#thank Will and trash cat for the birth of this thing

[a-s-levynn]

cat

[my-own-walker]

im so sorry it wouldn't let me answer you abt the tate langdon ask, pre death please and thank u

I Can't Handle Change

note: it's been so long since i wrote anything tate. this should be fun!!

summary: pre-death tate gets comfort from the reader after a fight with his mom 🥺

warnings: sad angsty tate, kissing lol,

+++

Little things wore Tate down over time.

He once told me that he spent a whole afternoon picking fresh lilacs and daffodils out of his mother's garden, arranging them into the prettiest bouquet for her. He was 11. If you truly let that sink in, it's astounding that an 11-year-old boy was sweet enough to do that for his mom. Her response to the gesture was to shout at him about ruining all the hard work she'd put into the gardening.

She threw the handmade bunch into the trash right in front of him. Held his head straight to make him watch and all. The pretty purple and yellow petals crashed down into the can with a thunk.

Their relationship didn't change. Especially when Larry came into their lives. Constance was an interesting woman. She was in no way fit to mother the children she birthed. Her narcissistic tendencies drew her to do things to the children that made them resent her. It seemed she resented them right back.

Tate and Constance were constantly at war with each other over the whole Larry thing. He didn't know what he wanted, but it for sure wasn't a new dad. Nothing could truly fill the void inside of him. If anything, his mother and Larry were working in tandem to dig even more out of his soul, shoveling heaps of it out of him and discarding it right before his eyes. Just like Constance did with the flowers.

When I came along things changed for Tate. We met in school. I'd spend afternoons at his place. Somewhere along the way we started dating. He possessed this all-encompassing love within him. Since he was a child, its tendrils reached out, longing for someone to latch onto to disseminate the intense feeling. He was a lover, but also the child of someone with no room for real love in her life.

I embraced his need for connection. His intensity. Tate was emotional and strong-willed. The love he gave me was the warm embrace that you crave on winter's coldest nights. It was slippery quicksand, pulling me in with no regard for my control.

She hated me, Constance. She didn't like my presence. My effect on her 'beautiful boy.' It was a game of cat and mouse. She didn't want his love, but she wanted him to keep trying. The thrill of rejecting him intoxicated her. When I came into Tate's life, he stopped trying to connect with her. He finally found someone that would accept him.

On a rainy day in November, Constance and Tate went at it again. She expressed her intent to keep Larry in his life.

'He's your new father and you have to DEAL with it!' she screamed.

Larry watched from the corner as she slapped Tate across his face. The coward didn't even say a word. No mother should be hitting her son. Instead, Larry wore a smirk so devilish he could be a minion of Satan, for all anyone knew.

Tate didn't even say a word. He stormed out of the door and straight in the direction of my house. I lived two miles away. He trudged all that way in the pouring rain. When he arrived at my doorstep, he was soaked right through to the skin, shivering from the cold. He broke down on my front porch. Body-wracking sobs left his lips as he crouched down into a ball. I pulled him up by his armpits and guided him inside.

When we got to my room, I immediately stripped him of all his wet clothes and gave him some of the stuff I had stolen from his room. A sweater, some loose-fitting jeans, and a cardigan. I wrapped him in the layers, shushing him as he cried through the process. He collapsed into a heap on top of my duvet cover, face in his hands. Still shivering, he let out another heart-wrenching sob.

I hurried over to the bed and wrapped him in my embrace. His head rested on my chest and his body rested in between my legs. I sat up against the headboard, running my fingers through his hair, letting him cry it out. After some time, his cries became softer.

'Nothing I do is ever good enough,' Tate sniffed.

'You know that's not true,' I tutted. 'You are good enough.'

'No,' he whined, 'With her. In her eyes.' I knew he meant his mother. I didn't even have to ask.

'What happened, love?' I asked softly.

'It's just that ugly motherfucker again,' he sighed. 'She keeps saying he's my dad. She wants me to call him dad.' I stared off for a second not sure what to say. I kissed the top of his head.

'You shouldn't have to call him that,' I decided. He sobbed loudly again.

'She hit me, Y/N.'

I gasped and grabbed his head, turning it to make him look at me. And there it was, clear as day. A welt forming over his eye. I couldn't believe I didn't notice it earlier.

'I ignore him now. I don't insult him. I stay away. But now she wants me to call him dad,' he cried. 'Nothing I do is ever good enough. She knows I can't handle change.'

'Oh, baby. I am so sorry,' I whispered. Looking into his glassy eyes, I saw a brokenness I had never seen before. She went too far, as she always did. I kissed the tip of his nose. 'I'm sure that feels great, huh?' I half-laughed, sardonically, running my thumb gently over his swollen face.

His hand reached up and wiped my cheek. I didn't even realize I had started crying, too. I loved him so much and hated to see him hurting.

'Please, don't worry about me,' I said softly. 'I just cry when you cry. I'm a big dork.'

'I love you so much, Y/N,' he rasped.

'I love you more,' I replied. He sat up more so his face was level with mine. Leaning in, he kissed me delicately. He always kissed me so tenderly, his soft lips caressing mine so beautifully. Tate truly meant his kisses. They had intentions behind them. It was his way of saying 'thank you,' or 'I love you.' None of his kisses were meaningless.

The tenderness dissolved into a passion. We had this insatiable need to be closer to one another. We stayed like this for what felt like forever. Kissing in our mutual bliss. His ever-present need to give love and be loved in return was being fulfilled.

And with that, the broken parts of him began to heal again.

+++

Quickie but a goodie! Thank you for this request. I like writing Tate. He's a moody lil boy.

[devildomwriter]

Satan Birthday Fun Fact Special 100 Facts

1. Satan had a pet Flame Salamander but it preferred Simeon so he allowed Simeon to have him (it later ran away from Simeon)

2. Satan was once allowed to have a cat but kept bringing more until you couldn’t see the floors of the house. He has been banned from having a pet cat since

3. Satan is considered the safest option for MC to date by Lucifer

4. Satan has some control over Cerberus thanks to Lucifer teaching him

5. Satan belongs to a rare book club but advises all new members to make sure Mammon isn’t following since Mammon was banned

6. Assuming all humans are the same, the first valentines card Satan appears in he offers to kill someone for MC and attempts to give them rare jewels and other treasures

7. Satan’s wrath alone can shake buildings

8. Satan is stated to still be going through his rebellious phase. All his brothers agree.

9. Satan was born shortly after the fall from the celestial realm but due to being part of Lucifer he has memories of the celestial realm and of Lilith

10. Satan loves beautiful things according to his card though this isn’t addressed much in the game

11. Satan loves going to art museums

12. Satan has connections with literally everyone. His brothers are often surprised by this, even Lucifer

13. His brothers compare him to a cat since they never know when and where he’s going to show up

14. He has a giant inferiority complex due to Lucifer and feeling like his copy. Through the levels Satan has gotten better but still feels this way on occasion

15. Satan is the most openly sexual out of his brothers when it comes to encounters in the game

16. When lost in a forest, Satan took the opportunity to try and have sex with MC but they were interrupted by Beelzebub

17. Satan is rich enough to buy clothes worth as much as a house and discard them without a second thought

18. Satan checks a cat blog as the last thing in the day before bed so he has energy for the next day

19. In one chat Satan says someone he’d be attracted to someone with a mutual understanding of anger

20. Satan once strung up Mammon when he secretly recorded him

21. Satan’s feather boa is a nod to being created from both Lucifer’s wrath and the wings he ripped from his back

22. While most people don’t like things being thrown at them, Satan is worse. In a pillow fight he blew up about getting hit in the face and was even angrier when Asmodeus sent a picture of it to Solomon. Mammon once threw a piece of trash at his head and hid in the woods out of fear.

23. Satan likes chunky red bean paste over smooth because it has more bite

24. Satan despises baby talk not directed at animals. He was extremely angry when Asmo was using baby talk

25. After his birth, Satan was taught everything by his brothers. Due to Lucifer’s new harsh behavior contrary to his pre-fall brotherly behavior, Satan only saw this dark side of him and unfortunately it had the largest influence on him

26. Despite his rank at fourth brother, he is the youngest, and aside from MC is the youngest character in the game. In Issue 3 of the RAD newspaper the devs say Luke is youngest but this is in terms of physical appearance/mental age and contrary to many in-game details

27. Solomon and Satan get along very well and share a love of books, knowledge, and especially cats

28. Satan goes to a cat cafe often but is annoyed that they seem to prefer Belphegor over him

29. Luke was extremely surprised that Satan’s kind act was all a fake. Lucifer even immediately warned MC of Satan’s deceiving appearance the moment they were introduced

30. Satan originally approaches and “befriends” MC to use them to annoy Lucifer, this relationship dynamic eventually changed to affection and admiration

31. Satan covered his student laptop in cat stickers and did the same thing to Belphegor’s

32. Satan’s antagonistic behavior with Lucifer is shown to be an impulse as he also wishes to dedicate less time to Lucifer but does so anyway

33. Satan admires Solomon’s intellect and wishes to catch up to him

34. Satan cherishes relationship anniversaries and special dates of remembrance

35. Satan’s motto is “Wisdom is the treasure of all generations.”

36. Satan in B’s Log is said to easily be able to openly express his feelings

37. Satan likes the bitterness of dark chocolate

38. It’s been confirmed by Asmodeus that contrary to his behavior, Satan does care about and look up to Lucifer

39. The gray cat Satan is seen with most often is names Sir Cat

40. Satan has successfully pranked Lucifer multiple times. The most significant event being when he transferred his pain and side affects from Solomon’s cooking to Lucifer who declares he will get him for this

41. When Beelzebub’s mind became that of a cat Satan found him to be oddly cute

42. Satan let’s Belphegor sleep on his lap because Belphegor seems to really enjoy it

43. Both in the human world and Devildom Satan feeds hoards of cats

44. Multiple times Satan has made a move on MC in front of other people, once when Beelzebub was asleep and again when Mammon passed out

45. Satan starts his baths by washing his left arm

46. Satan in B’s log is said he has things he is jealous of when it comes to his lover

47. Satan is a fan of the artist Dantalion

48. Satan gets sleepy after eating lunch

49. Satan has taken MC to art galleries and events multiple times in the games

50. Satan’s greatest dream is to have a cat

51. Satan says for relationships with hardships he chooses to face them passionately

52. Satan’s favorite show is Mid-Fall Murders, a parody of Midsomer Murders

53. Satan’s book piles have fallen and trapped him on multiple occasions

54. Satan is a good artist

55. Satan’s daily goal is to pet a cat

56. In B’s Log, Satan is said to take the active role in Love and wants to bind and monopolize his lover

57. Satan loves classical music, especially symphonies

58. Satan is a night owl and has said si himself. Often it is because he looses track of time reading.

59. Satan likes to make his own Christmas ornaments—they are all cats

60. Satan is a confirmed sadist

61. Satan has said his room is not a mess and he knows where everything is

62. Satan enjoys going for walks at night

63. Satan believes Easter is the perfect day to throws eggs at Lucifer

64. Satan agrees with Lucifer that Luke is like a dog

65. Satan sometimes wonders if Mammon is the most decent of them, though he hasn’t stated why

66. Satan isn’t aware humans count sheep to go to sleep and mistaking it believes it’s crows

67. Satan loves Ska Music believes it’s appealing no matter age or gender

68. Satan has never won a game of chess against Diavolo

69. Satan is one of the worst drunks according to Asmodeus

70. Satan is most trusted by Asmodeus

71. Levi asked Satan for a Cherry Crush once but Satan gave it to some cats saying they wanted it more

72. Raphael made Satan extremely angry by pointing out he reminded him of Lucifer right to his face

73. Satan once got angry when Lucifer said it made no difference if he did the paperwork or Satan bug later it was revealed it’s because Lucifer trusts him and knows he will always do a good job

74. Asmodeus believes if Satan ever becomes truly angry the world will end, this belief is shared by most of the Devildom

75. According to Beelzebub, Satan looked at him reproachfully for eating a cat shaped pancake at the Cat’s Eye.

76. Satan and Luke like the Devil Animals TV Show, and they watch it together when Luke comes over to the house of lamentation. Belphegor once found them absorbed in a scene of a cat swiping at a zombie iguana

77. Mephistopheles and Satan have a chat where 9 times out of 10 they devise plans to ruin Lucifer, gossip about him, complain about him, or discuss rumors about him

78. Satan once gave Lucifer a scarf but it was cursed to grow for eternity so he immediately burned it

79. Satan visits the demon lord castle archives very often

80. Satan is the only one of his brothers to have been born a demon

81. Satan put cat towers in the backyard, hoping to entice cats to play in their garden. Since he isn’t feeding them he claims he’s not breaking the no-cats-rule

82. Satan saved Luke from falling down the stairs. Luke called him an accursed demon but Satan later found candies on his desk

83. Satan is knowledgeable in Venus flytraps, and told Mammon they like stuffy humid places

84. A convenience store put out a capsule toy machine with kittens. Satan was afraid of everyone would think and got MC to go with him

85. Satan unknowingly wore face-changing mask that made it appear he was smiling, Lucifer chose not to do anything, worried about what Satan would do to Mammon if he found out

86. Satan gave cursed candies to Lucifer once but it didn’t affect him much and Satan was “distraught” according to Mammon

87. Satan once suffered a curse that made everything look like cats. According to Barbatos he wasn’t bothered at all

88. When MC was practicing wash granting they made a giant cat for Satan

89. Satan fell asleep with a cat under a tree and ended up covered in petals, solomon thought it was cute

90. At least five of Satan’s outfits involve cats

91. When Beelzebub ate cat food, Satan got mad as he saw it as stealing food made for cats

92. Satan reports everything his brother’s get up to to Lucifer

93. When Belphegor fell asleep in his soup it was Satan who decided to clean him up and tuck him into bed

94. Despite Belphegor being bad at drawing, if it’s of a cat, Satan can tell what it is down to the specific cat breed

95. Satan finds that cleaning the kitchen is stress-relieving, this was recommended by MC

96. Satan borrows manga and light novels from Levi

97. Satan blew up when Belphegor admitted he accidentally spilled something on Satan’s book and left it that way

98. Satan’s brothers all began apologizing to Satan in fear for their life when he casually read a torture manual in the cafeteria at school

99. Satan laughs when remembering the time he strangled a bunch of demons on his first day of school

100. A child once ran into Satan while he visited the human world. He helped the child but the child blamed him and went crying to his parents who started yelling at Satan. Satan put the fear of god in them and finds it hysterical, proudly sharing this story

[lucky38-2077]

OC Interview: Vincent Ibarra & Naota Vasile

Tagged by @dreamskug It was really fun to do this and thank you for tagging!🖤🖤

NICKNAME

V: Most people call me V. Some people I've known since I was little still call me kid, but I guess I'm not a kid anymore, am I? Naota: My family and friends often call me Nao.

GENDER

V: Male. Naota: I am a demiguy.

STAR SIGNS

V: Don't know my exact birth date but I heard it was middle of December. So the thing with the archer? Sagutti...something. Naota: It's Sagittarius, V. (yeah that it!) Mine is Capricorn.

HEIGHTS

V: Why do people even care about the height? I don't know, haven't checked since teenager. Naota: I'm about 5′ 7″ and V is a little taller than me. I think... he could be around 5′ 9″. V: WOW. I'm learning about myself here.

ORIENTATION

V: I like men. Naota: I... I think the closest one should be Pansexual. Do you have preference? If you don't mind talking about. Naota: I really don't know, and it doesn't matter to me anymore.

NATIONALITY / ETHNICITY

V: Nobody knows who my parents were at all. Valentino is my thing. Naota: My father was Italian and mother was Japanese. I feel close to both. V, have you ever tried to look for your biological parents? V: Nah, have my family already. I've got old man Padre and Mama Welles. But don't you even think about a thing between them. They are good friends, nothing more.

FAVE FRUIT & FAVE SEASON

V: Green grapes and lemons. Well I don't enjoy eating lemons, but love lemonade. Naota: It's hard to choose... apples, oranges, cherries... V: And season? Summer. Not because of the weather, because I can play in water a lot. Naota: I like winter. I feel cold easily but it's still my favorite. Warm clothes, soft blankets and hot... Wait we have another question for that, please save it! Naota: Oh.

FAVE FLOWER

V: Not really interested in, but red or yellow ones are pretty. Naota: I do love flowers. Peony and hibiscus are my favorite. V: Don't forget a desert rose, D-rose. Desert rose- Adenium? Is there a story about it? I'd like to hear. Naota: Um... my partner gave it to me as a gift before. I still have the pot and it means a lot to me. And D-rose? V: The whole family calls him D-rose because of it. (Looking at Naota) You're blushed, amigo. Naota: ....

FAVE SCENT

V: Hmm never really thought about that. I think my man uses kinda perfume. No clue what it is, but he smells good. Naota: Fresh ones such as herbs. I like the smell of flowers, too.

COFFEE, TEA, HOT CHOCOLATE

V: Soda. But coffee is also good. Naota: Hot chocolate... oh this is why you stopped me earlier. Yes, I like winter and I like hot chocolate.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP

V: 6 or 7? I'm not a morning dude so probably wake up later than most people. Naota: I used to have a sleeping problem but it's getting better. V: Thanks to the biiiiig cuddly teddy bear. I have some plushies on my bed too. How big is it? Naota: No! It's... not... a plush. Let's move on.

DOG OR CAT PERSON

V: I like both, but with my baby Nibbles I'm currently a cat person. Naota: I've been always fond of cats.

DREAM TRIP

V: I want to go to the most beautiful, clean beaches in the world, not ones that are full of trash. Not sure if there is any left. Naota: I haven't thought about it. But with my family now, wherever will be great.

FAVE FICTIONAL CHARACTER

V: Rocky Balboa. If you want to talk about this with me, we should make another schedule. Naota: Unico. He's a baby unicorn who has a power making people happy. He's also very cute.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS YOU SLEEP WITH

V: Do you need more than one?? Naota: Yes, V. I usually have two blankets, more in winter. V: What? I mean. WHY? Naota: It's warm, comfortable... V: Man. I don't get it.

RANDOM FACT

V: I can hold my breath pretty long in water. Without any gear or cyberware. My record is 6 minutes 28 sec. Naota: That's amazing, V. Indeed. Do you train for it? V: Maybe a little? Think I was born with it. I just feel comfortable in water. How about you? Naota: I can't think of anything... I'll pass. OH.

I think most of people I know have already been tagged, but if there's anyone interested please go ahead!🤗

And this is Unico Naota mentioned, in case anyone was wondering. The idea just came up with when I saw the question. It was pure coincidence Naota has pink hair like Unico and I like it🤣

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 24 (Waiting For Baby)

To prepare for her son's arrival, Heather pored over job applications at the clinic. Once her son was born, she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could, but she was confident leaving the place for Marcus alone would be a mistake.

Despite Marcus' endless flirtation with customers, the clinic had done well enough that Heather could hire another employee, and she found Kaori Hayashi enthusiastic and hard-working from the start. "I hope you'll be able to lead by example," Heather said when she hired her. "I won't be far away once my son's born, but I'll be happy to know the clinic's in good hands. I think you'll be a great help to Marcus while I'm away."

"I'll try, Doc Nesbitt. He told me this morning my butt looks great in these scrubs."

Heather sighed. "I'm sorry, I'll talk to him."

Kaori laughed. "No, it's okay. I told him thanks but his butt could look better, and now I think he's afraid of me."

"If fear motivates him better than I've managed, I guess that's a win. But if he tries anything again, please tell me."

"Will do, boss!"

Heather made friends easily with Brindleton’s many strays. The town had no mayor, but the locals' favourite stray was a tuxedo cat who wore a tiny donated top hat – to the town, he was their honourary “Mayor Whiskers.”

After her arrival in town, Mayor Whiskers took a particular interest in Heather and followed her everywhere. No one in Brindleton grew better catnip than Heather!

But soon, he was spending so much time at Heather’s home with her other two cats, speckled grey King Tut and fluffy white Boomer, she officially adopted him.

It had been a long time since she’d had to think about training bad habits from her well-behaved felines, but even with exhaustion and back pains in her third trimester, she was up to the task.

Mayor Whiskers had spent his life chasing birds as a stray. He didn't know what was wrong when Heather lectured him about eating trash or scratching furniture, but he loved his new home, and slowly changed his habits to please his new human.

Despite the summer heat, Heather worked hard at her clinic right up until delivery. She knew raising a child would be expensive, and she needed to make as much as she could from the clinic before giving birth. Marcus Flex, her perpetual work issue, even picked up some of the slack when she grew tired more easily.

"You shouldn't work so hard, boss."

"I enjoy working, Marcus."

"And you're really good at it! But it can't be easy carrying that thing around." He glanced casually at her bump.

"I wouldn't mind being able to work a little less, but royalties from my VetConnect app took a hit from Petcare's splashy new competitor in the app store, so the clinic is the only way I'll be able to care for my son."

"It was pretty uncool for Petcare to do that," agreed Marcus. "Why didn't they offer to buy your app if they wanted the same one."

Heather sighed. "I have a feeling they knew I wouldn't have sold it to them."

"Too bad, Doc. Selling apps can be good business. Maybe you should design another one! Maybe instead of a vet finder service, you could do a pet finder service! Like one stop, with breeder reviews, highlighting shelter pets."

"What? Like PetConnect?"

"Sounds good to me, boss. I'd download it in a heartbeat!"

Heather cocked her head at her vet tech as he exhibited a flash of brilliance she never saw coming. "It's a great idea, Marcus. If I ever put it together, I'll owe you credit."

With Petcare's app replacing hers on the market, she was even more grateful Malcolm kept his distance after his visit. Just as she’d hoped.

With Petcare and Landgraab Corp. actively working against her ability to care for their son, she wouldn’t have anything nice to say if she saw him again.

Heather was beginning to feel like she'd been pregnant for an entire year, and couldn't wait to meet her son. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

[imsparky2002]

Miraculous Animal AU - Science Class

Zoe the Wasp - Though her and Chloe are not technically related, they've been together since birth and see eachother as sisters. Even though they're sweeter than Chloe, Zoe has a sharp pincer that she uses for hunting her food. She also loves movies and punk rock songs that play on the record player. They adore their hedgehog mate, Cosette, and often fly on its nose.

Aurore the Swan - Aurore's a big, beautiful and elegant bird, who also happens to be a nervous wreck 90% of the time. Due to society's expectations of swans to always be radiant and magestic creatures, Aurore can be a perfectionist, scared of failing in the eyes of her elders. It's only thanks to being with her friends and her penguin mate Mireille that she's learned how to relax and simply live life for herself. One of her favorite things to do is to honk about the weather with her girlfriend to the other animals on each farm.

Mireille the Penguin - Mireille is as quiet and chill as the temperature they prefer to live in. She's often waddling around to see what the weather is like, and their favorite pasttime is going for a nice swim in the pond. She often finds it hard to open her beak and speak up, but is working on it with the more extroverted animals. They also like visiting their older brother, Theo, who is the pet of a famous artist.

Jean the Macaw - If you want to see an animal with flair, vigor and theatricality, look no further than Jean. A particuarly passionate parrot, Jean loves to strut his stuff wherever he goes, showing that they can squawk the squawk and walk the walk. They adore the theatre, listening to all sorts of musicals from the record player and copying certain words that he learns from the scripts. They also put on little shows for their friends, with the help of some of the more theatre-loving animals. He cherishes his mate, a nerdy deer named Austin T.

Lacey the Cheetah - Lacey always has a need for speed, so don't coop her up. As the fastest not just of Farmer Olga, but of all the farms, it's Lacey's job to catch any troublemakers trying to sneak in. She also loves parkour, racing for glory against Kim, Alix and Aggie. Because of her low stamina, she can often be found napping in various parts of the farm. Be thoughtful and don't wake her up.

Denise the Bison - Denise is one bulky bison. They grazing, rolling around in the dirt, and prefers to be in a herd rather than alone. A very social bison, they want to make sure everyone feels included in daily activities. They may be huge, but they're one of the friendliest and calmest animals on the farm, always willing to be pet. There's only one animal that can make them blush, that being their serval mate Simon.

Simon the Serval - A snarky and slender serval, Simon's a cat who is always trying to nab pieces of technology to use for himself. Some of his friends call them "Keyboard Cat" since he constantly paws at the computer as if it were a majestic artifact of God. They also can be rather grumpy in the morning, needing to climb a tree or mark territory to cool off. Sometimes, he likes jumping onto the back of his bison mate and going for a ride.

Cosette the Hedgehog - A spunky and spiky critter, Cosette's always in the mood for exploring, digging and foraging. You can often find it sniffing its' friends, rolling around in a ball, or digging with its claws for treasures. They love makeup, and have made some out of various substances found on the farm to put on its' animal allies. One time, Cosette and their foxy friend Alya tried to recreate something they saw from a Sonic movie. They were sad to find out foxes couldn't actually fly.

Ismael the Raccoon - A witty little gremlin, Ismael proudly identifies as a "trash baby". He likes digging through garbage, collecting various items from the bins to put on display at his room for the other animals to see. He's a night owl for sure, usually hanging out with the other nocturnal animals around the various farms. You can often hear him chittering with a meowing Simon, as they snark about various things.

Reshma the Elephant - A polite and elegant elephant, Reshma never forgets to cherish her friends. She often trumpets about new ideas for fashion, and her best friend Ismael is as protective of her as she is with him. Her fashionista friend is Marinette, the little ladybug. They are always working together on new animal attire, despite being vastly different in size. She loves wrapping her trunk around her cheetah mate, Lacey, and her polar bear mate, Margo.

And that's the Science Kids! Thanks to Coco and Weebs for the animal species ideas. Make sure to watch out for the Recess Class who will be the next farm to show. Give a thumbs up and show your support in the reblogs and replies. @artzychic27 @msweebyness @nerd-chocolate

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Twenty Questions

Thanks for the tags, @eybefioro, @goodoldfashionednightingale, and @hoarder-of-dragons! I picked my favorites from the posts you tagged me on, and added a few more of my own:

Currently consuming: Good Omens everything

Currently consuming: Good Omens everything (it's worth repeating!)

First ship: I'm not sure. I think I was introduced to the concept of ships through Thomas Sanders' Sanders Sides

Do you have kids? Yes, birth and foster 🥰

What sports do you play/have you played? Dance, horseback riding, and martial arts

Are you more likely to be sincere or sarcastic? Sincere

How many tabs are open on your browser? Over 3,000, because Session Buddy doesn't work on mobile yet 😅

What's your favourite colour? There's no way I can choose! I love the play of different colors with one another. I tend to wear a lot of purple, burgundy, and teal jewel tones, especially in the autumn and winter.

Favorite drink: Hot cocoa with marshmallows and herbal tea for the winter

Last movie: Nothing Lasts Forever and Pride and Prejudice (Those of you as obsessed with Good Omens as I am might recognize a theme here 🤩 )

Scary movies or happy endings? Feel good media with happy endings, please! The world is already full of too many sad and awful things.

When was the last time you cried? I don't remember, but it was probably induced by sleep deprivation and stress. Or really big feelings.

Any talents? Photography! And I love to nurture things. Sometimes that means cooking for loved ones, or growing a jungle of plants in my living room, or organizing gatherings for an extended circle of friends and chosen family

Talent you wish you had? Drawing

What are your hobbies? Right now, the only honest answer is Good Omens 😅

Do you have any pets? Yes! I've shared my life with a whole zoo full of cats, dogs, fish, and reptiles, including an adventure cat, a part-bear part-muppet therapy dog, and a tegu lizard that I trained to walk on a leash and harness.

Super power you wish you had? Reading minds

Dream job? I don't know! I've had so many, and they've all been valuable stepping stones on the path of my life. The jobs where I get to teach and help people - especially kids - are my favorites.

Dream vacation? Seeing the northern lights in person is high on my list. Also, a wildlife photo safari in Africa.

How would you change the world if you could? (Or, what are you passionate about?) I would teach everyone the skills of DBT (helpful for absolutely everyone who has ever had a strong feeling or a connection to another person) and then I would give everyone universal healthcare and a universal basic income with an aim to eliminating poverty, especially among children, plus all the other long term benefits that would stem from that. (Read more from WaPo about UBI here if you're interested.)

Currently working on: Solving the ineffable mystery with the lovely people at the @ineffable-detective-agency, and finishing a new fanfic for the Good Omens Minisode Minibang. Hopefully I'll be ready to post that later this weekend!

No-pressure tags for a few mutuals who might be into tag games, and an open invitation to everyone else!

@gallup24 @averywiseanimatedcat @procrastiel @commonmexicanname @crowleybrekkers @stumblingoverchaos @dunkthebiscuit @red-sky-in-mourning @im-not-a-virgo-im-a-lesbo @tragic-cosmic-magic @crowleybrekkers @lil-king-trash-mouth @celticseawych @phoen1xr0se @lemonic-whimssyy @ineffably-poetic @red-sky-in-mourning @weasleywrinkles

[tboybuck]

15 people, 15 questions

i was tagged by my darling dearest @sidekick-hero <33 thank you for the tag, love!!

1. Are you named after anyone?

my mom said she found my birth name in a soap opera she watched when she was pregnant. idk.

2. When was the last time you cried?

i don't know it's been awhile. i routinely get choked up reading good stuff or watching good stuff or listening to good stuff, but shedding actual tears? it's been months, i think.

3. Do you have kids?

just one. i like him a lot. i don't want anymore of my own, but being a step parent would be cool.

4. What sports do you play/have played?

i played softball in junior high!

5. Do you use sarcasm?

kinda? not as much as i used to but occasionally, yeah!

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

their height or their tone of voice.

7. What’s your eye color?

dark brown

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

soooo i can't like both?? i like scary movies for what they are, but i also like comedies and romances and dramas with happy endings.

9. Any talents?

identifying where i've seen actors before! also - natal chart readings. (speaking of i have like... 3 i still need to finish)

10. Where were you born?

germany, actually. on a us army base!

11. What are your hobbies?

astrology, cooking, writing, reading

12. Do you have any pets?

two cats! oliver (left) and chimmy (right)

13. How tall are you?

5'1"

14. Favorite subject in school?

i took a humanities class my sophomore year of high school that i absolutely loved

15. Dream job?

when i was a kid i wanted to be an astronaut, but then i found out i couldn't because of my bad eyesight. and then i wanted to be a veterinarian so i got my vet tech certification and realized i hated working in the veterinary field. now i'm in legal and i'm... decently content

No pressure tags: @steves-strapcollection @patchworkgargoyle @vecnuthy @stobinesque @matchingbatbites @mickalaem @sentient-trash @judasofsuburbia @starrystevie @starryeyedjanai @flowercrowngods @t-boyeddie @thefreakandthehair @theheadlessphilosopher @wormdebut

[greatunironic]

Hiiiii im back again. (sorry)

I'm still working on the thing! But was wondering if you could tell me more about your Eddies tattoos? I've made a list of the ones that are mentioned in the fic but would love to know more about them! Why a tiger? What's the story behind the stick n poke eye? And what're the Zeppelin lyrics!!??

I really hope you don't mind me asking you more questions!! Slow but steady progress being made over here! And still not at all over how much I love this world/story you've created!!

Thank you!!

okay so hello i’ve had a Very Long Day so the coherency on this will probably be questionable at best but tattoo thoughts for you my lovely friend:

the tiger is an homage to one of my in-laws, a tattoo artist — it’s in a more traditional style, because i always thought that old school aesthetic with a tiger/panther is dope + also i love big cats so i decided project onto eddie lol; tigers have various meanings in different cultures and i thought eddie would probably respond to that, the main ones being that they protect the dead + can ward off evil

also probably a lot of the tattoos are references to my brothers, who are all heavily tattooed, and me just being like “oh J has a rolling stones chest piece + it’s sick” or “H has that Misfits skull as the center of his sleeve, let’s imagine that on eddie but with a tiger instead” and then just stealing wholesale from them lol

stick + poke eye: a product of a drunken evening, more or less, perhaps an homage to an evil eye?? who’s to say (me, i guess) — a warding gesture, watchfulness, always keeping one eye open kind of deal

in a comment on the story, i mentioned eddie + max have matching “trailer trash” tattoos from a grammy after party where someone hired someone to do small tattoos

“to be a rock and not to roll”

someone asked about the tree before and the initials in there, and i still don’t know whose i want them to be — but right now i’m leaning towards wayne

tattoos not mentioned but in my heart they’re somewhere on eddie: dates for the births of barbie + scott (and then terry) as well as wanjeri’s three sons; a twenty-sided die with hellfire written below it in the sleeve, along with a tiny stylized cheerleader with her back to the viewer; a traditional lighter with steve’s initials in it that he had drunkenly added to his sleeve back in ‘95; and —

and then (spoiler alert) in 2012, eddie gets a tattoo of a baseball bat with nails on the length of his left ring finger + steve gets a guitar in the same place

[shipping-trash-the-musical]

Random headcanon fan fic thing for u Danganronpa fans

So when souda was a kid he really wanted a pet be at a dog a cat a stray cow he wanted an animal to care for yet 2 major problems 1 kaz was a massive magnet for animals hatred fore some weird reason and 2 hes parents were pretty pore so no pet g or him until he once day randomly saw a very pregnant raccoon digging through the garbage kaz being the good kid he was thought well if I can't have a normal pet il just take care of his raccoon who is in need of lots of food and so he started to leave out extra leaftovers and water for is trash dog how soon got the name queen trash demon ( because hes 12 and the wired emo in his math class how's in charge of the class pet suggested it) he calls her queeni for short. Soon the two grow really close to the point its PREETY obvious that queeni has adopted kaz as one of her children and queeni is a good mom how follows souda to school constantly. Once queeni gives birth to here 2 baby's kaz is instly enamored stealing all the extra food and blankets he can get for his 2 extra pets how names ratchet and clank. Hes parents are yet unaware of there sons trash cat but until one day were kaz realised that he hadn't seen all queeni all day and ratchet and clank have clearly not been given atenchen since when he feed them the other night . kaz not knowing what to do hid ratchet and clank in side the garage whith food and blankets and pretended to Locke himself in bed a go to sleep were instead he snuck out a spent a good few hours looking for the mother raccoon until he found her dead at the side of the roud. Kaz being a stupid kid ran home with dead queeni in his arms. Lets just say this parents had a mix of emotions w him there son how should be in bed barge into the living room with a dead raccoon in his arms. That night kaz got grounded for life got told the meaning of death and due to some begging adopted 2 ,4 month old raccoon cubs. As time went on the 2 raccoons became staples of the family's auto shop and Due to living in an auto shop the raccoons over time thought themselves how to help out fetching needed tool and scamatics or making sure there owner remembers to take care of them selves. Obviously whene kaz got into hopes peak he took ratchet and clank with him and its thanks to this 2 raccoons that Gundume and souda became friends

( Note no one but Gundume knows about the raccoons so everyone is very confused about the growing soudam friendship thanks to raccoon shanagins )

[lazy-sixteen]

Wait are you the creator of the Dr Stone His Dark Materials AU? Cool! If so can you tell me what's your inspiration for each characters Daemons?

yes that’s me!! Thank you so much for asking!!! Word Dump ahead

male lion -> Tsuakasa: Inagaki did the work for me, lol. Actually, I like the idea of lions symbolizing a sort of wildness and authority (very "king of the jungle") which fits early manga Tsukasa, but like real lion behavior being pretty chill (like most big carnivores) and just wanting to like hang out with their pride which fits later manga Tsukasa.

albino female king cobra -> Senku: Kinda of three hold reasoning here. In Western mythology, snakes are seen as being teachers of wisdom, specifically mortal wisdom (like obvs Adam and Eve, but also the snakes on the rod of Asclepius). King cobra meanwhile are associated with rulers in certain parts of India. Finally, albino snakes is about the myth of Bai Suzhen from China which is about a snake that gained power/cultivation then used it to repay a human she fell in love with; interestingly the snake in that story has been interpreted as both evil (for going against natural order of the world) and good (for her devotion to the human she loved), which is a fun metaphor for Senku upsetting the status quo (be both Tsukasa's 'live with nature', and the Whyman's 'keep humans mostly statues/stone age'). Finally, I picked a name in mandarin for her bc I like the idea of one of Senku's birth parents being chinese, soley bc there is a VERY stupid pun you can make with 月 (moon, month) radical and the⺼(flesh, body) radical often being written identically (so moon [a space rock] = flesh, just like petri beam).

female dog -> Taiju: his himbo engery is of the charts. (also is a nice helpful good boy who reminds me of a golden retriever)

male orbweaver bird -> Yuzu: I was going to do a spider for her actually, bc of all the cool mythology world-wide connecting spiders and weavers but it turns out mostly female spiders make webs, so I switched to a type of bird that makes really cool nest.

female lion -> Kohaku: Inagaki did all the work on this for me pt.2. She's powerful, very dedicated to her family, and also someone who's not afraid of putting in an enormous amount of effort (since female lions are the ones the hunt).

male Racoon-dog -> Chrome: Intelligent but also a little prone to mischief. Chrome likes collecting things, he's not afraid to totally go and do his own thing or accomplish his goals in his own way! Also (and this is more related to regular raccoons), they are very smart and good at opening trash cans which fits chrome somehow.

Male calico cat -> Gen: This is 50% bc gen exists in my head as the meme "butternut is a master of psychological manipulation", and 50% bc male calico's (despite looking normal) are incredibly rare bc the mechanism of calico coloring typically depends on having 2 X chromosomes. This is fun bc Gen's def the type to play around with gender a bit. Also Gen has always has a lot of color variation (black/white hair, purple in outfit even in b4 cloth got reinvented), so he deserves a colorful daemon.

Female hyena -> Hyouga: The natural enemy of lions, lol. Also they both have a very fun aesthetic and a reputation for being scary but funny.

Male lunar moth -> Ruri: famous for only living long enough to find a mate and pass away. But also a creature that is good at being both beautiful but also very low-key and subtle.

bonus: Not mentioned in story but exist in my heart

Ryuusui: Female Peregrine falcon (only the fastest bird alive for the world's greedest man)

Byakuya: female crow (smart and wise, but prone to pranks)

Lillian: male mockingbird (she's from SE US, so it's a given)

Amaryllis: male betta fish (beautiful and ready to fight!)

Dr. Xeno: female Arizona bark scoprion (did you know scorpions are actually fairly good mentors parents and will carry their young on their backs?)

Stanley: female cotton-mouth (aka the venomous snake that is the bane of SE US waterways)

[robininthelabyrinth]

Spilled Pearls

- Chapter 27 - ao3 -

Matters settled, eventually, and just as eventually, it started getting better.

At first, Lan Qiren wasn’t sure if matters were actually better, or if he’d just grown numb and accustomed, but after the past year and more he thought that there was a serious possibility of it being the former rather than the latter.

Probably the biggest difference was the birth of little Lan Huan, who’d joined the world as a fat and squalling infant that Lan Qiren had loved at first sight and sleepless night – he was still too young to be separated from his mother, or at minimum his wetnurse, but Lan Qiren made a practice of visiting every few days to try to prepare himself for caring for him. The women were generally happy to shove the baby into his arms and let him play guqin or xiao for him until he fell asleep. Apparently Lan Huan was actually a very peaceable baby, an assertion which Lan Qiren had initially doubted on account of the circles under everyone’s eyes, but when he’d said so, the wetnurse had glared at him and pronounced that saying such things meant that the next child would be a true wild terror, and probably a biter to boot.

The frequency of Lan Qiren’s visits was actually less about Lan Huan, although he liked his nephew very much, and more about trying to establish a precedent for visitation. He hoped, eventually, to be able to bring Lan Huan to see his mother on such a frequent basis, once or even twice a week, knowing as he did that He Kexin lacked the temperament for seclusion. To his regret, she’d ended up spoiling that plan not long after she’d recovered from her pregnancy, misinterpreting his frequent visits as an interest in her, and he’d been forced to cut back for a while out of sheer disgust at the mere concept. He bitterly scolded her in his mind for being seemingly incapable of seeing any other reason that he would visit so often, especially during the times that Lan Huan was already asleep, although he suspected in his heart that the real reason was simply likely a longing for a connection with the only other person she regularly saw. 

He still had hope of negotiating regular visits with his sect elders, eventually, but now he knew he’d probably be lucky if he managed to make it once every fortnight, when originally he’d hoped for twice a week.

Disturbing female disciples is prohibited, after all. Lan Qiren had a very good reputation, being widely known to be frigid as a stick of ice, using his brother’s terms, but there was only so much he could do when there was known to be an expressed interest on the other side, especially an interest of adulterous nature. And couple that with what had happened between them before…

At least she’d restrained herself to only making a verbal offer, this time.

Lan Qiren did not know how to explain to He Kexin in a way that she would understand that although he visited her regularly as a matter of duty, and although he was the only person other than his brother with whom she regularly conversed, he did not enjoy his time with her – that he blamed her in part for the destruction of his dreams, the shattering of his heart in a way that would likely never heal, even though he did not blame her for his brother’s obsession with her. It was not her fault that his brother had fallen in love with her, or that he had taken such extreme measures for her, and yet…

“She’s still a bitch,” Cangse Sanren announced, and her new husband smothered a snicker in his sleeve. “What? She is.”

Lan Qiren sighed, and Wei Changze, smiling, made an excuse to depart and let them talk between themselves. He was a good man, with an irrepressible sense of humor that regularly made Cangse Sanren laugh without any shame at all, howling and hooting like a monkey. He had courted her assiduously even after she’d departed the Lotus Pier, headed off to complete her education regarding the mortal world in the various Great Sects, and yet had been oblivious to the fact that she treated their liaison as a serious one – perhaps he had only truly believed that she would give herself to him when they actually married, their interminably long courtship finally ending the way any blind man would have guessed it would from the very beginning.

“I asked you to come here so that you could meet A-Huan,” Lan Qiren said. “Not to relitigate the matter of He Kexin, who at any rate is already suffering the punishment for her unwise actions.”

“Unwise is an understatement. She killed a man! On no basis, and without even a formal challenge! If she’d just kept her sword in her sheath and not jumped ahead three steps –”

“I’m aware.”

Cangse Sanren made a rude noise, but settled back, grumbling. “The baby’s cute, though,” she added begrudgingly. “Looks like you.”

Lan Qiren rolled his eyes. “Yes, thank you, he is my nephew. To the extent you can identify any traits whatsoever in a roly-poly puppy like A-Huan, they’re family features.”

“Of which you’re the finest representative!”

Lan Qiren gave her a look, and she grinned unrepentantly at him. “Heartbreaker,” she teased, but a moment later her smile faded. “Have you spoken with your brother?”

Lan Qiren’s gaze dropped to the table. “There’s no need,” he said. “He has always been torn between pride in his capability and the admiration of others on one hand, and a yearning to retreat from the world and its annoyances in order to focus fully on his cultivation on the other. Other than occasionally meeting with his wife, he is now able to wholly focus on the latter, and unlike He Kexin, his temperament is suited to the strictness of our seclusion practices.”

“There might not be a need,” Cangse Sanren agreed. “Did you speak with him anyway?”

“Once,” Lan Qiren said, voice short. After a few long moments, he added, a little painfully: “He said that our father had always seen seclusion as a means to reunite with his wife.”

Cangse Sanren hissed in a manner not unlike a very angry cat, or possibly an agitated snake, her eyes very nearly turning red from rage: naturally she knew about the whole awful background, the many years of age between Lan Qiren and his brother and the way his brother had always blamed Lan Qiren’s belated birth for the death of their mother, and by extension the shattering of their father’s heart when she left him behind, gone too early.

Lan Qiren’s brother had also said other things, mad things, things that Lan Qiren sought to forget as soon as he’d heard them but which he knew would likely haunt him in the dark of sleepless nights for the rest of his life. The worst of it was that Lan Qiren still loved his brother, who he’d idolized for so long: his brother who was the perfect gentleman when he wanted to be, capable of being kind and charming and generous, of excellent cultivation and who excelled in each talent, who was thoughtful and reserved and in his own way a very good sect leader – the Qingheng-jun that the rest of the world had seen, the one that Lao Nie had befriended, the one so much of his sect had pinned their hopes on.

Lan Qiren felt, as always, like an inferior substitute.

No one had made his brother fall in love, nor to take such terrible actions to protect his love from her own foolishness, and yet, if Lan Qiren could have found another way out that the sect would have accepted, he would have. It would have been better, in his view, to lash them both with the discipline whip until they lacked flesh if it meant that they would stay free. A human could live with pain, but he wasn’t so sure they could do without freedom or hope…

Aren’t you just the same as me, his brother had sneered at him through the door that would part them for the rest of their lives, lashing out like a rabid dog that sought to hurt others in order to ease its own hurt, or else would you snap yourself into a thousand pieces begging for a scrap of my approval, which you will never receive, or whoring your vaunted righteousness out for a smile from your ‘sworn brother’?

Lan Qiren hadn’t done that, and wouldn’t. Unbelievable as it seemed, his stubbornness had stood up against Wen Ruohan’s and won; it had been Wen Ruohan who had changed to match him, rather than the other way around. He had vowed that the Fire Palace remained useless, and Lan Qiren believed him, especially when even Lao Nie confirmed it to be true. They had taken to exchanging letters this past year, since Lan Qiren could not visit the Nightless City until he had stabilized the Cloud Recesses and – sworn brotherhood or no – a visit by Wen Ruohan to the Cloud Recesses would be taken as a formal exchange, sect leader visiting sect leader.

Perhaps now, after a year, when he had more fully settled into his role…

“Did the trash say anything else?”

For a moment Lan Qiren was unsure whether Cangse Sanren had somehow managed to follow his thoughts and was now referring to Wen Ruohan, against whom she still bore something of a grudge, but then he realized that she meant his brother.

“Anything of value, anyway,” she huffed, tossing her hair and baring her teeth in the way she used to do before she realized that human beings didn’t use threat displays in that manner.

“He picked a courtesy name for A-Huan,” Lan Qiren said. “As is his right, of course.”

That had been Lan Qiren’s true motive in going to see his brother, in fact. He had refused to go see his brother for months, even if etiquette suggested he should go to pay his respects; it was only after A-Huan was born that he had finally yielded. It was only upon seeing the round and innocent face of little A-Huan starting to smile that he felt compelled to bend his stubborn back and compromise himself to reach out – there was very little, he found, that he wouldn’t do for his little nephew, who had no one else in the world.

His brother had been largely disinterested, though, even when Lan Qiren had inappropriately brought the child over for him to see – it had been too early for propriety, before the first month ceremony which marked the moment when the child could be exhibited more broadly, but Lan Qiren’s heart had hurt at the idea of his brother not seeing his son before the rest of the world had had a chance. It was not a large distance between the seclusion house his brother had chosen for himself, the same one that their father had planned to use before his suicide, and the house set aside for He Kexin, which Lan Qiren had taken to privately calling the Gentian House on account of the flowers that crowded around it. 

Everyone had turned a blind eye to Lan Qiren’s little excursion – but his brother hadn’t cared.

It was He Kexin that he loved, that he was mad for, and in his selfishness he could not see extending that love to anyone beyond her. Lan Qiren was resolved to teach A-Huan to do better, to think of others first, to care for other people and think not only of them but of the people beyond them, just as he looked at He Kexin and thought to teach him to make his own judgments of people, to listen to their side of the story and analyze it carefully based on what he knew.

He could only hope that it would help.

When his brother had told him to leave, that he didn’t care to see the child, Lan Qiren had left, returning Lan Huan to his mother’s care, and returned himself to his brother’s door, boiling over with rage, to give him a piece of his mind. 

It had backfired on him, of course. He would have been better off not going back at all – the rules said Do not succumb to rage, and they were right. All he had managed to obtain was a sore throat from all the yelling and a fresh set of nightmares.

And a name.

At least he had gotten Lan Huan a name bestowed upon him by his father, as he deserved.

“He selected ‘Xichen’,” Lan Qiren said, drawing out the characters and passing it over for Cangse Sanren to see. “It’s a good name.”

“Lan Xichen,” Cangse Sanren said, sounding it out and thinking over the meaning of the characters. “Yes, that’s a good name. Full of ambition and well-wishes…I bet the rotten trash-heap sees A-Huan as another incarnation of himself.”

Lan Qiren didn’t exactly disagree. Still, it would be rude to say so; he coughed and shook his head. “What about you?” he asked instead. “Are you and Wei Changze planning on giving A-Huan a playmate?”

And himself a student, in a dozen years or so. He’d started accepting students from rogue cultivators and other sects, just the way he’d planned; it was still in the early stages. He was still writing to small sects with fewer resources and offering to take their problem children because he knew that that was all they’d be willing to send to him, an outsider – there had always been lectures offered by the Great Sects, but they were one-off things, often accompaniments to discussion conferences or else excuses for the sects’ adults to gather and socialize while the children learned a few days’ worth of material. Taking another sect’s child for a full season, the way he planned to, was a much bigger ask. Much less to teach them his Lan sect rules, which weren’t even seen as applicable by the rest of the world…

Still, Lan Qiren had hope that eventually he would be able to demonstrate his merit; if his teaching worked with this first set of children, he hoped that it would work in the future for more of them. He hoped he’d be able to help them learn something, but even if he didn’t, they would at least have the experience of traveling – of visiting another place all on their own – so that if something happened in their lives to rob them of their freedom, they would at least have that much to remember. And in return, he would have them, his students, the feathers to brighten and color his dull nest and let him experience a little of what the world was still available to him.

Cangse Sanren laughed. “Not for a few years yet,” she said, eyes dancing. “You’re still safe! We want to have some time for ourselves, first – we’re going to travel around as rogue cultivators. I’ll write to you from every city, and send you things!”

Lan Qiren smiled.

“But only,” she said primly, “only if you promise me you’re not actually going to go through with growing that awful beard of yours again –”

“I’m a teacher now. I’m entitled!”

“You’re too young! You have to wait until you’re at least thirty for a beard.”

“By what rule?”

“My rule! Also my aesthetics; you’re so pretty –”

“I explained to you my reasoning already,” Lan Qiren complained. “What do you have against it, other than an aesthetic preference which is completely irrelevant to me?”

“I’m a rogue cultivator from Baoshan Sanren’s immortal mountain,” she proclaimed. “I seek to improve the world wherever it may be, fight evil and promote good, and keeping you clean-shaven is such a clear and vast improvement to the beauty of the world that it must be fiercely fought for –”

“Cangse Sanren!”

She burst out laughing. “How about this?” she giggled. “You can grow it after you’re thirty, or else whenever I’m not here, so that you can have it when you’re teaching your classes.”

“Thank you for your generous permission,” he drawled.

“No, no, it’ll be good!” she beamed at him. “That means that when I’m gone for good, you’ll have something to remember me by.”

Lan Qiren’s smile disappeared. “Cangse Sanren –”

“I told you long ago that I was doomed,” she reminded him. “Anyway, I’ve kept a low profile, haven’t I? I’m not dead yet, and you never know what might happen. And anyway, like I always said, a short life in exchange for a good life is a bargain I’m willing to strike…anyway, enough about me. Tell me about your children! The students, I mean; are they really all terrible bear children, without a single good trait between them?”

“They’re fine,” Lan Qiren said, distracted by what was quickly proving to be a new favorite subject. “I don’t know what everyone complains about with them. So what if they’re mischievous at first? In the end they all learn, you just have to give them attention and figure out what it is that they like, what will work to give them a basis to use in the future…”

“Surely some of them have to be disasters.”

“Don’t worry, I’m certain that your future child will be a fiend in human flesh born for the sole purpose of wreaking havoc on the serenity of my classroom,” Lan Qiren said dryly. “To be matched only by the inevitable offspring of Lan Yueheng and Zhang Xin, should they ever choose to put aside their furnaces and chemicals long enough to have them.”

Cangse Sanren giggled. “Just you wait,” she warned. “They’ll have a whole host of children, just like the common folk do; none of this two-and-done that you noble scions of the Lan sect prefer. They’ll have an entire horde for the next generation, and just when you think that you’re finally done with them, they’ll have an ‘accident’ twenty years too late, a child of their old age, and you’ll have to teach them alongside children young enough to be A-Huan’s heirs…”

“Why must you curse me?” Lan Qiren complained. “What have I ever done to you?”

It had been a good visit.

Yes, Lan Qiren thought, he was starting to adjust, little by little. The life he had now was not what he wanted, not what he’d dreamed of, but he could live with it – he had to, of course, but he thought that he also could. He would play for his nephew instead of a nameless crowd in a distant city, he would teach students a generation too early, he would only leave the Cloud Recesses on short excursions – night-hunting, or discussion conferences, or visits to his friends, to play with little A-Jue over in the Unclean Realm or the slightly older A-Xu in the Nightless City, whose would-be sibling had not made it despite Wen Ruohan’s concubine’s best effort. Wen Ruohan had written in his letter that he had promised her another as compensation, but only in a few years, once her body had fully recovered and A-Xu was old enough that another child wouldn’t be seen as a threat, which seemed fair to Lan Qiren.

He would live.

He might even enjoy it.

He only wondered a little, about Wen Ruohan – his sworn brother had, he thought, expressed some mangled version of feelings towards him, feelings that well exceeded the ordinary course for sworn brothers and which he thought he had made clear were not unwelcome, but amidst the hubbub that had later ensued Wen Ruohan had not spoken of it again. Lan Qiren could understand that he had been distracted, first by Lao Nie’s marriage – now ended, according to Lao Nie, who seemed as unperturbed by his announcement that his wife had disappeared permanently and would likely never be returning as he had by anything else about this mysterious woman that Lan Qiren had never had the chance to meet and now never would – and then by Lan Qiren’s brother’s situation. 

And yet, he would have thought that there would be something…

Wen Ruohan has lived for generations, he reminded himself. He is an ancient monster of the old sort, unmatched by any other living being, excepting only perhaps those that long ago retreated into seclusion or the mountains. Waiting a year or even a few is for him little more than a brief pause. He may yet reach out again – and, of course, you could do the reaching out yourself, if you weren’t such a coward.

It wasn’t cowardice that stopped him, of course, no matter what names he called himself. It was uncertainty, and also, in his own way, a form of care – it was the Lan sect’s curse to love too strongly, to prioritize their hearts above all common sense. Lan Qiren did not want to burden Wen Ruohan with an offer that would not satisfy him, to hang around his neck an obligation of unwanted feelings the way his brother had done to He Kexin.

Lan Qiren could not see a way in which he could offer Wen Ruohan his heart and not his body, yet he knew himself well enough to know that he would be unhappy if he tried to offer both. He could exert himself if he really had to, force himself to go through the motions that seemed so dull and unpleasant, all squelching amidst bodily fluids and inelegant grunting and none of the attraction that other people had to compensate for it. But he couldn’t do so sincerely, and he wouldn’t be able to do it for very long without developing resentment at being forced to endure such a task routinely – and it did seem that regular people wanted it all the time.

Such a feeling, if ignored, would breed disorder between them, poisoning their hearts…no, Lan Qiren could not make the first move, to take the step that would breach the paper between them, change them from their current status as brothers and nothing more. 

He had made his position clear.

The only question was – what would Wen Ruohan do about it?

[ticklepinions]

Opinion on tickle hugs? 👉👈

THE BEST. OH MY YOU DON'T EVEN.UNDERSTAND. I WILL LITERALLY FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU.

FIRST OFF, we have the classic hug. Like what!? Someone wants to hold me!? Ooo chile lemme catch myself- It just makes me feel so loved I can't even explain the happy feelings it gives me. The serotonin it gives, the good vibes it provides just MMF. And I consider myself a cat when it comes to physical touch, like I like it sometimes and depends on the person but there are moments where I'm like don't touch me 👁👄👁. And it's really confusing when I get touch starved, pls tell me I'm not alone lmfao.

Then add tickles. I will combust. I- just thinking about it makes me all giddy. The sucky thing about being tall is I don't get to hear any heart beats so pls if I ever meet any of y'all IRL, pls cradle my head. Baby me IDC, just envelop me in your embrace. I don't wanna sound desperate but I am. But yeah back to the tword. You'd most likely have to hold me in place because my muscles forget they exist and I will collapse. But if you follow me to the ground well...I- 💀. But but but my most fav tickle hugs and regular hugs are the ones from behind. I have no idea why, but they just feel better!? Like I'm being protected?? Agsidheijebt anyway then factor in tickles with fingers scribbling on your tummy, and there's no escape and oh heavens me I'm throwing my head back on an actual person. Like a human being and brain malfunctioning. It may mean diddly squat to the other person but to me you just told me you loved me in the best way possible and congrats you're stuck with the piece of trash my dear ole mom gave birth to.

AND AND AND, I can't find the post, probably lost forever but it was talking about the criss-cross method and I'm bad at explaining it so my apologies. But basically they hug you from behind and place their arms in an "X" over your chest and just go to town on your ribs and underarms and I think someone may get accidentally hurt in that scenario but I'd be lying if I say I don't want it to happen.

Or or or just soft tickies as we cuddle on the couch or whatever. Or or sitting on someone's lap and they're hugging you but tickling your back with their chin (death. Trust me. I screeched very loud-).

And as a switch... Tickle hugs are hands down amazing. You can easily turn the tables, all the tickle spots are right there at your disposal. Maybe you can get into an all out tickle hug war and look like a cute bunch of fools embraced in a hug but tickling each other silly. And when the tickling stops, you're already hugging so after-care is taken care of to an extent. Let me not ramble but you put me in a mood nonnie. So thanks a LOt smh.

Edit: HOW CAN I FORGET RASBERRIES ON THE NECK. LIKE FU- NO JUST NO. IT'S SO UNEXPECTED TO LIKE CALM YOURSELF I MAY JUST MARRY YOU IDK

[xmalereader]

Billy Hargrove X Male Reader

|| FOUR ||

-

|| Masterlist ||

|| ONE — TWO — THREE — FOUR

-

Summary: Reader is new to Hawkins, his parents had just moved into the new house and are trying to start over from there old lives. But what if reader can’t? He’s still a messed up kid who’s tired of pretending to be happy...and that damn mullet head of a ghost won’t stop following him around!!

Warnings: Langauge, angst, fluff, dark humor, Steve Harrington, soft billy for reader, children don’t appear just yet!

—

—

It was 7:30 am when his parents were up and ready to leave for work. He was locked upstairs in his room, he’s been there all day and night, ever since he returned back from the mall he couldn’t help but think about those visions that he had. They all mentioned so many things that didn’t make sense, but today he was going to look for answers and that time was now!

“Alright y/n!! We’re heading out so don’t burn down the place!!” He hears his mother shout as she grabs her purse and car keys, his father following her out as they head towards and car and get inside.

Y/n can head the engine start as he listens carefully, hearing the car backing up and it’s wheels rubbing up against the dark road as he hears them drive down the street. Once the car was out of sight he stays lying in bed a little longer, In the quietness.

“We’re clear.”

Y/n jolts out of bed once those words spill out of Billy’s mouth. Tossing the blankets aside as he rushes out of his room and upstairs to his parents. “Remember, keep an eye out in case they comeback.” He orders billy as he slams his parents door open, actually he kicked it open.

Rushing inside as he’s quick to dig through there belongings.

“You sure this is a good idea? Once they come back they’ll notice the mess and freak out, thinking that you got an episode or something.” He hears billy say as he stands by the window, staring at the front yard, keeping a look out in case y/n’s parents decide to come back home.

“Who cares, I’m already crazy thanks to them.” He continues to dig through drawers, tossing them out as he sighs deeply and checks the closet next, throwing there clothes around the room as he searches for any information about his medical health.

“Sounds about right.” Billy looks over his shoulder to see y/n trashing up the place, sighing deeply he rolls his eyes and pushes himself off the wall, walking around the room as he decides to help him out with the search instead, he tries to check for the most obvious places where a parent would hide such important information.

He walks around the room and hums to himself, eyeing the large bad that was palaced in the center of the room. His eyes narrow as he thinks before bending down and getting on his knees, he looks under the bed and notices a box. “Hey y/n, there’s something over here.” He calls out as y/n quickly rushes to his side, looking under the bed as well as he notices the strange box and grins.

He crawls under and grabs the box, crawling back out with it in his hands as he sets it on the bed.” Think this could be it?” He asks billy as he’s quick to pry it open, a few folders drop out as he bites his lip nervously and notices his name printed all over them. “Guess so.” He hears billy sigh from his side as y/n grabs one of the files and flips it open. It held all of his school records; showing the classes his took and his grades.

“how many schools were you suspended from?” Oh and that was in there too.

“Many schools actually which is why I was forced into home schooling after the seventh time of getting suspend.” He tells billy with a proud smirk on his face which billy only rolled his eyes too.

“But this isnt the important one!” He tosses the folder across the room and grabs the next one. “Ah! Here it is!” He flips the folder open to see all of his medical records including his personal information. “Okay, so here we have the information for the hospital I was in and the asylum as well.” He spreads out the papers on the bed as he tries to read through everything, wanting to see if he can find any information about his visions or episodes.

The two sat on the bed cross legged as they read through the files. Y/n was too ingrossed with the reading that he didn’t even notice the third file that sat on the bed.

Billy was the first to mention it as he nudges y/n’s shoulder. “What’s that one about?” He points over to the folder. Y/n looks up from his reading and frowns, “probably nothing important.” He leans over to pick it up and sighs, falling back into his seating position was he flips the folder open.

The first thing he sees was an envelope, it was still sealed and it held an unknown address, instead of opening it first he sets it down on the side and turns back to the folder to see what else he can find. He checks out the other pages and he froze in spot as he stares down at one of the papers that read:

Adoption Agenceny for California

It was printed on with big bright red letters.

“What the hell—“

He turns the pages and finds his birth certificate but this one was different, he noticed the different birth dates and names. He’s quick to scramble for the other birth certificate that was organized with his medical records. He sets the two side to side as he reads them off quickly, noticing the change between the two as his eyes widen in realization.

“I’m adopted.”

“Shit.” He hears billy breath out as y/n stares at the certificates, he chuckles softly as he shakes his head. “I’m not only adopted but everything about me was changed too—“ he shakes his head in anger. “My name, birthday, the place—FUCK!” He shouts in anger, he can’t believe that this whole time his parents weren’t actually his parents but people who only adopted him because they either felt pity for him or becuase they were messing with him. All this time he was lied too, for his whole life.

He tosses the certifications away and huffs in anger, he sees the court paper and the adoption papers as well but what catches his eye the most was the envelope that was still sitting there, sealed away and never read.

Curiosity hits him as he takes the envelope and rips it open, pulling out a long letter of a few pages long. He unfolds the paper and a necklace with a small vile drops out. He picks up the necklace and inspects the veil that contained a strange blue liquid. Ignoring what it contained he pockets it in his pants and turns back to the letter.

“Can you even read that?” Billy asks as he stares at the letters that were all written in russian.

“Surprisingly yes.” Y/n whispers back as he begins to read the letter.

The first two pages only talked about the adoption which was boring since he didn’t even care anymore so instead of finishing up he tosses those pages out and finally gets reading to the good stuff.

His eyes scanned the words in front of him.

“—This child is now in your care and we expect you to keep a close eye on him, he is one of our most valuable expirments and we can’t risk losing him again. So, to make things easier for you both we have erased his past memories, giving him new ones and making him think that he’s a normal young boy that grew up to be different, we sugggest that you keep this information hidden and stored away from the child’s eyes and we will pay you as promised if you follow these rules.

Once the time is right we will come back for the boy—not to take him but to continue running test, keeping important data about his improvement throughout the age. Please, make sure that he is sent here once he reaches the age of ten—“

Y/n reads the address and he stutters out. “Ravencroft.”

“Ravencroft?” Y/n nods as he sets the letter down and searches through the pile of papers, tossing them out of the way as he finds what he was looking for which was a piece of paper that contained the information about his activities back in the asylum.

“Y/n.” Billy is able to pull him out of his thoughts as he pants. “What does the letter say?”

Y/n shakes his head. “I—this whole time I was just a test subject, they knew and they were getting paid for it. Paid to keep me from getting exposed and from causing trouble, this whole time I was nothing but an animal to be tested on!” He shouts out. “My life was planned from the very beginning! I was adopted only to keep my identity hidden from these people who only want to use me for there disgusting expierments! And I—“ He turns to billy. “Billy I was ten years old when they sent me to that damn hospital! I was just a kid!!”

He was yelling in anger, letting it all out as he throws things around the room. This whole time he thought that he was just a weird freaky kid who could see the dead only to find out that he was more than that and that he doesn’t remember anything for his previous life. “This is bullshit!”

“What the hell?!”

Y/n gasps in surpise as he turns around to see his father standing by the doorway, a nasty glare on his face as his eyes widen once he notices the hidden information revealed too y/n.

Guess the cat is out of the bag.

His father throws himself to him, trying to take the letters away but Y/n is quick to react as he collects the letters and jumps off the bed, quickly going around as he leaves the room. “Get back here you little shit!!” He hears the older man yell out as y/n pants and runs to his room, slamming the door closed and locked it. He hears his father slam against the door, causing him to gasp and step away from the door. Hearing his father shout as he bangs on the door, trying to get inside.

“Y/n we have to get out of here!” Billy grabs his hand and drags him towards the window. “Wait I don’t have shoes!”

“We don’t have time for that!”

“My ass is not going out there without shoes!” The two shout back in forth to each other.

“God your such a princess!”

Y/n grins at billy. “Am I a pretty princess?” He says in a flirty tone which only riles him up in anger, before he can yell at him to move his ass the bedroom door is suddenly being kicked down. Catching the two off guard as y/n quickly slips his shoes on and chuckels nervously. “Get on the roof, get on the roof, the roof!!” He repeats to himself as he slides the window open and steps outside.

Once he’s on the roof his bedroom door is finally kicked open, an angry man stands at the entrance as he runs towards the window, getting ready to grab y/n but he’s quick to slam the window shut on his fathers fingers.

He hear him scream in agony which causes y/n to grin in satisfaction. He applies more pressure to the closed window, hearing a small crunch. “Take that you bastard!”

“Y/n that’s enough!” Billy grabs him by the hoodie and drags him away from the window.

Y/n gives his father one last glance before smirking evilly and jumping off the roof, grunting as his body tumbles against the grass. “Shit that was awesome but I’m never doing that again.” He groans out in pain as he holds his side. “Yeah but right now we need to go unless you want your father to come after you!”

“Right, right.” Y/n agrees with billy as the two bolted towards the woods.

Y/n has been running for awhile now that he finally stops to breath and to take a break. “How far out are we?” He pants out between breaths, placing his hands on his knees as he was bent over a near tree.

“We’re still in Hawkins but far away from home, maybe we can find a place to crash?” Billy suggested as y/n groans deeply and coughs from dehydration. “F-fuck I’m so tired and I just need water.” He gasps out as he moves his legs, walking further into the woods as he looks around for a place to crash.

His eyes land on a nice house which causes a smirk to appear on his lips. “How about there?” He points over and turns to face billy with a smile. Billy looks over at the house and shakes his head, “we aren’t breaking inside a random house to get sleep.” Y/n frowns at him and hums, “OH RIGHT! I just remembered, you can’t do anything because your dead!!” He shouts out and sprints away, running towards the house ahead of him while billy chases after him. “Dammit y/n!”

Y/n continue to laugh as he runs towards the house, humming to himself a spy theme song he hides behind walls and jumps over chairs, pressing himself against a wall as he looks both left and right before moving one. Billy rolls his eyes and groans in embarrassment, “believe me if I was alive I would’ve wanted to kill myself right here right now.” He says out loud for y/n to hear as the other continues to do weird parkour around the backyard. Finding a tree be begins to climb it, smiling to himself as he gets onto the roof top and sees a slight opened window. “Over here.” He whispers to billy as he moves quietly on the roof and towards the open window.

He slips his hands under and slowly pushes the window open, he quietly gets through and makes sure to close the window behind him. “See.” He sighs in relief. “We weren’t caught.” He says until the dark room is suddenly lit up.

His eyes widen as he looks over to his left to see a guy sitting up on his bed with wide eyes as well. Y/n bites his lip and gives off a forced smile. “Hi?” He waves awkwardly.

The guy opens his mouth, getting ready to scream but y/n it quick to jump on the bed and cover his mouth, putting full force on the guys mouth. “Shhh!! Be quiet!” He hisses out and turns towards the doorway to make sure that he doesn’t hear anyone coming upstairs. “Listen we need a place to hide so your going to be quiet and listen.” He adds in a harsh whisper as he hears billy shuffle next to him. “Harrington?”

Y/n raises a brow and looks over his shoulder to look at billy. “You know this guy?”

“We used to go to school together.”

“Oh.” Y/n is quick to put the puzzle piece together before being pulled away from his thoughts as Harrington tries to push him off. “Hey! I said quiet!” He growls out and Straddles him. “Are you going to fuck him or something?” Billy asks as he tilts his head to the side with a smirk on his face but y/n can only glare at him. “I need him to quiet down!” He hisses back as he keeps his hand over Harringtons mouth. “Look—!” He shouts this time, causing the other to freeze in place. “Listen just—“ he sighs. “I am going to uncover your mouth and once I do that I need you to stay quiet or else I’ll grab that pencil by your desk and jab your eye.” He warns.

Billy whistles behind him. “I don’t threating will help.”

Y/n ignores billy as he stares down at the other and slowly uncovers his mouth. “No screaming.” He repeats himself.

Once Harrington’s mouth is uncovered he glares at him. “Who the hell are you and why are you in my room? No, why did you break into my room?!” Y/n covers his mouth again from all the shouting. “Shut up!” He groans deeply. “I didn’t break in, I simply slipped inside becuase I need a hiding spot. You see, my parents are searching for me and want to send me away and my ass is not going back there until I find out where I am really from and from what I know, I have no memory of my previous past so I am stuck here and the only person that I trust is this room is myself and billy!” He rants out as Harrington raises a brow and muffled against his hand.

Y/n tilts his head and removes his hand again to allow him to talk. “Billy? Your alone in this room with me.”

“Oh, right...” y/n breaths out through his nose as he turns to see billy leaning against the wall, waiting fo him to come up with another plan. “Billy as in for Billy Hargrove, he died about a year ago and I can see dead people and the two of us have created some sort of bond and now he’s stuck with me until who knows how long.” He explains quickly which only earns hima horrified look from the other. “Your crazy!” He struggles to get out of y/n’s grip but he keeps him pinned down.

“Your name is Steve right?” He asks.

Steve eyes him and glares. “How do you know that?”

“Like I said, billy knows you.” He responds back as he feels billy place his hand on his shoulder and pull him back. “Let him go and maybe he will talk.” Said billy as y/n does as he’s told by letting go of Steve and moving away from him, he sits at the foot of the bed as Steve sits up and leans against the wall. “So, your saying tha Billy Hargrove is in this room right now?”

Y/n nods. “Yep, he’s been following me around since day one and he’s been a little annoying but so far he’s gettting better. He’s just lonely and needs someone and I seem to be the only one who can see him.” He explains, smiling over at billy who sat next to him. “Stop trying to charm me.” Y/n laughs at the comment.

Steve can only stare at the freak in fright. “Okay, tell me something that I will only know.”

Y/n thinks and turns to billy. “Anything?”

“tell him that I beat him up a year ago thinking that he was messing around with my little sister until she knocked me out with a sleeping dose.” Y/n stares at billy with an open mouth, shocked. “You never told me this!”

“Why should I?” Billy raises a brow as y/n pouts. “I feel very offended not knowing this.” He crosses his arms over his chest and turns to Steve, still wearing his pout as he says. “Billy says that he beat you up last year becuase he thought that you were messing around with his sister and that she put him to sleep with a sleeping dose.”

Steves eyes widen. “Holy shit.”

Turns out that the three spent the whole night explaining the situation that y/n was in, it was strange telling this weird guy that he just meet a few hours ago about his whole life story but something inside of him is telling him that he should trust him. “Okay listen, I really need some sleep or else my brain will explode from all of the questions.” Said y/n as he crawl over to the closet and slides it open, crawling through the small space as Steve stares at him weirdly. “What are you doing?”

“Getting comfortable and hiding, who knows how your parents will react if they were to see me—as stranger—sleeping in your room.” Once he’s inside the closet he closes is behind him and gets comfortable. “Night night!” He says before lying on his side and faces the wall. He hears Steve shuffling behind him and hears him crawl back onto his bed and turns off the lights, not really saying anything back as y/n sighs through his nose.

“Were do you plan on going once the sun rises?” Asked billy as he sat next to him, sitting and leaning against the wall as y/n shrugs. “I don’t know, I just figured about that my life was a lie and that I was a freak this whole time but also that I don’t belong here or—I dont know where I even belong.” He mumbles out. He didn’t know what to do, once he found out the truth he couldn’t help but feel anger and betrayal, knowing that he was alone in this.

This whole time he was being used and he had no idea and now he has no idea where to start looking. He lies on his back and reaches inside his pocket to take out the letters, flipping through the pages as he narrows his eyes, trying to adjusts his eyes to the dark. “What if we go back to the hospital?”

Billy whips his head over with a glare. “No, you aren’t going to that hell hole.”

“But what if I’m looking for, is there? What if the answers are there billy?” He sits up slowly and sets the letters in front of him. “My memories have been taken from me and I don’t remember anything, i need to find answers as to why I am here, to why I can see you and to why I can see things once I touch an object.” He murmurs out, quiet enough for Steve not to hear.

Billy moves closer to y/n and places a hand on his cheek. “Hey, nothing will get better and we will find answers but going to that asylum is a huge no from me, for all we know those people could be there just waiting for you to fall in to there trap. We have to take this easy and slow, we start off simple and try to find small pieces of the puzzle.” He reassures him as y/n leans into him. “If you want to recover your memories then lets start off with what you already know.” He shrugs. “Think of it as chess, they already made their move. Now its your turn.”

Y/n lifts his head up to face billy and smiles with a firm nod. “Just like chess.”

[taeyohonic]

Zero Percent

Summary: There is a zero percent chance the Park Jimin likes you, right?

Pairing: Jimin x fem!Reader

Genre: College AU, Golden Boy!Jimin, Actor!Jimin, Group Project Hell

Warnings: swearwords, one scene where the reader gets groped without consent (obviously not by Jimin)

Words: 5k

Monday – 9:47 am – PoliSci lecture

Everybody likes Park Jimin. Not only is he the star of the drama department – making the Dean cry with his performance as Hamlet during freshmen year. No, he is also the head of the Environmental Club and part of the most elusive fraternities on campus.

Park Jimin is kind, smart and handsome. The guy is constantly surrounded by fellow frat brothers, drooling girls and you even heard a story about a stray kitten following Jimin around, resulting in him adopting the little cat.

So, you aren’t really surprised when he doesn’t remember you – you only share two classes and one lecture with him. It does sting a bit, though.

“And you are?”, the golden star asks, looking at you with friendly distance in his eyes.

“_______”, you answer.

It follows an awkward silence – all four of you staring at each other with unease. There is no greater hell than group projects. You’ve got no friends, or even acquaintances, in this course. It isn’t like you are a recluse. You just have a very small circle of friends. And you don’t have any desire to change that.

“Well”, Jimin begins and unlocks his iPhone, “let’s start with a shared google docs.” Now he hands his device over to the girl with thick rimmed glasses. She looks like murder and you are woman enough to admit you’re a bit afraid of her. She does start your 8 am lecture with an energy drink and cold pizza. every. single. week.

“We could meet up before class next week to divide the parts among us?”, the guy to your right offers and you haven’t ever heard him speak before. He usually just sits in class and doodles in his sketchbooks. The red one he is resting on right now is the third book you’ve seen him use in the last month.

Your eyes widen as his words reach your tired brain. Meeting up before class? Before 8 am?

The girl gives you Jimin’s phone and you add your contacts half-minded. There is not even a single crack on his screen. Is this guy even real?

“How about after class?”, Jimin suggests instead and winks at you. You nearly drop his phone when you see his left eye closing in mischief. Did Jimin really just wink at you?

“Nah, I’m packed till practice”, the guy answers and takes the iPhone out of your hands.

“What about this weekend?”, the girl asks and opens her calendar.

“I could manage Sunday afternoon”, Jimin says and stores his phone back in his jeans. His way too tight jeans. The jeans you’ve been staring at all through lunch today. He was wrestling for … uhm… fun with one of his brothers – Jungkook you think – and his ass was just… very present pressed against the denim.

“Sounds good”, the sketch guy says and the girl nods in agreement. Now all of them look at you; the person that did in fact have plans for Sunday. But you doubt they’d be very understanding of your self-care day off from the week.

“Yeah, sure”, you agree reluctantly and fish out your own smartphone, an old grandfather of Jimin’s model with many cracks littering the screen. Without looking up, you delete the do not disturb block in your calendar and create a new appointment: group project politics.

“We can meet up at the PoliSci library; I’ll get us a study room”, Jimin says and stands up – his tights directly in your eyesight. There is a hint of blush on your cheeks as you pack your things together yourself.

“Great”, the other guy cheers – way too enthusiastic – and departs from your group. His sketchbook is raised as he waves at you. You turn around to the others and they are both gone too. Well, what did you expect from a group assignment worth 15% of your grade with random people? Did you see Jimin’s back as he exited the lecture room? Maybe. And did your eyes lay a bit longer on his butt? It’d be a crime if they didn’t.

**

Wednesday – 10:03 pm – dorm room

“No way!”, your roommate shouts, her voice a shrill pain in your head. “Not the Park” You just nod, your late-night ramen hot on your tongue.

“How did you manage that?”, she asks and nibs on some seaweed crackers.

“Random assignment”, you mutter as you swallow down your food.

“You lucky, lucky bitch!” She throws one half-eaten cracker in your face.

“It’s a group project, not a blind date, Jisoo.”

There is a zero percent chance that the Park Jimin is even slightly interested in you. But then you remember his wink and you up your chances to three percent.

“Let’s get some beer to celebrate!”, your roommate suggests and totally ignores your unenthusiastic posture. The day was long – after working a shift at the kiosk on campus.

“I’m tired”, you whine, but your body moves as you get dragged to your feet by Jisoo. “My noodles”, you cry. She just rolls her eyes and pushes the warm cup into your hands. “Eat them on the way.”

You grumble the whole walk to the kiosk you worked just a few hours ago. There are so much more options to get two cans of beer at 10 pm on a Wednesday, but you do get a 5% employee discount – plus the 20% for being a student.

“Do you think he’ll invite you to the fancy parties?”, Jisoo wonders and swings your entwined hands between you. Your other hand holds your food – you want to save the rest up for drinking.

“Before or after I bear his heir?” Jimin’s fraternity is legendary for its exclusive parties. In contrast to most frats, theirs is known for the tight circle of invites. These events had a hand-picked guestlist, no cheap alcohol in sight. There were even rumors that Jimin makes all partygoers use reusable cups to reduce plastic trash. You do remember reading about this in one of the columns of your university paper.

“You’ll be fat after birth, so preferably before”, she reasons. You nod – true.

“I ain’t see any fat”, a male voice slurs and then you feel hands on your butt. You turn around, recognizing a squeeze before the hand leaves your body. As you see the guy who touched you, you feel fear setting in your bones. There are three of them and they do look very drunk. The darkened ally is not the most favorable spot to meet jerks. You can see the light from your store coming up ahead, but it’s late and deserted and they touched you.

“HEY”, Jisoo shouts and moves in front of your body. “NO TOUCHING WITHOUT CONCENT!”

His two friends are shocked by her loud outbreak and take a step back, but the toucher is still standing his ground. “Yo, be chill, bitch”, he says. Oh, he did not. Before you can even think about it, your arm moves on its own account. The lukewarm soup and the noodles splash in his face, coating his shirt and dripping on the cement. The guy’s eyes widen in surprise, but then they light up with anger. Shit. “Shit”, Jisoo whispers out loud.

And then Park Jimin is there, pushing in front of you. He creates a human wall between you and the three guys. His body heaves as he breathes in fast intervals. He must have run after he heard Jisoo’s shouting.

“Back off”, the golden boy says with a calm voice. His blond hair is so close, you are sure you can smell his eucalyptus shampoo.

“Hey man, this is between me and these two bitches”, the other guy answers, insulting you again.

“You’ve got a minute till my brothers catch up”, Jimin states. “Go. Now.”

Maybe the guy was too far gone, alcohol clouding his judgment, but he needs his two buddies nearly dragging him away from you. They whisper in his ears, half bowing to Jimin. “So sorry, man”, one of them says, clearly having recognized the star student even in the dark.

Jimin doesn’t react. Instead, he turns around to you and you get to look at his angered face. “Why are you two out here? Alone? In the middle of the night? Where is your rape whistle? Hm?”, he asks. You just watch him with surprised eyes.

“Hmm?”, he questions again, stepping closer to you. Jisoo stares silently at Jimin. She has never spoken to him but has always been a strong advocate for watching his ass during lunch.

“Uhm”, you try to answer and swallow the fear from moments ago down. “We… we-were getting to the part?”

Jimin just scoffs in your face, clearly not impressed with your fumbled words. “What are you even doing out here at this time?”

You are slightly intimidated by his presence, so your finger shakes a bit as you point to the kiosk behind you. “We wanted beer.”

**

You have no idea how this happened. One second you were assaulted, then saved by Jimin. Now you’re sitting in front of the store, waiting for the guy to come back out. Jisoo is sitting next to you on the steps, her elbows on her knees. Then you hear the bell at the door and turn around to see Jimin juggling three beers under his right arm and a steaming cup of noodles in his left hand. He comes to a still before you and pushes the ramen in your hands. After that he places two bottles in front of your feet and crouches down facing you. Jimin’s face has cleared and he looks friendly enough.

“Thanks”, you whisper into your cup. Jisoo hums in agreement.

“I called one of my brothers. He’ll get the footage from one of the security cameras tomorrow”, he explains and twists his own beer open, taking a big swing.

“Why?”, you ask confused and blow at your noodles. Jimin’s eyebrows furrow.

“What do you mean why? So, we can write these bastards up”, he says, and you gasp in surprise, the noodles falling back into the cup.

“You’d… do that for us? Even though you haven’t even seen him… uhm… grabbing me?”, you question in wonder. Why would he go out on a limb for you?

Jimin just rolls his eyes at you. “Of course, I’d do that.”

He is halfway through his beer when Jisoo decides to participate in this semi silent semi one-sided conversation.

“What … were you – you know – doing out this late?”, she wants to know in the softest tone you’ve ever heard her speak in.

Jimin’s hand combs through his hair, the thick strands parted by his fingertips. “I was on a date”, he answers casually.

“On a Wednesday?” Maybe not your smartest contribution because both let out a chuckle.

“Some people date during the week”, Jisoo snorts.

“Some people do meth, Jisoo. Doesn’t mean these are good life choices. Wait – Jimin… did you leave your date to…”

“To rescue two girls from danger? Yeah.”, he finishes for you and dusts invisible dirt from his shoulders. You roll your eyes at his puffed chest and eat another bite of your food.

“Nah, I’m just messing with you”, he laughs, “I was just on my way back from dropping her off at thes dorms.”

After that, there is an awkward silence. The three of you aren’t friends – there is no connection, common interest or shared anecdotes between you. Well, apart from your group project and his unborn son. Before you can start to ramble about the specifics of the – still empty – google docs he linked you in two days ago, his cell starts vibrating.

“Yeah?”, Jimin answers absently and collects your empty bottles to dispose them into the recycling bin. His conversation is muffled at best and you look at your roommate. Again, you hear the bell ring as your coworker Jaehyung closes the door and locks the store.

He smiles down at you. “Why didn’t you come inside, ______?”, he asks in greetings and gives you a quick hug. You hold your ramen in a vice grip – you’ll not lose your second midnight snack again.

“Jimin insisted he didn’t need the 5% extra discount”, you shrug and Jaehyung looks at you funny.

“Jimin?”, he wonders and steals a bite of your noodles. Is there even a god?

“That’ll be me”, the man in question responds and locks his iPhone as he joins the extended group.

“Ah, man… I loved how you absolutely killed it last week on stage”, Jaehyung praises and pats the lead actor on the back. You couldn’t agree more. You’d been there with all the student employees from the kiosk. Jaehyung made it his mission to justify the outing as a bonding experience and teamwork task to your boss.

“This one even had tears in her eyes”, he whispers in mock secrecy and points in your face. Jimin looks at you with an unspoken question on his lips. The actor stops studying you and moves his eyes to look at your coworker, who stands very closed to your sitting figure.

“Glad you enjoyed it”, Jimin mumbles and spares a small smile. “I… really have to get to the frat soon”, he starts, “so, … I’ll better get you two to your room now.”

Jisoo stands up in a heartbeat, dragging you up as well. He’s going to walk you home?

“Nah, don’t worry, man. I’ve got this!”, Jaehyung answers. Jimin’s face is blank as he musters the scene in front of him.

“I’d really like to know that you got back okay”, he reasons and looks pointedly at your coworker.

“Their dorm is waaay out of your way, man. Just let me handle this… It’s the same direction for me anyway”, Jaehyung tries to reason and you see Jimin’s eyes flash in frustration.

Jisoo is just looking between both men, not really sure how to react. Has Jimin an ulterior motive to walk you back? Does he even want to walk you back? Is it more than just soothing his conscious?

Maybe your chances of the Park Jimin being interested in you just upped from three to fifteen percent.

“Sure”, Jimin reluctantly agrees to Jaehyung’s plan and faces you, his stare zeroing in on you.

“Write me when you get home?”, he demands more than asks and you can only nod dumbfounded.

“Just,… let me give you my number so you’ll be able to text me”, Jimin reasons and stretches his hand out to get your phone. You look at him in confusion – you exchanged numbers two days ago during class. He was the one messaging all of you.  

“I… uhm… have your number”, you tell him. His eyes widen in surprise.

“Since when?”, the campus star asks and musters you in suspicion. Your face colors instantly, a deep red tone on your cheeks, as you realize that Jimin doesn’t remember you’re in his group assignment. He… doesn’t even recognize you. You feel so embarrassed, more so when Jisoo, too, sucks in her breathe.

“Uhm”, this is… very humiliating, “we’re i- in the same.. group for our PoliSci class.”

There is a beat of silence as you see even Jimin’s cheeks dusted with a hint of red.

“Ah, right, sorry”, he says and massages his neck uncomfortably. “I didn’t recognize you without your glasses.” Kill me now.

You just laugh and swallow down the bitter taste in your mouth while moving closer to your friend. Now, he thinks you’re the murderer? There is no mercy for your pride here.

“Let’s get going, ______”, Jisoo says, way too chipper and links your arms as she pulls you away from this disaster. “Thanks again, Jimin-ssi.”

“Yeah”, you agree and bow in front of him to cover the humiliation painted across your face.

Jimin bites on his bottom lip, all too tempted to reply, but settles for a swift nod.

Then the three of you walk away and ss soon as he is out earshot, Jaehyung looks at you.

“I have never seen you wearing glasses, ______”

Well, maybe your predictions were a bit off, maybe your chances with Jimin were no more than two percent.

**

Sunday – 4:32 pm – PoliSci library

“Should we… just start?”, you ask as Jimin fiddles with his tablet. You’re both seated in one of the small study rooms of your library. There is a half-empty box of chocolates between you. Jimin presented them with a shrug – they were a present he got after his last performance, the sweets a gift from one of his fanclubs… yeah… plural.

Other than that, there is your old laptop in the desk, some of the books from your professor’s reading list spread around the table, and an empty water bottle. What is not here, is the rest of the group.

You don’t have their numbers, Jimin being the organizer out of the four of you. His is the only number that is saved in your phone and was used last Wednesday. There was a small part of you – hell, who are you kidding? – a big part of you, that didn’t want to text Jimin. After the embarrassment died down that night, you were really angry. How could he? He winked at you one day and then forgot he even knows you the next day?

You wanted him to be ashamed; having him franticly messaging the wrong girl in his group would have served him right. And judging by the sheer joy this girl is, he’d have gotten an earful calling her at midnight.

But then you didn’t want to imagine him realizing he had the wrong girl. No, you wanted to be present. So, you texted him briefly and rescheduled the reveal for this Sunday, when he’d see both of you. And now you two are alone. Perfect planning, ______.

“You texted them, right?”, you ask for the tenth time and Jimin nods, picking one more praline from the box.

“Yeah, and I also called while you were peeing”, Jimin answers and pops the dark chocolate in his mouth.

“Don’t say that word”, you say.

“What? Pee?”, he laughs, “Be happy I didn’t say piss.”

“Now you said it too”, you whine.

“What else am I supposed to say, _______?” Oh, the right name; nice.

“Going to the toilette? Stepping out for a second? Leaving the room?”, you list and grab a sweet. The air between you both isn’t exactly uncomfortable. You’ve licked your wounds over the rest of the week and can see your partner for what he is, an overachiever.

He has much on his plate, so many appointments and engagements, it’s no wonder he doesn’t remember one of the hundred of faces on campus. So, you decided to forgive him… to a certain degree. The degree being, that a.) he doesn’t even know there is an issue and b.) your big revenge fell down the drain with your female partner being a non-show.

For the last half hour, the two of you talked, mainly about organisatory stuff like due-dates and presentation formats. But then you pointed to the box of chocolates and you both strayed into more private matters. You complimented him – again – for his performance and Jimin expressed his relief that he received all-around glowing reviews. He even shared that there was a casting coach at one of the stage nights. The golden boy’s eyes lit up, as he talked about the offer to sign a contract with this coach, who was one of the most in-demands in his profession.

“We could just divide the parts evenly among us and pick the ones most to our liking”, your partner offers and shares his tablet with you.

“I doodled with a few topics last night… what do you think, _____?”, he asks, and you look at his notes. Of course, his doodles look like your versions of an exposé.

Why does he have so much resources to prep for this meeting when he can’t even filter your face?

“Yeah, the second theme looks… uhm quite promising”, you say and move to enlarge his mind map. You’re sure the first proposal is just as good, but there were a few words that you don’t even know how to pronounce.

The two of you work productively for the next half hour, separating some key elements of the theory and choosing your own parts. Jimin – being the one coming up with the whole topic – let’s you pick first. You try to decline but he is very adamant.

After you added all your points into the shared document, the both of you pack away your things and Jimin throws away the empty box of chocolates. So much for a healthy afternoon snack.

Jimin is just happily telling you he’ll sleep in tomorrow because your professor canceled your shared lecture. You can’t agree more – having moved your self-care day to tomorrow instead. You’ll skip your tutoring session in the evening, so the whole day is yours. A smile stretches across your face and you hear Jimin stumble on his words as he looks at you.

“There is a party at my frat today, if you wanne come?”, he offers and slings his backpack over his shoulders. Wait… what?

“A Bangtan Party?”, you whisper-shout and look at him – the smile frozen on your lips.

Jimin looks a bit embarrassed as he sees your excitement.

“Yeah… I could set you on the guestlist?”, he say, a bit unsure. Your brain is working overtime. The Park Jimin wants you at his party? The girl he couldn’t even remember a few days ago? A mere group project fail?

“Really?”, you ask as you feel anticipation cursing through your veins.

“Really.” Jimin’s eyes are nearly closed, a bright smile pushing his cheeks up.

Maybe… Maybe your chances of the Park Jimin being interested in you are higher than you thought, now that he knows who you are. You’ll give yourself solid 20 percent. This party is one of the most exclusive affairs on campus, why else invite you if there isn’t some interest at his end?

“Cool”, you say, “can I bring my roommate?”

Jimin nods and holds open the door, closing and locking it behind him.

“I’ll see you tonight then?”, he asks instead of saying goodbye and moves away from you. You see Jungkook… and is that Namjoon?... waiting two aisles behind you, talking to each other in hushed voices. You wave at Jimin in affirmation and turn around.  

**

“Don’t you think this is way too short?”, you ask – your insecurity slipping right out as you brush over the fabric of your dark red metallic skirt. Jisoo and you have been getting ready for the last few hours, which entailed not only some very hairspray-intense styling but also a tree diagram being constructed on the back of your pre-game nachos. Your roommate collected and rated every clue you gave her regarding the Park Jimin mystery – of course only after she squealed for a good minute.

“No touching my stuff”, Jisoo scolds and knocks away your fidgeting hands. She added ten percent to your prediction because she upvoted him rescuing you – and staring at Jaehyung in frustration – way higher than his misjudgment of forgetting your name and face. Even thought you pointed out that Jimin was on a date clearly indicating he maybe isn’t even emotional available.

“Your stuff is on my body, though”, you argue as both of you walk to the frat house. Their house isn’t that far off campus but it still is a 20 minute walk. You’ve got your pepper spray with you this time even if you left your rape whistle at home. There are few students out this evening, tomorrow being Monday making most of them stay in tonight. Before you can take the last turn do that their house comes into view, there is a person calling your name from behind.

You look and see the sketchbook guy from your group project jogging towards you. Jisoo looks at you questionably, not recognizing him. There is suppressed anger on your face and you try really hard not to be too mean to the person who left you and Jimin waiting today.

“Yeah?”, you ask and look at the slightly out of breath guy now in front of you. He’s got a gym bag over his shoulders, his running shoes still on his feet.

“Good workout today?”, you add with slight sarcasm in your voice. There seems to be a slight issue in translation because he just smiles wider at you as he gives you a small bow.

“Thanks to you, of course”, he answers, and you are this close to hitting a person today.

“What?”, you hiss and try to control your anger. This useless excuse of a PoliSci major will not lower your standards. Now the guy looks at you with a puzzled expression on his face – clearly not expecting you to me so hostile.

“You know? Yo- you and Jimin offering to do the selecting and dividing by yourselves really helped me out today.” Come again?

“What?”, you repeat this time without venom in your voice. His face moves to the side as he musters you carefully.

“Uhm… Jimin called on Thursday… telling us not to bother coming on Sunday”, he explains slowly as if you’re the dumb one. Jimin did what?

“What?”, you ask for a third time and now he and Jisoo look at you with worry.

“He.. he.. I mean Jimin – he mentioned that you two were totally fine with doing it alone… Mina and I offered to finalize and proofread the presentation in return”, he continues and you are just confused. So, so confused.

Why would Jimin lie to them – and to you?

“Ehm.. I’m sorry…”, you look at him sheepishly. He seems to understand and adds “Wobin”.

“Yeah, right… Wobin… this is a huge misunderstanding … let me – uhm talk to Jimin”, you say, the confusion slowing down your word flow.

Wobin looks at Jisoo in question and she just shrugs. “You’re staying with her?”, he asks her and she nods. “We haven’t had that much to drink… I think she just needs a minute. Thanks tough, Wobin”, Jisoo calmly states and your partner leaves with an uncertain wave.

“_______?”, another voice joins – because why not make it a whole convention here on the sidewalk literarily five minutes away from your destination. You turn to the male voice and see non other than Jungkook walking towards you with hurried steps.

“Hmm?”, you answer, still reeling from the confession mere minutes ago.

“What are you doing out here alone by yourselves?”, he questions as he catches up. Jisoo is frozen next to you – even tough Jimin is without question the hottest guy at your university, Jungkook is by far the most dangerous. Combined, they are lethal.

“We were just on our way to your house”, you offer and point in the direction of the frat.

“Yeah, I get that”, he says, “but why are you out here alone?”

“You can see Jisoo, right?”, you ask, not sure of anything tonight and look at your roommate.

Jungkook scoffs and shakes his head – clearly not impressed.

“After last Wednesday you’re still walking around alone at night?”, he wants to know. Last Wednesday? Wait how does he know about that?

“Who told you?”

Now Jungkook looks as worried as Wobin before. “Jiminie told me? Hadn’t I stayed longer at practice I would have been with him when he found you.”

“Practice?”, you ask.

“Yeah,… we’re preparing a inprov show to celebrate the anniversary of the drama department, you know?”, he explains and adds after he sees your expression: “Hasn’t Jimin mentioned anything?”

No, Jimin did in fact not mention he wasn’t actually leaving from a date but a late-night practice that day.

“He has been wreaking havoc since that night”, Jungkook shares. “Every brother had to sign up to cover a shift patrolling common paths during school nights.”

Now, he points at himself. “Today is my night so I’ll escort you to our mansion.”

Jisoo just looks at him like he grew a second head.

“You’re pepping for an improvisation show?”, she asks slowly as the three of you begin to walk.

This is the thing Jisoo has a problem with? Really? You feel your head spin while you try to make sense of the last two encounters.

Jimin didn’t go on a date last Wednesday. Jimin himself uninvited your partners from todays meeting. You shared chocolates with a liar.

“Wait… Jungkook?”, you ask not even looking at him. “Do you guys get a lot of gifts after your performances?” The student just laughs and shakes his head.

“Nah, we’re not allowed to anymore. The presents were getting out of hands. I mean… Seokjin-hyung even got a gold bar once, a fucking gold bar.”

You speed up your steps as you see the frat house in front of you, few people mingling around the entrance. There is a guy standing at the door and you’re trying to get your student ID out of the bag – your thoughts making your hands shake.

Jungkook comes up behind you and just shoves you inside, saluting the other guy with a cheeky grin. You don’t have much time taking in the décor, but you do notice how small the group of students are mingling around the living room. There is soft R&B playing from a stereo and you see the infamous reusable cups full of alcoholic mixtures.

And then you see Jimin, how ridged he is standing in front of the fireplace, bottled water in hand. His eyes zero in on you and the blooming smile quickly freezes when he notices your disheveled state. You step around some guys on the couch, making your way towards him. He places his water on the mantlepiece.

“______”, he greets you and you hear the tension in his voice. He knows, you know – maybe not how much, but Jungkook trailing behind you with a guilty look tells him that you know enough.

“Jimin”, you start, completely unsure which lie you should focus on, your brain jumping around in circles.

“______”, he whispers and takes a step closer to you.

“Jimin”, you try again to form a coherent sentence.

Before his lips meet yours in a shy confession, you think to yourself:

Maybe there is a 99 percent chance of Park Jimin being interested in you.

________

there is... no logical explanation for this story, other than me having war flashbacks while thinking about group projects at university. did you enjoy this oneshot? Please tell me if you find this Jimin as "perfect" as I did (apart from manipulating the OC). did/do you have similar experiences with group work? I always hated it. with a passion. thanks for reading and feel yourself hugged (if you want to) from, dana

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Welcome to the World, Little One

This is a continuation of my “Life in the ER” series. To catch up on the series, you can click here. This is the story behind baby Kelly's birth.

Warnings include: cursing, hospital, needles, mentions of surgery, blood, pain, and the emergency room.

July 5, 2020 4:00pm

“Do you boys need anything before I take off for the afternoon?” Plums tossed a chart on the counter, giving Albert and Spot a glance, leaning against the counter, rubbing her heavily pregnant belly.

“Pizza, beer, cheetos, need I go on?” Spot raised an eyebrow, grinning at Plums.

She leaned over and swatted him, cursing her big belly for getting in the way. “Smartass. Do you need anything related to the job?”

“Nah I think we’re good.” Albert said with a grin. “When do you start maternity leave?”

Kat looked around the busy room, feeling comfortable with the constant beeping of monitors and the quiet murmurs of conversations around her. Looking between the two, she sighed. “Not soon enough. I’m working until this baby comes.”

“Have you figured out names yet?” Spot asked, knowing that was a hotly contested debate between Jack and Katherine.

Sighing, her eye caught the clock as she shook her head. “We’ve got middle names figured out but a list a mile long with first names. We figured we’d see them first before figuring out a first name.”

“Can we know? Are you telling people?” Albert leaned forward, full display of puppy dog eyes on display.

A commotion at the bay doors caught their attention as Kat grinned brightly. Jack walked over to where she stood, leaning over to kiss her before shaking hands with Spot and Albert. “Afternoon boys.”

“You’re not letting her drive, huh?” Spot asked, looking at his brother-in-law with a grin.

Kat sighed while Jack nodded. “He took away my driving privileges thus he is my chauffeur now.”

“So what was with the serious looks when I walked in?” Jack asked, mimicking his wife’s stance.

She grinned. “They were asking me if they could know the middle names we picked out.”

“I don’t care. Share if you want.” Jack shrugged as Spot and Albert both turned to Plums with their puppy dog eyes.

Kat smirked. “Charlotte and Robert and that’s all you’re getting from me. Ready, Jack? See you tomorrow boys.”

And with that, the two of them headed out of the hospital, leaving Spot and Albert grinning at the desk.

Soon there were several ambulances at the door, causing Spot and Albert to spring into action, busy for the rest of the afternoon.

8:00pm

Leaning back in his chair, Spot sighed loudly. He was eight hours into his 12 hour shift and the last four hours had been a nightmare with more gunshot wounds and a heart attack victim than a normal night. This was the first time he was able to sit down and catch his breath. Hearing his stomach growl, he looked over at Albert, who was sitting next to him charting.

“Wanna go grab some food? I’m starving.” Spot pushed back his chair and stood, not waiting for Albert to follow suit.

The two headed towards the cafe, each lost in their own thoughts. They broke off, each getting their own food before meeting up at the table. “I feel like I haven’t even gotten to talk to you today - why does the day after fourth bring all the crazies out?”

“Because people think they’re suddenly smarter after drinking and partying and celebrating the birth of this country!” Albert explained dryly as he savored his mac and cheese.

Pointing his spoon at Albert, he didn’t get to say what he was thinking as Michelle, another nurse in the ER, skidded to a stop in front of their table. “Plums was just brought in. She’s in labor.”

Pushing back from the table, Spot and Albert both stood, quickly throwing their trash away before following Michelle back down to the Emergency Room. Spot took a deep breath before pushing through the doors, not knowing what was waiting for them on the other side.

“Spot, Albert, Plums is in Bay 3 getting checked out.” Romeo pointed out. Spot gave Albert a nod before heading in that direction.

Ducking through the curtains, he smiled seeing Jack and Plums along with several doctors and nurses around her. “Spot!”

Jack’s head quickly turned to him as Plums yelled out, holding out the hand that Jack wasn’t holding. He quickly was at her side, leaning over and kissing her already sweaty forehead. “Hi Spottie. Michelle said you were down at the cafe.”

“Yeah . . . it was the first time Al and I could get away to eat something.” Spot said, reaching over to clasp Jack’s hand with a grin. “But I hear we’re on baby watch now.”

Plums sighed, squeezing both his and Jack’s hands as a contraction hit. “That’s what they tell me.”

Jack pressed a kiss to her forehead before looking over at Spot. “Can you call Medda, Race, and Smalls and let them know?”

“Do you want them to come down?” Spot asked, raising an eyebrow at them. “Do you want me to call your parents?”

Jack looked at Kat with a grin before quickly nodding. “Tell them they can come down. I’ll call my parents later - you guys don’t need to be dealing with them. Are we heading upstairs?”

Spot looked over his shoulder at Dr. Smith, grinning at them. “We will be moving you upstairs shortly. We’re going to do a quick exam to see where you’re at then we’ll get you upstairs. Do either of you need anything?”

“Ice chips and an epidural.” Kat grinned, raising her eyebrows at her colleague.

“Slow your roll, Plums.” She grinned. “I’ll get your ice chips but let’s see how far along you are before I order an epidural.”

Spot chuckled at Plums expression before pointing out in the hallway. “I’ll just go make those phone calls.”

He quickly made the phone calls to Smalls and Medda before dialing Race’s number. “Spot, hey what’s up?”

“You need to get down to the hospital. Kat and Jack are in and Kat’s in labor.” Spot said, walking over to the nurse’s station and taking a seat.

“Did you call momma and Smalls?” Race asked.

Spot smiled. “Yeah, I called them first. Just make sure you get here quickly - I don’t have any details yet. Just that they’re in the ER, probably being moved upstairs.”

“I’m on my way. Do you need anything?” Race asked as Spot paused.

Spot watched Dr. Smith make her way out of Plums’ room. “Can you bring me a change of clothes? Sweatpants, hoodie, and tennis shoes. Might want to bring a deck of cards or a board game. I have a feeling we’re in for a long night.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit, Spottie. Love you.” Race said as Spot echoed the words back to him.

Walking back to room, Spot entered Plums room with a grin. “Race, Smalls, and Medda are all on their way - I told them they’d be moving you upstairs.”

“I’m 6 cms along and they’re going to be moving me upstairs in the next few minutes.” Kat grinned.

“That’s good to hear.” Spot grinned. “I’m going to go make some rounds but I’ll send the crew up when they get here.”

Kat looked at him, reaching over to grab his hand. “You’ll be up there?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Spot promised, squeezing her hand and grinning before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Do you need anything?”

Holding up her cup of ice chips, she grinned. “I’m all set. Go see your patients and we’ll see you upstairs.”

“Love you too Plums.” Spot grinned, blowing her a kiss before walking out of the room.

Stopping at the nurses’ station, he grabbed two charts, flipping through them as Albert gave him a long look. “Everything okay with Plums?”

“She’s six cms dilated and they’re about to move her upstairs. But Race, Smalls, and Medda are on their way so can you keep an eye out for them?” Spot asked as he grinned.

Albert nodded. “Let me know where they move Plums and I’ll send them up.”

“Sounds good.” Spot smiled before heading towards the hub of the ER to make his rounds.

Thirty minutes later, after catching his replacement up with what was going on in the department, he was back sitting at the nurses’ station, taking a moment to himself. “You okay?”

Looking up at Albert, Spot nodded. “Just taking a moment to myself. Didn’t think this night would go this way.”

“Plums got moved up to maternity, room 1184.” Albert smiled, clicking a few things on the computer. “I sent Race, Smalls, and Medda up about twenty minutes ago. Race asked about you.”

Spot grinned. “Of course he did. Alyssa’s here so I’m heading up. Did you let Finch know?”

“Not yet but now that I have a moment to breathe, I’m going to text him.” Albert held up his phone, giving Spot a grin. “We’ll both be up when I’m off work.”

Spot grinned. “From what Race texted, they’ve got us in a private waiting room. It looks like they want to keep the noise levels down.”

“Thanks, Spottie. I’ll be up there soon.” Albert promised, looking up from typing on his phone.

Spot slapped the countertop before making his way over to the elevator before pressing the up button. He texted Race that he was on his way up. Watching the elevator open up, he quickly entered before pressing the 11th floor button.

Soon he was walking off the elevator, looking for the waiting room where his family was. A nurse grinned at him. “Well lookie what the cat drug in? Mister I don’t do babies.”

“Haha, Alicia. It’s good to see you too.” Spot grinned. “Where’s Plums’ family?”

She pointed down the hallway. “We put them in the private room, just down there. Plums is in 1184. I take it you’ll be heading to the waiting room before going to her room?”

“You got it in one.” Spot grinned. “It’s good to see you Alicia. You should come back down to the ER every once in a while.”

She laughed. “And why would I do that? It’s nice and quiet up here.”

A yell came from one of the rooms as Spot raised an eyebrow in her direction with a smirk. “Sure.”

He waved at her before walking down the hallway to the private waiting room. He pushed open the door, peeking his head in. He grinned walking into the room, letting the door close gently behind him. Medda looked up, a grin crossing her face. “We were wondering when you’d get here.”

“Sorry momma, had to wait until my cover got here so I could get her up to speed.” Spot smiled, letting himself get pulled into a hug. Smalls quickly pulled him into a hug before Race hugged him before placing a kiss on his lips.

“Have you checked in on Jack and Kat?” Race asked, bouncing on his toes, eager for news.

Spot shook his head. “Not yet. I thought I’d check in with you guys before going to see them. Do you guys need anything?”

“No, I think we’re good. The nurse has been in here a couple of times checking up on us.” Race grinned. “Why don’t you go check up on them and let us know what’s going on?”

Spot kissed Race once more before leaving the room. He walked down the hallway before pausing in front of the room. He sighed, before walking into the frenzy of the room. He hung back, watching the nurse and the doctor look at the sonogram machine as they ran the doppler across Kat’s stomach. “Katherine, we need to prep you for emergency surgery - you have a Prolapsed umbilical cord and right now we need to get you down to surgery to save both you and the baby.”

With that, the room came alive and soon Katherine’s bed was on the move as Spot and Jack ran behind him. “What’s going on? What’s happening to my wife?”

“Spot, Jack.” Kat cried as they pushed the bed through double doors.

The nurse put her hand up, stopping both men in their path. “You can’t come in here. You’ll have to wait out here.”

Jack watched the nurse walk through the double doors as he carted his hand through his hair, turning to look at Spot, pain, worry, and frustration across his face. “Spottie . . . what’s wrong? What’s happening? Is our child going to be okay?”

Spot pulled Jack into a hug, letting his brother-in-law collapse into tears. “Shhh, Jack. She’s going to be okay.”

“And the baby?” Jack asked, looking up at him with worry in his eyes.

“Do you want it straight?” Spot sighed, leading him over to a set of chairs, looking at Jack dead in the eyes.

Jack collapsed into one before looking at the ground, nodding. “Yeah.”

“Katherine had something called a prolapsed umbilical cord, which is when the umbilical cord drops through her cervix into the vagina ahead of the baby.” Spot sighed. “It can be dangerous for the baby and that’s why the emergency surgery is necessary.”

Jack sighed, throwing his head back against the wall. “Can you go in there with her? I don’t want her to be alone.”

“I will try.” Spot said, pulling out his phone and shooting off a text to Albert and Race, letting them know where Jack was. “Let me see if they’ll let me in there but you have to stay out here.”

Jack nodded, as another round of tears fell down his face, worry evident across his face.

Spot glanced behind Jack at the closed doors before giving him a hug, slapping his hand to his shoulder before walking through the doors. He quickly scrubbed in, throwing on a surgical mask, before looking in the big bay window. “Spot, you can come in.”

He walked into the room and grinned behind his mask at Dr. Smith. “Thank you. I know this is unusual but . . .”

“I figured you’d weasel yourself into this room.” She nodded to him. “Stay up by her head - reassure her and soon we’ll have a baby party.”

Taking a seat on the stool, he reached over and kissed Kat’s forehead. “How are you doing, Plums?”

“Ready to have a baby.” She grinned, looking over at him, worried evident in her eyes. “How’s Jack?”

Spot sighed. “He’s out in the hallway. The family is on their way down to be with him. He’s kinda freakin’ out, Kat. But I told him everything will be alright.”

“Thanks, Spot.” Kat grinned, eyes bright. “Thank you for being there for both of us.”

“There’s no place I’d rather be. Now what do you think you’re having? Final bets.” Spot smirked, as she laughed.

“Jack thinks boy but I think a girl.” Kat sighed, wishing it was all over so she could see her husband and baby. “What do you and Race think?”

Spot laced his fingers with hers giving them a squeeze. “I think girl but Race can’t make up his damn mind and keeps changing. Yesterday was a girl but today was a boy. I think he’s just ecstatic that he’s going to be an uncle and doesn’t really care.”

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me. I’d be happy with either.” Kat smiled. “I just can’t wait to hold them.”

Spot pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’ll do that in a few minutes.”

True to his word, while gripping her hand, a cry rang out through the surgical room. “Congratulations, Katherine, you have a healthy, beautiful baby.”

Kat looked at him with tears. “Will you go make sure they’re safe and healthy?”

Nodding, Spot stood walking over to the bassinet as they weighed the wrinkly mess of a baby. It was the sweetest sight Spot had ever seen. Just as he turned to tell Kat the gender, monitors started blaring. “We’re losing her.”

Spot abandoned the baby, sitting next to Katherine, leaning close to her ear, his heart pounding rapidly. “Dammit Plums, you better pull through. Jack and your baby need you!”

The next few seconds were tense as the team worked on her. Spot whispered a prayer under his breath as he held tight to her hand, squeezing it every few seconds. Finally the monitors stopped blaring and a collective sigh sounded through the OR. “Get a few bags of O+ blood and get them hanging. She’s good for now but not out of the woods.”

Spot looked over at Dr Smith as she took off her mask. “Spot do you want to introduce this peanut to the family? We’re going to get her down to recovery.”

Unable to speak, he pressed a kiss to Kat’s head, promising he’d be back before standing. Clearing his throat, he looked up at the team. “What are the baby’s stats?”

“Seven pounds, eight ounces, 22 inches long, born at 10:15pm on July 5.” Dr. Smith smiled, handing over a blanket wrapped baby with a blue and pink striped hat on its head.

The team quickly moved Kat into the recovery room. Dr Smith hung back, giving Spot a look. “Once you tell the family, bring the baby and Jack back to recovery.”

He nodded as he pushed through the door of the OR, before walking down the hallway, precious cargo in his arms. “Now baby there’s a lot of people waiting on meet you, but your daddy especially.”

He pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead before pushing through the double doors, eyes searching for Jack. Race caught his eye first, as he reached over and nudged his brother. “Jack, look.”

If the situation wasn’t so tense, Spot would’ve laughed at how hard and fast Jack’s head snapped up. He staggered to his feet as Race steadied him as they made their way over to Spot with Medda, Smalls, Albert and Finch behind them. “How is she?”

“First things first, Jack, I’d like to introduce you to your daughter. She was born at 10:15pm and she’s 7lbs, 8oz and 22 inches long. She’s got your lungs.” Spot said as Jack peered into his arms and a smile crossed his lips.

The group crowded around Spot to look at the precious baby in his arms. “She’s precious and adorable.”

“C-can I hold her?” Jack asked, clearing his throat. Spot would’ve laughed but it got strangled in his throat.

Nodding, Spot steered him over to the chairs. “Sit down first - it looks like you’re going to fall over.”

Once he was situated, Spot placed the baby in her father’s arms with a grin. “There you go - you look good with a baby, Jackie.”

Jack ran his finger over her hands and face before looking up at Spot. “Thanks. How’s Kat?”

Spot sighed, the weight of the situation catching up to him. “She lost a lot of blood but they’re giving her a transfusion. We’re just waiting on her to wake up. When you’re ready, I’ll take you both back to recovery.”

“But she’s going to be okay, right? I can’t lose her.” Panic was evident in Jack’s voice as he looked at Spot.

Spot bit his lip. “I’m not going to lie - she’s got a tough few days ahead of her but if anyone can pull through, it’s Plums. You have to believe in that Jack. She’s strong and she’ll be yelling at you soon enough.”

Nodding his head, he looked at his daughter before looking over at Medda. “Momma, wanna hold your granddaughter?”

Medda laughed, holding out her hands as Jack expertly transferred the baby out of his and into hers. As soon as Medda had her, Jack pulled Spot into a hug, tears and worry melting away as the two embraced. Spot rubbed Jack’s back as the last two hours frustrations, worries, and scariness came pouring out in tears. Soon Race and Albert embraced the two of them, causing Spot to join in the tears.

Soon Spot tried to step back, wiping his eyes as he looked at Jack. “You okay?”

“Yea.” Jack sniffles, wiping the remaining tears from his eyes. “Thanks.”

Spot grinned. “Anytime. Do you have a name for your daughter?”

“Kat and I had it narrowed down to two. Can we wait until she’s awake?” Jack bit his lip, worry stretched across his face.

Spot nodded. “Of course. I’ll let Dr Smith know. Do you want me to take you back to Kat?”

“In a few minutes. Your husband is getting antsy about holding her.” Jack smirked, watching Race bounce beside Medda. “I’ll grab her if you want to settle Race.”

“Give me the hard job? I see how it is.” Spot complained before looking at his husband. “Race come ‘ere.”

Race left Medda’s side before joining his husband. “Spottie, our niece is freaking adorable. Can we have one?”

“Slow your roll, Race. One step at a time.” Spot gave him a look. “Come sit down beside me.”

Race obliged, immediately lacing his fingers with Spot. “I’m so proud of you - have I told you that lately?”

Spot looked at Race, who’s eyes flowed with sincerity and love. “You haven’t said that lately but what brought this on?”

“Just seeing you walk out here confidently and holding everything together, even though I’m sure you wanted to curl up on the couch and cry your eyes out from exhaustion and fear.” Race leaned over and kissed him. “I love you and am so proud of you for being there for Kat, Jack and our niece.”

Spot swiped at his eyes as additional tears fell down his cheek. “Damn you Racetrack. Making me cry but I love you too.”

“Sap.” Race chided, before leaning over and kissing him. “Now what’s the plan?”

Spot sighed, lowering his voice as he watched Smalls hold the baby. “I’ve got to take the baby and Jack back to recovery then we’ll see what Jack wants to do. He’ll probably want to stay the night so we might need to go get him some clothes and anything else he may need.”

“Do you want to change before you go back?” Race asked, motioning to the duffle bag that was shoved under the chair.

Biting his lip, Spot shook his head. “Eventually, yes but I’m letting Jack dictate what he wants us to do. I think as soon as he sees Kat, it’s going to come crashing down on him. She’s going to be moved to a room in about an hour so you guys will be able to visit.”

“Momma and Smalls said something about going home but Albert and Finch will stick around. I’ll be around for as long as you are.” Race laced their fingers together as Spot gave him a small smile. “Jack needs to call her parents.”

Sighing, Race shook his head. “Is he gonna be up for that?”

“Who knows. Maybe momma will do it.” Spot suggested, knowing Medda had the patience of a saint.

Soon Jack had made his way over to where they sat, baby girl in his arms. “Baby girl, these are your uncles. You already met your Uncle Spottie but this is your Uncle Race and he’s going to spoil you rotten.”

Spot grinned, watching Jack expertly pass the sleeping baby to his brother. Race went still as he adjusted the baby in his arms. “Breathe Racer. We don’t need you passing out. She’s asleep and not looking to wake up anytime soon.”

“Look at your doling out the dad advice already.” Spot smirked as Jack collapsed into a chair beside him. “You need to call Kat’s parents.”

“Momma said she would do it as soon as you came up with an update.” Jack said, sighing while running a hand over his face. “She’s going to be okay, right Spot?”

Spot nudged him with a small smile. “She lost a lot of blood during the c-section so her body is in shock. Once everything regulates she should be awake and fine. She’s tough. Do you want to go back and see her?”

“You’ll stay?” Jack asked, a subtle pleading in his eyes.

Spot nodded. “Race and I aren’t going anywhere. We’ll hang around as long as you want us to. Finch and Albert might as well.”

“Let me see if I can wrestle my daughter back from Race and we can go check up on her mom.” Jack said pushing himself up from the chair before standing in front of Race. “Time’s up Race.”

Looking up from whispering with the baby, Race groaned. “I’m not done telling her all of the secrets.”

“You’ll have the next 18 years to do that.” Jack rolled his eyes, a chuckle escaping his mouth. “Hand her over.”

Spot watched Jack take back the baby before going over to talk to Medda and Smalls as Albert and Finch ventured over to Race and Spot. “What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to take him back to Kat. Race and I are hanging around until he kicks us out.” Spot shrugged.

Jack stopped at the group. “Momma and Smalls are heading out - Finch, Albert don’t hang out, go home. Come back tomorrow. We’re just hanging out until Kat wakes.”

“Will you text us updates?” Albert asked, looking between Spot and Jack.

Nodding, Jack smiled. “Absolutely. Thank you both for being here.”

“As if we’d be anywhere else.” Finch shook his head, pulling Jack and the baby into a gentle hug before Albert did the same. “Let us know if you need anything. You can only eat so much hospital food.”

Nodding, Jack smiled, watching them walk down the hallway before turning to Spot and Race. “Can Race come back with us?”

Nodding, Spot watched Race pick up the duffle bag before motioning them to follow him. Tapping the badge reader with his badge, the door opened and he led them down a hallway before stopping at the desk. “Hey Alicia, have they moved Plums yet or is she still in recovery?”

“They’re getting ready to move her. I don’t know if she has a room number yet.” Alicia said, clicking a few keys on the keyboard. “Looks like she’ll be in her original room - 1184.”

“Thanks Alicia. Will you let Smith know we’re heading that way?” Spot grinned.

Walking down the hallway, he looked at his watch and yawned loudly. He looked at Jack and Race. “You’re the only four people that I’d be up this late for.”

Jack and Race laughed as Spot stopped in front of Kat’s door. “Do you want us to go in?”

Jack nodded, adjusting the baby in his arms. Spot pushed open the door as a nurse gave him a bright smile. “Spottie it’s good to see you.”

“Hey Helen, this is Kat’s husband Jack and brother-in-law, Race. How’s our girl doing?” He asked, eyes on the monitor she was hooked to.

The nurse fiddled with something before giving the men a smile. “All her stats are good. We just need her to wake up. Do you guys need anything? Food, drinks?”

Spot looked at Jack and Race, both who’s eyes were glued to Kat. “I think we’re good now but I’ll let you know if that changes. But could you bring some formula, little miss is going to need to eat soon.”

She nodded and without another word, she left the room, only to return a few minutes later with the premade bottle. Spot grinned at her as she left them alone. “Jack, Spot, take a seat. We’ll be here for a while. Do you want me to take her?”

Jack handed the baby to Spot before collapsing into a chair next to Kat’s bed grabbing her hand, before whispering to her.

Spot sat down, cradling the baby as he got Race’s attention. “Race, go sleep on the couch. You look like you’re gonna collapse.”

“What about you?” Race looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m a master of sleeping in chairs.” Spot grinned. “I promise I’ll wake you if anything should happen but Jack’s gonna crash within an hour. Little miss and I will hang out while everyone sleeps.”

Race flopped on the couch. “You need to sleep too, Spottie. Are you working tomorrow?”

“Nope, I'm not scheduled again until the 8th. Go to sleep Racer. I’m going to put a little girl in the bassinet and go change.” Spot stood, did that before escaping to the little bathroom to change.

Opening the door, he surveyed the room. Light snores were escaping Race’s mouth as he slept on the couch while Jack was slumped over the bed, clutching Kat’s hand while he slept. Checking on the baby, he smiled seeing her puckered lips as she snoozed. Settling himself in the chair, he scooted himself down so the back of his head rested on the back of the chair and let his eyes close, the comforting beeping rocking him to sleep.

Hours Later

Cracking open an eye, he heard something shift in the room. Letting his feet drop from where they were propped up on the bed, he quickly stretched, groaning as his muscles loosened from the awkward position they were stuck in. His eyes quickly moved around the room. His niece, husband, and brother-in-law were all sound asleep. The door was still shut so it couldn’t have been a nurse. Looking up at bed, he grinned seeing movement.

Pushing himself off the chair, he walked to the other side of the bed and grinned at Kat. “Welcome back. How do you feel?”

Her eyes fluttered open as she took in her surroundings. “Sore. What happened?”

“You lost a lot of blood, they had to give you a blood transfusion. We were just waiting for you to wake up.” Spot grabbed her other hand, giving it a squeeze.

Her eyes flew up to him. “And the baby?”

“Sound asleep, like her daddy and uncle.” Spot grinned. “Sorry, these two are making all kinds of racket.”

She smiled, reaching over running her hand through Jack’s hair. “It’s fine. How worried were they?”

“They were pretty worried. I didn’t find out until afterward since I was with you.” He grinned. “Do you want to see your little girl?”

Her eyes lit up and she nodded. Spot quickly adjusted her bed before walking over to the bassinet and picking up the little girl, who stretched before settling down. “Here you go, mommy Kat, your little girl.”

Once Kat and the baby were settled, Spot walked around the bed to rouse Jack. Crouching down, he put a hand on Jack’s back before rubbing it gently. “Jack, hey Jack.”

Groaning, Jack lifted his head to look at Spot. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Kat’s awake.” Spot whispered as Jack’s head flew up and looked at his wife and daughter.

Stepping back, he let the three of them have a moment while he went to rouse Race. He crouched beside Race’s head, running his hand through his hair. Race hummed before a groan was released from his lips. “Spottie, stop.”

“Hey, hey. Kat’s awake.” Spot murmured while looking between Race and the new family on the bed. “She just woke up and is meeting her daughter.”

Race’s eyes popped open, looking between his husband and the bed. “She okay?”

“She said she’s sore but other than that she’s fine.” Spot grinned. “I should go let them know but I’ll be right back.”

Pushing himself into a stand, he grinned at Kat and Jack before motioning to the door. “Hey Spot?”

“Yeah Kat?” He paused in his step with a grin.

“Thank you for everything.” She gave him a look as he nodded. “Jack was just telling me everything.”

Redirecting his steps, he headed to the bed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Anytime, I know you would’ve done the absolute same for Race and me. I’m going to let the desk know you’re awake. Do you need anything?”

“Coffee?” Kat grinned as Spot shook his head.

“I’ll check but I’m guessing you already know the answer to that one.” He gave her a look as Jack and Race both laughed. “But I’ll get you three some.”

Quickly letting the desk know that she was awake, he returned to the room with four coffees before collapsing into a chair with a sigh. “So I’m very happy that you’re awake, but I’ve got to know. What’s our girl’s name?”

“So Jack and I decided we were going to wait until the baby was born before actually deciding on a name as we had it narrowed down to two.” Kat grinned, looking up at her husband. “So, Jack are we going with A or M?”

Jack looked at his daughter with a smirk. “You know I always leaned towards A so I’m voting for that name.”

“Uncle Spot and Uncle Race, may I introduce you to Adelin Charlotte Kelly, Addie for short.” Kat looked between her daughter and the three most important men in her life. “What do you think?”

Race grinned. “It’s perfect. A perfect name for a perfect little girl.”

Jack leaned over, first pressing a kiss to his wife’s forehead before dropping one on his daughter’s cheek. “Welcome to the world, Adelin Kelly.”

This is 5500 words of pure love and written over the last few weeks. Feedback would be much appreciated and I'd love to hear your thoughts!