#pat ramsey

[chilaquilesheel]

RIP Patroclus you would have loved Hell's Kitchen 🙏

like can you just imagine

Achilles: Patroclus, is the meat supposed to be this… uh… blackened?

Patroclus: [grabs Achilles by the face, dead serious]

Patroclus: WHAT ARE YOU??

Achilles: … a hero?

Patroclus: WRONG. [slaps two pieces of bread on either side of Achilles’ head]

Patroclus: YOU’RE AN IDIOT SANDWICH.

Achilles: [muffled between bread] … an idiot sandwich.

[ylojgtr]

ooh this is perfect! i can tell you all about revolutionary harmonica players!! i will give neil a little credit since he introduced me and im sure many other harmonicists to the instrument, but i assure you there are SO many better players out there

definitely gotta check out deford bailey (pronounced dee-ford). he was a master at and greatly popularized the train imitation and fox chase styles (<this video has flickering for some reason just fyi) and is largely responsible for country harmonica, being a founding member of the grand ol opry

little walter is obviously a must. his approach to the instrument, melodic, dirty and presice, set the standard for chicago blues playing. while he probably wasn't the first to do it, he certainly popularized the use of a microphone while playing which helped the harmonica stay relevant in the age of electric instruments and added a unique distorted tone

sonny terry is also blues, but a very different style. he used a lot of chordal rhythms for accompaniment and really was the first person to play anything like what he did, it's kinda hard to explain

all three of those guys influenced charlie mccoy, one of the most recorded session musicians in history and sort of the pioneer of country and bluegrass harmonica.

there's a direct lineage from mccoy to one of my personal favourite players, jason ricci (solo @1:48), whose mentor pat ramsey (solo @1:50) applied super-fast bluegrass style licks to blues. jason took it a step further, delving into punk, hard rock and funk with an extremely idiosyncratic style. (i had a hard time choosing which song to link but i think this one is a succinct, flashy example of an iconic era of his career. more are in the playlist!)

jason's style also makes heavy use of a technique called overbending, which is probably the most common way to play chromatic notes on a diatonic harmonica. typically, a harmonica is tuned to have only the notes of one major scale, which is why most players have different harmonicas in different keys. but it is possible to play some notes between the scale degrees by bending, which was pioneered by black american musicians before being widely recording, but there are still some notes that can't be played bent

that's where howard levy (solo @1:50 but you should watch the whole thing 😳) comes in (probably my favourite harmonica player ever). he was a jazz piano player before picking up harmonica and decided to start practicing scales on harp the same way he did piano. of course, not all the notes were there, but somehow in trying to bend a note that didn't bend he got a different sound. he ended up becoming the first person to really master this technique, finally bringing the diatonic harmonica into jazz and other more complex music.

last major suggestion, brendan power. his early influences include sonny terry and charlie mccoy but his style has become defined by his harmonica inventions. after learning that charlie mccoy tuned his harmonicas differently (there's a really cool story about how he started doing that) brendan set out to create the ultimate diatonic tuning, since standard tuning wasn't intended to be used in any of the stuff it's used in now, it just happens to work pretty well. but what if it worked PERFECTLY for whatever style you were playing? his most famous tunings include paddy richter (for irish music) powerdraw (for more ease of playing blues) and powerbender (my personal favourite that's great for everything from jazz to hard rock). he also invented half-valving, which i won't get into but basically gives you the ability to bend all notes in different ways, which works on diatonic and chromatic harmonicas. his work has really bridged the gap between the two instruments. he's also created double decker harmonicas, modular reed harmonicas, switchable octave harmonicas, extended range harmonicas and all sorts of harmonicas with extended expressiveness in about a hundred different ways. his playing is also exceptional. he's a very diverse but recognizable player capable of fitting in just about anywhere but you're always sure it's him when you hear that distinctive sound

so those are the main harmonica players id suggest. if you're looking for more id recommend will wilde (hard rock/metal player who uses his own tuning and WILL BLOW YOUR MIND), todd parrott (incredible bluegrass player who takes advantage of modern harmonica techniques in a traditional setting), carlos del junco (a blues/jazz/roots player with a very unique, technical style), jimmy reed (blues singer with a highly influential harmonica sound), joel andersson (innovative european folk player who uses many novel harmonica designs and is also a fantastic harmonica technician), p.t. gazell (western swing and jazz player who uses half-valved diatonics to get chromatic notes instead of overbends) and konstantin reinfeld (he really plays everything, from jazz to classical to hip hop to tango to bollywood music. all on diatonic harmonica)

here's a playlist with all the songs i linked and more! i hope other people will see this post too if there's one thing i can't stand it's harmonica ignorance

Like any person of culture, tonight I sought out a list of musical artists who revolutionized the usage of the humble harmonica. The list I found involved Neil Young's Heart of Gold.

Needless to say, I entered a berserker state.

[yetihideout]

This is amazing and you need to watch it.

The Women of Weber Place (music by Brian Bennett and Alan Hawkshaw, “Dossier”) 💥

[dopamine-factory]

[millsheat]

i'm so fucking pissed and i keep getting more fucking pissed. i feel so fucking sad for bella ramsey because they had to endure the most vicious shit from the fanbase and incels since 2020 and craig never did anything to protect them--they were basically seventeen (!!) when they started shooting the show and the only person who ever took stance for them was pedro pascal. but you're telling me you're going to give kaitlynn extra security but do nothing to protect bella ramsey who's been viciously bullied by the internet for five fucking years?

and when are we going to address the facts that ellie's character arc, ellie, who is the core of the story, of the last of us universe, gets reduced storyline that is basically focused on everyone within the mile radius but her but abby, who didn't even need to get buffed because suddenly that's not important, gets longer and entire dedicated season? and you want me to think craig didn't cave into the male incels online? i'm so fucking pissed. so fucking pissed that he keeps patting himself on the back for doing such a marvellous job when he turned a beloved character into sidekick, despite knowing how pivotal ellie's arch is and how important she was for bella. it's like all the progress we've seen with ellie in season one was shoved out of the window? that's the girl that survived david? that's the girl who's been hardened by the year she spent outside?

and when are some of you going to address the fact that the one of the dellie duo has been fucking rewritten for male gaze and turned into main character? dina in the game wasn't just tagging along -- she was ellie's ride or die, she had her back, she was strong and crafty. dina in the show is turned into main character who's basically acting like ellie's fucking parent. i'm so sick of this and disappointed.

i'll be forever mad that craig basically threw bella under the bus. for fucks sake.

[ohmygraves]

i'm coming down with a flu i think so how about some ghost taking care of sick!reader?

when you wake up in the morning, you feel like you have swallowed pieces of glass in your sleep. your eyes felt hot, watering as you tried to rub it away to no avail. your sinuses felt awful too, you can't breathe properly through your nose. and worst of all you noticed that it's not even morning anymore, as the clock on your nightstand says 13:47 instead.

you started to panic, of course, you missed work and worried about getting in trouble with your boss, frantically searching for your phone. you saw it being charged just beside the clock (not where you left it, clearly you always fell asleep on your phone so it should be on the bed), confused as you unplugged it. your husband must've charged it on your behalf.

expecting for the worst, you braced for at least 53 missed calls from your boss and coworkers, though finding none instead. this surprises you, as you clearly know that your boss would've eaten you alive if you didn't return his calls, let alone missing most of the work hours.

simon suddenly walked in, placing a cup of hot honey lemon concoction on the nightstand. this confuses you evenmore.

"aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"well, you're at home yourself, love. aren't you supposed to be at work?"

when you rolled your eyes in annoyance, simon couldn't help but chuckle, sitting down beside you on your shared bed.

"asked th' old man to let me stay home today. said i'll get the whole base sick with the germs i carried to work."

as ridiculous as it sounds, at least it makes a lot of sense. you took a small tentative sip from the cup, flinching from the temperature. you didn't expect it to be so hot, then again simon always liked his beverages scalding.

"what about my work—"

"called your workplace for you, sweetheart. just rest for now, you sound worse than price today."

"you're so mean..."

"well i love you too."

he stood up, giving your head a small pat, his lips curled into a small smile. "i'll get you some food so you can take your meds."

you nodded weakly, unsure what else to say now since now your head feels like it's spinning. you placed the hot cup back on the nightstand, not wanting to spill it and getting hot lemon all over the bed or the carpet. no way in hell you're cleaning all the mess when you can't even stand up.

you must've fallen asleep afterwards, as simon woke you up, a bowl of hearty cream soup in hand. it has all of your favorite things in it, and smells surprisingly good. that's odd, simon doesn't really cook.

"where'd you buy this...?" you asked, clearly can't see him cooking this from scratch.

"i made this for you, love. now stop being snarky and eat it."

you didn't even have the energy to protest, just taking small bites from the bowl. it was surprisingly tasty, although a little too salty for you. some of the vegetables are also a little undercooked. now this is more like what you expected.

"not bad, gordon ramsey."

"still have the energy to joke around, i see."

"it's a compliment, simon."

now it was his turn to roll his eyes, sitting beside you and watching you eat his food. you pointed out how it tasted, and what he might have to fix next. he nodded quietly, hand caressing your hair slowly as he listened.

"i didn't get any call or text from work... what did you do?"

"just a little convincing, nothing big."

he didn't mention (vaguely) threatening your boss, or how he basically begged the captain to stay home today so he could take care of you instead. you don't need to know that.

[alessiathepirate]

The Fate of the Furious

ALIVE: Deckard Shaw x fem!reader

Summary: She thought Deckard Shaw died - yet luckily he didn't. After joining the crew on the rooftop, he had some explaining to do.

Notes: English isn't my first language. I apologize for any mistake I may have made while I wrote this short story.

A quiet thank you for my friend who watched these movies with me during a movie night. I love you <3

Warnings: swearing, mentioned violence and death

•••

"Oh, this will be good." Roman said to Tej as he poked - or rather punched - his arm. Both of them looked at the scenario in front of them, suddenly forgetting about their bickering over Ramsey.

Perhaps if things went differently, they'd stop arguing to quietly laugh at Shaw carrying a baby - only silently, because they perefer living over dying. Shaw with a baby was something they couldn't imagine at all, yet the thing Roman pointed out wasn't the baby. No, it was Shaw himself, who clearly overestimated his self-worth if he showed up there after the stunt he pulled.

And just in time, the girl whose feelings were very obviously hurt because of the said stunt noticed Shaw's arrival - and she looked like she's seen a ghost.

"No way, man. I really don't want to see this." Tej answered unsurely, leaning back in his seat.

"You won't want to miss it either. She'll kick his ass, that's for sure." In no other scenario would Roman dare to say that - the guy might have super hearing or something.

And just like that, the show started.

"You dick!" the shouting was so loud everyone's gaze was on her, but then - after understanding the situation - they decided to look away, not wanting to become a target of her wrath. "You absolute fucking asshole!"

"Come on, sweetheart, don't curse in front of the-"

"Don't you act like you suddenly give a shit about someone!"

"Oh, he fucked up!" Roman laughed in his seat.

"He fucked up big time." Tej agreed, and it was very rare that they did.

"No way I'd be him right now..."

Her expression was a mixture of anger and hurt, and she very clearly didn't want anyone else there to intervene - no man would dare to either way and they wouldn't succeed in doing so without getting a punch to the face.

But Letty, understanding her feelings because she was the only one she had talked to about them, did her best to diffuse the situation - in front of the child at least.

"I'll take him, don't you worry." she took the infant seat from Shaw, who had the expression of betrayal on his face.

"Thanks for your help, now why don't you go and talk this out?" if Dom's voice was anything to go by, he secretly very much enjoyed seeing Shaw's face as his son, the safety blanket he could hide behind was taken from him.

"Yeah, why don't we go and talk this out, Shaw?"

Ramsey gasped behind them and Dom patted Shaw on the back, sending him the luck he'll need. Roman poked Tej on the arm again, Hobbs chuckled from not so far away.

Deckard Shaw must have fucked up big time - he himself knew that too. It's been months since she called him Shaw. He was never Shaw, only Deckard or maybe if he was lucky enough, Deck. But he was never ever Shaw.

"All right, let's talk this out, sweetheart."

She hugged herself with her arms, not giving him the opportunity to hold onto her hand. Deckard didn't try to do so though, he understood where the line was and he didn't want to overstep it.

They walked to the other side of the roof, away from their gazes and voices, and only then did her eyes start to water.

Deckard wasn't good at apologies, but even he knew that's the time for one. She's hurt and rightfully so, but he didn't mean to hurt her at all. God, he'd go to Hell and back for her and he knew she'd do the same - they knew more than a few things about the other and they liked the other even if they don't like many people.

But now she's sad and hurt - and angry, because of Deckard and he didn't know what he should do to make it better.

"Sweetheart, I-"

"No, don't you fucking sweetheart me." Sweetheart was the petname Deckard saved for her and didn't use it on anybody else. "I thought you died, do you know how that feels? I thought you fucking died!" she grabbed onto the railing to try and regain her strength. "Do you know that I cried for you? I fucking cried for you. I almost went after Dom by myself to hurt him like he hurt me and Dom is my friend!"

He put his hand on her shoulder and she let him, but she didn't look at him at all.

"And then you just call me to tell me everything is okay, I- I don't know what hurt more: that you didn't tell me or that you don't trust me enough to tell me stuff like that."

"I trust you. I trust you and I don't trust anybody else." Deckard touched both of her shoulders to turn her towards him.

He expected her to be angry or sad, he even expected a punch to the face, like when she playfully hit him after a way too bad one liner on a mission. But she didn't do any of that.

No, she was crying. And if Deckard was bad at apologies, then he was even worse at comforting crying women - especially someone he genuinely cares about.

"Why didn't you tell me not to worry?" her voice was high pitched, the kind Deckard hadn't heard before. She never cried. He hadn't seen her cry.

He made her cry.

"Because I needed her to believe it."

It was a poor excuse. He knew it - she knew it.

Yet it was still better than not saying anything or him just saying a 'fuck you'.

"So you're okay? Not even a small cut?" she asked looking at his face, trying to find some scars.

"You know me, sweetheart." he smiled and she was the only one who has ever seen him smile. "And I know you too, so if you'll punch me please tell me so I can get ready."

She chuckled. "Because?"

"Because your punches are really fucking strong."

That was the kind of compliment Deckard Shaw gave her, the kind only she recieved and no one else. And she smiled at that too, even if her eyes were still teary and the pain and fear didn't fully go away.

"I don't want to punch you."

"Really?" he had a suspicion that she really wanted to.

"Really. I just got you back and you want me to hurt you straight away?"

"I'd let you and I'd deserve it too."

He really meant that, she thought as she examined his face, trying to find some dishonesty. She couldn't find any - but to her surprise, his eyes were soft. There was some softness in there, the kind no one's ever seen, because they didn't deserve to see it.

"No, just..." she wiped away the tears and pushed his hands off her shoulders as she leaned against the railing. "I just want you to promise me that you'll tell me- the next time, because in a job like ours there will be a next time for sure."

"Yeah, I promise."

She smiled softly, her wrath slowly disappearing and tiredness took its place. She looked tired.

"You know, we never really talk about it, but just so you know, you mean a lot to me." she said quietly, as if she's confessing something she's not ready for yet. "And I mean it. I really do. No joke or anything."

"I know." he really knew, and he also knew that not many people would do that for him. "And I'd kill for you."

"I know, you already did." she chuckled. "And not even once."

"They deserved it."

"In your eyes everyone deserves to die who looks at us the wrong way." she said remembering all the times Deckard decided to pull out a gun to shoot someone who was unfriendly. "Actually, I'm surprised Hobbs is still with us."

"I promised to fight him one day."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised about that at all." she looked at the others who sat around the table talking. "You'd win."

"I know I would."

"But he'd kick your ass too. He asked me if I want him to do that after the stunt you pulled. I said I'd think about it."

"And what do you think?"

"You'd deserve it, but I'm leaning towards a no."

Deckard laughed and so did she. It was good to laugh with him again.

They stayed quiet after that. She didn't know what else to say or rather how she should talk about the things she should definitely talk about. She thought of the last few hours and days, how Letty was there for her after Deck's fake death - and what they talked about. How she regretted not telling him the things she wanted to.

"I didn't mean it like that." she spoke up after a while. "When I said you mean a lot to me." she had his full attention, she knew it and felt it in his gaze. "I meant that I think about you as more than a friend."

She continued to look at her friends again, watched as they laughed and talked. Dom had his son in his arms and Roman and Tej were arguing again. She focused on every small detail instead of looking Deck in the eyes.

"I know what you meant sweetheart. That's what I meant when I said I'd kill for you." she had to look at him when his hand was on hers. "I just can't let them see me as a softie, can I?"

He was teasing her and he was grinning, and in that moment for her he was the most lovable, playful asshole in the whole world.

"You dick!" she shouted with a laugh as she hit his arm and she felt the others' eyes on herself. "You come back from the dead and you act like this? I should let Hobbs kick your ass. Being soft with me is the least you can do to apologize."

"I knew you wanted to hit me."

She hit him on the arm again - this time the both of them were grinning like idiots and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Of course I do. This is the worst love confession I've ever seen."

"But you wouldn't have me any other way."

"That's right, I wouldn't. I'd be way too bored without you in my life."

This time he caught her arm before it could land and his hold on her wrist was gentle. That hand could kill and punch - and he looked damn good when he did that -, but it would never ever hurt her. Not intentionally.

They both leaned in to kiss the other - and they most likely argued about who had the balls to initiate the first kiss later. It was a great kiss, a damn good one. The one what's full of passion and emotion, the one that made her stomach tighten.

"I love you, you idiot, but if you act like you're dead in front of me ever again I--" he kissed her again to shut her up.

"I love you too."

"So much for not being a softie." she giggled as she hugged him, hiding her face from everyone - because she was grinning like an idiot in love.

"You won't let this one go, will you?"

"Not at all." she answered. "By the way, just so you know, Dom wasn't the only one who called your mother."

"You did not call my mother."

"I didn't want to punch you, but she'll definitely scold you for me."

She smirked as she saw his expression. "You're one evil woman."

"But you wouldn't have me any other way." she quoted.

On the other side of the roof the table was set a long time ago and everyone was waiting for the two of them to join in so they can start to eat. Although watching the drama before eating wasn't too bad either.

"You know, as much as I dislike him, I'm happy she's happy." Ramsey said after the pair kissed.

"I was right man, I really didn't want to see that." it was Tej's turn to poke Roman, who only stared at Deckard and her in disbelief.

"I expected more drama." Rome said with clear disappointment in his voice. "And why is she in love with the guy? What does he have that I don't?"

"Why don't you go ahead and tell that to him yourself. I'm sure he'd happily answer you with a punch." Tej teased him with a grin. "Go ahead boss, ask him."

"I hate you all..."

[pedge-page]

I'm on a baby Sarah binge with Joel and Preggo Wife.

@millercontracting this ones for you!

- - - -

2 year old Sarah sitting in her car seat watching outside go by in Joel's truck when she spots something in the neighbors flower bed.

"DADDY!"

"Hmm?"

"Keekee!" She shouts excitedly, pointing out the window.

Joel looks around the street but would have no idea what a keekee would look like if it were right in frojt of his face.

"What's that baby?"

"Kee kee! I WAN keekee!"

"I... honey no 'keekee' now okay?" Hes gonna have to ask you what new definition shes concoted today. You're way better at deciphering and translating Sarah's botched verbiage than he is.

But Sarah starts tossing her legs up and down crying "KEEKEE! I WAN KEE KEE!" All the way home.

And even as he wrestles her squirming body out of the car seat and carries her by her ankles into the house, she's still crying KeeKee over and over again.

"WHAT is a KeeKee!" You shout, running over to carefully take Sarah from Joels inhuman manhandling and set her up right on her tiny feet. You wipe away her eyes as fat tears slide down her chubby red cheeks, boogers spilling down her nose.

"I dont know! She saw something and won't shut up!"

"I WAN KEEKEE!" she wails pointing to the door with slunch shoulders. She huffs each breath and cry as if she's hyperventilating.

"Sarah--"

"KEEKEE. MOMMY KEE KEE. KEE KEE. KEEKEEKEEKEEKEE--"

You take her hand and walk with her outside.

"Where are you going??" Joel shouts from the entryway.

"She could have dropped something! She's not gonna calm until we find out what--"

"Kee kee!" She shouts happily, tugging your arm to pull you towards the neighbors house.

Deanna waves over to you and a very excited Sarah. Your neighbor has one hand protectively slung under the chest of Ramsey, her sphinx cat that you and Joel had baby sat 2 summers ago.

"Hey! Ramses slipped out the front door and was prowling around the garden bed."

Sarah giggly laughs and points to Ramses naked little self.

"Good thing you caught him! Do you mind if Sarah pets him?" You ask hesitantly. She seems to be distracted by the cat, now happy and tugging on your arm incessantly.

Deanna sets down on her knee and shows Sarah how to gently pat Ramses with two fingers on the head.

The toddler crouches down in a squat, giggles excitedly and says "Kee Kee!" As Ramses purrs under her belly.

You and Joel look over at one another in realization and say in unison: "Kitty Kitty!"

-

Sarah looks up to you expectedly 10 seconds later. "Momma, kee kee?" She asks sweetly.

You feel your heart swell at such a brilliantly beautiful display of your young daughter taking passion in love and nature and animals, so gentle and kind and soft, full of heart and warmth, deserving that kind of companionship for herself--

"Absolutely not. Don't you dare," Joel snaps at YOU, knowing the face you were about to make as you turned to him to open your mouth and ask if you could get a KeeKee.

[jerzwriter]

I've decided that my 30-day challenge will likely take 60-70 days, but I'm OK with that as long as I'm still writing. 😊 Day 8's prompt from @creativepromptsforwriting's 30-Day Writing Challenge is - Write about finding a new hobby. @snoopdogcone sent a request asking me to do this for Tobias and Casey. Thanks, Mari, I had SO much fun with this!

Book: Open Heart (Post-series) Pairing: Tobias x Casey Carrick (F!MC) Featuring: Bryce Lahela, Jackie Varma, Sienna Trinh, Ethan Ramsey Rating: Teen Words: ~1,750 Summary: A dinner out with friends leads Tobias & Casey to realize they don't have any hobbies that can be discussed publicly, and they are determined to do something to change that.

30-Day Challenge Masterlist | Full Masterlist

It began innocently enough – dinner out with old friends. Casey had planned on meeting Bryce, Jackie, and Sienna at a trendy new waterfront spot, but when Tobias and Ethan decided to join in, it officially became a party!

The restaurant would have been wise to film this crew – seven smart, sassy, and attractive people laughing over drinks and shared appetizers, with no shortage of playful flirtation to boot. You can’t pay for advertising like that!

Just before the coffee arrived, they were discussing stress management when Bryce aired a grievance.

“I swear,” he said with dramatic flair, “if one more person tells me I need to relax and find a hobby, I might take up martial arts just to learn how to toss them over my shoulder.”

“You?” Jackie snorted. “Please. You’d be too busy staring at your reflection in the mirror to learn anything. And even if you managed to learn something, I’d still be able to kick your ass when you were done.”

Ethan's stony face cracked enough to almost produce a smile, “I’d pay good money to see that, Jackie.”

“Not happening,” Bryce smirked. “But, seriously. What’s the big deal about hobbies? Besides, I have hobbies. I surf...when I can. I rock climb. I mix cocktails. I...”

“Sleep with your therapist,” Jackie cut in.

“She’s not my therapist! She’s a psych masters candidate who enjoys psychoanalyzing me post-coitus.”

“Exactly,” Jackie proclaimed as laughter rippled around the table.

Trying to shift focus away from poor Bryce, Sienna chimed in. “Well, hobbies are good for you. Especially when you have high-stress careers like we do. I’d be lost if I didn't have my baking."

"Yeah," Tobias chuckled, patting his stomach. "So would we! And thanks to your hobby, I have one, too. Hitting the gym!"

"All right, but seriously," Sienna asked, turning her attention to Tobias and Casey. “You’re both so busy with work and Sammy – do you even have time for any hobbies?”

“Sure,” Casey shrugged. “We do lots of fun things together.”

“Yeah,” Tobias added, wrapping his arm around his wife. “Tons of things.”

“Really?” Bryce asked with an arched brow. “Name one that doesn’t involve sex.”

The table went silent. Casey wanted to retort - opening her mouth, then quickly closing it. Tobias didn’t even bother.

“Well?” Jackie snickered. “We’re waiting.”

It was embarrassing. It wasn’t that they didn’t do things together - they did. They took long walks and had their favorite shows. But actual hobbies?

Honestly, what they did in the bedroom—and the kitchen, the shower, the laundry room, on occasion, on the rooftop deck—essentially, anyplace in their home—yeah, that definitely took center stage.

By the time dessert arrived, the couple had been thoroughly roasted, and Casey was determined to change things. They barely made it through their front door before she kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the couch. “God, are we really that bad?”

Tobias slipped off his coat, a proud grin on his lips. “I wouldn’t say it’s bad. I’d just say we’re… efficient.”

“Efficient?” she echoed.

“Yeah. We optimize our limited free time for maximum mutual gratification.”

“Tobias,” she laughed. “You’re literally describing sex.”

“Exactly,” he said. “But I don’t see a problem here.”

Casey tugged him onto the coach. “It’s not a problem, Mr. Efficiency. But we should find a real hobby. You know, one we could discuss at public gatherings. One that doesn’t end in orgasms.”

“If you insist,” he said, pulling her close. “But just to be clear… we’re not banning orgasmic hobbies, correct?”

“God forbid!” She laughed. “But let’s come up with three things we’d like to try; something that can hold our attention while keeping our clothes on. Next time we see our friends, we can tell them we do have that in us.”

~~~~~

The first attempt came on Sunday morning. Casey had rearranged the furniture in the family room and turned on some soothing music. Tobias laid matching yoga mats out on the floor.

“Yoga was a great choice,” Casey stated. “It’s great for stress reduction and relaxation.”

Tobias plopped down on his mat, gazing suggestively at his wife. She took one look at him in his tight black T-shirt and grey sweatpants that left little to the imagination, and she forgot what they were supposed to be doing.

“It also helps increase flexibility,” he teased. “And you know how important that is to me.”

“Tobias! Focus!”

“All right! All right!” He laughed, promising to take things seriously.

And he did - for a while. There was deep breathing and bursts of laughter as they moved through different poses. But somewhere between the downward dog and the pigeon pose, Tobias let out a low, salacious groan - but it wasn't due to pain, but because Casey’s backside was aimed squarely in his line of sight.

“Baby,” he muttered, his voice dangerously low. “You’re right, yoga’s incredible. In fact, I think I’m having a spiritual awakening right now.”

Casey leaned lower, peeking at him through her legs. “Is your chakra talking dirty again?”

“Yep. It’s saying you look fucking hot in those leggings, and I should do something about it.”

“Tobias!” She laughed. “Focus!”

But even as she said it, she knew the battle was already lost. One playful swat on her backside, a shared giggle, and that was it. The mats were abandoned as they made a beeline for their bedroom, where all that newfound flexibility was pleasantly put to the test.  

~~~~~

A few nights later, they decided to try something else.

“This is perfect,” Tobias said, tying his Kiss the Cook apron behind his back. “We enjoy cooking together. We’re foodies. So, let’s take it to the next level. You’ll see. We’ll be leaving medicine behind to start our own restaurant within no time.”

Casey looked up from sifting flour with a grin. “Considering how the yoga experiment turned out, maybe hold off a bit before making such grand declarations.”

“What?” He grinned. “We can do anything we set our minds to, baby.”

“Yeah,” she signed. “But we usually end up doing each other.”

“Well, not tonight,” he laughed. “Come on. We’ve got this.”

They had picked a recipe together - dark chocolate molten lava cake with a ganache center and a berry compote. Tobias had even laid out the ingredients ahead of time, determined to keep them on task. At first, everything was going perfectly: measuring, stirring, folding… licking batter off each other’s fingers... that’s when things started to go south.

Tobias accidentally smeared melted chocolate on Casey’s cheek - and insisted on wiping it off… with his tongue. She retaliated by flicking cocoa powder at his shirt, which led to him dramatically peeling it off - inch by tantalizing inch. Things escalated quickly.

Before they had a chance to put the cake in the oven, Casey was sprawled across the counter, Tobias approaching with a wicked grin and a spatula loaded with icing in his hand.

“Oh, look at that,” he teased, dragging the spatula slowly down her leg. “Seems I got icing on your thigh.”

“You sure did,” she replied, breathless. “I’m going to have to insist you clean that up... sir.”

By the time they were finished, they did have a craving for something sweet—but that required delivery. Because despite all the heat in their kitchen tonight, there was no cake to show for it.

~~~~~

Their final attempt at finding a respectable hobby was Tobias’s idea. He’d always loved boating—it was calm, rhythmic, and meditative—but he hadn’t taken the boat out for a long time, and he missed it. Casey loved the idea; as anticipation built, she even bought them adorable nautical outfits for the occasion.

The weather cooperated —it was a perfect day. They spent the afternoon gliding across the harbor while Tobias taught Casey how to steer and read the depth finder. She picked it up faster than either of them expected. Everything was going great.

“We’re actually doing it,” she squealed. “Look at us! Enjoying a real, sex-free hobby.”

Tobias grinned at the wheel. “It only took three attempts and a ruined cake.”

“Hey, what happened after was well worth the loss of those ingredients,” she laughed.

They cruised peacefully for a little longer, the sun sparkling off the gentle waves, a light breeze brushing through Casey’s hair. Everything was going smoothly. Too smoothly.

Ten minutes later, Tobias was helping Casey navigate a narrow turn. He stood right behind her, his hand over hers on the throttle, his other hand resting gently on her hip.

“You’re a natural,” he murmured, his lips brushing her ear. “I’ve gotta admit... it’s kind of a turn-on.”

He didn’t need to say it – she could feel it pressed against her lower back. She swallowed hard.

“We said sex-free,” she reminded him, though her voice lacked conviction.

“We did,” he agreed, kissing her neck. “But it's not a law or anything. Come on,” he said enticingly. “We went most of the day without doing anything... that counts, right?”

A few more kisses and one lingering look were all that it took. The wheel was abandoned, and the boat anchored in a flash. They couldn’t stop laughing as they stumbled below deck – their nautical outfits tossed onto the floor, and sighs of pleasure filled the air as they gave in.

Afterward, they attempted to catch their breath. Glowing and with a gentle giggle, Casey curled into her husband. Her head rested on his chest. “Baby, we suck at this.”

“What?” He gasped. “We’re amazing at this.”

“Not at sex,” she chuckled. “Of course we’re great at that! But we were supposed to find a non-sexual hobby, and we failed miserably.”

“Oh, I’m going to have to disagree with you there, princess,” he smiled. “Hon, we did yoga. We cooked. We went boating, and I dare say we were damn good at all three.”

Casey lifted her head to look at him. “And yet, every single time…”

Tobias shrugged. “So we have a very enthusiastic way of expressing ourselves. We know how to celebrate. There’s no shame in that.”

Casey’s smile softened. “You’re insane.”

“Nope,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’m right.”

She sighed happily, her limbs tangled with his. “Maybe we don’t need a separate hobby. Maybe the whole point is we just love doing things together.”

“Exactly. And if one thing leads to another…”

“...and one thing always leads to another...”

“Then we’re just following our natural God-given gifts, babe.”

“Oh, yes,” Casey laughed. “And we are very gifted.”

“The most gifted,” he agreed. “Let people talk shit if they want. Honestly, I think they’re just jealous.”

“You know what,” she said as her lips met his again. “You’re absolutely right.”

His hands found her hips beneath the sheets, and she let out a breathy laugh as he rolled on top of her again. It wasn’t long before round two was well underway… and all that talk of hobbies? Yeah. They never brought that conversation up again.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @choicesapril2025

[liaromancewriter]

The Twins’ First Christmas Tree

Premise: Ethan and Cassie have their hands full getting ready for their first holiday as parents.

Book: Open Heart (post series) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 885

A/N: Submission to @choicesdecember2024 prompt 12 "decorations" and to @choicesholidays Winter Holidays 2024 event.

It was a postcard-perfect winter day. Light snow fell outside the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Boston Harbor. Weak rays of sunlight struggled to break through the brooding gray clouds drifting above chopping waters.

Flames from a gas fireplace flickered softly, casting a warm glow across the room, while Christmas music filled the air with joyful melodies. The ordinarily pristine living room was a cheerful chaos of garlands, stray ornaments and empty decoration boxes.

“Eloise, no!”

Ethan Ramsey rushed to grab a forgotten piece of sparkly tinsel from the floor before his daughter could put it in her mouth.

“This is not candy,” he said firmly, crouching before her and easing the string out of her hands.

Hard as it was, he reminded himself not to waver when her lips quivered, and tears pooled in her green eyes at being denied a treat.

Kids, like dogs, could sense weakness.

Not that he’d share such a sentiment out loud. He’d learned his lesson the first time a few months ago upon seeing his wife’s shock and exasperation at his matter-of-fact statement.

Ethan picked Eloise up from the floor, tucked her against his chest and joined the rest of his family at the newly decorated tree in the corner.

“We should’ve trimmed the tree during the twins’ nap time,” he told his wife.

“Maybe,” Cassie smiled softly. “But it’s their first Christmas tree, even if they won’t remember anything.”

She jostled Sophie in her arms, stopping her from pulling a shiny ornament off the tree.

“No,” Cassie said gently, shaking one finger for emphasis.

It had taken them twice as long to decorate the tree because the twins kept getting into the box of decorations and running off with ornaments.

Well, crawling more than running, thought Ethan. Even though the girls had taken their first steps a week ago, they were more likely to crawl than walk just yet.

Cassie had laughed at their antics while he had pinched the bridge of his nose so many times he feared it was permanently indented.

“Switch,” said Cassie when Sophie got restless and reached for her father.

Ethan passed Eloise to Cassie with practiced ease, then scooped Sophie into his arms. In one smooth motion, the four of them came together in a warm embrace, a brief moment of connection before they naturally drifted apart.

Sophie babbled excitedly and patted his cheek, looking over her shoulder at the tree and then back at him.

“I see,” Ethan nodded sagely. “Yes, the tree is very pretty.”

He adjusted her position so she was facing the tree, his arm holding her securely against his front.

“Just two more, and we’re done,” Cassie said, pulling Eloise back when she tried to snatch the garland off the tree.

She reached for the open box on the coffee table and removed two colorful ornaments in the shape of snow globes with ��Eloise’ and ‘Sophie’ written inside.

It was an early gift from their grandfather, and Ethan knew his father would appreciate seeing it on the tree.

“Here,” Cassie said, handing him Sophie’s ornament.

Ethan took Sophie’s hand in his, gently wrapping her tiny fingers around the ornament.

“Let’s hang this one together, Soph,” he said softly, guiding her toward a low branch on the tree.

Cassie held Eloise steady as the little girl’s chubby hand reached out to grasp her ornament.

“Eloise, this spot looks perfect for yours,” Cassie said, pointing to a sturdy branch beside her sister’s.

The twins cooed and babbled, their laughter spilling into the room as they clumsily helped their parents attach the ornaments to the tree. When both ornaments were finally in place, Cassie leaned back and admired the tree.

“Their first ornaments on the tree,” she said, her voice warm with pride and nostalgia. “Soon, they’ll be old enough to decorate their own Twin Tree.”

Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, still holding Sophie. “Dad’s going to love this.”

“Good job, babe,” Cassie teased, adjusting Eloise in her arms so the twins were side by side. “You’re practically a Christmas tree expert now.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Nice to know I have a marketable skill in case the bottom ever falls out of medicine.”

“You have many skills,” she smirked, her gaze dropping to the front of his pants.

Ethan knew their daughters were too young to understand, but that didn’t stop the blush from spreading across his face. Cassie laughed, enjoying his reaction.

She tilted her head to press a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw, her voice low as she murmured, “To be continued.”

The twins started to get restless again, and Ethan knew it wouldn’t be long before they made a grab for the decorations on the tree. Lately, he and Cassie had their hands full just trying to keep up with their ever-active children.

“Here. You do the honors,” he said, handing her the remote for the lights.

“Let’s light this baby up!” Cassie exclaimed, flicking the switch.

The twins let out a delighted “Oh!” in unison as the lights flickered to life, their wide eyes reflecting the colorful glow.

Ethan didn’t believe in perfection, but in this moment—with the soft glow of the fireplace and twinkling lights reflecting in the twins’ wide, curious eyes—he couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.

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

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @jerzwriter @justyourusualash @lady-calypso @kyra75 @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @snoopdogcone @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @thosehallowedhalls

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate

[spennsrs]

schlatt x reader that loves schlatt when he's put on a couple pounds :(( reader holding him from behind and just kissing his back when he doesn't have a shirt on in the kitchen or smth. "you're so beautiful, yknow that?" i have brainrot ‼️‼️ schlatt not believing reader so reader just has to keep praising schlatt every chance they get so they keep leaving little post it notes around the mirror about his body :(((((

(\ (\ („• ֊ •„) ━O━O━━━━━━━━━ ・:。YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ︳jschlatt x reader drabble ︳fluff ︳self indulgent bc i jst wanna tell schlatt how handsome he is :(( also MY BFFIE REQUESTING <3 /p + reader can cook rly well and they Feed our boy well

the house was quiet, the bedroom dark with drawn curtains. it was late at night... or maybe early in the morning?

schlatt didn't know, and frankly, he didn't care. he couldn't sleep. he didn't even know why he was up still.

it was probably silly. maybe it was the cause of his recent insomnia. there were great things about having a significant other who could outcook even the likes of gordan ramsey. well, at least schlatt thought so. said great things include being well fed and eating incredible food.

but there were also bad things. well, bad thing. he did let his walls down a little when he and [y/n] started dating, yet he wasn't one to voice his insecurities often. his main insecurity was the reason he was staring at the full-length mirror on the back of the door into the bedroom.

his weight.

schlatt stares at himself in the reflective object shirtless, careful to not break the silence the night brought to the shared bedroom. reflections were a weird thing, mirrors in general were weird. maybe vampires were on the right track with the no reflection thing. his hand rests on his stomach, pushing, poking gently... he wasn't necessarily angry or unjustly sad, just as much as he wasn't.. happy with how he looked. with a soft sigh, his hand falls to his side again and his gaze never breaks from the mirror. his eyes over examine every part of his body visible to his gaze, and oddly enough... that's when he spots it, on the corner of the mirror. was that... a sticky note? multiple? his hand reaches up to gently yank the papers down, reading the handwriting.

'you are so absolutely amazing' 'you're beautiful the way you are, inside and out' 'do you realize how incredibly handsome you are?' 'if you could see what i see, maybe you would understand why it is so easy to love you for who you are'

schlatt felt like he was going to cry. no had ever said such... gentle words to him, nor had words ever touched him like this did. he kept reading the words, then rereading... it was almost too good to be true. he knew he was way lucky in the significant other department, scoring someone as fantastic as [y/n] was a mystery he would never understand, and chose not to.

a warm pair of hands draw him from his train of thoughts, jumping a bit as his eyes are drawn to the mirror before him. schlatt could see the familiar arms of his lover wrapped around him, their left wrist adorned with the silver bracelet he had gotten them for their two year anniversary.

"did i wake you, sleepyhead?"

his voice is soft, and it's tinged ever so slightly with emotion as his hand comes up, gently caressing their arm. there's some movement against his back, and he deciphers its his lover shaking their head. that's good, at least he didn't disturb them.

"you're beautiful, jay." schlatt feels his heart constrict at those words. of course they knew. they had a way of reading schlatt like a book, often picking up on his turmoil on certain topics before he even knew himself. a small smile tugs at his lips as he pats their arm. no words came from him, none needed to. "no matter what you look like, what you sound like, or what you do, you will always be beautiful to me, and i'll always love you."

and maybe... just maybe... in that moment, schlatt could let himself believe it was true, because the love of his life said so. who was he to deny their words?

[dinoshimaaa]

Cabo

You and Ajax make dinner at nine PM together. (fluff, modern au)

masterpost - sher's bday

tag: @souglias

(this is a repost of an older work that didn't make it in tags lol)

-

You register the warmth around you when you open your eyes, finding it to be both familiar and expected. The man squished between you and the backrest of the couch is still fast asleep, soft snoring in your ears slowly falling into the same rhythm as your heartbeat. Romeo, the orange tabby (and the undoubted king of the household) stays curled up between you and Ajax, but his eyes blink periodically, having woken up just before you did.

The phone reveals the time to be six in the evening when you extend your arm to check it. Turning back towards Ajax, you lightly pat his chest, “Wake up. We need to prepare dinner soon.”

“Mmh,” his chest rumbles, and his hold around your waist tightens. “Not now.”

“I’m hungry.”

Ajax’s eyes open. He stares at you for a second. Then he smiles and closes his eyes again. “No, you’re not.”

“I’m not,” you sigh and it comes out as laughter.

“Go back to sleep,” he shifts his head down, nose pressing into your neck. “We have all the time in the world.”

“Romeo might be hungry, though.” As if to prove you wrong, the orange tabby jumps down from the couch and nonchalantly pads towards the bedroom, possibly to hop on your bed and mess up the sheets before bedtime. The two of you watch him as he does so, and once he is out of sight, you face each other again. “Or maybe not.”

“See? No one to worry about,” he hums and gently pulls your head beneath his cheek. “Stay.”

You obey. Sleep catches you in its grasp once again, and the next time you wake up it is past nine. Your stomach is definitely growling by then, and Romeo is also pawing at the couch, upset that he has yet to receive his feast (canned tuna) for the night.

Ajax reluctantly joins you in the kitchen minutes after you pull out of his slackened grip. Wordlessly, he grabs the chopping board, but stills when he sees the instant ramen cups in your hands.

“It’s late,” you answer to his disapproving glance, “I don’t know about you, Gordon Ramsey, but I’d rather settle for a quick meal tonight than a full course meal I have to wait an hour for.”

“It’s bad for your health,” he walks over and presses his lips to your hair, “I literally cook quality meals for you for free. Do you have any idea how much Kaeya pays me to do that for him?”

You shrug. “You can do that tomorrow. I’m hungry now.”

Ajax grumbles and places the cutting board back to where it was. Then, he takes the ramen cups from your hands and pours just-boiled water into them in your stead. When he’s done, he sits next to you on the kitchen island and the both of you stare at the ramen cups.

“Romeo hasn’t eaten,” you break the comfortable silence. “Get the tuna for him.”

“Let’s get married.” Ajax replies. You turn to him with a deadpan look.

“We’re already as domestic as we can be,” he smiles and tilts his head. “We sleep in the same bed and house, I cook and clean for you, and you repay me with kisses and cuddles. Getting married won’t make a difference.”

“Romeo still hasn’t eaten.”

“I’m being serious,” his voice drops to a whisper now, and his eyes drop to your left hand. You are very aware of the heavy gaze on the empty fourth finger. “There’s no one else I’d rather wake up from a nap at nine PM and cook bland instant ramen and neglect our hungry cat because we were too busy bickering in the kitchen over dinner choices… with.”

The fatigue has gotten up to him, you think. You blame his abrupt decision on the sleep-lidded eyes and tousled ginger hair and his unsound mind still filled with fantasies from his slumber. You want to scold him about how important of a decision marriage is and why he shouldn’t carelessly throw the word around like he’s suggesting a movie night. You want to smack him head from the back for joking around and getting your hopes high for a split second.

And yet Ajax is never one to make hasty decisions with zero thought. Shyly, his eyes flit up to meet yours and the sincerity in them makes your heart skip a beat.

“I’ll buy you a ring.” he nervously adds, which is uncharacteristic of him. “Soon. I’ll buy your dream dress, book your dream location, and give you your dream wedding. All you have to do is say yes.”

He doesn’t need to prove himself with material worths, and you want to let him know that. You love him just as much as he loves you and possibly way more. Shifting your hand to link with his and squeeze it, you watch the way his eyes soften.

Ajax caresses your left ring finger. You give him the answer he is waiting for.

“Feed Romeo the tuna,” you answer, with all honesty, “And I’ll say yes.”

Your orange tabby has never had a better dinner before today.

[daughterofevil158]

How do you think Damon would comfort each of his soulmates when they cry?

You put this socially and emotionally awkward man in front of someone crying and you can visibly see him blue-screening. honestly chances are higher of him getting one of the more emotionally open soulmates to help him, but we'll ignore that for the time being. giving a few different reasons for the crying to add variety since Damon's actual comforting would probably be awkward hugs/back pats all around

Starting with the people I can most easily imagine crying in front of Damon:

◊ Toshiko: Like I mentioned in the previous crying ask, being a kid put in a killing game would terrible. Girl is trying so hard to be brave, but Damon unintentionally ruins it by constantly reminding her to be cautious here and that she should be careful because of her being an easy target. He's saying it out of concern, but Toshiko starts wailing that she knows that, so stop rubbing it in. Congratulations on completing a big step in being an older sibling: accidentally making the younger one cry (gods save him if this is in public). He wouldn't necessarily go back on his words, but he means it when he says that he'll do his best not to let that happen, and any potential killer has to go thru him first. Which sets her off even more because she doesn't want him to die either, and as an Ultimate she can take care of herself. Definitely more of a self-soothing thing where Toshiko is hugging Damon until he can barely breathe and sobbing into his chest while he clumsily pats her back (definitely needs to wash his shirt when it's over, but he doesn't say anything about it).

◊ Diana: Much like Damon himself, I see Diana as the type to put a brave face in front of the others then break down once she's alone. She gets caught by Damon at some point and he is desperately trying but unable to say things the way she does. It's another situation where the effort put into the comforting helps more than the comfort itself. She is once again hugging him for support but this time he returns it sooner.

◊ Kai: definitely also because of fears of dying, but Damon isn't as gentle about it as he is with the above at first (insert that "Gordon Ramsey with children vs. with adults" meme). Imagining it happening shorter after rooming up and finding out they're soulmates, so Kai is also upset that his soulmate hates him. Damon is forced to "begrudgingly" admit that, no, he doesn't hate Kai, he just thinks he's annoying and clingy. If he really hated Kai he wouldn't have helped with the ring. Is also one who clings onto Damon while crying, tho not as snotty. Kai feels like he'd be tired after a good cry, so Damon's stuck like that for the rest of the night.

◊ Eva: absolutely putting her reason as being the confrontation about her murder plan. She tries to remain calm while explaining her reasoning, but Damon would be more vocal that he trusted Eva because soulmates should be able to do that (i'm realizing i say that a lot in these posts lol) and that breaks her. She never had any friends before this, and the first one she made (her soulmate at that), she abused his trust while knowing he'd die if her plan succeeded (that, along with the deaths of the people who were trying to befriend her, would've definitely been something she refused to acknowledge until it happened). Definitely another situation where the comforter starts crying even harder than the one initially crying. (Imagine these two 18 year olds violently sobbing into each other while hugging, only held up by the other person. And Wolfgang is just standing there)

◊ Mark: definitely the one who ignores the building up stress until it bursts. Damon can hear him trying to make a new track, but he keeps pausing and restarting before stopping without finishing it, so he goes to check on him. Finds him curled up on his chair with his head in his arms, quietly crying. (I'm just theorizing here, but I'm convinced that them having similar features in gonna be important at some point in canon.) But because Mark looks so similar to how Damon did a few years back, he is simultaneously gentler and more uncomfortable about this (tho he has the awareness not to show that). Damon moves him to his bed so he won't end up falling off the chair, tries to get up to get some tissues or water or something, and gets firsthand experience on a gator's death grip. Bro's not letting go until he's done, so Damon just has to accept it. Thinking that Mark is also a quiet crier who lets out a stuffy and awkward "Thanks..." when he finally lets Damon go.

◊ Wolfgang: Why is he so far up compared to the rest? Because Damon almost getting 360 no scoped is now canon to the AU. This would be the second time that Damon got hurt because of him (the first being with isolating him at the start). And considering everything we know about the Akire's, there's already some self-loathing and guilty feelings that are exacerbated by this. He's there the moment Damon awakens and is apologizing profusely for putting him in danger, running his hands through his hair and visibly trying not to breakdown then and there. Damon does not help with his quip of "I'm the one who got shot, why are you so upset?" It wouldn't be as visceral as his in-game moment of crying, but Wolfgang is definitely not a pretty crier. Since he's normally so composed, I see him as the type that hyperventilates and goes into gasping choked sobs pretty quickly. He's holding back from hugging Damon to avoid worsening his injuries, but Damon makes the effort to sit up and clumsily wrap his arms around Wolfie.

◊ Ulysses: Also one who's crying either out of stress or from being relieved that Damon's alright. Doesn't even realize that he's crying at first, just that he can't see as well and his journal's getting wet spots. Damon points it out and gets a quiet "Oh..." in response. Another quiet crier, sobs are almost as quiet as his normal breaths. It's a coin toss on whether he conks out as soon as he's done or is desperately in need of a coffee afterwards (tho the former is more likely).

◊Cassidy: Girl is Totally Fine™ and there's nothing wrong with her. Stop looking at her imitation arts, stop it. She's not breaking down easily unless the walls are deliberately chipped at, but if Damon did catch her crying he'd be taken aback because. She's the cheerful gamer gal who always has a funny quip in mind. Another one who'd initiate the hug and not let go, and is probably just as messy a crier as Toshiko.

◊ Jett: More easily cries than Cassidy, but is lower than her on account of his helmet and surprisingly being a fairly quiet crier (more of a shaker than a sobber). Imagining his reason being guilt from their shared pain soulmark because Damon's never actually blamed him for any of it despite Jett definitely getting major injuries even before the big crash (like, just imagine all the ways drag racers can get hurt and Jett's probably gone thru all of them at least once). Jett feels shitty enough about it without the bonus that his soulmate also felt every moment of agony, thank you very much. Damon's attempts at comfort almost make it worse because, in Jett's eyes, he should be pissed at Jett for putting him through that. But Damon's initiating the hug despite everything, and Jett eventually returns it after some hesitance.

◊ Desmond: Trickiest to imagine of the bunch, but I decided he's also crying because of Damon getting hurt. But it's more tears of frustration than actual crying?? Based on his blackmail, I'm giving him a protection complex, if that makes sense. So upset that he wasn't there for Damon because even though he didn't die, he could've, and that's all Desmond can think about. Dude's great at comforting but not as great at being comforted. He'll be okay, he just needs some time to process what happened (he is Not Okay). Damon eventually has to claim that he's the one that needs a hug to finally get Desmond to accept one.

[tkachuktkaching]

Some of the Matthew Quotes from his recent Interview

Fresh off eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk joined The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN to talk all things puck on Wednesday.

Still in amazement of Tkachuk’s toughness to play with a broken sternum during last year’s Stanley Cup Final, McAfee and his energetic band of co-hosts started the show talking about playing through pain.

“In the Stanley Cup Playoffs all bets are off and you do whatever you can to play,”

“He was fired up to see us beat Tampa the other day,” (talking of his dad)

“Growing up having him as a voice, as a role model, my brother and I were not forced to play hockey, but we had everything around us to help us grow into it and love the game. We had him around every day to ask about anything, help coach us, teach us, but I’d say the biggest thing that allowed my brother and I to make it to this level was each other. Having that unbelievably close relationship, being each other’s best friends, biggest supporters, and competitors as well.”

“One thing that I’m super grateful that my parents did, and my mom deserves so much credit because she was mainly the one getting up at 5 a.m. to take us to the 6 a.m. practices while my dad was on the road, was that we were never allowed to play hockey 24/7, 365 days like some of these kids do now,” said Tkachuk. “My parents were all about playing every sport you can. I think that’s what allowed me to not get burnt out and my love for the game kept growing and growing more.”

“Don’t touch Bob and there won’t be any problems,” When asked about Tampa Bay and the two goalie interference calls against the Lightning in Game 5.

“We are really excited to get a few days of rest and get rejuvenated, but it’s the playoffs and you just want to be out there playing,”

“Some of the best parts of playoffs are just hanging out with the boys in the lounges on the road and watching other games throughout the league.”

With three first-round matchups still ongoing, Tkachuk spoke on how hard it is to close things out.

“The fourth game in a playoff series is always the hardest to win because no matter what you are in the series, the other team is so desperate playing for their lives you have to find a way to match that or exceed that,” said Tkachuk.

Something that can help with closing out a series is playing in front of a home crowd.

“It’s a tough question because last year in playoffs are team was lights out on the road and it didn’t matter where we played,”

“When playing in Florida, we have such great fans and the building is so loud, I think home ice is important for us, having the extra potential game seven at home, you always want to have that at home. I think our fans are so loud and we’ve made this rink here in Florida a tough place to play, so I think home ice is important for our team, it’s an extra layer you can add to the series. I think we have great fans, so it’s important for us.”

Among the recent sellout crowds at Amerant Bank Arena, Miami Dolphins Jalen Ramsey and Jaylen Waddle have come out to support and hype up the crowd with the banging of the pre-game drum.

Knowing Waddle was there, Tkachuk told the show he was planning on a big goal celebration in salute of the fellow local superstar.

“If I scored I was going to do the ‘Waddle’ because he was there,” said Tkachuk. “He’s my favorite football player.”

While it didn’t happen that game, McAfee called for Tkachuk to bring in the dance celebration next time he lights the lamp.

[neuroticbookworm]

Parenting in Step by Step, a defense

I saw a bunch of posts about how Pat is immature and has poor communication skills, and citing his parents' divorce as one of the potential reasons.

*baffled* W H A T.

I don't have the time or energy to rant about the "poor communication skills" read, so all I'm gonna say is that Pat was busy holding his mushed up braincells together for the majority of this episode and direct your attention to @shortpplfedup's crisp and hilarious Ten Movements that perfectly summed up Pat's emotional journey. Cut him some slack, for fuck's sake.

Now, onto Pat's parents and their relationship with him and each other. I want to highlight the writing and dialogue in their scenes, because it hurts my heart to see not a lot of people talking about them.

When we first meet them, both Pat's Mom and Dad express concern about his eating habits, but the parent-child dynamics in these conversations were very different. Pat's mom says it's not good for him to eat ramen for breakfast, but she quickly accepts Pat's excuse and goes back to doting on him. When she brings up Jeng, and Pat complains that she is nagging and changes the subject, she lets him.

When Dad comes into town a few *undisclosed unit of time* later, he basically asks the same question as Mom, but this time, Pat is a little elaborate with his excuse explanation.

But Dad doesn't let him get away with his bullshit. He offers up a few solutions and wants to work on them with Pat.

After he's sure that Pat knows the need to change his food habits, he then adds levity to the conversation, and goofs around with his son. (I will forever adore the Asian Gordon Ramsey moment, more father-son wholesomeness in Asian media, please and thank you)

(did y'all notice how both Pat's Mom and Dad call him adorable with very different energies? did ya? okay, good)

Now, when the time came for Pat to let go of all his frustrations and break down in front of his parents, I was worried that the show would lean a bit too hard on the parental roles, the good cop/bad cop gambit. But no, it surprised me. It sure started out that way, with Pat offering up an empty excuse to Mom's question.

Which is immediately followed by this look:

(more on this later, I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about this)

When Dad follows up with this statement, Pat's defenses begin to crumble.

He opens up about how he feels overwhelmed and disconnected with himself, and Dad responds with this:

He brings the realities of adulthood to the forefront, reassuring him that he has also been there before and that Pat will learn to manage it. Still in line with the roles the show had previously drawn up for them. When Pat continues, Mom moves to Pat's side as soon as they realise that Pat's problems include heartbreak ("Everywhere I go, it's filled with memories") and she hits him with this:

Oooooof. That's a hell of a line. Accurate? yes. Comforting? Fuck no.

That's when Dad moves to Pat's side, and tries to soothe him. The roles are flipped.

Pat then says that maybe it would've been better, if they had stayed with him all the time. Now, this can mean two different things: I wish I didn't grow up so I could've stayed with you and life would've been so much simpler; I wish you guys did not get divorced and we could've all stayed together. Mom chooses to address the first part. She says that even if they stayed together, no one could stay with him all the time.

Dad, then acknowledges the separation and they tell him, TOGETHER, that they will always be his parents, and they never stopped loving him. And that they don't hate each other.

The TEAMWORK here, between Pat's mom and dad is executed SO WELL. They love their son, and want to comfort and reassure him, and they do it together. They don't do the "one of us do the talking and the other one hmms in the background" bullshit. They both understand his pain and give him their individual and collective opinions. They are in sync with each other's thoughts, and it shows. Remember the look between them at the beginning of this scene?

This speaks VOLUMES. They know something is weighing on him and they can't let him excuse his way out of this conversation. They look at each other, a non-verbal "let's do this", and start talking to Pat.

Being in love with each other and being good parents are not strictly inclusive. The show did not leave this unsaid, either. They show us, how two people can move on and still remain in each others' lives as someone to lean on. Someone who will always know you better than most people in this world.

How some people saw this amazing back-and-forth and thought "yeah, they're incompatible, and they traumatized their son, and he now has communication issues", I'll never understand.

TL;DR:

Stop demonizing divorce and calling it the root of all childhood trauma

SBS writers are doing some things EXCEPTIONALLY WELL, and they deserve credit for it

[strawbeaniie]

Prompt ask : Angst with Zora Salazar ?

Bellamie and Zora's dynamic isn't one that i explore very often, so thank you for the chance to do so :D!

here are the list of prompts if anyone is interested in sending me a prompt or rebloging it onto their own blog :3

❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄ 🍓 ┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀

"Wasn't expecting a goody two shoes to be out past bedtime," The ebony haired woman sneers, tilting her hat upwards meeting Bellamie's hardened gaze.

"I'd like to make this interaction as quick as possible," Bellamie remarks firmly, fists clenched which only makes Zora laugh.

"Awh, I don't bite, 'specially not something that's been in close proximity of Ramsey," She states matter of factly, wrinkling her nose at the thought.

"Just wanted to talk to ya! All buddy like you know?" Zora pats Bellamie's back making the shorter man flinch.

"Just get to the point Salazar," Bellamie presses, eyebrows furrowing together as he chews on his lip.

"I've gotta little proposal for you!" Zora clasps her hands together, her grin widening, "I'll give ya Lucia in exchange for Ramsey! Easy deal, open and shut!"

"No."

"Why not? " Zora demands poking a finger at the man's collar bone. "He threw you away, don'tcha want to do the same?"

"Not under your terms," Bellamie huffs out, crossing his arms. "Besides, I can't spend my whole life being bitter."