#so they are very much The Baby of the group

[lorbanery]

Oh! We were just catching up on "Um, Actually" last night on Dropout and they did a second episode of all kids media trivia, and one of the contestants reminded me of the episode that is one of the most obviously written For The Parents, "Baby Race".

The episode is Chilli telling the story of how Bluey learned to walk, so we flash back to baby Bluey rolling over earlier than the literature says to expect it (this is an actual milestone for babies, have the muscle strength, coordination, and spacial reasoning to be able to roll over onto their back or stomach on their own). Chilli gets very cocky about Bluey rolling over so early, especially with everyone around her being all "Oh my goodness I've NEVER heard of a baby rolling over THAT early!".

Cut to her mother's group and in the middle of getting more praise about Bluey rolling over really early, Judo's mother, Wendy, exclaims excitedly that baby Judo is sitting! Again, another real life milestone, being able to sit up on their own without falling over.

Chilli gets kinda jealous and spends some time trying to get Bluey to sit up too, and as soon as Bluey can, they get to the mothers group only discover that Judo is crawling.

Chilli gets kinda jealous and spends some time trying to get Bluey to crawl. It doesn't work, Bluey finds other ways to get around. Chilli worries that there might be something wrong with Bluey so takes her to the doctor, who reassures her that Bluey's fine.

But Chilli's gotten how quickly Bluey's hitting these milestones all tangled up in her head with how good of a parent she is. So every time Judo hits a new milestone and Bluey doesn't, or every time Bluey sort of hits a milestone sideways (she eventually crawls, but only crawls backwards, which is also real! Our kid pretty much only crawled backwards until they were able to walk), she gets worried she's doing something wrong and checks in with her doctor again.

Eventually Judo takes her first steps before Bluey has even started crawling forwards, and Chilli takes it so hard that she stops going to the mothers group. She started off thinking she was doing so well as a parent, only to see someone else she perceived as doing better than her, and every shred of confidence she had just crumbled. She must have been doing something wrong, because her kid seemingly stalled out on hitting those milestones, or at least slowed down, and of course development is perfectly linear and those age guidelines are set in stone and not a general rough guide about the oldest age to expect the milestone to happen, right?

So one of the other mothers, Bella, notices that Chilli isn't at the mothers group and, concerned, comes over to check in on Chilli. Chilli admits to her that it just feels like she's been doing everything wrong. Bella shows Chilli a photo of her family, which surprises Chilli. Most of the mothers in the group are new parents like Chilli, because of course those are the parents who are most likely to need the support of a group like that, and it's good for kids who don't have siblings at home to socialize with. It turns out, though, that Bella has nine kids, including Coco, the baby she brings to the group.

Bella sets a hand on Chilli's shoulder and tells her seriously, "I've got something to tell you." Chilli asks "What?" already feeling really self-loathing about her own parenting skills and wary about what this person who has so much more experience parenting is going to tell her. But Bella just smiles and tells her, "You're doing great." And Chilli breaks down in tears and they hug.

And if that wasn't enough to make you tear up as a parent, the episode actually ends with Bingo asking if Bluey ever learned how to walk (because she's four and it's hard at that age to connect A to C). And as Chilli answers, "Yes! In the kitchen, actually," we flash back one more time to the moment Bluey took her first steps, crawling backwards into the kitchen and seeing Chilli working at the counter. "The kitchen?! Why in the kitchen?!" Bluey exclaims as baby Bluey starts pulling herself up on a cabinet. "I don't know!" Chilli laughs. As baby Bluey starts taking her first shaky steps, the camera switches to Bluey's POV, looking up at her mom, and we hear Bingo suggest, "Maybe you saw something that you wanted." Then Chilli turns and we see her shocked smile as she sees Bluey walking towards her.

There is so much genuine sincerity packed into that show. And that is why parents love it so much.

In Australia we have this cartoon for toddlers called Bluey. It's very good, models positive family relationships well and teaches good practical and emotional lessons to very young kids. But what I have recently learned on youtube is that Americans are OBSESSED with it. Why. This might be the most interested the US has been in Aussie tv since Neighbours.

[lvnleah]

hi i have a request for kyra!☺️

R and kyra have been together for a year now, (r is not a footballer or famous) but the girls never met her,never seen her or even seen a photo or her so they all make fun of her for having “an imaginary girlfriend” and joke around with her.

the reason why they never met her is cause r is very shy ,awkward and get very nervous and uncomfortable around new and a lot of people. One day though kyra ends up convincing her and takes her with her to meet the girls. They all very much shocked cause they really thought kyra was lying about the gf lol🤣, but then they get even more shocked when they see a side of kyra that they never saw. Her being so lovely,kind and soft with r who a first is a little bit overwhelmed but then ends up relaxing and enjoying the night. the can see how much kyra and r love each other’s and they’re happy for them

actually real | kyra cooney-cross.

“I swear, she’s real.” Kyra groaned as her teammates teased her over you. 

“Sure she is,” Katie smirked, leaning back in her chair. “Sure you have a girlfriend, and she’s totally not just some made-up person you tell us about so we don’t think you’re lonely.”

Kyra rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she leaned forward. “I do have a girlfriend, and you lot are just mad you haven’t met her yet.”

“I mean, can you blame us?” Steph piped up, grinning. “You’ve been with her for what, a year? And not one of us has even seen a picture? C’mon, Ky, you’ve got to admit, it’s a little suspicious.”

Beth let out a dramatic gasp. “Oh my god, is it because she’s actually famous, and she doesn’t want to be seen with you?”

More laughter followed, and Kyra groaned, rubbing her hands down her face. “She’s not famous. She’s just—” She hesitated, not wanting to overshare about you. “She’s shy. And she doesn’t like big groups. It’s not that weird.”

Lotte smirked, tilting her head. “Right. So, what you’re saying is your girlfriend, who nobody has ever met, doesn’t come around because she’s conveniently ‘shy’?”

Caitlin leaned into Katie, whispering just loud enough for Kyra to hear, “It’s getting a bit sad at this point, isn’t it?”

The team erupted into laughter again, and Kyra groaned.

They had been at this for months. Every time she talked about you, even just little things, like how you made her tea in the mornings or how you always sent her the sweetest texts before a game the teasing would start.

But she couldn’t even be mad at them. They didn’t mean anything by it. They just didn’t understand.

Because you were real.

And Kyra adored you.

But you also happened to be incredibly anxious and extremely uncomfortable around big groups of new people, which made introducing you to her team a little difficult.

And she respected that. She never wanted to push you into something you weren’t ready for.

But still.

She really wanted her teammates to know that she wasn’t just making you up.

It took a while, but eventually, she convinced you after coming home that evening. 

It wasn’t easy. There had been a lot of anxious rambling on your part, a lot of reassurance on hers, but finally, finally, you had agreed to come to the team’s bonding night.

Kyra practically threw herself onto the couch beside you, draping herself over your lap dramatically as she let out an exaggerated groan.

“Baby, please please please come to my team bonding night!” she whined, her voice filled with desperation.

You sighed, setting your phone down as you glanced down at her. “Kyra…”

She lifted her head just enough to meet your gaze, giving you her best pout. “They think I’m making you up, babe. Making you up.” She groaned again, “Do you know how embarrassing that is?”

You bit your lip, not wanting to smile, but she was making it really difficult not to.

“Ky, you know I don’t like big groups,” you murmured, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “It’s not that I don’t want to meet them, I just—”

“I know,” she said softly, her teasing tone disappearing for a moment. She sat up slightly, resting her weight on her elbow as she reached for your hand. “And I would never make you do something you’re uncomfortable with. But I promise you, they’re great. And they’re going to love you.”

You exhaled, squeezing her hand. “I just… what if I get too overwhelmed?”

“Then we leave,” she said without hesitation. “No questions asked. You just give me the word, and we’re out of there.”

Your lips pressed together, anxiety still bubbling in your chest. You didn’t like meeting new people. You weren’t even sure how you met Kyra because your anxiety ruled your life. Literally. 

Kyra shifted closer, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles. “I’ll be with you the whole time. I won’t let go of your hand. You don’t even have to talk much. Just sit with me, let me hold you, and let them see that you do exist.”

That pulled a small laugh from you, and Kyra grinned.

“Just think about it,” she murmured, “I want them to see the person who makes me happiest. But if it’s too much, you say the word, and we’ll stay home, order takeout, and make fun of their Instagram stories instead.”

You exhaled slowly, your nerves still present but softened by her unwavering support.

“…Okay,” you whispered.

Kyra’s eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

She grinned, pressing a flurry of quick kisses to your face, making you giggle. “You’re the best, you know that?”

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t hide your smile. “You owe me for this.”

“Anything you want, baby,” she said easily, wrapping her arms around you. “Anything at all.”

That conversation was how you found yourself sitting in Kyra’s car, anxiously twisting the hem of your sweater between your fingers as she drove toward the restaurant.

“I can’t do this,” you mumbled, barely above a whisper.

Kyra glanced over, reaching for your hand. “Yes, you can,” she said softly, squeezing it. “And we’ll leave the second you want to. No questions asked.”

You exhaled shakily, squeezing her hand in return.

“I’ll be right next to you the whole time,” she promised, her voice as gentle as ever. “You don’t even have to talk much.”

You let out a nervous laugh, but it wasn’t untrue.

“I love you, okay?” she murmured, bringing your hand up to press a soft kiss against your knuckles.

You nodded, trying to take comfort in the fact that, no matter how overwhelming this night might feel, at least you had her.

The second you walked into the restaurant, the room went silent. You could feel their eyes on you immediately, and it took everything in you not to shrink into Kyra’s side or run straight out.

But Kyra didn’t hesitate. She slipped her arm around your waist, keeping you close in a way that felt both protective and reassuring.

Steph was the first to break the silence. “No. Fucking. Way.”

Leah blinked, looking genuinely taken aback. “You actually have a girlfriend?”

Caitlin nudged Katie. “We owe her an apology.”

Kyra rolled her eyes but grinned nonetheless, pressing a quick kiss to your temple before looking at her teammates. “Told you so.”

Beth leaned forward on the table, squinting at you. “Are we sure she’s real?” she asked playfully. “Like, she’s not just some paid actress you hired for the night?”

You let out a nervous laugh, but Kyra immediately squeezed your hand. “You lot better behave,” she warned, though the fondness in her voice softened the words.

The team, to their credit, didn’t push too hard. They were obviously curious, but they kept things light, introducing themselves in a way that wasn’t overwhelming.

Kyra helped you settle into your seat, keeping her hand on your knee, rubbing soothing circles against your skin whenever she noticed you getting fidgety. As the night went on, you slowly started to relax.

What surprised the team the most wasn’t you, though.

It was Kyra.

They had never seen her like this.

They knew her as competitive, fiery, always up for a laugh or prank but with you, she was soft.

She was attentive, making sure you always had what you needed. She never let go of your hand unless you needed it free, and even then, she’d find another way to keep contact. Whether it was her knee brushing against yours or her arm resting behind you on the booth or her foot lightly tapping against your ankle under the table, she was always touching you. 

She was patient, whispering little reassurances to you whenever she noticed you getting overwhelmed. And she was so in love with you.

It was obvious in the way she looked at you, in the way she softened every time you spoke, in the way she seemed completely and utterly focused on making sure you were comfortable.

“Okay, I get it now,” Katie muttered to Caitlin at one point. “She’s whipped.”

Caitlin grinned. “Properly in love, is she feeling okay?”

Kyra just smiled, leaning in to press a quick kiss to your cheek before whispering, “You okay, love?”

You nodded, feeling more at ease than you had in a long time. Because yes, the night had been scary at first but it had also been filled with laughter, gentle reassurances, and the unwavering presence of the girl you loved.

And by the end of it, when Kyra helped you into your jacket and kissed the top of your head, “Proud of you, imaginary girlfriend.”

[kiame-sama]

Every time I see you talking about the monster babies I get hit by a new wave of baby fever lmao

I'm kinda curious about your HCs for Lilia's little baby bat pup(s?)! I know doodled my own HC for what a bat fae pup from him and my OC would look like - but I love hearing your thoughts and I was curious about what you think of the lil pup

- TD

(I'm asking on anon because the blog I used to post that art is a sideblog and I'm kinda shy about sharing my main off anon lol - I dream for the day that we get to send asks from sideblogs haha)

Lilia will be taking over most of the parenting duties if you let him. He ADORES his baby Bat and will be talking to them quietly in Bat-speech with a series of clicks and squeaks at all times. He is somewhat jealous the Bat pup loves the Human so very much because he wants both of them- Human and Bat pup- to love him most, but he understands that the Human has a unique connection with the baby Bat that he simply doesn't. That shared Human blood forges an unbreakable bond between the Human and Bat pup that he just can't compete with, but he will still be the best father he can be.

Lilia has extensive experience in child-care and can be considered the most qualified child-rearer of the entire group of yanderes given he has raised his own adopted children, Sebek, and Malleus. Lilia will not be willing to share Pup time with ANYONE other than the Human and won't even let Malleus hold the Bat pup unless absolutely necessary. As Bat Fae pups have very fragile wings shortly after birth, they need to be held most times and can't be put on their backs due to cramping the fragile wings, or on their face as they will suffocate. Lilia uses this fact to his advantage and will hold the baby Bat in constant even after their wings strengthen up and they can lay on their back.

As a Vampire Bat Fae pup, the baby needs more blood than Lilia due to the nutrients and vitamins they can't get from other sources. Lilia's blood is not as nutritious for the pup, so he will have to find outside sources (ie. The Human, Silver, Sebek) but he will happily share the blood he does get with his pup. Silver is immediately offering his blood for the pup to feast as Silver adores his father, The Human, and his new little sibling. The Bat pup prefers the Human's blood, however and will even cry when they have to settle for Silver's blood instead, as the Human's blood tastes better and is more nutrient rich. Outside of blood needs, the Bat pup will tolerate nectar (as most Fae young are raised on the nectar), but has a preference for milk from the Human if they produce it.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm treading water and so is BL

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Feb 2025 Week 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Your Sky (Sun iQIYI) ep 12 end - I love this show so much.  So sweet. I adored it when Rak (FINALLY!) took the initiative! 

Conclusion

As pulps go this is right up there with my favorite if all time, My Ride, but for different less complex reasons. This is a relatively simple, old school, endearingly soft story of a fake relationship between a sunshine sweetie and an older reserved rich kid who slowly fall in love. Its soft gentle low-stakes leans into everything I personally love about Thai BL. It’s a warm fuzzy robe of a show. 9/10 

ThamePo (Fri YT) ep 9 of 12 - Thame is the poutyest of pouty babies. I love the ribbing that he got from his group the next morning (that wasn't). That said when we got a kiss it was a VERY GOOD kiss. This is a very me truly great show that I’m enjoying so much. 

The Boy Next World (Sun IQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - I really can’t fault the chemistry with this pair. From kissing to making out they're really awesome at ALL OF it. I like the twist (that there is not parallell work jsu thte edge of insanity). It's delusional and sus and obsessive and very "seme who missed his meet cute with his uke" and is being forced by a narrative to fast forward. So 90s yaoi. Can Mame push this edge in the right way, doubtful, but BossNoeul will make it fun for us to watch no matter how questionably messy it gets.

(Yes, there IS a "right way.")

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 11 of 12 - fun penultimate episode.

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT) ep 15 of 24 - It's fine. Even cute. I think I like PerthSanta better than ForceBook but I really want the next pair the most. 

Sangmin Dinneaw (Sun iQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - Enter my least favorite trope of all time, the amnesia trope. Also random doctor couple. This show is nothing if not erratic. 

Flirt Milk (Sat YT) ep 3 or 10 - ugh

Ossan‘s Love Thailand (Mon YouTube) ep 5 of 12 - Is this punishment for how good Cherry Magic Thailand was?

Gelboys (Weds iQIYI) ep 1 of 7 - it started but I didn't realize so I'll catch up next week.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

When it Rains it Pours (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - I adore them so much, these two sad desperate horny cheating boys. Lube! Argh. Please! The stark lack of affection in this show is about as dry and painful as the sex must have been. But, its all very tense and I kinda love it. 

Eternal Butler (Taiwan Fri Gaga) eps 8 of 12 - what a pity, just throwing that cute color matched BDSM set away. Ever 4 is SO CUTE when he smiles, but he would have been cuter smiling and holding that red bullwhip.

Heart Stain (Korea Weds IQIYI) eps 1-2 of 8 - I like it! It’s Korea doing it’s all-time favorite trope, the love triangle, but an interesting take. One boy is in love with his teacher but his best friend is in love with him. Let the drama commence.

Impression of Youth (Taiwan Weds Viki) eps 5 of 9 - Such a great brother relationship! My goodness the courage on that kid. Also, they got in the sack fast, even for Taiwan.

Fight for Love (Vietnam YT) ep 1 - A new VBL that is actually quite fluffy and charming. It is extremely lightweight but I’m enjoying that aspect. I like Vietnamese comedy more than Thai, I think.

Checkered Shirt (Korea YT) ep 1 of 8 - From the same people sho did Seoul Blues. So far I'm enjoying it but this studio isn't vested in HEA so I'm wary. 

FC Soldout (Korea Thurs iQIYI) eps 1-4 of 8 - Huh. Interesting. The premise is kinda fun, even if (you know me) I never like obsessed fans. Creeps me out. That said, everyone is surprisingly gay for a KBL - like gay GAY. I know that’s a weird thing for me to say in a BL, but Korea is usually awfully het about their BL.

Anygay, of course I already like the side couple best. The gruff team captain and the pretty idol with a sad past win. Like WIN WIN. Give me an entire show about them please.

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 18 of 20 - (the end is in sight, but sheesh!) it was OK because mostly it was all the friends over at the house and doing stuff together. But still not a lot is happening.

It's airing but......

I Will Turn Back Time (China Gaga) 6 eps - It’s Chinese, no idea if it will end well or not. But it’s the stepbrothers trope. Still, I’m not gonna watch it until it’s done.

In Case You Missed it

End of year wraps are here!

2024 Trend Report

MY BEST & WORST BLs of 2024

Best Kisses (and sex scenes) of 2024

BL's 2024 Quirky Awards

2024 Awards - Quick Picks

Next Week Looks Like This:

Like last week we already in the middle, I promise I should be back on schedule soon. You'll get you calander image then.

2/14 Exclusive Love (Taiwan Gaga) trailer - Shy aspiring singer inherits funeral business.

2/14 The Last Time (Thailand WeTV) trailer - from 2024, not sure about this one, looks dark.

2/21 Bali Hai (Thailand ????) no MDL listing, only rumors, unsure on deets.

2/27 Secret Relationships (Korea iQIYI) - Stars Wei's Kim Jun Seo. Adapted by Cradle Studio (Kakao). About clever and resourceful Daon who has worked hard to overcome being poor. His cheap ways annoy his coworker, Sunghyeon but after “an incident” with his parents, Daon grows closer to him. But Daon also has feelings for his former tutor. This has the signs of a classic Kdrama all over it: Office setting, love triangle, lead suffering for his self-actualization. I’m optimistic about a longer treatment.

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Such beautiful surrender (Your Sky).

Yeah all the build up for some great payout, thanks ThamePo.

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[pirha]

(ignoring the last few paragraphs here)

The Watchtower is crowded today, but not because of an emergency. Or at least not an immediate danger or worldwide type of emergency. No, the Watchtower is crowded because of the problem that is Captain Marvel's recent... habits.

Now, you should understand that the Captain is very hospitable and caring of everyone, and is often viewed as a father figure to heroes of all ages, due to his own exceptional age.

But that doesn't change, rather it emphasizes their worrying of Captain Marvel and his taking up drinking.

The many heroes gathered have already discussed and debated over how they will confront the man, how to rehabilitate him while ensuring the public of his safety. Of course, even as they wait for him to arrive, there are still small arguments and whispers of how to do this correctly .

In a burst of suddenness, everything stops, as if Kronos himself had stopped time. Loud in such a quiet room, a ding echoes.

Wonder Woman straightens, and Green Arrow rises from his seat.

The person of the day walks in from the zeta tube, unaware of the tension sitting upon each person's shoulders.

No one wants to do this. Wants this to have even been a problem in the first place. But it is, so they prepare themselves.

The Captain looks at them with confusion as he takes another sip from the flask. It's a dark, military green and has a small but bright yellow sunflower with a smiley face on the bottom right corner. It's a little beaten up, with scratches in the paint and a dent at the top, right below the black cap.

"Hey everyone," he says, smiling with a furrowed brow, an unsure waver in his tone. "Is everything okay?"

He looks concerned. Normal, even. If not for the drink in his hand, nobody would have spared a thought as to his state.

Batman grunts, clearing his throat. Everywhere looks at him.

"Captain Marvel." The Captain's navy blue eyes seemed to pierce through the Batman, with no ill will. "Group at the meeting room in 5."

The most intimidating man in the room chickens out lamely. He silently stalks off, back facing all the wide-eyed heroes.

"Uh, I," Green Lantern stutters. His straight black hair flops back and forth with his head before he excuses himself to the bathroom. The others take his lead and quickly exit the room, leaving only Wonder Woman, the redheaded Green Lantern, and Captain Marvel.

The large man looks around. "What's wrong with them? Is everything alright?" he checks.

Wonder Woman shakes her head, "they are simply worried, brother. It shall be discussed over our impromptu conference."

He nods, still looking particularly confused. None of them have ever acted like this before, not even the most cowardly of the bunch.

"No need to be frightened, we're just wanting to help, you know?" Green Lanterns jumps in.

"With what?" Captain Marvel takes another sip from his flask. Then, his eyes squint and he turns around.

Green Lantern hesitates. It's a perfect segue into the main issue, and the man might feel more comfortable talking with a smaller group. While he's not especially close to Cap, he's worked with people who have problems like these and more. And Wonder Woman is here to smooth out anything he may get wrong...

He answers.

"They're just a bit worried with how much you've been drinking," he looks Captain Marvel in the eyes as he says this. He looks at him. Looks as he refills his flask. With water. He's filling the flask with water. With plain old tap water.

The Captain looks back at his after it's filled and takes a swig. His eyebrows furrow as he processes the answer.

"What's wrong with how I've been drinking?" He says innocent as a baby. "I thought it was good for you."

Both of the real adults look at him. They process and think. They understand. They know.

Still, Wonder Woman checks, "It is good to stay hydrated with the consumption of water."

"I," Captain Marvel stutters, "yes? That's what I said, isn't it?"

Now, they calm down and untense. Green Lanterns sighs. Wonder Woman completely relaxes her body. They both chuckle in a pleasant disbelief.

Now, Captain Marvel frets. He worries even more, wanting to solve a problem he doesn't know about. A problem that, the two heroes realize, is not actually a problem.

"Dear brother!" Wonder Woman hollers. This sends Green Lantern into hysterics, and he laughs for a time. Soon, he sobers up and closes some distance between Captain Marvel and himself.

Before he can say anything, though, Flash rushes in.

The Flask

Literally any hero that knows Captain Marvel will tell you that the man is absolutely amazing, pure and above anything such as cheating, drinking, or even smoking. The JL knows this, the YJ knows this, Teen Titans know this, even the Fawcett heroes know this.

Billy didn’t know this. He honestly had no clue other heroes looked up to him that much but anyways, we have to talk about the prelude to this incident.

See, Billy was minding his own business walking through the trenches, because let’s be honest that’s where he lives, (or at least that’s where he lives in the Superman/Shazam movie). Anyways, on this walk home, he finds a flask just on the ground. He picked it up.

Billy: “Oh cool! A water bottle! It’s a little small though.”

Yeah… anyways, he went to a gas station and cleaned it out of any remaining funny smelling liquid. He even filled it with some tapwater when he was done. So… Kablam!

Strange Water Bottle: Acquired!

Let Billy tell you, he was so proud about finding this water bottle. It had a cool sunflower on it and everything. And sure maybe adults look at him weirdly whenever he drinks from it but whatever! He has a water bottle now!

In fact, he was so happy about this water bottle, he even took it to work, a.k.a. superheroing.

Marvel: *finishes beating up a villain and takes out his flash so he can drink some water*

Fawcitizen: “Wow… Guess the cheese is finally letting loose, huh?”

Elderly Fawcitizen: “It’s about damn time. That young man has been slaving around with the other heroes saving people for years. Let him let loose.”

Fawcitizen: *nods head* “Never heard a truer statement.”

The elderly Fawcitizen and the other Fawcitizen were a little concerned at how he was downing the flask without faltering in the slightest but whatever. It’s the Cheese. Just let him do that.

The Fawcett heroes didn’t think the same though. They wanted to bring up what could’ve happened to make him feel the need to do this, but they also didn’t know if Cap would answer honestly. Heck, he might even offended, and they don’t want that! So, they bit their tongues and kept quiet.

Of course, Billy didn’t just take his water bottle out whenever he was in Fawcett. He took it out just about anywhere. This has led to some interesting interactions with others, not that he minds.

Constantine: “I didn’t fancy you to own one of those, mate.” *points to Billy’s sunflower flask*

Marvel: “Why wouldn’t I?”

Constantine: “Touché.” *offers his own flask so they can clink them together*

Constantine and Marvel: *clinks them*

Billy was absolutely ecstatic that someone else had a water bottle like his. Now, of course, there have been negative interactions with his water bottle.

Marvel: *doing security for whatever reason at the UN and sipping from his “water bottle”*

Security Guard: *watching this* “Quite distasteful, no?”

Marvel: “What do you mean?”

Security Guard: “I mean, this is a gathering of world leaders.”

Marvel: “So…?”

Security Guard: “So I think you’d have the tact to not drink from that here, but apparently not.”

Billy was majorly bummed that some people didn’t like his water bottle but you know what? Whatever.

By the way, because of the fact none of the heroes know why he started “drinking” they just blame each other. More specifically the JL blames the Fawcett heroes while the Fawcett heroes blame the JL.

Again to remind you, anything in Billy’s flask is water.

Also, he eventually found out that his “water bottle” was a flask from Solomon and promptly started leaving the thing at home so he could only drink from there because he was absolutely not getting rid of it.

All the heroes were glad when the sunflower flask suddenly disappeared.

[lesbianherald]

oh your jayce analysis was !!!!!! ty for sharing! could I ask for your thoughts on his character and the class conflict in s2.1 when he decides to make hextech weapons again? like after the bridge scene and meljayvik talking about weapons, at the very end of s1, jayce gives viktor, a zaunite, his chair, the symbol of his position and authority as a councilor of piltover, and had asked him to announce the brokered peace. ands I loved that development !! but jayce chooses to weaponize hextech after the attack at the memorial (tho maybe cait convinced him) and he still doesn't seem to get it imo? like he's still very naive and ignorant (and slightly biased), he canttt understand the consequences of putting hextech-powered weapons in the hands of pilt enforcers (even if it's only caits group). and then and then vik sees his weapon prints and the rift between them is back even stronger than ever and I think that's why he leaves jayce?

(typingr this out on my work break with 2 min left sorry if this doesn't make sense. anyway don't think I've seen anyone really go into depth on him choosing hex weaponry again, so idk if my fellow jayviks just don't want to address it or if I'm misinterpreting altogether)

No no i love this.

I actually, controversially, think Jayce making weapons works really well in act 1. He just gets attacked with a fucking chainsaw. He witnesses so much horror and carnage. He's still very much baby at this point. Like he's still relatively sheltered. I think this rattled him a lot. It's clear he does not want to. But I think he's traumatized and I think the incident makes him regress. And I think little regressions like this are actually really important in character development? Unfortunately becacause its season 2 that doesn't actually go anywhere or mean anything.

What I do not like is how little that's acknowledged in his fight with Viktor. You're telling me Viktor briefly glancing at some blueprints is enough? Please ! But I'm not one of those people that feels Jayce's regression there was completely unearned. I've seen a lot about how he should have gotten way more covered in blood during the chainsaw attack and the scene should have been more gruesome overall. I agree and I think that would really help pinpoint and explain his trauma. I wonder what happened there. It seems very unlike fortiche to spare us the gory details.

What I personally despise is the way that hextech weaponry is used in the finale with this sort of obscene amount of nonchalance that makes it seem like it was never an issue in the first place and essentially narratively tells the audience that hextech weaponry was the answer all along. That I hate and I don't see talked about enough.

Also thank you !!!!

[rothjuje]

Dang I miss this space.

So many exciting things have happened since my last post. The twins turned 5 (how?!???) and Alyssa turned 8. Alyssa is fully her own person now and it’s so neat to see (and a little scary sometimes tbh). First grade was really rough for her, she got an IEP and struggled the whole year through. And her teacher was great, really really good. Her teacher this year scared me a bit (just like, not personable and very academically focused) but Alyssa has THRIVED. Made new friends, is actually ahead in both math and reading. I’m just so proud of her every day. She’s still the most fun, and looks forward to little adventures just like I do. She’s such a cross between Justin and I.

George is my mini-me, my little bud. Just the chillest, snuggliest dude. The most affectionate kid you’ve ever met. Loves music, talking on the phone, car rides, the beach, all the things I love. Gen is still my little spitfire. So much personality in one tiny little human. She’s so funny. And she knows it. She’s wicked smart. I can’t believe they’re going to kindergarten next year. My babies aren’t babies anymore..

I’m still a Girl Scout troop leader and moms’ group secretary. Love being involved in both but our troop is huge and it is a serious time commitment, especially during cookie season. I wanted to start a troop for Genna next year but had to pass it to some friends because I just don’t have the time to take on any more volunteer stuff between the kids and real estate.

I got my license in September, joined the best office ever in October, and am now an assistant to a successful agent in our office. I am learning so much and have met so many people which I love. It is very rewarding and exciting, but man I was not prepared for the balance of 3 young kids and a demanding job. I was doing comps until 10 pm tonight and Justin is traveling for work and, it’s a lot.

I struggled quite a bit at the beginning with anxiety, joined the lexapro club, and it really helped for a time. Then I felt like I was in a good place to manage the anxiety, and left the lexapro club. And I felt great for a time, back to myself, free from the side effects.

But now it’s mid February and it’s grey and cold and snowing every other freaking day and I just don’t feel like there’s any end in sight. This is our third winter here and the first two were very very mild, it only snowed a handful of times and was usually in the mid 30s to mid 40s. Like. Mid 40s isn’t bad, 45 and up I’ll take the kids to the park. But we’ve been lucky if we get 35 degrees. This winter has been hard and Justin is traveling a lot and I’m tired of feeling like I’m in survival mode. I keep checking the weather for a day over 40 degrees and unless it’s pouring rain it’s not happening.

Honestly. How do people live like this? I went from California where every day was a sunny or foggy 70 degrees, to Texas where everything was sunny and hot, to this. Cold. Damp. Wet. Grey. Darkness that lasts 6 months out of the year. How are other people maintaining their sanity so flawlessly? Like, is it extra hard for me because I have the experience of a life where you don’t suffer for half the calendar year? Or am I just a whiner? Maybe a little of both, but I guess if you grew up with it, it’s nature/routine/expected.

Anyway feel free to give me all your tips on winter blues thank youuu

[aloraaki]

Reblogging again because I have my thoughts in order now and I very much agree with this.

I never understand people thinking that MK would hate Wukong for killing Macaque because in all honesty, MK would understand. He'd be sympathetic towards Wukong.

I'm not too sure how the death of the Six-Eared Macaque goes in LMK, since it does diverge from the original tale, but even if Macaque and Wukong were friends, Macaque still must have harmed the group of pilgrims. In the original myth, the death of the Six-Eared Macaque was a necessary evil. To protect the other pilgrims, and also a form of repentance because of how he stole Sun Wukongs identity.

So it makes no sense that MK would hate Wukong for it. Sure, maybe he'd be sad on Wukongs behalf, since LMK clearly shows that Macaque and Wukong were close before the Havoc in Heaven incident, but he most definitely will understand that Wukong shouldn't be shunned just for trying to protect himself and his friends.

And it's not like MK and Macaque are on fabulous terms either. They're friendly, but not friends. MK knows how dangerous Macaque can be, especially when he wants something. MK isn't afraid of hurting people. He definitely dislikes hurting innocent people, like citizens, but that's because he's the hero of the story. He hurts the villains to protect the innocents. Like heroes are expected to.

He loves fighting! We wouldn't have gotten this far into the show if he didn't! He loves protecting people and having monster of the week adventures! Do all the people who make him out to be a blubbering baby forget about this? We wouldn't have majority of this show if MK didn't love fighting.

You guys know MK will like… kill people. Right? You guys know that he’s not a blubbering little baby who insists on “being the bigger person” even in the face of everything he loves being destroyed??

And he has directly killed someone before.

Because she was threatening to destroy the world and kill his friends?

You guys know MK likes fighting. Right? MK from the very start has enjoyed fighting. Still enjoys fighting. Has always loved beating the tar out of his enemies. In the Calabash episode, one aspect of his “perfect life” was a very notable panel of the entire Demon Bull Family beaten to a pulp and sidelined- explicitly told to him that he was responsible for driving them away. Because MK liked fighting from the start.

You guys know that MK; who only starts having reservations about this behavior in season five, enjoys being violent. Right?

So much so that he threw Azure through Flower Fruit Mountain long after he had beaten him into degradation, even though he had dozens of other targets to aim at?

You guys do realize that MK was entirely in control of himself during this sequence, and was choosing all his actions?

And he chose to hurt Azure as bad as possible in revenge for being deceived?

You guys understand that he’s not like… a little blubbering baby who runs off to throw tantrums when he engages with basic violence? That MK understands that sometimes fighting is necessary and won’t fall apart the second he learns that people sometimes have to settle things physically?

You guys understand that MK has never held the use of violence against anyone, and has never blamed his friends or family or mentor for needing to engage in violence to protect themselves and their loved ones, right?

Right??

Right??

Right???

[ariaste]

*sidles up to* hello! I need you to know the absolute death grip Running Close To The Wind has on my psyche. I have listened to it at least 9 times and read it at least twice. As a disable polyamorous kinky queer with 1 nb partner and one golden retriever boyfriend I have never felt more more lovingly courted by the narrative.

I thought it had been long enough for me to be normal about my emotions but it has not!!!! Instead please have this list of things i admire.

Every Single Character clearly has a rich internal life and develops and changes!!! I can't think of a single character that speaks in more than one scene that doesn't develop. Even Lt Viyan goes from cheerfully neutral to "stressed about the cake festival"

This goes double for how much of Tev's we can see even without the Captain's Log!!!! Tev has SO MANY FEELINGS.

I love the implication that the thing that finally broke their relationship the last time is that Avra sung a song in public that talked about Tev's body, and he never cottons on to the problem! Tev's body and Tev's gender are so thoroughly uncoupled to him that it never even crosses his mind it could be a problem, but it destroys Tev's trust. You would not believe the amount of time I have spent chewing over that one.

And all of that is before the story!!!!! There is never a moment of "Tev and Avra had been fucking off and on for 13 years, since Avra first came to the island of Lost Souls for work etc etc etc" but there is so much backstory that rewards you for paying attention, plus the tension of not knowing things at first.... beautiful

Julian is one of the things I have not processed sufficiently yet. I love him and his dom voice and how his emotional Journey starts off much more oblique to the reader because Avra doesn't know him as well and then the bar scene and and and. Aaaaaah. Special mention also to the lake scene

They're all adults with careers!!!! Not just adults, but adults of diverse ages and life experiences. Except Ellat, who is baby.

Pirate Society really does feel like a it's own distinct cultural group while also maintaining the sense that all of the Pirates came from somewhere with their own traditions, names, and values. You're so good at diversity that doesn't feel like just checking boxes and also doesn't fall into stereotypes.

You have made your own posts about disability in this book and I have been at this for an hour so I will leave it at: yes, thank you

The possibility that the goddess of luck is directly interfering with Avra (possibly deliberately trying to expose the secret) not just making him lucky, for example Avra's overwhelming need to go for a walk when they get to the hotel. I like that this is ambiguous mainly bc Avra just refuses to engage in that conversation

Avra is very smart actually!!!!! He talks about keeping his head empty but he is clever, insightful, educated, and curious about the world

Tev and Avra's murkey understanding of BDSM and aftercare - they have been doing both! But they are not good at it and Avra clearly has no idea what Julian's dom voice is doing to him. Tev knows enough about aftercare to cuddle Avra through the worst of it but also is Anti Touching. Cat's line, "and every so often having the honor of being entrusted quite profoundly with caring for you for an hour or two," implies a lot of trust and some hardcore emotional fallout!

I am going to send on this now before I lose my nerve about being perceived but thank you for writing My Favorite Book

[Second message postscript] Also I forgot to mention the absolute scathing critism of captialism, imperialism, and institutional power. Those things are. Also. Important to me.

I am truly and genuinely honored by these messages. Thank you for the absolute cornucopia of lovely compliments, thank you for taking so much time to write them out, and particularly thank you for all of your excellent insights! And listening to it NINE TIMES and reading it at least twice!! that is so many!!!! It only came out eight months ago! Wow, that is incredibly flattering. <3

I will respond to a couple of your points with the number of your comment: 1 & 2. Yes, Tev has SO MANY FEELINGS, thank you for noticing! I think it is easy to overlook how many feelings Tev has because most of them are expressed as Angry, but that doesn't mean they are Angry. Tev just copes with every emotion by also being mad at whatever caused it.

3. Y'know, I was about to say "To me it was more about Tev feeling shame and humiliation because Avra had exposed part of their sex life and one of Tev's kinks (their collection of spooky dildos)" but then I thought about it for two seconds and! No yeah, you're kind of right actually! Because that IS related to Tev's contentious relationship to their body, isn't it. And so is the Tev Doesn't Like Being Touched thing as you mentioned later -- it is all bound up in the trauma and psychic damage they took from growing up in Tash. Avra's song in particular I think just hit one of those triggers that is both personal/individual and cultural, and... as stated before, Tev copes with every emotion by also being mad, and those were some very, very big emotions they had. But yes, all that was going through Avra's mind was "Breaking News: Captain Teveri az-Haffar is so fucking hot, you guys, let me tell you ALL ABOUT IT" -- because to him, that's a praise song, that's the sort of thing people say about Xing Fe Hua (that he was an incredible pirate and "he kissed me full on the mouth") so why would it not be fine to also say it about Tev? He was using very Scuttle Cove culture-logic, and in THAT contexts, he was right, it does increase Tev's word-fame. But he also stepped on a major landmine in the Tash culture-logic. So... I feel like that illustrates one of the great tragedies of human interaction -- you can set out with the best of intentions and nothing but love in your heart and still manage to hurt someone you care about. That shit keeps me up at night, let me tell you what.

7. Ahhhh THANK YOU! This is something I work very hard at, because I too really dislike the "checking boxes" approach to diverse representation. It never feels sincere, for one thing -- as if the authors care more about diversity (the abstract concept) than they do about people (the living, breathing individuals they're writing about (or the ones who are reading the book)). I think it was particularly easy to do in the case of Pirate Society specifically because I went into it thinking, "Man, every single person on this island has a Story. NOBODY is here by accident except for the people who were born here, but even that is a Story in this context. How many different reasons can I come up with for someone having to throw their life away and move to the Isles of Lost Souls as one of its eponymous lost souls?"

11. Yeah the problem that Tev and Avra run into with their sex life is that they're both profoundly bad at intimacy. All the fraught bits of their relationship stem from that underlying wound they have to work around. Fortunately Julian is very good at intimacy. It is Julian's whole jam.

Anyway THANK YOU AGAIN for the truly lovely message -- the points I didn't respond to were only because I was like "mmm [sage nod] yes that's true" or "ah what a kind comment!" or both. :)

(Side note, but if you would enjoy talking to some other people who also love this book very much, there is an official fandom Discord server here: https://discord.gg/DTyee9HRR9 Come join us!)

[writing-nothing-but-spilled-ink]

Could y'all just imagine the batkids all just get really mad at Bruce and they're like ya know what we're going to dramatically inconvenience him and make him look stupid at the same time, like Bruce even has annoyed the fuck out of Alfred and so Alfred actually helps them with the prank.

Just imagine they fill all of the bat suits with glitter bombs and no matter how hard Bruce tries he can't get the glitter out and definitely not before he has to go fight crime later on that night and as a result none of the villains will go near him cause ain't no body want to be glitter bombed yet all the villains make fun of him in some way and laugh themselves into fucking hysterics especially Harley and ivy even the joker makes fun of his ass

And the batkids times the glitter bombs to go off right when Bruce is at a gala and has all his baby suits being cleaned somewhere and durring that process there's just a massive eruption of glitter and it's everywhere and just to really make his day harder and more annoying Jason decides to fill the batmobile with even more glitter and steals the bat mobiles tires and super flues them to the roof of the Wayne Manor and it's some special hybrid glue he and Tim made together just to do this

And later on after Bruce got laughed out of fighting crime and most of the criminals decided they'd give the man a break and just not do there plans that day just because they were too amused, he comes home early to find the fucking tires if the batmobile glued to the roof in such odd angles that while yes he actually very mad and fuming right now he can't help but be at least a little impressed and when he goes in to confront the kids they're all at the fucking Kent farm in metropolis hanging out with Clark and his family

When Lois and Clark hear of this they're laughing hysterically

Clark actually low-key heard about the plan from Alfred and Clark snuck over as Superman to get photos of Bruce as batman covered in glitter

None of the kids get any allowances from Bruce for 6 months the only time he buys anything for them is if it's a necessity but because he's rich he doesn't fully understand what the difference is between necessities and wants at times and the kids totally take advantage the only one exempt from this is Damian he had no part of this he was with Talia

When she returns and finds out she too is laughing her ass off she actually gets pictures of batman covered in glitter fuming and sends it to the group chat she has with ra's

I also imagine that ra's after seeing the pictures starts working glitter into all of his plans to make Bruce submit and become the head of the league if assassin's one day a bunch of assassins come at him and Bruce just gets glitter bombed head to toe again, and the funniest thing is when he fights them they just fucking disappear because he'll no those outfits they have cost thousands of dollars and they're the special fabric that causes no sensory issues. They're not about to get hit by a glittered covered batman

And Talia is somewhere taking more pictures and sending them to Jason and Damian

Alfred forbids the glittered covered Bruce Wayne from entering Wayne Manor in his clothes that are covered in glitter and Bruce has so much glitter on him that he starts sneezing glitter and Alfred actually starts laughing at him out loud

(feel free to expand on this if you like, I thought of this at like 3 am while severely sleep deprived)

[yandere-paramour]

Oh....ohhh my baby 😭 your jamie & lil atalanta art is SOOOOO CUTEE 🥺🥺🥹 But it got me thinking......typically I can totally imagine in her case as a wealthy only child who grew up with parents who love her, her growth would be documented A LOT (or maybe just a normal amount?)

But what's the case for vivien & noelle? 🥺 I assume with their environment growing up they won't have as much childhood pictures as atalanta? Oh nooo now the thought makes me so saddd 😭 I have many pics of lil me that my mom took (and I begrudgingly pose cutely for every single one) and I love showing it off to people now whenever I find one (thanks mom)

I know the yans would love any pics of me but ngl if I show them MY childhood pics I'd bound to get curious and ask about theirs in return

You're right. Atalanta's childhood was very carefully documented. There are THOUSANDS of photos of her growing up, you can honestly put them side by side and see a linear progression of her evolution to adulthood. There are pictures of her being born, her preschool field trips, her kindergarten graduation, her sports games and debate tournaments, all going up until she was dropped off at college, and there's more continuing from there. Both parents have a rotating slideshow on a digital touchscreen photo shuffle in their respective studies and they would love to show you. It embarrasses Ata to no end.

And yes, she learned very young to always look adorable and perfect for the camera even if you feel like throttling someone. The Montclairs have a reputation to uphold, after all.

Childhood pictures of Noelle are few and far between, but she and Odette made out better than the younger girls Celeste, Thérèse, and Blanche (Noelle's little sisters reveal!!!). Her mother was too busy working a dead-end job and sucking and fucking to take pictures of the kids, but they do have a few baby and toddler pictures each, often with one or two sisters nearby, and a range of school pictures every year. Noelle doesn't like them much. All her childhood was spent as a skinny, bruised little brat with a choppy, uneven haircut and stained, ill-fitting hand-me-downs with holes in them from the clothing drive. Noelle never had anything new until college, and she doesn't like being made to be reminded of her shitty childhood. She does take pictures of the younger sisters now, but they're teenagers and hate it, but Noelle knows they will want actual good reminders of their childhood when they're older.

Vivien has some childhood pictures, but they're sporadic or lost to time. When he was very small, there were always "well-meaning" foster families wanting such a cute kid, and they would take him to fun places like the zoo or children's museum and take pictures of him. But they would inevitably get tired of his hyperactive and distractible behavior and they would get rid of him, sending him to the next family without any thought for his emotions or by sending on his pictures. Only a few families went far enough to develop the photos and give them to him. When he was older and had a somewhat worse reputation due to being taken in and returned so many times, he lived in a group home where no one takes pictures of you unless it's a mugshot.

However, he has tons of baby and toddler photos taken by his parents before they died. He was their first and only child and they adored him.

(Drawn by @sienna-brulee)

[4mtabletop]

We're currently focused on making three games (as a team of four) - so I'll try and be succinct with it:

Soldiers of Steele

Spawned directly from the desire to play a more customizable version of Lancer, and then took on its own tone and theming. It's set in the early 1930s, in an alternate timeline where the stock market crash of '29 was replaced by the invasion of a variety of eldritch and horrifying monsters. You play Cogsman: the disposable pilots of dieselpunk mechs fighting back against the Oddity menace. It's meant to contrast the evils of capitalism with the literal monsters that have overrun the country, and tackle ideas of American greatness. Mechanically, you can customize your mech pretty heavily - almost like a very simple GURPS with money instead of character points (especially for the weapons).

It's made for groups of four players and one Director, who are looking to grow as a "company" over time, focus on crunchy combat, and grapple with a system where your mech is insured, but you are not. It works equally well for short and long games, but it can be really front-heavy if you want to start at a higher level.

Deep Spacin'

This one comes from the video game Faster Than Light + a craving for a very specific '70s–'80s retro-futuristic coat of paint. "Wacky" and "groovy" have been our keywords. You play as Spacers, outcast from the universe's bastions of authority, who have just experienced the loss of everything they own, and have been offered the job that will set them up for life. I believe its structure of multiple runs through sectors - resetting on death - places it somewhere in the Rogue-like/Roguelite spectrum, but I confess I don't know enough to say that with my chest. The character creation is very simple, and most of the game focuses on building up a nightmare of a ship map by tacking on rooms as you go.

It's made for groups of 4–6 players and one Star Master, who want something high-paced, funny, and relatively short. We regularly squeeze these into four hour time slots at conventions, but for the best experience, I'd recommend more like twelve hours for a full run (including character creation and learning the game!).

Palette Quest

This one is my personal baby! Palette Quest started as an adaptation of .dungeon by Snow, until it far outgrew its pot. It takes place inside the world of an MMORPG, played in full-dive VR - essentially, it's like being isekaied into the video game, but you can still log out and can't die. It's meant to be run in a cozy-adjacent way, and is built to give as much freedom for problem-solving as possible. You can do a lot of weird stuff interacting with the real world, and fighting is rarely the most interesting option. Alongside the shenanigans, it has themes of building strong bonds within a party, and tackling ideas of what it means to be human. The NPCs of the world are arguably intelligent - is it murder to kill them? Can your PC handle that? The DOOM Counter counts down to the revelation of some secret in the nature of the game that will end the campaign - do you uncover the secret, or keep playing forever?

Unfortunately, since PQ has the most moving parts, it's the hardest to sum-up quickly.

It's made for groups of 4–6 players and one System, who want something in line with sandbox "cozy" gaming that's built for long-form campaigns almost exclusively. It could also be a good fit if you want to dig into the gather -> craft -> sell game loop that isn't present many places. You can open a tavern. Start a garden. Adopt a town. All that good shit.

In the name of my sisyphean struggle to connect with more rpg designers:

What are you working on? What kind of table is your audience?

[exhaustedpirate]

under the california sun

day 11 and 12 of @bucktommyfluffebruary!! i'm a genius and i made bucktommy have their double date and a day at the beach with our beloved tarlos! this is my first time writing tarlos so pls forgive me if i fuck up!

rated T | 1405 words also on AO3

There is a heavy hand on his thigh, a hand supporting its owner on his shoulder and laughter all around him. The sun is shining, the smell of sea and sunscreen is all around. 

It’s shaping up to be a good day.

TK Strand and Carlos Reyes were on their honeymoon in LA. Buck hadn’t been able to make it to the wedding, what with the bridge collapse, his friend’s new baby, a new relationship starting. 

He had made it a point to where the suit he bought for the wedding when the four of them went out the day before. Tommy and him had been fashionably late - his boyfriend had been very supportive of his choice of attire and Buck was glad for the button-up shirt. 

“It’s a shame we didn’t get to see it at our wedding,” TK pointed out. “But at least now, you have a handsome piece of arm candy with you.”

Buck had laughed, leaning on Tommy’s side who hid his eyes in his hand to cover up his blush before joining. 

“He is handsome, isn’t he?” Buck commented breathlessly, relishing the way Tommy turned that scrunchy smile towards him, blush not faltering but enhancing his beauty.

“Oh god,” TK playfully groaned into his hand. “Were we this bad?”

Tommy’s arm wrapped around Buck’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

“Babe,” Carlos affectionately teased, laying a kiss on TK’s brow. “We still are just as bad.”

They laughed and Buck was happy to have kept in touch with the firefighter-turned-paramedic from Texas. They had so much fun that they prolonged their double date to the next day, Tommy and Buck taking the honeymooning couple to their favourite beach.

Which all led to Buck sitting on a lounger chair, between his boyfriend and the married couple, being teased to an inch of his life. He hides his face in his hands as Tommy’s hand rubs from his thigh to his knee in consolation and TK laughs against his shoulder.

“You broke his ankle?!” Carlos laughs, his hand entwined with TK’s.

Buck groans and Tommy tightens his hold on his knee with a laugh. “In his defense, it wasn’t broken, just badly sprained.”

“Exactly!” Buck emerges from his hideout to point at Tommy with vindication and a proud smile.

“Besides,” Tommy grins, that teasing glint in his eyes that Buck adores. “I found it really hot that you maimed your best friend for me.”

Buck groans louder this time, faking his annoyance even as a blush covers his cheeks while the others laugh. He tangles his fingers with Tommy’s over his leg and half-heartedly glares at his laughing boyfriend who brings his hand over to his mouth and kisses the back of it.

“I still can’t believe it took you this long to figure out you were bisexual,” TK teases, no judgement in his tone, just surprise. “You were flirting with me years ago.”

“I-I just, well, I didn’t know it was a possibility, I guess,” He stutters and Tommy rubs his thumb along his knuckles. “I never took the time to actually think about my feelings towards men.”

“And then you maimed your best friend playing a sport you hate.” Carlos points out to everyone’s amusement.

“My sister, Maddie, told me about her doing the same thing when she felt left out of her friend group when she was 14,” Buck explains. “I-I think I tried to fit my feelings in that platonic slot b-but it didn’t fit.”

“And then I kissed you.”

Buck turns to Tommy and spends a moment just looking at his boyfriend, sprawled out on the lounger chair, sunglasses on top of his head, body glistening in the sun and that smile - Buck’s smile - on his lips. He doesn’t want to think what would happen if Tommy hadn’t kissed him, if he hadn’t taken that leap of faith, if he hadn’t understood what Buck still had yet to understand. 

Would they be here right now? Would they be holding hands while their friends tease him about being happy together? Would he be able to look, kiss, touch, caress the man in front of him in all the ways he wants to? 

He pushes those terrible thoughts away, focusing instead on how glad he is that Tommy did kiss him, that Buck got over his insecurities and told his family, fought for Tommy. He likes to think that if Tommy hadn’t kissed him, Buck would have found a way to still get his man.

With a hand on Tommy’s chest, Buck leans over to place a soft kiss, very reminiscent of their first one, on his boyfriend’s lips. “And then you kissed me,” Buck whispers and watches as the other man’s eyes shine. God, he’s lucky that Tommy was brave. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” And, despite the smirk and the playful glint in Tommy’s eyes, Buck could still see the affection, the devotion, the care they share for one another.

“Should we head to the water?” Carlos asks, after what was probably a long moment of Buck and Tommy looking at each other - they did that sometimes, it annoyed their family. 

It really didn’t.

“Yeah, I’m getting very hot here.” Tommy winks, making them laugh, and Buck taps his chest a couple of times before standing up to stretch.

Carlos stands up first, taking TK’s outstretched hands and pulls him up until they are holding each other. Buck smiles at their display of affection, of love, at their wedding rings shining in the sun. Tommy stands up from his chair, hand running up the line of Buck’s spine before it lands on the nape of his neck before placing a kiss on Buck’s shoulder. 

As he hums in contentment, he can’t help but think of how they would look with rings on their fingers, how he would be able to feel the metal on his skin when Tommy touched him, how it would feel to commit to each other in front of friends and family like TK and Carlos did.

As they work towards submerging in the cold water, Buck thinks about the photos the married couple showed them of their wedding during dinner the day before. Thinks of all their family gathered to celebrate their wedding, their first dance, the beautiful recording of their friend singing TK’s mom’s favourite song. Thinks of the happy looks, shared kisses and toasts.

Thinks of how it would look like if they got married.

Buck climbs onto Tommy’s back, wrapped around him like a koala on a tree, seeking his warmth, his touch, his presence. As he laughs with his friends, with his boyfriend, feeling the sun on his skin, having an excuse to have skin-on-skin contact with Tommy, he thinks of how lucky he is. 

How in love he is.

Buck kisses the space between Tommy’s jawline and neck, smiling at the startled hum from the older man who looks back over his shoulder as best he can.

“What was that for?”

Buck shrugs and notices TK looking at him, a supportive glint to his eyes - are his feelings so clear on his face? - before he turns back to pulling his husband into swimming with him. He takes a deep breath.

“I just-I l-” He clears his throat against the lump keeping the words from slipping out, his heart pounding so hard against his chest, he’s sure Tommy can feel it. His courage escapes him. “I’m just happy.” 

But, from the way Tommy clings tighter to him, the way his nose bumps against his until their lips connect, the way his moans and sighs at the kiss echo Buck’s, he finds himself relaxing.

“I’m happy too.”

And he feels heard, understood, cared for. It feels like an “I love you too”. It feels like coming home, like kisses and touches. It feels like love.

“I’m freezing,” Carlos whines, body plastered along TK’s back, their hands held together. “Let’s take advantage of this California sun.”

Tommy laughs and Buck prepares to be put down, to walk beside his boyfriend back to the chair. Needlessly. Tommy carries Buck all the way back, trailing behind their friends and not for the first time that day, Buck thinks of how lucky he is.

With warm, strong hands holding his thighs, his arms wrapped around a warm body and the occasional bump from his married friends, he lets the warmth take him over.

It’s a good day.

[drc00l4tt4]

This took so fucking long oh my god

hcs under the cut <33

He has a ponytail now. Can't explain why I believe he would have one, he just does.

Obviously followed in his fathers footsteps but I feel like he'd be cursed in the way Michael Corleone was (since his existence is a reference to the guy) that he'd eventually destroy everything, though it'd be a slow burn

I don't have much else to say here sorry <//3

I feel like this kid is absolutely batshit insane

He acts like a wild animal, especially when it comes to defending his friends

He has bitten people

Wants to be exactly like his dad (Louie is terrified by this)

Always looks slightly disheveled, as if he just got out of a fight or something

Anger issues (got that from his mother)

Does not understand sarcasm or metaphors (got that from his father)

Absolutely wasn't a planned baby but his parents love him anyway

His parents probably had split custody (Louie having him on weekends specifically)

The designated Louie Jr handler (has probably held the guy back by the collar of his shirt a few times)

Very similar to his father

I imagine he didn't go the mob doctor route that Legs did, but went a similar route, which was mob lawyer

Probably the second most restrained in the group (Michael gets first place with that one)

He was the result of a hook-up Legs had (and regretted after, even though he does love Calves)

His mom was semi-neglectful, so he eventually just stayed at Legs house and went to Louie Jr's mom's if he needed a babysitter

Selective mute, talks through sign language (Michael translates usually)

She takes after her father in a lot of aspects

Absolutely knows how to fight and will punch a bitch if they're being disrespectful

She's probably the scariest of the five actually

She was actually a planned baby, but Johnny and her mother ended up not working out in the end

AuDHD up the ASS

This guy fidgets constantly and cannot stand still, he'll be shifting from leg to leg or pulling at his shirt cuffs

Trusts way too easily because why would someone just lie for no reason, that's weird

Doesn't understand sarcasm or metaphors (he 🤝 Louie Jr)

Probably has one of those fidget rings on his finger

Very easily startled

Everyone thinks he's a dumbass and he knows this

Constantly trying to prove himself and help with anything he can (usually fucks up)

This leans into the Frankie the Squealer is trans hc but for this universe, Frankie actually had Topo before his transition. After he transitioned, he became a single dad and had to raise Topo alone

[barblaz-arts]

Thank you for taking my ask so seriously!!!! A lot of people would have just said no and move on, but now you've activated my secret infodumping card >:3

First of all, I went through the notes and I promise you the comic isn't as angsty as the premise makes it out to be. A very central theme is friendship, and connection, and how relationships can save us even in the worst times. These guys are already dead and they're finding time to have group hugs and blood pacts <3 they're so stupid n I care them a lot 💖💖💖💖

And all the characters have such fun designs!!! They're all very distinct and full of personality, with very fun interactions, and I genuinely think you'd have a blast putting those beasts in situation. Since their personalities are so unique the fandom (me) looooves making silly little aus where they can do whatever and not. Yk. Fight for their lives.

The art is great and the whole world building with the spectre forms (kind of similar to the full demon forms from hazbin) are genuinely so cool and so fun to speculate about, and wonder what else is going on in the very vast world of the story.

But, ultimately, the best part is the lead romance. And girl. If you like couples who are devoted to each other Annabel Lee and Lenore are the best thing to ever happened. That devoted that's leaning into "Oh there might be something toxic goin on here!!!!" They have burnt down houses, trapped friends in walls, and almost fell of balconies for the other. Absolutely bonkers bananas.

They're honestly what makes the comic so if you think they're not your style idk if it's going to be an enjoyable experience. There's also some bloody scenes (ex: someone's eye getting scarred) but they never get gory, and some heavier themes (esp madness and the condition of women in the early 1900s).

Soooooo idk. I'm mostly sending this ask bc I love being in the same fandoms as you and hearing your takes :D

I mean, both my hyperfixations are on hiatus rn and there aren't lot of content for them anymore, so why not? I could try other media while im waiting.

Ngl the toxic element im hearing about the romance isn't pulling me in all that much cuz I'm not a big fan of that. I'm more for wholesome shit. But the plot itself does interest me. Especially the spectres. I love seeing transformations.

And im fine with gore so long as it isn't straight up, idk, torture porn. I've ended up seeing some nasty shit because of previous hyperfixations lmao the most violent media I got into was this game called Corpse Party when I was a teen(if you dont know it, it's fine. Ur probably better off. But in denial baby gay me was obsessed bcuz of the yuri) so yeh I'm fine with a little violence

Thank you tho! It's one thing to be liked for my art or fic, but to have my insight valued too means a lot! I can't promise if or when I'll check it out, cuz i dont wanna get anyone's hopes up, but I'm not gonna write it off. It does genuinely seem interesting.

[evenyvn]

Jealous?

rockstar!fem!reader x idol!seonghwa

summary : after a long busy day, you just want to slip under the blanket and sleep, atleast that is until you saw your boyfriend's recent post...

cw : sfw, kinda suggestive if you squint, hwa is a tease, this is a part of this series but can be read as a stand alone (i swear i will write for the others after this, I'm just crazy over his recent post so this is VERY self-indulgent as always).

masterlist

It's been a long day today, you got up early in the morning to practice for your up coming comeback with your group, and then spend a few more hours cooped up on your studio to write more songs.

Your bandmates have been grew worried by your state, the increasing stress from the up coming comeback is taking a toll on you, not to mentioned the constant feeling of missing your boyfriend—that's currently on tour right now—is making you locking yourself up in your own studio to compose more songs just to cope with the yearning, but surely it's only making your stress increase tenfold.

Sure, you both can text each others, but between the time zones differences and both of your busy schedule, you can only text each others 'good night' or 'good morning' more often than not.

And finally after a long day you just want to slip under your blanket and catch a few hours of sleep until you have to get up early again to repeat the same routine.

Now you sigh as you lie in bed, after you did your nightly routine and changed into comfortable sleeping clothes, you pull up your phone deciding to check up on your social media before going to bed, you were casually scrolling through your Instagram until you saw it.

Seonghwa had posted a photo dump.

The first two pictures were harmless—him in a bathrobe, the lights of the bathroom illuminating his face perfectly, his face looks tired from his shows but that makes him even more attractive to you, 'pretty' you thought as you smiled fondly and press the like button.

you scroll again to see the third picture—a picture of a cloud shaped bath bomb you assume, you giggled at the picture, aside from those gorgeous magazine worth of pictures seonghwa posts, he sometimes slip some silly things that caught his eyes.

But then you swiped.

And froze.

Seonghwa wasn’t fully in the water, but the image was just suggestive enough—his collarbones on full display covered by soap foams, wet strands of hair framing his face, water droplets on his skin catching the dim bathroom lighting in an almost artistic way. His gaze was sultry, plump lips slightly pouting, and—

You slammed your phone down.

Immediately, you snatched it back up, opening your messenger app and hit the FaceTime button after finding your boyfriend's contact.

It barely rang twice before Seonghwa picked up, his face appearing on screen. Except, instead of being anywhere near a bathtub, he was already in bed, dressed in his soft pajama shirt under the blanket. He was smiling—no, smirking—as if he had been expecting this call.

“Hey, baby,” he greeted, his sleepy voice reached your ears, a little bit tired but still warm nonetheless with a hint of tease on the edge. “You miss me that much?”

you narrowed your eyes. “Don’t act cute. We need to talk.”

Seonghwa bit his lip to hold back a laugh. “About what?”

You huffed dramatically, sitting up. “Don’t about what me! You know exactly what I’m talking about. What is this—” You held up your other phone to show his Instagram post, specifically the bathtub pictures. “And why did you post it?!”

He chuckled, shifting under his blanket. “Ah… that?” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “You didn’t like it?”

“That’s not the problem,” you whined, pouting. “Do you see the comments? People are losing their minds, Seonghwa! Everyone’s going feral over you, and I’m stuck here alone while you’re on tour.”

Seonghwa hummed, clearly enjoying this. “Mmm… so you’re jealous?”

“Yes!” you admitted without hesitation. “I am very jealous! My man is out here looking like a whole art piece in the bathtub while I can’t even be there to—” you stopped yourself, mouth clamping down shut when you realized where your words were going.

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow while smirking knowingly. “To…?”

You groaned, flopping onto your pillow. “You’re so annoying.”

His laugh was deep and full of amusement. “Baby, it’s just a picture.”

“Just a picture? hwa, people are drooling in the comments. One person even said, 'Born to ride, forced to scroll.’ Do you understand?”

Seonghwa grinned. “What does that even mean?.”

“It's- you know when- ugh nevermind" you huffed dejectedly as you struggle to explain, making your boyfriend chuckle at your frustrated state.

He laughed again before softening, tilting his head slightly. “You know you’re the only one I want, right?”

You peeked at him from your pillow, still sulking. “I know,” you muttered. “I just don’t like sharing. I thought those were just for my eyes only”

His smirk returned. “Oh? Should I delete it, then?”

You paused, eyes flickering to the post, finally deciding to scroll some more, a few more picture of him in the bathtub appear, you smiled slightly at the cute poses he did on the pictures before sighing. “… No, leave it.”

“Why?” he said with amusement in his voice.

You sighed dramatically. “Because even though I’m jealous, I also want to brag that my boyfriend is the finest man alive.”

Seonghwa chuckled, his gaze turning fond. “You’re ridiculous,” he murmured, voice laced with affection.

“Yeah, yeah,” you grumbled. “Just hurry home soon so I can remind people that you’re mine.”

His smirk deepened. “Oh? I’d like to see you try.”

Your stomach flipped. Stupid, smug, perfect boyfriend.

The call lasted for another hour, filled with teasing, laughter, and Seonghwa making sure you knew just how much he adored you. And even though you were still sulking over that picture, by the end of the night, you were smiling just as much as he was.

@.yn_luclipse tweeted :

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