#dude saved for months so we could do something nice

[savage-rhi]

4 YEARS.

4 YEARS OF SEARCHING. OF FINDING SMALL FOSSILS AND CLUSTERS. OF DIGGING FOR HOURS. OF NEARLY FALLING OFF TOO MANY CLIFFS INTO THE OCEAN. OF BLOODY FINGERS AND BRUISED FEET.

I did it! I found him! :D

[blue-aconite]

it was just a kiss || j.h.s

Summary: A night at the Hard Deck takes a turn when Jake confides in Mickey about some personal matters.

Warnings: swearing, fluff, jake has feelings, no use of y/n (reader has a nickname), fanboy is the ultimate bestie, drunk rooster is a menace to society

Word Count: 2.4k

Pairings: Jake Seresin x reader

Authors Note: Based on this prompt by @creativepromptsforwriting. Thanks to @writercole @demxters & @seresinsweetie for looking this over for me!

“The girl with the bachelorette party has been eyeing you all evening.” Fanboy handed him another beer, perching onto the bar stool next to him. 

Hangman looked over to where the group of girls were seated, catching the eye of the brunette that had been trying to get his attention since they arrived. The girl gestured towards the doors but he shook his head, giving her an apologetic smile. 

“Dude, what are you doing? She’s hot.” Mickey slapped his arm, eyes wide as saucers. 

“I’m not interested.”

Fanboy looked concerned, swivelling around on his chair. “Alright, let me get this straight. For the past month, I’ve seen countless women approach you, yet you’ve turned them all down. What’s going on?”

Jake snorted into his beer. “Nothing. I’m just not interested.”

“Can we please just have a human conversation? I know that underneath all of those protein shakes and hair products is an actual human being called Jake, and not Hangman. So, stop trying to avoid the subject.” Mickey leaned back against the wall, knocking his knee into Jake’s. 

Jake stared at Fanboy for the longest time, not knowing what to say. He opened his mouth but no words came out, so he settled back against the wall as well, keeping his eyes on the floor.

The Daggers had been permanently stationed at Top Gun since the Uranium Mission, instructing and flying together. Jake tried his best to play nice, offering to drive most of them home from the bar at times and buying beers on their nights out. He had made an effort to try and interact more, trying to show interest in their lives but he didn’t think that the rest of the group, save Javy, had actually accepted him into their little makeshift family. He still felt like he wasn’t truly a part of the group, but Mickey’s concern told him that maybe he was wrong. 

Fanboy shifted slightly, putting his beer away. “Jake. You can talk to me.”

“I didn’t think, uh, I mean -”

Fanboy smiled, patting his arm reassuringly. “I know. I know you think we don’t care, but we do. If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. But something is obviously bothering you. If you’re not comfortable with me, Javy might be a better option?” 

Jake didn’t know what to say. He waited for the punchline, where Fanboy would laugh and mock him but it never came. Mickey was being sincere. The WSO just waited patiently, fingers drumming on the wooden bar behind them. 

“You know, you remind me of my brother.” Mickey picked at his jeans, pulling at the loose strings over the knee. When Jake didn’t respond, he kept on talking. 

“His name is Diego. He’s the oldest. There’s five of us, by the way. He’s just like you. Walls up so high you can barely see past them. He always used to make fun of us when we were kids. I hated it. But when I got older, I realised that he was only doing it to push us. Mom and dad put a lot of responsibility on him and he did the best he could.” 

Jake listened as Mickey rambled on, the uncomfortable pit in his stomach lessening the longer Fanboy kept talking. 

“I know you’re doing the best you can as well. I know that you taunt Rooster with the sole purpose of making sure he pushes his own limits. I can tell. You push us all to be better.”

He swallowed thickly, trying to make out what had transpired in the last 20 minutes. “How? How can you tell?”

Mickey grinned widely. “Like I said, you remind me of Diego,” he grabbed the bottle again, “you’re one of us Jake, even if you don’t think so.”

Jake decided to throw caution to the wind and believe what Fanboy was telling him. If it was all true, then maybe he could talk to him. Maybe he could start being a part of the group. Before he could even open his mouth, Rooster appeared out of thin air and threw an arm around his shoulder.

“HANGMAN! The lady over there is asking about you!” Bradley leaned in closer, as if he was going to share a secret. “I think she wants to fuck you.”

Fanboy snorted loudly, startling Rooster. “Fanboy, didn’t see you there! What do you think, do you think she wants to fuck him?”

A bright red flush was covering Bradley’s cheeks and his eyes were slightly unfocused and glazed over. 

Mickey rolled his eyes. “Rooster, how much have you had to drink?” 

Bradley was leaning onto Jake now, his head on his shoulder. “You know, you smell good. And your hair is very soft.” Rooster patted Jake’s head, smiling stupidly at his teammate. 

“Okay buddy, I think we should get you home.” Bob appeared, slinging Rooster’s unoccupied arm around his shoulder, supporting most of his weight as he pulled him off of Jake. Bradley made a sound of protest as he was separated from Jake. 

“No, I was gonna help Hangman get laid. There’s a lady over there, and she’s got the hots for him.” He waved in the general direction of the bar. 

“He isn’t interested. So you can go home,” Fanboy laughed, pushing Bradley’s hand away as it aimed for his head. 

Bob tried to get him to move, but Bradley turned in his grasp, almost losing his balance. “You’re not? But I was gonna help.” He pouted, leaning back onto Bob who grunted under the extra added weight. 

Jake didn’t get the chance to answer as Bob hauled Rooster away with the help of Payback who had snuck up on them. Bradley complained the entire way, waving excitedly to Penny at the bar as his teammates practically carried him out of the door. 

“I guess that’s it. You two coming with us or what?” Nat sauntered by, Javy following closely. 

Jake was about to agree but Fanboy beat him to it. “In a minute. You go ahead.” 

They waved goodbye and Jake itched to follow his best friend. Now it was just him and Mickey. Even though he was about to spill his guts out right before Bradshaw interrupted them, Jake hesitated. 

“C’mon, let’s get some air.” Fanboy left his seat and Jake had no choice but to follow him out onto the deck. The sun was long gone, the pale moon taking its place. He could hear the waves crashing against the shore, people laughing further down the beach as they sat around a bonfire, sparkling brightly against the darkness.

“I could tell you were actually going to talk before Rooster interrupted us. Still want to?”

Jake hesitated for a moment before slumping back against the wooden rail. “Have you spoken much to the new team of mechanical engineers that arrived a couple of months ago? Like, Mercury for example,” he sighed as he nodded towards the window. Through it, across the bar, he could see Mercury sitting with her friends. 

Mickey stretched out his legs in front of him. “Sure. Mercury is badass. Her team is much better than Rogers and his idiots.” Their former mechanical team had been replaced by Mercury and her co-workers at the beginning of spring. Everyone preferred the new team. 

“Well, you see, uh. A couple of weeks ago, I ran into Mercury. And we’ve hung out a few times, outside of work. And I…” Jake trailed off, not knowing how to continue. 

Fanboy turned to him, eyes wide. “Are you telling me the reason you’ve been turning down all these women is because you’ve got a crush on Mercury?”

Jake’s heart hammered in his chest, gut twisting slowly. “It’s not that. Well, partly. I can’t stop thinking about her, no matter how much I try to occupy myself. I miss her when I don’t see her for a couple of days and I feel like, I don’t know, all giddy and shit when she smiles.”

“It sounds like more than a crush. So why the sad face man?” Fanboy nudged his side. 

“I kissed her. Well, she kissed me. We kissed. And after, she said ‘it was just a kiss’.” Jake deflated with disappointment, trying to hide just how much her response actually hurt him.

Mickey stayed quiet for a while before speaking. “Did you say you wanted something more?”

“I told her that I knew it was just a kiss but asked if it had to be just that.”

“What did she say?”

It hurt more than Jake liked to admit to revisiting what happened after their kiss. “She said that while she liked me, she knew of my reputation and had no intention of being another notch in my bedpost.” 

Fanboy clicked his tongue. “And that’s why you’ve stayed away from all the women. Trying to show her that you’re serious?”

Jake hadn’t anticipated for Mickey to see right through him. The emotional turmoil of opening up like this, to have someone listen and not mock, was jarring. Jake didn’t exactly have a lot of those people in his life. But Fanboy stayed, listening patiently as Jake talked. 

“Yes. Her words hurt but they’re true. I’m just trying to show her that I’m willing to change, for her. That I have changed.”

His companions' next words cut deeper than they should. “You’re in love with her. This isn’t just a crush.”

He hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself. Love wasn’t something Jake was familiar with. It scared him, to be vulnerable and open with someone. To let them see every part of him. But it was true. Over the course of a few short weeks, being in Mercury’s company had him breaking all his own rules as he realised that he did love her.

“Yes.”

“Then you should tell her. Tell her that you’ve changed, for her. Tell her that you love her.”

Jake sighed. “I can’t. She doesn’t feel the same, she made it very clear.”

Mickey slapped his arm, startling him. “Dude! Stop. You said that she said she liked you. If your past is the only thing stopping her, then you need to tell her,” he paused for a moment before lowering his voice, “and you deserve someone, Jake. You deserve love.”

He didn’t want to cry but Mickey’s words brought a wave of emotion upon him. He swiped at his face, trying to hide the tears. 

All of what Mickey was saying went against everything Jake had ever been told. His father always told him he was no good and that no one would ever want anything from him. That he would never amount to anything. Never achieve anything. 

“It’s okay man. I get it. You’re scared. But in the wise words of my abuela, ‘To love is to be scared. If you’re not scared, it’s not worth it’.” 

Jake laughed, a watery sound before wiping his face again. “She sounds like a smart woman.” Jake took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. 

Mickey laughed as well, eyes sparkling. “She’s the best,” he looked past Jake, eyes trained on something outside Jake’s field of vision. “If you were to tell Mercury, what would you say to her?”

Jake took a moment to ponder, trying to put his feelings into words. He guessed it was too late to turn back now, Mickey had already seen parts of him he hadn’t shown anyone in years. 

“I guess I would tell her how she makes me feel. That her smile brightens my day and that I want to make her laugh. That she makes me push myself to be better, both for myself and her. I’d tell her that I love her, even if it scares me. That I’ve changed and that my past doesn’t matter. She’s the only one I want.”

Fanboy clapped his hands together, smiling widely. “Good.”

“What do you mean ‘good’?” Jake turned but Mickey wasn’t looking at him. His eyes were trained behind him, shit eating grin in place on his face. 

Jake turned his head, his eyes landing upon Mercury standing a few feet away, bottle dangling from her hand. He immediately choked up, hands growing clammy as he tried to find his voice. The look on her face told Jake she had heard everything. 

“I’m gonna head back inside,” Mickey pushed off the chair before murmuring, “Remember what I said. You deserve love,” to Jake. He then sauntered back into the bar, saluting sloppily as he walked past Mercury.

Jake held his breath, counting to twenty as she approached him, sitting down tentatively in Fanboy’s abandoned seat. Neither of them spoke at first. Jake’s heart was beating so hard against his ribs that he thought it would break free. His palms were sweaty and he wanted to bolt, rush back inside. 

“You love me?” She quietly asked, hands twisting in her lap. He desperately wanted to reach out and intertwine their hands but he wasn’t sure it would be welcomed. Mercury chose for him when she grew tired of waiting for an answer. 

She reached over, clasping one of his hands between her own. “Jake. Talk to me.”

Mercury was staring at him  with a gentle smile. Her face was open and inviting, making Jake feel braver. He could do this.

“Yes. I don’t know when it happened.” She laughed, squeezing his hand. “Does it matter when it happened?”

“I guess not.” 

Neither of them spoke after that but there seems to be no need. All Jake focused on was the feeling of his hand between hers, the way they both seemed to breathe at the same time. It’s peaceful. 

“I’m sorry that I said it was just a kiss,” Mercury murmured while tracing the veins on his hand. “I wanted to say it was more than that, but I didn’t want to get hurt.”

“Hurting you is the last thing I want. I want this. Us.” Jake squeezed her hand back, intertwining their fingers. He desperately wanted her to repeat his earlier words back to him but he didn’t want to push her either. He knew he loved Mercury. He could wait while she sorted her feelings out. 

After all, he hadn’t exactly planned on telling her nor even approaching her.

“Jake?”

He hummed contentedly, the feeling of her hand in his calming him down better than any trick his therapist had ever taught him. 

“If you want to, I’d like that kiss to be more than just a kiss. I want you. Truth is, I think I fell in love with you when we went hiking. I know that’s so long ago and I’m sorry for not telling you but -”

Jake cut her off, cupping her face and pressing their lips together, smiling into the kiss. She loved him. It was all he needed to know. They’d figure the rest out later. If Jake had it his way, they’d have the rest of their lives.

Taglist: @wildbornsiren​ @therebeccaw@imjess-themess@antiquitea@fuckyeahhangman@writercole@hederasgarden@yanna-banana@wkndwlff@bobfloydsbabe@hollandorks@anniesocsandgeneralstore@ereardon@luminousnotmatter@roosterscock@thedroneranger@fandomxpreferences@top-hhun@princessmisery666@bradshawsbitch​ @princessphilly@a-reader-and-a-writer@green-socks@angstybluejay@seresinhangmanjake@ayorooster​@notroosterbradshaw​ @indynerdgirl@gigisimsonmars@girl-in-the-chairs-void@bradshawbabes@unhinged-btch@horseshoegirl@sadpetalsstuff@bradshawbaby@ahopelessromanticwritersworld@ummjustfics​ @septemberrie​ @somenamewithepineapple​ @seresinsweetie​​ @crescentwolf​ @seresinhangmanjake​ @sylviebell​ @waklman​ @roosterforme​ @rosiahills22​ @dempy​ @i0veless​ @ilovewriting06​ @kmc1989​ @demxters @amortentiadrops @teacupsandtopgun @hangmanscoming

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[goatcheesecak3]

Sleepyheads

Adam Stanheight x F!reader (ft. Scott Tibbs)

fic type: fluff

warnings: alcohol

summary: your boyfriend, Adam comes home from a night of Drinking with his best friend, Scott, and it's up to you to babysit them.

Dating Adam Stanheight was an interesting experience, to put it in simple terms. You’d known him as a friend for a while, and in that time he was a rather loud and lairy character, never not out raising hell with his best friend, Scott Tibbs. However, one night after attending a show together, Adam had crashed at your apartment. One on one, he was more gentle, his rough edges seemed sanded down and soft to the touch. It was like a dog that always has it’s hackles up letting you stroke it for the first time. Ever since you’d seen that side of Adam, you’d had a soft spot for him, and he you. It wasn’t long after that that the two of you started dating.

A few months down the road, Adam had invited you to come to one of Scott’s gigs, but feeling groggy from working late the night before, you instead opted to stay home and get an early night. It had been agreed that once the gig was over, Adam would come round to sleep at your apartment, since you lived closer and it saved money for a taxi. Which brings us up to speed.

Curled up in bed, you heard the front door to your apartment open, followed by heavy inconsiderate footsteps from large black boots. A pair of ebrious voices cackled at something, before one of them blurted out

“yo, seriously, Adam, you hit the jackpot with y/n, I mean, look at how nice this place is”

It would have appeared that Adam had brought Scott along with him.

You were never Scott’s biggest fan, but you had to admit, that comment made you smile. Scott wasn’t the type to be complimentary, especially when it came to the matter of his friends having partners. He thought guys went all soft and stopped being fun once they got into relationships, so it was a surprise to hear him say that his best friend of all time had “hit the jackpot” with you, even if it was just because you had a nice home.

“I’m telling you, dude, she’s the best. Always got like, snacks and shit for me, it always smells nice in here and- man, feel how soft this couch is” you heard Adam respond, accompanied by two hefty thuds as their bodies hit the sofa, followed by some sleepy and satisfied groans at how comfy the sofa was on their tired bones.

You decided that, as much as this was entertaining, you’d never get to sleep if you let those idiots stay up all night testing out your furniture, so instead you did what you knew best: babysit drunk punk guys until they fall asleep. You headed down the hall into the living room where Adam immediately rose to his feet excitedly, grabbing you and pulling you into a drunken embrace.

“y/n! I missed you, baby- aw shit did we wake you up? I’m sorry, baby I jus-” you interrupted him with a peck on the lips, he had a tendency to ramble when he was drunk.

“It’s fine, babe” you tuned your attention towards Scott (who appeared to be prodding a basket of potpourri that sat on your coffee table, clearly he had no idea what the hell it was), “Scott, do you wanna stay here tonight? You don’t look sober enough to walk home”

“see dude! I told you she’d be okay with it, isn’t y/n just the best” Adam grinned excitedly, squeezing your waist and swaying a little to keep his balance.

“Thanks, y/n” Scott said, his tone far more upbeat than you were used to. “y’know, I’m glad you’re dating Adam. I guess you’re  kinda cool- and Adam’s way less of an uptight asshole now that he’s getting laid”

Adam kicked Scott’s shins as you rolled your eyes with a slight chuckle. That was the closest you’d ever gotten to a compliment from Scott.

“You boys just sit down for a minute, alright? I’ll go see if I’ve got any microwave pizzas or something to help you sober up” you said, helping a very inebriated and clumsy Adam back onto the sofa. He sort of toppled onto Scott, and you could hear the pair of them giggling like schoolboys about something or other as you made your way to the kitchen.

Adam and Scott had been best friends since they were 5 years old, and that was clear to anyone who spent any amount of time in the same room as them. Separately, Adam was quite reserved and Scott was aloof and a bit miserable, but together they were like happy little children. As you watched two mini pizzas turning around in the microwave, it was hard for you to picture to punk guys in their mid twenties drinking beer and talking about boobs sitting on your sofa, when the sound of their childlike sniggering and petty teasing rung throughout the apartment. It was sweet, in a way.

After a few minutes had passed, you brought out the two pizzas on a plate ready to hand to them, only to be met with an adorable sight. Both men were passed out, Scott’s head thrown back snoring loudly, his arm around Adam, who had been resting his head on Scott’s chest. They were out cold.

You placed the plate on the coffee table for them to discover in the morning, and pulled an old blanket over the sleepy friends. You stopped to take in the sweet moment, before picking up Adam’s camera and snapping a quick picture to embarrass them with at some point. Then, finally you headed to bed and got some well deserved rest.

[pastanest]

A/N: you’re wondering why I’m having to repost this, or why you were perhaps previously following me but no longer are, please refer to this post. I was able to retrieve this thanks to @bakedcrispss - thanks so much!! ♡

a gif of Daryl looking down at us to set the mood ⤵️

Daryl x Short!Reader

- let’s start with how you met

- so Daryl was out on a hunt when he heard some commotion, something was moving fast towards him and just as he realised which direction the sound was coming from, you quite literally ran into him

- and when you ran into him, you bounced back and fell right on your ass, while Daryl just scowled down at you

- so there you were, staring up at him

- and then you stood up, and there you were, still staring up at him

“Sum’ followin’ you?” Daryl asked, glancing off in the direction you’d ran from.

“Only dead ones, but my knife broke so I had to run to get them off my trail. Sorry about running into you.” The apology was awkward, but Daryl just nodded.

- he considered correcting you, sarcastically saying he should be the one apologising since he was apparently in your way and knocked you over, but he thought it was too soon for a dig at your height

- Daryl waited a few seconds to see if he could hear any walkers coming after you, and when he couldnt, he skulked off

- much to his surprise, you followed him, and he found that he could barely hear you creeping up behind him because of your lack of height and therefore heavy steps

“So, what’s your name?” You asked, definitely taking Daryl by surprise, but he hid it well.

“Daryl.” He answered shortly. haha y’all see what I did there

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Daryl! Im (Y/N). Do you have a group or a place to stay? ‘Cause if not, there’s logically a better chance of us surviving if we stick together.”

- he didnt want anyone following him, much less someone who didnt even see a man directly in front of them that they then ran into. he didnt even know if you could handle yourself. Daryl assumed that what you really meant was you were more likely to survive sticking with him because he’d save your ass

“Got a group an’ a place.” He said, hoping to throw you off, but he quickly realised his own mistake.

“Oh, that’s great! Do you, uh...maybe have room for one more?”

- have room? Daryl had to hold back a laugh, you could live comfortably in the average sized closet and you were asking if his group had room for you?? he, again, refrained from making such comments, and decided to stay professional

“How many walkers you killed?”

“Havent kept count, but some. I can usually sneak away from them, Im pretty good at getting into small hiding places.”

- Daryl looked down at you, struggling to tell whether you were insecure about your height and whether making jokes would be okay, or whether you would get insulted and sad and think your height a weakness

- in response, you rolled your eyes

“Daryl, do you really think I’ve gone my entire life blissfully unaware of being a short-ass? It’s not something I can change, so I work with what I’ve got, but sometimes I run into dudes and knock myself on my ass.”

- and much to Daryl’s absolute shock, that last part made him laugh

“That a regular hobby o’ yers?” He teased.

“Oh yeah, try to squeeze a collision in at least once a month.” You replied with a grin.

- and so your friendship was established

- when the two of you got back to the prison, you saw the people at the gate and in the guard tower and sighed because you knew from a distance they’d think Daryl had brought back a kid

- still, the small group that greeted you were welcoming enough. Maggie and Glenn were both very sweet, and as was Rick, but you’re certain you werent the only one to notice that his teenage son Carl was almost the same height as you

- you fit into the prison nicely, offering to help out wherever you could and getting to know as many people as possible. Daryl was fascinated by how easily you seemed to make friends, especially since you made friends with him in a matter of seconds

- Daryl was your favourite person to hang out with, you loved asking him questions and finding out things about him. he was far from the most open person when it came to talking about himself, but when you’d stroll over and sit on his bike, kicking your legs in the air because you couldnt reach the ground and giving him that damn smile, Daryl found it increasingly difficult to resist giving you anything and everything you wanted

- he definitely had a soft spot for you, and at first he hated that

- you’d wave at him when he was up in the guard tower and before he could even consider his own response, he would be waving back at you with a stupid smile on his face like some friendly dumbass

- one time Rick was coming up behind you and caught sight of the way Daryl waved at you, so Rick waved up at him to tease him and Daryl flipped him off

- once you’d earned the group’s trust, it was difficult for them not to notice how useful your lack of height could be in certain situations

- whenever one of the kids got a toy stuck in an inconveniently tight space, you would be the adult they summoned

- but equally, when the group found a decently large herd of walkers that they wanted to lead away from the prison, they looked to you as the first person to run by them and get to the other side of the herd, because you were the least likely to be spotted

“Naw, ‘s not happenin’.” Daryl shook his head, and Rick sighed.

“It’s the smartest play, you know it is.”

You nodded. “Yeah, and I’ve got no problem with it. At the start if this thing, all I did was run and hide, it’s what Im good at.”

- Daryl scoffed and stormed off, not even slightly onboard with you being the one in the most dangerous position of that whole thing. he knew it was the best option, but he would rather anybody else took that job and you stayed home. Daryl couldnt understand why he was so angry at the thought of you being in danger, but worst of all...when had he started referring to the prison as ‘home’?

- obviously, you ran after the big bad angry crossbowman, and soon enough you were walking at his side

“Why have you always gotta walk so fast?! Takes a lot for these little legs to keep up, y’know!”

- a small smile curled at the corner of Daryl’s mouth, and you nudged him playfully

“That’s better. Now, you wanna tell me what that was all about?”

- Daryl shrugged, having never been one to put his feelings into words without Merle calling him a pussy before he’d even opened his mouth, but you wouldnt do that to him, Daryl knew that, so he tried

“Jus’ don’...don’ want you t’ be in danger.” He managed, and your eyes softened as they stared up at him.

“Daryl, you’ll be on the other side of the street-“

He cut you off by shaking his head. “Ain’ enough. Sum’ could still happen.”

You rolled your eyes. “I can handle myself.”

Daryl was quiet for a moment, choosing his next words carefully, and he decided to test the water.

“Ain’ much t’ handle.”

- you were silent, and Daryl immediately regretted what he’d said. you stopped walking, and he turned to look at you, trying to piece together your reaction from how wide your eyes were

“Was that...a short joke?”

- Daryl could only nod, very quickly realising that this was neither the time nor the place to make a joke, the mood was completely off and he couldnt explain why he decided to do it if he tried

- but then, you burst out laughing

- once you’d calmed down, you explained to Daryl that you heard every short joke in existence throughout school, but once you became an adult the jokes died out, in the workplace it wasnt professional or whatever. but you missed the jokes even then, and when the world changed, there were even less of them. it had been years since anyone had made an actual joke about your height

- so, Daryl made it his mission to make playful jokes about it whenever he could after that

“Anyone seen (Y/N)?” He’d ask when you were standing right in front of him, he’d look over your head and pretend to look around for you until he couldnt resist glancing down at you and laughing.

“Rain’s eased up, gonna go out on a hunt, it’s hot out there now. But how’s the weather down there?” Of course, Daryl Dixon found a way to incorporate the classics.

“Best stay behin’ me, cant promise I wont think yer a mouse out there an’ shoot ya by mistake.” He teased whenever you walked next to him on a hunt.

“Daryl, I swear, I will spin your jaw if you dont shut up.” You’d say, and Daryl would smirk.

“If ya can reach.”

And you’d sigh. “Fine, I’ll just bite your ankles.”

“Sure ya can reach those?” Daryl would answer effortlessly, knowing he could continue forever.

“Daryl I SWEAR-“ You’d yell, and he’d burst out laughing.

- anytime anyone around you used the words “little”, “small”, “shorter”, Daryl found a way to spin it on you

“We should take this road, it’d be shorter-“ Rick began, and then he closed his eyes in a pained blink, waiting for what he knew was coming.

Daryl smirked, diverting his gaze from the map on the hood of the car and glancing down at you beside him.

“Shorter, huh. Remin’s me o’ someone.”

- anytime anyone asked anyone “what’s up” you could guarantee that from somewhere else in the prison, you would hear Daryl Dixon yell out “NOT (Y/N)!”

- secretly he found your lack of height to be very endearing, the way you looked up at him was adorable, the ease with which you could jump on his back at anytime for a piggyback ride without fatally wounding him, the fact that the cliché short-problem of having to ask someone else to reach stuff for you and Daryl usually being the closest person for you to ask. he loved it, and he made sure to remind you with a series of cute height-related petnames

“‘ey, mouse, c’mon, aint got all day.”

“Been lookin’ all over for you, li’l one, where ya been?”

“Listen, small person, ya better ease up on that tone with me.”

- later on when your relationship progressed, Daryl introduced the petname of “doll” cuz thinks you’re small and cute like a doll, but he only uses that petname in softer moments between you, like if you’re upset or he’s tired

- and he didnt see your height as a weakness either. once you’d joined him for a few hunts, Daryl could see that you really could handle yourself, you were a strong fighter, he had no doubts there. but he couldnt help worrying that you were just a little more fragile because of how small you were, it was a natural worry to have, all things considered, and you loved his protectiveness of you, so you definitely werent complaining

- the only problem with Daryl’s protectiveness was that it extended to him wanting to beat the shit out of anyone else who joked about your height

- Rick, Maggie, Beth, Hershel, Glenn, Carol, Michonne- the entire core group as well as Tyereese because he’s a fkin unit, they were all allowed to make fun of your height, but anyone else who tried had a death wish

- sometimes new arrivals would be stupid enough to voice their opinions on you being inferior and incapable because of your height when Daryl was nearby. they’d joke about wondering how you made it this far, assuming you’d been living safely since the start otherwise you wouldnt have made it, assuming everyone around you needed to protect you because you were a liability

- and Daryl would be there in an instant

“The hell’d you just say?!” He’d growl from your side.

“Anyone built like that cant even reach the top shelf, let alone survive in a world like this! It’s survival of the fittest, plain and simple!” The idiot would be stupid enough to say, laughing through his own explanation.

And then Daryl would knock him to the ground a lot less playfully than he knocked you to the ground on the day you met, he’d be on top of the idiot and punching him until someone (usually Rick) pulled him off.

You’d be there right away, standing on your tiptoes to hold Daryl’s face in your hands and calm him down. He’d rest his forehead against yours and ask if you were alright, if the idiot had hurt your feelings ‘cause “if he did I’ll go right back over there an-“ and you’d say no. You’d take him back to your cell and clean up his split knuckles while Daryl just watched you, utterly mesmerised.

And then you’d sit on his lap, his arms wrapping around you without him having to think about it.

“What would I do without you?” The question would pass your lips quietly, as though truly bewildered by wondering what life would be like without Daryl in it.

“Hear a lot less jokes.” He’d reply, his voice rumbling in his chest, you’d feel it through his shirt, against your palm.

You’d laugh, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “And be a lot leas happy.”

[xxfangirl365xx]

Kobra Kid's answer to : "What is a day you'll never forget?"

Written in my wattpad a few months ago, i posted Jet's here so I'm doing Kobra's too (: enjoyyyy

Mines nothing in comparison to Jet's. I'm gonna go with a nice one. I'm not huge on being sentimental but the day Poison won a bunch of awards for his art in a zone wide exhibit was a great day.

It was mid July 2017. Girl had just come to live with us maybe a month earlier. We had gotten word about a big exhibit that was gonna happen in zone five. Poison had always been a bit of an artist and that's what he always wanted to do with his life before BL/I. He tried to keep his skill sharp in the zones but with limited supplies it was really hard. Honestly it made me really sad to see his dreams crushed. We had been trying to convince him to enter for several days before he gave in. He painted and drew all sorts of things. Scenery, people, emotions...it was really cool. We drove out to zone five and he submitted almost a dozen pieces. We walked around to look at the other entries while they were being judged.

" I wish I hadn't done this." He whined

" Why?" Jet asked

" Because...Look at this stuff... Mine's nothing like theirs." he said sadly gesturing to all the colorful papers and canvas spread out around him.

" Oh stop it." Jet said playfully smacking him

" Your stuff is way better, Pois." Ghoul said trying to cheer him up

" If I were a judge I wouldn't even bother looking at the rest of this stuff. Yours is clearly the best." He finished

" Mmm."Poison said, still not buying it.

" It's really good." Girl said running up next to the red head.

" You're an amazing art dude." She said smiling

He smiled at her, " Thank you Missile." He said bending over to give her a hug.

We all kinda separated and walked around separately but I stayed with my brother.

We walked quietly for a while just looking at the many painted and pastel cacti and sunsets... I'm not an expert but it seemed a little generic to me. I could tell he was getting sadder by the second feeling so much more inferior to the more established artists. Poison has always lacked self confidence in everything. His appearance,personality, skills. And he shouldn't feel bad because he's a unique human being and that's something to be proud of.

Poison sighed.

" You know even if you don't win I'm still proud of you Pois." I said

" You should save the pride for something worth it." He said sadly looking at a charcoal sketch of yet another cactus.

" Nope. I'm still proud of you. And I always will be no matter what you do." I said again.

"..."

" Alright Poison. Enough self pity. Look at this stuff. It's all the same thing. Sunsets and cactus. Boring bland colors and no emotion behind it right?" I asked

" I mean...sorta."

" And you put thought and emotion into your stuff. Colors and variation. "

" Thats-"

" Let me put it this way." I interrupted turning to face him.

" These guys may have some talent and knowledge for sure. They have no creativity to back it up. It's just knowledge.It's kinda like how most people can write...but only a few people can ACTUALLY write, and have a story to tell or a message to get across." I finished. He thought for a second.

" So please...don't be down on yourself for having something a lot of people can only dream of. Both knowledge AND creativity." I said, pulling him into a tight hug.

He hugged me back and I could feel him release all the tension in his body.

" Thanks Kobra." He said

" Anytime. "

*STATIC*

"WILL PARTY POISON PLEASE MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE JUDGES TABLE AT THIS TIME" a loudspeaker screeched out

" I saw a flash of fear in my brother's eyes.

" relax. You got this alright?" I said

" Yeah... " He said walking away. He looked back at me and I gave him a thumbs up.

I found Jet, Ghoul and Girl.

" Why did they want Poison?" Ghoul asked

" Dunno..." I responded.

*STATIC*

"WINNERS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED AT THE JUDGES TABLE! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED THIS YEAR AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN NEXT YEAR!"

They went to the front as they were instructed and saw Poison grinning ear to ear with all his colorful creations displayed hung with diy ribbon's. He ran up to us and immediately hugged me.

" Thank you for always believing in my Kobra." He whispered

" Anytime." I said

He was wearing a scratched and chipped gold metal with the engraving of " Track and Field champions" crossed out with a sharpie to read " Reigning Zone art champion."

Everyone hugged and congratulated him. He picked up Missile Kid and spun her around while she laughed.

" I told you you'd win!" she exclaimed.

I Know it's nothing I really did but I'm still proud of my big brother for everything he has done and has yet to do. He's been competing and winning competitions all over the Zones ever since and I'm so happy to see him being what he always wanted to be.

Anyways, thanks for listening to me ramble,

Kobra Kid out

[starsfic]

Long Xiaojiao, Night Guard

Summary: After an argument with her parents, Xiaojiao decides to cut herself off. However, that means moving into a different place, and that's not feasible with her savings. So, Xiaojiao decides to get a job.

Hopefully, this American pizza joint will be nice.

AO3/Ko-Fi

-_-

“I can’t believe you did that.”

“Neither can I,” Long Xiaojiao groaned, fisting a hand in her hair. For once, her phone wasn’t in her pocket. It was upstairs on Xiaotian’s bed, buzzing with so many missed calls and texts with one familiarity. They were all from her family.

Well, former family.

“What even happened?” Xiaotian asked, passing her a bowl of noodles, the smell deliciously fragrant and a balm on her nerves. “You told me a month ago that you guys were doing fine.”

Xiaojiao sighed, picking up the chopsticks. She was glad it was slow today. If Xiaotian wasn’t here, she was pretty sure she would do something stupid. “Well, I went over for breakfast, and we kinda started talking about my summer plans. Well, my dad asked if I was planning to go back to college any time soon and…” She knew that the fact that she had dropped out of college was a sore spot for her parents, but she had hated college. She had gotten all the qualifications to be a mechanic that moment she dropped out, but her parents hadn’t been impressed. “Things went downhill from there.”

“So bad that you decided that you have to move out?”

“I kinda have to,” Xiaojiao loved her swanky apartment, but she had to cut herself off in all ways. “It’s technically under my parents’ names, even if I pay rent. Plus, the landlord’s friends with my dad, which is why I had such low rent.” Thankfully, she had enough savings for the down payment and the first month’s rent for something smaller, a little more worn down, but decent, after some looking. (Did she really need that third monitor?) “Don’t worry about it, I have a few places in mind.”

“I could talk to Red,” Xiaotian offered, his smile bright. “You’re his best friend, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind-”

“Dude, Red’s already got issues dealing with Pigsy flipping his lid over you moving out,” She had not witnessed the announcement, only heard that Pigsy attempted to whack Red with the wok. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. My only concern is finding a job.” Streamer money alone couldn’t fill up her bank account.

"Oh!" Xiaotian said, smiling brightly. "That'll be easy for you!"

"Yeah!" She was Long Xiaojiao, mechanic qualified, smart, and popular. "How hard will it be?"

-_-

Fuck Qi Xiaotian.

Fuck him and getting all her hopes up.

Of course he had an easy time of it. The moment he was old enough, Pigsy hired him to help out around the noodle shop with great pay, the softie. She should've asked Pigsy; it would've been easier than having the honestly brutal amount of rejection emails pop up in her inbox.

Most places didn't exactly like the idea of people dropping out of college because they were bored. Most places saw her as wasting time waiting for a job position that Daddy and Mommy promised her. Others just weren't looking for anyone anymore and simply hadn't taken down the ads yet. At least those were nice enough to say sorry.

Xiaojiao was honestly prepared to beg Red or Pigsy for a job when another email popped in.

And this one was more than excited to welcome her.

Maybe a little too excited, when Xiaojiao stepped into Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

From what the owner had explained, they were in the process of moving in, and she could see that with all the boxes everywhere. But the place still looked incredibly worn down for all its newness. None showed that more than the four animatronics standing on the stage.

Long Xiaojiao had done some research, she wasn't that dumb. Apparently, Fazbear Entertainment had started in the United States, and had quickly developed a reputation. Now, they were moving to China, hoping to escape the ghost stories and accusations of murder. Said stories surrounded the four she eyed.

Freddy Fazbear, the bear himself, stood in the middle, holding a microphone. Bonnie the Bunny and Chica the Chicken stood on either side of him like bodyguards. Foxy the Pirate held his hook up as if in the middle of telling a grand tale. All of their eyes were closed and their heads slumped, like they had fallen asleep on their feet.

“But they’re probably just stories,” Xiaojiao sighed. “You guys look like you couldn’t hurt a fly!”

"Oh, hello!" Xiaojiao nearly jumped at the English interrupting her study, turning to reveal a pretty blonde woman hovering next to the stage. She blinked emerald eyes before awkwardly chuckling. "I'm...sorry, hello," she said in shaky Mandarin. "Do you speak English?"

"Yeah, I do," One of the things she was glad her parents had forced her to learn. "Although your Mandarin sounded pretty good."

The woman shook her head. "No, no, I'm still learning. This move was a sudden decision, so I needed to pick it up quickly." She held out a hand, and Xiaojiao shook it. Her grip felt weirdly weak. "I'm Vanessa Shelly, the owner of the restaurant."

"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Long Xiaojiao, I'm here for the staff position?"

"Yeah, I figured," Vanessa chuckled, the awkwardness slowly easing out of the noise. "Let me give you a tour, and I can give you a laydown of the situation."

The tour wasn't that long. There was one big dining hall- the room Xiaojiao had entered- a slightly smaller arcade and prize room, two small rooms for private birthday parties, two halls that connected in the kitchen, Parts and Services/storage, and the guard office.

"The office is where you'll be spending the most of your first two weeks," Vanessa explained, allowing Xiaojiao to take in the space. It was small, with buttons next to both doorways. A small fan chugged away next to a tablet and computer, cooling down nothing. "My brother is still in Utah, handling business matters there, but once he gets here, he'll be handling the night guard business."

"Okay, that's good to know," She had worried about that part, not wanting to lose too much time with Xiaotian. Two weeks was manageable. But, those buttons looked weird. She nodded, but her mind was on the buttons. "What do these do-?"

"Wait, wait, WAIT-!" Xiaojiao pressed the button, and a door came crashing down. There was a thud outside, probably from Vanessa jumping back to avoid being cut in half. Xiaojiao blinked at the thick metal door before pushing the button. The door slid back up, revealing Vanessa. She was against the wall, her eyes wide.

"Sorry," Xiaojiao said, stepping forward and helping Vanessa from her lean against the wall. "Are you okay?" Her hands were callused and strangely cold, but her emerald eyes were warm.

Vanessa didn't answer for a moment, eyes locked on their hands. Finally, she pulled away, managing another awkward laugh as her fingers dug into her purple work shirt. "I'm fine. Don't worry. Sorry, I should have warned you about the doors."

"Yeah..." Now that she thought about it, those doors seemed more like something from a military base than a pizza place. "Why do you guys have bombproof doors?"

"They were something from the old place," Vanessa explained, stepping back into the office. Her destination turned out to be a worn yellow locker Xiaojiao hadn't noticed. She opened the door and reached inside. "My brother insisted on it, in case the animatronics..." She shut the door, revealing she held a work uniform. "Misbehave." Ah, right, ghost stories. "Anyway, here is your uniform!"

Xiaojiao took it. This at least looked new, with the buttons all shiny and a shiny new name tag sitting on top with her name. The keys were already on a keychain, hanging from the pocket. "Thanks."

"Now, how about I get the gang to say hello before you head out?" Vanessa was already pushing past, her shoulder gently bumping Xiaojiao. "We want you well rested for your shift tomorrow, right?"

Hello?

Xiaojiao followed Vanessa back to the main dining hall, finding her boss standing in front of the animatronics. She clapped her hands together. "Okay, guys, wake up. I got a new friend working with us. Foxy, I think you'll like her."

Those seemed to be the magic words. The first to lift their head was Bonnie, his magenta eyes focusing on Vanessa. Chica was next, the little cupcake on her plate giving a little yawn that Xiaojiao had to fight to not coo over, and then Foxy reared his head back, giving out a maniacal laugh.

And then Freddy... didn't move.

"Freddy?" Vanessa said, cocking her head. Those green eyes were concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Aye, lass, he's just a lil' tired from all the flying," Foxy said, sounding just like a pirate. "Can't say I blame him. Give me a ship any day!"

"Foxy," Chica said. "You know we couldn't have sailed over. Sailing takes too long, and Ness worries a lot." 'Ness''s face turned red, not disputing the claim.

Wow, this was really great AI. The banter and movements as Foxy and Chica argued back and forth, and Bonnie reached over to hold Freddy's shoulder was so life-like. Xiaojiao's fingers itched for her phone to record and stream. Hm, maybe…

"Anyway, this is Long Xiaojiao," Vanessa said, interrupting Bonnie saying something about the perfect cheese for pizza. She gestured to her, and Xiaojiao waved. "She'll be our night guard until Mikey gets here, and she'll be helping me repair and maintain you guys."

Oh, yeah! “I also know a guy,” Xiaojiao said, pulling up her phone. “Who does commissions. He made a logo for his dad’s noodle shop. Maybe he can do some stuff for your marketing?”

Vanessa’s smile went big. “Really?” Xiaojiao turned to reveal Pigsy’s logo and her eyes went wide. “Oh, that looks great.”

“Yeah! You have a pen?” At the request, a pen was pulled out. “Great! Here’s his number, his name is Qi Xiaotian…” She ignored the heat flaring up in her face as she held Vanessa’s name and scrawled Xiaotian’s number across her palm. “Anyway,” she said as she pulled away. “Give him a call. He’ll be more than happy to help.”

“Oh, thanks Xiaojiao!”

“No worries! See you tomorrow!” Xiaojiao headed out, glancing back. Vanessa was smiling at her palm. Chica was petting her cupcake as Foxy and Bonnie talked. And Freddy…

Freddy stared right at her.

-_-

Long Xiaojiao was eager for her first shift, especially after the day she had, but almost drove away when she came one hour before midnight.

In the light of day, the restaurant had just looked worn and tired. In the darkness of night, barely lit by the neon on the next street, it looked menacing. Vanessa had left the dining hall's light on for her, showcasing the four figures on stage. All were slumped over, looking asleep again.

Xiaojiao barely resisted a shiver as she parked her bike and walked up. The clink of the lock opening sounded like a gunshot, and, as she walked in, she swore a cold breeze slid down her back.

No. No. She was being ridiculous. She was Xiaojiao, the White Horse Dragon Girl (dragon family or no dragon family), former wielder of the Samadhi fire, and current wielder of the Long sword (dragon family or no dragon family). She wasn't gonna get spooked like this! 

"Hey guys!" she said for some semblance of noise as she locked the door behind her. "Good to see you guys again!" Nothing came back and Xiaojiao nodded. "Good talk."

Her duties involved checking all the doors to make sure they were locked. Xiaojiao did the lap of the building before settling into her office, which now housed a phone and an old poster. Now, all she had to do was keep an eye on the building and the animatronics until 6 AM.

Her phone beeped, and she pulled it out.

MonkieMAN: CONGRATS ON UR HOME!

Ah, right. Xiaojiao was now the proud owner of a small studio apartment. It was a little smaller than her old place, but she owned it. She still had to unpack and figure out what to keep- goodbye, third monitor- but she was home for now.

You: THANKS! How's moving into your place?

The phone rang. Xiaojiao nearly fell out of her chair at the noise and felt a flash of irritation. Was she really that off her game? She had dealt with scarier things. The phone rang again before something clicked and "Hello? Hello, hello?"

"Hello?"

"Uhh, I wanted to record a message for you... to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you." Oh, it was a voicemail Vanessa must've forgotten to delete. Xiaojiao shrugged and turned to her phone. "I’m... finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact, so... I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you: there’s nothing to worry about."

"Uh huh, sure."

MonkieMAN: We're doing great! Red wants to remodel the kitchen…

"Uh, you’ll do fine! So... let’s just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay? Uh, let’s see. First, there’s an introductory greeting from the company that I’m supposed to read. Eh, it’s kind of a legal thing, you know."

Huh, wonder why Vanessa didn't give it to her. Xiaojiao shrugged. "Probably out of date or something."

"Um, 'Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza: a magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovery of damage or if death has occurred, a missing person’s report will be filed within ninety days or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached and the carpets have been replaced.' " Xiaojiao sat up at that, raising a brow. Hang on. "Blah, blah, blah... Now that might sound bad, I know."

"My dude. Seriously?"

"But there’s really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No! If I were forced to sing... those same stupid songs for 20 years, and I never got a bath? I’d probably be a bit irritable at night too." Speaking of the animatronics, Xiaojiao grabbed the tablet. It awakened easily, revealing a green 100% bar. On a guess, she pressed the only app. "So remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children, and you need to show them a little respect. Right? Okay. So just be aware:"

She froze.

"The characters do tend to wander a bit. Uhh, they’re left in some kind of "free-roaming mode" at night. Uhh... something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long." Oh, that was bullshit. Both the story and the fact that all four of them had turned their heads toward her camera, staring directly at her. "Uhh... they used to be allowed to walk around during the day, too, but then there was the Bite of '87. Yeah... I-It’s amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"

"Excuse me?!"

Now concerning your safety: the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uhh, if they happen to see you after hours, probably won’t recognise you as a person. Th-They’ll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on."

"Wait, hang on-"

"Now, since that’s against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, they’ll probably try to... forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit."

"What."

"Um, now that wouldn’t be so bad if the suits themselves weren’t filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So you can imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort... and death.

"Just discomfort and death?!"

"Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh." Xiaojiao felt a whimper come up at the mental image. Not even the Lady Bone Demon had threatened something like that. And it only grew worse when she looked back down. "...Y-Yeah, they don’t tell you these things when you sign up... But hey! First day should be a breeze; I’ll chat with you tomorrow."

Bonnie was gone.

"Uhh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright. Goodnight." And the Phone Guy hung up, leaving Xiaojiao gawking at the space where Bonnie should’ve been.

Was this part of her job? Finding Bonnie? She was pretty sure the job description didn't include that and Vanessa hadn't mentioned anything like that. Plus, there was just something about the way that the animatronics stared down the camera that was different from the playfulness that they showed earlier.

It felt... angry. Like, Azure or Macaque levels of anger.

But she also had a missing animatronic.

"Come on, come on... there!" Bonnie was just standing in between the tables, staring at the camera. Xiaojiao raised a brow. He continued to stare. She blinked.

He was moving.

"Crap."

Xiaojiao could hear his footsteps come down the hall- thudding, loud, like the heartbeat in her ears. He was coming and now she understood why Vanessa's brother wanted those doors.

Down went the door.

She couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. There. That should keep him out. Soon enough, she heard footsteps…

Not walk away. Actually, they were coming down the other side.

Xiaojiao glanced down at the tablet and pulled the camera back. Chica was gone. Chica was peering from the doorway. Xiaojiao wasted no time in slamming the door down. For a few minutes, heart pounding, Xiaojiao waited until those heavy footsteps walked away.

They didn't stay away long.

There seemed to be some kind of pattern. Bonnie always came down one side, Chica the other. Bonnie would return to the stage or a broom closet to chill. Chica would head to the kitchen, where she seemed to be unpacking boxes. At least one of them was doing something helpful.

It was a rhythm that was easy to track.

That, Xiaojiao would figure later, was her mistake.

Bonnie was on stage at around 4 AM, talking to Freddy, who never ceased his glare at the camera. Chica was messing around in the kitchen. With that, Xiaojiao allowed herself to relax. Both of them moved slowly. She would have enough time to shut the door-

A clang interrupted her thoughts. At first, she assumed Chica had dropped something. Another clang raised a brow. Another, faster clang made her sit up as it repeated, again and again.

"What in the-"

Foxy sprinted into view, his hook raised and a screech coming out. Xiaojiao screamed back, her entire body going cold with terror.

And, in her state, Xiaojiao could only do one thing.

"SPICY HOT PEPPER BLAST!"

Her sword glowed green, sparking with electricity, and a laser came out. The kickback shoved her out of her chair and against the other door, looking up in time to hear Foxy scream.

"ME ARM!"

That was an issue.

There was a massive burn mark on the wall. There was also one on Foxy's arm, scarring what red fur was left. "FOXY!" Chica called, but Xiaojiao closed the door and the other before the chicken rushed up. She could barely set the tablet down before gripping her knees, taking in deep breaths as she stared at the floor.

Oh, fuck. Fuck, that had been bad. That had been super bad. There was no way Vanessa wouldn't notice.

...did Vanessa know the animatronics would do this?

A different kind of "Oh fuck" came out. If Vanessa knew, she was screwed.

Xiaojiao wasn't sure how long it was before there was a chime. She glanced up as the clock struck six. Quitting time. She took in a deep breath and tried to stand. ‘Stand’ was the keyword. Her legs felt like jelly and she could smell the terror on her. A surge of anger twisted her stomach at the sensations.

“Vanessa better have a good explanation.”

Vanessa was unlocking the front doors by the time Xiaojiao got to the dining hall. Her smile was warm, but Xiaojiao was too angry to consider how pretty it was.

"Hey! How was it? I hope the power didn't die on you. It's weird here, and we're still trying to fix it."

Okay, that was a whole other thing Xiaojiao was not going to get into. She crossed her arms, studying her boss. "You didn't tell me the animatronics moved during the night."

Vanessa raised a brow. "Oh, sorry. I thought I told you. They had this weird thing with free roam that I'm trying to fix, but they mostly move around at night and try to do tasks that need doing."

"You didn't say that they would try to k-"

"Hey, Vanessa," She nearly jumped out of her skin. She hadn't even noticed Freddy move over. His voice was almost fatherly, but his gaze on her was cold. "I think I might need some help setting up tools in Parts and Services. Mind helping me."

"Uh, sure," Vanessa glanced back as Freddy guided her down the hallway. "Thanks again, Xiaojiao! See you tonight!"

Xiaojiao blinked, feeling some of the anger slide off. Well, that answered one question. However, she couldn't help but follow the duo. Sure, she was a bit upset with Vanessa, but she couldn't just leave her alone. Thankfully, there was no screaming as she crept up to the Parts and Services door.

"Come on, you promised me you would handle this better."

"I know, I know...but did you really have to hire that girl? I don't like her."

"Freddy, you don't like anyone. And Xiaojiao's been great for what position she's in, and nobody else helping her. I know that she can do great things here once Mikey comes, I can feel it. Just...give her a chance, okay?'

Xiaojiao cocked her head, showing the scene. Freddy's arm was extended with the top part off, revealing the endo underneath. Vanessa was fiddling with it, her gaze distant and distracted. Freddy stared at her with what almost seemed like fatherly affection.

"Okay, I promise."

Liar.

Xiaojiao turned and walked away, gaze hard. Now, she needed to move and be ready.

She needed to repair a few things.

-_-

The next night, the phone rang again at midnight. Xiaojiao let the message about the animatronics play until it reached the part about them being more active as the night continued. She could already see that, with Foxy tensing up, getting ready to sprint right off the stage.

She slammed the door close. She bit back a jolt at the banging that started up, but focused on closing the other door. She checked her tablet and smirked at the steady 99%. "And Tang called Pigsy weird for hanging onto that spare generator," she chuckled. Now, she would have enough power to stall until they were all there and for her little show.

Xiaojiao pulled up the camera in the hallway in time to watch Foxy trot back to the stage.

Soon enough, Chica headed down her hallway, waiting. Bonnie, unlike last night, moved third to the opposing door. Foxy made another dash to the door. Each time, she heard their footsteps, heard them paw at the door.

Each time, they walked back, looking more and more confused and annoyed. Finally, Freddy marched off the stage, looking incredibly annoyed. All four of them headed to the left door.

Bang.

Bang!

Bang, bang!

Bang, bang, bang!

BANG BANG BANG BANG-

The power held steady, but it was enough. Xiaojiao pressed the button, the door lifted, there was a shriek-

"I'll tell Vanessa."

All four froze mid strike, staring at her. Xiaojiao barely fought back a smirk. Her gamble had worked. Freddy finally spoke, sounding like he was fighting back the urge to strangle her. "You're bluffing."

Xiaojiao simply reached back and pulled up the video of the past hour. The clanging against the door rang out in the office, as the video perfectly showed what had been going on right outside the office.

"Pretty neat, huh? I noticed that some of the cameras didn't work, so I fixed them. I even fixed the computers." She wasn't gonna mention the bugs she placed everywhere, just to be sure. "I mean, Vanessa did say that you guys moved here for a fresh start and no murder. I wonder how she's gonna feel when you guys don't feel the same?"

Freddy gaped at her. Foxy was the one to speak up, rolling down his sleeve to reveal the burn mark. "Aye, and we'll be the ones to tell Ness that you brought in a weapon."

"I'll just tell Ness that she was scared for her life. Rightly so."

All of them jolted at the male voice. Xiaojiao turned in her chair.

There was a guy in the other doorway, holding a cup of coffee. He wore a dark hoodie and sunglasses, but that couldn't distract from the fact that his skin was purple. Xiaojiao was tempted to poke, but she had more questions. Including…

"How the fuck did you get in here?"

There was a gasp of "Swear jar!" but that was less important.

"I picked the lock." He held out a hand. "I'm Mike, by the way."

She took his hand, still not certain on how to react as she shook it. "Okay. Uh, I'm Xiaojiao-"

"The dangerous lunatic who smuggled in a laser sword and attempted to dismantle the animatronics." He sipped his coffee as Xiaojiao gaped. “Yeah, yeah, I’m willing to tell Ness that the animatronics were trying to get rid of a saboteur.”

...was she being blackmailed? Huh, weird. She was usually the one doing the blackmailing.

"Unless?" She had to ask.

"You both behave and leave me the fuck alone." He took another sip of his coffee. "You don't want to mess with me. I've done some fucked up shit, and Ness is used to that." He looked at her directly, cold lavender eyes boring into her soul. "Don't let Ness figure out what kinda fucked up shit you can do."

Oh. Well, that sealed it.

Before she could do anything, the clock chimed. "Well," Mike said pleasantly. "Ness should be here...about now." Of he trotted down the hallway, leaving Xiaojiao and the animatronics to glance at each other before Xiaojiao followed him down. She could hear the footfalls of the animatronics, but she didn't look back.

"Oh, Mikey! I thought you weren't gonna be here until next week!"

"Yeah, well, stuff concluded faster than expected..."

"Why do you smell like smoke?"

As a beaming Vanessa hugged her brother, Xiaojiao sighed. "I don't like him."

"Neither do we, but he's a good worker, and he's the only blood family Ness has left," Freddy groused.

The two glanced at each other. Now, Xiaojiao nearly had enough with the animatronics. But she had agreed with Mike that she would stay on. So…

"I have some pranking ideas." She held out a hand. "Truce?"

"Ooh!" Foxy cooed, elbowing to hover next to her. "Mind sharing with ole Foxy, lass?"

"I'm gonna pretend this isn't happening," Freddy said, turning and walking away. "Chica, come on. I want plausible deniability." 

Xiaojiao felt her smile grow. Okay, so this wasn’t the best job in the world. But it was stable and, with her family forged in ice and Samadhi fire, she would make it work.

[resident-gay-bitch]

Hello there, I’m in genuine need of more fandom / online friends so like, if you also want more friends, here’s some info about me and maybe we can be friends? <3

My names Jay, I’ve recently picked it for myself (and then realised I could have possibly had an even cooler name Bo which is the shortened of my middle name and now im cursing myself for not realising it sooner and questioning weather or not to do a switch cause idk if Bo or Jay suits me better?!!). I’m 20 and FtM, and I go by he/they pronouns primarily but I also don’t mind if you use any others :)

I’m also Australian so yeah idk if that’s a selling point or not

Oh and I’m labelled as queer, I guess, but dude sexuality is confusing. I’ve recently been going down the aromantic / asexual spiral of questioning but I’m so unsure of everything I really suck at telling the difference between platonic and romantic feelings. I’m also somewhere in the sapphic spectrum I believe. So if you can relate to this mindfuck in any way that would also be rad.

I write fan fic for the Marauders Fandom (sirius is my everything and I’m also a tall sirius truther) and also Stranger Things but primarily Steddie for that tbh.

I’m also in the Good Omens fandom, as well as a few others more casually and don’t write fic for them :) recently I’ve been starting to watch JJK cause my best friend is really into it

My favorite two movies of all time are Rocky Horror Picture Show and Cars. That probably tells you a lot about me to be honest so do with that as you will :)

My favorite musicians are David Bowie at No. 1 (my lord and saviour), Maya Hawke, Hozier, Radiohead (im not a red flag I promise), Conan (I’m seeing him on fri wtf), ooo and I’ll add SOAD cause I’m really into them this month. But it’s ever changing really and there are too many to choose from, I’d say they’re my most listened to though :) I am chronically listening.

Uh I’m gonna spitball some more facts about me this is kinda hard:

I’m the eldest of 4 kids 💀 one of them is 5 years younger than me 💀💀 the other two are 6 years younger 💀💀💀 (I love them sm the annoying shitstarters)

I love to draw and make art but I suck at anatomy and colour theory it makes me want to rip my hair out (and I wanna be a fan artist so bad)

I’m attempting to learn bass but I also cannot commit to learning the bass (I blame my sibling for keeping it in their wardrobe so I forgoet it exists)

I am 90% sure I’m neurodivergent I just cannot really afford to get that diagnosis rn ya know?!

I did ballet & dance most of my life 🤯🤯 (now I’m a bartender and my old ballet teacher is a regular at the sailing club I work and now I look queer and cunty as hell and every time she sees me she just stares in disbelief and fake smiles it’s hilarious)

I still sleep with my childhood teddy :( I love her she is my one thing I would save in a fire. Her name is charlotte and she’s probably 3 years overdue for a bath but I love her

I’m fucking weird about stars - the shape not the astrology - like I love them. I see them and I get very excited and I draw them everywhere (you can probably tell off all my master lists, they all have stars drawn on the title strips 😭) I just really love them they’re so cute. I almost named myself Star actually

I’m a sagittarius. I don’t know what that means but I know it means a lot of things to people so hopefully it’s good things!

My favorite colour is green but more so earthy and cool greens. I love a good scrumptious yummy green, something mossy something sagey. I have a green wall in my room and it’s very nice to look at.

I lived abroad for a little bit as a teen in Vietnam which was amazing and I’m planning to move somewhere abroad again next year hopefully (seriously get me the hell out of SA)

My biggest dream / goal / career choice for most of my life was to be an actor but now I’m just kinda existing with no real drive or purpose in life. But I might pick acting back up now I’m becoming more comfy with myself and my gender :) my dream role is to play Frank from Rocky.

Uuuuuh that’s all I can think of :)

So yes, I hope I have appealed to your interests in one way or another. And if you’d maybe like to be friends please don’t hesitate to send me a message!

Maybe tell me a cool fact about yourself?

Or if you’re too shy to message first you could just add a random comment here or say something in the tags? I’ll message you! <3

Also if you have anymore questions I am trying to be a bit more of an open book, I love when people dive in with the nitty gritty so if you have strange questions I’ll probably be very excited to answer them lmao

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely day random people in my phone I hope to befriend <333

[littlerosetrove]

Why season 6 was overall disappointing for me.

To varying degrees, I felt like ALL of the characters were fumbled. Let me explain, and buckle in because this is stupidly long, but I needed to get it out of my system. 🤙

My critical thoughts are under the cut to save your dash. If that’s not your jam, don’t read.

✨ CHIMNEY & MADDIE

Do I like that Maddie and Chimney are engaged? Yes. But do I think the mending and coming back together of Maddie and Chimney throughout season 6 was done super well? Ehhhh it was okay. Even then, this was probably the better handled story for any couple/character this season.

Why didn’t we get to see them working through things in therapy? And then continuing to work on things outside of that as well? It really felt like we had a speed run through them making up for everything that went down in season 5. They both clearly had issues to work on like Maddie’s hesitancy to marry again, her guilt over (needing to) leave, Chimney’s overall self worth and insecurities. It felt like a little too often Maddie and Chimney weren’t talking things out together, weren’t properly communicating, but talking with other people about any issue.

Also Chimney needs to retake his paramedics exam or something because my dude pulled out a bar after being impaled?!? Wtf, you know better Chimney! And he lost a ton of blood, but bounced back hella quick. 🙃

✨ ATHENA

I’m truly drawing a blank on what Athena’s story even was in season 6, beyond I think the first 1-2 episodes of a childhood friend's (or was the girl even a friend of Athena’s??) murder being solved; that was it for her. Even then, the closure was definitely more so for the benefit of the sister of the murdered girl.

Oh wait, Athena’s dad was in an accident, but he recovered. Nothing about that was touched on once the episodes were done. No other mention of Athena’s parents.

Athena honestly just kinda floated through the whole season. Yes she had moments of being a wonderful and supportive partner to Bobby, they had some cute moments together, but that was it.

✨ BOBBY

The story of Wendal in theory was good, but not handled in a satisfying way. Like at all. Why? Because the show really brought in someone we’ve never met, told us he’s been important to Bobby and Athena for years, and then asked us to be very moved by it all in about four episodes.

Before anyone starts to protest, “but the show has done so well getting us to care about one off characters in 911 calls many times before.” Yes, they have, but the big difference is that those are one off characters. Wendal wasn’t meant to be seen as a one and done character, but rather someone that’s been present for years and actually meant something to two of our main characters.

What didn’t help was that Wendal was set up in episode 6x9, the last episode before a 3 month hiatus. Then when the story was picked back up and concluded in 2-3 episodes, I think there was a passing mention of Wendal and then… nothing. We didn’t see this affect Bobby any further. We didn’t see him continue to go to AA meetings, nothing with that.

Another fumble was May confirming I believe in episode 6x11 or 6x12 that Bobby is Buck's dad. He’s a father figure to Buck. However, after that scene the show didn’t do nearly as much with this as they could have. They could have and should have had more bonding scenes between Buck and Bobby. Like yes, has it been pretty clear that Bobby is essentially a father to Buck before May stated it out loud? Yes. But it still would have been nice to, idk, maybe even have Buck and Bobby have a conversation about this in some capacity. Just something you know?

Hell, if the show had stuck to the story of Buck processing his death - which they kinda dropped - then they could have had one or two scenes at least of Buck talking to Bobby about his dreams and everything. Instead we got Buck brushing off his death (because running from and not really processing trauma is nothing new for Buck), having at least two honest conversations with Eddie saying he feels lost and unsure, but then nothing else. But more on Buck later.

Beyond the Wendal story, Bobby didn’t get to do much this season. And he too healed from his injuries in the finale hella quick. 

✨ MAY

I guess this important side character is doing fine at college? Still going out with that young man she had dated in high school?? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

✨ HEN

I think overall I’m pretty satisfied with the wrap up of Hen deciding to quit med school and focus on and remain being a firefighter. Still, I don’t know if this is necessary, but I kinda think the whole doctor thing could have been brought up once or twice afterward? Becoming a doctor had been a big thing for Hen for something like 3 years, and I know she decided she’s happy being a firefighter, but I suppose it feels like the doctor thing has been forgotten all together? *shrugs* Not a big thing, but yeah.

Karen's workplace blowing up was a one and done story. No mention about or fallout from that. Mm.

Uhhh where was the build up to Hen and Karen wanting to adopt? In the finale I really thought, “Who are all these kids running around? Is this a sleepover???” Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of Hen and Karen wanting to adopt, but if this had been discussed at all in season 6, it must have been once early on in 6A or something, because I was confused where this story came from. They needed a little more build up to this because it really felt a little out of left field, and rushed (like much of the finale).

Correct me if I’m misremembering, but didn’t Toni say to Hen, “a boy needs his father”????? What kind of messaging is that? Not a good or positive one, I’ll tell you that. It’s coming across as, “actually these two powerful women, these wonderful mothers, aren’t enough to raise a child.” It’s coming across as “actually, low-key, the nuclear family is the best kind.” This post by @very-feral-lesbian stated that it’s homophobia, and I don’t think they’re wrong.

And this isn’t the first time 911 has implied this, that the nuclear family is right. Carla in season two said, “that boy needs his momma” about Chris and Shannon. In that case, it felt disrespectful to Eddie being a single father. As if Eddie wasn’t enough for Christopher.

911 may be diverse in many regards, but they’re not consistent in their messaging.

Plus, wh - where did this Nathaniel story even come from? We haven’t heard anything about him since season 2, when it seemed Hen and Karen were on good terms with him. But out of the blue in season 6 we have Denny suddenly wanting his biological father in his life? When as far as we knew, he seemed perfectly content with his moms and his grandma in his life?

Another rather awful message is that Nathaniel, a grown adult, a stranger to Denny, thought it was okay to meet his biological son behind Denny’s mothers’ back for months??? And he was forgiven for that????? Yeah Hen and Karen said “do something like that again and you’re out,” but still. Nathaniel has definitely proven himself untrustworthy. I didn’t care for how this was handled at all.

✨ The Buckley Parents & Mr Han

*deep sigh* Good lord, I’ll try to keep this brief. These reconciliation stories were not handled well at all. I’ve seen plenty of people baffled and upset that the show had given these sucky parents a redemption, which means the show did a poor job in making it clear what they were attempting.

The worst was probably Mr. Han because the only “work” he put in was playing with Jee-Yun once or twice. He did nothing else in regards to Chimney. It was just Albert guilting Chimney to give Mr. Han another chance, and Mrs. Han giving a one minute speech about how “you and your dad are both stubborn.” Wow, so satisfying.

Personally I do wish the show would have the balls to say, “you know, some parents just suck, they don’t change, and that’s life.” But nah, gotta allow even the shittiest of parents reconciliation stories.

✨ BUCK

I have the most to say about him because this season gave Buck 5 storylines. These storylines overall were messily executed, and three of them not even resolved.  

— Leadership —

At the beginning of the season, yes, it was set up that Buck wants to take on leadership. However, from that to the finale there wasn’t really anything in between to connect it. So this particular arc felt a bit unearned.

— Donor Storyline —

I do believe it had potential, but it was fumbled in my eyes. In 6A it was really clear that Buck was struggling with donating, wondering if this was a good decision for him. Okay, that right there makes sense for Buck. Buck’s continuous struggle of being seen as parts to be given away no matter how it actually affects him.

However, Buck’s struggle was fully dropped once 6B came back on. Instead it pivoted to Connor and Kameron having the issues, specifically Connor. Connor was the one struggling with being a dad to a kid that’s not biologically his and not communicating with Kameron on how he feels. Keep in mind, we got most of this information in the last two episodes. No idea what other reasons, if there were any, why Kameron and Connor were struggling being married.

In episode 6x17, the show seemingly implied that Kameron and Buck were friends? Friendly enough that Kameron thought it was okay to crash at her donor’s place for however long. I guess she has no friends or family in LA. In any case, it really wasn’t until the last two episodes that Connor and Kameron really “mattered.” Buck became the mediator and pep talk guy. I guess Buck's line of “just love that kid” helped solve Connor and Kameron’s issues. 🙃

And I guess it was necessary for Buck to see the baby, so he could have some realization of “Wow, I really helped create this baby, but I’m okay with letting him go.” Though I honestly don’t think it was truly necessary for Buck to be the one to help birth the baby, but that’s just me. *shrugs* He could have just seen the baby at the hospital after being called up to see, and then peace out.

Overall I just don’t feel 100% satisfied with this story since, again, Buck was struggling with the decision in 6A, but 6B said “no he’s not.”

-– Being at Ease & Finding Happiness -–

I’m grouping these two storylines together. The only concrete thing I can say about them is that they were forgotten and not concluded by the end of the season. 🙃 I’m definitely disappointed because Buck learning to be at ease with himself? Now that was something he has needed to learn, and would have been great to see. It’s a much needed healing opportunity for Buck, but alas.

It’s an added layer of frustration because, to me at least, it really feels like those at 911 are dragging their feet at genuinely allowing Buck to grow and heal as a character in more significant ways. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the growth I have seen, nor saying he’s had zero growth as a character in the past 3-4 seasons. But damn if it feels like it’s mostly one step forwards, two steps back, and sometimes just going in circles.

I’ve seen other fans thinking that Buck has become kinda stagnant as a character, not just in season 6 but for longer. And I don’t think it’s because “they’re stupid” or “they’re just not seeing the long form storytelling” or something. No, if that’s some people's view of Buck? There’s reason and merit to that.

— Bucks Death (and revival) —

Buck died, struggled with his death, and… there was no conclusion or resolution to this. 🙃

We saw Buck not processing his death, refusing to properly process it for a time. He only admitted to Eddie twice that he was struggling, and then… nothing. 

— (unnecessary) Romance —

We all thought when Natalia, the death doula, was brought in that she was going to help Buck process his death - despite the fact that it would have been more narratively satisfying to see Buck figure things out with the help of his found family, but sure. And yet, we didn’t get Natalia helping Buck process his death. Rather she found it cool, they went on a couple dates because Buck is once again in a trauma response mode, Natalia seemed honestly uncomfortable with how full Buck’s life is and ran, but came back and said sorry, and now after 4 dates Buck asked her to buy a couch with him.

??????????????

What bugs me the most is that Buck’s romantic life was not a part of his narrative or story for the majority of season 6. This out of left field romance was shoved in, poorly, into the last 3-4 episodes of the season.

I’ve seen one take that a romance for Buck - at what was potentially the last season - was something the general audience would expect, so the writers put it in. I - can’t say I really agree with that. Given Buck’s story and narrative through most of season 6, would the general audience really be upset and confused for Buck to, for example, be single and happy in the end? I also gotta say I don’t like the messaging that the only happy ending is for someone to be in a romantic relationship.  

Plus, setting aside the fact that season 6 could have been the last season, Buck has been single at the end seasons 2, 3, 5, and arguably even season 1, but he didn’t realize it yet. In season 2 he was sad but not heartbroken over Ali, and I doubt the audience was particularly sad about it considering she was barely present. Season 3 Buck found peace (of sorts) with Abby, and was otherwise fine. Season 5 he’d broken up with TK and was looking really fucking happy and at peace about that.

So why exactly would the general audience “expect” Buck to be with someone, especially in a season that had up until the last 4-ish episodes had zero focus on his romantic life? “Because Buck for years now has been searching for a romantic partner.” Sure, but it’s a disservice to Buck and really everyone that the solution is to pair him off with someone they barely developed, and show/say that he’s happy about it. Like “aren’t you glad we gave Buck someone whose sole purpose is to be a love interest and nothing more?”

But circling back to Natalia. It’s hard to have much of an opinion about her because we’ve been told literally nothing about her beyond her profession. The most we’ve gotten out of her is her only being interested in Buck’s death and being generally overwhelmed at Buck and his life (even a little judgemental), before and after her apology.

We have no idea why Buck thinks “she sees me.” We don’t know what Buck sees in Natalia beyond her profession and being a beautiful woman. We have no idea what Natalia even sees in Buck despite her saying “I like you.” Because we’ve been shown nothing. And I will say what doesn’t help is that these two actors have zero chemistry.

Once again Buck has found himself passively in a relationship with no idea how he’s gotten there. I’ve seen this movie before, four times to be exact. It’s tiring, repetitive and boring at this point. Natalia and Buck are following too many similar beats already to Buck and Taylor.

There are two possible outcomes of this in season 7, 1) they break up or 2) the folks at 9-1-1 say fuck it and make Natalia and Buck endgame. Neither option is great, and I’ll explain why.

If they break up? Then what was the point? Is it going to be, “Buck learned that Natalia didn’t actually see him for who he is, nor could ever really understand and love all of him”? Hello. We’ve seen this movie before. It doesn’t matter that “Natalia isn’t as bad as Taylor” because we’ve seen this movie before. Introducing Natalia or any new love interest earlier in season 6 would have made it a modicum better, but I still wouldn’t like it. And I’m allowed to not like story choices. I must emphasize that what doesn’t help anything is that Natalia is barely a character.

So if the folks at 911 do decide to make Natalia and Buck endgame? It’s not hyperbole to say they have a shit ton of work to do to make this satisfying in any way.

The show is in such a weird spot because of the writers strike, WHICH I fully support. But the reality now is that the show, as far as we know, may not come back until January of 2024. 911 has always, as best they could, followed a real world timeline. So either the story will jump ahead 6 months, which you can imagine will cause several issues for many characters, or they’re for the first time going to only jump ahead, idk, a couple months into the future. Taking into consideration how the show left things off, they kinda shot themselves in the foot.

Because if they jump ahead 6 months and Buck and Natalia are still together? Great. Then we’ve literally missed a significant portion of their relationship, and the beginning of it has already been a whole lot of nothing.

What’s worse is IF, for Eddie, there is a 6 month time jump and he’s still with Marisol. 1) Eddie may be interested in dating, but not for something serious. If he does end up with Marisol - a character I’m sure a majority of people didn’t remember from 6A, but was brought back to remain a non-character in 6B - and we’re supposed to, what, care about them? Again I must say woof. 2) If Eddie and Marisol aren’t together at the start of season 7, then… there’s something underwhelming in that too. Although option two would make the most sense, even if I’m like, “yeah….. okay.” about it.

Tl;dr of Buck → Buck got a ton of screen time and a ton of stories, but not a whole lot of it was satisfying, to me at least.

✨ EDDIE

Eddie felt a bit like an afterthought in all of season 6, but it was especially evident in 6A.… But really all of season 6.

I think the story of Chris wanting more independence had potential to be spread out over 6A, rather than truncated into I think just one episode. Show us how Eddie is struggling with Chris’s independence, and show us Eddie trying to figure out what to even do with more time on his hands. More time to not be a dad, so to speak. Hell, bring in Ramon and Helen into all of this. 

Ramon got redemption in season 5, but there was nothing for Helen. We know Helen was hard on Eddie too, but so far? She’s gotten a weird free pass. I know this show particularly likes to make troubled relationships with dads (moms too, but majority dads), but they could put a little more focus on the mothers as well. Considering there were a lot of parental stories in season 6 (not all well handled), this was a good opportunity.

I’ve only watched season 6 once, so correct me if I’m wrong, but Eddie’s loneliness really didn’t come into play until something like episode 6x13 or 6x14, right? Even now I still can’t formulate a comprehensive thought, but this aspect and Eddie deciding to date wasn’t handled in a satisfying way. I mean, with the added details and timeline put in about just how young both Eddie and Shannon were with *gestures*, it puts into perspective how little experience Eddie has in dating. And because of this, Eddie, I guess, wants to try out dating? Just for fun?? Okaaay. That could work, that could be something. I just wish it hadn’t been handled so clumsily.

And this is where Marisol comes into it. A person who, at this point, is 1) making Eddie look like a hypocrite because he said trying to date someone you met on a call never ends well, and yet. 2) Marisol is, currently, a blank character. All we know is that she does DIY. That’s it. Her only purpose, at the moment, is just to be a love interest for Eddie, however long it lasts, and that’s boring. 

But I guess we were supposed to be happy about Eddie asking Marisol out? I mean, theoretically sure, it’s good to see Eddie putting himself out there, but only the concept is fine. Let’s not forget that the timeline to Eddie calling Marisol is fucked.

Supposedly they met at the hardware store (but originally on a 911 call), and I guess exchanged phone numbers off screen???? Then, idk, a week later the big emergency happens, where Eddie has broken ribs. Now realistically that would have taken 4-6 weeks at least for Eddie’s ribs to heal, otherwise Eddie wouldn’t be able to dance in his living room as we saw. Which means IF he’d waited for his ribs to heal, then both he and Marisol - despite being “excited” to call each other - had waited nearly two entire months to finally call each other? Haha what??????

My point being? Eddie wanting to go off into the dating world story wasn’t handled well, at least not to me. OH, and speaking of Eddie dating.

The last time Christopher found out his dad was dating, he ran to Buck. Now yes Chris has grown since then, but, where’s the through line? Why is Chris perfectly at ease with his dad attempting to date now? Where was the discussion for that between Chris and Eddie?

Side note, which is relevant here, let’s not forget that in 5x2 or 5x3 Eddie said “my kid loves her” about Ana. We never got to see this supposed love beyond a few brief scenes of Chris smiling with Ana in the same room. Mmm yes, I can feel and see the love. On top of that, we never got to see how Chris even felt about Eddie and Ana breaking up. So this is nothing new, the show failing to have connecting scenes for important issues being addressed when it comes to Chris and Eddie. Which is a damn shame because this is such an important relationship in the show, but in some ways has been neglected over the years. Definitely missed opportunities.

With Ana and mother of if all, Eddie had really only dated Ana because it’s what he thought he should do (because of his parents and heteronormative society). He thought he should give Chris - another mother? Okay, well go farther with that. Since Eddie did have a wonderful healing arc in season 5, we could have taken the time to explore both Chris wanting more independence and explore what Eddie wants in a partner in season 6. Season 6 could have then explored and made it clear that Eddie isn’t straight (because we live in a heteronormative world, so gotta “ease” people into saying “hey, not everyone is straight”).

And yes of course I’m going to bring Buck into this, Buddie into this, because disregarding the fact that the 911 folks didn’t know if the show was going to come back or not, they absolutely could have worked through the entire season to build up to Buddie canon. Hell, plenty of people in fandom thought that’s what was happening even after episode 6x01 (and definitely after the end of season 5). After everything in season 5, it’s not irrational or illogical to think the show can 100% have worked on making Buddie canon in season 6.

@lovecolibri made a really wonderful post explaining how the show and those at 911 are essentially “ship baiting” at this point in the game. Not queerbaiting, but ship baiting, which I think is a great term to use for Buddie. Definitely give the post a read.

But no. Instead we got Eddie only showing interest in women, and then calling a woman he and we know nothing about on a date. Okay. Cool. Yes, good for you for putting yourself out there Eddie, but… *helpless shrug*

me looking at Buck: Yep, I sure hope Eddie figures out what he wants in a partner. I hope he figures out he wants someone to always have his back, someone he can be himself with and not pretend. Someone who loves Christopher like he does. I hope he finds someone who he can have fun with and be silly with. Yep, I sure hope he learns that while going on dates with Marisol and whoever else.

— The Buddie of It All —

If they truly wanted to, the writers/TPTB could have made season 6 about Buddie becoming canon in some capacity. Whether that was a love confession, or an acknowledgement of feelings that will clearly lead to more. Hell, the first few episodes absolutely had this fandom believing that is what season 6 was going to do. But it didn’t. 6A was a bit scattered on the Buddie of it all, then 6x10-6x13 was pretty heavy on the Buck/Eddie/Chris aspect, and then there was a hard pivot to, “let’s pair off our super hetero hot guys with some women who are purely love interests.” Nope, nothing to see here.

Like? No matter what stage the people at 911 thought season 6 may be the last, you’re telling me they couldn’t have made Buddie canon work? That the general audience would be disappointed and mad about that? There were 18 episodes to work on bringing Buddie from subtext to canon, again, in some capacity. There were 18 episodes to finally say, “hey, yeah Buck and Eddie? Not straight.” They could have made this work. The fandom at the very start of season 6 thought it could work, as I’ve said, but it wasn’t until nearing the end of 6A and definitely the start of 6B that people had to say, “Oh… well. So they’re not going to work on making Buddie canon because it’s becoming too late now and it would be rushed.”

I am not pointing this out to say anyone has been queerbaiting. No one has. Ship baiting yes, but not queerbaiting. What has been clear since season 2 is that Buck and Eddie have something really special. There are big Buddie shippers for a reason. The groundwork has been laid down for 4 seasons already, so why not take the opportunity now, in season 6? Really, why not? Once again they had the opportunity in 18 episodes to make it make sense, even for the general audience.

✨ CONCLUSION

Season 6 was disappointing overall. As of right now, I do have some trepidation of what’s even going to happen in season 7. I have lost some faith in the writers and TPTB considering what they gave us and how they handled season 6 (yes I understand the cancellation pressure, I’m not saying they weren’t in a tough spot). I haven’t fully given up hope, but……. *sighs* yeah.

[ifishouldvanish]

(sorry, one more bc it's been on my mind for a long time)

I worry though, about... the dynamic. Can someone really find and bond with another through their grief and loneliness, without this grim depression they share becoming *worse?*

For me, personally, whenever I think about them... I think there's going to be a level of catharsis. They have something that would be very hard to find in another living being, and a certain love for humanity and the past that would be difficult to find among vampires, and this shapes them into shattered pieces which fit together. But would they still be able to find happiness? It kind of feels like they're two damaged clocks that have coincidentally been stuck on the same minute and hour hand. Would they be able to heal and move time forward?

Okay so like!!!!

I see it less about bonding over the shared grief itself and more about what their responses to that grief have exposed in each of them. Like, in the beginning and on the surface level, yes. It is the grief and loss and loneliness that brings them together. But they are foils!!! I'm telling you!!! They can learn from each other!!!

I've mentioned probably all of this before in scattered pieces across all my posts at some point but!! I think the lowest common denominator, the core of their dynamic, lies in how they seem to have established their senses of self.

Alucard struggles with how not to define himself by his father, and then having to define himself in opposition to his father. "Slave to our families' wishes" etc. And when that chapter of his life closes he's like, "welp, guess I'll just entomb myself here 🤷" until Trevor and Sypha are like "what?? Dude no??" And he's like "oh haha I guess you're right, I can uphold the legacy of the best parts of both of my parents!!" And they're like "ya!!" But then a month goes by without anyone coming round to say "hey!!! Share that knowledge with me!! Fulfill the role you've given yourself" and he is just... so fucking bored and unfulfilled?

He needed they-who-shall-not-be-named to come along so he could fill that role, needed Greta to come along so he could fill that role. He tells Greta about how rescuing others sort of fills a void for him/gives him purpose, which is honorable, yes. But like... It's also so sad imo?? This comfort in denying his sense of self? "I don't know what to do with myself, just gimme a shout if the world ever needs saving again"?? Like Alucard, honey, babygirl, sweetheart... you need to learn to live for yourself 🥺

Olrox on the other hand is... not selfish exactly, but he knows what he's about and he refuses compromise himself. You killed the only man I ever loved? Okay, then I'm killing you, and no, I don't care if your nine year old son witnesses it. You want the juicy story of why that boy is terrified of the big bad vampire? Okay, but you will learn about my humanity first so you can sit with your cognitive dissonance about it later. You think I'm just going to throw myself at your feet because you promise us all eternal night? How about you kindly go fuck yourself? You happily stump for Erzsebet because she promised you that she'll create a world that will allow you to relive your glory days? Couldn't be me!

Like obviously we have a much more limited viewpoint for Olrox because we know so much less about him and his past, but this is not a guy who's waiting for someone to give him a purpose. He acts alone, he doesn't play nice with others, he has his own agenda, and is even a little bit of a hedonist: investigating the relationship between the abbot and Erzsebet? Might as well fuck a hot monk while I'm at it. I said eat the rich, but I might as well look good doing it. You hate/fear me cause I killed your mom? Get over it already. You think the opera singing night creature is annoying? Well, I'm familiar enough with opera music to know he's actually reading you all for filth, so I think it's great!

I think at the end of the day, Alucard is a character who defines himself by others, not understanding why he still feels so empty and alone. And Olrox is a character who defines himself by his own terms, but in being caught between both human and vampire worlds has learned to push people away because he thinks he is better off that way. But by the end of the season, his worst fear is realized: I cannot do this alone. I am at the mercy of someone else's help.

But Olrox isn't like anyone else Alucard has rescued before. He's a fellow vampire. He's a fellow immortal. He's going to be around for as long as he is. And maybe, in that time, a little bit of that ego can start to rub off on Alucard. Maybe he can learn to live for himself without apology, without feeling like he has to atone for the sins of his father. Maybe, just maybe, he can learn to exist outside of the role of the mythical savior.

Because Olrox doesn't want one of those—heaven's no. He can take care of himself, thank you very much. But what if he could learn he doesn't always have to? Who better to restore his faith in the world than the guy who has his mother's conviction that all of this mess is worth saving so deeply ingrained in him that it's been the primary source of his identity for centuries?

I'm starting to ramble here so I hope this is coherent, but in conclusion: they would be so restorative for each other and look so hot together and that is why I believe in Alurox supremacy 🙏

[my-supernatural-rewatch]

Episode 11: Scarecrow

Dean Winchester in the Supernatural episode Scarecrow

I really like this episode. Nice and creepy. It's also the first one after the pilot that I remember watching first time around and thinking "okay, I could watch this show..."

Dean goes to Indiana at the behest of John to investigate missing couples while Sam tries to make his way to California to find John and, hopefully the thing that killed his mother and Jessica.

(AKA: Sam pitches a hissy fit, takes off, and leaves Dean alone to battle a haunted scarecrow.)

When the couple the town has sacrificed to the tree god thing dressed as a scarecrow first come across the scarecrow, the dude jokes "If I only had a brain" and his girlfriend doesn't miss a beat with the funnier line, "We wouldn't be lost."

Well, at least you got a good one-liner in before the scarecrow ate you.

So after they get got, we're back to the end of the last episode with Sam and Dean sleeping in a motel room and Sam taking a call that turns out to be John.

And we have a Jeffrey Dean Morgan sighting.

John tells Sam how sorry he is about Jessica (which means, yeah, he got Dean's messages) and how he didn't want that for Sam. But he also pulls attitude, telling Sam he knows who killed Mary and Jess but refusing to tell him anything except that it's a demon.

Sam starts the conversation not by saying "WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN" but by asking John if he's hurt. When John tells him he's fine, I was hoping Sam would go off on him...but he doesn't. Not really.

Dean awakens to Sam talking on the phone and for some reason he's shirtless. (I only say 'for some reason' because as we all know in pretty much every other episode in which Dean sleeps, he's always fully clothed because the CW hates us.)

Fine, here you go.

Back to what John said about Jess:

"I would have done anything to protect you from that."

Except, you know, show up. Not fucking disappear and make my sons think I was dead. You know, anything but those things that might have actually saved her fucking life.

But I digress.

Dean starts bugging Sam to give him the phone, but Sam won't. John tells Sam they need to stop looking for him...and gives him an order: "Stop following me and do your job."

Sam isn't happy, Dean grabs the phone away from him and immediately goes into good son mode. John says something to him that we don't hear and Dean's reaction is to sit up straight (after he put on his shirt) and say "Yes, sir."

We don't get to see if Sam and Dean fight in the motel room. We just cut to them in the car...with Sam driving and Dean reading off the points of the case. He's impressed with the work John put into it and exclaims to Sam, "Man's a master."

This sets Sam right the fuck off.

And you know what? I don't blame him.

He literally stops the car, gets out and starts pulling his shit out of the car.

He wants to head to California where he has deduced John is based on where he called from. (Also, John was in California when he bailed on Dean. Dude went from Cali to Kansas back to Cali just to fuck with his kids? What the fuck?)

Dean doesn't want to go to California because John has given them an order and he thinks it's important.

Here's the exchange because, like Dean, I think it's important:

Dean: Dad doesn’t want our help.

Sam: I don’t care.

Dean: He’s given us an order.

Sam: I don’t care. We don’t always have to do what he says.

Dean: Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives, it’s important.

Sam: Alright, I understand, believe me, I understand. But I’m talking one week here, man, to get answers. To get revenge.

Dean: Alright, look, I know how you feel.

Sam: (SO Pissy!) Do you? (Dean is taken aback at the attitude) How old were you when Mom died? Four? Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?

THAT DEAN IGNORES WHAT A DICK THING THIS WAS FOR SAM TO SAY IS A CREDIT TO HIM - I WOULD HAVE CLOCKED HIM

Dean: Dad said it wasn’t safe. For any of us. I mean, he obviously knows something that we don’t, so if he says to stay away, we stay away.

Sam: I don’t understand the blind faith you have in the man. I mean, it’s like you don’t even question him.

Dean: Yeah, it’s called being a good son! You’re a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don’t care what anybody thinks.

Sam: That’s what you really think?

Dean: Yes, it is.

Sam: Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California

Fucking go then...is kind of what Dean says except he really doesn't want Sam to go but Sam is pissy enough that Dean just says "I will leave your ass" thinking Sam will change his mind. When he doesn't all Dean can say is "Goodbye, Sam."

UGH. I mean I know how this one ends but, Christ, I want to punch Sam at this point.

Also, it bothers me, as I think I've mentioned, that Dean thinks being a good son means blindly following whatever John tells him to do. It's gonna take fourteen years for him to get past this...(See one of my least favorite episodes: Lebanon.)

Is this the only episode we get a good look at Dean and Sam's phones? Because for some reason we get to see the contacts on both their phones and of course I had to write down the names.

Dean's flip phone - the names are alpahbetical:

Bren (mobile)

Carmelita (mobile)

Christian (DC)

Curtis (mobile)

Dad (mobile)

Donny (mobile)

Robin (mobile)

Sam (mobile)

Sam's Blackberry (how'd he afford a Blackberry? And why aren't his contacts alphabetical?) Also, it absolutely fits their personality that Dean doesn't use last names but Sam does.

Rebecca Warren (mobile) - College friend from Skin

Jerry (pager)

John Marcynuk (home) - Production Designer on SPN

Dean (mobile)

Mary Ann Liu (home) - Production Designer on SPN

How come the college kid with more friends than Dean has fewer contacts? (and how come John's number isn't on there?)

Anyhow...this has gone long and Dean hasn't even gotten to the town yet and Sam hasn't met Meg.

When he DOES get to the town Dean almost calls Sam (which is why we see his contacts) and then changes his mind.

The first guy he greets is Scotty and when Scotty doesn't succumb to his charms he tells him he has "...a smile that lights up a room."

And many people like to point to this as a tiny bit of "Dean is bi" proof but for me it's just Dean being sarcastic because Scotty is being kind of a dick to Dean.

Back to my obsession about where they store their clothes. When Sam took off he had a duffel that could barely hold one outfit, never mind as much clothes as he seems to have. And when the EMF reader goes off in the car and Dean reaches back to get it out of his duffel, we see some clothes...but NOT John's leather jacket...and Dean isn't wearing the jacket...so where the fuck is it?

Also, this episode stands as a good reminder for the first season that prior to his visit to Stanford, Dean was doing this on his own occasionally. He was fine going to this place and doing the work. Until he tried to talk the new sacrificial couple to get out of town. He laments Sam not being there to warn them:

"...my brother could give you this puppy dog look, and you’d just buy right into it."

This caused many fans to hold on to the fallacy that Sam was the empathetic one and Dean was the cold one which, as we know, is not at all the case.

I guess I have to mention Sam. He meets Meg in a hitchhiking meet-cute and she ditches him for a ride. Then they meet again at a bus station where they're both going to California and have to wait overnight for a bus. They bond over how shitty their families are - and now you're caught up with Sam.

So the dumbasses who wouldn't listen to Dean almost die but they don't because Dean of course saves them. But seeing the scarecrow and getting that close to it apparently freaks him out so much that he bites the bullet and calls Sam to talk about it.

Without Sam, Dean figured out it was a pagan god. Sam tells him if he wants Sam's help to ask and stop hinting...and Dean tells him he isn't hinting at anything.

Dean tries to apologize but doesn't say the words...but Sam knows what he's saying and apologizes to him as well. Then Dean surprises Sam by saying:

"You were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life."

Okay, let me play out the whole scene here because it's actually really sweet.

Dean: Sam. You were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life.

Sam: Are you serious?

Dean: You’ve always known what you want. And you go after it. You stand up to Dad. And you always have. Hell, I wish I…anyway....I admire that about you. I’m proud of you, Sammy.

Sam: I don’t even know what to say.

Dean: Say you’ll take care of yourself.

Sam: I will.

Dean: Call me when you find Dad.

Sam: (seemingly genuinely sad) OK. Bye, Dean.

They both hang up and Meg approaches Sam.

Meg: Who was that?

Sam: My brother.

Meg: What’d he say?

Sam: Goodbye.

And that's the end of the series.

No, we know that isn't true.

Dean goes to talk to someone about pagan gods and ends up with the butt of a shotgun to the face because every fucking person in town is in on this bullshit.

Meanwhile, when Sam can't reach Dean for three hours he decides he has to bail on California (and Meg) and go back to Dean. Meg is pissed but Sam gives no fucks.

"He's my family."

No shit, Sherlock.

Anyhow...the townsfolk need new sacrifices for the tree god who keeps the town alive while the towns around it are dying and guess who gets volunteered? Dean and the only person in town who didn't know about the tree god thing, the niece of one of the local couples.

The uncle seems hesitant to feed his niece to the god but the aunt is all LFG!!!! Throwing a snarky "The good of the many outweighs the good of the one" to her as she locks her up with Dean. Thanks, Mr. Spock.

Dean's possible last words being "Hope your apple pie is freaking worth it!" was one of the better lines of the episode. One brief moment of humor before getting eaten by a tree god.

When Sam shows up to save the day, though, we get another good one from Dean, "I take everything back I said. I'm so happy to see you!"

We find out that Sam is embracing his Winchester bad boy side because in order to get to Dean quickly...he stole a car.

Eliciting a "That's my boy!" from Dean.

So the aunt and uncle end up getting it from the tree god and the next day Sam, Dean, and the niece track down the tree and set it on fire with a can of gasoline and a Zippo. Then the brothers put the girl on a bus to Boston and watch her peace out.

When she's gone, Sam tells Dean he's sticking around.

"I still wanna find Dad. And you’re still a pain in the ass. But, Jess and Mom, they’re both gone. Dad is God knows where. You and me. We’re all that’s left. So, if we’re gonna see this through, we’re gonna do it together."

Dean, of course, can't just let this earnest moment be and has to be a smart ass and responds, "Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful."

Someday, Dean. Someday they'll let you be you.

But it isn't over! We see Meg in a truck, having hitchhiked again. She gets the driver to pull over, tells him she has to make a call and when he offers his phone she stabs him in the neck and pours his blood into a goblet. (When do all the demons get cell phones? Was that a program Crowley implemented?)

Fuck, she's a demon. And here we go.

One interesting note about Meg's "call." The person she calls (who we will later find out is Yellow Eyes/Azazel) she refers to as father. And she complains that he didn't let her just kill Sam and Dean. We don't know what the response is, but we know she replies back "Yes, Father" like the dutiful daughter.

Just like Dean and John.

Some notes for posterity:

Significant music in this episode: We get some Creedence Clearwater Revival with Lodi and Bad Company's Bad Company. (In a really great use of the song...when we find out Meg is a demon!)

Dean tells Scotty, the first dude he meets in town, that his name is John Bonham and immediately Scotty responds, "Isn’t that the drummer for Led Zeppelin?" Early on folks weren't as gullible as they became.

This is the first time we see Meg. I love Meg. I love her when she's bad, I love her when she's not bad, I love her when she's Rachel Miner and I especially love her when she's Nicki Aycox.

Movie References: At the beginning of the episode one of the doomed couple jokes "If I only had a brain" when he sees the scarecrow. Obvious Wizard of Oz reference. Near the end of the episode the creepy aunt who ends up eating it says, "The good of the many outweighs the good of the one" which is a mangled version of the quote from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Our Dean does get ONE reference in..."Let's just shag ass before Leatherface catches up" a reference to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

This hunt takes place in Burkitsville, Indiana...a town that doesn't exist but could be another reference: The Blair Witch Project took place in Burkittsville, Maryland.

Recognizable Guest Stars: William B. Davis! The Goddman Cigarette Smoking Man! Plus, the late, great, fucking perfect Meg: Nicki Aycox. (Oh yeah, we get Jeffrey Dean Morgan for a minute too.)

A lighter is used to burn the tree that kills the god

Sam drives the Impala while Dean is relaying the information John put together about the case. Sam then stops the car, gets out, and hitchhikes his ass away from Dean during a hissy fit.

This is the first time I recall Dean talking about pie...

[uwudonoodle]

This month for my book / movie club, we read The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, and I have some thoughts. It was my first Crichton book, so I was looking forward to it (they did Jurassic Park before I joined). I didn't hate it, but I was underwhelmed. It was all plot and no character. The plot itself, the mystery of the virus was fairly interesting, but I think it was bogged down with too much scientific jargon. It's clear that the author did a lot of research, and the science itself is pretty accurate, which is admirable, but not all research serves a narrative. Not all sci-fi needs to be accurate to tell a good story.

It's not that I hated what the book was, but I think it could've been more. The characters were basically props to give exposition. They were all generic white male scientists with only a couple of unique traits to distinguish them. The most prominent female character in the book was the voice recording in the lab, whom the male characters liked because she sounded sultry.

There was essentially no character development. They could have had the scientists butt heads about procedure or hypothesis, and come to a better understanding and even become good friends by the end, but they didn't. They worked amicably most of the time and didn't develop anything more than the professional working relationship they started with. They're was a baby who was a survivor that was basically treated as any other piece of evidence. I kept waiting for someone's humanity to come out around the baby, but he was just treated as an object (they kept refusing to feed him because maybe having an empty stomach was why he survived, talk about neglect). It would have been interesting to have one of the scientists develop an attachment to the baby, and possibly seek to adopt him by the end, but no such luck. He was just another piece of the puzzle to serve the mystery. For a story about saving humanity, there was very little humanity to be had.

One other nitpick: It drove me nuts how often the scientists were trying to look at things critically and unbiased, and then they'd refer to humanity as "man" or "mankind". I get it, this was written in the 60's, and that's how people talked back then. But you're literally referring to your entire species by your own gender, my dude. I could let it roll off my shoulder a few times, but I lost count after about 40 times. It ended up rolling my eyes a lot at that specifically.

I thought I would enjoy the movie better, as I thought the actors would have to add more personality to the characters. We watched the film from 1971. Unfortunately for me, they followed the book very closely. I'll give them a point for a faithful adaption since so many movies fail at that, but I think a looser adaption would have made for a better film.

The improvements they did make was to add more female characters. They made one of the scientists a woman, and not a 25 year old super model either. She was a very average looking 40 something woman, which was very refreshing. They also added a female nurse to help take care of the baby (it was a relief to me to have someone to comfort the baby and advocate for his care). I also really liked the set design of the lab. Vintage 70's futurism is always a good vibe.

Unfortunately the script followed the book a little too religiously. The dialogue droned on with scientific jargon that was difficult to follow, and sometimes had me zoning out. They also had some disturbing scenes of putting lab rats and monkeys to sleep that probably wouldn't be allowed today. Besides the nice set design, it was visually very sterile. It felt claustrophobic and bland under all the florescent lights. Film is a visual art form. The very least you can do is make it appealing to look at.

The worst part was the music and sound effects. It had the most grating minor 70's "the aliens are coming" electronic score, which I guess served the plot, but was overall very unpleasant. The music coupled with all of the obnoxious sounds and alarms in the lab made for a true assault on the senses in some scenes. Even my partner in the other room came and asked what all that terrible noise was all about. I was relieved when the credits finally rolled if only to experience silence again.

I guess I get why it's a classic, since they did build some tension with the mystery, and the climax was exciting. For people who crave scientific accuracy, this is an excellent recommendation (my sister mentioned that this was required reading for the AP Biology class at my high school). As someone who wants emotional satisfaction and human connection in my stories, I'm probably not the target audience. It was an interesting experience, but I'm happy to move onto the next book.

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

ok, so in this one fic that i'm gonna write, Louis and Lily are going to be Claudia's biological parents. just bc i wanna. but then i had this thought:

what if they actually were?

From what we know of the shows timeline Claudia is born in 1903. Papa de Pointe du Lac (I refuse to call him Daddy du Lac bc what the internet did to the word daddy. like, I'm from the south y'all. That's what I call my dad/father/old man. Or dickhead occasionally, but like, affectionately. Whoops, I'm rambling.) dies sometime in 1905.

I can imagine he's been sick for awhile, if only because the de Pointe du Lac's seem like the kind of family to have enough money to afford pro-longed health care. Hold on a sec.

26. That's the number you're wondering about, btw. How old Louis would be when Claudia was born. I know some of y'all might be trying to do the mental math, and imma save you bc math is evil. (we aren't supposed to tell you this working in education, but it's just like the worst. you have to stack numbers in your head and think about only one thing for a really long time--and i'm adhd in case you couldn't tell.)

Anyway, back to where I was. Up until a certain point, Louis could put off having had a serious girlfriend, or been seen visiting the brothels. First off, he's a good Catholic boy, so he gets a little leeway. And of course, there's Paul he's gotta look after. Then his daddy gets sick, so he's got shit to manage.

But a certain point he starts to feel overwhelmed, and he's at that age where he expected to start looking to settling down. So he does what all men at that age do to let off steam, and he gets a sex worker.

maybe there was something special about lily at the get go, or maybe louis just chose at random. but he got lily and they fucked. it might have been a sad sort of fucking, but you know, louis gave it his best. (he might even have enough enough of a gentleman to see that they had a happy ending. it's just the polite thing to do.)

and maybe he decides to really vent about what's bothering him. and the sex was meh, but the talking was nice. and over time, they faze out the fucking portion altogether. and lily becomes more than just a sex worker he pays for companionship, but a confessor, a priest to confess to all that he can't to his other.

but claudia could have been conceived during one of those earlier visits where louis like, had to establish his straightness. it would have been easy to hide in the early months before lily started to show. and she could have easily said another client got her pregnant. But like, in the hypothetical, she could have been pregers with louis' baby, birthed it and left it with whatever family member she could get to take it. aka the mean auntie.

(now like, irl, she'd be like, grabbing this opportunity by the throat. but this is the hypothetical, so roll with me.)

lily wouldn't want to tell louis she was pregnant with his child. she thought he'd try to 'do the right thing' and marry her, and the idea of her and her child being looked down upon by the rest of the family disgusted her. so she never told him. but by then she probably figured out louis was gay, and she did not want to be his beard indefinitely, having to stay all loyal and true to louis while he fucked guys

so like papa du lac dies and now lily can't just pop out like, surprise, i'm his baby mama. except you know, in the slang for the era. so lily keeps claudia hidden. and means to eventually one day tell louis.

(and you know, being the only girl that Louis sees, people probably see him as like his--jfc, idk how to convert this from trailer trash, but it's like where if you're with a guy and living together so many years legally you're married. except you're not it's just about--nope. I'm not going do it and go off on a tangent. Anyway, it's like whatever the cultural approximation is to that.)

but then there's this white french dude sniffing around her man who isn't technically her man but she's the closest thing to a therapist he's got and is also his trailer-trash-wife. so like, she analyzes the threat and works out the situation. Claudia can be Louis' daughter he never knew about. Lily can be his kept woman, or she could take some money and run away. It depended on whether he wanted Claudia to himself and lestat, or if he wanted to share with her. or if he wants claudia at all.

she lestat reads her mind when he visits her one night, and is like, fuck i do not want to have kids. so he kills her bc hey, if she's dead, no problem. (or maybe he vamps her in agreement that she never see louis again and goes somewhere far away to start a new life. i know it doesn't make sense, but i like to imagine a world where lily lived. escapism is fun sometimes)

is this theory insane? yes? but is it impossible? no!

(I use this as reference a lot. But mostly the pdf version i have downloaded bc my internet is a fickle bitch sometimes. So it's probably, like behind on updates with the new trailers.)

[xiaoheart24]

Were the Silent breaks Part 1

Lego Ninjago Master of Spinjitzu was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen the owners of the series.

This story was inspirert by justbirdie, Huge thanks to them.

I do not own Ninjago

This is my first story hope you like it.

__________________________________

It's been 6 months since the defeat of the crystal king and his minions, peace is once again back to the people of Ninjago, all thanks to the brave heroes. After the defeat the people of Ninjago demanded that the mayor stop hunting the ninja and after some talking the mayor finally agreed to let them go. People have already started to rebuild the city again while our heroes are still fighting evil, even with the bigger threats gone there are still bad guys out there that need to be stopped.

We continued the day with the ninjas arriving back at the monastery on a calm night after stopping a bank robbery.

Jay enters the living area with a huge smile, Nya not too far behind.

"Another day rescued by the ninja" He fist pumps the air while jumping up in the air in his excitement.

"Relax dude, it’s just a robbery" Cole rolled his eyes at his friend's stupidity.

"Right, ~but~ we still beat the bad guys," Jay replied back as he sat down on the couch.

"You missed my point dude," Cole said bluntly, shuffling forward and plopping down.

Zane came in smiling at his two brothers arguing. "Some things never change" he thought.

"After everything that has happened to this city, you think they would learn a lesson" Said Lloyd, annoyed.

Looking at his little brother with sympathy Kai snickers. "We could've saved the world another hundred times, I doubt they would've learned" He crossed his arms.

"Yeah.. well" He punched Kai's shoulder lightly "It would be nice if they did''

"I'm proud of you all" Wu entered the room with Garmadon. (He got turned back to human after the crystal king was defeated. P.S I know that's not what really happened but it’s my story so I go at it =D)

Everybody turned towards the two."Even when the odds were against you, never stopped you from fighting"

"It’s our pleasure," Lloyd replied.

" I don't know about you guys but I am starving" Jay began patting his belly.

Cole gave a big smile. "Then you are in luck, cause it’s my turn to cook" He said with pride.Jay's face seemed to lose all color.

"Oh Nooooo" Cole looked coffended at Jay’s answer.

"What you mean Oh No!?

""No big offense man…" Jay knew he was gonna regret this, but it had to be done or he would die.

"Your cooking can be a little……bad" Jay scrambled behind the couch.

It became quiet as all eyes were on Cole.

"It's not that bad!!" He offered.

"You literally broke Zane last time," Nya replied.

There was a split second of silence, then the whole room broke into laughter, even the two masters themself.

Cole crossed his arms as he turned around mumbling something about his recipes being appetizers.

After a few minutes of laughing and making sure the master of earth didn't kill the master of lighting, Kai went beside Cole, pulling his arm over his shoulder as he led him into the kitchen.

"Come on, we'll cook together," Kai said.

Even though Cole loved to cook his favorite recipes, Kai's style of cooking was good old homemade meals, instead of big fancy meals like Zane likes, his meal was simple but delicious. If Cole had to give up cooking he would be happy Kai was the one taking over, next to Zane of course nobody could beat Zane's cooking.

"Fine," Cole said, while Kai gave him a smile as they entered the kitchen.

"Okay, dude" Pulling out a cooking book he turned to Cole. "Let's start"

A few minutes later they began to cut vegetables, while Kai was cutting some carrots. If he had looked an inch to the side he would see Cole looking at him with worried eyes.

When the crystal king was finally defeated and things began to calm down in the city for some random reason the other startet to wonder about Kai, when something bad happens.

It wasn't that he was acting sad or heartbroken. No, he was acting far too casual, maybe alittle angry and silly but that was normal. From different moments in his life, from catastrophic mission to losing someone, he'd shrugged off almost any concern the others showed towards him, simply stating that he was fine and began making sure the others were okay.

But to them it wasn't…. normal.

After everything he had encountered, especially after they lost Nya to the sea.

One would expect Kai would be devastated and heartbroken, with Jay he had locked himself in dr Julian's old tower to mourn her death even Lloyd quit the team to be a window cleaner because he was scared. The two explain it was never the same without her. Kai's reaction however shocked them, he wasn't mourning her sacrifice at the blacksmith with his parents, he had in the start but it didn't last long. Nya's death had effectet him that was true but not in the way they had first anticipated, and interaction between Kai and Jay had brought out a new view.

It really had them all thinking back all the time anything tragic happened to them, Kai was almost always there for the others, whether it was during the night or day, he was always there to lend a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen to.

But it also raises the question.

Who checked on Kai?

Not once could anybody ever recall talking with Kai or if he was okay after missions, the few times they did were mere small moments. He had almost always denied their support in any way possible and in due time they thought he was just being stubborn or thinking he was telling the truth so they never really brought it up.

Everybody wanted to ask him but hasn’t found the time and dare they admit courage to ask.

"Once you're done cutting the onions could you make the sauce?" Kai's voice startled him, interrupting his thoughts.

Blinking a few times Cole hesitated. "Y..Yeah, dude" Dark brown eyes flickering away momentarily before returning to his task.

×××××Time Skip×××××

After 30 minutes of cooking, Cole finally gathered his courage.

"Hey Kai" He started carefully as he placed the last plate on the table.

"Sup, dude" Kai replied happly, not taking his eyes off the stew he was steering.

Taking a deep breath and straightening his body slightly.

"Do you…." He hesitated. "Regret joining the team?" He asked.

Kai froze at the question, Cole couldn't withhold a wince as he heard Kai's neck crack as he turned to look at him.

"Maybe this was a mistake?!. Maybe I should've just kept quiet? Maybe it wasn't the right time" Cole thought as Kai kept staring at him.

"What?" Kai asked.

"I just wondered" He ran a hand through his hair. "I asked everybody else and I wanted to hear your answer" A small lie, but he had to make up something to cover his tracks.

Kai hesitated for a moment.

"Look.. you don't have to anw-"

"I'm not completely sure," Kai interrupted.

He turned off the stove then went to lean on the counter. Kai sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stared at his boots.

Cole sat slowly as he waited for Kai to tell him.

"To begin with, I joined this team to save my sister," He began.

"But after that… I followed the path of a ninja" Kai managed a strained smile, crossing his arms

"I will admit. It was a crazy time" Kai snickers. "But I had a blast. All those adventures and all those battles we had the friends we made along the way, I would never trade for anything else" Kai looked at Cole.

"However" His smile fell. "We also had alot going on, bad things" "It made me wonder if it was worth it"

He averted his eyes to look out the window."Was it worth all the pain? There were times when I wanted to quit the team, a part of my brain told me to just take Nya back to the blacksmith were it was safe and forget this whole mess and live our life like before"

"Why didn't you?" Cole asked.Kai looked back at Cole with hesitance.

"There was more need here," He replied.

Cole was left speechless, Kai however, was uncomfortable and turned back to the stew.

"Let's get this done before Jay starts fussing over us," Kai said, his happy spirit gone.

"S..Sure" Was the only reply Cole gave.

×××××Time Skip×××××

It was around dinner time and everybody was enjoying eachothers company alongside the meal Cole and Kai made.

"Mmmmm" Jay stuck a mouthful of food in his mouth. "This so good"

"Indeed" Zane gave the two chefs a smile. "Thank you dear brothers for this meal"

"Your welcome man," Kai replied. "But I couldn't have done it without this man" He bumped into Cole.

Cole smiled at him.

Suddenly a phone broke that moment, Kai suddenly stood up looking guilty .

"Sorry. Must be my dad" Waving his phone, he left the room.

A silence took over. But that silence was quickly interrupted by Lloyd who looked uncomfortable as he asked.

"What you think Kai meant?"

Cole nearly choked on his drink. He put it down as he coughed.

Nya leaned over and patted Cole on the back to help him.

Cole recovered and said, "How did you know?!"

"I was passing by" Lloyd said guiltily, he hadn't meant to eavesdrop on their conversation, it was an accident.

Cole was quiet as the other turned to him confused.

"Cole, what is Lloyd talking about?" Nya asked, worried there was something wrong with her brother.

He didn't get much time to think before Kai rentered the room, still on the phone.

"Okay dad, I'll be out soon" He hung up the phone and looked at his second family with a sorry expression.

"Sorry I gotta cut my dinner short" He told them.

"What's wrong brother?" Nya Ask.

"Nothing to worry sis. Dad just told me, he's here to tell me something, " He replied.

"I'll be back soon" He then left again.

They waited until they heard the door close then turned their attention back to Cole.

"Cole"

Cole didn't know if he should, but in the end the others would find out one way or another.

So with a deep breath he told them what Kai told him. To say shocked was an understanding, but there was also confusion, after a few minutes of silence everybody tried to find out what to do with this information.

"I mean yeah I get the dude" Jay began rubbing his neck. " But even that doesn’t explain much doesv it"

"No it doesn’t" Zane replied.

"So what do we do?" Lloyd asked.

"I don't know," Cole said.

"Maybe we can look in his room?" Jay suggested.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!!" Everybody yelled at Jay.

Each ninja knew Kai didn't like people in his room, and they respected that, alongside the fact that Kai would lose it if anybody did try to enter his room.

"Jay, you know Kai hates it when people enter his room" Nya said, sounding very warily.

"I know, but what other option do we have?" Jay replied back as he was already making his way to the sleeping quarters.

"JAY!" The other followed after Jay, while the masters stayed behind.

"Dude this is a bad idea" Cole said. "We should just wait for Kai to return then ask him

"They stopped by Kai's bedroom door, while Jay went for the door handle.

"Listen dude. I want answers as much as you do" Lloyd began.

"But this is not the way," He said angrily.

"It's worth the risk" He said as he opened the door and stepped in, the others following him.

The room wasn't messy as they had expected. It was very simple compared to the others who either had a big television or huge bookshelf or alot of decor. Kai's room had no television or bookshelf, his room contained a medium window with red curtains, on the windshield was some few pictures and a simple plant. In the room was also a simple desk, two small shelves above the bed with a few books, beside the bed was a small desk with two cabinets and a wardrobe, a small light was giving a soft glow to the room.

"I really thought the room would be filled with pictures of Kai," Jay joked.

"Atleast, it’s not as messy as yours," Jay '' Cole replied funny.

"What you mean? It’s not that messy!!" Jay yelled.

"Have you seen it dude!" Cole rolled his eyes. "I never seen anything like it"

"Guys don't lose focus" Lloyd interrupted looking out the door to make sure Kai wasn't returning.

"Okay" Jay started to look around. "If I was Kai, where would I hide stuff?"

"Well find it!" Lloyd was getting worried.

From the corner of his eye he noticed a loose plank. "Bingo" He bent down and pried it open to reveal a small room with some few items, among them was a book.

"This most be it guys!" He yelled triumph.

"Okay let's see" He didn't get to open it before it was snatched from his hands.

"HE-" He turned to yell at whoever took it from him but shrunk down when he was met with Kai's furious face, he didn't even hear him enter, Jay noticed the others had their head down in shame behind Kai.

"Found anything good" He growled.

"Yoooy d..dude" Jay got up.

The others looked at eachother before exiting the room leaving Jay with a furious Kai.

"Briefing Room.Now" He pointed at the door, Jay felt small at the gaze Kai gave him.

"Okay I can exp-" He tried.

"Save it Jay" His voice startled him. It sounded so… angry and so… sad as Kai pointed at the door again, looking more furious.

With a defeated sigh Jay left, he winced at the door slamming hard behind him. As he made his way to the briefing room Jay started to have regret and wished he'd listened to his friends.

Upon entering the room, the others had gathered together talking.

"I knew this was a bad idea," Lloyd said.

"How angry do you think he is?" Cole asked.

"I don't know," Nya admitted. Never had she encountered anything with her brother to that scale.

All eyes turned to the door as both master Wu and Garmadon entered the room with Kai behind them still mad."I think we have some issues to take care of, '' Wu declared calmly.

Before he could continue the alarm sounded.

"NINJA'S" Borg's fantric face came on the big screen, he looked to be hiding under something and everyone could hear the chaos going around him.

"Borg, what's the emergency?" Lloyd answered, immediately going to leader mode.

"A bunch of intruders are attacking borg tower"

"We're on ou-" Before he could finish the screen went black with Borg screaming face the last thing they saw.

"Team let's go" Kai was the first to sprint out.

"We will talk when you return," Wu said.

Everybody nodded then left after Kai.

[goatcheesecak3]

Sleepyheads

Adam Stanheight x M!reader (ft. Scott Tibbs)

fic type: fluff

warnings: alcohol

summary: your boyfriend, Adam comes home from a night of Drinking with his best friend, Scott, and it's up to you to babysit them.

Dating Adam Stanheight was an interesting experience, to put it in simple terms. You’d known him as a friend for a while, and in that time he was a rather loud and lairy character, never not out raising hell with his best friend, Scott Tibbs. However, one night after attending a show together, Adam had crashed at your apartment. One on one, he was more gentle, his rough edges seemed sanded down and soft to the touch. It was like a dog that always has it’s hackles up letting you stroke it for the first time. Ever since you’d seen that side of Adam, you’d had a soft spot for him, and he you. It wasn’t long after that that the two of you started dating.

A few months down the road, Adam had invited you to come to one of Scott’s gigs, but feeling groggy from working late the night before, you instead opted to stay home and get an early night. It had been agreed that once the gig was over, Adam would come round to sleep at your apartment, since you lived closer and it saved money for a taxi. Which brings us up to speed.

Curled up in bed, you heard the front door to your apartment open, followed by heavy inconsiderate footsteps from large black boots. A pair of ebrious voices cackled at something, before one of them blurted out

“yo, seriously, Adam, you hit the jackpot with y/n, I mean, look at how nice this place is”

It would have appeared that Adam had brought Scott along with him.

You were never Scott’s biggest fan, but you had to admit, that comment made you smile. Scott wasn’t the type to be complimentary, especially when it came to the matter of his friends having partners. He thought guys went all soft and stopped being fun once they got into relationships, so it was a surprise to hear him say that his best friend of all time had “hit the jackpot” with you, even if it was just because you had a nice home.

“I’m telling you, dude, he’s the best. Always got like, snacks and shit for me, it always smells nice in here and- man, feel how soft this couch is” you heard Adam respond, accompanied by two hefty thuds as their bodies hit the sofa, followed by some sleepy and satisfied groans at how comfy the sofa was on their tired bones.

You decided that, as much as this was entertaining, you’d never get to sleep if you let those idiots stay up all night testing out your furniture, so instead you did what you knew best: babysit drunk punk guys until they fall asleep. You headed down the hall into the living room where Adam immediately rose to his feet excitedly, grabbing you and pulling you into a drunken embrace.

“y/n! I missed you, baby- aw shit did we wake you up? I’m sorry, baby I jus-” you interrupted him with a peck on the lips, he had a tendency to ramble when he was drunk.

“It’s fine, babe” you tuned your attention towards Scott (who appeared to be prodding a basket of potpourri that sat on your coffee table, clearly he had no idea what the hell it was), “Scott, do you wanna stay here tonight? You don’t look sober enough to walk home”

“see dude! I told you he’d be okay with it, isn’t y/n just the best” Adam grinned excitedly, squeezing your waist and swaying a little to keep his balance.

“Thanks, y/n” Scott said, his tone far more upbeat than you were used to. “y’know, I’m glad you’re dating Adam. I guess you’re  kinda cool- and Adam’s way less of an uptight asshole now that he’s getting laid”

Adam kicked Scott’s shins as you rolled your eyes with a slight chuckle. That was the closest you’d ever gotten to a compliment from Scott.

“You boys just sit down for a minute, alright? I’ll go see if I’ve got any microwave pizzas or something to help you sober up” you said, helping a very inebriated and clumsy Adam back onto the sofa. He sort of toppled onto Scott, and you could hear the pair of them giggling like schoolboys about something or other as you made your way to the kitchen.

Adam and Scott had been best friends since they were 5 years old, and that was clear to anyone who spent any amount of time in the same room as them. Separately, Adam was quite reserved and Scott was aloof and a bit miserable, but together they were like happy little children. As you watched two mini pizzas turning around in the microwave, it was hard for you to picture to punk guys in their mid twenties drinking beer and talking about sex sitting on your sofa, when the sound of their childlike sniggering and petty teasing rung throughout the apartment. It was sweet, in a way.

After a few minutes had passed, you brought out the two pizzas on a plate ready to hand to them, only to be met with an adorable sight. Both men were passed out, Scott’s head thrown back snoring loudly, his arm around Adam, who had been resting his head on Scott’s chest. They were out cold.

You placed the plate on the coffee table for them to discover in the morning, and pulled an old blanket over the sleepy friends. You stopped to take in the sweet moment, before picking up Adam’s camera and snapping a quick picture to embarrass them with at some point. Then, finally you headed to bed and got some well deserved rest.

[neko-naruto]

Blood, Guts, and Golden Promises

Summary: Even in the wreckage there's something worth looking forward too

Warnings: Swearing, check Ao3 port for full tags

Authors Note: I don't know where the fuck this came from. I hope you guys enjoy

"You need to be more careful," Goten said as he wrapped Trunks arm with gauze, jacket resting on cracked pavement beside them. He was running out of fresh gauze for the fighters, the civilians got more of the supplies no matter what.

Trunks scoffed, "He would've taken your head off if I didn't take the hit, 'Ten," He hissed as the wrap tightened around his forearm.

"I know," Goten said quietly, "But I need you too be careful, Trunks, I won't always-"

"Don't," Trunks said firmly, "Don't finish that sentence."

Goten paused for a moment, "I really thought this was over when the androids were killed," He pressed his back against a chunk of fallen wall and leaned on Trunks' good shoulder.

"I think we all did," The older said quietly as he rested his hand on top of Goten's, gloved fingers were quick to interlace with his own.

"We were so, fucking, wrong, it's almost funny," Goten said with a forced laugh.

"It would've been nice if it was over when the androids were killed, we shouldn't be dealing with this shit man," Trunks said, "We really shouldn't- I would say I remember being a kid, but honestly, being a kid is exactly the same as this. Not fucking fair."

"Not fair at all," Goten said, he reached absently in his pocket, "Look, I really wanted to save this shit for our anniversary, but, I doubt we'll live that long."

Trunks doesn't cut him off, he just sighs.

The ravenette held the battered box tightly, Trunks glanced at it, a faint red rose to his face. Goten relaxed a bit, "Yeah, marriage," He popped open the box, inside lay a perfectly preserved ring pop, and the pin of a grenade, "I couldn't find a real ring."

"Dude," Was all Trunks managed.

"I know, we've only been together for like, four months. This is probably going way too fast for you, but, I wanna say it before I lose the chance to do so. Hope you like ancient candy," Goten said as he popped open the candy and held it like one would a wedding ring. Trunks obliged and Goten feels his stomach flip as he slides the ring on his ring finger, the grenade pin goes on the other. He looks impossibly flustered, face a bright red hue as he stares at the 'rings' on his digits.

"T-Thanks," And Trunks can't believe that's what he's saying upon being proposed to. Sure, it's dystopia, but Kami, he said thanks? He's never been more ashamed in his entire life. It makes Goten laugh at the very least.

"I love you man," Goten said, albeit quietly, as he pressed a kiss to his... What even were they now? Fiances? They'd be stuck like that forever given the current state of the world, Goten couldn't really bring himself too care much. He stood up and held out a hand, "C'mon, we gotta get down to the base."

Trunks took his hand before standing up, he tugged on his jacket. "Yeah, guess we should," He reached for Goten's hand absently, and the touch was easily reciprocated.

"We gotta tell Bulma," Goten said in a teasing manner, he reveled in the fact that Trunks managed to get even more red in the face. He tugged him close and leaned up just a bit, "Not right away of course."

"We are not telling my mom," Trunks said in a tone so weak it was almost pitiful in nature.

"Who else will marry us? Don't we need her blessing?" Goten taunted as he lead Trunks through the shattered remains of the city.

"Maybe we do, but c'mon," Trunks whined, "You proposed with a ring pop and a grenade pin."

"It was that or something much more dubious in origin, take your pick," Goten answered with.

"Grenade pins fine then," Trunks said, he could feel where it pressed into his skin. It was nice.

"I can do the talking," Goten offered gently.

"Please do the talking," Trunks said quietly.

[otterlyotterott]

okay imagine a mudwing going to jade mountain and he's just unbelievably handsome and nice

and the seawing girl and the ambiguously gendered sandwing in his winglet are just in love at first sight

they quarrel over him while fawning over him,

bringing him food, helping him learn how to read, sharing beds and cuddles and compliments and sweetness

and constantly, constantly pulling off these giant gestures and setting up gorgeous moments by the sunset and writing poetry that is blatantly about him

webs is incredibly annoyed and tsunami's scales are falling out because the sandwing keeps insisting on sneaking fireworks into the mountain or something,

and the seawing and the sandwing's feud only gets worse but in the midst of a giant argument the sandwing is like like wait,,

you haven't gotten anywhere with him, too??

and the two of them compare notes and they're like damn,,

how the frick do you romance a mudwing

and they ask the nightwing in their winglet, who is a nerd, because what else are nightwings for if not for looking gorgeous while delivering exposition

and their nightwing friend (who is maybe still a little prone to stereotyping) is like, you know that mudwings don't like, fall in love, right

and the seawing and the sandwing are despondent and they kind of just come to the conclusion that their mudwing friend, even if he was the type to fall in love, is probably just not that into them

so they make up and they do their best to get over him, no more mushy stuff

but they still adore him, they still care about him, so they keep helping him, snuggling with him at night, sharing their food

and they bond over that, they visit each other's caves and hang out at night and list all the things they want to do with him:

"oh moons i'd love to take him to my favorite island, we could drink coconut water fresh and swim and—"

"LAME, i'd bring him to Thorn's palace, save up all my treasure and ask her cooks to make him a meal—"

"soooo romantic, feeling BLOATED AND SLEEPY in THE HOTTEST PLACE IN PYRRHIA"

and then they'd start compromising:

"well i guess an island in the middle of the ocean wouldn't be so bad if it had a big beach,"

"i guess the desert would be fine if i had access to water at ALL TIMES"

and months and months would pass

and they'd wake up and be like

crap,

i think i'm in love

but she/they still love the mudwing

and i still kind of do

and OH NO THE FULL MOON FESTIVAL THAT IS THE STORY'S STAND-IN FOR THE PROM and they're like noooooo what do i do

MEANWHILE THE MUDWING

is absolutely smitten, because who knew that all you had to do to make a family-oriented utilitarian fall in love was not moonlit walks on the beach but provide for them and sleep with them and be there with them over months and months,

but he has zero idea, he's just totally confused because mudwings don't really crush on anyone, he's kind of overwhelmed

and he's pining for the first time and in the middle of it he's like, wait, they've been making eyes at each other for like a year straight

this sucks, i hope they're happy together

and he goes to lunch the next day with the winglet and emotions are high for some reason so the seawing and sandwing get into an argument then have a giant fight and say things they immediately regret and the seawing's about to walk away and like, fly off into the horizon forever because her heart's broken

but the mudwing intercepts her and forces her and the sandwing to speak

because he just wants them to be as happy as they've made him

and the sandwing's like okay i love you but i know you still like the hot mudwing guy and it's tearing me apart and i just, i can't not say how i feel anymore

and the seawing's like uhhhh dude, same

and the mudwing is like wait what the hell?? i thought you guys were just being nice????

and then i don't know a more climactic way to phrase this but they kind of just all make out and then go to prom

uhhhhh end of story thanks for reading my pitch