#like would i use real teams or make them up

[megalony]

You're Mine Now

This is well overdue, but here is a new Evan Buckley imagine which is part of the Can't You Be Mine series. It's a little spin-off I had an idea for and I hope you will all like it.

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Evan Buckley Masterlist

Can't You Be Mine

Summary: Minnie loves Evan and thinks of him as her real dad, so they decide to surprise Evan by making things official on a very special day.

Enjoy.

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"Why do I recognise this place?"

A grin spread slowly across Evan's face as he hopped down from the truck behind Eddie. He shut the truck door behind him and took a moment to glance around the playground they had parked up in while the rest of the team clambered down and waited to be told what equipment they would need from the truck.

When a confused look flooded Chimney's face and he looked around as if he was having a sense of de ja vu, Evan gave in.

"This is Minnie's school." He murmured softly, watching as Chimney clicked his fingers and nodded while Eddie let out a small 'ah'.

Now that made sense. That was why this place was vaguely familiar to Chimney. This was where (Y/n)'s daughter went, the little girl who had already wormed her way into Evan's heart and who had enchanted all of the team with them all wrapped around her little finger.

"Alright Cap, where'd you want us?" Hen placed her hands on her hips as they all took a glance around the playground. It was deserted, but there was a larger playground at the back of the school where they figured all the kids would be lining up at the moment.

"Hen and Eddie, you two can go talk to the teachers, make sure there are no kids feeling ill. You two come with me, we're here as back up and precaution, we don't need to suit up yet."

There was a possible gas leak in the school. All the staff and children had been ecavuated outside for safety precautions and another fire department had already arrived to go inside and check. If the place was cleared and none of the kids were unwell everyone could go back inside and they could leave. But they needed another unit here just to be safe and make sure everyone was okay and in case they had a leak that needed to be stopped.

Hen and Eddie grabbed a medic bag each, just to be safe and they made their way towards the captain of the other team who was on the far left side of the next playground talking to the head teacher.

Whereas Bobby led Chimney and Evan over to the other side of the playground near to the children.

They were lined up in classes, with all the toddlers on the left near the play equipment, all of them jittering and unable to stand still. Then there were the younger kids, the middle kids and the elders up to eleven all in rows with their respective classes.

Kids were leaning over into other lines to chat with friends, some towards the back were trying to veer off a little to be together, clearly bored. And a few were watching the fire department with vigor, eager to see them do something spectacular.

Evan folded his arms over his chest and stood beside Chimney, both of them stood near the far wall with the kids lined ahead of them.

He couldn't help it. He just had to scan his eyes through the line of kids to try and find his girl. He knew she was here, he had dropped her off at the gates this morning on his way to work. The added bonus of having sunglasses perched high on his nose meant Evan could scan around the crowds without anyone really knowing what he was doing.

He was here to help and to work, not to try and look for his daughter, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to see that she was here and alright. Minnie was a nervous girl, this would either seem utterly terrifying or strangely fun to her and Evan wanted to know that she wasn't panicking right now.

He didn't get to finish scanning the crowds to find her before his attention was drawn to Bobby who was chatting to one of the teachers. It seemed like this was either a false alarm or only a very small, contained leak which is what they were all hoping for.

"Yes, well I think that…" Whatever else the teacher began to say went in one ear and out the other when another voice distracted Evan and stole his full attention.

"Daddy!"

A wide grin spread across Minnie's lips when she looked ahead and saw a familiar figure she had been with less than three hours ago.

Without thinking twice, Minnie pulled away from the line she was stood in with the rest of her class. She didn't care that she accidentally nudged one of the younger kids beside her or that people were looking at her- something she absolutely hated. All she cared about was getting to Evan.

Her plats bashed against her cheeks as she weaved around her classmates and scuttled across the playground, almost tripping twice in her haste to get to her dad.

The four year old was surprisingly stealth as she darted away from the rest of the class and weaved expertly before her teacher could grab her.

Evan's eyes darted to the young teacher who called out "Minnie stop!" but her words had no effect. Minnie was already within Evan's grasp.

Without thinking, Evan crouched down and scooped Minnie up before she barrelled into his legs and knocked him to the ground. He swung her round just to hear her giggle and cocooned her into his chest with one hand cradling the back of her head and his lips meshed against her temple.

When he looked over Minnie's shoulder towards her teacher, he could see the recognition in her eyes. She knew he wasn't some random stranger grabbing one of the kids in the playground. He was a relative. Minnie had stated as much when she called out to him.

He softly mouthed 'sorry' in the teacher's direction but she managed a tight-lipped smile and shook her head. Clearly Minnie wasn't absconding, she was safe and she wasn't far away, as long as Evan didn't take her away from the playground it would be alright for Minnie to be with him for a little while.

"There's my girl, you okay little mouse?" He murmured each word against her temple and bounced her a little higher on his chest as he inclined back so he could look down at her.

He loved how she began to tap her fingers against his neck and she nuzzled her nose against his, nudging his glasses higher in the process. The way her nose crinkled as she smiled made Evan's grin spread and he pressed a kiss to the end of her nose.

The team all knew that he had taken Minnie on as his own. It didn't matter that she wasn't biologically his or that he hadn't been there for the first two and a half years of her life. All that mattered was that he was here now and he loved her as if he had been in her life since the beginning.

"Yeah, why you here daddy… no fire." Minnie moved one hand to wave behind her towards the school. She wasn't sure what was happening, she had no idea why everyone was practising one of their emergency drills or why they were now watching the fire department arrive. It was too confusing.

"Ah but this is an emergency and we deal with emergencies, baby. I gotta keep you safe, don't I?"

His words made Minnie smile and she kissed his cheek before she nuzzled her cheek into his shoulder and tucked up against him. He knew what she was doing. Now that she had seen him, she wouldn't want him to leave. When he had to get back to work Minnie wouldn't want him to put her down and the longer he stood here holding her, the less cooperative she would be.

He took the time to run his hand up and down her back and pepper a few more kisses to her temple while he faced Bobby and Chimney. Trying to keep an ear out for their conversation so he knew what was happening.

He knew they didn't mind him spending a few minutes with Minnie, it would be the same if any of their kids were around while they were on a call.

When he glanced down and caught Minnie closing her eyes as she snuggled closer into him, Evan took a deep breath. He needed to put her down and get her back to her class now.

"Okay baby, are you gonna go back in line now so I can try and save the day?" He murmured each word against her ear and kissed her temple when she grumbled and tried to shake her head and curl into him a bit more. If he could, Evan would stand here all day and cuddle her. But he knew the teacher was continuously glancing over at them and he would either have to help fix the leak or pack up and go soon depending on how this situation turned out.

He couldn't stand around and cuddle his girl all afternoon, despite how desperate he was to stay here with her. And he just knew that when (Y/n) picked Minnie up this afternoon, she would be telling her mum all about Evan's visit to the school and the fire trucks she had seen.

She tried to whine when Evan hunched over and carefully set her down to her feet. He held her waist so she couldn't attach herself to his legs and he pressed a sloppy kiss to her temple.

"Be a good girl for me, hm?" She nodded shyly and looked up at him through her lashes as he kissed her cheek again before turning her in the right direction to go back to her class. "Bye little mouse."

His hands moved to his hips as he watched her trot back towards her teacher, the spring now gone out of her step as the excitement had faded.

"Didn't think she was gonna let you go." Chimney whispered softly when Evan moved to stand beside him again. He thought it best to move back towards the team so Minnie was less likely to try and follow him or keep looking at him with those big doe eyes that always made Evan cave in.

Evan snook one more glance towards his girl with a smile before he turned his back and faced Bobby. It was more for his sake than hers, if he looked at her he would be inclined to cave in and go back over there or let Minnie scamper over here. He didn't want to disrrupt her when she was at school, her day had already been flipped by this emergency evacuation outside.

When Minnie slotted back into place in line with her class, she tried to smile at her friend stood beside her in the next row. Marie knew Evan was Minnie's dad, she had said hello to him a few times when he came to pick Minnie up from school.

"That's my daddy." Minnie mumbled quietly when the girl on her other side, the older girl from the next class, looked between her and where Evan and the rest of the team were stood.

"His shirt says Buckley." The girl commented with one arched brow and an unimpressed look on her face.

Didn't she think Evan and his job was good or impressive? Did she know that Minnie's dad was here to look after them and sort out the emergency? Or did she simply not care? Whatever the reason, Minnie didn't like it. She didn't like the way the older girl was looking at her.

"So?"

What did it matter what his shirt said? It said his name, what else was it supposed to say?

"Then he's not your dad, you don't share the same name."

For a moment, Minnie was shocked that this girl knew her name, but then she remembered. They had all answered when their names were called out.

And Minnie's last name wasn't Buckley.

Why did that mean he wasn't her dad? Didn't other kids sometimes have their mum's name rather than their dads? Did Minnie need Evan's name to be his daughter?

He said he was her dad. When she asked him about it, Evan agreed and (Y/n) said so too. They said he was her dad. He brought her to school, he picked her up when he wasn't at work. He took her shopping and tucked her in bed at night and read her stories. He laid with her when she had nightmares. He kissed (Y/n) which meant he was her partner and that meant he was Minnie's dad.

"Yes he is." The defiant tone in Minnie's voice was dampened by the slight crack to her words and the tears welling up in her eyes.

She wanted to stomp her foot into the ground. She wanted to drag the older girl over to Evan and tell him to tell her that he was Minnie's dad. She wanted to demand that this girl listen to her and agree what Minnie already knew. But the older girl had already turned away to talk to her friends.

A tear trickled down Minnie's cheek as she bowed her head and began to fiddle her hands in front of her.

Evan was her dad. It was all she wanted since she could remember, it was all she knew. Everyone else had two parents and Minnie hated how Evan never used to introduce himself as her dad until a year ago. She had been beaming every single day since he started to say that he was her dad. And he started to tell people that this was his little girl. That Minnie was his little girl.

He was her dad now, wasn't he? He had to be.

***

A soft smile lit up (Y/n)'s face when she watched Minnie trotting over to her from the school doors. She watched her girl bounce her Minnie Mouse backpack on her shoulders and rush ahead of everyone else, but the closer she got, the less (Y/n) began to smile.

Her daughter didn't look happy.

Instead of rushing over to (Y/n) with open arms and a wide, dazzling smile, Minnie kept her gaze on the floor and didn't reach out for (Y/n) at all. Instead of saying goodbye to her friends or walking out with them, Minnie ignored them completely like she thought she was a shadow, a ghost, invisible.

The four year old continued walking towards the gates and when (Y/n) reached out to take her hand, she shuddered when Minnie shrugged away and stomped towards the car.

A few other parents glanced their way but no one commented. Maybe Minnie was having a tantrum about something. Whatever it was, (Y/n) didn't like it. She felt like a stone was sinking to the pit of her stomach and her heart was physically aching in her chest.

Minnie was always a nervous but very happy child. She never seemed so upset and angry and frustrated like this. She always met (Y/n) at the gates with a grin and a kiss and she would hold her hand and recite everything that happened at school.

When (Y/n) unlocked the car and opened the door, Minnie wordlessly scrambled up into the passenger seat and slumped into her car seat. She refused to look at (Y/n) as she buckled her in and when (Y/n) pressed a kiss to her temple, she gained no reaction. At all.

The silence continued as (Y/n) got in the car and put her own belt on, but when she looked over and saw her daughter staring out the window as if the world was about to end, she sighed. She pulled out the car park and began to drive.

"Minnie, baby what's wrong?"

A strike of fear punctured through (Y/n)'s heart when she looked across at her daughter and saw tears starting to trickle down her face.

Why was she crying? What had happened at school today?

Both Minnie's arms bound tight around her waist and she shuffled down in her seat until she looked like she was about to melt into a puddle. Her knees curled up towards her tummy but she finally lolled her head to the left to look over at her mum. Her button nose was scrunched up and her lips were moulded into a harsh pout, showing her clear displeasure and unhappiness.

"Did something happen at sch-"

"Why don't me and daddy have the same name?" There was no time for (Y/n) to finish speaking before Minnie cut her off.

That took (Y/n) by surprise.

She hadn't been expecting this conversation, not for a few years at least. Minnie was only four, things like different last names didn't concern her because she didn't understand about that sort of thing yet.

(Y/n) had always feared Minnie growing up and asking about her biological dad, about why she only had (Y/n). Meeting and subsequently getting into a relationship with Evan had quashed those worries because Minnie took to him instantly. She had been two and a half when Evan came into her life. (Y/n) hoped that as she grew up, she simply wouldn't remember that Evan hadn't always been in her life.

The main worry (Y/n) had about that was Minnie looking through old baby photos and asking why there was no photo of Evan holding her as a baby.

She and Evan hadn't talked about this. They hadn't talked about what they wanted to do regarding telling Minnie things, about whether they wanted to tell her that Evan wasn't her biological dad or whether they just wanted to continue in blissful ignorance and hope she never questioned it.

Drumming her fingertips on the steering wheel, (Y/n) sank her teeth down int her lower lip and tried to think up a good response to that.

"Well… because- because you have my name." Did it truly matter why she didn't share Evan's name? Where was this suddenly coming from?

"Then he's not my daddy." The defiant yet broken tone to Minnie's voice shattered something in (Y/n)'s chest and when she looked over at her daughter and saw she was crying, (Y/n) felt even worse.

Evan was her dad in every way that mattered, in all ways that it counted. So what if they didn't have the same last name? So what if he hadn't been there at the beginning? He had been there for every moment since and he loved her. That was enough. That was what truly mattered.

"Yes he is."

A quiet, heartbroken 'no' fluttered past Minnie's lips as more tears continued to cascade down her face. The sight of Minnie's distress tore something inside of (Y/n) and she pulled over and turned the car off so she could give her daughter her full attention and turn to face her.

"Why are you asking about this, baby? What happened at school today?" There was no anger in (Y/n)'s tone and no hint of annoyance, she wasn't irritated, she was worried.

Minnie seemed to look around the car for something to focus on before she sighed and looked up at (Y/n) with those deep pooling eyes. "Someone said t-that he's not my daddy because I have a different name."

"That's not true. Nana doesn't have your last name, but she's still your nana isn't she?"

"Why don't we have his name?"

"Because me and daddy aren't married baby."

Minnie seemed to contemplate it, but she didn't seem satisfied. This was really bugging her and (Y/n) could see why. Jee had Chimney's last name. Denny had a double barelled last name to combine Hen and Karen's names. A lot of the kids in her class had married parents with the same names. Minnie felt like she was missing out or like something was wrong simply because their situation was a little different.

But she was afraid. She didn't want anyone telling her Evan wasn't her dad because she wanted him to be. She was desperate for him to be her dad because she loved him and he loved her too.

A sigh tumbled past (Y/n)'s lips as she ran her fingers through her hair and tilted her head back as she tried to think.

There was one thing that might just calm Minnie down and reassure her, but it was something that (Y/n) hadn't had the time or the chance to talk to Evan about yet. She had a distinct gut feeling that Evan would want this, that he would be alright with it. And if it was something that would make Minnie feel secure and chase those worries away, then even better.

"What if we make it official, what if- if daddy adopts you?" Then it would be official. Evan would be on her file in the school, they could ring him if there were any emergencies or problems. He would be on her file at the doctors and could take her to appointments. He would be her legal guardian in case anything ever happened to (Y/n).

"What that mean?"

"That means you take daddy's name, and that he's your parent on paper, it would be official. Would you like that?"

As quick as anything, Minnie wiped away the tears from her eyes and sat up straighter in her seat. She began to nod her head frantically and reached her hands across to grab (Y/n)'s hand.

She could have his name. She could be a Buckley too and when she told people that Buckley was her last name, they would know who her dad was. They would know that Evan was her dad and they would have some paper to say it. No one could contest it then or try and ruin everything. It would be legal and on paper.

That sounded better. That sounded perfect.

***

"You're not working this weekend, right?"

A strange smile flooded Evan's face as he tilted his head down to look at (Y/n). He arched a brow down at her while his knuckles began to tap against the headboard out of habit.

He began to glide his free hand along the bare expanse of her shoulders and down the groove of her spine while his other arm stayed locked behind his head, keeping him propped up. The room was cast in darkness, the only source of light being the bleak silver glow coming from the tv that was playing an old movie neither of them were paying any attention to.

"No, why? What'd you have in mind?" He continued to trace his fingers along her spine while (Y/n) rested her chin on the centre of his chest. And her arms loosely draped around his waist so she was lying on top of him.

"It's Fathers day… Minnie has a surprise for you."

(Y/n) felt the way Evan sucked in a deep breath and a curious look flooded his baby blue eyes that never left hers.

They hadn't really celebrated Father's day last year when Minnie was three. She didn't fully understand what it meant and Evan had been on a week of double shifts. Plus, they hadn't long moved in together and (Y/n) didn't want to make Evan feel like things were moving too fast.

But Minnie had latched on to him now and she was calling him her dad and he had taken that role willingly. So every Father's day from now on, they would be celebrating and Minnie would be giving Evan gifts.

"A surprise?" There was a glimmer in Evan's eyes and a smile pulled at his lips. He liked surprises, but he didn't like having to wait for them. He was an impatient person by nature and waiting wasn't something Evan was very good at.

When he ducked forward and stole a kiss from her lips, (Y/n) shifted up slightly so she could cup the side of his face and incline closer. She felt him murmur "I like the sound of that," against her lips and it made her smile.

He was happy. He wasn't angry or unsettled or nervous. He was okay with this. She just hoped he would be okay with the present they had gotten for him.

Anticipation bubbled throughout (Y/n)'s nerves when she heard the unmistakeable sound of Minnie's bedroom door opening. When she heard those little feet bashing against the carpet, undoubtedly racing towards their room, (Y/n) sat up.

She stretched her arms above her head and crossed her legs beneath her on the bed while Evan made a small sound but didn't fully wake up.

She knew Minnie wouldn't stay in bed for very long this morning. The four year old was far too excited to give Evan his presents and spoil him for the day. She was excited to see his reaction.

A yawn escaped (Y/n)'s lips just as the bedroom door flung open and Minnie bounded in. She clambered on the end of the bed and scuttled up until she could flop directly onto Evan's chest, since he had been laid on his back, sleeping soundly.

"Morning daddy!"

Something akin to a cough mixed with a groan spluttered past Evan's lips when he felt Minnie flop harshly onto his chest. His bleary eyes shot open and he gruffly moved his arms until they were encased around her and his hand was cradling the back of her head.

"Hi baby," He mumbled quietly and tilted his head up so he could look at her. It took him a few seconds to blink and work out what was going on, but once he remembered what day it was, a spark of adrenaline coursed through his chest. His surprise. That was why Minnie was so excited, she wanted to give him something.

His hand began to feather up and down her back and he pressed a quick kiss to her temple before he looked to the left. He watched (Y/n) as she got up to open the curtains so they could all see what they were doing, but he was glad when she perched back down on the bed.

She sat cross-legged so she was facing them both and Evan's stomach tightened when he realised she was wearing one of his shirts. He hadn't noticed what she had been wearing when he came home from work last night. He simply crawled into bed and attached himself to her as quickly as he could.

(Y/n) uttered a soft "Morning," as she leaned over and pecked Evan's temple while her hand grazed along his cheek and down his neck.

"I made you something."

Evan wanted to sit up, but it was rather hard when Minnie was laid on top of his chest, effectively pinning him down. And although he could easily push up and move her, he didn't want to just yet.

He stayed lying down against the pillows and began carding his fingers through her slightly knotted hair while she leaned across the bed to find the card she had brought in with her. Once she had the lilac card within her grasp, she turned and waved it in front of him until he reached his free hand out to take it from her.

"Is that me?"

Minnie nodded excitedly when Evan motioned to the drawing on the front of the card. She had drawn him in his work uniform with a large helmet on his head and a fire raging in the background.

He knew the italic writing was (Y/n) where it said Happy Father's Day along the top, but it was Minnie's large block writing along the bottom that said 'my daddy'. There were a few splotches of glitter blobbed around the edges and when he opened it up, he grinned. Minnie had drawn a large blue heart on the inside of the card.

A few years ago, Evan never would have thought he would get to have a family, it always seemed like something he desperately wanted but never quite managed to get for himself. He didn't think he would be laid here now, celebrating his first father's day with the two girls that had stolen his heart for themselves.

(Y/n) gently leaned forward and subtly brushed away the tear that had welled up in the corner of Evan's eye.

"It's beautiful, thank you baby." Evan leaned forward to press a wet kiss to Minnie's cheek which caused her smile to radiate and beam back at him. He already knew that he would be taking this with him to work, this would be going up in his locker so he could see it every day when he came to work.

"You get a present too." The broad smile on Minnie's face made Evan's heart flip as he leaned over to set the card down on the side table.

"Oh I do, what is it?" He grinned curiously and moved both hands to grip her waist so he could move her a little.

He nudged her down while he pushed up so he was finally sitting up. He couldn't concentrate properly when he was laid down like that, he needed to be sitting up and fully alert. He shuffled back until his head was against the headboard and he let Minnie scramble up so she could sit down on his lap. His hands stayed on her waist and his head inclined towards (Y/n) while he looked between them both for one of them to tell him what this surprise present was.

He had been waiting all week for this and he was happy to finally find out what they had gotten him.

An unsettling amount of adrenaline and anticipation bubbled up inside of (Y/n) as she turned and leaned over to rummage around in her bedside drawer where she had safely hidden Evan's present.

She slid the large envelope over to Minnie who then held it out to Evan like it was some kind of otherworldly offering.

Evan arched one brow and his lips quirked up into a grin as he took the envelope from her. She had decorated it well. There were hearts and stars stuck all over the envelope and 'daddy' was written in large blue crayon across the centre.

He couldn't think for the life of him what this present could be. Was it some kind of certificate? Was it some kind of mini break for them all to go on or a trip? Was it a picture of him and Minnie? Possibilities ran through Evan's mind as he stared at the envelope for a few seconds, trying to decide what he was betting it could be.

He couldn't imagine what it would be so he flipped it over and carefully peeled the envelope open.

His brows furrowed and a confused smile pulled at his lips as he reached inside, but he wasn't expecting to find a stack of papers.

What on Earth had they got him?

It took a moment or two for Evan's brain to try and catch up with him but as he scrolled over what he was reading, he couldn't make much sense of it. All of their names were on this document at some point, whatever it was, but he couldn't fathom it out. It was too early in the morning for his brain to be reading jargon like this.

"What is it?" The smile that played on his lips made (Y/n) grin, though she tried to supress it.

She liked how he smiled and that gentle tone to his voice that showed he was trying not to sound ungrateful. He simply didn't know what he had been given and (Y/n) didn't expect him to either. She knew this would come as very out of the blue for him.

Before (Y/n) could answer, Minnie started to giggle and her hands patted against Evan's torso before she became too excited to wait for him to work it out.

"It means you're mine now!" The sheer joy in her voice caught Evan off guard and his wide eyes looked down at her just before she lunged.

Her arms encased around his neck and she bashed forward into his chest, causing him to rattle back against the headboard with a bang. His left arm deadlocked around her waist, securing her against his chest that ached and now felt breathless while his other hand gently shook the papers towards (Y/n) so she would explain for him.

He attached his lips to the top of Minnie's head, smiling despite his confusion while his girl began to giggle and laugh into his neck.

(Y/n) could feel her palms beginning to sweat as she inched closer so she was knelt beside Evan's thigh and she gently reached out to take the papers from him and place them on her pillow so they were out the way. She carefully took his hand, entwining their fingers together while she looked down at the few tattoos on his arm so she didn't overthink this too much and begin to panic.

"It's um, adoption papers, if… if you want to of course."

There. She'd done it. She'd braved the big question. All that was left was to pray that this was really what Evan wanted too. (Y/n) prayed she hadn't read this situation wrong, that Evan wouldn't drag her to one side and say this was too much, too sudden, too overwhelming for him. She knew taking on a child was a big thing and this meant long term commitment.

It meant changes in every way, in every aspect of Evan's life, but (Y/n) was sure that this was something he would be okay with, that this was something he would want.

When she finally lifted her eyes from staring at his arm to look over at him, she was stricken to the spot when she saw tears glistening in his eyes and one or two slithering down his reddened face.

But her jaw dropped and was left gaping when Evan sat forward and squeezed Minnie tighter to his chest. He burrowed his lips and nose into her hair and closed his eyes, breathing her in for a moment as he tried to regulate his system and calm down before he got too excited.

"So you're officially my girl now?" His voice was quiet, but the affirmation in his tone was enough to have tears building up in (Y/n)'s eyes too.

He felt Minnie nodding and squirming against his chest as she burrowed tighter into him while he started to pepper kisses against her hair. And she began to laugh when she heard him mumbling 'my daughter' into her hair.

When Minnie wriggled against his chest and started to squeeze him tighter, (Y/n) noticed Evan wince a little and he adjusted Minnie so she was leaning against the left side of his chest rather than the right.

"Are you okay?" (Y/n) leaned across to kiss his cheek and she perched her chin on his shoulder while her arm slithered around his back. He hadn't said he'd hurt himself on shift yesterday but he looked like something was giving him a bit of pain.

Her chest tightened and she tried to stop herself from smiling when Evan turned his head and caught her in a feverish kiss. It almost felt like he was trying to bruise her lips with how desperately he was leaning into her and the feeling of his teeth nipping at her lower lip made her gasp into his mouth.

When he pulled back, he nodded to her question and looked between both girls.

"I guess it's a good time to show you something I've got for you, little mouse."

"Something for me?" Hope flooded Minnie's voice as she sank back onto Evan's thighs and looked at him with sparkles glittering in her eyes.

(Y/n) looked at Evan with a puzzled expression. Why did he have something for Minnie? This was their day to spoil him, not the other way around. And he didn't exactly have anything around the room that might be for Minnie, so (Y/n) couldn't think what he was referring to.

A bewildered look flooded (Y/n)'s eyes and she smiled despite her confusion when Evan leaned away from her so he could scrunch up the bottom of his shirt in his hands. (Y/n) and Minnie both watched with intrigue and sheer confusion plastered across their faces as Evan tugged off his shirt and tossed it somewhere on the floor.

(Y/n) wasn't sure what he was doing or why he had such a devilish yet somehow insecure smile playing on his lips.

And when Minnie gasped and surged forward, (Y/n) had no idea what had caught her attention.

But then she saw it.

A new tattoo.

On the right side of his chest beneath his collar bone, Evan had Minnie inked in Disney letters on his chest. And above the writing, there was a pair of Minnie Mouse ears and the signature red bow settled between them right above the name.

He'd gotten a tattoo for Minnie. Maybe he hadn't known what they had got him for Father's day, but he sure had some spiked sense of intuition because this fit perfectly with the gift they had gotten him.

Minnie was officially going to be his daughter now. She would take his name, and he had hers tattooed on his chest.

[chanrizard]

BANG CHAN'S INTERVIEW FOR HARPER'S BAZAAR KOREA

translation © channie_says

Q: with HOP you have achieved your 6th consecutive debut at No.1 billboard US chart in the first week of release. Billboard charts and the album sales can be important but as the leader of the team and a producer, Bang Chan, I wonder if there are other ways to measure the success. What else do Stray Kids need to show next?

BC: "it's yet to happen" "we have a long way to go" is what I usually say when people around me tell me that we have grown so big.

I even hear things like "stop being humble, you don't need to do that anymore" but I couldn't do that. Success is a thing that is still far from us. We'll keep on running. Our direction is decided but the destination is still unknown. The goal that everyone knows, I'm curious about what's next/beyond that. We want to go till there.

Q: Stray Kids is like the personification of energy to me. Not only in the songs and performances of each of you but also the growth since your debut till now. You have reached here by taking one step at a time and running without resting. What is the source of your energy?

BC: if you observe every member, you'll see that everyone has something burning inside them. That hot ember burns vigorously when we are on stage. STAY also fuels it continuously. (laughs) Honestly the flames can get weaker as time passes by, but if a flame dies out in our team then it gets reignited quickly because there are 7 remaining flames! We're busy keeping each other warm.

Q: what form does straykids' pride take?

BC: it might be cringy but I think loving the members and being understanding towards each other. I really think of us as real brothers.

Q: is it closer to friendship than teamwork?

BC: Uhm, it's love more than friendship. Should say, if teamwork can be consciously matched, for us it just comes from the heart.

That's why we can understand (each other) even if we make mistakes, and want to evolve with each other. I think that's the most important thing. Sometimes i wonder too, how can we be like this.

Q: do you have an answer to that?

BC: recently I thought "shouldn't we be a little more mature" but then another part of me was like "do we really need to, tho". When we are together we're still like kids in their teens because we're too busy constantly teasing each other. As the oldest, I get subjected to it the most. It's really childish but I like that childishness. That's how real friends are. Forcefully pretending to be mature according to your biological age is boring. In the future too, we'll keep being childish like we are.

Q: maybe the answer could just be that you all haven't grown up but leader Bang Chan seems to have a really heavy burden on his shoulders. What sense of duty does Bang Chan feel now?

BC: I don't know if l am doing well as a leader. Since i don't know, I'm working harder to do better. I have to produce too, and take care of the members too...the pressure is a lot. It's an obsession. I'm trying to accept it these days. even if the members' emotional state synchronizes, there's times that I pretend to not know/ notice it. If I see it then I would want to fix it and take care of the members but that's my obsession and everyone is an adult.

They might not even like it if I step in. I'm trying to consciously put "members can do well on their own" in my head. It's gotten really better if I compare it to when we debuted (laughs).

Q: Your nickname is 'bangbeoji' (bangfather) right? That sounds like a problem my dad who has raised children might have (laughs). Were you a strict leader during your trainee days?

BC: l feel really sorry about treating the members coldly back then. My trainee life was really long, I was the only one left as all my close friends debuted, left, new ones came, and left again....after going through such situations repeatedly, my personality changed drastically. I didn't wanna get hurt anymore so I decided that I wouldn't get closer to anyone. It was the darkest time of my life. l was worrying thinking 'now what will happen with my life' and that's when the members appeared in front of me.

Q: you're really strict with yourself, aren't you?

BC: I'm the type to point out and worry about the smallest things that don't even matter. When I watch back our performances, I always think "why did i do it like that" and I'm almost never satisfied with myself but what will I do if I only like myself. It's good if I like others too. I can't become a self-centered person.

On top of that, music/songs doesn't have an answer. Even while producing I try my best and work hard and make constant improvements based on the reactions that I saw while letting people listen to it, that's the type of person am. I haven't lived long but while living I have found that there's a lot of people I'm grateful for. Company employees, members, family, friends... I want to thank them all.

To do that, I think it's really important to make a result that will satisfy everyone a little more.

Q: we wanna know Bang Chan's playlist.

BC: honestly from the position of someone who has to continuously make songs, it's hard to listen to others' songs. I always end up listening with intent. These days I enjoy listening to sounds from the outside. Sounds of the city, car sounds, sounds of kids running around and playing in the playground.

Q: are you gonna end up wearing a bucket (on your head) later like ryuichi sakamoto? (laughs)

BC: I have even done things like that in the past like just tapping my elbow with a microphone and carefulylistening to the sound it makes. Since I arrange the songs myself, that's why I wonder if there are any unique sounds.

Q: the things bangchan is thinking of these days, feeling these days too, those will come out in the world as your work someday, right? with that, I'm curious of what you're feeling these days and what has been on your mind recently.

BC: what were my inner thoughts recently... (musing out loud) uhm...I'm feeling 'confused'

Q: I expected it to be 'excited like a kid' or 'calm like a saint' but that was unexpected.

BC: these days I'm very confused internally but didn't wanna let that confusion out, I hate to influence other people with negativity for no reason. For this feeling to calm down, I have found that the way is maintaining a calm state. I think the members say "eh? why is that hyung like this these days" after seeing that. (laughs)

Q: that's why you also have started boxing in the new year?

BC: when l took my first lesson, I felt really good. It felt good to focus on something without any useless thoughts for 1 hour. Boxing really feels like meditation to me.

Q: what's making Bang Chan confused?

BC: the fact that people are all different. Really different. I knew it already but it came to me like a new thing. This person is like this, that person is like that. I can't fix them, and there's no need to fix them so I not understand it? No, but still I should... that's what it's like inside my head these days.

Q: you described it as "confusion" but Bang Chan right now seems to be in the middle of putting a lot of effort into understanding the world or people no matter what.

BC: I feel like I came here for mental counseling (laughs). Yes, you're right. As I said I'm not really a self-centered person but still I'm trying to live for myself these days.

Q: you set foot in the entertainment industry at a really young age, leaving your home, austrailia. if we count your trainee years too then it has been 15 years. What keeps you grounded when you feel shaken?

BC: the members. I don't want to become a person they feel ashamed of. I want to hear the members say things like "that hyung is genuine" "that hyung is cool" the most. I'm really childish. (laughs)

Q: l got a hint from"that hyung is genuine". It's said that psychologically, the compliment that makes a person the happiest tells about what they think of as the most valuable thing in their life.

BC: me and the members aren't very expressive/good at expressing ourselves. I don't know what they think but I want to be a reliable and trustable hyung to the kids. I think I might have the need to feel acknowledged a little after all.

Q: if you look at the things you've done till now, it doesn't feel like success came to you really quick but you're still very young. What kind of adult/man do you want to become?

BC: first of all, I wanna be with the members for a long time. I think it'd be really funny to become grandfathers (old men) and say "it was like that back in the days" but honestly I feel like I'm always stuck at 25.

Q: you're forever 25.

BC: yes, I want to keep on living as a 25 year old but reporter-nim*, what does growing up even mean? *joking*

Q: from our conversation today, it seems like you're in the midst of that process Bang Chan-ssi. Accepting things you can't change, knowing how to let go, listening carefully to other people's opinions. On top of that, you said earlier that you are confused in the process of trying to understand others' world, that's essential.

BC: it's not something that happens naturally? then I might really be growing up (laughs)

*reporter felt weird without a "nim" and there isn't really another way to make it sound respectful and not monotoned because ENGLISH FUCKING SUCKS but anyway (translator's note)

[koyagifs]

𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮

pairing: seonghwa x reader au: idol | friends to strangers | genre: angst word count: 1.1k synopsis: seonghwa didnt mean for things to end badly, but boy did he sure regreit when you released your newest album warning(s): angst w/ no comfort,

The news hit you like a wave, but your reaction was more of disbelief than anger. You felt the rush of emotions, but nothing felt concrete enough to grasp. Scoffing was an instinctual defense, but inside, you could feel the hurt begin to swell. The room felt tighter with each passing second, and you noticed your stylists exchanging uneasy glances, their eyes darting from you to each other. They were used to your sensitivity—your emotional shifts, your vulnerability—but they never knew how to manage it when it was raw.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. There was no point in crying here, you're supposed to go on stage here shortly.

" we're changing things up a bit. We're dropping fast times and adding please," You said, standing up from your chair.

Your manager looked at you in shocked, " but the dance crew - "

" we'll improvise, so what," Your voice was steady, but your mind was racing. The thought of performing in front of the audience—especially with everything weighing on you—felt almost suffocating. But you weren’t about to let it show. Your fans, many of them followers from your ex-boyfriend’s influence, were expecting the usual performance, but today you weren’t about to give them the usual.

Your manager hesitated, clearly unsure, but the finality in your voice was undeniable. You could see the wheels turning in their head, weighing the pros and cons. But you were already moving forward, walking over to your stylist and motioning to get the changes made quickly. The crew scrambled to adjust, knowing better than to push back now.

As the team worked to shift things around, you tried to collect yourself. You were angry—angry that you were here, angry that you were expected to hide it, and angry at him for making you feel so small. But the stage? The stage was yours. You could handle anything there.

You glanced at your reflection in the mirror, seeing a glimpse of someone who would take this betrayal, turn it into something raw and real, and give them a show they wouldn’t forget.

The energy in the air was electric as you stood under the spotlight, your heart still racing from the performance. You could feel the heat from the stage lights and the pulse of the crowd’s excitement, but for a brief moment, everything seemed to freeze. Their energy was contagious, and it was a welcome distraction from the chaos swirling in your mind.

A giggle escaped your lips, and the sound felt like the first real moment of joy in what had been a difficult day. "So, how is everyone?" you asked, your voice light and playful. The crowd roared in response, their cheers and screams vibrating through the floor beneath your feet.

You glanced around, letting the moment stretch just a bit longer. "My, such a loud crowd," you teased, a grin tugging at your lips. You could feel the love and support radiating from them, and for a moment, it made you forget everything else.

The crowd fell into an anticipatory hush, their eyes on you, hanging on your every word. You could feel their curiosity building, the tension electrifying the air. This was your moment to reclaim control, to remind everyone, and maybe even yourself, that you were still the one in charge.

You paused, letting the suspense linger just a bit longer, enjoying the attention before delivering the punch. "So, I have a surprise for you guys tonight. Very last minute!" you said, your tone playful, yet laced with a hint of mystery.

The crowd erupted in cheers, excited whispers rippling through them as they eagerly tried to guess what was coming. You could feel the thrill of it, a spark of excitement that momentarily distracted you from the storm brewing inside.

Without missing a beat, you motioned to the crew, signaling them to get ready. "I know you all came for the usual, but tonight, we’re doing something a little different. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait."

A few staff members gave you questioning looks, but you ignored them. You were already moving, already shifting the plan and taking charge. The surprise you were about to reveal wasn’t just for them—it was for you, too. A new version of yourself, one who was taking back the power and refusing to let anyone—especially him—define you.

The crowd’s confusion was palpable as the first few notes of the new song filled the arena. They hadn’t expected this, and it was clear from their puzzled expressions that they were trying to process what was happening. But you could feel the shift, the collective curiosity rising in the air.

With a small, knowing smile, you leaned into the mic, voice smooth and confident. "This is my new upcoming song, Please, releasing in a few months, but I think you guys deserve a treat."

The audience’s murmur of surprise quickly turned into cheers, the promise of something fresh and exclusive lighting up their faces. You could hear a few excited whispers in the crowd, some fans already buzzing with anticipation at the idea of hearing something new before anyone else.

Seonghwa’s fingers drummed anxiously on the surface of his desk, his mind racing through the consequences of his actions. His heart felt heavy, and the silence in his dorm room seemed to echo every doubt that had crept into his mind. He knew he should have been more careful, but now it felt like the damage was already done.

He muttered to himself, a mixture of frustration and regret in his voice. "Fuck, did I really mess up..."

The guilt gnawed at him, and he paced in a tight circle, rubbing the back of his neck. The wait was unbearable. His manager had gone off to handle the fallout, but Seonghwa wasn’t sure what kind of news would come back—he only knew that whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

Seonghwa's head snapped up, his eyes meeting Hongjoong's, a mix of guilt and anger flashing in them. The words stung more than he’d expected, but deep down, he knew Hongjoong was right. He had been caught up in something he shouldn't have been, and now he was facing the consequences.

"She's on tour... how can I do that to her?" Seonghwa muttered, his voice almost a whisper, like he was trying to convince himself that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed.

Hongjoong’s expression didn’t soften. He crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering. "And cheating on her was the best idea?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. "You think that’s any better?"

Seonghwa’s chest tightened as the weight of Hongjoong's words hit him like a brick. He had no defense, no excuse. He had let his emotions cloud his judgment, and now he had hurt someone he cared about deeply. "I didn’t mean for it to happen," Seonghwa muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I messed up. I’m... I’m trying to fix it."

The door creaked open, and his manager stepped inside, their face grim. Seonghwa’s stomach twisted as he met their gaze, knowing that whatever was about to be said would change everything.

[py-dreamer]

ngl, only and I mean the ONLY way I can see 'smart Macaque and dumb Wukong' is like a crouching moron, hidden badass kinda situation.

Like, as far as I've seen, Wukong is more chill and relaxed but a lot of the time, he has a plan.

His impulsiveness draws him back yes, but like his plans were mostly self-sacrificial (think Samahdi fire, Lady Bone demon, Spider Queen) OR he was purposefully hanging back as a learning opportunity for Mk.

Again, referencing the mythos, he was able to outwit even gods and demons, that's how a lot of the time he beat them. Like he was the brawn of the group yes, but those damn demons knew that. They had countermeasures to trick him and flee and in turn he had to be even craftier to outsmart them.

Besides, in modern day with the samahdi fire for example, who could he really rely on?

Mk he could trust yes, but at the same time, we've seen the damage LBD can cause and I can understand Wukong just feeling he just wasn't ready yet. Not to mention, lack of experience and knowledge on who amongst the celestial/demon peeps were trustworthy or not

The monkie gang he barely knew at the time consisted of: An inexperienced dragon who too was extremely impulsive, a chef, a HUMAN, and a pacifist. And again, lack of experience.

Macaque, let's be real is out of the question. Mans tried to kill basically every one of the monkie kids at least once.

Nezha? Too uptight about his job, let's be real. And I can't imagine that Nezha knowing and possibly reporting the shenaniganary to the heavens and letting them know that Wukong's up and running around again would be any good.

DBK, absolutely not. And the pilgrims are Kaput. Besides mans has probably been solo for a good couple millenia so i imagine its hard to settle into the rhythm of a team unit again.

Honestly, him laying on the down low seems pretty solid. If he dove in every time to save Mk, it would paint an even bigger target on the kid's back and he'd never learn to defend himself.

So honestly, him pretending to be 'dumber' makes sense if only to keep cover to protect himself, his mentee ect and also cope with going solo for thousands of years.

A predator can camoflage themselves in plain sight after all.

Macaque in my opinion is more like, flawed philosophy but uses big words to make himself seem smart.

He ain't dumb, but he damn sure is a hypocrite at times and we've seen his theatrical personality that he likes to use these flowery words and vague analogies (ie shadow play)

So like Mac, uses his theatrics to make himself seem like he poses a bigger threat so as to deter others.

In basic terms, they both have the power but generally:

Wukong is less bark, mostly bite

Macaque is more bark, less bite

(and I mean how they present their intelligence level, they both act all high and mighty but I think that there's a bit more under the surface than that stone monkey reveals)

This will sound kinda rude but I think alot of people in the fandom don't understand macaque character so they just give him some of wukong character aspects without realising it like for example:

-pif being macaque sworn sister when she's literally wukong sister in law and she was from heaven so it doesn't make sense that macaque would be her friend especially In the brotherhood time line

-being a good mentor like I know macaque isn't "evil" anymore but can we not ignore s1 ep 9 he literally just hurted mk and traumatized him on purpose while wukong isn't perfect he's ten times better

-being more independent/nonchalant like seriously? the guy who couldn't stop obsessing over his ex best friend for centuries when wukong was literally the one who didn't give macaque that much thought at all unless he hurt mk

-being the smartest one like no you can't tell me that wukong the one who was alive for centuries that knew codding perfectly and have knowledge about medicine isn't the smartest he's just impulsive and macaque isn't

And there so many more but these are the ones I see more often I feel like macaque mischaracterize is just rotted in projection but people have to understand that this thing isn't macaque it's literally wukong you're just taking wukong positive characters traits and give it to macaque just mischaracterizing both of them now I'm not saying that macaque is awful because he isn't he have alot of personality but people ignore it for some reason just to make him a saint and to water down wukong

[hiddentoadstoolkey]

Screaming Into the Void: 

My Thoughts and Theories About the Past, the Present, and the Future 

(Of Chasers, of course)

Here's the text version of the document I had made eariler this week <3

It’s mainly unfiltered ramblings that I plan on editing later (and adding visual references)

Spoilers for the finale below

Breaking Down the Season 1 Finale:

Chase

He had clearly grown so much over the course of the season and honestly this entire arch has been such a great arch of seeing who he is now 

The guilt he has for bringing in Pru and Deacon into the story and feeling responsible for their deaths

A part of me fears of how he’ll take it when more people join the story, but he has gained a sense of responsibility 

Also that face he make WITH THE LITTLE HEART EYES AHHHHHH 

Deacon & Prunella

There isn’t much to say about these two if were just talking the finale as neither of them are alive for long enough

I do wonder what their paper death means for how they proceed going forward

There’s no doubt that all three of them would add some precaution in future stories, especially if the team expands

Buddy 

HE’S A KEY!!!!!! THE THEORIST WERE RIGHT?!?!??!?!?!

Add this alongside [insert massive Miraculous s5 spoiler]

Nox - presumably IroN OXide (peep jthealien for pointing this out in the comments)

He has a moon on his back, in the same spot as Goldie’s sun and Bronze’s Apple - its his character symbol

Moon opposing the sun as a symbol (plus the book, will continue that later down) - he’s likely the Villain key

Something clearly happened in his past that makes he regrets - could be what led him to ex-libris or why he’s specifically the villain key…. 

This makes the comment “he looks 20-ish,” the “dreams are often not what they seem” note at the end of Dreams by Night, and the “do they not feed you?” debacle during the beach boys arc more understandable

Re: Dreams By Night - I revisited the episode to find the quote and noticed that Nox (this feels weird typing that) has a metal ring around his neck, maybe mimicking a keychain???

More key related thoughts:

“Don’t you want to be human again” - does this mean that the keys were all human, or is Buddy (and maybe some others) were originally human and then turned into keys

If this were to be the case, you would assume Silver (or Bronze/Goldie) would have brought it up, but 

1. We know their memory is foggy

2. Silver has failed to mentioned big factors to Chase before (e.g. Chase needing all the keys to make his wish; she lowkey gives “you didn’t ask” energy and she’s so real for that)

Also, note that she say “Don’t you want to….” and not “Don’t you want us to”

Design wise, Buddy differentiates from the keys we’ve seen so far in that he’s not solely one color, his hair and clothing appear to be much darker than his skin

He appears to be established as an outlier from the the rest of the keys we know - suggesting there’s something different about him. My guess is that he’s not the original villain key, but rather a replacement of sorts 

We’ve seen damaged keys before, peep Silver at the start of the comic, but is there a point to which a key can no longer be repaired by narratonin? Could this be how and why Nox (and Ex Libris) know about the outcome of specific scenarios (e.g. when a book gets damaged)

Now that we’ve gotten a full look at Violet’s key, I wanted to point out how Silver is the the only key (out of what we’ve seen) to have a different Shank, with hers being twisted and everyone else’s being straight

The Book:

The front of the Book displays the symbols of the keys in a circular manner - with (presumably) oppositional characters placed across from one another.

 The pairs are:

Sun & Moon (12 & 6 positions): Goldie (Hero) & Nox (TBD) 

Since they are symbolic opposites, Nox is expected to be the villain key (+ some of his dialogue throughout the season hinting towards this)

Bell & Bow (1 & 7): TBD

The Bow maybe the Thief key mentioned by Deacon in Episode 42 (Reasoning: Robin Hood, notable thief used a bow and arrow)

Crown & Feather (2 & 8): TBD

The Crown is plausibly the Ruler key mentioned by Deacon in Episode 42

Diamond & Rose (assuming) (3 & 9): Violet (Villainess) & Silver (Heroine)

The 9 o’clock position is covered in both panels, and thus I’m working on the assumption that the rose is there

The only other position for the rose would be the mark at the 4 o’clock position

Unidentifiable & Apple (4 & 10): TBD & Bronze (Sidekick)

As mentioned before, I could not determine what the symbol after Violet was, if it’s Silver’s rose, then the pattern breaks

Following the pattern, the symbol probably belongs to a henchmen archetype (FREDDY BELIEVERS RISE)

Heart & Star (5 & 11): TBD

The Heart is plausibly the Lover key mentioned by Deacon in Episode 42

The Key in the middle!!

We can think its different than the rest of the keys as we see Violet locked into the book (the 9 o’clock position, where the rose should be)

This is what I assume to be the primary factor that allowed Buddy to go into the same exact stories as Chase, sort of acting as a master key allowed to unlock anything

Since Violet is stuck into the slot of the Rose, the book sends the user into whatever story the Heroine key is in

Side note: This circle pattern would make a very sick looking clock, and that will be my objective goal if we get a closer look at the book (or symbols)

Stargoth

So, um, the kiss…

It has not registered in my mind

The lore of the keys have taken up most of my mind 😭

The sky tear -> there’s an emphasis on the true love’s kiss!!! What if Nox and Chase are meant to each other's true love (at least in the storybooks)? 

Alt. there may be something to do with true love and they keys (maybe breaking the spell/curse, or something)

Outside of that, I just love how we get to see a reversal of the requiem hug as they start to show how much they care for each other!!!!!!

Final thoughts

This finale was honestly so shocking to me in the best way possible and it makes me really excited for what’s to come 

It honestly feels a lot like the ending of Stagtown (in terms of lore drop and whatnot), and I don’t think I’ve been this hyped about a fandom (or finale) since SVTFOE season 2 finale bro 

I’ll probably add more to this document when I’m more organized and when the episode comes out and we can discuss ☺️

[deminetly]

✶ RATING YOUR DRS ✶

……………………………………………

⋆ hogwarts 7/10 ok so I personally havent even watched harry potter but it seems awesome,, hogwarts is a classic since basically every shifter has a hogwarts dr but who wouldnt wanna learn magic ?! at the same time i also kinda dont get why you would want to shift to a school from all places ALSO CONSIDERING HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE AND HOW MEAN SOME OF THE TEACHERS ARE BUT

⋆ twilight 7/10 i used to LOVE twilight when i was like 12 (confession i was team jacob ,, and lowk still am.. HES HOTTER OK DONT BLAME ME) and i LOVE the vibe,, highly depends on who youre shifting for tho (if its alice then 8/10 shes like wow)

⋆ fame 7/10 ok i keep rating everything 7 but IDK fame is good but i feel like id get bored after like a few shifts (even though i still have a fame dr) but if you know how to spice it up for yourself then good for you!! (bonus points if its set in the 70s-2000s)

⋆ mermaid 8/10 rated it an 8 instead of a 7 because i keep rating everything 7… anyways its cool but again i feel like i would get bored (unless you know how to spice it up AGAIN) i do fw mermaid more because its like magical and you can script in a forbidden fling with a human or something.. (can you tell i have commitment issues) now i want to make a mermaid dr and design my tail omg

⋆ band/music artist 8/10 as most of yall probably know i do have a band dr so how could i rate it anything lower?! anyways i love hearing about peoples band drs (or any drs for that matter but especially bands bc i can get inspo for my own teehee) i think developing everything for that dr can be super fun and putting together your little group and whatnot

⋆ apocalypse 8/10 would probably have rated this much lower if i hadnt seen those aesthetic slideshow games on tiktok where youre packing for and trying to survive an apocalypse BUT i feel like if you scripted in safety and good vibes it could be a lot of fun and now i wanna make a zombie apocalypse dr..

⋆ the backrooms 6/10 you are BOLD for that,, i get creeped out by just watching a tiktok about them (im aware that the backrooms were on my dr ideas post..) it lowkey depends who youre with because shifting there alone would actually be CRAZY..

⋆ better cr 5.5/10 i dont really get the consept of this like if i were to make a better cr i would FIRST OF ALL change basically everything and atp it wouldnt even be a better cr just a good dr ykwim and how do you come back after shifting there and not feel depressed asf😭

⋆ heartbreak high 5.5/10 i feel like not many people have seen this show and also i dont really fw shifting to shows or movies as much as your own creations but i did like the show itself,, i honestly i wouldnt personally shift there since the vibes are like too.. like 2020 and some people are real assholes but you do you it could be super fun id actually love to know about all the drama

⋆ euphoria 6/10 idk why i like euphoria more than heartbreak high they lowkey give me the same vibe but euphoria is like a better version (i literally havent even seen this but i did watch like 2 hours worth of it from tiktok) ANYWAYS most people there are ASSHOLES too and again PERSONALLY WOULDNT WANT TO GO THERE but again would love to hear more about the drama because there must be tons of that

⋆ monster high 9/10 ok so why did i not think of this before i LOVED monster high when i was a child but im lowkey scared of shifting to an animated world idk it feels off.. the vibes and there tho love that for you

⋆ dead poets society 8/10 again personally havent watched it but from what ive heard it seems cool (that with about 200 other movies have been sitting on my watchlist for years but my commitment issues are so bad i cant commit to watching one movie so i will probably never watch it oops) anyways i want to make a secret society dr now

⋆ my little pony 7/10 oh little me would have LOVED this but again i cant with the animated drs ESPECIALLY considering you would be a PONY?? i need to know how this feels or like what.. i love mlp but honestly (tw: opinion) TWILIGHT IS SO ANNOYING I COULD NOTTTT STAND HER ASS (yes i do know id be able to script her out but i like complaining)

[majaloveschris]

However, I don't know if leaking the contract would be bad for both of them. I think most people would be happier if this turned out to be PR rather than him being married to someone like her. And I mean her and her friends' personalities. You know the racist, pedo, and Nazi stuff. Maybe some people would be angry because he's lied, but I think most of us probably would be relieved he wasn't actually in love with someone like Alba. //

Logic anon coming in, people have to understand the fandom although it feels big is very small especially compared to the rest of the world. The general public doesn’t care about these two and many think she looks like she’s his daughter. Now, If this fandom were like the fandoms with “names” ie the Swifties, Belibers, etc This shitshow would have exploded publicly to the point the truth would have came out and there’d be no debate. The world would be aware of her and her friends and many would probably defend her, it would be team pr vs real on a bigger level. But technically something similar yet small did happen….. remember the “crazy” fan article in the beginning because the fandom was calling out the bs.

This stunt wasn’t for the fans, but I assume they thought this fandom would jump whenever Chris said to….wrong. The fandom went into detective mode so much to the point they kept having to keep up with the lies that so many called out. Remember all the holes in the cheese they tried to fill. If it were real, why the need to do that.

But yeah the point for whatever reason was to make this appear legit to the world, not this fandom. The fandom got involved because of how stupid things got. Had Chris and team learned that he had a MO that ONLY his fandom was aware of and had her and her little racist friends not trolled, things might be different.

Too much has happened for me to assume any of this is legit unless Chris has sincerely lost his mind, is going through a midlife crises or willingly thought being married might help his career/image? Idk 🤷‍♀️

In terms of said contract being leaked, that would be awesome for the fandom and possibly those who think he’s a red pill fool, but for the overall public…. I don’t think so. He’d be a liar and how could anyone trust someone who lied about being married, but again it’s Hollywood and business so who knows, it could be a shock factor, people discuss and then move on and he’s able to reinvent himself or something or people would crack jokes and never let him live it down, etc.

If a contract got leaked and had specific details it could help him and people would go omg look what Hollywood forced Chris Evans to do and I knew he’d never marry anyone that young, etc. ya know the “poor Chris”, coddling scenario he’s use to. 🙄

At most, a divorce could be announced and TMZ can state they were never legally married and leave people to question whatever. Chris moves on, focuses on his career and learns to keep his private life private and no more PR shit.

I think they thought Alba would get much more recognition and fans because of Chris. That the fandom will like her, that they will start following her and start her career. The why is beyond me, though. I wouldn't say even his real girlfriends were that liked by the public, so why would a fake one with whom they look so distant and who is a worse person than the others be? I don't think they thought this through.

I wouldn't say this wasn't for us; most of the time, a PR relationship is. A random person who's watched a few projects of yours won't start following or supporting someone's partner. A fan would. Like how many people have started following Travis since they went public with Taylor? A lot. I assume they wanted something similar to happen to Alba, but they didn't succeed. As you said, the general public cares more about the age gap and the appearance. They don't have to sell them anything because they don't care. They have to make it look legit for the fans, because they are the ones following all of their steps. They will be the ones who start following the partner or check out their works. When it comes to a PR relationship, the fans need to like the partner or accept them in the close circle. The general public just doesn't care enough to make someone's partner more famous; fans could do that. Chris's fans could've started liking Alba and watching her projects, making her more wanted in projects. That's why they wanted to sell the happy relationship; that's why they filled the holes. They need fans to do their parts, not the general public.

I still think leaking something would be the best. He's lost a lot of fans, and I'm not saying that would get him everything and everyone back, but this PR wouldn't still be better than him actually being in love with her. I think it would be. Obviously, that doesn't take away the stupidity of this whole thing and that he got involved in this. It wouldn't make everything okay, but it would make it better. General public doesn't care enough about this. They would forget about him being in a PR marriage after like a day, especially right now, when a lot of much worse things are going on. This wouldn't be the worst thing a celebrity did. Right now, they should care about fans, not about the general public. Those people who've left are the important ones. They're going to go and watch all of his movies, not the general public.

I just hope that if this is truly PR, they all learned from this and have already realized that this whole thing was a mistake and will never try something like this.

[peachhcs]

a blurb about the time they have their first kiss??

au masterlist | this lowkey ate more than i thought it would

in one of the last days of summer before everyone had to leave again, samy was hosting one last get together at the lake house. everyone was invited so it was fairly crowded in the backyard. somehow, hannah lost the brunette in the mass of people, so she decided to stick close to the drinks instead of trying to fight her way through.

she didn't notice a certain tall brunette making his way towards her until he was basically in her eye line. "hey hananh," james caught her attention.

a quick grin appeared on the girl's lips, "hey hagens. long time no see."

it'd been awhile since the two saw one another. both of their summers were spent in completely different places that they never got a chance to catch up until right now. "yeah, for real. it's been awhile," the boy hummed as he reached for another drink.

"it's good to see you though. i heard your last few months of dev program went well. are you excited for boston?" hannah poked a bit making james flush.

"i am excited. it should be fun getting to be on the same team as the guys again. i've definitely missed playing with them," their gazes swept to where ryan and gabe were talking with their hockey buddies. hannah smiled.

"it's really cool you guys get to be on the same team again. must be really special," she met his gaze again and the boy nodded.

"definitely. how are you feeling after becoming an olympic gold medalist?" james changed the subject and he enjoyed seeing the brunette blush at his question.

"it still feels unreal honestly. i don't feel real, actually."

"well, you killed it like usual. i still don't know how you manage to flip around up there," his praise just deepened the red adorning hannah's cheeks.

"i guess it's just natural at this point. your, uh..the flowers..they were nice," it didn't take an expert for the gymnast to know who was sending her such a huge bouquet of flowers, especially when she didn't know any other hockey player using the number 10.

now it was james's turn to blush, "so you figured it out?"

"come on, i'm not that stupid. you really didn't have to do that."

"you had just won a gold medal. i always think that deserves a huge bouquet of flowers" the hockey player shrugged and hannah blushed again, steering her gaze to the ground.

"well, thank you. it was sweet."

they let a comfortable silence fill between them while taking in the party again. even though they were outside, it was loud and everyone was talking at once. hannah had no idea where samy disappeared to, yet she figured the soccer player was with will like always. it sort of didn't feel real that they were already going to be in their 2nd year of college.

"you know i'd really like to hear more about paris. would you wanna talk inside so it's quieter?" james spoke up again. he looked at her nervously like she was going to say no, but a smile danced on hannah's lips instead.

"yeah, sure."

the two managed to slip away unseen. it was much quieter when they made it back inside and cooler. hannah dug through the fridge for some water knowing she didn't want to be too hung over tomorrow. she handed a bottle to james without asking which he took gratefully. they found themselves in the living room a moment later.

"so what was your favorite part?" the boy wondered, eyeing the space between them without being too obvious about it.

"can i say everything? i loved all of it," the girl giggled.

hannah and james talked for what seemed like forever in that living room. the gymnast gave him an entire rundown of her time at the olympics and all of the cool people she met. she definitely rambled, but james didn't mind one bit. he liked hearing her talk, especially after not talking to her all summer.

that space between them on the couch got smaller and smaller too because hannah would jump up and around when she talked, so naturally, she moved herself closer each time until there was basically no space left between them.

it had to have been nearly 11:30 by then. people had gone inside, but neither james nor hannah noticed because they were too busy talking. no one else really noticed them either because they were just too drunk to notice their friends really hitting it off with each other.

when hannah stopped to take a breath and just close her mouth for a second her nad james were inches apart. her knee kept brushing his thigh and her head rested on the back of the couch so she was basically looking up at him because james had his elbow propped up to support his head. he stared at her while she stared at him realizing just how long they'd been talking.

that fire that's been ignited since james met hannah almost two years ago lit up the longer he stared at her and he knew she felt it too.

hannah knew what he wanted. maybe she wanted it too, but that voice inside of her head was preventing her from moving any closer or further. that voice that always told her she didn't need a boyfriend because it'd just throw her entirely off. she didn't even know how to function with a real boyfriend because all of her past relationships had always been stupid flings that didn't matter to her.

this mattered to her though and she knew that it wasn't gonna be some fling if she let herself indulge.

james mattered to her and she was finally starting to understand that.

"this might be super dumb, but can i kiss you?" the hockey player asked and everything hannah thought she knew went out the window because he asked and no guy had really done that before with her.

she was leaning up before she could even stop herself and james met her in the middle. their lips collided in a very passionate kiss that definitely showed all of the pent up tension that had built between the the last few years.

she could feel him breaking her walls down and letting himself into a space she's tried so hard to keep him out of.

when they finally pulled away both of them were speechless.

"so.."

"so.."

an awkward silence wedged its way between them.

"i should get some sleep. it's late. it's been a long day. thanks for talking..or letting me yap your ear off," and just as fast as hannah's walls came down, they went right back up.

she stumbled up while james quickly grew confused at her sudden change in attitude.

"night, j," she mumbked over her shoulder before he could even say anything.

"night hannah.." she was long gone to even hear him.

[pinkandgoldensoul]

Hi, Italian native speaker here! I don't know how in depth you wanted it to be, but I just love this topic too much not to vent about it. So... Let's start first with Charles!

I'd say he is quite good! If I had to grade him, it’d be B2 level. He can manage conversations just fine; he sometimes struggles with the meanings of words (both when he’s the one listening and when he’s the one speaking) and has a tendency, especially in the last couple of years, to mash up Italian and English words (he either takes the root of the word and make it italianish or translates literally the word, though in Italian it carries a different meaning. Italian is full of “false friends”, real traps for learners). 

When it comes to accent, you can tell he’s not a native (that’s fairly normal) due to the French inflection, vowels’ placement (French-like) and difficulty in pronouncing double consonants (very common). Though, it fluctuates a lot! I remember watching some interviews back in 2019 or 2022 and being absolutely mesmerized by how good his pronunciation was, to the point my best friend - who didn’t know him - asked me if he was Italian lol. Yet, in some interviews he pulls off a heavier French accent or more English vocab mashups. I believe he gets better if he has spent some time around Italian natives (i.e. the team or friends) and he makes a few tiny steps back after spending time with French speakers (family and friends). Absorbing accents from people we listen to is very natural, we all do! And the fact he seems to get onto it so quickly, moving back and forth, hints at how good his ear is. Not surprised he loves music!

Also, something he struggles with sometimes (but I don't blame him, it's confusing as hell per se) is words' stress, especially in verbs. Not all of them, but a few. It's painful to hear, makes me smile, and it's due to a lack of habit (he’s probably less exposed to Italian than what we might think). 

Here some brief examples, especially for people who know a bit of Italian or for those who are simply curious (I could write a 300 pages essay, but can’t afford it now and nobody would read it anyway):

Bahrain 2022, Post Race team radio: SO GOOD. Adrenaline high, yet good accent and double consonants better than usual. (this is the snippet my best friend heard and she was confused… “Why is he called Charles? Isn't he Italian?”)

Los Angeles Vlog at 8:06, talking to Andrea: not so bad when it comes to accent, but two English-like mistakes. Biggest one is creating a new verb from “regret”, i.e. “rigrettare”. (Funny note: Andrea uses the neologism right after, in response)

Charity Football Match 2022: solid interview. I chose this one because I think it represents his average speech (actually average-best).

Abu Dhabi 2024, Post Quali interview: a bit messy, but still manages to get the message across (the whole point of speaking a language). I chose it because this is a moment when he’s stressed out, tired and a bit frustrated (track limits, out of Q1).  (hopefully you can see the ones from the Sky Sport F1 Italy channel even in other countries)

Now, very very briefly on the others because I have no time, but let me know if you need more specific info!

Carlos: thick Spanish accent, but that’s not too penalizing. In this case, as opposed to Charles’, Spanish vowel placements are helpful (pretty similar to Italian, whereas French is a mess); here the problem comes with consonants (especially -g- and -z-). 

Esteban: I can’t find the interview, but I remember listening to him the first time and just jaw-dropping. Gagged. Speechless. It was top notch. Only interviews I managed to find now have him good, but still slightly Frenchy sounding and using English in case of need.

Pierre: pretty Frenchy, but he’s got sooooo much better! He relies sometimes on English too. 

Fernando: Good. A bit Spanishy, but less than Carlos.

Lance (I didn’t knoowwwww, had to search it up): Englishy, a bit of struggling. But I’ve only managed to find one interview, I don’t want to be unfair to him

Ollie: slightly Englishy, but quite good! I think he can master it. 

Nico: controversial. He’s really good, especially with semantics, but at times there are some small slip ups in inflection. I know he can be perfect, and this is why I want him to be perfect all the time. 

Again, let me know if you need insights. Hope this helps!

Quick question: How good is Charles Leclerc’s Italian? Is he fluent? How about his accent? And if you had to rank the best drivers who speak Italian on the grid (Carlos, Esteban, Fernando, Lance, Nico, Ollie, Pierre), how would you rank them? I’ve heard Nico Roseberg considers Italian his first language. This is for very research purposes, so I’d love to know Charles’s specific level!

[bunnygirl678]

There are not near enough AUs in the Reguri fandom.

The last time I was active in a fandom was almost 10 years ago wiht 616!Stony (steve x tony but like the comics not the movies) and there were every AU imaginable and that was just for the comics side not even if you include the movies (which tbh i wasn't a fan of) I was so spoiled and didn't even know it, now here I am having read through the entirety of the English and Spanish ao3 collection of finished works, what am i supposed to do now???

The answer is...come up with more AUs.

I'm going to write this one once I get a few more fics out of the way, but here goes.

Formula 1 AU (note this is more pokespe than the games so you get the hyperactive red and the tsundere Green)

-Red and Green are childhood rivals/friends having raced in the gokart circut together before they both got drafted for formula 1

-at first they're on the same team but Red keeps winning and Green always places second, i mean it's still podium but Green wants that W

-red is seriously just happy getting to race with his bff/crush, green just wants to fucking win something on his own

-professor oak is like a famous engineer or something who used to race back in the day (think carroll shelby) and everyone compares Green to him constantly and he hates it

-and like Green can do his own repairs cause he’s skilled af

-its the end of the season and despite racing for the same team red and green are neck and neck for first only a few points away from each other

-red wins ofc, green is devastated, he contemplates retiring then a rival team scouts him and promises the best of the best, he just wants to winnnnn

-red is super sad because his favorite thing was racing with green not against him, and he's got this little (big) crush on green and now he has to constantly race against the man of his dreams

-also there are still pokemon, and battles and stuff, but like Green/Red just do cars now lol

-so the question becomes, does red win again the next season, do red and green pull their heads out of their asses and realize they're in love? Do i add this to my WIPs today or tomorrow?

-find out in like 7 months!

I have like a metric shit ton of f1 knowledge cause my ex-husband's family is involved in the business, i can't say more cause i'm not gonna out myself on here lol, but i feel like this would be fun to write

[mettywiththenotes]

Viktor and Jinx parallels so good they work better apart than together

[sysig]

Ellen McLain’s commentary from my trivia playthrough

[claitea]

still thinking about anthea and lacey btw. getting first-hand coaching from one of blueberry academy's finest, probably getting in touch with the rest of the bb crew through lacey. in addition her brother is a champion-tier trainer, who in turn is friends with More champion-tier trainers who could also help her train

i'm imagining her starting a journey at some point and absolutely DEMOLISHING anything in her way. just blitzing through the entire gym challenge bc the early gym leaders didnt account for the fact she's maybe gotten Overprepared. she should take the champion title she deserves it i think

[abnormalpsychology]

thrilling sequel to my poll from back in January

[angeltism]

"spar.kle is fictional who cares" I have seen people praising her for her racist anti-romani comments what the fuck kind of world do you live in

[inbabylontheywept]

The Motherfucking Lizard King

No one at work trusts my boss. 

He's smart. He works hard. He's not trustworthy. He hasn't actually fucked anyone at work over, but he's ruined his last two marriages with affairs, and got dumped by his third fiance when he wouldn't sign a prenup. The fact that we all know this is just a hazard of working in a small town. 

Anyway: The thought process of the people in the lab is that if he screwed over his first wife, and his second wife, and was probably planning on screwing over his third wife, it would be insane for him not to screw us over. After all, what kind of idiot treats their employees better than their spouse? 

I dunno. His kind, I guess? He's had a few chances to fuck us over, and he hasn't taken them. Opposite really. When our parent company was doing furloughs, he stayed in the office almost a hundred hours, talking and talking and talking his way up the corporate ladder. And in the end, no one at our site got furloughed. 

He's pulled strings like that before. And it baffles me, right? Because it really does make zero sense. He'll move the heavens and the earth for us, but his wife and kids are afterthoughts. It feels like any moment, he's going to look into the mirror and realize how stupid that is. It feels like I'm betting on him making the same stupid mistake again, and again, and again - like it would be less cynical to believe he was, eventually, going to stab me in the back. But he hasn't yet, and as far as I can tell he's been making that mistake for close to fifteen years, and it's already cost him everything it can. If he was going to learn, he would have by now. 

So my position on him is that if he wanted to date someone I cared about, I'd warn them off. I don't trust him there. But I tentatively trust him to be my boss. Maybe one day he'll stick the knife in and twist, and everyone will say Ah, Babs, we warned you, but for now, I accept that he's doing a very predictable, very irrational thing, and I've made my peace with it. 

---

My job has glue traps. 

No one likes the glue traps, but we don't have a lot of options. Poison's banned by state law, spring traps are banned by company safety, and several non-lethal options tried in the past failed to work. The mouse problem can get pretty bad if it's ignored, and there's some real health hazards in that. Our site has never had a positive hantavirus test, thank God, but the big base about a half hour away has. That guy's gonna be on oxygen the rest of his life. 

If a mouse gets caught, we just euthanize it. But more than mice get stuck. Lizards can wander into those traps too, and the people working there have different feelings about the lizards. They don't pose nearly the same kind of risk mice do. They're chill little guys, and they keep the moths away, and they're just 

You know. They're friendly. There's something to be said about walking into a room, and hitting the light switch, and seeing two little guys on the wall start to do pushups as soon as they see you. 

People used to just euthanize the lizards too, but I had pet leopard geckos as a kid and I couldn't take that so I wound up googling how to free animals from glue traps. Now, when a lizard gets stuck in a trap - which happens once or twice a week - I get some vegetable oil from the breakroom, and a little plastic fork, and I'll spend fifteen to twenty minutes just kind of gently prying the little guys out. 

I have a team of technicians that help me operate one of the larger machines. They're real blue collar guys, ex-airforce, and they make me look like a little kid. Being an engineer means they'll look to me as a leader sometimes, which is a wild experience. And I started helping the lizards for my own conscience, but one of the crazier consequences of it has been that it seriously boosted my leadership cred. Because those guys see me, and they go: Hey. If he's willing to fight for a lizard, he's gotta be willing to fight for me. 

I cannot overstate how nice that is. Most engineers that want to make a change to a maintenance practice, or try an upgrade, they have to work their asses off to get the techs to buy in. But I can just ask. They already trust me to do good. They know I'm new, and they know I'm not the smartest engineer in the building, but they also know I'm the one who gets lizards out of the glue traps. 

And just because of that, they're willing to follow me. 

---

My boss has a meeting every month or two. It's typically basic house cleaning stuff - reminders about routines we've gotten lazy on, and updates on future projects. Maybe some warnings about problems coming from higher up in the company.

People are, in my opinion, a bit too cynical about the meetings. It stems from people not trusting our boss, which again, I understand, because it would make so much more sense if he wasn't trustworthy. It's a testament to the man's incredibly unhealthy priorities that he is. But as we made it to the end of the meeting, one of bullet points was: 

Do NOT mess with animals in the building. 

So I looked at my techs, and they looked at me, and when he got to the point, he was so scathing I actually just wanted to crawl under a rock and die. He said basically that he'd heard some reports about someone in the building handling animals that found their way in and got stuck, and that he just wanted to emphasize how insanely inappropriate that was, not to mention dangerous, and that if he needed to speak to anyone about it again, there would be severe consequences. 

I was willing to just take the shame and move on. I was. But one of my techs is old. Old enough he could've retired two years ago. And his actual literal goal is to one day get angry, yell at someone, and storm out. That's how he wants to retire. So instead of biting his tongue like everyone else, he stood up and said: I hate the glue traps. You hate the glue traps. We all hate glue traps. But we've all sat here for years, ignoring the little things that get stuck in them, watching them die, and then Bab's comes in, and he is the first person in decades to give enough of a shit to start pulling the lizards out. And I don't want him to stop. 

Get humane traps or shut up but we are not going back to the old way of just letting things starve. 

And my boss actually froze up. He got all wide eyed and stared at Marc, and then the other techs jumped in, and there was a very small but intense rebellion in the meeting and my boss kept trying to interrupt while getting absolutely bowled over by this gang of angry middle aged air force vets, and eventually he just went 

I will speak with Babylon about this afterwards! After! And then he will speak with everyone else, but I have more points to cover. 

So they went silent, and my boss rushed through the last five minutes, and we all adjounred. The techs really didn't like that I was going in alone - they thought our boss was going to try and shout me into compliance. Marc in particular was like, Look, if he tries bullying you, stand your ground, and if he threatens anything, just come get us, and we'll give him hell. 

So armed with that, I went to my boss's office. I sat in the chair across from him, and he kept his composure for maybe five seconds before just flopping back into his chair. 

I had no idea you were saving lizards, he said, but I'm glad you are. I always hated seeing them die in the glue.  

I wasn't expecting that. I was about to ask him what the comment from the meeting was about then, but he answered that before I even got the chance.

A snake got into the building last week, and - someone picked it up and chased a coworker around. Turns out that coworker was severely afraid of snakes, and now it's a shitshow. We're a small site, and now I can't ask those two to work together anymore, to say nothing about how the snake fared after all that. Being upset about that is a reasonable thing, right? 

And he gave me a look like he actually wanted an answer, so I said Yeah, totally, chasing a coworker around with a snake is a dick move. Especially if that coworker is already afraid of snakes. 

And he said Exactly! and then we sat there a few moments longer. He looked so incredibly tired that I did, actually, feel kind of bad for him. And then he somehow managed to sink even further into his chair, and said

Look, I know I'm not a good guy. But I'm not evil. I'm not some sort of crazy asshole that's going to demand that everyone watch lizards starve to death. When you go back downstairs, could you try to pass that on? That I'm not evil? 

I said Sure because it wasn't a hard request, and he looked relieved. I actually made it halfway out before I realized I had a question. 

Who grabbed the snake? I asked. 

Not supposed to talk about it, he said. But whoever comes to mind first is probably right. 

ThatGuy? I asked. And he looked me in the face, nodded his head yes, and said No. 

---

The techs seemed a little disappointed that they didn't get to storm the boss's office, but were otherwise in good spirits. They were actually a little bit embarrassed to hear about the snake story - apparently, it wasn't much of a secret. It'd just slipped their minds because it happened three weeks ago. 

We did maintenance after that, the same basic repairs we did every week. The meeting had been stressful and it was a relief to work with my hands. When the parts were reinstalled, everything cleaned and smooth and ready to go, Marc found me again. 

You know what the lesson of today is? he asked. And there were quite a few answers to that that I could have taken - from don't assume the worst of people to be careful with how you spend your trust - we all need it more than we think. 

But instead I said what? because I wanted to hear what his answer was going to be. 

That I got your back, he said. Then he clapped one very, very large hand on my shoulder, gave it a good squeeze, and walked back to dosimetry lab.

---

The next day, Marc gave me a package and told me to open it in my office. I was suspicious, but I followed the request.

Cardboard gave way to a small baggie, obviously full of fabric, which opened to reveal a t-shirt that read

"I Am the Motherfucking Lizard King."

I looked at it, I loved it, and then I got an idea. I went to my boss's office and knocked on the door. When he opened it, I asked him if he would be willing to allow something very unprofessional to happen for morale building purposes.

How unprofessional? he asked. I held the shirt up in answer. He gave the shirt a short look over and snorted.

You can wear it on weeks without customers, he said. Which just so happened to include that week.

I'll pass on that it came with your blessing, I replied, and he looked oddly relieved.

Thanks, he said. And then I went downstairs.

---

The techs were very, very happy to see the shirt. And while my boss's reputation remains in tatters, and probably will be until he moves (or dies), the next time there was a meeting, there was quite a bit less complaining about how mere presence. Which is, I guess, a start.

We'll see if he squanders it.