#it was indeed very smol and very flat

[batnbreakfast]

TGIFFF

[thecasperanfamily]

Douxie, lying on the floor: "Arch, try not to be alarmed but I am dealing with a potentially dangerous creature that wants to eat me alive..."

Smol!Lin, crawling on Douxie's chest as he climbs up near his face: "Ba!"

Archie: "Oh, I see he's very dangerous indeed. He must think the blue in your hair is edible."

Lin, grabs onto Douxie's nose and smacks his small hand on his face: "Ah!"

Douxie, dramatically: "Ah! No! He's got me! He's too strong for me, everything is going dark. Arch....tell Zoe that I love her....

Archie, rolls his eyes as Lin continues to hit Douxie's "unconscious" face: "I'd think she be more amused that you were taken down by an mere infant."

Hnng! *clutches heart, keels over, flops on the floor as a little cloud of hearts poofs out of my chest*

Zoe, wandering in a few minutes later to find Douxie is still flat on the floor and Lin is sound asleep on his chest: ...You doin' alright there, babe?

Douxie: I have been slain. (◠‿◠)

fjahgsdhjagf You are swiftly becoming way too good at these, @niyana-the-ambiguous-mobian. 💖🥺💖

[lihikainanea]

lei my love i am just wondering,,, do any other members of the skarsgård clan know (or at least highly suspect smth) about bill and tiger i must know

So, I have Thoughts but they change a lot.

I like to think that Gustaf is the only one who knows for sure. And I like to think it’s because he just very gently took Bill aside one time and didn’t even ask the question, but maybe just sort of said that, you know, he’s glad for Bill. And maybe told him not to overthink anything. And maybe Bill, realizing what Gustaf was really saying, just kind of shyly admitted that it’s...it’s different with tiger. It’s easy. And that he really and truly didn’t mean for it to happen--but that he’s glad it did, and he doesn’t want to overthink it. And in general it’s just this really sweet, hushed conversation full of brotherly comfort and bonding.

Alex suspects it, but as with all big families, you find your kindred sibling and you collectively gang up on another sibling. The bond between Bill and Gustaf is sacred and Alex can take a good bit of teasing--lord knows he’s dished enough of it onto his younger siblings--so Gustaf flat out refuses to tell Alex anything. Alex knows that Gustaf knows the truth. Gustaf insists he has no idea what Alex is talking about. Bill calls Alex a chauvinistic pig for not believing that him and tiger could indeed be just friends.

Valter is really confused at why the smol one keeps threatening to fight him and frequently asks Bill exactly how long the lifespan of a hamster is because this one has been around for too long.

[barewiings]

a ( mostly ) comprehensive headcanon post about leah’s appearance ( physical, clothing, and make-up and nails )!!! 

physical:  leah is 5′1 and weighs about 130 pounds! she’s smol, and her body type would be considered pear-shape, which means she’s a little curvy! her hips are wider than her waist, and she indeed has a nice booty ( and knows it very well -- she will show it off if she wants you to notice it ). i made an old post about her chest size, and to reiterate it, she’s not a very busty gal! bra sizes are wack so she’ll range from a-cup to c-cup in them, especially if they’re different styles, but i would say she leans towards a b-cup on most of her bras!  skin color wise, she’s not white. she’s still light in her complexion, though, she’s far from pale. her cheeks are often pink with a healthy glow, and using foundation to give an idea of what her skin tone is like, she’s medium in shade, ranging from sandy to beige depending on the time of year. she’s darker when it’s summer since she loves to be out in the sun, and in the winter, she’s paler from being cooped up inside.  she has dark brown eyes with hooded lids, almond shaped and seeming to always be wide with innocence and excitement. her hair is black and falls to her shoulders with bangs framing her face. it’s fairly straight, though it’s very easy to curl given the right treatment, and sometimes if she doesn’t blow dry her hair right out of the shower, her hair will be more wavy. 

clothing: her wardrobe tag speaks true to what style leah leans towards: overalls, skirts, blouses, skinny jeans, oversized sweaters, hoodies, and crop-tops to name a few. color-wise, she tends to gravitates towards light colors and patterns such as florals, polka-dots, and plaid. she’s not scared to show a little bit of skin unless she’s going to church or spending time with her family, so her outfits can get a little suggestive sometimes, but her clothing really is such a huge way she expresses herself.  she favors sneakers, ballet flats, and sandals for everyday footwear, though one chillier days she’ll opt for boots/booties. on days where she really is feeling herself, she’ll wear heels, though there’s a chance she has a pair of sandals with her so she can change in the middle of the day if need be. 

make-up and nails: she’s not the best with make-up, but it’s another way for her to express herself. her daily make-up, which she makes an effort to do each day as best as she can, consists of the basic face make-up ( foundation, concealer, ect. ), eyeliner that wings slightly at the end, brows that are neatly filled in, blush to give her cheeks a slight shimmer and glow, and lipstick to call attention to her lips.  nails are nicely manicured, her style always changing depending on the season and her mood. she likes to keep them relatively short, though on special occasions, she can be found with longer nails. shapes typically switch from square-oval or ballerina/coffin nails. 

[killian-whump]

So...Killian's butt looks best in: Leather pants, such as Season 2? The leather-like jeans from Season 4? The black jeans from Season 5-6? The blue jeans in Season 7? Or the black denim in Season 7? Obviously the correct answer is no pants, but aside from that? I might have to vote for Roger's black denim behind as a close second. (And don't tell me his butt looks best all tied up, either! That's a given!) -J

Oh... So many options, it’s making my head spin, and I’m tempted to just stop reading this Ask after the fifth word and say

Yes. Yes, Killian’s butt looks best :D

But alas, I owe you better than that, my dear J... So I shall consider all of these options for you, my dear, because I love you.

Personally, I love a man’s rear (and front and legs and everything) in leather. And that one moment when he’s going up some steps and his sword belt is hanging just right there, like it’s thinking about slipping further down over the curve of his ass, but it stays put and just mooooves with his body, like it’s as entranced with that tight little tush as all the rest of us are and... it’s time for the GIF, isn’t it? Yes, indeed. It’s time for the GIF:

Mmmm. Leather just adds a smoothness and a sinewy look to a man’s bottom and it will always be a favorite of mine. I just... want to press my fingers into it and squeeeeeeeze. I want to run ice cubes along those curves, leaving little trails of water and sensation behind. I want to bite it, for gods’ sakes. Maybe a little spank, as well. Gods above, that ass is divine.

Please forgive me, my dear J, but that is truly the butt of champions and it makes me FEEL things and I get a little carried away by it.

Click the link below to see my thoughts on the other looks...

Now I am nothing if not an honest woman, and our precious bean sprout has a rather small butt (a delectable and beautiful butt, mind you all, but one on the smaller side) that doesn’t always fill out the pants he’s wearing... and it drives me absolutely batty.

Like, the GIF above absolutely demonstrates that it is possible to dress this man in pants that hug his tight little backside and highlight it’s lean and adorable contours perfectly. And yet, too many of the denim looks the show put him in do this to his butt:

Now, we know he has a lovely little ass, but those pants aren’t exactly... flattering it. They kinda make his butt look flat and shapeless, which we know it isn’t, of course, but looks can be deceiving, and this show repeatedly opted for fashion trends (super skinny jeans) over what’s most flattering on the man’s body (anything but super skinny jeans). Colin is a lean guy and, dare I say it, he’s got skinny legs. Super tight, leggings-like jeans aren’t really a good idea for guys with skinnier legs. They look better in relaxed fit jeans that hug all the right places (hips, butt, groin), but allow the eye to assume greater mass for each leg than there may be in actuality. Instead, this damn show opted to put Colin in pants that don’t even hug his ass, but cling to every inch of his legs like friggin’ tights, making his ass look flat and his legs look like sticks. Seriously, Hook’s pants are one of the banes of my very existence.

You’ll notice that most of the fandom’s favored shots of his backside tend to be when he’s bent at the waist, as that kind of pose pushes his butt out and forces it to fill out the pants he’s in. And then you can see what a lovely little tushy it truly is:

So smol. So tight. So adorable. Also, note Josh’s butt in this shot, as well. He definitely has a little more meat on his tush than our Colin does, so it’s a good shot for comparison’s sake to see what I mean about the size of our favorite guy’s super adorable backside.

Season 7′s costumer did better by Colin by giving him a bit more space to move in his jeans, which helped... but it still can’t compete with the leather.

When there’s a bit more room in the legs, the room in the butt doesn’t stand out as much and make the butt region look bad. Overall, that’s a nice pair of jeans right there, and his butt looks pretty nice in ‘em.

BUT, they also went and did THIS unforgivable thing in Season 7:

That’s leather pants, my friend, that turn into decidedly NOT LEATHER pants right at the butt region. That is the BEST region for leather pants to, you know, BE LEATHER, and there is NO excuse for there to be leather all the way up and NOT right there where it should be at all possible times. I mean, yeah, I bet those are a lot more comfortable than fully-leather pants, but what about MY needs?! I HAVE NEEDS, PEOPLE.

So, in short, what about some leather boxer briefs? Yes? Laces on the front. I like leather with laces. Maybe tastefully semi-undone laces... And he must be tied up, of course. Yes. Maybe... leather cuffs... holding his arms up for our enhanced enjoyment of those boxer briefs... and a gag in his mouth... yes... Something to match the leather and bondage theme, so maybe a ball gag? Leather straps, of course... and let’s forego the bright red ball for a black one... 

Wait. I’m sorry. Was that not the question? I think you said something about no bondage, but... but... I think this is now the question, because I’m gonna be unable to think of anything else for the rest of the day.

[elixirtchalla]

a smol and a tol • t’challa

prompt ↬ t’challa takes a liking to a little dora milajae warrior.

warnings ↬ just some fluff, you’re smol (5’1) here, okoye & shuri sense ur luv

“Welcome to the team, young warrior.”

Okoye’s voice rings in your head as the group of women finish up their training. It’s your fifth day training with the group and you can say that you’re proud of yourself—you know some of the members have been watching you and doubting your skill as a warrior because you are new, but you’ve proven worthy in just the short span of seventy-two hours.

“You are coming along well Y/N.” Ago smiles and you smile back as you look up at her; your spear in your hand. “I cannot wait until the King meets you.”

“The King?” you blinked, suddenly growing nervous. You’d knew you’d have to meet the King later, but you didn’t expect it to be so soon. You just joined the team. You weren’t ready to meet the King!

“Do not be frightened, young warrior. The King will love you.” Okoye walks up to the both of you and you shake your head.

“I do not think I am ready to meet the King. Shouldn’t I be a warrior a while longer?”

“Well, he actually wanted to meet you very quickly when we informed him we had a new warrior,” Okoye brings up and you widen your eyes. “There hasn’t been a new one in months. And he was particularly interested in your height.”

“My... my height?” you whisper. Why would he be interested in that?”

“We’ve had... smaller warriors, but no one as small as you. Especially someone who can fight so well. You can say that he is—merely excited.”

You sighed. There was no gettin out of this—you’d actually be face to face with the King.

“Now, go take off your gear and put on something normal, but pretty. Like that outfit I’ve set on your bed,” Ayo pats your back, chuckling at the surprised look on your face. “You’ll love it, I promise~”

You did indeed love the outfit.

It was a gorgeous dress, with the fabric wrapped around your right shoulder, leaving your left shoulder and neck exposed. It was a ruffle-type dress but still fit your body well. Ayo also found it in herself to add a gold choker—a thick one that covered your neck entirely.

You put the outfit on and matched it with the flats she gave you, adjusting your earrings and making sure the pattern on your bald head hadn’t washed off. You almost jumped out of your skin when Ayo walked into the room, her eyes scanning your body before the side of her mouth rose in a grin.

“You look dazzling, Y/N. The King will love you. Are you ready?” she asks, holding her hand out and you nod as you walk closer to take it.

“Ayo, I’m nervous,” you whine a little. “What if I embarrass myself?”

“You’ll be fine, Y/N. He’s not intimidating in the slightest.”

“But he is the king! And the Black Panther! How is he not intimidating?”

She shook her head. “You’ll see~”

_______________

You sit close to Ayo who you’ve got to say is probably your favorite in the whole team, as you two wait for the King to enter the room you’re settled in. You swallow your salvia as you hear the doors open, two other warriors standing aside as you watch the King is all of his glory.

“Welcome,” his honey voice rings out and the entire team stands, arms crossed over their chests as a greeting. “It’s exciting to see all of you here.”

“As to you, my King,” Okoye smiles, sending a glance back at you. “We’ve brought the new warrior.”

His eyes found yours and you had to hold Ayo’s hand behind the both of you to keep yourself steady. “Y/N,” he smiled, making his way over to you which is exactly what you didn’t want to happen. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

“It’s n-nice to meet you, my King,” you sweat, giving a small smile as you bow to him. “I’m honored that you w-want to see me.”

“Nervous?” he chuckled. “There is no need to be. I do not bite.”

You raise an eyebrow. He chuckles again, the sound beautiful to your ears.

“I would like to know more about you,” he smiles, looking towards Okoye. “Will you take everyone else out?”

Your eyes widen and you send a pleading look her way, squeezing Ayo’s hand a little too tight. “Of course, my King. Come on girls.”

They leave, Ayo turning around to send you a quick wink before they’re all gone. It’s you. And him. Alone.

“Okoye informed me that you grew up fighting?” He starts off, motioning for you to sit down while you quickly do. “Were you training to join the Dora Milaje?”

“No, your highness. My mother and father were both trained to fight by their own mother and father, and so on. It’s a... a family thing. And they just wanted me to protect myself,” you smiled small. “I never imagined myself to be on Wakanda’s greatest team of warriors. I did not know I was capable of it.”

“Well, you surely are, with how much the warriors like you already,” T’Challa smiles and you have to look down towards your feat. He is breathtaking. “You do know you are the smallest Milaje member?”

“I’ve been informed,” you laugh. “I was a bit insecure about it first but I’ve grown past it.”

“I think it’s quite cute,” T’Challa chuckles, “I would love to see you in a fight.”

“Are you challenging me, my King?” you don’t know where the sudden boost of confidence came from, but you’re thankful it came in the first place.

He grinned. “Maybe so.”

______________

You and the King got closer than you expected to.

He trained with you a lot, sometimes just regular fighting or full-out training. You always had room to improve and he would love to help you do that.

As well as the King taking a liking towards you, most of the kingdom did as well. You’d been to Shuri’s lab more times than you could count and she even offered to make some new gear for you and the Milaje. Speaking of them—you became friends, sisters even, with each and every single one of them. But there was a particular one that could tell of you and the King’s relationship.

“I think he really does like you,” Okoye hums, cleaning off the dirt and grass on her spear. “Smitten with you.”

You shake your head at her. “You mean he has feelings for me? Absolutely not.”

“Do you have feelings for him?”

You blinked. “W-Well...”

She laughed. “You should tell him that.”

“T-Tell him! No! I could be kicked off of the Milaje for doing such a thing!”

“Well, the only person that can really kick you off is me. Plus, I really do think he adores you,” she hummed. “He hasn’t had a relationship in years.”

You sat on the thought, while Shuri was egging on her brother to do the same thing.

“Just tell her you like her, bro! Don’t be a coward!”

“I am not a coward,” he shook his head. “Warriors have better things to do than worry about relationships.”

“But she likes you too! And she goes on and on about your height difference when she comes down here,” Shuri sighs happily at the memories. “You two would make the cutest couple. A big bitch and a small bitch.”

“Shuri,” T’Challa warned, and she only giggled.

“Sorry~ but you know I’m right! She’s tiny! You could pick her up and hide her in your suit in missions, and then she can come out and both of you can kick some major ass! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“There is no way that is possible,” He scoffs, looking up at her sister wearily. “Right...?”

She smirks. “Anything is possible when it is done by me, big brother.”

The week continues with both of you being egged on with the people closest to you. You continued to hang out with each other, your feelings growing even more in each other’s presence. He teases your height a lot—placing something you needed high above his own head and watching you to jump to get it, picking you up and carrying you around the kingdom, or back-hugging you and resting his chin against the top of your head as he tickles your tummy. He really adored you.

“Y/N, there is something I need to tell you,” he says as you two are out on his balcony, watching the stars in the night sky. “It is fairly important.”

You look towards him, smiling, and he smiles back at the sight. “What is it?”

“I-“ he gulped. Don’t be a coward. “I have had feelings about you for a long time now. I know you are a warrior, and there are better things to worry about, but I could not keep this from you any longer.”

You widen your eyes, heart sinking to your feet. “Really...?”

He sighs, head hanging as he turns to leave. “Never-mind, please forget I said anything.”

“No, w-wait! I like you too!” you shout and he turns around, waiting. “I just—I didn’t know if a King would want to date one of his warriors. E-Especially a new warrior.”

“If I was with anyone, it would surely be a warrior,” he smiled. “One is the strongest women of my country, of the world. It is my honor to be with a woman like that.”

You smile and rush towards him, reaching up to kiss his lips, but you were just too short. He laughs loudly as he wraps his arms around you and lifts you up, pressing his lips to yours as the stars dance around in the sky.

Shuri grins as she lowers her telescope, holding out her hand for Okoye to pay up. “I told you he would confess first! You have to be manipulate. My brother hates being called a coward.”

Okoye groans and places the money in her hand, just planning on making you train until you pass out tomorrow morning.

[priincesspacificaarchive]

[mouse here to drop some twin au headcanons that i just found after cleaning off my desk! tagging all the mainers of the twin au so! @llamanorthwest @tiitaniumxwill AND @glittcrguts bC ASH IS OUR MAIN MABEL I LOVE!!!]

okay so bc we’ve got mabifica and elipper (AKA dipifica for twin au for those of you not in the know) we’ve got this lil square of awesomeness and they’re p much the ultimate protection squad for one another.

so like these four getting this rep of being willing to go through HELL for one another, and fighting anyone that hurts someone else in their group.

like elise is this firey ball of FIGHTER and she’s 5′7 so she’s not exactly a smol either and that’s NOT in heels bc my gurls love their heels and are wearing at LEAST 3-4 inch heels at nearly ALL times (exceptions are like, flip flops and when they have to wear flats for their quinceanara). 

and PAZ is KNOWN for destroying reputations and lives with the snap of her perfectly manicured fingers. my gurl PLOTS and SCHEMES and doesn’t fucking STOP until that person is NOTHING.

dipper gets this rep of being Scary™️ bc of all his supernatural work in GF and just being kinda Feared™️ bc the boy has supernatural knoeledge and could very possibly get away with murder. (EDIT: def stole this from DC but i forgot and she forgot until just now)

and then there’s MABEL who’s just zany and off-the-wall and eats glitter glue and plastic dinosaurs for breakfast in her Mabel Juice. fear the crazy ones and beware the nice ones INDEED.

and then this was a separate set that i came up with so lets launch into these ones.

-so since our twins are latinas we hc that it goes back on the northwest side. Pacifica Elise is a family name, the name Nathaniel Northwest gave his first daughter. So when Preston and Priscilla discover they’re having twins they split the name. Roselyn and Elena were they’re GRANDMOTHERS’S first names ( and i SWEAR i forgot about the vampire diaries thing until i started watching it recently. i’m on season three. no spoilers.)

-dipper calls elise “sunshine” or “his sunshine” and it’s the cUTEST FUCKING THING.

-mabel and pacifica also calling one another their “moon” or “star(s)” respectively, by their cipher symbols.

-paz AVOIDING calling her shooting star bc bill cipher is an asshole

-BEACH. VACATIONS. WITH MATCHING SWIMSUITS FOR THE NORTHWEST TWINS BEFORE THE HAIRCUT FOR CONFUSING THEIR S.OS!

-elise literally LOVES helping mabel with knitting or scrapbooking and picks up knitting to calm her anxiety.

-paz and dipper going adventuring without the other two and growing close without their sisters to push them and bONDING and getting nto trouble with the supernatural.

-MYSTERY QUARTET THAT CAN DEVOLVE INTO THE SIBLINGS, THE SHIPS, OR THE SIBLING SHIPS (aka mabel/elise and dip/paz) AND NO ONE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH HOWEVER THEY SPLIT (except for elise bc she likes when they stick together. but she ALSO wants to go beat up unicorns with mabel so...) BC ALL OF THEM ARE GOOD AND CLOSE AND LOVE EACH OTHER!!!!

-elise and paz pick up witchcraft at some point to use their favorite elements (elise=fire, paz=ice/water)

yeah look at the random stuff i found. i have a road trip au headcannon list too but i can’t find the post i was gonna link to so maybe i’ll post that some other time.]

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Overwatch Junkers Concept:

Having lived in the Irradiated Aussie wilds for... well, as long as anyone can remember, since the blast that fucked everything up... living standards went from “a nice house, garden fence, steady job” to ‘survival at all costs’ and a take-what-you-can-get mentality.

Of course, this caused some trouble the first time Roadhog and Junkrat are dragged into the main Overwatch base. Not exactly by choice, either... but it sure as hell beat having to break out of another prison!

[The authorities were still pretty damned sore over the whole royal-heist thing, the wankers!]

In short, it was an adjustment.

Stealing stuff sometimes had the perks of being able to spend a night here and there at a swanky hotel... but they were always on the run, and never usually got to stay the full night without fleeing. (Roomservice was great, but trying to get the ‘Rat into a shower with time constraints was a task Roadhog just flat-out gave up on years ago, so they tended to leave the place a mess)

Roadhog tended to freak out some of the other members, it was the way he never took off the mask, stood still and silent yet menacing in stark contrast to the scrawny, giggling dirt-child who always seemed to follow him around. It was an aura that seemed to say ‘I could kill you for the hell of it, back off’.

It did make it a little hard for the guy to make friends. Also the hook... the amount of times Roadie would see something someone else was eating or drinking (out of) and just flat-out hook it from them... was getting on many nerves, but only one or two of the others ever seemed to react outwardly.  He was a tall, murderous dude, in a pig mask... if he wanted your fucking sandwich, you goddamn gave him your sandwich...

It was actually DVa who snapped, first. And most of the others in the room went straight to defence mode when they saw her recognise her favourite can of soda had just been stolen, and wheel about to shout at the Junker... It was almost comical, really. 

She didn’t even have the mech... just this tiny (by comparison) young woman yelling up a storm in a mix of languages, pointing angrily with each statement, up at this massive dude who could probably squish her in a single hand... Everyone else in the area had their hands on some sort of weapon, excepting Zarya who looked about ready to fight one-on-one with her bare russian fists if need be (to protect the smol)...

...and then, something entirely unexpected happened. Roadhog laughed. Not the usual, blood-thirsty sound he made whilst mowing down omnics... just, a laugh, genuine and amused. He pats her on the head, nearly obscuring her head from view, and gives back her drink... before moving off.

And that’s probably the first time anyone in the entire Overwatch team realised... there was more to this man than his appearance. And also gave insight into how he’d survived living with Junkrat this long.

[The second insight came when Pharah (the fearless) opened the Junker’s room door to find the man hip-deep in a pile of all the stolen plushies from the local region, and the random spree of toy store robberies suddenly made sense. He may have bribed her with a tiny plushie eagle, he might not have... it’s a secret between the two. Mercy is dying to know.]

Still, it wasn’t the only thing they had to get used to.

.

Now, all the Overwatch members... they had their hangups. Certain sounds or words or actions... could mess them up for days; because some had seen combat/war right up close, others had lost people, innocence and limbs in horrific ways, and others had been used by their governments as experimental playthings. No one really gets over any of those things.

And, it wasn’t like they wrote it on a list... pinned it up on the fridge, sort of like a ‘Not To-Do’ List or something about what could bother each member. But most of it was common sense. No random gunfire outside the range unless you needed it, no sticking explosives or traps in other people’s rooms, and for the love of god stop putting that stand-up/cut-out of an omnic in dark places... 

>Junkrat was personally responsible for the last two rules. 

.

Roadhog likes quiet, but it also makes him antsy. If there’s quiet for too long, it means there’s an ambush about to happen and those circling you are trying not to breathe too loud. He’s lived that life too long not to be on-guard during downtime; especially not at first.

Junkrat’s chatter helped, in a way. It filled the void; and he could always tune it out to focus on other sounds, if he had to. Had before... probably would again. Silence is a problem, though. Especially in the beginning when the others were afraid to be near him, when they clammed up if he moved past a room or entered it. Sure, the delight of having a working television and electrical devices was great background noise at first... but there was always a strange... longing to be near people. 

Roadhog remembered things about the Mako he used to be. How personable, he was, at the very least; and the whole concept of a social circle. Hell, even just as Junkers, they’d had people around them most of the time. And now there’s the chance to have that again, well, it’s definitely something he’s trying to make happen.

At first, it was a no-go, which made everything that much worse. He wasn’t exactly unfamiliar with being the guy who immediately filled a room when he entered; the one all eyes were drawn to immediately, the guy or gal you could just sense even with your back turned, the one everyone subtly watched out of fear or admiration... the one with the aura of menace that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

And he’d loved it. It meant safety, even in the Junker town there was always someone who wanted to try and climb the ladder by taking down someone bigger, better placed, stronger than them...  Aligning himself with Junkrat had surprised more than a few people; but no one dared pry exactly why... even though it didn’t really matter who was with who in this messed up apocalyptic hellscape. He let them wonder, it added to their menacing mystique. 

Still, the Junkers were loud and celebrated pretty much everything uproariously because tomorrow there might only be one of them left alive if any... why the hell not make a fuss over it? Even if Roadhog entered the room, after a moment, things would return to normal and the cacophony would resume. He liked that. It felt like acceptance, really.

But here, on base... that aura turned against him. He wanted to just exist in the same area as the others, have the subtle sounds of their lives move over him... and it’s not like he knew how to express that right, or would have, right at the start. You never expose a secret, a weakness, a desire... it could be turned back on you. Junkrat was different, of course, in that regard... but the others had yet to attain that level of Mako’s trust.

It took time. Adjustment, even the little ones, too effort on all parties’ parts.  Mercy and Lucio extended their friendship first... because that was who they were; personable, kind, careful and with a hint of danger behind their eyes that he could relate to. Lucio had led a social uprising to overthrow oppressors; Mercy would kill in a heartbeat for her patients... these were the people who healed and hurt with the same hands. 

And they found a way to get over their initial misgivings to speak with him.  Their inclusion was a chain reaction. And soon Roadhog was part of the team, which was at times novel and worrisome; as he often felt like there was some impending doom overlaying the whole thing. Junkers knew nothing lasted forever, after all. 

But the team drowned out the silence, just by putting him in the circle with them; and he knew, in a way he’d never be able to voice, that they had his back... Junkrat’s back... which was something new. Maybe being in a team wasn’t so bad. 

On the other side of things... Junkrat had a thing about... dolls. 

Roadhog knew the kid had a terrible memory, and couldn’t remember all that much past his exploits from round the time just before and after the explosion... but since it seemed to upset the little bugger, he never brought it up unless they had to. Jamie, Junkrat now, had been this scrawny, half-crazed, filthy little creature causing absolute fucking chaos around australia, when Roadhog had first heard of him... 

As someone with a bounty on their head that Mako very much wanted to cash in on... that is.

But when they met, it was different; sure he was everything the posters said and more, but he was just... a kid. Even Roadhog had compunctions about handing over a damaged kid for torture about some random secret he’d found out about the omnics...

And then Junkrat had offered a deal. Some sort of partnership, where ‘Hoggie’ (as the brat kept referring to him) got 50% of the treasure they made from future heists and the like. Sounded like a better idea in the long-run, and sat better with the taller man, so Roadie agreed. And it had indeed turned out to be lucrative...

Plus, it was hard not to get attached to the brat, after a bit. Sure, there were times he’d thought about tossing Rat off a cliff for the simple pleasure of a few moments of peace; but at the same time, the chatter somehow became part of life. Not to mention, through some great cosmic intervention, the kid had learned silence from Roadhog; which was not always engaged at the necessary times, but often enough that they’d survived this long.

They co-existed. It was the only way to survive where they lived.

Roadhog had never meant to get attached to the brat, but one day he suddenly realised (as he bolted the side car onto his motorbike) that it’d been awhile since he’d felt this way; part of something, alive, exhilarated and excited at the challenges they’d face the next day. 

Most governments had bounty hunters after them, at that point. He knew Mcree and Hanzo on sight, so that particular meet-the-team moment at Overwatch had NOT gone well. There’s been a fistfight before ana had settled it with a command and the threat of her dart gun being brought into play.

But interestingly enough, it’s the moments when things were settled that caused the most stress. Not the silence, but what was discovered in it.

Roadhog knew Junkrat had a bad memory, that much was clear after a week together... he forgot little things, and sometimes had to be reminded or reassured. Nothing too big, really. Just... where he put things, that he’d said something, his age, sometimes Roadhog’s name (which he’d eventually weaselled out of the guy about a month or two in, under threat of strip-poker as the alternative time-killer to a random Q&A session)... just, small things.

It was no big deal. Roadie didn’t mind.

It was... the things he almost remembered, that were the problem, and it started with a doll. Junkrat’s past seemed to be a big old blank, from what he could recall... just a vague age, his name, and that there was something about explosives that called to him. No family, no hometown, no past or friends faces... it was like the explosion had wiped that blank.

But then... there were moments where he had this look on his face, and the haunting laugh died for a moment, like he almost recalled something. Sometimes it was a sign, or a turn of phrase, an object... it would be like he was looking at something he knew, but couldn’t quite place; it was unsettling, sad even to someone as grizzled as Roadhog was.

He... somewhat remembered who he used to be; the man, Mako, and the life he had known were still in his mind somewhere. Memories came, sometimes, but he recalled faces and events, things that were important, when he needed to. To have all of that blank... the thought was chilling.

The rest of Junker town seemed surprised by his patience, but no one dared bring it up. 

Still, a lot of life in Junkertown consisted of fighting, foraging, fucking and festivising the fact they lived through the day. Foraging was done in various places; sometimes you went through battlefields for scrap, other times you went increasingly further afield in order to find supplies like food and water. Growing your own stuff was increasingly more difficult these days, considering everything was an irradiated hellscape and the ground was scorched barren for the next few thousand years at least. 

It was on an extended trip that Junkrat finds the doll, half-hidden under a collapsed roof beam, and mostly destroyed... the object seemed innocuous, just another bit of a lost life. Like everything else. 

Others had been there, clearly. Most places were picked over dozens of times, until everything that could be used, was. But the doll had remained.  There were almost no children, these days. Whether the radiation had made people sterile, or everyone was careful not to bring children into this place, no one was quite sure... there were only a handful of kids in Junkertown, mostly too old for toys but just too young to be foraging alone or playing with explosives without competent supervision.  You know, teenagers. 

But there it was, some random relic of a bygone time... and even Roadhog, who had been in a different room at the time, could sense the stress it induced. He’d come lumbering in, hook out, ready to fight... and found Junkrat kneeling on the floor, cradling the damn thing, shattered porcelain shards slicing up his hands. The kid was shaking, like he was terrified, or on the verge of tears... maybe both. But his face seemed to be closed, confused; eyes distant, but locked onto the doll. 

Nothing about it made any real sense, not in the moment.

“C-can’t...” the kid had murmured, clutching at the doll.

“What can’t you do, Jamie?” Roadhog had asked, not really expecting a reply.

“Remember... can’t...” Junkrat had stuttered back, shuddering and flinging the toy violently from him before clutching his face. He didn’t seem aware he was crying, which was concerning, but then... so was that piercing laughter he was letting out. 

Roadhog had had to drag the explosive expert out of there bodily (not hard to do, considering the unique difference in body types and sizes they possessed), and into the next town over before the other was vaguely coherent enough to take the mask Roadhog offered. Breathing through it, even without the healing vapours, tended to have a calming effect on the hyperventilating...

All he could get out of Junkrat was that he ‘couldn’t remember’ and ‘seen it before’ and ‘hers... gone?’. By the next day, all that was left of the episode was the dark circles under the Rat’s eyes; and the day after that, he’d either forgotten or repressed the memory.

It was something that rarely came up, really. How many dolls were there to be found on a base full of adults? And apparently plushies didn’t count, somehow.

But someone found out, though they weren’t sure who. Might have been one of the bounty hunters looking for a good way to out-psyche their target... and it backfired in a big way. One day there was just a damn doll, porcelain and slightly smashed, in their room; it’d taken all damn evening to calm the frantic rat down.  Mercy had actually kicked down the door, having sensed distress, in order to help ‘a patient and friend’. But there wasn’t much she could do with her healing staff, that Roadhog wasn’t already doing with his mask. It was mostly a matter of reassurance and waiting it out.

Whoever put it there has yet to own up, mostly because Roadhog (or Mercy) will kill them when they do. But the others have been careful to avoid bringing up family and, well, toys in general, with the ‘Rat, ever since. 

-

These are not the fears  you would assume they’d harbour, just looking at them.

A masked man who is half-giant and slays enemies with glee; who cannot stand the weight of silence, and fears what the implications of it might very well be.

A man who giggles as he sets traps and fires weapons to blow the competition away; dropped into hysteria, at the sight of something that almost-reminds him of a past he can’t remember, who has to be comforted upon encountering a doll.

-

They also hold perfectly logical fears, too.

Roadhog harbours a resentment of bladed weaponry, and being caught unprepared; the scar on his face that few have seen (and survived to speak of) attests to that. Always prepare. Stay alive.

It is why they would take shifts, to sleep and guard the other’s rest. Which was something of a habit that they had difficulty breaking when they arrived on base. Which frustrated the others no end, until they worked it out.

They demanded to share a room, which led to some subtle questioning from the rest of the team (no one was averse, just nosey and gossip-starved, really). Hog took the bed by the door, and Junkrat would boobytrap the window at night... until Soldier (’76′) determined that was something they needed to stop doing (because they could only replace the wall so many times when a suspicious noise had whoever was up pressing the button preemptively). 

(“It’s just a damn squirrel, c’mon we talked about this LAST TIME!” the grizzled veteran shouts in utter exasperation, for the third time that week. Mostly cranky because he was covered in his own coffee, thanks to the explosion’s shockwave.)

If Junkrat was sleeping, fitfully or fully, then Roadhog was awake and occasionally moving through the halls. If Roadhog was sleeping, then Junkrat was moving around the room and hallway beyond ready to respond in an instant. 

Which was, to put it gently, annoying as hell for the rest of the occupants.  There were subtle conversations about the fact the Junkers needed to sleep with the rest of them... and questions as to whether it was a timezone thing (as Australia was the opposite day/night cycle to their current hemispherical location). 

There were also blatant threats, about how, where and when one of the men would die if they woke  another member up ONE MORE FUCKING TIME at 3am!

And neither of them really felt the need to explain the why. Because, of course, it’s common practice? To stay awake? They were just being polite?

In short, the main response seemed to be: that Roadhog and Junkrat extended their roaming, especially at night. When they realised no one else was wandering around keeping guard...

Who else would keep the team safe? How could they all be so carefree, feel so safe?

It was this constant almost-paranoia that drove them. But the thud-chingle-chinka-rustle-thud of Roadhog’s footsteps, and the step-tump-step-tump-step-wooohooohoohaha-step-tump of Junkrat’s movements, late at night, that was killing the rest of the team. Some of them NEEDED to SLEEP. Did the new guys NOT UNDERSTAND THAT CONCEPT?

So they’re asked, quite blatantly, what’s going on by Reinhardt (who has a built in shield and is least likely to die). 

“Gotta keep ya alive, never know who’s about when ya snoozin’!” Junkrat explains. And thankfully, Roadhog gives a slightly better explanation of the guard-restee situation, and mentions they’re a little concerned about the fact the base is so lax...

And Reinhardt gets it straight away. Because that’s his job, to be the Shield, the protector.  He explains that they don’t need to patrol because there are surveillance cameras and automated defence mechanisms all over the place; Torb sets them at night. The grizzled engineer is only too delighted to explain in incredibly mechanical detail, how his system works... and that it was damn-near-foolproof! Which sets up a minor relationship between Torb and Roadhog, as the pair go over schematics; and the engineer marvels at the motorbike (and sidecar) Roadhog managed to cobble out of spare omnic parts. Junkrat mostly points out that Torb’s turret would be more effective if they shot bombs... so he gets unceremoniously tossed out of the workshop. 

Symmetra approaches them to offer to put turrets in their room and around it, at night, if that would help. And she is faithful to that.  She finds random jewels and shiny things in her room, often, afterwards. Just things the junkers find that they think she might like. It is an enjoyable trade.

And, it’s not an immediate fix. They’re used to cycling sleeping and guarding, so it takes a while for them to both be able to sleep at the same time, or even just at night (because in the wolds, you kip where you can, mate!). But eventually, it happens.

No more night wandering. No more exploding windows. Maybe a steel trap here and there that caught a few people on their way to the fridge for a midnight snack run... which involved some reprimanding (both for sneaking extra food, and the trap itself). But finally, they start to fall in synch with the rest of the team...

Although it is still a bizarre situation to have to deal with both of them, barely-awake and full of sleepy yet murderous intent, at the breakfast table.

. . .

Junkrat cannot stand the infirmary. Or at least, that specific scent associated with medical cleanliness.

He vaguely remembers the day he was caught in a backfire explosion, a heist gone wrong, and lost at least one of the two limbs on his body; he recalls Roadhog was there, telling him to just breathe, and the weight of the mask... and everything hurt, he couldn’t move... then nothing. And finally, he was heavy, and that scent was everywhere; his limbs felt wrong, like they weren't his.  And they were most assuredly not. Cobbled-together metallic limbs, not the best materials, but what was even available out there in the Outback?

Not much. That’s for damn sure. But Mako had clearly gone to great lengths to find something that would function right; and sought out that one doc from a few Junktowns over, to attach them. 

It’s the scent, though. Feels like he’d been in this place before... it’s the shell of a hospital, but someone had taken the time to give it a good scrub with whatever agents remained. Most drugs were taken early, to junkertown, or by users... they had a med student for a bit; until she was taken out in a surprise raid by a few remaining bastion units. There weren’t many people left in specific professions... they died early, to those who knew how to fight, or ended up jealously guarded by the towns that found them first.

The fact Roadhog had managed to wrangle some sort of medical person at all was a real surprise; he’d either had to fight or intimidate for them. And all for lil’ old Junkrat? He burbled something about it being ‘real fuckin’ sweet’ of Hog, when he saw the guy. And got a noncommittal noise in return. 

He doesn’t recall a lot of that time, not until things settled down... and his memory was shit anyway; but that smell tended to remind him of all the worst bits of that situation. Can’t stand to be near the infirmary, or any room that accidentally gets washed using the same cleaning agent... 

Mercy thought his aversion was to her, to start with.  Not a lot of doctors in Junkertown, probably hack surgeons at best, she’d thought. The entire continent was mostly left to its own devices, after the explosion; no help, just... survive and die as you see fit, the world doesn’t care.

It would make sense, especially given... that he had prosthetics. Which signified some degree of double amputation at some point; but pinning him down to ask was hard, and when she did, he couldn’t really be specific. She took a little while to catch on to the memory concerns, and even then, only with Roadhog giving her a clue. 

Still, Mercy tried to connect a little too hard, until Junkrat up and told her she stank. The healer nearly scoffed at the irony, but held it in and left.  She asked Mei whether she did, later, and the cryogenics expert thought for a minute before replying that Mercy always smelled like the infirmary. And so, after a shower and a new outfit that smelled more like perfume, she tracks down Junkrat... and finds him more forthcoming; as best he can be., She managed to ask if he’d spent a lot of time in a hospital before... but he clams up. The healer asked Roadhog, and got more of an answer than she bargained for... but it made far more sense. 

Now, whenever Junkrat needs an examination, or attention, she does try to do it in his room... or at least have the infirmary vented first to decrease his stress. Although in several emergencies, he’s been dragged in kicking-and-screaming by Roadhog or Zarya, or on one memorable occasion, Symmetra (and who saw that coming?). 

- - - -

There was another 5000 words, but tumblr glitched and apparently my last four saves of this draft reverted to nothing.

I will try to replicate them, but I am mostly devastated they’re gone.

- - - 

There was a whole elaborate headcanon about the Junkers a) eating things that just truly horrify the rest of the team (bc out in the real world you eat what you find, hunt, trap), and b) raiding the bins and fridge/pantry to stash things... until they send Lucio to explain to them that it’s okay. They don’t NEED to do that, because they will never go hungry here.

And the sudden realisation that everything they ate was... clean. Everything at home was irradiated, killing them with every life-sustaining bite, like a cruel joke... and yet, this food was safe, clean, made from real things that lived and grew. Not to mention that whatever the healers on the team used, seemed to be slowly purging residual from their systems... not entirely, but enough that the rest of the team didn;t need anti-red immunisations once a week to be near them. 

.

Something about Genji being personally offended by Junkrat’s... everything, and it caused a lot of explosive damage and tension; until Zenyatta stepped in (with Winston keeping the combatants apart for safe measure), and settled things. Pointing out that his Orb of Discord would not affix to either of them, which mean t they were allies, not enemies.

Zenyatta never seems to tire of hearing Junkrat talk, or sitting with Roadhog; the monk is a genial soul, who manages to subtly impart things when he can. There’s a rumour that he knows more about the pair than anyone else on the team... 

Genji, following his master, does try to connect with them. He respects Roadhog’s strength, and tests his own restraint around Junkrat. Perhaps he feels that the brash, reckless, kid of an explosives expert hits a little too close to home, with his carelessness and inner turmoil? 

The fact Hanzo seems hellbent on chasing Junkrat down, however, is not helping; but further cements the fact Genji will protect the loud aussie as needs be.

.

Junkrat finding out D.Va’s mecha is a giant fucking bomb would have been the best/worst moment of his life.

For one... it’s a giant, pilotable BOMB.

On the other, her government took a child and strapped her into one... and she wasn’t supposed to come back. Which he hates. She’s fun to be around, they’re around the sameish age (he’s checked with Hog a few times about that, can never recall it), and she’s patient.  Sort of. 

She does call him a noob, sometimes, and he’s still not sure what that means but apparently it’s affectionate. DVa thinks it’s hilarious when he calls her a ‘sheila’. Her video games are helping him get better at utilising the fine motor skills of his prosthetic hand (upgraded since arriving on base to a slightly better operating system and nerve synch for faster reaction times, but he won’t let them change it because Roadhog went to the trouble of making it for him!).

‘Hog seems to like her too, really. She was just likeable, and a little bit vulnerable under all the badass that reminded them of themselves.  She even made herself a Junker outfit, with their help. 

DVa picks up things fast as hell, and adapts straight away. She can tell if someone’s uncomfortable, or has forgotten something, and covers it over. She was thrust into limelight whether she wanted it or not, when she was chosen as a mecha-pilot... and now, it’s part of her. 

[Junkrat is currently forbidden from flying the mech, for reasons of ‘Oh God No. Just No’ by order of all senior members of the Overwatch team. On the upside, there’s a new skylight.]

Not to mention how Roadhog and Junkrat just seem to know intrinsically when she needs to be left alone, especially if the press are hounding her. Either Junkrat will toss down his favourite explosive device and start counting down from ten as they scatter like frightened chickens, or Roadhog will hook her right out of camera-range, and walk off with her. “No Comment.” he adds, if anyone protests. Who the hell would argue with them?

.

Roadhog gets along with Zarya; but not with Mcree.

The Russian recognises his strength, and likes to just hang out together; not always training, but sometimes they do. She likes an opponent that is not afraid to fight back, or put their all into a challenge. Reinhardt always agrees to spar, but then backs out because he doesn’t feel that hitting women is appropriate under the circumstances). Chivalrous, but frustrating. 

Roadhog admires her drive. She does not have to fight, but chooses to do so out of a drive to protect; and she is never afraid to jest with Junkrat. Although the last time she clapped him on the back, he nearly flew across the room, but they all laughed pretty hard.

Mcree, the former bounty hunter, he is consistently staring down. Even in the relaxed setting of Overwatch, he can’t quite trust the man, who nearly caught them off-guard once... just once. 

Roadhog and Junkrat had passed through a town on the far-reaches of Junkertown territory, the last people there seem to have died from some sickness... and no matter how carefully they avoided touching anything or breathing too deeply... both came down with something nasty.

Now they couldn’t go back to Junkertown while sick. That was the rule. 

Don’t bring illness to the group; send word and something can be sent to you, to stay alive, but no one will help you (unless it was a basic cold, and it was almost NEVER a basic cold, with all the radiation and mutational strains of disease around). Wound-based illnesses were okay, too. Because hey weren’t transmutable.

Still, they holed up and sweated it out for a few days; made the mistake of lighting a fire in a way that others might find visible if they looked right... and Mcree just so happened to see the flicker, that night. Got a lucky break.  Nearly took them both down with a flashbang they were so far gone.

And that’s the bit Roadhog has a problem with most. 

Any other time, any other tactic, and he could deal with it... they’d been attacked while vulnerable before (when they’d started sleeping in shifts, both had fallen asleep by accident a few times), but they’d been able to fight back. From Mako’s perspective... Mcree was a coward, who took advantage of a terrible situation, and nearly gotten them killed. The cowboy hadn’t really done anything, so far, to revoke that ideology... except staythe hell out of their way (especially when they inevitably got sick, the first time they came across snow and ran into it).

.

Illness.

Junkrat and Roadhog are flat-out oblivious to attire... despite the subtle accusations that they have a whole irradiated australian aesthetic going on with their matching clothes. Both would ask exactly how they matched, but that point is superfluous when your teammates are smirking like that.

Well, both have a very limited amount of fabric on their bodies; some would go far enough to say ‘half-nude’ and ‘shirtless’. Some would be correct.

The problem with that is... when they come across cold climates. The kind with a windchill factor that could invert your nipples on contact.  Zenyatta tries to keep an orb of harmony on them to prevent illness, but it doesn’t do all that much. Injury, not illness, after all. 

But the desert outback used to get cold at night, and they survived so most of the team isn’t that concerned. After all, Hanzo is about 25% naked most of the time, and he makes it through cold environments just fine... nipples as extroverted as ever.

Well basically, their first run in with snow was what set off their first illness on base. And that was a minor fiasco. When one woke up sick, so did the other.  They didn’t actually go as far as telling anyone, though... and just flat-out barricaded their door, to prevent infection. They had a small bathroom off their room, and the stashed food, therefore everything was in hand and fine.

Keep everyone safe. Prevent the spread. That’s how it works.

Junkrat, miserable, tried to look after the hella unwella Roadhog.

Roadhog, exhausted, attempted to do the same right back for the shaky dirt-child, Junkrat.

A self-contained sickchamber, as far as they were concerned. They’d done it before in far less secure places than this... and if the door was barricaded, then no bounty hunters could get in.

Except, that’s not how it works, when you’re on a big team of heroes and retired-villains. And also Reaper can fucking ghost through walls so ‘fuck you barricade’... admittedly, ‘Death Comes’ probably shouldn’t have been his first words in the situation... but he still stands by his statement that Roadhog shooting him (a miss, thankfully) was an overreaction.

He tries briefly to reason with them, bribe, cajole, encourage, placate and reassure... but they’re set in this idea of isolation... so he goes back out to the concerned healer group. Mercy is all for getting Reinhardt to smash a hole in the wall so she can get in there; Ana feels they should be more subtle, if Pharah can get her high enough, the woman can shoot through the window and boost the boys’ health. Lucio asks Zarya to put his spare speakers right up against the door to the room, and blasts his healing track on loop; and Zenyatta tries to bargain his way inside.

The omnic monk manages to actually get in there, as the Junkers feel he’s the only one (besides Orisa and she freaked Junkrat out) who wouldn’t get sick too. The Orb of Harmony can’t heal them of their malady in the way antibiotics would, but in combination with the healing track from Lucio, it can provide/promote enough relaxation for an ill individual to rest properly (not fitfully) which is important for combating illness. 

[The only ones more stubborn about being ill (than the Junkers) were Soldier, Reaper, Ana, Pharah, Genji, Mcree and Mercy... so the team had practice finding unique solutions to sick members. It was a challenge but not one they couldn’t deal with. Mercy practically had to be taken down by dogpile or rocket barrage, she was stubborn as hell about it. Ana was worse. You had to FIND her first.]

The others disassemble the barricade and move in, while the others are resting. By the time they wake up, they’re too disoriented to have a proper opinion, and there’s too many people (being constantly hit with a health barrier by Ana, for hygienic purposes), but it’s... kind of nice. To have people take care of you. It’d been a while since it was anyone but Junkrat caring for Roadie, or Roadhog caring for Rat, when they were ill...

One of them thinks they said so aloud, which got gentle laughter and reassurance. “Of course, that’s what it means to be a team.” 

Mei makes them icepacks. Mercy and Lucio fuss over them. DVa tries to entertain them when they’re up for it. Zenyatta is always there. Zarya helps them get up when they need to. Soldier and Reaper tag team in and out at the door, to keep an eye and help them feel safe. Torbjorn checks Junkrat’s prosthetics over, because they tend to twitch uncomfortably when he shakes. Reinhardt sometimes appears and starts telling stories without prompting, always fascinating. Tracer carries messages around and finds anyone needed in a heartbeat. Symmetra puts sentries around, to make them feel secure, and toys with the idea of making a teleporter to the bathroom and back for them. And many others are randomly involved in their care, as the days go on.

It was a different experience than they were used to, being entirely vulnerable and actually able to trust others, let them in. Took the Junkers a while to assimilate that experience positively. Lot to take in.

They help when others are sick, too. It took a while for them to really do anything superhelpful, because there’s that stigma about contagions they’d lived and survived by, for so long... but they tried. And that’s what mattered.

The next time they got sick, it was less dramatic, but also the instigation of what the team now refers to as the ‘Put a Shirt on the Junkers So They’ll Stop Getting Sick Intervention’, which Roadie and Rat hated SO MUCH. But wore shirts for like a week, to appease the others.

. - - .

Also, the Headcanon that hygiene was initially an issue.

Just because they have showers, doesn’t mean they’re capable of letting their guard down for long enough to use one... and they’re used to being... well, layered protectively in grime.

“Why bother? I’ll just get dirty again!” grumbles Junkrat, when he’s delicately approached by Mercy and Ana about it. 

[Ana, with the full experience of getting Pharah/Fareeha into the tub at a young age, and knowing how to convince effectively.] 

“Yes, but you must, you will feel much better for it, trust me!” Mercy argues back. 

Roadhog can eventually concede that it’s okay to be vulnerable for a super-fast shower... provided Symmetra puts her sentries around the bathroom door, and Torb drops a turret there. Overkill? Maybe.

But where they came from, even just taking a slash in the bushes could be a fatal mistake, unless you got someone around to keep a lookout. And sure, it might seem hilarious to some (Mcree, you drongo, stop giggling), but if it puts them at rest and means the rest of the team can stop choking on unwashed aussie odour? All the better.

Junkrat, on the other hand... was another matter. He was incredibly against it, having pretty much gotten used to the protective layer of grime and gunpowder he’d accumulated from years of being in the wastelands. Not to mention the healthy dose of fear associated with water...

Ponds, pools, rivers, all contaminated. The rain was acidic, nine times out of ten... you didn’t want to go skinny dipping or anything along those lines unless you felt particularly ready to die or mutate. Most of the water they got had to be boiled pure again... which was a pain...

But it meant you continued living. So you did it.

Baths were very much like billabongs, and showers were just indoor rain cubicles, after all. Plus the whole ‘being naked and weaponless’ thing didn’t sit right. Even if Hoggie sat at the door, the idea stressed him out.

Well, week two rolls around, and the team is DESPERATE. Ana says she has a plan... but needs someone to distract Roadhog; for which, Mcree mysteriously volunteers, possibly hoping to mend a few bridges. 

Which worked as well as a rock trying to swim. The mending bit, not the distraction bit. They pretty much ending up fighting in the gym for a bit... the place is in shambles afterwards, but Roadhog’s anger seems to have dissipated a little. Fair combat, equal playing field, means you sincerely respect your opponent... or you’re being a distraction.

Roadhog’s not an idiot. He realises the second after the fight finishes that he hasn’t heard maniacal laughter, explosions or chatter for at least the last twenty minutes... which means something’s wrong. He lumbers back to their room, to find a sopping wet, bedraggled but oddly clean and confused, Junkrat standing there swathed in towels.

There is horror in his eyes, and his skin is slightly pink where it’s been scrubbed firmly. “H-Hoggie... they made me take a bath...” he whispers.

Roadhog does try not to laugh, because it’s ridiculous, but he know Jamie has a thing about water (they all do, radiation, acid and all) and this was not by choice.

“It was her idea!” shouts Mercy, giving up Ana immediately, in panic. 

“Indeed.” smiles Ana, clearly not afraid at all. She pats her tranquilliser gun for emphasis, and her grin broadens. “I used to have to get Fareeha into a bath after a long day of playing in the mud, after all... Junkrat was no problem.”

The sequence of events had involved DVa distracting Junkrat, Ana darting him, Lucio speed-delivering him to the bathroom, and then Ana and Mercy had removed (and incinerated) his attire before dumping him in a tub full of so many bubbles he just about disappeared. He woke up right before he hit the tub, in utter confusion, and slightly panicked; but apparently they talked him through it. 

And now, here he was, clean, and about half the size he was before.  Roadhog had to make the kid eat more, he would disappear altogether if he had another bath... 

Seeing that Rat was waiting for a response, he grunts, “Good. Clean suits you.” and proceeds to toss Junkrat’s spare attire (mysteriously cleaned by someone with super-speed) at him. 

He leaves, laughing at the betrayed look on the other Junker’s face. Clearly, Jamie realised that he was going to have to have another bath soon, and Roadhog wouldn’t stop the others from making him... 

Mako wasn’t all that concerned, Jamie’d come around eventually. Clean felt pretty good, actually. 

In a month, including several other impromptu bath as-salts and interventions, Junkrat had finally begun to enjoy bathtime. Which may or may not have anything to do with the fact someone gave him a couple of bath toys, including a rubber duckie he kept calling Duckrat. 

Well, at least it kept him entertained for a bit...

Now the trouble was getting him the hell out of the tub when others wanted it (namely Roadhog). Still, Mako couldn’t help but wonder how exactly they were going to approach getting the kid to use the shower... 

It was sure as hell going to be interesting.

- - - 

The first time they tell anyone their names, is the moment the team realises that they feel safe, part of something, and are willing to stay. They have earned their trust.

They’d tried not to pry, but it’s hard to call someone by their Wanted Poster name all the damn time... so eventually, D.Va asks.

“...I was Mako, once.” Roadhog eventually grumbles. He scratches at his belly, thoughtfully. “Don’t mind it. Call me Mako.”

Junkrat is frowning. “And I’m... uh...”

“Jamieson. You like Jamie, though.” adds Roadhog, surprisingly gently.

“Yeah, soundsaboutright...” Junkrat mumbles, then smiles. “Jamie.”

“Nice to meet you,” D.Va beams back. 

.

Sure, some of the higher ups knew their names and basic info, but it was different to have them tell you. Have them trust you with that knowledge...

- - - - 

This has been, random ‘how did they first fit in’ headcanons at 4am.

[dothewrite]

smol volley squad and the day when you become a year older.

Happy belated Birthday, anon! I’m sorry this took a while, but I hope that you had a bright, happy day. :) Here’s to you! P.S. Kuroo is a huge dork and doesn’t understand how cheesy he sounds.

Bokuto Koutarou.

“It’s not a surprise if I know about it.” Akaashi looks at you, alarmed, but the only thing that shows it is the way his brows raise.

“You tell him that, and his heart’s going to break.”

That makes your chest twinge and a soft smile curls itself happily on your cheeks. “You’re right. It’s a surprise, no matter what.”

It’s worth all the trouble, because the moment you turn the heavy, padded doorknob, you can hear the excited breathing from a certain loveable owl of yours, and Akaashi’s right there by your side- equally amused, and equally exasperated. 10/10 for trying, you had to give him, and full points for making you feel so full you’re about to burst, quite like the palpable tension in the darkness. You do your best not to giggle, because this is the worst try of being ‘not here’ you’ve ever seen.

Ahem, Akaashi coughs from beside you, and the lights suddenly snap on after ten seconds of awkward standing and you’re almost blinded and deafened at the same time from the pandemonium of vuvuzelas, shouts, those glitter rocket things exploding and a lot of horns and ‘happy fucking birthday!’s being shouted. And Bokuto’s smile. His eyes are locked onto yours with all the excitement in the world and that’s what blinds you- the ridiculous tears that come unbidden to your eyes and you can’t help but join in the laughter.

“Happy Birthday!” Bokuto grins at you, “you probably heard us from like, down the street and everything ‘cus we were so loud but surprise anyway!”

“Oh, Kou,” you begin. He’s standing all the way across the room but you’re sure that he’ll hear you anyway. I love you, you start to say.

But it’s very difficult to say anything at all when a tall, irritating man with a cat-like smile decides, in that moment, to slam the cake into your face.

“Fudddffsss,” you swear with feeling. It’s only received with a loud, satisfied chortle, and you’re about to whip this ass into shape when a pair of hands suddenly cradle your very, very sweet, icing-covered face and presses a kiss to your obscured lips.

Trust Bokuto to know exactly where to kiss even if he can’t possibly see your features. You wipe at your eyes with the sleeve of your jumper that you’ve resigned to lose anyway, and you’re rewarded with a pair of fond, amber eyes that bore into you with an intimate intensity reserved only for the two of you.

“I love you,” he says, beating you to the punch, and you melt and puff up in indignation at the same time. “Don’t worry,” he adds, “we have another cake for eating. That one was just for your face.”

Kuroo Tetsurou.

You’re still not sure if you’re dreaming or not when Kuroo shows up on your doorstep on a Saturday night, at eight pm, in a black tux.

Are you dead? His smirk says no, but smirks can also lie and if this really is the vision that judges your worth at the pearly gates, you bet your ass you’re going to keep dying just ‘cus, y’know. For this.

“Hey,” he’s still grinning, although his hands are in his pockets, and you know that he’s at least a little nervous. “You ready to go?”

“Uhhhhph,” you reply, very eloquently.

He’s trying really hard not to laugh, the bastard. You’re as red as a tomato, but it’s nice to know that your mental shutdown has gotten rid of his nerves. That makes one of you, at least, because you’re not sure you can even take a solid step in these heels with your knees the way they are.

“Here, I’ll help,” Kuroo’s grin subsides into a kind smile as he takes your hand in his and places it on his arm. It’s a wobbly trek to his car, but you’re regaining your balance with each step. He opens the door for you slide into, hyper aware of how easily your dress can snag, and a moment later he slips into the driver’s seat beside you like he was born to do everything in a tux.

He should, really.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he says, busy with turning on the ignition, “the answer’s no.”

“But it’s my birthday,” you gasp, but he’s not perturbed. Kuroo gestures obviously at his attire. “Yeah, I know,” he drawls. You’re too enchanted to frown, or pout, but drooling seems okay. That makes him grin and he turns to you before he shifts to drive.

“You look ravishing,” his voice is soft and reverent, and your cheeks heat up once again for a completely different reason. “I’d say beautiful, but you’re that every day already.”

“I-I-“ Your traitorous voice stutters, but for once, Kuroo doesn’t smirk, but only smiles bashfully and a hand cups your cheek gently for a long moment.

“Alright, let’s go, or we’ll be late,” he finally says, and his eyes leave yours reluctantly to watch the road. The ride there is tense, but in a good way with a buzzing, electric atmosphere between two people and their first time so in love.

Akaashi Keiji.

It’s like getting an email from a Nigerian prince offering you money, and then you delete it, scoffing, only to discover later that it really is a Nigerian prince. Or at least, that’s the first thing that comes to mind when you find a small, folded note in between your novel, a short riddle written on it with familiar handwriting.

Taking it slow and easy has always been okay with you, but you can’t help the excited thrum in your ears when you solve each riddle you come by one by one, almost dragging it out longer so that you can savour the moment. Akaashi’s not an unromantic person, but the days off you spend together are usually soft, mellow and at home; a riddle trail feels almost out of character, but you won’t deny that it makes your heart beat a mile per minute knowing that he’s trying something new for your birthday.

You’re reading the final piece you found hidden between two flower bushes at the park when Akaashi’s voice floats up towards you from behind.

“Hello,” he sounds like he’s singing, or maybe that’s just in your head, but it’s a song all the same. “You solved those quicker than I expected.”

Your smile feels like a secret between you and yourself, and you reach a hand to fit into his outstretched one. “I wanted to find what was at the end of them, that’s all.”

“Happy Birthday,” he says, eyes alight and crinkled with a happiness you don’t see too often in him.

“Thank you,” you reply, taking a step closer to him until your arm is pressed between the two of you. It’s only late afternoon, but nobody else is around in the park and it feels like a temporary paradise that will keep you alive for years to come.

He kisses the crown of your head, and you lean in with your eyes closed. “Shall we go?” He murmurs to you, “dinner’s quite a drive away, and-“ he pauses, a mischievous lilt to his words, “well, there’s something after too.”

“Okay,” you smile, and you pocket the slip of paper into your purse before he takes you by the hand again.

On it, it reads: Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet. – Plato.

Oikawa Tooru.

The one thing you never expected Oikawa to be good at was cooking. In fact, from how often he received food from his fangirls after his matches, you didn’t really see the point in learning how to provide for himself when he was always provided for. Not that it bothered you, it was just more food for lunch. That’s why when you had received a short text asking for your company at his flat on the evening of your birthday, you were quite surprised to show up to an exquisitely set up table, in the quiet ambience of candles and several sets of white Christmas lights as the only lighting in the room.

You were only dressed normally, but it brought a lump to your throat when you saw your boyfriend hovering nervously by the entryway in a smart blazer and expensive looking slacks.

“Happy Birthday,” he blurts out in a hurry, the tips of his ears colouring an endearing shade of red, and you have to hold a hand to your chest to keep it from beating too loudly. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” you giggle, and his tense expression breaks into something softer, more bashful than embarrassed, and he almost joins in the laughter with you.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” you accuse him lightly when he finally takes his seat opposite you. He’s been expecting this question from the way he doesn’t tense up, and normal Oikawa returns with a smug smirk.

“I can’t. These are the only things I practiced over and over again for tonight, so if you ask me to bake a cake, I have no idea what to do.”

Indeed, what a perfectionist, you huff in amusement, and only Oikawa could sound so proud of not knowing how to do something. Yet, all it takes is a single taste of his dinner for all the doubts to flee your mind. This is delicious, and from the way he’s looking at you, he knows it, but somehow is still very worried that you might not like it.

“It’s delicious, Mister I-can’t-cook,” you stick your tongue out at him, and he breaks into a relieved smile.

“Good,” he exhales, “because I’ve been so stressed about this, you have no idea.”

“Thank you, Tooru,” you smile. He perks up a little more, but the tips of his ears begin to colour again.

“Well, it’s your birthday. So, Happy Birthday.”

“You said that already,” you point out, and he pouts.

“Fine. Merry Christmas, then.”

Truthfully, he doesn’t need the food. You’re sure that if it was just the two of you with empty plates at this beautiful table, the happy smile on your face wouldn’t be any less bright.

[gender-trash]

building 11: i can’t find any pictures of it and i don’t remember what the outside looks like.  i feel like it’s mostly administrator offices

building 12: hell yeah babey.  love the weird sculpture of hanging glowy yellow shapes.  makes a really fun stylistic contrast with the main group

building 13: i really just do not vibe with it.  bad to look at.  maybe this is partly because i had a 3.091 recitation in here freshman year that i hated and i’ve never quite forgiven the building for it

building 14: really like the way the windows stick out.  i miss studying in this library and looking at the river :(

(there is no building 15, although there is an E15.)

building 16: it’s very generic.  i have absolutely nothing to say about this building

building 17: it’s a wind tunnel!  WHO can hate a wind tunnel!  lov this smol boi

building 18: easily the worst building in the brutalist garbage courtyard.  i hate that it looks like the green building fell over.  the single-loaded corridors are i GUESS kinda fun but building 12 did it better.  its one (1) good feature is the cantilevered end that lets you cut underneath to get from building 6 to the green building faster.  

building 20: WE MISS YOU ;-;

actually i have a big rant about how the physical form being so shit (since it was of course a temporary wartime building) is part of what ALLOWED innovation to happen -- if you need to modify your space, put a hole in a wall for cable routing, do whatever, nobody will care!  much like east campus, this high level of control over your physical environment makes it a very functional place to live and work -- something you can kinda only get in a garbage building that’s falling apart.  but i digress

building 24: hate this fucking building.  if i’m being honest that’s 90% because of its goddamn shitty slow elevator, one (1) elevator to serve this whole building which seems to be mainly classrooms, so every FUCKING time i had class here (6.041 recitation, 6.UAT recitation, 6.881, and more!) i’d have to take the stairs and fuck up my knees in order to get to the next class on time.  and then of course ESG is on the 6th floor so by the time the elevator even got to whatever shitty floor i was on there were even odds that it was full of ESG students already.  also whats with the first floor WHY is it so big and flat and wHY is that where all the music practice rooms are

building 26: i honestly cannot find a picture of it which is bizarre but i like the blue bits on the outside.  otherwise, it’s also just a box.  there’s so many generic boxes in this area of campus, and while they ARE indeed extremely boring, i have a hard time hating on them because it’s a reasonable, functional shape for a building to be and they mostly do their jobs pretty well.  

fuck it time to rate all the mit buildings

building 1: i like it.  main group buildings have a nice architectural style and are good to look at and be in.  the partially-enclosed courtyard is very good and i like how a bunch of the doorways have famous scientists written over them

building 2: like building 1 but EVEN BETTER because it has this additional floor that you can’t see from the road.  if you go there its like a lounge for math grad students and theres bar style seating that looks out at the courtyard and i think it’s a nice location ok.  wish i was a course 18 so i had card access to the tiny little room with the blackboards on the first floor that faces the river.  one time i was studying in the big lecture hall on the first floor and a facilities person came in and asked me why i wasn’t in the little study room and i was like “i don’t have card access but i would love to be in there, trust me”

building 3: i can’t find a good picture on google of this one.  i like the funky little enclosed courtyard parking lot between buildings 3 and 5 that you can only get into through the basement (either from the Infinite basement or from this one hard-to-find little door in building 5).  

building 4: it’s okay.  i like the molecule sculpture.  i hate the traffic jam that forms around the math pset boxes.  

building 5: as aforementioned, the courtyard is good and i like the random model ship exhibit.  

building 6: has that funky tiled floor in the courtyard between it and building 4 that tourists love.  i like the aesthetic of “this used to be a courtyard but we put a building in it and a roof but the outsides of the old buildings are still facing it”

building 7: GOOD GOOD SHIT.  one time during cpw i practiced violin in the lobby for some reason (i think i was so sleep deprived i no longer gave a shit about god or man) and it sounded really cool

building 8: valid.  love the goddamn weird stairs/floor shenanigans between it and building 16

building 9: the inside looks cool but the outside is so fucking ugly.  i have contemplated studying here but i leave every time because i feel like im trespassing on something and people will give me weird looks

building 10: iconic.  i maintain that a dome is a stupid place to put a library due to its acoustic properties (if i remember correctly from STS.050, in the architect’s original plans it was going to be a big lecture hall and the library was going to be elsewhere but they ran out of funding and had to cut some stuff and so the library ended up in the dome)

[fallingforwang]

Reaction - “Pillow Fighting”

How iKON7 reacts to you constantly wanting to pillow fight with them Thank you for the request anon! ~~ 😁😁 Ask box is still open Noona!

Jaebum : You have to hold it tighter, Y/N, tighter ~ He’s gonna take you down to the floor fair and square, just like his pillow. You’ll always get the advantage of having the bigger one, the body pillow as your weapon. Will it aid you in this war? Absolutely not!~ He could easily take you down with one tiny blow to the ankles. but for now, he truly wants to see how well you can hold up for yourself. Just in case a secret ambush hears the commotion and wants to leap into the fun. 

Jackson : You really wanna try this again? You know I’m gonna win baby.

Cheater. Cheater. Cheater. This is only game you’ll let him get away with it too. Just like in the movies a single kiss to the nose can defeat his opponent, stunning their system and -- bam! You’re on the fluffy pile of pillows known very well as the “Defeat Pit”. If you’re doing this with friends though it’s obvious in this combat he’s going to be your wingman. Junhoe has a strong left arm but Jackson has two.

Yugyeom : Noonaaaaa! Stop it I don’t want to hurt you!

He’s going to be way too afraid of hurting you the first few knocks you take at each other. The size difference here is immense but your re-assurance is bigger.  Once he understands, even though this will take several nights, Commander Kim Yugyeom is constantly on the look out for the enemy. Which is really funny since Jaebum walked behind him and your baby smacked the glass of water straight out of his hand. Hey, Jaebum got payback though, don’t worry ~

Mark : C’mon! C’mon! Let’s do this!! Wait! Hang on I am not ready!

It’s the strangest of the times!! You’ll be huddled into the corner of the sofa with some cup noodles and your laptop, minding your own business when WHOMP - straight on your head there’s now a mark of Mark Tuan. It’s do or die in this situation even if you’re prepared or not you gotta give in. Otherwise you’ll get poked all over your body in the next round and he knows you won’t be able to handle it annnnd Jackson will be on the final boss level. 

Jinyoung : There’s no taking this back now ~

Can you imagine the sadness of the little girl when her parents gift her a cute little puppy on her birthday and it never wants to play? Or run around? Or rip her clothing with its teeth? Like Yugyeom he’s going to have to get used to it, he won’t exactly understand why you want to beat each other, but if you keep bothering him he will snap back. And definitely enjoy himself. 

Youngjae :

Basic Crime Scene Explanation - It appears that two individuals have stepped into a time machine, trashed the place, broke a few laps, threw bags and bags of snacks into the air, crushed them, used every piece of tape they could find and stuck pillow feathers allll oveeeer theee waaaaall ~ I think it should be obvious it’s a crime scene since -- * coughing * Jaebum * coughing * -- Would never put up with this crap. You and Youngjae obviously will do it again but this time with a little less play space to play in. How to end this? Awesome, totally awesome ❤

Hanbin : I was only trying to be sweet and then you jump on me. Niceee

The soft side that melts in your hands is just bouncing around the room in joy. He’d find it hilarious even when you’re in public how you randomly smack him around, waiting for it, planning for it. Totally doing the same back to you. The only times I can really seem him being annoyed by this would be when he’s trying to be all cuddly or romantic and gets to kiss a giant feather filled square instead of your little pink lips. 

Bobby : Okay! I Get your point woman!! -- I’m not about to get smacked, right?

I mean it’s cool and all but you can’t just pounce without a warning first. Which makes no sense right? He’ll want to be involved in every “fight” you want to have even when he’s annoyed by it. Still fight. Bobby being tired? Lazily fling around and drag you under the covers with him. And as little as you guys actually, fight-fight just a tiny tap on his arm seems to resolve the brunt of his anger. Besides, his playful aura I see would trade off the turns of who hits who first. I wanted to also say that he could incorporate a ton of Hanbin in here from all of his dirty joking? He’s like the NC-17 version of Hanbin’s fluffy little lines. Anyone. Any. One who hears the foul but hilarious words coming from his mouth will want to hit him anyway. So I guess pillow fighting works the best here! ~ 

Jinhwan : Omo! ~ Why you are doing this?

Can you really see this smol child even being able to grip a pillow to hit you with? Maybe if you have one of those air travel neck ones he can use it like a boomerang. That’s the point I’m trying to show. He will, indeed play in the best way he can even if it’s not fair on his side. Secret weapon to make you stop? Uh, himself? “I’m tiny don’t break me!” or “You smack me? I smack you 😉” ~ All in all, Jinani would like to be your cheerleader more instead of your prey. 

Donghyuk : Okay, but please hit the other side now to make it all even ~

Since you’ll be doing most of the smacking he’ll joke about his hair, the main target, getting all flat which will encourage you do do it more. If Donghyuk does play back with you it’ll be so soft you’ll hardly think he’s made contact. That is until you’re not around his members anymore and he can finally get that sweet revenge. 

Yunhyeong : One day you’ll understand how it all feels..

You’re not the only one here that is going to want to smack him. The members noticed it straight off the bat when they saw you fooling around together. So now, not only does Yoyo have to deal with your pillow thumping but also mostly Jiwon who’ll happily take the morning shift of smacking while you’re away. How does he feel about this? Who? Bobby? He loves it. Yunhyeong. . tolerates it 😂

[baileyjanetee]

2016

So, the time has come to go over what went down in 2016 - I mean aside from the death of Prince, David Bowie and all the rest, the election of Trump, and all the other moments in history - more to go over what went down in 2016 in my life.

One of the big changes for me this year was my move in to the Team Leader role at work. I started in the role in March and finally got made permanent in November - so that’s a relief. It’s definitely a high stress and very busy role - and I probably let that affect me more than I should - because it can also be quite rewarding, it took a while for me to get to that conclusion, but I will try and hold on to that moving in to the New Year. 

Kate came back! Unfortunately not under the best circumstances as her Mum is sick, but it’s so nice having her back in my life!

I really got in to Spotify this year. I love music, and spotify (gotta have premium, no one likes the ads). I look forward to listening to my Discover Weekly playlist every Monday and getting new songs to listen to. Go Spotify. 

2016 was a real year of weddings for me! Considering I attended my first wedding in 2015, I have now been to five! The first of 2016 was Tamsin and Daniel’s wedding in Cambodia, then my Dad and Debbie’s secret wedding, Amanda and Ed’s Paihia wedding and lastly Reagan and Mark’s wedding - the first time I have been part of a wedding party. They were all beautiful day’s in their own way, and I gotta say, I do love a good wedding. So much love and so much party - what more could you want? Admittedly, being part of a wedding party can be quite stressful, but it’s also very fun, and very special. I don’t have any weddings coming up in 2017, but early 2018 brings Ash and Chris’s wedding which will be a very special day indeed!

Perhaps the best thing about my involvement in wedding’s last year was me spending a lot more time with my sister. My family are not very close all things considered, so it was really nice for me to spend this time with her. She’s a real good sort, and she loves me a lot - as I do her, so I hope we continue to spend as much time together in 2017, because she is the only sister I’ve got and I really do cherish that!

2016 (much like a lot of other years of my life) has been a year of many cakes! I got paid to make cakes this year! I did a gender reveal cake with stuff in the middle. I made my sister’s wedding cake! It was a good year for cakes!

I would hazard a guess at saying perhaps my favourite new addition to my life in 2016 has been my new friend Sam Bailey. She is such a little gem. She is so smol, and cute and funny and I am so glad she was introduced in to my life. And now she has introduced an even smoller life in to my life - little Kaiba! So that should make for an exciting 2017.  

And due to the combined efforts of Sam Bailey and Ash (although mainly Ash to be fair) 2016 has also seen the comeback of my boobs. I don’t know why or when, but somewhere along the way I started hiding my boobs quite a bit in what I was wearing. Ash decided this wasn’t good enough and the hunt began for more revealing shirts for me to wear… Well I will give credit where credit is due, she got some results. And it has opened up my wardrobe options now I have realised that my tits don’t have to be shamefully hidden away!

It occurs to me too, considering how dreadfully single I still am, this has been quite the year of boys for me. There was the kind of briefly seeing each other until we weren’t (and the first sex since forever) with RB, as well as the fingers in the vagina and never speak of it again incident with DB. Then there was another of SB’s friends DD who nothing ever happened with, but for a time there he said he was into the idea of it so that was a nice compliment if nothing else. Then of course, how could any of us forget, my whirlwind South Island romance, chocolate cake after nine, KK. And then as we roll in to 2017 we still have TB and my FIRST CRUSH since the evil ex (this is still exciting for me) GD. So on the one hand, that is quite a few boys, and none of them dating me. But on the other hand, at least that is quite a few boys!

Financially it has been a good year - admittedly I did get a decent pay rise with my new role, so I haven’t had to be as frugal as previously. But I have two savings accounts growing nicely, and an account for unexpected life expenses (car troubles etc.) so I feel pretty in control of things in that respect. 

One of the less great things of 2016 for me was the festive season. However, there was nothing actually wrong with it, it was just a little more stressful than usual, which caused me to be a lot less festive then I like to be! Next year though, I am going to go full festive psycho to make up for it. So looking forward to that already. And Christmas day itself (which if I’m honest, is often a let down) was actually quite nice!

I moved in with Ash and Chris this year. And although I was sad to leave my little place by the beach, they are pretty great flat mates. We have a lot of good times, even if it’s just casual Friday night drinks… It still feels like a party when the three of us get going, and there have been some unforgettable evenings!

I got to see quite a bit more of our beautiful country on an awesome train trip with Shannon this year. Saw some new places - Kaikoura (one of my absolute faves), Nelson, Picton, as well as spending more time in some old favourites like Wellington and Oamaru. It was a lot of fun, and travelling by train was absolutely awesome, highly recommend. 

On a similar note, I took a few other great (smaller) trips this year around the country - my awesome summer road trip with Ash and Andee along the East Coast, another trip to the Whangamata mansion bach, as well as an additional trip to Whangamata with book club, Palmy and Apiti visiting John, Taupo and Napier for a week with my Mama, quite a few weekends in Auckland for a variety of things, and Paihia/Bay of Islands for Amanda’s wedding. All awesome places with awesome people, and a sure fire way to keep me happy, as I love taking trips!

And aside from all that, I got to do a few things this year that are things I have wanted to do; I rode on a motorbike, attended a comedy show, went to Spookers, I was part of a wedding party - It’s been a busy and fun filled year!

Moving in to 2017, I am feeling really positive! I try to enter each new year with positive thoughts, but I really feel good about 2017 (for no apparent reason) so let’s hope that feeling lasts!

Happy New Year all!