#more hen enough info

[psalm40speakstome]

Killian Jones may be just about to lose his place as my most favorite pirate

[pomefioredove]

Could I HCs for the headmasters (or only Riddle, Leona and Azul) reacting to one of their students asking to be transferred to ramshackle? like a small club of Yuu admirers :3

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Yuu Admirer Club!

I misread this the first time and thought it was yuu transferring to THEIR dorms but, actually, I like this better. this is fun

summary: yuu admirer club :) type of post: headcanons characters: riddle, leona, azul, vil additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu

seeing as Heartslabyul hasn't had an expulsion, transfer, or dropout since Riddle became housewarden, this comes as...

...quite a shock

he thought Ace had been joking at first

or annoying him on purpose...

and then he comes down to the lounge one morning with his bags packed and a forged letter from Crowley

despite Riddle's strong feelings towards you

(and they are strong)

he's still offended!

all of the loving and tender discipline he's given, and Ace just leaves?

well, he can't stand for that

Riddle marches to Ramshackle, ready for heads to roll, but before he can even knock, you're there, dragging Ace and his things to the door

"oh, thank goodness. TAKE HIM BACK!"

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Leona doesn't even notice that Jack has been missing until he passes the spelldrive disc at morning practice and there's no one there to catch it

more of a "huh" reaction

then he forgets about it, takes a nap, and only remembers to ask Ruggie the next morning

"he's been gone for two weeks. he moved to Ramshackle, remember?"

Ramshackle? weird choice, but okay

Jack has always been a little... strange

Leona's reaction is more or less, "huh. nice kid. oh, well,"

but after that, he starts seeing you and Jack together more and more

and he starts to feel... weirdly jealous

it's like he's rubbing it in Leona's face

taking up all your time, always making you smile and laugh...

Jack was never that funny at Savanaclaw

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

it takes Azul at least three days to start worrying about Floyd

he and his brother are known to disappear at random

then, the Mostro Lounge has to open an hour late because someone didn't show up for his morning shift

now Azul suddenly can't remember the last time he saw Floyd at the Lounge

after a brief manhunt, he finds Floyd all cozied up on your couch, in your slippers, with a mug of hot chocolate

great

"you cannot transfer dorms by avoiding your old one!"

"exemption!" Floyd says. is he also wearing your robe? "I'm simply a part of the Yuu Admirer Club"

Azul rolls his eyes

...and drags Floyd back to the lounge

after all, if there was such a club, Azul would have been the first to hear of it

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Vil can feel something is off even before Epel is late

and, as always, he's right

Epel misses curfew, and Vil sets out on a mission like a mother hen missing a chick

of course, he knows just where he's hiding

and he lets himself in unannounced

"Epel, here. now,"

the poor boy looks like he's seen a ghost

you're not even involved in the conversation, but Vil's tone alone is enough to send a chill down your spine

"but- but- I got permission! this is the Yuu Admirer Club!"

Vil, of course, has no patience for this

"I gave you no such permission, and there is no such club,"

you can admire them on your own time like the rest of us, he thinks

luckily, Epel is saved

he's not the only member of the club, after all

"now, judge not so quick, dear Roi du Poison! does our admiration for our Trickster not exemplify that of a club?"

"wh- Rook?"

[fluentmoviequoter]

A Family at Your Side

Requested Here!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x shy!paramedic!fem!Buckley!reader

Summary: You, Evan Buckley's sister, are a paramedic with the 118. When you're called to a fire, it quickly becomes a crime scene when someone opens fire on you. Your boyfriend Tim Bradford and your fire station family have to work together to save you.

Warnings: angst, fluff, injuries (r is shot), depiction of arson/shooting, lots of teasing. [While r is Evan's sister, I don't put anything specific in here past some teasing, so it could be viewed as adoptive or some other relationship dynamic!]

Word Count: 2.6k+ words

A/N: I've only seen a few episodes of 911 (season 1), so I hope my characterization of them isn't completely terrible. I really like this dynamic though; it's so fun and complex!!

Masterlist | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

Picture from Pinterest

“There’s no escape,” you whisper under your breath, desperately wishing for some relief.

“Oh, c’mon, we’re not that bad,” Buck replies, knocking his fist against your shoulder. “We’re better than the cop.”

“In every way!” Hen adds, smiling at you. “Why you started dating him is one of the two things I will never understand about you.”

“What’s the other?” you ask.

“How you-“ she turns to point to Buck as she continues, “and him are related. He can’t shut up and you can’t make eye contact.”

“I got all the good genes,” Buck explains, smiling.

“Yet none of the smarts,” Hen argues, pressing her lips together as she tilts her head.

“Or looks,” Nash calls from his place in the kitchen. “Now if you’re done bothering her, can someone set the table?”

You stand to help, and Nash points a spatula at you as he says, “Not you. You do it all the time. Make your brother do something for once.”

“She has no power over me!” Buck yells dramatically. “I have leverage. Like that time she-“

Chimney hits the back of his head, telling him to stop, as your chin drops to your chest. The alarm goes off before you can wonder which embarrassing story he was planning to use, and as you rush to the ambulance with Hen, you’re glad Chimney stopped him. Their attention was bad enough without him divulging your personal information.

✯✯✯✯✯

“This is a suspected arson, meets the MO of a few previous fires. We need that fire out before the police get here so they can get in,” Nash announces.

“Anyone inside?” Hen asks.

As Nash answers, someone screams in pain, and you look at Nash. He hesitates before nodding, and you grab your bag before running into the clear side of the duplex.

“Los Angeles Fire and Rescue,” you call. “Is anyone in here?”

“Yes! I need help!” a man yells from the back of the dwelling.

Rushing through, you radio to the rest of the 118 that you’re looking for an injured resident.

“We can’t get the fire under control,” Buck answers, his voice tight. “You need to get out of there.”

“I see him. Keep trying, Buck. Sir, are you injured?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he answers shakily. “I smelled the smoke and- and I have asthma, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from, and I was scared to leave.”

“Okay, take a deep breath, sir. I’m a paramedic, so I’m going to get you out of here and then we’ll make sure your airways are clear. Do you understand?”

He nods but refuses when you gesture for him to stand.

“It’s on fire!” he argues.

“Sir, we have a clear track to the front door, but the fire will spread with the Santa Anas blowing outside, so we need to go now,” you explain.

Something crashes outside, and you pull the man to his feet.

“Get out of there! If I don’t see you in ten seconds, I’m coming in after you,” Buck radios.

“We’re coming, Buck,” you answer, pulling the man along.

More sirens become audible as you reach the door, the fire much closer to the front of the building. Several police cars approach, and you breathe a sigh of relief. The man stops, and you turn toward him quickly.

“Sir, we’re almost there,” you remind him, pointing to the ambulance.

“He’s still out here!”

“Who?” you ask, your voice quieting again as the adrenaline wears off.

“The man who set the fire!”

You freeze, a sudden cold rush contrasting the heat from the fire.

“Where is he?”

“I- I don’t know.”

A shot rings through the air, and you drop to the small porch, pulling the man behind the railing beside you. The fire is moving toward you, but with no idea of where that shot came from, you can’t move and risk your life and this man’s.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Everybody down!” Nash yells, ducking behind the truck.

“7-Adam-19, shots fired at my location. LAFD 118 and LAPD in need of backup, dispatch air support for possible sniper,” Tim calls, kneeling behind his shop before rushing to the fire truck.

“She’s still up there,” Buck calls, squatting behind the ambulance with Hen.

“Who?”

Buck and Nash look at each other and then Tim, and he immediately knows they’re talking about you.

“Backup is on the way, but we can’t do anything yet,” Tim explains.

“Bradford, the fire is spreading, we can’t stop it with this wind!” Nash adds.

“Or a sniper taking shots at us!” Buck yells. He drops his head to his radio to ask, “Sis, you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. What’s going on?”

“Bradford and Thorsen are here, they called for backup but we can’t do anything until-“

Another shot cuts him off, and you move back against the railing.

“Talk to me!” Buck yells into his receiver.

“I’m okay, Buck,” you reply quietly. “Our- uh- our guy passed out after working himself up, so…”

“He’s not our primary concern right now,” Buck responds.

“Careful,” you warn, your voice nearly inaudible.

“No, I happen to agree,” Nash adds to the conversation.

Tim pulls Chimney’s radio from his chest to say, “I do too. You take care of you, and we’ll worry about him when we can get up there.”

The radio stays quiet, and Tim looks around the end of the truck. He can’t see you, but knowing you’re out of sight and safe makes him feel better.

“Uh, Tim?” Aaron asks. “Eyes on our shooter.”

Tim turns quickly, looking up. He sees the end of the rifle, and when it lowers suddenly, he doesn’t think before yelling at you.

“Stay down!” he screams.

You drop lower, your face to the concrete as the shooter releases several rounds, making a line of bullet holes across the front of the duplex. The fire is moving slowly, but it’s still closing in on your hiding place.

The cold feeling hasn’t gone away, and as you look at the unconscious man at your side, you can only hope to make it out alive.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Where is your backup?” Buck asks Tim, leaning forward to look past Hen.

“Still a minute out. Aaron and I are going to go through that building, find a way to the roof,” Tim answers.

“Be careful. We all care about the woman stuck back there,” Nash reminds him.

Aaron and Tim nod before moving between the shop and the fire truck, rushing to the main entrance and entering quietly.

“Go left, I’ll go right,” Tim whispers.

As they move up the stairs, Tim hears their backup and the airship approaching. He hopes that the shooter doesn’t do anything stupid when he sees the police and gestures for Aaron to go faster.

“LAPD, put the weapon down!” an officer demands over the speaker of the airship.

“Thorsen, go!” Tim yells, kicking the door open to walk onto the roof.

The man turns the rifle up, shooting toward the helicopter before it moves. Aaron and Tim approach from different sides, and when the gun suddenly drops and the man begins emptying his ammunition toward you, Tim doesn’t hesitate to shoot.

“7-Adam-19, suspect is down,” Aaron radios. “Tim, go get her.”

Nodding, Tim stands, rushing down the stairs and out into the road. The fire has worsened, and the 118 is still in place.

Evan sees Tim and clenches his jaw, stepping toward Tim to yell, “This is your fault! It’s all on you!”

 Tim’s brows furrow, looking to Nash for more information.

“She’s, uh- she’s not responding to the radio calls, and we can’t get up there until we get part of the fire out, enough to get through with our gear,” Nash explains.

“You should have brought enough backup to begin with or gone up there sooner!” Buck continues.

“You think I don’t know that?” Tim snaps. “But she was already stuck when I got here, so work on getting to her and getting her safe, and then you can get mad at me!”

“And if it’s too late?” Buck demands, his chest heaving in anger.

Tim looks away, and Buck moves forward quickly, causing Nash and Chimney to lunge forward and hold him back.

“I’ll kill you if we’re too late!”

“Buck!” Tim yells, walking to him. “I know this is my fault and if she doesn’t make it, her blood is on my hands. I’m sorry, I really am, but there is nothing I can do now except keep people back so you can get this fire out and find out if- and make sure she is okay.”

Buck relaxes slightly, pushing Chimney and Nash off of him.

“Let’s get her out!” Nash calls, directing everyone to their positions.

✯✯✯✯✯

The man beside you groans as you tug him further against the wall. You’re caged in against the fire, and you dropped your radio, watching it burn as you kept your head down.

When water sprays onto your face, a steady stream coming from the street, you force a smile, hoping to get out, get warm, and hug your brother and Tim for as long as you can before they make you shy away from them. You love them for it, you remember, reminding yourself to think happy thoughts.

“Where’s the ambulance?” the man slurs before coughing.

“Just a minute, sir, keep your head down and breathe.”

The fire is driven back by two hoses, and when several feet are clear on the side of the railing, people begin yelling.

“Sis! Can you hear me?” Buck asks loudly, appearing in his turnout gear a moment later.

“Get him to the ambulance,” you reply, standing shakily as he pulls the man over his shoulder.

You walk into the small yard, looking for Tim. The persistent cold feeling is just beginning to concern you, and when you grow dizzy and stop in the yard, you realize that something is wrong. Raising your hands to press against your stomach, you begin to run through a mental list of potential injuries.

“Hey, hey, gorgeous, c’mon, we got to get back,” Tim calls as he jogs to your side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you murmur, ducking away from his hands on your face.

“Good,” Tim replies, laying his hand on your upper back and directing you to the curb.

“You got lucky,” Buck grumbles, joining your other side across from Tim.

“We all did our jobs, Buck, she’s safe, just leave it,” Tim says lowly.

“No thanks to you!” Buck responds, stepping forward.

You recognize the look in his eyes, an anger he seems to reserve for you. Without thinking, you move a hand from your navel and push it against Buck’s chest to stop him. He and Tim look at your bloody hand before yelling your name as you tip back.

Buck catches you, lowering you onto the grass as he rips your shirt open.

“Hen!” he screams, a pained, guttural sound that draws the attention of the entire 118.

Hen sees you on the ground, unconscious between Buck and Tim, and rushes to you, her bag thrown over her shoulder.

“GSW,” she decides quickly, looking at your stomach, a mess of tattered fabric and blood. “Roll her over, carefully.”

Tim keeps his hands on your side, helping Buck tip you onto one side as Hen runs her hand down your spine.

“No exit wound, we need to go. Now.”

Leaning back, Tim gives Buck room to lift you, running to the ambulance as fast as possible.

“Are you coming?” he yells, raising his arms as he looks at Tim.

“Go!” Nash, Chimney, Aaron, and newly arrived Nolan yell.

Tim nods, rushing into the ambulance and sitting as it lurches into motion.

“I didn’t mean it,” Buck says, looking at you while he speaks to Tim. “It’s not your fault, but I can’t- I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t. We won’t,” Tim promises.

Hen works quickly, muttering under her breath about needing your help.

✯✯✯✯✯

When you open your eyes, you first notice the unmistakable feeling of someone looking at you and touching your side, a gentle touch as fingers drag up and down your skin.

“Is he okay?” you ask, blinking against the harsh light above you.

“The man from the duplex?” Buck asks. “Yeah, he’s fine. Had an asthma attack and then a few panic attacks, but he’s good. You- you got shot and didn’t tell anyone.”

Tipping your head down, you’re surprised he’s standing at the end of your bed. This means the fingers on your exposed side belong to…

“Tim,” you whisper, glancing at him.

“You scared us, baby,” he replies softly, spreading his warm hand over your skin.

He smiles when your muscles tense beneath him, but it quickly disappears when you groan in pain.

“I didn’t mean not to tell you,” you say quietly, pinching the blanket between your fingers. “I didn’t know I got shot.”

“That’s kinda- that’s pretty epic, really,” Buck says, laying his hand on your foot. “Makes a good party story.”

“I don’t go to parties,” you grumble.

“I mean for me,” he replies happily.

“Are you two fighting?” you ask, looking between them.

“No,” they answer together, both squeezing you reassuringly.

“We were scared and upset, didn’t have anywhere else to take it out,” Buck explains with a shrug. “He’s just lucky you stopped me from hitting him. I would’ve removed him from active duty for six weeks minimum.”

“You wish,” Tim scoffs.

“Stop,” you say, chuckling when they look shocked at your bold demand. “Please.”

“You were in surgery for a long time,” Tim tells you. “How’s your pain?”

“It’s fine, manageable. I mean, I can feel it now, but it’s not too bad.”

You glance down, your brows furrowing as you realize why you could feel Tim’s skin directly on yours.

“Wondering where your hospital gown is?” Tim asks, a smile you know all too well on his face. “I put in a special request.”

“Gross. That’s my sister,” Buck interjects. When you look at him with wide eyes, he sighs and fills you in: “They couldn’t get to your stomach well enough with one on. If you want to cover up, we’ll make sure you’re comfortable.”

“It’s okay,” you reply, gently tugging the band of your sports bra down.

“More than okay,” Tim says, quiet enough that Buck can’t hear.

You look away quickly, and Buck makes a ‘tsk’ sound.

“The shooter is in custody,” Tim says, giving you a break from his ‘abuse.’

“Will I have to testify or anything?” you whisper.

“No,” Tim and Buck answer together.

Buck pulls his phone from his pocket, nodding before shaking your ankle, his hand still resting on you.

“I have to go, we’ve got a call, but when we’re done, everyone wants to come by,” he says.

You nod. “Be careful. I love you.”

“Love you, sis!”

Looking at Tim’s chest rather than his face, he takes the chance to tease you. “Maybe you should get a shirt before your team gets here.”

“Get out,” you mumble. “Or give me yours.”

“Whoa! You get shot once and become a whole new person.”

“Wasn’t worth it.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Tim replies, taking your hand. “And I’m sorry that I couldn’t do anything to keep it from happening.”

“’S not your fault.”

Turning your attention back to the blanket, Tim asks, “You get this shy with your patients?”

“No. But they’re not as pushy.”

“Hey,” Tim calls, using his hand to gently turn your chin toward him. “I love you. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I love you, too. Thanks for being here through all of it.”

“Try to get rid of me.”

“I do. You never listen.”

Tim laughs, loud and happy, and you smile, turning your face into his arm where it holds your hand, glad he’s at your side, and you have a whole team, a family, to be with you through everything.

[peppermintquartz]

The Guy Who Knows a Guy

--

"We need you to move from here," Bobby says, pointing to the grate in the ceiling, "through the ventilation, and up."

"Too narrow," Chimney grunts after he takes a peek from standing on Buck's shoulders.

As he lets Chimney to the floor, Buck doesn't even bother to volunteer. His shoulders are too broad. "Hang on, I'll call Tommy."

"Tommy? He's flexible but I don't think he can go through that," Chimney begins to say, but Buck waves his brother-in-law silent.

"Hey, Evan."

"Hey Tommy. Listen, don't ask, but we need a contortionist. You know a guy in L.A.?"

"Sure do. I'll send his work contact over. Love you."

"Love you too, bye." Buck ends the call and then sees the looks on both Bobby's and Chimney's faces. "What? He knows a guy. We'll get into that office and get what we need and get out."

--

Karen wishes she majored in entomology. Then she'll know what to do about these goddamn ants that have suddenly colonized her office and no amount of bug spray or traps or bait seem to get rid of.

"And I'm bloody terrified one of them will hitchhike on me and I bring them home and the next thing I know I'm plagued by them in my own bed," she rants over a glass of white wine.

Hen sighs. "She has become way too spray-happy with the insecticide in the house."

Tommy shrugs. "I know a guy. He got rid of termites in my yard. Five years on, termite free. I'll send you his work number and drop him a message. His work is a little pricey but he'll give you a discount for me, I recommend clients to him all the time."

"Really? Thank you, you are a blessing," Karen gushes, and then turns to wag a finger in Buck's face. "Do not lose this one, you hear me?"

Buck sips on his own wine. "I don't plan to."

--

Athena folds her arms and directs a nonplussed stare at the folder in front of her. She doesn't usually bring work home, especially when she has guests, but sometimes there's just no way around it. Bobby's still cooking with Buck acting as sous chef - they are bonding - so Tommy's playing her sounding board as she talks through the case, obfuscating the more sensitive details.

"There's no way she didn't hear the scream," she says.

Tommy frowns. Attractive and he listens well, Athena thinks approvingly. "Well, I don't know enough about acoustics to provide insights, but I know a guy, he works as a sound engineer and he studied acoustics for concert halls or something. You want his info?"

"That would be a lifesaver, thank you," Athena says, reaching across the table to grasp Tommy's hand.

--

"This is so stupid," Eddie grunts as he comes out of the bathroom, completely sodden and annoyed about it. "A firehouse full of competent people, and not a single one of us knows how to fix a broken pipe?"

Bobby, Hen, Chimney and Buck turn to look at Tommy, who's resting his (very nice) ass against Buck's jeep.

Tommy raises his eyebrows, his forehead wrinkling. "What?"

"I'll Google for a plumber," Bobby says, sighing.

[catmomjudy]

There were lots of posts over Father’s Day about Buck and Bobby’s father/son relationship (with the 911onabc Instagram actually presenting them as father and son alongside the more traditional father/child relationships on the show).

Bobby has been pretty much acknowledged as Buck’s “Dad Who Stepped Up” in canon:

(GIFs: @neverevan, @kenneth-black) I collected this info for a reblog I did the other day, but I figured it was deserving of its own (expanded) post.

Up until 6x11, Buck and Bobby’s relationship was fairly accepted but never stated outright. Fans accepted it as part of the “family you choose” vibe of 9-1-1 (as stated outright by Eddie in 3x11). But many signs were pointed out (similar to the way fans point out hints in the relationship between Buck and Eddie):

The way Bobby gives Buck chance after chance, right from the start (1x01), going back and forth between compassion and “tough love”

The way Buck gets under Bobby’s skin—“I made you mad” as Coma-Buck says in 06x11—when he’s doing his best to keep everyone away (S1)

Bobby helping Buck learn to tie a tie (1x06)

The way Bobby jumps on a suicide bomber to save Buck (2x18)

Bobby’s extreme and emotional reactions during the lawsuit arc (S3a).

Et cetera, et cetera.

But what about Athena?

I often see “Athena being Buck’s mom” on lists of things that make people DNR a fic. And I get it: Some fics push it to the point of overt mush, and also tend to be the same fics that woobify Buck (who, as I’ve posted before, is a real, live Adult). And “mush” and Athena Grant don’t really jive.

But I think something “Athena is not Buck’s mom” complainants also forget is that Athena is BOBBY’S WIFE. And she seems to be fully cognizant of how Bobby feels about Buck. So, she quite often makes efforts to support and nurture that relationship.

And Athena rocks the step-mom vibe with Buck pretty well. It’s just more subtle (kind of like it was with Bobby until 6x11, as outlined above):

(Gif: @neverevan, @mattoidmeerkat)

7x03: Why Buck? Why does she specify “Buck” in this instant, if it’s not to imply “If your boy could see you now!”

3x14: This is one instance (I think the dumpster diving with Taylor in 4x11 is the other, and there may be more that I’m not remembering), but, just like with Bobby and Michael, Athena has that “Mom Radar” going and has a habit of catching Buck up to no good. And that look isn’t “Cop Face.” It’s classic “Mom Glare” with a side of “I’m Very Disappointed In You Young Man.”

(Gif: @mattoidmeerkat; Photo: Official still)

6x11: Athena is the only one other than Chris who gets to give a true speech to Coma Buck. The step-mom and the step-son.

2x10: Buck at family Christmas dinner at Athena’s house. And remember that Hen was/is Athena’s best female friend, so Hen and Karen being there isn’t necessarily related to the firehouse. So, Buck has been invited to his captain’s fiancée’s house for Christmas dinner with his captain’s fiancée’s family.

And there’s more!

In 3x04 (the Dinner from Hell), Athena is the one to invite Buck:

Bobby: I still can't believe that you invited him without talking to me first.

Athena: I just wanted him to know that no matter what, he's still family. Thought dinner would give you two time to work things out.

And in 3x10, Athena is the one who Buck calls about the Christmas party. He obviously felt comfortable enough with her at this point to do that:

Bobby: Athena, what are you doing here?

Athena: We came to save you. Someone said you were ordering takeout for Christmas dinner.

Buck: I did vote for turkey. ( Laughs )

(Dialogue from: https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/)

(Gif: @fireladybuckley)

It should also be obvious from the above gif that that extremely cute photo/gif of Buck from 3x10 that people like to post (and gush over) is Buck’s expression when he’s greeting ATHENA.

Also note that 3x10 is also the ep where Buck first outright stated his feelings for Bobby, so showing his comfort with Athena (and his bashfulness and happiness at being thanked and complimented by her) right next to this is quite telling.

(Gif: @mattoidmeerkat)

🤷🏻‍♀️

(Gif: @fireladybuckley)

[screamintoad]

yuusona/self insert Rory Queens

“Back home I was deemed a witch but, being here? Why, it’s incredible.”

Voice claim: Lyney-Genshin Impact

Character info

  He’s typically pessimistic and sarcastic but he doesn’t mean to be. At least, not to everyone. It’s a defense mechanism for him in a way. When he was first transported to Twisted Wonderland he was pretty mean to a lot of the other students but over time his shell got cracked and he began to actually relax in the strange environment. Staying at Ramshackle before it got cleaned and fixed up caused his health issues to flare up so he more often than not would bunk at Heartslabyul. 

  He grew up in a strict household with many heavy expectations placed on him as the eldest sibling. Often times he would argue with his parents about what he wants for himself and his future but they only paid attention to the parts they wanted to hear. They were definitely not fans of his “witchy” hobbies. For a long time before coming to Twisted Wonderland he felt an immense feeling of loneliness. Sure he was around people and he thinks he had friends but he always had to be careful. Careful with what he said and did, constantly gauging others reactions. Whenever he was free from school and chores he would head to the stables he went riding at and spend as much time as possible there. Any time away from home was a gift to him.

Fun facts: The tarot card deck he brought with him was able to be enchanted so he can use them to cast spells. He joined the Pop Music club when Lilia saw him strumming a guitar that was left in the club room, Lilia insisted to hear him play more and soon enough he was a member. He misses his horse so if he’s not busy then he’ll stop by and help at the Equestrian club. He feels immense guilt for preferring Twisted Wonderland over his home world. 

Basic info

Age: 17

Height: 166cm, 5’5 (out of platforms)

B-day: June 29th (Cancer)

Dominant hand: Right

Family: Unnamed mother and father, 2 younger sisters, and a younger brother

Nickname: Zebra shark (Floyd)

1st year

Class A

Club: Mainly the Pop Music club but if he’s not too busy he likes stopping by the Equestrian club

Best subject: History

Hobbies: Drawing, creative writing, and studying different types of magic

Pet peeve: Struggling to ignore people who get under his skin

Favorite food: Sweets. He’s a fiend to Trey

Least favorite food: Anything sour

Talent: Observing his surroundings and others reactions

Character dynamics

Grim: Lil stinky guy. Seriously though Grim did get on his nerves at first but now they’re that one Rosa Diaz meme with the puppy.

Riddle: Princess and the Pauper frfr, besides Ace and Deuce, him and Rory became friends quickly after his overblot. It was Riddle who was able to help him get used to school life at NRC.

Cater: An unlikely friendship where they realized how similar they are. Cater helps him become more outgoing and Rory helps him with not hiding his real feelings.

Lilia: That duo that need to be separated. They can’t be left unattended or something bad is bound to happen. They share a lot of common interests and Rory loves hearing about his time as a general. 

Vil: Mother hen with an ugly gosling. They first met after Rory had a Mental Breakdown and decided to chop his hair, Vil was not a fan. He fixed his hair himself and they formed an unlikely friendship.

Azul: They did not get along at first, like at all. With the events of Book 3 Rory assumed that he was an egotistical and selfish person but, following Book 4 he started seeing through the charade he puts up. Rory begs to see his merform one day.

No the formatting will never stay the same, it’s impossible for me to make things cohesive and he’s bound to change as time goes on

[milkteaarttime]

CoD Ghosts OC: Latte Info!

I made a little more lore for her character, I hope this allows everyone to get to know her better.

General

Name: Latte/ShuXin Wong

Age/Birthdate: 24, born in March, 2003 

Eye Colour: Dark brown

Hair Colour: Black

Hairstyle: whatever shaggy mess she cut for herself(short wolf cut?)

Height: 5’3 on a good day

Body/Build: Top heavy, slight muscle tone from doing Pilates and lifting heavy patients.

Blood type: O positive

Profession: Nurse

Childhood/Life 

Latte, born ShuXin, was born in a city hospital to an average Chinese couple. Her family immigrated to Canada when she was a baby due to her mother being pregnant again during the one-child policy. Her life in Canada wasn’t lavish but it was decent for her little family. She had a talent and love for singing. Her mother also loved singing, and upon realizing her talents, placed her in singing lessons. Latte was hoping to become a singer of sorts in adulthood. She grew up helping her parents in their restaurant. And she also cared for her little brother, Viktor. As the eldest, she was pinned down by a lot of expectations and unfortunately became parentified quite heavily by her parents and circumstances. 

ODIN

When Latte was 14, her entire family was caught in the unfortunate event of ODIN during a Vacation down to Seattle, Washington. They weren't in the direct area that was hit, but near enough that her parents died from the complications and Latte and her brother were moderately injured. She was later sent back to Canada with her brother to live with a family friend, but she had to stop her extracurriculars due to financial reasons. 

Professional Experience

Latte did an LPN program for nursing in Canada, She transferred to the States to be near her brother, Viktor, who is in the military. When she was transferred down to the States, the healthcare system was quite literally in shambles and there were a ton of employment opportunities. The healthcare system is low on nurses, doctors, and other essential staff alike, especially in the military. Many nurses and care aides also quit because they can’t handle the intense workload anymore, causing more shortages. She still dreams of singing but knows that it's unrealistic, you can find her singing quietly while she charts when there's a rare moment of downtime. 

Personality

Friendly and patient, she has a great professional front, but can occasionally seem anxious when deep in thought.

She rather knowledgeable and intelligent.

Tends to spiral and overthink when overwhelmed.

She's an extrovert. She loves meeting new people and has gotten a stern talking to by her manager because she would waste time interacting with the patients.

Yapper ™. Latte sometimes talks too much and accidentally lectures ppl

A saviour syndrome/mother hen. Latte’s upbringing causes her to feel like it is her life goal to make sure everyone else’s needs are met before hers. Her mother’s words “Make sure you are considerate to others.” Often echoes in her head. Making sure everyone around her is satisfied. Often mother or nag Viktor even in adulthood. Causing Viktor to be occasionally a little avoidant. She accidentally blurs the line between a sister and a mother a lot.

Apologizes for everything, but that's partially because she's Canadian. But it does give the impression that she doesn’t think highly of herself. 

Dynamic with Hesh

The first time they met, Latte thought he was adorable and had some butterflies in her belly but thought that was anxiety from Hesh holding her hand.  And the second time they met, the feelings came back, and she was stammering and struggling to concentrate. Especially when she saw his well-built body, all rationality out the window. Latte felt an indescribable connection with Hesh. A mutual understanding of struggles with expectations from parents, being the responsible one for the younger siblings, and carrying the will of the family. But never allowed to break down yourself. She's able to be vulnerable and open with Hesh. Confiding in each other about their struggles with finding themselves, and how they aren’t just someone's son/daughter or brother/sister. 

The only issue concern might be that Hesh is used to expressing his disapproval/demands since he is in the military. He is unaware of how intimidating he can come across. So he can be a little too direct and unconsciously make her anxious with his words and body language. On the other hand, Latte tends to hold back her complaints, but because Latte doesn’t express her needs or feelings, she tends to bottle up and then break down. 

Skills

She is a great singer, has a soothing and smooth voice and can put you to sleep with her singing. Also a great voice for emotional ballads or musical numbers. 

She is fast and efficient with her hands and is great at physical tasks with small or intricate details, due to her experience helping her parents in the restaurant. She is also a great cook because of this, but the downside is everything she cooks becomes Chinese or a Chinese fusion dish (not done on purpose).

Nursing skills since she is a nurse! Things like wound dressing, IV inserts, and medication admin. However, Her soft skills are where she shines. Her ability to de-escalate patients, comfort, and establish trust, and her bubbly personality make her the go-to person for unhappy patients and families. 

FUN FACTS

Tends to speak to herself in Chinese when alone. Often receiving weird looks.

Able to speak, sing, read, and write in her native tongue. Latte is very connected with her culture. Makes Chinese holiday foods for the team. 

Enjoys rock and upbeat music. She is an “any song as long as I vibe with it” type of music listener.

Had a weird edgy/emo phase from 13-15. Tried to teach herself how to metal scream. Ruined her voice for a week. 

Not great at math, and was banned from being a cashier at the restaurant. 

Very scary when actively angry. But the idea of her being openly angry is strange because no one in her professional life (Minus Lauren the manager and Viktor) has tasted her repressed and built-up wrath. 

She LOVES the fries and cheeseburger combo. A good cheeseburger with tomato, sweet pickled onion, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, regular pickles, and a side of nice crispy fries is all she wants sometimes

(Thanks for reading!! Any feedback is welcomed!! Thanks for all the love you guys showed me on my previous Fic and OC posts <3)

[gasping-ghostzes]

Back on my 9-1-1 grind! So here is my little info dump of what’s going on was of the most recent episode!!!

CW: for mentions and details of suicide

1- Bobby,

This man was literally plotting his suicide this episode, or more like acting on it? But first, when he handed in his resignation, I didn’t realise it until thinking about it after the episode finished, but that was his way of preparing the 118 of his absence. Him retiring and having the LAFD be able to replace him with another captain wouldn’t be seen as suspicious especially given his age (no shade to him ❤️) but also just what he’s been thru in recent years. Like the moments of him interacting with the characters one on one and giving them little bits of unjudgmental advice and praise really kind of confirmed it. Also the part where Buck thanks him, and he’s like “it’s been my pleasure kid”, just seemed so off to me, not that it’s outside of Bobby’s character to say that, but the scene of it playing out… u could tell shit was gonna get bad

2- Hen!

I clocked it the moment I saw the lady on screen and the moment Mara and Denny was like “oh yeah, our mums r gonna adopt Mara!” And I could just tell that this lady was gonna pull her strings to stop that from happening! But also, to me, the things that was used as evidence as to why Hem and Karen shouldn’t be allowed to adopt Mara was such blatant bias. Like I know that Hen hasn’t been known to always follow the rules, but she done it with the intent and knowledge that doing it will give her patients a fighting chance, more of a chance than letting them die because she was too strict on following the rules.

3- Eddie…

So, Edmundo? Yeah he needs to go get proper help…

However, ppl saying that his love of Shanon is out of character completely, aren’t thinking about what we know about Eddie hard enough. One, he only got married to Shanon because he got her pregnant and it was advised by his church that it’s the right thing to do… but it was the same with Shanon, she was pregnant and likely had been given thw same advice. But they were both decently young when Christopher was born, so the fact that they held their religion values so close, may have been the reason they never wanted a divorce even after having a more than clear dysfunctional life. But after Shanon died, Eddie never had that option Yknow? Like when Shanon left, there was likely always a part of him that knew she’d come back around eventually because she and him both felt slightly obligated to do so, but that didn’t mean they didn’t live each other, it was just more than dysfunctional. So her death, to him was a permanent state of her never being able to come back for him and Chris to have closure and never continue the attempts of having the average family experience.

Two, Him seeing Kim, a woman who looks like his previous first love, and wanting to have some sort of relationship with her is unhealthy, but it makes sense… he’s claimed to be a “nester” and that’s what he does, so seeing a woman who looks exactly like what he envisioned as who he would “nest” with since he was young, was more than likely triggering.

Three, him never gaining that closure from Shanon and instead wanting to find it in Kim now means he’s able to live a literal delusion. One where he doesn’t exactly acknowledge that what they had was dysfunctional (ignore the word, I can’t find another to describe them accurately) and one where he can “fix” his mistakes. I think the only reason he misses Shanon and speaks of her so highly is because she was as close to a normal life he could get…

Like from what we knew about his life growing up, it definitely wasn’t the best. So him getting to fix that aspects and making sure to give Christopher better childhood. So him having this average, perfect marriage would’ve definitely been apart of him fabricating this perfect life that He, Christopher and Shanon all had is his way of coping how the majority of his life has been uncontrollable. Like Kim coming back with a new hair cut and style only made that fantasy worse. To him that’s not Kim, that’s a Shanon with the dysfunction, cause more than likely, Eddie didn’t tell Kim exactly how him and Shanon worked…

So seeing Kim as Shanon, a version of Shanon who has no “memory” of who she and Eddie were both separate and together was basically his shot at getting a second chance… which I know he isn’t gonna exactly convince himself that Kim is literally Shanon, but that’s not gonna stop him from projecting this skewed and inaccurate version of Shanon he wanted and needed in Kim

[inawickedlittletown]

You Can Find Me Where the Skies are Blue (BuckTommy fic) - 2/4

Summary:

Soulmates are rare. So rare that it's actually incredible that Buck has two soulmate couples in his life. Statistics tell him it's very unlikely for him to meet his soulmate. Of course, then he meets Tommy. Too bad it happens at the worst possible moment.

Canon compliant soulmate AU where Buck is still a mess and Tommy is still very understanding.

Words: 3,932

Ao3

Part One

-

Part Two

Tommy didn’t reach out. Then again, neither did Buck. 

It was just that…well, Tommy was his soulmate. He was a guy and he was Buck’s soulmate. Confusion, shock, and so many other things were going through him. In the moment, he had been so surprised that none of it had really sunk in. It hadn’t been until he was walking into his apartment that it actually dawned on him. 

He, Evan Buckley, had a soulmate. 

Prompt, immediate freak out. Tommy was a guy…a very attractive guy, but a guy nonetheless. He was older — Buck really didn’t care about age. He was a pilot and confident and cool and Buck was…well, he was Buck. A hot mess, a bit of a disaster. Tommy was a guy. 

Buck had never entertained the idea of even dating a man and now…well, now there was one that was supposed to be perfect for him. Buck didn’t even know what that meant. He hardly knew Tommy except that he was willing to risk it all to help them rescue Bobby and Athena and he deserved all the praise for it. Not only had he gone against the chief, but he’d doubled down by not listening to orders. He’d flown into a hurricane and landed on a capsized ship and then spent hours working to help get everyone off it to safety. If ever anyone could be called a hero…well, that was Tommy. 

It made absolutely no sense that he could be Buck’s soulmate. 

Logically, Buck knew that things would be clearer once he spoke to Tommy himself, but he was too nervous to take the leap and call. So, when he got a text from Hen asking if it was alright if she passed on his number to Tommy, he answered in the affirmative and figured when Tommy called, he would answer and they would go from there. 

Except, Tommy didn’t reach out. 

Not that first night, and not even the next day, when Buck was far too attentive to his phone. Even the call to the Bachelor’s mansion hadn’t been enough to keep Buck from pulling his phone out to see if he had missed a text or call. Eddie had looked at him strangely when he made up an excuse to not give any of the contestants the idea that Buck was available even though he kinda was. 

By then Buck thought that maybe Tommy wasn’t actually interested, which he supposed he couldn’t blame him for. Maybe he’d gotten some more info about Buck and decided it wasn’t worth it, that Buck wasn’t worth it. The tightness in his chest didn’t seem to want to go away despite everything he tried.

That night, he tossed and turned all night, waking up far too early and completely unsure of what to do. He needed Maddie. 

He made a stop at his usual coffee place first and then drove to Maddie’s. 

“What’s wrong, Buck?” Maddie asked as soon as she’d opened the door and turned on her heel to head back in, grabbing things as she went and stuffing them in her bag. 

“I brought coffee,” Buck said.

“Which saves me a trip. But what’s going on? I know you have a shift. Chim just left to take Jee to daycare. I’m supposed to be heading out too.” 

He knew his sister would drop everything if Buck really did need her. He didn’t think this would require it, but he did need her input. She had a special kind of understanding about soulmates. 

Buck hadn’t known for a long time that when he introduced Chim to Maddie that he was introducing two soulmates. It happened the day Buck asked Chim and Eddie to help move Maddie into her new apartment and then the two of them had started to hang out without telling anyone. It took weeks for Maddie to finally tell him and then right after that Doug showed up to make everything even more complicated. But in the end it had all worked out. She and Chim were amazing together and they had Jee to show for it as well. They were even getting married soon. 

“Um…what if I told you I met someone,” Buck said. 

“If this is about changing your invitation to add a plus one that’s a conversation for you and Chim,” Maddie said. “I gave all control of the seating chart to him.” 

“Ah…no. Well, maybe it’s about that. No…it’s—”

“You met someone,” Maddie said. “You meet people all the time.”

“This is…this is different,” Buck said. 

Maddie stopped and looked directly at him. “This someone is special?” 

“Yeah,” Buck said. “That’s…that’s one way to describe it.”

Maddie said nothing, just lifted her eyebrow at him. Buck was glad he’d brought the coffee along. It gave him something to hold onto. It gave Maddie something of payment for having to deal with Buck. 

Buck took a breath. “Maddie, I…I met my soulmate.” 

As hard as it was, getting the words out freed him. Someone other than him and Tommy knew. Maddie was gapping at him and he could tell that he’d shocked her, which wasn’t exactly easy. When that shock was suddenly gone, and instead she was grinning at him. Her eyes looked so shiny that it was possible she was going to start crying too. 

“Buck, that’s incredible,” she said. “How did it happen? When do I get to meet her?” 

“The night we went to rescue Bobby and Athena,” Buck said. “I haven’t even gotten to properly meet them. Too much was happening and now it’s been two days and I just haven’t heard from them so maybe they’re not interested.” 

Maddie frowned at him and then reached over and gave his arm a slap. “Seriously, Evan. You’ve kept this poor girl waiting for you to call? She’s your soulmate. Call her. And stop being in your head about things. And I want to meet her. I don’t care what Chim says, you have a plus one.” 

Buck didn’t know why he didn’t correct Maddie about the gender of his soulmate. He just didn’t have it in him to explain that aspect, not when she had the exasperated look that only came out when she thought he was being ridiculous. Maybe Buck was being ridiculous. 

“Fine,” Buck said.

“Good. Go on.” 

“Well I can’t do it while you’re staring at me. And I don’t actually have their number.”

Maddie let out a long sigh. “Do you want me to use dispatch resources to get it for you?” 

Buck shook his head at once. He had no doubt that she would find Tommy’s number immediately if he asked. 

“No. No. I just gotta ask Hen.”  

Maddie shook her head, taking a breath. The next time she looked at him, it was gentler. “Evan, I get it. You know how it was for me and Howie, but the thing about soulmates is that there is a deeper understanding. Not a failsafe or something that will prevent you from hurting each other, but a connection that makes being together not effortless, but certainly easier. For the longest time, Howie and I were just friends because that just made more sense. I know you haven’t had the best of luck with dating, but this is different. I am so happy for you. Truly.”

Her words were exactly what he’d needed. When she hugged him, he leaned into it. Growing up, it was Maddie he’d always turned to. Despite losing that for several years, that did remain now that she was back. He wanted nothing but to tell her about Tommy, to explain it wasn’t a girl…that it was a guy and that Buck — well, Buck didn’t know what it meant. He didn’t though…that would be a conversation for another day. 

They both headed out and Maddie gave him a pointed look as she got in her car. 

Buck didn’t call Hen. He figured it’d be pointless if they were both going to be at work. He immediately found her once he got to work and pulled her aside.

“You okay, Buck?”

“You gave Tommy my number, right?” he asked. 

“Uh, should I not have? You said it was fine,” Hen said looking more than a bit bemused. 

Buck saw her pull out her phone, and then laughed. “Actually…I guess it never sent.”

Something like relief went through him. Hen had never given Tommy his number…Tommy hadn’t reached out because he didn’t have Buck’s number. 

“Hen, can I have his number, please?” 

She eyed him suspiciously. “What’s going on, Buck?” 

He knew that she would give him the number if he asked again, that she would respect it if he told her he didn’t want to talk about it. Buck also knew that talking to Hen would make him feel better. It was a bit like how talking to Maddie had made certain aspects of it better. But he hadn’t told Maddie about Tommy despite how much he wanted to. It was bothering him a little that he hadn’t and that instead he’d just let her believe he’d met some woman. It almost felt like lying and Buck hated lying to anyone he really cared about. 

“You can’t tell anyone,” Buck said to begin with. “Especially not Chimney. He’ll just tell Maddie and I want to tell her myself.”  

“That seems a bit extreme, but alright,” Hen said, her face growing more concerned. “Should I be worried?” 

“No. No. It’s — okay, so the night we went to rescue Bobby and Athena, it was the first time I met Tommy.”

“Yeah, I know that.” 

Buck took a breath. “What you don’t know is…well, that Tommy’s my soulmate.” 

Saying out loud like that, with Tommy’s name in the mix, it left him elated. Buck hadn’t known how freeing it would be to voice it outloud, to have someone else hear it. To have someone else know. He knew he was smiling and it wouldn’t be a smile easy to be rid of. Hen was staring at him and then the next thing Buck knew, her arms were around his shoulders and he lifted his to wrap around her too. 

“I’m so happy for you, Buck,” Hen whispered, giving him a squeeze before she let him go.

“Thanks. I…well, clearly I haven’t talked to him since,” Buck said, ducking his head. “I mean…with everything that happened that night, there wasn’t really any time. I didn’t even…Hen, I’ve always liked women. I’ve never even kissed a guy, not ever.”

Hen pursed her lips. “You do have quite the history,” she said. 

Buck snorted. That was putting it nicely. 

“Come to think of it, I don’t know where Tommy would stand on this. Sexuality is not black or white, alright. I guess it comes down to what the both of you are comfortable with and if this a romantic connection or something different. That’s for the two of you to decide.”

“Right,” Buck said, nodding along. “I mean…I’ve always been an ally. And there are men I’ve thought…that I’ve looked at, checked out. That’s normal though, right? People are attractive and I notice things like that.”  

Hen’s mouth fell open, but then she chuckled. “Buck, I can’t tell you where you land on the Kinsey scale. I can tell you that I have never found men attractive past thinking someone is aesthetically pleasing. Wherever you land on that, I’m on your side. One step at a time, alright?” 

“Alright.” 

With that, she sent Buck Tommy’s number. Buck stared at the numbers on his screen. 

“The first step is calling him. Do it now. I feel bad enough your number didn’t go through to him when he asked for it days ago. He’s a good guy, Buck, just know that.” 

“Yeah,” Buck said. “Maybe I should get changed first just in case there’s a call or—”

“Stop stalling, Buckley,” Hen said, staring him down. “It’s just a phone call.” 

“Right. Yeah…I can — I should—” 

He walked out to his car for privacy, and took several deep breaths before he finally made the call. It rang a few times before it was picked up. 

“Hello?”

“Hi,” Buck said. “It’s Evan. Evan Buckley.”

“Evan,” Tommy said, and there was something amazing about how he said his name that for the first time ever, his instinct wasn’t to correct and ask to be called Buck. 

“Hi,” he repeated. 

—

Tommy had known it was Evan when he saw it wasn’t a saved number because he recognized the number that Chimney had finally sent him way too early that morning. As tempted as he’d been to just call Evan immediately, he’d made the decision to wait for a more normal time so he wasn’t responsible for waking him. 

“I’m so glad you called,” Tommy said. 

“Yeah, me too,” Evan said and after a small pause. “Sorry it took so long.” 

“Don’t be,” Tommy said. “How, um, how are you?” 

“Good. I’m good. You?” 

“Tired,” Tommy said honestly. 

“Well, I won’t keep you long,” Evan said. 

“No…no, that’s not—” 

“I’m actually sitting outside the firehouse because I have a shift in five minutes, but I didn’t want to wait on calling you.” 

“Oh,” Tommy said. 

He heard Evan shifting. “I’d…I’d like to see you.” 

“I’d like that too,” Tommy said. “Tomorrow?” 

“Yeah,” Evan breathed out. 

Tommy did have to fly out to Vegas with Eddie, and he had to finish out yet another overnight shift before that, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have some time to spare for Evan.  

“Meet at Harbor? I can give you a tour and we can talk. Get to know each other.”

Neither of them used the word. Soulmates. Tommy didn’t mind, he thought that Evan was cute in the way that he was nervous and unsure even over the phone. It was downright adorable. 

“That’s…yeah, that works. I’ll, uh, see you then.” 

“Come around three?”

“Sure. Sure thing.” 

Then, Evan was gone. Tommy set his phone down and then his head fell to his hands. It still didn’t feel real when he had the time to think about it. Soulmates. It was wild to think about the rarity of them and how somehow three members of the 118 and one former member had found and met their soulmates. 

Tommy remembered how shocked he’d been when he’d heard about Hen. Years later it was Chim. Now it was Evan. It was him and Evan. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of conversation it would spark. 

Tommy hadn’t talked to anyone about it, but he was kind of a private guy. It was a habit from when he wasn’t out, when he tried to talk up how nice it was to be single and if pressed about the women that his job as a firefighter impressed. Back then, the only time he was being true to himself was when he hooked up with a guy picked up at a bar whose name he barely caught and who he never gave a real name to and who he had no plans to ever see again. 

Things had changed since then. While he didn’t hide that he was gay anymore, Tommy also just didn’t talk about it or his personal life. His last few relationships hadn’t been kept secret from his coworkers, but Tommy had never gone out of his way to talk about Harry or Matt before him. 

Since breaking up with Harry almost a year earlier, Tommy had gone on a few dates, nothing serious. Nothing that had reason to go further. That just had always seemed his fate. He was never lucky in love, more like prone to being disappointed and hurt because he cared too quickly or got attached before he should have. He was glad for it now, to find himself without any attachment that might complicate everything even more. He had a soulmate. 

Soulmates were something everyone knew about, but it was a thing with no guarantee. A dream. His grandparents on his father’s side were soulmates, and when he was a child he had just assumed that everyone’s grandparents were soulmates even if their parents weren’t just like his. Over time, it had become more and more clear how rare soulmates actually were and more than that, it had cemented that Tommy shouldn’t expect to meet his soulmate. 

He’d never even met Hen’s soulmate, Karen, but he’d heard about her from Chim because Chim claimed responsibility for them meeting in the first place and Tommy remembered a rare phone call because Chim wanted to brag about it. He remembered being thrilled for Hen, knowing that she was absolutely deserving especially after whatever it was that had gone on with the girlfriend she’d had when she first joined the 118. Tommy hadn’t expected it when he heard about Chim finding his soulmate. He would have preferred a phone call from Hen or Chim to inform him, instead of the way that he really found out by walking into the break-room at Harbor and seeing a picture of Chim on the news all because her abusive ex-husband had nearly killed Chim in an effort to get at her. 

As happy as he was for Hen and Chim, he’d never once expected that he would find himself in the situation of knowing his own soulmate. 

For the longest time, he had been sure that he didn’t have one. It was one of the things his mother had said the last time Tommy saw her, when she was yelling other homophobic crap at him. Because despite evidence to the contrary, some people really did still think soulmates were only possible between straight couples. Nevermind that because of the dwindling of soulmate couples it was clear to see that something close to half of the reported soulmate meetings of the last thirty to forty years were queer. 

Somehow, it changed nothing among the bigots who cited their religious beliefs as more important than being a kind and good person, that they were more important than the reality that same sex soulmates existed. It certainly changed nothing when it came to Tommy’s parents. 

He was past it. Hadn’t talked to them in years. Not since he realized that he was internalizing everything they’d said and that it was making him not only an asshole, but absolutely miserable. Cutting them off was probably one of the best things Tommy could have done for himself and the biggest step towards accepting himself. 

Tommy didn’t hear from Evan again, but that didn’t matter considering Evan was on shift. What mattered was that he would be seeing him the next day. Naturally time seemed to slow to crawl, even his overnight shift was slow with very few calls. Tommy spent a big part of it doing some maintenance on the choppers with some of the mechanics. It wasn’t a part of his job, but he loved it. 

He did go out on a med-evac call in between naps. His sleep was uninterrupted after getting back, until morning when something tickled his nose until he awoke. He found Lucy twirling a feather between her fingers with a smirk playing on her lips. 

“Morning, Kinard,” she said. “What’s this I hear about you flying into a hurricane?” 

“That’s why you woke me?” he asked. 

She crossed her arms over her chest. “What, no hello? No, how are you Lucy?” 

“I was sleeping.” 

“I was bored,” Lucy said. “What happened with the hurricane?” 

“Well, you were on leave, someone had to do the reckless thing.”

Lucy smiled easily. “I also heard it was with the 118. Fun bunch, aren’t they?”

“This is the real reason didn’t let me sleep?” Tommy asked. 

She shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, I like those guys. I also brought you coffee and pastries, didn’t want them to get cold.” 

When Lucy transferred to Harbor, Tommy had been sure he wasn’t going to like her. He’d been proven wrong within her first week. Yes, she was a bit impulsive and more than a little reckless, she also knew what she was doing and Tommy couldn’t help but be impressed. 

He’d been less impressed when she hit on him on a night when they had all gone out after a particularly long and harrowing day. That had changed immediately when she took his refusal in stride and then tried to set him up with a male firefighter friend of hers without him ever explaining that he was actually gay. Tommy never did find out if someone else had told her, but he did love how easily she just accepted it and accepted him. Tommy never took her up on the offer to be set up, but he did become her friend. 

“I suppose the coffee will help,” Tommy said. 

“What happened?” 

“Cruise ship lost contact after being boarded by pirates. Hurricane capsized it. Captain Nash and his wife were on it and Hen had a hunch something had gone wrong. When no one listened, she made up paperwork to get a helicopter out there.” 

“Wow,” Lucy said. “Surely it wasn’t that easy?” 

“I don’t think it would have worked if Chim didn’t call me before she got here so I could cover and make it happen,” Tommy admitted. 

“So you flew them out there and then found the ship and became a hero,” Lucy said. “I’m impressed, Kinard. Aside from the whole hurricane thing, anything else happen while I was gone?” 

When he didn’t say anything, her eyebrow shot up. “Something did happen?” 

If there was anyone that Tommy would have wanted to tell, it was Lucy. In some ways, she was his closest friend. Thinking about her that way did a couple of things and one of them was depress him because it was true that he really didn’t have any close friends. Suddenly, the time he’d spent with Eddie and how well they got on, maybe that wasn’t a bad idea. 

“What is it? What happened?” Lucy asked. 

“I met my soulmate,” Tommy said after a sigh. 

Lucy gasped audibly right before she let out a loud squeal. “Holy shit! Kinard! Tell me everything. Who is he? Where did you meet? Have you kissed him yet? This is so exciting.” 

“Nope,” Tommy said. “I told you enough.” 

“I want to meet him. I’m your friend…you introduce your friends to your soulmate.” 

Tommy rolled his eyes. “Look, I’ve barely gotten to talk to him. I’m not letting you at him.” 

Lucy gaped at him. “How are you so calm about this?” 

Internally he wasn’t calm. Internally, he was willing time to go faster so that his shift could officially be over and so that Tommy could finally see Evan again. 

Lucy laughed suddenly, finger poking at his chest. “You’re not calm. You’re freaking out, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” 

“It’s a good thing, though, isn’t it? I mean…meeting your soulmate—” She trailed off wistfully. “Oh, I know, you should call Hen. Or Chim. They probably know exactly what you’re going through.” 

Tommy shook his head. “Not really an option, I think.”

“Did something else happen on that cruise rescue that you’re not telling me about? Those two owe you one for not only putting your job on the line but your life too. The least they could do is give you advice.” 

“You’ll meet him eventually, okay. Just…leave it alone for now.” 

“Fine,” she said. “But I’m holding you to meeting him when the time is right.” 

Tommy nodded and hoped she wouldn’t be too mad when she found out that she actually already knew him.

-

Next Part

[glitched-username]

Hear me out: rottmnt but they are the actual sizes of the animals

Mikey is 5 inches for box turtles

Donnie is 9 inches for softshells

Leo is 1 ft

Raph is 30 inches (2.5 ft)

Splinter is 10 inches

And April is... there for comparison lol

Read more for my random assembly of thoughts and ideas

Just thinking about how Mikey views Leo and Raph's as giants, being over double his height and Raph being 6x bigger. But Raph and Leo are still tiny compared to humans like April.

And Mikey just loves treating his family like a jungle gym. He's gotten so good at it that no one even flinches when he jumps off an impossibly high distance cause they know he'll catch himself no problem, and if he can't then

Also using this concept to further transmasc-ify Leo cause female red eared sliders are larger than the male counterparts. Just imagining Donnie accidentally outing Leo out of a closet he didn't even know he was in cause

"No, you're the correct turtle species and there's nothing wrong with your mutation, female sliders are just bigger"

"...Donnie, I'm a guy"

"Yeah"

"..."

"..."

Donnie specifically checked why Leo was so tall because he was pissed at the slider gloating about the growth spurt when he became a teen and just straight up diagnosed him with Transgender (tm) like it was the most casual it of info to drop

Donnie is peak borrower energy. But like if a borrower decided to take it to a competitive level. How does he get such crazy tech despite being the size of a hairbrush? By massacring lost or currently devices for their parts. So, thrown out radios? Yep! But also, a store display TV that is currently airing commercials? Also free game for the softshell. He's had the most exposure to humans because of this and is definitely the least freaked out when they first meet April cause he at least knows what to expect (ie: they're more scared of us than we are of them sort of thing).

He's also the most feeal and territorial about his stuff because "do you KNOW how hard it is to lug all these parts into the lair??? If any of you touch you will die"

Also L to Splinter. Going from Lou Jitsu Action Star, to kidnapped and forced to fight in the battle nexus and then turned into a sewer rat and now you have to deal with 4 sons, one literally big enough to bite his head off even as a baby/toddler. He definitely had to start relying on Raph more as they grew up

And Raph

Oh Raph.

He already had a hard time learning his own strength in the original, where they were all roughly similar sizes. But now? He has to really practice being gentle. And he's gotten DAMN good at it. So good that even though it looks like he's being completely reckless and throwing his weight around his tiny brothers, he knows exactly how much pressure each brother of wildly different sizes and durability can take.

Bro is constantly doing mental math that would make Donnie impressed.

He has no idea how to handle meeting April. Like, all he's known is how to be gentle around people cause they're smaller and more fragile and suddenly, here's a human, over double his height... but she's still physically weaker??? Or at least not as durable. She doesn't have a shell or tough scales and wasn't specifically mutated for war so doesn't have any durability/strength/regeneration genes.

When they first meet, I imagine the other boys are less freaked out cause they're used to everyone being taller than them but Raph goes FULL protective mode. Pulling out all the stops because he thinks it's going to be a tough fight, that the human would easily stomp him if he doesn't go all out.

But when he sees she isn't fighting back and is hurt pretty bad from his bites (1000 psi ain't a joke, she's lucky she still has all her limbs after that) he instantly goes from "evil giant monster must attack" to "mother hen" and gets extremely apologetic.

Not an... amazing first meetup but April jokes about it now, Raph even gives her little play bites when they're messing around or just absentmindedly gnawing on it while watching a movie(though much more gentle). And while Raph COULD give little playful bites to his little brothers, he has to be VERY aware and VERY careful while doing so, but with April he can be a bit looser with how gentle he is

I imagine once he gets his powers he's finally so happy that he can give April an actual hug for once lol

And I don't think Draxum reaaalllyyy anticipated the turtles not growing to a more human height. In his defense this was basically the first time he used live human DNA during the mutation process. How was he supposed to know that the animal's height would take priority over the human's height?

Draxum saw splinter shrink down into a rat during his escape but just assumed they were all so small that they couldn't have survived the collapse. Oh well, he'll make sure to fix that flaw when he finally gets his lab back up and running.

...

...

Also Mikey is still the strongest

[hooked-on-elvis]

[PICTURES] "LIVE A LITTLE, LOVE A LITTLE" (1968) 🐶📸

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

ᐁ THE KING, ELVIS ᐁ

Those guys next to EP are Joe Esposito and Charlie Hodge, El's personal friends (Memphis Mafia guys).

ᐁ Elvis and his leading lady, Michele Carey ᐁ

That one scene above! [LOL] One of those, 'I can't believe she did this!' moments I mentioned on my review of this movie. I actually laugh at all the times they're together. Just the pictures are enough to make me laugh. Bernice is the best! That's the best Elvis movie! 🤣

ᐁ Elvis and co-stars, Michele Carey and Celeste Yarnall ᐁ I love that [BELOW] scene so much!🤣

ᐁ Elvis and Rudy Vallée (Mr. Penlow) ᐁ

ᐁ Elvis and Don Porter (Mike Lansdown) ᐁ

ᐁ Elvis and the West boys, Sonny and Red ᐁ I wonder how much fun Elvis had beating them up, even if just play pretend. What if at times he'd really kicks and slaps them? I wouldn't dare saying it never happened. Boys being boys.🤣

ᐁ Sterling Holloway (The Milkman) ᐁ He's the one I told you about on my review (fun facts section), the actor making all those dubbing acting work leading his voice and talento to such great classic Disney movie characters during his career years! ♥

ᐁ Elvis and Susan Henning ᐁ

THE MOST SPECIAL ONE 🐶 ᐁ Elvis and 'Albert' ᐁ

People are commonly mistaken saying this dog was one of Elvis' own Great Danes (Elvis had three Great Danes: Brutus, Snoopy and Edmund), but Priscilla said it wasn't one of their family dogs. I didn't found his name or info about who he belongs to, tho. :( If I find anything I'll update this post.

Well, I'll stop here just because the "only 30 pictures per post," Tumblr issue [ugh!]

I do have some more pictures I'd like to share with you. I think I might share all of it, really. I can't help it. I just love everything about this movie and I get carried away. 🥹

Until then, If you'd like to read my review (or just see the previous pictures / footage / music videos I shared from this movie): CLICK HERE.

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

✦ [UPDATE -January 16, 2024]: MORE PICTURES HERE + BEHIND THE SCENES STORY, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MURDER DURING 'LIVE A LITTLE, LOVE A LITTLE' PRODUCTION. HOW THE CREW REACTED, HERE. ✦

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Is there any other Elvis movie you'd like to know a bit about what I think of it (if it even matters to anyone), or do you want some help finding any of them available online? LET ME KNOW. ♥

[pepa-brainrot]

Armida Peréz Madrigal!!

(To any of you who have seen the old ref, or even the first one- no you didn't. This is the only ref she's ever had ok)

Week one (part one) of the encanto oc appreciation event @encanto-extended-edition

More info about her below <3

Name: Armida Peréz Madrigal

Nicknames: Mida is most common, Bunny (Pepa and Félix), mi sol and mi cielos (Pepa), Pecas, Mimi (the kids when younger)

Birth date: February 18th 1902

Age: 48 (1950)

Height: 4 foot, 11

Armida is the type to be shy when first knowing her, but after she gets comfortable she becomes almost a completely different person. Due to her past she's not one to trust easily, but she's also not one to buy into rumors about someone- knowing all too well that something can seem one way on the surface, and be completely different in reality. But once you do gain her trust she's fiercely loyal. Sometimes a bit too much- as she's sometimes selfless to the point where it's unhealthy, she'd be willing to lay down her life for a loved one.

Her sense of humor becomes clearer once she becomes comfortable too, although it ranges from dry sarcastic humor to bad/cheesy puns (she and Félix can go back and forth for hours it seems) Sometimes her favorite thing to do is tell a shitty joke and watch her family's reaction. She seems sweet, but really can be a little shit if she's in the mood, Camilo gets it partly from her.

She has natural motherly instincts, although she struggles to conceive.

She works as a seamstress in the Encanto- having learned from her Tía when she was younger, she's become really good at sewing and embroidery (she's the one to teach Mirabel when the time comes, as a way to try and cheer they young girl up and take her mind off things after she didn't get a gift) It becomes one of her ways of helping the Encanto just like every other madrigal, which she's quite content with, she genuinely enjoys the work (although shes prone to overworking herself- especially given she already has trouble sleeping)

She knows a lot about space and the stars too- when she was growing up she often saw the stars as her only true friend- more so after her father died (she believed he was watching over her- and would talk to the stars at night like she was talking to him). Due to this she gained a special interest in space and the stories behind stars and constellations, and to this day she still has her very first book she ever owned on the subject. It's another thing that is special to her.

Has an affinity for nature. Like I said she spent a good part of her childhood alone, so she would sit in the grass and watch bugs or explore - and she found a love for nature. Something she really loves is birdwatching- doing it enough over the years that she knows a good amount about different types of birds and their behaviors. She really likes to collect bird feathers- just any ones that she finds she'll take home- even in the current day. She still very much likes taking nature walks- taking any of the kids who want to come along.

BONUS: info on Goose <3

Goose was a hen from Armida's old farm. One who had trouble hatching and ended up imprinting on her. Goose, to put it lightly, was a mence (hence the name Goose.) She hated almost everyone but armida and would let it known. She especially hated Félix. She lived a good 24 or so years before dying shortly after antonio was born.

[crispy0nion]

Hey I saw you post about the Six Coyotes and now I realize I can hit you with the New Player Curse again. Sorry not sorry.

Who are the Six Coyotes? What's their deal? I hear them get thrown around for off-screen stuff and I'm curious. (Also I think Micah-10 is a member and she's cool so I need to know)

Oh I will gladly talk about them. Another day another essay about Hunters. I love Hunters.

The Six Coyotes are a group of Hunters - six of them, obviously - currently still active in the Destiny universe. They were the first Guardians to explore beyond the walls of the Cosmodrome, making it accessible for other Guardians to patrol.

The name 'Coyotes' comes from one of the members's birthplace, the town Coyote, in Old Russia. Coyote is where the six Hunters essentially became a permament fireteam.

It is a team composed by two Exos (Micah-10 and Lee-4), two Awoken (Nadiya and Therin Vai) and two humans (Conar and Himura Shinobu). Micah and Conar, already old friends, discovered the town of Coyote and agreed to protect it from the Fallen House of Kings, that was currently besieging the town. In order to have enough manpower, Micah recruited Nadiya, Therin and Lee; Nadiya was being paid, while Lee had to repay an old debt. It is unknown what moved Therin to agree to the job, but he probably accepted because he was already friends with Micah and Conar. In Coyote, the five Hunters met a villager by the name of Himura Shinobu, who showed them around. Nadiya and Shinobu eventually became good friends, and planned to run away from the town together, because neither of them believed the Hunters could safely fight off the Kings.

However, before they could leave, the Kings attacked the town, and Shinobu was killed and immediately resurrected as a Guardian in a matter of minutes. She had lost her memories, but had both her diary and the five Hunters to guide her; eventually, she decided to keep the name Shinobu and join the team. And so the Six Coyotes were born.

Here's more info about the six members:

Micah-10: the one who can be considered the team's founder. Micah is an Exo who's been around probably since the early City Age. She is known as 'the mother-hen of Ghosts', gathering and protecting them until they found their Guardians (fun fact: one of these Ghosts just so happened to be the one who would one day resurrect Andal Brask. When that happened, she sent him and the Ghost overseas, to the Last City). Micah is an extremely interesting character, also having ties to Cayde, and is widely theorized to be something akin to a Speaker. She has had dreams about the Traveler, which seemed more like messages sent directly by it, since she was a child (dream 1; dream 2); and ever since she became an Exo, her DSC dreams have been quite interesting.

Conar: a human who's been good friends with Micah for a long time, but prefers to run solo nonetheless. Not much is known about him.

Nadiya: an Awoken woman. We know Nadiya is also one of Cayde's best scouts, so much that he asked for her help in Cayde's Six. She uses the pulse rifle Chattering Bone and wears the exotic chest The Sixth Coyote.

Therin Vai: an Awoken who was resurrected during the Dark Ages. He makes a big deal out of his name, claiming he knew immediately what it was upon ressurection (something that usually only occurs in Exos). He also insisted he would be the one to unearth the lost Warmind Rasputin (he was not). Shortly after being brought back, he ran into the Pilgrim Guard, a group of Titans who welcomed and helped him. Here he met Orin, the Emissary of the Nine who at the time was a lightbearer; she asked his Ghosts a few questions about him, then told him about the Awoken. Therin is also the one who named the Coyotes's shared jumpship, The Bandwagon.

Lee-4: again, we know almost nothing about her other than the fact that she is a quiet Exo who utilizes a sniper rifle.

Himura Shinobu: the last one to join the group, she was rezzed minutes after her death in Coyote. She didn't retain her memories, but found out about her past from her diary; she decided to keep her name, but to leave the town with the other Hunters. Some time later, her and Nadiya run into an Ahamkara, who grants Shinobu's wish by morphing into her mother and answering questions about her childhood. Nadiya warns her that the dragon is lying for it's own benefit, so Shinobu allows her to gun it down. Shinobu is also one of the most famous Bladedancers.

That's pretty much everything we know about the Six Coyotes! There's probably going to be new lore coming soon with TFS because of Micah's relevance in the story, but we'll wait and see.

[xawkward-ariesx]

It was common knowledge that if anyone was going to know something about Steve, it would be Robin. Unfortunately, she was highly unlikely to share any of it, unless it was in front of Steve with the sole purpose of winding him up. So in that case, the second best port of call for Steve related info was Dustin.

So that was how the quartet had found themselves crammed into Dustin's bedroom querying about the whereabouts of their wayward babysitter. Jonathan had dropped El and Will off at Mike's this morning before work so they now had no ride to the movies. Dustin's mom had been going to take him but there wasn't enough room in her car for the five of them. So it was imperative that they found their babysitter, as loathe as they usually were to refer to Steve as such when he was worrying about them like a mother hen.

Except Dustin had no clue where he was. And he received no response from him on the walkie either. Which wasn't all that surprising, Loch Nora was just out of range most of the time for it to not even be that convenient that Steve had one. But Dustin wasn't deterred. He tried Robin next. The girl grumbled something about being disturbed by Steve's gremlins while she was working before telling that Steve had been heading to Max's last she knew.

This game of walkie telephone was getting tedious according to Mike, who'd huffed no less than 5 times in the last 2 minutes. He was cut off from a sixth by an elbow to the ribs by Will.

Unfortunately, Max wasn't picking up either which was even less surprising because she had no respect for the walkie decorum Party rules and frequently had hers off. Deciding there was nothing else for it, Dustin convinced his mom to give them a ride to Max's, now concerned that something had happened to either one of them. El happily sat squished on the floor by their feet for the ride over. She'd giggled something about being able to feel the road better that didn't entirely make sense to Lucas and Dustin but the others nodded sagely along to.

They couldn't immediately spot Steve's inconspicuous car when they arrived, so Dustin took it upon himself to hammer on Max's door until she answered with a shout.

"What!?"

"We can't find Steve." Dustin blurted in the face of Max's ire.

Max frowned at them as if they'd said something completely ridiculous. Which in hindsight they realised they had when she spoke again.

"He's at Eddie's." She nodded towards the other trailer where they could now just about see Steve's beamer peeking out from behind Eddie's van.

"Ohh." They spoke in unison.

"Yeah 'oh' dumbasses. Why'd you think he was here anyway?"

"Robin said the last she'd heard he was at yours." Dustin frowned in response.

"Yeah, yesterday when he dropped me off. Why did you immediately assume he was missing?"

"Because neither of you would answer your walkies." Mike exclaimed throwing his hands up in the air in aggravation. "We'd thought a demogorgan had gotten you or something."

Max flinched at the reminder of the Upside Down.

"Well sorry to disappoint but I'm fine." Mike mumbled a barely audible 'sorry' as Max grabbed her crutches. "No Upside Down stuff here so let's just go check on Eddie so you guys can stop annoying me."

The short distance between the two trailers was made longer by Max's hobbling due to her broken leg, curtesy of Vecna, even with Lucas and El helping along on either side. They allowed Max to bang on the door with the end of one of her crutches as she leant back against her two helpers, as compensation for riling her. The door eventually opened to reveal a flustered Eddie.

"What? What is it? Is someone dying? Someone better be dying after all that."

"Steve's missing!" Dustin blurted once more in a panic causing the rest of the Party to turn to look at him with matching incredulous expression, because hadn't they just established that everything was probably fine?

Eddie raised an eyebrow at Dustin before stepping back to point at the figure they hadn't noticed behind Eddie.

"You mean that Steve?"

"Oh thank god you're fin- is that a DnD manual?" Dustin started before cutting himself off as he registered the book Steve was hunched over with a frown.

Steve blinked confusedly at the kids for a moment as his brain rebooted.

"Eddie's trying to teach me." He murmured softly before looking back down at the book all the while Eddie smirked smugly and the boys erupted into shouts around him.

"What? Since when do you care about dungeons and dragons?" - Mike.

"I swear you've called it basements and goblins before." - Will.

"You wouldn't let us teach you." - Lucas.

"Why did you go to Eddie? I've been asking you for two years!" That one was Dustin, sounding particularly upset that it almost drowned out Max's exclaim of 'I didn't know you could read.'

Steve looked up from the book again with tired eyes as he regarded the kids.

"Look you guys have tried to explain it to me and I just don't get it. Even Erica tried to teach me, but she was kinda mean about it. I just wanted to understand what you guys are talking about." He paused to shrug before admitting a little bashfully, "I like the way Eddie explains things."

Eddie's grin only grew wider at that.

But Dustin didn't even seem to notice as he shoved past his friends to crouch between Steve and the manual.

"What has he explained so far? Which bit is your favorite? Does this mean you'll play a campaign with us now?"

Steve looked a little overwhelmed by all the questions.

"Easy Henderson, let the man understand the world he's found himself in before we find out if he can survive in it without immunity." Eddie quickly cut Dustin off as he joined the duo.

Steve was now looking some what concerned at the mischievous grin Eddie was throwing his way. He didn't even understand DnD yet let alone know if he liked it. It was actually part of a deal he and Eddie had. Eddie would teach him DnD that he and the kids were so interested in. And in return, Steve was going to teach him about the sports he, Lucas and Wayne were so interested in. It was also just nice to finally have someone who wasn't a genius, it got a little tiring always being left of the big picture sometimes.

"Let's not get a head of ourselves bud." He told Dustin with a tight smile, reaffirming Eddie's words.

[intotheseas]

This Modern Love, Chap 3: This Year

Some excerpts. TW: alcoholism, SI

The air cools as she enters the forest. Pine needles blanket the ground, soft and springy underfoot. The trees tower and branches create a canopy overhead. Sunlight shafts through, sending dappled patterns everywhere. The leaves rustle in the breeze, a soft, muted sound. Sage can smell wild herbs and spring onions. The sharp scents tickle her nose.

“Hello? Marnie?” She's nowhere to be found, but a man looks at her from a table in the kitchen, his hand hovering over a slice of pizza. She steps back. “Oh, sorry, I was looking for Marnie.” The man frowns, but doesn't answer. “Uh…do you know where she might be?” 

He only shrugs in response. 

Sage notices his fingers wrapped around a beer can and stiffens. She recognizes the hollowness in his eyes. The same look her mother would give her as a kid, before she'd tip back her first bottle of the day. “Hair of the dog,” she'd sigh, hair disheveled, skin sallow.

Shane grunts at her, eyes still roving over the papers. “This is all good info, but if you want happy hens there's more you could do. Treats, for one. Chickens like mealworms. You can pick them up here or at Pierre's. And you gotta make sure you're giving them enough affection. A lot of people get them thinking they're fine being left alone, but you have to give them love every day.” 

Sage nods, absorbing the new information. “You must like chickens a lot.”

He doesn't look up. “Yeah, my hens are pretty much the only thing keeping me alive right now."

She doesn't mean to, but she laughs. His eyes widen, and he laughs with her. It's pure, genuine. His eyes crinkle and he smiles for the first time. 

“Here, have some pizza.” He pushes a plate toward her. She takes a slice, grateful. She's been eating like shit lately and this is the closest thing she's had to a meal today. 

She chews, thinking. The pizza is delicious, cheesy with the perfect amount of sauce. The pepperoni is crispy, and she likes the way it crunches between her teeth, the tang of it on her tongue. 

Sage catches his eye. “I'm sorry for laughing. It's just, I've been there.” He nods, and they leave it at that. Both have walls up. These things take time to work through. 

Read the rest here!

[literaticat]

This is an odd question, but I need to ask. I've read partnered people with kids are more likely to make more money, get promotions, etc. in the corporate world. I know being a writer isn't "the corporate world," in the same way, but does being single and childfree (esp if you're a woman) have any negative effect at all on how likely you are to have success in publishing? Are publishers/readers prejudiced against this demographic?

It's an interesting question. First, in terms of authors being affected by prejudice about their marital status or lack thereof, no, I don't think most publishers or agents or readers care (or even necessarily know) if an author is married or has kids or whatever. I mean I do KINDA know about the marital status or kids or not of my own clients just because, you know, I have their tax info and whatever so I might have looked at that before I filed it, and because I'm friendly with my clients and we talk about all kinds of things, and sometimes they post things on socials or send me a holiday card with a picture of their family.

BUT, there are plenty of them for whom the topic has never come up and that info is not in their bio. So I might have only the barest idea if or how they are partnered, or how old their kids are or if they have any. Certainly that has never come up before I offer rep, or in an editorial conversation about an author or book when a publisher is deciding what to buy. And I don't really think most (or any?) readers are parsing author bios on the bookstore shelves. Unless your book is literally a "how to have a happy marriage" or "how to raise kids" guide, I can't really see anyone being concerned about your marital or child-having status.

Bigger picture, I looked up your stats. While men and women (married or not) are about equal in most fields in the lower echelon, entry-level type positions, the fact is that when it comes to promotions, men are more likely to be promoted to executive level by a LOT, and female CEOs are basically rare as hen's teeth. Women are often passed over for promotions because they MIGHT go on maternity leave, or they don't put themselves up for them because they have kids and want to still be able to spend time with them, etc etc. And while it DOES seem that married couples earn higher wages generally, it also seems that much of that can be attributed to the fact that they have spousal support. A single person may feel pressure to take whatever they can get, but in a couple, if one of them is job-hunting but the other is bringing in money, the hunter can afford to hold out for better jobs.

And THAT is where the author problem comes into play. It's not that anyone would ever offer you a publishing deal or buy your book because you're married -- it's that somebody who has a safety net (whether that is a supportive spouse, parents, a trust fund, savings, whatever) is more likely to be able to afford to take time off with no income in order to write a book, get it published, promote it, etc. Obviously plenty of people work full time at their job and ALSO write books -- but there's no doubt that is an extra hurdle that the ones lucky enough to have a safety net don't have to contend with.