#now am i giving this cute little story too much importance? yeah.

[augustameretrix]

rise with me from the lol lore about the sun and moon (now divorced?) gays is so up my alley it’s almost scary.... not just the gay stuff but mostly the rest... the heated debates that get you in trouble, the scrupulous research, the doubts and the fear that they bring, the constant, passionate, relentless, meaningful reflection about but most importantly with what your ancestors have left written because they wrote it for you in a way. All of this, shared with another who may not agree but who gets it. Diana is happy to get to debate Leona in class, my god, what a nice detail that feels so true.

[thealtoduck]

Working in Madame Xanadu’s parlor and meeting Garfield Logan…

Garfield Logan x Male Reader

Warnings: none

Summary: You get hired at Madame Xanadu’s Parlor and you end up meeting the several superheroes including a cute green haired boy…

(A/n: The story dosen’t take place in the Titans show, just your average dc fan universe.)

——

It all started when you were looking for a job, nothing fancy just something for a bit of pocket money. That’s when you stumbled by Madame Xanadu’s parlor where you noticed a ”Help Wanted” sign.

You looked at it for a bit. ”Am i really considering working in a fortune telling parlor…” you thought to yourself. You then decided why the hell not.

So you entered the parlor where a beautiful woman in a colorful dress was standing behind a counter. She looked at you and said ”I’ve been waiting for you”. Which left you a bit confused.

”Do you mean in like a psychic fortune teller way or did you just see me looking at the ”Help Wanted” sign through the window?” you questioned. ”Both” she answered. ”Cool” you stated and then asked ”So what sorta help are you looking for? Cause honestly i don’t know much about fortune telling”.

”Well, I’m a very busy woman so i am simply looking for someone to manage the shop, book appointments, clean and whatever else is needed” she explained. ”I could do that, i used to help my mom at her hair salon, you know sweep up hair, take care of appointments and everything” you told her.

”You’re hired” she said simply. Little did you know that you had started working for an actual fortune teller and a member of Justice League.

But it soon dawned on you as people like Wonder Woman, John Constantine and Zatanna stopped by for Madame Xanadu’s assistance. You also noticed that several objects in the parlor had actual magic powers.

Other than the magical boss, the superpowered customers and powerful magic objects and potions, it wasn’t that different from working in any other store. And fortune telling being a very niche market gave you some of free time, during which you would usually study or read a magzine.

One afternoon you were sitting behind the reception desk studying for a test when two people entered the store. A goth girl and a cute guy with green hair. They walked towards the desk and the girl asked in a slightly stressed tone ”Is Madame Xanadu here?”.

”Do you have an appointment?” you asked. ”No but it’s really important, is she here?” the girl asked again. ”Yeah, i can go see if she has time, do you have a name i can give her?” you asked. ”Rachel Roth” she said and you went in to Madame Xanadu’s fortune telling room.

Meanwhile Rachel and Gar, outside…

”That guy is kinda cute” Gar said making Rachel give him a look that said ”not the time we’re here for important stuff”.

Back to you…

She was sitting on the floor meditating. ”Uhm… Madame Xanadu, there’s a girl here named Rachel Roth, she says it’s something important, do you have time now or should i get her an appointment?” You asked.

”Send her in” Madame Xanadu said opening her eyes. You exited her room and went back to the recteption and said ”Madame Xanadu is waiting for you inside”. The girl uttered a quick ”Thanks” and went inside to meet with the fortune teller.

You went back to studying as the green haired guy looked around the parlor. He then stood himself in front of you and asked ”What are you reading? Somekind of spellbook? Or like potions book?”.

You lifted the book and showed him the cover and answered ”American history, i’m studying for a test”. ”That’s cool too” he said blushing a little. You then realised something ”Wait? you know about magic and all that stuff are you and your friend like wizards?”.

”Uhm… no but my friend is a half demon who was raised by magic monks” he explained. You nodded in understanding. You were about to continue the conversation when Madame Xanadu and Rachel suddenly came out of the room. Rachel having changed in to a cloak.

”Y/n. Me and Rachel need to travel to a magic temple to retrive a powerful artifact, I need you to look after the parlor. If i’m not back by closing time, just lock up, the key is on my desk” she told you. ”Yes, ma’am” you answered casually.

”Gar, you need to stay here” Rachel said. ”What? Why” the green haired boy questioned. ”You won’t be able to survive in there without magic so it’s best you stay here” Rachel explained and using magic to open a portal. The two magical women went through the portal and it closed as quick as it had opened.

You looked at Gar and asked ”Wanna go get some take out? There is a great place close by?”. ”Do they have good vegetarian stuff?” Gar asked. You nodded and the two of you went out.

You came back about 20 minutes later and sat down in the parlor and ate. Gar told you that he and Rachel aka Raven were part of the Teen Titans. You then explained to him how, you an average human ended up working the reception desk for a magic sorceress.

After you finished your meals Gar helped you get some studying done for your history test. Then you and him did some cleaning around the store. Once you finished the two of you sat down and talked for while, Gar even showed off his powers.

Eventually a portal opened and Madame Xanadu and Raven returned, Raven carrying some sort of weird probably magical mask. She and Gar started getting ready to leave. Gar turned to you and said ”I had a really good time tonight”.

”Me too, thanks for the help with studying and the cleaning” you said gratefully. ”No worries, anytime” he said and noticed a pen and a notepad on the desk. He took them and scribbled something down. ”Here, it’s my number in case you ever need more help studying or anything” he said handing you the note.

”Thanks” you said and Gar started walking towards the exit, you gave each other a wave goodbye. Madame Xanadu gave you a knowing look and offered ”If you want, I could get you a tarrot reading on where THAT is heading”. ”No thanks, i’d rather just wait and see what happens” you said and started getting ready to go home.

Once you got your history test back with a great big ol’ ”A” written on it you sent a text to Gar saying ”Got an A! Thanks for being a great study buddy”. A little while later Gar texted back saying ”Good job! Happy to help. What’s up next? Maybe chemistry? ;)”.

[theoraclej]

well, that was bitterly disappointing to the depths of my soul.

yes, I'm talking about Tech.

he deserved better. the BATCH deserved better. OMEGA deserved better.

I don't like the way they basically just erased any and all grief for Tech except for a couple of fucking off-hand mentions that barely whetted the appetite for more of the only character I really identified with

because I'm the info dumping autistic guy in my irl groups

and to see him shuffled off in the manner they used was a fucking insult

and to be teased about it by the show creators

or worse, harassed by the bad lot of Star Wars fans

and to kill off their autistic guy who DEFINITELY had chemistry and the first hints of flirty bonding with a Black woman is a bad look, v bad look

imo they botched the whole finale, not just the Tech thing because like look:

I guess this zillo beast is just gonna live on that planet now, instead of getting involved in the story they had it fuck off to the jungle - what

CX-2? who was he? too bad we'll never know because he was dropped before he was identified

it was shot so dark, everything was hard to see, and mind you my television set is especially tuned for it to NOT be dark because I hate that shit, I am going to be forced to watch it again despite not wanting to so I can listen to the audio descriptions and better understand the fights

they totally dropped Omega's force sensitivity stuff, like I wanted to know more about that, and about the other kids, will they even be safe? cause we know the empire keeps stealing force sensitive kids

speaking of those kids, what even was the point? the research was destroyed yet we know project necromancer is eventually successful or maybe they're retconning that too, who knows, all the rules are off the table and nothing matters

writing was inconsistent for an episode meant to be important

Crosshair did not deserve to have his hand cut off. I know prosthetics are "easier" and "more accessible" in this universe but also I don't give a fuck, just insult to injury and more, this man has suffered enough from the moment they jacked his chip up to 11

back to Tech: they spent so much time being cute little shits about him that his return seemed inevitable, as I watched the season I kept counting down time left for him to show up, and I had hopes all the way through until the first fade to black, only to be bitterly reminded of his death with the goggles in Omega's ship

--

two highlights I did enjoy - Omega and Hunter at the end, making me wonder if there will be a show about Omega set during the rebellion or if she'll show up in The Mandalorian or Ahsoka

Nala Se killing the shit out of rampart as she herself died, thank you Nala Se

but overall UGH, I will be tender from this one for awhile, I almost want to cancel Disney+ until I feel able to watch Star Wars stuff again

might write some fix-it fic, I'm too hurt right now tho

I'm commiserating with the rest of you who seem to have much the same reaction to this disaster of a finale

so yeah, we all deserved better, fictional folks and real folks and zillo beasts alike

[pepi1989]

Can you please type a story of reader smothering Ben in kisses to try get him to talk after a fake argument/mock fight? Like fighting after reader teasing him?

Too Many Kisses to Stay Mad - Ben Shelton

It started out as just harmless teasing, like it always does. We were sitting on the couch after dinner, the TV on in the background, when Ben launched into another story about his practice session. I couldn’t help myself, he was always talking about tennis, and I’d spent the whole meal listening to stats, strategies, and match recaps.

“So let me get this straight,” I interrupted, trying to keep a straight face. “You spent the entire afternoon talking to your coach about… the angle of your serve?”

Ben paused, mid-sentence, giving me a confused look. “Yeah? It’s important. The right angle can—”

“Oh, I know, it’s crucial,” I said, exaggerating my voice like some sort of sports commentator. “Because clearly, that’s the most fascinating thing in the world to talk about when you’re home, relaxing, with your girlfriend.”

His brow furrowed as he picked up on the teasing tone. “Are you making fun of me?”

I grinned, biting my lip. “Never,” I said with faux innocence, leaning in like I was about to be serious. “I’m just saying… maybe we could talk about something else for a change? Like how cute my new outfit is, or how amazing I am at Mario Kart.”

Ben’s lips twitched, fighting a smile. “I talk about other stuff.”

I gasped, dramatically clutching my chest. “Other stuff? Besides tennis? I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.”

His eyes narrowed, but the smirk was already forming. “Alright, alright. You’re asking for it.”

“Oh no,” I laughed, sliding away as he reached for me, “what are you gonna do? Lecture me about the importance of racket tension?”

Ben lunged, pinning me to the couch as I squirmed beneath him, laughing. “You better apologize before I go full tennis nerd on you.”

“Never!” I gasped between giggles, trying to wriggle free. “You’ll never make me!”

“Okay, fine,” he said, sitting up with a mock frown. “You’re on your own now. I’m not talking to you. Ever again.”

I sat up too, catching my breath and raising an eyebrow. “Really? Not talking to me, huh? You think you can keep that up?”

Ben crossed his arms and turned his face away dramatically. “I’m dead serious. You’re cut off.”

I tried to suppress a laugh, but the fake sulking was too much. “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. It was just a little teasing.”

He remained silent, his face stoic, but I could see the corner of his mouth twitching. He was holding back a smile.

“Alright,” I said, standing up and brushing off my clothes. “I see how it is. Guess I’ll just have to… make you talk.”

His eyes darted towards me for a split second, his curiosity piqued, but he quickly looked away again. I took that as my cue.

Without warning, I jumped back onto the couch, tackling him into the cushions and smothering his face with kisses. “Kiss attack!” I declared, planting kisses all over his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, anywhere I could reach.

Ben squirmed beneath me, trying to fend me off, but he was laughing now, the mock argument completely forgotten. “Stop! You’re—this is cheating!”

“Not until you talk to me!” I said between kisses, refusing to let up. “Come on, just say something.”

He let out a muffled laugh, grabbing my wrists to try and stop me, but I was too quick. “Okay, okay!” he finally gasped, barely able to breathe from laughing. “You win!”

I sat back, grinning down at him, victorious. “That’s what I thought.”

Ben shook his head, his chest still heaving from laughter. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet,” I said, leaning in close, my lips brushing against his, “you’re still with me.”

He sighed dramatically, but the affection in his eyes was undeniable. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

I moved to kiss him again, this time softer, slower, and he responded instantly, his hands slipping around my waist to pull me closer. For a moment, the teasing faded into something warmer, something more real. I could feel his heart racing beneath my palm as he deepened the kiss, and when we finally pulled away, he was smiling.

“You know,” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, “you didn’t have to kiss me a hundred times to get me to talk.”

I shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant. “I know. But where’s the fun in that?”

He chuckled, his hands still resting on my waist. “Fair point. But next time, I’m not letting you win so easily.”

“Oh, please,” I teased, leaning back with a playful smirk. “You couldn’t resist me if you tried.”

Ben tilted his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Wanna bet?”

Before I could respond, he flipped us over, pinning me beneath him this time, his grin widening as I let out a surprised yelp. “Payback time,” he said, leaning in close, his voice low.

But instead of kissing me, he hovered just inches away, his breath warm against my skin. I waited, my heart racing, but he stayed right there, not moving.

“Ben,” I whispered, biting my lip. “You’re killing me here.”

“Am I?” he asked, his voice full of amusement. “I thought you wanted to talk.”

I rolled my eyes, my hands sliding up his chest. “Fine, let’s talk.”

He chuckled, finally closing the distance and kissing me again, this time with a little more intensity. His hands roamed over my sides, pulling me closer, and all thoughts of teasing and mock fights melted away.

When we eventually broke apart, both of us breathless, Ben rested his forehead against mine. “Okay, maybe you’re right,” he admitted, his voice softer now. “I can’t resist you.”

“Told you,” I murmured, my fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “But you can keep trying. I don’t mind.”

[ekwolfwriter-blog]

WIP Zutara Month Challenge: Accidental Kisses

This one, I have a cute idea as well. And I have a snippet for this one.

So this one I have been slow working on because I had the idea then lost it but now I can make it slowly but the idea is as following:

After The Southern Raiders, Zuko has been able to help Katara around more but noticing she looks more tired than usual. He finds her and she confesses, after nearly collapsing on to the ground. He caught her and after some time of talking, she tells him that she has been trouble sleeping and was only able to sleep when they were close in the Cave (Shocker I know)

But Zuko then offers to make a little blanket cave for them to help feel a bit more relaxing for her. Especially with the feeling of cuddling with someone.

The following snippet is of Katara thinking of thanking Zuko - while a little sleep deprived but also feeling a bit honest with her heart:

Katara bit her lips as she looked at Zuko as he was pointing out to the stars from their little blanket cave that looked up at the sky. She could see the sincerity in his eyes and he seemed eager to tell her the story but all she wanted was to show her how much she appreciated his efforts. And more so, she could not deny that he was looking rather handsome in the softer moon light.

'I... i want to give him a kiss,' she thought. 'But just on the cheek. Yeah, that is safe. And I am sure he will understand. I mean it is not too much, hopefully he understands.'

Katara moved closer as she took a breath and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

But Zuko turned to her as he said something "Anyway, hope I didn't bore -"

His sentence was cut short as his lips were met with Katara's lips as she had her eyes closed. Zuko stilled as he looked at her softly, waiting for her to make a move as he did not want to embarrass her. But a traitorous part of his heart and mind wanted to give in and kiss her back. Her lips states like sea salt and a bit chapped but he liked how soft the the kiss was on his lips.

Soon Katara opened her eyes as she looked and realized what she had did. She pulled away and blushed hard. "Oh Spirits! So so so so so sorry Zuko. I was just trying to give you a kiss on the cheek. I was not trying to kiss you creepily. I promise I am not like that," She tried to explain but pulled the sheets over her head.

Zuko only watched, confused but also feeling his heart gushing over Katara being flustered for some reason. He blames his traitorous heart still doing back flips from the kiss. But he realized he took too long to say something as he cleared his throat. "It's okay, I know you are not like that. I am sorry as well," he said.

Katara looked at him from under the sheets. "What are you sorry for? I was the one that kissed you without permission."

"Yes, but I did not pull away or answer your kiss back," he said softly as he sat up a little to rub the back of his neck, his face was turning red. "A gentleman is always taught to respect the lady, but also that kisses are important, especially with how important a kiss is. And I figured you were trying to just say thanks but I did not pull away either and accepted the kiss."

Katara looks up at him. "Does kissing mean something different for your people?"

"Not any more different than what it might be for others, but that just... a kiss on the lips feels more personal. And intimate than what a man like me should expect."

"A man like you?" She was curious as she sat up with him.

"A man that is... well digraced in more than just his looks," he said as he shied way away from his face as Zuko's scared side was on the other side.

Katara looked at him softly as she sees now what he meant. She reached up and turned his face to her as her hand touched his scar; caressing his face in her touch as she smiled softly at him. "From what I can see, you are more than honorable than anyone I have met, and certainly more gentleman like. Nothing can change or should make you feel ashamed of it."

Zuko was stunned as blushed then somehow seemed to lean into her hand more to feel it. He smiled brightly at her. "Thanks," he said.

Katara smiled more as she sighed before saying something, but she could feel her exhaustion hitting. Probably a good time to avoid talking about the kiss more. "Well, I should sleep. I should let you go as well."

Zuko raised his eyebrow at her as he smirked. "Weren't you the one that said that you wanted me to cuddle with you to help you sleep again?"

"That was then and this is now, and I just don't want you to feel weird with me," she tried to say, feeling her cheeks heat again.

But Zuko chuckled as he leaned back. "Who said I didn't like the kiss?"

Katara turned to him as she was the one stunned this time. She looked at him with more hopeful eyes as he undid his best to feel a little more comfortable, but looked ready to sleep with her. Katara slowly leaned down into his chest as she sighed and looked happier.

"So... you did not mind the kiss?" Katara asked.

"Not at all, it was... rather sweet, just like you," he said softly as he pulled her into him.

That is all I have for now, subject to change and tweak but hope you like it!

[ak11-content]

Our first guest is SELF's January cover star Ali Krieger. You may know Ali is a decorated soccer player who is coming off a national Women's Soccer league championship win with New York, New Jersey, Gotham last season, which also happened to be her retirement season. But Ali is quick to remind people that soccer is just something she does, it's not who she is. So I'll also add that she's a vocal advocate for important social justice issues, a mom of two and a great friend to her nearest and dearest. I had the pleasure of interviewing her for SELF's January cover story, which is out now, and I'm so excited to be talking to her again today. Ali, welcome to the show.

Ali: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

Rachel: Of course. So let's get into it. Um, the first time we're gonna ask you, or the first younger self I'm gonna ask you to give advice to is your childhood self. So before we get into the advice, I'd love to know what were you like as a kid?

Ali: I, um, I was shy. I was reserved, um, somewhat calm. That's definitely not how I am on the, on the soccer field.

Rachel: (laughs).

Ali: But I, I just followed my brother around all the time. He was super active and, um, you know, just always wanting to play and, and hang out. So we had to really, we had a really good childhood. I feel like everything was at our fingertips. We grew up in, you know, uh, Dumfries in Northern Virginia. And, um, yeah, we were just hanging out with friends, playing sports, and just enjoying family time. Ultimately, I always wanted to just be around my brother hanging out, and I learned a lot from him too along the way.

Rachel: That's so cute. And he's 13 months older than you, right?

Ali: Yes, yes. We're 13 months apart. Mm-hmm.

Rachel: That's amazing. When did you start playing soccer?

Ali: I played soccer when I was about five or six. Um, I played with my brother on a team called Cosmos, an indoor team where we were like five and six years old. And, um, I remember our green jerseys and every time you'd score you get like a little, you know, iron on star on the back, and, uh, unfortunately I don't think I still have that jersey, but it was really fun because I just wanted to be as good as he was.

Rachel: That's really cute. Well, I, I guess, I guess you did catch up to him eventually.

Ali: (laughs). Yeah.

Rachel: (laughs). Well, when you think back on a time when you were a kid that you really could have used a little guidance from your current self, what comes to mind?

Ali: I think just only controlling the controllables. I think throughout life, you know, you have to fight through adversity. You endure a lot mentally, physically, emotionally, especially within sport. And it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to fail because when you do, you learn the most. And so I think, you know, just being comfortable in that chaotic, um, environment because along the way I learned that not every coach is gonna like me. Uh, not every coach is gonna value me and appreciate me, but you, you know, have to continue to, you know, go down this path that you want and in order to, to be as successful as you want and how you dream. I think just having that advice, uh, would, would help a lot of the younger girls like it, or, and boys like it did for me.

Rachel: That's really great. And you mentioned you were shy. Was there anything that helped you kind of come out of your shell a little bit?

Ali: I think I was shy because my brother was just nonstop talking (laughs), so like, and I would just follow him and do whatever he did, so.

Rachel: Mm-hmm.

Ali: Um, and I felt comfortable in that. Uh, he was, you know, more of like, uh, a leader when we were younger and I just, you know, wanted to be like him and always around him. So, um, he would always do the talking for me. So I-

Rachel: (laughs).

Ali: ... think, um, eventually I broke outta my shell, but I think early on I was just, I don't know, just shy and reserved and then maybe soccer brought that other side out in me. And as, as I got older and I got, you know, better at the sport and I could feel that as a player, I, you know, gained more confidence.

Rachel: So the next younger self that I wanted to ask you about is what advice you would give to yourself when you were coming out. And I wanted to kind of preface this with queer people come out over and over again in their lives. So this question can apply to a specific coming out or maybe more when you're coming out to yourself 'cause both are important. Um, so I guess to me this is about a coming out that felt really significant to you and what advice you would give yourself when you were going through that.

Ali: Yeah, for sure. I mean, going way back when my brother came out to me when he was a senior in high school, I think it was towards the end of his high school, um, career. Um, and he was moving on to college and he was about to go to spring break and he sat down and he told me he is, you know, he's gay and he's into, um, men and I, I didn't really know what that meant. I was just happy that he expressed that to me and I said, "You know, I don't care who you love, I support you either way, and I love you so much." And so I think I'm lucky to, you know, I've, I've, you know, thought that at that age-

Rachel: Yeah.

Ali: ... 'cause I just didn't know what it meant, you know, we were-

Rachel: Definitely.

Ali: ... we grew up in such a vanilla town and, um, you know, nothing was really visible when I was young. And so then moving on to college, I had this, you know, experience of seeing more visibility with, um, you know, queer individuals. And there were, you know, a couple pairs of, you know, individuals on my team who you know, came out as lesbian, but also just bi or, you know, just were discovering their sexuality at the time. And I didn't really understand it. I just thought men could be together.

Rachel: Yep. Mm-hmm.

Ali: So I'm grateful that I finally stepped into that space because then-

Rachel: Definitely.

Ali: ... a lot to me made sense, even though I had a boyfriend in college for like three and a half years. I then, you know, felt that there was something about me that might want to discover more. And, um, you know, going through this like self-discovery, um, and moving to Germany and playing there for five and a half years, I really, um, was more exposed to an environment that was, I think more accepting of, you know, um, my sexuality and discovery of myself. And I just kind of went for it. And I, you know, uh, was having really great experiences there and, and really finding myself more. And then coming back in 2012, um, that, that started with the NWSL and we started the league, um, and, and moved forward. And so I felt like coming back to the states with kind of this new perspective of, you know, life, but also, um, this new feeling I had of who I was as a human being and living my life, uh, more authentically and in this truth, I could then apply that to coming back home. And played in the NWSL. And then, uh, met my previous partner, um, and we were on the national team together. And then eventually in 2019, I mean, we were together for, since probably 2012, right around that time officially. And then from then till, you know, 2019, we didn't come out really because we were afraid we were gonna lose our job. But that was my, you know, that was a partnership where I felt super confident, comfortable. Um, but I was, I wasn't, as a public figure, I wasn't wanting to make it, you know, um, as public because that was the only thing at the end of the day where I could have some privacy.

Rachel: Yeah.

Ali: And so that's what I valued and that was more so the reason why I never spoke on it. Um, and also we had the same job, so I was afraid we were gonna lose our job.

Rachel: Yeah.

Ali: Playing at the highest level, you just dunno how people are going to react.

Rachel: Yeah.

Ali: And so I was more aware of that. And then, you know, getting sponsorship deals and things like that, I wasn't sure how you know, people and brands were gonna react to, to me and, and her at the time. Um, but then in 2019, we just felt like, you know what F it. Like we we wanna live our lives true and authentic, and we eventually wanna start a family and like, this is us. Right. If you don't like it, then bye.

Rachel: Yeah.

Ali: Um, you know, you need us more than we need you type of type of mentality. And so I think in 2019 was when we came out, um, as engaged. And then, um, the response was incredible. Which I never would've thought in a million years, um, unfortunately, which is crazy to say out loud.

Rachel: Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: But I, I never thought that it would be as good as it did, all of our brands and sponsorships. We even had more opportunities-

Rachel: That's amazing.

Ali: ... after the, we made this announcement and not everyone goes through that.

Rachel: Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: Right. Not everyone has that experience. And so I, I knew right away that okay, this is a situation where I feel super lucky and super grateful to be able to tell this story, uh, you know, a positive story of, you know, a queer couple or lesbian couple that, you know, had just come out and, and, uh, were engaged and he wants to live this life together. And so it, it, there's no right or wrong way to do it, it's just how you feel. And you have to make sure that it's what you want, not what anybody else wants. And that the right time for you might not be when somebody else, uh, asks you or when someone else, I don't know, puts it out there. It's just, it's, it's about how you feel and how you wanna approach it. And I felt like that time was good for me and I was willing to take that risk because I was afraid that I was gonna lose my job and, and other things in my life. So I just went for it and I just, I just felt it in my gut that it was right.

Rachel: Yeah. That's really nice. It's really scary, es- especially when the stakes are high like that. And it's, it sucks that we're still in a world where you weren't sure if it was gonna cost you endorsements or your role in this thing you worked so hard for. Like, but, you know, that's the reality. I'm glad that it went so well for you, but, you know, it's, it's still really scary. It's risky. I think it's so interesting what you said about that lack of visibility, because I think we're around the same age, and I've heard from so-

Ali: Yeah.

Rachel: ... many women this age when they're, who have had the reaction of like, "I didn't know women could be gay." Which is just, it sounds wild when you say that out loud, but like, I think we forget now because so much has changed. Like, it was like Ellen and that was it maybe, or like, maybe a joke on a sitcom, you know, like, it just, it was so different. And I think if you didn't see yourself, you're just like,"Okay, well I guess that's not me." And just like kept, you know, didn't think about-

Ali: Yeah.

Rachel: ... it again. And, and now so much has changed that a lot of women in their thirties and forties and older are realizing like, "Oh, this is something I was missing." And I think that's, that's so exciting because like you said, it is this expansive process where you realize there can be more for you. It's not, you're not losing anything. You have, you get to open yourself up to something new and that's so special.

Ali: Right. And I, you know, I, I was so happy that I was like, "Okay, this is what I've been feeling and missing. Like this is, these are a few answers now that I can take with me. That now I can kind of, you know, work on that and, and understand myself more on a deeper level," where before in college, I was like, "Who am I? What am I doing?" Why am I feeling this way? This is weird." Like, and, and so I feel now that I, from college stepping into, you know, my, um, my experience overseas, I was able to do a bit of self-discovery, which then gave me a whole new perspective on my life. And whether I wanted to be in a lesbian relationship or if I was, you know, experiencing, you know, more of bisexuality experiences. I, I was open to anything at the time because I was just like, "You know what? I could be free and this is me."

Rachel: Yeah.

Ali: "And let's just see where this goes." And, um-

Rachel: That's amazing.

Ali: Yeah. And you kind of just fill your cup slowly and you start, you know, really discovering yourself more. And I, I really am so grateful for that experience. Um, and, and finally being in a, in an environment where it was okay, uh, to, to be me.

Rachel: Well, I wanna pivot a little bit to talking about career stuff, because you've obviously had this really long career really, like filled with a lot of highs, but also there were some lows. Um, so I wanted to talk about the advice that you would give yourself when you didn't make the National Women's Soccer team-

Ali: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: ... 'cause I think we all go through career setbacks, obviously, but with sports, I think it can probably feel incredibly personal and the stakes are very high. Uh, so maybe if you could start by kind of telling people what happened if they're not familiar with the situation, and then the advice you would give yourself if you had to do it all over again.

Ali: Yeah. So I, um, was basically in 2017, I think was trying to continue to make the team, every year you'd have to fight for contracts every January at the time where it was you know, you would get a contract with a national team, and it wasn't like a pay-to-play model where you get invited in now, um, at any moment. And so it's always a bloodbath at a January camp where we're all fighting to make the team. And at the beginning I did, but then slowly I had, you know, just, it was probably after World Cup in 2015 where things started to get a little rocky. And I started to recognize, "Okay, like there's other players coming in and the coach doesn't necessarily value me as much as before, even though I just played 2015 every game in the World Cup." And it just, you know, it was a really difficult year for me. Um, slowly but surely, I, you know, stopped getting called in. Um, and I didn't really get a reason for that. There was never really a, you know, kind of like a closure. That was why it was so difficult for me to move forward um, in my career at the time. And I was devastated. I didn't get called back for a whole year and a half, almost two years. And right before the next World Cup, I get a call because, um, you know, they were in need of, of a defender. And I think I had proved myself, uh, through that time period, and I made it really difficult for them to ignore me. You know, just had the super laser focus of, "I wanna achieve this, and I know I can do it and I'm gonna do it." And I'm, like I said before, I just made it difficult for them to ignore me. And so ultimately my coach at the time gave me a call. We didn't really discuss the, the last-

Rachel: (laughs).

Ali: ... you know, two years because I said, "I'm in a different space now. I'm in a different you know, um, you know, mentality. I am super focused on where I'm at. I don't wanna bring up the past. Let's just like move forward. What do you need me to do? I'm here for the team, I'm here for you, and let's make it happen. Right? Like, I, I'm, I'm open to whatever you need from me, uh, in order to help this team be successful." And so I ended up getting called back into the last camp before the team was chosen for 2019.

Rachel: Wow.

Ali: And somehow, some way I got back into the team right before it mattered most, and we ended up going to World Cup and we ended up winning. And I actually, um, I didn't play as often as they did in 2015 and 2011. But I did get a chance to go into, um, two games. And then the final, I had to, she called on me, uh, when one of our right back, um, Kelly O'Hare, who's my teammate now, she unfortunately had a bad head injury. It was like a concussion so, right before halftime. So then I get the call to, to go in and fill her spot-

Rachel: Wow.

Ali: ... in the second half of the final. And I couldn't believed that. I was just like, "Alright, this is why I'm here. This is exactly why."

Rachel: Yeah. [inaudible 00:15:41] you spent years preparing for this.

Ali: Yeah. Like, just these, these 45 minutes. "This is why I'm on this team right now." And we were 0-0 at the time. So I was so grateful that I could help the team win.

Rachel: Yeah.

Ali: And we won two, nothing. And so that, that's kind of that experience. But I always tried to stay positive. It's easy to to get, you know, into your, into your head and, you know say all the things and reasons why, you know you're not there. But I immediately changed that perspective. I, trust me, it was a really dark time.

Rachel: Yeah.

Ali: And I remember, you know, uh, uh, just like wanting to just quit. And I was so frustrated, I was so angry for the longest time. But then I said, "You know what? Like, that's not me. I, I know how good I can be and I know how I can help this team. So let me turn that on, turn that around into a positive and, and get to work."

Rachel: Yeah. That makes sense. And sometimes it helps to let yourself have that period first-

Ali: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: ... just to be mad and to feel bad, and to not talk yourself out of it, or try to fix it-

Ali: Right.

Rachel: ... or go to the gym right away. Sometimes you just have to be upset-

Ali: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: ... and angry, and then you can get through it. But you're like, "I, I'll, I'll get there eventually. But today there's a little time for wallowing and, and mourning and just, you know, feeling bad," and there's nothing you can do. But it sounds like you really brought a level of focus that I'm just sort of in awe. 'Cause it's hard enough to train, but training when you're kind of down, when you're already, when you're coming from that like vulnerable position, I imagine is so much harder.

Ali: It is. It's really difficult. Yeah. But you just gotta push through. And then, you know, as athletes, you know, everything's at risk, right? But it's worth it in the end if it works out. And so you never know that answer until you try.

Rachel: So the last, um, pass up I wanna ask you about is a little bit more recent. Um, and I wanted to ask you about the advice that you would give yourself as a new mom. So as people listening, probably know you are mom to Sloan and Ocean, who are very young. So you were a new mom not so long ago, which is a famously really difficult period. And I'm curious what you, what advice you would give yourself looking back now?

Ali: Um, I would just say (laughs) buckle in because (laughs), nothing ever goes as planned. You could prep all you want, prepare for, you know, anything and everything. Um, but it really just day-to-day, you have to be willing to, um, kind of just be open to whatever comes. And, um, you always have to think of what if as a mom. So, uh, it's kind of like a spontaneous day-to-day. I, I never know what the day's gonna bring. I'm as prepared as I can be, but, you know, some days the kids can be great, some days they be terribly sick, some days they're gonna have tantrums, some days, you know, everything's gonna flow perfectly. And, you know, all the meals are gonna work out. I mean, I, I literally think that, um, I would tell myself just buckle in because, um, you have to make sure you're, you're open to anything that's, you know, that that could happen. And, and patience is gonna be key.

So no matter how my kids are acting or feeling, or I'm always trying to stay calm in the way that I speak to them too. Um, you know, if they're yelling and screaming and then I'm yelling and screaming and saying, "Stop, or Don't do this or that," you know, that's just not the way that I approach, um, you know, how I am parenting. And so I feel like if I stay consistent, even though sometimes I do wanna yell, and you gotta just like, you know, you get angry and you're frustrated and you just need like, two minute break and you wanna lock yourself into the pantry. But I, I try to stay as calm as I can and just kind of have like, you know a steady, a steady response.

Um, and then I think kids, young kids, ultimately they don't understand why they're feeling certain ways that they're feeling, whether that be really happy, sad, frustrated, all the things, uh, and all the emotions. I would tell myself just allow that to happen. And, um, and just embrace them more instead of tell them what to do about it. Because I would tell Sloan even now, 'cause sometimes she doesn't understand her feelings that you know, I just try to give her a hug and console her and embrace her because I always say, "Listen, it's okay to feel the way that you're feeling." Um, but if she's say throwing things or hitting something, or I'm always like, "It's okay that you're feeling upset or sad or angry or frustrated, but it's not okay to throw your things or your food or…” So I want to allow and give space for all the feelings and emotions because unfortunately as a kid, I don't, um, think that I expressed my feelings and emotions enough. So I think maybe telling my younger self before having kids just allow your kids to feel those emotions and feelings and, and just embrace, uh, the tantrums and-

Rachel: (laughs).

Ali: ... uh, the yelling and the crying and all the things, because those are emotions too. And those are just as important as being happy and excited and joyful.

Rachel: I think that's great advice for new parents. But I also think it's great advice for adults for themselves to just let themselves feel what they're feeling and, and name, what they're feeling and understanding why. I think a lot of people struggle with, you know, they, they know they're feeling something, but it is hard to name it or to understand why they are, you know, maybe acting out or are doing something that they don't, they look back and they regret. So I think just. all of us can probably benefit from pausing and thinking about our emotions, but not trying to stop them. But I imagine as a parent, you probably wanna step in and fix it, and it's really hard to just like step back and, and let them feel what they're feeling without intervening.

Ali: Right. And just giving them time to process.

Rachel: Definitely. All right, Ali, my last question for you, since this is about advice, is what is the best advice you've ever been given?

Ali: Okay. So Sue Bird actually told me this, and I think it was from Will Smith, a quote from him. I, uh, maybe we can fact check this.

Rachel: (laughs).

Ali: But, uh, when I was really going through that hard time, we went on vacation, um, with her and, and Megan and I had asked them both. I said like, "You know, what do you see? Do I hang out my boots? Like, am I that bad? Like, am I not... Like what am I not doing? Like what am I not seeing? This is crazy.” But she had said this to me that I had carried through every, ever since, um, and then she said, "As an athlete, or just even as a human being, um, if you stay ready, you never have to get ready."

Rachel: Rachel here. So we did fact check this, just to be sure. Turns out Will Smith is known for saying, "So if you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready." And that is how I run my life. But Dejuan Walker AKA Suga Free wrote and performed the 1997 single titled, If You Stay Ready and it includes the lyrics, if you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready.

Ali: And that is the mentality that I took into my training preparing to get back to the national team during that you know, tumultuous time. And that daunting, confronting time that I had, uh, those two years where I had kind of this whole self-discovery, but that was always in the back of my mind because I knew there was a possible phone call that would be coming. And I needed to be ready for that opportunity 'cause if I wasn't prepared and I wasn't ready, I wasn't gonna make it So I think that advice was gold for me in that moment. And I just, um, I took that along with me, uh, through those, you know, two years and, and then eventually made it back. And, uh, it all made sense then. And so I'm really grateful that she had, you know, given me that advice and that quote to, to really keep, uh, in order to, you know, achieve what I wanted to at the time.

Rachel: Well, that is a really lovely note to end this on, and really good advice. I think that can apply to a lot of different situations. So, Ali Krieger, thank you so much for being here, being our first guest, sharing your wise words with our listeners, and we're so excited to see what you do next.

Ali: Thank you. I appreciate the invite and I can't wait to continue down this path and, uh, support SELF and your podcast.

Rachel: Thank you so much. Advice To My Younger Self was produced by Hayley Fager and Rachel Miller, and edited by Hayley Fager. Peyton Hayes is our audio production coordinator, and Jake Loomis is our audio engineer. Caitlin Brody and Sergio Kletnoy are our talent bookers.

Transcript provided by Rev.com.

[lovemadethemdoit]

Hey there! 😉

For your one-word prompt:

Softie

(That story is so good btw!!!)

Years post-Won't somebody.

Jake scoffs. "I'm not."

Natasha raises one perfectly plucked eyebrow, tilting her head with glee. "You very much are, Seresin. We had you figured out long ago."

"That's basically heresy, Phoenix. We all know I don't have those pesky, squishy feelings."

Natasha laughs. "Tell that to your niece and her big brown eyes. She's got you wrapped around her tiny little fingers."

Jake glares at her. As always, Natasha just holds his gaze until he gives in. He looks down at his glittery pink nails. "Ok, fine. Fine! Maybe I am a softie, Phoenix. Sue me!" He shakes his head, looking around the door jamb at Javy's mini-me who is waiting for him to join her at her tea party, already pouring imaginary liquid into a tiny little tea cup. Her plush tiger is eyeing him with a judgy sneer. He sighs. "She got that from Maria. I am incapable of saying no to a Machado lady."

Phoenix cups his biceps in her hand and squeezes. "I won't tell your secret, Bagman."

Jake meets her eyes. "I know."

Phoenix winks and with a playful shove pushes him over the threshold into Lizzy's bedroom. She laughs as she makes her way downstairs, returning to the party the adults are having downstairs. Jake is not jealous at all. He can stare at his fiancé all day every day if he wants to. Just because Rooster is wearing the black button-down Jake got him for his birthday and looks absolutely delectable doesn't mean he won't give his favorite -and so far only- niece the best tea party hosting experience she's ever had. What little Lizzy Machado wants, she gets. Her uncle will see to that.

"Uncle Jaaaake," Lizzy sighs, patience not a trait she inherited from her dad.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He plops down on a tiny chair at the tiny table, his knees halfway to his ears. "Now you better have left me some cake, Miss Elizabeth. I'm not sharing with Mr. Tiger again!"

Lizzy giggles. "There's no cake, silly!"

"There's not? I thought this was a proper tea party?" He takes the pink plastic crown Lizzy hands him unasked and puts it on his head.

He watches her pull something out from beneath the table and the next moment she brandishes a silvery sleeve of Oreos at him. "There's these!" she says proudly.

Jake bites down on a laugh and squints down at her. "Did you sneak those from Mommy's sweets reserve again, little lady? You know she gets cravings."

"Nooooo. Uncle Bradley gave them to me."

"Oh, he did. Did he?"

"Uh huh. Now sh!" She shushes him with a finger to her mouth. She can be glad she's cute. "Mr. Tiger wants to tell his story!"

"Oh, alright. What shenanigans has Mr. Tiger gotten into this time?"

"Mr. Tiger and Mr. Bear are engaged!"

"They are?"

"Yes. Mr. Bear proposed and Mr. Tiger said yes."

"That's lovely. They do make a stunning couple."

Lizzy nods enthusiastically. "Mr. Tiger and Mr. Bear say they want to marry on June 17th."

"Is that right."

"Uh huh."

"That happens to be the date Uncle Jake and Uncle Bradley are getting married, too. What a coincidence!"

"I know!"

Jake holds out his little tea cup for her to pour air into.

"Mr. Bear says I can be flower girl at their wedding."

Jake bites down on a grin. "Aw. That's too bad, Liz. Uncle Bradley and I wanted to ask you to be our flower girl." He makes a show of pouting. "Maybe we can ask your brother to take on these important duties?"

Lizzy looks up, eyes wide. "I can be flower girl at both weddings!" she hurries to say.

"Yeah?"

She stands up and comes around the table, nodding her head. Jake receives her into the cuddle she's no doubt aiming for.

"Oh. Phew!" Jake wipes invisible sweat off his forehead. "That's great, Lizzy. You can be flower girl at Mr. Tiger and Mr. Bear's wedding and then at ours."

"I want a pretty dress! Like Mommy!"

"The prettiest dress."

"Pinky promise?" she holds out her little finger and Jake can't refuse a Machado woman's big brown eyes if he tried to, so he hooks his little finger around hers. "Pinky promise."

[wifiwuxians]

Baby girl of all time ( aq ) . And also maybe xy and jacket of hlm fame but u can separate / choose just 1 from the 3 if u want,

oh shit okay let's Go

First impression: "Oh shit what the hell happened to her. Also WOW WAIT A GIRL"

Impression now: Baby girl who I will protect with my LIFE. I love drawing and writing her and really need to do it more often, I found deep solace in her design since I'd come from Hotline Miami and one of the characters I drew most also has this fringe, so she's very satisfying for me to draw... I just love how she is a complete gremlin with a rude mouth who gets all cute when she's around someone she likes and wants to be in the good graces of... She is my little schemer angel

Favorite moment: This is audio drama only and may be a false memory but she and Xue Yang are doing their bickering and he's like "alright shortie!" and she's like "STINKY!" and it was just very important to me that she said that

Idea for a story: As well as the story I suggested for Song Lan, I'm going to show my ass here and say that I've been playing around with an Arcane AU for a hot minute now LOL I really want her to just go crazy and be powerful, you know? It's not super in line with what I usually do with her or see her but I just... Want to indulge. And what are AUs for if not that. So yeah! Jinx A-Qing, growing up in the underbelly of a toxic city and stealing from the surface with her older brother. It could be so good. Especially with everything else Arcane has going on

Unpopular opinion: I genuinely don't think I have one? I just wish she were in more stuff because like I said before everyone in the arc is of equal importance. Nothing would happen without all four of them

Favorite relationship: It's hers with Xue Yang. I'm sorry. It is. You know it, everyone knows it. Like Xue Yang with Song Lan, it's the what if for me. They're crazy sibling coded whether they like it or not and the way they bounce off each other is delightful for me to write and draw. They're both street rat gremlins and they deserve to mouth off at each other, and I also endlessly long for a world in which they actually have each other's backs. I love them so much it's unreal I can't go into too much detail or I'll start crying

Favorite headcanon: Hmmm that's a really good Q. I kinda just roll with these guys any which way so it's hard to pinpoint, but I guess my favorite thing that I do is give her a green scarf she never takes off in modern AUs because it was a gift from her brother (: But that's... not really a headcanon aksdjfg OH OH! I really like the one that her mother taught her to lie and pretend to be blind before her passing

First impression: "Man this guy fucking sucks he's annoying as shit. When does this part of the story end I literally could not care less"

Impression now: WELP I could spend literal hours talking about all my thoughts and feelings for this little shit but the summarized version for the sake of everyone is He sucks he's annoying as shit and I love him so much. He's super important to me on like a personal level so I am peak annoying about him yaaay

Favorite moment: It's hard to really have a favorite moment for a character who is admittedly rather difficult to follow along, due to the Behaviors, but I like his helicopter blade spin and fun little skipping in CQL, I like his backflips and "I need to get back before it rains" in the donghua (that second one for emotional reasons), I like him staring numbly after receiving candy in the manhua and in the novel I think it's him putting fresh straw in A-Qing's coffin while he waits for his life to magically fix itself

Idea for a story: Since I've covered another few involving him already, I'll share one idea that I would really love to write someday but that I just never get around to... Xue Yang tests the nails on himself to see just how much he can get away with (aka seeing if they can work on the living), effectively giving himself amnesia. He's found by Song Lan, hell-bent on revenge for his temple, but Song Lan cannot kill someone who doesn't remember his crimes. Memory restoring roadtrip ensues. It would be so fun (and also not!) for me to write...

Unpopular opinion: I don't need to write this one out lmao

Favorite relationship: If you've been reading the others I've answered, you'll know it's basically a tie between A-Qing and Song Lan. I just. There's so much that could happen between them. So much good, fun, terrible stuff for me to explore. Song Lan took up most of the space because he's just the favorite guy, really, and he alone makes me feral, but I love the gremlin-off that he has with A-Qing as stated above... And I mean yeah, Xiao Xingchen too, but it doesn't tickle my brain as much as the other two ): maybe because we saw a lot of it already in canon so there's not a lot for me to do there and my brain demands puzzle assembly to the maximum. Honestly, all relationships he has in canon are intriguing and worthy of exploration, but those initial two are my top picks

Favorite headcanon: TRANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First impression: "Is this guy ok" Impression now: This guy is definitely not ok. But that's fine. I'm here for him, I'm here to help him get out of the nationalistic toxic mindset. Take my hand it'll be alright Jacket you need not suffer anymore

Favorite moment: Definitely him rescuing Ms Girl from her abusive situation (which was also a building full of recently deceased people JDHFJHF) and taking her home and making sure she was okay, by a phone in case she wanted to call someone, on the couch so she'd have her own space, all bundled up with a blanket and a bucket nearby...

Idea for a story: I fear most of my HLM juice is depleted after dedicating so much of my life to it, but it might be nice to write something about him and his time in the military with his Special Ops tm. See how he was dealing with all that on a psychological level (hint: not well)

Unpopular opinion: He's only selectively mute, but has a bit of a speech impediment and talks slowly like Wen Ning lJHDJKFJ

Favorite relationship: Aside from him and his girlfriend, which sort of cemented my kind of love for ships in which partners are of similar personalities and full of boundless patience and adoration for each other, it's him and his best friend (so historians say) from his army days, who he still dreams about constantly and who he's shown to care enough about to go on a whole revenge killing spree for. That man saved his life and he was unable to do the same and it clearly kills him inside

Favorite headcanon: The speech impediment thing tbh and the idea that he's actually got these sad, gentle eyes under the scary chicken mask

[4townie]

Road to 4☆TOWN

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5

“Oh, my mom is calling.” T looked at his phone. “I guess she doesn’t think I sleep.”

“That’s because you don’t.” Taeyoung reminded him.

“Hi, Mami. Do you know what time it is over here?” T said as he answered the phone.

“Oh right. I forgot about the time zones.” Catalina facepalmed. “I’m sorry, mijo. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Well, you know how I don’t sleep. At least that’s what Taeyoung says.” Aaron nudged him. “You had a date tonight, right?”

“Yeah, I did. In fact, Megan’s here right now.” Catalina said with a big smile. “She actually asked me to call you cuz she wanted to talk.”

“Really?” Aaron grinned. “Cool, put her on.”

“Aaron, I’m gonna go put on some toner and then get rid of you.” Taeyoung said before wandering into the bathroom.

Aaron waved absentmindedly in response. “Hey, Megan. How’s it going?”

“Aaron, I need to talk to you. And forgive me for whispering, your mom has really good ears.” Megan whispered into the phone. “I wanted to ask for your permission to marry your mother.”

Aaron paused. “You what?”

“I know it’s old fashioned, but it would be a huge change for both of you. And…I really wanna marry her.” Megan admitted quietly.

“Ohmigosh, yes! I’ve been waiting for this.” Aaron’s eyes got wide. “When are you gonna do it? Tonight? Right now?”

“I don’t have a ring yet, silly.” Megan chuckled. “I wanna buy her the prettiest ring I can afford, so I’m gonna have to save up. But I wanted to give you a heads up beforehand.”

“Awww, you’re so sweet.” He sighed. “You’re gonna make the coolest step-mom. EEP!”

“Kay, I’m ready to kick you out.” Taeyoung came back into the room. “It’s late and you need a head start on falling asleep.”

“Is that the little man?” Megan asked. “I wanna talk to him, too.”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s here.” Aaron waved Taeyoung over. “It’s Megan. She wants to speak with you.”

“The hell…?” Taeyoung furrowed his brow. “Why?”

“JUST TALK TO HER!” Aaron whisper-yelled, shoving the phone to Taeyoung’s ear.

“Oh, uh, hi Megan. Aaron said you wanted to talk to me?” Taeyoung said awkwardly.

“Little man! Awesome to hear your voice.” Megan greeted him. “I was calling to ask you both for your permission to propose to Catalina. I know you’re pretty close and I wanted to include you.”

Taeyoung was quiet as he noticed the strange feeling in his chest. “Thanks for including me, Megan. I appreciate that.” He cleared his throat. “A-Anyway, you guys make a really cute couple, so you have my blessing.”

“Yes!” Megan cheered. “Oh, you guys are the best.”

“Well, if that’s all—”

“Wait, don’t hang up.” Megan ran around the apartment in search of Catalina. “I’m gonna pass the phone back to Catalina. I’m sure she wants to talk to you.”

“Right, right…” Taeyoung sat on his bed beside Aaron. “My best friend’s mom and my best friend’s mom’s girlfriend wanna talk to me.” He sighed and rested his head on Aaron’s shoulder.

Aaron looked at him. “You okay, Tae-Tae? Something you wanna talk about?”

“What? No, of course not.” Taeyoung jumped back up. “In fact, I can’t talk to you right now. Your mom’s on the phone.” He walked away awkwardly. “Hey, Catalina…”

———

I’m back! Thank you all so much for your patience🫶🏾 A month ago today, I lost someone very important to me, but after taking time just to focus on celebrating her life and visiting my qpp to unwind, I am finally ready to resume the story. Hope you’re all as excited as I am😁

[atmymercy]

Hello, hope you're doing well lovely and thank you for another tarot giveaway (again, no pressure into picking me). My question is guess about who? 😆 yeah my specific person aka the only man my soul desires to connect with and I'd like to know more about our connection. This time I won't be on anon 😂

Q: "What is the deepest emotion or feeling that my special/specific person (💙) has towards me?" (I feel like he intuitively knows me better than anyone even if we haven't had a face to face contact yet, but I let you, your/our guides and your cards speak✨)

As for your quest, this may sound corny but the character Goku from Dragon Ball makes me feel inspirational and hopeful. Because he is part of my childhood so is my comfort character and I love it how he always tries to better himself and not undertimate challenges but still being confident in his own capacities. Yes, he fights a lot of enemies but behind that power there's a tender heart, he cares a lot about his family even tho sometimes doesn't seem so lol but is clear he wants to protect them and also about his friends. Also, I love it how in the long run he sees his enemy more as a friend who needs his help even though this friend doesn't want to admit it bec of his big ego but even him deep down cares about his beloveds and he once sacrificed himself for Goku's son and everytime I see this scene I cry like when I was a kid. Goku always lets his ego on the side instead. It's sad how this show is criticized because considered 'violent' but in reality it hides really deep and important messages, very human and spiritual like it was the one who drew the Manga.

Thank you so much, regardless 🙏💙💙 - a.r.

♡ giveaway winner - 2/5 ♡

hello ar! aww! i am doing well, honey! how about you? how are you, honey? i hope well! and aww! you know i never mind getting a question from you about your special person! it's too cute!!!

ooh goku is such a good pick! i can totally understand how you feel! a lot of people want to assume that db/dbz/so on are all about fighting and violence but the true story is about positivity and hope! it's about not backing down to challenges! and making friends with your enemy! omg! yes! goku is such a good role model! i think what i love the most about goku is how he is not afraid to be tender with the ones he loves and fierce in their protection or in the face of adversary! eee! it's so good! i don't know how many times goku has been an inspiration for me! especially with his old voice actor kirby morrow! i hear that voice as goku and i just feel this great sense of hope and faith that i can't even begin to really describe! but i will say i have always looked up to bulma! her brains! her creativity! her tenaciousness! and let's not get into how i ship these two... lolol

for you, i got the world, 10 of swords & the sun.

interesting. right now the strongest and deepest emotions that they have for you are bitterness, exhaustion and ruin. so they are feeling tired and a little run down right now. it's like they keep feeling "like they're losing so much time" when it comes to you, honey! so they're feeling a bit lost without you right now and it's a bit hard on them... but but but! they are also surrounded by your love is the real interesting part here! so it's like they feel tired and listless, yet they know your love is waiting on them and ready to surround them! so it's like a waiting and healing game right now where they are dealing with their annoyances and frustrations while waiting for your love to "come my way" is what i heard. it's really giving that they are trying to finish up the journey they are already on so they don't have to be "miles away, miles away" from you. because it's like they know you are coming for them but until then it feels like "they're dying from the inside out". so their emotions are hard on them right now but they do know the light and your sun is coming for them as well! it's giving the princess up in the tower waiting for her fair knight to come along! lol it's hard on them!

hope you enjoyed it! please give feedback or buy me a coffee/tip when you can! if you want to explore this further, please also consider a private read. also thank you for sharing with me!♡

love & light!

-tea

♡ message me for details/questions & to book a reading! ♡

[ellisgirl]

Ellis Twilight — Secret In Your Heart Collection Event

Ellis’s Secret

I do not own any contents of Ikemen Villains. This story being uploaded in this blog belongs solely to CYBIRD. Please support them by downloading their games and buying their stories. Both English and Japanese are not my mother tongue languages, please keep in mind that there will be mistranslations and added words for my own preferences. I translate for my personal entertainment and for my own practice only.

It was Ellis who noticed me going shopping on my day off and asked to have him accompanying me.

Ellis: “Miss Kate, I will carry that bag.”

Kate: “It's fine. You've carried the one I just bought.”

Ellis: “I still have one hand free.”

Ellis: “Besides… I’m stronger than you.”

Kate: “Of course you are, but…”

Ellis: “Spoil me. I want to carry that too. Can’t I…?”

(Oh…my)

Kate: “...Well then, I'll take your word for it. Thank you very much, Ellis.”

Ellis: “Yeah. You're welcome.”

(…Ellis is still kind)

Ellis always gives me excessive kindness, as if he were treating me like his lover.

But it's not because I'm special, it's because of Ellis's personality that is kind to everyone.

When I'm with Ellis, my heart feels lighter.

Kate: “Hmm! The weather is nice and we can go shopping. I am very happy.”

Ellis: “—Hey, how happy is that?”

Kate: “Well... This is the best moment since I woke up today.”

Ellis: “…Yes.”

(��Again”, this question)

—How happy are you now?

Ellis asks me and the people around me every time something happens.

At first, I thought it was just a catchphrase—

(I feel like it means something very important to you)

And behind those words, there is a sense of unease that seems to be tied around the neck with cotton floss.

When I was thinking that I couldn't come up with an answer by myself, I heard small footsteps beside me.

(…..?)

Little Boy: “I love you, so I'll tell you my secret.”

Little Girl: “Then, I love you too, so I’ll tell you a secret!”

Little children hold hands and run away laughing.

Kate: “Fufu, cute.”

Ellis: “Shall we share secrets with each other?”

Kate: “Eh?”

Ellis: “I want to get along better with you.”

Ellis: “If we share secrets with each other, we might be able to do that… What do you think?”

A smile naturally spills out the cute proposal that is almost like a child.

Kate: “Sounds good.”

Ellis: “…Hooray”

(What kind of secret should I tell Ellis?)

Ellis: “Someone told me that if you tell someone a secret that you never told anyone, you will get along very well…”

Ellis: “Don't hesitate, because you'll probably feel painful.”

Kate: “…Ellis?”

Ellis: “A secret that might make you feel sad or a secret that might make you smile. Which one do you prefer?”

—It felt like the hustle and bustle of the bustling city suddenly disappeared.

(Eh…?)

Kate: “A secret that might be painful?”

Ellis: “Yes.”

Kate: “…Am I the one who will be in pain? Or is it Ellis?”

Ellis: “Both, I guess?”

Ellis: “Because it's a secret I've never told anyone before.”

(What should I answer...?)

If I choose to be in pain here,

I may be able to understand the identity of the unease that sometimes clings to you, and the behind meaning of that word.

(But once I know it, I can never go back to when I didn't know it.)

Ellis: “I don't want to make you sad.”

Ellis: “So secrets that might make you smile... are recommended.”

Ellis: “…What will you choose?”

(…….)

(……I)

Kate: “Well then… Let’s go with Ellis’s recommendation.”

Ellis: “Yep. Okay.”

Ellis puts his lips to my ear when I jumped on the escape route he offered me.

Ellis: “Actually, I'm in trouble because my hands are blocked.”

(Eh?)

Ellis: “Because I just realized that while I carried these bags I couldn't hold hands with you.”

An unexpectedly cute secret makes my heart lighten again.

Kate: “I didn't realize you were thinking about that.”

Ellis: “Fufu, I did my best to hide it.”

Ellis: “So, what is Miss Kate's secret?”

Kate: “You won’t laugh?”

Ellis: “…If it's so cute, it might make me laugh.”

Kate: “You can’t say that.”

Ellis: “So tell me. Tell me more about you.”

His words and gestures always envelop my heart with a sweet lightness.

However, I have a feeling that someday he will be swallowed by the sad secret he holds.

It's like paying the price for missing an eye.

…Fin…

Masterlist

[daddymothxxx]

🗒 — what is/are your favorite genre(s)/theme(s) to write? 🤔 — what genre(s)/theme(s) do you struggle to write the most?

🗒 — what is/are your favorite genre(s)/theme(s) to write?

Arms up. Action, adventure, conflict, interpersonal drama, EMOTIONS, change! Development!

You can see most of that in the way I RP/write here, probably. Lol. Given how I picked up Valentino and rattled him around into what he is now.

I've got a lot of investment in themes of...The Human Condition in that awful people are still people--capable of awfulness, but also capable of growth and change into 'better' people. Just like in the world around us. It's too often that we see a person doing something problematic and just label them as 'other' or a 'monster' or 'inhuman'. And I'm not about to stop those terms from being used (or pushing for babygirl-fication or even forgiveness towards people who commit heinous activities), but it is important to realize that the worst of us come from Us. Not some mysterious alien egg with no connection to Humanity as a Whole. They aren't Others. A symptom and not a species.

Anyway, I also like POST-APOC so fucking much. Gobble up that shit all the time. Sci-fi Fantasy, too. Particularly the urban variety. Give me supernatural shadow populations and wizards that think magic is a science not yet understood that use their knowledge to teach math in a local university.

And, I don't know--I love culture and sociology and psychology so...When that shit breaks down and builds back up? Chef kiss.

That goes for people individually, too. Heh.

Hurt/comfort is a form of that. Really enjoy that cycle. Angst and then the rebuild and change that comes from it when the dust settles and people huddle together to get through the aftermath. Yeah...

🤔 — what genre(s)/theme(s) do you struggle to write the most?

I feel that I struggle most with like...slice-of-life stuff. And not specifically some 'down time' and life activities so much as the...

Like if nothing is happening except that. A general lack of growth or conflict going on in the writing??? I don't know if I'm making sense on that. I hope I am.

There's a difference between every RP/story being about slice-of-life where nothing of important happens except domestic living and a little bit of cute breathing room between characters.

At that point I feel like there's all to do about nothing and it sucks my inspiration away. There has to be something developing, happening, challenging, provoking, etc. going on.

I also know that people say I focus a lot on the external representation of a character like their mannerisms, but refrain from laying out their thoughts or emotions in the narrative elements. (I guess because I want people to read into things and interact in a realistic way.) However, I think I've also come a little ways from that. c:

[biographydivider]

Jellybean

For @acewithapaintbrush​, who was disappointed that the baby sibling in the background isn’t canon.

“Welcome one and all to Puppet History --!”

“Professor, keep it down. Sensitive ears, remember?”

“Oh - oh, right, yeah, sorry Mom. Okay. Today,” The Professor whispered, resting his tiny (but not as tiny as it had once been) nose on the crib’s railing, “we’ll be taking an ever-winding look at yet another chapter in the heavy heavy book we call history, while our guests ruthlessly compete for the coveted cup, and the title of History Master. I am, of course, your beloved host and big brother, The Professor!”

He held for applause that never arrived. Instead, someone blew a raspberry. He wasn’t sure who it was, but assumed it was Ryan and mentally took off a History Point, just to be safe.

“Uncle Ryan, are you ready?!”

“Not quite sure how you roped me into this,” Ryan said from the other side of the crib, idly spinning a teething ring around one finger, “but yeah. Sure.”

“Special guest and baby puppet/dinosaur hybrid Jellybean, are you ready?!”

Lying in the crib on her back - holding her tiny, fuzzy, orange feet in her tiny, fuzzy, orange claws - The Professor’s baby sister gazed up into his eyes with all the love and innocence in the world, and farted.

“Then let’s crack in! Dun Duuunnn!” The Professor flailed his arms, and Jellybean giggled.

A baby sister had been a...surprise. But it wasn’t like The Professor’s life could get much weirder. He knew his parents had a, uh, robust romantic life. But he really wasn’t expecting to come home from filming one day to find them waiting for him at the door, giving each other goo-goo eyes and talking about something very, very important they had to show him in the spare room.

“Now that asteroidation isn’t an issue,” his dad had said, “your mother and I wanted to make the family a little bigger.”

“Plus, you weren’t exactly a normal birth, baby,” his Mom had added. “I wanted to experience the full, natural journey to motherhood; from a night of loving, mindless passion with your father right the way through incubation, ending with a brand new baby to care for.”

“And we always thought you’d make a wonderful big brother.”

“You...you thought that about me?” The Professor asked, gazing at the egg sitting in a pile of cut grass his Mom had hoarded just the week before - payment for Dad running the lawnmower over Ryan’s mom’s lawn in readiness for Too Many Spirits 2023. The Professor had asked her what she was doing, and she’d just chuckled at him and told him he didn’t need to know. Which was dumb - he was The Professor! He needed to know everything.

“Of course we did, baby!” his mother said, wrapping him up in a big hug. “You’re so intelligent and creative - and so cute - what better role model could a lil’ dino baby ask for?”

“Aw, guuuuuuys...”

Her name was Scout. But even before she’d hatched, her big brother had always called her Jellybean.

“Now,” The Professor began, “do either of you have any experience with teddy bears?”

“Actually,” Ryan piped up, “I have a real cute story about this bear that my grandpa --”

“Gahbaghabababa!” Jellybean squealed, her tail thumping against the mattress of the crib as she made a grab for the copy of Quantum Theory For Babies that The Professor had bought her when she was born. She liked to chew on it while she thought.

“That’s a really good point,” The Professor cried. “You know, I hadn’t thought about that! A jellybean for the baby sister!”

“Beeee!”

“That’s right; a bean! You’re so smart.”

“Hey!” Ryan complained, picking up a blankie and lobbing it over the top of the crib at his friend. “I thought we were leaving favouritism behind us, Professor?”

“We are!” The Professor insisted, dodging the projectile with ease. “She just made a really good point.”

“Sure she did.”

“Anyway; our story today is about a President, a defenseless cub, and how capitalism really just can’t just leave things alone. This is the story of the very first teddy bear!”

“Of course,” Ryan grumbled, “when it’s for the channel it’s cannibalism and propeller butchery; but she gets literal softball topics...”

“She’s a fuckin’ baby, dude - what do you expect?”

“Language, son!” came a call from the living room. “You can play with the baby as long as you behave.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry, Dad.”

The Professor looked down into the crib at his sister, who smiled back up at him. There was a glint in her eye that he knew very, very well. A chaotic, fun-loving, too-clever-for-their-own-good sparkle. He had a feeling that, between them, there would be a lot of time for mischief when she got a bit bigger. As well as a lot of learning.

“So, anyway, our story begins...”

[hydrate-or-diedrate]

DAY 4 OF READING HOMESTUCK WE STARTING ACT 3 BABEYYY

According to the thing I'm looking at this act is about 400 pages so we'll see if I finish it in one day or not

Oh hello! Jade is a new name :0 that's someone I haven't even heard of from general fandom nonsense! So this is the little Fiver, huh?

Forgetful and too many interests to keep track of? I vibe

She plays the flute I can't wai- oh dear god

Her garden is lovely, at least

Casual teleportation okay- ah my apologies, casual transportalization

:0 Bassist? Hewwo? I wanna see the silly little girl play a sweet bass riff hewwoooo

"Pet and best friend named BECQUEREL" what you're just not gonna specify what he is? Ominous

Ahhh so she's a furry? Good for her

Ah not a furry

I-irradiated?? Steak??

SWEET BASS MUSIC YEAHHHH

Oh holy shit this lunchtop is gonna give me a headache

Oh lordy more midnight crew? Violence? Heck yeah

BEATDOWN (STRIDER STYLE)?

YEAH KILL THAT PUPPET MURDER HIM FUCK YEAH

Oh uh oh Dave sweety you seem to be getting beaten by the puppet actually

Goodness Cal is truly horrific

I love how sweet Jade is 😭

I'm sorry Rose, are you leaving your mother to burn up there? Hi??

OH GOSH JOHN IS GETTING MERCED

Thank God for nannaquin, if she offered me a cookie I'd take it despite my hatred of clowns

You know what while the captchalogue stuff bores me after a while I can respect that the author put so much effort into designing it, this is a lot of detail

Punch card calculator? Oh I so need to abuse this immediately

Nevermind I actually don't want to deal with images right now lmaoo

Having fun with the chess board imagery, eh, Andrew?

Oh Jade's grandpa is the collector of all collectors I see

Worm

Fuck carcinoGeneticist all my homies hate carcinoGeneticist

THEY ARE SQUIRTLE GLASSES

These brothers are really on their mall ninja shit

One of my friends called Dave's older brother "fuckable" and I'm judging them hardcore rn

YEAH JOHN AND NANNA FUCK EM UP

I respect the Peregrine Mendicant

Tea set? Ah tea set

KITTY

Oh my God this kitten is so cute

Into the room? 👀👀👀

INTO THE DAD'S ROOM

Aw fine, into the foyer

Oh my gosh Jade's grandfather is so silly looking and oh my gosh he's a statue??

Oh he's DEAD

I love the kitten so much it's not even funny

Oo time to feed the beast!

THE SHAPE

At last we are in the father's room

Aw man it's boring business guy things

John's dad is a badass look at he go

Finally a modus that doesn't make me want to die

Oh no it's gotten worse

HE GOT A LITTLE SUIT WHAT A LITTLE BUSINESS GUY

I am living for John's mental breakdowns

THE SHAPE OF THE GUY! BEC! THE BEAST THE GUY THE DUDE!

Arf

Yall it is so hard for me to not binge this entire comic since I have free time, I didn't expect to enjoy it this much

Bec is a very good boy

Damn Rose is in hot water. Well, hot not-water. Fire she's on fire

DREAMBOT?

VODKA MUTINI

MOVE THE FUCK OVER SERENITY MUTIE IS NEW BEST CHARACTER

Mr Mayor 🥺

Fuck it were shotgunning all of act 3 in one night because I have no self control right now

THE WRINKLEFUCKER

AT LAST THE PUPPET IS DEAD

Bec in da lava

JOHN AWAKENS

These trolls are absolutely going to be plot relevant later too, damn. It's such a funky mix of "every single thing is important" and "this is for a visual gag"

And now the Aimless Renegade

Is this guy a cop? He seems like a pissy little cop so far

"YOU ARE THE LAW WHOOPS" this is a great comic

THE BUTTERFLY WAS INNOCENT

Baby Jaaaade 🥹🥹🥹

Hey Jade this temple looks really ominous

Is he gonna drink the piss

WIZARD CAAAAAAT

And that's the end of act 3 now we got Rose in here babeyyyyyy

I can see why this story used to be so popular and is still loved to this day this is so damn fun :)

[princecosmosanon]

(i'm a different anon btw)

Haha! Zuko is already super jealous of the other characters Sokka hangs around. ;3 He definitely has his reasons for hanging back though. Hopefully you’ll get to know what they are sooner rather than later??

WHATTTT? he's jealous?? sorry but like THE AUDACITY! like he had ~ a week off ~ to spend time alone with sokka but he didn't even bother to show up and now sokka gets to spend some time with new friends and meet new people because of his new job as a consort and he's jealous?? if you're so jealous then go to your room at night.. bruh

you know how we say "he would not fucking say that" about fanfiction sometimes? your sokka is soo different than his canon counterpart but i always think you got his core personality so well. i'm like ohhh he would do that yeah.

could i ask you about other characters? we know katara's at home (god i recently reread the first chapters and her anger is so heart wrenching. she just loves her brother so much i hope they get to reunite in the flesh). aang is still in the ice i suppose. i hope katara's anger at the fire nation for taking one of her loved ones again breaks him free so he can give our girl a bison ride to caldera to see her brother. hope this doesn't come across as rude or telling u what to do but i think it would be hilarious to read toph in this setting. though i don't think they'd have time to be friends in this story. still i'd like her to give zuko a hard earthbending style slap (oh i know i'm gonna regret lashing at zuko i know... but for now he's a lil bitch). yue is alive, hopefully? so... not gonna lie i hope we get to see one or two people falling for our sokka so zuko can be more jealous lmao i need zuko to realize that sokka's a cute magnet for cute people (now i'm not suggesting cheating. that's awful haha... unless 👀👀)

thank you so much for sharing your work with us i'm so in love with it that i reread it aaaaaaaaalllllllll the time krhjdx

i hope life gets less busy so you get to rest and enjoy yourself. writing can wait you're more important, if you feel obligated to write (i know i do when it comes to my writing) take your time please we're here whenever you want to update 💗 i know i won't give up on this story and i'm sure others won't too.

have a nice day king 👑

Whoa, I am soooo late to responding to this!! I apologize! It came into my inbox around when my boss first went on paternity leave and work was exploding around me :x

But LMAO yeah, Zuko is very audacious in this fic. He has a very inflated idea of what’s “right” and “wrong” and for good reason! But it seriously does not mesh with Sokka’s.

Lol I’m glad you like my Sokka interpretation! <3 Part of why it works in Hearts on the Mend is due to it being a non-canon universe. Sokka is older, he’s wiser, he can keep his mouth shut a little easier, but he’s prolly at least 20% more petty than his canon counterpart. He’s mastered passive-aggressive sibling slights and he’s turning that knowledge on Zuko, all guns blazing. - That’s basically why I write him like I do. I find it easier than sassy child Sokka. I’m personally not as good as he is with snappy comebacks, but I can write petty well enough.

Regarding other characters… (spoilers hidden for those who want to not see them)

Katara will indeed see Sokka again in this fic! You can bet Zuko doesn’t get away from her wrath forever. ;)

Aang will also appear in this fic at some point! :3c any more spoilers with him would be telling, tho…

Toph… I haven’t considered in *this* fic, I’ll be honest. She may appear in the sequel fic I plan to write (yes, I already have plans to write more for these characters in this particular setting) but she’s tabled for now.

And does Sokka get more love interests??? Will cheating be involved?!?!? Who can say… no, lol, actually this fic won’t have Sokka cheat on Zuko. He’s not going to put his tribe into jeopardy for his own libido or comfort. But he might have some longing later…!

Thank you again for reading my fic. It’s a lovely story and I want to keep it going. It’s definitely not dead in the water until I say it is, and I do feel like I’ll get back to writing soon. I just can’t say for sure because I’m all scattered still.

Thank you again and again and again! Love and peace,

~Prince Cosmos Anon

[booksandwords]

Prose and Cons by Amanda Flower

Series: Magical Bookshop, #2 Read time: 1 Day Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Quote: There was a war going on in Charming Books as the crow and the cat positioned themselves against each other: a tight for shop mascot. Both Faulkner and Emerson thought they were deserving of the title. Faulkner, who had been a resident of the longer, had seniority on his side, but Emerson had him beat in crowd appeal. — Violet

I enjoyed Prose and Cons though not as much as Crime and Punishment. Though it's nothing to do with the characterisation and story perse more to the writing and the classic literature was used. Violet, Daisy, Emerson and Faulker are all still fantastic. Prose and Cons picks up in the 3rd week of October four months after the conclusion of Prose and Cons. Charming Books is all decorated for fall and Halloween. It's a busy time for Cascade Springs, it's their annual Food and Wine Festival. Being as it is Violet in Cascade Springs something inevitably goes wrong and someone dies. The death was entirely unexpected to me, Anastasia Faber. Anastasia is the literary fiction author from the Red Inkers we met previously. The prime suspect is another member of the Red Inkers, Sadie (the bubbly fashion queen). Worse still the death happens at Charming Books.

It was nice to meet some new faces during Prose and Cons especially Danielle and Aster Cloud and EMT Keenan all of whom I think will make further appearances. I'm hoping Renee does too. Renee does all librarians justice. She's loud full of passion and personality and is really not a shusher. The epilogue is adorable. I adore Aster. She is just too cute, the best Joan of Arc I can think of. As an aside, I am now convinced there is no signposting for the killer or the motivation though it's Anastasia she was not particularly liked, unlike Benedict who was well-liked and respected. This is all about the reading and the journey.

The story of Prose and Cons is self-contained though perhaps a little less pleasing for me than Crime and Punishment, potentially due to an accessibility problem. It might due to the use of Dickinson's The Carriage vs Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher and The Purloined Letter, as a poem The Carriage the can be replicated with ease giving us the most relevant parts for the story as they are needed. Whereas The Fall of the House of Usher and The Purloined Letter are both approx twenty-page short stories that rely more on themes and impressions than words. If you haven't read them you are likely to understand less. I'm likely to see similar problems with Murders and Metaphors which uses Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. As with the Poe works I've never read Allcott's classic but it won't stop me from reading the next book in the series. That said using Poe was a great choice it does allow Faulkner to indulge in some raven yelling (no one wants to tell him he's a crow, not a raven).

The tree is interesting, protective of Violet and healing. They don't hide its power from David but David himself says in the course of the story that as important as Charming Books birch tree is to Violet they are sacred to David's people. They hide the secret yes but with him, he observes more and notices that something near-impossible has happened. Have some David and Violet quotes just because.

My gaze glossed over Trudy and Richard and locked with the amber-colored eyes of the village police chief. As a member of the Senca tribe, Rainwater had coal black hair, which he kept short, honey-colored skin, pronounced cheek bones, and eyes that were like pools of warm maple syrup. It went without saying that he was a handsome man. The fact was he was an aspiring writer of children's books could topple a book-loving girl like me clean over. — This is a lovely descriptive passage. And yeah just ditto to that last line. There is just something truly appealing about children's book writers. (p.26)

"My work is fiction for kids, true, but it's still a peek into my deepest thoughts. In a way, isn't that what all writers allow readers when they share their work, a window into another person's mind? Poe, the tortured soul that he was, was the perfect example." — This is David's reason for not letting Violet read his draft well the final reason he settles on after she calls bullshit on the others. The line is accurate but I would love to see what is in that book. What truth is he hiding from her? I mean at this point it could be anything. (David, p.40)

My eyebrows shot up a little father with this new information about the chief of police. He sounded like a true Renaissance man. Chief, writer, role-playing game aficionado. It just seemed a little too good to be true. I wondered what else I didn't know about Chief David Rainwater. — This is after Violet founds out from Keenen that he's in a D&D group with David. But before we meet Danielle and Aster. That just adds a whole other level of oh wow. (p.66)

""You do realize everyone else in the village, including my own grandmother, is pushing me toward Nathan, not David." She clicked her tongue. "The mayor is all wrong for you," she said with conviction." — While Violet may not like this conversation at least someone is saying 'oh I can see that'. Also, I like Renee in this scene, she makes me smile. (Violet and Renee, p.192)

More quotes to finish this very, very messy review.

The pounding came again, and Emerson seemed unconcerned by it, so I felt myself relax too. In the last few months since I had adopted the small tuxedo cat, I had begun to trust his instincts about people. He always seemed to know who was friend and who was foe. It was nice to have a feline litmus test, — This is a great take on pets. And Emerson is the best when it comes to an indication of good faith. (p.24)

"Adrian boxed up some more cookies for you. He copes with bad news by feeding people." I took the box from her and smiled. "Since I cope with stress with sugar, we are well matched." — And this is why we adore Adrian. I know Lacey is the suspect for bk 3 so it is going to be interesting to see hope Lacey and Adrian cope with that level of stress. (Lacey and Violet, p.85)

Despite growing up in wine country, I wasn't much of a drinker myself. I'd never acquired a taste for alcohol. If I was given the choice, I would much rather eat my calories in the form of sugary baked goodness like the cookies from Le Crepe Jolie than from a glass of wine. — I feel this on a deep level. I did grow up in wine country (and brewing area now). I too would rather eat my calories, or drink them through something close to designer tea. (p.159)

I could use a ruler-high stack of chocolate chip pancakes after the night I'd had. On second thought, Grandma Daisy could hold the pancakes and just hand over the bag of chocolate chips straight up was the only medicine that would do the trick. — Oh my god yes to this. (p178)

A student strolling the sidewalk did an about-face when the librarian screeched at me. Perhaps a yelling librarian was even more alarming than a running librarian. Nat that Renee was your typical librarian, with her tendency to be loud and her infectious laugh that could be heard all over the library building multiple times throughout the day. She wasn't one to whisper, and I had seen her shush a student only once, when a group of football players was especially rowdy. — It has been so long since I saw a librarian written this well. Renee is loud. Personality plus. And I can see why Richard is intimidated by her a little.