#i think he figures out how to be a consistently good dad later

[reading-stains]

I just thought about how Dick was the youngest to be taken under Bruce’s wing. Always the youngest, the most shapable of all the kids because he was the youngest. He was a blanker slate compared to the others in the personal identity sense. He was and always will be Dick Grayson. But it’s different to know who you are before the Bat. You haven’t even started pre-algebra. And it’s not easy, later, to know you’re the one that dealt with all the first trials and all the first mistakes and be the youngest to face them.

And he’s had trouble watching Bruce with the others. Jason died. Tim is driven into obsession time and time again. Stephanie is hurt and they all thought she died too.

So he’s hurting. He’s watching Bruce, a man that he knows is at least trying, but having extreme difficulties keeping the kids he takes under his wing alive, let alone stay okay. He’s watching him fail and fail and Dick feels like getting in the way is losing and staying out of it is too.

And when Damian arrives, he’s eight years old.

Eight. Dick had been eight. Lost and confused and his parents died in front of him.

Damian isn’t like him. He comes from blood. He’s killed before he’s binged a kids show. He’s angry in a way Dick isn’t, but he’s still angry and Dick recognizes that in his bones.

And he’s not doing this again. He’s not letting these problems settle again. He’s not leaving Bruce to make the mistakes he made with him and with all the others. He can’t be the best case to come out of Bruce’s parenting. He can’t.

Eight years old, a kid just like he was. A different flavor of traumatized and emotionally unstable, but a kid.

I just thought is it just love? Later, of course it is. Dick loves Damian and I haven’t read anything stating otherwise.

But at the start. Is it redemption for the other times he didn’t step forward, despite the fact he had every right not to while he was hurting? And again, is it self-love? To stop what had been unfair to him, cruel with him, hard for him?

I just wonder. Dick Grayson, when you look at the child, is part of you seeing you trying to save yourself?

[hwaslayer]

the space between us three (jyh) | three.

⇢series masterlist | series playlist

⇢summary: while juggling the demands of life, yunho continues to do his best to raise his independent 11 yr old daughter, seora. throughout the years, they've built a strong foundation, an unbreakable bond— one that consists of late night talks and food runs, father/daughter dates, and sideline cheerleading at her basketball games. so when you unexpectedly come into their world, things shift. despite the uncertainty and the fear of stepping outside of their comfort zone, yunho and seora eventually learn how to open their hearts and learn how to rebuild a home where three can thrive together.

⇢pairing: single dad!yunho x f. reader

⇢genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers to lovers, single dad au | fluff, angst, eventual smut

⇢word count: 7.4k

⇢chapter content/warnings: cussing, mature language, seora's a smart lil gal who luvs her uncles v much, she does open up a lil bit about her mom, mentions of death, yunho goes out for dinner, making out, one-sided [rushed] feelings tho oof - one of those things where you think it'd play out fine then it doesn't 🤐, a lil glimpse into yunho and his thoughts/how he feels about things, some seora x uncle hwa content, a bit of oc x parents too!

"Hey." Yunho slips on his seatbelt as the call pulls up through the car's bluetooth, on his way out of the staff garage. "Were you able to leave a bit early to get to Seora?"

"Yes, I already told you I'd find a way. I'm pulling up to the lot right now." Yunho lets out a breath of relief, heading over to Ara's loft since she had the day off today. Tonight was the night they'd go out for dinner, something Yunho thought would be fun and harmless. He went into this thinking he'd put himself out there and give it a chance, even though deep down, he's not entirely sure where he lies about this— about her. 

Maybe tonight would help him decide, but he wasn't gonna force it and just let things go with the flow. 

"Looks like I made it just in time. Practice just got out."

"Good." 

"So, what exactly did you tell Seora?"

"That I was heading out to a team dinner."

"Atta boy."

"Shut up."

"Uncle Hwa!" Yunho hears Seora's voice in the background, causing him to smile to himself. "Sup!"

"What's up, little one?" Seonghwa playfully ruffles her hair before pulling her into a hug. "Ready to go? Anything you want before we head home?"

"Hm, that's a good question." She points to the phone. "Wait, are you on the phone with my dad?"

"Sure am." He faces the phone towards her before she grabs it.

"Dad."

"Hey babygirl. I'll be home later, okay? Have fun with Uncle Hwa. Run his wallet dry, he won't mind." She laughs.

"Okay, I will. But, what time will you be home?"

"I don't know, not too late. It could run a little long, though."

"Hm." She hums. "Are you really going to a team dinner?" Seonghwa purses his lips together to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

"Yes." Yunho says, feeling a bit bad to lie to his own daughter. "I'll get home as soon as I can."

"Okay." 

"I love you, ace. Make your uncle useful."

"Okay, okay." She chuckles. "I love you, too." She passes the phone back to Seonghwa before sliding her things into the backseat and settling into the passenger's side.

"Have fun at your team dinner." Seonghwa teases, making Yunho rolls his eyes.

"Not one word, Park Seonghwa."

"Uh huh." He hangs up the phone and slips into the driver's seat, settling in just before turning on the car and looking over at Seora. "So, did you figure out what you want, ace?" She tugs on her hoodie strings as she scrolls through her phone. 

"I kinda want a good ol' burger."

"Burgers and fries sound good right now, actually. Any place in particular?"

"Burger Almighty?" Seonghwa smiles. 

"Nice choice. Do you wanna eat there, or take it back home?"

"Take it back home, please. I need to get out of my practice clothes." Seonghwa nods, pulling up the website in order to place an order for pickup. "Ou, actually, wait. Uncle Hwa?"

"Yup?"

"Can we also stop by for ice cream?"

"Of course." He hands her the phone. "Here, pick whatever you want." She smiles and slouches in the front seat, going through the menu options. She goes back and forth for awhile, but Seonghwa patiently waits. He hears his phone ding and doesn't think much about it until Seora pops in once more, finally selecting her options and adding it to the cart. "Someone named Yoori texted you."

"Oh." Seonghwa looks at her. "I'll get to it later."

"She's asking if you wanna come over tonight." Seora smirks before letting out a small laugh. "Dad mentioned you were kinda seeing someone. Is that her?"

"Dad just airing out my business, huh?" Seonghwa laughs before grabbing his phone. "Is that all?"

"Mhm. Besides the ice cream. Thank you, Uncle Hwa." 

"Course." Hwa quickly texts back that he might stop by before he gets home tonight, but he'll let her know. 

"So, are you seeing her? Kinda seeing her, whatever that means? What does it mean to be kinda seeing someone?" Her questions are coming back to back and Seonghwa can't help but chuckle dryly as he drives out of the lot and towards their first destination.

"We're.. figuring things out."

"What's there to figure out, Uncle Hwa? You either like each other or you don't, right?"

"Things can get complicated, ace. Especially when you get older and your wants and needs in a partner become more solidified. Specific."

"Like..?"

"We're both just not sure if we're ready to take that next step. Or, I guess, it's mainly me."

"Then, do you really like her if you question it?"

"I do. I just haven't been in a relationship in awhile, and I was kinda enjoying my freedom." Seora nods, still unsure about this whole idea of relationship complexities and what not. "You get older and you realize you don't wanna waste anyone's time and effort and vice versa."

"I see." Seora looks at him. "If she likes you a lot too, I don't see what the harm is."

"I don't wanna hurt anyone on accident."

"You wouldn't hurt anyone, Uncle Hwa." He smiles.

"Thanks, ace. But your uncle makes mistakes cause I'm human. As with anyone."

"Dad hasn't really dated anyone, either." Seonghwa shrugs, knowing Yunho has tried and has dabbled in it, but it always never went far. Not far enough that Yunho felt comfortable enough introducing them to Seora and opening that door.

"Mmyeah, cause he doesn't feel the need to when he has you." Seora giggles.

"I like it, though. Just us two."

"Would you be mad if your dad started dating again?" 

"Um, I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess it depends? If I like the person or not."

"Of course he'd make sure you're happy and that you'd get along well with the person."

"Mmyeah. It'd be an adjustment, though. I'm used to it being just us two."

"I know, and your dad is, too. But, he does deserve to be happy, right?"

"What else can make him happier than me, Uncle Hwa?" He laughs and shakes his head. 

"You're right. He is happy." Seonghwa pauses. "Seora, promise me one thing?"

"I can try?"

"You'll keep your mind open to it? You know.. your dad dating and possibly opening the door for another person to step in."

"Mm, sure." She says before there's a brief pause in the conversation. "Sometimes, I wonder what it'd be like to have a mom. I barely got time with mine." She says softly, her voice tapering off at the end of the statement.

"And it was unfair to you." Seonghwa lets out a breath as he navigates the tricky streets of the city, almost nearing their endpoint. 

"Right? Like.. I wonder how it feels to hang out with your mom, or to go on dates with her. Talk to her about girly stuff. Do our hair and makeup together. Nails. Go shopping." Seonghwa turns to her as he stops at a red light, watching as her eyes continue to focus on the surroundings outside. "Dad tries his best. He always tries to do things with me so I don't have to wonder too much, but sometimes I can't help it."

"That's okay, Seora. He knows. He does try his best always, but he knows that question will always be there." She's silent again for a moment, and Seonghwa isn't sure if she's missing her mom or trying to replay the memories that she has left of her. It breaks his heart because he knows Seora is missing a part of her— she just manages to mask it well. 

"Yeah." Is all she responds with me. "I dunno, maybe one day I'll remember what it's like." She says softly. "I have dad for now though, and he's enough."

"One day." Seonghwa repeats after her, not wanting to plunge deeper into the conversation and turn Seora's mood inside out tonight. "Well." He pulls into a spot across the street from the burger place. "There's a convenience store I can run into for your ice cream. What are you craving for?"

"Strawberry, please!"

"That's a good one." He unbuckles his seatbelt before turning to her. "I'll grab our stuff and be back." She gives him a toothless smile and nods, eyes glued onto him as he slams the door shut and locks the car; leaving Seora to her own while she waits patiently in her seat.

Yunho pulls up to Ara's building, parking in the lot after getting through security at the gate. He unbuckles his seat belt and lets out a sigh, dusting himself down before slipping out and heading inside. He presses the front code at the lobby door before stepping inside and heading up to the 3rd floor. When he finally gets to her door, he knocks a few times before stepping back and digging his hands into his pockets.

"Yunho." She says, a smile on her face. She's in a cute baby blue sweater and jeans, white chucks on her feet. It's more of a casual thing, nothing too serious or too fancy. It makes Yunho a little more comfortable that way. Less pressure. "Hey."

"Hey. You look nice." Yunho smiles at her. "Ready?" She nods. "Hope you're down for some ramen?"

"I can always go for some good ramen." She smiles and makes sure her door is shut and locked before following him back down.

"How was your day off?"

"It was good! I spent the day grabbing groceries and deep cleaning my space. But otherwise, it was nice and relaxing. Just what I needed." Yunho looks at her with a small smile.

"That's good. I'm glad you got to relax for the most part. You definitely need it with how hard you work."

"Thanks." She giggles. "How was work today?" He shrugs, her eyes ogling his figure as they step into the elevator. He's in a white longsleeve and a puffer vest, dark denim and chucks.

"Kinda busy. Things are really ramping up with that new department. I feel like our team is constantly getting pulled into things left and right now."

"Aren't you guys hiring another person?" He nods.

"Hopefully, yeah. I have a few more interviews this upcoming week, but should be wrapping up after that. There's two people that the team and I like so far."

"That's good. More help is on the way. A step closer to shedding off some of your workload." Yunho chuckles a bit.

"Yeah, that's the hope. Taehyun has been a lot of help, though. It hasn't been entirely bad."

"That's good to hear." Yunho swings the door open to the passenger's seat, giving Ara the opportunity to slip in and get herself comfortable before he shuts the door and hops in. 

"Heat okay? Too hot?" He asks as he starts up the car and pulls up the directions to a popular ramen shop that just opened last month. The wait is outrageous, but luckily, Yunho threw them onto the waitlist as soon as they opened for dinner. They'll get there just in time for their table to be ready. 

"No, it's perfect."

"Cool." He says, pulling off to begin their journey deep into the city. Ara watches as he drives off flawlessly with one hand, leaning onto the middle console. It's no lie that Ara has always had a crush on Yunho, and she's always thought he was incredibly attractive. She kept her distance though, supporting him as a friend and being careful not to be in too, too deep with her feelings because she didn't wanna scare him off or make him uncomfortable. When he finally asked her out to a casual dinner , she was excited. Butterflies swarming her tummy at full speed— she feels like her patience is paying off.

Maybe this will blossom into something; the one thing she had hoped for with him.

"How's Miss Seora doing?" 

"She's good. Still getting good grades and playing basketball. She's hanging out with her Uncle Seonghwa right now." Ara smiles.

"That's cute. It's really sweet how you guys are close."

"Yeah, he's helped me alot with Seora. She loves having her uncles around. Gives her something new to deal with besides her own father." She laughs.

"I'm sure that girl loves and appreciates you more than anything, Yunho. You're a great dad."

"I try to be." He shrugs. "Although, she used to hate when I tried to do her hair and dress her up. She said I mixed and matched clothes way too much and her ponytails were always lopsided."

"You did your best." Ara laughs a little louder. "Doing hair and dressing up a baby girl is not for the faint of heart."

"Truly isn't." He laughs, while Ara points at his pinky nail. 

"I see she painted your nails?" Yunho briefly looks down at his two pinkies, painted with black nail polish. 

"Sure did. She kept it minimal, though. For work, she says. Just a lil touch." Ara giggles.

"You two are cute."

"Mm, we try to be." Yunho jokes. The conversation continues on as Yunho drives the last 10 minutes to the ramen shop, finding parking right around the corner despite the busy streets and the long line that's forming right outside of the restaurant. He helps Ara out of the car before locking it up, walking alongside of her until it gets too tight to do so. He guides her by the small of her back, pushing her towards the front of the restaurant where the host is. As guessed, they arrive right when their table is ready, the host immediately showing them to their table in the back corner.

She settles into the chair across from him before thanking the host and taking the menu from her hands. They instantly skim their options, with Yunho already deciding on what he wants. He marks it off on the sheet, along with any modifications he wants [extra spicy, extra green onions], while Ara does the same. When they're ready to submit their orders, Yunho calls over the server, handing them their order papers before clasping his hands together—elbow resting on the table as he looks over at her. She's trying her hardest not to blush while sipping on her water, eyes avoiding eye contact cause Yunho makes her feel a certain way.

He just doesn't know if he can reciprocate the feeling. 

Truthfully, if he's being all the way honest— he went into this thinking it'd be chill. Harmless in a sense. Putting himself out there since he didn't have much to lose. He knew Ara's had feelings; even if she never said it out loud, it's pretty obvious. And not to say she isn't a great girl, no. She's great. She's been a good friend to Yunho, and she's incredibly sweet. He couldn't really tell you why he didn't see her in that light, though. Perhaps, he still wasn't ready for a relationship. Or, maybe he was and he already had a feeling that she wouldn't be the right one.

Maybe he's being too critical.

But all he knows, is that in this moment, Ara is giving him heart eyes and she's blushing over everything he does. It makes him feel good, but the other half of him feels bad because when he looks at her, he just sees a friend. Good company.

The night is still early.

Yunho is trying to remind himself.

When the food arrives, they get to eating right away. In between, Yunho dives a little deeper into his dynamic with Seora, touching up on the fact that he doesn't really get a long with his parents but will bear with them solely because of her. Even though they don't do much for their granddaughter, she still wonders about them and how they're doing. She always talks about seeing them soon even though Yunho can never promise that she will. He doesn't talk about Eunha, though. Kinda leaves the conversation at that. He feels like he needs to build a better connection with someone in order to open up about that part of his past. Not only is it too painful, but it's a subject that makes Yunho incredibly vulnerable.

The good thing with Ara is that she doesn't budge nor does she push. She ends up talking a lot about her childhood and growing up with her parents in exchange. She has lived a pretty good life; her parents supporting both her and her sister throughout all their endeavors. Her sister works abroad in the fashion industry, while Ara decided to take the healthcare route. Her parents were supportive nonetheless, pushing them to strive for their dreams and supporting them through every opportunity that came their way. Yunho thinks it's nice that they have that sort of relationship— it speaks volumes to the way Ara carries herself and how sweet she is. She makes a great nurse, a great daughter and sister; and it almost makes her a little too perfect.

Which, isn't bad.

But, also isn't great for Yunho. Because all he is made of is flaws and all; he's got a lot of things he lacks in, he feels. He hasn't been in a serious relationship since Eunha passed and he isn't even sure he knows what the word love is anymore. What it's like to love and be loved. He doesn't focus on himself a majority of the time because that time and attention goes to this daughter. He wouldn't have it any other way, let's get that straight.

However, it's clear Ara has this 'perfect' image of him in her head when he is far from that. He is merely getting by; things hurt the fuck outta him and he stresses over every little thing. He gets overwhelmed easily, anxious, can barely let go of the past trauma.

He doesn't wanna disappoint her. Anyone, as a matter of fact.

The conversation continues until they've both slurped up the last bits of their ramen, and Yunho genuinely enjoyed it once they've stopped talking so deeply. Conversations come easy with Ara and he does like that. He doesn't have to try too hard to think about what to talk about next or how to carry the conversation. Brief pauses in between don't feel awkward.

It's nice.

After dinner, he pays for their meal and turns down Ara's efforts to pay for her half. They joke and tease on the way back to the car, with Yunho turning up the music a tad bit louder this time around so it helps fill the empty space in the car. He feels himself getting a little exhausted, but when Ara looks at him with those eyes and asks if he wants to come up for a bit, he finds himself confused; he should be saying no, but he ends up with:

"Sure." Yunho gives her a tiny, toothless smile as she leads the way back up to her loft. Yunho feels bad for even thinking about going back on his decision because it feels pretty intimate to be coming into someone's space after dinner. He doesn't wanna be rude, though. And, he did enjoy their talk over dinner.

So, he continues despite the inner turmoil that's starting to form.

Back upstairs, Ara kicks off her shoes first before Yunho does. He stands awkwardly near the door while she sets her things down, following her into the living room area once she starts padding over. He plops onto the couch and settles into it; leaning back to rest, arm positioned on the back edge of the couch. Ara gives him a glass of water before sitting down next to him, and Yunho feels himself tense up a bit when he feels her leg brush against his. She's got some kind of psychological thriller show on, and Yunho's trying his best to get invested as it continues to play. Ara gives him a little bit more context to the show, describing it with such big eyes and an excited tone that Yunho finds it pretty cute. 

Then, at some point, she has somehow shifted in her position and is now sitting right against him. He still has his arm on the back of the couch, and she has slotted herself in that opening— sitting criss-crossed as she continues to watch her show. He feels her warmth against his, and he's not sure how to act.

She probably feels how stiff and rigid he is.

"You okay?" She asks and he gives her a smile.

"Yeah, why?"

"I dunno. You got quiet."

"I'm trying to keep up with your show." She laughs.

"It's a lot." 

"All good. It's interesting." He looks down at her. She doesn't say anything, but her eyes are glazing over his features. He watches as she scans his face, down to his lips, and he feels himself swallow thickly because he knows where this is going. She's the first to pull up— suddenly pressing her lips against his in that brief moment they shared and Yunho indulges in it. They hold the kiss there for a second longer before Yunho [mistakenly] deepens the kiss and pulls her onto his lap. The kiss heightens quickly, the show in the background long forgotten. He lets out a shaky exhale in between kisses, with Ara gently pressing herself down against him. She takes Yunho's hand and guides it up her stomach, to her chest— landing on her breast. His eyes widen a bit, the shock causing him to slightly pull back from the kiss to try and read her. She nods though, subtly biting her lip as she leans forward to kiss him again; a soft moan releasing from her lips when he squeezes the flesh in the palm of his hand while she starts to pepper kisses along his jaw, neck.

And as much as he can easily fall into this, say fuck it and just go with it— that's not who he is.

"Wait." Yunho pries his lips off of hers, his hand retracting from her body. "Wait." He repeats.

"What's wrong?" She asks, eyes still full of desire, lust. He can see the way she looks at him and it's even more of a reason to push off. Reality hits tough, and Yunho thinks this is a prime example of when it's both a blessing and a curse.

"Ara, I'm sorry. I'm—" He looks at her with his big, brown, sad eyes. Because it's not her at all, it's him. He's just not into this and he doesn't really know how else to tell her. "I can't." She sinks into her seat and Yunho feels so, so bad. "I don't wanna do that to you." He sighs and scoots back a bit. "You're great, you really are. But, you deserve someone who is sure of you. I'm sorry I can't be that person. I just— I just think we're good as friends." He sighs. "I'm sorry if I had lead you on or gave you any mixed signals, that wasn't my intention." He says softly, and Ara can't even be livid at him because of how genuinely sweet and apologetic he's being. "I shouldn't have come up here—"

"Yunho, it's okay." She says with a forced, reassuring smile, hopping off his lap because damn, this is awkward. Not only does the rejection hit her hard, but she must look desperate and way too needy for him now. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to move so quickly, I thought—"

"You don't have to apologize." Yunho stands and gathers himself. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just.."

"We're better off as friends." She finishes the statement and he can't help but shrug. He doesn't know how to explain it, but he doesn't want her to think she did anything wrong.

She didn't.

"I hope you believe me when I say it isn't you. You are amazing and anyone would be lucky to have you. I—I haven't done this in a long time and quite frankly, I don't think I'm ready."

"Or maybe, it's just not me you want. And that's okay, Yunho. You're probably right— maybe we are just better off as friends."

"I'm sorry." He says weakly. "I really hope I didn't mess this up because I'd still like for us to be the same as we were before."

"No, of course not." She says even though it's obvious she's got tears welling in her eyes and she's hurt. Yunho feels his heart drop, but at the same time, he knew he had to stop it before it could get too deep—

Before he could make a terrible mistake; do the unthinkable to someone he cared about as a friend first and foremost.

"Ara."

"I promise it's all okay." She nods. "I agree with you, and we shouldn't force this if it's not meant to happen." She gives him another forced smile.

"I'll head out and give you some space. I'm sorry." Is all he can respond with. He walks over to her door and slips back into his shoes before looking back at her. She purses her lips and doesn't say much, and it makes Yunho feel like he's already ruined this.

Damn, Yunho.

"I'll see you on Monday, yeah?" She nods quietly again while opening the door for him.

"Thanks again for dinner. It was great. I can send you my half—"

"No, no need. Dinner was on me, remember? It's totally fine." He gives her a tiny, toothless smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She answers, allowing him to walk further down the hall before shutting the door and getting back to her own peace. She's hurt, not gonna lie. She truly felt like there was hope, especially with the texts exchanged and the way he was good to her tonight. But, looking back at it, it could have been her fault for completely assuming and jumping the gun— it was Yunho just being Yunho.

Oh well.

Maybe things will be better in the future, and the timing would align. She understands he has different priorities right now, and that's okay. Who is she to determine that for him?

Yunho gets back into his car and lets out a hefty sigh, sitting there for a second before grumbling a low 'fuck' to himself. He feels really bad and he knew he should've dropped her off and left it at that.

But, no. 

He had to go and be stupid about it.

At least he can say he tried, right? That should count for something.

"Wanna put up another movie? Your dad's date—" Seonghwa pauses and looks at Seora as she furrows her brows at him. They had put on a movie after Seora freshened up for the evening. She didn't have too much homework, so she finished up the last bits with the first movie on before they had indulged in dinner. Now, her and her Uncle Hwa were eating ice cream, looking at more movie options to throw on until her father would get home. "Your dad's team dinner should be done by now."

"Date?"

"I didn't say that."

"Uncle Hwa." 

"What?" Seora gives him one last look before pinching him on the bicep, causing him to let out a yelp. "Swear! I don't know where you heard that from." He cocks a brow up playfully. "It's a team dinner."

"Oooookay." She playfully cuts her eyes at him before going through the movie options. "You can just say so."

"Ou, look." Seonghwa diverts her attention to the TV and points at a movie to put on. "Let's watch Rogue One, I haven't seen that one in a minute."

"Or, we can watch Degrassi or—"

"You definitely don't need to poison your brain watching that mess."

"You sound more like my dad than my dad." Seonghwa scoffs as he takes the remote and puts on Rogue One.

"You need to watch more educational things. Like Rogue One. Stepping into your powers and using them for good."

"They're a group of rebels, Uncle Hwa."

"A group of rebels preventing mass destruction!" Seora sighs as she sits back and finishes the rest of her ice cream, knowing her uncle is very much into Star Wars and lets him have it. It's quiet for a moment before she pops in again, asking about his plans for tonight.

"Have you decided?"

"On what? How I'd use my powers for good?" His eyes are trained on the tv.

"No, silly. If you're meeting Yoori." He looks at her before returning his attention back to the TV.

"Why does it matter if I do or not?"

"Uncle Hwa, you can do whatever you want. Just don't mess up because you're too afraid to admit your feelings."

"Hey!" He looks at her with a brow cocked up. "How do you even know about things like that?"

"I'm about to be 12."

"Yeah, you were born yesterday." She playfully rolls her eyes and scoffs. "You shouldn't be knowing things like that."

"Please. I am right, aren't I?"

"I don't know if I'm going to go yet because I have work tomorrow."

"I hear excuses." He gasps.

"Jeong Seora—"

"Yo!" Yunho walks in right at that moment, causing Seora to shift her attention to the door; tormenting her uncle now a long lost thought in her head.

 "Dad!" Seora squeals and runs over to her dad, koala'ing him and causing him to laugh when she hangs onto him like tomorrow will never come. "You're home!"

"I am." 

"How was your team dinner?" Seonghwa looks at him, wiggling his eyebrows while Seora is still preoccupied with grabbing her dad's attention.

"Date, you mean."

"What?" Yunho looks down at her.

"Uh, Uncle Hwa said you went out on a date." Yunho knits his brows at Seonghwa and all he can do is shrug.

"No, I never said that." Hwa cuts in to lie again. "I said team dinner. Anything else you heard was created by your own mind." Yunho glares at him.

"Did you?" Seora looks up at her dad, chin pressed against his chest while she keeps her arms around him.

"It was just a team dinner, is all."

"Sure." Seora sarcastically says before unwrapping herself from him and walking off to the bathroom. "It's fine or whatever, you know!" She shuts the bathroom door.

"See you've managed to talk to Seora about a lot."

"Sorry, it kinda slipped out." Seonghwa chuckles and Yunho mocks him. "Besides, she was just grilling me about Yoori."

"How did that happen?"

"Yoori texted me earlier asking if I wanted to come over while ace was putting in her order. She was scolding me right before you walked in. That girl is way ahead of her time."

"Been knew that." Yunho chuckles.

"How'd it go? Did you and Ara do anything?"

"Anything as in dinner, yes?" Yunho is confused, even though he knows exactly what Seonghwa is picking at.

"Okay.. and?" Yunho sighs and shakes his head.

"Kissed her but didn't go very far." He mumbles lowly.

"Why not?"

"I just wasn't feeling it, honest to god. I didn't wanna do that to her." At this point, Seora swings the door back open, causing both Seonghwa and Yunho to turn their attention down the hall before looking at each other. 

"We'll talk about this later." Hwa chuckles a bit. "Should've gone all the way." He says barely above a whisper.

"No." Yunho almost scoffs while he grabs his things and prepares to head out. "Get out." Unbelievable.

"On my way, boss." Seonghwa laughs. "Let me go say bye to ace." He walks down the hallway, giving Seora another big, tight hug before heading out. Yunho gives him one last final goodbye before shutting the door and locking up for the night, heading in to catch up with Seora and hang out with her before the night ends.

"So, really dad. How did your team dinner go?" She smirks as she comes back outside and plops on the couch. Yunho chuckles a bit before shrugging.

"The usual. It was.. good bonding time."

"Hm." She hums. "That's good. What did you guys get to eat?"

"Ramen."

"A fine choice for this cold evening." He laughs.

"Wanna continue a few episodes before we call it a night? I'm just gonna change."

"Sure. Do you want me to grab you a bowl of ice cream? I made Uncle Hwa buy me some strawberry ice cream after picking up our burgers. Ice cream is the best when it's cold out."

"That sounds good, ace. Thank you." She smiles while getting up to grab a bowl of ice cream for her dad, excited to finally spend the rest of the evening with him all to herself.

"Dad! My friends are waiting." She pouts a bit, staring at her father as she stands near the passenger door, watching as he slips into his shoes.

"Seora, I promise you I'm coming." Yunho pats his jeans down before doing one final check around the house to make sure everything has been shut off post-breakfast. Meanwhile, you've parked your car near your parents' front gate, grabbing your bag from the front seat before looking at the house and letting out a sigh. You'd give your parents some time today, accompanying them to buy groceries and while running other errands. You knew it'd be a long day, but you did owe it to them.

You needed to do better, you reminded yourself.

Just as you're about to make your way towards the gate, a familiar face comes popping out of the next door house— causing you to pause in your motions and furrow your brows in pure, utter confusion.

Yunho?

"Hi?" You look at Yunho [clearly confused] as he hurries along to the driver's seat. He does a quick double take before pausing briefly, also giving you the same look you gave him a few seconds ago.

"Hey?" He says. "You're—"

"Yeah. My parents."

"Dad, please—" Seora swings the door open. "Oh my god— we're gonna be so late." He lets out a small sigh as he checks the time and realizes they won't be late— his daughter is just eager to get to her friends per usual.

"Seora." He calls her name once more. "You're not gonna be late, okay? Relax." He turns to you with a small smile. "Sorry. Gotta run. I'll talk to you later? Say hi to your parents for me." You give him a small nod before he slips in. You watch him talk to his daughter while slipping on his seatbelt, wasting no time to pull away and drive off shortly afterwards.

"Hey you!" Your mom says, coming down to unlatch the gate.

"Hey. Yunho is your neighbor?" Your eyes are still on the road.

"Yeah, you've met him before at work? I didn't think you two ever crossed paths at the hospitals."

"We don't, but we're working on a big project together now." Your mom smiles from ear to ear.

"He's a good man. Seora, she's growing up to be such a lovely young lady. They're sweet. Such peaceful neighbors. Cutest duo I know." She drags you inside. "Go say hi to your dad, he's in the sunroom watering his plants. Tell him we should eat so we can go." She starts prepping the servings. "Where's Wonwoo?"

"Busy." Your mom gives you a look. "But, we're coming back next weekend. He just made plans already and can't flake."

"I'm sure his friends would've understood if he told them he was visiting his parents."

"Mom. We're coming back next weekend, okay? Please let him be" Your mom gives you a look before setting the food down for a late breakfast while you greet your dad and give him a big hug. 

"So, sounds like you met Yunho?" Your dad asks as you both walk back inside to finally before heading out to run errands.

"I did. Well, during a work meeting. Then, I just ran into him not too long ago. Looks like him and his daughter were in a rush to leave somewhere."

"He's taking her and her friends out shopping." 

"And how do you know that, Miss Ma'am?" You look at your mom while she places a bowl of rice down in front of you.

"I pop in to check on them from time to time. I dropped off some of this food earlier so they could eat it later."

"Do you always bring them food?"

"Most of the time."

"Your mom cooks with them in mind." Your dad adds.

"Oh, hush. I feel bad for the two sometimes. Yunho's been doing it all by himself." Your mom clicks her teeth, mainly out of guilt and worry. The three of you continue to eat away at the food your mom prepared, getting some fuel in to save money on food. "His wife passed away when Seora was just 4 years old."

"Honey." Your dad says. "Can you not tell his whole life story?"

"Why not? I wanna know."

"Then ask him." Your dad says, suddenly getting protective of Yunho. "I know you feel bad, but you should let him tell his story if he wants to."

"Your dad is such a grump."

"Okay, no. He's kinda right." You agree before getting way too ahead of yourself. It is a sensitive subject, and it shouldn't be told by anyone else other than Yunho himself.

"He's a really good guy, though. You should get to know him. Wonwoo, too. Maybe you two will learn a bit more about discipline and spending time with your loved ones before it's too late." You roll your eyes even though there is truth to the statement. 

"Anyway, enough about that. Where are we going today?"

"Well, we have a bunch of groceries to grab. I also need to stop by the pharmacy to pick up my medicine."

"We need to stop by the furniture store too. We've been planning to replace the couch in the living room because of the wear and tear. I think it's time." Your dad reminds your mom.

"Do you guys know what couch you want already or are we gonna shop there?"

"Gonna shop there."

"I do need to find a new shelf for my room."

"See, spending time with your parents can be beneficial."

"Dad, can you please tell her to stop?"

"Honey. She's here, okay? Your son is coming next weekend. All is well."

you: she's doing it again

wonwoo: sorry dude 😖  i'll be there next weekend to take it all

wonwoo: where are you guys going?

you: groceries, pharmacy, furniture shopping

wonwoo: actually sounds kinda fun

you: yeah? then why aren't you here, dumbo

wonwoo: i'm currently in a cabin near the south end 😎 living in peace

you: bye

While you've managed to peacefully eat the rest of your meal with your parents before heading out, Yunho and Mingi are walking around the department store while the girls go from floor to floor, section to section. They managed to snag some coffee before heading in, Yunho already exhausted from picking up Seora's friends to fighting over parking in the already-full mall garage. He's glad he finally gets a moment to chill out for a second, despite the girls squealing and being loud about how cute certain clothes or items are. He's already bought some of her stationary needs, along with a new color-way of Nike dunks she had been eyeing since release.

His wallet will be crying even more in due time, but it's all worth it if Seora goes home happy and content.

"Seora." She turns to look at her dad. "Not too far, okay?"

"Okay, we're just going over there to the juniors section!" Yunho and Mingi watch them speed off to the other corner before browsing the mens section nearby, Mingi already eyeing a jacket near the front racks.

"So."

"Just ask, Mingi." Yunho spits, making Mingi laugh.

"I see your date with Ara didn't go too well?"

"It wasn't even a date. I just went out to dinner with her and it was fine. We had a good time then, it was what happened after that didn't go well."

"Okay, so? What happened after?" Mingi sips his iced americano while the two of them continue to walk around the store, keeping the girls in eye view ahead. 

"We went back to her place, she invited me in." Yunho shrugs. "We were watching stuff on her TV and things kinda escalated. Started kissing her then she tried pushing it further."

"And you said no?"

"Mingi." Yunho looks at him. "You know I'm not like that. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do it to her. I just can't if I'm not emotionally tied to someone." Mingi nods.

"Nah, that's fair. And probably the right thing to do."

"Probably? It is the right thing to do."

"Right." Mingi responds, a bit distracted by the fine women passing by as they continue to walk around the store. "No, you're right. Sorry." He brings his attention back to his bestfriend. "Assuming Seora didn't know you went out with a lady friend?"

"I don't know, Hwa might've let it slip and I think she believed it but doesn't wanna ask. Or maybe, she doesn't even care." Yunho chuckles.

"I think she'd be fine with you going out on dates, you know? Maybe you don't have to lie to her about it. At some point, she'll need to know especially if you get serious with someone again."

"I'll open up to her about it when I get there. I'm in no rush, though."

"Fair."

"Randomly speaking, I finally saw one of Auntie Love and Uncle Po's kids today."

"Oh, really?"

"She works with me at the hospital. She's at the pediatric unit, though."

"Is she hot?" Yunho clicks his teeth and looks at him.

"Do you ever think about anything else?"

"I'm genuinely asking." Mingi smiles.

"She's pretty."

"What's her name?"

"No."

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Because you don't even know her."

"You want her for yourself, huh?" Yunho just pauses to look at his bestfriend, causing Mingi to smirk while continuing to project. "Selfish son of a bitch."

"I'll deck you—"

"Dad." Yunho and Mingi turn their attention to Seora and her friends, who each have a few clothing items hanging on their arms. "We're gonna go try these on." She points to the dressing room in the far corner behind the juniors section.

"Okay. Uncle Mingi and I will head over in a bit." He subtly elbows Mingi near the rib, causing him to let out a small 'ow.'

"Good, cause I wanna show you how it looks so hurry." She says, turning on her heel to rush over to the dressing room with her friends without batting an eye at her dad and uncle's antics. 

"The fuck was that for? Seriously, do you have your eyes on Auntie Love and Uncle Po's daughter?" Yunho glares at Mingi again as they slowly head over to the dressing room.

"I don't know, okay? I barely know her." Yunho sips on his coffee. "We're gonna be working together quite a bit from now on though because of that new department."

"Interesting."

"Interesting?" Mingi gives him a look. "Why are you giving me that look? It was both you and Hwa who told me to put myself out there."

"Yeah, I'm very aware. And that's great! I just wanted to know if she was cute or not." Mingi laughs. "So, what's her name?" He asks again, making Yunho rolls his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Y/N."

"Pretty."

"That's all I'm telling you."

"Mhhhm." Mingi hums and laughs. "Hope it works out."

"Whatever happens, happens."

"Speaking of things happening— are you and Ara still friends?"

"I think so. We didn't end the night entirely on a bad note. At least, I don't think so. I felt bad and kept apologizing, but she said she understood and it was fine."

"You know it's never just that."

"Well, I'm aware I hurt her to an extent. I'm not gonna lie and try to brush that off."

"You think she'll talk to you if you run into her on Monday?"

"Maybe. I hope so. I really do want us to keep being friends."

"Of course." 

"And who knows, maybe now just isn't the right time. It could work out later."

"Yeah, maybe. But also, if I can be frank, you really don't seem all that into her. I feel like that dinner would've gone way differently if you were set on her." Yunho shrugs.

"It's not her fault. She didn't do anything wrong."

"I mean, it's fine. You probably can already tell you aren't compatible, plus I know you're thinking about how Seora would get along with her, too."

"Mmyeah. I think she woud've liked Ara, but I think you're right. I don't think we'd be compatible."

"Isn't it kinda early to say that, though?"

"Dunno. You tell me. I'm just going off of my gut feeling. I can't force myself to feel a certain way."

"Touché." Mingi sighs. "It's alright, my guy. We still have time. You'll find someone. Maybe it's Y/N."

"Shut up." Mingi laughs before sipping on his coffee, distractedly heading back to the menswear to grab the jacket he had been eyeing this entire time. While he tries it on and pays for his item, Yunho sits near the dressing room while scrolling through his phone. He finds your Instagram page being recommended to him, which he finds to be somewhat uncanny now that he's been talking about you and running into you [despite being assigned to the same project at work]. He can't help but be nosey, clicking onto your page to scroll through your pictures. 

You are pretty.

"Dad." Yunho shifts his attention from his phone to Seora, who is standing in front of him in beige cargo pants and an oversized baseball jacket that looks just like the one he's wearing at the moment. "What do you think about the jacket and pants?" Yunho smiles and nods.

"That looks good, ace."

"I really like that jacket of yours." She points and he nods.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've bought one for you at the time." She shrugs.

"I didn't think too much about it before. Now I want it." He laughs.

"It looks good."

"Okay, I'm gonna try on this one other shirt and sweater and I think I'll be good. Can I buy them?" 

"If you promise me you'll wear it more than once." 

"I promise!"

"Swear? I better not find it in your donation pile in the next few weeks."

"Dad, I pinky promise. For real."

"Okay then." 

"Yay!" She turns her attention to her friends who are also coming out to show each other what they've been trying on. "Oh my god, that's so cute—" She says, heading back into the fitting room and leaving Yunho alone to your instagram page. He continues scrolling through slowly, peeking at your pics from your travels.

You and your friends that he recognizes from the hospital.

Your selfies where the natural light hits you perfectly.

Your candid photos where your smile is genuine and contagious.

You and your brother, your parents that he and Seora adore.

You really are pretty, and there's something about you that is enticing. Intriguing. A 'lil magnetic and alluring. 

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to work alongside of you on this project.

⇢taglist: @asjkdk @interweab @woojirang @svintsandghosts @cheolliehugs @persphonesorchid @mxnsxngie @jycas @cowboydk @nopension @curse-of-art @thechaotictheoryy @likexaxdaydream @dalsuwaha @enha-stars @yasuraokaa @professormingisglasses @yunyunrin @pommelex @astral-trashcan @laura1399 @domfikeluva @tournesol155 @hwaskookies @yusalterego @hwa-stars @hyukssunflower @chngbnwf @jaytheatiny @lucid-galaxys-world @chaotic-floral @sofkloster

[mmurderhousewrites]

Rich Baby Daddy pt. one (sukuna x reader)

Summary: You're invited to a party by a close friend and end up bumping into someone from your past.

Warnings: none.

The mornings used to be your favorite. Waking up next to your hunk of a man. The sun shining through your bedroom windows. Oh how you missed those lovely mornings.

Now however, your mornings consisted of you waking up at the crack of dawn due to your crying 4 year old. bathing and clothing not only yourself but your child as well, making breakfast, and somehow managing to get to work on time.

Now on your days off, if you were lucky, Yuji, your son, would sleep in. And if god was somehow on your side that day, your baby daddy might even come pick up his son for awhile, giving you some free time. But those days were rare considering Sukuna is a business man.

Sukuna is the CEO of jujutsu tech, a huge electronic corporation. you had met him through your close friend getou and hit it off. Eventually you two moved in with each other and not long after that he got you pregnant.

Times have changed though unfortunatley. Sukuna is a very hard working man, so hardworking that he put his job before his own family. About a year after yuji was born you decided to leave after getting into a big argument with sukuna, taking yuji with you.

At first you stayed with your parents for a while before finding yourself a cute apartment in the city, it was a two bedroom 1 and a half bathroom. That's where you and yuji have been ever since.

You and your baby dad have had a neutral relationship ever since, sukuna of course always trying to get you to go back but times have changed and you are a new woman.

As of now it was about 1:00pm. You worked as a journalist in the new station in the city, not to far from your apartment. sitting at your desk, going through old news feed, your phone dings.

Looking over you see youve gotten a message. It was from Getou.

Geto: hey, theres some kind of party later a friend of mine is hosting. Wanted to know if u were interested in being my plus 1 ;p

You giggle to yourself. What a flirt. You could always drop yuji off to your parents for the night, after all they loved your little pink haired baby. And on top of that you could use a night out.

Quickly typing back to geto you respond,

Me: Sounds interesting.. Whats the dresscode?

geto: formal. I figure you might get a good story out of one of these rich folks huh?

Me: hmmm i think im sold suguru.

geto: great! ill pick you up at 8.

"L/N! I'm not paying you to text on your phone! I need a story!" You hear your boss, Mark yell from his office behind you.

You roll your eyes before collecting your things, standing up you head over to marks office. "The Richardsons are hosting a party tonight, i'm gonna see what tea i can find. I know the juliani"s are hiding something." You say leaning against the door frame.

"yeah well the Juliani's have a mind of their own."

"im gonna leave to go get ready." you say turning around, heading to the exit.

"L/N!" Mark calls out to you making you stop and turn to face him. "be careful. I don't need another Journalist coming up missing." You nod your head before leaving the building and heading to the parking lot.

It was true, the last journalist who went to investage the Juliani family, they turned up missing. In fact it was your coworker Nobara Kugisaki. Police reports were made out by her family about a week ago and nothing has come up.

you shivered as you walked to your car, the cold making it so you can see your breathe. Once you reached your car, a small 2020 Honda civic, you opened your door and put your bags in.

"Y/n" you freeze, hearing that oh so sexy voice say your name for the first time in what? months?

Turning around you find yourself face to face with the man you once loved, oh who are you kidding still love. He was wearing a long black coat and black jeans, his pink hair ruffled as usual and his tattoos just added to his handsome features.

"ryo- what are you doing here?" You ask, crossing your arms.

He walks closer to you, making you take a step back, leaning against your cars back door.

"i just wanted to see you." He says quietly, swiping a piece of your hair out of your face and behind your ear. You can't help but blush.

Pushing his hand away, you roll your eyes. "What are you really here for" you werent an idiot. Sukuna is a powerful man and busy one at that, there was no way he got out of work just to come see you.. especially considering he barely seen your son. But you couldn't be mad after all he was sending you checks every few weeks with at least 3,000$ on them.. so he was still providing for you and yuji in a way.

He chuckles, "I heard youre going to that party later with Getou.."

Was he serious right now? "What about it?" You question, eyebrow perking up.

"Don't go." He says darkly.

"Are you kidding me? What are you jealous? I'm a grown woman i deserve a night out once in a while!" You say before turning away and hoping in your car.

Sukuna leans against your window, so you roll it down. "Look kitten, if i were you i'd actually listen to your baby dad for once. It's not gonna be pretty" he smiles before backing away from your car.

You take this opportunity to pull out of the parking lot, making your way to yuji's daycare.

When you arrive at the daycare. You are first greeted by gojo, one of the daycare teachers and also getou's best friend.

"Well hello there Y/N! Here for yuuji?" Gojo asks, leaning towards you. "Its nap time right now so the children are asleep."

"Well unfortunately i'm going to have ti disturb his sleep because we have a pretty busy schedule for tonight" you laugh. "How have you been?" You havent really had a conversation with gojo in a while, you and him werent close, maybe because of how much of an extrovert he is.

"Im alriiight! I got a new apartment on 37th its a real beautyy." He drags on.

"Nice! Thats good to here" gojo pulls out his walky talky and yells loudly, "yuji has an early dismissal!!"

Next thing you know, theres a bunch of crying children in the next room over. What an idiot. You mentally facepalm.

Shoko, another daycare teacher comes out with yuji in her arms. He looks over to you and smiles.

After you get yuji and yourself situated in the car, you guys make your way over to your parents house. You had called them on your way to get yuji and of course they were more then thrilled to take yuji for the night.

Your parents lived anout 25 minutes away from the city so the drive wasnt too bad. Yuji was in his carseat playing on his ipad and minding his business.

"Mommy can i have 100$" your four year old says randomly. You cant help but laugh loudly.

"What do you need $100 for butt?" You ask, looking back at your som through the rear view mirror.

"I want a trampoline" he says, looking at you.

"You already have a trampoline at Nana's house and youre going there right now."

"But thats at nana's i want my own! My friend megumi has one at his house" he says, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah yeah."

After dropping your sin off to your parents, and making your way make home, you look through your closet trying to find a decent formal dress. You did have quit a few dresses considering you and sukuna would attend parties and other get togethers for business reasons.

Coming across a long black velvet dress you stop your search. This dress is skin tight and strapless, but has small diamonds adorned around the dress, making it sparkle just right.

Once you got dressed and finished your makeup, you put your hair up into a slick back ponytail, and added a little star charm clip to go with it. You looked absolutely gorgeous. Though your choice in heels would definitely make your feet sore after a night of dancing, looking good is what truly mattered. After all you were really only going to collect some dirt on any of the business men doing work with the Juliani's.

Tonight sure was going to be interesting.

[verinarin]

𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨; 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬

in which he lets her measure his body for a new set suit for him, riddling him with her innocent touches; his view meaning the fic is written in his point of view

fluff with a lot of tension, like drenched with it. Gallagher lowkey being obsessive and loves to tease and spoil his little lady; 2K words!!

It’s Saturday.

She said she wouldn’t be home until later tonight, so I’m alone for the rest of the day. I’ve been sharing my roof with her for around 3 months now. Funny, I seem to forget how quiet this place is without her. At this hour she would be on the couch with the television on, her favorite shows would air around this time.

Am I being a creep for knowing her daily schedule like this?

Hope not, I mean that brat has been stickin’ beside me ever since day one.

Ah shit, it’s supposed to be the other around. She’s my secretary, but here I am acting like I’m some sort of personal assistant of hers, ah that little minx had me all wrapped around her pretty little manicured fingers huh?

Can’t complain though, not when she does her job perfectly.

It’s just that I rarely wanted her to work, to begin with. Her day consists of following me around like an assistant yet she treats me like I’m her assistant instead. Ahahaha I ain’t setting up a good example as her boss, but then again no one could blame me.

I mean with those fucking doe eyes and pouty lips, she’s the type of woman people wrote on their poetry. At this point, It’s clear as day that I miss that little brat. Y’know I’ll just take a quick shower before she comes home, I don’t want her to drag me to the bathroom again like yesterday.

Stepping into the shower made me realize that every single thing here smells like her. Her vanilla-scented shampoo bottle sits next to mine, her body scrubs, her soap. Damn, I never realized how much product she used, no wonder she cooped up in her for a good hour or more, being a pretty lady like her looks like hard work, perhaps harder than my line of work.

She smells like heaven afterward though, so I won’t complain.

Never mind, I would actually complain about one thing.

The fact that her scent drives me crazy sometimes, not to mention the fact that while working she often clings to me like a second skin. The amount of questions I get asking about why my clothes smell like vanilla and roses is crazy. The other hounds, hell even Siobhan tease me for smelling like a lady.

Well, as long as I don’t reek of smoke and alcohol like I used to I guess it’s a good change. As the cold water rinses through my body, I start to worry about her. She’s an adult, she would be fine traveling around Penacony, but why am I worried about her like I’m her old man? Probably because she didn’t tell me where she was going, this girl goes on a shopping spree almost every week and the one thing she never forgets to bring is her walking ATM, which is me.

Should I go look for her?

Nah, she must’ve needed some time alone. She’s probably sick of an old geezer like me, all I could entertain her with is my crappy dad jokes and a little mixology classes here and there. She seems to like my cringe dad jokes though weirdly enough and she also learns quickly on mixing beverages.

Once I finished rinsing my worries away, I put on a pair of sweatpants. I sigh as I brush my damp hair back remembering that I forgot to bring my shirt inside, my age is starting to catch up on me. Oh well, it’s not like she’s coming home soon. I let out a small chuckle as I looped the small towel I used for my hair around my neck.

The mirror in front of me reflects my rugged face, my fingertips graze upon my stubble feeling the sharp little hairs protruding from my cheek. I’ve been thinking of shaving it clean off for a while, but I remember her weird fondness for my stubble. That girl loves rubbing the back of her hand across my face like I’m some sort of a dog, which in this case relates to my line of work funnily enough.

I figured I’d let it be for now, can’t have her whine about my appearance now like she did last month when I talked to her about cutting my hair short. Her argument was if I did cut my hair she wouldn't be able to play with it anymore, such a silly girl that one.

I should fix myself a cup of coffee before cleaning around the house, it ain’t like I have anything better to do other than waiting for her like a lost puppy. I let out a hefty yawn as I walked towards the kitchen. It's easier for me to find things these days since she arranges it in a specific way. Before her, it took me around 5 minutes to search for the coffee bean, but now I can see the labeled jar from far away.

I couldn't help but let my lips curve into a small smile as I twisted the jar open, the charming scent of the coffee beans she picked emanated through the air, that little lady has good taste I must admit. Heh, she must’ve learned it from me. She used to be a tea gal before she met me, but now it seems she quite enjoys a little more caffeine here and there.

Can’t help to let out a small smirk as I brew myself a cup of coffee. She utterly consumes me at this point, every single damn thing reminds me of her it ain’t funny. I never thought I could still feel this giddy like a teenage kid at my current age, but then again she had always said that I still have my child-like wonder.

I rest my body against the counter, the cold marble hits my bare waist making me wince at the sudden temperature difference. After this, I’ll do laundry and then afterward I should start preparing for dinner.

As I lost myself in my thoughts I could hear the sound of a key twisting inside the keyhole, ah she’s home. “I’m back. Miss me, old man?” she muses as she turns her head towards me.

“Nah, I’m starting to miss my short-lived tranquility though,” I smile, pressing the rim of my glass against my lips to hide my smirk. She on the other hand has her eyes wide open, her mouth wide agape.

She stares at me a little too long before I finally break the silence between us, “Why'd ya look at me that way kid ?” I ask as I gaze toward her small face, analyzing her expression.

“You’re practically half naked, but wait that’s good actually,” shit, I forgot about that. She starts to walk towards me with a nasty smile, oh she’s scheming something alright.

“What? why is it a good thing? you've never seen a man’s body before ?” I snicker, masking away my flustered interior.

“Oh because I could clearly measure it now,” she smiles. Now hold on, measure what ??!!! The seemingly ambiguous sentence drives my mind toward possibilities that would definitely put me behind bars.

“Measure what huh ?” I let out a small chuckle, I put my cup down and leaned towards her eye level.

“You definitely won’t fit a size XL,” she sighs. Well ouch! cut me some slack little lady. I might be slacking off on my training, but I’m still in good shape. “What a way to break this old man’s heart you little brat, fyi I’ll definitely fit a size L,”

“Said that to your shirt. The poor thing needed its button to be stitched back up yesterday,” okay maybe she’s right but it still stings, my lips curve downward as I look at her, she’s out here breaking my heart to pieces.

“I’m not saying you’re putting on weight, what I’m saying is I want to measure your measurements so that I can buy you something custom-made,” she caresses my chest as her eyes lock towards mine.

I could feel my heartbeat drumming against my eardrum as her touch burned against my skin, marking it as hers. Fuck, feels so fucking good to feel her touch. Is it greedy for me to want more of her?

Her pink ‘nd soft lips curve into this delicate smile.

Fuck, she looks so pretty like that.

“Oh, what’s the occasion for dressing up this old hound ?” I smile as I lean forward to close the gap between us, trying to take control of my not-so-innocent thoughts about her lips.

I can’t recall anything worth celebrating between us, maybe the fact that I’m cutting down on smoking, but that’ll be worth something when I fully ditch it.

She merely chuckles before lightly hitting my chest like I’m telling her a funny joke, “You are an old man after all, how can you forget that three months from now is going to be the annual family?”

Ah right….

I was never the person who enjoyed those fancy parties, but hey I have her by my side so maybe I might change my stance.

“Those types of events were never my thing,” I avert my gaze, my finger drums against my nape.

“Well those types of events are my thing, so you’ll come right?” I mean with those puppy eyes, of course I’ll come.

“Fine, I guess this year’s gala could be bearable with you by my side,” I could only sigh as I stroked her hair, truly she dictates the same way as an old friend of mine.

With a smile that rivals the sun curving on her lips, she pulls out a measuring tape from her purse. Ah, so this is the ‘measuring’ part she talked about.

“Since when you’re a tailor,” I snicker as her fingers trace the long tape to find the zero mark.

“Oww hush, you’ll be the first person I’ll measure so be kind,” she mutters as she unravels the tape, “Alright lady,”

She leans closer to me as her finger holds one side of the tape beside my bare ribcage, “Stay still,” she mumbles, easier said than done.

How can I stand still when her fingertips press against my skin? It’s my damn Achilles heel. She’s too close, way too close. I don’t know how to act nor what to think when she’s soo damn close to me, the air feels stuffy and the atmosphere feels way too intimate and somehow sexual?

Kill me now.

She almost has her small face pressing against my chest, my bare chest to be exact which made this seemingly harmless interaction so dangerous.

Her other hand still struggles to find the tape behind my back. “Your chest is too broad,” she complains, I just let out a snicker at her statement which made her lose her focus.

“M’sorry anything I could do to help ?” I couldn’t do anything though, I could only extend my arms to the side to let her in, closer to me.

“Just stay still,” she huffs. Alright then, I’m cool as a cucumber. Without any warning, her cheek presses against my chest as she hugs me.

The warmth of her skin seeps through my cold chest, now this warmth burns inside me. “Ah! This works,” well I’m happy for her but there’s practically no distance between us, not even an inch.

“Stay still ol’ hound,” I must’ve been moving too much. I look down at her, her fingers skillfully bring the other side of the tape in front of my chest.

Now her forehead rests against my chest as she struggles to read the number that transpires, “Uhhh how do I read this again ?” she huffs.

“Can’t read a simple measurement now ?” my hand finds its way back toward her head, brushing a loose strand back behind her ear.

“Don’t tease,” well of course I’m going to tease as if I’m not the one who's secretly flustered as hell.

“Alright got it, now I’m going to drag this down to your waist,” she smiles as she drags both of her hands down and tightens the tape around my waist.

I never thought of myself to be a squeamish person, but I am now. “Oh wow, your chest and waist ratio are quite something….”

“What d’ya mean by that ?” I ask as she looks up towards me, “Your waist is quite slim and also your shoulders are broad so you do have that hourglass silhouette…” she muses to herself.

Well, ain’t that interesting…..

“Oh yeah your shoulders and back !” she naps herself back from her trance, cute.

With that, she took a couple of minutes to measure my upper body to the best of her abilities. Albeit the fact that I need to crouch down a bit for her to be able to measure my shoulders and back.

She takes a couple of steps back with newfound determination exuding her. I guess it’s from the fact that she’s getting the hand of measuring me.

“Are we done now ?” I ask, rather impatiently. Her fingers still linger in any direction she wants. Mapping every single inch of me into her memory.

“Still a long way to go,” she huffs. I see that she wants me to be as still as a mannequin, the things I do for her…

She hums a familiar tune, a song I like to hum. She crouches down bringing the tape around my hips, then she circles back in front of me, “Pardon my intrusion,”

Well the sentiment is rather too late now, she had been breaching my personal space since the very beginning. She couldn’t help but rest her forehead against my lower stomach as she looked down, reading the tape.

“Take your time, s’not like I could go anywhere,” I sigh as I stroke her hair, letting her silky smooth locks stream through my fingers. “I thank you for your coordination,” she snickers as she looks up at me, pretty little thing she is.

So stinkin’ cute. I smile as I cup her cheeks, letting my thumb graze against his lower lip, “Anytime, Lady,” I reply, before casually folding my arms back against each other.

Why the fuck did I just do that?

“I’m going to go lower now, I need to get some measurements for your pants,” she continued her current action without any signs of discomfort, thank god. “Oh wow even a pair of pants, you spoil this ol’ hound too much,” I feel as though my chest cavities were filled with cotton, making my heart all warm and soft.

“We both know you spoiled me rotten, Gallagher,” she cuts me, the tape now encircling around my thighs.

“Have I now?” Honestly, she deserves more than I could afford.

“You have you silly hound. Now let me repay your kindness,” her face now rests against my thighs as the tape travels slightly lower.

“Heh is this your way into getting to my pockets again,” I snicker, knowing that it’s one of her best manipulation tactics. Acting all cute and then stealing my money.

“Hey! I’m spending my own paycheck on this mister,” she protests as she stands up. “Oh, she’s a big girl now. She doesn’t need my money anymore right ?”

“Well technically no,” she looks away to the side, biting her lips in annoyance.

“She doesn’t need my money, but I’ll give it to her anyway because she has me wrapped around her little fingers,” I cup her cheeks, guiding her face to see me. “Cuz she’s my lil lady,” I smile as I press our forehead together, I can feel a thin imaginary veil between us.

“Of course I am and you’re my old hound,” she wraps her arms around my neck as my hand rests on her waist.

The thin barrier that puts a blur in our relationship, but somehow it just feels right, whatever we are it’s perfect. I don’t need more or less, just her warmth against mine.

[zebaji]

au where I mix up all of the Ninja's powers and backstories into a slushie mess and see what happens.

So far I have:

Wu gets bitten by the Great Devourer and becomes super manipulative and toxic, as he tries to make Ninjago perfect, neat, and orderly with the Golden weapons. (Think lord business from the lego movie) Too bad he refuses to use his Oni side to obtain four arms to use them together.

Garmadon still trains under Chen and practices the Dark arts, but understands the balance of good and evil, and is filled with guilt over the fact that Wu got bitten when it should have been him. Wu, who doesn't like that Garmadon leans into "evil" practices and banishes him to the underworld.

The Green Ninja is Morro, who is biologically Wu’s son. (yeah, you thought canon morro was bad, this morro is so much worse since he's literally the weapon in making Ninjago in Wu's image) His personality is pretty much the same as canon (perfectionist, obsessive, crazy) it's just that he is in fact the Green Ninja and Wu enables him a lot.

Before everyone figures out that Morro is the Green Ninja, they think it might be Kai, who is the brother of Maya and has the power of Wind. He's Morro's replacement in this au, in the sense that he is also desperate to become the Green Ninja by whatever means necessary, and Wu pits Morro and Kai in a rivalry to see who becomes the Green Ninja. And Morro, who cannot fail his father, becomes violent and kills Kai. Kai isn't great in this au either and ends up in the cursed realm and later becomes a ghost.

Misako sees how problematic Wu is and after Garmadon gets banished, she runs away with baby Lloyd and tries to take Morro too, but Wu freaks out and thinks she tried to kidnap Morro so that she could use the Green Ninja's power for her own gain and he kills her to "save Morro," and thinks he kills Lloyd too.

Lloyd's actually fine, and just grows up at Darkley's until he gets adopted by the Royal Family, much to his dismay, and becomes the Quiet One who is willing to punch a dude to get his dad back. Because he doesn't have his powers, he relies a lot on his dragon and Oni heritage.

Nya is the only child of Ray and Maya, and when they disappear, Chen finds and adopts her, and she becomes the sister of Skylor. Despite having the element of fire, she relies heavily on mechs, and loves to invent, letting her sister use her powers while she designs Chen’s button chair.

Pixal is Ninja of Ice and still was created by Cyrus Borg, so Zane is still in the Birchwood Forest, forgotten and stuck there until Lloyd finds him and offers him a place in the cult group he’s starting.

Cole's dad dies, and while he tries to honor his dad's dancing legacy, he still inherits his powers and is forced to become a ninja. He's still a popular entertainer and pretty well known in Ninjago as such, and he really doesn't want to be a Ninja full-time and is only doing it because he's scared of what Wu will do to his loved ones. I do not know what power he should get and I am open to ideas.

Jay was raised as Cliff Gordon's son and so he's wealthy but he is also extremely talented in robotics. He and Cyrus Borg collaborate a lot and is best friends with Pixal. He does not have powers and tries to help Cole get out of the team. Honestly, I have no idea about Jay either.

Harumi releases the Serpentine after her parent sends her to a boarding school and forget about her. She does not want to be forgotten, and in a rage over it, discovers she can control Lightning.

Morro finds her and takes her in, reassuring her that there is a place for her on his team.

The team consists of Morro, Ash, Cole, Pixal, and now Harumi, all trained under Wu.

And then Lord Garmadon crawls out of the Underworld, eyes glowing purple and with four arms, demanding to see his son, and everyone starts to panic because they are pretty sure Lloyd is dead.

[littleadaline]

Mon rayon de Soleil [M.G38]

Reader is Marc’s sunshine

Warnings: noooooone

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: I will be attempting to write this story using first person POV, so please please pretty please tell me if that is something you enjoy reading, or if you prefer the 3rd person POV.

————————————————————

Days off were my favourite. I always wanted to go out, see the beach, despite having seen it hundreds, if not, thousands of times. My ideal day off consisted of waking up early, packing sandwiches, and spending the day out. Marc, on the other hand, had a very different vision. His ideal day off consisted of staying in bed and ordering in, wether it was breakfast, lunch or supper. In order to make each other happy, we compromised. We would sleep in, pack some light snacks for the afternoon, spend the afternoon at the beach, and come back home in time to order supper. This morning, things were different. I was woken up by an alarm coming from my parents’ bedroom. Lazily opening my eyes, I took a quick glance at the clock on my phone, groaning as I read the time; 8:33 A.M. I sighed, exhausted from only having gotten 4 hours of sleep, blame social media. As I was getting up to get on with my day, I heard noises coming from the kitchen. I knew my dad was already off to work, and my brother was away for university, so I couldn’t identify the man’s voice coming from the kitchen.

“Do you think she’ll like this?” It was Marc’s voice. What was he doing in my kitchen at 8:33 on a Wednesday?

“I have told you a thousand times, yes. She goes crazy for those pickled peppers. Add that to calamari sandwiches and she’s on cloud nine.” My mom confirmed with him.

“I really want her to have a nice day. She’s told me how stressed she’s been with work and school. And she’s been really keen on trying that new spa that opened.”

“So what do you have planned for her today then?”

“Bocadillos by the beach, some ice cream, by the beach again,” he grinned, “And a pamper session to finish the day. Should I… should I go wake her up?”

The floor creaked as I leaned into the doorway. My mom’s gaze diverted back to me, Marc still clueless about my presence.

“No need to wake her up.” She chuckled as Marc’s gaze found my figure standing in the doorway.

“Good morning nena, how’d you sleep?” He leaned in to kiss my forehead.

“Morning amor. I slept well, thank you.” I left a kiss on his cheek, my hand resting on his abdomen. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation. We’re going to the beach?” I asked, walking over to the sink for a glass of water.

“Yeah, I got us some sandwiches and pickled peppers, courtesy of that sandwich shop you never seem to shut up about.” He playfully rolled his eyes. I chuckled, admiring the sight in front of you. Marc, with his eyes still full of sleep, yet so full of life; the way his dimples creased whenever he laughed, or so simply spoke. Every moment spent with him, I would fall deeper in love with the beauty of his personality and the way his eyes shone whenever I was in the room.

“And later in the afternoon, we’re gonna grab ice cream. Fermín and Gavi went there recently and they have not been able to shut up about it. Half the team now wants to go there.” He broke in a fit of laughter. “And to end the night on a sweet note, a massage session at that new spa place you have been raving about.” He pulled me into a hug, his abdomen pressing against my back. I could drown in moments like these. The simplicity of our relationship, the innocence of our love breathed life into our couple every day.

“There’s yogurt in the fridge if you want to grab a light snack before heading out. I should be done changing in 15 minutes.” I pecked him on the lips before leaving the kitchen.

Marc sat down at the dining table, making sure the backpack he had packed for the trip had all the essentials.

“Sunscreen, mosquito spray, bandages, snacks…” He was counting under his breath when I emerged back into the living room, having traded my pj’s for a pair of linen pants, one of Marc’s t-shirts that he had accidentally thrown into the dryer, and my sandals. I had my tote bag on my shoulder, bucket hat in hand.

“Ready to go amor?” I asked him, my hands resting on his forearm.

“Let’s go!” He kissed my cheek, grabbing my hand. We both waved goodbye at my mom as we left the house. Lucky for us, the beach wasn’t too far away from my house. After having lived in this neighbourhood my entire life, I learned new pathways to access the beach that would shield us from tourists or in this case… fans.

When we made it to the beach, the sun was shinning bright, pulling a groan from me. This did not go unnoticed by Marc, who dropped his backpack into the sand, yelling;

“Stay here! I’ll see if I can find us a spot in the shade!”

I sat down, my toes digging in the sand. I always liked this spot. When I was younger, my family and I used to spend our days out there, bringing a backpack filled with snacks and sandwiches and enjoying the weather from dawn until sunset. I heard Marc’s voice calling me as he waved me over.

“I found us a spot! It’s under a tree, so it’s got all the shade in the world!” He said excitedly.

Marc was referring to the ‘Forever Tree’. Back in the days, there used to be a rumour running around regarding the Forever Tree. Over the course of generations, couple who had sat down under the tree were known to be bound forever, their union only ever separated by death. But as time went on, the tree lost its popularity, leaving only a few locals to know about its ‘magic’.

“Do you want to start by going for a swim or eating?” Marc asked me as he laid down his towel on the ground.

“A swim would be nice. The heat’s killing me.” I chuckled as I took off my (Marc’s shirt), my pants following soon.

“Race you to the water?” Marc flashed me his killer smile before taking off in a sprint.

“Not fair! You’re the athlete, not me!” I yelled before running into the water, jumping into his arms. Marc caught me, surprised, before putting me back down on my feet, his hand never leaving my back. I could stay in this moment forever. Marc and I, in the water, chest flush against one another. The sun gently caressing our skin, prickling us with its rays. If I had one more moment to live, I would choose to spend it like this.

Marc’s movement pulled me out of my thoughts. His hand was now resting on my head, his fingers slightly brushing through my curls. He breathed in, his chest slowly rising against mine. His skin smelled of sunscreen, his perfume and my body mist, a combination of smells that symbolized home to me.

“I’m getting cold, I’m gonna lay down on my towels and enjoy some sun.” I let go of his hand, slowly emerging out of the sea. I could feel the sand clinging to my feet as I walked back to my towel. The sand was warm under my feet, the temperature slowly warming me up.

As I was setting up my towel in a warmer spot, Marc’s voice called out from the water.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat the sandwiches now?” I nodded yes as I chuckled. This guy was always thinking about food. Marc ran up to me, water dripping from his shorts and hair, before sitting down on my towel, his hand wrapping around my waist. I bent down to pick up a sandwich from the cooler before handing it to Marc.

“I hope they’re still fresh.” Marc said, biting into his sandwich. His eyes rolled back as he moaned in delight. “That is so fucking good.” He said, his mouth still full. “I need that recipe, one way or another.”

I laughed at his reaction, now taking a bite of my sandwich. Marc was right, these sandwiches were delicious.

“Holy- You’re right, we really do need the recipe. I could eat these day and night.”

We sat down in silence, basking in the sound of our sandwich wrappers and our delighted moans. Once we finished eating, Marc threw the wrappers away before sitting back down on the towel, pulling me closer to his chest.

“Alright princesa, spa next or ice cream next?”

“Mhh… The spa would be nice. Some mud mask would do wonders for our skin.”

Another hour went by before we started packing our stuff, making our way back to the house to get changed and head for the spa.

“Y/N? Are you ready to go?” Marc yelled out from the front door.

“Almost. I can’t find my wallet. Marc? Could you please start the car?”

I heard the door close and the garage door open. I found my wallet buried under my notebooks, on my desk. Sighing in relief, I grabbed my wallet and purse before exiting the house. A honk coming from the street caught my attention. I climbed in the car and Marc immediately drove off, catching me off guard.

“Hey there, you’re not a race car driver, Marc.” He laughed.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He apologized, flashing me his lethal smile.

We arrived 15 minutes later to the spa, Marc pulling into the parking lot with a relieved smile.

“Doesn’t seem like a lot of people are here.”

Although Marc had progressed to sometimes playing with the first team, Marc’s family and I saw firsthand how fame had affected him. It wasn’t the fame per say, but the lack of privacy, the tabloids and being put on a pedestal by some fans, when he was simply an 18 year old kid with dreams and a bright future. I knew the smile of relief on Marc’s face wasn’t from the fact that we had finally made it to the spa, but rather, the decreased chances of being recognized in public.

“Marc…” I said as he turned off the car’s ignition.

“Mh?” He stopped in his tracks.

“Let’s skip the spa.” I blurted out, avoiding eye contact.

Marc shifted back into his seat to look at me.

“What do you mean? I thought you wanted to come here?” He sat back down in his seat.

“I did and I do, but I would much rather do something with you where you don’t constantly have to look out for a crowd or fans. Seeing how relieved you were when you realized there weren’t a lot of cars in the parking lot made me realize you wouldn’t be able to relax. You wouldn’t have enjoyed this outing, and neither would I.”

“So what do we do now?” He took my hand in his, his thumb brushing over.

“Let’s go home, put on a movie and do some sheet face masks. We can still get ice cream in the evening.” I pecked him on the lips, my hand finding the nape of his hair.

“Alright, princesa. But I pick the movie this time.” He jokingly pouted.

The drive back home was calmer, the sun blessing us with its golden rays. I closed my eyes, the smooth roar of the engine lulling me to a near state of sleep. I could smell Marc’s perfume travel around the car every time he looked over at my still figure.

“Keep your eyes on the road, cabrón. We have a movie to watch and ice cream to eat. It would be a shame to die because you couldn’t keep your eyes off of me.” I teased him, my eyes half open. I heard Marc laugh and shake his head before I closed back my eyes. Marc finally pulled into my driveway and slightly nudged me awake.

“I’m awake!” I yawned. Marc turned off the engine before sliding out of his seat and running to the passenger door.

“M’lady.” He opened the door for me, his hand extending to mine.

We made it back to the front door, walking in to find the house empty and dark.

“I’ll grab the face masks and blankets. You can pick the movie in the meantime. Popcorn?” I asked him, standing in the bathroom doorway.

“I can do popcorn. I’ll grab us some water.” I grabbed the face masks from my not-so-secret stash and the blankets from the bathroom closet. Marc already had the popcorn in a bowl.

“So,” I said, throwing a blanket at him. ”What are we watching?” I scooched closer to him, my head resting on his shoulder.

“Grown Ups.”

Marc turned on the movie and snaked his arm around my shoulder, forcing me to be flush against him. We stayed in the moment, erupting in laughter every now and then, our bodies pressed against each other, the feeling being more than familiar to us. My hand found his index finger, grabbing it gently. Marc let me.

Neither of us liked to admit it, but this simple action brought us both comfort. The thought of knowing that we had each other, we could rely on one another. Maybe I was looking too far into the future, but the only thing on my mind was to continue these little traditions with Marc as my husband; Marc as the father of our children.

As the credits rolled, Marc nudged me awake.

“Falling asleep again, mhh?” He teased me. “Let’s skip the ice cream. I’ll pick you up tomorrow after training.”

“What? No, Marc, I feel awful. We already skipped out on the spa, the ice cream was the easy part.”

“Hey, the ice cream will still be there tomorrow. We’ll go shopping after training and grab some ice cream on the way home. Deal?” He reached to peel off my face mask.

“Deal.” I whispered, feeling his gaze burn through my skin. My cheeks were heating up.

“That mask did wonders. You’re glowing. Like a ray of sunshine.” He kissed my forehead.

“I’m your ray of sunshine.” I smiled at him, fighting a yawn.

“That… you are.” He pecked my lips before scooping me up and carrying me to the bedroom.

He laid me down on my side of the bed before sliding under the covers, his arms finding my abdomen. I laid my head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat slowly slow down.

“Good night, sunshine.” He kissed my temple.

“Good night my love.” I kissed his hand.

Marc’s breath slowed down as he fell asleep, his grip loosening on my waist. I nuzzled myself in between his arms, finding comfort in the warmth of his body.

That’s what I loved about our relationship. We adapted to one another, we went with the flow. We found time to show up for each other, despite our busy schedules and the difference in our worlds. Marc brought warmth in my life, stability, amongst the journey that was… being a teenager. And I was eternally thankful for that night we met.

[eveningrainstorm]

my take on teenage raz and lili!

some design notes under the cut:

They're intended to be about 16 here! I didn't go for anything too drastic in terms of changes -- these are largely just what I'd consider natural evolutions of their canon designs

For Raz, my main focus besides just making him look older was to add a bit more resemblance to the other Aquatos in his design, since his relationship with them wouldn't be strained like it is during canon

Raz is shown with very straight hair in canon, but since most of his family's hair is more wavy or curly I tend to imagine he styles it that way on purpose as part of his Sasha Nein cosplay or whatever. He wouldn't still feel the need to do that at this point, though, so for this design I wanted to make it more curly, similar to Augustus or Frazie, while still similar to his canon style. This turned out to be incredibly difficult and I'm still not entirely happy with where I landed, but it's good enough

I didn't think he would still wear the helmet but I didn't want to discard it entirely, so the goggles were a compromise. I meant to give them some visible scratches and wear and tear since they're presumably the same goggles he's been wearing since he was 10, but I forgot. rip

Obviously the most notable change to Raz's outfit is the scarf -- I wanted something that would tie him visually to the other Aquatos while still fitting with his general look. I imagine they gave it to him as a gift, sort of an acknowledgement that even if he doesn't perform with them as an acrobat, doing his Psychonaut work is his own way of being an Aquato

Raz's outfit here is honestly very similar to his PN2 outfit. This is because in my eyes "long coat and turtleneck" is Peak Character Design and cannot be improved on. (Hence why I may not be the best person to redesign Raz.) He has an actual coat rather than just an oversized blazer this time though, so that's an improvement. With the turtleneck I was was vaguely intending for it to be color-wise something of a middle ground between the Sasha-style green striped turtleneck and the Aquato blue/green and white stripes, but it ended up basically just being the PN1 stripes with the PN2 color. which, you know, that works

I went back and forth on what their heights should be -- I thought it would be kind of funny if Raz ended up short and Lili ended up taller than him, but then I decided to just make them more in line with their families, with Raz being tall and lanky and Lili being average verging on short. Except then I accidentally made Lili tall anyway because I was only vaguely considering her height relative to Raz. I guess Lili's probably taller than her dad now? good for her ig

Most of their facial features are just slight variations of how they look in canon -- slightly smaller eyes and so on. the only real specific change is that Lili has a more defined nose now, similar in shape to her father's

Lili's outfit here is more different from either of her canon outfits than Raz's is, but there's still not much that really requires a ton of explanation. The goal was to make her look vaguely cool and fashionable, although as I am neither of those things I cannot guarantee I was successful

I tried a couple different hairstyles for Lili, and I'm still not entirely set on this one -- Originally what I settled on was to give her two braids, which I did like, but I kept doing sketches of her where I just drew the top part of the hair and was like "ngl this kind of works on its own" and so I ended up going with the short hair. I also briefly tried an asymmetrical haircut but I couldn't get it to look right. I think this one suits her though

Lili's tattoo (on her left wrist) was a later addition to the design, and even in the later stages of drawing this I wasn't sure whether to keep it. I like it conceptually I just haven't figured out a consistent design for it yet, only that it has to be of plants

god these notes got way longer than I meant them to be I am so sorry. Uh basically I'm still figuring out the details of these designs but for now here's Raz and Lili, they're teenagers now, thanks for reading

[glossdebut]

Thoughts on how the BTS members respond to finding out their partner (committed or not) is pregnant?

And love your writing!

thank you!!! i had to let this one marinate a little bit but i did my best lol

seokjin: oh, the dad jokes are already out in full force. as are the jokes about how your baby is going to have amazing genetics thanks to him. has no idea how he’s going to manage being a FATHER, but that’s Later Seokjin’s problem. for now, he’s just excited to call everybody he knows and brag that he’s going to be a dad to the most beautiful baby that will ever exist

namjoon: excited. terrified. happy. confused. he’s feeling all of it, and deeply. there’s also a fair amount of crying. already anxious about the ethics of procreating in this day and age, and what kind of parenting style is going to fuck this baby up the least. looking up the best books to buy on pregnancy and parenting so he can get as many opinions as possible. he’s getting ahead of himself, as usual, but luckily he has you to remind him that you both have plenty of time to figure everything out

yoongi: mr. preparedness. he’s appropriately excited but as soon as you tell him you swear you see his eyes glaze over just a little because his ass is already crunching numbers, figuring out what kind of baby-proofing he needs to do, what needs to be cut out of your diet, etc. also orders a bunch of books for both of you to read pretty much right after you tell him. if you didn’t know him, you might be a little disappointed in how Rational and Calm his response is. but you know that doing all of this research and making sure you’re both prepared for everything is just how he shows his love

hoseok: look, i know i said you’re not getting a ring out of this man, but it’s very possible a BABY would change things—in a slow burn kind of way. consistent situationship hoseok is understandably scared shitless when you tell him. there is a good amount of freaking out on his part, because you’re not even in a RELATIONSHIP—but it’s not like he’s going to be a deadbeat dad. instead he’s going to be the most sick ass co-parent to ever walk the earth. your baby will be DRIPPED OUT from birth, and hoseok is going to show up for everything he can even with his busy schedule. and maybe the forced proximity helps move things along between the two of you

jimin: there are tears. he would be very worried that he’s not ready to be a parent, and he’d voice those fears to you right off the bat because he knows it’s not something he should hold in. but once the two of you talk through it, he’s OVER THE MOON about the whole thing. he’s a very nurturing person naturally, so i think he’d take great care of you while you’re pregnant, and of the baby after it’s born. he had nothing to worry about!!

taehyung: overjooooyed. takes you to the store to find sparkling cider/SOMETHING non-alcoholic and appropriately bubbly for you to toast with, because this is news worth toasting to. already planning your very tasteful pregnancy announcement photoshoot. they will be black and white, a little weird, but beautiful

jungkook: also cries. like, before you even get the words out. also, instantly gets you off your feet like you’re in your third trimester or something because you’re NOT allowed to lift a finger for the next nine months. extremely confident that your baby is going to be the cutest ever, screw seokjin’s baby, seokjin’s baby is stupid looking

[emeraldspiral]

Those polls about if Zim and Dib would be good parents, made me wonder, would they be able to rise a child together? Let's think the kid is a mix of human and Irken, Dib is at least 30 and Zim too but in Irken years.

I think Dib would feel an obligation to look out for any child in Zim's care whether it was his or not. Like, even if they were just friends or still enemies Dib would want to butt-in and intervene on the child's behalf because he's got that Messiah complex he inherited from his dad and feels like he has to take responsibility for everyone's problems.

Even if Zim has some nurturing instincts he comes from a culture where parenting is a foreign concept. Like, Irkens are born already capable of fending for themselves for the most part so they don't need a caretaker and childhood for them pretty much just consists of job training. There's no concept of like, children needing toys or art supplies or playgrounds to provide stimulating enrichment or needing attention and emotional validation and touch or needing a role model to teach them morals and appropriate behavior. He would be totally clueless about how to take care of a kid beyond just plopping them in front of the TV or indulging their tantrums over toys and tacos to get them to shut up like he does with GIR. But he would have the same unwarranted over-confidence he approaches everything with and would refuse to read any parenting books and just assume he'll know what to do through pure genius instinct.

Dib would drive him crazy with unsolicited advice like:

"Zim! You can't leave the baby unattended! Especially not locked inside the Voot on a hot summer day!"

"Zim, yelling isn't going to make the baby stop crying. You need to figure out why it's crying. Have you tried burping it?"

"Zim, you've been in your lab working on your latest evil death machine for 76 hours and you missed your son's softball game. You really need to cut back on work and spend more quality time with him. If you don't make the effort to show him that he's important to you, he's going to start thinking that you don't care about him at all. That his feelings don't matter and he's unworthy of love. He'll start acting out just to get some attention, even if it's negative, and let other people treat him like trash because he doesn't think he deserves better. And sooner or later, he'll realize that you're the root cause of all his self-esteem issues and he's going to resent you for it and if you're still too self-absorbed to let go of your ego and your pride and apologize and try to do better, he's going to stop speaking to you and leave you to die alone in some shitty nursing home.”

The only difference if they're a couple and co-parenting is that Dib would be a little more gentle and tactful with his advice and Zim would be more open to listening and trying to better himself (and unpacking the effects his own upbringing had on him which he doesn't want to repeat with his offspring).

[sailorsenshishitposter]

WHO, IS THE FATHER

⚠️ Spoilers for chapter 236

"Happy birthday, Yuji!"

Nobara and Megumi had knocked on his door, causing the boy to get up and answer it.

"It's my birthday? Huh? I guess getting hit by Mahito all those times must have given me some brain damage."

"Just what are you wearing exactly?"

Itadori was dressed head to toe in a earthworm onesie.

"Nevermind, we have gifts for you!"

Nobara pushed Yuji aside and then got a box out of her bag.

"Here, open it!"

Yuji unwrapped the gift only to be greeted by a game case.

"Punch out for the Wii. Kugisaki, I think you bought this for yourself since you're the only one here with that console..."

Megumi snorted.

"I told you he would notice."

Nobara then grabbed the game back.

"Fine, if you don't want it, then I'm keeping it!"

"Wasn't this supposed to be my birthday?"

Megumi then handed Yuji some tickets.

"Thanks Fushiguro! What kind of event are these for?"

"We're taking you to see Jennifer Laurence."

Yuji then jumped and gave a fist bump to the air.

"Wait, how did you afford these?"

"They aren't from him dummy! Fushiguro doesn't have a job!"

"...It was Gojo sensei's idea..."

That explained a lot.

"So... are you going to wear that to the event?"

___________

After a change of clothes, they met Ijichi. It was in fact, not Itadori's birthday but a plan created by none other than Satoru Gojo.

"Does anyone think Ijichi seems more nervous than usual?"

It turns out that their teacher had threatened the man if he were to accidentally ruin the surprise. The threat being that Gojo would replace all of the man's shoes with pairs a size smaller when he wasn't expecting it.

"I-it's no-nothing! Please step inside the vehicle so I may escort the three of you!"

___________

He eventually dropped them outside of an abandoned studio set.

"I don't see why she would come to a place like this... Something's fishy..."

"HE'S FIGURING IT OUT, FUSHIGURO! TIME FOR PLAN B!"

"Right!"

Suddenly Yuji was thrown into a garbage bag.

"Let me out, it's dark in here!"

"Sorry but we're doing this for your own good Itadori!"

"Why can't I break through the bag!? Did you guys infuse it with cursed energy!?"

"Don't get mad, get GLAD Yuji!"

___________

The two then dropped Itadori on to a chair.

"Ugh... What's going on here?"

"Let me answer that for you!"

Suddenly the lights turned on and Yuji was next to a familiar face.

"Gojo sensei? I didn't know you knew Jennifer Laurence!"

Nobara was then heard laughing in the crowd (which consisted of her, Megumi, the year two and three students plus the Kyoto group. Todo being the only one absent)."

Let me explain, my dear Yuji. You are here to see the results of our paternity test!"

"I'll tell you what I told grandpa. Unless it's Goku, then I'm not interested. Why couldn't my dad give me cool powers like rasengan or bankai?"

"THOSE AREN'T EVEN FROM DRAGON BALL!"

"Will the audience please refrain from interrupting? We received this letter Yuji, and it's from your late grandfather."

The screen then played a video showing the contents in the envelope.

"I don't know if you are reading this but Yuji, for the love of god, listen to your elders for once! There's something you should know about your mother. She-"

The screen then cut out.

"Who's on technical staff? Can we get a fix on this?"

A minute later and the footage returned.

"I just thought that you should know that. P.S., please get me out of here! The nurses are evil! They keep-"

"And then it just ends there."

"That's gramps for you, always such a joker."

Then a single "YO, WHAT THE FUCK!?" could be heard.

"Settle down everyone! Now for our first guest, Kenjaku!"

Boos immediately starting springing from the crowd.

"Lets be civilized everyone! Now Kenjaku, you claim to be the father of Yuji?"

"Mother actually."

Everyone was now silent.

"HOW CAN HE BE MY MOTHER!?"

"Now calm down son, I merely took over your mother's corpse."

"WHAT!?"

"You are my only successful child, the others having been aborted."

"BOOOOOOOO!!!!"

"Why are they booing, they know I'm right!"

"..How many siblings of mine did you kill...?"

"About nine. But don't worry, they were only your half brothers."

"YOU SAY THAT LIKE IT'S NORMAL!"

"Alright, this is getting out of hand. Yuji, your siblings are backstage if you would like the chance to meet them."

" Huh!?"

"Will everyone please give a round of applause for Choso, Eso and Kechizu!"

As the screen showed them enter, everyone could see the rage on the eldest brothers face. Choso then ran up to Kenjaku and began to punch him in the face.

"GOJO! GOJO! GOJO! GOJO!"

Eso then had to restrain him.

"LET ME GO! I NEED TO KILL HIM!"

Kenjaku just smirked and then stuck his tongue out.

"Will everyone please have a seat! Now Choso, you say that Yuji is your younger brother?"

"Yes but first let me say that Noranso, Sho-oso, Tanso, Sanso, Kotsuso and Shoso are deeply saddened that they could not be here. Sadly they are still hidden in your schools warehouse... That bastard of a man over there has been switching bodies for countless years! He kidnapped our mother and did unspeakable things to her!"

"Mama..."

Kechizu began to sob, Eso then going to comfort him.

"BOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

"PUT HIM ON DEATH ROW!"

"Now, now everyone, you know as well as I do that Japan doesn't have those rules. I'm sure the last thing you want is some boring law speech from Higuruma. Kenjaku, would you like to tell us your side of the story?"

"Thank you Gojo. I would just like to say that I regret my actions but only because my son's turned out to be such failures!"

"WHY COULDN'T YOU LOVE US LIKE YUJI!?"

"Because he's my special. Anyway, let's talk about something else."

"Hmm. Yuji, what are your thoughts?"

The boy was catatonic. Gojo then waived a hand in front of his face.

"I think I might have broke him..."

"YOU BETTER FIX MY BABY BROTHER!"

Just then another person came into the spotlight.

"DID SOMEONE SAY BROTHER!?"

Gojo then motioned for the security.

"Who let him in!?"

"MY BEST FRIEND, WAKE UP!"

Todo then slapped Itadori.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO OUR BROTHER!?"

"CUT TO THE COMMERCIAL BREAK!"

___________

"Aaaaannd we're back!"

The screen now showed a conscious Yuji stuck in between Todo and Choso (who were very badly beaten up and bruised).

"Todo, we have the results and Yuji is not your brother."

"HE MAY NOT BE MY BROTHER BY BLOOD, BUT HE IS IN SPIRIT! WE EVEN WENT TO THE SAME ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-"

"I told you that never happened!"

"May I please remind everyone that I, Satoru Gojo am the incredibly talented and handsome host? Now, let's meet the father everyone! Get him in here!"

Out came a very distressed Sukuna and Uraume.

"NO FUCKING WAY! YOU'VE TAKEN THIS TO FAR, SENSEI!"

"For once I have to agree with the brat. We don't even look alike! Where are his second set of arms and eyes! He's too much of a pathetic weakling to have come from me!"

Just then a second voice made itself known.

"Hello son!"

Everyone was now staring at Sukuna's second stomach.

"KENJAKU, DID YOU HAVE SEX WITH MY BROTHER!?"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. A thousand years is a long time to keep a guy waiting you know!"

Uraume sighed.

"If only I had known, for I would have poked your brain with an icicle!"

The stomach then began to frown.

"May I please have a moment with my son?"

"Dad?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you Yuji. Gege said I was only allowed to make a cameo in Jujutsu Kaisen."

"Did that thing just break the fourth wall?"

"What I'm trying to say is, I love you son-"

Sukuna then took Gojo and split him in half, putting the upper portion of the man into his stomach. All that was left was the lower body still standing in place. Sukuna then took the microphone.

"That's why I loooooove, Nestle crunch!"

"SPIT HIM OUT!"

"Fine brat."

Jin Itadori then vomited back up half of a skeleton.

Inside the crowd, Hakari's bag began to rumble.

"You sure?"

"There's no better time, do it now!"

"Alright but if you die, it's game over!"

Hakari then threw a ball at the stage.

"Kashimo, I choose you! Use thunderbolt!"

Out popped the god of thunder, decked out in his Lightning McQueen merch. He was about to attack but then stopped. It seems like Sukuna had unintentionally used attract. Uraume then pushed their way forward.

"Enough of this, we shall see the results!"

They opened the envelope and their face began to pale.

"This cannot be!"

"Let me see that!"

In bold letters wrote

'JIN ITADORI IS THE FATHER'

"I REFUSE TO BE APART OF THIS! KENJAKU, YOU TAKE HIM! JUST KNOW THAT I REFUSE TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT!"

Sukuna then went off to destroy whatever was in arms reach.

Suddenly another man entered the stage.

"Which one of you ordered entertainment for the birthday party?"

It was Toji dressed in a monkey costume."

Dad?"

"Oh, Megumi? Is it your birthday, I can't remember."

"What are you doing here!?"

"Hey I'm just trying to make some money!"

A fire had broken out and now Kechizu was petting his worm.

"Looks like I'm not getting paid. Oh well, back to my OnlyFans."

[m3r1m4r5u333]

I might go a bit silent for some time after this post because I've been neglecting my real life lately in a way that's seriously about to bite my arse, but. I'm here to say something that I fervently wish the 9-1-1 fandom, and the queer audiences, or fans of queer fiction in general... will hear and embrace. It's this:

This is the time to let your freak flag fly!!!!

Don't you DARE hold yourself back!!!

Let that freak flag fly!!!

I say that because we need that enthusiasm for our survival. We need that enthusiasm NOW.

Who is this we? It's us!! Fans of the show. Fans of queer fiction. Queers! Allies! People who believe in love! Queer representation in media!!

Because do you even realize what this show just did when it gave us a canonized bisexual Buck, kissing a man on screen, for the first time, in season 7 of the show?

No, it wasn't fan service. It wasn't the show folding to an obsessive queer audience.

No, this was planned, from the very beginning. Anyone who pays any attention and watches the show with open eyes can see it was.

They wanted to create a closeted bisexual character who would stay in the closet for a good while. And they did.

Yes, I am being 100% serious, yes, I absolutely believe this to be true.

These characters we follow, these storylines we watch... Do you really think these characters are just the result of random keysmashing, the writers just going

"Hmm I don't really have a plan here, let's just call this guy "Buck" and release him into the world! ... What do you mean, who is he?

I don't fucking know, he's Buck, let's just decide what to do with him later! I'm going to lunch now, who's coming with me?"

No. These characters are designed. They are planned. They are crafted out by teams of writers, who brainstorm and discuss, and pitch plans, and figure them out:

Which quirk makes them interesting, what secret are they hiding, what are their flaws, what's their backstory, why do they behave like they do...

What to do with them, what kind of story to build with them, whom to match them with for future romances... And so on.

The end result is thought out, because they want the characters to be complex, and human... yet consistent...

And to serve a purpose: to help the storytellers create meaningful stories, and illuminate important issues.

And this character design process nowadays? It definitely includes figuring out what the character's sexuality is - way before you release them into the world!!!

Because the writers know they need to know, and understand the character, to operate them in a way that makes sense, and sexuality is an important part of the "design".

Because that's how you ensure consistent behavior, how you establish a personality!!! I'm being serious, this is just basic characterization, and worldbuilding, and these writers are professionals.

Sexuality is a trait that real people are fairly consistent about, and good fiction imitates real life. For example... If my dad just out of the blue got busy with another man, I would be quite stunned because I've spotted no signs that he might be closeted. Ever.

So if you want to create a closeted bisexual character, and not have people go "there were literally zero signs of this"... You plan. From the start.

And not just to avoid pissing off the straight audience!!! We queers don't appreciate half-assed queer characters any more than they do!!! That's ignorant and lazy, a casual middle finger to the queer audience.

But Buck's closeted bisexuality... It WAS definitely planned. It was CLEARLY planned. In a way that would make justice to the real bisexuals watching.

"Oooh but you're delusional, he's a womanizer, he's been a womanizer!!!"

Exactly. Because guess what? That isn't unrealistic at all. That is real life illustrated into fiction.

This is actually fairly common behavior for bisexuals, this era of almost hypersexual interest in the "opposite sex".

It is both genuine interest, and a front. It is genuine because it's not a lie. These closeted bisexual "womanizers" (or if it's a woman, "man-eaters")... Of course they are truly into these people they so eagerly court, why wouldn't they be. Buck sought out women, because he is into women.

And as said, it is also a front. Because it is often triggered by underlying insecurity. You think you're straight, or desperately want to be straight... But something just feels off. Maybe you notice someone who you "shouldn't" be drawn to, maybe you find that your eyes linger on odd things. Maybe you get turned on by something you "shouldn't".

And that freaks you out. So you try to drown these strange feelings by clinging into what you know. You know you like the "opposite" sex. This means you are straight!! You definitely are. Look at me, doing straight things, like a regular straight person!

It's kinda... A state of desperation, and denial is the engine. You became almost this parody of a straight person. A womanizer. A man-eater. 100% straight, look at me woo! It's about self-deception, and it's about bi erasure (not really even believing that bisexuality is a valid sexuality), and it's about fear of someone figuring you out.

And sometimes it's really just... About being oblivious, and lacking self-awareness. I mean... I am bi, just like Buck. Guess what clued me in? The unplanned flirting. Brainless, outrageous, oblivious flirting.

I am a woman and I did that with women. I had no idea I was flirting. I thought I was joking. Teasing. Bantering. Being friendly. Bonding. Being funny.

I am fairly outspoken and impulsive (now diagnosed with ADHD btw) so often I just leap before I think. So I just... interacted. And then one day, in the middle of a conversation with a female friend... I just got this really, really weird feeling. Like slowly waking up from sleep walking. Where am I, what am I doing? Why am I standing so close to her? Why does this feel so intense? And I just took in the moment, rewinded it, analyzed it, took notice of how oddly jittery I was. And went...

What the fuck. I am FLIRTING. I am totally flirting. I have been flirting! For a good while now! This is me, trying to provoke a very specific reaction! This is me, being excited because she's noticing me, and flirting back! (She was bi too btw, and out, so even though this never went anywhere, I am fairly sure that I wasn't wrong. We were both flirting.)

Anyway, this ramble was about Buck being a womanizer, and an oblivious flirt with men, and closeted, and not even realising the closet...

And it all making perfect sense!!! This happens! It happened to me! Some people don't realise their bisexuality until it practically smacks them in the face.

This is perfectly realistic story-telling. This is a valid portrayal of a closeted adult bisexual.

And Buck does flirt with men, on screen, since season fucking one!!! That emergency, in season one, the guy with the tape worm? That's him, being an oblivious outrageous flirt, starting to hit on a male patient mid emergency!!

Bobby actually has to cut it off because Buck is being super unprofessional there.

That was written, acted, filmed, aired. And as said, these characters are designed.

And that's not all. There are so many other instances of Buck flirting with a man, crushing on a man, being unable to shut up about men.

Go see Eddie's and Buck's meeting - the ridiculously homoerotic first introduction of Eddie. The way Buck absolutely must impress Eddie. The way he jumps to the idea that Eddie won the spot on the "hot firefighter calendar", the way he gets super flustered when Eddie compliments him and tells Buck he can have Eddie's back anyway.

The way he assumes Maddie is surely talking about Eddie instead of Chimney when she says "he's so cute". The way he is seen prattling about Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, and Maddie then asks about this "boy crush".

Go watch the entire storyline with Veronica/Albert/Buck/Taylor. It tells us very clearly that Buck sees Albert in a towel, and then can't stop rambling about him. This chronic inability to shut up about Albert is shown on several occasions.

Buck's date, Taylor, even walks out mid their double date due to that. Taylor takes in the clusterfuck she's been invited to, makes it very clear that she's heard A LOT about Albert as Buck keeps talking about ALBERT, and leaves.

Anyway - my point here is. The writing team wanted to write a closeted adult bisexual character, and figured... How do we make them realise that Buck really was bi all along?

Well, by showing him, being bi. Showing him in genuine relationships with women, and also showing him flirt with men. So that when he finally comes out, people have material to examine, and realise...

It was always there. He was always bi.

And they did because they wanted to bring awareness, to write a story of an adult closeted bisexual. The closeted part is important, btw. Because making him come out on screen is like simulating someone coming out to you in real life. They're making you ask;

Did you see the signs?

Or did you see signs... And dismiss them?

These stories are important because bisexual erasure is real. Many people don't even believe, or know that we exist!! And there is so much ignorance about what bisexuality is, what it can look like. "Oh, surely not a womanizer like Buck! Can't be. Ridiculous!"

But guess what? It isn't ridiculous. It isn't bad, or half-assed writing. You just don't understand the realities here.

Let me tell you some facts about bisexuality. I challenge you to verify them yourself, look up studies, and see that I'm not writing fiction now.

We bisexuals cling to our closets, desperately. Often well into adulthood. Btw, I'm closeted too actually, to my family. And yeah, I may sound like I'm 14. I am not.

And no, we aren't fine in our closets. We don't have it easy. We aren't doing well. We bisexuals are actually... Alarmingly, clearly, unwell.

And not just compared to straight people. No. We are pretty much, fairly clearly, either the top or near the top.. highest ranking mental cases among the queer community!! ... So. Yay?

Don't believe me? Look up studies about bisexuals. Though... There aren't that many, actually. Turns out, if you try looking up scientific research about bisexuals? Well, there isn't much. Compared to other groups of people, we are basically unstudied. Because hey, we're a bit meh. Why fund that research? Unimportant, those bisexuals! They're doing fine!

So... This is why I love this storyline, and Buck coming out. Because it's a high profile main character. And because they worked to get this right, to establish Buck's interest in women, as well as men.

You know, because that's what usually happens when a closeted character, or a real bisexual person comes out.

"Oh. He's gay now?"

Yeah. Bisexual erasure, it never stops winning. 🙄

Anyway, my post turned essay about letting the freak flag fly....?

That's how you support shows like these, writers like these, storylines like these.

By being an enthusiastic fan, and letting everyone know about it.

This is free PROMO for the show, our rambling, our freaking out.

Even if you personally have no legal means to watch the show, you can still support it by loving it. Talking about it. Letting your imagination fly. Indulging in your CRAZIEST fan theories!!!

And tagging it, reblogging it.

Please do that.

Don't listen to anyone trying to make you shut up,

Trying to get you to be rational,

Trying to organize a freaking "moment of silence" from shipping,

Trying to shame you and get you to "respect Buck's coming out arc" by focusing on it instead shipping characters....

Don't listen to anyone trying to make you hate a "problematic character".

"Problematic" characters are good writing!!!! Real people have flaws!

Guess what - trying to create and write perfect characters... If you do that? You end up looking at Teletubbies. Do you like Teletubbies? Do you?!!

Don't even listen to me if I try to argue for something because I "spot a problem' and want to whine about it.

No, ignore it, be confident, be a freak, let your freak flag fly!!

Because this is an important time in the history of the show, of queer media.

People are looking at how the show does after a queer twist like this one.

And they look at numbers.

At viewership. How many people the show lost.

How many it gained.

These numbers do not tell them which viewer ships whom.

Shipping is fucking irrelevant.

Shipping wars don't matter here!!

Because even if you ship Athena and a table lamp,

but post about it, it is still promo and viewership!!!!

How "sensitive" you are, and how overwhelmed the story arc made you...

does not matter here.

How disappointed you are that you did not get Buddie, yet, doesn't matter.

You being offended that people focus on some characters over others.... Does not matter.

It doesn't translate to the most important number, which is viewership.

And the best way to get decent viewership, and reward this incredible story arc, and love this show...

Is to let your freak flag fly!!!!!!!!!!

It's not to sit in silence because people are shaming you about continuing to freak out about your particular focus on the show.

That shame and "respect" just creates silence. That erases our voice. That mutes the fandom, the free promo, and tanks viewership.

Silence? That could kill this show, and OTHER shows that may consider doing something like this.

Going on mute now will only hinder incredible writers like these, wanting to create future shows and storylines like these.

You know... Because this scene about "let 'em fire us" underneath??

It is hilarious, yes. But it is also heart-breaking.

Because this is very likely META writing.

The writers, the show... scared, yet brave, wondering how the audience will react to Buck's coming out.

If this pays off. If they still have a job in the industry after this leap.

So see what a gift these writers are.

Reward it by making noise.

By being absolutely unhinged about it.

Really, fuck this moment of silence to "Buck's bi growth".... Ship whoever, NOW, - Ravi and Buck and Athena together, if it tickles your brain!!!

Be problematic. Be a freak. Let it show.

Let your freak flag fly. That's how you love the show.

[meowthiroth]

been meaning to post these here for AGES now but I keep forgetting to. explodes 💥

but ANYWAYS! i redid the ref art for my Stranger oc from Myst/Riven! and also finally got around to drawing the aged-up version I thought up for him between Myst 3 and 4.

also wrote out a sort of messy bio for him a while ago, which i'll put under the cut since it's kinda long lol

ACE

Basic info

• Born October 7, 1782. He is 24 during the events of Myst & Riven, 33 during Exile and 42 during Revelation.

• He stands about 5’6” (1.6m) and is around 120 lbs. Pretty scrawny and definitely built better for agility than physical power.

• He is transgender and uses he/him pronouns. That caused quite a few problems for him back home, given the social climate at the time. He really doesn’t like to discuss his past or his birth family & will quickly change the subject if asked.

• He's very kind, easygoing and silly, and he loves to help others. But he can also be quite scatterbrained, forgetful, and prone to emotional manipulation.

• While he can be a bit absent-minded at times, he’s actually quite intelligent & quick-thinking, and he excels at problem- and puzzle-solving. He often cracks Atrus’s puzzles within mere minutes, but then can't recall his thought process when asked how he did it.

• Most of his favorite pastimes involve creating and fixing things. For instance, he’s very skilled with a needle & thread, and he makes and mends all of his own clothes. Drawing is another big one for him— his journal contains a lot more doodles in the margins than actual writing.

• He also LOVES animals, especially frogs, reptiles and bugs. He’s good at reading animals' behavioral cues and often has an easier time gaining their trust than most people would.

Early life/childhood

• His birth family were early settlers in the Northwest Territory, moving out west with him in tow when he was just a small child & starting a homestead there. His family consisted of his father, mother, and 3 brothers- 2 older and 1 younger.

• His gender identity caused friction with his family later in his childhood, since they had assumed he was just a tomboyish child and would eventually grow out of it. Obviously, though, he never did.

• His refusal to adhere to his assigned gender eventually escalated to his parents viewing him as hysterical & mentally unwell. Things only continued to get worse as he grew older, which eventually led him to go on the run. He kept a low profile & travelled mostly on his own for years, pressing farther into uncharted territory in an attempt to get as far away from his family as possible, which was how he first stumbled across the Myst linking book.

Life with Atrus & family

• Despite everything Saavedro did at the start of Exile, Ace still finds himself understanding of the man's predicament (perhaps relating the experience to his own upbringing in an abstract sort of way), and he takes it upon himself to help him get home by any means necessary. He often wonders how things worked out for Saavedro after their encounter & genuinely wishes the best for him.

• Slight deviation from canon- After the events of Exile, Ace got so worried about someone else coming after Atrus and his family while he was gone that he insisted on staying with them to help keep an eye on things. He moved in with them in Tomahna and helped out, both with Atrus’s projects and just general home/family things. He sort of took up the role of another older brother figure to Yeesha.

• Over time, he begins to view Atrus & Catherine not just as friends, but sort of as a new, more accepting family. He's definitely slipped up & called them “mom” and “dad” by accident before. SEVERAL times. He was really embarrassed about it at first, although they weren't bothered by it.

• He and Atrus work well together! Although Ace can’t write his own Ages, he often helps test Atrus’s creations and suggests ways he could potentially improve them. His ideas tend to fall somewhere in between Atrus & Catherine in terms of realism- a little wacky but still somewhat grounded in reality. He’s also quick to remind Atrus to take breaks & not get TOO into his work.

• Ace also spends a lot of time back home with Catherine and Yeesha. He does a good job earning his keep by helping around the home, and he and Catherine often like to bounce ideas off of one another. He finds her creativity super impressive, and a favorite pastime of his is to try & draw various creatures and landscapes that she describes.

• Since he lives with the family in between Exile and Revelation, Ace learns about what happened to Atrus’s sons much earlier than in canon, and he often tags along with the family when they visit. Usually he doesn’t go visit the brothers by himself, since he isn’t sure how comfortable Atrus would be with that, but he has offered to deliver things like care packages to them before & he’ll often stop to chat with them for a while.

• Ace has sort of always felt drawn towards Achenar. Despite the older brother's obvious shiftiness, Ace couldn't help but feel bad for him. He'd actually collected every blue page and was going to free him before he was (thankfully) stopped by Atrus. Despite being made aware of the attempted trick, Ace still forgave Achenar pretty quickly after seeing how much he’d changed over the years, and now he's always eager to go visit him with the rest of the family. The two get along surprisingly well & become close friends over time, and Ace will often stay behind to talk to him long after the rest of the family decides to head home from their visits.

• Ace, however, has always gotten bad vibes from Sirrus ever since he first arrived on Myst. He already has a disdain for greedy rich-guy types, and Sirrus always struck Ace as very disingenuous and closed-off, which further limited their ability to connect on an emotional level. Deep down, though, Ace still has a soft spot for Sirrus, and often displays it by teasing him in a playful little-sibling sort of way. While Sirrus generally finds his jokes more annoying than amusing, it clearly isn’t malicious and at least breaks up some of his day-to-day tedium, so he begrudgingly tolerates it.

[koolkat9]

Matthew’s Views of Francis and Arthur

Because some of my mutuals are doing polls related to Matthew and his father figures, I wanted to do a brief breakdown of how I think he feels towards the two. 

Matt has a lot of complicated feelings surrounding Francis and Arthur. On the one hand, they’re both his dads and he has good memories with both of them. All the stories Arthur told him, the picnics they’d have near the creek. The way Francis would brush his hair and Matthew would fall asleep in the process, the way they would cook together. 

But he of course has his gripes. Like the way Francis would get that…look…on his face whenever Matthew came in all muddy. The way Francis would never go out for walks in the forest with him. How Francis up and left him without much word and didn’t even bother to try and keep contact (despite Alastair trying to keep Francis involved against Arthur’s wishes). 

And Arthur is much quicker to anger than Francis and Matthew never did well with getting in trouble (though Arthur at least would catch himself or apologize later, but that still made Mattie anxious), Alfred consumed more of Arthur’s attention in the early years. And worst of all, how Arthur would leave for business. 

But as years went by, Matthew found himself closer to Arthur. Because yes Arthur left, and sometimes scared him, but Arthur stayed. Arthur was more consistent than Francis was being at the time. When Matthew asked for him, he’d come as soon as possible. It was Arthur who introduced him to Alfred. It was Arthur who accepted him and engaged with his interests (because they shared a lot of the same interests compared to Francis). It was Arthur who watched him grow up. And it was Arthur who was the first one to work on being better for him. Sometimes Matthew thinks he’s too forgiving towards Arthur (and maybe that’s true), but he also knows he’s seen sides of Arthur not many get to and he’s seen him make an effort to be a better father for them. 

But that isn’t to say he doesn’t love Francis. He does. They’ve reconciled in modern times. Francis is very dotting and makes sure he’s eating right, and just tries to make up for the years he was gone.  

In conclusion, he loves them both dearly and is glad they are now both more consistently in his life. 

[knickynoo]

Back to the Future: The Animated Series, s01ep11 "Gone Fishin'" Review and Commentary

Previous episodes linked HERE

In this episode: Marty, Jules, and Verne try to undo one of Doc's deep-seated childhood traumas, only to end up sending his life wildly off course.

I shall preface this by letting anyone reading know that Tumblr has been messing up my gifsets and pictures in my previous posts. Gifs and pics that should be side by side end up enlarged and stacked vertically when viewed on the dashboard through a desktop. I've been unable to figure out how to fix it and have no clue why it's doing this to me. It is a source of great frustration and makes me not want to do these reviews anymore. But I'm trudging along. Just wanted to let people know in case it looked wonky. It's not on purpose!

Alrighty, let's dive in.

Okay, so this episode has my favorite live-action opening segment in the series thus far. We begin with black-and-white footage of Doc, accompanied by him doing a voice-over where he explains that he was visiting the 1920s. As he's doing the voice-over, the Doc on screen is just waving at the camera the entire time, and it is delightful. He becomes increasingly frantic as the waving goes on.

Doc goes on to explain that he'd been in the 1920s to meet Thomas Edison and get him to autograph a very large lightbulb, which we then see as we return to the "present day." Doc immediately drops and shatters it as he's showing it to us.

Quickly moving on from the tragedy (he says he'll make a return trip to get extra bulbs autographed) Doc goes on to talk about the '20s—silent films in particular.

"I'm sure you've all heard of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton," he says, "but only the real film historians among you recall Daredevil Brown. Talk about a Hollywood success story."

Hmm...well, that's an intriguing little piece of info, isn't it? Who is this Daredevil Brown?? Doc leads us into the cartoon to hear the full story. "It all began with a fishing trip," he tells us with a haunted expression.

We shall find out the reason for this expression shortly. Into the cartoon, we go!

While working in his lab, Doc is approached by Verne, who hands him a flyer for the upcoming "Father and Son Big Mouth Bass Off." It's apparently an annual Hill Valley event, and Verne really wants to go with his dad. Doc, however, reacts with immediate terror, crumples up the flyer, and quite literally begins convulsing as he tries to tell his son that he can't go. He then stumbles into the living room and collapses on the couch, still in an agitated state.

Jules decides to show Doc his new invention—a helmet that allows you to watch TV without disturbing others in the room with the images/sounds, and Doc figures trying it will be a good way to get his mind off of the terror he just experienced. Unfortunately, it's a rerun of The Andy Griffith Show, which, if you're familiar with it, has an opening sequence of the main character going fishing with his son. Doc rips off the device and runs straight into the wall.

I don't know about all of you, but I think Doc might have experienced some fishing-related trauma?? I mean. Just a guess.

Also, I would like to point out that throughout much of these opening scenes, Doc's eyes randomly turn blue, which is the second instance I've noticed of a character's eye color changing mid-scene (the first was in Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Race). And I'd really like to know why this was happening. Whoever was in charge of character eye color, you dropped the ball here. You probably didn't think anyone would be scrutinizing this series closely enough to notice 30+ years later, but you were wrong.

Getting back on track here, Jules and Verne sneak into their parents' bedroom that night with a plan to figure out what's going on with their father. Jules has invented a device consisting of an in-ear piece connected to a screen that allows someone to view the wearer's thoughts. Y'all, Jules is 10-years-old, and he's incomprehensibly brilliant. He just whipped up an invention to see a person's thoughts. This is something that can be put to horrible use if it falls into the wrong hands.

As they use the device, miniature versions of Jules and Verne appear on the screen and "travel" through Doc's brain. They pass a "brainstorm," a long pathway containing his "library of knowledge," and then come to a huge wall.

Whoever was in charge of spelling, you dropped the ball here, too. Admittance is spelled incorrectly.

I sincerely am curious as to how these mistakes slipped by and made it into the completed versions of the episodes. In a way, though, it kind of adds to the fun.

Jules gets a readout on the screen that says: "Memory block, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 5, 1926." With this information, the boys now know that something significant enough happened to their dad on this date that a gigantic wall was erected in his brain to block the whole thing out. The mini versions of Jules and Verne on the screen get out pickaxes and chip away at the block until they break through and can see the memory.

In a show so centered around time travel, I must remind myself to suspend my disbelief in these absolutely absurd and impossible moments.

Anyway, Jules and Verne access the hidden away memory and see their four-year-old father fishing. As he casts his line, he falls into the water, nearly drowns, and is terrorized by various sea creatures.

Nobody is around to run to his aid as he splashes around and calls for help. Jules and Verne feel it's their duty to travel back to that date and stop Doc from having this terrible, scarring experience.

As they sneak the DeLorean out of the garage, they're caught by Marty, who has decided it is of the utmost importance that he make a visit to Doc's house at 11:30 at night to get his hoverboard. Jules explains their plan, to which Marty replies, "Milwaukee? That must have been when Doc stayed with his oddball Uncle Oliver." And I must say that I like that Marty knows this little bit of Doc Brown trivia and that Doc has obviously told Marty at least this one story about his childhood.

Marty agrees to not tattle on the boys if they let him tag along? He tells them he wants to travel to a time when he'll be smarter than Doc. Off they go to 1926.

"How much can a little kid know?" Marty asks as they approach Little Doc, whom I will just refer to as Emmett from here on out. Everybody look at him, please.

As Marty immediately discovers, he is not smarter than this four-year-old version of his friend. After jokingly asking Emmett what he knows, Emmett replies, "Several languages, the Periodic Table, the constellations of the Northern Hemisphere, and the Encyclopedia from 'A' to 'Grrr.'" (He hasn't made his way through the FULL encyclopedia yet, evidently.)

While I know that this cartoon can hardly be considered canon to the world set up in the trilogy, I love that Emmett can speak multiple languages and wouldn't mind at all incorporating that into my general Doc Brown headcanons. I just wish he'd mentioned which ones he spoke. German is likely one, but I'm not sure about the others.

Emmett tells his new friends that he's waiting for his Uncle Oliver to take him fishing "like he promised" and then directs their gazes up to where Uncle Oliver is—wayyy up in the air—attempting to break the record for flagpole-sitting.

We quickly learn that Uncle Oliver is obsessed with trying to set records, perform wild acts, and become famous. Marty tries to persuade him to take his nephew fishing, but Uncle Oliver isn't that interested in Emmett—a trait that seems to be common amongst the Brown men. I am looking at you, Erhardt! >:(

Marty, Jules, and Verne opt to just take Emmett themselves, and Jules is able to get his future father to stand in a spot where he won't fall into the water. Instead, Marty falls in, lol.

While teaching him how to properly cast, Emmett ends up getting his line hooked to the underside of a small biplane and carried away.

The plane is part of a nearby stunt show, and Emmett gets taken along for the ride as it does loops and tricks in the air. Everyone watching from the stands is impressed by this young performer, and he quickly wins lots of adoring fans. When he's approached by a camera man who asks if he wants to be a star, Uncle Oliver's eyes turn into dollar signs, and he jumps at the chance to be Emmett's manager.

"All I wanted was to go fishing," Emmett points out. Too bad, buddy, you're about to be exploited by your uncle for fame and fortune. Uncle Oliver signs a contract with a famous producer who says he'll make Emmett a star. Marty and Verne are psyched by this development, but Jules (the only one with a brain) points out that they've seriously altered their father's life. The boys decide they have to monitor the situation closely.

From there, we go to Hollywood, where Emmett is quickly thrust into stardom. We see a clip of a silent film he's in, which includes a scene of him dangling from a very high clocktower by his suspenders, falling and bouncing around on a building's awnings, and landing in a fountain. He's dubbed "Daredevil Emmett" and quickly garners many fans.

Little Emmett's amazing feats capture the entire country, and he's soon got his own line of comics, a drink named after him, and multiple other products. He's on the radio, in the newspapers, and is being talked about all over.

Emmett is less than enthusiastic about the whole ordeal, but Uncle Oliver doesn't see any issue with it. He's loving living vicariously through his nephew and brushes off Marty's concern that all this daredevil stuff isn't good for Emmett. We then see the very lavish life that Emmett and Uncle Oliver are living.

...how long have Marty and the boys been in the '20s for all of this to be happening?? I mean, this all started with taking Emmett fishing, and now they're living in Hollywood; Emmett has become a movie star, has a line of products named after him, and has moved into a massive mansion with his uncle. Have they been in 1926 for months?

While Marty, Jules, and Verne are having fun in the pool, Emmett asks if he can swim with them, to which Uncle Oliver says no. He doesn't want to risk Emmett getting hurt, which would hurt his career. Emmett storms off angrily. Marty once again voices his concern for Emmett's well-being. This time, Oliver almost listens, but then he receives a phone call with an offer for Emmett to go over a waterfall while he's inside a barrel, and Oliver can't turn it down.

On the day of the stunt, Marty and the boys discover that the man behind the idea is D. W. Tannen. When Emmett expresses concern about the safety of everything, D. W. assures him he won't actually be going over the falls; a dummy will be in the barrel, and people will just think it's Emmett. Except, surprise! D. W. is lying, and he has no intention of switching a dummy into the barrel. He wants this to be real, and that means sending a four-year-old child over the edge of a waterfall. Nice guy.

Thankfully, Marty, Jules, and Verne, overhear D. W. talking, and Jules forms a plan to save his father. Marty's evidently a key part of the plan, and he and Jules have this exchange, which makes me laugh.

Jules's plan is to have Marty serve as a tightrope walker in the opening act—complete with gum stuck to the bottom of his shoes to keep him from slipping. While the crowd is distracted by Marty, Jules will stick a mini, spare flux capacitor to the barrel (which will have Verne in it, not Emmett) and transport the barrel someplace else.

Oliver, who is not in on the plan, actually gets a chance to redeem himself as he sees the barrel start to go toward the waterfall. Thinking his nephew is actually inside, he dives into the water to try to save him, finally coming to his senses about how money-hungry he'd become. Marty pulls Oliver out of the water, the barrel goes over the falls, and it's transported out of harm's way via the flux capacitor.. Back on the dock, Oliver and Emmett are reunited, and Oliver takes his nephew fishing.

With everything set back to normal, the boys return home, where they discover that Doc is now eager to join the father-and-son fishing tournament. The end!

Back in Real Doc's lab, he teaches us about gravity.

He also ends up dropping that bowling ball on his foot.

And that's the end of the episode. This one is a lot of fun, and I LOVED seeing the young version of Doc. He's adorable. I'm glad Uncle Oliver saw the error of his ways, but it took thinking his nephew was about to die going over a waterfall to change him. I wonder if Doc has any male family members who weren't terrible??

Anyway, good episode. Join me next time to watch Doc spiral into an existential crisis after thinking he's used up all his brainpower.

[celiaelise]

Helloooo I have been avoiding posting about this but I think it's reaching a form of denial so I figured I'd better rip the bandaid off 🙃

I got fired the weeks ago!! I am now unemployed!

I'm pretty bummed about it. I liked my workplace a lot, and I liked most of the people I worked with a lot, too! There are several people I've become pretty good friends with, and, while some have shown a willingness to continue being friends, I know it won't be at all the same as casually seeing them at work several times a week.

Finances are a concern, but not a huge concern. I have a little bit of savings, and my family helps me out when I need it. (I can also probably get unemployment if I ever get around to applying for it)

That does bring me to what is possibly the most stressful part of this for me right now, which is that I still haven't told any of my family. At one point, a few months ago, I mentioned to my dad that I'd been written up for attendance, and he was basically like, "yeah, you should stop being late. There's literally no benefit to being late." Which is so frustrating, because obviously i KNOW THAT!!!! I don't have poor attendance because I think it's cool and fun and good!! In fact, almost every shift I was late to or missed, I was hating myself for it the whole time it was happening. So, yeah, I'm pretty sure he's gonna ask what happened, and, if I decide to answer honestly, I'll have to try an explain how sometimes I just do no-call/no-shows in accident, by, like, oversleeping by a LOT, and then lying in bed for six hours, thinking about how I need to get up and get dressed, or, at the very least, call in to say I can't make it, but not doing either of those things because anxiety and executive dysfunction have me by the throat.

And then he's not really going to understand, and it's going to be horribly, horribly awkward and embarrassing. He's consistently demonstrated throughout my life a lack of sympathy for people who struggle with mental illness, or who deems unintelligent. Though it seems like his fatherly love historically overrides such biases, it's still, like, not encouraging. Also I admit that I have an inflated sense of the importance of my father's opinion, but also he, like, pays my bills, so.

My mom's a little less complicated in that my reasons for not wanting to tell her this are the same as for not wanting to tell her most things about myself that I withhold: she always does too much, and she'll remember it forever.

I feel like the best case scenario is that everyone agrees Elise is Unwell and Needs Help, which sounds unbearable and idk how productive help would even be from that quarter.

Anyway, I was gonna say more about this topic, and I'm sure I will later, but I'm getting tired lol. But hopefully, now that I've broken the seal, it will be easier to vent about it here.

[languajix]

My original plan for Hold Every Memory was not quite as fluffy; the kids couldn't follow Don into the astral plane, and had to take the whole 'extradimensional uncles their turtle dad talks to in his head' thing on faith.

Here's a scene I'd written and discarded a long time ago which would have been the opening scene to the original story about the kids and their antics, if I'd kept going that route. Note that they call Don 'Tad' here, which is a portmanteau of 'turtle' and 'dad', and Don's been consistently calling them by El/Dee/Lee/Angelo so that's how they think of themselves. Anyways:

A beam of bright light flared to life in the pitch-black room. It wavered for a moment before moving to illuminate a small face from beneath, looking appropriately grotesque cast by such gnarled shadows. "I must tell you the dark secrets I've learned, brothers."

El and Angelo shivered together. Lee, curled up next to them with his head in his palm, looked downright bored.

The flashlight beam turned to illuminate a chart up on the wall. It was covered in arrows and hastily scribbled lists. Dates. Question marks.

"It all began the night of February twenty-second, when dear Ellie woke up from a deep sleep to witness a figure leaning over his bed! Frozen with fear, he could do naught but watch as the figure slipped something from underneath his pillow, returning only a second later to instead deposit something in its place.

"When he woke in the morning, he discovered that his tooth had indeed been exchanged for a quarter, as the legends had foretold. But! When he came into my room that next morning, his story was not one of 'Tinkerbell' or 'Fairy Godmother'. Say it once for the group, Ellie: Who did you see that night?"

The flashlight swung around until it was shoved up under El's chin like a microphone, shining directly into his eyes. El blinked rapidly. "Uh... it was Tad."

"Tad! Scoff! Last I checked, Tad did not have fairy wings. Tad did not fly with fairy dust."

"I could- I could draw him with wings. I could make a Tad-fairy," Angie murmured, drumming his little fingers on El's arm.

"Ellie was convinced that the so-called 'tooth fairy' must take on the form of one's most beloved authority figures, possibly as a way to slip in and out of houses undetected. I, however, was not so convinced! For nearly a year since, I've been observing and recording every instance wherein a beloved children's fantasy figure purportedly arrives in the sewers to give good little turtles 'gifts' or otherwise provide an enriching experience. After collecting the data, I have come to one conclusion:

"There is no 'tooth fairy!'" Everyone gasped, except Lee who sighed and rolled his eyes. "In fact, there is no 'Easter bunny,' no 'Santa Claus,' and no 'Uncles'. All of them are fictitious figures, meant to pacify and misdirect us!"

Dee began pointing around the room at each of his brothers in turn.

"Those skateboards from Santa? Bought by Papa on an excursion he claimed was for 'fur care products'! That paint set from Uncle Mike? Father purchased it on his way to or from his weekly errands on November Sixteenth. The stickers you have on your helmet that came in those easter eggs? Both Father and Papa spent over two hours silently placing plastic eggs around the Lair when they believed us all to be asleep, the night of our big Lou Jitsu marathon extravaganza!

I have collected a list of other figures I highly suspect to be fictional, although confirming it may prove more difficult. The Queen of England, Gritty, and Lady Gaga currently top said list."

Dee flicked the flashlight off and the overhead light back on, casting stars across everyone's vision.

"You may applaud now."

El clapped twice. Angie sniffled, looking like his entire world had just burned down around his ears.

Lee waved a hand. "Good job or whatever. Very smart. Much science."

Dee rolled his eyes, placing the flashlight down on the bed next to him and folding his arms in front of his chest. "You're just salty that I cracked the case."

"Ha! As if. If you had asked me half a year ago, I could have told you all of this stuff, and in like two sentences, too."

"You can't possibly be suggesting that you knew all of this before I did."

"Uh, yeah? I just asked."

Dee stared off into space for a moment. "...you just asked."

"Yep! And Tad was like, 'you're right, but they're a standard part of the American child experience, blah blah blah we were gonna tell you guys when you were all ready...'"

"I can't believe I spent literal days graphing everyone's schedules down to the minute, placing secret cameras, hacking our bank details, building tracking devices-"

El bristled. "What? Dee!"

"...but the Uncles are real. Supposedly." Lee shrugged and looked away.

...

Dee frowned. "Leon, the only person who ever 'sees' them is Father, who claims that they visit inside his head from some other dimension! Occam's razor states that the explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is usually the correct one - wouldn't a simple 'it's all in his imagination' be applicable here?"

"I'm not saying I think they're real. I'm saying that Tad said to me that they're real."

"Tad's not imagining them," El interrupted firmly. "If Tad says they're real, then I believe him."

"Me too!" Angie chimed in.

"But you believe me about the tooth fairy and the easter bunny?"

El patted him on the head. "Yes, Dee. You did a great job! I liked the flashlight."

Dee humphed. "Thank you. I'm glad someone appreciated the artistry involved in presenting research data in an engaging and interactive fashion."

"...but we are gonna have a talk about the trackers. And the hacking."

"I'm sorry, you seem to be cutting out. Please attempt to reconnect this call at another time."

El dumped Angie gently out of his arms and onto the bed so he could give Dee a noogie. He squawked.