#so yes this is basically just like anything else i've ever written

[aplpaca]

idk if anyone else needs to hear this or like how common a problem it is but like if you usually have a lot of trouble writing non-work/school stuff at any speed, I'd suggest maybe trying out a writing program/interface that doesn't look like microsoft word or google docs

Like, I thought I was just a terminally slow writer when doing my own stuff. I'd get like 50 words down in several hours on a normal day, maybe 200 on a good one. But a while ago I noticed that if I was writing in my notes app or on cash register paper at work, I just did not have that issue. Like I still wasn't The Fastest, but I could get 200 just casually while multitasking on a normal day, and sometimes got up to 600.

So like, I figured it was bc I was putting less pressure on myself at those points bc I wasn't sitting down with the intention to write. And that's prob part of it. But also I recently realized that maybe using word and docs themself while I was on desktop was playing a part in it. Bc those are the programs I'd use while writing for school under a deadline, and that association is kinda soaked into the layout of those programs for me.

So I tried out a free book-drafting program whose layout looks basically nothing like word or docs, and suddenly I've been averaging like 500 words a day pretty much any time I use it. Like, I wrote a 1300 word snippet in 2 days (which previously would have taken more than a week), and I've written 2000 words in the past 4, which for some people might not be much, but is an absolutely insane amount for me and also way more consistent than I've ever been in the past. Wack.

But yeah so like, I guess if u have similar problems, maybe try switching where youre writing and see if that does anything? Ye

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

How do I talk to a fourth grader about sex Ed? Are there books or an online resource for parents you recommend?

hi there, thank you for asking!

the book that I use to teach OWL classes is Robie Harris' It's Perfectly Normal; I strongly recommend getting ahold of the revised & updated edition from 2021, which is more inclusive and queer-friendly, but even the older edition is a pretty good starting place.

it can be a great way to start the conversation if the fourth grader in question hasn't approached you with their own questions about sex and bodies, which can be daunting for a lot of kids, especially if that hasn't historically been the vibe when you interact! they may not know a lot at that point, but most kids have definitely absorbed that sex is something that they're not supposed to talk about.

if they're feeling up to having a chat beyond the basics (anatomy, reproduction 101, changes that come with puberty, squiggly crush feelings, consent and no means no, etc), that's awesome! I find most kids in the 4th-6th grade range already have a lot more information about sex than most people expect; they just have it jumbled up and out of order and lack the tools to make sense of it. ie, I've had students who know about periods but are under the impression that they come out of the butt, understand that a baby grows inside of a person but have no clue how it gets out, and make jokes about someone getting ejaculated on because they know it's Inappropriate and therefore funny but don't actually have any idea what ejaculation actually is or why it happens.

so, you know. much to work on there!

honestly I think the #1 most important thing for any adult trying to be a good ally and educator to young people is to kill the urge to cringe literally ever at all about anything, because the second you make a kid feel weird for asking a question is the second they start hesitating to confide in you with their questions. I've had to poker face kids asking me why someone would ever put someone else's penis in their mouth, what a harem is, and kids very earnestly describing their first wet dreams without having any idea that they were describing wet dreams. there cannot be any "no," it's "yes, and" from here on it. "yes that sounds weird to you, and it's completely fine to do that with people you trust if and when you feel ready to have sex" has got to be the constant refrain. be as rigorously open-minded and non-judgmental as possible establishes that you are a safe person to talk to honestly, and encourages your kiddo to be similarly curious and accepting.

if you ever find yourself really flustered by a question, or you genuinely don't have an answer, it's okay to pull a "I don't know! let me find out more information and get back to you." (also great behavior to model for kids, btw.) if you're ever stumped trying to figure out how to break something down into 4th grader-sized chunks, I recommend Scarleteen as a starting place - it's a sex ed forum run by volunteers for teens, some of them pretty young, so the answers are written very accessibly.

easing into the topic by discussing things like feelings and puberty can be a great way to ease in. have they talked about puberty at school? are their friends having any bodily changes? how do people talk about bodies? do kids get made fun of for developing breasts or growing body hair? does anyone at school date? how does the kid you're talking with feel about all of that? I might just be blessed with unusually gossipy kids, but they LOVE dishing about how other kids act. I learn so so much about my students by asking them to tell me how their peers behave at school; they love to narc.

also: it can be a huge bummer if YOU were really ready to rumble being sex positive and a source of info, but sometimes kids just aren't ready to engage with that. I've know 4th graders who are extremely at eases talking about the ins and outs of vaginal anatomy and 6th graders who would rather run away than even acknowledge genitals exist; there's no predicting when anyone will be comfortable with this. to a certain degree you might need to encourage a kid through initial awkwardness, but if they're reaching a point of serious distress and discomfort we've got to let it go. unfortunately I've taught kids who reacted to their parents' enthusiasm for sex positivity by wilting in exactly the opposite direction, getting anxious and confrontational whenever the topic came up. the majority of kids will become curious in their own time, especially as puberty and sexuality becomes more pressing to them and their peers, and sometimes the best thing you can do is leave that door open for them to return to in their own time.

also, hey! if you're ever really really stuck, I'm here on tumblr dot com :) I'm by now means an expert, but I've taught a LOT of fourth graders what a condom is.

[emeraldgreenbeautiesstu]

MATT X READER PLS.

Then book shopping n it’s all cute n stuff 😻😻‼️

Bernard's & Noble

(see what i did there)

Matt Sturniolo x Reader

Word count: 749

Alexis speaks! : hey guys! thank you for the request (the more requests, the more stories i post 😉) i'm honestly not very proud of this one, but i've deleted it four times already and this is the best i got 💀 once again, comments and likes are greatly appreciated, it helps me know if yall like my style or if i need to change anything! pls don't steal my work, love yall!

-

"Matttt?" i whined from my spot on the floor. i was bored out of my fucking mind. Matt wanted the day to be a 'lazy day' and by that he means he wanted to scroll social media and youtube all day. that was not my idea of fun, i've always been a hands on person whether that be going outside for hours, to the lake, reading, anything other than being lazy at home.

"whattttt?" he mocked, sitting up from his bed, his hair all messed up and funny looking.

i chuckled. "your hair looks great." i smiled, climbing to straddle his lap and fix his bed head. "better" i smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "i have a business proposal."

matt sighed, "what do you want." he rolled his eyes with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

i hopped off him, standing at the foot of his bed. "i vote we go to barnes and noble today, my book case is baren." i joked. four out of the five of my bookshelves were full completely. but you can never have too many books.

"y/n you have more books than i think i've ever seen anywhere else in my life." he laughed. matt pretended to be annoyed, but he knows the answer is yes. and not just to this scenario, the answer is always yes to everything y/n wants. she had him wrapped around her tiny little finger. "when do you want to go?" he gave in.

i jumped around the room a couple times, silently celebrated with myself. "right now silly." i said. i trotted into his bathroom where i have my own drawer of toiletries and such. i touched up my makeup and threw on my shoes. "ok i'm ready." i beamed up at him. matt basically towered over me. he's 5'8 and i'm 5'3, so there's a pretty noticeable height difference.

he slipped his own shoes on. "i'm ready." he smiled, grabbing his keys.

i just looked at him. "matt babe." i looked at his outfit. "we are not going anywhere when you are wearing basketball shorts and a wife beater. please change." i said, false seriousness evident on my features.

-

"oh my god i'm literally gonna shit my pants i love barnes and noble." i said, climbing out of the passenger seat. I made matt carry my three tote bags i have designated for my favorite hobby, book shopping.

"do i really have to come in." matt complained.

-

we had been at barnes and noble for an hour already, two out of the three of my tote bags were full. so full we had to put them by checkout because they were too heavy to carry. About 15 minutes in i had made a joke that i thought was hilarious, matt didn't really think so.

-

"haha, bernard's and noble." i chuckled to myself, but matt heard me.

"y/n i swear to god i will leave you here."

"deal."

-

i was finally ready to go, the final tote bag full. i couldn't find matt though. i wandered through the multiple sections of books, matt no where in sight. "maybe he did leave me here." i mumbled under my breath. until my eye caught matt. he was crouched down, one hand on the shelf, the other hand occupied with a book.

"whatchya readin?" i smiled over him. my heart melted when he looked up at me, a small smile on his face. i took this time to take in his beauty. the way his slight curls fell over his eyebrows, the way his middle part accentuated his face shape, the way his blue eyes went so well with his outfit. he was wearing the white shirt with 'whatever' in bold print written across it, and baggy light wash blue jeans, his keys dangling from his belt loop.

"some poetry book, i might get it it's kinda fire." he smiled.

"you read poetry?"

"i like finding the good ones and printing them out, i like to look back on the really influential ones." matt said. he stood up and took my bag, his hand resting on the small of my back.

"matt i don't deserve you, you're so sweet." a cheesy grin creeping onto my lips.

"y/n you deserve the world." he smiled down at me, kissing my forehead.

"ok now how are we gonna get all of these in the car?" i laughed.

-

tag list!

@cupidzsq

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

Do you think Boscha should have been explored more or given a proper characterization instead of just pushing her aside or using her as a convenient threat? I don't think TOH acknowledged her or her feelings very much. And it spreads to the fandom too - I've met some truly awful fans who wanted her to die or be expelled or lose all her friends and family. Or all three. I do not think either the show or fans gave her fair treatment. She has kind of a low-key Belos treatment - hints are shown and it's clear to people deep enough in fandom that she's more than a flat bully, but the show chooses to keep her as a flat bully and not treat her as a person who may be traumatized from Amity suddenly snubbing her out of the blue and telling her to grow up and then everything that happened in the Collector's apocalypse. She's my favourite character, and I think part of it may be because I like the idea of her escaping everything and having a future she likes somewhere else. Preferably still in contact with Amelia and Cat and not with them refusing to speak to her ever again like so many seem to want. Has the literal child not suffered enough already, especially with them being turned to puppets?? She is going to have PTSD from everything, and that is a fact. She deserves to learn and grow and not be a punching bag for fans and characters in fan works to snub and beat up because the show did not do its job fleshing her out. And after Belos was stomped on, part of me can't help but wonder if Dana would endorse Willow beating up Boscha and her losing her friends and future too.

Justice for Boscha. She deserves more than this show.

Sorry to say, anon, but I barely remember anything about Boscha. While I sympathize with wanting to see your favorite character treated with more "respect" and as a deep character, sometimes, characters just fulfill a basic narrative role and that's it. And that's okay.

Since I can't adequately answer this ask, I've decided to outsource it. The following response is from @mdhwrites a certified Boscha fan: "NO.

I fucking love Boscha but absolutely not.

Honestly, if anyone wanted to have this, it should have been Amity. Commit to her being a bully. However, Boscha is a bit character who's narrative purpose is to make the audience further want her to abandon the entirety of her whole life for Luz. To make it so that it seems like literally everything to do with who she was before Luz was pure evil. As such... She honestly should have been LESS nuanced.

Kind of like Odalia, if you ask genuinely how terrible Boscha is, the answer is not really, including in relation to Amity. She follows Amity faithfully. Amity is the only person she doesn't mock, criticize or be cruel to. She doesn't target specific people for her bully tendencies, instead just being oppurtunistic of being fun. She never decided one person had to be eternally miserable like Amity did with Willow. Yes, there's Winging it Like Witches but that episode only functions if Boscha ALREADY DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WILLOW. She TURNED into focusing on Willow and by all signs would have stopped the intensity once Willow was no longer taking her spotlight. Yes, she's not the best person in the world but most people in Hexside, from what we can tell of her status as an outcast, would have said the same thing Boscha did about Willow: She's a failure and associating with her is social suicide.

I mean... I literally made a 300k story where Boscha became the main character because of the conflicts in the narrative intention and execution when it came to her character. I then added her as a major character to one of the longest things I have ever written, Little Miss Rich Witch kind of because they're right. Boscha has a lot of interesting elements going on with her that I can't tell if they were intended or not. They seem intended with S3 but even S3 makes her look terrible and is painful to watch as everyone discards her. The poster is just right that Boscha went through WAY fucking worse than Luz quite literally ever did. What Luz feared would happen to her if she told the truth, Boscha had happen to her following all the social rules that her best friend taught her or reinforced. What the fuck?

But again... Would that have made a better show? No. Boscha didn't actually have a place in this show besides as a punching bag. As someone to shirk blame off of from Amity, much like Odalia and hey, do you recognize that both of those characters are treated like they are somehow worse than Belos? Almost like Amity had a lot of fans projecting onto her which says TERRIBLE things about those people's unwillingness to recognize Amity's own monstrousness and willingness to just blame others? Amity is one of the most awkward elements of the show, given so much time and clear narrative direction with fucking awful execution that characters like Boscha suffer around her.

Boscha also suffers from TOH's "I'm not like other kid's shows" problem because other kid's shows would have written her more evil. Would have gone more over the top. They kept her grounded though because that's the more realistic and nuanced and 'mature' take. It's also just the worse one for your narrative."

[skyfallscotland]

Writing Advice: tips, tricks & helpful links, from your friendly neighbourhood fanfic author ✨ (part one—the advice)

see part two—the resources here

I've mentioned this before, but I truly believe no one's born a great writer. A great storyteller, yes. A great writer? That's learned. I've been reading and writing basically as long as I can remember. Learning to write is like...learning through both practice and symbiosis. In saying that, I get asked about this a lot, so here's what I do and some things that might help you.

Write what you're inspired to write, when you're inspired to write it.

So you have an idea—great! Are you a plotter or a pantser? Some people like to start with an outline, others just jot down a few notes and let the keyboard take them where it will. I'm in the latter camp, generally. For me, the best way to avoid writer's block is to write what I'm inspired to write, when I want to write it. Sometimes I'll write five chapters of a story at once, others I'll switch between a multi-chapter and a one-shot.

What's most important for me, personally, is that I don't try and force anything. If you suffer from demand avoidance, the worst thing you could possibly do (in my opinion), is set arbitrary goals. You don't need to write 500 words a day. If you want to, great! If that helps you, also great, but in my experience, that will generally just make my brain say well no, now we're not writing anything for a whole week, maybe a month, if you test me.

I also personally like to have a whole fic written before I start posting it online, or at least most of it written. I like being quite far ahead of what readers are seeing because I am a pantser. It takes the pressure off and honestly, there'd be so many plot holes if I didn't. Which brings me to...

First make it exist, then make it make sense, after that make it good.

What you see me post is not my first run-through. It's not even the second. I've written, read over, and changed things at least a handful of times before ever posting it, especially when it's a multi-chapter work. Sometimes I'll write a scene I love and then realise it just doesn't flow well, because three chapters back I had someone say a certain thing. In that instance, I'll put the scene aside.

Note that I said 'put aside' not 'delete'. I never delete them until I'm finished with a fic and I'm certain I won't need them, ever. Been there, made that mistake for you! Having a separate document with just various scenes you can insert at a later date also helps you to feel like it's ok to write what you want to write when you want to write it. I'll be honest, I jump around a lot. Sometimes I'll be inspired to write a scene I know isn't coming for another five chapters, but in my opinion it's best to just write it because when I get there five chapters down the line, I might not have the inspiration or I might have forgotten how I wanted things to go. Write what your brain wants to, fill in the blanks later!

Write from the heart.

My most popular work is the one I find the easiest to write and I almost never wrote it at all. Isn't that ridiculous? I almost never wrote it because I know it's cliché and excessive, and honestly...looked down upon. I almost didn't write it because of other people's opinions; then I said fuck it, I want to read it so surely there's someone else out there that does, too? Turns out there were thousands of you. Who knew?

But that work has really resonated with so many people and I think that's because I've poured so much of myself, my pain, my own experiences into it, into her. For that reason, I'd tell anyone starting out to try original character fic if that's what they want to do. Fuck the haters. All their favourite works were original characters once too.

Don't read similar fic while you're writing yours...unless you need to.

Let me explain. If I'm writing a certain type of alternate universe, or a certain storyline I know someone else has written, I won't read theirs until I'm done if I can help it, especially not if I'm actively writing my take on it. This isn't a hard and fast rule, it's obviously up to you what you feel comfortable with, but I would never want to have someone else's work influence my own too much, or get our ideas confused in my head, you know?

An exception to this rule, for me personally, is if I'm stuck with specific things in particular, like smut. When I wrote my first smut piece from a male POV, I was struck by the fact that I had no idea what an orgasm felt like for them, or how to describe it, because despite reading M/M fic for years, I apparently never absorbed that particular verbiage, so I went looking and read a whole bunch of smut from the male POV just to get an idea. Which leads into...

So you suck at kung-fu fighting.

Action scenes. I'm convinced we all hate them just as much as each other. I hate them so much I've changed whole plotlines from canon just so I don't have to include them. Unfortunately, my main fandom features a bunch of knife-throwing, sword-wielding, dragon riders at a war college who spar for clout, so I mean...it's unavoidable.

I still suck at writing it though, so what I now do for sparring and other hand-to-hand combat is search up youtube for sparring videos or self-defence lessons. It's much easier to describe what you're seeing than to imagine the mechanics and positioning of an artform you've never performed. The kung-fu thing was a joke, I like capoeira personally.

Stop being so damn hard on yourself.

Listen, everyone wants to be better than they are when they start out, literally everyone. I know I sure did. That's normal. Accept that it's normal before you start because the thing is, no one's a harsher critic on you, than you are and you'll always want to be better. There's a quote from Ira Glass that I'll paraphrase:

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap[...]It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit."

It's very true. Hopefully you have the support of a really welcoming fandom to reassure you that actually, you're nowhere near as bad as you think you are.

READ. BOOKS.

@justallihere says you can’t be good at something you don’t know anything about and it's so true, I've phrased it before as learning by symbiosis, when you read more, you'll internalise more. You're subconsciously learning how story structure works—plot hooks, transitions, metaphors and similie, grammar, style and punctuation.

Show don't tell.

...yeah this one I haven't mastered, I could use some help with that myself if anyone's got any words of wisdom, thanks.

Take all of this with a grain of salt.

I couldn't tell you how many writer's advice threads and blogs and whatever-else I've read over the years—too many, for sure. What I can tell you is 80% of what I've read was crap. It doesn't apply to me at best and it's unhelpful at worst. Maybe it's the neurodivergence, maybe it's just the fact that everyone's different and all you can do is give things a try, but based on that I can say with certainty that not all of this will work for you and that's absolutely fine! But I hope at least a few things do 😌

For links to more specific resources including thesauruses, generators, and other writers' advice, click here.

[koalas-koalas-everywhere]

Ok, I'm going to say something a bit dodgy, do take into account that my beef is with Rick and not Annabeth.

I might have been tempted to read The Chalice of the Gods (as opposed to anything after Staff of Serapis, which I've given a pass) if I didn't know that, as long as Annabeth is there as well, Percy won't be well-written. More specifically, he won't be written as himself.

When Rick wrote HoO, he had to figure out how to include Annabeth in the seven without having all these other powers dwarf her out. He did this by establishing a strict division of labour, according to which she was the strategist, and no one else. That has never been the case, at least not in such an exacting way.

Percy's saved their butts with his plans at the very least as often as she has. He's outsmarted his opponents, he's manipulated them, he has like a signature move that he pulls in almost every single book that basically goes "forget you're an almighty entity who could probably just ignore me without any problem and get down here and fight me at my level!" (tlt: Ares, Luke (unsuccessfully, since he refuses). som: Luke again (successfully, since he plays on his need to control his army's opinion of him). botl: Antaeus. tlo: Kronos. technically Gaia in son), he's been the one to figure out what they needed to from the prophecies (som: that they needed to send Clarisse to camp. ttc: the thing with Atlas's curse. botl: that Nico was the ghost king. I don't include tlo bc Annabeth figured it out first), he often comes up with the winning plans, like how he was the one who figured out how to get past Cerberus, even if it was Annabeth's expertise that allowed them to pull through (just like it was Percy's skill and weapon that allowed Annabeth's plan for Medusa to succeed) or tangling Antaeus on the ceiling chains. The scene with Chrysaor? Perfect blend of knowledge of myths, strategic genius and pure labia. For all the times we see him lose his cool or speak impulsively, we also se him go "wait, this person is trying to provoke me, I have to chill". I saw a comment a little while ago that Percy should've been dragging Giants to the gods feet for them to finish off -- that's what he did! Only he didn't physically drag them there, he planned them there. He tricked Polybotes into following him to Terminus, into pissing Terminus off so he'd agree to help, then killed him. While it was far from complex, he's the one who came up with the strategy to beat Otis and Ephialtes, so they only had to wait for Bacchus to step up.

I'm not saying Annabeth isn't smart. She has an impressive store of knowledge, which in itself is a clever thing to store, because it matches with her style of managing resources -- be they mental, like her facts, or physical, like her hat or things she finds in her surroundings, like the glass balls in Medusa's lair. Annabeth is probably the best at looking at a situation and going "okay, let's look at what we have. Ah, yes, a limitless credit card. Ah, yes, a store-full of clothes that no one's going to want back. Ah, yes, those weird-ass proteins that Hermes gave us, just like Hermes gave someone else food for a place just like this. Ah, yes, knowledge of how to fly a helicopter."

Here's the thing, though. When I read the phrase "Athena-like chatter", I almost broke something laughing. She's good with lies, hers are better and more believable than her friends'. When it comes to chatter, though... I couldn't even tell you how good she is, because I don't think I've ever seen her do something like that before MoA?

But, you know, okay, Rick has to spend more time in her head, she's been elevated in status to one of several protagonists instead of a deuteragonist as she was in PJO (he has to solve this oopsie - I don't agree with everything here, like how, except for her intelligence, Annabeth's other skills are "dump stats", but...), so he has her expand. Good for her. I think it worked alright in her fights in MoA -- a little bit of the old (impressive expertise in certain areas, management of resources), add a little bit of the new (a perceptiveness and gift of gab that she's rarely shown before, if ever, although you could argue she might have taken the "talk your enemy into beating itself" from Percy just like she learned to simplify from Frank).

That's not my real problem. It's this, from when they're fighting Akhlys:

Percy wanted to give her more time. She was the brains. Better for him to get attacked while she came up with a brilliant plan.

... What. Of everything that we've seen of Percy. That I've described just now. Makes sense with this? And please don't give me crap about "it's because his self-esteem is so low!" because 1) this isn't just about what he's thinking, it's about what he's doing, which is pretty much nothing while he waits for Annabeth to save them. He's never lacked initiative like this. Even while thinking, "wow, this absolutely crazy and dimwitted plan is so bad that it's going to get us all killed!" he still did it. ( 2) I've heard "it's bc of his self-esteem/ he plays dumb on purpose" to justify fandom's constant underestimation of Percy's smarts too many time to let it fly now.)

"It's because he trusts Annabeth's judgement more than his own, and he lets her do what she does best when she's available. Other times he's been forced to come up with a plan, it's because she isn't." Did he wait for Annabeth to shoot her shot with Ares before going in with his own plan? Did he keep quiet his misgivings about her level of preparation for the Labyrinth in BotL? Did he leave her to organize the battle plan in TLO? Did he give up after Chrysaor beat him twice in a sword fight and wait for her to come up with a plan? Absolutely not.

"Well, he still beat Akhlys, so I don't see what you're complaining about, it's not like he's useless or anything." True. It wouldn't be the first time he has to resort to brute force to get past an enemy he couldn't outthink (the telekhines come to mind) or that he never even bothered trying to outthink (Hyperion comes to mind), because it's not like strategizing is something that's essential to Percy's style, even if it does come up a lot. I said before that it's his actions that bother me and not what he was thinking, but there is some of that, too. That he wasn't thinking "I can't figure out what to do" or even too busy fighting to start to wonder about what to do, but "there's nothing I can contribute here but my fighting skills". It's sadly a dynamic that Rick has tried to encourage between them.

Sure, Percy only ever gets more powerful, but, even without Annabeth around, he loses any of his braincells. Look at his underwater fight with Polybotes. He starts off in the ship with an impressive display of power -- holding the ship together in the middle of a supernatural storm. Then he gets underwater and immediately loses to PB. The guy he would've one-shotted several times if he could kill him without a god's help. "He doesn't have experience fighting underwater," water not only gives him a strength boost, it gives him a skill boost, as we see in TLT. Besides, how much skill do you need to not swim directly into a cloud of poison? And really, he doesn't get to do anything but that.

Compare it to SON. He's fighting an almost-whole legion of dead people, with a mix of sword fighting and a whirlwind, and he might have won if they hadn't been able to reform. Recognizing that he was about to lose and to give Frank and Hazel a chance to fight Alcyoneus without having to worry about the army, he brings a whole end of the iceberg down to drown them all. And yet, you know what really struck me of all this? How smart Percy was, because he didn't just fight the legion. He aimed for the eagle, realizing that that would be the best way to keep them focused on him and not Frank.

If he's this capable, though, where does that leave Annabeth, who's a skilled warrior but whose most distinctive trait is thinking?

The whole power/smarts dichotomy is also the actual context of that line about Annabeth being the most powerful demigod. He's just spent two weeks teaching Magnus how to survive at sea, when it suddenly occurs to him that the most helpful thing for him to learn is how to "use what you've got on hand -- your team, your wits, the enemy's own magical stuff." Which is how, despite how often he's done just that, he concludes that Annabeth is the most powerful demigod and the best person to teach him how to survive. (Which is, sadly, all that that comment amounts to. Annabeth doesn't then get a chance to strut her stuff, teach Magnus, show off her smarts, play a part however small in his quest, give some insight into her mind -- nope! She says it was sweet of him and then just leaves with Percy.)

With a bit of luck, RR reread pjo to nail down the feel of it in order to write a book that's supposed to be a tie in for a tv show set in the early days (that's a lot of subordinates!), so he might've rediscovered the characters and found a way to balance that with the... way that he writes them now. I'm not optimistic, though.

(Also, if I have to read more of Percy being always afraid of Annabeth getting angry at him or her looking angry at the smallest of things and this being played as her being a girlboss, or how you "have to keep your boyfriend on his toes", I'll claw my own eyes out, but that's another topic.)

[ceilidho]

Twenty questions for fic writers

thanks @kneelingshadowsalome !!!! @ohbo-ohno @charliemwrites if u guys wanna do this go ahead. or anyone else that feels like it

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

47 LMAO

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

a staggering 583,382

3. What fandoms do you write for?

call of duty basically exclusively now, but i used to also write for star wars, shadow & bone, spiderverse, rings of power, and the last of us (may write more for tlou in the future)

4. Top five by kudos.

dead ringer, take me home country road, red dawn, ghost prompts, and landscape with honey.

5. Do you respond to comments?

god i used to all the time ages ago, but now i don't. i truly just get so overwhelmed and it exhausts me. i will respond to the odd comment now and again though, and i read them all obsessively.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

"the terrible nature of ghosts" for sure

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i guess "landscape with honey" ended on a sweet note. or "birdsongs". i like writing fics that have endings that feel neither happy nor sad; i'd like to think that most of my fics end on a note that make you feel mildly uneasy but overall good.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i have blocked an UNTOLD amount of people, so not anymore. but every now and then i'll get the stray "you're evil and the shit you write is fucked up" comment. people tend not to do that when you moderate comments though.

9. Do you write smut?

well now, that's my bread and butter

10. Craziest crossover.

i'm with salome on this one - i'm a purist. not interested in crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

ages ago when i was younger sure. not since then thankfully.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

maybe?? i know some people have asked and i've given them permission but then they've never come back to tell me whether they did it or not.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes!!! i wrote "dead ringer" with a friend and it's my most popular fic lmao. i love love love co-writing with people, but i rarely do it because your style kind of has to match the other person's in order for it to work.

14. All time favorite ship?

god reylo was really it for me for the longest time. i'm not sure any non x reader thing will ever top that. i do LOVE abby/ellie from the last of us, but there's hardly anything for them.

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

any reylo incomplete fic, im so sorry. it's just not gonna happen.

16. What are your writing strengths?

detailed descriptions. introspection and character analysis.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

DIALOGUE. i don't know how the fuck people talk sometimes. also longer plots. and i'm not amazing with visualizing how houses and places look for some reason so i really need to get better at that (i'll be honest, i still don't FULLY know what the town in "country roads" looks like so i try to describe it very vaguely).

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

i really only enjoy it when it's used effectively - when the audience is supposed to be aligned with the main character in not understanding what's being said.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

teen wolf!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

"saltwater" my beloved. or "auribus teneo lupum" from my reylo days.

[yourhighness6]

A Yue Stan's Thoughts on Yue's Character in NATLA

As much as I appreciated what NATLA was trying to do and think it is worth a rewatch, can I just say as an unapolagetic Yue stan that they completely ruined her, and Yukka by extension.

And say whatever you want about her scenes leading up to the sacrifice (which did make me cry, I'll admit, her speech about living was actually a nice addition), but it was actually this line that left me absolutely seething and in my opinion proves that the writers completely misunderstood what made the sacrifice so powerful:

I actually had to pause the television and collect myself after this one because holy fuck is this the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The entire point in the animated show was that she didn't get to make her own choices before this point. She didn't get to choose who to marry, she didn't get to choose her role in society, she didn't get to choose basically anything about her life besides maybe how to style her hair or something. Yue was a character who was extremely dutiful, but also extremely boxed in by her duty. It was both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness, a parody of itself, just as her mere existence was a parody: while she was saved by the moon spirit as a child and allowed to live on, it was that very reason that she eventually gave up her life. And the very fact that she was given these choices in the first place in the LA seriously undermined the idea of her sacrifice. Yue was told her entire life what to do, and although she did manage to find a bit of freedom through her brief romance with Sokka, ultimately, she still didn't get to publicly be with him or reject Hahn or anything similar. Her sacrifice was what she saw as her duty, yes, but her sacrifice for her people was also a way of standing up for herself and finally resolving to make her own choices. In that moment, she not only saved her people, but she finally made a decision for herself instead of doing something someone else told her to, even going against Sokka's wishes to do what she thought was necessary. So in the LA, with her having a place of influence in her community, with her being able to call off her engagement, with her being told that she could one day be chief, to that stupid fucking line implying that she was in no way ever repressed and free to make her own decisions the entire time, removing all of her character growth and any character significance to her actions, it was all basically pointless. It made Yue into a plot device for Sokka to bond with and to move the Aang-and-Kuruk plotline forward. In the animated series, Yue was not a plot device, and she was extremely well written, whereas in NATLA, her character fell completely flat. She talks about responsibility and pressure in her first scene with Sokka, but other than that, she has no depth. In other words, she has no depth besides her relationship to him.

Anyway, I hope we can all agree that her characterization and a lot of the decisions made in the last two episodes of NATLA were nothing but a pile of bulshit. From Iroh killing Zhao to Yukka having zero chemistry to Katara just magically becoming a master to Zuko being shelved to the plotline about Aang not feeling like he belonged having absolutely no buildup beyond a throwaway line in the second episode to everything about Yue I spelled out above, I would go as far to call it just plain bad. Again, I'm glad it got renewed, and I'll be the first to say a lot of other episodes get unnecessary hate, as well as that we are working with slightly different characters (especially Azula) in this version than the first, but I was really disappointed with seeing Yue in LA for a second time.

[parkminijiminie]

What is going on with Jimin, Jungkook and Jikook?

Warning: long post

I've been a BTS fan since early 2017. Back in the day, I ran this blog here, analyzing a lot of Jikook moments, but life sort of took over, and I stopped having the time for it. However, I never stopped being a fan and observing BTS and Jikook through the years. There's a lot said and written already about the supposed video of JK, but here are my two cents.

To me, the most logical explanation for that video is that this really is Jungkook. The layout of the apartment matches (yes, even the position of the security system, if you have ever watched JKs lives, you'd know that it actually is at his shoulder height, just like in the video), the dog looks like Bam, the couch is the same and this definitely looks like JK. There's also another video of the man in this apartment, alone, shirtless, and having a whole tattoo sleeve on his right arm just like JK. Obviously, we don't know for sure, but it looks like it's him. People say it was filmed in late Feb, early March, and I agree. JK had the same hair then, the outfits look warm, like winter clothes and not to forget, that when JK was stalked in his gym (late of February) there were a lot of fuss about a girl being there with him, so it all checks out in my book.

Now, what the video shows isn't that scandalous. A boy hugging a girl from behind and them playfighting/tickling each other or whatever. It isn't overly explicit. It could mean a lot of things, but it's clear the people are at the very least physically comfortable with each other. It's a short video. We don't know if they're even alone, but it looks like it. There are a number of possibilities for whom this person is to JK: a long-time girlfriend, a casual hook-up, a one night stand, or just a friend.

We'll probably never know for sure. What we do know is that this is an unacceptable invasion of privacy, and the person who took those videos should be sued for all they are worth. I hope we all agree on that, yes?

Now, if this girl is someone JK is dating/has dated/has slept with, where does that leave his and JM's relationship?

In my eyes, as someone who's observed them for literal years now, there's no way JM and JK have always had a strictly platonic relationship. Too much just doesn't add up. Sure, technically, they could be bestest friends with great chemistry, but as someone who is now 30 years old, I don't think I've seen this type of chemistry between people ever be just platonic. At times, it looked too much like sexual tension for it to easily be dubbed as "friendly".

My theory is this (keep in mind these are still just assumptions):

In 2017-2020, pre-Covid era, JM and JK spent A LOT of time together, basically all of it. BTS were super active, they didn't have any breaks. They were always working. Always on tour and doing smth else. JM and JK were pretty young back then (20-24) and this is typically the time when someone discovers their sexuality and starts experimenting, and I believe that at some point they did this together. They were best friends but also had this weird tension and air around them and I think they could've started a physical relationship back then. The members teasing them hear and there about being a couple, also kind of supports this, though of course, it doesn't prove anything.

Contrary to other people, I don't belive they only just fucked. It's very hard to have sex with someone who you are very close to otherwise, who you love and admire as a person, and not catch romantic feelings for them, so I think they did more than fucking. Whether they had a serious relationship or decided not to label it much, due to MS coming up, the group being in jeopardy or other reasons, I tend to think that other than sex, they also had feelings.

Side note: In any case, they were figuring thinks out about themselves as individuals, as well as a pair. I think maybe this is the time JM realized he is definitely bisexual (which he proudly expressed in his photobook of last year in my opinion). Idk what Jk figured out for himself, if anything.

Anyhow, by 2020‐2021 it seemed they had some sort of agreement about what/who they were to each other. At times they could have been on and off. There might have been other people/partners in-between, but I think they were mainly together by this point. It even looked like they lived together for some time. The fact they always took the same car and they were together on JKs birthday night when they first had number 1 on hot 100 sort of proves it. JM's birthday live in 2021 was also sus af (the way he was blushing while mentioning JK and their whole convos, very sus).

I think before Covid they had smth somewhat stable but then Covid hit. Their schedules changed, it was a tough period overall. Suddenly, they were not working and traveling so much, they were staying in SK. I think this was the time things started getting much more real and different. MS was also in the near horizon. Maybe one of them wanted a more committed relationship, and the other wasn't ready. Maybe they were both afraid. Maybe they tried and it didn't really work out. Maybe one finally realized his sexuality and the other had doubs. Whatever it was, the feelings of affection were still there. Chemistry as well. Proof: JM bday live in 2021 was just crazy, the way he blushed when JK was mentioned and the way the spoke to each other... man. Also, the way the were at PTD L.A. The way JK answered questions about JM etc.

So , all that connected them as people was still there, but I think their relationship come late 2021-early 2022 was definitely more unstable. Who knows what happened then. Personally, I don't believe in the theory that they opened their relationship, rather I believe by the second half of 2022, due to whatever reasons, things were simple mostly off between them. I believe they stayed this way all through the second half of the year and at least the first 4 months of 2023. They were friends, their families still loved and supported each other (JK's mom made seaweed soup for JM's bday, which one does for family) but that's about it. They weren't living together anymore, as well.

The beginning of 2023 we saw a very busy JM and a very not busy JK. Sure, they still commented on their welives but it seemed they didn't meet each other that often. Jm was working, JK was at home and occasionally with Tae. Yeah, JK watched a lot of JM content and often invited him over, but he also didn't know when his promotions will be over and it seemed they haven't seen each other for some time and JK was missing JM. I think if they truly were a serious couple back then, they would still have found the time to meet each other no matter how busy one or the other was, especially considering they live in the same city, and it wasnt the case. I don't think JK would have to resort to watching hours of JM's content just to satisfy his need-for-JM thirst, if they were a couple back then.

So, yeah, I think they were not more than friends by this point, for sure, which also ties up pretty well with the timing of the recent leaked video (February-March). To me it seems that JK and JM probably saw other people in that period, at least JK, JM was pretty damn busy then. Maybe they had some serious partners even, maybe just hook-ups here and there. Maybe this was JK's time to explore more of his heterosexual side, who knows. I don't think he stopped caring for JM in some capacity. In fact it kind of looked like he longed for his company but for one reason or another, they were simply not that much in each other's lives in the first quarter of 2023.

But then something weird happened around June-July. First JM is all scratched up from something (presumably Bam) indicating he saw JK and spent time with him. Then Seven came out and JM flew to NY. There they spend a long, fun weekend amid promotions. It wasn't a secret but they seemed to want to keep private and didn't really want to talk about it , judging by the way JK answered the question about JM being in NY as well. JM was practically silent. Then they returned and that welive happened. The one where they openly flirted, JM said he could handle JK naked, JK blushed like a school girl and tried everything in his power to get to JM but JM said "I'm not that easy". That welive. Idk about you, but that welive didn't seem platonic to me at all and if I had been JK's partner at the time, I would definitely be very angry with his behaviour. I don't think JK is disrespectful and a cheater, and neither is JM for that matter, so I believe there's no way any of them had a partner when that welive happened. I simply refuse to belive they are that type of people.

So, my conclusion is they were both single then and something definitely happend in July and NY. They returned somewhat different and they still kind of are. Jk posted pics of NY to Twitter for the first time. Jm shared a pic from then for JKs bday (shirtless, as we all know) and then recently another pic from a boat that could have been from back then, as well. The whole way they're acting offline and online strangely reminds me a lot of the time after their trip to Tokyo, actually. The way JM has been posting about JK very much give me nostalgia about the way he used to post Jikook often in 2017-2018 before he withdrew from social media. But maybe that's just me 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, to finish this long post I will say this. I don't know what Jikook were and are to each other and unless, it is explicitly denied the person in the video is JK, I will believe that it's him. But also, unless it is confirmed he currently has a girlfriend, I will have my doubts. The video is old and in any case, it doesn't prove much other than the fact JK is maybe into women (solely or also into them). This video though doesn't automatically negate everything I've seen between Jikook through the years. In some ways, it confirms what I've been thinking for a long time now. Unless JM and JK personally shut down any rumors about them and deny any romantic connection or confirm a relationship with someone else , I still believe that at some point in their lived their relationship crossed the platonic line.

Whether that was in the past or is currently true, I only can guess, but to me there's no way these two were always, all these years, just only friends.

For now, I will observe how JK, JM and Hybe are acting after the leaked videos and go from there. It will also be indicative.

Peace.

[ask-serendipity-sky]

Hello, everyone.

So...that blog @jimin-ethereal33?

Not a good Jimin blog and it sucks that people are there engaging with words that are basically the same things Jimin antis say just written with "nicer" words.

If you had all encountered this blog when it first started, you would have seen the change in tone.

They weren't even a jikook blog! They would say that jikook aren't soulmates or had a connection because we don't know anything about them. I found it super disturbing so I told my friends to block it.

And then somewhere along the line (while I've been on my break), their narrative changed and they made a blog to shame Jimin but dressed it up as an "awareness" blog.

Yes, we should be aware that what this person is saying is not support for Jimin.

I also kindly and respectfully asked them to remove the post about ED because it's not a topic for us to discuss. I begged them. But they ignored it and erased it.

Allright then...

Here are some bits from a few of their posts that absolutely portray Jimin as an insecure and weak person:

Jimin is so insecure he can't think?

Jk knows things but not Jimin because he's unsure?

Jimin is so sensitive and only this person knows all these things?

.....

Does this person ever include accounts to report? No.

Does this person ever support Jimin by sharing Interlude playlists, votings, stats, performances, articles, anything? No.

There are countless things to talk about when it comes to Jimin. Things that actually bring awareness and support Jimin. Things that celebrate Jimin!

Repeatedly stating that Jimin is weak, that he needs Jungkook (or anyone else), and that he is insecure is what antis do. Jjks use words like these all the time. Go to vile jjk's twitter profiles and this is the stuff you find.

I don't know a single real Jimin fan that thinks Jimin is weak, needs protection, etc...especially after he's rescued himself these past 10 years, gave us FACE, and became a soldier with honors ALL ON HIS OWN. If anyone still thinks that, reevaluate because you are incorrect. Obviously.

You all know I'm not the policing kind and we all have the right to write what we feel like writing. But if it's painting Jimin in a negative, disturbing, and incorrect light, I have to say something.

Please please please stop engaging with this account because I can assure you that they are not a real fan that cares about Jimin. They are a jjk at most. Tkkr probably.

Don't send them hate or nasty things. Please don't do that.

But STOP engaging.

Block and please tell your friends to stop engaging too!!

Don't give antis a platform!!!

Seriously, you all.

An anti will come a say a nice thing about jikook and post a few pretty pictures and you all will start following even if the rest of the stuff they say is made up bullshit that satisfies their own fantasies.

[babymetaldoll]

Baby, I'm yours - Chapter twelve: "Until the rivers all run dry"

Summary: It's the big day! Ready for your wedding with Spencer Reid? 

Warnings: Ok, seriously, this is the fluffiest thing I've ever written. You've been warned. Smut. Also, is it just me or JJ wasn't talking in plural during his conversation with Spencer? 

Word count: 8.8K

A/N: Thank you so much for sharing this journey with me! I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for all the comments and feedback. I hope to see you around for the third and final part of this saga in a few months 

Series Masterlist | General Masterlist | Prequel Masterlist

Previous chapter ||

(Y/N)'s point of view

Finally, it was the day. I was ready and a few minutes away from marrying Spencer Walter Reid. I loved saying his entire name, and I was very excited to know that was about to become my last name as well. If you ask me, I never imagined, not even in my wildest dream, that day was ever going to become real. Yet there I was, in my white dress, locked in a room with my mother and Lu, after the wedding planner had taken everyone else out to start the ceremony, waiting the last couple of minutes to become Mrs. Reid.

The whole day had been a blur. Mom woke me up extra early that morning. Everything was ready and packed, but she insisted we share one last family breakfast. It was nice, I have to admit it, but I missed at least an extra hour of sleep, that I really needed, 'cos I had barely closed my eyes the prior night. I tried my best to sleep, but I was too excited to even close an eye. Spencer and I talked on the phone until late, trying to understand what was going on. We were both pretty shocked at what was about to happen. It felt like a dream. A dream I didn't want to wake from. Never.

- "Are you sure you wanna marry me, chipmunk?"- he had whispered on the line as I rolled in bed, frowning.

- "Why do you ask? Are you having cold feet?"- I questioned back, and I heard him chuckle immediately.

- "Never. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you way before I even realized I was in love with you."

- "Then why do you ask?"

- "Because..."- Spencer made a long pause and I sat on my bed, knowing exactly what was going through his mind.

- "If you say it's because you think I can have a better guy than you, I'm going to our apartment just to smack you, hon"- I thought he was going to laugh, or at least chuckle, but he didn't.

- "I don't want you to wake up one day and realize you could have done better."

It was heartbreaking to know Spencer wasn't just scared and nervous before the wedding. He actually thought he wasn't enough for me. He just didn't realize how much he deserved every good thing that happened to him, and every ounce of happiness life could give him.

- "You are so lucky I'm gonna marry you, Spencer Walter Reid."- I whispered hearing his breathing at the other side of the line. I could basically see him laying on our bed, staring at the ceiling in his old Caltech shirt.

- "Why?"

- "Because I am making it my life purpose to show you how much you deserve to be happy. And trust me, I am making you so happy you won't even believe it's real"- finally, Spencer chuckled and I smiled at that sound. My heart fluttered and my stomach filled with butterflies. Yes, that still happened. That's how much I love him.

- "I already can't believe how happy you make me, ma cherie."

- "Well, get ready, it's gonna get even better."

And there I was, standing in front of a gigantic mirror, staring at my reflection. I was wearing a wedding dress, holding a bouquet, and making my best not to cry.

- "Hey, are you ok?"- Lu asked as she stood behind me and rested her chin on my shoulder- "You are not overthinking anything, are you?"

- "No,"- I smiled at her and sighed- "I just can't wait to get married. That's all."

- "That's good! That's how you should be feeling."

- "Thank you for your patience all these years, Lu"- I had to say it, 'cos it was true. My friends had been so patient with our whole process, dealing with our feelings and finally facing how we felt. I know it took a long while, and it had been quite frustrating for everybody.

- "It's ok. I'm glad it finally happened and you stopped being afraid of your feelings. If you had kept me waiting for another year, I would had smack you, though."- I laughed and hugged Lu tight just when a knock on the door finished our conversation and dad walked into the room. He looked at me and smiled.

- "Peanut, you look gorgeous."

- "Thank you, dad."

- "Your groom is ready."- and at those words, my heart stopped- "I left him waiting to start walking to the altar. So, are you ready to marry your doctor?"- I nodded and started walking toward him.

- "Wait, (Y/N), watch out with your dress!"- mom argued as I nearly tripped with my own veil- "Jesus, I had never seen anyone so eager to marry before."- Sofia joked as she helped me fix all the extra fabric from my dress.

- "Sorry, I'm just excited."

- "That I can see, peanut."- mom kissed my cheek and walked with Lu to the door - "See you there, Mrs. Reid."

Her words nearly brought tears to my eyes. I simply nodded and watched her walk away with my friend. I locked my arm with my dad's as we started walking outside my room. The photograph was there, as well as the wedding planner, making sure everything was on schedule. But I didn't even hear her. I only had one thought in my mind. In a few more minutes I was going to marry Spencer. Time couldn't pass fast enough.

Spencer's point of view

I gave up trying to fix my tie after the eighth try. I've been standing in front of the mirror, alone in the bathroom, for at least ten minutes, trying to finish getting ready for the ceremony. We are a few minutes away from walking to the altar, and I can't get this tie right. It's exasperating, my ties have always been slightly crooked, and I can deal with that on a regular workday. But not today. Today I want everything to be flawless. This is the most important day of my life and I want to remember it as it deserves to be: perfect.

- "Spencer?"- mom knocked on the door and took me from my thoughts- "Are you ready? The planner says three more minutes."

I opened the bathroom door and saw my mom in her dress, looking as beautiful as ever. Her eyes watered up as she stared at me, holding he hands together against her chin and fighting the tears. Just as I was doing.

- "My boy! You look ravishing!"- she said and wrapped her arms around me in a second. I did the same, holding her close to my body. In the room were also Frank, Mikey, and chief (Y/L/N). They had spent the last few hours with me, helping me with any detail I could think of. From getting me a whisky for the nerves to talking about any random thing just to keep me sane.

- "Mom, can you give me a hand with my tie?"- I whispered, and she tried to fix it for me. But I could tell how nervous she was, 'cos her hands shook for a few seconds.

- "I don't think... I don't... I can't do this, Spencer,"- she whispered, frowning, clearly frustrated.

- "Don't worry, I am not good at it myself."- I held her hands and smiled at her, trying to comfort her. Chief (Y/L/N) walked over and asked me to take a look. He grabbed my tie, pulled and tightened it, and in a few seconds, he left it perfect.

- "I was very bad at this, but my grandfather taught me when I was still in high school. He had this trick to tie the perfect knot every time."

With one big smile, chief (Y/L/N) taught me to tie my tight, taking me back to a moment I never got to share with my own father. There was a big blank space in my life, where all these memories should have been. And it broke my heart for a moment to think how alone my mother and I had been for so long.

- "See? It's simple"- Chief (Y/L/N) smiled at me and tapped on my back as I nodded, staring at my now perfect tie- "And if you need help with anything else around the house, you know you can count on me."

I nearly cried at those words. He didn't know what it meant to me. My heart felt full of love, and for once, I could feel I was part of a family that wasn't just me and my mom. There was a dad, I had a new brother, friends, and people around me who loved me and cared for me. You don't understand, and I don't think I can begging to explain how much that meant to me.

This explains why instead of articulating an answer, I just nodded at him and smiled. Chief (Y/L/N) didn't push for any answer from me, but he opened his arms and wrapped them around me.

- "I know you hate hugs, but you are fucked, kid. You are part of this family now."- I smiled and tapped on his back a few times, returning the hug.

- "It's time"- the wedding planner walked in and ended what felt like the nicest moment I had ever had with my father-in-law. He let me go and tapped my face a few times.

- "I'll put an eye on your wife, and take her to the altar, ok kid?"

- "Thank you, sir."

I held my mother's hand waiting for the sign to walk to the altar. All my groom's men had already made their way in, along with aunt Ethel, (Y/N)'s mother, and Phoenix, my new brother. I never imagined I would have a brother, somehow he made it easy. He never judged me or made fun of me. Just teased me, but I guess it came with the job.

- "Let me be honest with you, Spencer"- Phoenix was drunk when he opened his heart at my bachelor party - "I never imagined peanut would ever get married. Don't get me wrong, it's just that... dude, she is weird! She is the biggest nerd I've ever met!"- I chuckled at his words, thinking I was even a bigger nerd than she was.

- "But I know you love her, and you'd do anything for her. I'm glad she found you."- Phoenix laughed and offered to shake my hand, but I opened my arms and wrapped them around him, feeling how he tapped my back a few times.

- "Welcome to the family, doc. Hope you like soccer and football, 'cos we watch a lot of those on the weekends."

It was finally our moment to walk to the altar. I looked at my mother and tried to read her micro-expressions. She was so nervous her hands shook as she held onto me. For a second, it was scary, but then I noticed her smile and the way she was staring at me.

- "You are no longer a kid, Spencer. I've known this for years now. But today, I can not deny I miss holding you in my arms, protecting you from the world."

- "Mom..."- I felt a knot in my throat as she shook her head and sighed.

- "You better give me grandchildren soon, 'cos I wanna spoil them rotten while I'm healthy."- I chuckle at her words, picturing her surrounded by my babies. The image warmed my heart and filled my eyes with tears. It was gonna happen, I knew it.

- "I promise you, we will give you as many grandchildren as we can."

The walk down the aisle was short. All our friends and family were seated in two rows, making the entire walk a very emotive moment, filled with memories. But sooner than I imagined, I was standing in front of the altar, staring at the door, waiting for my bride. I looked at the bridesmaid and the flower girls walking, but honestly, I paid little attention. I knew (Y/N) had texted me earlier, telling me to wait for her, and promising she would be there, but I still felt anxious and nervous. What if she got cold feet? What if she realized she was about to marry a nerd and decided she deserved better?

- "I don't deserve you, chipmunk"- I told her once, in the privacy of our apartment, baring my heart and soul to her, finally dealing with all my insecurities. And what did she do? She just shook her head slowly and showered me with love.

- "Never say that again, honey bunny. I love you because you are the best man on earth. I am proud of everything you do. I am lucky you are mine and I'll always do whatever it takes to make you happy."

It was my life purpose to make her happy every day for the rest of my life.

There was a silence that lasted less than a second, and suddenly, the band started playing a song we picked on piano, but that at that exact moment, didn't care to me at all, 'cos there she was. My bride. Standing at the other side of the room, holding her father's arm, staring at me with tears in her ayes, and smiling so bright I was sure she could overshadow the very sun.

My breath caught in my throat, and I almost chook. She was gorgeous. She was a princess, an angel, a dream. Everybody stood up and turned to her, as I was unable to move. I just glued my eyes at hers and waited impatiently for her to make her way all the way to the altar so I could touch her, feel her next to me, tell her she was the love of my life, the reason I existed. The only good thing that had ever happened to me.

I felt like a corny asshole at that point, but if there is a moment in life you can be corny, that's at your wedding.

My hands were shaking as I took a few steps and walked to her and her father, my eyes never leaving hers as she continued smiling at me.

- "You look..."- I started, but nearly burst into tears. (Y/N) giggled as she stood in front of me, and her father looked at both of us, with what I think was a proud smile.

- "Ok kids, you take it from here."- Chief (Y/L/N) joked. He held (Y/N)'s hand and placed it on mine, and for a moment, his face was serious, yet still filled with excitement as he turned to me- "I am trusting you the most important person I have, Reid. I know you will take care of her, and give her all the love she deserves."

- "Dad..."- I knew (Y/N) was about to argue she could take care of herself, so I just nodded and caressed her hand on mine with my fingers.

- "I will give everything I have to make her happy"- I managed to say, feeling my voice about to break with emotion. (Y/N) sighed and kissed her father's cheek, as he looked at her in adoration. A look I could not only understand but share with him.

- "I love you, dad."

- "I love you too, peanut."

The second it was just the two of us, I took a deep breath and smiled at my bride. She was glowing, her eyes brightening, and her hand holding my arm tight.

- "Ready?"- I asked her and she nodded, smiling even brighter. We took the last few steps together, and stood at the altar, in front of our friends and family, ready to make a commitment for a lifetime.

If you ask me, I know there is a part of my brain that focused on the whole ceremony. I know the officiant talked a lot, and we sat and listened. But if you want me to be honest, I could only look at (Y/N) and think about how lucky I was, and how we had gotten there after so many years.

- "How old are you?"- those had been her very first word to me, the day she got to the BAU after Hotch introduced her to the team. I still remember how badly I tried to answer, but I couldn't make any sound but an awkward stutter.

- "He's twenty-four"- Elle had to answer for me, making me feel like a complete loser, absolutely embarrassed in the first two minutes after saying hello- "His birthday was a few weeks ago."- and at those news, (Y/N) smiled even bigger and looked at me so excited, I felt my heart skipping a beat.

- "Congratulations! I'm twenty-four too! I'm so happy I'm not the youngest! My brother teased me about it for the last couple of days and got me all freaked out."

I didn't know it back then, but I am pretty sure that was exactly when I fell for her. And since that day, my love for her had only grown.

- "I was told the bride and groom had decided to write their own vows."- the officiant announced as (Y/N) and I stood up and looked into each other's eyes. I was really having a hard time making an effort not to cry, and I could feel my bride fighting the tears inside as she just stared at me, smiling.

Frank moved closer to me and tapped on my shoulder as he handed me the ring. I felt my hand shaking as I took it, and cleared my throat, preparing to say my vows. The officiant moved the mic closer to me and for a moment I was very aware of how everybody around me was about to hear me being cheesy. But I didn't let that discourage me. I quickly realized they had seen me doing that already, so that wasn't anything new.

- "Chipmunk"- I started and already had to make a short pause, 'cos tears nearly started falling down my cheeks. - "I've loved you since the day I met you. There is no doubt of it, trust me, I have an eidetic memory and can read 20 thousand words per minute."- I watched her chuckle at my words as I held both her hands, staring at her in devotion.

- "In the words of one of my favorite authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: You are my heart, my life, my one and only thought."- I made another pause and took a deep breath as I focused on her smile. - "I love you, and I will always do. You are the light of my life, the air in my lungs, and the reason I try to be a better man every day. Who I am today is in a big part who you made me, and that's why I know how much I want to grow old by your side."

I slide the ring onto her finger and kissed it, feeling a few tears falling from my eyes as I stare at her. (Y/N) bit her lips and just smiled in silence for a few seconds as Frank moved closer to her and handed her the ring.

- "Spencer, I had never been much cheesy or romantic until we started dating, something that most of our friends and family thought might never happen 'cos it took us a little to face our feelings."- she joked and the entire room laughed at her words.

- "But since we've been together, everything cheesy made sense. All the lovey-dovey things I always made fun of, are now everything I wanna do with you. I wanna cuddle and kiss you, and sleep feeling your arms around me."- (Y/N) made a pause and smiled at me - "And 'cause I am also a nerd, I also brought one of my favorite author quotes, which I feel explains just how much I love you."

I chuckled at her words and watched her wipe a few tears as she stared at me and smiled one more time.

- "He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."- I recognized Emily Brontë's quote as (Y/N) recited it.- "I never imagined I'd feel that way with someone until I met you. I love you, Spencer, and I just wanna make you happy until my last day on earth."

I don't know how I managed not to burst into tears as (Y/N) said those words and slid the ringer down my finger. She held my hand and kissed it, then she stared at the ring in my hand with a soft chuckle.

- "Having pledged your love and promise to one another today in front of all of your friends and family and by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

I chuckled as soon as I heard those words. My bride. My wife. I cupped her face with both hands and kissed her lips sweetly, feeling her melting at my touch.

- "Congratulations! Friends and family, it is my honor to introduce to you: Mr. and Mrs. Reid!"

(Y/N) giggled against my lips and looked at me, moving from my embrace.

- "Hello, Mr. Reid."- she whispered as her eyes were still glued to mine. I smiled and kissed her one more time, as our friend started clapping.

- "Hello, Mrs. Reid."- I replied and held her hand- "Ready?"

(Y/N)'s point of view

I was married to Spencer Walter Reid. It wasn't a drill, not a dream, not even a crazy hallucination. The man holding my hand was my husband in front of the law and god. After we walked out of the ceremony and had a bunch of pictures taken around the venue, some of them alone, some with our families, we finally had a minute for ourselves. I grabbed his hands and walked him back to my room for a little moment alone before the celebration started.

Spencer closed the door behind his back and turned to me with the biggest smile I'd ever seen on his face in all the years I had known him.

- "Mrs. Reid."

- "Mr. Reid"- I replied and walked to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him tight against my body as I kissed him.

- "I can't believe we actually did it"- he whispered and bit my lower lip as he continued kissing me, making me moan softly as he did- "You are mine, ma cherie."

- "Yours"- I repeated, and felt his tongue playing between my lips- "Please, husband."- I started begging before he actually even touched me.

- "What does my lovely wife needs?"

- "You."- I mumbled and kissed him with a passion and love that made him tumble for a second.

- "My wife."- he whispered and held me in place just by wrapping his arms around my waist. But his hands didn't stay in place for much longer, they started roaming my back as we continued kissing, and quickly, they reached my breast, on top of the fabric.

- "Love the dress."- he murmured- "But it's getting on the way."

- "Rip it, I don't care, just fuck me, please."- he groaned in response, raising part of the fabric on my dress, trying to find my legs.

But...

- "Guys? Are you there?"- Penelope knocked on the door and we both froze- "Please don't tell me you are already getting jiggy with it! everybody is trying to find you to start the celebration!"

I sighed, but Spencer didn't move. He caressed my legs with his hands and looked at me with darkened eyes filled with lust as soon as he felt my garter.

- "I don't think I'll be able to hold it until tonight."- he whispered and I giggled.

- "You might have to. I don't think a quicky would be a proper first fuck after saying I do. I'm gonna need all your love and dedication."

- "Are you the same woman asking me to rip her wedding dress off her body a minute ago?"- my husband teased and I bit my tongue as I smiled at him and slowly started fixing our outfits.

- "I am the same woman, and you can rip this off if you want, but tonight, in our room."

- "Guys?"- Pen knocked on the door one more time and Spencer sighed, resigned, as he replied loudly.

- "In a minute, Garcia!"- I placed a hand on his pants, feeling how hard he was under his clothes. He groaned at my touch, but I simply shook my head and sighed.

- "Just a few more hours. We waited over a week."

- "You better be ready, ma cherie, 'cos I don't think I'll be gentle."- I chuckled and nodded.

- "I'm counting on it, husband."

Fact: I have never been a fan of being the center of attention. And I just remembered it as soon as I walked down the aisle during the ceremony. The second time I realized it was the moment we walked into the hall for the reception. The biggest difference was that on that occasion, my husband was holding my hand and helping me stay calm. Though, if you ask him, he would say he was the one freaking out.

- "Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. and Mr. Reid"- I held his hand as the doors opened and all our friends and family started clapping as we walked in.

- "If I know all the people in this room, why am I so nervous?"- I asked my husband as we waved.

- "Social anxiety likely arises from a complex interaction of biological and environmental factors"- he said as he turned to me with a warm smile- "But right now, I am sure your anxiety is based on the fact we just got married and there are a lot of emotions running down your brain."

- "That and your family and my family are in the same room with our friends. A lot can go wrong."- I replied the second my mother and father appeared by my side, wrapping their arms around me at the same time, in the most awkward and crowded hug ever.

- "Congratulations, baby"- mom held me especially tighter and kissed my cheek.

- "I can't breath!"- I argued as I tried to move from her embrace. But just when I thought she was gonna let me go, she added Spencer in the mix, wrapping her arm around him too and pressing him against me.

- "Welcome to the family, son!"- dad looked at my husband and smiled- "I told you, you are fucked, we hug a lot."- and Spencer just smiled.

Everybody hugged us, and soon we were moved to the center of the room for our first dance.

- "I'm so glad we are only getting married once."- I joked and Spencer nodded.

- "Me too. I really wanna enjoy things, but I feel very awkward everyone is staring at us the whole time."

Spencer held my hand as "Baby, I'm yours" by the Artic Monkeys started. I rested my head against his shoulder when he held me closer to his body, and slowly we started moving around the dance floor. It took us a long time to pick the song for that day, and after going through basically our entire music collection, we found the one song that described exactly how we felt on our wedding day. I was his, and he was mine. That was in my mind the entire time I stood on that dancefloor, swinging slowly.

- "I love you, ma cherie."- Spencer whispered and kissed the top of my head. I moved from his shoulder and stared at him in adoration.

- "I love you too, honey bunny."

- "Thank you for being my wife."- I felt my heart skip a beat at those words. I wasn't sure I would ever get used to being called "wife" by him. He had been my best friend for so many years, and I had denied my feelings for him for so long, that turning into his wife less than six months after we started dating was still unbelievable.

- "Thank you for asking."- I replied and smiled at him, trying to cover the emotional tears that filled my eyes with a funny comment. But he saw through me, and kissed me, his lips lingering against mine so softly and so slowly, I sighed in contentment.

- "Just you and me, forever."- I whispered and rested my forehead against his.

- "And our babies."- he added, blushing. I giggled and nodded.

- "All the babies you want, honey."

During dinner, speechless started. I always felt that was a very awkward part of weddings. And I never imagine how stressful it would be to hear your friends and family talk about you and your husband in front of everybody. Especially when my father stood up, held his glass, and with one evil smirk, turned to me saying.

- "I'm sure my lovely daughter is freaking out right now."- I even closed my eyes for a second, as everybody laughed at his words. Spencer held my hand and kissed it, trying to comfort me.

- "But don't worry, peanut, I am not going to embarrass you today. I hope."- dad looked at me and smiled- "I'm just here to share the story of how I discovered this was meant to happen. I remember the day I met Spencer. The team helped us with a case, and I was very excited 'cos it would be the very first time I'd work with my princess as an FBI agent. I don't know if many of you have had the experience of working with one of your kids, but for me, it was a very nerve-wracking situation."- everybody chuckled again and I smiled at dad, who had already a few tears in his eyes.

- "I've always known she is an incredible professional, and the job she and her team get done at the BAU is spectacular. But when you have to work shoulder by shoulder with the person you changed diapers to... it's hard."

I noticed Rossi and Hotch smiling at those words, and I imagined what would happen if one of our kids with Spencer decided to get into the academy. We still had some time to worry about that, but it still sounded stressful already.

- "I met Spencer that day and it all made so much sense. How my daughter had told me so much about him since she joined the FBI. How close they were, even when my princess kept telling me she didn't want to cross the friendship barrier with anyone on the team, scared they might judge her. And there she was, joined by the hip to her teammate, working on a geographical profile together, talking in what seemed to be their own personal and secret language, and on top of that, getting in trouble with her Unit Chief and almost getting suspended for defending him from one of my men. Do you remember that, peanut?"

Everybody chuckled and I nodded, embarrassed, but moved by the memory. I had totally forgotten that had been the very first-time dad met Spencer. And I suddenly remembered I had been more than rude to that cop for being an asshole with my now husband.

- "If you ask me, that's when I knew what you two had was strong and real. And though it took you a long time to finally deal with your feelings, this was always the outcome I expected from you two. Spencer, I told you, you are my son and I welcome you to this family with arms wide open. I know you make my princess very happy... just remember we all have concealed carry permits in the family, just in case you fuck up."- everybody laughed at the threat (one I knew dad would do, without a doubt) and then he raised his glass.

- "To (Y/N) and Spencer!"

Hotch stood up next and looked at us with a wide smile on his face. I thought for a moment Spencer would be sad to know Gideon didn't reply to our invitation, but after all, he had been gone for so long, he never wrote or tried to contact Spencer ever again. Maybe that was the way it was supposed to happen. Hotch was the closest father figure Spencer had, and they both knew it too.

- "When I first met Spencer, he only had two Ph.D. and he was ready to join the BAU."- Hotch started, and looked at my husband.- "At first, I wanted to add him to the team because of his brains, but sooner than later I knew there was something about him that brought a completely different approach to cases, and to the family we created along the way. But it wasn't until (Y/N) joined us that we all got to see a completely different side of Spencer. A side he would only show for her. Like Chief (Y/L/N) pointed out, it took them a long time to face their feelings, and we were all witnesses of their struggle, but of one thing I am sure, this is the outcome we were all waiting for.".

Aaron's words were heartwarming and brought tears to my and Spencer's eyes. My husband held my hand tighter as I knew made his best effort not to cry.

- "I am incredibly proud and happy of the man you've become, Spencer"- Hotch added- "And I am sure you two will be incredibly happy, and have the loving family you deserve, together. To Spencer and (Y/N)"- our Unit chief raised his glass and everybody cheered.

I know I hated toasts and weddings in general, but at that point, our wedding was the best I had ever been to. There is something so special about feeling everybody's love and care that made us both emotional and excited at the same time.

Spencer's point of view

It was already after midnight, and most of our guesses were on the dance floor, enjoying their time. Probably after way too many drinks, according to the dance moves they were performing. If you ask me, I had my share of drinks as well, which explained why I was dancing so freely, along with my wife. She was glowing and smiling the entire time. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Until her brother grabbed her hand and started spinning her around.

- "Care if I take her from you for a song?"- he asked and I couldn't say no. I kissed her hand and watched her blushing as she walked to her brother. I turned around and headed to the bar to have a glass of water. There I found JJ, grabbing a drink for her and Will.

- "Hey! How are you doing? Enjoying your time?"- I asked her right away as I grabbed a bottle of water from the counter.

- "Yeah! It's a great party, Spence!"- she replied smiling- "And congratulations again for the whole wedding, I've been meaning to talk to you and..."- JJ didn't seem to find the right words to express what she was thinking, but she had already had probably a few extra drinks, so I just smiled and nodded.

- "Thank you. It means a lot to us that we can share this day with all of you. I know, like everybody has pointed out throughout the day, it took us a very long time to get together. And I remember once you called me to tell me how I had ruined our one date by not telling you how I felt, and that I couldn't waste my chances with (Y/N). That was a very special wake-up call for me."

I wrapped an arm around JJ and held her closer to me. For a moment, she didn't move, maybe shocked by my actions. But after a few seconds, she wrapped both her arms around me and hugged me tight.

- "You really mean a lot to me, Spence."- she whispered- "I know you were angry at me due to the whole lie I had to tell you about Emily. But I hope you know how much I love you and treasure your friendship."

- "We know"- I replied, on behalf of me and my wife, moving from JJ, though for a second her hands remained on my arms as we stood in front of each other- "We are both still sorry for how bad things got when Emily came back. But we are glad we left that behind us now."

JJ nodded and smiled at me. Her eyes were brightening, clearly filled with tears. It had been a night of many emotions, and I had shared my own couple of tears during the whole event.

- "Hey, there you are!"- Will showed up and smiled at us- "I thought you had forgotten about those drinks"

- "No!"- JJ chuckled and pointed at the glasses on the bar- "They are ready, I was just talking with the groom for a moment."

- "Congratulations again, Spence"- Will tapped on my shoulder smiling- "We are so excited and happy for you. You deserve all the happiness and love (Y/N) can possibly give you, which I know is a lot. Let's hope now JJ will want to marry me."

I chuckled at his words, not reading much between the lines. I knew Will wanted to tie the knot and JJ didn't think it was necessary. I always guessed she had commitment issues, considering how hard it had been for her to deal with everything at the beginning of their relationship.

- "Husband!"- (Y/N)'s voice made me turn and look for her on the dancefloor- "Help!"- she yelled, laughing, as Mikey and Frank surrounded her, in what seemed to be a very awkward and funny dance.

- "Excuse me, the wife needs me."- I said to my friends and basically ran towards (Y/N)- "Come here, ma cherie."- I wrapped my arms around her and started dancing with her, moving slowly, thought the song was very hype.

- "Hey! Are you gonna try to steal her from us now that you are married?"- Frank looked at me, raising an eyebrow, in a very funny and yet threatening way.

- "I could never do it even if I tried. Which I have never done, by the way."- I replied and shook my head- "You are the most important friends she has and I would never get in the way of you four, including Lu."

- "Well, only one of us will be the godfather of your firstborn, so I suggest you play your cards wisely."- Mikey added playfully, and (Y/N) hit his arm right away.

- "We are not having kids right away, so you better stop pushing us to pick a favorite!"

I smiled as I stared at the three of them, laughing and arguing at the same time, while Lu tried to settle the argument and get them to start dancing again. I couldn't help but think about the first time I ever met them, and how scared I was to even open my mouth in front of them. And now they were the best friends I could have ever imagined having.

- "So, what did you think of Tarah? And be honest."- Lu asked my wife when Frank left to dance with his girlfriend.

- "She is ok. Better than the last three girls he was interested in. This one might actually be an addition to the group."- (Y/N) replied and looked at her friend, as they frowned at her- "Ok, that was too fast, but she might join us from time to time if things go well."

- "That's more like it."- Mikey joked and wrapped an arm around (Y/N)'s shoulders- "I got you a belated wedding present, by the way. I broke up with Halley. You know, my girlfriend, the one you hated."- and in a second, my wife wrapped her arms around him and nearly jumped of excitement.

- "I'm so happy for you!! You deserve so much better!"

- "I know... I hate to admit you were right, but it's your wedding and... anything for the bride. So, you were right all along"

- "Thank you, Mikey. And also, I'm sorry it didn't work with Halley. I mean it. I want you to be happy."- (Y/N) added, looking honest. I knew she was. She loves her friends like brothers and though she hates their dates most of the time until this day, she just wants what's best for them. That was one of the many things I loved about her: how much she gave to the people she loved. Including me, ever since we met.

(Y/N) made me feel good about who I was ever since the first time we talked. She encouraged me to be myself around her, and eventually, around everybody else. She taught me to have friends, good friends, and how to be a part of something. We were part of our little gang, and now we were about to start our own family. She made me a better man, even a better professional. But most of all, she made me feel human when I felt I didn't belong anywhere.

She was the only one who cared when I was struggling to stay sober, and the one who healed my wounds when I got shot in the leg. She even took me to Hawaii after I got anthrax, under the idea that the sea air might be good for my lungs. (Y/N) was who I cared about the most in the team, and in the entire world. I knew I would take a bullet for her at any given time. And considering our job, that was always a possibility.

I was now wearing a ring that meant everything to me. It meant she was my wife, the person who chose to spend the rest of her life with me. It meant I had made the promise to love her, cherish her, and keep her safe. And honestly, that was my plan even before confessing to her how much I love her.

- "Hey, are you ok?"- (Y/N) looked at me and found me lost in thoughts. I just smiled and cupped her face with both hands as we stood in the middle of the dancefloor, staring at each other.

- "I just love you, so much."- and she giggled as her eyes shone. Her lips reached mine and she kissed me softly.

- "I love you more."

- "I swear, I love you even more than you could ever imagine"- I argued, shaking my head, with a silly smile on my face.

- "So this is how we are going to start our marriage, uh? Fighting."- my wife replied, making me laugh.

- "Never, I don't ever wanna argue with you, ma cherie."

- "Are you gonna be pussy whipped, Dr. Spencer Reid?"- (Y/N) teased me, as she wrapped her arms around my neck, and we started to slowly dance to whatever song that was playing at the moment.

- "I thought it was implied. I have been your slave ever since we first met. And I plan to be your slave until my last day on earth."

- "That sounds dangerously close to Gomez Addam, Spencer Reid."- she replied, blushing as she kept smiling at me.

- "That was the plan, ma cherie."- I answered and leaned in, kissing her neck. We just continued swinging on the dancefloor, at our wedding, surrounded by all our friends and family.

- "I might start speaking french then, mon sauvage."- my wife answered, whispering the words in my ear, and leaving a wet kiss on my neck. I had to bite my lip not to groan.

- "Just like Gomez, I can't control myself when you speak french, cara mia."

- "Ok, let's go. Now!"- my wife held my hand and started dragging me out of the dancefloor. I laughed, enjoying how transparent she was being- "We don't have to say goodbye or anything, let's just..."- but her words were interrupted when her mom stood in front of us.

- "Where are you guys going? The party is just starting!"

- "To our room."- (Y/N) didn't even flinch to reply, she just looked her mother in the eyes and smiled- "You said you wanted grandchildren."- Sofia stared at her daughter, shocked for a moment, but soon started laughing.

- "I'm guessing you won't be coming back"- Sofia asked and hugged (Y/N).

- "Say goodbye to the rest of the family for us."- my wife asked and smiled. Sofia turned to me and wrapped her arms around me as well. It was awkward yet funny and heartwarming.

- "Have fun kids!"

- "Shut up, mom!!"

We nearly didn't make it to our room. In our defense, it was on the other side of the building, and we had to walk and take the stairs. We had time to make out the entire way. In the hall, dark corners, you name it. By the time we got to our room, foreplay wasn't even on the table. I was ready to rip the dress off my wife's body. And that's what I in fact did.

At first, I honestly tried to be gentle, but all that fabric was clearly trying to make my night more challenging. There were so many buttons and clasps, I couldn't deal with them. My hands started shaking with anxiety and desperation. And my wife, of course, started teasing me.

- "What is it, doctor Reid?"- she knew just how much I loved when she called me that- "You can't get your wife naked?"- and that was it. The sound of the fabric in the back of the dress ripping was all we heard for a second. My hands quickly peeled it from her body, and (Y/N) bit her lower lip, suppressing a moan.

- "That was the hottest thing you've ever done."- she whispered and I smirked, holding her face and kissing her fiercely.

- "And that was just the start of it, ma cherie."

It had been eleven days since we had sex. Eleven days, four hours, and over thirty minutes. Not that I kept count. And maybe that was why that night something deeper than simple desire drove my actions. There was something primitive about it: hunger. I couldn't stop myself. I needed to have her, taste her, kiss every inch of her body. I wanted everything.

- "Mine"- I whispered against her skin every few inches, as I devoured her with kisses and bites. Her moans were the sweetest sound I had ever heard, and I was determined to keep her making them for the rest of the night.

- "You are mine too."- (Y/N) whispered and tangled her fingers in my hair, as she laid on our bed underneath my body.

- "I am yours, ma cherie."- I assured her and locked my eyes on hers for a moment. She was blushing, smiling, and giggling in bliss. That was how I wanted her to be for the rest of our lives.

She managed to take off all my clothes, and I made my best not to rip the lingerie from her body. She was wearing the loveliest white set I could have ever imagined and I made sure to engrave it in my eidetic memory as one of the most precious memories of my life.

- "I love you so much"- I whispered against her skin as I laid her on the bed. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me sweetly for a moment, in contrast to all the passionate kisses and touches we had shared since leaving the party.

- "I love you more, honey."- she murmured and smiled- "And I am really yours."

- "All mine"- I whispered and slipped into her as I did, with a soft and slow movement- "Shit, I missed you."

- "Me too, so much."- she murmured as she closed her eyes and our lips moved together. I kept my eyes open, staring at her, coming undone underneath me. I panted and tried my best to stay focused. I didn't want to come right away, and at that moment, it just felt too good.

- "Feels so good, hubby"- I heard her whispering as she smiled at me. I groaned and kissed her neck, increasing the pace of my thrusts in her, feeling her walls clenching heavenly around me.

- "I love you"- that was all I could say and think of at the moment. My hands traveled around her entire body, like a blind man reading a book. I wanted to memorize everything about that night. Her whimpers, her eyes, her smell, how warm and wet she felt around me. Every detail.

She smiled and cupped my cheeks with her hands, soft whines left her lips as I kept increasing the pace of my thrusts. She opened her mouth to speak, but no word left her lips, just soft moans.

- "I got you, ma cherie"- I whispered and kissed the tip of her nose- "Forever."- I held one of her breasts in my hand, toying with her hardened nipple between my fingers carefully. My mouth watering to wrap my lips around it, but at that minute, I couldn't move. I didn't want to stop staring into her eyes as she came underneath me. Her moans turned into soft yells as she reached her climax, carrying me with her in a matter of seconds. I spilled inside of her and stayed still after a few more thrusts, still staring at her, kissing the top of her nose and lips as she smiled at sighed.

- "Round one, done. What about round two after a nice shower?"- she asked and I smiled, caressing her cheek with my nose and leaving soft kisses on every inch of her skin that was available for me.

- "How about round two in the shower?"- I whispered and heard her giggling underneath me. I still didn't pull myself from her, 'cos I needed to feel her as close to me as possible for as long as I could. My wife smiled and nodded. She just stared at me for a few more minutes, kissing me with her arms wrapped tight around me.

- "Honestly, if this is how we are gonna spend our married life, I don't know why we didn't get married sooner."- she whispered and I chuckled.

- "I could spend the rest of my life with you like this, ma cherie."

- "And work?"

- "Fuck work"- she gasped at my answer and I just smiled, taking carefully some bangs of her from her forehead- "I just wanna be with you."

- "Well, you said you wanted kids. And when we have kids, we can't spend our lives naked in bed, we are gonna have to spend time with them."

My heart skip a beat as I heard those words, and I slowly moved from her and laid at her side, still making sure my arms were around her.

- "I can't wait to have babies with you."- I confessed feeling her lips on mine as soon as I finished talking.

- "Me neither. They are gonna be so cute. And so smart. Just like their daddy."- I chuckled and blushed at her words. Though I was naked next to her, that sentence was way more powerful.

- "So... are we gonna have kids soon?"- I dared to ask and my wife giggled.

- "I don't know. Are you ready for round two?"

I stared at her as she smiled at me and got off the bed. I opened my mouth to speak, but this time, I was speechless at the thought of having kids with her soon. It was the end of our single life. It was the start of our marriage. Of our family. And we still had so much to live and share, I just couldn't wait to start living it with her. 

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BIY tag list

@miaxx03

[mecachrome]

wahh thank u @scrappyracers for the tag i enjoyed ur answers a lot :') f1 tag game...

Who is your favorite driver?: i am an oscarybro first & foremost <3 he's the only driver i truly rep because honestly i don't think i have the bandwidth for more even if i wanted to/tried!!

Do you have other favorite drivers?: i would basically put alex below oscar in his own little tier and then it's just like [WALL]... but i'm also fond of yuki + lando + lewis and respekt maxv :') the rest of the grid i honestly don't think about 99% of the time LOL not in a bad way but because i barely have enough energy for My Guys as is u know

Who is your least favorite driver?: 😔 i feel bad sharing hateurisms on my family friendly blog. 

Do you pull for drivers or do you like teams as well?: def drivers first but i genuinely like mclaren as a racing outfit so that helps!!! when oscar was still in alp i suffered so much because of it being a deeply unserious team and even back then when the cracks were still forming this was fairly evident because i had a rossi agenda, so i was like wegghhhh i guess i can enjoy a williams stint/swallow down alpine content for him. 😔 and then he replaced [answer to question above which at the time hindered my mcl support significantly] and i got the ultimate driver pairing at a team i'm actually quite fond of ❤️🤍🖤

If you like teams, what team do you pull for?: any1 else papayapilled??? 🧡

How long have you been into F1?: a little over 2 years!!! how i managed to get into this sport via an inactive reserve driver i don't know.....

What got you into F1?: several friends were getting into it & were reading mxl fic & things of that nature and even though i wasn't really invested in any of the ships presented i ended up biting as well... but fsr i was not compelled by most f1 content / barely watched dts and instead got reeaaally into feeder series, i think perhaps because at the time i was fascinated by prospect projections + mapping / modeling career trajectories + the idea of "ceilings" in hockey and was watching a ton of jr hockey so it kind of translated over and i got to enjoy masterclasses like litr the most broken broadcast streams ever of kimi driving off into the distance in adac f4. But anyway... i also watched chasing the dream and became obsessed with oscar from that and the rest was history 😌🐨🧡

Do you enjoy Fanfic/RPF?: i definitely read it!!! RPF Is Fine etc. i've written 2 effwon fics very poorly and that's it but i peruse the 814 archives regularly..... i forever need to be better at commenting and feel very bad about my own shyness but i think this fandom has such a wealth of incred authors whom i am always in awe of x__x 🧡 tho i will say i'm also a stickler for the 4th wall and it mildly horrifies me that 814 are 75% public..... also fun fact 814 is my favorite oscar ship but it's only my #3 lando ship LOL. j(e|o)ndo you are so special 2 meee

How do you view new fans?: well i'm a relatively new fan so 💗 honestly i barely witness or process most fandom discourse wrt: gatekeeping the sport or dts fans or what have you since i do not frequent those circles of the internet (no public twitter / have never downloaded tiktok in my life) so i don't even know the primary arguments!!

If you could take over as team principal for any team, who would it be and why?: i should never be put in charge of anything. now i'm just trying to think strategically like okay where would i want to live but even then i have no idea... 

Are your friends and family into F1 as well?: my family could not care less but def the former !!! 💗 going to my 2nd gp soon with my beloved chirlie friend who has been with me thru k-pop fandom for like 8 years now hehe

Are you open to talking to other fans/making friends?: yes i'm just very shy & have multiple anxiety disorders Amongst other things so pls forgive my neuroticism 😭😭😭 but i love 2 have discussions.... oscar piastri lore is my passion in fact <3

0 pressure tagging @bright-and-burning @piastrisms @miamimaiden @goingxmissing If u would like !!! these r fun qs i like hearing about people's fandom journeys/experiences hehe :')

[starlightvld]

20 Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ꜰɪᴄ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀꜱ

Tagged by the lovely @snarky-magpie - thank you!!

1. How many works do you have on A03? 13 (for now...☺️)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 429,228

3. What fandoms do you write for? Voltron: Legendary Defender and Call of Duty: MW Reboot

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? - Couch Surfing (COD, soapghost) - Broken Bones & Shattered Hearts (COD, soapghost) - Up in Smoke (COD, soapghost) - Formalities (Voltron, sheith) - Research and Development (Voltron, sheith)

5. Do you respond to comments? YES. I love talking to people in the comments. 😍

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably Couch Surfing because it's an "in progress" ending. But it's still mostly happy because I can't really write anything else. LOL

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably Formalities? But all of them are pretty tooth-rotting...

8. Do you get hate on fics? No

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes, but it's always slow burn smut with feelings (hi, I'm ace).

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I love thinking about crossovers, but I haven't written any yet (unless you count the AU from question 13, I guess).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that I know of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? The soapghost Punisher AU I'm working on with @kibagib - You're my mask, you're my cover, my shelter - is basically co-written. Kiba gives me the outline for what they want to happen in the scene, and I write it out, adding my own flare here and there. It's been so much fun to work together to bring Kiba's visions to life!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? As much as I love soapghost, I think sheith will always have my heart.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? So far, I've finished or am actively working on all my WIPs... 😯 I do have an idea for a soapghost inter-dimensional-travel, angst-with-a-bittersweet ending fic, but that one hasn't gotten past outline phase. That's the closest I have to a fic I might never finish. (This fic would also win "angstiest ending," btw.)

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I write dialogue and emotions/introspection pretty well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I struggle with descriptions - they are often what I "add in" during the editing phases. I'm also a VERY SLOW writer, which is why it takes so long to update sometimes.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I don't do it unless I have a native speaker willing to help me with the translation. Otherwise, it's just English but in italics. LOL

19. First fandom you wrote for? Dragon Age (long ago with a different user name)

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? I love them all, but my first sheith fic - In Sunshine and in Shadow - will always be special to me because it helped me process that atrocious VLD ending.

Tagging... errmmmm... @oodelally9 @kayluvlygrey @hawkeykirsah @ticktockclockwork @ursae-minoris-world @insomnikat-mused @chalkofthevalley

No pressure! Ignore or play as you like!

[gloryundimmed]

Get to know the mun ! repost, don’t reblog .

——— BASICS.

NICK NAME : Gray/Grayson

PRONOUNS : He/him

ZODIAC SIGN : Aquarius— fits me, right?

TAKEN OR SINGLE : Single, but a flirt and I'm sorry

ANYTHING ELSE ? : Nah I'm just chillin'

——— THREE SERIOUS FACTS.

I currently make money off of freelancing in web design and graphic design. I've worked for four literary journals now in some capacity, and I usually take the roll of web editor/graphic designer plus a reader. I'm also the web editor for my school's newspaper. My hands are always full, but that's the way I like it. I like commotion and stimulation.

I tend to keep people at an arms length even if I don't mean to, so if I ever feel distant, I apologize. I can just get weird when I'm too attached to someone, and I hate that feeling. Though it comes back to bite me in the ass because sometimes I feel like I have a ton of friends and I'm very social and love people, but I've got no "best friends."

I've got ADHD, which in my case means that I say yes to anything new and shiny despite how busy I may be. Sometimes I can be bad at gauging how much I can do at once, which leads to things slipping off my plate. Plus, the executive dysfunction is real af and I sometimes need a kick in the ass to get things done. Sorryyyy but you love me, right?

——— THREE RANDOM FACTS.

I have a dog named Romeo and I love him soooooo much

Death and knowing I'll die one day doesn't really scare me. Not that I want to die or anything, but letting people down scares me much, much more. It's my worst fear yet I feel like it happens all the time.

I love attending concerts, and music is a big inspiration for my writing. I'm always listening to something!

——— EXPERIENCE.

I've been into creative writing since I was at least 12, and at that age I began rp on a website called wetpaint.com with an elf OC because I was so into LOTR back then. Shortly after, I made an OC named Jake who I wrote with a lot. Wetpaint was like wordpress, a service where you could create little privately owned websites that could be made for any purpose with a forum/comment-like setup on most pages, and I would write with my in-person friends. I took a bit of a break from rp in my first three years of high school, but still wrote short stories. During my senior year, I got back into the rp scene, but that time here on tumblr. I've been writing here on and off ever since, with the creation of Kai in July 2014. Currently, I'm getting my bachelors in creative writing, so I guess that might count as experience, too. Sometimes I even write fanfiction lmao.

——— MUSE PREFERENCE.

Gosh, idk. I tend to go for a lot of different types of muses as long as they are written well and don't feel empty. I do lean toward more action/fantasy/romance than regular slice of life or platonic stuff, though. The muses I find most interesting have a lot of depth. I tend to find people with 20+ muses on their blog a little intimidating because I can't imagine having so many and it's hard to choose between them all. Also, it may not be true, but sometimes I can't help but think if they have so many, they can't possibly be at the depth that I'm looking for, but I'm probably just wrong on that. I barely have my 6 guys and write Kai the most of all, so it's hard for me to understand.

——— FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT.

FLUFF : I think I like cute stuff as much as the next guy. Sometimes I can find it a little boring, though. LMAO

ANGST : I LOVE angst. I love two characters who don't get along or have some sort of friction between them. It's my lifeblood, and that's probably obvious to see since I have a muse like Kai as my main. Conflict, heartbreak, violence, despair— I love it all.

SMUT : Can you guess? Again, with a muse like Kai, I think its clear that writing sex and sexuality is a big part of my journey as a writer. It's not a must-have for me in any rp, but it certainly spices things up and goes hand in hand with angst. Anything you catch me writing solo is bound to have smut in it somewhere, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Sex is such a huge part of life for a lot of people, and I think the Puritan guilt of society has caused many to shy away from it. I strive to be a sex-positive writer. If it's not your bag, though, I can certainly understand that as well.

——— PLOT / MEMES : They don't call me the idea guy for nothing! I love plotting, even if it doesn't always come to fruition or never comes to fruition. Plotting sustains me. It has the thrill of imagining scenes without having to go through the slog of writing them. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy writing, but I don't always have the energy to roll up my sleeves and get to it. I also love memes! Any meme someone sends feels like a love letter to me and my muses. They're great because they can start things off with no plotting required. I send them in as often as I can, but sometimes I'm not around and don't see them.

TAGGED BY : @shishitoren-vc tyvm!! love u

TAGGING: @lured-into-wonderland @incandescentia @eraba-reta-unmei and anyone else who wants to. I chose some people I don't know as well but would like to!

[chellerbelles]

Rogue & Gambit Fanworks Week 2024

Day 5: Legacy as a Concept or Character & Noir AU

Well, for those who have been reading my story, you'd know that Legacy is one of the main characters, and you'd think that she would be my answer to this prompt. But she's only the obvious half.

See the second half of my answer is Amalgam. The original Amalgam made her first appearance in Uncanny X-Men Annual #16, and it was hinted that this was a future version of Rogue. Amalgam would time travel and find mutants on deaths door to offer to absorb them, but only the ones who didn’t have more to do, and they had Destiny to verify if this was the case. In the short story in the Annual, Amalgam appears to Warren Worthington, and he remembers that he actually met them first during the Morlock Massacre.

Amalgam is basically the original version of Legacy from Age of X, only taken to a bit more of an extreme. I find them interesting, and I'm sorry I didn't get to do as much with them as I was originally planning this story.

Below the cut is my poor attempt at writing Noir. I've never done Noir before and it's not a genre I really dip into, so it probably just reads like everything else I've ever written, haha.

Noir universe

Rogue’s power kicked in and she absorbed Toad’s lifeforce through her bare fingers on the back of his neck.

“Amazing timing there, chere,” Gambit said, his eyes on her as he walked over.

Rogue released Toad and he dropped to the ground, his gun clattering on the gravelled ground behind the bar.

“I had a hunch you were in trouble,” she said while pulling her glove back on and scanning the area. “I’ve learned to listen to my gut.”

“Good thing for me,” Gambit said as he lifted Toad back up to his feet. “How about the pipe?”

“Hmm? Ah, perfect.”

Rogue picked up the rusted pipe and bashed Toad over the head with it. Gambit let him drop back down.

“Yeah, that’ll leave a good mark,” Gambit said approvingly.

“That was the idea,” Rogue said, and tossed the pipe into a shallow puddle.

Gambit took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Pick up anything interesting, chere?”

“Not really. He was just completely convinced that you were the one who killed Erik. He remembered seeing you sneak into the house on the day of Erik’s murder,” Rogue replied as they began to walk off.

“Oui, I remember seeing him too,” Gambit said as they approached the alley leading back to the street. “Spying on Wanda again, no doubt.”

Rogue stopped in her tracks, a deep frown on her face. “He saw someone else that day too. Pietro!”

“Wasn’t he forbidden from coming back home?” Gambit asked.

“Yes, he was.”

Rogue and Gambit looked at each other. Then Rogue sighed.

“I suppose I should pass this information on to Bishop,” she said.

“May as well get your moneys worth.”

[katyspersonal]

Honestly, thank you for calling Messmer a fascist I feel like so much of the fandom just ignore the way he is written for the sake of a more simplified and commodified character they can lust over. Not only is it weird to completely deny such an important part of his character that affects the wider narrative (not even getting into real world implications) it just makes him more boring! This is a Fromsoft game where very few characters are ever even close to morally pure. And yes, Messmer isn’t as pure evil as he was presented in the trailers, that doesn’t mean he’s a good person. A lot of people take away the main twist of the storyline as “the Hornsent were the bad guys the whole time and Messmer was completely in the right” when that’s just not the case. Sorry for ranting in your ask box I just thought you might like to hear out my case lol x)

First not going to lie, frien, I start to have some personal concern because of the messages like this. 😔 I am getting the type of messages like "thank you for doing this Elden Ring thing when everyone else does that Elden Ring thing" + followed by jab at the fandom for not paying enough attention or variants! There was "thank you for actually having positive reading of Nanaya when people portray her as agent of chaos", then "thank you for writing Rellana with her own ideology when people portray her as just Golden Order simp", then "thank you for writing Messmer and Marika as fucked up when people make them wholesome mother-son bond"... now this too

I want to say that I do not blame you, or anyone who sent previous messages I mentioned! And I am glad that you find enjoyment and understanding in how I analyse and write Elden Ring things! Like, yes, I am happy that it resonated with you when by your own admission, it is not something you see often! ...that being said, I really do not fit to be the "face of opposition" if you can even call it that! xD I am very meticulous in my analysis (against my will, autism is just like this) and try to not have any bias but instead fixate on what the writer really wants to say, but I should be more critical with compliments that I accept! Don't want to get my ego bloated with comparisons fshhddhsf I accept the compliments for my posts! Just not the '...unlike the rest of the fandom' part if this can be helped!

^^^ On the subject, Messmer said this phrase even in the first, gameplay trailer, and it already made me raise my eyebrow! Saying that "impure" creatures do not deserve to live is really wild, however, it didn't look to be Miyazaki's average jab at religious crusades... yet xD

^^^ Then THIS stuff in the second trailer. Basically, I was already labelling him fascist before the DLC dropped 🙄

I was actually really... delighted to find out that Fromsoft touched such a huge topic? Even though it is called 'Crusade', Miyazaki's jab at religion leaned more towards Inquisitors of Hornsent! Messmer lived up to my expectations from his character and MORE! He is not even wiser than burning all traces of history and culture, had it not been for his Knights beings better than this! Honestly, Fromsoft raising the topics of fashism and genocide is one of their biggest Ws so far, and something I will always love SOTE for!

Above all I agree that even if you ditch everything about 'subtext', 'media literacy' and 'obvious implications', the story about "justified genocide" doesn't really offer anything interesting narratively! Making a whole nation/race/whatever 'inherently evil' and their genocide as heroic act....? It doesn't offer anything: no meaning, no fuel for self-reflection as society, no awareness of real world parallels, no philosophical debate about horrors of revenge cycle...

Doesn't offer anything interesting, except for.... yeah, making Messmer more approachable to simp for. Well, everyone knows what I think of such characters:

Debate about media literacy and subtexts in Elden Ring is very tricky, and I've learned the hard way when Mohg beaten the allegations! (my confidence was shattered that day fhddhsf) It is hard to draw the line where 'obvious implication' ends and 'but they did not DIRECTLY say it...' starts! So yeah, when logic and reading deep ends, I think feelings can help. Messmer is a horrible, horrible person, and genocide is the worst thing humanity can fall into. Is making one character (maybe two, as Marika is connected) more "likeable" worth larger story with meaning, rising such significant topics? I don't think so!

As for Hornsent........ sighhhh...