#the turntables and whatnot

[kikuism]

girls in their 20s get sooooo excited about kitchen organization products

[n0cturna1-m3]

Happy Anniversary | Dom! Bottom Jason Todd x Sub! Top Male Reader | Fluff/Smut

Fem/Minors DNI

Warnings; Trans Jason, use of the words cunt, clit, etc., little bit of crying, alcohol consumption, cunnilingus, face sitting, sprinkle of praise, tooth rotting fluff, condoms, Y/N is a bit of a clutz, obedience, pretty vanilla tbh

About 3.6k words

The small apartment was cold as snow fell for the first time of the season in Gotham. Y/N was sitting in a chair next to the window wrapped in a blanket with a cup of coffee reading a thick book. The light was dim, a couple of earthy candles were lit and two antique lamps turned on creating a warm glow in the cluttered living room. Y/N turned the page and spread his fingers to hold it open while he reached for his coffee on the table, almost picking up a lit candle to sip on but quickly retracting it from the hot wax spilling over the sides. He successfully grabbed the coffee, bringing it to his lips and humming at the bitter flavour. He liked it black.

Returning the mug to the table, he read the words on the white pages, a movie playing in his eyes with every word. The old record player on a bookshelf on the wall stopped at the end of the vinyl, Y/N standing and walking to it, carefully removing it and sliding it into its case before shuffling through the shelf below it that housed multiple vinyls. He stopped at a classical song that he enjoyed and pulled it from the shelf, taking it out of its case and gently placing it on the turntable, lowering the stylus and letting it turn on. He returned to his armchair and pulled his feet up, sitting at an angle and draping the red woven blanket over his legs, picking up his book again and thumbing through the crisp paper before finding his bookmark, continuing where he left off.

Jason had left early that afternoon under the guise of having vigilante duties, and his boyfriend was dumb enough to not question it. He had most likely forgotten about their anniversary again, but he didn’t blame Y/N. He wasn’t good with dates, and that wasn’t his fault. He always made up for it in the best ways, though, so in Jason’s mind, it didn’t matter.

He spent the time he had out running around and getting things for the special occasion, picking up a bottle of Gaja Barbaresco and a cheesecake he had ordered weeks prior.

It felt a bit embarrassing for him when he walked into a small flower shop to pick up the bouquet of (favourite flowers), but the woman at the counter looked thrilled to see him again after he had placed the order a week ago. She had pestered him a bit, curious as to what the occasion was, and was thrilled upon hearing his response.

“Hello again!” Jessie beamed, her smile lines and crow's feet being exasperated by her warm smile.

“Hello,” Jason replied, walking inside the shop. It was filled with flowers and plants, all sorts of things needed for gardening and whatnot. “I’m picking up for Todd.”

“I know,” She smiled, turning around and walking to a fridge in the corner of the room. She pulled out the bouquet and placed it on the counter before leaning on it, her forearms holding her weight. “So, you’ll come back and tell me how it goes, right?” She asked, a few grey and brown strands of hair framing her face.

Jason nodded shyly. “Yeah, I will.” Jessie smiled again and stood up straight, ringing up a receipt and handing it to him. “I’m a bit nervous,” He stated, pocketing the piece of paper and grabbing the flowers, holding them delicately in his hands.

“Don’t be. It’ll be just fine,” Jessie reassured. “Now, get out of here!” She joked. “Don’t wanna waste the night. And I’ve gotta close up.” He gave a curt nod before walking out of the store, a couple of bags on one arm and the flowers in his other.

The walk back to the apartment felt shorter than it should have, perhaps because of Jason’s mind whirring with possibilities of what was to come. He fished his keys out of his pocket, shoving them into the keyhole and unlocking it, shouldering the door to open it. He walked inside and kicked the door closed with his boot.

“I’m home,” He called, walking into the kitchen and placing everything on the counter, quickly putting the cheesecake and wine away and searching through a cabinet for a vase.

The lack of Y/N greeting him caused him to turn around, a vase in hand as he caught a glimpse of him asleep in the corner of the living room. Jason smiled at the sight of his pretty boyfriend, their cat lounging on his lap, curled into his warmth. She was purring quietly, blinking her pale yellow eyes at Jason and stretching her arms out, grabbing onto the blanket with her claws and pulling it into her face. He admired the sight for a moment before continuing his efforts to set up the flowers, walking around the counter to place them on the small dining table before returning to the kitchen and rummaging through cupboards and the fridge to get the ingredients he needed for dinner, placing them on the counter and starting on it.

Y/N woke up to the smell of food, slowly opening his eyes and stretching his limbs, accidentally throwing the grey cat off of him.

“Ah,” He grunted, rubbing his eye and reaching out to scratch her on the head. “I’m sorry kitty.” He picked her up and cradled her in his arms like a baby. “Sorry Bugs.”

Jason watched them from the kitchen, admiring the way the light hit Y/N and coloured his face. Y/N looked up and caught Jason’s gaze, smiling at him and giving Bugs a few kisses before putting her back on the floor, scratching the base of her tail as he stood, walking over to Jason who was sautéing vegetables, namely onions, garlic, and Italian green beans, and leaned over the counter.

“I didn’t know you got home,” He said, looking at Jason lovingly. Jason turned back to the pan on the stove. “You should have woken me up.”

“You looked peaceful,” He responded, turning off the stove and tossing the vegetables a few times before placing them on a different burner that wasn’t hot. “Plus, Bugs was sleeping so soundly. I wouldn’t dare wake her. You know what happens when your devil child wakes from her naps prematurely.”

“Hey, she’s not just my child!” Y/N pouted, facing Jason's broad back as he plated the food with what appeared to be (Steak, Fish, Vegan stuff, idk fill it in). “She’s just as much your kid as she is mine.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry for disrespecting our child,” He teased, turning around with the plates and handing them to Y/N. “Put those on the table for me, yeah?”

Y/N took them from Jason’s hands and walked to the table with them, gently setting them down on the wood and turning around to see Jason holding out utensils for him to take. He did and set them next to the plates, desperately trying to remember if the knife pointed towards the plate or away from it.

“It points in,” Jason said without looking, searching through the cabinets for wine glasses. Y/N grunted and flipped them around, Jason walking over with the glasses and a bottle of expensive wine, setting them on the table. Y/N looked confused at it all for a moment but quickly his eyes widened.

“Shit, it’s our anniversary! Hold on, wait here.” Y/N ran into their bedroom and Jason could hear him open the closet door and begin rummaging through the various boxes on the top shelf, a few crashing to the ground with a thud. He smiled and sat down, resting one of his elbows on the table and putting his cheek in his hand, watching the door and waiting for his (H/C) haired lover to come out.

Y/N made an ‘Aha!’ sound when he found what he was looking for and grabbed it, quickly leaving the bedroom, the closet in disarray. He managed to trip over his own feet after stepping outside the room, barely catching himself as Jason laughed at him. He got up and walked over to him nonchalantly, sitting in his chair and putting a small-sized box on the table next to Jason. It was dark blue with a cream ribbon and bow. Y/N got help with the bow. He was incapable of doing something that intricate. It was probably Barbara, she always wrapped gifts well.

“You want me to open this now?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest playfully. Y/N nodded with a big smile. Jason chuckled and grabbed the box, carefully undoing the ribbon and discarding it on the table. Y/N was eager for his reaction, slightly anxious, but mostly excited. Jason’s eyes lit up, reaching inside and pulling out two bracelets. They were woven tightly, one of black macrame rope and the other a deep red. The end strings had a few beads on them. Jason looked up at Y/N who was anxiously watching him.

“Do you like it?” He asked, twiddling his thumbs under the table. Jason smiled at him and placed a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him in to give him a quick kiss.

“I love it, Y/N,” He said. Y/N let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t know if it would be a good gift, but he figured that using his fingers to make something would be better than picking at his fingernails, so he picked up the hobby and grew fond of it. “Help me put them on.”

Y/N nodded and grabbed one of them, Jason holding out his left wrist for him. He wrapped it around his wrist, securing it with an adjustable knot and doing the same with the other. Jason looked at them against his pale skin fondly before turning to Y/N again.

“Let’s eat, I’m hungry.”

“I didn’t want to ask, I’m so glad you offered,” Y/N said, picking up his fork and digging into the meal. Jason poured them each a glass of wine, clinking their glasses and taking a sip before he started on his plate.

Time seemed to fly by as they ate, quickly finished and discarding the dishes to the sink before Jason cut two slices of cheesecake and filled their glasses again, moving to the couch, sitting on opposite ends with their legs intertwined, watching the newest episode of a corny crime show they had started, commenting on the lack of accuracy in the whole thing. They paused it halfway through when the main character made a mistake that would have cost him his job.

“No, I called it! I knew he would do it!” Y/N laughed, taking another fork full of cheesecake and chuckling.

“Now, me personally,” Jason started in between laughs. Y/N cackled as Jason jokingly defended the protagonist. He looked at Y/N fondly, digging into his pants pocket and pulling out a box. “Catch,” He said, tossing it to Y/N who caught it and looked at it.

“What is it?” He asked, turning it over in his hand.

“Open it.”

Y/N flipped the lid open, his eyes widening and jaw falling open. He looked at Jason who was smiling warmly at him.

“Are you serious?” He asked, pulling out one of the rings and turning it in his fingers. It was plain gold/silver (whichever you prefer) with their anniversary engraved on the inside. His eyes watered and he glanced at him again, lip quivering when he nodded. Y/N put the ring in its place and moved to hug Jason, wrapping his arms around him tightly and burying his face in the crook of his neck. He took a few shaky breaths, Jason’s shirt dampening. He kissed Y/N on the temple and rubbed his back, cupping his cheek when he pulled away and kissed him.

“I love you,” He whispered against Y/N’s lips. He took the box and pulled out one of the rings, taking Y/N’s left hand and slipping it on. It fit perfectly. Y/N almost burst into tears again, sitting back on his knees and taking the other ring, Jason offering his hand. Y/N took it in his own, kissing his lover's knuckles. He put it on Jason’s ring finger, kissing his knuckles again and looking at him with teary eyes. Jason’s own icy blue eyes were equally wet, and Y/N leaned in to kiss him again, this time much deeper, tilting his head while their lips moved in sync.

“Come on, up,” Jason said, pushing Y/N off him lightly. He pouted, watching Jason stand up from the couch and walk to the hallway. “You coming?”

Y/N stumbled off the couch and rushed to Jason, the latter wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, leading them to the bedroom. Y/N chased after his lips, his eyebrows knit together in frustration when Jason pulled away from him. He grabbed Y/N’s hips and turned him around, walking him backward and pushing him onto the bed. Y/N looked up at Jason with desperation, his lips parted slightly.

“You’re so handsome like this,” He said, putting his hand under Y/N’s chin and tilting it up. He whimpered quietly. “So desperate for me.”

“Please,” Y/N whined, hand reaching up to grab Jason’s shirt. He smiled and pat him on the cheek, stepping back to remove his clothing.

“Strip to your boxers.” Y/N sat up and removed his shirt, tossing it to the floor and struggling with his belt, not bothering with the loops and just unbuttoning and zipping it, pulling them down, and shaking them off his feet. He pulled off his socks and threw them, looking back up at Jason who was pulling off his boxers. “Lay on your back.”

Y/N moved to the middle of the bed, laying on his back and looking at Jason as he climbed onto the bed before sitting on Y/N’s chest, his legs pinning his arms under him. Y/N moved his hands to hold Jason’s calves, his lips parting as he stared up at his lover with pretty (E/C) eyes.

“Be a good boy and eat me out,” He told him, moving up slightly so his cunt was hovering over Y/N’s face. He nodded vigorously, Jason lowering himself to sit on Y/N’s face, letting out a content sigh when he gave him a long, wet lick. He leaned back to ground himself, laying one hand flat on Y/N’s chest while the other grabbed at his hair. Y/N sucked on his dick, moaning at his taste. God, he loved how he tasted so much.

Jason rocked his hips against Y/N, who was burying his tongue in his cunt and licking him open. Jason moaned and ground his dick against Y/N’s nose. Y/N was grunting against him, stimulating Jason to no end. Pleasuring Jason was always his top priority, always over his own.

“Fuck, you’re so good at this baby,” He praised, moving both his hands to grab the headboard, his knuckles turning white from it. Y/N moaned, the sound vibrating through Jason’s cunt and causing him to shudder. Y/N moved to suck him again, bucking his hips up into nothing, desperate for any sort of stimulation. Jason reached back and groped his cock through his boxers, rubbing him through the fabric while he whimpered into his pussy, eyes watering slightly. “Holy shit, I’m gonna cum. Don’t stop, just like that Y/N,” Jason breathed out heavily, grinding helplessly against Y/N’s sopping wet face. He let go of Y/N’s cock in favour of grabbing Y/N’s hair and the headboard, hunching over and moaning gutturally as he came on Y/N’s tongue. He continued licking him languidly, helping him ride out his orgasm.

Jason shakily raised himself off Y/N’s face, moving back and looking at Y/N and his smug face, wet with Jason’s cum. He moved back to sit on Y/N’s torso, leaning over to kiss Y/N, wiping his face off with his hand, and rubbing it off on the sheets. Y/N placed his hands on Jason’s hips, letting him explore his mouth, licking his teeth and tongue.

“Fuck, Y/N. You’re so good for me, baby. I love you so much,” Jason mumbled as he kissed down his neck, sucking and nipping the skin on his way down. Y/N ground against him when he moved back enough for him to rut against his pussy. Jason hummed, sucking on Y/N’s pecs and massaging them in his hands while Y/N held his hips and rocked against him.

When Jason pulled back, Y/N’s chest was covered in hickeys and teeth marks that would fade by morning, and his boxers were wet with pre cum.

“Jay,” Y/N huffed, looking up at him with hazy eyes. “I wanna put it in.”

“What’s the magic word, big guy?” Jason teased, grinding down on Y/N’s clothed erection hard. He shuddered, jaw falling open and eyes closing.

“Please, Jason,” He begged, opening his eyes and looking up at Jason with furrowed eyebrows. He smiled and leaned over, grabbing a condom and lube. He pulled down Y/N’s boxers, throwing them across the room, and sat back on Y/N’s thighs, ripping open the condom and rolling it onto his aching cock. Y/N grunted when Jason squirted some lube in his hand and fisted his cock, letting it go and wiping the excess on the sheets.

“Come on, I want you on top of me,” Jason said. Y/N nodded and grabbed his hip and back, flipping them both over swiftly. Jason stared up at Y/N, watching him hold his thigh and the base of his dick to slowly put it inside, the tip entering. Jason moaned and fisted the sheets beside his head as Y/N slowly pushed inside, letting go of his cock and resting his forearm beside his head to hold his weight.

The lube and Jason’s slick hole allowed Y/N to slide in easily, bottoming out and pausing for a minute, breathing heavily. Jason wrapped his hands around his shoulders, pulling him down into a tender kiss. Y/N began rocking his hips slowly into Jason, moaning into his mouth. Jason wrapped his legs around Y/N’s hips, pulling away from the kiss and keening as he sped up, his cock hitting every spot that made him writhe in pleasure.

He dragged his fingernails across Y/N’s skin, the dull sting making Y/N grunt. Jason cursed and tensed his legs, grabbing Y/N’s shoulders and letting his head fall back. He took a few deep breaths, a sob ripping from his throat when Y/N started rubbing his throbbing clit.

“Fuck! Oh my god, fuck, you feel so good!” He wailed, pulling Y/N in and kissing him with teeth and tongue. They gasped for air between kisses, Jason biting at his lips occasionally. “Shit,” He whimpered on Y/N’s lips. “I’m gonna cum.”

“Ah, me too,” Y/N moaned, resting his head on Jason's shoulder. His fingers worked his dick just right, and him struggling not to cry from the stimulation that was coursing through him. He came quickly and hard, Y/N not stopping his movements until Jason tapped him on the shoulder twice. He pulled out and discarded the condom, stroking his cock. He looked at Jason with his jaw hanging open, holding his thigh with one of his hands. Y/N moaned as he came on Jason’s torso in long white stripes. He slowed to a stop, riding out his orgasm and placing his hand on the bed next to Jason, leaning forward.

Jason reached up and cupped Y/N’s face, him leaning into it. “I love you so much,” Jason whispered. Y/N looked at him and leaned in to kiss him. He rested his forehead on Jason’s, their breath mixing.

“You want a shower?” Y/N asked, their eyes meeting. Jason nodded, a bit pissed off when Y/N stood up, but it was replaced when he pulled him into his arms, wrapping his legs around Y/N’s hips loosely.

Y/N carried him to the bathroom, placing Jason on the counter and kissing his forehead before turning to the shower, twisting the knob, and walking out to grab two towels from the linen closet while he waited for it to warm up. He placed them on the counter next to Jason and felt the water, Jason hopped off the counter and grabbed onto Y/N for stability. His legs felt like they would give in at any moment, so Y/N helped him step into the shower, standing behind him and wrapping his arms around his muscular body. He rested his forehead on his shoulder, Jason holding the back of Y/N’s head and leaning into his embrace.

Jason let Y/N pamper him, allowing him to wash his hair and body, massaging the muscles as he went, and kissing his shoulder and neck occasionally. He washed quickly to get it over with, helping Jason out and drying his body with one of the towels and wrapping it around his waist. Y/N dried himself quickly before helping Jason to bed again.

“This is humiliating,” He grumbled as Y/N pulled his boxers up for him and helped him get under the blanket. Y/N crawled in after pulling up his boxers, cuddling up against Jason.

“I like taking care of you, though,” Y/N whispered. Jason turned his back to Y/N, letting him press his chest to his chest. Y/N took Jason’s left hand in his, intertwining their fingers and looking at their matching rings.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

A/N; I love Jason. I do hc him as trans so if you don't like that you can deal with it. He's canon ugly but it's okay bc he's my bbg

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

I wanted to post this last night but I fell asleep but we so so need to talk about Axlerod's little "navigating the world without GPS" thing because the movie literally INTRODUCES him with Mel Dorado(news anchor) talking about it and one of the first things he mentions is how Axlerod was PRESUMED DEAD FOR THIRTY DAYS. Until he just like. Showed up or something. Why is this not talked about(I say that as though there are more than five people on the planet that like him). But it also begs the question for me of like.. how much of it was just a bit or like..notttt entirely true. Cause the whole Allinol thing was a sham and supposedly his little expedition was the kickstarter for him getting the idea for Allinol and making the all natural fuel and whatnot so like. I mean he is a land rover, which is basically the UK Jeep in nearly every aspect including history, which basically basically means he is a car that could essentially drive whenever whenever with little to stop him, so it wouldn't be IMPOSSIBLE.

Also also. What are we defining as "Around the globe"? Cause at first I just pictured like across the equator or something but I don't know how much that makes sense. Surely he at least had a plane or something for the oceans. Is around the globe just going and hitting every continent?(excluding the Arctics). Is Australia ever included in an around the globe destination cause it is its own place?

Part of me is leaning towards it not being a sham, I don't know why. He looked absolutely knackered so I feel like SOMETHING happened. But then that also begs the question of like, how did they even have a clip of that anyway. Was he vlogging the whole thing. Please tell me he was. Which I suppose could also be a reason for him getting presumed dead if it suddenly ended and there was nothing. Even if it was faked that man was still presumed dead. But there's also the alternative of they found him and were just like "wait WAIT this'll be great for the press." Or again, it could possibly been faked, but for some reason I'm leaning towards saying it wasn't. Maybe I'm somehow a little biased? But I don't know why I would be cause I know the whole Allinol thing wasn't true, and him converting to an electric was PARTIALLY true, he just didn't have the engine change of going to an electric, so really he's like a funky hybrid, I do have my own little facts to support this if anyone is curious, but the movie was mostly focused on the engine. But I did stare at him and the turntable he has on YouTube for about far too long.

Also also also I want everyone to know that the person who wrote "rakish" to describe Axlerod and his grin in the newspaper that gets shown on the screen for a few seconds was absolutely absolutely me. Which is funny because I always figured Axlerod would be more on the unconventional side like all the other lemons are. But that's all the more reason I wrote it. And the other word in there that gets to me that someone would ever describe him like that but I can't remember off the top of my head. Go watch his turntable I think that exudes rakishness.

It's been two years and I'll still never come up with a proper answer for what happened there, or maybe I will eventually, but man. I almost want to post a picture of how he looked because he was BEAT. He was literally crawling he like forgot he was a car or something. He was covered in leaves from tropical looking trees and there was like a banana bunch on him and I think like a coconut or something. Which I suppose could give me a lead to where he went for his "around the globe" thing but I'll save that botany research for another day. I'm not even going to get myself started on the bit of the press surrounding him before he set off and he had all this equipment and gear and stuff and. I need to stress the fact that he does a wink to the camera before he goes off. It's more of a I-normally-dont-ever-wink-at-all wink but it still makes me giggle.

[highoctanegem]

Gettin' in tune || Jade & Mateo

TIMING: Recent LOCATION: Vinyl Countdown PARTIES: @fearhims3lf & @highoctanegem SUMMARY: Jade goes to meet Mateo. She wasn't expecting him to be undead. CONTENT WARNING: None

Jade was totally hyped to meet Xo’s boo. As the self-proclaimed biggest supporter of love, she was over the moon her friend had found something as special as what she had with Regan. From everything Xo had mentioned, this guy (Mateo), was all kinds of perfect. He was hot, he cooked, he liked music, did she mention he was hot? And well, she did remember he was allergic to Xo’s dog or something, so it wasn’t like… suspicious amounts of perfect. 

So why not pay him a visit? Jade wanted to talk about how awesome Xo was with a guy who was crazy about her. It was honestly a crime they hadn’t met up sooner. But well, Ireland happened. And setting time aside to visit a potential friend and talk about wonderful love while in the throes of heartbreak was a little triggering. But that was all in the past. And she obviously had time to make this meeting happen now. It was like, a super nice distraction from the stuff she didn’t wanna feel. Your moral dilemmas and whatnot. So she showed up to the record store, with her most friendliest smile, ready to be completely charming and platonic. And it sounded strange to mention it, sure, but sometimes she was accused of being unintentionally flirty, so… better clarify. (Even if like, she was pretty sure even strangers knew about her relationship with Regan at this point). 

The second she entered the store, though, all her hopes went out the window. Seriously? Of all the places… 

Something wasn’t right. Or more like, something was picking up her undead radar. And just… Jade’s spirits deflated when her skin started burning in that telltale way: Undead presence. Why couldn’t she just… chill out with a potential friend? Her eyes landed on Mateo, who she knew by the photos Xo had shared of him. He didn’t immediately ping the way a vampire would, though. So it could be one of the customers, right? (Please?) What were the odds of another loved one fraternizing with the undead?

She was… not gonna think about that. Cause that led to thinking about Regan or Van or Wynne, and Jade was here in the name of love not… pain. She fidgeted with the ring on her finger before approaching the counter, a confident smile still in place. “Hi! Wow. You are even more handsome in person,” her eyes sparkled as she tapped the counter, replaying the words in her head. “Oh. In a friendly way. I’m not here to flirt. I’m friends with Xo, and you two are,” She pressed both index fingers together, emulating some smooching. “So we should be friends too. I’m Jade,” she extended her hand, hoping against really crappy odds that the burning sensation would just go away.

—

There were a few more customers than usual, which wasn’t the worst thing considering there were bills to pay. Mateo was thankful that he had his second gig to take care of everything else. It made the shop seem more like a hobby, and truthfully, it was. Music always had been something of a special interest that kept Mateo going on the hardest of days. He didn’t get many of those these days, so one could say he was practically on cloud nine, which he didn’t mind in the slightest. Times like that called for some Ramones.  

With a smile, he placed the record on the turntable and took his place back on his chair, leaning it on its back two legs. By the time the bell chimed announcing a new customer, Mateo was bopping his head with his arms behind his head, enjoying the music freely. “Hm?” He knew he was handsome, but to be called that so blatantly wasn’t something that he was used to. Seemed a little desperate, at first, but at the mention of Xóchitl, it all began to make sense. Of course she had talked about him, and of course her friend needed to check up on the person she was dating. It was the same thing Mateo did anytime his siblings found someone new. A protective measure.

“Uh, hi. Nice to meet you?” He arched a brow, drumming his fingers over the counter as he stood up. “Sorry, uh…” He reached around and turned the volume down so he could hear Jade better. “Guess you know I’m Mateo.” Rubbing his head, Mateo looked around and stretched, extending a hand to officially greet Jade properly. “You just in here for a meeting or did you want some music, too? Works for me either way. If you’re Xóchitl’s friend, you’re right. We should be friends.”

—

“I didn’t wanna interrupt you jamming, my bad!” Jade giggled, working extra hard to maintain a breezy smile. The music kinda helped to focus on something else other than the undead alarms going off. “Hey! This song reminds me of my brother!” She nodded, as the classic ‘I wanna be sedated’ played on as ambience. Onyx was more of the punk rock guy in the family, but like any little sibling, Jade had absorbed a little bit of everyone’s tastes, which like… always felt like fun. There was more flavor in variety anyway. (The spice of life and stuff). 

“It is nice to meet me, yup,” She figured, if this Mateo person had pulled Xo, then he might be cool around confident women, right? She just had to ignore the whole… potentially undead threat ruining their meeting. She held her breath, watching the man stand tall and stop the music. Great, so now she couldn’t even like, have a distraction from…Oh, he was definitely tingly. His proximity made it more obvious. Jade looked around the store, willing somebody else to be responsible for her reaction. But everybody else was just, minding their business. Except for like, a guy with a fedora looking suspicious. (Who wore a fedora in 2024?). Somebody who was stuck in time, so to speak. That’s who. 

“Xo’s like, so happy any time she talks about you, I had to make sure you were real” Jade shook Mateo’s hand, just a second, not wanting to dwell on the implications. “And you are! Very real. And very tall!” She craned her neck back, to make a point. It was chill. It wouldn’t be the first or the last time she’d had to convince a girl friend that their guy wasn’t as dreamy as he looked. Xo would… understand if hers was like, not even alive. Wouldn’t she? Probably not. Xo didn't vibe with the possibility of supernatural life. (But also, she didn’t even wanna consider the whole, ‘what if he was a so-called good monster?’ conundrum) (Having a mental breakdown in a music store would be so ironic for her, actually).

“Maybe you could show me one of those,” she pointed at the turntable with her lips. She really needed one, didn’t she? Her E·mo·tion vinyl was collecting dust. And! She deserved something nice after enduring the situationship of a lifetime and the subsequent trip to Ireland, and her very wild, very bad month of…insanity and…the aftermath of that. She let Mateo guide her toward the turntable section (always mindful of the buzzing under her skin). “I’m not here to give you a scare, by the way. That’s probably Emilio’s job,” and, shoot. It couldn’t be too fun to have two slayers after you, could it? 

—

“Uh, yeah. Been about this tall since I was fifteen.” He shrugged with a smirk, “Glad you like the music though. My sister hated my music.” Mateo’s head bounced side to side in thought. “Well, hates. Sometimes she calls to ask if I’ve stopped playing ‘that damn music.’ And as her older brother, I have to annoy her, so I just turn my amp on and strum as hard as I can.” 

With a chortle, he continued to smile and nod along to listen as much as he could to Jade. It was a little hard to follow while he monitored the other people around the store, but he caught everything. “Well, I’m glad she’s happy. After what she’s been through, she deserves it. And I ain’t even worried about Emilio. That old guy came in hot with the threats. It doesn’t matter if he’s serious or not. Seems pretty high school to immediately threaten like that if you ask me.” Mateo clicked his tongue. He just couldn’t tell if Jade always had a certain awkward yet charming flair about her, or if she was actually uncomfortable. Which would be strange because all things considered, Mateo hadn’t done anything to cause discomfort. He was even wearing his nicer vest that day since he was feeling like looking fresh. It had new chains and everything! Regardless, it hardly mattered. Jade was asking questions and moving on, so Mateo figured he should do that too.

He just couldn’t shake that feeling…

“Well, we got a variety of systems. Just depends on what you want. Volume, size, style…” Mateo counted each on his hand with a smile, excited at the prospect of showing off all the beautiful setups he had put together with his own hands. “There’s only three out here that are worth looking at. The tiny ones in boxes are lame and not modded up by me, but I also have some others in the back that I just finished up this week. Just haven’t gotten around to boxing them up.” Jutting his thumb toward the back room, Mateo bounced his brows, eager to show off even more. “Can get those out for you if you want. Only the best for Xóchitl’s friends.”

—

Jade could relate. Not to being tall obviously, but the being fifteen when you reached peak height of it all. Her sisters always insisted she’d grow a couple extra inches, just like they did. (Spoiler alert: Nope). And it was fine, life compensated in different ways. “Mmm, I feel ya. Siblings, you know? It’s in the contract to annoy you. It was in mine, at least. I had to sign and all.” A genuine laugh bubbled in her throat at his older bro antics. “That’s actually super chill of you, I would’ve straight up camped in her room, blasting whatever was bothering her,” and that wasn’t even mentioning what Onyx and Jasper got up to whenever they disagreed about something. She didn’t feel like smiling as much. 

“Exactly,” she nodded, chewing the inside of her mouth. He probably meant the whole bff dying thing, didn’t he? Jade didn’t recall if there was more lore to Xo, except for like, the Ireland experiences. But just the one thing would be traumatizing enough. And he was right, she did deserve happiness, and he knew it. He seemed genuine about Xo, and like… she’d had a lot of experience with shady guys looking to take advantage of pretty girls. And this didn’t fit the bill, so here she was again, trying to work out what it all meant. So like, hypothetically would he be willing to stop going after…  whatever his (potentially) undead body required for sustenance cause of Xo? Maybe. But it wasn’t supposed to matter to her. It shouldn’t. Ugh. “Oh, yup. Emilio’s that old man yelling at clouds about everything. You have to ignore him when he gets like that. But he’s pretty close to Xo so like, he’s gonna stick around,” she let the implication that the two of them would have to work it out hang between them. He did feel sorry for Mateo if he ever hurt Xo’s feelings, though.

“Ooooh, good questions” This was nice enough of a distraction, looking at turntables while she continued sussing out the situation. Jade could do that, it was better than chatting face to face, cause this way she didn’t have to tone down her expressions. “The style doesn’t matter too much, but it has to sound nice, that’s for sure,” she eyed the turntables, unbothered to admit this wasn’t her area of expertise. She was more of a music enjoyer, the technicalities had never mattered much as long as the sound slapped. “Ah! I love special treatment, pretty please.” She beamed, ignoring the pang of guilt brought by her display of real enthusiasm. Hey! Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Wouldn’t everybody at home be proud of her even considering that? One thing was certain, whoever was messing with her spidey sense wasn’t a vampire so like, she didn’t have the tools to take care of it right now. Yup, it was fine to have fun with Xo’s guy until evidence pointed to undead. (Evidence she could be gathering by like, tuning in for a heartbeat, for example… so, why wasn’t she?). “I’d love to see what else you have in there”. 

—

“Well I can’t really camp out in her room no more. I’m all the way out here. My folks and the rest of the fam are still in Texas.” A hint of longing attached itself to the end of the sentence, Mateo’s voice growing heavier with each word. His shoulders dropped and he clicked his tongue to keep himself from giving off too much emotion. It was pathetic and not to mention awkward. He’d hate to do that to Jade, who was still practically a stranger. Yeah, that was all. It had nothing to do with having to admit how much he longed for his family. Nothing to do with that time in Wicked’s Rest being the longest he’d ever been away from home. 

Couldn’t be that at all. It couldn’t.

“Anyway,” Mateo cleared his throat, “Emilio’s…yeah. He’s a grumpy dude. Yeah. But like, it’s Xóchitl’s life, you know? She likes who she likes and I’m not gonna go ‘round trying to change her. She’s great how she is anyway.” Rolling his shoulders, Mateo smiled and patted Jade on her arm before waving her toward the back room. The switch he flipped on shed light on the large workstation he’d put together. 

Parts of all kinds were scattered around, albeit methodically, and there were countless tools placed neatly on a tool rack. “The good shit is over here.” He jutted his chin to a much cleaner area. “So there’s a regular turntable that’s pretty compact, uh…it’s run of the mill basically, but I did improve the speakers so they’re not those shitty default ones. It’s just all-in-one and convenient without sacrificing quality.”

Mateo clapped his hands and rubbed them together excitedly for the next reveal, “And these…” His voice emphasized how he felt about his hard work, how he believed they were the perfect catalysts for playing vinyls. “These three are entire systems with speakers, a custom needle, a case I refurbished with updated plastic, and great eq controls.” The more Mateo talked, the more his smile grew. It was probably his favorite thing to talk about. Music didn’t just end with notes, and it didn’t end with how people consumed it either. There was care in every facet. Mateo knew that better than anyone, and there was nothing better. Well, except maybe watching Xóchitl talk about her work. 

“You’d probably need me to wire them up for you at home, or I can prepare them for you before I box them up. Your call, really.”

—

Jade watched Mateo fold, then subsequently try to put his walls back up at the mention of his family in Texas. And what did she know, perhaps they had something else in common besides their love for Xo and music. (As long as he wasn’t confirmed undead, it was so fine, so chill). “Aw. I feel ya, buddy. I still wanna steal my sister’s wardrobe every day, but… California, you see? So… Don’t I know it? It gets all kinds of lonely.” She sighed, a little more than just nostalgia in her breath. Cause nostalgia she could fix by talking to them, (not a perfect fix, duh, but… a tiny bandaid). But she’d been dodging her siblings calls more often than not lately. It was too hard to get into the whole, I’m flopping so hard on my own please come help over Facetime. (And… and… did she want to be righted after all?). And she knew it would be impossible for her to hide it. Even through a screen, they would be able to tell she was failing again. Anyway, that yearning was really building up inside her. It was easy to figure out where Mateo was at as well.   

She pretended not to see the softness behind his eyes as he thought of his loved ones, cause she had to respect it and all. Plus, the potential threat of undead hanging over them stopped her from getting all invasive and gossipy about his life. So when he cleared his throat, Jade was right there with him, ready to move past the more somber discussions. But like, not so much, cause… as Mateo guided her to the backroom talking about Xo liking who she liked and trying not to change her, it was super hard not to think that sometimes it was better for loved ones not to love who they loved. Especially if they were dangerous and undead. (Right?) So that meant… she had to tell Xo about what she was sensing… Correct? 

“Ooooh, I do love an all-in-one” His vibe was contagious, which always made things a little depressing. Cause… Jade always got thinking. (That’s right, that’s right). She thought about the life undead lived before their premature death (or non-death). Of the people they loved. The good they did. Their aspirations. She thought of the undead who were left behind after centuries and centuries of unlife. Who wandered the a world who didn’t look like the one they knew. But apparently, that unlife was something some undead wanted. For whatever reason. Jade resisted that idea (she had a billion quotes from her siblings that would go exactly against that sentiment), but… she could admit, that desire existed among those cursed with unlife. 

Mateo seemed full of life, despite. Despite. And was that good? Was that meaningful, then? Should it matter, when his smiley self could turn around and kill someone in his next (metaphorical) breath? Maybe if she kept asking herself these questions some day a new voice would chime in from inside and have the right answer for her. (Please). In the meantime, all she could focus on were the turntables. The real ones, in front of her. Turntables! “You’re really selling me on those systems, I mean… I do love the whole repurposing. I care about the environment, you know,” plus, they looked all kinds of sexy. And she did care for the aesthetics too. 

Right there, Jade made her choice. “I think I’d like one. Yup. You should probably wire it for me before you box them cause… my living situation is a little up in the air. I’m thinking of moving in with my girl, but also there’s a lease that has to end and… lots of moving pieces right now. But I’m definitely calling dibs on that one until I’m all set,” she pointed to the equipment to Mateo’s left. She couldn’t wait to blast Run away with me’s saxophone on that baby. Her big grin faded, eyeing him with a curious glint in her eyes. “How did you even get into this?” 

—

The woman wasn’t so bad to hang out with, considering she didn’t linger onto the things he said. Most of the time, Mateo found that any offering of information was taken as an invite to pry further, but Jade simply took it as a simple opportunity to give her own reply. Everything else was optional, thankfully, and Mateo moved on without issue. He was able to focus on the sale and provide someone with the perfect way to listen to music. 

Which, he did. Gladly. 

“Well, I am a punk, and despite the bad rep we get, most of us are decent people that despise how our earth is being treated by the powers above us.” For a moment, Mateo paused, arching a brow and adding, “There are some idiots that call themselves punk, but are just really in it for the fashion. I get it, we look good, but we got ideals to uphold, ya feel me?” He chuckled to himself and shook his head. He couldn’t stand those kind of punks, especially when they used the fashion and platform incorrectly, but he wasn’t going to get on his soapbox. Not then. Maybe next time. 

“I actually minored in music in college. Focused on agriculture for my dad’s sake, but music was always my thing.” Mateo moved a few parts around and put Jade’s order aside for when she was ready. Once she gave him the all clear, he’d be able to box them up and deliver. All there was left to do then was collect payment. A partial one. “Would sneak out and go to shows in garages and shit when I was younger. Fell in love with the scene. Kind of just took off from there.” Mateo jutted his chin toward the door and waved his hand for good measure, walking back toward the front to settle the rest of the sale. 

“So I’ll just take half a payment now and collect the rest when you’re ready. If you end up backing out, I’ll just refund you. Usually I keep the half, but you know, special treatment.” With a smile, Mateo drummed his fingers along the counter as he closed the distance to the register, keying in all the information for the setup. “So you’re looking at about…two-fifty, but I’ll just take two-hundy, making your first payment just a straight hundy. How does that sound?”

—

Oh, as if this ordeal wasn’t already excruciating enough, as if Mateo wasn’t already making her big D flabbier by the second, he had to go and talk about fighting the powers. Dismantling the system. Jade totally saw what Xo loved about him, she like… it was so obvious. And they could’ve been friends, Jade figured. Could have. If there weren’t codes to uphold and the entire humankind to keep safe. (That was a system that shouldn’t be torn apart) (In her unbiased opinion). Her not pulling out a knife on him the second her skin thrummed with the signal of unlife should’ve counted as friendly enough. That was already a step too far. That was already a failure. Anything more would be… she didn’t think she had a word for it. And she didn’t need it. Cause there was no point in entertaining what ifs. Thankfully, Mateo was facing the turntables and could not see her face journey in 4K. So she flashed another smile, put on her sweet voice and carried on. “I totally feel you. Yup. I love the energy, by the way. Stick it to the big guy.” Unless… What if he was sticking it to the big guy via murder? (Ugh).

Jade hit snooze on the nervous breakdown once again (there was no limit for that, right?), watching Mateo set aside her equipment. At least she felt some positive jitters at that,  and you know… Who was to say he and Xo would last long anyway? Right. Life came at you fast, maybe they’d find out they had some deal breakers they didn’t know about and they’d part ways. (Amicably). And Jade wouldn’t have to worry about him, or worry about her friend. Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t that be so perfect? She didn’t want Xo to be sad, obviously, but if this hypothetical scenario ever happened, she’d be the best support a girl could be. “That sounds so cool, actually,” she rowed her way back into the convo as he mentioned minoring in music. She wasn’t lying. And she was being friendly, still. If he hadn’t been undead, she would’ve tacked on something about looking forward to hanging out with him, maybe going to a few shows. His passion for music was one that she resonated with and one that could’ve bonded them in the deepest of ways. Alas. Only one of the hearts involved in this conversation beat, and for Jade that was where she was supposed to draw the line. (Not supposed to) (Had to, remember?)

When she had decided to pay Xo’s boo a visit, she didn’t know she was going to stumble upon another undead. She didn’t regret it, cause it was always better to know these stuff, but the plan to yap at him and get to know him better, (get to know each other better) for the sake of their common person was clearly a bust, so Jade made no attempts to extend their hang out as he started talking business.

Yup, maybe walking out with a discount for a record player was as good as it was gonna get for them. And it was so chill! It was so fine! (So where was that happy fluttering again? Could it come back soon?). 

Jade followed him back to the register, trying to see if maybe, by some weird chance, she’d been wrong. If her signal was messed up or the reception was spotty like it had been with Penny at the park. But nope, Mateo still made her skin light up, and not in the fun way. “I do love special treatment!” She tapped the counter along with him and chuckled. In a way, she was giving Mateo special treatment too. Not jumping the gun immediately. Further investigation would be conducted for sure. But like, make no mistake, he wasn’t being let off the hook (nuh-uh!), but in the name of Xo, and their friendship, she was… stalling. Jade nodded at the amount to pay, finding it a super good deal and reached inside her sling bag for her wallet. “I can totally see why you and Xo are so good together…” she nodded, trying to ignore again that uncomfortable feeling in her belly. The one that told her she was on the path to losing another person she loved cause of… cause life. (Or the lack of it, really). It was so rude! “And you know,” she added, eyes narrowing in a conspiratory look (one that was to be understood as playful) before pulling out her card, “I don’t think this will be the last time we see each other either!” Which had nothing to do with the fact that she’d had to come pick up her turntable eventually. 

—

[pjisskullourful]

confession, this was on a LOOP in my head yesterday & i got to thinking about vic the dj& then those thoughts turned to smut so please allow me to share cos there are two paths

you're dating vic, shes having fun on the turntables& you're in awe, standing next to her, saying 'how do you do it? what do all of the buttons do? i wouldnt even know where to start!' so shes like 'i'll show you, i'll teach you how to crossfade'. she invites you to stand at the turntables& to instruct you she stands directly behind you, you joke about her just wanting to press against you but she plays dumb. she shows you what some of the buttons do& guides your fingers& praises you& you're both having fun. later you're at home, lying in bed& you're scratching your lower belly& shes like 'let me guide your fingers again'. yada yada smut happens

OR

you're a dj, friends with vic& she is the oneamazed saying 'how do you do it?'& you offer to show her, which involves alot of standing close together, hands brushing against each other& whatnot. she picks it up somewhat but says you're magic with your hands. later(maybe in a bathroom in the club?) you drag her aside, finally kissing her& telling her 'i'll show you just how magic these hands can be'. yada yada smut happens

shoutout to everyone who made the winning result come in at 69%(maybe that should be a position in the fic 🤔)

furthermore i got that pink song 'god is a dj' stuck in my head& then i realised ariana sang 'god is a woman'- maybe theres material there, maybe not (the working title is 'god is...')

dont worry i will do research before beginning to write so it sounds like i know what im talking about

[tequila-solar-storm]

NS/FW

Currently in the Ifa waiting room too, it'll be super welcome if he could bridge an interaction between Kinich and Ororon especially because they both interacted with him already!!

Yes I also feel he'll get bored haha but it's always so lovely of him to just try stuff out for his partners vzhssu

About the technology tangent I agree! Also design wise Sumeru and Fontaine technology also still have some sort of fantasy-esque(???) appeal to them?? Like Sumeru basically had wi-fi and some sort of search engine thingy accessible from anyone and it didn't feel weird. Natlan on the other hand.. it's just out of place, their clothing too?? Natlan aesthetic feels a little bit like someone attached "modern!AU" tag to it xD a character could whip out a cellphone at some point and I wouldn't be surprised by it which is super weird!!! Crossing my fingers for a possible technically advanced tribe xD

—🌻

Previous Post

Ifa’s the perfect candidate not only because he’d met them both before, but also because Ajaw wouldn’t want to come out when he’s around HAHAHA

I still can’t get Kinich’s line at the end of the Tribal Chronicle out of my head (You know the line) so it makes sense that he’d do stuff for his partners!! He’s the ‘try everything once’ kind of guy anyways so it’s not too difficult for him! Once again sex with him is an extreme sport HAHAHA

Didn’t think anyone would read my tangent in the tags 🤣 I guess Natlan feels a bit too similar to our actual world? We’d rarely see the steampunk-styled machinery + technological pyramids and whatnot in real life, which makes it more otherworldly/fantasy, but most of what we see in Natlan we can find in our modern day. Like jeans and turntables and graffiti and whatnot. It feels like we’re suddenly playing Honkai Star Rail instead…

You’re so right about the ‘Modern AU’ tag HAHAHA I’m honestly wondering how far they’d take Snezhnaya right now… Like imagine when the Traveller steps foot in the country Tartaglia just pulls up in a limousine going ‘Hey buddy/girlie it’s been awhile!!!’ and throws them a touchscreen smartphone to keep in contact or something??

Honestly at this point I just want to get ANY explanation, no matter how shoddy, as to how Natlan beat out Fontaine and Sumeru in the technology department. A tribe being specialised in technology would be wonderful (Because we’d actually get a REASON) but from what we know of the remaining three for now, it doesn’t seem likely 😖

[bothsloth-originals]

got so used to seeing “oh how the turntables” and whatnot and I saw “oh how the tables have turned” and I was like “oh cool it’s like the opposite”

[blacksheepspringfield]

John Denver with his SHIRT OFF???

Well hello there, just another week with your ol’ pal Dumb Records. We’re up to our ears with hardcore shows as usual and Steve Albini died. Levitt just announced their new summer lineup of free shows happening every Thursday this summer just a block away from us out on the big lawn, and we just got a huge restock on our turntables, CD players, and whatnots. We’re making some small overdue…

[thehistorynut19]

Uwa! Lacuna!! This fits you so well!!! Fairies are some of my fave types and seeing you in action with them would be beautiful!!!! Ahhh I can almost see it now. How you dance amongst the forest that no one dares to enter. The fae are to be feared after all, dangerous beings that they are. None shall ever trespass as your fearless friends stand guard. But if they do get past those outerskirts of the forest, they are greeted by you and your studio. Painted wall to wall with stained glass and arts to rival the greatest of muses, a renaissance incarnate. 

@aurastar7 @lunalove25 @kawaiilizzie

As for me...

How ironic it is to be a steel type leader when I adore the fae so much. An antithesis to them even. But I can see why. I prefer using steel types over poison times when I fight fairies lol.

I went with like...all the games I’ve played which is up to Sword/Shield bc fuck it lol.

And now ahem: this isn’t required but I wanted to write lolol

No one assumes much from the gym leader who works part time in the library literally connected to her gym. Permanently tired, running back and forth between jobs to support herself, her loyal penguin running behind her, catching fallen books in a panic or even catching her when she seems like she’s about to pass out. 

No one would ever think that she’s a steel type trainer. When she lives and breathes olden tales of bygone eras, of fairies, of ghosts, of books and papers and everything that is not tough and rough. 

And yet she is. 

Steel perseveres, damascus blades culling down foes that dare to enter her sanctuary. Her gym is a haven for those who want a quiet space. Sometimes you hear olden music in the background, records playing on their turntables as the Mawile stands on the tips of her toes, changing out records to suit her needs when her trainer is too tired to do it herself. 

Sometimes you see her Metagross at the cafe, helping children learn how to read and teach patrons hobbies and certain things. 

Sometimes you see the Zacian follow her about her day, alongside the ever present shield whenever the penguin is not present. Forever a pair of knights by her side.

Sometimes you can see the Steelix outside when it’s sunny, acting as shade to outside activities and keeping an ever watchful eye on everyone present; a silent guardian.

Puzzles are found within the walls of the gym for challengers, to weave in and out of sliding blocks, ribbons, word games, and whatnot. Easy to solve yet hard to master. They change every month or so for the leader to keep her mind sharp and because she’s bored. 

Godspeed, dear trainer, when you enter her home. 

For her knights never yield when their princess beckons them to her side. 

The shields that protect.

The swords that slash.

The maws that bites.

The brains that acts.

To earn the Damascus Badge is no simple feat, my dear.

I wish thee luck.

I dunno if I have any other fellow Pokemon moots here but I saw this cute trend and wanted to try it out!

Take this quiz to see what gym leader type you'd be!

Make your team!

Do this picrew to visualize you as a gym leader!

I chose 3rd Gen (but the remake so Alpha/Omega) because it was my very first one!

Tagging: @averysmolbear @humanitys-strongest-bamf @youre-ackermine @roseofdarknessblog @missamity @levis-squishy-cheeks @icansmellsouls @dkbktk420 @elnyrae @romantichomicide95 @phantom-fanfom-blog @sckerman @genyastolemyheart @happybird16 @the-milk-anon @wyvernslovecake @bruhm0mentum anyone else who sees this!

If you're not interested in Pokemon, please ignore! But I'd love to see your type anyways if you wanna jump in!! 💕

[sadacon]

Very big fan of getting two gifts for people, one joke one real. I've given two different friends copies of dj hero for different consoles (with the final part of the plan to give them the turntable for a different console, ex. Playstation disc wii turntable) but this year we got lucky and we found a 2006 marvel trivia game at a second hand store and I hid a Ganon amiibo under the tray in the box. And for another friend I've separately wrapped all of the cords and whatnot of the PS4 we've been trying to get him to take back for the past year along with his actual gift.

[maschotch]

[lesbian-space-fish]

although I want ql2022 to be its own thing and not rely too heavily on ql1989, here’s my list of “if Ben meets anyone from the original series, I would like it to be”:

1. Dr. Sam Beckett. self explanatory.

2. Evil Leapers. Either the same ones or new ones but PLEASE let there be evil leapers!!

3. Tamlyn the psychic. One of my fav one-off characters, it’d be nice to see her again, a few decades older. She could help with the episode or, if there’s a full season/series arc of finding Sam like the previews seem to maybe imply, she could certainly offer some insight on that. “I met someone like you once when I was younger, a leaper named Sam.”

4. Tibby! Would love to see how learning the alphabet via rap supposedly turned his life around. But really, I love Tibby. Character of all time fr.

5. Diane Frost, now a bounty hunter. Would be funny if Ben leapt into someone she was hunting. Turntables and whatnot.

6. Lisa from A Leap for Lisa. I am simply in love with Terry Farrell. Next question.

7. Roberto. I love the Roberto! episode and with him being a reporter, he could help out with a leap. Could be fun idk.

8. Samantha Stratton, the baby Sam saved in Genesis. Could be a cute little throwback to see her all grown up.

[catboylupin]

I just happened to be writing a whole lot of Remus & Hope propaganda when I read your tags for mama’s boy Remus. 😌

ok yes. he is such a mama’s boy!!  i just started reading your fic, and really, what’s a better combo than remus’s mom + first war angst? <3 and i’m sorry but i’m going to take this ask as an opportunity to dump all of my feelings about him n his mother >:)

i think that remus has a softness + whimsy + emotional intelligence that just comes along with having a very warm and slightly eccentric mother. i actually have this very distinct image of hope: she was small and had long brown hair, she was very soft spoken, very accepting and gentle and even though she was a muggle, had this magic about her (maybe she was some type of artist, like a poet or a painter). i like to think that remus loved joan baez because hope did (she was also into joni mitchell, and karen dolton, and odetta, and all the welsh equivalencies. you see what i mean. and so remus liked them by association). sirius kinda scoffed at remus’s love of the whole folksy lady singer thing, but it was a big self soothing mechanism for him (before and after the full, remus lays on the couch, staring into space, ladies of the canyon is playing on the turntable.)

remus was also probably a rather isolated child, and i think that the result of that is that he was very close with his mom. i headcanon lyall as a sort of emotionally absent father/ bad husband (as a lot of people do). hope probably felt this weird isolation due to being a muggle in a wizarding world. so they found a lot of comfort in one another.

i don’t really have a concrete timeline of r/s’s relationship and when they started living together after hogwarts, but in the versions of the story in which they do not immediately move in together, i like to think that remus lived at home with hope for a little while. he would still visit her very often, sometimes with sirius. and remus never told lyall about him and sirius, but he told hope. and she was very happy about it and was kinda like “ever since you were 13 you made it very obvious that you were in love with him.”

when they go over for dinner, sirius gets to witness remus speak welsh with hope. hot.

hope loved sirius. sirius loved her. he loved euphemia and fleamont and very much saw them as his parents, but they still carried the weight of being part of a big pureblood family, being really deep into the wizarding world and it’s politics and whatnot. and he kinda wanted to get away from that, and hope was his refuge. 

maybe around late-ish 1980 or early 1981, hope got sick with some sort of terminal illness (according to jkr, she dies before james and lily do. not that what jkr says matters in any way shape or form). remus visits her a lot, sirius too. there is this moment towards the end of things where hope pulls sirius aside, hugs him and says, “promise me you’ll take care of remus” or something... like “i won’t be able to take care of him anymore and i’m passing that responsibility onto you.” maybe that’s part of the reason remus and sirius stayed together even after suspicions started, sirius wanted to keep his promise to hope...

[pharahsgf]

this would never happen but after watching the wen ning movie and reading the asks you got about lsz stabbing jc (🙏✨) I had the idea that it'd be really cool to read about lsz possibly trying to rebuild the dafan wen sect, not wanting to lose his ancestors' practices and preserving their legacy. I think this could only rlly happen after some epic cultivation world drama where wwx gets to go a little crazy protecting lsz and wn (and wq 👀 if it's au...why can't she be there) and lwj strongarms the rest of the world into giving reparations and whatnot but I do like the idea of lsz embracing his wen heritage and also dressing in the wen colors red and black to match wwx, wq and wn! if jc could rebuild the jiang from almost nothing why can't wen yuan? I love that lsz is lwj's son and I don't mind him being a sweet polite lan disciple but I think a lot of his behavior stems from wanting to emulate lwj and be a model lan but now that wwx is back and he knows that lwj is less lannish than one might think, he could start wanting to embrace that side of himself. let lsz say fuck 2k21

i'm a covert lan sect stan account so i do love lil lan boy sizhui but i also think his polite lan behaviours are a side effect of the writers refusing to develop him beyond "ideal son" so... honestly getting a-yuan out of gusu might be a win for me lol. a-yuan and wen ning creating a new sect from the ashes of the dafan wen is a really good concept with a lot of opportunity for a-yuan to grow and for wen ning to heal! especially if wen qing is alive and they're able to return the wen sect to its roots of kindness and medical knowledge like g-d yes

i like the idea of lan wangji's rebel tendencies encouraging a-yuan to be more accepting of the wen part of himself & while i agree it's going to be difficult to create a situation where he chooses to leave the lans, it'd be fun to watch the sects fly into another panic about the wen sect rising again only for his excellency chief cultivator hanguang-jun to pull an uno reverse card and point out they all owe these people reparations. i can just picture wei wuxian smirking over lan wangji's shoulder like heh heh how have the turntables >:)

[disimba]

Spent hours trying to figure out my stereo set up and researching and driving around buying cables and whatnot.

My Realstic sta 84 ended up blowing up in my face. Thankfully it was all internal but smoke came out immediately. Not sure what happened but I was working on getting the cables connected and I’m sure I I short circuited it. Either with my tape deck or turntable. I know I messed up somewhere and unfortunately with a really cool piece.

Bummed me out for a bit I’ll be honest. I’ll just have to do more research and find another one to replace it. Do it properly next time.

[artschoolfreddie]

You’re My Best Friend

a/n: hey! i came across @quirkysubject‘s queen prompt meme the other day and as i was reading through it, i came up with an idea of my own - the boys just hanging out as friends. so i started thinking about it more and i decided to write a short little one shot about it!! i’m pretty proud of how it turned out, since i haven’t written much of anything, so hopefully you guys like it too! please give me feedback, that would be very much appreciated, and let me know what you think!! (i also posted it on my ao3 here)

words: 1.6k

no warnings, just friendship

The cool spring breeze came though the opened windows of Roger and Freddie’s flat. It was March and university had started, and work was piling up for everyone. After a short band meeting with Brian and John, they all decided it was better to stay here and do some work than to go all the way back home, they figured they could all study together. Although Freddie didn’t study much, being an art student, but he didn’t mind, he could find something to work on.

After the (very short) meeting, they all got to work, Brian reading an astronomy book (something about Zodiacal dust?), sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table, across from the tan couch in the living room. John was working on what seemed to be some sort of schematic or blueprint, in between Brian and Freddie, on a yellow bean bag Freddie found in a random stall in Kensington Market. Freddie, on the floor with his back on the couch and across from Brian, seemed to be working on a number of things at once, flipping through a sketchbook, drawing a bit on each one, until he finally settled on one and paid extra attention to it, content with what he started with. Roger… well Roger was studying for a Biology test he had coming up, but got a bit bored and distracted, so he started to read some magazine that was lying on the coffee table in front of him, while he himself was sitting upside down on the couch, long blond hair touching the floor.

It was quiet, a good noise level for studying, but Freddie couldn’t take it anymore. He could handle it for a bit, but the sound of pages turning was starting to become deafening. He broke his view of his sketchbook and looked around. All three boys were entranced in what they were doing and didn’t seem to notice or be bothered by the quiet. He quickly did a double take of Roger sitting upside down and smiled to himself. What an idiot, he thought, lovingly, of course. He glanced down at Roger’s long locks and couldn’t help but give them a quick tug, causing Roger to yelp and drop the magazine he was gazing at on his face. His yelp also startled John, who looked up at the ruckus, and Brian, who also dropped the heavy book he was reading on his face.

“Rog!” Brian groaned, sitting up and giving Roger the biggest death stare he could muster. “What was that for?! I dropped my book on my face!”

“Don’t blame me, Fred pulled my hair out!” Roger whined back, rolling on his side and ‘accidentally’ kicked Freddie’s head.

“Oh, never mind then, thanks for that Freddie.” Brian gave Freddie and Roger a big smile, to which Roger just scoffed in reply and contemplated throwing a pillow at Brian, they were called throw pillows after all.

“Don’t be so dramatic, dear, it was just a slight tug. Besides, I thought you’d be used to that by now.” Quickly dodging another ‘accidental’ kick from Roger, Freddie stood up and looked at John who snorted and was giggling in amusement.

“Not sure you have room to talk about being dramatic, Fred.” John giggled again, watching Freddie as he got up from the floor and made his way towards the turntable in a corner of the room next to a window.

“Me!? Dramatic?! Oh, I would never, why would you ever suggest that Deaky dear?” Recanted Freddie as he took a random record from an old box on the floor. These records were Roger’s most prized possessions, and hated it when anyone even thought about taking one in case they weren’t careful enough, but he didn’t mind when Freddie took one – he trusted him. The record in questions was Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland, a band favorite. He put it on the turntable and carefully placed the needle to the first track, and let it play.

“Hendrix. Good choice.” Brian said and got up from his place on the floor and followed Freddie to the kitchen, where he was starting to put water in a kettle. Roger and John decided to follow as well, finding it extremely hard to work without tea or some snacks.

“Yes of course darlings, I can make you guys some tea, thank you for asking!” Freddie said – maybe sarcastically, the boys couldn’t really tell (they could, they loved to annoy him) – when he realized that they all gathered around the kitchen with him, picking at some sweets and other food that was left over from other flat mates.

“I didn’t know you can read minds, add that to the long list of things to keep note of when I’m around you.” Roger chuckled and ate some peanuts that were laying around, realizing that he probably needed to clean this table up more, it was a mess – he’d have to tell one of his flat mates about it.

“I don’t think Fred would want to see what’s going on in your mind.” John quipped and Brian stifled a laugh. Roger could really be thinking about three things – girls, cars, or music. And John was right, Freddie – if he did have mind reading powers, which unfortunately, he didn’t – did not want to take that chance.

“He’s right, if I could read minds, I wouldn’t waste my time with your minds. I’d read, I don’t know, Marie Antoinette’s mind, to see what she was thinking. And how she’d spend all her riches, oh, and what kind of jewels she liked best.”

“I’d read Jimi Hendrix’s mind, maybe I’ll be half as good as him if I knew what was in his mind and how it worked.” Brian contemplated this as Voodoo Chile played in the background, letting the bluesy guitar take over his senses. The rest of the boys nodded and quietly agreed, Jimi Hendrix also being one of their favorite artists, one of the few things they could all agree on. “Actually, maybe I’d read Leonardo Da Vinci’s mind. I like Italians.”

“How boring. I’d read John Lennon’s mind, a musical genius and I’d like to get in his head. He’s already had such a big impact on the world, it would be interesting to know what’s in his head.” Roger chewed with his mouth opened as he said this, so Freddie gave him a glare as if to say You better close your mouth before I make you.

“All interesting, but I’d probably read William Burrough’s mind. The man’s seen and done more than I ever will, maybe I can catch a glimpse of what goes on in that kind of… environment.” John ended with a laugh, and the others followed suit. As quiet and calm Deaky was, he could go wild and cause lots of trouble, never underestimate the quiet one.

The boys thought about their decisions and all agreed with each other, thinking Of course he would pick them, knowing each other so well, they basically knew each other’s answers before anyone said them.

Suddenly, the kettle started screeching and startled them out of their thoughts. Freddie got the kettle while Brian took some teacups out of the cabinets, already knowing where they were, having been here many times before. John also knew where the teabags were, third drawer from the right, and took a box of Earl Grey tea, Freddie’s favorite. At the same time, Roger got the sugar cubes from the drawer next to him and prepared the area to make room for the tea. Freddie poured everyone a cup and fixed themselves their tea to their liking.

The smell of the Earl Grey, the sound of Hendrix, and the cool breeze was calming. Feeling content and happy in the moment, John couldn’t help but smile. He was with his bandmates, who happened to be his best friends, drinking Earl Grey tea – of all things 20 something year olds would be drinking on a Saturday – listening to music and enjoying each other’s company. He only met the guys a few months ago, but he already felt at home and was completely comfortable with them. This wasn’t exactly what John imagined when he thought of college life years ago, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“What’s on your mind, Deaks?” Brian asked, a hint of a laugh in his voice and small smile on his face, bringing his tea to his mouth and taking a sip.

“Oh, you know,” John laughed slightly, “just thinking about how I imagined life would be like in Uni versus what it’s actually like.”

“What, like we don’t party and have a really good time?” Roger and Freddie looked at each other and couldn’t help but giggle, reminiscing on all of the alcohol fueled nights at their little market stall, trying on ridiculous clothes and whatnot.

John almost spit out his tea with that interaction and he remembered all the debauchery that went on with his newer friends, especially with those two. “Well, yes of course but you know,” John started, “I just didn’t think I’d be drinking Earl Grey with Jimi Hendrix playing in the background on a Saturday having a study session with my best friends, you know.”

A couple of hm’s were heard, and again, the boys agreed. It was a bit unusual to be doing this when they could be doing practically anything else, but none of them minded. It was nice, spending time with each other, not just as a band, but as friends. They knew they had a good future because of it, a band that stays together have a very good chance to be successful. And none of them would want to share the fame, money, success, and the hardships, with anyone else. They were all each other best friends, after all.

“I’m hungry, you guys wanna get some lunch?” Roger broke the comforting silence, and a chorus of yeah’s followed. The boys quickly finished their tea and headed out the door.

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just in case you wanted to be tagged @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye​!!!