#2kalways

[ex0rin]

Wyatt Russell as John Walker | Thunderbolts* Big Game Trailer

[invisibleraven]

Because I am nothing if not predictable: Best Dad Ray Molina & anyone for: character a going “you’re not mad at me?” and character b being so baffled and not being able to fathom how character a would think they’d be mad for being sick when it’s out of their control

Reggie awoke that morning with a tickle in his throat, a pounding in his head, and a churning in his gut. Regardless, he got up out of bed, got ready and crept down the stairs. Blessedly the recliner in front of the TV was empty, meaning his dad was either still out or had made it up the stairs in a drunken stupor the night prior. Goodness knows where his mom was; she was absent more often than not these days.

Not that it would matter if she was here, pleading that he was sick to get out of things had never worked for him. Even if he was there, shaking with a fever, hurling his guts up, or hacking up a lung, his parents never believed him. Instead they got mad, claiming he was faking, that he probably needed an excuse to not go to school.

So Reggie stopped telling them when he wasn't feeling well-instead he swallowed some pills and hoped for the best, sleeping through study hall and barely present during the rest of his classes, relying on Alex to get notes for him, and praying for the day to be over. Not so he could return home-he avoided it when he could. No, after school meant he could head to the Molina's, his true home.

It was Luke who met them first, squatting in their garage after running away, and had brought the rest of the band in after Julie helped him work things out with his folks. And well, Julie's family had all but adopted them, making sure they knew they were welcome there any time. A fact that Reggie took advantage of more than the others.

So today, he headed straight for the garage, collapsing on the worn leather couch Luke had dragged there. Luke and Julie were out on a date, and Alex was working his afterschool job, so there would be no one to fuss over him, but that was fine. Reggie just needed to sleep-if the barking cough would let him.

Of course, as he was ending another hacking fit, this is when Ray walked in. "Ooof mijo, that sounds rough, are you okay?"

Reggie waved him off-he liked Ray, but his experience with parents and sickness still weighed heavy on his mind. "Just a cough, it's fine."

Ray took a step forward, his forehead crinkled. "Reggie...you're really pale, and clammy looking. I don't think it's just a cough, is it?"

His head hung low. "No."

"Alright, well then, let's get you inside, so we can get you some medicine and soup," Ray said.

Reggie's head flew up at that. "What?"

"You're sick, so let's take care of you," Ray said, ushering him into the house and onto one of the couches with a blanket around him before he could protest.

"You're not mad at me?" Reggie almost whispered as Ray handed him a cup of tea and some pills.

"Why on Earth would I be mad at you?" Ray asked. "It's not your fault you're sick, and even if it was, that doesn't mean you don't need to be looked after."

"I'm just...not used to it I guess," Reggie replied, taking a long sip of the tea, the warmth and added honey feeling like a blessing on his raw throat. The pills hurt to swallow, but he knew they would do their job. "Thanks Ray."

Ray nodded, not saying anything, but bringing him soup, and urging him to nap when he started to doze half way through the bowl. Reggie didn't protest, too worn out and miserable to argue.

He wasn't sure what time it was when he woke up-the sky was dark, and Carlos was watching something on the television near him. "Hey little man," Reggie rasped.

"Hey," Carlos replied, handing him a box of tissues as he started to sneeze. "Dad went out to get some stuff, so I'm going to get you some juice and Vapo Rub."

"Vapo Rub?"

"Tia swears by it, claims it can cure almost everything," Carlos replied with a shrug. "But I ain't putting it on you."

Reggie laughed at that, even though it quickly turned into another coughing fit as he sat up. But the menthol did help, and he figured maybe there was some merit to Tia's belief. Plus the juice tasted lovely compared to the cotton mouth feel he had woken up to.

Julie came in soon after, Luke on her heels, the both of them checking up on him, though Julie chided him for not telling his friends he was ill. But she did it with worry shining in her eyes and fluffed his pillow so he knew she wasn't really angry.

The three of them sat down to a movie as Carlos went off to do his homework, even if Reggie could barely focus. He just knew he had two of his best friends by his side, keeping him company. Luke lifting a juice box to his lips and Julie getting hima cool cloth as he needed it. Uncaring that they might end up with this plague too as they cared for him.

Ray finally returned, asking Julie and Luke to put away the groceries and laid a cool hand on Reggie's forehead. "Glad you let us take care of you finally," he said with a smile.

"I figured if I didn't you'd sic Tia on me."

"Yeah, that's worse than being sick," Ray joked. "Victoria is a great woman, but shit at nursing. She'd just cover you in Vapo Rub and force feed you her horrible tea made from passion fruit and onion."

"Ew." Reggie screwed up his nose at that. "Carlos had the Vapo Rub covered."

"It does work miracles," Ray conceded. "Now, how about I heat you up the rest of your soup, and then we'll get you some more medicine before I set you up in the guest room?"

"I couldn't..."

"Reggie," Ray stopped his argument. "I know your parents aren't the most...attentive. So I am not going to suggest you go home to either suffer alone or whatever. You can stay here, where we can look after you. You're family, it's what we do."

"Okay," Reggie replied, his voice small, but pleased.

He settled back into the couch, feeling better than he had all day-sure he was still sick as a dog, and knew it would only get worse as the night wore on-but if there was something guaranteed to help him through-it was the love of his family.

[innytoes]

... "I may not be beautiful, but at least I know a lot of useless information."

reggie. please.

😩 okay i'll be done now

Reggie wasn't sure how he ever got an invite to tonight. Like sure, he knew Julie, she was practically his sister now, after her parents took him in (stole him, more like it) when they found out what was going on at home.

Reggie had been too young to entirely know the details, but from hearing tía Victoria shouting from downstairs about 'putting the cart before the horse' and 'your home study wasn't until next month', he was pretty sure it hadn't been done entirely by the book. But given the fact he'd passed out from neglect and DCF had been over to his house twice already and had done nothing, there was some leeway.

So yeah, he was basically a Molina now, even though the adoption was pending because the courts were backed up to the heavens. Which meant Julie was his sister.

And Julie knew Flynn. And Flynn was cool (and pretty). And Julie and Flynn knew Carrie. Who knew the Candis. Who were all also very pretty and very out of his league. And then the new guy at school showed up, the one with the killer cheekbones and the cute laugh and the pretty hair and...

And Reggie wasn't sure why he was here, except for the fact that Julie told him to bring his crochet stuff because they were 'having craft night'.

He loved craft night, okay? Julie and Flynn and him would turn on a crappy movie, and they'd each do their own thing. He'd crochet, Julie would draw, and Flynn would work on whatever project had caught her fancy this time. Sometimes it was making jewellery, sometimes it was diamond painting, sometimes it was gluing an insane number of googly eyes onto a phone case.

So he threw on his flannel, grabbed his bag with his current project (a baby yoda amigurumi), and followed Julie out the door, ready to head over to Flynn's.

Except there was a car waiting outside for them. Like, a fancy car. And when Julie pulled him in after her, he wasn't sure what to do except follow. Like, did he forget something? Flynn was already there, a giant tote on her lap.

It wasn't until they left the neighbourhood that Reggie spoke up. "So, um, where are we going?" And Flynn burst out laughing.

"You didn't tell him we're going to Carrie's place?" she asked, and Julie gave him an evil grin.

"I didn't want him to chicken out," she said sweetly. Because Julie knew that Carrie and her Candis intimidated the heck out of Reggie ever since he was smacked by the Puberty Stick and realised 'oh no, girls and boys are pretty'. So he'd been kind of avoiding them ever since Julie and Flynn made up with Carrie.

And thus, he was trapped in a car, going to Carrie Wilson's house, and now he was surrounded by beautiful people. And amazing snacks. And a TV three times the size of the one they had at home, playing a Gilmore Girls marathon on low volume.

(Every time Dean appeared on screen, two of the Candis boo'ed, while one other cheered, and the fourth took a shot of soda. He, again, was too afraid to ask.)

There were people knitting, drawing, making friendship bracelets, bedazzling a rather rad-looking jacket. Cute skateboard guy, who turned out to be named Willie, was attaching Worms On A String to one another to make long chains of them, explaining he wanted to make a curtain for his door. He seemed impressed by Reggie's Baby Yoda, and even more so when Julie whipped out her phone to show off some of the other things Reggie had made over the years.

It was entirely too much attention from entirely too many hot people, and he resisted the urge to talk. Because if he'd talk, he'd start spouting out stupid pick-up lines and he'd never be invited back. And also Julie would kill him. If Carrie didn't.

Eventually, he was saved by the Dean ("Booo!") and he could go back to counting stitches and eating fancy snacks and carefully, being so totally normal, complimenting bedazzling techniques.

Carrie Wilson smiled at him and it wasn't one of those smiles that made him worry she was going to stab him later, so that was cool.

Just when he thought he was safe from making a complete and utter buffoon of himself, a dark figure leapt over the back of the couch and plopped next to him, leaning over to grab one of the vegan spring rolls in one fluid movement.

Reggie looked up, a little bit startled, and then realised. Oh no.

Oh no, that was Bobby Shaw, his biggest crush. Bobby who was always cool and always wore black and red and always had a snarky comment in English class when Mrs Miller was picking on someone. Who swept his hair off his forehead during PE in a way that made Reggie wish he was better at sports. What was Bobby doing here?

"What are you doing here?" Carrie asked, but she asked it in a way that sounded a lot more annoyed than Reggie felt.

"There's snacks," Bobby pointed out, like that was reason enough.

"This is craft night," Carrie glared at him. "You have to be making something to join."

"I'm making you annoyed," Bobby said, popping another spring roll in his mouth before moving on to the cookies. "Oh fuck, is she still with Dean? Booo!"

Immediately, one of the Candis (the yellow one, maybe? He couldn't tell, out of costume they were not all as committed to the aesthetic as Carrie was) turned around and said: "Your cousin can stay." Then, she turned to Bobby. "Jess or Logan?"

"Paris." This got some shocked and awed looks, though Flynn and Purple Candi (he was pretty sure) cackled.

Oh. Cousin. Cool, cool, cool cool coolcoolcoolcool. That didn't make Bobby like ten times more intimidating to talk to. Nope, not at all.

Thankfully, the conversation carried on without anyone pointing out Reggie had recounted the stitches of this row eight times already because he kept getting distracted by how funny and cute Bobby was.

"And then," Probably Blue Candi said. "He asked me to knit him a sweater! Can you believe it?"

"What's wrong with knitting your boyfriend a sweater?" Willie asked, confused.

"It's the Sweater Curse," Reggie said. Willie blinked at him, so he went on. "If you knit your partner a sweater, you will break up with them."

"Because of a sweater?" Bobby asked, doubtful.

"Because you just spent hundreds of dollars on nice yarn, asking their opinions on colors and the material and size and shapes and finding a pattern and adjusting it to their size and then even more countless hours knitting it only for them to declare it's 'kind of itchy' and never wear it or they shrink it in the wash because they didn't listen to you and then shrug it off because it's 'just a sweater' and you realise you could have spent all that time and effort and money on making something for yourself instead of this asshole who never cared about your craft in the first place."

The room was silent when he stopped talking, and Reggie felt his face grow hot.

Okay, so maybe the nerdy crochet version of that was his last girlfriend who asked him to make a giant Snorlax, who got snippy when he wasn't done in two weeks, but the point still stood.

"Heck yeah!" Maybe Blue Candi said. "Reggie knows what I'm talking about."

"I may not be beautiful, but at least I know a lot of useless information," Reggie deflected.

"I dunno," Bobby said, and Reggie felt his heart sink. "You're pretty cute."

This time, it was Julie and Carrie doing the booing, but at the end of the evening he'd eaten a ton of snacks, finished Baby Yoda's body, and had Bobby's number in his phone.

He never made Bobby a sweater, but when he nervously gave Bobby the giant throw blanket for his bed on their three year anniversary, Bobby tackled him to the ground and gave him so many thank you kisses that Reggie knew no curse could take them out.

[howthesleeplesswander]

@idyllicserendipity liked this post for a starter!

((IT WAS A TOUGH CHOICE between all your wonderful Disney/animated muses, but I decided to go with Belle! ^3^/ I hope that works okay!))

"This looks divine," came the queen's soft exclamation as a dessert plate was set in front of her. It was a perfect mille feuille topped with bright strawberry and orange slices, their fruity aroma mingling with delicate notes of vanilla and cream. The beautiful craftsmanship of the dessert bloomed a pang of nostalgia in Amaya's chest, that which she quelled by sampling a demure forkful.

Much to her delight, it tasted even more incredible than it looked. "Absolutely delicious," she praised. "It's been some time since I've had an authentic pastry like this; it tastes even better than I remember." A touch of wistfulness bled into her tone—but now wasn't the time. Taking a moment to recollect herself, the queen smiled at Belle across from her.

"It's a very good thing that the royal kitchen in Rosas doesn't habitually make pastries like this. Although, I'll admit to being sorely tempted to request a French pastry chef become part of our trade agreements." She was (mostly) teasing, of course, laughing lightly at the absurdity of that idea.

As she savored another bite, Amaya's attention shifted to the hustle and bustle of town. There was such a joy for life here; visible in the smiles of the citizens who wandered past their cozy table, audible in each voice that filled the air. It warmed the queen's heart to see such a happy and prosperous people. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to see more of the town once we're finished here."

[dexdmxnwonderlxnd]

I need fireworks. For no specific reason, of course.

You know those are illegal in NYC.

It’s only illegal if you get caught~.

[theamd426]

Reggie becomes a Molina in every single one of my fanfics. It's cannon at this point!

#Induct-Reggie-into-the-Molina-Family-2021

I just want them all to be able to see him and love him and have him in family photos is that too much to ask

[ex0rin]

Thunderbolts* | Big Game Trailer

[sroloc--elbisivni]

Forgettful Church anon again, back from the library! I Did remember my library card but I forgot my credit card and had a late fee so I Still couldn't borrow their Usagi Yojimbo comic. I still read it, just felt mad. Anyway! Usagi! I read a translated compilation of book one and two? I fricking loved it. He's both heavy(?) and a bit silly, everything is very melancholy and also goofy, I get wiplash. In one he kills seven flies as a power move, another, he visits his home village (angst central)

(forgettful anon cont) like God. The way his return to his old home village was probably the standout part for me. Like, yeah, the ghost and monster stuff is cool, and his rivalry with this bounty hunter is funny but like. *feelings* man! And the end reveal, that they both kept those keepsakes, all those years!! On their person all the time! The thing about how she's better than Usagi at following the code? Duty vs Love? God it was more setup/hints than exploration™ and I Still went coco over it

IT'S A LOT. the love and duty thing makes me crazy. and yeah!! it's SILLY!!! it's a heavy comic set in a time where life is cheap and death is common, and also he fights off some assholes with a couple of fish. issue 1 he fights someone who was once across a battlefield from him and became corrupted into a monster by only cultivating hate and bitterness for the next three years, and issue 2 he runs into a tiny godzilla. the stories where usagi goes home (there are a few different times) and learns all over again that it's not a place he gets to call home anymore is. AGH. those are my favorites. i love mariko and kenichi and jotaro all so much, and how messy that whole situation gets, and how under the layers of all the societal pressures and considerations there's a very deep and genuine care. also mariko defense squad 2kalways. #MarikoDidNothingWrong.

thank you so much for coming back to provide an update, it's wonderful to hear you enjoyed it, and i will hope that next time you get to go to the library all the necessary factors align in terms of card and time considerations XD

[innytoes]

Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ray Molina & Original Male Character, Ray Molina & Reggie Peters, Julie Molina & Ray Molina, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Reggie Peters/Bobby Shaw | Trevor Wilson Characters: Ray Molina, Original Male Character(s), Reggie Peters, Julie Molina, Bobby Shaw | Trevor Wilson, Luke Patterson, Alex Mercer (Julie and The Phantoms) Additional Tags: Foster Care, Good Parent Ray Molina, Abusive Relationships, Found Family, Waffle House, the phantoms are chaos himbos but in a good way Series: Part 3 of this could be home Summary:

When Ray receives a phone call from one of his former foster kids, he knows just how to help. Even though a tour bus full of rock stars probably isn't what Ollie expected.

Happy Thursday! Chapter five is up! In which Reggie reflects about being a dorky older (foster) brother, climbing on the roof of the car is totally valid decision, Julie, and Dad Hugs Are Magic.

[alecsalamander]

It's Earthworm Sally.

Spreading diseases from Florida to Cali.

#stopkathate2k23.

first of all, i’m immune to florida. sorry. she can’t kill me and neither can you.

second of all, this is adore kat 2kalways household. unconditionally. it’s also a roast kat 2kalways. hand in unlovable hand, bestie.

third of all, did you know that earthworms will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long? despite not having eyes?? follow for more daily worm facts!

[docholligay]

 “Well, REI, it must be nice for some of us to have our problems solved by MONEY.” 

Rei freezes in her tracks, breath caught in her throat. The tip of her ears turning red. What can she say? Has she betrayed everything she is? 

Usagi’s eyebrows waggle. She finally hit it. 

[hachama]

"Lilith" is what my people called SIDS when we didn't have a scientific understanding of it. Lilith is a monster, a nightmare, the ancient face of one of the worst things imaginable.

So if you're celebrating her as your ""feminist kweeeeen"" or whatever? I'm going to judge you. Hard.

The only traditional practices around Lilith are amulets to keep her away.

[howthesleeplesswander]

Were he facing a different opponent, Childe would have seized the opportunity of knocking Percy to the ground to finish this. The itch under his skin demanded blood, but the rush of a worthy battle was even stronger. With great effort, he resisted the feral urge to pounce on momentarily helpless prey. That wound-up tension jittered in poised muscles.

It had been a while since anyone he'd fought had been this fun. It'd be a waste to end it so soon.

Oh, no—they were just getting started. He wanted to see what Percy could really do.

Too eager to keep completely still, Childe took measured steps forward, idly twirling his spear in one hand. The blade struck the ground with each footfall: crashing like thunder, bursts of violet illuminating him from below as he stalked closer, tendrils of Electro charring the damp grass and leaving a trail of blackened patches behind.

"Is it really so difficult to figure out?" This pause in the action only heightened the howling in his veins. His grin was all teeth as he laughed, both from the thrill and the absurdity of Percy's would-be taunts. "As one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, everything I do is for one simple purpose: to see the Tsaritsa's will carried out, by any means necessary."

Not many people were brave—or foolish—enough to stand in a Harbinger's way, especially against the Tsaritsa's own weapon of war. Maybe this kid fancied himself a hero. Maybe he was trying to prove himself. Maybe he just had a death wish and wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.

Childe couldn't care less about why. All that mattered was that he planned to make him regret it.

"Of course, I also have a purpose of my own." His voice darkened, laced with an edge of cruelty that turned it into a growl, "All I want is to fight as many battles and claim as many lives as possible along the way to fulfilling her orders. So you see, the only 'option' for me is whatever course of action will allow me to get my fill." He shrugged a shoulder. "Really, I should be thanking you for being my entertainment for the day."

In another flash of purple light, Electro currents engulfed him and he shot towards Percy in a bolt of lightning. Thunder boomed across the field when he materialized again, swinging his spear down at Percy's head in a vicious strike. "We'll find out together whether you're ready for the consequences!"

@howthesleeplesswander || cont.

Sometimes, Percy wished adrenaline was just a thing you could control. . . . You . . . can’t control that, right? (He was pretty sure you couldn’t. If you could, he’d been doing this wrong for a long time.)

He could tell it, Hey, I need you to stay in this high for another, say, 15 or 20 minutes, got it, buddy? He could order it to continue numbing all the pain so he wouldn’t just keel over, get it to mask the exhaustion starting to cling like quicksand to his limbs, threatening to drag him under. 

Like, We’ll feel like absolute shit later, dude. When we can afford it. For now—

Childe wasn’t giving up anytime soon. Percy couldn’t afford giving up, either.

Adrenaline be damned.

But when those wild eyes flashed up at him and a grin created a crooked crack across that dumb face, Percy thought to himself, No, you know what? We’ve got this. His heart hammered in his ears. A new spike of heat surged like a tidal wave from head to toe. Faintly, he recalled a piercing sting beneath his ribcage . . . hot, wet, painful, but he couldn’t now figure out why he was supposed to care— Later. Later. Deal with that later.

Childe issued a challenge. Percy couldn’t afford refusing.

Adrenaline . . . Welcome back, man.

“To three, huh? You sure you can count that high?” he said in probably the smartest, most self-preserving manner possible—especially considering the harbinger had already begun counting, and already . . . something was changing that was more than just Percy’s attitude. The air pressure felt like it had shifted, a dull ache filling his temples. When he took in a sharp breath, a metallic flavor tingled across his palate; Percy wet his lips, widened his stance, braced himself as dark tendrils began twisting and squirming across his opponent—

Three!

His ears popped. His vision was eclipsed by a blinding flash of violet. He already began to stagger, a hand flying up to block the light much too late . . .

—when a new swift force knocked against his legs, and he flopped to the ground like a fish out of water.

Real nice, Percy. Good one. You really showed him.

He landed hard. But again, adrenaline was extending its stay. As Childe let out a gleeful laugh and issued another threat, Percy was already climbing back to his feet. “I was never a good student,” he said, not something he really remembered, but more just felt. “But you can try.” Which basically just meant Give me your best shot.

Percy snuck a glance over his shoulder, checking the distance to the shoreline and debating how to bring them closer. He’d run the risk of giving Childe an advantage, too, but he knew on dry land he was running out of options—and if he personally had more to work with . . . then maybe he might just pull this off. (Of course, the Electro was a bit concerning, mixed with Hydro and all, but— Look, he’d cross that bridge when he got to it.)

“I don’t know what your deal is, man,” Percy said, already beginning to shuffle a few paces back. He brandished Riptide, met his opponent’s eyes. “But you’ve gotta find more hobbies than just ‘cause problems on purpose.’ Like, there are other things out there. You could, I dunno . . . work at a tea shop or something, settle down. . . . Deal with the real horrors of customer service, since you've got some sort of masochistic thing going on. There are options.”

[freetobeafcknriot]

for the end of the year exchange, here’s my gift to @etherealxen ! i really hope you like it, happy new year!!

Or, three times Adam and Michael take in the world from the edge of the shore and one time they realize they're part of the world, too, at last.

[howthesleeplesswander]

starter for @melodicbreeze || ((Hiya, welcome! (*꧆▽꧆*) Thanks so much for liking my starter call! >w</

Dusk had fallen over Mondstadt. Swirls of violet and gold painted the sky overhead, yet the sight was made even more beautiful by a melody drifting through the streets. Now finished with his daily patrols, the Cavalry Captain followed the gentle tune until he found its green-clad player.

"Ah, I knew I recognized that music." Kaeya grinned as he approached the bard. "Although, I don't recall having heard this song before; the style and beauty of your playing is simply unmistakable. Practicing new material, are we?"

Perhaps finding Venti had been fortuitous—his company never failed to liven up an evening. "I've finished my duties for the day and was just on my way to the Angel's Share for a drink. Would you care to join me?"

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

Thanks for the thoughtful response - I hope it is flagged somehow like you say. I'm just not sure whether that's something we can rely on a cast member raising (I'm not sure how they'd go about doing it nevermind how awkward it is depending on how close they are with showrunners/eps)? And I'm not sure we can count on jcc even seeing it unless it's brought to his attention necessarily. It's hard to ever know if things are seen, particularly as this is a guest star who only had a small role and didn't seem to be followed by many of the cast/crew. On the other hand though, her doing a live will certainly bring more attention to it 🤷‍♀️

I prefer to be optimistic personally, especially since I was already leaning towards Marisol not returning in season seven anyway. And just like in any industry, hell just like in fandom, people talk. Everyone loves to gossip and shit always finds a way to spread. But it could fly under the radar (or might have if she hadn't doubled down with that faux apology and a live). So whomst can say.