#the mustache has grown on me actually

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

[thetasteofsunshineonyourtongue]

ID: A digital drawing of a portrait of Travis Matagot set into the yellow-white rectangle of an Illimat card, with the words "The Malewife" below it. In the portrait, Travis is smiling wryly at the viewer. He's a white man who looks to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with brown eyes and stark white hair, which is pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck with a red ribbon tied into a bow, with curly pieces framing his face. He has an old-fashioned looking mustache that is also white. He's wearing an 18th century outfit, with a white cravat, a dark orange striped waistcoat with leaf details on it, and a dark green coat with gold embroidery on it. Emerald earrings with pearls dangling from them are in his ears. The background is a simple dark brown. End ID.

The divination for The Malewife is transformation, yearning, impulse, will, and bottoming

[shankss-magnificent-ass]

Imagine having deep discussions with the Whitebeard pirates

Ace: Have you ever wondered why the world government opposes people so far away from them, doing what we do?

Marco: [mutters] I wish you would just stop saying odd shit.

Whitebeard: well we're breaking the law, obviously.

You: It's a little deeper than that. It's because what many pirates do, is the same thing the world government does.

Marco: We are not similar in any way.

You: no, think about it, what does the world government do? They lay out a bunch of rules and if you don't follow them, they use violence to force most of the world into following them. And if a nation elects not to join the world government, or can't afford to join, they raid and pillage those islands and take their citizens as slaves.

Izou: On the other hand, if a nation does join the world government, they have to pay heavenly tributes, because if they don't, the Marines will raid and pillage your country. But if they pay the heavenly tributes, the marines will protect their nation from outsiders, like pirates and non-world-government-nations.

Whitebeard: However, on top of paying the heavenly tribute, the average person also pays local and national taxes, so it's a heavy burden for some countries.

Marco: Oh my gods, it's like a protection racket, that common thugs run, just on a massive scale.

Whitebeard: and, like many pirates.

You: they don't like pirates, for the same reason they don't like common thugs, because you all are muscling in on their turf.

Thatch: so most governments are just organized, and socially acceptable, thuggery.

You: Not all, look at Alabasta for instance, King Cobra has a lot of social programs for his people. Food programs and affordable housing for the poor. Medical programs that put a doctor in every village and a bunch of other stuff. The people should receive something back from their government besides 'protection'.

Ace: I know a lot of nations that are in the world government have a large lower class that they exploit labor from and bleed them dry with taxes, tolls, and fines. I can never forget what I saw at the Grey Terminal out of the Goa Kingdom's Great Gate.

Thatch: That's because in "normal society" they value wealth, and look down on and take advantage of people who don't have it. Meanwhile, in pirate culture, we value strength and look down on and take advantage of those who are weaker, like how we raid other crew's ships because we can, and they can't stop us.

Izou: [sighs] That's an oversimplification If I ever heard one.

Thatch: [steps into Izou's space bubble.] You got something to say to me?

Izou: I've been to both world-government nations and non-world-government nations, and I can tell you that they value both strength and wealth. It's just different classes value one over the other. The upper and more privileged class values wealth, and daintiness because they can hire the strong. While the less privileged value strength, because it helps them survive, because they don't have money.

Thatch: I know that, did you forget I grew up poor as shit, mister little daimyo's vassal-boy.

Izou: And I was a wandering beggar minstrel before that, also keep Oden's name out of your mouth.

Thatch: how about you fucking make me?

Marco: [hops between the two men and dramatically claps his hands together like a clapperboard.] Aaand scene, that was a brilliant performance, gentlemen.

Ace: it was almost hard to tell that you two are actually friends.

Thatch: [huffs] Alright, I'll take it back, I'm sorry Izou.

Izou: I'm sorry too

You: you all are too fighty.

Ace: bitch, you're the most stab happy out of all of us.

You: I am not

Whitebeard: Just last night, you stabbed Vista's hand with a fork because he kept reaching over your plate.

You: ... I did do that, but only after asking him to stop three times. Which is more than reasonable, he's a grown-ass adult, and he, and his fuck ass mustache, should know basic table etiquette by now.

Ace: and then you stabbed me for no reason, with the same fork!

You: that was for good measure, just in case you got any ideas!

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[roostersbby69]

Runaway bride

Summary: It’s your wedding day and your best friend, Bradley, tries to talk you out of it.

Warnings: swearing, drinking

You smoothed down your wedding gown that your soon to be mother in law had handed down to you. It was hers when she married your fiancés dad.

Derek was her son, he had an older and younger brother and had grown up in a rich family. His father owned a business and his mother was retired.

You liked Derek, you liked his family, and his brothers. But they were so stuck up and self centered that this wedding wasn’t about him finding love, it was about growing and inheriting his father’s business.

You wanted a family and wanted to be loved, but Derek says he loves you, and you say you love him, but sometimes it just doesn’t feel like love.

Your mother in law stepped back and admired you, “Aw, my dress looks so good.” She turned to grab your veil as you rolled your eyes.

She pinned it to your hair and clapped her hands, “Okay, let me touch up your makeup and I’ll-”

“Actually,” you cut her off and turned towards her, “I think I just want a moment by myself for a second.” You folded your hands in front of you.

“Sure,” she dropped her hands to her sides, “but don’t be long, we’ve got a wedding to start.” She walked out and you sighed, you turned towards the mirror and looked at yourself.

The dress was beautiful, but something was missing. You couldn’t quite tell.

The door clicked open and you groaned, you whipped towards the door, “Mrs. Lisa didn’t I tell you that-” you stopped yourself as you saw Bradley standing in the doorway in his tux, “Bradley.”

You picked up your dress and walked a couple steps towards him, “What are you doing?”

He stepped inside and closed the door, his eyes never leaving you, “I just wanted to…” he was caught in a trance at the sight of you, “you look beautiful.” He breathed.

You turned towards the mirror and sighed, “It’s too much. I look like a Victorian corpse that’s going to be executed.”

He choked back a laugh but didn’t hide his smile, “It isn’t, you look breathtaking.” He walked closer to you and stood behind you in front of the mirror.

“What are you doing in here?” You looked him in the eyes as his left your dress and met yours.

He paused for a second as you just stared at eachother for a moment.

“I just wanted to talk for a second.” He rubbed his hands together, nervously.

“About what?” You turned to him and looked up into his eyes.

“Are you sure you want this?” His words made your face twist.

“What do you mean?” You shook your head and played with your fingers.

“Do you want to marry him? That’s what I’m asking you.”

“Why are you worried about that?”

“Because you’re my best friend, Y/n. I care about your safety and your feelings, and I read that brides have an emotional breakdown before the wedding.”

You had to hold back a smile as he rambled, “You know…” you turned back to the mirror and sighed, “I don’t know.”

“If you want to be a runaway bride just say the word and I’ll get you out of here.” He rubbed your arm, “I know it isn’t my place but, I don’t think he’s good for you.”

You whipped around, “What do you mean? How do you know what’s good and what isn’t good for me?”

“He’s so professional and uptight. And snotty, and smart. It’s like he has no personality other than politics and business shit.”

He looked handsome in his tux, he barely knew Derek, he was just a family friend.

You smiled, “Yeah but my parents want this for me. And Derek wants to start his business after the wedding.”

“Yeah, but enough about Derek. Enough about what your parents want. What do you want?” He stepped closer and towered over you.

Your eyes flicked down to his lips and mustache, you always loved his mustache. You often wondered how it felt on your lips, on your neck, on your nipples, on your belly. You shouldn’t be thinking about this.

“I want…” your eyes flicked to his neck and hands as veins coursed through them.

“Come on, tell me what you want.” His eyes darkened as they ran over your breast’s that were spilling from the top of your dress. He knew what he was doing to you, and he liked it.

“I want you to fuck me.” You whispered, almost barely audible.

“That’s what I thought.” He said and shrugged his tux coat off. He set it on the back of a chair and walked towards you slowly. You watched him and your eyes trailed over every inch of his body.

“I’m not going to fuck you in this dress.”

“What? Why not?” You pouted.

“Because, so let me take you home.”

“I-I can’t. I have to walk down the aisle in 5 minutes.” You bunched your dress up in your hands and pondered the thoughts that swarmed in your head.

He shook his head, “Then I’ll do it myself.”

-

Your dress trailed behind you as you held your bouquet in front of you, the music played slowly as the people in their seats stood and turned to you.

You put on a half assed smile and walked slowly towards the alter, Derek stood, smiling, with his groomsman behind him. And there was Bradley, in his tux, hands folded in front of him.

You caught your mother’s eyes and fake smiled towards her then looked ahead again.

Your eyes locked with Bradley’s as you approached Derek, who was still smiling.

The bridesmaid took your bouquet and you turned to hold hands with Derek.

The officiant walked beside the two of you and held his book, “You may be seated.” The crowd sat and watched the two of you, which made your stomach turn.

“We come here today to celebrate-” The priest started but Derek cut him off, “Can we just skip to the I dos?”

The officiant looked at him like he was a ghost and nodded, “Does anyone wish to object that these two should not get married?”

The crowd was silent and you found yourself looking for Bradley to raise his voice, which surprised you.

“Y/n, do you take Derek to be your lawful wedded husband, in sickness and in health?” You looked to the people sitting and looked to his parents that was staring at their son, not even batting an eye at you.

You looked back to Derek and very quietly said, “I do.”

Your hands were shaking against his as you felt sick, your face was hot and tears sprung to your eyes.

“Derek, do you take Y/n to be your wife, you will take care of her, love her, comfort her, in sickness and in health.”

“I-” Derek didn’t waste a thought.

“I object!” Bradley stepped up.

Your eyes looked up to him as he walked out of the groomsman line and stood closer to you.

“Excuse me?” Derek turned around.

His parents gasped at the scene.

“You don’t love her.” Bradley make a disgusted face at him.

“You have no place to say that, ignore him.” He turned to the priest, “keep going.”

“You don’t know anything about her.” Bradley kept on, getting closer and closer to you.

“You don’t know that, I know everything about her.” Derek turned to him.

“You don’t know what her favorite color is, or how she takes her coffee, or how she hates peanuts because of how they get stuck in her teeth, you don’t know that she hates whiskey because she says it taste like nail polish remover, or her love for reading romance books because she wishes someone would love her like they love each other, or how she loves taking baths because it relaxes her, you don’t know that she wants to move to the beach so she can watch the sun go down over the water, or how much she loves baking even if she doesn’t make it right because it clears her head.”

“Okay that’s enough. And why do you know all of this.” Derek waved his hand at him.

“Because I love her.” Bradley looked to you as the crowd gasped.

—————————————————————

[shoukiko]

idk if your requests are still open (sorry if they aren't!! m(_ _)m) but if they are, could i get some headcanons for the ghosts boys? thank yoouuu (* ^ ω ^)

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES ANYTHING!!!!!!!! BARKBARKRBRAKBRAKBRAKRAKBRA

(I didn't know if I should write about Ajax and Elias or not;;;;)

Call of Duty: Ghosts Headcanons!!!

Keegan

He's good as his job, always getting shit done.

but oh my god is he a bad influence on you

"Want a shot?" "I'm not 21 yet, Keegan." "I asked if you wanted a shot, not how old you were."

On roadtrips he's never allowed to drive, but he will backseat drive. "You should take this highway instead" "I know a faster way" "If you go down this road you could probably reach it easier"

Snores when he's asleep, I feel like he may have sleep apnea or something like that.

HE'S REALLY LOUD TOOOO

Mumbling in his sleep if he's asleep in a chair

That's another thing, he can fall asleep literally anywhere. Chair? Yes. Under the bed? Yes. Under a table? Yes.

He has sharp canines, I don't make the rules. He uses them to open things

He LOVES your scent, he likes having just one thing of yours just to hold and have near.

I don't think he would call you Kid if he was interested in you, I think he'd stick with your name or "Hun". Unless you're older than him, then he uses generic shit like "Babe"

A man of a few words, he gives short answers, pretty blunt, but in text he will ramble on and on~

He likes writing, he finds that it's easier for him to process his words and gives him time to think.

Logan

Good boy, very good and well behaved boy.

Grown man, but good boy

He's actually really mischievous, they took a trip (The team) to Italy while on leave and when visiting the Tower of Pisa he offered to take Keegans photo.

Gesturing for him to lean, pose, scooch back, just so he can get the perfect photo.

Only for him to take it, snickering to himself because he made Keegan pose extremely far from the tower so the photo just looks silly.

Keegan had a good laugh about it, only after he put Logan into a headlock

He does the same to Hesh, always asking for some water, then being like "I didn't ask for this" so Hesh takes it back and when he comes back empty handed Logan is like "Water?"

He's very quiet, way more than Keegan.

He only gives nods or gestures, speaks when he needs to though, like in call outs and such.

He'd call you Love

Whispering sweet nothings into your ear

Can you imagine Cody Callahan doing that? Kill me plz

Hesh

HE HAS A THING FOR HANDS I JUST KNOW IT, I JUST KNOW IT YOU CAN'T TELL ME OTHERWISE!!!!!

HE LOVES HOLDING YOUR HAND AND JUST RUBBING YOUR FINGERS

YOU CAN FEEL HOW ROUGH HIS CALLUSES ARE

HE TILTS HIS HEAD WHEN HE LOOKS AT YOU BECAUSE HE IS JUST SO ENAMOURED WITH YOU

CAN YOU TELL I LOVE HESH, CAN YOU????

He's a gamer boy, console only. Xbox..... Don't argue with me (You can have your own I was /j)

Before shaving his head, he had a hairstyle similar to DJ Pauly D. Let's keep it shaved.

He refuses to have a mustache, just straight up refuses. He will shave the minute he sees it coming in.

Beard or Goatees are pushing it, but he shaves anyways (except the sideburns of course)

That man loves veggies, he's the type to just steam a bunch of em and that's his dinner. Literally just that.

He likes stealing food from you, picking from your plate. If you don't like something, you best believe he's there eating it for you

"David, I'm full" "Give it here, babe."

Merrick

His memory is impeccable

He will always rememebr your favorite things

He's not big on gift giving, but when he does give gifts they're incredibly thoughtful.

Drives a really beat down pickup truck

Calls it his baby girl

Don't judge him >:(

Resting bitch face, eyebrows always furrowed

But then he sees you and his expression softens because he just loves seeing you.

Has the heartiest laugh imaginable, slaps his knee when laughing too

Asks for help putting on his face paint :((((

He just wants a reason to be touched by you

Kick

Earbuds in 24/7 when not on a mission.

He needs music to function!!!

He's the type to put on some hardcore music and pretend he's fighting someone, like the people that imagine their own animation edit when listening to a song they like

He sneaks food to Riley sometimes, when they're all eating, he's the one throwing stuff on the floor for him

Unironically uses "COWABUNGA"

He's just a lil.... ya know... right? Just a little (He's gay)

Kinda short, like 5'6-5'8

Has ADHD

Wears insoles (hims feet hort)

I know he doesn't have a name, but his name is now Hunter Cameron and his last name is Miller

Has freckles and a chipped front tooth

That's all I got :3

for now :3

[simpforwebtoonmen]

Long time no see

A/n: don’t worry, I see ya’ll requests and I will be getting to them 😭

Warnings: not proofread, dumb, might be ooc, I wrote this at 1 am so a lot of it might not make sense lmao

˚✧₊⁎ You were a friend among Daniel’s group in Jae won High. But with recent events, you haven’t seen a lot of your friends in a while. And after so long, Daniel comes to visit you to invite you into his gang. But upon meeting you again after so long, he couldn’t recognize you at all… ⁎⁺˳✧༚

You open the door to reveal Daniel, the smaller one. Though he wasn’t all that small anymore and was definitely thinner, and a lot more muscular. Honestly, you wouldn’t have recognized him if Zoe hadn’t shown you photo’s of him.

You smile and wave at him, “Hey, Daniel!” you greeted. He looked taken back and looked at you confused. He then cleared his throat, “hello…is (name) here?” he asked. “huh? im standing right here…” you deadpanned and pointed at yourself.

Finally, it clicked for him, “oh gosh, (name)!? Is that really you!? I almost didn’t recognize you! Your hair is (shorter/longer) and you have a completely new style!” he exclaimed, almost excited. You flip your hair dramatically, “yeah, I look good, right?” you teased. And despite you joking, he nods in agreement, “yeah, you look really good!”

-

After catching up for a bit, he mentions how you used to be fighter and how he would like you in his team (gang). You said it’d been a while since you fought and that you’d wouldn’t really be that much help, but for some reason Daniel thought otherwise. And with his cute face and nearly begging, you agreed.

And now you stood in front of the rest of the crew members. Most you recognized from school, but there was a certain blonde that you hadn’t recognized.

“Who’s this chick?” Zack questioned, nearly scowling down at you. You almost thought he was looking down at you. It was something he had done before but never did it again after the fact. You smiled up at him, despite his rudeness, with a hint of tease. “What? you don’t recognize me?” you asked him.

It only took the sound of your teasing voice for Zack to know who you were. “(name)!? What the hell, long time no see!” he greeted, throwing an arm over your shoulder. “uh huh,” you simply said, still not letting his past rudeness slide. He then lets you go and sheepishly smiles down at you, “you see (name), about before, you know I wouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did if I had known it was you, right?” nervously rubbed his hands together.

you hummed, “right, well, don’t let it happen again,” you warned, but it was more of a tease than anything. Though, Zack couldn’t tell through his fear, “right right, of course!”

After that you turned to the rest of them, nodding your head, “Vasco, Jay,” you greeted. “Wow, (name). I couldn’t recognize you at all!” Vasco said as he approached you, Jay nodding on agreement. If you were being completely honest, you couldn’t recognize Vasco either. He’d grown buffer, has a beard instead of a mustache, and he cut his hair, plus a few new tattoos. He’s also changed his style into a biker gang type style, along with Jace who you’d only seen recently as well. Jay didn’t change much besides his physique and expensive suits.

And now… you turned to the last person, someone you’ve never seen before. “(Name), this is Hudson. Hudson, (name),” Daniel introduced the two of you, gesturing to each person with his hand. “nice to meet ya!” you smiled. “Yeah…” he responded, keeping his face neutral.

Just then, Zack and Vasco started bantering about who knows what. And when things began to grow my violent, Daniel and Jay had to physically separate them.

Suddenly, Hudson stood next to you and leaned down, “You’ve known them for a long time, right? Were they always like this?” he asked. You nodded, “Yeah, actually I think they were way worse than this,” you nodded as you recalled the memories of all the fights they’d get into with one another.

Though despite not seeing each other for a long time, you were happy to see that not a lot has changed since you last saw them, well, despite their physical and mental improvements, they’re basically the same as they were before. You smiled as you thought to yourself, “it’s good to see everyone like this again. Some things just never change.”

[parab0mb]

I made it! And in time! Despite some tribulations, I managed to complete this art piece for @hatstacheweek right on time for the first day’s theme of Summer/Beach/Pride (wasn’t sure if all the themes were required but I got em all anyway). I'm normally pretty ambivalent when it comes to shipping, but the Hatstache ship is cute and has grown on me a bit, enough so that I decided to put something together this year.

So please enjoy this alternative AHiT ending where Hat Kid gets to actually spend some time with Mustache Girl and enjoy a day at the (formerly) Mafia Town beach (also they have some kind of strange bacon towel, how about that 🙂).

~~~~

Its admittedly not the most inspired drawing, and I tried to do something different with the shading this time around but kinda got lazy towards the end so the quality is all over the place, but I'm actually really happy with this piece: Its definitely one of the more detailed things I've drawn in a while (I even included a background! 😲) and I've been struggling with art motivation-wise for a while now but I genuinely enjoyed working on this from beginning to end.

If time allowed I honestly woulda worked on it even more, but I was determined to post it on time, so I'm satisfied with it as is.

[demonslayedher]

The Taisho Secret canon content regarding The Legend of Zenitsu has unfortunately made me have to give up beloved concepts in this future!Zennezu headcanon post. Most specifically, Old Man Zenitsu's with a mustache, because Word of Gotouge says he never grews facial hair. Zenitsu is probably far more disappointed than I am about this.

But also, it has all given me a much deeper headcanon about "The Legend of Zenitsu" being a bonding experience in their marriage, for Nezuko is a big fan, like so, what with Nezuko being a willing model for Zenitsu's praise-worthy paintings.

And is my brain spinning headcanons again? Yeah.

--

Zenitsu wished he could rub it in Tanjiro's face that he got a book deal. Not on everything, just on "The Demon Slaying Arc ~Fated Encounters~," "The Heavenly Maiden Arc ~I Am Willing To Die For You~," and "The Life of the Man Who Loved The Spirit of the Plum Tree Arc." No one else deserved to know "The Tastiness of Nezuko-chan's Cooking" anyway, for Zenitsu had described it too well and it would be like sharing his wife with a bunch of slimy readers. Bad enough that he still had to share with Inosuke all the time.

But Tanjiro didn't rub it in. He smiled and made as kind a sound as even, and congratulated him.

Maybe Tanjiro had grown too mild to say or feel anything more than that.

Because Zenitsu had a publisher and small fan base, he got paid a small advance to keep writing. Not even to stop going to an office job in town, if he wanted to to keep spoiling Nezuko with nice things. The stroke to eager made him write "The Beautiful Swordswoman Nezuko Arc" in one night, but "The Golden Dragon Wandering Alone Arc ~Go And Rescue Nezuko!~" was one he slogged through. It was getting to be a handful, going to work and raising a kid living up to expectations now that people had them of him. It felt good at first, but it made the writing less fun.

His heart was hardly in it when he wrote the "Botamochi from Zenitsu Arc." The sales tanked, and Zenitsu's publisher didn't bother him when he said aside his pen for a while. It was a long while, and there were other things going on anyway.

Not long after Tanjiro died, Nezuko caught a flu that was going around. It honestly made Zenitsu a little glad to have an excuse to leave his kid with Aoi for a while so that he could have Nezuko to himself while she was contagious. He didn't need anyone's help to take care of him, because every cell down to his soul cared only about how he might pamper and comfort her.

"Nezuko-chan, come on and drink a little. It'll make your throat feel better."

"I can't. I don't want to," she moaned. Tears escaped her hopeless eyes. She still must have felt so gutted, and Zenitsu knew he could do little to fill her for the time being. Some of that hopeless look must had been from thinking she'd never be free of the headache, but at least that much he might be able to soothe.

"Why don't you rest your head on my lap for a change? Here, I'll stroke your forehead for you."

"You should sleep."

"I can do it in my sleep," he smiled to her. "Actually, did you know that the legendary hero Agatsuma Zenitsu can be even more powerful when he sleeps?"

At this, she gave him a weak smile. The first he'd seen lately. "Yes."

"It's true! It's because he can hear the sound of his wife at his side. It powers him up like lightning coming right out of his empty eye-sockets! Actually, there was one time when he blinded his enemy before the roaring sound of his power knocked him over."

"Or the sound of his snoring."

"No, no, it's thunder like it shoots right out of him! You see, it all started one night in a terrible, creepy forest, when he saw a helpless man swooped backwards into the tree tops..."

When Nezuko recovered, Zenitsu picked up his pen again, and published "Rumble of the Knock-Out Secret Swordsmanship of Zenitsu Arc ~The Legendary Man’s Eyes Shine With Light~" not long afterward. It sold decently, and it was nice to hear that he had some fans who were excited about it.

Life fell back into a new busy normal, and Zenitsu's muse was fickle. "The Potato Feudal Lord Arc" was just a passing thing for fun, not something he'd ever tell his publisher about. It was more fun for a while to try out other things, like painting. As long as Nezuko was his model, Zenitsu found he had a knack for it. He ran into Yushiro one time though, who told him he was a hack, and they got into a big argument that ended with Zenitsu throwing all his brushes and unused canvases at him and daring him to do better. Those had all cost a lot of money, so Nezuko was not happy about that. Likewise, she wasn't happy when Zenitsu refused to sell a painting of her and tore his pants while throwing a fit.

By the looks of Nezuko's ledgers, it looked like Zenitsu was stuck at that desk job, selling electricity around the little mountain foothill town. He had been there so long that he got promoted for being good at sitting in the same chair for years, and that meant moving closer to a bigger town, closer to the growing metropolis, where Zenitsu felt right at home and Nezuko assured him she would adjust.

What would Tanjiro think, now that nobody bought charcoal anymore?

The world that once had demons seemed further and further away and the droll of adulthood stretched on, and powers he couldn't behead with a swift Thunderclap and Flash fought amongst themselves. More and more, there were expectations of Zenitsu, and people depending on him. He had to assure people they would still have light and heat even as Tokyo burned, and the sound of planes rattled his ears almost daily. He was a man of his community now, and the only one his family could depend on. At Nezuko's insistence, they collected nearly-blind Kanao and his nephews and niece, and he tried to insist to Inosuke to stay with them in town where there were bomb shelters, but Inosuke, just as responsible for his own family, felt he kept them safest going deeper and deeper in to the mountains.

Nezuko knew nothing but worries. Sometimes, he almost wished she could be back to a childlike state of mind, protected from all the pain and horrors she so unfairly had to endure. In the darkness of a bomb shelter, he hugged her close as she trembled. "Say, Nezuko-chan. Do you remember that time..."

"What?"

"...that time the great hero Agatsuma Zenitsu was a teeny-tiny, but very, very strong mouse?"

He could hear her worries lift, however slightly. Maybe that was all a mouse could do.

"Actually, it was when he was a little boy. You'd never guess it, but he was very cowardly. That was a terrible warlock with a fancy red mark around his eye painted him with a magic white makeup that turned him into a mouse!"

She stifled a snort against his chest. "Uzui-san..."

"Yeah, that was the warlock's name! Did I already tell you this story before?"

"A mouse?" his son clung tighter to him, sometime he hadn't done in years. Even when he was little he always clung to Nezuko instead anyway. Zenitsu could tell by the tone of his son's voice that he was already teary-eyed and sniffly.

"Yeah. A little mouse who thought he had no power at all. That the world was too big for him. But as it turns out..."

What really hurt was Nezuko's reaction. She sighed with disappointment, and lamented that this was why he spent so many long hours away from home.

That was a story Zenitsu recorded later, as a memory of those times. It stayed on his bookcase at home next to the Potato Lord story, now that the world was quiet again.

Business picked up really well. The world got brighter, and so did the indoor lighting. As a general sense of optimism filled the world again, the small but dedicated base of "Legend of Zenitsu" fans called for a new installment. He responded well to praise, and soon gave them "The Dragon Palace Arc ~Eternal Nezuko~," but being so busy as a highly promoted seat-warmer at the office meant he had things he had to do while sitting in that seat. He put on weight again, and spent a lot of sad, long evenings stuffing cookies in his face while streaming with tears that he couldn't be eating one of Nezuko's homecooked meals instead. "Sitting In A Happy Circle and Boiling Tea in Our Bellybuttons Arc" was something he secretly wrote at his desk as a form of silent protest. His publisher rejected that one after reading only one page.

Of course! He had to be at home to write his best work! He had to be in the same space as his muse, Nezuko! Another quickly written revenge work of his, "The Future Holds Zenitsu Arc," was considered one of his better ones.

After that, he was satisfied with writing for a while, and he muse pushed him to start playing (perfectly) the piano. Nezuko was not thrilled about the piano he bought.

If only he had taught it to Nezuko, then. Her joints all bothered her, but she kept sewing out of willpower.

This new hobby inspired another novel, and Nezuko inspired another novel after that of course, and the stress of their son getting married and wanting a lavish wedding inspired another novel and another novel after that was a desperate attempt to strike it big and get out of the debt that wedding cost them. After all, Zenitsu's daughter-in-law was a cutie and he wanted to spoil her. It made Zenitsu remember how cute Nezuko was when they were newlyweds, and before that too, of course, and now too, and before he knew it he had written yet another novel, despite his dwindling fan base. Nezuko sure liked that one, though, and that was all that mattered.

The years went by. Zenitsu felt he lost his mind over how his granddaughter got cuter every time he saw her, and he eventually reached some arbitrary age when his company could only promote him to retired. Aside from the aches in his legs, he felt as young as he always did, though. Kanao said it was probably the effects of Breath technique. It sustained them without reaching a threshold at which it would be dangerous to them.

Zenitsu still wrote sometimes. He stayed busier when his busy-body grandson read the old unpublished "The Birth of Zenitsu Arc" and insisted on learning Thunder Breath. That was like a new job Zenitsu never asked for, especially since he still only knew one of the original six forms, but Kiriya sent him a letter askeing him to give it a shot, for who knew what the future held. Certainly not demons, Zenitsu was assured of that much. If Yushiro gave his novels a bad review one more time, he'd make sure of there were no more demons left in the world.

He got back in touch with Inosuke. He thought it might never happen after he abandoned the old house and charcoal mill, but the whole time, Inosuke had been on the mountain next to it, where he had always been King of the Mountain. He still took care of the house, he said. But a King still had to be King. They weren't the only people on the mountain, though. Aoi paid house calls. Still, Zenitsu gave Inosuke a stern lecture about making Nezuko (as well as Kanao) worry, so Aoi made sure to drag Inosuke into the bigger and bigger city sometimes.

Zenitsu's newest hobby to drop money on was photography, but now that he was a pensioner, Nezuko did not mind so much. She even agreed to let him fulfill his dream of taking her to Paris. He was glad he had that camera, to prove how the city could not outshine her.

He was glad he took her when he did. Her joints made it harder and harder for her to get around, even though she always smiled and insisted Zenitsu's legs must hurt more. He didn't like it when she laughed and joked around about chopping her legs off to grow new ones.

"Grandpa," his youngest granddaughter looked to him with a tearful face, "Grandma was saying something about being a demon again. I wish she'd stop that."

"I know, right!? She's a princess, and the very spirit of a plum blossom tree! A shrine maiden too!"

"There's no way someone like Grandma would ever go to hell."

He paused, and his stomach sank.

Nezuko gave up her sewing. She spent more and more time in bed, but with no desk job to sit at and a grandson taught enough that he could be told to go off and practice on his own, Zenitsu spent his days writing again. He took a long time on that novel he wrote for her, putting in all the sorts of parts he knew she liked. Sometimes he couldn't help himself and reads parts aloud to her without telling her everything else that already happened in the story. She smiled and enjoyed each fragment anyway.

"I've finally got the title for this one!" he announced. "It's called, 'I Will Be In Love With You A Thousand Years Arc.' Perfect, huh? Well, maybe it's still missing something. A million years, maybe?"

"Zenitsu-san... tell me a story..."

"I am! I'm telling you the greatest story yet! It's about this immortal princess who..."

"Tell me a real story..."

He paused and listened to her heartbeat as she took a breath--a simple, unpracticed breath in tired human lungs. Nezuko still made the same warm sound that she always did. It had a different resonance when she was a demon, and when he carried another life inside her, but it was always uniquely her.

"I want to hear... about the time you spent with my brother."

"Tanjiro? Yeah, he... hasn't been in these for a long time. Maybe I'll bring him back."

"You cared so much about him," she smiled from her futon. "That was why you protected my box, before you even met me."

"He... yeah."

"I'm glad you were such good friends... I want to hear about all those good things that happened to you. About your Ojiisan, and your little bird..."

"Yeah," he grimaced to a smile, and the inside of his nose zapped like a storm was brewing. "I had a lot of good things happen to me. A lot of bad things too."

"It's up to you to decide if you're happy or not. I hope... you'll decide you were happy."

"Yeah," he said, the snot already flowing. "The happiest. I'll tell you all about it. I'll make it my best story ever."

"You promise...?"

He kissed her forehead. "I'd never be able to come up with anything better than the truth."

[wellofdean]

Just wanted to split this off from this post about why Mary Winchester is excellent because it's getting so long, but I wanted to respond to these tags from @kayliemalinza :

#sometimes i feel people hate john for reasons that while valid in our universe less valid in the spn universe#but mary gets it way worse#<-- prev tags yessss#also doing the math wasn't she like 28 when she died#i'm glad they didn't recast and of course samantha smith looks her own age#but mary is in fact YOUNGER THAN SAM AND DEAN AT THIS POINT#they are not children#and the tags copied above i think explains so sos ooo much#bc so many fans glommed onto dean because of similar family issues#and that means they are struggling as much as dean is in s12#and just can't disconnect that quite yet#but god#GOD how she struggles with that emotional intimacy#she was raised as a hunter you don't think she's chockablock full of maladaptive coping mechanisms too?

Because I whole-heartedly agree with this. John Winchester was not a good father in some major, major ways, and Sam and Dean had a childhood straight out of a...well, a horror/fantasy genre show...but I think people forget that Sam and Dean also do truly love John and truly are more or less at peace with their memory of him later in the series, and there has to be a reason for that, too. It's not that he's a mustache-twirling villain; it's complicated. He loved them, but he wasn't always able to do it right. They love him, but he hurt them and made the what they are, which is a double-edged sword.

It's really natural that we all identify with Dean, and get angry at people who hurt him, but I think it's important to realize that Dean processes his anger about Mary leaving pretty quickly, because it's not really anger and resentment, it's confusion, disappointment and hurt. And I think Dean is grown enough to own his own feelings, and able to accept that she needs time and space, and he's not such a child that he isn't capable of separating his legitimate feelings from her legitimate needs. It takes him time, but he gets there, because, and this is another conversation, Dean is really very reflective and emotionally intelligent, actually.

I also do agree that a lot of fans, in identifying with Dean, map their own feelings about their parents onto Mary, and dislike her for reasons that have nothing to do with the story being told on Supernatural, which is essentially a very healing one. Since I'm a Gen-X old, and the mother of an adult son, I actually had a pretty different experience, and as much as I love Dean, in this storyline, I identified a lot with Mary.

On the one hand, she has to be so proud of her two big, beautiful, brave and heroic sons, but at the same time she does not know them! They don't need her, and they are trying to protect her from the things she feels they should have been protected from, and at the same time, as adult men who are still, in some way, motherless boys, they are hungry (especially Dean) for her to be something that she never had a chance to grow into. I loved it that her own exigencies were too strong to LET her stay. I loved that she could not accept the role of mother that had been stolen from her, and could not sit still to let it just kind of settle on her shoulders.

It made me think that (aw yeah!) there was a difference between John's sainted white nightgown conception of his dead wife (his motivation to be what he was), and Dean's memory of her as the cutter off of crusts from his sandwiches, or the mother that he comforted when she was sad, and he was just a little man. I'm so glad that Mary turned out to be so much more than that. She is a woman with her own competencies, her own damage and baggage, and her own ideas about how to make things right, who doesn't agree with her sons all the time, who makes mistakes, who fucks the wrong guy, still loves her problematic husband, and can't actually cook, thank you very much. I love that her own disorientation and her own will are so strong that she really can't allow who she actually is to be subsumed into the communal role of 'mother'.

I think that socially, we don't really think about what we ask of mothers, or how hard we judge them. We underestimate what they give up of themselves to satisfy that role. My son was born when I was really young, and fellas, IT WAS HARD under more or less perfectly normal circumstances, to make the transition from being just me to being a mother. My magnificent son is amazeballs, and is a human being that I am so fucking proud to have made out of my very own actual body and raised to be the excellent human he is, and we are really close, but I was not always prefect, and even now when he is a grown adult, I still chafe against the perception of me as 'his mother' and not just ME all the time. One of the very greatest things about my son is his incredible ability to let me live, and make space for the fact that I am also a person, and not just his mother, and I am so, so grateful to him for that, so....

Yeah. As much as I didn't want to see Dean hurt, I LOVED Mary, and love that they wrote her as her a full human being and not a tropally perfect mother. I loved seeing her as a flawed parent that deserved her adult children's understanding and mature love, who deserved her own space and her own processes. What's more, I loved seeing Dean process his feelings about her, and seeing him become a son who was capable of loving a real human woman who happened to be his mother. So... yes. I love her.

Mary Winchester forever. A+.

[waitmyturtles]

A little bit more on I Feel You Linger In The Air (reincarnation, the novel version, and more)...

I am back home and recovering from a somewhat INSANELY stressful work trip (WHEW! TIRED!), and I've missed writing meta oh so very much, BUT! A couple of things will be happening in my meta life soon: The Old GMMTV Challenge Bad Buddy Meta Month starts next week (FINALLY, EEE!), Last Twilight starts tomorrow, the Den-Panuwat-penned-and-Only-Friends-adjacent series Playboyy starts next week -- we got a lot going on.

AND, AND! AND! I did myself something good while I was away. I HOUSED the novel version of I Feel You Linger in the Air, because, BECAUSE! I still can't help screaming mentally about that finale -- even though reading the novel actually made me realize that episode 12 of IFYLITA was a touch redundant.

Related to the IFYLITA novel and series: I got an ask in my inbox that somehow disappeared (@porjomkwan, if you're still out there -- thank you for the ask!) that asked about my thoughts on the theme of reincarnation in IFYLITA, and cited this fabulous post and reblog by @tipsyjaehyun and @clairedaring about this theme. Tipsy and Claire covered the majority of the ground that the drama series captures regarding reincarnation -- in particular, the GORGEOUS focus on the northern Thai blessing ceremony that calls back to a human host the 32 spirits that a host carries with them throughout their life/lives. Those spirits can be incarnated and/or reincarnated within repeated and/or beloved figures of the host's memories and reincarnated lives. (That explains why people like Ohm and Kaimook, in Jom's present life, are reincarnated as Khamsean and Fong Kaew in Jom's life of 1928 Chiang Mai. And it explains how Jom can continue to be called to different eras involving Yai, from Commander/Warrior/Mustache Yai of ancient Thailand, to 1928 Chiang Mai Khun Yai, to present-day Chiang Mai Yai Kanthorn.)

@clairedaring notes in their reblog that in the novel, the foundational theme of reincarnation AND of Jom and Yai being forever bound to each other is confirmed, directly and heavily, by Commander Yai. Claire quotes from the novel Commander/Warrior Yai speaking to Jom :

"Jom-Jao, listen, though you are fated to be apart from me, my love will never fade, and it will follow you like a holy spirit, protecting you in my place. No matter where fate brings you, no matter the danger you encounter, may those misfortunes fall upon my spirit instead of yours."

I want to confirm that this is my understanding and experience of the centering and grounding of reincarnation in the series as well (@porjomkwan, this answers your question to me!). And, this very much speaks to what I understand was a gentle criticism by Thai audiences towards the show as this season of the show ended -- because the Commander Yai period really sets in stone what Jom can expect for the rest of his live(s) regarding having Yai in his life again in another time period. In which case, I agree HEAVILY with @clairedaring that IFYLITA absolutely needs a season 2, because that Commander Yai period is so definitive of how this first season gets contextualized in the end of the entire piece.

A couple of other quick notes on the novel before I move to a comparative final point:

1) JOM. JOM IS A SASSY B IN THE NOVEL. DAMN! I honestly think Nonkul Chanon could DEF handle being a touch more sassy. "I'm a grown-ass man," Jom says at one point. Yes, you ARE, HONEY! Sassy B Jom courting and standing up to Commander Yai? It was a WONDERFUL story line. (BTW, the quality of the writing of the IFYLITA Y novel was, as expected, wanting, especially by way of a fan translation. But I have to agree with fans of the novel from Thailand and elsewhere, that the story itself was SOLID.)

2) The history behind the Commander Yai period is FABULOUS to learn about. (@tipsyjaehyun has some context about the various eras of Yai here, if you don't mind a few novel spoilers.) In particular, I spent a LOT of minutes reading about the lengthy reign of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in Thailand, and just -- as an Asian and an Asian-American watching Thai shows, getting deep into this reminds me of my own accountability and responsibility for trying to grasp what an average Thai viewer will bring by way of education-based historical awareness into shows like IFYLITA. This long Wikipedia article is a must read if you want to go deeper into IFYLITA context!

3) My third point on the novel leads into what I quickly want to note by way of at least one comparison to another show that did reincarnation themes differently, but also beautifully, by way of an original Y novel.

Until We Meet Again is a permanent FAVE of mine -- and it captures reincarnation, at least a different style of it, within its drama context. In UWMA's context, a red thread tied between the passed bodies of the lovers Korn and Intouch ensures that their spirits will find each other again in the future.

As noted within UWMA, different Asian cultures have different reads on the meaning of the red thread, from China, to Thailand, to elsewhere. This article notes northwestern and Vietnamese beliefs regarding the red thread, and this Wikipedia article notes the Chinese origins of the myths of the red thread. (Remember than in IFYLITA, the blessing ceremony of calling 32 spirits back to a host is cited as being from northern Thailand -- meaning, many of these myths, legends, and practices are utterly regional, and very tied to specific regional cultures that we can learn more about as viewers. Super cool.)

In UMWA, Korn's and Intouch's spirits inhabit other bodies -- namely, Dean's and Pharm's personages. And Dean and Pharm take on some characteristics of the spirits they provide a home to, and, even more interestingly -- Dean's and Pharm's OWN behaviors reflect the regrets and/or resistances that Korn and Intouch bear to each other, with Korn's spirit being far more forward with love than he was when he was alive; and Intouch's spirit being far more fearful of that love, knowing in the end where his love led to -- their deaths.

In IFYLITA, we see Yai's spirit being reborn essentially into different version of Yai, and all of them called Yai. In the novel, Jom treats all of these Yais as Yais that he can fall in love with -- he is in love with all of them, because the spirit of Yai is essentially a singular spirit being reborn into various different versions of the body of Yai (quick spoiler: the modern-day Yai is only half-Thai).

I happen to REALLY love these various interpretations of reincarnation between these shows, and certainly many, many more shows and movies across Asia that touch upon reincarnation as an essential theme of HOPE, of love, of joy. The various ways in which these practices are regarded, from Buddhism, to Hinduism, to Shintoism, and other Asian spiritual practices, are fascinating to learn about, including their regional variances. And they speak very much to me as an Asian, as to how I learn about cultural practices, nuances, and mores. (A comparative cultural example is how food -- like, say, a dish like Hainanese chicken rice -- differs among Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.)

But also, as an Asian watching shows like UWMA and IFYLITA -- I *know* that when I'm watching a show that's based on spirit reincarnation, that I'm not necessarily watching a "sad" show. I remember, of the day dramas of Japan and Korea that I watched when I was younger, that I absorbed better understandings of ancestor worship and elder respect. If a house had an altar with a picture of a passed-on elderly relative -- surely it was understood that that relative had passed away and one could be sad about it. But their spirit is meant to be honored at the altar, and especially in Japanese and Korean family dramas with these kinds of scenes, you can see characters speaking to the pictures of those who have passed on, having conversations, and being the subject of annual ceremonies of honoring the dead.

In other words, what I utterly LOVED about the IFYLITA novel -- and what I truly hope a season 2 will capture -- is that the Yais of the various eras were not despondent when Jom left them. Those Yais knew that a future Yai would experience Jom again. Korn and Intouch knew their spirits would meet again one day: it was Dean and Pharm that needed to come together to make that happen.

I wrote quite a bit about the Asian cinematic tradition of sad and/or open-ended endings in my review of The Love of Siam, and I think one reason why I absolutely cannot shake IFYLITA from my system -- and even UWMA, too, although UWMA has a confirmed happy ending -- is that IFYLITA is utterly reflective of this practice of the open-ended ending, at least for the show's first season, because we KNOW, through reincarnation, that Jom WILL encounter Yai again. If you read the novel, you know that Commander Yai promises this. But even if you don't read the novel, and we never get a season 2 -- to see Yai Kanthorn strolling right into Jom's arms, without very much other context, is enough, at least for an Asian audience, to know that the spirits did their thing again. Dramatically, I do think the finale could use more finessing (cc @lurkingshan and @neuroticbookworm, to whom I said this when I finished the novel), but now that I have the novel's context, I know HOW the finale could have been improved.

I took this ask as a major excuse to just unwind more and more on a piece that I totally loved in IFYLITA, and I hope to heck that we get a second season. I am thrilled that I made IFYLITA my debut into Y series reading, because the story is just so solid, and as I often say about my really beloved shows -- IFYLITA does not shy away from being rooted in assumed knowledge about cultural practices that an Asian audience can automatically check into. It really felt familiar and homey to watch this incredibly made and well-told story about an enduring romance, and I'm so appreciative that IFYLITA will be a show I'll be holding close as this year closes out -- a year that started off on the strongest Asian note with the fabulous Moonlight Chicken. MLC and IFYLITA encapsulating 2023 for Asian audiences? We were fed really, really well.

[whoslaurapalmer]

RSU: asoue netflix

there are, in fact, things i do like or appreciate about the show!!

-i genuinely do love seeing babybea!! actually having a scene where she interacts with lemony is really great and it's such a precious scene too. her lil beret is fucking adorable. -the henchperson's coroner van in reptile room saying CORNER -olaf smashing the lights in the hallway in hostile hospital is truly scary and i always liked that part -"it's been eight minutes, do you want some tea?" is incredibly iconic. something i could see book!jacques saying as well -I'D GIVE ANYTHING TO SIT AND TALK WITH HIM AGAIN -honestly lemony's physical placement in the scenes was overall done really really well. lemony is an undeniable part of this world and this story and we get to see him there -also his costumes were stellar -i really do like seeing the denouements, like physically seeing them move around and in and out of scenes was really, really cool, like visually seeing the hotel and the three of them pretending to be two people honestly was incredible. in my initial notes about season 3 i said tv was made to show the three chapters that happen simultaneously and i stand by it bc it was neat to finally see!!!!!!!!!! -the green hotel has grown on me, too. i must say. same with the denouements having mustaches. -you know, show!poe was hilarious, honestly. when i think of mr. poe, i do in fact think of show!poe now, without fail. -"i speak all of them hella fluently" -oh the reveal of jacques' vfd tattoo in ersatz elevator was great -i think the song references in the dialogue were really fun!! 'i can hit a blackbird flying in the dead of night', 'oh, i'll tell you what i want', 'what's that thing james brown said?' -oh, that murakami quote, too!! -they really crafted an atmosphere on the show, with the sets and the clothes and the colors, and there were a lot of little background details to zoom in on or catch, and although maybe it wasn't an, expected atmosphere? it makes the show feel like a solid, contained world -violet's outfits were super cute!! -jacquelyn kicking the payphone off the hook and dialing with her heel -although it could've been handled differently, i liked the scenes of vfd in the background in the first season. i liked seeing more of gustav!!!!! -"look, here's a picture of us." "there's no one in that photograph." "we're locked inside the piano." -lucy punch as esme really was inspired -i love the pattern on the sugar bowl!! -not to keep bringing up reptile room but just the room itself. monty's house itself. it's always SO beautiful. like there's actually a lot of heart and love in his house and i just love the big glass windows so much -just seeing the books get the opportunity to be adapted as a whole -- even if, yeah, i don't consider it an overwhelmingly successful adaptation -- was still great and a real highlight of my life! the anticipation of it, watching the trailers (watching the mysterious completely unrelated trailer...........), getting my tattoo which was based off a season one eye design, the idea of the show brought back a lot of interest and love for the series!! and i know it brought a lot of new fans to the books afterwards, or previous fans back to the books!! and that's nice.

[leonsleftbicep]

Bake Me Back To Eden

Chapter: II

Ao3 Version

Word Count: 1,183

Tags: Bakery AU, Modern Setting AU, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Vessel/II/III are dating, IV doesn't know them… yet!, Trans II, Nonbinary Vessel, Genderfluid III, They/Them Pronouns for III, It/Its and They/Them Pronouns for Vessel.

Summary: II has an early appointment with a client. heads to Ivy Sprigs for his morning coffee and ham & swiss roll.

II had to go out to work earlier then usual. His client decided to book a five - six hour appointment at nine in the morning. To top it all off he had to shave the grown out scruff on his jaw, and trim his mustache this morning because it was getting in his mouth.

He made his way to ivy sprigs like he did most mornings when he made his way to work, because they took the same route. It was surprisingly hotter than it usually was in the mornings so he rolled up his sleeves and pulled up his hair in a messy bun. not caring how he looks at the moment. 

once at ivy sprigs he went to open the door but it didn’t budge, odd. he decided maybe today wasn’t the day to get coffee but then he heard the jingle of the bell for the door and turned to see IV.

“was just opening up, come on in i’ll get you a ham & swiss roll” Ivy says with a soft look, looking a little longer then usual just to notice II’s more put together appearance and detailed neck tattoo. IV turns around and walks back in, he silently takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. II follows IV in, hold his bag strap a bit out of habit and to calm himself. 

“you can come sit behind the counter with me, no one else is here yet. just us two” IV says with a soft grin as he prepares II ham & swiss roll, like he did every morning for the past month. 

II sits down on a stool near IV, watching as he heats up one of the baked good he likes. 

II looks at the ivy tattoos on IV’s wrists and forearms, “how long have you had those?” II asks while he sets down his bag and pulls out his sketchbook. 

“long, long time. they where originally stick and pokes i did back in uni. then i actually got the rest done by a professional.” IV answers as he hands II the warm ham & swiss roll “i’ll get you that coffee made for you in a second” IV smiles as he starts to clean up the counter. 

II takes a bite of the roll and hums “i could fit you in for a session between some clients if you’re in need of someone to do some designs for you” II offers. 

IV looks over at him with a very obvious blush on his cheeks, “i need a touch up on some tattoos on my thighs, but it would be a while till i can get the money” IV thinks as he looks away and continues to clean up the counter. 

“it's on the house, you already give me free coffee and baked goods” II responds as he sits up straight in a bit of a defensive stoic posture. 

“I consider you a friend now, so it's the most I could do to repay you,” II says with a bit of a softer tone than usual. IV just looks at him with a completely red face and chest. 

“Are you okay Ivy?” II asks worried IV would pass out. 

“im.. im fine, just a bit flustered by-“ was cut off by a whistle “wow Ivy wasn’t expecting you to have a snack this early in the morning” evaline giggles as she walks into the front, she looks II up and down “your that tattoo artist that works up the street, right?” 

IV groans “Lii this is Evaline but i don't think she needs any introduction” he grumbles in an annoyed tone as he motions to her. 

“I like to make myself known,” Evaline smirks, “get your man his coffee, he has work today” she commands as she slaps IV on the rear and makes him squeak. 

II chuckles and covers his mouth “sorry that is just, very funny. it’s understandable now why my partners think you are such a peach” II smiles with so much passion that makes his crows feet really shine. 

IV flusters “im going to go make that coffee for you” he says as he walks off. 

evaline snorts “im going to kill that man if he doesn’t get hitched soon” she says through gritted teeth as she puts her hands on her hips. “believe me i'm trying” II mutters. 

Evaline and II just make eye contact and then act like neither of them ever said that. 

A few moments later IV walks back in with II’s coffee in hand. “So what time is your first?” he asks as he sits on the counter and looks at II. “Nine because this lady is insane” II say before taking a sip of his coffee, “i hate mornings” II grumbles. 

Ivy just looks at him softly “I'll keep that in mind, next time you have an early one just text me so I have it all setup for you” IV offers. ii’s eyes flick to his as he thinks for a second, “i don't have your number?” II say simply. 

“well i can give it to you, yah goof” IV chuckles and puts his hand out for II’s. II looks confused for a second before he understands and gives IV his palm. “you can call me or text me anytime you need m- anything from the bakery” IV says as he internally cringes at the slip up. 

II doesn’t notice the slightest slip up and watches as IV writes his number on II’s palm. the wet ink drying quickly on his skin, the warmth of IV’s hand on his. it makes II sweat.

II’s head was now on a heywire, it couldn’t shut up about IV, he hasn’t felt like this since his first girlfriend in highschool. 

II looks at IV, his eyes scanning over IV’s face wondering if he felt the same. it felt so clique but it was all true, he felt like he was falling head over heels. 

IV and II stare at each other in the eyes for a while, slowly leaning closer and closer unknowingly. 

“eh hem” Erie coughs as her and Evaline stand in the doorway, “works about to start up, we have a couple people outside.” 

Ivy looks at the two and then back at II “i have to get to work, and i bet you do as well” Ivy holds Lii’s hand and kisses the back of his hand. “I'll see you tomorrow,” Ivy says before walking off.

II sits there and tries to collect his thoughts, mulling over what just happened as he holds his to go coffee in one hand as the other is still where IV let go of it. 

Once II zones back in he starts to pack his stuff up, taking a bite of his roll as he focuses on getting out of the cafe as his face gradually redens. 

He runs out of the bakery with a roll stuffed in his mouth, his coffee in hand, and his other hand clutching the strap of his bag for dear life. 

‘The Angels’ Group-Chat

Lii: hey, days all weird today. im on my way to work now. Text me if you need anything.  Thea: hello honey, on your way home pick up some ice cream, poor Vess is all sad today.  Verna: IM IN LOVE AND I CANT HAVE BOTH MY BABIES WITH ME TO COMFORT ME THROUGH THIS!! :::(

[all-the-things-2020]

Late Night Talking

A Dieter Bravo x OFC fic

Notes: Title comes from the Harry Styles song. I heard it on the radio one day and the line “Now you’re in my life, I can’t get you off my mind” just screamed Dieter to me.

My Dieter is (mostly) sober and trying to put his life and career back together after hitting the bottom during the filming of Cliff Beasts 6. He is still a menace but he’s working on it. There will be comedy, angst, fluff and possibly some smut (not sure how explicit my narrator will get).

Narrator is an original female character loosely based on myself. She is around Dieter’s age, not thin, and introverted. He turns her life upside down and she’s not quite prepared for it.

Tagging @rhoorl because her Dieter in “Working Title” inspired me to start this fic!

Chapter One below the cut

I met him in a bookshop, of all places. Not exactly the environment you’d expect, but sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. Bookshops are one of the few places I frequented where it’s even remotely possible to meet a man. I’ve never liked bars or clubs; too noisy, too many creeps trying to be charming and getting too hands. As an introvert, I prefer quieter surroundings, like bookshops, museums, and botanical gardens. Not exactly hot spots for single guys, but I wasn’t trying to meet anyone. I was always open to whatever might happen, though.

I was in The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. It was the first day of my summer break and I’d challenged myself to get out of my box a little and do things I’d never done before. I’d taken the train into the city, which I’d never done by myself. Of course, once I got into L.A., I ended up in my preferred habitat, surrounded by books.

I had spotted a book on my to-be-read list on the top shelf. Being petite (the polite way of saying I was short), I couldn’t quite reach it. I was debating whether the shelves were structurally sound enough for me to try standing on the bottom shelf to reach it when I heard a low, warm voice behind me say, “Let me.”

An arm reached up, easily plucking the book off the shelf and handing it to me. “Good choice,” the voice said. “That’s one of my favorites.”

I knew that voice. Turning to see the man who stood next to me, my suspicions were confirmed. It was Dieter Bravo. He was wearing a baggy gray t-shirt, a well-worn pair of jeans and some god-awful Crocs that had seen better days. His hair looked like he’d forgotten to comb it that morning and his scruffy beard and mustache could use a trim. But he was wearing glasses and his deep brown eyes were looking directly into mine, so that was all I saw.

“Thanks,” I managed to say, hoping I wasn’t blushing or anything ridiculous like that.

“No worries,” he said with a smile. He indicated the small stack of books in my hands with his chin. “You’ve got good taste.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks,” I said. Real smooth, doofus, I told myself. I tried to start over. “I read a ton of YA for work, so I’m trying to read more ‘grown-up’ stuff during the summer.”

He leaned against the bookshelf, his broad shoulders blocking the aisle. “YA?,” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Young Adult,” I explained. “I work in a high school library. A lot of it is really good, but after nine or ten months of dystopian love triangles and hot werewolves and teenagers with weird diseases falling in love, I find myself craving something more substantial.”

He smiled again. “I can imagine,” he said. “So, a librarian, huh? Oh, I’m Dieter, by the way.” He held out his hand and I shook it. It was huge and warm and made my knees melt.

“Um, yeah, I know,” I stammered. “I recognized you. I’m, ha, a big fan of your work.” I felt like a complete idiot as I stumbled over my words. “I’m Emily.”

“Well, Emily, this might be a dumb question, considering your line of work, but do you come here often?” He chuckled as he seemed to realize how cliched his questions was.

“Actually, this is my first time here,” I said. “I’ve always wanted to visit this shop, I never got around to it. I live out in the boondocks, so I don’t get into L.A. very often.”

“It’s great,” he said. “I don’t get here very often, though. Always too busy, it seems.”

We chatted for a bit, about the books we were buying, and favorites we’d both read (and made a few recommendations to each other when we mentioned titles the other hadn’t read). Then the conversation turned back to bookshops.

“I usually end up at Barnes & Noble,” I admitted. “There’s a good indie bookseller in Riverside, but it’s kind of small. My absolute favorite bookshop is Vroman’s in Pasadena. I don’t get there as often as I’d like, though.”

“Vroman’s,” he said, wrinkling his forehead. “I think I’ve heard of it but I’ve never been there.”

“Oh, you should go!” I said. I loved talking about my favorite bookshop and started rattling on. “They have all kinds of great stuff besides books. Plus a wine bar.”

“Whoa, books and booze? Sign me up.” He smiled that radiant smile I’d seen in a million photos, the one that always made me feel funny inside.

“Then you should definitely go.”

“Is that an invitation?”

I was stunned, but managed to speak without stumbling too much over the words. “Sure, why not?” Holy crap, he’s flirting with me!

Dieter pulled out his phone. “Let’s see,” he said, scrolling through the phone. “Um, I’m free Friday evening. I have a meeting at two, but I should be out of there by four at the latest. It’s in Burbank, I can probably make it to Pasadena by five, if that works for you?”

My tongue felt like it was swollen to twice its normal size. Was he actually asking me out? Or had I accidentally asked him? “Um, yeah,” I stammered. “Friday’s good, yeah.”

“Okay, then.” He tapped away at his phone and then slipped it back into his pocket. “It’s a date. Friday, five o’clock, Vroman’s.” He winked and now I knew I was blushing like a fool. He glanced at his wristwatch. “I have a meeting with my agent in an hour, so I’d better go pay for these and get going.” He pulled his phone back out and opened up the Contacts app. “Here,” he said, handing the phone to me. “Put in your number.”

I did and handed the phone back to him. He put it back in his pocket (oh, how I tried not to look too closely at that pocket, afraid he’d think I was checking out his crotch), then held out his hand again, wiggling his fingers. “Your phone?”

“Oh, yeah.” I pulled my own phone out of my purse and handed it to him. He opened my Contacts app and typed in his name and number. As he handed it back to me, our fingers brushed against each other and he smiled.

“See you Friday.” He turned and walked away, heading for the cash registers on the ground floor. I stood in the aisle for several minutes, staring at my phone. I had a date with Dieter fucking Bravo, and he’d given me his phone number.

I waited until he’d left the store, then went to the register myself. “Hey, you just missed Dieter Bravo,” the clerk said. “I got his autograph.”

I got his phone number, I wanted to say, but I didn’t. The kid behind the counter was thrilled to have had an encounter with a celebrity; he didn’t need me rubbing his nose in my good fortune. That didn’t keep me from texting my best friend Sam once I was back on the train headed for the IE. We’d been friends in elementary school before her family moved back East the summer before junior high. We’d kept in touch over the years, first by letters and now by text and Facebook.

<Went to downtown L.A. today. You’ll never guess who I ran into>

&lt;somebody I know?>

<Dieter Bravo>

&lt;Get out! Where were you?>

<The Last Bookstore, really cool shop.>

&lt;Were you cool about it? Please tell me you were cool about it>

<As cool as I could be, lol. Must have done okay. We have a date Friday night>

Sam replied with a string of emojis and punctuation marks. &lt;Don’t fuck with me, Em. It’s not funny>

<Totally serious. I have his phone number and everything.>

I clicked over to my Contacts and stared at the screen. The name “DB❤️” stared back at me. It was real.

<I want details!>

I sketched out the encounter for her.

&lt;You’re living in a rom com, I swear. But be careful. Heard he’s a bit of a wild child. Make him wear a condom. You don’t know where he’s been>

<Shut up. I’m not going to sleep with him on the first date. Eww.>

&lt;I know, you’re Miss Sensible Shoes. LOL>

It was joke between us that Sam had grown up to love wearing stiletto heels and clubbing while I preferred flats and quiet evenings. We always said it was a good thing we lived so far apart or we’d never have remained friends. And yet Sam was the one who was married with three kids and a job in finance, while I was still unattached and basically living paycheck to paycheck.

<I’ll tell you all about the date, I promise. Luv u>

I put away my phone and stared out the window, watching the backyards and alleys of Southern California flash by. What a world, where I woke up in my tiny condo thinking the highlight of my day would be a new book and lunch at Olvera Strett, and now I had a date with a famous actor. Only in L.A. I mused. It really is La La Land.

[spopsalt]

I hate seahawk

I just hate him so much, he has no depth, I know he's a comedy relief character, but first he has to be funny, and comedy relief characters can still have depth, like Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club ANOTHER EXCUSE TO TALK ABOUT OURAN FUCK YES He is comedy relief, but he has trauma from being taken away from his mom for 3 years, and Ouran actually shows this in a realistic way and Tamaki is still a good person! Also he's actually funny. Now back to Seahawk. Seahawk is just so annoying and obnoxious, maybe it's supposed to be funny but it's just very awkward and weird. Also, tell me how old he is just by looking at the picture, judgeing by the fully grown mustache you would guess like over 18, right? Not many teens have full-grown moustaces. But...then he dates Mermista...a 17-year-old...eugh...

he also dated his father from the og series so that's fun...

[redfurrycat]

🐓Navy - Not A Pilot!Bradley Bradshaw Fic Recs🐓

Check the Top Gun Masterlist post for the latest updated version. 💕

Ao3 Authors: Barnes_Brain, Dandeliondick, Elliot, Flyingfightingfishy, ForASecondThereWedWon, Haridwar, Jeston17, LetPeteBeMaverick, Renai_chan, SaintClaire, SunMonTue, ToukoJalorda003.

Note. Feel free to drop any recs you may have that fit the recs list.

Any ship (and rating) is welcome! 🥰

Navy - Not A Pilot!Jake Seresin > Not Navy - Still A Flyboy At Heart

Trouble With Comms by ForASecondThereWedWon {E}

WSO / Hangster

Bradley gets himself a gig as Jake’s back-seater. Now that he’s a little more familiar with the circuit breakers, it’s easy to switch off the radio and be the only voice in Jake’s ear.

You Make Me Live by Renai_chan {E}

US Naval Academy > Pilot / Hangster

Once upon a time, Jake met Rooster. Eight years later, he's a freshman at the US Naval Academy, and Bradley Bradshaw comes back into his life. Except, they've both grown up, and with growth, paths diverge.

Handle With Care by Barnes_Brain {E}

Catapult Officer > Pilot / Hangster

Ever since he could remember, Bradley wanted to be a pilot. When he was seventeen his dad, and Ice, pulled his papers from the Naval Academy. When he was barely 22 they did it again and pulled his wings out from underneath him. Stamped with a Do Not Fly he’d been delegated to Catapult Officer. After a particularly long deployment, and a very short fight, Bradley gets his chance at becoming a Naval Aviator as he’s always dreamed of. Once he’s got his wings of gold he meets Jake “Hangman” Seresin, another young pilot. He’s cocky, headstrong, handsome, brash, witty, striking, and most of all oblivious to the fact that Bradley is not flight deck crew anymore, or the son of the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. So maybe Bradley has the hots for the obnoxious pilot who looks like a Greek god. And maybe he doesn’t want to scare him off. Sue him.

I know exactly who you could be by haridwar {T}

Navy Doctor / Hangster

Bradley works in the Roosevelt's medical centre and gets a front row seat for the joyful experience that is The Mission

our paths will cross again by haridwar {E}

PA / Hangster

An angel worked for the navy and Jake was only half embarrassed to admit that he was obsessed with him. or: Jake keeps running into Iceman's assistant without realising that's who he is

I need attention (and I need it all from you) by haridwar {M}

Warrant Officer / Hangster

“Mom and I agreed I wasn’t gonna enlist Mav.” Bradley had been reluctant to remind him while also trying not to sound too heartbroken. He didn’t want his mother feeling guiltier than she already did when there were more important things to be thinking about. “You promised your mom you wouldn’t fly, that you wouldn’t be a fighter pilot. There’s so much more to the navy than just that kiddo.” or: Bradley is a mini Hondo

My Little Soldier Boy, I'll be True to You... by dandeliondick {E}

WSO / Hangster

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw was one of the best WSO out there and when a back-seater of the dagger squad is injured, he's assigned to fill in. Hangman is confident and cocky and cool, but the team is thrilled to watch as one mustached pilot seems to fluster the blonde at every turn.

Never leaving you again by Elliot {T}

WSO / Hangster

The mission, but Hangman and Rooster are a pilot-wso pair, and also exs. Hangman is the pilot, Rooster is the wso.

Take Me Home Tonight by Jeston17 {E}

Aerospace Engineer / Hangster

“You’re not a pilot, are you?” Jake asks. Bradley shakes his head, “No, I’m actually an aerospace engineer, but I work for the Navy at North Island. It’s how I know Natasha.” “I figured you weren’t a pilot,” Jake says, “I would have met you before, and I don’t think I could forget a face like that.” Jake gives him a suggestive look, and Bradley realizes he’s flirting. His heart jumps at the idea, and he feels the blood rush to his face. “Is it because of the mustache?” Bradley asks, trying to play it cool. “Not just,” Jake winks. Or: AU where Bradley is an aerospace engineer who is getting back into the dating scene after a breakup. He meets Jake at a bar with Phoenix, and the sparks start flying.

Maverick for America by LetPeteBeMaverick

Deputy National Security Advisor / Hangster

Lend me your hand and we'll conquer them all {M}

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell may not have won the Top Gun trophy, but he did win the 2020 Presidential Election. Luckily, his wingman is there to keep his feet on the ground.

Seven Visitor Passes {T}

The seven people who visit Bradley Bradshaw in the hospital.

There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin {E}

Jake first kisses Bradley outside the Hard Deck in 2012, but that's only half the story.

Invitation To The Deep by SaintClaire {E}

Navy SEAL / Hangster

The call comes in at nine o’clock in the evening. He nearly screens it when he picks the phone up - it’s far too late in the evening for whatever bullshit this is. Blocked number. “Seresin speaking.” --- A world-renowned exploratory dive specialist. A mustached Navy SEAL. 80 hours of oxygen on the clock. A single dive submarine wedged between a thousand tons of crumbling volcanic rock. And an underwater labyrinth that Jake Seresin has cut his teeth, his family, and his career on; down amongst the grottos of the deep, glowing with life in pitch-black water.

Flying in Less Than Ideal Circumstances (And the Best Possible Outcomes) by ToukoJalorda003 {M}

WSO / Hangster

All Rooster had ever wanted was to be a WSO. He’d never had any interest in being a pilot - and when he finally got what he wanted, he’d hardly expected to be paired with Hangman, of all people. But perhaps it wasn’t all bad. Maybe. If he would be willing to admit that Hangman wasn’t terrible. That might have been easier to do, though, before everything went just slightly wrong.

sweet relief by haridwar {M}

Aviation technician / Hangster

“We’re not supposed to be strangers, Jake. I can’t keep doing this if that’s how you want things to stay.” or... catching feelings after casual sex

you're all i can think of these days by haridwar {T}

Navy SEAL / Hangster

Jake and Mav's no good very bad week and Bradley's efforts to save them

Somebody to Lean On by flyingfightingfishy {T}

US Naval Academy / Hangster

To say that Bradley's first impression of Jake was poor would be an understatement. He found the man arrogant, annoying, and unable to admit when he was wrong (although he probably shouldn't look too closely in the mirror when he said that). When he hears that Jake got violently airsick, he thinks maybe it will teach the man a lesson. To his surprise, it ends up teaching them both a lesson. OR Overcoming airsickness isn't a destination, it's a journey that's all about the friends (and lovers) we meet along the way.

It's not who you know by SunMonTue {M}

Flight School / Hangster

Low-angst Nepo!Baby Bradley and his four years at the USNA and his head-in-the-sand approach to the nepotism and the fact that he ends up being known as the guy with the two hot dads instead...

abuse my love a thousand times by haridwar {M}

Navy SEAL / Hangster

Where Jason Seresin was Bradley’s rock, his platonic soulmate, his favourite person in the world most days, Jacob Seresin was the absolute bane of his existence. or… what not to do when in love with your best friend’s brother

[alllisborealis]

reading through comics for the first time :)

JLA: WORLD WITHOUT GROWN-UPS #2

part 1 | part 2

ok first page cool cool everyone looks heroic what is that

how many abs does this dude have?? armpit/rib/side abs?? rocks in his stomach man - that actually looks painful

legit thought he had a mustache - just after the nazi (boooooo) dinosaurs appeared so yknow what zapped my brain and now i can't unsee it :(((

just hanging in there :)

shoe toes?? ew

i don't watch southpark but i love when pop culture is referred to in other pop culture

green lantern was totally thinking the same as robin was - bat...son

baby, super-powerful baby

why does robin run like that - batman has have to have taught him proper technique not whatever this is

there was a batman movie directed by tim burton irl which is interesting

nightwing cameo!

superboy...honey...now is not the time to have a meltdown

get him imp

that is a very bat look my dude - all cape

sb can canonically do the splits

he totally learned that from nightwing

early supervillain tim (go off king)

yasss girlie - drive him insane

why does sb have a traditionally feminine hero pose

i'm actually confused, does he make glass for the binoculars or is he just pretending? like i'm pretty sure he can only use his body to morph/stretch so using that logic i guess he maybe stretched his skin so thin that he could see through it and it works as normal binoculars?? this is stressing me out too much and i'm thinking too deeply about this, i now say that he's just silly

little babyman

girlie... - also batman's ears lol

*mickey mouse voice* that's a surprise tool that will help us later

pythagorean theorem

gotta split this up now smh

part 1 | part 2