#recently picked up the set of four books i had as a kid

[taperwolf]

Nah, man, it's Pierre who doesn't care.

whoopee once whoopee twice whoopee chicken soup with rice. btw.

[desertduality]

HELLO soo I was inspired by the most recent secret life episode to write some tcd angst set in secret life <33 Enjoy :D

Link to Ao3 if you prefer to read there

———----

Scar, despite all odds against him, does hold his own for a little while. Gem is after him, bloodthirsty and intent, for reasons that Scar doesn’t know. She traps his base, she shoots at him, stabs at him — and he survives it all, up until he doesn’t. There are four of them by then, and they hunt him down and pick him off. And he dies. 

These games are fun, is the thing. They get together and they make silly little groups with playful rivalry’s and eventually someone wins. It’s fun. Scar has fun, usually. 

None of them know about the world he came from. That lonely, ravaged, barren world. The zombies had been everywhere, fast and stubborn. Scar had been young and hurt and alone, and had learned to run on broken legs before he learned how to read. 

It’s been a long time ago, now. The memories sneak up on him far less often than they used to, and he’s better. This though, this thing with Gem and the others, it’s hitting him in places that still hurt; places that will always hurt. 

Scar is fresh off his first death, still reeling from being hunted down, and Cleo and Grian are telling him he can’t stay. 

“You’re not one of us,” Grian says, and they’re just playing a game, but Scar is confused. He’d been invited, hadn’t he? But then Cleo had taken it back. 

“Scar!” Bdubs is a distance behind him, sitting atop a horse and calling his name urgently. “Scar, we need to talk to you.”

Scar goes, and hears whispering behind him, something about zombies and spreading. It makes a bit of nerves flare up in his stomach, but he ignores them. He is far enough removed from the past that hearing the word won’t send him into hysterics. He’s even recovered enough that he can handle the sight of a few zombies, even if his heart rate elevates until they’re gone. He’s better, he is. 

Bdubs takes him back to the others, and they explain to him what’s been going on. It’s Gem’s task to spread the Boogeyman curse, one by one, to everyone. He suddenly feels a little bad for trying to burn the book earlier, because this sounds like a good time. Causing some chaos, killing some people, making each other laugh — it's what they’re all here for. It’s why they play the game.

(There’s a small but persistent inkling of unease living behind his rib cage at the fact that they’re comparing themselves to zombies, to an apocalypse, but he ignores it. It’s not important enough to mention it, and he doesn’t want to ruin everyone’s fun.)

They get Etho, and Gem praises him for it, and Scar tries not to compare the fortress the others are defending to the bunkers he used to raid. His brain still makes the connection, as much as he wishes it didn’t. The memories trickle in slowly, making him more and more on edge as the day goes on. It will be over soon, Scar tells himself. Then he can rest, and go back to being better.

Joel has a zombie spawner to farm XP. Scar has used it, has been inside it. He’d been expecting zombies, then. He doesn’t expect it when Joel throws down sixty-four zombie eggs in a row. 

The thin and fraying thread tying him together snaps.

Everyone is screaming and yelling, running, chasing after Joel. There are zombies as far as he can see, in groups and alone, groaning and gurgling into the night. It fills his ears, wraps itself around his mind like a vice, catapults him back to when he was just a kid, fighting the world with his teeth bared and no one at his back. 

Everything goes fuzzy and distant, the noises muffled beneath his heartbeat and heaving breaths echoing endlessly in his ears. He slows to a stop, chest heaving and eyes wide, skin going cold and numb with terror. Nothing makes sense. Everything is wrong. 

There’s something in his hand, and he looks at it, panicked tears prickling at his eyes. He’s holding a sword, and an anguished, confused noise rips itself from his throat. Where’s his gun? Guns are better, guns are safer; guns mean he doesn’t have to get close. 

The moaning of the undead is growing louder, they’re coming for him, and he stumbles forward with gasping breaths, eyes flitting around wildly as he searches for a place to hide. The ground is filled with craters, zombies in every direction, and he blinks desperately to clear his blurry vision, pushing forward with all the desperate agony of a man living on borrowed time. 

He thinks he hears someone call his name, but it can’t be real, it’s just a memory, it’s just his stupid, persistent hope manifesting itself at the worst possible time. He has to get back to his base, his bunker, but nothing looks familiar, no direction looks like the correct way to go—

He runs anyway, passing by a giant stone statue and weaving around holes in the ground and slashing blindly at anything that looks like it’s moving. He spots a tower in the distance, oddly shaped and oddly colored, but a structure nonetheless, and he runs for it. The zombies are here and they never left and he never left and he runs. 

He only makes it halfway. 

There’s a zombie in one of the craters, and Scar doesn’t see it, is too wrapped up in his tunnel vision, and it grabs at his ankle as he walks by. He hits the ground, hard, his knee hitting first before everything else. He hears a sharp crack, and knows it’s broken. 

He twists his head around wildly, tearing his leg out of the zombies cold grip with a yell of pain, dragging himself out of reach just in time for others to bear down on him. His vision becomes a swirling kaleidoscope of hands and teeth, of skin and claws, and he opens his mouth and screams. 

(He won’t know until later, but everyone near spawn hears it. Everyone hears it, and freezes, and turns to look. It sounds like pure terror, like the final cry of a dying man. None of them will ever forget it.)

He swings his sword wildly, slashing and scrambling to get away, but his knee hurts and they’re pushing him down, he can’t get up—

He hears yelling, distantly, but that still can’t be right, no one else is here, no one else can save him—

Scar rolls to the side, and falls into one of the craters, dirt and pebbles sprinkling down on top of him when he hits the ground with a dull thud. He shouts through clenched teeth as the landing jostles his leg, but still pushes himself up and back until his back hits the solid side of the hole. Grass and dirt is still clinging above him, forming somewhat of an overhang. They can’t attack from directly above. Scar grips his sword in violently shaking hands and waits for the hoards to find him. 

He still hears the voices, but he shouldn’t be hearing voices, he’s alone here, he hasn’t heard a human voice not his own since he was six, and he closes his eyes tightly for a few seconds, willing himself back to reality. Something drops to the ground in front of him, and Scars eyes wrench themselves back open, landing on the shadowed figure of a person coming his way. He has both hands on his sword, and he points it at the approaching zombie. 

It speaks. It says his name. 

“Scar,” the figure says, a deep, frantic concern in their voice. “Are you— What happened? Are you okay?”

The cloud that had been blocking the moon slowly drifts away, and Scar gets a good look at the figure — the person — in front of him. He’s human, he’s alive, and Scar knows him, he knows who it is, but he can’t be here, he’s not supposed to be here. This is the world where Scar is young and alone. No one else belongs here. 

The past and the present collide angrily in his head; he doesn’t know what’s real. He doesn’t even know this person's name. The person is crouching a few feet away, empty hands extended imploringly, worry plain in his eyes. Scar’s eyes catch on his shirt, black with gold accents, and can’t help but think that something’s missing. A letter, he thinks, but can’t quite remember which one. 

It doesn’t matter. He’s not really here. 

He must’ve said some of that out loud, because the man’s face drops, something heartbroken pinching at his eyes. Scar feels bad, and doesn’t know why. 

“I’m here, Scar,” says the man, voice trembling. “I’m real. You’re okay.”

The man is a liar. Scar shakes his head, a trembling exhale shaking his tense frame. The sword remains steady. 

“No,” Scar says, voice strained and breaking. “No, you— you can’t be. Not here.”

“Scar—“

“Stop saying my name,” Scar begs. “I don’t know— I don’t know who you are.”

It’s only half true. He recognizes him, knows he’s a friend, but his brain is rebelling against the very thought that he could exist in a place like this. In the place Scar grew up. No. Everyone was either dead or undead, here. Everyone but Scar. This person with sad eyes and gentle hands does not belong. 

“Impulse!” Another voice is calling down at them, and Scar looks up, catching a glimpse of bright orange curls and mismatched eyes. Nothing makes sense. “Is he okay?”

The man — Impulse — looks at him, and then looks up. He can still hear the zombies, everywhere and far too many. 

“Get Grian,” Impulse says, and the person above them freezes for just a moment, and then disappears. 

Grian, Scar thinks. Another name he knows. Another name that doesn’t make sense to be hearing in a world like this. His mind scrambles, his eyes sting, the zombies groan and shriek above him. Nothing makes sense. 

Grian will, some distant and muted part of him says. 

Grian will. 

—————————

Grian is on top of their cobblestone tower — laughing at the sheer amount of zombies and chaos in the distance — when Gem comes tearing up the slope at high speeds, something frantic and determined in her eyes. 

“No zombies allowed!” Grian calls down, grinning, though it dims when she looks up at him. There is something serious and desperate about her gaze. 

“Grian!” She slides to a stop at the base of their castle, face dotted with sweat and panic. “You need to come with me, something—“

“You’re just going to kill me,” Grian says, confused and faltering. “Why would I—“

“It’s Scar,” Gem interrupts, a harsh concern clipping her words. “He’s— Something’s wrong with him, a zombie got him and he screamed.”

Grian tilts his head. “Scar screams all the time.”

“Not like this,” Gem says, sounding genuinely shaken. “Not like this, Grian, please.”

She doesn’t even have her sword out, standing at the base of their fortress with wild eyes and a desperate plea. Something’s wrong with Scar. Something bad enough that everything else has gone out the window. Gem’s not here asking him to play the game. She’s here begging him to pause it. 

“Okay,” Grian says, a new bubble of panic growing in his chest. “I’m coming, let’s go.”

Gem nods at him when he emerges from the tower, and then she takes off running, leaving Grian with nothing to do but follow. It seems to take forever to get there, weaving around hoards of zombies and craters left over from the wither attack. The other server members are mowing through the hoards with swords and axes, and what seems to be extreme prejudice. They all look a bit shaken. The coil of nervous worry in Grian’s rib cage grows. 

Gem stops them at a random crater, and nods. “Down there,” she says, and then throws herself back into the fray, cutting through any undead limbs that reach for her. The surface is a battlefield. 

Grian drops down, and Impulse turns to look at him, grim concern pressing his lips thin. He looks relieved when he sees him, and Grian looks behind him and realizes why. 

Scar is there, hunched against the wall and shaking like a leaf, sword held in trembling hands and fearful eyes flickering between them. Grian’s stomach drops, and he inhales shakily. Scar looks lost, and so very, very afraid. He’s never seen him like this. 

“It’s the zombies,” Impulse says, quietly. “They set him off somehow, I— He barely recognizes me.”

Grian remembers, distantly, Double Life. Scar had fallen into a pit of zombies, and they had both died that day. He hadn’t quite understood why their shared heart had been beating so fast for so long after; he never knew the reason for Scar’s shell-shocked eyes above his trembling smile when they met back up. He still doesn’t know why, but now he knows for sure. Scar is afraid of zombies. 

“Get rid of them,” Grian says, equally hushed, even though everyone has already started. Impulse just nods, one hand on his sword, and climbs out of the crater. Grian turns to Scar. 

“Scar,” Grian starts, voice carefully relaxed. “You’re safe, okay? We’re getting rid of them.”

Scar shakes his head, moonlight catching on the tear tracks on his face, and Grian aches.

“You can’t be here,” Scar says, turning pleading eyes towards him. “You— You can’t be here.”

Grian gets a little closer, and crouches down, doing his best to appear non-threatening. “Why not, Scar?”

“It’s wrong,” Scar says, sounding all of ten years old, terrified and unsteady. “I’m supposed to be alone, you can’t be here.”

“Why are you supposed to be alone?” 

“It’s just me, it’s always just me,” Scar insists, and then he inclines his head upwards, to where the zombies are still groaning. “Me and them.”

Grian swallows, feeling out of his depth and worried. The only reason Scar would have a reaction like this is if it had once been true. Once upon a time, it really had just been Scar and hoards of zombies. And in Scar’s mind, that’s where he was. He’d never left. Grian’s stomach rolled. 

“We’re not there,” Grian says, still unsure where there was. “We’re in Secret Life, Scar. We’re playing a game.”

Scar shakes his head again, violently, and starts trying to stand up. A muffled whine escapes his throat when he puts weight on his knee, but still he stands. Grian wants to grab him and shake him and then wrap him up in several blankets. 

“You’re hurt,” Grian says, a note of pleading in his voice, hands hovering, wanting to reach out. “You shouldn’t be walking, Scar.”

“I’ve walked on worse,” Scar says vacantly, and twists around to look behind him, making a noise of frustration. “My backpack, where’s my— I need—“

“Backpack?” Grian repeats. 

“I need morphine,” Scar says, voice tight with pain and panic. “I need to get out of here. You need to get out of here. You can’t be here.”

Morphine. Scar’s plan is to numb the agony of a broken knee and run on it anyway. Scar says it like it’s normal, like there’s no other choice, like this is the only way. Maybe it was, once. Grian wants to scream and cry and pull the universe apart with his hands. Instead, he grabs Scar’s wrist in a gentle hold. 

“I am here,” Grian says, soft but firmly still, and Scar freezes. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Grian tugs at his wrist making Scar meet his eyes, trying to ground him. Scar blinks at him, hazy and distant, chest heaving. Grian reaches out slowly, and takes the sword from Scar’s hand. 

“Do you remember,” Grian begins, “asking me to be your friend?”

Grian remembers. Scar, with grey skin and crimson eyes, hiding a sheepish grin behind a bouquet of poppies and lilacs. Something like recognition flickers across Scar’s face, and Grian keeps going. 

“We had a llama called Pizza.”

“I blew you up on accident.”

“The moon was falling and you built a rocket upside down.”

“You were my soulmate, of course it was you—“

“You made fun of our bread bridge.”

“You were actually a pretty good mayor, you know.”

Grian lays their memories out between them, holding Scar’s wrist gently in his hands, and doesn’t stop until Scar looks at him and finally seems to see him. His face crumples, awareness flooding his expression, and Grian lowers them both to the ground when Scar’s knees give out. 

“I’m sorry,” Scar says, voice cracking, and he gives an awkward little laugh that makes Grian’s heart twist sharply. “That doesn’t— That hasn’t happened in a while.”

“It’s okay, Scar, don’t apologize,” Grian says, adjusting his grip to hold Scar’s hand loosely. “Do you feel better?”

“I feel like I ran a marathon,” Scar answers, exhaustion in his tone. “I don’t— Thank you. For bringing me back.”

“Of course.” Grian hesitates. “…Where did you go?”

Scar takes a shaky breath, eyes going tired and sad. Grian’s eyes catch on a scar peeking out beneath his collar. 

“I was stuck in a hardcore world when I was a kid,” Scaf says eventually, resigned. “I was the only player in a zombie apocalypse. I had to… let myself die, to get out. But I spent years there.”

Grian stares, quietly horrified. He imagines Scar, so very young and so very alone, running on broken limbs and killing things that once were people every day, and still finding the willpower to survive for years and years. That Scar had grown up in a world without light and still come out of it with a personality bright enough to blind them all — it was nothing short of miraculous. Brilliant, mischievous, stubborn Scar, with enough skeletons in his closet for all of them and the uncanny ability to make them laugh until they were out of breath. 

“You never said anything,” Grian says, careful to keep any accusation out of his voice. He understands. He still wishes he had known, somehow. 

“It’s not fun to hear about,” Scar says, and stares at his broken knee. “And it’s…not easy to talk about, either.”

“I know,” Grian says, squeezing his hand. “But if you ever want to, I’m here. I don’t want— I don’t want this to happen again.”

The zombie sounds have died down, the others having done their damn best to kill them quickly. It’s quiet but for their breathing, slowly slowing down. 

“I’m a lot better,” Scar says, brow furrowed. “That was just, a lot more than I was expecting.”

“It’s okay,” Grian says. “It’s… You don’t have to be better all the time.”

Scar glances at him, his mouth lifting just a bit, looking a little lighter. “Thanks.”

“And you can talk to us.” Grian smiles back. “We can help you when it’s hard.”

Scar lets out a long, slow breath, the shake in his hands finally down to something manageable. Grian is relieved for all of two seconds, and then something mischievous flickers in Scar’s eyes. Grian sighs, because he knows what’s coming—

“That’s what she said,” Scar says, quick and unapologetic, and Grian smacks his shoulder with his free hand. Scar laughs, and Grian just rolls his eyes and grins. 

Yeah. He’ll be fine.

[mermaidsirennikita]

What are your favorite Scottish historicals?

I recently did a recommendation list on Instagram!

However! To get more detailed...

My favorite Scottish romance novels as a collective are probably the first four Mackenzie books in Jennifer Ashley's Mackenzies & McBrides series (listed in order of publication, would recommend reading in order, they're all bangers):

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. This one is famous for featuring an autistic hero (ahead of its time) who ends up basically asking the heroine, a widow who's recently come into some money, to have an affair with him after he warns her off of marrying a tool. It's supposed to be this purely physical thing, but it gets deeper (... as does he ...) while also introducing his somewhat insane family.

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage. The artistic brother decides to win his wife (who's been estranged from him for three years) back. It's a great example of a marriage in trouble book, where there are several reasons they broke up but most of them lead back to him just not being ready to be a good partner for her. And he has to prove that he's learned!!!

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron. The single dad brother sets out to solve a Mystery with this widow he had a near-thing with years ago, and they end up starting an affair, but his emotional wounds from his first marriage haunt the relationship.

The Duke's Perfect Wife. An all time favorite of mine, the asshole oldest brother mega alpha everyone hates ends up running into his ex-fiancee again... after which he's like "I am remarrying and it's gonna be her" (he got married briefly after they broke up, it's part of his tragic backstory)... and also she's a girl reporter and approaches him like "Oh hey, an anonymous person is sending me nude photos of you and it could ruin your political career :D". A FABULOUS second chance romance with two leads in their thirties (harder to find in a historical than you'd think), tons of passion, and the zaniness I want from this series. Jennifer Ashley excels at making you believe her couples are perfect for each other, and this one is the best in that realm to me.

I've read the subsequent books in the series, up to book #8, and I'd also recommend Rules for a Proper Governess (a stern lawyer takes on a street urchin who's recently started stalking him as his governess because she's the only one who can wrangle his two kids, and workplace harassment ensues) and The Stolen Mackenzie Bride (throws back to the ancestral generation, takes place during the Jacobite Rebellion, love at first sight between the rakish youngest Mackenzie brother and an Englishwoman engaged to another man, very star-crossed).

I also love Monica McCarty's Highland Guard series, which is a medieval Scottish series about Robert the Bruce assembling a group of dudes with Special Skills. Favorites include:

The Chief. The stern leader of the group ends up being tricked into marrying a woman he didn't want to marry for political purposes, is emotionally withholding but sloooowly falling in love. Also he has two kids from his first marriage that we NEVER SEE, which I found hilarious.

The Hawk. The rakish seafaring pirate-y one picks an Irish noblewoman out of the water and is like "Welp, I guess we have this random girl now". She's uptight, he's wild and incapable of committing, he bangs her on a raft in the middle of a storm to soothe her lmao

The Ranger. The one with insane sixth sense powers ends up undercover behind enemy lines (the enemy also being the man who killed his father) and ends up falling for said enemy's daughter

The Viper. The grouchy one with Woman Trauma ends up on a journey with a woman he has Mad Beef with, hate turns to love...

The Recruit. The New Guy sleeps with the woman he was supposed to marry, but he didn't know it was her and he basically said he'd keep sleeping with her after he married, and she went "you shall not cheat on me with me" and dipped. A few months later, they run into each other again. He realizes she's pregnant, he won't have any kid of his be a bastard, he forces her to marry him lmao

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare is obviously a classic that everyone should read, includes accidentally making up a fiance who is real and being forced to handfast with him. Also romantic lobsters.

Maya Banks writes really good medieval Scottish books. I've only read a couple so, but I really loved Never Seduce a Scot, which has an arranged marriage situation between two people from rival houses... But the hero doesn't realize the heroine is deaf, which makes him worried about taking advantage of her. She's determined to make it clear that he is NOT.

Elisa Braden's Midnight in Scotland series is really fun if you want a pure romp! I also loved When a Girl Loves an Earl, which is about a zany heroine tricking the big Scottish hero into marrying her lmao. And he's covered up his Scottish accent after years of being Englishified (it's an issue the book touches upon nicely, I think) so she doesn't even realize he's Scottish until he's taking her TO SCOTLAND.

But yeah, otherwise definitely check out that post!

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

My entire Spanish novel collection

I'm not a huge fan of George Orwell, but I read both Animal Farm and 1984 in high school so I know they're short and easy to read. They'll be good practice.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is by far my favorite series of all time. None of the four (yes, four. Not five, not six, but four) are favorites by themselves, but taken as a whole I have yet to find anything more entertaining.

Jurassic Park is fun but VERY dry (as is Crichton's style). He has a lot of "look at all the research I did" exposition dumps, which I liked as a teenager but don't much care for now. If nothing else, I'll learn plenty of scientific vocabulary from Parque Jurasico.

The Martian is one of my favorite books of all time, tied for first with two titles below. I've read it a dozen times, I know it forwards and backwards. El Marciano was the first Spanish book I ever bought back in 2021, and I couldn't parse more than one word in ten. My reading comprehension has improved tremendously since then, and now I can read almost the entire thing (if I don't understand a certain passage, I know from memory of the English version which part I'm at in the story and can limp along without getting frustrated or confused)

The Road is one of the few books that has made me cry. Let me leave it at that.

The Time Traveler's Wife is another favorite tied with The Martian. I read all the other books on this list in high school or college, but I didn't pick this one up until relatively recently. I am currently in the process of reading La Mujer del Viajero en el Tiempo for the first time, and like The Martian I am able to use my knowledge of the English version to cross the gaps I don't yet understand.

World War Z is the third of the three way tie for favorite. I wanna say I read it for the first time in 2011 or 2012. It was before the movie came out, and I remember taking it with me to read at church camp one summer (it was a long bus ride to North Carolina, and I had to hide it from the chaperones all week). Every time I reread it, I pick up on some new aspect I missed the first dozen times around, so I'm excited to see if I come to any revelations in Spanish.

Books I want to get

Artemis and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Devolution by Max Brooks

Redshirts by John Scalzi

A family friend of mine moved to the United States from Honduras in her late 20s and learned English in part by watching Sesame Street with her kids, so I want to get Spanish versions of the Hunger Games trilogy and the five Percy Jackson and the Olympians books because I figure YA novels might help me learn Spanish easier than adult fiction. Right now I'm looking for simple titles that I'm already familiar with, but eventually I want to start buying Spanish books I've never read in English so I can fly without a net. My background is in Latin American Spanish, specifically Cuban Spanish, but my copy of El Marciano is European, so it shouldn't make too much of a difference which translations I buy (just so long as I keep series grouped together in sets so they're all the same)

[ctrsara]

Stuff I'm Reading That I Love

(and you should read them too)

December 2022

Here’s stuff I’ve recently read, or am reading, that stands out to me, and I wanted to recommend. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the good stories I’ve read lately, but a few that are worth sharing!

Plus, the more of you that read and love and leave the authors some love, the more likely it is that these lovely stories will make it to completion! No ulterior motives at all here…

(Also, if you know these authors are on Tumblr, but they're not tagged, please let me know, or let them know or something, so I can be friends with them and tag them!)

The Meaning of Inevitable Series by (Mendeia)  If you haven’t been reading this series, you’re missing out, I promise. Mendeia is a master storyteller!

The first four books are complete, and the fifth is in progress.

Words: 470,673   Works: 4   Complete:No

Eleven-year-old Peter Parker's world is shattered when both his idol and his uncle are killed in the same week. Even while grieving, Peter strikes up a friendship with the local maintenance man, Tony, who shares Peter's love of science and technology - and who may be more than he lets on.

the ghost at the back of your closet by niniblack (48238 words)  This one is so hard sometimes, but also amazing, and I'm always at the edge of my seat!

Published:2022-06-10  Updated:2022-11-05  Words:48238  Chapters:9/?:

Some set-up: Tony survived Endgame, obv, but with a long recovery time. He’s fine now! But skrull!Fury still got ahold of EDITH and gave it to Peter on his Euro Trip, so we’re picking up after Peter was arrested in NWH.

I'm waiting and fading and floating away by lemonlillybee (21701 words):  This one is an expanded Whumptober story, and is very whumpy! (But with lots of comfort, too) Lemonlillybee's whole Whumptober set is so impressive!

Published: 2022-10-17   Completed: 2022-11-03   Words: 21701   Chapters: 5/5

“Sleep deprivation,” Bruce whispers to Tony the next morning. “And maybe something else. I don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

Peter hears the words, but he’s too busy pacing to really process them.

@lemonlillybee

Fostering Hope  Series by happyaspie  The first and second stories are complete, and are amazing, but I hear there’s more to come!

Words: 96,213   Works:2   Complete:No

“Not much of a talker is he,” Tony casually stated, making Peter stomach churn with unease. He had no idea where the man was going with his assessment and wasn’t really sure how to properly defend himself. Thankfully, he didn’t have to.

“Peter has what they call selective mutism,” the social worker replied. “So, no. I suppose he’s not much of a talker.”

@yes-i-am-happyaspie

For We are Bound by Symmetry  by kingdomfaraway (21834 words) I love a good biodad AU, and this one has been fantastic so far!

Published: 2022-11-18    Updated: 2022-12-12   Words: 31840   Chapters: 6/?

“I know we just met, Peter, but Tony is just down the hall and so very excited to finally meet you."

She was wrong, of course, Tony Stark was not excited to meet him. If he was excited to meet him, he would have met him at some point in his 13 years of life. Not now, not only after he had nowhere else in the world to go. Now he’s just stuck with him, unable to pretend Peter didn't exist, as he'd done since the day he was born.

@asyouleft

Chase You Down Until You Love Me by OK_ButWhy1 (17448 words): Love love love love.

Published: 2022-06-25    Updated: 2022-11-29    Words: 29281    Chapters: 8/?

Just who is this teenage boy that Tony Stark takes to get ice-cream?

Peter-gets-outed-as-Tony's-kid trope. Featuring: paparazzi and public backlash, Pepper Potts being her gloriously competent self and teeth-rotting IronDad/SpiderSon fluff.

Irreplaceable by for_the_night (40044 words): This one is so sad, but so good!

Published: 2022-04-07   Updated: 2022-11-29   Words: 46193   Chapters: 11/?

It starts with a cancelled lab session. Then two. Then three.

When Peter finally plucks up the courage to ask what he’s done wrong, he finds another kid in the lab with Tony. The teen feels a pang of hurt seeing the pair laughing and joking together, but the fatal blow is seeing Tony ruffle the boy's hair.

Tony doesn’t hate Peter. He’s replaced him.

Men of Iron by spdrmain (41899 words) This one is super interesting! The author is doing a great job with this AU!

Published: 2022-10-24    Updated: 2022-12-04   Words:66672  Chapters: 8/?

At four years old, Nathan Stark, Tony's only son, was found dead months after being kidnapped. What happened to him during that time, and how he died remains a mystery. Ten years later, Ben Parker is shot dead under suspicious circumstances. His nephew, Peter, is adamant to catch his killer. Two deaths, a decade apart, and a war on the horizon - there lies only one truth.

 little pieces of home by  mysterycyclone and seekrest (14202 words): More Spideychelle than Irondad, but a really interesting take, pretty AU-ish, and very interesting so far!

Published:  2022-02-02   Completed: 2022-11-17    Words: 14202   Chapters: 5/5

“You still really suck at lying,” Michelle says. She checks her phone. “You’ve still got time for lunch before work, right?”

Peter checks his phone. Eleven in the morning. “Yeah, I totally have time.”

He doesn’t really have time, but he makes it. He has to make it.

He’s missed them. He’s going to make time for them.

@mysterycyclone @seek--rest

 the long game by niniblack (19377 words) This one is rough (for me), but so, so good so far.

Published: 2022-11-08    Updated: 2022-11-29   Words: 28447    Chapters:10/?

The biodad au where Peter gets arrested for selling drugs, and that actually improves his life.

@niniblack

The Grey Area by Lansfics7 (121895 words) Lansfics7 is hilarious, and this story is super interesting, and I’m definitely enjoying it!

Published: 2022-07-06   Updated: 2022-11-23    Words:121895   Chapters:10/?

Peter’s in college, rooming with his best friend Harry Osborn, crushing on his partner in crime, MJ, and making fast friends with Ned Leeds and Gwen Stacy. He's living the dream, interning at Stark Industries under a watchful eye of (mentor???) Tony Stark. But he has his hands full as Spider-Man with a gang spreading fear in the streets of New York, putting civilians at risk and bankrupting the city. Peter is determined to do whatever it takes to stop them, even if that means going in over his head when the web of lies and greed turns out to be way more than he signed up for.

Understanding the Spiderling series by AthingcalledR has been really great so far!

Words: 79,606  Works:2  Complete: No

Peter Parker is a homeless orphan who dedicates as much time as he can to helping the people of New York.

Then he gets hit by a car :D

As Tony Stark and Pepper Potts try to learn more about the troubled young man, Peter tries to reconcile himself with the painful act of letting people into his life.

@athingcalledr

but only hope and sorrows end by iron_spider Recently complete, and is insane, but amazing. Fantastic. Highly recommend!

This is going to be a rough one. It has a child in danger, kidnappings, experiments which feel like torture to those who are enduring them, and long periods of being trapped and presumed dead. It spans over a decade. It is a Hydra fic, an AU about the origins of Spider-Man and Iron Man. Please plan accordingly, but always know there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Published: 2022-03-16   Completed: 2022-08-17   Words: 126339   Chapters: 13/13

@iron--spider

Long Story Short (It Was A Bad Time) Or AIs Don't Forget by peacockgirl (70140 words): My one true love, haha. She’s been adding to this fantastic story, and every chapter is a treasure!

Published:  2021-12-21   Completed: 2022-12-07   Words: 77440    Chapters:14/14

Turns out magic doesn't affect AIs. Karen is Peter's only link to his old life, and helps him hold on when he gets low.

Meanwhile, in Upstate New York, Tony struggles with the inexplicable certainty that he's lost a kid.

Until Peter gets hurt, and Karen tells FRIDAY ...

Set in that wonderful AU world where Tony survives Endgame, and our boy (eventually) gets all the hugs he needs and deserves.

And, finally, a less recent author, not writing for Irondad anymore, but I just binged pretty much anything by Sahiya recently, and it's all amazing. (thanks @junker5 for that recommendation!)

[silvercaptain24]

Should I be working on my secret Santa, yes. But I had feelings…

Looking at his budget and realizing that he wouldn’t be able to give his brothers a Christmas was a sort of final straw. He shut down mentally and emotionally. He had work to do, that kept him distracted. Neither Urbosa nor Daruk would give him the hours he’d been working prior to getting sick, but it was enough to survive on for the moment. Working nearly every one of his brothers’ waking hours kept him from having to sit through his brothers hearing advertisements for games, or toys or books and knowing he wouldn’t be able to provide. It also distracted him from how empty their apartment was without decorations.

Two weeks to Christmas, everything was still empty. Paychecks went to rent and groceries. A knock at the door on his rare Sunday off startled him. He hurried to open the door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, that could only mean something bad...

There was no one on the other side, just the start of a snow falling outside. On the doorstep was a simple cardboard box, clearly worn and reused with labels scratched out and sporting several layers of tape. And on top was a simple handwritten note.

The first of many gifts

Wind and Four peeked around him and Wind braved opening the box. A bunch of fake pine needles broke their confines. A Christmas tree?

“Cool!” Wind pulled the tree out. It was a short 5-foot affair, but in the space they had, it was plenty. It already had lights and ornaments too, small wooden toy soldiers and other wooden ornaments featuring Santas and Reindeer and stars. In the bottom of the box was stockings, the tree skirt and a handful of assorted other decorations that once set up, added holiday cheer to their otherwise spartan living room. Warriors just sat and stared as the boys plugged in lights and lit up the tree. He looked back down at the note. It wasn’t handwriting he recognized. He knew generally what his boss's writing looked like, as well as the handful of coworkers he interacted with Day-to-day. It was too neat for either Twilight or Teba, too flourished for Sky… he sent a text on impulse to a number he’d acquired recently.

Thank you.

He included a picture of the newly decorated front window with the tree beside it, and the note.

Awww… that’s nice.

But it wasn’t us, Hon. came Malon’s reply. It came with a return photo of Malon and a candid-camera-style shot of Time with the building logo of one of local stables behind them. They clearly had been working judging by the water and the mud that showed on them both.

It was actually just the first. The second gift arrived while he was at work late the next day. He was on break when a photo came from Four of his two brothers wrapped in hats, scarves and gloves.

There’s a set for you too! Came Wind’s enthusiastic answer along with a picture of a set in royal blue. He had to put the phone down and stare up at the ceiling for a while to regain his composure. Their gift-er had even taken the time to find them in their favorite colors.

And it continued like that over the course of the next week and a half. Little things were dropped on their doorstep. Cookies and candies, oranges, new coats, snow boots (their benefactor replaced Warriors’s work shoes too), hot chocolate mix, and within a week of Christmas, other staples for Christmas dinner started to appear. Things Warriors hadn’t thought of getting with the last paycheck like pie, or a freaking ham. Meanwhile it was driving him spare, not being able to figure out who these were coming from. They always snuck away before he could answer the door and he couldn’t see them in the shadows by the window. Their landlord kept the walks clear enough he couldn’t even pick out footprints in snow for crying out loud. Everyone in Time’s family were all denying involvement. His bosses only said “if you find out, thank them for us. You needed a break, kid.” All he wanted to do was thank this person who he was quickly referring to as their “Christmas Angel.”

The 23rd, two days before Christmas, the gift came as a simple envelope. Inside was a small stack of cash and a simple note

For gifts for you and your brothers

And in the back, it continued

Please get yourself something too.

Merry Christmas

Hope you don’t mind

ORI’VOD

IM LITERALLY ABOUT TO SOB HERE OH MY WORD I

[bubblemoon66]

China Sorrows’ Backstory Headcanons [1/3]

I’ve never shared my headcanons about China’s youth and that is a tragedy that needs to be rectified immediately because I’ve probably got a more vivid image of her backstory than I do for any other character. 

This was written before I read UTE and isn’t canon compliant with it but I don’t really care about canon anymore soo....  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

TW for mentions of child abuse, sexism, death, cults, arranged marriage. 

China’s given name is Bébinn. She was born and grew up on a large estate in Westmeath, Ireland with her parents, brother and maternal grandmother.

China’s mother, Tristitia, was a natural omnilingualist. I.E. She’s an adept who can speak any language and didn’t get to choose her discipline.

Tristitia was born in Ireland, but her ancestry was mixed. There’s a lot of Irish, but the scorpion on the family crest can be traced through several empires all the way to ancient Babylonia.

She was an only child.

Her father, alongside his two brothers, died fighting by Mevolent’s side in the war against the Unnamed when Tristitia was young.

China’s father, Dì, was Han Chinese. He was a natural teleporter. His discipline meant he was well-travelled.

He had four siblings. Two older sisters, an older brother and a younger sister.

His family came from a long line of powerful sorcerers but had only relatively recently converted to the Church of the Faceless, so they didn’t have the same standing in the community until Dì and his siblings started marrying in.

Their marriage wasn’t exactly arranged, but it wasn’t a love-match either. It was just a practical choice among slim-pickings. They were both from old, distinguished, purist mage families. Their values aligned. Their families approved. They were both ready to start a family and figured their bloodlines mixing would beget some powerful kids. Also, they weren’t closely related, which was a real consideration. Faceless Ones worshippers like to marry within the church, so inbreeding is an issue.

The best word to describe their relationship is amicable.

After Bliss and China were born, both of them began affairs. Each had a vague idea about the other’s relationships. Neither minded so long as they were discreet and kept up the happy family facade in public. Basically, it was an open marriage with a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy.

Tristitia preferred short, torrid trysts.

Several of her affairs were with China and Bliss’ tutors. Several more were with family friends met through the Church of the Faceless.

Dì had a second family in his homeland. He spent a lot of his time with them.

Neither China nor Bliss ever recognised their father’s other children as siblings. They’ve never met and with the family crest and house coming from the maternal side of the family, they’re not really a part of the same legacy.

Overall, China’s and Bliss’ relationship with their parents was formal and distant. Their physical needs were taken care of by mortal servants, their education was left to hired sorcerers, and their moral instruction came from their maternal grandmother.

Tristitia cared for her children’s well-being but, in her mind, the best way to protect them was to enforce perfection. After all, they won’t be punished if they never misbehave. So, she just winds up parroting her own mother’s teachings but with less harsh punishments when the children’s behaviour deviates.

Dì was less strict than the other adults in the house (although compared to non-cult standards he’s still pretty strict) but defaulted to whatever rules his wife and mother-in-law set.

His affection for his children was expressed through gifts picked up on his travels.

China often received bolts of silk, jewellery and hair ornaments, calligraphy supplies and, when she was older, rare books.

Bliss was given weapons, musical instruments and mechanical curiosities.

The aforementioned grandmother was named Ishara.

She was fifteen when she married China’s grandfather.

They were first cousins once removed.

Their marriage was arranged and devoid of any affection.

She was a vitakinetic—a healer. Although she used her powers to inflict pain as much as take it away.

She also had a keen interest in botany and toxicology.

After the deaths of her husband and brothers-in-law, she became a matriarch who ruled the household with an iron fist. Life on the estate revolved around her will. Disobedience was swiftly and harshly punished.

Both Bliss and China (and Tristitia, during her early childhood) had their given names used against them prior to taking a name.

This is taboo, even among the Church of the Faceless.

Bliss was five when he took his name.

China took longer to escape that abuse; she was seven before she took a name.

The children’s education was excellent for the era. Subjects included grammar, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, geography, music theory, astronomy, dance, Latin, Greek, French and Mandarin.

Although China revived a much better education than most girls of the time, there was still sexism at play. When Bliss studied athletics, she was encouraged to focus on drawing and calligraphy.

They were taught by mages (and mages only) with an expertise in one or two subjects. The mages would stay with the family for a few months, tutor both children intensely, leave suggestions for practice exercises and further reading so they could peruse the subject further and then move on.

Having a teleporter in the family meant tutors could be from all over the world.

The content of lessons was carefully monitored by Ishara. In particular, history and philosophy were taught in a very limited way that meshed with the family religion.

Unbeknown to the rest of the family, Bliss convinced a couple of his tutors to privately debate ideas and share books created by mortals. He was interested in the wider world from a young age and not all their tutors were anti-mortal.

All the family held a low opinion of mortals, although the extent of their bigotry varied.

Ishara believed, and encouraged her family to believe, that mortals were basically animals; useful if well-trained but incapable of the same level of reason and emotion as a ‘person’. Soft-hearted sorcerers might grow fond of individual mortals, but they shouldn’t be afraid to put a poorly tempered one down.

This view was mainstream but not universal among The Church of the Faceless.

Sorcerer’s who took this teaching to its extreme, view sexual relationships with mortals as akin to bestiality.

The mortals who served on the estate were kept out of sight (and out of mind) as much as possible. They navigated the house through hidden passageways, kept their eyes to the ground and were commanded to never speak unless spoken to.

The family never really hid their magic from their servants (or other mortals who lived near the estate). They didn’t flaunt it or discuss magic with them, but they didn’t hide their differences either. They were too insignificant to make an effort for.

Half the nearby mortal population was convinced the family was secretly sidhe. The other half swore they’d made a deal with the devil. All avoided interacting with them as little as possible.

It’s canon that China’s family’s beliefs veered away from traditional Faceless teachings. For millennia, they believed their family was more special and more deserving than other followers. This wasn’t shared with anyone outside the family.

These beliefs were enforced by sermons held twice daily in the family’s private chapel and led by Ishara.

However, at least once a week (sometimes more, for festivities) the family would travel to the church Mevolent led to listen to him preach.

If Dì was home, they’d teleport. If he wasn’t, they’d travel by horseback and/or horse and carriage.

Racing Bliss on horseback through stretches of countryside is China’s fondest childhood memory.

This is also the family’s chance to socialise with other sorcerers. After listening to a sermon, it was common to linger in the church afterwards to talk about it or catch up on news. This usually led to an invitation to dinner with a fellow church-goer (and sometimes breakfast the next day if they lived in the opposite direction).

While the adults wined and dined, the children were left to entertain themselves. So, yes, China got to play typical childhood games like hide-and-seek and blind man’s buff with other kids. She also got to play some atypical childhood games like what’s-the-worst-thing-we-can-drop-down-the-meurtrière because all her playmates were murderers in the making.

Young China and Bliss were very close. They were each other’s primary emotional support growing up.

They had an ‘us versus them’ mentality where it was the two of them pitted against everyone else in the household.

They’d act as lookouts and alibis for each other when needed. Also, if one of them was being denied food as punishment, they’d sneak some in if they could do it without getting caught.

That said, they never directly stood up to their parents and grandmother in defense of the other. Doing so would have only resulted in them both being punished (and their sibling calling them a fool).

Bliss was the more protective of the two, mainly because he was four years older and was in a better possession to protect (although their individual personalities also play a role).

They didn’t always get along perfectly, but their childhood fights were rarely serious or long lasting. Most of the time, it was just name calling.

Like most members of their family, China and Bliss were naturals. They didn’t get to choose their discipline or experiment with any others. One type of magic came naturally to them, and that was it.

They were taught to believe that being a natural is a sign of favour from the dark gods.

China is a venerian—a sorcerer who can manipulate a person’s sense of attraction. It isn’t just limited to romantic, sexual and aesthetic attraction either. She also affects their sense of platonic and social attraction. People who don’t know her are inclined to trust her and have a desire to protect her. The effect isn’t as strong if you’re used to it or are prepared for it.

NB: Signum Linguistics (symbol magic) isn’t a discipline. It’s a separate skill that isn’t limited to sorcerers alone, although many sigils require magical energy to activate.

Although she would have never had admitted it aloud to anyone, during some of China’s darkest moments she questioned whether the only reason Bliss protected her during their childhood was because she manipulated him into it—tutelary is a type of attraction too.

Obviously, Bliss’ magic is enhancement. He’s physically stronger but also more agile, resilient, durable, and dexterous. His senses are more keen too, although this isn’t as noticeable as his strength.

China’s magic blossomed slowly. It wasn’t obvious she had any magic until she hit double-digits. Although once she and her family had figured out what her discipline was, they suspected she’d been using it unconsciously for some time.

Bliss’ magic was apparent from a young age. Think three-year-old stomping their foot and cracking a paving stone.

China had very little control over her magic when she was younger. It’s the reigning in that’s a problem. It’s hard for her not to attract others, and it only grew stronger with age.

Bliss had the same issue with his magic. It was hard for him to reign in his strength. He broke a lot of furnishings during a gawky adolescence by misjudging his strength.

China’s magic and her lack of control over it led to many awkward to downright dangerous situations in her youth.

It started with a lot of staring from her fellow church-goers in public.

Then, when she was fourteen, an older mage belonging to the same church as China begged her to run away with him. After she refused, he grabbed her arm, intending to make her come away with him. An eighteen-year-old Bliss broke his arm two seconds later, but the incident stuck with her.

After that, China was permitted to study fencing and other fighting techniques—something she’d always wanted to do but had been prevented from doing.

The other consequence was constant chaperoning. Admittedly, her social circle had always been carefully controlled, but this was different. Where before she could have socialised with the children of family friends freely, now, she had to sit with one of her guardians every time she left the estate.

Despite this, more incidents followed. Nothing as dramatic, but always uncomfortable. China quickly grows bitter about the discipline she wound up with. Unfortunately, complaining about magic gifted by the gods would have been regarded as blasphemy, so she had to keep quiet about her feelings.

As China’s power and admirers grew, Mevolent began taking note of her. He saw potential in her and the opportunity to mold her into something useful.

During a dinner they’re both guests at, he strikes up a conversation with her. It starts off with a lighthearted discussion about her education and an innocently presented comment about how he wishes he had more time to devote to his pet interest, signum linguistics. The conversions ends with Mevolent promising to loan China several books on the subject.

Right from the beginning, China excelled at signum linguistics. The subject came naturally to her. She had the right temperament, and her educational background in languages, geometry, and calligraphy helped immensely.

After she had the basics of sigil magic down, China started modifying the house. The tallow candles were the first to go—replaced by illuminating sigils. She creates other conveniences and then defenses. It wasn’t long before she moved onto tattoos though. That’s where her real interest lay.

Tattooing sigils onto herself became her way of reclaiming her body. When she was young, her discipline made her feel vulnerable. Sigil magic turned her body from a weakness to a weapon.

Mevolent was too busy to devote himself to tutoring China formally, but he checked in on her progress after his sermons and would offer advice over dinners.

Her family approve of China’s study; it’s a suitable interest for a noble sorceress. They approve of Mevolent’s attention even more so. They’re already high status in their community, but the attention of the charismatic leader only helps their standing.

Ishara attempts to arrange a marriage between Mevolent and China, but he politely refuses. He has his eye on Serafina. She’s a better match politically and personally.

China’s mostly relieved. She’s fifteen at this point and not ready for marriage. However, there’s a minor part of her that’s disappointed. Even in her teens the idea of power entices her and a marriage to Mevolent would have come with considerable power.

Around the same time China began studying signum linguistics, Bliss took up traveling. It started with days away with sorcerers he knows through the church who are of the same age. The trips grew longer the older he got. After the first year, he started going off on his own.

Dì encouraged him. Tristitia and Ishara were neutral—they considered it a normal part of a young male sorcerer’s development to go adventuring before they settle down.

China resented him for it, though. His increased freedom came at the same time her own was being restricted. He’s allowed to disappear for months at a time and she can’t even spend time with her childhood friends without a guardian present. And frankly, she was lonely without him in the house.

They fought more often at this point when Bliss was home because China didn’t know how to deal with her jealousy or express her emotions healthily.

Although none of the family was aware of it, Bliss’ time away was drawing him further away from their beliefs. He’d always been inclined to question what he was taught, but being exposed to other ways of thinking and living cemented what he’d suspected for a while—he’d grown up in an abusive cult.

[cloudwhisper23]

I've been wondering, do you have any ocs (other than fnaf ocs)? I've never seen you talk about them, do you have an orignal story that involves them? If so, do you have a favourite oc? I'd love to hear about them :0 (If you don't have any ocs, feel free to ignore this, I just assumed so because of the post you recently reblogged, haha TTwTT)

I do have a bunch of other ocs outside of fnaf! I'm just so deep in fnaf brainrot right now that I've probably only ever mentioned my other ocs like once or twice ever on this blog, but rest assured, they do exist

Currently I have three original stories in the making; each with their own set of wonderful characters. I have a somewhat dystopian story that has two main characters named Hunter and Trixx. Hunter is basically an assassin, and she only does it in order to protect her younger brother. Her reputation keeps them safe and all that. Trixx is really good at reading people. Or rather, he got good at reading people after his family was betrayed, leaving him to assume his entire family is dead. Despite the betrayals he's had in the past, Trixx is very reliable to those he considers trustworthy. The story itself centralizes around Hunter's younger brother getting kidnapped. She and Trixx team up to rescue him.

The second big story I have involves a somewhat realistic scenario. It exists more to help me practice normal interactions, while also helping me practice my restraint (because Lord knows how bad I am at not killing off characters). It focuses on four main characters: Max, Dakota, Coraline, and Sam. Max is the legal guardian of Dakota and Caroline (twin sisters), and he finds Sam out in the rain one day and just brings him home. It's hard to explain in a more general post like this, but I might be able to find my old notes somewhere and just post them on Tumblr at some point. The main storyline is mostly Sam trying to figure out where he fits into the world, without the pressures his parents kept trying to place on him. Sam ran away from home and was homeless until Max and his family took him in.

The third story hasn't had much proper work done to it yet. It's a science-fiction sort of thing, with a mix of fantasy thrown in there. The main character is an alien from another planet just trying to learn more about the planet he landed on. Problem is, one of the species that lives there does not trust the idea of aliens (human parallel, since we never tend to like unexpected new things). He ends up spending time in the forest with nymphs, and this whole situation starts a war. The main ocs from this one are Peregrine and Amaya. Peregrine being the alien explorer who now needs to find a way home, and Amaya being the main guide who helps him survive his experiences on the unfamiliar planet.

I am very much one to pick favorites when it comes to characters, especially when creating a new story. I'd say Trixx, Sam, and Amaya are my favorites from the aforementioned stories above, so I'll try to go more in-depth about them.

Trixx is not actually named Trixx. He determined rather quickly after his older sister Kristen was kidnapped (and is now presumed dead), that knowing something that intimate is dangerous. Trixx is actually named James. He decided on the name Trixx as an alias, so that the main gang controlling the city wouldn't realize he was the same kid whose older sister was a member of a rebellion of sorts. He worked hard on his ability to pick up on tiny gestures and expressions people would make in conversation, learning to read people like open books. Trixx uses this skill in his chosen field, selling information and secrets to anyone interested in the information. He develops a fondness for Hunter when she starts using him consistently as a source for information, and the fact that she never tries to cheat him doesn't hurt either. Trixx is sometimes known to outright lie about information if he believes he's being manipulated or scammed, so people do their best to stay in his good graces. Even then, he knows how to read their body language, and he'll end up scraping information out of the people he's selling information to.

Sam is the younger of two children. His mother is a well-off dentist, and his father is a high-paid lawyer. His older sister Emma is a doctor, and his family expects him to follow in their footsteps. Sam does not know what he wants to do with his life. He's used to all these expectations, so he tries different activities. Sam learns to cook, draw, play the guitar, sing, act, and all sorts of different skills. None of these are things that his parents believe he should continue doing in a career, however. So, a few days after he turns 18, Sam packs up some of his things and runs away. He ends up on the streets, avoiding everyone he possibly can. His parents have reported him missing, and Sam does not want to be trapped into a life he doesn't want, so he hides, eventually making his way out of the city and finding his way somewhere else. After a run-in with a thief, Sam meets Max, who offers him a place to stay after covering for him with the police. Sam tries to leave several times before realizing that he's better off with Max and his sisters. They don't have high expectations from him, and he already helps them so much with his wide range of skills and knowledge. He doesn't realize it right away, but he's meant for a career in family life, which is why nothing seemed to click before.

Amaya is a water nymph. Her whole existence comes with a multitude of expectations. Amaya's species reproduces asexually, meaning she's essentially a little copy of her mother. Her mother trained her to hone her various abilities, and now Amaya is expected to balance human relations along with all of her usual responsibilities in the village. She makes rain fall, calling thunderstorms on occasion, and sometimes she's called in on request to manipulate the weather for certain days of the year. Her priorities as a water nymph mean that she cannot travel very far. Little nymph villages are sprinkled all over the planet, and if she leaves to explore, it means all the expectations are fully placed on her mother. So, until Peregrine arrives, Amaya has not experienced the world at all. Of course, when the humans find out that they're harboring an alien, all their peace agreements go out the window, and suddenly Amaya is on her own, stuck with adventuring, despite knowing nothing about it.

[regardstosoulandromance]

review: the getaway list by emma lord

I’ll read anything Emma Lord writes. Her books are fun and charming, full of heart with just the right balance of humor and genuine enthusiasm for the world. Anytime I pick up a new one of her books, I know it will be a fun time, and The Getaway List was no exception. 

To my west coaster self, New York City is a fantasy land that only exists in Nora Ephron movies and novels by Meg Cabot and Emma Lord. To these writers, the city feels like a character itself, a setting so integral to the plot that trying to transplant the story anywhere else would make it fall flat. Emma Lord describes her most recent novel as not just a love letter to New York, “but my aggressively caps locked, mildly unhinged love scream to New York.”

The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.

Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

Riley and Tom’s relationship is the heart of the story. Best friends as children, they come up with the Getaway List as a sort of bucket list of goals. After being separated for years, they fall back together and rediscover their friendship through their list as they explore NYC together. While Riley’s mom is convinced that they rile each other up too much and are nothing but trouble, there’s a clear sense that these characters care for each other, even when they’re trying to be goofy. 

Tom’s frown only deepens. “Your knee is bleeding.”  “It’s okay,” I say, sitting up, “I’ve got another one.”

One of the major conflicts of the novel is Riley’s relationship with her mother. Up until the events of The Getaway List, Riley and her mom had a close relationship, especially since her mother was a single mom. But Riley’s mom not only opposes Riley going to New York, but Riley realizes that the reason she hasn’t been able to cubist Tom for years is because her mother is trying to keep them apart. Mother/daughter relationships are a recurring theme in Emma Lord’s books and I liked how it was done here. 

Another thing I greatly enjoyed in The Getaway List was the side characters. Each character added color to the story, all unique and memorable from aspiring writer Luca to coder Mariella to band member/swiftie Jesse. Despite the full cast of characters, they were introduced organically and fully fleshed out. 

The only thing that kept this book at a four star instead of five, for me, was that it uses the childhood friends to lovers trope. This is entirely a personal preference, I rarely enjoy friends to lovers and almost never enjoy childhood friends to lovers. But it was well done in The Getaway List, the build up of Riley and Tom’s relationship on the page and their eventual romance was sweet. 

Maybe New York felt like the place to run to, but really, that somewhere was in me this entire time. 

The Getaway List was a delightful romp through New York City. Although marketed as Young Adult, it straddles the line between YA and New Adult well, featuring teenage characters coming into their own. I greatly enjoyed it. 

[billconrad]

I’m Responsible for Everything

    In my junior year of college, I was struggling. It was because I had poor teachers, no girlfriend, unfocused studying, and complex subjects. I nearly dropped out of college but wanted to try one more year.

    That was the summer of 1990, and a commercial for the book Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard blasted the airwaves. It promised to answer all of life’s questions, and I picked up a copy. The book was confusing, contradicting and did not help my situation, but there were life-enhancing tidbits. The author included contact information for local Scientology offices.

    I set up an appointment since my life was spiraling into the drain. They directed me to a chiropractor’s office (he allowed them to use the building at night), and the people explained all about Scientology and how it could help.

    I signed up for one introductory course, which included lessons, exercises, group activities, and one-on-one conversations to explain their philosophy. The course had badly Xeroxed pages with well-used reference books and passionately dedicated people.

    I got a lot out of these sessions and obtained a new focus on life. The following school year, I hit the books hard. My grades turned around, and I felt much better about life. Continuing my self-improvement journey was natural, and I contacted them for more courses.

    They no longer borrowed a chiropractor’s office; the new location was in an elegant downtown office building. They had replaced the badly Xeroxed pages, well-used books, and friendly people with slick workbooks, many new books, high prices, creepy people, and a distrusting atmosphere. I signed up for one expensive course and stopped after four sessions. Did they call me and ask why? No, they got their money.

    Would I recommend Scientology to address your problems? If you could travel back to 1990 and have the same experience as I did, yes. Today, I would not recommend going near the organization because it has twisted into a monster about money, power, control, and mental dominance. Stay away! Yet, I think there is room for a rebirth. Take the good parts, add great people, and leave the monster behind. We could call it Hubbard’s witnesses:)

    It is now 2023, which provides some perspective. How much of this knowledge do I use/practice in my present life? That is tough to answer. My 1990 life lacked focus, and the course was just what I needed. The combination helped build my mental foundation, and like my house’s foundation, I think little about it.

    Yet, I have recently considered one of their lessons, “I am responsible for everything.” The intent was for the student to visualize taking on their lives. If you see a problem, fix it! What about world hunger? If it is important enough for you to be aware of the topic, contribute to the solution. What about the other million things wrong in this world? Please make a list and start working on it. The point was not to give up, but I never comprehended their approach because it was too big. How can I be responsible for everything?

    Well, I want to take another whack at it. The lesson intends to identify all problems and cause you to do something about them. Directly take on the challenge and stop being on the sideline. That is undoubtedly good advice, but the problem is the execution. World hunger? The Ukraine War? All the upcoming movies look awful?

    Even if I focused 100% of my entire life on one of those big issues, I would only make a minuscule difference. Such an approach would set me up for failure because I could never live up to my responsibilities. Yet, I now understand this was not the point. The point is to take on personal responsibility by identifying what is an essential responsibility.

    World hunger may be at the bottom of the list, but there is something minor I can accomplish. At the supermarket, they have food for kid’s programs. Every time I shop, I could put in a dollar. Fix what I can fix. To do so, I need confidence so I will not back down. Is that good? Improving one’s life is always good.

    That was the point, but they could have done better with that lesson. Form a list of responsibilities and a plan for each. Yet, being responsible for everything is a smack in the face. It is too difficult. The Bible, science, philosophy, and laws have similar confusing areas. They apply flat concepts that sound simple yet are deeply complex. Religious scholars, scientists, philosophers, and lawyers spend their entire lives trying to understand the true meaning of these powerful principles. With wisdom, one will appreciate that the journey is more important than the destination.

    In 1990, I did not think I appreciated the concept of enormous responsibility because I did not have life experiences. Raising a child was indeed a new level of responsibility. I now think this concept is getting onto the lifetime path of being a more caring person. In retrospect, I have been on the responsibility journey all along. These milestones include graduating college, getting a job, living independently, having my family, and passing life lessons to my daughter. Plus, there is writing. I must take care of my characters and readers. Yet, I have the endless freedom to invent a new race or language. I could even travel back in time to fix a mistake. That’s kind of cool, but a lot of responsibility.

    You’re the best -Bill

    December 27, 2023

    Hey book lovers, I published four. Please check them out:

    Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.

    Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.

    Cable Ties. A slow-burn political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.

    Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.

    These books are available in soft-cover on Amazon and eBook format everywhere.

[jeremy-ken-anderson]

It's Gotten Worse

I've given up on The World After the Fall.

Back when Game of Thrones was starting to get big as a book series, I got to the Red Wedding in book 3 and I gave up on it. My take on things was that the emotional center of the series was "will the Stark family reunite?" as a question, and that question had been answered in the cruelest way possible about four times in a row by that point. A resounding, "No." *whack* "No." *whack* "No." *whack* "No." *whack*

Imagine George standing at a table with a cleaver, saying that, and bringing the cleaver down on something that crunches wetly just out-of-frame.

Anyway.

It felt to me as if the premise of the series as laid out in the first book wasn't still at all where it was going, and didn't care to invest emotional energy in new tissue-paper humans who would be ripped apart in the author's hands and thrown in the garbage at a moment's notice.

The characters - (except the witch, seriously I feel like I misread something, she was a main character and then just got written out of the story; I don't even remember a goodbye or a death or a "no, it's better if I don't find her again" or anything) - have proven a little more durable in The World After the Fall...but I have a lot of the same sensation. The comic is up to its third or fourth premise; its third or fourth new vibe, and I don't think the author realizes how much it costs the comic every time it changes gears that way.

The genie was let out of the bottle like two years ago in the comic, and the author's been trying to shove it back in for the entire time since, and the genie's not going back in the bottle but it is getting more and more ugly and squidging around the author's hands in much the same way as this metaphor's squidging around mine.

It's still a really pretty comic, I appreciate the "fight against a broken world" vibe the author's currently trying to run with as the plot's core, and I do feel like it has better legs than the things he bounced from to get where he is...but I find I can't get over those first stories and the consequences he's trying to ignore from them.

And, like, boy do I get it.

I was writing an isekai and it ran like,

Chapter 1: Dude wakes up in his magic tower with his magic generals and starts trying to figure out how dangerous the new world he's in is.

Chapter 2: Something - probably the same force that shoved dude into the body of his videogame character among his magic generals that he'd made up in the videogame - decides that dude having a tower full of magic generals is unsporting to the rest of the world (almost certainly a reactionary opinion to my having recently watched Overlord at the time) and puts them all into stasis and de-powers dude.

Chapter 3: Dude goes into town and accidentally kills the reprehensible nobleman's son by scratching said son with his own magic soul-sucking dagger, then uses mind magic to MIB "flashy-thing" the bar and make his escape.

Chapter 4: Dude turns himself into a kid to preserve mana and gets picked up from the street by a caretaker at an orphanage. He finds out about a plot to use orphaned kids as mana batteries through a program that sends them to a school from which they don't return. Which isn't suspicious yet, because they haven't been gone from the orphanage that long, except to our dude because he's from our world and therefore very genre-savvy.

Chapters 3 and 4...There's the start of a plot there! There's a character at a reasonable amount of power - interesting magic, limited mana pool, a problem-solving style that is much more about finesse than force (which makes it kind of a bad match for Shounen manga but while that's often how I picture such stories in my head I'm not actually a manga-ka), and a threat that can continue to scale with our hero's capabilities (dealing with the nobleman whose son he killed, then the guy who commanded him to start taking orphans, then the entity or group that set up the entire scheme)

Chapters 1 and 2 have nothing to offer the story except limitations, rules that are hard to live up to, goals that will contradict or seem like they should override the goals of the mainline plot, and a whole lot of "why doesn't he just" questions that I honestly have no answers to. If I'd been writing this as a serial manga and releasing it, I'd be in the same position when I came up with chapters 3-4 of my idea as the author of the manhwa I'm dropping is in now.

When I say I get it I mean I really get it.

But that's not a reason for me to keep reading.

I don't want to yuck your yum if you like the series. The art is seriously impressive. And - perhaps the hardest part to say, for me, because it sounds mean - while I don't like the writing personally due to what feel to me like structural flaws, I also get the sense that the author cares about writing well. It's not a sure shot for success for the series' continuation or conclusion, but it's a hell of a lot better than an author who doesn't, right? There's a much better chance that the writing will continue improving. I wish the author felt free to make a clean break and just start a new series with the ideas he now has clarified, because I think that story would be better for being whole, just as I will start my story with "chapter 3" if I ever try to get it out of my head and into a real publishable format.

[carlageddon]

I’ve not set foot in a Games Workshop in 26 years...

...so long in fact, it’s not called Games Workshop any more. It’s called Warhammer... and it’s not just the name that’s changed.

So as mentioned in a previous post. I was a “child of the 90s” I used to love going into the Games Workshop and looking at all the cool reasonably priced sets (I still couldn’t afford to buy), choosing that one blister pack from either Space Marines or Orks. Looking at the fantastic painted up miniatures on display and then watch the clinically insane staff explain some bizarre rules or history whilst dancing around the store and waving thier arms about, as terrified children watched in horror wondering if they would ever make it out alive... Brilliant. You could go in and ask for help if you were trying to paint something (remember this sentence... It’s important for later), the staff would open up a pot of paint, grab a paint brush, yell something at an unsuspecting child and then calmly show you quick tutorials on how to achieve what you were after. 

Back then we only had about a dozen paints and a handful of Inks. Inks... these were for the real pro’s.

Also the games were never easy to get into. Games Workshop was great for being able to get together and the crazy staff would teach you how to play

From what I remember there were only about four games out, Warhammer (Fantasy), Warhammer 40,000 (now called “2nd Gen”), Man ‘O War (the one with boats) and Epic... (Warhammer 40K but really really tiny). I think Necromunda was just coming out by the time I stopped with the hobby.

Sadly, after all these years I’ve still never played any of these Games.

So we fast forward a few decades... to 2022. I’m a little balder... a bit older... and a whole lot fatter. However I had recently picked up 90s HeroQuest from a Charity shop, I’ve brought a 3D Printer, I’ve gotten back into miniature painting, and I’m excited about the hobby again. 

I’ve often made the mistake of remembering things from my childhood and thinking how brilliant they were, then being massively disappointed at how shit those things actually were, I think the term is “looking through rose tinted glasses”. Do you remember Saturday morning Cartoons? That Garbage Pail Kids movie? Walkmans and VHS cassettes? I ‘member.. 

However. The Hobby of Miniature Painting is just as good if not better (for the most part) of what I once remembered.

So all this I decided to go to my local Games Workshop, sorry, Warhammer store. Keen to look at what the latest figures they do and get talking to what I am hoping is going to be a crazy member of staff, that likes to talk about the old days.....

So, here I go. How much money am I going to spend, shall I pick up the latest ‘edition’ of Warhammer 40K, I see there is a new game, KillTeam, maybe I’ll buy a box set of that instead? I’m genuinely excited to go speak.. to... the....

.....turns out the guy running the store is a asshole. A miserable. Grumpy. Stroppy.  Asshole.

Now I wanted to keep this blog positive. However, I’m going to go on this one rant. 

As I start talking to the manager of the store, I mention that I hadn’t been in a Games Workshop store in over 20 something years. He had zero interest, and points out, it’s not called that any more.

I mention, jokingly, that the prices are some what different to when I last brought a pack of 10 Space Marines. He then went on about how the prices of everything since the 90s had massively increased, that it was called inflation... and started listing everything that had increased in price “House, Cars, Food”

I was started to get annoyed at this point. It was just a joke.. I’m well aware on how inflation and the ******* economy works...! 

No.... I won’t get angry. I’ll just move on... 

I mentioned about old HeroQuest. Again. No interest. 

I mentioned about getting in 3D Printing which is why... oh 3D Printing is taboo in Games... in Warhammer stores then. 

I asked if they still have gaming sessions. He replies that “you have to book it, it’ll be during the week day”, I pointed out, that I work during the day.. his attitude... well that’s tough then. 

 I asked if they still did the painting sessions. He pointed to this young lad that looked up from the desk, saying that’s what “Grethcin” (or what ever his name was) was sat doing, like I should of known this.. the kid looked up, dazed and confused. I asked “Are you OK, and to blink twice if he is being held captive, do you know where you are?....” the manager of the store got stroppy again. “He is fine ! He’s just Concentrating on Painting” talking like an abusive husband. He went on. “We can show you some painting. However you have to bring your own miniatures, and they have to be Warhammer, none of this HeroQuest, those are not Warhammer figures!! and also you have to provide your own paints. AND they have to be Citadel Colour paints as well, because I have special medical solutions, if you ingest any paint then I am qualified to help....!”

*snap* “...JESUS.. FUCKING.. CHRIST.. I haven’t lived over 40 years by drinking paint!” I replied. Getting a tad frustrated with the attitude of this store manager. He goes on, can see he’s annoyed me, and starts trying to justify his attitude about his attitude. Before I got to angry, I said, “I’ll just leave it then.. I won’t bother now” and left.

I was so angry, that it almost.. almost.. put me off the entire hobby. 

Not long after, a couple of weeks, I go into a different Games... I mean Warhamme.. no.. you know what.. I don’t care what the sign above the door says, it’ll always be Games Workshop to me. (I also still call Morrisons, Safeway). I go into a different Games Workshop, because I wanted to get some paints, started chatting to the Manager there..... Defenses are up..... breathe... “Just. Want. To. Buy. Paint. ....I bet this guy is also an assho... wait. The manager of the Gloucester store is Awesome!!”

 We had a laugh for ages. We chatted about how things were in the 90s and all the things that had changed. He helped pick out a load of paint. We stood there and went through an old White Dwarf magazine I’d just found in a Charity shop, from ‘94  I mentioned about the previous guy in the local Games Workshop, barely through my sentence and he said “Ah. That’s Will.. yeah.. he’s.. erm..” He instantly knew who I was on about and had to stop himself from saying anything bad. He invited me back to the shop during the weeks or late nights said he’d show me some games and if I ever had any questions to get in touch with him. 

What a nice guy. It had gone from one manager making me almost turn my back on the hobby to another manager making me glad I didn’t.

I have been back a couple of times to my local store. I’ve learn’t not to get in to a conversation with the asshole. Just get the bits I need, or better yet.. wait till I go to Gloucester... 

and I’m still none the wiser on how to play any of the games.

[babymiscreant]

okay so i'm going to try this for the first time. i made this so that i have one prompt for every day i'm in classes. i intend to stick with it, but i'll do my best. you also don't need to do this in the spring, there's nothing actually tying it to spring.

aim

i'm really just making this for me (and anyone else who'd like to do it) to kind of take a break at the end of the day.

i also really want to get into creating content, so i am hoping this is a way to kind of ease into it.

rules

if you do the challenge, use the tag #spring sem study challenge so i can see your posts.

this challenge will run from january to april for me

that being said, i wrote prompts for each day that i have classes for the spring semester. there's 60 prompts total, with a check point on day 30. that way if you want a shorter challenge you can have one.

i don't expect everyone to be able to post every day, so you can post catch-ups or answer in batches. i will be trying my best to post daily, but will likely end up needing to do catch-ups.

also i'll be adding a song of the day as well as what book i'm currently reading. i might include my workout for the day but who knows.

if you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask!

prompts

day one: what do you hope to accomplish by doing this challenge?

day two: what is your major and what classes are you taking this semester?

day three: what is your favorite weather to study in?

day four: how many books do you want to read this semester? this year?

day five: what is your favorite place to eat on campus?

day six: what is your favorite habit you’ve picked up since being in college?

day seven: share a youtube channel or podcast that inspires you

day eight: what are somethings you’d like to save up to purchase?

day nine: what made you take these classes this semester?

day ten: what is your favorite thing to drink and snack on while studying?

day eleven: how was your day?

day twelve: what is your dream coffee table book?

day thirteen: are there any other languages you’d like to learn?

day fourteen: what are you reading now?

day fifteen: what interesting fact have you learned recently?

day sixteen: what was your favorite subject as a kid?

day seventeen: share a random fact about yourself

day eighteen: where do you see yourself in 5 years?

day nineteen: what is your best feature?

day twenty: what makes your major beautiful / interesting?

day twenty-one: what class are you focusing on most today?

day twenty-two: what color do you associate with your major?

day twenty-three: if you could, what is something you’d tell your younger self?

day twenty-four: what is the last book you read?

day twenty-five: when you’ve had a long / bad day, what makes you feel better?

day twenty-six: what is something you plan on learning to do?

day twenty-seven: what’s a movie related to your major that you enjoy?

day twenty-eight: do you have any study methods you prefer?

day twenty-nine: what is your favorite genre to read? and why?

day thirty: you’re halfway through so its time for a check-in! are you moving towards your goals set on day one?

day thirty-one: if you were to change your major, what would you change it to and why?

day thirty-two: what is your favorite song within your study playlist? what is it in general?

day thirty-three: what made you pick your major(s) and minor(s)?

day thirty-four: what is your favorite book? who is your favorite author?

day thirty-five: where would you like your major to take you?

day thirty-six: do you have any hobbies or special talents?

day thirty-seven: what are some things you like about your university?

day thirty-eight: what is a book you expected to love but ended up hating?

day thirty-nine: what are some things on your todo list that you checked off today?

day forty: which do you prefer: digital devices and online platforms or notebooks and books? and why?

day forty-one: what media related to your major do you recommend?

day forty-two: share five books from your wishlist

day forty-three: do you have a “wow that’s so cool” moment from your major?

day forty-four: what is your favorite pen or pencil?

day forty-five: what is your favorite thing about your major?

day forty-six: what article or video have you seen recently that fascinated you?

day forty-seven: where and when do you get most of your work done?

day forty-eight: what is your favorite topic within your classes?

day forty-nine: what do you find difficult within your classes?

day fifty: share a picture of your day

day fifty-one: if you were to describe your classes in one word, what would that word be?

day fifty-two: what does your nighttime routine like?

day fifty-three: what is one of your favorite memories about your time in college?

do you like video games? what's a game you've wanted to play for a while? what's the last game you've played?

day fifty-five: when you hang out with friends, what do you usually prefer to do?

day fifty-six: what's your favorite stationery that you own?

day fifty-seven: what's your daily, weekly and monthly planning method? How detailed are you with it?

day fifty-eight: what does your morning routine look like?

day fifty-nine: rank your courses from this semester

day sixty: reflect on the challenge / semester

[queenimmadolla]

OKAY OKAY FOR PENNY AND DAD!EDDIE

So reader is baking cookies for Penny to take in her lunch and she steps out and asks them to take them out for her. Big mistake. Reader comes back to find Eddie and Penny red handed and there are like two cookies left so now she has to make a whole new batch :/

loved writing this one and hope everyone likes the new addition to the fam ;) steve’s SO is implied to be another character from (CYM) but i also like the idea of inserting readers into the scenario with him which is why no name or description is provided. happy reading, and PLEASE let me know if you like it. as always, reblogs are appreciated!!! took a little inspiration from look who’s talking :)

Cookies ‘n Clean - Fall of ‘91 (young parents!Eddie Munson x fem!reader)

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

summary: if anyone had told you you’d be having this type of conversation with a four year old while making cookies, you definitely wouldn’t have believed them. and eddie still can’t say no to your daughter.

warnings: fluff, talk of assigned sex and gender identity (keep in mind, this conversation is with a child so it may not be as in depth as some would like, it is also based on a conversation i had with my little nephew), mentions of colic, judgement free zone

word count: 2.4k+

“Shit,” You mumbled, hurriedly wiping your hands of any dough on a kitchen towel before rushing over to where the phone rang on its holder.

“Hello?” You spoke into the receiver, shouldering the phone before you went back to mixing the chocolate chips with the dough in the large bowl over the counter.

“Hey!” Your best friend’s voice sounded a bit faraway, like she’d stepped away from the phone while she rang you and rushed back once you’d picked up. “Sorry if you’re busy—wait, are you busy?”

“Uhhh,” You glanced around at the kitchen counter, covered with baking materials and flour. The floor looked no better, the flour fall out on the floor had tiny little handprints pressed into it, baby Wayne had been working on a masterpiece before Eddie came to the rescue and hauled him off for a bath. Penny had gone with him, having given herself the title of Daddy’s Little Helper. Penny’s first day of preschool was tomorrow, and you had wanted to make her some cookies, what with how big of a fucking deal it was that your four year old was approaching her school days. It kind of scared you, actually. “No, not really. Why? What’s up?” “I’m pretty sure Winnie’s got colic, she’s down for a nap right now, but I was hoping I could borrow that book you had about it. I’m going crazy over here, I feel so bad when she’s screaming like that, and Steve starts crying whenever she cries.” Of course Harrington would, he was big softie for his newborn.

“Yeah, of course. Let me just put these cookies I’m making into the oven, and then I’ll bring it over.” You could hear the heavy sigh of relief she heaved.

“Thank you so much. I owe you one.”Once you’d hung up, you finished mixing everything together and began placing the cookie dough on the parchment covered baking sheet.

“Eddie?” You called out into the hall before returning to the kitchen to slide the cookies into the oven and setting the timer. He appeared at the hallway entrance, leaning against the wall and holding the baby coddled in a comically large towel with Penny in tow.

You snapped yourself out of your stare—God, seeing that man with kids, especially your own, would never fail to get you going—and Eddie gave you a knowing smirk.

“I’m gonna run a book over to casa de Harrington, I put the cookies in the oven already, can you just take them out when the timer goes off?”

“I think I can manage to do that. Not a hundred percent sure, but I’ll give it a go.” He teased, as you made your way over to give him a smooch, you could smell the baby shampoo he’d used on your son.

You turned your attention to your baby in his arms, just a little over a year old. Ever the grump, he didn’t appear too happy with the event he’d been recently subjected to. Though, he never looked like he enjoyed most things. He had his dad’s natural poker face. Always looked slightly intimidating until you started talking to him. “Mama will be right back, Waynie.” You cooed, pressing a kiss to his chubby cheek as your fingers danced gently against his little stomach rolls to tickle him. His grumpy face immediately split into a wide smile, you could see the four little teeth he had along with a new one that was starting to break through his gums.

He giggled and went to reach for you, face immediately dropping back into a scowl as if to say ‘why would you even tease me like that?’ when you forced yourself to step away. If you picked him up, you’d never leave.

Penny locked her arms around your legs in a quick farewell hug before she went back to asking her dad a stream of questions (her latest fad, she had to know the reason behind everything) related to why ‘Way’ got to pee in the bath and she couldn’t. The last thing you heard—and you made sure not to stick around too long after that—was, “Daddy, how come Way has a wom down thewe? I don’t go one of dose. Did I? Does it fa’ off?” Good luck, baby.

About an hour later, much longer than you had thought you’d be away, you finally made it back home.

Winnie had woken up a little into what was supposed to be your quick drop off, and boy did that baby like to scream and cry. You felt bad watching the new parents struggle so you’d attempted to help, trying to sooth her while Steve squeezed in a quick shower and your friend had disappeared to pump. Poor thing looked like her boobs were gonna pop any second, and not that there even was a good way, but it wasn’t in the good way.

They’d both returned at the same time, ready to take on their daughter as you coached them in how to position her and gave them some other new parent advice. Ironic, what with you having become a mother pretty young. You opened the front door, lips pursing at the immediate sight that greeted you, thanks to the position of the kitchen being directly in front of it.

“Seriously?” Penny beamed at you from her seat at the table, wiggling in her booster seat. “Hi, mama! Wook! Daddy and me and are eatin’ cookies!”

“I can see that,” You mused, eyeing the nearly empty baking sheet before them. Of course Eddie hadn’t bothered putting them on a plate.

Eddie at least had the decency to appear sheepish, as he finished off the cookie in his mouth. “Hi, baby, how’d it go?” An obvious attempt to distract you.

“Fine, Harrington’s got his handful over there. Remind me to ask him in a couple of months if he still wants five more of them. Hey, by the way, what the f—’’ You trailed off, eyeing your innocent four year old and the baby paying not even an ounce of attention in his highchair. “—udge, man. Where are the cookies??”

He rubbed the back of his neck, biting back a smile.

“Between me and Little bitty pretty one,” Penny giggled at the use of one of the nicknames her daddy had given her. It was her favorite, and Eddie could clearly tell, grinning over at her in response. “Gone, I’m so sorry babe. I took a bite of one, she asked for one, and then we just couldn’t stop.” Penny gave him a look that made him sigh. “Alright, fine. I couldn’t stop.” He’d cut her off after three, already not eager for how difficult it was going to be to put her to bed tonight. And the night before her first day of preschool—he knew full well he’d cry when they’d drop her off—she was just so hard to deny. Eddie blamed that on you, if she didn’t look so much like you, he’d have an easier time saying no.Obviously, you loved your husband and your family dearly. But you were incredibly annoyed, you didn’t like to use pre-made cookie dough often, yours was made out of scratch (and clearly why Eddie hadn’t been able to restrain himself or Penny) meaning you’d have to do it all over again so Penny would have them for tomorrow.

With a sigh, you grabbed your still dirty apron from the hook it was placed on and slipped it back on, tying the strings around your waist. “It’s fine, I’ll make some more.” The guilt must have been seeping in because Eddie immediately stood up and made his way to your side, “I’ll help! It’ll be faster that way, and I wouldn’t mind learning how to make them myself.”

“Me, too! I can help, too, mama!” Penny comically pushed her seat back from the table and Eddie went back over to help lower her down. “I can mix!”

He laughed as he picked her right back up and placed her back in her seat. “Then you need to be at the table to do that, sweetheart.”

“See, we got a whole little bakery going on—Hey!” Eddie managed to move aside, just barely avoiding the baby spoon flung at him. His eyes followed the direction it had come from, smirking in amusement at his son’s poker face. Wayne hadn’t appreciated seeing you upset, and being a mama’s boy, had stepped up to defend you.

Or maybe he just felt left out. He was still a mama’s boy nonetheless. You walked over, pulling him out of his high chair, “Aw, Waynie baby wants to help, too. So sweet. Can mama have a kiss?”

You raised him to your face and he immediately placed his little hands on the side of your face to give you a drooly kiss, or rather his version of a kiss. He kind of just tried to nom on your face.

“Not sure how throwing utensils at me is offering to help, but he’s cute so I’m gonna let him get away with it.” With one last kiss to his head, you ran your hands through his curls—he had fluff on the sides of his head, but most of his curly hair ran down the center of his head, giving him something of a curly mohawk which his dad adored—before handing him over to Eddie, while you raided the cabinets for more ingredients.

Eddie helped shift some of the bowls around before a realization dawned on him and he groaned. “They’re both gonna need a bath after this."

That seemed to catch Penny’s attention, she piped up from her spot at the table, “OH YEAH, DADDY! How comes I don’t have uh penis?”

You did a double take, blinking hard over at her before you turned to your husband who was already watching you with a smirk. “You still haven’t told her?”

“Oh no,” he laughed, and so did Wayne, though he only did it because he was amused with his dad laughing. “We agreed that if we had a boy I would explain it, and if we had a girl, you would explain it to her. There’s our girl, honey.”

You shoulders slumped in defeat. Damn, you did remember saying that. “I’ll remember this,” you threatened, all smiles despite the circumstances.

“She’s waiting, hon.” He kissed the top of your head, still chuckling as he moved to open the fridge and grab the butter with the arm that wasn’t holding Wayne. “You don’t have a penis, because you were born with different parts. See, mommy has the same thing as you. But daddy has a penis, just like Wayne.”

It looked like the wheels were turning in her head. “ ’S because Way is a boy and imma girl?” You could tell Eddie was trying to act like he wasn’t actively listening, but there was only so many times he could open and close the fridge when most of the ingredients are already out on the counter.

“In this case, yes. But not always, sometimes boys have penises, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes girls have vaginas—that’s what ours are called—and sometimes they don’t. What we have down there doesn’t always make us a boy or a girl. Sometimes it doesn’t make us either. It all depends on the person, and who we are.” You grabbed the little bowl containing a little bit of extra dough you had from earlier, and a bag of chocolate chips, setting them down in front of her with a wooden spoon. If anyone had told you you’d be having this type of conversation with a four year old while making cookies, you definitely wouldn’t have believed them.

Penny immediately picked up the spoon, waving it around in the air. “So I can be a boy?” “Of course, if that’s who you are, absolutely.” You poured a couple of chocolate chips into the bowl, and made a mental note to watch her while she mixed it when she began eyeing the chocolate chips with longing.

“O’ a girl?” “Yup. You can be a girl.”

“Whatuf I dunwana be a girl o’ boy?”

“Then you don’t have to.” “Whatuf I wanna be boff?” “Then you can be both.” “Okay! I few wike imma girl wight now. ’S dat okay?”

You loved her innocence so much, there wasn’t an ounce of judgment in her little body, she was so accepting. It scared you to be sending her into the real world like this, where you had no real way of keeping her away from the negativity, where she’d be exposed to it. But you and Eddie were determined to raise her to be a good person, regardless of who she turned out to be once she truly began to discover things for herself. “Yes, baby. You can be whoever you want. Just remember, no matter what, you’re always gonna be my baby.”

Penny seemed to be losing interest in the topic as she had started to mix the chocolate chips in with the spoon. “Wook, mama! Imma cook!”

“Yes, you are. And if you don’t steal out of the bowl, you can lick the spoon.” You could tell she wouldn’t be trying to eat the cookie dough with that promise having been made so you returned to your place by Eddie’s side. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He was staring at you in awe, a small smile on his face as he cradled Wayne to his chest. Apparently, he was daddy’s boy for the moment, snuggling right into Eddie.

“I just really lucked out with you. Really glad I knocked you up.” “You’re so romantic.” “I’m also stealing a lot of what you just said, by the way. It was really good and I wasn’t too sure of how I was gonna explain it when he starts asking questions. Thanks, honey. There’s a ton of butter in that, by the way, I got pretty distracted.” “That’s okay, I’m planning on getting distracted while you try to bathe the both of them later.” “That’s fair,” He grinned, leaning in for a kiss. Wayne babbled in protest as he was squished between your bodies.

Two hours later, the cookies were plated and cooling on the counter.

You and Eddie were both kneeling in front of the bath, shirts absolutely soaked due to some heavy splashing as you made sure Penny and Wayne were squeaky clean. “I knew you didn’t mean it.” His lips were curled up into a smug smirk.

“Shut up.” You laughed, squeezing your eyes shut when Wayne began to slap his hands on the surface of the water again. “God, I love you.”

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Won’t You Stay: Premiere Timestamp

Summary: It’s been four years since Jensen and the reader met and they’re celebrating the premiere of the The Dark Place, the last book in the series turned movie but the reader has one more surprise for Jensen when it comes to Lyle Sullivan…

Masterlist

Pairing: Jensen x Director!reader

Word Count: 3,000ish

Warnings: language

A/N: Please enjoy!

_____

“Hey, kids,” said your dad. You and Jensen turned your heads away from where you’d just finished with an interview. You walked over and turned to face the flurry of cameras that went off, the three of you standing and smiling back. “See, fourth premiere, you two finally got the hang of this.”

“She nearly threw up in the car,” said Jensen, talking through his smile.

“That was you,” you said, slipping away to let the photographers get some of the two of them. You swapped back and forth a few times before you got most of the shots you thought they’d want, Jensen tucking a piece of hair that had fallen behind your ear. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a bobby pin, sticking it back in place. “Smart man.”

“I picked that one up from Lyle,” he said, kissing your cheek, cameras going off again. “I will never get used to that.”

“Good,” you said, tugging him along when you saw the next batch of interviewers down the line. “We’re almost done and then we can get some of those buffalo chicken stick things.”

“That’s my girl,” he chuckled. You let Jensen take the lead over. Most of the time they wanted to talk to him. He was the hot young leading man after all. You didn’t get too many questions about directing or writing at the premiers which was fine. The quicker you could get inside and out of view was better in your opinion.

“Hey guys!” said the reporter and you smiled, remembering her from the first premier.

“Trisha right?” you asked, the woman looking surprised and laughing.

“How’s the baby? You were having a little boy weren’t you?” asked Jensen. She smiled and shook her head.

“I can’t believe you guys remembered that. It’s been what, four years?” she asked.

“Just about I think. You had on that gorgeous lilac dress,” you said. “And asked about some technical components. Sorry, you should probably be asking us the questions, not the other way around.”

“No I’m down for it,” she said. “So rumor has it that Jensen is going to be the leading man in Corner Shop Hills which is an adaption of your most recent novel and your next directing project. Any truth to that?” 

“Maybe,” you both said with smirks. “But yes, Jensen will be playing Clayton in that movie.”

“Are you guys excited to be working together again?” she asked.

“Oh yeah. We wrapped filming probably a year ago now and Y/N’s been in pre-production for Corner Shop for months so I’m happy to get to spend some more time with her working again.”

“Any plans to return to acting anytime soon?” she asked you.

“Maybe someday. Between directing and writing and executive producing on my other works that some other really, really incredible directors are tackling...honestly I would if I had more time. Who’s to say that this is the last of Lyle Sullivan either?” you said. Everyone within listening distance went silent, including Jensen. “Now that got your attention.”

“Are you saying there will be another book? And presumably movie?” she asked. 

“I’m saying...I don’t think Lyle Sullivan will be disappearing after this movie,” you said. You winked and pulled Jensen away, his head whipping around as you finally got off the line and could head inside.

“More Lyle? Something from the Lyle drive?” he smirked.

“The Lyle drive is 90% porn for you to read,” you said with a laugh.

“I like reading my porn. You know what’s extra awesome? Lyle sexy fanfics with Molly. And when people see they finally have sex in this movie? Boom, I’m set for porn for life.”

“You are such a guy,” you said. You shook your head and he laughed, the two of you heading inside, getting a few congratulations from people before you found a pair of drinks for yourselves. 

“Hey,” said Ella as she joined you. You smirked and looked at Jensen, the both of you looking at the bar. She spun around and started to shake her head. “Dude. No.”

“Dude. Yes. He’s right over there at the bar,” said Jensen.

“I can’t go ask out Colin Layton. He’s Colin Layton and I’m a college student that drinks way too much caffeine,” she said. Jensen grinned and started to walk away, Ella grabbing his arm. “Jensen!”

He slipped past her and over to the bar, Ella, hiding behind you.

“Colin’s very nice and you’re both adults now. He’s just a guy, Ella.”

“He’s not even in this movie. Why is he here?” she groaned.

“Because his mom is in it. He’s a hollywood kid, same as you. Maybe you have something in common,” you said, pushing her forward as Colin came over. 

“Colin this is Y/N and Ella, Y/N’s little sister,” said Jensen. “She studies civil engineering and english at USC.”

“Professor Barkers early to middle english?” he asked, Ella perking up.

“Uh yeah,” she said. “How-”

“I go part time. I really thought that girl in the gray hoodie all the time looked familiar,” he said. 

“Oh now you can complain about being forced to read Beowulf in the original to someone else,” you said, spotting Jensen’s parents in the distance. “Oh and Colin, you got anything scheduled for the summer?”

“Nothing locked down,” he said with a smile.

“Interested in a drama?” you asked. His head started nodding like crazy and you laughed. “Ask your agent to get you a slot for Marcus. I’d like to see your audition.”

“Uh yeah. Definitely,” he said with a huge smile. 

“Oh and she’s totally single,” said Jensen, Ella grunting at him before you both took off.

“Must you relentlessly tease her?” you said.

“I’m her brother in law. Of course I have to tease her,” he said, Anthony and Nolan walking over to you. “Sup losers?”

“Speak for yourself,” said Anthony, Nolan still a bit nervous looking. “Relax. No one’s gonna talk to us.”

“You guys got plans for after the movie?” asked Jensen. “There’s an after party at your parents place.”

“We’ll see. We might grab a bite after,” said Anthony, squeezing Nolan’s hand. “Dude, Ella’s flirting with Colin Layton.”

“Shit he’s hotter than Gil Nicholas,” said Nolan.

“I am right here,” said Anthony. 

“Do I make the cut?” chuckled Bryerson, Anthony and Nolan quickly excusing themselves. “Do I smell? What is it with all you guys being afraid of me?”

“You kind of hold our and their father’s entire careers in your hands. Might have something to do with it,” said Jensen. Bryerson smirked and nodded.

“That’s more than I would have gotten out of you a few years ago,” he said. “So. I just heard a rumor of another The Dark Woods book?”

“Maybe someday,” you said. 

“The studio would make it in a heartbeat, with you two and Ethan involved of course,” he said.

“I’m going to hang back behind the camera for a bit,” you said. Jensen smirked and Bryerson nodded, giving you both a smile.

“A bit of advice, and this may sound strange, but take some time off to spend with that baby girl you have at home. She’ll grow up before you know it. The work will be there,” he said. “And this studio has done very well thanks to the two of you. We won’t burn you out.”

“Thank you,” you said. “After we do Corner Shop Hills, we’ll both be taking a break for a while. Jensen may do some voice over work actually.”

“I had heard you were in talks with animation. I hope things go well,” he said. “You know I do wonder, did you change the end of the book at all for the movie?”

“Watch to the end of the credits,” you said, giving him a smile.

“You sneak something in there little lady?” he asked.

“You’ll have to wait and see Mr. Bryerson,” you said, Jensen heading over to his parents when they called to him. 

“Do me a favor,” he said when you turned to go. “Don’t let anyone in this studio push you around because you’re young or because they think you got where you are because of Ethan. You’re a damn good director and you saved your first movie with no help from the board. This studio will owe you, never the other way around.”

“Why’d you hire the single dad? It was such a risk to take,” you said.

“He’s a good man and he knows where priorities should lie. There’s a young woman who just got in my department. Hicks. Become friends with her. Not just work friends. Friends. She’ll be running this place someday I can already tell and she’s the kind of person that understands those priorities.”

“Thanks,” you said.

“You wrote the story all on your own. Plus directing and having to jump into acting on top of-”

“I meant thanks for giving my dad a chance. You could have done it a million different ways,” you said. “My life would be very different if you hadn’t.”

“You don’t care about this shit,” he said, smiling as you looked down. “The money. The fame. You like the stories. You like your husband and your family and that baby you have at home. I gave you the green light on making that movie because you wanted to do this for the right reasons. Turns out I made the right call. Now go enjoy yourself before they drag you up to give a speech before the movie again. You’re kinda notorious for being shit at them.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you said, waving him off. “We’ll see you at the house for the party later.”

“Yes you will,” he said as you found your way over to Jensen’s parents. You sighed and gave his mom a hug, getting one in return.

“Schmoozing?” teased Jensen as you took a piece of chicken off his father’s plate.

“I just want to sit and watch the movie,” you said. 

“My parents were just asking if that particular scene from the book is in the movie,” said Jensen. You looked back and forth between them and nodded.

“I think it’s 47 minutes in if you would prefer not to be scarred,” you said, a guy in an ear piece heading for you. You groaned, his dad handing you the plate of chicken. “I love you so much.”

“I know,” he chuckled. “Go on, try not to stress too much. I’m sure it’ll be great.”

You smirked as you saw the credits start to finish up, knowing most people in that room, Jensen included, had no idea what was coming next. The last of the words went past, the screen flashing to a bright sunny day, Hale with his back to the camera, sat on a bench at a park. It zoomed in close, goosebumps on the back of Hale’s neck as a shadow came over him.

“You don’t have to…” said Hale, the camera panning around, now facing Hale as a dark figure had their back to Hale, a hood up, nothing recognizable about them. 

“You took my son.”

“Lyle was never your son. All that you did to him...you were never his father.”

“Cause you’re dad of the year.”

“I never harmed him. He’s my son.”

“He’s your surrogate for your dead kid. Don’t kid yourself.”

“Lyle is my son,” grit out Hale, standing quickly and turning around. The camera swung low and around his back, never showing the other man, panning up behind him when he was turned and facing Hale. It was easy to see the gun in his hand by his side though, finger on the trigger. “You going to kill me for being a better father than you?”

“I’m not going to kill you Hale,” he said, stepping closer, the screen cutting to black. “Lyle will.”

The tension in the room was heavy, Jensen literally sat on the edge of his seat. He stared a few more seconds before he groaned, the room breaking into a nervous laugh as the lights came up.

“He doesn’t kill Hale right? That has to be Lyle’s horrible foster dad, right? It has to-” said Jensen before you stretched in your seat and shrugged, laughing as your dad chuckled on your other side. “How did I not know about this!”

“I’ll send you the first few chapters to read later,” you said. “I had to make a secret Lyle drive so you wouldn’t go sneaking.”

“I think they got a kick out of it,” said your dad, getting to his feet. “I’ll catch you two at the house later. I have to go brag.”

“What do you want to do?” asked Jensen as people started to get up.

“I think we have to go talk more,” you said, closing your eyes. “Home soon though?”

“Home soon, honey.”

One Hour Later

“Hey guys,” said Jared when you got to your parents, more than a few people already there.

“How was she?” asked Jensen, a tiny giggle coming from nearby. You turned around and saw your little girl in Jared’s arms, reaching out for you.

“Ma!” she said, climbing into your shoulders. 

“Hi cutie,” said Jensen, taking Lila off of you and resting her on his hip. “It is way past bedtime.”

She rested her head on his shoulder and flapped her lips before closing her eyes.

“We’ll be back,” you said, Jensen carrying her upstairs. You took her down to your old room, Jensen tucking her into her popup crib.  He sat down on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath.

“Night Lila,” he said, kissing her forehead. You leaned against the doorframe and smiled, turning on the nightlight for her again, closing the door after Jensen exited. 

“You know dad is the best role you’ve had yet,” you said, slowly heading back towards the stairs.

“I’m quite partial to that and the husband one,” he said. 

“Nerd.”

“I think that’s fanboy to you,” he said, taking a seat on the hall bench, pulling you to sit in his lap. “So what was that little surprise ending you didn’t tell me about?”

“Close your eyes,” you said. He did as instructed and you slipped away, ducking into your old room and taking a brown wrapped up package out of your overnight bag. You sat back down beside him, resting it in his lap. “Open.”

“This feel suspiciously like a book,” he said.

“It’s your premier present,” you said. He tore off the paper and grinned, running his hand over the matte paperback cover. 

“The Dark Days,” he said, flipping it to the back, reading the summary. He immediately started back in at the first page, turning until he was at chapter one and you were stealing it out of his hands. “No! Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie.”

“You can have this back tomorrow. Tonight we’re having some fun. Lyle and Hale and Molly will be there tomorrow.”

“What about that happy ending?” he asked.

“There’s still a happy ending. You’re just gonna have to read all three new books,” you said. “Which by the way, there’s two more books hidden-”

“Please tell me there’s some really cute dad Lyle stuff in there,” he said. “Just...just give me that one teensy tiny spoiler. Please?”

“I will say that there is a lot of cute family shit in there,” you said. “You will just have to read the rest-”

A loud cry cut into the hall and you got up, Jensen following you into your room. Lila was kicking and her face red, Jensen scooping her up and nodding.

“Okay. Sleeping in a wet diapers no fun huh,” he said, shushing her as he carried her over to the desk. He changed her as you took out the wet sheet and got a dry one on the mattress, finding a clean onesie for her to slip into. “How’s that? All better?”

She looked grumpy but stopped crying, Jensen kissing her again before putting her down. You caught your dad in the hallway, smiling when you left the room.

“Heard her on the monitor. Looks you got it handled,” he said.

“They pee so much for being so tiny,” said Jensen.

“Yes, yes they do,” said your dad. “Come enjoy your party. You guys earned it.”

“One sec,” said Jensen, taking his book from the bench and sticking it back in your room.

“Fanboy,” you said, taking his hand when he popped back in the hall. 

“You know Ethan, you could have warned me that there was that scene coming,” said Jensen.

“Nah. That was more fun,” he chuckled, leading the way downstairs. “So what was that you put away? Another book in the making?”

“Oh you’ll just have to wait and see,” you said, Jensen smirking to himself. “I can’t wait for you boys to wait and see what I’ve done to Hale and Lyle.”

“Tease,” said Jensen, letting you step off the landing and down to the first floor. “Want to dance?”

“For you Ackles, I’ll make an exception,” said your dad, pulling him along with him as you laughed. You felt a pair of arms wrap around you from behind and you tilted your head back. 

“Hey mom,” you said. “You like the movie?”

“Loved it. So when you gonna get those two together to make a movie again? Dad misses him already.”

“He sees him all the time,” you laughed. “Soon. You know that one I sent you, the camping one? I was thinking maybe that’d be a good fit for those two to do. I know the director handling it. She’s new but she’ll do really well with it.”

“Yeah the boys would make a good team on that one,” she said, smirking when you saw Jensen grin and take Anthony away from Nolan, twirling him around. “Oh he must be in a good mood. He’s not his usual shy self at all tonight.”

“Yeah. I know. I like him happy,” you said. “Want to go dance with the boys?”

“After you, honey.”

________

[ichigoromi]

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐣𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧 | 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧

This is going to be cute and I needed some fluff these days...

Pairing: Sakusa Kiyoomi (timeskip) x fem reader! (she/her)

Genre: fluff

Warning (s): none!

Enjoy!

Sakusa Kiyoomi

Being a kindergarten teacher is not as simple as people think, but it was rewarding when the kids thanked you for teaching them.

You have been dating Sakusa for about four years now, and recently, you two moved in together.

It was a big move in your relationship and many changes to get used to.

Like how the two of you fought on what tea brand to get and ended up getting two boxes of tea.

Nevertheless, both of you are enjoying living together.

As Children's Day is coming up, the teachers at the academy are staying overtime to prepare for the big event for the kids.

Sakusa was busy training for his upcoming games, so he can't pick you up because you end work later than him.

It was getting really late, and you had to bring back your share of work to finish up.

Sakusa looked up from his book when he heard the familiar beeping of the digital lock that you two have agreed to install. He put down his book and went to the front to greet you.

You look exhausted and pale.

"Welcome home, baby. How are you today?" He instantly wraps his arms around you, and you bury your face into his chest.

"Very tired, and I'm hungry. I still have to finish up the origamis." You whined, and he laughed at how whiny you are since you usually don't act like this.

"Okay, go take a shower. I'll whip up something quick for you and help you out." He kisses your forehead, and you set your bag at the dining table before heading straight for the bedroom.

After a quick shower, you were feeling more refreshed and still hungry.

"Here. I made fried rice with the leftover from yesterday. Eat up." Sakusa placed the bowl of rice in front of you, and you thanked him before taking a bite.

He sits in front of you and watches you finish the bowl of rice within minutes.

"Before we get married, I should go learn how to cook from your mother. How can I make you cook for me every day?" He immediately shook his head.

"It's alright. I want to cook for you. Don't worry about that." He never lets you step into the kitchen after you almost burn his kitchen down by setting his microwave on fire.

Sakusa takes the cleared bowl to the kitchen while you go and get your workstation set up in the living room.

You were back to folding the remaining origami that you were supposed to finish back at the school and now back to folding it at home again. Sakusa was cleaning up and came back to the living room with two mugs of hot tea.

He sits down next to you and picks up some of the paper mixed in with the others.

"What's this? A confession letter?" It was very clumsy handwriting with a big heart.

"Ah, that must be Toyo-chan from my class. He is a very polite and shy boy; I want to pin this up!" You took the piece of paper from him.

Sakusa sighed and continued to help you fold the origami. Then he found a couple more love letters from your students.

Without warning, he suddenly pulls you into his lap. You felt him lean his chin on your shoulder and pout against your neck.

Was he really getting jealous over a bunch of pre-schoolers?

"Kiyoomi, are you really getting jealous of a bunch of three years old that likes their teacher? Aww, come here!" You cup his face in your tiny hands and plant a big fat kiss on his lips.

When you see that he was still upset about it, you continue to kiss his lips and then his cheeks, and then soon all over his face until he starts to smile and holds your face in his to stop you from kissing.

"Now, I got you to stop pouting, please help me do my work!" You plant one kiss on his cheeks and settle in his lap, folding origami.

"Since you're so cute, I guess I have to help you so we can cuddle." He pinched your cheek and continues to help you with the origami.

I just got inspired while listening to Japanese boyfriend ASMR and it came out like this! I'm kinda proud of this headcanon? It's just so cute and I am in need of some fluff!

plus valentine is just around the corner and I'm spending it alone, but what's new?

Hope you guys enjoy this I will be releasing a valentine special, lol, just one character tho cause I'm busy!

Stay safe and healthy!

With love,

Rosalie🍓