#writing buddies are the best buddies

[lilithsaintcrow]

"I imagine the actors carting what they have salvaged the mile or so across the river, to the Blackfriars, their indoor playhouse, where just three months before Shakespeare had purchased a property above the gatehouse of the old Dominican Priory."

[lonelychicago]

r/relationship_advice

u/hot_pilot84 • 2d ago

MY (40M) BOYFRIEND? (33M) IS IN LOVE WITH HIS BEST FRIEND (36M) AND IM THE THIRD WHEEL

I'm new to this reddit stuff, but a coworker suggested it, and I thought I'd give it a try. I probably should start saying he's not really my boyfriend??? We just started dating a few weeks ago, and it's been... interesting. But I really like him and he is a nice, sweet guy.

He recently came out, so I've been trying to be patient and understanding. But recently it's been hard to spend any time alone because his best friend is always there.

Now, I also like the guy, so I don't really mind, and to be honest, I kinda suspected from the first moment they were in love with each other. They both talk about each other all the time, and when we hang out together, I can't help but feel like intruding on an intimate moment I shouldn't be part of.

Like, our second date was at his sister's wedding and the best friend spent most of the time glued to our side. He has a son who my date adores, so they danced together for most of the party as well. It was cute, but again: it felt like intruding on a private moment.

Then we had a relaxing night at his place, eating take out on his couch and watching a movie.... when the best friend just, came in. No notice, no knocking. He has a key to the place and he just walked in. It was awkward at first but we insisted it wasn't a big deal so he stayed for tge rest of the night.

By the time I was leaving, my date was telling him to just get comfortable on the couch.

Another thing is. My date? Situationship? I don't know how to call it anymore. Well, I recently found out that he is the legal guardian of his best friend 's kid? In case anything happens? I wouldn’t find this weird at all if it wasn't for the fact this man has parents and sisters and other close family members that also have a less chance of dying along with him on the job. (They work together.)

Also. Recently, the best friend broke up with his girlfiend and called this guy in the middle of our date. So, he crashed again.

All of this to say, I'm not really hurt? This was new and sure, I like the guy. But to be honest my expectations were low. This is fairly recent, so it's not like my heart is broken and I just lost the love of my life. No, that's not the problem.

I just don't think these two know they're in love with each other, and it’s starting to get really uncomfortable for me. Should I say something? Should I talk with my date about it or just break things off and keep it vague, but that we should still be friends? Should I talk with both of them at the same time and confront the situation?

This is a situation I don't even know how to begin to get a handle on. Does anyone know where I should start?

rctherpcliarredditor • commented 1d ago

to be honest, i don't really have any advice for you. i just find this gay drama really hilarious. thoughts and prayers for you, my man 🙏🏼🙏🏼

twohottakes • commented 6hrs ago

definitely have a conversation alone with your date. point all of this out to him and tell him you don't wanna get in the middle if there's deeper feelings involved for someone else. all the luck to you, man!

storyreddit23 • commented 2hrs ago

talk to ur date!! and pls, post an update if u do. i wanna know how this ends.

[chronicowboy]

"Oh." Eddie blinks when he sees him, winces just a little.

"Yeah," Buck sighs mournfully.

"Okay, let's get you patched up, bud." Eddie waves the first aid kit in his hands, and Buck tries not to smile at the dork, but then—

"Good luck with that, Diaz," Tommy says as he ducks out from the living room. Eddie flinches just a little like he'd forgotten who had called him in the first place. "He won't let anyone touch him."

Eddie's eyebrows twitch halfway up his forehead, and he cuts a glance at Buck. It's all big, brown eyes. So soft and inquisitive. Buck swears the pain in his cheek fades in that moment. But then the eyes roll and turn to that fond, teasing belligerence that just makes Buck feel warm all over.

"You still think you're cursed," Eddie says. And it's not a question, but he nods in answer anyway. "Buck."

"Eddie," he shoots back. "Look at me."

"No thanks." Eddie wrinkles his nose.

"Exactly." Buck turns back to the windows, folding his arms and hunching in on himself.

Footsteps. Eddie's cologne. Eddie. He's backlit by the sun, and Buck thinks if anyone were ever to break a curse it'd be someone who looks like this. Ethereal, beautiful, divine maybe.

Eddie crouches down in front of him, and Buck flinches backwards. Eddie holds his hands up, eyes back to that terrifying sincerity that makes Buck want to peel his own skin off.

"Hey, we met in September, right?" he asks. Buck frowns.

"Uh, um, yeah I think so." Knows so. The 23rd of September to be exact. But that doesn't seem important right now.

"Okay, well it's October now, so it's been a little over six years since you promised to have my back then." Buck's breath catches. Eddie just keeps looking at him, steady as the ground beneath their feet. Buck feels like an earthquake. "Which means it's been just over six years since I promised to have your back. And that meant ladder trucks on your leg and lightning bolts, sure. But poker games and a couch to sleep on too. It also, despite my skepticism, means curses too. So..." Eddie holds out his hand. "Let me have your back today?"

"Only if I can have yours," Buck replies breathlessly, couldn't look away from Eddie if he tried, even when Tommy clears his throat. "I mean, you know, when the curse inevitably gets you too." Buck takes Eddie's hand, watches as a brilliant smile takes over his face like the most beautiful sunrise Buck has ever seen.

They shake. It lingers a little too long. But it's okay, Buck thinks, because Eddie lingers in every touch as he tends to Buck's cheek. It's okay, Buck thinks. It'll be okay.

[ontoheartache]

imagine you've just started a brand new job in a new city. your new captain seemed oddly enthusiastic about hiring you and the interview seemed more like an audition for a blind date.

you show up on your first day and notice three of your coworkers staring at you while you change. you introduce yourself and they seem nice, but the tall guy that looks suspiciously similar to your new captain is weirdly tense. you notice that he seems to only be that way towards you. this would be fine — you've experienced worse a hell of a lot farther from home than this — but he's your new partner, this is your job, and you've got a kid at home that is counting on you to make this work. so you try and you try and you try.

you're in an ambulance with your partner, and your patient has a live grenade round in his leg. you think that you should be worried — you might not ever leave this ambulance, after all — but something in the air has shifted. something between you and your partner — buck, his name is buck — is changing as the seconds pass. the round makes its way safely into the box, and the clink of metal hitting metal sounds a lot like pieces clicking into place.

you make it out of the ambulance. buck's looking at you like your face is a sunrise. you tell him he can have your back and you're surprised by how ardently you mean it. his smile is shy, bashful, when he says that maybe you could have his. you realize, slowly and suddenly, that you've just made a friend.

you don't realize until he's standing in front of you, handing you all of the answers in the form of a woman named carla, that you've just found your best friend.

you don't realize until he's standing in front of you, bloody and swaying on his feet at the sight of your son in your arms, that you've just found your son's best friend.

you don't realize until he's standing in front of you, rain soaked with mud-caked hands, that you've just found your life partner.

you don't realize until he's standing in front of you, your blood on his face and in his mouth, that you've just found the love of your life.

instead, you're standing in front of a burning ambulance. buck's eyes are a little too bright, his face softer than it's been the whole time you've known him. his smile comes easy. you look at him in the firelight and something flickers to life inside of your chest. you won't know what it is for a long time. you think, for the first time in a while, that you've got time to figure it out.

[eddiespornstache]

heartbreaking: all the characters in this buddie fic suddenly got really weird and ooc when tommy was brought up

[thatbuddie]

MARIA HIIIIII i would love love love “What’s worse is, this is the first time I’ve genuinely felt this way about someone.” if it sparks inspiration 💕

oh my god it definitely sparked inspiration but i don't know how it ended up being this kskskks i hope you like it, kris *mwaaah*

never ask for any of it back

buddie | 2.4k | outsider pov, getting together, love confession

“Yeah.” Eddie nods. “I’m his best friend. I can’t count the number of times Buck’s said that to me. His best friend.” Hen has heard Buck use those exact same words before, as well. She’s heard him say them jokingly, in passing, earnestly, in joy, in despair. She has always, always, been able to hear the meaning behind them. She wonders if Eddie has ever been able to tell that when Buck says best friend he means soulmate. “Well, isn’t he yours as well?” Hen asks him. “Of course he is,” Eddie needlessly confirms. “He’s the best friend I’ve ever had. But I’m greedy, and I ruin everything, and I want more. I want so much more. I want him. All of him.” So have him, Hen thinks. Eddie, let yourself have him.

(read on ao3.)

[bookinit02]

sweet dream (beautiful nightmare)

Above him, Eddie makes a sleepy sound, tightening his arms around Buck’s chest. “Buck?” he mumbles. “You up?” Buck lets out a long breath, settling gratefully into Eddie’s hold. “Yeah,” he says quietly. There must be something in his voice, because Eddie frowns down at him, lifting a hand to stroke over his cheekbone. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” Buck says, and actually means it. He presses his face to Eddie’s sternum, feels his pulse against his skin, and breathes. “Nothing. I just—I had a dream that you were mad at me.”

buck and eddie are finally together, and everything is perfect. except, well—buck’s been having dreams.

[bri-cheeses]

“Have you ever been in love?”

The question seems to take Evan by surprise. “What?”

Barty repeats the question, shifting up into a sitting position. His hands dig into the ground, still damp from last night’s rain. “Have you ever been in love?”

There’s a beat of silence. Then, looking down at his feet, Evan quietly answers, “Yes.”

Suddenly, Barty is mad at himself for asking. He can’t even say why he asked in the first place; he simply had the thought, and being the impulsive person he is, he asked without thinking. Now he wishes he hadn’t, if only to have avoided this odd burning in his chest caused by Evan’s answer. And really, he should drop the topic, based on downcast tint to Evan’s response, but he can’t seem to let it go. So instead, he presses the issue.

“When?” he asks, looking intently at Evan.

At that, Evan looks to his left, purposely avoiding eye contact with Barty. He stubs out his cigarette on the grass next to him, a thin curl of smoke rising up from it as he does so. “A long, long time ago.” His voice is dark with something Barty can’t name.

“Did it end well?”

Evan cuts him a look. “Who said it ended?”

At his words, something twists inside Barty. Suddenly there’s a lump in his throat as he works to get out his next sentence. “Well, you said a long time ago. So I thought that it was a, uh, past thing.”

“Yeah. It was a long time ago. When I… fell in love.”

Barty knows he’s the one who started this conversation, but he really hates the way Evan says love in reference to some mystery person. At least he used past tense, though, meaning it’s a thing of the past.

“So what happened?” Barty questions.

“They didn’t want me in the way I wanted them. Still don’t want me that way.” There’s something bitter in Evan’s tone, and he’s gone back to refusing to look at Barty. In contrast, Barty stares at him intently. He feels as though he’ll be able to see through Evan’s exterior and into his insides, where all his secrets are hidden, if he only looks hard enough.

“Who was it?”

“Does it matter?” Evan’s voice is biting as he sharply turns his head back towards Barty.

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Barty leans back onto his elbows, tearing his gaze from Evan. It’s almost comical how their positions have changed; now, Evan stares at Barty, and Barty looks out over the lake in an effort to avoid his gaze.

“It was no one important, okay?”

“Oh.” Something settles in Barty when he hears that, even if Evan’s tone contrasts with his dismissive words. “They were—still are—an idiot, though. Just for the record.”

Evan laughs in that disbelieving way of his, as if he’s sharing an inside joke with himself. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Barty says definitively. “I mean, you’re perfect. And whoever can’t see that is an idiot.”

“Perfect?”

“Yup.” Barty means it, too.

“Yeah, well,” Evan scoffs, “it isn’t good enough for them. So it doesn’t matter.”

“Well, you’re good enough for me,” Barty says hotly. “So don’t worry about that idiot. Because you and me? We’re best friends, and you’ll always be good enough for me. You know that, right?”

Evan is avoiding Barty’s gaze again. He picks at the grass next to him, focusing on that instead. “Right,” he says somewhat bitterly.

“I mean it,” Barty insists. “You are.”

Evan looks at him, smiling sadly. “Thanks, Bee. But it’s getting cold. I think I’ll head back inside if that’s all right with you.”

“I—okay. Yeah, uh, sure.”

With that, Evan gets up and begins the walk back to the castle. Barty watches him go, thinking their entire exchange over.

He’s not entirely sure where the conversation went sour enough to get Evan to leave, but clearly something must’ve caused his abrupt departure. Even if Barty had thought he had said the right things to get Evan to cheer up again. He had meant what he said, too; Evan always would be good enough for him. Barty honestly couldn’t imagine a better best friend.

So Evan shouldn’t, Barty thinks heatedly, have ever been hung up on some random person who couldn’t even see how amazing he is.

Barty continues to sit there, close to the shore of the lake, and watches Evan’s retreating form. And as he watches Evan reach up to wipe at his eyes, trying and failing to act like it was nonchalant gesture, he resolves to find out who Evan was talking about. And he’s going to make them, whoever it may be, pay for how they hurt Barty’s best friend.

[lost-in-fandoms]

Hi friend, please give us more streamer Max AU! First interaction between them maybe??

part 1 here

Daniel blinks awake, groggily turning off his alarm and rubbing his eyes, blindly reaching for the water on his bedside table.

The room is still pitch dark, the night quiet outside.

2:55 am.

He grabs his phone, settling again onto the pillows and clicking through his apps until he can open the now familiar twitch app and navigate to Max's channel, just in time to see the starting soon screen appear as it goes live.

He knows this is ridiculous. He knows that he is not helping himself or his unstable sleep patterns by setting an alarm in the middle of the night to watch a guy stream from somewhere in Europe, but as long as nobody knows nobody can judge him either, so that's okay.

He yawns, scratching at his chest, watching people say hello to each other in chat as it comes alive.

He has yet to ever type something there.

In the two weeks he's been watching Max, he has managed to figure out what subscriptions and gifted subs are, Max's schedule (stream four times a week plus whenever he feels like it), and has started to recognise some usernames in chat. But there is something about actually typing that feels...revealing.

His username is generic, just Daniel_358, the number randomly chosen until twitch stopped telling him the username was taken, but that's still his name. Connected to his private email. And he knows he's not doing anything wrong, but it still feels forbidden, to wake up at night and spend about two hours just looking at Max.

The screen suddenly changes, switching to Max's camera, his pretty smiling face filling Daniel's small screen. Not for the first time, he thinks about setting up the projector, just to be able to see more.

"Hello everyone, it's Friday! And we're playing Minecraft today."

Daniel lets Max's now familiar accent wash over him, feeling himself smile back instinctively. Max looks soft today in the dim golden glow of his light, a faded sweatshirt almost covering the very short grey shorts he's wearing, and it makes Daniel wish he had Max right there, in his bed, warm and sleep rumpled in the sheets.

Yes, he is aware how weird that is too. He knows that it would maybe be less weird if he only got off watching Max's streams.

He has by now mostly figured out Max's deal. He'll play his games, talk with chat, and from time to time do something that will make Daniel's breath stutter in his chest. Touching his legs, squeezing himself through his shorts, raising his shirt to touch his stomach, trailing his fingers down towards his pants. One memorable time, he had pushed it high enough to touch his own nipple, a visible shudder traveling through him. Daniel had almost come on the spot.

The whole stream sometimes ends up feeling like a 2 hours long edging session, and he is so painfully hard by the end of it he comes as soon as he gets a hand around himself, waiting until Max has said goodbye to do so.

He doesn't always get off though. One time he had actually fallen back to sleep, Max's voice and Stardew's soft sounds lulling him straight into dreamland. But he always gets at least a little bit hard, something too sensual and alluring about Max for him to help himself.

Today though, Max seems more subdued. He still has his legs splayed open, miles of fuzzy skin on display, but he's focusing more on the game, even replying less to chat.

Daniel frowns, knowing he's not the only one who has noticed it, other worried messages popping up, mixed with a few more rude ones, telling Max to get on with it already.

"Sorry chat," Max says, finally acknowledging the messages with a small laugh. He takes a hand away from his keyboard, but instead of one of the usual teasing touches, he brings it up to his face, rubbing at his eyes and then dragging it down his cheek.

"It's been a long week," he adds with a sigh, before pushing himself to sit a bit straighter, pulling his smile back on. He's playing with the hem of his shorts now, pulling them high enough they completely disappear under the sweatshirt, but Daniel can tell it's an halfhearted attempt at best.

For the first time, he pulls up the chat, fingers itching to write something, but not knowing how to word it without being offensive. "You don't have to touch yourself if you don't want to"? Nobody ever actually acknowledges that bit out loud, he can't be that direct. "You don't have to stream if you are tired"? Would that feel like he's telling Max he doesn't care about his stream? He doesn't want that to be the first impression Max has of him.

Daniel_358: anything we can do?

He feels stupid as soon as he sends it, cringing at himself. What would he even do? He's on the other side of the world, a complete stranger.

And yet Max smiles, soft and sweet, and Daniel's stupid heart jumps in his chest.

"Hello Daniel, welcome in. You just being here is enough."

Daniel knows, he knows, that Max is just saying that, just a throwaway line to make him feel good, but at the same time he can't help but melt a little at the way Max says his name. At the thought of Max wanting him there.

He watches as a few more messages pop up, offering vague support, and sees the moment it gets too much for Max, his face closing off a little as he goes back to the game, trying to redirect chat's attention to it.

Without thinking too much about it, Daniel navigates to Max's profile down to the donate button. He's hovered over it often enough he doesn't have any trouble finding it, but it still takes him a couple tries to figure out how to properly go through with it.

A few moments later, a new alert pops up on the stream, startling Max (and Daniel, even if he knew it was coming) badly enough he accidentally falls out of a tree.

Daniel_358 has donated €358: for making it through the week and as good luck for the next

Max blinks. Pauses the game, then blinks again.

"I..uh...thank you Daniel for the donation? That's...a lot of money, mate," he stutters out, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

Daniel_358: of course Daniel_358: you deserve it

Max's cheeks are red, his blue eyes wide, and Daniel's heart is still doing something weird in his chest.

"Thank you, then. It's...I of course appreciate it."

His voice sounds off, and for a moment Daniel is afraid he did something wrong, but then Max smiles, some tension in his shoulders disappearing.

"Well, Daniel just made the week better, so let's go back to chopping trees, yes?"

The chat explodes in a flurry of yeses and nodding emotes, and Daniel settles back on his pillows, feeling warm and satisfied.

The rest of the stream is more normal, Max going back to his usual teasing a few moments later, but for once Daniel doesn't feel like getting off, content with just watching Max's pretty smile and rosy blush. He still gets hard, he's not suddenly gone crazy (...or more crazy at least), but it doesn't feel as consuming as usual.

By the time Max says goodbye, Daniel is half asleep, curled up in his blankets, his phone laying on the pillow next to his.

When the screen goes dark he yawns, stretching slightly and dipping two fingers into his boxers, trying to decide if he feels like getting off or if he's sleepy and content enough to save it for the morning.

He's brushing a finger against the tip of his dick, still contemplating, when his phone dings, a new notification sound he's never heard before. Curious, he takes his hand out, reaching for it and unlocking it.

The twitch app is still open, now with a red number 3 next to the messages icon, and when he clicks on it he almost drops his phone again in surprise.

Player00Max: Hello Daniel Player00Max: I hope it is okay if i message you I wanted to thank you for the donation Player00Max: but it is a lot of money so I of course can reimburse you if you changed your mind

[diazsdimples]

"You're the only person I could even fathom doing this for" + Buddie

"You're the only person I could even fathom doing this for," Eddie grouses as he and Buck weave their way through the crowd, heading towards the meetup point near the starting line.

There are ten other teams (couples? Eddie's never entirely sure what to call them) also milling around, waiting to be called up. Among them are what feels like hundreds of crew members, camera people, health and safety coordinators, you name it.

Buck nudges Eddie's shoulder with his as they walk. "And can I just once again reiterate how grateful I am that you agreed to come. I could have asked Hen or Chim, but I don't think they would have been so keen."

Eddie snorts. "Hen and Chim would have walked off before you even finished the first leg." He hoists the overly large backpack up his shoulders, swinging it around to do a last-minute check that they've got everything they need.

"They just can't keep up with my boundless enthusiasm," Buck replies airily. He grins down at Eddie. "It's not their fault, I suppose. You're just the only person I know who's got a chance at keeping up with me."

"Yeah well, I did say I'd have your back." Eddie puts on a show of sighing loudly, but there's no hiding the grin that's pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I probably should have seen this coming."

Buck stops, causing a crew member to dodge him and shoot him a dirty look. He remains oblivious to this as he regards Eddie with amusement.

"You should have anticipated 7 years ago, when you said you'd have my back, that I'd sweet talk you into coming onto a reality TV show with me?"

"Yep. Exactly that. Silly of me, really."

Buck laughs, a bright sound that makes something in Eddie's chest warm. Buck's smile is a beautiful thing to behold and Eddie can't help but grin right back.

"You're ridiculous," Buck chuckles, falling into step beside Eddie once again as they make their way over to the tent where the other racers are waiting.

When Buck had approached Eddie with the idea of applying for the Amazing Race USA, it had initially seemed like a harmless joke, a "yeah we should totally do that," without any real intention of actually applying.

And then Buck had shown up at his house with a tape recorder and a grin, and had begged and begged and begged for them to record a clip to send in. Had it not been for Christopher's puppy eyes ("please Dad, I'll be the coolest kid in school!") Eddie probably wouldn't have gone through with it. But Buck knew Eddie's weakness (his son) and boy had he weaponised him.

They sent in the tape the next day within a week had received a callback, and now here they were, several weeks and one somewhat awkward conversation with Bobby about why he'd be losing two of his firefighters for a month later, wondering how exactly they managed to push past all the other people applying.

Eddie wasn't one to turn down the opportunity to win a million dollars, not that that amount of money went particularly far in this economy. As he'd joked to Buck, if they won he'd use his share of the money to pay off Christopher's student loans, and then buy himself an ice cream with the leftover cash.

Also, he'd get to travel the world with Buck, which was a huge selling point. Eddie knows he's whipped when it comes to Buck. The idea of travelling with him, seeing the world, competing against others, being at their peak BuckandEddie, it would have been too good to pass up.

They finally reach the tent where the rest of the racers are, and are immediately swooped on by a hoard of crew members, checking over them, making sure they're mic'd up, general TV show admin, Eddie assumes.

"No turning back now, huh," Buck comments, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible. Eddie, however, can see right through him. He hears the slight quaver in Buck's voice, notices the way Buck doesn't quite meet his eye, how Buck's eyes are flickering around him as though on high alert.

"Hey," he says as he places a hand on Buck's shoulder, his thumb brushing against Buck's pulse point. "We're going to be okay. It's going to be fun! Just breathe, okay?"

Buck takes in a deep breath, his shoulders rising and pressing against Eddie's hand before releasing it. Eddie rubs his thumb back and forth over Buck's neck, giving him the smallest of squeezes.

"Right," Buck nods, his mouth quirking into a half smile. "Just us versus the world, huh?"

Eddie returns his smile with an easy grin, and he has to resist the urge to lean over and press a gentle kiss to Buck's cheek. "You and me, and 11 countries. We've got this."

There's a loud foghorn noise, signalling the teams to line up at the starting line, facing the host. Eddie's hand moves to cup Buck's cheek, patting him once, twice, before dropping down to his side. Buck flushes a beautiful pink and together they make their way to the line, ready to begin the adventure of a lifetime.

Gonna tag some friends who might be interested.

@theotherbuckley @hippolotamus @daffi-990 @bidisasterevankinard @neverevan

@spotsandsocks @aroeddiediaz @steadfastsaturnsrings @watchyourbuck

[stealingyourbones]

Short DPXDC Prompts #592

Harvey is mid bank heist when he hears “Harv? Is that you? It’s been so long!” From one of his hostages. Oh that voice was so incredibly familiar there’s no way-

Well he’ll be damned. Jack and Maddie Fenton, the couple he had a momentary fling with in college were pushing through the crowds and fully ignoring his goons pointing half a dozen guns at them as they made their way towards him.

———

Harvey couldn’t believe it. Jack and Maddie were still deeply in love and as crazy as ever, but they kept reaching out to him. They didn’t seem to mind him as the broken man that he is unlike another college friend. They treated him like a person. They didn’t expect his therapy and treatment to magically change him back to how he was, they just were happy that he was happy.

They mentioned once before that they messed up with how they treated their son but they realized their mistake and did their absolute damndest to make it up to their kids. They weren’t going to villainize their college ex. They were going to support him and be for him every step of the way.

[fatedroses]

he is indeed very proud of himself.

[smilesrobotlover]

Whumptober day 26- nightmares

Woah art again?? :D there may or may not be art for the rest of the month 👀 no promises tho. And also excuse the fact how there’s no nightmares, there’s just bad memories 😭 I didn’t know what else to do lol.

~~~~

It took hours getting people to safety on the broken boat, and fortunately none of them were hurt too badly. There were a few with broken bones, but Talon and Ammon began to care for them right away. The people were all huddled up on the deck, anxiously watching the land ahead of them. After a few hours, the boat miraculously started moving again, with the captain of the ship taking the helm again and driving to land. But there was no sign of Linebeck.

Leon didn’t think much of it since the man said he was going to fix the engine of the ship, but even after it had started moving again, he still hadn’t reunited with the men. Soon the land was getting closer and closer, so Leon decided to look for the sailor despite his motion sickness so he wouldn’t have to turn the ship upside-down to find him when they arrived. He walked down the stairs, noting the broken walls and steps, and he reached the engine room. It was a mess, but it wasn’t flooded anymore, with boxes and wax all blocking the hole that the monster created. The engine was whirring still, looking functional, and Linebeck was resting against the wall with a blank expression on his face, his arms resting on each knee as he stared. Leon walked up to him, waving his hand to get his attention, and Linebeck flinched slightly, his eyes finally focusing on something.

“Oh, hey,” he mumbled, moving his legs so he was on his knees. “I was just about to head up there.”

“Were you now?”

“Yeah…” Linebeck trailed off, standing up slowly while still clinging onto the wall. Leon glanced around the room again, nodding his head.

“It’s impressive down here. You fixed all this by yourself?”

Linebeck let out a bitter laugh. “No, I didn’t fix it. I just… fixed it enough to last us the rest of the trip.”

“Did it take a while?”

He shrugged. “Just had to pump out the water and fill the hole. The water damaged the engine, so fixing that wasn’t easy but…I guess it didn’t take too long.”

Leon frowned. “And you’ve been down here ever since?”

Linebeck looked down, a guilty expression on his face. “I mean—I’ve just been thinking about stuff.”

Leon stared at his face, the uncomfortable expression, the way he was rubbing his arms and legs…

“Is your scar bothering you?” Leon asked, and Linebeck’s eyes traveled to meet his, his expression turning more somber.

“Yeah,” he sighed, “tentacles just give me bad memories.”

Leon gave a knowing nod, remembering how his scar spread throughout his entire body as if something had held onto him. He wasn’t surprised to see Linebeck freeze up earlier. And yet…

“You were very brave up there, Linebeck,” he said, placing his hand on his shoulder. “Despite your fear, you took charge and steered the ship away from the beast’s attacks while also keeping us close enough to fight it. It was impressive.”

Linebeck smiled slightly, it having a hint of genuinity. “Ah, it’s nice to finally show off my skills for once I guess,” he chuckled, scratching the back of his head.”

“Yes, it was nice to see them in action. Makes me wonder what else you’re capable of.”

Linebeck grinned, a hint of teasing on his face, but he didn’t continue. Instead he frowned and faced Leon fully. “How’s Benji? I haven’t checked on him at all.”

“He’s fine from what we can tell,” Leon explained, “no injuries, though he does seem out of it.”

“Yeah. Goddesses, I owe him a lot. If it took me I—” he shuddered and looked away.

“Well, let’s head upstairs to thank him, shall we?” Leon suggested, holding out his hand. “I doubt being down in the dreary engine room isn’t doing you any favors.”

Linebeck stared at the ground, but he took Leon’s hand, following him up the stairs to the deck. It was dark out, with a lighthouse guiding the ship to the land, but Linebeck immediately took in a deep breath, the wind clearly bringing relief to him.

“It’s nice out here, isn’t it?” Leon commented, and Linebeck nodded.

“Yeah. It’s not the sea, but it’s better than the forest.”

“You don’t like the forest?”

“I hate it.”

Leon chuckled before leading Linebeck to where the rest of the group sat, all chatting amongst themselves while Benji played on his guitar. Benji turned his head right when they arrived, and his face lit up.

“Linebeck! There you are!” He cheered, positioning himself so Linebeck could fit the group. “Where’ve you been? I was sad you weren’t the first one crying over my situation.”

Linebeck laughed, though it was small, and he sat down next to him. “I’m sorry, Ben, I was just…um…”

“Linebeck was keeping an eye on the engine,” Leon jumped in, nudging him with his boot. “Had to drag him up here so he wouldn’t work himself to death.”

The rest of the men chuckled while Linebeck rolled his eyes.

“I guess I was working a little too hard,” he muttered, and Leon nudged him again.

“He’s quite the handyman.”

“Oh please,” Linebeck scoffed. “I only knew what I was doing ‘cause it was the same as my ship.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Talon jumped in, “you’re the reason why we’re heading to land in the first place!”

“And you’re why we defeated that monster,” Rusl added.

“And let’s not forget the lockpick,” Ammon continued, “that was the fastest picking of a lock I’ve ever seen.”

Linebeck scratched the back of his head, suddenly looking bashful, which Leon found amusing. Usually the man loved boasting about his own accomplishments.

“I-it was nothing, really,” he said, “I was just… caught up in the moment.”

“It saved us though,” Rusl pushed, and the rest of the men cheered in agreement.

“Well let’s not forget about Benji though,” Linebeck pointed to the man, “he saved my life after all.”

“Oh yeah,” Benji started, “I did do that! Glad somebody remembered huh?”

Rusl playfully shoved Benji and the men burst out in laughter, beginning to chat about things, their plan, and how good everyone did. But Leon watched Linebeck, who was still more reserved than normal, yet looking far better than before. He truly didn’t give the man enough credit—the man was far braver and competent than he had realized, and he couldn’t help but see him in a different light. He opened his mouth, but paused on what he was going to say. Perhaps he was going to apologize for his short temper that was always directed to him, or perhaps he was going to compliment him once again, but right when he was about to speak up, shouts interrupted him, and the group went silent as the unfortunate souls on the boat started shouting at the captain.

“We demand a refund!” A woman yelled, her arm in a sling as she was inches from the captain’s face.

“I-I’m terribly sorry but—” he started, but another man popped up, a furious look on his face.

“You made us pay twenty rupees just for us to almost die! You have to make up for it!”

“Y-yes I will but—” The captain glanced at the men who were watching and gave them a pleading look. “You guys, you men helped save us! Surely you can… help me?”

Benji scoffed. “Buddy, you owe us.”

“Yeah, I’m not helping you anymore,” Linebeck grumbled, and the captain whimpered.

“I-I—HOW ABOUT THIS! I give everyone on this boat a free… um… stay at the inn in the next town?”

“And a free doctor’s visit?” A woman jumped in, and he sighed.

“Y-yes, and a free doctor’s visit.”

“I’d rather have a refund.”

The angry mob all muttered in agreement, but Talon raised his hand.

“We’ll take the free inn,” he said, and the group nodded. They didn’t give the man rupees anyways.

“W-well—I can’t just refund all the money, I’m sorry,” the captain said, but all the outraged shouts quieted him, along with shouts from the men.

“Just give them their dang rupees back you scammer!” Talon yelled.

“Yeah!” Benji agreed, holding up his guitar with one arm.

“But give us the inn, we do really want it,” Ammon shouted, which resulted in the men all laughing as the poor captain got left to deal with the angry mob. It was well past midnight by the time they arrived to land, with the boat sputtering and stopping right when they docked. The workers at the docks only stared at the destroyed ship in shock as everyone started running off as soon as they were able. The men were the last ones off, with the captain giving them a pleading look before they walked onto the ramp.

“I will let you all stay on my ship if you’d fix it for me,” he begged, and Leon glanced at the others, who were subtly shaking their heads.

“Nah,” Linebeck said for Leon, and walked away with the others following. Leon simply shrugged at the captain and followed his friends, the group looking for the inn where they would stay. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Benji wailed and got on his knees, kissing the cobblestone.

“Oh, solid land!” He wailed, giving the cobblestones more kisses until Leon kicked him slightly.

“Don’t do that, you don’t know where it’s been,” he scolded, and Benji simply gave him an annoyed look before licking it. Leon let out a disgusted yell and stepped away from him as he scrambled to his feet, his tongue still hanging out of his mouth. “You are disgusting! Licking the ground where hundreds of people have walked upon with their shoes that have stepped in every bit of filth on the planet! What is wrong with you?”

Benji simply winked at him before retracting his tongue in his mouth, which genuinely made Leon want to puke. He survived the boat ride without emptying his stomach, and he was going to let this ruin it for him?

“Hey, you two weirdos!”

Leon and Benji looked to see Linebeck watching them with the others waiting impatiently for them to follow.

“Quit fighting like a married couple and let’s go. I’m tired.”

Leon and Benji glanced at each other before sighing and following the men. They were both very tired, Benji more than Leon no doubt after everything he went through that day, so going to an inn sounded nice. They finally found somewhere to stay, with the inn being very nice; it was tucked away in the corner of town with trees surrounding the building, and the innkeeper was just as nice as the place, giving the men separate rooms where two could room together (save for one that needed three).

“I call rooming with Talon!” Rusl shouted as they got the keys, his hand raised.

“No! I wanted to room with Talon!” Benji fought back, clinging onto the man’s arm.

“That’s not fair! How come you two get Talon?” Ammon jumped in, and all the men broke out into a lighthearted fight over who got to room with Talon while the poor man looked shocked. Leon couldn’t help the chuckle as he watched the group squabble. They were truly an interesting group of men.

Finally they decided on who would room with who: Kass and Ammon would take one room, Rusl, Benji, and Talon would take the other since Talon wanted to keep an eye on Benji, and Leon and Linebeck would take the final room. It was an arrangement they (reluctantly) agreed to, and they split up, with Leon feeling surprisingly sad that they weren’t all staying in the same room. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited to sleep in his own bed for once.

He and Linebeck reached the room, with it being on the second level of the inn. As soon as Leon reached the bed closest to the window, he took off his shoes and cape and flopped down onto the bed, the events from the day crashing down on him at once. Linebeck did the same, and before Leon could fully pass out, Linebeck spoke up, breaking the silence.

“Hey—um—thank you for what you said earlier. It helped.”

Leon opened his eyes and smiled slightly at Linebeck. “I’m glad it did… I… I’m sorry for giving you such a hard time over everything. You’ve proven me wrong time and time again.”

“Mm,” was all he said in response before burying his face in the pillow with a sigh. “Well, goodnight.”

Leon smiled and buried his own face further into the pillows. “Goodnight Linebeck. I’ll see you in the morning.” It was silent for a moment, so Leon decided to say one more thing before letting sleep whisk him away. “May you have pleasant dreams. It’s what you deserve.”

He heard shuffling, then it went quiet once again, with sleep finally beginning to overcome Leon. But he heard one more thing before he finally fell asleep, and it echoed through his mind just as he fell unconscious.

“You too.”

[subway-boss-jericho]

So how did ingo evolve in the Combee au after you know they got separated

Long and complicated answer! Welcome to The Plot!

After Ingo and Emmet are separated, Ingo tumbles into Hisui and is generally pretty worse for wear. He has to relearn how to fly (alone and unbalanced) and figure out how to Survive.

Thankfully for him, he manages to make some friends :] Mainly in the form of a slightly greener Laventon, fresh on the scene in Hisui and substantially newer to the field of research- A hurt combee, while still a Pokemon, is a lot easier for one man to handle and approach on his own. He takes Ingo back to his office at Jubilife and nurses him back to health- And while he sleeps one night as Laventon is burning the midnight oil, the little bee beegins to take on a glow. It encircles him like a halo, and when the light clears, he has a little red marking in the shape of a triangle on his chin.

Laventon gets to witness the first Hisuian Combee, Ingo himself rather clueless to the whole thing.

His evolution comes a lot later, after Laventon reintroduces him to the wild; Laventon takes Ingo to the Combee colony living in the Heartwood and makes sure he acclimates well enough/isn't rejected before falling back to leave him bee.

I haven't decided exactly what happens and when, but in the time Laventon spends away, Ingo evolves in an attempt to protect the colony from some kind of danger. When Laventon finds him again he's nearly unrecognizable- An alpha- A noble by right, first of his kind and dignified guard to the field's Combee.

He recognizes Ingo not by appearance but by his behavior alone- Treating Laventon with familiarity and hospitality. He's exceptionally gentle for his size and strength, and continues to get along with humans shockingly well. (As a pokemon from the future, we've seen they are broadly more domesticated.)

Is this a ramble! Yes! It is! There was no quick answer to the question :> I hope you enjoy the elevator pitch plot points. I love the bees so fuckin much man....... Why does Arceus bless Ingo? Great question. I just think he should be gods favorite. As a treat. And also it's a super awesome story device that I haven't seen many other people use- the origins of Hisuian Pokemon.

Thank you for the ask!!

Combee AU Masterpost

[disasterbuck]

💋💋💋💋🙊🙊🙊🙊

sorry this took a while!! hope you enjoy!! 😘

💋💋💋💋 - kiss your best friend passionately

Giving a quiet cough, Buck began, "Uh… hey. I just wanted to say sorry. Uh, about before?"

Eddie remained stubbornly still.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Buck went on, his nerves taking control of his mouth and making it run. "I just wasn't thinking. At all. I heard something about kissing your best friend and just immediately went for it because I wanted to. Like, the idea of having to be paid money to kiss you? Laughable. I truly meant what I said, that I'd kiss you for free. I mean, obviously, since I did do that. But what I'm trying to say is it just didn't even occur to me that you might not want to, which is incredibly rude and selfish and inconsiderate of me. I absolutely should have asked before kissing you, and I just really hope–"

🙊🙊🙊🙊 - don't say his name

Buck and Eddie glanced at each other, their eyes darting away again just as quickly. Eddie cleared his throat and reached for the avocado to start dicing it, leaving Buck to answer Chimney's accusations.

"No," Buck enunciated carefully, as if it was a much more complicated word which could be easily misheard and not one with only one syllable. "Eddie and I are not secretly dating."

Chimney narrowed his eyes. For a moment he thought he saw one of Eddie's hands shake nervously, but then he was slicing the avocado expertly so Chimney assumed he'd imagined it.

Still.

"Hen, back me up here?" he said, turning to his partner in crime.

"You two have seemed extra close lately," Hen said, leaning forward on her arms. "You were practically cuddling on the couch earlier from the look of it."

"We weren't cuddling!" Eddie protested, looking up from his avocado. "That couch is tiny!"

Make Me Write ✨

also using this as Tidbit Tuesday!

and tagging:

@dluoser @taketheplanspinitsideways @loudenthusiastic @wallywise @mxrcjqckspnchqsc

@i-am-married-to-my-fandom @therosesaredying @stillfuckingtired @classtrialguru @speggle

@awesome-igi @natnuszsstuff @olliesrants @crazyfangirlallert @delirium1995

@brah3280 @meanceclosetohell @anythingeverythingallofthetime @izzysbeans @sunflower-eddiediaz

@darkrose6578 @veronae-buddie @steadfastsaturnsrings @loveyouanyway @inell

@spicyrottingbrains @gnoeltop @idealuk @donationwayne @lemotmo

@smilingbuckley @realpersonwithrealfeelings @superlock-in-the-tardis @mjthe14thdoctor @strxwbereee

@idontknowwhatimdoing777 @ashleigh2658 @mari-lwyd-fannibal-blog @mineyneedsmoney @faithhopeandmisery

@spotsandsocks @unlifeira @tofanasmuse @pirrusstuff @buddiedaydreamer911

@littlevampireprincessuniverse @misshiss727 @i-put-the-star-in-bastard @hermioneindisguise @dangerpronebuddie

@daffi-990 @monsterrae1

Let me know if you'd like to be added or removed 💕

[daffi-990]

Seven(ish) Sentence Sunday ✍️

Tagged by @dangerpronebuddie @spotsandsocks @diazheartsbuckley @actuallyitsellie @hippolotamus @smilingbuckley and @bekkachaos thank you friends for tagging me ❤️

Have a little something from the Buddie First Date WIP that is slowly being written (a few words here and there is better than nothing, right?)

Prev snippet here

"Here, let me," Eddie murmurs, gently taking the sunflowers from Buck's hand. Their fingers brush, sending sparks through Buck's body.

Which feels ridiculous because it’s not like they’ve never touched each other before. But now every brush of fingers, every bump of their shoulders and nudge of their knees, every small touch that didn’t seem like anything then, means everything now. Every touch means love and home and belonging and holds the promise of more.

Buck watches as Eddie carefully arranges the flowers in the vase, admiring the way his hands move with grace and ease. It strikes him how domestic this small moment feels, how right.

He can see the rest of his life play out before him, Eddie beside him through it all. Their future together is no longer just a distant dream or an unattainable fantasy that Buck longs for, its real and it’s happening right now. Buck has never felt more content, more at ease. He’s exactly where he’s meant to be.

"Perfect." Eddie steps back, admiring his handiwork.

The bright yellow petals of the sunflowers seem to light up the entire loft, much like Eddie's presence lights up Buck's life.

“Perfect,” Buck agrees.

No pressure tagging @diazsdimples @theotherbuckley @beyourownanchor6 @disasterbuck @watchyourbuck @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @wellcollapse @exhuastedpigeon @elvensorceress @eddiebabygirldiaz @queerweewoo @queerdiazs @spagheddiediaz @devirnis @rainbow-nerdss @thewolvesof1998 @sibylsleaves @steadfastsaturnsrings @glorious-spoon @giddyupbuck @jesuisici33 @honestlydarkprincess @kitteneddiediaz @lover-of-mine @captain-hen @missmagooglie @monsterrae1 @tizniz @inell and as always, anyone who has anything they want to share -> consider this your offical tag 🏷️