#literally they were my best friends in colorado

[sad-lime]

I MISS MY ILD JOB AND MY OLD COWORKERS I WILL NEVER KNOW HAPPINESS AGAIN

[mistressofpuppets86]

Fireworks of our own

Pairing: Present day James Hetfield x reader (NO USE OF Y/N)

Synopsis: You’re settling into life in a new town and a new state after a massive and massively unexpected inheritance. You become close with the highly recognizable and hot as fuck heavily tattooed… and somewhat recently divorced… silver fox that you learn lives across the street from you.

Warnings: 18+. There will be smut. Minors, fuck off. RPF. 1st person POV. 20-ish year age gap. Reader is early 40s, James is 60. Reader’s race is not mentioned or described, but is AFAB and female identifying. Due to the lack of female readers with my body type when body type is described/hinted at, reader is also short and somewhat plus-sized, and has small breasts. Unprotected sex. Public sex. Creampie.

Moving into the large expensive house I’d inherited in Colorado turned out to be one of my smarter decisions.  The house used to belong to my step-aunt and step-uncle.  I didn’t find out until after they were both gone that they’d made an agreement codified in their wills.  What it boiled down to was that their biological relatives were a bunch of greedy vultures who loved to squabble over anything of value, vying with each other for the best of whatever it was and only caring about what benefit there was for themselves in literally any situation.  It shocked me as much as anyone when I was the one named sole beneficiary of their entire estate.  I don’t know what would have happened had I turned it down, but turning down enough of a bank account to make me independently wealthy plus a variety of stocks and other investments that were continuing to provide income and a plush house in the ski town of Vail was not something I would do.  I never had to work again if I didn’t want to, and the house was entirely paid off.  It would have been complete idiocy to reject all that.  In further interest of not being a complete idiot, I also took measures as soon as possible to ensure my step-aunt’s and step-uncle’s wishes were respected.  In the event of my untimely death, ‘those people’ would still inherit nothing.  I used the same lawyers my step-aunt and step-uncle had to ensure my will was as ironclad as theirs had been, in case ‘those people’ contested mine as my step-aunt’s and step-uncle’s had been contested when I was named sole heir.

What surprised me was how friendly the rest of the residents were, and how patient they were in getting me integrated into the community.  Being autistic and having ADHD made social interactions feel weird and awkward to me when I was around new people.  Everyone in Vail was new to me.  I’d moved here alone and used a moving company to do all the hard work for me.  My friends were all online and lived in other states if not other countries so it hadn’t seemed like a big deal for me.  Especially since I was such an introverted type by nature.  But something about Vail put me at ease and made it easier for me to open up to people.  It helped that they were understanding of my differences and made an effort to work with them rather than treating me with pity or like I was something to be shunned.

The real shock was my across-the-street neighbor turning out to be James fucking Hetfield of all people.  Thankfully he’d been amused rather than weirded out by my reaction to seeing him and learning he was my neighbor now.  I didn’t hide that I was a fan, but I did at least try to keep things mellow in his presence.  It helped that he was super down to earth and generally a fun guy to be around.  It didn’t take me long to relax around him while we talked and got to know each other.  I definitely had my freak-out once I was alone in my house though.

That was months ago.  Now we’re at a local park for a Fourth of July community event.  I had worn a cute spaghetti strap lavender dress with white flowers on it.  The hemline fell to a little below my knees, and there was a slit from the hem to mid thigh on the left.  The skirt part was flared enough to mostly hide my chubby belly while the bodice was a little fitted to give me some shape, with lightly padded breast cups that flattered my small bust.  I’d paired it with black strappy low-heeled wedge sandals and my hair was brushed and twisted up in a claw clip.  I spritzed on some orange-vanilla-cinnamon body spray, and was ready.  I had never been a makeup girl so I didn’t even own any.  James had given me a look I couldn’t interpret when he’d rung my doorbell so we could drive over together, but he’d also offered me his arm with a playful grin.  I’d happily taken it, grinning back and trying to ignore the way my heart fluttered in my chest as we walked to his vehicle together.  He was looking especially good himself today.  Well-fitted jeans, a t-shirt that hugged his lean body just right and showed off his tattoos, and one of his many pairs of black boots.  One of his many cowboy style hats sat on top of his silvered head.  Normally that kind of thing didn’t have any special effect on me.  But when that sort of hat was on him, it made the song lyric ‘save a horse ride a cowboy’ come to mind.

He parked and we walked toward the entrance.  When I saw just how many people were gathered in the park, my steps faltered.  It was weird.  I’d had no crowd anxiety at the few concerts I’d managed to get to, but this made me hesitate.  Maybe it was because at concerts I was surrounded by fellow metalheads and felt safe there.  Even when I didn’t know them personally we were already bonded through the music and shared love of the same band.  That connection and feelings of belonging and community weren’t present here at the park.  I’d barely stopped walking when I felt James’s arm drape over my shoulders and pull me in close to him.  I looked up at him even as I leaned against him and wrapped an arm around his waist.  Instead of the irritation or other negative emotions I had expected to see in his face and eyes there was nothing but understanding, patience, and reassurance.  “We’ve got this, babe” he murmured, giving me a squeeze.  I smiled up at him and gave his waist a squeeze as my heart flipped in my chest at the endearment and his embrace.  Then we entered the park together.

Once the initial anxiety had dissipated I was able to relax and enjoy the afternoon.  James insisted on paying for everything no matter how much I protested and reminded him I had my own money.  He countered that it was the gentlemanly thing to do.  Having no answer to that, I gave up trying to prevent him from doing it.  What was even more surprising to me was that he didn’t end up mobbed by fans.  I was sure at least some people recognized him - especially with his tattoos so readily visible and recognizable - no one approached for autographs or photos or anything.  With as at ease as he was, I could only be happy for him that he could still go out in public and do normal things like anyone else.  

We both lost most of the carnival games we played, but James had a decent win at one of them and insisted I pick out the prize since he intended for me to keep it anyway.  I chose the plush possum - about the size of a housecat - as soon as I spotted it.  I tucked it into the tote bag I was carrying, positioning it so the fuzzy head was sticking up out of the top.  “So he can see everything going on” I joked, making James laugh.  

As night fell we found ourselves at the edge of the grassy area that had been set aside for fireworks viewing.  With the setting sun, the warmth from the day seeped away and left everything on the chillier side.  Enough that it made me glad for the two blankets we’d brought… one to sit on, and one to cover up with.  We ended up with him using the tote bag as a pillow, and me - at his insistence - using his shoulder as a pillow.  Not that I minded, of course.  His arm wrapped around me and kept me close beside his warm solidness.  Without thinking about it, I rolled onto my side and snuggled closer with an arm over his waist.  I felt him stiffen for a second and panicked that I’d overstepped, but then I felt him relax and his arm tightened around me in a brief squeeze.  “Comfy?” he asked playfully, his voice low enough only I could hear what he said.

I shifted my head to look at him and my heart skipped at how close his face was to mine.  It was difficult to see much in the darkness but I could make out the amused quirk of his lips.  “Very much so… babe” I replied just as softly and playfully, pointedly tossing his earlier endearment back at him.

James let out a quiet bark of a laugh.  “Shit.  And here I thought I’d gotten away with that” he joked, the tip of his nose brushing against mine.  I knew he could feel my racing heart but he said nothing about it.

“Mmm… you kinda did, in a way” I murmured, rubbing my nose against his in turn.  “Clearly I didn’t mind you calling me that since I didn’t raise any protest.  And I certainly wouldn’t be laying like this with you right now” I pointed out even as I felt him roll onto his side facing me.  He murmured a quiet agreement, his lips close enough to mine I could feel his breath as he spoke.  Then his lips were on mine, tentative and testing at first then with more confidence and assurance when I responded eagerly and kissed him back.  A soft moan left my throat and my leg slid over his hip, my own hips pressing against him.  I felt the rumble of his moan too and his strong hand spread over the curve of my ass, pulling me even more tightly against him.  Tight enough I could feel his hard cock through his jeans.  I rolled my hips against his and deepened the kiss.

Carefully, James slid my dress up over my hips to my waist and my own hand tugged his jeans zipper down, fingers delving into the fabric to free his length.  I could feel exactly how thick he was too, my hand wrapping around him and stroking until his hand gently took hold of my wrist.  “Gonna bust like a virgin boy if you keep that up” he growled softly in my ear.  “And I wanna be in you when I bust” he added with a nip that made me whimper in pleasure as much as his words did.  I let him take control again, his long fingers tugging my panties to the side and guiding his tip through my slick folds.  “Holy fuck you’re soaked” he murmured as he sank into me.  I made a noise of need, and he quickly smothered the sound with another searing kiss as his hips slowly rolled and he thrust into and out of me.

The way he filled me was absolute perfection, and each drag and push of his cock would have had me moaning loud enough for us to be caught even over the noise from the fireworks show starting had he not kept his mouth on mine and my tongue busy with his.  It was bliss and torture at the same time that he kept his pace steady, his movements small but intense so we could both finish but hopefully not have our activities noticed.  “James… getting close” I murmured against his lips, my pussy fluttering around his cock as he brought me closer to my peak.

“Good.  Cum for me, my love.  Cum all over this cock” he murmured back.  The command in his tone, him calling me his love, and the way he was fucking me sent me over the edge.  He kissed me hard to keep my moans muffled, grunting softly and bucking into me hard as he followed me over that edge, his hot seed shooting deep into me and filling me to the brim.  We lay there in each others’ arms after, his cock still buried inside me, kissing slowly and languidly for a short while.  But then the finale of the fireworks happened and we knew our cover would be up soon.  He withdrew from me and tugged my panties back into place before his cum could leak out onto my thighs.  Then he kissed me once more and rolled onto his back to tuck his cock back into his pants and zip up.  We pulled our arms out from under the blanket to make everything look innocent just in time for the end of the display and the other attendees to start packing up to go home.

“What did you two think of the show?” a man around my age with a woman who looked to be about the same age at his side asked us as James helped me to my feet and we started folding up the blankets and gathering our things by the light of cell phone flashlights.  James and I exchanged a mischievous look and grinned.

“It was great” I replied, my voice even.  “Best display I’ve ever seen” I added.

“I was just telling my girlfriend how much better the show was this year than last year” James added, his eyes and smile full of mischief.  I felt my cheeks heat but I grinned back and made a comment about how I was glad to have been part of it.  Warmth blossomed in my chest at him declaring me his girlfriend.  The other couple seemed a little surprised but continued the conversation and didn’t seem to be judging either James or I over the obvious age gap between us.  I couldn’t tell if they knew who James was and accepted it as a general celebrity thing or if they were just chill like that.  Either way worked for me.

James draped his arm over my shoulders again and I put my arm around his waist as we walked back to the parking lot, each of us carrying things as we had done coming in.  His cum slowly leaked out of my hole and soaked my panties as we walked.  When we got to the vehicle, I reached for one of the blankets to put on my seat for the drive home.  He raised an eyebrow in question.  “If I don’t put down a barrier, I’m going to leave a wet patch on your seat from your cum soaking through my clothes” I said bluntly, leaning in close.  He smirked at me and held me close with his hands on my hips.  My arms went around his neck and he kissed me gently.

“Mmm… worth it though” he teased, making my cheeks heat again.  He kissed me once more and gave my ass a double-handed squeeze.  “Now let’s get home so we can get fully naked.  I wanna taste your pussy before I fuck you properly and have you screaming my name while I fill you with my cum again” he growled softly in my ear.  I shivered and made a needy sound that brought a grin to his lips.  When he released me and went to the driver side with long strides, I wasted no time getting into the vehicle and closing the door, buckling my seatbelt.  My panties were wet with more than just James’s cum, and I was eager for not just the rest of the night with him but the rest of our lives together.  I knew, somehow, that we belonged only to each other now.

[jupitervega]

fleein the south part II

hi, i'm ri & i'm an autistic nonbinary trans guy-lite-ish person. 4 years ago i moved out to denver from mississippi (where i was born & raised) & immediately had a massive improvement in my quality of life. i was able to access medical & psychiatric care, my career stabilized, people were addressin me with correct terms for the most part, & i was startin to feel like life had finally begun

unfortunately when the lease ran out on our house end of summer last year my roommates decided not to renew, & then the people who were gonna be my new roommates backed out last minute. in a panic i looked for other options but with time runnin short & top surgery approachin i decided to recover at a friend's house & move back to mississippi once my surgeon cleared me to travel cross country so i could regroup somewhere i figured would be less expensive & at least somewhat familiar

that, friends, was a very costly & painful mistake! every single problem that made me wanna move away in the first place has only exacerbated!

i'm comin up on 8 months post top surgery, i have a beard, & i'm still gettin called ma'am/she/her. trump flags & signs still adorn many yards/porches here. hatred & bigotry run rampant in local politics. the other day i didn't even enter one of the convenience stores in the town where i live when i stopped by because they had posted a very thinly veiled racist sign on the door

when i arrived back here i was not even a full month outta surgery & i had a minor complication, so i went to the emergency room cause what else was i sposed to do? applied for charity as i had around $100 to my name at that point, which i THINK? got approved? also applied for mississippi medicaid the same day, which got denied almost outright as i have no children. so i've been uninsured since november & rationin the 3 month supply of my psych/migraine meds i received before leavin colorado for goin on 7 months. never mind bein able to access hrt!

job prospects here are Not Great! i've had to collect unemployment for a while as i cannot for the life of me find a full time job with a livin wage. otherwise i literally cannot make ends meet as the jobs i've held so far down here are payin average 50% or less of what i was makin in denver. even with the part time gigs i've had i have yet to crack 30hr/wk on any kind of regular basis

housin is an absolute shitshow. my lease is up 1 july (got a month extension) & i've been searchin everywhere for an affordable place of my own or at least a good roommate. the more affordable studio/1bd apartments go for around $700 & up, but most have income requirements of 2.5-3x the monthly rent which, considerin previous point abt wages, is near impossible. roommate listins are available but the majority are questionable at best & seekin a live-in bangmaid at worst

with all these considerations i spent the past few weeks feelin worse & worse lookin for somewhere close to the job i currently have. the leases are like 6mo-1y so i was picturin another year down here & how i was gonna survive, let alone thrive. my thoughts got darker & darker. i'd wake up in the mornin & be sad/disappointed i'd survived the night

this is no way to live

i snapped a few days ago. said to myself "if i'm destined to struggle wherever i go, i'd rather do it somewhere i actually Wanted to be in the first place" & started applyin for housin in denver. waitin to hear back from my first option & have secured a backup with a friend with a spare room for 6mo in case that falls through

right now i need help gettin the hell out! i've got first month's rent already put back, i can continue to collect unemployment until i land a good job in denver, & i'm already reachin out to find somewhere to work. i just don't have anywhere to go for another month or two to save the money i'll need to travel almost 1200mi (~1900km) back to colorado. i'll need at least $500 to make gas/food happen durin the time it will take me to get there, & i need it by the first of july (38 days from day of postin)

please help me escape!!!

ca: $jupitervega

vmo: jupitervega

ppal

please please please donate whatever you're able! pls boost!

thank u so much for readin, pls have an item from my emergency happy photo folder for yr enjoyment

[ellieisbored3537]

I JUST FINISHED LIFE IS STRANGE TRUE COLORS AND OH MY GOD I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS

Tw: Life Is Strange true colors spoilers

Tw: Yap alert

First of all I started playing this a few months ago and I fell in love with the game. I finished the first 2 chapters but literally played the rest today because I was tired with school and stuff and I kinda forgot about it and started watching a ton of shows.

So first episode I literally sat and listened to the entirety of Scott Street (Like 5 times) I fell in love with the town. The record store was awesome I love it so much.

Colorado is an amazing state and this game gave me a lot of nostalgia from the town to the mountains.

The Black Lantern was amazing. I'd love to have a place like that like I loved the whole set up and I have like ideas of how to make it like my dream place or something idk. Like instead of a bar it would be like a cozy cafe and in like the other room it would be a library and like queer flags everywhere. And like I'd keep the arcade things there and I'd make them free to play. Then there would be like music in the background and people could always like reccomend music and I'd add it to queue and it would just be an awesome hang spot. Then the middle floor where Alex's home is already has an awesome set up like I love it and I'd add all kinds of decorations and add like my favorite artists albums to the record stand so I can just blast them forever AND THE ROOF BALCONY OH MY GOD ID KEEP IT BASICALLY THE SAME BECAUSE WHO DOESNT LOVE A FLOWER GARDEN ON YOUR VERY OWN ROOF. Like I'm literally gonna make a whole layout of it because why not just cuz I'm bored.

Anywho. I WAS NOT EXPECTING GABE TO DIE THAT WAS SUCH A SHOCK LIKE WHAT I THOUGHT HE WAS A MAIN CHARACTER

Also I love Ryan and Stephs dynamic so much like the lesbian and her himbo. (I chose the adventure with steph ending and I saw Ryan standing alone and I had so many regrets because that's Stephs himbo so now he just lost his best friend, dad, and crush 😭 but like I like the idea that Steph and Alex got to tour the world together cuz I feel like that's what's best for them (if it were me I would've stayed and renovated the black lantern)

Also I went back in the game and now I'm listening to Scott Street on life is strange on repeat so when I look up from my phone it's just life is strange and scott street because phoebe bridgers ❤️

Also on tiktok I got a few spoilers about Jed being a bad guy BUT I WASNT EXPECTING HIM TO FUCKING SHOOT HER SO SHE'D FALL LIKE A MILLION FOOT DROP.

Also I may have not forgiven him (He literally killed Alex's dad and brother and like 6 other people and tried to kill alex)

Also everyone believed me except elanor (I told Riley she had alzhiemers so she ended up having to stay here (sorry) and she said that Alex was crazy and needs help 😭)

About to add stephs wavelengths onto this let me just play it first >:) -10:23pm

I'm so getting steph fired I suck at this

I just took all the pride decor down :( (it's already 11:51pm plz help). "People are always afraid to take the ones chloe made," Chloe? CHLOE PRICE YIPPEE!!! CHLOES VOICE OMG OMG OMG HI!!!! What the hell am I doing here? LIFE IS STRANGE TRUE COLORS ALEX CHEN SINGING CREEP REFRENCE???

😭😭😭 She was having storm flashbacks on October 11th that's why she was being so avoident.

The flashback with Rachel and Chloe was priceless chloe would say that

I like how Steph and Mikey talked on that day and got through the day.

She's so me for having a million different things at her desk to keep her occupied

I love how it ended with the start of the actual game.

Also I love how all 3 dlcs had a scavenger hunt

Yippeee

[hoedamn-eron]

baby, please - best buds

Santi tells his friends about the babies.

Warnings: Drinking of alcohol in a bar. Swearing. Lads being lads (respectfully). Brief mention of STD. Brief mention of failed birth control. Brief mention of deceased friend (Tom). Lazily proofread so probably some mistakes. Word count: 1,551 F!Pregant!Reader, no use of Y/N, although you're just mentioned in this.

Apart of my Baby, Please universe. Can be read as a stand alone, but makes more sense if you'd read Part 7.

Series Masterlist

Santiago never got nervous. He’d been in dozens of life-or-death situations; bullets to the chest, deals gone wrong, the recent fiasco in Columbia, you name it. You had to have nerves of steel in his old line of work.

But telling his friends he was going to be a dad? Terrifying.

He wasn’t sure why he was worried. Well, he did, but these were his boys, his ride or dies (literally). The most they would do was rip into him for being an idiot and not checking your condom’s expiration dates. He was kicking himself for panicking so much, he wasn’t even the first one to have a kid. Frankie’s little girl was coming up to seven months old, and Frankie was still around. Tom had had a teenager for crying out loud, it wasn’t unusual for a child to be around them. Will is on the verge of asking Claire to marry him, and they’d probably have kids in the next few years, it wasn’t as bad as he was making it out to be.

As he arrived at the bar, their usual hangout, Santiago took a moment in his truck to take a few deep breaths, closing his eyes as he leaned back on the driver’s seat.

It was going to be fine. They’ll be happy for him.

After double checking the ultrasound was in his pocket, Santiago climbed out of his truck, closing the door with a little more force than necessary. He slipped his hands into his jeans pockets as he walked to the bar before opening the door, the immediate warmth and smell of whiskey and wood bringing a familiarity that calmed his nerves slightly.

Only slightly.

“Pope!” called a booming voice over the music.

Santiago looked to his right and gave a small grin as he spotted his friends around a small round table in the back corner. Benny was stood, his arms in the air and a large smile on his face as if Santiago hadn’t heard him shout over the noise of the bar.

Santiago made his way over, Benny immediately bringing him into a hug. Santiago gave him a thump on the back before greeting Will and Frankie. “How you guys doing?” Santiago asked, taking a seat next to Frankie, trying hard to ignore the tightness in his chest, and the heavy feeling in his stomach.

“Doing all right,” answered Benny, who had taken his seat next to Will. “Helping this lovesick bastard plan his engagement to Claire.”

Will rolled his eyes. “I’m not a lovesick bastard.” He gives Benny a light punch on his arm.

Frankie gave a chuckle, taking a sip on his beer before looking giving a tap on Santi’s arm. “What do you want? I’m buying.”

Santiago ordered his usual before Frankie stood, walking to the bar. Santi turned back to Will, trying to distract himself (or delay the inevitable just a little longer). “So do you know when you’re going to do it?”

“We’re going visiting her family in Colorado next week, and she wanted to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens,” replied Will, giving a small grin. “Supposed to be really nice this time of year.”

“We’ve been trying to find a photographer all day who’s based in Denver,” teased Benny, giving a smirk to his brother.

“And I told you, I’ll email that redhead who you think is ‘hot’,” muttered Will, giving Benny another punch on the arm. “She did some pretty awesome shots of some scenery, might hire her for the actual wedding.”

Santiago looks up as Frankie abruptly returned, handing him his beer. “Thanks, Fish,” Santiago replied, taking an immediate large gulp as the nerves settled in again.

“So what’s going on with you?” Frankie asked, hitting Santiago with a stern stare.

Fuck Francisco and his ability to read Santiago like a book.

Santi shook his head, feigning ignorance. “Don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re tapping your foot,” Frankie said, motioning to the floor. “You only do that when you’re nervous, and you’re never fucking nervous, hermano. What is it?”

Santiago mentally kicks himself for not even noticing his fucking foot was tapping. Frankie was met with silence as the other occupants stared at Santiago with worried looks at Frankie’s statement. Santiago cleared his throat as he placed his beer on the table before speaking again. “I actually have something to tell you guys.”

“What is it?” Will asked, his brow furrowed at Santiago.

“If it’s another job, we’re not interested,” said Frankie, already shaking his head.

Santiago shook his head quickly at his friends. “No, it’s…nothing like that.” He averted his gaze for a second before looking back up at his friends. “Remember that woman I went out with?” he says, mentioning your name.

“The one in marketing?” Benny asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Yeah, her,” Santiago said, nodding. “She, uh…she actually called me up again – “

“Oh shit,” Benny laughed. “She give you the clap or something?”

Santiago pulled a face at the joke, feeling like he might actually throw up right there on table. He took a deep breath before he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ultrasound. He had to remember; these were his boys. After a moment’s hesitation, he placed it on the table, his friends all leaning in to look at it.

Frankie was the first to react. He smirked, muttered a, “Holy shit,” before picking up the photo and taking a closer look at it. His smirked only widened. “Holy shit. Is that two?”

Santiago grinned nervously back at Frankie. “It’s two.”

“Man, you have your work cut out for you,” laughed Frankie, placing the ultrasound back on the table before standing, Santi following. They embraced, Frankie giving a few solid pats on Santiago’s back. “Congrats.”

“That’s not real,” said Benny, also picking up the ultrasound to take a closer look, Will leaning over his shoulder. “You’re fucking with us.”

“It’s real, man,” said Santiago, as he and Frankie take their seats again. His shoulders relaxed slightly, now that it was out in the open, and his friends were reacting as he knew they would; he wasn’t sure why he was so nervous in the first place.

“They’re definitely yours?” Will asked, his brow furrowed as he took a glance at Santi before looking back at the ultrasound.

Santiago paused for a second before he nodded. “I think so.”

“You think so?” Will asked, straightening in his seat as he studied his friend. “Did you not get a paternity test?”

“She offered,” Santiago replied, shrugging. “But I…I trust her, I know she wouldn’t lie about this.”

“Fuck man, I don’t believe it,” said Benny, laughing as he placed the scan back on the table. He shook his head at Santiago before taking a sip of his beer.

“It’s real, Benny, why would I make this up?” Santi asked, chuckling slightly, pocketing the picture.

“I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to procreate with you, Pope,” laughed Benny.

“Pequeña mierda,” Santiago said, giving Benny a swift kick under the table, causing the younger man to laugh again.

“How far along is she?” Frankie asked.

“Seven weeks, give or take,” replied Santiago, picking up his almost forgotten beer. “Due in February.”

“How did that even happen?” Will asked, chuckling as he shook his head in disbelief.

Santiago snorted, taking a sip of his drink. “Don’t get me started. She didn’t check her birth control.”

“You idiot,” laughed Frankie. “You should always have a backup.”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Santiago, giving Frankie a light shove. “I know.”

They table went silent for a moment before Will gave a huff before shaking his head. “Well man, congratulations. Wasn’t expecting this when I left the house tonight.”

“Fuck, you’re gonna be a dad,” said Benny, grinning widely. “To twins!”

Santiago groaned, taking a large gulp of his beer. “Don’t remind me. This shit is scarier than any job in South America.”

“I’m excited for you, Pope,” said Frankie. “You’re good with Sofía, and she loves you. She’ll be excited to have some cousins to play with from her Tío.”

“Thanks guys,” muttered Santi. “It’s fucking melted my brain, and I know it’s sappy but I’m glad I have you guys, because fuck, I don’t know what I’d do if I was alone.”

“You don’t ever have to worry about that,” said Will, giving Santiago a stern look.

Frankie silently gave Santiago a firm pat on the shoulder, giving him a nod. He cleared his throat before lifting his beer. “So…an engagement and two new babies. To new beginnings, huh?”

Santi nodded as he lifted his own beer, Will and Benny following. “To new beginnings.” Said Will, and the four of them clink their bottles together before taking a large drink.

They sit in silence for a moment, sparing a thought for Tom who was missing out on all these milestones that the group never thought they would be able to achieve, regarding their circumstances. The group do another silent cheers for Tom, before Will offers to buy the next round, leaving the table. They go back into a comfortable silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s company.

“How are you gonna carry two kids with your shitty knees?”

“Shut the fuck up, Benny.”

• Pequeña mierda - little shit

Tagged - @khonsulockley

[raving-raven-writing]

Sweet Tooth: Season 3 Review--NOT SPOILER FREE

Okay, so this season, I actually managed to take my time with it and not binge it all in one day. Overall, I thought this show was really sweet and had one of the best found families when it came to this trope. It was just very unique too, imo; I don't remember seeing anything involving hybrids like Gus that also tie into a post apocalyptic world. The show is based off a comic of the same name, so maybe one day I will check it out. If you didn't read the title, this is NOT spoiler free, so reader beware. The show continues with Gus and his friends trying to find Birdie, Gus' mom. They get information that she is up in Alaska. So now, from Colorado, they must make their way up to Alaska while avoiding the Zhang family, who is intent on capturing Gus and using him to find a cure for The Sick. This season is a bit darker in comparison to the previous seasons, imo, but it is like going through a tunnel, while being able to see the light at the end. This season I would say is probably when Gus is forced to face the world for what it is---he sees the cruelness of people, the greediness of people, and lots of death. The end kind of had me laughing since Zhang's people turned out to not be as loyal she thought. She was still set on sacrificing Gus to try and reverse The Sick so human birth could start again. But, I think they were more than happy to be alive, and to be free of The Sick, than to think about following her again. But they made up with those at the Alaska base and helped them rebuild.

With everything that happened in this season, the goal was to get to a cave where The Sick originated. Birdie had the notebook of Captain James Thatcher, who was the first to discover The Sick, and thus, he and his crew were the first to contract it. However, with all the notes, there was no location written down of the whereabouts of this cave. Gus and Dr. Singh were going off of vision like dreams, while Zhang is just trailing after Gus.

There is a lot of death in this season, from the entire ship of dead they run into, to the death of Dr. Singh, who saved Gus from getting crushed by a rock. But I think the saddest death was that of Birdie, Gus' mom. They'd only just met each other, seen each other for the first time, and she died after not even knowing him for a day. But she died for him, to protect her baby. Personally, I think she sacrificed herself to save Jepp, who was closer to Gus and just as protective.

Towards the end of season two, with the narrator's voice, I started thinking for certain that, "This is Gus as an adult." And I was right. The ending shows an aged Gus and Wendy telling the other hybrids a story of "Big Man". Basically, the cure for The Sick, was development of The Sick itself. People, humans, were the illness and the The Sick was created to be a cure. So the humans that were left were the last generation of humans. Everyone born after that was a hybrid. Honestly, I think it was a cool way to end things. For something that you think was going to end sadly, being set "post apocalypse/ fall of society), it has such a sweet ending. Literally, it was tooth rotting sweet--so the show name does justice, haha. Think of it like a phoenix rising from the ashes I suppose. You think everything is lost, the world has ended, but it has only just begun anew.

[hellparkri]

Rain and Ice

five days before what happened to Wendy... Two young men were resting in the room of one of them; The taller of the two, and also the one who lived in that house, was called Tolkien Black, while the one who was no more than a simple guest was called Clyde Donovan.

Both guys just chatted about their lives without much else, they literally had the whole day off because the winter was particularly hard that year, the temperatures were quite low, even by the standards of their town: South Park Which was quite known for its strong climate in the coldest seasons of the year (and they lived in Colorado),  so classes were suspended that day, because of this, Tolkien had invited his best friend: Clyde Donovan to his house. And, what at first sounded like an incredible day for the duo, quickly turned into an absolute disaster... It turns out that the weather was even stronger than anticipated, it seemed as if the entire town was being shaken by an avalanche of snow and rain every minute, it was very dangerous to leave the house, even for something as simple as going to the store to buy groceries it seemed like life or death with so much hail that fell hard from the sky. It was just eleven o'clock in the morning and it seemed as if the sun had already set, and to add salt to the already painful wound, the signal was very unstable due to the weather, so the only entertainment that both boys had was to play board games... and.... little else...

-mhm... hey, Tolkien..." Clyde said with a lot of tiredness and boredom in his voice - Wouldn't it be great if we had a party? - he added, while yawning and closing his eyes at the same time.

-... Clyde... What the are you saying? Haven't you seen the weather? My God, it looks like we live in Siberia and you're thinking about going to the disco!

"No, Tolkien, we both know the weather isn't very pretty, but I doubt it's very difficult to drive and pick up Craig, Kenny, and the others!" - Clyde said as he raised his hands in excitement.

"Oh my God," sighed Tolkien. "Clyde, I don't want to sound too much of a motherfucker, but don't you remember the hell it was to drive two miserable blocks to pick you up?" I almost ran over someone for God's sake! Tolkien exclaimed in a mixture of mild irritation and strangeness.

Clyde wasn't the best at remembering events, but even he felt like a fool to forget what had happened no more than two hours ago. But he composed his animated and excited tone and leaned on Tolkien's shoulder to answer:

- Oh come on, Tolkien! Believe me, it will be much better to remember this day as "the day we almost ran over a person" than to remember it as "the day we sat in bed all day doing nothing but reminding my best friend that he almost ran over a person", Trust me,  Just invite a few friends over to the house, take them home, tell them not to damage the house, and play whatever it takes around the house! I don't know about you, but to me this sounds like a seamless plan! - said the youngest boy in the school.

Tolkien began to think about the idea his best friend had proposed, so he sat down, stretched his legs and prepared to say his verdict... only for Clyde to sit on Tolkien's lap with a hyperactive look and say:

-And if you still have any doubts or objections, if you decide to help your super best friend; YOUR **SUPER BEST FRIEND** will give you the best tips to make girls fall in love! -

After a few awkward seconds of silence, Tolkien sighed and said to Clyde, "Dude, honestly..." he sighed slightly, trying not to sound offensive. Y-I'll just say that you're not the first person I'd ask for help with girls-...

Clyde shrugged his shoulders and was a little embarrassed at what he had said; But Tolkien stopped laughing and patted Clyde on the back.

"Oh Clyde, what shall I do with you?" Dude, look, if you promise to pay for anything that happens to us or the car, I'll gladly take you wherever you want. - Tolkien proceeded to take some air while wiping away a tear- Just tell Craig and the rest that, if they want to go to our, "party"-

-Of course! - Clyde drew a smile on his face that denoted "security"... or at least what Clyde thought would make him seem more confident than he did...

"Well, let's not waste any more time!" - Tolkien got up from the floor where he was lying and extended his hand to his best friend - let's go, Clyde! -

Both boys went straight to the garage and took Tolkien's car; Tolkien had the reputation of being the richest boy in the whole town, and his car was a testament to it: With shiny tires and armed with a gleaming white chassis with reflections only comparable to those found in lakes. It truly was a masterpiece in the eyes of any car lover. Tolkien and Clyde got into the car and opened the garage door, Tolkien started the car and said to Clyde:

"Well, where are we going, boss?" - Tolkien asked in a mocking and carefree tone, worried more about the rain than about the consequences that the party they had planned could bring him if his parents discovered it.

"Uhh, well, Craig just told me he doesn't see why not go to the party, I guess we can start with him." -

-Understood! - Tolkien said while caressing the steering wheel of his car; that car was almost therapeutic to drive, he hit the accelerator and started driving straight to Craig's house. And to his surprise, snow and rain didn't seem to be quite hard obstacles for him, or for his car, it was as if Tolkien was born to drive, he loved to do it, he even considered participating in races or something like that. He was truly very happy in his car, and he was sure that if any idiot dared to damage it... well, let's just say that the person responsible wouldn't do very well after Tolkien found out. The drive took no more than five minutes, the town was small, and driving from one corner of town to another was like a walk in the park. But he couldn't feel any confusion that Craig wanted to go to a party with them. That jet didn't usually socialize much with people other than Clyde, his best friend: Jimmy Ballmer, and him. And even so, the times when he decided to go with them to events such as parties or meetings were very rare. he stopped doing it since... that day...

"Well, Clyde, we're there. I'll wait for you here, you just go and pick up Craig. - Tolkien tried to change the subject to forget about that dark day. He parked near his friend's house and opened the car lock.

"YIPEEEEE!" exclaimed Clyde with emotion, and the second Tolkien opened the car doors he saw Clyde shoot straight for his friend's house.

But sadly for Clyde, he didn't notice that the floor was extremely wet and ended up crashing his face into the wet concrete. But that didn't matter! Well, I'd finally get a chance to talk to Craig!

-Craig! We are your friends! Please come down so we can pick you up! - Clyde shouted before knocking on the door with a little force- And please hurry, the weather is fucking bad and I don't want to catch a cold, I'll have it later...! -

Without the boy being able to finish his sentence, Craig opened the door and without saying a word let him in to cover himself from the water. Clyde looked at his friend for a few seconds: He had very large dark circles, it looked like he hadn't slept in at least two days, while his hair was a complete mess, disheveled and you could tell he hadn't cut it in months. Clyde had already noticed these details in Craig, but it also hurt him to see his best friend in such a state, it just seemed as if he never wanted to do anything.

-Well? - Craig asked and then lay down in his armchair and gave a small sigh of tiredness - Why did you come? -

"Well, me and Tolkien were wondering if you wanted to go with us to a little party," said Clyde, a little worried about Craig's unkempt appearance. "We figured you'd want to come, so we drove through **all** this rain just to pick you up! - Clyde raised his hands in joy, trying to infect his best friend with it. But Craig just leaned back more on his couch and put his feet on the table, and after a yawn, the two began to argue for a couple of minutes, until Craig finally answered:

"Look Clyde, I appreciate that you drove through a damn deluge just to invite me, but I don't feel like it." Craig's short speech was interrupted by another boy entering the house; It was: Tolkien, and he was completely soaked in water and with a face that denoted extreme irritation:

-Let's see, could you explain to me why they are taking so long? Not to be a party water, but I'm just telling you that the longer we're here, the less time we'll have to go crazy at the party," Tolkien said as he wiped his completely wet hair with his hands.

"Excuse me, Tolkien. He raised his hand and moved it from side to side to greet him. "I'm really sorry for sounding like a killjoy, but I don't see the point of having a party in the middle of this weather. I mean, we couldn't go out to buy potatoes or soda or anything like that, besides, the signal is horrible, not to mention that the power goes out all the time! -

"But didn't you say you would?" - Tolkien asked somewhat surprised.

-What!? - Craig said before getting up from the couch in surprise - Dude, we both know that I don't like parties, much less one in the middle of a hurricane with snow! I would never accept that," Craig shouted in his typical irony and pessimism that had been normal in his attitude for a couple of years now. And while Craig gave his typical sarcastic smile with which he confronted Tolkien; They both turned in unison to look at Clyde, who upon hearing what Craig had said was trying to hide from their sight.

-Clyde... It was you, right? - Tolkien asked while looking at him with some embarrassment. This wasn't Clyde's attitude, well, he had always been one of the least intelligent in school, but he would never tell a lie! Or at least not one that was with selfish or manipulative intentions. So he relaxed and said:

"Clyde, why did you make me go with Craig if he didn't want to?" - Tolkien asked. But Clyde just shrugged his shoulders and lowered his head as he shook it from left to right.

-I am sorry... I just can't stand to see Craig like this anymore...~- Both boys watched as Clyde's eyes began to fill with tears... Clyde's intentions were always noble and selfless, that's when Craig felt some remorse: He saw on his friend's face how that transparent liquid fell to the ground little by little... Craig always tried to look like a boy who didn't cry, in fact, he hadn't done it in public for two long years... But when he saw his comrade Clyde like this... He couldn't help but shed a small tear as well.

-oh... look, Clyde, I'm just not in the mood to go to a party, let alone today. - Craig proceeded to point to the window, both watched as the wind pulled the surrounding bushes and trees, until it seemed that that terrifying mixture of hail, wind and rain were going to fly away Tolkien's car.

"B-but you never want to~" Clyde continued to look at Craig with eyes as big as a newborn's. Craig couldn't help but feel a mixture of pity and sympathy for Clyde. He put himself in his shoes for a moment and thought about everything Clyde had to go through: That boy had lost his mother at a very young age, the only people who were willing to help him were: Jimmy, Tolkien and Craig. He thought what Clyde must have felt when they had given him that place to comfort himself and feel better; Craig had already suffered a traumatic experience in the past... And Clyde was always there to smile at him, the same way Craig did all those years ago... The jet felt selfish, he thought about everything Clyde had to feel when he refused to do so many things with him... and finally succumbed to the sad look of his friend. Craig walked up to Clyde and bent down to hug and comfort him.

-E-it's okay, just don't cry. Please, Clyde," Craig wiped his friend's tears as he tried to relax him a bit. After that, he patted his cheeks—come on, rise champion! - After completely wiping his friend of tears, Craig stood up and extended his open hand to Clyde.

"Gr-thank you Craig~" Craig got up with Craig's help and gave him a smile from ear to ear that contrasted with his watery eyes and his face with still dry tears from his previous crying.

-No problem! - Craig couldn't help but be infected by Clyde's smile and also showed a happy face for having solved all this.

"Well, I'm glad you changed your mind Craig, I won't lie to you, I was also starting to miss you joining us to do anything" Tolkien hugged both boys on the shoulder and said to them both: - Well! All that's left is to go for Jimmy. But Clyde, please tell him ahead this time," Tolkien said as he shook Clyde's hair affectionately.

"Hehe, I guess you're right," Craig said. "V-I'm going to get a little ready and I'll come back to you, I promise it won't take that long" Craig went upstairs and closed the door to his room, the jet closed his eyes and sighed trying to let go of all the stress that overwhelmed him. He was happy to have a good time with his friends, but since that day when his partner left this world he could not help but feel extremely anxious.

[hibiscuslynx]

i’m sure they’re feeling normally about the sport (hockey) right now

PA not pictured he’s currently having a moment(TM) offscreen

very long ramblings about hockey and wttt under the cut:

i have an ailment called “i keep thinking about how wttt characters would react to irl events*” which is basically the entire premise of the actual series itself but i still feel insane for being so obsessed with it so anyway here’s my ramblings

*that i am experiencing. in this case: hockey

i absolutely think all the hockey-watching states (which, in my head, are all the midwest states w/ nhl teams, all of the northeast states. except for VT, NH—and maybe RI?—who only watch it every so often, washington, and colorado) gave mass shit for his team (the bruins) getting knocked out of the first round by the FLORIDA PANTHERS (who BARELY got into the playoffs) after their literal record-breaking regular season and the insane fucking team they had. wash, minnesota, chicago/illinois, probably gave him the least shit for it, in that order, but there were def a few remarks about it. the only one who didnt say anything was probably colorado bc he was the defending champion and got knocked out first round by washington LMFAO. but the northeast was RUTHLESS. i’d like to think they gave him sooooo much shit for it he couldnt even show his face around in the statehouse (outside of meetings) until new jersey got knocked out 2nd round. even connie joined in despite repeated attempts by mass to disqualify him from even talking about the playoffs considering connecticut has not had an nhl team since 1997.

i should add new york got knocked out like literally the next day so he couldnt give mass shit for it as much but at least he didnt have a record-breaking team like the bruins !

anyway ❤️ new jersey is not shutting up about the fact the devils beat the rangers until next season’s playoffs start. he is bringing that shit up every time he reasonably can.

okay, now into who i think each hockey-watching state is rooting for/bandwagoning now. the current matchups right now are: in the west, we have the dallas stars versus the vegas golden knights (which i’m calling vgk for short), and in the east, we have the carolina hurricanes against the florida panthers.

i should note that they are all very happy the cup is staying in america (most people hate vgk but the american haters r at least happy they knocked the edmonton (canada) oilers out)

(LONG LIVE SUN BELT HOCKEY AND RAHHHHHHHH USA USA USA 🦅🦅🦅🦅)

massachusetts: - no one because he’s salty and hates everyone (leaning very slightly towards vgk because nevada , the personification, is better than the others)

new york: - same as massachusetts. hoping for the canes’ downfall (the carolina hurricanes knocked out the new york islanders first round too. yes, new york has/had two teams in the playoffs (islanders and rangers). new york has THREE total. rip buffalo ily guys)

new jersey: - very much actively hoping for the canes’ downfall (canes knocked out the devils), so much so he’s leaning very slightly panthers except he would never admit that

pennsylvania: - he’s currently climbing light poles in philly and taunting the government (gov? the actual government of philadelphia? who knows) just to feel something. (the philadelphia flyers are a bit of a dumspter fire and the pittsburgh penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years) he can also not talk as much shit about his fellow northeasterners and their teams as he’d like because of the shit he got/is getting for the penguins missing the playoffs.

ohio: - the panthers because 1) florida of the midwest and the actual florida have to stick together yknow 2) johnny hockey’s best friend is on the panthers

michigan: - the hurricanes because he’s not rooting for/bandwagoning the same team as ohio

chicago/illinois: - i dont even want to talk about this man/team fuck them

minnesota: - vgk because he’d be damned if he’s rooting for the stars (the minnesota wild got knocked out by the dallas stars)(and the admin of the mn wild twt account started up a little feud w the admin of the stars twt account)

washington: - the stars because. do i have it in me to explain this twitter bit. hmm… no. tl;dr: the vibes

colorado: - vgk because nevada is his buddy !!!!!

connecticut: - the canes to piss off the rest of his northeastern pals (and he is a little fond of them because the hartford whalers relocated to become the carolina hurricanes)

in my heart of hearts i want north carolina to be rooting for his team so bad and actually rhe canes have some LOUUDDD fans so i think he gets to be the first southern state to actually regularly watch his hockey team and know the game. florida, as always, still doesn’t know what the stanley cup is. texas could care less. nevada is a casual fan of his team i think but i think theyre rlly amped up abt vgk being in the playoffs rn.

thats all <3 if u actually read all of this , 1) why 2) thank you i love you. feel free to talk to be abt hockey (and how it relates to wttt, or not!!) anytime :3

[yaoistri]

tagged to do this by @kimissteeringwheel !!

pairing/ship list!

here’s the rules:

1. list your top 7 ships

2. put them in order of your love for them; 7 to 1, 1 being your favourite

3. name their fandom

4. supply photos for said people

7. tyson jost & jt compher, hockey rpf

sadly there is very minimal interaction between these two anymore, but they came into the NHL as rookies in 2017 and immediately became BEST friends playing together on the worst team in the league. they lived together and did everything together until tyson was traded away from colorado in 2022. jt has also now been traded away just recently.

6. erik johnson and gabe landeskog, hockey rpf

it’s 2011 and the youngest captain in nhl history gets drafted onto a team with a former number 1 prospect who has just been traded away from his initial team after injuring himself badly, and the two become tight instantly. LOTS of twitter banter occurs, and they play together for 11 years before winning a cup together! sadly, gabe has been out for a year after badly injuring himself during the 2022 playoffs, and ej just got traded away to buffalo, MEANING that the last game they ever played together was the game they won the cup….. sooo damn tragic and poetic

5. darius garland and donovan mitchell (spidaland), basketball rpf

they’ve only had one season together on the cavs, and sadly fell short in the playoffs, but they’re one of the best guard pairings in the nba for a reason, because they literally have soooooo much chemistry. also they’re ALWAYS touching each other????? like my camera roll is so full of pictures of them hugging

4. sebastian vettel and kimi räikkönen (simi), f1 rpf

they invented grumpy/sunshine. you can’t drive for ferrari and not get shipped with ur teammate i’m sorry it’s the rules! especially when you have a reputation for being as cold as ice but whenever you’re around him you start smiling… kimi ur not slick!

3. alain prost and ayrton senna (prosenna), f1 rpf

these two were INSANE. i’m a sucker for a tragic rivalry and they are nothing if not that. the chemistry, the tension, the way alain still talks about ayrton to this day, it all kills me. there’s so much about them we will never know and it drives me up the wall

2. nikola jokic and jamal murray, basketball rpf

these two oh my goddddd. might mansplain a bit here bc this is not a popular pairing at all — they were drafted to the denver nuggets in 2014 and 2016 respectively, nikola being a nobody from serbia who didn’t get picked until the second round, and jamal being a top 10 pick with all eyes on him. these two built this team on their backs, going from one of the worst teams in the league to finally winning the championship together in 2023 after facing a major setback when jamal tore his acl in 2021. the way they have so much trust in each other and have built a chemistry that has made them the best duo in the league is so dear to me :’) the dynamic is also spectacular - massive cynical european of little words and friendly but bratty short canadian who loves to have a laugh. i think the fact that i got to watch them grow together and that there’s like 5 other people in the world that ship them just make them sooo dear to me

1. lewis hamilton and nico rosberg (brocedes), f1 rpf

i literally have no words for these two 😭 i feel like i don’t need to explain that much either, because their story is so tragic and so out of a book that everyone already knows it. the intricacies of the way they destroyed each other will haunt me forever.

ok, passing the trend on! tagging @queergrittys @unsolvedjarin @jrueships if any of u are interested :)

[cicadaknight]

15 questions for 15(?) friends

Thanks for the tag @salamanders-please :)

Were you named after anyone? My family has a seemingly short tradition of adding more letters to Ann with each generation. Gonna have to name a future kid Hannibal or something.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I'm rewatching The Walking Dead rn. Absolute cry fest for weeks. Most recently the episode filling in what Michonne and Daryl went through when the Alexandrian kids got kidnapped. Supremely fucked up.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Nah. A puppy and 3 cats are my only dependents.

WHAT SPORTS HAVE YOU PLAYED/DO YOU PLAY? I used to fence and rock climb. Unfortunately, my knees are about as stable as slinkies these days.

DO YOU USE SARCASM? Badly. In the way where I say everything like I'm joking around and I assume everyone else is as well. Just in case. I was a pleasure to have in class.

FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Besides hair and face and stuff, probably how comfortable or on edge they seem?

WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR? Blue. And bloodshot red because I forget to blink.

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Generally would take horror over comedy any day. But I think the best horror scenarios are punctuated by humanity, humor, and comfort, ya know, regardless of the ending?

ANY TALENTS? I can make a mean soup out of just about anything. Best one I made recently was from leftover dolma filling cuz I didn't pick enough leaves from our garden. Basically just an herby lemon rice stew and it was heaven.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Colorado.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES? Lately? Embodying the spirit of an old man by sitting on the beach eating sandwiches. I read my silly little stories, I dig my toes in the sand, I collect pretty rocks, I people watch. Quite literally nothing else satisfies me these days.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? A labradoodle demon I rescued from my coworker's dad. A fat tomcat the size of a medium dog who wakes me up by licking my nostrils. A tuxedo cat who runs the house. A gray cat with a youngest sibling complex.

HOW TALL ARE YOU? 5'10"

FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? Hmmmm... English/Literature solely because I had incredible teachers. I love learning about astronomy and physics concepts now, even though math fills me with dread.

DREAM JOB? I used to dream of labor. Then I labored. Honestly, something monotonous where I can zone out, listen to music, and not talk to anyone. As long as it pays enough to live and leaves me with enough energy at the end of the day to live my life.

Tagging @minniestronni @rowanisawriter @izabella @alysvolatile @ayaitch @phurpurr @elveny @littleworks

[wild-lavender-rose]

Can i request a Hank Lawson x Gender Neutral Reader?

Reader is new in town, and the town is somewhat against Hank at the moment for something that isn't his fault. We see through the rumors and get close to him! Fluff!! and maybe smut? I saw your poll asking about that, its fine if you arent able to do that though.

- 🎭 Anon

Anon, you requested this ages ago and I just now got around to writing this. My apologies for the delay, and I hope you enjoy <3

The Truth

Warnings: Canon typical violence and swearing, smoking, brief mention of non-consensual sexual acts (in past tense and not in reference to Hank x reader relationship), sexual innuendo

You stepped off the stagecoach and into the middle of a fight. Not literally. But close enough.

A short, stubby man was doing his best to fight a tall man with long blond hair in the middle of the street. However, the stubby man was doing all the work. Yelling, cussing, and swinging his fists, he came at the tall man again and again, only to miss as his opponent simply laughed and stepped out of the way.

"Welcome to Colorado Springs." said the stagecoach driver, a grim smile on his face as he leaned over from his seat to hand you your bag.

You smiled up at him. "I've seen worse." You accepted your bag, hoisting it over your shoulder by one of the straps. "But not much worse."

"You good for nothin', lily livered, son of a bitch!" The stubby man screamed, after he had fallen for the hundredth time. "You sullied my sister's good name, Hank, and I'm gonna kill ya' for it!"

"I didn't do no such thing." the tall man called Hank threw a grin to the crowd. "Can't sully a name that a scumbag like you already drug through the dirt, John."

"Bastard!" the stubby one, John, came charging again.

You walked closer to stand among the gathering crowd, watching the show. People threw looks at you, but you paid them no mind. Without meaning to, you ended up being in the front row closest to the fighting.

John kept on trying to fight, and you could tell that Hank was getting bored. That's why his back was turned the next time John fell, which meant he didn't see the quick flash of silver when John pulled a knife from inside his boot.

But you did. Your heart skipped a beat when John stood, noting that Hank's back was still turned. "Hey, watch it!"

Hank spun around. John attacked, but you were faster. You pulled your gun and fired straight in the air. Everyone jumped. John froze, turning around to find your gun aimed straight at his forehead.

"Drop that knife." You ordered.

John's expression went from scared to disgusted. Behind him Hank was watching, his blue eyes piercing you in a way that made your insides flutter.

"What authority you got, stranger?" John drawled. Clearly he was drunk.

"You're lookin' at it." You nodded to the gun.

"Well, I don't know," he began to saunter forward. "I don't think you'll shoot an innocent man."

It happened in an instant. John rushed you, with Hank close behind. You took aim and fired, hitting John in the shoulder. Hank grabbed him and took away his knife before throwing him to the ground.

The crowd rumbled in shock and fear. John was screaming in pain. You lowered your gun, locking eyes with Hank.

"Someone get Dr. Mike!" A red-haired woman yelled.

"Thanks." Hank muttered. "But I had it under control."

"Sure ya' did." You slipped your gun back into your holster and tipped your head to him before turning around.

Hank's gaze lingered as you disappeared back into the crowd.

# # # # #

The next time you saw Hank, it was past midnight. You were walking down main street, heading towards a friend's house for the night. He was standing outside his saloon, lanky figure reclined against a wooden support as he smoked a cigar. He blew a cloud of smoke into the air and nodded to you. "Nice night." You could hear the smirk in his voice. "What's a pretty thing like you doin' out so late?"

You paused, regarding him in the moonlight. "Had things to do."

Hank's chuckle was low and soft, the sound making a pleasant shiver run through you. "What kinda things?"

"I've heard things about you." You crossed to him without thinking, watching the moonlight reflect off his golden hair as he shifted out into the light to meet you. "About what you did to John's little sister."

"Oh, yeah?" Hank's face hardened. He took another long drag of his cigar, blowing the smoke in your direction. "Don't believe everything you hear, darlin'."

"Then tell me the truth."

"What's there to tell?"

"Did you take advantage of his little sister?"

"Everybody says I did."

"But did you?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because," you came closer, stopping when there was hardly any room between you.

Hank loomed above you, his head tilted down so your eyes met. His hardened expression had softened into one of confusion. He looked even better this close, especially in the dangerously seductive moonlight and the way a cool wind blew across your heated skin. Your heart fluttered.

"Because," you repeated. "I wanna know if I wasted a bullet defending a rapist."

"I ain't a rapist." Hank's eyes sparked in indignation at the word. "His sister wanted to do things with me as much as I wanted to do things with her. It was just a little fun, was all. She told her brother that, too, but that bastard didn't believe her and came after me."

"And that's the truth?"

"God's honest."

"I knew it." You exhaled a breath of relief.

Hank's expression was even softer, as if he was relieved as well that you believed him. "How?" he whispered. "How'd you know?"

"You're a saloon owner in a Bible fearing town. No matter what you do, the town'll be against you. Also, you're not the type." You look up into his eyes. "Your eyes aren't the eyes of someone like that...I'd know better than anyone."

Hank dropped his cigar but didn't crush it under his boot. He pushed off the wooden support and shifted closer, seemingly enveloping you with his stature, his presence, him. "Has someone hurt you?"

"It's in the past. Don't wanna talk about it." You didn't step back, instead soaking up the closeness. It had been an ungodly amount of time since you had been attracted to someone like this. Since you wanted someone this close to you, and closer. Of course, the fact Hank was a saloon owner was sure to draw some stares. But then, you had gotten used to stares and whispers a long time ago.

"Is this girl and you. John's sister," you swallow hard as Hank gently brushes a strand of hair from your face. "Is it, are you,"

"Just a one-time thing, honey." Hank inhaled, seeming to breathe in your smell. "I'm an unattached man."

And the next thing you knew, the two of you were crashing into each other kissing desperately. It was the beginning of what would turn into a very long, very enjoyable night.

Fanfic Masterlist

[neonkoii]

hi rowe did you have a good rest how are youfeeling how are uyour hockey guys i heard its signing season

HIIIIIII im ok the rest hurt my neck because the remote was on the arm of the couch and i didnt wanna kick it inmy sleep so i couldn’t stretch out my legs so i just curled up in increasingly weird positions as one does on a very short couch of course but im good!!! just still sleeeby. and i might just go to bed soon

YES FREE AGENCY SEASON IS STRESSFULLLLLLL the avs can’t really afford any crazy blockbuster deals rn for a couple Complicsted reasons which i mean is fine with me bc we literally have nathan mackinnon. but we resigned a couple of forwards and got a couple new ones and signed liek three or four new defenseman i think. AND MY FAVORITE GUY IS STAYINGGGGGG!!!!!! as far as i know he’s on a 1 year 2.5 million which is about 1.6 million more than he got last year. im really hoping our cap issues get resolved and then we’ll have the money to keep him on a bigger contract long term bc his last long term contract was 6 year w a 5 million average annual value so he’s still getting underpaid in colorado also the rangers were interested in signing him and respectfully if he had gone to my best friends favorite team i would’ve blown a gasket OKAY THERES MY HOCKEY THOUGHTS FROM THE PAST THREE DAYS

[free-spirit-roses]

south park oc origins (pt.3)

prev: pt.2

okay now the fun shit starts.

what's a South Park oc without a silly name? meet Page Write, named after the fact that she is literally a concept on a piece of paper for the purpose of fanfiction in my brain. with every oc i write theres a story theyre meant to be part of, and the name of Page's story is Seasons of Colorado (the tag makes sense now doesnt it).

in the starting concepts i wasnt sure if i liked naming her Page Write so for a time she was Page Ryan, but that was extremely short-lived. her original design had more red-brown hair and tanned skin, but i decided against it to embrace being more of a copy-paste self-insert.

she was, at some point, a new kid. she moved from New Hampshire to Colorado in either elementary or junior high. primarily my focus for her story is high school, where she is easily summed up as a tsundere emo tomboy.

fun facts!!:

her middle name is Shirley

she likes witchcraft!!

good friends w/ Stan but when theyre depressed together its like fire and gasoline it only gets worse

has a vendetta against Kyle (hes pretty and shes mad about it)

wants to hate Cartman but just cant?? they probably bond over music and teasing Kyle together

she and Craig are like soulmates but in a sibling way (gosh i wish best friends were real)

friends w/ benefits situationship thing with Kenny?? idk its complicated

has a hard time getting along with the girls, maybe its the repressed femininity

hangs out w/ Tweek a lot, wants to go apeshit and spray-paint highways with him or smth. unhinged partners in crime <3

philosophy & anthropology nerd

active Marsh fam hater :(

is simultaneously scared of & wants to fight Butters' & Kenny's parents

protects Butters like a younger sibling

unironically thinks Clyde is the funniest person on the planet

"if anyone mocks me when i stutter they get punched in mouth no hesitation"

her parents are friends w/ the Broflovskis

did ballet before she moved to South Park

if she ever participated in a sport it would be swimming or ice hockey

sings a LOT

[queerrambles]

(I might've sent this to you already, I'm having a total ADHD moment and can't figure out who I sent it to and who didn't so if this is the second time ignore it and im sorry)

I've submitted this to a couple blogs, but it is a genuine question I have and so I'd like to get as widespread of an answer as I can get.

So I know what we talk about making found families as queer people, a lot of the time that ends up looking like a group of our peers, or a significant other, or a combination of the two.

But the way I've always looked at families is that they're not just made up of people your age. They're made up of so many different ages, they're made up of the grandmothers, the aunts, the uncles, the cousins, the mothers, the fathers, and I think that's something that I find harder to replicate in a found family then finding people my age I can make connections with.

So my question is, how do you go about creating and joining the larger communities/found family of queer people. Where do you find the older queers who can take on the roles of grandparents, and, uncles, cousins, surrogate parents, how do you go about connecting with younger queer people who you can take under your wing as surrogate brothers, sisters, and siblings.

Because I think it's entirely possible, or it should be entirely possible. I just don't know how you actually go about making those connections and finding those communities rather than just connecting to people your age and within your sphere.

And this could go for online communities, this could go for in real life communities. Honestly knowing how to find connections and make connections in both of those spheres would be helpful. But yeah I was hoping that even if you yourself don't actually necessarily have an answer to this, that by sharing it maybe someone else will have more of an answer.

First of all, I apologize for taking so long to answer! I completely forgot about this ask :/

Second, I am terrible at making connections (I literally have 0 irl friends lol) so I might not be the best person to ask for advice.

However, I will say that probably the best place to meet and connect with queer folks of different ages (irl) is to join a Facebook group. I know Facebook is kinda awful, but I've found that there are a lot of queer groups on Facebook that will post local events and queer gatherings.

For instance, when I lived in Colorado, I joined a Facebook group for queer folks in my city. There were queer people of many different ages in that group, and they would frequently post about different gatherings and events that they were holding. Some of the events were things like going hiking (a very popular pastime in Colorado), going to get coffee together, dances, and just a lot of general hanging out type gatherings.

I never went to any of the events because 1. I was living with my queerphobic dad at the time, and 2. I have extreme social anxiety. However, it always looked like a lot of fun, and I wish I had gone to some of those events and made connections with other queer people.

The group also posted about queer resources like information on hrt in the area. It was so cool.

Anyway, tl;dr: see if you can find a Facebook group for queer people in your city, or even queer people in your region. It's a great place to make connections with queer people of all ages.

If anyone has any other suggestions, please leave a comment or reblog!

[bitchinbarzal]

LUNA YK WHO IS SUCH AN UNDDERRATED COUPLE?? actually i have multiple with reasons why

(in no particular order)

1. mila & finn

MY MANS WAITED YEARS FOR HER. he listened to her talk about other guys and her relationship problems while being fully in love with her. he is absolutely and completely devoted to her and despite the fact he KNEW she wasn’t in love with him, his feelings for her never left, not when they were kids and sure as hell not when they’re adults. he didn’t let her scary ass brothers stand in the way of being with her. she was his first love and just like her to him, he’ll be her last. the absolute epitome of childhood friends to lovers and i love them with everything in me.

2. henry & atlas

the enemies to lovers, well at least on atlas’s side. the man pining for her, not being able to get her off of his mind after she was yelling at him thru the penalty box for fighting her big brother. her constantly rejecting him but finally giving him a chance and it being the best relationship she has ever been in. he didn’t let his rivalry with her brother stand in his way of being with her. the secret relationship after they start dating because atlas doesn’t want to disappoint or upset her brother for dating his rival and falling in love with them. her being the first girl he’s ever truly been IN love with. ugh, they’re just *chefs kiss*

3. bailey & noa

miscommunication trope at its finest, miss luna. normally, i hate miscommunication trope, but girl you write is SPECTACULARLY!! noa thinking bailey is cute and flirting with him and thinking he’s ignoring her when in reality he just can’t hear her and then her confronting him and apologizing IN SIGN LANGUAGE THAT SHE LEARNED FOR HIM when she offends him? and her defending him to ANYONE AND EVERYONE that has anything negative to say about him, especially if it’s about him being deaf. NOT TO MENTION, NOA LITERALLY STARTING A CHARITY FOR DEAF KIDS?? bailey’s buddies is so cute and the fact that noa did it and not bailey just made me fall head over heels in love with this couple even more. in conclusion, i need me a girl like noa.

4. kai & otis

another childhood friends to lovers that i absolutely adore with everything in me. i feel like it was mutual pining when they were younger, but didn’t actually confess they’re feelings/start dating until they were like 17. the fact that kai always stood up to him and comforted him when bullies were making fun of his weight and made it so the bullies were more afraid of kai than they were of anything else. and the fact that kai got otis a dog, despite the fact that she hates dogs, because she wanted otis to have another coolie because coolie’s otis’s best friend. ugh them <3

5. rory & sawyer

did someone say unrequited love? boy groveling and traveling across the world ON HIS DRAFT DAY to go to the love of his life who is studying abroad? oh yes, i did. these two are lowk like a genderbent finn & mila to me. the fact that rory had a huge crush on sawyer as a child and was devastated when he moved to colorado but their moms still talked so they did too but then fell out of touch when sawyer got too busy with hockey and the draft and rory was too busy with school and looking at studying abroad for a year but on his draft day, RORY WAS THERE and she couldn’t hide her feelings from him anymore and then HE WENT AFTER HER TO MF SCOTLAND TO TELL HER ITS MUTUAL. ugh, i can’t with these two, they’re wayyyyy too underrated and need more love.

6. sutton & luca

best friends brother, older sisters best friend, secret relationship, older!girl & younger!guy. even after sutton moved, luca still managed to slither his way into her heart thru iris. the way sutton didn’t want to start anything with luca because she didn’t want to hurt/betray iris like that but not being able to deny her feelings for luca. luca being patient with her until she was ready to be with him even though they both knew she was ready, she was just scared. i miss them so much 😭

7. astrid & kasper, aka the F1 driver

i don’t know a lot about them other than the fact that they have a daughter. but the way astrid fell in love with someone from her moms field of work and is constantly there supporting him with their baby girl is just too mf cute and i feel like we’ve all forgotten about them.

1. Mila & Finn have my heart 🥺 the fact Finn listens to her no matter what.

2. Henry & Atlas are so soft. It’s like they’re so soft surrounded by a world of fire. That fire is her brothers.

3. Bailey & Noa will always be some of my favourites. The fact Noa did not think twice about sign language and made Bailey’s buddies and the fact that two of her babies are deaf too and she’s not upset she’s like 🥺🥺 they got it from dad

4. Kai & Otis are together because Petey and Brock couldn’t

5. Rory & Sawyer the plane scene will always get me 🥺🥺

6. Sutton & Luca always thinking of iris DESPITE being in love

7. Astrid & Kasper are the best the fact that he encourages women in motorsport and their daughter being there to see it all too is just 🥺🥺

[boyswanna-be-her]

I'm having the hardest time getting together with this one friend group. Friend 1 is my best local friend and I have the most fun when we do solo stuff, but friend 1's partner, 2, just has less in common with me. That is fine, 2 is fun and cool, but I really dislike their friend 3, who always also gets invited. It's starting to rub me the wrong way. It's a trend that I'll make plans with 1 & 2, then 2 will reach out and ask me if 3 can come like an hour before our plan.

3 completely throws off the dynamic to the point that I don't even enjoy my time with 1 & 2. For example, I had a friend in from out of town and I invited 1 & 2 to come swim with us at my client's pool. 1 & 2 brought 3, who didn't make any attempt to speak to my special out of town friend, be friendly to them, really talk to any of us but 2. At one point we were all hanging out and 3 walked off and straight took a nap by the pool? It felt super awkward. Like do you not wanna be here? Why did you come??

I think the solution is that I need to do more things and specify that I only want to see 1 & 2, and that any more than those two people feels like too much right now. But 1 & 2 themselves are also not respectful of the fact that I live across town from them and usually have to drive 40 minutes to hang out. Like I'll have already driven to their neighborhood then suddenly they won't be ready to hang out for another 90 minutes because of some miscommunication or something.

And a lot of times the things I wanna do are things that 3 legitimately does not like (they're not interested in ANY movie genres I care about and that's 99% of my personality, and they don't really enjoy being outdoors which is the other 1%). But 3 apparently wants to come along anyway, and they sit there silently which pings me in all the wrong ways. And fuck I've done a lot for 3 when I think about it! Bought food for the group many many times, gave them tons of edibles on different occasions bc I didn't want them to feel left out from smoking/drinking (they do neither), even brought them back a present from Colorado this summer bc I felt weird getting presents for 1 & 2 but not 3. None of this has ever been reciprocated so I guess I should quit doing that shit!

I just!!!! Want my friends to consider me more! I don't like constantly canceling on them. It makes me feel like a flake and a bad person. But the last time I was with all three of them, I literally sat there thinking that I'd be having more fun sitting in traffic by myself than trying to make a conversation work. And I hate that. 1 has been in my life for a while and we've been through some shit and we're not the type of friends who say "i love you" to each other a lot but we do! So stop treating me as an afterthought, or whatever is happening!!