#for some of the things i agree i guess but

[fanfictiongirlie]

Marvel: Perfect

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Description:

Reader and Bucky hate one another, but they always get put on missions together. They have to stop at a motel for the night after a mission, oh no, there's only one bed. Enemies to Lovers (Kinda) & Only One Bed Tropes!

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Motel Sex, Enemies to Lovers, Vaginal Sex, Unprotected Sex, Eating Out, Pussy Eating, Name Calling, Swearing, Porn With Plot, Some Plot (Let me know if I've missed anything)

Words: 4,698

Completed One-Shot

Bucky Barnes never understood why the entire team loved you. He didn't love you. He thought you were annoying, and perfect. Not good perfect, why were you good at everything? It annoyed him, so naturally he had always taken it out on you. And you gladly reciprocated. There was an element of fun when you had your screaming matches, and secretly you liked it. 

The worst part was the missions, you and Bucky were the perfect partners, Steve knew it too, so every blasted mission, you were paired with perfect Barnes, you never understood why the team thought he was perfect. Sure, he was good at everything, it still annoyed you. 

Currently the two of you were sat in a random car Steve had hired for you both, the mission had been a success and you were on the way home. Except there was a huge storm coming in, so there were no flights, Bucky hadn't wanted to wait in an airport - they made him nervous. 

So now, the two of you were in the thick country, driving through deep lanes of tree arched lanes, the rain was hammered down onto the car, you hadn't realised the wipers were able to reach the speed they were on. Bucky had one hand gripped onto the wheel, and his other leaning on his elbow against the bottom of his window so he could rest his head on his hand. You were trying to see out of your window but had no luck, it was dark, there were no street lamps, and the rain was so heavy it wasn't like you could actually see anything. The only time things became visible was when the sky would crack loudly and for a short moment light up the sky with lightning. 

"I think we should..." You start to say before stopping, Bucky didn't pay notice to your words. You reached into your jean pockets and grabbed your phone, googling what you wanted to google, luckily you had one tiny bar, so after waiting a few minutes, the search finally came up. 

"There's a motel, few miles away" You mumble, knowing his super soldier hearing would hear. 

"It's fine" Bucky mutters, his voice gruff. 

"Bucky, we have fifteen hours left..." You say, looking at him, his eyes were narrowed as he looked to the road. "Tell me you're not struggling to see"

Bucky let out a small huff, his hand gripped the wheel a little tighter. He didn't want to admit you were right, but you were. Of course. He grunted, you were always right. "Fine, give me the directions"

You smirk, knowing how much he hated going with your plan. YOu gave him the directions, trusting your phone completely, before he agreed to the motel, you had screenshotted the steps, which had been a good idea since the closer you got to the motel, the less signal you had. 

Bucky drove into the small car park of the motel, it was dingy, and on a guess, you'd say there had to be thirty rooms maybe? Bucky parked into the only space free in the lot. You grabbed your bag and rushed from the car, you ran, though seconds under the rain and you were drenched, you waited for Bucky by the reception hut's doors. 

Bucky walked in first, the hut was tiny, if you stretched your arms either side you could probably touch both walls, not that you'd want to. The walls were a mustard yellow, but somehow you thought maybe they were originally white. The thought made your skin shiver and itch slightly. 

You turn your attention to Bucky, who had been talking to the man behind the desk, a gruff looking man who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but here. 

"I've got one room, take it or leave it" The man says, his eyes on the newspaper in his hands. Bucky sighs, a small grunt leaves his lips. 

"Yeah, that's fine" He mutters "We'll take it" 

You didn't think much of it, you and Bucky had shared a room hundreds of times. Usually it wasn't the last room free in a dinghy motel. As long as there were two beds. Or at least a couch. 

Bucky takes the key and brushes past you to leave hut, you follow stepping out from the hut too. The rain was still hammering down, the air felt icy as you followed Bucky to your room. 

Bucky opens the door and stops in the doorway. "Fuck"

You had stopped behind him, his taller frame blocking your view into the room. 

"There's only one fucking bed" Bucky grumbles as he steps inside, finally letting you in and out from the rain. You look around the room, seeing he was right. The room was basic, it wasn't as off-puting as the reception. The walls were a deep purple, rather than the musky yellow colour, the floor was a questionable green. But the bed looked nice, it looked clean, which was good, but it dawned on you that you'd have to share with Bucky. There was no couch, or even chair. The room had a bed, and that was it. 

"I'm going to shower" You mutter, your bag was still on your shoulder as you stepped closer to the shower room. Bucky huffs and sits on the edge of the bed. 

"Don't use up all the hot water" Bucky snaps. 

"If there's any to begin with" You snap back, you then walk into the shower room, shutting the door behind you. You take a second to lean back against the door, taking in a deep breath. You were only human, and the thought of sharing a somewhat small bed with a man that looked like that made a heat begin between your legs that you were going to ignore. 

The shower wasn't anything amazing, and unshockingly there was no hot water. You winced and washed as quickly as you could, feeling a little better afterwards. You didn't pack a lot of clothes, your mission wear, which you had been wearing, and some lounge wear: A pair of cosy shorts which were pink, and a Star Wars top, it was oversized and had the poster for A New Hope printed on it. You blushed as you looked into the murky mirror, you had to remind yourself Bucky wouldn't be looking at you or your clothes... right?

Back in the bedroom, Bucky grabbed his own bag, the moment you left the shower room, he stepped inside. Leaving you alone in the bedroom. You sighed and climbed into the bed, you grabbed your phone and texted Steve. 

'Weather's awful, we're at a motel for the night' 

'Noted. Don't kill one another' Steve texts back, you let out a small laugh and put your phone back in your bag. Moments later Bucky stepped out from the shower room, in a black pair of boxers and a black tank top, you had to remind yourself that you hated him, and the only reason your mouth went dry was because it had been a while. No other reason. Definitely not because, goddamn he looked so good. 

"You used all the hot water" He mutters, you watch as he drops his bag down by the bed, before sitting on the edge of his side of the bed. 

"There was none" You answer back with a huff. "Trust you to get pissy over having a cold shower, Winter boy" 

"Shut up, that's a dumb nickname" 

"You're a dumb nickname" You mutter, not your best insult, but you were tired. The bed's duvet was awful, the room had a slight chill, and annoyingly the more Bucky got himself comfortable in the bed, the warmer you felt. Feeling his warmth against your body, the bed wasn't big, and Bucky was a huge, muscular man, he took up most of the bed. 

"Goodnight, maybe a good night's sleep will help you come up with a decent insult" He says with a chuckle, the both of you settle into the bed, there was a small switch on the wall by your side, you flicked it and the room was shrouded in darkness. 

You laid there in the darkness, on your back looking up at the ceiling, the rain was loud outside the window, you hoped it would calm by morning. 

________

You weren't sure how long it had been, but it wasn't morning, the window behind that god awful lime green curtain. You had been asleep, but something had woken you up, and that something was tight around your waist. 

"Fuck" you mutter to yourself, Bucky's flesh arm was draped over your middle, his hand was spread, pressed against your abdomen. His soft snoring just behind your ear suggested he was still asleep. His body wasn't quite pressed against your back, but he was close, you could feel his lower legs against yours. 

You wiggled slightly, regretting it almost immediately as his hand moved slightly lower, you had to bite your lip to stop the pathetic moan leaving your lips. 

Bucky moved slightly, his eyes fluttered open, but the residue of sleep still hazed over his mind, he looked over to you, your back was to him, his arm still over your waist. He had wanted to move, but it felt so good to hold another person. God, it had been so long. He waited for a few moments, you seemed to be asleep, so he moved slightly, pressing his front to your back. You were most certainly awake, and shocked at his movements. Neither of you had even acknowledged the other being awake, so you were frozen, though a small gasp left your lips as you felt his hard cock digging into your lower back, the thin material of his boxers and your shorts leaving nothing to the imagination. 

You decided to move your body into his, it could easily be mistaken for a stretch from someone deep in their sleep, his hand moved, tucking itself under you slightly, bringing you closer to his body than before. 

"Fuck" Bucky mutters. "I know you're awake"

Of course he did. He was a trained super soldier, he could probably tell when someone was awake or asleep. You cursed to yourself, in your head, questioning whether you should admit you were awake. Would he stop? Would he carry on? These questions were floating around your mind, did you want him to stop? This was wrong, so wrong. You were partners, fuck, you hated one another. But he was so good looking. 

"Come on doll, talk to me" He whispers, his words dancing along the back of your neck as he presses his nose into your neck. 

"I'm awake" You mutter, not having thought of anything else to say. What could you say? Without thinking you move your backside again, rubbing against his hard cock perfectly so it lined with your arse crack. Both of you let out a small, whimpering gasp. 

"You have to stop that...unless you..." He says, his words trailing off. You had your eyes squeezed shut, it was dark anyway, you didn't need them open. 

"Unless what?" You question, your voice quieter than usual, you didn't trust yourself to speak above a whisper. Bucky sighs from behind you, he was having the same battle in his mind as you were. He didn't like you, he never had, never liked how snappy you were with him, or how you always knew exactly how to make every mission go perfectly, and fuck he hated how good your body felt against his. 

"Don't make me say it" He grumbles, you weren't sure who started moving first, but your hips and his were moving slowly, you grinded back into him whilst he grinded against you. 

"Aw is the poor Winter Soldier nervous?" You joke, laughing softly. Your giggles soon stopped when his hand moved from your abdomen to your hip, his hand gripped your flesh as he started his hips harder against you. 

"Wanna say that again? Or do you wanna do this?" He asks, his voice gruff as he speaks. 

"Wow, that's a really good way to seduce someone" You answer dryly, you had a small smirk on your lips as he spoke, his grip tightened. "Ask me nicely snow boy"

Bucky rolls his eyes, you always called him dumb nicknames concerning his Winter Soldier days, in fact you were the only one he knew that did make jokes. He'd never admit it aloud, but he kind of loved it. Everyone else ignored it, pretended like it had never happened. But you, no, you would make jokes, it almost made him feel like it was okay that it had happened. 

Bucky presses a short kiss to your neck, it felt like breaking the final barrier between the situation. He takes a few moments, and then whispers your name, his lips brushing against your skin as he speaks, driving you insane. 

"Let me fuck you" 

"Say please" You whisper with a playful grin, he couldn't see your face, or anything much in the darkness of the room, Bucky lets out a soft growl, sending shivers straight down to your already wetness between your legs. 

"Anyone ever tell you how annoying you are?" He asks, the hand on his hip moved, slowly down the front of your shorts, on a different day he would of taken the piss, they were soft and maybe a little fluffy, but he wouldn't say anything, not right now. You stayed quiet, your heavy breathing the only sound in the room as he moved to cup your sex. You let out a small yelp at his touch. 

"What was that, doll?" He purrs in your ear. 

"I hate you" You mutter as you open your legs. 

"That's a girl" He says, taking hold of you thigh, he moved your leg to hook over his, lying you slightly on your back. He moves his hand back to your clothed sex, and starts rubbing you through the fabric. "Fuck, you want this, don't you baby?"

You don't answer him, opting to bite your lip as you body warms from his touch. Fuck, he had barely touched you and you were melting against him. 

"Use your words, or I'll stop" He says with a smirk. "I'm going to ask you a question, if you don't use your words, I'll stop, and turn away and go to sleep"

 His fingers press down to your clit, you hadn't looked to him yet, his lips were resting below your ear, his words were making your brain fuzzy. 

"I want to taste you, will you let me?" He asks, at first you nod. But you knew he wanted more than a mere nod. 

"Yes Bucky, please" You whimper. 

"What would you like darling?" He asks. Dickhead. That's what he was. God, you hated him, fuck, you needed him. 

"I want you to taste me" You say through gritted teeth. Bucky chuckles in your ear, his breath tickled the shell of your ear, he moves presses a soft kiss to your jaw, moving to kiss along your jaw as he moves himself. Just before he kisses your lips, he stands up and starts to take his shirt and boxers off. 

"Take your clothes on, doll" He says, you can only just see him in the darkness but you listen, shedding your top and shorts off. 

"Oh" You say quietly as he climbs back onto the bed, the lower half so he could crawl between your legs. 

"What?" He questions. 

"I uhh haven't shaved in a few days" You say, feeling a little bashful as he opens your legs, getting comfortable between them. 

"I don't care about that" He says, and not a second later his lips were on your clit, your hips jolt up into him. Bucky moved his hands under your arse, taking hold on your cheeks, so he had a good grip as he tastes you. He sucks on your clit until it was swollen and puffy in his mouth, and then moved his tongue down, slipping it in between your wet slit. He groaned at the taste. 

Your back was arched, your hands were clenched into fists on the sheets of the bed. Bucky was lying on his front, noisily slurping between your legs, you had wanted to giggle thinking about how his legs must be dangling off the bed. One of his hands move from your arse and takes your hand in his, moving it to the top of his head. 

"Hold me where you want me baby" He growls, your eyes roll back as you grip his head, letting your fingers weave through his hair. You hadn't expected his hair to be that soft, but it was. Visions of running your fingers through his locks whilst watching a movie together flashed through your mind before you shook your head to forget it. He moves his hand back down, and presses two fingers to your eager hole. 

"Bucky, fuck...please!" You whine, your voice loud, your heart hammered in your chest. All thoughts were gone, you needed him and only him. You hated that you knew he was smirking, you could feel the curl of his lips against your lips as two of his metal fingers push into you, he started slowly pump his fingers. 

"Uhh...yess" You whined, feeling the familiar coil in your stomach. It had been so long since someone else had made you feel this good, you hated him for a moment, of course Bucky was good at this. 

"Mmm are you going to come for me?" He asks, his voice low as he laps at you between each word. "Let me taste you" He adds, you were moaning loudly now, your hips were grinding against his face as his fingers pumped into you, his lips were still on your clit. His words were sending shocks through you, how was this the man you argued with on a daily. Last week you had a screaming match so loud, Steve put you in time outs. And now... 

"Fuck!" You squealed loudly as you felt yourself coming hard, your body shook as he used his free hand to hold your hips down as he sucked hard against your core. 

Moments later you were still mind frazzled, your body felt warm and a happy daze fluttered around your body. Bucky chuckled from between your legs, he slowly removed his fingers, before giving your clit a final kiss before moving up your body, crawling, you opened your legs, giving him space to sit comfortably. 

"Was that good, darling?" He asks as his face hovered over yours. "Come on, doll, what do we say?"

"Thank you, dickhead" You mutter, he chuckled again, his nose brushing yours, you froze slightly. Was he going to kiss you? Did you want that? He just made you come, a kiss was nothing, right?

You decided it wasn't a big deal, so you moved up slightly, pressing your lips to his. For a moment, neither of you moved, but then you did, his lips moved with yours, his tongue left his lips to taste you. His tongue tasted like you, you moaned softly against his lips. 

Bucky moved his hips so his hard, and untouched cock pressed against your wetness, he groaned against your lips, the head of his sensitive cock slipped between your folds, causing his body to shudder. You moved your hips, feeling his cock slip down to prod at your hole. 

"Fuck" Bucky mutters against your lips, he moves slightly, his face barely visible as he looks down at you. "Can I...gods, can I fuck you?"

"Yes..." You whisper, all thoughts about how this was probably a bad idea left your mind. Who cares, right now there was a super soldier that wanted to fuck you. And you were going to let him. Bucky lifts slightly, moving his hand down to grip his cock, he groans loudly as he grips himself. 

"Ready for me?" He asks, his lips hovering close to yours. 

"Cocky much, Snowball" You answer back, pressing your lips back to his. Bucky swallowed down his pride and stopped himself making a snappy joke, he pumped his cock a few times before pressing the head to your pussy, he could already tell it would be a tight fit, he had a deep, slightly worrying feeling that he would become addicted to you in just a few moments. 

You both gasp as he pushes into you, your lips no longer kissing, as Bucky slowly thrusts deeper into you. Bucky smirked as your legs shook slightly, his cock was fully in you now, and he was right, addicted. 

"What did you say? Cocky?" He smirks. 

"Fuck, shut up Barnes and fuck me" You growl out. You had never felt so full, he was so big, of course he was, super soldier serum and all. But fuck, he was...perfect, you genuinely think he had ruined you for other men.

Bucky moved his hand down between you and pressed his thumb, if not a little awkwardly against your clit, he moved slightly, electing little noises from your lips. He wanted to remember the noises you made for the next time he was alone. 

"You feel perfect" He whispers. "Of course you'd fucking feel perfect"

"Says you... Oh god, did we just become friends?" You ask, a slight playfulness to your tone. Bucky chuckles, he starts moving his hips, you were so wet, covering the entire length of his thick cock with your juices. 

"Definitely not, we're enemies to the end, don't you worry" He says, his voice strained as he almost pulls completely out of you, before thrusting back into you, hard. You both groan loudly, your hands move to grip his shoulders, you were careful of his metal shoulder scar. 

Bucky moved his hips back and forth, fucking into your tight pussy, he felt like you were sucking him in, it was enough to make him bite his lip and remind himself not to finish in two minutes like some teenager. He pressed down harder against your clit, feeling how you tightened every time he did. 

"I want you to come for me again" He grunts, as he fucks you harder. You whine and lift your knees a little higher, resting your thighs against his muscular thighs. His spare hand was rested on your hip, holding you tightly as lifts his hips up and down. He moves his thumb a little fast, slipping slightly from your wetness. Your legs squeezed his sides slightly as you felt the coil build in your stomach. 

"Close...oh fuck I'm close" You whimper, your breath heavy as he pounds into you, you grip his shoulders a little tighter. "Bucky.."

"That's it, come for me, fuck" Bucky grunts as he pounds faster into you, he felt a sweat collecting on his brow, something that didn't happen often, he moved down, pressing his lips to your neck, he wanted to leave a mark on you. Wanted a reminder in the morning he hadn't dreamt of this. 

You moaned loudly as you felt yourself come hard, your pussy walls clenched around his cock, adding to your pleasure as you chanted his name again and again. 

"That's it, that's my..." Bucky whispers as he sucks hard against the skin of your neck. He stops himself, feeling silly as he nearly called you his girl. You weren't his girl. He hated you, oh fuck he hated you, he thought to himself as his hips slammed into yours, his movements growing sloppy. 

You laid there, feeling a little lightheaded, he had fucked you good, fucked you so well. You giggled lazily as his hips lost their rhythm.  

"You going to come inside of me Barnes?" You ask, he lifts his head to look up at you, you could just about see his eyes. 

"Can I? Oh fuck, I didn't even think...Doll, I'm sorry" He rambles, you stop his words with a short kiss. 

"I would of told you, you can finish in me...or on me, whatever you like" You say, before you press your lips to his again. His hips start moving again, fucking into you, a soft ache had started at the feeling, he was larger than you had ever had before, and boy were you feeling it, and you were sure you'd feel it tomorrow. 

Bucky grunts and sits up, ripping his lips from yours as he sits up on his knees, he pulls his cock out from you, and grips it tight in his flesh hand, he was right handed after all, he starts to pump himself until he was finally coming, coating your body in his thick, hot come. He groans loudly and closes his eyes, feeling his chest heave slightly at feeling the release. 

A few moments of quiet past, you and Bucky were breathing heavily, your sighs haggard, wondering who would make the first move. You were having the same thoughts as him 'Fuck, what if they regret it'

You didn't. 

He didn't. 

You make the first move, moving slightly to switch the light back on, you wince slightly from the bright light and groan, rubbing your eyes. But when you opened them, you looked upon Bucky's fully naked body for the first time, and he did the same to you. You both muttered a 'fuck' 

"You're beautiful" You whisper before you can stop yourself. 

"Beautiful, huh?" Bucky says with a playful grin, it falters when he notices your lips falling into a slight frown. "Oh, you're, fuck, you're breathtaking, darling. You are, god, we've in new waters right now, aren't we?"

"We are" You say quietly as you look down at your nude body, covered in Bucky's seed. "Let's get cleaned up"

He nods and motions for to you stay put before climbing off the bed, he roots through his bag and grabs a random flannel cloth, he wipes you down first, cleaning your body carefully and slowly, as he does he looks up to your neck, smirking when he sees his little mark on your neck. 

"What are our options?" You ask, your mind moving at a million ideas a second.

"Leave it to you to worry about that" He mutters as he cleans himself. When done, he crawls back into the bed and faces you, you move so you can fully face him. 

"We can fuck, it doesn't need to mean anything" Bucky says with a shrug. 

"You're right, because that was good, like I want to do that again, good" You admit, feeling a soft blush creep onto your cheeks. 

"We'll keep doing this then... and maybe try to be friends?" He suggests, his voice laced with how uncomfortable he felt with this conversation, you felt happy knowing he felt exactly as you did. 

"I like that idea, friends who have sex it is" You say as you reach your hand out, to shake his, Bucky takes your hand firmly, before replying. "Friends who have sex"

And despite agreeing to be friends that have sex, you both know it never works that way. And as you both lie in the bed, in that disgusting motel, deep down, you knew exactly what would happen. After all, it's how every movie and book ended. And so you fell asleep with a dream of you and Bucky, lying together in your bed at home, and actually enjoying each other's company. 

"Goodnight darling" Bucky whispers into the dark room, thinking you had fallen asleep, but you were just awake enough to whisper back. "Goodnight Bucky"

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

[therainscene]

[Mentions of ST5 leaks below.]

I've been thinking about Linda Hamilton's mysterious role in S5. Leaks tend to agree that she plays a military character of some sort, but I dunno how difficult a guess that is to make given how much of a gun-toting badass her Terminator character is.

Most of ST's guest stars tend to be cast in roles that reflect the classic 80s movies they were in -- Paul Reiser plays a representative of an exploitative institution like in Aliens; Sean Astin solves a puzzle map that leads to underground tunnels like in The Goonies; Robert Englund plays (the father of) a heavily-scarred, mind-walking child murderer like in A Nightmare on Elm Street, etc -- but is that true for all of them?

What does Larry Kline (the slimy Mayor who screws over small businesses to protect the interests of a large corporation) have in common with Cary Elwes's most famous role (the dashing, swashbuckling farmhand-turned-pirate from Princess Bride)? The similarities may not be immediately obvious, but I think they're clearer when you remember that Elwes also played Robin Hood -- Larry Kline is an ironic reversal of the working-class hero Elwes is known for.

What if Linda Hamilton has been cast as an ironic reversal of Sarah Connor?

Sarah Connor is the mother of humanity's future savior, and by Terminator 2, the burden of ensuring that he survives being the target of a genocidal time-travelling AI has turned her into a hardened solider plagued by nightmares of children dying in an apocalypse she's helpless to prevent.

You can hardly blame her for feeling helpless. Even without the time-travelling robots, she's just one woman trying to make a stand against powerful institutions: the military-funded lab that's ignorantly creating the AI her son is destined to oppose; the asylum doctors who think she's a raving lunatic unfit to raise a child.

It's very reflective of 80s anxieties -- not just the Cold War threat of nuclear annihilation, but the conservative threat of social annihilation in the name of silencing misunderstood minorities.

A reversal of Sarah Connor would, therefore, be someone who is still obsessed with protecting children from a rogue (time-travelling? 🤞) hivemind -- but from the conservative, institutionalized power side of things.

In other words: exactly the sort of antagonistic force that was foreshadowed in the S4 epilogue.

(Should the leaks be true, then this would be the real reason for casting Hamilton in a military role.)

Following this train of thought: if we're getting a villain who's focused on "protecting" children, then what does that suggest about the fact that Holly Wheeler -- 7 year-old sister of a gay Hellfire member and frequent innocent witness to The Horrors that surround him -- is shaping up to be one of Henry's targets in S5?

Let's talk about Ted and Karen.

I feel like these two tend to be misunderstood by the fandom. Either they're frothing bigots who would kick Mike out of the house the instant they found out he was queer, or they're chill allies who have been assuming that Mike was dating Will this whole time.

But that's what Will's parents are like. As a visible gay kid who's playing the stereotypical Sad Gay Boy archetype, it makes sense for Will to have parents that represent the obvious extremes of queer acceptance: Lonnie is never going to be convinced that it's anything other than shameful for his son to be queer, and Joyce is never going to be convinced that there's anything wrong with the way her son loves.

But Mike is the invisible, ambiguously straight-passing kid deep in the throes of comphet -- his role is to surprise the audience by subverting their expectations. And so it's important, I think, that his parents represent the subtler attitude that best reflects his story: the ignorant conformists.

They're the sort of people who get offended when they're accused of bigotry -- they're not hateful, heaven forbid! -- but who still passively support bigoted systems because they refuse to stand up like Sarah Connor or Joyce Byers and challenge the status quo.

While I do believe that "our son with a girl?" is a queer-coded line, I don't think the point was necessarily to suggest that Ted knows about Mike's queerness.

Consider the full context of that scene: Brenner was pressuring the Wheelers to rat Mike out so that this weird kid he was hiding (literally in his closet at one point!) could be apprehended, and he easily won them over with a little "protect the children" fearmongering:

The Wheelers want to support Mike -- but they can only understand his behaviour within the heteronormative white suburban context they're used to, and they'll readily trust authorities they absolutely should not be trusting to explain what help he needs.

Unlike Lonnie, though, the Wheelers have the capacity to change in this regard. They immediately clocked the ridiculousness of the town's Satanic Panic in S4, and the last time we saw them, they demonstrated a promising willingness to question authority and roll their eyes at conservative fearmongering.

But they haven't completed their redemption arc just yet. Holly's disappearance will be an important test of their commitment to this change in attitude.

Picture a redux of that S1 scene, with Hamilton's character in Brenner's role: "I understand your skepticism. It seems ridiculous that there are people in our town who are so committed to hurting children. But cultists are a different breed. Do you remember what happened to Will Byers four years ago? You don't really believe that he randomly got lost in the woods for a week, do you? The same week another child was found dead in the quarry? We can help your daughter, but only if you act now. Tell us where your misguided son and that deeply unwell boy he's a little too close to have gone."

Do they give in to the fearmongering and throw Mike under the bus for Holly's sake?

Or do they clock this bullshit for what it is and decide to peek behind the curtain -- and finally become the sort of parents Mike needs them to be?

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to The Light's Chapter 440

Brief summary: Clopeh's group removes the bugging devices in their lodging. Lots of plotting.

==========

Today was similar to the last chapter. Nothing much happened except for a few funny scenes. There were some plotting from Cale's group, the GoC cult, and the Demon King's group, but it was not that important, so let's skip that.

Clopeh acted like Ron today, serving Cale cookies and lemonade! 😂 And Cale was completely fine with it. Heck, he was even happy to have Clopeh around. 😂

Cale: You're trying to get them to fight, aren't you? Clopeh: Isn't that what Cale-nim wished for when he told about the Gray Disease rumor? Cale: *smiles sincerely* You really make my work enjoyable. Clopeh: …Thank you! *brightly smiles and feels ecstatic* Clopeh: *discusses their future plans* Cale: Exactly. Exactly, that's what I was thinking. Narrator: Cale looked at Clopeh, and for the first time, he felt himself smile. Cale: Here. *hands Clopeh a cookie* Narrator: The sight of Clopeh eating the cookie felt so comforting. Cale: (With him by my side, I can probably be a slacker.) *unconsciously imagines a happy future* Raon: Looks like my human will team up with Clopeh and have a huge fight in this castle, and we'll have to protect the human and Sui Khan from getting hurt! On and Hong: *agrees* Sui: *touches his nape that suddenly felt cold* Narrator: It was similar to the feeling he felt before Choi Jung Soo and Kim Rok Soo caused an accident, and Team Leader Sui Khan involuntarily gripped the scabbard on his side hard.

Cale feeling happy to have Clopeh by his side was new. 😂😂😂 But his delusions of slacker life though... 🤣🤣🤣 Raon's comment too. 🤣🤣🤣 And Sui's accident detection radar. 🤣🤣🤣

The funny thing was... the author dropped this foreshadowing after that conversation:

Three days later, Moraka Castle was completely shattered and collapsed. No one had yet recognized this future.

Given that CH and HD would have arrived at Simon's castle by that time, I guess they would be involved in the castle's destruction too. 😂

Ending Remarks Happy Cale and Clopeh today. 😂 Next chapter would be Clopeh and Cale's meeting with Simon. I wonder what more tricks Clopeh would reveal.

[marlynnofmany]

Two Great Tastes

I wasn’t expecting any questions out of nowhere as I walked through the open-air spaceport. I didn’t expect any conversation at all, except maybe from Paint who was walking with me, though she was busy eating dried food from a stall we’d passed earlier. It was a long strip of some unidentifiable-to-me meat, and it was getting smears of black seasoning all over her orange scales. She was having a great time. She was welcome to it.

Then someone asked, “Hey, do you eat salt?” and I had new things to think about.

I paused. “Uh. In other food, not by itself. Why?” The speaker was one of those people made of green-white crystals, and he was leaning earnestly over a low wall.

His companion stepped up beside him: a plant-person whose face looked like a rose full of eyeballs and teeth. “What about dirt?” he asked me.

“Nnnno, not on purpose,” I said. “I’d rather grow food in it. Why?”

They both made disappointed gestures and turned away, scanning the other passersby instead of answering my question.

Paint stood on tiptoes to look over the wall. “Oh!” she said. “That’s unfortunate.”

I stepped up beside her and saw a mess on the ground: two boxes had burst open and spilled their contents into a mingled pile of white and brown. It was easy to guess what those were.

The crystalline guy’s voice echoed a little through his breathing mask. “It IS unfortunate! Also his fault.” He pointed a sharp finger at the plant-person.

“You lie like a rug,” the plant guy declared. “You’re the one who can only see in one direction at once.”

“Yeah, so you should have seen me coming! Totally your fault.”

“It is YOUR fault, and I am not going to buy you lunch now.”

The crystalline guy waved an arm, joints creaking quietly. “Somebody in this spaceport is bound to have a use for dirty salt.”

“Salted dirt,” corrected the plant guy. He looked at me with all of his eyes. “Sure you don’t want any?”

“It’s not something I can use, sorry,” I told him, mentally running over the options. “The only time I’ve heard of humans eating dirt is in cases of starvation or rare nutrient deficiencies. And we do like salt — there was a whole aisle of salty snacks at the grocery store back home! — but clean salt. And putting a bunch of salt in soil will just ruin the soil for any plants.”

“Really?” Paint asked, her snack forgotten. “All plants? I thought your planet had weeds that grow anywhere.”

“Anywhere except salted dirt. That’s a method of extreme weed-prevention and sabotage.”

The plant guy nudged his friend with a rootlike elbow. “See? You sabotaged my dirt.”

“As if I haven’t just lost some perfectly good salt,” he retorted. “I can’t even wash it off. I’d just get salty water full of mud, and that sounds even less useful.”

Paint looked up at me again. “I could have sworn there were Earth plants that grew in salty water.”

Right then I got a whiff of seafood from a nearby stall, and had a brainstorm. “Oh! Sea water!” All three of them looked at me while I explained. “Ocean plants grow in salt water, and probably the plants on the shore are used to a high level of salt too. I didn’t think of that. Does anyone in this market grow Strongarm food?”

“Ooh, good idea!” said the plant guy, immediately turning to scan the stalls for tentacles.

“I saw a place back that way!” the crystalline guy exclaimed, pointing. “In the local section too, so they’re not just shipping it in from elsewhere. Come on!” He dashed over to the boxes and began scooping salt into one.

“Thanks for the idea!” said the plant guy with a wave of a leafy hand. He joined his friend, and immediately made it a competition to see who finished first.

I stepped back from the wall, which I now realized had subtle plant patterns carved into it. Fitting. “I’m glad we could help.”

“Yes,” Paint agreed. She held up her jerky to take a bite, then asked me, “Is there really an entire aisle full of salted food in a human store?”

“Sure is,” I said, resuming the walk toward the rest of the food stalls. “Delicious stuff, too. I wonder if we can find some here. Without dirt on it.”

Paint took another bite, getting seasoning all over her face. “Yes, let’s leave that on the ground where it belongs.”

~~~

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).

[leviruthan]

you cook something for them that is hardly edible

characters : leona, riddle, malleus, idia, lilia, ace, deuce, vil, kalim, azul, jamil

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

leona would scoff when you present it to him. "what's this garbage?" he probably wasn't intentionally being that mean, but that's just his default

when you explain you made it for him, he looks slightly surprised

he eyes it suspiciously before reluctantly taking a bite

his reaction would be a subtle grimace and a slight twitch of his nose

"tch. you call this food, herbivore?" he says although there's not any real venom in his tone

would probably push the plate away "don't bother next time. just... don't"

however, if you looked genuinely upset by his reaction, he might grumble something like "alright, alright. it's... edible. barely" but he wouldn't touch much more

ruggie would try to sneak a taste and then make a face, silently agreeing with his dorm leader

RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS

riddle would raise a brow at the thing you're calling food "what is this, [name]?" he asks, his tone more curious than accusatory at first

upon learning you made it for him, a flicker of surprise comes across his face, quickly masked by his usual composed demeanor

he examines the food with a critical eye. "the presentation... could use improvement"

he takes a small, precise bite

his expression doesn't change much initially, but you would notice a slight tightening around his lips

"the flavor profile is... unconventional" he'd state matter-of-factly

being raised with strict rules, he'd likely feel obligated to eat at least a little bit more

he would probably politely suggest "perhaps we could review some basic culinary rules together sometime?" which is his way of saying it wasn't good without being outright mean

MALLEUS DRACONIA

malleus would be intrigued by your offering, he doesn't often receive handmade things from others

he finds it rather endearing that you'd make something for him

he looks at it with genuine curiosity "oh? what do have we here, child of man?"

from the look of the food, he gets some flashbacks with lilia in it but shakes them off because he shouldn't completely judge it based on looks, right

you tell him you decided to cook for him because you loveee cooking

"how thoughtful of you" he'd be genuinely happy tbh

he'd take a bite, observing your reaction more than focusing on the taste itself

his expression would remain neutral for a moment, then he would tilt his head slightly "it possesses a... bold flavor"

he's not one to be overly critical of a genuine effort. he would even find a strange sort of amusement in it

"thank you for the gesture. it is... memorable" he'd probably finish a polite amount, more out of respect than enjoyment

LILIA VANROGUE

he loves it! he will also cook something for you <3 be ready

IDIA SHROUD

he's probably too engrossed in whatever he's doing to notice you're even in the kitchen until you awkwardly present him with... whatever it is

his first reaction would be visual. a slight widening of his glowing blue hair flames

"uh... what... is this, [name]?" he asks tilting his head slightly, not wanting to be rude but genuinely confused

if you explain you made it for him, he'd glitch a little "f-for me? you... you didn't have to do that.

he takes a very, very small bite, eyes darting around nervously.

"it's... uh... very... unique" he says carefully, trying to find a positive adjective

he definitely wouldn't want to hurt your feelings, so he'd try to eat a little more while staring intently at his tablet as a distraction

ACE TRAPPOLA

when you finally present it to him, he'd take a tentative bite, his face scrunching up slightly

he tries not to be too mean about it, maybe saying something like "well, uh, the effort's there, i guess"

secretly he might find it a little endearing that you tried, even if it was a culinary disaster

he wouldn't admit that out loud, though

DEUCE SPADE

deuce would be super awkward. he'd take a bite, chew slowly, and then say something like "this is... very unique, [name]. i can tell you put a lot of hard work into it"

ah yes indeed you put a lot of work into it

his brows would be slightly furrowed like he's trying to decipher the flavor

he'd try to eat as much as he could without complaining, because he wouldn't want to hurt your feelings

would gulp down a lot of water afterwards

he would subtly suggest ordering takeout next time you offer to cook "maybe... maybe we could try sam's sandwiches tonight? just a thought!"

VIL SCHOENHEIT

vil would raise a perfectly sculpted eyebrow the moment he sees the dish

his initial reaction would be based purely on aesthetics. if it looks messy, he's already judging

upon tasting it, his expression becomes subtly pained. he wouldn't make that much of a big scene, but his nose would wrinkle almost imperceptibly

"my dear [name]" he begins, his voice dangerously calm "while i appreciate the gesture, i must be honest. this... creation... lacks finesse. considerably"

he would offer constructive (albeit harsh) criticism, pointing out every flaw in detail

he probably takes one or two polite bites, just to say he tried it, before suggesting perhaps he could prepare something more palatable

KALIM AL ASIM

kalim would beam at you, even if you just presented him food that didn't look very pleasant

"wow, [name]! you made food for me? that's so kind of you!"

he'd take a large bite, his eyes widening slightly "it's… very interesting!"

he takes another bite, trying to figure out the flavors

"it's got a… strong taste! what are all the spices you used? i've never tasted anything quite like it!"

he'd still try to eat it all

maybe even offering some to the others with genuine enthusiasm

he'd just be happy you made something for him

AZUL ASHENGROTTO

he would probably take one polite bite, a barely perceptible wince flickering across his face

then, without saying a single harsh word, he sets down his fork

"my dear" he starts, his tone smooth as always "while i appreciate the gesture immensely, perhaps… perhaps we could explore other culinary options in the future? i'm quite certain the cafeteria has something palatable this evening"

he subtly pushes the plate away, as if it's radiating some unpleasant aura

would make a mental note to ensure you never offer to cook again

JAMIL VIPER

jamil would watch you with a sigh that spoke volumes before even tasting it. he'd take a small portion, his expression unreadable

when he tastes it his lips are pressed into a thin line

he doesn't want to insult your genuine effort but

"while I appreciate the gesture, you should focus on other things. leave the cooking to me" please

[aquaholicsanonymousworld]

Second Shot | Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Stark!Reader

The old A gleamed under museum lights — polished steel, spotlights tracing every curve like it was some relic from a long-dead age. And maybe it was. The last piece of Stark Tower still standing, now encased behind glass like it was too sacred, too dangerous to touch.

The First Responders Ball was in full swing around you — Valentina’s idea of a PR move, all sharp suits and sparkling dresses, a carefully curated celebration of survival and sacrifice. You weren’t sure why you agreed to come. Maybe because it felt like penance. Maybe because deep down, some part of you hoped he would be here.

And he was.

Bucky Barnes stood just a few feet away, hands shoved into the pockets of his tailored suit, hair longer than you remembered but those eyes — stormy, guarded — exactly the same.

"You clean up alright, Barnes," you murmured as you stepped up beside him, pretending like your heart wasn’t about to rattle out of your chest.

His lips twitched, almost a smile. Almost. "So do you. Guess we both survived longer than expected."

You both looked up at the A, hanging heavy above the crowd. For a moment, neither of you said a word.

Then Bucky exhaled, voice low. "Didn’t think I’d see you here. Not after… y’know."

You glanced somberly at him, eyebrow raised. "After you disappeared on me? After you ended things like ripping off a Band-Aid? Yeah, well. Life goes on."

His jaw tightened. You could see it — the guilt flickering behind his eyes like an old film reel. "It wasn’t about you. It was— I couldn’t let you get caught up in my mess. People close to me get hurt. They always have."

You turned fully to face him now, stepping into his space like muscle memory. "Buck." Your voice softened, but every word landed like a strike. "I’m not fragile. I’m a Stark. We break, we rebuild, and we go again. Do you think I couldn’t handle the fallout? You should know better."

That finally made him look at you, really look — like he was seeing past the museum lights and the polished exterior and remembering every chaotic, passionate, reckless moment you two shared. Back when it was wild and raw and real.

"I was scared," he admitted, voice rough. "Scared of losing you. Scared of turning around and seeing you gone because of me."

Your chest ached, but you managed a smile anyway. "Maybe you should’ve let me decide if I was worth the risk."

The air stretched thin between you, electric and taut. Somewhere behind you, the ball carried on — Valentina smiling for cameras, champagne flowing — but here, in this bubble of old ghosts and half-healed scars, it was just the two of you.

Bucky’s fingers flexed at his side, like he wanted to reach for you but didn’t trust himself. "You think we should give this a second shot?" His voice dropped lower, almost a whisper. "After everything?"

You stepped closer, just enough that your shoulder brushed against his. "I think we owe it to ourselves to find out."

His breath hitched. "And if I screw it up again?"

You smirked, that Stark bravado kicking in like armor. "Then you’ll rebuild. Like the rest of us."

This time, when he smiled, it reached his eyes. Small. But real. "Yeah. Alright. Second shot."

The A above you caught the light just then — an old symbol, maybe, but tonight it felt like the start of something new. Or maybe something unfinished finally coming back around.

[ins4-tiable]

Little Drabble about awkward reader with also awkward CEO nanami

Fuckin' hell.."

Your umbrella was stuck. STUCK! Stuck as 10 pounds of rain practically flooded the streets. You'd been struggling with the darn thing for a better half of an hour and were truly debating just chucking it and running for it, but unfortunately, you would probably be refused at the bus stop. And you doubted you could run 10 miles and avoid getting sick.  

"Ugh!" you shrieked, smashing your umbrella out of pure frustration. It was truly inspiring that it hadn't broken at this point, you'd think banging it against hard concrete would've done the trick, but supposedly not…

“Are you alright..?”  

See, what happened next truly wasn’t your fault. Everyone knows it's not polite to stand behind someone, especially when they're clearly in distress. And especially especially when the normal, average person would have gone home hours ago. 

With a pop, Your possessed umbrella that had it out for you snapped open. Striking the blond gentleman right in the nuts.

"Oh my god!"  Blond hair dropped to the floor, clutching desperately at the wounded area as you followed. And to make it all a million times worse, the person you just assaulted was your boss! The boss you had to see every day for the foreseeable future! It seemed as if your future at this company had officially ended!

"I'm so, so, so, sorry!" You pleaded, fracticly hovering over the man unsure of whether or not you should touch him. He shook his head. 

"No.." he groaned ' I-I'm fine"  

“Are you sure..? I- I could go get you some ice! Or the medkit!” You reasoned

You were sure groaning and practically curling into yourself was the picture of health, but you didn't want it on your boss’s record that you didn’t even attempt to help. Even after injuring him in a notoriously sensitive spot. 

Bits of your hair were practically falling out from its roots from the pure stress of the situation. You considered running away or collapsing to the floor yourself, but instead you just frantically hovered over him. Unsure if you should be helping him up, patting his back, or touching him at all. The man groaned as he finally began to regain his footing, “If you’re really sorry you’ll let me.. Take you home” 

You stared down at the black leather in utter disbelief. Never in your wildest dreams would you have imagined talking to your boss, much less sitting in his car alone, the offending umbrella wet and sitting at your feet as he drove you home. Yet there you sat, in the nice car you'd probably have to save for years to afford, the comfortable, nice car, as the air vents wafted his soft woody cologne all over you.

You wondered if he smelled as good as his car.

"So, um." The awkward silence was absolutely horrible. You could’ve guessed it would be. I mean, what does a hot rich man have to say to some worker in his company? "...Nice, I mean , horrible weather, yeah?" 

He glanced at you with a chuckle, “Yes wonderful weather.” He was definitely making fun of you.

Your face bloomed hot, fidgeting awkwardly with your hands. You turned your head to thank him, yet, when you looked up he was already looking at you. That's when you noticed that car had slowed down to a stop. You glanced out the window, And you were at your apartment! 

“Oh..!” You chuckled nervously, he was probably staring at you waiting for you to get out. After all, you did smack him in the balls with an umbrella…

“I suppose I'll get out now! Sorry for what happened to your um.. Privates..” You pushed the door open quickly reaching for the umbrella sitting at your feet. Yet, before you could comprehend what he was doing he reached over you, placing another, assumingly his, umbrella in your hands, smoothly pulling it open. “ I’d rather not have a repeat, don't you agree?” 

You almost feel his breath on your ear, and his hands on yours. His smell overwhelms your senses more than it already does. With a quickness you never have, you shot out of the car, almost smacking your head on the roof. 

The rain almost soaked you before it clicked that you had an umbrella in your hand. And if today couldn't get more embarrassing you just stared at him in silence, not even closing his car door, just, staring. You could all but hope he couldn't see the steam rising off your cheeks. 

“Is this an invitation to walk you to your door?” 

“I-”

“I’m kidding.” He snorted, a genuine smile on his face. 

“Well.. um, haha! I’ll be on my way then!” You looked at him, and your eyes dated back to your door, before you looked back at him. “ Thank you... Oh, and, I'll return your umbrella to you tomorrow, no worries!”

“just keep it It’s no problem.” He nodded 

“Well, goodbye then!” 

“Goodbye.” 

You rushed back to your door, waving at him one more time before you shut it behind you. 

He hopped you didn't see how he finally let his face redden after you closed the door. 

[spoonfulofmilo]

The Bachelor Chapter 1

are y'all fucking ready???

also regardless of who you want to win, I would encourage you to read everything just cause a) I've put so much effort into this, b) you may find a new favourite to cheer for, and c) how can you vote for who to eliminate when you haven't read everything?

updates will be tues, wed and thursday my time at 7pm aest!

love y'all

the bachelor masterlist is here

---

my masterlist can be accessed here

Please keep requesting - y'all have awesome ideas we agree on a lot of stuff :) - my guidelines are here, and if you want some prompts, they are here.

also feel free to come in and start chatting to me in my asks, would love to get to know y'all better

and if you want to be added to my taglist lmk :)

---

Y/N could hear the host’s voice droning on, but the words felt distant, muffled by the sound of his own breath, heavy and uneven.

“First time… Y/N Y/L/N… bisexual… here for one reason… to find the love of his life…”

He sucked in a breath, the weight of the cameras settling on his shoulders as the lights blazed to life.

“Hey, I’m Y/N. I’m 25, an F1 driver with Aston Martin, and I’m here to find… well, hopefully, the love of my life.”

He flicked his eyes toward the camera, his teeth pressing into his lip before he forced a smile.

“I think... I’m looking for someone who can deal with my chaotic schedule,” he said, voice steady, mostly, despite the way his fingers kept fidgeting in his lap.

“Someone who can spend time with me when I’m home... but is also okay with the fact that I’ll be gone most of the year”

“Um… I’m doing this during my winter break, so I still need to stay fit. But yeah, I’m up for pretty much anything!”

“Ideally, somewhere between 22 and 30. Maybe a little older, I’m open to it. I guess age isn’t really the biggest thing for me.” Y/N winks, then immediately laughs. “Wow, that... uh, that sounded weird.”

“Okay, this is... kind of weird to admit, especially since I think a lot of these contestants will be men, but... I also want someone who wants kids. I’m young, so it doesn’t have to be soon, especially with me being at the peak of my career... but I would like a little one running around the F1 paddock. I want a partner who’s okay with that, and who’s also down to explore those options, even if they’re a guy.”

“Whoa, that was... a lot to admit. Sorry if that got a little too deep.” He exhaled slowly, eyes fluttering shut as he tried to steady himself before moving on.

“As for past relationships… well, I’ve never really dated. Girls always thought I’d go for their brother, so they didn’t want to be seen with ‘the gay guy.’ Guys... thought I was a pervert, or assumed I was cheating on them with my motorsport mates. I... dated someone in my F2 years. He was everything I thought I wanted, until he wasn’t." 

Y/N’s voice caught, a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed hard before forcing himself to continue.

"Then I got the F1 seat, and he didn’t… and that’s when things changed. We started wanting different things, or maybe we always did. It was 3 years ago that I decided to end it. We’d been together for two years. Since then, I’ve had some casual hookups on apps like Raya... but honestly? I think I’m ready for something real. Something that lasts. I don’t care about sexuality. I don’t care what someone looks like. It’s not about gender or genitalia. It’s about the connection.” 

His hands twisted together at his waist, knuckles whitening. For a moment, he couldn't stop. Then, he forced himself to. His chest rose and fell in measured breaths, one, two, three. It felt more like gearing up for a race than introducing himself to millions of viewers. He could hear the producers in his earpiece, their voices sharp, telling him to stop. Look towards where the bachelor would appear. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and followed the instructions. 

The red shirt clung to his chest, a few buttons undone in a bid to stay cool under the studio lights… though the warmth seeping into his skin wasn’t just from the lamps. It was the nerves crawling beneath his skin. He shifted on the balls of his feet, the soft leather of his shoes creaking beneath him, an uncomfortable reminder of how much he wanted to flee.

Contestant Number 1's Introduction Can Be Found Here

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Poll #1 can be found here

Poll #2 can be found here (ideally you only vote in 1, but honestly can't blame you if you vote in both)

---

taglist: @barcelonaloverf1life, @leosxrealm, @tallrock35, @wolf-knights, @janeholt3, @badblondebisexualboy, @ghostking4m, @fate-posts, @evelyn-4034, @jupiter-je-taime, @redcrescentmoons, @youraveragebritishamerican, @v3lnys, @thatonesblog, @bangbangdevotee, @annegrey, @pear-1206, @alchemxx, @koalapastries, @saucy-apples, @milessunflowers, @dramaticpiratellamas, @bunnisgreen,

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: Jake Jensen

Summary: The Twins turn 4 years old!

Warnings: None. Please let me know if I missed any!

A/N: Reader is female. No other physical descriptors used.

Previous

Tech Tuesdays Masterlist

The twins are four years old today and it's a bittersweet realization for you and Jake. Your babies are growing up. Soon they'll be in school. They're such good kids and you know they'll do well, but it's still sad that they'll never be so small again. They're getting more independent, able to walk up and down stairs on their own, having entire adventures without you on the playground.

One of their friends had gotten them into Bluey and their first time watching it had a tea party. Between that and your reading of Alice in Wonderland, and other books with tea, the Twins had begged for a tea party themed birthday. You read up on all of the things you would need, asked the Twins about their requirements (fancy dress? Yes. Actual tea? No.) They even asked about sending out paper invitations "because it's pwoper" and were only too happy to sign their names on each one.

In preparation, you had the twins taste test various tea and tea alternatives. Iced tea was an immediate "no" and had the twins second guessing the tea party idea. Thankfully there were some juices that looked like tea that would work. So long as it was poured from a teapot into a teacup, that's what really mattered to them.

The party was bigger than previous ones. Your little family had grown as the twins had adopted the D&D Group as honorary uncles. Thankfully everyone was more than happy to dress up for the event. Jake's sister and niece were only too happy for an excuse to wear a new dress. Your own parents made sure to run a few clothing ideas by you for approval before buying something for the occasion. Unca Gera promised to wear a suit jacket he'd made himself while Unca Gee went for his good leather jacket and Unca 'ansom said he was planning on wearing good clothes he kept from his old life.

You'd been worried about not having anything nice enough for the party. Sure, the Twins would be happy with whatever you and Jake wore, but you still worried about letting them down. Jake must have sensed something because, the weekend before the party, he asked about taking you and the Twins to the mall so they could pick out your outfits for themselves. Naturally the Twins were ecstatic about getting so much control and it really would help settle some of your fears, so you agreed.

The mall wasn't too crowded, thankfully, making it easy to keep an eye on the toddlers. They were at the age where they insisted on walking everywhere with no thought of how tired out they would be. Leia had pointedly told Jake to not bring the stroller in with them, but Jake insisted he needed to bring it "just in case".

"It's good to be prepared, Leia," you add. "What if we end up buying so many clothes we can't carry the bags? The stroller will help out."

"Twue," she nods. "Okay, you can bwing it, Dada."

"Thank you," he nods with a small bow and a smile.

"We'll start with getting something for Dada," you think out loud. "Men's departments tend to have fewer options, so it should be kinda easy for you two to decide." Luke holds your hand and nods, his face serious and focused on the mission. "Then we'll go shopping for me. Sound good?"

"Yup!" Leia agrees, bouncing as she holds Jake's hand.

Once inside the store, Jake feels Leia trying to break free of his grasp. "You doing okay there?"

"Just wanna go find da clothes," she attests. "But I can't see where dey are. Can you carry me? So I can see?"

"I don't know that I'm strong enough," he playfully protests. "You're getting so big!"

"I am a big girl, but you're a stwong Dada," she counters. "Stwongest Dada!"

"Well, okay." Jake kneels down and you stand nearby to help as he positions Leia on his shoulders. As soon as he stands up you grab the stroller. Thankfully for your back Luke seems content to stay on the ground, preferring to walk for himself.

Leia surveys the store layout. While she can't read, she does recognize the pictures. She points to a section in the far back corner. "We gots to go there for Dada's suit."

"Oh, I'm getting a suit am I?"

"Uh huh," Luke confirms. "Gotta wook nice. Is tea party!"

As you predicted, the search for a good suit for Jake is quick. The twins aren't happy with the limited options but they ultimately choose a blue "jacket" and shirt to go with a pair of his nice work slacks. You and Jake make sure to praise the toddlers so they're less upset about having to settle.

Taking them to the women's section of the store, where there are too many options, doesn't seem to help things much. Leia was off of Jake's shoulders and walking around, wide eyed, seemingly unsure. Luke held her hand and started pointing at different options while you and Jake followed. Leia would look at Luke's options and scrunch her face in concentration before shaking her head no.

"Needs to be pwetty. The pwettiest," she explains as Luke nods, understanding.

You and Jake are all smiles with how seriously the Twins are taking this. Watching them while holding hands brings with it a kind of contentment. You lean in closer to Jake, just happy to be doing this with him.

A small gasp from the Twins gets your attention. They both go running towards an off-the-shoulder dress covered in brightly colored flowers.

The first thing you check is the price tag and you do your best to school your features so as to not scare the kids. It's definitely your size, and they're excited about it, but that price tag has you nervous.

"How about you try it on?" Jake encourages. "The changing rooms are over there. I'll watch the Twins."

"Are...are you sure?"

"Yes! Wanna see how pwetty you are Mama!" Leia urges, Luke nodding along with her.

"Okay, I'll go try it on, make sure it fits," you nod, as you head to the changing area.

Once you're behind the door, your phone beeps with a text. You take a look and it's from Jake.

Don't sweat the price tag, Sunshine. We've got it covered. 😘😘😘😘😘😘

You let out a sigh of relief that's almost a sob. You're not sure you'll ever get used to being able to afford things but you're so happy Jake picked up on your distress.

Checking yourself out in the mirror, your eyes go to your stomach, as they often do. Carrying twins for nine months did a number on you. But Jake never stopped calling you beautiful. Never looked at you with anything less than love. Never hesitated to touch you when you needed him to. To him, your body would always be amazing because it's you. And he definitely loves you.

The dress fits you quite well and, you have to admit, the Twins have good taste. You'll make sure to tell Jake they got that from you.

You step out of the changing room and your smile widens when you hear the quiet "wow!" from Leia, see Luke's eyes widen and Jake's smile.

"I think we've got a winner!" you beam.

The day of the party is a flurry of activity. The Twins are excited for the fun and asking a million questions about what you're doing and why. Every decision is approved by them, of course, but they need an outlet for their excitement.

Jake is his naturally helpful self for the whole thing. You needed him to pick up last minute ingredients? Done. You need him to assemble the table for the party? Done. You need him to hug you and reassure you that everything's looking amazing? Definitely done. He's even doing his best to distract the Twins so you can work in peace but they love having the final say in things and getting to taste test everything.

Thankfully, when the guests start arriving, you're pretty well ready and the Twins insist on greeting everyone because "it's pwoper." You and Jake get a minute alone in the kitchen and he wraps his arms around you and kisses you. He looks into your eyes and says with all sincerity, "thank you for all of this." You happily return the kiss before it's time to get back to the chaos of the party.

-----

That night it doesn't take long to get the Twins to sleep. Luke is still wearing the toy stethoscope he got as part of his stuffed animal veterinarian set while Leia, even in sleep, has a death grip on her new wooden dagger that the G's had gotten her. You're still glad Jake managed to talk them down from the dulled Narsil replica.

It's a bittersweet moment when you put the Twins to bed. They've graduated from cribs and are now sleeping in actual beds. They're growing up so quickly.

Jake catches the tears at the corner of your eyes and gently wipes them away, his eyes full of concern.

"I'll be okay," you reassure. "They're just...soon they won't be babies."

Jake nods, understanding. "They're even getting too big to carry."

"And they're going to start preschool this fall."

Jake sighs, "and I'm pretty sure I just got another grey hair with that reminder." You chuckle at his melodrama. "But they're good kids, who've got nothing but love. What more could we ask for?"

You gently squeeze his hand. "Thank you, Jake. Between you, the Twins, the biological family and all the adopted uncles, I couldn't ask for a happier family."

"It couldn't happen without you, Sunshine," Jake attests. "Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world."

"And thank you for taking care of us, making me feel so loved every day."

"What do you say to a full night of cuddles?"

"I say that sounds lovely."

Next

Tech Tuesdays Masterlist

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory; @late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63

[seraphtrevs]

Hank works in a violent racist criminal underworld dealing with cartel hitmen and child killing Fring. You are either a non or utterly naïve about the realities of life. I hope it doesn't come back to haunt you one day.

Obsessed with the implications of this – like I’m imagining that someone breaks into my house and I call 911, and before they dispatch the cops they run a check on my social media and discover that I said mean things about a fictional cop and so they tell me they’re too offended and won’t be sending the cops after all, and my last thoughts before I’m murdered are “If only I had expressed gratitude to Hank Schrader, the hero cop of AMC’s hit television program Breaking Bad, none of this would be happening!!!”

But I’m guessing you mean more generally that I should understand that it’s excusable/necessary for cops like Hank to be violent and racist because it makes them good at their jobs. I’m going to be real with you: that’s a terrible take that deserves a lot more unpacking than I’m willing to do, and I have a feeling it would be a waste of my time anyway.

However! You are in luck because I’d already planned a more analytical follow-up post to my Hank rant. And since you’re a Batman blog, I think it would be fun to use some Batman* examples to help make my points. So here are three instances where Hank’s most morally repulsive qualities made him worse at his job, and why Batman would agree with me:

1. In episode 1x06, Hank investigates the theft of lab equipment from the science lab at Walt’s high school. It doesn’t take the world’s greatest detective to solve this mystery: Walt should have been the prime suspect. Hank knows Walt has expressed a recent interest in the production of meth—in fact, he asked Hank to give him a tour of an illegal meth lab (which Hank gave him). He also knows that Walt is having serious money problems. Walt is one of the few people with a key to the science equipment lab, and he’s the one who uses it the most—shouldn’t he have already noticed the missing equipment? And Walt has the scientific expertise to cook meth. Like come on, this is super obvious.

However, Hank is blind to all of this because in his mind, Walt is not the sort of person who could be a criminal. Instead, he thinks Hugo the janitor “fits the profile” because Hank is a racist, and he invests his energy in investigating Hugo instead. Because Hank racially profiled the janitor and dismissed Walt as a suspect, Hank let the real criminal—Walt—get away.

Batman knows that anyone is capable of breaking bad, even people he considers friends. In the Justice League Unlimited series, Batman is known to have contingency plans in case any of his colleagues go evil, including keeping Kryptonite to use against Superman. He wouldn’t let his personal feelings blind him to potential criminal actions by those close to him.

Also, like, I’m not going to get into it, but I think we can take it as a given that Batman is against racial profiling.

2. In 2x01, Hank comes across the bodies of Gonzo and No-Doze in the junkyard. Hank is so tickled by the sight of these dead bodies that he takes a picture of them with his cellphone and sends them to Walt for a laugh (it should go without saying that it’s extremely unprofessional for a cop to send photos of active crime scenes to family members). As Hank and his colleagues investigate the crime scene, the junkyard cars collapse. To Hank’s apparent delight, Gonzo’s arm is torn from his body. He asks his friends to take a picture of him with Gonzo’s mutilated corpse. Here’s the face he’s making:

This is, quite frankly, Joker behavior. Hank’s reaction goes way beyond being desensitized to violence. The natural response to seeing human remains is horror and sorrow. But Hank doesn’t see No-Doze and Gonzo as human. Throughout the series, Hank repeatedly dehumanizes anyone he views as a criminal (and given his racism, particularly against Latinos, there are some extremely troubling implications to his attitude!) Batman, on the other hand, never loses sight of the humanity of the criminals he faces. In the B:tAS episode “Harley’s Holiday,” Harley Quinn is declared sane and released from Arkham Asylum. Batman gives her well wishes upon her release, although he warns her to keep clean. But when he’s in his Bruce persona and he sees Harley struggling to fit in with normal society at a clothing store, he steps in to help her out. He’s rooting for her, because he views her as a human being worthy of a second chance. Things go awry for Harley, but Batman repeatedly offers her compassion and help. When she’s back at Arkham, Harley asks why Batman was so nice to her. He explains he understands how hard it is to start a new life and that he also had a bad day once, and he still believes she can turn things around. Batman doesn’t think of criminals as subhuman. That makes him not only a better person than Hank, but also a better detective, because he isn’t blinded by prejudice and would never compromise an active investigation by sending gruesome crime scene photos to civilians because he thinks they're funny. And again, Batman is not racist. 3. In episode 3x07, Hank forces his way into Jesse’s house and beats him nearly to death. In the previous episode, Saul had his secretary call Hank and lie to him about Marie being in a car accident in order to distract him from pursuing Jesse. Hank knows that Jesse himself didn’t place the phone call. All he knows is that someone associated with Jesse likely placed the phone call. And Marie was never in any danger at all. But Hank is angry and feels entitled to administer his own justice. The beating he gives Jesse is extremely similar to the fatal beating Tuco gave No-Doze in the first season. Jesse’s beating was so bad that he was hospitalized. Here’s what his face looked like:

It’s really only a matter of luck that Jesse didn’t die. Hank broke the law here—it’s a matter of plot convenience that Jesse “doesn’t press charges” so Hank walks free (that’s not how that works—the law doesn’t need a victim’s consent to prosecute a crime). Hank really should have lost his job and gone to jail over this. There is no possible excuse—his actions were premeditated. He had plenty of time to think things over before he deliberately sought Jesse out and broke into his home with the intention of assaulting him. Hank is weak because he can’t control his emotions. He’s a threat to public safety. He’s a criminal.

And also, beating Jesse hugely sets back his case against him. Hank might have gotten information out of Jesse at some point, but now he can't even talk to him again. Because Hank was unable to control his temper, it jeopardized the investigation. It didn’t get him any information he could use.

In the B:tAS two-part episode “Two-Face,” Gotham’s district attorney Harvey Dent starts lashing violently at the criminals he’s prosecuting. Batman doesn’t cheer him on or excuse his behavior. Instead, he sees it as a huge red flag. As Bruce, he encourages his friend to get psychiatric help. But Harvey instead doubles down on his violent outbursts, eventually becoming the criminal Two-Face. Batman couldn’t excuse Harvey’s violent behavior, even when he was on the “right” side of the law. Batman doesn’t view himself as the judge, jury, and executioner of Gotham’s criminals. He recognizes that using violence to punish criminals would make him a criminal himself.

So there you have it—I think you’ll agree I have used both facts AND logic to prove that Hank is a piece of shit and bad at his job, and that Batman, who is a real hero, would agree with my assessment. *animated series Batman, to be more specific. I haven't read the comics

[honeyjars-sims]

Part 2 1.26 Unconventional

When I woke up the next morning, Paul was still asleep, which was unusual. He was pretty much always awake before me. I guess I'd really worn him out, or at least that was what I liked to think.

Once he finally woke up, we took a bath together in the old timey bathtub. We still hadn't really talked about what would happen once we got back home, but I knew didn't want to leave things in an awkward spot.

Before we started getting ready to leave, we decided it was a good time to clear the air and address our expectations going forward. As we sat on the bed, Paul suddenly seemed a little nervous. I asked him if he was feeling apprehensive about anything.

"A little bit, yeah," he admitted shyly.

"What about?" I asked.

"Well, you definitely caught me off guard. In a good way I mean, but this is still all so unexpected. I mean, I thought you were straight."

"To be fair, so did I," I laughed.

"Really? Have you never had feelings for a guy before?"

"I guess looking back, I can think of some situations where I talked myself out of liking other guys," I confessed. "You know, I convinced myself I just wanted to be like them, stuff like that."

Paul nodded. "I understand that completely. I did the same thing myself, until it became too hard to ignore."

"Yeah, I get that. I'm just at a place now where I feel safe admitting how I really feel. And I didn't want to miss out on having a chance with you."

Paul blushed. "It's still so surreal hearing you say stuff like that. I've been crushing on you since the day we met on the mountain."

"Yeah, same. I thought I was just trying to compete with you that day, but I eventually realized that it was you I was trying to impress, not the girls."

"Well, it was kind of endearing how you needed my help," he teased.

"Thanks, I guess." We laughed.

"So," Paul began. "What happens when we get home? Do we start sharing a bedroom? Or do we stop living together? I've never been in this situation before."

"It's a bit of an unconventional way to start a relationship, but I'm an unconventional guy. You should probably get used to it," I joked, before taking a more serious tone. "But I say we just keep things the way they are and figure it out from there."

"Makes sense," Paul agreed. "I hate to even ask this, but you don't think you'll have any regrets about this, do you? It's a big thing to not only start a relationship with a friend, but to also come out of the closet and all that."

"I can't imagine I would have any regrets about this. Yeah, it's a big change but I know it'll be worth it." I slid off the edge of the bed and knelt in front of Paul on the floor. Taking his hand in mine, I continued, "I know I can't predict the future, but I feel confident that I won't break your heart, and that you won't break mine. You don't have to worry about that."

"Good," he responded as he pulled me in for a kiss.

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[azaharinflames]

Am I the only one who sees Tommy being a main? With Swat ending, it does make Lou a free agent now and we all know how much Tim and Lou love Tommy. Hell, the more I think about it, I could really see them re-promote Corinne and promote both Anirudh and Lou to main. It would be nice to see more focus on other characters that are not the OGs. I just really want Lou to be on this show full-time. That’s it 🤣

You mentioned something in another comment that had slipped my mind before, and that is that (paraphrasing a bit), right now, the show's ensemble is rather small.

And I agree, especially in comparison to other years. Though this half of the season, they've brought back the Grant siblings, and it does look like they're bringing back Linda (yay!). Hopefully this tendency stays, because I've missed seeing the characters on the show. Regardless, it would make sense to expand the cast and promote some characters/actors. I do agree on that.

Lou being free from swat might change things, but honestly? not that much. He was barely in it for the last few seasons, so it's not like it took a lot of his time. There could've been conflicting schedules, and that is something that Lou won't have now, but not as big as one can think.

Anirudh will most likely be promoted to main next season (about time, btw), and for Lou, there is a chance, but not that big. Ultimatel, I think it comes down to what Tim wants to do with him next season and how he envisions the series now that Peter's gone and he looks to be shaking things up a bit.

We'll know soon enough, I guess haha

[nikethestatue]

I agree with your post about no announcement today. If SJM needs to keep herself separate then I am ok with that.

I guess the question I ask myself is;if there is an actual book or she is writing it why all the secrecy?

Nesta’s book had no secrecy. Just the next book is : blah and it focuses on:blah

Maybe she has writers block and maybe is having a difficult time navigating the book delaying release date and the publicity hype prior to the book? authors can run into this problem and either let their fans know or don’t (I am fine with either). Usually when that happens the publisher and author behave kinda the way BB and SJM are being excessively vague and avoiding the topic.

People have said well it’s because of the “shipwar”

As far as we have seen BB or SJM hasn’t acknowledged the ship war.

So I think it may be because there isn’t an actual pub date yet, the book is still in the works?

I think that the secrecy is actually self-inflicted by the fandom.

Early on, after ACOSF was published, it didn't feel like SJM was going to be secretive about it. Her pronouncement of 'i thought it was obvious' hinted at her being ready to disclose who the MMCs of the next book were at some point.

However, I think thanks to Steph and Gwynriels who exploded literally a month after the publication of ACOSF and when everyone was screaming from the rooftops about Gwynriel, BB and SJM made a conscious decision not to speak about ACOTAR and MMCs--primarily for publicity. I don't think it was a nefarious move on their part because no one could've predicted the explosion of TikTOk and the levels of crazy that GAs have been displaying back then. Certainly SJM never planned on any kind of ship war, and again, it's obvious from her Lives back then.

But I think that things spiralled out of control quickly. A good hint of her displeasure was that Steph no longer hosted any Lives, and SJM refused to address any GA rumors, ever.

But as time progressed and HOSAB was being published, with that big secret crossover, I think they didn't want to rock the boat and have people talk about ACOTAR instead of CC.

I honestly fully blame GAs, and all the dumb big accounts who have been dragging this BS on and on for 5 years. They started it, and yes, BB and SJM could've stopped it, but at the same time, I don't know how common it is for authors or publishers to be addressing fandom drama and fandom-made ships. I think it's virtually unheard of.

Again, it doesn't surprise me. It just annoys me.

[bvnneyrabbet]

Since I'm seeing so much content revolving around people dunking on Forsaken for it's fandom, I am hoping SO HARD that the Forsaken fandom gets outta the trenches.

I am hoping SO HARD that the Forsaken fandom becomes better in the eyes of outsiders.

From what I can see, it's largely due to the amount of suggestive, sexual, and disturbing content revolving it. I'm not talking about disturbing as in horror, I mean disturbing as in "what the fuck is WRONG WITH YOU?!" But even so, the amount of disturbing content is small in numbers, but the sexual stuff isn't so small.

And this problem is not a Forsaken exclusive problem, it's a problem in the Phighting and Regretevator fandoms too, it's just that while Regretevator and Phighting have died down a bit Forsaken is extremely popular as of now, and as well as how stereotypes often get applied to fandoms.

For example, the Regretevator fandom is stereotyped to be "uwu cutesy kawaii fujoshi," and it has an entire stereotypical "style" named after it, referred to as "Regretevator avatars." Regretevator avatars are just stylized, often cutesy but not always applied, cosplays, and most of the time aren't even related to Regretevator. Anything that people deem too different in a cosplay is basically a Regretevator avatar.

The Forsaken fandom is stereotyped to be full of creeps, hypersexualizers, idiots, and mentally deranged folk, as those types of people are often the loudest. But I think we need to remember that Forsaken has almost 450 million visits and has a giant fandom, some of which don't even PLAY the game.

And as for the Spawn Cult IRL thing... Barely anyone in the fandom supports it other than the people participating in it. The developers of Forsaken itself don't support it nor do they want it to happen. From my own guesses, the Spawn Cult IRL is likely very small, probably being under 50 in members, hopefully less.

I genuinely hope that nobody in that Spawn Cult actually do such things regarding it, whether being hurting themselves or hurting others. We cannot have another Slenderman Stabbing situation.

In my eyes, the smut in Forsaken isn't a problem as long as it's kept in private and consenting adult spaces, it's only a problem when it gets pushed into public view with no warnings.

If you open the fridge to find a bag with a very obvious warning on it saying "dead dove: do not eat" you do not have to look inside, you can throw it away, and it's understandable. But if there's just a rotten dove carcass in your fridge with zero warnings, just a plain ol' dead dove laying on the shelf, it's understandable too. Who wouldn't be shocked and disgusted?

And no, I do not mean this in a "ignore those disturbing freaks," I am very much against things such as that, and even if I'm super desensitized to smut content I can see why other people do not like it especially if it's smut in plain public with no warnings.

Fandom is not pretty. Fandom is not as sweet and clean as you want it to be. All fandoms are messy, and if they don't look like it on the outside, you're bound to find it on the inside.

As a mutual of mine said, "purity culture in fandom is also ruining so much." And I agree with that completely, it's like having someone barge into your kitchen and berate you on how you cook. But in my eyes it goes to an extent to where things are acceptable and where things aren't.

But things like that are subjective, and everyone's moral compass is different. But I think we can all agree that having smut out in the open for everyone to see is not okay, especially genuinely traumatizing shit. I've been heavily effected by sexual content as a child, and I do not want anyone, especially minors to become hypersexual like I am. It ruins you, it really does.

I think a way to at least make the Forsaken fandom "better" is making your own rules on what one could and could not do, and having others apply to them if they want, not forcing but a mere suggestion. One of the things I often do is, mostly by accident, make my own little circle within fandom with people of the same interests, and over time it builds up and more people will follow those same rules.

Another thing I could suggest is changing yourself and the things you do. Do you post suggestive content? Try to keep them to yourself and consenting friends of the same age. Wanna post something suggestive? Put obvious warnings and try keep it away from where minors can view.

It's really easy, truly.

The Forsaken fandom is still growing in culture and in-fandom rules, even if it's super popular as of now, so of course it's gonna be haywire for a while. But it can indeed change, but you need to do it yourself if you want to see it happen.

[laithraihan]

Ngl, I hate the way the MP100 fandom is treating artists, especially ones who dare drawing sensitive subject matters or anything deemed "controversial" by a specific (and rather annoying imo) subset.

I guess that is why I have been not much interacting with the fandom in general lately, and I am sorry for how others in this fandom have treated you.

I live by the famous quote that's set in golden letters on the outside of the "Wiener Seccession", a famous "clubhouse" of famous artists that fought against their art being censored (by our standards nowadays their art isn't even particularly outrageous): "Der Zeit ihre Kunst, der Kunst ihre Freiheit" (I am trying to freely translate this: "Each era its art, each art its freedom")

Like, ooohhh, I don't like Hermann Nitsch's blood paintings either, but I am an adult about them existing and being exhibited. I just don't look at them. I learned that as a child. To simply not look at stuff I don't want to see.

How do these people not learn such a basic and important principle?

Anyway, all the power to you and your awesome art ❤

Thank you for the kind message... I agree with everything you said. I do think some criticism I received was valid so I don't mean to dismiss that, but to be honest I didn't really look at most backlash I received to preserve my sanity lol (more specifically the sexual graphic ones) which... I believe is the right thing to do in general, to ignore the things that make you uncomfortable. To expect that everything must Never make us uncomfortable is a poor way of thinking & can easily lead to harm. Things have also been lacking creativity lately in general, because everything outside the norm is met with hostility, so I already found the fandom a bit boring for this reason. I usually abide by the mentality that it's ok to feel any emotion, but emotion shouldn't be a tool to control other people's content. Maybe it's because I deal with crazy religious parents so I can see the parallels between them & that subset of the fanbase, the need to have full control over an environment that clashes with a narrow worldview (not to mention the hypocrisy of what they allow & don't allow...) but rambling aside, I still have a pulse so I'm okay! I'm slowly recovering from other things & building my own site has been helping me express my thoughts more freely without fear, which I'm happy about.

[bujnik]

5:18pm

Took a walk to the little shops on the harbor by myself and found an ice cream shop. Empty of course because the summer season hasn’t started yet but the two teenagers behind the counter got very excited when I started asking what things are. Most food words are similar enough to guess but a few things were entirely new.

I asked to try them and things got out of hand. With no one else around I was invited to try maybe 10 flavors? Some confirming that “yes we have salted caramel in America” and then being completely shocked by how good violet licorice was. Saffron honey, spruce tips, some random berry that looks like a little raspberry but tastes like tart apple. I finally ended up back at the violet licorice after we all agreed that was a “very Swedish flavor” and they added licorice sprinkles. I expected the sprinkles to just be chewy but they were crispy! Slimmer than regular ones and very crunchy. I am absolutely buying a container to bring back.

To think I almost had to stand around with the men folk while they looked at various boat parts and diagrams.