#and be very passionate about it and sing along and stuff

[p0orbaby]

Parental Guidance

summary: you’re on the brink of a baby induced nervous breakdown and you need your wife to pull her finger out a little

warnings: just some postnatal tension, but it all works out

a/n: thank you for the request !

word count: 1.2k

-

You’re pretty sure you haven’t slept in three days. Or is it four? The baby’s a demon. This tiny, adorable, 8-pound entity that seems to thrive on your misery. His cries have melded into a never-ending soundtrack of despair, punctuated by your own hollow attempts at soothing him with a song that you made up on the spot about 48 hours ago and now can’t stop singing. It’s called “Please, for the Love of All That is Good and Holy, Sleep.”

You used to be a person. You had interests, hobbies. You read books that didn’t have the words “Goodnight” and “Moon” in the title. You once watched entire movies from start to finish without interruptions. You’re pretty sure you used to smile, and not the deranged, Joker-esque grin you’ve developed from trying to maintain your sanity while walking a screaming infant around the house at 2 a.m.

And where is your darling wife, Alexia, in all this? Nowhere to be found. Well, she’s at work, technically. Which, fine. Someone has to pay the bills, but wasn’t there some kind of brochure about shared responsibility? Maybe she’s left it in her locker, along with her soul. You barely remember what she looks like at this point. You could pass her in the hallway and just nod politely, like she’s the postman.

You’re doing your best. Really, you are. But the situation is like trying to fill a bath with a teaspoon. And maybe you’re filling the bath wrong. Maybe the bath is cursed. You’ve tried everything—rocking, singing, automatic bouncers, and some baby yoga thing that some well-meaning Instagram mum swore by but mostly just made you realise how tight your hamstrings are.

Last night, you were so desperate, you found yourself Googling “Can babies drink Nyquil?” You didn’t actually give it to him, of course, but the fact that you even considered it is telling. Your maternal instincts have been reduced to the level of a sleep-deprived zombie.

You call Alexia. She picks up after the third ring. You can hear the echo of her voice, so you know she’s in one of those soundproof meeting rooms, which would be useful for something other than work right now, like, say, your mental breakdown.

“How’s it going?” she asks, with a tone that implies she has absolutely no idea how it’s going.

“Oh, fine,” you say, with the kind of deadpan delivery that would get a standing ovation on a late-night comedy show. “The baby’s great. He’s taken up wailing as a full-time job. He’s really passionate about it, you know? Very dedicated. I think he’s trying to set a record”

You hear her exhale softly. “I’m sorry, bebè. It’s just i'm in the middle of some media stuff—”

“No, no,” you cut her off. “By all means, finish giving your opinions on that new stadium or whatever. I’m sure our baby will appreciate it when he’s, I don’t know, 18 and actually sleeping. Maybe he’ll get a job there. Or just stand outside and scream, since that seems to be his true calling”

There’s a pause on the other end. Not a comfortable pause. The kind of pause that suggests she’s realising you might not be entirely okay. The baby shrieks louder, and you realise you’re bouncing him up and down like he’s a basketball and you’re trying to make a buzzer-beater shot.

“I’ll be home soon,” Alexia says finally, her voice softer.

“Define ‘soon,’” you counter, adjusting your grip on the baby before he launches himself out of your arms and catapults into a new dimension where babies don’t need sleep. “Is it ‘soon’ like in 20 minutes, or ‘soon’ like in three hours when I’ve lost the will to live?”

Another pause, this one even worse. You’re pretty sure you can hear her wincing through the phone.

“An hour?” she offers weakly, and you let out a laugh that’s halfway between genuine and maniacal.

“Perfect,” you say. “I’ll just go cry in the airing cupboard until then. The baby and I have matching dark circles under our eyes now, so that’s fun. Maybe we’ll start a band”

You hang up before she can respond, not trusting yourself to say anything else. You’re exhausted, stretched thin, and the fact that your wife isn’t here to witness the madness is only making things worse. You know she’s working hard, that she’s doing her best, but in this moment, it feels like you’re on a sinking ship and she’s on shore, waving at you from a distance.

An hour later, when she finally walks through the door, you’re sitting in the middle of the living room floor, surrounded by a sea of baby toys, burp cloths, and what you think might be some sort of baby vomit, though at this point, who really knows?

You look up at her, and she looks back at you, and there’s a brief moment where you’re pretty sure she’s about to turn around and walk right back out the door.

Instead, she says, “I brought wine”

You blink at her, then at the bottle of wine in her hand. It’s a good bottle, too. The kind you used to drink before you had a baby and your definition of “good wine” became “whatever has the highest alcohol content and is closest to the till”

“Great,” you say, pushing yourself up off the floor with a grunt. “Let’s get the baby drunk”

She gives you a tired smile, but you can see the worry behind it. “Cariño…”

“No, it’s fine,” you say, holding up a hand. “It’s totally fine. I’m just saying, if we give him some wine, maybe he’ll sleep. Or at least pass out for a little bit. We can all get some rest. Or die. Either one sounds good at this point”

She sighs, setting the bottle down on the coffee table and coming over to you. She takes the baby from your arms, and you’re almost tempted to just collapse on the spot. Instead, you let yourself lean against her, just for a moment, just long enough to remember what it feels like to be supported by another human being.

“I’m sorry,” she says, and you can hear the guilt in her voice. “I know this is hard. I’ll try to be here more”

You nod, but you’re too tired to respond with words. Instead, you just rest your head on her shoulder and close your eyes, savouring the brief reprieve from the bedlam.

“Do you think he’s broken?” you mumble after a while. “Like, did we get a defective baby?”

Alexia chuckles softly, pressing a kiss to your temple. “No, he’s not broken. He’s just…expressive”

“Expressive,” you repeat, nodding slowly. “Right. So we got the model with all the extra emotions. Great”

“Extra emotions,” Alexia echoes, her tone lightening. “Maybe that means he’ll be a really good artist someday”

“Or he’ll just be really good at screaming,” you say, lifting your head to look at her. “You know, for someone who’s supposed to be on a team, you’ve been doing a lot of solo missions lately”

“I know,” she says softly, her eyes meeting yours. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better”

You let out a long breath, feeling the tension between you, and your shoulder, start to ease. “Okay. But if he screams one more time tonight, we’re selling him to the circus”

“Got it,” Alexia says with a smile, and for the first time in days, you feel like maybe, just maybe, you’re not going through this alone.

[torahoes]

(IDOLiSH7) Haruka Isumi - 16PRODUCERS Rabbit Chat

Please note that I am not a professional translator. If you come across any mistakes, feel free to let me know and I will make the necessary corrections.

Haruka Isumi:

Haruka Isumi:

Haruka Isumi: Oh, you read it already

Torao Mido: What’s this? You’re early, Haruka

Haruka Isumi: So are you! Are you done with your shoot already?

Torao Mido:

Torao Mido: Are you happy?

Haruka Isumi: I'm

Haruka Isumi: I'm not not happy....

Haruka Isumi: 😑😑😑

Torao Mido: What's with that, lol

Haruka Isumi: It’s nothing!!! 😑

Torao Mido: I was supposed to do the interview during my commute, but the shoot ended earlier than expected, so I’ve got some time to kill

Torao Mido: Your text popped up the moment I opened my phone.

Haruka Isumi: Hmmmmm

Haruka Isumi: We’ve still got time. Wanna talk about something?

Torao Mido: Let’s play Word Chain [1]

Haruka Isumi: LMAO

Haruka Isumi: Are you looking to lose to me again? 🥴

Torao Mido: I'm determined to win this time. I’ve come prepared with a strategy

Haruka Isumi: That's hilarious lolol

Haruka Isumi: Well, whatever 🥴 I'll take you on! Let's start with the letter “L”!

Torao Mido: Lip

Haruka Isumi: Princess

Torao Mido: Soup

Haruka Isumi: Print

Torao Mido: Tomato ketchup

Haruka Isumi: Wait, why do you keep attacking me with words that end with "P"?!?!?!?!

Torao Mido: That’s right. Now you know I’m not the same person you're used to facing. I’ve even overcome my fear of “H”

Haruka Isumi: Why am I being repaid for that one time right now!!!

Haruka Isumi: Plastic!

Torao Mido: Crepe

Haruka Isumi: UGHHHHHHH [2]

Shiro Utsugi: Great work today, you two! Are you getting fired up talking about foods starting with “P"?

Shiro Utsugi: Pudding! I’ve been really into it lately. The firmer ones are just so delicious

Haruka Isumi: Oh

Shiro Utsugi: Eh?

Torao Mido: Guess the game’s over now

Shiro Utsugi: Wait, were you playing Word Chain?! Ahhhh, I’m so sorry!! I totally ruined it for you guys!!!

Haruka Isumi: Not at all, it's fine. Actually, I should be thanking you!! 🥴 You saved me from losing

Torao Mido: That’s alright, I’ll just keep honing my skills for the next time

Haruka Isumi: And I’ll just beat you again then! Anyway, isn't it time already? Let's begin, Utsugi-san!

Shiro Utsugi: Thank you very much 😭 Once again, we’ve been asked to capture your usual relaxed interactions, so we'll be conducting the interview in this format using Rabbit Chat!

Shiro Utsugi: Isumi-san, please tell us how you felt when you heard Mido-san would be producing you!

Haruka Isumi: To be totally honest, I really had no idea how he was going to go about producing me!

Haruka Isumi: I mean, when I think about how Torao sees me, I imagine stuff like “good at singing,” “knows a lot about sweets,” or “really good at Word Chain.” I figured he’d be thinking along those lines lol 🤔

Torao Mido: Yeah, I guess we've never really had a proper conversation about what I think you're like as an idol and all that

Torao Mido: But after listening to the song, did you get a sense of how I see you?

Haruka Isumi: Mhm. I mean, sorry if I’m wrong, but...

Haruka Isumi: Torao, do you maybe actually like me quite a bit...?

Torao Mido: Well, it's not like I dislike you, right!? What do you take me for?

Haruka Isumi: RIGHT!? That's what I thought too... it's just that the lyrics and melody were so straightforward

Haruka Isumi: It felt like you really captured me in a song. Even though it was my first time hearing it, it didn’t feel like the first time at all

Shiro Utsugi: It really is a passionate song with a strong message! Mido-san, could you please share how you decided on the direction?

Torao Mido: Haruka has always been radiant

Torao Mido: He never lies to himself about his feelings. Whether he's happy or sad, he expresses those emotions openly. I've always kind of admired that about him.

Torao Mido: He possesses the kind of overwhelming power that can pierce through the pitch-black night and propel us toward the bright blue sky. Haruka was always at the forefront, leading us to brighter places. Like a hero.

Torao Mido: I packed that strength of his into "Aoku."

Haruka Isumi: You think I’m like a hero?

Torao Mido: Yeah.

Haruka Isumi: I see... I didn't know. It’s pretty rare for you to say such things openly, so it makes me really happy

Torao Mido: I'm glad we're doing this over Rabbit Chat

Haruka Isumi: I’d rather you said it to my face!!!

Torao Mido: No way! That’d be way too embarrassing.

Haruka Isumi: Well, fair enough 😆 But y'know, I think you’re like a hero too, Torao

Torao Mido: Me?

Haruka Isumi: You faced your feelings, your scars, head-on. Ever since that day, you’ve challenged yourself in so many ways and expanded the possibilities for us — for ŹOOĻ. You’re seriously so cool

Torao Mido: Well

Torao Mido: I really am cool.

Haruka Isumi: We’re cool, you mean!

Torao Mido: Yeah. We’re cool!

Shiro Utsugi: I am currently taking a screenshot of this conversation.

Haruka Isumi: Ah, I should too!

Torao Mido: Guess I’ll do it too, then.

Shiro Utsugi: No matter what the future holds, I'm sure ŹOOĻ will be just fine. And if you ever feel disheartened, please reread the Rabbit Chats from this project.

Shiro Utsugi: Though, of course, I’ll do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen...!

Haruka Isumi: Thanks. We're counting on you, Utsugi-san

Torao Mido: Please keep looking out for us

Shiro Utsugi: ŹOOĻ is the best!

Haruka Isumi:

Torao Mido:

Haruka Isumi: It’s kinda funny seeing Torao use King Pudding stickers lmao

Torao Mido: Come on. What’s wrong with using them once in a while?

Shiro Utsugi: This happens to me as well. Whenever I use stickers while chatting with the staff, they always ask, "Is something wrong?" with concern. I guess some things just suit certain people while others don’t

Haruka Isumi: Yeah, if Utsugi-san suddenly sent me a sticker while we were talking, I’d probably wonder what was up too

Torao Mido: But his emoji choices are already so weird; isn't it too late to be surprised?

Shiro Utsugi:

Haruka Isumi: That’s kinda cute lmaoo

Shiro Utsugi: Let’s get back to the main topic. Next, I’d like to ask about the photoshoot and the costumes. The use of wires and CGI really made for such a dynamic shot!

Torao Mido: I wanted to express Haruka’s energy and strength. You can really feel that sense of him piercing through the sky, right?

Torao Mido: Even in a stifling world that's buried in asphalt and moving at a dizzying pace, with Haruka's voice, we can take off and soar anywhere.

Haruka Isumi: Hehe, Torao just keeps saying things that make me super happy

Torao Mido: Was it scary? I remember you weren’t too thrilled about bungee jumping before

Haruka Isumi: At first, I was a little nervous about whether I'd do a good job, but it turned out to be SO much fun!!! I was like, “Woah, so this is how Torao always films his stunts too? That’s awesome” 😂

Haruka Isumi: Oh, and when you called out to me, saying, “I know you can do it,” it made me really happy.

Torao Mido: I meant every word. I believe in you, Haruka

Haruka Isumi: Yeah! Thanks. By the way, how did you decide on the costume? I didn’t think both my knees would be exposed like that 😆

Torao Mido: Heroes usually show some leg, don’t they?

Haruka Isumi: The heck? LOL. Then you should've had both your knees out too!!

Torao Mido: Listen. Try imagining me with both my knees out first

Haruka Isumi: It looked-

Haruka Isumi: It looked great! The Torao in my head totally pulled it off!!! 😂 LMAOO

Torao Mido: You’re laughing though, lol

Haruka Isumi: Show it to me next time, okay? 😂😂

Shiro Utsugi: Please show it to me too! 🐾 Well then, sadly, we've reached the end of the interview. Before we wrap up, could I ask the two of you to share a final message with your fans?

Torao Mido: I’m sure you fans have noticed it as well. When you listen to Haruka's voice, it stirs up an impulse within you, a feeling that makes it impossible not to keep moving forward. Haruka's voice guides us.

Torao Mido: From there, I came to realize that even we could become someone's hero someday. The future you reach after all your struggles is bright, beautiful, and blue. I hope you guys listen to the song a lot too.

Haruka Isumi: The lyrics, “The words I caught amidst lights that emerge and fade, now dwell in my heart,” are my favorite.

Haruka Isumi: There was a time when I used to tell myself, "I'm never going to pay heed to anyone's voice", "I'm never going to let myself be swayed by someone else's words." But now I realize I was wrong.

Haruka Isumi: I’ve always been supported by our fans’ words. Whenever you said, “Thank you,” my body felt lighter. Whenever you said, “You can do it,” I honestly felt like, “Yeah, I can!”. That’s why these lyrics resonate with me so much.

Haruka Isumi: Your words always reach us directly. Thank you so much for everything! Torao called me a hero, but to me, my members and our fans are the real heroes! I’ll make sure to treasure “Aoku” together with Torao!!!

Shiro Utsugi: Thank you, Isumi-san and Mido-san. I’m very excited for ŹOOĻ’s future...!

Haruka Isumi: Me too!! Let's keep doing this together, Torao!

Torao Mido: Yeah, of course. I’m looking forward to my future with you guys.

Torao Mido: So, this marks the end of ŹOOĻ's part in this project, huh. Should we do something to celebrate?

Haruka Isumi: Good idea! Let’s have another party together! At your place, Torao!

Torao Mido: Sounds good. It’s winter, and for a big group, there’s really only one answer, right?

Haruka Isumi: Hot pot party!! 🤩

Shiro Utsugi: That sounds wonderful. If I’m not mistaken, I believe everyone’s schedules line up next week...!

Haruka Isumi: It won't be just us — Utsugi-san, you're joining too!

Shiro Utsugi: Eh, is that really okay...?! I’d be honored

Torao Mido: We’ll need a really big clay pot. Guess I'll go look for a good craftsman

Haruka Isumi: You're going to start by making the pot first? LOLOL

The End.

--------------

[1] They're actually playing Shiritori here, the Japanese version of Word Chain, where players take turns saying words that begin with the last syllable of the previous word.

[2] The word "Crepe" (クレープ) in Japanese ends with "Pu" (プ), so Haruka is once again frustrated to be given another word that ends with "P."

[plussizeappreciationfics]

Would you be willing to write a Jason Todd x plus size reader where they're just living together maybe just moved in together and it's just all fluff and domestic stuff you can add whatever flare you like to this :D if you're okay with writing the character but if not I understand

-✨ anon

Hey anon! So I did some research on Jason Todd and have opted to write about the timeline when Jason runs the Outlaws as he`s a minor in the timeline before that. Hope you like it!

Moving in with Jason includes:

Him being nervous on your first day together in your new apartment, being used to pack an overnight bag and not to finally share a space with you

Him enjoying the new sense of peace and tranquility once all of the boxes are unpacked and the apartment finally looks like a real home

You comforting your boyfriend, understanding that hes just happy that he gets to have you so close to him, as your his source of love, life and peace

The two of you enjoying some take out while talking and laughing with one another, soaking in these beautiful moments and being able to tune out the problematic world

The first night at the apartment being concluded with some passionate love making, your bodies becoming one while youre staring deeply into each others eyes and whispering sweet nothings to one another

Living together with Jason being the most fun yet chaotic thing ever

Him feeling an overwhelming wave of happiness rushing through his body when he knows that youre waiting for him at home, after a long and exhausting day

You loving to surprise your boyfriend with homecooked meals, dancing and singing along while being so excited that his tastebuds will be blessed soon

Jason falling and loving you even more when he gets to see you wander around your place in an oversized shirt, your underwear visible. The sight alone instantly making him crave your beautiful body

Late nights of either slow dancing in the living room together or watching a random movie while cuddling and feeding each other snacks becoming your routine to recover from the outside world and life in general

Jason being very curious when it comes to cooking, so he happily watches you teach him basic cooking skills and meals to prepare on the days that youre too exhausting to cook or are working late

The whole apartment being filled with flower petals, ballons and confetti on your birthday, anniversary or other special occasions, adding a whole new beautiful athomosphere to your already loving home

Walking around naked being one of your favorite activities together

The two of you thinking about getting a pet but not being able to decide on which kind as youre a cat person and Jason is a dog person

Both a cat and dog being adopeted months later and surprisingly getting along fine when the two of you are not home

Your little family being complete, friends and family receiving the cutest holiday cards of your family

Your relationship going through intense highs and lows, but the two of you always coming out stronger than ever and realizing that you are the endgame for one another

[ghoulishhx]

as a music oriented girly (my dream is to be in a band) i need to play frank sooo many songs and write songs about him and teach him guitar properly because baby could NOT play in the show lmao bless him

my toxic trait is relating lyrics to any situation ever and i fear i would make him cry by shoving headphones at him and being like this song is so you and maria or you and your kids and its the most gut wrenching song ever (probably pheobe bridgers) but yknow hes gotta process somehow 🥰🥰

ugh i love music and i love frank castle

-💥 (hope youre having a wonderful day!! mwah)

oh my god i feel like we may be the same person??? because me too??? I'm actually a musician irl, released some songs over written on Spotify in the past but they're not there anymore because I got self conscious of them LOL. I play guitar, bass and I sing too :3 I used to be in a band back in university and it was so fun ugh I miss it!!!

maybe it's me being biased, but i think frank would find it so HOT. I've said before and I'll say it again, he LOVES and artistic girl, he loves how passionate you get over your hobbies and interests. especially a fucking sexy ass guitar/bass player, that would drive him feral. he's such a big music lover anyway, but you elevate his love for it even more.

I can imagine you trying to teach him, and he's so fucking stubborn usually but even more so in this circumstance.

"no frank c'mon. that's the wrong barre chord, you're playing f#m instead of fm"

"what's the fuckin' difference anyway? both f's ain't they?"

"there's a difference baby, a big one. move your fingers like this, lemme show you."

you reach around him, angling his large calloused hands in your smaller calloused fingers, maneuvering them along the strings. even if he's not as skilled as you are, he still enjoys your company guiding him through this stuff, feeling your warmth as you encompass him fills his heart, listening intently to your lessons, indulging you.

oh and I believe it goes without saying you and frank have an insanely large physical media collection, especially vinyls. before you, Frank was very minimalistic, not seeing any point in clutter or things that weren't toilet roll and artillery. but moving in together you moved your expensive vinyl set-up into your shared home, and now it's the pride and joy of your living space. there's never a second a record isn't spinning, whether it be waylon jennings or system of a down. music is such a huge part of your life, and Frank adores that about you, indulging in it by treating you on birthdays and christmas' to rare pressings of your sought after albums etc.

there was many nights he'd return home to you sobbing on the kitchen floor, headphones on your head as you listen to the most gut wrenching song of your life.

"told ya y'should stop listening to jeff buckley sweetheart, he always makes ya like this." he would softly speak, crouching down to your removing the headphones.

"he's just so perfect frankie, I know it's over is the perfect cover." you sigh wiping the tears from your sodden cheeks.

"I know doll, I know. c'mere." even though he didn't understand how you could feel so extremely for a song he doesn't hesitate lifting you into his strong arms and carrying you to bed, tucking you up in his chest as you hum the melody to a song you've been writing. despite your differences, he wouldn't change you for the world.

I'm in agony i need to play for him NOW

[thedickcavettshow]

Can you tell us a little more about Joan Baez's girlfriend Kimmie? I'm curious about who she was and you seem to be the expert

Hiiii sorry this took so long to answer lol. Turns out I have a lot to say on this subject. Kimmie is a fascinating person and has lived a pretty wild life.

I'll just preface this by saying firstly I'm not an expert, I've just done a lot of research out of curiosity. Secondly, there is an absolute TON of misinformation out there about Kimmie, so everything that I'll tell you is stuff I learned from quotes directly from Joan, Kimmie, and other people they knew. The majority of this information is coming from Joan's memoir And a Voice to Sing With (1987) and Kimmie's interviews in the book Pearl: The Obsessions and Passions of Janis Joplin by Ellis Amburn (1992).

Joan Baez met Kim Chappell in the early 60s, when Kim was 17 years old and just freshly graduated from high school. Kim was a California surfer girl and Joan describes her by saying she "blew in, fresh, tan, skittery, ragged, shy, rebellious" and describes having sex with her as being "superb and utterly natural".

in 1962 Joan bought Kim a motorcycle and they rented a house together and they both adopted Doberman pinscher puppies. They often appeared in public together pretending to just be platonic friends, and Joan brought Kim along with her on tour, and Kim served as Joan's assistant and took care of her records. Kim also wrote some songs for her. They broke up after Kim trashed their bedroom because she got jealous of Joan's interest in a man she met on tour, but they remained friends after breaking up and Kim continued to work as Joan's assistant for a while. The time they spent together was positive, definitely one of the most pleasant of Joan's relationships, and Joan has said that being together taught her a lot about herself and about love and sex. Kim said of Joan in 1992 "Joan Baez was my first lover and brought me out and I still haven't recovered from that woman".

In the mid 60s, Kim became a heavy drug user, and in 1965 at a party with Jerry Garcia she took a little too much acid and climbed to the roof with an axe and began chopping the roof apart, then got onto her motorcycle (the one Joan bought her) and drove 120 mph to Joan’s house, climbed in through a window, and passed out in the middle of Joan’s living room. Joan called Kim's mother and they brought Kim to the hospital, and unfortunately that event pretty much ended their friendship.

While in the hospital, Kim was introduced to heroin, and immediately became very addicted. After being released from the hospital, Kim met a woman named Peggy Casetra (a name that is probably familiar/infamous to anyone who knows a bit about Janis Joplin) and they fell very much in love with each other. Peggy owned a boutique in San Francisco called Mnasidika (Sappho reference) and was also a heavy drug user.

Kim met Janis Joplin backstage at a show at the very beginning of Janis' career, and Janis was instantly attracted to her and pursued her. Since Kim and Peggy were not monogamous, Kim accepted her advances, although she felt that Janis would get along better with Peggy and decided to introduce them the next day. Both Kim and Peggy became close friends with Janis, and Janis was extremely enamored with them specifically because of Kim's relationship with Joan Baez. Janis and Peggy became lovers, and Janis’ friend Sunshine Nichols says "When Janis described Peggy to me, the first thing she said was, 'Well, Peggy's lover was involved with Joan Baez.'" The fact that she dated Joan was one of the first things Kim had told Janis when they first met. Apparently she got a kick out of telling people about it. Peggy and Kim were still together during the entire time that Peggy was seeing Janis, which at first Kim was fine with, but Janis eventually came to wanting Peggy to leave Kim for her and that soured the friendship between Kim and Janis slightly.

Kim and Peggy did not break up, even though they had a lot of issues with their relationship, which were not all caused by Janis. Kim was apparently a terrible driver, which really angered Peggy and they fought about driving which frequently escaladed into full-on fistfights. Kim was always driving way too fast and at one point she drove straight through a brand new $1500 fence. The fact that they were both extremely addicted to heroin obviously didn't help. They both did a lot of stupid stuff while high. This is a quote from Kim about a time she broke several of her ribs in the late 60s because she was trying to go to the bathroom late at night but was so high that she ended up on the second floor balcony instead: "I sat down on what I thought was the toilet, but it was thin air and I fell off the second-story porch, landing in a forked sapling. It was easily a ten- or twelve-foot drop. I lay there in the tree, stone naked, and I remember seeing stars and saying to myself, 'Oh, what a beautiful night!' Then I passed out."

Even though they had their issues Kim and Peggy were very openly and proudly a lesbian couple, so everyone around them knew about it. They spoke about being gay pretty openly, and they had a classic butch/femme dynamic (Kim was butch) that they made no attempt to conceal. The members of Janis' band and the other people she worked with strongly disapproved of them, and Albert Grossman, Janis’ manager (and Bob Dylan’s), tried very hard to keep the two of them away from Janis, because he felt that they were a bad influence on her and didn’t want her to get involved with “the gay thing”. Obviously he was not successful with this. Unfortunately their openness about being gay had a pretty negative effect on the two of them after Janis’ death.

After Janis' death, a lot of the people Kim and Peggy knew blamed them because they already had negative feelings about them and they were a pretty easy target. This was exacerbated in 1973 when Going Down With Janis, a "biography" about Janis' life written by a ghostwriter named Dan Knapp under Peggy's name was published. Peggy had agreed to let Knapp write a biography about Janis and had told him many stories about their time together, but Knapp took those stories and twisted them into something unrecognizable that just existed to shock and scandalize readers. Going Down With Janis did garner a bit of a cult following for being notoriously depraved and shocking, but unfortunately it's mostly made up. The book was essentially just Knapp's degrading sex fantasies about Janis written as though they were true facts and written from Peggy’s perspective. When the book was released, Peggy was horrified by its contents because she loved Janis and had only told Knapp positive stories about their time together. The book painted Peggy and Kim as Janis’ abusers and implicitly blamed them for Janis’ death.

After the book was published, Kim and Peggy faced enormous backlash from pretty much everyone they knew which led to Kim almost being murdered in an attempt at revenge. One night in the mid 70s while Kim, Peggy, and some friends were at a lesbian bar in Los Angeles called Bacchanal-70, Janis' former heroin dealer assaulted Kim in the alley behind the bar and stabbed her three times in the chest, puncturing both her lungs, and then left her there to die. Luckily, Kim was able to make it back inside the bar and she was rushed to the hospital. She was in critical condition but she managed to pull through and made a full recovery. She and Peggy split up for good after that.

By the 1990s, Kim managed to get sober after a very long and debilitating addiction that almost killed her many times. She said in 1992, "I finally managed to get clean; though I still enjoy marijuana and a glass of wine with a meal, I'm careful not to abuse."

This is the most recent picture of her that exists in the public, taken in the early 90s. There isn't any information about her since then.

[carnivorusobserver]

Look outside OC im working on! Under the cut is some wip pictures and a full transcript of the stuff on the character sheet!!

Personality: Mick used to be known for being extremely outspoken, Outgoing and very charismatic when he was just a decade younger. However, now that is his kid is older and has been left alone in his apartment, He has become very close to a shut in. He doesn't enjoy going out and sometimes will go in every which way to avoid talking to other people, mostly out of a shame that he "isn't hip anymore." The only time he breaks this rule is for his daughter, Who loves he endlessly! He's a wonderful but shy father, Who always wants to be present in her life even if he only has custody half the time.

Relations

Megan: Ex- Girlfriend

Very rocky, They get along purely for Alexandria's sake. If she isn't around, They'll be able to stay calm for a while until Megan makes arguments out of nothing. Mick often tries to make her happy and is a bit of a doormat, but when he does stand up to her it isn't pretty. She is planning on getting married soon, as their relationship has been over for 5 years.

Alexandria : Daughter

Very close, Would do anything to make her happy and safe. Has always been in her life and has custody half the time. However he is terrified of her love for reptiles and snakes.

BACK STORY

Mick used to be a somewhat notable singer in his younger years, From the age of 22-25 he sang in a punk band and was very destructive in general. He met and started dating Megan at 24, and she was 23. They eventually had a kid around 4 years later, however Megan hadn't changed at all. He had tried to grow and change, even went to school to get an associate in teaching. Megan was still wishing he would go back to singing and partying but all he wanted to do was be a dad. So when Alex was 3 years old, they stop dating and split custody 50/50.

7 years of a not so great relationship, Really only kept civil because they don't want to traumatize Alex. Mick is a substitute at the local college and tutors as well, While Megan has completely moved on with a new boyfriend who she plans to marry. Alexandria also has been very passionate about baseball, reptiles and more specifically snakes! He's absolutely terrified of them but lets her keep them there.

The day before visitor came, Alexandria begged her dad to stay an extra day so she could have Rene wish her luck on a big Tournament. He agreed, not thinking much of it. However when he woke up late with the blinds all closed, he found his poor daughter screaming and crying about her hair hurting. Rene, and many other shed skins from him, were fusing into her roots. Not knowing what to do, he immediately went to the parking garage to try and drive to the E.R. . Instead, He crashed into his ex-girlfriends van. Or more accurately, His Ex-girlfriend who had BECOME her van. With his car totaled and being eaten by a giant monster, He went back to his apartment with his daughter to hide.

[jbk405]

I just watched the PBS "Great Performances" recording of Next to Normal. Wow.

I saw Next to Normal during its original Broadway run, and again by a very small touring company. I haven't seen the show in its entirety since then, but I've got the soundtrack in active rotation.

This performance didn't suck me in immediately. I suppose it's because I'm comparing it to the memory and long-term exposure to the original cast recording. But when Diana was having her opening manic episode that comes to a crisis with making sandwiches on the floor, it didn't feel shocking in-and-of-itself. If I didn't know what was going on, I feel like I would have said "What's the big deal?" when the rest of the characters treated it so seriously. Plus, and maybe it's just because I'm so much older now, but Gabe in the original show had a presence which I just didn't feel here.

But that changed as the show went along. I'd say the first moment that hit me was during "I Am the One" as Diana and Dan are arguing while Gabe intermixes, and the camera suddenly cut to a shot of Natalie huddling at the top of the stairs. That was perfect camerawork because it transformed everything from a musical performance, to two parents arguing while their daughter hides in her room and hears EVERYTHING.

That was a perfect exploitation of the recorded format. Natalie was probably visible on the stairs in the theater version I saw, but I didn't notice her because my attention was on the singing actors.

Later in the show I felt Doctor Madden in a way I never had before. I don't know what the actor did, but I felt a passion and an energy from him that's not in the original cast recording. After the treatments have failed and her delusions return, Diana decides to embrace them and abandon all further treatments, and Madden is trying so hard to keep her from giving up. He's throwing out new treatment methods, alternative options, bringing back stuff they've tried before, all to get her to keep trying. He's pleading like a man who wants to save a life. It's not Professional Concern, it's real human caring.

The part that hit me the hardest was the "I Am the One" reprise. That's always one of the hardest hits in the show (always), but with the camera focus on Gabe it felt downright sinister this time. I've never given any serious consideration to the "Gabe is a real spirit and not just a delusion or manifestation of guilt" theory, but this just may have convinced me. He seems almost predatory as he lurks and attaches himself to Dan. With the way he was crouched on top of the table he almost looked like he was about to leap at Dan.

The recording isn't perfect, of course. The swearing censorship is clunky and obvious, and at times breaks both the flow of dialogue/lyrics and also the emotional impact of what's being said. Plus the censorship of "sucks" to "stinks" is just stupid. But that's the nature of the beast when a show is prepared for TV broadcast.

The recording is available to stream in its entirety on the PBS website until 6/30/25.

[deeplyshalllow]

Hi! Great metas as always! I've been thinking of romantic parallels and callback scenes with Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero. Like the our first flight quote from Fiyero to Glinda vs let's not quarrel in Popular. The flower that passes from Fiyero to Glinda to Elphaba. Fiyero asking Are you coming? then Elphaba pleading with Glinda to come with her in Defining Gravity. One comparison I haven't scene yet though is the forest scene vs Defining Gravity. With Fiyero, after he agrees with her about being a commotion, though he was joking, she becomes extremely defensive. She asks him if he thinks she should keep her mouth shut, and he immediately answers no. His attempt at humor had clearly failed, but he admired Elphaba's passion even then. Meanwhile, Defining Gravity begins with Glinda frustrated with Elphaba's behavior and the danger they are now in. Why couldn't you stay calm for once instead of flying off the handle? Very different approach. I would love to know your thoughts on this parallel.

Hey, firstly, sorry for taking so long to reply, it is no longer Christmas and work and life and stuff!

Honestly, you’re right, this is such an interesting parallel – one that links with Fiyero asking “are you coming” in the Lion Cub scene vs both the “well are you coming” and also Morrible to be the one to push Glinda to follow Elphaba in the first place in the movie. I think you’re right that it’s about Elphaba’s passion and that Fiyero admires it.

I’ve seen quite a lot of people (ones I otherwise mostly agree with) say the difference between Elphaba and Glinda is that Elphaba is impulsive while Glinda thinks about things too much, and to that I really disagree. Glinda is incredibly impulsive too – we see it when she decides to give the hat to Elphaba, when she hugs Elphaba in the throne room without even checking for danger, when she tells Morrible and the Wizard that Nessa is Elphaba’s weakness. The difference between the two girl’s impulsiveness is that Elphaba’s tends to be her doing what’s right without thinking of the consequences, while Glinda does what she immediately wants before thinking if that’s the best course of action.

Fiyero, is the only one of the trio with any degree of impulse control, Fiyero is the one in the throne room who manages to pretend for 10 seconds that he isn’t desperate to see Elphaba, and neutralises the threats in the room before talking to Elphaba, Fiyero is the one who chooses the opportune moment to jump into the Cornfield and threaten someone he knows he will never shoot to ensure both Elphaba and Glinda get out of there safely, Fiyero is the one who comes up with a week long plan to trail along with Dorothy and fake Elphaba’s death rather than give the game away by telling the Witch that she can stuff a mattress with him anytime the first time he sees her.

So why does Fiyero not tell Elphaba off for her impulsiveness in this scene? Because it comes with her passion, it comes because she cares, and Fiyero – who sings a whole song about how he’s numbed himself against caring about things – needs her to reignite this. Fiyero needs Elphaba to inspire him and show that fixing the world is possible, while Elphaba needs Fiyero support her and help think through the consequences.

Glinda, who has the same impulsiveness but not the same morals doesn’t really see this because to her the impulsiveness is not special and the reasons behind it does not make much sense.

[downbadtoearth]

Brook x Reader headcanons

NSFW (no minors allowed!)

Stuff: invisible parts, switching positions, fluff 💜

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ:

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:

Crewmate POV: When you first met him, you were too surprised at his ability to walk and talk as a skeleton to interact with him normally. After some time teaming up together, you noticed a strange appreciation beginning to form in you.

You and Brook bonded over classical music and also 70's oldies. You asked him to play a couple tunes that he knows and that impressed him right off the bat and made him happy!

Sometimes you'd sing along, and even though you didn't like your own voice, he was just happy that you were singing with him.

Your first kiss with Brook was after sharing a private cup of tea together and eagerly listening to more of his backstory in candlelight. You sat hip to hip with him and he smelled like whiskey and coffee scented fragrance. He looked into your eyes with those silly dark holes you oddly found adorable and leaned in and you felt the touch of invisible lips.

You kissed him back passionately and felt a warm and slick invisible tongue gently wrestling your own. This surprised you, but after a pause you just went in for more.

His moans are beautiful to the ear, and they make you want to top him.

*****He has no muscles, so how does he walk, talk, and otherwise move? *I imagine it's the same as a ghost forming and disappearing.. that's how his non-existent parts come and go lol. *****

You're the only crewmate who knows for sure what his kisses feel like... and the heat of his literal boner.

When he's excited for you he's shy and usually tries to hide it or "get over it," but he cannot contain his blushing and everyone notices it.

When you finally pull his lanky form to somewhere private, you start by passionately kissing him and his warm ghostly lips come back.

He likes it when you gently press him against the wall or his bed. Sometimes you hold his wrists down and he's a blushing mess.

Sometimes you tease him by grinding your hips on him until his pants start to push up against you. He begins to whimper quietly as you lovingly pleasure the bulge.

Brook is almost too long for you to throat. Once you're down on him, he takes the liberty of guiding your pace with his hand on your head, like he's directing the timing of a song.

He will also put his hands on your hips as you straddle him, and guide your rhythm from there.

When he wants you, (which is surprisingly often) he will act extra gentlemanly. He carries you bridal style and kisses you up and down like you're both Gomez and Morticia Addams. He doesn't mind the rest of the crew seeing his affections.

Brook will often pleasure you with his skilled ghost tongue~ humming and laughing quietly as you hold in your moans. You grab a fistful of his hair when you're about to scream and sometimes he doesn't care and the whole ship hears.

When you're in Chopper's care after being hurt in combat, he always rushes to see you and keep your spirits up. He hums a sweet melody, resting his head on you so you feel his soft curls on your cheek. He will sit next to you for hours, telling stories, listening to you, and sipping tea.

At night you sneak into his bunk and you and Brook take turns nightly on who is the big spoon. He appreciates your warm body, and misses you dearly when you want to sleep alone.

He is very respectful when you need space and is very good at letting you vent.

That said, he is technically a lot older than you.. so he tends to give you advice on your personal hardships. One of his only faults is talking like a guardian more than a lover at times when you get moody. He will typically side with you when you argue with someone else, but he will gently pull you aside later to explain why he may disagree and what you need to work on yourself.

You and him tend to get into shenanigans: randomly dancing and singing. Whether or not you're afraid of ghosts, you try your best to comfort him :')

He is an amazing lover with an old soul. He writes you poems and songs, he gives you flowers on all special occasions, and dances with you too! He even plays board games and fills out crossword puzzles with you.

Of course he steals your panties! (Unless you give them to him) 😂 Now that the two of you are so close, he doesn't dote on anyone but you, and you enjoy it very much <3

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:

[katseyekon]

Hey,i have been meaning to know katseye,i have listened to their songs, read all their profiles watched all their tiktoks and like watched a bit interviews and lives too,but i kinda wanna know about grp dynamics,ships and members personality, hope u can elighten me pls:))

Sorry it took me so long, my draft got deleted (rip)

Warning that this is all conjecture as we can never really know the Kats daily lives or interpersonal dynamics! It’s all for fun. For this reason it is also completely possible that other Eyekons will have different opinions on the members, dynamics, etc. (in fact if Eyekons want to add on or add their own opinions then that would be really cool).

The Katseyekon (Intermediate level) guide to Katseye ✨

I’m gonna try to hit some highlights that you might not have gleaned from the other stuff you mentioned like music videos, tik toks, etc.

⬇️⬇️⬇️

The Members

I’ve got a post talking a bit about why I personally enjoy each member but I’ll try to be more broad and descriptive here.

Sophia

Sophia is the leader and I’d describe her as the mother hen of the group. She is elegant, charismatic, and a natural public speaker who will often answer for the group in interviews. Despite being one of the oldest members (alongside Manon) and the leader, she also has a funny, youthful side to her and she can be silly and pal-around. It seems like she also can feel responsible for the others’ well-being and the group as a whole (I think since she is naturally caring that she would feel this way regardless of whether she was the ‘leader’ or not). She’s like the night sky. 🌌

Manon

The oldest of the group (close in age to Sophia). I’d describe her as introspective, natural, and warm. She is like this warm presence in the group that lifts everyone up. She can be calm and reserved but (like the rest of the group tbh) has random bursts of chaotic energy. It seems like the rest of the group really feeds off her energy and she helps bring some positivity and fun whenever their schedule gets hard. Sometimes people will try to reduce her to just the ‘visual’ of the group (and she IS beautiful) which might be discouraging but Manon is also a very hard-worker who continues to push the bar with her skills while also bringing a level of self-awareness and reflection that is refreshing. She is like the sunset. 🌅

Megan

Aptly described as an all-rounder, Megan is quirky, energetic, and electric on stage. The “dual-cherry” (her representative charm) of the group, she has both a goofy side and a baddie side. She’s interested in fashion. I feel like she’d be able to get along with anyone. Sometimes she can be overlooked because she’s a jack of all trades who is talented at everything but is (arguably) not the best at vocals (Lara), dance (Daniela), etc. However, she has a unique was of doing everything that makes her stand out and shine. She brings a lot of energy to the group. She’s like the morning dawn. 🌄

Lara

Lara is the vocal queen of Katseye! I would describe her as confident, soothing, and creative. She is a natural music-lover and brings authentic artistry which uplifts the whole group. She has a very calming and up-front presence which sometimes leads to her voicing the honest feelings of the group in interviews. She is passionate and unapologetically herself. Not only does she stand up for herself against bullies online but will go to bat for the other members in a heartbeat. She’s so passionate and creative while also being very reassuring and calm, that’s why she’s like a cozy, stormy day. 🏙️

Daniela

Daniela is known for her amazing dancing skills but I would also describe her as down-to-earth, dedicated, and magnetic. She just makes everything look easy! But that’s the result of grueling work and a steady dedication to improving that she has demonstrated over her many years spent dancing and singing. She is in her element when performing and when you’re watching, you can’t help but notice. She gives every performance her all. She is refreshing and effortlessly herself. That’s why she’s like a bright blue sky. 🏞️

Yoonchae

Yoonchae is the youngest of the group. I would describe her as versatile, youthful, and tenacious. She took a leap of faith by choosing to debut in an international group instead of a traditional k-pop group. Luckily taking that chance has led her to her sisters in Katseye and if you look at Yoonchae pre-debut to now, you can see how much she has grown and come out of her shell. She’s shy and somewhat reserved but opens up when she feels comfortable and it’s sweet to see the others support her when she chooses to speak up. It’s a little shocking to see her on stage since she has such a powerful stage presence that is versatile and fits any concept. She’s the soft evening dusk. 🌆

Group Dynamics

I won’t touch on shipping because that’s not my vibe (though do as you like — just not where the Kats will see it! They’re real people!) but here’s some of my thoughts on the group dynamics and duos, etc.

The group

As a group, the Kats have stated that they have a sister-like dynamic. They all love and support each other and when they do inevitably bicker, they are able to overcome their arguments quickly. While some members were immediately drawn to each other (especially those who were sharing a room), over time it’s clear to see that all of the girls have strengthened their relationships with each other.

[a-twistedheartslonging]

The recent Book 7 release has put Vil and Rook on the mind, so do you have any particularly interesting courtship or relationship headcanons for your nonhuman AU? Thank you :)

My god Rook would rizz you so hard, we already know how he is as a human, though I've seen headcanons that he might have some beastmen in his blood it just isn't obvious/is distant or something like that.

Anyway...

He's enigmatic with a passion for all things beautiful, something Rook very much views you as regardless of what you think of yourself. He's very enthusiastic about supporting those that he admires so be ready for him to be supportive and encouraging as fuck. Yeah, he's gonna be weird about a lot of stuff but Rook is almost always genuine in his intentions.

Expect poetry and love letters to hit your door by arrow every morning.

Ah...Birb Boi Love.

When the night sky envelops the world in its cool embrace, a ballet takes place on treetops and secluded clearings— the dance of owl courtship. 

Serenading the night. Rook is already a great singer and loves to do it, with owls the males often initiate the mating process with a series of hoots. Though with him I'm pretty sure it would be actually singing that he graces you with...but still...it's kind of funny to think about...heh horny hoots.

He might be hoping for you to join him since female owls might answer back, leading to a duet. This vocal interaction strengthens the bond between the two owls and sets the stage for their partnership.

Gift giving, males often present food gifts. This act not only proves the male’s hunting prowess but also his ability to provide for offspring. He knows he can't just leave his fresh kills at your doorstep. Instead, he will use his cooking skills and bring very yummy meals cooked and caught by him. Will give a few happy hoots if you agree to letting him feed you.

He's going to bring you a lot of stuff, not just food though. Keep in mind the guy is well off and for a lot of creatures it's important to keep your mate well groomed, and he gets the good shit from Vil so expect to be gifted the best, lotions, shampoos, and skincare stuff. Along with clothes that seem to fit you perfectly...hmm how did he get your size?

Once a bond begins to form, owls might engage in mutual grooming, a sign of affection and trust. Please let him do your hair and nails he will be so happy. He gets to help you be even more pretty, gets to touch the person he likes, examine your interesting human features. He's actually someone you can trust to bathe with/wash your hair for you without trying anything regardless of his romantic feelings, even if you're nakey.

Nuzzling and nibbling will also happen, he knows you're a fan of his soft feathers and floof and will puff up to lure you in for cuddles...and then he'll get you with those gentle nibbles and nuzzle against you. At least with him, you won't have to worry about getting covered in fur after like with the others, but you might end up with a feather in your hair and will diffidently smell like Rook

Territory plays a vital role in owl mating behaviors. Male owls fiercely defend their territories from rival males, ensuring they have exclusive access to potential mates and sufficient resources for nesting and rearing young. Territory disputes often involve vocal and physical displays, including wing-spreading, aggressive posturing, and occasional physical combat.

As a result, any of the other guys should be wary of arrows flying their way when they get near Ramshackle once Rook gets to that stage in courting. The tree near your window was already one of his favorite spots before this started. I don't think he would start any fights though, not that he would need to, people tried to keep their distance from him before already.

The mental image of him doing the aggressive postering is funny though.

Hmm...wait...no...

...yeah, I can see how that would be scary if it's a man-sized owl creature doing it at night with glowing eyes and he's probably doing a weird honhonhonhon French laugh thing. He's going to scare the shit out of someone.

Some owl species, like the barn owl, engage in dramatic flight displays, which can include dives, spirals, and impressive swoops to impress a potential mate. He would definitely show off and even offer to carry you so you can enjoy a nice flight with him...you might see him divebomb someone, he doesn't actually touch them but gets pretty close.

The man loves his privacy so will likely pick a spot in Ramshackle away from everyone else to make into your love nest, only the finest blankets and pillows will be used, that fancy silk stuff you know?

Hmmm Vil.

I've thought about him ether being a Peacock-

Or a secretary bird.

I'm not sure what suits him best but I'm sure regardless his courtship will be flashy. You'll probably end up with a tail feather smacking you in the face at some point.

I might be able to think up something if you guys send in some ideas.

[nocandnc]

5, 20, and 25 for Okonogi?

Hi there, thanks for popping in~

Okonogi for the Character Ask Game, you go it!

The answers got a bit lengthy, so see under the cut!

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

NOBODY NOBODY NO- okay, that's not true lol

The Kn8 ending theme makes me think of Okonogi as a matter of course, but thinking of Okonogi doesn't bring the ending theme to mind (at least not immediately.)

This is a bit embarrassing and I'm totally showing my age here, but. Um.

Just Communication by TWO-MIX.

It’s the song I listen to the most when drawing for her, and the one I think of the most when I imagine her blowing off steam through karaoke. My headcanon is that Konomi first started singing as practice for her job as an operator, but then got into it as a way to channel her frustrations over work and other bottled up emotions.

While very catchy, the song's lyrics are also very poignant. The singer is essentially laying their passions bare - they want to give/receive openly verbal, openly physical communication with their lover on feelings both joyful and sad, so that they might help each other through whatever pain and suffering they encounter. So they can fight through it together.

Given her position, it just feels like a wonderful song for Okonogi to pour her heart into from the privacy of a solo karaoke booth.

Well. That and my brain's baseline connection of "communication, cuz she's the operations leader talking through the radio all the time ahahah" - but mostly the other stuff!!!

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Hmmmm... of course I like seeing Okonogi getting along with Mina and Kikoru, but... I personally like to imagine Konomi and Tae having a pretty tight off-duty friendship?

The idea is admittedly a byproduct of my Edo AU timeline where the two are much closer UGH I NEED TO DRAW/WRITE MORE but in canon I can see Tae nudging Konomi into being a regular drinking buddy, dragging her out on blind group dates and the like - largely for her own amusement, but the desire to help a girl out is there too.

"C'mon, it'll be fun! Don't you wanna make the Vice Captain jealous?" "He wouldn't be...!" He is.

I think Okonogi might not be very good with things like makup, skincare, fashion etc... in contrast, the man-hungry Tae is probably more on top of her looks than most? So I think she could also serve as Konomi's 'girly-girl' outlet by taking her out for pedicures and facials, helping her get dolled up for special occasions, or even giving her advice on more risque things like lingerie and other bedroom notions ^///^ (Tae can't get a reaction out of Hoshina herself, so she'll taunt him through Okonogi instead lol)

Their personalities are quite different, but that's why it's fun to think about them interacting ^^;; all introverts need an extroverted friend who'll drag them outside their comfort zone now and then - that's Konomi and Tae in my head!

ALSooo... given their appearances together in the Minute episodes, I strangely like the idea of Konomi and Haruichi becoming good friends as well?

I like to imagine them having in-depth discussions about all the latest Izumo Tech developments. They'd offer the other a unique form of talking shop not found with their usual teammates after all - especially since I headcanon that Okonogi's dad was involved in Anti-Kaiju weapons research (I really need to write about this in depth sometime.) Haruichi is described as someone who 'doesn't mingle or party' in his bio, so I think they'd end up talking to each other a lot during work celebrations and such - both gravitating to where it's quiet more often than not.

(There's also the fun jealousy angle of Hoshina noticing that the super rich pretty boy is close with Okonogi!!!?! But Haru's not into her like that so calm down sir lol)

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

My first thought was "OMG nerdy glasses girl my beloved!!"

And now... my opinion hasn't changed much lol it's a favorite archetype of mine after all! But my adoration of her has deepened a lot, bordering on aggressive now since she's so often left out of merch and such >.< I have to pour as much love into her as I possibly can... only the Minute episodes keep me sane...!! Or maybe they're making me worse

[sunrayram]

im super interested in alastor’s and niffty’s dynamic in this au!! im not really sure how to word this question but do you have anything youve been thinking about with them, outside of him just being very protective/possessive over her, and her still being fairly loyal to him? any headcanons or ideas you have for the two of them?

Alastor has two whole friends before the events of canon, Mimzy and Nifty. Even though he'll never admit it, he desperately needs both of them.

I've gone into his relationship with Mimzy before, but she basically acts as the only person Alastor can really let loose around. Alastor only really has some genuine fun when Mimzy's around.

When it comes to Nifty, she's the closest thing Alastor has to family on this side of the mortal plane. Nifty is the first soul Alastor owned, and it was honestly a pretty painless affair. At the time, Nifty's ex-husband had still been alive in hell, and Alastor promised to keep her safe in exchange for her soul. The ex-husband has long since been dealt with, but Nifty has no complaints about Alastor still holding her soul. She once jokingly told him that it was likely in safer hands now.

here's some fun stuff about these two!

Alastor cooks, and Nifty bakes. Nifty is the only one who's allowed to go in and out of the kitchen with no complaints from Alastor, and they can spend hours there together, singing along to classic jazz from the radio.

Alastor is not allowed to just say whatever he wants on his radio show, since it's now a part of the Jackpot Casino. That means he has a lot of opinions built up that he's not allowed to share. If he's not yelling these opinions at Husk, he's passionately sharing them with Nifty. She thinks they're funny. Sometimes, she'll bargain with him. He'll be allowed to rant for an hour, and then she'll get an hour to read her latest fanfiction out loud. Only her sfw stuff tho, obviously. (She reads him found family fic as a not-so-subtle-hint of how she feels about him. It goes right over his head.)

Nifty and Alastor play a weird version of fuck/marry/kill when they have the same shifts at the casino. Nifty points out the people she'd fuck/marry, and Alastor points out the people he'd kill. It's fun, I guess.

Nifty really really wants them to get a pet. Alastor banned any discussion of dogs, and Nifty's slightly allergic to cats. She has a list she's been secretly making of animals she thinks Alastor would like. It goes as follows:

Possum: eats bugs. Frog: no fur, not dirty (?) eats bugs. Alligator: Alastor has an alligator skull. Might like them. Bat: eats bugs. Con: Might have rabies? Deer: Maybe some form of kinship. Pig: Actually pretty clean. Makes funny noises. Anteater: eats bugs.

Alastor loves collecting trinkets, which actually annoys Nifty to no end bc it means his room isn't clean/organized. He apologizes by bringing back little gifts whenever he goes out. He also keeps his collections away from areas Nifty frequents so it doesn't bother her as much.

Alastor has banned Nifty from gambling at the casino. The one time she tried, she lost almot 500,000 dollars in one night. Even Husk was horrified.

They're both a bit mad, but they like it that way. Nifty's one of the only people around who doesn't want Alastor to change. Whether or not that's a good thing ... ehhh who knows. But it's priceless to him.

[moobloom11]

Stranger Things Modern Social Media Au

So the other day my friend @biscuitsandwaterx13x and I were watching ST together and got talking about how we thought each character would use social media in a modern AU.

We wanted to figure out how each character would use social media and also how the internet would perceive each of them individually and altogether. As our discussion went on, we thought it would be funny if, as time goes on, the internet gradually pieces together that all of these people know each other and live in the same freaky town. Conspiracy theories would quickly arise, along with everyone freaking out whenever a specific account is confirmed to be part of the HCU (Hawkins Cinematic Universe). They end up getting their own strange fandom and a multitude of hour-long deep dive videos.

Jonathan-

We decided Jonathan’s internet username would be pretty basic but hold some sentiment to him, so we thought that he’d combine his name with a specific date of significance to him. We went for Will’s birthday, 22nd March (2203).

Tumblr- jono_shoots2203

Doesn’t use it much but will occasionally post images from his photoshoots. He mainly uses it to support El, Nancy and Will.

Instagram- jono_shoots2203

Instagram is probably the main outlet for his work. He posts his photoshoots and people will commission him for events that they want photographing.

TikTok- jono_beats22

Posts about his music and photos. General video format is his music playing in the background of a montage of photos he’s taken, the lyrics usually matching the pictures on screen.

He occasionally makes some videos featuring Mike or El. El enjoys singing so sometimes she’ll feature as backing vocals in some of his tracks. Mike also makes music (and I’m a Mike and Jonathan friendship truther) so those two collaborate somewhat frequently as well.

Soundcloud- jono_beats22

Posts his music to a soundcloud. Probably makes indie rock music. Appeals to a small demographic of people but those who are fans are religiously supportive.

Jonathan escapes most of the HCU conspiracies and craze, but due to his consistent online interaction with El and Mike, many people think for a long time that he’s El’s biological older brother and Hopper’s son.

Steve-

Possibly an unpopular opinion but we didn’t think Steve would actually use social media actively a whole lot. He used to use it a lot more when he was popular back in school but fell off it after growing as a person.

Tumblr- dinguswiththegoodhair

Posts pretty irregularly and about mostly random stuff. Robin convinced him to make one. He doesn’t understand much and is all around just a lovable idiot. Posts mostly to re blog his friends’ stuff.

Instagram- TheHairHarrington

Dead account he used to use back when he was popular in school. Physically recoils at the thought now.

Another one who is not often a focus their fandom, but he did get into an internet feud with Billy on one occasion, during which he had everyone’s full (very vocal) support.

Billy-

As we all know, he’s just the biggest asshole. Constantly talks bad about Max and other people he knows in an attempt to seem cooler online. Everybody hates him.

TikTok- Hardgrovez

Only has a TikTok as he thinks every other platform is lame. Posts alpha male gym bro misogynistic racist conservatism content. His fanbase consists of 5 sweaty dirtbag teenagers.

Dustin-

Dustin would probably find social media just SO exciting. He’d wanna learn everything and we thought he’d probably want to do some teaching and knowledge-sharing of his own.

Tumblr- DustyBunsbots

Posts short material on technological advancements/inventions or historical machinery that interest him. Definitely re-blogs some dnd posts from both Eddie’s and Will’s accounts.

YouTube- DustyBunsbots

Would most likely make 20-40 minute long videos detailing science topics he’s passionate about and his own discoveries/inventions.

Would collaborate a lot with Suzie and the two make science videos together. Has also made a few videos with Erica discussing My Little Pony (and other nerd things) in extreme detail. He also features multiple times in the Hellfire club (obviously).

Suzie-

We thought Suzie would likely be more of a passive social media user than an active one, but would have a YouTube channel on which she often makes collaborations with her boyfriend.

YouTube- SuziepoosScience

Preaches kindness love and Christianity before telling you how to hack into the government’s database. Her fans are insane. Despite her sparser content she’s probably considered one of the smartest people on the internet.

Joyce-

Uses social media the same way your mum would. She doesn’t use a lot of different platforms but we thought she’d probably post on Instagram and her username would be similar to Jonathan’s in that it’s somewhat sentimental to her. We landed on the number 6771 as it’s a combination of the years Jonathan and Will were born.

Instagram- J.Byers6771

Posts cleaning/sewing tips. Days in the life as a single mum and her personal struggles. Reposts and tags her kids’ stuff to support them.

Hopper-

We had way more fun with Hopper’s than anyone else’s purely because of the comedy that is him antagonising Mike online. Everyone on the internet would absolutely love him and every time he surfaces they go mental. However, he would not know much about using social media nor would care to do so, hence the misspelling in his name (he doesnt know how to change it).

Tumblr- dontmessarounwithjim

He has 1 singular post anonymously complaining about Mike that gained a stupid amount of traction. He wrote it when drunk out of his mind while Mileven were making out in the other room and very angrily and with many misspellings wrote about how their relationship is unhealthy and he “cant let this go onn”. The post blew up and the phrase became a huge meme online.

Literally everyone’s favourite. He only uses social media like twice a year and barely understands it; he has no idea why his account is so popular. His beef with Mike is legendary within their fandom.

Will-

Loves making content and knows his limits. He fights for awareness and change and always treats people with kindness.

Tumblr- CastleByers

Will would want to make his blog a super positive and safe space. He would mostly post dnd-themed artworks and the occasional fanart. He also uses his platform to talk about personal struggles and spread awareness when he can. Everyone would just adore him and he’d probably have a ton of mutuals.

Website- ClericComms

Little website he set up due to popular demand from his followers and a lot of encouragement from his friends (Mike and Eddie in particular, as almost all of his artwork is dnd-centric). He takes people’s commissions for fantasy artworks and loves making people happy while also having a small means to help the Byers family bring in some money.

YouTube- ByersDrawsFantasy

He posts a lot of speedpaints and calming longforms for people to put in the background. He’s the guy that shows up when you type “calming videos to play while studying” into the search bar. Might occasionally post a tutorial if it’s been highly requested.

Everyone online who knows of him loves him. He always supports all his friends’ content, especially El’s and Mike’s. The internet would have been surprised he was at all connected to the HCU had he not been vocal about his friends from the start. Gets a lot of asks about Mike (who the internet is very sure has a crush on him), they have no idea he’s actually in love with him and the whole fandom nearly has a collective aneurysm when they find out.

Mike-

Definitely the character we had the second-most amount of fun discussing (Michael Wheeler how i adore you.) We chose his usernames based off of the name of his old Spotify playlist “Mike’s Basement Beats”.

Tumblr- PaladinsBasementMemes

He is the shitposter to end all shitposters. His posts are dnd centric but so left-field that his followers often take the piss out of him for not knowing what the hell he’s talking about (or slightly worrying for his sanity). He famously does not often interact with El’s posts (incurring the wrath of youdontmessarounwithjim) but reposts practically all of Will’s posts and fawns over his art (basically painting scene level adoration each time) convincing all his followers that he has a massive crush on Will (and are they wrong?)

TikTok- MikesBasementBeats

Posts videos about his music. Has such a drastically different fanbase from Tumblr to TikTok that it takes a long time before anyone correlates the two. His videos are much cooler and alternatively styled compared to his chaotic tumblr shitposting (music wise honestly just think of Finn’s stuff.) He and Max made their accounts at the same time and declared a follower count war (Max is winning.)

A lot of people’s favourite in their weird little fandom because he will just speak to anyone. He’s the most active on social media consistently and will answer almost any question sent to him. Consistently gets the piss taken out of him by his followers because of his beef with his ex-girlfriend’s dad and for having a glaringly obvious crush on Will (something he denies in vain). He would definitely also feature on Eddie’s miscellaneous platforms as part of the Hellfire Club.

Nancy-

Like her brother, she’s one of the biggest users of social media. She actually manages to profit off of it, forming her own rather large, dedicated fanbase who love her mystery-solving talent and wit.

Instagram- Nancy_Wheeler08

Like Steve’s, this is a dead account she made back when the two were together. It consists of about 9 posts she half-heartedly made whilst attempting to fit in with the popular crowd in school. Hasn’t touched it in years.

Podcast- Solving the Unsolvable- Cases with Casey

Her podcast is her biggest love. She does interviews and extensive research on both old unsolved and ongoing cases (very AGGTM-esque) She named it “Cases with Casey” because of a joke her followers created on her YouTube.

YouTube- NanceOnTheCase

Pre-podcast. She makes longforms on unsolved cases, murder mysteries and general probably political life evens that her followers ask her to give her opinions on. Has the type of fanbase that comments “‘thank you Casey’ we all say in unison” in the comments of all her videos. Calling her Casey became a running joke from when somebody thought (and admitted on a stream) that they thought her name was Casey from the “Case” part of her username rather than Nance.

Is one of the big shocks of the HCU as no one expects her to be connected to the others. However, before its even discovered that they all do in fact know each other, she, Murray and Robin are rumoured to be siblings due to the similarities in some of their content. Once the internet discovers that Mike and Nancy are related, he gets added to this just for fun.

Eleven-

El is still learning about social media and doesn’t fully grasp it on the same level as everyone else. However, she loves posting pretty pictures and writing stories about things she loves about life.

Instagram- janehopps11

Mostly posts aesthetic collages/photos/quotes from her Pinterest as well as the occasional photo with Max, Will, and her other friends.

Tumblr- janehopps11

Quite similar to her Instagram but she also posts storytimes. She does this and will also occasionally write short stories as a means to improve her grammar and English skills.

Is literally the fandom’s child. Everybody absolutely adores her and will attack anyone who says a word against her.

Erica-

As she is in the show, Erica is everyone’s favourite My Little Pony obsessed diva. She collaborates with Dustin on occasion and has featured on Hellfire, her only other interaction with anyone else being bullying Lucas in the comments of his basketball posts (or sometimes in the background of his TikToks.)

YouTube- LadyApplejack01

Makes extremely detailed and informative (not to mention opinionated) videos on each and every character and generation of MLP. She is famed for her notoriety as queen of the MLP fandom.

She doesn’t involve herself in much other online activity aside from YouTube, only having certain accounts to comment on others’ posts. Her largest (and most famed) interaction with any other member of the HCU was when she assisted Steve in his internet feud with Billy, promptly (and rightfully) ruining any chance Billy had at an internet career.

Murray-

We thought that, while Murray would be constantly on the internet, he probably wouldn’t have a large following. Considering he has some very strong takes on certain aspects of the government, along with more than a few crazy-sounding conspiracies, most people would likely not know what to make of him.

Tumblr- yourblogisbugged

Conspiracy theories and mysteries GALORE. Everyone is convinced he doesn’t sleep as his blog is constantly updating. Some people think he’s a genius, some think he’s completely mental.

Was not discovered to be connected to the HCU for a very long time as he takes privacy and internet safety extremely seriously. Accidentally gave himself away one night while scrolling and finding a post made by someone who had found both Steve and Nancy’s old instagram accounts, remarking on how “they used to be so cute together” and sticking their nose in their business as people on the internet so often do. In an act of self-righteousness (possibly influenced by a little bit of vodka) he commented about how he was the one to get Nancy to come to her senses and realise Steve wasn’t who she loved, thus unintentionally naming himself as a fellow résidant of the surely-cursed Hawkins town.

Max-

Tumblr- MADMAX

Pretty standard blog of a sane person. Mostly generally relatable posts but will occasionally give skateboarding tips and music recs.

TikTok- MADMAX

Easily her most used platform. Posts skateboarding tutorials and cool stunt videos, days in the life and story times. Is winning her follower count race with Mike and misses no chances to rub it in his face.

Is a pretty standard user of social media. Everyone is pretty surprised to discover her connection to everyone else as she comparatively seems pretty normal. Most people love her.

Lucas-

We figured that, while Lucas would still feature on Hellfire frequently, dnd probably isn’t something he’d post about. We figured he’d focus more so on his love of basketball.

Instagram- TotallyTubular

Mostly posts cheesy things with Max and his friends. Will do “cringe” trends just to annoy them. Posts cool photos of his basketball games and his general daily life.

TikTok- TotallyTubular

Mostly posts basketball videos and montages of his games. Will post training tips a lot. We also thought that Lucas would enjoy dance (not sure why honestly it just feels like it fits) so would post the occasional dance trend if it interests him.

Eddie-

Surprisingly professional social media user. Everyone who matters thinks he’s super cool, and he has a collective of many dnd-obsessed fans who adore his campaigns.

Tumblr- HellfireClubOfficial

Probably the platform he uses least. Will post WIP campaigns and stimuli. Reposts a lot of dnd cotent, including Will’s art.

Podcast- Hellfire Club

Dedicatedly runs a successful podcast of the Hellfire Club’s dnd games. Uploads weekly. While It’s usually just the regular group, he tries to drag as many of is friends into games as he can.

YouTube- Hellfire Club Vids

Became popular from posting on YouTube. After the podcast takes off, however, he posts to his channel monthly a filmed video of one of their campaigns.

Robin-

Was one of the first to use social media and has made a fair few online friends. She takes a lot of comfort in fandom safe spaces.

Tumblr- bobinyaps

Nearly rivals Mike in terms of random shitposting. Posts about conspiracies a lot, along with fandoms she’s in, gay panics over fictional characters and the occasional fit check.

Argyle-

Instagram- trybeforudeny

Posts exclusively extremely blurry photos captioned by poorly written paragraphs trying to tell you where the best weed in California is. Blatantly advertising weed; no one knows how the account isn’t banned yet.

Chrissy-

We thought that Chrissy, perhaps more so than most of the others, would know the disadvantages of social media.

Instagram- xChrissyCheersx

Makes posts about her own mental health struggles and her ED, along with cheer videos encouraging people to pursue their passions. Does a lot of charity work.

Tumblr- xChrissyCheersx

Not overly active. Posts similar things as her insta. Re-blogs a lot of charity work. Mainly uses to keep in touch with and support her mutuals.

Isn’t super involved with anyone else online. However, she did join Hellfire for one week at Eddie’s request and really enjoyed it.

Karen-

We thought that Karen Wheeler would probably love a lot of the makeup content that circulates nowadays and would love making her own makeup videos.

YouTube- MrsWheeler_MUA

Posts grwms and makeup tutorials.She’s everyone’s internet mum and will often talk about her own life experiences and her children in her videos.

HUGE credit to @biscuitsandwaterx13x again for creating this au with me. I had such a fun time discussing the ins and outs of it with him and we had so many ideas I loved that will always stick with me now regarding these characters.

Apologies for any grammatical errors, this took an embarrassingly long time to write and i am extremely tired.

[the-authoress-writes]

Somewhere Out There

Tom “Iceman” Kazansky x Wife!Reader

Synopsis: Deployments are hard, but when you have someone to come home to, someone to love, that makes things easier, painful as it may be.

Warnings: Maybe a little bit of angst, I guess, offscreen sort-of implied married-people-doing-married-people-stuff 😉����, minuscule cursing, a PG-13 use of the F-word, and a crap-ton of fluffy, lovey-dovey goodness.

Author’s Note: I don’t write reader fic.

I really don’t.

I write ship fic and gen fic, and I’d say I’m pretty decent at it, judging from the comments on my stories.

But then, @valmare came along, and we just clicked.

Mostly through screaming about Top Gun, naval aviators (*cough*tomkazansky*cough*), and our mutual appreciation for Val Kilmer.

And I knew I wanted to write something for her, especially since she was celebrating 300 followers!

Unfortunately, deep down, I knew I couldn’t write a ship fic for her.

I would have to write a reader!fic.

So, because I love her, I delved into the uncharted (for me, at least) waters of reader!fic.

I’m honestly not sure if this is any good, I wrote it in a perspective I’m not used to, and I hope and pray it makes any kind of sense.

Title is from the song of the same name, “Somewhere Out There”, from An American Tail.

To my dear Mir, I swear I began writing this yesterday, but I touched on things that you did in your own most recent fic, however, I couldn’t for the life of me, find another way to put what I wrote.

I promise on Goose’s grave that I did not plagiarize you.

All I can say is… fangirls think alike?

Please don’t hate meeee!!!!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this attempt at wading in the waters you so expertly navigate, my dear!

Happy 300 Followers!!!

The mist was rolling in from the sea, she absently noted, while the rising sun caught the minuscule droplets of water in the air, making the very wind shimmer.

Even inside, she could smell the faint tang of salt in the air, one of her favorite scents, but it was missing the key part—so much was missing.

The warmth of her husband behind her, for one thing, as they watched the sunrise on this window seat, her legs bracketed by his, his arms around her, the scent of spice, bourbon, and jet fuel which was all him, surrounding her.

God, she missed Tom.

Right now, he was halfway around the world on a ship, and she was watching the weekend sunrise without him, for the first time since they got married.

She knew this was part of being married to an active duty naval aviator, but it didn’t make the ache any better.

She tugged the collar of the USNA t-shirt up to her nose, but the scent was so faint from when Tom had tossed it to the floor the night before his deployment.

She sighed; she could still remember how he’d made her feel that night—he’d made her body sing, playing her like an expert musician would his instrument.

She’d felt him for days after, and if she focused enough, even now, she could almost feel his hands on her, the paradox of how gentle they were, despite the callouses on his palm, his lips on hers.

For all that he was called “Iceman”, she never saw an iota of the reasoning; with her, he was never anything but unfailingly warm, gentle, kind, loving, and passionate.

It had been nearly a week since she dropped him off last Monday at Miramar, exhorting Mav and Slider to bring him home to her.

The grave promise in the two men’s eyes as they readily agreed, had to be comfort enough, and wordlessly, they hauled Tom’s seabag between them, a strap in each of their hands, cheerfully bickering as they went, to give her a chance to say a more private goodbye.

She didn’t know what to say to him—this had to be one of the most painful things she’d ever done—giving her husband up to the sea and sky for ninety days, not knowing if he’d return to her alive, safe, having to trust only in his skill on the stick and his wingmen to bring him back to her.

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, and Tom’s eyes softened, as he drew her into his embrace. “I’ll come back to you, lyubimaya moya,” he whispered in her ear, all too aware of how dangerous it was to speak Russian on base, outside of the safety of the walls of their house, but aware that she needed the comfort.

“Promise me—promise you’ll come back to me, Thomas Kazansky,” she fiercely murmured, drawing back to look at him, taking the opportunity that she would shortly not have.

“Always.

No matter what, no matter what oceans part us,” he replied, an intensity which would frighten others, but which soothed her, in his crystalline eyes.

She gasped and desperately tugged him to her, his kiss piecing her heart together and breaking it, all for knowing that it was the last time she’d feel it for three months.

He’d taken her soul with him the moment he let her go to do his duty.

Back in the pain of her present, a sob masquerading as a sigh tore from her lips—it wasn’t enough; it would never be enough until she had him back in her arms, back in her bed, back in this house, where she felt like a shade of herself, a modern-day Eurydice.

Her legs reluctantly carried her to the kitchen, where she prepared her weekend coffee, narrowly resisting the urge to pull out two mugs instead of one.

But when she picked up the can of Maxwell House, she fumbled it, because it was far lighter than it should’ve been—heavy, but not the still-full can it should have been.

Tentatively, she opened it, and gasped when she saw that the can was filled with folded-up pieces of paper, each marked with dates on them, in Tom’s careful, exacting writing.

She tipped the can over, and the papers came spilling out—there had to be at least three months worth of letters here, one for each day of his deployment.

She frantically searched through the pile, looking for today’s date.

Upon finding it, she dashed back to the window seat, deliberately peeling the tape holding it closed, unable to treat the letter with anything less than the utmost care.

She quickly noticed Tom’s writing here was cramped, as if he were trying to fit everything he wanted to say on this one small piece of paper.

“Hello, solnishko,

If you’re reading this, it means that you’ve found the letters I wrote for you; one for each day of my deployment.

As I write this, I am next to you in bed, looking at your beautiful face, so peaceful in sleep, but the mere thought of my impending departure already tears me apart more than I thought possible.

I won’t have thought of anything else but you since the moment I left your arms, I am absolutely certain.

You know all too well why I joined the Navy—my search for a home, a real home, one not plagued by unattainable standards and harsh words.

I eventually found one in the sky, and for the longest time, she was enough, with her freedom, her thrill, but there were still demands, still standards, though the words were kinder.

Then I met you.

And you changed everything.

You are my home, lyubimaya moya; with you, I don’t have to be Iceman, or Lieutenant Kazansky; with you, I can be Tom.

Just Tom.

Your Tom.

I can’t wait until I can be your Tom again.

Eighty-four days, zhizn moya; and I’m yours again.

Yours forever,

Tom”

She pressed her hand to her chest, careful to avoid crumpling the paper beneath her hand, a tear slipping from her eyes, the ache of his absence soothed with the absolute confirmation that he was thinking of her just as she was about him, and intensified, knowing that he was so far away.

Eventually, she sniffled, brushing away her tear tracks, wishing it was Tom’s hand, and gathered herself.

Eighty-four days.

Eighty-four days, and she’d have him back—a short eternity, to be sure, but a small price to pay for what she’d get back at the end.

Until then, she’d count the sunrises, holding him and the words he’d written for her, close to her heart.

Tom stared out at the horizon, watching the sun come up on the relatively quiet deck of the Enterprise.

It meant that he lost a good thirty minutes of sleep, but it was worth it, just to know that his wife was looking at the same sunrise, or she would be, at any rate, given the time difference.

The horizon spread out before him; endless, and the fleeting, errant thought that she was just there, beyond the beyond, entered his mind.

So far—a little over six thousand nautical miles, more or less, depending on the course and speed of the Enterprise, further than any F-14 could fly—and yet so near, because she was never far from his heart.

He’d never thought he could love anything or anyone more than her—among his other endearments for her was zhizn moya, because that was what she was to him: his life.

Tom idly twisted the band of gold around his left ring finger, more proud of that simple ring than the hard-won blue-jeweled Annapolis ring on his right.

God, he missed her.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Tom turned to see Mav, coming up to lean on the railing beside him, none of the usual cockiness on his face.

“You shouldn’t be up yet, Mav.”

A haunted expression lingered on the edges of his wingman’s face as he searched for anything but the truth to tell, and Tom knew. “The usual?”

“Yeah,” Mav rasped. “I—I checked on Merls and Sli, but I got—got worried when I—I didn’t find you, so…” the black-haired pilot trailed off, before continuing, “you okay?”

“I should be asking you that, but… yeah, I am, just…”

“Just missing her,” Mav nodded sagely, almost wistfully.

“Yeah.”

“How do you even handle that?” Mav asked, frowning.

The sunlight made him feel more honest than he would probably otherwise be, Aurora’s kiss a comforting benediction, reminding him of all he had to come home to, and he replied, “What makes you think that I am?” He shook his head, “Doesn’t really feel like I’m even here, honestly.”

Mav good-naturedly smirked, “You left your heart in San Diego?”

Tom side-eyed his wingman. “Yeah, actually.

You’ll understand it one day, when you meet the right one,” he sighed, thinking of his wife’s beautiful smile.

“I dunno, Ice, I’m not sure if I want to be you, or be thankful that I’m not.”

Tom scoffed, unable to help his grin. “It’s the worst feeling in the world, to be away from her, to exist without her, after knowing what it’s like to be with her—”

“Not exactly selling it, Kazansky,” Mav interrupted.

Tom rolled his eyes, “I wasn’t done, dickhead.”

At Mav’s grin, Tom continued, “As I was saying, it’s the worst feeling in the world, to be away from her, to exist without her, after knowing what it’s like to be with her, but knowing that I get to come home to her… that makes it all worth it.

I hope you get this someday, Mav.

You sure as hell deserve some fucking happiness in this life.”

Mav smiled weakly, but honestly. “Maybe one day, Ice.”

The two of them smiled at each other, before Tom clapped Mav on the shoulder. “We better get going—the guys should be awake now, and if we don’t get to mess, Slider and Merlin might just take all the good stuff.”

“Good is relative,” Mav scoffed, making him laugh.

“Okay—the better stuff.”

They laughed, beginning to make their way back in.

But just before he stepped through the door amidships, he couldn’t help but look back at the horizon, the sun shedding the last of its dawning gentility, to turn into the harsh, blazing light that it was in this part of the world.

Eighty-four days.

Eighty-four more sunrises holding her only in his heart until he could also hold her in his arms.

It was a high price, to be sure, but in the face of having eternity as hers, what was eighty-four days?

Until then, he’d count the sunrises, holding her close to his heart.

“Hey Ice, you coming?” Mav called.

“I’m coming,” he replied.

And with that, he stepped inside to do his duty, eagerly awaiting the next sunrise, each consecutive one bringing him closer to his home, to his beloved wife.

I headcanon Ice as having Russian descent, but quite frankly, you can tear Slavic!Ice from my cold, dead hands.

To me, he’s either Polish or Russian.

Russian Glossary

Disclaimer: endearments and translations taken from Google—please don’t hesitate to correct me if I’m wrong, which, odds are, I am.

Lyubimaya moya: my darling/my one and only sweetheart

Solnishko: little sun

Zhizn moya: my life

[sgiandubh]

Hi, I'm sister Anon. I'd like to say that I got into a controversy about Sam and Caitríona in an Outlander group a year ago precisely because I responded to someone who was saying it was impossible for them to be together and no one had ever caught them . I always use a pseudonym and gave the example of my sister( I said this was a friend btw) but I didn't go into details. However, let me say a few things: in his family only his mother and ONE sister knew about their relationship. In my family, my parents and I knew. Grandparents, uncles, brothers-in-law and nephews didn't know they were together, for them they were just close friends and work colleagues. The rest of the team at work was certainly suspicious, but nobody dared to say anything, because there is a secrecy clause in the contracts. During this period there were speculations of him with at least two models and some Instagram influencers and they laughed, because it gave them exactly the cover they wanted. Anyone who looked at his social media would see a single guy enjoying life, when in fact he was a committed and passionate guy, living a very beautiful love story.

Dear (returning) Sister Anon,

Thank you for coming back with more. I chose to publish your story since the very beginning, because it sounds completely legit. *urv can troll around all day long, now enrolling that 23 year old Brazilian fan/journalist/writer (who doesn't know the plural form of 'gentleman' is 'gentlemen', not 'gentlemans'), she could never prove anything else than people having lunch, not sex, in Kensington. But for her crowd, that is enough.

Also, the Brazilian girl could have been my daughter. And if she were, I would tell her that people questioning her (obviously doctored) story does not mean they hate her. It simply means we are older, less gullible and certainly able to tell when an immature woman is desperately looking for attention. She will probably understand that... in five years or so, but that is not my problem anymore.

I loved every single thing you shared with us. Drop by anytime, you will always be more than welcome. And you are completely right: social media is not real life. And how could it be? Would you read my blog, if I told you all there is to know about my bunions?

You wouldn't. You want me to tell you about business, legal, travel, foodie and obscure Baroque/Renaissance/classical music stuff, right?

Things like this (what I wanted to be last week's Sunday sounds, but hey - drama, drama), for example:

PS: one of my acquaintances, a rather popular singer, was at one time the lover of a high (very high) profile local politician - a brilliant guy (also a family friend of ours, btw). I had no idea and I kept on teasing her about singing at his party's events, until someone told me to stop, because it made her feel uneasy. The same person was always referring to the guy as 'Michael', when they were talking about him in public (the woman was really smitten, along with tens of thousands of others, nationwide). Michael, my foot and it ended up in the tabloids anyways.