#i mean i don't really. enjoy dairy at all.

[empyreal-pyri]

the way i actually ran out of the lactose free milk and had to add NORMAL ASS MILK into my cereal is downright vile. god is my biggest hater. and so is dairy.

[heartfullofleeches]

[mentions of food play, (male) lactation if you squint, Alien being Alien]

Alien and [ vaguely implied to be amab] cow/bull darling- Alien breaks into the farm Darling works/lives in to mingle with the cows as any extraterrestrial allegedly would. Unlike the aliens of those tales responsible for butchering cows or turning them inside out, Alien just thinks they're really cool and wants to take one home with him so they don't have to buy milk from the store. Alien picks up one of the cows, eager to ask the owners how much they'll be willing to sell it off for - scaring the daylights out of the farm hand who ventured out to see what all the ruckus was only to witness this lanky beanpole pick up a full grown adult cow like it was a sack of flour. Alien quickly notices them due to the flashlight pointed at his back and the frightening farm hand losing their shit trying to call down the rest of the herd. He hurries over to meet them and get his new pet home.

"Yo! How do much you want for this one"

"um.... I don't think any of our cows are for sale.."

Straining their eyes under the harsh glare of the flash, Alien sees smaller characteristics on the handler they hadn't noticed before - small horns atop their head, a swishing tail. Even the pattern of their pjs-

"You a cow too?"

"Well, not exactly, but in a way I guess-"

"Then I guess I'll take you. Wouldn't be my first time kidnapping another human- plus you're cuter and smaller than this one meaning you're easier to carry anyway so that's a two for two, baby."

"...huh."

Alien sets the bovine on the soft grass before picking up the handler and throwing them over their shoulder- sprinting off into the night.

In my fics cows of any gender are able to produce milk, but I feel Alien would favor a certain kind of milk from his cow. One Darling has run out of milk from their tits, Alien dives between their legs to drink and drain their other source of "milk". Darling watches in horror as Alien uses their "milk" in their morning cup of coffee. They didn't even drink coffee before meeting darling, they're just finding any excuse they can to beg darling for more their cream.

-

[Cow Darling sells milk and other dairy products from the farm at a local farmer - skin glistening with sweat as their breathing grows more ragged between sentences]

Cow Darling: T...t-thank you for you purchase.... H-hope you enjoy your...ahh

[Cow Darling trails off as their head hits the table, knees buckling as they whine - gripping at the table clothes. Alien crawls from under table shortly after, wiping their mouth clean and placing a cap on the small bottle in his hands. They help Darling stand - making eye contact with the customer they were helping.]

Alien: Don't give me that look- I'm shopping same as anyone else in this damn place. How the hell am I supposed to eat my cereal if I don't have any milk?

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Not Ready Part 1/12

Part 2 and Part 3 are out on my Patreon for FREE!

This story is so beautiful, hopefully you'll think so too! 🥹

Readers sister dies in a tragic car accident, leaving reader and her boyfriend Ruben in the urgent custody of her niece and nephew. Readers life is suddenly flipped upside-down since having children hadn't been the plan for her and Ruben's life together. At least not now when his football career was reaching great new heights.

Enjoy! 💞

You could really get used to this life, because who else has an amazing girl boss who let's you off work in the honor of your birthday?

Well you did.

Instead of spending the last hours of the day sorting out paperwork, you were rushing off to see you your boyfriend who had surprise for you in the park.

"Oh my god, is he going to purpose?"

"I have no idea." You squealed, cellphone pressed to your ear. Your best friend Laleh was on the other end, helping you speculate why Ruben specifically wanted to spend the afternoon with you in the park.

"Do you think he had anything to do with you getting off work so early?"

"I really don't know. I would be surprised of he did."

"Yes, me too. If he did, what the hell was he thinking, leaving me to finish all this work by myself?"

You laughed. "I'm so sorry Laleh. I really owe you."

"Damn straight you do. Just make sure to send me a picture of the ring, okay?"

"I promise. Love you. Bye."

You hung up the phone and practically ran the last distance towards the park. Your heart pounded in your chest as you sighted it ahead. What if this was it? What if after three years together, Ruben, was finally ready to tie the knott. Lord knows that you were. Ruben was simply the man of your dreams.

"Y/N."

You spotted his tall figure amongst the trees. He stood with his hands in his pockets, hair stirring gently in the wind. The way your heart fluttered when you saw him could only mean one thing, no?

"Ruben, what is all this?"

He suprised you with a full on picknick. A blanket was laid out on the grass below. Beside it was a basket containing fruit, red wine and a fine collection of cheese.

"Happy birthday baby!" Ruben welcomed you to sit down.

"I can't believe you. Isn't today your rest day?"

Ruben lay down on the blanket, leaning forward to kiss you. "I can rest right here." He smiled.

You were perplexed. The amount of love you had for your boyfriend was simply too hard to grasp. He had gone so out of his way just for you. It made you giggle, how he cut you a slice of cheese with such caution, wanting it to be just the right amount to put on your cracker.

"Here you go."

"Well, thank you." You bowed with courtesy.

Ruben put down the cheese knife and licked the tip of his fingers. He licked them clean since his diet as a professional football player didn't allow him to have any dairy. Wine was also off limits. It was all just for you to enjoy.

"So..." He said, clasping his hands together as he rested on his side. "How does it feel to be twenty-five?"

"Old." You murmured through a mouth full of cheese and crackers.

"Old?" He frowned. "But I'm twenty-seven."

"Exactly my point. Twenty-seven is so old and now I'm getting closer to that age."

"Right." He snorted.

"Don't get me wrong baby. You look amazing for your age, but that's because you work out. I on the other hand...."

"If it's your fitness that you're worried about you can always come with me to the gym."

"Nah, I'm good." You chugged down the last of your cracker, dusting of the crumbs that had fallen into your lap. Ruben looked to you with admiration, the sun irritating his eyes.

"Did you know that my mom had my sister at twenty-one."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and me at twenty-seven."

"Interesting."

"Yeah and now my sister is trying to get pregnant again at thirty-one as if the two children she has isn't enough work already."

"How are they?"

"Emmy and Vale?"

"Yeah?"

"Oh, well they're great, I guess. Emmy has just started her forth year in primary school and Vale lost his first tooth the other day."

"Really?"

"Yeah. His dad forgot to slip him the money from the tooth fairy though. My sister totally freaked out."

"Tooth fairy?" Ruben tilted his head.

"Yes, the tooth fairy. Didn't you grow up with the concept of a wealthy winged midget sneaking into your bedroom at night, collecting all your teeth?"

"Erm...no. No, I didn't. " Ruben looked horried.

"Hmm.....I thought the culture in Portugal wasn't too different from the rest of the countries in Europe."

"It isn't." Ruben sat up. "But I guess my family wasn't into that kind of stuff."

"What stuff?"

"I dunno, make believe stuff. Fairytales etc."

"Oh."

"Yeah, my dad was the worst. When I first lost my tooth he made me stand in front of the bathroom mirror and pull the tooth out myself."

"Really? That's horrible."

"I still remember being hunched over the bathroom sink with blood pouring out of my mouth while hearing my dad flush my tooth down the toilet."

"Ruben, that's—"

"My dad for you." He smiled. It was obvioulsy a fond memory to him. A traumatic one to you.

"I just can't imagine myself raising children right now." You said, falling back onto the picknick blanket, a sense of peace washing over you. It was such a lovely afternoon. "If anything I'm still a child myself."

"How about a dog?"

You had gone to shut your eyes, but quickly reopened them. Ruben was standing up, hovering over you with a cardboard box in his hands.

You brought yourself to sit up. "Ruben, what is—"

Something shook the box. Followed by a low squeal. A frail attempt of a bark.

"Ruben....you did not."

His smile broadened. "I did." He lowered the box for you to see what lay within, and looking up at you with the most precious eyes was a brown sausage dog, less than four weeks old.

"Oh my god." You quickly reached for it and brought the puppy into your lap. "Ruben I can't believe you did this!"

"Happy birthday!"

You looked up at him, feeling how the dog nibbled at your fingertips. "What made you even want to do this?" It was such a commitment to get a dog. Ruben had never expressed the desire to get one before, although, you knew that he was good with them, seeing as his family had own several back home in Portugal.

"I guess I just thought it was time." He shrugged.

"Time for what?" You cried. Yes, actual tears were welling up in your eyes. Even more so when Ruben joined you on the blanket, petting the fluffy creature in your lap. He then looked to you with such a gentle gaze. "For us to start a family." He said.

"Oh, Ruben." You kissed him, apologizing for your wet cheeks. Ruben didn't mind, however, wiping them away with a stroke of his thumb. "I love you Y/N. I always will."

"I love you too."

It was the best birthday of your life, filled with wet kisses and a puppy. Hopefully it was the beginning of forever with Ruben. It's all you ever wanted

Part 2 and Part 3 are out on my Patreon for FREE!

[musings-of-a-rose]

Falling Slowly - Chapter 11

Pairing: Tommy Miller x f!reader

Word Count: 5000+

Rating: Mature - 18+ ONLY!

Warnings: Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story. 

Notes: What started as a simple “wanting to make Tommy an actual daddy” turned into a whole ass fic. Is anyone really surprised? I absolutely adore Tommy and Daisy and would love to revisit them! 

**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!

❤If you enjoy the fic, please consider giving me a warm beverage! (It is not required in any way!)

**Divider made by @benkeibear 

**Reader is not described

Main Masterlist

Falling Slowly Masterlist

Tommy Miller Masterlist

The truck runs out of gas just inside of Teton County. We gather up our packs, keeping our guns loose in our hands but ready, as we march through the woods. Tommy had found a paper map of Wyoming, noticing that there was a small notation of a hydroelectric dam on it. He's convinced that this settlement will be near there and I admit, that's a great place to start looking.

We don't make it within 20 miles of that plant before horses and riders come from nowhere, immediately surrounding us, their faces masked. Tommy puts his arms out to shield us, knowing that there was no way he could shoot them all.

"What are you doing out here?" A man bellows at us, his horse snuffing, a swirl of air puffing out from his nose in the cool, fall breeze.

"We heard there may be a settlement around here. We're looking for a place to call home."

"You know anything about dams?" A woman speaks up from behind the first man.

"I uh, I was in construction. I know some things. I can take a look."

She stares at him from behind her mask, weighing our usefulness. "And them?"

"My wife can grow anything. And has some medical knowledge. My son..helps her."

Several long moments pass. I can't get a read on them. If they are from this settlement, I can't really blame them for being so selective. And secretive.

"You come here on foot?"

"For the last 50 or so miles. We had a truck. Still works, but no gas."

She nods. "Stash it?"

Tommy nods. "Just in case we needed it again."

"Smart man. Alright, you guys come back to town with us."

They offered us horses, which Jax hopped on immediately, his whole face lighting up with excitement. It had been years since he was able to ride. I'm still on the fence about trusting them. After a while, we see their gates in the distance, a little shotty and in need of, well, Tommy's expertise. But that's not what holds my attention.

"Is your town named Jackson?" Jax asks the woman.

She nods. "It is."

Jax laughs, a sound I hadn't heard in a very long time. "That's my name! Must be a sign, right mom?"

The gates open and I'm rendered speechless. It's a town. A whole ass town. People are milling about like everything is normal. The woman, Maria, starts to give us a tour, pointing out the town hall, the bar, clothing swap and repair, and little general stores. She takes us around and shows us the barns, slots for at least 40 horses, the herd of sheep, and the dairy cows and goats. Jax practically comes unglued from the Earth when seeing everything. Maria smiles at his excitement.

"You're 17, right?" Jax nods. "Well I think you should still attend school. At least to just get to know the other kids. But your official duty, in my opinion, should be with the animals. What do you think?"

"Yeah! Dad, is that ok?" Jax clings to Tommy's arm and he smiles patting his hand.

"Yeah, of course, bud."

Jax whoops and punches the sky, immediately apologizing to the chickens that had started frantically clucking and running around their enclosure.

But what really impressed me was our house, an actual house. Maria stopped in front of this beautiful 3 bedroom, two story house, complete with a front porch. It was like stepping into a time machine. They had cleaned all of the houses and kept them maintained, but the decor was exactly the same as it was on outbreak day 14 years ago.

Jax picked a room once belonging to a teenage boy, judging from the decor. We quickly unpacked our things and headed into town, getting a hot, fresh meal and trying not to overstuff ourselves. They gave us a small ration of food to take home, a carton of eggs, some flour, salt, yeast, honey, a carton of milk, and, much to Tommy's delight, a small container of coffee.

I was afraid that all of the time spent just growing up around us, and then on the constant move with the Fireflies would make it difficult for Jax to make friends.

I couldn't be more wrong.

Immediately, the kids from town were fascinated by Jax, asking him tons of questions about the outside, about him. He eventually takes off with them, going to movie night at the community center.

Tommy and I walk back home, his arm around my shoulder, tucking me into his side. "That kid made fast friends."

"I was so worried about that. Guess I didn't need to be."

"Nah. He's a good kid and they can see that."

We stop for a moment outside of our house, looking up at it. "This was a good move, Mr. Miller. I like it here."

I turn to look at him and he smiles, pressing his lips to mine briefly before we head inside, the early fall chill on the wind making us shiver slightly. Tommy starts to unpack the food while I take a quick shower, groaning as the hot water sends goosebumps across my skin. I hadn't had a proper hot shower since we'd left the cabin.

I lay on the bed wrapped only in my towel, finally allowing myself to relax for the first time in...years. I can't remember how many at this point. Tommy comes in and wolfwhistles at me and I try, and fail, to hide my smirk.

"Looks like they left a present for me on the bed," Tommy chuckles, attempting to sit next to me. I put my foot out to stop him.

"Nuh uh. Take a shower first, stinky."

He looks fake hurt, putting a hand to his chest. "How dare you, I smell delightful."

"Yeah to a group of flies."

He pretends to storm off in mock anger, shedding his clothes as he goes. He stays a bit longer in the shower than I thought he would, but I can't blame him. That hot water is too much of a lure. He comes out, towel wrapped around his waist, his hair wet and curling. His incision is healed by now, a small red line all that's left of the metal that nearly took his life. Tommy lays next to me on the bed and I curl into his side.

"Hey, darlin? I know you're all clean and sexy and naked next to me, and I so want to have my way with you. But do you think it could wait until morning?"

"Oh thank God - I'm so exhausted."

We both chuckle and burrow into the blankets, talking for a bit when we hear Jax come in, closing the door to the bathroom and taking a shower.

I haven't felt this safe in years.

An electrified warmth, pulsing out from between my legs yanks me from sleep and I moan, my hands moving down and finding Tommy's head between my legs, his face pressed into me. My fingers grip his dark curls and I tug, loving the sound he makes when I do.

"Fucking hell, Tommy. Warn a girl."

He chuckles and my hips jolt. "Alright, well I'm warning you now, my beautiful wife. I'm not done with you yet."

Tommy makes good on his promise, sliding into me with practiced ease, my body taking him in greedily, responding to every touch, every kiss and nip. He digs his fingers into my hip, slowly moving me in time with his hips, angling himself to go deeper, hitting that spot that has me gasping his name, my fingernails digging into his broad back. His hips sputter, his head drops to my shoulder as be bites it, filling me with his warmth. He picks up his head, his nose lightly dragging across my face before kissing me.

"I fuckin' love you, Mrs. Miller."

"I fucking love you, Mr. Miller."

Life in Jackson is good. We're all kept busy but a natural busy, not a frantic "is this the moment when we all die" busy. Jax settles in beautifully, finishing their school and learning more about animals and their care as he works with them. About a year in, he finally asks out the girl he had been crushing on since we got here, Lara and, a year later, they're already talking about marriage. Young love.

Tommy helps to fortify the walls, manging to tinker with the dam and get it fully operational. He admits he had virtually no idea what he was doing. He just banged his wrench around and it eventually turned on. He joins patrols too, but mostly stays inside the gates, making repairs and fortifications.

I help a little old lady named Lu with the garden. I had brought some medicinal herbs with us and we were able to propagate some more from the clippings, which works out great for the clinic.

New people do show up, but it's rare. Jackson is fairly secluded, and Maria pretty much forbids anyone from giving away our location. I can't blame her. If everyone knew about this place, it would be overrun in a heartbeat, our supplies spent. Not to mention the clickers that would likely follow a crowd that large.

But today is one of those days. Maria radioed in that 3 new people were coming into Jackson, and to ready the clinic. The doctor there called me in to help, as I often did when she needed it. She told me what to prep and I realized whomever is coming, one of them must be pregnant.

"Imagine trapsing this lanscape, pregnant," The doctor said, no trace of malice to her voice. A little pity and awe though.

The clinic door opens and the doctor greets the people. I turn around and drop the tray I'm holding.

Sarah. Sarah is standing in the clinic.

A man stands next to her and on her other side-

Rose.

Rose and Sarah are alive and here.

"Sarah?" I choke out and her head snaps up, her round belly on prominent display.

"Aunt Daisy?"

"Holy fuck!" Rose gasps and I run to them, pulling them both into as tight of an embrace as I can manage, tears streaming down my face. I feel theirs as well. But when a small kick hits my stomach, I back up, apologizing to Sarah.

"Ah I'm sorry! I forgot! Come, the doctor will take a look." Sarah grips my hand, lacing our fingers together.

"Come with me?"

"Of course."

Sarah turns out fine, about 7 months along. She could do with a warm meal, some water, and a good shower. Sarah introduced me to her boyfriend, or husband, the second they can find someone who will marry them. He's a sweet boy by the name of Eli. We head over to the cafe and I point out all the places to Sarah and Rose and Eli. Once they get seated with food, I head outside, a smile on my face as I run to the stables. Tommy will be there with Jax, as he's repairing a broken stable door. I run, full on run to the stables, sliding inside the barn and coming to a stop in front of them, gasping for air.

"Mom! Mom, is everything ok?" Jax drops his hammer and puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah...yes..." I take a few more deep breaths of air. "Sarah..and Rose...are here."

Once they get settled in a house, conveniently across the street from ours, we bring them over for some hot tea. Sarah sips on hers, a little moan coming from her as it warms her up.

"So...how did..where is..."

Rose and Sarah exchange a look and I don't like it. Sarah nods at Rose and takes another sip of her drink.

"We stayed another year or so after you left. They seemed to buy the story at first, that you had all gone out on some family thing and just...never came back. It happens. But Joel suspected that they were getting suspicious. So he said we needed a way out, to find the Fireflies so we could find you. They demanded Joel go on a long run with them, taking them somewhere up above Maryland."

"Maryland??"

Rose nods. "Yeah, that's what I said. Anwyay, Joel said he'd go but we had to go with and that we were off limits. Well... nothing happened but some guys were being creeps and that finally tipped Joel over the edge. He killed the guy in his sleep and we left on foot. We were heading towards Boston. There's a qz up there. We figured we could find out where you were from there. We had to cross this bridge. But they caught up with us and the bridge couldn't hold everything. Not with all the old cars on it and it not being upkept for years. The bridge went down and..." Tears poured from Rose's eyes, silent ones pouring down Sarah's cheeks as well.

"Joel?" Tommy asks, barely a whisper.

Eli speaks up. "I wasn't there, but they told me." He puts his hand on Sarah's giving it a little squeeze. "The bridge collpased. Took out the raiders and they nearly died too. But they looked for Joel for days. Couldn't find him. I'm so sorry."

I started to cry, but it was less about the loss of Joel, whom I loved like a brother, and more for Tommy, who looked like he had lost a limb. He got up and walked out the backdoor, slamming it behind him. I followed him, gently pulling him to me as he crumbled against my chest, gripping my shirt as he wailed over the loss of his big brother.

We eventually learned that Rose and Sarah ended up in a different qz than Boston, which is where Sarah met Eli. He was FEDRA but hated them, supporting the citizens in any way he could, even if that meant turning a blind eye to some insider trading. He and Sarah fell in love, but shortly after, the qz got violent, the people rising up against FEDRA. They managed to escape, Sarah finding out she was pregnant a few weeks later.

Eli had some Firefly connections, so they headed to their posts, eventually figuring out that we had left the Fireflies and relocated "somewhere in Teton County, Wyoming." And so they came here, hoping to find us. And being completely surprised to find Jackson City.

Sarah gives birth to a beautiful baby girl, Juniper, with her eyes, Joel's eyes. As Juniper grows, her hair becomes this beautiful carbon copy of her mother's, her curls bouncing away. Eli is a fantastic father and husband, always by his family's side.

Jax and Lara move in together and get married, Lara getting pregnant a short while after.

"I don't know if I'm ready to be a grandma," I say to Tommy while I look in the mirror. "Although I do have the greys."

"You'll be the hottest grandma I know." Tommy waggles his eyebrows as he pulls me to him, his tongue pressing against mine.

"If I'm a grandma, that means you'll be a grandpa."

Tommy looks shocked. "Holy shit. You're right. You still gonna wanna kiss this old man?"

My fingers wind in his shirt, pulling him down to me as I speak against his lips. "That's not all I'll do for this old man."

"Tree! Tree, mommy!" Juniper jumps up and down, yanking on Sarah's coat as she pushes back from our table, shoving the last bite of egg in her mouth.

"Yes baby. We're going to see the Christmas tree. You guys coming?"

Juniper looks up at Tommy with her big eyes. "Great Uncle Tommy coming?"

"Sorry, kiddo. Not today. I gotta fix the barn roof before the big snows come in." Juniper sticks out her lip. "But I'll see you tonight for hot chocolate?"

She thinks, her little finger tapping her lips. "Ok!" She yanks on Sarah's coat again, half jerking her towards the front door.

"See you tonight, Aunt Daisy?"

"Yup. I'll have cookies too."

"Yay!" Juniper yells from the doorway. Sarah and her leave, the house considerably quieter when they do.

"Crazy to think that in a few months, there will be another little one running around here."

"Yeah. I can't wait."

"Me neither."

Tommy kisses me before heading off to the barns, finishing up the last of the roof work. The last snow storm took off some of the panels and so it needs to be repaired before the next big storm or we may lose a horse or 2.

Tommy walks back in 10 minutes later. "Forgot my work gloves."

"How did you forget those, Mr. Construction?"

"I got distracted looking at your ass."

"How dare you, good sir. I am a lady."

Tommy walks up to me, pressing his body to mine. "A lady that I had bent over this table last night."

I slap his chest playfully before kissing him again. "Oh wait. I'll walk with you. I got to pick up a couple things for the cookies."

Tommy walks me a few blocks, intending on turning left to head to the barn while I continued on to the main strip. But then we hear yelling, just making out Sarah's name. Tommy and I glance at each other, immediately anticipating the worst as we run towards the wailing sound. We come out of a side ally onto the main strip, half a block away from the Christmas tree. And there, at the bottom of the tree is Sarah, crying her eyes out, her body desperately holding onto someone. No, wait.

"Joel?" Tommy says next to me in disbelief. But then their bodies shift, and there he is. Joel, with his mop of now grey hair, grasping onto the daughter he undoubtedly thought he'd lost.

Tommy runs as fast as he can over to them, Sarah pulling him down into their embrace. Juniper, who had been standing there holding her mom's other hand, immediately jumps on Tommy and hugs him, her little fists digging into his arms. I walk up, wiping tears from my eyes and, to my surprise, Joel looks up at me and pulls me down to him, hugging me as tight as he can.

"I thought you were all dead," He says it so quietly in my ear, but I can hear the wobble in his voice.

"We're here. We're all..." I turn my head, looking into the small crowd of people. "Someone get Rose. Now!"

Joel snaps back from me, his eyes boring into mine. "Rose is here?"

I smile at him. "Yeah she fucking is!"

Suddenly his eyes look over my shoulder and I see the shift in them, know he sees Rose, and I know that feeling. The one of loss and relief, the pain that causes in your heart. Joel tries to stand but it's too late - Rose is there, dropping into his lap as she clings to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He pulls back, cupping her face, his eyes roaming over hers.

"You're real?"

Rose nods. "Are you?"

He pulls her to him, their lips meeting and I look away, giving them a moment of privacy, marveling at the fact that our family is somehow together, at the other end of the country, even all these years later.

As it turns out, Joel was not traveling alone. Ellie is spunky, full of attitude, keeping Joel on his toes. I love her already.

Tommy told me later about exactly why Joel and Ellie were here, what secret Ellie was carrying. That he has to bring her to the Fireflies so they can try and make a cure, an actual cure.

"And you think they can do that? They have the resources?"

Tommy shrugs, pulling his shirt over his head and exposing his bronzed skin, freckles spattered about, along with several scars. He starts to rummage through his dresser drawer, looking for a shirt to sleep in.

"Joel seems to think so."

"Hhhmm. I bet Rose will have something to say about it."

"She probably will."

I walk up to him, lightly brushing my fingers across his back. My arms slide around him as I press kisses into his back. He hums, his arms folding over mine. The warmth radiates out from his body and seeps into mine, relaxing me but also heating me up for very different reasons. I slowly move my hand down, dipping under the waistband of his sweatpants.

"And here I thought you said you were a lady." Tommy sucks in a breath after that last word, my fingers encircling him, slowly pumping him as he hardens in my grip.

"I want you to do un-ladylike things to me."

"Yes, ma'am."

He pulls my hand from his pants with a groan, from which of us I'm not sure. I turn to walk towards the bed and yelp, Tommy's hand lightly slapping my ass. He chuckles as I look fake shocked. I turn to him, my hand on my chest.

"How dare you sir! Ah!" He somehow reaches around me, slapping me on the other cheek, the shit eating grin on his face lighting up the room. He presses his lips to mine, but I'm not making it that easy. I pull back, turning to walk or run away, I'm not sure. But I know I'm not fast enough, Tommy's arms pulling me to him, caging me against his broad chest. One arm wraps around my chest, the other sliding into my panties. He moans as his fingers sink into me.

"Fuck, is this for me?"

"It's always for you, Tommy."

He continues to touch me, using his other hand to turn my head up, swallowing my moans with his kiss. The air electrifies and the mood shifts, both of us suddenly very desperate for the other. He pulls his hand from me and pushes me onto the bed, helping me to yank my panties down. They never make it off, just shoved down somewhere around my knees as he hikes my shirt over my hips. I'm already angling my body, my chest against the bed, Tommy's fingers digging into my hips as he gets into position. He pushes forward and I can't help the gutteral whine that erupts from somewhere within me, louder and more primal as his hips rut against me.

"My wife, the lady, begging me to fuck her."

I'm seeing colors now, my fingers twisting into the sheets to get some sort of purchase so I can push my hips back, driving him deeper.

"T-Tommy," It comes out more like a plea, a whimper of his name. But he knows me well, knows my body sometimes better than I do.

"I got you, darlin'."

He pulls me up, holding me against his chest again, one arm wrapped around me and one hand between my legs, touching me where it makes my legs shake.

"Come for me, baby," his voice rasps in my ear, low and sultry. And I do, I come hard, pulsing around him, his name chanting from my lips as I watch the colors dance around my vision. His hand stalls for a moment before pushing me back down, laying his body over mine as he continues to fuck into me a few more times before he comes, groaning and biting my back. He takes several breaths before pulling out, cleaning us both up before plopping back down on the bed. I scoot in next to him a minute later and he pulls me to his side, lifting my jaw with his finger to gently kiss me.

"You definitely know how to treat a lady."

Joel and Ellie leave the next morning, much to our dislike. Tommy knew they were leaving, of course he did. I guess it makes sense. Less people out in winter time, less chance of a confrontation. Still, it made me uneasy and I wish they'd stay at least until spring.

What surprised me most was that Rose stayed behind. She was not happy by the looks of it, but she still showed her love to Joel, Ellie clearing her throat and looking anywhere but them.

"Listen, Ellie. I know we don't really know each other, but I want you to know, you'll always have a home here. Ok? No hesitation." I may have only met her yesterday, but I really liked this kid. She gave Joel the crap he needed and that won her all the points she needed in my book.

"Thanks. I'll probably just stay there in case they need more blood. But it's good to know." She gives me a quick, slightly awkward hug before nodding to Tommy and Sarah, who had just come walking up to the stables where we all stood.

"I can come with you, you know?" Sarah asked her dad when he pulled back from Rose.

"No, you can't. You have my granddaughter to take care of."

Sarah hugs him tight, and I swear I can see a tiny glint of a tear in Joel's eyes, his head slightly turned as he breathes her in, having thought he'd never be able to hold his daughter again.

"But I just got you back."

"I know, baby girl. I know. But this is important. You know I wouldn't go if it wasn't."

Sarah nods against his chest before pulling back, wiping tears from her eyes. She stands between Rose and me, watching Joel pull Ellie up into the saddle. Rose moves forward, brushing away some stray dirt on his pant leg and he leans down, kissing her once more.

"Remember what I told you, Joel."

"I will. I love you, baby."

"I love you too."

Winter progresses, Lara getting further along in her pregnancy leaving Jax looking utterly lost as to how to help her.

"Just get her whatever she asks for and make sure to rub her feet. Oh! And when her belly gets big, stand behind her and lift it up. Your mom loved that."

"I just hated it when you had to stop."

Jax's smile fades and he turns serious. "I'm just afraid this one won't stick, too."

I cup his face. "Oh baby, sometimes these things happen. It just wasn't meant to be. But I'm sure this one will be running around and calling me grandma in no time."

Thank God I was right. Lara has her baby just as the winter snows start to melt, a beautiful little girl they name Emma, after Lara's sister who died saving her on outbreak day. She immediately has Jax wrapped around her little finger.

Our house is loud again, baby sounds echoing off the wood boards. I couldn't be happier. Tommy feels the same, his face lighting up whenever he gets to see Emma.

"I always feel like we're imposing," Lara confesses as she rocks Emma to sleep.

"Never. You are never imposing. Even if you just need a moment for yourself, you bring her right over," I assure her.

"Thanks, Mrs. Mil-I mean, Daisy. Sorry, that's still weird to say."

The false spring ends, the final snows melting away as flowers and trees bloom. Tommy and I walk arm in arm down main street, intending on having a quick bite to eat at the restaurant before heading back to work. There's a small commotion at the main gate before it opens slightly. Tommy stops, pressing his hand above his eyes to shield them from the bright sun.

"Holy shit. It's Joel and Ellie."

We jog up to them, embracing them both. Something is different. Off, a little. I can tell something happened, but they're both back and safe and that's what we focus on. We head right into the clinic, Rose running and jumping into Joel's arms. He kisses her hard before setting her down, where she promptly breaks the kiss and punches his arm as hard as she can.

"Ow."

"Joel Miller, if you ever leave me again, I will find you and kill you myself. Do you understand me?"

A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips. "Yes, ma'am."

We take Ellie for a meal, allowing Joel and Rose some time to themselves. She's a little quieter than normal, shoving food around her plate for a bit before eating.

"Hey. Everything ok?" I ask, trying to put no pressure on the question.

She shrugs. "Yeah. I guess I'm just disappointed things didn't work out."

I hesitate for a moment before grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "You are fucking brave for even trying it. You're a bad ass."

She chuckles. "A bad ass?"

"Hell yeah!"

She shifts a little in her chair before resuming eating, a little more eager than before. I'm not sure what what on between here and Salt Lake, but I hope they can both come to terms with it. I'm sure they will.

Emma sits on her father's lap, happily chewing on some food we'd cut for her from the absolute feast we've put together. Everyone is here, Jax and Lara and Emma, Eli and Juniper and Sarah, who is rounder than ever with their second child. Joel and Rose and Ellie, who asked to bring her new friend Dina along. We all sit at a big table out back, the late summer air warm but cooling as the sun sets whispering through the trees. The laughter is loud and smiles are all around as we all sit and chat long into the night. I push my chair against Tommy's, leaning my head on his chest as he wraps his arms around me. As I look out at everyone I can't help but be amazed and grateful that we're all here together, after all this life has thrown us, in this little corner of the world.

And how different my life would've been if some random drunk didn't hit on me at that bar, so many years ago.

General Taglist:

@frankie-catfish-morales @chaoticgeminate @janebby @astoryisaloveaffair @balekanemohafe @greeneyedblondie44 @hoeforthefictional @marvelousmermaid @hauntedmama @icanbeyourjedi @wretchedmo @sunnshineeexoxo @livingmydreams13 @adventures-of-a-noodle @sara-alonso @theewokingdead @punkerthanpascal @giggly-otter @f0rever15elf @phandoz @gallowsjoker @lovesbiggerthanpride @booksarekindaneat @charlispersonallyhell @xoxabs88xox @amneris21 @gooddaykate @avengers-fixation @paintballkid711 @harriedandharassed   @ladykatakuri @practicalghost @withakindheartx @batdarkladyvampir @justanotherkpopstanlol   @mermaidxatxheart @alexxavicry @justreblogginfics @kmc1989 @veryprairieberry @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @heartpascalispunk  

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

I really like your works! What about self-aware Kyuusaku, or maybe Francis? You can do whichever you want!

Baking pancakes (Fitzgerald and Kyuusaku)

Self-Aware! Strictly Platonic! Kyuusaku Yumeno x GN! Reader

Self-Aware! Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald x GN! Reader

Description: You spend time with Q and Fitzgerald. You three are baking pancakes.

Warning: OOC. Q's gender isn't specified. Fluff. English is my second language

You looked around the kitchen.

You close your eyes and shake your head.

Then, you open your eyes and looked around again.

The kitchen table with eight bags of flour, seven sticks of butter, nine big containers of milk, five bottles of syrup, five bottles of whipped cream, a few dozen eggs, and four bags of brown sugar had not disappeared.

You gaze at Fitzgerald and Q. Tycoon and kid looked a little bit ashamed.

"Francis, Q, do you realize, what is the main reason for dairy to be put on sale?"

Francis cleared his throat and answered.

"Well, [Y/N], do you think I have visited supermarkets every day? Or at all?"

Kyuusaku hugged their doll closer and utter:

"And I was..."

You raised your hand.

"Okay, let me rephrase my question. Why no one of you checked the expiration date?"

Fitzgerald and Q try their best not to look at you.

You sigh. These two

Who knew, that Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, Leader of The Guild and Kyuusaku Yumeno, also known as Q, would become shopping buddies?

Francis, despite getting his fortune back, still enjoyed sales in shops. And Q liked chaos during sales.

You can't blame Francis. There was something special in Sales, and weren't thinking only about lower prices. Sometimes, you could find something interesting in during Sales, be it a good bag, nice clothes, interesting book, tasty food or so many others important or good things.

Today, Francis and Q have stumbled on a sale in your local supermarket. They returned home with bags full of products from sale. They got home. You helped them unpack. Only for you three to saw, that almost all products (except brown sugar, eggs and flour) will soon expire. And, by soon, you mean tomorrow.

That's how you three got in that situation.

Well, no use to just stand there.

"We three are transforming breakfast into dinner"

__________

"Francis, please, break eggs in a separate bowl. Pancakes with eggshells taste terrible. But have a nice crunch."

"Did eggshell got into your pancake on incident or Tetchou tried to cook again?"

"First, Tetchou not that bad of a cook. Second, it was a bet."

"How it ended?"

"With a lecture from Akiko and half-eaten pancakes in the garbage bin."

____________

"Kyuusaku, please, don't add too much sugar."

"Can I make a few pancakes that sweeter than others?"

"Made them on bunny-shaped pan."

_____________

"Careful with flour, [Y/N]. You almost covered the whole table and my doll in it."

"Sorry... Achoo!"

"Bless you, [Y/N]"

"Thanks you two."

___________

"And Miss Louisa was wondering why we need four pancake pens. I was sure that they will be useful."

"Francis, in a house full of people there is no such thing as useless tableware, pan, clothes, shampoo and so on, and so forth.

__________

"Fitzgerald, are pancakes doing good?"

"Everything is great, [Y/N]. How's the last bowl of pancake butter?"

"Almost finished. Kyuusaku?"

"I am adding jam and whipped cream. No problems from my part."

_________

It took time. But, at the end, you three manage to bake enough pancakes to feed a small army.

You feel proud. You noticed, that two other 'cooks' also looked pleased.

Kyuusaku turned to you and Fitzgerald. They were wearing matching aprons with their doll.

"What we are going to cook next time? When we will cook together?"

You and Fitzgerald exchanged glances.

"Maybe, when we will be on a cooking duty next time. As for the food... I am not sure, my young friend. What do you think, [Y/N]?"

You shrug.

"Will see. Just, please, don't buy almost expired food on purpose. If you want to spend time together, just ask."

Fitzgerald's quiet laugh and Q's giggles were their only answer.

[antiquatedplumbobs]

Spring 1916

The automobile, once a rare curiosity on the streets of Brindleton, had become a much more commonplace site of late. The increasing affordability meant that more and more tourists motored to the seaside and some of the more-well-to-do citizens of Brindleton had even purchased their own. Joe was busier than ever with automotive requests, and was heavily relying on Will's help. While he might have been a little stretched thin between this and the dairy, Will would never say a word; the joy he found repairing a car was unmatched. 

"Joe!" Will called as he entered the smithy, the warmth of the forge a welcome respite on his hands after the chill of the barn. "It was the fuel line! Can't believe you missed that!" He was smiling, the satisfaction at diagnosing and fixing the problem buoying him. 

Joe laughed, "I thought I checked that, but I must have missed it. Thank god you got it fixed, Mr. Hoyt's been on my tail about it for a few days, and I told him he could either drive it over to Britechester and pay a pretty penny, or wait until you could come down to take a look." He looked at the window, "God, that didn't even take you an hour, did it?" He said with a laugh. Will smiled, choosing not to note it had only taken him thirty minutes.

"Say Will," Joe said slowly, with uncharacteristic seriousness. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." Will, who had been cleaning his hands with a rag, paused, looking up at Joe. 

"I've been thinking about turning this place into one of those mechanic shops, like you'd see over in Britechester. I've always preferred working with the cars, though I don't have half your talent for it," he cast Will a conspiratorial look, and Will grinned at the praise. 

"Truth be told, I just kept up with the smithy for Pa, and now that he's passed, I don't have any real reason to keep at it. There's other blacksmiths around, but no one closer than Britechester is doing anything with autos. I think Brindleton could really use something like that. I hear about these type of shops popping up all over the place these days and doing real well for themselves." He paused. 

"The thing is, everyone knows you're the real talent behind what we do here, I have to tell 'em to wait for you often enough." He said with a chuckle, "but what would you say? Would you want to come work here full time? If I made the switch and did as well as I know we can, I'd be able to pay you a real good wage, Will." 

Will had not expected this. True, he enjoyed working here almost more than anything else, but he'd always viewed it as kind of an odd job, with the dairy coming first. But Joe's words had painted a picture; one which was deeply enticing to Will. He'd always assumed he would take over the farm for his father, but at some point, without him really realizing; the thought of that had become less of a dream and more of an unwelcome duty. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

next / previous / first

[razorblade-richards26]

dally and Johnny moments

Dallas Winston: played by Joshua Boone

Johnny Cade: played by sky Lakota lynch

——————————————————————————————————

Scene: The Abandoned Lot – Late Afternoon

Dallas and Johnny are sitting on the hood of a car, sharing a cigarette and talking about life.

Dallas: (exhaling smoke) You know, kid, you gotta toughen up. This world ain't kind to softies.

Johnny: (nodding) I know, Dally. I just... sometimes it's hard, you know?

Dallas: (patting his shoulder) Yeah, I get it. But you got us. We look out for our own.

Johnny: (smiling slightly) Thanks, Dally. That means a lot.

Dallas: (grinning) Don't mention it. Now, let's go raise some hell.

————————————————————————

Scene: The Curtis House – Evening

Johnny and Dallas are playing cards on the porch, with Dallas teaching Johnny a new game.

Dallas: (dealing cards) Alright, kid, this one's called Poker. It's all about reading the other guy.

Johnny: (concentrating) Got it. So, what's the first step?

Dallas: (smirking) First step is to always keep a straight face. No matter what.

Johnny: (trying to keep a straight face) Like this?

Dallas: ………….eeeeeehhhhhh Not bad, but You'll get there.

———————————————————————

Scene: The Abandoned Lot – Evening

Johnny and Dallas are sitting around a small fire, talking about their dreams and aspirations.

Johnny: (staring into the fire) Sometimes, I just wish things were different, you know?

Dallas: (nodding) Yeah, I get that. But we gotta play the hand we're dealt.

Johnny: (sighing) I guess so. But it's tough.

Dallas: (patting his back) You're tougher. Don't forget that.

Johnny: (smiling) Thanks, Dally. You're a good friend.

Dallas: (grinning) Don't get all mushy on me now, kid. Let's just enjoy the fire.

————————————————————————

Scene: The Park – Afternoon

Johnny and Dallas are skipping stones on a pond. Johnny is trying to get the hang of it while Dallas shows off his skills.

Dallas: (skipping a stone) See? It's all in the wrist.

Johnny: (trying) Like this?

Dallas: (laughing) Almost. Just a little more flick.

Johnny: (sighing) I'll get it someday.

Dallas: (patting his back) You will, kid. You will.

(after note, just want to let you guys know that I wrote dairy still really tough, but a lot more caring and sympathetic to Johnny because that’s how I saw him in the musical)

[goodlucksnez]

cw: Swearing (a lot-its baku yall), mentions of toxic past, door slamming, holdback, Ice freezing sound effects, todo/baku implied, b/aku trying to be nice, and apologizing (character growth okay), K/ink Baku implied

The past week it has been over 100 degrees and i wanted to bring that to a wav so who better then T/odo and B/aku-Enjoy!!

Next wav: Ha//zbin

Transcript

Jesus. fucking God. mother fucking piece of shit *slams door*

Good afternoon Bakugou

 Oi shut up. I'm in no fucking mood.

 Is everything alright?

 No fucking Strawberry Shortcake. It's not fucking all right. It's 100° outside and I have to fucking go on patrol while you lounge around

Are you upset at me?

Wow. Whatever made you think that? I am covered in sweat. You're lucky and no one decided to Light a match near me or ill blow up half the damn city. Oh my God. Fuck summer. Fuck this. This is a bunch of fucking

Is your…..Emotions tied to the weather outside.

Don't even fucking start with me. Half and half. I'm in no fucking mood. It's hot as satan left testicle out there. OK, now fuck of while I take a fucking shower.

Only his left.

*slams door*

 Ohh yeah. Wow, he was really mad.Well,I can help with that at least. I can cool it down in here. I guess I never really noticed it. It's slightly warm. Well. Hopefully this will make a difference to him.

Why the fuck do I walk outside? It's hundred and fucking.*slips on ice* What the hell is this icy hot? Why the fuck is the living room a god damn ice rink?

So you're upset when you're both too hot and too cold.

You not mad that it's fucking a ice rink. I'm mad because this is my god damn living room and you're fucking it up. Melt this crap.

I apologize I.*sneeze* Thought you wanted it to be colder?

I want it to not be 101 fucking degrees outside doesn't mean it needs to be negative fucking 50, fucking idiot. I swear. You don't have a fucking brain in there

I apologize bakugou.

 Ohh, don't fucking Bakugou me.

 It is your name, is it not?

 Oh, my God. You fucking piss me off so much. You fucking know that.

I apologize.

Was that the people of the fucking world didn't fuck up the air this much? I wouldn’t be so mad, OK?

Would you like a frozen dairy product?

Are you fucking asking me if I want ice cream?

Yes.

Get the god damn cookies and cream and don't say shit

*eating ice cream*

 Don't fucking look at me like that.

I apologize

don't get me started.

 I'm confused. Is the ice cream not helping you cool down?

Really pushing your luck there.

I don't understand.

This is hard enough, OK.

Oh, would you like me to melt it for you

 not the fucking ice cream!! this, feeling. I feel bad about how I acted.

OK.

Fuck I'm sorry, OK? I was just hot and annoyed at that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't-Have yelled at you. OK. Ohh you don't need.

Don't finish that fucking sentence. I was in the wrong you're in the right. Happy now.

Not really. You still look.*sneeze* what?

What the hell did you just do?

I'm…sitting here looking at you.

No, the fucking convulsion. What the fuck was that?

 I sneezed.

You what?

Uhm, I sneezed.

Since when do you fucking sneeze?

I am a human. I have bodily functions just like the rest of us.

You sure? Because half the time you act like a damn robot.

I*sneeze* I assure you I am quite human. Pardon.

What the hell is wrong with you? I've known you for five fucking years. I don't think I've ever seen you fucking sneeze.

You most likely have. You just probably didn't notice you kind of Live in your own

 don't change the fucking subject on me. Let me rephrase. The god damm question. Why are you fucking sneezing?

 Oh, what it may have to do with the ice show earlier.

What?

 My internal body temperature is regulated by both the ice and the fire that I control within myself within my center. When one Is more prominent than the other. It can cause side effects. More likely than not, when I overheat. I have a hard time cooling myself down. When I am freezing, it's harder to warm myself up. Causes painful memories. Over the years, I've gotten better at controlling my regulations.

 That's not how this works.

You make sweat that can explode. I don't think this needs to be scientifically proven.

 So what your ices makes you fucking sneeze. Then what was with the fucking Ice show just trying to show off.

 I was trying to make you cool. *sneeze* Pardon me. Evidently I seem *snneze*.

 You fucking short circuit, if that's what the fuck you did.

I prefer the term got out of balance, but I guess you could Compare it to a AI misfiring. I mean, if you think about it,

don't. Go all fucking nerd on me. What? What do I fucking do? Do I stick you outside?

 I'm not a rabid animal bakugou. It's fine, it's just. Just some sneezing.

You'll probably be over that fucking faster if you actually let your body do it.

 Excuse me.

 You're holding them in. Your body is trying to obviously, fucking expel something. Let it do its job. Why are you shortening its lifespan?

Did you just refer to A bodily function as having a lifespan. Now he's being weird.

Oh, everyone thinks you're so gid damn analytical. No one realized. How fucking savage you can be.

You got that hitching shit like deku. Do I have to flick your nose too.

If I didn't know better, I would say you're enjoying this

shut up. I'm not enjoying this. It's just rare, OK.

You fucking stifle again. I will fucking. Come over there.

Pardon me.

Bless.

What was that

Fuck off

[duhragonball]

It's my birthday today, and the local grocery store was thoughtful enough to stock the Dragon Ball Z Reese's Puffs, so I'm gonna try it out. Join me, won't you?

I still can't believe this is real. I mean, Reese's Puffa is kind of surreal enough as it is. It sounds like some satirical brand meant to poke fun at sugary kids' cereals. The box says "Made with REAL REESE'S Peanut Butter", the same way a fruit-flavored beverage will claim to contain genuine fruit.

The bowl on the box art is a Reese's cup, so it basically depicts candy being served in more candy. I'm old enough to remember when they would photograph cereal as "part of a complete breakfast", and there'd be grapefruits and toast and maybe a hard boiled egg. Basically they were admitting that the cereal was so unhealthy that you needed to eat three or four other breakfasts to make up for it. I just liked the photos because they were so picturesque. Ah, to have unlimited free time to prepare a leisurely 4-course breakfast while reading the paper. I just assumed everyone else was having toast with their cereal except my family, but yeah, it never really made any sense.

I haven't even gotten to Goku yet, but first I want to talk about his spoon. I don't think we see him holding a spoon very often. He's usually a chopsticks kind of guy, or he'll just use his bare hands or even dunk his head into the bowl. It kind of looks like a ladle when he holds it like that, which implies he cooked this bowl of candy soup all by himself, and he's showing it off like a proud chef. This spoon kicks ass, is what I'm trying to say.

But the real reason I bought this is because of that orange hillbilly who needs no introduction. I wasn't even looking for Reese's Puffs. It was the furthest thing from my mind. No, I was stocking up on the old-man cereal I require to survive, when I just saw him staring at me, with his friendly-yet-confident smile. Goku's not pressuring you to buy the cereal. He's sure you'll enjoy it, but it's okay if you want to take a pass. He'll just enjoy all this peanut butter chocolate goodness all by himself. Goku is truly the ideal spokesman. How can you say no to this lovable hunk?

I'm kind of out of touch when it comes to cereal marketing, but I'm pretty sure this sort of cross-promotion is a rarity. Like, they once put WWE wrestlers on Wheaties or something, but usually if the cereal companies want a cartoon on the box they'll just make their own character. Or if the cartoon people want to put their guy in the cereal aisle, they'll just commission a whole new cereal just for that brand. C-3PO had his own cereal for a while. It was pretty good!

What I'm saying is that it's kind of unusual to see a popular character like this on a cereal box. The only exception I can come up with is Fred Flintstone on Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, but I always assumed that those were specifically "Flintstones Cereal".

Other than that, yeah, I can't think of any other examples of cartoon characters appearing on unaffiliated cereal boxes like this. Well, I drew my DBZ OC on a box of All-Bran today, but I don't think that counts.

"MY FIBER IS MAXIMUM, KAKAROT!"

I wondered what was up with the picture of Piccolo on the back of the box, and it turns out that he's one of seven different characters you can find on the back of the box. Collect them all! Aw man, that Cell one looks fucking sick! I don't know how they distributed these. Maybe they roll them out in waves and Piccolo's came first. Or maybe it's random and I might have found a Cell if I'd checked more boxes at the store. Well, Piccolo's pretty good. I guess.

All right, I just poured myself a bowl and Goku's cereal is gonna have to set course for Planet Oat. The dairy industry may not applaud my shopping choices, but I like oat milk because it doesn't spoil as quickly as cow milk, and it's got a nice oat-y flavor that compliments the cardboard taste of All-Bran.

I did not put Dawn liquid soap in my cereal. This time.

So what's the verdict here? Well, the first few bites were pretty tasty, and then I realized I was getting kind of sick of this as I made my way to the bottom of the bowl. The peanut butter flavor overwhelms everything. It has a very strong odor, so if you like Reese's peanut butter cups you can just sit this out in your room and savor the aroma. I barely registered any chocolate flavor at all. I mean, I believe they put it there, but the peanut butter is the whole story to this.

It's basically Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs from Calvin and Hobbes, only this is a special Peanut Butter variant they made. I never really appreciated the jokes about sugary cereals before. I grew up on Frosted Flakes and the like, but there were a certain class of cereals that my mom would just refuse to buy. My grandparents would have them, but I never really understood the difference between Frosted Flakes and Honey Smacks. As I got older, I ate less cereal in general, but that was mostly because I fell out of the habit of eating breakfast altogether.

But now I'm 47, and the only cereal I eat these days is bran topped with diced peaches and a couple of packets of artificial sweetener, so Reese's Puffs is way, way too sugary for my palate. It's not bad, but a little goes a long way for me.

When I was a kid, old people were always griping about all the stuff they couldn't eat anymore. I remember Isaac Asimov writing mournfully about how he couldn't have an Oreo cookie, which bummed me out because that was my favorite cookie back then, and it seemed that the fate of all humanity was to be denied the simple pleasure of enjoying them.

Now, I realize that a lot of the stuff that you liked as a kid just doesn't age up with you. Your tastes change, and you gain appreciations for new things that you wouldn't have appreciated before. That's not a bad thing. It's life. Things change, and you change along with them.

Well, you and I do, anyway. Not Goku, whose Saiyan biology keeps him looking exactly the same for sixty years so he can eat all the sweetened corn puffs he wants. But I don't envy him, is what I'm trying to say. I'm watching a wrestling show on PPV tonight, my mom took me to Cracker Barrel for lunch today, and I drew on a cereal box. I can't complain.

[iron-sparrow]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers (ू•‧̫•ू⑅)♡

Thank you so much for asking! Seriously, I lit up a little bit seeing this pop up in my inbox.

I'm gonna try to keep this one shorter, for everyone else's sakes, but I do have a rambling and somewhat-abstract variant available.

Iced coffee, woo! I used to make little videos for Insta of my coffee-making process with my bird perched on my shoulder, in frame. I don't make those vids anymore, but I still enjoy making my drinks and consuming far too much caffeine. (P.S. I think charging extra for non-dairy is so unfair.)

Big-ass machines! Watching trains and planes and Pacific Rim and hearing Optimus Prime and meeting Rasputin in Destiny... SO COOL.

ALL the fucking stationary. ✎ I don't spend quite as much money as I used to on stationary, but I still love finding cute washi tapes and stickers and stuff at Kinokuniya or from independent Asian artists online. I tend to gravitate toward nature-themed stuff, though I'm really in love with the Erenville tape a raiding friend got me recently for my birthday!

Okay, I really love the critically-acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. You know, the one that includes the entirety of A Realm Reborn AND the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to... Oh, the free trial is up to Stormblood now, isn't it? Anyway, this game changed my brain chemistry and introduced me to so many amazing humans to raid and RP and just vibe with. (Pointing at you!)

Birds are incredible. I mean, I kind of love almost any animal you tell me about. Birds have always had a special place in my brain, though. When I finally got a cockatiel a few years ago, my long-time friends just kind of nodded and said, "Always knew this would happen." Here's my precious little satanic dander ball, Beelzebub...

Throwing in some tags because lovely people have sent me this ask, and I wanted to make sure they KNOW I SAW IT. Get tagged, @uldahstreetrat & @aislingsurrow!

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Malleus Draconia Masquerade Dress Personal Story: Part 1

"We should begin from the top once more"

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

[Diasomnia Dorm – Lounge]

Malleus: As I have been invited to the first ever gathering of future mages…

Malleus: I wish to bestow my utmost gratitude to those from Noble Bell College who chose to include me.

Sebek: How kind of you, my lord…!

Lilia: Good thinking. There's no one in the world who wouldn't like to be thanked for their troubles.

Silver: I agree. I believe it would be a wonderful sentiment that would help break the ice with those new friends.

Lilia: Have you decided how you're going to give your thanks?

Malleus: I have been thinking for some time now… Only, nothing comes to mind.

Malleus: Do you three have any ideas for a gift worthy of my gratitude that I could bring to the cultural exchange?

Silver: A gift, hm. If it were me…

Silver: I would enjoy a cake.

Sebek: A cake? Who'd even think to bring anything perishable on a trip like this?

Silver: Perishables…? I see. I suppose a normal cake would not be suitable to bring on a 3-day, 2-night trip.

Silver: Then, perhaps if we were to make a dairy-free, non-perishable cake?

Lilia: Hm. You seem to be intent on suggesting a cake.

Lilia: I didn't expect you to think of a cake when asked about gifts. Did you always have a sweet tooth like this?

Silver: No, that isn't entirely the case…

Silver: I was only recalling the time I received a cake from you, Father, as a reward for the successful completion of a training mission.

Silver: I remember being very happy then, so I thought it'd be a good present.

Lilia: Kufufu… How nostalgic! I see, I see, so you really liked that, Hm.

Lilia: Then, maybe I should make a non-perishable cake for the students of Noble Bell College?

Silver: Ah, no! Not… Anything but...!

Sebek: LET'S NOT MAKE A CAKE!!

Malleus: I agree… To begin with, I do not like whole cakes, myself. I would prefer to gift something that I would also enjoy, if nothing else.

Malleus: Regrettably, I must reject the notion of a cake.

Lilia: Alright… Too bad, Silver.

Silver: Yes, thankfully. I mean, oh, so sad.

Sebek: …Well, does my lord truly need to bring anything as gratitude, in the first place?

Sebek: Coming from someone like Malleus-sama, just those words of appreciation should be enough...

Sebek: Rather, even gifting them a passing, "You there," should be a grand enough gift, pass down for generations!!

Lilia: I think you'd be the only person who'd accept something like that all teary-eyed, Sebek.

Malleus: Of course, I intend on giving a word of thanks as a matter of courtesy… However, I wish to present something more, to commemorate the event.

Lilia: Something that's not as hard to prepare as a cake, but also something more meaningful than mere words…

Lilia: Well, that narrows it down. And you all still have a ways to go if you still haven't realized what it should be.

Malleus: Oho, so you seem to have thought of something Lilia. How promising.

Lilia: Mhm. So, the gift you should bring is…

Lilia: MASS GAMES!

Silver/Sebek: Mass games?

Lilia: Oh, you don't know? It's a calisthenic exercise done as a group. In the past, the Kingsguard of Briar Valley would also participate in these activities.

Lilia: Many people become one entity, and by performing a seamless gymnastics routine together, it can showcase strong leadership…

Lilia: And completely overwhelm any person who witnesses it!

Silver: Father… I don't believe we're looking to overwhelm anyone here…

Lilia: Ah. You're right.

Malleus: …How troubling, we aren't getting anywhere. We are simply inexperienced with the proper knowledge on gatherings such as this.

Malleus: If only we could receive advice from someone well-versed in these matters…

[knocking]

Azul: Pardon me.

Malleus: Oh, if it isn't Ashengrotto. Is something the matter?

Azul: I received word from the Headmaster that you are joining the participants traveling to the cultural exchange.

Azul: In order to coordinate the groups for the field trip, I thought it would be more efficient to meet with you in person.

Malleus: That's right, you were attending as well. Thank you for coming all this way to inform us.

Lilia: These guys don't have much experience with travelling, you know. I hope you'll take care of the three of them!

Azul: Of course. I will assist in whatever way I can.

Azul: …In any case, it seems you've all been discussing something here with grave expressions. Whatever could possibly be the matter?

Azul: If there is something troubling you, I can absolutely be of assistance!!

Sebek: HUMPH! AS IF WE WOULD REQUEST HELP FROM SOMEONE FROM OCTAVINELLE!!

Lilia: Now, now, it wouldn't hurt to just chat about it with him.

Lilia: To tell you the truth, we've been talking about how we'd like to show our gratitude to Noble Bell College for the invitation.

Lilia: We're still hashing out the details.

Azul: Show your gratitude? To Noble Belle College? Malleus-san would?

Azul: …How wonderful! I won't charge a consultation fee, so please allow me to get in on this action… Er, rather, allow me to be of assistance!

Malleus: You mean to say you'll cooperate with us? I, of course, do not mind, but… Are you truly willing?

Azul: Why, yes, of course. I actually was intending on bring along with me a gift of my own in order to win over our hosts.

Azul: But if I am able to prepare something alongside the illustrious Malleus-san, it is sure to be worth even more. I am quite reassured by that thought.

Sebek: Heh… So you seem to understand just how amazing Malleus-sama is, then!

Silver: If someone as thoughtful as you are ordinarily joined us, this may be a more promising venture.

Silver: Do you have any thoughts as to what we should present to Noble Bell College?

Azul: Why, yes. The most ideal gift for this sort of event would be…

Azul: A song.

Malleus: A song?

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

Requested by @twsttrashqueen.

[abyssalaerlocke]

Astarion & Hunger

So I'm going to talk about insatiable hunger through my own experiences, which were caused by a health problem.

My whole life I've always been hungry. As a kid, it was played off as 'having a hollow leg' and just being a growing kid. But it never stopped. I'm talking almost constant gnawing hunger pains, no matter what or how much I ate, it wouldn't go away. I would become painfully full while still painfully hungry. I flip flopped between eating constantly to try and make it go away, and giving up and trying to ignore and distract myself from it because food wouldn't help anyway — it took so much time and energy in my life, just to get nothing from it.

There are a couple quests in The Witcher 3 (probably based on folklore, etc.) where someone's been cursed with eternal hunger. The pain and drive consumes them, their life revolves around it, higher thought is difficult as they become feral with desperation. Even though it won't kill them — it just means they get to suffer without end. It's one of the worse curses I can imagine, something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

Astarion talks a lot about the sun. He deeply enjoys it, and is driven by a fear of being confined to the shadows again. But he does mention hunger a few times. I think less so because the tadpole didn't free him from it — it's still such a ubiquitous thing for him, a pain that's the nature of existing.

I found out earlier this year that digestive inflammation can feel like insatiable gnawing hunger. It's commonly caused by gluten (also dairy, but I'm already vegan) so I decided to try cutting that out, and, yeah... It's been almost a year, and for the first time in my life I don't feel like I'm constantly starving. When I'm hungry, I make a meal, and I don't feel hungry anymore.

After my mom cut out a lot of major foods after finding out she had sensitivities, I said there were some things that if I found out it was causing existing symptoms (as someone with chronic pain, etc.) I still wouldn't cut it out entirely. Gluten was definitely one of those things. But that's because I never imagined not feeling hungry was on the table. It was just an inseparable part of being alive for me. When I found out it was optional, and had actual success, it completely flipped my life upside down.

The experiences are so far from each other, it's hard for most people to grasp the impact constant hunger has on a person (but people have difficulty understanding what it's like to live with chronic pain in general. It wears you down — physically, emotionally. It's exhausting, and you might not even realise how low your normal is, just that it's such a struggle to function like other people).

I think it's easy to not really realise the weight of hunger Astarion experiences — I'm not sure how much he even realises, himself — but the very first thing he says when he ascends is:

"I... I can't feel it. That ache in my stomach, that hunger — it's gone."

and he seems completely baffled by that revelation.

Note: this is immediately followed by "I'm free. I'm finally free!" Which, he's free of a lot of things now, but how it's placed with the previous line really lends weight to it.

When I think about all the ways he could experience the sun without ascending, and I'm in the head of a character who doesn't share my experiences with hunger — assuming a good leaning character who's focused on all the people who'll be sacrificed — choosing to not ascend him is a fairly easy, obvious choice. But when understanding the hunger Astarion experiences — and all the spawn that'll still experience it even if you free them so they can finally feed — I think even a good character could end up helping him ascend.

[doodlehorseafternoon]

Might seem like a weird question but do you think it's wrong for a vet to specialize in a single species? I told a friend I wanted to specialize in cats and they called me rude for "not thinking about all the other small animals" :/

Not at all! This is a hot topic for me, so prepare for a long reply ;)

For context: A veterinarian can work on multiple species (everything, mixed small & exotics, mixed small & large, mixed equine & livestock, etc.), single species (equine only, dairy cow only, feline only etc.), industry (FDA, research, agriculture, department of health, etc.), a single specialty (neurology, soft tissue surgery, emergency medicine, cardiology, internal medicine, radiology, etc.), or they can do some blend over their life time. There's a million ways to work with a DVM. Some people specialize in one species or field and some don't.

The reason people specialize is because they are more comfortable or confident in one species versus another, or they have a strong interest in that species or field. That makes them better at the job they want to do in our field. They have decided to fill a particular need and be the best they can in that aspect of veterinary medicine.

I wouldn't see a small animal GP for my horses and vice versa. In the same way, cats are complicated. If you can become an excellent doctor working on cats and really developing your knowledge in that area? You are an asset to cat owners everywhere.

Along those lines: What about doctors who go on to specialize in neurology or surgery? What about the doctor who decides to specialize in large animal medicine instead of totally mixed practice?

Personally, I'm planning on working almost exclusively on horses with some small ruminant. I like cats, but dogs scare me. What good does it do for me to work on a species that declines my health to be with everyday? I have the potential to be an excellent equine doctor, but if someone told me I was required to work on dogs because I had to think of all of the species? I wouldn't enjoy my work and I wouldn't be as effective as a doctor. I'm better at equine medicine than I am at canine medicine. I know this, so I'm planning to work where I excel and can do best by people and their animals.

We learn a lot about diversifying our interests and keeping our options open in school, and I would recommend doing that. You never know if your mind will change, and having the basics to go off of for the major species is good to have. It will especially help for taking the NAVLE in fourth year. A broad basis will make you a better doctor in the long run outside of school just because it gives you more knowledge to work with.

But that being said, play to your strengths. If you love cats and want to work on them? Do that. If I love horses and want to be an equine practioner? Then that's what I should do. This profession is full of options and directions and niches. You will serve animals just as well in one place as another so long as you do work that fulfills you. There's a need for veterinarians everywhere, there's aspects of every species that are hard, and there's nothing wrong with picking one and getting really good at it.

Only you can decide what it is about veterinary medicine that fulfills your calling. We're all made different for a reason. Pigeon holing ourselves into someone else's idea of what it means to be a veterinarian will only ever make us upset and uncomfortable in our own lives. I'd rather be in this profession for 40 years than burn-out after 4, you know?

If you want to be a feline only vet and strive for excellence in that area? Go for it! You will not be any less of a doctor, I promise.

[rapunzelforlorn]

I made my friend watch heartstopper and I got his reactions for you to all enjoy

Ep 1

Fuck Ben!

Elle actually trans?

FUCK BEN!!

Rugby bros nice & accepting

Charlie is him

FUUUUUUUCKK BEN!!!!

Is ig the main communication method?

Does "x" mean more than kisses?

Ep 2

Charlie is just so supportive

Ben gives the ick

Let people have crushes

Why do school dynamics in shows never feel like they do in real life?

Tori's an odd one

Upset we got robbed Charlie getting his haircut and stressing too the barber

Nellie's barks fake??

What friends play in the snow like this?

Nick's mom read him like a book

Rocketman can't play drums lol

WHY'S THE TENSION SO GOOD 😫

Loving the comic effects

Tori is SO weird

Floor person confirmed bi

Ep 3

Nick going through the queer rabbit hole, fuck that's depressing 😔

Do we like Imogen?

Feel bad for Tao 😔

What's with the sequined clothes?

Tao's a bit dramatic

Fuck Harry

Fuck Ben again!!

Good on Charlie standing up to him

Tao IS dramatic

Imogen is a bit much but not bad?

Who throws parties like this??

Is this a hotel?

The sneaker squeak breaking the silence

God I miss this nervous tension

Nick absolute Golden retriever

Ep4

A boy, talking about his feelings?!?!

Nick never got that jumper

Imogen is too much lol still not sure if we like her

Tao & Elle?

Does this art teacher have a name??

Mr. Arjiya?

Gay people sport

I really want one of these rugby boys to step and be supportive of Charlie being on this team

Imogen...kinda annoying

ANNOYING

Ally 🤣

Tao🤜vs🤛Nick 🙈

Harry's a twat

Nick looking genuinely upset about being "friends"

There's nothing wrong with worrying about your teammate¡!!!!

Nick being ambushed, not cool

Not sure Imogen is bad, annoying yes, but doesn't know better

Ep5

Fuck monopoly

Not Imogen's dog 😭😭😭

Nick's so conflicted and it hurts

Saturday came so fast??

Tao's hair flaps gets me everytime

Wait...what about imogen???

Tao's overprotective, heart in the right place

Not the strongly worded DM 😭

Tao quick to judge

Smooching!!!

Tao & Elle 😏

Imogen, good friend?

Ep6

Nick has good taste in pirate movies

PotC confirmed Bi movie

Bi panic

Friends to lovers pipeline

Why does it always happen in band rooms?

Girl, with very queer haircut - "never would've guessed you were gay"

The ice cream truck song?

Anti-homiphobia cheese

Picnic bants

Shout out to this vlogger

Tara is SUCH a good friend

Such a supportive group

Charlie's excitement for the official date!!

What is this magical milkshake shop???

Where do they get date money?

Tao being oblivious 😐

A concert after all that dairy?!?!

Nick saying he might be bisexual and then saying I'm not sure feels very bixeual

Poor Tara

Tao having the longest legs and being the slowest runner

The subtle carhart on Nick's coat 😂

Ep7

Why is Tori so weird??

Charlie needs to work on standing up for himself

Rugby lad 😂

Sweet popcorn 🤢

Char?

Harry needs to piss off

Ben's a fucking creep AND a pos

Nick standing up to Harry, mint

Nick's mom know? Motherly intuition?

I really need Charlie to stand up for himself, love that he has people in his corner but I need him to step up

The "s" word

Art teacher complaining about crumbs like the counters & cabinets aren't stained with paint

Tao 😔

Elle's fits tho

Tao holding his own against Harry 👀

Tao & Charlie 😭😭

Ep 8

Harry's a twat, Tori confirmed

Tori still weird but good sister

Issac has been unbothered and in his lane all season, we stan

Don't you have to fill out papers to quit a team?

Nick & Tao bonding

Tao is good friend

Seeing the "typing..." appear & disappear is such a relatable agony

Elle is her

Why don't we have a sports day?

What's the point of all girls/boys school if they're seemingly right next to each other and constantly intermingling

FUCK OFF BEN

Charlie...STANDING UP FOR HIMSELF?? 👏👏

Charlie & Tao hugging it out 🥺

Kinda want more Issac

Tao & Elle 👀👀👀👀

Kith? No kith 😖

The principle over the intercom 🤣

Nick & Charlie locking eyes in the rugby match

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

The walk off!!!!!

Issac still unbothered and in his book lmao

"I believe you" 😭💜😭💜

Seagulls do not mean beach but okay

Proper date antics 💜💜

The beach is all rocks?

"In a romantic way, not just a friend way" 🤣

And they were boyfriends

We love a supportive mum

Ending with a montage, love to see it

All in all I think he formed the correct opinions but don't worry I WILL be educating him about baby angel Tori and solitare.

[murfpersonalblog]

Murf's AMA: Taltos

@adamnablelittledevil you sent me such an incredibly lovely & thorough ask that I wanted to address every single point you made. So I'm breaking your PM up into separate AMA-style posts. Thank you SO much!

"Also, what do you think of the Taltos species as a whole? Because the descriptions of the difficult and nearly lethal pregnancies, the "babies who walk" (that's how it was translated in Brazil), them having some kind of conscience and knowledge about themselves and their world since the beginning, their milk, their naivety etc... I'm usually really into creative and out-of-the-box stuff.... But the whole thing with Taltos, I couldn't really imagine and didn't make as much sense to me as the rest. I don't know if I need more information or if the concept itself didn't work for me. I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

VALID! 😂🤣 Taltos are arguably one of THE weirdest of all the beings in AR's Immortal Universe. And that's what makes them so interesting, IMO. As a whole, I loooove how AR interwove the Taltos into her Mayfair cosmogony, and I wish we'd gotten more Taltos POVs as main characters (Morrigan is one of my favorite AR females. And Ashlar is Best Boi!). AR just lost the plot with the Taltos, and gave up entirely after Blood Canticle (which, following that thread, was clearly for the best). It's a real shame. Lasher's our first and WORST introduction to AR's Taltos. He's a TERRIBLE representative for them, cuz as a whole Taltos are genuinely good people.

"I'm usually really into creative and out-of-the-box stuff, it's one of the reasons I enjoyed Blackwood Farm even though it was her weirdest book so far, I love Tolkien, Orwell, I once read a book that had an explosion and everyone ended up losing a limb and/or fusing with whatever or even whoever was the closest to them... Kids with their toys, children with their mothers, losing hands etc. And that book is one of my favorites."

And that's the very crux of it! If vampires are the embodiment of Thirst/Hunger, and ghosts are disembodied Unfinished Business, the Taltos are the embodiment of Childlike Innocence/Goodness. (And if there's ONE thing AR loves, it's child-centric motifs, and the power of maternal/parental bonds. Just like book!Madeleine, the Taltos Saint Ashlar is a dollmaker; he loves toys & kids. He just wants to find someone genetically compatible with him (a Taltos or a Mayfair--or both), so the Taltos don't die off as a species. Lasher just went about it THE worst way imaginable.

AR's Taltos easily represent ANY marginalized & disenfranchised race of people (the "noble savages" of racist white colonialist rhetoric). Which is IRONIC (and lowkey grating) how heavy-handed AR was with her explicitly racially coded white = good motif for the Taltos. She dabbles in eugenics & whitewashing too much, LBH. AR's Taltos value anything with a closer proximity to whiteness: they don't touch or eat or like anything that's not white (cuz white is the color of Mother's Milk). They're addicted to breastmilk, obsessed with dairy products, and are pescatarians who only eat things that are white (or pastel) in color. They're nymphomaniacs, and their reproductive process/gestation period is lightning fast; breeding like rabbits.

Although they're not human or part of our species (Homo Sapiens Sapiens), they're obviously still in the genus Homo, cuz Taltos can breed with humans. And we were their downfall. As the Taltos interacted & bred with humans (not always willingly), they lost their innocence, their society degenerated, and more Taltos gained greater capacities for meanness, selfishness, cruelty, etc--Lasher, the Dwarves, etc. Racist anti-miscegnation rhetoric aside, the Taltos are a tragic lesson about the prejudices of humanity, persecuting & demonizing people for no good reason--just cuz they were born different. Cuz of the way they look, and the culture they live in.

Fun fact: Taltos are from IRL folklore--Hungarian instead of Pictish (that's artistic license for you, lol). In Hungary, the táltos are like shamans, priests, prophets, and magicians.

There are a lot of disputed notions about táltos, including popular stories about magical drums and songs táltos use in musical divination.

Pócs, Éva. "The Hungarian táltos and the shamanism of pagan Hungarians. Questions and hypotheses." Acta Ethnographica Hungarica 63, no. 1 (2018): 149-196.

AR's Taltos were obviously inspired by these beliefs, as an important weakness of Lasher's is rhymes/songs/music. On the old Mayfair plantation Riverbend, the African slaves constantly played drums to keep Lasher away from them, cuz they knew Lasher was hypnotized by music, dancing helplessly. That's why Stella Mayfair was always throwing parties, and Uncle Julien turned his Victrola gramphone into a voodoo doll, cuz everyone knew songs & poetry could stop Lasher dead in his tracks. (Which is why it makes ZERO EFFING SENSE that AMC had Lasher seducing Rowan in the middle of a parade with all that music playing. Music puts HIM under spells, NOT the other way around!)

ANYWAY, I digress. (That effing show gets on my nerves.)

Babies/Faeries/Giants

Hungarians believed that people were born táltos; most easily recognized at birth, with certain birthmarks or uncommon/special features--esp. teeth & extra digits (making people think táltos were born talking & walking)--the same signs also associated with werewolves & other shapeshifters in Balkan culture.

Pócs, Éva. "The Hungarian táltos and the shamanism of pagan Hungarians. Questions and hypotheses." Acta Ethnographica Hungarica 63, no. 1 (2018): 149-196.

Which is likely why AR merged Hungarian lore with Celtic lore, since the Celts say the same thing about changelings born of the fae/elves/giants. Along with the Walking Baby premise, AR also makes her Taltos extremely tall; well over 7 feet--gigantic.

And ofc the most famous place in Celtic folklore connected with the Picts and fae/giants is Stonehenge--which is where AR's Taltos lived & danced.

"Monsters" & Birth Defects & Religion

The whole Walking Babies/"babies who walk" motif is directly tied to what makes a supernatural/preternatural "monster" in gothic horror; especially when you are BORN/created a certain way, that society then persecutes you for & discriminates you against. The word "monster" is from monstrum in Latin.

"Monsters/prodigies" were omens, signs of bad (or good) luck. In Greco-Roman antiquity, fantastical beasts were usually agents of chaos (Gaia's giants); signs of the gods' anger & punishments & challenges for humans to defeat to cleanse themselves & the land (all of Echidna's kids by Typhon); and ofc rape/bestiality (the Minotaur, Pegasus, Centaurs, etc). A lot of these monsters were half-human, with some sort of signature defect (the Sphinx, Minotaur, Centaurs, Pan, etc) that made people afraid of them--Pan's own mother ran screaming when she saw that he was born half-goat. And ofc there's poor Hephaestus, yeeted off of Mount Olympus just for being born ugly/lame/cripple/etc. And that attitude bled right into the Roman Catholic Church.

In Roman Catholicism during the Byzantine period, Middle Ages, all the way down to the Early Modern period, monsters/prodigies and other abnormal births were signs of God's anger/will.

Bitbol-Hespériès, Annie. "Monsters, Nature and Generation from the Renaissance to the Age of Reason: The Emergence of Medical Thought." The Problem of Animal Generation in Early Modern Philosophy (2006).

During the Enlightenment Period & Industrial Revolution, mankind came up with increasingly extreme ways of playing God; man vs nature, science vs religion. Gothic literature peaked, and flipped this on its head with Frankenstein's Monster, a giant nameless thing born/created unnaturally, who was persecuted with literal torches & pitchforks, hated for just being what he was. He was a man, but society made him a monster cuz of the way they treated him.

So you can see where AR was blending Gothic horror; with THE iconic Monster, Frankenstein's Monster, and various European folklore. While IRL táltos were revered by Hungarian pagans, they were demonized by the Christian Church. Same with the Celtic pagans--esp. the Picts, whose culture was wiped out by the Catholics. Likewise, AR's Taltos were also persecuted as ungoldly freaks of nature & monsters, and she includes A LOT of references to the IRL waves of missionaries and Saints who came to Pictland and converted the locals--AR's Taltos.

Paradise Lost

I have to wonder how early AR started conceptualizing the PL Trilogy's Realms of Atlantis; cuz with the TVC vampires/aliens we have Amel and the paradisical city of Atlantis being destroyed by a meteor and sinking into the sea; and with the Mayfairs we have Pictland destroyed by a volcanic eruption and sinking into the sea.

TL;DR: YMMV, but IMO the Taltos are cool

But the whole thing with Taltos, I couldn't really imagine and didn't make as much sense to me as the rest. I don't know if I need more information or if the concept itself didn't work for me. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. But the way you talked about the book made me optimistic and I have changed my opinion for the better with some of her stuff (I admit I was a bit suspicious of my girl Maharet at first 😔). Hopefully things will get more convincing when I finish the MF books. 🙌

Hopefully this long AF post helps contextualize/explain things without spoiling the entire end of the series, LOL.

Technically there's 6 MF books: 3 main books (The Witching Hour, Lasher, Taltos); and 3 TVC crossovers (Merrick, Blackwood Farm, Blood Canticle). Blood Canticle is THE final book; it takes place after Taltos. I guess the reading order is TWH, LSR, MRK, BwF, TLTS, BC? Basically, if you know what happens in BC, you know what happens to the Taltos and all the characters involved.

I personally think BC is TRASH. Incredibly anticlimactic, and rather sad, considering who ends up living & dying; and how there's all these characters that AR just drops off the face of the planet when she ends the Mayfair series to do the PL Trilogy instead. I don't like that book at all, and I try to pretend it never existed and that the series just ended with Taltos. 😔

[call-me-double-trouble]

Double Trouble Headcanons

--LIZARD-RELATED HEADCANONS--

Double Trouble is a cross between a gecko and a chameleon, but mostly chameleon.

Double Trouble can climb on walls like a gecko, but they have to be barefoot. They don't wear socks, and they slip their shoes off and carry them with their tail, mouth, or shapeshift an extra arm to carry them while they flee from danger on a wall or ceiling.

Being cold-blooded, DT prefers to share a bed with someone warm or use a heated blanket, since regular blankets don't really help when they don't have their own body heat to insulate.

DT has a diet of insects, fruit, and leafy greens like an actual chameleon. They can also extend their tongue and catch insects with it. They and the others develop a game where someone holds a piece of food as far as their tongue can stretch, and Glimmer stands at the same distance and teleports to them to see if she can get there faster than they can catch the food. She hasn't bested them yet, but keeps trying.

That said, they had chicken once and LOVED IT. It's their guilty pleasure. If promised chicken, you can weasel a few favors out of them.

Also like a chameleon, DT used to change colors when they were angry, sad, frightened, and happy, but they taught themselves to stop so they wouldn't give away their emotions.

Being a reptile and not a mammal, DT is lactose-intolerant and avoids dairy entirely. The closest they can get to enjoying dairy is vegan substitutes.

DT sheds their skin like all reptiles. And just like a gecko, they immediately eat it. It's so natural to them that they don't even think about it and don't understand why non-reptiles find it gross.

DT used to be self-conscious about their more reptilian traits, but learned to love themselves and stop caring what others thought and started delighting in making others squeamish by licking their eyes and eating bugs, but deep-down, it still hurts a little. They feel so loved when someone is accepting of their traits and even accommodates them, such as offering heated blankets or a meal that fits their diet.

In a similar vein, some of DT's characteristics are from them overcompensating from past insecurities. They were born without eyelids, without external ears, and without hair or eyebrows.

--RELATIONSHIP/FRIENDSHIP HEADCANONS--

Double Trouble has favorite people and makes it REALLY obvious who their favorite is. They snuggle up to their favorite person/people, are nicer to them, always trying to cheer them up or make them laugh, and are constantly seeking affection and validation from their fav. They're also willing to do things for free or at a reduced price for their fav.

Despite the fact that DT is very affectionate, they seldom say "I love you" because it feels too revealing to them. If they do say it, though, they mean it.

DT is polyamorous.

DT was betrayed by someone dear to them at one point, and this gave them trust issues. They betray anyone who gets close to them first, always fearing that they themselves will be stabbed in the back at any moment if they're not the first to do it.

DT sabotages any meaningful relationship, platonic or otherwise, they have because they believe they're safer alone. This is partially what motivated their betrayal of Catra. After the war, they start to work on this side of themselves and allow themselves to trust a friend again.

DT saw a bit of themselves in Catra, hence why they bonded with her and then read her so well during the infamous vibe-check.

DT had a crush on Catra and got jealous that they'd always be second-best to Adora in Catra's eyes.

DT reconnects with Catra after the war, and they rebuild their friendship. DT has a harder time befriending the others, but they do eventually. Without a war going on, they don't have a reason to betray anyone in the Princess Alliance, so they're able to maintain a friendship with them.

DT rarely ever opens up since they operate under the assumption that others will view that information as a weakness to be exploited, since that's how they view others. Opening up to someone is the biggest show of trust DT can give.

DT never lets themselves cry in front of others. They try not to let themselves cry even on their own. They see it as a weakness others could take advantage of, and they also refuse to let other people make them feel upset because they don't want anyone to have that kind of power over them. If they find themselves starting to cry, they try to hold it in, often resulting in bursts of crying separated by chunks of silence or frustrated groaning.

On the rare, rare occasion that DT gets drunk, they infodump about things NO ONE wants to know. They'd sooner die than tell you their favorite color, but they WILL tell you about the weird shit people have paid them to do (and about how, instead of doing those things, they knocked the client out and stole their money).

DT loves giving makeovers and shapeshifting into their friends in different outfits and hairstyles to help them decide when they want to try something new.

--MISC. HEADCANONS--

"Double Trouble" is a name they picked for themselves.

They knew they were nonbinary at a young age and explored various ways of expressing themselves with their shapeshifting until they settled on what they liked.

DT doesn't have earrings, tattoos, or wear makeup because they can't shapeshift those things away. They can shift a hole in their ears to make an impromptu piercing to wear earrings when they want, such as at Princess Prom, but when they're out and about and need to shapeshift at a moment's notice, it's easier not to have any jewelry.

Despite not doing makeup on themselves very often, they're good at putting it on other people because they understand facial structure very well.

DT is a cat person.

DT is an extrovert, but can be just as quiet and unnoticeable as they can loud and attention-grabbing. They are a SPY, after all.

DT doesn't hate kids, just thinks it's funny how stupid and clumsy they are.