#this has happened to me AT LEAST two times that i can specifically recall

[celiaelise]

... when a movie or TV show seems too depressing/stressful/gory/intense for me to enjoy, but the story really interests me, but then LUCKILY it's based on a book or comic... only for me to learn that everyone who has read the source material universally agrees it sucks ass, and the adaptation definitely improved the story.

[starfishinthedistance]

I talk to many people who say things like "oh I have trauma but I don't have PTSD", but then when I talk to them a little more I realize that they most likely do, they just can't recognize it as such due to how lacking PTSD awareness is, even beyond the whole "it's not just a veteran's disorder" thing.

The main reason they think they don't have PTSD usually has to do with flashbacks and nightmares, either they have one but not the other or have neither. But here's the thing, those are only two symptoms out of the 23-odd recognized symptoms. Flashbacks and nightmares are two of the five symptoms under Criterion B (Intrusion), which you only need one of for a diagnosis. The other three symptoms are unwanted upsetting memories, emotional distress after being reminded of trauma and physical reactivity after being reminded of trauma (i.e. shaking, sweating, heart racing, feeling sick, nauseous or faint, etc). Therefore you can have both flashbacks and nightmares, one but not the other, or neither and still have PTSD.

In fact, a lot of the reasons people give me for why they don't think they have PTSD are literally a part of the diagnostic criteria.

"Oh, I can barely remember most parts of my trauma anyway." Criterion D (Negative Alterations in Cognition and Mood) includes inability to recall key features of the trauma.

"Oh but I don't get upset about my trauma that often because I avoid thinking of it or being around things that remind me of it most of the time." Criterion C (Avoidance) includes avoiding trauma-related thoughts or feelings and avoiding trauma-related external reminders, and you literally cannot get diagnosed if you don't have at least one of those two symptoms.

"Oh I just have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, but I don't have nightmares." Criterion E (Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity) includes difficulting sleeping outside of nightmares.

"But I didn't have many/any trauma symptoms until a long time after the trauma happened." There's literally an entire specification for that.

Really it just shows how despite being one of the most well-known mental illnesses, people really don't know much about PTSD. If you have trauma, I ask you to at least look at the criteria before you decide you don't have PTSD. Hell, even if you don't have trauma, look at the criteria anyway because there are so many symptoms in there that just are not talked about.

PTSD awareness is not just about flashbacks and nightmares.

[whipped-for-kpop-fics]

When they misunderstand and kiss your cheek - svt 97z

💋Who; Seventeen 97z (individually) x reader 💋What; lil fluff reactions 💋Wordcount; 1.9k 💋Warnings; Very minor profanity.

Read the other versions here; 95z - 96z - Maknae3

-2024 Masterlist-

A/N- That's it! The last of the series! Ah, these were cute and fun to write, even if I wasn't always in the right headspace to write lil fluff pieces, I still enjoyed the process. Thank you to everyone who showed love to these, I appreciate every one of you 💖

💋Seokmin💋 For as long as you can remember, you've always wanted to go to a photo booth with someone important to you and take some fun and cute photos to get printed on a little strip and treasure them. You don't know why exactly you want to do it so much, nor why you've never done so before when the booths are pretty common, it's just never happened. And if there's anyone you know will do it with you without question, it's Lee Seokmin. So one day you send him a mood board with a few photosets on it and tell him you want to do that with him. As suspected, Seokmin doesn't even ask a question besides "when?" A few days later, the pair of you are excitedly rushing through the shopping centre to the booth he promises you has the best filter options as if he's some kind of photo booth expert. Though he does turn out to be correct, at least as far as you're aware because there are some really cute filter options which you're excited to try. It goes exactly how you expect for a while, the two of you grinning pressed together on the bench and making funny faces and dramatic poses for the camera. Clearly, Seokmin had really paid attention to the photosets you sent him because he's leading you into some of the poses you can recall. You don't remember them all because honestly, you hadn't paid that much attention to the specific photos and just the general vibe. So you really hadn't noticed that most of the sets you sent him included some kind of cute cheek kiss photo. Therefore, Seokmin really can't be blamed for thinking you want that particular pose seeing as it featured so much. A pose you hadn't even noticed. Unbeknownst to you, Seokmin has been working himself up to this the entire time, the whole morning really. It feels like a big move, to kiss your cheek even if he's most certainly kissed most of the guys' cheeks many times. But this feels pretty fucking monumental, honestly.

You're just about to ask him if he wants to add a filter when he starts to lean in after taking a quick inhale to steady his nerves, the clicker in his right hand ready. The photo he happens to take is frankly, hilarious. He hadn't expected you to turn to talk to him right then and you certainly had not expected him to kiss you so what he winds up capturing when he presses the clicker is both of you wide-eyed and lips touching. "Uh," Seokmin starts when he gathers himself and leans back rapidly, cheeks flaming red in a way that matches yours. "I didn't know you were turning." "I didn't know you were…leaning in?" You look genuinely bewildered. "What exactly were you doing?" "Kissing your cheek?" His statement curves up into a question as your expression only grows more puzzled by his words. "Like-like the photos!" "What?" "The photosets all have a cheek kiss photo!" "They do?" He nods rapidly. "Oh, I didn't even notice." He deflates a little, well a lot really, you can see the way his embarrassment rapidly turns to disappointment. "You didn't want me to kiss your cheek?" "Well, I mean, I'm not opposed if you want to." You shrug lightly, trying to play it off as you slide your gaze aside to look at the screen shyly, though you immediately start to laugh at the large photo of you two staring in shock at each other with your lips brushing. "What?" Seokmin looks at the screen and starts to laugh. "We have to print that one." He giggles. "Our first kiss." "First?" "Uh-" He looks at you with wide eyes in alarm, he really had not meant to say that. "It's not even a real kiss." You point out then reach out to gently tug him closer by the collar of his t-shirt. "How about a real kiss this time?" "Seriously?" You nod and then can't help but giggle when he enthusiastically cups your neck with his free hand to lean in quickly. "Don't laugh." He whines. You vaguely register the sound of the booth taking photos. He's looking at you adoringly despite his whine, not that you know that yet, but you will when you have the proof in your hand when Seokmin insists on printing all of the photos you've taken. "You're so eager, it's cute." "I've wanted to kiss you for so long, sweetheart, of course, I'm eager. don't you want to kiss me?" He pouts and you're not entirely convinced it's entirely an act. "Come here, idiot." You tug him in the remaining gap to press your lips to his. Seokmin doesn't forget to press the clicker to capture your first real kiss, though he does very quickly drop it to hold your face and put all of his focus into kissing you breathless.

💋Mingyu💋 A brand Mingyu has an advertisement deal with has sent him a package of their newest products and of course, he shares them with you as you have different skin types and the brand always sends him one of everything to try. So you're both sat on the floor in his living room, headbands on to keep your hair out of your faces and the collection on the coffee table in front of you with two little mirrors. A few minutes ago, he handed you the moisturiser that is apparently designed for your skin type, though you think something has gone very wrong with their formula as it has not dried well at all. Your skin feels all sticky and tacky to the touch, it's pretty gross and you certainly won't be using that again. Mingyu looks over when you mumble his name, his own skin shining with the drying moisturiser he has just finished diligently applying. And he finds you pouting while pressing your cheek slowly. To him, it looks like you want something and all he can think is that you want a kiss on the cheek. Although his stomach is fluttering with nerves at the sudden suggestion, he still shuffles a little closer so that he can lean over and press a kiss to the apple of your cheek. However, when he pulls back, he feels the tackiness on his lips and pulls a slightly disgusted expression while settling back into place and grabbing the packet of face wipes the company supplied. "You're sticky." He comments, tone as impressed as his face shows, which means, not at all. You stare at him for a second then nod slowly. "Yes, I am aware, that's what I was trying to tell you." Mingyu blinks at you dumbly, one hand raised to his mouth as he wipes the sticky residue from his lips. He lowers his hand a little to talk. "Not to kiss your cheek?" "Not to kiss my cheek." Immediately, Mingyu's cheeks flush with embarrassment and he directs his attention back to the mirror to wipe at his lips a little harder around a kind of muffled "oh, sorry." "It's okay," You mumble and hold your hand out. He glances at it and almost takes it into his own, momentarily assuming you want to hold hands but then he puts the packet of wipes on your palm and blushes darker. "I didn't mind." You assure softly as you turn to your own mirror and work on wiping away the product on your skin. "Oh." Mingyu tries not to grin dopily at what is essentially permission to kiss you again. As soon as you're done cleaning your skin, his lips find your cheek again, this time followed by a cute little shy giggle before he hands you a different product to try.

💋Minghao💋 Lately, when you both have a spare few hours, you and Minghao have been watching a fantasy drama full of cute romantic tension between the two main leads. Neither of you had realised just how romance-focused the show is when you started and at first thought it might be a bit weird to watch so many kissing and suggestive scenes together, but it's not been as bad as either of you assumed. In fact, you both find yourselves playfully mimicking the actors quite a lot, it helps to remove the tension that builds otherwise. A tension that has been growing thicker and more obvious over the past months between the pair of you, both of you are aware of it but aren't sure if making a move is wise. You both value your current relationship and ease far too much to want to risk it. Though it comes to a head one afternoon when you're both sat on his couch tucked up under the same blanket with your snacks and the AC on because it's not cold at all, the blanket just feels too cosy and you're used to sharing it from this routine starting in winter. Of all the scenes to cause something to happen between you, it's a very cute one, with no suggestive remarks, and no tension on screen. The main female lead skips up to the main male lead and silently asks for a kiss by cutely pouting and turning her cheek towards him. Of course, he kisses her cheek and that's that, they share an adoring smile and go about their business. Without even thinking about it, you copy her action, pouting and tilting your cheek, just because you think it's a cute action and are used to copying the actors at this point. You really hadn't expected Minghao to be paying you any attention and to follow along. But then his lips are on your cheek and you freeze momentarily. "I think you do it cuter." He informs smoothly as he leans back and gently turns you to face him with his long fingers pressed tenderly against your jaw. Your eyes lock and despite there having been so many chances before now, so many moments full of pure tension, this is the moment that changes everything. "Can we stop pretending that we're going to be able to be friends for the rest of our lives?" "We're not going to be friends?" You reply quietly, heart thumping and certain you know what this means but you don't want to skip any scenes of your own love story. "I still want to be friends, yes, I care about you too much and love being friends with you to not be friends. But I want to be more," "Best friends?" You can't help but tease. Minghao's face drops for a second into his trademark unimpressed expression but he quickly breaks and chuckles. "Best friends and romantic partners sounds perfect to me. What do you say?" "I say it's about time." "Then can I kiss you somewhere else this time?" "Xu Minghao!" You gasp scandalised in the most theatric of ways. "We've just started our relationship and you're already trying to get me in bed, what would-" He cuts you off by leaning in and slotting his lips against yours. You giggle happily and tilt into the kiss. "Are you going to be this dramatic our whole relationship?" He hums when the short kiss breaks, brushing his nose against yours with a fond smile on his lips. "I am. Regret this yet?" "I can never regret you." And to prove his point, he kisses you again with all the months of pent-up affection spilling out to seep through your parted lips and down into your chest, filling it entirely as your own affection fills his in return.

A/N- I think I have ruined myself with the Hao one, why did I make it so soft and sweet omg

[whoistartaglia]

catching genshin men wearing your sweatshirt

part two

wanderer

when you catch the wanderer wearing your sweatshirt, he knows it’s all over. whatever advantage he had in the realm of teasing you is lost and gone; you’re the one with the upperhand now.

“you look so cute!” you say, clasping your hands together. if you were in a cartoon, your eyes would have large red hearts over them.

“leave it alone,” the wanderer grumbles in response. he glares at you, but it’s not very effective considering the red on his cheeks.

“let me have this,” you insist. “you never do cute couple stuff with me.”

“this is not ‘cute couple stuff.’” he points at the sweatshirt. “i was just cold.”

you tilt your head and pretend to be confused. “but i thought you said you don’t get cold?“ you tap your finger on your chin. “yes, i do think i recall you telling me how much superior you are to mortals, so much so that—“

wanderer cuts you off with a sound that’s half groan, half disgusted ugh. he storms off and promises you’re never getting your sweatshirt back, not now, not ever. if you should call after him that just makes him wearing it cuter, you’ll here another loud groan. (but he still won’t take it off).

zhongli

you rarely see zhongli in sweats so happening upon him in your sweatshirt is like witnessing a double rainbow on the night of a blue moon. he acts so nonchalant about it—this is what mortals do when they’re in a relationship, they share clothes, right? he doesn’t see a problem with it, even though you might grumble that it was yours first, your most favorite sweatshirt.

“we can share it,” zhongli says when you not-so subtly hint that you would like it back. you glare at him, but he has that arch smile on his face that tells you he finds your annoyance more amusing than anything else.

“fine,” you say, giving in. you have to admit zhongli does look rather comfortable in it. “but i want it back later.”

zhongli smiles and nods his head in agreement, but little do you know that you won’t be getting it back for at least a couple days. a lesson learned—always be specific with dealing with the god of contracts.

kaeya

you’ll stumble upon kaeya wearing your sweatshirt while looking for the very thing.

“kaeya, have you seen my…” you round the corner and trail off. kaeya lounges on the couch in front of a large hearth, eyes trained on the winter snow falling outside.

“seen your what?” he asks.

“my sweatshirt,” you say, coming over to stand over him. he looks up at you so innocently and asks so sweetly, “what sweatshirt, dear?”

you point at him, trying not to let your amusement show. “the one you’re wearing, dear.”

“oh, this?” kaeya looks down, like he’s seeing what he’s wearing for the first time. “this is mine.”

you let out a shocked laugh. “wait—you’re not serious, are you?”

“i’m always serious.”

you roll your eyes. “okay, okay. now i know you’re joking. this has been fun, but i’m getting cold. can i please have it back?”

“then i’ll be cold.”

“you’re literally sitting next to the fire.”

“but i also have a cyro vision,” kaeya points out. “i need the extra warmth… unless you want to provide that instead?”

please tackle him for the sweatshirt. he deserves it.

[vi-as-in-violet]

i think the main feeling i have about this season so far is that i crave to see MORE, but not in a good way. i love the themes this season is working with, i love the conflicts, i love the characters but it feels like i don't see enough of the story playing out and it leaves me feeling like something is missing.

I wanted to SEE and experience the underground resistance growing, i wanted to actually see how Jinx became a symbol and how that united the underground. I wanted to see the process of it and how it affected her! I feel like the writers really should've gone with the traditional show-don't-tell rule here instead of just showing us the aftermath which left me with exactly zero emotions about such crazy impressive and important events. The entire Underground got united (!!!!) but we saw zero of the unification process and got like two scenes before they were all arrested, released and then the entire revolution idea was completely forgotten and not addressed once in the rest of the act (as far as I recall).

Jinx was clearly struggling with the newfound worship, so much so she went into HIDING. how must've she felt knowing that so many people find hope in her when she sees herself as a literal jinx? how did she deal with becoming people's hope instead of their curse? I wanted to see her work through this so bad since that is what Arcane has always been good at, it's what season one did so well - it walked you through the emotions and motives and therefore, the conclusion to personal plot lines felt SATISFYING and left massive impression. this was completely missing for me this act for most plot lines

Same goes for pitfighter!Vi and her descent into self-destructive hell. We don't get to see the emotional fall out of her being fucking punched and left lying on the ground by the only person she thought she had left - we just got a montage showing the aftermath of her spiraling. which is cool but it left me with feeling pretty much nothing about it all because seeing the conclusion to her struggling without the build-up just fell flat for me. i was looking forward this specific internal conflict of the protector archetype with nothing left to protect and therefore completely losing themselves before finding their purpose again SO much and it ended up being completely brushed over. i wanted to be able to pick Vi's thoughts apart when she was at her lowest point in life since her time in the jail and see how her behaviour and relationship with people/alcohol/violence changes in the process. like later in act 2 when she punches Isha, she doesn't even react (holy shit?). that is SO far from the Vi we saw in act 1 of this season and it feels super out of character because we did not actually get to SEE her behaviour and priorities changing - we can obviously figure out the reason and understand why she ended up this way but since we weren't actually shown how it happened, it still initially felt like it came out of nowhere and majorly ooc for the character we've known so far

and don't even let me start with Cait and her dictator arc. I was getting ready for the emotional fall out and internal conflict and the political powerplay with Embessa but we got SO LITTLE of it. i could go on and on about this but i feel like a lot of people might agree her dictator arc was pretty underdeveloped so I am not going to discuss it further (plus the immediate switch when she met Vi again was just ??? because we can't really see how she feels about this entire thing with the exception of her thinking Embessa is too brutal and that it seems to be weighting on her. PLUS she has at least a situationship with that sunshine enforcer and even tho she is clearly mentally elsewhere, we have no reason to think she is still pinning after Vi?).

I'm not even going to address Jayce because What.

On a positive note, I think Victor's arc has been handled pretty damn well. But aside from that, this season just leaves me craving more and it is quite clear to me the writers absolutely did not have enough time (nine episodes is not a lot) to develop the story they wanted to portray in full.

Now, I watched the latest three episodes while on a plane and since the act is so plot heavy, i might have totally missed or misunderstood something, lemme know if that is the case

i am super interested in how's everyone feeling about this so feel free to add your thoughts!!!

[raspberrybesitos]

mistletoe kisses | joel miller x f!reader

Main masterlist

Rating: M - 18+ MDNI

Word count: ~2.6k

Summary: You decorate the Christmas tree with some help from Joel and Ellie.

Warnings: established relationship, post-outbreak, Jackson era, canon divergent bc nothing bad ever happens to them ever 😁, sickening fluff, pet names (honey, darlin’, baby, babydoll, etc), allusions to smut, no mention of hair type/skin color/body type, NO USE OF Y/N.

A/N: surprise!!! i know i said this would be up on the 22nd, but i’ve got something else that will be up on saturday 🤭 and i just couldn’t stop thinking about giving this man a happy ending, including healing and starting new traditions with his family 😔 i wish joel was real 💔 anyway, i hope y’all enjoy! not beta’d, all mistakes are my own. 🏃‍♀️

Divider by @/saradika

Grumbling, he treks behind you, snow crunching beneath his work boots as he cautiously lugs the saw in his hands.

You’re rambling about finding the perfect tree in front of him, Ellie asking a million questions about the tradition.

He hadn’t expected, intended, to find a partner in Jackson. That is until he saw you, lugging a heavy crate of harvested crops across the town, your wagon having been broken. Tommy had told him about you, how you were single.

“She’s sweet as pie, brother. She might be good for you. Real pretty too.” Joel recalls the conversation he had with Tommy before he stormed off to the barn.

His Southern hospitality lay dormant until he saw you struggling. The urge to help creeped up on him. His typical quite observant demeanor tossed out the window as he approached you.

“Need some help?” He asks.

You wipe your brow, huffing before laying your eyes on the broad, handsomely rugged man in front of you - it’s Tommy’s brother. His name escaping you briefly.

You beam. “Oh. Sure. Thank you…” you trail off, slightly off guard by his kind gesture. His large gloved hand extends out towards you.

“Joel,” he finishes your sentence. “Thank you, Joel,” your hand shaking his, giving him your name. It rolls off his tongue with a certain sweetness, sending a flurry of butterflies to swirl in your belly. You knew of him, but knew he was also not a man of many words. You had yet to make acquaintances with him and who you assume is his daughter.

“You’re Tommy’s brother right?” You curiously ask, attempting to make small talk as Joel grunts while picking up the crate.

“Yes ma’am.”

Smiling at his Southern drawl, you run to help him carry one side of the heavy crate, feeling bad letting him do all the work.

“Uh uh, what do you think you’re doin’?” He asks, brow raised as you both stop in your tracks. “Helping you,” you state. He chuckles, shaking his head as he begins to walk.

“I asked if you needed help, darlin’. ‘Sides, what kinda man would I be letting a pretty girl like you carry all this shit by herself? My momma would have me by the head, ‘s for damn sure.”

You open your mouth to detest the notion that women need any assistance from men, but he stops you before you can.

“‘N I know ya don’t need any help from any man. You women are tough as shit, met a lota you over the years. Jus’ wanna help, ‘s all.” He kindly explains. You don’t understand why he wants to help, why he’s approached you specifically.

You’re aware that he’s typically very reserved, not leaving his house if he doesn’t have to. You’ve heard things about his past, and Tommy having confided in you at times, but the world has gone to shit. Who are you to judge? Everyone’s done some horrible stuff to stay alive.

He’s also painfully handsome. Opting to not object to his help and company, you sigh.

“Well, at least let me take some of the vegetables,” you protest, grabbing bunches of carrots. He chuckles quietly.

“Sure thing, darlin’,” he mutters. The nickname catching you both by surprise as a sort of tension falls over you two.

Flashing him a grateful toothy grin, you gather the vegetables in your arms. He gives you a small smirk in return.

“So how are you liking Jackson? I don’t see you ‘round much,” you ask as you begin the trek to the dining hall.

“‘S good. Big change, learnin’ the ropes of patrol. Makin’ sure Ellie’s settlin’ in,” he states. “And Ellie’s…”

“My family,” he says firmly. You nod, internally assuming she’s not his biological daughter.

“Well, I hope you both settle in nicely.” He feels his heart soften at your kindness.

He thought you’d have shied away from him, that you’d have listened to what people are saying about him around town.

But you didn’t. You took to him kindly, warmly.

He’ll be damned if he told Tommy he was right about you, He’d never hear the end of it… but shit, was he right. You were so kind and open-minded, and so beautiful.

The both of you making small talk as you trek to the dining hall, Joel lugging the crate into the kitchen for prep as you follow behind. He places the crate on the floor with a grunt. You drop the carrots in the box afterwards.

Rising to his feet, he sighs as he wipes his hands on his jeans, you copying his actions.

“Thank you again, Joel. I really appreciate it,” you tell him again. “Ain’t no problem, darlin’.”

Silence fills the air, save for the clanging and clattering of utensils in the kitchen.

“Would you… would you like to have a drink sometime? As a, uh, form of repayment for helping me today,” you timidly ask. A small smile breaks out onto Joel’s face.

“You ain’t gotta repay me, darlin’. But I’d love to grab a drink with ya,” he says.

Smiling from ear to ear, you nod happily. “It’s a date,” you say, before slapping a hand over your mouth as your eyes go wide. “I-I’m sorry. It’s not a date, it doesn't have to be. I mean, u-unless you want-,” you nervously ramble before Joel cuts you off.

“‘S a date,” he rasps. A soft smile on both your faces. The rest is history.

He wouldn’t trade that moment for the world, as he’s got you by his side now. He just didn’t expect that drink to lead him to trudging through the woods in the freezing early morning to cut down a tree.

He’d much rather be sleeping right now on his day off, but he can never say no to his girls.

Making your way through the woods, you and Ellie wind through the path while Joel stands and watches. There aren’t many trees, but just enough to scour from.

Not seeing any you like, you continue to walk down the path. “What about this one?” Ellie asks, standing next to a fir no taller than Joel.

Your eyes light up, a sparkly smile illuminating your face.

“It’s perfect. Great find, Ellie!” You yelp, high fiving the girl who’s equally excited.

“Hey, Joel!” Ellie shouts through her hands, her cheeks rosy and nose frosted. He clambers through the trees, saw in hand with his signature scowl. “Find one?”

“Mhmm,” Ellie says while beaming, you nodding in agreement. Joel sighs as he begins to saw down the tree. The trunk’s not very thick, the branches skinny, but still full enough to mimick the times before.

It falls to the snow covered ground, you and Ellie taking a few steps back. Joel stomps over to it, hoisting it up over his shoulder.

“Thank you, honey,” you whisper against his ear before placing a kiss on his patchy beard. His body flushing hot red from heat despite the cold air.

“Sure thing, baby,” he says bashfully, smiling a smile only reserved for you. Lacing his fingers with yours, you walk hand-in-hand back to the house with Ellie rambling ahead of you, vibrating with excitement.

“Joel, could you move it a little to the left?” You ask, hands clasped together over your lips. Joel grunts, red in the face as he shoves the fir to the left.

“A little more, please?”

Another grunt.

“A liiiitttllleee more.”

With a sigh, he shoves it once more.

“Perfect!” You clap. Joel rises to his full height, groaning as his bones crack and ache. You stride to him, leaning in for a kiss.

He could never stay annoyed at you.

“Thank you, honey,” you mutter with a dopey grin. Joel mirrors your expression, wrapping his hands around your waist and pressing his lips against yours. A saccharine kiss, your fingers curling in his grays.

His heart flutters as you sigh into him, your contentment radiating through your chest and into his soul.

When the fuck did his heart ever flutter?

“You guys gonna do that all fucking day or what?!” Ellie shouts, cutting ribbon and twine for the decorations.

You both startle at the sound of her voice, jumping in Joel’s arms. Joel glares at Ellie as laughter bubbles over your lips.

“Sorry, Ellie,” you call out. “Seriously, thank you, honey,” you tell Joel with a pat on his broad chest.

“No problem, darlin’,” he says softly with a swift kiss to your forehead before releasing you from his grasp. Joel strides into the kitchen to heat up some milk, with you rushing over to Ellie who sits at the dining table with an array of supplies.

You’re so good with Ellie, so patient with her while gently explaining how to string the dried oranges on the twine. She gets the hang of it pretty easily, holding it up and beaming with pride. Your giddiness mirroring hers, praising her as you waltz into the kitchen with Joel.

Placing a chaste kiss to his cheek, you flit around him as you pop some kernels in a hot pan. Transforming them into popcorn to make more garlands, and working in comfortable silence alongside each other.

You dump the popcorn into a bowl, you place a tender kiss on his shoulder before returning to Ellie.

Joel feels warm, and it’s not from the heat of the stove.

He preps mugs of hot chocolate for all of you, the chocolate powder stale but still good - the novelty of the gesture still there and just as sweet.

Padding into the living room, the sight of you two making decorations at the table and placing them on the tree tugs at Joel’s heart strings. Remembering how he’d help Sarah decorate their tree every year. Swallowing his grief, he allows himself to enjoy this moment while remembering his daughter.

That’s something you’re teaching him - not to take moments, things, people for granted.

Despite the pain, he knows he’ll confide in you later tonight about it when you’re alone. He sets the mugs on the table, making you pop your head up to flash him a dazzling smile.

“Thank you, honey.”

“‘Course, baby,” he says with a wink. Your smile grows wider, Ellie looking up and rolling her eyes. She playfully gags, Joel smacking his lips as his smile morphs into a scowl.

“Knock it off, kid,” he scolds.

“You knock it off, old man. We’re working here, and you keep distracting my partner,” she retorts. He scoffs, rolling his eyes. You can’t help, but laugh at their banter.

“Sorry, Ellie. I promise I’m listening,” your laughter dissolving into giggles. Joel rolls his eyes before getting a fire going in the fireplace.

Standing back and taking in the scene playing out in front of him. Hot chocolate, a tree, decorations being strung upon it - how is this possible? What did he do to deserve this?

He shakes the thought from his head, not questioning the good thing – the very good thing – in front of him. Instead, he enjoys watching his girls flit around the tree.

Ellie excitedly attempts to place the makeshift star on the tree that she crafted out of some stray branches and extra paper she had in her sketch pad.

She can’t reach, being significantly shorter than the tree. Huffing in defeat, she shoots you a look - both of you thinking the same thing. She whips around, paper star in hand.

“Joel, wanna do the honors?” She asks, holding out the star. Joel swallows thickly, never having thought he’d be doing this again.

“Sure,” he softly says, taking the star from Ellie and setting it atop the tree. The three of you stand back, admiring your hard work in silence, as you tightly wrap your arms around Joel’s middle. He holds you tighter.

“Looks good,” he mumbles. You nod, soft smile on your face.

“Hell yeah, it does!” Ellie giddily yells before cutting off her next thought. “No way, is that hot chocolate?!” She shouts, rushing to the table to grab a mug.

“Yeah, careful kid, it’s still hot,” Joel warns, still wound up in your arms. Ellie blows caution to the wind as she gulps it down.

“Ellie, slow down! You’re gonna get a stomachache,” you scold lightly. “It’s hot chocolate! When the hell am I ever gonna come across this again?!”

“I’ll find some more, jus’ slow down! Gonna be all fuckin’ hopped up on sugar,” Joel begrudgingly says. Rolling her eyes, she glances at the clock. Her eyes bug out of her head.

“Shit! I told Cat I’d meet her at 6!” She shouts before gulping down the rest of her hot chocolate, slamming the mug on the table.

“Be back later!” She says, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

“Be back by 9!” Joel shouts. “Mhmm,” her tone dismissive. “I mean it, Ellie,” he warns.

“Sure thing, old man!” She says before reaching for the doorknob. “Ellie, 9 o’clock, okay?” You chime in, asking.

She turns around, taking in the both of you. “Okay,” she says with another roll of her eyes and an exasperated sigh before heading out the door. It slams shut, making you and Joel wince.

Joel rolls his eyes. “Girl don’t listen,” rubbing his face as he grumbles.

“She’s just excited, can you blame her? Besides, she’s safe here, Joel,” you say, comfortingly rubbing your hands up and down his broad flannel-covered chest.

“I know. Just still getting used to all this,” he rasps. The two of you still stand in the doorway, wrapped up in one another before a grin breaks out on your face.

“Oh, could you help me with one more thing?” You beam at him. His brow quirks up in confusion. “‘Course, baby. What do ya need?”

You unravel yourself from his embrace, padding into the kitchen. He hears you clambering, his curiosity peaking. You return with something behind your back, smiling wider now.

Whipping the sprig of mistletoe from behind your back, you hold it above your head. His features softening.

Joel immediately recognizes what you’re holding, beaming at your antics.

“Could you help me hang this up please?” You ask, drawing out the last syllable, batting your lashes at him with a sly smirk.

“Y’know, if ya wanted a kiss, all ya gotta do is ask, babydoll,” he rasps as he takes it from you, not missing the chance to place a teasing kiss on your cheek. Waves of heat run through you from head to toe.

Joel hangs the mistletoe with ease on a nail that’s been conveniently placed above the kitchen entryway, right where you’re both standing.

You must’ve put it up there when he was on patrol a few days ago.

The red ribbon you tied around the plant stands out against the dark framing, the fire crackles in the background and illuminates the house.

“Well would ya look at that,” his voice low and husky as he locks his gaze with yours. A goofy grin on your face. “Huh. Guess you gotta kiss me now.”

“Don’t need mistletoe for that, babydoll,” he whispers. The two of you connect your lips with each other’s. Sighing into him, you finally have a moment alone with him today. You card your fingers through his hair, a satisfied groan escapes him.

You pull away breathlessly, both yours and Joel’s eyes heavy and glazed over.

“Ya know… Ellie won’t be back til 9. We’ve got some time left,” you teasingly whisper in his ear while he places a kiss to your neck.

“Lead the way, darlin,” he rasps, the two of you rushing upstairs.

just felt like writing some tooth rotting fluff for my Joely, i love him sm 😔

i hope y’all enjoyed! 🫶🏼 thank you for reading 🩷

tag list: @gracieheartspedro @sapphic-gardn @undrthelights @javierpena-inatacvest @nostalxgic @party-hearses @mandoisapunk @tinygarbage @bastardmandennis @janaispunk @persephone-girl @harriedandharassed @its-nebuleuse

[bendyartistic]

Be aware of alexbstudios.

Over the course of what I believe a few months maybe, Alex has been harassing me with strange behavior and as of recent hurtful remarks too. He's been bothering other people as well from what I've seen. Probably going to say I should've just blocked him, but I wanted to keep an eye on things just in case. Today was the point in time after everything that I realized I should let people know about this kid.

I want to show from the beginning to present time of the interactions he's done with me. And maybe something can be done about getting him off the platform...

Firstly I want to say Alex has admitted to being 12 years old... apparently. I know this from this reblog. This already is a very large red flag. Considering the young age, no a callout doesn't seem right but I still want to warn people regardless since he's still active on the platform.

Though I am uncertain if this is true, he did not confirm nor deny my question about it.

Now lets get to the start of things. I don't like people reposting my art anywhere without credit, surely that can be said for everyone.

Randomly in May Alex reposted my art, no credit, mention of who made it, or where it came from. I should mention Alex had been following me well before this post, so he knew who I was. Rightfully I responded with a request to take it down as I didn't appreciate this.

Upon making this request he made a small complaint about it, which was unneeded. While he did "delete" the post, it still technically there, just edited. Therefore never officially removed like I had asked.

He also uploaded two other drawings I did, but he did not remove those ones.

Not too long ago on a post I made showcasing my Chris model, as it had been a while since I posted it, and I wanted to let people see it.

Alex later said some... questionable things about it. And it really made me uncomfortable to say the least.

For context in my AU, my Chris is 29. This has been stated before a few times.

I want to get to the biggest thing here however, as this is what drove me to make this post. The consistent weird and hateful DM's he has sent me.

I have told Alex to leave me alone on several different occasions and he has refused to do so. Again I know I should've blocked but as I said, just wanted to wait in case. Truth is I don't like blocking people, never have, I feel weird doing it. But anyways Alex made a poll a week ago if I recall correctly of whether or not he should keep or delete his account. The poll won on keep. No sooner did this happen, Alex was in my DM's bothering me about it after I again told him to leave me alone.

The DM's are as followed with context and info:

He responded with something along the lines of "Then my account would become lost media!" to which I only responded "No one really cares."

Next post is where Alex starts to mock me for being slow with my replies. I don't quite understand what speed he expects me to write my replies at, I guess 5 seconds?

So as you have noticed Alex is now making fun of my autism, and it's going to continue in this unfortunately. Bringing up a disability in an argument should not happen. However at some point Alex accused me of creating alts to vote against his poll, I have none.

I'm not sure why me specifically... and I hate how me being "slow" keeps getting brought up. Also racism is somehow brought into this as well.

He spammed me with the same image repeatedly, and it continued for a while. Passing that, he wanted me to run the same poll he did on if I should keep or delete my account. I obviously declined.

He then blocked me after this.

Alex in the past DM'd me, when he made those remarks about my Chris model. I wasn't happy then and I'm still not about it.

I'm still puzzled as to why he calls being blocked as banned. Besides that this comes to the end of the DM ark. Alex has done other things, such as suggest people to draw strange stuff, edited other peoples work, steal other peoples work, and tried to stir up drama at one point.

In conclusion,

Alex is immature. And should not be here, especially this fandom. But in general he should not be online, it is clear he has unlimited access to whatever he wants.

I am sorry to my friends and others who have had to deal with him. That is all I have to say.

Any questions or whatnot is fine. Reblogs are appreciated in order to spread the word.

[ellaa-writes]

Henlo!! I just saw ur doctor/medic reader story and i feel like they would all want to hear the absolute crazy cases and gossip from reader

Im a student and i work in a large hospital/shadowing some doctors aswell and someday’s these crazy things happen randomly. In the least expected ways. From getting a sudden code stroke to seeing 🪱🪱on body parts to hospital staffs gossips in the med room. Its so random sometimes.

Imagine doctor reader casually telling the time she caught so and so cheating in an empty room in between 2 codes. And shes so chill about it like shes seen and heard enough but the Kortac officers r eating it up like listening to Nurse John’s podcasts��

Reader: yk this reminds me of the time i did my trauma rotation in—

Konig: wait! Let me get my snacks and tea👀☕️

Hello!! Thank you <3 This is so silly I love it. Decided to have fun with it. It's kinda gross but hey that's what happens. Lol.

It's going to be a rough day, you thought. Not even 2 hours into your shift you had two concussed idiots sitting in your waiting room. This is gonna be a long one, you started at noon and won't be done till 4am the next morning.

Clutching your coffee you prayed for a miracle, an alien ship or a metor. Either one would do.

Later that evening, specifically dinner time. You were the last to arrive, having to help hold down a patient as another medic stitched up a gash on his forehead.

"I know, I know." you said as you sat you lunch down in front of your chair. Running off to grab a much needed coffee. It was your turn for the over night shift. It wasn't a bad shift, just babysitting the wounded soldiers that are currently being held. Coming back and setting yourself into your spot, digging into your food without a cause to the wind.

"You guys won't believe my day." you started off, slurping down your heart spaghetti. "Some rookies decided to play chicken and now they both have a concussion. And one probably memory loss. Couldn't even tell me his name." you shook your head, recalling the incident. "Than Hutch came in, complaining that he can feel worms crawling in him. I had to explain four times to that dense mother fucker that worms can not survive stomach acid." you stopped to take a big gulp of coffee. "But he wouldn't listen, said it wasn't in his stomach but inside his skin. Ran some blood tests and no hallucinogenic. But he could have fooled me." you didn't realise you were blabbing until you looked up from your plate to see a few of your team members surpressing their laughs.

"What?" you asked, mouth full of spaghetti. "Why don't you chew a bit more." one of them offered. Making the other laugh, "Oh fuck off." you spat. "Anyways, had to give Hutch an xray just to prove there's no damn worms in him." you explained.

"An xray? Does that-" you cut them off. "No, not at all. But it shut him up." they all bursted out laughing. "It reminds me of a patient I had back at the ER. Complaining about his ass itching. The other nurses weren't taking him seriously. Just sent him to the bathroom with some baby wipes." you stopped abruptly, this might not be a good dinner story.

"Oh come on Katze, don't get all shy on us now." König said, you didn't even notice he was there. You also didn't notice the rest of the mess hall getting quiet to listen to your story.

"Oh, well we're eating." you tried to explain but was met with loud booing. "Fine, fine." you yelled back. Wiping your mouth, your food finished, you pushed the tray away from you.

"Ok, so they sent him to the bathroom and he came back later saying he can still feel them."

"Them?" Horangi interrupted, and was followed by shushing. "Damn, sorry. Continue." he slinked back into his chair.

" So they put him in a room, told him to strip from the waist down. Another trainee and myself were assigned to this case along with a RN. She had him lay on the side has she spread his ass cheeks. Like you would a child." you stopped from dramatic affect. Watching as your tream and the rest of mess hall looked on in anticipation.

"We saw nothing. So she took a swab, had me spread this grown man's cheeks as she inserted it into the recum, shoveling out what ever was in side. Still nothing." a few people got up and left and others choking back a gag.

"She wet had him pop a squat over the trash can and cough. Sure enough a worm came shooting out. So did some green chunks, thankfully they were just some cucumbers. Guess the guy stole a cucumber from his neighbors garden not knowing it was infested with worms. He shoved the thing right up and it broke. He was like that for 2 weeks, worms up the ass. Still not the craziest thing I experienced, let me tell your that." you reached for your tray, but König took it for your instead.

"A cucumber up the ass?" Horangi asked. "I've seen people shove all sorts of thing up their butt. Idk what it is or why but it's way to common." you threw your finished coffee cup in the trash.

"Sorry I gotta get back. The results for mister chicken should be in by now." you said you goodbyes and waved to others, rushing out of the lunch hall.

"What a women." König said, hearts in his eyes.

[thefirstknife]

re: ice breaker, i recall shayura speaking to sister faora in the trials glaive lore... perhaps that's her handler? (guy always looking for scraps of new mentioning the followers/brother vance)

ME. SAME. You've come to the right place.

I've been waiting for a follow-up on this for years, but more recently I've been losing my mind about Faora being in the City and specifically messing with Shayura. Like why. Why were we told this. And ever since Unexpected Resurgence, I wanted an update on Shayura and this whole thing, but there hasn't been anything. Every time a new Trials weapon released and it had no lore on it (no lore on the new one from this episode either), I would just start punching through my walls. They're killing me.

But Ice Breaker finally has an update about Shayura and I can't figure out why is she suddenly working for an unidentified "handler" and the only thing I can think of is Faora. Because that's the last person we saw her interacting with. But I also can't figure out why Faora would be looking for this information. On subsequent reads, I'm not even sure if Ice Breaker lore is entirely (or at all) connected to the dungeon location. Shayura appears to be located at a "derelict foundry," presumably Hakke one.

A piece of information that interests me particularly is that this... "handler" was apparently looking for a specific thing:

The door's surface is marked with a glyph unfamiliar to her. It looks like a fish hook, or perhaps an anchor. "Is this what we're looking for?" [[Confirmed. That's the same symbol on the weapon the Vanguard recovered from Seraph Station. Golden Age, possibly older.]]

The weapon recovered from Seraph Station is Revision Zero.

I believe the symbol they're referring to is the one on the grip of the gun. Revision Zero is a gun that was developed by Hakke and Braytech together from the research into the K1 anomaly from the Moon. This "handler" is looking for more information about Hakke and Braytech collaborations (which is why this symbol is significant; Revision Zero is the only known Hakke/Braytech collab) and for some reason Shayura was sent on this mission. Ice Breaker is also Hakke, but there do not appear to be connections to Braytech, at least not according to this lore tab.

And then there's a mention of how Hakke had offices in Chicago, which is also incidentally where Shayura's story starts; she and her fireteam being chased by something in Old Chicago. This Hakke office was also involved in development of "gravity-based weapons" which, I assume, is a reference to Graviton Lance, discovered in Old Chicago.

Since there's been no updates on Shayura since her meeting with Faora, I'm obviously connecting the dots here, but I also can't figure out what Faora could possibly want with this information. It doesn't seem like her. But I also don't like how this person is identified as a "handler" and is sending Shayura on some strange missions, looking for information on Hakke and Braytech research collaborations and specifically leading Shayura to think about Chicago, something that is traumatic to her. Why is she on this mission alone, where is Aisha? Why Shayura specifically? What happened in between her meeting with Faora and now?

And if this isn't related to Faora (I can't figure out how it would be), then why did we even get the Faora update in the first place, what was that meant for and where is she now? What's happening. I mentioned it before, but given Faora's complete and abrupt disappearance from the world, I just assumed she died. I don't see another reason why she would just hand the Cult over and just vanish from lore. But I also thought she just wasn't that important for us to know more; she's so niche that only three people know about her and that includes two of us. So why did we have to learn that she's in the City, in the present time, and also bothering Shayura in a really bizarre way?

And now that we finally got the Shayura update, it's this. Where is she. What is she doing. Under whose orders? What has she been doing since the last time we saw her? What even happened at the end of that conversation when we last saw her? Help.

[naffeclipse]

Hi, hi! I'm sure you are totally unaware of me going through your blog just now XD

But! I saw a bit of Humpback Y/N and I can't stop thinking about the small drabble you wrote way back! (Can't find it unfortunately, or don't know the specific tag to look for it hkfdg) But it was the one about how their relationship would advance and by the end of it y/n gets stuck on top of some thick ice. And it's so incredibly dangerous for someone the size of y/n for that to happen to of course! And I remember they were trapped up there for a good while, which weakened them considerably, even if they don't quite get to the actual size of a humpback whale. And I seem to recall that when Eclipse finds them they hear him teasing them for their situation (or perceive it that way at least), but they have no energy so they don't answer him at all.

And aaa I just can't stop thinking about that specific moment, because from Eclipse's perspective that must have rang every single alarm bell. This mer, who has been antagonizing him since they met, able to keep up with him in both snark and their little competition, who has grown on him so much and become a constant, physically capable of manhandling him and pettily blocking him from getting to his prey easily, who is large and majestic and physically imposing, and has always given him a challenge, they are now still and worryingly quite, still moving but having none of their usual spark, their energy, and suddenly he might realize that they've been there much longer that he perhaps thought, that time is ticking and they are weakening by the second. And then he breaks the ice and catches them, just as they are passing out!

And aaa I can't help but be curious of what happens next! Because god, if they're passed out he'd have to make sure they can remain breathing, but also try and check them to make sure they haven't been too damaged by having to support their own weight for so long, that they will be able to swim on their own when they wake. And if they need healing before they can move well again, likely he'd have to help them get food, at least until they can get back to their pod.

Would he try to stubbornly take care of them himself? Or when they seem well enough take them to their pod who can more easily take care of them the rest of the way, which might be for the best since they are so big? Aaaaa lots of questions! But I live for that hurt comfort haha XD

Anyways yes, just wanted to ramble a little about this two, because that last scene sure gave me a lot of feels gfkjhkhjds

I love each and every notif, babe <3

Ah, yes! It flips in Eclipse's head from playfully 'maybe they might need help' to 'oh no' the second they don't respond as they should, as they have during their time battling back and forth! He's immediately on it. When they do sink into his arms through the broken ice, he pulls them quickly to the open ocean and cradles their head on his chest, floating to let them breathe and rest. Y/N is okay, but they are exhausted and need a moment or two to regain their strength before swimming on their own again.

Eclipse doesn't want anyone to take Y/N from him when he needs to make sure they're okay, so he cares for them by himself, without alerting their pod. It would be wiser to let sirens their size attempt to keep them afloat while they rest but Eclipse is nothing if not determined (and a little frightened by finding his lovely, strong siren in such a weakened state).

Ahh, I'm glad you enjoy these two! <3

[klaprisun]

One Sunny Day

(Stardew Valley) (Haley x Female Farmer)

Epilogue

🌻 ~ One Year Later ~🌻

After living here in Pelican Town for over two years, I'm no stranger to this place anymore. I know all the ins and outs of how things roll here, and everyone knows who I am and what I'm like at this point, especially my wife, Haley. She knows me better than I know myself sometimes. She still surprises me sometimes like when she wakes up before me and waters all my plants, or feeds all of my animals for me. That Haley is not the same one I met two years ago, but to everyone's surprise, it sure is. Emily constantly wonders what I did to her or what kind of spell I put her under, but Haley has come to this conclusion on her own.

"Danny, darling, can you pick up some flour from Pierre's when you head over for your seeds?" Haley sings as she is bent over in the fridge, looking for a snack.

"Flour? Why flour? Do we not have enough? Why can't I just make it for you?" I fire out, all in one breath. Haley turns from the fridge, mid bite into a blueberry tart. She just stands there with her finger in the air telling me to wait, as she chews. I raise my eyebrow as I patiently wait for my answer.

"Cake," she mumbles as she chews.

"Cake?" I question.

"Yes."

"Why cake?"

Haley finally finishes her blueberry tart and takes a seat over on the couch, patting the cushion next to her to get me to sit. Without hesitation, I dash over to the couch and jump over the back, landing butt first on the cushion next to Haley. She takes one of my hands and starts tracing the lines on my palms, giving me goosebumps.

"Do you remember that day back at the Saloon? The day everyone was dancing and everything?" Haley begins.

"Haley, that happens often there. I think we've done that at least five times at the Saloon. You're gonna have to be a bit more specific," I reply, playing with a strand of her beautiful, golden hair.

"It was the first one you went to. The one where I cut in right at the end?"

"Oh. Yeah. I remember that. Why do you ask?"

"Well, just before I took over, you were dancing with Penny-"

"Oh my gosh. Haley are you JEALOUS? Over something from two years ago?!" I gasp teasingly. She gives me a playful smack on my hand but goes back to tracing my hand.

"No, I'm not jealous. It's just that...I remember what she was talking about and it has been bothering me ever since. I know, I know, it's been a long time since then but I finally have the perfect idea!" a small grin appears across her face as she recalls her plan.

"Love, you're gonna have to be more specific. A plan for what? What do you remember?"

"Penny was talking about her school books to you just as I walked up. She mentioned how they were in bad condition and falling apart in their hands. When I overheard that, it made me...upset. We don't have a school here in Pelican Town and Penny really took the young kids under her wing. These kids are getting a fantastic education thanks to her, but she deserves to have proper materials to work with. So I propose a Cake Walk! We just have to save up some money as a community and put it towards getting her new textbooks to work with!" Haley drops my hands and claps her hands together excitedly. She hops off the couch, pulling me up with her and starts tugging me around the edge of our rug.

"We just have to set up a really big mat with numbered squares on it and have the participants walk around to each of the squares. We also have to get a few people to bake cakes to enter as the prizes. That's why I was hoping to get flour right away so I can make my famous Pink Cake. Don't worry, I'm making you bring a chocolate cake so you can't get out of this one," she turns to accusingly wag her finger at me but proceeds to ramble on of her plan.

"Then whichever numbered square they land on when I blow a whistle..." Haley stops in her tracks, putting her hand out to stop me from walking any farther as well. "That's the numbered cake they receive!"

"Oh so does that mean I get your cake now then? Cause there are no numbers right now and I'm closest to you so..." I snake my arm around her waist, and slowly move my hand down to her butt. I wrap my other arm around her to grab a double handful, squeezing tightly with both hands.

"Well you kind of helped yourself there, no?" She teases.

"I couldn't help it," I guide her back down to the couch where she decides to sprawl out, stomach down, across the couch and me. I inch my fingers up the back of her shirt and start tracing my fingers along her spine.

"You realize I'm never going to get up now?" She hums.

"You are going to have to if you want to get this Cake Walk up and running," I respond as I unclip her bra- with one hand- so I have better access around her back.

"Now I'm really never going to leave."

"That's too bad because I have to. Up ya get," I immediately retract my hand and give her a couple light smacks on the butt. She whines and groans but reluctantly gets up.

"Remember when you asked me to get flour?" I tap my finger to her forehead. "I have to go before Pierre closes or else I'll be late getting my seeds as well. I want to plant them as soon as possible." I bend down to kiss her before heading out.

"I'll have dinner ready when you're back. I'm CRAVING an omelet right now. I also best start making the Cake Walk mat too so it's ready. I guess I also should call around to see if anyone wants to bake a cake to have as a prize too." Her face starts to drop as she realizes how much work she has cut out for herself.

I know she will feel accomplished as soon as she has it all established though. It will be totally worth it once she sees the look on Penny's face. I'm so proud of her for coming up with this plan and I know she will blow it out of the water.

"Anything else you may need before I head out?" I ask to make sure.

"I think I'm all set. Thank you though. See you soon!" She smiles at me as she makes her way to the kitchen as I walk out the door.

🌻 🌻 🌻

In two days time, Haley's Cake Walk was all set into motion. She had the mat with squares numbered up to 8 on it, she had participants, and she had 8 cakes. Well... soon to be 8. Haley and I are just about finished making ours. We wanted them to be nice and fresh for the winners today.

"Mine is done! Take yours from the oven and then come running once you've finished icing it. I have to make sure everything is set up," Haley had just finished placing the last little garnish on top of her Pink Cake. Me, on the other hand, is severely slacking on the cake making.

"I'll go as fast as I can. It won't look pretty though," I sigh as I start getting the icing set up.

"It's a good thing you're pretty. It makes up for the way the cake will look," Haley giggles as she places a lid on the cake tray. I roll my eyes her way but feel my cheeks heat up as I blush.

I begin icing the cake, trying to take my time to make it look neat, but I still rush a bit so I'm not late to my wife's special event. She would kill me if I showed up just over 5 minutes late, and I currently have about 15 minutes to icing this whole, triple tiered cake.

"I can do it," I breathe as I keep a steady pace with the icing knife, carefully spreading it around evenly on each of the three tiers.

In no time, I finished all of the icing and have already booked it out the door to town square, careful as to not topple the cake over as I speed walk.

I watch as Haley's face lights up as soon as she sees me rounding the corner. She immediately clears a place on the cake table for me to gently place down my amazing creation.

"It looks amazing, my dear!" She stretches up and plants a kiss on my cheek as a reward for a job well done.

"Let's get this show on the road everyone!" We chant to the crowd that's gathered for the event.

Jas, Vincent, Emily, Caroline, Marnie, Jodi, Pam, and Clint all take a square on the mat, ready to start. Haley blows the whistle and they begin walking clockwise around the square mat. Jas and Vincent seem very excited to be participating in this event, and it makes everyone smile as we watch them excitedly hopping into each numbered square.

"It was a really good turn out, huh?" Haley nudges me happily, admiring her work.

"You did a great job, love." Just as I begin to go in for a kiss, Marnie chimes in.

"Um...Haley? When do we stop? My legs are..." Marnie begins to pant as she continues to try to keep up with the rotation.

"Whoops! Forgot to blow the whistle!" Haley quickly puts the whistle to her lips and blows. Everyone freezes on the spot, and begins to look at the number they landed on. Haley begins to give out the designated cake prizes.

"Caroline, you get Mayor Lewis' cave carrot loaf, with extra fiber" Haley announces.

"Oh, joy" I hear her mumble.

"Emily, you get Pam's chocolate stout cupcakes with aged bourbon buttercream!" Haley announces again.

"You're in for a treat, kid," Pam chuckles to Emily.

"Jas... you get Clint's wild horseradish cobbler..." Haley's face goes a shade green as she could hardly get the sentence out of her mouth without gagging. The look on Jas' face is so heartbreaking.

"It's an old family recipe. I baked it right in the smelting oven. Oh and I might have burned the bottom a little... you may have to peel off a large amount of charred matter. But the rest should totally be edible!" Clint declares, causing everyone to have a disgusted look on their face.

"Next up is Vincent! We've got Robin's triple syrup n' cream strawberry log!" Haley holds up the next dish for everyone to see.

"Oh no..." Jodi's face goes pale. Vincent is already jumping up and down excitedly.

"Jodi, you get Emily's organic red velvet cake...colored with beets!" Haley says.

I hear Jodi reply with a soft "yum" from the mat.

"Last but not least...Pam! You are the lucky winner of my wife's deluxe chocolate cake!" Haley holds up my beautiful chocolate cake for everyone to see.

"Thanks, kid," Pam says to us. She nods her head my way as well as Haley's.

"Thanks everyone for joining in. We raised over 5000 coins!

"What's the money for anyway? You buyin' a new purse?" George scoffs from the sidelines.

"Actually... it's for Penny," Haley turns her attention towards a confused looking Penny.

"Penny, about two years ago I overheard you telling Danny about those school books you use for Jas and Vincent. It sounded like you could use some help and I couldn't think of the right thing to help until recently. I know I'm pretty late to this, but I hope you're okay with this?"

Penny's face lights up as she processes what Haley just said. "Did you hear that, kids? You're getting brand new school books!" she shouts, ecstatically. "I don't know what to say... Thank you so much to both of you!" Penny gives us both a big hug.

"Hey Lewis... since we're funding the education without touching the town's coffers, you'll be lowering our business tax, right?" Robin calls over to Mayor Lewis.

He starts looking around nervously at everyone, avoiding eye contact with Robin. I can see visible sweat drops fall from his forehead.

"We'll discuss that at a later date. I have...somewhere to be right now!" and with that he scurries off.

I swoop Haley into a big, celebratory hug, spinning us around a few times. Her feet come off the ground a bit from how far I pick her up.

"You did it! The Cake Walk was a success!" I exclaim.

"You helped, Danny. I couldn't have done it without you," Haley gushes.

"I hardly did anything. This was all you. It was such a thoughtful gesture, I love that you did this. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with such a kind and thoughtful person," I place little kisses all over her cheeks making her giggle and try to swat me away.

"You better be, because you are stuck with me Mrs. Danny," Haley swipes her finger down my nose and then tips my hat over my eyes. 

"I love you, Haley."

"I love you, Danny."

[turcott3]

worst behavior

cole sillinger x fem! reader

warnings?: cursing, arguing, smut: oral fem receiving, unprotected sex, hair pulling, overstimulation, slightest tiniest bit of fluff

positions fics masterlist

~this ain’t no game, won’t play with you. this time i know ill stay with you~

-

your eyes fluttered open to a room filled with sunlight. you stretched out and rolled over, running into something. you finally process what’s going on and look around the room, not recognizing a single piece of it.

“where am i?” you whisper, looking at the body next to you. an ohio state hockey player who’s name you vaguely recalled, but that didn’t matter because someone definitely saw you leave with him.

fuck.

“hmm.” you hear the boy groan next to you.

“good morning.” you say scooting away from him.

“morning beautiful.” he says opening his eyes and smiling at you, your heart almost fluttering at those words. cole never uttered them to you.

“sleep good?” you ask as he leans up on his elbow.

“i did, last night was incredible.” he says kissing you on the cheek. that’s when it all came flooding back. his gentlemanly gestures roped you in. he opened the car door for you, he was sweet, overall seemed like someone you’d actually want to be with. until you remembered that you had never betrayed your….. whatever it was, to cole.

“i’m gonna get a shower, you can stay here or raid the kitchen. my home is yours.” he says smiling at you.once the bathroom door shuts, you scramble to collect your clothes, putting them on, grabbing your phone, and sneaking out the door as quickly as possible. you had been fucking cole for a few months now and would never dare to betray your loyalty to him. he was like a drug to you, and you were addicted. not that he could say the same for you as much as you wished he would. you had no car and didn’t know where you were, but you couldn’t call cole, so you chose the next best option. adam.

“hello?”

“yes hey adam, so it’s a long story but can i send you my location? i don’t know where i am and i have no transportation.”

“yeah of course i can. are you okay?”

“yeah i just have a bad feeling that someone is gonna know about what happened and i really wanna just pretend it never happened. i’ll tell you in the car.”

“y/n it’s gonna be fine, don’t worry. send me your location and i’ll be there.”

“sent. thank you so much adam, seriously.”

“no problem, i don’t want you to get kidnapped or anything.” he laughs.

“thank you, bye adam.”

“bye.” he says and you hang up. what were you going to tell cole? you check and see only one missed call and two texts from him. everyday you hoped he would grow more desperate for your attention, but the day still never came. once adam arrived at your location, you get into his car and buckle without a word.

“so what happened?” he says putting the car back into drive and pulling off.

“i went to a party last night,”

“like the one some of the guys and i went to?”

“yes that one, and i guess i got drunk and came back with a fucking ohio state hockey player, but he was so sweet and nice and gentlemanly.”

“ohio state really?” adam asks.

“adam, that’s what you’re concerned about?” you say smacking him on the arm.

“hey that’s serious dude,”

“that is the least of my worries right now. what if cole finds out? someone had to have seen me leave with him.”

“has he called you?”

“yeah.”

“when?”

“like 2 hours ago.”

“he knows.” he simply states.

“i mean maybe he doesn’t.”

“check your voicemail.” he says going silent, you listened in and he didn’t go into specifics but he seemed angry.

“well shit, i’ll go see him tomorrow,” you say

“probably a good idea.” he replies, the rest of the drive was mostly silent. how were you supposed to make an excuse for this?

-

the next day came and you were terrified. once you arrive at his house, you step up to the door but before your knuckles could hit the wooden surface, it opens.

“look who finally decided to show up.” he says stepping out of the way so you could walk inside.

“look cole i-“

“i don’t wanna hear it.”

“what do you mean?”

“an excuse, so you’re gonna tell me what the fuck happened the other night.”

“well i-“

“spit it out.” he says stepping closer.

“why do you care so much?” you ask.

“just answer the fucking question.”

“fine. that night, i got drunk at the party, you would know bc you were there. you had girls surrounding you, this lovely guy came up to me. he was super sweet and respectful so i went home with him.”

“oh so you’re fucking him now too?”

“well i obviously haven’t gone back to him, nor do i have his number. is that what you want to hear?”

“no.”

“take me on a date, just once, and i’ll forget i even looked in his direction.” you begged. you didn’t want your time with cole to end. you never wanted it to if you could help it.

“i want you forget he ever even fucking existed y/n.”

“just take me out one time cole.” you beg, and his stance doesn’t change.

“did he fuck you good?” he says smirking, changing the topic.

“well it was okay, he was very sweet though. i love that in a guy, just pure sweetness.”

“so he didn’t fuck you like i do?”

“maybe he did.” you shrug, knowing it was a flat out lie.

“oh really?” he scoffs, grazing his hands around your waist, facing inching closer to yours.

“he could never come close to what i give you.” he says lowly, connecting your lips. instantly, you cave at his touch. your arms wrapping around the back of his neck. he bites your lip as he pulls away looking into your eyes. he picks you up, wrapping your legs around his waist and carries you to his room, shutting the door and locking it behind him. he tosses you on the bed, immediately pulling your shirt off over your head and throwing it as he does the same.

“i just really like when a guy is sweet, you don’t understand that?” you say interrupting the tangible silence in the room.

“no i do.”

“sure doesn’t seem like it.”

“well maybe i can be sweet.” he retorts.

“ha sure you can.” you scoff as he walks over to the bad, towering over you.

“you just don’t get to find out right now.” he smirks, crawling onto the bed and attaching his lips to your neck, nipping and sucking at the skin. your hands find their way into his hair, tugging on hit lightly as you grew more and more anxious for him to get the ball rolling. he unclasped your bra with one hand and helps you out of it, tossing it across the room. he hooks his fingers under the bands of your underwear and he slides them down you legs quickly before removing his own underwear.

“you want me to fuck you baby?”

“yes, please cole.” you say practically in a whisper as he bends down, his tongue making contact with your dripping core. his tongue working in circles on your clit, his sheets now clenched in your fists. suddenly sliding two fingers into you, curling them causing your back to arch, a loud moan ripping from your throat, already edging a climax. out of nowhere, he pulls his fingers out backing away from you, sucking your juices off his fingers before crawling over you and kissing you sloppily.

“no please why’d you stop?” you whine.

“just had to get you ready.” he smirks pulling away, running his leaking tip through your soaked folds.

“you gonna be good for me pretty girl?” he asks.

“i am.” you say quietly.

“good.” he smirks before pushing into you without warning, a galaxy forming behind your eyelids, your legs hooking around his hip.

“fuck.” you say gripping onto his arms. his thrusts were deep and hard.

“so good just for me.” he grunts out in broken up speech. you open your eyes and lock contact with his, moaning uncontrollably as he hit the sensitive spongey spot deep inside you with each thrust.

“fuck cole oh my god.” you say, the only words you could possibly muster up. you were overstimulated in the best way, sex with cole was always amazing but he was really outdoing himself this time. he leans down, attaching your lips to his to silence your moans as your climax creeped closer and closer.

“god you’re so fucking hot.” he says locking eyes with you again, before you roll your eyes into the back of your head trying to hold off the orgasm that threatened to rip through your body.

“cole i-“

“do it. come for me.” he says and on queue you see stars, your body relaxing all the tightness it previously felt. he fucked you all the way through your high, thinking that was the end.

“you think we’re done here? i’m not done with you.” he says slowing down and pulling out of you, picking you up and tossing you onto your stomach. you raise yourself up in your hands and knees weakly, knowing exactly what he wanted. he places his calloused hand on your ass, using the other to help push himself into you swollen core.

“fuck.” you scream as his hips slam into you quickly.

“yeah you like that?”

“fuck yes i do.” you say, kicking back into high gear, his hips slamming into your ass, his thick cock somehow hitting deeper than before, stretching you out with each thrust. your arms give out and your chest hits the bed, arching your back to keep your position for him.

“god damn look at you.” he says, the smirk lining his voice. his hand reaches into your hair, gathering it around his hand as he pulls you back up, you arms barely holding your weight as he pulls your back closer to his chest until you’re flush against his front side, his other hand holding you up while his fingers found their way to your clit. you couldn’t conjure any words, your hand found the back of his neck as he grunts sweet nothings into your ear, feeling your orgasm approach once again.

“fuck cole i’m gonna come.” you force out. he lets go of your hair and you fall back onto your arms, your walls clenching around him.

“come for me, come baby.” he says and you do as you’re told once again, your arms shaking as he spills his seed deep into your cervix.

“oh my god.” you say as he pulls out of your overly stimulated core rolling you over, your legs shaking frantically. you’d never been fucked that good a day in your life and you were wishing you could feel it again already.

“so, does he fuck you like i can?” he asks again breathlessly and you shake your head quickly, not being able to speak up.

“use your words baby.” he smirks, climbing over you, his face a mere 4 inches from yours, his hair grazing your forehead lightly.

“he could never.” you say pulling his chain bringing him in for another kiss.

“let’s get you cleaned up.” he says smiling as you pull apart. typically, he says this and wipes you clean with a rag, sending you on your way so you didn’t expect much. he puts his boxers on and walks into the bathroom, soaking a rag with warm water before returning, wiping you clean gently. he tosses the rag into his hamper and hands you your lace thing off the floor and a blue jackets tshirt.

“cole wha-“

“no no, take it seriously.” he says and you take it from him hesitantly, pulling it over your head. careful, he removes your hair from the neck, and brushes it behind your shoulders.

“what’s all this?” you say, shocked that you were even still at his house.

“showing you that i can be sweet.” he smirks, pulling you by the shirt into a sweet kiss.

“i’m usually gone by now.”

“well maybe this time you should stay.”

“are you sure?”

“yeah why not.” he says leaning back on his head board, opening his arms for you to join him. you lay your head on his chest as your arm drapes over his body, his hand gently rubbing up and down your back.

“why have you never let me stay before?” you say looking up at him, breaking the silence.

“i didn’t know what you wanted from me, until today.”

“what do you mean?”

“i thought you just wanted to be around me for sex.” he shrugs, looking down at you.

“well maybe at first but it grew to much more than that. i don’t think i’ve ever regretted anything more than fucking that dude the other night but i mean to be fair i thought all you wanted from me was sex too.”

“it was for a while but feelings change you know.” he laughs slightly.

“so?”

“so what?” he asks obliviously.

“are you gonna take me out?” you say giving the man puppy dog eyes. he rolls his eyes laughing lightly.

“yes y/n, ill take you out.” he giggles, kissing you on the head. it brought you peace knowing that he had feelings for you too, but maybe you should be on your worst behavior more often…..

[americas1suiteheart]

When Can I See You Again?

Patrick Stump x Gn! Reader

Here's the Ao3 link if you prefer to read on there :)

Summary; Pete sets Patrick up on a blind date with one of his friends. That friend just happens to be you, and regardless of how unenthusiastic the both of you were, the date goes more than well.

Notes; This might be shitty. I decided to write this at 12 in the morning, but it's fine because I get a fic out. I'm finally starting to become more active again (yay!). This is also cheesy as shit as always, as all my Patrick fics have been. :)

Warnings; Just some foul language, as always .

Volume: ■■■■■□□□

"Come on, Pete. Really, it's fine, I'm perfectly fine not having a boyfriend *or* girlfriend!"

"Y/n, you know I love and care for you, man, and that means finding you someone that you'll love, and that will love you. Trust me, the friend I'm setting you up with is awesome, you're gonna get along great with him."

"I really don't see why you think it's so important that I have one."

"Come on, Y/n. You're 19 years old, live alone, go to college, *and* work 6 hours a day on top of that. You need something to look forward to when you get home *OTHER* than sleeping."

"Pete I-"

"Nope! You're going on this date. Worst comes to worst, you don't like him and you just go back to your boring, horrible, unhealthy way of living."

"Fine, fine! I'm only agreeing to this so you shut up and stop bothering me. If I don't like it you have to promise me that you won't try to do this shit again, okay?"

"Deal." Pete says, putting his hand out to shake yours and you shake his back, settling on an agreement.

You'd been friends with Pete since you were a little kid. He was 4 years older than you, but you two lived next to each other when you were growing up, so he just became an immediate friend.

You loved him, you really did, but sometimes it was impossible to actually deal with him. Of course what he was doing was all in good intentions, and you hate to admit that he was right when he said you were lonely, but you felt that you unfortunately never had the time or energy to be in a romantic relationship with someone.

You go into your room and take your cellphone and apartment keys. You were already ready, and usually you would be spending your weekend sleeping an relaxing, Pete decided to set you up on some blind date with one of his friends, or one of the people he was in a band with to be more specific.

If this person were to be anything like Pete is, you probably won't go on with it, it sounds shitty but you could barely handle one Pete as it is.

"You ready, man?" Pete asks, getting up from the small couch you had in your small living room.

"Yeah." You say blandly.

"Be more optimistic about this, dude. You'll like him, or at least become friends with him, believe me, he's totally what you're into." Pete says, punching your shoulder and you to walk to the door.

"How do you know what my type is? What if I don't have a type?" You say, rubbing where he hit you.

"I just know, you know?" Pete shrugs, waiting for you to lock your door.

You sigh and roll your eyes as you make your way to your car.

"Okay, where is this place again?"

"It's just that diner across the street from that record shop we used to go to. The one we got kicked out of. Remember?" Pete said, sitting next to you in the passenger seat.

"Ooh, that place has the best burgers!" You exclaim, then drive out of the car lot onto the street.

You smile to yourself as you recall that memory. The last time you had gone to that diner you and Pete got kicked out for being too loud. You weren't usually the type of person to be loud or rambunctious, but Pete had the tendency to make you come out of your socially awkward shell when you hung out with him.

Pete talked to you the whole way, it was only a 10 minute drive from your apartment complex, but time always seemed to go by faster when he was ranting about, he always had the most interesting things to talk about, and this rant was about some of the songs that the band was recording.

You arrive at the diner and park your car. You and Pete get out and he goes up to the building window and points out a guy, seemingly around the same age as you, sitting at one of the back booths with two milkshakes in front of him.

"That's the guy you wanna go to. Call me when you two are done and try to have fun." Pete says, putting his hand on your shoulder.

"Wait, you're not going to stay in there with me? At least at another booth away from the one I'll be at?" You say, looking at Pete with wide eyes.

"I can't stay, I've got stuff to do, man. Plus, I don't wanna creep over you two." Pete says, walking away.

You were left standing there in complete shock. You'd fully expected for Pete to sit somewhere farther in the diner where he wouldn't be visible but still be there just because, and you were surprisingly upset and afraid when he said he wouldn't.

You take a deep breath and walk into the diner. You haven't been on a date since you were 16, and it definitely didn't work out then. If this little date somehow worked out and led to something more serious, it would be the first romantic relationship you would be in.

You make your way to the booth and stand awkwardly as you wait for him to notice you before you ask to sit.

"Uh, hey. I believe you're the guy that Pete set me up with?" You say quietly, rubbing the back of your neck.

The boy looks up and quickly fixes his posture. "Oh, uh. Yeah, yeah." He looks up at you and looks somewhere else after a few seconds.

"I, uh, do you think I could sit with you?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that, yeah of course you can."

You sit at the seat across from him, slowly sinking into the worn out booth seats.

You always thought that Pete was a pain because he was the complete opposite with you, but you now found that he was so much easier to talk to than another person that was just as awkward and quiet as you were.

This guy was cute. You don't tend to find people attractive, maybe because you're always in such a rush and tired with everything, but he was seriously cute.

His face was slightly on the chubbier side, he had a button nose and shoulder length hair with sideburns and a pair of glasses. That's pretty much what already did it for you, but his eyes that hid behind that pair of glasses were such a pretty colour that you were lucky enough to see within those few seconds of awkwardly looking at each other.

"Oh, I ordered you a milkshake. I didn't know what flavor you liked so I just got you vanilla. I hope you don't mind." He said, pushing the milkshake and straw closer to you.

"Oh! Thank you that's very sweet." You say, a smile on your face.

"Being that this is the first time meeting each other, we should probably introduce ourselves, I think?" You say after about a minute of swirling your straw around in your milkshake.

"Yeah, probably. I'm Patrick, I'm 18 and I just graduated high school. What about you?" Patrick laughs lightly.

"I'm Y/n, I'm 19 and am in my first year of college right now. I'm going to be completely honest, I don't really do anything or go out much. Pete usually drags me places to get me out more." You laugh.

"I totally get that. So, what do you do?" Patrick says after taking a drink of his milkshake.

"Well, I'm majoring in computer science right now and have a minor in music technology from an AP class in high school and am trying to get it for college, too so that I can do it professionally with theaters, venues, and maybe even bigger bands. After I finish my classes for the day, I work at a comic book shop most of the day and then I work at Hastings as a night shift sort of thing. So I don't really get breaks. But to be honest, It's actually something I like, a lot of people I know enjoy their resting time but I hate not having anything to do."

"Wow, that's impressive. So I'm assuming you don't really have time to do stuff like this, huh?"

"Yeah, I think this is like, the second date I've ever been on. The first one I'd been on was when I was 16. I never ended up hitting it off with the person, so I've also never been in a relationship. Anyways, enough about me, I want to know more about you." You say with a small smile, putting your elbows on the table and holding your hands together underneath your chin to keep your head upright.

"I'm in a band with Pete and a few other guys right now. I can play the drums, guitar, piano, and can sing, too. We're actually recording our first album together! But I also have a job, I just work at a retail store right now, nothing too special." Patrick says.

"That's nice. You like to keep it simple. I do wish I could actually appreciate my time to myself, honestly. Four instruments is impressive, though. I only know how to play the bass and it's only because Pete taught me so I could have something "fun to do and not be a loser" as Pete said. I do admit, though, I really enjoy it."

You've never actually talked this much with someone you just met before. Something just clicked with him, that made you feel comfortable and interested. You don't know why, but maybe this date isn't going as bad as you thought it would, and that Pete, unfortunately, was right. How he managed to know exactly who you would find interesting when you didn't even know yourself is beyond you, but right now, you're glad he did.

You continued to talk about interests and found you liked most of the same things, making the conversation all the more exciting and long.

"So, you said you had experience with music tech, right? Has Pete ever offered you to do anything for or with the band? Like, working a mixer or setting up mic's for the instruments correctly?" Patrick asked, leaning in closer to the table.

"No, surprisingly he hasn't, actually. Why?"

"Well, since we're getting into recording our songs, I figure we could need someone that knows how to do that sort of stuff, but Pete is the one that usually organizes that sort of stuff. I don't know why he hasn't asked you yet." Patrick explains.

"I'd love to work with stuff like that again. I might have to ask Pete about that."

Maybe Pete was right. Maybe this is exactly what you needed and that he did know your "type". Getting out and talking to people other than Pete was actually nicer than you thought.

You realized then that you needed to be with other people and not be such a hermit, maybe that's why you were feeling so sad, the only person you had were your parents' occasional calls (or not so occasionally to be honest) and Pete.

"Yeah, you totally should. I feel it would honestly be pretty cool to get to work with you." Patrick says, leaning back into his seat and looking away.

"I will. It'd definitely be nice to work with you guys, too. Especially you, I feel." You say. That was probably the boldest thing you've ever said. You didn't actually think you'd said that until Patrick looked up at you with a shocked expression, yet still a still small smile on his face.

"Yeah, definitely."

This was getting more and more enjoyable by the minute. You never burned up like this before, but the dorkiness of him was making you flush more than you would've ever expected. He was like you in an odd way. Same interests, same way of how you both acted, you've never had anyone be almost the same as you. It was nice talking to him about things that you liked and that he knew about too.

Sure, Pete was somewhat dorky and knew what you were talking about sometimes, but it always would end quickly from his rather short attention span.

By now the two of your milkshakes have already melted long ago, half of them still left from all the talking you two did rather than drinking it.

You hear a ding from the door, thinking it was most likely just another customer. Patrick looked behind you and fixed his posture from the way he was hunched over the table so that he was now sitting up straight.

You look behind you to see what Patrick currently was.

"You guys have been here for like, 2 and a half hours now. I mean, I'm assuming it's going great and I hate to cut it not so short but I gotta get home." Pete says, scratching his head as he looked down at you and Patrick.

"It's been two hours!?" You shout at Pete, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Yup!" Pete says, popping the 'P'.

You run a hand through your hair and sigh. This felt way shorter than two hours, and to be honest you were really sad about it. You'd had a lot of fun talking to Patrick and getting to know him. He had this sort of charm to him that reeled you in even more, regardless if he might've been conscious of it or not.

You get up from the booth and clean up what very little mess you and Patrick left on the table, Patrick helping and doing the same.

You get your wallet from your back pocket to take some cash out for a tip.

"No, no. Don't worry about it, I'll get it." Patrick says, taking a 5 dollar bill out quickly and placing it on the table.

"No, you already paid for the milkshakes, please, Patrick, I'll leave the tip."

"Nope, it was my treat, don't worry."

"But, Patrick-"

"You know what, I'll leave the tip. Here, take your money back." Pete sighs, taking the bill from the table and shoving it into Patrick's hands, then leaving one of his own on the table, clearly tired of you and Patrick going back and forth about the tip.

"Thanks, Pete." Patrick says, scratching the back of his neck.

"Hand me the Keys, I'll start the car while you flirt with each other." Pete says, snickering.

You take your keys from your pocket and hand them to him, your face rapidly heating up from his comment.

"Fuck you, Pete." You say, glaring at him.

"Uh-huh, yeah, whatever." Pete says, giving you a grin before walking out the door of the diner.

"You and him are complete opposites, how'd you two get to know each other?" Patrick laughs lightly, pushing up his glasses.

"Me and him were neighbors. I never really had any friends so Pete was the one person I ever hung out with. When he moved out of his parents' house I was still living with my parents, so we didn't see each other all that often, but we still called each other and hung out sometimes. He's always just kinda been there for me since I was a kid."

"You two have known each other that long already? I've only known him for a year now. He's a character for sure, though."

"Oh yeah, 100%." You laugh.

"I um, I had a lot of fun today. When do you think I can see you again? Or if you want to of course, you don't have to if you don't want to and I totally get it if not." Patrick says, rambling towards the end.

"I would love to see you again, Patrick. I had a lot of fun talking to you, too." You smile.

"Cool, cool, yeah. Can I get your number? To text you when or where, y'know?" Patrick awkwardly says.

"Yeah, of course! I'll put it into your phone." You say, putting your number into his phone and giving it back to him.

"Thanks. So, I'll see you sometime soon?"

"Yup, just call or text me and set up something, I won't be doing anything on weekends so thats probably the best time for anything, or whatever." You ramble.

"I'll do that. Thank you, Y/n. So uh, bye for now?" Patrick says with a crooked smile on his face.

You have no idea where you'd gotten the courage to do so, or what was even going through your head when you gave into the urge.

"Bye, Patrick." You say quietly after leaving a small peck on Patrick's cheek.

You quickly walk out of the diner to your car, now realizing what had just happened.

"Wow, what happened? Did I just see that?" Pete says, a smirk plastered on his face.

You slam your head onto your steering wheel and grip it tightly, staying there for a while before covering your face with your hands at an attempt to cool down your burning cheeks that were only getting hotter and hotter.

"Oh my god, why did I do that? How did I do that?!" You say to yourself, your voice muffled from your hands covering your face.

"Hey, first base already, huh? Maybe you'll make it to third quicker than I thought." Pete teases, nudging your shoulder.

You uncover your face and punch Pete in the arm, earning a whine and hiss from him.

"Fuck you, Pete."

You pull your car out of the parking lot, but catch a glance of Patrick. He was holding the side of his cheek with his mouth agape, watching as you drove out.

You did that. You're the reason he has that reaction. Holy shit.

Pete turns the radio down and rolls his window that was previously down back up.

"Told you that you would like him. Do you admit I was right, now?"

"What?" You say, turning your head to look at Pete for a couple of seconds then going back to the road.

"Y'know, the whole thing about me knowing your type and exactly what you needed. Admit I'm right." Pete persists.

"What? No way, man!"

"Hmm, okay, then. Patrick and Y/n, sitting in a tree, K-I-" Pete starts to sing.

"I'll throw you out of this fucking car and make you walk, Pete, I swear I'll do it If you don't stop." You say sternly.

"I'll stop *only* if you admit I'm right!"

Pete was stubborn, and he knew you wouldn't throw him out. Trying to ignore him would prove to be useless, too, unfortunately you'd have to admit it even if you didn't want to. Because he'd never stop.

"Fine! Fine! You were right about everything! Will you shut up now?" You say, throwing up one of your hands from the steering wheel.

Pete lays back into the seat and smiles proudly, staying silent for the rest of the ride back to your apartment.

You park and sigh as you get out of the car, locking it after Pete exited.

"Well, I've gotta go now so I could go get shit for me to eat. Thank me for this later, man." Pete says, walking off to his car parked not to far from yours.

"Bye, Pete."

"God, why did I do that?" You say, throwing yourself onto your bed.

You lay there, the same thing replaying over and over again in your head. You'd be honest, you were kind of proud of yourself for actually being able to do that. You have no clue where the bravery and boldness of that action came from.

After a little while, your phone dings, indicating you had a message from someone, most likely Pete to continue to tease you.

You pick it up, only to see it was from an unknown number.

-Hey, Y/n. It's Patrick!-

You immediately get up and look at the text message closely, a smile forming on your face.

You save his phone number into your phone as a contact and quickly type out a reply.

-Hey, Patrick! What's up?-

You had the same smile plastered on your face until you remembered the kiss you gave him on his cheek before you left the diner.

Oh shit. What if he's texting me to say something about it? What if I fucked up? Oh my god.

-Nothing right now.-

Three dots appeared on the bottom left corner of the screen. Appearing, then disappearing a few times before another text was sent.

-Hey, about that kiss before you left..-

You cringe, thinking of the worst possible outcomes and messages after that text was sent.

You bite your lip out of nervousness as you type out a response.

-Sorry. I just kind of did it without thinking. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I totally understand if you're like, weirded out or something.-

-No! That's why I wanted to text you, I didn't want you to feel like it bothered me. I didn't really mind it. Like, at all.-

You look at the message and let out a sigh of relief. Calmer about the fact that he wasn't bothered by it.

-Oh okay. Cool, cool. You dont know how relieved i am to hear that '•○•-

-I was already thinking.. Maybe if you're free next Saturday, we could go downtown and just walk around and eat somewhere for lunch?-

The smile that appeared on your face was so big it started to make your jaw hurt.

-That sounds great, I would love to!-

-Awesome! I'll talk to you later, though, I have to go to sleep now so I can get up early to practice with Pete and the other guys. He'll probably give me another "motherly" lecture if I'm late and tired again.-

You laugh to yourself as you read the text. Pete has given you more than enough of those motherly like lectures Patrick just texted about, so you weren't even surprised.

-Goodnight, Y/n. I'll talk to you tomorrow?-

The three dots showed again for a brief few seconds before one final text from Patrick sent.

-Please do. Goodnight, Patrick<3-

-<3-

Your heart skipped a beat and your cheeks began to burn up even more, impossibily more.

Pete's antics of getting you out never worked and you were never fond of, but this time you're glad he forced you to this one.

Volume: ■■■■■□□□

This one took me like, a week to finish? Maybe one of the few I've ever finished this quickly. This was very very cheesy but it was really fun to write, and it's a Patrick fic, so it gets an exception. Hope you enjoyed it! I'm currently working on two other Patrick fics as you're reading this, too!

[flamemittens]

maybe for morgayne and gortash?

Flower Language prompts from here!

Gortash x F!Durge. 1.3k words. *Act 3 spoilers*.

*Now extended and on AO3*

Black-eyed Susan - "Revenge tastes sweet, and so are you."

The first time she meets with him is shortly after the coronation ceremony.

Her companions do not want her to go alone, but Morgayne insists. It is better this way. There is an inexorable pull towards the man that she finds she cannot ignore, and he seems to have at least some of the answers she seeks—if he is telling the truth. They have heard the rumours—from whispers that coil in dark corners, to braver shouts that ring off the buildings and cobblestoned streets—all over parts of the city and its outskirts; in his rise from upstart lordling to city ruler and protector, he has used everything and everyone—whether at his disposal or not—to ascend.

She finds him upstairs in his office, as promised.

He assures her that their plans can still be brought to fruition. He confidently directs, explains to her what they should do, and Gods, that evasive something in her wants to listen. It is all so frustratingly, distantly recognizable. Hypnotic, in a way.

There must be more to it, she thinks. To them. She recalls the torn page she found in the Moonrise mindflayer colony, and its frenetic, tormented penmanship.

“Lord Gortash. Who were we to each other? Really?”

He seems to wince, for some reason, at her use of his title. After a brief silence, he finally offers his answer.

“I meant what I said in the audience hall. You can use that as a reference if you wish.”

Morgayne frowns. “As strange as it may seem, that does not make things much clearer. I only have more questions.”

“Well then. Allow me to fill in some more of the specifics for you, in a way that leaves no room for interpretation.”

“Please do.”

“Have a seat, then.” He sees her hesitate, and adds, in a strangely gentler tone, “I insist.”

They talk for an hour before she takes her leave.

--

She returns to him again a day or two later. She doesn’t really know what draws her there; perhaps it is this nostalgic, tenuous thread of intimacy and trust that she cannot yet determine the root of.

They talk further.

“How are your memories?” he asks, after a while.

Morgayne sighs. “It’s like trying to complete a puzzle but all the pieces are broken, scattered, and some will forever be missing. However, some things are coming back to me, I think. Slowly.”

Something like delight flares in his dark eyes. Something like hope.

She stays for longer this time.

“How was your Archduke, darling?” Astarion asks later as he sidles up to her on her return to the Elfsong, amusement plain on his beautiful features.

“He is not my Archduke” she counters flatly, feeling none of the conviction she tries so hard to imbue the words with.

--

“I heard you went to the Hells today” Gortash begins the next time she visits him. “You’ve been busy, my dear.”

“Yes” she confirms.

She tells him about it all, of Helsik, of Hope, of Nubaldin. Of what the self-important rock gnome revealed before she was compelled to sear the flesh from his bones, to burn away his smug grin—but not how she later felt she had been told part of the story before. That she keeps to herself for now. She speaks of the Master of the House, and how she robbed him blind.

Any other eyes on the scene would think he is not reacting, but she sees something subtle in the set of his jaw, the rise of his shoulders, the pitch of his eyes. How one clawed gauntlet grips the edge of the table, pressing marks into the oak, how the knuckles on his other tightly fisted hand are turning white. How he won’t even look at her, his gaze fixed on the floor as she talks.

“Raphael is dead” she finishes.

His eyes flick to hers eventually, the tension bleeding out of him faster than it bloomed.

“It’s…curious, isn’t it” he muses.

She doesn’t need to ask what he means.

--

As per their agreement, she goes to him after her duel with Orin.

She tells him what happened, down there in the dark. How she defied her father. How she lay there, drained and dead on the cold, bloodstained stone. How she came to be here now, telling him about it all.

“You have our—your revenge, then. And your freedom.”

She takes a mouthful of the Marsember Blush, lets it linger on her tongue before swallowing. It’s a balmy evening, and the wine is as refreshing as it is spicy.

“Yes. It would seem I do.”

He studies her with an almost unnerving intensity over the rim of his glass.

“I always knew, Mori.” is all he says.

That’s the name engraved on the inside of the ring she wears on her right hand, she thinks.

Her Archduke looks tired tonight.

--

The letter arrives the next afternoon, precisely crafted if a little concise, and mildly fragranced like his coronation invitation. She takes it to a quiet corner to read, drinking in its scent. His scent. It is one line, with an Upper City address at the bottom.

M Come to this address tonight. I can promise you it will be worth your while.” E

Later, she slips away from the others, but is intercepted by Jaheira on the landing outside their rooms. The older half-elf appears concerned. She can’t say it isn’t justified.

“I feel we are losing you.”

“Interesting that you should say that. I feel I am finding myself.” She packs as much of an apology as she can into her smile.

Jaheira looks as if she understands somehow. “Be careful, cub” she says, after a beat.

A short time later, Morgayne reaches the building in question. It’s a sprawling, well-appointed manor like many of those in the Upper City. She glances down one side of the building, spotting a tall trellis thick with ivy that scales up to a balcony. A fragment comes back to her then—heavy rain, gloved fingers slipping on the wood before finally reaching stone.

On entering, she is welcomed and led upstairs; she notices the guards, yes, but also the minimal staff, the thin coat of dust over almost everything—he does not come here much anymore, she recognises.

She is ushered into what she is informed are his personal chambers.

Gortash—Enver—sits at a desk, nearby a large chaise that faces an unlit fireplace. Multiple pages of what looks to be Steel Watcher schematics are spread over its surface. A decanter and tumbler, both half-filled with amber liquid, sit at his elbow. He is casually dressed, save for his golden gauntlets.

“Ah, there you are. You found your way here, at last.”

He rises as she approaches, walking around to stand in front of her.

She sees it all then, plain on his face. Relief. Pride. Desire.

He leans in with a confidence, a lover’s closeness that she supposes he has already earned, long ago. Something clicks into place as she smells the whisky on him—it’s less a moment of realization and more of a punch to the chest that steals her breath away—it speaks of the past, of hushed conversations and affection and trust.

The air seems to become warmer, thicker with every passing moment. He’s orchestrated all of this, she knows now. A tableau of echoes just for her.

She believes it all, feels the truth in it.

He kisses her then, and she kisses him back. It’s clumsy at first, like a musician trying to recall a once beloved tune, but she falls into the familiar rhythm soon enough. He trails his mouth along her jawline and pulls her flush against him, as one hand slides round the back of her neck and up into the base of her braid—the cool metal against her warm skin is…grounding.

“Stay here” he murmurs into her ear. “Where you belong. Don’t go back to them.”

And Gods help her, she stays.

[anderperrylover]

THOUGHTS? DEAD POET'S SOCIETY EDITION

Just thoughts I wanted to get out there

So Dead Poet's Society? Right? Now that I think of it was a film that came out when my dad was in his like late teens (technically he was around the same age as some of the cast). And somehow this film - made and released during their time has been one that resonated with the next generation? I am looking at the film and thinking, and I couldn't help but wonder.

I am not talking specifically about the aesthetic or anything but namely how this one film was definitely not made for my demographic. However - 35 or so years later I read a post here or come across a playlist or an edit or a series of head canons - I see how much this single film has impacted generations who came after.

I relate to this film on a very personal level (put the shipping factors aside). I remember watching scenes with Neil and I could almost recall having similar conversations in life and I had to take a step back and think as to why I wanted to block this film out for a while. I resonated with Todd as a writer but also as someone who had a very similar experience (shy - lack of confidence - but one who found their people). Other than that there were relationships within the story that made me look back at the ones I have and had and all that I am grateful for.

Also as a coming of age film I feel like it is one of the most realistic ones out there. The themes and the extremely bittersweet ending are raw and it hit me like a pile of bricks. The fact that they fell apart because of the things they loved - the heart of the group not being there made things drift apart - and those dreamers and poets who speak out are the ones to leave behind a deeply flawed system (and the cause and reason and leaving is depicted in extremely sad ways - they might give up on everything - or be kicked out for what they believed in - or carry extreme guilt for the rest of their lives) - There are those who fall in love and the ones that betray you and all of that can happen in just a few month. Things that took years to build like friendships and fellowships can crumble because of something external and all you believed in might not fix that.

(Also something weird just jog my memory if I am wrong but throughout the film these three use O Captain, My Captain - and its all in important moments - The last one to use it is Todd - Which I just think just captures his growth - he's taken up the confidence brought by two of his closest friends and a teacher who changed his life for at least a small fraction in time)

I had a few teachers in my life like Keating. They are the reason I never gave up on writing or doing things I love. They gave me reason to believe that I had something small I could put to use - I had a teacher who taught me at 14 who told me to never give up writing and another teacher who told me to continue writing poetry - another who showed to me that I should continue to fall in love with reading - another who showed me that the world was beyond the academics (as I studied classics - it was far more than that cookie cutter stereotype) - Also Keating as a teacher who actually listens - who is there to guide and help the boxes that literally hold students in uniformity

I don't know why - and how a film from the past can have such an impact on me in the 21st century - Very few films have impacted me in this manner and most of the films that have impacted me in that way were released in my lifetime. That being said I think myself lucky to have this to go back to. The film is a cathartic ritual of living, laughing in the moment and weeping and crying afterwards.

[utilitycaster]

I agree what the cast says does not hold as much weight as what happens on stream. I think this is why I get frustrated by the 'Orym is to blame for Laudna killing Bor'dor' debates, using things Liam and/or Marisha have said on 4-sided dive that contradict the actual scene, where Marisha states Laudna barely notices Orym and Ashton, and *nothing* will stop her from doing what she wants to do. At worst, it's inaction. Have interviews and things like that always held so much weight in fandom?

I am absolutely the wrong person to ask here; I was not super in fandom when I was younger. I am going to, as I am wont to do, make some educated guesses but please take with a grain of salt.

I think there's a few things going on. A lot of people have told me that Glee was the first fandom they personally recall where it became about winning more than like, having fun and sharing ideas, and I wouldn't be surprised if that is at least an influence. (The idea that two ships that do not conflict and indeed have incompatible sexualities are in some kind of deathly serious competition is truly so baffling to me that I have to chalk up that particular bit of, if I may use a yiddishism here, mishegos, to Glee for sure.)

I also think that there was a time and there are shows where interviews did (or do) carry more weight, namely, those with executive meddling, or loss of creative control, or, notably, queer ships until quite recently. I have a lot of friends in the Star Trek fandom even though I'm not knowledgeable at all and from what I am given to understand, there's been a few ships squashed or delayed by executive whim or homophobia that the actors would pretty openly and consistently confirm at conventions. (The ones I know are Riker and Troi; and Garak and Bashir; but I have only hazy recollections of TNG and know NOTHING of DS9 so this is second-hand). I've talked about this before, but Word of God used to carry more weight for me when you simply couldn't have same gender romances on network TV or most mainstream film without risking your career. Now? You're a coward and a panderer.

Anyway I think with actual play specifically, which is improvised (ie, intent can shift dramatically and unexpectedly) and which has a lot of talkback shows and also a disproportionately huge amount of content people get in the habit of cherrypicking, and in extreme cases this turns into cherrypicking themselves straight out of the actual narrative and into microexpressions and OOC interviews and side conversations from three years ago.

I also, and I am too tired and too many drinks in (two drinks in, to be clear) to articulate this tonight, find that actual play in particular has amassed a certain fandom that I think was attracted to things I like and support (queer characters, women/queer people/POC creating and driving their own characters, independent creator-owned productions, improvised and therefore at times really unique stories, not needing to have streaming services in some cases) but also doesn't actually like Actual Play as a medium (see: every single D20 fandom meltdown low-key boils down to "I have zero genre awareness of both whatever is going on narratively and also I high-key loathe D&D as a means of storytelling and particularly the existence of violence in narrative, yet I am watching the Violent Narrative D&D show, so dance or me, my puppets, wait why aren't you dancing.") So I think you get a lot of people who are just making dumb fucking arguments because they decide what they believe and then poorly reverse engineer the support instead of doing things in the proper order and I think the people claiming Orym is responsible for Bor'Dor's death are in that category and we should stop treating them as people who are adding anything of worth to the conversation.