#we're quarantined so might as well

[redvelvetcupcakes21]

For @v88sy

"Nothing beats a real 3 alarm fire, right Bobby?" Chimney joked as he and crew started to make their way out of the trucks.

They were covered in grime and soot after dealing with said 3 alarm fire at a shipping distributor. The fire took nearly 4 hours to put out, fortunately for the 118 they didn't lose anyone but a lot of workers were critically injured.

Despite the rough call, Bobby felt invigorated. It was only his fourth shift back as Captain but he felt like it was his first day ever as Captain. The same energy he felt decades before buzzed through his veins as he watched his team tiredly make their way to the showers.

"You guys did great." Bobby noted to his team, "Hit the showers and I'll whip something for us for a late lunch. We're off the roster for an hour."

Bobby was ready to hit the showers himself when he noticed a few folks were sniffing the air.

Bobby inhaled as well, face scrunching in confusion as he smelled something spicy but sweet.

"Unless we're all having a collective stroke, I smell barbecue." Eddie said excitedly, already running up the stairs to the loft, followed up by the others and Bobby.

Bobby half expected Athena to be up in the kitchen, but instead he saw a familiar 6' 2 frame standing over the oven.

"Tommy?" Buck was all smiles as he rushed over to his boyfriend, pulling in the man for a kiss and causing both men to laugh as the soot from Buck's face transfered over onto Tommy's face.

"What are you doing here, man?" Chimney asked, patting the other man on the back. Eddie pulled Tommy in for his own hug along with Hen.

Tommy shrugged, nudging his chin towards the multiple items on the stove top. "I heard about the massive fire you guys had to deal with. Figured I could come by and give Cap and Evan a break in cooking for you guys."

"Tommy, you didn't have to do all this." Bobby looked at the multiple dishes, "i know how busy the harbor team gets, you should be enjoying your time off."

Eddie had already opened the over and took a dramatic deep inhale. "And if in his time off he enjoys making us delicious barbecue, who's to say we shouldn't accept?" Eddie clapped his hands and rubbed them excitedly, "All this gonna be ready after we shower?"

Tommy laughed, catching how annoyed Buck was looking at Eddie. "Yeah, you guys go shower." He turned to Buck, "I got it from here."

Buck stepped closer, a playful smirk was all Chimney and Hen needed to see before declaring "No! No hooking up in the showers!' Chimney reminded the younger firefighter who only looked sheepishly over at fed up Bobby.

"We know that look Buck." Hen reminded him teasingly.

Buck let out a frustrated loud sigh as he pouted at Tommy. Tommy was all smiles though, he pulled Buck by his turnout coat and kissed him quickly.

"I'll be back." Buck promised as he followed the others down the stairs to the showers.

That only left Bobby.

"I didn't know you knew how to cook." Bobby mused as he watched Tommy start to pull out the larger serving dishes from the cabinets. Bobby was even more surprised that Tommy remembered where everything was still.

"Yeah," Tommy rummaged around the drawers for serving utensils, "Learned off and on over the years, picked up on cooking mostly during quarantine. I figured might be fun to learn new recipes during the lockdown so I got really into smokers and barbecue so..." he waved serving tongs over the trays of chicken and ribs. "Voilà, I guess." He laughed.

Bobby raised a brow, not at the food but at Tommy.

This definitely wasn't the same man who worked under Bobby years ago.

This Tommy was definitely more confident and self-actualized. There was an easiness to Tommy that wasn't there before.

Tommy caught him staring, "Foods gonna be ready in a minute Cap, go ahead and shower."

Before Bobby could respond Buck came running up the steps, freshly showered and in clean clothes.

It occurred to Bobby at that moment he had never seen either men smile that brightly before. Buck was looking damn near giggly as Tommy's eyes gave away on how gone Tommy was for Buck.

"Ready to help." Buck smiled bashfully as Tommy pulled on a still wet curl hanging over Buck's forehead.

"God, you're cute."

That was Bobby's cue to leave.

By the time Bobby came back the loft, the food was already dished out and the crew was already seated. Bobby figured the cheers was more so about the team being finally able to eat rather then Bobby finally sitting with them

Eddie was the first to go at the food. "Buck," Eddie's eyes were all stars as he grabbed at everything, already drooling. "You should know, if you and Tommy were to break up, he gets me in the divorce. Ankles be damned."

"Me too." Hen moaned as she started to eat. "Tommy, where the hell did you learn how to make this?"

As Tommy and the others started to talk about cooking, Bobby caught Chimney’s sad smile.

"You good Chim?"

Chimney nodded, looking wistful as he told Bpbby in a low voice. "I guess I just realized how stuck Tommy was back in the day." Chimney took a moment to stare at Tommy who was whispering something to Buck that had the other man turn bright red and laugh, the reaction had Tommy looking all too pleased.

"Gerrard used to bug him about bringing over his girlfriend over so she could cook for us. Tommy would make a bunch of excuses about why his girlfriend never showed to the station or to the bar after work."

Bobby nodded, understanding where Chimney was going with this.

After dinner Bobby insisted that Tommy let the others clean up, with Buck pushing his boyfriend to sit and relax with Bobby.

"You're good for him." Bobby told Tommy in a matter of fact voice.

Tommy looked taken back, Bobby caught the flicker of worry and something else that was too familiar for Bobby. That certain fear of not being enough.

"You honestly think so?" Tommy asked softly, his eyes following Buck around the kitchen.

Bobby didn't want to jump to conclusions or anything, but he knew love when he sees it.

"I know so." He patted the younger man on the back. "It's nice having you back here, Tommy."

Tommy's smiled bashfully towards the ground before looking up. "It's nice being back, honestly." He promised.

Bobby clapped him on his back, "Good."

[gremlingottoosilly]

What if Reader we're a streamer? How would König react? 🐱

It depends!

If you're a 2020-era Valoran/LoL e-girl monster energy sponsored corpse husband streamer, our poor man is in for a ride. I kinda want to explore the AU with Konig and his loser-of-a-son Paul because I don't think that normal Konig even has time to engage with streaming. But you came to visit for a few days one time, with your big ass cat ear headphones, with your fishnets and a choker and you left more energy drink cans behind that he thought humanly possible - and he fucking knows that his son isn't good enough for you. Hell, Konig might not be good for you. You're doing streaming just as a way to fight boredom during lockdown - you kinda stuck with Paul because your lease ended just before the quarantine and you obviously couldn't find another place to live in such a short notice...so it already laids a strain on your relationships. Konig's son is a fucking incel(like father like son LMAO), and he has a nasty habit of being bitter over having such a pretty and amazing girl like you. Now, Konig isn't a pervert. He isn't lusting over his son's college girlfriend. You just...well, you could be modest at least a little bit and not wear the short skirts around the house, right? Your relationships are going to get even more awkward because Konig has a very nasty habit of kinda wandering into the room you stream from, wearing nothing but sweatpants and your chat is going crazy( you don't understand what's wrong until you see his figure in your camera view and your audience demands hunk boyfriend reveal. Konig doesn't really understand streaming at all and still conflicted whether you're doing porn or you are talking to yourself for hours each day, but he loves to support you. By that I mean giving you money, not energy drink and ramen - he forbid you from ever drinking it again, unfortunately

[kedreeva]

Eris (top), Citrine (middle), and Bismuth (bottom).

What you can notice here is the same thing I'm usually on about- leg length in peafowl. These three birds share a father, and the latter two share a mother as well. Eris was hatched and raised for the first 3 months of her life on a farm that was using a low-protein chow (18-20%, with peanuts for treats, but they're feeding better now!) and kept here in quarantine in a 10x10 for the next month (we're working on a bigger quarantine pen), vs Citrine and Bismuth being raised here on 28% + fresh foods and scratch grains in a 1200ft+coop pen. I don't think that there's anything wrong with Eris' genetics (I've seen her mother, too, and I would be highly surprised if she produced short birds), but this is a PRIME example of how early care can affect these birds for their entire lives.

I have gotten into far too many arguments with people about peafowl care and nutrition. I hear parroted all the time that "high protein twists their legs" when that's 100% not the case. It's not the protein alone. They NEED the protein to grow appropriately. But they ALSO need the SPACE to grow out properly. When people keep them in tiny spaces (brooders, rabbit hutches, 10x10 "run") AND feed them high protein, they have the protein to grow but not the space. When people keep them in large spaces but DON'T give them enough protein, they have the space but not the resources to grow into their legs. I've seen people keep these birds in rabbit hutches until they are 3+ months old. I have seen people keep breeding adult TRIOS in 10x10 cages- the minimum space requirement for them is supposed to be *500* square feet for that many. Once they grow up in that small of a space, there's no recovering from it later in life. They won't ever put on more leg length.

Another thing I want to speak about is tail shape. There are many people online who will tell people bogus ways to sex young birds (particularly whites). Barring/no barring by 3 months (Spaldings can keep it longer, some over a year), spurs/no spurs (plenty of hens have spurs), leg length (a nice hen will have long legs, too), leg thickness (a domestic blue hen will have thick legs, too), chest/neck lacing (I have seen males with this as well), face shape (come on now), "center stripe" chest feathers on males (hens can have this too). There's a lady on FB who thinks she can vent sex peafowl (you cannot, their reproductive junk is too far inside the body).

One of the ways people claim to sex birds on is tail shape. Girls will have an even tail arch, like Eris up there, and boys will have middle feathers on their tail that are taller than the ones to either side.

Except... if Citrine were a white bird with no feather markings, that would get her sexed as a male.

While it's TRUE that ADULT females have a crescent tail and males have a spade tail, until they are 2+, hens can still have the same kind of tail as the males. They're dropping so many feathers so fast as they grow, it can look like anything along the way, and by the time it stabilizes into a proper yearly molt schedule, the male's train feathers will have begin to differentiate.

The most accurate way to sex baby peafowl is blood/DNA sexing, or the LOSS of barring on the backs/wings. Barred wing males do not EVER lose their barring. For solid wing birds, it's blood/DNA sexing or looking for the arrow feathers; hens do not EVER get arrow feathers in their saddles. Anyone that ever tells you otherwise IS guessing- they might be very good at guessing, and some of the stuff it's unusual to see the opposite sex have whatever characteristic (it's /unusual/ for males to have scalloping on their neck, but it CAN happen when they're young), but it's still a best guess until you see a loss of barring or the presence of arrow feathers.

Citrine, by the way, kept her barring til she was almost 6 months old.

[agentstarkid]

REDAMANCY ✦ DR3

“The essence of "redamancy", when loving someone, resides in finding oneself wholeheartedly committed to another person. It involves investing time, effort, and emotions to build a relationship based on trust, empathy, and understanding. Redamancy emphasizes the idea of love in its purest form, where both individuals feel valued, supported, and cherished by one another. In this context, loving someone through redamancy means having an unwavering appreciation and admiration for their unique qualities and accepting them as they are, flaws and all. It entails fostering a deep emotional bond that brings joy, warmth, and fulfillment to both individuals involved. Love, translated through redamancy, is an enriching experience that nourishes and uplifts the lives of those involved, creating a sense of security, happiness, and contentment.”

✦ pairing: daniel ricciardo x famous!latina!reader

✦ type: social media au

✦ fc: becky g

✦ warnings: female!reader, covid-19 & quarantine mentions, age gap, language, slight mention of mature themes.

✦ pit wall live: holi babes! WE'RE OFFICIALLY DONE WITH 2020! 🥳 Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm feeling festive so this is a gift from me to you guys! Thank you for all the love and support 💖 if you haven't already left me one, please consider leaving me a comment to let me know if this whole thing at least makes a bit of sense (I crave validation, guys lmao) and my inbox is always open! I'm super excited for you to get to know Girlie a little bit better! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter because I sure did enjoy making those edits, don't they look so fucking cuteeeeee??? 😩💕

p.s.: keep an eye out for a name that could be important in the future 👀

─── The Joker & The Queen (Masterlist)

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

f1gossipofficial

♡ 2,345 likes

f1gossipofficial NEW WAG ALERT 🚨 After months of speculations, we can finally see them together! Daniel and Y/N arrived at the paddock for the Tuscan GP today and it's fair to say, she knows how to make an entrance 🔥 It's the first time Ricciardo introduces a WAG to the paddock 🥰

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user she's wearing heels and he's still a head taller than her 🥺 THEIR HEIGHT DIFFERENCE IS TOO FUCKING CUTE 😭❤️

user she's just a smol 🤏🏻 cinnamon roll ❤️

user2 🐍🐍🐍🐍

user3 what the fuck is she wearing? 😂 she needs to hire a stylist because she looks like a fucking clown. This reflects badly on Daniel 🤮

user she's serving Y2K style 🔥🔥🔥 also why tf would it reflect badly on him the way she dresses??? 🙄 I think she looks gorgeous!

user4 They have been together since January, but the picture of them walking next to each other is like they don't even know each other 😂

user5 can't believe Daniel hasn't dump her unfaithful ass yet 🙄 she must be really good at the things that she does on the mattress 🤮

user the only thing she's probably worth for, he might as well take advantage of it Imao

user6 The amount of hate this girl receives when all she does is just appear, no one knows her personally but ends up throwing opinions based on her looks and a couple of tabloids. Lol. Fangirls are crazy! 😂

user7 noone does it like her 😘

user8 lol he deserves so much better 🤢🐍

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OCTOBER 6, 2020

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OCTOBER 11, 2020

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yourinstagram

♡ liked by rubendias, iamcardib, danielricciardo and 8,452,325 others

yourinstagram When your birthday gift includes a podium finish you know it's gonna be an unforgettable experience! 🤩 Every year I grow I'm reminded of how precious this life is, thank you all for helping me fill it up with so much love. Your kind words and constant support means everything to me. Thank you so so so much 💕

Don't say it, don't say it, OKAY I'm saying it: I'M FEELING 22!! 😘

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salmahayek Happy birthday hermosa ❤️

danielricciardo Who needs a four-leaf clover when I've got you by my side? Just call me Danny Ricc, the luckiest bloke around! 😎

taylorswift Everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like we're 22! 🥳 Happy happy birthday my angel! There was happiness because of you 🥰

user stop acting all innocent we all know you are a fucking slut

userA yourinstagram we can tell by all the guys you let into your bed 👀

florencepugh Happy birthday to a special soul ❤️

fioamato Happiest 22nd year babe! Wish we could be together to celebrate. Te amo un mundo ❤️

sofiareyes Feliz vida reinotaaaa! 🥳🥰

user2 sos una gran ridícula 🐍

user3 stop shoving it in our faces every 5 minutes jesus christ, we already know the only way you can stay relevant is fucking your way through talented people

reesewhiterspoon Happy birthday to my favorite resident loud persona!

jvn Happiest birthday babe! Becoming friends with you has shown me a strength & kindness that is v rare. You're brave, smart AF, and the talent is next level & quite literally iconic. Grateful to know you & call you a frand!! Love you to pieces Queen! xx

llane Feliz cumpleaños hermanita 🎂 te deseo muchas bendiciones! ❤️

lilymhe as a wise woman once said: It seems like one of those nights, we ditched the whole scene and end up dreaming, instead of sleeping 💘✨

user4 Oh I didn't know it was international snakes day 🐍😂

lewishamilton happy birthday sis 💜 hope you had lots of fun x

instagram birthdays and F1 races make a winning combo

user5 I hope you are aware you're just a bed-warmer until he finds something better 😂

user6 Those who are throwing her hate, is everything okay at home? You must all be excellent people and role models 😂

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NOVEMBER 01, 2020

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NOVEMBER 16, 2020

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NOVEMBER 28, 2020

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DECEMBER 18-21, 2020

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DECEMBER 25, 2020

danielricciardo

📍Los Angeles, California

♡ liked by yourinstagram, natalie_pinkham, pierregasly and 5,242 others

danielricciardo Merry christmas to all, ya filthy animals! From me and my snuggle buddy 🎄 We've been good... mostly! 😝

Tagged: yourinstagram, corey_wilson, lukerockhold

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yourinstagram Merry Christmas from our reindeer crew! ❤️🎄

danielricciardo Santa's got it easy this year, because I've already found the perfect gift 😘

natalie_pinkham Cuties ❤️ Merry christmas guys! Sending you all the love ❤️🎄

user THEY LOOK SO FUCKING GOOD UGHH 😍

user1 she's gonna be his downfall 🤢

f1 Merry Christmas to our favorite honey badger 🦨🍯❤️

user2 please Daniel check your eyesight 😭 I mean what did you even see in Y/N

kristenanniebell Merry christmas, guys! Sending lots of love from ours to yours ❤️

user3 La pareja más bonita 😍😍 Merry christmas to us with that first photo

scottyjames31 this got me cheesing hard... I'm a bit worried for Santa if those are his reindeers though 😳

user4 Daniel!! RUN!! Don't get too close to her... she's fucking poison!! Everything she touches rots away 🐍🐍🐍

user5 MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS!! Santa should be delivering my adoption papers to you any moment now ❤️🙈

fabioquartararo20 Merry christmas brother! 🥂❤️

user6 who else lives through celebrities holiday posts? Buon Natale, Daniel and Y/N 💚

user7 dude, based on the recent news lately popping up on my feed (that I did not even care to know about), I hope you get yourself to an std clinic to get tested. I see you are in your russian roulet phase- no judgement. sincerely, I wish you the best

user8 this comment section reeks of jealousy it does not pass the vibe check at. all. 😤😤😤 it's fucking christmas guys, what the fuck is wrong with y'all leave them the fuck alone!

user9 they are so many wonderful and interesting people in the world, but you chose Y/N... disappointing. You could sincerely do so much better

user10 Love it or hate it, they are living their best life. Haters can keep commenting, but they're just a bunch of jealous basic bitches lmao ANYWAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS! Keep being fucking iconic! ❤️

user11 To all the haters out there, keep commenting. Love knows no bounds and Daniel deserves exactly who he's chosen 😘

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DECEMBER 31, 2020

yourinstagram

♡ liked by lilymhe, rubendias, greeicy and 10,652,485 others

yourinstagram Moving towards 2021 with a better mindset. Keep practicing kindness every day, guys! 💖🤗🤭

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itsvittoriasousa Queen of positivity 💁🏻‍♀️💗😘

user lmao omg love this video 🤭 such good vibes

blakelively ❤️❤️❤️

zendaya the vibes are immaculate ��🏻

lali Y QUE SE CALLE EL DECORADO 😝 Te adoro nena ❤️

user1 No me canso de verlo 😂

iamdannaschwarz A lot of palo santo to cleanse, purify and remove all negativity 🪔🧿😌🤍

user2 Por qué tan hermosaaaaaa 😍😍😍

user3 It's the palo santo and the big echeveria for me lol

user4 Love your attitude

karolg Positively divinaaa! Toda una BICHOTA 💁🏻‍♀️💗

user5 Keep it up, Queen!! Let your light blind all those negative nellies 😌 You're shinning brighter than the sun ☀✨

user6 you can't tell me her and Dan are not meant to be 😂 I bet they are so much fun to be around 🤭

─── Please don't forget to reblog and comment! ♡

[truebluewhocanoe]

Okay so I was browsing reddit (bad idea I know) for peoples' reactions to the episode and saw a theory that I think is actually gold: Ruby is the universe's anti-virus for all the hostile supernatural concepts invading the universe after the Doctor's invocation of superstition at the end of the universe.

It fits the facts perfectly, and even explains why the memory changed to have the woman (Ruby's herald, you might say) point at the Doctor in warning: the Doctor went back to save Ruby, which was good and helpful, but then decided to take her along with him- so the memory changed to say "Hey, you caused this mess, don't fuck up again and ruin my plan for cleaning up after you."

This also synthesizes really well with TV show theory: the universe is being unvaded by fantasy, yes, but specifically superstitions, in fact, you might call them fantastical tropes. So how does the universe defend itself? It quarantines the tropes within a pocket "story."

But how did the Doctor get into the story? Because we know the Doctor can kind of break the fourth wall- he's done so before, event as recently as The Star Beast (the episode immediately preceding the one where this all started!) And breaking the fourth wall into fiction, not reality, is even easier! And and, Ruby attracts coincidence (probably intentionally, on the universe's part, so that she will run into & deal with the superstitions!), so of course her magnetism is going to pull in the Doctor!

We're cracking this thing wide open y'all

[theflyindutchwoman]

No sense in arguing about it. But we're so good at arguing. I know. But I'm hoping that we're good at certain other things, as well. Oh? Want to find out right now? Yeah.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 5.12 - Death Notice

Sometimes I wonder whether this scene is real or not… I just love it so much. It's serious, it's tender, it's playful… it's sizzling. It has some of the same intimate vibes as their very first kiss, with all the dim lights and candles everywhere, while still having its own flavor. Its own identity. Like the fact that they're in the kitchen this time, with Lucy preparing dinner for them. And the domestic feels in this… Cooking is one of her love languages, her way of showing how much she cares. There was already a hint of that when she sent food to Tim during his recovery after the events at the quarantine house. And we saw her cooking for Tamara, for Angela… or for her parents to celebrate her graduation (and I'm still salty about that one). This is something that she clearly has in common with Tim, judging by the way he looks so happy while making pancakes for her or how they apparently enjoy watching cooking shows together. It's their thing and it's so nice that they finally have someone with whom they can share this… Someone who can fully appreciate it.

All this romantic ambiance doesn't prevent Lucy from still talking about the job though, and more specifically her hypothetical transfer. She wants to get that out of the way before taking that next step and she's right. She is prodding a bit, asking Tim for his input since he has yet to explicitly endorse her plan. And she has to sense that he has been deflecting a bit, delaying the decision. For good reason, of course. The way he looks so at peace with his choice when he admits that he has already asked for his transfer so she wouldn't have to leave versus how upset and distressed she is by this… The softness in his voice when he says 'that doesn't matter' when she worries about him not liking his new job… There's this thing Eric does with his voice here that is amazing. I don't know if he was sick when they filmed that scene, his voice sounds slightly different somehow, huskier… And it fits the mood so well.

But that aside, it's not like her worries are entirely baseless either. Lucy understands exactly the sacrifice he's making because she knows how much he loves patrol and the action. And this is the kind of decision that could eventually lead to resentment. At the same time, this is Tim : he knows what he is doing. It's not the first time he had to consider doing a similar thing. Only, now, he has found someone who is worth the effort. Who is worth more than his job. So it's a trade off he is willing to make without hesitation. He raises another good point : a transfer for her would most likely mean that she would have to prove herself again. It might not be a demotion per se, but she would have to pay her dues again. Besides, he has to know that this is merely temporary : he just needs to wait for a better position to open up. Whereas changing stations would be a more permanent option and would prevent them from working or spending time together at work. There's such a romantic quality in the fact that he wants to spend as much time as possible with her, even if it's just for a few minutes here and there… Honestly, the way these two always light up when they see the other at the station is so incredibly soft.

'No sense in arguing about it' - 'But we're so good at arguing' This exchange is simply perfect… It's inherently them. What started as real arguments slowly evolved into this form of flirting for them. It lost its edge and blossomed into this playfulness and teasing they have mastered a long time ago… It was their way of showing how much they cared. So it's nice to see them acknowledge it and recognise that they enjoy doing it. Even more so considering how much Lucy used to avoid arguing with Chris, because deep down, it wasn't worth it. This really underlines the difference. And her tone, her smile when she admits enjoying arguing with him… That kiss… Tim standing up… Her hand lingering… And his flirting… He's come so far from 'naked times', he's getting smoother. The little tilt of her head, teasing him… And his grin! With all the laughing lines so visible… Their little swaying… His little 'yeah', barely audible, just for them… Her big smile… How she doesn't waste any more time and takes off his shirt, one with snap buttons because he came prepared… The man understood the assignment! The way she slightly leans away from him so she can check him out (shamelessly) while he's trying to lean forward, not wanting to stop that kiss or to be so far from her… Their forehead touching… The way he gets rid of his shirt… Her freaking smile… Their hands! The way he cradles her head… Her hands roaming all over his body… Her little giggles… His hand behind her head when they hit the wall, to ensure she doesn't hurt herself… The detail of her hair against the closed door… Speaking of. 'I opened the door for you'… The imagery of opened doors since their feelings have been out, has been so strong… Well, this time, Tim gets to close it. It's really just a detail, but so symbolic.

This is the beginning of a new era for them… And what makes me so happy is how Lucy and Tim are staying true to themselves. It's really about adding another element to their relationship, not changing it.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Quarantine

Summary: Eddie and Steve are stuck in quarantine together. They try to find ways to deal with it and to pass time.

A/N: I had so much fun writing this. I hope you enjoy it. It's kind of long.

After the destruction of Vecna, things did not get better so quickly in Hawkins. Yes, Eddie survived but only barely, and it was taking longer to clear him of all of the murder charges. The gates were closed, and Hawkins was slowly rebuilding. Meanwhile, he was stuck in quarantine with Steve Harrington, not that Eddie was complaining because as it turns out . . . King Steve had only been a facade. It had been a pleasure to get to know the real Steve. Eddie was finding the whole quarantine situation weird.

"Why don't they have us all quarantined in one place again?" Eddie asked from his spot on the couch.

"Well, they wanted us to be quarantined at the old Hawkins lab, but Hopper fought against that so we're in our houses," Steve explained. "How many times do you need to hear this?"

It's been so long that Eddie had been mostly healed of all of his bat bites. He was now upside down on the couch, watching the same commercial that had just come on. Eddie wanted to throw his shoe at the TV but he figured that would make him a terrible guest.

"I'm bored. . . let's sneak out," Eddie said.

"They're watching us, Eddie," Steve said with a sigh.

"We feel fine. I am feeling no side effects of the Upside Down coming into Hawkins. . . none whatsoever," Eddie said. "We're prisoners. . . their little puppets and I swear, they're going to come in the middle of the night to have their way with us. Well, at least I'll finally lose my virginity."

"Eddie!" Steve snapped.

"What's wrong?" Eddie asked. "Are you having Robin withdrawal? I think I might be having Dustin withdrawal. I miss that kid."

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean," Steve muttered.

Eddie rolled back into a normal position and jumped off the couch.

"Let's play hide and seek!" Eddie exclaimed. "Your house is big enough to hide anywhere."

"How old are you?" he asked.

"I don't know, cut me open and count the rings," Eddie said. "Tag you're it! Close your eyes and count to twenty!"

Steve sighed before closing his eyes. Fuck it, he was bored too. He counted to twenty and opened his eyes. Eddie was nowhere to be found. He stood up and took off his shoes before heading off to find Eddie. This was so stupid, Steve thought. He looked in the kitchen, but he wasn't there. Steve went in through the main room to look at the small room where the sliding glass doors that led out to the pool. He wasn't there either. Steve's father's study was on the other side of the small room, and he walked in to find Eddie, but he wasn't there either. He made his way upstairs when he got an idea.

"Oh, I can't find Eddie anywhere. I guess he really did decide to leave. I guess that means I can finally say what's on my mind," Steve grinned. "James Hetfield sucks!"

"You take that back, Steven James Harrington!" Eddie shrieked.

Steve chuckled. Of course, he was hiding in his room. Steve opened the door to his room and smiled at the sight of his closet door slightly open. He pulled the door opened and found Eddie hiding amongst his clothes.

"I got you!" Steve shrieked.

"Goddamnit! That was a trick, wasn't it?" Eddie pouted and Steve laughed. "Mean."

"Wait, how did you know my middle name?" Steve asked.

"I stole your wallet earlier and peaked at your license," Eddie said and Steve gave him a look. "What? I was bored."

"Alright, cover your eyes, asshole," Steve said. "You're it."

A few turns later and they found themselves on the floor of the guest room that Eddie's been sleeping in. They were bored again.

"Okay, how much time has passed now?" Eddie asked.

"I don't think we even made it to thirty minutes!" Steve exclaimed.

"Fuck!" Eddie exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. "Okay, do you have any ideas?"

"I have books, we could read," Steve shrugged.

"Wait, you have books? Why the fuck didn't you tell me? Have you been hoarding them like some sort of book dragon? Steven James, are you a book dragon?" Eddie asked.

"I would tell you if I were a book dragon," Steve replied.

"Would you though?" Eddie asked and stood up. "Lead me to the books, my liege."

Steve stood up and as he did so, Eddie jumped onto his back.

"Eddie!"

"Onward, noble steed!" Eddie said. "We must find this treasure before sundown!"

He wrapped his legs around Steve and squeezed Steve with his legs. The other man sighed before heading downstairs and towards the basement. It was small, comfortable, and a lot more friendly than the rest of Steve's house. Eddie could tell that this was where the kids hung out whenever they came over. He smiled in amusement when he saw that Steve had hung up their drawings. Eddie jumped off Steve's back and ran towards the bookshelf in the back.

"Yes! You have the Hobbit!" Eddie exclaimed. "Have you read the Hobbit?"

"No," Steve said.

"Oh, boy, you are in for it," Eddie asked, and he pushed him onto the couch. "Sit and watch as I bring it to life."

A couple of hours later, Steve and Eddie woke up from a deep sleep.

"When the hell did we fall asleep?" Eddie asked. "And why are we awake? Steve, how long has it been now?"

"I think it's still the same day," he said and Eddie screamed then he stopped.

"Wait, is it close to dinner time?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah."

"Let's go make dinner!" Eddie exclaimed.

An hour later, they were back in the living room, sprawled out and clutching their stomachs.

"How long has it been now?" Eddie asked. "Is it still the same day?"

"Yes," Steve said.

"Steve, make time go by faster," Eddie said. "I command it."

"Yeah, no," Steve said.

"There's nothing on TV," Eddie said with a sigh. "Steve, have you ever kissed a guy?"

"What? No!" Steve said.

"Have you ever thought about kissing a guy?" He asked.

"Have you ever thought about it?" Steve asked.

"A little. I have kissed a girl and I did like that. Recently, I've always wondered what it would be like to kiss a guy. How different is it?" Eddie said. "I mean, my sexuality is definitely wobbly right now."

"You want to kiss me?" Steve asked with wide eyes.

"You see any other guys around? You whipping off that sweater on the boat and whipping at me definitely sparked something in me, big boy, so yeah, I definitely want to kiss you," Eddie said.

"That did something for you, did it?" Steve said, standing up. "Whipping off my shirt and throwing it at you? Do you like it when my junk hits you in the face?"

"Fuck off," Eddie laughed.

Steve whipped off his shirt and threw it at him. He walked over to Eddie and straddled his lap, hovering just slightly.

"You like this?" Steve asked softly, and Eddie nodded. "Can I kiss you?"

Eddie nodded again. Steve pushed his hair back and cupped his face, brushing his thumb over Eddie's cheekbones. He leaned in, and Eddie met him halfway, closing the gap. A shot of excitement shot through Steve as he tasted Eddie's soft lips, shivered when Eddie's skin met his as he placed his hand on the small of Steve’s back. It shot through Steve and all the way down to his dick. Yeah, Steve definitely liked it. He liked the way Eddie kissed, curious and slowly at first, but then it grew more passionate. Eddie liked it, too. Another jolt shot through him as Eddie tugged him down onto his clothed, hard dick. Eddie broke the kiss, and his hand went to his belt buckle.

"You sparked the fire, Stevie," Eddie said, grinning wickedly. "I'm adding more fuel. May I?"

"Yeah. Yes!"

TWO DAYS LATER. . .

Eddie was lying naked in Steve's bed, watching Steve sleep beside him. Eddie grinned. Poor sweetheart was worn out, and Eddie did that. Eddie traced the moles on his back and leaned down to kiss them.

"Steeevvie," Eddie sang softly.

"Mm, what?" Steve asked.

"So grumpy when you first wake up," Eddie said. "Steve, I'm bored."

Steve groaned and flopped over onto his back.

"Was I not a good enough distraction for you?" Steve said.

Eddie laughed and straddled him.

"You're definitely the best distraction ever, but this house is driving me insane. I need to get out. We have done everything that there is to do in this house, including each other. We're definitely bisexual. We kissed and fucked in every room of this house," Eddie said.

"Not my parents' room," Steve said.

"Yeah, that room scares me. There's some bad juju in there," Eddie said and paused. "Stevie, I want to take you out."

Steve sat up, placing his hands on his hips.

"What are you saying exactly?" Steve asked.

"Well, I don't want to kill you, so I'm asking. . .Steve, do you want to be my boyfriend?" Eddie said.

"Yeah, baby, I want to be your boyfriend," Steve said and flipped him over onto his back.

An hour later, after another round of sex, Eddie was lying on his back and staring at the ceiling while Steve was slowly drifting back off to sleep.

"That's it," Eddie said, throwing off the blankets and slipping out of the bed.

"Where are you going?!" Steve asked.

"To talk to them," Eddie said, storming out of the room.

"Eddie!" Steve yelled, jumping out of the bed. "You're still naked! I thought we decided to that I was the only one allowed to see you like this. . .you know, as your boyfriend! Eddie!"

Eddie walked out of the house and stood on the porch steps. A car was parked out front with two suits sitting inside.

"Hey, assholes!" Eddie yelled.

"Jesus Christ, kid! Put on some clothes and go back inside!" The suit said.

"I shan't put on any clothing until you foul beasts have let us go!" Eddie declared.

"Get the hell back inside!" The suit yelled.

"Are you going to come over here and make me?" Eddie asked. "While you're at it, why don't you get on your knees and suck my - "

The door behind him opened, and Steve pulled him inside. He slammed the door and locked it.

"Are you crazy?" Steve asked.

"That's up for debate. Wayne has threatened to get me tested a couple of times," Eddie said.

"I can't believe I like you," Steve said, smiling.

"Yeah? Do you like it when i get a little crazy?" Eddie grinned as he pressed up against Steve and started kissing his neck. "What else do you like about me?"

"You're sweet and fun. I like the way you keep me on my toes, and you make me so happy that I could scream," Steve said and then said softly, "You make me happy."

"You make me happy too. Honestly, big boy, why the hell did you even bother putting these back on?" Eddie said and pulled down his boxers.

"Again, really? You know, we're out of condoms," Steve said.

"Seriously? Already?" Eddie asked.

"You used the rest of them to start a water balloon fight with the suits yesterday," Steve said. "One of them threatened to shoot you."

"He only said that because I filled one of them with milk," Eddie said.

"Oh my god!"

Steve wondered if it was just a coincidence or if Eddie really did have anything to do with it, but the very next day, they got the call that the quarantine was over. Eddie tried to celebrate with Steve, but they were interrupted by yet another phone call. It was Dustin and Robin. They were coming over. Eddie couldn't be mad. He missed both of them. Plus, it was really cute how excited Steve was at the prospect of seeing them. Eddie and Steve swarmed them when they walked through the door, hugging them tightly.

"So, how did you guys hold up in quarantine?" Dustin asked.

"Oh, we did very well," Eddie said and shared a look with Steve, giving him a nod.

"Robin, let's go to the bathroom and talk," Steve said.

"Okay, but why the bathroom?" She asked as she walked off with him. "Steve. . .why the bathroom? Steve? . . . Oh my God!"

"Really? You couldn't have waited until we got to the bathroom to figure it out?" Steve pouted. "I was doing a thing."

"OH MY GOD!" Robin exclaimed.

"Okay. Yes, get it out," Steve rolled his eyes.

"OH. MY. GOD!"

Dustin looked over Eddie's shoulder, frowning when he saw Robin hugging Steve tightly.

"What do you think they're talking about over there?" Dustin asked.

"Oh, he's probably telling Robin that I'm fucking him," Eddie said casually.

Dustin had the misfortune to be drinking something when Eddie said that. He choked and coughed, staring at Eddie with wide eyes.

"Are you serious?"

"Yep!"

"Oh my God! I thought that you two would become best friends when I planned this, but you two becoming more is better than I could have imagined," Dustin laughed.

"What?!" Eddie asked, staring him down.

"Okay, so, uh funny story, I faked the quarantine," Dustin said.

"You faked the quarantine?!" Eddie exclaimed. "How?! Why?"

"Well, after Vecna, you and Steve seemed to be distancing each other, so I really wanted you guys to hang out, so I faked the quarantine," Dustin laughed nervously. "Also, you've been cleared of all charges."

"What?! Okay. How did you manage to keep that from me?" Eddie asked.

"I told Hop and everyone that I would tell you, but then I didn't," Dustin said sheepishly.

"Did I just hear correctly?" Steve asked, coming up behind Eddie. "You faked the quarantine?"

Eddie grabbed the hat off his head and started to hit him with it. He grabbed him roughly, kissed the top of his head, and put his hat back.

"You're lucky that everything worked out, you meddling little shit," Eddie said.

"Wait, who were the suits?" Steve asked.

"Oh, yeah, I paid Murray and Dimitri with my compensation money," Dustin said. "Murray shaved his beard and wore a wig."

"Oh, my God!" Eddie said in realization. "I bombed a Russian with water filled condoms."

[iri-desky]

Random little thing about the c!dsmp, from the perspective of a writer!

(Please note: THIS IS ABOUT THE MEDIA/ROLEPLAY! I do not support any problematic content creator involved. I am treating all individuals named in this post as their respective characters.)

I know the dsmp is over and it lives on through fandom content. But one thing that kinda irks me a little is the people who say "c!Ranboo is the protagonist" and leave it at that, and keep it that simple--well, they interest me more than anything else.

Listen. Maybe he was meant to be the protagonist. Maybe he wasn't. But one thing I do know is that one thing that made the dsmp unique is that there really wasn't any main character. Sure, there were some characters that were more side characters than others, and some characters who were the main players, but ultimately there really wasn't any main character in the lore to begin with! Everything just happened by itself and I can even suffice to say that, if there was an mc, it may have changed from arc to arc. It can all be based on interpretation, honestly. That said, if there WAS a singular mc throughout every single arc, it wasn't Ranboo. Yes, while a lot of main character jokes were made and he had a lot of close encounters with c!Dream, but from an outside narrative perspective it definitely isn't him. He wasn't even present in the smp for the first few arcs! If it's anyone, it's c!Tommy. c!Tommy is LITERALLY the character that started it all and was the person who turned the dsmp from "funny random server that we made during quarantine because we're bored" to " lore filled epic of massive proportions". Everything started when HE joined, and most of the arcs happen because of him. "But Iri, isn't it the same/ similar with c!Dream?" That's different, actually--c!Dream gives c!Tommy an obstacle. He antagonizes him and bounces off of him and consequently the rest of the server. No matter what arc it is, c!Tommy is almost always in the middle of it all. He's always caught in the crossfire and strongly related to the current arc. While other characters may be focused on for certain arcs and get more of the spotlight sometimes, it all ultimately circles back to him. As a writer, THAT'S what a main character looks like to me.

C!Tommy was pretty clearly the main character, if there was any at all. As much as I love c!Ranboo, he really doesn't qualify to me! As for c!Tommy's actions, Tommy isn't a hero but he isn't quite a villain either. Every character in the dsmp is very grey (phenomenally so). But Tommy is at the center of the plot. And the way he IS, his personality, and his arc, fundamentally reflects the nature of the dsmp as a whole, how his chaotic innocence turned into bleak cynicism with extremely careful optimism. He's affected by almost every major arc in the plot, and experiences the brunt of the conflict across the server. He was the one who initially owned the disc's. He's directly related to the man who blew up l'manburg, the blood god himself, and a personal enemy of the literal god of the server who is chasing him for his disc's--his disc's literally started a whole war. He IS the reason that the server is the way it is.

That said, the perception of who the protagonist is could differ depending on the viewer. Specifically, I'm talking about the exact medium of the dsmp. It's via roleplay in live twitch streams--as such, depending on how you first experienced any given event, and from what perspective you quite literally watched it through (i.e., Ranboo's streams, Tommy's streams, Punz' streams), you might view the dsmp very differently and understand the plot and its innerworkings with various nuances. I personally bounced between content creators and gave a lot of different ones the time of day, and watched a lot of clips, so I have somewhat of a detached view of it-- however, it can easily differ to other people.

I'd absolutely love to hear you guys' interpretation on who may have been the protagonist, who could've been the antagonist, who were the main characters, who were heroes, and who were villains, and more. In fact, I'd love to hear your opinions in the replies. That being said, this is all my two cents from a narrative perspective.

Okay, I'm done.

[melishade]

Attack on Prime New Age Anthology: Returning Home

Main Story

Released from Quarantine

Reunions

Game Plan

The humans go back to the AOT world.

"Bag?" Jack asked.

"Check!" Miko showed the bag.

"Phone and portable charger?"

"Check!" Miko showed her phone and charger.

"Comm. link?"

"Check!" She pulled back her hair to reveal the ear-piece.

"Water?"

"Check!" she showed the water bottle, "And snacks!"

"Obviously we're strapped." Jack gestured to their bullet proof suits and the guns around their waist.

"Invincible baby!" Miko placed two peace signs in front of her eyes and winked.

"Um, why do we have to where these under our shirts?" Willy asked as he pulled up his shirt to reveal black armor similar to that of Jack and Miko's.

"Even though all of you helped out during the Rumbling, there's probably not going to be a lot of people who see it that way and might want to kill you," Rafael explained as he put on his lab coat, "Those are bullet proof vests designed from very advanced materials, so it should protect against something as simple as a pistol or rifle from your world."

"It feels a little uncomfortable," Kenshin confessed.

"You'll get used to it," Rafael reassured, "A lot of bullet proof vests open to the public are very thick and heavy. These are supposed to be thinner and flexible so it won't be noticed by the average person."

"I like it!" Sasha declared.

"Thanks, Sasha," Rafael said to her.

"Bummed that I don't get one," Jean commented as he wheeled up to everyone else.

"Are you sure he can't come with us?" Armin asked Jack.

"It's better if he stays behind and focuses on his recovery," Jack answered, "Raf will be making you a new leg, and you'll have to learn how to walk again, but once you're able to make a full recovery, you can come and help out. Just reach out to Agent Fowler or my mom."

"Thanks," Jean said.

"Dude, Fowler's your stepdad." Miko placed an arm over his shoulder, "You don't have to be formal like-!"

"Let's go to the Nemesis!" Jack shouted before walking away, his face red with embarrassment.

"Fowler's his stepdad?" Onyankopon asked in surprise while Miko was snickering.

"Yeah, Jack's got some hiccups about it still. I don't know why," Rafael sighed.

"Bye Jean." Sasha kneeled down and hugged him, "We'll make sure to find Mikasa."

"I hope so," Jean whispered as he let Sasha go. Jean and Rafael continued to wave goodbye to the others as they walked out of Unit E to the sight of a military base in the desert.

"I do hope that my family will be taken care of here," Willy commented.

"They'll be fine." Miko shrugged.

"Hanji's probably upset that they won't be able to join us," Onyankopon added.

"They broke out of quarantine, so they gotta pay the price for it," Jack declared as he finished typing away on his phone. He locked the screen and put the device away in his bag before the spacebridge opened up in front of all of them.

"...Just looking at it is making me nauseous," Kenshin declared.

"Yeah, it would have been better to start you guys off with a groundbridge, but groundbridges only go so far," Jack explained before beckoning them forward, "Let's go!"

Everyone followed Jack through the spacebridge. They ignored the headaches and nausea that they were feeling as they made it safely to the other side, right on top of the Nemesis. The humans were taken aback by the soldiers and medical professionals still running around trying to provide food, water, and medical aid to these people. However Jack and Miko remained unfazed.

"How mad do you think Buckethead is having all the humans on his old ship?" Miko grinned at Jack.

"I genuinely don't know anymore," Jack confessed as he and the others walked forward into the hallway.

"I'm sorry, this belonged to Megatron?" Willy ran up to Jack to ask the question.

"Yep, the Decepticon Warship," Jack explained, "The Autobots had a base in Jasper, Nevada while Megatron had this thing flying around the planet and into space."

"It's so...dreary," Willy commented.

"Yeah, well the Decepticons were all about 'Death, Destruction, Mayhem!'" Miko shouted, scaring a few of the people, "Might as well match the aesthetic."

"It's a poor design choice," Kenshin proclaimed, causing Miko to laugh.

"How many Decepticons lived on this ship?" Armin couldn't help but ask.

"We never really got a head count, but we are friends with a lot of them now," Jack explained.

"I'm sorry, friends?" Onyankopon asked in surprise.

"STEVE! SKARMORY!" Miko waved in delight at the two titans slowly walking down the hall to avoid the humans. The other humans couldn't help but notice the similarities between the two, like their build and faces and claws. However, one of them had wheels in their shoulders and was purple, while the other was silver and had the wings of a plane.

"Miko, help!" The purple one begged.

"Alright everyone move it! Let the titans pass!" She shouted as she ran towards them.

"You're friends with former Decepticons?" Sasha asked in surprise, "I thought you guys hated them."

"There were a lot of Decepticons that were victims of war and Megatron, and really doing what they could to survive," Jack explained as they walked towards the two titans, "Some vehicons like them were in terrible positions before they joined up with Megatron. Didn't really have much of a choice in what they wanted before the war and during it. It's an Autobot driven Cybertron, but the council has been doing their best to provide fair and balanced views for both Autobots and Decepticons. They were trying to honor Optimus' wishes for peace."

"Alright, pathway's clear!" Miko gestured to the hallway.

"Thanks," The purple one said, "All of these humans are...new."

"They're gross," The silver one declared.

"Hey, be nice, Skarmory!" Miko scolded him.

"Look, I can handle two, maybe three humans, not this!" Skarmory declared, "It's like watching what you humans called ants crawling everywhere."

"I am a feisty ant and I do bite!" Sasha raised her hand.

"This is Steve." Jack pointed to the purple one who happily waved 'hello', "And Skarmory." The silver one reluctantly waved 'hello'. All the other humans nervously waved at them.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you guys cleared your tasks months ago and were off the hook for war crimes," Miko asked as them.

"There are a few other vehicons that need their crimes cleared and the council thought it was a good idea to have two 'outstanding vehicons'." Skarmory put the word into air quotes, "Help serve as an example and keep the vehicons motivated."

"I mean...it's nice to do some honest work and not get blasted at," Steve shrugged.

"I would prefer the mines over this!" Skarmory yelled.

"Do you guys happen to know where Ratchet and Ultra Magnus are?" Jack asked.

"Ratchet's back on Cybertron," Steve explained, "Ultra Magnus is in the deck of the ship with Wheeljack and Bulkhead-!"

"OOOO! Let's see them first! I haven't seen Wheeljack in three years!" Miko exclaimed.

"To the deck!" Steve pointed forward.

Willy couldn't help but feel out of place as the titans and the two humans continued their conversation. The 104th and Onyankopon didn't seem bothered by their environment, or the two titans talking like regular people. Even Kenshin was accepting of the scene before him. This new world was so chaotic, something he never even dreamed of. Willy snapped out of his thoughts when he saw the door open and was met with the sight of the control room of the ship that he was one just a month ago. He saw those familiar titans: Ultra Magnus, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack typing away and driving the ship, along with a few more of these 'vehicons'.

"WHEELJACK!" Miko screamed causing Wheeljack to snap his helm towards her.

"MIKO!" the Wrecker grinned as Miko bolted towards him. He kneeled down and the agent hugged his arm.

"Dude! You're okay!" Miko smiled as she let him go.

"Yeah, my injuries weren't too bad compared to 'Cee's," Wheeljack explained, "And look at you. You traded your Wrecker outfit for a boring uniform."

"Oh c'mon! Don't give me that! The U.S. military is strict! And I was forced to remove the pink in my hair! This!" Miko gestured to her half-shaven head, "Is the best defiance I can get right now!"

Wheeljack snickered in response before turning his attention to the 104th. He was surprised to see them as he walked over to them and kneeled down.

"You guys are okay." Wheeljack sighed with relief.

"...most of us are," Sasha mumbled.

"Yeah, I heard...I'm sorry," Wheeljack apologized.

Sasha took a deep breath to hide her tears before nodding.

"Where are the others?" Wheeljack asked.

"Still on Earth," Armin explained, "Levi and Jean are still in the hospital, Erwin is watching over the both of them and Hanji has to stay on Earth for longer because they broke out of quarantine."

"Heh. Nice." Wheeljack smirked.

"That behavior should not be encouraged," Ultra Magnus warned as he walked up to the humans. He then turned his attention to the two vehicons, "Can the two of you man the ship?"

"Yes, sir." Steve went to take over Ultra Magnus' post while Skarmory reluctantly took over Wheeljack's post.

"I apologize for the chaos before you," Ultra Magnus said, "Your world's apocalyptic events has left many locations in shambles. We are doing our best to rectify the problem."

"Are there any world leaders that you have found that as still alive, sir? People I can get into contact with?" Willy asked.

"I assume that you are Willy Tybur," Ultra Magnus addressed.

"Yes, and this is Kenshin Tenno: the new emperor-!"

"I have no idea if I'm the ruler of anything," Kenshin cut him off.

"Your name is Tenno?" Ultra Magnus asked him.

"Yes, why?" Kenshin pressed.

"We do have some world leaders that we've come into contact with, only one of them has been willing to really speak to us. A woman under the name of Kiyomi Azumabito," Ultra Magnus explained.

Kenshin gasped and covered his mouth while the 104th snapped their heads to Ultra Magnus in shock.

"Kiyomi? She's still alive?!" Historia exclaimed.

"You are familiar with her?" Ultra Magnus asked them.

"We were becoming allies with Hizuru through her," Armin explained, "But the fact that she's alive...she must've stayed on the island during the Rumbling and left once it was over."

"We can ask her about Paradis!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Where is my aunt?!" Kenshin demanded.

"I understand your urgency, but we still need to speak with Arcee and bring-!"

The door opened once again, and everyone turned to see Arcee standing there, looking alive and healthy. Next to her pedes were Annie and-!

"Ymir!" Historia ran towards her.

"Histori-Hmp!" Historia kissed Ymir dead on the lips before Ymir picked her up and spun her around.

"Uh...."

"Say a word and I hit you," Miko warned Willy.

"...Hey," Armin addressed Annie. Annie turned her attention to Armin and was genuinely relieved to see him alive.

"Hey." Annie couldn't help but smile.

"...you two good?" Jack asked them with a raise eyebrow.

"Yeah, we're fine." Armin regained his composure with Annie coughed into her hand. Armin; however, noticed that there was a cut on Annie's thumb that didn't heal, "Your finger!"

Annie looked down at the cut on her thumb and smiled a little. "Yeah...the power of the titans is officially gone. We're just ordinary people."

"Really?" Historia looked at Ymir with a smile on her face.

"Yeah," Ymir nodded.

"It's gone? The Eldians...are free?" Willy asked in surprise.

"Okay! Happy! Fine! My aunt! Let's go!" Kenshin interjected.

"Hey, Kenshin, calm down," Jack told him.

"My aunt is alive! I need to get to her!" Kenshin yelled at him.

"Bulkhead, come with us to help with construction!" Ultra Magnus ordered the Wrecker.

"You sure?" Bulkhead turned to look at his Commander.

"The vehicons can keep the ship in the sky. The humans on the ground need some assistance," Ultra Magnus declared.

"Alright, you guys got this." Bulkhead stepped away from the console and waved to the vehicons.

"Bye Bulkhead!" Steve waved goodbye as the Autobots and the humans left the main deck and continued down the hall. Wheeljack picked up Miko and placed her on her shoulder, letting the girl excitedly ramble on about what had been happening since he was gone. Jack couldn't help but smile at that before turning his attention to Arcee. He was going to speak to her to say hi after all this time, but the Autobot had turned her attention to Sasha.

"I heard about what happened. How are you feeling?" She asked her.

"...I still feel like I want to drown," Sasha admitted in a hushed tone, "And I'm just trying to hide it."

"It'll feel like that for a while, but it'll pass and you'll be able to accept it," Arcee reassured, "I promise."

Jack noticed the way that Sasha smiled at her sadly and decided to withhold his conversation for another time. Meanwhile, Armin couldn't help but notice the way that Jack stared at Arcee and Sasha, but decided to refrain from saying anything. He then noticed a shiny, red, titan walking down the hall, typing away on a datapad in his servo. Armin saw him open a door as they passed the room, and he gasped at the sight of Megatron lying down on the berth. He had lost his left arm and there was a tube connected to his chest. His right arm and legs were cuffed to the berth, and his optics were shut, clearly not awake for any of this.

Armin was about to step inside the room, but someone grabbed his wrist before the door shut. Armin snapped his head back, but froze when he saw Jack staring at him in warning. He shook his head silently, but didn't let go of him. Armin stared at the hand holding him and took a deep breath before calming down, allowing Jack to let go of him before they continued following Ultra Magnus.

Ultra Magnus opened the door to a room filled with metal cubes. He sent a silent message to the vehicons, and the humans gasped at the sight of the floor opening up to reveal the ground so far below. A yellow tube then appeared and shot down towards the ground below before a yellow platform appeared directly in front of them.

"Step on. This will take us to the ground." Ultra Magnus stepped onto the platform.

The Autobots stepped onto the platform with ease while the rest of the humans were hesitant at the idea. Jack was the first to step on before offering his hand to them. Armin took a deep breath before stepping forward and taking Jack's hand. Jack pulled him onto the platform, and Armin couldn't help but sigh with relief at the feeling of stability. The other humans slowly followed and stood on the platform. They jolted when the platform moved and went down the yellow tube. The closer they got to the ground, the more that Armin could see. He saw a refugee camp, damaged buildings, people on the ground providing food and clothes, the large footprints caused by the Colossal Titans.

They...they were home.

Kenshin peered down the elevator to try and spot Kiyomi on the ground. But he couldn't tell with this many people in one location. It was like looking at Kyoto through the top of the palace. The lower they descended the clearer their faces got, and Kenshin gasped at the sight of a familiar woman with two tall guards standing in front of the yellow tube. The platform hit the ground and the yellow energy disappeared, allowing Ultra Magnus and the Autobots to step off.

"Ultra Magnus," Kiyomi greeted the titan.

"Azumabito," he replied in kind.

"You've returned earlier than I anticipated. I hope it's some good-!" Kiyomi's words died in her throat when she saw Kenshin push his way past the other humans, "K-!...Kenshin?"

"Auntie!" Kenshin cried as he nearly tripped over the metal running forward. Kiyomi broke face as she embraced her nephew, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Huh, that's probably why you didn't give him scrap," Wheeljack whispered to Ultra Magnus.

"Many have been traumatized by these events," Ultra Magnus reasoned, "Pulling ranks is insulting for something like this. They are not even soldiers. They're civilians."

"What are you doing here?! How did you even get here?!" Kenshin released his aunt, "I thought you were somewhere else! I-!"

"I made a call to stay on Paradis when I heard the political turmoil on the island, I didn't realize that Eren had enacted the Rumbling! And I was afraid to sail into the waters while the Colossal Titans were in there!" Kiyomi explained, "I'm sorry, but I had to wait until the Rumbling was far enough to sail across the water! There was so much damage I didn't know where to stop!"

"Mom and dad!" Kenshin was wrecked by sobs, "Abba and Amma are gone!"

"I know." Kiyomi nodded solemnly before grabbing his face, "I know Kenshin, but you are alive! You are alive and that what's they wanted more than anything!"

Kiyomi embraced Kenshin as the two continued to cry in sorrow and happiness. As they continued to grieve, Armin realized something. It sounded like Kiyomi didn't reach Hizuru. Or maybe she avoided it. She struggled to find a place to land...but...she somehow knew that Taisho and Katsuko were dead? That didn't make sense. How did she hear that information?

"Ambassador," Armin spoke up as he approached them. Kiyomi looked up at him a little annoyed and wanting to focus on her nephew.

"How did you know about the Emperor and Empress' death?" Armin asked. "Did someone from Hizuru tell you?"

Kiyomi thought it over before reluctantly shaking her head. "No...Mikasa told me."

Armin's mouth dropped at that.

"Right before she asked me to take her back to Paradis," Kiyomi explained.

"Mikasa's on Paradis?!" Sasha exclaimed, "How did you even find her?!"

"I ran into her by chance...and she told me everything," Kiyomi explained, "I offered her a boat ride back to Paradis before coming back here and meeting Ultra Magnus for the first time."

"That's good," Jack chimed in, "We don't have to search the whole world for her. She's alive and she's on Paradis."

"Can we please see her?!" Armin asked Jack, "Please!"

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Kiyomi wiped her tears, "When I found her...the poor girl looked so miserable. She...she felt so guilty about..." She turned her attention to the nephew crying in her arms and hugged him tighter.

Jack sighed. "Look, Armin, she's on Paradis. Meaning we can try to find her while checking on the political state of the island."

"I also need to check on my father and make sure he's alright," Annie informed.

"If you know where he is, then we can check on him first," Jack reasoned.

"As of right now, we have brought him and the Tybur." Ultra Magnus gestured to Willy as he stepped forward.

"Willy," Kiyomi greeted with a neutral expression, "...I heard about your sister...I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies," Willy insisted.

"The Tybur will serve as an ambassador to help mitigate tensions between titan and human," Ultra Magnus declared.

"I understand." Kiyomi let Kenshin go as he continued to wipe his tears, "I will help you get into contact with them."

Armin wanted to protest but everyone was already moving along and following Kiyomi. He looked back up to the ship, wondering how Megatron even was before sighing in defeat. Addressing the effects of the Rumbling mattered more. He had to help. Armin followed the others behind without another word; however, his thoughts were screaming at him.

Where on the island was Mikasa? And was she alright?

(So a lot going on. The humans are back on the AOT world. A few cameos from my AUs. We finally know where Mikasa is! Now, there's still two more parts to the anthology and after that, and then I will be working on the next chapter! Next part of the anthology will be going back to Cybertron for a moment!)

[dragon-communion]

Okay so here's my wild speculation on the DLC.

The major fault in the current Golden Order, and what caused it to fall to shit, is the separation of life from death. Marika tries to hold the land in a ceaseless golden age, a ceaseless citrinitas, that is entirely unsustainable, though she supports it well with bread and circuses. That's the point of coliseums- turning conflict into entertainment, and her early reign was very characterized by war. Hence marrying Hoarah Loux, and then civilizing him into Godfrey to maintain her preferred image.

I digress.

Elden Ring has a constant theme of twins and duality. Malenia and Miquella. To a certain extent, Ranni and Godwyn. Marika and Radagon. But we know that there's something false and unnatural about Marika/Radagon, or else their children wouldn't have been cursed.

Here's my opinion on the childhood curses:

I think omen children come from making babies the "primal" way. I think Marika literally banged Godfrey, and the result was omen children. It's said that omens could happen in any family, and I really think that's because it's unnatural to have babies come from tree amber or flowers or whatever, so people would do it the animal way sometimes, and then omens would happen. Sex has just been... phased out of the Lands Between entirely by the time we get there, to the point that hugging Fia is "vulgar".

Marika and Radagon, no matter what the real origin of their duality, are incomplete somehow. They don't count as two people anymore. Children born of a singular god leave room for a second influence to attach to them regardless. We don't know what attached itself to Miquella. Based on the trailer, his "fate" involved St. Trina somehow, but we really don't know enough about what she is to him or what her real goals were. Malenia, obviously, had the metaphorical gap in her filled by Scarlet Rot.

However.

Each of Marika's children has expressed a variation of Death. She excised Death from her Order- now Malenia presents with Rot, Miquella has some affinity for Sleep, Godwyn is the Prince of Death (yes it was Ranni's fault, but still), Melina has something to do with Destined Death and has that strange eye.

I don't think that's an accident.

I think the seduction/betrayal mentioned in the trailer involves Marika's own duality. Separating light from shadow, life from death. She's the light. The Lands Between are bathed in light. She tried to peel out the pips in Yin and Yang and deny that each exists within the other. And following Fromsoft's theme of endless light and endless life probably being a horrible idea, it's all breaking down now.

The Numen are stated to have come from a different land, possibly a different world. Marika's people. What if the Land of Shadow is where the Numen came from? What if it's only called the Land of Shadow because she tried to quarantine everything that would obstruct her light there, and then she left her most fanatic son there to play Satan and burn the unworthy forever in a hell away from her and her Order?

I'm not sure what Miquella is looking for there, though he obviously is searching, but I think it would make sense if he's looking for the Gloam Eyed Queen. Yes, he probably feels pity for everyone subjected to Messmer, and I think he would support the idea of helping the people there, but his chief motivation has always been his sister and their curse, and I think it would be a wild departure of character for him to abandon Malenia. His flesh, sure. His power, sure. But unless we're wildly mistaken about who and what he is, Miquella's interests involve defying the gods and fate so that he can cure his sister. And who would be more diametrically opposed to Marika than the Gloam Eyed Queen, the woman who specialized in killing gods?

She obviously might be dead, but death doesn't really seem to be stopping anyone from being present or causing problems.

I think Miquella is investigating the nature of Death and Shadow, because the existence of these things proves an existence outside of the Order and Light, and therefore something removed from the influence of an outer god. Hell, he has to make us his own sites of grace, from what it looks like.

What do you think?

[triforce-of-mischief]

[@hyah-lian requested a sickfic prompt; Far/Rabbit/Ordon down with the flu and ending up with grumpy cuddles]

****

Their tent was a miserable place to be. Rabbit stood his ground near the entrance, arguing with Smith to let him out. If it wasn't for whoever was their assigned guard at the moment, Far would've snuck out a while ago, and Ordon was likely to follow. At least he had a tent. Though company wasn't preferable, he had chosen his companions so this was who Far was stuck with.

Only Minish, the lucky thing, had managed to avoid the sickness that the other three had woken up with. They were trapped in their quarantine until they got better or the rest of the group came down with it too.

Rabbit broke into a fit of coughing, inadvertently letting Smith win. He collapsed onto his bedroll, breathing hard after it passed.

"They won't let me out," Rabbit groaned. "Not even to get some water. We're to ask for it to be brought to us."

"C'mon, we can't have everybody getting sick," Far said tiredly, and glanced at Ordon.

Far and Ordon had butted heads earlier, when they had noticed each others' predicaments. Ordon had been so overbearing that Far had been freaked out a bit, but he had retaliated by simply giving Ordon the exact same treatment. Ordon had shifted to his wolf form after his attempts to coddle Far were thwarted, and they had retreated to opposite corners of the tent.

Ordon gave a weak growl. Far gave him a lopsided grin right back.

"But I can still do things!" Rabbit protested. "Look at me, I'm fine! I'm barely sick!"

"You'll hit your fever soon enough," Far said, and Ordon huffed agreement.

Rabbit coughed again, and Far made a considering noise.

"Hey Ordon, what say we both get what we want?" Far said quietly, gesturing at Rabbit.

Ordon flicked an ear and heaved himself up. He crept behind Rabbit, who was completely unaware, and easily took his sleeve between his teeth. He gently tugged and Rabbit had no choice but to stumble over to where Far was waiting.

"Ordon, don't you dare!" Rabbit hissed as Ordon slipped behind him and shoved him into Far's arms. "Far, you're roasting, now isn't the time for cuddles-"

Far laughed softly, holding his squirming partner tight. "We're all stuck in here together, we might as well."

[whatiwillsay]

What if the love story in folklore is either Taylor spending time with Matty in a Joe intermission, or Joe doing something similar.

It adds meaning to the “he wasn’t a fool” convo from long pond between Jack and Taylor. If Jack is saying Taylor wasn’t a fool to spend time with him at a point when things were over. It also links with Taylor’s songs with MH being about being children.

Though there might also be something to Betty’s “show up at my party”, and “crashed my party in your rental car”.

Teenage love triangle needs revisiting!

so taylor says "my husband is cheating" and "We learned thе right steps to different dancеs, And fell victim to interlopers' glances" on the album about joe so I definitely think our long-running suspicion that joe cheated on taylor is confirmed but I think taylor also owns up to her OWN missteps and I think the folklore love triangle is a comment on all of that, not JUST taylor's affair with matty.

i don't think you can just one for one fill in the characters of the love triangle with three concrete people (like for example I've seen people say betty is taylor, halsey is august, james is matty or something like that)

i think they're all vibey songs- cardigan is taylor's perspective of what it's like to have someone from your past come back to you and make you feel better. i do think this song, in general, according to taylor, is about matty showing back up while joe was letting her down if we're going to believe what she said on eras tour (this is about you, you know who you are, I love you).

but i do think betty is taylor and joe talking to each other, both apologizing for cheating.

and i think august is ALSO taylor's perspective perhaps talking about how she felt about being the other woman to matty's partner (fka twigs?) but also I think she may have been trying to take into consideration the feelings of whoever joe cheated on her with.

remember, taylor's team confirmed that taylor and joe were on and off for a long time and had broken up before the big confirmed break up in April of 2023 and I've of course had tea confirming they broke up many times as well. i think one of these iterations was over quarantine (I have heard they got couples counseling in 2020). hence them writing songs like betty, exile, ch probs, and coney island together! and of course, taylor writing songs like illicit affairs and ivy along with the love triangle songs (and also tolerate it and happiness IMO were just about struggles with joe).

i think one of these breakups had to do with matty and also perhaps infidelity on joe's part but they worked it out and wrote songs together to cope and taylor wrote a bunch of songs about infidelity to process and understand it all.

the way the house in ivy burns down at the end and then taylor lights the lover house on fire and burns it down on eras tour to me is just chef's kiss. and it just ALL comes together on ttpd don't get me started on matty's matches in loml ("your arson's match your somber eyes") and all the other connections to folkmore/the love triangle.

i think most of folkmore is about these affairs and the failures of taylor and joe's relationship (while still trying to come back together and heal it with songs like evermore and willow and long story short). you can't really blame her for hiding it all in a fictional setting given how the public would have commented on the drama esp if she and joe were trying to work it out!

i comment a lot on all of this in my Learning the Lore of TTPD series part I is here on spotify and here on apple podcasts!

[writtenonreceipts]

Rowaelin Month Day Six: Forced Proximity @rowaelinscourt

link to masterlist here

She is a mess because I wrote her in one day between doing my real job and trying not to cry xoxo

Warnings: mild covid references/quarantine days, very poorly edited

level of concern (tell me we're alright)

The apartment was too small.  Aelin hadn’t noticed it until now, but two rooms and a single bathroom with a kitchen that easily melted into the living room was hardly enough space for two people.  Two people who hated each other.

Aelin threw herself down on the couch, gripping her coffee in one hand.  She’d long ago mastered the art of equilibrium where any sort of caffeine was involved so she didn’t spill anything as she sprawled across the plush cushions.  Groaning, she leaned her head back and tried, so very hard, not to lose her ever loving mind.

It was only week three of quarantine and she was going insane.

She missed going outside whenever she felt like it.  She missed going shopping.  She missed her friends.  She missed people.  Instead, she was trapped here with the one person she did not want to be.

“Do you always have to sound like a dying whale?” A very unamused voice called from the kitchen table, a grand ‘ol four steps away.

Aelin flashed a single finger over the top of the couch.  She got a grunt of disapproval in return.

“It’s eight twenty-two, well outside of your precious quiet hours,” she informed her roommate. “I can do whatever I want.”

Another grunt.

Aelin shifted to peek over the couch to glare. “You sound like a dying walrus.”

And Rowan Whitethorn promptly choked on his cereal.  Two days in a row—Aelin was on a winning streak.

When Aelin first moved to Doranelle three months ago, her plan was to have her own apartment, a dog, a perfect new job, and a social life.  What she got was a crash landing with her nemesis, no dog, the worst job known to man, and quarantine.

She and Rowan had been at each other's throats since they met one fateful night at a bar.  Rowan spilled beer on her, an accident, and promptly insulted her two minutes later after trying to hit on her.

As it turned out, he was friends with Aelin’s old roommates' boyfriends.  She should have known he was the worst considering he and Lorcan Salvaterre got on.  

The bar scene ended with a fight, more beer spillage (on purpose), and a promise of vengeance.

Unfortunately for Aelin, her prospective lease fell through and she would have been homeless if not for the extra room in Rowan’s apartment.  And then covid struck and Aelin was trapped.

Hence, her beached whale position (and sounds) from the couch.  Life was one cosmic joke after another.

“You don’t always have to make your presence known, y’know,” Rowan commented as he pretended, he hadn’t almost had multi-grain Wheaties shooting out of his nose.

“Of course I do,” Aelin argued, “how else can I annoy you before quiet hours begin?”

His green eyes flashed and he rose from his seat at the table, already dressed in a button up and slacks.  For Zoom meetings.  Like a lunatic.  If he’d been wearing a tie she would have teased him for it.  Of all things the man should still be in shorts and a t-shirt.  At least the button up stretched in interesting ways over Rowan’s broad shoulders.  He might have been the bane of her existence but he was nice to look at.

“Don’t you have a job?” he asked, putting his dishes in the sink. “Ah, I forgot, you don’t.”

“Freelance writing is a job,” Aelin said.  She sat up straighter so she could better glare at him. “It’s not my fault things have slowed down.”

Indeed, Aelin’s literature degree had taken a hit given the state of the world right now.  She’d hoped she would have a job at a major publishing company or magazine or something.  Instead, she’d been rejected from job after job and was trying to write freelance articles to keep up on rent.  It…wasn’t going well.  Which had led her to content creating for Instagram.  She read books and talked about them and it kept her somewhat sane.  Until Rowan mocked her for it.

“Rent’s due on the fifth!” he called as he disappeared down the hall to his room to shut in for his work day to begin.

Aelin had no idea what he did, only that it involved not having a sense of humor.  Something with marketing?  But his degree was in history if Elide was right…

She shrugged and took a long sip of her coffee.  She had less than twenty minutes before quiet hours started at eight-forty and ended at five thirty when the work day ended and she had every intention of making as much noise as possible.

…

Rowan knew he was an ass.  He’d always been known as the asshole throughout high school, college, the steps in-between.  Even his friends often thought he was worse than Lorcan.  Lorcan of all people.

Granted, ever since Elide came into the picture, Lorcan had mellowed out and even smiled once a week.

Rowan found scowling to be more beneficial.  Especially when it came to getting Sam Cortland to shut up in the daily staff meetings they had over Zoom.

His degree was in art history and appraising--a limited degree where all he’d wanted to do was work in a museum organizing exhibits.  Not writing legal documents for rich men to take art from their rightful owners.

The irony was not lost on him that perhaps he shouldn’t give Aelin such a hard time about her job and the fact she wasn’t using her degree very much.  

The only problem was he’d dug himself into a hole and now he had no idea how to get out.

Aelin, for all eccentricities, was smart and did work hard.  She was doing everything possible to stay afloat--sarcasm included.

Their first meeting at the bar had only gone so miserable because Rowan didn’t know when to shut up and apparently had a unique skill of insulting beautiful women.  What a time to learn that.

English?  Isn’t that the easiest thing to study?

She should have slapped him and not just dumped beer in his lap.

Rowan leaned back in his seat as the project manager started talking over the new contract that would be drawn up between a client and their acquisitions.  It continued on for too long and Rowan just wanted to get back to his own assignments.  By the time late afternoon rolled around, he was ready to log off and be done for the day.

He’d always considered himself to be a homebody, but this was getting ridiculous.  He wanted to be out doing things.  But the trails were closed, his friends were spread out over the country, and there was the risk of a disastrous illness running amuck.

So he was trapped in an apartment with Aelin Galathynius.  The place had always felt enormous until she’d moved in.  But she had a way of filling every space she occupied.  Other than the various bathroom accouterments she had there were the dozens of fleece blankets, the books, the personality.  Even he had to admit she was different from anyone he’d met before.

Unfortunately, she was very good at holding grudges.

He’d tried apologizing for getting off on the wrong foot when she first moved in, but her mind was already made up.  Then came the way she was loud, talkative, rambunctious.  Quarantine was not meant for her.  After one day he’d realized that she needed space and freedom and the ability to do whatever she wanted.  The jury was still out on how he felt about that.

He was finally able to mute his other coworkers when a loud crash echoed from the kitchen.  Rowan rolled his eyes.  It was two, so of course Aelin was getting snacky.  He’d clocked her eating habits and quickly learned she needed to eat at least eight times a day to be in a good mood.  Seven of those times had to involve chocolate.

She had been doing better at keeping quiet while he was in his zoom meetings so Rowan tried to control his ire.  Really, she hadn’t been a bad roommate.  She’d tried to keep the peace between them and even offered to include him on DoorDash orders.  All of her orders were from the local dessert shop and Rowan didn’t eat much sugar so that didn’t help matters.   

Another crash from the kitchen followed by the patter of feet to the linen closet.

“Damndamndamndamn,” Aelin chanted as she went.

Rowan froze.  She’d broken his sink again, hadn’t she?  He glanced at his computer but no one was paying attention, all engaged in their own work.  Besides, he could step away from a minute if he needed to.

Standing, Rowan slipped into the hall and down to the kitchen.  He braced himself for anything and everything.  Knowing Aelin there could be a dead body.

What he was completely unprepared for was the settling plume of flour and mess of various baking items scattered around the kitchen.

“What the hell are you doing?” he blurted before he could stop himself.

Aelin turned from the counter, her blonde hair spilling out of a messy bun.  Her t-shirt and shorts (that showed off her lean legs) were covered in a mix of flour and butter, her face smudged too.  He knew he should stop staring.  Really, he’d seen her first thing in the morning looking like the walking dead and in the middle of the night crying to Taylor Swift.  And now, covered in flour, eyes wide with panic.  He would admit it only to himself and deny it if anyone asked him--but she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“It’s cookie Friday,” Aelin said, she had a towel in one hand, spatula in the other.  A bottle of vanilla was tipped over as she was trying to mop up the mess. ���Sorry.”

“You hate cooking, or baking, or anything involving an oven,” Rowan reminded her.

“Which is why I’m only going to eat the dough raw,” Aelin said, voice growing quieter with each word.  Her blue eyes were comically wide as she gestured around the kitchen. “Then the thing exploded and the other thing tipped over and it turned into a mess and I was trying to be quiet because you are a grumpy buzzard, even on Fridays, and I know you’re at work but I really needed cookies.”

Aelin continued to look at him with her large eyes as she offered a sympathetic shrug of her shoulders.  

"Sorry?"

Rowan didn't know if he should laugh or be irritated or something else.  But all he really could do was stare at her.  It was such an Aelin thing for her to do that really, he couldn't be mad.

"You know raw cookie dough is bad for you right?" He asked.

"No, it literally feeds the soul," she set.

With a wet thwack, she dropped the towel in the sink and righted the vanilla bottle.  Most of it had spilled out leaving a sickly-sweet scent cloying in the air. "And I don't care what scientists or other miserable things you read say."

Rowan rolled his eyes. He should have known better than to try and reason with her. "Alright fine.  Eat your salmonella."

"I will, thank you," she said.  A patch of flour still clung to her cheek giving her bravado a little less umph than he was sure she wanted. "And I'll clean up, no need to worry your poor old heart about that."

"I'm not old," he said.  Thirty was a perfectly reasonable age.

"Yeah, yeah."  She patted herself down, sending little plumes of flour all over the place.  She tried righting her hair, but it seemed to be of no use—most of the tendrils had broken free and she was stuck with a curling mass in the nape of her neck. "Go back to work, I'm sure nothing will get done without you."

And Rowan in a bought of what had to be pure reckless abandonment shook his head. "Nah.  I'm not that important."

Aelin raised a brow. "Really? Even with your real degree and real work you put into college."

Well.  He deserved that. 

"Yeah?"

Aelin eyed him skeptically before tossing another clean towel at him. "You get the floor I'll get the cabinets."

And then because the apartment had somehow shrunk in the last three months—they were continually in each other’s way.  Rowan brushing her leg, Aelin grabbing his shoulder when she nearly fell over while reaching for the top cabinets, both going for the sink at the same time.  It was chaos.  And because Rowan didn't know how to sort out his own feelings, he found his skin heating at each touch, his heart race at each glance.  And he knew, he knew he was a fool.  But if the past three months had taught him anything—it was that he could be very wrong about a great deal of things.

When the kitchen was somewhat restored to order.  Aelin sighed. "I guess that'll have to do.  I'll dig out the real cleaning products in a minute, I have to meet with one of my editors.  Hopefully one of my articles was accepted this time."

She said the last part flippantly, but Rowan could sense the tension rolling off of her.  She wanted that job to go through, needed it.  

"I'm sure it will," he said.

Aelin rolled her eyes. "You don't have to offer a pity compliment buzzard; I know it's not your style."

“It’s not--” Rowan cursed and looked away, running a hand through his hair anxiously. “We both know what I said back then wasn’t true.  I know it must have taken work and dedication to get your degree.”

“Thanks.  It did.” She was unapologetic with her bold words, just as he would expect her to be. “I won’t keep you.  I promise I’ll have the rest of this cleaned up before bed.”

“It’s fine,” Rowan said. 

Aelin grabbed the dirty towels to take to the small laundry alcove but Rowan stopped her.

“You’ve got flour,” he tried to explain that there was still a steak of flour on her cheek, but he was already reaching out, brushing it away with a quick swipe of his thumb.

Aelin froze, watching him as if she didn’t recognize him.  Not that he could blame her, he was actually being nice.  Her lips parted as if to say something, but Rowan’s phone gave a loud ping from where he’d left it in his room.  He’d hooked his notifications onto a larger speaker setting so he wouldn’t miss anything during the day if he got up to leave his desk.

“Work calls, right?”  Aelin joked with a small, half smile.  And then she was gone down the hall.

Rowan cursed again, running a hand over his face. 

“Get it together, Whitethorn,” he muttered, before he too returned to his room.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

tags are a joke rn. please consider reblogging?

love yall

[butididntpourthewhiskeys]

So I have a lot of thoughts on the sourdough comment so I might as well tell you because I'd rather do that than work on my assignment :/

When that interview first came out, I remember a lot of people defended/interpreted it as him saying "oh we're just such an in-tune couple, that making art together for us is as basic and natural as making bread". Which, imo, is certainly a fair interpretation and a good faith one to make.

My problem with it then (and in hindsight) is that on a surface level, its just a very awkward and clunky answer, and he could have actually benefited more by giving a textbook PR "it was such a great experience, yay!" type answer.

On a deeper level, it showed me three things:

A degree of indifference towards her career/craft, given how monumental and pathbreaking FolkMore were for her. And it may have been unintentional indifference, because he was 'sick of being asked about her'. We'll probably never know, but there was definitely disdain there. You're a part of this album, my man, you could at least be a little more excited about it!

Fits into a larger context of him refusing to say a single good thing about her in public: A reflection of how he treated/praised her privately? [Not to Tayvis-ify this essay but] a helpful comparison to draw is Travis, who heaps praise on her publicly so effusively and loudly, that all our soft hearts are wondering how cute af he must be privately. Joe's refusal to even acknowledge her in public and songs like YLM hint at a dynamic where he just turned away from her.

My friend's interpretation, which is also an interesting one: In another interview, he said "he didnt see himself writing any more music with her and it wasnt in his plans". In light of the Grammy win, I think he realised it had gone from being a quarantine hobby they did together, to something he would now be forever associated with in a professional capacity, and for a man who HATED headlines about anything other than his acting career, that stings. Imagine having to cope with the fact that you'll probably never win the highest accolade in your own field - an Oscar - but you were handed a Grammy because of your girlfriend's talent and her craft.

Maybe the answer is he simply needed a better PR team and more media training (someone needed to tell him its fine to say your favroite TS song and it just makes you more likeable if you do) but it's just such an interesting analogy to have drawn in an interview. Thanks for entertaining my TED talk, Sarah!

Wow queen of argumentation 🥰 THIS ⬆️

[uhohbestie]

hi it's me again the girl who went insane over your guys' writing!!! anyways

i have a special interest in the hypotheticals of zombie apocalypses and have spent actual months researching and thinking about what the most realistic way of a zombie apocalypse would be; and from that research i've kinda concluded that the most realistic way for zombies to happen in our normal world would be the cordyceps fungi!

if you're unfamiliar with it, it's a fungi that essentially "takes over" insects for growth and development by manipulating the insects system in a way that makes it act like a "zombie" ! its what was used in the last of us and it's surprisingly the most realistic thing that could happen to us. if i recall correctly cordyceps has actually spread to other things larger than insects in the more recent past, which adds the possibility for it happening to humans as well. freaky, right?

enough about that ,, i've been thinking nonstop about how the decomposition process works in tamn? since the apocalypse started in summer, if i recall correctly, would some of the early infected decayed easier? do the zombies even decay? is whatever it is that's making them a zombie actively stopping the decay? since we're in winter now, would the decay stop a bit? if the zombie fully decayed, would they just turn into a normal skeleton?

you might not have an answer for this but i've also been thinking about how the infection came to be? is it like a fantasy thing, just "oops, we've got zombies now!" or is it another thing? cordyceps adjacent? where did the infection first start? how long did it take before it reached scar and grian in california? were other parts of the world infected and they were just unaware? are some parts of the world not infected yet? has the infection wiped out certain parts of the world?

and another thing; is there any chance at all of the world going back to normal here? was there also any sense of civilisation after everything hit? in the last of us, they had those "quarantine zones" which were controlled by the military and were essentially safe zones. was there anything like this that scarian was unaware of?

and finally (on a joking note) why the hell did grian have to get bit in my state man... i was like ! oh theyre in oregon oh my god !!

Oh He's Dead Okay...

that's enough kono rambling in your guys' ask box for one day.... love you guys and this fic 🫶 happy fourth arc you two!!! can't wait to see the end of this absolutely amazing piece of writing🥹

Hilariously, as much as we've thought about the trials and tribulations of what Scar and Grian are going through and feeling, we haven't actually spent a lot of time focusing on the cause of the zombie outbreak or its spread at all!

We did write a short fic about Patient Zero (set in the same world/timeline, but entirely separate from Grian and Scar), and how the virus originally broke out and began to spread. (Basically it was a sleep study for a medication trial gone awry.) We've been writing from the perspective that the United States was the first point of the outbreak, and that the infection spread from west to east across the continent (so as Scar and Grian travel, they're actually heading AGAINST the spread, and working through areas that have already experienced the first wave of the outbreak).

We imagine the infection spread haphazardly, and so there are probably untouched pockets where people are fine and haven't had to experience the outbreak yet. (One of the things we kept in mind while writing was that every state had a different approach to handling the outbreak. Some told people to shelter in place, others encouraged them to leave their homes. That's why some of the towns Grian and Scar passed through were entirely empty, rather than full of infected.) Hilariously, one of the consequences of crossing paths with Scarian in this fic is that everyone leaves them going "screw finding other survivors, I'm better off on my own."

As for whether or not the world will be able to recover from the outbreak: that remains to be seen! It depends upon a lot of factors, but most of all we just don't want to spoil any of the potential endings for the fic >:3 (Luckily we're in the fourth arc now, so it's not too far away!)

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Key here adding in!

Zombies were a huuuge hyperfixation of mine from before I even knew what hyperfixations were LOL So actually I went down the same research hole as you aaages ago--long before I ever got into Hermitcraft! :D The cordyceps fungi were such an interesting topic to me, and I remember being really into the reports about ants and other insects being controlled by them :") Which is why, when The Last of Us came out, like... YEARS ago lmao, I was all over it! :D Love the way the game played it all out and, actually, I cajoled Lock into watching the Live action remake of it with me when it came out last year :3

Lock already linked you to our version of How The Infection Started in the origin fic we did, but fwiw, TAMN takes place in the immediate aftermath of the apocalypse, unlike TLOU which takes places years after it (beyond the initial setup in any case). So while there aren't any huge safe zones/militarized areas/quarantine locations that Scarian know of yet, it simply might just be because communications are down and it's hard to get information from one state to another at the end of the world. For all they know, there could be thriving communities out there--they just haven't been to one. (In the same vein, Scar and Grian have no idea what the rest of the world is doing. It might be just fine! Maybe the virus has been contained in North America and the rest of the world is just watching the fallout. They simply don't have the means to find out at this point, and Lock and I probably won't say one way or another until the fic ends ;3)

As for decaying, the apocalypse started a few days after Halloween, so it was already cold in many parts of the US. As such, I don't think the rotting would've progressed and festered as badly as the summer heat would've done. That said, at the point we're at right now, it's been what? Almost two months? So while the cold certainly slows it down somewhat, there are plenty of corpses that have reached a fetid, rank state 😬

Always a pleasure to hear from you Kono! Hope these replies give you something to chew on :D 💜

[ilikecarsandlike4people]

Well....... Despite a negative on the market test, we're pretty certain my sister has gotten covid again cause her sense of taste is compromised. Not great for me, since I'm both immunocompromised and only just recovering from a stomach flu. I hope I haven't been exposed, although the chances of that are high. We're now quarantined in separate rooms, and I plan on driving back home tomorrow to avoid contact with her and other people.

So........ yeah, might be a longer break, sorry.