#lots of tags incoming bear with me

[toyhdgehog]

HELLO FAKE NEWS FANS!

are you looking for a space to share your love for late night hosts with other like-minded people? well you're in luck ! fake news fanatics is a brand new server dedicated to late night hosts and their shows. i hope to see you all there <3

link

[rasa-rising]

i should literally never try to start anything in may huh

[marvelouslizzie]

Why Are You Doing This To Me?

summary: Your ex-boyfriend Bucky Barnes wrote two songs about (for) you and you don’t know what to do.

pairing: Ex!Rockstar!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

warnings: Angst, a past failed relationship, pettiness, jealousy, anger, a lot of emotions, no mention of y/n.

word count: 2.3K

A/N: I have been away for a while because I was busy learning another language aka Dutch. I still am but at least I am done with my big exam. As soon as I was done with it, I found myself writing again.

This is a random idea that just popped into my head while listening to music and taking a walk. Pure angst for some reason. Usually, I go for smutty ideas but bear with me.

>> indicates incoming messages and << indicates outgoing messages in this story.

Thank you @notafunkiller for proofreading and editing this so fast ❤️

All work is mine, please do not repost or translate without my permission.

Keep reading tag starts after the second paragraph of the story.

>> Hey! I know you don’t want to hear anything about Bucky, but I think you should check these out. I think he wrote these songs for you.

Two links from Spotify follow the text you received from one of your best friends, and you stare for a while, trying to decide what to do. You really don’t want to hear his voice. Not because you don’t like his singing or his songs, but you wanted to get back on your feet. It would be impossible if you kept listening to his songs. Besides, hearing his voice has always softened you. And your best friend knows this. She knows a lot about your relationship, how everything went down, and how you two eventually broke up. If she didn't think you should listen to these songs, she wouldn't be sending you these links, right?

You take a deep breath and click on the first link. The song starts to play, and you notice the soft vibe right away. It’s not particularly Bucky’s style. He sounds like he’s in pain but he's singing with such clarity that surprises you.

He talks about how much he regrets the things he didn’t do when he was with you. How he misses you so much every day. How much he wants to call you, but he’s afraid that you won’t pick up the phone or worse, you will talk to him like a stranger. He says he always knew how precious you were, yet he took you for granted.

The lyrics flow flawlessly. It sounds like poetry to your ears. The way he expressed himself so beautifully… You can’t believe he wrote such a heartfelt song about you, and it’s not even his style. He’s a freaking rockstar. He usually writes about sex, rock and roll, and drugs. Not feelings. Then the song finally reaches the chorus and his words make you freeze. 

“You are the love of my love.”

Did he really just say that? Did he just call you the love of his life? You feel this rush of emotions, and it’s hard to distinguish what you are actually feeling. It makes it harder to think, harder to focus on anything else other than the fact that this song is for you. That’s when you notice the name of the song. It’s the Love of My Life.

Suddenly, you start to feel angry. Every other emotion just takes a backseat. You hate him. So fucking much! Why is he always like this? Saying everything a little too late. Was it so hard for him to tell you this when you wanted to find just one reason to stay with him? You begged him to communicate with you maybe a million times. He always said it was not easy for him to put his feelings into words. Good or bad. It didn’t matter. He always struggled with his emotions. You tried your best. You tried to show him that he could trust you, that you would always be there for him, but it didn’t matter in the end. You felt like you were the only one trying to make this relationship work.

That’s when you decided to give up. It felt like he just didn’t care enough. He didn’t put any effort into changing things or making you feel like you weren’t just beating a dead horse.

You hoisted the white flag and moved on with your life. That’s when he decides to put whatever he feels into words. Instead of talking to you, he makes a song about it. Then he puts it out into the world. 

What a fucking asshole!

It takes you a while to realize the song is over as the silence fills the room. As much as you hate how he chose to do this, the silence disturbs you. It might be a little too late, but you still want to hear what he has to say. Your own rules about not listening to any of his songs instantly go out the window.

You open the messaging app and click on the second link. This one sounds a little bit more like his usual style. The name of the song though, instantly catches your attention this time. It’s one of the nicknames he used often for you. 

He starts the song by saying that he knows how selfish he is. That he has no right to feel this way, but he just saw you with someone else and he hated how it made him feel. He talks about how jealous he is. How he can’t help but imagine you in that guy’s arms. Then he realized you might call him baby, just like you used to call him. Then he continues by begging you not to call him baby, how he wants you to save that pet name for him even though he’s not in your life anymore.

There are so many details throughout the song that indicate he’s talking about you, there is no mistaking. He calls you by your nickname, saying how he loves the way you talk passionately about your interests, how compassionate you are, and how much effort you put into maintaining your relationship but he was too stupid and pathetic to appreciate them.

Every word that comes out of his mouth makes you even angrier. How dare he? How dare he write a song like this for you? After everything you have been through, after all the effort you put into your relationship, after every heartbreak… He realizes how much he values you just because he saw you with someone else.

Selfish bastard!

He has no right to put these words out there. He has no right to feel jealous. You are not his anymore. You can call someone else baby if that’s what you want. How dare he try to dictate to you like this? It makes you wanna call someone up and go out on another date and call him baby, just in spite.

The problem is, it’s just your stubborn nature talking. Before this song, you didn’t even think about calling someone else baby. You didn’t feel like it. Subconsciously, you were reserving that pet name for him. And that fucker knew it. He just knew it!

You exhale deeply, trying to calm yourself down. The song is over, but you can still hear him singing in your head. The song is so beautiful. Petty but so fucking beautiful. He sounds like he poured his heart out without caring how vulnerable it makes him look. 

Another deep breath, you try to understand which date he is talking about. You have been on a couple of dates since you two broke up. You were so dedicated to moving on. You didn’t care if it would hurt him. Because he didn’t care about how much he hurt you all those times you tried your hardest to make things work. So you went out with a couple of gentlemen. Some of them were decent, and some of them were downright horrible. Dating is just as tedious as you remembered. A lot of assholes out there who don’t care who they are hurting. You didn’t get hurt, though. You didn't care enough about any of them to give them the power to hurt you.

Then it finally hits you. He’s talking about your date with that motherfucking movie star! That one was big news for a while. You got photographed two, maybe three times together.

You really looked like you were having fun in those photos. Truthfully, you were, he was such a funny guy. He knew how to make fun of himself. You were just so tired of pretentious asses. It was refreshing. That’s why you said yes to a second and a third date. Then he was off to a European country to shoot his next movie. You had a fun and it was more than enough for you. 

You precisely remember that tabloids started to talk about how perfect you two were for each other. God, that must have gotten under his skin. You can’t help but laugh. He’s so predictable. He just couldn’t bear to see you with someone else, but can you blame him?

You remember seeing something similar about him, but in that case, he wasn’t on a date with the girl. They were just working together for some lame-ass project he would normally despise. Maybe he was trying to keep himself busy, who knows? You remember so vividly how she was looking at him like she wanted to eat him up. As if that wasn’t enough, she kept praising him, calling him the best rockstar of the century just to get in his pants. You have no idea if it worked or not, but it was enough to make you feel jealous. So can you blame him for feeling the same?

It just makes you realize you want to listen to those songs again. It’s maybe too little too late but you still want to hear him. You wanted him to talk about his feelings for such a long time and he’s finally doing it. Through a song but still, he’s doing it. It isn’t exactly communicating because communication must be two-sided, right? That’s what was missing in your relationship. You were talking, pleading, trying while he was keeping everything in. You feel like the roles are reversed. Now he’s the one talking, pleading, and trying, and you just don’t know what to do. How the tables have turned.

The second time around, you notice other details you missed the first time. Like peaceful walks you took together whenever you had the time or how you always used fake names when you two traveled together. You can’t help but miss those days. Even though you had problems, being with him always felt so safe and peaceful. You have no idea how he managed to make you feel that way. Maybe that’s why it took you so long to end the relationship. You still miss the way you felt back then. As if you two could overcome anything together, yet you couldn’t. Because you didn’t work together. You were alone, struggling to make him talk.

Then he talks about how he still speaks to your friends, and that makes him miss you even more. That part surprises you because none of your friends mentioned that they were still seeing Bucky. Is that because you didn’t let them ever talk about him? You feared if you let yourself talk or think about him, you would go back to the point zero.

He ends the song saying he doesn't want you to be a distant memory, and this sticks with you. Do you want him to be a distant memory?

The second time you listen, you notice how desperate he sounds. The way he pleads doesn’t anger you anymore. You find something you feel in his words. Your own fears, your own selfishness and oh, how much you miss him. You didn’t let yourself admit that you miss him. You thought acting like he never existed, he was never a part of your life would make everything easier and it did. Just for a while. Lately, it was just a burden. You tried so hard to keep everything inside. Just like he did. You are still trying to do it… to act logically, not emotionally. Does it mean you are making the same mistake he did? Shutting yourself down, not talking about your feelings. Is it the solution or is it a part of the mistake? You can’t tell anymore. You just know that your heart is aching. The sound of his voice makes you want to cry.

God, you hate him so much!

How could he do this to you after all this time?

Is it that easy to get under your skin or was he always there?

You feel like you are about to explode because of all the emotions you are going through. On one hand, Bucky communicating with you is everything you wanted. On the other hand, isn’t it too late? And why did he write not one but two songs about you? Declaring his love to the world…

You repeat that last bit in your head. He’s declaring his love to the world.

He’s no longer afraid to talk about his emotions. He wants you to hear them, millions of other people are just the bonus. He’s not afraid to show how fucking miserable he feels. He just wants you back.

He’s doing his bit in communicating, but unless you don’t do something about it, it won’t matter. It will be another attempt in vain. You aren’t sure if you want to repeat the same pattern. You notice the song is over when your phone chimes. It’s your best friend again.

>> Did you listen?

<< Yeah.

>> How are you feeling?

<< Confused.

<< Are you still talking to him?

>> Yeah we all are.

<< Why didn’t you tell me that?

>> You said you didn’t wanna hear anything about him and we just respected your decision.

Just like you thought. You can’t blame them. Anytime someone mentioned anything remotely related to Bucky, you either changed the subject or found a reason to leave. So you can’t help but wonder…

<< How is he doing?

>> Not great. He misses you.

<< I miss him too.

>> Are you gonna call him?

You look at the message for a long minute. Are you gonna call him? That’s the question. Maybe you should. Maybe you shouldn’t. Both of the options sound equally wrong. You have no idea what to do.

<< I don’t know what to do.

>> Just give him a call. He’s the love of your life.

You have no idea how long you have looked at that text. Maybe for a couple of minutes, maybe for an hour. 

He’s the love of your life.

He’s a bastard, but he really is the love of your life.

And you are the love of his life.

Where do you go from here? You look at your phone once again. You finally know what to do.

[steddieas-shegoes]

only $13

for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt 'shopping'

all of my holiday drabbles will be from the bear hugs universe. many of them could probably be read standalone, but will make the most sense and be enjoyed best if you read that first!

rated t | 686 words | no cw | tags: fluff, established relationship, christmas shopping

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Steve is terrible at math.

Unless it’s his very strict budget. Then he’s great at math.

He’s working out the Christmas gift budget, figuring out how much they can spend on Rory, on friends, on Wayne. It’s not difficult, and really, it’s not the end of the world if they go a little over.

They both have steady incomes, and plenty of savings and investments. Eddie frequently reminds him that they can’t take the money with them when they die.

And Steve loves Christmas.

Eddie’s arms wrap around his neck, startling him a bit. It’s rare that Eddie is quiet enough to scare him. His lips are warm against Steve’s cheek as he plants a soft kiss there.

“Whatcha doin’?” He asks quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace Steve’s worked hard to accomplish at the table.

“Budgeting.”

“Should’ve known.” Eddie kisses his cheek again before he pulls away. “Are we shopping while Rory’s at her goalie camp today?”

Steve nods and leans back into Eddie’s chest. He realizes he’s sweaty and groans.

“Did you work out already? I thought we were going to the gym together later?” Steve asks as he turns around to see Eddie’s hair up in a bun and his face bright red and dripping sweat.

“And I thought you were told to take it easy for the next week by your doctor?” Eddie raises a brow.

Steve pulled a muscle the week before while working out, but it wasn’t anything major. He just needed to take a week or two off from the gym. It’s been long enough, and he feels fine, and any excuse he can have to get sweaty with Eddie is one he takes.

“I’m fine. I could’ve at least done arms today.” Steve sighs. “Go shower so we can go to Target. Most of what she wants is at the pro shop or Pure Hockey, but we can get the other stuff out of the way today.”

“Wanna join me?” Eddie wiggles his eyebrows playfully.

“Not if I want us to leave the house at all today,” Steve laughs.

Eddie sighs and goes to the shower, head hung low as if he just received the worst news he could imagine. And maybe he did. His favorite thing is showering with Steve so hearing no is probably devastating.

****

“Okay, they don’t have her size in the red, but they have it in yellow. Do you think-” Eddie starts to ask, but stops talking the moment he sees Steve’s face. “Right. Stupid question. Stick to the list exactly.”

He puts the sweater back on the rack and moves on. Steve is watching in amusement.

Eddie missed a lot of the Christmas shopping last year, too busy getting acclimated to his new job, so he’s been insistent on doing as much as he can with Steve this year.

Rory made a list almost a month ago, but this is the first time they’ve both been available while she’s busy.

“Oh! That’s cute,” Eddie says as he runs up to another rack full of things that are not on the list. “She’d like this, right?”

Steve looks at the crewneck he’s holding up. She would like it, but they have to stick to the list. It’s what he based his budget around.

“Steeeeve. Please, sweetheart. It can be just from me. I’ll pay for it on my own,” Eddie begs.

Steve thinks about it. He thinks about how every year until last year, it was just him and Rory, sometimes Robin if she could get out of visiting her parents. He thinks about how nice it is that Eddie’s here with them again, and will keep being there with them every year from now on, and how giving Eddie has always been.

“Let’s get it for her.”

Eddie bounces up and down like Steve just gave him a gift. “Yes! She’s gonna love it, you’ll see. And it’s only…” he looks down to the price tag. “$13!”

Steve kisses his lips quickly and takes the crewneck from him, adding it to the cart.

“Okay, back to the list,” Steve reminds him.

[ropebunnykant]

Apologies for the incoming essay... Re. Kant and choices and him choosing to involve Style - look, nobody's out here trying to say Kant's eligible for best friend of the year! But there does seem to be a lot of retroactive woobifying of Style, attempts to exempt him from the current tangled web, etc., when, lest we forget, he agreed to try and seduce a man FOR A CAR. He then proceeded to stalk said man, and to disrupt and exploit a grief counselling session FOR A CAR. Of course Kant shouldn't have involved him (but when your options are limited and you're desperate, you're not always thinking straight), but it was Style's own a) automotive greed and b) bruised ego (after their vehicular run-in) that got him where he is today. It was a bargain that he himself suggested - it wasn't even Kant's idea! Let's be honest, he could've just said nah mate, you're alright, and what could Kant have done about it? Style is not untouched by the taint! And that's okay - let him be messy too (the fact that he'd already had a couple of fraught encounters with Fadel even before Kant introduced them was a deliberate decision on the writers' part)! He had his own agenda going into this which he'd need to apologise for regardless of the added assassin shenanigans, and once he's in the know, he becomes as responsible as Kant for what happens next - they're both faced with the same choice: confess in order to try and keep the brothers out of jail, or stay schtum, despite their misgivings, out of fear for their own lives. And they both chose the same path. All four of them have been lying to each other from the get-go, for multiple complex reasons, some maybe more valid or understandable than others, but point is that none of them are squeaky clean and ALL of them bear at least some responsibility for the colossal shitshow that they now find themselves in! And that's what makes it good TV!

(I'd also like to point out something I find interesting, which is that Kant's rhetoric with Style has always been about looking out for number one - he tells Style he's doing it to clear his record, get those charges off his back, outside the restaurant he talks about having to prioritise saving your own skin over everything else, even though that makes him sound a bit cold...but he's not doing it for himself, is he? He's doing it for Babe. He's doing it because of the repercussions that would fall on his little brother's head if anything were to happen to Kant, whether that be jail time or an early grave (though I'm not saying he'd be a-okay with either regardless!). Babe has been his driving force the entire show (as yours and others' beautiful meta has explored) - Kant does the OPPOSITE of prioritise himself, and has done so since his parents died, and that's why HE'S in this mess in the first place. But, to the best of my recollection, he never invokes Babe when he's trying to win over Style, and I can't decide if that's because it's a line he won't cross (though he did sort of cross it when using Babe as an excuse at karaoke, or does that not count cos it was a lie?), or because he truly doesn't see himself as self-sacrificing so wouldn't even think to frame it in those terms to someone else. Or a combo of both!)

I think part of the reason the Kant slander (by which I absolutely don't mean legit critical analysis or taking the well-earned piss out of him!) bothers me is because I'm conscious that First is, at least to a degree, aware of the negativity (and tagged into some of it because ppl suck), which is why every time I look online he seems to be apologising on his character's behalf. And yes, it is in jest, but, knowing he's an inveterate people pleaser, I also get the sneaking suspicion it's also partly genuine, which makes me sad.

yeah, aaaabsolutely agree with everything you’ve said here. like i think the argument about style has more merit too it, but at the same time im still sat here thinking, what was kant’s other option? because bison gives him this stipulation: if you want us to date, you have to find someone for fadel. and kant cant just cut his losses and say okay, then i guess we won’t date. he has to get close, he has to get this information. so he has to involve someone else, retroactively. and we can argue about if he should have told style the full truth from the beginning, but not only do we see the captain specifically tell him not to do that, but i think kant is well aware it would not have worked if he did. style would have blown the operation out of the water way too soon, if he even agreed in the first place which the odds of him doing without having some investment into fadel would have been very slim! like it sucks, but realistically, what else could kant have done that would have allowed him to do what he needed to? what other choice did he have?

and like you said, style is far from innocent! none of them are innocent in this! thats the whole point! and that’s the big thing, too, because it’s meant to be this complicated messy thing. they subbed in the women from taming in the shrew for assassins because it allows for this intense sort of courtship that was brought on by misogyny in the play, while also allowing us to understand that fadel and bison aren’t innocent, either. that they’re all fucked up and messy in their own ways.

and yeah, i think getting into the babe of it all just isn’t something kant is willing to do for the most part. i think he tries to keep babe out of it as much as possible, but using him as an excuse to get out of there was the most realistic thing he could do, especially when bison has already seen that protective brother side of him. and i also think that kant just doesn’t view himself highly in general. he doesn’t think of himself as selfless or self sacrificing because he knows the awful things hes had to do in order to keep babe safe and in his custody - and while maybe for other people knowing it’s for babe would help his case, he doesn’t feel that way. because obviously he wouldn’t change it, but it doesn’t mean he liked doing any of it, that he likes the lengths he’ll go. especially when i think he thinks if babe knew, he wouldn’t like any of it, either. babe already didn’t like just the lying to bison. can you imagine what he’d think if he knew kant had drugged him once? if he knew all of it was built on a false start? kant probably thinks babe would hate him for it all as much as he hates himself for it.

and as for the first of it all, i do hope despite the media literacy some people lack in it all that he knows he did a fucking incredible job with kant. i say this as someone who has been making detailed posts about first’s acting since the eclipse, but i genuinely think this is his strongest and most nuanced performance. hes made kant so, so clear and easy to understand if you’re paying attention, and i love him so dearly for it.

[hairpinturnn]

i don't have any words for a long sappy new year's eve post (< he said. and then couldn't stop talking) just know you guys fucking rock oh my god. motogpblr is the best place on earth and i am not kidding all of you are so endlessly creative and kind i can't thank you for this community enough waaaauh this feels like homee thank you for welcoming me into your dashes and bearing with my endless yapping and losing of the plot and thank you for blessing the world with your amazing fics and gifs and art and aus and tag essays. please keep sharing your stuff and in that regards i wish everyone no insecurities about their thoughts or what they share next year, no writer's or art blocks, loving what you come up with and lots of juice to do what you want:) otherwise generally health and happiness and love and good times next year, yall deserve so much of them. god also this whole season and marc especially, his butterfly out of the chrysalis season will keep me going for the rest of my life, i'm so proud of him. anyways besides the endless beauty and poetry on here yall are also soo sweet thank you for being so welcoming and informative and helpful? people are constantly sharing what they find on here and answer any questions and are ready to talk back and forth in the tags or asks and etc and it's just so. nice of you all?

anyways x2 aawwwuhgh here's to more beautiful friendship mutualship bonding next year, an absolute KILLER season incoming and collective dash insanity. happy new yearrrrrr, i hope everyone achieves their resolutions and this year will be good for them!!

actually i have more to say. this is not my first time at the rodeo of passionate online communities but this is special. the other times it happened were all on twitter and it was either short conversations clipped by word limits that didn't allow the connection to run that deep or tight knit friend groups but this is a whole place of people daily pouring out their souls over these bike guys, you know? again the endless thought and beauty emerging out of all of this.. the gresini wins this year, following them felt almost like following mcr's swarm tour (a way longer history with the band makes matching that insanity a tall order but i didn't think anything would come close to it at all), with everyone's collective freaking out and again passion, passion, passion endlessly. i really don't know how to explain it all you feel ittt

also i started fucking writing accidentally on here in the tags? which never ever happened to me before, i've always felt useless with my words besides clinical academic essays, and somehow (i'm really giving all the credit to the people on here!!) yall are pulling fiction out of me. even if it's bad even if it's in small snippets, baby steps, you know? which has been a really transformative expirience because there's literally nothing better in the world than going off back and forth with tag essays. OH ALSO FUCK THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR LOVING MY ARTT WHAT THE HELL i'm so glad it resonated and that i can do whatever i want and some people will still connect to it🥲 i've been losing a bit of my spirit in making art for lesser known fandoms but everyone's comments breathed life into me like nothingg else. i still go back to read things left on some of my stuff, which sounds extremely vain but it's just that wow this is what you think? i made something that brought out those emotions in you and you're taking time to let me know about it and connect with me back? what the fuck🥲

anyways i know i have been on motogpblr for like 2 seconds but let me be a sap, this is still a life changing expirience, i love all of you so baddd billion heart emoji and happy new year again🫶

[devilander]

hi! i'm jojo (she/they), in my 20s, write fanfics, metas and make edits/gifs, focused mostly on homelander!

at this moment, my requests are open only for gifs and edits! i welcome, beyond homelander, starlight, soldier boy, billy butcher, maevelight and starlander requests, be it edits, metas, fics or gifs.

this is +18 blog. please, do not interact if you are a minor!

my blog and writings discuss, and convey, dark, dead dove themes. i will always tag it so no one is triggered, but be safe and mindful of that! if there's a particular theme you'd prefer I tag, please let me know! although i write dead dove, i also write happy, soft and sweet fics, so this is a space for all types of fanfiction!

i love answering asks, so feel comfortable to engage in any type of conversation with me!

important info: i don't make tag lists.

i'm going through a rough time right now. i'm a disabled queer person and lost all sources of income, therefore i'm now unable to get proper treatment for my health issues (sequelaes from injured spine, limitations of movement, chronic pain etc). i created this fundraiser, any money you can spare would be very valuable and help me a lot, or if you can't donate, spreading the message bears the same value!

ao3 — my writing — my metas and headcanons — my gifs — my edits — no democracy (oc fic)

[ashknife]

I see posts every now and then talking about how library books and electronic resources are free, so get a card and start using them.

Well, no. They aren't free. You've been paying for them, albeit indirectly.

I've been working in an academic library since 2002, first as a student assistant, then since 2006 as a full-time paraprofessional. I work in serials and handle tasks like managing proxy servers and developing web pages so people can get to our electronic resources. In May 2024, a little over a year from now, I will be receiving a Master of Science in Information Science, which will let me bear the title of librarian. I've seen a lot of price tags not thrown out to the public eye.

Services like Kanopy, Libby, and Flipster are great in that they deliver a ton of content to library patrons so long as they have a library card or other official means of identifying themselves as a patron of the subscribing library. For many public libraries, that would be the library card. For a lot of academic libraries, it is usually tied to a school email or a student ID number. However, they are subscriptions. They cost the subscribing library a lot of money. For my library, which serves a population of a couple thousand students, staff, and faculty, these services would cost us $20k-$40k per year each. For larger libraries and consortiums, the cost is even greater. The state of Texas has a statewide library collective that provides a suite of research databases. Each member library chips in a small amount. Taken all together, the suite costs tens of millions of dollars per year.

These subscriptions are a steal, but they are not free. A great deal you can't afford is still something you can't buy. Not every library can afford Kanopy. My library cannot. The public library down the street from me cannot. The larger libraries a few counties over can. Public libraries receive money from the local and state governments, and those funds are supplied from property, income, and sales taxes. Public academic libraries receive state funding and money from tuition and fees; private academic libraries receive money from tuition and fees. The larger the school, or the larger the city, the larger the budget.

In a time when budgets are shrinking and prices are going up, the money you and your peers indirectly supply to your library may someday not be enough, and those services you enjoy can go away. Do you like Kanopy? Use it. Do you like Flipster? Use it. Do you like your JSTOR or EBSCO access? Use them. When libraries have to make cuts, they prioritize things that are not used to cut first. It's great that these things are provided to you with no upfront fee, but you are still paying for them. Use what you're paying for so that libraries know what is worth keeping. Not only that, advocate to your city and state representatives to adequately fund these institutions.

[cherry-pop-elf]

Chubby George Weasley 🧡 Headcanons

Because Fuck You, I Wanna!

The weight didn’t exactly start, until the shop had been open for a while. They were put into a position of a very stable income, and didn’t have to worry about food anymore. Along with breaking some habits, such as eating less so Ron and Gin could eat more

Was more so actually healthy weight, compared to being bean pole thin all the time. Still was over all slender, as they did a bunch of Manuel labor and hands on work, just didn’t look like they’ll pass out if you don’t keep their blood sugar high enough

After the war? Yeah, he had to fight depression somehow. Baking was what soothed him, and he was also needing to keep the shop steady for a while. Until Ron came to help, of course

You still couldn’t tell he gained some extra pounds, given his attire slime him greatly, but he’s got that soft chub. That sweet dad belly pillow that every kid gets in their childhood, that makes it the perfect spot for naps

It more so went into his stomach, thigh area. Due to beating a beater, he had a lot of muscle to work with. As we know, muscle is still excess. So when it’s relaxed, it’s all soft and squishy. So he has a rather evened out chubbibess, which is why it’s hard to notice when he’s in his work attire

He is so cuddly, and makes for the best napping partner. Always smelling sweet from the shop, with that good bear hug squeeze. Given there is still muscle under the squish after all

He’s rather self conscious of going soft, but this man deserves to not stress about it. He’s healthy, he survived a war, he built an empire, grew up poor where food was always scare to begin with, lost his ear which made him partially deaf, and lost his twin. He’s allowed to finally have some stress off his shoulders

The children definitely love that he’s not stuck thin anymore. They can just run up, to their favorite shop owner, and get the best hugs EVER. Big squishy hugs, and the comfort of his warm personality

Because he went back deeper into baking, from the stress of the second war, you know he’s somehow mastered being a master at baking. You know you can count on him for the best desserts and sweets you could ever dream of

He is shy about his belly, but the kids certainly help him with it. It’s a dad bod. He deserves it. Stretch marks and all. The kids love hugging him, and it’s nice to no longer have to be so stressed on his appearance. The community utterly adores him, and will protect him as much as he protects them

Anyone who says anything honestly might get attacked by his employees before he even says a word. He makes sure his employees are provided for. Dental even! Bet your ass he’s the community dad, of Diagon alley

Freckled. Belly. Need I say more? Freckles, scars, tattoos, and a sweet little happy trail

The best hugs, the best sweets, the warmest soul. What more could anyone want?

Please tag me in any Chubby Georgie Art/Fanfics/Whatever pls!

((Yes this kinda stemmed from the fact it’s very hard to lose weight because of my health issues and I’m projecting, but also chubby Georgie hugs))

[goldensunset]

well ok

slightly sappy post incoming

dang. i really started pokémon black 2 almost four months ago??? toward the end of august??? completely insane. it took me a long time just to do the main story and then i was like i wanna do all the side postgame stuff afterwards plus the season-restricted stuff. which was totally worth it. but now at last i feel that this journey has come to an end…

but like the thing about this being a sequel is it’s also kinda the end of my overarching gen 5 journey? which i think is even more painful. i have absolutely completely fallen to death in love with these games over the course of this entire year of 2024, seeing as i started the first game in january. the year of unova for me. and it has truly been the highlight of my year. not that that’s much of an achievement bc this year has lowkey sucked for me but like these games and their characters and stories and songs have seriously brightened my life so much i’m so grateful. it’s hard saying i’m finally done! i got so obsessed i even read the manga… i suppose i still have the pokémon masters ex cutscenes to watch even if those aren’t canon but like canon enough right? i need every ounce of gen 5 i can get

i’d been wanting to play this gen for a while bc i knew it was a lot of people’s favorites and i knew i’d love it and it would destroy me. but i was just going to wait for remakes, until i was finally convinced i should just learn how to emulate. and the payoff was excellent! my beloved laptop is so strong for this lol. but it’s time to end her agony. at least for now (we’ll see what i decide to emulate next!!!)

so uh not sure how to end this. both the first and second games blew me away at every turn even though my expectations were already high. if it wasn’t clear where i stood on the matter. Wow. i hope the inevitable remakes are good and i hope there’s a legends game someday bc i am completely insane and the world at large needs to know about and love unova forever. this experience will live with me forever genuinely. proof that you don’t have to be a kid to experience childlike wonder that will later become nostalgia. pokémon is for all ages!!

in conclusion thank you for bearing with my uh. well. i don’t even want to know how many hundreds of posts there are in this tag. thank you for bearing with my incessant ramblings and updates! see i do it for myself bc i need to archive my own nonstop thoughts plus i like hearing feedback if i need help… but i also do love it so much when other people who have played the game before get excited to relive their first-time experience vicariously through me. and i also love it when people who haven’t played it message me saying ‘i have literally no idea what you’re talking about at all but i’m glad you’re having fun i think?’. objectively funny. stay tuned for the next time i play or replay a game and can’t shut my mouth once ever!

peace out

[bullet-prooflove]

LA!Series Part One: Relax - Manny x Reader

Tagging: @crazy4chickennuggets @kmc1989 @withakindheartx @darqchilddaydreamz @theesirenteller @wnbweasley @bonni-98 @skyesthebomb @delightfulbelieverwerewolf @redpool @trublu2u @fleureeee @yezzyyae @jeybae @thiashazzywriting @lauraaan182 @hatersaremymotivators @fanfic-n-tabulous @ravennaortiz @just-a-throw-away @yousigned-upforthis

LakeTahoe!Series:

Part One: Black Bear Lodge - Your life changes when you meet Manny at Black Bear Lodge.

Part Two: Something Special (NSFW) - Manny gives you a night like no other.

Part Three: Goodbye - You and Manny say goodbye after spending the weekend together.

Postcards: Manny recieves a surprise in the mail.

It’s over a four-hour ride to L.A. Manny’s arranged to stay a couple of days with you before he needs to be in Santo Padre to discuss the pipeline deal with Bishop. It’s become clearer over the past few weeks that Canche has been subsidising his income with club funds. They’re missing a massive portion of cash and that means they can’t buy into the pipeline.

On the drive up he starts to think of it as a blessing in disguise because it allows him to think outside the box, to consider other options. He wants more for Yuma, he wants better, safer options for his brothers, ones that won’t result in prison or a bullet. Santo Padre has been heading that way for a while, they have links to the community, they work with legitimate businesses, their income is clean and constant. Manny wants to emulate that.

He’s exhausted by the time he makes it to your suite; he uses the key you’ve left for him down at reception. It’s a little past ten pm and the day has taken its toll on him. He’s been up since six getting Melina ready for school and dealing with club business, all he wants is to sooth his aching muscles in a red-hot bath.

The lights are dimmed when he steps inside. He removes his boots by the door before padding quietly into the bedroom. They’ve gone all out this time; he thinks as he pauses for a second surveying the view from the window. In the distance he can see the San Gabriel Mountains silhouetted against the night sky.

Everything about this room screams indulgence, the well-made luxury furniture, the dark wood floors, the gourmet snacks in the minibar. It piques his curiosity because he knows you’re getting by on a freelancer’s wage, and he can’t imagine that any magazine would put you up in a place like this, no matter how good your work is.

He finds you in the bathroom, soaking in a tub that large enough to fit another two people inside. You have a glass of whiskey in your hand, classical music serenading you from the Bluetooth speaker in the mirror. You watch as he undresses, his dark eyes fastening on yours as his clothes fall into an untidy pile at his feet. You shift forward and he slips in behind you, the water raising over his weary bones. He exhales at the sensation, sinking low. You lean back against this chest, placing the whisky glass in his hand and he sighs because as relaxed as he is right now, he can’t shake that niggling feeling that this is all to good to be true. He lips brush over your temple, his cheek coming to rest upon your hair as he says.

“I need you to tell me why we’re here tonight because I know that neither of us can afford a suite with a mountain view.”

“It’s comped.” You tell him, tilting your head up so you can meet his gaze.

“Not by your magazine.” He murmurs, his thumb ghosting along the line of your jaw. “These rooms cost nearly two grand a night.”

“No.” You whisper as his lips brush over yours. “A private collector wants to buy my photographs, they’re exhibiting at the Hive Gallery tomorrow, this trip is his way of wooing me.”

“Will you sell?” Manny asks and he feels you smile against his mouth.

“I’m donating them to Arts+Practice, they have a lot of great art programmes for kids in the foster system.” You tell him as he graces your skin with a featherlight kiss. “He thinks he has four days to chance my mind.”

He grins because you, you are just full of surprises.

“I’m sleeping with a hustler.” He murmurs before he kisses you properly.

There’s a softness in it, a tenderness that he reserves only for you. You sigh at the sensation and it’s a noise of contentment, one that he feels in the very depths of his soul because now he knows the truth he can actually relax. He tips his head back and closes his eyes, the water washing over him as the fatigue overtakes him.

“I’m tired tonight.” He tells you, his voice drowsy as your head comes to rest in the crook of his neck.

“Me too.” You mumble. “All that travelling is starting to catch up with me.”

It changes things. If this was supposed to be about sex you would have kicked him out by now or at least made a move, but you haven’t. It means you’re as comfortable with this shift as he is. This thing between you it was always more, this is just your way of acknowledging it. He knows guys who would drive almost three hundred miles for pussy but there’s not many who would do it just to spend the night sleeping next to their lover.  

That’s how the evening ends, you and him curled up in a bed that costs more than your annual salary, his face buried in the curve of your throat as he holds you close.

It’s the best night’s sleep he’s had in a long time.

Love Manny? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Twenty Questions

Thanks for the tags, @eybefioro, @goodoldfashionednightingale, and @hoarder-of-dragons! I picked my favorites from the posts you tagged me on, and added a few more of my own:

Currently consuming: Good Omens everything

Currently consuming: Good Omens everything (it's worth repeating!)

First ship: I'm not sure. I think I was introduced to the concept of ships through Thomas Sanders' Sanders Sides

Do you have kids? Yes, birth and foster 🥰

What sports do you play/have you played? Dance, horseback riding, and martial arts

Are you more likely to be sincere or sarcastic? Sincere

How many tabs are open on your browser? Over 3,000, because Session Buddy doesn't work on mobile yet 😅

What's your favourite colour? There's no way I can choose! I love the play of different colors with one another. I tend to wear a lot of purple, burgundy, and teal jewel tones, especially in the autumn and winter.

Favorite drink: Hot cocoa with marshmallows and herbal tea for the winter

Last movie: Nothing Lasts Forever and Pride and Prejudice (Those of you as obsessed with Good Omens as I am might recognize a theme here 🤩 )

Scary movies or happy endings? Feel good media with happy endings, please! The world is already full of too many sad and awful things.

When was the last time you cried? I don't remember, but it was probably induced by sleep deprivation and stress. Or really big feelings.

Any talents? Photography! And I love to nurture things. Sometimes that means cooking for loved ones, or growing a jungle of plants in my living room, or organizing gatherings for an extended circle of friends and chosen family

Talent you wish you had? Drawing

What are your hobbies? Right now, the only honest answer is Good Omens 😅

Do you have any pets? Yes! I've shared my life with a whole zoo full of cats, dogs, fish, and reptiles, including an adventure cat, a part-bear part-muppet therapy dog, and a tegu lizard that I trained to walk on a leash and harness.

Super power you wish you had? Reading minds

Dream job? I don't know! I've had so many, and they've all been valuable stepping stones on the path of my life. The jobs where I get to teach and help people - especially kids - are my favorites.

Dream vacation? Seeing the northern lights in person is high on my list. Also, a wildlife photo safari in Africa.

How would you change the world if you could? (Or, what are you passionate about?) I would teach everyone the skills of DBT (helpful for absolutely everyone who has ever had a strong feeling or a connection to another person) and then I would give everyone universal healthcare and a universal basic income with an aim to eliminating poverty, especially among children, plus all the other long term benefits that would stem from that. (Read more from WaPo about UBI here if you're interested.)

Currently working on: Solving the ineffable mystery with the lovely people at the @ineffable-detective-agency, and finishing a new fanfic for the Good Omens Minisode Minibang. Hopefully I'll be ready to post that later this weekend!

No-pressure tags for a few mutuals who might be into tag games, and an open invitation to everyone else!

@gallup24 @averywiseanimatedcat @procrastiel @commonmexicanname @crowleybrekkers @stumblingoverchaos @dunkthebiscuit @red-sky-in-mourning @im-not-a-virgo-im-a-lesbo @tragic-cosmic-magic @crowleybrekkers @lil-king-trash-mouth @celticseawych @phoen1xr0se @lemonic-whimssyy @ineffably-poetic @red-sky-in-mourning @weasleywrinkles

[dr-demi-bee]

Hello hello! Can I ask your wedding tag for 4 & 16? ♡♡

Ahhh!! Thank you friend! I *adored* thinking about this 🥰🥰🥰 Incoming lore dump :D I think a lot about what the culture of Miri's pack in the High Forest would be like as wild lythari elves with little contact with outsiders. Lythari, I imagine, don't necessarily have 'weddings' as we consider it. As a small tribal people, the grand, opulent ceremonies we think of for weddings likely wouldn't make sense. It would, however, make sense to celebrate the pack growing - either by gaining a new member or by the potential for cubs to be sired (most lythari are *born*, rather than turned).

What Forgotten Realms lore does confirm (across all resources) about lythari is that they have a sacred mating ritual wherein a consenting non-lythari partner (if an elf) is bitten by their lythari partner and the lycanthropy is passed to them. (It only works for elves, so no werewolf Gale, sorry).

The lore suggests that the partner also gains a permanent mark that resembles a wolf bite. So I like to imagine that lythari pairs would still bite one another to gift this mark and signify their mating bond (like a wedding ring)! As Halsin says, “The wolf mates for life. The bear, however, roams free.” This all leads me to believe that lythari are known (at least by wood elves from the HF) to be monogamous, and this mark would signify their permanent bond to their partner. I imagine the pack holds a celebration of the couple bonding - and that the *mating ritual* itself is quite an affair for the pair (a la the wedding night/honeymoon wink wink). So for this answer, *pre-ceremony* is what precedes the mating ritual portion. All this to say:

I imagine that Miri and Gale would have two different 'weddings'. One more traditional, in Waterdhavian style, for Gale and the Dekarios clan. The other, a sacred mating bond ritual, for Miri and the Adahlen'i lythari. (fun fact, Adahlen'i is based on the Dalish 'adahlen', for 'forest', and an -i suffix, after Latin, to mean 'of the'.)

Anywho- On to the answers! :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Pre-Ceremony Events - Are there any special events, ceremonies, rituals, or preparations the couple must do before the wedding day? Ritual cleansing, asking a parent for the character's hand, mehndi/henna painting, little pre-ceremony games or challenges, etc?

Gale's traditional wedding: This stuff has been tumbling around my brain for ages - and instead of blithering on about usual wedding pre-ceremony traditions like a rehearsal dinner or not seeing each other before hand... I want to talk about rings. There is a canon Waterdeep tradition (shared here) where each person will have a ring crafted, which will then be split in half and fused together to make a matching pair of 'union' rings to be worn on the middle finger. These rings are worn around the neck until the wedding ceremony when they are exchanged. So I have been obsessed with the idea that Miri and Gale would both get rings crafted to match one another's eyes (you know, like those cute af trends of couples making matching bracelets or getting matching nail polish). Wearing their respective bands around their neck would become a symbol of the other's loving gaze. And then once they are split and fused, they would each have a ring to remind one another of the profound tenderness and love they see in one another's eyes. (excuse me I'm not crying, you are) For Miri - I think she would choose something like this, a dark metal inlaid with a beautiful wood like mahogany that shines with rich shades of brown and changes in the sun. Maybe with an added stone that looks like the aurora from when they first confessed. Extra points if she retrieved the wood herself from somewhere special.

For Gale - Ohhh, our grand gesture beloved. Gale would go out of his way to find the exact perfect gemstone or metal to match the greens of Miri's eyes. He would put hours into researching the quality of the stone and how to find the best one and the best quality, that would have the right durability for Miri's rough and tumble lifestyle. And it would have to be the perfect color because he would be staring absent mindedly at his own ring so often he would know whether it was right or not. And it would have to be significant somehow, and on and on... And no silver, of course. I picture something like jade or malachite (emeralds are way too soft).

Miri's lythari mating ritual: This celebration would be smaller, more intimate (but no less raucous). The ceremony would be held in the High Forest, near where Miri was born (a way of symbolizing the circle of life in Nature).

I imagine the celebration would include an exchanging of vows by the to-be-bonded pair. A commitment before the pack and their goddess, Mielikki. (Cute shit like "You are my mate - I am bonded to you for eternity, and I shall never leave your side. I shall love you, guard you, and keep you, for all of your days. Our bond is sacred, and I shall worship and praise you through this life, and into the afterlife.") Pack members receive their tattoos as a sacred coming-of-age ritual - and I like to imagine that a non-lythari partner is painted with a temporary version of their mate-to-be's tattoos prior to the ceremony. Perhaps by a trusted loved one, or by their beloved. From there the celebration would be very typical of most cultures - food, drink, song, and dance. Revelry for hours. Perhaps there is a hunt before hand to ensure there is plentiful meat, and there are bottles of pack-brewed wines and meads and ciders flowing freely into the evening.

At some point during the revelry the pair themselves will quietly slip away from the gathering - Miri will take Gale to some secluded space she used to hold dear - and then they will begin their mating ritual in earnest. ;) The revelry, meanwhile, continues until the wee hours - celebrating the couple coming together (and maybe the chance for cubs- someday.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

16. Wedding Party - Are there bridesmaids, groomsmen, attendants, special witnesses? Are they dressed a certain way or positioned in a special spot? In both cases: I imagine they would invite all of their friends - the near and dear companions able to make it (perhaps with some assistance from Withers, a la the epilogue party). And you can bet Miri would find a way to involve their fuzzier companions, too - Tara, Lupus, Corvus, Scratch, even their Owlbear. Gale's traditional wedding: I am a big ol' sentimental softie and I cannot picture these two blorbos getting married without having their companions serving as their wedding party. Standing beside them as they declare their love in front of officiant, guests, and pantheon. Groomsmen: Astarion, Wyll, Halsin. Bridesmaids: Karlach, Lae'zel, Shadowheart. Officiant: Either Jaheira, Withers, or perhaps another. But I expect it would probably be a secular at least agnostic ceremony. Scratch and Lupus can be flower-girl equivalents. Corvus can fly in the rings. Gale implies a few times throughout the game that he was part of Waterdeep's high society (attending soirees, owning a tower in the city) - undoubtedly true, as he was an archmage. So I imagine, given Waterdeep nobles are considered 'heavy handed spenders', that their traditional wedding would be a bit on the *larger*, more lavish side. As such the dress code would be at minimum semi-formal, if not formal outright - the wedding party would be dressed accordingly. (See any number of excruciatingly beautiful clothing mods people have created for examples of appropriate shiny silks, fancy embroideries, opulent colors and divine tailoring...)

Miri's lythari mating ritual: For this smaller ceremony, I do not think there would be a bridal party, per say. But I do think they would want their companions to be there to bear witness and to celebrate with them. Everything in the High Forest is centered around survival, and thus practicality is the name of the game for attire. Lythari do not wear fine fabrics and prefer their own hand-crafted leathers and furs, accessorized with feathers and beautiful hand carved bone and stone pieces. I would expect anyone participating to dress similarly - and to be barefoot. I could see a tribal ceremony including an exchanging of vows, perhaps beneath an ancient tree to bear sacred witness. Furthermore, there are several other sacred rituals in Miri's pack specifically that involve clerics of Mielikki, if not Mielikki herself. So I imagine a cleric would be present to bless their union. I would not be surprised if Miri would ask Halsin if he would participate somehow as a former archdruid and servant of Silvanus.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Anyway, hope you like this brain dump of syrupy sweet wedding head canons 🥰🥰🥰🥰🤎💚

[fastcardotmp3]

tagged by my adored alex @gothbat99 to do a little self-love moment 🥹💛

rules: post five of your favorite fics that you've written and talk about why you love them. tag some mutuals so they can do the same and we can all spread some positivity about our writing ❤️

✨someone else's favorite song - 120k | rated E - I swing wildly on the pendulum between loving this fic for all that it is and wanting desperately to Fix It, but lately I've felt a lot of pride in this thing, warts and all. I went into this one thinking I was the extent of the audience for it and let the stream of consciousness muscle pull it out of me without much forethought, but ended up finding so much connection to the people reading it who felt seen or understood in some way in their own grieving processes. No matter where I am on the pendulum of feelings about this story, I am never not grateful that my own little catharsis has been able to create a sort of 'not aloneness' every time someone is kind and courageous enough to share their own stories with me in the comments 💛

✨that's just wasteland, baby! - 19k | rated E - I started writing this entirely because at the time I couldn't find any fics that really dived into what an apocalyptic Hawkins setting might look like and I wanted to READ it more than anything. It's so slice-of-life in that world and I had really so much fun building up the rules of the world and the dynamics between characters still in the fight but settled to an extent within a new normal to the point where even Steve can't even remember how long they've been doing it. 'the world ended but we're still going' is one of my favorite premises of all time and this universe is one I'm genuinely SO proud of without any equivocation about it UGH

✨how the light gets in - 29k (wip series) | rated T-E - if there are going to be one million and one versions of kas!Eddie (including my own) there HAS to be a kas!Chrissy and by god if I have to do it myself I WILL. Wheelingham is one of those things that just smacked me in the face one day when I realized the unending potential of taking a fridged girl, bringing her back to life, and making her kiss the final girl, like... COME ON. This series is a labor of love and it's truly such a joy to do a proper character study on two girls who have so much untapped potential built into their psyches. they're my babies I am holding them gently in my hands and never letting go :(((

✨METAMORPHOSES - 160k | rated E - I think of everything I've written for ST, this might be the thing that's most structurally sound writing-wise, like it's long enough that there are definitely spots it could use smoothing, but I am genuinely so proud of how it turned out and how it told the exact story I set out to tell. I love these characters, I love their little house in Indy, I love the ways they grow and regress in tandem, I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOR. Never has a vision I had at the start ended up feeling So Right to this extent and I will never stop screaming about this fic just you try to stop me 💚🐍

✨The Hawk - 10k (wip series) | rated T - "The Bear" AU that no one asked for but which I am wholly and completely enamored with only 2 'episodes' in. Another chance at a Nancy-centric story with the added bonus of getting to write so many POVs of a larger ensemble? Incoming Ronance and Lumax and Steddie and Jargyle?? Wheeler sibling dynamic exploration?? it's my DREAM tbh and it's surprisingly simple to slot our ST characters into this wildly different world because you know what! At the end of the day it's all just about family isn't it!!! UGH. Once I'm done with writing (redacted) trust that I will be launching myself back into this one full-force, I've got so many plans and I can't wait to show you all more of this world

(if you've already been tagged apologies but also) tagging! @kkpwnall @fragilecapric0rnn @judasofsuburbia @gideoncharov @figthefruitfaeth @cheatghost @stargyles @capriciouslyterminal @sharpbutsoft @hellsfireclub

[thedomesticanthropologist]

BLOG INFO

Yes you can send me asks! Either for headcanons, drabbles, or general questions, advice, fandom questions, etc. I like getting messages.

I'm in and in-between fandoms right now. Blog is more general than it used to be, but I made my following by chattering about BG3 so you'll find a lot of BG3 content here still haha

You can send asks about my OC's, and if you wanna get to know em better you can find them under the tags: Mira the Cleric and Sivvus the Snob (for now, more incoming)

Sivvus is my main, art on this pinned post is by @quinthebard and @star-bear-art

YOU CAN TAG ME IN ASK MEMES and if I Reblog it, go ahead and send em in!

Rules:

Yes I write explicit content, do not send asks if you are under 18

I don't always get to every ask, but I do my best

You can ship your OC with mine if you want, but please keep it light and realize I'll do this with everyone so replies are in your own little universe, etc etc

I'm approachable in the do no harm take no shit kinda way so I'm not a punching bag, but I'm very fair and a safe space within reason, if you have an issue with me please bring it up so I have the opportunity to address it

Be polite!

Mun is 33 years old with a wealth of life experience that would leave many surprised you can stuff that much trauma into 33 years 😅. We love a little dark humor here, theres going to be heavy topics up for discussions, sometimes things aren't tagged thoroughly- please take care of yourself and navigate appropriately

[noblelightfighter]

A Bad Batch Fanfiction

Plot: The Batch has to navigate with their estranged brother and his ideology of the Galactic Empire after Tapoca City was destroyed, while helping a few seemingly hidden Jedi and their dragon friend rid a planet of a pirate that has taken over a small colony of refugees that fled from the Empire. The Jedi have a plan to get rid of the pirate and his gang, but it involves putting on a performance of singing and dancing, and they have the Batch perform along with them, much the guys embarrassment.

Warnings: hurt, comfort, sibling fighting, canon violence, mentions of blood, gore, death, and injuries, some mention of religion, some flirting, sibling affection, family bonding, in later chapters there will be mentions of abuse(those will have warnings in the beginning of the chapter and in tags(to the best of my ability)), and lots of singing. The boys will be singing.

Word count: 3,460

Chapter 7: Drakear Incoming!

“Move over!” Grunted Wrecker.

“Stop shoving me!” Echo angrily whispered back.

“Will you two be quiet?!” Crosshair hissed.

“At this rate the Drakears will definitely find us.” Commented Tech listlessly as he scrolled on his datapad.

Tore had led the Bad batch into an underground cave under a large tree, and it was cramped to say the least for the five men, only Hunter was still knocked out. They had to leave their equipment outside of the cave with Gonky and with Tore keeping watch in the trees. Tech had lent him Hunter's comm device so that he could tell them when the coast was clear, but the roaring and grunting of the beasts only grew louder, so he remained silent. Tech wasn't at all pleased with their current situation, nor with the loss of his ship that did indeed erupt in flames. It was a heartbreaking sight to see as all his hard work of purposeful, specific, dedicated modifications to the Havoc Marauder go up in smoke causing them all to stop in their tracks to look back at their home. He almost started to go back to the ship if it wasn't for Tore stopping him with a “Not now mate. Wait for Infersel to come back,” and didn't elaborate further. He only led them deeper into the forest until they came to one of the larger specimens of trees and guided them to a hole in the roots and down they dropped into the cave with Hunter carefully lowered down with Tore's help.

And now they sat there quietly cramped, angry, and of course with Wrecker, hungry, while the Drakears marched overhead looking for them. Tech sniffed as he worked on his data pad, picking up the different earthy tones of root, moss, and mud, along with the bodily smells of five unwashed men while looking up everything he could about the creatures in an effort to help Tore. A drakear’s sense of smell was sixty times stronger than that of a humans, they traveled in packs with the King leading the way so that it could make the attack first, followed by his queens who would finish the job, while his cubs would watch and learn. Tech sniffed again and realized that even though they were in a hole, the Drakears could still find them based on their smell. The smell of five sweaty men who haven't showered that week yet. His leg started to shake. That was troubling. The drakears could dig them out if they wanted, or just shoot fire down into the hole and burn them alive. Their odds of surviving were growing slimmer and slimmer.

Tore tried to mask their smell with a scent bomb he had made, but the men's sweat was very potent and could still unfortunately be tracked. When did they all shower last? Tore thought as he jumped to another tree branch. Nara is not going to like this. He laughed inside as he could see her reaction to their horrendous smell. Another roar sounded and he gazed to his left and he could see the lumbering forms of the dragon bears, walking steadily in his direction. Tore’s hand dropped slowly to his knife at his waist, gripping it and letting go in anticipation. Let's see, who is the king in this pack? He studied the group of Drakears and quickly counted thirty of them. Oh. Oh no. His eyes grew wide. There were two large Drakears Kings whose horns looked like large crowns on their heads, and they were surrounded by ten adult females, six near adult male and female Drakears, and twelve cubs. This was a familiar hunting party, and they have changed up their attack pattern.

Tore commed the men and said, “We have thirty Drakears incomin. Don't move from your spot or you will die.”

“Thirty?” Tech replied quietly. “That's highly unusual behavior of Drakears. How many kings are there?”

“Two.” Tore replied. “It's two parties in one group.”

“They may have been attracted to the noise of the ship crashing and are now searching for it's occupants, meaning us, to devour.”

Tore jumped to another tree and readied another scent bomb. “Right you are mate. They have unfortunately gotten used to findin people in wrecked ships.”

“I wonder why that is?” Crosshair rolled his eyes in the dark of the hole.

Oh Nara is going to hate you! Tore smirked at the remark. “Well, when you have people comin after you and you shoot down their ships often enough, the beasts tend to learn that there is meat in that metal.” He threw down the bomb and it exploded in front of the pack, causing the cubs to blindly run in different directions. The smell was an irritant to the beasts and it quickly wafted through the rest of the pack as the wind seemed to blow in his favor. The older drakears began to sneeze out sparks and scratch their faces to get rid of the smell and also started to scatter a bit, roaring and growling in discomfort. Though one of the kings seemed to have seen this trick before and stood up on his hind legs to get a better view of the tree tops and saw Tore, who saw the claw marks on his underside from Infersel. Yep. This group of beasts knew who Tore was. The Drakear’s eyes narrowed and roared in anger. “I knew it!” Tore said before hopping away to another tree as fire exploded forth from the maw of the Drakear king. He didn't stay in that tree long as the other king followed suit and set the new one on fire. To another tree he jumped, and some of the queens saw what was happening and rushed at the tree he was in and slammed into it, knocking it down but missed seeing Tore jumping to a new tree, only for the first king to shoot more fire. Thus Tore was leading the drakears away from the men. But not all of them. One party was going back to following the trail of smell. “Those sons of sea monsters!” Tore said under his breath. “They're really that smart!” He pulled out his borrowed comm. “Guys, heads up. About fifteen are headed your way.”

“Thank you for the heads up.” Echo replied. “But aren't their scales blaster proof?”

Tore jumped to another tree as his other one caught fire. “Aim for their mouths when they're about to breathe fire. Or throw a bomb in.”

“Is that a reference to-” Echo started.

“Hey it works!” Tore cut him off. “If you take the king down the rest will scatter to regroup.”

“Before we move,” Tech butted in. “I would like to inform you that there is a third group of Drakears headed our way from the north.”

“Lovely.” Tore frowned as he jumped to another tree. “Then climb up the tree. It's hollow and there is a ladder on the inside.”

“Oh great!” Wrecker groaned.

Tore laughed as he recognized that tone. “Afraid of heights, ey?”

“No!” Wrecker lied. “It's the falling that scares me!”

Tore reached out to his partner as he jumped to another tree. “Nara! I could use some help here!”

“How many packs?” She asked.

“Three and they're splitting up. One after me and one after the men and another from a different direction.”

“Understood.” She dropped their connection and spoke out loud to the dragon, “We need to hurry! There are three packs of Drakears!”

Three packs? Omega thought. “Are they in trouble?!”

Inferno grinned. “Barely a challenge! HOLD ON!” Nara quickly took hold of Omega as Inferno quickly dropped his arms in order to cage them in his clawed hands and raced off towards the men.

Omega couldn't hear anything as the wind was blasting into her ears, and she couldn't see anything as Inferno's hands kept her pinned against himself. She turned to the woman who looked calm yet ready for action. She saw Omega staring at her and smiled encouragingly.

“Don't worry. We'll be there in time.”

Another wave of fire was shooting up at Tore as he jumped to yet another tree and paused briefly to catch his breath. Vines spine they're out for blood! He tried to jump again but the tree cracked before Tore could move and he was flung forward into the blaze. He used the Force to shield himself as he fell, only to see that he was falling into the middle of the pack where the king was. His grin grew as he flipped himself back up then pulled out his small knife. Down on the snout he landed, and using the Force to keep the fire from escaping the drakear’s mouth, he stabbed the beast in the mouth, releasing the venom inside the shaft into the blood of the king. Tore jumped off him and into another tree before the king fell over in a heap and laid still. “Should've learned from last time mate! WHOA!” Tore was bounced out of the new tree by a young drakear from behind it and he was flung back into the pack. They didn't scatter when the king fell. They were definitely out for blood.

Crosshair and Echo had already climbed up the ladder in the tree and had taken up positions to start firing at the beasts, leaving Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker behind. “Must we climb up the tree?” Wrecker whined. Of course their hiding place was a cramped cave, of course they had to climb the biggest tree in the area, of course he had to carry a limp brother (not that he mind, it was just the circumstances he found himself in) and of course, to make it all worse, he was hungry. He really hated this idea. All he wanted to do was fight pirates and eat Drakear meat. Was that too much to ask for?

“Yes, unless you want to die an unfortunate death of being incinerated by the drakears in an underground alcove.” Tech sounded a little more perturbed than normal of Wrecker's complaining, though Wrecker guessed it was because of the ship. “Then I suggest you start the ascension with Hunter in tow!” He pointed up the ladder.

Wrecker groaned out another complaint, thinking whether or not he would take his chances with the dragon bears when one started to dig right above them. “Move!” He shoved past Tech and scrambled up the ladder one handed as quickly as he could, though a little too rough for Hunter's sake, whose head was knocked against the wall of the tree and the pain awakened him from his induced nap.

“Oi! Wrecker!” He hissed as he rubbed his head. “Careful now!”

“Ah! Good! You're awake in time to help fend off the drakears.” Tech said just behind Wrecker on the ladder.

“The what?” Hunter asked as he looked around to figure out where he was. He heard roaring right outside of wherever he was and then something that sounded like blaster fire.

“Thankfully Crosshair and Echo are making good use of their height advantage.” Tech commented. “To quickly catch you up on current events-”

“We're inside a tree hiding from the Drakears and Tore is fighting them right now.” Wrecker interrupted.

Tore? Drakears? Hunter rubbed his head again. Something felt off and he couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe it was the start of a concussion from Wrecker knocking his head against the tree.

“I was getting to that Wrecker!” Tech snapped.

“Not quick enough!” Wrecker snapped back as they reached the opening on top of the tree. Hunter scrambled onto the branch and would have fallen off if Wrecker wasn't behind him to catch him. And Wrecker groaned in discomfort. “I hate heights!”

“Look who's back from the dead.” Crosshair drolled as he took a shot at a Drakear in the mouth, causing its neck to explode. Gross.

“That was a quick power nap!” Echo helped Hunter up. “You ready to shoot up some drakears?”

“I think Wrecker hit my head harder than he intended.” Hunter began as he took out his weapon. He looked down and saw the beasts digging up the cave and sniffing their equipment and Gonky. “What happened again?” He looked around and noticed that they were down a person. His panic started back up. “Where's Omega?!”

“Looks like the supplement that Tore had you ingest not only brought your senses down to a tolerable level, but it also wiped your memory.” Tech surmised.

“That doesn't answer my question Tech!” Hunter shot back at his brother. Fire was shot up at them from a young drakear and they could feel the scalding heat from their vantage point, but the flames couldn't reach them. Yet. The flames started to consume the lower branches blocking any way for them to descend on the outside, and the wind didn't help with stopping it. Crosshair took another shot at this one's mouth, but it was closed and bounced off the beast harmlessly.

“She's safe and is coming back to us!” Echo replied as he took a shot at a Drakear that had begun to open its mouth, but not all the way so the blast deflected off. Tore had told them while they were climbing down into the cave that Omega was coming back with Nara and Infersel, and asked them not to shoot the girls if at all possible, for Infersel was carrying them back. “Our focus should be on staying alive!”

Hunter had to concede that point and saw the flames growing closer to their spot. “Plan 46!” They all nodded, with Wrecker groaning more, and fired their grappling hooks into the branches of a nearby tree and swung across while dropping smoke bombs to obscure the view of the Drakears while they made their escape. They made it safely and then moved to other branches to shoot at another tree and swung to that one. Then the third group of Drakears showed up and fired at the tree, the fames were closer to them than the first time.

“We have a Drakear about to ram the tree!” Tech cried out as they were disengaging their hooks. They took hold of a branch as the tree shook from the impact with the cracks going up the trunk, but it still stood. However, their hooks were flung out of their hands and they quickly saw that they were sitting ducks.

“We need to get out of this tree!” Crosshair yelled before Hunter could.

“I think I have a solution!” Tech called from another branch while working on his data pad. “A Drakears sense of hearing is fifteen times stronger than people, so I conclude that a high pitch frequency will irritate them to give us time to make a move to the closest branch.” After a few clicks on his data pad a noise akin to a dog whistle shot through the speakers and the drakears started to back off from the tree with growls and shaking heads. Tech looked up at Hunter and saw that he wasn't bothered by the noise and they both took another mental note of what the substance did. “It appears to be working!”

“Appears” was the key word apparently, for they were all launched from the tree as the second king from the first pack slammed into the tree. The drakears and the ground quickly approached them and they all braced for impact, only for the air to change directions and grow hot. They looked up and saw the crimson dragon right above them, who looked larger than before, with his hands holding Omega and Nara, who had her arms stretched out towards them, as a sign that she was holding them up with the Force. Omega waved down at them with a big grin on her face. Hunter suddenly remembered all that transpired before blacking out and felt his panic turn up. “Omega!” Hunter yelled over the wind.

“Infersel, roll now!” Nara shouted. She looked like she was straining to hold them all up. Still flying through the air, Infersel rolled their body until they were upside down and the batch was over them. Then Nara dropped the men onto the dragon, who removed their hands from holding the females so that Omega ran to Hunter who held her tightly. Then Nara yelled, “Keep moving until you reach a spine and hold onto it!” Infersel rolled again and the batch plus the females moved until they came to the spines and held on as Infersel dropped down onto the first group of Drakears and blasted them away with what the batch could guess was also the Force. The beasts laid stunned on the ground as Infersel landed and rolled the body of the king away to reveal Tore.

“Took you lot long enough!” Tore shouted from the ground.

Inferno lifted him up with a deep throated laugh. “Look who needs the help now?”

Tore was dropped off at Nara's side who quickly grabbed him and he looked worn out, being ripped, bloody, and burned. “Hey, I still need to have a word with you two after this! Now head back to the tree to retrieve their equipment and droid.”

Infersel turned to go back to the tree and both spoke. “If you don't die before then.” Hunter was confused. Why did he hear two voices coming out of the dragon?

“Hey, I die when I choose to die!” Tore snapped. The drakears roared and whimpered awake as Infersel rose from the ground and flew off again.

Then Echo jumped in from two spines down. “Your injuries need to be looked at if you want to disprove the dragon’s point.”

“They're mostly superficial!” Tore smiled back, only to groan in discomfort.

“That means he broke something.” Nara shook her head.

“Are you Nara?” Asked Hunter over the wind.Nara smiled pleasantly and bowed her head. “Looks like you lot have done your research.”

“You didn't hurt Omega did you?” Hunter glared up at her.Nara glared back down at him with her smile disappearing.

“Watch your tone sir!” She said sharply. “I did no such thing to the girl. If anything, she was the assailant.” Hunter looked down at Omega who looked away sheepishly and he hugged her tighter. Nara watched the men and saw their looks of approval, relief, and their posture relax a bit. Her eyes softened. Brothers indeed. “You taught her well.” Hunter looked back up at her and nodded his thanks.

They all snapped their heads back up at Infersel’s roar, which was a little higher pitched than what they were used to hearing, indicating that Russell was in charge of the body, as they all descended down to the tree. The Drakears roared back at them and some breathed out fire, only for it to be blocked by the Force. “Back up!” Russell commanded the beasts. They only moved closer. The horn on Russell’s head glowed as sparks jumped off the body and the boy repeated himself rather angrily. “I said BACK UP!” A shockwave went through the dragon's body causing everyone to slip, and the wave sped off through the forest hitting the drakears on the way. The beasts looked stunned for a moment before they slowly obeyed his command.

The batch, while regaining their holds on the spines, watched in wonder as the drakears moved away from the dragon as they drew closer to their equipment and Gonky. One king tried to take a step closer with a deep throated growl, only for Russell to send the shock wave back at him with bared teeth. The king begrudgingly moved away but didn't look like he was planning on leaving. “So this was what Hondo was talkin about?” Wrecker whistled.

“It appears so.” Hunter commented.

“Let's grab the stuff and head back to their ship.” Tore spoke between his teeth, his breathing becoming more ragged. Nara's hold around him tightened and she looked worried. He shook his head and held out his hand to the supplies as if to start picking them up, but his hand dropped as he slumped over and nearly fell off the dragon.

“Tore!” Nara yelled as she held up her friend with the Force. “Infersel, grab their equipment!”

“That we will do.” Both the boy and the dragon spoke, rather robotically. All of the batches' equipment and Gonky were lifted up into the air and they quickly flew away from the tree and back to the Havoc Marauder.

“Why are we going back to the ship?” Echo asked over the wind.

“Infersel is going to fix it!” Nara shouted back.

“How are they going to accomplish that?” Tech asked, looking dubious.

“Reverse Time.” Nara answered.

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