#showing up like some grandpa like 'what nice photos'

[leieryx]

Sorry for all the wonho Wednesday posts that are coming ♥️

every once in a while when i stop by my inbox i see this i need you to know i support wonho wednesday i dont kinow who he is but i Understand

[demonic0angel]

Your Damian Fenton post gave me severe Uncles+Aunt Everlasting Trio vibes.

After the Moment TM of Danny being jealous about Jazz fixating so much on Damian, and everything had been said and resolved, I can imagine Damian being a little insecure, because his own Uncle looked like he didn't like him.

The goggles being a gift from Danny would be the turning point for the two of them.

Imagine, Danny in the lab, looking over notes from Frostbite about some experiment that he wanted to try out, maybe to take neutral ectoplasm and make it into healing ectoplasm, and he's pulling out his hair a little bit, because it's a lot all at once, and Damian wanders into the room, a little nervous, because while Uncle Danny already said it wasn't his fault, Damian still desperately wants his family to like him.

It's the "lightbulb moment" of a successful experiment that turns it around into Danny and Dakian being thick as thieves.

Danny bouncing on the spot, watching the mixture settle and change colors, and as he feels Damian approach curiously, in true Jack Fenton fashion, Damian gets to be squished against Danny's chest like a teddy bear while listening to his Uncle rapid-fire explain what just happened. It's actually pretty nice, getting to go limp and be swung around while cradled against Danny's chest, while Danny purrs with joy.

By the time he's set down again, Damian has a cursory understanding of what the experiment was, and also undeniable proof of love from his Uncle.

From there, Danny breaks out his old lab coat, from when he was Damian's size with the matching safety goggles, and has Damian put them on so they can take a photo together and send it to Jazz.

I can imagine Danny ruffling Damian's hair, giving him the Gremlin Smile and telling him "your mother's gonna flip if she catches you here without safety gear. But don't worry, your uncle's gonna make sure you know how to stay safe."

Danny gets whapped with the newspaper for using Lab Time as a bonding moment, but Damian is still clinging to him and constantly swishing the ends of his lab coat like he can't believe he's wearing it.

From there, by the time Danny, Sam and Tucker finally start dating, Damian has at least one patch in all his jeans, courtesy of Tucker, and he keeps stealing one specific t-shirt from Sam, because she left it in Danny's room and Damian thought it was the coolest thing ever, so he's going to steal it, like the gremlin Fenton child that he's learning to be.

Sam shows up the next day with a whole suitcase of graphic t-shirts for Damian to try.

Do you think the reason why Damian meets the Bats is because the Trio have eventually moved to Gotham, and Jazz+Damian are taking a vacation to go see his Aunt and Uncles?

The Trio take their nephew to a dog park so he can pet the dogs? Maybe also because they adopted a puppy from a shelter and whenever Damian is with them he HAS to be involved in walking the dog every day?

Regardless, one of the Bats see this mini-Bruce racing a dog through the park, and immediately have to go stick their nose into it, to great distress to Damian, and some seriously ruffled feathers from his Uncles, Aunt and Mother. Luckily, not Grandma and Grandpa, this time, because they're busy attending a seminar with Frostbite and his students, or there would be even more threats of bodily harm than there already were.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam were definitely a large part of his life since they babysat him when Jazz was busy. He bonded with them a lot over shared hobbies and interests (Sam with gardening and plants, Tucker with cars and machinery, Danny with ghosts and science and stars).

Honestly, when I thought of Danny being jealous of Damian, it was meant to be a moment between Jazz and Danny since Damian would've been like,,, seven when it happened. However, your idea is super cute! Danny and Damian do often do experiments and hang out with each other, but that's a post for another day 😌 the coat is specifically from Jazz since she gave it to him for his first birthday with them.

The reason why Damian meets the Bats is that the entire Fenton family went there to visit for vacation, but the real reason was that Jazz was planning to move there for work and wanted to take Damian with her, so she wanted to check it out first. Of course, shenanigans ensue as Damian makes friends with the Batkids (who are endeared by the tiny, mad scientist) and then eventually meets Bruce.

[redrose10]

Sorry this has taken so long…Here is #10 from the picture game. I hope it’s okay!

Warnings: Angst, slightly suggestive, hints of loosing virginity, small mentions of death and seeing a therapist as well as mental health struggles, cheating , swearing, mention of divorce

September 8th, 2003

To Whomever It May Concern,

My name is Min Yoongi. I live in Daegu. I am in the fifth grade. My hobbies include basketball, music, and sleeping. My teacher said that we have to write a letter that will be sent to a random pen pal. I think it’s a dumb idea but it’s mandatory. So here it is.

September 15th, 2003

Dear Yoongi,

My name is L/N Y/N. I received your letter. I also think this is dumb but I need the extra credit so here I am. I am also in the fifth grade. I like to cook with my grandma. I love animals and purple is my favorite color. I look forward to hearing from you again.

You laughed as you read over the wrinkled faded letters one by one. At the time you did think that writing to a pen pal was the dumbest idea that your teacher came up with specifically to torture you. The guy you were writing was cute at least. The attached school photo showing a gummy smile and beautiful eyes. At the time you didn’t know how much that letter would become a part of your life.

November 1st, 2003

Dear Y/N,

What do you like to cook? I don’t cook much but I love when my mom makes kimchi stew. It’s starting to get cold. I hope that you are able to stay warm.

November 12th, 2003

Dear Yoongi,

It is getting colder which makes it the perfect weather for kimchi stew. It’s almost time for Christmas. That’s my favorite time of the year. Do you have a favorite Christmas Movie? Mine is Home Alone.

December 11th, 2003

Dear Y/N,

My favorite Christmas movie is also Home Alone. I prefer to listen to Christmas music but I will deny it if anyone asks. Do you have a favorite song?

August 14, 2005

Dear Yoongi

I’m sorry that I never wrote you back. We moved and I lost your address. I just found it again though, if you even still live here. You don’t have to write me back if you don’t want to. I just always felt bad for leaving you hanging without an explanation.

By the way…my favorite Christmas song is Jingle Bell Rock.

You remembered that time of your life. Your parents got divorced and you moved in with your mom. Your grandma suddenly passed away not long after. Your best friend moved across the country too. It felt like your life was falling apart and you wanted some sense of normalcy so when you came across Yoongi’s address you decided to write him even if you thought you might die from embarrassment. You folded those letters back up and gently put them back at the bottom white wooden chest in front of you.

September 9th, 2005

Dear Y/N,

I wondered what happened to you. I didn’t mind. They didn’t make me write letters any more at least haha. I’m glad you’re okay though. I just got back from my cousins wedding. It was very boring. If I ever get married I’m going to wear a blue kangaroo onesie or something, ya know to spice it up a little. Have you ever thought about getting married?

October 12th, 2005

Dear Yoongi,

Oh my god, I’m sure your mother will be thrilled to watch you get married in a blue kangaroo suit. Weddings aren’t too bad but I’ve only ever been to my Aunt’s wedding. Her maid of honor got super drunk and started dancing on a table until it collapsed. It was pretty funny. I’ve never really thought about my wedding. I think I’d want to elope but I know my mom would cry if I did that. As long as I marry my best friend I don’t care though.

December 17th, 2005

Dear Y/N,

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy the holiday and break from school.

February 26th, 2006

Dear Yoongi,

I hope you had a great holiday! We went to visit my grandpa. It was really nice. I’m sorry I didn’t write sooner. I’ve been busy packing. We’re moving again in a couple months. My parents said I can finish this year with my friends but I’ll have to start a new school next grade. I’m scared.

March 3rd, 2006

Dear Y/N,

I think it would be exciting to start over somewhere new. Don’t be scared. I’m sure it’ll all be okay. You can still write to me if you want. I’ll always be your friend.

You were scared. Your mom had accepted a job a few hours away. Your parents agreed to to let you live with your dad for the remainder of the school year but then you’d have to move back with your mom and start at a new school the following semester. It was terrifying until you realized something as you were addressing a new letter to Yoongi.

April 8th, 2006

Dear Yoongi,

Thank you for being my friend. That is comforting knowing that I can always write to you. I just realized we’ll be going to the same school though. Maybe we can meet up some time and be friends in person. Is that weird? Anyways I hope to see you in a few months.

August 2nd, 2006

Dear Y/N,

Sorry it was a crazy busy summer. I had to work on my grandparents farm. Wow yeah it looks like we’re going to the same high school. We should meet up! Meet me underneath the maple tree at the front of the school before first period.

That was the most nervous you had ever been. Your heart rate increased as you walked towards the guy waiting underneath the tree. He was even cuter in person. Part of you didn’t want to meet him. Part of you didn’t want the letters to stop as you were sure they would now that you were at the same school. But you pushed forward greeting him with a shy smile which he quickly returned. Your friendship really evolved that day.

September 18th, 2006

Dear Y/N,

I know it’s kind of silly to write you a letter when we already spend almost every day together but I miss it. I really hate our algebra class. I swear Mr. Park is trying to make sure I never graduate. I think I’m going to try out for the basketball team. I might really have a shot at making it. If I do I hope you come to all of my games!

October 1st, 2006

Dear Yoongi,

Mr. Park is not trying to force you to fail. Maybe if you actually paid attention instead of staring at me the whole time you’d actually learn something… I know you’ll make the team, they’d be dumb not to take you. And of course I’ll be in the front row at every game!

And you were there. Yoongi was the star player. You attended every game cheering for him as loud as you could. You were shocked when after the championship game Yoongi pulled you in for a kiss. Neither of you mentioned it again after that night though.

August 21st, 2007

Dear Y/N,

Can you believe we’re in our second year of high school already? I know we haven’t written letters in a while but it seemed right. I’m excited for this year!

September 3rd, 2007

Dear Yoongi,

I was wondering when I’d get a letter… I’m ready for this year. I can’t wait for another basketball season too. I might look into drama club or something. That sounds fun. I’ll see you at Taehyung’s on Friday right?!

September 8th, 2007

Dear Y/N,

I’m sorry I didn’t come up to you at Taehyung’s party. I saw that you were getting pretty cozy with Hoseok and didn’t want to interrupt, anything going on between you two by the way? Not that I really care or anything but as your best friend I think I deserve to know.

September 8th, 2007

Dear Yoongi,

I’m literally sitting right next to you at the lunch table. We can just talk. But no nothing is going on between me and Hobi. I was actually asking him if he knew when you were going to show up.

September 8th, 2007

Dear Y/N,

Okay cool because I wanted to ask if you would go out with me. I’m sorry I don’t have the courage to say it to your face and have to ask you in a letter.

September 8th, 2007

Dear Yoongi,

Yes I will go out with you...but only if you promise to wear a blue kangaroo onesie at our wedding.

September 8th, 2007

Dear Y/N,

I will wear whatever kind of suit you want me too, birthday suit included ;)

You could still remember how hot your face felt that day. You had a huge crush on Yoongi and were planning to confess to him at the party but he never showed up. You were over the moon excited when he confessed first.

The next several letters were just little bits and pieces here and there. Yoongi took a vacation with his family. You got a part time job at an ice cream parlor. They were all important to you in their own ways but you were looking for one in particular and after some searching you found it.

July 11th, 2008

Dear Y/N,

I can’t believe we’re going to be going into our senior year of high school. Last night was amazing. I hope you’re not too sore. I’m sorry if I did or said anything dumb. I was so nervous but I’m thankful that my first time could be with someone that I love so much. You’ve gotten me through so much and I’m excited to see where the rest of our lives takes us.

July 11th, 2008

Dear Yoongi,

You were nothing but gentle and sweet and amazing. I’m glad I could share my first with you too. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I love you Yoongi.

That night was one that you would never forget as long as you lived. The love that you two felt for each other was overwhelming and you never thought it would ever change.

January 22nd, 2009

Dear Yoongi,

You are a meanie boo beanie. That is all.

January 23rd, 2009

Dear Y/N,

I am a meanie boo beanie but I’m your meanie boo beanie. I’m sorry I forgot that I was supposed to drive you and your sister to the concert. I really am and I promise I’ll make it up to you both. I love you.

You chuckled as you folded up those letters. Teenage you had no self control sometimes. You probably called him twenty five times and sent who knows how many texts. He stayed calm through it all and apologized to both you and your sister. He got you guys flowers and took you both out to dinner. It was probably super hard on his wallet as a teenager but he still did it without even a frown. You never realized how much that meant to you.

August 21st 2010

Dear Y/ N,

It sucks we ended up at different colleges. I really really miss you. Sometimes I regret our decision. I hope you’re doing well and everyone is treating you good. If anyone tried anything let me know and I’ll be there so fast. I love you Y/N.

September 5th, 2010

Dear Yoongi,

I know I miss you too. I hate that you’re six hours away from me. I’m already counting down the days until winter break when we can finally be in each others arms again. Be safe and make good choices. I love you Yoongi.

January 3rd, 2011

Dear Y/N,

I know you just left but I miss you so much already. Your friends seem really nice, but I’m super suspicious of that Namjoon. I’m keeping an eye on him (just kidding…not really though). Before you know it summer break will be here and we can be together again. I love you Y/N.

January 9th, 2011

Dear Yoongi,

Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was so warm and comfy in your arms. Summer break can’t come soon enough.

PS. You don’t have to keep an eye on Namjoon. He’s nice and all but you’re then only one I want to be with. I’m more worried about all of those women constantly following you around…I love you Yoongi.

Oh boy you sighed to yourself. If you’d both only known the weight of your words in those letters at the time. The next few letters were thankfully light hearted and sweet. Yoongi made the basketball team. You surprised him by driving all day to make it in time for his first home game. Algebra was once again kicking your ass and Yoongi had a particularly hard time in Organic Chemistry. He got a job at a record store and you worked part time at the campus book store. You spent the summer break together before returning to your respective colleges. All normal and nothing upsetting. Then things quickly went south.

November 8th, 2011

Dear Y/N

I miss you like usual. Sometimes I really think about switching school. I’d give up all that I have here to be with you. I love you Y/N.

January 13th, 2012

Dear Y/N,

Christmas was nice wasn’t it? My mom loves that sweater you got her. She wears it almost every day. My brothers coming to visit for a couple days. It’ll be nice to see him since he couldn’t make it home for Christmas. I hope everything’s good on your end. I love you Y/N.

March 7th, 2012

Dear Y/N

It’s starting to warm up just a little. I’m glad because I hate the cold. The only thing it’s good for is cuddling. I miss seeing your face and kissing you. I know we text and call each other like every day but I miss your letters too. I hope all is well. I heard from your mom that you and Namjoon are working on some huge research project together. I’d love to hear about that sometime. Like maybe when we get together over spring break? I love you Y/N.

March 18th, 2012

Dear Yoongi,

I’m sorry I haven’t been writing as much. Things have just been so crazy that I feel like I have no time to even breathe. I’m so sorry I can’t make it for spring break. You sounded so heartbroken over the phone and it kills me. At least summer break is right around the corner right?! This research project is gonna be the death of me. Tell your brother I said he’s a doofus!! I love you Yoongi.

July 21st, 2012

Dear Y/N,

I’m sorry I had to cancel our summer plans. Coach is just so worried about this upcoming season but I didn’t expect him to hold a mandatory summer camp. I know you said you weren’t crying but I could hear it in your voice m and it’s been killing me ever since. At least we had those few days together. You ready for the next semester? You’re gonna kill it!

August 26th, 2012

Dear Yoongi,

How are your classes so far? I heard you got a job at a record label. I’m sorry if you told me that over the phone. I must’ve missed it. How’s that going? I bet you’re impressing all of them.

November 1st, 2012

Dear Y/N,

It’s getting cold again. I hate it but at least the trees look pretty. I’m sorry I missed your birthday party. I got the invite so last minute and I couldn’t get time away from work. I’m going to make it up to you, I promise. They have me working with this singer, Mia. I’m producing one of her songs. It’s my first solo project. She’s so talented. I think she has the ability to really go places. Anyways, I sent you a gift. I hope it got to you in time.

November 15th, 2012

Dear Yoongi,

I got it. Thank you. It’s a beautiful necklace. It would’ve been nicer to have you there with me though. I’m really proud of you and I can’t wait to hear the song. We’re planning a trip to the mountains. Namjoon’s parents have a cabin up there. Let me know if you’d like to join us. It would be nice to see you.

You took a deep breath trying to forcefully stop tears from falling and ruining your makeup. Yoongi in fact did not join you guys at the cabin. He didn’t even mention it. That was also the worst birthday you had ever had. And you knew his excuse of getting the invite too late was complete bullshit because your best friend told you she sent it to him three months in advance and he agreed to come but then cancelled the night before the surprise party. You never told him that you knew that. You also never told him that you spent that night crying into Namjoons chest. It was that moment that you knew your relationship was changing but you had no idea just how much.

The letters stopped for quite a while after that, for both of you. Truth be told the calls and texts slowed down too. When you pulled the next letter out of the box you took a long deep breath. You had wanted to rip this letter to shreds but you knew that would make you quite the hypocrite given what was written in your own letter beneath it.

May 11th, 2013

Dear Y/N,

I’m sorry I haven’t written in so long. I’m really sorry that there is a disappointing reason for me to write this letter. I’m also sorry that I’m too much of a coward to tell you this myself……I’m so sorry Y/N. I fucked up so bad. There was this girl…Mia. I can’t remember if I’ve ever told you about her. But she’s signed to the record label and we’ve been working together a lot and FUCK…I’m sorry Y/N. We were both drunk and I just miss you so much and one thing lead to another. I know that’s the oldest, sleaziest excuse in the book but it’s true. I regret it so much. She doesn’t mean anything like that to me. I just needed to release some stress and frustration and it just happened. I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m sorry again Y/N. I know I’ve said that like a million times already. I know we can get past this but I also know that if I never hear from you again that it was all my fault and I deserve it and I understand. I love you Y/N.

May 21st, 2013

Dear Yoongi,

Reading that letter did hurt. It hurt for many reasons I guess. But…I have my own confession to make. I kind of cheated on you too. Or I guess I did cheat on you? I made out with Namjoon. I stopped it before it went past kissing and some grinding but I won’t lie and say I didn’t want it to go farther than that. Maybe this long distance thing just isn’t going to work any more. We’ve really grown apart over the last few years and I think our relationship has ran its course. I will always have love for you Yoongi. Take care of yourself and I wish you nothing but success and happiness.

Ripping up those letters crossed your mind even now. Those were moments in your relationship, in your life, that you never wanted to remember again. Ultimately though they were apart of you so you folded them up and set them aside.

Understandably the letters stopped completely after that. You definitely had a few letters stored away in a drawer at home that you wrote but could never bring yourself to send.

And then two years ago you saw a familiar name in your mail box.

October 8th, 2022

Dear Y/N,

Wow it’s been a while since I wrote that…or at least wrote it with the true intention to actually mail the letter. I ran into your mom at the grocery store the other day and she gave me your address. I didn’t ask for it. I promise I won’t be weird and randomly show up one day or something.

I wasn’t even going to write this but my therapist said it would be good for me. I hope things are going well for you. Your mom also mentioned that you were engaged. Congratulations! I hope he’s treating you well. She also said you’re like some big shot at a research organization. That’s really cool. I always knew you’d do something important like that. I hope to hear from you again but I will completely understand if I don’t. No pressure or anything. I miss you Y/N.

You wrote him back. Nothing crazy. Just some info about your job and he told you about the music he was working on. How he got married and unfortunately divorced later the same year which you already knew but you didn’t tell him that. He opened up to you about his mental health concerns and starting therapy and you told him about your struggles as well. The two of you exchanged numbers and talked more that way too. Even after all those years and everything that happened he still felt like home to you.

You stared at the last letter you had written him. You were a mess while writing it. You were questioning your choices, you were exhausted and maybe a little drunk. If you’d known it would be the last letter you ever wrote to him you might’ve been a little more cheerful in your words.

June 16th, 2023

Dear Yoongi

I’m supposed to get married tomorrow but I don’t know if I can…I can’t do it. It just doesn’t feel right and feel like I’m stringing him along and he doesn’t deserve that. I don’t know what to do. I wish you were going to be there, even if you were wearing a stupid blue kangaroo onesie. It would make me feel better...especially if I was in a pink matching one just like we planned. Remember that? You were supposed to be the one I married. My best friend. We promised. But you’re not here. You’re probably in LA right now for your album release party. I hope you’re having the best time. I’m so proud of you and everything that you have achieved. I love you Yoongi.

“Y/N are you ready? He’s waiting outside with the photographer to get your first looks.”, your maid of honor smiled from just outside the door.

“Okay yeah be right there!”, you said quickly shuffling all of the letters back into the little white box.

Standing just outside the double doors trying to calm your nerves you heard your future husband laughing at something the photographer said which helped to bring some sense of comfort to your shaking nerves.

You gave the official okay and the doors were opened allowing you to walk out into the open courtyard.

Your future husband looked up breaking out into a huge gummy smile at the sight of you in a pink kangaroo onesie.

You couldn’t contain your laughter at the sight of him in a matching blue kangaroo onesie, baby kangaroo included.

“Oh my god Yoongi.”, you managed to cough out in between fits of laughter.

“My mom threatened me that if I wore this for the wedding she’d disown me so this was the best I could do.”, he said in between his own fits of laughter, “I’m glad you had the same idea.”

The photographer couldn’t help but smile as she snapped some photos of you before you quickly changed into your actual dress and Yoongi into his tux so she could get some photos that your mothers wouldn’t complain about.

“Five minutes til show time.”, the wedding planner announced.

“I’ve got to go get in place but I wanted you to have this.”, Yoongi said handing you a folded piece of paper before walking away.

You scoffed irritated because you could already feel tears begin to threaten your makeup artists hard work as you read,

August 15, 2024

Dear Lovely Wife,

We have come so far haven’t we? I never would’ve thought that the random letter I was forced to write in the fifth grade would lead me here but I’m glad that it did. I know we’ve made mistakes and have done things we wish we could change but we have been able to move forward from that and I promise to never hurt you in any way ever again. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life as your husband. I love you more than I can really write into words.

PS. I’m definitely bringing the kangaroo onesie on the honeymoon. I have some ideas that may or may not also involve binoculars, rope, and a suspiciously fluffy pair of handcuffs…

[fbfh]

tristan dugray with baby fever

STOOOOOOOP PLEASE PLEASE KEEP GOING

no bc we've already established a LOT about Tristin. he's dedicated. obsessivley so, even. once he HAS you he doesn't get jealous in a petty way as much as in a puffing out his chest birds acting eccentric to defend their turf way. when he gets jealous the pda goes in FULL SWING. he is so shameless and has just a little sprinkle winkle of bull energy. so you would think that his baby fever comes from this obsessive lovey dovey I want everyone to look at you and know you're mine place right???????? not quite. like it does but not till later. Tristin's baby fever is soul crushingly gut punchingly triggered by watching you interact with a little kid. Chilton is a k-12 school, so this probably started late in your senior year. there was some little kid who was new and got horribly lost and ended up in the high school building instead of the kindergarten building. you and Tristin saw her hiding behind a bench and you stopped to help her. Tristin stood nearby, watching the way you crouched down and introduced yourself in a gentle voice, the softness of your demenor to not scare her. you told her you get lost all the time, and it's normal for a new school to feel scary until you get used to it. you smooth her hair and tell her chilton is really fun and the other kids are nice. you tell her how great the cafeteria is and how cool the junglegym is at recess. you offer to help her find her kindergarten room, and Tristin watches with wide eyes and changing brain chemistry as you scoop up this adorable little kid wearing a backpack as big as she is and walk over to him.

"This is my friend Tristin. Tristin, this is Lilly. Do you wanna walk with us to the kindergarten building?"

Lilly tries to say hi but hides shyly as you chuckle. Tristin walks with you two all the way across campus as you two show Lilly all the cool statues and portraits, all the old trophys and class photos along the way. Tristin works his magic, charming giggles and smiles out of Lilly as you two turn a terrible first day into a pretty good one. You each hold one of her hands and swing her along as you finally reach the kindergarten building, smiling and giggling right along with her until she's safely dropped off at her kindergarten room. Mrs. Benning, the teacher, thanks both of you profusely. Before you part ways, you give Lilly a hug and high five for good luck. Mrs. Benning sends ahead a note so neither of you get in trouble for missing class, and I swear to god, Tristin does not stop thinking about it for weeks.

Flash forward a couple years, Tristin is almost out of college and ready to step into the marketing department of the family business, just like his parents and grandparents planned. One day he gets a call from his dad, telling him that his cousin Honor's baby shower is coming up soon, giving him the details of when to be there and what to bring, but he kind of stops listening after that. Honor's having a baby? like, his cousin Honor? the one that's not too much older than you and him? he stares at you sitting on the floor in front of a mirror, doing your makeup and wearing one of his shirts with the coffee he made you at your side, and suddenly he can't stop thinking about a little toddler that looks just like the both of you running over and sitting in your lap while you do your makeup. calling you mama, shaking a rattle or whatever toddlers play with, wearing those little pajamas with the feet on them... and now it's all he can think about. he knows his dad and grandpa have had his life planned out for him since before he was born, he always knew the timeline was graduate, marriage, kids, take over the family business and he really never had like... a resentful "I hate my destiny" phase with it. Up until high school he was very much in the "oh that's years away that doesn't have anything to do with me and my life yet" mindset. then he met you. and now, standing in the doorway of your shared bedroom in your shared apartment watching you get ready, Tristin is overcome with desire. he wants you. he wants a life with you, he wants to hear you say that he's the father of your child. he wants an unbreakable, irreversable bond of every possible kind with you. chemical, social, legal, eveything. he wants to cuff you, to lock you in. he wants to sleep at night knowing that your and his babies, toddlers, kids, are sleeping soundly in their cozy rooms right down the hall, that you get to sleep next to your husband Tristin, the father of your children Tristin. he wants to hear people call you Mrs. Dugray, wants to bump up his old man to a grandpa, prove to his dad how a dad should treat his children. he wants to break the godforsaken generation cycle that always seems to come with the generational wealth, and raise your kids to be loved and happy and secure. and in that moment, he speedran through all the stages of baby fever to stage 4 extreme terminal the baby fever is baby fevering kinda baby fever. god help you, the (surprisingly short) span of time between now and when you get pregnant???? he's going to be more insufferable than ever.

I will be writing more about how insufferable and nightmare and evil /pos tristin is with baby fever just not in this ask cause it's getting too long. send me more excuses to talk about this.

[zyonsay]

hellooo, i loved the max verstappen nsfw hcs and alphabet! could you do some fluff hcs? especially cute moments if they are out to the public :)

Fluff Hcs MV1

Fem aligned people may read but not f3tishize my work!!

Summary: Read above! <3

Warnings: Sweet stuff, Max Emilian Verstappen

Now playing: 'Radio' by Lana del Rey

AN: Hey anon! Thanks for the request! <3

As mentioned many times before, he loves to touch you, no matter when, no matter where. Max loves brushing trough your hair or having a hand on your thigh on car rides. Your warmth and love is what he strives for. In every photo taken by the paparazzi he has an arm around you.

He adores helping you get ready. Like closing the clasp of a necklace for you or tying your tie. He’ll for example also help you shave before going out; He’s sitting on the sink, while you stand in front of him, warmly smiling at his concentrated gaze.

During his streams he’ll let you sit on his lap while he plays with his mates or he’ll let you play while he needs to go to the toilet. “Omg hello y/n!” Lando secretly loves playing with you.

Nights out are always nice with you, but he adores staying in with you too. You both will be cuddled up with blankets and Chinese take away, while jimmy and sassy sit by your legs, craving yours and Max’s body heat. He’ll put on one of your favorite movies while it pours down outside.

Before every race he’ll give you a sweet kiss, or if he already has his helmet on, he hold out his head for you to give the helmet a light pat. This became a sort of good luck ritual and he won’t race without it.

I think I’ve added this to many fics before, but I’m convinced he loves cooking together with you. You’ll be telling him the ingredients you need while lighting the stove and he’ll immediately go and get them from the cupboard. Or during the Christmas season you guys will for sure be baking loads of cookies together; though it most definitely will end up in both of you giggling and covered in flour.

Max isn’t one to post a lot about his private life, but his Instagram could as well be a fan account of you. He takes pictures of you holding Jimmy and post it with a caption like ‘Love both of them’ with cheesy emojis like a grandpa.

He loves sharing his passions with you and he’ll also happily indulge in yours. He talks about playing paddle? You make sure to come along the next time he goes to play with Charles. You like arts? By the next day there’s tickets to a Theatre night stuck to the fridge.

Showering or bathing together is one of his favorite intimate moments with you. It doesn’t have to be any sexual, he just loves the serene feeling of you rubbing shampoo in his hair or the warm water running down both of your bodies while you smile at each other. Max also loves to wrap you up in a towel after getting out of the shower/tub.

Max loves to see you interact with his two Bengal cats. The way they rub against your legs or lift their chins for you to scratch them shows him how much they trust you. Jimmy and Sassy have accepted you as part of the family, which makes him feel proud.

A habit you both picked up since the start of the relationship is leaving little notes for each other. Short messages like ‘I’m at the grocery shop. I’ll be back soon <3’ or ‘Hope you have a great day! See you in the evening.’

He definitely convinced you to wear redbull merch in public. I mean most of his wardrobe consists of red bull polo shirts. The ‘Max stigma’ is a running joke in the fandom, referring to him making you wear the merch. But it’s not like he forces you, no. You’re proud of his achievements and don’t mind showing your support this way!

[onceuponaoneshotfanfic]

Something There (Chapter 12)

6.8k words

Roy Kent x Reader

Warnings: Language, fluff, references to smutty things, absolute fluffy fluff

Series Masterlist

A/N: This has... taken a while, lol. Honestly, I've been struggling with how to end this, mostly because I don't want to say goodbye to Roy and Bucky! But, all good (or at least halfway decent) things must come to an end. (Plus, I already know there'll be some blurbs featuring these two!) I hope you enjoy, and thanks for coming along for the ride ❤️

“What would you say is your greatest accomplishment?”

Roy nodded towards me and smirked. “Can I answer for her?”

Another “Manager Monday”. Apparently, people liked seeing Roy and me sitting together and answering questions. According to Keeley, the internet referred to us as the “Mum and Dad” of Nelson Road. It was weird and a little flattering, if I was being honest. And, frankly, getting to goof around and not-so-subtly flirt with Roy on camera during work hours was a pretty good deal.

“No, you cannot,�� Keeley chuckled. “Go on then, greatest accomplishment.”

“Winning my Olympic Gold Medal,” I answered, elbowing Roy when I heard his good-natured snicker. “It was something my grandpa and I talked about for as long as I can remember. And he did come see me win it. After that, whenever he introduced me to people, it was always, ‘This is my granddaughter. She’s an Olympian.’” I smiled at the memory before turning to Roy. “What’s yours? That year you led the league in red cards?”

Roy’s smile had my heart doing somersaults. “You fucking know it.”

With lots of laughter and poor attempts to hide our flirting, we got through a couple more soccer-related questions before Keeley broached the topic we both knew she was dying to get to.

“So, the internet has been debating between two couple names for you two,” she announced mischievously. “‘Boy’ and ‘Rocky’. Which do you prefer?”

Roy rolled his eyes. “Keeley,” he growled, as I snorted, “We’re not answering that.”

While we were more than happy to let our friends at Nelson Road know about our relationship and annoy them with our PDA, we had agreed not to make any big public show of things- at least not until the season ended. We were enough of a distraction when we were just a few blurry photos the night of the gala; we didn’t want to take away any more media attention from the club, not when our teams were on the verge of something great.

Keeley rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. But once you two go public, you know better get used to those questions, alright? Because you guys are really fucking cute, and the internet loves you already.”

“We are pretty cute, I’ll give you that,” I chuckled, taking Roy’s hand and smiling at the grumpy coach- my grumpy coach.

In return, he leaned over and pecked my lips gently. “That better not fucking end up online,” he warned Keeley, thick eyebrows raised threateningly.

“We’d break the internet with that little kiss,” she teased, winking at me. “Better be nice to me, or I’m leaking that clip.”

“Careful,” Roy replied with a nod in my direction, affection sparkling in his eyes. “I heard this one’s got a mean right hook.”

~

Roy leaned on the doorframe, enjoying the view. Who would’ve thought that just watching someone put on makeup would make him so fucking happy?

But seeing her standing in front of his bathroom sink and applying that red lipstick had his heart skipping a couple beats. He liked this domestic thing, the sleepovers and the driving to work together and the making dinner and… everything. He wanted more of it, he realized. He wanted more of her. The word was on the tip of his tongue, the word that had been floating around in his head since they got together, since the gala if he was being honest. Maybe even before that, he didn't fucking know. But it was too soon, he knew. Things were already going fast enough and, although she was diving in headfirst just as hard, Roy was still worried about scaring her off.

Her playful eyes met his in the mirror. “Can I help you, Kent?” she teased.

He shrugged and pushed himself off the doorframe so he could stroll over casually. “Just admiring the view.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a slow kiss to her cheek. “I like when you wear that color.” Another kiss to her temple. “Especially when it ends up on my neck,” he hummed.

“Fuck off,” she chuckled, elbowing him gently. “Come on, let me finish getting ready. Otherwise, you’re going to be late to your game, Coach.”

“Fine,” he growled. “But after the match?”

She whirled around and grabbed his face gently, her eyes bright. “After the match, I promise my lipstick will be all over your neck.” She pressed her body close to his. “And maybe some other particular places.” Her red lips formed that smirk he loved, the one he couldn’t believe he used to find annoying. “But only if you win.”

Roy grinned, eyebrows raised at her appealing offer. “Well, lucky for me I’m the manager of a winning team.”

“That is lucky,” she purred, nudging her nose against his. “Now then, can I go put on my new Greyhounds kit?”

His grin widened. “You got a fucking Greyhounds kit?”

She shrugged. “Of course. I’m part of Richmond. I like the fellas. And I’m pretty obsessed with their pain in the ass manager.” She smiled. “It’s about time I start rocking some Greyhound gear.”

Roy’s heart was soaring. He loved wearing her name and number on his back, even if it made their relationship obvious to anyone who was paying even an ounce of attention. And he’d be lying his ass off if he said he hadn’t pictured what she’d look like wearing his name on a kit. Granted, some of those pictures in his head were in his bed rather than at a match, but still. What a fucking dream come true.

“Alright,” he sighed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Hurry up then, Coach.”

Roy probably would have skipped to the living room if it weren’t for this shit knee. With no one around, he didn’t bother hiding his stupid grin, the one he found himself wearing quite often these days. The internet had gone a bit wild with images of him wearing her name on his Whippets kit; he could only imagine the silly little fan edits and TikToks that would surely follow this match.

“What d’you think?”

Roy’s old man heart nearly stopped in his chest. The bright red and blue material hugged her figure perfectly, tempting him to rip it off of her and forget all about his match. The little Greyhound logo settled beautifully over her heart, just like the Whippets manager had weaseled her way into his. He was officially obsessed with the picture in front of him, he decided.

“Fucking perfect,” he hummed. He twirled his finger in a circle, eyebrows raised. He just needed to see one more thing. “Give us a spin, then.”

Her grin widened as she turned around, something mischievous in her eyes. Roy sat up a little straighter, unashamed to be so obviously excited to see-

“Does that fucking say Tartt?” he spat, pure disgust smeared across his bearded face.

Her laughter rang in his ears, almost magical enough to make him forget about this absolute betrayal. He narrowed his eyes at her as she turned back around, shameless amusement on her face. “What’s the matter, Roy?” she teased as she made her way over to where he slumped on the couch. “Don’t you think I look good?”

He reached out and tugged her onto his lap, doing his best to keep his stern expression. “I think,” he growled against her shoulder, pawing at the material, “that you need to take that fucking thing off.”

With a giggle, she grabbed his wrist and looked at his watch, reminding Roy of the night of the gala- their very first night. “Ah, no time to change, I’m afraid.” She pressed a gentle kiss to his temple, careful not to leave any lipstick on his face. “Let’s go, Kent.”

Still grumbling and growling, Roy allowed himself to be pulled off the couch and dragged out of the house. When she wasn’t looking, he shook his head and smiled softly at her. Even with such a stupid name on her back, Roy still thought that seeing her in a Greyhounds kit was his new favorite sight.

He just couldn’t wait to rip the damn thing off of her.

~

“Let’s fucking go, Greyhounds!” I screeched, ignoring the way Keeley covered her ears.

After everything that had happened this season, both on and off the field, it was hard to believe it was coming to an end. Tonight, the Greyhounds were only one victory away winning the Premier League. And, after weeks of wearing Jamie’s name and other players’ names on my back just to mess with Roy (and the internet), I was proudly wearing his name and our number on my Greyhounds sweatshirt.

Keeley leaned close and held out her phone. “You’re already trending,” she teased, showing off a blurry photo of Roy and me entering the stadium, with me wearing Roy’s name and my signature red lipstick as I smiled up at the Greyhound manager. “And so is this.” There was Jamie Tartt, entering the stadium, wearing a fanny pack and, as usual, a hat. Unlike usual, this hat didn’t say “ICON”; instead, it proudly proclaimed “ROCKY”.

I rolled my eyes as the guys took their places on the field. “Is that a reference to that stupid ‘couple name’ thing?” I groaned. “Because you’re all supposed to be helping us keep quiet, you know.”

The sly way Keeley narrowed her eyes had me almost squirming. “Yeah. Because the way you two act during Manager Mondays and wearing each other’s kits is really discreet.” Suddenly, her suspicious expression turned somber, giving me a new urge to fidget. “How’s it all going by the way? You and him? The two of you seem pretty damn happy these days.”

“We are,” I assured her, not bothering to stop my wide smile from filling my face. “He’s… well, you know how he is.” I gave a soft chuckle as I looked down to the pitch and watched Roy lean over to say something to Coach Beard. Perfect, I decided. That was how Roy was; perfect. From the way he stood during games, shoulders squared and all business, to the way he always stole a quick kiss when our paths crossed at work, to the way his strong hands tenderly adored me in bed, to the lazy afternoons on his couch, to the phone calls and texts that flooded my phone whenever we were apart, to the way he made me laugh and smile in between all those moments. Roy Kent was fucking perfect. “He’s Roy.”

Keeley’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. “I do know how he is,” she said carefully. The little clearing of her throat had me turning my eyes to her. Her eyebrows knitted together, as if she thought I would slug her at any moment. “And I hope this isn’t totally inappropriate, but we were talking last week- and he was saying he’s so fucking happy,” she quickly added, probably seeing my slowly raising eyebrows. “He’s just worried about being… clingy?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at how completely apprehensive my friend looked. “Oh, Roy’s clingy as fuck,” I said. “But I like it.” I shrugged, my eyes returning to the gruff man on the pitch that had weaseled his way into my heart. “I… I’m clingy too,” I admitted. “I think that’s why we work, actually. We’re both pretty intense people, we both do everything at full speed, you know? So, one person’s idea of ‘too clingy’ is my idea of ‘absolutely fucking perfect’.”

The smile on Keeley’s face was filled with joy and a bit of relief. “I’m so happy to hear that,” she said, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. “Really. He deserves the best and you-” She smacked a kiss to my cheek. “-are the fucking best, babes.”

~

The tips of Roy’s fingers tingled as he stared down Jamie, who was making a mad dash towards their opponent’s goal. There were only moments left before stoppage time ended in a tie and the match inevitably went to extra time, which had been a dangerous place for the Greyhounds all season long. If Jamie couldn’t beat both the clock and goalkeeper, it felt like their season would end in defeat. And Roy couldn’t have that. Not this season. Not when everything seemed to be ending so well, on and off the pitch.

Only one defender stood between Jamie and the goal. Roy held his breath as he watched Jamie move this way and that, doing a maneuver he knew Tartt hadn’t learned from any of the coaches on the pitch; he’d learned this particular move from the Whippets. And he’d apparently learned it well, because suddenly Jamie was in front of the goal, kicking the ball and-

“JAMIE TARTT SCORES!”

Less than a moment later, the familiar sound of the referee’s whistle had all of Nelson Road in pure pandemonium. Roy sprinted onto the field, not caring about his stupid knee, and was instantly swallowed by the swarm of blue that was his team. He grabbed and hugged whoever was close by, not caring to see anything other than their wide eyes and wider smiles. He wondered ever so briefly if anything in his career would ever live up to this moment; he knew nothing before ever had. And, if he was being quite honest, he could live with this being the happiest moment of his career.

He was hugging Jamie tight, mumbling something about being fucking proud of the prick, when he heard some of his players call his name in teasing voices. He knew those tones; he’d been hearing them a lot lately, caused by one thing- well, one person- every fucking time.

Sure enough, when Roy glanced over his shoulder, the sight made his smile grow.

There she was, clad in her Greyhounds sweater, running at him. He knew she’d regret this run in the morning- they’d probably spend the whole next day icing ankles and knees- but she didn’t look like she cared. In fact, she looked like she didn’t care about anything other than Roy.

She threw herself into his arms and let him envelop her in a tight hug, one far too tight for two platonic managers to share.

“I’m proud of you,” she huffed into the crook of his neck. “So fucking proud, Roy.”

He released her slightly so she could gaze up at him, her eyes full of adoration and joy. Deep in his chest, Roy held a hope that she would stare at him like this for the rest of their lives. “Fucking come here,” he murmured, his hands leaving her hips to cup her face.

At some point over the season, Roy had lost count of how many times he’d kissed this woman. There were some kisses that were irrevocably stamped on his heart- their first kiss while sitting on his couch listening to Sam Cooke, the kiss in the rain after he’d given her the Team USA football, the sweet kiss they’d shared after he asked her to be his girlfriend- but this was probably his favorite so far. It was soft and slow, and it made the roar of the crowd go silent in Roy’s mind. He knew there was no going back from this; there would be photos of this kiss in the papers, and he’d definitely be asked about it in the post-match press conference. They’d once again be the subject of rumors and speculation, with Twitter users trying to put together a timeline and reanalyzing every little interaction they’d had over these last few months. It was going to be pure fucking hell.

But thankfully, his own personal heaven was in his arms.

When they parted, she wore a wide grin, the kind that made his heart skip a beat. “Congrats on the win, Coach,” she chuckled as she ruffled his hair. “Can’t believe you guys beat us to it.” She kissed his lips effortlessly, as if she kissed him on the pitch every day. “Whatever happened to ladies first?”

Roy shook his head and tightened his grip on her. “Just means the Whippets get to be the grand finale.”

“Grand finale,” she repeated, giving his jacket a tug to pull him back to herself. “I like the sound of that, Kent.”

Roy could’ve stayed on that pitch forever, holding her and kissing her, finally able to show everyone how he felt about her and how she miraculously felt about him. The feeling of winning the whole fucking thing, and having his girl in his arms, and hearing his team shout and celebrate, it was intoxicating as hell.

But, as Keeley reminded him with a giggle, there was pomp and circumstance to get through.

His whole body shook with excitement as he stood by Rebecca’s side and received the trophy. In the smiling crowd, he locked gazes with those familiar eyes. Could his smile get any bigger? he wondered. Surely that would be the morning headline: Richmond’s Roy Kent finally knows how to smile. And damn, if it wasn’t something he wanted to keep doing.

Once things began to die down on the pitch, Keeley began herding him towards the press conference he still had to do before celebrating with the team. He kept an arm wrapped around the Whippet’s manager as he finally made his way through the halls, to the familiar door that led to the press room. He paused in front of it, thinking about all the less-than-stellar moments he’d had in there. Announcing his retirement. Watching Jamie have a meltdown. Throwing a chair at George fucking Willows after being asked about Keeley. Being asked intrusive questions about his love life and the drama of this season. Some crappy things happened in that room, he admitted to himself.

But today? Today he walked in with his head held high; for the first time in a long time, Roy Kent felt nothing but good about himself and his life. His team was officially the best in the Premier League, and he had the girl of his dreams to kiss after the match. He allowed himself a smile as he settled in front of the cameras, enjoying the surprise on the reporters’ faces when they caught sight of his expression. In the back of the room, Keeley gave him a thumbs up before wrapping her arm around the Whippets’ manager, who shot him a wink that had his stupid grin widening.

Yeah. This might be the best fucking day of his whole fucking life.

The clamoring began before he even sat down. Roy rolled his eyes, albeit good-naturedly for once, and pointed to a familiar face, a reporter he didn’t fully hate. “Yeah?”

“Coach Kent, how does it feel to lead the Greyhounds to do the impossible?”

Roy leaned into his seat, determined to at least look relaxed. “Feels fucking great,” he said. “And I’m going to ignore that ‘impossible’ thing.” He smirked at the tittering from the reporters. “Because honestly, this team is fucking incredible. And anyone who thought this was ‘impossible’ for those lads hasn’t been paying attention.” After answering a few questions about the season and the match, he could see the journalists beginning to get restless. It was clear what they would be asking next. He pointed to another raised hand. “You.”

“A certain coach had an… interesting way of congratulating you,” the reporter asked in a timid voice. “Anything to say about that?”

For a moment, he glanced to the back of the room. Not to Keeley, like he usually did during these things, but to the pair of eyes that gazed back with a beautiful mixture of adoration and teasing. Another wink encouraged him to lean forward on his elbows and ignore the heat rising in his cheeks. “There’s a lot I can say about that,” he chuckled. “But, all I will say is this-” He looked directly at those bright eyes. “-I’m fucking mad about that woman. She seems to think I’m alright, which is nice. And she continues to be one of the most impressive managers I’ve had the honor of watching on the pitch. And I am looking forward to seeing her and the Whippets kick some serious ass next weekend.”

More questions were hurled at him, mostly excited and kind ones, but Roy didn’t really hear them. He was too focused on trying not to simply sit and stare at that pretty face that smiled at him and made him feel like he’d won more than the Premier League.

~

I pulled my dark blue blazer on and turned to get a good look at myself in the mirror. Dark blue blazer, white blouse, best jeans, hair up in a ponytail, red lipstick applied, necklace my grandfather had given me around my neck. This was it, I decided. This was the outfit of a Women’s Super League-winning coach.

“You look fucking amazing.” A pair of strong arms wrapped around me as a scruffy kiss smacked my cheek. “Like a fucking winner.” Roy smirked at me in the mirror. He looked damn good in his white Whippets kit, the number six on his back and something that kind of looked like love in his eyes. If my entire season wasn’t on the line, I’d be debating ripping off that jersey and throwing Roy onto the bed. “Gonna wear your gold medal?” he teased.

With an eyeroll, I slipped out of his grasp and sat on my bed. “Just toss me my sneakers, Kent.”

Roy raised an eyebrow as he moved towards my familiar Converse that sat perfectly next to the closet. “Wow, I get to touch the Match Day shoes? What an honor.”

“Yeah,” I chuckled as I took the shoes from him and tugged them on. “I’m hoping your luck from last weekend rubs off on me and the Whippets.” I knew that underneath my joking tone, he could hear my nerves. Roy always seemed to know what was going on beneath the surface.

Sure enough, he sat down next to me and took my hand. “Oi.” His voice was as soft as his gaze. “You’re going to be fucking brilliant.” He kissed my forehead. “Your team is incredible. You are incredible. You’re Coach Bucky. World Cup winner, Olympic champion, NWSL Coach of the Year.” He shook his head as he rattled off my résumé with a smile on his face. “You’ve fucking got this.”

“I know.”

He raised his thick eyebrows at me expectantly. “But?”

“But…” I sighed heavily and let my head fall against his shoulder. “There’s just so much pressure,” I murmured. “It’s our first season. And with all of my personal drama…” I closed my eyes. “I have to win. I have to show that I’m a fucking winner. If I don’t, I’ll forever be that slutty American who slept with Roy freaking Kent.”

He gave me a light shove. “Oi, I thought you liked sleeping with Roy Kent.”

“Roy,” I huffed. “I’m being serious. I need to win today. I have to prove that I deserve to be taken seriously. Everything I’ve built this year is on the line. If we don’t do this, I don’t know-”

“Babe.” Roy shifted and lifted my legs until they draped over his lap. His arms felt like a warm blanket as they wrapped around my waist and tugged me close. “You don’t have to prove shit to anyone. You’re lightyears better at this job than I am-” A snort slipped out of my nose. “-and everyone knows it, no matter what happens today. You are brilliant and accomplished. And if it’s not this year, it’ll be next year.” He gave me a squeeze. “But I believe in you. Your team believes in you. Rebecca and Keeley and all the Greyhounds believe in you. Fuck what anyone else says.” He kissed my forehead, lingering for a moment. “You can always just punch them anyways.”

Fucking Roy, making me laugh and forget my anxiety. As I smiled through my nerves and kissed his mouth, probably smudging my lipstick, all I could think was how badly I wanted him to make me laugh for the rest of my fucking life.

~

The feeling of pride in Roy’s chest was unlike anything he’d ever felt in his life. The energy of the stadium vibrated through his whole body, and he couldn’t help the lump in his throat when he saw how absolutely packed the place was. He walked confidently into the owners’ box holding Phoebe’s hand tight. He smiled down at his bouncing niece, with her bright eyes and her own Bucky kit. She was talking a million miles a minute, reminding him of Keeley, chattering all about how well she knew the Whippets would do and asking if Roy was really going to take her onto the pitch after the match if the Whippets won. Her yammering only stopped so she could give Keeley a hug and take her seat next to the blonde.

“Ready to see your girl in action?” Keeley teased over Phoebe’s head as Roy took his seat.

His broad smile would have been enough of an answer. “She’s gonna be so fucking brilliant,” Roy laughed. “I can fucking feel it.” He narrowed his eyes at Phoebe’s expectant face. “Add it to my tab,” he grumbled.

To his surprise, Phoebe shook her head. “You get a free pass today, Uncle Roy,” she informed him earnestly. “It’s a very big day for Bucky and you’re probably very stressed.” She nodded, her demeanor comically matter of fact. “So, I’ll let it slide. Just for today.”

“Thanks, Pheebs,” he chuckled, kissing the top of her head. He nodded to Rebecca as she took her spot on Keeley’s other side. “Boss,” he greeted with a salute.

“Coach Kent,” she replied, a sparkle in her eye as she saluted back. “Beautiful night for a game, hmm?” Despite her calm tone, Roy could see the way her fingers drummed on her lap nervously.

He smirked at her. “Ready to be the owner of two winning teams?”

She shook her head, holding back a laugh. “Not thinking about it,” she announced firmly. “I am just going to enjoy the match, cheer for our girls, and feel proud of them no matter what.”

Keeley, Roy, and Pheobe all just stared at her until a smile broke out across her face.

“Alright, yes, I’m fucking ready!” She turned her attention to the field, where the Whippets were beginning to line up. “Let’s go, Whippets!”

The quartet were joined in the box by Beard and Nate and Jamie, who looked quite comfortable wearing Kira Malone’s name on his back. There were deafening cheers all around as the Whippets were introduced. Roy’s whole body felt warm as he bellowed their names; even without being head over heels for their manager, Roy would feel beyond proud of these women. He’d watched them work all season long, through sweat and injuries and fatigue and the harsh media. And they’d done it all with smiles on their faces and their heads held high. They were impressive and inspiring, and Roy already knew they would win that trophy.

And they had ninety minutes to do it.

After the players were introduced, the Whippets’ coaches stepped forward to shake hands with the opposing coaching staff.  Of course, every eye in the owners’ box turned to Roy with mischievous smirks on their faces.

Not that Roy noticed. He was too busy jumping to his feet so he could cup his hands around his mouth and bellow, “Let’s fucking go, Buck!”

With that colossal voice of his, no one was surprised to see the manager look up in their direction. Her red-lipped smile was clear as day, and they all oohed teasingly when they saw her blow a kiss up towards them.

“Obviously that was for me,” Jamie joked, turning around and winking at his manager.

“Fuck off,” Roy chuckled as he resumed his seat. He gave the striker a light shove before turning his attention back to the pitch. Fuck, how was he supposed to focus on the match that was starting when she was down there, looking strong and confident and powerful- not to mention gorgeous. His heart hammered in his chest as he watched her in her element, shouting excitedly at her team and reaching out for Luke’s hand every now and then. Some part of him wanted to watch her forever; the other part of him couldn’t wait for the ninety minutes to end so he could wrap his arms around her and celebrate her victory.

A stray piece of popcorn smacked him in the temple and diverted his attention.

Keeley shot him that shit-eating grin and tossed a fresh piece of popcorn into her mouth. “You’re drooling, Roy-o.”

He narrowed his eyes at her and reached over Phoebe’s lap to steal a handful of Keeley’s popcorn. “Yeah, yeah,” was all he could manage. He smiled down at Pheobe, whose attention was rapt with the match in front of her. “Having fun?” he asked loudly, amused to find that her trance was just as intense as the one he’d just been in.

All the little blonde could do was nod, mouth slightly agape, as she watched the Whippets score their first goal of the match. The entire stadium was on their feet, deafening with their shouts and cheers as the players embraced. But of course, the only thing Roy could see was their manager and the way she looked up at the owners’ box, right at him.

~

Lucas was holding my hand so tight he was going to cause permanent damage to my blood circulation. Not that I cared; we had succeeded in keeping the game tied 2-2 all through stoppage time, and now Amanada Camacho had managed to secure a penalty kick. With my free hand, I gripped my necklace tightly, as if the little gold charm would somehow direct Amanda’s kick into the right direction.

The forward made her move, running towards the ball, and gave a powerful kick-

That sailed perfectly into the corner of the goal, out of the goalie’s reach.

In unison, Lucas and I let out sharp screams and crashed into each other’s arms, trading kisses on cheeks and foreheads. When the referee blew her whistle, we sprinted onto the field, greeting our mob of Whippets in a pile of hugs that evolved into a mountain of players and staff tumbling over each other. It was loud and chaotic- and beautiful. Somewhere in the reveling, tears had formed in my eyes, but they didn’t fall until I found myself face to face with Rebecca’s glowing smile and own teary eyes.

“Well done,” she said simply, wrapping me in a tight hug. “Well fucking done.”

I melted into her embrace- fuck, how was this woman so perfect that even her hugs were the best?- and finally let the tears fall. “Thank you for believing in me,” was all I could manage.

She shook her head. “That’s just the Richmond way,” she chuckled as Keeley approached us.

The blonde wrapped us both into a group hug, chattering about how brilliant the girls had been, how brilliant I had been, how we were going to have the biggest celebration ever once we left the stadium, how I’d better have brought a change of clothes like she’d instructed me so we could party properly.

But her excitement was drowned out by my beating heart when I caught sight of a pair of beautiful brown eyes sparkling at me.

“Kent!” I shrieked, breaking free of my bosses’ warm embraces. I sprinted towards him, this time under stadium lights and falling confetti rather than pouring rain, and launched myself into his arms. He caught me with ease, lifting me and letting me wrap my legs around him. With a couple of first place finishes under our belts, we were finally free to be as publicly insufferable as we wanted- which I planned on taking full advantage of. I figured a dramatic kiss on the pitch was a good start, and Roy seemed to agree as he attached his lips to mine hungrily.

“So. Fucking,” he huffed into my mouth between kisses, “Proud.” He held me tighter, pressing my chest harshly to his. “You’re amazing.”

I finally removed myself from the kiss so I could bury my burning hot face in his shoulder. He let me plant my feet back on the ground, but kept his arms firmly around me. “Roy,” I murmured, realizing I had something important to tell him. “I-”

“Bucky!” Phoebe jumped onto my back, nearly knocking me over.

“Pheebs!” I laughed, turning away from Roy so I could hug his niece. “I’m so glad you came,” I gushed. “Your team wins a championship next, right?” When I glanced up at Roy over Phoebe’s head, he was already gazing at me, something soft on his face. He’d been doing that a lot lately, I realized as I returned his smile. This gentle stare that held something significant, something I felt sure one of us would break down and say soon. Something I’d wanted to say since I first ran out in the rain to him.

But I didn’t have time to think about that. Not when my team was calling for me to join them to be crowned the Women’s League champions and hoist the trophy in the air and beam with pride as cameras flashed in our faces.

I was still beaming as I held Roy’s hand in the club the Greyhounds and Whippets took over to celebrate both of our victories; Rebecca was something of a blubbering mess as she took the microphone early in the night and thanked both clubs for their hard work, thanked our coaching staffs for surviving the wild ride that had been our season (Beard raised his eyebrows in our direction, clearly remembering being frustrated enough to lock us in a shed), and above all thanked Keeley for being her partner in the adventure of establishing what she knew would be a great legacy of women’s football in Richmond.

By the time Rebecca finished and called me up to make my own speech, I was close to joining Rebecca in her tears; unfortunately, I knew I wouldn’t look as graceful as she did once my waterworks began flowing. So instead, I focused on smiling as I kissed her cheek and took the accepted the microphone from her.

“How’re we feeling, Richmond?” I was answered with cheers and shouts from our teams and their loved ones. “I’ll try to keep this brief so we can get back to partying- although my Whippets probably already know I’m not as capable of brevity as the Greyhounds say Coach Kent is.” The mere mention of Roy’s name provoked catcalls and wolf whistles from both squads. “Calm down,” I laughed, shaking my head when I caught Roy’s not-really-annoyed eyeroll aimed at Jamie. “I just want to say thank you,” I continued once the commotion subsided. “Thank you to the Whippets, for all of your incredible work and dedication. I think we made it clear to the Women’s Super League and all of England that W.F.C. Richmond has arrived.” Cheers again filled the club, as well as my heart. “Thank you to our fearless leaders Keeley and Rebecca, for believing in us every step of the way.” Keeley’s little bow alongside Rebecca’s refined wave had me giggling into the microphone. “A special thanks to our dear Greyhounds. It was an adjustment learning to work together-” Coach Beard’s exaggerated groan could be heard loudly over everyone else’s teasing hums. “-but we managed.” I shot Roy a wink that was returned with a blown kiss. “And, personally, more than anyone else I have to thank my right-hand man.” My eyes found Lucas’s. “Luke,” I sighed. “You formed me into the player I was so proud to be. You mentored me into the coach I’ve become. You were insane enough to follow me here for this adventure, you held my hand during every scary moment and picked me up every time I fell. We came here for greatness-” I shrugged, gesturing to the assembled group of champion athletes. “- and I think we fucking found it.” Both teams hollered in agreement, but still managed to hear my last few words: “Richmond on three! One, two, three-”

“RICHMOND!”

In a blur of cheers and hugs and kisses, I finally found myself back in Roy’s embrace, accepting the chaste kiss he pressed to my lips.

“Wanna sneak off for a moment?” he hummed in my ear. “After that, I need to give you a proper kiss. And if I do that here, I think Beard might actually be fucking ill.”

I leaned into his touch. “Can’t have that,” I teased back.

We wandered away from the bar, ignoring the eyerolls from our friends when they caught sight of our lovesick expressions. We had warned them early on; they were going to miss the days of our screaming matches and insults. These days, instead of walking in on arguments, they walked in on make out sessions. Jamie had more than a few times accused us of trying to make him go blind. Even Keeley grimaced when I asked if she wanted to continue Manager Mondays next season, clearly regretting asking us to be more affectionate once we were public.

All season everyone bitched at us about getting along. We were only giving the people what they wanted.

Roy clearly knew what he wanted when he found a dark, isolated corner where he could press my back against a column that hid us from view. His mouth melded with mine as his hands lazily stroked up and down my sides. I sighed against his kiss and snaked my arms around his neck, pulling him flush against me. My mind was filled with thoughts of the weeks ahead of us; sure, we’d have a shit ton of press, but once the circus was over, this was all I wanted to worry about. We’d floated the idea of going on some fabulous vacation together, turning our phones off and isolating ourselves in a little bubble of sex and food and laughter. I’d told Roy we could settle plans once the seasons were ended, which he had seemed thrilled about. Or at least as thrilled as Roy could manage. But as I kissed him harshly and melted in his arms, I briefly considered that spending our entire break locked in his house with nothing but takeout, movies, and his bed sounded just as good as whatever destination he had in mind.

Still, we’d worked hard and gone through a lot; we deserved a damn vacation.

“You’re fucking incredible,” he mumbled as he began to wander down my neck. “Seeing you on the pitch today… and up there with your speech…” He groaned softly and pressed a slow kiss to my collarbone. “Don’t think I’ve ever loved you more than I do right now.”

My grip on him tightened as my body tensed up. Not bothering to hide my wide smile, I tugged at him until his face was inches away from mine. “You love me?”

His smile was sloppy and bashful, my favorite sight. “Fucking ’course I do,” he murmured as he brushed some hair out of my face. “You’re something special, you know that? I think I’ve loved you since that moment in the shed at the fucking retreat, hearing you say we were both going to win the whole fucking thing. Called it ‘fairy tale shit’.” He touched his nose to mine. “This right here, this is some fairy tale shit.”

“It is,” I breathed before closing the space between your mouths, pulling Roy into a tender kiss. Before I could deepen it into something a bit harsher, he pulled back, eyebrow quirked playfully. “What?” I chuckled.

“I love you,” he whispered, raising both eyebrows now.

I nodded, trying to hide the grin that was growing on my face. “So I heard.”

He rolled his eyes and took my face in his hands. “Anything you care to say to me, Coach Buck?”

He knew. Of course he fucking knew. He knew from the way I kissed him and the way I looked at him and the way I held him close whenever I could. He knew from the way we made love at night and made breakfast together in the morning. He knew from the way our fingertips brushed when we passed each other at work. He knew from the million little things we shared every day.

But sometimes, a fella needs to hear the words.

“Fine,” I huffed, all faux exasperation as I tugged his face back towards mine. “I guess I love you too.”

Taglist: @optimisticsandwichgladiator@reading-blogs@callmecasey81@ladygrey03@puckyou-forpuckssake@royalestrellas@shineforever19@rae4725@burnafter-reading@her-fandom-sanctum@infinetlyforgotten@giggling-sewer-ginger@whataloadofmalarkey@agentstarkid@kingleahhh@tortilla-maria1@geekgirl1996@amatswimming@meg-ro@spicyraccoonlordking@spaghetti-dad187@needlesthreadandbuttons@elissaaa@imsoluckyeverythingworksoutforme@reverieisaway@djskakakaksjsj-blog@thatonedogwithablog@allthetroubleiveseen@sunderland-6@netflix-addict@paranormal-is-my-life@jill2629-blog@itsbuzzfeedbitch@pretzelactivist@amieinghigh@kashee-h@beingalive1@mythicalbinicorn@needyomega@kno-way-home@janalustare@sssatorus@its-a-rich-mans-world@confessionsofatotaldramaslut@hesitant-alien33@katie-sheep-111@bonesbonesetc@seacactusplant@thebookwormlife @dreamscape22 @rae4725@timelordhunterandmysterysolver@littleesilvia@anonurs@itswhateveripromise@chewymoustachio @gcidrvsh @katdahlali @ohwauwdoritos @lemoonandlestars @perfectwhispersvoid@seatbacksandtraytables@kingleahhh@maackiimoo @isuspectitwasthenargles @bannsshheeebiittcchhhh @charkachow @gcstnml @queen-of-the-downtown-scene

[theyluvkarolina]

what’s her opinion on the older champs? (lewis, fernando, mark, seb, nico r, kimi r)

i feel like she’d definitely be a fan of nando and kimi loll

Loooooveeeessss lewis. close in competition with logan. But Logan is still the light of her f1 life. Lewis got bonus points for bringing Roscoe for the British GP and they got introduced. Lewis is always so gentle with her but let’s her have fun at the same time.

Fernando is basically a grandpa for her LMAO he’s the fun grandpa that teases you all the time (speaking from experience 😭) she has likes it when he stops by to say hello or… or does those dumb tik toks for aston martin 😭 SHES BEEN FEATURED A COUPLE TIMES AND MCLAREN TOLD THEM TO STOP STEALING THEIR MASCOT 😞😞

Sadie sees mark so often she’s not even fazed by him anymore 💀 Oscar tells her when she wakes up from a nap that Mark is here and she legit groans and heads back to her room teddy bear in hand. But in all seriousness, she likes Mark. Dad #2 for her

IDK WHY BUT I FEEL LIKE SHE WAS SCARED OF SEB FOR SOME REASON FOR A BIT??? No one even knows why she’s so hesitant about him. (It was the long haired photos she saw anytime someone mention him or try to show her him 😞) BUT ONCE SHE SAW HIM IRL AT IMOLA SHE LOVED HIM 😭 helped her get over her fear of bees fr

Nico nico nico… she has so much fun playing with his girls so it’s a major A+ in her books! He’s always nice to her (certified girl dad) and posted a photo of her with him for a race captioned “wish my adopted daughter at ___! 🥰 Who do you think will win? I’ll say Oscar Piastri since his biggest fan is here!” Oscar’s response? “Why has my daughter been adopted without my agreement??”

Oscar is just Kimi 2.0 . She has no problems just rambling about random things. Showed her the path her took after the race in Monaco he retired from to his yacht. The yacht is still there today.

[wolfsbanesparks]

I would love to see more of or something similar to your lost time story but shown from the perspective of other heroes, how would the justice society react to their old friend? Did the other heroes grow up hearing stories of the captain? Would booster gold empathize with feeling out of sink with time?

That would be an amazing story! The aftermath of the Marvel Family being suspended in time is very rarely explored even though there is so much potential with that.

And an outsiders POV from other heroes would be a wonderful way to explore that world. I really like the idea of other heroes (particularly Superman) growing up with stories of these great heroes with amazing powers that saved the world (for Clark it would make him feel less alone because there used to be other people who could do the things he did you know?) Maybe teenage Bruce had a phase where he was obsessed with the mystery of what happened to Fawcett City? (Perhaps due to an episode of his favorite show The Gray Ghost inspired by it?) Wonder Woman could have heard stories of her father's champion who disappeared from Man's world around the time she was entering it (or perhaps there was a meeting however brief and she can be a familiar face for them?)

The original JSA would be so excited that the Marvels are alive and well, though it would be an odd sight for them to see people they mourned the death of decades ago be back and wondrously alive. Exploring the way that changes their dynamic would do cool. And newer members of the JSA definitely would look at the Marvels in awe because they were some of the few who could have heard first hand accounts of them, possibly seen photos or memorials to them. It would be like your grandpa's buddy that died in the war coming back to life and becoming your buddy.

And I love the idea that Booster is an unexpected sympathetic shoulder to lean on when Cap feels put of touch with the world. They could have a nice moment where they discuss what they'd expected the 21st century to be like versus what it actually is like.

There are so many ways to play this kind of story out and I would love to write it someday. (I would also love to see how anyone else interprets it!)

[sanddusted-wisteria]

Buncha WIP snippets

Since my update post was already long enough and these little segments are all pretty long in their own right, I had to put them on a separate post lol

I figured since I've been so inactive on the fic front for so long, I should repay any and all of your patience with a nice batch of stuff :> Enjoy!

[long post below!]

From Earth and Sky:

Wis was making no effort to keep her footsteps quiet, and yet Qi still hadn’t noticed the lack of her presence behind him. All the caffeine he just downed must be turning off some parts of his brain to reroute power to the others. She felt a twist in her stomach. That certainly couldn’t be healthy. She should probably just find his journal and bolt to Fang’s to see what to do. Qi would probably comb the downstairs floor for it, so she should probably check upstairs. She returned to the main room of his apartment, looking around at the stray books left here and there around the chairs and the table. All textbooks. Only place left was his bedroom. Wis slowly cracked the door open. She wasn’t sure why she was being so cautious. The unfamiliarity of the space, perhaps.  It was a small room, just about the same size as the main room next to it. Simply furnished: only a desk and chair, a couch, and a bed. Books were littered on nearly every flat surface, save a clear path on the floor. In the corner stood a spacesuit, propped up to almost look like someone wearing it. Enough belongings to not feel spartan, but not quite enough to feel homely. A few pictures hung on the walls. Over Qi’s bed, there were what looked to be posters pulled straight from the ruins, advertising majestic cosmic vistas that one could visit. Some of them looked to be real ads. At least the ones still within the solar system. The ones for other star systems seemed more speculative and decorative. Wis’s eye was drawn to the photo that presumably showed his family. Four four-eyed people. His father and grandpa looked remarkably similar, and equally jolly. His mother almost dressed the same way Qi did, her expression warm. And front and center was little Qi, hair a disaster even back then. There was a smile on his face. Did he force it for the camera? Wis couldn’t tell. But she could still see the familiar curve of his mouth, and the way his eyes pinched a little when his cheeks lifted. “You ever miss Vega 5?” “No.” “Not even your family?” “…Perhaps.” The exchange echoed in Wis’s mind. She remembered how his gaze had faltered. She heard how he had hesitated.  And yet, despite that and the happy looking photos of them hanging high on the wall…why hadn’t Wis heard anything about his family until now? She’d hardly heard anything about Vega 5 either, but there was a reason for that, at least.  She shook her head. Curious as she was, she wasn’t here for that. She shouldn’t pry. 

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

Wisteria groaned, evidently still not satisfied. “Enough about the work already,” she said sharply.  Qi frowned. So was she dissatisfied about his lack of progress, or what?  She pinched the bridge of her nose. “What matters is that you’re okay,” she said, a little softer this time. “I don’t care if you take a million years to finish it. I don’t care if you think you need to get it done any faster. But if you hurt yourself trying to rush things, that’s when I can’t just stand by.” Something shifted in Qi with the way she said that. He couldn’t identify what or why.  “…While it is appreciated,” he muttered slowly as he cut off another piece of the fried eggs. “You needn’t concern yourself with me. Despite the setbacks, my state of being always averages out to be satisfactory.” Wisteria sighed, worry creasing her brow again. “I’m your friend, Qi. That’s why I’m worried.” Your friend. The words caused another funny sensation in Qi. Almost a feeling of…resonance in his chest.  Wisteria…was his friend. He’d never realized…but it was true, wasn’t it? Her regular visits to the Research Center, often not for business, the supplemental power stones and fresh tea with the occasional relic, the odd outing here and there… At his silence, Wisteria floundered. “U-um! Well, at least I think. I-I just kinda assumed we were friends. I’m sorry if I misinterpreted anything—” Qi blinked. “O-oh. N…no.” Wisteria glanced away nervously. “‘No’ as in, ‘No, we’re not friends,’ or…?” Qi’s brow shot up. “No! Er…n-no… ‘No’ as in, ‘No, you haven’t misinterpreted anything.’” He swallowed. “Yes. Yes, we’re friends.”  It felt so strange to say. He’d made a friend in Sandrock.  A part of him instinctively wanted to recoil at the revelation, but the warm smile that rose on Wisteria’s face swiftly put it to rest. 

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“S…so… Now you know my ambitions,” he murmured, trying to sound sure of himself. “What…what are yours?” Wisteria hummed, closing her eyes. “I…don’t think I have any. No big ones, anyways,” she said after only a moment. It seemed like she used the silence before to dwell on it. Qi frowned. “You…don’t?” A quiet smile lifted her lips, and she shrugged. “Not really. All I really want is to just…live on my own terms. That’s why I moved out here. I couldn’t do that back in Highwind.” She took a deep breath. “Do what I love. Figure out what makes me happy. Surround myself with just enough people to feel involved and included, and enough space to feel free. That’s it, really.” That sounded painfully familiar to Qi. She was just like his parents. Mere fishermen, simple folk that were happiest with each other and out on the water. Not like him and his grandfather, not dedicated to a lofty cause like the scientific betterment of humanity. Not trying to become a titan of their industry. Satisfied with their family, their one fishing vessel, their one stand at the market, and their simple handmade drying and packing work. He cared for him just as much as they cared for him, which was plenty, but sometimes he just couldn’t understand them. By no means destitute, by no means failures, just so…simple.  Painfully, frustratingly, bafflingly simple. But this wasn’t his parents. This was Wisteria Cyprens, one of—no, THE best builder he’s ever known. The fastest relic hunter he’s ever known. Without her, Sandrock would’ve perished at least twice…no, thrice…no, more than that… It was rare that Qi ever saw anybody with just as much skill and raw potential as himself. And yet… “Is…that all? How…” How stupid. How wasteful. How simple. How pedestrian. “…quaint.” Qi’s attempt at politeness was fairly flimsy, as Wisteria snorted and shook her head. “We’re all different, bud.” It was silent after that. Wisteria turned back out to look at the sky again. Qi’s antsy fingers ran across the spacesuit’s helmet some more. The moonlight shone onto the helmet’s opaque gold visor, illuminating Qi’s reflection. He stared back at his own uncertain eyes.  His mind still couldn’t let it go. He kept running through what Wisteria said over and over again, trying his hardest to find some sort of logic behind it.  Did she really, truly not want anything greater? No recognition? No prestige? She had to be well-aware of what she was capable of… Did she simply lack the confidence? It’d be rather silly if that was her only barrier. She could flourish just about anywhere. Atara, Lucien…they were always in need of builders there. Vega 5…any researcher would kill to have a builder as reliable as her to build their diagrams. Qi would know. Hell, she could outclass even the builders of Tallsky, or go back to Highwind and show them just what they cast aside. Anywhere. Everywhere. It was so easy for him to envision all the ways Wisteria could rise above her station. Couldn’t she see what he could see? Such a remarkable individual, a quick learner, a stalwart companion, with nigh-unparalleled skill, an alert and open mind, a deft hand, a keen eye, a bright smile, a— Qi froze his train of thought right in its tracks. His heart was pounding all of a sudden. Why was it doing that? Against any rational thought, his eyes were drawn to his right, where Wisteria still sat beside him, serene and awash in moonlight. The breeze toyed with loose strands of her hair. Her eyes shone as she admired the stars above. She looked so…comfortable. She glanced over to him, feeling his gaze on her. Their eyes only met for an instant, but there was an unmistakable feeling of shock as they did. It forced Qi to look away. Something uneasy bubbled in his stomach as Wisteria’s quiet presence hummed beside him. His mind whirred, stuck in a loop over the same question: How is it so easy for you to find joy…?

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

“So what’s kept you in Sandrock for so long?” Mint asked carefully. “Trying to find a single ruins site couldn’t have taken up every single day of the last decade or so.” “The townsfolk also commission me for their work. There’s no one else to do it. All very…piddly matters,” said Qi, spitting out a very plosive “p.” “Busywork. Some of it may have been essential for our continued survival, but busywork nonetheless.” He pushed his glasses up. “What, saving an entire city from the brink of death like, 5 times now is ‘piddly?’” “All the solutions were trivial. There was no lack of the materials and the manpower required to manifest them.” “You couldn’t just hire someone else and pass it to them?” “Seeking adequate assistants has always been a fruitless endeavor, anyhow. Well, almost. But then city hall wouldn’t let her stay.” Her, huh. “So you chose to do them anyway.” Qi hesitated. Just for a flash. “That is my occupation’s societal role. In order to sustain myself and my funding, I am obligated to fulfill it.” The words were dismissive, but his voice had no fire. No bite. No venom. Suddenly, it dawned on Mint. What had been bothering his friend for what was evidently a very long time. A simple fact that had caused so much discordance in Qi’s mind. “You care,” Mint whispered. Qi’s brow furrowed, his face twisting into scowls of all different degrees and severities. A second passed. And then another. And then another. Yet no retort came. “You care about Sandrock,” Mint continued, digging further. “You care that everyone’s safe. You care about all this progress.” Qi’s jaw was clenched so hard he was almost grinding his teeth, probably trying to put the words together for an excuse about budget. If the town was more successful, then Qi would naturally get more funding. But it was more than that. Mint decided to nip the excuse in the bud by proceeding one step even further. “…You care about her.” Qi abruptly turned the opposite way, shoulders tensed. Mint stared at the tightened-up form of Qi, hearing the slight hiss of his breath through what sounded like gritted teeth. “It’s okay to care, Qi,” he breathed.

From A Builder, a Researcher, and a Rooftop:

“You read romance novels?” Qi looked up from the book he was half-heartedly reading. Grace was standing over him, one hand over her mouth trying to stifle a laugh. “Yes. What of it?” Just as the words left his mouth, he cursed himself internally. He should’ve just made the excuse that there was nothing else to read. Then again, with her pesky penchant for asking just the right questions, the frycook probably would have drawn the truth out of him anyway.  A snort burst out of Grace. “Oooooh, I’m sure there’s a lot of research value there…” Qi just rolled his eyes and tried to get back to the text. He didn’t need to justify himself.  “Heh. Guess you wouldn’tve gotten serious with the builder without one or two of those, huh?” “Indeed.” “Hah! Had to write a whole peer-reviewed article about ‘em with lit review included?” “Well, I had no intention of publishing my findings and therefore had no need for peer review, but I did conduct literature review, yes.” Silence. “…Wait, for real?” “Yes,” Qi said simply. He looked up, and had to fight a smirk at the sight of Grace’s flummoxed look. A fresh plate of food appeared on the side table next to Qi. “Well, I hope you’ve at least read better ones than that, Director,” said Catori, offering another plate to Grace. “That one’s barely suited for the garbage. Woe it be to the builder if they have to put up with what happens in that one.” Qi shut the book. “It certainly isn’t the most engaging story I’ve read.” He was already forgetting the name of the love interest, especially since the author didn’t think it prudent to give them any part in the major plot points. “Hey!” called Ernest from a table across the room. “It’s a slow burn! The passion of love takes time!” “Sweetie, there’s ‘slow burn,’ and then there’s ‘I think I forgot to light the bonfire,’” said Pablo, polishing his shears for the hundredth time. “Director dearest, please tell me your taste in literature is at least slightly better than your idea of a hairstyle…” “I’ve read much better, fortunately,” Qi said as he picked up his food. “And before you ask again, no, I do not require a haircut.” Pablo sighed, twirling his shears. “Yes you do…but fine.”

From Sed Nihil Pretiosius Vertiate (upcoming Grace/Wis fic):

Grace stepped through the door and gently padded over to the side of the bed, directly across from Wis. Their eyes met for the first time in months. Grace had no idea until now just how much she missed Wis’s gaze, deep and dark as night, always lightly inquisitive and aware. But now…it looked so, so tired. Her eyes widened a bit when Grace came into view. Grace slid her bag off her shoulder and gently sat down on the edge of the bed. The sinking of the mattress caused Wis to jolt and push herself up. She grunted, her muscles and joints struggling without energy or recent use.  Now Grace got a good look at the rest of her. The first time in months she’d seen her outside a photo. Her hair was greasy and tangled, her lips chapped, her face unwashed, her whole being just…exhausted. With one shaking hand, she slowly reached out towards Grace, trying to make sure that she wasn’t a hallucination. A soft and sad smile crept up Grace’s face, and she reached out her own hand to meet Wis’s.  Their fingers brushed, rough skin on rough skin, warmth on warmth. Wis took a shaky breath. And with such a simple touch, all of the softness that Grace could never feel—that she always wished she could feel—came rushing out of her heart.  Grace’s smile only softened more, and she couldn’t help but whisper… “Missed me, Wisty?” And Wis crumbled into dust. Her face screwed with pain as tears leaked from her eyes. Her grip on Grace’s hand tightened, lacing their fingers at the way together. Grace had never seen Wis cry before. Not in real life. Not even when she survived the fall from the cliff. Not even when Duvos was pounding down their doors. But here she was, crying for Grace. Grace had never cried in years. She couldn’t. Even when she wanted to after a tough mission. Keeping the agent’s facade for so long had made it instinctual to let the feeling pass. But it never did pass. All it did was leave a crack. And over time, more cracks would form, until a breaking point was inevitable. And so Grace broke. Let herself break. Let her broken pieces fall into Wis’s deft and gentle hands. She made no effort to stop the tears that poured out of her eyes. Tears that were meant to be shed years ago.

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

Grace pulled her new wallet out from her jacket and flipped it open to take out her new IDs. “They kept the “archeology major” cover story mostly the same. It’s got a nugget of truth and all. Just now I’m a grad student from Highwind instead.” She handed Wis her “student ID,” complete with a fresh photo of Grace. The second Wis laid her eyes on her new alias, she snorted. “OoOOOooh, ‘Julianne!’” she swooned comically. “Well, Julianne, are you going to julienne some potatoes for my french fries?” Grace stared blankly at that stupid, dumb, smarmy grin on Wis’s face. And in the next instant, she was completely doubled over with laughter. She felt her insides getting jumbled up as breathing started to ache. A snort rumbled her nose as she took another gasp, something that she hadn’t felt in years. It was just so stupid. So dumb. So silly. So Wisteria.  And by every ray of Light in the sky, she wanted this so bad. To laugh. To love. Unfettered to everything but Wis.  The smirk on Wis’s face eased into a more sheepish one, a dusting of pink on her cheeks. “It…it wasn’t that good, hey…” It was hard through the laughter that continued to rack her chest, but Grace managed to warble out, “I-I love you so mu-u-uch!” The flush on Wis’s cheeks only darkened. 

[totsworks]

GUYS GUYS GUYS!!!! NINJAGO AU I THOUGHT OF WHEN I WAS DRAWING PIXANE:3!!!

Its called “the ninjago disrespect group” which places after the ninjas die

Welp mostly. Zane became too rusty and his system too overloaded that he shut himself while lloyd stayed alive

Since lloyd was tired of living he offed himself yet unfortunately his grandpa wanted to stick his nose in that again and took lloyd’s soul

Talking to lloyd he was asking him why he didn’t want to continue living? Lloyd told him “your world and place fucking sucks and you suck too”/jk but seriously he told him how he didn’t want to live where the purpose he was made for was finished. Living aimless was tiring which made the fsm hum and told him “your life have a lesson you need to follow lloyd. Dont be impatient” which made lloyd wake up. He looked at the floor now anger building up slowly inside him since even his death have to be controlled as well and have to do another life discovery shit soo he was tired-

-but when he wanted to lay down in his apartment (i made him live a depressed life. Isolated and only on social media) but he stumbled upon a meme which says “when your father hates you so much that you work with fatherless people as well” and his photo in some stupid cgi thingy which made him look at the website only to be shocked since that website talk about joke/dumb legends and there was a category called “the ninjas”

Looking at it he was crashed at how much activity was there. Sure not everyone thinks that way but the fact that its someones idea and someone made this despite the ninjas dying to save them send lloyd to the edge-

-remembering all the unreasonable mistreatment. He decided he had enough

No more playing angel. No more caring for rules. And definitely no more caring for others safety being when they didn’t care about his

He finally opened his crusty door and walked out of that shitty apartment now walking to the grief his friends were buried in. What fsm didnt know that giving lloyd an element that resembles life would be a bad idea. Now after stealing some guts and like healthy parts and fixing the ninja’s bodies he used his power to wake them up(still thinking of this part) and made them rest in his apartment until they feel well(and greenflame happening)

But accidentally kai was worried when lloyd was late making him walking on (unstable) his new legs looking around which caught attention

After some weeks lloyd got an invitation from the ninjago news to meet which made him shocked and confused yet he agreed because he wanted to see how the citizens would react to a new approach of him-

-and after dressing nicely to at least get some positive comments he finally came(after giving smoochies to kai☝️)but the meet up was because they news were shocked about lloyd. The good lloyd! The sweetheart innocent souled lloyd! Bringing back dead

The way they asked him about that and the way they talked made it seem like some fanfic. Not serious. Not taking him seriously as ever

Looking at this lloyd got tired and took the plate on the table infront of him and smashed it then lunged at the news reporter and started slashing him. The news cut due to the quote-on-quote “poor signal” yet when it came back lloyd was holding the mic glaring at the camera or the viewers as he said “you think this is a joke right? A silly thing to be taken? The green ninja bringing his friends to life? What a story! Let me tell you something. You always wished me to be on the light to be your joke or talk right? To be the gossip or some kimd of those belittling conversations right? Well!” And lift his hands smiling now a “welcoming” smile “here i am!! But..im not her to be your fun today. I used to be but..i dont think you will find this funny. This is the ninjago disrespect group news for today. Have the worse night of yours lets see how you can keep up with your own actions” and then the story will be this ‘show,s’ episodes while lloyd leads most of the people who helped ninjago yet never received their own thanking and stuff like that!

TRAAAA!! Sooo?? Thoughts and opinions are always appreciated:3

[rainy-sel]

my interactions with mads at dallas fan expo 2024:

the photo op 11:30

I was there with my great grandma, and we went to the photo ops for mads mikkelsen. i was terrified. to make matters worse, when we were standing in line two, i realized i forgot something in the car, and that my great grandpa left with my dog so i couldn’t get it back. this was devastating but we’ll come back to it later. when it was my turn a crew member told me to put anything i didn’t want in the photo on a table, so i carefully put everything down and went into the curtained off room. there was a small line i waited in until it was my turn. when my turn came mads held his arm out for a side hug, and i had no idea where the camera was so i looked at the lighting umbrellas. then i ran off because i thought the photo was over but they called me back halfway through me grabbing my things. i tried to set them back down but they slipped off the table and onto the floor. i panicked but luckily my great grandma was there and she picked it up while i retook the photo. the camera man said look here and i took a breath*, then he took the picture. i slowly drifted away with my arm outstretched, he was reaching out to me too, it was like we were mirroring each other as i waited for the camera man to tell me the photo was good. my hand grazed his forearm and hand lightly, it was like a dream. then i got the ok and I dropped my arm and began to leave. as i glanced back he was smiling, and i ran off to collect and check in my things while buzzing with joy.

the autograph 1:15-1:40

after the photo op i briefly looked around the vendors, then got in line at 1:15ish. i stood in line for about an hour and 30 minutes, while my great grandma found a chair to wait in. i feel a bit bad for mads considering some people in line were talking about getting refunded if they didn’t get an autograph** and he was still in the photo area with a bunch of photo groups all until a rumored time of 1:20, though he may have taken some photo groups sooner considering what time he got back to the autographs. mads made it to the autographs at about 1:15. once i was at the front of the line a nice crew lady ushered me to get my name spelled. i was excited and scared. i walked to the man writing and gave him my name and spelling (a-k-s-e-l) and he wrote it on a sticky note, placing it on my bullet journal and sent me to wait in the smaller line. i originally was going to do a section of duolingo*** and tell mads that i aspire to be like him as an actor, but having left my art in the car that i spent hours and hours to draw for him, i scrapped that plan and pulled the art up on my phone, thinking i’d have no chance to get it back and give it to him personally. i gave mads my journal to sign and told him my predicament. i showed him the art and asked if there was any way i could mail or email it to him. upon seeing it he said it looked nice and said i could get in contact with the people running the con and that they could get it to him. as he spoke he had a concerned look in his eyes, like he didn’t want my hard work to be all for naught. then he smiled and handed me my book as i said thank you with a relieved smile, taking my book and walking away.

(image 1) journal with “lecter-graham butchery, est. 2015 ‘ethically sourced’” printed on the cover.

(image 2) inside cover of the journal in image 1 with “to aksel…” and mads mikkelsen so signature on it.

panel 2:45

my great grandma and i were general admission, but we got to sit in the front row because my great grandma was with me and the people on either side of us weren’t the type to call others out for breaking a rule like that. not much happened with me and mads during this panel, i didnt ask a question, but i did sit in his “look off into the distance and think” spot. he reacted to me once i think. near the beginning of the panel he looked at me and i raised my eyebrows at him, then he raised his eyebrows lightly back at me, but looked away before it could turn into a competition. this could’ve been him thinking about something and raising his brows once he got an idea or something but that’s my perspective.

art gift! 3:25-4:01

after the panel i asked mads’ crew if he’d be back for more signings and they said yes, so my great grandma and i fast walked 5 blocks away from the convention center in dallas summer heat, which was about 99 degrees fahrenheit at the time, then my great grandpa drove us and dropped me off back at the con center, and i booked it inside and fast walked through security, the vendors and back to mads’ signing desk. it was 4:01 when i arrived and i was winded, standing there holding it at my chest, waiting to be noticed, unsure if i was too late. i’m pretty sure mads made eye contact with me then the group noticed another guy walking up behind me with a walker, and the nice lady from the autographs spoke with me while another spoke with them. she asked me if i wanted the art signed and i shook my head, trying to breathe, and said no, i just want to give it to mads, so she got permission for me as long as i kept it short and sweet and ushered me back to his table. the crew must not have realized i was trying to breathe, and thought i was scared again. one told me not to be scared or anxious, and i said, i’m not scared. i just ran 5 blocks outside, which while hyperbole, felt true to my lungs. i waited my turn and gave him the art, to which he smiled softly and said “it looks like my wife.” i think i said it was, then i thanked him for making my birthday wonderful. he did not respond. he was too busy looking at my art, then he looked up, smiled more genuinely, and thanked me while offering me his hand to shake. i think he’s left handed, because when i looked down at our hands, i saw mine had graphite on it****. i smiled and i think i nodded but i can’t be sure that i gave a verbal response. then, finally, i walked away.

(image 3) top left corner says “mads og hanne er søde sammen” which should mean they are cute together, and to the right of the dog is it’s name from what i can tell: “messi”

real photo of me trudging away:

ignore that other dude

[goingferalapparently]

finally watching jaiden's latest stream. have some things that happened that i found interesting/funny

q!foolish inviting her to another capybara summoning circle the next day, q!jaiden never actually answering the question of the matter of attendance

q!fit asking her to do a cucurucho impression

q!jaiden being silly by the monitors "me when cucurucho is on the server-" pause. cucurucho in the background

telling q!foolish "i thought i saw something, but i must've seen wrong" even though like 5 seconds before she just goes "[cucurucho] must not want to talk", absolutely knowing she saw cucurucho

q!foolish: "we'll see what happens tomorrow" q!jaiden: "yeah i'll see you around" (implied tomorrow)

q!jaiden tossing the grappling hook at q!baghera and failing like q!cellbit throwing wood at q!jaiden during the "can you hear it?" mission (and also failing)

q!baghera: "i like ugly and moldy. ............reminds me of my grandpa"

q!jaiden: "everyone should have a window into the sun rise and set"

q!jaiden holding the red sharestone and looking around her house hesitantly before deciding "too deep now" and letting q!bag come anyway. deep breathing and general nervous energy. calming herself down with "its okay"s

i want to check this w q!j showing q!cell n q!fool the place but, q!bag asking ab the biome and q!j playing it down as "just a nice place that i like"

general tone of voice when showing q!bag the place

looking up at the sky and realising its sunset but also realising that she cant see the sun and cant leave to see the sunset proper bc she's w q!bag and so moving the clock to her hotbar

q!bag asking to see the "second house" and the vtubers expression as she follows behind q!bag....

q!bag having to ask ab specific places before q!j shows them to her (as opposed to q!cell bring shown to even the secret farm)

q!j saying she was unprepared to have people over (but also that q!bag saw the bobby room and “didn’t say any weird stuff so…”)

“i’m sure its okay that baghera knows…”

cucurucho’s tea garden….

“baghera, cellbit and foolish all know, but i might change the warpstone [to bobby fields]”????????

q!j taking photos of cucurucho AT bobby fields

cucurucho blowing bubbles at the tea plants!!!

cucurucho doing a lil spinny thing on the way up the treehouse ladder!!!

cucurucho: “do you want to go on a walk?” q!j: “a- one second” (mutes self) “!!!!!! HE WANTS TO GO ON A WALK!!! OKAY Calm down calm down-“ (unmutes self, most even tone ever) “Okay, we can go on a walk”

cucurucho shooting the mobs for q!j (deja vu hours)

q!j running back to the house after being absolutely jumped by mobs and chiding herself for blowing the opportunity with cucurucho

q!j taking…. many photos of cucurucho at bobby fields

q!j noticing cucurucho’s strange behaviour and calling him out for being “strangely warm” and asking “are you okay?” (as opposed to “what’s wrong (with you)?”)

q!j believing in and feeling vindicated by proof of cucurucho’s good side

q!j listening to q!cell talk ab being tricked by the feds and then going (to chat) "cucurucho? whos that? definitely not someone im building a really close relationship with" and various other sarcastic? awkward? versions of things that sum up the general islander mentality towards cucurucho

q!cell: "they've giving motives for everyone to hate them" etc. while the vtuber model just shows awkward glances all over the place

q!cell: "eventually everyone on the island will hate [the federation]" and then the change in pov so the camera is pointing at q!j

q!cell offering q!j an office in the ordo and the "if im welcome, id love to be" (emphasis on the if im welcome)

slime noises

q!j: "we can talk this out some other time" and then KNOWING what happens at the end of the stream

q!cell's offered office being one with keycards and chance to decorate and this feels so federation-core for some reason

q!j pole dancing in front of "o diabo"

(about putting her sign in one of q!cell's entity rooms) "i could put it [in the corner] but do i really want to be hidden in a world of chaos?"

hey is it just me or is she taking a lot of pictures lately?

q!cell: "if you need me just call me" AAAAAAAAAAAAA

pals i am a sucker for "i'll be there when you call"/"i'll be there for you even if you dont know it" kind of friendships

"ALRIGHT!! We are NOT spilling any beans today!"

cucurucho appearing and giving the "too eccentric" book and fucking BOOKING IT

(to cucurucho) "you're being weird today"

"im not good with riddles, cucurucho, you know that. i take things too literally"

"cant believe a sheep just exploded"

"cucurucho do you want something from me or not, i'm confused"

"cucurucho, what's up with you today? you're being like, really weird. i thought it was good-weird at first but now its just weird-weird"

frowning, whispering to self "oh this is weird, this is weird, this is weird"

deep hissing breath in through the mouth "something is not right"

reiterating "cucurucho, something's not right. something's up. you're being weird."

"cucurucho, i need help. you know im not cellbit. im just lil old me. i dont know."

q!jaiden being ENTIRELY unsurprised and immediately jumping to the books being about the two cucuruchos when given the "have you seen him? have you seen me" book AND THEN LISTING THE DIFFERENCES

(to cucurucho) "its like we're partners in crime"

(when following cucurucho from spawn) "philza's up there" (implied that he may notice her presence)

all the joking about the "Getting Chair-ed" aside, i dont think she was meant to be stuck in there, i think she was genuinely meant to be teleported, there was just a lil mess up w permissions for the teleporter plate

anyway. you thought heading 14k blocks out for the freezer dungeon was bad? try x: -15725 z: -9005 (from x: 3053, z: 1906, thats roughly 21.7k blocks out)

the way she glances between the teleporter plate and cucurucho + the serious (wary) expression, general scanning the area and zooming in on any potential exits (while waiting for cucurucho to respond after the "be patient" book)

"this one's got a window!" NOOOOO

i had sub-thoughts about some of these but. uh. tumblr doesnt have?? like. the sub-point in the point form. so.

[littlewestern]

Guadalcanal looks a little like the 1940s-era superhero Sparky Watts, as created by Boody Rogers. Idk if this was intentional or not but they seem to have a similar "can-do" personality bordering on the absurd in different ways

I'd never heard of this character! But it's the right time period so I was excited to look him up.

...My god, it's uncanny.

There's a few things going on here, and it's a fun opportunity to talk about the design process, which I'm always happy to explore.

So when I first started working on Guadalcanal, I was immediately drawn to the little detail that he had one gun for defense purposes. It's almost silly, right? This big, imposing aircraft carrier who can't really defend himself at all and has to rely on the destroyer escort, but still carries around a tiny ladypistol "just in case". For that reason, my primary visual inspiration is, no joke:

Doctor The Meme himself from Gundam X. The wiki tells me his name is 'Techcs Farzenberg' which is an absolutely top-tier white-people-in-anime name.

Gonna be honest, I'm mad I didn't look up more pics of this guy before. Now This Is Fucking Character Design.

But he's a little old, right? And that hair just won't do. And I like how serious the glasses make him look, but I need a little more charm. A big boat needs to be the kind of character little boats will want to follow and defend. So we have a basic idea (as silly as it is) but we need to fill out the details.

I'm big on drawing design inspiration from old photos. Not only is this a great way to draw period-accurate outfits, but it also helps with designing more realistic faces. I find that when I draw inspiration from photos and real people, my characters feel more realistic, like people you could actually meet somewhere instead of just lines on a page. So I googled up "wwii navy men stock images" and clicked around.

Oh yeah, this is great stuff. His glasses dovetail nicely with our bespectacled non-combatant idea, and this lad's hair is much more indicative of the time period we're trying to portray. From this guy I pulled the hairstyle and reaffirmed that my decision to give Guadalcanal glasses was the right one. This guy just looks so approachable, and I want that for my character as well. If this is your great-grandpa, congrats, he lives in my head rent-free.

Now to put the finishing touches on him. I bulked him up a lot to give that air of importance and authority, and softened his facial features out to make him even more friendly-looking. His face - particularly his nose and mouth - are heavily inspired by an ex-boyfriend of mine (who I won't show here for obvious reasons lol). I think most designers can't help but draw inspiration from the people around them, so we might as well lean into it. I love the way my lived experiences can be reflected in my work. Now we can put it all together!

The one on the left was the first-pass design and the one on the right was a redraw after some tweaks and a bit of practice. You can tell I struggled with the hair and just phoned it in, but that's what first-passes are for. There's a reason I never posted the first design, lol. The second one I prettied him up a bit and broadened all of his features, focusing on his nose and the ratio of negative space around his eyes and mouth. I think this gives him a more mature look without aging him too much, since we still want him to look young enough to excuse his youthful arrogance. I figured out the hair as well, which was helpful!

"But why does he look so much like Sparky, then?" You might ask. This is a fun example of 'convergent evolution' - where two artists come up with the same result based on different approaches! A thing that's important to note about Sparky is that he was originally designed as a send-up or parody of superhero comics of the time. This informs a lot of decisions about his design.

Sparky has superhuman strength, speed, and toughness. Sound familiar?

But of course, you don't want to step on a copyright holder's toes. And you want comic book buyers to know they're buying a Sparky Watts comic and not a Superman one. Being a parody gives the artist a lot of outs here, ways to make Sparky visually distinct while still poking fun at the types of superheroes the audience is more familiar with.

Where Superman sheds his Clark Kent glasses that make him unassuming and approachable, Sparky keeps them on all the time. Superman has tousled black hair and a costume with his symbol on the front, where Sparky has neatly-parted blonde hair and a normal collegiate outfit that distinguishes him only by way of saying that he's completely ordinary. You can see, then, how they arrived at his design. By making him *different from Superman* they made him the same as Guadalcanal. That's okay, they didn't know. ;^)

Thanks for the ask!

[wonderlandleighleigh]

Did I write an entire 9 pages just to have Joel get punched in the face?

I mean. Yeah.

Things are different when he gets home from the war. A lot has changed. His siblings are older. His mother and step-father are even more of a united force, while his father and step-mother are…much less of one. 

In fact, Mei has completely moved out; taken Lan and moved in with her parents, leaving Pop alone in their previously homey apartment. 

Meanwhile, Kitty is off to college upstate, while Esther finishes high school and Lily  starts middle school, and Ma and Lenny are…well, they’re Ma and Lenny. It is, by and large, the exact opposite of Ethan’s father’s life.

And it’s clear, with each passing family dinner, that Pop is painfully aware. 

Lenny heads out of town for a week. Shows out west, and visiting his mother and a few interviews. The usual stuff. He calls every night before bed, and Ethan gets a turn on the phone with the man. They talk about pretty standard stuff. The weather and the news. Grandpa’s Abe’s latest crusade. 

Third night in, Lenny brings up something a little different. 

“Do me a favor, huh kid?” 

“Sure, Lenny. What’s up?” 

“Just uh…keep an eye on your mother,” Lenny says. “Especially at family dinner tomorrow night.” 

Ethan frowns. That tone. He knows that tone. Lenny gets that tone when something is worrying him. He had that tone when Ethan got drafted; when Lily was born a couple weeks sooner than they expected; When Kitty got cornered by some creep reporter after school one day.

“Yeah, of course,” Ethan promises. “You know I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to Ma.” 

“I know,” Lenny insists. “Just uh…eyes peeled. Something uh…something came up with your old man the other day, and she’s…feeling a little fragile.” 

Ethan’s jaw sets as his eyes fall on a photo of himself, his mother and his younger sister, from after Pop left. “You got it, Lenny.” 

“I’ll talk to you later,” Lenny promises. 

“Yep,” Ethan clips out. 

Lenny pauses. He knows Ethan knows. 

Ethan hangs up the phone. He doesn’t sleep much that night.

**** 

“What’s eatin’ you?” 

Ethan glances up at Susie from his desk at her offices. She’s expanded into a bigger space, so he’s got his own alcove. “Nothin.” 

“Bullshit,” Susie snaps. “This a war thing?” 

“No.” 

“C’mon, it’s a slow day. Spill it.” 

Ethan takes a breath. “Last night, Lenny asked me to watch out for Ma at family dinner.” 

Susie blinks. “Queens suddenly turn into a slum?” 

“No,” he shakes his head. 

“Then why-” 

“Lenny asked me. To watch out for Ma. At family dinner,” Ethan enunciates. 

Susie blinks. “Fuck.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Shit.” 

“Yep.” 

“Fucking Joes.” 

“Yeah, that.” 

“Lenny expound on what’s goin’ on?” Susie asks.

“Nope,” he shakes his head. “But you and I have both seen enough horrible shit in this world to take a few guesses.” 

Susie’s own jaw sets then. “Tell your bubbe  to set an extra place for dinner.” 

Ethan nods and picks up the phone on his desk. “You got it.” 

***** 

Ethan doesn’t hesitate to step inside the house in Queens when he and Susie arrive. Just opens the door and heads in, looking around. 

“I like that you can’t be fucked with hesitating,” Susie tells him. 

“I grew up here,” Ethan reminds her. “This is practically my second home. Zeyde! Bubbe!” 

“IN THE LIVING ROOOOM!” Shirley’s voice calls. 

Ethan heads in that direction, settling the bottle of wine he’d brought down. 

“My Ethan!” his grandmother croons, rushing up to pinch his cheek and give him kisses. “I feel like we never see you anymore!” 

“Well, I work, Bubbe, I get busy,” he says gently. 

“There he is,” Moishe crows, shaking his hand affectionately. “You look good, Ethan.” 

“Thanks,” Ethan grins. 

“Hello, Susie,” Shirley grins. “So nice to have you! Let me get some drinks started!” 

“Thanks, Shirley. Make it a double.” 

“Anyone else here?” Ethan asks. 

“Kitty is studying in the kitchen,” Moishe tells him. “That girl. Your sisters are all brains!” 

Ethan chuckles a little and shrugs. “It makes up for me being a big meathead,” he jokes. 

“Please, you’ve got the Maisel business brain!” Moishe crows. “That’s why you’re such a good fit for Susie’s company. She’s lucky I didn’t snap you up for Maisel and Roth!” 

“Fuck right I am,” Susie interjects. “Kid’s great. I’m lucky to have him, when he’s not eating me out of the office.” 

“He’s a big boy,” Shirley defends. “He needs nutrition.” 

“And on that note, I’m gonna go say hello to Kitty,” Ethan tells them, taking his drink and slipping down the hallway into the kitchen. 

She sits with a large textbook, notebook and pen in front of her, and she smiles when she spots him. “Hey.” 

He nods and sits next to her. “How’s school going?” 

“Crazy,” she admits. “I almost didn’t get away, but Daddy called. He wanted me to come.” 

“Yeah, I talked to him, to…” Ethan tells her. “He wanted me to keep an eye on Ma.” 

Kitty narrows her eyes, looking worried. “That’s concerning.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Well. I’m here. I can help,” Kitty promises. “I’ll keep watch, too.” 

“Thanks, Sis,” Ethan grins, lifting his drink to her. “You are, as ever, the best of us.” 

She laughs softly and goes back to her books, just as Joel steps into the kitchen, going straight for a high cabinet and pulling an old bottle of scotch down. 

“Hey, Pop,” Ethan says warily. 

Joel nearly fumbles the bottle as he turns to the two younger adults. “Ethan. Hey. Kitty.” 

Kitty salutes with her pencil. 

“You uh…your mom here yet?” Joel asks, cradling the bottle. 

“Nope,” Kitty tells him. “Between Esther and Lily and Midge, punctuality isn’t exactly a priority.” 

“Yeah, she uh…she’s always late,” Joel says wistfully. 

Ethan lifts his eyebrows. “You uh…you okay there, Pop?” 

“Fine. Just. Fine.” 

Ethan nods slowly as he watches him step out of the room.

“Well, it’s always nice when a parent lies to our faces,” Kitty mutters.

“Yeah,” Ethan breathes out. “Fuck.” 

***** 

Eventually everyone shows up and Shirley herds them all into the dining room.

“No studying at the table,” she orders as she takes Kitty’s textbook. 

“But-” 

“You don’t want to get kugel on your book,” Shirley chides her as she sets the book on a table in the hallway. “It’ll be waiting right there for you.” 

Midge beams as Kitty takes a seat next to her, leaning over and kissing her temple. “Hi, Sweetie. I’m so glad you could make it.” 

Kitty smiles back at her. These dinners are odd without her father here, but Midge makes that awkward feeling a little less aggressive. Though Midge is looking a little pale. “Mom, are you okay?” she asks quietly. 

“Fine,” Midge smiles. “I’m great. Just long hours recently. You know how it is. Business we call show, yada yada yada.” 

Kitty glances at Ethan, who has taken the seat on Midge’s other side. He doesn’t look like he’s buying it either.

Susie looks even less convinced from Ethan’s other side. 

Kitty steals a glance at Joel, who is looking…

A little guilty.  

A quick glance at Esther and Lily tells Kitty that they’re also aware that something is very off. 

But dinner progresses normally. As normal as these things get anyways. Moishe and Abe bicker, and Shirley cooked too much food. Rose looks judgmentally at everyone’s plates as they scarf down carbohydrates, and everyone chats. Susie and Ethan talk about work, and Abe looks deeply interested in what Kitty is learning in school (which makes Kitty feel a little fuzzy inside. She’s always appreciated how much of an interest Abe has always taken in her education). 

“Look at that, we’re out of salad already,” Shirley marvels. 

“I’ve got it,” Midge offers, already getting to her feet.

“You’re a doll, Midge,” Shirley beams. 

It only takes a moment for Joel to rise to his feet. “I’ll help.” 

“No,” Ethan says firmly. “You won’t. Ma doesn’t need help. She knows how to dish more salad into a bowl.” 

Joel freezes, staring at his son. “What?” 

“Sit, Pop,” Ethan orders. 

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Joel snaps. “I’m your father.” 

“I said sit, before I make you sit.” 

The table goes deadly silent. There’s a deep understanding around the room of just how serious Ethan is. 

“No,” Joel tells him definitely. “You don’t fucking get to tell me what to do. Punk little kid, think because you went to war you know everything.” 

He throws his napkin down and starts moving toward the doorway, only for Ethan to block him.

“I’m nearly a foot taller than you,” Ethan reminds him. “And maybe war didn’t teach me everything, but it sure as hell taught me how to knock somebody on their ass.” 

“Oh, is that what this is?” Joel scoffs. “You wanna fight?” 

“Holy shit, I can’t believe this is happening,” Susie mutters. 

“I want you to leave Ma alone,” Ethan corrects him. “Whatever happened between you two earlier in the week was, apparently it wasn’t good, and nobody is lookin’ to repeat that, least of all her.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Joel yells. “You don’t know anything!” 

The second Joel grabs his shirt, Ethan smoothly throws a fist, and Joel is suddenly on his ass on the floor. 

“Ethan!” Shirley cries, shocked, rushing to her son.

“This is the best day of my fuckin’ life,” Susie marvels.

Midge rushes back in then, without the salad, she sees Joel on the floor and then swallows, looking up at Ethan. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“No, yeah I did,” Ethan tells her. 

Lily is up out of her seat, looking at Joel on the floor. “On a scale from one to ten, how much did that hurt?” 

“Lily, please,” Rose admonishes. “Honestly, Ethan. This could have been settled without violence.” 

“He wasn’t gonna back down,” Ethen tells them all calmly.

Midge takes a breath, looking around at the four kids, and Susie. “Grab your things. Let’s go get some pizza and talk.” 

“You’re leaving?” Shirley asks, looking frantic suddenly. 

Midge doesn’t respond, just herds all four of them towards the door, and Kitty picks up her books on the way.

***** 

It gnawed at him too much.

Tipping off Ethan and Kitty to the situation was a good idea, but he can’t help himself, and so he’d hopped a flight back, and now he’s standing in front of the Maisel residence in Queens, about to knock on the door when it swings open, revealing Midge and all four kids, about to leave. 

“Something tells me I missed the fun,” Lenny says as he takes them all in. 

Midge huffs out a breath and throws her arms around him, holding him tightly. 

“Yeah,” he mutters into her hair. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart.” 

When they’d talked on the phone the other night, and she’d described how things with Joel had become physical in a more threatening, mildly more violent way than usual - only stopped by Archie walking into Joel’s office - Lenny had offered to come home early, but Midge had told him everything was fine.

Everything is no longer fine. 

“Anyone care to explain?” he asks the quartet standing in the doorway. 

Ethan and Kitty look at each other darkly, while Lily just shrugs, and Esther…

Esther narrows her eyes and turns right back around.

“Fuck,” Ethan spits out, following his sister. “Es - Es wait-” 

Lenny, for his part, tries to follow the two Maisel children, but Midge isn’t letting go anytime soon, and he gets the feeling that she downplayed how bad things got with Joel, on top of whatever happened here tonight. 

“I got this,” Susie promises, and rushes after the kids, clearly a little bit gleeful. 

There’s a loud slap from further inside the house, and an even louder grunt before Esther comes marching back out with Ethan and Susie following her, both trying hard not to look too pleased. 

“Ethan punched Pop,” Esther explains as she steps out of the house with her siblings. “Pop wasn’t backing down, so he got punched. And I just figured out why, so I slapped him.” She looks around at her family. “Mama mentioned pizza. Let’s do that.” 

***** 

Midge has never been more grateful for her family. 

Susie slipped away when they got back into the city, apparently watching the kids beat up their father was more than enough entertainment for her, and she wandered off for a drink. The girls picked up the pizza, while Lenny and Ethan escorted Midge home, and now she’s curled up on the couch with everyone lounging around her. 

The fight with Joel the other night had been - 

Bad feels like an understatement. Since Mei left with Lan, he’s been different. Angrier. Often drunker, and Midge had been on the receiving end of that drunken rage. When his hand had gripped her around the neck, it had been like being doused in ice water. Like drowning. 

This was no longer the Joel she knew, and she’d told Lenny mostly out of fear. She hadn’t expected him to mention it to the kids, but she’s grateful now that he did. If she’d been left alone with Joel again, she’s not sure what would have happened, even in his parents’ home.

Eventually everyone gets tired. It’s far past Lily’s bedtime. Lenny will drive Kitty back to school in the morning, and for the rest of them, it will be a lazy Saturday. 

Midge gets ready for bed slowly, finding her hands shaking in the quiet of their bedroom. 

“It’s been a long week for you,” Lenny says gently, pulling her close. “It’s okay to freak out a little, Midge.” 

She nods and wraps her arms around him tightly. “I know I said everything was fine, and you didn’t have to come home, but fuck am I glad you did anyways.” 

“Me too,” he admits. “You have to stop downplaying these things, though. Seriously, Midge. Fuck the gigs, fuck the interviews, and to hell with my mother, you needed me here, you should have said so.” 

Midge nods, closing her eyes. “I thought I was handling it.” 

“If I hadn’t tipped off the kids…” 

She shrugs. “Then Joel probably would have done something else tonight.” 

Lenny nods. “No more downplaying?” 

“No more downplaying,” Midge promises. “Can I kiss you now?” 

He huffs. “I suppose I could suffer through that.” 

She grins and leans in.

[jadevine]

What's up folks, I have recently gotten back into one of my scripts called "TAKOTSUBO: The story of a superhero."

The story:

-Is heavily deconstructive. "Who gets to be (called) a superhero and who's just (called) a gangster/vigilante? It probably depends on if you're white/Caucasian, and which side of the government you're on."

-Is not completely Filipino-centered, BUT it has a lot of Filipino spirits and the Tagalog deities wandering around, forgotten and often shunned for being dark-skinned and non-Catholic. I initially had them wearing tribal tattoos because I fell into the trap of thinking that ALL Filipinos used to tattoo, so now a lot of the young spirits have modern tattoos because they just REALLY don't want to be seen as Catholic, or "potential converts."

-The general look/theme is "The Wizard of Oz gone apocalypse." The Facebook friend that I asked this about apparently LOVES my concept art and the costumes, so... yay?

One person said that this would be pretty damn expensive to pull off as live theater, especially for a new writer with about three acting friends. My Facebook friend mentioned that it may actually work better as a TV series.

Either way, I do not have the money to pay 50-odd actors and however many crew members to make an urban-fantasy city, a dragon, and get in a shitton of staged gang-fights, and I don't want to ask people to VOLUNTEER to do this for free.

Like, there "passion project" and then there's "safety concerns that would be better solved with money."

Sooooooo while I finish the main script, I am going to revisit all my character designs and possibly relearn how to draw, in case I need to make this an actual comic book. One of my proper artist friends has also offered to draw stuff for me, which is really nice! And also kind of terrifying, because I know how expensive ink and paper or a tablet that simulates ink-and-paper IS.

But one person volunteering to draw is still a lot less expensive than a whole cast and crew. So that's on hold while I finish the script and redraft my character concepts. Here’s an in-progress sketch of Lolo the dragon, one of the new-new-new draft’s characters. (He was technically always going to show up, but since I heavily shifted the first third or so of the script around, he appears much earlier in the latest draft.)

-

-

I imagine Filipino dragons can raise/lower their dorsal fins as needed. In person, Lolo’s mouth looks way too much like a bird beak, but it seemed to even out after I took a photo. Maybe the sketch lines are throwing me off.

-

Filipino dragons were often called "buwaya" or the local term for "crocodile." The two creatures were basically interchangeable, and a lot of modern people mistakenly think that we didn't HAVE dragons due to the confusion, so that's why I decided that I didn't want Lolo the dragon to look like a mainland/Chinese dragon.

As for why a dragon is called "Grandpa," that is partly because Lolo is indeed old and grumpy, plus he's an homage to Lolong, the largest confirmed saltwater crocodile. The leader of the crocodile hunt was an older man called Ernesto Goloran Coñate, who was nicknamed Lolong by the others. Ernesto was relentless in searching for an alleged maneater, but unfortunately the strain of looking took its toll on him and he died of a heart attack just a few days before they caught this stonking huge unit, so the others named him "Lolong" after Ernesto's nickname.

I have a lot of feelings about Lolong the crocodile, because there are TWO mythological coincidences here!

-The only thing our ancestors agreed on is how we revered crocodiles, and some ethnicities considered them to be ancestral figures, so we did often call them "grandfather/grandmother."

-Some people believed that a regular crocodile could turn into a dragon through human sacrifice, because they needed a soul. And it apparently had to be a sacrifice; we had rules for if a crocodile just wrecked someone's canoe and ate them--their soul went to the good afterlife, and that was it. A crocodile that received a human sacrifice would often become a clan's ancestor/founder, so with the constant wariness of spirits in Filipino folklore, I imagine people started calling EVERY crocodile "grandfather/grandmother" just in case.

Yes, the part about human sacrifice is going to show up in the script. It makes me think about how Western cultures heavily fear death and how colonizers sensationalized the practices of "savage brown natives" while they were converting us to Catholicism, and how modern Filipinos often fear/hate crocodiles as being greedy or vicious (we usually call dirty cops and politicians "buwaya").

So I'm gonna make that everyone else's problem, too.

[winderlylandchime]

Hello! I’m here to tell you that my brother and Brian the cat are officially back home! I have to tell you some stuff tho! I was asked (nicely) to send you a message and i almost died when i got texts from my dad yesterday, so i knew i had to let you know. Anyway just a little thing for you to read because i thought you should see it as well.

I got a text from my dad that my brother befriended the old lady that sat next to him on the plane and they discussed Desperate Housewives because he is still watching it (he isnt at Gales season yet) and the lady really liked it back when it aired. He originally mentioned Gale and was about to tell her about qaf and my dad smacked him on the head and went ‘don’t even think about it. I’m not (my name)’ (he mentioned Gale and went ‘he was on this show Queer as OW’ according to my dad. You can take a guess when my dad smacked him) So he definitely has different ways of dealing with him than I do..I wouldve let it happen and then watch in amusement for 5 hours while he has an old lady trapped with him on a plane while he talks about two dudes in love.

ALSO! They had a surprise party planned for him. And i got a video sent to me of my brother’s girls (aka the queens) and his best friends that came to wait for him at the airport. They even made him a sign (the sign said ‘welcome back Mr Wannabe Kinney’) and he was so happy. And then they all surprised him at that bar they all go to! Turns out my mom, grandma, grandpa and the queens planned a surprise welcome home party. They decorated it all with signs that based on some photos had qaf topics written on them and balloons and when he sent me a photo this morning of all of them in a group, i swear it’s the cutest shit ever. I wish you could’ve seen it but just imagine a shit ton of people where 98% are queer, a few drag queens and then in the middle a dude with a Britin shirt on that looks like he doesn’t even belong there. It’s adorable how happy they all are to have him back and I can’t wait to find out how long that lasted until he unloaded all of his qaf/gale/randy/britin knowledge on them.

And secondly, I’m a little late with this but he did text me before he boarded the plane, asking me to relay a message to you: ‘yooo tell them that I just read that last chapter while we were waiting on our flight. What a fucking ending. I actually loved it, felt good, felt nice, felt like the right time. Wish that the real show ended in a similar way. For real (my name), you’re gonna love it when you read it.’

After that I texted him your replies to my message and he immediately texted me back ‘DRAG QUEEN STORY IS NEXT?! FUCK YEAH! I CANT FUCKING WAIT!’ And then in the middle of the night (so for him around 3 am) a very lovely text followed up: ‘can you nicely ask them to tell their Hannah Montana friend that I fucking love the new story. I have so many guesses and theories how it’s gonna go and I can’t wait to be wrong cause I know it’s gonna be better. And this shit is based on how the other person’s friends met?! I have so many questions, I feel like they’re right up my ally.’ After that he spammed my phone to ask me if I’ve read both of the fics yet (i have and they’re absolutely brilliant. You guys are talented as fuck)

Today he actually called me to talk to me about your epilogue and about your friends fic. This is really how we will bond from now on, isn’t it? I did send him your little teaser of the drag queen fic and he completely lost his shit. He’s so excited and if you were nervous about writing this fic, just so you know, you got a random straight dude in your corner because he is so excited for it, it’s kinda ridiculous (not really, its actually really sweet)

Btw, about the podcast Ron and Dan were on, I’ve also never listened to their podcasts even though I knew about it. But curiosity did get the best of me so I went and checked it out. It was a pretty decent interview. I don’t think it made me hate them more or less, kinda just the same. They didn’t say anything that I would clock as bad. I did see that they might do a part 2 where they’ll answer fan’s questions so i guess we’ll see then how i feel about them.

Dear sweet anon! Thank you so much for sending this update.

Queer as OW I'm dying! I would have let him trap that lady too. Maybe gotten another viewer of the show!

Welcome Back Mr. Wannabe Kinney! Oh I love that. I'm going to guess that since they're his friends, they're used to him info-dumping on them and they signed up for this. Otherwise, they wouldn't have encouraged it with their care packages. They know who he is.

I'm so glad he (and you!) enjoyed the final chapter of Fireflies. It was a short chapter given how long it took me to write it. I'm just terrible at ending fics.

This is my friend's story (as I texted it to the fic author):

"We were at a sex party and after fucking, I asked for his number and he actually gave me his real number instead of what he usually did which was give out the number of the last guy who had 'exchanged' numbers with him."

I'm excited that he's excited for the drag queen AU. It's going to be a long time coming though. I mapped it out yesterday and it's going to be about 20 chapters because I want a chapter devoted to each of the drag race all-stars challenges. And I'm going to include actual queens from the show. I want to have a good amount written before I start posting to make sure I'm up to the challenge. It's hard to capture everyone's voices and balance that many moving parts. My fics tend to focus on relationships and mental health, I don't write super plotty fics so this is new for me. I'm really excited for it though.

I'm going to check out the podcast! After I finish listening to my library book. WHILE WE WAIT FOR ANOTHER RANDY PODCAST EPISODE.