leo and Donnie being carried out by Raph before she loses access to her systems as the cameras explode into a golden light. Whatever Raph had done to that lab had disabled what was hindering their powers then if Mikey was able to begin the detonation process. She hurries to the med bay, keeping her panic tucked away as the blood that had been trailing the trio flickers through her mind. There’s another flash of golden light just as she’s set up the beds and the brothers appear through Mikey’s portal. 

She still doesn’t allow herself to panic as she helps with the surgery, an odd mix of modern medicine and magic keeping the two brothers alive and stable until she steps back and deems it all they can do for the moment. Through numb lips she explains the aftercare and the Hamato’s set up schedules and watches. She should be surprised that she’s included in these, but she also knows that the only way she’s leaving Donnie’s side is if she’s dragged out. Well, after she scrubs their blood from her clothes anyway. She borrows some of Donnie’s while hers are being treated, drawing comfort in the too large hoodie as she sets up post beside Donnie’s bed. 

Leo wakes up first, unsurprising since he hadn’t been locked away for a week in a psychopath's care. Their healing factor has clearly kicked in as within a day Leo is taken off the heavy painkillers and requests to move back to his room. Kendra tries not to be impatient as she routinely checks on the stitches, monitoring for infection between her shifts with Donnie. The brothers regularly switched off with Kendra - barring Leo since he was bed bound - but Kendra insisted on spending as much time as possible with Donnie. He should be waking up soon after all and if she didn’t get to tell that stupid idiot her true feelings she’s going to lose it. 

It’s late on day two when she hears movement, glancing over to see Donnie’s eyes open wide and staring at her uncomprehending. She freezes, staring back and not even daring to blink as she waits for understanding to wash over Donatello’s expression. 

It doesn’t. 

Instead he snarls, lips drawing back to expose sharp teeth and she scrambles to press the call button (more of a localized panic button for the med bay) before Donatello tries to sit up, becoming off balance and falling to his side as he tries to balance with an arm he doesn’t have. “You’ll hurt yourself,” Kendra barks, hands going to help him sit up when he snaps at her arms, then hissing a warning when she doesn’t immediately draw back. She is so not qualified to deal with a hostile mutant turtle who had probably been through an excess of uncertified medical procedures over the past week if his injuries were anything to go by. Thankfully she doesn’t have to worry about her hand being bitten off as Raph and Mikey come running in. 

She backs off, only so that Donnie doesn’t feel overwhelmed and becomes more violent, but remains in eyesight in case he tries to rip out the IV’s. Mikey does disconnect the heart monitor since its high-pitched scream was doing none of them any favors and she could see how quickly Donnie relaxed at the quiet. It still clearly takes a moment for him to recognize where he was and who was around him with his brothers reassurances the only reason he’s willing to settle back onto the bed with a low whine. Kendra steps in, quickly checking fluids and changing out the painkillers since they were low. She can see the concern on both Mikey and Raph’s expressions, but completes everything clinically before returning to her spot at his bedside. 

“You can leave now, I can handle it,” She says only a bit harshly. It was true, she’s sure she can handle whatever reaction Donnie may have now that he’s aware of where he is. She knew the dangers of an unfamiliar face attempting to administer care, but now Donnie could see her and understood why he was hooked up to the various equipment. She had no concerns about her safety. 

“If you’re sure…” Raph says hesitantly, “You know how to get a hold of us.” 

“Yep, now go back to bed, you two are dead on your feet,” Kendra says, trying to be cold but it’s difficult when all she can do is trace the bandages wrapping Donatello’s shell. She hears the brothers leave and heaves a sigh of relief. From the glaze over Donnie’s eyes, she can tell the painkillers have a hold on him but she can't help but slowly reach out to grasp his left hand. 

“I know you’re probably loopy because those are high grade as shit,” She starts quietly, “But if I don’t get this off my chest before you fall asleep again I think I’ll actually lose my mind.” 

Donnie blinks slowly at her. 

“You’re an idiot,” She whispers harshly, “You scared the hell out of us you know? You scared the hell out of me.” She squeezes his hand, feeling him squeeze back before she can force herself to continue. “You know I didn’t even realize it until your brothers called me, but I care about you. I care about you, the guy who humiliated me every chance he could get, the dumb turtle who put a stop to a whole ass alien invasion, and the absolute dickhead who got kidnapped and hurt by an actually crazy scientist and leaving me behind.” 

She doesn’t know when she started crying. 

“You’re really making me say it, Donatello Hamato, but I like you, and if anything - I mean anything - happens to you again? I’m going to kill whoever did it with my bare hands.” 

She’s not sure if Donnie understands, but she can see the corner of his lips quirk slightly before his eyes slip shut and he stills. His breaths become deep with sleep but his hand still remains firmly grasped in Kendra’s. She doesn’t let go until Mikey comes in to take over. 

-------

A week goes by in silence. Not from all of the Hamato’s, Kendra doesn’t think it’d be possible for them to be quiet for more than ten seconds. No. Donatello has not said a single word, or even made a noise of discomfort since he’d first woken up. He rarely even signs, much to the disappointment and worry of his brothers. He doesn’t ask for food or water, although they’re brought to him anyway, and he remains in his room nestled under his blankets and only moves when absolutely necessary. Despondent is the word that immediately springs to Kendra’s mind and she hates it. 

They retain their rotating shifts, although Kendra takes as many of them as she can. The last thing Donnie needs is an interrogation from his family, since it’s clear that he’s still gathering his thoughts over what had happened to him and shows discomfort any time his brothers try to remain alone with him. She justifies her veterinary knowledge, but she can also see Mikey whispering to Raph whenever the older brother looks like he’s going to protest. Thank whatever pizza thing they worship for the younger brother’s empathy. Kendra sets up a cot that Donnie had in his lab and sleeps across the room when she can. 

This is how she knows Donnie’s having a nightmare almost exactly a week after he’d moved back into his room. 

He didn’t sleep very often, fiddling at all hours with some form of tech since he had to avoid screens with his head injury or pretending to sleep as he laid on top of the mattress. Kendra’s relief at his breaths finally evening out is short lived as a few hours after he slipped under she hears him begin to thrash, then cries out in pain as he aggravates the wounds on his shell. She’s out of the cot and onto his bed in seconds, cupping her hands gently onto his face and tapping gently at his cheeks. His eyes snap open and for a moment she wonders if she’s going to lose a finger or two before clarity comes to his vision. For the first time in a week she feels like he recognizes her. 

She finds herself wrapped in an embrace, a surprising development but not one she’s going to take lightly as she feels Donnie trembling against her. She squeezes, not enough to hurt but enough to ground as Donnie’s forehead falls heavy to her shoulder. The two of them sit there, Kendra gently rubbing Donnie’s shell until she feels his breath hitch. 

“He…made a control panel…like the technodrome…” His voice is raspy from disuse and Kendra almost wants to stop him so he could get a drink or something, but she also understands that this is important both for Donatello to say and for her to hear. Regardless of how sick the thought of hearing what caused these wounds makes her feel. 

“Or…tried to…’t was…nothing like her…” 

Kendra recalls the ship that had hovered over New York. She thinks of its size and the terror it struck into its citizens. She couldn’t imagine anyone willingly recreating that, this Bishop Bastard was even worse than she thought. Mikey had told them a bit about how the ship had been controlled - access directly to the nervous system as far as they could tell. One sleepless night Donnie had even described what it had felt like to control the ship, Kendra never forgot the almost melancholic expression on his face as he recalled connecting to it. 

“There was no synergy…just pain…it tried to control…it tried to take…take… take ….” The anguish in Donnie’s voice has Kendra holding him all the tighter, burying her face in his shoulder in the only way she could try to comfort. The words are spilling out of him now, faster and every word sounds worse as he explains in fractured segments what Bishop had done. 

“...I felt violated …it tried to control me even though it was supposed to be controlled. Bishop was furious…he didn’t understand why it wasn’t working…” Donnie let out a broken laugh, “took it out on me…but it was nothing compared to it…nausea got worse…every time I was hooked up to it…”

She can feel him shudder at the memory and she squeezes him the best she can, hoping that the weight of her against him was helping to keep him grounded as he continued talking. 

“He kept upgrading it…and connecting me to it…” He pauses, exhaling hard and coughing a bit as he does so, “It noticed too late when I took control...That’s how I got the signal out. You already know the rest…”

Kendra can feel that he’s done, the way he slumps against her and the ragged breathing as he attempts to reign in his thoughts. She’s never been great at comforting people in the conventional sense, but she has a feeling she can share what she was feeling about the whole situation. 

“What an absolute shithead.” 

She feels him jolt in surprise before he snorts, finally finally returning her hold and tugging her closer to him as he laughs. It’s the best sound  she’s ever heard. 

“Yeah, he really was an absolute dick! A real piece of work, shit from the sewers!” Donnie manages to choke out between chuckles and Kendra can’t help but lean into his laughter. 

“So just to make sure I wasn’t just high on painkillers…you did say you liked me right?” Donnie murmurs after they’d both calmed down enough to lay comfortably on the bed. Donnie doesn’t let Kendra go, drawing comfort in her warmth as she messes absently with his hand. She pressed her palm against his own, twining and untwining their fingers until he spoke - then she abruptly dropped his hand. 

Kendra groans, rolling over to hide her face against the mattress despite their tangled legs keeping her mostly facing Donnie, “Yes, yes unfortunately I did.” 

“What was that? Could you repeat it?” Donnie asks cheekily, laughing again when Kendra lifts her face from the mattress to scowl at him. 

“Yes! I did! Got a problem with it ?” 

Donnie’s face is priceless, shifting from teasing to blushing in a way that makes Kendra smirk victoriously as she gently rubs his arm. 

“I…suppose…I like you too,” Donnie manages to stutter out. 

“You tell anyone I got mushy like that and I’ll strangle you,” Kendra mutters. 

Donnie barks out a laugh, “Wouldn’t dream of it Kendra.” 

Kendra knows deep down that this isn’t over. Bishop was still out there, a destroyed lab surely wouldn’t keep him down for long. For the moment however, she’s going to enjoy Donnie’s warm embrace and do what she can to help him feel safe even if that means tearing down the bastard herself.

[hellfirenacht]

Reader ==> Go Shopping For Appropriate 80's Clothes

lsekai Chronicles Master List

START HERE <<-- FIRST CHAPTER HERE

Recommended Previous Chapter: ==> Meet The Party

Chapter Summary: You go shopping, think about morality, and run into a familiar face.

Cash is king. That’s how the old saying went, right? You’d heard that since you were a kid and had taken it to heart. Plus if you carried cash, that was money that your bank account didn’t know about so if you bought something it didn’t count. That’s just basic math.

It had been payday the night you had fallen into Hawkins, and you had managed to go to the bank that day, pulling out a couple hundred from your paycheck that you had planned to stick in your piggy bank at home for a rainy day. That handful of 20s was sitting uselessly in your wallet, and you knew that you needed to do something not super legal soon.

You couldn’t keep secretly borrowing clothes from the Wheeler family. It was starting to feel weird and uncomfortable. You needed your own clothing and soon.

It was the middle of the week and Ted was at work, Karen had taken Holly to the pool, and who knows where Mike and Nancy were. That was fine with you, in the five days that you had managed to hide in the home you’d quickly figured out the schedules. You hated it though, and you knew you’d need to find a new place to live soon.

Being out of the house helped. You managed to get a feel for the layout of the neighborhood and now made the long trek to the downtown area where there were shops. Your stomach twisted at what you had to do, as you tried to tell yourself it wasn’t that illegal.

It was still technically US legal tender. Would be. Maybe? You had flipped through the 20s in your wallet and picked out the oldest and most crumpled looking bills you could find to use first for things you needed and had crumpled the rest by hand in an attempt to distract the teller from what you were about to do.

God you wish you had a car. It was hot in August, and you were already sweating through your borrowed shirt, and you desperately needed a toothbrush and some deodorant that didn’t smell like teenage boy.

It was just after noon when you arrived downtown, feeling out of place.

Guess I better get used to it. You thought to yourself.

With the Starcourt Mall burned down, your only choice was a handful of local shops and thrift stores. Thrifting would be the best bet, maybe you could spend one of your twenties on maybe a pair of pants and a new shirt if you were lucky.

Shoulder pads. Shoulderpads and blazers as far as the eye could see.

You flipped through the rack of clothing, the second hand shop you found was filled with clothing that was already dated by 1985 standards, and so with your 2023 style it was pretty far out of your wheelhouse.

You wish you had a friend in this world. Yeah, Dustin and Mike had been nice to you and letting you hide out until you could find a more permanent place to stay but they were kids. You weren’t gonna add any additional stress on them when they were already trying to help you. And there was no way you were gonna ask them for fashion advice.

...Okay you were tempted to ask Dustin where he got his Weird Al shirt that he was wearing that first night. There was a comfort that the singer was a link to all weirdos and nerds in any decade.

It took all afternoon, sorting through the racks for clothes that fit you, felt like your style, and (hopefully) helped you blend into this world. Seeing the prices made you want to cry, realizing that you could afford the few pieces of clothing easily.

Right, things were cheaper in the 80s. You add that to the mental tally of ‘reasons to stay vs reasons to try and go home’ list you were keeping in your mind.

Stay. Go. Could you even go home? Did you want to? There was a way here, so there had to be a way back. If a portal opened up and you were able to jump through it right now and end up home would you take it?

The logical part of you said yes, that would be the smart move. Shit was going to hit the fan in a few months and it would be dangerous for you to be here, you could end up dead or worse. Finding a way home should be your priority, or at least getting out of Hawkins.

But there was another part of you, a part that lived in the back of your mind, that was saying something different. Four people were destined to die, and what if you could change that?

What was your responsibility to this world? To these strangers?

Every time you thought about anything harder than your immediate needs your stomach twisted into a knot. You couldn’t think about that, not yet. There were months before this was supposed to happen, right? And you wouldn’t be of help to anyone as a homeless time traveler with out of place fashion.

But those questions were what you kept coming back to as you made your way to another shop to get yourself some toiletries and underwear. You tried to focus on anything else, the songs on the radio you recognized, the brands in the store you didn’t, the people around you-

Well, that last part didn’t work out for you as you ran smack into someone head on. You dropped the tooth brush, toothpaste, and 8 pack of value underwear that you were holding and scrambled to pick them up.

“Shit, sorry-” you started, grabbing for the toothpaste that was closest to you while the person you ran into grabbed the value pack.

You stood up, and your face paled at the young man you had run into.

“It’s okay, I shouldn’t have been standing in the middle of the aisle like that.” Steve Harrington said, as he handed you your underwear back.

Philosophy aside, you decided that if a portal opened up you’d hop in no matter where it led you.

You grabbed the pack out of his hands, nearly dropping the toothpaste again in the process.

Before you could say anything else, you heard someone call Steve’s name and you booked it the second he turned around, leaving the toothbrush on the ground.

This was stupid, you knew that it was. There was no reason for you to be panicking like this, but when you saw him you didn’t know what else to do. Meeting him again was inevitable, and you knew that. He was friends with Dustin and the rest of the Party. You ducked into the clearance section and tried to calm your breathing.

Jesus Christ, he’d handed you back the underwear that you were about to buy. Had this been any other situation, with any random stranger it wouldn’t have mattered. You would have just gone about the rest of your day and not even thought about it unless the other person made a weird remark.

But this wasn’t just anyone, this was Steve Harrington. You couldn’t afford to fuck up any relationship with any of these people if you were going to help.

You were going to help, right? That’s what a good person would do.

Steve Harrington has a hairy chest. Your brain offered up helpfully, providing an image for you. No brain, that was not helpful, actually. Of all the information you could remember about Steve, it was THAT?

You rubbed your face and decided to check out before anything else happened. You found the aisle with the least interested looking teen and handed over the crumpled bill, holding your breath as they didn’t even look at the bill before ringing you up.

You stood outside the shop with your haul shoved in your backpack. Your D&D books were being borrowed by the boys, and you somehow doubted you’d see them again any time soon.

Now what?

Tumblr User ==> Now what?

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

CONGRATULATIONS ON 100 FOLLOWERS STAR!!! I’m immensely proud of your milestone <333.

This is a request for the celebration. angst prompt; “Us? There was never an ‘us’.”

With bestfriend!Bradley. Maybe he’s been flirty with the reader since they were kids but now they’ve had enough..? But you don’t have to take it that way.

CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN, I love you so so much BESTIEE!!!💕💕💕

Pav! Thanks so much for this request! I had a ball writing it and I love the additional context! I hope this hit everything about bestfriend!Bradley you were searching for! Love you! 💕💕💕💕💕💕

Heartbreak in the Making

You're not a Navy brat, though you're sure that anyone who's ever met your best friend would assume otherwise. You'd met Bradley Bradshaw when you were both five years old. He and his mom had moved into the house next door in your small suburban Virginia neighborhood. He'd been the odd kid out, the one kids weren't sure how to include. He was quiet and always played with airplane figurines in the corner of the sandbox. 

And then one day, one of the other boys, a bully named Billy, had tried to snatch a plane out of his hand. You'd seen red, marched right up to Billy, and told him off, pushing him over into the sand and rescuing the plane. When you'd turned back to Bradley, he'd been looking at you in awe. You'd cleaned your hand on your overalls and introduced yourself before helping him up and running towards your mama with his hand held tight in yours. The two of you had gotten ice cream together with your mamas, and the rest, as they say, was history.

So, Bradley Bradshaw is your best friend. And that hasn't changed, at least for you. The truth is, you've both changed from the knobby kneed kids you were when you were younger. Time and a potent mixture of growth spurts, braces, and puberty will do that, you guess. But it was the behavioral change that confused you the most. It was inevitable. When puberty hits, some boys become attracted to girls and vice versa. So you expected the phone calls a few minutes before he was supposed to pick you up when he’d say, “Sorry, Sparrow! Marissa asked me out on a date! And I’d be stupid to say no to her, y’know? Love ya. We’ll make up for this and have movie night tomorrow instead, okay?”

What you hadn’t been expecting was the way he pulled you into his side at school. Or the way he insisted on carrying your books and walking you to and from your classes. The mixed messages were going to drive you crazy. And the worst part was that Bradley didn’t seem to realize what he was doing to you at all. The tangled snarl of your emotions is just getting tighter and tighter the more it happens. The root of the matter is that you’re in love with Bradley Bradshaw. You have been for years and each thoughtless touch and hug and kiss on the cheek? It’s like a nail in a coffin you’ve been building around yourself since the day you met him.

That brings you to now. It’s two months before your high school graduation. Bradley finally received his letter from the US Naval Academy.  You were sitting at the tiny kitchen table in the Bradshaw house, and Carole had her hands on his shoulders while you kneaded your hands together frantically as you sat across from him at the table. You can smell the scent of the lemon cleaning products Carole has been using since you were kids and feel the imperceptible shudder of the table as Bradley’s knee jolts in time with the frantic thudding of your heart. It’s silent as he rips the envelope open, and he spreads it out to read the Navy’s response. The paper is thick and heavy, each sheet embossed with the Navy logo.

From your vantage point at the table, all you can chronicle are the expressions floating across his face as he reads. At first, you can see excitement and hope. But then, with every word he reads, you can see his fingers clench around the paper, crumpling it. He tosses the letter on the table and stalks outside, the echoing crash of the back door echoing through the house.

"Can I?" Your voice is hesitant as you reach for the letter. 

"Yeah, honey. It's not good news, I'm afraid." Carole had sounded sad and a little happy at the same time. "It's going to take him a bit to adjust. Why don't you go join him?"

It's a rejection notice from the Naval Academy. You lay the letter back down and head out to find him. Like always, when he's mad, he's retreated to the shadow of the Dogwood tree in his backyard. When the two of you were younger, there had been a treehouse in it built by his Uncle Mav.

"Hey, B." You sit next to him in the grass. He's got his head in his hands and an abject look of despair on his face.

"I'm sorry." Your voice is gentle as you take in his face.

"I don't understand it. I worked so hard. And I still wasn't good enough to get in!" You can feel the exasperation in his voice as he speaks. "I did everything! And I'm a legacy. I've worked ridiculously hard! And they sent me back a letter saying that I'm not good enough to join the academy?!"

"Bradley, you can always try applying for the Navy again in a year, right?" You don't know who you're trying to convince more, him or you. "And, you know we can both go to UVA together in the meanwhile?"

"Sparrow, why would I go to UVA?" You don't know why he sounds so surprised.

"We've planned on doing that for years!" You're sure your voice and face are both exhibiting the same emotions.

"No, we haven't, Sparrow. You planned it." There's a cruel turn to his voice as he looks at you. "I never wanted to go to college with you. You're always around, and I know it's because Mom thinks you're good for me or whatever. I mean, come on. I can't always be expected to drop everything for you." Each cruel world has your heart shattering into even tinier pieces. "I'm going to San Diego. I'll stay with Uncle Mav and go to school there. I'll be closer to people in the Navy there, anyhow."

"B-but, what about us? What about our friendship?" You can't hide the quiver from your voice as you speak.

"Us? There was never an Us. You and I, we're childhood friends. Nothing more. And frankly, I think I've outgrown you." He’s looking down at you with all of the rage reflected in his eyes glaring at you.

"But, what happened? Did I do something wrong?" You're desperately reaching for anything and everything to try to understand him. "Just tell me. We've been friends for years. I'm sure I can fix whatever happened."

Bradley's voice is a cruel sneer as he looks at you. "Fix it? Fix what? I'll admit you were a good friend when we were in elementary school. But while I grew up, it didn't seem like you ever did. You're such a nerd, hiding out in the library over lunch and barely making friends. Do you even have any other friends? I mean, other than me?"

"And what about boys? There has to be somebody you like. Somebody you wanted to date. Come on. You can tell me. Or do I get to tell Marissa she was right and the pathetic little bird was in love with her best friend when he was so out of her league?"

A single tear tracks down your cheek at his words.

“Where do we go from here, then?” You’re looking into his eyes, trying and failing to corral the shattered pieces of your heart.

He tips your chin upwards, leaning into your face until you can feel the puffs of his breath on your face with a pincer grip on your chin.

“We, don’t go anywhere, little bird. You do whatever the hell it is you want to do in Virginia. I’m going to live my life without you. I wish I could say it’s nice knowing you, but frankly you’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met.” He pushes you away before stalking back into the house.

Your heart is shattered. It doesn't help either that the next two months of school are filled with giggles and rumors floating around behind your back all courtesy of one Bradley Bradshaw.

Want to request something for my 100 Follower Celebration? The guidelines are here! Please leave me a request in my inbox with your ask!

- XOXO Star

[multiplicity-positivity]

hey, if this is okay to ask for, do you have any recommendations for mapping our headspaces?

we have a rather large headspace, and we'd like to be able to figure out the locations of key places (and maybe what they sorta look like) in relation to each other but nothing seems to work. thanks for reading!

hey there, our own system has been working for some time now to map out our own headspace. we have a part who has taken on the cartographer/chronicler role. i asked them to share a bit about their process, and this is what they had to say:

“Okay first up I made a list of all the places I know about. Not even necessarily places I’ve been just every place I know is there. And I talked to lots of others to ask them about places they know about. And some others can talk to the ones I can’t so we worked together to come up with a big ol list.

“Next up I started connecting the places. Like I know Margo’s garden is on the island. And I know the treehouse is on the island. But Toby’s woods is not on the island. And the (redacted) is close to Toby’s woods. And the outer space where (redacted) and (redacted) live is nearby there too. But the big ocean is still by the island.

“So once I know that a couple places are connected, I can draw them together. And I just keep drawing and drawing until it looks right. But sometimes I get it wrong. But when it’s wrong one of the others could tell me or something. And I’m not done with it I’m still working on it. Because it’s hard and sometimes I can’t reach a place and sometimes a place changes. And sometimes I gotta crumple up the map and start over because I was wrong. But I’m doing my best.”

us main fronters don’t dig too deep into our headspace for the safety and well-being of the whole system, so i don’t have much i can add here. i guess just start small with what you know, interview your headmates, and maybe try to collaborate. also don’t worry too much if your map turns out to be inaccurate, or if you have to constantly change and adjust things.

hopefully this could help? if anyone sees this who has managed to have some level of success mapping out their own headspace, feel free to share any tips or what your mapping process was like for anon.

[katydoodles]

Stolen Credit Card Chronicles Headcanon: Chloé knows about Luka from Marinette. So, Chloé and Zoé spends a lot of money, backing up Marinette's fashion designer career as a "thank you" for this.

LOL I like the idea that Chloe and Luka meet through Marinette.

In the AU they are university age. Luka is studying Math and Music Theory cuz his dad is funding his tuition. Luka can afford to study what he wants, but feels weird because its not his money, and knows its a way Jagged Stone is trying to make up for being an absent father. Luka takes up a pizza delivery job and tutors on the side.

Chloe has gotten over some of her mommy issues and hero warship of her mom, but is still a shithead and arrogant. Lol she is taking revenge on her mom for years of neglect by stealing her card and spending it on what ever she wants.

Marinette happens to be doing some work for Audrey Bourgeois and comes across Chloe struggling on her math work. Audrey demeans Chloe for even trying to go to high education and should just model. Chloe gives Audrey the bird and walks away to find Zoe to spend money. That's when Marinette texts Luka to see if he has time, cuz she knows a rich girl who needs help with math.

Luka finds Chloe in the Uni library crumpling paper and violently shoving them in the trash. Luka offers his assistants and offers to tutor her, they get to work, and talk about their lives. Luka mentions that Marinette was actually the one who suggested him to tutor Chloe to make extra cash.

I have thought about this too much

[melongraph56]

day four - stories

Rythian crumpled to the ground, dropping to his knees as his clenched fists struck the earth, letting out a cry that aggravated the heavens. “Rythian!” Familiar voices called out from behind him. A vapor of lavender magic escaped his eyes as they fluttered open, returning him back to reality. His throat burned, did he scream while he was in a daze? He felt cool droplets running down his face, were those tears? Or perhaps it was the rain, it had to be the rain. Regardless, Rythian quickly rubbed his face with a hand before the girls arrived. Kirsty and Briony finally found him. “There you are! You made us worried sick,” Kirsty scolded him with her hands on her hips while Briony sat beside him with a paw on his back as she carried a worried look. They were lucky to find him unharmed thanks to that deafening cry. Rythian sat back on his knees, turning towards them, “I’m…” he paused, swallowing any saliva he had to cool his throat, “I’m sorry. Let’s go home.”

- an excerpt from a fanfic in progress

a message to zoey and rythian,

thank you for creating the blackrock chronicles, it is a wonderful immersive series that is loved by many to this day. also thank you for choosing to not finish the series. it was a hard decision to make but being burnt out is honestly awful and building sets with the limitations you had in a cubed world as well as with limited time is difficult, I know both experiences very well,,, used to build for a minecraft server to the point of burn out. nonetheless the unfinished series allowed us, the fans, a chance to have fun with our own crazy versions of an ending and opened doors to many AUs and headcannons we get to share with one another. I struggle to write whether it was for school or as a hobby to this day, however this series has always been a big motivator when I try to write and I'm grateful. thank you again

- melon

[moonwaterstories]

I love stories.

The undying amount of possibilities for our imagination which they offer.

When I was a child, I always ran around the forests, looking for a rabbit hole to Wonderland. As I never found one, I tried wardrobes, hoping I could get into Narnia. Every night, I left my window open, waiting for Peter Pan to take me to Neverland. When I found an old carpet in the attic, I was persuaded it was Aladdin's and I tried to talk it into taking me to see the pyramids several times. It hasn’t moved yet.

Then, once I've read the Spiderwick Chronicles, I realized I should stop just waiting for a letter from Hogwards. It's better to pay attention, see what is around - and act, if necessary.

I started collecting weird stones in hopes they could turn into a Waterhorse and when it didn't work, I got myself a dragon egg (I've spent hours wrapping the crumpled newspaper with ceramics and meticulously painting the round thing after it dried, but it was worth it: the dragon is still waiting for the right time to hatch.). Apart from being a dragon rider as Eragon, I was also a discoverer, just as Spiderwick: I wrote and illustrated my own book of fairy creatures just to be able to turn its pages and feel like the magic was breathing at me. I stole a pair of beans in the kitchen and with a beating heart, I planted them under my bed, believing they would once take me to the realm of giants (this only didn’t work because I forgot to water the poor beans and wasted my only opportunity to meet Jack). I secretely stole my grandma's ring with a blue stone and tested a turn as Arabela did it to make my wishes come true (I cracked the trick – if you ask for the night to come at the end of the day, it always comes true...) and I only returned the ring once I got a goldfish. I also was very good in making potions out of pickled chestnuts - it was just that no-one ever wanted to try them (my dad told me he didn't really want to turn into a cat, but maybe it was the taste, because when I forced a spoon into my brother's mouth, he spat it out).

As you probably grasped, I am the type of person who prefers silver over gold because when I was younger, it had a meaning. Someone who doesn’t really want to know how the trick is done, for I enjoy the spell of not knowing. And even if in some cases, I couldn't really shield myself, I could never ruin it for others. Because Santa Claus is real as long as you put cookies and milk to the window for him.

Samodivas dancing in ‘Le Villi’ (1906) by Bartolomeo Giuliano

[softguarnere]

Fic Writer Interview

Thank you for the tag @mercurygray!

How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently 6, but hopefully that number will go up over spring break

What's your total AO3 word count?

119,136

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Like A Girl (Like A Man) - Band of Brothers

Just A Kid - The Outsiders

Bear The Burden Alone - The Chronicles of Narnia

For Whatever We Lose - Band of Brothers

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, absolutely! I share my writing because it allows me to connect with people who share my interests. If I'm not posting replies, it feels more like a one sided conversation, imo. Also, it seems the polite thing to do

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

It's about to be Like A Girl (Like A Man)! You'll see why soon >:)

What the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

On AO3, it's probably Bear The Burden Alone, but I try to keep the fics that I post here on Tumblr kinda upbeat with hopeful -- albeit open-ended -- endings.

Do you write crossovers?

Yeah! For Whatever We Lose is actually a crossover with The Pacific, and I'd love to do more crossovers in the future

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yep! I've deleted the comments, but some people were VERY ANGRY about the background Babe/Roe content in LAGLAM -- you know, despite the fact that the plot of the fic is driven by a queer woman's decision to cross-dress. Guess they had to draw the line somewhere, but the hypocrisy of it all makes me chuckle

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Kinda? I deleted most of it from the original LAGLAM drafts and instead just alluded to it, but things are going to be different in FWWL. Get ready for crappy ocean metaphors and religious imagery, babes!

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I hope not :( That would stink

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I think it would be fun!

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Everlark! (said while frothing at the mouth because they make me go insane) I've been obsessed with them since I first read The Hunger Games at age 9. I could write you a whole novel about why I think they're perfect together, but I'll spare you the ramble (unless anyone wants it?)

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Tears in my eyes when I tell you that it's probably the requests in my inbox. I keep telling myself that I'll get to them, but I've just felt unmotivated with all the stuff I've had going on in my personal life/at school. I really really do hope to get to them someday, though, because some of them will be really fun to write

What are your writing strengths?

I have no clue, lol. I tend to get compliments about how I describe settings, so I'm gonna say that!

What are your writing weaknesses?

My abuse of commas and italics.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Personally, I love doing it. Especially in a fic like LAGLAM, where even though most people don't speak the language I'm using (Cherokee), I feel like they can still see the importance to the characters and to the story. And I like tricking people into caring about Indigenous language preservation. My teachers told me that anything can be a vessel for carrying language on, and by God, I took that to heart

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Oh boy. I was in the fifth grade. I had won many writing competitions. Two classmates approached me and told me that they wished The Hunger Games had more post-Mockingjay Everlark content, and that since I was a good writer, they wanted me to write it. I was traded many cosmic brownies and other such snacks throughout the year for my services in providing my classmates with Everlark fics on pages of notebook paper that are probably crumpled up in a landfill by now. At the time, I had no idea I was writing fanfiction, but it was the start of my favorite hobby. Look at me now, baby!

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I've always wanted to write for TURN: Washington's Spies but have never had the courage haha

What's your favorite fic you've written?

I have a couple of one-shots that I'm pretty pleased with, but currently I'm going to say LAGLAM because it's been so special to me <3

Tagging (but no pressure!): @almost-a-class-act @latibvles @footprintsinthesxnd @liebgotts-lovergirl

[coarsely]

transcript; Shell-like buildings of concrete and metal stretch above, half-crumbled and collapsed. Entire floors have collapsed in on themselves, making these stone goliaths look lopsided and asymmetrical, like crumpled paper cutouts. Some seem to have been gouged, entire holes ripped out leaving metal rods exposed and twisted. Above this cemetery of steel and rock lays a thick layer of bile-coloured smog, swallowing the tops of broken architecture with it’s sickly yellowish glow.

excerpt from anti-chronicles, untitled segment.

Taglist for Anti-Chronicles (ask to be + / -); @digital-chance

[beardedmrbean]

The sold-out planned ‘‘doom loop” tour of drug-infested San Francisco was canceled, and community leaders tried to hold a “positive walk” instead — only to still stroll past addicts getting high and homeless camps.

Curious tourists and locals had shelled out $30 a pop on Eventbrite for a weekend tour promising an up-close-and-personal experience with San Francisco, “the model of urban decay” — complete with walks past its “open-air drug markets and vacant office and retail spaces.

But the tour’s guide, only listed as “SF Anonymous Insider,” failed to show at Saturday’s event, claiming he was afraid to carry it out because of all the controversy around it.

“Unfortunately, the substantial media interest means that it is not possible to preserve my anonymity while publicly posting the tour’s time and meeting location,” he wrote in a message to customers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Community activist Del Seymour and others with the nonprofit Code Tenderloin — who had gathered at the tour’s designated starting point to protest the event — then led about 70 people on an nearly 2-mile “anti-doom loop tour” through areas such as City Hall, Union Square, Mid-Market and the Tenderloin District.

One of their stops, the Civic Center district, was eerily empty except for half-baked drug addicts bent over after taking a hit on fentanyl and other drugs.

As the tour group walked past shuttered stores such as the Whole Foods grocery store on Market Street, drug deals were happening in broad daylight.

A homeless man yelled at some in the group as they passed by the encampments.

Del Seymour, nicknamed the Mayor of the Tenderloin District, talks to tour participants of the Celebrate Tenderloin Tour outside of San Francisco City Hall on Saturday.David G. McIntyre

As Seymour took the group to the Glide Memorial Church and a nightclub called the Power Exchange in the Tenderloin neighborhood, participants passed by rows of tents, many with homeless addicts passed out inside. 

In the corners, men exchanged crumpled up money for balls of foil.

Some openly smoked fentanyl and other drugs as the tour group walked past them.

The stench of urine mixed with human and animal feces was at times overwhelming as Seymour quickly walked the group past the notorious corner of Hyde and Turk streets, where drug deals run rampant especially “once the sun goes down,” a local told The Post.

Link, continued under the cut

Tour participants on the Celebrate Tenderloin Tour cross the heart of the Tenderloin District at Turk and Hyde Streets in San Francisco on Saturday.David G. McIntyre

Some of the homeless men and women laying on the street corners looked up in confusion as the tour group walked past them.

Serena, a group member who brought snacks and water in her bag, stopped to give some of the homeless men and a woman some of her food.

The woman, who was passed out on the ground, was so high on drugs that she couldn’t even lift her head to say thank you. 

Another man took a long deep breath out of a pipe and blew smoke into the air.

A homeless man washes his feet on the curb as tour participants on the Celebrate Tenderloin Tour walk through the Tenderloin District.David G. McIntyre

He grabbed one of the snacks Serena offered.

“It’s hard because housing here has turned into a crisis,” Serena told The Post. “It feels like City Hall isn’t listening to the community and this is the fall out of the broken systems that we are seeing.”

During the two-hour tour, Seymour talked about various programs available in the Tenderloin, including subsidized low-income housing where families pay only $400 for a three-bedroom apartment that normally would rent for $5,000 to $8,000 a month.

Seymour also pointed to the various services available to the homeless in the area, including free meals and housing, but also told The Post part of the struggle involves getting those who need help to recognize they need it.

A homeless encampment on the street as tour participants on the Celebrate Tenderloin Tour walk through the area.David G. McIntyre

“If I’m unhoused and have mental challenges, you can’t just spend 30 seconds and then walk away after I say no,” he said. “You need to sit down with me and talk to me in a gentlemanly manner. It might take an hour, it may take two, but you have to give me that time and build that trust with me so we can make some sort of compromise.”

As for the “doom loop” tour, the activist said, “I fell out of the chair laughing because of the meanness that people in San Francisco have to even suggest something like this.

“This is not healthy or helpful at all for our people,” he said. “We don’t want to live in the situation we are living in. We want to do something about it, but you can’t do something about it when people beat you down.”

Dany Vallerand said she initially wanted to take the advertised “doom loop” tour because she usually didn’t feel comfortable going through the area on her own.

Participants and organizers sing outside of San Francisco City Hall to before they take the Celebrate Tenderloin Tour.David G. McIntyre

“I just thought it would be very interesting, and I hoped the money would go to a good cause, like some charity,” she told The Post. “I was hoping to explore the Tenderloin in a way that I normally wouldn’t feel comfortable doing on my own and accompanied by other people with a different point of view.”

Vallerand said that while she was “perfectly happy” to take the anti-doom loop tour instead, she noted the economic downtown of San Francisco has affected many residents such as herself, as flagship businesses have left the area and property value going down.

Vallerand said she recently sold her condo $150,000 below her asking price. 

“It is very hard to see it happening here,” she said.

Tour participants of the Celebrate Tenderloin Tour walk past the now closed Whole Foods Market in the Mid-Market Street area.David G. McIntyre

More than 20 businesses, including Nordstrom, Whole Foods and Old Navy, have left the area since January 2022.

While locals such as Vallerand decided to take the opposition tour, others who signed up for the original “doom loop” version were disappointed they didn’t get what they paid for and left.

But Serena said she decided to participate in the “positive” tour because the initial Eventbrite listing offended her.

“They wanted to showcase the doom of the Tenderloin, and to me, it sounded very f–ked up,” said Serena, who did not want to provide her last name. “I can’t believe it sold out.”

[arda-ancalima]

Summary: Kazuma is injured while defending van Zieks. Both of them are annoyed about it. Wounds have to be seen in order to heal.

As a heads-up, this includes a knife wound and some non-graphic description, more of the pain and treatment than the wound itself, which still could be cringe-inducing for some (like me).

For Greatest Family Week 2023, July 28th: Mementos @greatestfamilyweek

—

That was a stupid move.

The cobblestoned street was hard beneath Kazuma where he crumpled to the ground. He bit his lip to keep from groaning. I should NOT have done that.

“What on earth were you thinking?!” van Zieks thundered, having overpowered their attacker and left him in the hands of a constable. “You should not have done that.”

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t left yourself completely open, I wouldn’t have had reason to,” Kazuma spat out.

“I wouldn’t have taken the risk had I known you would walk into a knife.” Van Zieks knelt next to him and tugged his hands off his abdomen. “Let me look.”

Reluctantly Kazuma let him, breathing hard as the pressure was released and the wound exposed to air. “It’s not bad.”

“No,” van Zieks agreed. “Only a slash. But it will need seeing to.”

Continue reading on AO3