#mess answers anon

[cringemesstickles]

Hiya, same anon! How're you doing? I'LL GIVE YOU BOTH!

Headcanon: You've seen Cas, he's pretty unflappable. Lmao- if Gabriel threatens to tickle him, he's GONE in an instant. The little brother in him comes out and he's trying not to giggle as he says stuff like, 'Gabriel, this is childish,' as if bro is beneath being wrecked shitless XD. Sam and Dean are cackling about the angel losing his composure over TICKLES.

Can I please request this as a fic? There's been a lack of ler! Gabriel lately and c'mon, bro is literally a trickster, its in his blood XD. Have a lovely day!

RAHHHH LATE REPLY BUT YES!!!!

LER!GABRIEL FUELS MY SOUL 😭😭

He’d be the teasiest POS too. I love the idea of Dean and Gabe casually discussing how ticklish their little brothers are right in front of them just to embarrass them. Like, Cas and Sam just standing there like “omg stfu”

Now let’s just say you twisting my arm into adding on a bonus fic because Sabriel had been on my mind lately and you commenting on the lack of ler!gabriel content gives me the perfect excuse to write abt them hfhfhdhdh

Btw, you may or may not have seen this comic, but it’s EXACTLY what you described and if you haven’t seen it, YOU HAVE TO!!! It’s absolutely precious 🥹

[spectra-bear]

verity is a stupid angsty vagrant undeserving of being surrounded by cute robots IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME.

BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

did i scared you

[justladders]

Hiii how ya doing?

i need to be tucked in and laid on top of like

as a nonspecific example

[cryptidmickle]

PLLEEEEASE let us see more of the baby please please<3<3 also why wasnt pv answering his letters :(

direct view of the baby for yall

[spaceyaemonds]

anon said: hc: jack as a dry joke suggests the name Michaela and BM really likes it much to his and Robby’s (who she thinks is named Robby because it took a while for them to meet) dismay, he manages to dissuade her but it ends up as her middle name.

also so many jokes in the ER (not to jacks face, never) about his child bride. Just the incredulous stares from Collins, Langdon, Shen, Ellis and Mohan. I think Robby is lowkey glad because this would be when He and Collins are going out and this takes the heat off of him.

I like this kind of kinship between them, they-against all odds- pair really well together. Like in the beginning he would be at her place a lot to hang out, family time, even hookup/unwind but he’d still maintain that boundary because he needs complete solitude to work through those tough shifts and his ptsd meanwhile she’d be really okay with that wanting to make sure he was comfortable but also her own insecurities about being a burden to him.

I think it’s so sweet he’d take to sleeping on the floor of the nursery, as like a form of security and comfort, it’s really adorable. And he’d unwind after a night shift with the police scanner at the kitchen table spooning yogurt and berries in his daughter’s mouth, gahhhh the cuteness.

ngl i was hoping for a boy too but the girl is so cute, he’d be such a funny girl dad. He’s such a cynical and moody guy, he strikes me as the type to prepare his daughter for survival for any situation, as a form of fear and love. Teaching his daughter how to do a tourniquet, how to start a fire all in a tutu/pink sparkle light up shoes (her mom). She’d be such a tomboy lol 😆

“Hi Uncle Robby”

“Hi princess, ready to take your dad home.”

“Yeah me and daddy are going to play doctor.”

“Oh is that so sweetpea…”

“Yah! We’re going to practice a tourney-bet.”

“A tourniquet…”

Dana and Robby turn to Jack with a deadpan stare.

screaming!!!! many many thoughts and just rambles under the cut!!! idk why tumblr hates me and won’t let me respond directly to the ask!!!!

reader loves robby! after the initial awkwardness, which there is a lot lol, they get along surprisingly well! it’s mildly annoying to jack. i think he’d bring it up in kind of a snippy way, probably all out to eat or something after a shift. collins almost dies of laughter when reader says “omg i love it!!! but who is michael??” both jack and robby spend a long time trying to get her to change her mind, and eventually she finds a name she likes better, but michaela sticks as the middle name. as she gets older, robby learns to really appreciate it.

SHEN NEVER SHUTS UP ABOUT IT!! day shift tends to at least keep it more subtle, but shen nearly always gets the caught!! collins can just never fully wrap her head around it, and even after her and robby break up and she sees more of reader just around, she’s never not shocked. langdon is probably the most obvious with his glances LOL.

even before baby is born, i think he goes to her place to unwind and check on her after every shift. he likes feeling the baby move against his hand too. once the baby is born, he spends even more time there. never gone too long. he sleeps in readers bed a lot, but sometimes she finds him either asleep in on the nursery floor or awake in the middle of the night on the couch, just sitting in the dark. the first time she caught him on the couch, he left when he noticed she was awake. he was back early the next morning, sitting at the table with the baby. reader doesn’t ask, but he eventually does tell her. him leaving so suddenly eats at her for a really long time, and she thinks about it more than she would care to admit.

hard shifts and long nights almost automatically have him sleeping next to his baby’s crib. at first, reader told him the monitor was good, it would pick any noises up. eventually she realized it was more for his piece of mind, so she stopped fighting it. every once in a while, she ends up in the floor next to him.

UNWINDING AFTER A NIGHTSHIFT BY FEEDING THE BABY AND LISTENING TO THE POLICE SCANNER I AM CRYING😭😭 that is just utter perfection. no other words🥺 the baby gets excited and babbles if they get something that sounds exciting on there.

reader tries as she might to have a girly-girl, but that girl is all her dad. she may look just like her mom, but anyone from a mile away can tell that she’s her father’s daughter.

i think he was terrified to have a daughter. having a child was a scary enough thought. but a daughter? oh boy. he thinks he may be too tough, too rough around the edges. but reader knew there wasn’t a thing to worry about. and as always she was right.

bonus: robby and jack talking about the tourniquet while watching mom, baby, and dana chat:

“you can’t teach your daughter how to use a tourniquet,”

“i’d rather her know how to use it and not need to then need to know and not know how,”

note: this was mostly me just rambling, so i’m sorry if none of it seems like it makes sense😭😭 but i love talking about this with you guys, so feel free to send more asks with your thoughts!!!

[frownyalfred]

Diana, attending a gala purely to get a straight answer from Bruce, making eye-contact with a Clark Kent turning up at the same time who is also beelining for Bruce: ☺️☺️

Bruce: Why do I hear boss music?

Evading them without breaking his cover as Brucie Wayne is actually like enrichment for him. How many times can he duck Diana and Clark trying to hunt him down for a League thing? Well, he hasn't been caught yet!

[markscherz]

You are everything I aspire to be

If parenting has taught me anything, it is the importance of getting down on your hands and knees and teaching not just facts, but love and enthusiasm for the natural world.

This is my son Q and me. I have dozens of photos like this by now, even though he is just two years old.

Every chance I get, I will kneel down with him and show him the little creatures all around us. Especially when they are frogs. He loves frogs for some reason. No idea why.

It is important that we all see this together. It is beautiful. It is magnificent. We are here. It is improbable to the highest degree. It is fleeting, but it is everything we get. And we can get so, so much of it. If we just get our faces into it and really absorb it.

So that's what l'm trying to do here, I guess. Get all of you to join me in the reeds. And I am so happy to have so many of you along for the journey.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Halloween Shana! Would really be interested to see Sirius and Mollys conversation at the black house during Phoenixes dont take orders in Siat 😍 Otherwise gimme your fave rare pair <3

When Dean filches his brother's address from the registrar's office, he thinks it has to be a mistake. Sam couldn't afford to live here if he sold both kidneys. He couldn't afford to live here if he had a fucking kidney selling side hustle.

Breaking into this place is out of the question, so instead of sneaking in during the middle of the night, he shows up bright and early and gives the doorman his most charming grin. "I'm here for Sam Winchester."

"Is he expecting you?" he asks, bored.

Dean's smile doesn't dim. "Not exactly. I'm his brother."

That gets some life in the doorman's eyes and he checks his computer. "Dean Winchester?"

What the fuck. Apparently Sam does live here. "Got it in one."

"Right this way, sir," he says gesturing to an elevator with no buttons that opens for him. "It will take you directly to the penthouse."

The penthouse? The penthouse?

He'd going to get Sam to help him find Dad, but first things first he's going to shake Sam until some answers fall out, because what the hell.

He takes the elevator up and walks cautiously into some sort of entry room. He has to resist the urge to walk though gun first, the place all smooth lines and chrome and dark colors. It's freaking him out.

The kitchen is even more chrome and black cabinets and black tiled floors, but there's also his little brother, standing there shirtless in black silk pants and fiddling with what he thinks is an espresso machine. "Sam?"

He turns quickly, eyes widening in surprise. "Dean? What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" he scoffs. "What are you doing here?"

Sam stares. "I... live here?"

"Here?" he repeats. "Here?"

His little brother is rolling his eyes, as if he's the one being ridiculous and not perfectly reasonable.

There's the sound of someone walking and an admittedly drop dead gorgeous red head turns the corner, a black silk robe open and revealing matching lace panties and bra. She gasps, fluttering her hands over her mass of curly hair. "Oh, Samuel! You didn't tell me we had company!"

She doesn't make any effort to close her robe.

Sam rolls his eyes. "As if you didn't know he was coming. You should have told me we were having company."

"Yes, well, where's the fun in that?" she asks, grinning as she crosses the room over to Sam. She's so short that Sam has to practically bend in half to kiss her, and woah, what the hell?

Sure, she's hot, but she's a least a decade older than Sam. Probably closer to two. What the hell is going on here?

"Dean," Sam says, his hand on her waist. "This is my girlfriend, Rowena."

[cescalovestowrite]

Hi hello, I have seen the “Odysseus can pose a threat to Penelope if he sees her being unfaithful” debate everywhere. But can you help me to elaborate how?

Hi, sure.

There are people who have expressed it way better than I ever could, but if I can be of any help I'm glad to. This is going to be quite long and hopefully not too messy.

Sources for the things I will say: Penelope's Renown: Meaning and Indeterminacy in the Odyssey and Penelope: from character to poetics.

The first thing to say is if you're asking me whether Odysseus poses a physical threat to Penelope (e.g. whether he wants to kill/be violent with her if she betrays him), then in my opinion there is no basis in the text to support this. This threat is never made explicit by him. Odysseus is repeatedly put in a position to think about a possible betrayal (especially when he talks to Agamemnon, but also for example when he hears the love story between Ares and Aphrodite while he is at the court of the Phaeacians) and he never expresses violent thoughts or intentions towards a hypothetical adulterous Penelope. And this is not an attempt to argue that "he's not like other boys" as I'm sometimes forced to read on tumblr, but it is simply based on the text we have. Moreover, Helen's fate seems to indicate to me that in the Homeric world forgiveness towards adulterous wives is at least conceived.

BUT just because there is no explicit threat of physical violence doesn't mean there isn't an underlying potential threat that all the characters perceive.

On several occasions the Odyssey tells the story of Agamemnon and how he was killed by his wife's lover with her complicity. This story is a great alarm bell for the characters, it is a possible plot twist that everyone must take into account. The comparison is immediate:

Agamemnon -> Odysseus

Clytemnestra -> Penelope

Orestes -> Telemachus

Obviously the fact that the stories can be compared does not mean that they can overlap. For example, Telemachus does not feel up to it nor does he seem so willing to take on the role of Orestes as avenger of his father's honor. If he did, he would not have the same reasons as Orestes to direct his revenge towards his mother. But be careful about this last point, because it is clear that Telemachus has some resentment towards his mother and that he perceives her as a threat. This is what Antinous tells him when they are in assembly:

"For I assure you that so long as she maintains this attitude that the gods have guided her to adopt, the Suitors will continue to eat you out of house and home. She may be winning a great name for herself, but at what expense to you!" (Odyssey book 2, Rieu)

So one consideration we can make is that the threat is not one-way. Penelope is herself a threat to Odysseus and Telemachus, and they are a threat to her.

Basically the characters' ignorance about Odysseus' fate (will he return or not?) in itself poses a threat.

In the absence of certainty, there is no right course of action for either Telemachus or Penelope. For Telemachus because:

1) If he faced the suitors alone it would be a suicide mission.

2) He perceives the threat that his mother represents as long as she stays in the house, but can he throw her out if his father is about to come home? No. (Also it seems to me that he is unhappy with the idea of ​​throwing her out anyway).

For Penelope because:

1) by postponing the wedding she is endangering her son's life.

2) if Odysseus is alive she is endangering him and she is also endangering herself by remarrying.

The threat exists because none of the three has all the information, none of the three already knows how the others will act. For Penelope the decision to remarry is the best if Odysseus is dead, but it is objectively wrong if he is alive.

So this is the potential threat, but we can't ignore the fact that in the end things go very differently for the ithacan family than for the house of Atreus. The Odyssey proposes the theme of the House of Atreus several times, only to then distance itself from it and propose an alternative. And since the question was specifically about how Odysseus reacts to Penelope's possible infidelity, I think it's right to focus on his actual behaviors as well, not just potential ones.

An important thing to keep in mind is: the rapresentation of Penelope as the perfect little wife who would never cheat on her husband is very imprecise. Penelope is a person whose thoughts are very difficult to know, and it is very difficult to predict her moves. There is not a single character that can explain with definitive and authoritative voice why she is doing what she is doing. This is continually suggested to us in the text. I will try to give an example that I think is very eloquent. Let's take the scene in which she appears for the first time before Odysseus (still in disguise): she tells the suitors that the time has come for her to get married and narrates that Odysseus had told her that she could/should remarry as soon as Telemachus got old enough. So she convinces the suitors to give her the classic wedding gifts. And then

The noble, patient Odysseus was delighted at her words, because she was extorting gifts from her suitors and bewitching them by her persuasive words, while all the time her heart was set on something quite different (Odyssey book 18, Rieu)

So he "knows" that she is making fun of them. But let's think about this for a moment. There are two possibilities: 1) Penelope did not lie about the story 2) Penelope did lie about the story.

If Penelope told the truth then it is not clear why Odysseus should rejoice. How can he know that her heart is set on something different? Is he rejoicing just because she is getting gifts? Or is it because of a sort of pride in the fact that she is so desired by other men (her value as a woman rises)? This second possibility does not seem to be suggested by the text in Odysseus' reaction, but I point out that this interpretation seems to be very close to Athena's plan when she arouses in Penelope the desire to be seen by the suitors. Athena seems to want Penelope to prove herself capable of bringing value to the home and value in the Homeric poems is measured in physical objects.

Or Penelope lied. If Penelope lied why should Odysseus rejoice? Penelope's lie could just be a little excuse to justify the long wait that now is finally over. It could be, in Odysseus' eyes, overwhelming evidence that she actually wants to remarry. Otherwise she would have invented something else.

Here my imaginary interlocutor brings up the concept of homophrosyne. Those two have the same mind and therefore must understand everything about each other, right? Personally, it seems to me that this implies taking the concept a bit too far, and above all it is not really supported by what happens in the text (why should Odysseus fall into the final trap of the bed if Penelope's mind has no secrets for him anyway?). Homophrosyne means that they have the same mind, yes, but in the sense that they are both difficult to read, very distrustful, cautious, liars and both always have more than one purpose.

The point is that Odysseus (and we even less than him in this case) cannot know what Penelope's true intentions are. He can know if she is lying and he can imagine what her feelings are (also because he has been reassured by Athena about them), but he cannot really know them. How can you easily know the heart of a person who always lies?

And be careful because the bow contest is the same thing, if not "worse": how does Odysseus know that she is not calling the contest because she has actually realized that it is better to remarry? After all, that is what her words suggest. Odysseus tells her that having the bow contest is a great idea (and in fact it is because he will have access to a weapon). Can he suspect that she has recognized him and is offering him help? In my opinion, yes, but it would still be a suspicion.

I've finished setting the scene, now I'm finally getting to the point:

What I find important to answer your question is not so much racking our brains to figure out how much Odysseus knew (or how much Penelope knew). I think it's important to understand how Odysseus behaves in his position of ignorance about Penelope's intentions. In my opinion, when Odysseus sees Penelope and then tests her, he is not particularly alarmed by the idea that Penelope might decide that she can no longer postpone marriage. When they talk to each other he tests her heart more than her intentions. He knows she is in a difficult situation and is very happy with how she has handled it up to that point. He is also reassured by the way she remembers him, by the strength with which she desires him. He knows she is doubting but he experiences her doubts as a challenge, because he wants to win her back, to prove to her that her feelings are not misplaced, that he is still worthy of her love as he was twenty years before. So let it be clear that Odysseus wants to test her and be tested by her.

As I already said Odysseus can't be sure of her true intentions and he knows that. That's why he is still in disguise. But the fact that they both lie to each other and don't trust each other right away is what will bring them closer again in the end. It's what they share.

So to answer your question: Odysseus and Penelope pose a serious threat to each other: they don't know how the other will act and must behave cautiously because of this. And it is precisely this that makes it even more incredible that in the end, without their knowing it, their minds are so in sync.

[askthehedgehogs]

Yes we must give sonic some watermelons in fact I say it’s time for ur monthly stuffing of food

last time was chili dogs now u get watermelons but not that much here’s like 3

*summoning*

………….. so each of these watermelons is like. Bigger than my torso..?

It’s only been two weeks since the chilli dog incident, although it’s not strictly a monthly occurrence.

[cringemesstickles]

I always think about Dean tickling Sam into taking a break from researching

We all know that when our boy is deep in a book or some article or whatever, he forgets to eat and sleep and just take care of himself, and of course big bro Dean isn't gonna stand for that, so he's all like "if you don't take a break I swear to god I'm gonna tickle the shit out of you Sam" and obviously Sam being the massive lee that he is purposely refuses just so that he gets wrecked JSJSJSJ THEY'RE JUST SO CUTE

SORRY FOR THE LATE RESPONSE BUT IM SCREECHING ABT THIS

DEAN ABSOLUTELY HAS NO TOLERANCE FOR SAM’S SELF-NEGLECTING BS!!!

Also I feel like this would go WAY back to even their teen years? Dean would get worried about his little geek brother burning out over tests and stuff, so he’d threaten tickles, and Sam would immediately get an attitude about it because he’s damn tired and being able to laugh for a bit sounds so nice 😭🤚

And years and years later, same rules apply… Stubborn Sammy, tickle threats, sassy Sammy, instant relaxation and happiness. 🥹

IK THIS ISNT A FIC REQUEST BUT UHHHHH…

CONSIDER ME SCHEMING 👁️👁️

[blacktofade]

not sure if you're still taking gemtho prompts but something with secret relationship/relationship reveal 👀 that isn't much to go off of so it could definitely be paired with another prompt too, i just love that trope (my brain goes to rpf since i love the idea of them trying and failing to hide a relationship from the viewers, but could be in game too)

I'm back to fill more gemtho prompts from earlier this year! I'm not setting a schedule though. You guys will get them as I find time and/or motivation. Enjoy!!

--

Impulse first notices him when Gem steps through the front door of the hotel in Detroit. She’s laughing, glancing over her shoulder at him, and he’s smiling, one hand tucked against the small of her back, the touch clearly familiar. He’s tall with dark hair, and sticks close as Gem pauses just inside the entrance way, dropping her backpack on the ground and crouching to dig through it.

For just a moment, the man looks over, maybe sensing Impulse’s stare, but he doesn’t react, just glances back down at Gem, offering his hand on her elbow when she stands up again. She’s holding something that might be her wallet, but she passes it over, saying something that Impulse can’t hear from across the other side of the lobby.

The man dips down, kissing Gem — quick and chaste — and she smiles, watching him walk away toward the check-in desk.

Impulse almost startles when she turns, catching his gaze, like she’s known he was there the whole time.

Her smile widens and she pulls her backpack on, jogging toward him, as though she can’t contain her excitement.

“Impy!” she says, dragging him into a hug once she’s close enough, and it’s effortless to fold around her, quickly forgetting about everything apart from how much he’s missed her.

“Hey, Gem,” he murmurs into her hair, giving her an extra squeeze, just so she knows how happy he is to see her.

“Is that Gemstone?” a voice says behind them and Gem laughs, finally letting Impulse go as Skizz moves in to sweep her up, lifting her straight off the ground.

“Careful,” Impulse warns, stepping back, but neither of them seem to hear and Tango laughs as he sidles up beside him.

“You think they’re listening?”

“About as well as my kids,” Impulse scoffs and Tango laughs again.

“Are you surprised?”

Impulse isn’t. At all. What he is surprised by is the guy Gem’s with, who’s now edging past them, carry-on bag in tow. But he doesn’t stop to check in with Gem, doesn’t even glance in their direction, just heads toward the elevators, a keycard held in one hand.

“Did you know Gem was bringing her boyfriend?” Impulse asks without thinking, and Tango offers him a look, like he’s lost his entire mind.

“Why would she tell me?”

Which he supposes is his issue, because why would she tell him either? They’re close, but he’s far from being Gem’s confidant.

Impulse tries to shrug as casually as he can. “Was just wondering.”

In front of him, Gem finally untangles herself from Skizz’s grasp before noticing Tango’s there.

Their hug isn’t as enthusiastic — probably much to Tango’s relief — but Gem pulls away, grinning.

“It feels good to be back together,” she tells them. “Where are the others?”

Impulse is pretty sure Grian’s napping in his room, and Pearl isn’t due in until later that night, but he thinks False and Zed are in the hotel’s bar already.

“They’re around,” Skizz promises. “C’mon, let’s get you a drink. You look like you could use one.”

Gem blows out a breath. “I look that bad, huh?”

“The worst I’ve ever seen,” Skizz jokes, nudging her with his elbow as though to make sure she knows he’s only messing about.

“Not surprising,” Gem starts, already walking with Skizz, heading toward the back of the hotel. “The airline lost my bag.”

Impulse finds himself following, automatically glancing over at the elevators as they pass. But the mystery guy isn’t there and Gem doesn’t seem concerned about wandering off without him.

“Man, that sucks,” Skizz says and Impulse belatedly makes a noise of agreement.

“Might need a couple of drinks,” he adds and Gem laughs, nodding in agreement.

“Please.”

-

Gem shows up for breakfast in a flannel shirt that definitely isn’t hers. She makes it look good — the bottom of it tied at her waist, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows — but the collar hangs open, the shoulders too broad.

It’s a man’s shirt.

“Heard anything about your luggage?” he tries, digging into the scrambled egg whites that he’d paid extra for.

Gem shakes her head, sipping at a mug of tea, a picked-apart pastry in front of her. “Nothing yet. Think I’m gonna have to do a clothes-run before the event today.”

Gem doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d enjoy a last minute shopping spree, but maybe she’ll drag Pearl with her to make it fun. Or maybe her secret boyfriend.

“What’s wrong with that?” he asks, tipping his head toward the shirt she’s in, and she smiles like they both know damn well what.

“Did you sleep well?” she asks, cleanly changing the subject completely, and Impulse shouldn’t be surprised.

He sighs and shakes his head. “I’m so nervous, I think I’m gonna have to take a second shower later.”

She laughs, not unkindly. “You’ll have a good time once it starts,” she promises, and Impulse knows that, but that doesn’t mean the jitters will go away.

“What about you?” he asks. “How’d you sleep after everything?”

She takes another mouthful of tea, swallowing before answering. “We woke up early. I guess even just a little time difference can mess me up.”

We. Not I. She means herself and whoever’s up in her room right now.

“You’ll both have to go to bed earlier tonight,” he says, wanting to push, to make sure she knows he heard the slip-up, and Gem grins, clearly enjoying this game they’re playing.

“Guess so,” she agrees, but Impulse already knows that with the group they have, there’s no way anyone is bailing early.

Impulse takes a drink of his coffee, watching her silently, and under the table, her foot gently knocks into his own, once and then again — not an accident.

“This’ll be a fun weekend,” she says and something uncurls in Impulse’s stomach.

He’s getting too caught up in his own thoughts and she’s right. They’re there to have a good time.

Gem keeping part of her life private isn’t something he should take personally. If he did, he’d need to have beef with everyone else on the server. Except maybe Skizz. He almost knows too much about that guy.

He offers her a smile and finds himself nodding. “Yeah,” he agrees. “It will.”

-

He might be less upset about the situation, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to push.

“Snacks for later?” he asks when they’re riding the elevator back upstairs together, watching as she tries to carry a cup of coffee, a banana, a chocolate muffin, and a bowl of fresh fruit.

She glances over at him, the corner of her mouth curled up, before she holds out the bowl.

“Can you hold that for me?”

She doesn’t answer the question, but Impulse still finds himself doing as she asks. He’s a sucker like that.

“Didn’t know you liked coffee,” he tries instead, and her eyes are bright, like she knows what he’s doing.

The elevator slows, the doors opening with a quiet groan.

“C’mon,” Gem says, tipping her head. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Impulse’s room is two floors above and he knows he should probably go back so he can brush his teeth and get ready for the rest of their day, but he hesitates, watching Gem hold the door with her elbow.

He waits a beat, then another, and then nods, his curiosity getting the better of him.

She’s silent as she leads the way down the hallway, but eventually she stops by a room near the fire exit, knocking on the door in a familiar rhythm.

Apparently, she didn’t bring her key. But it doesn’t matter, because after a moment, the door swings open to reveal the man Impulse had seen the day before.

His expression is gentle when he looks at Gem, but shifts into something cooler — maybe a little uncertain — when he notices Impulse is there with her.

“I wanted you two to finally meet,” Gem says, glancing between them, and for some reason Impulse feels the need to vet the guy. Like Gem is his daughter and he wants to make sure she’s not picking up some random lowlife, someone Impulse deems unworthy.

He squares his shoulders and holds out his hand.

“Hey,” he says, “I’m Scott.”

The guy in the doorway shifts, smiling as he takes Impulse’s hand and shakes it firmly.

“Hi, Scott, I’ve heard so much about you,” the man says, and Impulse’s eyes widen as he recognizes the voice.

Gem laughs, delighted, stepping closer to fit herself against the man’s side, grinning at Impulse, clearly pleased with herself.

Impulse finally drops his hand back down, but there’s no doubt in his mind.

“Etho?” he asks, earning a laugh — the same he’s heard in-game so many times before.

“Hey, Impulse,” Etho replies easily, and Impulse’s mind goes a little blank.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s kind of a half-way point for both of us,” Gem tells him. “We figured it would be an easy way to meet up again.”

Again.

“Again?” he echoes and Gem nods, like it’s not a big deal. “How long have you been meeting up?”

It feels easier to ask than whether or not they’re actually dating. Ironically, after everything, he’s suddenly almost certain it’s none of his business.

Gem shrugs with one shoulder. “First time was just before season ten began? We wanted to wait a bit before we told anyone. Y’know, in case.”

They obviously hadn’t needed to worry about that — the proof being they’re both there together, Gem tucked comfortably under Etho’s arm, like it’s exactly where she belongs.

“He’s gonna join us for the roadtrip,” Gem continues. “I thought maybe we could grab dinner together?”

Impulse is nodding before his brain can catch up. “Of course,” he agrees. “Anytime. I’d love that.”

He stares between them a little longer before laughing, perhaps from the adrenaline of the surprise.

“Skizz isn’t going to shut up about this when you tell him,” he says. “Do you know how many questions I made him cut from the podcast?”

“Part three?” Etho jokes with a laugh and Impulse shakes his head.

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” he warns. “The first thing out of his mouth is gonna be ‘I told you so.’”

“We weren’t being subtle,” Gem agrees. “We’ll let him have that one.”

“I can’t believe — ” Impulse starts before laughing again. “As if my nerves weren’t frayed enough today.”

“We’re about to really find out how good you are at keeping secrets,” Gem jokes and Impulse snorts.

“Hope you guys are ready to go public then.”

Gem shifts, grinning up at Etho, who smiles back, and Impulse can see it — the affection, the respect between them.

“I think we could be,” she says, and when Etho nods, Impulse can tell they’re not lying.

Out of everyone — anyone Gem could’ve picked — he knows she’s made the right choice.

“I’m happy for you both,” he says, and as Gem smiles at him, brighter than he’s ever seen, he finds that he means it.

[highly-flammable]

Is Peeta optimistic or is that more how Katniss sees him as a symbol of hope?

Peeta is not blind to the risks or chances of bad things happening, nor is he a stranger to the cruelty of human beings. But I would say he has faith in humanity still, and would like to believe that with effort and goodwill, some measure of good might be derived from even a horrible situation. So he is a very cautiously optimistic character, in my books.

But I will argue that he is not free of cynicism given that he is a victim of abuse and neglect (at least emotional). This part he suppresses the best he can, but it comes out when he tries to ascertain how much others will value him. His self-worth is very low and he does not trust people to usually return the kindness that he himself extends towards others.

That kindness, however, is his defining trait in Katniss’ eyes, and completely sets him apart from everyone else due to the timing of when it was first demonstrated. Katniss had nothing to live on and nobody’s kindness to rely on, until Peeta burned the bread to give it to her. He was her sole ray of hope in one of the bleakest moments in her life, and that trend continues after they are put into the 74th Hunger Games together. From that period it becomes reciprocal, what one person gives, the other tries to return, not just because a debt is owed, but also because they truly care about each other. For Katniss, Peeta himself is not an incredibly optimistic person, but Peeta’s existence fuels her own optimism. And she tempers some of his cynicism in turn, being one of the only people in his life who truly value him as a person and demonstrate a willingness to prioritize him.

[skibasyndrome]

Can we have any sunday snippet from you? 🥲

HI ANON omg what ily, can't believe you're asking for a sunday snippet from silly old me 💜💜💜😭🥺 Sadly I haven't been very good about working on my "serious" (= non tumblr prompt post fills) fics recently, so I also haven't had a lot of stuff to put into sunday snippets :(((

But I've been writing another prompt fill (lol) and I'm pretty sure i can post it in a few minutes, maybe that's okay, too 👉👈

But. omg. I mean if you're asking 👀 this is not a very good contender for a sunday snippet, but I can give you a very chaotic notes-app screenshot from jotting down some points for a fic that I got inspired to by an anon ask I got the other week (asking for wilmon fighting during sex) and talking about it with a friend afterwards. it's proooobably looking angstier than that anon envisioned, very sorry for that, but I think the end result will be less angst, more like... hurt-comfort glorious smut, having to navigate different desires etc kinda situation.

anyways dagklkfdkjghljfdghd anon if you're still reading this, hope you have the loveliest sunday <3

[theghoulboysblog]

tell me things you love about ryan bergara :)

awww i love this question so much anon :))) thank you thank you!!! sorry i took so long to answer. i’ve been a little overwhelmed with school and stuff. i’m gonna name my top five cause otherwise we’d be here FOREVER haha:

1. he’s so gentle. i think that’s my favorite thing about him. he truly is a soft, sweet, gentle guy, and i think that gets overlooked because he is also bratty frat boy coded 😔 but two things can be true!!!

like, there’s something about watching him smell flowers and pet horses and birdwatch so happily that just makes me think “wow. this is such a gentle man with a big heart who loves beauty and nature and life.” no wonder he’s best friends with shane ‘gentle giant’ madej. they really are one and the same! :)

(also him proposing with a strawberry ring box in a field? his constant softness with animals? him calling fireworks “flowers in the sky.” like shane was so right when he said Ryan has really a lovely heart like why don’t we talk about how gentle and sweet he is?!?)

2. this kinda goes with the first one but he’s so loving and comforting. like everyone always talks about the times where shane comforts ryan which makes me SO HAPPY but also like… ryan comforts shane too! :( it is so precious watching videos where ryan is comforting shane or praising him.

like when shane was drunk and yelling and then got embarrassed and apologized to ry and ryan said, “it’s fine dude :) no need to get self conscious, you just get excited sometimes :)” then soothed him with a little physical touch like omg it always makes me so happy :)

or his little “omg, dude :) you’re doing great, bud! :)” to shane on a ghost hunt when shane was finding flies and was really happy. that literally plays over in my mind. like what a sweet guy. i love him. just best buds doing best bud things :)

3. he’s so little guy coded. i know he’s actually like 5’9 so he’s a little taller than me (5’7), but even when i saw him in person he was exactly as small as you’d think 😭 all the girls on stage were his height and it was actually so funny like 😭 understand this is not an insult at all. it makes him so attractive and cute and less intimidating to me. like i understand why shane will sometimes just hug him out of nowhere cause i mean he’s literally just!!! ☹️💛🌸🌸

4. he’s so funny. like some of the shit he says is so top tier bro. not even glaze he’s just peak 🙏

like holy fuck i really did place this brick seven years ago and yk what?!? hell yeah!

5. he’s so pretty. i mean. just look at him. nothing else to say like 😭🙏

AHHH IM LITERALLY GNAWING AT THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE I LOVE HIM SO MUCH IM TRYING TO BE SO NORMAL BUT HES LITERALLY JUST SO COOL TO ME. IDK.

but anyways thank you for prompting me to be weird and parasocial about this guy! much appreciated!!!! :) much love to ya!!!

[lagunaseca2013]

What do you thing Marc’s reaction is when he finds out Vale is pregnant in the Valpreg universe? Does he think Vale purposefully hid it from him?

well hello anon! I thiiiink this is about reverse omegaverse bc that’s the only mpreg scenario where vale is far along enough to warrant any anger for not telling marc. it’s not his fault, it was cryptic!

well for one, I think he handles it better than vale does, but that's for a variety of reasons. I don’t think he immediately jumps to vale hiding it as a conclusion bc he knows vale well enough to know there’s no way in hell he would’ve been racing if he’d known about it/he would’ve aborted that thang given the chance. imo marc probably does want kids and is very good with them but he's also 1) 22 years old and 2) not the one who has to carry and birth the baby. so on one hand it's a lot easier for him to be happy about. but on the other hand, vale is totally freaking out bc. he feels too young to have a baby. nevermind the fact that marc is for all intents and purposes, a young adult.

let’s not think about how 36 is already classified as a geriatric pregnancy. vale’s already suicidal enough just thinking about how long he’s been racing with this thing inside of him, plus the fact that he’s literally been on full strength suppressants this whole time. for his sake let’s say he hasn’t really been drinking all season with the exception of podium champagne and even that’s only a few sips. he’s terrified that he’s harmed the baby in some way.

what was the question? right, marc! I think it probably doesn't register as quite as big a deal as it should for marc for a while. he loves vale, he wants to be vale's alpha, however one-sided, and the season has been rough for sure, but enough of their history hasn't quite played out yet so he really does think they can work through this. also the pregnancy reveal AT sepang definitely like took some of the initial shock and hurt away from the incident bc hello new thing to focus on that isn't his omega publicly hating him and trying to knock him over mid-race. girl go talk to someone about this PLEASE.

vale is terrified and nearly catatonic w shock so directly after the medical checkup meltdown marc goes into alpha dealing with it mode and somehow gets them out of there and to his motorhome. he feels kinda bad bc vale probably wants to go to his motorhome where his nest is but that would involve confronting uccio and he's clearly not ready for that yet. (marc also does not want to see uccio, for obvious reasons……..) do they communicate any of this to each other? first of all marc just kind of senses that vale's pregnant but knows having the conversation there will end in catastrophe, so no! he just kind of assumes correctly w the added bonus of being right and vale realllly needing marc's scent right now. marc’s scent is the only thing bringing him any real comfort in the moment……..I wonder why……..

also pleaseeee let's take a moment to imagine the field day the press are having. this weekend alone vale has 1) dragged marc's name through the gravel, 2) let's say, uh, allegedly tried to kick marc off his bike mid race, 3) had some kind of scare in the medical building and cleared the entire place out so there's like doctors and nurses just hovering around outside looking concerned, 4) now left the medical building being physically shielded from the cameras by (checks notes) MARC! world's strangest series of headlines published that day. I don't even want to know what they were saying on twitter.

okay, now we've officially reached a secondary location. marc deposits vale on his bed and like runs around finding him clothes and blankets and boiling water for tea even though he knows vale probably won't even drink it. vale is like numbly dressing himself and half-heartedly arranging the blankets on the bed, shoving his face in marc's pillow bc he's already lost the battle w himself of pretending not to need it. marc hands him a cup of tea so now they're staring at each other sitting in marc's bed. and vale is holding a cup of tea.

basically marc tries to be like, the baby........and vale is in pure denial and also self-preservation mode so he's like what baby I don't know what you're talking about. so marc has to play dirty (vale is always forcing him to ride play dirty) and grab vale's hand and put it on his throat, vale’s trembling fingers brushing the raised bumps of his own bite. and marc is like vale I can feel you, I can feel you reaching out to me. I know you've been needing me. I know you have been stopping yourself, and I can feel it, I can feel our baby. our baby is there too. and then vale breaks down spectacularly and is like marc, amore, I swear I did not know—I have been racing, what if I hurt the baby—our baby.

now marc is young and also doesn’t have any of the answers here but he knows vale is scared out of his mind and that no matter what he’s determined to be there for him through all of it. it’s kind of unclear to both of them just how pregnant vale actually is but vale saw the ultrasound and that thing was looking hella fully formed, and marc has been feeling a growing presence through the bond for a while now so, both of them are separately confident that it’s too late for an abortion lmao. they also both have a lot of people to answer to, marc is only keeping alex and his dad away from his motorhome by telling them that he and vale are “handling the situation privately,” which is technically true bc no one knows what the situation is. also iirc I said that vale gave uccio his phone to deal with so let’s keep it that way.

okay there’s two weeks between sepang and valencia that year, right? I don’t really know like the details of how motogp riders live or in particular how they lived ten years ago but I’m going to pretend they’re somehow able to get a private flight out of malaysia that night, don’t ask me the details. marc still lives w his parents and shares a bunk bed w his baby brother so. tavullia it is!

marc hasnt been back to vale’s house since the crazy one sided mating incident. they get there at some ungodly hour and are like both numb and in their heads not really talking just sensing each other (this is the most calm marc’s instincts have been for almost a year at this point) and they’re finally going to bed when vale just kind of leads marc to his nest, wordlessly gets in. marc breathes in sharply, stunned, because vale’s nest is ninety percent marc’s clothes. it’s almost funny bc the majority of what vale had managed to steal is honda or mm93 merch from their sporadic hookups (before vale cut it off completely) so the entire bed is covered in like neon orange and red.

he gets in the bed and curls around vale, giant hand on vale’s stomach. vale unclenches for the first time in months and just silently starts crying into marc’s neck (scent gland) he is soooo scared. they have to schedule an obgyn appointment, they have to figure out something to tell yamaha because there’s no way in hell vale is going to finish the season pregnant. marc also has to figure out a way to convince vale to let him drop out of the championship to be there for him and the baby.

(when they eventually have that conversation vale is hysterically angry about it due to a combination of pregnancy hormones and projecting and being terrified that marc will resent him for it in the long run) sure vale, marc is going to resent you more for his own choice to drop out of the championship that he's already lost than for you one-sided bonding him and not letting him take care of you for months when you were pregnant. likely story.

ummmm okay this truly got away from me. the short answer is vale does his very best to keep marc out of it but he can’t actually deny what marc can literally feel through the bond so. there’s that. how do yamaha and honda and the sport as a whole and their families take it? well, that’s a whole other story……..