#so proud and so happy for them eeeeeeee

[jazzically]

i think alex and jonny and everyone else at RQ who kickstarted tma in the beginning and who have worked so hard so ceaselessly will always be huge inspirations to me. like. they started in a fricken apartment hallway with sleeping bags and duvets stapled to the walls. alex's entire starting investment went toward bertha, his mixing desk. they initially relied solely on word of mouth and reviews to gain traction. before they could pay voice actors, they worked with old friends and colleagues and peers. and look at them now like holy frickafrack!!!!! mad skills!!!!

the behind-the-scenes bonus content and stuff is incredibly interesting to me so i'm glad we got some of that as part of the season breaks and hiatuses and things

[distortedclouds]

Waif! Lemme poke you with questions! 💓🥹💓

3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31, 36

- 🌕

EEEEEEEE WIFE WIFE WIFEEEE

i will proceed to expose my shit to the world for you

3. 3 films you could watch for the rest of your life and not get bored of?

Mamma Mia

Howl's Moving Castle

The Martian

7. what scares you the most and why?

Losing control/autonomy/freedom over my life.

I guess I learned nothing from Eren being a slave to freedom, but this does it make it incredibly hard to trust people and let them in

10. would you say you’re an emotional person?

Yes and no. I've made peace with myself that I can be incredibly emotional over little things, but I'm able to keep my cool 99% of the time

so if you meet me you'd think I'm a stone-faced bitch

(weird that both on tumblr and IRL people say they were scared/intimidated by me before they get to know me hehe)

14. what’s something you’ve always wanted to do but maybe been to scared to do?

Talking to people.

let's keep it at that

17. name 3 things that make you happy

CATS!!! CATS CATS CATSSSS

BIRDSSS

A NICE, CLOUDY WEATHER WITH THE OCCASIONAL GUST OF WIND

24. what’s one thing you’re proud of yourself for?

Having a solid moral compass from the inside, I guess?

It's by no means perfect, but I do take pride in how I guide myself

25. fave season and why?

Summer! It's so warm and nice and nice and-

FUCK NO! WINTER! I FUCKING LOVE W I N T E R !!!

28. do you collect anything?

Not quite although I do have a very tiny collection of pine cones (read: 3) that I've gotten from different countries I've been to if I'm lucky enough to visit the right place at the right time!

29. what do you do when you’re sad?

Make an indulgent meal (read: instant noodles) and watch a Ghibli film

31. are you messy or organised?

Messy IRL muuuuch more organization digitally

36. are you an open book or do you have walls up?

..... considering even long-time friends (read: 10+ years) are shocked when I tell them how i feel/felt about something, i'd say I'm way more closed than open

[merlucide]

PREGNANCY HC’S W/ BLLK BOYS

notes: eeeeeeee (og ask)

characters: Barou, Sendou, Rin, Kaiser

warnings: cursing, fem reader, reader feels insecure about her body a bit

bllk mlist PT1 PT2

BAROU SHOEI

goes into daddy bear mode

Like he is 10x more protective about you and who is around you

Is so overwhelmed and happy that you are giving him a child <33

When you told him he started to tear up— he cant express how happy he is

Btw you aren’t allowed to do ANYTHING

Like hah babes sorry you’ve lost your privilege to do anything besides sit still and look pretty (and form a baby but yk) 🤭

The nursery is UP a few days after you told him you were pregnant

He is imagining his life with his new son or daughter, what they will do together, the things he’ll teach them—

Apart of him is scared he won’t do it right, like he will be a bad dad

So like he is trying to prove to you in a way- that like he will be a good father?? 🧍‍♀️

You were like going to get some water and all of a sudden you feel a kick- you gasped and look at Shouei, who was wide eyed asking a small ‘was that…’ 

You nodded and he rushes over, his hands hovering over your belly

The baby kicks again and you took Shouei’s hands and place them on you.

The baby kicked again and his faces slowly lights up, he’s shaking his head and smiling

SENDOU SHUTO

lmao he is a MESS

sendou is so excited!! Like ‘Omg I’m gonna be a dad!!” 🤩and “Omg. I’m gonna be a dad.” 😟

Literally started SOBBING when you told him you were pregnant— like SOBBING

So caring during your pregnancy (he’s always caring but yk-)

So excited to tell everyone!! He wants to let everyone know that he’s gonna be a daddy!! And you’re gonna be a momma!!

Rubs your feet when ever they are hurting, puts all kind of creams on the dogs in hope that it will make it hurt less <33

Notices you’re starting to feel a bit insecure about the weight gain and how your face and body is getting bigger.

He Instantly tells you that no matter the shape or size you will always be beautiful in his eyes— and being the mother of his future child makes you even more beautiful.

Whenever the pregnancy hormones kick in and the world might as well be ending he just holds you (and cries with you)

He knows how draining it is and appreciates how strong you are

.

Oh and babe, when he feels the baby kick for the first time- he loses it🙈

ITOSHI RIN

welp 🫠

Good luck, babe

he is noooot a natural in this area…….

like ….. he is so awkward and anxious..

..

— but Rin is absolutely overjoyed that you are pregnant!! With his child!!

He just has no idea what to do or where to start— Should he tell his parents? Should you guys get a new house? Should he research how to be a good dad? Should he hire a nanny?Should—

He doesn’t want to put stress on you or the baby, so he tries to take care of all of the other things

He is trying!!!!

Rlly scared that he won’t be a good dad and will fuck up the kid 💀

Actually does buy some “Books for new parents” and when you found out you teased the shit out of him LMAOOO

He wants to be a good dad and make you and the little one proud of him!

….

oh Rin

Rin, Rin, Rin

He once absentmindedly made a comment about how your belly is getting bigger (which like- cus yk- ur preggo) 

and you were absolutely destroyed

And which Rin instantly realized what he had just said and freezes

You were now sobbing and sniffling about how you’re just a big whale and yadda yadda

He feels SO BAD 😭

He didn’t mean like that!! He was just noting that the baby was getting closer to coming!! 

and Rin is just awful with words and comforting so he is just like kinda standing there not sure if he should touch you 😭💀 

ends up grabbing your hands and telling you that you misunderstood his words which you took as him blame-shifting you, which made you cry even harder

Well it was a rather hard 30 minutes for Rin

MICHEAL KAISER

oh

..

OH

That is pretty much kaisers reaction when you told him you were pregnant

He thought you were joking at first— haha no.

His reaction was not exactly what you expected, but you weren’t really sure what to expect

After he recovered from the initial shock, he started laughing so hard 😭

He then hugged you and spun you around so tightly— while laughing like a madman

He was so happy!?— he was going to be a dad!?

.

He was going to be a dad….!

Shit

Yeaaaaaaa…. That hit Kaiser pretty hard, he was absolutely terrified of turning into his father

You reassured him that that will never happen, that he is not that kind of person. 

He still was anxious and scared, but felt slightly better

He really was proud that you both were going to be parents— he thinks about telling everyone but decides against it out of fear that something would happen to you and the baby. Only Ness knows

—Which ness was freakin ecstatic when he was told- can’t wait to meet the baby and worship the ground it walks on <33

He tries his best to be soft and gentle towards you, but often fails— resulting in you sobbing your poor little heart out

Pregnancy hormones were a bitch

And kaiser felt awful because he is awful at communicating and comforting 😭😭

He just takes your hands and crouches down and whispers soft apologies.

He sets his pride aside, only for you

Also is absolutely disgusted by your pregnancy cravings

..like you want Oreos….and mayonnaise..??!

He tries not to make faces but they slip out every now and then 🤷‍♀️

And you’ll cry because you think he’s judging you and the cycle repeats 🫠

Now, when the baby kicks for the first time..

You were sitting on the chair, Kaiser on the floor feeling your round belly, trying to see if he could feel anything

and then right on que, the baby kicks

Kaisers eyes look as if they’d shoot out of his head

His mouth slightly opening and closing as he stares at your belly

The baby kicks again, and a tear slips through Kaiser’s pretty eyes

You had only seen Kaiser cry twice, the first when he was at a low, overwhelmed and lost. The second at your wedding, which was during the bride and grooms first dance.

And now a third <3

bllk mlist

taglist: @gigiiiiislife @sharkissm @luvingshidou @kurona-theshark @soleilonthesun @duckydee-0 @rinitoshisgirl @someprettyname @narumelo

nansjdndsnsjkaek I might make a pt2 🤷‍♀️ I wanted to add more but then looked at how much I yapped 😭💀

made August 20th 2024

[rambling-robot]

I MADE A PHONE CALL IN SPANISH TO CHANGE AN APPOINTMENT ALL ON MY OWN

I FEEL INCREDIBLE

[amepcrdue]

🌸SEND THIS TO TEN OTHER PEOPLE WHO YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL, KEEP THE GAME GOING!🌸 I LOVE YOU SO MUCH GIR AND AM ALWAYS SO PROUD AND ROOTING FOR YOU HOLLERS!!!

EEeeeeee! You’re too sweet! Thank you so much! You’re an absolute ray of sunshine and incredibly talented and I’m always so happy to see you on the dash. Admittedly, I’m really bad at sending these out, but I want my entire dash to know that I love them and if you’re seeing this, I pass this along to you.

[aba-ridemerenji]

Relationship Headcanons for everyones favorite Red Pineapple?

EEEEEEEE i am always, ALWAYS happy to HC this beautiful dork. My first bleach love – I have a lot of feelings about Renji 

SFW: 

Responsible af. Despite his whining about being a stray dog, Renji is the complete opposite of a scrub. 

He’s a grown ass man who handles his shit. Pays his rent on time, insurance is up to date, never accidentally overdrafts his bank account. 

Although he’s no stoic Chad, Renji has a tendency to keep the important things to himself, not because he doesn’t trust you, but because he doesn’t want to burden you. A selfless partner who NEVER EVER leaves you to take on the emotional labour in your relationship.

It takes an observant s/o who’s sensitive to the needs and feelings of others to be able to guess what Renji’s ‘protecting’ them from. 

It’s the thought that counts and with Renji, he’s always thinking about you. Is he getting a snack on the way home? You better believe he’ll call you to ask if you want anything. Out with the boys and he happens to see something you mentioned needing? If it’s within the budget you can bet he’s already gotten it for you. 

The small gestures will melt your heart. It’s the flowers he got on sale. The diy chocolates on white day. The fact that he’ll gladly spend his only day off in the entire month nursing you back to health when you come down with a fever. 

I HC him as a bit of a neat freak (he’s a virgooooooo

Will give you piggyback rides if you’re tired 

Honestly fucking perfect, has that bad boy thing going but is also NOT not an emotionally unavailable manchild????? 

 NSFW: 

You’ll laugh a lot during sex. Lots of eye-rolling and banter, because Renji’s a playful lover. He legitimately enjoys your company. 

Even without canon evidence, I feel like Renji’s the type to fall for someone he’s developed a deep friendship with, and he can only truly be at ease and honest when being intimate with someone he loves. 

Yeah he’s obviously had casual encounters (a man that gorgeous isn’t NOT getting any let’s be real) but sex is just so much better for him when there’s love driving it 

He’s easily flustered but surprisingly, Renji’s pretty game for whatever in the bedroom, if you’re doing the asking. He’s not too proud to let you dom him once in a while – the key here is the trust that comes with being in a committed relationship. 

To Renji, lacy, delicate lingerie looks hella expensive, so he treats them very gingerly, removing the straps with care. Ya boi knows the feeling of expensive accessories getting broken :(

Stockings!! Make!! Renji!! Weak!!!!!!! 

Especially thigh highs or stay ups- It’s the delicious delicious thighs that get to him. You know how when a guy is wearing a crisp white button up shirt, and then he ROLLS HIS SLEEVES UP TO HIS FOREARM AND SUDDENLY BOOM WE SEXY??!?! That’s the effect that thigh highs have on Renji. 

Put your leg up, slide those stockings on, and snap the elastic around your thigh for good measure – it will be very very difficult to be at work on time if you pull this shit around Renji in the morning. 

Listen, any position Renji can get you in is a Good Position

But when he’s got you on your back, legs spread wide open for him while he kneels or stands upright and thrusts into you, he loves wrapping both his hands around your waist in particular. 

He’ll use it as leverage to pull you further down on his dick, but he also really likes the visual of his hands just enveloping you.

Not strictly relationship-specific but like I said i got a lot of feelings ok: 

A true sweetie, Renji is a legitimate Good Boy who’s far more dere than tsun. In fact, I feel like Renji isn’t so much of a grump as he is easily embarrassed / someone who likes to tease their friends or s/o. Even when he calls Ichigo or Rukia names like 'idiot’, it’s never meant as a legitimate insult but a joke or an expression of actual worry. 

Smug Renji is a joy. And he always gets his ass handed to him immediately after he gets cocky, so like, I want him to enjoy it while he can *shrug*

[erwinsvow]

hi bestie i drank an entire bottle of wine alone on a thursday like an adult so here’s the tea 1) i kill that anon who was mean to you not a joke i will find them and hunt them down for fucking sport that shit is not okay 2) LOVE THE NEW THEME it’s so cute and perfectly you 3) i’m all moved in and settled into my new apartment and only cried once during the process to taylor swift so calling it a win i hope you’re well and being extra kind to yourself oh oh oh also i have a coworker who looks like porco and i am simping HARD it is embarrassing and i love you so much and will stab a man for you i hope you are reminded of how sweet and lovey you are and i’m so excited to see your growth and yeah i love you 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 -DPSBJ anon

HI MY SWEET BABY!!!!!!!!!!! I missed you so so so much and I’m so glad you’re settling in 🥺🥺🥺🥺

it’s okay baby:( they haven’t come back and that’s all I care about. I took some space and I still am and I’m feeling much better! thank you my love🥺

baby im so happy you like my theme!!!!! eeeeeeee that makes me so so happy especially that you think it fits me 🥺🥺🥺🥺

BABYYYYY I’m so proud of you, you’re doing amazing and I’m so happy for you!!! and baby sometimes you gotta blast t Swift and get these emotions out 🥺 what songs!!! what’s your favorite album!!! I’m a red girl meself but champagne problems 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

BABY BABY PORCO COWORKER!!!!! tell me everything everything everything when did you meet, how is he??? how is working going too my love!!! tell me everything please

and I love you so so so so much too :(((((((( why are you actually my bff for life I love these updates so much and getting to talk to you<333

[studylustre]

CAROL IT HAS BEEN A HOT MINUTE SINCE I WAS LAST HERE BUT I MISSED THIS BOX so i will tell you my story at egg boutique here!! so i was like "mmmm i've been looking for new frames and i have my prescription with me so why not pop in they opened a new show in festival walk" and i walk in and it was a Cute Boy and i said oh ho Ho No TY i didnt sign up for this sort of itneraction BUT something in me was like JOYCE STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM THE CUTE BOYS and even though my chest choked up and i had to

(cont.) talk to him and interact because i found a pair of frames that made me smile the moment i tried them on, IN THE END IT WAS OKAY his nametag said "keith" so. anyways. that is my encounter. we had to talk. it was hard. i am way too shy how do i fix this????? ? ??? another Flannel Boy comes and goes sigh. anyways. sending you big hugs and love wow i have missed this ask box

EEEEEEEE it’s always a happy day when i see u in my inbox my angel!!! scrEAM i love egg boutique - their glasses are so nice (it’s just a shame they don’t have more stores internationally!!) and wOW yay for cute boy interactions!! i’m proud of u for pushing urself to talk to him even though u were nervous, that’s hard to do and i feel like a proud parent knowing that u pushed urself out of ur comfort zone and it worked out 💞  and uhHHH if u have actual tips for overcoming shyness pls hmu bc i need!! that!!! anyway. i love u and i hope u come back soon with more messages when u can!! 💕💕💕💕💕

[king-of-snow-and-iceland]

1,2,3,5,7,8,9,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,24,28,29,30,31,39 Just talk about what makes you feel good.

//1: Talk about the first time you watched your favorite movie. I don't really have a favorite movie, and I barely remember watching some movies I'm sorry lol. 2: Talk about your first kiss. It's something I wish had never happened. It was in the middle of the hallway, right before class. It was quick. And not what I was expecting. I hated it. 3: Talk about the person you've had the most intense romantic feelings for. Oh, now you're gonna make me ramble about my lover? That's great! I love talking about her!!!! She's so patient and understanding and cute and silly and she doesn't mind Everything that's wrong with me(which is everything). And she finds my possessive and protectiveness attractive and aaaaaaaaaaaaa I love her so much. I want her to be happy, no matter the cost. I hope I can be included in the happiness, but if she doesn't ever want that anymore...as long as she's happy I'll be able to understand. 5: Talk about the best birthday you've had.IT WAS JUST LAST YEAR AND WE WENT TO ALBANY. There's this really expensive restaurant there, that they have in Dallas. So, we went all the way to Albany just for the restaurant. We also went to a hibachi grill, which was awesome! 7: Talk about your biggest insecurity.Hnggg my personality. I can live with being ugly, but being annoying? Nope. I'm always scared people will say something about my interests or how I'm so clingy and possessive and loud. So I usually try to keep quiet about stuff when I'm with people. 8: Talk about the thing you are most proud of.My writing and my art! Only a few years ago I was absolutely terrible and now I might be considered good! It's great! I love the arts~ 9: Talk about little things on your body that you like the most.I have two scars. One on my right arm, and one on my left breast. The one on my breast is from a cat I used to have. It's like something from him to keep me from forgetting him. It's becoming more faint so I'm scared it will go away. The one on my arm is from when I accidentally made a glass pan explode. My mom's now ex then bf got pissed at me. When I was having a panic Attack. I just….i don't mind scars…..11: Talk about the best dream you've ever had.I never remember my dreams, sorry. 13: Talk about the first time you had sex/how you imagine your first time.I'm sorry, I'd rather not talk about this. 14: Talk about a vacation. Eeeeeeee not too long about I went to universal! And Diagon Alley! I lost my pumpkin juice!15: Talk about the time you were most content in life. Recently, I've felt rather content. Yea, I have shit going on. But I'm getting a bit better. I have people who actually care. My little brother. My lover. Things aren't 100% horrible anymore. 16: Talk about the best party you've ever been to. I've never been to a party and the dances I've always went to end up sucking. 17: Talk about someone you want to be friends with.We don't talk much. But I'd like to talk more. You're one of the few people I trust. Besides, your accent is probably amazing. 18: Talk about something that happened in elementary school.In kindergarten a boy kissed me and wouldn't leave me alone and it got to the point that my mom took me out of kindergarten and had to homeschool me. 19: Talk about something that happened in middle school. I made my Tumblr. 20: Talk about something that happened in high school. I had my first girlfriend. Her name is Emily. We don't talk anymore. We were really close friends….21: Talk about a time you had to turn someone down. Just a few months ago a friend messaged me, telling me that they liked me. It was awkward….i considered him a brother. I told him I'd think about it and now I'm a lesbian. 22: Talk about your worst fear. Being forgotten. Or abandoned. I don't like being alone. And, I've moved around so much I've never gotten the chance to make a lasting impression on people. Yet I remember them. Even though they probably don't remember me. 24: Talk about something someone told you that meant a lot. When Lukas started calling me big sister...and we discussed me hopefully being able to get him someplace safe….the fact that he trusts me. To want to stay with me. And be so open with me. It means so very much. 28: Talk about your fetishes. Are kinks and fetishes the same thing? Cause like? I don't think I really have a fetish? But I have kinks? 29: Talk about what turns you on. @nyo2p-norways-googlesearches *awkward coughing* yea, love, tell the people...what turns me on? (When you're too awkward to answer things so you just throw your girlfriend under the bus, probably causing things to become more awkward)30: Talk about what turns you off. Men. Daddy/mommy kinks. Um... assholes. ?????? 31: Talk about what you think death is like. I'm….not really sure. 39: Talk about things you wish you'd known earlier. I wish I knew it was okay to open up to people. And be upset. And...to still not be okay with things that seemed to happen forever ago. That it's okay to not be able to trust people easily….

[icanhearyouglaring]

wouldn't it be nice

summary: Valentine’s Day, K-12 (and beyond) edition. wally/artemis

some notes: @eruriku, you’ve been so patient w/ me so I am really happy to be able to post the first part of your @yjficexchange gift! I’ve finally got access to a real computer where I can format the text and actually post something that isn’t a block of text. My own laptop should be repaired in a week or so and I’ll be able to post the rest of this incredibly cheesy fic. But until then, enjoy little kids being cute as h*ck. (also: it’s basically required to read their voices in classic little kid tones)

Kindergarten

Wally is smart. Very smart.

He knows he’s smart, too, because he gets gold star stickers on all of his shape matching sheets, happy faces on his progress reports, and– most importantly– because his parents tell him so.

His smartitude (and his awareness of it) is both a blessing and a curse in the West household.

“Are you sure you want to do them all by yourself, kiddo?” Mary West asks, snipping her scrapbooking scissors around the edges of the last bright red, heart-shaped, construction paper card.

“Yep,” Wally says, popping the ‘p’. He reaches across the table for a card.

Mary slides the finished stack closer to him from across the kitchen table and puts her scissors down, resigning herself to the fact that they’re going to be sitting at this table for a very, very long time if Wally gets his way.

“Alrighty then, that’s going to be nineteen different names. That’s a lot of writing,” she notes, and Wally’s eyes positively sparkle with determination.

Mary immediately regrets lacing a challenge into her words.

Wally picks up his pencil and nods quickly. “I’m ready.”

“Okay, you write the names and I’ll read the list out. Let’s start from the top.” Mary drags her finger over the first name on the class roster. “Buddy Baker. That’s going to be a big B-”

“Nooo,” Wally whines loudly, replacing his ready smile with a pronounced pout, “I can spell it myself.”

“My apologies,” Mary says quickly, raising her hands in surrender. “Go ahead and spell it then.”

“Buh-d-y.” Wally sounds out his classmate’s name determinedly as he puts his pencil to the card. “Bee-you...dee...dee-Eeeeeeee-oops.”

He doesn’t hesitate to erase the ‘e’ on the card.

“Buddy’s the same as Wally, isn’t it?” Wally asks, waiting for his mother to validate his theory.

“Yes,” Mary says, proudly nodding, “and since it is the same, how would you spell it?”

“Bee-you-dee-dee-why,” he recites, adding a smiley face to the card.

He hands the card over to Mary and she smiles in approval. Every letter is facing the right direction and he didn’t curve his ‘y’ the wrong way again. She tapes a Kit-Kat to the back and puts it in a bag. Maybe they’ll get through the roster faster than she thought.

“You’re so smart, sweetie,” she says, handing him another card from the stack. “Let’s keep going. Next up: Artemis Crock.”

Wally places the pencil down and stares at the card in front of him. Mary practically hears the screech of the brakes in his mind. His eyes dart from the card, to his pencil, to the roster in her hands, and back to the card. He looks up at her, momentarily defeated.

“...Uh...”

“Would you like me to spell it?”

“...Yes, please.”

The last thing Wally expects to see when he hands out the super special cards he wrote all by himself is someone crying.

The whole classroom is covered in reds and pinks, there’s confetti and glitter all over the floor from one girl’s crafty cards, they have free time, and there are unlimited cookies. Wally can’t think of a single reason why anyone would be sad when there were unlimited cookies. But someone is, and that someone just so happens to be the last person standing between him and a trip to the goodie-bag covered table at the back of the room.

After Mr. Carr had set them loose to hand out their cards and candies, Wally had made a beeline through the room with his mother in tow. He made a show out of passing his cards out faster than anyone else, exchanging his for the cards his classmates had made for him and handing them to his mother as they walked. When only one remained, he whispered to his mother that he would pass this one out all by himself and meet her at the cookie table after he completed his special assignment.

(On her way to the table, Mary makes a note to herself about the continuity she’d unwittingly signed up for when she’d initiated playing secret agent before bathtime the previous night).

Artemis doesn’t seem to be as concerned as Wally is about the lack of treats in her vicinity as she pushes around a pile of confetti back and forth across her desk with the edge of a valentine. Her eyes are fixed on the glimmering hearts and stars, and every so often she swipes her sleeve over her cheeks and sniffles.

Wally glances around for a good amount of time, searching for his mother, Mr. Carr, or another grown up to handle the situation, but then he remembers: he’s a smart kid.

He can figure it out all by himself.

And so, determined to understand, Wally takes his preferred path to answers: questions.

“Hey, Artemis, why are you crying?” he asks abruptly, taking care to tuck his card behind his back before she sees it.

Candy is distracting and Wally wants the Facts.

“I’m not,” Artemis says quickly, looking up at him with hard, watery eyes, but the look does little to distract from the wobble in her voice.

“Are too,” he informs her, using his free hand to point at the wet spot on her sleeve.

She uses her hand to hide the spot and shakes her head. “Am not.”

He moves his finger to point at the spot on her other sleeve. “Are too.”

“Am not,” Artemis huffs, narrowing her eyes before crossing her arms and effectively covering both spots from view. “Go away.”

Wally is not so easily deterred. “Why are you hiding now?”

“I am not hiding. I like sitting like this,” she explains pointedly, scooting further down in her seat.

“But why?” Wally whines, tapping his foot against the floor with far more force than necessary.

“Because,” Artemis sighs, the same way his mom does when it’s almost bedtime and he’s not tired, “it’s my seat and my arms and I sit how I want.”

Well, she’s got him there. As Wally tries to think of a new approach, he gets pushed by a passing classmate as they rush past him to get to the snack table. The air current that follows knocks some of the confetti off Artemis’s desk and onto the floor. She pouts at the loss.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Wally says, gesturing at her card-sparse desk. “Where’s your valentines at?”

Artemis uncrosses her arms and protectively places her hand over the one valentine on her desk. “Right here.”

“Yeah, but where’s the rest?” Wally presses, pointing to the desk beside her where a stack of mismatched cards is one desk-bump away from being scattered across the floor.

Artemis looks around the room warily before she hesitantly admits, “No one will give them to me.”

“What?” he asks, his eyes wide with shock.

“Yeah... I don’t have mine, and everyone’s trading, so they skipped me...” Artemis carefully picks up the lone card on her desk, examines it in her hands, and adds, “Megan gave me one though.”

“Well, where’s yours at?”

Artemis frowns and her sniffles make a reappearance as she starts looking around the room again. She puts down Megan’s card before answering.

“My dad was supposed to bring them before snack time, and I told him ten times what time, too, but-” she pauses to quickly rub at her eye, but the attempt to hide her tears falls short as her voice breaks as she continues, “but he’s still late.”

Ignoring the siren blaring in his mind, the one that exists to let him know when getting a grown up would be a really great, big boy idea, Wally takes a deep breath and decides to prove he can fix this all by himself.

“Here,” he says quickly, holding out her card, a heart with a lollipop poking out like an arrow on one side. “I made this one for you.”

Artemis’s eyebrows knit as she sits up in her seat and asks, “Really?”

“Yeah,” he says with a nod, holding it closer to her, “I don’t need a trade. It’s your Valentine. Look it, I even wrote your name all by myself.”

Artemis’s last tear stops in its tracks at the edge of her eye as she takes the card from him and places it between Megan’s card and the pile of confetti.

“Thanks, Walter,” she says with the tiniest of sniffles and biggest of smiles, before she gasps, stands up, and nearly knocks her chair to the floor in her haste.

Wally has to jump out of the way to avoid her as she sprints towards the front of the room and straight into the arms of the tall man at the door. Using his secret agent detective skills, he deduces that the man must be her father and the bag he passes to Artemis must be filled with her cards.

“That’s not my name,” he grumbles to himself as he watches her rifle through her bag.

“Hey, kiddo,” his mother says from behind him, calling his attention and presenting him with a napkin with a heart-shaped cookie on it. “I found your favorite.”

The cookie solves everything.

“Yessss,” Wally cheers, taking the cookie off the napkin and shoving half of it into his mouth before he adds, “Tanks, Ma.”

Before he can eat the other half of his cookie, he feels a hard poke on his shoulder and turns around to find a pink heart in his face.

Artemis beams at him from behind the card and says, “I got yours first. Here.”

“Fanks,” he says through a mouthful as he takes the card and the candy attached to it. Before he can say another word (read: correct her on his name), Artemis takes off to hand out her next card to the only other redhead in the class.

His mother laughs lightly and runs her fingers through her son’s hair as he huffs at the lost opportunity and starts opening the Smarties taped to the card. Mary, having watched from the sidelines as her son diffused his crying classmate, finds herself beaming with pride.

She’s always been proud of her son, for a lot of reasons- the gold stars, the happy faces, never a bad note sent home- but today, if he asked, she’d say she’s proudest of his heart.