#like they all absolutely adore him and think he’s the coolest guy to ever grace the earth

[eddiesghxst]

eddie 100% gets into petty arguments with your little cousins around the holidays when you visit them and i just think that’s neat

eddie: so what are you guys gonna ask santa for this year?

your cousin: aren’t you too old to still believe in santa?

eddie: aren’t you too old to not know how to count past 50?

your cousin: aren’t you too old to not be married?

eddie: at least i’m dating someone, what do you have? leap frog and a snotty nose.

your cousin: i’ve had a girlfriend before!

eddie: you’re like 8 years old man she just wanted free scoob snacks.

you: okay! eds come help me with the dishes please😀

eddie: but we did them yesterday—

you: now.

eddie: right behind you.

[annas-hair-donut]

My Favorite 2023 Fanfics

Instead of posting a master list of the fics I published in 2023, I'm just going to give you some of my favorites.

Knock on Wood (Kristanna, T)

“So, like, I’m not really a superstitious guy or anything, you know? But I saw this girl, right, and I’m about to ask her to dance.” He strummed a few times before stopping the strings with his hand and knocking three times on his guitar. “I don’t know, I figure every little bit helps. Couldn't hurt anyway.” A few people clapped and whistled as he strummed the opening to a song Anna hadn’t heard before. Then he smiled. “Maybe y’all can 'Knock on Wood' for me, too.”

I wrote this one for the FHWM Friday the 13th event. It was really fun because I got to set it in a time and place that is near and dear to my heart and I haven't seen many similar AUs. It's also a song fic, and I just had so much fun with it.

Pretty Please (Kristanna, E)

“Show me how bad you want it, Kristoff. Show me how bad you want me to spank you.” “You think I only want to sink my tongue into your $!@# so you’ll spank me?” His smile made her heart flutter as much as his words, but she tested him anyway. “Pretty men say pretty please.’” “You think I’m pretty?” he asked, each word punctuated by a sloppy, wet kiss on her thigh, "when I wear my lace panties?" When she didn't answer, he looked at her with lifted brows and puppy dog eyes. She cupped his cheeks and said, “You're not pretty, Kristoff; you're very pretty."

I wrote this one for the BDSM Exchange. It's not for everyone, but it's probably my favorite fic I've ever written (of all time).

Waffle Waltz (Kristanna, T)

Anna travels to Tromsø, Norway to attend her sister Elsa's wedding, and ends up renting a room with Bulda and her grumpy and resentful son Kristoff, who is the king of waffles. 1. Waffle, Noun: (1) A soft indented cake cooked in waffle iron; (2) Empty or pretentious words 2. Waffle, Verb: (1) Equivocate, vacillate; (2) To blather

This was for the Candy Hearts Exchange. It involved a ton of research and drew on my own knowledge of/experience with folk music and dance, and I consider it to be one of the best (quality-wise) fics I've ever written. I also really love the fun relationship between Anna & Hans.

Hey, Little Girl (Kristanna, E)

Loner Kristoff gets hired by cheerleader Anna’s parents to teach her how to drive because they’ve lost all patience with her. She isn’t what he expects, though, and when he realizes the feelings he’s been harboring for years are reciprocated, he lets down his guard. Then one thing leads to another... and quite possibly the hugest mistake of their lives.

This started as a driver's ed lesson and ended with a prom for Kristanna School Days. In between, I wrote Kristoff probably the most conflicted and tormented I've ever written him (other than Sophisticated Grace). And it was all set to songs by the Ramones! It really has it all, fluff, angst, high school drama, teen pregnancy, first times. Also some of the OCs were really cool.

The Chaise (Gaston x Adam, E)

Adam debates buying a small chaise longue at his local antique shop until he finds out it comes with an extra large delivery man.

I wrote this for my a friend, and TBH I'm still completely tickled by it. Adam seduced Gaston through flattery and it was just so much fun to write!

The Moment I Bit My Lip (Kristanna, E)

Anna shivered as she packed her suitcase. It was winter, the furnace was broken, and they’d run out of firewood. And Kristoff had run out of time. Based on "Love Me Harder" by Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd

This was a reader request. It was a huge challenge because I tend to write more female-dominant stuff and the song lyrics screamed Kristanna, but at the same time didn't really fit with the kinds of things I usually write. So I had to get a little creative and I absolutely love that. Anyway, I came up with one of the coolest AUs I've written and I absolutely adore this piece.

Boom, Clap! (Kristanna, E)

A sharp pain sears across Kristoff’s face from the force of Anna’s hand slapping him to the present. Stars twinkle just inside his field of vision as he rubs his cheek, and his heart beats faster in excitement. He hasn’t felt this good in years. Until an irate voice says, “What the fuck?” Anna stands in front of him, angrier than ever, and he smiles a little more. “You think that’s funny?” she asks. The correct answer is no, of course, but the right answer is that he’s elated. He looks down to hide the smile he couldn’t make go away. That’s when he sees his brace and remembers his injured leg. The only pain he feels, though, is on his cheek. “I had it handled,” she says and shows him the red rhinestone-encrusted mace attached to her keychain, which her thumb sits on top of. He grins, and says, more bravely than he would have had he not been floating on Cloud 9, “Or you could just slap me again.” Her red lips slowly curve into a cat-like smile. She folds her arms and coolly leans against the wall. Her eyes glitter with mischief, and she purrs, “Well, now you’ve got my attention.”

I wrote this for Smut Week, but it's so much bigger than that. It was a monumental task writing about Kristoff, a war-injured vet, and Anna, the woman that uses pain to take away his pain, but so rewarding as their relationship turned into something so much bigger than h/c for them. It's two people bringing out the absolute best in each other, Kristoff healing in a way he never thought he could, and discovering that he was worthy of giving and accepting love. It's one of the most meaningful things I've written.

Rain Check (Kristanna, E)

Newly divorced Anna goes for a walk to work off some pent-up energy, but gets derailed by rain, a good Samaritan’s garage, and some really great D.

Another Smut Week fic, a follow-up to a cute little one-shot I wrote for myself last year (Future's So Bright, T) and wanted more of. I really love the way Anna and KB love each other. And Anna really goes for what she wants, but ultimately chooses herself and what she needs. I like this AU so much that I did a follow-up fic (Here Comes the Sun, E) and I'm also planning a 30+ multi-chap fic tentatively titled "And If I Change My Mind" to be published hopefully in the next few months.

Valentine Bear (Rydoff, T)

Kristoff gets some unexpected help setting up the Peeps Valentine's Day display at Weselton's Grocery Store when Anna, the assistant manager--and Kristoff's best friend--assigns Ryder to assist. Will Anna's Cupid's arrow strike Kristoff's heart? Or will it knock him down, along with his display?

I had this idea of Kristoff playing with Peeps and using his fake voice to talk for them. Who else talks for Peeps? Ryder of course! It's such a fun concept and I loved writing for them so much that I wrote a short multi-chap sequel (Mint Jelly and Onion Jam). Oh, and I got to explore Anna & Kristoff as adorable best friends and Anna/Hans (Alive and Burning Brighter), also a first!

Behind Adjoined Doors (Kristanna, E)

After seeing her recently engaged ex at her cousin's wedding, Anna sneaks through the adjoining door of her hotel room to have meaningless sex with Kristoff - because it’s not possible to fall for someone you can’t stand, right?

I wrote this one for Smut Week and it still tickles me. Cocky Kristoff is just so... he's a bro. Sort of. At least it seems like he is. And Anna has to open her eyes (and her legs) to see the diamond in the rough hiding right next door.

What's up for 2023? I'm working on a Kristanna Valentine's Day fic (short multi-chap), finishing up All Tied Up and Head Over Feet. Chugging along with The Refugees, and my new upcoming long fic "And If I Change My Mind," set in the Bandana AU.

[klaineaddictsfanficrecs]

Unmasked

By Gleeful Darren Criss Fan

Covid sucked. It had totally ruined 2020. First, he had landed his first major role in a Broadway production. Ok, it was an understudy role, and it was a revival of Wicked. He was Fiyero’s understudy, even though he was better than the guy cast to play the role, some cocky kid named Brody that slept his way to the top. Unfortunately for the promiscuous boy, he had pissed off the director and was fired during the pandemic, allowing Blaine to step in and fill his shiny, polished shoes.

Unfortunately, Covid had other plans. The governor called for the emergency closure of all nonessential businesses, which meant the show and the theater was mandated to stay closed to the public until further notice. Initially, he had been optimistic, thinking that they were only going to close down for a couple of weeks. Now, almost a year later, there was finally a date set for opening night. It was finally time for his debut. He had finally gotten to walk back through those doors and step back on stage. But that wasn’t the reason that he had been so elated.

This morning when he was told that everyone would be allowed to congregate and rehearse together, he had practically jumped for joy. Yes, it would be amazing to see his costars again. Rachel, although a diva at times, was fun to be around and immensely talented. And his friends in the ensemble, like Sam, Tina, and Mike were a blast to be around. And even Santana, Rachel’s understudy, was even becoming his friend, even though he did not want to get on her bad side. But the person he was most excited to be around wasn’t even on the stage. And because of that, he only had the opportunity to see him sporadically, only when the costume director needed to take measurements or do adjustments. Yep, that’s correct. His favorite person to see in the whole production was the lead designer for the show, Kurt Hummel.

When he was first told that Brody was out and he was in, he was ecstatic because that meant that he’d get his chance to shine. Unfortunately, it had caused Kurt to flip out because Brody and Blaine were very different, especially in the height department. Blaine was also told that he was not as defined in a few areas, like his arms, but he was much more defined in other areas, such as in the crotch area. Blaine had never blushed so much in his life as when Kurt had to take his measurements that day.

And since then, Blaine’s outlook for his day seemed to improve as soon as Kurt walked into the theater. It hadn’t happened much at first, because they staggered days that they worked at the theater so that they could socially distance themselves. Kurt had said that he could do much of the sewing at home, so he seldomly graced them with his presence until the virus finally started to get under control.

And when Kurt was there, he would always do the responsible thing and distance himself and wear an impeccably designed and completely original mask. Of course, all of them were encouraged to wear masks. Blaine had his on currently, although he was permitted to take his off when he was singing because it was hard to sing with them on. However, since Kurt was a costume designer that didn’t have to perform or sing, his mask stayed in place the entire time that he was there. And Blaine absolutely hated it.

Yep, he hated that little piece of fabric so much. Stupid covid. Because of you, Kurt’s face was concealed. His luscious lips, his adorable button nose, his strong jaw, his rosy cheeks, and that adorable cleft in his chin were being touched, caressed even by the fabric instead of his own fingers and lips. Now, Blaine had to imagine what Kurt’s face looked like when he laughed or when he got irritated and said something fiery and sarcastic. It was just so unfair. And what made it worse was that everyone had to bring attention to them.

Kurt never seemed to wear the same mask twice, unlike most of the rest of the crew. Some of them obviously only owned one and never bothered to wash it. Kurt, however, always walked in with the most stunning, unique masks that Blaine had ever seen, which became the immediate topic that everyone had to talk about. Sam, Mike, or even Santana would comment on how amazing the mask was. Blaine thought back to the first time that Kurt had walked in with the accessory that Blaine now detested most of all.

“Oh my God, Blaine,” Tina exclaimed as she embraced him. “Did you see Kurt’s mask yet?”

tin man mask

Blaine nodded. “Yeah. It’s neat.”

“Neat? Blaine, it’s the tinman’s face, in exact detail. It’s incredible. I’ve not seen anything like it, and I’ve searched like crazy for the coolest designs and fabrics when I was making mine. I bet he made it. He has the skill, obviously. I wonder if he’d make me one.”

“I’m sure he would,” Blaine said softly, though he was really trying not to roll his eyes.

“Don’t you like it? I thought you liked the wizard of Oz. If it wasn’t for the popularity of that story, Wicked wouldn’t have ever happened.”

“I love the wizard of Oz. You know that.”

“Then, what’s the reason for that face. When I brought up the mask, you looked almost as irritated as you were when Rachel tried to make “As long as You’re Mine” a solo because she had the strongest voice. Do you not like Kurt?”

Blaine bit his lip. “No, no. Of course, I like Kurt. I was just thinking of the show and everything. Sorry. It’s a great mask.”

“Cool. I’m going to ask him to make one for both of us then,” Tina said, ignoring the look of horror from Blaine as she frantically started waving the brunette over. “Hey Kurt! Come here for a minute!”

Kurt smiled as he stepped up to the two friends. “Hi, Tina. Hey Blaine. Did you need somethi-?”

“Yeah,” Tina interrupted, shaking Kurt’s hand, neglecting to let it go so that Blaine could do the same. “We were just talking about your mask, and how cool it is, and Blaine and I thought it would be neat to have one. Where did you get it?”

“Oh, I made it actually,” Kurt replied. “During the pandemic, I had to do something to earn money and keep my sanity, so I designed and sewed masks. It was also a way that I could do my part to help. My dad was at risk, since he’s a cancer survivor and all, so it started with me trying to convince him to wear a mask. He kept fussing that he couldn’t find any that were comfortable and fun to wear, so I started designing them for him to wear.”

“He’s a Wizard of Oz fan?” Tina asked.

Kurt shook his head. “Nah, not really. This one was completely my idea. No. I designed him some masks with his favorite car models or the Buckeyes.”

Blaine did a double-take. Could Kurt be more perfect? “You like the Buckeyes?”

Kurt laughed. “Oh Heck no. But my dad does. He loves football, and he’s all about supporting the local team, you know.”

“Oh ok,” Blaine chuckled. “I didn’t take you for the type that liked football.”

“Hey, now. Don’t put me inside a box, Blaine. I was on my high school football team.”

“For like two games, and you were the kicker,” Rachel interjected, popping up behind them as if from nowhere. “Hey, Blaine, Tammy.”

“Tina,” Tina said with an eye roll.

“So, are you ready to finally get to practice together? I bet it’ll be a total disaster since I highly doubt that the rest of the cast rehearsed daily as I did to stay in optimum shape both vocally and physically. Kurt, have you put on some weight.”

“Why, yes, Rachel, I have, or to phrase it more accurately, I’ve gained muscle mass, because unlike, what you suggested, I’ve kept up with my aerobics and exercise routine daily, and I’ve actually watched what I’ve eaten better. Have you?”

Rachel’s eyes flashed. “No, I have not. I’ve actually lost weight, thank you very much,” she said, stomping away angrily.

“Thank you,” Tina said graciously. “I can’t stand her sometimes. We’ve worked together for a while now, and she still calls me Tammy.”

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. “She just feels threatened because she’s not used to sharing the spotlight much. So, you want a mask like this?”

Tina nodded. “Yeah. It’s incredible. Actually, could you make two? Blaine wants one as well.”

“Is that right? I think that I still have enough fabric at home to whip one up for both of you. Or did you want a different character? I even have couples’ masks if you’re interested.

“No, no, uh uh. No couples masks. Blaine and I aren’t a couple. I’m seeing Mike. Blaine’s gay,” Tina corrected.

“Oh, is that right,” Kurt replied. Blaine wished that he could see the rest of Kurt’s face when he had said that because if he didn’t know better, Kurt seemed to be smiling, maybe even blushing, but Blaine couldn't be sure because of that damn mask covering his face.

“Uh yeah, totally gold star gay,” Blaine responded, feeling his own cheeks grow warm. Thank god he had on a mask to cover the bright red hue painted on his cheeks. “I thought it was obvious.”

Kurt laughed, his nose scrunching up under the fabric. “Nope. and I thought my gaydar had improved since I moved here. Good to know,” Kurt said with a wink.

A wink. What did Kurt mean by that? Was he blushing too? Smiling at him? Could Kurt be interested in him? Blaine was usually good at reading people’s expressions, but with that stupid mask, he wasn’t getting the full picture. And unfortunately, every conversation after that was just as cryptic.

“Hey Blaine,” Kurt said as he stepped into Blaine’s dressing room. “Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah sure. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to see if you got your mask, and you obviously did because it’s right there. Does it fit right?”

“Oh, I haven’t tried it on yet since I haven’t left my dressing room yet. I wore a different one here today, but it looks good.” He fitted the elastic over his ears. He smiled, but then quickly realized that Kurt couldn’t see it anymore. “Yeah, it’s perfect. Yours is interesting today.”

Baby Yoda mask

“Thanks. I think baby Yoda is adorable,” Kurt replied.

I think you’re adorable, Blaine thought. “Yeah, he is. Did you need something else?”

“Um, yeah. Actually, I noticed yesterday that your costume is a little snug in a few areas, specifically around your arms and other areas and I didn’t want it to be uncomfortable so I thought I’d take your measurements so I could make the needed adjustments.”

This was mortifying. Kurt noticed that he had put on some weight during the pandemic. He tried to keep up a healthy diet, and he still exercised every day. He also indulged more in sweets though, especially since his favorite bakery started offering delivery. He and Steve, the Door Dash delivery guy, were now on a first-name basis. “Yeah, I guess that I started eating less healthy since this whole pandemic thing started and I discovered cronuts. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Kurt said as he started measuring Blaine’s triceps. “If anything, I just thought that you had increased your workout regime while you were stuck at home. Your sleeves have definitely gotten tighter, along with some other things,” Kurt remarked, his eyes shifting down his body. “I thought at first that you just started dressing up in tighter clothing until I saw you in the costume. Not that I mind.” Kurt said as he turned his head up and looked directly at Blaine, and were his pupils larger?

“Oh, um. Yeah. It wasn’t intentional. I can’t pull off the look as well as you do,” Blaine replied.

“Debatable,” Kurt answered back quickly, and was that a giggle? That stupid piece of fabric on his face muffled his voice a little, so Blaine couldn’t be sure. Was he flirting? “Anyway, I’ll adjust the shirt for you,” Kurt said as his fingers worked his way down to Blaine’s thighs, “although I think I need to take out the pants a little as well. You’ve clearly gained some definition in your thighs as well.”

Blaine was thankful for his mask at that moment because it hid how his mouth dropped open in shock. Was Kurt complimenting his legs? Or was he just doing his job and noticing that his pants had gotten tighter.

“Do I need to take them out in other areas? Turn around and let me get your measurements in the seat of your pants.”

Did Kurt just ask to measure his ass? “Are you trying to imply that my ass has gotten bigger?” Blaine laughed, again a blush rising on his cheeks.

“Not at all. It’s actually the opposite. You’ve obviously defined certain areas, and so your trousers are ill-fitted in some places and too tight in others. I just didn’t want you to have an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction on stage. Plus, I know how uncomfortable it is to squeeze into a pair of pants that are too tight.”

“Your pants are really tight. Why do you wear them that way if they’re uncomfortable?” Blaine questioned, thankful that Kurt was behind him and not able to see how embarrassed he was by the question.

“It’s fashionable. Plus, I have long legs. My skinny jeans accentuate my assets,” Kurt answered as he moved the measuring tape along Blaine’s butt.

“Yeah, they do,” Blaine blurted. “I mean, you obviously know what looks good on your body type,” he quickly added. Change the subject, before you pop a boner, Blaine. “So has my ass has gotten smaller.”

Kurt laughed heartily. “Are you trying to insinuate that I committed the size of your ass to memory, Blaine?” Kurt said, rising up, and resting the tape on his arm.

“Um, no, but you said my pants no longer fit right,” Blaine mumbled. “So it must’ve gotten smaller, right?”

Kurt chuckled again. “Not necessarily. Like I said, your thighs have gained definition and you have gained some muscles in your glutes as well. Therefore, it changed the fit of your already tight trousers. And since they’re white, they’re showing some things that may not be appropriate for the kiddos in the audience to see.

“Oh, um, then, by all means, let’s fix that.” Blaine laughed.

“Well, then, I’ll kinda need your pants.”

Blaine ran his hand through his curls as he turned his head from the brunette. “Wait, right now?”

“Not this exact second, Blaine. I’m not telling you to drop ‘em right this instant.” Kurt chuckled. “I’ll leave, and you can change. Then, I’ll tailor them as quickly as I can so that they are ready for the dress rehearsal Thursday.”

“Oh, ok. Thanks, Kurt.” Blaine smiled, even though he knew Kurt couldn’t see it with his mask covering his face.

“No, thank you, Blaine. It’s been my pleasure. Kurt said with a wink. Then, he turned and shut the door behind him.

What the hell? Was Kurt flirting or was he just doing his job? He had to be flirting. He had noticed that Blaine’s body had changed, and he had even commented that the changes were nice. Was Kurt trying to hint that he liked what he saw? Or was it really an issue of a wardrobe nightmare waiting to happen?

Damn that mask. Blaine had missed all the signs. The shy smiles, the blushing cheeks, the sly, confident smile he’d usually look for when he read another guy’s expressions. The signs that he had read on his former hookups or boyfriends before he felt confident to ask them out. Hell, some guys made it extremely easy, like Sebastian, who basically called him sex on a stick and gave him a room key to his dorm. Covid had already complicated his life on so many levels, and now it was messing with his love life. Not that he had a love life. Blaine sighed and unbuckled his pants. Yep. He hated those stupid masks.

The next encounter was even more confusing.

“Hey, Blaine. Are things inside your pants better now?” Kurt asked, making Blaine nearly spit out the water he had just taken a sip of. “Oh God. I meant, do they feel better.”

“Wanky,” Santana laughed. “You been lettin’ Hummel get into your pants, Anderson?”

“What? No. He had to make some adjustments yesterday.”

“Some adjustments? Is that what we’re calling it now? Santana laughed again, raising her eyebrows and perching her hand on her hip.

“I had to tailor his pants, Santana. Just like I had to make adjustments to your costume as well after you decided to get some adjustments of your own,” Kurt replied.

“Hey, just because Berry’s captain of the itty bitty titty committee doesn’t mean that I have to join too. Now, I’m ineligible, thanks to some silicone and a team of surgeons. Anyway, Blaine, you didn’t answer Ladyface’s question. How are things inside your pants? Growing uncomfortable, are we?”

“No, they actually are fine. Thanks for your concern. Don’t you have some lines to review, Santana?”

“Yeah, but they aren’t going to be as fun for me to study as the ones that Kurt studied on your ass.”

“Leave him alone, Santana. Blaine can’t help that his body changed during the pandemic, even though he looks great. Getting into better shape and taking care of your body is a positive thing, especially since Blaine didn’t have to get the help of a doctor and a scalpel to do it.”

Santana flipped her hair, “Whatever, lady face,” she sassed, stalking away.

“Thanks, Kurt.”

“For putting her in her place? She lived with me for a little while. You just have to call her out when she gets bitchy,” Kurt replied.

“No, I meant for the alterations. I don’t feel quite so obscene now.” Blaine laughed.

“No problem, Blaine. That’s my job. Although I kinda liked the view,” Kurt said quietly. “Besides, it reflects poorly on me as a costume designer if anything appears ill-fitting.”

Blaine smiled. “Well, still, thank you. I can actually breathe in my costume now. Did you make that mask as well?”

“Yeah. Do you like it?”

Chewbacca mask

Nope. Not at all, Blaine thought as he visualized how even more gorgeous Kurt would be without it. “Yeah. It’s fine.”

“Fine? Do you not like Chewbacca, Blaine?

“He’s fine, I guess. I’m more of a Han solo guy myself.”

“Oh, I like him too, but I didn’t know how to make a Harrison Ford face,” Kurt laughed. “I don’t think they sell that at Mood.”

Blaine chuckled. “No, I guess not. But does that mean that they do have Chewbacca Fabric?”

“No, I had to order it from a specialty shop online. They use a special program to put the design on fabric. My customers really seem to like them.”

“They really are unique,” although I wish you’d take yours off so that I could see your gorgeous smile again, Blaine thought. “I think that it’s great that you make them, even though I can’t wait for the day that they lift the mask mandates.”

“And why is that, Blaine? I really like seeing the different designs that people wear, and they’re fun to make.”

I really like seeing your whole face, and I haven’t gotten to see it since this stupid pandemic started, Blaine thought. “I just don’t like trying to breathe through the fabric, I guess, and I kinda miss seeing people’s facial expressions.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Especially for an actor. I guess it’s hard to react to your scene partner’s expressions when you can’t see them. And I guess it’d be difficult trying to sing with one on,” Kurt replied. “But, safety first. I wouldn’t want anyone to get sick because of my negligence.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It is the responsible thing to do.”

“Being responsible sucks sometimes, though,” Kurt said. “I don’t particularly like them either.”

“You don’t?” Blaine asked in surprise.

Kurt shook his head. “I miss people’s smiles too, some more than others,” Kurt said as he turned and walked away.

What did he mean by that? Did Kurt mean him? Was he talking about someone else? He had never been so puzzled in his life.”

__________________________________________________________________________

The next few weeks continued to puzzle Blaine. The days that Kurt was at the theater were few and far between, and when he was there, he was bombarded with the task of fixing a burst seam or making alterations to the rest of the casts’ costumes. And since the CDC and the governor were still suggesting that every one social distance, Kurt seemed to take that to heart, barely speaking to him at all.

“Blaine, what did you think of Kurt’s mask today?” Sam asked as Sam exited the stage and Blaine prepared to enter.

“Oh, I haven’t even seen it yet. I wasn’t aware that he was here today.”

“Yeah, the CDC finally lifted some of the restrictions, although they are still recommending masks,” Mike commented. “You didn’t notice that everyone was here today?”

Blaine shook his head. “I’ve been running lines in my dressing room. With the opening night being just a week away, my nerves have been a mess,” Blaine admitted.

“Then you should definitely check out Kurt’s mask. It’s just your style,” Sam said, smiling.

“I’ll check it out,” Blaine said with a nod, stepping on the stage, and then spotting Kurt sitting front and center in the center of one of the front rows, and Sam was right. It was definitely his style.

Han Solo mask

Blaine flubbed several of his lines as his focus was pulled from Rachel and directed to Kurt countless times. It was Han Solo. Kurt was wearing a Han solo mask. What did that mean?

“Blaine? Cut? We need to try that again. That line isn’t even in this scene. Where’s your focus? We have opening night in a week, and you can’t just be dropping the wrong lines. It might throw me off. If you’re going star opposite of me, you have to match my level of talent and enthusiasm. I don’t want my opening night to be lackluster.”

“God, Rachel. It’s not just your opening night. You do realize that hundreds of people all have a hand in making this play come together. You aren’t the only person that people are coming to see. I need a break,” Blaine sighed, storming off the stage in frustration.

“Hey, Blaine, are you ok?” a sweet melodic voice asked behind him.

Blaine turned to see Kurt standing in front of him, his Han solo mask still in place. “Yeah, I just get a little flustered by her sometimes.”

Kurt nodded in understanding. “I get it. We used to be roommates. I couldn’t take it anymore. I moved in with Elliott during the pandemic.”

“Elliott?” Blaine had never heard Kurt mention that name before. Did Kurt have a boyfriend? Of course, he did. There was no way that a man as gorgeous and sweet as Kurt was single.

“Yeah, we met when he auditioned for my band shortly after I moved to New York.”

“Your band? You’re in a band?”

Kurt nodded. “Yeah, but we haven’t played anywhere with a lot of the venues we play not having shows this past year. I really miss it. We still practice sometimes, but I miss performing in front of an audience. We have a gig coming up, though. You should come.”

“Sure. When is it?”

“Friday at Callbacks. It starts at 8.”

“I have rehearsal, but I’ll try. By the way, your mask is great.”

“Thanks. It was inspired by you. You said that you liked Han. and I’ve already sold several on my Etsy page. But I saved one for you, if you want it.”

“Of course I want it. What makes you think that I wouldn’t.”

“You said that you don’t like masks,” Kurt answered matter of factly.

“It’s not that I don’t like them. I just miss seeing people’s faces.” Especially yours, Blaine thought. He had never been so jealous of a piece of fabric in his life. Those masks got to be right up close to Kurt’s smooth skin, his perfect, luscious lips, and it wasn’t fair. “I’ll try to be there Friday. I can’t wait to hear you sing.”

“I can’t wait to be back on stage again myself. I’ll see you then. And here. This is yours. Kurt placed something in his hand. It was a mask just like his own.

“Thank you,” Blaine said, squeezing Kurt’s hand as if to discourage him from moving it away from his.

“No problem. I made one for Sam and Elliott as well. They’re both Star Wars fans like you. And hang in there. Rachel does not use to sharing the spotlight, but one of these days, she’ll realize the importance of a team effort. See you Friday.”

“See you then.” Although Blaine was really tired of the fact that he still wouldn’t get to see Kurt’s beautiful smile. But then he realized that Kurt would be singing and it was hard to sing with a mask on. Kurt would have to take off the mask. There’s no way that Blaine would miss finally getting to see his face once again.

____________________________________________________________________________

Blaine was a nervous wreck, pacing back and forth in front of the little club. He debated going inside. On one hand, he’d get to hear his crush sing. On the other hand, Kurt would be there with the man he lived with, that probably got to kiss his lips and touch his face and strong jaw.

After about five minutes, he finally gathered the nerve to step inside the club, only to see the man of his dreams, maskless, and wrapped in the arms of a gorgeous, taller man with eyeliner and a leather jacket. He turned around and abruptly left the club without looking back.

_______________________________________________________________________

It was opening night, and Blaine’s nerves were on edge. He was excited. His parents and Cooper were both going to be in the audience tonight to watch him perform. His parents had already seen the special showing the night before, and then they took him out for dinner at a swanky place that Blaine could probably never afford. It was a nice evening, but it had been plagued by a feeling of frustration. Kurt hadn’t even tried to talk to him since that night that he stood him up at Callbacks. And Kurt would be at the show. He’d have to be, to make sure that everyone’s costumes were in perfect shape. In fact, he had seen Kurt running around and checking with everyone to make sure that they didn’t need anything. Except him.

Kurt hadn’t even turned around long enough for him to see his mask today. And suddenly, Blaine collided with someone hard, almost falling backward as a strong arm gripped his and prevented him from hitting the hardwood beneath him.

“Are you ok?”

“Kurt, hey, I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was goin-”

“Are you ok? Kurt asked again.

“Your mask. It’s me.”

Blaine Anderson Mask

Kurt nodded. “It is. I broke my rule to wear it tonight.”

“You have a rule? I mean other than to never take it off.”

Kurt nodded. I don’t usually wear the same mask twice. But I wore this one again.

Blaine shook his head. “I’ve never seen it before.”

“I wore it at Callbacks. I guess you couldn’t make it that night.”

“I was there, but I-I had to leave. I’m sorry.”

“Was there an emergency or something?”

“No, I just couldn’t handle it. I’m sorry.”

Kurt shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. You’re going to have to explain it to me.”

“How does Elliott feel about that mask?”

“He’s fine with it. He actually helped me find a picture of you to use so that I could draw it accurately.”

“And he wasn’t jealous?”

“No, why would he be. We’re just roommates and bandmates.”

“He was holding you quite tightly the other night. I didn’t want to intrude.”

“Oh, that? He needed a friend. His boyfriend of two years broke up with him the day before and we had just rehearsed a song that Elliott wrote for him. I was being supportive.”

“Wait, so Elliott isn’t your boyfriend?” Blaine asked.

“No. I just needed a place to stay when Rachel became an even bigger diva than she already is. Elliott and Danny offered to let me stay at their place. They never seemed to mind me. That is until Danny accused Elliott and me of sleeping together. Which would never happen because I respected their relationship too much, and I’m not really attracted to Elliott. I’ve been hopelessly head over heels for someone else for over a year now.”

“Wait, you have? Do I know him?”

Kurt smiled and pulled his mask off and handed it to Blaine. I thought I made it pretty obvious. I mean, I wouldn’t just put anyone on my face.” Kurt facepalmed. I mean, I wouldn’t just wear a mask with just anybody on it.”

“You had Han solo’s chest on one of them.” Blaine objected.

“Because he was your favorite,” Kurt countered.

“And you wore baby Yoda.”

“Because Sam said that you liked Star Wars a lot. He told me that you thought Yoda was adorable.”

“I think you’re adorable,” Blaine blurted, and then blushed profusely when he realized that he said that out loud. “I mean, especially now, since I can see your face.”

“Well then, if you like seeing it, then how about you make plans to see it again, tonight, after the show. Dinner. You and I.”

“My brother’s taking me out tonight. But we can do something afterward.”

“Will you show up this time,” Kurt pouted.

“I showed up last time. And I am truly sorry about that. I really did want to see you perform. I just was caught off guard when I saw you and Elliott holding one another so tightly. It just seemed like I’d be intruding.”

“You can’t intrude if I want you to be there. And he was comforting me because I thought that you weren’t coming.”

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” Blaine said dropping his head down in shame.

“Make it up to me?” Kurt asked with a timid smile.

“Anything.”

Kurt cupped Blaine’s jaw and closed the distance between them, their lips finally meeting in an electric kiss.

“God, I’ve wanted to do that for ages. But I couldn’t because of these things.” Blaine said, referencing the mask that was still in his hand.

“I knew you didn’t really like them.”

“I hated them at first, because I didn’t actually get to see you smile anymore. I didn’t get to see your nose crinkle when something irritated you, and I didn’t get to see your cheeks redden when Santana said something distasteful. But then, I realized that I got to see another part of you that I hadn’t got to see before. I think I fell head over heels for you when I saw you in a mask for the first time. That tin man mask. It just showed so much personality. And then, you made one for me too. I still have it. I wear it all the time.”

“I have mine in my keepsake box. It was the day I realized that I didn’t just have a crush on you anymore. It had grown into something much deeper.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Blaine asked, staring intensely at the gorgeous man in front of him.

“It depends. What is it that you think I’m saying?” Kurt smirked. Smirked, and it was adorable and so freakin’ hot.

“I think you’re saying, Mr. Hummel, that you want me to be your boyfriend,” Blaine smirked back.

“And I think that’s pretty accurate,” Kurt replied as he pressed his body into Blaine’s and kissed him firmly on the lips.

“It’s nice to finally get to do this,” Blaine whispered against his boyfriend’s lips.

“Do what?” Kurt prompted, lightly kissing Blaine’s lips once more.

“To get you unmasked,” Blaine replied before deepening the kiss.

[jayietheriverwarrior]

I mentioned on my drawing of the Wardens' Mabaris that I planned on drawing Hawke's mabari from Dragon Age II, and a pet for the Inquisitor from Dragon Age: Inquisition. So here they are.  I based the Mabari pretty heavily off of this photo of a mastiff: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.co… and the pig-like creature, called a tusket, off of screenshots of tuskets from the game. I'll talk a bit about each pet down below.

The gray Mabari on the right is a male dog named Drake. When their firstborn daughter turned out to be a mage, Malcolm and Leandra Hawke decided that their child might require extra protection against any Templars that might come after her, so they saved and scraped together enough money to buy a Mabari pup, praying that the dog would imprint on their daughter and protect her against all dangers. Luckily, the pup took to Valerie Hawke right away, and young Valerie was absolutely delighted with her new canine companion. She tried to name the dog Dragon, since dragons were the biggest, baddest, coolest thing she could think of to name her cool new war hound after. Malcolm tentatively suggested Drake instead, as Drakes are male dragons, and it sounds a bit more like a real name. Valerie agreed, so Drake it was. Drake grew up as Valerie's guard dog, and later helped protect Carver and Bethany as well, when the twins came around, though he was always Valerie's dog. He helped out with work around their farm and always kept a close eye on any Templars in their little village, lest they come after his master. When the family had to flee Lothering from the destruction of the Darkspawn, Drake dutifully followed the family. He grieved Bethany's death with the rest of them, and he struggled to adjust to their new, cramped life in Kirkwall. Valerie did her best to take Drake out as often ass she could, taking him out on jobs, letting him help train recruits with Aveline, and just generally keeping him well-exercised and keep him from being too bored. Eventually, Drake settled well enough into city life, especially when the family moved to the Amell estate and their lodgings were more comfortable. He stood by Valerie's side through all the heartache to come - the loss of Carver to the Grey Wardens, the loss of Leandra to a horrifying death, the betrayal of Anders and having to execute her own friend, and eventually having to flee Kirkwall after helping save the mages. No matter what losses Valerie suffered, no matter how she blamed herself, Drake was always there, always by her side, always full of love for his master and never blaming her for a bit of it. When Valerie left to aid the Inqusition in their pursuit of Corypheus, Drake stayed behind with Merrill, to keep watch over her while she worked to help the alienages. He would rather be by his master's side, but Valerie couldn't risk her beloved pet with the stakes so high, not with how old he's getting, and she needs her beloved Merrill safe. Eventually, they will be reunited, and Drake will be at his master's side once again. Unlike the stoic Enasal and the goofy Liquorice, Drake is an easy-going, chill sort of dog, far more laid-back and prone to thinking before he acts than his often rash master. However, he is far too loyal to Valerie to ever leave her side, so he allows himself to be roped into all of her schemes with a dog's equivalent of the roll of hhe eyes, even the ones he knows are foolish, because he has to be there to help her if something goes wrong. He is a steady, loyal presence in Valerie's tumultuous life. He never fully liked Leandra, since she could be rather harsh to Drake's master, and he wasn't above growling at Carver when he got too snippy with Valerie, though he protected Valerie's younger siblings just as fiercely as his own master. He adores Merrill for the happiness she brings to his Valerie's life, and he enjoys hanging out with Valerie's other friends, especially Varric, who is always a good partner to play Wicked Grace with. The pig-like creature, a fictional species called a Tusket, is a male Tusket named Wrinkles. Inquisitor Kenina Adaar (drawn at that link very beautifully by @ghilenart) was out on a mission with some of her inner circle in the Fallow Mire when a nearby squealing sounded quite loudly. Out of fear that the sound would alert any nearby undead to their presence, they hunted down the source of the squealing to find a Tusket that had gotten its foot caught by a fallen rock and was now trapped in place. Kenina couldn't bring herself to kill the creature to silence it, not when it was looking at her with those scared eyes, so instead she freed it from the rock, even sparing one of her own elfroot potions to soothe the pain of its leg. That done, the Inquisitor and her companions went on their way, ready to return to their mission. Except the Tusket didn't leave. It followed behind the group like a lost puppy, clearly grateful for the aid and curious about its rescuers. Kenina had always had a soft spot for animals, and couldn't help dropping little bits of food for the Tusket, or cooing to it when they stopped to camp at night and the Tusket inched closer and closer. When he finally came close enough to touch, she scritched behind its ear and it leaned into the touch with a happy snort. The rest of Kenina's companions were less enthused about their tagalong, but the Tusket eventually proved itself to them by squealing an alarm to them one night, just in time to warn them about an Avvar attack. After that, the Tusket was welcome warmly into the group. When it was time or them to leave the Fallow Mire, Kenina was delighted that the Tusket continued to follow them. They brought him back to Skyhold with them, where Kenina named him Wrinkles and declared him to be her pet. Though she leaves him behind at Skyhold for all but the safest of outings, she spends as much of her time as she can with him when she is at Skyhold, and she dotes on her beloved pet and spoils him rotten, sneaking him bits of her food at mealtimes and giving him belly rubs and wrapping ribbons around his neck and tying them in big bows. Wrinkles, for his part, adores his Qunari master and follows her around as closely as her own shadow, snorting happily. When Kenina is away from Skyhold, Josephine looks after her lover's pet. Though she isn't as besotted with Wrinkles as Kenina is and was initially unsure how to look after such a pet, she comes to love Wrinkles dearly as well. After the events of the Exalted Council, Wrinkles moves in with Kenina and Josephine as they move in to the Montilyet estate, where all of Josephine's siblings, especially Yvette, spoil him rotten. I'm really happy with how both of these guys turned out here.  I played around with different ideas for a pet for Kenina for a while, but I think having a Tusket rather fits her, and I just love the idea of her spoiling this thing rotten and him completely adoring her in return.  And of course, I had to draw Hawke's Mabari as well. I'm going with the idea of Mabaris having a longer lifespan than regular dogs, for it to make sense for him to still be alive by Inquisition.  Anyway, this was fun, I hope you guys enjoyed hearing about my Dragon Age pet headcanons.

[bloodpacks-archive]

Replaced

Word Count: 3k

Summary: When Liz comes back, there aren’t any signs that she’s going to be replaced. But she’s terrified anyway

Warnings: There’s angst, my friends. Self-doubt, y’know, the good stuff. But!! It ends happy

Note: This is a fic that, definitely plays into fears that I have, but I think for the most part people could relate to them? idk it was a bit of a therapeutic fic, I guess. I hope you guys like it!

It’s Friday night, and she’s sitting in her room, waiting for him to swing over to her building and quietly tap on her window. She loves these nights, where nothing seems to exist except for them and the moonlight that just barely drips in through her curtains.

It’s full of little smiles and muffled laughs. It’s Peter with a sweatshirt on over his suit because the air conditioning in her room gives him goosebumps. It’s her, with her fingers tangled in his hair as he lays his head in her lap, and Peter’s eyes closed in bliss, because he’s here with his favorite person in the world.

It’s then when she hears the tapping, three short knocks, just barely there. She gets up from her spot on her bed, breathless smile on her face as she opens the window. He awkwardly climbs into her room, seeming to embody anything but grace. She covers her face as a laugh moves past her lips, and although his mask still covers his face, she knows that there’s a smile underneath it.

The smile hasn’t left her face yet, and now they’re standing in front of each other, happy silence between them as he slowly starts to take his mask off. His hair is a mess underneath it, and his face is red from swinging around, but she loves every bit of it.

She softly pulls him into a hug, happy to see that he’s barely got a scratch on him.

“Nothing big today?” She asks, pulling away to look at him again. She has a hand at the back of his head, lightly playing with his hair, and he’s smiling at her. This shy, beautiful smile, that she can’t even begin to put into words.

And it’s a little hard to explain, because she’s somewhere between adoration and love, but she does know that she would go to the ends of the world with him if he asked.

“No, nothing big,” He answers, and she can’t help but love the way he looks at her.

“Hey, c’mon, I have Empire Strikes Back all set up on my laptop.” She grabs his hand and pulls him towards her bed, tossing a sweatshirt at him and pulling a blanket over the two of them. She, however, doesn’t really use it. Instead, she lays her head down on his lap and turns her laptop towards the two of them. Opting instead to just curl around Peter as much as possible.

And, if she were to be honest, these moments are her most treasured. Because, really, he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

—————

The next Monday moves slowly, with bits and pieces of smiles and laughs throughout the day. In the morning, she lays her head on Peter’s shoulder, the morning getting the better of her as her eyes struggle to stay open. And MJ laughs, saying something about how Peter is so whipped for the girl that’s just barely awake, hiding a smile in his shoulder. She feels him laugh before hearing his agreement. She can’t complain.

During English, she can’t help but smile whenever she hears him say his own analysis on the book. And god, she feels completely childlike for being so smitten, for feeling butterflies simply from the sound of his voice, but when Peter looks back at her, just for a moment, she realizes that no one could resist getting butterflies at the sight of that smile.

And at lunch, their shoulders are pressed together, just barely. And while Ned has insisted that they keep PDA to a minimum, even he admits that they’re a cute couple, and he’s never seen Peter smile brighter.

Finally, at the end of the day, she has both of her arms wrapped around one of Peter’s, smiling at him as they walk home. Once they get to her’s, she knows she’ll see him swing past her building. So she kisses him on the cheek, a sweet goodbye, and a reminder to stay safe. And of course he nods, and a blush still finds it’s way across his face. He never will get to used to her like this.

And she loves days like these, where although she has to deal with getting up early, and horrid teachers and people that she’d really rather not talk to, she gets to see some of the best people in the world, too. She really couldn’t ask for anything better.

—————

It’s later in the week, she thinks it’s Thursday but she wishes with all her heart that it was a Friday. Because really, all she wants right now is to be able to go home and wait for Peter with popcorn and a movie.

She’d been up late, studying for a Biology test that she was positive she wouldn’t get anything better than a C on. And as she’s standing on the bus, all she can think about is how much she just wants to crawl into a hole.

And really, the only thing that’s keeping her from doing that is the idea that she’ll see Peter, and all her friends, and they’ll all somehow make her put a smile on her face. With that idea, she can’t help the way a smile tugs at her lips, and she’s suddenly a little more excited to see them.

When she walks into school, the last thing she expects is to see Liz talking to Peter. She almost forgot how absolutely gorgeous she is. And Peter’s smiling at her, that bright, shy smile, that she foolishly thought was reserved for her. She feels her heart crumble, just a bit, at the sight of her, but she knows she’s being stupid. She knows that Peter would never do anything to hurt her intentionally. Intentionally. God, she hates that stupid word because of course Peter would never hurt her intentionally but-

But she’s freaking out over nothing. So she smiles, says a hello to Liz so politely, because she never imagined seeing her back here, and places her head on Peter’s shoulder. She decides not to say anything about the Biology test.

—————

At lunch, Liz sits with them. And Y/n really loves talking to her, she can’t even deny it. She’s unbelievably intelligent, and the amount of kindness that she shows makes her want to be a better person. And her smile, God she can understand how Peter could get lost in it.

She shakes her head and smiles down at her lap, taking herself out of her thoughts for a moment, used to get lost in it.

“So, Y/n, are you starting to look at colleges at all? I know Peter’s looking at MIT,” Liz says, in that beautifully perfect voice of hers, and she sees how she smiles at Peter whenever she says his name. It’s hard for her to not get a bit jealous. Which is such an ugly emotion, one that Liz with the pretty smile and the beautiful laugh and the perfect mind would never show. So instead, she leans a bit away from Peter, leaving her shoulder a bit cold from the absence of his touch.

“Yeah, I’m looking at a few,” She replies, as if she hadn’t just undergone an entire crisis within the matter of seconds. So Liz smiles at her, delving into a conversation about what to look out for, and what to make sure to look for, and how she’s going to Stanford so she knows that looking at prestigious schools can be daunting but to check them out anyway.

Y/n hates how cold she feels without Peter’s touch.

—————

Friday night comes by quicker than she had expected, and soon enough she’s sitting on her bed, silently waiting for the three soft taps on her window. This week, she chose to pull up Brooklyn Nine-Nine on her computer, hoping that maybe she could end the two terrible days she’s had with a bit of shared laughter with Peter.

Soon enough, she hears those three quiet taps, and she’s rushing over with a smile on her face to see him. He pulls off his mask as soon as he gets inside, and he’s smiling so brightly she almost forgets entirely about Liz and any fear she’s ever felt dealing with her.

“Y/n, you would not believe what happened today. It was the coolest thing,” Peter says, and he’s already telling her all about his adventures, and she can’t help but admire every part of him.

“Tell me all about it while we get settled,” She replies, and she sees the way his eyes light up because she wants to hear all about his day. And she loves hearing it, she loves every moment of it and there’s no way to define Peter that doesn’t have the word hero in it.

So they curl up, blanket around them and Peter putting on a sweatshirt as she tells her how he helped the police catch some guy who had broken into a home on the edge of Brooklyn, and how because he could swing around the buildings he was fast enough to catch him by the time he reached the center of Queens.

Their show is running in the background as they’re quietly talking, and every now and then she’ll watch a certain part that puts a smile on her face. Or Peter will turn quickly, catching his favorite scene and a smile will take over his face in the best way.

And as she’s curled into his side, talking about nothing and how she somehow didn’t fail that stupid Biology test that he didn’t even know she was worried about, she falls back into the rhythm.

She falls back into the beat of his heart against her ear, the closeness of it all, and the adoration for this guy sitting next to her. And before she’s even aware, she’s pulled out again.

“Liz was telling me to check out Stanford. She said that I could be really good at biomedical engineering and they’re one of the best schools for it,” He says, and she swears she hears her heart stop.

Where her fingers once were running patterns up and down his arm, it’s cold. She moves her hand away quickly, sitting up a bit when she hears him. And she hates how she feels, how she feels like at the mention of Liz she can’t touch him. Because he once wanted to be hers, and even though he and Liz aren’t together and even though she’s only been here for a few days and even though Peter doesn’t feel that way about her anymore, she can’t help it.

Only their shoulders are touching now, and her head is leaning against the wall as she looks at Peter, and now she’s playing with the ends of her sleeves in the stupidest way, and she feels like a child.

“Stanford? Isn’t that where Liz is going?” She asks, and she hates how her voice shakes a bit.

“Yeah, she’s actually majoring in biomed, too. She showed me some of the classes she might be taking next year and they seemed really interesting.” And Peter’s got this look about him, and she knows that he’s already been dreaming about it. Dreaming about going to California and learning biomedical engineering with the prettiest girl he’s ever met. How unfortunate it is, that the girl isn’t her.

“What about MIT? They’re amazing with biomed, too, aren’t they? And Stanford’s so far away, you’d have to pay for some expensive plane rides to get back here for the holidays to see May. And I know helping out Tony is huge for you and that’d be hard to do all the way from California,” Y/n’s rambling, she knows she is, but she can’t help it. But she sees the way Peter’s face falls, and she feels like she’s going to be sick.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” Peter says, and he lays back against the wall with her, not even looking at her. Before she can even stop herself, she’s rambling again.

“Plus, Tony can pull some strings at MIT can’t he? That’d be great for you, you could get a full ride there,” She stops when Peter doesn’t look at her, and he’s playing with the sleeves of the sweatshirt she had given him. She sighs, and leans her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Stanford could be a really good choice for you, and I’m pretty sure you could get a full ride anywhere with a recommendation letter from Tony Stark. You’d be great there, and Liz would be there to support you and help you.”

Peter nods and lays his head against hers, and for the rest of the night, they watch the show in silence.

—————

The rest of the week goes like that, too. Peter will mention something, and she’ll ramble on about how his old plan was fine, and in the process, she smiles less during English class. Because now Peter’s talking less to the class about his amazing analysis, and instead sharing it with the table during lunch. Of course, that’s in between the talks of Stanford.

Sometime during the end of the week, she stops noticing the absence of Peter’s touch. Mainly because she realizes that she’s the one who’s moving away. And by then, Peter isn’t trying anymore.

So when Friday rolls around again, she doesn’t even have anything prepared to watch. She has her headphones in, so when three loud knocks sound on the window, she jumps. And there he is, mask already off and eyebrows furrowed. It takes all her energy to walk over and open the window.

“Sorry, I don’t have anything prepared for tonight I didn’t know if you would show up-“

“Why wouldn’t I show up?” He asks, and he’s looking over her face with those beautifully furrowed eyebrows, and she just wants to reach out and hug him but she isn’t even sure if she’s his anymore. Which is ridiculous, and she knows it’s ridiculous, but she doesn’t want to step over any boundaries, even if they haven’t been drawn yet.

“I don’t know, I just thought that maybe with Liz being back things might’ve changed,” And she hates how she sounds. She hates that she can feel the lump at the back of her throat and she hates how she feels. She hates how she feels replaced before he’s even left.

Peter doesn’t even respond for a moment, and he’s just looking over her with those confused eyes, and she can see him shiver because he doesn’t have a sweatshirt on. She has to stop the smile from creeping onto her lips.

“Why would Liz- why would you think that she would change anything between us?” He asks, and it makes her stop for a moment. Because there isn’t a reason, she knows that. She knows that any thought she’s had that would make it seem like Peter is falling for Liz all over again is irrational, but she can’t stop herself from coming to that single conclusion. So she just shrugs and looks away from Peter, her eyes instead studying her bed like she’s never seen it before.

“I don’t know.” Her voice is weak, and it cracks at the end and she’s already bringing a hand up to wipe away tears that she isn’t even sure have come yet because she isn’t going to cry in front of Peter. She isn’t going to make him feel guilty for this, she isn’t going to make him feel like it’s his fault, because it’s her fault. It’s her fault that she could never be as good as Liz, and it’s her fault that she pushed him away and it’s her fault that her stupid personality could never be good enough for him.

And then his arms are wrapped around her, and she’s crying into his shoulder.

“Hey, I’m not going to leave you, alright? I don’t plan on doing that any time soon,” He says, and she’s so glad that he’s here with her. She’s so glad that she can feel his breath on her neck, and she can feel his voice. She nods into his shoulder, and he laughs a bit at her silence.

“I’m sorry that I’m a mess,” She whispers as she pulls away from him. He’s still looking at her with those furrowed brows as she continues to speak. “I just didn’t want you to replace me, and when you started talking about Stanford I got so scared and I just- I was so scared of being hurt.”

“No one could ever replace you, alright? I’ve never been the best at comforting,” He starts, and the smallest of laughs escapes her when he says that, “But what I do know is that you’re the only girl I ever want to come to on Fridays. And you’re the only girl that I ever want to sit and watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine with for probably and unhealthy amount of time, and you’re the only person who supports me in everything I do. Whether that’s saving a cat, or putting a guy with wings in jail.”

And now she’s smiling up at him, a teary, yet bright smile. And she can honestly say that this is probably the best she’s felt in a while. So she grabs her blanket and pulls him onto her bed before wrapping it around both of them.

“I don’t have a sweatshirt tonight, sorry,” She says, but Peter just laughs at her and she lays her head on his shoulder. “I love you,” She whispers, and she’s terrified, because she just crossed a boundary that she knows for a fact had been drawn. But she feels Peter tighten his arm around her, which makes her smile just a bit.

“I know,” He replies, and he smiles down at her. She rolls her eyes at him.

“You did not just pull a Han Solo on me,” She jokes. He laughs in response, and kisses the top of her head.

“I did, but I take it back. I love you, too.”

Tag List: (Send me an ask to be added!)

@its-obrosey-bitch @timelord-sorcerer@amarokofficial@ultrunning @ocaptainmycaptainrogers@hi-mishamigos @irndad @almighty-rogers @holly192 @cinnamon-roll-parker @nasa-parker @dandelittlelion 

[dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt]

Tell us about your ocs?

AHHHHHHHHHHH MAJI THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING ‘BOUT MY BABIES I LOVE YOU HI !!!!!!!

This is gonna be a lightning round for my Main Nine Ten but there’s a more in-depth one right here (+ my poly zombie bbs and their chaotic neutral daughter)!!

June

TINY AGENDER VELOCIRAPTOR DEMON. V BITTER N GRINCHY. LITTLE BALL OF PTSD AND SHARP WIT. HAS SHARK-LIKE TEETH, LONG SHARP NAILS, OLIVE SKIN, AND SHINY BLACK HAIR DOWN TO THEIR MID-NECK. LOVES FAST FOOD AND BEING ALONE. HIGHKEY ALLERGIC TO LOVE AND DOESN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. OPERATES OFF FEAR AND SPITE. LEADER OF HELL’S PACK. BE CAREFUL BC THEY DEFINITELY BITE. CARES ABOUT ONLY TWO PEOPLE AND ONE IS A DOG. THEY’RE MY FAVOURITE BC I AM A SHAMELESS BAD DAD. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

Dante

SOLDIER BOI, SECOND-IN-COMMAND OF HELL’S PACK. FORMERLY HUMAN, DID SOME DARK SHIT DURING THE SINO-FRENCH WAR, THUS BECAME A DEMON. VIETNAMESE IN APPEARANCE, BUFF ENOUGH THAT HE COULD PROBABLY TROW A T-REX ACROSS A FOOTBALL FIELD. LOVES VIOLENCE BUT IS PRETTY EAST-GOING FOR THE MOST PART. MUCH SMARTER THAN YOU’D THINK. BRILLIANT TACTICIAN. EVEN BETTER FRIEND. ALSO HIS EARS STICK OUT A BIT AND HE’S ACTUALLY ADORABLE. ALWAYS TOO COMPASSIONATE FOR HIS OWN GOOD. LOST OF SCARS BC HIS JOB IS WRESTLING WITH 500 POUND HELLDOGGOS ON THE REGULAR.

August

AUGI MY REGAL ESTEEMED TRUTHFUL GENDERFLUID DISASTER BIRB. LIKES TO PUT ON A VERY CALM “I’M BETTER THAN YOU” AIR, BUT INSIDE THEY’RE JUST A PIPING HOT ANXIETY-AND-ADHD MESS. THEY MESS UP A LOT BUT THEY RECOGNIZE THEIR MISTAKES AND ALWAYS WORK TO RIGHT THEIR WRONGS. IS JAPANESE IN APPEARANCE BUT HAS WHITE HAIR AND BLUE EYES, OFTEN PUTS IN CONTACTS AND DYES THEIR HAIR SO AS NOT TO LOOK ‘UNNATURAL’. WOULD STILL LOOK BETTER THAN YOU WHILE WEARING A POTATO SACK AND KNOWS IT. LITERALLY EVERYTHING ON FLEEK.

Ben

SWEET FALLEN ANGEL WHO MADE A MISTAKE AND FELL FROM HEAVEN AND IS NOT WELCOME IN HEAVEN OR HELL ANYMORE SO HE LIVES ON EARTH AND WORKS AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER WHO WOULD DIE FOR HIS STUDENTS. HE MAKES NEXT TO NO EFFORT TO TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF AND IS VERY DEPRESSED, MOSTLY MUTE, WARY OF OTHERS, AND KIND TO A FAULT. HAS UNNATURALLY FLAMING RED HAIR AND BROWN EYES. VAGUELY SQUISHY. ALSO EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND VOLATILE DUE TO THE NOW OUT-OF-CONTROL ANGEL GRACE HE STILL POSSESSES.

Myriad

THE COOLEST GENDERFLUID SNEK. SMOOTH AS EXTREME SMOOTH PEANUT BUTTER. HOW THEY TREAT YOU DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON YOU, IF YOU’RE A GOOD PERSON, THEN THEY’LL LIKE YOU. IF YOU’RE A BAD PERSON, THEY’LL SHOW YOU WHAT BAD IS REALLY LIKE. DEMON OF PUNISHMENT, IT’S IN THE TITLE. ABSOLUTELY CHAOTIC AND ACTS ON THEIR WHIMS. DEFINITELY WANNA STAY ON THEIR GOOD SIDE BC NOBODY WILL DARE FUCK WITH YOU AND BEING ON THEIR BAD SIDE IS SUICIDE. THEY’RE 6′5, DARK SKIN, DREADLOCKS DOWN PAST THEIR SHOULDERS, FANGS AND MULTICOLOURED EYES AND INTIMIDATING AF. THEIR FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING IS A SOFT KNITTED KITTEN SWEATER.

Ginger

FEISTY “TEENAGED” DEMON CONSTANTLY IN HER REBELLIOUS STAGE. HUGE LESBIAN. OBSESSED WITH BREAKING RULES AND LAWS MOST OF ALL. LOVES FAST CARS, BEER, AND DOING WHATEVER THE FUCK SHE WANTS. SHE HAS A BIG HEART BUT CAN BE QUITE SELFISH AND TENDS TO ACT WITHOUT THINKING, ALWAYS MEANS WELL THO. HARDCORE 70S AESTHETIC. LOUD AND UNAPOLOGETIC AND YES HAS AN AUSTRALIAN ACCENT. LIKES TO LEAVE LIPSTICK MESSAGES. HAS NO PATIENCE FOR BORING OR STUPID PEOPLE. CHUBBY, FRECKLED AND CARROT-HAIRED WITH TURQUOISE EYES.

Mars

ABSOLUTE STINK MAN. MANIPULATIVE, CHARMING, AND ALWAYS THINKS HE’S IN THE RIGHT. CARES ABOUT HIS FAMILY VERY DEEPLY THOUGH. THINKS HE’S THE BEST. HAS A NASTY HABIT OF EXTREME DOMESTIC ABUSE. HAS AN EVEN NASTIER HABIT OF THROWING A TANTRUM IF A POTENTIAL LOVER TURNS HIM DOWN AND MAKES THE BRIEF REST OF THEIR LIFE AS CLOSE TO A LIVING HELL AS POSSIBLE. THE MOST SPOILT CRUEL BRAT YOU’LL EVER HAVE THE DISPLEASURE TO MEET. GOLDEN HAIR, FLAWLESS WHITE SKIN, GOLDEN EYES, UNNATURALLY HANDSOME FACE YOU WANT TO CAVE IN WITH AN ESKY.

Jesse

SOFTEST FIGHT ME SWEETHEART. A GAY TRANS GUY BORN IN 1919, LOST HIS PARENTS TO INFLUENZA AND EVENTUALLY SUCCUMBED TO THE INTENSE HATRED DIRECTED TOWARD HIM AND COMMITTED SUICIDE. DESCENDED TO HELL BY CHOICE BC HE FOOLISHLY BELIEVED HE DESERVED IT. ENDED UP IRONICALLY FINDING HIS SOULMATE THERE. NOW THEY LIVE TOGETHER SICKENINGLY HAPPY. THE CHILLEST NICEST GUY TO HANG OUT WITH, TOTALLY A SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR WHO IS ALWAYS DRAGGING HIS BOYFRIEND INTO FIGHTS. LOVES PAINTING AND SKITTLES AND LOUD ROCK MUSIC. IS BLACK AND KEEPS HIS HAIR NATURAL MOST OF THE TIME, WITH A CRAP TON OF FRECKLES AND A SMILE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SAFE.

Vrox

NATURAL-BORN DEMON WITH A BUNCH OF ANGER AND DEPRESSION ISSUES. ONE OF THE MOST UNSTABLE HELLHOUNDS, OFTEN HAVING TO BE CONTAINED FOR WEEKS ON END IF HE LOSES HIS COOL. GENUINELY TRIES TO BE BETTER THOUGH. WOULD DIE FOR HIS BOYFRIEND JESSE. PICKS FIGHTS A LOT FOR FUN AND ALWAYS WINS THEM. KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A DISNEY PRINCE, BUT A DISNEY PRINCE COVERED IN SCARS AND WITH THE WORST RESTING BITCH FACE IMAGINABLE. IS NORMALLY PISSED OFF ABOUT SOMETHING. HAS A VERY HARD TIME DOING WHAT HE’S TOLD AND OFTEN GOES OFF ON HIS OWN. DEFINITELY A BIG SAP DEEP DOWN. HAS STRAWBERRY BLOND SHORT HAIR AND BLUE EYES AND IS BUILT LIKE ADONIS.

And finally, my best OC… the one you’ve all been waiting for…

Taco

LESSER HELLHOUND WHICH BASICALLY MEANS A BABY HELLHOUND WHICH BASICALLY MEANS A HELLHOUND THAT IS JUST A REALLY SMART DOGGO THAT HASN’T ACHIEVED HUMAN INTELLIGENCE OR A HUMAN FORM YET UNLIKE VROX. TAKES THE FORM OF A LI’L BLACK PUG WHILE ON EARTH. JUNE’S CONSTANT COMPANION. LOVES COLOURFUL JACKETS AND MAKING FRIENDS AND BITING HIS MASTER’S FEET. BIG PAT SLUT. HATES PIGEONS, THEY’RE HIS MORTAL ENEMY. VERY LOYAL UNLESS SOMEBODY ELSE HAS FOOD, THEN THEY’RE HIS FAVOURITE PERSON. V PROTECTIVE OF HIS MASTER. LIKES DANTE, EVEN THOUGH HE LAUGHS AT HIM AND BURRITOS HIM IN BLANKETS SO HE LOOKS LIKE E.T. DOESN’T KNOW HIS TONGUE IS SUPPOSED TO BE KEPT INSIDE HIS MOUTH. ABSOLUTE GOOF BALL. I LOVE HIM.

[themousai]

TOP 5 NEW ZEALAND MUSICIANS: BRIDIE THOMSON

The Rabble

I was in absolute awe of the Rabble for a time there. Purely because I genuinely thought being punk was my destined way of life and I would have worn as many safety pins as possible to convince others that this was true. I exclusively listened to the Casualties, Operation Ivy and yeah, The Rabble. They were New Zealand's answer to exactly what I wanted while still having some absolute bops til this day. Listening back to The Rabble now feels like I am listening to a different band. Purely because I have grown up, grown out of my punk phase and see their music as a fun, upbeat oh-my-gosh-i-am-ready-to-dance-now band. Special mention goes to their song ‘Seeking’ that was their first single released in 2007 that blends some truly melodic little riffs with ‘screw this town’ kind of lyrics. Also, that sweet little love song called ‘Unstoppable’ which was later released in 2011 under Chazz Valentine (featuring Rupe Rabble) got radio play which gave my young poser heart great delight.

The Phoenix Foundation

My Mum got to pick up half of the Phoenix Foundation in her Taxi when they were here in Napier once and she continues to bring it up to this day without knowing anything other than that they were “very chatty, nice boys” and that I like them a lot. Besides having some of the absolute best music videos to come out of New Zealand (see ‘Bright Grey’ and ‘40 Years’, and if you’re wondering if it’s because Taika Waititi stars in and directed them then yeah that’s a correct thing to assume) they also have a long track record of just being f*cking sick. Naturally, since forming in 1994 they have made 7(ish) albums, like 5 EP’s, a ‘best of’ compilation and worked on the music for Taika Waititi’s ‘Boy and Eagle vs. Shark’. And that’s only the numbers that I personally know of. This band creates music for your lifestyle; drives on a Sunday, getting ready to go out on a Friday, breakfast on a foggy Wednesday. They’re a treasure to New Zealand and I can’t wait to finally bloody see them one day.

Marlon Williams

If you have ever watched Marlon perform you’ll notice that the entire crowd is just in absolutely enamored by his presence. Marlon has been graced with an incredibly distinct voice with tones that melt through your ears and warm your heart. He was recently plucked by the claims of Hollywood to be some New Zealand guy in that new Gaga movie ‘A Star is Born’ and when I saw him on the screen let me tell you, my New Zealand pride went into full force. I personally adore his newest album ‘Make Way for Love’ which if you didn’t guess it, has lots of songs about love. I think Marlon Williams is the only person I’ll believe when it comes to love songs. You can hear the longing, pain and truth in his voice. For a minute I stop being super bitter about my chillingly single life and fall in love with just the entire sound of his songs. His single ‘Beautiful Dress’ has a nice music video that effortlessly accomplishes the simplicity of the song just by observing Mr. Williams being himself in his home. There’s nothing overly produced, fluffed up or false about his music or his image, something that is some times refreshing in a world of manufactured artists.

Parents

Ok so even after being relatively active in the ‘hardcore’ scene in Wellington for a bit I never did manage to go see Parents play. I have this little badge that I stole from my ex though and I keep it on my overalls because honestly, Parents had some of the absolute coolest merch and album designs EVER. There’s not a lot of content online of Parents unlike the above 3 unless you know where to look. They’re not so nation-wide popular that you can just Google your favorite of their songs and find a music video. Parents are an experience and if you can experience that sound on at least 10” vinyl then I would 100% recommend it. I couldn’t pull you out a one-off song that I enjoy the most because to really enjoy Parents I feel like it must be listened to at length but for the sake of this assignment, I’d like to put of special mention to ‘Let Down’ off of their EP ‘Low Life’. It has this guitar in it that makes me feel like I’m about to go over the edge on a rollercoaster.

Beastwars

Unlike apparently all 4 of my other favorites, I have seen Beastwars play a lot. Not only are they phenomenal at what they do but the vocalist Matt Hyde is such an interesting force live that they’re definitely one of my favorite all-time bands that I’ve shot and seen live. If them being called Beastwars hasn’t sold you then their album artwork is a magnificent creation from the genius Nick Keller who has worked on ya fave New Zealand tourism scheme, The Hobbit. (No hate, I’m a sucker for those movies). Design and pop culture aside I can confidently say they are one of New Zealand's best metal bands to date. The term ‘face melting’ goes passionately hand in hand with the total essence of Beastwars. They now have a new album coming to the airwaves that was recorded after their vocalist finished chemotherapy for Cancer in 2018. Their newest single ‘Omens’ has great emotion and I can’t wait to hear what comes from this new chapter of Beastwars.

[aroseandapen]

Complicated

Read on AO3

There’s always a need for more Papyton in this world, so I decided to finally write my own. What better way to do that than to follow along with the 100 Themes list?

Previous (Introduction)/Next (Making History-coming soon)

Rating: Teen Pairing: Setting up for Papyton Word Count: 1634 Summary: How do you woo a robot? It’s all about the timing and playing the game and trying not to play the game and listening to your brother’s advice and... well, how complicated can asking your idol to hang out possibly be?

“DO YOU THINK IT’S BEEN ENOUGH TIME? I MEAN, HE JUST GAVE ME HIS NUMBER LAST NIGHT, BUT DO YOU THINK THAT IT’S ALRIGHT FOR ME TO CALL HIM NOW?”

The glowing eyelights of his brother trailed after him as Papyrus paced back and forth in the kitchen. His phone was gripped tight in his hand, a phone number displayed on the screen as his thumb hovered over the ‘Call’ option. At the rate he was going, he was going to wear a rut into the tiles.

“don’t break your phone, bro.” Sans didn’t seem like he could be bothered to lift his head, skull pillowed against his crossed arms on the table. “you’re going to crush it.”

“I DON’T WANT HIM TO THINK THAT I’M TOO CLINGY!” Papyrus forged onward as if he hadn’t heard him. “I MEAN, YES HE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD CALL HIM, BUT I DON’T WANT TO DO IT TOO SOON!”

“i don’t know why you gotta wait at all, paps. he gave you his number so you can call him, so why don’ you?”

Papyrus came to a halt to stamp his foot against the floor. “THAT’S BECAUSE YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE SUBTLETY OF DATING! THERE’S RULES TO THIS! AND ALTHOUGH I’VE BEEN STUDYING QUITE HARD, THE MANUAL DOESN’T HAVE ALL THE RULES TO IT! THERE’S TONS OF UNWRITTEN ONES, AND YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO CALL THE OBJECT OF YOUR AFFECTIONS TOO EARLY!”

“heh. guess you’re right, bro.” Sans closed one lazy eyesocket at him, eyelight fixed on him. “but i think you should call him. mettaton’s a real intense guy. don’t want to make him wait for ya.”

Silence fell in the kitchen. Sans continued to gaze up at him as Papyrus stared down at his phone. Various phases of emotion ran through him, each one flickering onto his expression for an instant before it was replaced by the next.

He settled on stunned realization.

“OH MY GOD.”

On the one hand, Papyrus knew that Mettaton was a monster who lived for dramatics. It was his job. Playing games and making well-timed moves was just the sort of thing that he’d expect. If Papyrus didn’t play along, he might think that the skeleton had no class and thus wasn’t worth spending time with. He couldn’t seem to desperate. Yet on the other hand…

Could his brother actually have a point? It made sense. Mettaton was a man of the screen, soaking in the limelight and in the adoration of his peers. If Papyrus left him waiting for too long in this, Mettaton might think that he was disinterested, or that he was the type to keep him sitting around in the dark for no reason. That he was rude and crass and not the type of person that Mettaton would grace his presence with.

That was even worse than not playing the timing game.

“YOU’RE RIGHT!” How complicated all this was. He didn’t know what exactly he was meant to do, but the least risky course of action would be to call as soon as possible. “I’LL CALL HIM NOW!”

His thumb twitched down toward the ‘call’ button, but didn’t quite hit the screen. With eyes fixed once again on his screen, he didn’t see the tilt of amusement in his brother’s grin.

“so?”

Papyrus didn’t look at him. “SO WHAT?”

“you gonna call him or what?”

He clenched his jaw so hard that his teeth squeaked together. The sound made him flinch ever so slightly. Why was it so hard to call?

“OF COURSE I AM! WHAT’S IT LOOK LIKE I’M DOING?”

Out of his periphery, he saw Sans shrug.

“i dunno. guess i’m no expert on phones, but it sort of looks like you… aren’t calling him.”

“I AM,” he snipped back, frowning down at his phone. “I’M JUST… WORKING UP TO IT.”

“ah. sure, gotcha bro.”

Papyrus’ gaze flicked up toward his brother, brow bones drawn together. The tone was kept neutral, but Papyrus knew Sans. He was being made fun of, or goaded, or something of that nature. His frown deepened, and he spun on his heel with a noise of disgust, poised to stomp out of the kitchen.

“UGH, YOU’RE IMPOSSIBLE! I’M GOING TO MY ROOM, WHERE I CAN HAVE SOME PRIVACY, AND NOT HAVE YOU LISTENING IN ON MY VERY PERSONAL PHONE CALLS TO METTATON THAT I AM ABSOLUTELY GOING TO MAKE WITHOUT A MOMENT MORE OF HESITATION!”

“sounds like a plan,” Sans drawled back in that same unimpressed voice that was driving Papyrus up the wall.

“YES! IT IS! DON’T FALL ASLEEP AT THE TABLE WHILE I’M GONE! I KNOW YOU HAVE WORK TODAY AND I’M NOT GOING TO STAND FOR YOU MISSING OUT ON IT BECAUSE I’M BUSY WITH A PHONE CALL!” He threw a scolding glare over his shoulder, before he at last hurried from the kitchen to make a beeline for the safety of his room.

As soon as his door shut behind him and he was alone, Papyrus felt a rush of relief. He loved his brother dearly, but he couldn’t take the expectancy of having his side of the phone conversation listened in on. He was already anxious enough! Mettaton was someone that he’d looked up to for so long now, since the celebrity first appeared on the screens in the Underground. He didn’t even know that his own best friend had already known him! Personally! Not until she’d told him, shortly after the barrier had broken under rather mysterious circumstances.

Papyrus had felt cheated! How could Undyne have kept such valuable information from him, knowing how the skeleton adored everything MTT?

Regardless, all that was in the past now, and somehow Papyrus’ drunken self had managed to obtain his idol’s personal phone number, with the offer to hang out once they were sober. He could feel the warm glow in his cheekbones, along with the nervous flutter in his soul. Oh what had it been that had so charmed Mettaton enough to give him this number? Could he replicate it when they hung out again?

Maybe he should just be constantly drunk in all of their interactions?

He shook his head. That was silly! Surely all he’d need to do would be to keep honest at all times and not spend so much time worrying over how to impress Mettaton! Of course. That was what it said to do in his dating manual. Not that it was a date! Just… great advice that he could apply to his very friendly and very platonic hang outs!

Right! They were just going to spend some fun platonic time together!

With that in mind, Papyrus finally worked up the courage to hit the ‘call’ button. He held it to the side of his skull, listening to it ring once… twice… three times… fou—

“Hello?”

At the sound of Mettaton’s voice, Papyrus’ fragile confidence in the call near-failed him. He faltered, almost dropping his phone in surprise. A part of him hadn’t even expected Mettaton to answer at all!

“H-HELLO METTATON! IT IS I, PAPYRUS! YOU GAVE ME Y-YOUR NUMBER LAST NIGHT!” Curse the stammer and the anxious warble of his voice. He winced at the echo of his voice through the speaker. How uncool of him. Mettaton probably thought so too!

“Ahh, the birthday boy.” The way that Mettaton purred out the words had Papyrus flushing. “I’m glad you called so soon. You don’t have too bad a hangover, I hope.”

“NOT AT ALL! I AM A MAN OF IRON WILL AND MAGIC! I WILL NOT BE CONQUERED BY ALCOHOL!”

There was a soft noise on the other end of the line and… was Mettaton laughing at him?

“Good to hear it, Papy—oh, can I call you that? Your name is wonderfully unique, but Papy sounds cute.”

“YES!!! PAPY IS ABOLUTELY FINE!” Mettaton could call him anything, and Papyrus would take to the nickname like a starving man to food.

“Great! Anyway Papy, as I was saying, I’m really glad that you called me so soon, because I wanted to ask you something.”

Half in a daze, Papyrus answered, “YES? WHAT WOULD THAT BE?”

“There’s a new restaurant opening that promises to be one of the most popular in the city, and I just so happen to have some contacts that can get me one of the very first reservations. Would you like to accompany me?”

Mettaton had beat him to the punch of asking to hang out, and had gotten right to the point, too! Papyrus wouldn’t dream of refusing.

“YES! OF COURSE! I’D LOVE TO COME WITH YOU!”

“Great to hear it, darling! It’s a date! I’ll text you my address. Just come by my place by six, and I’ll treat you to a night that you’ll never forget. Goodbye, Papy-dear! I’ll see you then!”

There was a click and the line went dead as Mettaton hung up, leaving Papyrus to stand there in stunned silence.

“GOODBYE…” he said belatedly, with nothing but the quiet of his room to hear him.

Wowie, that had been surprisingly easy, and immensely satisfying. Now he would get to hang out with Mettaton! On a date! On a…

“OH MY GOD.”

Realization hit him in the face like a speeding freight truck. Papyrus all but collapsed, sitting down hard on his bed as the feeling ran out from his legs. He’d just set up a real, actual, romantic date with the coolest, most handsome, most talented inspirations from the Underground. (Aside from himself, obviously)

He’d barely even said a word in the short phone call, and somehow had managed to score a date with the hottest box in the world.

“OH MY GOD, I’M GOING ON A DATE.”

[garnetsingingwriter-blog]

As you probably know from my ‘Birthday Tag’ post three weeks ago, it was my birthday recently. On Saturday 21st January, the day after my birthday,  I celebrated my sixteenth by having a birthday meal at a local Tex-Mex with my best friends. It was a really great night, where I was surrounded by friends, food and lots of fun! <3

My outfit for my birthday meal (c) Grace Galvin

I’m just going to touch on all of the wonderful gifts I was given for my 16th birthday from friends and family members, considering they were all so lovely and thoughtful! To me, pricing doesn’t really matter when it comes to gifts. As long as some thought was put into it, that’s all that matters! :D I am not in anyway boasting or bragging about my birthday presents, simply thanking those who gave me them and showing you guys, so maybe you can be inspired.

I am not, in any way, trying to boast or brag about my birthday presents, simply thanking those who gave me them and showing you guys, so maybe you can be inspired.

Family

This year, my mum and dad surprised me by buying me an Amazon Echo Dot! This thing is literally one of coolest presents I have ever received. I’m planning on doing a review and walkthrough on how it works, but essentially you can ask this little device questions, get it to play music, tell you the weather, set alarms, play games, such as 20 Questions, or purchase items from your Amazon account. You can even connect it to the lighting and heating in your house for convenience, and simply tell the device to switch your lights on and off for you. It is simply controlled by your voice, where you say the command word (Alexa, Amazon or Echo) followed by your command. I can’t wait to see what other stuff I can do with my Alexa app and this device! :D One feature I particularly love is the ‘Inspire Me’ feature. If you say ‘Alexa, Inspire Me’ then she will play you one of a selection of inspirational speeches by famous celebrities. It’s honestly great if you’re like me and need a motivation boost to enable you to do tasks such as revision.

They also gave me a tote bag that I asked for from a shop called BookwormBoutique on the Society6 website. It has a galaxy background and white text that says ‘I’m going on an adventure’ with a white book graphic outline. In fact, the whole BookwormBoutique Site (as well as others, of course, this is just my favourite) has loads of gorgeous designs that can be transferred onto throw pillows, tote bags in a variety of sizes, mugs, t-shirts, purses and even shower curtains, just to mention a few! The products are not too expensive, and they are also of a very high quality which I am so pleased about! I have these adorable book-themed badges that I’m going to pin on the bag (which I have talked about before) and I’m also looking to get some Coldplay band badges to pin on there too! <3 <3 <3

My mum gave me a gorgeous pair of light-blue droplet earrings from H Samuel! <3 They are so beautiful and glint in the sunlight! 😍

My sister bought me a giant 90 by 60 cm corkboard, so I could pin my world map up on my wall, and be able to stick push pins in the places where I have been and where I want to go. I’m so happy with how it looks and I can pin all of my important school things and weekly timetables on there (and the actual GCSEs exam timetable I just got 😁) too :) She also bought me a massive ’16’ badge for me to wear into school! :D Thank you, Cecilia! <3 <3

Friends

My friends bought me some very thoughtful, fun and useful gifts for my 16th, which I opened the majority of on the 21st at my meal :) Two of my friends, Jazmin and Myah, gave me my presents in school on my actual birthday. As you may well work out, I have consumed some of the food items before they ever got to the photography stage! 😂😂 They were delicious, though :)

Jaz gave me a gorgeous poetry book by this person called Tyler Knott Gregson who found a typewriter in an antique shop in Helena, and ever since, he has written poetry on random scraps of paper with it. The poetry book is a compilation of these poems and as a poetry lover and amateur poet/writer, I can completely relate to his poems on a deep emotional level. He is also a very talented photographer and big on social media, so do look him up :) This present has got to be one of the most beautiful and heartful gifts I think I’ve ever received! Thank you so much, Jaz! <3 <3

Myah gave me a selection of little gifts – she gave me a set of Primark Gold, Silver and Pearl Earrings; a silver photo frame with a picture of both of us in it, some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups;  and an ‘H’ mug which I now use every morning for my orange juice at breakfast :) Thank you very much, Myah for such personal and tasty gifts ;) <3

The rest of my friends gave me my presents at my birthday meal, which was absolutely wonderful. I don’t think I could ask for more thoughtful and caring friends :D

  My lovely friend Chloe bought me a Love and Friendship Colouring book that is filled with gorgeous designs and quotes which I am in love with! To go with that, she also bought me a beautiful set of 36 wooden colouring pencils! I personally have a thing for collecting adult colouring books, so I was delighted to see that she had given me this! I’m going to spend my time winding down and colouring these in! Thank you so much, Chloe <3 :)

  Then, Sanjana gave me, firstly, a stunning square photo album/scrapbook where I can stash all of my photos and ticket stubs etc. I am in love with the vintage world map cover that it has! <3  The other gifts she gave me were:

A Packet of Strawberry Bon Bons (yum! :) )

A Flower Print Passport Cover and Luggage Tag (Wanderlust <3)

A book called ‘Girl, Missing’ by Sophie Mckenzie – from the blurb it seems like such an interesting premise and I personally cannot wait to read it!

Thank you so much, chum, for these gorgeous gifts! I’m obsessed with them all and they have really got me feeling wanderlusty! 😍🌍

Mollie gave me the softest pillow I think I’ve ever possessed – it’s a gorgeous rectangular blue Reblog (!!!) pillow :D I doubt I’ve ever been more excited about a cushion in my life <3 <3 She also gave me a HUGE Galaxy Chocolate bar – and I mean MASSIVE! 🍫 I’m surprised I have been able to save it this long without eating any of it! Finally, she got me a fab set of Avon Eyeshadows – the colours are so vibrant and shimmery and they are just perfect! Thank you so much, Mollie – you know me too well! ;) <3<3

Now onto Maddie <3. Maddie gave me these beautiful blue faux flowers in a pretty jar, a £10 gift card to WHSmith and two gorgeous cupcakes although they aren’t pictured below because I ate them! 😂 One was chocolate and one was vanilla but they both tasted absolutely amazing and I was so grateful for them! Thank you very much, Maddie – the flowers look fab in my room! Plus, I used some of the money on the WHSmith card to buy myself something I’ve needed for so long – a light-blue box file! 😍 To me, my box file is the ultimate organising tool for all of my pens, highlighters, notepads and pieces of paper. It is waterproof and has so much capacity :) I honestly can’t leave my house without my box file anymore and I thoroughly recommend them to everyone, especially students!

Ruby gave me a gorgeous set of crystal droplet earrings and a necklace to match! They are both absolutely stunning and sparkle in the sunlight which I love! :) <3 She also gave me a bath gift set which comes with a black and gold (I am obsessed with black/white and gold!) cosmetic bag, two bath oils/bubble baths and a lotion! I personally can’t wait to relax in a lovely hot bath with these as they smell so amazing and look fab too! Thank you so much, Ruby, for the gorgeous jewellery and the bath gift set! I’m going to have such a relaxing time with them! <3 <3

And last, but not least, Freya gave me a lovely selection of presents, not all of which I was able to picture below but I still will mention! The highlight (in my opinion) of these presents was a planner! :D  I had been looking at this planner for a while so it was honestly amazing that Freya gave it to me! <3 It has a weekly planner, shopping list/budgeting section, packing list for travel, decisions (pros and cons) section and some blank pages for notes. It even comes with a transparent zip lock wallet for little pictures and documents in the back! :) I use it so much and it is so helpful for organising my life! She also bought me a pink heart plaque which says ‘There is no such thing as perfect. Remember: your flaws are beautiful’ <3 This is one of the things I have got to remember as I strive for perfection – that it is okay for things not to be completely alright and that vulnerability and fragility can be beautiful. As well as a ’16’ badge for me to wear at my birthday meal, the last two gifts she gave me were an Essence Clear Mascara for me to use during shows and other situations where real mascara may easily smudge and a hairbrush that says ‘I use this as a microphone!’ That is so me!  😂 Thank you, Freya, your presents are so sweet and thoughtful and I am definitely using them in my daily life <3 <3

The Meal 

Woo! We’re on this section finally! The meal was absolutely fantastic – we went to a local Tex-Mex which has the most amazing food :p For the sake of this not dragging on, I’m going to include a couple of my favourite pics from the meal, followed by a slideshow of the rest of the pictures :) <3

Chloe and I decided to share two starters between us, so we got mozzarella sticks (my fave!) with salsa and a plate of nachos with melted cheese, guac, sour cream and salsa.

This was my main meal – the Classic Burger which had Jack Cheese and was served with curly fries. It was simply delicious!

Toffee Fudge Sundae (c) Freya Beecham

Freya and I decided to get one Toffee Fudge Sundae with two spoons as we were so full up after our huge meals! It tasted absolutely divine and it was a great dessert for sharing!

We got some mocktails to finish up on a wonderful evening. Chloe and Ruby got Pomegranate mocktails and the rest of us got one called ‘Designated Driver’ which is basically lemonade, pineapple juice, orange juice and cranberry juice! They tasted absolutely amazing <3 <3

The Birthday Girl (c) Mollie Cronin

And this last one is me at the start of the night, in my birthday dress. I am completely obsessed with this dress, it has bell sleeves and is shoulderless! <3 <3

Here is a slideshow of some of the night’s best pictures:

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I hope you’re all well and having a lovely week! Have you been up to anything fun recently? Let me know in the comments below :)

xoxo

Hannah

  What I got for my 16th Birthday + Meal Highlights As you probably know from my 'Birthday Tag' post three weeks ago, it was my birthday recently.