mymistakewriting

[mymistakewriting]

Hi! I am still actively working on a few things (next up on my list of things to finish and post is that storm chaser Buck thing, I think), however this is more of a generalized update.

I do indeed have headcanons to organize and transfer that focus on Sal, and I have some to put to words about Tommy as well, so there might be another post about those idiots (affectionate) soon.

Rather than actually sit down and binge the Rookie (I'm still on season 1 and trying to catch up over the hiatus but my focus just isn't there), I've gone back first to Chicago Fire and currently to House MD. Might eventually start yapping about those, but it's unclear.

Most important, my brain has decided it's made it's rounds fully on music and I've gone back to Epic The Musical.

All of this to say, I know I did a poll back a while to check interest on me discussing Epic, but then my brain latched onto 911 again as it came back from it's winter hiatus. So if you guys are still interested, I will absolutely be sharing thoughts about it in between planned content.

As an additional note on a more personal side, I've started looking into taking the courses necessary to become a certified EMT - including redoing my CPR certification (I originally certified during high school but the certification has to be redone every ??? five years??? at least here in Georgia). However, this is more of a long term goal, as I do have a bad knee that I've been given a list of PT exercises for. I have been assured that it shouldn't be a problem as long as I can still do the physical aspect of the job despite it and really, I've been living with a messed up knee since I was 11.

But yeah, hope you enjoy the little random update! I'll see yall at the next content post, and as always, my asks are always open if you guys just want me to yap about something in particular between my posts

[mymistakewriting]

Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz Headcanons

So full transparency, this wasn't the post I was intending to share today. I've been trying to put words to paper on a start for details about TK and his recovery - but it's a personal topic, so that post is being saved for another day when I have the words correct. Hopefully soon.

That said, Mouse is one of my favorites from the One Chicago universe, and thus I have thoughts. Enjoy! As a fair warning, there is discussion of his time as an Army Ranger and the subsequent issues once he came home. As always, if you feel like something's going to negatively impact your mental health, I'd rather you prioritize yourself rather than content.

Content warnings for Mouse specifically: medical army discharge, drug addiction & recovery. It should also be noted that a lot of the comments about his time in the army are inspired by things my own family members experienced during their time in the army.

If you see a * by something in the list, there are more details about that specific thing at the end of the list. I couldn't figure out a nice way to organize things that made sense.

He's not close with his parents in the slightest. They live in Pittsburgh. He's seen them once since his discharge from the army.

Hell would freeze over before Mouse talked about his parents willingly. If they want to ignore him and pretend he doesn't exist, fine, he'll do the same to them.

Jay's had to talk to Mouse's parents on the phone before. He called them during one of the hospital trips after a near-miss while Mouse was still using. He made sure Mouse put him and Will down as his emergency contacts after that call. Mouse did so with minimal complaints.

While Mouse doesn't really mind talking about his time overseas, talking about the humvee attack* that got him discharged still makes him freeze up. He still holds a lot of trauma from that attack and the resulting firefight.

Similarly, he won't talk about any of the missions that involved kids. Jay and him helped bury enough remains of Afghani children that it puts him right back over a too-small grave to talk about it. He knows that experience is part of why Jay takes the cases that involve kids so hard, but all it's done to Mouse is make him try to avoid kids where he can since coming home.

Keeps busy so he doesn't have time to think about things. He knows it's probably not healthy to do that, but it's better than the alternative.

Despite being best friends with Jay, Mouse doesn't approach the cases with the same need to fix everything. He knows that shit happens and sometimes you can't fix any of it. He acts as a balance - the realist to balance out Jay's bleeding-heart style optimism.

Mouse genuinely shouldn't be fighting, but he can and has followed Jay into a brawl. He can certainly hold his own.

wears his dogtags consistently. Especially after he got hired on for the tech position for the Intelligence unit. He likes that they make him feel like he belongs somewhere. He has the short chained tag from Jay's set on his as well - they traded before their last deployment ended.

Insomniac. Between his inability to fall asleep and the nightmares, Mouse doesn't get much sleep. When he does manage to sleep, he sleeps like the dead.

He's fully aware that he's supposed to stand at attention with Voight. However, he doesn't care that much. Also, the injures* that got him a medical discharge mean that getting up quickly enough to react like that? Absolutely not gonna happen. The first time he spoke to the man alone, he hashed all of that out as a "hope you don't think I'm being disrespectful but also that's never gonna happen"

He's a clothing thief. He's stolen several shirts from Jay. And jackets. He likes the comfort that comes from wearing someone else's clothes.

Raises his hand to get attention on him if he has something to add to a case with the unit because he can't often get to his feet quickly enough and he knows that the movement will get someone's eyes on him.

Fireworks don't bother him, but the act of handling a gun does. He spent time when he first came home forcing himself to notice the difference in sound between fireworks and gunfire and bombs.

He's not afraid of relapsing. The man's clean out of spite and because he promised Jay it would stick this time.

He's used a lot of different drugs. Mostly party drugs. The one thing he never let himself do was shoot up with anything - he always either took pills or did lines, but never shot up.

His addiction started with his prescription pain meds after his discharge.

Hates for people to touch him usually. Jay's an exception to this rule. He also makes an exception for Platt and Voight but only for pats to the shoulder.

His nickname is definitely his old military call sign and likely stemmed from his ability to get into whatever he wanted - even to his own detriment.

Humvee Attack specific headcanons:

2nd tour, Korangal Valley - according to canon references. IED attack on their Humvee

Most likely injuries based off research and how he moves: scattered burns (2nd degree most likely), spinal injury (temporary paralysis), various sprains, dislocated shoulder, mild to moderate concussion.

He also gained a handful of scars in the resulting firefight after the attack, a mix of grazes from bullets and through-and-through shot scars.

Long-term care: prescribed painkillers - Mouse went through his and then took Jay's without telling him because the man refused to take them when they made it back home. Mouse went through physical and occupational therapy starting at Landstuhl and continuing once he was back stateside. Braces were required, though Mouse only wore his brace for his back until he didn't have to anymore. He still has it and will wear it if he's having a bad day with his back.

Bonus! Jay's half of the injury / recovery headcanons:

Injuries: shattered leg (he was driving, the impact of the IED would've forced his knee up, shifting it entirely out of place and likely forcing the bone through the skin), scattered burns, concussion. Similar to Mouse, he also has a handful of bullet scars.

He was placed in a medically induced coma. He's a combative patient on a good day - he was taken off the field during an active firefight, it wasn't a good day.

Physical therapy was required, but as soon as Jay made it home, he stopped taking his pain meds. He's supposed to wear a knee brace when his leg is giving him problems - he doesn't, clearly, just look at the way he walks.

[mymistakewriting]

Ravi Panikkar Headcanons

Hi, this is just a general notice before I get into these that I do touch on sensitive topics with Ravi's headcanons. He's got cancer in his history, and I know that's a rough topic for a lot of people. If you'd rather skip this post due to that, please do so, as your mental health should absolutely take priority.

While Ravi isn't one I have a lot of headcanons for at the current time, I've found myself focusing in on him a lot more lately, so I may do another post in the future with more, who knows? For now, have what I do have for him.

Ravi has a close relationship with his parents. Minimum once a week calls home, as well as regular trips to see them.

Desite this close relationship, I do not think his parents approve of him being a firefighter.

His dad took him birdwatching a lot as a kid, though it did trail off some when he got sick. They've resumed that tradition now that Ravi is grown, though.

due to the birdwatching hobby, Ravi can identify birds pretty easily by sound alone. He's not 100% accurate, but he's pretty good at it.

Ravi's got a twitter account where he just shares stupid shit his coworkers say and do without dropping any names. This goes for all 3 shifts at the 118, not just the a-shift, as he HAS worked with the other shifts.

He can't multitask. If he has more than two things calling his attention at a time, he will have a minor mental breakdown over it.

Attended far more funerals than he ever wanted to before he hit the age of 18. Some of it was his own family (cousins, grandparents and the like) but most of it was friends he'd made as a child or their family members. He doesn't like to let people get close after that.

still has the scar from his chemo port. While he's not ashamed of it, sometimes he gets a little anxious about changing in front of people because of it if they don't already know. He doesn't want to answer questions about it. Ever.

He does consistently go to therapy, unlike the rest of the 118. He's had the same therapist since he was a kid.

Knows how to sew! He isn't great at most of it, but he can hem clothes and repair things just fine. One of the nurses taught him when he was a kid because his favorite stuffed animal ended up losing an ear during one of his chemo appointments and he was devastated about it.

Social cues are a little messy for Ravi sometimes. He missed some major developmental milestones as far as communication goes because he was sick, so sometimes his reactions seem wildly out of pocket.

LOVES naps. If there's ever downtime on a shift, you can find Ravi curled up in an armchair napping. He'll say he isn't tired. He just wants to nap.

He really likes to bake! He is not good at it, even with a recipe, so he needs supervision at all times for it.

Despite being terrible at baking, it's a pretty good cook. Master at throwing things together at random and getting something delicious.

while it isn't as frequent now that he's older, Ravi had a lot of panic attacks as a kid. (He used to be terrified of needles). So he knows a lot of tricks for panic attacks.

he runs cold and thus always has a jacket on hand. He also carries hand warmers in his work bag at all times.

cuts his own hair! He trusts no one with his hair, thanks.

HATES getting sick. He has a full on mental breakdown every time he ends up sick. Spends like two hours curled up on the bathroom floor crying if he throws up, even if it's just from a hangover.

Half of his freezer at home is just popsicles. Some homemade, most not. But he stays hydrated thanks to it, so it's fine.

Favorite cookie: snickerdoodle, followed closely by double chocolate chip

Doesn't typically drink sodas but LOVES lemonades (his favorite is blueberry lemonade)

he's a plain chip person but only because he keeps a million types of dips on hand.

most common snack to find in his house is pretzels and cream cheese or hummus

He's a strawberry ice cream person, for sure.

Despite being a bottomless pit where food is concerned normally, he won't eat if he's nervous or upset.

if you put him in a situation that makes him nervous, he talks. Will he remember anything he said? Absolutely not. But he's a certified yapper regardless.

His expressions tend to either be pretty flat or entirely confused if he's overwhelmed, and most of it is just that his brain is lagging and it's causing him issues understanding what's going on around him.

That said, his expressions are loud typically. Face does not have an inside voice. You'll know if he's upset fast.

Cracks his fingers when he gets nervous. His mom hates it, but he's never been able to kick the habit.

He makes weird faces when he's genuinely upset. A lot of it is in an effort to not cry, the other part of it is that he tends to chew on his cheeks - you can't do that without making weird faces.

Takes cold and flu meds pre-emptively when he starts feeling an itch in his throat.

Honeyed tea and soup, his mom's recipes are pinned to the fridge. Again, makes them in bulk if he so much as sneezes.

he's a health nut after having cancer, hates being sick. His goal is to sleep through it and try to cut down on how long he's sick.

hoodies and sweats and blanket piles are a must when he's sick! He stays cold anyway, he shakes the entire time he's sick, especially while feverish.

[mymistakewriting]

Music tag!

So I was tagged by @happilylovingchaos for this. As a general note, I use music A LOT when I write (I have character playlists galore and will often include a song tag when I do post fics because I'm awful at writing in silence), HOWEVER I do not use YouTube for my music. Namely because I don't need another subscription and Spotify works okay for what I use my music for, so I can't go through and pull a youtube mix for this. I can, however, pull my On Repeat playlist from spotify.

I do hope it's okay that none of what I list is covers, as I don't listen to a lot of covers - I'm rather picky about those. But have the list of my top 10 On Repeat tracks for the last few weeks! Additional note, if an artist shows up twice, you're only getting the song I listened to most by them (this was the case for Marianas Trench and Sleep Token)

Caramel - Sleep Token

good girls - Josie Edwards

Masterpiece Theatre III - Marianas Trench

Marble Arch - Erin LeCount

Steal My Thunder - Conner Smith & Tucker Wetmore (Twisters soundtrack - note that this SHOULD be higher in the list because I own the soundtrack on CD and it's my go-to in the car if Spotify wants to be shit but I have no way to count that)

Birds Still Sing - Taylor Acorn

Blueprints - Demo - Harper Allen

"good guy" - Against The Current

I'm Trying (Not Friends) - Maisie Peters

Too Much - Dove Cameron

I don't usually get tagged in these things, so I never know who to tag going forward. So if you see this and want to do it, please feel free to say I tagged you. The only person I FOR SURE am tagging is @firefightersandwaitresses (sorry not sorry, we talk about music too much for this)

[mymistakewriting]

TK Strand headcanons

Sodas hurt his stomach. He didn't grow up drinking them, so he avoids them by default.

TK's the one with the "mom bag" out of the 126. Keeps everything from granola bars to pads and tampons to extra clothes and medical supplies. Carlos' car is just as messy for the same reason. But he's never unprepared for a situation.

Due to his past addiction, overdose calls are ones that Tommy and Nancy refuse to let him take point on. He's the one doing check ins with dispatch or driving. They don't want to risk him relapsing because of a rough call.

Keeps notes in his phone of important dates, along with food preferences and schedule notes for the others at the 126.

Hates people touching him during an argument. It's not because he thinks they'll hurt him, though. He's afraid of lashing out and hurting them. He'd never be able to forgive himself.

He calls Paul or Nancy on his hard nights or when he has nightmares if Carlos is at work. He's too embarrassed to go to anyone else.

TK is responsible for all of the streaming services for the 126. He was very enthusiastic about sharing and set up profiles for the others before he ever said anything about it.

Can't really cook. That said, he's great at baking. Makes muffins and biscuits for team breakfast - he always ropes Paul or Judd into making stuff to go with them.

He panic-researches any new restaurant that the 126 go to in order to make sure that they have options for everyone. it's a big reason they usually just cook as a group instead of eating out.

He's definitely the one to go to for taste testing. He doesn't even ask what it is, just tries it and gives an opinion. It makes him very easy to prank.

He's fully aware that the corners of his eyes crinkle when he smiles. He learned to mimic that with his fake smiles while he was in New York. It's a hard habit to break.

After they had to use narcan on Carlos, TK spent weeks feeling guilty and watching over him for any sign of negative side affects from the morphine overdose or narcan dose. It scared him something awful to be on that side of a situation like that.

speaking of narcan: he keeps some in his personal belongings. He might be sober, but he knows better than anyone that shit happens and it's always better to be safe.

Here is what I have for TK as of current time. That said, I do have a lot of thoughts specific to his addiction and recovery that deserves it's own post but requires a lot more focus to get the wording right. If you guys are interested in seeing that at some point, let me know and I'll find the time to sit down and write it all out properly, as it is a topic I hold close to my own heart.

[mymistakewriting]

Those are some great HCs! Love the keeping notes on his family!! Please stay safe and don’t get swept away by a tornado haha!

I will certainly try! thankfully it's currently just severe storms, it's just tornado season here so they issue warnings any time there's any radar indication one might form!

I'll definitely be talking a little more about Mateo when I post my hcs for Nancy, I just don't have a lot for JUST Mateo right now

[mymistakewriting]

Eddie Diaz headcanons

again, as stated in my answer to the ask about Mateo headcanons, this is being transferred and posted while I'm under an active tornado warning (don't worry, I'm totally safe, I'm vibing on the front porch while we don't have wifi). So please kindly ignore any typos, I promise I'm trying and might fix them once I have access to a laptop again.

Keeps a stash of MREs in his truck (specifically the toolbox in the bed of the truck). Hasn't told anyone he has them, but he'll grab a few on rough shifts when no one has time to cook / eat together (usually the "jinxed" shifts)

him and Chris still make the trip to Shannon's grave every year for her birthday and mother's day. Eddie usually spends the rest of those days completely silent, won't even answer text messages from anyone. Always requests off shift those days.

Eddie never told anyone his birthday - Chris was the one who told. Buck was the first to find out.

he's awful with remembering trivia, so he keeps notes. Whenever Chris gets interested in something, he does his own research and keeps a hidden notebook because it's important to his son so it's important to him.

VERY good at knowing his limits when injured. He won't work if he's injured. That said, he is still a terrible patient, like most first responders are. He's definitely obnoxious when he's sick or healing from an injury. Sure, he'll follow directions to a T, but he's so much sassier during those times - and not in a good way.

he's still super distrustful of technology. He monitors who his son talks to while gaming, and nothing "high tech" is allowed in his hoe aside from basic gaming systems and cell phones.

He's weird about having his picture taken. He'll smile if you catch him by surprise but planned photos? Absolutely not. If it's not a major life event, you're not getting a good picture unless it's a candid.

he always either goes and sits in on Chris or goes and sits in the living room with something playing on mute on the tv if he has a rough night. He doesn't like to talk about his nightmares. But not being in the dark emptiness of his room helps.

[mymistakewriting]

Oo do you have any Mateo Chavez HCs? If not it’s fine, I was just curious :)

I have a few, though not very many!

As a note: please excuse any typos in this reply as I'm currently under an active tornado watch and without wifi and thus am making this post on my phone. Inclement weather will not stop my enthusiasm.

in account of his attention to detail introduced in the pilot and later ignored, I offer the following: He keeps notes on his phone of things the rest of the 126 likes. Birthdays, favorite foods, if they act weird around certain calls or animals, the lot. He's an encyclopedia of knowledge on his teammates.

He's become a fan of audio books ever since the team helped him study via recordings. It's opened doors that he'd never imagined existed

As a reminder, he's been a lieutenant before. I imagine that didn't just vanish when he returned to the 126. Owen may have gravely misused his team and their abilities half the time, but I fully believe the team was better for it with Mateo having that rank when they got back to their own station. It took a load of Judd's shoulders to have help, at least.

He really dislikes cooking unless it's in the form of chaos - just throwing things together and hoping for the best. He's never realized recipes are a thing.

[mymistakewriting]

In reply to your recent hc poll, do you think you could make hcs for Karen Wilson, Nancy Gillian and Eddie Diaz?

ABSOLUTELY I can! I've got a bunch of them saved up for Eddie as it is from my time writing him in one on one rps, and I will absolutely take any excuse I can possibly get to talk about my girls

[mymistakewriting]

interest check while I get my shit together! Headcanons post to come, what yall want first?

I do have several things in the works right now fic wise, but while I'm working on those, I've come to the conclusion that headcanons are still acceptable content to post so I don't just vanish.

That said, I'm ALSO in the market for new first responder shows now that 911 is on hiatus, please hit me up with suggestions!

[mymistakewriting]

additional thing to hold myself accountable, though this will likely just be a headcanons post. My brain has REFUSED to turn loose of the concept of Buck having been a storm chaser. and since midnight is far too late for me to be opening the floor gates of my own hyperfixation for which I have a shit ton of useless knowledge, I'm just gonna post here and come back to it later.

[mymistakewriting]

hi, this is just an interest check. I have a few ideas and just need to get a feel for what yall would want to see first.

All of these are 911 based ideas, of course, and they are fic ideas rather than headcanons (of which I still have several sets to post, I'm sorry that's taking me so long).

Not listed but still in the works is a dedication piece that focuses in on TK and his recovery. It's just harder to write than I wanted it to be.

[mymistakewriting]

Okay so I don't usually do this because 1. I hate posting anything spoiler-y and 2. I don't owe anyone my trauma but I'm getting real sick of this so uh.

Spoiler warning for 911 8x10 below the cut.

Trigger warning for severe bodily harm also below the cut

I'm real sick of everyone yapping about "Maddie shouldn't have survived getting her throat cut"

As someone who's survived it from the same style of pocket knife: yes, she absolutely should. That injury is remarkably survivable with how quickly she got help and with how shallow the cut actually was. They put more blood to it than they should have. That's on the filming department and makeup.

She'll need speech therapy to relearn how to talk after that injury, upwards of 6 months of it to fully get her voice back. Her voice shouldn't sound the same as it did before once she's healed and has her voice back.

But her surviving that is realistic. Because it happens. And I'm proof. So how about we play a game of don't run your mouth about survivability of an injury if you've never experienced it. Thanks.

[mymistakewriting]

911 Lone Star: 126 & Culture

Hi, this post has been in the works for... a while. I got about halfway through it, got sick, and then looked it back over and scrapped the entire thing to restart because I couldn't find my train of thought again. It happens, and unfortunately it caused this to take far longer than I would have ever liked for it to.

And seeing as the LS section of the 911 fandom isn't usually rabid, I don't feel as much need to issue the typical "hey if it looks like I'm hating on a character, I'm not, I've got source material for any criticism of a character" thing, but this particular post does come with the additional comment of: this is discussing culture. As such, I've tried to do my research and approach the topics with care, but if I misrepresent something, I would love corrections - just please be respectful when offering them. I'm always happy to learn about other cultures.

As an additional note, to any who celebrate: Ramadan Mabarak!

Without further ado, onto the content.

First and foremost, I'd like to pay mention to the original culture of the 126 pre-Owen. It's a firehouse in Austin, Texas. It's steeped in your standard Southern Culture. This is a culture I'm very familiar with, as someone who's spent their entire life in the deep south. Judd and how he and Grace approach things will absolutely be the reference points I make for those unfamiliar with the culture, as they're the ones representing that within the 126 community and extended families.

Judd and Grace are deeply religious (yes, Judd has his hangups and he's lost his faith a time or two, but it happens), but they're religious in the way Christians are truly meant to be. They don't force their beliefs on others for all that I guarantee you they have a prayer list. They're absolutely church on Sunday, sunrise service on Easter, community outreach programs and all.

Grace approaches things in the way of "may I pray for / with you" when things get hard. Her faith is a foundational pillar and a relatively unshakable one at that. She's also the one that taught those in the 126 that weren't from the South just how diverse a meaning "bless your heart" has. She's also the leading figure of "there's nothing scarier than an angry southern lady".

Judd, on the other hand, doesn't lean religious due to his own personal relationship with it. He's the side of Southern Culture that's all acts of service to be neighborly, remembers everyone's names that he can. He's the guy you call when you get stuck on a backroad somewhere and need a lift, or if you need a hand setting something up.

I also believe that Judd's particular brand of Southern Hospitality extended to him looking into the cultures being brought in with the new members of the 126 so that he could start learning and support his new family members - don't tell me that man didn't ask Marjan if she wanted the rest of them to fast alongside her during Ramadan the second he learned it was a thing. I'll call you a liar.

I also believe he was the one that put the time and effort into ensuring the firehouse only ever shopped local or at halal markets. Man's got a list in his phone that he double and triple checked to make sure they never brought anything into that firehouse that someone couldn't eat. They all eat the same thing when they cook, he's made sure of it.

Additionally, Carlos' close proximity to the 126 means he also brings in the mix of Southern and Mexican heritage. Food is a love language to him, and he absolutely brings meals in on the hard shifts when he isn't also working.

TK being jewish on his mother's side also brings in some interesting dynamics. While canon suggests he doesn't actively observe that part of his culture aside from a few small nods, I do fully believe he rarely breaks the habit of eating kosher. No pork is allowed at the firehouse due to this (a loss that Judd certainly mourned). But he doesn't bring in a lot of cultural influence other than food restrictions. Occasionally, prayer does come up with him - I do fully believe that is something he uses outside of just when he's dying of hypothermia, thank you.

Marjan probably has the heaviest cultural impact on the firehouse. The team has certainly helped her find safe spots to set up for her daily prayers, they share iftar with her when at work for it so she doesn't break her fast alone during Ramadan.

Additionally! I fully believe Nancy and Captain Vega keep extra magents and pins in their lockers / office respectively because hijab accessories are SUPER hard to keep up with.

Obviously, there's other cultural habits, and some of them come from varying places because the 126 has someone from pretty much every corner of the country, but it's hard to cover everything to detail.

Basically, the 126 is both a family and a cultural safe haven within the community, and I really do think that's beautiful. And while I certainly have my issues with Owen Strand as a character, I think he did wonderfully at putting together such a diverse team to create that community.

[mymistakewriting]

Hello everyone, I come with the news that I have begun a Mistake: I've created a blog specifically for my first responder based fandoms. It will mostly be roleplay but I'm also open to just chatting over there.

Blog: @onceupona-siren

I still have stuff to sort out before I do a muse list, but fandoms it will cover are as follows: 911 & 911: Lone Star, Criminal Minds, SWAT, One Chicago (Fire, PD, Med), Station 19. Other fandoms pending

Hope to see yall over there

[mymistakewriting]

Hi, I still have the 126 culture post in progress, I just got sick before I could finish and post it. I'm feeling better (-ish, I've still got a bit of a sore throat) and plan to finish my post up and do a quick edit before posting it this weekend!

So that said, I come to test interest. I've gone back to Epic the Musical since I've been sick and have so many things I want to talk about. Is that something yall would be interested in between actual content posts?

[mymistakewriting]

Reminder post for myself bc I'm about to go to sleep for work tomorrow and I don't want to forget:

Culture & habits within the 126.