#just finished the first season maybe the next one is more chill

[puzzledemigod]

Watching The Bear, someone get this man a nice, relaxing warm shower. Maybe a whole spa day while we're at it

[bunnylovesani]

Miss Congeniality

Chapter 4

Content warnings: MDNI, soft dom ani, smoking weed, oral sex (f receiving), fingering, humiliation kink, dirty talk, ani likes getting slapped, aftercare, general smut with fluff

WC: 2.7k

Your last competition marked the end of pageant season, giving you plenty of time to figure out how you were gonna break the news to your parents that you were done with it all. You’d finished high school over a year ago and were now stuck in a rut; what’s next for you? If you weren’t going to college and weren’t competing for any more titles, what did life have in store? You struggled to imagine a world beyond the 4 walls of your room and your plushy pink bed laden with stuffed animals.

You'd gone out with your family last night to the fancy new Italian place- with your pageant victory and Jaden landing his first job since dropping out of college, there was plenty of cause for celebration. It quickly went awry when you made some distasteful jokes alluding to your status as the golden girl; your father didn’t much appreciate your increasingly rebellious attitude and left the restaurant before dessert could be served.

To your surprise, his displeasure didn’t affect you nearly as much as it normally does. When someone’s mad at you, you’re unusually unbearable about it: you follow them around like a puppy who’d lost its ball, whining and apologising until they caved and showed you affection. But not today. How could you when all your thoughts were consumed by someone else? You looked for him everywhere, sitting on the chair at the edge of your bed or round the table at dinner- Anakin’s absence was sorely felt now that you'd grown accustomed to his frequent pop-ins and tag-alongs. You wondered if it would be strange for you to be the one coming over for once.

You'd always imagined him living in either a frathouse hovel or some kind of unsanitary bachelor pad- but standing in front of the steel gates of the apartment complex, you were pleasantly surprised. You punch in the code he texted you when you announced your arrival and the gate doors swung wide open. Climbing into the elevator to reach the 7th floor, your hands feel clammy and there's bile rising up your throat. You'd never visited him before and the fact that you'd invited yourself over on an impulsive whim had you second-guessing everything.

The elevator doors open and he’s right there, leaning against his apartment at the end of the hallway. You wonder if he waited outside for you so that you wouldn't have a chance to turn back at the last minute. Clearly, he knew you better than you gave him credit for.

“There you are. Took you long enough.” He smirked, leading the way into his apartment as you followed behind him like a lost puppy.

As soon as you stepped foot into the place, your nostrils filled with the musky scent of weed, smoke wafting over from the sizeable brown blunt he held between his silver ring-clad fingers.

“It’s barely noon.” You scolded him as you took a seat on his black leather couch.

“Did you come here just to nag me? Maybe you should take a hit, it’ll chill you out.” He plonked onto a bean bag opposite you, spreading his long legs out and inhaling another drag.

“I didn’t come here to get high.” You huff, wondering why you were acting so high-strung when in fact, you weren’t opposed to the idea.

“No, I don’t suppose you would. You probably couldn’t handle it anyway and I have no interest in spending the night babysitting. In more interesting news, I heard you had a fight with daddy last night.” He spat cockily- damn Jaden and his big mouth.

“Bold of you to assume I’d be spending the night. And it’s none of your business.” You cross your arms, slowly filling with regret for coming here. Why was he being such a dick?

“Wow, you’re acting even more bratty than usual. Didn’t think that was possible. Why are you even here?” He puts the blunt out half-smoked, leaving the remainder resting against the ashtray.

“I, I don’t know…I just thought-“

“Let me take a wild guess. You wanted to piss daddy off by sneaking off to see your brother’s older, bad influence of a friend. Thought you’d push some boundaries and try to prove to yourself that you’re not just a stuck-up little good girl. Well, you failed.” He cocks his eyebrows at you.

“I am neither stuck up nor a good girl! Just because I choose to behave myself instead of acting like an animal doesn’t mean I’m not capable of all the things you are.” You feel your blood pressure rising.

“Prove it.”

“Oh and I bet you would just love it if I put out and debased myself for you. All you want is to get me high and fuck me- I know what your intentions are and it’s not gonna happen buddy.” You get up, marching across the room and heading for the door.

“That’s rich coming from someone who screams my name when she cums.” He states matter-of-factly and you stop in your tracks.

“That’s right, sweetheart. I heard you. Acting all high and mighty when you’re the slut here. Admit it, you want me.” He walks towards you and turns you around to face him. Before your brain can catch up with your body, your palm swings around and makes contact with his right cheek, smacking him with the intensity of a whip cracking.

“Feisty. I like it.” He holds his hand up to his reddened face, somewhat shocked but not angry. “Are we done now? I’m really not in the mood to argue.” He smirks at you, pulling you in by the waist and instantly softening your attitude.

“I’m so sorry! Oh Ani I don’t know what came over me, ‘m sorry!” You attentively caress his cheek, inspecting how hard you slapped him. You acted like your reaction was a result of him calling you that word- but if you were honest with yourself, you knew it was because he was right. If you weren’t in denial, you’d realise you loved the way the insult rolled off his tongue and loved how it made you feel even more.

“I’m so embarrassed.” A blush creeps over your cheeks at the thought of him eavesdropping on your most intimate moments.

“Over assaulting me or over touching yourself thinking about me?” He traces his hand along your shoulder.

“Both.” You give him a snarky glare. He was enjoying this too much.

“Well if it makes you feel any better, you’re not the only one who’s done that.” He flashes you a grin before relighting his blunt and scurrying down the hallway into his room.

“Huh, done what? Ani? Not the only one who’s done what?” You follow him down the hallway giddily and stop outside his bedroom door. Blunt in mouth, you see Anakin right before you - taking off his hoodie, shirt getting caught by the tight material and revealing his tanned v-line and happy trail on full display. You couldn’t help but stare at the veins trailing down his lower stomach and leading into his boxers, gulping as you admire the perfect dark blonde tuft of hair growing in a neat line below his belly button.

“God it’s hot in here. What were you asking again?” He asks, folding away his hoodie and taking a long drag.

“Umm, uh it’s nothing. Hey, can I have a puff?” You point at his blunt in curiosity, trying to banish the sinful mental images flashing through your head.

“But princess, it’s barely noon.“ He berates you mockingly and you roll your eyes.

“I was a little tense earlier, ‘m sorry.” You sigh and twiddle your thumbs. “It’s just that I’ve never tried it.”

“Come here.” He beckons you over to his bed and sits you on his lap. “You can try a few drags but only a couple. I don’t wanna see that attitude of yours come out when I cut you off. Now are you gonna be a good girl and listen?”

“Yes Ani, I promise!” You nod along and wrap your arms around his neck.

“Alright sweetheart, here ya go.” He hands you the joint and you take your first hit, coughing and spluttering as a burning sensation spreads through your lungs.

“Ani, this is awful! How can you smoke this?!” You scrunch your face up, disgusted by the strange new feeling.

“That’s because you’re doing it wrong, silly. Inhale slowly, like this.” He demonstrates and you follow his lead, taking a smoother drag this time.

“There you go baby, you’re a natural.” He chuckles and snakes his hand round to rest on your bare thigh. “What kind of outfit is this, huh? Are you trying to seduce me or something?” He snorts, playing with the short frills of your mini skirt.

“No! I just thought it was pretty.” You chirp innocently.

“Pretty slutty, yea.” You gasp and slap his chest.

“Will you stop hitting me?!” He exclaims, digging his fingers into your thighs.

“I will, just as soon you stop calling me a slut!”

“Why, when I know you like it.”

“So do you.” You’d noticed him shuffling around and adjusting his sweatpants every time you’d playfully hit him and you weren’t that oblivious as to what that meant.

“Is that why you do it then?” He says after a little pause, gaze dropping to focus on your parted lips.

“Um…uh, I” You stutter as you feel your panties getting wet and your brain getting hazy- partially from his intense gaze and partially from the blunt.

“Aw, is it getting to you now? I see your eyes glazing over.” He takes the blunt out of your hands and takes another puff himself before putting it out. “That’s enough.”

You’re too busy fixating on his thumb which is rubbing feather-light circles into your inner thigh to notice.

“Stop it, you’re making me feel tingly.” You bat his hand away.

“Oh yeah? What kinda tingles?” He disregards your command and returns his hand to its original position.

“The kind that make me feel fuzzy inside…” You utter in a hushed tone, starting to sway a little now that your high had hit you.

“Lie down f’me babe.” He guides you off his lap and onto his bed. “So you’ve never had anyone help you make those tingles go away?”

“Nuh uh.” You shake your head innocently and he grins, starting to lift your shirt and press light kisses up and down your tummy.

“And would you like it if your Ani was the first?” He looks up at you, speaking so softly you could barely hear him.

You choked out a “yea!” before covering your face with a pillow, embarrassed by Anakin’s insistence on eye contact as he slid your skirt off and started fiddling with the waistband of your pink panties.

“Don’t be shy baby, I wanna see that pretty face of yours.” He groans as he hooks his fingers around your underwear and slides them off before spreading your legs and admiring what’s between them.

“Anii, what are you doing?” You squeal, face burning with shame, barely able to meet his intense gaze.

“Stop squirming, will ya? I’ve been dreaming about this moment for months, let a man take in the view before he dives in.” He grazes his thumb lightly over your clit and lets out a moan. “Goddamn baby, I’ve barely touched you and you’re soaked. You have a habit of ruining your panties, don’t you?”

You whine at his patronising comments, feeling overwhelmed with arousal and embarrassment.

“What a pretty pink pussy…” He mutters to himself and you feel yourself being pulled into a narcotic-induced daze, everything around you growing hazy and numb.

You’re brought back to life when his tongue dips into your folds, licking a wet stripe up your clit that makes your body jolt with pleasure.

“Fuck!” You yelp unexpectedly as your thighs start trembling- you don’t ever swear. He looks up at you as he flicks his tongue repeatedly over your swollen pussy, maintaining a tight grip around your hips to ensure you can’t escape.

“Already shaking, princess? You virgins are so sensitive.” He sneers before resuming his torturously pleasurable routine. You moan and pant as waves of euphoria wash over you like never before. You’d touched yourself a few times but you’d never experienced such mind-numbingly sensual gratification.

Just as you thought the pleasure couldn’t possibly escalate, he pushes one of his fingers inside your tight little hole. You gasp at the intrusion and before you can properly adjust, he shoves another one in until he’s massaging your insides with a beckoning motion.

“Shh, baby. Shh, it’s okay.” He hushes you comfortingly as you squeal and whimper. He resumes tonguing your bundle of nerves as you grab onto his unruly blonde curls, needing something to ground you in case you floated away in ecstasy.

“You taste so good princess…you like my fingers, huh? I can see you do, you’re gushing all over me.” You blush at his crude words as he slaps the side of your thigh and dives back in, continuing to eat you out for what felt like hours. He worked you up to the brink of your orgasm several times- before stopping abruptly, ensuring you were sobbing with pleasure before he even considered releasing you.

“Bet you’re gonna think twice now before coming to my house with that attitude again.” He grunts, silver rings pounding against your pussy as he continues stroking you with increasing intensity.

“Mm, please! Please Ani, please let me cum. You were right, I am a good girl, I’m your good girl! Please daddy, I can’t take it anymore!” You wail, half out of your mind and nauseous with pleasure.

“Daddy, huh?” He smirks, satisfied that he’d tortured you for long enough. “Alright baby, let go for me. Cum all over my fingers sweetheart.”

With one final resounding moan, you cum so hard the world starts spinning and you see stars, glistening brightly and jumping across the room. You take deep gulps of air to try and calm your erratically beating heart as Anakin lifts himself up to lie down beside you.

“Breathe baby, just breathe.” He pulls you into his arms and places his hand in an open palm over your heart. “You did so good. Here angel, drink some water.” Handing you the bottle, you only then realise how dry your mouth feels from the blunt.

“Ani? How did you manage to get it all so wet after smoking?” You ask weakly after taking a few sips.

“Most of that wetness wasn’t from me, sweetheart.” He mumbles into the crook of your neck, before planting a few kisses there. “Do you wanna spend the night here?”

“Mhm! Yea Ani I’d love to!” You chirp sweetly.

“Alright baby, why don’t we get you changed into something more comfortable and then we can watch something?” He plants a delicate kiss onto your lips and gets up to peruse through his wardrobe. “How about this? It’s my favourite band tee.” He throws you a black shirt with a metal band graphic printed across it- you recognise it instantly as one of his most worn articles of clothing and your heart swells with joy. Eagerly, you throw it on and giggle at how oversized it is on you.

“I love it!” You wrap your arms around yourself and take a deep inhale: woody cologne, weed and peppermint gum. “It smells like you too.”

“Oh no I’m sorry, maybe I forgot to wash it- let me get another one-“

“No Ani, I love it! You smell amazing.” You pull him back down into the bed with you and roll on top of him, wanting to be as physically close as possible. “Baby? I feel bad, you made me feel amazing and I haven’t...well, done anything.”

“I couldn’t give less of a fuck, princess. Now, what do you want to watch?” He rolls you over, wraps his arm around you and reaches for the remote.

Next Chapter

[justagalwhowrites]

Halcyon - Ch. 10: People Might Think You Care About Me

You and Joel spend the holidays together. A continuation of Halcyon from the prologue through Ch. 9, a modern no outbreak AU TLOU fic found on Tumblr here.

Again, I'm here begging HBO to give me something to use for young Joel PLZ

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Mention of dieting and diet culture. Modern No Outbreak AU, No use of Y/N, Slow burn, 18+ only, Minors DNI

Length: 5.8K

AO3 | Main Master List | Prologue | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

“I can’t believe my kid is going to like you better than me,” Joel said, sitting in the middle of the living room floor with a roll of wrapping paper spread out in front of him. “Scissors.” 

You handed them over before grabbing the tape, putting a piece on the tip of your finger before folding the paper around the box - a friendship bracelet kit - that you were wrapping for Sarah. 

“I mean, first of all, your kid already likes me more than she likes you,” you teased, turning the box to do the other side. “She has good taste…” 

“You’re the worst.” 

“Second,” you said, ignoring him. “It is a joint gift, you’re getting tons of cool dad points out of this.” 

“She’s gonna know it was your idea,” he said, adjusting the gift he was wrapping. “Hell, she’s gonna know that only one of us could have gotten tickets and it ain’t me.”

As if on cue, Swiftie - Sarah’s kitten - pounced on the box Joel was wrapping. 

“Yeah, this one knows, too,” he said, scooping her up with one large hand and setting her down. “I miss when she wanted Barbies. Shit was easier.” 

You laughed. 

“Be happy she’s excited about anything enough that she’s going to freak out over Taylor Swift tickets,” you said. “She’s about to be a disaffected teenager, enjoy it while it lasts.” 

“Yeah, don’t remind me,” he muttered, “She’s stubborn enough as it is.” 

“You’re in for it, Miller,” you said as your cat, Puck, climbed on your lap. You reached around him to finish taping the package you were wrapping. “She’s going to give you so much shit���” 

“What if she’s just like you, hm?” Joel teased. “Gonna have a nerd for a kid…” 

“Hey, I was a nerd who snuck out at night to go get drunk with the boneheaded jock,” you teased back. “You really want her to be just like me?” 

“Jesus, you’re right,” Joel shook his head, finishing wrapping his present. “I’ll have to keep her far away from anyone like me for the sake of us all.” 

You snorted and finished wrapping your own gift before scooping Puck into your arms, nuzzling into his fur and giving him a kiss on the head before settling with your back against your couch as you looked at the lights on the tree.

It was Christmas Eve, the first one in years you were spending without Gale and you’d never been more thankful for Joel. 

Last year, you and Gale were separated but you’d felt so alone that you’d texted him the afternoon of Christmas Eve and spent most of the night and next day in bed. You’d tricked yourself then, pretended there was a chance in hell of the two of you getting back together and things going back to the way they used to be. 

That hadn’t happened. You’d spent New Year’s Eve in bed, too. Except that time, you were alone. 

You’d been afraid that was going to happen for you this holiday season, too. You asked Anna what she had planned for Christmas, fully expecting her to want to spend the day together. She had other things in mind. 

“Honestly, ever since Mom died?” She’d shrugged. “I love using it as a day to just chill. Binge watch TV I’ve been meaning to catch up on, eat a pile of Chinese food, maybe take a bath… It’s pretty boring but I love it. And since I’ve got this little bundle on the way, I’m extra looking forward to it this year.” 

“Oh,” you forced a smile, trying to hide your disappointment. “No, that sounds great.” 

“Oh God,” she clamped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide for a moment. “Did you want to do something? I’m so sorry, I should have…” 

“”No,” you waved her off quickly. “No, you’re good! I don’t want to disrupt your plans…” 

“You can join if you want!” She said. “I mean, for everything but the bath part, that might be a little much now that we’re not kids anymore.” 

“No,” you said again. “You have fun! Tradition is tradition and you need the break. Maybe I’ll do the same.” 

You should have known that she would have her own way of doing things. You’d all but abandoned her during your marriage, sending perfunctory text messages and holiday cards and flying her up for a long weekend every year or so but, otherwise, you went weeks without talking. Of course she had Christmas plans that didn’t involve you. Why would she have any that did? 

Joel, however, had done what he’d always done since you’d moved back to Texas: Made room for you in his life. 

“Know you and Anna probably already got plans but,” he’d shrugged two weeks earlier. “If you don’t… want to spend Christmas with me n’Sarah? Tommy, too, assuming he doesn’t con his way into dinner at some girl’s house. S’OK if you don’t, just figured… I dunno…” 

You’d smiled, bigger than you’d really meant to. 

“You want me to spend Christmas with you?” 

“I want you to spend most days with me,” he shrugged. “But you know, we gotta go out in the world and make money and shit. Anyway, Christmas. You in? Could just move in until the New Year if you really wanted…” 

The last part wasn’t going to work with your obligation to go try to write a book once Christmas was through. But you had spent the last two nights at Joel’s, bringing Puck over to play with Sarah and Swiftie as the three of you watched Christmas movies and binged cookies. No papers to grade, no lawyers calling because your attorneys’ offices were closed, no pressure because you already had time set aside to write. You could really relax for the first time in what felt like an eternity and relaxing with Joel and Sarah was quickly becoming your favorite thing in the entire world. 

But all that relaxing had meant there was a small pile of presents that weren’t wrapped that needed to make it under the tree. It was Christmas Eve and time had run out. 

“You need to stop procrastinating,” you said, getting your egg nog that was now mostly liquor off the coffee table and taking a sip. “Can’t get away with that shit when you’re a business owner.” 

“Just watch me,” he teased. “Besides, you’re one to talk, you made any progress on that book?” 

“That’s what next week is for,” you said, giving the cat a kiss just as he started to get restless in your arms. You set him down. “Fingers crossed having nothing else to do will make me churn out the words.” 

“Wild to me that you make money from what’s in your head,” Joel came and sat next to you. “Not that I think you shouldn’t, if anyone should it’s you. Just that anyone does at all is insane.” 

“Well, I may not make money off it for long if I can’t write anything else,” you sighed. “Know what? Let’s not talk about next week. I want to live in this moment - the one where we don’t have any worries and the presents are all under the tree and Sarah is passed out - for a while longer yet.” 

Joel hummed in agreement and you leaned your head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. You could smell his skin and cologne and there was still a little bacon scent from when he’d made breakfast for the three of you that morning. 

“Think she’ll have a good Christmas?” Joel asked quietly, the two of you watching the lights twinkle on his tree. 

“Hell yeah,” you smiled a little. “You really are an amazing Dad, Joel.” 

He scoffed. 

“I’m serious,” you peered up at him. “You’re lucky to have Sarah but she’s lucky as hell to have you, too. She’s going to love it.” 

“Speaking of parents… anything new in the Anna situation?” Joel asked cautiously. 

“It’s a girl,” you sighed. “But she seems to be keeping up with everything, thank God. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe this is the kick in the ass she’s been needing…” 

“Was for me,” Joel shrugged, making your head rise with his shoulder. 

You sighed again. 

“Just seems like an awful lot to put on a kid,” you said. “And you might have been young and dumb but you didn’t have the shit Anna’s got on her plate. It’s a bit of a different story with her.” 

“She might surprise you. But either way, we’ll make up a room for the little sucker here,” Joel said. “Just to be safe.” 

“Regardless, that’s next year Goldie and Joel’s problem,” you said. “And thank fuck for that.” 

“Yeah, fuck those two,” you could hear the smile on Joel’s voice. “Let’s put the wrapping paper away and go to bed, something about Santa and knowing when you’re sleeping and all that.”

You cleaned up the living room and tried not to pay attention to the nighttime routine you’d fallen into with Joel in the few days you’d been staying with him. You had your own sink in Joel’s bathroom, one that had your hair products and face wash lined up alongside it. You had your own side of the bed with your own nightstand where the book you’d been reading the last few days was nearing its end and waiting for you. If you thought about it too much, you’d miss it when it was gone. If you thought about it too much, it might seem like something you could keep.

Joel made his customary space at his side and you nestled into him, your head on his chest where you could hear his heart beat. His fingers trailed up and down your arm. 

“There are upsides to a kid, you know,” he said quietly. “Christmas morning is one of ‘em. Just wait.” 

You smiled a little. 

“Stop keeping me awake and we won’t have to wait long,” you said. 

Joel snorted. 

“Yeah yeah. Night Goldie.” 

“Night Joel.” 

Sarah came careening into Joel’s room before 7 a.m., slamming into the bed so hard that it made your teeth rattle. 

“Dad! Aunt Goldie!” She shook you both. “Wake up, it’s Christmas!” 

“Yeah, alright,” Joel groaned, taking his warm arm from its place around your shoulders. You groaned, too. “You stay here with Goldie while I go put the coffee pot on and get set up to record you…” 

Sarah groaned. 

“Seriously?” 

“Seriously,” he said. “Sit tight, five minutes.” 

You rolled onto your back and blinked the sleep from your eyes, Sarah bouncing impatiently on the bed. You lifted your head enough to look at her, curls sticking every which way, and you dropped back down onto the pillow with a groan. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute, kid,” you said. 

“Yeah, that’s what my dad says,” she said cheerfully and you could picture her smile as she did. 

“Alright, come on out,” Joel called from the living room. Sarah rocketed off the bed and you laughed as you got up yourself, trailing behind her and trying not to yawn. 

“Oh cool!” Sarah flopped down beside her stocking and started going through it as you got to the living room. Joel was sitting on the couch, his phone set up on a tripod in the corner and pointed at the tree. “These are those face mask things I said I wanted! And the headbands for soccer!” 

“I do pay attention now and then, baby girl,” Joel said, rubbing his eyes. 

“Don’t you mean Santa pays attention?” You asked, sitting next to him on the couch. Joel handed you a cup of coffee, made exactly how you liked it.

“I know Santa’s not real, Aunt Goldie,” Sarah rolled her eyes and gave you a look. “I’m 11, not a kid.” 

Joel snorted. 

“Sorry,” you said. “My mistake.” 

“Don’t spoil Santa for Goldie,” Joel said before reaching down on the ground next to him. “Speaking of which…” 

He handed you a fat stocking and you frowned a little as you took it. 

“You made me a stocking?” You asked, tears pinching at your throat. “No one’s made me a stocking since I was in high school…” 

“Then you’re real overdue,” he smiled a little and went back to watching Sarah as she unwrapped a chocolate Santa and stuffed the entire thing in her mouth. “Alright, let’s not eat all the candy in one sitting…” 

“But it’s Christmas!” She said, voice muffled around the chocolate. 

“Still gonna get sick,” he replied. 

You started unpacking the stocking, pulling two pairs of fuzzy socks out of the top. 

“Because your feet are always freezing,” he said, looking back at you. “Figured one pair for here, one for your house…” 

“Thank you,” you smiled, going back into the stocking. There was some of your favorite candy, one of the face masks Sarah had, a bottle of gold nail polish. 

“We can do a spa day!” She beamed. 

“We can,” you laughed, looking at Joel who just shrugged, a small smile on his face. 

At the bottom of the stocking was a chunky gold pen, thick plastic encasing glitter and you turned it over in your fingers, frowning for a moment at just how familiar it felt. 

“Saw one like the one you had when we were kids years ago,” Joel said. “Bought it on a whim, thought you might want it.” 

You wanted to say thank you but you couldn’t seem to make a sound, the words caught in your throat. Instead, you just threw your arms around his neck and he laughed a little when he caught you, his hand sliding over your side and around to your back. 

You stayed close to Joel and watched as Sarah tore through her presents, the envelope with the concert tickets safely in Joel’s possession. 

“Hey Sarah,” you said eventually. “Can you hand me that box under there that’s for your dad?” 

Joel frowned as Sarah got the box, setting it on the coffee table in front of Joel and hovering as he went to open it. 

“Didn’t need to get me anything,” he said. 

“Too damn bad,” you said. “Don’t get too excited, it’s nothing crazy.” 

He opened it. Inside were two shot glasses, leather wrapped with a monogrammed M burned into it. 

“I thought you needed some accessories for the flask,” you smiled. 

He laughed. 

“We gotta break these in,” he said, looking them over. “They even look like they match…” 

“May have gotten Tommy to send me pictures,” you said. “Keep going, one more thing in there.” 

He shifted the tissue paper before pulling out a cassette tape, frowning at it for a moment. 

“What…” 

“I know your stereo is old enough that it plays tapes,” you said, palm out. “Hand it over.” 

He laughed once but obeyed and you went to put the tape in, adjusting the volume so it wouldn’t be too loud. It crackled a bit at the start and then Joel’s voice - almost 20 years younger but still so familiar - filled the room.

“My name is Joel Miller,” he said. “I play guitar and sing, mostly rock, little country…” 

Joel gaped at the stereo before looking to you. 

“Is this that old demo tape we made when we were kids?” He asked. You laughed and nodded. “Holy… where the hell’d you find this thing?” 

“I kept one,” you shrugged. “Thought it might give you a nudge toward playing again.” 

The Joel on tape started playing and Sarah came and sat between the two of you on the couch, looking up at her dad. 

“So that’s you?” She asked. 

“Sure is,” he said. “Long time ago, I was closer to your age then than mine now.” 

“What’s it for?” She asked. 

“Well,” Joel looked over her head to you and smiled a little before looking back at his daughter. “I always liked playing, wanted to be a singer for a while. Goldie here talked me into making some demo tapes to give to places around here that had open mic nights so I could actually play for people. Worked, too. Had a few places I played pretty often for a bit in there thanks to that tape.” 

“Why’d you stop?” She frowned. “You were good.” 

Joel shrugged. 

“Bigger things to do,” he kissed the top of her head. “Though speaking of music… think there might be one more thing for you under the tree.” 

Sarah’s frown deepened and she went to look around, picking her way through wrapping paper and but not finding it. 

“There’s nothing over here, Dad,” she said. “Are you sure?” 

“Oh, right,” Joel said, giving you a wink and pulling the envelope out of the pocket of his pajama pants. “Here it is.” 

She jumped over some of the boxes scattered over the floor and took the envelope from him, her eyebrows knitting together as she read the writing on the front. 

“To the swiftest music fan?” She said, looking up from the envelope and at the two of you. 

You just shrugged. 

“Gonna have to open it, kiddo,” Joel said. 

She slipped her fingers below the seal and pulled out the card, two pieces of paper falling to the ground before she had a chance to read it. She picked them up and unfolded them, reading the first one. 

“It says we have a hotel room in Dallas?” She looked at Joel. 

“Gotta read the other paper, baby girl,” he said. “That’s the important one. And the one from Aunt Goldie.” 

She flipped to that page next and only held it for a moment before shrieking and throwing herself at you, knocking you back into the couch. 

“You got Eras Tour tickets?” She pulled back, half on top of you and half on the couch. You just laughed and nodded. “Oh my GOD, thank you thank you thank you, you’re the best! OH MY GOD!” 

“Well your dad is the one getting us there and making sure we have a place to stay,” you said. “So hug him, too.” 

“Thank you!” She threw herself at him, too, and he laughed, catching her and giving her a squeeze. “This is the best present ever, it’s going to be the best time, I can’t wait! We’re going to see Taylor Swift! Oh my GOD, I have to tell my friends!” 

She shot off to her room to get her phone and Joel laughed, looking over at you. 

“OK I don’t even care that she likes you better n’me now,” he said. “She’s that happy? Worth it.” 

“We’ll see how we feel after a few days wrangling her for the Taylor Swift concert,” you said, watching where she’d disappeared up the stairs. “But… yeah, definitely worth it.” 

“Hey,” Joel said, voice oddly earnest. You looked over at him. “Thanks for loving my kid.” 

You smiled a little. 

“She’s yours,” you said. “How could I not?” 

Tommy came over a few hours later, once the turkey was in the oven and the wrapping paper was cleaned up off the floor. He gave Sarah a five pound bag of Sour Patch Kids and said “don’t tell your dad” before kissing the top of her head as she scampered off to stash her hoard in her room. He greeted you with a hug with a tight squeeze on the end and you still couldn’t quite get used to just how adult he was. There was part of you that still saw him as the little kid who trailed after you and Joel, the one who sometimes begged to go to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard. Now, he was nearly as tall as his older brother, drinking a beer and talking to Joel about a woman named Maria he’d just started dating. It was an odd reminder of just how much time you’d lost with Joel, just how much had changed. 

The four of you had dinner - Tommy teasing Sarah more like a loving older brother than an uncle, making you smile - and, before too long, the day was done. 

Sarah insisted on listening to Taylor Swift while she got ready for bed and Joel read to her from an Artemis Fowl book, you eavesdropping on Joel doing the voices from your place in the living room while the cats curled up around you. 

A keen sense of belonging settled over you then, as you held a mug of cocoa in one hand and the other rested on the back of your large, orange cat. This, you thought, was where you belonged. In this space, in this time, alongside these people. 

How could you ever hope to find this anywhere else? How were you ever supposed to recover from this stubborn crush if Joel was the place you felt most like home? 

“You OK?” Joel asked, hovering toward the top of the stairs, his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. 

“Yeah,” you smiled and gave Puck a scratch and let yourself have the feeling. “I’m good.” 

You got up early the next morning, Joel barely awake enough to help carry your bags to the car. 

“See you New Year’s Eve,” he said, his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants and his hair in total disarray. “Better have that damn book done by then.” 

“Do you really think you can write an entire book in a week?” You asked, brows raised. 

“I dunno,” he said. “You’re the smart one, you tell me.” 

You rolled your eyes and he laughed a little. 

“Alright, I’m goin’ back to bed,” he said. “Text me when you get there, have fun being a genius.” 

“Hey,” you called to him as he made it halfway back up his walk. He turned to face you, frowning slightly. “Thanks. For being my friend.” 

An expression you couldn’t place passed over his face before he smiled a little. 

“Careful,” he said. “Talk like that enough, people might think you care about me and shit.” 

“Well, we can’t have that,” you said. “See you in a few days.” 

He watched you drive off and you made your way to the hill country and the cabin Stephanie had reserved for you. You’d insisted that it have extra bedrooms and a hot tub and were surprised that she hadn’t pushed back on it. 

“Whatever you need to get the job done, you’ve got it,” she said after sending you links to some cabins. “I’m just here to facilitate.” 

You stopped on the way for groceries, stocking up so you wouldn’t need to leave the house once you settled in. You went with most of your standbys for cooking for one and watching the careful diet you’d been on for years but then thought of Joel bringing you tamales and plying you with cookies over the last few days. Maybe he was right. Maybe you did need to live a little. You got the stuff to make the bagel sandwiches, too. 

The cabin was damn near idyllic, all stone and wood with huge windows looking out at the brush leading down to the lake in the backyard. The hot tub was set on the back porch, a fire pit in the yard and rocking chairs out front. The kitchen was large and reasonably well equipped and there were enough bedrooms that Joel, Tommy and Sarah could have their own when they all joined you for New Year’s Eve. There was even a desk set up near a window that overlooked the water and you set up your laptop and charger and got out your notebook with the pen from your Christmas stocking, arranging everything just so. 

“Alright,” you said to no one after you got the groceries put away and made yourself a cup of coffee before settling in at the desk to write. “Let’s do this.” 

And… you tried. You really, truly did. 

Day one, you got most of an outline done. Enough of one that you went to bed feeling somewhat accomplished and felt good treating yourself to a bagel sandwich in the morning. But then, when you sat down to work on the next part for day two, you weren’t sure you liked any of it anymore. You pressed on, anyway. Day three, you tried to write the first chapter and you made some decent progress, at least feeling like you were getting to know the characters a bit as you settled into the story. But, day four, you read what you’d written the day before and wanted to claw your way out of your skin. What were you doing? Why did you think you could do this at all? Had you ever made anything worthwhile on your own? Why would you suddenly be able to do it now? 

The text came through when you were taking a break for lunch, desperately avoiding the gnawing feeling of failure after days of accomplishing fuck all when you really had no excuse not to. You sighed and opened your texts, fully expecting from Joel or Anna or even Stephanie. 

It wasn’t. 

Hey Doll

You dropped your fork in shock and it clattered to your plate as you blinked at your phone in total shock. He was texting you. Why was he texting you? He hadn’t texted you in months, not since you’d left Rhode Island. Why now? Did you want to know? Could you resist knowing? 

Hi Gale

You propped your phone up against your half empty can of Diet Dr. Pepper and stared at the screen, waiting for the next shoe to drop. 

It didn’t take long. 

How’ve you been doing? 

Your hand shook as you replied. 

Alright. I like the new school. You?

He responded almost instantly. 

Not bad. Was just thinking about you. Miss you. 

You froze, your heart in your throat. 

He missed you. How could he just say that? The collapse of your marriage had been one of the most painful things you’d ever gone through, happening in slow motion as he pulled further and further away and you desperately tried to dig your nails in to keep him close. You’d all but begged for him to miss you for years and now he was just texting it to you out of the blue. How could he just say that? How could you pretend like it wasn’t what you wanted to hear? 

You went to his Facebook page and checked his relationship status, one of the upsides to being with an older man meaning that his social media presence was pretty limited. He was still listed as in a relationship with Carla, a woman he’d met in much the same way he’d met you. The thought made your stomach churn, that you’d been so easily replaced by the younger, thinner, prettier version who had been dropped on his desk, practically gift wrapped. 

You went back to the texts. 

How’s Carla? 

There was a longer pause that time. 

She’s not you. 

“Jesus,” you said, setting the phone down and closing your eyes for a moment. You tried to think, forcing yourself to be practical. This wasn’t the time or the place to be having this conversation. You couldn’t have this conversation, not when you’d just been sitting her wondering if you could do the only thing you’d ever felt like you were supposed to do without his help. 

I don’t want to talk about this now. I’m in the middle of working on my book. Maybe another time. 

You stared at the phone, waiting for him to respond. He never did. 

“Yeah, sure seems like you missed me,” you muttered, finishing your salad and cleaning up from lunch, settling back in at your desk to write for the afternoon, trying not to think about the very real possibility that your writing career had ended when your marriage did. 

“I’m losing my mind over here,” you said, breaking down and calling Joel on day five. “There’s only so much I can say to a wall, you know.” 

“We’re comin’ your way tomorrow,” he said. “Be praying for some peace and quiet once Sarah and Tommy are there, trust me. Still like pecan praline ice cream, yeah?” 

“Blue Bell?” You asked. 

“Course it’s Blue Bell,” you could hear him roll his eyes through the phone. “What kind of animal you take me for?” 

“Oh, my apologies…” 

“Anything else you can think of?” He asked. “I can always stop on the way, too, but it’s easier while I’m here.” 

“I still think it’s silly to buy ice cream an hour away and then drive it out here,” you said. 

“That’s what coolers are for,” he replied. “Stop finding shit to worry about. Just give the writing one more shot, see how far you get. Who knows, you might surprise yourself.” 

“Yeah,” you sighed, chewing on the inside of your cheek as you remembered your texts with Gale the day before. 

“Goldie,” Joel said, tone serious. “That all that’s on your mind?” 

“Stop trying to read my thoughts,” you said. 

“Tell me,” he said. “Or I’ll show up early and make you.” 

“That a threat?” 

“That’s a promise,” he said. “What’s goin’ on?” 

“Gale texted yesterday,” you said, fidgeting with the handle of your coffee mug, the coffee itself going cold an hour ago. 

“Gale?” Joel asked, tone sharp. “Fuckin’ Gale? The fuck did he want?” 

“I don’t know,” you sighed. “I’ll show you the texts when you get here, maybe you can translate them for me since he’s not making any damn sense.” 

“That asshole better not be making any trouble,” Joel said. “I will find him and kick his ass, Goldie, just say the word…” 

“I know you will,” you laughed a little. “But don’t worry about it right now. And I should let you go…” 

“Yeah, go write your book,” he teased. “Change the world and shit.” 

There was a knock at your front door and you frowned, staring at it. There was a window to the side of it but all you could see was a shadow. 

“Hey, Joel?” You said. “Hang on one second, there’s someone at my door.” 

“What?” He sounded serious now. “Were you expecting anyone?” 

“No,” you said quietly, approaching it slowly and trying to see through the frosted glass. You couldn’t make out who it was. “So just stay on the line and make sure I’m not axe murdered…” 

“Need me to come out there now?” He asked. “If you ain’t safe…” 

“I’m sure it’s fine,” you said, unlocking the deadbolt. “Probably just a neighbor, but…” 

You opened the door and peered out through the crack, phone clutched against your head. 

You still almost dropped it. 

“Hey Doll.” 

***

“Hi Gale.” 

Joel’s heart dropped. 

“Gale?” He said, pressing his phone tight against his head and trying not to yell in the middle of the line at the HEB. “Fucking Gale? He’s there?” 

“I have to go,” you said quickly. “Talk later.” 

You hung up before he had a chance to say goodbye. He tried calling you back but you ignored it. 

Joel stood there, staring at his cart for a moment, his head swimming. 

Was he freaking out because it was you and he didn’t want you alone at some romantic looking cabin with your ex-husband? Was it because he knew that you weren’t in a place to handle this right now? Was it because he knew - knew - that your ex was a goddamn predator? 

He’d bitten his tongue about that fact since you’d been back, that the man you’d married had been more than twice your age and you’d only been a legal adult for all of a month when he’d met you. It didn’t matter that it was you, that Joel had gone searching for you and found you there with him all those years ago, he’d want to beat the shit out of a man like that regardless of who it was. A man like that couldn’t be trusted. 

He especially couldn’t be trusted with you. 

Joel checked out as fast as he could, calling Tommy as he drove. 

“Hey, need you to do me a favor,” he said quickly. 

“You always need me to do you a favor,” Tommy said. “One of these days I’m gonna cash in.” 

“Yeah, who got you the only job besides the army you’ve kept longer than a week?” Joel asked. 

Tommy sighed. 

“Fine. What’s up?” 

“Need you to take Sarah tonight.” 

“Joel, come on!” 

“M’serious,” Joel said. “Goldie’s ex just showed up at the fucking cabin…” 

“Oh, not that fucking asshole from the funeral,” Tommy cut him off. 

“That’s the one,” Joel said. 

“Fuck that guy,” Tommy said. “He needs to stay the fuck away from her.” 

“Yeah, somethin’ tells me he ain’t gonna make that choice on his own,” Joel said. “So I need you to pick up Sarah and take her for the night. And bring me my shit tomorrow. I’ll text you the address where Sarah’s at, she’s at her friend’s playing right now, needs to be picked up about five…” 

“Yeah, I got it,” Tommy said. “Go save the day.” 

Joel drove as fast as he dared, not familiar enough with where cops liked to hide to go too fast. He pulled up in front of the cabin you’d sent him the information for a week and a half earlier. He’d have admired it, in another circumstance. He’d always wanted a place like this, someplace quiet where there was enough space to live a little, maybe hunt. A place where Sarah could run and play and get to know nature a little. 

But in that moment, he was too pissed to take it in. 

He grabbed a bag out of the trunk - pretense more than anything else - and stalked up to the door before knocking on it, his fist coming down in heavy thuds on the wood. 

You pulled open the door, a surprised look on your face and your ex-husband at your back. 

He looked just about the same as Joel remembered him from before. Tall but not as tall as him, a refined air about him that made Joel want to deck him, a smug look on his face. His hair was gray and his face was wrinkled and Joel fucking hated him. 

“Joel,” you said, staring at him. “What are you…” 

Joel did the only thing he could think to do, fucking Brad standing so close to you with a hand between your shoulder blades like he fucking owned you. 

“Missed you too much, baby,” he said, watching your eyes go a little wide at the word. “Couldn’t wait until tomorrow.” 

He reached out and cupped the hinge of your jaw, his fingers wrapping around the back of your neck and he tugged you closer, his heart beating so fast he was sure that your fucking ex could hear it. 

But he didn’t care. 

All he cared about was the way your lips felt on his when he kissed you. 

Next Chapter

A/N: I mean we can all agree, fuck Brad/Gale.

But also... his presence does get results.

THANKS FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME! Love you!

[mostlybats-partiallyrats]

So umm... I felt like writing a little fairytale-type story. Something short but impactful.

I wrote this all in one sitting, very late at night. So I hope you like it:

There was a girl who fell in love with death. On the night her mother's illness finally took her, the girl saw the mysterious figure sneak in through the window. And as a chilling breeze swept through the room, she gazed upon death's looming figure with awe and adoration.

"Young lady," said death, "I am here to collect your mother's immortal soul. Surely I do not deserve to be looked upon with such love?"

The girl merely smiled and said, "Maybe so, but I have never seen such beauty before. Surely someone so beautiful is deserving of love?"

But death was not beautiful. Not beautiful at all. And yet...

Death took pity on the girl. If she spent her whole life chasing him, then she would waste away, until it was her turn to pass away, like her mother before her. So death made her a promise.

"I cannot control your heart, my lady, that much is beyond my power. But you must live your life, and once a year on this date, I shall return to you, and show you the wonders I have seen."

The girl accepted the offer, overjoyed at the prospect. So, for the remainder of the year she continued her life as if nothing had changed. And when death returned as promised, she was waiting for him.

And so death enacted his plan. He showed her the most terrifying, tragic, and gruesome deaths he had ever encountered; as if the girl were experiencing them herself. Surely, thought death, this would restore her fear, and he could return to his work. The girl took a steadying breath. She wiped the tears from her eyes. And she embraced death, warmly.

"Thank you," she said, "I have never known such thrill and exhilaration, such melancholy, such eye-opening despair. You have shown me feelings deeper than I have ever felt before! How lucky I am to have such a generous love!"

Death was mortified, embarrassed. But what could he say? How rude it would be to tell the girl she was wrong.

"You are most welcome," said death, "and I look forward to our next meeting."

And so it was. Every year the girl grew more and more into a strong and kind woman; and every year death showed her his worst. She thanked him, and they parted. On the fifth year, death floated into her home on the eve of her cousin's wedding. As he rode the biting cold into her room, she turned to meet him, and what a sight she was...

The moon illuminated her hair, black as night. Her dress was as scarlet as a man's last drop of blood. She held a bouquet of flowers. Death had never before beheld such beauty.

"Death!" She said, cheerfully greeting him as an old friend, "I wasn't sure what your favourite flower was, so I just got one of everything that was in season!"

Death had never been given flowers before, and in so many vivid colours. When he reached for the bouquet, however, every last bloom withered and died. The bouquet crumbled between his fingers.

"Oh, I see..." Said the girl, disappointment marring her beautiful face for just a moment.

"It's alright," said death, looking into her eyes, into her very soul, "the most beautiful things in the world are fragile. They do not last forever."

When death finished showing her his worst, he helped to dry the girl's tears.

"Thank you," said the woman, "how lucky I am, to have such a generous love."

"You are most welcome," said death, "I shall count the days until our next meeting."

On another year, when death entered the her home, the woman was frantic. She ran ragged all about her bedroom, and when she heard death enter, she slammed something shut.

"What are you hiding, my lady?" Said death.

"Nothing," she insisted, "nothing at all! I would never hide something from you!"

Death had seen this coming.

Many-a-mortal had tried to trick him in his time, to mislead him, to stab him in the back. But in all his millennia, none had stooped so low as to first attempt to gain his trust.

Death was ruthless in the visions he showed the woman, the things he forced her to witness, the choices he had her make. He showed her the pinnacle of humanity's evil, the very worst of death.

Until finally, he dangled the woman from the edge of the world's tallest cliff, just beyond which was a sheer drop into the roiling ocean below. He asked her a question.

"Do you fear me, mortal? Do you finally fear me now? Are you afraid of death?"

Darkness fell over the cliff, and the wind lashed icy cold at the woman's skin, as she teetered on the precipice between being, and not.

"Of course I do!" the woman cried, brokenly.

With a crack like lightning, they were back in the woman's home. Where death cast her to the floor, and she crumpled into a terrified heap.

"Then you have learned your lesson. No one can deceive death."

"Deceive you?," Cried the woman, "when did I ever deceive you!"

Death was enraged.

"The petty hubris of man! Even now you feign innocence! You were hiding something when I arrived, but you cannot fool me! Many have tried, and failed, to assassinate me, trick me into a deal, a game, all to gain immortality! Ha! The fools knew not of what they asked!"

The woman was silent, sullen. From her back pocket, she pulled out a carved wooden box, and stretched out her hand.

"Take it," she said, and death snatched it from her grip, "You would like to know what I was hiding? Open it."

Death opened the box, expecting to find a dagger, or a neatly folded net, or a vial of poison.

It was a hyacinth flower. But it was not as it seemed. When death picked it up, it did not whither and die. Instead, it reflected the light of the slowly rising sun, creating dancing patterns of colourful light.

It was made of glass.

"It's still fragile," said the woman, "and I doubt it will last forever either. I still do not know your favourite flower. But hyacinths were my mother's. Do you know the story of Hyacinthus?"

Death knew every story ever told, for he was eternal.

"No," said death, "would you kindly tell it to me?"

And so the woman told death the story of the prince Hyacinthus, who was the love of the Greek god Apollo. Of how, jealous of Apollo, and wanting the prince for himself, Zephyr the West Wind killed the prince. Apollo, grief-stricken, holding the dying prince in his arms, turned him into a flower.

A hyacinth.

The woman sighed, and death noticed for the first time, that one of her hairs was not black. It was grey.

"I am sorry that you so often see the worst of humanity," she said, "but you have to understand, you must be willing to trust others. Or else, how could anyone ever hope to prove themselves good to you?"

Death had never shed a tear before that day.

"My lady," he asked, "may I give you a gift as well?"

"Of course, my darling," said the woman.

Death held her as gently as he held the glass flower she had given to him. And he kissed the woman, on that glorious morning.

"There now," said death, "I have given you my blessing. Now through your every misfortune, every tragedy, every impromptu fit of despair; know that I am beside you. Know how much I love you."

The woman held him tightly, and wetted his robe with tears. "Thank you," she said, "how lucky I am, to have such a generous love."

"You are most welcome," said death, "I shall count your every breath until next we meet."

The years went by, and death visited the woman for each of them. They made numerous memories together, joyous, miserable, and all that rests gently, quietly, in between. The woman lived a full and wonderful life, until she was old and grey.

Death, cloaked as always in shadow, riding a frigid gust of wind, floated into the woman's window.

"Death, my darling, you're early," said the woman.

"I know," said death.

"Ah," said the woman, "I see."

"My lady, my love," said death, "before I do this, I must ask of you, one question. How was it that you saw beauty in me, on the night I took your mother's soul? And how was it, then, that I could never scare you away with my visions?"

"Ah," said the woman, "I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. You see, death, everyone was so afraid, when mother became ill. Afraid she would suffer, afraid we would become destitute, afraid for father, afraid she would be damned to hell. Do you know what I was afraid of?"

"What?" Said death.

"That when she died, when that time came, that she would be all alone. You have seen so much cruelty, death my darling. So many horrid people, so many horrid fates. You have shown me them all. Yes, it has made you slow to trust, but frankly I was surprised you had any light left in you at all. To see all of that, to endure it, for as long as life has existed, and still have kindness in your heart - pity, for the girl who fell in love with death - that is beautiful."

Death sighed fondly for his love. His mortal love.

"Are you afraid, my love? Do you fear your death?"

"Of course I do, my darling," she said, "what person does not? But I do not fear you. You want to know why you could never scare me away? Because for every death you showed me, no matter how terrifying, how gruesome, how horribly tragic; you were right by their side. Lighting the way in the dark. You were there to guide every last poor and wayward soul to the next world.

Of course I am afraid of dying, my darling, but that is why I am so glad to have you here with me. To hold my hand. To be my light in the dark."

And so death took her hands, gnarled and marked with age, with experience, with life.

"Thank you" said death, "How lucky I am, to have such a generous love."

[notscarsafe]

Okay, so in honor of all the Hermits stirring things up on Twitter today, let's REALISTICALLY consider Season Ten. What do we know, what are our clues, actually???

(Speculating and overanalyzing are really fun so I'm just going to embrace my tendency to Listify Everything and spill my thoughts on Season Ten under the cut!)

First Evidence: The Words of the Hermits.

Nine Days ago Scar said in his Jellie tribute video that Season Ten was “Just around the corner”. Five days ago on the 18th, right after the Hermit meeting that probably finalized their start of the season plans, Cub posted his cryptic tweet whose incorrect capitalizations spelled out “SEASON TEN SOON”. I can't imagine either of those hermits using that phrasing if the season start was more than a month away.

What's more, Gem posted yesterday the 23 that “If hermitcraft s10 doesn’t start soon I’m gonna explode!!!” I can't imagine Gem being that impatient unless there was only a couple of weeks or maybe just one week left before filming.

Second Point to Consider: Hermit Conscientiousness.

The Hermits sre generally really kind to each other and have known when the Hermitcraft Vault Hunters challenge was going to end (Jan 31st, midnight) for months. Per Iskall, the videos of the Herald Vault will drop February 1rst and I can't imagine they'd want video competition between that content and the new season.

Clue Three: The Streaming Activities of the Hermits.

The sheer amount of time Joe has spent playing Vault Hunters lead me to believe they can't have started filming for Season 10 yet. Seriously, when Joe finally has a day without a bonus Vault Hunters stream I'm gonna get mighty suspicious. Joe has streamed more than three hours of Vault Hunters every single day for a week. There was Wednesday when he did his art stream, but I wouldn't expect that to have been a launch day because:

Fact Four: Editing turn around times are so grindy.

The traffic series always has a several day turn around for editing time (IE film Monday post Friday) and several Hermits still struggle to get them out on those days. Even if the hermits were going to ignore the Vault Hunters conflict and start filming season ten this week, tomorrow even, they'd just barely have enough time to squeeze those videos out before the Herald Vault videos. As I'm editing this post Impulse just said he's trying to finish his office reorg this week and have a tour out next week. That does not sound like 'filming this week and editing the new season opener' behavior.

If it goes as Iskall indicated on stream, the Vault Hunter hermits will film the Herald Vault and post as soon as possible on February 1st, meaning the earliest they could kick off season ten would be Friday the 2nd. Even if they film on then I can't imagine them dropping new season videos/having them edited any earlier than Monday the 5th. Furthermore:

Clue Five: A lot of Hermits are very protective of their weekends.

Pearl for example almost didn't join the Decked Out visitor day because it was a weekend. It may be that Monday the 5th would be the more likely earliest useable day for filming after Vault Hunters ended. With editing turn around, we'd guess the start date to be Friday at least.

In Conclusion:

My totally bullshit overanalyzed but still blind guess is that the Hermits will film season ten starting February 5th and will drop videos sometime between February 7th and 9th.

That being said, Cub's cypher today that may have just been trolling said season ten would be “sooner than we'd think” so they may surprise me yet.

Keep an eye out for days where no hermits stream or days where Joe does a brief “1 hour chill stream” to see when the Hermits might be suspiciously behind the scenes. I won't be mad if I'm wrong, overthinking is fun. Either way I hope you join me in hypong up the new season and the new Hermits joining the Hermit Fam. I can't wait!

(Note: this post originally reported the herald vault videos as dropping the 2nd which was an estimate from a stream, but Iskalls video today reported they'd drop the first and this post has been edited to reflect that ❤️)

[inbetweenhours]

More of my parent/family musings about the empire characters! Got inspired and finished off my ideas for the season 1 cast!

vvv Links to other musings below vvv [Shrub here | Scott, Sausage, & Seablings here | Joel, Joey, & Katherine here]

Anyways, my art style slipped out of the cartoonish way it had been doing the others in this series so these are more normal sketches than the others.

under the cut I'll drop some quick ideas I have about the parents, like I have on previous posts for those interested :] Enjoy!

First up are LeeryDoe and KeenBronze! I'm sure the Grimland's naming scheme is making a bit of sense seeing the family all next to one another. Both the twins parents are Grimland's engineers, while LeeryDoe specializes more in concept and planning vs KeenBronze expertise in metalworking they make a pretty good team! They're a pretty normal family with their ups and downs. Not perfect by any means but there is care even when they don't necessarily fit together well. I could take about them ages but we see glimpses of them in my fic War on our Shores so I won't blab here lol.

Quick Note on Fwhips name, "Fwhip" is a nickname for FailWhip which google tells me is his old username. I have translated this to mean that the idea of "failing" isn't a bad thing in the Grimland and it has more associations with the idea of learning and perseverance or progress which is why its not a miserable baby name lol.

Pearl and her parents! I had some trouble with them since my Pinterest board for Helianthians is a bit difficult for me. But I managed! Her mum is guardian of Helianthia before Pearl inherits the title. She may be called the farmer queen by other nations, but Guardian is her official title. I don't have too many thoughts about them, they're farmers, they do politics when they need to, they're pretty chill mostly. Baby Pearl was difficult to design tho.

Pix was by far the most difficult child to design just because a big thing about identifying Pix's character in art for me is his age and especially his beard and taking that tire and age away really makes him hard to identify. I managed though lol.

Pix's parent I don't have many thoughts for outside of the idea of them being very haunted. Very tired haunted eyes, between being queen and being the keeper of the vigil I think they're a rather mourning duo and Pix's childhood was kinda emotionally weird because of that.

anyway that's all i got, so long till i figure out my season 2 cast maybe! :] feel free to ask questions about this i love my fanon lore a lot lol

[sunnywalnut]

Finished watching Dead Boy Detectives. Here are my honest thoughts.

-If you're going into it expecting another Good Omens, stop. Our protagonists are all minors. Teenagers. They cuss, they have total dirty mouths and sexual humor, but they are not eternal beings pretending to be middle aged men. They're ghosts. Dead Boys, if you will. Also this might be a stretch, but I'm assuming from the slightly less good CGI that the budget for this series was a LOT less than what it was for GO

-Edwin is kind of a dick in the first episode. But it's okay. Because character growth is swag.

-REALISTIC CHARACTER GROWTH!!! I liked Edwin a LOT more during the second episode BECAUSE of the character growth. And honestly? It's completely natural that bro is more than a little prickly after only being able to trust one guy for an extremely long time. Fair enough my guy. Carry on.

- this show kinda has Nimona vibes. If that makes sense. Witty humor, somewhat sexual dialogue, funny moments during serious times, though geared towards a younger audience. If you like those kinds of things, you will like this, I'm sure of it.

- In the early episodes, the pacing/character relationships feel a little off??? I'm not sure if that was because I was expecting another Good Omens or what. But after 2-3 episodes, the dust quickly settled and we got into the actual storyline. Which was extremely appreciated✨

-these villains are FUCKED up. I'm telling you. They are HORRIFIC. Had me squirming and cringing through their intense scenes. And gosh. That was a TRIP.

-TY TENANT PLAYS THE MAIN GUY EDWIN!!!! And he plays him WELL. I did not realize this going in to the show and thought his face was VERY familiar. Only after I looked it up did I realize why. He's our sassy son of Job. (EDIT: turns out Ty plays the Doom Patrol version. Not the one on Netflix. My bad! They do look pretty similar though, so ykw. Great casting. Also my point still stands. This guy is a pretty fuckin awesome actor. 10/10)

-Cat King is such a wild card holy SHIT.

-Charles is cute as fuck. His backstory HURTS. But also. I love the way his ears look. Like in the pictures that I saw of him they were of when the Cat King impersonated him so I was like oh chill. So he's got pointed ears bc feline but NOPE. He's just like that!! And honestly? Slay. I fuckin love it.

-oh did I mention tragic backstories???? Yeah we got those :D for everyone :D

-Niko is the best and I love her. Also I love how the letters on her desk are written in Japanese. That is a VERY nice touch of character building.

-hot butcher lady with throat tattoo

All in all. A truly delightful series and I genuinely hope it gets another season because I NEED to know what happens next. My little sister LOVED it and the ending had us all staring open mouthed at the TV screen in shock.

This 15yo girl is literally ranting my ear off, having adventures with the Dead Boys in her dreams and chatting with me about it, searching up fanfics and drawing fanart, the whole shabang. And it is DIFFICULT for this girl to get into shows like this. So honestly? This is perfect. Thank you, Neil. For giving us a whole other banger.

That being said. If anybody else has some younger siblings that are around 15-17 and are looking for shows to binge watch together, this is the perfect one. I'm telling you, you will NOT regret it (except maybe emotionally)

Thoroughly recommend.

[seraphinitegames]

The Wayhaven Chronicles - Update 7/October/2023

It was weird getting back to coding this week, hehe! I’ve been only doing the writing for the planning for so long that getting back to the shift of how to code was a bit of an eye-opener once again!

But it didn’t take long to get back in the flow.

Though first up this week were social media days, and I had some serious fun with that!

It was the Autumnal/Halloween scenarios to write up for the Patreon specials this month, and you guys decided on some good choices in the poll for the AU romance scenes, hehe! 

So the dates of those will be:

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice (Haley Autumnal Scenario Special) 4th October

Can the sweetness of a new relationship beat the yumminess of the bakery’s tasty goods?...Both Haley and the MC seem to think so!

--

Jump Scare (Maaka Halloween Scenario Special) 11th October

For a first date, though maybe technically third, nothing seems better than dinner and a movie. Unless of course it’s a scary movie, and your werewolf boyfriend gets freaked out about anything that goes bumps!

--

Bittersweet (Sin Autumnal Scenario Special) 25th October

The change in seasons brings more than just a chill to the air—it also brings the return of someone who the MC hadn’t realized they’d been missing quite so much. And it seems Sin feels the same way…

--

Are you scared? (Alima Halloween Scenario Special) 31st October

Building a new friendship is hard enough, it’s even more difficult when traversing a haunted house together and realizing the tingle that’s running down both your spines is likely from more than shock of the plastic skeleton leaping out of the walls.

-

It was SO much fun writing these romances as they were all really different! Alima especially was a difficult one to write for but turned out even better than I’d hoped.

But after that, I finally opened up a brand new Notepad++ document and got to save it as ‘TWC Book Four’!!! I had a little bit of an excited and panicky screech at that point, hehe! :D

I’ve been working on all the stuff that needs to go into the background first: coding the character creation for people who jump in with new characters, writing a brief summary of Book Three, etc. I also need to add in a section now for those who want to jump through all the choices in order to create a new character, so I need to make sure I get in all the important ones from Book Three so that it works.

It’s taking a loooong time. And normally I would get all this stuff done before even considering writing anything towards the book, but it was a pretty heavy week of coding so I think next week I might actually jump into the writing and then chop back again when I finish a scene!

Got to find the balance between the fun and the necessary, right? :D

I’m already buzzing at the idea of writing the opening! I’ve actually got it rough written out already, so turning it into the ACTUAL opening is going to be such a major moment! The start of the next chapter within The Wayhaven Chronicles and where the romances are gonna lead!

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! We’ll be offline as usual, so I’ll update you all again next Friday as I dive into Book Four <3

[moonshynecybin]

[regarding my latest Rosquez and because the idea came when I saw your tags on that text post] Austria 2023 (10th GP of the season, first Sunday race Marc finished last year), Marc going to Vale on Sunday night and asking him for something to smoke (“Oh, come on, don’t make this face, you’re Valentino Rossi, of course you can get whatever you want wherever we are in the World”)

Anyway, they end up sitting next to each other, passing the blunt back and forth in silence until Marc says “Everyone’s making a huge deal of the fact I finally finished a race on a Sunday but the only reason I finished is because I didn’t push. Not pushing put me P12. I don’t race to finish 12th.”

Valentino also asks him if he’s started thinking about his options and Marc chuckles, asks him “Why? You’re offering me a job?” and Valentino laughs, half-evades the question with something like “You deserve a good bike, everybody deserves to see you at your best”.

If Marc gets cold, I think there is a chance that Valentino wraps his arm around his back.

Marc does not let his head fall againt Valentino’s shoulder.

marc genuinely not knowing where to get weed and going to valentino is so funny… save me dirtbag… save meeee

i think marc going to vale is also insane in this context bc marc was crashing alllll the fucking time then like notably more than usual not even finishing races just a miserable time. and then he goes FINE i will have to be content with mediocrity bc constantly crashing like that isn’t sustainable, but he’s also probably so MAD and frustrated about it bc he’s never been content with mediocrity in his life!!! so like. marc is most likely in an insane headspace here wrt his overly competitive little brain. truly i think the way he sees it, his two options are both intolerable: injury or mediocrity. because winning is not an option. hell world. leaving for gresini but not quite ready to let go world.

so he’s like. keyed up here. anxious and trapped results-wise in a situation that is just as painful as his arm injury but for entirely different reasons. and going to vale about it is insane bc divorce but! i could see him being desperate and not being popular or comfy enough in the paddock to know literally anyone else with drugs (and anyone else that he is a. in love with and b. able to relate to about specific ass sporting woes. literally you can’t fix this one with a surgeon buddy you need the DOCTOR.) so he reaches out again like he so often does…

HOWEVER !! i think this situation is also fucking BANANAS from vale’s emotional standpoint. like even outside of being his nemesis’s weed supplier (truly i think some part of him is like GOD okay needs to chill out so fine i’ll give him some pot. like perhaps no one else on earth has needed a hit more), it’s crazy in the context of vale’s myriad theoretical complexes about marc’s riding style. like. insane for him.

so it’s going fine until marc brings it up to him maybe after a few puffs. they’re like loose with weed and giggly (and a little unconsciously handsy. somehow marc’s head IS on vale’s shoulder but that’s just bc it’s cold and he fits there. and weed. no other reason dwai.) and!! maybe vale is relaxing into it. letting marc lean back against him and remembering how uncomplicated this can be. thinking about marc’s pink cheeks that first time he took a hit off of vale’s joint back in 2014, and how he’d teased vale for thinking he would cough. but marc shifts a bit, chewing on his cheek, clearly working through some residual stress. and he brings it all up bc he needs advice about his dogshit situation and vale is literally the only yardstick he will EVER measure himself with, but vale reads it as him almost like. asking vale for absolution concerning his riding habits and the risks he takes. which is something vale at this point can under no circumstances give him. because he’s stillllllll terrified he’s going to lose marc. so he pulls away and marc’s side is suddenly cold and it implodes from there…

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 5/7/2024

i have Got to read a book i enjoy this week or my brain will turn into something the consistency of dried tomato paste on a kitchen counter

also i have lost track of the timing and rhythm of the seasons so for the first time in a very long time there is no may starred war tuesdaypost

listening

Chapstick by COIN off my weekly recommended spotify playlist. i don’t think this song is particularly interesting or well-executed as a whole, but the lyrics

She’s a friend of mine, and an alibi

And the getaway car in overdrive, like

Hey sharpshooter, I like the way you’re moving

i think the use case for this song is a telecom company trying to get you to switch by promising some portable Bluetooth speakers for your summer parties and this is playing diagetically as we slip in and out of various summer parties, following one TV-hot woman in a sundress

-

reading

i am once again not sleeping well and have shoved a lot of mediocre books into my gaping maw. i have read a good fuckin chuck of the jason todd outlaws runs. i like jason todd/the red hood bc i feel a certain kinship with someone trained for an incredibly specific thing who are then thrown away the second they stop conforming. darth maul also but that’s a different post.

i have several bones to pick with writer scott lobdell. i know this was the early teens but can we chill with the misogyny for a singular page. why themes of addiction only when it is needed to fill a narrative lull? and why are you continually going to put jason in interesting situations where he might confront his trauma or grow despite his trauma and then. not have him confront his trauma or grow at all because of it??? i like snatches of the early issues of the run, when the outlaws are figuring out how to be a polycule team on the most beautiful deserted island and crashed spaceship you’ve ever seen. i liked the art in most issues and these had just enough fun flashes of character (about every other issue) to keep me reading. but im annoyed by it.

i finally finished Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone, the first physical paper book i have finished in a long time. the flaw of being the first in the english detective fiction genre is that everyone who comes after has a lot of time to perfect it. i felt the actual perpetrator was a little beyond belief and the ending was fumbled. however it was very good at sustaining my interest for like 400 pages. not my picture bc i cannot be bothered to find my copy and bother a cat, but this is the penguin edition i own. i don’t actually know if i will keep it on my shelves but maybe it’s more of a trophy of me getting back into reading physical books?

Alexis Hall’s Mortal Follies also annoyed me. i do not think this author’s strong suit is in longer books. i have read previous books in two hours and change and while i found the ending here satisfying from a fairytale perspective, i did not enjoy the path we took to get there. i thought we were ending and wrapping things up at least three times, and the number of Things that happen in order to carry us on to the next Thing does not feel gleefully madcap but sort of frantically shambling. a very classic three-days time limit is introduced in the middle, it is met, and then we continue on for several months. also the author introduces the concept of shipping your friends with an equally made-up word as shipping through one of the more tiresome characters in the novel and this…cracking? chip? in the fourth wall? fucking annoyed me. it felt very out of tone with the rest of the book. surely there was a better way for this character to express that she wanted the two leads to be together

-

watching

Hammerhead (1968, dir. Miller). this is leaving tubi soon and sometimes the heart needs a silly little James Bond ripoff. had high hopes for this one bc it was rated R and the baddie was obsessed with collecting vintage erotica. i don’t really know why this is rated R. the erotica we see is almost all prints of Fine Art Nudes. there’s a lot of cleavage and undergarments and bikinis but not like. full frontal at any point. no man has their chest out except for an enterprising motorcyclist near the end.

anyway this is a deeply unserious film, as you may surmise. it’s not much fun, especially when it’s not very good at getting everyone to the next scene. Vince Edwards is kind of a cold fish, i do not know why every woman is throwing herself at him. Judy Geeson makes every scene she’s in better (there’s a very funny scene in a post office where they play both keepaway and the thimble game with an important package) but she cannot hold the whole dragging movie up by herself. god they made leading ladies fucking tiny back then. very throwable

-

playing

not fallow but i don’t have anything interesting to say about genshin this week. a friend started playing fnv after several months of subtle hints, i was only able to join his streams after twenty hours in and promptly let him know the inventory is sortable if you click at the top. how had he been going through his whole fucking inventory for twenty hours like that. a man singularly obsessed with both inventory management and min-maxing caps. he had like 8k caps by the time he got to Novac, taking the normal route. people sure can play games in different ways huh

-

making

put some dijon mustard and some broccoli in some macaroni and cheese. that's about it

[manwiththemagic]

spn s1 ep1 "pilot"

REWATCH TIMEEEE!!! I literally just finished the show but uh, I'm so hype I'm just going straight back in :9

So uhhhh, random things from me while I watch the episode because I'm bored, and stuck at my dads place 😔

Also whenever I'm mean to Dean and Sam ITS WITH LOVE!! not John though. Glad that MF is dead.

Crazy how John See's the blood next to Sam and doesn't immediately check for wounds.., or when the blood drops on him his neck doesn't immediately snap towards the ceiling. I get he doesn't know shit about the supernatural but like c'mon man.. (I'm allowed to be mean, it's John freaking Winchester. I hate him)

Love the picture on Sam's dresser being of his parents. I know it's mostly cinematography in like showing that this is Sam, but likeeeee idk. It's funny that deans all like "you abandoned us.(Me. IDC about you leaving dad, you left me. What the freak man!?)" But like, clearly Sam still loves them all?? Idk

AAAAAA HALLOWEEN MENTIONED!! crazy how for most of the show it's assumed he doesn't like Halloween because he hunts monsters, but no, it's because he threw up on some girl in 6th grade at a party😭

Deans first shown crime, breaking and entering.

Why didn't he just knock😭 it wouldn't have made a difference??? 💀💀

FIGHT‼️ FIGHT‼️

God they looked like such babies back thennnnnnnnuuuuhhhhh!!!

Dean already being kinda shady.

no seriously they look like babies..

“𝑖 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑚𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑠😏” okay lil bro chill out. That's your brothers girlfriend..

I forgot how pervy early seasons Dean was LMAO it's not funny..

Funny how Sam's all like "ermm.. no why would I leave with you in the middle of the night??" And tbh he is valid for that. It's probably wayyy to soon of their dad being missing for it to be Sam's problem, but Dean? Lil bro doesn't careeeeeee. I think he just was super anxious and like, we already know how co-dependent the lil shits are. Bro didn't wanna be alone.

“do you think mom would have wanted us to be raised this way?” OH YOU HAVE NOOOOO IDEA LIL BRO..

Also it's funny (after seeing s15) that he is getting kinda what he thought was an dramatic anxiety of his of Sam saying "no dude wtf?". Like Dean waited hours stalking Sam out because he was to scared to talk to him, and like... real? But he thought Sam would be more "I hate you KYS" when Sam in reality is just "let me live my life." and both are equally as bad to dean💀💀

“ "I can't do this alone." "Yea you can." "Well.. I don't want to." ”EXHIBIT A. him saying this after being mad at Sam like "YOU ran away" like bro.. your acting mad crazy girlfriend rn. Pushing and pulling. "I hate you sm you bitch GAHD. anyways... (*Twirls hair*) I missed you... Run away with me??" LIKE BRO.

Crazy how it's always said that Sam has the puppy dog eyes but like... Dean is literally puppy dog eyeing Sam to come back. And Sam falls for it.. dumbass.

Dean lil smirk when Sam asks a question. “Just like riding a bike, isn't it Sammy?” Dawg maybe use a better metaphor. When did you guys have time to ride bikes?? Also that reminds me of that one ep with Gabriel aka the trickster who put them in a sitcom. With the two seater bike? Anyways...

Dean back at his guilt tripping and gaslighting!! You go queen!! “You know.. I've never bothered you in almost two years..” right.... Cause that's so hard. (It definitely was. Lil bro is super clingy in early s1)

The way he immediately tells Sam to skip the interview. He basically says "Interview?? Uh? Who cares about a job?? We're about to go work a job?? Sure it doesn't pay, and it's dangerous, and you hate it—" like bro😭

Dead cheater with a squeaky ahh car.

Dean Winchester crime number 2, credit card scams, and pride him them. (Literally not shocked people peg him for a criminal mastermind. He legit is..)

sams first "it's Sam. Not Sammy" time!! I forgot he used to do that. Cause in the late seasons, like bro just gave up. Like Lucifer calls him Sammy, GOD calls him Sammy, but not as much. Mostly because he isn't *as* mocking as Lucy boy.

God do I love baby. First time watching it i didn't care about the car. My thoughts were "damn. Cool ass car. Anyways—" BUT NO. baby is so much more than that.

Deans third crime, impersonating an officer.

Ahh good ol fake id's. Sam looks SOOOOO anxious about it.. lil baby's first time lying 😔 LMAO JK but it probably is one of his first times doing this as an adult. Like he ran off at 18, Dean has 8 years of adult-lying-experience. Sam has none

AHH ONE OF MY FAVORITE LINES!! “you're awfully young to be federal Marshalls.” “why thanks, that's awfully kind of ya!” I loved deans lil accent ☹️. ESPECIALLY LATER ON IN JAIL OR WTV. “you son of a bitch, we don' swing that way!” I LOVE HIM.

my sons chat.

Why do the police believe them?? They pull up in the funkiest of outfits, baby faces, the most FAKE id's ever and people are just like. "Ahh yes... Marshalls!!" LIKE NO??

sassy Dean!! “well that's just the type of crap police work I'd expect out of you guys.” LIKE BRO.. I don't like the cops either but damn 😭

Sam's lil foot stomp💀💀

DEANS SMACK..

“why'd you do that??” “why'd you have to stomp on my foot? 😡” “why'd you have to talk to police that way??” LMAOOO also Dean def wanted to look cool Infront of sam. "Sam look how much of a cool bad boy I am😎" bc like Sam def thought teen "bad boy" Dean was superrrr cool, but like Dean doesn't know how to make Sam look up to him again 🦹

Seriously guys?? You? This random dead guys UNCLES?? YOU LOOK THE SAME AGE AS HIM. also Dean if your trying to pass your baby face brother as an adult man, maybe don't call him Sammy to the people your trying to convince??

AHH MORE IN SYNC TALKING!!! I love it when they do that.

Dean is so CLINGY. "heard she got murdered or smth idk. And they say she kills others blah blah blah case stuff—" and Dean just stares at Sam like "you hearing this?" OF COURSE HE IS. dawg he's right next to you chill out 😭

Gosh Dean is SUCH a meddler. He's bugging Sam talkin about "you think your gonna become a lawyer? Marry your girl" and Sam's obviously like "yes?? Duh" then Dean gets MAD like bro😭 bro is so mad Sam has a life, and I remember that from the future ep with Sam collage friends and the shifter. Dean just refuses to see Sam as an adult, and just drags him everywhere😭

Deans the definition of those like boy moms, but with sam. "Hiya sammy!! Is this your girlfriend..? She's uh.. awful and I hate her. HAH. demon bitch!!" like in s4/5 with ruby, he's not mad Sam is with a demon, he's mad Sam is "abandoning him" bc he has abandonment issues. Also he infantalizes Sam sm bc like he raised Sam, he still has the little kid Sammy version of Sam stuck in his head. And that's why he continues to lie to Sam for 15 FUCKING SEASONS. anyways..

Deans 10 baginllionth crime, breaking and entering (into his dad's abandoned motel room)

SO MANY ICONIC LINES!!! “no chick flick moments.” “pff. Alright, jerk.” “bitch.” I LOVE THEM.

finally daytime.. I mean don't get me wrong, I LOVE the dark grimey aesthetic of the early seasons but woooff finally I can see. Also I miss baby Sam's haircut. Like it was fire?? ALSO THE LEATHER JACKET?? YIPPE!! and the samulet!! Gosh I missed it.

Sam calling Jess!!! AUSGHSBS

Deans first time getting arrested in the series!! Crazy how it goes from this to being in worse than federal prison (a place that "legally/technically/on the books" doesn't exist) because of a assassination attempt on the president..

“fake U.S. Marshall, Fake credit cards. You got anything that real?” “uhh yeah. My boobs. :)” HES SO SASSY!!! I miss happy(ish) Dean!!

The police have such valid reason to question dean. Like bro strolls into town, fake id's, digging around, then you find him staying in a room with 10 missing persons all over, a bunch of "satanic mumbo jumbo" as the cop says it, and a level of sass so high a heroin junkie would O.D.

Dean (rightfully) pulling the "how is it me? The first guy went missing when I was 3, pal." And cops like "erm. I know your working with that old guy."

AH THE JOURNAL!! they treated that shit like it was the Bible in early seasons. Kinda fun. Also I bet this is where the cult idea started.. like in the FBI eps where everyone's like "yeah we know your dad was crazy, boy. That's why you—"

And honestly? I LIVE FOR THE FBI PLOT LINES!!

“so you had a happy marriage?” “.... definitely” OKAY BRO... RIGHTTTTT YEAH TOTALLY. lying lil bitch.

sam was really just yapping about the supernatural to anyone in early seasons... Like bro you ain't gotta tell this random man about women in white lore😭 same thing in the wendigo ep

Also Sam's puppy dog eyes!! “you tell me..🥺” (which reminds me of late season when chuck takes away their main character luck and Sam is like ‘so tell me, please🥺’ and the people are like 'puppy dog eyes? Are you fr? Does that always work for you?' LMAOO. But also I don't think Sam is realizing he's doing it. I think he just really had that kicked puppy look.)

Dean crimes yet again, breaking out of holding. Also “fake 911 call? Pretty illegal Sammy! :)” LIKE YOU CAN TALK. LMAOO I love how sassy he was.

fucking John and his dumbass orders with coordinates. Why was he even sending Sam in this goose chase? Why not just act like everything's normal to dean? He won't know what your doing, and Sam would still be in school.

oh great the fucking women in white. I HATE THAT BITCH!! I HATE THAT FUCKING BITCH!!/ref.

First time of many where Sam gets assaulted. no because why do the writers always have Sam get sexually assaulted.. ITS THE FIRST EP BRO.. and like later it happens with so many others, and demons, and old women, and LUCIFER. God he was the WORST.

Ghost? GONE!! who ya gonna call?

“you found her weak spot, nic work Sammy!” he's so proud of him omg. If it was late seasons Dean, and early seasons Sam you know Dean would be the type of dad ("big brother" stfu. Dad.) who would take cheesey selfies with an unwilling Sam, and post them on Facebook (bc old) and go "look at my sammy!! First hunt back and he's already killin'!! #proud" OR WTV

“wish I could say the same for you. What'd you think shooting Casper in the face, you freak?” LMAOOO

Deans so disappointed that Sam wants to go home LMAO. like yeah he told you from the start lil bro, but I can't blame you. 🤷

Dean is trying EVERYTHING to get Sam to stick around omg 😭 he's like a desperate ex, or a divorced dad trying to win his sons favor. “we made one hell of a team back there..” Jesus Christ Dean, pick yourself up dude. It's kinda sad😭

NOOOO JESSS!!! breaks my heart everytime.. she haunts the narrative :(.

Dean immediately busy in.. was he just waiting around? Like stop stalking your little brother man 😭 anyways glad he was there!! Saved Sam from burning up bc of Jess..

Gosh thats.. :(

Iconic trunk slam!! They use that shot a couple times in the end seasons to show how much time has passed. AND IT EATS EVERY TIME HEYOO!!

“we got work to do.” GAHHHHDD!! chills!! Literal chills! I love this show! :}

[welcometololaland]

Hi, how many WIPs are you currently working on? Would you like to tell more about it?

hello anon 💜 first up, i noticed you sent this to a few people and i just want to say thank you on behalf of everyone for getting behind writers and asking about their projects! that's really sweet of you and i know most people love talking about their writing so i'm sure you made a lot of people happy with this initiative :) using the anon function for good!

storytime but i have really been struggling with writing the last couple of months, mostly because i've been crazy busy with work (actually performing weirdly well but fuck capitalism) and social stuff. it's finally starting to quiet down - i think next weekend is the first weekend with free time since christmas, so i'm super keen to just...chill. maybe then i can actually work on writing!

as for wips...i have many but only a couple i'm actively working on right now.

Eurotrip (aka. When in Rome) - RWRB. i really wanted to finish this before may, but it's going super slow. I'm currently writing chapter 8 or 17, and my aim is to write at least 10 (but probably more like 14) chapters prior to posting. i'm really proud of myself for not giving up on this one because it's a mammoth and i started writing it in...2021 :/ but there's still a long way to go. i have art by @stardisnight to go with it, so that gives me precious motivation. also, the timeline of this fic vaguely resembles a lone star season right now so i need to work that out before i post.

Call Me (By My Name) - Lone Star. a co-write with @rmd-writes, it's just chugging along but as per usual we put no expectations on ourselves so there is no real timeline for completion.

10 Things I Hate About You AU (aka. Not Now But Soon) - Lone Star. i keep thinking about this and not writing it, but every now and then i get a strike of inspiration and go back and add to the doc. i actually DNF'd this ages ago, but i keep going back to it, so hopefully it gets done before the new season airs.

The Ring In 2.0 - Lone Star. calling this a wip because technically i have about 3k in the doc, but i swore myself off starting this before eurotrip is finished. i'm chomping at the bit though, the original ring-in was one of the easiest fics for me to write because it's so silly and fun and the chat with @dustratcentral is everything to me.

A Random Idea I Got From A Writing Prompt and I Pitched to @celeritas2997 - Lone Star. okay. hear me out. it could be short. 10k MAX. i have time for this. i promise. it's an austin au with a super stupid premise and i just. think. it. would. be. funny!!!! let me live. take me back to the ring in days where i didn't have any expectations of myself.

(other projects currently on the back-burner until inspiration rears her beautiful head again - product placement (tiktok 2.0 - LS), crossover, reddit au (LS), cause of action (TGM)).

thank you for asking 💜 and yeah, i take requests on any of these so tell me what you think everyone and don't hold back lmao

[espithewarlock]

Happy @1016week Day 1 - Monza!

Mild content warning for a vaguely consensual non-monogamous relationship...

（*゜ー゜*）

Monza is a magical track. There is something about the air, the energy, that fills his soul and clouds his head. Everyone’s potential at Monza is limitless and anything can happen.

Charles knew that was true of any track, of course, but he didn’t understand how special Monza was until he raced there in Formula One for the first time.

Things were different back then, during his rookie season. His race suit was different, a mixture of white and a darker red than he wanted. Even then he knew he would be trading that outfit for the bright red of Ferrari very soon, and the crowd loved him for it.

Pierre’s outfit also changed over the years. It started as a mixture of blues, then became white with navy, and this year was the first year he was in black with blue and pink accents.

That year, back in 2018, they were both racing at Monza in F1 for the first time and they didn’t understand the true magic of the track. They didn’t know how it worked. Neither scored any points, but that was almost expected of them in their junior teams.

They still fell into bed together that night, energy pulsing through their bodies with some unknown force that they had yet to harness and understand. It drew them together. They did not talk about it the next day. They were simply friends once again.

In 2019, they began to learn. Pierre was suffering, the tragic loss of their dear friend and his mid-season demotion still so fresh and painful, and he finished the race just out of the points. Charles stood on the top step for the second race in a row.

That night, when they came together, it was in celebration and in agony. It was perfect and wonderful and awful.

They did not talk about it the next day.

Monza was a track of balance. It would give and it would take. It would build them up and it would break them down. They learned that it would make one of them bleed for the other one to flourish and thrive.

2020 made that all the more obvious. His crash was horrible, but seeing Pierre on the top step made all of those negative feelings wash away.

Charles bled, and he tasted victory on Pierre’s tongue for the first time. It was one of the best things he had ever tasted in his life.

They did not talk about it the next day.

In 2021 they reversed yet again. Charles was only a couple of seconds off of the podium while Pierre got a DNF. Neither of them tasted like champagne that night. It didn’t matter.

Just being together, for that one night, was all he needed.

They did not talk about it the next day.

The race in 2022 was when it started to feel different. Charles had already bled for so many races that year. He didn’t have anything else to give. He had felt the championship slipping out of his grasp, despite standing on the second step of the podium.

Pierre also finished in the points, though much further down. Sadly, it was one of his best finishes of the season. Maybe Pierre was sacrificing his whole season for Charles’ success. Maybe Monza was making Charles bleed for Pierre.

Whatever the reason, that night was slower, softer than any of their previous nights together. It lingered in a way that sent chills up Charles’ spine. Not for the first time, he longed for more.

They did not talk about it the next day.

This year felt familiar. Expected. They left the track together, as they always did. Charles wasn’t thrilled with his fourth place finish, despite what he told the media. He knew that a podium had been possible for him. Pierre was never in the points.

Everybody knows about them. Their girlfriends, their families, their friends. Everybody knows and allows them to have this. Monza. The one night a year where they can be together as something more.

Pierre slides into the passenger seat of Charles’ Ferrari as he starts the engine. Neither of them speak as he drives. They never do.

As he drives, Charles keeps his free hand on Pierre’s thigh. He can feel the strong muscles beneath his palm and the disappointment rolling off of Pierre.

Charles pulls into the guest parking spot at Pierre’s apartment. Honestly, it might as well have his own name on it for this day every year. Today, the spot is his. Pierre is his.

As soon as the door is closed, Pierre pushes him up against the wall and connects their lips together. They both groan since it’s been a year since they’ve last tasted each other in the only way that matters.

Pierre says Charles’ name across his lips. It’s soft, reverent in a way they rarely get to experience. Charles says Pierre’s name right back, a plea, a whisper, desperate with desire. It doesn’t take them long to find their way into the bedroom.

For tonight, it’s not Pierre’s bedroom. It’s their bedroom. They can pretend.

Clothing is shed along the way and very quickly they are bare before each other. He feels Pierre pressing him into the mattress with his entire being. Charles lets Pierre’s fingers into his body, and then Pierre himself.

He is completely surrounded by the sensation that is Pierre. It consumes him, inside and out. He lives for this. He longs for this. Monza is the one day a year where he gets to experience this. To indulge in the fantasy that he can have this.

There are still no words between them. Gasps, moans, sighs, and whines fill the air as they move together. Sweet nothings are whispered, murmured against skin, hidden, concealed from their ears.

They find their release together, sweaty and stated and tangled up in each other. Pierre kisses every part of his skin that he can reach until they are both exhausted. Charles returns the kisses with equal fervor.

In the morning, they will wake up with their limbs still tangled together. Pierre will take him by the hand and lead them into the shower.

They will step under the spray together, noses brushing up against each other but lips not touching. As much as Charles wants them to, they won’t touch again for another year.

They will wash each other’s bodies in a way that is achingly familiar and completely out of their grasp. Pierre will not touch Charles in the way that he wants. In the way that he craves.

It will no longer be Monza and they will no longer belong only to each other.

They will dry off and make their way into Pierre’s kitchen. Pierre will make himself coffee and Charles will make himself tea. He will endure the inevitable teasing since he knows that Pierre buys a box specifically for him every year.

Conversation will be light and easy and friendly between them. They will talk about the race, the next one in Singapore, their girlfriends, their families, their plans for the upcoming week.

They will not talk about it the next day.

Before he leaves, Charles will make one concession. He will lean in close and press a kiss, sweet and lingering, to Pierre’s cheek.

Pierre will duck his head to try and hide his smile. Charles will see it anyway. Pierre will gently twine their fingers together and squeeze his hand as he says goodbye. Charles will wish that Pierre asks him to stay.

It will be another year before they are like this again. This season will end, the next season will begin, and Monza will still be on the calendar.

Maybe next year will be the year that they talk about it the next day.

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

Day 4 - Hiding an Injury

Hmmm this one was a toss-up, but I'm happy with this!

Oops forgot my pings! @ailesswhumptober and @whumperofworlds

TWs: burns, blood, torn skin, overworking

Mariano wasn't entirely sure that he hadn't died on the way to work that morning. He just couldn't be positive, because it felt like he'd been pulled into hell. There had been another nightmare, another case of his magic sparking during the night.

Bastian had helped him get his stomach bandaged this time so he was at least rested, but that didn't change the fact that he still had a twelve hour shift to get through. No one else could fill in to close, so he just decided to suck it up. It didn't make it more fun, though, especially since he didn't want any of the teenagers to realize he'd been injured. They had enough to worry about without him adding to it.

The kids were more than happy to do the reaching and bendingsince they got to tease him about getting old. Abby was sincerely excited to learn how to clean the ice maker, too. She happily hopped up onto the stepladder, scraping at the ice buildup like it had personally wronged her.

Really, Mariano was feeling decent until Abby went on lunch.

A small rush filed in, with impatient business people lining up to try the new seasonal drink. Jason had thought that a gingerbread mocha would be popular as winter started to roll in, and he'd proved right. People were seeing the little sign they'd made and deciding to give it a shot--and others were hearing the pleasantly surprised reactions when the people ahead of them tried it.

Mariano had already gone through the first gingerbread crumb container and the backup crumb container. He felt a weight settle into his stomach as he scooped up the last bits inside for the latest mocha. "I'll be right back," He said apologetically as the next person stepped up and ordered the umpteenth gingerbread mocha of the hour. "Just getting more from the back."

His side throbbed as he walked to the storeroom and reached up above his head. Mariano swallowed down a whine as a chill shot through his gut. Abby was right there at the tiny table with only one earbud in. She needed to finish taking her break in peace.

"Need any help, gramps?" She called casually, seeming to realize what he was doing. "Don't throw out your back."

He laughed, managing to keep his voice from sounding too strained as the bandages rubbed against the raw skin of his burn. "No, no, you're on break. I just need more gingerbread." The crumb was almost in reach as he started inching the package forward with his fingertips. He needed to have another talk with them about not putting heavy things up so high.

"Good god, they're like sharks for that stuff." She snorted. He didn't hear her getting up. "Weird holiday sharks. They don't want blood, they want cinnamon and ginger."

"Maybe we need to tell Jason to have worse ideas in pre-calculus--" Mariano's flat joke was cut off by two things happening at once. He felt warmth start to drip down his stomach, blooming into the bandage as the burn tore open, and he felt his hold on the box slip.

He cursed as the box's weight dropped onto his face and sent the world exploding into stars and the smell of blood. He staggered as the thunk of the box hitting the floor filled the tiny area and made Abby yelp in surprise.

As Mariano brought his hand up to cup his nose, he felt his shoulder hit the wall. Abby's shoes squeaked around the corner, and he heard her gasp. "Oh--shit." She hurried closer. "Oh that's--that's a lot of blood."

Mariano blinked hard, shaking his head. "It's--it's alright. It's okay. Noses bleed a lot." He sounded like he had the worst cold of his life.

"No--Mariano, your stomach is like, gushing blood." The tremble in Abby's voice made him look down. As she'd said, blood was spreading along the lower half of his sweater, right over where he'd burned himself the night before.

"...Ah." He said, settling into a familiar calm. "Abby, I'm sorry. Could you get the first aid kit from the bathroom and bring it to the office? I can handle this, it looks much worse than it is."

"What's going on?" She demanded, not moving just yet. She was getting louder, and sounding more nervous. "What's happening? Do I need to call emergency services?"

"I have a burn on my stomach, and I think I just stretched the skin too far." Mariano said, meeting her eye and keeping his voice level. "It's not an emergency. I've dealt with this before. Take a deep breath."

Abby nodded, taking a deep breath in and holding it. She let it go after a few seconds, seeming calmer when Mariano nodded again, encouragingly at her. "Okay. First aid kit, office, then I'll go finish up the rush." She darted towards the door before he could stop her. "And you can't tell me no! I'll just finish my break later!"

Mariano couldn't help feeling warm about her being so insistent. He took a seat in the peeling computer chair, promised Abby that she could have whatever pastry she wanted in exchange for the first aid kit when she came back with it, and took a deep breath. Abby had the customers handled, and as he peeled his bloody sweater from his stomach, he knew he had himself handled.

[solar-salem]

“ The seasons. ”

Pt 2 / ?

Includes - Rinney / Finbin

As the day passed, Robin got more and more nervous. As he waited in his seventh class, he could only watch the clock that stood at the top of the door. Tick, tick, tick. It rang in his head. Tick, tick, tick. God, why was it so annoying. Tick, tick, tick. Five minutes passed, then two, then one.

"Robin Arellano," He snapped out of his trance with the clock as his teacher spoke. "the clock won't move any faster with you staring at it, get to work. That assignment is due tomorrow and I won't be giving you extra time."

Robin sighed and looked down at his paper, he stared. Some words started to form into Finney, he flipped it over to the back quickly which gained another comment from the teacher. "Robin Arellano. There's nothing on the back, if you don't get started, you will have detention." She glared at the kid.

"Sorry miss." He mumbled and flipped the page back over, he pretended to read. He couldn't risk getting detention. Not when him and Finney were supposed to be hanging out after school. That was if Finney ever wanted to lay eyes on him again.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Finally, the bell rang and Robin threw his stuff into his bag. Not like he would care, most of his papers were already crumbled and destroyed.

Robin huffed as he let go of Finn's hand. "Jesus- I don't know why I'm so out of breath.." He groaned, he looked at Finney and smiled. "What's happenin'?" He asked like usual. "Keepin' on keepin' on." Robin smiled more as he said it. "Ready?" "What's the full plan, Robin? You know I like my plans."

He rushed out of the classroom, finally escaping the ticking noises of the clock. He looked around before running to Finney classroom. A smile came on his face as he saw Finn leave his class. "Finn!" He yelled out and smiled, he slowed down as he reached the boy.

Too many people, his first thought was. Before Finney could respond to Robin, the dark haired boy grabbed the other's hand and led him to a less crowded area.

Right, he did. Finney absolutely loved plans. Robin sighed and shrugged. "I was just thinkin', maybe we stop by grab 'n go and get some snacks and drinks and just go chill? Maybe we can have a sleep over at my house? My mamá doesn't get home till super late and she already loves you so, I doubt she'll see a problem with it." He smiled.

"Sure Arellano." Robin blinked. "Please, if you're going to kill me today, please just tell me.... That's the second time you've done something man. You're scaring me. I am scared." Finney nudged him with his elbow. "You don't get scared." "God, feed my ego, Finn. Make me fall more in love with you."

"Okay Blake. Come on, I don't wanna be here anymore." Robin finished as he already began to walk away, Finney jogged up next to him and they went on with their day.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Robin threw down the grab 'n go bag, soon following it as he plopped into the snow. He smiled and soaked up the cold. Finney sat down next to him before he laid back.

"I love winter." Finney stated. "I know." Robin replied. "I know you know." Robin turned his head and looked at Finney, he looked like a god. So handsome. The way the sun illuminated his face, bringing out his features. The way Finney's freckles could barely be seen due to the snow or how his hair got every so slightly lighter.

He turned his head back forward, he looked at the sky, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Robin?" A pause. "Yeah?" Robin sighed. "You know I know Spanish, right?" "I do." Finney looked at him. "Why did you call me your love?"

"Because.." He started. Should he really confess his feelings? Nah. Not now. "It was just a thing, you know? Because you're my best friend." He mumbled. "Oh, alright. So when you say " I love you " You mean it platonically?" Robin sighed, he didn't want to lie, especially because he knew it wasn't platonically.

"Yep." He lied. "Alright.. Thought so." A hint of sorrow in his voice. "Finney?" Robin kept his voice low. "Yeah?" He responded. "I love you more than there are stars in space." Finney felt himself tense up a bit, his face going red.

"Do you mean that?" He asked. "Yes, and I always will." Silence. The ticking of the clock came back into Robin's mind. "You don't mean that platonically, do you?" Robin looked at Finney. "No. Please don't hate me, I can't lose you. Please don't leave." "I do."

Robin looked forward. "Can we head back to mine?" He asked. Silence, tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

"I'd like that."

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

TEHEHEHHE <3333

[majestic-ruiqing]

Hermits as Songs from the Mario Kart Wii OST

(yes specifically Wii, not mariokart 8. Their rendition of moo moo meadows is bad)

Bdubs- Maple Treeway (pretty song for the man with pretty builds. who am I kidding, all their builds are pretty lol. still think this one is vibey and suits him)

Beef- Moo Moo Meadows (yes, I think the chill vibes fit him, it's not just because there are cows. It's maybe a little bit just because there are cows)

Cleo- Luigi Circuit and Mario Circuit (first off, can't believe they used the same song for two courses. second off, nice song with interesting stuff going on throughout. she can have two courses, as a treat)

Cub- GBA Battle Course 3 (funky beat with higher energy and also just plain fun)

Doc- Grumble Volcano (spooky ominous song for the man who insists on playing a villain lol, but there's still more to it to make the song interesting)

Etho- N64 DK's Jungle Parkway (can't believe this man always builds in a jungle. same tune all the way through reflects his consistency in content [I mean this in a good way lol, his videos are great])

False- Rainbow Road (pretty song, gives me the sort of grand feeling that reminds me of her s9 base)

Grian- Chain Chomp Roulette (I don't know how to explain it but half the tune sounds like it's a satire of the funky chicken dance. Kinda baffling but still a good time)

Gem- Coconut Mall (a lot of fun but not overwhelmingly chaotic, iconic)

Hypno- SNES Battle Course 4 (look man idk, it's literally past midnight and this is what I'm doing. it fits his vibe I think)

Impulse- DS Delphino Square (good song with a lot going on, but balances it all very well)

Iskall- GCN Mario Circuit (great song with just the right amount of funk to it to keep things interesting)

Jevin- GBA Shy Guy Beach (got me boppin my head man, very pleasant tunes)

Joe- SNES Ghost Valley 2 (less a song and more like two minutes of spooky noises being strung together, which sounds like the kind of bit he'd commit to. Beetlejhost)

Joel- Moonview Highway (high energy, kinda crazy, lots of fun and great vibes)

Keralis- GCN Peach Beach (matches his tropical vibe this season)

Mumbo- Koopa Cape (kinda weird. kinda funky. half of it sounds like it's underwater, who comes up with this stuff)

Pearl- Mushroom Gorge (bouncy, lots of personality, lots of layers to the music and lots of layers to the detailing in her builds)

Ren- Aqua Resort (a banger, keeps things insteresting all the way through, a lot of fun)

Scar- GCN Cookie Land (not just because of the cookie shop lol. bouncy tune, a good time for Mr. Goodtimes)

Skizz- Finished Race [First Place] Results (not a course related song but still a banger, giving it to him because he deserves first place, and because I've only got good memories associated with it)

Stress- Daisy Circuit (pretty song, fairly chill with just a bit of a kick to it, reminds me of her brand of chaos)

Tango- Toads Factory (very industrial, fits his base this season. I was tempted to give it to Doc though)

TFC- Wario's Gold Mine (while a chiller track would probably fit him better, we're settling for the Mine One. Still a good song though)

Wels- N64 Mario Raceway (a bit calmer as far as some of these songs go, but no less interesting and fun for it)

xB- DK Snowboard Cross (calm. vibey. could have half his house blown up in demise and still be cool about it)

Xisuma- Block Plaza (fun, and the blocky noise reminds me of tech-related kinda stuff. not exactly reflective of his more naturey build style, but does relate a bit to his minecraft update videos or redstone work)

Zed- Dry Dry Ruins (much like this song randomly switching to a completely different song halfway through, I never know what he'll be doing next)

Playlist of the songs if anyone cares enough to listen to it and tell me why I'm wrong lol, but given I spent several hours on this and most people don't listen to the mario kart wii soundtrack for fun, I'm willing to assume I'm in safe waters