#hopefully the read more show up on mobile too?

[shirefantasies]

Marti it is Moss *does small dance* sending in a Hobbit imagine should it strike your fancy to answer. If not feel free to delete you come first and foremost! Your blog is always a delight and i read everything you post like its the morning newspaper.

Im wondering if you would write a hobbit headcanon for a reader who uses a mobility aid like forearm crutches!

I myself use forearm crutches (named Catcher and Holder a la Dwalin) for dizziness and weakness due to neurological issues, but there are many reasons for their use from joint pain to hypermobility. Sometimes people use them all the time and other times they are only used when they have flare ups (some have to have them available all the time in case of The Return tm)

Sometimes you use one and sometimes you use two. All depends on condition severity, needs,what youre doing, and preference

Even when you have a flare up you may not prefer to use them for short distances ie in your house some people choose not to. I use mine on the steps unless im doing something hazardous and dont want to risk a fall (and be able to walk in general)which ive become prone to over the last two years.

You still live your life and do what you do sometimes its a bit different other times its not. Sometimes you have a stick or two.

You can make a lot of fun decorations and functional tools like cupholders and pouches for your crutches and stickers make them unique and customizable. Honestly the biggest challenge for me is mugs and stairs+ other two handed tasks 😩 let me see someone smack a warg protecting their bestie and then lament not planning their cuppa retrieval rofl.

Im wondering how our lads would have a time with this- not acceptance wise as i know Dwarves are very accepting. More along lines of shenanigans wholesome fun bonding the good daily stuff that you write so beautifully and capture each one of them so well!

Thank you so much and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out

🌿🏹moss🏹🌿

Hello Moss 🥰💚 OMG Catcher and Holder that's perfectttt! Sorry this post is so fuckin long in the making but hopefully you enjoy it and this captures it well! I confess I don't personally use a mobility aid at this time so I may not have the greatest frame of reference 😅 but yeah I hope you like these little moments! *does small exit dance in return*

Warnings: canon typical violence in some

Thorin's Company + Reader With Mobility Aids

Balin

“Might I ask who built that?” Polite as ever, Balin motioned to the chair upon which you had affixed a pair of wheels. “I did,” you answered, “I was the only person in my little village who needed something like this.” “Well, you are quite the craftsman. Would that you had no ties to your hometown and the Lonely Mountain could snap you up! You could see those skills built up tenfold.” “R-really? I came here to Laketown for something just like that! But I’ll confess I think you will be a far better teacher.” Winking, you gave Balin a smile he mirrored. “You’re resilient. Smart as a whip, too! It would be my honor.” “And after all,” you added, “If anyone would know how to mount a crossbow on the arms, it would be dwarves!” At that, even as polite a dwarf as Balin could hardly help bursting into a wicked grin.

Dwalin

“Nice axes.” “Forged them myself,” Dwalin answered with a nod, “Grasper and Keeper. One grasps your soul, the other keeps it.” “How funny,” you remarked, raising your forearm crutches, “I call these Catcher and Holder. Same idea only with the body. Suppose that isn’t nearly as impressive, though.” “Impressive?” Dwalin burst out. “We’ve all got our battle scars. Our wounds. Never be ashamed of that. The fact that you’re still up ‘n’ going? Be proud. I can show you plenty o’ scars myself!” At that last bit, Dwalin began lifting up his tunic to reveal toned skin paled in some places and darkened in others by all manner of scars and at that, you couldn’t help shyly laughing. Proud indeed.

Thorin

Yes, the king had not denied you entry into his company when Gandalf had recommended you, but he had raised and furrowed his regal brow in the skeptical look all but branded into your mind. He’d asked Gandalf if he was certain, and from then on the fire in your heart blazed. Certainly Thorin treated you as an equal, giving you the tasks he gave all others, but he had been yet to see you in battle and you knew that was where your proof would solidify. In fact, the first time wargs closed in upon you, you were one of the first to run back at them. Hearing the way Thorin called your name, but thoroughly ignoring it in favor of landing a solid crack upon the nearest adversary's skull. Luckily your body was having a better day anyway despite all the walking, because you spun and smashed your way through the orc pack, especially once you saw the way one bowled Bofur and Dori over. Fire took over your heart and eyes as you swung your mace until you could swing no more, all but deaf to the cracking of heads and the clattering of your allies’ blades through that pounding adrenaline. At the end of it all, Thorin approached you, his expression surprisingly mild. Then it broke into a smile. “The wizard was right about you,” he told you, clapping a hand to your shoulder, “Invaluable in all respects indeed.”

Oin

“Oh, that’s clever, that is!” “My eyes are up here,” you quipped, crossing your arms and smiling sardonically down at the dwarf bent over peering at your wheels. At that, Oin tilted his head up to look back at you, giving a raucous heh heh heh of laughter. “Never seen anything like this lot before,” he commented, shaking his head and running a hand over the frame of your chair, “You’d think dwarves’d be the first to make ‘em! ‘S beautiful.” Your lips parted wordlessly for a few moments before you spoke, head still slightly tilted. “Beautiful?” “Course!” Oin replied, smiling widely as he rose to his feet again. “A real beauty for sure. A marvel, actually. It is quite the privilege to get to see it in action!” “No one has ever told me that before,” you replied quietly, a smile spreading across your lips.

Gloin

Orcs rushed you from every side, sending you scrambling as fast as your crutches could support you. Carrying a sword aside it all was about as unwieldy as one imagined, but you knew no different. In fact, your best strike that fight had nearly taken a whole arm off. Catching sight of you, though, the nearest of your blood-spattered adversaries grinned and gave a savage kick, sending your crutches flying from beneath you. Teetering, you pitched forward, trying to catch yourself with one arm and steady your sword with the other as the shout rang out. “You think you’re so clever, you great filthy buzzard? I don’t think so!” With a savage growl of his own, Gloin flew into the fray, and with a violent swing of his axe the orc’s head was sent unceremoniously tumbling to the dirt. “Serves ‘m right, eh?” Gloin asked with a smug look as he extended a hand, helping you up, handing you your crutches, and even gently dusting you off.

Bifur

You had seen the way he glanced your way. How his eyes traced the lines of the crutches extending from your forearms, the extensions of steel that made walking less painless. And running more painless if you were a charging warg on the receiving end of a bash to the face. Bifur had seen the way you slid your arms free to motion and sign to him, indicating the interesting things seen along the road. If you had a tendency to go nonverbal, he would aid you in removing your crutches when you needed to sign. Such things had been floating in your mind when you sat by his side, asked him if he understood in a way. You certainly felt understood in his presence, after all. Bifur glanced away with haste, but still you caught notice of tears in his dark eyes, just for a moment. A moment before the smile spread across his face and he leaned in, gently resting his forehead against yours- carefully, of course, so you barely felt the brush of the axe against your joined skin.

Bofur

“Bofur!” Uncaring how earsplitting your scream may have been, you charged forward, heaving one leg before the other as fast as you could while still keeping a hand on your walker. Which was faster than even you realized, sped by adrenaline and rage and urgency all pounding through your ears. Loading your crossbow again and again, you fired three successive shots into the assailant’s side, shoulder, and finally with the last you struck his ugly head and knocked him down onto his ass. For good. Sighing heavily, you leaned for just a moment on your walker frame before making your way to Bofur’s side, this time at a less painful pace, and turned it around to take a seat. Leaning down, you reached for his hand. “Bofur, are you alright?” “I am thanks to you,” he chuckled, his hazel eyes fixed upon you fondly, “Maybe I need to get myself one of those. Seems to aid the aim, having something to lean on.” Grinning and blinking back tears, you procured a cloth and a strip of bandage and started to dab away the blood on his shoulder.

Bombur

“Hope this isn’t rude…” You were surprised by the sound of Bombur's soft voice coming from your side, turning from the journal you wrote in and setting your implements aside. A part of you wanted to roll your eyes, well aware of all the 'not rude' inquiries you'd received over the years as to why you carried crutches, especially if some days you did not. However, knowing this one came from sweet Bombur softened you. He actually meant it. "...But what's the hardest part of having those?" You couldn't resist a snicker at the thought that immediately rose to your mind. "You'd really like to know?" "Yes," he nodded, "If I may." With another little snort, you smiled and told him, "Mugs." "Mugs?" "Mugs and stairs. Can't tell you the number of times I've spilled on my way up. Anything that takes two hands, really." "I see!" The conversation ended with Bombur's eyes lighting up. At least you thought it had ended... Several days later, he came shuffling up to you with that same sweetly eager glint and his hands behind his back. "I've made you something," he told you, pulling out an open cylinder of steel and unfolding another little piece from it, "Hope it works. It's a little mug holder. Go on, let's see if it fits." Snapping the little unfolding piece to your crutch, Bombur watched your face break into a grin as it remained in place. "This is the sweetest thing anyone has done for me, Bombur. Thank you." "You deserve it," he replied, smiling fondly at you.

Dori

“I wouldn’t exactly mind having one of those.” “A cane?” You arched a brow. “I’ve always thought it made you look distinguished,” he admitted with a smile. “Now that is a new one,” you commented wryly, “All for use of my leg.” “Nothing wrong with it,” Dori shrugged, “We all do what we must. Seems a shame you’ve such a plain one, though.” At that, your proverbial ears perked up. “As opposed to what?” “Well,” he shrugged, “I don’t know. Haven’t you seen all the nice silver tips and things they put on canes?” “Ah,” you nodded, “I see what you mean! It is a bit of a shame I haven’t anything to decorate mine with, isn’t it?” “Haven’t anything? What do you call this?” With that emphasized last word, Dori reached behind into his pack and procured a little silver charm, one carved richly with dwarven runes and even centered with a little green stone. Fiddling at his back more, the dwarf also found a section of string and hastily tied it to your cane’s handle. “Now what do you call that?” He asked, waving a hand over the charm. “I have a bit of luster dust if you’d like something more.” Needless to say, it was the most fun night you’d had in those endless weeks of trekking.

Nori

Raising one eyebrow at Nori, you stared in skepticism as he held a hand out and repeated his request. “Your cane, please?” “How do I know you won’t just run off with it?” You shot back. “You’re sitting,” he pointed out, “Not like you really need it. Besides, do you really think I’d be so incorrigible a scoundrel as to make off with someone’s means of walkin’ for no reason?” Nori’s gaze slid upward from your carven wood cane back to your eyes, which remained as they were. “Second thought, don’t answer that. Just trust me, hm? You won’t regret it. Dwarf’s honor.” At the invoking of honor, an action infrequently taken by Nori, your brow lowered to form a more neutral, though inquisitive, expression as you handed your cane over. You were quickly distracted by conversation from Dori as you sat, folding your hands in both complacency and content and shivering a bit in the snow. The conversation continued for some time until an ‘A-ha!’ rang out and Nori came running back up, triumphantly hoisting your cane, to which he had crudely affixed one of his many knives. “And what,” you asked, “Is this?” Nodding beyond your night’s campground, Nori indicated the ice extending across the ground. “Aid in your trek! Can’t have you slipping, can you? Not that I won’t catch ya.” He winked.

Ori

“Your sticks!” Ori gasped, brown eyes wide with horror. “Where are they?” “My crutches?” Eyebrows sliding upward in amusement, you made your way toward the young dwarf, who was stitching a sock a handful of feet away. At that, he simply nodded, repairs completely abandoned upon his lap. "Oh, I simply had no need for them today," you answered with a small shrug of your shoulders. At that, Ori gave a curious little frown. “So you can walk some days?” “It isn’t only a matter of walking,” you chuckled, “Moreso that some days my pain and balance are worse.” “Like when Gloin’s leg bothers him?” Ori asked, face turning to childlike eagerness. “Or how Bifur doesn't talk some days?" A little smile spread across your face and your chest expanded with warmth. "Yes," you agreed, "Just like that, Ori."

Fili

Mind drifting off in tandem with the pulsing ache of your limbs, you gazed at the flicker of the fire, faintly drifting smoke curling into the air from pipes and the kindling itself. Your hands idly wrung your cane until the sensation of warmth brushing your leg drew you from your empty focus spiral. Shifting your gaze, you were met with the sight of Fili sitting at your side. "Think I might need one of those after today." Following his gaze, your eyes fell back down to your hands, more specifically the cane held there. "Your own mobility aid or the other?" At your last words, Fili quirked up a golden brow. "The other?" He repeated. Smirking proudly, you slid the end off your cane, revealing a sword hidden within. “The other,” you repeated once more with emphasis, “Guess you weren’t paying attention to how I heaved so many goblins off that bridge.” “You’re right,” Fili agreed, blue eyes lighting up in the fireglow, “I do want that. How long has that been there?” “Whole time.” “Just waiting for the right moment, eh?” “Of course,” you bantered back, “Gotta make a show.”

Kili

“Can I try?” Kili smiled up at you as you blinked at him, face blank with thought. Reaching down, he pantomimed using your crutches for a step, swinging his arms back and forth. "You want to give my crutches a go?" Your eyebrows shot up, a smile building upon your face. Memories flooded your mind, deep knowledge of the struggle that nearly always comes with those first steps and even far beyond. Loosening the grip you had upon your aids, you handed them off to Kili as you took Oin's hand and allowed him to help walk and lower you onto a makeshift camp seat. Hooking his arms in, Kili stood up, adjusting his posture after several moments. He took a step, then swung them. "Wait, that doesn't make sense. Hold on." You giggled from your seat at Oin's side as Kili raised one leg, thought, brought the crutches down again and wobbled such that you were tempted to extend hands that could catch him.

Bilbo

“I was scared first, but trust me: you’ll be grateful in the end once you get on these fellows,” Bilbo told you, looking down at you as he patted the pony he sat upon. “It isn’t that,” you answered, gaze dropping from the hobbit’s, “It’s…well, it is a bit embarrassing, to be honest.” The dwarves had been sweet enough to fortify the feet of your forearm crutches, though they still could not understand why you didn’t ride. The answer, quite frankly, rose a bit of a flush to your cheeks. Bilbo must have caught this. “You shouldn’t be ashamed. Nothing of it is your fault. You can tell me. Probably better me than all those dwarves, right? I won’t tell a soul.” His voice dropped to a playful whisper for that last sentence, which though it didn’t help the heat radiating beneath your skin did open your heart and your mouth. “If I were to get lightheaded or a shock of pain riding a pony I could fall off. And...And I would need someone to hold onto me.” “Ah,” the hobbit replied, this time taking his turn to shyly gaze away, “Well, if you ever change your mind, I would be more than happy to hold you.”

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[ageravena]

You know what, the Fairly OddParents fandom has been quite tame. Let's spice things up a little bit.

Doesn't anybody else get that silly feeling when you see fanart of Peri being like a father to Dev, like... where's the rest of you 😍? Don't be shy, show us where Dale is. Or are you too scared? (I wouldn't blame you, I was too at first)

Small warning: this post includes slight swearing and many brain-numbing headcanons. I'm not responsible for any mental anguish you may experience

I would like to quickly apologize to the 6 people shipping Peri with Dale. I thought I was the only one but it seems like I've finally found my people. Anyways, back to the topic.

Now that you're here, I may as well show some more art of these two goobers +some silly headcanons. These are my AUed* versions of the two in my odd semi-realistic style that I completely ditch whenever I don't have the patience to draw faces (I often suck at drawing them. No wonder all my OCs are furries)

Note: him being slightly chubby and him having mobility issues are both headcanons I have shamelessly borrowed from others in the fandom. Also am I the only one who thinks Peri WOULDN'T be 6 ft tall? In the series he's like 5 apples tall, so wouldn't it make sense for him to be a bit short?

Note: there's like a bunch of lore explaining the reason why Dale looks so fucked up in my version. I scarred him for life, oopsie! But at least he has Peri now who "forces" him to go to therapy 😍. I may need to make a seperate post where I only talk about him and his past if I have the motivation.

I know a lot of you don't even know the pain of trying to convert a stylized character into a realistic style and still making them look good and kinda recognizable. I envy you who have less realistic art styles.

*And yes, I did say AU. More specifically I'm talking about the "Missionaries of Eden AU" (by me). I'm not gonna go into detail now, but basically it's a semi-biblical and more serious take on FOP, where the fairies are angels, anti-fairies are demons and pixies... I think they can stay as pixies, or maybe they're ghosts, bees? (There's a lot of things I still need to figure out) Their tasks are to work as missionaries on the planets of Eden (planets where life exists). There's a bunch of other lore (some of which I've explained on my casual/personal account on Instagram), but it's best I leave it for another time.

Btw: if you've seen me talk about a "Below the Stars AU", "Bible AU", "Ager DLC" or something else, it's all just the same thing. I just had a hard time coming up with a good name for it lol.

Also speaking of which, I have another post coming up (hopefully) where I explain my reasons for shipping Peri and Dale. It can honestly, out of context, seem like a toxic yaoi crack ship, but believe it or not but I managed to make it the opposite; plausible AND healthy. I want to enlighten you all plus I really want to yap about them.

It feels super funny to ship such a underrated ship. I'm used to shipping semi-popular ships, so to now be all alone feels kinda fun! They have so much potential and so few are seeing the vision?? Though to be fair I'm also glad it's not that famous lmao.

Ps. Ignore the fact I haven't posted anything here for at least half-a-year. All my mutuals are on Instagram, so I don't have a need to post here, though now I've decided to dedicate this account to hyperfixation slop so maybe you'll be hearing from me much sooner.

Ps. Ps. I currently have a 22-page-long google doc filled with lore and info about almost everything I've thought of for the AU, but it's 80% in Finnish so sharing it is useless.

Man, I love writing unnecessary long posts knowing I'm the only one reading them❤️😍 though if you HAVE gotten this far, here's a little treat:

My body refuses to draw Dale in his original outfit. I like to pretend Peri helped him change a bit (most notably taking off his goddamn shoes, though they do have some lore that I've created. GGHHRRAAA EVERYTHING HAS LORE ATTACHED TO IT GRRRR). Also Dev isn't actually grumpy, he just likes to act tough.

My art style looks probably so inconsistent❤️

[piedoesnotequalpi]

92sies Crutchy, or: I Managed To Write About Newsies For An Actual Grade One Time And I'm Going To Make That Everyone's Problem

@chair-in-a-ditch, @make-friends-with-the-rats, and @echofive7567, ask and ye shall be received...or something. Disclaimer that I have no idea if this is particularly novel analysis; for all I know it's been discussed to death years before I joined the fandom.

So! 92sies Crutchy! You hopefully know him, you hopefully love him.

When I decided to write a paper for my disability studies class about disability representation in Newsies (i.e. about Crutchy/ie), I had to a) find relevant sources (surprisingly challenging) and b) rewatch 92sies and Livesies and take notes on every scene Crutchy/ie appears in as well as transcribe potentially relevant lines. Until that rewatch, I'd always had one question lurking at the back of my mind: why is Crutchy/ie the only newsie who bothers to pronounce Wiesel's name correctly? And through my research + reading an earlier draft of the 92sies screenplay + rewatching the movie with disability representation in mind, I found a potential answer that also explains (some of) what previously felt like inconsistent characterization.

Crutchy has no trouble being rough/rude amongst the other newsies/amongst peers - in Carrying the Banner, he fights with Mush and Blink; he's also one of the people who takes part in making fun of the Delanceys (albeit while surrounded by other newsies who would back him up in a fight and are saying worse things about the Delanceys than he is). Later, in The World Will Know, David argues against beating up scabs and claims they'll get a bad name for it; Crutchy cheerfully responds that their reputation can't get any worse ("Not only is Crutchy very aware of their already-poor reputation here, he's also happy to choose violence if it will further their mission."). Meanwhile (at least before Jack ends up in the Refuge), he is very polite to all the adults he interacts with, more so than the other newsies are: he is the only newsie who pronounces Wiesel's name correctly and says please when asking for his papes (even though he laughs at everyone else calling him Weasel), and he addresses Snyder as "Mr. Warden Snyder, sir." So, why the difference?

In one of the papers* I read as part of my research, there was a discussion of how well-rounded portrayals of disability can (and do) show how disability is not just due to impairments, but also societal factors (too many stairs, flashing lights, ableist attitudes from other people, etc.). Another paper** discussed the history of violence against disabled people (of which there is a lot) as well as how "viewing disabled people as being inherently vulnerable may cause them to be seen as 'weak' or 'helpless.'" Essentially, the way he interacts with adults is a matter of safety. In my paper, I argued that Crutchy's politeness is to keep himself from being a target for violence (which ultimately fails!): if he sparred with Wiesel, he'd draw attention to himself and potentially face consequences; if he openly defied Snyder, he'd be giving Snyder a reason to single him out in a negative way and potentially injure him further. Obviously the other newsies who do these things draw the same attention, but they are all able-bodied, which affords them a level of privilege/safety that Crutchie doesn't have (see above point about violence against disabled people being very common). This fear is verbalized somewhat in Livesies when Crutchie references the potential of being locked up in the Refuge, and obviously there he's only explicitly talking about his mobility or lack thereof, but I think there's a larger implication there of just not wanting to draw attention (and that being rude/sassy with adults while being disabled is especially dangerous, given that Livesies!Crutchie also pronounces Wiesel's name correctly).

(But Isabel, you ask, what about the sauerkraut incident? I'm getting to that.)

Going back to the quote about vulnerability, I think that ties into why Crutchy doesn't want Jack, or anyone, to carry him out of the Refuge - being carried would mean publicly acknowledging that he's a) not immune to needing help and b) vulnerable to being injured. Crutchy is for the most part treated as a peer amongst the newsies (and is asked by Jack to carry out multiple important roles in the strike, like starting a strike fund and carrying the news to other neighborhoods), and he probably does not want to lose that status.

Once Crutchy knows he's unlikely to get out of the Refuge anytime soon (and that his strategy of caution around authority figures did not keep him out of the Refuge (arguably, he was not being cautious when he was ripping up all those papers during the strike action, but see the above point about attacking when surrounded by people who will back him up)), only then does he try deliberately rebelling without the other newsies behind him: he steals a potato off Snyder's plate and spits in his sauerkraut. This still isn't open rebellion, though; this most likely happened out of Snyder's view. It is only once he is a) surrounded by other newsies, b) free of the Refuge/Snyder, and c) in a situation where the police are very clearly on his side that he is openly rude to an adult (the Delanceys don't count since they are close in age to the newsies): he tells Snyder to make friends with the rats, and gleefully slams the door of the police wagon behind him.

TL;DR: Crutchy/ie is a bastard (affectionate), but there's an added layer of calculation with respect to his personal safety that the other newsies don't necessarily have to make.

Anyway, those are my semi-organized, probably unoriginal thoughts on the matter. Enjoy, I guess.

--

*Holcomb, J., & Latham-Mintus, K. (2022). Disney and disability: Media representations of disability in Disney and Pixar animated films. Disability Studies Quarterly, 42(1). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v42i1.7054

**Ralph, S., Capewell, C., & Bonnett, E. (2016). Disability hate crime: Persecuted for difference. British Journal of Special Education, 43(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12139

[peonierose]

How are Bryce and Luna coping during the first month of being parents, and to twins no less?

”Love Me Tender“

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Bryce Lahela (M!MC) x Luna Auclair (F!OC)

Words: 2,428k

TW: None. Mentions of breastfeeding.

Summary: Bryce and Luna are newly minted parents and weren’t prepared of struggling to put their twins to bed. Will they succeed?

A/N: Thanks so much for your ask @liaromancewriter it inspired me for two fics actually. ”Love Me Tender“ is one of them 🥰 The Title was inspired by one of the greatest artists and hot guys who���s ever lived, Elvis Presley 🩷

Bryce

It was 4:35 in the morning, and both Lunes and I were still awake. Trying to put the twins to bed. 

I sighed. 

How‘d my life come to this? Don’t get me wrong. I love our girls more than anyone I could ever love, but getting them to sleep is a real struggle. 

We put them to bed hours ago and put them on the mobile, letting pretty stars and moons go by, but their sleep didn’t last long. 

They woke up two hours ago and won’t fall asleep.

What happened to peace and quiet? One week prior, everything was great. They didn’t mention this quick transition in the pregnancy books I read. Maybe I read the wrong books? 

Well, I guess they covered other stuff, but not what to do when your kids wake you up at 4 a.m.

Luna suddenly sits up with Kehlani and walks her around the room. With Alaia in my arms, I go and get the bunnies they got from Ethan, their godfather, hoping that’ll soothe them into sleep. 

They hang onto the bunnies for a few seconds, but they’re still fussy. It didn’t work. Alaia's little face was still red from crying. 

So maybe plans c or d could work? Damn, we could really use Keiki’s help, but she’s on a field trip with her study group. 

Luna’s voice brings me back into the moment. 

”They’re not hungry, right? We changed them, and now what?“ Luna asks while I’m holding Alaia close to my chest. As I place kisses on top of her head, her soft blonde hair smells of lavender shampoo. 

I read somewhere that babies like skin-to-skin contact. So that’s why Lunes and I are basically standing in the middle of the room in our underwear. 

”I don’t know. Honestly, I’m close to crying with them. Then it’ll be a duet.“ Luna says it with a sigh. 

I exhale a long breath I’ve been holding in because I’m frustrated too. God, I‘ve never appreciated sleep more than I do now.

”What if we show them a video with marine animals? They seemed to love that last time.“ I suggested it, and I could see Luna’s shoulder droop in relief.

”Let’s give it a try.“ Luna adds, and we walk downstairs and sit down with the twins as I turn on Disney+ and select a nature documentary about marine animals, one that’ll last for at least two and a half hours. 

Soon, both twins' eyes are glued to the screen. 

We didn’t want to start them too early on screen time, but sometimes you have to in order to function as a human being and get some rest. 

After 30 minutes or so into the documentary, I saw both their eyes drooping, and they fell asleep.

”You’re a genius.“ Luna whispers, scared to wake them up.

"Well, this genius is too scared to move.“ I say frozen in place.

Luna sighs.

”Is now a bad time to have to pee?“ She says it with a guilt tinge in her voice.

I close my eyes. 

"Oh, come on, Lunes. Couldn’t you have peed before they fell asleep? What if we wake them up? Look how long it took before they fell asleep.“ 

Luna softly moves around.

”I’ll be quick, I promise.“ She says this and gently places Kehlani on the couch. As soon as her feet hit the floor, Lani stirs and starts to cry. Rosie isn’t far behind. 

”I hope your pee is worth waking the twins over.“ I'm trying to massage their little backs, hoping it’ll soothe them. 

Twins are funny in that regard. They have a special bond, especially if they’re identical twins, like our girls. 

But the downside is that as soon as one is ill or cries, the other does as well. 

They’re creepily in sync. Hopefully, it won’t stay like this forever—the crying, I mean. I know Kehlani and Alaia will turn out wonderful.

I turn to my wonderful girls.

”Why don’t you stop crying? Daddy would really like to get some sleep. So I can wake up pretty.“ 

They look up at my words and then continue crying. 

That’s when it hits me amidst the crying. I remember when Keiki and I were little, my mom used to sing to us »Love Me Tender« by Elvis Presley; it always calmed us down. Maybe we can try it with the twins. 

As soon as Luna is back from her bathroom break, I gently take the twins into my arms.

”I think I have an idea.“ I say the idea for the song is taking root. 

We walk upstairs, and Luna eyes me skeptically. 

”You know how to brew a potion that will make them sleep for seven hours straight?“ She asks excitedly. 

I gave her a sideways look. 

"Yeah, that was a little bit unrealistic.“ She shrugs, and I laugh softly. 

”Let’s try singing »Love Me Tender« by Elvis Presley.“

”Why that song?“ She asks as we reach the twin's bedroom. 

I breathed out, and as I laid the twins in their beds, I turned towards Luna, who never looked more beautiful. 

With wild hair, just in her underwear, illuminated by the light from the hallway. 

I put a strand of her hair behind her ear, and she smiled tenderly at me. It’s these moments I treasure the most, even with the twins crying. 

I pulled her closer as I told her about the idea I had. I want to reveal a bit more about myself and my childhood, which I don’t talk about nearly enough, but I should, because whether it was good or bad, memories are important to talk about. 

”My mom used to sing that song to me and Keiki all the time. Whenever we were sick, or when we were sad and had a hard time, it just always made things a bit easier.“ I explained.

Luna‘s smile reached her tired eyes, and she cupped my cheek to give me a soft kiss. 

”Let’s give it a try. I think I’ve still got my ukulele somewhere. Let me go grab it, and we’ll try singing that song. To be honest, it’s one of my favorite songs by Elvis. He was such a hot guy and so sweet. And what a voice, my god! They just don’t make them like that anymore.“

"Hey, I’m trying to save the world, and you’re calling another man hot? Shame on you, Lunes.“

”You didn’t let me finish. They don’t make them like that anymore, but you are the exception.“ She grinned. 

”You were always my favorite.“ I smiled and slapped her butt, making her laugh out loud as she went to look for her ukulele. Her laughter was still echoing from the walls, making me grin too. 

After a minute or so, Luna came back with her pink ukulele, adorned with flowers, hearts, and moons. She sat down in front of the twin beds and played the first tunes.

”I had no idea you played the ukulele.“ I was surprised to see her play the ukulele like a pro.

”I learned it along with Hula dancing.“

“Can I get this as a late birthday present?“ I imagined her in a hula get-up. The best image ever. 

Luna sighed.

"Really, that’s where your mind went to?“ She chastised me.

”Don‘t blame me. I’m tired and horny. And I’m not sorry.“

She shook her head, grinning. Soon the first tunes of the ukulele joined with her soft voice, and the twins stopped their crying. Too fascinated by what’s going on to keep crying. 

Yes, I pump my fist in the air; it looks as if the plan worked. Luna and I fist-bumped each other because our plan turned out better than expected. 

As the last note echoed in their bedroom, they soon fell asleep, and it looked as if we could go and catch some sleep too. 

”Thank God for our parents, who had good ideas.“

Luna nodded. 

We put on the mobile with the moon and stars spinning around softly and didn’t close the door entirely as we went to our bedroom. 

When we were lying down in bed, Luna turned to me, and I put an arm around her to pull her closer to me. 

”Let me guess you have a million questions.“ I said, and she elbowed me in the side. I laughed and kissed her on top of her head. 

”You miss her, don’t you?“

I don’t even try to act as if I don‘t know who she’s referring to.

"Yeah, I do, more than I care to admit.“ I turn around, so we’re lying face-to-face. 

”Maybe you need some love me tender too.“ Luna says this as she’s leaning into me. 

”That would be nice.“ I smiled against her lips.

Two days later...

Luna

We’re both leaning on the kitchen counter, bleary-eyed, and with our eyes half closed. 

”This is the second time in a row we haven’t slept.“ I mumbled. 

Bryce doesn't even look up from his coffee. 

”I mean, we knew this going in, but it still stinks sometimes.“ 

I nodded and almost missed my mug in front of me.

”Damn. I never appreciated coffee as much as I do now. I love our kids, but I’d give my left kidney for two hours of sleep. Not even night shifts are this bad.“ 

”Come on, we'll get through this.“ I tried to sound more cheerful but just ended up sounding tired. But from the smile tugging at Bryce’s lips, I could still make him smile, which is a win in my book.

I’m about to take another sip from my juice since I‘m nursing when our doorbell rings, and I just grumble. 

”I’ll go get it.“ I said, and Bryce just mumbled incoherent words. 

I opened the front door, seeing my cousin Skyler, or Sky for short, stand in front of me.

”Good morning, sunshine.“ He looked well rested, with no dark circles under his smooth tan skin. His piercing dark blue eyes shone as if he sprang from the youth fountain. It’s so unfair how good he looked compared to my tired self. 

I groaned again and shielded my eyes from the glaring sun coming inside our house.

I stepped aside, and Sky walked in. 

”Is it a good morning? Huh. It’s already morning, and the sun is shining. Gosh, I’ve lost all feeling for what time it actually is or what day.“

Sky turned my way and only raised his eyebrows.

”You’re being weird.“

I sighed and joined Bryce in the kitchen. I grinned as Bryce held on to his steaming coffee mug, half asleep. 

”I came to the rescue. I thought I’d have to send a search party after your radio silence.“ 

”Please make him stop saying words.“ Bryce groaned.

”Come on, I’m good with kids, and I’m offering to help.“ Sky grinned. 

”So they sent you?“

”B!“ I exclaimed.

”Look, man. I’m really sorry. I’m just so fucking tired.“ Bryce sighed.

”Me too.“ I joined in while taking a sip of my mango and pineapple juice. 

"Yeah, Luna too.“ Bryce said while smiling tiredly. 

”No hard feelings. It’s all good. You‘ll get a free pass. This once. I know mom and dad struggled with us; you know, we're triplets, so I thought I’d help you out.“ Sky explained. 

Bryce’s eyes were tired from being up all night helping me change the twins and trying to make them fall asleep. 

We’re exhausted, and it’s only been four months since we brought the twins home. 

Sky looked from me to Bryce.

”You guys look as if you’ve partied all night. And it was a weird theme party.“ He teased. 

"Yeah, if you count changing, breastfeeding, and getting the twins to sleep, and it takes almost all night? Yeah, then we partied real hard.“ I sighed.

And then I added. 

"Damn, breastfeeding really hurts. Who knew? I really hope the pain lessens a bit.“

”I’m even too tired to make a dirty joke about breasts and make you feel better.“ Bryce sighed and smiled softly but tiredly.

”I don’t need to know about your…uhh…anatomy. Or your female body parts.“ Sky winced. 

”Who’s being weird now?“ I smirked.

”Fair.“

We were all startled when we heard the baby monitor on the kitchen counter squeak. 

Both Bryce and I groaned.

Sky smiled.

”You know what? Why don’t I check up on the little angels? While you guys do whatever it is you do, make out or something.“

”We’re way too tired to make out.“ Bryce and I said it at the same time. 

The fog in my brain lifted, and it hit me. 

”Wait, are you here to babysit?“ 

Sky shrugged. 

"Yeah, why not? I have the next two days off, so I thought I’d take over, and you can go and do whatever it is you’re doing.“

”You’re an angel, and I love you.“ I smiled and hugged him tight. Sky grinned and hugged me back. 

Yep, he’s my favorite cousin. At least right now. 

”She doesn’t mean it.“ Bryce commented with a mischievous glint in his eyes. I grinned, so that’s where Lani and Rosie got it from. 

”Stop being mean.“ I said this to Bryce without any real heat behind my words. 

”Sorry. If you’re true to your word, I’ll go take a nap.“

I stopped hugging Sky for a minute to give B a look.

”Not even showering?“

”I love my bed more than my shower right now.“

"Well, I don’t. So let’s hit the shower.“ 

Sky looked from me to Bryce.

”You are weirding me out. I’ll go look after the twins.“ 

”Thanks Sky.“

”You got it.“ He yelled. 

Bryce and I walked outside to our shower while Bryce mumbled and was grumpy until the water hit his face. 

When we came back from our shower and were settled in our bed, Bryce checked the baby monitor, but the monitor was quiet. It looks as if Sky is a wizard when it comes to calming down kids. 

”It’s so quiet.“ I turned to Bryce.

”What did we do before we had kids? Look at me, sounding pathetic.“

”You don’t sound and aren’t pathetic. It’s a new routine for us. And I guess we just have to find our balance.“

We both nodded.

Bryce drew circles on my skin, and I curled up into him, and seconds later we were already asleep while holding hands. 

Life is good when you’re with the people you love. Whether you’re blood-related or not, cherish those moments. 

[jillsandwhichs]

Our Future Days

Joel Miller x Reader series, Chapter 5, Cherished Times

Masterlist

Pairing: F!reader & Joel Miller

Summary: You and Joel spend Friday evening together, you get high and have a great, memorable talk

WC: 3.6k

Type: SFW

A/n: Hi! Hope you all enjoy. Please check out my masterlist, there's a lot of stuff there. You can get to know me, you can see the rules of my blog and then you can see all of my fanfictions. You'll be able to find the previous chapters to this fic and upcoming ones. You'll also be able to find my Wattpad & AO3. Comments, reblogs & likes are appreciated. Thank you

Friday, finally. The day has officially come but it feels like no time has passed since you and Joel, along with little Sarah, had a meal together. That dinner was excellent, it had you contemplating the night you three had the rest of the day and even the past two days. Now, all you've been doing is sitting in your kitchen, at the centered island counter and waiting for Joel to arrive home.

He texted you a bit earlier saying he'd be working later than usual, but by ten, he'll be home. You're still unaware of what it is he exactly has planned for you, but you're excited nonetheless. The idea of actually hanging out with him one on one sounded great, you two haven't been able to do so yet, but finally! You enjoyed being with Sarah, of course, but you and Joel didn't get to engage in topics you wish you could have. Maybe tonight is the night you'll be able to.

Becker was being a good boy too, just laying on the kitchen floor, huffing out to himself. Becker isn't used to being alone as often as he has been, but he'll adapt. You always make sure to leave some lights on along with the television, without some brightness and sound, the dog would go mad. He'd go mental. Sometimes, while you're at work, you'll speak to him through the monitor you bought on Tuesday, just so he feels a tad bit more comfortable being lonely.

Nonetheless, you were on edge about seeing Joel. Before you left his home the other day, he seemed so on the DL about why exactly he wanted to see you on Friday, especially later at night. You didn't care, not at all, but your inquisitive side was surely curious. All you had to wait for was that large, black truck to pull up onto your guy's shared street, then you'd know he's home. You plan to text him before going over there too, not wanting to intrude too early.

Your head quickly turned at the sound of your iPhone buzzing on the counter, shaking as it did. It could only be one person - Joel. You picked up your phone, clicking the power button with your thumb and reading off the notification. It was him, thankfully.

"On my way home now, bring a snack with you or something, a drink or two too."

His message was short and sweet.

You didn't fully grasp why you'd need to bring snacks and drinks though, you two definitely weren't going to a movie theatre, it closes after the last showing and that was damn near an hour ago. But whatever, you suppose, you luckily went grocery shopping recently so bringing some stuff over to his house wouldn't be an issue. You messaged back ASAP, hopefully he wasn't already driving home, no texting and driving allowed!

"Sure thing, but why, if I may ask? Lol..."

You also intended to keep your messages short.

You don't want to seem pushy or obsessive, no man likes that. Joel seemed like the type to not really know his way completely around a phone besides texting and calling and maybe some crappy mobile game he downloaded. The idea that Sarah would use his phone to play silly, girly games was adorable, most parents allow their children too, you doubt Joel and Sarah are much of an exception.

As you put your phone down, you stood up and opened the pantry door right beside you. You weren't all too stocked, you've only lived in Austin for a week, so there wasn't much but you could make due. You grabbed the bag of potato chips along with a box of cheese crackers. They aren't the most healthiest nor the best snacks in the world, but they're very tasty and Joel will most likely eat them. Besides, if he doesn't, you can just walk right back across the street and get something else.

Placing the foods on the counter, you immediately opened the fridge right beside it, scanning what drinks you had. By drinks, you and Joel had different things in mind. He'd obviously prefer a beer, so you grabbed him one, grabbing yourself a soda can. You also placed those beside the snacks.

Snacks and drinks, check, for whatever reason he believed the two of you would need them.

Maybe he planned his own personal movie night for the two of you? You're clueless.

As you walked past Becker, you gave him some quick pets, making sure he felt unconditionally loved. Deep down, you do feel sorrow for him. For the fact he's had to be alone recently, you feel guilty. He'll live though, you always come home to him. You sat down on your comfy couch, your phone in hand. You'd just wait til Joel messages back, or until you hear his car pull in. You didn't want to sit in the kitchen any longer.

-

On the dot, ten at night exactly, your phone buzzed as you received a message from Joel. You waited a couple seconds, per usual, before pressing the message and viewing it. This message was a tad bit longer, you reread it a few times, happy with the fact it was longer than the others he has sent before this. The message read,

"Just got home. Let me check on Sarah, then you can come over, so I would say five minutes. Don't forget those snacks and drinks, just sit on the swing out back, wait for me there, yeah? See you in a minute darlin'."

Such a cute message.

You had already figured he'd check on Sarah first and as he should, he's a wonderful father from what you have seen so far and Sarah appears to be a sweet young little lady, you're grateful to have already met her. You also didn't know until just now that he had a swing out back, that would be fun. At least now you know that a movie night is checked off of the list since you two will be outside rather than in.

Getting up off of the couch, you doubled check to make sure Becker had food and water in his bowl; He'll be a whiney baby without both. You'd try to be home before midnight, you have no clue if you work tomorrow, they told you that weekends would be off and on - You didn't mind. You decided to just message back, letting him know you saw his first.

"Okay, see you soon Joel."

You made sure your phone was strictly set in the back pocket of your jeans, not wanting it to slip out at all. You also grabbed the snacks and drinks, managing to carry all of it in your hands. It was not the most efficient way, but it got the job done and that is all that matters. You chose to just wait on your porch til it was time. "I'll see you soon babyboy." You whispered to Becker, puckering your lips and making a few kissing noises. He just stuck his tongue out and ran back to the couch. "Crazy dog." You snickered out as you opened the front door, then closed it.

Outside, the air felt thin. It was more cold outside than hot, the occasional breeze hitting your face. The sound of crickets and owls could be heard in the distance, along with cicadas which were so very annoying. The other day before you went into work, you found a cicada shell on the hood of your car - Scary. Your phone read 10:03 now, so you began to make way to his place. You'd just have to cut past the fence and into his backyard, then you'd be able to see the swing you have yet to ever see.

As you treaded across the street, out of the corner of your eye you saw a light in his house switch off. You're assuming Sarah's light since it was upstairs, Joel must be making his way down now. Beneath you, you could hear the grass crunching and the sidewalks scratchy, gravel sound. You were almost tiptoeing now, feeling like a teenager sneaking out all over again. But alas, you're a young adult with your actual own free will now. You could do anything - With limits, of course.

You cut through Joel's backyard, taking a glance and scanning the area. He must've meant the swing that was resting on his back porch. It looked cozy and sturdy enough, good on him for choosing it to be where you'd both relax. You strolled up to it, staying as quiet as possible. You don't know if whether or not Sarah knows you're coming over, but in case Joel wants it to be just between you two, you tried your best not to be rowdy. Young girls, especially daddy's girls, can hate to share their father.

You'd understand if Sarah was that way. Not that she'd need to worry, it's not like you and Joel are going out. A child's imagination can fly anywhere, especially one who has a high maturity level such as Sarah.

With a soft sigh, you sat down on the swing. It creaked slightly, the sound was a bit eerie. You sat crisscross, you found it more comfortable that way. You waited for Joel to come out the back sliding door, you waited very patiently. As you waited, you set the food down, along with the drinks, hopefully he'll like what you brought over.

The moon was directly in front of where you were sitting, the sight was gorgeous. Not to mention, stars were scattered all along the sky, taking their places as always. You always preferred the sky either at night or when the crack of dawn strikes. It's always beautiful outside. If it was normal, you'd decide to get married at night, just beneath the dark sky, it would be so lovely. You aren't worried about marriage yet though. You are still in your prime.

Whilst you were deep in thought, you heard the back door slide open. Your head shot towards it, a cute smile playing on your lips when you seen Joel. He smiled back, rather a smirk. "Hey sweet thing." "Hi Joel." You replied, he sounded tired, he probably had a rough day at work. "How are you?" "I'm alright, happy to see you though. How about you?" "I'm okay and me too, been waiting." You chuckled, heaving as he took a seat beside you, the weight of the swing increased.

"How's that dog of yours?" "Becker? Great. Just being his usual self. How's Sarah?" "She's doin' just fine, she was awake when I got home, had her right back to bed." Joel snickered, glancing at the food and drinks you brought. "What did ya get?" He asked you. You turned your head and let out a hum before talking. "I got some chips and cheese crackers. A beer for you, soda for me." You voiced, placing the chips and crackers between the two of you, then handing Joel his beer.

"Ah, smart girl." Joel chuckled, cracking the cold can open and holding onto it. "This is that good kind too." He added on. "Why didn't you get yourself a beer?" "Not much of a drinker, I also plan to sleep once we're done, so." "That's alright, you do you." He shot you a quick grin before sipping his beer again. You wanted to ask him why he wanted you to bring snacks and drinks and why exactly he wanted you here at ten, on a Friday. You were very curious.

"So... Joel," You began, drinking some of your pop. "May I ask you some things?" "Shoot." Joel gave you a friendly nod. You gazed at him momentarily, finding it awfully hard to pull your eyes away from him. He looked roughened up, moreso today than ever. It was attractive to say the least. "First off, why did you want me here, today, at this time?" You wondered. "To be quite frank, it's when Sarah is usually in bed, plus I figured you wouldn't tomorrow." He stated. Reasonable enough.

"Okay and why did you suggest I bring some treats? Was it just because?" "Oh, well, that gets me to my point." Joel chuckled, reaching into the pocket of his well worn, stained jeans. The way he did it was so hot, your eyes kept wandering to places they shouldn't have. He pulled out what appeared to be a thick joint, weed, you were stunned. "Say darlin', you ever smoke?" "I mean, once or twice." Truthful. You smoked somewhat in college, but it was always through a pen.

He laughed at your words, not necessarily believing you. He always took you for more of the goodie two shoes type. "It's been a damn rough week for me, I bet for you too, I figure we light it up and get high, you want to or nah?" He questioned you, his Southern accent really pulling through there. You were surprised, honestly. You didn't take Joel for a smoker, a drinker sure, but not a smoker. You hope he doesn't smoke cigarettes, those are nasty. So gross.

"Gee, I haven't smoked in forever." You giggled, your eyes glaring down the joint, it was a fat one, packed real well. "Did you roll it yourself?" "Bought it off a buddy of mine, he sells, seems to make good money therefore I'd assume good weed too." You can't even recall the last time you smoked. You wish you could for this exact moment. "Can I see it?" "Take it." He passed it to you. You took it, the immediate smell of marijuana flowing up to your nose, it's been awhile for sure.

"Looks good." "It is good, promise." He swore to you. Hell, why not? It's been years and besides, you trust Joel and his words. It won't be bad at all. "Sure, what could go wrong? Do you have a lighter?" "That's my girl, I sure do." Joel snorted, taking the blunt back in between his index and his thumb. "I'll take the first hit, let you know if it's good." You shook your head up and down in reply, you truly trust his opinions. As he lit it up, you decided to be honest. "I've only ever smoked through pens." Joel's concentrated eyes focused on the joint as he spoke, "Oh yeah?" "Yeah."

After the paper and weed caught fire, he pulled it away from the lighter, taking a good gander at it before setting the joint between his lips. Joel took a large exhale in, letting all of it delve into his lungs before he pulled it out, letting the smoke come out through his nose. You watched intently the whole time, somewhat in a trance as you stared at him. You didn't realize Joel could get more attractive, yet here you are, believing so.

He seemed to have enjoyed it, no complaints yet or maybe at all. You are a tad bit timid; It's just you haven't done this in so long. What if it gets to the point where you just cannot stop coughing? That'd be a bummer.

"So? How is it?" "Tastes good, not to rough either, think you'll like it, c'mon, give er a shot." His voice was so soft whenever he spoke to you. Does he speak this way to everyone? "Thanks." You mumbled beneath your breath as you took the blunt. You just chose to wing it. You set the thing between your lips, taking a decent drag and then blowing it out through your lips. The grey, smokey smoke quickly disintegrated, as if it had never existed.

Joel was correct - It wasn't bad at all. Tasted sweet, it was weird. All the weed you had in school tasted the exact same, this was an entirely new world for you. "Good?" "Very." You cleared your throat, handing it back to him. "You take it well." He hummed, hitting off of it again. The way he said that made you melt. Any sort of approval from this man was highly welcomed.

"It's been so long." You chuckled out, watching Joel as he let out the smoke. "I smoke here and there, mainly when Sarah is already in bed, she don't even know I do." "Wow, really?" "Not at all, girl would hound me about it if she did." He snickered, handing it back to you now. You took a graceful hit, not even an ounce of a scratchy feeling in your throat occured. "Man, I'm surprised, usually I am non stop hacking." "My buddy makes some good herb, he's been doin' this a long, long time." Joel explained. "Well, he's good." You smiled, handing it back to him.

You weren't looking at Joel, but rather downwards as you smiled. You found yourself enjoying this evening very much. Any time you come home after doing something fun, it's so difficult to sleep because it is all that's roaming through your mind. You lifted your head back up and noticed Joel's dark eyes were fixated on you, a grin on his face whilst he smoked. "You got a pretty smile." He murmured, maintaining eye contact with you as he took a drag.

You giggled slightly, blushing immensely from his compliment. You hoped that under the dark night, he wouldn't take notice of your rosey, smooth cheeks. "You think so?" "Mhm." He responded, coughing slightly as he passed the joint back over to you. "Thanks." Your eyes twinkled while you stared at him. It was safe to say that around Joel, you feel all sorts of ways. No one back home made you feel like this. It was totally new. You'd never met a man like him, he was different in the most amazing way possible.

Breathing in deeply, you felt the smoke linger in your throat and mouth as it exhaled through your nostrils and out into the windy night air. You shivered slightly, not fully expecting the breeze. Joel took notice of it. "Let me go inside and grab us a blanket, yeah?" "Okay, thank you." You eyed him as he stood up, briskly walking into the house and very shortly after, coming back out. He had medium sized plaid blanket, it'd work for the two of you to share.

"Alrighty." He grunted, plopping back down and covering you up first, then himself. The blanket simply rested on your guy's laps. You two were also sitting quite close together. It was cozy, the two of you all alone beneath the brave sky before you. You were happy you got to experience this. You wonder how your life would be currently if Joel wasn't even your neighbor. Probably be a whole lot different, not as anticipating, that's for sure.

Out of no where, not even a peep to be heard, you began to laugh, uncontrollably. It was absolutely so random. You tossed your head back, your giggles filling the air as you laughed effortlessly. Joel looked at you, a sparkle in his eyes as he did. He knew what was going on. You were stoned, out of this world stoned. Higher than a kite even. You snorted, covering your mouth and snickering. "I can't- I can't stop." You laughed out your words. Joel began to chuckle with you, being able to control himself unlike you.

"You got a case of perma grin. Don't worry, it oughta go away soon." He laughed, his arm around the chair as the swing swung. "Oh my Gosh." You laughed harder, hiding your face in your hands. Joel just kept watching you, enthralled like never before. Oh how pretty he found you to be. "Let it out sunshine." He bellowed, his pearly whites flashing. That was the first time you ever saw him truly let out a smile in front of you.

"Forgive me." You giggled, tears forming in your eyes from how much you were tittering. "That's alright, you got high for the first time in awhile, I ain't surprised." He said softly. You felt his hand touch your shoulder, his arm wrapping around you. You smiled whilst laughing at you scooted closer to him, placing your head on his shoulder. "It's been way too long." "Maybe we gotta do this again another time." "Most definitely." You responded.

You were shocked that he wrapped his arms around you. The warm embrace felt nice, you glady accepted it. Within the proximity of Joel's backyard, you could hear the wildlife as if it were only feet away. The night was rather young and so calm, you were enjoying this more than you intended on. Joel's arm around you was glorious, you felt on top of the world. You wonder everyday how he feels for you. If you're the only one developing feelings, you'll feel like a total fool.

"This is nice." Sure is." Joel replied, slurping some of his beer. "Time is it?" Joel questioned you. You pulled your phone out, it was fifteen minutes after ten. "10:15, guess I didn't realize that much time went by." "Time goes by when you're having fun." Joel stated the iconic saying. He wasn't wrong.

"Wanna come inside? We can continue smokin' in there, or watch a movie, I don't care what it is we do, it's just nice to get a damn break, especially one with you." Joel spoke, you heard him curse to himself beneath his breath afterwards. It was silly, hearing him talk somewhat romantic. You pulled away with a glimmer. "Yeah, of course. I don't think I can do a movie tonight but smoking and eating some of these snacks would be nice." "Great... C'mon now." Joel let you go, standing up and opening the door.

You walked through first, carrying everything. He then walked in behind you.

What a great night so far.

[golis0p0dd]

𝕱𝖚𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝕬𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖊𝖘

FEM Reader x Eddie Munson and other platonic vibes with other stranger things characters

blurb: Instead of the entrances to the upside down ONLY going back a couple years in this universe there are a couple more rare gates that lead to future worlds. You the reader stumbled upon a gate in the year 2025 Hawkins. Lost in the upside down scared and confused you eventually made your way to another gate - hoping its the way back home (its not its the gate to 1984 Hawkins) you go through it. The stranger things crew find you as they keep an eye on the gates to make sure nothing bad happens. This fic takes place between your arrival to the past and explaining some things about the future to Eddie, Steve, Nancy, and Robin. Reader is post collage age and so is everyone else.

Pairings: slow burn Eddie Munson x Reader, Platonic Steve Harrington x reader, Platonic Nancy Wheeler x reader, Platonic Robin Buckley x reader

Other warnings: Mentions of current USA political climate and other things going on in the world

Citrus Scale (I know im old af for that lmao) : Citrus, fluff, slight flirting, mainly just homies hanging out, mostly just two idiots who think the other is cute but doesnt have the guts to say anything

Weed Scale: Weed is mention and used in this fic Word Count: 1.5k AN: First Fic back for writing!! This was an idea i had in a gardening induced high lol please enjoy and hopefully this doesnt sound too crazy <3

You had arrived at Steve's house with a baggie of your more "futuristic" items that you had with you when getting stranded in the upside down. It feels weird that these items are super futuristic to everyone but the internet had only just been invented and people barely understood it yet. Locking the rental car Sheriff Hopper got for you on behalf of the Hawkins township, you made your way up Steve's front steps and knocked on the door. Barely a minute passed before Robin opened the door and practically dragged you inside calling out to the others that you've arrived to show them some cool future stuff. You smiled at her excitement. "Hey Robin how have you been. Any updates on Vickey?" you asked softly.

Robins cheeks flushed while she tried to look anywhere but at you, "Been good. Not too much going on. We have hung out a couple more times but I'm taking it slow." She explained.

Smiling at her you both walked into the living room and met up with the others on the couch. Saying your hellos to Steve and Nancy you look over and see Eddie working on a beer. Smiling at him with warming cheeks you move to set your bag on the coffee table.

"So what do you guys want to know about 2025 first?" You looked at everyone.

Nancy perked up, " What about the technology?"

You pulled out your phone from your back pocket and your laptop from your bag. Setting it up and turning the screens on you pulled up several applications. You might not have reception here but at least you can see the last couple things you had open plus any apps and games that didn't require wifi.

"Most tech by 2025 has been compacted into a mobile phone. For awhile it was a flip phone where one half of the phone had the screen telling you who you were calling or texting, texting is like an instant fax without the paper, and the second half had the number pad. By 2006 the idea of touch screen phones started gaining traction. Mine is a full touch screen phone, messaging device, internet connection, music device, and reading platform all in one. Though its gotten to the point with companies where they make things obsolete after about 4 years and then you need to spend an arm and a leg to get the updated working model." You explained while passing your phone around as they scrolled through your apps and figuring out the buttons. "Laptops are just mobile versions of computers, they have about the same amount of features as the phone plus stronger applications. They are extremely common for almost everyone to have one or both items." You handed Steve your laptop while pointing out some of the games and other apps on it.

"So that means everyone is accessible at all times basically?" Steve questioned. You nodded, "Since I don't have reception here you don't get to witness all the notifications I would get on a daily basis. It can be overwhelming at times so you can mute them but gotten keep out for important stuff like bills or work info." You sat down across from them and observed their reactions. They nodded their heads and inspected the devices.

"Seems stressful to constantly able to be contacted. What about a peaceful night in?" Nancy commented. Laughing for a second you explained, " Yeah most 'peaceful nights in' include people endlessly scrolling through their devices 'cause most people have a screen addiction, I'll admit i've been victim to that as well and honestly being here and not being able to be constantly contacted whenever has been nice." Nancy smiled at your last comment.

Robin perked up, "You've mentioned before things are a lot more progressive. What about gay rights?" she looked curiously at you. Smiling you nodded. "It's a lot better now but there's still a lot of hate and bias like there is with any minority however most of the time people get 'called out/canceled' or shunned from the majority of communities. There are still those loud bigoted people and we still need to stand up for the minorities but it is a lot better now. Gay marriage is legal and trans folks have better, still very biased and shitty access but better, access to hormone therapy. More gender identities are recognized and there are protections against workplace and other discrimination. Unfortunately people are trying to tear down that progress and there's an extreme class war with the latest election but people are fighting for what's right." Robin smiled at your response and nodded. " That's better than I was expecting." Robin smiled.

"What about DnD?" Eddie chimed in sitting up from the couch, elbows resting on his knees. Excitedly you start explaining all the popular DnD podcasts and content, "Its not shunned anymore! Well... a bully would still probably call you a nerd but they don't think its satanic anymore! Personally I listen to a couple different DnD podcasts and following along with other peoples games. I have a group I'm part of back home but its hard to meet after we all left collage so we usually meet up on one of the social media apps I was telling you about. " Eddie's face lit up with the news of DnD being less controversial. His face dropped for a second as he asked, "what about my side hustle? How is that activity seen? Oh! Also metal music? Do people think thats satanic still too?" He spewed off questions at you. Chuckling you mention how metal as well is more widely accepted and most popular 80s songs are metal songs. Its usually the style, besides the colorful workout gear, that people associate the 80s with. Moving to the subject of Eddies side hustle you pull out your cart to show him. "Most states legalized it and you can go to a shop called a dispensary like a smoke shop to get all kinds of flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, pipes, bongs, ect. That's a rechargeable cart. the battery pack heats up the concentrate and evaporates it. 5 clicks turns it on, 3 clicks to change the heat setting. Just hold the button while sucking in air. Some say its better than flower and joints but they also said that about e-cigarettes and that didn't turn out well," you chuckled to yourself, "some states its only legal in if you have a medical card for it. Honestly depending on how fancy it is it can feel like walking into a regular corner store but only smoking themed or walking into a fancy electronics store." Eddie absorbed the information and nodded. "No more stems and seeds when getting flower?" He questioned. You shook your head, "depends on the price but even the cheap stuff is still mostly flower, unless you live in a state where its not legal then probably still not the best." you explained while grabbing the cart back to take a hit. Holding the button and taking a deep breath in for a couple seconds you release the smoke away from everyones faces and hand it back to Eddie. "Try it if you want, all of you feel free to try it if you want." They all passed the cart around taking small puffs since the new age weed is so much stronger that their current weed.

Through small coughs Steve spoke up, "what about movies? How have effects gotten?" grabbing your laptop you pull up one of the movies you downloaded on itunes awhile back and starting the beginning. "They have gotten so impressive! some movies are more computer generated imagery, mainly known as CGI, than actual people and its really cool how real looking some can be. Though some companies as always are gonna be greedy and screw artists over and make so many changes way too close to release date and then release a movie with effects worse than bad horror movies." You chuckled. Everyone gathered around the computer screen focusing on the movie.

Smiling you scooted next to them on the couch, Eddie on one side and Robin on the other you settled in and focused on the movie, Steve and Robin especially giddy about the cool effects and sound design and screen quality. Eddie looked over at you while you scanned everyone else's faces for their reactions to the information you gave them.

"Thanks for showing us this cool stuff" Eddie softly nudged your arm and smiled down at you. "Its kinda fun having to explain stuff like this. Its so everyday in 2025 that it doesn't phase anyone anymore all the cool stuff we have." You explained. He nodded at you, "Sorry its under the circumstances of you being stuck in our time though..." Eddie mumbled. Chuckling you shook your head, "Yeah I miss my time but I like it here too. You all make it easier to be stuck in a different time," you motion to everyone, "especially you." you speak softly to him while the others pay attention to the laptop. His face softens at your words and gives a quick subtle smooch to the top of your head, both of your faces turning red before fully settling down on the couch. Yeah you may be stuck in 1984 but at least you found a cool group of people to get you through it.

AN: Thank youuuuuuu!!!!! again ik this is kinda a goofy idea but it was fun to write out and think about. I hope you enjoy it!! <3 please feel free to send story asks!

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Action Comics #1076 - I’m out. I can’t justify buying a weekly series that I’m not enjoying, the cost is too high. Waid delivers at least one good character beat an issue, for Clark anyway, but his plots are terrible. Henry simply doesn’t have enough time to make the art look good. Waid’s Kenan/Kon voices are seriously off-kilter, although Kon becoming Space Emperor of the Khunds is the first interesting direction for him since his return. I continue to enjoy the Kara backup but hopefully I can get a trade of it somewhere. What a disappointment this turned out to be from Waid, serious possibility that LDoLL is the final Superman story from him I buy. I genuinely believe that the election shredding his belief in Silver Age storytelling conventions might be the best thing that has ever happened to him as a writer. It’s time for him to evolve or retire.

World’s Finest #33 - Almost dropped this too but I’m holding off to see if that Jimmy story next issue can hold my interest.

Jenny Sparks #4 - I liked it. Glad Jenny got shocked when Carla actually killed Ronald, she’s been fairly smug and cynical about everything and that can get annoying if it’s never undermined. I’d say contrasting Obama bragging about how killing Bin Laden makes Western civilization safer with Jenny setting up one of the CEOs responsible for causing the Great Recession which basically destroyed millennials chances of upward mobility and revealed the hollowness of American capitalism is pretty heavy handed… except people seem to think King is writing an America Fuck Yeah story so maybe it’s not heavy handed ENOUGH. The point being that the methods of Obama, and Jenny who previously shared them, wherein you kill the “bastards” and use violence to make the world better is completely worthless when the world you’re aiming to protect is rotting from within.

Wonder Woman #15 - For a run that didn’t plan to use the WGs at all initially, King has done more than anyone else in recent memory to make me like them. Diana trusting Cheetah enough to interrogate someone did feel like a stretch, I dunno if I buy that she’d be that quick to trust Barbara to hold back. Great issue, and I loved the backup with Steve. I really am eager to see more of a deep dive into him as a character.

Ultimate Spider-Man #11 - Read this first and it’s probably why I’m harsh on Waid because this might be the platonic ideal of a Spider-Man issue. Perfect mix of superhero action and organic drama. Spidey gets to snark back at the civs who give him grief, show how much he’s grown as a hero via taking down a bunch of henchmen single-handedly, and when he loses it’s not because of incompetence or “Parker Luck”, but because Peter is too compassionate for his own good and doesn’t want to hurt the brainwashed people. Even gets some respect from the villains with Negative immediately recognizing that Spidey is someone he can’t control.

Meanwhile on the drama side, MJ reveals she’s freaking out beneath her mask of calm because seeing Peter arrive home all beaten and bloody hammers how serious the stakes are. Peter and MJ get a heart to heart conversation where they talk about their concerns like adults, and then they get horny because they love each other! With Ben at the end we get the reveal that he knows Peter is Spider-Man, and Ben again drives home how serious the danger is by asking Peter if he’s ready to die, which Peter answers in the negative. It’s great stuff! It’s Hickman deftly predicting every complaint people might have about this slow burn and responding accordingly! The first year of USM has been “the good times”, but now as we enter the second year the story is setting up Spidey for a fall. Someone is going to die, that much is clear, only question is who. Ben is the obvious choice, he even thinks it will be himself based on his talk with Peter, but right now I think it’s going to be Jonah who bites it.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (November 5-11, 2023)

Raven Banner has opened preorders for their impressive Shin Ultraman Blu-ray. I don't which is more surprising—the new subtitle translation for a movie that came out last year or a new audio commentary for a Toho kaiju film. Alex Rushdy and Kevin Derendorf recorded the commentary, so it's sure to be extremely informative. The film itself should look better than the Cleopatra release too, as it's on a 50 GB disc instead of a 25 GB.

ILM's animated Ultraman: Rising film has a teaser. Visuals are striking; dialogue seems generic, though there's not much to go on. I am naturally enthralled by the host playing baseball professionally. His uniform is weirdly logo-free, but he may be on the Yomiuri Giants, the "Yankees of Japan" who currently inhabit the Tokyo Dome. The New Tokyo Dome in the trailer has a powerful force field in place of a roof, though physical shielding can be seen moving into place later. You get the feeling that this city is pretty used to kaiju.

There's a new kaiju manga on the way from Hiro Nakamichi—Kaiju on the Earth: Volcanus. It's based on a 2019 board game where players manage the response to a kaiju attack, and the first chapter will go live on Shogakukan's Sunday Webry website on Christmas Eve. Hopefully an English scanlator or publisher picks it up.

The Ultraman Blazar manga, meanwhile, already has a scanlator on the job. I haven't had a chance to read much of it yet, but the art is quite impressive. And much further down the line, Marvel will be reprinting its 70s Godzilla comic as part of its Marvel Omnibus line next October. Their previous reprint of the series in 2006 was a black-and-white paperback with cheap paper; this promises to be an upgrade in every way. Seeing it with digitally reconstructed color will certainly be interesting too (h/t Maser Patrol).

A VR game called Godzilla Kaiju Wars dropped some screenshots just in time for (shameless plug) Wikizilla to squeeze it into our Megaguirus Kaiju Profile. Manda and some smaller, original enemies are also in it, and it should be showing up in arcades next year. Another Godzilla arcade game dropping in 2024 is the exceedingly silly-looking Godzilla vs. Kong Smasher. And while most everyone sharing them was relentlessly DMCA'd, a video and a few screenshots leaked out from the mobile game Godzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers. You control a team of humans instead of monsters, so that's already strike one. Cool to see a comic-exclusive monster (Death Jackal) in it though.

[beemynumberone]

All The Colours (3/7)

-> In which Idol!Minghao and Actress!OC convey their heartfelt messages through colours.

-> slowwwwburn romance. friends to lovers. no smut.

-> constructive feedback is always appreciated!

All pictures are from Pinterest, I do not own them.

Writer’s note: Hi! I am writing these scenarios to placate my active imagination and hopefully make someone’s day/night. I do not intend to hurt anyone/anything through this fic.

Thank you for picking up my story and happy reading!

Masterlist

*btw, Yile is pronounced as Yi Le (in Chinese pronunciation), it is not supposed to rhyme with Kyle

Part 3: Pink

Yile’s POV:

It was the day of the fashion show and Yile was excited.

There was a skip in her step as she headed to the fitting room, pink dress in tow. Pink. A colour that symbolised happiness and femininity. Even though meeting Minghao would be simply a matter of courtesy as he was the brand ambassador, she was determined to feel pretty while she did. Like Xinhui had advised, she could try her hand at socialising with people outside her workplace. Nothing too serious, it was only a matter of making new acquaintances.

She wanted to be acquaintances with him, that was all she merely wished for.

Yile then headed to the makeup room to complete her look. Since the dress was meant to express gracefulness and beauty, she decided to accessorise the look with pearls, shimmery pink lids and a baby pink pout. Twirling around in the room, she sighed happily. She loved being a girl.

Minghao’s POV:

D-Day had arrived. As brand ambassadors, Jeonghan and him had to arrive earlier in order to get well acquainted with the brand’s fashion designer and CEO, who had specially come down to meet them. Minghao felt honoured.

After getting their photos taken, Minghao and Jeonghan were ushered to the main hall with glasses of champagne and pleasantries. The main hall was a repurposed two storey carpark, ornamented with various standing tables in the first floor, complete with a mobile cocktail bar. Wires hung from the ceiling and their ends twisted intricately to form contemporary chandeliers.

“What’re you looking at?” Jeonghan whispered.

“The design of the hall is… how do I put it, charming.” Minghao answered.

“Well you might want to look at another charming view. She’s at the door.”

Minghao whipped his head around. One glance and the breath was knocked out of his lungs. Yile looked ethereal. She was dressed in a pink dress that fit her like a glove. It hugged her in all the right places and made her look like a princess. Yile glided up the steps onto the carpeted floor of the carpark, looking like she came straight out of a daydream. Minghao was entranced.

“Earth to Minghao. Let’s go greet her.” Jeonghan took Minghao’s hand as they made a beeline to the entrance.

Yile’s POV:

On the way to the venue, Yile fidgeted with her scarf. It was given to her for modesty if needed. Interrupting her thoughts, her phone pinged. It was her sister, a makeup artist for the runway show. Yile couldn’t be more proud of her.

Little mom: Hey sis, are you reaching soon? I’ve got 20 minutes until I’m up for last touch ups.

Me: Yep, we’re reaching in 5!

Unlike the last event, fashion was her métier. Yile felt more confident in the crowd. Plus, her sister was there for moral support.

The car reached the venue and Yile performed like clockwork. A doorman donned in a crisp black suit helped her out of the car onto the red carpet. Blinding lights flashed from a barrage of cameras and Yile gave a winsome smile, ending off with her signature curtsy.

The doors opened, inviting her in. And as they closed, the noise and lights from outside died down.

Yile closed her eyes and breathed deeply to collect herself. The ambience was peaceful with chatter and there was a faint floral scent in the air.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a duo clad in yellow and navy suits heading towards her. Yile marveled at their chic appearance. Jeonghan was clad in a silky navy suit that exuded elegance. Minghao on the other hand was dressed in the yellow suit. It might have looked obnoxious on another person but Minghao seemed quite at home in the cheery colour. Gold chain epaulettes scalloped around his shoulders. When he turned to pick a champagne flute from the waiter, Yile saw a matching chain criss-crossed on his back, forming a corset to ornament his backless blazer.

Her first instinct: To run

How was she going to handle this foine (insert lip bite) excuse of a man heading straight towards her? Forget finding her sister and mingling around. She was going to book it out of this place ASAP.

Minghao’s POV:

Yile looked warily at him. Minghao wanted to crawl into a hole. But here he was, sight set on Yile with Jeonghan in tow. He couldn’t bring himself to avoid her.

Jeonghan whispered, “Pearls don’t lie on the seashore Minghao. If you want one, you must dive for it.”

As they approached Yile, Minghao could hear his heart drumming in his chest. He grabbed a champagne flute for liquor courage.

“Um hi” Yile breathed. Unable to stand the sight of the two tiptoeing around each other, Jeonghan covertly excused himself with a smile, saying he needed to attend to something.

And just like that, they were alone.

WhatdoIdowhatdoI- Minghao was snapped from his thoughts.

Yile broke the silence. “Hi Minghao, congratulations on being brand ambassador. I love your ‘fit. It’s really eye catching.”

Inwardly, Yile was screaming. ‘Fit?? Why was she trying to sound cool (and failing).

“Oh er thanks.” Minghao scratched his nape, “I thought of doing something similar to what you did the last time we met.”

Yile blushed. The8, the fashionista of SVT and major fashion role model, took inspiration from her?

“Wow I’m honoured. What does your-”

“Uriye bameun sel su eopneun…”

If Yile was pink before, she was positively red now. She forgot to silence her phone!

Fumbling, Yile fished out the offending item. Minghao being the gentleman he was, stepped aside to give her privacy.

Yile ended her conversation on the phone quickly. She apologised, “Minghao, I’m so sorry but my sister is waiting to meet me. She’s here as a makeup artist. So sorry again! Maybe we can continue talking later?”

Minghao didn’t want to let her go but conceded anyway.

Jeonghan appeared beside Minghao. “She has good music taste. Don’t look so sullen, you’ll find plenty more opportunities to meet her!”

Minghao nodded, thinking. If Yile’s sister was here as a makeup artist, what would the chances be that he could contact Yile through the network of makeup artists? Surely in this day and age of people tracking down even criminals through social media, he could too.

But then what would he tell Yile? That he wanted to be friends with her because he admired her spirit? That he liked that they were both on the same wavelength in using colours as self expression? That whenever he caught sight of her, it seemed like she was the only person in the room and there seemed to be an unexplainable attraction between them so he could never pull his eyes away from her?

“Hyung, is there a way for me to reach Yile discreetly?”

Yile’s POV:

The guests were ushered to the second floor of the carpark for the runway show. The theme of the event was ‘Beauty in a Garden’ and the venue did not disappoint.

The elevated catwalk was lined with rose bushes which, according to the event manager, were locally grown for this purpose and were going to be sold to raise funds for a non-profit organisation after the event.

The designs themselves were created with Peruvian insects in mind. And in line with the theme, each guest was handed a flower which species could be found in Peru. Yile found this rather endearing and unique.

She fiddled with the flower in her hand - a pink and yellow Peruvian lily. It was a hassle to hold the stalk while talking, so she decided to pin it onto her dress. That was when she noticed something odd with her flower.

The other guests were holding various colourful flowers - Heliconias, Hibiscuses, Marigolds and more. But all the colourful buds were on stems. Actual stems, in different shades of green. Yile however, did have a flower (it was real she had fondled its velvet surface to check) but its stem was wrapped in green paper.

The fashion show was a success. Yile oohed and aahed as she watched the iridescent outfits pass by. Mesmerised, she forgot about the odd looking flower stalk she held.

A while ago…

Minghao’s POV:

Minghao racked his brain. He had heard of the infamous Inkigayo sandwiches. But was he going to stoop that low for a lady he just met? Yes he was. He was cooked.

Jeonghan offered to talk to the event manager. After some negotiation, he came back with a lily. A pink and yellow one, Minghao noted.

“The last touch ups start in 10 minutes, hurry.” Jeonghan handed the flower to him.

Minghao wrote his message down with the materials given to him by Jeonghan, who miraculously procured green paper and a pen. He wrapped the paper around the stalk of the lily and kissed it for good luck. Then, he sprayed hairspray as an adhesive (desperate times call for desperate measures) and passed it to his makeup artist who was on standby.

His makeup artist raised a questioning brow but didn’t prod further. The fateful lily was then passed backstage to Yile’s sister. Who made a mental note to have a 1 to 1 with the guy and sprayed a little more hairspray for good measure. To firmly secure the paper, she sealed it with gemstone glue.

Yile’s POV:

“Hey little sis, here’s a flower. It’s for you to keep as part of the runway’s theme.”

“But I’ve gotten one already.”

“That one’s… a little shabby. Maybe take this one instead.”

“Huh, but this isn’t that worn out.”

“Just exchange it with me. Please?”

“Whatever floats your boat.”

Back to the present (pun intended :P):

In the car, Yile took the paper off, which had been thoroughly doused with hairspray and was now crackling open.

“Hi, im MH frm 17. Bcm friens? grn=Y, red=X”

[blazehedgehog]

Most obvious question in the world, maybe, but hey, I'm interested! What'd ya think of today's Sonic Central?

There was a part of me that really regretted watching it. They definitely had a lot to announce, but a LOT of it was like...

Mobile games I hate (because of f2p mechanics) or cannot play (because they are in Apple Arcade jail).

Merchandise I either can't afford (Lego), don't want (a motorcycle helmet) or don't have space for (statues and action figures).

After a while I started to get that melted brain feeling like when you watch too many late night infomercials in a row. I could feel my fight or flight mechanism trying to kick in. Framing one of them as an actual infomercial did not help.

The two ones of most interest were, one, the Sonic x DC crossover.

We're going to be getting two years (24 issues?) of some sort of alternate universe where The Justice League is made up of Sonic characters. I don't know what to make of it, but I'm willing to keep an open mind about it.

There's a part of me that wonders if this is Sega testing the waters just in case IDW folds -- my understanding is they aren't very stable right now, but then I suppose the same could be said of a lot of the North American comics industry. I don't read much outside of Sonic, but I absorb some degree of the culture through my friends, and I know Marvel and DC aren't doing super well in the comics space either right now, and that's been an ongoing, long term issue (long enough term that it's been cited as the driving reason Marvel pivoted to the MCU over a decade ago, since the comics biz has been suffering so much for so long).

I floated "maybe Sega is shopping around in case IDW folds" in a Discord earlier and was told pretty definitively that's unlikely, and I think that's fair. You never know, but DC also did that ridiculous Looney Tunes crossover series a few years ago.

They just do weird stuff like this. Which is nice, really. More power to them.

The other notable thing being more information about Sonic X Shadow Generations. A peek at Mephiles, a look at more levels and bosses, and the possibility that through the time distortion Shadow finds himself in, he may be able to see and interact with Maria and Gerald again. There's mention of "correcting the timeline," which could mean a lot of things. I'm used to hearing that in comic books, where it means "we get to clean up clutter we don't like."

Speaking as someone who does not like their involvement in the story, would be funny if Shadow Generations ends with Shadow somehow making it so Gerald never made a deal with the aliens. In theory it wouldn't change our Shadow; for the same reason that in Sonic 06, defeating Iblis in the past did not get rid of him in Silver's future (see also: "Classic Sonic is from another dimension.") But I think it would be cool to say "I didn't just kill him, I erased him from the timeline."

But yeah. It continues to look cool. Cool enough that I preemptively spent my Twitch earnings to pre-order the game after the show. I won't get paid those earnings for another three weeks, but it's fine. Hopefully.

I guess they also announced they're going to be putting up the Shadow Origin series for free on Youtube starting today, when it originally sounded like those would be exclusive to the Digital Deluxe on PS5. Now the Digital Deluxe is merely getting "extended and deleted scenes." At least they'll be included with the game this time, unlike most of the other animations Sega's put out to promo a new game.

But it's very telling that their "one more thing" was a Sonic movie 3 feature that was basically just one of the... producers? writers? director? standing on the backlot telling us "the movie is going to be so good you guys" while interspersed with clips from the one and only trailer we've seen. I can feel myself being carried away on everyone else's hype for that movie, but the realistic expectations in my heart is that, bare minimum, I personally won't like it.

Outside of that first movie I haven't felt like this series has been put together very well and I could see it all crashing and burning with this third movie.

[numinousmysteries]

Vanquish by Wisdom Hellish Wiles (9/9)

On AO3 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

@today-in-fic

I started this story in October 2017 after first seeing the season 11 trailer, forgot about it for six years, and then finally finished it. Compared to what some other amazing writers in this fandom are creating, it's honestly not great, but coming back to it helped me remember that writing can be fun. I hope to keep writing and hopefully keep improving. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy my vision for how the show could have ended.

As a baby, William moved the mobile above his crib using his mind. As a teenager, he employed his psychic powers to save his birth parents’ lives by spontaneously killing an entire cadre of black ops forces and, presumably, the smoking man and Reyes as well. And yet, in Scully’s mind, neither of those facts were the most impressive thing about her son.

To her, it was simply that he was there—alive and in front of her in the flesh. She wanted to stop time and catalog every detail of his body the way she and Mulder did days after he was born, laying him out on her bed and silently marveling at his tiny toes, chubby limbs, and rosebud mouth. She wanted to run her hands over his face and memorize every feature. Her baby was almost a man and he was just as perfect to her as the day he was born.

There was so much that she missed and so much she doesn’t know. When did he take his first steps? What’s his favorite food? Was he a cautious rule-follower like herself or was he constantly pushing the limits like his father? She’d never get those years back and she’d never forgive herself for giving him away, but in that moment all that mattered was that they were together again.

Mulder’s eyes reflected her astonishment back at her. In their almost 30 years together, they’d learned to communicate without words. A glance, a wink, or a nod could convey missives of emotion. As they stood in the driveway, too stunned to move, she could tell he was as overwhelmed—by shock, by love, by awe—as she was.

“Come on,” William said. “There might be others coming. Let’s go.”

Her son’s voice. Low and deep like his father’s.

“Yeah, Scully,” Mulder said, reaching for her hand. “We better get going.”

She could only nod in response and let Mulder lead them both back to their car.

“You call each other by your last names,” William said. She could tell it wasn’t a question but him logging a fact about them, or confirming one he had already sensed.

“We work together,” Scully said. “And it just stuck.”

William nodded. She was grateful he didn’t ask any questions about her and Mulder’s current relationship that she couldn’t answer. Working together the past couple of months had been good for them. They’d found their old rhythm and had been spending more time together outside of work as well, but she hadn’t felt ready to move back in yet.

Back at the car, Scully realized she didn't know where they’d go. Would they bring William back to DC with them? If colonization was imminent, she needed to get started on developing a vaccine as soon as possible.

“Can we go get my parents?” William asked, as if reading her mind. “They’re probably worried about me.”

Mulder smiled. “Sure,” he said.

“Sorry,” William said sheepishly. “I mean my adoptive parents. That’s just…what I’ve always called them.”

“Don’t apologize, William,” said Scully, even though she admitted to herself that it cut like a knife to hear her son refer to strangers as his parents. “I’m thankful you were placed with a good family who took care of you all these years.”

“Yeah,” Mulder responded. “And I do imagine they’d be worried about you.”

******

They arrived in Wyoming the following morning. William slept on the plane but Mulder and Scully, sitting on either side of him, stayed awake—both keeping guard and watching him in awe.

“This is where you grew up?” Scully asked, after William directed them to a small but well-kept farmhouse.

“Yup, lived here my whole life—well, that I can remember.”

Scully nodded. His childhood must’ve been so different from the one she could’ve given him. Instead of living in a city, he had fields to run and roam in. She wondered if he played baseball like his father and what kind of games he invented for himself when he was little to stay busy in this wide open space.

As they approached the house they noticed the front door was open and the screen door was swinging on its hinges.

“Do your parents normally leave the door open like that?” Mulder asked.

“No,” William said. “That’s weird.”

“I’m going to go check it out,” Mulder said, reaching for his gun. “You two wait in the car.”

It was the first time Scully was alone with her son since finding him the night before. She sat in the passenger seat stealing glimpses of him in the rearview mirror.

“This must be a lot to take in,” she said.

William shrugged his shoulders. “I always knew I was different. Monica told me about you guys.”

Scully swallowed. She wanted to ask Wiliam so many questions but it was impossible to even know where to start. How do you make up for fifteen years—an entire life in his case? She had once known every inch of skin on his tiny body and now he was essentially a stranger. Did he have any scars? Any broken bones? She didn’t know what he liked to eat or his favorite movie.

“Have you ever seen The Exorcist?” he asked from the backseat, startling Scully.

“It’s one of my favorite movies,” she said.

“Me too. My parents don’t watch any horror movies but I started downloading some classics and I love them.”

“William, were you reading my thoughts just now? Why did you bring up The Exorcist?”

“I guess I had a sense of what you were thinking,” he said. “It’s not so clear cut like listening to someone talk out loud but I get sentiments and sometimes words. It’s strong with you. And Mulder, too.”

“Could you read your parents like that?”

“Yeah, I got better at it over time.”

Mulder emerged alone from the house. He jogged back to the car and knocked on Scully’s window, gesturing for her to come with him. She followed him to the front porch.

“Scully, there are two bodies inside. A middle-aged white male and female. Looks like gunshot wounds. I think I can guess who they are and I’d rather not ask William to have to identify them.”

“Shit,” Scully said. “What do we do?”

They heard William’s car door open and watched as he came to stand with them. “They’re dead, aren’t they?”

“Oh, William,” Scully sighed.

“I had a feeling,” he said, looking down at his sneakers.

“Is there anyone else we should try to find? Any other family or friends?” Mulder asked.

William shook his head. He was still looking down but Scully could see him starting to cry.

“I’m so sorry, William,” Scully said. She embraced her son and felt his tears dampening her blouse. Mulder stepped closer and wrapped his arms around both of them.

They were three broken people. Parents who’d lost their child and a child who’d lost his parents, but somehow they were also a family. They just had to find a way to pick up the pieces and find each other once again.

*****

Mulder and Scully offered to move to William’s hometown in Wyoming for him to finish up high school and start their vaccine research there, but he felt no connection to the place without his adopted parents. If anything, he was desperate for a fresh start. His old town was filled with reminders of what he’d lost.

So instead Wiliam moved into their home in Virginia. It was an older, more rundown house but he could tell they had made it a home. He preferred that it wasn’t in the heart of the city because it was less of a dramatic change from his childhood home. Mulder explained that he and Scully had been giving each other some space and she had her own apartment, but as soon as they were back from Wyoming she started every night at the house and slowly moved her belongings back.

There was a spare room on the second floor for him to move his things into.

“I know this is uncomfortable,” said Scully, showing him to his room. “We love you so much, but we know you’re still just getting to know us. I don’t want to rush you into anything you’re not ready for.”

“What was in here before?” William said.

“Nothing,” Mulder said. “We never spoke about it, but I think we both hoped you’d be here one day.”

They’d had nearly everything from his old bedroom shipped out to Virginia to try to make the transition smooth. At first he told them he didn’t mind starting over, but as he sat in his new-old room he realized he appreciated the small comforts of home—his snow globe collection, his family photos, and his worn-in baseball glove.

“We should have a catch sometime,” Mulder said, picking up the glove.

“I’d like that.”

They had a lot of work to do. They were racing against an unseen clock to beat the invasion. Scully had already taken blood and saliva samples from William to try to isolate his alien DNA to create a vaccine. They had some old associates who were going to help with the science but there was still the issue of convincing the entire global population to take a vaccine to prevent the colonization of the planet–without inciting mass panic.

William had faith in his birth parents, though. Every night they told him about their old cases which never failed to thrill him. And each day the awkward silences between the three of them started filling up with inside jokes, spirited arguments, and stories of the past that helped close the fifteen-year gap since the last time they were together.

They were careful about giving him space and typically after dinner he’d retreat to his room while his parents sat and talked on the front porch. He couldn’t hear what they were saying but it was comforting to hear their voices drifting up through his bedroom window.

One night around a month after moving in, he decided to join them outside. Scully smiled and scooted over, making room for him to sit in between them on the bench.

“I know you guys keep saying I don’t have to thank you for taking me in,” William started, “but I really do appreciate it. Growing up, I never thought I’d meet you or that if I did… you wouldn’t want anything to do with me because of…who I am and what I can do.”

“William, we love you for being exactly who you are. As I’m sure you’ve started to realize, the two of us aren’t exactly the picture of normalcy either. I think, together, we make a great team,” said Scully.

“Now we just have to save the world,” William said smiling.

“No pressure, right?” Mulder chuckled.

His parents draped their arms around him from either side and he felt himself relaxing against them. For the first time in his life he felt like he was exactly where he should be.

[manonamora-if]

Retrospective 2023

Like last year, long image below, with the text of the image under the Read More. You can find all the mentioned works or relevant links on my pinned post.

The format for this retrospective will be similar to last year, save for the image design (it's good to switch it up a bit). There will be a lot, so I'm making it digestible again :P

The goal for this year was to:

Get things off my desk and shelf it for good.

Because I had too many ongoing WIPs and games whose state I wasn't completely happy. I also wanted to avoid creating new projects (if I could stop myself) to focus on those projects.

As the infographic above shows... I didn't really manage either? I've shelved a couple more projects (Goncharov Escapes! mainly) but also added many more titles to my name through the comps and jams happening this year.

On the plus side: I've finished stuff!... by making tiny IF bites xD - I think I've achieved a new level of understanding of SugarCube through making the Guide, the templates, and experimenting with it. - I also tried a handful new IF programs (Adventuron, Ink, Binksi/Bitsy), which makes me want to try other programs - there are a lot of fun ones out there!

More importantly, I think I made last year one of my best game so far: DOL-OS. I was pretty happy with it when I submitted it to the Concours (and won first place!!), but this remastered version really made it into something I am incredibly proud of. I don't know if I'll ever make a game this good - I hope I do. Anyway, go play it, peeps.

This new year's expectations are fairly similar to last years: finish the WiPs, shelve remastered version, and update the large projects. Hopefully The Trials and Tribulations of Edward Harcourt is MelS gets back his free time. And if time/frustrated, make a few short bites. I'm also going to continue organising jams (@seedcomp-if currently, and with the @neointeractives) and review more IF games (esp covering jams) over at @manonamora-if-reviews.

Anyway, thank you for the continued support last year! Thanks to yall reviewers, commenters, raters, likers, and lurkers! <3

Transcript Image

Retrospective 2023

As you can see... I've barely followed my 2023 Resolutions. Although it has been a very busy year, I did not manage to finish or Update many older projects... But Here's What I've Done!

JANUARY

SeedComp! : End of Round 1, start of Round 2.

Release of Chapter 3 of The Trials and Tribulations of Edward Harcourt

Release of the Settings Template for SugarCube

Release of DOL-OS, for the French IF Comp

FEBRUARY

P-Rix - Space Trucker now available on mobile

Release of The Rye in the Dark City

Start of Code-Fix of CRWL

MARCH

Release of the Space/Tech Template for SugarCube

DOL-OS won the French IF Comp

SeedComp! : End of Round 2, Voting starts

APRIL

Release of The Roads not Taken, a parser made in Twine for the SpringThing

Announcement of the Results of the SeedComp!

Release of À la Campagne.

Interviewed for DOL-OS and AlC.

Released source code of old MtP versions.

MAY

Release of Chapter 4 of The Trials and Tribulations of Edward Harcourt.

À la Campagne ranked 2nd in the Twine Server Spring Jam.

Start of the Anti-Romance Jam.

Start of @manonamora-if-reviews.

Release of Entre-D'oeufs Coquilles + An Eggcellent Preparation (translation)

Release source code of SPS IH, EC, TRNT

JUNE

120+ entries submitted to the Neo Twiny Jam

Release of Mission: Anti-Romance (Prompt)

Release of Collision, Intersigne and Clarence Street, 14. for the Neo Twiny Jam.

Pre-release of The SugarCube Guide

JULY

Start of the Single Choice Jam

Release of the VN-lite RPG template

Update for the SugarCube Templates and the Tweego/CScript Guide

AUGUST

Update of Clarence Street, 14. (V French)

Release source code for Collision, Intersigne, and Clarence Street, 14.

Update forThe SugarCube Guide

Release of Goncharov Escapes! The Remaster.

Release of The Dinner.

SEPTEMBER

Release of the Remaster and Translation of DOL-OS (English translation + New content)

Start of the Bare-Bones Jam.

OCTOBER

Release of In the Blink of an Eye

Start of reviews of the IF-Comp

Release of La Petite Mort The Remaster

Start of the first Round of the SeedComp!

NOVEMBER

Release of Tower of Sleep

Reviews of the InkJam, EctoComp and BareBones

Start of the ShuffleComp

Release of Ode To Pissaladière [Zine]

Release of the Character Creator Template

DECEMBER

Release of multiple prompts for the SeedComp!

Start of the Second Round of the SeedComp!

Completed Release of The SugarCube Guide

Release of the Title Page Template

Release of Dévoiement

2024 EXPECTATIONS

Actual Completion of WiPs, namely Exquisite Cadaver, P-Rix and The Rye

Finished Remaster for The Roads not Taken, An Eggcellent Preparation (EN + FR), The Dinner

Update of other WiPs (CRWL + TTATEH) at least one chapter

Some Short Game/Content Release (for short jams)

Returning and NEW IF game jams (SeedComp! and Neo-Interactive Jams)

More Game Reviews (especially Comp/Jam coverage)

More Templates? Maybe another Guide?

[cloakedsparrow]

Hi. This blog looks cool. How do I get into the bat family? I've looked at some stuff online but I didn't really understand and read some of the Wayne family adventures but I don't really know what order I should read the comics into.

Thanks @thisisbjustmehyperfixating! That really depends on what era/continuity you're intrtested in. There are a few distict different ones (although they do all tie together to some degree). I mostly read New Earth/Post-Crisis era stuff. Wayne Family Adventures isn't a good jumping on point for the comics as it seems geared more toward fandom fans than comic fans and doesn't seem to follow any canon continuity/characterization, from what I've seen.

There's a four part story called Batman: Year Three (Batman issues #436-439), which I think is a good jumping on point for New Earth bat family, as it introduces Dick/Robin while also showing some of Bruce's early Bat career.

Batman: The Cult is a really interesting story wherein Batman loses before the big win and Jason (as Robin) picks up the slack. Then, Batman #424 & #425 showcases Bruce & Jason's issues that lead to Batman: A Death in the Family (Batman #426-429).

The Mud Pack story (Detective Comics #604-607) showcases Bruce's headspace after Jason's death well and is a good read before Tim's introduction, I think.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (Batman: #140-142 & The New Titans #60 &61) introduces Tim and really kicks off the bat family as it's generally known today.

Batman Annual #13 (1989) shows how Alfred ended up helping to shape Batman and why he stayed after Bruce started his crusade. It also shows that JASON was in fact the first Robin to wear pants and has some nice moments with Babs & Commissioner Gordon.

Batman #456 & 457 really kicks off Tim's Robin run. His first three mini series introduce a lot of great characters (I personally love Huntress) and concepts, too. They're collected in the trades Robin: Tragedy & Triumph and Robin: A Hero Reborn. The latter also has Batman #456 & 457 in it, so it's a good deal.

I'm personally a big fan of Batman: Dark Victory and Batman: Haunted Knight. I just love the way the Rogues are used in those stories.

Nightwing: Alfred's Return is a good story that focuses on those two named characters without Batman's immediate presence.

Batman: Son of the Demon (1987) showcases the relationship between Bruce and Talia nicely, gives some much needed history on her, and includes the original story of how they had a child together.

Batgirl #1-6 (2000) are packed full of information on Cassndra; they cover her background with David Cain, her language barrier, her fighting prowless and reason for fighting, as well as showing her relationships with Babs and Bruce.

I cannot reccomend the first 20-30 issues of Batman: Gotham Knights (2000) enough for bat family content. Several of the early issues include journal enteries or letters written by members of the family to showcase their feelings/relationships in a way they wouldn't otherwise express them. The story with Hugo Strange is peak Dick & Tim bat brother bonding. The issue with Cassandra really shows how alike she and Bruce are. You have issues that showcase Babs' relatipnship with some of the bats and ones that cover the Dick & Slade weirdness.

Red Hood: The Lost Days and Batman: Death and the Maidens take place before Batman: Under the Red Hood and I feel are really needed to understand Jason and Talia's side of the story, as UtRH is (understandably, since the story was first published in the Batman ongoing) very Batman focused.

I'm going to leave that here for now as it's getting a bit long and mobile is being a pain. Hopefully that gives you an idea of where to start looking for the stuff you see here on my blog. ^_^

[amloveabledeathmo]

It's very hard to come to terms with health issues. I do not feel comfortable calling myself disabled or with using mobility devices. I always feel like some secret police are going to show up and decide it's not bad enough for me to say or do that.

Have some discoveries about health and mental health that I found out within the last idk decade or less.

* The actual baseline for pain in most people is 0. I thought it was mild aches and pains and discomfort.

* Majority of 9 yr olds did not consider suicide or spend weeks trying to write a suicide note because they could not figure out how to address it. I finally went with to whom it may concern and promptly read every bottle of pills we had to find the most likely result would be organ damage not death.

* Related to above apparently people don't make multiple plans for suicide and even if you have made plans in the past you are supposed to forget them? Maybe? Idk Dr's are like so do still have a plan, well yes I've made so many plans I can't just all of the sudden not have a plan like they were already made idk what you want me to say.

* People don't have to hunch over the sink to do dishes because of back pain. It's not being lazy.

* Otc pain pills actually do help people and its not just the social convention to take 2 and lie about it working at all.

* A majority of people don't feel physically nauseated and trembley when thinking about being alone in public or at Dr's or when making phone calls.

* Habits are an actual thing that lots of people can make and not just a fakey fake thing to make you feel guilty and stupid.

* It's not supposed to be that hard to read people's interest and dislike. I have never been able to tell what relationships are without being told the other person's opinion.

* Having to make a story/dream sonyou can sleep and hopefully not have nightmares is unusual. I did that for as far back as I can remember, too bad it really doesn't work anymore.

* Food is not stressful or tiring to even think about for most people most of the time.

* Related to above most people don't get sick of a food mid chew and have to spit it out and then take years before being able to eat it again.

Pretty sure there is more absolutely shocking things to me but can not remember at this time.

[hotfuss]

hello!! I have a few questions if that’s okay..? first question, do you know anything about the K thingy? the one they have on set! I’m planning to make my own (a much shorter version!) so do you know anything about it, the side detailing etc etc. also, in the Miss Atomic Bomb music video, do you have a screenshot of the scene where Izabella is dancing? it’s quite a specific scene and I’m not sure how to describe it, sorry!

first of all it's always ok to send me asks... this made me so happy, like we were back when there was a still thriving fandom on tumblr! 😭 second of all that seems quite a nice project i hope it turns out fine!!

now to answer your questions: the k debuted as a keyboard stand decoration for the day & age tour and after that has been consistently used for any off tour performance (2016 to any 2017 show before the official start of the ww tour, 2019 shows etc). for photo references the best is to just browse my the k stand at https://hotfuss.tumblr.com/archive/tagged/the%20k or https://hotfuss.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20k if you are on desktop/browser or just type #the k on the search bar of my blog if you are on mobile!

additionally sunsets and neonlights used to make nice hd edits of pics and mostly close ups, so it's worth browsing their d&a tag too if needed. i'm the only freak with an overly detailed tagging system so that's a more general era tag tho. but you can check it at https://sunsets-and-neonlights.tumblr.com/archive/tagged/day%20%26%20age and https://sunsets-and-neonlights.tumblr.com/tagged/day%20%26%20age!

for the mab video i took some screenshots and i'm posting them under the read more, hopefully there's the one you are looking for!

[scarfacemarston]

So, I really need advice. Nothing triggering at all, but I’m so crushed right now. I would appreciate anyone’s help or opinions, but people who have dealt with difficult graduate experiences or workplace issues might understand this situation more, but I’m desperate for anyone willing to help. Putting it under read more so I can give context. Hopefully the readmore will show up for mobile, too.

I have been stuck on my thesis for an entire year due in part because my advisor would only send a few emails throughout the year.

My advisor would also agree on one thing and completely change direction and claim that is not what we spoke about. Unfortunately much of this was on zoom so I lack concrete proof.

They were also not listening to the direction I wanted to go into my thesis. My specialty is historic preservation, theirs is general public history. I went to my historic preservation professor and asked if they would take over since my concentration of study and I had taken so many classes with them. My advisor’s plan leaves me with 0 pages and his plan allowed me to have 60 pages finished because of the directions they want.

After finishing some work with my proposal, the historic preservationist responds that they are not the director and that the advisor is. We had two conversations and emails about it.

Now he says it never happened. I’m crushed. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I could have graduated last year if my advisor had actually worked with me at all, but they didn’t.

Now I have to start from scratch instead of being so close to being finished.

What do I do? This thesis has been affecting my mental health for a year to the point I was getting sick and this was finally my ray of hope.

I understand that some might say go talk to a therapist but there aren’t any available that are accepting patients and I can’t afford it. I’m very intimidated by this professor despite them being so helpful most of the time so that makes it hard to talk to them.

Edit: I forgot to say, this advisor essentially pushed me into my topic which is something I’m not that interested in to begin with, but they made me feel as though I couldn’t say no