#s: austin & ally

[incorrectlis2]

Lyla: Why isn’t Daniel excited?

Sean: I don’t know, but it’s weird. I’ve seen Daniel get excited over getting a curly fry mixed in with his regular fries. He talked about it for a month.

[basic-bitch-alkali]

2010's disney channel

for @the-unhinged-fanwinggg

[artistic-moth-man]

Austin and Ally modern reboot? Anyone?

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

Just found out stephen lang was in an episode of Psych and I immediately had to google which one because I can't just NOT have this knowledge. Do you ever get that way when you find out about an actor you like was in a show you love but you never noticed?

First of all, I had seen every single episode of Psych multiple times before I had ever watched Avatar, so I should have known this. Upon checking, he's just in Shawn Gets The Yips which is not one of my fav episodes that I know like beat for beat so I guess it makes sense. Also, ironically, both his episode of Psych and Avatar came out in 2009. Banger year for Stephen, huh?

As for if I do that, you are asking a question that would make people I know in real life laugh in your face. I'm one of those annoying bastards who prides themselves on identifying like any actor in anything at all times and being able to rattle off everything else I've ever seen them in. My IMDB app is constantly open, if I vaguely recognize an actor I will spend the entire rest of the film scrolling through their body of work trying to figure out what obscure police procedural they were in one episode of that I recognize them from. I was just slapping my coworker on the arm when we watch Psych during our lunch break, pointing out that Dez from Austin and Ally is in not one, but two episodes of Psych as two different characters. My dad has always been like this, and we kind of just one up each other all the time. My mom could not do this to save her life, so we have developed mom speak.

For example, today I was telling her who was still in on Dancing with the Stars, and I commented that Xochitl Gomez was still in. My mom said she had no idea who that was, I said she was America Chavez in Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness. My mom shrugged and I said "the little girl who kept exploding in and out of the place" and my mom went "OH YEAH."

[sadlynotthevoid]

Soos reminds me of my brother. Best big brother out there, everyone.

i think one of my favourite parts of gravity falls is just. soos in general. a different show would probably have a character like that- y’know, a fat guy who’s in that early-20s age where nobody wants to acknowledge that nobody knows what they’re doing but they’re not a kid anymore so they’re no longer part of the “marketable demographic” for kids, i think a lot of other shows would make him the punching bag or the butt of jokes or portray him as weird or creepy or a failiure. but no, soos is genuinely a big part of the heart of the show. he’s allowed to be a bit of a dork, and have a non-standard path in life- it’s treated as part of the quirks that make him lovable! the twins think he’s super cool, he’s smart, funny, genuine, kind- and when he gets his own episode in soos and the real girl, his issues with talking to people are just treated as so much more HUMAN than i’m used to for characters in his demographic. it’s really sweet. and i’m glad they do that. i really like soos.

[dgf2099]

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Tracker-June 5, 2024

By David G. Firestone TRACKHOUSE RACING #1 Ross Chastain #1 Moose Fraternity Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2024, red roof added. A Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2024, sides cleaned up. A Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Fishing Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2024, white with fishing motif. D- Ross Chastain #1 Worldwide Express Chevy Camaro–No change. F Ross Chastain #1 Jockey…

[adamwatchesmovies]

Short Circuit (1986)

Short Circuit may be a clone of E.T. and what it does has been done better later with The Iron Giant. Still, there’s room in your heart for one more kind-hearted, misunderstood, big-eyed outsider who befriends a fellow loner, isn’t there? While some aspects of this charming, often very funny comedy haven't aged well, it's got a lot of appeal.

When a military robot is struck by lightning and becomes self aware, its creators immediately assume it’s become a menace. Actually, Number 5 (voiced by Tim Blaney) just wants to learn about the world and make friends. After meeting Stephanie Speck (Ally Sheedy) the two must convince those after the robot - specifically its chief engineer, Newton (Steve Guttenberg) that its behaviour is not a mechanical malfunction; that “Number 5 is alive!”

Director John Badham gets key elements right. Firstly, the robot’s design. With its big eyes and voice (just the right mix of synthetic and goofy), you immediately fall for Number 5 even before you get to know it. As you spend more time with the robot, you get a good taste of its personality, including its fears and goals. The incredible special effects and puppetry help a great deal. What you’re seeing is an actual robot being interacting with real people and it works wonders. The special effects have aged incredibly well and call me crazy, but the machine has actual chemistry with Ally Sheedy? They’re so good together you almost wonder if she’ll end up going with the metal bookworm instead of the obvious love interest instead…

It’s tried-and-true stuff but it works. Kids will have a great time laughing at Number 5’s antics as it expands its lexicon and attempts to figure out this big world of ours. What about the adults, or those who might’ve grown up with the film but haven’t seen it in 20 or so years? For you, I say hold on. One aspect of the film will take you by surprise: Fisher Stevens as Ben. This character is an oddball. With his thick Indian accent and knack for mixing up idioms, he's a stereotype being portrayed by a white actor in makeup. What's strange is that dialogue reveals he’s lived in the United States his whole life. So it isn’t even that he’s a foreigner, it’s that… he’s such a nerd he doesn’t understand the basics of human communication? Seems so from the way he reacts to women. I can't tell you whether you'll be offended or not. All I can say is that he's got all the best lines in the movie. You’ll want to watch Short Circuit with the remote handy so you can pause and rewind it to write down and then memorize some of the dialogue. It’s memorable stuff but comes so fast you’re likely to drown out a good chunk of it with your own laughs.

Aside from one questionable aspect (that still somewhat works nonetheless), Short Circuit has the makings of a lasting childhood favorite you’ll want to show to your children someday. It’s got likeable characters, a story that's both fun and harmless, many big laughs (some of which only the parents will get) and incredible special effects. The script is memorable and endlessly quotable. I liked it even more the second time. (On Blu-ray, February 22, 2019)

[blahblahblees]

ヽ｀、☁ヽ｀─── READ YOUR MIND

aka who i write for & masterlist

shows

my life with the walter boys

cole walter

alex walter

danny walter

jackie howard

lab rats (elite force)

adam davenport

bree davenport

chase davenport

mighty med

kaz

oliver

skylar storm

wizards of waverly place

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max russo

good luck charlie

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teddy duncan

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girl meets world

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farkle minkus

zay babineaux

suite life on deck

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austin and ally

austin moon

kickin’ it

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high school musical: the musical: the series

ricky bowen

nini salazar-roberts

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ej caswell

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the summer i turned pretty

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gen v

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cate dunlap

school spirits

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simon elroy

xavier baxter

that 90s show

jay kelso

nate runck

movies

diary of a wimpy kid

rodrick heffley

descendants

mal bertha

evie

jay

carlos de vil

ben florian

z-o-m-b-i-e-s

zed necrodopolis

wyatt lykensen

teen beach movie

brady

mack

high school musical

troy bolton

gabriella montez

chad danforth

sharpay evans

miscellaneous

masterlist yipyip!

wattpad fanfics!

[elvisabutler]

who's my princess?

fandom: austin butler rating: m pairing: austin butler x older female reader word count: 2169 warnings: jokes about being a sugar baby. heavy use of the nickname princess and baby boy. praise kink. faint d/s elements but not quite, you'll see in the fic. oral ( female receiving, attempted male receiving. ). public sex acts. no use of y/n. author’s note: welcome to day 4 of ally’s wet hot smut summer, praise kink with austin butler x older female reader. so here's the thing with this fic, i have been struggling to write it— and austin in general for the past week/two weeksa. to the point where i actually skipped ahead to rooster x reader titty fucking that i already posted on another account. i'll post it here once i finish my austin degradation kink day, promise. anyway what i ended up finally settling on with this fic was doing austin with an older female reader. you can read how much older however you like or if you want could ignore my reference to it being an older female reader. it also erred more toward plus size but can still be read a little more explicitly as not plus size. anyway, i hope y'all enjoy this fic even if it's a lil more niche for the fandom. as always, i do enjoy your comments and reblogs and tags and they are my writing life blood to be quite honest. there was also three different versions of this moodboard and i am still not sure i'm in love with this one. also i'm not completely back from my impromptu vacation but i wanted to post this before i tossed it in a fire or something.

"They think you're my sugar baby, you know," you murmur against the shell of Austin's ear, watching as his jaw muscle tenses just so at the implication.

His eyes slide across the room, taking in the looks people are giving the two of you. It's not that he isn't used to the looks, the slight judgment that people pass when they think he's merely just a kept boytoy but this time it hits different. For Vanessa, as much as he loved her and as much as he supposes she loved him there was always quite a kernel of truth there. It rubbed him the wrong way some days but at the same time it allowed him to slowly prove his acting chops without necessarily worrying about if he'd have a place to stay if things went horrendously wrong. But for you? For his gorgeous girlfriend? Oh, he wasn't a boytoy in the slightest. Sure, you could have made it so he was a kept man again. You could have allowed him to live in the lap of luxury and only come up for projects that were artsy and true cinema that he could sink his teeth into. No, instead he told himself he'd treat you, he'd make sure you were taken care of by him. You were older, you didn't need a partner to spoil you and cater to your every want and need. You didn't need these things but he was determined to give them to you. After all what sort of romantic partner would he be if he didn't spoil the love of his life.

"Hm," he hums softly, turning his head just enough to look you in the eyes. "Of course. They know I'm younger than you. They think I found another sugar mama to support me. If only they knew. Think they'd believe us if we told them?"

There's something so inviting and enrapturing about Austin's gaze that has you shivering just ever so slightly in delight and arousal. "About what?"

It's a dangerous game you're playing, teasing him like this but you can't help it. You want to rile Austin up in the same way he has with you on so many occasions. His tongue darts out to wet his lips before he bites his lower one. "Is my Princess playing dumb? Is she trying to be coy? Tease me?"

You smile softly and shrug, attempting to look as innocent as can be, "maybe. What are you going to do about it, baby?"

"Baby?" Austin moves to pull turn you around and pulls you closer to him, his hands settling on your plush hips and squeezing. "I think there's only one baby here, and it's not me, Princess. You don't have to tease to get what you want, you know that. My good girl knows that."

A shaky inhale is your only response for a moment as Austin smirks, his eyes dancing with a certain mixture of arousal and amusement that he only gets when he looks at you. Things between you are always a little playful, the joys of being old enough to not care about what other people think of you but it's still a delight to see after failed relationships before him. Maybe that's why you hadn't had a relationship that lasted this long before him. Maybe the universe was just having you wait for him. It takes you a moment to collect your thoughts even as you feel your arousal slowly dripping from your vagina, slowly dampening the underwear you're wearing.

"Your good girl does, but maybe I want to be bad today. Maybe I want you to show me and everyone else how desperate you always are for me," you practically purr out the last words and Austin's grip tightens just that little bit more as he moves one hand down to your behind and squeezes partially as a warning and partially as a promise.

"How desperate I am for you? How drenched are your panties? Would they stick to that pretty little pussy of yours? That pussy that was made for my cock? The one that could never be satisfied by any other cocks before mine?" His words are quiet but so deadly that you can't help the whine that leaves you even as your hand moves to cup the front of his slacks. You're in public but between the two of you, you're making your way to an empty corner with no one the wiser about what's happening. It should be mortifying the way Austin has you acting like a teenager and yet you remember that you're doing the same for him. You're both acting as if you don't have a care in the world, as if Austin and you both aren't at least partially in the public eye.

The thing is in this moment it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because all anyone is going to see is you and him having your hands all over each other because you're so in love and practically obsessed with one another that you're both needy. Even if the way you're needy is subtly different between the two of you.

"Somewhere private." The words tumble out of your mouth when you finally make it to that corner and realize that your hand is trying to undo his slacks and his hand is trying to lift of your dress as if no one would be watching. Austin looks at you with blown pupils and huffs out a breath of air from his nose before he nods, grabbing your hand and pulling you out of the room and into regrettably the nearest closet he can find.

You start to drop to your knees, thinking this has to be something quick between the two of you, a quick blowjob that'll ruin your panties that he'll steal and put in his pocket for the rest of the night until you can get home. Except Austin's grip on your arm stops you, pulls you back up into a standing position even as your eyebrow arches upward in a simple unspoken question.

"I didn't ask for you to suck my dick, Princess," he murmurs, leaning over you just enough that he practically pins you to the door. "You want to be good for me, don't you? Make up for how bad you just were?"

In another time and place you'd maybe be embarrassed about how quickly you nod. In another time before Austin you'd have scoffed and shook your head. As it is all you want is to hear Austin tell you how good you are with those plush lips of his. All you want to feel his lips upon your skin, sucking hickies on it, his teeth biting your skin and leaving small indentations. You merely want all of Austin in this moment. "What—what do you want then?"

A simple question and a request for direction. You can't be his good girl, his bestest girl, his flawless girl without direction. You might be accidentally bad.

His hand moves to cup your chin and pulls you in for a featherlight kiss before moving down to your neck kissing there. You don't realize what's happening until you feel his hands cup your breasts as he places kisses along the tops of them exposed by your dress. You see his body starting to inch closer and closer down to the floor as he trails kisses down your body, setting every inch of your skin they touch ablaze with a fire that burns starting from your aching vagina. It clenches around nothing, wanting something— anything— near it and being deprived even as his lips are so close to it that he could tongue you through the fabric of your dress.

"Aus—" you start to whisper his name only to be cut off with a shaky exhale as you feel his fingertips against your calves and against your knees. You feel his fingers press into your plush thighs and bite your lip to stop yourself from whining only to have Austin remove his hands from them. "What—"

"Good girls are loud for their boyfriends. For their baby boys," he smirks and you can tell even in the low light of the closet. Any other time and you might lightly tap his face to smack it off of him but right now it has your thighs clenching together and him laughing. "You're my good girl, aren't you, Princess? My goddess of a woman. The cougar who sunk her teeth into me? I just want to hear you. I want everyone to know that I'm bringing you such immense pleasure with my tongue that you can't help but scream."

You are about to say something before Austin's head is under your dress faster than the words can come out. They're quickly forgotten in the haze and loud groan that leaves your lipstick covered lips as his fingers— those long fingers you've sucked and nipped at before— find themselves buried in your pussy. Austin plays you like a musical instrument, earning sighs and whimpers and every noise in between to form a symphony that bounces off the walls of the closet. You feel your orgasm starting to inch closer and closer before he pulls out his fingers and you keen loud enough that you hear people on the other side of the door wondering what's going on.

Austin chuckles and if you could see his eyes you're certain you would see them blown with arousal but still somehow sparkling with pure mirth. His laughter is a warm gust of air against your thigh but somehow a cool balm against your dripping cunt. Your thighs are sticky with arousal but not release and you almost want to cry before you feel Austin's breath focusing closer and closer to where you want it. "It's like a fountain down here."

The words are said with a bit of awe before he continues, "this all for me pretty girl? All for me, ma'am? If breathe just right can I get another drop?" He teases even as he lets out the smallest puff of air against your clit. "Oh. I can. So responsive. Such a good responsive woman. Couldn't ask for anyone better to be on my arm and in my bed. Maybe I should marry you. Keep you all to myself."

"Austin, please." You plea as your hands move to his hair, ruining whatever hairstyle his stylist had crafted in one fell swoop of your hands clenching at the strands.

"What my Princess wants, my princess gets," he jokes before his tongue finds its way to your throbbing clit.

The noises between your legs sound obscene with his tongue and chin and everything sliding against the arousal between your legs. He eats you out like a starving man, one of his hands moving to curl inside you as his mouth sucks your clt. It's too much and too little all at once. Your thighs tighten around his head as your hands tighten in his hair and you hear Austin moan as he shifts just enough to have his cock press against your calf. He's in control but at the same time so are you. You're making him so desperate he needs to hump your leg to get relief and he has your cunt spasming even though you haven't come just yet. You're sure you're saying words or perhaps it's just gibberish as Austin's fingers curl just so, pressing against that spot that has the coil in your lower abdomen wounding tighter and tighter. His thrusts against your legs are becoming more stuttered and your hands yank at his hair to try and pull him away so you don't come all over his face only to have him use his one free hand to grab your ass and force you grind down on his face. Somehow the brush of his nose against your clit and the way his tongue moves just so in tandem with his fingers against that spot of yours has you shouting his name even as you try and muffle it just a little. Your body shakes with aftershocks, thighs twitching against his head and lower stomach feeling like it's pulsating from the intensity. It takes both of you far longer than you'd like to admit to catch your breath and even as you do, Austin looks every bit as wrecked as you do before he opens his mouth.

"Think they still think I'm just your sugar baby?" The joke comes easily and with a soft smile. "Because that was some loud screaming, Princess. I was proud of you for it."

You can't help but look off to the side in embarrassment before you feel Austin's hand on your chin, forcing you to look at him. You swear you smell your own scent on his hand and you can't help but lick your lips. "Maybe, but I don't— Let them. Because it doesn't change that I'm your good girl, does it?"

"Never."

taglist: @ab4eva, @blurredcolour, @butlersxbirdy, @precious-little-scoundrel, @eliseinmemphis, @prompted-wordsmith, @lookingforrainbows, @araxw, @thatbanditqueen, @ellie-24, @austinbutlersgirl67, @heartbrake-hotel, @ccab, @18lkpeters, @slutforsomegoodlettuce, @dkayfixates, @kendralavon7, @chasingwildflowers, @slowsweetlove, @kxnnxy, @meetmeatyourworst, @purejasmine, @stylespresleyhearted, @powerofelvis, @amydarcimarie, @thegettingbyp2, @austinswhitewolf, @richardslady121 and @mrs-butler

[pedrito-friskito]

strawberry wine - joel miller x ofc!liv stone/fem!reader

during - part nineteen

series masterlist | main masterlist | read on ao3

you make some new friends.

a/n: this might be my favourite chapter yet. I had sooooooo much fun writing it, and finally touching on/adapting scenes from the show is bringing me so much joy I can’t wait to get to the meat of it, but the parts between now and then excite me too!!

word count: 6.7k

warnings: MY BLOG IS 18+, MINORS DNI, if you’ve been reading up until now you know the drill, I’m getting lazy with my warnings LOL, no smut here, a bit of angst, F R I E N D S H I P

✨@friskito-library for new works and updates✨

Your days in the radio room have become more and more frequent, since your run-in with Gwen and her crew. It’s like you told Tess; with Hartford gone, you’d lost one of your more consistent meet-ups, and you needed to know what else was out there. You needed new connections, new friends, allies. You needed something. In case Boston went belly-up and needed to get the hell out of dodge and never look back, you needed a soft place to land.

Abe’s garnered quite the collection, over the years, and it’s like everywhere you look, there’s another wire connecting from one wall to the next, batteries that probably shouldn’t still work plugged into far too many devices. His map collection is something to write home about, and you spend some time trying to figure out the path Joel and Tommy took from Austin, but when your finger finds Cincinnati, your chest goes tight, and you return to the room Abe’s set up for just for you, branched off the main room he uses to send requested messages.

You’re still paying him with cigarettes, although some of them are the hand-rolled FEDRA shit that McCoy has a penchant for. The soldier’s other habits always seem to win, though, and you always have at least half a dozen for Abe, who’s quietly grateful, waving you off into the side room, closing the door behind you.

“I don’t wanna know,” he told you when you first asked. It’s been a while now, though you stopped for a while when Nick shot Joel, when you both needed time to recover. “Just do what you need to do, and leave me out of it, okay?”

“So you don’t want any more cigarettes?”

He pointed a finger at you. “I never said that.”

And here you are, one side of the big headphones pressed to your ear. The foam has definitely seen better days, but the sound is relatively clear. You’ve kept a notebook of your contacts, the frequencies they’re usually on, the days of the week and times they’re usually available. Today, you’ve gone through every single one, and no one is out there. So you’re just twisting the dials, the strange sound of the static and frequencies almost giving you a headache, but then—

Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’, cuz I’ve built my life around you.

You haven’t heard that song in a long, long time. In fact, you’re pretty sure the last time you heard it was in Joel’s truck, in that field just outside of Austin, staring up at the stars. Fleetwood Mac has always been one of your favourites, and you slide the other side of the headphones over, encasing yourself in the song, shutting your eyes as the music crackles over the radio.

But time makes you bolder, even children get older, and I’m getting older, too.

You can feel the song in your soul. It digs straight into your chest, the crooned lyrics wrapping around your heart and squeezing tight.

Oh, I’m getting older, too.

You let it wash over you, sinking back into the chair, wrapping your arms around yourself, tilting your head back on your shoulders and making the cable connecting the headset to the radio stretch. You’ve found a few cassette tapes over the years — namely the same Led Zeppelin album you’d once given Joel for his truck — but you make a mental note to keep your eye out for Fleetwood Mac or Stevie Nicks.

The song finishes, and you sigh, straightening in the chair, reaching out to turn off the radio, fingers brushing against the knob.

“If there’s anybody out there, my name is Frank. I’m on frequency 1462. We have resources, and we are looking to trade.”

He repeats himself again, and then another song starts. More Fleetwood, Go Your Own Way.

Well, shit.

Your fingers fly across the knobs, turning to the right frequency, wincing at the whine as it clicks on. You reach for the microphone.

“Hello?”

There’s a fraction of a pause before, “Oh my god, hi!”

If your years of smuggling have taught you anything, it’s that you can’t trust anybody right off the bat. You have to be wary, you have to be careful. Hell, there are still people you’ve traded with that you don’t trust as far as you can throw. It’s just the way things are.

But fuck, if he doesn’t have the kindest-sounding voice.

“Is this Frank?”

“It is!” he replies, his excitement somehow palpable through the radio waves. “Oh my god, I was starting to think no one was gonna hear that message.”

“It’s a good song,” you laugh, pulling the mic closer to you on the table. “Haven’t heard it in a long time.”

“It’s a classic,” he agrees, and there’s a slight pause before, “Okay, I’m gonna admit, I have no idea how to do this.”

“How to do…?”

“Make deals,” he says, “meet people over the radio. Have you done this before?”

You’re not quite sure how much truth you should offer a perfect stranger, regardless of how kind he sounds. If this is a FEDRA trap, chances are good you’ll be able to blackmail your way out of it. So you settle on, “Once or twice.”

“Am I allowed to know your name? Or is that not…?”

“It’s Liv,” you offer. “Where are you, Frank?”

He pauses again. “I’m not sure if I should…” You can hear the sudden hesitancy in his tone; you know it well.

“Why don’t I tell you how I normally do this?”

“That would be perfect.”

“You tell me what you have to offer, I tell you what I have to trade. We settle on terms, pick a meeting spot and a date, and that’s that. You don’t kill me or my people, I don’t kill you or yours, and we part ways with what we’ve bargained for. Simple.”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

“But before we get into that, can we at least make sure we’re in the same state? I try not to cross the borders if I can manage it.”

“That’s fair, I suppose,” he agrees. “We’re in Massachusetts.”

“Good,” you nod, reaching for your notebook and pen, scrawling Frank’s name on your page, along with the frequency number. “So are we.”

“Coast?”

“Pretty close.”

“Good.”

“So we’re in the same state,” you say, tapping the pen against the paper. “What are you offering to trade, Frank?”

“Tell me something first,” he prompts, and your brow lifts slowly. “How long do your…relationships with traders usually last?”

Your throat bobs, Gwen’s screaming voice echoing through your head, but you shove it away. “Depends. As long as everyone holds up their end of the deal, there’s no real time limit.”

“What’s the longest you’ve traded with someone?”

“There’s a group in Providence I’ve been trading with since 2008. Never had any issues there.”

“Uh-huh, good to know. The thing is, what I’m proposing here, it might not be the same as the other deals you’ve made. We’re well-protected here. My partner, Bill, he’s…he’s a survivalist, and he’s built this place to last. We’re not going anywhere fast, we’re sustainable.”

“Meaning you wouldn’t come to the city,” you say, catching on, and now you’re the one feeling hesitant. “Depending how far out you are, it might not be worth it to us. There’d have to be something worth the risk each time, and I don’t—”

“Freshly cooked meals,” he says, and you stop dead. “Fresh vegetables. Wine, the good kind. New clothes, building materials, and weap—”

“Stop,” you say quickly, cutting him off. “I only trust the radio so far. Give me coordinates, and a date, and we go from there.”

He gives you the coordinates, you scribble the numbers down, and decide on a date, three days from today. You say your goodbyes, and you tell him not to get back on the radio until you’ve met, but to keep playing the music, so you know everything is still a-go. “You like Fleetwood Mac?”

“I love Fleetwood Mac.”

“Then you and I are gonna get along just fine.”

You can’t help the smile in your voice. “I’ve got a good feeling about this, Frank.”

“Me, too.”

“Well, I’ll see you soon, I guess.”

“See you soon. Oh, and Liv?”

“Yeah?”

“Stay safe.”

It catches you off guard, makes something crawl up the back of your throat.“Thanks, Frank. You too.”

You dial to a different frequency the moment you’re done, shutting down the radio entirely, and leave without a word. Abe doesn’t so much as glance at you as you head out, past the long string of people waiting patiently for him to send their messages.

+

Joel’s home before you are, which is a shock.

His back is killing him. Tommy’s skipped out on every single one of his jobs lately, and Joel feels like every time he turns a corner, there’s something else that needs repairs, another new face asking him to fix something. His hands hurt, he’s got a kink in his neck, and all he really wants to do is fall into bed and have your body curled against his.

He sighs as he gets through the door, brow pinching when he doesn’t find you perched at the table or sitting on the couch, head bent over your maps or flipping through your notebooks. It’s become habit for you lately, wanting to build up your connections more and more, now that Hartford is gone.

The guilt over the entire situation lingers in the back of Joel’s mind, a nagging voice that sounds suspiciously like his brother.

Joel shakes the thought away. He did what he had to, to protect you. To protect his wife, his family.

He did what he had to.

Locking the door behind him, he tosses his makeshift tool bag — a ratty backpack he found at the donation hall before it shut down — into the corner, and flops onto the couch. He slings his hand over his eyes. He’ll just close them for a minute, just until you’re home, until you’re…

A nightmare latches onto him with a vice-like grip, throws him fully out of sleep with a gasp, his chest heaving.

“Joel?” your voice calls, a soft echo across the apartment, and he turns to see you perched in one of the kitchen chairs, pencil between your teeth, your hair falling in your eyes. “Baby, you okay?”

He doesn’t answer right away, swinging his legs off the couch, getting to his feet with a groan. He rubs at his lower back as he pads over to the kitchen, coming to stand behind you. He leans forward and plants both hands on the table either side of you, leaning down until he can fit his chin into the curve of your neck, planting soft kisses at your pulse.

“Fine, now that you’re home,” he mumbles, and you lean back into him slightly, turning your head so you can kiss at his, lifting a hand to ruffle your hair. “You were out late.”

“I’ve been home for hours,” you reply, huffing a laugh, setting the pencil on the table. Your maps are all spread out, the big one of Massachusetts on the top. “You’ve been asleep the entire time. Didn’t wanna wake you.”

Joel drags one hand off the table, moves his arm so it’s slung around your chest, curling his fingers around your rib cage. “How nice of you.”

“Best wife ever,” you say, and Joel laughs into your skin. “Oh, and there’s dinner for you. Abe’s wife sent me home with food as thank you for fixing their door the other day.”

“What is it?”

“Something with Spam in it,” you tell him, and Joel wrinkles his nose. “It tastes better than it looks.”

“Noted,” he grumbles, pressing one last kiss to your throat before he straightens, spine creaking as he goes. “Fuck, I’m getting old.”

“I think the grey in your beard suits you,” you answer, turning back to your maps, “just for the record.”

The corner of his mouth quirks as he heads for the fridge, fishing out the plate of food and leaning against the counter. “How was your day, baby?”

Your pencil drops again, and you push your chair back, the legs squeaking against the floor. You turn yourself towards him fully, slowly getting to your feet, taking a step towards him. “I made a friend.”

Joel’s brow quirks. You know a lot of people in the QZ, that much he knows for certain, but he’s really not sure how many of them you would refer to as friends. “Oh?”

“On the radio. His name is Frank.” You turn back to the maps, eyes raking over the paper, your finger finding a spot marked with pencil. “He lives in Lincoln, and we’re gonna go see him in three days.”

He nearly drops the plate. “What?”

“I mapped out the path. It’s a bit of a hike, almost five hours outside of Boston, but—”

“Ten miles?” Joel repeats, and you just nod. “Liv, we’ve barely been outside the city limits, and you wanna hike ten miles to some random stranger?”

“Frank,” you say, your tone almost petulant, and Joel puts the plate down. “They have food, Joel. Real food, not bullshit QZ rations. Wine, weapons, building materials. New clothes. This could be good for us, Joel. Really good.”

He narrows his eyes at you. “You want me to hike five hours for wine?”

“I want you to hike ten miles for a chance at something good, Joel. Something new.” Your gaze drops and you knot your hands together. “Something to make up for what we did, maybe. Somehow. I don’t know. I just…I feel good about this, baby. And it’s just a meeting, to start. I didn’t promise him anything, just that we’d meet, and we’d talk. Then we go from there.”

Something in your voice tugs at him, and for a moment, Joel’s not quite sure what it is, but then it hits him.

It’s hope. It’s the most hopeful you’ve sounded in a long time, and when you take another step toward him, he opens his arms to you.

“The route will take us right past Cumberland Farms,” you continue, and Joel cups your hip in his palm, letting out a quiet oomph as you lean against him, reaching up to twine your arms around your neck. “We can stop there first, stash some stuff just in case.”

“A safety net,” Joel says, and you nod.

“Exactly.”

“You’ve been thinking about this a lot, haven’t you?”

“You were asleep for a long time,” you reply, and Joel just scoffs, leaning in to kiss you softly. “Wait,” you pull back, moving one hand to the middle of his chest, pushing lightly. “Is that a yes?”

“Well, I’m not about to let you go by yourself now, am I?”

+

It’s a long fucking hike.

Thankfully, it’s relatively easy. The path you’d chosen isn’t overly adventurous, no daunting hills or thick forests. It’s mostly open air, rolling fields, forests either side of the roads. The weather is beautiful, which is a plus, though you can feel the sweat pouring down your back as you walk, on the right side of Joel, as always.

You recount the entire conversation you had with Frank to Joel as you walk. Tess had offered to come with you, too, but you decided the two of you would go for the first meeting, and if things worked out, then you’d all go together the next time. You could tell part of her was relieved, and she admitted to you later she had plans to see Robin the same day you were going.

“You got instinct, baby,” Joel tells you after you’ve finished the story, your fingers twined together as he pulls you out of the path of a fallen telephone wire in the middle of the road. “Don’t forget that. I’ve seen it; you know what you’re doing. And if you feel good about this, then I’m game. We see what happens. And if anyone tries to lay a hand on you—”

“Hit ‘em real fuckin’ hard with my bat.”

He grins. “That’s my girl.”

The praise makes your chest warm, and when he’s close enough, you slide yourself against him, slipping your arm around his waist, tugging his around your shoulders. “Your wife is a badass, Joel Miller,” you say, and he barks a laugh, the corner of his eyes crinkling. “In case you weren’t aware.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” he says, his brows lifting. “Believe me, I’m aware. It’s fuckin’ hot. Only reason I married you.”

Now you’re the one that laughs, sliding your hand into his back pocket and squeezing his ass through his jeans. “Jackass.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbles, and squeezes your shoulder, turning his head to kiss the top of your head. “Liv, baby?”

“Mmm?”

“When we get back to Boston, I’m gonna try and talk to Tommy. Make peace or somethin’.”

You nearly stop dead in your tracks. In fact, if Joel wasn’t still walking with his arm around you, you might have fallen over. But you don’t let your shock be known, schooling your face as neutral as possible while letting one brow raise. “Oh, really?”

“I’ve been thinkin’ about it a lot, and I just…He’s my baby brother. He’s a fuckin’ idiot, and he’s gonna get himself killed, but he’s family. And we keep going for family, so I gotta fix it. Somehow.”

Slowly, you nod. “You think he’s gonna tell the Fireflies about me?”

“I’ll break his fuckin’ nose if he does.”

“Joel.” You smack at his chest. “That’s not how you fix it.”

“I know, I know. It’s…” Joel shakes his head. “I want to believe he won’t. I really do.”

“So talk to him,” you say with a nod. “See what happens, go from there, and please, just don’t fucking hit each other.”

“Yes, ma’am.” 

You continue on, the sun beating down on your every step. There’s not much more conversation, but the silence is easy, a comfort. Joel doesn’t let you wander far, you eventually step out of his grip but your hands are still linked together.

Your stop at Cumberland Farms is brief. In the early days, you brought a stash box to the gas station, tucked it below one of the floor panels. You and Joel mostly empty your packs into the box, some ammunition, a spare knife, food that’ll last a good while. A backup. You pull one of the long-empty freezers over the panel, try to make the trash and debris cover it up, just to be safe. Joel gives you a nod of approval, and then you keep going.

Eventually, the tree-lined road gives way to open space. More hills, dips in the earth. Far in the distance, you see a plane broken in half on the hilltop — an emergency landing gone wrong — and your stomach rolls at the thought of what’s still up there.

But then you turn another corner, and it’s even worse.

Beside you, you hear Joel’s quiet shock. “What in the…?”

You grip his hand tighter, pushing yourself against him, tearing your eyes from the sight before you. “I thought he was lying.”

Joel’s head whips in your direction. “What? Who? You knew about this?”

You swallow hard around the lump that’s formed in your throat. “Early days, after the outbreak. Like, the week after, FEDRA swept through the small towns and evacuated them. Told people they were going to a QZ. And they were, if there was room. If not…” You tilt your head towards the pit.

“How did you know? You’ve been out this way?”

“Never this far,” you answer, shaking your head. “Nick, he…he told me about it.” Joel stiffens, and you squeeze his arm. “He wasn’t part of it, but he knew soldiers that were. It wasn’t just here; it was all over. Across the country. Who fucking knows how many people FEDRA killed.”

“I just don’t get why.”

“Better dead than infected.”

“Jesus Christ,” Joel mutters, and pulls you closer, turning you away from it. Not that it makes a difference; you know you’ll be seeing the half-buried skeletons, the scraps of clothing and the scattered belongings, in the back of your mind for a long time. “Maybe there’s a path through the forest.”

You shake your head. “Just keep going.”

“Liv—”

“Keep going, Joel.”

So you do. You try to bury the sight, try to push it away, try to focus on where you’re going instead.

It’s like you turn the corner, and all of a sudden, there’s a town right in front of you. A small town, to be sure, a handful of buildings, some that have seen better days, and when your eyes land on the nine-foot metal fence around the perimeter, Frank’s wavy voice on the radio echoes through your head.

We’re well-protected here.

He sure as hell wasn’t lying.

As you approach the fence, Joel situates himself in front of you, his expression wary, an arm held out, protector mode on. You get closer, and suddenly it strikes you that you have no idea what Frank looks like. You have no idea who you’re looking for.

But you’re pretty sure it’s not the large bearded man with the giant fucking gun pointed at your head.

Instantly, you’ve both got your hands in the air, Joel still a half step in front of you. “What do you want?” the man barks, lifting the gun a little higher, switching between aiming the barrel at your head and at Joel’s.

“We’re here to see Frank,” you say instantly, nearly tripping over the words. “I’m Liv, this is Joel. I spoke to Frank on the radio.”

“Oh my fucking…Bill, put the gun down!” another, strangely familiar voice shouts, and over the larger man’s — Bill’s — shoulder, you see a slightly smaller man, a touch taller than Bill, but thinner, his hair shorter, his beard a little more well-kept. He’s got a dishrag over his shoulder, and as he jogs up to Bill, pushing his partner aside and reaching for the gate before you, he grins at you.

The gun is lowered, but as Frank pulls the gate open, Bill pulls out the same bio-scanner machine you’ve seen FEDRA soldiers toting around back in the QZ, and your heart sinks into your toes.

“Would you put that thing away?” Frank chides, waving at Bill, beaming at you now as you take a hesitant step towards the now-open gate. “You must be Liv.”

His smile is infectious, and as Bill stows the scanner, your excitement returns. “Hi, Frank.”

“Come in, come in!” he says, and reaches for your hand, tugging you through. “You guys are just in time; lunch is almost ready. Right, Bill?”

“…yes.”

Joel’s a half step behind you now, his hand finding the small of your back as you walk through the gate completely. Bill sniffs as you step past, and closes the gate behind you both, hitting a keypad that emits a loud beep, the heavy sound of magnets slamming together.

You’re at a loss for words as you follow Frank down the street. It looks so…normal. So alive, so lived in. You’ve become so accustomed to abandoned buildings and broken windows; to be around buildings that look well taken care of, a house that looks like it belongs to someone, you’re at a loss.

“This place is beautiful,” you manage to say, picking up your pace to keep up with Frank. “It looks so…”

“Normal?” Frank asks, and you just nod, giving a little laugh. “Cookie-cutter? I know. It’s definitely grown on me.”

“You weren’t always here?”

“Oh, no, not always. It’s been about…three years now? Something like that?” He waves a hand. “We can talk more about that stuff over lunch. You two must be starving.”

You turn another corner, and the most beautiful house stands before you. Two stories, perfect white picket fence out front, planters filled with flowers lining the walkways, the hedges and lawn neatly trimmed. A US flag sticks out from the front of the house, the fabric billowing in the warm breeze, and you nearly topple over when you see the patio furniture set out, four chairs around a table, each place already set, wine in the middle, glasses at each spot.

You and Joel are frozen in place, but Frank continues on, stepping through the small gate in the fence and walking towards the table. Bill stalks past you, heading into the house, and Frank waves you on. “Come! Sit!”

Joel’s hand pushes against your back, his voice low in your ear. “You still feelin’ good about this?”

“Very,” you reply, and let him propel you forward slightly, unable to wipe the grin on your face as you walk towards the table.

You take a seat, Joel sliding into the chair next to you, and Frank produces a bottle of wine, filling the glass in front of you. Joel gives a little nod as Frank fills his glass, and you’ll be the first to admit you reach for the glass quickly, taking a long sip that tastes like heaven. You’ve never been a huge wine drinker; you indulged every once in a while before — the occasional glass if you were out for dinner, and your mom had a penchant for rosé — but this is good fucking wine.

“How long did it take you guys?” Frank asks as he fills his own glass, then the empty seat for Bill. “Easy travels I hope?”

“‘Bout five hours,” Joel answers as you take another sip. “No Infected, and the weather’s good.”

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Frank says, still beaming at you, and you’re smiling into your wine. “We’ll eat first, and then I’ll show you two around. Bill’s a bit…hesitant about the whole thing, but he’ll come around. He’s a big softie.” He pauses, brow furrowing slightly. “Sort of.”

As if on cue, the front door opens, and Bill appears, calling Frank’s name. The taller man rises, jogging towards the door and when he turns back, he has two plates of food in his hands. It’s fine china, piled with steaming veggies and pieces of meat, actual fucking gravy and Bill has a bowl of dinner rolls tucked in the crook of his arm.

Frank sets a plate down in front of you, and for a second, you honestly feel like you could cry. “Oh my god, thank you.” Bill hands the other two plates to Frank, then disappears towards the house. Frank goes to follow, but then waves his hand at his partner’s back.

“He can handle the salad himself.” He settles into the seat across from you, gestures to the plate you’re still staring at. “Go ahead, eat! There’s more too, if you’re still hungry after.”

Joel wastes no time, but you wait for Bill to return, saying your thanks when he hands you a bowl of salad that looks fresh from the garden. Your mouth is watering. He just gives you a curt nod, sinks into the chair opposite of Joel, and pulls a handgun from the holster on his leg, setting it beside his plate. A warning, and you see Joel’s eyes dart to it before he glances at you. You sip your wine again, your hand finding Joel’s thigh beneath the table.

“Well, this is just incredible,” you say, breaking the awkward silence that’s settled. “Honestly, it’s just…it’s amazing, truly.”

“Right?” Frank agrees, giving you an almost conspiratorial grin. He picks up the wine bottle from the table, gestures to your glass. “Refill?”

“Please,” you say, holding your glass out.

Frank side-eyes Bill as he picks up the gun, pulling back the hammer with a quiet click. “Could you not, please? They’re our guests.”

Joel stares at the gun for a long moment before, “I’m the same way.”

“Oh, you’re a paranoid schizophrenic, too?” Frank asks, and you have to stifle your chuckle, covering your mouth with your hand so you don’t spit wine.

Bill rolls his eyes. “I’m not a schizophrenic.”

Bill and Joel share another glance, and you take another sip of wine before clearing your throat. “Well, I just wanna say, uh, gun aside — which I get, for the record.” You squeeze Joel’s leg beneath the table. “You’re protecting your family. But this is just so nice, and so appreciated, to have a meal like this, in such a beautiful place. It’s been so long since things felt normal, and this…even if we don’t end up working together, I just…thank you. Both of you.”

Frank meets your eyes, holding his glass towards you. “We are working together.”

“We haven’t even—” you start, but before you can finish your sentence, Frank sets down his glass for a moment and gets to his feet, reaching for his glass and the bottle again.

“You know what?” he says, giving you a grin. “Let’s go inside. Liv, I wanna show you something.”

You feel Joel’s eyes slide back to you, his brow furrowed deeply, and you squeeze his leg one more time before you’re getting up. “Actually, I’m dying to see the inside.”

“Let’s go,” Frank continues, ignoring Bill’s protests. “Bring your wine.” As you follow him towards the house, he pauses to let you catch up, turning to you. “Like I said, he’ll come around, he just…takes a while.”

You can’t help your chuckle. “Reminds me of Joel.”

As you step inside the house, you’re at a loss for words. Antique furniture, beautiful paintings, and it feels like a home. A stark contrast to your apartment back in Boston, which has felt more and more like just a place to keep your stuff. Especially since Joel showed up; wherever he was, that was home.

You dance your fingers across the piano keys as Frank turns towards the dining room, a large mahogany table taking up most of the space, matching chairs, an old grandfather clock, a covered desk. You don’t have enough of a musical ear to know if the piano is still in tune or not, but then Frank calls your name, and you wander over, sipping your wine as you go, careful not to let it spill.

“This place is amazing,” you comment, and Frank grins, turning to rifle through one of the desk drawers. “Did you and Bill find this place? I’m shocked it’s in such good condition.”

“No, Bill has always lived here,” Frank answers, still searching for something. “I was heading for Boston, after the Baltimore QZ fell. There were ten of us originally, but by the time I ended up here, I was the only one left.”

“I’m sorry,” you say, almost a reflex, and Frank waves you off. “So, you and Bill…you found each other, in the middle of all this?”

He finds what he’s looking for, something concealed in his hand as he pushes the drawer shut, and the grin on his face as he straightens to look at you makes your chest warm. He’s just so charming, kindness radiating off of him in waves. You’re not used to it.

“We did,” he says with a nod, an almost dreamy look in his eye. “It’s hopelessly romantic, isn’t it? Must be the artist in me. And you should have seen this place when I first got here. At least an inch of dust everywhere you looked.”

“Bill’s not much a cleaner?”

“He’s practical, but he forgets to pay attention to things sometimes. But he’s learning.” He smiles. “We all are.”

You scoff a little laugh. “That’s a good way to put it.”

Frank holds the thing he’d fished out of the desk to you. “For you.”

Your jaw drops. Fleetwood Mac. “You’re kidding.”

“No,” he laughs, putting the cassette tape in your hands. “It’s yours. Landslide is on side B.”

“Frank, I can’t—”

“You can,” he presses, chuckling at your protest. “A token of appreciation for travelling this far to meet with us.” Before you can refuse, Frank turns, refilling his glass where he’d set it on the table and sinking into one of the chairs. “Now, tell me how this works.”

+

The majority of the afternoon is spent following Frank around, him showing you the numbered but incredible sights Lincoln has to offer. It feels like stepping into a history book in the best kind of way, and that feeling of normalcy, the white picket fence only adds to it.

“So, how long have you and Joel been you and Joel?” Frank asks. You’re in the clothing boutique, poking through the racks of clothes. Frank told you to pick out an outfit, and you’re taking your choices very seriously, your mind torn between desperately wanting something cute while knowing you need something practical.

“Hah. It’s, uh, complicated?” you reply, your voice hitching on the word. You rub the sleeve of a green sweater between your fingers, savouring the softness. “We knew each other before the outbreak.”

Over the top of the rack, you can see Frank make a face. “That doesn’t sound that complicated.”

Before you know it, you’ve told him everything. It throws you, to trust someone this quickly. But, he invited you into his home, trusted you not to turn on him and his partner, his family. And that warmth he seems to radiate, it just adds to it all, making you feel like you’ve known him much longer than you have.

“Okay, let me get this straight,” he says after you’ve given him the whole story. “So you were together in 2001, then you moved to Boston, then shit hits the fan, you’re still in Boston, and Joel shows up five years later with his brother and another woman?”

You nod, flicking through a rack to find a pair of black jeans in your size. “Yes, Tommy and Tess.”

“And Joel and Tess were a thing when they first got to Boston?”

“Yes.”

“Then Tess broke it off with Joel, and you two got back together? And she’s one of your closest friends?”

You nod again. “Yes.”

“And Tommy is…?”

You sigh. “Tommy is even more complicated. I think I’d need another bottle of wine before I even start talking about Tommy.”

Frank grins. “All the more incentive for you to come back.”

“As if I’m not already convinced.”

Outside the boutique, you can hear Joel calling your name. You glance at your watch. “Shit. We probably need to start heading back.”

“Take those,” Frank says, gesturing to the jeans in your hands. He has the green sweater you’ve decided on in his hands. “I told Bill to pack up some food for you too.”

You head out of the boutique and towards the gate, and as you approach, Joel and Bill walk out of the house, Joel’s bag slung over his shoulder, looking a bit fuller than it had when you arrived. He hands you your own bag, and Frank hands you the sweater as you crouch down to stuff the clothes in your bag. “You’re sure about this?” you ask, pulling the Fleetwood Mac cassette out of your back pocket.

“Of course,” Frank answers. “Don’t think of it as a gift. You’ll come back in a few weeks, and we’ll trade. 

“We will. And I’ll bring Tess, like I said.”

“Oh,” he continues, glancing over his shoulder at Joel and Bill, who have stopped a good ten feet behind you, “and I had this idea, that we should use codes for the radio. Y’know, just in case someone’s listening. I know you were worried, the first time we talked.”

You nod. “That’s a great idea. What kind of code are you thinking?”

“Music,” he grins. “Sixties, seventies, eighties. We’ve got this book on Billboard hits we could give you. Sixties if there’s nothing new, seventies if we’ve got something new, eighties if there’s trouble.”

“Eighties for trouble,” you repeat, nodding again. “I like that.”

“Good,” Frank says, and you get to your feet. “I gotta say, Liv, I felt good about this before, but now? It’s nice, so nice, to have new friends.” He reaches out, puts his hand on your arm. “And yes, before you try and deny it. That’s what we are.”

You can’t help your grin. “Friends.”

He grins back. “Friends.”

Joel and Bill have been talking the entire time you have, and when you glance back, you see Joel heading toward you, squinting in the sunlight. “Ready?” he asks as he comes to stand beside you, his hand finding the small of your back again, and you nod. He turns to Frank. “Thank you, for the lunch, and for…” He trails off, gesturing to you. “We needed this.”

Joel and Frank shake hands, and after, Frank pulls you into a tight hug, wrapping his arms tight around your shoulders. “See you soon.”

+

You get back to the QZ late. You’re both exhausted, worn out by the hiking and the sun and the abundance of food. You’re both drooling over the leftovers Bill and Frank sent you home with, and as soon as you’re through the door to the apartment, Joel pulls out one of the containers, and you eat it with your fingers standing over the sink, both of you laughing at the absurdity of your day.

The next morning, Joel goes looking for Tommy.

Unsurprisingly, his brother has skipped out on his job for the umpteenth time, so as soon as morning curfew has passed, Joel heads into the city, and starts combing the buildings he knows are Firefly hideouts. The third building he’s poking around, and he’s stopped by a woman. She seemingly materializes out of the alleyway, arms crossed over her chest, dark hair tied back. She calls him by name, and Joel freezes.

“You won’t find him,” she says, her voice deeper than Joel is anticipating. “Tommy’s not here.”

Joel turns slowly, regards the woman as she steps out of the alley. She’s dressed the same as everybody else is, clothes that have seen better days, boots wrapped with duct tape. “You must be Marlene.”

“Guilty,” she answers.

“Where’s my brother?”

She looks down at the pavement, digs her toe into the asphalt. “Tommy left this morning.”

Joel’s stomach twists. “Left? What d’you mean, left?”

“I stationed him at our base in Minneapolis,” she says, and Joel’s heart stutters. “He left with a few other men this morning.”

His hands clench into fists. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“I know how you feel about the Fireflies, Joel,” Marlene continues, and the edges of Joel’s vision tinge red. “Tommy told me. And I understand why you would have your…reservations. But your brother just wants to do some good.”

“My brother is a fucking idiot,” Joel spits. “Is that what you told him? That blowing shit up and killing soldiers was good?”

“We’re doing more than that,” Marlene starts, “and Tommy understands that. He knows what he signed up for.”

“Does he?” he replies, and his voice is climbing. There’s a handful of people out on the sidewalks, and some throw glances in his direction. “You turned him against his family. Against his own brother.”

“I didn’t turn him against you, Joel. Tommy made a choice.”

Joel shakes his head. He’s shaking with anger, confusion, fear — every emotion crawled up the back of his throat and making a home there. “That’s a load of shit.”

Marlene digs in her pocket and extends a folded piece of paper toward him. “This is the radio frequency for the base in Minneapolis. Give it a day or two, then try and get through. I know your wife works the radios, she shouldn’t have any problem reaching him.”

He just stares at her, eyes darting between her face and the piece of paper. But finally, the desperation that’s been added to the mix wins out, and he snatches the paper. “If he dies, it’s on you. I’m not responsible for what happens after that.”

“If he dies, I’ll await your wrath, Joel.”

Before he can do anything more, she turns on her heel and disappears, leaving Joel in the alleyway, alone.

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🍓in case tumblr eats the ending🍓

[marcmarcmomarc]

Miraculous

Chapter 11: Lila’s Evildoing

(In Paris, Lila stares out her window. Mrs. Rossi comes in.)

MRS. ROSSI: Hey, Lila.

(Lila doesn’t look at her.)

MRS. ROSSI: I know you’ve been dishonest with me about so much. And I think it’s important that we talk about it.

LILA: I suppose, but not now.

MRS. ROSSI: I see. I’ve gotta go. Ciao, mi bella.

(Mrs. Rossi leaves. Lila glances back, then smirks. She jumps out of her window to the street right outside her house. Later, she arrives at an alley.)

LILA: Alright. Whoever you guys are, you can come out now.

(Evelyn Deavor, Morag, Smek, Velvet, Shelbourne, Henry J. Waternoose, Randall Boggs, Johnny Worthington, Victor “Vector” Perkins, Balthazar Bratt, Eduardo “El Macho” Perez, Scarlet and Herb Overkill, the Vicious Six, and Bela step out of the shadow.)

LILA: Ah, fellow villains, I see?

EVELYN: I’m Evelyn Deavor. My do-good brother created DEVTech and brought Supers back into the light. I attempted to keep them illegal by making them look bad with hypnotism. My alter-ego was the Screenslaver.

MORAG: I’m Morag. I was the rightful ruler of Scotland, and then the Loud family ruined it for me!

SMEK: I am Smek. I was captain of the Boov race until Oh became the first Boov to run toward the danger, toward a Gorg ship, and took over.

VELVET: I’m Velvet. My brother and I were music stars who used Trolls to boost our singing, until that little scab Queen Poppy and her boyfriend exposed us and got us arrested!

SHELBOURNE: I’m Shelbourne. I was the mayor of Swallow Falls. But then Flint Lockwood and his food machine saved the town.

WATERNOOSE: I’m Henry J. Waternoose. I was the CEO of Monsters, Incorporated, before James P. Sullivan exposed that I would kidnap a thousand children and extract their screams to keep Monstropolis’ power running before I’d let the company die.

RANDALL: I’m Randall Boggs. The second-best Scarer in the business. So close behind Sullivan. I also made the Scream Extractor to assist Waternoose’s scheme.

JOHNNY: I am Johnny Worthington III, president of Roar Omega Roar. Boggs and I attempted to work together to make Laugh Power look bad to stick it to Sullivan. Unfortunately, my assistant ratted us out.

VECTOR: I’m Victor Perkins. I call myself Vector. After I stole the Pyramid of Giza, Gru tried to one-up me by stealing the moon.

EL MACHO: Yo soy Eduardo Perez, aka El Macho. I once worked with Agent Gru’s scientist to make indestructible killing machines out of his Minions.

BRATT: I’m Balthazar Bratt. I was a star on an 80’s TV show, Evil Bratt. But then Hollywood rejected me once I hit puberty and had a growth spurt.

MAXIME: I am Maxime Le Mal. I’ve wanted to get my revenge on Gru since he upstaged me at the school talent show.

VALENTINA: I’m his girlfriend, Valentina.

SCARLET: I am Scarlet Overkill, the world’s first female supervillain. I wanted to overthrow England and have the crown for myself, but the Minions betrayed me.

HERB: I’m Scarlet’s husband and master of gadgetry, Herb.

BELLE: I’m Belle Bottom. Leader of the Vicious Six.

JEAN-CLAWED: Jean-Clawed.

SVENGEANCE: Svengeance.

STRONGHOLD: Stronghold.

NUN-CHUCK: And Nun-Chuck.

LILA: Isn’t that only five of you?

BELLE: Wild Knuckles. He was our leader, before we abandoned him.

BELA: I am Bela. Normally, I don’t work with humans, but any enemy of Dupain-Cheng is an ally of mine.

AUSTIN: And I’m Austin Holden, aka ASLB247. I once tried to reveal Ladybug and Cat Noir’s identities at a panel and was humiliated by them for it.

(Meanwhile, Hawk Moth’s lair window opens.)

HAWK MOTH: Ooh. An embarrassed fan who wishes to reveal Ladybug and Cat Noir? Easy akuma prey.)

(A white butterfly lands in his open hand. He turns it into an akuma and sends it out.)

HAWK MOTH: Fly away, my little akuma, and evilize him!

(The akuma flutters over the city and eventually reaches Austin’s sword.)

LILA: Check it out, Austin. An akuma.

AUSTIN: Hawk Moth, I am Austin Holden. Ladybug and Cat Noir’s Miraculous you want? Their Miraculous you’ll get.

HAWK MOTH: And you will be able to track them down as The Huntsman.

(The purple akuma smoke engulfs him, then dissipates, revealing him now wearing his Huntsman cosplay.)

LILA: Ooh, cool look. Round out!

(The villains surround Lila, having elected her as their undisputed leader.)

LILA: We are gonna fight hard for this territory and it’s ours. But with these mouth-breathing fools serving as cover, we won’t get it.

SMEK: As of now, Adrien and his group have already tried one attempt to get Marinette back. They are in the midst of making another, but no matter how much they try, she’ll never be convinced.

LILA: Nice. Meanwhile, we’re here about to make this city our own. Small turf, I know, but it’s all we’ve got. I wanna hold this city like we always held it. With skin! I say I want us evil folk to sail, to hold the sky!

VECTOR: Then rev us off. Voom-va voom!

VELVET: Chung-chung!

RANDALL: Cracko, jacko!

EVELYN: Pam-pam!

BRATT: Riga-diga-dum!

LILA: OK, fellas, we’re taking this city!

LILA: (SINGING) When you’re evil, you’re evil all the way From your first felony ‘till your last dying day When you’re evil, let them do what they can You’ve got brothers around, you’re a family man You’re never alone, you’re never disconnected You’re home with your own when company’s expected, you’re well protected Then you are set with a capital V Which you’ll never forget, like the birds and the bees When you’re evil, you stay evil

LILA: Now, contrary to Smek, I’m taking a wild step in the dark that Marinette will be back eventually, but by then, we’ll have taken over. Too late for them.

SHELBOURNE: Of course.

EL MACHO: So what is your idea?

VELVET: It won’t be easy taking this city over.

LILA: No sweat. You guys are some of the strongest villains in the multiverse, and these guys give in to anything. Just scare them and you’re on top.

HUNTSMAN: Great!

MORAG: Then this will be good.

BRATT: Operation Take Over Paris begins!

VECTOR: Oh, yeah!

RANDALL: When you’re evil, you are most feared in town You’re the gold medal champ with a heavyweight crown

EVELYN: When you’re evil, you’re the swingin’-est thing Little boy, you’re a man, little man, you’re a king

VILLAINS: The villains are in gear, our cylinders are clicking Those freaks will steer clear, ‘cause every Parisian’s a lousy chicken

(They walk through the city, scaring civilians as they go.)

VILLAINS: Here come the villains, like a bat out of Hell Someone gets in our way, someone don’t feel so well We are villains, little world, step aside Better go underground, better run, better hide We’re drawing the line, so keep your noses hidden We’re hanging a sign, says, “Visitors forbidden”, and we ain’t kidding Here come the villains, and we’re gonna beat every last peasant on these dirty bugging streets Each peasant on these dirty bugging streets

LILA: Alright, villains, let’s get to work!

[best-tv-theme-song]

Polls will start to be posted within the next week or so.

Bracket list under the cut!

UPDATE: LIST CANCELLED

*Starred shows have multiple theme songs or I have combined shows in a franchise in an effort to include as much as possible. These will have preliminaries built-into their polls on the first round. This is how it works: 1. all of the songs will go into a poll together against one other show; 2. the COMBINED votes for those songs will determine which show wins that poll; 3. only the top voted song for that show/franchise will move on, if the show has won the poll. (If you are confused it will make more sense when we start, I promise!)

The 100

30 Rock

9-1-1*

The Addams Family

Adventure Time*

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

All That

The Amazing World of Gumball

American Dragon: Jake Long

Animaniacs

Arcane: League of Legends

Arrested Development

Arthur

Assassination Classroom*

Austin & Ally

The Backyardigans

Barney & Friends

Barry

Batman*

Bear in the Big Blue House

Ben 10*

Better Call Saul

Beverly Hills, 90210

The Big Bang Theory

Big Time Rush

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Black Sails

Bluey

Bob the Builder

Bob's Burgers

BoJack Horseman

Bones

Boy Meets World

The Brady Bunch

Breaking Bad

Bridgerton

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Buffy the Vampire Slayer*

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Charmed

Cheers

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

Choo Choo Soul

Code Lyoko

Codename: Kids Next Door

Cold Case

Community

Cory in the House

Cowboy Bebop

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend*

Criminal Minds

CSI*

Cyberchase

Danny Phantom

Daredevil

Dawson's Creek

Death Note*

Desperate Housewives

Detective Conan

Dexter

Dexter's Laboratory

Diff'rent Strokes

Digimon*

Doctor Who*

Dora the Explorer

Downton Abbey

Dragon Ball*

Dragon Tales

Drake & Josh

Ducktales*

ER

Ever After High

The Fairly OddParents

Firefly

The Flintstones

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

Fraggle Rock

Frasier

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Friends

Fringe

Full House

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood*

Futurama

Game of Thrones

George Lopez

George of the Jungle

Gilmore Girls

Glee

The Golden Girls

Good Omens

Gravity Falls

Grey's Anatomy

H2O: Just Add Water

Hannah Montana

Hannibal

Happy Days

Hawaii Five-0*

His Dark Materials

Horrible Histories

House, M.D.

How I Met Your Mother

How It's Made

Hunter × Hunter

Huntik: Secrets & Seekers

I Dream of Jeannie

I Love Lucy

iCarly

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

The Jeffersons

Jeopardy!

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure*

Jonas

Justice League

Kim Possible

The Last of Us

Laverne & Shirley

Law & Order*

LazyTown

The Legend of Vox Machina

Leverage

Lilo & Stitch: The Series

Little Einsteins

Lizzie McGuire

Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies

The Love Boat

M*A*S*H

Mad Men

Madoka Magica*

The Magic School Bus

Malcolm in the Middle

The Mandalorian

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Merlin

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Mob Psycho 100

The Monkees

Monster High

The Muppet Show

Murder, She Wrote

Murdoch Mysteries

My Babysitter's a Vampire

My Hero Academia*

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

The Nanny

Naruto*

NCIS

Neon Genesis Evangelion

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

New Girl

NFL (various network themes)*

Ninjago

The O.C.

The Office

One Day at a Time*

One Piece

Only Murders in the Building

Orange Is the New Black

Ouran High School Host Club

The Owl House

Parks and Recreation

The Partridge Family

Phil of the Future

Phineas and Ferb

Pinky and the Brain

Pippi Longstocking

Pokémon*

Power Rangers

The Powerpuff Girls

Pretty Little Liars

The Price Is Right

The Proud Family

Psych

Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

Reading Rainbow

Reba

Red Dwarf

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Riverdale

Rugrats

Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat

Sailor Moon

Sanford and Son

Saturday Night Live

Schitt's Creek

Scooby-Doo*

Scrubs

Seinfeld

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Sesame Street

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Sherlock

The Simpsons

Smallville

Sofia the First

Sonny with a Chance

The Sopranos

Spider-Man

SpongeBob SquarePants

Star Trek (instrumental themes)*

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star vs. the Forces of Evil

Stargate*

Steven Universe

Stranger Things

Succession

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody*

Suits

Taskmaster

Ted Lasso

Teen Titans

Teen Wolf

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teletubbies

That '70s Show

That's So Raven

Theory of Love

Thomas & Friends

Tokyo Ghoul

Total Drama

Totally Spies!

Transformers*

True Blood

The Twilight Zone

Twin Peaks

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

VeggieTales

Veronica Mars

Victorious

Voltron: Legendary Defender

W.I.T.C.H.

The Walking Dead

WandaVision*

Welcome Back, Kotter

The West Wing

Westworld

What We Do in the Shadows

The White Lotus

Wild Kratts

Winx Club

The Wire*

The Witcher

Wizards of Waverly Place

Wonder Pets!

Wonder Woman

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

The X-Files

Xena: Warrior Princess

Yellowjackets

Yu-Gi-Oh!*

Yuri on Ice

Zoboomafoo

Zoey 101

[aconflagrationofmyown]

hii i was just wondering and i mean this with like no malice, seriously i love all your aus and series, but i was just curious if you plan on writing anything anytime soon that isn't of an au/series? i read one of your works that you reposted on a different account that i had no idea existed and was just blown away by it, and i really didn't know you wrote in that type of format, it was called The Honeymoon i think, and i really mean it when i say it was absolutely amazing. i think i just really liked the back and forth dialogue between elvis and the reader, it was such a cute relationship from what i could get of it. i cant say enough how much i loved the relationship and the way you made the reader out to be, contrasting so much with elvis in the most amazing way possible.

so this is kind of both an ask and a way for me to pay my highest compliments to you for that fic, i was too shy to leave an actual comment, so im leaving this little love letter 💘💝💗

Gosh what a sweet thing to find in my inbox, you absolute doll. Thanks for making my day. I wish I knew who you were so I could batter your dm-hobbit-door down and give you extra thanks but I don’t wanna scare you off and I appreciate that you’ve reached out. Thank you, again!

Honestly? I would totally love to write for more in that genre/reader insert. I do love my AU’s and I’m very appreciative and loyal to the folks who’ve become so invested in them but that’s not to say my brain doesn’t have some schemes from time to time and I’d love prompts.

So -i’ll happily take any prompts.

Here’s the deal: Ive learned over a year of writing that I prefer writing AU’s with a significant turn from his actual life, if that makes sense? We’ve got so many authors in this fandom doing such an incredible job writing stories that are so near to the real timeline they read as torrid biographies and I simply don’t see myself achieving anything but subpar mimicry of what they’re already doing so, so well.

Quick shout out to @whositmcwhatsit who is nailing 70’s tour life, @be-my-ally who has a treasure trove of different fics and eras, @ellie-24 who has an amazingly immersive army fic, @thatbanditqueen who slays both 70’s and army era and perhaps more I can’t keep up with her genius, @from-memphis-with-love who has created my dream Hollywood fic, @ab4eva has us down on time travel, @elvisabutler gave us Professor Presley, @prompted-wordsmith gave us ghost meets Austin…so so so many more here I’ve omitted due to brain cell shrinkage and space.

Anyways, so…long answer shortened: If there’s an idea you have that you’ve not seen done much before and based on what else I’ve written you would be intrigued to see me take a crack at it…it would be my honor to give it a try.

I’ve also got a couple of Reader fics already in my head, a genuinely nasty Trailer Park Cop Big Daddy AU and then Regency Elvis that I’ve already written a blurb for. I’m sure there’s much more out there to be explored.

Thank you for all your sweet words and for expressing your interest. 🌸

[bomikalover]

Since it’s a new year and I am now officially a multi account, I’d thought I should formally introduce myself to all my new besties 🫶🏾

Name: Shyanne/Shy/whatever you wanna call me 😂

Age: 22

Pronouns: She/They

Hobbies: Editing, Talking, Writing, and More Talking 😁

Shows I adore: Danger Force, Project 863, Outer Banks, American Housewife, HeartStopper, Wednesday, That 90’s Show, Austin & Ally, Julie and the Phantoms, No Good Nick, Kickin It, Big Brother, Percy Jackson, Big Time Rush, Hannah Montana, The Last of Us, Abbott Elementary, Itaewon Class, Business Proposal, Squid Game, Crash Landing on you, It’s okay not to be okay, The Glory, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Doogie Kameāloha, Lab Rats, I Didn’t Do It, and many, MANY, more!!!

Movies and Musicals I loovvveee: The Hunger Games Franchise, The Zombies Franchise, Nerdy Prudes Must Die, All the High School Musicals, All the Descendants, Into & Across the Spiderverse, Frozen, Tangled, Moana, Encanto, Elemental, In the Heights, Pitch Perfect, Barbie, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Bridge to Terabithia, and a TON more!!!

Other Things I love: BTS, Smosh, OfflineTV, Reaction Vids, Talking with my online besties, over analyzing kids tv and film, watch parties, and shipping characters 🫶🏾🫶🏾

[dgf2099]

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Tracker-May 29, 2024

By David G. Firestone TRACKHOUSE RACING #1 Ross Chastain #1 Moose Fraternity Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2024, red roof added. A Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2024, sides cleaned up. A Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Fishing Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2024, white with fishing motif. D- Ross Chastain #1 Worldwide Express Chevy Camaro–No change. F Ross Chastain #1 Jockey…

[yourmateyoya]

Are they a human, ghoul, synth, or something else?

Human

Are they a canon main character? (Lone Wander, Courier Six, etc.)

She is The Courier. Of course she’s the main character because everyone relies on her to do their dirty work.

What is their SPECIAL

S 6 P6 E 5 C8 I 8 A 5 L9

What perks or tagged skills do they have?

Black widow, bloody mess, intense training, fortune finder,

What is their highest skill? Lowest?

Lowest: Survival

Highest: speech

Were they born pre-war or post-war?

Post war

Do they wish they lived before the war / could go back to life before the war?

She kind of romanticize living in pre-war times.

Did they live in a vault? If not, have they been inside of one?

No she grew up in the ruins of the Texas State fair. But she has been to multiple vaults. She absolutely hates vault 22.

Where did they grow up? Where do they currently reside?

The grew up in the Dallas , specifically the ruins of the state fair. When she was in her early twenties she lived in Austin for a bit. She moved to Nevada after hearing that you can get a lot of work there as a courier.

What languages) do they speak?

English and Spanish

What type of education have they received?

Mostly basic stuff like reading and writing and how to do basic math. But she did need extra help on that stuff due to her learning disabilities.

Can they read, write, and/or do math?

Can read just find trouble reading some really long words or paragraphs. Despite loving to write corny, romance novels she has a lot of trouble spelling. Is actually really good at math.

What is the most frightening experience they have endured?

Going to quarry junction.

What is their fondest memory?

Reactivating Ed-d.

What is their proudest moment / accomplishment?

Killing a mother and alpha Deathclaw with Arcade and Ed-d.

What is their biggest regrets

Not being able to save Gabe

Do they have a job? How do they make a living?

Most Courier work but the occasional job here and there.

Do they have any disabilities, mutations, or implants / enhancements? Do they have any chronic illnesses?

Autism and dyslexia

Who (or what) are they emotionally closest to?

Benny and their daughter.

Who do they consider to be their family?

Benny, Ed-d, and her and Benny's daughter.

Do they travel alone or with a companion?

Is constantly traveling with Ed-d. Also travels around a lot with Arcade.

Do they have any pets?

Roxie

How do they feel about physical touch / affection?

She loves to cuddle especially with Benny and Ed-d.

Do they have a romantic partner or partners?

Her dearest Benny!

Are they quick to trust others?

Can be too quick to trust people especially if they’re nice to her.

How would others describe them / their disposition?

Some people describe her as Marilyn Monroe’s reincarnation. Others describe her as a kind but an oblivious person at times.

What faction(s) are they a member of / allied with?

Vages, the Great Khans, The Followers, And formally the NCR.

What faction(s) do they despise?

The legion.

What is their moral alignment / karma?

Very good

What is their goal in life? What impact would they like to leave when they're gone?

Help as much people as they possibly can.

What is their go-to weapon or weapon class?

Q-35 matter modulator.

What is their fight-or-flight response

Not very good at dodging bullets so fight!

What armor / clothing do they typically wear?

She wears her NCR ranger uniform but usually on the strip she wear spring time outfit along with her good luck bonnet.

Do they have power armor training?

Still getting trained.

Have they ever saved someone's life? Have they ever killed someone?

Kills in self defense and saved Benny from the Legion.

What is the worst injury they have?

A concussion from a missile on Black MT.

What is their favorite radio station?

Radio New Vegas.

What is their favorite song?

🎶 MAD ABOUT THE BOOOYYY🎶

What is their favorite type of weather?

Nice cold rain.

What is their favorite time of the day?

Night Time so she can see all the stars.

What is their favorite wasteland creature?

Despite her killing multiple of them, Deathclaws and also big horns as well.

What is their favorite meal and drink?

Sunset sarsaparilla and Fancy lad cake snacks

What is their favorite smell?

Wet dirt

Do they have any specific hobbies or talents?

Writing and singing are her hobbies.

Do they play any sports? How about board games or card games?

can’t play caravan to save her life.

Do they enjoy reading?

Doesn’t read that much.

Do they collect anything?

Teddy bears and toy rocket ship!

What items) do they always have on their person?

A teddy bear.

Do they travel by foot or by other means?

travel by foot terrible at driving

Do they own a Pip-boy? If so, how did they get it?

Can they swim?

Yes they can and she loves to swim.

What do they think of the ocean?

taste very salty.

Do they prefer showers or baths

Warm bath with lavender bubbles

Are they past, present, or future oriented?

She’s always worried about the future. especially her own daughters future.

How do they feel about robots? (Eyebots, Mister Handys, Sentry Bots, etc.)

Love those silly little guys.

What is a sensation / texture they cannot stand?

Sand it's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.

Do they believe in luck? Do they have a good luck charm?

Some believe in luck and think her bonnet is a type of charm.

Do they idolize anything / anyone?

She idolizes someone by the name of the chosen one. has no idea who they are, but thinks they’re cool.

Are they religious? Spiritual?

Grew up in Texas, so there are a lot of religious people around. But never really believed in religion.

What are their thoughts on chems and alcohol?

Got addicted to alcohol once. Is very scared to use them.

Do they have any weaknesses or struggle with any vices?

Trying to get missions done can be a pain in the ass for them.

Do they need / wear glasses?

Wears Sun glasses.

How / where do they generally sleep?

basically, anything with a mattress.

Describe their living space. (How do they decorate it? Does it have running water and/or electricity? Etc.)

lives with Benny at the Tops casino. Has a lot of stuffed animals around.

Describe their eyes.

Dirty brown