#plan b 2009

[auseyre]

Pride Month -Plan B-2009

Plan B was Marco Berger's first film and it's slow and meditative and “arty”.

It's also a wacky kinda Romcom, with one lead -Pablo who is a cinnamon roll, and one lead -Bruno who is half himbo/half fuckboy. They are one of those couples where you thank god they’re fictional so you can love them unabashedly because IRL it would be a disaster.

Bruno dumps his girlfriend out of boredom and then when she finds someone else, he immediately wants her back. While she is willing to still bang him occasionally for fun, she won't dump her new guy for him. His solution? Woo her boyfriend and win him away from her, so she'll be free to come back to him. It goes exactly as planned and entirely off the rails at the same time.

It's chock full of the tropiest tropes, including but not limited to -Mistaken identity, only for the girl(supposedly the reason they kiss the first two times, even stated.) Only one bed. Friends to lovers. One-sided rivalry/rivals to lovers. Practice kissing. Disaster-bi, dual bi-awakenings, greek chorus best friend, implied love at first sight, etc...

CW -Infidelity(not in the MC relationship once they are actually together). Prodigious use of the f-word. So, so much, including once to encourage the leads to kiss.

[bikefuckersoftheworldunite]

this has like truly the most fanfic levels of plot and it was made in argentina in 2009 on like 5$ budget babeyyyy

also the actual plot of the movie is more bonkers than the summary implies afdggjkk

[theshehulkproject]

I sure watched a movie this weekend

[batshit-auspol]

have we talked about the woolworths debacle yet?

Sigh.

Alright kids strap in, because the culture wars are back and stupider than ever.

So there are two characters you need to be familiar with in this story before we continue:

Woolies (i.e. Woolworths) - One of two supermarket chains in Australia. Not related to the giant Woolworths chain that used to exist overseas, other than the Aussie one swiped the name because the original forgot to trademark the name 'Woolworths' here. Biggest company in Aus, and also the biggest employer. Not a brand anyone with more than two braincells would pick a fight with.

Peter Dutton - Man with less than two braincells, and current leader of the political opposition in Australia. Best known for bearing a passing resemblance to a potato and once demanding that a homophobic song get played for balance when a football halftime show performed 'Same Love'. His reputation is so bad that if you told an Australian that Dutton's favorite pastime was drowning puppies, they probably would believe you.

And to prove our point, here's the best headline a friendly newspaper could come up with to try spin his image:

The third thing you need to know is that in Australia we have a national holiday called "Australia Day" which is basically a scheduled day for everyone to get into a giant argument.

This is because for the last 30ish years it has been held on the anniversary of the British claiming the land around Sydney as a colony which was:

a) More the founding of an English prison then the founding of Australia, and more importantly

b) from the perspective of the people who were already living here, kindof a very shit day

Now not everyone agrees on this, and even those that don't 'celebrate' will often still have a get together with friends, but it can't be denied that we've shifted a long way from the days when the country used to celebrate Australia Day by kitting ourselves out in Aussie flag budgie smugglers, drinking enough beer to drown Harold Holt, and partying like it's 1789.

(Now a brief break for a real photo of Peter Dutton at a press conference)

Good luck sleeping tonight. Anyway back to the story.

As a result of this shift away from the trend of showing your patriotism by wearing Australian flag underpants, this year Woolworths decided that they were no longer going to be rolling out their box of southern cross thongs - on the grounds that "this kitschy shit never sells" and they are far too busy with more important things like blaming price gouging on inflation and installing self-checkout machines that think your canvas bag is a crime against humanity.

Never a man to miss an opportunity to act like a massive twat, upon hearing that Woolies had dumped their flag merch, Peter Dutton rushed onto the airwaves to declare that Woolworths had "gone woke" (paging 4chan circa 2009) and called for the country to boycott the store, a story which Australia's media have gleefully put on loudhale for over a week now in order to drive outrage clicks.

We at this point remind you that Woolworths is a company which, as we previously mentioned, basically has a monopoly on selling food in this country. Not exactly something you can boycott.

(Another real Dutton photo break)

Needless to say Dutton's dumbass plan did not immediately put Woolies out of business, however the relentless media campaign by Rupert Murdoch's minions did result in a bunch of innocent low-wage floor staff being harrassed by The Dark Lord's fanboys and a few Woolies stores were graffitied.

Allegedly being the 'free market' guy, Dutton also kindof snookered himself by demanding the free market not decide the fate of Australia day, but logic was never one of his strong suits.

Anyway, in the end we're just going to keep having this dumb circular argument every year, fulled by a media who love fanning the flames, until a politician has the guts to shift the date to May 8 (pronounced m8), and everyone promptly forgets this was ever a thing.

All in all, that's the long and the short of it. As a final touch we'll leave you with this real tweet by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, in all its batshit glory.

We look forward to the absolute dumpster fire of comments this post is going to generate - as is the Australia Day tradition.

[gnomewithalaptop]

Y'know, it's so funny to me when people make out like Tim Drake would keep files on how to take down his friends when Tim has explicitly said he disagrees with Batman on this:

[Young Justice (1998) #36]

Like, yes, during his Red Robin tenure he does make a Hit List full of contingency plans for known heroes. But if you go and read that, you'll notice that, while the Justice League and Damian may be on there, Tim's own friends are decidedly absent:

[Red Robin (2009) #14]

In fact, a lot of these heroes are people that have either (a) attacked Tim specifically, (b) have a track record that includes turning evil/getting mind controlled, or (c) are on the JLA (meaning Batman probably already had those files compiled and Tim just stole them).

So yeah: Tim's not down with contingency-planning for his friends. You know which one of the YJ crew DID agree with Batman though? My favorite blorbina Anita Fite, aka Empress:

[Young Justice (1998) #36]

But yeah, this contrast is honestly fascinating to me. Because while both Anita and Tim have been shown to be incredibly loyal individuals, this exchange really highlights the fact that, between the two of them, Anita is far more likely to engage in this kind of pragmatism when she thinks it's necessary to get the job done

The whole Our Worlds at War arc actually does a really good job of illustrating how both of them react to betrayal from within. It's not just the Batman Files conflict either -- I'm thinking specifically about the hallucination-based torture Granny Goodness put them through, which showed them their worst fears. Most of the team ended up having to watch their loved ones die, but what's super interesting to me is that we really only see Anita and Tim hallucinate that their loved ones blame them for their deaths:

[Young Justice (1998) #37]

Like. It's not the same as a teammate turning evil at all. But it does give us a good idea of how they'd both react when faced with a friend or teammate doing harmful things, albeit on a smaller scale. Because where Tim kind of just accepts Superboy yelling at him and moves straight into bargaining for Kon's life, Anita actually flips the script, gets angry, and defends herself against her father:

[Young Justice (1998) #37]

(she actually gets so righteously pissed off that she manages to break out of the VR simulation Granny Goodness had her trapped in, but that's another point)

But yeah, it's super interesting, because by this point, both Anita and Tim have been set up to be very similar characters. They both can be a little bit obsessive, they both have some issues with boundaries and stalking (Tim with Nightwing and Batman, Anita with Cissie), and of the team, they're both portrayed as the "normal" members (Anita does technically have mind control powers but she barely ever uses them, and in a fight, she's basically just a very good, human-level fighter)

But at the end of the day, though Batman forces Robin to put on a cool front of objectivity, Tim (at least in his pre-grief-spiral era) ultimately wants to see the best in his team. When the people he cares about screw up, he wants to give them second chances. And when that trust gets broken, his first instinct is to try to use diplomacy, or, failing that, simply remove himself from the situation (as we see at the end of the Our Worlds at War arc when he quits the team)

Anita, on the other hand, while still incredibly loyal, does not hand out that loyalty unconditionally. We see this when she tries to keep her identity secret from the YJ squad, we see it when she gets pissed in Granny Goodness's hallucination when her father blames her for her mother's death, and we see it when she later blames Secret for her perceived role in Anita's father's death

Anita also happens to sit right smack dab in the middle of the YJ morality scale; while she's generally pretty chill and willing to abide by typical superhero codes of ethics (unlike Slobo and Secret), she's also been shown to bend those rules when she believes it's necessary (as seen here when she tortures and threatens to kill a man for trying to hurt Cissie). Ultimately, what this means is, between Tim and Anita, it's honestly Anita who'd probably be the most willing to put her personal qualms aside, buckle down, and go against her loved ones if it was the only reasonable option

Anyway. This is a really long-winded way of saying I think Gun Batman's biggest nemesis should be Empress

[hyperfixatinator]

Where is the line?

In the comics, Tim Drake's moral code is an enigma to me, particularly his stance on the Batclan's no-kill rule. For all the fans who say he's always one step away from full blown villainy, there are even more saying he's a strict goody two-shoes who could never stoop that low.

Then there's the different takes on where Tim draws the line between these two extremes. Personally, I find that line hard to pinpoint. Digging for canon demonstrations of his morals has lead me to more questions than answers. My biggest question right now is:

What counts as breaking the no-kill rule in Tim's eyes?

Luckily, the Robins 2021 comics shed some light on this. In issue #3, "Tim", or rather an imposter of him, said that choosing not to save someone isn't the same as killing them, and that letting a villain die can be a way to get justice. Normally, this point would be moot since it's not Tim himself who said it. However, at the end of issue #6, the real Tim clarified that what the imposter said WAS his real opinion on the matter.

Not only that, but Tim has shown this belief through his thoughts and actions before. Twice.

The first time goes all the way back to Robin 1991 #5. During the fight against King Snake, Tim kicked him through a nearby window, fifty stories above the ground. As King Snake's life hung in the balance, Shiva appeared and commanded Tim to kill him.

Tim refused. He walked away, leaving King Snake entirely at Shiva's mercy.

What gets me is that Tim made no move to save King Snake from falling. And he made no effort to stop Shiva from committing the murder, either. His only thought as he heard the man's scream was "Fifty stories is a long way to fall."

The second time was in Red Robin 2009 #26. Tim orchestrated a whole plan to manipulate Captain Boomerang into getting killed by Mr. Freeze. The whole time, Tim blamed Captain Boomerang for making all those bad choices, despite Tim being the one raising the chances of them being made. Tim believed he was innocent because he wasn't directly participating.

Tim then stopped that plan, but not for any noble reason. He decided that he couldn't let anyone else kill Captain Boomerang but himself.

Tim couldn't bring himself to do that, either. So he had to spare his father's killer in the end.

This seems pretty cut and dry so far, right? Tim believing that letting villains die is alright as long he doesn't do the deed himself? I'd think so too, if there weren't other moments contradicting this.

In Robin #35, Steph insisted on leaving an enemy who got buried under the snow to die. Tim chastised her for it.

Neither of them were responsible for the snow, or for the enemy getting trapped in it. Plus, that guy tried to kill them with a chainsaw moments prior, so he's not exactly an innocent damsel in distress.

Maybe it was because this enemy wasn't a big enough fish to fry. We didn't really get confirmation that this guy has actually killed before, and he's around goon status at best.

But then in Robin #46, Tim chose to save another enemy who got himself into a deadly situation. That enemy was a murderer known as Young El. This time, Tim wasn't telling anyone else why they should save a murderer's life out loud. These were his private thoughts.

Notice how Tim's inner monologue sounded kind of on-the-fence. He contemplated justice finally catching up with Young El as the floorboards gave way, bringing a support beam down on him in the process.

However, Tim immediately switched gears to rescue Young El from under that beam before the water rose too high.

But Tim, as he told Young El the reasons he's saving him, asked himself "Do I even believe what I'm saying?" He could be asking this about two different things he said here. A) "Maybe it's not too late for you to learn something, Young El.", or B) "Death's easier for you when it's the other guy. Death's never been easy for me."

For Tim to doubt his belief in either of these statements is very interesting. He could be questioning if Young El is already too far gone for redemption, or he could be questioning if seeing someone die has never been easy for himself. For all we know, it could be both.

Unfortunately, Tim never got to see if his choice to save him would pay off. Tim wasn't strong enough to lift that beam, and Young El drowned.

There's a question on my mind as I read these pages. What makes this murderer's death different from when Tim let King Snake fall to his "death"? Sure, King Snake didn't actually die, but Tim didn't know that until later when the man came looking for revenge in Gotham.

Tim was once able to simply walk away from what he was certain would be a killer's demise. But then he's consumed by guilt over not being able to prevent a different killer's death down the line, to the point of hallucinating.

On top of that, what changed Tim's mind later? Red Robin #26 and Robins 2021 #3-6 still happened in the future. The only significant difference I can tell is that these two comics involved the killer's of Tim's parents, making it personal. But if the Imposter from Robins 2021 got his beliefs from his profile before his mother's killer got involved, then does that still hold up?

Maybe we should put a pin on it for now. There are other things Tim's done that brings the details of his no-kill rule into question.

Such as that one time Tim actually killed someone with his bare hands.

In Robin issues #51-52, Tim accidentally killed Lady Shiva while drugged on amarilla, a plant that enhances the user's speed beyond human limitations.

It may be argued if the amarilla altered Tim's mind enough to excuse him of fault or not. However, I want to focus on what happened after Shiva was revived. Here's another question to go with the first one:

Does Tim believe the kill still counts if the victim was revived afterwards?

From what I've gathered, yes and no. It's kind of complicated.

After Tim killed Shiva, he was understandably distressed about it, about how he can never take it back.

But after Shiva came back to life? Nothing. He didn't dwell on the fact he broke the vow to never kill. For something that devastating to happen in his life, it's odd that Tim didn't bring it up ever again, privately or otherwise. Especially considering what happened later in Robin #123, when Tim thought he killed Johnny Warlock.

Tim was utterly inconsolable. He lost all faith in his abilities as Robin, and in himself as a whole. It also contributed to his decision to quit being Robin after his dad found out. In general, he seriously dwelled on that "kill" for a much longer time than he had after killing Shiva. The difference being that he knew Shiva was resuscitated immediately afterwards, while Tim didn't know Johnny survived until issue #141.

But there's the fact that Shiva really did die. Her heart and breathing both stopped. So are we to believe Tim moved on from that so easily because she's alive now? What happened to never getting that back?

Come to think of it, not long after Tim killed and revived Shiva, there was someone else who landed in that same boat. Dick.

In Joker: The Last Laugh #6, Dick brutally attacked the Joker after believing he killed Tim. Dick ended up accidentally killing Joker instead, before the clown was resuscitated.

Here's the thing. While Tim was trying to comfort Dick, saying that it's ok because Joker's alive now, Dick didn't believe so. He was still distraught that he killed someone. The fact Joker came back to life afterwards didn't matter to him. To Dick, it still counted. So what does that say about Tim?

Before we move on, there's another person Tim knows who also died and came back from the grave. Jason.

Tim openly acknowledged Jason was killed before coming back, too. Multiple times. For example, when they met up in Red Hood and the Outlaws 2011 #8.

Tim hadn't shown any signs that he thinks Jason's murder doesn't count anywhere, except for maybe once.

In Knight Terrors: Robin #2, Tim and Jason had a heart-to-heart, and Tim said something strange.

"You survived."

Except Jason didn't survive. He died. To say Jason survived that night would've meant he never died to begin with. Him being alive now doesn't change that. Was this Tim telling a white lie to make Jason feel better? Or does Tim see being revived after death as "surviving"?

Ok, now we can move onto the next question. Or rather, bear with me as we go back to the first question. It's a broad topic with plenty more to talk about.

What does Tim count as breaking the no-kill rule?

We already asked how Tim feels about bringing villains back from the dead after killing them. And we asked how Tim feels about leaving a villain to die without getting directly involved. However, we still don't know how much involvement Tim needs to have in an enemy's death before he'll take responsibility for it.

We can confirm he won't mercy kill in Red Robin #21, even if it means giving someone a fate worse than death. No exceptions.

Tim also doesn't allow anyone he's actively teaming up with to kill, especially if he's the one in command. He's been amicable with known killers before (Huntress and Pru, for example), but only when they remain non-lethal while working alongside him.

Apart from that, though, it becomes less clear. However, I think this is a good place to expand on when Tim blew up a lot of League of Assassins bases in Red Robin #8.

I'm not going into whether or not those explosions actually killed anyone. I've seen evidence supporting both sides of this debate, so I'm just going to say it's up to interpretation. What I AM talking about is whether or not Tim would've felt responsible if they had killed someone.

Before overloading every generator in the LOA database, Tim gave a warning to the Wanderer. He told her that he couldn't be held responsible for what would happen to her if she didn't leave.

After initiating the explosions, Tim warned the White Ghost that they had fifteen seconds to leave before it was too late.

Fifteen seconds. That explanation on the mistake of letting him in might've taken roughly another fifteen to twenty seconds. Did the other bases even get a full minute head start? The way some of the people were already running away could imply they at least got a warning, but it's possible they might not have.

Even if everyone in every base received a warning, would that be enough for Tim to avoid holding himself accountable if they didn't make it out in time? Tim's the one who rigged the bases to explode, but I guess giving someone a warning means it's now their fault for not heeding it?

We can't be sure he even considered the possibility of those explosions killing anyone. Tim knew they were dangerous enough to bring the whole Cradle down, and the other ones we saw looked pretty powerful (except the ones in Ra's hideout). But Tim also called Ra's a murderer right after that happened, which would've been very hypocritical if Tim himself thought he committed murder.

So, my guess is either A) Tim relied on sheer luck for those explosions not causing any casualties and chose to believe they hadn't, or B) Tim didn't believe the deaths of anyone caught in them would be his fault.

Again, this isn't about whether or not blowing up the LOA bases killed anyone. It's about how willing Tim was to take that risk, and if he would've blamed himself for anyone getting killed from it.

Either way, it's canon that Tim had no guilt for the explosions he caused, or for anything he did before Red Robin #22. Just ask the Sword of Sin.

This is an exerpt I got from the Fandom DC Database on the Sword of Sin:

"The Sword of Sin can be ignited with the mind of the wielder, if the person is powerful enough. The sword has the ability to conjure in the mind its victims all of the sins for which they are guilty or have not atoned for."

When Tim was stabbed with this sword, he was immune. The Sword of Sin decided he was innocent. Although, I have to ask how reliable this sword was in making that judgement. If the sword is judging others based on its own set principles, then something's not right here.

The Sword of Sin was also used on Dick, and he wasn't immune. It dug into Dicks subconscious and unearthed memories he'd long since repressed. Memories of himself watching a boy get beaten to near death, and then doing nothing. He just walked away.

Now, tell me why the sword brought this to light, but not the time Tim left King Snake to die!

It wasn't an accident. Tim deliberately chose to leave instead of trying to save this man from the murderous Lady Shiva. Sure, Tim was no match for Shiva and he might've not been able to stop her, but the same could be said for an eight year old Dick not stopping a group of much older kids. Neither of them tried to stop the attackers.

Tim didn't atone for it, either. When King Snake returned in Batman #469, Bruce told King Snake that it wasn't Tim who left him to die. We know that's a lie, but Tim never corrected this. He let Shiva take all the blame.

We have two instances of a boy choosing not to prevent someone from having a near death experience. One guilty, and one innocent.

Did the Sword of Sin think Tim was justified because King Snake was corrupt? That doesn't sound holy to me.

Was it because Tim didn't feel any guilt over it, while Dick did? Can the sword's judgement be thrown off by the victim not feeling any shred of guilt over their actions, even subconsciously?

That could make sense given what we know Tim did in the past: King Snake falling, the vandalism (explosions), and ALL the lying over the years (Tim reviving Shiva might count as atonement, so I'm not including that). If the sword based its judgement on God's will alone, then odds are high it would've picked up on one of these.

Even so, I'm not going to sit here and say this is definitely the case. I'm not familiar enough with how the sword effects other characters to make that call.

If this is indeed false, then did the DC universe's version of God decide to pardon Tim of his sins when he prayed earlier that same issue, despite him not believing he had any? I mean, who knows, right?

You can probably see why there's more questions than answers. The point is Tim didn't have any guilt for the things he did before Red Robin #22. Tim was canonically convinced he had nothing to atone for.

So then why did he say the opposite later in Knight Terrors: Robin #2?!

In the heart-to-heart between Tim and Jason, Tim tells him this:

"You have a lot to atone for...We all do..."

Tim knows that the words "we all" include him, right? By saying this, Tim admitted to also having things he needs to atone for, right?

Is this another white lie to make Jason feel better? Is it one of those slight changes the New 52 made to the canon? If not, then why did he change his mind? Did his no-kill rule change and make him feel guilty for some past actions? Is it not the no-kill rule, but something else?

What changed?!

Where does Tim draw the line?

I don't know. We've narrowed it down to a general area, but it's kinda hard to see a line when it's so blurred it could be a gradient.

Tim baffles me. He acts as a steady moral compass for others when he can't even seem to stay consistent with his own. You're free to call it poor writing (and honestly, fair), but I find his hypocrisy fascinating.

That's what it is, isn't it? Tim's a hypocrite who's completely oblivious to being one. And it's not like this was never mentioned in the comics before. Damian called him out on it!

In Batman & Robin 2011 #10, Damian confronted Tim about his near-murderous reaction when Fist Point killed Artemis (Teen Titans Vol 4 annual #1). Damian then accused Tim of constantly rejecting him because they have more in common than Tim's willing to admit.

It's debatable how accurate that accusation was, but Tim had a pretty volatile reaction to it.

"I believe in every choice I make!"

Does he? I don't think someone who's so sure of what he believes in would contradict himself to this extent. Especially if he wasn't doing it on purpose.

He wouldn't vehemently push Bruce's no-kill rule onto others and berate them for bending that rule, only to go and bend that same rule himself when the Batclan isn't around. He also wouldn't exploit what he thinks are loopholes, decide later that those loopholes broke the no-kill rule, and then earnestly claim he never broke it.

Why is he like this?! He's had arguably the most normal childhood out of the whole Batclan before becoming Robin! What could've made him so fickle about this?!

Where does he draw the line? And how will he know when he's crossed it?

[crosbyism]

"but then again this is the guy who’s publically known for loving to eat ass so"

I'm sorry, I thought Nate eating ass was fanon. Are you telling me this is an actual canon fact??

god i love when people don’t realise how much “fanon” around sid and nate is actually canon. it’s like heroin to me. also bc it’s like. 90% of the stuff in fics (which is probably why people assume it’s fanon but. oh boy it’s not. there’s shockingly little fanon around these two, mostly because canon is so abundant).

yes, nathan mackinnon is a known ass-eater. let me direct you to this post, anon. you’re welcome.

other nate (and sid) facts you might not have realised are canon:

nate is a known advocate for therapy. he’s been seeing a sports therapist since 2017

they wear matching clothing all the fucking time, sid has said publicly that he started wearing white sneakers and updated his wardrobe due to nate’s influence (iirc nate might’ve even bought him his first pair of white sneakers? either that or it was a “he told me i need to so i did” situation). they share a tailor. unfortunately i now have to bring your attention to the fact that since they have an alarming amount of matching clothes that they’ve bought for each other, that means that they in fact have to know each other’s clothing sizes off by heart. they also low-key share clothing btw

their families celebrate canada day together and their dads are best friends. in-law behaviour goes crazy

nate did in fact stalk his way into sid’s heart (got the same personal trainer and agent at age 13; built his house next door in 2017; they’ve been spending every day in the summers together since at least 2015. sid cooks for them daily, or at least did pre-pandemic. sid refuses to use nate’s gym tho so they always use sid’s).

nate used to have a fan twitter account more or less where he rooted for the pens. it was active until 2017.

sid and nate regularly go to summer weddings together as each other’s dates. they have done this since, once again, at least 2015

nate has confirmed that he used to have a poster of sid on his wall as a teenager (he didn’t confirm he used to jerk off to it but frankly. i think that’d be saying the quiet part out loud)

when sid won the cup in 2009 and held the parade in cole harbour, nate stood by the side of the road watching it. he was about to turn 14, he was already working with sid’s trainer and agent, and he was about to start attending shattuck (sid’s junior high). due to old pics we also know that this was RIGHT before nate had his first growth spurt and hit puberty. i’m not saying seeing sid with the cup kickstarted nate’s puberty and gave him his first boner but i’m not NOT saying it

nate dated vanessa morgan of riverdale fame in his rookie year. she’s now good friends with elias petersson from the vancouver canucks (this means nothing but i do think it’s a very funny coincidence).

nate schmidt, formerly of the VGK, once failed a drug test (it turned out to be a testing-fuck-up); when nhl players were asked about it natemack iconically said “i don’t think he was sticking a needle up his ass” (i just like this one)

when he was a kid, the one other thing sid wanted to be was a hairdresser. nate, on the other hand, “didn’t have a plan B”

nate is canonically possessive of sid (see: the asg 2024) and sid is canonically delighted by this and into it

they go on so many lunch dates in the summer my dude. they go grocery shopping together. like there’s so many pics of them in grocery stores or out having coffee or weird green shakes

oh i almost forgot, they went on a roadtrip through ireland last year. they’ve been on holiday together multiple times over the years though. done some eurotripping together and stuff. in 2015 they spent three months together, three weeks of which were spent living in sid’s santa monica condo together just the two of them

sid has put up a picture of every stanley cup winning captain in his basement since 2008, when the pens lost in the scf to DET. apparently this serves as motivation for him to win the cup. he notoriously does not watch the playoffs after the pens are out

however, he partied so hard at nate’s cup party he actually closed down the party with his dad. nate is the only non-teammate sid’s ever been seen supporting for a cup run (he’s also never been to his teammates’ cup parties afaik so. there’s that)

also they talked on the phone daily and between periods during nate’s cup run. they also canonically have almost weekly phone dates that can run multiple hours. quote nate “i can’t talk to anyone else the way i can talk to him”

they each have pictures of the two of them together framed in each other’s houses

there’s rumours they’re building adjoining houses on neighbouring properties in cape breton next to a golf course bc apparently being neighbours in halifax isn’t enough or something. this one is as yet unconfirmed by reputable sources though

[queer-lovebot]

The Great Kevin Day Pregnancy Scare of 2009. Too much post-game sex plus not enough contraceptive equal the Foxes game bus having to detour on their trip home in order for Kevin to buy Plan B. Embarrassment for the ages and Wymack can’t look Kevin, Andrew, or Neil in the eyes for months.

[urrockstar-xe]

happy birthday - j.m x fem!reader

posted nov 27th, 2023 9:50pm

anon asked: could you do bestfriend jj asking reader out on a date for her birthday present and he tells her he’s been in love with her for years🩷🤭

so sorry for the wait!! for the sake of this, pretend reader and jj kissed before finding the gold instead of jj and kie i also don't know HOW THE FUCK but i forgot abt the love confession I'm sorry :( okay muah. it's def way past ur birthday but happy birthday! my grandma used the sing the beatles song to us on our birthdays! i hope u like it :)

masterlist

wordcount: 1.2k

Loud cheers and “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”s rang through your ears the second you were within eyeshot of your friends all out back of the chateau. The smile on your face only got bigger when Sarah and Kie tackled you in a hug, all three of you going down in a fit of giggles and more “Happy birthday!”s

Helping each other stand up, you all made your way closer to the rest of your friends all of whom shared your cheerful smiles. John B was the next to pull you into a hug, “Happy birthday,” he smiled. “Thanks, JB.” You smiled, pushing him off you as he messed up your hair, earning a laugh in response. Cleo nodded at you with a smile from where she sat, “Happy birthday, Y/n/n” you thanked her, before being pulled into another hug by Pope and JJ this time, earning another round of laughs from the group as they nearly crushed you in between them both happily singing The Beatles birthday song, You laughed again, smiling when JJ threw his arm around your shoulder and kept it there even after the hug had ended. “Thank you guys, that was sweet” You spoke, your cheeks warm from all the affection. 

“So birthday girl, what do you want to do today?” John B asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly awaiting your answer. 

“I actually just wanna hang out, with everything that’s happened these last few months, we haven’t really had the chance so!” You announced, smiling nervously as if for whatever reason they’d reject the idea. Instead, it was met with nods of understanding and excited high-fives from the boys. 

John B gave JJ a pat on the back and a wink before moving back to sit with Sarah, giving you a weirdly suspicious smile before JJ spoke up, “Although, we-” Pope forced a cough and cleared his throat to cut JJ off, giggles coming from the girls. “I had an idea in mind for tonight though, not the whole day just a few hours tonight” JJ shrugged, grinning at you and dropping his arm from your shoulder to fully turn to you. 

You smiled back, “Alright, bring it on, Maybank” You laughed through your words, expecting this surprise of his to be something illegal or some last-minute party at the point, but as more cheers for the long-awaited normal day came from the pogues your thoughts were practically wiped clean with matched excitement.

And so you had your usual summer day on the water, with your usual playlist and John B pushing Sarah in the water, Pope in charge of steering the boat with newfound company in Cleo, and JJ shaking cold water droplets from his hair onto you and Kie’s laps like a dog. Kiara had snagged food from her parents and nobody asked how but JJ and John B showed up with beer.

Now as the sun set and a breeze hit your shoulders you found solace and warmth in JJ’s thin but discarded button-up, Pope was taking the boat back to land for whatever JJ had planned and everyone was calmly chatting amongst themselves, not including Kie and JJ who were bickering over what time was best to get high. 

As the Chateau came into sight you felt JJ's head fall onto your lap, looking down to see him already smiling up at you.

“Sup pretty lady,” he said, his sunglasses falling perfectly on his nose and his hair just slightly damp and cold on your thighs. “What’s up, J” You smiled back as always, ruffling his hair but leaving your fingers entangled in it. 

“Ready for your surprise?” JJ was evidently eager about his plans but when was he not, even the bad ones had JJ shaking with excitement.

Actually, especially the bad ones.

You nodded, growing impatient when you were suddenly hit with the realization of not really knowing what this surprise was.

JJ stayed like this the rest of the time left on the boat, starting up mindless conversations with you and asking dumb questions when the conversations would seemingly end, it made it feel like you hit land a little too soon, suddenly missing the feeling of him being so intimately close as he stood up and hopped off.

The boys helped the girls off, JJ grabbed your hand once Sarah was safely secured and on her way to the old hammock. Although when he helped you he held onto your hand longer than necessary turning to the rest of your friends and announcing you’d both be on your way to Pope’s place to pick up the dinner Mrs Heyward so graciously offered to make for your birthday.

John B sent JJ another wink before waving you guys off. Your friends all watched as you guys got on JJ’s bike and headed off, all giggling and chatting about whatever this surprise was. 

“Thank you so much! I owe you, Miss Heyward!” JJ yelled as he ran back from the door to his bike, you waved and blew Pope’s mom a kiss as she called out a happy birthday before JJ handed you the box of food and promised to go slow while starting his bike back up.

He actually kept his promise and after what felt like forever you stopped not too far from the docks where you grew up watching the boys fish and as JJ ever so graciously took the box of food from your hands you began approaching it.

And there it was, an old blanket you recognized from John B’s couch laid out on the old wood, with a rock on each corner to hold it down and a single candle set in the middle, the melted wax signaling it had been lit but the wind had blown it out and as you watched JJ set down the box and turn to you with a nervous smile, clapping his hands together, you realized what this all was.

“So uh, I couldn’t think of anything to get you, and you said it yourself this morning! With everything going on the last few months, it’s been a lot for us and we never got a chance to really establish what this” he motioned between you two with his hands, “what we were, so what better than to have our first date?” You pouted as he finished, ignoring his worried questions at the pout as you got closer to JJ and wrapped your arms around his neck, smiling at how fast his hands landed on either side of your waist. 

“JJ, this is so sweet, you are so sweet” You whispered, close enough to feel his breath. JJ smiled, his worry instantly fading as he sighed. “God, you scared me” he laughed, earning a laugh from you as well. 

“Happy birthday, baby” JJ whispered back, a soft look in his eyes as they flickered from your own and your lips.

And for the first time since just before finding the gold, you felt confident in leaning up and closing the small gap, pressing a long overdue kiss to JJ’s lips, laughing breathlessly as his lips chased yours when you pulled away.

best birthday ever

[horrorshow]

god bless rhonda hurley. for @spnficrecfest

JUST SO YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING OF YOU by ficlicks rhonda/dean + sam/dean, 7.7k, nc-17 “If we’re friends then what’s my favorite color?” Dean lifts his head and looks around the bedroom. It’s a tiny room, smaller than the one he shares with Sam. There’s an old white four-poster bed pushed up against the wall with chipping paint and tiny butterfly stickers stuck to the headboard. Her dresser is covered with books, bottles of nail polish and hair clips. On the floor is a laundry basket with freshly folded clothes. Dean scoops up the pair of panties sitting on top and slingshots them at Rhonda. “Pink,” Dean says, crawling onto the bed next to her.

OH SO GOOD, OH SO FINE by deadlybride sam/dean, 7.5k, rated E Zachariah gave them their memories back, but he didn't erase what had happened in the time they were other people. Dean Smith made a mistake, and Dean Winchester--well. He's still living with it.

WITH AUTUMN CLOSING IN by deadlybride sam/dean, 15k, rated E Seven years have passed since then. Sam thought he let it go.

NOT THE GOOD THINGS, NOR THE BAD by deadlybride sam/dean, 20k, rated E Dean wavers in a grey area between being taken and giving in.

THE SECRETS THAT WE KEEP by bexgowen endverse cas/endverse dean, 9.9k, rated E It’s 2014. The Croatoan virus has taken over the world, and Dean Winchester’s brilliant plan to kill Lucifer has failed. Dean should be working on Plan B, but all he’s been able to think about since Zachariah tossed that 2009 version of Dean into Camp Chitaqua was the secret that the younger Dean revealed. The one they’ve kept since they were nineteen years old. The one about the panties.

YOU SAY, GO FAST (I SAY, HOLD ON TIGHT) by hearthouses sam/dean, 11k, rated E This is what Dean looks like blanketed in desert night air. This is what Dean sounds like humming along to Johnny Cash on the local radio station, his thumbs tapping out the rhythm of the song on the steering wheel. This is what will be gone in a few dwindling months. (Mid-Season Three: Sam and Dean take some time away from figuring out how to save Dean from his deal, and live for the moment.)

SYMBIOSIS by deadlybride john/dean, 2.8k, rated E Dean plans a surprise for his dad.

BEDROOM HYMNS by fathersalmon cas/dean + rhonda/dean + dean/baseball team, 8.9k, rated E 5 times Dean Winchester tried to deny his panty kink and the one time he didn't.

PINK AND BLUE by jemariel cas/dean + rhonda/dean, 4.9k, rated E "Would you --” Cas swallows, his voice low and yeah, that’s definitely his ‘I’m horny’ voice, the one that gives Dean the shivers. “Would you like to show me your favorites?”

HUNTER, KNOW THYSELF by imogenbynight rhonda/dean, 2.5k, rated M In which Dean sets up his bedroom at the bunker and remembers his night with Rhonda Hurley.

FRAGILE by dragonspell sam/dean, 3.4k, nc-17 Dean likes to pretend he's the stronger one. But Sam knows just how fragile Dean can be on the inside. Now he just wants the outside to match.

LOVE IN DISGUISE by sleepypercy sam/dean + dean/omc, 4.9k, rated E In order to catch a CEO that's been cutting out hearts, Dean reluctantly poses as a hooker. Sam never expected his brother to look so good in that skirt.

BLUNT by lesson_in_love rhonda/dean, rated R Rhonda Hurley. Dean always thought it was an awful name.

RED LACE by dragonspell sam/dean, 2.3k, nc-17 Dean never thought that Sam would go through with it. He’d thought it was just one of those things—one of the random bits of filth that dropped out of Sam’s mouth whenever he was in the mood.

OH SO FINE by valiant sam wesson/dean smith, 2.4k, nc-17 Sam Wesson really wants into Dean Smith's pants. When he finally manages to get him to say yes, he's shocked to find out that he wears women's underwear under those pressed suits.

[milksockets]

'plan b kit' + 'braille jewelry' by ambre france in love design - daab (2009)

[ivyblossom]

That thing where I feel like I'm going to have to write fanfiction again

This is a weird one. I just want to say it somewhere, so that I've said it somewhere, but I realize there's there's one person who actually cares about this and she already knows, so. This is just for me, I guess.

Fifteen years ago, I wrote most of a Narnia fic. It pairs of Edmund Pevensie and Bacchus, aka Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of grapes, wine and uninhibited ecstasy. Also theatre. I know, that's a bit weird. Is Bacchus even in the Narnia stories? (Yes, he is. He even has lines!) Why on earth am I pairing him up with Edmund, who is 10 when we first meet him?

It's all the weird memory tricks, I'm a sucker for those. The Pevensies forget about England because they stay so long in Narnia and stop thinking about England, and they can (and do) forget about Narnia if they stay in England too long and don't think about Narnia enough (poor Susan), and I find that really interesting. It offers up so many nooks and crannies to stick story in. They grow up and become adults in Narnia, but are required to forget most of it in order to return to build children in England.

And come on: is Bacchus not also very obviously the god of Narnian orgies? I mean, yes. Clearly. He's also Aslan's default caterer and water-into-wine head tech. If you need buildings destroyed and bullies turned into trees and/or pigs, Bacchus is your guy. He's not big on wearing clothes, and according to Edmund, he's incredibly beautiful and extremely dangerous. Edmund is only 10 when we first meet him, sure, but he grows up, reverse ages, and then starts to grow up again. Bacchus throws them a G-rated orgy in Prince Caspian. There's love there.

Hasn't Edmund suffered enough? Yes, he got addicted to the Turkish Delight that time, but he'd been struggling and was being bullied, he was carrying a lot of self-hatred and shame, give a kid a break. He did get himself heroically killed putting it right, only to be healed physically and psychologically by Santa Claus's magic healing cordial, as one does. Doesn't Edmund deserve a cute immortal boyfriend with quirky friends and a serious green thumb who grows his own grapes, makes his own wine, can manipulate and control the desires of everyone around him like conducting an orchestra, and who will love him until the end of time? There aren't many humans in Narnia, why not hook up with the god of uninhibited ecstasy? I mean, he's right there.

Anyway. It was fifteen years ago.

I wrote 3/4ths of it, I had one part left to go to finish it, I had an idea about what how it would end, but for some reason I never wrote the ending. I don't remember why. So it's been sitting there unfinished since 2009.

And in the last few weeks I started thinking about it again. I had an idea about that ending. I couldn't remember if this idea I was toying with was my original concluding idea or not, it's been that long, but I liked the idea, and I thought, you know, I should write that idea in as the last part and finally finish that thing.

And then I read what I'd written. And a) 15 years is a long time and I have so many criticisms, I was clearly in love with the sound of my own voice (uh...nothing's changed there I guess?), b) I wrote the thing in such a way to exclude my new idea, so apparently that wasn't my original plan, but c) yeah, I should have written this thing properly the first time around. And now I have 104 more ideas and I love them all, so.

I think I have to rewrite it. Or, I suppose, just write another one and replace it? I dunno. Just playing it out now.

I think I'm going to write it. Is this an active fandom? I don't think so. I don't care. This love story needs to be told. Edmund deserves this.

[ltwilliammowett]

A little Naval History Beginners Guide

Books I like to recommend because they are really well written, have a high information content and I personally work with them. This is only a small list, there are of course many more, but for a start these are good to begin with.

   B. Lavery, Nelson’s Navy. The Ships, Men and Organisation. 1793-1815 New Edition    (London 2012)    B. Ireland, Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail. War at Sea 1756-1815 ( London 2000)    N. Tracy, Nelson’s Battles. The Art of Victory in the Age of Sail (London 1996)    D.Davies, A brief history of Figthing Ships (London 1996)    A. Lambert, War at Sea in the Age of Sail 1650- 1850 (London 2000)    G. Wells, Naval Customs and traditions (London 1930)    P. Goodwin, HMS Victory, Pocket Manuel 1805 (London 2015)    J. Eastland a. I. Ballantyne, HMS Victory. First Rate 1765 (London 2011)    J. Bennett, Sailing into the Past. Learning from replica Ships (London 2009)    M. P. Smith, Terror at Sea. True Tales of shipwrecks, cannibalism, pirates, fire at sea & otherdire disasters in the 18th& 19th centuries (Maine, 1995)    J. Lowry, Fiddlers and whores. the candid memoirs of a surgeon in Nelson’s fleet, James Lowry, 1798 (London 2006)    B. Lavery, Royal Tars. The lower deck of the royal navy, 875-1850 (London 2010)    R. and L. Adkins, Jack Tar. Life in Nelson’s Navy (London 2008)   A. Bruce, Encyclopedia of Naval History (London 1998)   J. Black, Naval Power: A History of Warfare and the Sea from 1500 (London 2009)   N.A. M Rodger, The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain 660-1649 (London 1997) C. L. Symonds, The U.S. Navy: A Concise History (New York 2015)

https://naval-encyclopedia.com/ C. G. Davis, American Sailing Ships: Their Plans and History (University of Michigan 1984) B. Greenhill, The Evolution of the Wooden Ship (1988) R. Woodman, The History of the Ship: The Comprehensive Story of Seafaring from the Earliest Times to the Present Day (1998)

Admiral W. E. Smith, The Sailor's Word-Book: An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms (England 1867)

[ju5t777]

Your Seven & Blazar art gives me life. Thank you for the Ultra food in gen.

On a deeper note, I'm curious to hear your opinion on how Seven would interact with Gento. Both of them are fathers, & tho Gento transforms into Blazar, you can argue that Blazar is his partner/ "kid" in a way. Both of them would also go above & beyond to protect Earth to the point of self-destruction.

Yet, unlike Seven, Gento wants to be involved with Jun (in 1 episode, he outright tells his dad to stop being a try hard) & makes it known. He's also less uh....morally dubious record-wise.

Thoughts?

Ooh! I like this idea! Yes please give me more how Character A interacts with Character B prompts, I live for these kinds of discussions!

For context, I'll be considering Gento during the events of Blazar 2023, and Seven after the events of Mega Monster Battle 2009 (M78 timeline).

Firstly, let's state on record that any invading alien and kaiju is lucky that Seven and Gento are not defending Earth at the same time, because they’d be an absolutely deadly duo. With Seven’s strong adaptability and knowledge on extraterrestrial subjects, coupled with Gento’s leadership and strategic mindset, topped off with their resourcefulness, combat experience and determination -- they'd keep Earth safe for as long as they both lived. If they worked well together and trusted each other, they'd be nigh unstoppable.

Despite this, their interactions could vary drastically depending on how much trust they can establish between them, how willing they are to work together, and whether the safety of Earth is at stake during their interactions.

Gento is a strong leader who places great value in the contributions of his team, and often devises plans with all of his team in mind. While he does give out dangerous orders, he ultimately functions best when all of his team is on board with him on his ideas. Seven is substantially less worried about team rapport and building trust etc., and prefers to work alone as an agent. He does care for his teammates, but believes that some hands-off/harsh treatment is necessary so that his teammates can 'develop' (Taro 1973 Ep 33 & 34, Leo 1975). Thus, Seven wouldn't last long in Gento's team, given how Gento values his team members and their relationships, and how tightly-knit Gento runs his operations. Gento may still decide to work with Seven at arm's length, as he'd recognise that Seven is a powerful ally, or an even more powerful opponent to have.

While their goals and dedication regarding Earth are similar, their values are inherently different. As you’ve pointed out, Gento puts his family as a close priority — it’s unlikely that he’d do anything to compromise his family at this stage. Seven's close to opposite: not only has Seven excused himself from Zero’s upbringing, but has a history of choosing Earth over the lives of his own brothers (Leo 1975, Ep 39), though he does show immense difficulty making those decisions. Any argument/conflict between Gento and Seven would likely force Gento to play the moral side of missions -- which he is admittedly not strong at. There is a high chance that Seven could make Gento follow through with something he'd end up regretting later.

Their relationship could go either way. If they were to interact on good terms, it's likely that they'd establish an odd informant/agent relationship. It wouldn't take Gento long to figure out Seven isn't human, but he'd likely see that as a resource more than anything. Given Gento's penchant for holding important secrets, he'd keep any interaction with this weird alien informant as a secret from his team and/or family. On healthy terms, they'll spend their off times exchanging grapevine news, comparing monster research, sharing stories about their sons, or maybe engaging in some hiking or fishing together. Seven and Gento can relate on many things, including the stresses of their duties, any accident or alien related trauma, or their concern for their families. On a deeper level, they could talk about their decisions, regrets, fears, or the times where they came close to becoming the monsters they were fighting so hard to protect Earth from. They'll disagree on a lot of things, but they'd hold a decent respect for each other as fellow Earth protectors.

On the other hand, if they're unable to build any sort of trust between each other, and if saving the Earth requires a sacrifice of any of their values, Gento and Seven could turn out as rivals or foes. Both of them are stubborn and unwilling to compromise on their values -- Gento will go against any plans that risk the loss of his family or his team, and Seven will not accept anything that puts many humans at risk of any danger, even if it's other humans. Seven is a horrible enemy for any species to deal with; his lethal special techniques, astute observations and his unwavering willpower makes him dangerous and difficult to oppose. Equally, Gento's charisma, composure and methodical approach to strategy means that he'll find way more allies and resources, and he'll be able to form more elaborate plots against Seven once he figures out Seven's weaker points. It would take a third party to stop their fight from worsening (maybe their sons, their teammates, or even Blazar), because any actual conflict between Gento and Seven wouldn't end until one of them has been removed from the picture.

Regardless, I don't think they'd be in any position to ignore each other -- their duties and lives are way too similar for them to stay as strangers!

I can imagine that their first interaction would be anything but normal ;D Maybe someone found some aliens attacking cities and towns, claiming they were original inhabitants of Earth before the humans apparently invaded. Maybe Seven’s in the middle of investigating a weird Ultraman with a warbling warcry and a fondness for veggie juice. They’d probably only meet at times when the Earth is in serious danger, and Seven's oddly timely appearances during times of crisis would 100% arouse suspicion from SKaRD. Simultaneously, Seven's got a track record of being weirdly interested in humans -- he'd end up following Gento in the distance during his missions, popping up to interfere with missions or to part with cryptic advice, which will cause Gento no end of confusion or frustration. Then eventually, when Seven inevitably gets caught by the authorities and pulled into interrogation as Dan Moroboshi, or when Gento gets caught in some alien skirmish while a human-sized Seven is in action, or when SKaRD witnesses some bird-like or buffalo-like kaiju materialise to help Blazar in a fight -- they'll get a chance to properly talk.

That's just my initial thoughts! I'd expect that there'd be more nuance between Seven and Gento, as there are a lot of parallels between their characters. Their dynamics would be different depending on which iterations of those characters we'd be using: e.g. Gento would have a lot to teach 1967 Seven on how not to be gullible weirdo who doesn't listen to his team, and he’d have a lot to say about 1974 Captain Moroboshi. Also, Heisei Seven is a force of terror that I don't want to subject either Gento or SKaRD to. If they'd ever meet up in stage-shows/movies though, I'd like for them to be friends.

TL;DR Gento and Seven could turn out as confidantes, or they'll end up stopping each other from saving Earth. Now I want fanfic of this

[stat1cstarz]

「 🩰“look at them Mikey..” 🩰 」

*+:｡.｡ RZ! Micheal Myers X GN! Pregnant Reader ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

*+:｡.｡ This is also between 2007-2009, go with what you prefer. ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

*+:｡.｡ Not requested, just an idea that I got ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

*+:｡.｡ Description: As you get closer to your due date you decided to go clothes shopping for your baby, until you found a pair of shoes. Not only did you buy them, as well as a few other pairs similar to them, you came home crying to your husband(not officially), Micheal about how cute they were. ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

*+:｡.｡ Warnings:None ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

You were about 8 months now, and you were huge, you already a few kids with Micheal, who were now at home with him. You’d be surprised if the house wasn’t burnt down, but after the first two, he seemed to know what he was doing, so you let it slide. And Micheal, being the ever doting husband and father he is, wanted to give you a break. You went out around Haddonfield for a few hours, just you and your baby. Luckily since you didn’t have your other kids with you,begging for candy and toys, you could buy some stuff for the youngest baby, arriving in a month.

You were currently walking through Walmart, dressed in a T-shirt,Micheals camouflage jacket,and some sweats, and sneakers, that you wouldn’t get on without Micheals help..Luckily for you, the jacket even smelled good.. for once, after baptizing it with laundry detergent.Safe to say that unstoppables did the lords work.Your cart was stuffed full of formula,onesies,diapers, as well as various food products. The soft music playing definitely eased your tensions,having to deal with Micheal and the kids.

The sound of carts moving past you filled your ears, in a pattern, as you made your way through the store. You found the shoe section, which was sadly near the back. You weren’t buying anything, you wanted to get a look, to see what you wanted to buy once the baby arrived. You strolled your cart near the end of the aisle,finally finding some baby shoes. You found a pair rather quickly, that seemed to pull your heart strings like a puppet. They were pastel pink with a lace frill around the cuff of the shoe, and a bow in the center.

You just had to get them, you couldn’t let anyone get them before you, so you ignored your original plan and continued shopping.

Once you paid,got lunch, and finally returned home, you called Micheal out, gladly allowing you to layer shopping bags on his arms, carrying them inside with ease. He gently placed the bags on the ground,trying to not destroy anything fragile. He than returned to the couch,going back to watching a older game show, probably from the 80s. He only seemed to pick up this habit once he was officially a dad, but he wanted to relax a bit before the kids woke up from their afternoon nap.

Once your husband seemed comfortable, you shredded off the coat, and searched the bags, trying to find the pair of shoes. Once you felt the fuzzy material against your fingers, you slipped them out the bag, placing them in your hand.

“Mikey” you called out “Can I show you something”

He immediately perked up, turning his rubber clad head to look at you, he quickly noticed the tiny shoes in your hand, not sure who they were for. The kids have enough shoes, he thought, why would they need more?

“I thought they were super cute, maybe Y/B(youngest baby) can wear them, if they fit” you said, as tears welled in your eyes, making your way over to your heavily confused husband. You sat in his lap, placing the tiny shoes in the palm of his grizzled hand. The size difference made you cry even more, just from how much dopamine was surging through you.

Micheal was confused on why you were crying, did someone hurt you? You didn’t seem hurt. He continued peering down at the shoes, trying to see what got you so worked up.

“Sorry about crying Mikey, they’re just really cute” you said, pulling up his mask and kissing him on the lips. He chuckled under his breath, fully pulling off the dirty veil, setting it on the coffee table. He grabbed your hand, leading you to the bedroom,placing the shoes on your vanity.

[g0ose-bumps]

2009! Ghoap

OG 2009!mw2 Ghostsoap set between missions. Drabble of a different Soap and Ghost.

"Would you follow me anywhere?" 

John's voice was a syrupy murmur in the slow dredges of morning. Simon's half awake mind nudges at that. His body drew closer without any conscious thought, hopelessly attracted to the timbre of that low rumble.

"You would, wouldn't you Simon." 

Blinking away the afterimages of sleep from his lashes, Simon's eyes blearily focuses on John. Sunlight shone through the blinds, kissing the slopes and curves of hard muscle in slats of orange. They added a dimension of softness to the jagged scars that made up John. It was a sight not often seen and thus needed to be savoured thoroughly like Simon's most sought after tea blend. 

Fingers brushed along his naked face. Tips rested lightly on the curve of Simon's lips and then traced up towards his cheeks. But the touch went unnoticed, his gaze drawn to the much more arresting sight before him. 

John was a study in yellow. His strong features were highlighted by the sunlight that bathed the man in golden tones. The effect was almost ethereal in nature, light reflecting off like he had an internal glow. Glimmering blue eyes caged with dark lashes and a toothy grin, gave the rugged man a shockingly youthful expression. Beautiful. 

He was beautiful.

It was a compliment that made the man in question taken aback and stammer when Simon's runaway mouth blurted it out to him one day, too lost in the moment at the time to stop it from bubbling out from him. The resulting shyness he'd received had only endeared him more. It felt obscenely out of character for the captain that Simon knew first, but surprisingly in character for the man behind the perfect soldier. 

Task force 141 had started out as an experiment. A dangerous mix of a untried captain recently promoted, a masked lieutenant riddled with rumours of sociopathy and all the heavy expectation on their shoulders as Shepard's pet project of vengeance. It was a recipe for disaster many had said.

What the naysayers didn't know was how much of a force of nature John MacTavish was. A man so aggressively in control and utterly focused on the objective, any goal set before him was completely smashed. Their rag team set of soldiers selected from across the world shouldn't have worked as well as it did but somehow he had made the impossible possible. 

Mactavish expected only the best out of not only the men under him, but of himself. He was a man with a fire in his soul and a deep desire to not just succeed but exceed mission parameters. The captain would have a plan A, a plan B all the way to a plan Z and if something faltered on the way, he'd formulate the training and tools to succeed the next time. A perfectionist at his core. 

He had easily won Simon's respect within the first few days of knowing each other just like he'd easily won over the other men under his command. He'd known even then in those early days, that he would die for Captain MacTavish. All the men in 141 would, no contest. 

But John. 

John was someone he'd live for. 

There was a fragility that hid behind the roughened exterior. A softness that Simon had thought beaten out of men like them. Men who didn't hesitate before shooting, didn't bat an eye at the messier ways to achieve an objective. An innocence lost in all the ways war could be fought and better for the lack of it. More effective for it too. 

John was an outlier. 

Despite the pain and suffering they drenched themself in, John still cared. He still cared about the lives they lost, the men they had to sacrifice and every civilian lost in the cross fire. It was easy to blind oneself to the pain. Lose the part that empathised if it wasn't already gone. 

Or in Simon's case, never truly existed in the first place. 

But the caring never diminished John. It was a heavy burden to carry, for it was a double edged blade permanently notched at John's throat. It pained the man as much as it drove him. Simultaneously a strength and a weakness all packed up in one tidy package for Simon to covet.  

The knife edged line that John walked was a sight that had captured Simon's heavy gaze at first. Ensnaring him deeper and deeper the more he paid attention. He was helpless against the man, thoughts of John consuming Simon as much as sustaining him. 

Afterall, he alone had seen the depths of Simon's depravity and had not turned away. Not flinched like all the rest. Depite everything, John still had the temerity, the foolhardiness to trust him. To let Simon, of all people, know him when he'd put up walls against every other man in their company. 

His kindness was a searing weight behind Simon's ribcage. His trust the blood that ran through his veins, beating life where there was none before. They were both things to be hidden and carefully guarded. Tended to with a delicate touch and an eye for the small print like the lines of code that Simon breathed and spoke.

"Simon?" John nudged.  

Questing fingers hovered over his lips again and the sensation brought him back to John's question. Would you follow me, he had asked. A silly question. 

"I'd follow you anywhere I could." He answered firmly. Devotedly.

"Just don't go where I can't follow."

*