#i can understand it perfectly fine still!!

[setmeatopthepyre]

mystery monday (more phosphorescence fic) part 1 | part 2 <- follows directly after this

-

“No, come on, listen. You saw him on that call, you-- you must have noticed. He wasn't okay. How was he suddenly just... fine, just a few weeks later? It was like he'd-- he'd forgotten about me, Chim.”

“Look, Buck...” Chimney is looking at him kindly, and Buck hates it. Chim jokes and doesn't take him too seriously, that's what he does, that's what Buck's used to from his brother-in-law. But this isn't joking. This is just the... the not-taking-him-seriously part. “I know this has been a really tough situation for you...”

“It-It's not because he broke my heart, alright?” Buck says, suddenly angry, frustrated, getting to his feet. “It's not. There's something wrong with him. Can't-- Can't you just, talk to him? See for yourself?”

Chimney's gotten to his feet now, too. Maybe in an attempt to even the playing field, keep Buck from towering over him, not that standing up does him much good in that regard. Buck feels a little guilty, but he can't-- he can't sit down, can't sit still right now. He begins to make his way to the kitchen. Turns. “Wait, have you talked to him at all?”

Chim crosses his arms over his chest. “Honestly? Not really. We texted a few times, right after... you know.”

“He dumped me?” Buck says flatly, feet carrying him forward. He helps himself to a glass of water.

“Yeah.” Chim says hesitantly, trails after him into the kitchen. “That. So, not recently.”

Buck can feel the way he's being watched, resolutely doesn't turn to face him yet, takes a second to let this-- this irritation subside. If Chimney would just believe him, if he'd just understand--

“Okay,” Chimney says. “Yes, fine. If you think that will help, I'll... I'll give Tommy a call. Okay?”

“Yeah?” He turns now, takes a few steps closer, trying to gauge if Chimney actually believes him, or...

“Of course,” Chim replies. “That's what brothers are for, right?” He gives Buck a pat on his shoulder, as though trying to really lay the brother thing on thick. as if Buck won't notice he's still looking at him like he's someone to be concerned about as he does it.

..

So it doesn't surprise Buck when Maddie spontaneously drops by the firehouse the next day, because she just so happened to be in the area.

“Don't listen to her, she's here for me,” Buck says with a sigh, earning him a round of raised eyebrows from everyone but Chimney, who has his best (worst) poker face on. He had cornered Chimney earlier that morning to check if he'd talked to Tommy yet, but apparently Tommy hadn't answered because he was on shift, which is fine, though Buck knows Tommy is perfectly capable of picking up the phone when he's on shift as long as he isn't actively on a call. But. Whatever. Chimney will try again later, and until then... Buck is apparently being babysat.

“I'm here for all of you,” Maddie retorts before sing-songing, “I brought fancy coffees!”

“Maddie Han, you are an angel. You should ditch your lousy husband and run away with me,” Chimney croons, accepting the cup she offers him. Buck sticks to where he's leaning against the rig, waiting for his sister to finish her little charade so she can corner him and look at him with those-- those big brown worried eyes, and tell him she knows it's tough but isn't it time he thought about moving on? He'd shot his shot, he'd texted Tommy. If he hadn't responded, then, well...

He should take the hint.

Buck knows that. He just... can't. Not when something so very clearly isn't right.

Even if he's the only one who seems to notice.

-

tag list below the cut

@fiyaerrigan @bisexualbrainrots @leashybebes @louuieferrignojr @rubydaiquiri @teabroomsandbooks @crimsonwildcat-blog @sweaters-and-silly

let me know if you wanna be added or removed :)

[isaadore]

MR. AND MRS. PERFECTLY FINE LUKE HUGHES

‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎ pairing luke hughes x reader

SUMMARY you and luke were the nhl’s golden couple; young, beautiful, and deeply in love. your wedding was named the wedding of the century, and when you welcomed your son, liam, the world saw nothing but a perfect family. but behind closed doors, perfection was an illusion. the man you once trusted with your whole heart started confiding in someone else, leaving you feeling like a stranger in your own marriage. now, you’re playing pretend for the sake of your child, but how long can you keep up the act before the cracks become too deep to repair? word count 1.7k

warnings heavy angst, emotional cheating, marriage issues

note i cried while writing this ☹️ u guys know i can't be too nice and write fluff all the time... the title is a reference to taylor's song, "mr. perfectly fine"!

LH43 MASTERLIST MAIN MASTERLIST

THE CAMERA FLASHES were blinding, but you didn’t flinch. You had mastered this performance, smiling just wide enough and standing just close enough to Luke to make it believable. To the rest of the world, you were still that couple.

Liam was nestled in your arms, his small fingers curling into the fabric of your dress as he yawned. Luke had one hand resting on your back, the other adjusting the little Devils hat sitting atop Liam’s dark curls. A perfect family photo.

“You guys look amazing,” one of the photographers gushed. “Seriously, still the best-looking couple in the NHL.”

You forced a laugh. “Oh, stop,” you said, brushing a hand over Liam’s back.

Luke chuckled beside you, his voice smooth and relaxed. But only you knew it was rehearsed. “I mean, she makes it easy,” he teased, sending you a grin that made your stomach twist.

It was second nature now: pretending, smiling, playing the role of the wife who still adored her husband. For Liam’s sake, for Luke’s career, for the image you had spent years curating.

But the truth sat heavy in your chest behind the practiced smiles and forced public appearances.

Luke was no longer yours.

The car ride home was quiet. Liam had fallen asleep in his car seat, his little snores filling the silence. Luke was driving, one hand lazily gripping the wheel, the other tapping against his thigh.

“You okay?” he asked after a while, sparing you a glance.

You scoffed softly, looking out the window. “You really wanna ask me that?”

His fingers clenched around the wheel. “Look, I know—”

“Do you?” you cut in, turning to face him. “Because I don’t think you do, Luke.”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he said nothing. Just stared at the road ahead like if he looked at you, he’d have to face what he did.

What he ruined.

You exhaled sharply, shaking your head. “I just—I keep thinking about it. How long did it take before she became the one you turned to instead of me?”

“Come on, don’t do this,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

“No, I wanna know.” Your voice wavered, but you pushed through. “Was it when I was up all night with Liam while you were on the road? Or was it when I told you I felt like we were losing each other and you said I was overthinking it?”

Luke swallowed hard, his knuckles white on the wheel. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what was it like?”

Silence.

You let out a bitter laugh. “Right. Thought so.”

Luke sighed, pressing his lips together like he was debating his next words carefully. “I never meant to hurt you.”

You turned back toward the window, the streetlights blurring together as tears welled in your eyes. “Yeah, well. You did.”

Pretending was easier in front of Liam.

At four years old, he was too young to understand why Mommy and Daddy were different now. Why there were nights Luke didn’t come home and why your smiles didn’t reach your eyes anymore.

So you did what you had to. Held Luke’s hand at Liam’s hockey practices. Sat beside him at team events. Let him kiss your temple when cameras were near, even when the touch burned.

And when Liam was asleep, when the house was quiet, you sat on opposite ends of the bed, drowning in unspoken words. Drowning in what could have been.

You still loved him. God, you still loved him.

But he had chosen someone else.

Maybe not in the way that left lipstick stains on his collar or unfamiliar perfume on his skin. But he had given parts of himself, parts that were yours, to another woman. And that was something you couldn’t forgive.

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER

Liam had been asleep for over an hour, his favourite stuffed dinosaur tucked under his arm, the steady rise and fall of his little chest the only thing keeping you grounded. You had stayed by his bedside longer than necessary, just watching him, tracing the soft curls at his temple with gentle fingers.

Because once you left his room, once you stepped back into the reality of your marriage, the silence would be suffocating again.

And it was.

Luke was in the kitchen when you finally emerged, leaning against the counter, scrolling through his phone. His head lifted when he heard your footsteps, but whatever was in his eyes disappeared before you could catch it.

“Liam go down okay?” His voice was casual, like you were just two people coexisting, like there wasn’t an ocean of resentment between you.

You nodded, moving toward the fridge just for something to do, some excuse not to meet his gaze. “Yeah. He was exhausted.”

Luke hummed in response. Another stretch of silence. You grabbed a bottle of water, twisted the cap, and took a sip. Your wedding band caught the light as you moved, and for a brief moment, you hated the way it still sat so comfortably on your finger.

“I was thinking of taking him to the rink this weekend,” Luke said finally. “Get some ice time in, just the two of us.”

You swallowed hard. You had once loved watching them together, father and son, sharing something that was so deeply ingrained in Luke’s DNA. But now, every moment that didn’t include you felt like a reminder that you weren’t part of Luke’s world anymore. Not really.

“That’s fine,” you said evenly, setting the bottle down with more force than necessary.

Luke sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Can we—” He stopped, shaking his head. “Never mind.”

You let out a sharp laugh, humourless. “Right. Because talking is something we’re great at these days.”

His jaw tensed. “What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know, Luke. Maybe something that actually means something?” Your voice was rising now, but you didn’t care. “Because I’m tired. I’m so tired of pretending everything is fine when we both know it’s not.”

Luke exhaled slowly, staring at the floor like it held all the answers. “I never wanted this.”

You let that sink in. “Neither did I.”

And yet, here you were.

Luke didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just stood there, staring at you like he was trying to piece together the right thing to say. Like there was a right thing to say.

But there wasn’t.

You shook your head, stepping back. “You don’t get to act like this is some tragic accident, Luke. Like this just happened to us.” Your voice wavered, but you kept going. “You made a choice. You kept making that choice.”

His jaw clenched, and for the first time tonight, something in his expression cracked. “I never meant to—”

“Don’t.” The word was sharp, slicing through the air between you. “Don’t tell me you never meant to hurt me. That doesn’t change the fact that you did.”

Luke ran a hand down his face, exhaling roughly. “I just—” He shook his head, like he couldn’t even explain it to himself. “I felt like I was drowning, and she—”

Your stomach twisted. “She what?”

He hesitated.

You let out a hollow laugh. “Go on. Say it.”

Luke’s eyes met yours, desperate and full of something you weren’t sure you recognized anymore. “She listened. She understood.”

And there it was.

You inhaled sharply, looking away. “Right.”

He took a step forward, but you didn’t move. “It wasn’t about her,” he insisted. “It was about us. About how we stopped—”

“Stopped what?” you snapped, meeting his gaze again. “Stopped trying? Stopped making you feel special? Stopped putting you first?”

Luke flinched, and a bitter part of you relished it. Because God, the hypocrisy.

“I gave you everything,” you whispered. “I fought for us. Even when you started pulling away, even when I felt like I was losing you, I held on.” You swallowed hard, voice thick. “But I was holding on alone.”

Luke looked like he wanted to argue. To fix it. But it was too late for that.

“You want to know the worst part?” you asked, your voice quieter now. “It’s not that you betrayed me. It’s that you needed her more than you needed me.”

Silence.

Luke’s face crumbled, and for a second, he looked like the boy you fell in love with. The one who used to kiss you like you were the only thing keeping him upright. The one who promised forever.

But forever was an illusion.

You let out a breath, forcing yourself to meet his gaze one last time. “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

Luke’s lips parted, panic flashing across his face. “You don’t mean that.”

But you did.

Luke shook his head, stepping closer, his voice tight with desperation. “No. We can fix this.”

You laughed, but there was no humour in it. “How, Luke?”

“We just—” He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. “We just keep going. We don’t give up. We have Liam, we have—” His voice cracked. “We have us.”

You swallowed hard.

Because that was the thing, wasn’t it? There was no us anymore.

But there was Liam.

There was the life you had built, the picture-perfect family the world knows and loves. If you walked away now, if you stopped pretending, it would all come crashing down.

Liam would start asking questions. The media would speculate. Your carefully constructed life would become something for people to pick apart.

And you weren’t ready for that.

Not yet.

So you inhaled, steadying yourself. Forced the words back down, shoved the pain into the same locked box where you had been keeping it for months.

Luke watched you, waiting for the final blow. But instead, you did what you had always done.

You smoothed out the edges.

You forced a breath, forced a nod. “Okay.”

Luke blinked, like he hadn’t expected that answer. “Okay?”

You met his gaze, ignoring the way your stomach twisted at the flicker of hope in his eyes. “We keep going.”

Something in his shoulders sagged. “We can make it work.”

You didn’t agree. Didn’t disagree. Just took another breath and nodded again.

Because this was what you did.

You smiled for the cameras. Held his hand at events. Sat beside him at Liam’s practices, feeling his knee brush against yours, pretending the touch didn’t make your skin crawl.

You kept up the performance.

Even when it hurt.

‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎ LH43 MASTERLIST ✷ MAIN MASTERLIST

[slut4megantheestallion]

BABE can i have chloe with a maddy perez coded gf plsss (if you’ve seen euphoria) 💜💜💜

(Yes, I do watch Euphoria. I'm waiting for season 3 😁.) ⋆☆Chloe price x Maddy perez!Coded gf reader

Warnings ⚠️: Chloe price x reader, Maddy perez! Coded reader, Chloe being a simp, wlw, wlw x reader.

☆Chloe is a total sucker for you. She'll complain about how high- maintenence you are, but she'll still do whatever you ask - something before you even ask.

☆"Babe, can you -"

☆"Already, on it, princess."

☆"Aww, my good girl." (Chloe pretends to groan, but she lives for your praise.)

☆She's the type to sit and watch you do your makeup, completely mesmerized. She'll act like she's just chilling, but she's literally studying every every move you make.

☆"Damn, how do you do that wing thing so perfectly?"

☆"Skill, baby. You wouldn't understand."

☆"Pfft, whatever." (She totally wants you to do hers next.)

☆If you ask her to hold your lip gloss, purse, or anything else, she'll do it without question. She's basically your personal assistant.

☆"Can you carry this for me, chlo?"

☆"Tch, I'm not your-" realizes you're already handing it to her - "Yeah, okay. Fine."

☆You dress like a damn goddess - always in outfits that turn heads, like sleek two- piece sets, tight dresses, cropped tops with high- waisted pants, and mini skirts that drive chloe absolutely insane.

☆You love a glam but sultry look- glossy lips, razor- sharp winged liner, bold lashes, and perfectly sculpted cheekbones. Your nails are always done, and you accessorize flawlessly with gold hoop earrings, rings, and layered necklaces.

☆Chloe acts like she doesn't care about fashion, but she's obsessed with seeing you get all dressed up. She'll sit on your bed, watching you pick out clothes, just admiring how effortlessly hot you are.

☆"Babe, do I wear the sparkly dress or the tight one?"

☆"Uh... both?"

☆"Ugh, that's now how it works, chlo?"

☆(She literally can't decide because you look insane in everything.)

☆Whenever you dress up, she cannot stop touching your hands on your waist, pulling you close, kissing your neck. You pretend to scold her, but you love how obsessed she is with you.

☆"Damn, you tryna kill me, babe?"

☆"Maybe. You'd die happy, though."

☆(She absolutely would.)

☆Chloe is so whipped for you. She adores spoiling you, even when she pretends to hate it. If you want something, best believe she's finding a way to get it for you.

☆"You like those earrings? Bet. Gimme a sec." (Cue her doing dumb shit to get the money.)

☆She'll complain about how long you take to get ready, but she secretly loves sitting behind you, playing with your hair while you do your makeup.

☆"Hurry up, babe."

☆"Perfection takes time, chlo."

☆"Tch, whatever, you always look perfect anyway."

☆(She doesn't even realize she just simped that hard.)

☆If you pout at her? Game over. She's done for. You can get her to do anything. "Ugh, fine, but if anyone asks, I did this because I wanted to, not because you made me."

☆(You most definitely made her.)

☆Chloe hates when people flirt with you. She trusts you, but she doesn't trust the people who flirt with you and try to shoot they shot. If someone even thinks about trying it, she's instantly at your side, arm wrapped your waist, glaring the down.

☆"Yeah, keep walking, dude."

☆You're no better. If a girl even looks at chloe for too long, you'll make sure she knows who chloe belongs to. you won't fight - you'll just grab her chin, make her look at you, and say, "Let's go, baby." The smug look you give the other girl is enough to shut her down completely. (Chloe just smirks because she lives for possessive you.)

☆When you're mad, you make chloe work for your attention, she hates it.

☆"Oh, so you're just gonna ignore me now?"

☆"Mmhmm." (You're eating it up. She knows it).

☆"God, you're impossible." (She's already planning how to make it up to you.)

☆You both have that dramatic, all-or-nothing love—you’re each other’s entire world, and you both know it.

☆Chloe loves to pretend she's too cool for your high standards, but she secretly loves doing things just to see you smile.

☆"God, you're so high maintenance."

☆"Yeah, but you love it."

☆(She does. alot.)

☆She acts like she doesn’t care about looking good, but if you tell her, "I like when you wear this," she’ll suddenly start wearing it all the time.

☆You catch her staring at you constantly. She’ll deny it every time.

☆"Were you just checking me out?"

☆"Pfft, no. As if." (She was. She absolutely was.)

☆She’ll roll her eyes when you ask her to hold your bag, but she always does it. And if anyone so much looks at you wrong, she’ll glare them down like she’s ready to fight.

☆Chloe always thinks about how she even bagged you. Chloe,—she’s messy, reckless, and doesn’t care about what people think, while you’re always put together, confident, and expect things to go your way. But somehow, you just work.

☆Chloe teases you for being a little spoiled, but she secretly loves it. If you pout and bat your lashes, she’ll do whatever you want—though she’ll grumble about it.

☆You have Chloe wrapped around your finger, and she knows it. She tries to act all tough, but one smirk from you, and she’s giving in.

☆You literally think you’re the boss of me, babe."

☆"Because I am, baby."

☆"Tch. Whatever." (She absolutely agrees, but she’ll die before admitting it.)

☆Chloe tries to impress you(and failing sometimes).

☆Chloe always tries to act cool around you, but you love making her flustered.

☆"You’re so cute when you’re mad."

☆"Shut UP."

☆(She’s madder now, but only because you’re right.)

☆She’ll act like she doesn’t care when she does something sweet for you, but you always call her out.

☆You bought my favorite snacks?"

☆"I just grabbed whatever. Not a big deal."

☆"Mmhmm. Sure." (She definitely went out of her way for you.)

☆Date nights with chloe are wild-sneaking into concerts, stealing road signs, joyriding at 2 AM with music blasting.

☆You take Chloe on classy dates—dinners at fancy restaurants, shopping sprees, poolside lounging at a bougie resort. She acts out of place at first, but she loves being spoiled by you.

☆"Damn, this is fancy as hell."

☆"I know. You better not embarrass me, babe."

☆"Pfft, no promises."

☆You love sitting in Chloe’s lap, whether it’s at a party, a restaurant, or even just at home.

☆She pretends to be annoyed but will never ask you to move.

☆"Really? Right here?"

☆"Shh, you love it."

☆(She absolutely does.)

☆Arguments are heated because you both have strong personalities, but neither of you ever crosses the line. You both know how to push each other’s buttons, but you never hit below the belt.

☆When you’re mad, Chloe suffers. She hates when you ignore her and will literally follow you around trying to make you forgive her.

☆Babe, c’mon. Are you really not gonna talk to me?"

☆Nope." (You love making her work for it.)

☆"Ugh, you’re evil."

☆(She’s already planning how to win you back.)

☆When Chloe’s mad, she usually just storms off—but she always comes back. And when she does, she wraps her arms around you from behind and just buries her face in your neck.

☆I hate fighting with you."

☆"Then stop pissing me off, babe."

☆(She definitely will try.)

☆Overall, Chloe worships you. She might act all tough, but when it comes to you, she’s an absolute simp.

(☆enjoy, the edit at the end @mwahbabe)

[muirmarie]

something about getting to the end of something you're making and just like. reconciling yourself to the fact that it's kind of garbage. and then looking at it again a few days later and being like. actually. this is pretty good. and then you get so used to this cycle that when you're at the point of actively thinking something you're making is garbage...you're smart enough to know rationally that you're just In The Thick Of It and it will probably look pretty a-okay in a few days. you're a smart person! you understand this! but somehow. it still just looks like garbage. even though you KNOW what your brain is doing. you know it!! you understand!!!

anyway what's that called.

[downsteepy]

i am very grateful that im not someone that has to deal with daily seizures but it is evil when it takes like a week and a half's worth of business days to recover from a seizure

[brynn-lear]

I never got too deep into enstars but there are days where I miss Mama 😔

[sp4ceboo]

ai rant in tags bc im so fucking tired

[catto-ohno]

Quick ramble in the tags (not the fun kind)

[queerstudiesnatural]

the sex education ep about disability rep and accessibility has me bawling on the floor i'm a fucking mess. FINALLY. finally we're talking about this.

watching all the students have a sit-in until the lift gets fixed made me break down crying like oof. ok. yeah 😭

[aha-chuu]

Dan Heng is no longer a dragon looking man and (unless I'm extremely unobservant) it's not explained at all!!! He looks really boring in comparison and I'm so glad I chose not to pull for what seems to be a two hour transformation 👍👍

[arolesbianism]

Guess who's thinking abt eg au again

[whoviandoodler]

hot take but pirating books serves the same function as watching game playthroughs

[rivilu]

The more I think about the story through Daeran's pov the more insane i go. btw.

[sesamenom-sideblog]

actually i changed my mind i'm inflicting my tags upon all of you

Damn good XKCD today if you haven’t seen it, lads.

[salemlunaa]

STOP WITH THE NEEDINESS ❦

wanna shift? let me put you out of your misery

This is the only method you need to induce pure consciousness/ tap into the “I AM”/ tap into the void:

relax, deep breathing

affirm “I AM”

relax some more

detach, get lost in the darkness of your closed eyes

you’re done, you’ve shifted

there are no if ands or buts, there’s no “i was so close”, “it just doesn’t work for me”. this method cannot fail, there is no such thing, at all, it’s you who focuses too much on the symptoms, it’s you gets upset when “nothing happens” before rolling over to go to sleep just to endure another day in your shitty reality. it’s you who fails to see your own potential and it’s only you who can change that

this is the basic method that works for anyone with a conscious and subconscious mind,

it’s not anyone’s fault that you’ve decided to overcomplicate it

that’s the basic fucking template you don’t need shit but yourself

stop with the neediness it’s getting kinda pathetic

You dont need to follow some stupid 10k affirmation challenge

You don’t need to follow any challenges lasting weeks

You don’t need subliminals or waves or a guided meditation

You don’t need to ask bloggers the same shit and vent about how you “just can’t do it”

You don’t need to lucid dream

You don’t need any of this

again the basic template is only difficult to you because of the over-complication of it all

Let me give you an example: Imagine you’re a baker and there’s this iconic legendary baker who has this incredible, world famous cake, they give the world a recipe to it and it’s quite simple. how can such a simple recipe impress the taste buds of so many? it doesn’t matter about the how or why, it just does. But so many bakers around the world, including you, are scared of not impressing their customers so they add all this other shit to the recipe that was perfectly fine. And it just makes everything so complicated, all because they don’t trust that the original recipe will be able to impress and satisfy their customers.

That basic recipe is the “method” that Neville gave to us, he didn’t have tumblr, he didn’t have youtube to binge fucking yoga nidra meditation videos. He didn’t have a phone to inhale subliminal after subliminal like it’s a full time job. He didn’t have bloggers shoving 10k challenges down his throat, and guess what, he was just fine! Stop overcomplicating the recipe, all you need is the mind. You don’t need a fucking routine, all you need is you

But I know there are some people who will look at this, scroll past and still scan their feed, scrambling for an “instant method” like some junky. And to that i say, go ahead, waste your days overcomplicating the act of shifting consciousness, waste your days overconsuming, doomscrolling, complaining. The law and the art of shifting was always real and will continue to be real while you sit there with absolutely nothing, so go ahead. Rack your brain to the point of a headache, to the point of insanity trying to understand what’s right infront of you, you’re only doing yourself harm.

shifting consciousness/ the “I AM” state/ the void is a basic ability, it’s like breathing, just fucking do it

IT’S A BASIC ABILITY, YOU DONT NEED POINTERS 🎀💋

[sunbeamfae]

idk how else to describe it but some songs sound like the vocals were recorded on a podcast type mic and it bothers me