#is that what yinz are calling it now?

[earlgraytay]

Since @seananmcguire reblogged The Dude Post, I wanted to add a few clarifiers:

a) I downplayed the importance of geography in how the term is used. If you're from California, 'dude' is ubiquitous regardless of gender; if you're not a native speaker, you're likely to use 'dude' in a Californian way, because 90% of American media is written by folks from Cali.

b) As I mentioned, the study is 20 years old and covered a pretty narrow group (sociolinguistics students from Pittsburgh). It apparently had another field, not shown in the dude paper, tracking usage of the word "yinz". This is not An Authoritative Description of How People Say Dude Everywhere, but it matched my personal lived experience pretty well.

c) I did get a bit more gender essentialist at the end there than I intended. Obviously, it's more complicated than "cis women do x, cis men do y, therefore trans men do x and trans women do y". I absolutely did not mean to say anything more by that than "if this is how the people around you use this word, this is how you're going to hear it". Bear in mind...

d) I grew up in a pretty sex-segregated subculture and am still dealing with the aftereffects. I tend to assume that most people were raised in a more repressive environment than the one that we live in now. I think there is a culture divide between genders, but because of how I was raised, I tend to see it as stronger and more inflexible than it is in practice for most people.

e) The purpose of the post was to help people who don't intuitively grok the "dude" culture divide understand it. If you saw this post and felt like I was trying to backhandedly call you a guy... I'm really sorry, but that wasn't what I meant. You already get why it's bad and don't need it explained; other people don't.

[greycoffee]

An Open Seat, an Open Invitation

So, uh... yeah, this kind of got out of hand. Wrote this based on @abbotcoded's post about Jack sitting on Robby's lap bc his seat got taken while he was ordering drinks. Enjoy :)

Jack Abbot x Michael Robinavitch || 3.1k

The sound of casual conversation is what hits Jack first the moment he steps through the doors of the bar. He watches as the warm accent lights of the barcounter make the atmosphere glow compared to the brightly lit streets of Pittsburgh. 

“So why are we spending more time with our co-workers rather than going home and catching up on some sleep?” Robby asks him as he keeps a step’s distance from the group in front of them. 

Jack follows closely behind Robby as they make their way through the bar to their usual spot in the corner. They try not to make it a habit and stick to having a beer at the park, but sometimes, after a particularly rough or tiring shift, they just need to be around people who aren’t hacking a lung, shouting in pain, or aren’t lying for hours on their ER beds. He shrugs at Robby’s question, not really caring about what he does on his rare night off. 

“I know I sure as hell won’t get any sleep if I don’t get a drink in me,” he responds in kind, then stops when he realizes how it came out. “And no, I don’t need to talk to my therapist about that, it was a joke.” 

Robby hums amusedly, following Cassie as they weave through the tables littered throughout the floor. The others ahead of them are already bickering, going through the menu they’ve memorized and being indecisive on what to order. 

Jack leans forward, placing a hand on Robby’s shoulder to keep him from moving any further so he can hear him over the boisterous clientele and music playing through the speakers. Robby stops and leans in closer, the others continue walking to their booth without a care. 

“I’m gonna grab a beer from the bar since it looks like it’ll take a while for the litter to order what they want,” he says, lips just barely brushing against the other man’s ear. “Want me to grab you one?” 

Robby nods. “Please.” 

“From the tap to get you started?” 

“You know it. I’ll save you a seat.” 

Jack gives him a thumbs up and promptly turns toward the bartop already lined with patrons. He gives the bartender, Carlos, and the guy he’s talking to a minute to notice him before he flags him down with a socially acceptable smile and orders his and Robby’s drinks. 

“Should I send the cavalry over, or are your children going to behave tonight?” 

The glasses thump dully onto the bartop as he passes them toward Jack. 

“I warned them I’ll keep a spray bottle on me the next time they order more than they can handle.” He chuckles as he grabs the glasses and raises them in thanks. “Is George working tonight?” 

“Nah, he called in because his little girl’s sick, but I’ll send Deliah over to get their orders in five minutes.” 

“Mm, you’re giving them too much credit if you think they’ll be settled and know what they want in five.” 

Carlos shakes his head and starts filling up a glass of craft for another customer. 

“Yinz better shut up and get to making a list. Now go and take care of your kids and get him his drink," he teases him with a knowing grin. "Looks like your boyfriend's just about ready to come up here and grab it himself.” 

Jack turns and sees Robby looking in his direction from the table all the way in the corner. It might not be incredibly bright inside the bar, but it’s lit enough to let him know where those chocolate eyes land: square on Jack. 

“Robby’s not my boyfriend, Carlos,” he says as he turns around to give him his attention. “Besides, he can wait if he wants his drink, he should’ve come and ordered them himself.” 

“Seriously? You could’ve had me fooled.” Carlos strategically drapes a handtowel over his shoulder. “And I wasn’t talking about the beer.” 

Jack opens his mouth to say something, but no retort comes out, which only prompts Carlos to wiggle his eyebrows and seal the deal with a wink. He knows better than to keep Robby waiting, so he settles him with a glare and leaves the bar space. He makes his way over to the booth with the newly acquired beers in hand. However, as he gets closer to the table, he slowly comes to realize that, while he was chatting it up with the incredibly astute bartender, a couple of others had trickled in to join their little armada. 

The group’s already settled at the large corner booth they always flock to, filling the middle out as they slide in. They have a habit: Robby slides in after the others and always leaves Jack with a spot at the end for easy access. This time, it appears they might have overshot just how many of them actually showed up. 

Jack shares a look with Robby once he’s at the table’s edge, cocking his head at the new faces that just joined them: the first year intern and med student he has on loan from day shift.

“What happened to saving me a seat?” 

Robby has the absolute gall to look up and give him a sheepish smile. 

“I got distracted.” 

Carlos’ words echo in his mind, and Jack has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from teasing Robby into oblivion about what could’ve possibly distracted him. Instead, he opts to tease the med student sitting opposite Robby. They’re always easy bait. 

“Kids these days,” he jokingly heckles at them, shaking his head to express his disappointment. “No respect for the disabled.” 

He receives nothing but pointed stares, maybe a few scoffs and ‘uh-huh’s from the older people in the group, which, rude. However, his tone must not have come off as what he hoped for — too dry, perhaps — because Whitaker stammers, clambering to give him the seat. 

Jack preens with the fact that he’s still able to make the med students scramble, but he ultimately decides to stop the kid and tell him that he’ll let it slide… this time. Besides, he can’t let the kid know he has a soft spot for newbies this early into the rotation. He looks around and spots an empty chair at a nearby table, he’s sure he can tolerate one of the bar’s chairs for the night. 

Robby huffs, as if having read his mind, and shakes his head tiredly. “Just shut up and get over here.” 

He must be truly tired of Jack’s antics because next thing he knows, Jack feels an arm wrap around his waist before he’s fluidly pulled down onto his lap. He has just enough time to move his arms with the movement, careful so as not to spill the drinks on either of them. Robby fixes him with a ‘you’re not gonna complain about this too, are you?’ look. 

His thighs are soft yet firm, flexing a bit as they accommodate for the additional weight, and Jack finds that he doesn’t mind the upgrade (much better than a bar chair) so he bites his tongue and laughs. 

He waits a moment for Robby to pat his knee, or some other gesture to tell him he can get up, and go bring over the empty chair before someone else takes it. However, when Robby makes no sign that he wants him to get off his lap, Jack gives him a mild-mannered stare, contemplating whether to comment on their newfound predicament or to roll with it. There’s nothing wrong with it, or at least he decides that he finds nothing wrong — they’re two grown men, afterall  — and sets one of the bottles in front of Robby without so much as an indifferent shrug. 

Robby takes it, mumbling a soft “thank you” before taking a sip. Jack raises his in a quiet toast and downs half of it, hoping to nurse the rest of it until the others finally decide on what they’re gonna order. 

No one says anything about Jack’s impromptu seat arrangement, at least no one says anything explicitly. He notices a few questioning looks and quirked brows, but they remain just that; no lingering stares, no questions, just how he likes it. Whitaker slinks back into his seat. 

“You can keep the seat, but you’re Jack’s waterboy now, alright?” Robby says as he sets his drink down. 

Whitaker nods jerkily. “Yeah, okay.” 

“He’s just joking, Dennis,” Heather amends. 

“Oh, he’s not joking,” Jack and Frank say at the same time, earning a few laughs from those around the table, even Robby. 

“You take the poor veteran’s seat, you get him his drinks,” Jack says, adding a wink in there and mouthing a quick ‘you don’t’ to let him know it’s all in good fun. 

Whitaker visibly calms down and slips back into the side conversation Santos is having with Princess. Although they’re speaking in Tagalog, it looks as though he has a general understanding of what they’re talking about… for the most part. 

Soon enough, Carlos makes good on his promise, and Deliah approaches the table about seven minutes after their conversation to take their orders down. After much discourse, it appears they had, in fact, managed to figure out what they wanted for their first round of drinks for the night. 

Three rounds down, and it’s safe to say that everything goes smoothly for their group. Well, except for the few times they have to shimmy out of the booth to go take a leak, even Jack himself had to get up from the comfort of Robby’s lap. Yet, when he came back, he was swiftly welcomed back with an arm around his waist and a cool ring of condensation from where Robby would rest the bottle against his dusty green cargo-covered thigh. 

Jack doesn’t fully pay attention to any one conversation, just acknowledges that their one big group has fractured into factions. He tunes them out and soaks in the backdrop, monotonous chatter, centering himself in the white noise of human patterns and simple conversation. He tries not to take it for granted, like most nights. 

It’s the little things he enjoys. 

His eyes flit down to watch Robby, who’s deep in conversation with Cassie about how music isn’t made like it used to. They toss a few names Jack’s well acquainted with, and he quietly agrees with their growing list of vocally talented artists. Then John butts in. 

“All these people you’re naming… way to date yourself there, old man.” 

Jack wants to counter him in defense of Robby’s points and even introduce his own list since there are no Stevie Nicks or Dolores O'Riordan in this newer generation’s music. He and Robby aren’t that different in age; he’s younger by a couple of years, actually — but the soothing, repetitive motion of Robby’s circling thumb on his hip keeps him from taking the bait. 

“It’s the honest truth,” Robby states simply. 

Jack turns to study him, brow furrowed to question his wandering finger, but his intent goes unnoticed when Robby looks up at him, brows raised in question and utterly ignorant of what Jack’s look is about. The corners of his lips turn upward, and the slants of his eyes soften as he smiles in the only way that can get him to melt. Jack smiles back and finds it amusing how seemingly unaware the other man is, rubbing soft circles into his hip. 

“Everything okay?” 

Jack knows he’s sure as hell not pointing the gesture out to him if keeping him ignorant means Robby’ll keep touching him there, so he nods and takes a long sip of his beer in hopes of drowning the feeling. They both return to the conversation. 

“Oh, and who would you say are the greatests of all time?” John asks as he turns to look at them (mostly Robby). 

“For starters, Freddie Mercury, Etta James, Elton John… I could go on, really.” 

John says nothing in response other than giving a blank stare. 

“C’mon, y’know him. Elton John?” he says, growing increasingly skeptical. “You guys even share a name.” 

John furrows his brows. “Who?” 

Robby leans forward, hooting in disbelief. Jack tumbles forward slightly, but Robby’s hand slips forward to his abdomen to steady him at the motion. He makes no move to acknowledge the hand placement, and Jack finds himself pinned against the table’s smooth edge and Robby’s chest. 

“Oh, you did not just ask who Elton John is,” Robby scoffs. “Youth these days. Unbelievable.” 

John laughs. “Of course, I know who Elton John is. He’s the one who sings that one song on TikTok, right? Yellow Brick Road or something.” 

That earns him a groan from most of the older hospital staff around the table. Parker is struggling to keep it together as she hides a cackle behind her hand, Cassie nearly spits her drink, and Princess just shakes her head in disappointment. Robby doesn’t hide his own disappointment as he rests his forehead on Jack’s shoulder, curling around him as his hair tickles the exposed parts of Jack’s neck. He relishes the feeling. 

“C’mon, I’m pulling at your guys’ leg,” he says between laughs. “Of course I know Elton John, Parker here would’ve kicked me out of the apartment if I didn’t.” 

She raises her drink. “You’re damn right. You can’t be straight and uncultured in my apartment.” 

John starts talking about something else, and the group breaks off into yet another topic of conversation, but Jack’s mind wanders off not for the first time that night. For a moment, Jack’s grateful he’s the one sitting on Robby’s lap rather than the other way around. Not that they’d find themselves in that situation anyway, Robby would squash him… like he’s doing now, actually. 

“Michael,” he says quietly enough for no one else to pick up on it; too buzzed and entertained on the newest flitting topic at hand. “You’re pinning me, man. Let a brother breathe.” 

Robby makes a noise of surprise, eyes darting down to his mouth so fast Jack questions if he might’ve imagined it. 

“Sorry,” he whispers, his breath fanning his ear as he leans away from the table to unpin Jack. 

And of course, Jack’s body follows his regardless, craving his warmth and stability as he straightens against the booth. Robby’s hand slips away from his stomach to rest against his hip once more, placated and unmoving. 

No one notices. 

They stay at the bar for roughly an hour before people start to slowly trickle away as the late night approaches. Not many are left, only the younger residents and med students who somehow still have energy in them. Jack can feel how tired Robby is the more touchy he gets: his arms loop further around his waist as he engulfs Jack from behind; temple pressed against the nape of his neck; eyes slowly trailing from one speaker to the next. He’s even humming whatever’s on the bar’s speakers; nothing remotely good, but it’s poppy and catchy enough to get a hold of the chorus. 

Robby doesn’t need to say anything for Jack to pick up on it, and softly nudges him after downing the last of his drink. 

“Okay, I think we’re gonna call it a night,” he announces to the remainder of the group. 

Parker juts her bottom lip. “Aw, so soon?” 

“Yeah, we sane people need something called sleep,” Robby emphasizes with finger quotes as Jack slides off his lap. “Not sure if you’ve heard it, but it does wonders for the fatigued brain.” 

Robby follows him up soon after, trailing close behind him, similarly to while they were still seated. He hands Jack his jacket before shrugging on his long forgotten zip-up to prepare for the crisp wind waiting for them outside. 

“Sure, sure.” Parker takes a languid sip of her incredibly colorful drink, eyes studying their every move. “Goodnight, you old geezers.” 

Jack worries he’s gonna have to purposefully dodge Parker’s attempts at conversation the next time they’re both on shift. He’s sure as hell not ready to get bombarded with any implication of him and Robby any time soon. 

Jack doesn’t even look back as he waves them away, he just gives them a toneless, “Har har,” then walks toward the exit, Robby in tow as he tiredly wishes them a goodnight. 

“Don’t forget to take your dentures out before going to sleep!” John shouts just before they’re too far out of earshot. 

As soon as they’re out the door, the music and chatter muffle behind them, and Jack breathes in the outside air. They didn’t drink much, but the chill autumn air is definitely sobering. 

“My place?” 

Robby nods. 

The two of them walk side to side, their arms brushing against each other as they make their way back to Jack’s apartment. It’s only a fifteen-minute walk from the bar anyway, and Jack doesn’t mind the company. Not at all. 

Robby instigates mindless chatter that dies as soon as it is made. It’s all in favor of Jack, who tends to implode when neither of them is speaking, but he’s taken a liking to Robby’s approach of sharing silence. They tend to learn from one another like that, trying out things the other would appreciate. 

It’s not long before they’re climbing up the stairs to the front of Jack’s place. 

“Want to come in?” 

At this point in the exchange, the question is more foreplay than it is an actual invitation. It’s routine: go out for drinks, crash at each other’s places, wake up clothed in each other’s beds, get ready for work, and repeat the next time they have shared nights off. 

At Robby’s hesitation, Jack bumps his shoulder against his and shares a soft smile under the soft light of his front porch. 

“C’mon, you can crash on the couch like old times. You have the day off anyway. No need to get up at the ass crack of dawn.” 

Who is he trying to kid? There’s been something different kindling between them, something that’s alway been there since the old times. Something both of them are trying not to crack open out of fear of not being able to put it out if there’s a chance they’re wrong. 

Robby exhales from his nose. “I’m afraid I’m a little too old for old times.” 

Like you would do with kindling for a fire, Jack throws in the first match. 

“That’s why I got a topper for the mattress, now come on.” 

He gives him no out once he pulls the keys out of his pocket, the cloth still damp from where the condensation from the bottle spread.

[hp-hcs]

mattheo riddle if you beat the shit out of him in a fistfight <3 — mattheo riddle x gn! reader

implied Slytherin (non-pureblood reader)

tws: violence… duh

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

homeboy is not doing fine

his bruised ego 😔

he’d been teasing you for years with his group of lackeys, and you just snapped

he made a comment that went too far about your blood status, talking shit about your family

you just dropped your shit, spun around, and decked that mf

obviously he wasn’t fuckin expecting that, so he just kinda froze like 👊💥😳🧍‍♂️

he has no idea what to do

((he’s also just a little bit turned on bc manwhore duh))

everybody in the hallway freezes too like,

“you dumb bitch the fuck are you doing??”

his friends are jeering, and he just kind of shakes his head like a goddamn etch-a-sketch and like, gently shoves you back by your shoulders (cause you cute bae 🩷 he don’t wanna ruin that pretty face of urs <3)

you, on the other hand, are just ready to FUCK someone UP

and if that someone turns out to be the dark lord’s son, c’est la vie

he makes one more lame attempt at a scathing comment and you just fucking TACKLE him

you’re on top of him (not like that you silly little sluts get your mind outta the gutter) in the middle of the hallway just beating the s h i t out of him

homeboy has no idea what to do lmfao

lowkey he’s falling in love just from your knuckles smashing his face in (masochist manwhore)

he def thinks it’s hot as fuck

one of the professors comes to separate yinz, (probably hooch, cause there ain’t no way she puts up with any shit) and has to fucking DRAG YOU OFF of him

he's got like, a broken nose, a busted lip, a probably-going-to-become-a-black eye, and yk, decimated ego

but he’s just looking at you with those fuckin PUPPY DOG eyes

🥺

congrats, he’s obsessed

he won’t shut up about you for the rest of the day, to his friends, his enemies, madam pomfrey when he’s in the hospital wing…

they're all like “ah. i see the mommy and daddy issues are making an appearance”

when you get out of detention and go back to the common room, he LEAPS off of the couch and over to you

you’re standing there with still-bloody knuckles and a try me, i dare you face

he apologizes profusely, like, to a kind of pathetic extent

you’re like “dude, you’re not pureblood either, dipshit”

he got called out 😔

you apologize for OvErReAcTiNg (you had to apologize as part of your detention & punishment lmfao) and getting ‘unnecessarily violent’

and cause manwhore he’s just like “oh no it’s fine that was hot”

y/n: 😶🤨🫠

he’s got a lil giggle ✨

literal heart eyes for you

so ur like “yeah i gotta mess with this guy even more”

you kiss his cheek and make his brain stop working

baby is bluescreening rn

he then ends up shadowing you for the rest of the week, following a half-step behind you wherever you go like a lil puppy

(i’m of the opinion that he’s just a slightly more violent golden retriever white boy)

((i’m not saying himbo but himbo))

walk him like a dog, sis

alexa, play lovefool by the cardigans

he’s ur bitch now, enjoy <3

[pitchburgh]

You knew I'd ask about what bands you don't like.

I'll give you one of mine: Blur. I didn't like most of Brit pop as a music movement.

I'm slapping this whole thing under a readmore but fuck it, sure, you can have a rundown. I'm hitting you with a long list at full force spiciness because you specifically asked for it. (But that said, I'm sorry if anything dear to you (or anyone reading this is on this list) and I hope yinz won't take it as judgment against you or your preferences overall. Music being entirely a matter of taste, I am surely wrong about anything on here if it brings you joy.)

Real shit, if you have rejection sensitive dysphoria or something please just keep scrolling I do NOT wanna be mean to you. This ask came about because I said I "hate a wide variety of music but generally keep my mouth shut" because being negative about it typically does nothing except insult people who don't deserve to be insulted.

So. Like. This list is arbitrary. This list is subjective. Read at your own risk and stuff, yeah?

Still with me? Okay, now it's your fault if you get mad lmao let's gooooo

SO! FIRST AND FOREMOST Steve Miller all-time least favorite. Bozz Skaggs left the group and Miller went on to do the worst drivel imaginable. If I never hear "The Joker" again I will STILL have heard it enough for a thousand lifetimes. I'm about to talk a lot of shit about a lot of artists in this post but let's be clear: if I am visiting a restaurant or a place of business and a Steve Miller Band song starts playing over the speakers, I will walk the fuck out. That's right, I will leave. I will wait outside until it is over. He's the only one on this list who is straight-up unlistenable to me under any circumstances

Next up is Eric Clapton solo work. The man's early stuff was magical and GODDAMN he can play but at some point he decided to only record boring songs about what a shithead he is. I wish Duane Allman was alive to kick his ass

Speaking of, okay, Lynard Skynard, holy fuck. Fuck those guys. Their music is fantastic actually but their attitude is absolute trash. My beloved interracial antiracist Allman Brothers invented southern rock in 1969, only for these douchebags to come along and market it exclusively to the stars-n-bars cousin fucker crowd. Now anytime I hear "southern rock" I gotta question how many of the fans are picking up their goddamn klan uniforms from dry cleaning before the show

On a semi-related note, I like a lot of their stuff but Led Zeppelin's failure to credit the black artists who wrote or arranged a lot of the stuff they "borrowed" has really soured me on them. I know, I know, separating art from the artist etc etc but like. c'mon. the Allman Brothers had no trouble with it. and they grew up in Georgia. in the fifties.

John Mellencamp mainly because his mawkish americana stylings are so painfully saccharine. I'm a Springsteen fan, y'know? Making me listen to "Jack and Diane" is like feeding an obligate carnivore tofurkey - maybe a taste is okay here and there, but it WILL kill me if I don't get real meat

The Eagles, most of whom did some decent solo work when not being in the most annoying lite country soft rock group of all time. (Although a decent amount of Don Henley's "genius" flows directly from Pino Palladino's breathtaking fretless work, admittedly.) Linda Ronstadt owes me at least fifteen American dollars for unleashing that shit into the world

Kid Rock but honestly that's like saying I hate head lice or hospitals. No shit. Hating Kid Rock is basically just a litmus test for having enough brain cells to rub together. tbh we can lump every Known Asshole into this bullet point

Okay, but speaking of "country" (although it feels wrong to call Kid Rock any genre besides perhaps "douchecore") I'm confident that my distaste for Johnny Cash can steer us back into controversial territory! Although it's unfair to say that I HATE him - his music is good and he was incredible in many ways - but the Condor thing ruined him for me on a personal level. "Ooh but his nine inch nails cover" okay yeah?? it was awright; it added some gravitas but it was no Jimi Hendrix "All Along the Watchtower"

Lol okay this one pisses a LOT of people off: Nirvana and their contemporaries made a whole career out of pissing and moaning their way through the most prosperous decade those of us born before y2k may ever see. AND in doing so they dragged the quality of alt rock down with them in ways it has yet to recover from. Borderline ruined a genre and didn't even have fun doing it

I warned you guys I was going full force with this lol

But shit, I can't just pin that attitude on nirvana or even grunge in general - soooo much '90s music was a baldfaced pity party. There's probably some deeper cultural phenomenon here that I'm not clued-in enough to understand but I'm not trying to analyze it sorry

And yes I KNOW whiny music is cathartic to a lot of people - but I'm not one of them! It pisses me off! I have enough problems, and now some loser on the radio is complaining too?? Fuck off!!!!!!

I don't specifically hate Dragonforce or their contemporaries but speed metal as a whole is kinda overrated, y'know? Yeah, it's technically impressive and it's certainly enjoyable, but are those INHERENTLY the same as being "good?"

Katy Perry is a common target for musical haterade drinkers, but while most people dislike her for valid reasons, I personally despise her for throwing a shitfit when she couldn't have half her titties out on sesame street. well, also her songs absolutely ARE annoying but they're not annoying in an annoying way. If that makes sense to you, congrats, we have similar brainrot

Metallica played a big role in DMCA and antipiracy law - but more importantly, their fanboys are STILL crying about fumbling the "best metal or hard rock performance" Grammy to Jethro fuckin' Tull in 1989. Being both a Jethro Tull fan AND 97% evil by volume, I enjoy that immensely

Jim Morrison was talented and all but he's immensely overrated and has no business overshadowing the rest of the Doors. You want a genius?? Ray Manzarek is your genius. The Doors without Jim Morrison would have been less interesting, sure. But Jim Morrison without the Doors would have been just another west coast edgelord nobody

Every single high school has one girl who wears baggy jeans and a ton of eyeliner who would personally attempt to strangle me for the above point. endearing though that is I hope she soon realizes that she can do SO much better than any brooding "tortured soul" whose idea of artistic statements include whipping his junk out onstage and singing about raping his mother

I keep thinking Jon Bon Jovi is dead and being a little disappointed when I find out he isn't

Arena rock in general pisses me off, actually. So much of it is stupid, dick-grabbin', fake-deep hack work. The critical difference between me hating or liking/tolerating groups in the genre comes down to whether they seem self-aware of how absurd it is. Like, Styx or Def Leppard? It felt like they were in on the joke, at least a bit. But Foreigner? REO Speedwagon? Journey? I dunno........

Admittedly, I have softened significantly towards "Don't Stop Believin" because it makes so goddamn many people very happy but at my core I still think it's a dumbfuck song

Actually, my main beef with Journey seems to be that their worst songs got all the airplay because oftentimes I hear a deep cut and recognize Steve Perry's voice and have to admit that the track is pretty decent

Oh, yeah, Rod Stewart. Can't even justify this one lmao I just don't like him

Blur. Actually I don't care much one way or the other but I'm ride or die babyyyy

And finally, Three Dog Night, for the crime of being mid af but somehow coming to be treated as a defining psychedelic band. There's nothing WRONG with them - although I'm sick to death of "Joy to the World" or whatever it's called - but they're such a weak example of an incredible genre and every time I hear them on the radio instead of Jefferson Airplane or Cream or Quicksilver Messenger Service or Spooky Tooth or Spirit or - well, this is supposed to be a list of stuff I don't like

Disclaimer: some of these opinions were shaped by my dad and my late uncle, both of whom hate(d) everything on here and also approximately eight million other songs/artists/genres. Most of the rest of this haterism was forged through a lifetime of classic rock stations serving up the same old uninteresting slop every goddamn day. My tolerance for almost every artist on here would be significantly higher had I not spent decades of my radio-playing life slagging through the underwhelming anthems of mediocre middle-aged white guy DJs who peaked in 1986.

[anamelessfool]

Ribbons & Ties (AO3 Link)

GEN, M/M

Terzo x Omega, Terzo & Family, Cardinal Marian is in there for like ten minutes

Tags: Domestic Fluff, Commitment, Rom Com Energy, There's a Wedding, Secondo is Papa Emeritus, Gift Giving, I can't have Fluff without some Angst sorry

For reasons beyond Terzo's understanding, he wants to give Omega a present for the ghoul's "birthday". It proves to be a lot more complicated than Terzo realizes.

Art by @kabukiaku used with permission

Chapter 1 Below the Cut! (We like Reblogs, Comments and Kudos omnomnom)

2006

I was an impossible case. No-one ever could reach me... But I think I can see in your face there's a lot you can teach me...So I wanna know what's the name of the game?

1

Papa Elect Terzo tried to look busy. He attempted a regal sigh, a pace. Killed time with what he hoped was a thoughtful, intelligent stare out his office window. He did everything possible to bide time while he collected his thoughts in a way that would hide his true intentions.

This was all about Omega.

He had called Cardinal Marian, Sister Imperator’s Personal Assistant not due to any sort of friendship or confidence. His brother Papa Emeritus Secondo barely considered him as human these days and with his wedding a week away he had bigger things to fuss about.

Terzo’s other two ghouls Earth and Alpha could not be trusted to answer honestly. And Brother Copia was, well…Copia.

So then that left Marian.

She was obligated by her job description to interact with him as he needed. For business purposes, of course.

And buying the right birthday present for Omega Ghoul was definitely a high stakes business venture as far as Papa Elect Terzo was concerned.

“Thank you for your time,” Terzo said, pressing his hands together and slightly bowing.

“Hey, anything to give me a break from planning my ex-partners’ wedding,” she replied with an indifferent shrug, although her eyes looked bleary. “How yinz doing on musical entertainment for that, by the way?”

“I have a few choir selections, and I have been working with Papa’s ghouls and my own on some light entertainment during the dinner. Copia has been fussing with finding the right wedding march on the organ for about six weeks now.” And Terzo had been locking his office doors to keep Copia from talking his ear off about it for about six weeks as well. “So…all coming together.”

“Great. Want to be perfect. For them.” She didn't sound too enthused. "But don't worry, I'm completely fine about it." Marian froze, then patted her sides. “Mind if I smoke?”

“Please don't, it gets into the curtains,” said Terzo.

Marian slumped in her chair slightly. “Ok, now you have to tell me the real reason I’m here.”

Terzo closed his eyes and collected himself. “I need some help picking out a gift. For a friend. I'm having trouble,” he said.

“Don’t you give people shit all the time? Flowers, erotic notes, pornographic photography, whatever…” Marian raised an eyebrow. “People talk. In the Dining Hall. A lot.”

Terzo winced and then gave her a defeated shrug. “This is em…different.”

At that Marian’s face immediately switched into a wicked grin. She leaned forward on his desk, hand on her chin with such force her biretta hat went crooked. “Why? Why is it different, huh?”

“Because…” And then Terzo threw her a haughty scowl. “I don’t need to tell you. You work for me, sorella. This is a business meeting. A consulation.”

“Fine, suit yourself.” She glanced at the clock. “But If I’m your employee you’ve got like ten minutes to spit it out before I leave for the day. So…what is it?”

“Omega…is an important friend to me. I want a gift that is…worthy of him.” Terzo started to pace again. “Something that is special, but ghouls are difficult to shop for! They don’t need to eat, or drink. Omega doesn’t seem to want to visit anywhere or do anything beyond whatever I want to do…”

“Well, isn’t he…basically you?”

“Yes but also, no.”

“And you’re psychically linked, right?” Marian thoughtlessly played with her pen, clicking it idly. “So, even if you wanted it to be a surprise, he’d already sort of know about it.”

“Cazzo, you see now why this would be so difficult?!”

Marian shrugged. “It’s the thought that counts, at the end of the day.”

“I know that,” Terzo snapped. It was definitely the thought that counted.

Except, he had never truly sincerely thought about someone else when giving a gift before. And that is what made his hands clammy and his mind race.

Terzo decided he needed to gift something really important. Something that reflected how much his heart pounded when Omega held him. Something that was big, essential, eternal. Just like his ghoul.

“A…a diamond! Yes.”

Marian smirked. “A diamond? For your very best friend?”

“Yes…” Terzo began weakly, but then remembered Marian's status as his minion. He frowned into her. “Yes, a diamond.”

“Whatever,” she replied, then opened her steno pad. “Although you know purchases over a certain amount I got to run through Treasury Director Brother Copia.”

“Then forget the diamond,” Terzo backpedaled.

Marian checked the clock on the wall again and snapped her notepad shut. “Ok, fine I've dated quite a few guitarists over the years and they like practical stuff. Like, for their instrument. How about um…a guitar strap, huh?”

“How about a guitar strap?” suggested Terzo.

Marian frowned. “What's his favorite color?”

“Erm—black.”

“Second favorite color?” Marian sighed.

“Violet, he likes violet!”

“Violet and black guitar strap, coming right up,” Marian intoned. “And look, you got ninety more seconds until I go home, is there anything else you need, your Eminence?”

“No, that would be all.” Terzo returned to staring out the window with an extra dramatic flourish of his black cardinal cassock. He took a breath, feeling his nerves start to settle as he heard the squeak of Cardinal Marian's chair as she exited. All of a sudden he had a thought. "Oh, and Marian?"

"Twenty seconds left, your Eminence." Marian's hand was already on the doorknob.

"You're certain he'll like that?"

Marian's brow furrowed, but then it seemed like a thought passed through her, and her expression softened. "Of course," she said, "Who wouldn't like a gift?"

My AO3 | Tumblr Fic List | My Terzo/Omega Fics

Chapter 2 here

[immedealwithit9855]

Steady Planning

This is my 3rd chapter of this story. I hope yinz like it. To those still in the dark about the origins and personalities of the girls, please read my recent post. This is gonna be a little spicy. It takes place 2 days after the banquet. The turtles will get a taste of who these girls are as a team, individuals, and a family. Also, the device Donnie placed on Kenzi is still in their possession.😏🤭

CHAPTER 3

Warning: bickering, fights, no foul language here(NOT SORRY), some smut

The girls have been on a prowl of New York City and Manhattan during the day, while the turtles took a big chunk of their patrols at night. A call hasn't come for the girls to begin their assignments. So, they've been training, conversing amongst each other, and making preparations for when the call does come. All the while, the turtles doing their thing yet also listening in on the talks and the girls listening right back. One thing remains with the turtles: What could this mean for all 8 of them if the girls aren't a threat?

Charlie finished her training with Dinah and walked over to Alopex. She just finished cleaning her shotgun when Charlie sat in her lap and asked,"We've made a lot a preparations and stuff and we still haven't got a call from Ma. What's the plan for tonight?" Alopex looked over at Kenzi and back at Charlie," I may have an idea. Dinah! Come here for a second!" Dinah finished her breathing exercises and came to Alopex and Charlie. "Whats up, sis?" Dinah says wiping the sweat off her forehead. "I think we should go out tonight and indulge in one of our guilty pleasures! You up for it?" Dinah gave a low growl and smirked. "I'm up for it. Only if Kenzi can find something. I'm not bringing the noise to an establishment without a good reason, aight?" Alopex nodded and looked at Charlie. "You know my answer, big sister!" Charlie coos as she stands up. "Alright, then." They all head to Kenzi's work area.

Kenzi had just finished updating the software, when her mind started wandering. Thoughts flooded with Donatello. She couldn't help imagining him snaking his arms around her midriff, lifting her up, and kissing her passionately. All while wrapping her legs around that trim waist and deepening the kiss. Him throwing her on the bed, watching her squirm with need for him. She looked over and saw the girls headed towards her and quickly (and quietly) letting them know the device is not muted. Before a word could get out, Dinah smelled something off and it was coming from Kenzi. She smirked and decided to have some fun.

Donnie was at his computer taking care of few things related to the hidden cameras he placed in the tunnels, when he heard the girl's voices on the device.

Dinah: Hey Kenzi, you wanna know the annoying part about having a strong sense of smell?

Kenzi raised a brow at her sister. Trying to straighten up from her most recent thoughts.

Kenzi: I'm sure I know. But, I also know you're gonna tell me anyway.

Donnie leaned forward and listened in.

Dinah: Is knowing how aroused your sister is!

Kenzi was shocked and agitated. Shocked that her sister would blurt that out and agitated knowing she just told Dinah the device is not muted. Donnie on the other hand heard the whole thing, smiled, and snorted. Earning a mental sigh of relief from Kenzi knowing it was Donnie but also surprised that he was still listening.

Kenzi: Alright. What is stopping me from strapping you to my lab table and dissecting you!?

Donnie was at a loss for words to what that girl just said. 'She's brutal, yet attractive.' He thought. Before he could begin to daydream, a loud slam echoed from the device, spreading throughout the computer area, alerting the other turtles. "Geez, Donnie what'd ya do now!?" Raph grunted as he pushed Donnie's shoulder. Leo came over with a look of concern. "Yeah, bro. What's up? How are our girls doing today?" Mikey chimed as he landed in the computer area from his board. Alopex and Charlie were on the side listening. Charlie chuckling, Alopex shakes her head, rolls her eyes, after pounding her fist against the train. Dinah was going in for the kill.

Alopex: Are we really gonna do this now!? We gotta.......

Dinah: What were you doing, sis? Better yet, what were you thinkin'?

Dinah completely ignoring Alopex to tease Kenzi a little bit more.

The guys were on the other side of the device mumbling some things. Leo finally asks,"What are they talking about Donnie?" Donnie didn't know how to properly answer that, knowing full well what they were talking about. It's only been a couple days getting to know their routines. Dinah taking the silence as an opportunity to tease some more.

Dinah: I bet you were imagining Donnie! Weren't you? Let me guess....

The silence felt like forever, then the turtles hear Dinah moaning, mockingly.

Dinah: Oh, Donnie. You're so amazing! I want you so badly! Please give it to me! Give it all to me! YES! YES!! YEEEEESSSSS!!!!

Bewilderment was upon all turtles as Kenzi and Dinah started cat fighting in the background. Mikey and Raph looked at Donnie and laughed," This girl has it bad for you, dude!" Mikey says wiping tears from his eyes. "Yeah, Donnie. Maybe you should share techno stuff or whateva. Maybe a numbuh." Donnie rolled his eyes, but was making a mental note to listen some more later. Leo couldn't believe the behavior of these girl's, wondering if they were to be taken serious or not. But, deep down, he was liking the sounds Dinah was making. He'd rather hear his name, instead of his brother's name on her tongue.

Alopex: Ya'll both need to stop this foolishness, NOW! We didn't come over here for this and you know that Dinah!

Dinah and Kenzi separated, straightened themselves up, took a breath, and focused. Leo was impressed with how the ladies ceased their altercation to focus on the matter at hand.

Kenzi: We ain't get no call from Ma yet, so what's up?

Alopex, pleased with the now calming atmosphere and began to speak.

Alopex: I was thinking we should indulge a bit tonight. Meaning Kenzi, I need you to look up all the clubs in New York. If you find something off about one of them, report back immediately and we will leave at 7:30PM tonight. Dig deep, girl. Get them hands dirty!

Leo was curious as to what the girls were planning. Why would they wanna 'dig deep' on clubs in New York? It's just a bunch of adults enjoying the nightlife. What are their intentions? Leo asked Donnie to turn up the volume. Donnie did as he was told and turned the volume up for all of them to hear. Leo was ready to hear the girl's plan, not knowing they were still listening to them.

😏😏😉

Kenzi: How dirty?

Alopex: Dirty enough to put us all behind bars!😉

Jail!? With that, the turtles began to prepare for tonight. "Alright guys, you heard em.' Tonight at 7:30PM, we scope out every club in New York and foil whatever plot they have planned." Alopex smiled and mouthed to the ladies,"Got Em,' and began setting things up for tonight. The turtles go to their respected areas. Leo starts sharpening his Katanas. Raph went to his weight room and started his workout with that punching bag. Mikey was too busy daydreaming about Charlie. Donnie went to the dojo to sharpen his skills with his bo staff. He connected a radio to the device and placed it on his hip so he can listen in on the girls and report whatever he hears back to Leo. As he was practicing his form, Kenzi was still listening.

As Donnie was groaning and grunting on the other side, Kenzi was getting turned on. The others have left to do some preparations for tonight's little prowl, so she was left alone in her computer area, digging into these clubs and see which one they should invade. She could tell he was training for tonight, knowing that they think the ladies are going out with ill-intentions.

She couldn't help the rush of pleasure overtaking her as she listened to Donnie's voice on the device. She immediately became hot and bothered, squirming in her chair for friction. She connected an earpiece to the device, making sure not to alert Donnie and started listening. She kept in mind they had to leave in 1 hour. She knew she shouldn't be engaging in such unladylike behavior, she was given an order, and Alopex would lecture her thoroughly on it. "Just a little bit, please?" She whispered.

As she listened to Donnie's training, she started imagining him again. Gazing into her eyes with hunger and want. Her imagination got the best of her as she started rolling her hips, gripping the arm rest of her chair, and began massaging her body and breasts. Would Donnie like her body? Tolerate her tail? What's he really like behind the warrior? She didn't even have to touch herself down there because she was already pooling with desire for him. She started letting out whimpers and moans. Not caring if he heard. She wanted him to hear her. And he DID!

He ended his training, upon hearing Kenzi's moans. She sounded so sweet, so aroused. His brain went elsewhere as her moaning intensified. Putting his staff in it's holster, he listened to her voice and started feeling himself get hard. He looked down, seen his erection, and started imagining her. Sliding his meat inside of her, while indulging in her sweet moans and cries. Touching every part of her body. Thrusting into her like theres no tomorrow. He squeezed himself, let out a hiss, earning a driven groan from Kenzi as she squeezed her breasts harder. "Oh Donnie, I like you so much, Baby!" Kenzi whimpers. Donnie couldn't believe what he heard, as he slowly started pumping himself. He whispered gently,"I like you too. My Kenzi." Moans and groans increased on both ends. Before they could reach their climax.......

Alopex: Kenzi, get ready! Did you get anything on the clubs for tonight?

They were both frozen in their bliss. Kenzi quickly got herself together and answered accordingly.

Kenzi: Um. Yes. I got one. I did some digging and found this one here. It's called "The Stranger." Get the others so I can fill you all in at once.

Donnie calmed himself enough to rush out of the dojo to inform Leo and the others. Upon seeing them all together, they turned and couldn't help but notice how out of breath Donnie was. "You good, bro?" Mikey asked with a snicker. "Yeah, Mikey. I was just sharpening my skills in the dojo when I heard Kenzi giving details on the club they're going to." Donnie says as he adjusts the radio on his belt. Raph smirked,"Ya sure that's all you wer doin,' Donnie?" Leo rolled his eyes,"We don't have time for that alright? We gotta leave soon. Did she mention which club Donnie?" Donnie nodded,"Yes. It's called "The Stranger."

As Donnie was briefing his brother's, the girls were already gathered around to get details on this club they're going to. "I suggest when we go in, keep it on the DL. Don't draw attention unless necessary. Charlie!" Dinah explained as she glared at Charlie. "Got it, sis. Next." Charlie scoffed. "Scan the perimeter, shut down the cameras, track down the owner, and we'll go from there." Alopex finishes off smiling at Dinah. Kenzi added,"the whole 'draw attention' should'nt be hard. Everyone dresses flashy. This club is high class. Top notch. High quality. We'll be "funky fresh, dressed to impress, ready to party," ya'll hearin' me?" Mikey nodding his head at Kenzi's remark,"Gotta say, your girl has class, Donnie." The girls quietly snicker at Mikey's comment and Kenzi's swag. "It shouldn't take too long to get dressed. Make sure you all have your gear because this is a once in a while thing, we clear on that!" Alopex announced. "Yes, Alopex. We got it. Don't worry, girl." Dinah says, placing an arm around Alopex's shoulders. "I ain't. Just cautious." She says as she instructs them to put on their best outfits for tonight's prowl.

The turtles were on the move to the club the girls mentioned. As they made their way to the location, Donnie's mind was going back to that brief tryst he shared with Kenzi. She really does like me. But she's also half human. Shouldn't she be more into a guy whose human? Raph's mind was also wondering. When Alopex gave the order to get ready for tonight by putting on the best outfits, he wonders to himself,"Wonder if she's gonna show some flesh. Betta yet, what she looks like without clothing." He almost starts drooling at the thought. Leo's idea is to intercept the girls and question them of their intentions with this particular club. He wanted to make sure they weren't a serious threat. Though they helped them at the banquet and have managed to be on good terms with April, he had to make sure things with them were legit before taking things further. For the sake of the city and his family. Mikey couldn't wait to see Charlie again. He couldn't help but wonder if being around her or thinking of her, is making him stronger. He had to see her again.

Everyone was ready and making their way to the club. Adrenaline pumping. Hearts racing. Anticipation at an all time high. However, the turtles are about to learn the truth behind certain shadows of New York. Shadows that The Muses are constantly venturing in.

[marlonblognotes]

The Story of Pomfret High School and my friend, Blaine Wise...

please enjoy the feng wei of this band Blaine shewed me + some pics relevant to my time there while I collect my thoughts and finish writing this personal essay...

5/20/25

7:51 AM

Cranston, RI

lmao i'm gonna be honest, i'm just writin' this 'cause for some reason i get asked re: Blaine Wise. they wanna know if I'm Blaine Wise. they wanna know if i'm doing this for Blaine Wise.

well, i dunno, i guess you could make that argument, sure! we were close friends my sophomore year of high school 2005(?) and friends make impacts on their friends 'til the end sometimes, etc, who knows!

Blaine Wise? heck, yeah i remember Blaine Wise! The year was 2003 and my parents sent me to a boarding school called Pomfret, wanting me to have the best education (not familiar with the trope o' sending your kids to boarding school as a punishment, perhaps.)...

most folks' parents paid hundreds o' thousands a year for their kids to live there. me? heh. the only thing i had to do was stay on high honor roll and we only paid a few thousand a year, which was still expensive tbh! still, for the first time in my life i became "a smart kid" instead of that kid some teachers WANTED to excel. the pressure to stay on high honors was immense! etc oh boo hoo lmao, na'mean?!

so anyways, i got picked on at first, yeah, sure, why not? soon i found out, though, if the kids found out you were there to learn they left you to whatever. i mean i guess you had to be on honor roll too.

Heck, even the teachers thought i was there to be The Joker, but most left me be eventually too. lmao, this one time? i went to bed early and this teacher came in and shook me awake, complaining that i was prob gonna wake up in the middle of the night and, i dunno, be a bro. nah, he got it all wrong, capiche!? i liked to wake up early and do my homework in the morning, meditate, clean my room! etc

Blaine Wise, you say? nah, you got it all wrong, we weren't dating! my sophomore year the broad just starts sittin' next to me, tryna talk to me, tellin me "heh you're smart, i can see it in your eyes. see that kid there? pshhh, fuhgettaboutit, i look in his eyes? i see nothing, he is an animal, but you? ho!" i didn't trust her from day one, but heck i didnt have that many friends, just some kids i played music w/ lmao but they didn't know what to say a me mosta the time (mea culpa, mea culpa perhaps! perhaps not!)

LMAO, LITTLE DID THEY KNOW, HOWEVER... THAT IN MY ROOM, ON MY TINY LAPTOP, I HAD MADE A NAME FOR MYSELF ON LAMBGOAT.COM/MB AS THE LAMBGOAT USER...

SNAILS...

WHILE THE PREPPIES, THE YIPPIES AND THE SOC'S AND EVEN THE EMO PUNKS WERE LISTENING TO DEAD KENNEDY? PSHHH! I LISTENED TO NAZI BANDS. I LISTENED TO ANTIFA. I LISTENED TO EMO. I LISTENED TO JAZZ. AND I LAUGHED, AND NOW I'M ALWAYS SMILING LMAO...

Meanwhile at, heh, normie headquarters, CT, USA...

so there i was, right? lmao, tryna get a crush on Blaine Wise 'cause i'ma be honest, well, i dunno, she was hanging out w/ me! didn't make no moves or nothin', nah, you got it all wrong! and no, if anybody's feelin' bad re: knowin' i liked Blaine Wise, well, c'mon i had crushes before that back in middle school, capiche? now if anya yinz Milford, CT folk're gettin upset re: knowin i had "unfulfilled loves" back then on that one Latina, nah, you got it all wrong, i was too young, i knew that! besides, i had other crushes on other Latinas i just didnt talk 'bout it, capiche? heck i learned my lesson when i was 11, jeez!

so anyways, back to the present: in 2005 i was hangin' out w/ Blaine Wise, some other friends, a teacher and ho did Blaine give me some good material to write about so that the cool, woke kids could feel sorry for me in the future!

so there we were, mindin' my business, just tryna talk 'bout schoolwork when allofa sudden outta nowhere they start talkin bout dating and relationships and Blaine Wise? well here's the thing, capiche?! she had a kinda more high-pitched, southern drawl on accounta being from Alabama and she says for some reason "no. i'm against interracial dating." heck, years later i wrote all kindsa ressentiment about the experience! the end, we were never dating, never even kissed on the lips, we just hung out 24/7 until she never returned my juniour year, and i moved on. the end...

Epilogue

If it makes anybody feel any better, well yeah, sure, I had crushes on other girls at Pomfret, why not! Ain't gonna say who, got over them too, capiche!? Didn't sexualize any a them or nothin', ew, the other kids was doin' that. The girls there looked like little kids, it was a high school, gross!

Question 1: "How did you process this racism?!"

It's simple! I studied the confederacy. Heck, even tried a get into it, but nah, didn't make no sense. I DID, however, in my independent research learn abt the plurality of white folks' experience in the South during the Civil War and beyond! Ain't not just one type a redneck, capiche?!

[darsynia]

New theme!!! It's so pretty! 😍

Thank you! I am so delighted with it. I was getting really discouraged for a while because I wanted teal, books, and a sense of spring, and bookshelf pics are almost universally dark. Usually I like that, but not this time.

I was going to be a dirtbag layabout and spend the weekend getting my masterlist up to snuff, because Mr. Darsy was set to go on a 9+ hour drive to visit family--but the wildest thing happened no one is surprised so we'll see what gets done!

Under a cut because there's only so much cinematic life yinz are prepared for on a random Friday in March

His mom is currently battling blood cancer, and 5 minutes after they picked Hubs up for the trip, they got a message from my SiL's BF saying that the whole household of 6 was sick and had been for a WEEK. They called my sister in law and she's torn up from a MRSA infection after her second arm surgery for a cat bite and may not be all there in her head (highkey worried??). No warning up to this point, whole trip called off--and my in-laws' car was last registered in 2023.

All of that in the first TWENTY MINUTES.

Obvs he's back and that means I still get to celebrate our 23rd anniversary with him on Sunday, which was postponed for the trip--because he was only invited to come (by his mother, to his sister's house, without asking her, lmao. And then it turns out that was good because it's a long drive for his parents to do solo) 6 days ago.

I really hope sister in law is okay, I hope they get the car registered ASAP, mother in law has chemo next week but doesn't have to postpone for illness so 'yay,' and spousal unit is now working from home with his vacation days intact. (SiL was so disappointed and worried! I hope they can reschedule)

I...

[linguistics-and-such]

Every linguist and their grandmother knows about the "thou"-"thee"-"ye"-"you" situation.

(In older English, "thou" was used as the singular subject, "thee" was used as the singular object, "ye" was used as the plural/formal singular subject, and "you" was used as the plural/formal singular object. Eventually, though, "thou", "thee", and "ye" faded into obscurity, and "you" became acceptable to use in the subject, object, singular, and plural.)

For centuries, people have been trying to find a solution to a certain linguistic gap in English. That is, there is no singular 3rd-person pronoun for referring to people animately and unambiguously. "It" is inanimate and can thus be perceived as dehumanising, and "they" can be confusing because it can be both singular and plural. (No hate to people who go by "it" or "they" - I'm just pointing out the linguistic issues with them.)

Since at least the 1800's, various educated people (linguists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc.) have been trying to find a solution to this linguistic gap by attempting to implement neologistic pronouns (they're now commonly known as "neopronouns" but, back then, they were usually called "epicene pronouns").

The attempt to introduce a new pronoun into the English language actually had a lot to do with early feminist movements. Historically, many people viewed a statement like "Everyone has to choose his own poison" as sexist (it is), and they viewed a statement like "Everyone has to choose their own poison" as grammatically incorrect (it isn't).

Neopronouns are making some headway in the English language (as well as in other languages, like French and Spanish) since the advancement of trans and non-binary discussions. But progress is slow in English, likely due to the fact that pronouns are considered a closed class of words in that language, as well as general social pushback towards trans and non-binary people. I have no doubt that at least one set of neopronouns will pass into common usage eventually, though I have no idea how long that will take.

In the meantime, I was made aware of a very interesting compromise from the podcast, Ling Thusiasm (episode 02, I believe: "Pronouns. Little words, big jobs"). The podcasters talked about the "thou"-"thee"-ye"-"you" situation I mentioned at the start of this post.

The podcasters said that, because "you" is now ambiguous, many makeshift plurals for it have been invented over the years, many of which are now words in their own rights. The most common ones I've come across are "youse" (possessive: "youse's") and "y'all" (possessive: "y'all's"). I'm from Australia (mate), and I constantly run into "youse" and "youse's." I also have friends from the USA, and many of them make liberal use of "y'all" and "y'all's". I've also seen/heard of "you'uns" (from "you" and "ones"), "yuys" (from "you" and "guys"), and "yinz" (not sure what that's from).

The podcasters suggested coming up with makeshift plurals of "they" in the same way, so "they" could be (mostly) singular, like "you" is now. This interested me because some of my linguist friends and I have previously come up with this exact idea.

So, this would be things like "theyse" (or "themse", though I think "theyse" is easier to pronounce), "th'all", "they'uns" (or "them'uns", which I think rolls off the tongue a bit better), "thuys", "thinz", etc.

We already have sort of a workaround for the ambiguity of "they", and that's popping in words like "both" and "all" to specify when we're talking about more than one person. For example, if I were talking about my non-binary friend who goes by "they", and I were talking about them giving cookies to three other people, I'd say something like "They gave them all cookies." If my non-binary friend were the one receiving the cookies from the other three, I'd say something like "They all gave them cookies."

But I think it would be cool to have an "official" plural or two of "they", since "you" has so many already. Plus, it'd be quicker to say "Th'all gave them cookies" or "Theyse gave them cookies" than "They all gave them cookies." Yes, pronouns are closed class in English, but that doesn't mean that members of that group can never change or come about. It just means that it's more difficult to change or invent members of that group than, say, a noun or a verb.

[datasoong47]

English pronouns have had some interesting developments over the past few centuries

In the second person, the old singular thou has been lost almost entirely (there's apparently still a few dialects that preserve it, and of course it retains some religious use), and the old plural you is developing a specifically singular meaning in many dialects, while in others it remains non-number-specific. But even in many dialects where you can be used regardless of numbers, a specifically plural form has arisen, with different dialects coming up with different terms, such as y'all, youse, yinz, you guys, you folks, etc. It seems quite likely that this development will continue and a future stage of English will be left with you being specifically singular and some other form as a plural. The only real question is whether one of the competing dialectal forms will win out in all dialects, or whether there'll remain dialectal variation in the 2nd person plural (both are plausible scenarios I think)

In the third person, they has recently acquired a use as a singular specific pronoun. It has long had a singular indefinite usage going all the way back to Middle English - that is, being used to refer to an unknown or unspecified individual (e.g., "someone left their umbrella behind"), but it's recently come to be used to refer to a specific known individual. I've even heard some people using they as a general-use pronoun, including for cis people and animals. It's conceivable - though by no means certain! - that it will eventually replace he and she, and future English will have two 3rd person singular pronouns - an animate pronoun they and an inanimate pronoun it. This leaves the 3rd person plural without a dedicated pronoun, so I suspect that, similar to the 2nd person plural, some form of new plural will develop. My guess as to what would be the most likely development is those ones (possibly shortened to just those or some other contraction like "those-uns" or "tho'nes" or something) being extended to personal use, but other possibilities exist (conceivably even something like they-all → th'all by analogy with y'all)

I also wonder if agreement might change in the future with singular they. At present singular they still takes plural verb agreement - they are not they is, despite singular nouns and other third-person singular pronouns (including neopronouns like xe!) take the singular. It seems probable to me that singular agreement might, at some point, come to be used with singular they, so that future generations might happily say "they is" for singular they, just as "themself" has come to be accepted for many speakers

(Side note: I would love to read a study of child language acquisition focusing on singular they and verbal agreement - there are plenty of families today where children are growing up with a parent or other relative or close family friend who uses singular they, I would be fascinated to see if children in such contexts have difficulty using plural agreement with singular they)

The 1st person, meanwhile, has been pretty stable in most dialects since the Old English period, with only changes in pronunciation and the loss of the OE dual, and there's no reason to suspect that that will change anytime soon (especially outside of any broader changes like loss of case distinctions in pronouns in general - which has happened in some dialects already!) (there are some specific contexts where "we" is used in place of "I" or "you", but I don't see that being likely to spread outside of those contexts)

I suspect that future linguists will describe these changes in the pronoun system as a characteristic of what we now call Modern English (which they'll presumably give some other label to), perhaps even using the conclusion of that process to define the cutoff between our stage of English and the next stage. Middle English saw the loss of grammatical gender, adjective agreement, and the near-complete loss of the case system outside of pronouns, while Modern English saw the loss of the old 2nd and 3rd person (animate) singular pronouns and the replacement of the old male-female-inanimate distinction with a new animate-inanimate distinction, along with the development of new 2nd and 3rd person plural pronouns

[nomdemetier]

This is very fun and cool! But the commenter above is conflating two separate things - literary device and grammatical person. Literary devices like breaking the fourth wall are interesting here, as roach-works notes, because daily life now does have a different reference point for recognizing and acknowledging performative behavior than we used to. (Tools have changed to allow more intensive surveillance, but performing an identity has been around basically forever.)

Grammatical person, on the other hand, doesn't really intersect with literary devices at that kind of one-to-one level. It functions as a way to differentiate the addressing party, addressee(s), and others referenced in a given speech act - this is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person respectively. "Chat" used like this is the direct addressee of the comment - therefore it's second person. It's not a grammatical pronoun in this sense either, just a noun - it *is* the referent that a pronoun would anaphorically replace.

What's neat - and I think what's getting people's attention - are 1) that it's a 2nd person plural, which doesn't have a separate pronoun in standard English (but plenty in dialects- y'all, yinz, youse, you guys), 2) it's obviative, implying a reference to addressees who are not necessarily directly present (i.e. beyond that 4th wall), and 3) it's used as a call to attention for the statement, a bid for conversational attention from anyone nearby while simultaneously protecting the speaker from the impact of any failed bids thanks to its obviative nature. All in all, it's remarkable as a linguistic innovation more because of how it fits the specific conversational needs of its users (and what those needs say about social changes) than because it is new within the structure of English pronouns.

[dankusner]

The New York Times Denounced “Y’all.” We’d Like a Word.

The English language is a remarkable and unwieldy beast.

It lacks the musicality of French or Italian and the precision of German.

It doesn’t, as The New York Times explored in a column published yesterday, even possess a natural word for the second person plural.

Spanish has ustedes and vosotros, French has vous, Italian has voi, Mandarin has nimen, and English has . . . well, therein lies the problem.

As linguist John McWhorter noted in the column, for want of such a word, English speakers have spent much of the past several decades transforming “you guys” into a gender-neutral term to fill the void.

It’s an interesting linguistic analysis—and one that is entirely unnecessary in Texas, or throughout the South.

We’ve long had a word that serves this exact purpose, with no gender implications and a (if we do say so ourselves) mellifluous cadence.

We’re talking about “y’all,” y’all.

The Times column waves “y’all” away as an option, describing the word as “much too slangy, regional or”—in a sentiment both cringe-inducing and puzzling—“what you might even call ethnic” to be adopted by English speakers the world over.

And while we are ourselves often protective of seeing aspects of our culture claimed by our Yankee brethren (we’re still mad about the whole “peas in guac” thing), Texans have long been magnanimous about sharing “y’all” with Northerners.

It’s simply too useful a word to deny our fellow Americans simply because they had the misfortune to be born in New York or Massachusetts.

That “y’all” has unmatched utility can hardly be subject to debate.

One doesn’t need to argue over whether “guys” is now gender-neutral if a way to address a group of people that does not include the speaker already exists.

And while the cohort to which “guys” reads as inherently gendered may be fading, it is still here with us, and heaven help anyone who refers to a woman in her seventies as a “guy” in front of her face.

(During a sojourn in Chicago, this author would often serve as a volunteer usher at the Steppenwolf Theatre in exchange for free tickets, usually as the youngest member of the group by several decades.

The theater’s volunteer coordinator, a brash New Yorker, explained that he’d adopted “y’all” with theatergoers after learning firsthand how “you guys” was received by members of the Guys and Dolls generation.)

“You guys” at least has the benefit of linguistic familiarity (“Hey, you guuuuys!”), but every other suggestion reads as a self-conscious attempt to avoid a more common construction: “You folks” is no more formal than “you guys,” but it’s much more awkward.

“You all” plays to the ear as a deliberate decision to reject “y’all,” rendering the phrase distracting to a listener who is given an inadvertent glimpse into the speaker’s psyche.

“You people?”

Yikes.

The column doesn’t even consider truly regional terms like “youse” or “yinz,” and with good reason.

McWhorter concludes that “you guys” is the least worst option.

Despite the Times’ dismissal of “y’all,” though, there’s evidence that the word’s utility supersedes its, uh, “ethnic” implications.

It’s not just us saying this, either; why, back in 2022, that very same northeastern regional newspaper published an essay by the Dallas-born writer Maud Newton in which Newton detailed her own journey from rejecting “y’all” to embracing it.

When she moved to Brooklyn, she discovered that “far from being a niche Southern phrase, [‘y’all’] already had a home here,” and that she had come to embrace it.

“Far from the oppressive ethos I once imagined, ‘y’all’ represents the best of American vernacular,” Newton wrote.

Newton is hardly the first Northerner to declare that it’s time to embrace “y’all.”

In 2019, Philadelphia magazine urged readers to abandon “youse” for “y’all” (“It’s a warm hug inviting you in and genuinely hoping you stay a while”).

Dictionary.com suggested it near the top of its list of gender-netural “you guys” substitutes, behind only the confusing plural “you,” which is indistinguishable from the singular “you” except by context.

None of this is brand-new.

More than twenty years ago, Guy Bailey—a linguist who currently serves as president of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and then worked at UT’s San Antonio campus—coauthored “The Nationalization of a Southernism,” a paper about the word’s spread that was published in a 2000 edition of the Journal of English Linguistics.

Bailey’s research found that “y’all” was already widely used outside Texas and the South, and that younger Americans in those non-Southern parts of the country were much more likely to use “y’all” than their older counterparts.

And the BBC—an unlikely source of information about “y’all”—noted in a 2022 story the word’s proliferation not just in the U.S. but across the English-speaking world.

“Y’all” has been in use around the nation within certain demographics since the Great Migration, the period from around 1910 through the early 1970s during which millions of Black Americans from the South moved to the North, Midwest, and West.

If the sprawl of “y’all” has been ongoing for decades, why is the Times now publishing a column denigrating it as provincial and encouraging the long-out-of-favor “you guys”?

It may simply be that McWhorter is fulfilling his role as a proud contrarian, and that the paper generally enjoys being a little bit condescending to those of us from outside of its region of influence.

But one could also reasonably conclude that it’s the widespread—and still growing—acceptance of “y’all” as a universal term that makes some Northerners seek an alternative.

That also wouldn’t be new; just last year, Chicago magazine published a paean to “youse,” arguing that it just sounds more natural coming out of the mouths of “white ethnic Chicagoan[s]” (read: likely Irish, Italian, and Polish) than “y’all.”

In an era in which regional differences are increasingly erased in favor of the accelerated monoculture brought on by the internet—teens are more likely to talk like their favorite influencers, wherever they may be from, than the olds who live down the block—there’s something charming about trying to protect “youse” and “yinz” from the encroachment of “y’all” (though we’re less sentimental about “you guys”).

Still, the word is simply too useful for us to keep it for ourselves.

There’s no need to resist “y’all.” It’s an inviting word. Y’all are welcome to use it.

OPINION

U.S. is facing a civics education crisis

New curriculum will help Texas kids, writes state education board chairman

Now, more than ever, America must cultivate its future.

As a parent of three, a military veteran and the chairman of the Texas State Board of Education, I’ve seen firsthand how our nation’s resilience depends on the education and character of its citizens.

Our schools are not solely institutions for academic knowledge; they are the bedrock of our democratic republic.

Yet, troubling trends suggest we are failing to equip our children with the civic understanding and critical thinking skills needed to lead our nation into a brighter future.

It is with this urgent need in mind that Texas is on the verge of approving the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum, an initiative that places educational excellence, American values and civic literacy at the heart of our schools.

Recent data paints a dire picture for American children:

Students are losing grasp of basic American civic knowledge.

The statistics are staggering, frightening and, frankly, un-American.

Fewer than one in four U.S. eighth graders are proficient in civics, and only 13% of eighth graders are proficient in U.S. history.

These statistics aren’t just numbers; they are a warning for the future of the American republic.

According to the Heritage Foundation, “Civics education in America is in crisis, and Americans should recommit themselves to the teaching of civics in the classroom and at home.”

That organization’s recommendation to state policymakers is to provide parents and classroom teachers with better civics education.

Its recent survey revealed that “two-thirds of parents and nearly three-quarters of teachers share a strong desire to see greater emphasis on civics education.”

Additionally, “both parents and teachers agree that the most important function of civics in modern-day America is ‘practical information and guidance on how to carry out the duties of a citizen.’”

Ronald Reagan famously said “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

Without civic education and an understanding of our Constitution, the rule of law and the responsibilities of citizenship, our freedom will be put at risk.

Bluebonnet Learning is Texas’ answer to this crisis.

These instructional materials don’t just teach reading and English; they prioritize civic literacy, reinforce values of good citizenship and empathy, showcase Texas’ rich history and paint a patriotic picture of our nation’s history, government and values, as well as an optimistic vision for our future.

By emphasizing critical thinking, Texas children will be able to distinguish fact from fiction and make informed decisions, better equipping them with the tools for future civic engagement.

What sets Bluebonnet Learning apart is its unapologetic celebration of American ideals.

The curriculum introduces students to the stories of patriots, innovators and visionaries who have shaped this great nation, giving our students the ability to see themselves as heirs to a legacy of courage, determination and sacrifice.

Our nation’s future hinges on the choices we make today about education.

Without a generation that understands and cherishes American ideals, we risk losing the very freedoms that make this country exceptional.

Texas is at the forefront of this much-needed change in the trajectory of our nation’s future, and enacting the Bluebonnet

Learning curriculum will ensure that our schools remain the training grounds for informed and engaged young Americans.

The choices we make for our children’s education will define the destiny of our nation. It’s time for what Reagan called a “rediscovery of our values and our common sense.”

The time to act is now. Our children deserve nothing less and our country demands more.

SBOE proposes oversight of books

The State Board of Education has approved a list of legislative suggestions for Texas lawmakers, which includes a proposal to grant the board the power to rate the appropriateness of school library books – and could also render moot parts of a state law that has been embroiled in litigation for more than a year.

The proposal would give the elected education board significant power over determining what’s appropriate for public school libraries and would mirror legislation that has been filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, who in 2023 wrote the Reader Act, a law that placed the burden of rating books on vendors and has been on hold over litigation.

A process of rating books that children are reading in schools is best fit for the state board, said board member Tom Maynard, R-Florence.

“This board knows how to vet materials,” Maynard said.

“We can create a transparent process to do this work. This is work that really needs to be done.”

The board’s proposal aligns with House Bill 183, which Patterson filed ahead of the upcoming legislative session.

The bill would let parents of public school children petition the state board to review any book in a school library for age appropriateness or sexually explicit material.

If passed, HB 183 would largely rewrite a section of the 2023 Reader Act that has been under litigation since July 2023.

Patterson’s 2023 Reader Act requires book vendors that sell to school libraries to rate their material for either sexual relevance or sexual explicitness.

Book vendors – including Austin’s BookPeople – and library associations sued the state over the law, insisting it was overly burdensome to businesses.

The book vendors also claimed the law imposed speech on the businesses since the Texas Education Agency could overrule the ratings the businesses assigned to books.

The section of the Reader Act dealing with ratings has been temporarily blocked by an appeals court.

Patterson’s office didn’t reply to an American-Statesman request for comment.

Since 2020, book challenges and debates about which materials are appropriate for school libraries have skyrocketed across the country, including in Texas, which in some cases has led to dramatic disputes at local school

Rebecca Bell-Metereau Board member, D-San Marcos boards and prompted districts to completely rewrite their library material review processes.

PEN America, a nonprofit focused on free expression, reported more than 10,000 instances of books banned in schools from July 2023 to June 2024, up from about 3,300 instances over the same period in the 2022-23 academic year.

Texas had the thirdmost instances of banned books at 538, though the report notes many of those bans came from a few districts, such as Fort Worth, where more than 100 books were pulled for review last summer after the Reader Act was implemented, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Other states with high numbers of book bans, such as Florida and Iowa, have passed laws similar to Texas’ Reader Act.

During the Texas state board’s discussion last month, member Marisa Perez-Diaz, DSan Antonio, worried about adopting a legislative goal that is related to legislation that is in litigation.

Member Rebecca Bell-Metereau, D-San Marcos, worried that the task of wading through every possible book review request that could come before the state board from across Texas could be insurmountable.

“This would be a herculean task to read and rate all of these books,” Bell-Metereau said. “That just seems insane to me.”

Maynard also suggested local school boards would welcome the state board taking decisions about the appropriateness of library books out of their hands.

“They don’t like having protesters in front of their building,” Maynard said. “For us, it’s business as usual.”

The book rating suggestion for lawmakers from the state board was one of several proposals on a list approved by the 15-member board during its regular November meeting.

The board typically adopts a set of legislative priorities, like a wish list, ahead of the state’s biennial legislative sessions. The 2025 legislative session will begin Jan. 14

OPINION

New Bible version has last word on y’all

Dallas scholar includes everyone with second person plural pronoun

Last week, a linguistic row between New York and Austin over the word “y’all” overlooked a “y’all” expert right here in Dallas with sanctified chops.

On Dec. 5, Columbia University linguist John McWhorter published a column in The New York Times lamenting the absence of a second-person plural pronoun in English, and dismissing “y’all” as a worthy candidate.

McWhorter said “y’all” is “much too slangy, regional or what you might even call ethnic to ever gain universal acceptance.”

The next day, Texas Monthly shot back with a defense of “y’all” noting that it lacks the gender baggage of “you guys” and is embraced more widely than localized solutions like “youse” and “yinz.”

What both outlets missed is that “y’all” has a more sacred connection being explored by a Bible scholar right here in Dallas.

John Dyer, a vice president at Dallas Theological Seminary, has spent the last decade developing a Y’all Version of the Bible, which is now available on Amazon and on the popular YouVersion smartphone app.

(Full disclosure: Dyer is a dear friend whom I’ve known for years.)

Dyer started pursuing the project to address the same problems McWhorter lamented.

English lacks a useful handle for the second-person plural.

On the other hand, the Bible’s original languages — Greek and Hebrew — do have second-person plural pronouns.

And that means meanings sometimes get lost in translation.

For example, Paul’s admonition to the church in Corinth has long been seen as a statement that the Holy Spirit lives inside the body of each individual believer:

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (English Standard Version)

But in Greek, those pronouns are plural.

So that passage isn’t about the Holy Spirit somehow living inside the body of a believer, but about the Holy Spirit visiting the gathering of a worshipping community:

“Don’t y’all know that y’all are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in y’all?” (Y’all Version)

Or consider the popular message from Jeremiah 29:11:

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (New International Version)

Dyer noted that verse is often cited at high school graduations. But Jeremiah’s message wasn’t originally a Hebrew version of Oh, the Places You’ll Go! It was about God’s care for a community in exile.

“‘For I know the plans I have for y’all,’ declares YHWH, ‘plans for prosperity not disaster, to give y’all hope and a future.’”

(The Y’all Version also uses the four-letter Hebrew name for God – Yahweh — rather than “the Lord” used by many translations.)

“In a world where lots of people are super, super lonely, it’s neat to know God has a plan for the whole community and not just the individual,” Dyer said.

According to Dyer’s research, about 15% of the verses in the Bible include a second-person plural.

Dyer said his effort is about accuracy, not just creating a country-fied Bible.

“People ask me, ‘Hey, you should put in other sayings like, “Fixin’ to,”’ but it’s not supposed to be a Southern dialect,” Dyer said.

“It’s supposed to highlight things in the text that aren’t visible in most translations.”

Swapping out pronouns proved more complicated than y’all might think, partly because native speakers don’t use the plural pronoun every time they speak to a plural audience, especially if it would require two “y’alls” back-to-back. For example, we probably wouldn’t say, “If y’all are going to church, y’all will have to get up early.” In that sentence, it’s more natural to change “y’all will” to “you’ll.”

Dyer’s project was originally a browser plug-in that would change “you” to “y’all” where appropriate in certain online Bible web sites, but that proved too technical to gain wide usage and “people kept asking for print,” he said.

A coder himself, Dyer has created a website with similar versions for other regional dialects. At yallversion.com, users can choose “yinz,” “youse guys” or “you lot.”

Dyer used the original languages to identify where “y’all” should be used, but he didn’t create an all-new translation from scratch. He worked from the American Standard Version and the World English Bible, he told me.

The Y’all Version uses modern replacements for several other outdated words. “Kingdom” becomes “empire.” “Brethren” becomes “siblings.” The Greek “anthropos,” often translated “man” or “mankind,” becomes “human” or “humankind.” And “ethnos,” which is often rendered “gentiles” or “nations,” becomes “ethnic groups.” Dyer even coined a new word. In the book of Acts, the Apostles pray to “the one who knows the heart,” but because of the mechanics of Greek grammar, it’s all one word in the original text — “kardiognostes” — so the Y’all Bible calls God “Heart-Knower.” Coincidentally, the Y’all Version inclusion in the YouVersion app happened Friday, the same day Texas Monthly published its story. That milestone is huge for Dyer’s project. According to a YouVersion press release, the group’s apps have been installed on 875 million devices worldwide.

New York and Austin can debate linguistics until the cows come home, but Dallas has the coder that is making a holy difference for y’all.

[yardsards]

If you ever have any more head brain thoughts on Hunter and Amity becoming siblings against their will I would love to hear them

(question is referring to this post)

i came up with this au as a joke but it has honestly started living in my head rent free because i just want these four kids to be happy

it probably wouldn't work out this well in canon but my city now, y'know?

(under readmore bc this accidentally got long)

note that i have no idea what kind of timetable any of this happens on okay it is just a timeless void:

-the resentment between amity and hunter is less about the eclipse lake incident than you'd expect. hunter seemed pretty fine with amity at the end of that episode. amity's really mad about him threatening luz but kinda empathizes to a degree

-a lot of it is just. you know those times when someone is really similar to you but SOMETHING about them makes that be the basis for a rivalry rather than a friendship? yeah.

-amity also kinda feels this weird mix of pity and hatred of hunter because he reminds her of her past self a lot. she sees both the scared lonely girl desperate for validation and the girl who bullied willow when she looks at him. he's of course untangled a lot of his Issues by this time but he's still several steps behind her because this stuff takes time

-hunter feels kinda jealous of amity (and the twins to an extent, but mostly amity because she's the one that directly compared their situations). at first it's because he's never met odalia and only met alador after he started improving himself so he doesn't understand what amity's issue is at all. and then he learns but he doesn't yet understand that, just because the abuse/neglect the blight kids faced wasn't as bad as what he faced, it doesn't mean their circumstances were *okay* by any means. and THEN he's just jealous of amity because she seems to be handling stuff so much better than him and he just doesn't get how (she's struggling more than she lets on, though)

-but over time with enough conversation and growth this eventually ends up in a weird kind of Understanding between the two of them and it fizzles down to a normal amount of sibling rivalry and they end up actually being close and helping each other improve

-amity still occasionally holds the fact that she could've kicked his ass at eclipse lake over hunter's head tho. at the beginning she genuinely means it as a threat but later it's usually in really silly situations like "hunter you better not eat the last bowl of cereal, i can and will end you" because that's how siblings Are sometimes (the latter only happens once they're on good enough terms to joke around like that and hunter's stable enough to know that she absolutely does not mean it, though)

-on that note, i think there are some hiccups between hunter and the twins at first. the twins tease and prank him as a sign that they've accepted him as their brother. but hunter is just. wholeheartedly convinced that they're genuinely trying to hurt him. and he's flipping between the idea that they just plain hate him vs the idea that family members deliberately hurting one another is normal (he's still unlearning that from belos). they talk it out eventually and hunter learns that they weren't trying to hurt him and the twins learn to lay off

-the twins kinda take hunter under their wing. at school, hunter clings to them like an orphaned duckling despite being their same age. ironically, as cool as the blight twins try to act, they don't really have many close friends outside of each other. so it's two kids with not-great social skills trying to teach a kid with zero social skills. even more ironically, hunter HAS his own friends in the flyer derby team, and ends up helping the twins make friends with them.

-hunter sometimes looks to the twins (or sometimes amity) as an example of how you're supposed to act in a decent family unit. little does he know they barely understand much more than him

-darius, as we've seen, encourages some healthy teenage rebellion. however, he's not at eda's level of "you should cause chaos just for the heck of it". also, he does know how to lay his foot down when the kids do something dangerous/harmful to themselves or others. he's never had kids of his own but i like to think he had pretty good parents and it sounds like he canonically had a pretty cool mentor, so he understands at least hypothetically how kids should be handled

-alador is TRYING but he still hasn't figured everything out yet. for example, he doesn't know the line between "so permissive that it's kinda neglectful and not giving kids the structure they need" vs "being overly controlling (like his ex wife. or like belos)". a lot of parenting advice boils down to "just listen to your kids" but he doesn't know the right way to implement that yet so. he sometimes just straightup ASKS his kids like "hey, you did [x]. should that be against the rules? do you want me to ground you now or something?". it's obviously not the most effective parenting strategy. he eventually learns to see the line on his own but it takes some time

-amity usually gives truthful, thought-out answers to this. hunter (at least at first) always just assumes this is a test and says he should be punished (or just genuinely believes everything he does is wrong), but does learn that it's a genuine question and learns to think about it. the twins (at least at first) always just say that whatever they did is fine, but after a few times they start testing the boundaries of what they can get away with without alador putting his foot down, or what would happen if they did admit that what they did should probably be forbidden

-to a lesser extent, i think amity and hunter (especially hunter) end up acting out and testing both of their dads' boundaries sometimes. it's not even a deliberate thing. it's just that irl, a lot of kids who come from bad situations will subconsciously act out and push boundaries when they first get to a safe environment as a way to process that even if they break rules they won't be hurt or unloved, and that their parents care enough to lay down clear guidelines to keep them safe

-the twins, who built so much of their identities around rebelling, are kinda having an identity crisis. their overly strict mom is no longer in the picture. one of their dads is really chill and the other one doesn't know how to set appropriate rules yet. and getting in trouble at school isn't really the same if they're not also pissing off their parents. the only things they can think to do to make their dads mad are either more danger than they'd wanna put themselves in or are things they'd feel guilty about doing

-they probably do a couple of those last two types of things before it hits that... rebelling like *that* actually doesn't feel good

-and they also realize that, aside from maybe a little resentment leftover towards alador, they don't really *want* to upset their dads

-and now they can get attention from adults that ISN'T negative. edric got a taste of that from eda, but it's still a pretty new concept that adults will pay attention to them outside of punishments. it's even more new when said adults are their *parents*. adults that will praise them for their achievements instead of acting like they've simply done the minimum of what was expected of them? adults that will talk to them even when they didn't *do* anything to grab their attention? previously unheard of.

-emira's used to having to protect and care for amity and edric. and once she realizes that there are now people that will care for her siblings for her it's pretty overwhelming. she no longer has to make "the caretaker" her identity and it's simultaneously confusing, reassuring, exciting, and scary. it's even stranger to realize that now there are people who can and will take care of HER when she needs it, that she can ask for support without worrying about putting that weight on her siblings.

-hunter went from 0 decent parents to 2 decent parents (and 3 siblings, and flapjack, and multiple friends) in a very short span of time and. consciously he's learned that your guardians/loved ones aren't supposed to hurt you or threaten to abandon you, and that everyone constantly backstabbing one another isn't normal. but it's taking a while for that lesson to really sink in.

-he grew up in a really authoritarian environment and he's still figuring out what what kind of things are permitted for normal kids. sometimes he asks his dads stuff like "am i really allowed to sleep in til 8 am on weekends?" or will ask his siblings if he's feeling nervous that day. it's usually an "of course that's allowed", but sometimes he'll get answers like "sneaking out without telling anyone where you're going is ALSO generally frowned upon here. but you don't need to sneak out anyway, we're not gonna keep you locked in your room all day, you can just tell us where you're going"

-amity has already learned that there are people out there who genuinely love her unconditionally. and she's seen enough from her friends' parents to know what good parents are supposed to be like. still, it's weird to have parents of her own that will show her unconditional love. especially when one of said parents is the same guy who used to be neglectful to her. she takes a while to really trust it.

-the blight kids' feelings about odalia and the divorce are very Complicated, i'll leave it at that

-towards darius there's some messy "you're not my real parent!" feelings, or apprehension that he'll end up being just like odalia. but at the same time, in some ways they trust him more than alador because unlike alador, darius has no history of being a bad dad to them.

-hunter accepts alador just as fast (if not faster, now that he's done it once before) as he accepted darius. idk exactly *how* fast either of those cases were tho

-i originally thought that ghost and flapjack would initially hate each other, part bc their witches started off hating each other, and also cats and birds generally aren't a good match. but ghost made friends with owlbert so has no issue with birds. and i think flapjack would realize, long before either of the two witches, that hunter and amity could be good for one another, and ghost would agree. until amity and hunter make friends with each other, they're just always a little annoyed that their palismen are besties.

-hunter is so lumity-phobic that he makes boscha seem like an ally. it's his friend who acts like his irritating little sister dating his actual irritating little sister. he can't NOT tease them.

-darius and alador keep a joking spirit of competition between the two of them but it's over stuff like who's the cooler dad (the answer is obviously darius tho)

-all the kids go to darius for fashion advice. it's especially a nice bonding experience with the twins, who will get to experiment with their looks without as much pressure to look perfect or to match

-meanwhile darius frequently struggles to convince alador to take a shower and put on clean clothes. "yes dear, *every* day -could maybe be every other day if you didn't constantly get covered in sludge. i'm not even going to touch you until you clean that off." and "it's our day off, why are you still wearing a labcoat? don't you own anything else?" he is Suffering.

-he also has to regularly remind hunter to perform basic self-care

-alador and hunter work together to invent ways to combine glyph magic and machinery (in ways that feel more natural and useful than that fake staff hunter used to use). sometimes amity joins in. it's a weird form of family bonding

-hurt any of their kids and you will be personally hunted down by two of the most powerful abomination witches on the isles and maybe the other 3 siblings

-you know how in canon, amity and alador combined spell circles to make an extra huge and powerful abomination? well now there's the potential for a 3-way alador-amity-darius spell circle. whoever finds themself on the receiving end of this (probably someone who hurt one of the other siblings) will be absolutely obliterated from existence. it is a peak dads-and-daughter bonding experience. (jokes aside i did make a post earlier about my headcanon the combining spell circles is kind of an expression of emotional closeness between witches)

-alador ends up being one of those parents that is just excessively proud of everything their kids do. like one of those soccer moms that act like little timmy just won the olympics. it's a little embarassing but (and none of the kids will openly admit this) it's kinda nice to have someone be that proud of them

-(darius is equally as proud but he's cool about it)

-the relationships between the 3 blight siblings is already getting better in canon but it gets even healthier once there's no stress at home. i mean they're still lil shits to each other but they work all their actual issues out and have a good and healthy sibling dynamic

-amity learns abomination magic from two dads who have vastly different styles and incorporates some of her own styles too. she is very versatile and a force to be reckoned with.

-willow and gus are friends with hunter. luz talks to edric, emira, and hunter. amity cannot Escape her siblings

[the-francakes]

🥺✨🍦👀🤩✅

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

i think if someone gets smitten at the other's laugh, you can be like 'oh this is a fran fic.' laughter and smiles are just... such the definition of love to me. I love the theme of happiness being attractive. and it doesn't have to be a sunshine person, it can be a moment of happiness in a forest of angst. just a small smile because of a nice gift or compliment or moment of beauty, making everything better for a moment.

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

ugh i already did this. i dunno how much more I have left. I call myself a monster as a compliment most days. I'm trash! fine. I really like how I've played with different pairings and found my rare pair niche. its really a lovely community and made me a lot of friends!

🍦 What's the sweetest fic you've created so far?

Summer Changes! Harry discovers Draco babysitting 18-month-old Teddy one afternoon and keeps showing up for Teddy's protection... yeah... for Teddy... not cause Draco is kinda fit now and nice to talk to and yeah... no... he doesn't have a crush. Nahhhh. Totes not. Yeah, well, Teddy gets real tired of their shit and keeps fucking with the weather to get them together.

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

I dunno how up-and-coming this one is, I only have an outline and the first few pages, but it's a time travel Hermione/Theseus fic where she is sent back to 1915 and helps Theseus rally Wizards to help fight WWI and ultimately why he's known as a war hero before the Fantastic Beasts movies.

🤩 Who is your favorite character to write?

Yinz are gunna hate me for this, but lately, I've really liked writing Ron??? To the point my editor told me I should write even more of him cause I've made him so likable and figured out his redemption for his fuckboi-dumb days. IDK, go fight her.

✅ What's something that appears in your fics over and over and over again, even if you don't mean to?

idk you tell me, you’re my editor.  you probably notice my dumb patterns more than me. describing dracos eyes as diamonds i think? tattooing the dark mark? you once told me i needed to stop writing mc’s that think theyre not worth the love interest but i’ve been trying to work on that. 

[safety-pin-punk]

So they blocked me, but yinz need to see this shit lmao. I cut out their name cause we arent here to promote hate. But yeah okay. Lets take a look at that last message.

How much effort I put into replying? My guy there was no effort. Not a single one of those questions required me to put more than a half an ounce of thought into it. But also I did respond because 1) I genuinely wanted to know what drew them to that conclusion. 2. I mean. Evidently they wanted attention if they sent a DM. And it took all of 3 minutes and no skin off my back to do so 🤷

And okay. Ask myself the same questions:

1. Do I feel better now? Not particularly cause I didnt feel bad to begin with. Though, I do think this whole conversation is comical. And I genuinely dont take anything seriously, especially when someone blocks me after one message.

2. Im genuinely curious what brought you to this conclusion? Yeah. Nope. Still curious. I’ve had people tell me my music taste is shit but like. Still no idea over here. Not that I’ll take any answer to heart. I like who I am, I just wanna know what they dont lol

3. How much of a loser do you have to be? Well. I didnt start the conversation. I was just responding to the person coming into my DMs shots firing. Soooooo. Tbh. Im not the loser here for giving you the attention you wanted, but also not letting you straight up bully me in my own inbox. You are for blocking me the minute I gave you a response you didnt like 😂

So now the question: why did I post this to finish responding? Well that one is easy. I’ve prided this blog on being a source for people to learn and grow with punk culture. And I think this is a great example of a way to deal with internet assholes who wanna call you a poser. Just dont take them seriously and make them feel out done. The end.

Being called a poser at 5 in the morning after a night out DJing is just not the vibes guys

[immedealwithit9855]

Realizations

With the banquet over and new acquaintances, the turtles discovered the mystery ladies secret. Who and what are these women? What are their true intentions? Are they a threat to the city? To them? Can they be trusted? And what's up with these "sparks" flying around?

CHAPTER 2

Warning: Talks of Violence, some angst, sexual discussions, fluff, mentions of kidnapping

So many thoughts going through the minds of these turtles who just discovered the females they've been acquainted with aren't entirely "human." It was a mixture of amazement and caution. After all, the last set of mutants they had to deal with weren't very friendly. Mikey being Mikey," Wow. You gals keep getting better and better. So... cute." Charlie started to blush as her tail started wagging. Annoyed with this scene, Alopex grabbed Charlie's tail," Really, girl? Really?" Charlie huffed, snatching her tail back,"I can't help it! Have patience with me!" Taking a deep breath, Alopex motioned for everyone to take a seat.

As they sat, Leo picked up on a few things. Dinah's demeanor shifted into a stand-off tone. Kenzi seemed to be comfortable with the reveal as she turned to one of her monitors and began typing. Charlie was carefree despite her tails sudden movements. Alopex was calm and collected, maintaining civil etiquette. "Well, you know half of us already. I'm sure you all have questions. And we will do our best to answer." Says Alopex as she crosses her legs and leans back in her chair. Raph didn't miss a beat as he watched her get comfortable. Donnie began with the first question,"I recall at the banquet, how you said "your species." What did you mean by that?" The girls glanced at one another, Kenzi pausing her fingers at the keys and turning around in her chair. "Charlie?" Kenzi called,"Would you care to show them first?" Charlie looked at Mikey, grinned mischievously, stood up, took 2 steps towards him and transformed.

Mikey was over the moon when Charlie showed her full fox form. Her color was not like anything he's ever seen before on a fox. Donnie was intrigued. This was a rare breed and has been known to be quite a recluse. And there she was standing before him, gazing into his eyes. Leo was amused, but needed to continue digging for answers. "So, you all can transform into animals?" Raph asked, nodding at Charlie's form. "Based on our tails, yes" Alopex responded. "Dinah is the Black Panther. Kenzi is the Cheetah, obviously. And I am the Wolf." Donnie nods, taking in all this information while also sharing side glares with Kenzi. "I'd like to say we're kinda like WereCats and WereDogs." Alopex agitated with Dinah's corny names," Not now, chick. Lets get back to the discussions, please." Dinah sigh, and nodded. Raph raised a brow at the names and asked," What do ya call yourselves?" The girls looked at each and responded in unison," We're the Muses." 'She can be my muse any time' Mikey thought, staring at Charlie.

😘😘😘

"What else can ya girls do?" Raph asked. "Yeah. I mean, I'm sure there's more!" Donnie chimes in. Without warning, Kenzi and Alopex began to levitate out of their seats. They were all amazed with what they witnessed. The girls can fly! As they came back down, Leo finally said," Obviously there is a lot to you all that we have yet to see. And we need to see more, but we'll save the rest for another night." The girls nodded in agreement. "Yes. Each of us has different abilities and skills. Too much to show at this time. This was just a sample of what we're capable of." Alopex finished, winking at Raph. He licks his lips. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your stories?" Said Mikey as he adjusted his seat. Kenzi switched her monitors off and scooted next to Dinah. Charlie transformed back to her human-like form and sat next to Alopex. "It's alright, if yinz ain't ready to share. We just wanna know more bout ya." The girls understood and gave Alopex the okay to share. "Very well."

Alopex explained how each of them had been experimented on as children. Each given a chemical of unknown origins. There were others who were also in the same laboratory. Unfortunately, out of all the subjects that have be exposed to this chemical, only the 4 of them survived. The ones conducting the experiments were discovered, the lab was destroyed and the girls were left for dead. This caused an ache in Mikey's heart. "We've tried to track down survivors or study the origins of this chemical, but so far nothing has come up." Kenzi adds as she massages Dinah's shoulders. "Where did the Chief come in?' Donnie wondered, recalling the Chief calling them her girls. "She responded to an anonymous caller who reported an explosion." Donnie's stomach sank at the image of the girls surviving such an atrocity. "She came on the scene, shocked to see we were still breathing, and took us in." Alopex continued as Charlie hugged her arm. "At the time, we were toddlers, so some of our memories are a little patchy." Charlie joined in. "But, one thing we all recall is how we were kidnapped at one point!" The turtles were taking everything in, but the urge to hold the girls was overwhelming each of them.

Kenzi took over," One day we were all playing at the park. Chief was taking a call and instructed Alopex to keep watch. Things were calm and peaceful, none of us suspected we were being targeted. It happened so fast, Dinah and Alopex were forced into one van. Charlie and myself in another. The amount of fear we felt was unbearable." As Kenzi continued, Leo saw how Dinah averted her gaze, he sensed she was at the verge of tears. He couldn't begin to imagine the thoughts going through her mind remembering the day they all were kidnapped. Before Kenzi could finish, she asked the girls,"Should I continue?" Alopex, Charlie, and Dinah went silent. After a moment, Alopex answered," It's best to wrap it up. Save the knit n gritty for another day." With a nod, Kenzi added," To keep it short, we were rescued, Chief got us trained up thoroughly, we took it a step further and learned to use different weapons. Made some bad choices. Learned a lot of lessons. Now we're beneficial assets to the cause."

😔😔😔

The turtles were in awe with the girls origin story. And couldn't help but wonder what awakened these abilities they have now? "Does the Chief know of your abilities? Does April know?" Raph asked. "Yes. They know." Dinah admitted brushing away a dry tear. "I gotta say, ladies. It takes guts sharing what you shared with us tonight. And there's still more." Mikey said, giving Charlie a soft smile. She smiled back. "Well, we are in the trust building phase, Mikey. And since this is your territory, you have the right to know whose treading on it." Alopex added with a serious tone. Donnie was flabbergasted, learning so much in one night. He will be doing some background checks on all the girls for sure.

Time flew by as the turtles shared their origins, how they encountered April, their fight with the Shredder, and the Krang along with his TechnoDrone. They talked about Master Splinter and how he has raised them since they were forced to live in the sewers, the amount of training they all possessed. The lessons they've all learned along the way. The girls were amazed and touched with how they told their stories. They started to feel at ease and began to loosen up a bit. Leo and Dinah's eyes met, and it was as if they found comfort in each other's gaze. A sign that they all could.....

"Well, its super late. And we need to recuperate, in case we're given an assignment." Alopex said with a yawn and a stretch. He didn't care if she wasn't skinny, Raph wanted this girl. "You gals literally sleep here?" Leo asked with concern. "Not often, this is our second quarters because it's in New York and Ma is posted here. We have 3 quarters. Our main one is in New Jersey." Charlie explained as she was heading to the sleeping area to change into her PJs. "Wow. That's awesome." Mikey said with a shocked look on his face. "I suspect that you are the leader of this group, Ms. Alopex?" Leo asked with curiosity. "Yes. That's right. I'm also the muscle but we'll save that for another time. And please, call me Alopex or A-low for short." Alopex said. Leo nodded. She further explained how Kenzi is the groups tech genius and handywoman. Dinah is the strategist and specializes in stealth. And Charlie is the groups weapon specialist. "Excuse me!" Charlie bursted out in her Grey PJ pants and black tank top, hypnotizing Mikey. "You forgot to mention, wild card. I will get crazy!" Kenzi rolled her eyes and began to tie her hair up.

As they walked the turtles out of the train, looks of longing were exchanged. Then finally Alopex said," Thank you all for walking us home. That was very sweet. Sorry for taking up your time. We understand you have an obligation to this city and we don't wish to be a distraction." Leo was pleased with how honorable and considerate Alopex is. "Ahh please, if anything this was something we all needed." Raph blurted out, bumping Leo's shoulder to get close to Alopex. " I recon we'll be seein' you all again soon?" He asked, gently placing a finger under A-low's chin. "We shall see." Alopex teased and walks back to the train. Mikey looked at Charlie and felt the urge to hug her. Which he did. She wasn't expecting this kind gesture, but she hugged him back. Dinah and Leo exchanged looks and nodded, gracefully. Donnie and Kenzi shook hands and bid each other good night. As they departed from the subway station, the turtles began to converse. "So, what do you guys think? Obviously, these females are willing and cooperative." Leo mentioned as he stretched his muscles. "I think we should monitor them every now and then. I don't believe they're a threat." Donnie suggested as he opened one of his computerized holograms. Raph looked at the screen. "You didn't!" Raph grumbled. Catching Leo and Mikey's attention. "Dude, I'm a ninja too, of course I planted a device on them to listen in on any potential schemes or threats." Donnie ranted, rolling his eyes at his brother's crass demeanor. "I'm curious. Turn it on. I wanna hear too!" Mikey pestered, as Donnie adjusted the devices sound. Little did the turtles know, the girls were more slick than the turtles gave them credit for.

😏😏😎

Back at the subway train, Dinah, Kenzi, and Charlie were snickering non-stop when they realized Donnie planted the device on Kenzi's tail. Kenzi silently gestured for them to be quiet while she works her magic. "I admire that terrapins boldness, but two can play this game." Kenzi thought with a mischievous look. Alopex shook her head. She understood they were in the trust building phase, but this was cliché. Kenzi finished work on the device Donnie planted on her, explaining that the guys will hear them, but the girls will hear the guys right back, adjusting the new mute feature. Alopex intervened," Alright, if they want more we'll give them more." Alopex winked as the girls smiled. Alopex nodded at Kenzi and she un-muted the device. Unbeknownst to Donnie.

🤭🤭🤭

As the turtles made it back to the lair, the girls started talking.

Alopex: Well, what are all your thoughts

Dinah: I'll admit, at first I thought they were just a bunch of punks.

Leo and Raph looked at each other," What?"

Dinah: But, they don't seem to be. They seem genuine and honorable. Warriors that deserve respect. I think we should give them a shot.

Mikey smiled in relief at Dinah's words.

Kenzi: Yes. April was right on the money when she said they were gentlemen.

Alopex: Indeed. By the way, good eye tonight, Kenzi. You were the one who overheard and spotted what those women were planning to do. Dinah and Charlie, good job taking down that paint before it fell on anybody.

Donnie could hardly believe what he was hearing. It wasn't what he expected.

Kenzi: I didn't even get to the part where I recorded them setting it up and had pictures on file of it.🤣🤣🤣

Leo looked at Donnie,"Whoa. They're good." Donnie responded," Shh. Let's listen."

Charlie: I really wanted to tear those chicks apart. Coming to an event like that to humiliate my man!

There was a pause in the turtles.

Alopex, Dinah, Kenzi: YOUR MAN!?WHO!???

The turtles inched closer with anticipation.

Charlie: Isn't it obvious? Mikey!

Leo, Raph, and Donnie looked at Mikey. "Whoa, I guess these good looks and charms worked. The girls got good taste." Raph rolled his eyes and kept listening.

Charlie: Hes hilarious. Sweet. So adorable. I like him. I really do. And don't think we didn't see what you were doing, Kenzi-Kat.

Kenzi-Kat!?

Kenzi: I don't know what you're talking about.

The girls rolled theirs eyes at Kenzi's pitiful denial attempt.

Dinah: Your tail says otherwise. You might as well have given Donatello a lap dance!

The guys started laughing at the girls bickering about the flirtatious behavior between the two geeks.

Kenzi: Hes extremely intelligent. Logical. He loves his brothers. I don't even feel the need to compete with him. He's a Babe. I'd like to take a bite out of him. That waist! Those hips! Oh my gosh, girl. I'm gushing over here just thinking about him. That's what I call "Lean Cuisine."

Alopex: TMI, Kenzi. TMI.

The guys glance over at Donnie as he looked away sheepishly, snorting.

Kenzi: Also, Dinah you ain't one to talk. We know you like your meat well-seasoned.

Kenzi hissed as Leo's eyes lit up when Dinah's name was mentioned. "She calls this 'well-seasoned?" Raph grunts at Leo, feeling a hint of jealously. Leo brows raised at the compliment.

Kenzi: Acting hard-to-get trying to avoid their leader's contagious blue eyes.

Mikey snickered,"Wow, Fearless got an admirer. Good for you, man!" Nudging his older brother. Leo ignored his brother's teasing and listened in some more.

Dinah: He seems to carry a lot on his shoulders. But he carries it with grace and honor. He'll do whatever it takes to protect his family and this city. I admire that.

There was a slight pause.

Charlie: Aaaaaaand!

Kenzi snickered.

Dinah: And.....I think he's.......

Anticipaton building on both sides of the device.

Dinah: Attractive. Mesmerizing. I wouldn't mind going head 2 head with that mighty terrapin.

A round of applause was heard in the background, and it echoed throughout the train. Leo's amusement with Dinah doubled at her genuine confession.

Dinah: Enough of me, what about you, Noble!

Noble? The turtles figured it was Alopex they were talking about. Raph liked the nickname. "Noble. Gotta remember that." He thought to himself. "Cool. We got Fearless. They got Noble!" Mikey chimed in.

Alopex figured that was enough teasing and wanted to draw this charade to a close.

Alopex: Ya'll! We gotta hit the sack. I'm tired!

Dinah: Stop averting, Noble.

Charlie: Yeah Noble, you think we're blind? We seen how you were flirting with the ninja in Red. We shared our thoughts on these turtles and you can't even give us one thing? Throw us a bone here!

Alopex: That bones been chewed and discarded. Good Night! Plus, we're building trust ladies, remember? We shouldn't put too much into it. We just met them for corns sake!

Raph was beginning to wonder if she was just putting on a front to entice him or make fun of him. "This dame must be a joke. I ain't laughing!" He grumbled. Alopex didn't even care about his harsh response, she was getting more tired.

Kenzi: We're going to keep asking you, so you may as well start sharing. Plus, we did a lot of sharing tonight. As our leader, don't you think we should be compensated for our boldness?

Alopex: NO you did NOT just play that card!

"Just press a little more!" Raph thought.

Alopex: If I say this, will you leave me alone so we can go to bed!?

The girls nodded and said yes. More anticipation was building as both the girls and turtles were on the edge of their seats waiting to hear Alopex response.

Motioning for Kenzi to bring her tail closer, so Alopex could make it as clear as possible for the unknowing turtles on the other side to hear.

Alopex: Raphael is not just strong. He is caring, driven and the coolest individual I've had the pleasure of meeting. And....... I wouldn't mind that sexy, hunk turtle rockin' me harder than the Jackson's Rocked this World!

Squeals and screams were heard in the background, causing Donnie to shut off the device and massage his ears. Raph rested his hands behind his head, taken aback by Alopex's confession. Did she really just go there? This girl is too good to be true. Ain't no way. Is there? Leo pinched his forehead," Alright, that's enough of that. We better rest too. We're gonna be training. Gotta keep ourselves in check." Though it may be difficult given what they just overheard. This may blossom into something really beautiful for all of them.

After a long night of sharing and getting to know one another. Both groups were ready to face tomorrow in their own ways.