#whew this got long sorry for that

[stunie]

it’s soooo criminal that we are online friends bc i saw SO many of your faves at the mall today >:

[holyshit]

Amidst all of this I don't want everyone to forget that Blake promoted her hair care line instead of help hotlines and mislead people what the movie was about, causing them to get triggered. Obviously Baldoni did worse and Blake is the victim but this movie should have never been made like that and the press tour should have been handled very differently

of course i think that general promo tour as a whole was entirely mishandled and there's plenty of things that came out of the whole press tour saga that definitely deserved criticism. it was overall irresponsible marketing as a whole for a movie about IPV. and it's also gross knowing now that even the only person who was (seemingly) approaching the subject matter seriously at the time turned out to only be doing it against the production company's marketing plan only as a PR tool to differentiate himself from blake as fodder for a campaign to ruin her. it's very reflective overall on hollywood and how everything is about short-term image and perception- either to sell movie tickets at all costs or to present yourself in a specific way specifically to foster goodwill before bad PR emerges.

but, my main point is not about who did what bad thing. my point lies in how society will often have a specific extra level of glee and excitement when it comes to the idea of "taking down" women and positioning a man as being terrorized by a woman in some way when the woman is the actual victim in the dynamic, in the same way that people were foaming at the mouth to make fun of and villainize amber heard when she had all the evidence in the world that she was a victim of johnny's.

if the roles were reversed and blake was the one making it clear that the movie was about IPV and justin was the one ignoring it, i think he still would've gotten some level of criticism for that, but would it be at the same career-ruining, worldwide reputation ruining, couldn't avoid the topic for months, trending on twitter everyday, twenty 2 hour youtube video essays a day, one of the biggest celebrity dramas of the summer level that it was when it was blake at the center? i highly doubt it would get even nearly the same amount of traction if the roles were reversed. in the same way that i don't think the amber/johnny trial would've blown up half as much if it was the other way around. if blake was the one to have all of the cast and a lot of the crew unfollow her and refuse to interact with her during the promo tour, people would have immediately jumped on that to prove she's evil, but when it actually DID happen with justin, blake still ended up being viewed as the evil one with people making up that she was bullying him and turning the cast against him based on little to nothing. it is alarming that people were willing to avoid the red flags that JB likely DID do something that caused a large part of the cast and crew to quite clearly despise him because they preferred the idea of blake being the Big Bad and him the victim of her evil bratty attention seeking ways, when in reality she was enduring horrific shit on that set.

it's not about whether what blake did was bad, of course it was, but it was the SCALE of the blowback that shows just how effective these smear campaigns are when it's a woman being targeted. and it's so dangerous because this is why so many women do not come forward, for fear of this level of retaliation that is almost always successful when it's a woman being targeted. and it's so awful that people still have "perfect victim" mentality to the point that even after a massive multi-million smear campaign exposure like this, there will still be so many people who only focus on her faults and flaws and think that means that she cannot also be a victim of something so terrifying and sadly still so common.

[the-bi-space-ace]

13, 16, 21 for the Bad Batch ask!!

13. What jobs do you think each of the Batchers would have in a Modern AU?

Crosshair: I think he's the grumpy manager at a small coffee shop that every employee loves and every customer is terrified of. Any time a customer makes one of the baristas uncomfortable Crosshair is right there ready to throw hands. He's kicked out so many people. That protective streak is going to make him an employee favorite.

Hunter: maybe some kind of camp counselor. Takes the kids on hikes. Is the dude at the bonfire that is really committed to keeping the fire going.

Tech: bro is either a professional gamer or he is a scary good hacker that erases people's medical and student loan debt. Ya know what, maybe both. He is a streamer as his regular job and uses his skills to help people on the DL.

Echo: I think he is either an engineer or he is some sort of doctor. I think he'd thrive helping people but would need something fast paced or challenging to keep himself interested. Oh! Oh wait!!! What if he was a fire fighter?!?! That could work! It's dangerous, it requires a lot of strength and endurance, and it very much helps people. I think he'd be a fire fighter. Fits him perfectly.

Wrecker: I think he'd like being a personal trainer. Someone that helps people reach a certain goal. He loves helping people improve their strength or gain more flexibility or confidence. That's a lot of fun for him.

Omega: Vet. I feel like this just fits.

16. What are some headcanons you have about Echo?

Oh boy. What headcanons do I have about Echo?!?! Well I'm GLAD YOU ASKED!!!

I think Echo has always had anxiety. I think he's channeled that anxiety into learning the regs, honing his skills, and trying to be a top performing (just like a lot of us with anxiety did as kids. we have to be the best so we sure do try.)

He's a tricky little thief. He can steal something right out from under someone's nose and they'd never know. He picked that habit up early on and it never went away. Sometimes he does it just to see if he still can and to practice. He's an excellent thief.

He has broken his knuckles punching someone in the face before. Why do I think that? IDK. He just has.

Sometimes he follows the batch around the ship. Sometimes he talks, sometimes he doesn't. But he tends to pace (can't sit still) and he doesn't like to be alone so it's almost absentmindedly.

Has learned (particularly with Crosshair) that his silence hurts worse than anything he could say to them during a fight. If he's quiet for too long the rest of them get really uncomfortable about it. They'd rather apologize than endure silence from him. It feels too much like disappointment and Echo being disappointed in you is THE WORST.

He tie-dyed one of Hunter's bandanas as a prank once and then hid all the other ones so Hunter HAD to wear it. Hunter still has no idea who did it. Tech knows. Tech has never told anyone. Echo will remember the look on Hunter's face sometimes and laugh to himself.

He actively seeks out Wrecker when he needs a distraction. Wrecker is great at that. Whether it's a physical distraction like sparring, a dance party (let me have my dance parties I neeeeeeed them), or some cuddles Wrecker is the BEST and Echo will seek him out if he needs to.

Speaking of dance parties!!! Echo loved going out to bars/clubs with Fives to go dancing. They had a song that they loved so much they made a dance routine to it. It came on at most clubs and they really stole the show.

With the same idea: He wasn't too sure about dancing in public after being rescued from Skako so it took him a little bit to warm up to the idea but the batch LOVES dancing and he finally caved and went with them. Turns out Wrecker and Tech can learn dances in ten minutes and love to be the life of the dance floor. Echo had a lot of fun that first night and has since learned to just drag Crosshair and Hunter into their antics otherwise they'll sit on the sidelines and watch instead of participating. He's stopped waiting for them to join. He's going to go get them, make them join. They don't get a choice anymore they're gonna dance with them.

ok i'll stop now i got carried away

21. Road trip with the Batch! Where are you going? Who’s driving? Who has the snacks? Who is in charge of music? Who got left behind at the gas station? And other headcanons you have about going on a road trip with the Bad Batch. 

We're going to somewhere like... the grand canyon or Yellowstone bc I've never been and I want to go SO BAD and I've never been that far west before and just need to go so I'm choosing a nature/sight seeing trip. Maybe some stops along the way. Maybe there's a fun amusement park or zoo or something on the way!!!

Tech is driving bc I feel like he'd be annoyed with everyone else's driving and he likes to drive. Plus he can handle driving long distance and has it all planned out. Plus he speeds so we'll get there faster.

Wrecker is in charge of snacks. He'll bring A TON. And he knows the best snacks. We'd never go hungry.

Music is tough for me bc I feel like Crosshair and I have similar taste so I'd pick Crosshair but then I think the rest of the batch would complain about the music the whole time. So I'd also consider Echo who has a decent mix of music that I love and music that I've never heard before so I'd find new bops. Cross and Echo fight over the aux cord final answer.

Hunter gets left behind at the gas station. He spent too long looking at the nuts in the snack section. No one did a head count when they were back in the car.

[dagaan]

Aight we love a lesbian squid yes

but does she fist fight other lesbians to be the best lesbian??

Looks like she’s got her hands full at the moment…

Otherwise she might get into fights, but probably just for fun. Simple zest for life, you know.

[rurinnfane]

Today I finally was forced by holiday-related circumstances *cough* found some motivation to start tidying up my depression den *cough* room that is not mine but that I spend all my time in anyway *wheeze* bedroom

It’s the first time I’ve really done so since we brought in Perdita, at which point I put all of my collectibles away because I knew she’d probably destroy my space (and she did). So finally I’ve brought the fleet and some of my TCG stuff back out of hiding 🥲

[ongreenergrasses]

i’m curious what do you mean by the “manic pixie dream girl woobification”?

anon first i have to apologize i was in a really, really bad mood when i wrote those tags so that is super inflammatory of me. my bad.

what my cranky shorthand was hinting at is as follows. basically, when you are visibly mentally ill, you make people extremely uncomfortable. this is true of Annie’s character, she absolutely makes people uncomfortable. and a lot of times, when someone is visibly mentally ill, the knee jerk response is to try and make them more “palatable”, which basically translates to less threatening to our perception of the world.

Annie already is a manic pixie dream girl in the source material so I don’t have to go too hard explaining that I think, but in fanworks, the way that this search for palatability manifests (or used to anyway) is that people tend to play up the softness of her character. they often make her pretty feminine, unassuming, very vulnerable, and very, very heavily infantilized. i think people do that for a couple reasons, one being which they don’t know how to write Annie and don’t care to learn (which is fair btw, don’t write what you don’t want to), and the other being that Annie as a character is showcasing traits that people believe would make her unsympathetic. to try and make her sympathetic, they then try to make her less threatening by doing the above. what i was talking about with the woobification thing specifically is the way her agency often gets stripped.

i would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that I do think a lot of the blame for this, if there’s blame to be given, rests squarely on the source material. people are just running with what was given and that is absolutely fine and fair, it’s just that what’s in the source material is borderline harmful and absolutely not my cup of tea.

[mirrortouchedsea]

Day 20

Madara pulled the yarn through the final stitch and looked at his… scarf. It was an attempt and while it didn’t look awful, he could tell that his tension had been maybe too tight and there was a weird dip a few rows in, but at least it was finished. He grabbed a yarn needle and tried to weave in the tails so he could properly call it finished. 

Leo had been complaining about losing his scarf the week before and Madara had the genius idea to try and make one himself. He had tried knitting but three dropped stitches later he decided to try something else. Kuro had suggested crochet since it was much more beginner friendly, and Madara had to agree. Despite everything, at least the scarf in his hands wouldn’t fall apart if he forgot a stitch somewhere. 

It still looked like a pretty messed up rectangle though. He debated just making a second one when the door opened to the craft room and he felt someone drape themself over his shoulders. 

“Mamaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,” Leo whined. “Why are you ignoring me?” 

Madara turned his phone on and noticed a dozen missed calls and several unanswered texts from Leo. Oops. 

“Sorry Leo-san, I got distracted.” He turned to press a chaste kiss to Leo’s lips. “I tried to make you something but--” Leo’s eyes lit up and he reached for the garment in Madara’s hands. 

“Wahaha! You’re the best Mama! I love it!” Leo had already wrapped the scarf around his neck despite being indoors. “Oh I’m filled with inspiration! Do you have any paper? I need to write an Ode to Mama’s Scarf immediately!” 

Madara laughed and pulled out the notepad he had started carrying with him from his bag. Leo grabbed it and began scribbling, singing the melody as it came to him. When he was finished he tore out the page and folded it into his pocket for later. 

“Thank you, Mama. I mean it.” Madara felt a light blush on his face, a rare occurrence in their relationship. 

“Anything for you, Leo-san.” 

[velnica]

What got you into writing about the bard boys? Love your works by the way! :D

Oh this is a great question and I apologise in advance if this sounds like a meandering trip down memory lane, but I have not actually reminisced about this in so long!

I'm gonna have to rewind to 25 April 2022 when I finally finished the Stormblood Bard quest. I practically inhaled both the HW and SB portions, and I was excitedly talking about it to some uninterested friends. I started trawling AO3 for all their fics, tried talking about it to other FFXIV players (which ended nowhere, as I was decidedly not in shipping spaces yet), and then I nearly gave up because no one wanted to talk about them as much as I did 😭

No, I did not go into Tumblr or Twitter yet because I was a dum dum and I could have skipped this initial heartache if I had lol.

ANYWAY someone in a lore channel I was in said that their initial tiff in the Nine Ivies look like two jilted lovers getting annoyed at each other and then an idea started forming. What if they were jilted lovers? What if they had met each other but subsequently avoided the others due to reputations, or unwillingness to commit, or whatever else? And then the smut writer in me started cackling; what if they had a one night stand and they remember it?

Before I knew it I had the first draft of Breathe In written in my gdocs. I posted it and then bam! there was no way to go but onwards. I started finding fandom spaces for ffxiv shipping, and then I found people who also ship the bard boys and the rest, as they say, was history.

To me this is really the story of how an interest that was fed and nourished can grow to be something that elevates my life. I enjoy the act of writing/creating itself and in the boys I found a subject that I want to explore through many scenarios which is I think just a match made in heaven. I also would like to think that they're cheering me on from between the lines, encouraging me to keep unfolding their stories in my own way and I think that's a really sweet thought that will keep me going in this niche space for a very long time 💖

[meownotgood]

au where I help aki heal his inner child by forcing him to play all of the games I hyperfixated on in my youth

[ebitenpura]

saw that ETL post about needing to have respect for your enemy to both loathe and love them, and sat there for awhile thinking about it in Eight's terms because when do I not have thoughts about him, lol.

Eight gives as much respect as he can to whoever he kills, but he can never despise them, unless they truly are someone who has fallen into depravity and cowardice (i.e. Valkorion). Even for someone like Arcann who effectively stole 5 years of his life away and hurt countless lives in pursuit of a rather close-minded goal, he could only judge him on what he saw of him on the battlefield in their private duels-- and that was Senya's son who fought every single time to destroy Valkorion. A conviction that he was unafraid to die for. Even "judging" is a loose term when it comes to his enemies because he cannot actually judge based on any morality: he can only see the full extent of their devotion to their own cause no matter how small and their lives in the few minutes before it is cut away.

People tend to show their true selves to him when they know these are their final moments, so he understands the full weight of taking that life. There is nothing glorious nor honorable about it. In fact, it only reaffirms that war is truly hell- where even the most fulfilling of lives can be struck down the same as the most insignificant ones. To that end, he believes true warriors should understand this: taking anything more from your enemy after taking their life is abominable; no killer should find peace or satisfaction from murder. An odd statement from one who does nothing but kill, but he despises the thought that killing is anything other than the act itself no matter how you dress it up. It can be for a worthy cause, but it should be seen for what it truly is at the end of the day.

That's also why he seems to bide his time waiting for the penultimate battle that barely lasts 10 minutes the entirety of a war. Everything else is just steps leading up to that. He conceals and holds back everything until he can meet his enemy face to face, which is why he essentially got...bored waiting to strike at Ardun Kothe, since it took forever to get to him with a bunch of menial tasks. He's a guy who does everything 0 to 100. It was the same with Hunter.

The real tragedy of Hunter was that they both knew they were very nearly the exact same-- only that Hunter could not stand up to him martially and once caught, was as good as dead. Eight just barely came out on top because of his doggedness and the fact that Watcher 2 and Keeper acted as his tactical minds. I think he wished Hunter could've met him on the same level in battle, but the way both of them fought was too different, despite the way they lived being extremely similar.

I guess the end point of this analysis is that Eight devotes his entire being to the fine point of a blade because it carries all the meaning in the world and none at all when it comes to those he meets and inevitably kills. You can attribute it partially to being Echani as yet another culture that thrives off war, but killing itself means nothing. It has no honor. It is yet another duty only he can carry out because of his detachment and dedication to it that surpasses everything. To his dear enemy that he meets for the first time on the battlefield, he'll give them his entire life- a meaningless thing designed to cut theirs.

[boysgenuis]

˙   ៹    ♡     @mndstom           /            eunji   &   yoomi.

          the rain pelts the roof in a torrential downpour. it's loud enough to drown out the music playing in eunji's airpods, a playlist specifically designed for moments like this. she's always hated thunderstorms. summer storms around here tend to be the worst ; they knock out the power & flood the basements, leaving everything a dark & sopping mess. they've already gotten the candles out, preparing for the inevitable. their apartment doesn't have basement space, so it's one less thing to worry about, but they've put everything important out of the way, just in case. for an hour, they were amicable, though the bar was in hell considering they hadn't said a single non-essential word to each other.           now it's half-past midnight & the storm is raging. eunji stands at the kitchen counter, swiping a butter knife coated in peanut butter over a piece of bread & humming along to her music, as if her own voice can outdo the heavy rain. thunder clashes overhead & pink lips purse together. she puts the pieces of her sandwich together & takes exactly one bite before the lights go out. she stands still, praying beyond hope that the lights will flicker back on after a second. they never do ; this time is no exception. moments tick by without so much as a flicker of a lightbulb or the hum of a generator. she slowly puts her sandwich down & grabs the lighter out of the drawer. she lights the candle on the kitchen counter, painting the wall in a faint orange glue. she doesn't bother to light any of the others. it's almost time for bed anyway.           she makes quick work of eating her sandwich & rushes to finish up the paper that has her out of bed in the first place. she clicks submit just before two in the morning & closes the laptop. her bottom lip worries between her teeth for a brief moment before she blows out the candle & retreats to her room. she stalls at the door. she . . . really hates thunderstorms. she won't be able to get any sleep like this. not like this. she makes a snap decision ; against her better judgement — & god knows it is the better judgement — she pads down to the other end of the hall & knocks lightly on the closed door. ❛ yooms ? ❜ she calls quietly. she hasn't called her ex that name in a while, but storms always bring out her more vulnerable side. she pushes the door open, listens to it creak beneath the sound of pouring rain. ❛ can i —— ❜ she stops herself. it's ridiculous to ask, but equally ridiculous to hesitate. yoomi knows how she feels about storms. more than anyone, yoomi knows. ❛ ... can i stay in here ? just until ... you know. ❜ she makes a gesture that her ex can't see in the dark, then bites her lip again, braced for rejection.

[journeyofthemoonprophet]

Unfortunately for you, the half of the patrol you need is on a hunt. They won’t be back until late evening, according to Sota, if not well into the night. “Maybe even morning,” he says, glancing out over the raised path you’ve found him on, “with demons now roaming about.” You have no choice but to wait for them to come back.

"There you are!”

The new voice behind you turns out to be Akemi, near breathless as she bounces up the path to meet you. She all but flops into your palm when you crouch down to pick her up. “Y’know,” she pants, “for someone that looks like you... you were really hard to find!”

Apparently Yawa sent her to find you after hearing from the girl in the square, with an added instruction to make sure you eat something before you come back for the night. Akemi, however, talks you into turning your trek back into a proper tour of Wep’keer, insisting that it’d be better late than never. She eagerly points you this way and that, calling out to anyone she recognizes and eagerly introducing you to anyone who is brave enough to ask.

“You’re making Yawa’s instructions very hard to follow,” you tease between introductions.

“Aw, hush!” Akemi huffs, smacking her tiny hands against the crown of your head as you smother a laugh. “Besides, Bikki’s stand is right across the square from Granny Yawa’s. If we wait a little bit, he’ll probably have a fresh batch of dumplings when we get there!”

At one point, the two of you pass what she calls the ‘playground’. It seems there’s a snowball fight going on, and a mix of pups and children toss and dodge flying snow in all directions. Akemi grumbles about being too small to join in, but your attention is snagged by a successful strike. The pup that’s been hit makes a dramatic show of howling, coughing, and flopping over in the snow; you know he’s just playing dead, but you still find yourself holding your breath until he giggles and rolls back over.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” a girl cries (presumably the one who took the lucky shot). “Get back down! I got you!”

“No way!” he barks, shaking himself off before popping back into a boy’s shape. “Now I get to be one of the throwers!”

“Nuh-uh!” She stamps her foot, huffing angrily. “You’re supposed to be dead!”

Akemi is giggling, but you feel like you’ve suddenly been shot by a stray arrow. You’re supposed to be dead! You’re supposed to be dead... At some point, it’s no longer the children’s voices saying it, and hundreds more begin echoing in your skull from all angles, demanding to know how you escaped and pondering on why it was you. Moshiri’s words remind you about being hunted down, and many voices from the heavens and moon chorus after it: because you should be dead.

Something cold smacks your thigh, and you're tugged back out of your thoughts. “Sorry!” yells a voice, and you blink to find your eyes refocusing. It’s only now catching up to you that a wayward snowball’s hit you in the leg, and the children are now staring at you. “Hey... are you okay? It didn’t hurt that much, did it?”

Come on, you have to say something. If only to get their eyes back off of you. “I... still have a bruise there,” you insist, loosely waving a hand while you brush yourself off. “I’ll be fine; maybe next time I’ll be well enough to play.”

The kids seem satisfied and return to their game. Akemi, however, climbs down your hair to plunk herself on your shoulder. “I thought the bruise was on your other leg,” she whispers.

“It is.” You busy your hands with pulling your coat tighter around yourself. “I think we should go back now.”

“What? But we still have plenty of daylight before--”

“Akemi.” The word is a bit firmer than you intended, and when you shoot her a glance she leans away a bit. This is going from bad to worse, and you force yourself to take a breath before trying to speak again. “Let’s... just go back to Yawa’s. You can show me the rest of Wep’keer tomorrow, okay?”

Maybe it’s because she can now see your face, but Akemi proves quick as usual to catch on. She hums a bit, then scoots a little closer to your ear. “Maybe we should still eat something first?” she suggests quietly. “Granny Yawa will be mad if you try to skip out on a meal, you know.”

You really just want to get out of here (and, let’s face it, Akemi wouldn’t be able to stop you if she tried), but she has a point: Yawa would definitely scold the two of you if you came back unfed. You’re pretty sure she picked that argument on purpose, but all the same you have to admit defeat. “... okay. But no detours. Please.”

That seems to satisfy her, and Akemi wastes no time climbing back atop your head to guide you once again. Instead of waving over the people you pass, she explains to curious onlookers that you’re not feeling your best right now and need some space. To your surprise, they seem to understand right away; as if they’re used to this sort of thing, despite having never seen you before in their lives. You let her do the talking when you get to the merchant, as you’re still running a bit on autopilot as you’re handed the pouch and sent on your way.

“Kuki gets overwhelmed really easily,” she explains when you’re mostly out of earshot from the square. “Though she isn’t good at talking her way out of things like you seem to be.”

“Right, the two of you are friends.” Given what little you know of Kuki to begin with, this must be a regular occurance for her... even if it isn’t for you. “You must be used to... this, then.”

“I mean, a little. But you’re pretty different from Kuki.” She hops down to your arm before you can push Yawa’s door open, tipping her head back to look up at you. “You still seem kinda rattled,” she murmurs. “Did something spook you up in town?” She gasps a little, then whispers a new thought: “Did you get a vision? Like you did in Yoshpet?”

You kind of wish she hadn’t said that; now that prophecy is fluttering awake too, future and past mixing in your head like oil and water. “... I do have a prophecy, but I received it before you caught up with me. It’s... hard to explain what happened at the playground, Akemi.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

The thought of trying to sort any of your head out loud threatens makes your stomach churn along with it. You try to push the feeling back down; you don’t need that on top of everything else ringing in you. “Not really.”

[kanguin]

Like. Guys. It's the art theft and plagiarism that's the problem. When AI bros say they couldn't make their tools and programs without taking from others, they are LYING. The truth is that these tools and programs have been made ethically by studios for years, and still are! It just costs more time and money to do it the ethical way, and they don't like that! Convincing everyone that theft is necessary to the development of these tools only serves to benefit them, because it makes people think that it's either AI built on theft or no generative algorithms at all, but that simply isn't the case.

Generative algorithms are like, really simple when you break it down. All you need is a lot of inputs, a lot of trainers, a lot of processing power, and a lot of time. All of those cost money, but if you steal, you can decrease the time by increasing the inputs, saving money on both time and inputs. And the entire reason this has only now become a problem is that only in the past few years can your average slightly-well off schmuck get access to the processing power needed.

Back in the early 2010s only big corporations could develop these kinds of algorithms, and they were costly to maintain, not open to the public, and didn't use unlicensed materials for fear of lawsuits. Now though, relatively young startups have shown the tech world that if you throw enough money at PR and convince the public that your Plagiarism Machine is synonymous with the entire concept of machine learning, then you can completely control the press you get.

This just. Pisses me off so much. I literally studied AI as a minor in college, before ChatGPT and DALL-E hit the scene and changed everything. Machine Learning, or "AI", can do so much good -- it's helped scientists identify diseases, detect cancer, sort the lineages of living and extinct animals, it's detected serious coding errors and automated menial tasks for artists and engineers alike -- but it's become so associated with evil. And that just breaks my heart.

[katscye]

closed starter for @ofdoycnnes !!

ADELINE STEPPED OUT OF HER BATHROOM quietly, wrapping her robe tightly around her waist as she glanced to her bed where the other woman lay peacefully. she knew eventually she would have to wake her up but felt that sending her off after a nice cup of warm tea would soothe the hurt of being tossed out into the cold. after making her way downstairs she placed the kettle on her stove to warm before walking over to the windows and taking a look outside. to her surprise the rooftops and streets were covered in snow and there were no signs anyone outside. she grabbed the remote to her tv, no longer caring if she was quiet or not, and hit the power button. adeline flipped through the channels until the news popped up. in a giant red banner across the screen she read: 'mayor calls for emergency shut down of city. everyone is to stay in doors except for all essential workers who, if able, can go to work.' she let out a curse beneath her breath as the other woman finally came downstairs and joined her. "looks like we're stuck with each other for the next 24 hours." she said. "seems like we're snowed in."

[luveline]

Just re-watched the prison Reid arc and whew! Can I request post prison Reid getting to meet his new baby for the first time with a civilian reader? Like he was arrested while reader was still pregnant and she gave birth right before he got out? Maybe have a Diana cameo cause I just love her🤭

ty for requesting! fem, 1.6k

“Do you want me to take him?” 

You give Diane a grateful smile. “Is that okay?” 

Diane is reedy like Spencer, tall and skinny, but strong, too. She treads the carpet in her moccasins and holds out her arms for the baby, shushing him softly as you pass him over. You’ve had to look after her these last few weeks in a way you weren’t prepared for, but she’s looked after you in turn.

She’s almost completely lucid today. The good news has its hooks in her. 

You look out of the window again. The baby coughs in Diane’s arms, a clearing sound after feeding. If she’s gentle with him he’ll fall asleep before Spencer gets home. You aren’t sure what to do, let him sleep or wake him. What would Spencer want? 

I want to come home, he’d said, choked up over the phone, so badly. I’m so sorry. 

“Are you sure you won’t call him Walter?” Diane asks. “Spencer likes that one.” 

“I’m sure, Diane. He liked Jasper, so…” You bite the tip of your tongue until it aches, refusing to cry again. “So I went with Jasper. I hope he doesn’t mind.” 

That morning when Emily told you he was coming home, you cried like you’ve never, ever cried. So hard that Jasper woke up in his cot across the room and cried with you. 

You’d cried a lot after Spencer was arrested, and worse when he was imprisoned. You cried like a baby the day you went into labour because you knew you’d have to do it alone, when Spencer promised he’d be there with you, that you wouldn’t have to do any of the scary parts alone. 

It didn’t take long to stop. You’d grabbed Jasper with your cheeks soaked in tears and rubbed his back, that small stretch of warmth under your hand like a lifeline. In a way, Jasper being Spencer’s has made this easier. You’ve had a part of him. It just wasn’t enough to get over missing him. Every bit of joy —you have a baby now, your beautiful boy— has been swiftly followed with an aching sort of grief. Spencer missed his first cry, first bath, the very first time he opened his eyes. You can’t go back. 

“They said three.” 

Diane doesn’t seem concerned. She’s missed Spencer as much as you have, and you know her worry for him has made her more poorly than she’d otherwise be most days, but the baby helps. “I’m gonna find his bear,” she says. 

You bend down, trying to see the corner of the street through the window. Then you remember the last time you left Diane alone in the kitchen and flinch. “Hey, Diane?” you call. 

She’s checking the drawers for the bear. You’re not sure why she thinks the bear would be there, but perhaps that’s where she put it. “Can I make you a cup of tea or something?” you ask her. 

“You’re spying on me.” 

“Spying implies you don’t know what I’m doing.” 

She pats the baby’s back. “I can see why you and Spencer get along.” 

It’s a little more than getting along. 

Diane finds Jasper’s bear atop the bread bin, sitting at the kitchen table with him, the bear sat across from him, though Jasper’s already sleeping again. 

You put the stovetop kettle on to boil and realise with a start that you can make Spencer a cup of tea at the same time. Your smile is unfailing, then. He really is coming home. The kettle begins whining while you recover his favourite mug from the cabinet, untouched the entire time he was gone. 

“How many sugars today, Diane?” you ask. 

“Was that the door?” 

“What?” You’re putting the mug down before you can compute. 

“Angel?” 

You feel a rush of emotion all over at the sound of his voice. You try to call back to him, but you don’t manage anything more than a catching gasp as you push out of the kitchen and find him at the door. Right there at the end of the hall. 

Pale, tall. Arms already opening, half a step as you run at him. He doesn’t complain when your chest knocks against his. He doesn’t say anything at all. 

“Hi,” you breathe, pressing your nose to his shoulder. Your eyes stay open —it’s like panic without the fear. He’s really here in your arms. 

He squeezes you tightly. So tight you can’t breathe for a second. Then he gentles, his hands rubbing up and down your back out of sync, face falling into yours. 

In the kitchen, Jasper makes a croaky crying sound, a stirring Diane calms immediately. 

You attempt to pull away. Spencer will want to see Jasper, of course. He hadn’t met his own son. It was all he could talk about for weeks before he went away, and yet—

Spencer just rubs your back. After another half a minute like that, he asks, “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah.” You clear your throat.

“Yeah? No one would tell me anything specific, I was worried you might not be alright.” 

“Everything went fine.” He holds you to his chest. He smells like cheap soap. “I didn’t– it was really okay. He was easy, like he knew I couldn’t handle any complications.” 

“And he–?”

You recognise the undercurrent in his voice. It’s the same thing you felt when they put Jasper on your chest for the first time. “He’s perfect.”

“All ten fingers?” 

You pull away. Immediately, Spencer’s taking your face into two hands, his eyes pouring into yours with an intensity that worries you. “He has all his fingers and toes,” you say quietly, “how about you? How’s your leg?” 

He doesn’t seem to be able to answer. Jasper makes another noise and Diane’s chair creaks. You turn with Spencer’s hand on your side, watching as Diane brings Jasper to the door. 

“Spencer,” Diane says, like she just saw him yesterday, “you’re late.” 

“Sorry, mom.” 

He always sounds younger when he talks to her. 

“Will you take the baby? I was just making some tea,” she says. 

Spencer nods but doesn’t move. 

“I’ll take him.” You kiss Spencer on the cheek. Remember you haven’t for weeks and kiss him again. “It’s okay.” 

You hold your arms out and take Jasper against your chest. Spencer takes a hesitant step forward, stops, hesitating, but when you turn to him with a comforting smile the band holding him back snaps. He crosses the room, breath pulled like he’d stopped as he cranes his head to see his baby. 

“Three weeks old today,” you say softly, tipping Jasper back so Spencer can see his face. “He missed his daddy, you know.” 

“You can’t know that.” 

“Of course I can. I’m his mom, Spencer… And who wouldn’t miss you?”

Spencer shakes his head gently, reaching out to caress Jasper’s full cheek. 

“Jasper,” Spencer says. 

“He’s been a great baby so far. Doesn’t give me much trouble. He cries all night, of course… but all babies do. He goes down after a while. I’ve–” You swallow the heat of missing Spencer like a barb dragging against the inside of your throat. “Told him you’re coming home. I told him every day, I promise.” 

“M’sorry,” he says, pained. 

“I know, Spence.” You nudge him. “Time to hold him, honey.” 

He’s more eager than you thought. It’s almost like he’s worried you won’t let him have the baby, but it’s like you told him on the phone: Spencer made a stupid mistake, and you still love him. He never should’ve been going back and forth like that, but you get why he did. Wouldn’t you want Jasper, one day, to care about you in the same way Spencer loves his mother? You forgave him the moment he apologised. 

“It’s alright,” you say, slotting Jasper from your arms to his, guiding his hand behind Jasper’s delicate neck. “Just hold him. He missed you.” 

Spencer sniffles. “I missed him too,” he says. 

“I know.” 

Diane realises eventually that Spencer being home is a big deal. It’s not her fault, not understanding, but the new baby, her relocation again, her nurse barely gone, and Spencer’s sudden homecoming, it’s probably too much to deal with. She finds you, Spencer, and Jasper on the couch in the living room and frowns at him heartily. “You won’t hug your own mother?” she asks.

“You’ll have to hug me around the baby,” he says, sorry. 

Diane agrees to this without fuss. She caresses his cheek as he’d done for Jasper as she pulls away. 

“Thank you for helping out, mom,” he says. 

“It was all Y/N, Spencer. You know mothers. We’re strong.” 

Spencer looks at Jasper, still sleeping, and then to you, a shade of adoring in his eyes you’ve never seen before. “I know,” he says. 

You curl into his side and take a breath. For the first time in weeks, you let your body relax, finding it sorer and angrier than you’d left it the last time you had the chance to check in. 

Spencer brings the side of your face to his lips to kiss your weary cheek. 

[astro-inthestars]

had an impromptu going to a different church, going to the mall, going to relative's house, having a family gathering experience today. ougghhh