#oh.. tumblr has changed so much since i last came back

[att4boy]

some thoughts

i was reminded of this blog bc i was watching mina le's lovely video on subcultures and aesthetics, and rmbed the times i came on here and reblogged all these art hoe (or whatever) photos with the #aesthetic tag, and tried to make my blog look all cohesive and pretty as well. i was 13 when i first started this blog - in fact i started it the day after i turned 13, if i'm not wrong? just a few days after... - and now i'm turning 21, and still thinking about this place. i joined tumblr bc all my friends were on it and it seemed like such a cool place. now all the friends (irl and not) i used to have here are gone.

(are any of you still here? let me know...)

i've been thinking about my relationship with the internet recently, inspired mainly by chia amisola (among many others on twitter). when i was younger i was so careless with what i posted. not using careless in a bad way, btw. i mean careless as in unself-conscious, careless as in happy to chat with anyone who happened to be around. when i had just started elementary school my sister helped me set up a blog where i happily posted about my day (i went to kfc today!), and then in p3 i tried to set up a blog to document my family (though it never materialised in the end; i think my mum heard about it and discouraged me from doing it, though i truly don't rmb much anymore). and when i got instagram i started a transparents account (those overlays to put on pictures that everyone was rly into back then) on instagram that got almost 1k followers, i had (have - it's still available online, though we haven't posted since 2016) a book fandom account with three of my friends where we posted our little fanedits of books like divergent and hunger games and twilight. i remember briefly chatting in the comments to some guy a year or two older whose username referenced mockingjay about singapore and school... making a transparent for this ? influencer ? my age ?? that i thought was rly cool... and then something changed, i'm not sure what. i think i became more conscious not of data privacy and security and whatnot, but of how hostile the internet could be when you had a "bad" opinion. i was finding my way into the parts of the internet that discussed feminism, intersectionality, lgbtq+ rights, etc... and don't get me wrong, i think those are all excellent movements that i'm proud to be part of, but i think i also stumbled into areas where accidentally being insensitive or uninformed was very harshly criticised and looked down upon. and i think, probably, i was already the sort of person to naturally be a bit more worried and anxious about doing the "right thing" - i was always the goody-two-shoes in class, still am today to some extent. so the internet changed around me and i came to know it as somewhere where i shouldn't ask too many questions, where i shouldn't criticise.

but then i've been reading about other people's experiences on the internet - how they grew up and built their entire worldview there, made friends across the globe and changed the trajectory of their lives because of it... and i am of course remembering my younger days of freedom of the internet. i miss that era! i wonder how different i would be if i had walked further into this space and talked more. now all i do is lurk on twitter with a private account, ghost cool people trying to follow me back, dream about replying to posts and weaving a friendship from nothingness... i am definitely romanticising, to some extent, but i don't think my version of the internet back then (/ now) is wholly accurate either. i am imagining a version of myself with more confidence and curiosity, and i am wondering if i can still spin that version into existence.

i guess this post is an attempt at that? the last time i came here to talk abt something and then i ended up moving that into a private google doc. but it feels appropriate for me to post about coming back onto / into the internet on tumblr, where i have "been" for years and years. i've been thinking about starting a blog, or a public twitter, or maybe (this one just came to mind) restarting a tumblr and seeing where things go. i don't know if i'll keep it up... but wouldn't it be nice to try?

[kyri45]

✨ShadowPeach Bio Parents Bio AU Q&A! 21/11✨

Welcome to the Q&A! A space where I can answer related or similar question about the Shadowpeach Bio Parents AU! If you submitted your ask anonimously, then you’ll have to check the whole post if it’s answered here, if it’s not, worry not! Your asks might have been used for a future comic or just in the queue~

Anonimo ha chiesto: Hi! Would Macaque kidnap Wukong again? I read your comic, the last page, where Macaque is the kidnapping expert. And I'm very curious about it. Anyway, I love your comics! You are awesome.

Haha I don't think they really need it unless they want to do a "traditional wedding courtnapping" but it would be pretty odd since they kind of already live togehter.

Anonimo ha chiesto: I know this is definitely a LONG ways away, but, imagine: Wukong and Macaque playing the newlyweds game. What questions? What answers? Who’s asking the questions? Who’s getting the most right?

I wont list all the lesson but I think Macaque would get most of them right just because Wukong never really changed a lot during the years, while Macaque went through different stages of his life, and and he has new hobbies and tastes.

Anonimo ha chiesto: Will mk have a nightmare about LBD? If yes Then we will have some angst with fluffy monkeys family moments!!!

Oh he has. He has many. Most of them he has while he is at pigsy's.

Anonimo ha chiesto: Can you please shows up a flashback backstory on how MK/Wukong discovered/found out/came out as trans?? 🙏🙏🙏 Banana sundae with chocolate sauce, rainbow sprinkles, THREE cherries, and a super-deluxe one-and-only Monkie King™️ collectible spoon???

Anonimo ha chiesto: will we see any past Shadowpeach?? I’m interested to see how you frame their dynamic back 5en.

Hahah maybe in the future, I'll see

Anonimo ha chiesto: Can we get Wukong telling dad jokes? Please, I’m begging i want to see MK laughing and Macaque just being so disappointed with Wukong yet so smitten. I want to see more Monkey family domestic blissss. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

I don't have my dad jokes book here but man give Macaque an award for the patience he has with these two children

@goofybearclown ha chiesto: Hi :3 Just wanted to say I love your shadowpeach and cotl AU!!! I didn't notice you made both at first but when I did I was like "waow :0". Tbh your works are in my top 3 series on Tumblr! @fenikzia ha chiesto: I love your LMK comic so much, I look forward to reading the new additions to it when they come out every other day,and reading your comic just makes my day better. Even if it hasn't updated a particular day, I make sure to go back and reread the newest part.Keep doing what you're doing and make sure to take breaks! @skye-minecraftyt-blog ha chiesto: You! I like you! Your Bio parents Lmk au always makes me extremely happy and I regularly reread it. ((o(^∇^)o)) Just wanted to say it @blazeandsilver ha chiesto: Hello, I just wanted to say your artwork is absolutely stunning, it makes my day whenever I see that you posted something new to the BioParents comic. Please keep up the good work and be sure to take some time for yourself, you’re important too.

AWWWWWW THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE!!

Anonimo ha chiesto: Hihi shadowpeach au question: You mentioned in the latest comic that Mac is more lean and skinny than Wukong. Will we ever see the full extent of that?? ALSO I ADORE YOUR ART OMG ❤️❤️

A fully naked Macaque you say? Maybe.... who knows....

Anonimo ha chiesto: I come to defend Wukong acting like a man looking at a victorian lady ankles, he hasn’t seen his (ex) husband’s fur in centuries. And he probably hasn’t socialize in years either besides MK and the gang. Romantically he is stunned right? I doubt he has even looked at anyone besides Macaque anyways…

Honestly I like to think that Macaque was the only being in all the universe that was eer able to make him flustered

@mochalikesdrawing ha chiesto: So I got a question, will we ever get to see kaiju MK again?

I have a scene post AU I would like to draw. Maybe.

Anonimo ha chiesto: Ignoring all the angst because it is crushing my soul /pos, I'm lowkey convinced that Macaque knows Wukong feels some kind of way about him because he can hear his heartbeat go crazy at certain moments and isn't dumb, but just isn't calling Wukong on it because he's still trying to sort his own feelings first. BUT ONCE HE DOES OH BOY-

Hahah Macaque knows perfectly well Wukong is down for him. In the meantime Wukong is alwasy afraid he's just imagining things bc he's dense af.

Anonimo ha chiesto: Do you think Wukong and macaque would be cuddling and macaque would be watching something scary and Wukong would be trying to not pay attention to it because he hates scary stuff or would it be the other way around?

yess

@ep2nd ha chiesto: In your shadowpeach bio parents au, if MK and Wukong were created by Nuwa, with Nuwa using Macaque and Wukong as a base, has anyone wondered who created Macaque? And does Macaque himself knows?

Wait Nuwa created Wukong? If that's so I think then all the 5 monkeys were made by her, for some reason.

@boonalina ha chiesto: Sooo what exactly is the courtnapping process like? Is it just a simple "I'm gonna pick you up and carry you away" or is it an entire ceremony? Does someone have to lure the person into place? For example, Mei bringing Redson over to a secluded spot so that Mk can "courtnap" him? (Side note: I've been in this fandom for around two years now, and this comic is what made me find out about courtnapping lol)

I "think" anything that can be counted as like a sneak attack that takes them out of guard and brings them to the designated courtnapped room can be considered as courtnapping technically.

Anonimo ha chiesto: ... Hey so your shadow peach bio parent AU is better way better than season five. WOAH, WHO SAID THAT!! (no but seriously it is like a sitcom I tune on ever so often. Much love 🫶)

Haha thank you! That's a HUGE statement!

Anonimo ha chiesto: I wonder if MK has any unique attributes/abilities as a living mass of celestial material?

He's such a cocktail ofdifferent energies I wouldn't be surprised he is able to glow in the dark.

@cjtuy ha chiesto: I do have a question it's mainly about pigsy and tang when and how long have they been together as a couple and did both of them find mk are they married ?

They have been together for almost a year, but I don't think they are married, but maybe that could happen in the future??? But yeah MK found out a little after season 5 that they are together, that was also the same time he started calling Tang "Papa"

Anonimo ha chiesto: Has macaque added any personal items to the house? Like is he moved in? Have Wukong and macaque improved or changed anything else besides making the bed bigger?

Yes he did! Half of his belongins are in FFM, althought he's a little more minimalistic than Wukong. He also have been bothering Wukong to death so that he can finally organize his stuff (and they were roomates

Anonimo ha chiesto: I feel like if they were to play Minecraft or something macaque would be the base mom. He would be the only one to remember to farm food to not starve. The others would probably forget all the time that hunger is a thing in game. Wukong or Mk: oh dang does anyone have food I'm starving Macaque: (always brings extra for this reason) "sighs" yes

AH!

Anonimo ha chiesto: Remember the Minor Scale episode, from season 2? Where MK learn how to shrink himself? And there’s also the final episode of that season where MK just grow very big to try to fight LBD. I just love that part of his power and I have seen very little people showing it. Like, sometimes that power can show up when the poor boy is experiencing overwhelming emotions that can’t be contained anymore, or pure exhaustion. For example, Having many responsibility can lead to a lot of stress and exhaustion and at some point MK just can’t do more and just become tiny, not able to do more. On the opposite, maybe he experience trauma again through a nightmare (like about azure for example) and the emotional burden is to much and he just becomes big because of that. You see my vision? I love sizeshifting base on emotions :)

Aww and i love emotion-based powers, they are just so easy to play around.

Anonimo ha chiesto: Tbh the show should let macaque have a motorcycle. Wukong gets to be passenger princess

Yesss

Anonimo ha chiesto: as we get into the colder months i like to imagine MK’s first winter coat and he’s all super fluffy and warm

Cool for the monkey parents, bad for pigsy and all the hair in the restaurant from sheeding.

Anonimo ha chiesto: I think it would be so funny if MKs rock hadn't been cracked and he'd been raised on FFM by wukong. If the same thing happens in the show macaque planning to take mks powers thinking he's just Wukongs student but then while macaque and MK are training. Since macaque is so close he notices his ears. (Being raised by a monkey he gets his form sooner) suddenly putting everything on hold busting into FFM and is like WUKONG WTF

There's a fic on AO3 about it it's A Son of Two Dads

@cheese-hommo ha chiesto: Hii, fiesta I want to say I love how you draw and everything, it just looks so cool and beautiful. Now, with the last chapter of Monkey parents Au and so, with the acknowledgement of the demon etiquette and else, DBK and Wukong really misunderstand the comfort scene for a confession? Or something more? It was just so funny seeing the two of them getting so embarrassed at the end 🙂‍↕️

Ah, 2 young demons in their true forms so close to each other, blushing? Scandalous.

Anonimo ha chiesto: I've seen Mk is his Lego merch- he gots a tooth gap- so does this MK have one or did he get it filled?

Wait that was a tooth gap??? I though it was like, a detail of the smile

Anonimo ha chiesto: 🎤 what is your official (if any) opinion on Ink MK? (as a character, plot device, literary parallel, what have you)

It's ok. I personally believe "shadow" version of one character with their own fears and doubts is a clique a little bit too much used. But they give a lot of angst.

Anonimo ha chiesto: Thoughts on Macaque knowing either Japanese or Korean due to him liking anime.

I'll give you one better. Macaque always traveled to Japan pretty frequently during the centuries. Then became a weeb

Anonimo ha chiesto: Maybe it's just me but Wukong looks a bit thicker each time, is it because his fur's thickening or is he getting chubbier ??????? Anyway luv ur art

Both.

[seneon]

ESCORT ──── shinji hirako x fem! reader. ib chase atlantic's escort. fluff + mentions of alcohol. wc of 600+

thinking about captain shinji hirako who would most definitely bribe or pay or do whatever it takes just to have you in the fifth division. he'd be so desperate about it, even go on his knees just to recruit you into the squad that he takes charge of. and for what reason?

the mere sole reason that you miraculously stole the heart of the captain while he came down to shin’o academy to demonstrate kenjutsu for the students. you just so happened to be one of the students that the hirako had to personally teach.

as beautiful as you can be and as bright your smile can shine, it only took a few hours for the blond-haired male to fall under your spell. but you never even put a spell on him in the first place. all you did was breathe, exist, and learn as shinji teaches.

as pathetic as the man can be, he doesn't ever show it. in fact, he does the opposite. he'd go all “oh look. it's the student girl whom i taught that sucks at swordsmanship.” like bro you did not just get on your knees to beg yamamoto to put the ‘student girl’ in your division…

he wants you to work for him and be under his wing, so he watch whatever you do. even better if he's seeing you make such a drastic change and progress ever since your academy days. not that he's a weirdo captain or anything that fancies a student of his, but your ages weren't that much of a difference. in fact, shinji is the one who ended up becoming a captain at such a young and admirable age.

“i can give you love for free, y/n…” shinji said during one messy night where the word sober left his vocabulary. all on his mind are fuzzy images of you.

“trust me, sir, she'd appreciate your love one hundred percent,” a voice said as they took away the bottle of sake in their captain's hands. the man simply looked up at the figure and looked back down, snuggling his drunken face into his arms. “you're kinda... pretty.. not any more beautiful than y/n though.”

“woah sir, thanks for the compliment. i honestly agree too, she's very cute, captain.”

the hirako glared at his subordinate who's helping him get up from the table so he can finally leave the pub with some guidance from someone of his barracks. “you keep her name outta your mouth, pink!”

“it's punk, sir. not pink.”

“shut up. only y/n can tell me what's right or wrong,” shinji's head wobbled just as his division member sighed and draped his long arms around their shoulders. they were oddly smaller than the fifth division captain.

“come on, captain. time to go home. y/n wishes that you return home safely.”

the voice of his subordinate is gentle and soft, so similar to his crush’s voice. he couldn't even tell what is going on right now, but he just lets his subordinate escort him home, not really in the correct state to think of anything else. although, his squad member uttering the name y/n made him all sweets and butterflies on the inside.

after such a night, the man wakes up in a frenzy, struggling to remember whatever happened last night and however in the world he ends up in his soft comfy futon without ever remembering how he got back into his bed.

he stares at a bone china vase for a few good minutes, attempting to search and dig for anything that has been buried by the headache that he currently has. but the more he stared at the reflection of the vase, the more he caught something at the corner of his eyes.

shinji shot his head at the few bags of items that laid beside his futon, a note of instructions on the items written down. he knows this writing. he out of anyone would've recognised this immediately. it belonged to you.

then a flash of memories became visible in his vision.

“THAT WAS Y/N?!?!?”

note. requested by @imaginingbleach. tumblr murdered me on the inside when i lost your request ask... i'll write an aizen piece soon trust

© SENEON 2024 ♰ do not repost, alter, or translate.

[thatwritterbeach]

So About that Alley .3

Jason Todd x fmc

DC masterlist ALL OTHER PARTS FOUND HERE

Unedited***Also I swear Tumblr is messing up my spelling on purpose cuz everytime I re-read something I know I fixed it's wrong again

Alex: short, curvy, red hair, green eyes, redheads go through pain meds way faster than normal people to the point I personally don't even take them, it's a joke, they last 30 min at best

Summary: Alex finds out her bf is red hood, after she spills some not so great secrets to the masked man while stitching him up.

Warnings: Vaginismus* angst, sexual assault, self-harm, depression, drug use by Alex, violence, cursing, NSFW, smut, thigh riding, vaginal fingering, guided masturbation?, p in v (not overly described), pain during s*x, hiding said pain, hickeys?, self-hate, insecurities, eating disorder, weight loss

A/N: I do not own dc booho

"Hey, Jay," she asked in a totally calm totally cool manner the next morning, completely numb thanks to the nice little combo she'd whipped up. Not floating or un-present but not in pain, even where the arm of the couch was digging into her side as Jason squished into her, laying fully on top of her.

"Yes, my beloved?"

"Don't make me take away your books you little dork. I was just wondering if your family knows about you...you know, not being dead?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"Just if I happened to run into them I wouldn't wanna be like 'oh I'm dating Jason' and they'd be all 'wtf is wrong with this chick, he's dead' you know."

"I guess. Alex," he said grabbing her hand and pulling it to his mouth," I'm gonna introduce you, I'm not ashamed of you or whatever the hell else your mind is trying to say. My family is...overwhelming for most and I didn't want to scare you off."

"I get it dude, and since I just recently placed you as Robin you would have had to hire a family, or spill you deepest secrets to me. Lucky for you, I am the most understanding woman on the planet."

"I'd argue, but you're right. I'll text Alfred, the leader of the gang, and see when we can come for dinner. Be warned though, it could be tonight, they've been trying to get me to come home for a while now."

It was in fact that night. Alex scurried around for a clean pair of jeans, then after a glance in the mirror at her too large reflection she ripped them off and tossed them to the floor. A dress? No, that one has a tear. This skirt? No, it's too short. Jean short, they're clean but who the fuck wear jeans shorts to a mansion. Business slacks, no that says trying too hard. Ah ha, a superman t-shirt, and black leggings, then top it off with one of Jason's zip up hoodies.

"Is that what you're wearing," he asked with a laugh as he came into the room. In fact the laugh became a full blown fit and he doubled over nearly to the ground clutching his stomach and wheezing. With each second she got more and more self-conscious. Of course she couldn't wear what was basically pajamas to a fancy place, what was wrong with her. With a sigh she took off her boots and slid out of the leggings and switched them for her jeans, that she hated but whatever. Searching in vain for something that wasn't a graphic tee, or a business blouse she was half way through her closet when Jason recovered enough to notice what she was doing.

"No, put it back on, it's great, doll, I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing with you."

"I wasn't laughing," she said without emotion.

"Hey, come 'er." Much to her wiggling protest he pulled her tight against him and placed several loud kisses along her scalp.

"Everyone else will be in pj's I solemnly swear, in fact I was just about to change into my matching flannel set, someone amazing bought it for me, but I can't remember who," he said tapping his chin with mock thought.

"Really?"

"Cross my heart," he said, though his fingers were crossed behind his back.

"Ok," she conceded trying to get free. He held on for another minute before spinning her out away from himself and winking when she fell back onto the bed. Matching pj's in hand he headed to the bathroom, not for privacy but to send an urgant group chat explicity stating lounge clothes were to be worn.

See masterlist for more

[rohansdisciple]

𝚜𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 ★ .

summary : elliot breeding after you say ‘yes’ to him asking for a baby ♥︎ .

warnings : romance / smut / nsfw . fem / afab reader . established relationship / married . pet names used . nipple play . sex toy ( vibrator ) . oral ( fem receiving ) . squirting . p in v sex . light marking . breeding . and i think that’s it ! tell me if i missed something ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ ! 

word count : about 3.1 k *

reading time : about 12 minutes * 

other : 16+ ** . takes place in the stardew we all know and love, i believe i changed some minor things so the plot makes sense ! may have some minor grammatical errors && the entire story is written in lower case and the punctuation has double spacing in between the words * .

a / n : so last month while i was playing stardew valley elliott asked for a baby . which made me freeze in my seat by the way , then i said yes and moved on . then when my character had the baby , i froze once again . but that time i got an idea to write about him asking for the baby and the first baby making attempt :D ! so enjoy pookie bears ^ ^ ! 

credits to @ rookthornesartistry on tumblr and @ crispyporkbelly on deviant art for the dividers !

" finally , i reached the 100th floor ... " you sigh , finally arriving at the location you've been attempting to reach for weeks . you look at the time to see how long you've been down in the mines — it's almost 11 p.m . " i should call it a day and go home , " you think as you board the elevator to the top . when you exit the mines , you choose to use the warp totem to get to the farm since you have no desire to make the 30 - minute walk back to the house at this hour .

once you get to the house , you toss all your findings and valuables into a chest until you can sort and look at them all tomorrow . because right now , all you were concerned about was showering and then getting in bed with your husband . when you walk into the house , you head to the bathroom quietly , trying not to make too much noise since elliott is usually asleep at this time . when you switch on the bathroom light , you discover a nicely folded pair of your pajamas resting on top of the counter ; which is just a simple tank top and shorts . and it came with a note on top that said , ' enjoy your shower , love elliott ' . you grin once you finish reading the short note , and you have to remember to thank elliott for being so thoughtful and conveniently setting out your pajamas for you .

after enjoying your hot shower , you get out, get dressed , and then you make your way to the bedroom to rest for the night . you notice a dim light glowing beneath the bedroom door as you approach it . " maybe elliott forgot to turn the light off before he fell asleep ? " you think to yourself , still under the impression that he's sleeping . when you enter the bedroom , elliott is fully awake and reading a book in bed . it seems like he was waiting for you to come and join him .

“ hey babes , i didn’t expect to see you up at this hour ; whatcha doing up - ? ” you ask while you get into bed with him . “ i was too deep in thought that i couldn’t fall asleep , so i decided to read a book and wait for you to return , my love ... ” elliott chuckles as he places his book and reading glasses on the nightstand before lying down with you . " oh , by the way , thank you for setting out some clothes for me , sweetheart . i really do appreciate it , " you say softly . elliott places a kiss on your forehead and then says , " no problem, honey ... it's the least I can do when you work so hard every day , " he replies .

" did everything go well today , sweetheart ? " elliott asks as he caresses your cheek with his thumb . " mhm ... i got really lucky today in the mines , so i got a lot accomplished , " you reply in a hushed tone , closing your eyes for just a moment . " that's wonderful , my love ... " he says softly , his words trailing off .

for a while , neither of you speaks ; you're too busy enjoying elliott's touch , and he's preoccupied with his thoughts , which creates a brief moment of silence between the two of you. he can't decide whether this is a good time to talk to you about what’s been on his mind or if he should just drop it and talk to you about it some other time . once elliott convinces himself that now is the perfect time to talk about the thing that's been on his mind , he speaks up . 

" can i talk to you about something , honey ? " " it's been on my mind for a while now - " elliott nervously says to you . " of course , what's on your mind , honey ? " you ask , sitting up and leaning against the bed's headboard . once he knows he has your full attention , he speaks , " so , i've been thinking about ... talking to you about trying for a child . " he pauses for a few seconds then continues , " i've always wanted to be a father , and now that i have such a lovely wife , i'd really like to have kids with you — if you want them , that is . " when he stops talking , elliott anxiously awaits your reply .

you consider what he said for a moment , and it suddenly hits you as to why elliott has been ' subtly ' mentioning babies and talking about how you two would be ' wonderful parents , ' and how the farm would be ' an amazing place for a child to grow up in ' . you sit there for a few minutes , silently considering whether you and elliott are ready to start a family , and all signs lead to the answer being yes . the house has enough space to raise a child ; you're financially secure , and you've always wanted to be a mother . " sure , let's try for a baby , elliott , " you say , smiling .

" a - are you sure , honey ? " elliott asks you . " mhm , i thought it through ; i think we're ready for a baby , " you say . elliott hugs you tightly and exclaims , " that's amazing , darling ! i'm happy that you said yes ! " " i'd be down to start trying right now, actually , " you offer boldly . " really ? ! r - right now , hon ? but aren't you tired from the day ... ? " elliott asks , slightly flustered by your suggestion . " i'm not that tired , sweetheart . and , besides , i can see you want to start trying now , too , " you tease , looking at the slight bulge in his sweatpants.

" you got me there , my love . the very thought of me getting you pregnant is exciting ... " elliott whispers , his face flushed as he caresses your waist . " you're just too beautiful to resist ... " he mutters as he draws you into a kiss . the kisses you two share start off soft and slow , but they quickly turn into more passionate ones as you both begin to caress and crave one another . elliott's hands quickly find their way under your shirt , and you tremble when you feel his cold hands grope your bare boobs . " mmh ... your hands are so cold - " you pant once you pull away from the kiss .

elliott chuckles when he hears you say that his hands are cold , and he says , " sorry, baby , they'll definitely warm up if i touch you some more , though ... " elliott teases as he removes his shirt and begins to shift his body on the bed . you watch as elliott positions himself to lean against the headboard of the bed . " come sit , my love ... with your back to my chest , " elliott says to you , patting his lap and pointing to the space in between where he wants you to sit . " o - okay ... " you murmur as you crawl closer to him , your gaze fixed on the growing tint in his sweats .

once you get situated , elliott takes off your shirt and places his big hands over your boobs . " you have such beautiful breasts , honey ... i love how sensitive your nipples are to my touch ... " elliott whispers in your ear , making you shiver . " ngh- " you moan as his fingers run over your nipples . " you like that , baby ? " elliott asks , placing soft kisses on your neck . " m-mhm ... i love it - " you gasp , savoring the sensation of him rolling your nipples in between his thumb and index finger . laying back and letting elliott pleasure your body has to be one of your favorite things ; every touch he gives you makes you tremble with excitement .

when elliott notices that you're practically shaking from him teasing your nipples , he knows you're craving for him to touch you . " e - elliott , please , touch me ... " you whine . elliott chuckles as he hears your desperate pleas for his touch , " alright , hon . lift your hips for me ... " he says as he begins to remove your shorts and panties . you do what he says , feeling yourself getting wetter with each second he doesn't touch you .

" open your legs too, darling ... i need to feel how wet you are for me , " elliott tells you as he puts his hands on your knees . " mmh , okay ... " you say breathily as you slowly open your legs for him . elliott's hands then run down your body slowly , making their way down to your wet pussy . " you're so wet for me , sweetheart ... it seems like the thought of me breeding you gets you excited too ... " elliott says teasingly as he spreads your pussy lips . " i - i charged the vibrator the other day ... could you use that on me , baby ? " you ask him . " oh , of course, darling ... anything for you , " he replies as he opens the nightstand drawer and pulls out the vibrator .

" you want the lowest setting first , right , hon ? " elliott asks as he sets the vibrator on your clit and switches it on , the low vibrations causing your entire body to flush with heat when it comes into contact with your sensitive clit . " mmh ... y - yeah , that's good right there ... " you mumble . elliott moves the vibrator in slow circles against your clit while he teases your nipples with his unoccupied hand . " m - mph ... m - more ... please , baby ? " you whine . elliott turns the vibrator on the highest setting when he hears you ask for more .

" okay , hon ... does that feel good ? " he asks . " hngh-! y - yes ... " you moan loudly as you grip onto elliott's thighs , attempting to stay in place . not even a minute later , elliott notices you were about to cum from how uncontrollable your moans became . " i - i'm gonna cum - ! c - can i cum ... " you cry out . elliott then takes the vibrator off your throbbing clit and puts it aside , which causes whimpers to fall from your lips . " not yet , dear ... i want you to cum on my face , " he says to you as he shifts his body to where he's laying on the pillows . 

" come sit , sweetheart , let me take care of you ... " elliott says inviting you to sit on his face . you immediately do what he asked , hovering your wet pussy above his mouth since you're desperate for some sort of release . that , combined with the fact that you enjoy it when elliott eats you out because he has a very good tongue got you even more excited than you already were . " i - is this good , babe ? " you ask elliott . " i told you to sit , not hover , darling ... " elliott replies as he squeezes your ass . " but , honey , i don't want to suffocate you - " you explain , having only sat on his face once before . " you don't have to be worried , sweetie . " elliott says , " just sit ... " he says , guiding you down until you are fully seated on his face .

" o - oh my god ... e - elliott ! " you moan in pure ecstasy as his tongue begins to suck on your aching clit . elliott laps and sucks at your clit like he's a starved man who hasn't eaten in weeks , causing you to only think about the immense pleasure you're feeling . elliott can tell how close you are to cumming from how much your body is shaking . " hngh! b - baby ... i - i'm so close ... " you say , holding onto the headboard for support as the knot in your stomach tightens . 

when elliott hears those words leave your lips , he focuses on getting you to your climax , continuing to slip his tongue in and out of your wet hole , his nose brushing over your clit as he does . seconds later , you feel the knot in your stomach beginning to unravel . " mph! m'cumming - ! " you moan loudly as your intense orgasm hits you , making you accidentally squirt on elliott's face .

when you come down from your high , you return to your senses and you get off elliott's face . " are you okay , babe ? " you ask , staring at all the fluids you've left on his face . " hehe , i'm more than okay , baby , " elliott says with a contented smile as he wipes his mouth and sits up . " but i'm not done with you yet , darling ... " he says as he removes his boxers and sweatpants, revealing his stiff cock . the pre - cum dripping from his rosy red tip alone is enough to make you drool . you want him inside of you badly ; you desperately want him to breed you right now . " now , on your back , honey ... we're not done just yet . " he whispers in your ear .

when you lay on your back , elliott traps your body beneath his , pinning you down to the bed . " i love you , y / n , " elliott says softly as his fingers intertwine with yours and your lips meet in a passionate kiss . " baby , is it alright if i put it in now ? " elliott maintains a low voice . " i'm afraid i won't be able to contain myself for much longer . " " as i said earlier , you're too beautiful for me to resist ... " he adds , his cock twitching against you . " mhm , go ahead , darling ... " you reply , touching his flushed face . elliott then rubs the tip of his cock on your clit before slowly pushing his cock inside your warm pussy while letting out a low moan .

" you doing okay there , love ? " he asks once he bottoms out . " m - mhm ... m'good , " you say , your walls clenching around elliott's shaft . " do you need a minute to adjust , my dear ? " elliott asks . you merely nod in response . " alright ... let me know when you're ready , okay ? " he adds lovingly as he caresses your cheek .

after a few moments , you say , " i've adjusted ... you can move now , baby . " alright , darling ... " elliott says as he begins to move . elliott let's out a soft grunt as he thrusts into you , your warm walls feel amazing around his cock . that , combined with the fact that you two haven't had sex in weeks , makes him feel like he's in heaven right now . " y - you feel so good , my love ... " elliott says as his pace quickens . " mmh ... s'good - " you moan softly as you rub fast circles on your clit .

elliott's hands then grip your waist to keep a steady pace , so every thrust gives you the pleasure your body deserves and desires . "  mph ... y - you're so beautiful , y / n ... " elliott whispers in your ear through his moans . elliott begins to place small hickeys on your neck as he attempts to find that spot inside of you that drives you insane every time . when the tip of elliott's cock hits your g - spot , your eyes roll to the back of your head with ease . " hngh-! r - right there - ! d-don't stop - ! " you moan loudly . " you like that , baby ? i'll keep doing it then - " elliott pants .

the bedroom is quickly filled with the sounds of skin slapping together , your moans , and elliott's low groans and pants . both of you are clinging to each other so desperately , like the pleasure you two are feeling would just stop if either of you let go . elliott pounds into you mercilessly as you feel the knot in your stomach becoming tighter and tighter by the second . elliott can tell you're close to your orgasm from the way your walls are clenching around him . " y - you're gonna cum , yeah ? j - just let go , baby - " elliott says to you . with a few more deep thrusts and touches to your clit , you can feel the knot in your stomach unraveling . " mmph ! m'cumming ! " you moan , your whole body shaking violently as you cling to elliott . 

it took every fiber of elliott's being not to cum inside of you right then and there as your walls pulsated around his cock as he continued to thrust into you as fast as he could . " mph! it's s'deep - " you whine . you couldn't deny that elliott looked so hot with his hair clinging to his sweaty forehead as he pounded into your sloppily wet cunt . you can tell from how erratic and rough elliott's thrusts were becoming and the way his face was twisting in pleasure that he was close to reaching his orgasm .

" y - y / n ... i - i can cum inside , right ? " elliott asks , wanting to make sure that this is what you wanted . " y - yes ... mph- ...stuff me full w - with your cum - " you say in between moans . now that you've told elliott that you wanted him to cum inside of you , he's only focused on two things — getting off and , most importantly , breeding you . elliott continued at his rough and fast pace , not letting up until he felt his orgasm approaching . " hngh-! baby , i - i'm cumming - ! " elliott moans as his body shakes as he cums deep inside of you , his cock filling your pussy with thick ropes of cum .

when elliott comes down from his high , he lays his body on top of yours and places his head in the crook of your neck , softly panting in your ear , attempting to get your body as close to his as possible . " i wasn't too rough , right , hon ? " elliott questions you once he catches his breath . " of course not , love . i feel amazing , actually , " you reply with a slight chuckle as you run your fingers through his long ginger locks . " you being satisfied is all that matters to me , my love , " elliott adds softly . " now , let's get you cleaned up , dear , " elliott says , lifting his body off of yours .

when elliott pulls out , his face immediately flushes with a red tint when he notices his cum slowly oozing out of you . " i - i'll be right back , honey - " elliott says as he gets out of bed and dashes out of the bedroom flustered . a few short moments later , elliott comes back to the room with a bowl and a washcloth in hand . " what's inside the bowl ? " you ask as elliott places it on the nightstand . " just some warm water to wipe you off , dear , " elliott replies , dipping the washcloth in the water . " all right , hon ... open your legs for me , " he says as he climbs onto the bed .

when you realize he's just trying to wipe you off down there before you two go to bed , you open your legs . " is the water too hot ? " elliott asks as he gently wipes you down . " no , it's warm , baby ... " you respond with a breath of relaxation . you lay there in bed , relishing in the sensation of the warm cloth and elliott's gentle touch , your eyes beginning to feel heavy .

" there , all done , " elliott says as he puts the washcloth back in the bowl . when he looks at you , he immediately smiles when he sees how relaxed and sleepy you look . elliott then lays next to you in bed and pulls you close . " i love you so much , y / n ... " he says in a hushed tone while rubbing slow circles on your back . " i love you even more , elliott ... " you murmur , clinging to him for warmth . elliott watches as you begin to slowly fall asleep in his arms . you truly were his world , his everything . " whatever the future holds for us , i'm looking forward to spending each moment with you , my love , " elliott whispers as he kisses your forehead before drifting off alongside you.

𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍 ★ ...

read the second part here 🍂 !

[seethew3stwithm3]

frost on the eaves // j. miller

hi there :) it's been a while since i've been on tumblr, and i started completely anew with this account, so let me introduce myself. i'm clarke <3 i love to write, even though my creativity has been pretty shit for the past year. but here's a little something i jotted down while listening to phoebe bridgers' christmas music, because i love me some seasonal melancholy. have a wonderful holiday season. and i hope this is the first fic of many. much love, clarke x

(gender-neutral reader. you can imagine show or game joel, it's up to you <3) warnings: angst. a little bit of lightheartedness. the general melancholy at the end of the world. mentions of sarah.

Snow was no stranger to blood, not after all this time at the end of the world. Seasons changed, leaves fell, the sun burned, but Winter always came back around.

Blood dripped from Joel’s nose as he walked back to the house, stumbling a little in the fresh sleet. He swore to himself, an ache in his lower back becoming more apparent with every step he took, as he pulled his jacket tighter around himself.

The cold had always made his nose bleed.

Shoving through the door, he kicked the snow from his boots before leaning against the wall to unlace them. Ellie wasn’t around, or else she would’ve come bounding down the stairs to complain about the racket he’d made.

He was still getting used to not having her at his side, was still working on easing the panic that arose whenever she was out of his sight. They were in Jackson now, as safe as they’d probably ever get, but the decades of vigilance and paranoia, of never trusting anybody, would take just as much time to undo.

Ellie is fine, he reminded himself as he tugged off his boots, grunting in pain at the strain it put on his back.

Lifetimes ago, he would’ve spent tonight in front of a fireplace, wrapping gifts for a little girl whose squeals of delight still lingered faintly in the deepest trenches of his memory. Christmas had once been his favourite time of year, if only for the stupendous amount of joy it brought to Sarah.

Whether it was the glimmering strings of lights, the window displays at the mall, or the general sense of festivity, Sarah’s excitement was constant and infectious for the entire month of December. And, by God, did he miss that.

Joel didn’t let himself remember very often, for it always brought a heaviness with it that was difficult to shake. But just this once, on this cold winter’s night, he let himself recall the sound of his daughter’s laugh. Of the gleam in her eyes, the same shade as his, when she’d unwrapped the digital camera he’d bought for her when she was thirteen.

He’d blinked spots out of his vision for weeks, always caught off guard by the click and flash when Sarah had pointed the damn thing in his direction. He thought of the photo albums she’d filled with whatever provoked enough joy in a thirteen-year-old to immortalise it in a photograph, and wondered what had become of them.

They, like everything —his Sarah, the world— would, of course, be long gone.

With a long sigh, Joel rested his head against the door. In the dark of the hallway, he blinked back the sting of tears. Christmas Eve was different now, all he’d planned to do was down a glass of whiskey, a heavy pour seemed necessary tonight, and go to sleep.

If he was lucky, he’d sleep through Christmas Day altogether.

But the wood vibrated against his forehead as somebody knocked on his door. Huffing a sigh, he opened it. You were the last person he’d expected to see on his doorstep.

“Hi,” you said softly, clutching a thermos in your gloved hands, wearing a gentle smile. But that smile dipped as he stepped into the porchlight. “You’re bleeding.”

“What? Oh.” Joel wiped his nose with the back of his hand, but it was no use, the blood had dried and crusted. “It’s nothin’, come in. Just let me clean up.”

As he led you inside, he couldn’t help but think of the last time you’d graced this hall. It had been two weeks since you’d kissed him, and maybe he’d been out of his damn mind. In the days that followed, he’d made himself scarce, signing up for extra patrols despite the ache in his back. It was foolish, and he’d regretted it each night when pain had lanced up his spine, down through his knees, as he’d tried to sleep.

In the days that followed, he’d fought an internal battle. His relief at a gentle touch waged a losing war against his stubbornness, against his certainty that forging any kind of meaningful connection would only end badly. With loss or abandonment, and he’d faced too much of that. He couldn’t do it again. He just… couldn’t.

Damn him for craving the warmth of you.

“Joel?”

Your voice shook him from his thoughts, and he turned away from the sink where he’d been wiping the blood from his nose.

“Yeah?” He sniffed, relieved that he could breathe clearly now. He crossed his arms, leaning back against the counter.

“I’m sorry,” you said, gaze drifting from the window to his closed-off stance, then to the floor. “For the kiss, and everything. I… yeah.”

With a shrug, your whole demeanour changed. Softening, accommodating to the fizzling awkwardness, brushing it aside. Without ever giving Joel a chance to say anything.

“Anyway, I was going to go for a walk to look at the lights and the tree they put up by the dining hall. I made cocoa. And, well, I guess I came here to ask if you’d come with me?”

Joel nodded, clearing his throat. “Yeah, sure, okay.”

A few minutes later, once Joel had tugged his boots back on, the two of you were out in the cold. It hadn’t snowed too heavily this morning, but the ground was a little icier than usual. You had to focus on each step you took to keep from slipping. But despite your vigilance, you stumbled.

Joel’s hand shot out to grab your elbow, stabilising you in an instant, as he’d done countless times on patrol, or wandering through Jackson. Once you were sure of your footing, you gently shrugged him off, giving him space. He’d made it clear that he didn’t want you, and you weren’t about to disrespect his boundaries by selfishly lingering close.

In the square, the tree they’d set up glimmered with lights. Handmade ornaments adorned the branches, the same ones you’d watched the kids put together in the dining hall last week when you’d been on dish duty after lunch. Painted pinecones, handsewn fabric stars, little bits and bobs and scraps that sparkled and shone.

A few others wandered by, holding steaming mugs of tea, all gathered to take in this sliver of rare festivity. Bundled up in coats and beanies, their breath like clouds in front of them. It was almost like Christmas before.

Settling down on a bench, you took a sip of cocoa from the thermos you carried. Joel grunted quietly; his hands braced on his knees as he sat down beside you. When you offered him the thermos, he took it graciously.

“This is good,” he murmured as he took another few mouthfuls before handing it back.

Minutes passed in silence, and snow began to fall. Little flurries that swept through the brightly lit city centre. Kids laughed, one of them was Ellie, running by with the friends she’d made.

Then it was quiet once more, and the gathered townsfolk left one by one, until the square was empty. Just you and Joel, alone in the snow, illuminated in a dusky glow.

“You didn’t have to apologise,” Joel said after a while, his voice a low rumble. It reminded you of glowing embers, warm, but only if you were close enough. “For kissin’ me, I mean. It was… I didn’t mind.”

You shrugged, setting the thermos on the ground between your feet. “It’s alright. There’re no hard feelings, Joel. The fact that you disappeared and didn’t speak to me for days said enough. It wasn’t… I should’ve asked, before just… yeah.”

The snow picked up, the only witness to this moonlit conversation. A few flakes caught in Joel’s hair, and you found yourself staring, even though you knew you shouldn’t.

“I didn’t… I don’t…” Joel sighed, running a hand down his face, brows furrowed. “I regret avoidin’ you—”

“I already said it’s fine, really—”

“No, ‘cause it made it seem like I didn’t want you when I did,” he grit out, something akin to shame in his voice. “When I do,” he amended.

A snowflake landed on your nose, a tickle of cold that you wiped away. Your heart thudded in your chest, and though you opened your mouth, no words came out.

“And if you’d let me, I’d… I’d like to kiss you.” Joel’s voice had never sounded so gentle.

Haloed in the dim glow, gilded with a faint golden gleam, he looked… different. Different to the Joel you’d always known. His ruggedness had softened at the edges, his dark gaze fixed on you, an almost imperceptible blush upon his cheeks.

There was kindness in him, you’d always known there was, despite his stern exterior. He just wanted to get by, and you understood that, because with the world as it was now, there was no room for gentleness or peace. It was best to grit your teeth, crack your knuckles, and take everything on the offense. Or, alternatively, take the defensive approach and drive yourself mad with paranoia, watching your back with an obsessive nature that slowly chipped away at your health.

Joel had found a sort of balance between the two, and kept his kindness hidden away, stamped down by the years of survival. He was faded photograph of passing time, with the smattering of grey in his hair, the lines on his forehead and the wrinkles by his eyes, the calluses on his hands and the scars on his knuckles.

It was as though the entire universe, whatever was left of it, weighed on his broad shoulders. And maybe it did. These days, everybody had a cross to bear, memories they’d rather forget.

But if this moment, whatever it was, could ease that ache in him, in you, even if just for a second… You’d take that chance. You’d spent a long time waiting for it.

“Okay,” you whispered, nodding slowly.

His hand came up to cup your cheek as he leaned in, and you were startled by the impulse that bloomed in your chest. The desire to just surrender. To take a moment of respite, alone here in his arms.

He tasted of hot cocoa and mint, and his lips were a little chapped from the cold. But the warmth that seeped into you was a pleasant embrace. And he kissed you like he’d done it a million times before, with a sort of assurance that only accompanied truly knowing somebody.

His tongue swiped at the seam of your lips, and you pulled away. There was still time, you didn’t want to rush this. Whatever it might become.

“Merry Christmas, Joel,” you whispered into the silence, your forehead resting against his. Your eyes were shut, and you could feel the featherlight weight of snowflakes as they landed on your lashes.

“Merry Christmas.”

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

thanks for reading! i hope to be posting frequently, so if there's anything you'd like to read, send it in and i'll give it my best shot.

[kulemiwrites]

Happy Birthday, Boss! | Koji Shindo & Akira Nishikiyama

After years of poking and prodding, Shindo finally figured out the date of his boss' birthday and has made it his mission to remind him that it's something worth celebrating.

Characters: Koji Shindo, Akira Nishikiyama, & background OCs

Rating: GEN

Word Count: 4.3k

A/N: I'm literally so burnt out from making banners. Im sure yall can tell lol. Anywayssss, just a little something to celebrate Nishiki's birthday! I know I'm late. One word: Work. This came out kinda flat BUT I didn't wanna spend a millions years on it soooo imma just let it be! Maybe I'll rewrite it sometime? (After I've caught up on requests and prioritized wips ofc) Oh also, this takes place after Nishikiyama's changed but long before the mid game events of Kiwami.

Too long for Tumblr? Read it on AO3!

The energy surging through the Nishikiyama Family Office in the last few days had been nothing short of pandemonium but somehow, Shindo managed. After all, it was his own fault that he had been stretched so thin. As Patriarch Nishikiyama’s right hand man, he couldn’t allow his work to fall to the wayside, no matter how chaotic he let his own personal schedule become– not if he didn’t want the man to become suspicious of him. He’d done well up to  this point but if he had to be honest with himself, he was relieved that the day had finally arrived. He hated having to hide shit from him. With each passing day, he grew anxious that his patriarch would smell something fishy and lash out before even allowing him an opportunity to explain himself. 

These days his boss was becoming increasingly volatile and he couldn’t always predict what might set him off.

Respect was what drove him to swear up but fear… Fear was what kept him honest, kept him in line. 

Even so, he’d managed to rationalize when he arranged Patriarch Nishikiyama’s agenda for the day that a white lie or two wouldn’t offend much, so long as he made it worth it in the end. After all, he needed him out of the way until evening. Shindo knew that if the other man had no pressing matters to tend to outside of that office, he’d remain behind that mahogany desk brooding for hours. 

And not a soul could do anything about it.

If he got to that point, there was no luring him to a secondary location– not unless that secondary location was his home and of course Shindo knew better than showing up at his house unannounced.

He’d scheduled two of Patriarch Nishikiyama’s more important, lengthy off-site meetings for late morning and mid-afternoon, then “dinner” that evening. The choice words his boss had for him as he rattled off the agenda that morning was… colorful, to say the least but, ducking his head in apology, he reminded himself that it was easier to ask forgiveness than to ask for permission. 

After having big meetings like that back to back, he knew full well that his boss would want to leave the evening open and spend the rest of it at home, tending to the migraine he’d inevitably get from listening to people he thought were idiots, blabbing listlessly for hours. He’d nearly told him as much when he violently cursed him but all it took was one familiar name for him to change his tune. 

Shindo knew that it wasn’t one that he'd turn his back on. He didn’t know much of their history but he had noticed over the years that that one old man was an individual that Patriarch Nishikiyama never spoke against meeting with short notice. In fact, he’d seen his boss inconvenience himself numerous times to see to it that he kept his word to him.

The dinner plans were mostly a fabrication– Alright, so, it was a half truth! But, he’d hoped that little detail would be more than enough to save his head from being lobbed off.

Shindo flipped through the stack of pages on his desk, busy work left for him by the big man himself. He’d worked tirelessly since morning to get through it all, even showing up at the office hours before everyone else to do so. He needed to save himself enough time in the evening to ensure the real plans went off without a fucking hitch. Quite literally, he couldn’t afford for tonight to fail. He spared no expense in making sure of that. 

There were flies coming out of his wallet at this point.

He scribbled his name and the day’s date across the final page, smacked his pen against the thick glass desk top then pushed up the sleeve of his coat to check the Rolex strapped around his wrist. 

Good timing, he thought.

So long as things were working as scheduled, his boss should have been entering his mid-day meeting right about now. That bought him more than enough time to head to a meeting of his own and work out any unexpected kinks, if necessary. 

Shindo was experiencing a bout of anxiety he only ever got when he was under immense pressure– pressure to impress Patriarch Nishikiyama, that is. He rolled his chest and cracked his neck as the clacking of his leather shoes echoed down the dim, quiet and narrow hallway. He trusted that the feeling would pass once he was certain that everything was in its intended place but there were so many moving parts and he couldn’t have his hands on all of them. He had to believe in those he issued responsibility, that they would pull their weight and he had to breathe. If he didn't stay on his game, he’d slip and miss catching a mistake that could cost everything.

The silence of his cell the past few hours, should have been reassuring. He should have taken it to mean that everyone was playing their roles properly but knowing that he couldn’t be sure, distressed him. 

If there was one thing he knew in this world, it was that silence wasn’t always golden– not with the band of fools he was forced to rely on.

When Shindo pushed the dark tinted door open, he released a deep breath that he wasn’t even aware he’d been holding. His dark eyes bounced across the large banquet hall, dressed in warm reds, golds, creamy tans and black to set a bit of balance to the color palette. There were bouquets of balloons with golden ribbon hanging from the high ceiling as well as a garland framing the buffet table. Streamers swirled around thick faux marble pillars. A long, narrow area rug spilled wine red from the entrance below the welcome arch until it cut between the two lengthy rectangular dining tables set for 12 each. Square tables set for four, filled most of the remaining space. 

There was a small stage ahead of the dining area that boasted a dark backdrop with grand flower bouquets matching the elegant color scheme and a single microphone standing front and center. Each dark-clothed table held one to three floating candle centerpieces with a thin, golden artificial plant inside. There was a table set aside for gifts next to the bar which had yet to be occupied by the evening’s bartender and another set aside for a grand cake. 

Near the wall, not far from the stage was a cozy booth and table that had the widest view of the room. It was decorated much like the rest but preset with an unopened bottle of the boss’ favorite whiskey and a stack of glasses.

From where he stood, he could see a shiny, black ponytail swishing in the merlot colored booth. His lips curved as he took slow strides toward the owner of it.

“Looking good in here, Shizuka-chan.” he said, his deep voice cutting through the silence and startling the woman enough to cause her to drop the lighter she just picked up then he held up his hands, half apologetic.

“Ah, Shindo-san…” she said, grabbing the lighter and flicking it above the wick of the candle. “You’re early.”

“I got started as soon as I could so that I could meet you before everyone else got here…” he said, shoving his hands deep into his gray pants pockets as he craned his head to admire the room. “You and the girls did good. Helluva lot better than me and mine would’ve done. Guess I really did need a ladies’ touch to pull this shit off after all.” 

The woman scooted out of the seat, remaining a distance from him. Her thin red lips pursed as she gave the table a final lookover. 

“Yes, well. Thanks to you, I was able to hire a more than capable team.” 

“No kidding.” he nodded. 

Shizuka was the event center’s manager. Shindo had hired her half a year ago, after he purchased the building and got it cleaned up. The woman was the face of the business, but she merely acted as a liaison between him and the customers interested in renting the place out. She was meant to help hide the stench of yakuza. It was better that civilians interact with a friendly face than himself and risk stagnation because the common folk associate the place with yakuza. He’d learned that from Patriarch Nishikiyama when he helped him secure the purchasing deal. 

He did wonder if hosting an event, the very first event, for a patriarch was risky for future business but it was the least he could do to thank the boss for his support. And hell, it was Patriarch Nishikiyama’s birthday.

He couldn’t think of a better grand opening than that.

“Where’s the rest of the staff?” 

“I sent them on break,” she said, checking her wristwatch then staring back up at him with her beady eyes. “Shall we go over the checklist to ensure that everything is as you requested?”

“Why not,” he shrugged with an air of nonchalance despite finding a bit of relief upon hearing those words.

“Just a moment, I’ve left my checklist in the back office.” she said, clopping away in her shiny black mary janes. 

Shindo watched her wide figure slowly disappear across the room. Just as he was about to settle himself into the booth that Shizuka only just exited from, he heard the door burst open. He quickly returned to his feet to look in that direction. He could feel the glare wrinkling his face.

“The hell–”

“Thank god you’re here, Cap!” one of his juniors rushed toward him, “Cap, I need your backup on this!”

The younger man spoke in a rushed cadence, sounding almost out of breath. In his hands was a crumpled packet of papers. Another man stomped in behind him, pushing his sunglasses to his forehead to look the captain in the eye.

“Captain’s gonna side with me on this, I keep tellin’ you.” the other said, his voice raspy and laced with annoyance.

Shindo sucked in a sharp inhale as he stared down at the shorter men. He didn’t know what the issue was but he still felt vindicated when he caught the winded one’s distraught face. It had been far too quiet. He’d known something would come up.

“What?” he asked, annoyance cutting through the word on exhale.

“I keep tellin’ this idiot that we need more chicks on the guest list.” the one using sunglasses for a headband said. “The boss's gonna think he showed up at a damn sausage party. We need some girls. I know a few hostesses that–”

Shindo snatched the wrinkled list and his eyes skimmed column after column of names. Most of the attendees were male, yes, but they were some of the family whose company he knew the boss didn’t mind– ones that mostly knew how to behave in a public setting and wouldn’t set the man off when he was intending to help him wind down. There were a handful of female attendees on the list as well. Women he’d hand picked based on what they meant to the boss. These were women he knew that while the man might not say it, he'd actually be delighted to see, especially the one who had agreed to perform tonight. 

“No, no hostesses.” Shindo said. 

While he would personally prefer to see a gaggle of good looking ladies show up to tonight’s party in spades, he knew that the boss would quickly grow annoyed when a band of women with dollar signs for eyes came in lying through their teeth and pressing up against him. 

He wanted to stick with the plan Shizuka presented, one she referred to as having an intimate gathering. That seemed to suit the boss’ preferences and temperament these days rather than him being shoved into a room full of half strangers intending to mingle and schmooze. It was probably best to reserve that sort of thing for obligatory events the boss needed to attend for work, rather than leisure.

“But, Captain Sh–”

“I said no fucking extra girls, got it?” he spat, then shoved the papers back into the other man’s hands. 

“Thanks, Cap.”

“Yes, sir…”

“Now, got anything else?”

“No.”

“Alright,” he said, waving a dismissive hand. “Go help in the back. I want the cake out before he turns up.”

“Yes, sir.”

Shindo checked his Rolex again then brought his rough hand up to stroke at his stubbly chin as another sigh escaped him. Was he annoyed that the guys he chose to act as what Shizuka called “guest coordinators” were bickering about the guest list only hours before the party began? 

Yes. 

However, he did find strange relief that that was the extent of his problems. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he headed toward the back to supervise and make sure that he didn't have any larger fires to put out.

When Shindo heard this phone chime in his pocket, he was looking over the items at the bar for the third time, ensuring it had everything he’d ordered for tonight. He dug into his coat pocket and checked the message waiting for him. It was the guard that accompanied the patriarch and chauffeur today, letting him know that they’d be arriving soon. He’d also warned him that the boss was already aggravated because the chauffeur had passed the restaurant he was under the impression he was due at. 

A corner of his lips curled and an amused breath pushed through his nose. It was nearly showtime now. 

He turned to face the room, much louder than it was when he first arrived a couple hours ago. Majority of the attendees had arrived and broken off into small groups throughout the room, chatting and laughing amongst themselves– all waiting on his say so. He flipped the cell phone shut, slipped it back into his coat pocket and headed toward the stage. 

His heart was pounding now.

When he tapped the microphone to ensure it was live, an unpleasant screech echoed through the room and silenced the guests. 

“Uh,” he said, frowning at the sound of his own voice surrounding him. “The boss’ll be here any minute now. Someone shut these lights off. Everybody get in place and shut the hell up. Let’s not screw this up.”

It didn’t take long for the crowd to disperse and scramble around the room. He carefully stepped off the stage and narrowed his eyes as he checked the crowd for a specific person and once he spotted them, he closed in. The lights lowered as he got closer as if waiting for him specifically. 

Only one light remained, the one cascading down from the high ceiling, above the strategically placed welcome arch.

When the door opened, he could faintly hear the guards’ voice apologizing to their boss as he led him through the dim room. Shindo immediately caught Patriarch Nishikiyama’s tight, downturned and sour expression as they led him below the arch, his eyes yet to adjust.

The lights flipped on and every voice in the facility shouted out “SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Nishikiyama was startled almost to stone. He didn’t intend to stand there for as long as he had. It just seemed to take him a while to process what his sharp eyes registered as they scanned across the sea of familiar, smiling faces in the room. His men were all well dressed, the others too. The layout and design of the room was breathtaking. For a moment there, he didn’t even recognize it as the shabby little event hall, he’d coached Koji through purchasing. 

It wasn’t until his eyes scanned the long banner hanging above the stage that read: “Happy Birthday, Boss!” that he dipped his head and let out a soft chuckle. 

He’d recognize that calligraphy anywhere.

“You idiots…” he trailed off.

The tight expression on his face relaxed ever so slightly and though a smile didn’t curve his lips, Shindo could see it lifting at the corners of his eyes. And that, made Shindo smile hard enough for the both of them.

“Thanks.” Nishikiyama said, most of them didn’t hear it but they all clapped and cheered anyway.

His brown eyes skimmed the crowd until he spotted Koji, heads taller than most, then called for him.

“Koji.” 

Understanding his cue, the tall man emerged from the crowd with a familiar face in tow. He was gentle with the much shorter man, one hand holding his wrist and the other lightly pushing against his shoulder as he guided the elder to the arch where Nishikiyama stood. 

The moment Nishikiyama’s eyes met that of the older man’s they softened and for a long moment Shindo recognized a resemblance to a version of his boss that he hadn’t seen in a very, very long time. The man he met and first came to admire all those years back. Though it seemed so far away now, he always knew that side of him was still there somewhere. 

He could always feel it.

“Happy birthday, ya lil’ shit.” the old man said.

A rare smile split the man’s lips as he shook his head, “Old man Uehara, the hell are you doing here?”

“The hell am I doin’ here? Ya think I’d forget your birthday after these years? My mind ain’t gone yet–” he scolded but there was an affection behind his rough tone that matched the affection in Nishikiyama’s. “It takes one of these chuckleheads ta show up at my door just so I can celebrate with ya?”

He chuckled, lowering his head in a bow to the elder. “Sorry.”

“Forget about it. Lemme give ya–” Uehara turned to look over his shoulder, his head gently shaking from tremors. “Where’s that boy with the box?”

Nishikiyama’s eyes flicked across the faces of those still watching on, silently trying to figure out what Uehara was talking about. Someone stepped forward with a small, rectangular, diligently wrapped box and placed it into the old man’s unsteady hands. 

It pained Nishikiyama to see the man trembling before him. He knew that it was the result of the stroke the old man suffered half a year ago but it still sent a pang of guilt surging through his chest. 

“Here,” Uehara said, extending the box with both hands and Nishikiyama recognized it immediately. “My wife’s recipe… It’s not nearly as good as her’s were but–”

He placed his hands on each of Uehara's, temporarily steadying them. The old man said the same line about his homemade confections for as long as Nishikiyama had been receiving them– a good 15 years now. He’d never even had his wife’s confections but if they were even better than what the old man was capable of, he’d wager it was a good thing he didn’t or he might have been toothless by this age.

“I’m grateful, Uehara-san…” he nodded, holding his gaze to ensure the man understood how genuine he was. “I’m sorry you had to travel such a long way but thank you for bringing them to me.” 

Uehara allowed him to take the box from him, then tapped his cool, shaky hand against Nishikiyama’s cheek. 

“Get some rest sometime, kid. Ya look like ya ain’t had a decent night’s sleep in years.”

He let out a small chuckle, “I’ll try my best, old man.”

When he removed his hand from his cheek, Nishikiyama straightened his posture and his expression hardened when he met Koji’s eye. He didn’t have to say a word. He made a great captain simply because he knew how to anticipate his boss’s needs without much prodding. 

Koji bowed his head, “I’ll see to it that Uehara-san arrives home safely.”

“The hell ya will!” the old man snapped, “I ain’t leaving til his punk has a drink with me. He owes me that damn much.” 

Nishikiyama coughed, “Some things never change, do they, old man?”

“I’m too old to change. I’ll be set in my ways til I die.”

He laughed, “Guess I’ve got even longer to deal with your big mouth then, huh?”

“And I, yours!”

“Oh, then, uh..” Koji gestured ahead. “Let me show you to your table, boss.”

“Sure.” he said, now accepting the responsibility of escorting the older man through the crowd.

Nishikiyama was downright exhausted by the time the party cleared out. He couldn’t remember the last time he let himself loose, well… As loose as he was capable of being these days in a room full of people. He’s not much for parties anymore. It wears him out in a way that makes fatigue set in bone deep. However… He didn’t regret tonight. 

Since he lost Yumi, Kiryu went to prison, and he stopped going to see Uehara regularly, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d properly celebrated his birthday. Hell, he could barely recall the last time he realized that it was his birthday. It wasn’t until that initial fright right there under the arch that it even crossed this mind for the first time today. For years now, he really only came to the realization he’d grown a year older when the year came to a close. All his days ran in together. He only ever paid attention to the calendar when he had important events and obligations to tend to. 

He couldn’t even remember the last time he told someone his birthday. He knew that it was long before he’d met Koji, which made him wonder…

As if he’d known that he’d crossed the man’s mind, he appeared not far from Nishikiyama’s table with a broom and dustpan in tow. After he’d finished sweeping up the pile of broken glass, he peered at his patriarch’s table to see if he was okay before heading back.

They wound up locking eyes and Koji knew he was being summoned. So, he answered. 

“Sit.” Nishikiyama says, scooting so that there’s room between him and the younger man. 

Placing the cleaning items behind the booth, Koji joins his boss at the dark table. 

Apart from the music, they sat in a long silence. 

Koji didn’t feel discomfort though, not like he does when he can sense a scolding coming on. That thought allowed him to relax in his seat. 

It was Nishikiyama that broke the silence, “I almost can’t believe you set all this up. It’s not your style at all.” 

The words came out harsher than he intended.

“It’s not… But it is yours, boss.” he said.

“Koji…”

“Sir?”

Nishikiyama’s gaze slowly trailed from counting the tables that were now half empty to finally settling on him. “I never told you my birthday.”

Koji’s body flashed with heat. He rubbed at the peach fuzz at the back of his head. There was hesitancy when he spoke. “Yeah, I, uh…” he trailed off. 

“You, what?” he murmured, folding his hands on the table in front of him as he stared expectantly.

“I read it on the paperwork you filled out… When you helped with the purchasing agreement.”

The patriarch’s dark brown eyes widened once the realization hit him.

At first he was considering if at some point he’d accidentally slipped and mentioned it. Or he’d left his I.D. lying around somewhere. Or if perhaps, one of his boys took it upon themselves to ask around. Not once did it occur to him that he’d come by the information that way. 

He shouldn’t have been too surprised. The question was dismissed numerous times in the past, in hopes that he’d just forget about it. But Koji was nothing if not resilient and he always did have an eye for detail. 

That was why he trusted him as his captain.

Nishikiyama’s gaze dropped down to his own clasped hands, squeezing just enough to define his veins. Another lengthy silence lingered between them. 

And again, it was Nishikiyama that spoke up to break it. 

“Thirsty?” he asked. 

He didn’t wait on an answer before he reached for one of the extra glasses and placed it in front of the captain. He poured the whiskey into the glass and handed it to him. He raised his hand in a halting gesture when Koji reached for the bottle in an effort to return the favor, then he poured his own. 

He lifted the glass, eyes watching the liquid swaying slightly, lips parting as if he was about to speak but then pressed them back together before gesturing his drink toward Koji’s. 

Understanding, he carefully clanked his glass against the other’s then watched, expecting him to take the first sip. Instead, Nishikiyama nodded at him, wordless telling him to forget the formalities and simply enjoy his drink. 

He’d earned it. 

Koji eyed his own whiskey for a second then shifted his gaze back to him. 

“Now that I know your birthday, boss, I’ll be sure not to forget.” he said, a solemnness shaping his features. “You’ve never forgotten mine.”

There was a dull tug in his chest upon hearing those words. 

Sure, he’d acknowledged Koji’s birthday in some form or another over the years. But, Koji was just a punk kid the last time he’d gone all out for him. Hell, just last year, he had gotten him nothing more than a watch. Nishikiyama’s mind whirled him into silence but it was the other’s voice that broke it this time.

“Happy birthday, boss.” he said, bowing his head then taking a large gulp of his whiskey. 

A hearty chuckle escaped him when he heard the man hiss and curse at the burn. It felt like an eternity since Koji witnessed him let out such a genuine laugh. 

“That it is…” Nishikiyama said in a voice so low, it seemed to have been a response to no one but himself.

A happy birthday indeed.

Please do not reupload/repost/rewrite but likes and a reblog go a long way! Thank you for reading!

If you enjoyed this, you're welcome to check out more of my work! I have a masterlist to save you browse time!

[mythicalage]

Maybe This Was All A Mistake - HKS

synopsis: things aren't looking so good in your relationship after 3 years of being with your bf

characters: bf!shota x fem!reader

a/n: i've never published anything on tumblr so pls bear w me as i try to figure things out 😞 also dont know when to add warnings and stuff (non-idol au btw)

everything was totally fine for the past 3 years. perfect even. so why was there so much tension between you and shota?

well you knew why; the constant arguing over stupid shit which would then snowball into bigger things. usually you guys were so good at dealing with arguments and would end with a mutual understanding.

it's gotten to the point where you're tired of shota's mixed signals. he'd distance himself from you, get angry whenever you wanted attention so when you returned the favor, suddenly he'd turn into a clingy bf.

after 5 months of ranting about the issue to your friends, they were completely over it. reasonably so. they'd always give advice and voice their opinions but you never listened.

"break up with him"

"i dont think i can give up 3 years this easily. he's been better recently."

"yeah and then hes gonna go back to being an asshole"

"we don't know that. maybe its just those situations where we have a few struggles in the relationship and everything will be better again."

"girl— oh my gosh."

maybe you were actually stupid to believe that. nothing changed. it was the same never-ending cycle. did you actually waste 3 entire years on him? 1,239 days if you want to get specific. was the time actually wasted if you were happy with him for the first two years? did the love just wear off?

you both had gone out to downtown, walking around and stopping at a cafe where you two had your first date together. you guys came here pretty often, usually happy, but today was just rather sad. shota only scrolled on his phone as you both were sat right by the large window, waiting for your drinks.

you sighed, biting the inside of your cheek as your chest began to feel heavy. you watched soul mindlessly scroll on his phone, occasionally texting. he still had the polaroid picture of you behind his phone case but you wondered why he even bothered keeping it there. or maybe he simply didn't care enough to take it out.

"order for an iced matcha latte and an iced americano!" the worker placed the two drinks over the counter to which shota looked over and then glanced at you.

"i'll get it." you pushed your chair back and went over to grab the drinks. "thank you," you forced a smile at the worker and received a nod.

you don't really know why you ordered the most basic, kind of disgusting, drink ever. you weren't in the mood to drink or eat anything. as you sat back down, you slid the green latte over to shota and he finally placed his phone down, taking the drink into his hands. "thanks."

"its been a while since we've last been here," your voice was soft but had little to no emotion to it.

"yeah, it has been." shota took a sip of his drink before moving the cup in his hand in a circular motion, probably to mix everything.

it was depressing to see him this way. he was normally very silly, making random noises or rambling on and on about things he's into. it'd be an understatement to say you missed it. maybe it's too late to get that version of haku shota back. maybe you're just not the person who can bring it out of him anymore.

you didn't realize tears had brimmed your eyes until you felt the huge lump in your throat. you shouldn't cry. not in front of him at least and definitely not in public.

shota looked up at you from his drink. he stayed quiet for a moment before finally speaking. "you okay?" he reached for your hand and interlaced your fingers together. part of you wanted to snatch your hand away but the other part wanted to feel the warmth of his hand for as long as you could — before you commit to your decision of breaking away from him.

"shota," you choked on your voice, biting your bottom lip afterwards as tears begin to finally slip down your cheeks. you looked at his face before looking down at your hands, "lets.. break up."

although you didn't see it, shota's face dropped, his mouth slightly gaped. "you.. want to break up...?" his grip on your hand loosened but he didn't let go completely.

you only nodded to his response, biting your lip to prevent any sobs from becoming audible, simultaneously trying to stop the tears to no avail.

"baby, what? why? please, let's just talk about this." shota pleaded quietly but loud enough for you to hear.

you looked back up, your eye makeup slightly ruined by the tears. you sniffled as you took your hand away from his, "shota, you know why." you fought to not let your voice crack, carefully dabbing the tears off your cheeks and from underneath your eyes with the sleeve of your shirt.

"no, i don't know why. sure we have these small moments where we're upset but that's normal. we always go back to how it used to be, do we not?" he leans over the table and cups your cheek with his hand, his sad eyes looking into your teary ones.

you think about it. maybe he is right. you might've been thinking a little irrationally.

no. this can't happen again.

you shake your head, pushing his hand away from your face and you get up from your chair. "no shota. i'm tired of feeling this way. you give me attention when you feel like you're losing me but after a while, you go back to being a dickhead." you frown, taking your drink into your hand.

he gets up as well but leaves his drink on the table. at this point a few people are staring but it doesn't matter. "please y/n. don't leave me. we can fix this."

"there's no 'we' anymore, shota. i'm sorry." you drop your head.

shota only stays quiet. he grabs his drink and tosses it into the nearby trashcan and does the same to the cup in your hand. he knows you don't even like americanos.

when you guys came in not too long ago and ordered the drinks, he was confused as to why you had bought it. it doesn't matter anyway.

he swallows the lump that had now formed in his throat, taking a deep breath before talking.

"can i at least hug you for one last time?"

your heart shatters. you look into his eyes with blurry vision due to the tears and you wrap your arms around his body.

his face meets the top of your head as his arms hug your waist, rocking both of your bodies side to side as you silently sob into his chest.

"i'm sorry i couldn't be a better boyfriend to you."

after the hug you couldn't get yourself to say goodbye to him. you simply let go and walked outside and got yourself an uber.

this is going to be a bitch to get over.

a/n: definitely not my best work but i somewhat tried whidkwkd if this is total shit lmk 😭😭 wattpad-esque ahh story omg

[howly]

do you ever worry you're too old to be a fangirl? idk someone i know said i should outgrow my interest in twilight and it made me feel sad.

short answer? no. but i thought for a while what my long answer would be. here goes:

ever since 2009, i've always been the only person from my friend group who's ever felt so intensely about twilight. i've also been mocked about liking the series since i was 13. so why should i feel any different about my love for it at 27, when i'm still the biggest twihard in my social circle, and considering i keep it down to making text posts on tumblr or reddit and gushing in front of my closest friends?

also, back in the day when, let's say, i was at an acceptable age to be a fangirl, and when the movie hype was in full force (i.e. while i was on tumblr in 2010-2012), nobody in the twilight fandom seemed to care about twilight itself and it was all about the cast, and specifically - i get war flashbacks as i type this - robsten. oof.

additionally in 2013 i stepped away from the fandom and from twilight in general, and that lasted 7 years. but then the first lockdown happened, then youtube started recommending me synthetic rose's videos, then midnight sun was announced. and it was like a dam broke. it was a time of big changes in my personal life, and for the first time in 7 years i jumped into my old feels for twilight and found so much comfort. i went to reddit, i came back to tumblr, i was amazed by how many people are here to talk about twilight's characters again - and not the movie cast, but the characters and all their feral decision-making!

the fanbase had aged and matured, and was drawn back in by nostalgia just like i was. my own skills for articulating myself, analyzing and critiquing had improved so much since i was 15 and participating in online discussions was so much more fulfilling. so i found myself sticking around for 4 years now, and doing so makes me genuinely happy.

and lastly, we're in that good moment of pop culture where everyone has an "oh, twilight is cool again!" kinda tongue-in-cheek demeanor. so even if i slip up and get a little bit insane about twilight on main, oh i'm just going along with the trend. it's hoa hoa hoa szn.

and that's why i don't think that, being a grown woman with a fully developed brain, i should have any issues with being judged for my love for twilight. it's my little island of comfort and brings me too much joy to bother beating myself up over it.

[hlficlibrary]

HL FIC LIBRARY ✤ AUTHOR REC

AO3: phdmama 

Tumblr: @phdmama

STATS:

✤ Number of fics: 208

✤ Posting Since: 2016

TOP 5 FICS:

1️⃣ Hold My Heart {E, 14k}

“Excuse me, mate, I’m the window seat here.” The voice was soft, apologetic, and accented in something a bit unfamiliar — northern England, maybe, Harry thought.

“Oh,” Harry jumped to his feet and moved aside, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you standing there.”

The other man laughed as he swung a bag into the overhead compartment and slid into the seat. “You were well caught up in that book, mate. What are you reading?”

Harry paused, wondering how to explain the fact that he was reading an epic and x-rated romance that was the story of a relationship between a prince and the man he’d enslaved. “Oh, you know, just some fiction my sister recommended.” He turned to look at the man and froze.

Sitting next to him was Louis Tomlinson.

Or, the one where famous Louis Tomlinson offers his hand and a lot more to his seat mate on a transatlantic flight.

(Co-written with @a-writerwrites)

2️⃣ Feels Like Coming Home {E, 60k}

The last thing Harry Styles expects when he's hanging out at the Someday Cafe in Somerville one rainy October day is for his ex, Louis Tomlinson to walk through the door, but that's exactly what happens. After a spectacularly ugly break-up three years prior, Harry hasn't heard one word from Louis, and he's moved on. Gotten over him. But having Louis back in his life, not to mention working at the restaurant where he's a chef, isn't easy, and the feelings that Harry thought he'd left turn out to be not so easily forgotten.

This is a story about love and the power of forgiveness, and how the hard choices we make define us, and change our lives.

3️⃣ On the Go {T, 2k}

From this post because I could not resist.

4️⃣ It's a Better Place (Since You Came Along) {E, 51k}

When Harry Styles, a mid-level talent, Finder, and small business owner, sets off on the vacation of a lifetime with his best friend, Niall Horan, he has no idea the changes his life will undergo over the next nine days. He's got it all planned - there's going to be shore excursions, lounging by the pool on the deck of the luxurious cruise ship, not to mention margaritas. What he does not plan for are the new friends, new bonds, or the mystery from his past that comes back to haunt him, and he certainly hasn't planned for Louis.

5️⃣ For Better and For Worse {M, 12k}

Harry and Louis have been together for 5 years and they've been getting questions when they would be getting married and start a family. Bur Harry doesn't have the time. They were arguing one morning when Harry had enough and left for work. He's a doctor and works at the a&e there is a call that there has been a bad car crash and that there is more than one patient coming in. Harry does his job good and works on the first patient and everything goes great until his next patient is Louis.

HIDDEN GEM:

💎 Unveiled {M, 65k}

The train grinds to a halt and Harry leans forward in his eagerness to take it all in. It’s a gorgeous Spring day, the sky the same intense blue that he knows from home, which comforts him. There’s much here that looks almost familiar, but then so much that is new and strange to his eyes. The bustling station platform and winding streets beyond paved in cobblestones look much like home. There are vehicles ranging from small to very large, some with strange and unusual shapes of which he can only guess the purpose. But most surprising are the people. There is a crowd gathered, filled with men and women, some in what looks to be a military uniform, some in what must be the street clothes in this Land.

There are no robes. And not a single one of them is veiled.

[raccoonfallsharder]

recommended works ⊹˚₊⊹˚☕︎˚⊹₊˚⊹

these are the folks who have written or drawn something (specifically within the rocket raccoon fan community) that either murdered me, resurrected me, or both.

(i am always open to recs so if you wanna link me to your fave i will be so happy to check them out)

⊹˚₊⊹˚☕︎ fanfiction ☕︎˚⊹₊˚⊹

The All of You (ao3) i fuckin love this story so hard. i love the OC. i love the writing. i love the set up. i reread this probably every month or so and pine for more. it's so fuckin good. @lazarel-3000 is a double-threat (at least) who is also on my recced artist list, which means (obviously) they are a recced creator as well.

Casino Royale (ao3) this fic by @hibatasblog (see also: Entanglement, below) is so fucking delightful. petra quill is so hot i want to date her myself, and the tension between her and rocket is through the roof. loving the angst, loving the little ways that heartbreak seeps through every new paragraph, loving the mystery of trying to figure out what happened to petra and rocket to set them on their separate paths and now bring them back together. always waiting anxiously for the next chapter.

Entanglement (ao3) this fic by @hibataao3 has me rationing my consumption in a way i have not done in a long time. i'm like "i only read one chapter a week to pace myself, as a little treat for surviving another seven days." beautiful writing and intricate storytelling, the metaphors and analogies are so good i almost wish i was back in undergrad writing a thesis on it.

Experiment: The Ravager Code (ao3) ☕︎ Experiment: The Ravager Code (tumblr) [NEW ADDITION 2024] check out author @guardian-angel12 for character art and more ♡ girl gets scooped, experimented on by the high evolutionary, saved by ravagers, and finds her family. what more could you ask for? featuring a fantastic, fascinating OC and i am in love (i do need to catch up, though). the writing is beautiful, the emotional elements are so moving, ugh i love it.

Friends (tumblr) @nyxivy is making their way through the rocketober 2023 prompts and the first fic of the series is. so drool-worthy. i've probably read it fifty times since it came out. short and so hot i could die (much like rocket himself), and somehow incredibly sweet in just the span of a few paragraphs? i will continue coming back to this fic and look forward to more from them at every chance i get.

Get Up (tumblr)@caesarhamato22 is another person on my recced creator list because trying to find just one fic to call my "favorite" is a challenge (obviously i was unsuccessful because there are two on this list). anyway this is lovely and fluffy. i die.

Heatwaves (tumblr) [NEW ADDITION 2024] oh my lord. this was written a while ago i never officially added it to the list and i should've. @mytheoristavenue writes a very sultry, steamy oneshot about you helping rocket fix the ship's climate control. i melt into my chair everytime i reread this one (which is often). so much of this lives rent-free in my head but THIS changed the course of my fantasies: Finally, he placed a paw against your cheek and whispered in close: "You're burnin' up, baby."

last (friday) night (ao3) nsfw. trying to pick a "favorite" of @aliasrocket's work is like trying to choose a favorite incarnation of rocket (i cannot). guess who is also on my recced creators list.

more than seven (tumblr)second @caesarhamato22 fic on this list and another recced creator. this one is one of my favorite comfort fics (i mean it's still sexy as hell) that i come back to very often. like it's just so wonderful and sweet and perfect and atmospheric and vibes

Professor R Raccoon or How Rocket Got His Groove Back (ao3) [NEW ADDITION 2024] nsfw. the third @hibatasblog fic on this list. this author doesn't miss. ever imagine rocket raccoon wearing his dad-glasses in a perfect slice-of-life au smut fic? by which i mean wouldn’t it be nice if someone could just fuck rocket’s brains out till his glasses fall off and he doesn’t even have to worry about blowing up living planets or killing mad titans? enter petra quill once again. this is hot, highly-communicative smut complete with both consent & shredded silk stockings, and rocket just feeling good.

Rocket Secretly Likes Being Petted (tumblr) [NEW ADDITION 2024] @whitedragoncoranth writes LOTS of fluffy lil rocket one-shots and series, but this one is my ultimate fave. rocket hacks his own software to allow himself permission to be a soft lil guy that likes being petted.

stars. (tumblr) ☕︎ stars. (ao3) sexual tension & some of the loveliest atmospheric writing i've ever consumed. another @aliasrocket fic that lives in my head.

untitled drabble/oneshot. [NEW ADDITION 2024] @hyperjorts probably never meant for their random drabble (which they mistakenly tagged as a shitpost) to live rent-free in my head for months on end but here we are. you can skip (or not skip) the original ask they were reblogging and just focus on this wonderful little bit of fiction that SCREAMS "universe-killer rocket" to me. (and then has me sweating & panting at the end)

A Very Basic Instinct (tumblr) ☕︎ A Very Basic Instinct (ao3) nsfw. when i tell you this fic did things to me. it is probably one of the fics i reread most. like, all the time jkjk only semiregularly. check out the author @elegant-fleuret for other equally brainrot-inducing smut (also mentioned in my recced creators).

⊹˚₊⊹˚☕︎ art ☕︎˚⊹₊˚⊹

@angyc0rtoons the way they draw rocket is just. the most perfect embodiment of chaos. i WISH i could draw such animated expressions so fluidly and perfectly. and their color-choices make me want to cry in the best way. it's like i actually believe in the future again. make my brain go brrrr. (this one makes all my dopamine receptors light up) (also i will go to the grave grateful and sobbing over the time they illustrated my dumb hashtags) [NEW ADDITION 2024]

@bathmob i wish. i could draw rocket. like this. the vibes are so good. the style. is perfect. i thank the universe whenever i see new art from them.

@glow-autumz is absolutely going to be a published comic artist some day and i will buy anything she works on ever. literally everything she creates has a story behind it, which i love. like, not only are her illustrations gorgeous (and like…often very hot) but every single one is (at least) a single-panel narrative. plus her OC is also cool as hell and i love her interpretations of rocket.

@happylittleshrub is a genius of the highest order. love watching all the different ways they render rocket, and i would sacrifice my LIFE for their baby rocket (raised by groot). protect them and their little rockets at all costs [NEW ADDITION 2024]

@lazarel-3000 creates the most toe-curlingly delicious art i've seen in a long time. i am seduced by pretty much everything they create. even their rough drafts have me panting. (i also have a crush on their OC and as a bi-lady i look at their art and am often like oh shit this is a fuckin feast). as mentioned before, this artist is also the author of one of my favorite fics and is a recommended creator in general.

@projectanimation7 is an amazing artist in general but i am specifically posting to share this little snuggled-up rocket and groot. glorious, magical, cuddly. 10/10. [NEW ADDITION 2024]

@rogertaylorswift i honestly don't know how this artist was not already on my rec list??? a staple and a god in the rocket fancommunity tbh. i can't pick one piece of theirs that i love more than the others. their album covers are beautiful, their meme redraws are hysterical, their one-frame comics are deeply-moving and lovely, and their longer comic arcs never fail to make me weep. [NEW ADDITION 2024]

@uglly-rodent posts always make me want to pinch the babby raccoom's cheeks and/or cry.

⊹˚₊⊹˚☕︎ creators ☕︎˚⊹₊˚⊹

@aliasrocket writes such beautiful things it is impossible to pick a favorite (i got two of their fics in the fic section and it was difficult to narrow it down that far and even now, i'm not certain). their tumblr has the added advantage of a ton of drabbles, every single one of which is perfection.

@caesarhamato22 read everything. like everything. great smut but i am a sucker for the slice of life shit and it's so fuckin good here. i just wanna be a nail tech on knowhere/locked in a closet with rocket/have him steal my t-shirt/whatever. it's like all my most domestic desires got turned into little fanfiction dreams. so much wish fulfillment i could die

@elegant-fleuret has great fanfiction (more than just the one on my fic list - i just felt like i had to narrow it down and A Very Basic Instinct literally gives me a a fresh hit of dopamine every time i reread it, which is a lot). plus also art. double-threat.

@lazarel-3000 look. look. i cannot say this enough. please go check them out they are hope in a hopeless place. some of the sexiest art + one of my very favorite fanfictions + one of my very favorite OCs have come out of this flawless individual. (full disclosure they also did some nsfw art of my OC jolie and rocket that has me crying and dying and hyperventilating on a daily basis)

@love-for-faeries-go-burrrr has another one of my favorite OCs and i am always hungry for their little storylines whenever they post.

@mrwolfhare is one of my favorite sources of gotg food-for-thought. just some of the most thoughtful explorations of the details of both the mcu and comic canon, excellent headcanons, beautiful screenshot sets, and really solid art. the drawtober art and ficlets have been highlights in my days this month and i'm told there may be a rad fanfiction on the horizon so keep your eyes on this! (rad fanfiction is here now! read Subject 880HR on ao3)

@raccoon-coded just. A+ gotg content, both original and reblogs. most recently i find myself coming back again and again to their review of various gotg novels (and adding a few to my tbr pile). [NEW ADDITION 2024]

[crybyemissamericanpie]

Academic rivals - Coriolanus Snow x fem!reader (PT,1)

needed to put the story in 2 parts cause I wrote too much, and i cannot change first or anything, idk my tumblr is acting weird

TW: Mentions of death

Coriolanus Snow and Y/n Y/l, the top students of the academy,for years now. They didn't really hate each other,they just like a challenge, and with the hunger games coming up and both of them going to be mentors soon enough, the adrenaline just grew

Everybody is seated in the class room, the teacher calls the names out for the student then tells them their score and their grade "Coriolanus snow,99%, A as usual" The teacher says as she looks at Coriolanus with a small smile putting the paper in front of him, as she walks back she reads out"Y/n Y/l-"The teacher stops, as if she is double checking her reading"29%, F"Says the teacher, the small shock and disappointment in her voice could be heard as the students eyes light up and immediately look at y/n in silence, she puts the paper down in front of herShe looks down at it and the teacher goes on to say the other grades.

She starres at the F, with her head down the entire class until the bell rang, and Coriolanus came over to her desk as the last student left too"Didn't expect that" Coriolanus says, as he looks over her shoulder, his eyes observing her paper

They were academic rivals of course, but after all they've known each other since babies, they hid in the dark days together, and when the tests disappear they can real be friends

"So didnt i"she says, her eyes not moving from the paper, blinking a few times as her eyes feelt like it was burning a hole through the score and the grade next to it

"Is there a reason?why this was so bad?"Coriolanus asks, he knows there is no such a thing that y/n wouldn't study or didn't remember the test, he knows that something is on her mind

"The games"she says, her mind running off. She speaked her truth, no matter if Coriolanus would take adventage of her weakness, making her think about the game more so she would be humiliated at the next test again

The games, it was the 10th game of the Capitol putting kids in an arena, then watch them fight to stay alive for their own enjoyment, or 'to remember what has the districts done' at the rebellion, it was stupid

"Stressed?"he asks,Coriolanus himself didn't know what to think of the games, he thought it was smart that they used it to show power, that they are still stronger than the districts no matter what

"Scared"She replied,the only thing scary wasn't just to watch kids fight to death but that she might get attached to her tribute and what if they can't win after all its 1 vs 23 , expect if they make allies, but either a disease, thirst, hunger, poison or a tribute is gonna kill them no matter what, it was cruel

"You're too smart to be scared about that,it haven't even begun"Coriolanus point out, that makes Y/ns head turn"yeah I don't even know which kid do I have to see die" She barks at him, frustrated a bit

"And..-and what if your tribute won?"Coriolanus tries to make this more positive"still gives them trauma"She replies as her eyes stares into his, as she observes him a bit more

Was he gorgeous, she thought, he was always fine, his blonde curls, his blue eyes,kissable red lips, he could steal anyone's heart in a heartbeat, oh but was he clueless, she thought again, he was always like every capitol born, agreeing with everything the Capitol does, even when not saying it out loud she knows. But he isn't like the Capitol themselves, yet.

Coriolanus sighs giving up to fight for his own opinion and to make it a bit happier, he straightens up a bit, fixing his red uniform"I'll see you later"says Coriolanus, not even waiting for her answer, he walks out of the room, leaving her alone in the cold classroom

[stillsolo]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN. respond to the prompts out of character !

what made you pick up the current muse(s) you have? oh, where do i even begin?  well, i suppose i should start with how long sw has been in my life.  ANH was the first movie my mother ever saw when she visited the USA; she saw it with my grandmother ( and subsequently developed a massive crush on harrison, so indiana jones became a huge part of my childhood too lol ).  for this reason, my mother introduced my brother and I to sw when we were actual babies.  then, when the prequels came out, it’s all me and my brother consumed.  from the movies themselves to the original clone wars cartoon to the PS2 games to the novels/book series.  we watched it on a tiny portable player for every trip, and every time my relatives needed us to go away to let the adults talk lol.  it also helped our comprehension of english so much. i can’t recall a time in which sw hasn’t been present in my life! before i joined the tumblr swrpc, i kept to myself in the prequels community, wrote fanfic, and rped anakin on skype.  he’s always been a character that hit a little too close to home in one too many ways.  the main parallel i have with him (that doesn’t relate to his mental issues haha) is his love/devotion/attachment to his mother.  it’s difficult for me to explain without getting into the aspects of my culture (孝順 / filial piety), but in short, i am cantonese; if my mother asked me for my thumb tomorrow, i would give her my arm today.  anakin’s love for his mother, his determination to free her from slavery at an early age, was very touching.  EPII has been memed to oblivion, yes, but the pain i feel when anakin doesn’t get to hear his mother tell him she loves him one last time before she dies, and knowing that it haunts him for the rest of his life (eu), makes me want to throw myself out a window lmao  i have an extremely close relationship with my parents; this sort of pain is absolutely gutting for someone like me. anyway, when i joined the tumblr swrpc, writing han solo was never the plan.  i originally wanted to write luke but ended up changing my mind at the last second.  I’d written well over a dozen fics with han at that point, but was nowhere near confident, so i thought of it as more of an experiment. guess that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, because if you really think about it, since the day i started writing him in fics, he hasn’t stopped butting into my brain.  in fact, he’s been harassing me ever since—to the point that i even switched from writing luke to him… lol given my upbringing and my mother’s love for him, han has always been my childhood hero, as well as my brother’s.  our dad was our han solo.  the nostalgic and familial associations run so deep, it’s difficult to articulate.  we share many traits, right down to his universally agreed-upon zodiac sign (sagittarius); i know han solo like the back of my hand—and it’s probably because i wanted to be just like him when i grew up.

is there anything you don’t like to write? character death.  if i have to say another, it’s when people conflate harrison with the character he plays and then decides to address that in a thread.  harrison was a ladies man back in the 80s, and that’s fine, but that doesn’t mean the same for han.  i hate seeing the conflation between the two.  not sure if this happens as often anymore, but there was a time when fics/threads/even han rpers would lean into it, by default, thus totally destroying his character in my eyes.  i mean, write it as a storyline, that’s cool and fine, but infidelity has never been inherently part of his character.  i will die on this fucking hill.

is there anything you really enjoy writing? most unpopular opinion ever: action sequences.  critical situations, fast paced action, thriller scenes featuring immediate, life-threatening circumstances.  i love writing that which exhibits a sense of urgency and tension, with sprinklings of emotional depth and contemplative introspective moments.  scenes with internal conflict combined with aforementioned external events.  even evading enemy forces, sustaining minor/major injuries, dressing wounds.  dunno why those are always the most fun to me.  aside from that?  romance/romantic angst.  i’ve had many writing partners over the years, and each one thought they could outdo me in writing romantic angst.  sometimes, the psychosomatic pain of heartbreak isn’t far from feeling like you’ve lost a limb in battle.

how do you come up with headcanons? by being the most annoying, meticulous person ever.  i’m extremely detail oriented; when i see incongruities in my own work, i perish.  so, when i come up with headcanons, i have to consider all factors that may affect the outcome of whatever question i’ve posed in my mind and feel the need to justify my choices, for whatever reason, by tying it back to XYZ.  my headcanons must align with my muse’s personality, their environment from childhood to adulthood, their current circumstances, and if it’s an AU, how it mirrors canon events.  canon/eu is everything imo, because they are their own choices; it’s what shaped them into the character we know them as.  ofc, this is my process and opinion, so make of that what you will.

do you write in silence or do you play music? no music, no tv.  sometimes people talking is too much for me.  i have adhd and my medication only helps so much.  i will absolutely start writing down the conversation or lyrics playing in the background lol

do you plan your replies or wing them? plotting vs planning replies is different to me.  plotting gives me a foundation, but it can’t be too confining.  to plan a reply is to block out each moment.  if you trap me, i will always deviate; so i wing everything, even when i have a foundation.

do you enjoy shipping? yes, absolutely!  i’m not sure why people tend to assume otherwise, but i’m more open to it than people think.  i’ve never cared about who you write, if they’re in the sw franchise, or even what era of sw etc etc  never given a shit about what people think; if our muses click, they click.  honestly, some of the best ships i’ve had with han, as in the most enjoyable and enlightening of his character, have been ‘crack ships’.

what’s your alias/name? vin, vince, vincent.  vincent van hoe.  trash bin vin.

age? 27!

birthday? dec 2!

favorite color? silver.  if that’s not a color to you, then blue.

favorite song? you can’t expect me to… well, ‘in your eyes’ by the weeknd has been up there for a long time.

last movie you watched? star wars: the clone wars (2008)

last show you watched? … the clone wars lol

last song you listened to? billie jean - MJ.

favorite food? my mother’s 番茄炒蛋 ( egg and tomato stir fry ), unagi, freshly baked breads, fresh fruit …

favorite season? i get mostly tropical weather, but i love a cold winter.

do you have a tumblr best friend? unfortunately, so many people have left the site over the years, but i'm grateful to call these people some of the closest friends i have in the rpc: @techniiciian @desiccation @vibraea @rcvanchist @sgterso @voxcrystallis

tagged : @debelltio thank you for thinking of me!! tagging : if you're still reading this, i tag you!

[spacesapphi]

"Moving Forward, Spiraling Downward Chapter 5- The Ties You've Severed"

Chapter 5.... ough...

Summary:

It's been over a year since that Winter Star party, and everyone's been struggling since. Marnie is struggling with the fallout, finding solace in her friendship with Pam through it all. She desperately hopes for a positive change, but who knows when that will come.

Too embarrassed to face Marnie again, Shane has completely cut her off from his life, leaving his aunt confused and angry. Things are coming to a head in his life where his only options are to swallow his pride or continue to drown. It would take a miracle… or a disaster to get him to do anything but drown.

CWs include : mentions of illness, disordered eating, death, and addiction

AO3 Version is here!

Tumblr version below the cut:

Over a year had passed since that Winter Star party. Marnie had hoped dearly that it was just a matter of Shane needing some time to cool off and think before talking again. The boy could be like that sometimes, go off sulking for a bit before he came back to act like an adult about things. But this time was different. Conversation went from near daily calls to maybe twice a week, then once, then the occasional text, and then nothing.

Shane hadn’t responded to any of her messages or calls in six months now, completely cutting off his life from Marnie. The poor woman just couldn’t understand why. She tried to, she truly did. Even though she knew she’d get no response, she’d attempt to talk to him anyways, letting him know she was still there for him. Even if he wasn’t willing to speak, she wanted him to know she still cared. But seeing that ‘delivered’ status on every single message, a reminder that he wasn’t even reading them, it just punched a hole through her heart. 

She raised that boy for over 20 years now, treated him like her own son, put his needs and wants above her own. It wasn’t like she saw it as something that he needed to repay, but would it hurt to just speak to her once in a while? Did he understand how much it hurt for him to purposely rip her away from the last family she had in this world? 

She began to think that she was the problem. Maybe if she had just reacted differently that night, had talked it out then, then maybe things would be different. Maybe Shane and Jas would still be in her life. But then again, she had every damn right to be angry at him that night and she knew it. Replaying those words in her head, being told to ‘shut the fuck up already’ , oh it made her blood boil. Going to bed to sleep on it was probably the best decision at that moment, but it didn’t make the outcome any better. Why would he just cut off all interaction, why did he just leave without a word and never explain why?! There were so many questions, and Marnie had the gut feeling she’d never get the full answer. 

Sitting at her usual stool in the saloon, she stared down at the reflection in her wine glass, seeing just how tired she looked. Running the ranch was hard, but having the support of her little family made it easier. She didn’t have that anymore though, she had nothing. Yoba, she was a mess nowadays. 

“Yer not lookin’ good, Marn,” Pam frowned, sliding in closer towards her friend, “What’s buggin’ you now?”

Marnie just shook her head, taking a hefty swig from her cup, “I’m fine, really.”

Pam sighed in a frustrated tone. It was so obvious something was wrong. When she had gone to see Marnie the day after the party, she was obviously distraught, and she’d been upset nearly everyday since. Even still, she insisted she was ‘just fine’, and pushed through each and every day. 

“I’ll tell you this much, that stubbornness runs in yer fam’ly,” Pam scoffed, motioning aimlessly with her hand, “If I had a 100g note fer every time I heard one of ya’s tell me yer fine I could be livin’ in a damn mansion ,”

Marnie breathed out through her nose, closing her eyes tight, “It’s just… That boy, he… Oh I don’t know what to do with him anymore.”

“Has he still not talked to you?” Pam looked shocked, shaking her head disappointedly, “Marnie yer a damn saint, I’d never put up with that shit… Lemme tell you, if my Penny ever pulled somethin’ like that there’d be hell to pay.”

“Was I too harsh with him….? I just wanted to help! He needed a wakeup call, I just-” Marnie held her head in her hands, groaning in frustration. She looked up to the man behind the counter, “Gus, what would you do if you were me?”

The barkeep knit his brows together in concern, gently wiping down a glass as he spoke, “I don’t have kids but… I think you’ve done all you can. You can only do so much once they’ve left the nest, right?”

Pam slammed down her bottle, raising a brow, “If you ask me she’s too damn soft on ‘im!”

“He’s been through a lot…” Gus reminded her, giving Pam a knowing look.

“Ain’t we all!” Pam protested, throwing her hands up. She turned and pointed to Marnie, “Look, you got a nice enough boy, Marn. But ya gotta put your foot down at some point. March up to the city ‘n tell ‘im to come home, drag ‘im by the ear if you have to!”

“I just get so… angry with him,” Marnie grumbled, looking to Pam with such an exasperated look, “Is it too damn much to ask that he takes care of himself when he has a kid?! I put myself through hell and back to raise him, I did everything to keep myself together for him, why is he so-!” she slammed her head down onto the table, grumbling angrily, “Pam… I’m so furious…”

“Whuff, if it’s got Saint Marnie swearin’ up a storm, you know it’s bad,” Pam chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Marnie turned her head just enough to show her scowl. Pam smiled apologetically, “Sorry…”

“Eugh… Another one, Gus.” Marnie mumbled, motioning to her glass and letting her hand slump to the table pathetically. He made a face, looking to Pam of all people for help. She nodded in silent understanding, pulling the glass away from her. 

“Listen Marn, if yer makin’ me look sober, you should prob’ly stop for the night,” she suggested, genuine concern in her tone, “Besides… it’s makin’ you look a smidge hypocritical there, mm?”

“Yoba, I hate when you’re right…” Marnie complained. She turned her head to rest her cheek on the table, looking at Pam, “You’re a good friend, you know,”

“Ain’t I just,” Pam sighed, “C’mon now, I’m takin’ you home.”

The pair trudged back to the ranch, Marnie completely silent as Pam rambled on about the day, “Penny tried to make me breakfast today. She tries, bless her heart, but she’s terrible Marn,” she chuckled, “How do you burn and undercook an egg?”

She saw her attempt at lightening the mood had fallen flat once again, that same blank stare on Marnie’s face. Pam wrapped an arm ‘round her back, squeezing her shoulder tight, “I’m sorry, Marn… I hate seein’ you like this...”

“I feel like a failure… ” Marnie mumbled, “Was I really too soft on him? Should I have been harsher?”

Pam pursed her lips, thinking for quite a bit, “Remember back in college, when we first started dormin’?” she asked, “You were the shyest little thing, sweet too. You put up with all my bullshit and I never understood why…”

Marnie raised a brow, “Where are you going with this?”

“What I’m sayin’ is it’s yer nature to be sweet and soft. Ain’t a flaw, ain’t anythin’ bad. Showin’ your family love like that, that’s somethin’ to be admired.”

The two stopped to look over the river, giving them a quiet moment. Marnie never knew Pam to be the introspective type, but she appreciated little moments like this. Pulling her shawl tighter over her shoulders, she looked over the rippling water, “What do you think I should do?”

“Distract yerself. Get back into a hobby! Do somethin’ fun!” Pam grinned, “How long’s it been since you touched a hook or needle?”

“Weeks…” Marnie huffed, “Maybe a month or two. Haven’t had much inspiration lately, I suppose.”

“Can I inspire you with some cash? It’s gettin’ cold, and Yoba knows we ain’t got proper heat in that trailer. Me n’ Penny could use a cardigan or two.”

“I’m not charging you Pam, you’re my friend.”

“Bull shit you’re not chargin’ me! Name a price,”

Marnie scoffed lightly, “Just come over sometime to talk, it’s been a while. I’d accept that instead.”

“I’d do that anyway, Marn, that ain’t any compensation. Just you wait, you’ll find some extra g in yer purse when you least expect, and I ain’t takin’ it back,”

A small, soft smile found its way onto Marnies face, a quiet, soft chuckle escaping her, “Thank you… for trying to make me feel better,”

“Aww there she is!” Pam squeezed her a little tighter, “Been missin’ that laugh,”

She looked over to the path leading into the woods, “Think it’s time for you t’ head home now. You ranchers gotta be up with the sun, or somethin’ right?”

“Somethin’ like that,” Marnie shrugged. She pulled Pam into a hug, “Again, thank you.”

“Heh, don’t mention it,” Pam mused, giving her a firm pat on the back, “And listen, if I ever see yer boy I’ll give him an earful for you, okay?”

“Pam…” 

“Seriously, Marn…” Pam sighed, “Lemme know if there’s anythin’ I can do. Can’t take seein’ you mope around like this.”

“I will, I promise.”

The women waved each other off for the night, heading in opposite directions towards their homes. Closing the door behind her, Marnie swiftly made her way to her room, resigning herself for the night.

The crickets outside the window chirped loudly as Marnie readied herself for sleep. Sitting at her vanity in her nightgown as she combed through her hair, staring off into space as she let her mind wander. She looked over to the framed photo sitting right next to her mirror, sighing softly. It was old and faded, the colors worn from age. She and her sister were merely young teens in it, sitting high atop the ranches fence, posing in a silly fashion as their father took their photo. They looked so happy and carefree, giggling about something she couldn’t remember, hugging each other tight. Marnie missed it so much.

“I don’t know what to do with your boy, Mona,” she huffed, biting a lip in frustration, “He gets it from you, you know. That damn stubbornness. Like mother, like son, neither of you knew when to get help.”

Placing down the comb, she took the photo into her hands, rubbing a thumb over the wood frame, “I’m afraid he’ll end up like you , that I’m going to get that call and… I don’t think my heart could take burying him too. And then I’d have to take in Jas… I’m getting too old to raise another child…”

“You would’ve known what to do, you were always the smart one…” tears bit at her eyes, lips pursing tightly as she fought back crying, “I feel like such a failure… ” her voice grew angry, but at who she didn’t know, “Why’d you have to die on us? Why couldn’t you just accept my help? I told you I’d come home to help you!”

Her mind fled back to her days as a young woman, far before tragedy had fallen upon her family. Marnie wanted so badly to be an artist back in her youth, to travel around the Ferngill Republic and join exhibitions and artists guilds. Mona was her biggest fan, encouraging her sister each and every day to chase that dream. 

Their father had made it clear that at least one of them had to take over the ranch one day, harping on the importance of it to their family history and tradition. It left the girls in a tough spot. Both of them had big dreams, but only one could achieve them. Mona wanted to be a doctor someday, to be someone who could help others. She’d been hoping to study under the doctor who was living in town at the time, actually. But seeing how excited and passionate Marnie was about her talents made her repress those dreams, and accept the responsibility laid out for her. Her sister’s happiness was a priority to her, even if it meant sacrificing her own.

Marnie would go on to be accepted at a great institute with an amazing arts program. She made important connections, met Pam for the first time, and she was truly thriving. She never felt more alive than she did in the city, feeling like for the first time she was reaching for the stars, and could actually touch them. She had no clue how much the opposite it was for Mona until it was getting to be too late. 

The poor woman was struggling. Raising a baby on her own, running the ranch as the sole owner, having little social life and few relationships because of how much time everything in life soaked up. It was taking a toll on her mind and body, a very noticeable toll. She was barely 28 when her hair began to gray, growing sicker and frailer by the day. Marnie had gotten into a huge blowout fight with her over it, concerned more than anything for her sister's health. 

The fight wasn’t too unlike the one she had with Shane, actually. It was eerily similar actually, happening in the same spot in the house and all. She vividly remembered Mona yelling at her to ‘drop it already!’, assuring she was fine when the opposite was clearly true. She all but forced Marnie to go back to college, to finish her degree and fulfill her dreams, leaving the ranch to her. Mona had sacrificed so much for her, and she wasn’t going to let her give up in the homestretch like that. She would die mere months after that fight, the stress quite literally killing her. Marnie had to come home after all, giving up her dream to take over the family business, to raise Shane along with it. 

She’d been a mess back then, a broken, miserable mess. Pam had chastised her for being ‘too soft’ on Shane through this, but she remembered how desperately she needed someone to have been there for her, and she never wanted him to feel that pain too. But now, he was inflicting it on himself, and there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing to do but pray. 

She closed her eyes, silently begging Yoba to keep him and Jas safe, to allow him to come back home where he belonged. Her faith had been slipping from her the past year, growing weaker by the day, but she still held on tight to that hope that Yoba would hear her, that they would watch over and protect them. 

“ Wherever they are…” she thought, “ Let them be safe and well.”

- - - - - - 

“I told you, I don’t have it.”

“I don’t care, Yoder. I have given you three extensions, three! I’m not running a charity here!”

Shane rubbed his eyes, leaning against the doorway to his apartment, “Look, I get paid tomorrow morning. Can I give you the rent then? It’s the best I can do, Rich.”

The older man huffed, closing his eyes and shaking his head, “I… fine. Fine. But only because of her.” He pointed through the doorway to Jas, who sat at the kitchen table, “I don’t want to have to throw a kid out on the streets, and I’m sure you don’t want that either. Have it to me by tomorrow and we’ll be fine.”

“Thank you…” Shane breathed, feeling the relief flood him, “Seriously, thank you.”

“If it’s not in my hands by 5 tomorrow, you’re done, ” Rich warned, “No more extensions, no more forgiveness. I’m serious, Shane.”

“I know… Thank you.”

“And clean out your mailbox, would you? It’s overflowing.”

Shane reluctantly looked at the overstuffed box, nervous to even glance at the bright red lettering on the envelopes screaming “OVERDUE” at him. He’d maxed out just about every credit card he could get, paying insane amounts of money each month, going into the red over it at times. Rent had gotten higher after the new year, leaving him with less and less money to afford the important things. Life was expensive, raising a kid was expensive, everything just piled up. His landlord had tried to be understanding, giving him many extensions and breaks over the past year. But his generosity was running thin, and Shane could tell. He couldn’t blame him either

He ripped the letters from the mailbox, shuffling through them as he made his way to the table. Jas sat with her head resting on one hand, making a face as she poked her tv dinner with a fork. 

“Jas, honey, stop playing with your food,” Shane scolded lightly. Jas whined and gave him a pout, “It smells funny…”

“You need to eat something , come on.”

“Why can’t I have something else?”

“We don’t have anything else.”

“Whyyyy?” Jas grumbled, scrunching her nose as she speared a soggy vegetable with her fork.

“We can’t afford it, Jas,” that much was true. Actually, Shane couldn’t even afford this anymore. He was blessed in a way to have that stocking job. As wages stagnated and costs raised, Shane found himself with less and less money for necessities, including groceries. He’d often slip items in his bag after hours, becoming a bit of a ‘borrowing’ pro over the past few months. It was risky, and he could never take too much during a shift, but it was working for now. 

Jas furrowed her brow, giving him a look, “Why aren’t you eatin?”

Shane shrugged, giving her a smile, “Heh. Don’t need to. Uncle Shane doesn’t get hungry.”

“You’re being silly!” Jas laughed, “Yes you do!”

“Nah, it’s a superpower I got! You just worry about your own dinner, okay?” “Okay…” Jas finally gave in, shoveling the freezer burnt food in her mouth. It didn’t taste as bad as she thought it would, more bland than anything, a twinge of  that stale freezer-taste to it. It was to be expected of such a cheap meal. She swallowed a bite and looked back up to her godfather, “I wish I didn’t get hungry...”

Shane’s smile crumbled, replaced with a look of deep guilt. He opened his mouth to respond, but couldn’t find the appropriate words to say. He wanted to apologize for being such a terrible guardian, for letting her down again and again. Making sure she didn’t know just how bad things were was his top priority. The last thing he wanted was for her to have to worry about that, about things a 4 year old should never have to think about. He was supposed to be responsible, he was supposed to shield her from that reality. And he was trying his best, he truly was… but it was getting more and more difficult. 

Jas had noticed, and she had for a while. She noticed when the pantry and fridge got emptier and emptier as time went on, when envelopes with big red letters would come in and make him look stressed, when he’d cry when he thought she wasn’t looking, when he started eating very little at meal times, and eventually not eat at all. He’d been getting so thin . He looked so sick and exhausted every day, his hair beginning to gray before he even reached his 30’s. But even with all of it, he gave her a smile, and told her everything was okay.

Jas pushed away the dinner, “Can I go play now?” Shane nodded, “Go have fun,”

The little girl hopped away from the table, running to grab her dolls and sit under the blanket fort she’d made by the tv early this afternoon. Putting on a show in the background, she began to act out a story with the toys, off in her own little world. 

As soon as Shane was sure she wasn’t paying attention to him, he pulled the leftover dinner close to him, eating every last bit of what Jas left behind, even the parts he hated . It wasn’t even close to a full meal, but it quieted the growling in his stomach just enough to let him focus on something else. He felt a deep pang in his soul as he ate, a feeling that encompassed many an emotion; embarrassment, rage, grief. He couldn’t even begin to describe the feeling of self-loathing he felt right now. 

Throwing the trash into the adjacent can, he sneakily opened the fridge and lifted a can from the shelf. Beer was one of his riskier items to steal, and the most embarrassing. Yoba, Marnie was right about this being an addiction. He hated that it took this long to admit. He just wanted to dump it down the drain, to say ‘no more’ and make a change for the better. But every time he tried, it never worked for more than a few days. Withdrawal would kick in, an itching pain growing beneath his skin, a deep, animalistic urge to grab another can clawing at his mind. He hated it, he hated himself for it, but he just couldn’t stop.

The one good thing about eating so little was that the alcohol got to him quicker. Drinking on a near empty stomach made him get drunk faster, meaning he went through less cans. It wasn’t healthy still, not by any means, but it certainly was better than normal. It was how he justified it to himself, something he lied to himself with to make himself feel the slightest bit better about all of this. 

He jolted as a buzz rang through his phone, the vibration moving it a few inches across the table. There was just a single notification, a ‘goodnight’ text from Marnie. He reached out for his phone, stopping just before his fingers touched the case. Something wouldn’t let him grab it, wouldn’t let him respond. He desperately wanted to call her, to cry and beg for her forgiveness, to ask for help. But his pride held him in a chokehold, refusing to release him for even a moment. 

He didn’t mean for it to get this bad. He didn’t mean to sever those ties with Marnie. Initially he just needed time to recoup from the embarrassment of what he’d done that night, what he said. But eventually, he became more and more ashamed to face her, to tell her the truth of what was happening. He was flat broke, an exuberant amount of g in debt, unable to afford basic necessities, barely making rent even with extensions, and deep in the throes of addiction. 

He was drowning, and he didn’t want her to know. He felt like an absolute failure of a father, a nephew, and a person. He couldn’t bear to face her. Even when he felt ready to, this gnawing guilt in his mind told him to stay away. He’d ignored her for so long already, she must despise him at this point. That’s what he believed, anyway. He felt it was too little, too late to save that bond, and decided the only course of action from here was to just leave it severed.

Looking out at Jas, he knew something needed to change, for her sake. Oh if her parents could see him, he knew they’d despise him now, just like he believed Marnie did. It was a mistake for them to entrust him with Jas, to give such a screw-up like him such a big responsibility. He couldn’t forgive himself for how bad things were, for how bad he let it get. When would he just swallow his pride and run back home already to get help? It would take a miracle, or a disaster, to get him to do so, that much was certain.

He still didn’t believe in Yoba, but just this once, he made an exception. Bowing his head and folding his hands, he thought a silent prayer. 

“If you’re real… Please let Marnie forgive me.”

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Monthly Follower Recs

Monthly follower recommendations for the months of May & June 2024

Another Day, Another Disaster (ao3) - what_the_gosh_dang

Summary: Dan is in possession of Phil's private journal

Carpets, Pokemon and hugs (These are a few of my favorite things) (ao3) -DownDownFangirl

Summary: "Is everything ok?" The tall guy stops. The elevator starts to close. The guy reaches for the door and it opens again. He looks into Phil's eyes and it’s strong and focused and confusing. - Phil works at a motel and Dan is a guest who comes and goes. There are many thoughts to think and many delicate conversations to have... And it can get confusing, especially when you live hundreds of kilometers away from each other.

dan is not a pianist (ao3) - Marranje

Summary: One night, Phil stumbles over a musician's YouTube channel. Years later, they're sharing the most important moments of their lives.

(in which dan pursued the piano, they did not meet in 2009, but still finds each other through the power of the internet)

everything has changed (ao3) - gamingbeats

Summary: Dan and Phil go on holiday to NYC and everything changes when Dan books only the couple's options.

Flashes of Innocence (ao3) - yiffandquiff

Summary: Phil Lester was an aspiring photographer, trying to fine tune his skills in a black and white photography class. Cue Daniel Howell, the attractive male that walks in one day and captures Phil’s eyes. But Dan has a small secret, he needs help. He runs a Tumblr blog and he needs someone to shoot his photos for him. But there’s a catch that Phil doesn’t know right away. Dan runs a NSFW porn blog and he’s asking Phil to help him recreate authentic photos.

hard times, baby (ao3) - queerofcups

Summary: For some people, their jumps came with a task. Figure it out, finish it and your past self would just fade away. That's not Dan. He's not sure why his past self is here. But he's got some theories.

I Got One Less Prom Without You (ao3) - ticklishpickle

Summary: Dan Howell, boyfriend of Phil Lester, has always cared too much about what other people thought of him. And so it's no surprise that despite his complete infatuation with Phil, it takes him months to finally muster up the courage to come out to his friends. But hey! They're surprisingly okay with it- except for the part where they want him to bring a girl to prom instead of his own boyfriend. (Because popularity and stuff, or something)

And so he becomes Dan Howell, ex-boyfriend of Phil Lester. Watch him as he tries to get rid of the 'ex' part of that title.

I Swallowed the Sun (ao3) - transdimensional_void

Summary: Phil's past still haunts him, and the memory of what might have been. (Inspired by the song "Daniel" by Bat for Lashes)

It’s been twelve years since Dan last saw Phil, twelve years during which Dan has been to hell and back. It’s been twelve years since the boy Phil fell in love with vanished. But now Dan’s back, and he has a story to tell... (Songfic for "From Eden" by Hozier)

After twelve years apart, Dan and Phil are giving their relationship another go, but things are off to a rocky start. (Songfic based on "Good Love" by Bat for Lashes)

run as far as your dark brown eyes can see (ao3) - chickenfree

Summary: Dan’s laughing, pleased with his own joke about being an awkward child, about misfit war wounds, which Phil will obviously relate to.

Oh.

(Or: the many times Phil has been surprised, and the one thing that didn't surprise him at all.)

snowballs (ao3) - calvinahobbes

Summary: your mum is trying to get me drunk

The Golden Rule (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Phil is just looking for some friends when he changes school, what he gets is Dan Howell and that's not a good thing.

There's no way you can change the rolling tide (ao3) - rollingtide

Summary: ”Phil threw his head back laughing. And Dan felt a huge urge to kiss him, which made him feel a little bit taken back. In his 23 years on earth he had met many gorgeous men whom he had felt attracted to. But never had he felt like he needed to kiss anyone before. And he couldn’t pinpoint what the difference with Phil was.”

or

A famous/non-famous AU where Dan is hopeless and Phil can’t make coffee for shit.

To Bite The Hand That Feeds (ao3) - rainbowchristy

Summary: Daniel Howell is a lycan, his and his family's secret safe from the public. It isn't until Phil moves into town with lycan parents that things become a problem.

Dan has to learn how to control his wolfy nature while also making and maintaining friendships. Can he do it, or will his secret be revealed to the world?

To be loved (ao3) - Thedemonqueen

Summary: Dan knows Phil insisted they’re together. Dan knows Phil loves him. But it doesn’t stop Dan from feeling dirty when he wants to touch Phil.

Typical (ao3) - Junebug1312

Summary: Dan and Phil hate each other. Everyone knows that. But what happens when Dan breaks both of his wrists and can't do certain things himself?

Also when has someone saying "prove it" ever actually worked as an invitation.

Vampire Moon (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Phil knew it was foolish to stay out late on the night of a full moon. It was even more foolish to agree to take a walk with Dan who was never up do any good. But Phil couldn't admit to himself that he had a blind spot concerning the vampire, and now he was going to pay for that.

*Phil said: “Oh! Is this a self-insert fic? I was called hamster boy at school. I wanted to be Oz. Bite me, granddaddy.” And I said: Bet.*

[shychick-52]

What I liked and didn't like about Gyro in 'The Last Adventure' (long post)

This is a repost from my defunct blog. Just a summary of what I liked and thought they could've done better in how the last episode handled Gyro, especially his relationship with Boyd:

Gyro and Boyd at Webby's 'birthday party' at Funso's

This was in the beginning of the series finale 'The Last Adventure', and was the very first time Boyd was seen since 'Astro B.O.Y.D.' (which was only the 6th episode of the third season and came out May 2020; 'The Last Adventure' was the final episode and came out March 2021… just let that sink in).

Liked: It was so AWESOME to FINALLY see Gyro and Boyd together again, and I squealed so hard at this scene when I first watched this episode! He's spending time with Boyd at a birthday party, eeeee! (And I touched on the significance of this scene in this post).

Liked: Boyd could have hung out with Huey and the other kids (which definitely would've been awesome too), but he chose to spend time with his dad instead! That is so cute!!

Missed opportunity: Does anybody else wish Gyro had actually been smiling at seeing his son enjoying himself as a 'definitely real boy'?? Like, c'mon! (And back during the third season, Frank was asked on his Tumblr blog if Gyro and Boyd’s relationship was improving, and he emphasized- and I quote- “Oh, yes. Very much so", but we never really learned what that looked like.) I mean, it probably did warm Gyro's heart to spend time with Boyd and see him just being the happy, free child he'd truly become, but still, he could've looked less indifferent or awkward!

Missed opportunity: Gyro should have laughed here while shielding his face from the candy, instead of the irritated reaction when it hit him. Sheesh, Gyro, lighten up! ☹ Why’s he still so easily irritable, especially when it’s just Boyd having a good time?

Missed opportunity: Now that Gyro's attention has shifted from solely Boyd and more onto the main event, he's really got his typical grumpy expression on and is standing a bit further away from everyone else. It’s very disappointing he wasn’t shown to be at least a little happier and closer with everyone. It’s the final episode, all Scrooge’s friends and family have gathered together in one place for this very important event (not only to celebrate Webby’s birthday, but to finally take down their greatest threat of all), and all these characters have changed and grown so much since the start of the series or when they were very first introduced (which even Frank and Matt, the show’s creators, admitted in an interview). It would have been more meaningful if Gyro had been smiling like everyone else to show his character development since 'Astro B.O.Y.D.' I know people don’t change overnight, and Gyro had a LOT of trauma that affected him for so many years, but still… it would have been nice to show him with a little more growth.

Liked/Missed opportunity: During the entire scene where everyone was gathered around Webby for cake and the birthday song (which was the signal to destroy F.O.W.L.'s security cameras and launch their raid on their secret headquarters below Funso's), Boyd was sitting on Manny's arm instead of Gyro's shoulders. On the one hand, I like that Manny was holding Boyd because that tells me he became sort of an uncle-figure to him... but it would have been twice as cute if he was sitting on Gyro's shoulders, since that would've been more proof of how close they'd become!

Gyro and Boyd on Webby’s family board

Liked: I LOVE that Boyd apparently became an official member of Team Science off-screen, and that there's a string linking Huey to Boyd to say they're best friends (because you wouldn't think so by his absence from the majority of the third season).

Missed opportunity: Why wasn't there a string linking Gyro and Boyd?? And why is there a string between Boyd and Doofus?? It was never actually confirmed whether or not Boyd went to live with Gyro or if he continued staying with the Drakes, but regardless, Gyro and Boyd are absolutely family (FAR more than Doofus was, since he only saw Boyd as a mere machine and an interloper in his family, and there's the little fact that Boyd never had a choice about being part of the Drakes' family... which is why I don't get why he'd choose to still live with them after 'Astro B.O.Y.D.' when he embraced his identity as his own free person with the ability to make his own choices)! Boyd was Gyro's first and greatest creation, his pride and joy, his son in every sense of the word!

Where was Boyd and Fenton after they found May and June?

Missed opportunity: In this scene right after they find Webby's clones, we see Gyro, Huey, Lena, Beakley, Scrooge, Donald, and Della all gathered around, analyzing the clones and trying to figure out why F.O.W.L. created clones of Webby. But there's no reason why both Fenton and Boyd couldn't have been there too! They could have helped- Boyd is a highly resourceful Junior Woodchuck like Huey, and his brain is a supercomputer, making him super intelligent; and Fenton is a scientist (especially ever since Gyro promoted him at the end of 'Astro B.O.Y.D.')! And neither Fenton and Gyro nor Huey and Boyd interact at all in the final episode, so more missed opportunity to further develop their respective relationships too. And I mean, come on, why didn't they especially take what opportunities they had to have Gyro and Boyd share screentime or interact??

In the same scene, most of the rest of the kids burst into the room, anxious to learn more about the mystery of Webby's clones too. But no Boyd (Gosalyn was nowhere to be seen in the mansion either, oddly enough, but I'm assuming she was there somewhere with Drake/Darkwing)!

In fact, we didn't see Boyd and Fenton again until later when everyone boarded the plane to go storm the Lost Library. I'm assuming in the above scene, Boyd was with Manny and Fenton (wherever those two were, but I'd like to think they were somewhere in the mansion too). It was a shame Boyd didn't at least interact with the other kids while everyone was at the mansion, because he didn't hang out with them for nearly the entire third season (not on-screen, anyway)!

"Look After Your Brother"

Liked: SELF-EXPLANATORY. :D :D And I love how sincere, protective, and loving Gyro sounded and looked when he entrusted Lil Bulb with Boyd's safety. This was their most dangerous threat yet, and Boyd's first adventure with the Ducks, and Boyd and Gyro had been together again after 20 years for only some months... so, it only made sense for Gyro to worry about his son (and what makes it even more touching is that Boyd is a superpowered robot, more than capable of taking care of himself, but Gyro still worried about him). He trusted Lil Bulb with Boyd's life!!

(And Lil Bulb would indeed look after Boyd; after the plane crashed when the kids were onboard alone, following Dewey's sky-battle with Don Karnage, Boyd lost his body. So, Lil Bulb removed his bulb and attached Boyd's head onto his own body, which is how they stayed for most of the rest of the episode.)

Missed opportunity: They didn't exchange a single word to each other or even hug, despite knowing what a dangerous mission it was. :( :(

Why didn't Gyro seem more worried for Boyd?

Missed opportunity: I covered this in a separate post here, but throughout most of the rest of the episode ever since Gyro learned Bradford captured and planned to destroy everyone even remotely associated with Scrooge and his family (and Gyro spent the majority of the time captured himself, along with HDL, Webby, Gandra, and Ludwig Von Drake), he never once showed any sign he worried about or missed Boyd. Not once did he bring Boyd up.

The victory scene at the end

Liked: It was cool actually seeing Gyro and Fenton share screentime, even though they didn't interact!

Missed opportunity: Why the heck was Boyd/Lil Bulb standing so far away from Gyro and the rest of Team Science there (especially after they were separated the entire time)?? He should have been right there with them (especially in front of Gyro, or even in his arms)!

The plane-ride home

Liked: AHHHH. Boyd lying in Gyro's lap as he reattached his head, Gyro tenderly cupping his head, both smiling so lovingly at each other! Together again where they belong, safe. It's so beautiful. YES. JUST YES. You can really see the love between them in this scene.

Missed opportunity: Like the "Look after your brother" scene, it's sad they didn't say anything to each other or even hug one last time!

The end credits

Liked: BEAUTIFUL. The very last we'll ever see of them, and Gyro is smiling the biggest, happiest smile he's ever done in the entire series. In fact, I feel like this is the moment that perfectly summed up Gyro's healing journey and development (which we didn't really see after 'Astro B.O.Y.D.', but this almost makes up for that). He looks so happy and free. It's like it just hit him all-at-once here that he's no longer burdened by the demons of his past, that he's got Boyd in his life, and that he's part of Scrooge's family too.

Yeah, so many of these little details could have easily been improved without costing much time and budget. But when they nailed it, they nailed it!