#90% of my job is figuring out if something is a rock or not THAT is my area of expertise

[whimsyfinny]

He's a Winchester

Chapter 2

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: It's been a long time since (Y/n) and Dean's paths have crossed. Last time they saw each other it was ‘98 and they were young and living in the moment. Nine years down the Line, their paths cross again, but (Y/n)s longest kept secret is about to become Deans reality.

Slow burn (ish), mom!reader

Warnings: language, mention of toxic parenting/custody battle, angst, alcohol,

Chapter Word Count: 3471

MDNI 18+

A/N: here it is! I’m not gonna lie, this is going to be very slow burn at first, but don’t worry, you know me and you know how much juicy content I write so it’s definitely coming hahaha. I’m also trying to figure out a schedule for posting this, so hopefully I can upload two chapters a week.

A/N2: GUYS IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING but PLEEEEASE provide your age if you want to be added to the taglist and it isn’t in your blog. This story is tame now but it’s gonna get spicy, and my blog is strictly 18+. So pleeeeease save be a very long job and help a gal out. 

Photos from Pinterest

Previous Chapter: Chapter 1

Chapter 2

I reached for the bottle of wine for the third time in the last hour and a half. I was sitting with Kat, pyjamas adorned, in the living room of mine and Levi's modest two bedroom house. For financial (and personal) reasons, our little house didn't follow current trends and looked more like something out of a popular 90s sitcom. The couch was comfy, the blankets were fuzzy, and a fresh pot of coffee was always brewing. Pictures embellished the walls of every milestone Levi had achieved; every birthday party, every new dirt bike, every new hairstyle. There were a few of Kat and I from over the years, going way back to when we first met back in ‘99 and both decided to rock platform heels on at the turn of the millennium - having tiny babies at the time didn't seem to stop us. Every single moment on these walls was a happy memory - something that I would treasure forever, yet there was something missing. There were no photos - or perhaps a scarce few - of my own parents, or of them with Levi, or of any extended family for that matter. The price I paid when I decided to have my son out of wedlock, at barely twenty years old, with a man who my family saw as a total stranger, is a price I'd pay every time in a heartbeat. Kat and Toby were our family now, and that was more than I could ever ask for. That was why the sheer possibility of Levi getting to meet his dad for the first time in, well, ever… it had my mind spinning. It was a scenario I'd dreamt of, late at night when I couldn't sleep and the burdens of life weighed me down. I conjured false memories in my minds eye of the pair of them fixing his bike on the drive or driving to school in the impala. I pictured us having breakfast together as a family and taking trips to the movies. Being together. Because no matter how many dates I went on, or how many frogs I’d kissed over the years, none of them were Levi's father.

None of them were Dean Winchester.

“Girl you have to reach out to him,” Kat walked in from the adjacent kitchen before slumping on the couch next to me, wine glass elevated to reduce spillage.

“Kat I could barely look at him today without feeling like I was going to have a heart attack - how the fuck am I supposed to talk to him?” I glanced at her with wide eyes, every nerve in my body on edge despite the wine and scented candles. Kat sighed. 

“You might never get this opportunity again, and we both know that if you don’t give Levi the opportunity to meet his father then you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.” I held my breath, urging the raging storm in my mind to quiet down before letting the air gush from my lungs.

“Yeah I know. I just…I just never thought that this would actually happen, you know? I never thought that Dean would show up here. I figured Levi would eventually track him down when he was old enough to make that decision on his own. I have no idea how to even approach this.”

“Sure you do!” Kat beamed, a wicked glint in her eye, “you sit him down and say, ‘Hey Dean! Remember when we had sex in the back of that amazing car of yours nine years ago? Well, actions have consequences, and yours in eight years old and sitting in his science class right now.’”

I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face and I cackled when the bit of popcorn I threw landed in her wine glass.

“Bitch.”

I blew her a kiss in response to her insult. It didn’t take long though for the distraction to run its course and for my mind to return to its state of panic.

“But seriously, what am I going to say to him? What if I tell him, and he rejects us too, like my family did?”

Her smile softened.

“From everything that you’ve told me about that man, I highly doubt he’s going to reject you. Sure, he might not stick around permanently, but he sounds like the kind of guy that would stay in touch,” her softened smile turned to a stern stare, “but he’s only going to do that if he knows. He deserves to know he has a son.”

I took a long gulp of my wine. 

“Yeah, I’m going to tell him…” I paused, gnawing my bottom lip as I drew my knees to my chest, “it’s Saturday tomorrow so I’m not at work and Levi has two hours at the track. I can try to do it tomorrow, but I’m not sure if I’ll even be able to track Dean down in that time - I have no idea where he could be.”

“Hey, I’ll pick up Levi from Motocross - it’s been a few days since him and Toby have spent any proper time together anyway, just them two. Tobes’ has been dying to show him those brand new boots of his.”

We shared a smile. That’s the thing about Kat; she always had my back, no matter the situation.

“Thanks babes, I owe you one.”

She shook her head.

“No way - this is me returning the favour from when Toby’s dad decided to show an interest in his own child. I’m pretty sure my kid thought you were adopting him at one point from how much he stayed here,” I laughed, remembering the camp bed I bought especially for Toby, along with all the extra duvet sets and boxes of cereal I’d had to purchase for the best part of half a year.

“He’s a good kid, and honestly he and Levi entertained themselves for most of it.”

There was another pause in the conversation as I recounted how difficult it had been for Kat when David had shown up, insisting on being a part of Tobys life despite zero contact since his son was born. They’d argued over custody, over which school he went to, the clubs he attended. Even his hobbies were on the line, with David wanting him to play football despite Toby already being involved down at the track with the bikes. The stress caused Kat to lose weight and sleep, and she nearly lost her job over it all when she kept falling asleep at her desk. I’d lost count of how many times she’d cried in my arms. Cried over a man who thought that practically owning his son was his God given right despite being an absent father, and I think that is what scared me the most. That I would feel the same wretched things that she felt, and the waves of disappointment that crashed over her time and time again when false promises were made. It took her months to settle on an agreement due to David's behaviour, and Toby finally sees his father, albeit only for one weekend a month. It's better than nothing, but certainly not worth the fight that was fought with blood, sweat and tears. 

I hope from the bottom of my heart that Dean takes the news well, and doesn't leave us in the dust like he does in my worst nightmares.

It had taken me around thirty minutes to track down Dean. Well, to at least find the impala. It's common knowledge that if you find that car, Dean isn't far away. I’d parked my truck two spaces down, and luckily we were within walking distance of my favourite café, Jolenes’. It was my safe space. The place that I would finally tell him about Levi.

I pulled the sleeves of my soft cardigan down over my hands to stop myself from chewing nervously on my nails. Leaving the safety of my truck, I paced over to the black Chevy and stood by it, determined to speak to Dean as soon as possible. I knew that if I had stayed sitting behind my own wheel, there was a huge chance that I'd chicken out and just drive away. As I waited I checked over the car in front of me, admiring how he still kept it spotless after all these years. Unable to stop myself, I let my gaze drift over to the backseat, the events that unfurled on the soft leather racing to mind. I pulled my lip between my teeth, unable to resist the replay of memories.

“You have good taste in cars.”

I practically launched out my skin as the voice came from behind me. I could hear the amusement in his voice from a few feet away. I spun on my heel and our eyes locked, the charming grin slipping slightly from Deans’ lips when he realised it was me. The playfulness in his features quickly softened, a true, genuine smile now gracing his lips.

“Dean…” I suddenly felt breathless, but despite my nerves I returned his smile in kind.

“It's good to see you (Y/n),” he stepped forward and pulled me into his arms, enveloping me in his entirety. I closed my eyes as I hugged him back, wrapping my arms around his neck and taking a deep breath, my brain tingling at his familiar scent.

“You too, Dean. It's been too long.”

After a moment we released each other and Dean stood up straight, smiling at me again with a soft twinkle in his eye. We both flinched slightly when someone cleared their throat and he took a step back. 

“Oh, uh, (Y/n), this is Sam, my younger brother,” he patted the shoulder of the young man standing beside him, and I instantly recognised him from the dessert parlour. He was tall, taller than Dean even, which was one hell of an accomplishment, and his face held a similar boyish charm to Deans. Yet he looked softer around the edges, like he hadn't been hardened by life too much yet.

“It's a pleasure, I'm (Y/n). I've known you're brother for a while,” I smiled as I shook his hand, taking note of the rough calluses beginning to form on his palms. “He used to talk about you all the time, apparently you're the smart one of the family,” with a grin and a quick glance at Dean, I tested the waters with humour. If he laughed or took the blow like a champ, now was a good time to talk to him. Sam chuckled, squeezing my hand slightly in his before letting it go. 

“Ouch… (Y/n), sweetheart, aren't you supposed to be on my side here? Y’know, with our history and all…?” he feigned hurt with a hand on his chest before his lips twitched up and he shot me a wink.

“I mean… she's not wrong,” Sam laughed, dropping his hands lazily into his pockets.

“Hey, I'm just going on what you told me, Dean. Don't hold that against me,” I grinned at them both, unsure of what to do with my hands so I crossed them across my chest.

A small breath of silence passed between us, Deans’ gaze holding mine with an intensity that made me want to look away. I didn't. Sam cleared his throat again, clapping his hand to Deans’ shoulder before taking a step back.

“I'll, uh, give you guys a few minutes,” and with an appreciative nod from Dean, Sam gave us some space. With his younger brother gone, my heart began to flutter in my chest. The time to break the news was getting closer, and my nerves were on edge. On fire.

“So,” he started, taking a step closer with a deep breath, “how's it going? How long has it been?”

“Nine years,” I was almost too hot on the mark, my words coming out faster than I'd intended and Dean blinked slightly. I sighed, looking down. “There's been a lot going on, and honestly, I've really needed you at times. You're a hard man to find Dean Winchester.” 

“I'm sorry, sweetheart,” his brows pinched apologetically and he reached for my hand, tracing my knuckles with his thumb. I took a deep breath and met his gaze again.

“Do you… do you have some time? I need to talk to you. It's important, and if I don't do it now, I don't know if I'll get another chance.” 

He nodded slowly, giving my hand a squeeze, releasing it hesitantly with a slight wince to his features.

“Uh oh,” he said, “am I in trouble?”

I laughed, the sound light off my chest.

“Oh Dean,” I reached up to touch his face, and his instinctive reaction was to lean into my palm, “you don't know the half of it.” 

The walk to the café had been pleasant. We chatted about what we'd been up to since we last met - Dean revealing he was still in the same line of work and had travelled around a lot, never really settling down. There was something about that nugget of information that made my stomach twist in knots. He learnt I was still a receptionist, this time at the local garage  instead of the large dealership I had scored before. He asked why I'd changed, to go to something smaller, lesser, and my silence urged him to wait until we were at our destination. He knew I was anxious, and he did his best to keep conversation light and breezy until the time was right. To an untrained eye he was unphased, yet I could tell from the lip nibbling and flitting gaze that he was nervous too.

Do you think he's already guessed it?

The bell jingled as we walked in, the two baristas looking up and instantly greeting me with a wave and a smile.

“Hey (Y/n)! Your couch is free,” the first barista, a young man around my age with soft blond curls waved to me across the counter, his brilliant grin making me smile with a comforting familiarity. “Your usual?”

“Yes please! Thanks, Jake,” I returned the friendliness, stepping around the tables until we arrived at my favourite spot.

“And for your… date?” He gestured to Dean, who was now shrugging off his leather jacket, “what can I get for you pal?” 

Dean hesitated, before just holding his hands up.

“Uhhh, I don't know, I guess I'll have what she's having.”

With our hot beverages on their way, I sat down in my usual nook in the corner whilst Dean sat down opposite, in that same plush armchair that Kat had sat in yesterday. Where Kat had been swallowed by the chair and its all-consuming cushions, Dean had the opposite effect. He made the chair look small under his broad form, like it was made for a child. There were a few moments of silence, neither of us really knowing where to start. So I bit the bullet.

“Dean… before I tell you anything, just know that I've been trying to get hold of you on and off for years. Your number always seemed to go to voicemail and I never got a call back. So please just… know I tried.” 

I looked up and he was totally engaged, already hanging off every word I said as he leant forward, his elbows on his knees. Our attention pulled away from each other briefly as our coffees arrived, hand delivered by the second barista - a woman a few years older than myself with a jet black pixie cut.

“Thanks Emily, you're an angel,” I grasped the mug before she even had a chance to put it on the table and clutched it in my lap, letting the warmth seep through my palms to help soothe my nerves. 

“No worries babes, you two have fun,” she looked between Dean and me with a playful smirk, throwing me a wink before she turned around. 

Great, the gossip starts now.

I turned back to Dean who was now sitting on the edge of his seat. I took a deep breath.

Do it now.

“Dean, I have a son.”

I watched his face twitch slightly, almost like it dropped in disappointment, however it was so fleeting across his features that it was hard to tell. He pulled a strained smile onto his lips.

“(Y/n) that's great, I'm happy for you,” he looked down at his boots briefly, choosing his next words, “I guess this is you telling me to stay away, huh? Now that you have a family and all. It's ok, I get it.”

I shook my head, placing my cup on the table so I could pull myself to sit on the edge of the couch, almost mirroring Dean.

“No, no Dean, that's not- look, what I'm saying is…” another deep breath, “you, have a son.”

I watched his eyes go wide, unsure if he heard me correctly.

“What?” His voice was breathy.

I looked down into my mug for a second, choosing my words. 

“I have a little boy; he's eight, his name is Levi…and he's yours, Dean. He's your son.”

I dared to look up at him, watching his eyes go wider and his mind empty of thoughts. Either that, or his mind is racing so fast that it's left his body on standby. I gave him a few minutes to process the news. Or at least process it the best he could as it would likely be days or weeks before this fully sunk in. Nervousness prickled at my own skin, my worst fears of rejection bubbling to the surface again at his silence. I sighed.

“It’s ok, Dean, I’m not expecting you to-”

He stood abruptly, stepped over the coffee table and pulled me to my feet, wrapping his strong arms around me in a crushing grip. His arms were so tight that it almost winded me, yet I returned his embrace. The feeling of his lips on the top of my head surprised me as he kissed my hair, the sensation warm and comforting. He placed one, two more kisses before he cupped my face in his large hands, his rough palms gentle against my cheeks as I locked eyes with him. The sight was beautiful. The annoyance and exasperation that I expected to be met with was nowhere to be seen, and I saw no shadow of negativity within those evergreen eyes. All I saw was love. Pride. Joy. Excitement. The relief washing over me felt the same as climbing into your nice, warm comfy bed when on the brink of exhaustion. 

“I’m a dad?” his voice cracked slightly whilst his eyes shimmered.

I nodded as a grin erupted across his face, followed by an airy, almost unbelieving chuckle.

“Holy fuck, (Y/n)-”

“You’re not mad?” my voice was quiet.

“What?” Dean looked at me as though I’d grown a second head, “of course not. Why would I be mad?”

“Because it’s been nine years since we last saw each other, and suddenly this woman who you’ve not spoken to in nearly a decade drops the biggest truth bomb on you. A truth bomb  that I know you definitely weren’t expecting,” I try to step back but he pulls me in for another hug, squeezing the air out of me a second time.

“(Y/n), sweetheart, this is the best bit of news I’ve had in a long, long time.”

I smiled into his chest, freeing my arms to wrap them around his neck and pull him down into a hug of my own. We stood for a moment in our embrace as the coffee shop busied around us. I knew this shop and I knew this town and people would soon start to talk, start to try and figure out Dean: like who is he? How does he know (Y/n)? Why are they acting so familiar? Is he trouble? But that was all unimportant rubbish that I would deal with later. Right now, Levis father was here, and he knew. For the first time in my adult life I felt like I wasn’t keeping some devastating secret from an incredible man, and it was like I could breathe again. 

Pulling away from Deans’ bear hug, I tucked the wisps of hair away that had come loose from my claw grip and grinned up at him, reaching for his hand. I held it in mine as I swayed slightly on the spot, like an excited schoolgirl who’d just been asked on her first date. Dean smiled down at me, the sort of smile that shone on top of the world.

“So…” I started, biting my lip slightly.

“Do you want to meet your son?”

Taglist: @suckitands33 @jackles010378 @megara0224 @libby99hb @roseblue373 @hobby27 @calibootsgirl @lyarr24 @autistic-gothic @wattpaduser200 @spndeanwinchesterlvr @mxtansy @magssteenkamp @redmaro86 @slut-for-evans-stan @spookyysinsanity @localjisung @king-of-milf-lovers @xshortputax @jerksbitch @multifandoms-saidwhat @deans-baby-momma @writersxxx @rox2008 @jeysbae @ladykitana90 @proudbisexual @ladysparkles78 @elenasalvatore1 @bxtchboy69 @saemiau @lilithlunastark @kazsrm67 @chriszgirl92 @riah1606 @impala67rollingthroughtown

[bingbongsupremacy]

Pt. 2

Pairing: Father! Eddie Munson x reader

Warnings: I have never been on a tour bus. I've done a bit of research so I have an idea of what they look like. The bus portions might not be completely accurate, especially since they're supposed to be from the 1980-90's. Sorry if it's not 100% accurate. Also swearing.

Series Summary: Years ago you and Eddie used to be friends. After you graduated, you two fell out of contact. After years of not speaking to each other, Eddie offers you a job you can't resist; be a nanny for his little girl.

Part Summary: It's time to start your new job; nannying for the child of a rock star.

*Not Proof Read*

Tag List: @maskofmirrors @saucypeanuttt @hugdealer

Pt.1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3

******

Was this a good idea?

I stare up at the large bus looming over me. It casts a shadow over my body, leaving me feeling cold.

Can I handle this? I've never been away from Hawkins for longer than a few months. What if something goes wrong? What if I get fired?

" You can come in, ya know. " Eddie's voice startles me.

I look over at the previously empty door frame. Eddie's chest and head peek past the shiny black door frame. His style hasn't changed a bit. Still the same old Eddie.

Or is it?

" I promise we don't bite. " Eddie's voice is playful. It's comforting. Familiar.

" I hope. I'm really not interested in getting rabies anytime soon. " I joke back, trying to shake off the uneasiness. Eddie wouldn't hurt me. Not with his kid on board. Plus, I grew up with the other guys. They might look scary but I could beat their asses if it really came down to it.

Eddie's laugh is exactly the same. Warm and smooth, something that's so easy to listen to and get lost in. Something you want to hear over and over again.

Eddie moves out of the way so I can get onto the bus. " I was worried you got lost. Sorry I couldn't pick you up today. Rose decided it was the perfect day to get get marker on every possible portion of her skin. "

I let out a small laugh at the sight of Eddie's slightly frustrated sigh. " Oh no. "

He cracks a small smile. " Don't worry, I was able to get it all off. She's slightly less green now. I hope it wasn't too stressful getting here. "

As he talks Eddie leads me towards the back of the bus.

This place if fucking huge. I mean, they are global rockstars. Why wouldn't it be?

I had no idea a bus could hold this much stuff. It's basically a mini apartment. Everything looks brand new. The leather couches are glossy and luxurious, something I definitely couldn't afford on my own.

" It wasn't that bad. It's kinda hard to miss a huge bus in the middle of Hawkins. I mean, we don't get much action down here. But you know that, duh. You lived. " I don't know why I feel so awkward. So nervous. It's the new environment, it has to be. I'll get used to it.

We pass a few rows of what I assume are bunks. Clothes are scattered along the floor and partially hanging out of a few of the bunks. This is definitely where Gareth, Doug and Jeff sleep.

" This is the boy's area. " My suspicions confirmed. " Fuck. " Eddie mutters, nearly tripping over a hidden pile of magazines. " I told them to clean this shit up earlier. Obviously they don't listen. " Eddie reaches down and snags one of the partially open magazines off of the ground.

A nearly naked woman holding an open notebook to cover her chest stares back up at him.

" I'm gonna have to talk to him about this. Jeff can't just have this shit lying around in the open when Rosie's on the bus. " Eddie chucks the magazine into one of the bunks, shaking his head in disapproval.

We finally get to the last section of the bus, a separated room. " I just wanted to let you know about a few of the rules I have for Rosie. " He pulls a small slip of paper out of his black ripped jeans. " I didn't know if I should make a list. I've never really had a nanny before. I figured it's better safe than sorry. " His eyes scan over the ripped white sheet in his hands. The back has streaks of green and blue, something I'm guessing is curtesy of Rose.

" I really want to try to get her to bed at 8. 8:30 at most. I've been a bit lax about it the past few days since we're trying to adjust to the whole tour bus thing, but I read that structure's like really important for a kid so I'm trying to do that. As much as I can I mean. It's a little difficult on tour. " He lets out a small tired laugh. The past few days have definitely taken a toll on him.

" I get that. I'll do my best to get her to bed on time. " I reassure him, hoping to take some of the stress off of his plate.

" Thanks. " His eyes meet mine. " That'd really help me out a ton. I'm trying to keep cursing away from Rose. So please no curse words around her. "

" Oh my, Gareth, Doug, and Jeff not swearing? That's a first for sure. " I say in slight disbelief. I never thought I'd see the day.

Eddie chuckles. " It's a struggle. They slip up sometimes. I do too. It's hard not to, but I really don't want Rose to end up being that kid who curses in every sentence in class. At least not until high school. " Eddie hands the small slip of paper to me. " She's not allowed to have any photos taken of her. I understand that's going to be hard with the fuck-sorry, freaking paparazzi, but just maybe try to cover her face or something if they manage to find us or see her. People know what she looks like so if something does manage to get taken, I'm not going to flip out. I just don't feel comfortable with her face being everywhere on anything. "

I nod. " I completely understand. I wouldn't want my kid's pictures out there like that. I'll do what I can. "

" Thanks. Alright, I think that's really it right now. If something comes up I'll let you know. " Eddie opens the door and immediately a small head pokes out from one of the curtains blocking what I'm guessing are the beds. " This is the bunk room where everyone sleeps.

" You! " Rose squeaks, pointing a small finger at me. She jumps out of the bottom bunk she's on before launching herself in our direction. The small bunny from before is still tightly clutched under her arm, this time it's got a plastic pink necklace around it's neck and a bright purple bow squishing the two ears together. " Hi. " She grins up at me.

Faded green lines cover the tops of her hands. She's dressed in a small princess-like outfit, a stark contrast in color to the mostly dark bus.

Like her, her bunk is covered by a princess themed curtain, the only curtain that's a color other than black.

I smile down at the small girl. " Hey, Rose. How are you today? " I ask, bending slightly to meet her eye level.

" Good! I-I have a tea party wif- wif daddy and den we ated cookies! " She exclaims. " Daddy leted (Let) me play wif his gui-guigar (guitar) today too! "

Eddie chuckles, ruffling the wild curls of the little girl. " It's guitar, baby. "

" That's what I said! " She sasses, her face crinkling into an annoyed pout.

Eddie rolls his eyes. " This child. "

" I wonder where she gets that from. " I tease the man.

He places a hand on his heart. " Well, I have no idea. Couldn't be me. It hurt you'd assume I'm the dramatic one. " He pouts dramatically. His pout is nearly identical to the mini him standing inches away from us.

There's no way in hell someone could think they're not related. From the attitude to the hair, the genetics stand strong.

" This is your bunk. It's right above Rosie's. Your shelves are right here. " He pulls out three shelves on the right side of the bunks. " And this is your closet. " He gestures to the taller portion up top. " I'm right across from Rosie and usually the bunk up top is used for storage unless we have an extra guest or something. " Eddie leans back against his bunk. " It's a little tight in here but it's only temporary. We'll be outta here in a day or so and on our way to Texas. "

I pull open the curtain that hides my bed. A small fully made bed sits on the other side. A portable lamp sits neatly tucked in the top corner by a fluffed-out pillow. It's tight but there's still enough room to move around a bit. " Are we flying? " I ask curiously. I assumed that at some point or another, we'd be flying. That's something that's made me a bit anxious. I've never been on a plane before.

" Yeah-Whoa! " Eddie lets out a surprised gasp.

Rose giggles as she clings to her father's tattoo-covered arms. He's upgraded from the small stick n pokes to a few larger pieces. " Daddy I jumpted good. "

Eddie pulls Rose up to his chest, tightly hugging her while playfully swinging her around. " Yah you did kiddo. " He says with amusement in his tone. His gaze returns back to me. " I bought you tickets for all of the flights and rooms at the hotels we're staying at so everything is covered. "

" Thank you. " I smile at the guy.

He's changed. He seems...calmer. Less reckless than the kid I knew years ago. Having Rose' has probably changed that. He's mature now.

" Of course, you're doing me a huge favor. " He gently sets his kid back onto the ground. " By the way, if you need anything, please let me know. I can get it for you. Or let our assistant Gina know. She's got one of my cards too. "

" I feel like I'm getting more out of this than you are. " I say softly. " You're giving me so much. I feel bad for taking all of your money. "

Eddie shakes his head, his curles flying out. " You don't need to feel bad for anything. I promise. You're gonna help me out so much. I was stressing so bad trying to find someone to help with Rose. I was so worried I wouldn't find someone in time. I'm just giving you the resources to help you guys live comfortably. And you're not spending all of my money. I promise you. I wouldn't be doing all of this if I couldn't afford to. " Eddie says honestly.

" Thanks Ed. " I send him a small smile.

A part of me still feels a little bad but the other part is so excited. I've never done anything like this before. I can't wait to see what happens.

" The guys will be back from the gas station anytime soon and then we'll hit the road. It's probably best if you get all of your stuff put away so you're not flying around back here when we take off. " Eddie reaches into Rose' bunk where she's retreated back into. She lets out a loud squeal as she's pulled into the light by her father, her hands gripping tightly onto two small dolls.

" Daddy! "

Eddie chuckles at her frustrated shout. " I'm going to take this one on a walk to get her jitters out so she doesn't destroy the bus while we're on the road. " Eddie tickles Rose' tummy. " Isn't that right, baby? You're full of energy, aren't ya? Aren't ya? " His voice switches into a baby voice as he pulls his face close to his daughters.

She lets out a loud belly laugh. " No! Daddy Stop! " She shouts in between giggles.

Eddie sets Rose on his hip, careful not to bump her into anything. " We'll be back. " He says before leading her back to the enterence of the bus.

I watch as they walk away, a smile on my face.

This is going to be interesting.

[hunterrrs]

There are always plenty of storylines surrounding the Penguins each year at training camp. One that has flown under the radar to those on the outside, but has been discussed inside the locker room, is who’s going to replace Brian Dumoulin as team DJ.

“We’ve been talking about that!” Drew O’Connor said. “It’s a job nobody really wants, because it’s a lot of pressure. It’s a thankless job. Dumo was really good.”

Right now, it sounds like defensemen P.O Joseph and Marcus Pettersson are the top-two candidates for the role that Dumoulin had filled since 2016. The person is responsible for what music comes out of the locker room speakers ahead of practices, morning skates and games to get the group in the right state of mind.

Pettersson found himself in the mix because he’s a good singer, having gotten up in front of the boys to sing karaoke a couple of times.

When fellow Swede Patric Hornqvist was with the Penguins, the guys and their significant others dressed as Abba one Halloween, and did Dancing Queen at the team party. Pettersson then hit the stage solo another time, belting out Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody for the group.

But performing and DJ’ing are two different things, which is why Pettersson thinks Joseph is a better fit.

“He knows what’s hot right now in the music industry, he follows it,” Pettersson said. “I think he’d make a great team DJ. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with the DJ spot. There’s a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure it out. We’ve got to come up with somebody. I’m not throwing myself in there, I’m throwing P.O in there.”

Joseph has the captain’s vote as well, with Sidney Crosby believing he’s the right person for the job. Letang also thinks P.O would do well.

“I'll take it,” Joseph said with a laugh and a sigh. “It's just hard sometimes. I think it's the hardest thing to do around here, to be honest.”

That’s because not only does the team DJ need a variety of songs that cover everybody’s tastes, they also have to read the mood accordingly, like playing something more upbeat if guys are tired or more chill if everyone’s feeling good.

Fortunately, Joseph has said he’s such a mood person for life in general, and that includes music. He also has diverse tastes, learning to enjoy listening to country music when he was playing junior hockey in the Maritimes; loving hip hop, rap, EDM/dance music, and indie folk; and appreciating some of the good rock classics that everybody knows the lyrics to, even if they’re not his preference.

If Joseph does take over, he would ask everyone for their preferences, and go from there.

“I would try to please everyone,” he said. “I feel like there's definitely a different side of music from every guy in the room. Dumo did a pretty good job last year just kind of asking guys what their kind of music was. I heard some 80s and some 90s rock, which is not what I usually play at home. But I guess if you just bring different types of music in the room, people will just start liking it.”

rip my sweet dumo, it’s poj’s dj era now

[bewilderedbunny]

Objection! (Eddie x reader smut) 18+ only!

Author's note and content warnings:

2.6k words of silly smut. minors DNI!

I thought that a meet cute between a court stenographer and defendant would be fun. Please keep in mind that I know nothing about the judicial system and my only point of references are Better Call Saul and Legally Blonde. (I also found out that the dancing inflatable tubeman wasn't invented until the mid-late 90s. Please forgive me for my ignorance.)

Fem!reader along with use of she/her pronouns. No use of Y/N, just honey, ma'am and sweetheart. Mechanic!Eddie (it isn't touched on much in the story but that is his job in this world) slightly sub!Eddie, vigilante!Eddie, Eddie has a little bit of a stocking fetish, Eddie is a thigh man in this fic, mentions of drugs, oral sex (f receiving) unprotected piv sex (don't do that IRL) strangers to lovers.

Credit to @firefly-graphics for the divider ❄️ not tagging anyone since this isn't my usual fluff 💗

It's a gray, snowy morning as you step off the city bus and walk to Hawkins courthouse. You check your watch as you enter the building. The first case of the day is at 8am and you've got 45 minutes to get your coffee and set up your station.

Most days are pretty much the same with your work. Scribing every word spoken during a case, then later editing and finalizing the transcript. Every once in a while you speak when you need someone to repeat themselves or when you are called upon to read a portion of the transcripts. Other than those instances, your job is to turn off your brain and type as fast and accurately as you possibly can. It can be a monotonous, boring job but it works for you.

You hang up your coat, grab a paper cup of coffee and sit at your station as you wait for the first case of the day.

The prosecutor enters, you see it's Leonard Mitchell. He's one of the older DAs and he has a reputation for being stubborn and irritable.

Next to enter the room is the defendant accompanied by his attorney. The defendant is wearing a slightly wrinkled white button-up shirt, black jeans, and boots, and his long brown curls are tied back into a bun. He whispers something to his lawyer as they take a seat.

The defense attorney looks vaguely familiar to you, but you can't place his name. He's in his mid-forties and has the cadence of an overworked and under-resourced public defender.

The bailiff enters the room and announces,

"ALL RISE"

All of you rise as the judge enters the room.

"Court is now in session. The honorable Judge Steward is presiding."

Judge Steward is one of your favorites. She's mastered the art of being patient yet firm and she's always been kind to you. You're scheduled to work beside her all day today.

"Good morning, everyone. Calling the case of the State of Indiana versus Edward Munson. The charge is petty theft. Mr. Munson, how do you plead?"

Eddie pleads not guilty and the proceedings begin.

The prosecutor starts his argument.

"On the evening of November 12th, an air dancer was stolen from Wheels and Deals car dealership. That air dancer was then seen at one of the defendants' rock shows."

Judge Steward interjects, "What is an "air dancer" exactly?"

"Your honor, an air dancer is an inflatable figure that, when attached to a fan, dances and flails around. They are mostly used for advertising, which was what Wheels and Deals Auto purchased this item for until it was stolen by Mr. Munson. The loss of potential profits from losing this item is substantial."

Eddie scoffs and his defense attorney rebuts with,

"They aren't exactly Superbowl commercials. They could bring in what, an extra sale or two?"

"Yes- of a car. Of which the average sale price for this establishment is for one single vehicle is $14,000."

Eddie's eyes go wide, he can't seriously be expected to pay 14 grand for a balloon, right?

The judge asks, "Mr. Mitchell, how much did Wheels & Deals purchase the air dancer for?"

"$149.95."

The arguments continue for a while, once they are finalized, Judge Steward makes her ruling.

"On the charge of petty theft, I find Mr. Munson guilty. He is ordered to pay $20 in restitution and work 12 hours of community service. The court is now adjourned."

As everyone leaves the room, you're approached by Regina, Judge Steward's clerk.

"You're the court reporter today, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"You can go. Judge Steward had something come up so the rest of the cases today are being postponed."

You grab your coat and walk outside. The ground is covered in slushy snow and as you walk down the courthouse steps, you lose your footing and start to slip. Just as you do, a hand reaches out to hold your elbow and steady you.

You look up and see the balloon thief smiling down at you from a step above. Now he's added a hoodie, leather jacket, and a denim vest over his button-up.

"Careful there, sweetheart. You could've fallen and landed on your money makers." He nods to your hands as he says "money makers" which makes you laugh.

"That would have been awful. Thanks, Mr. Munson."

"No problem. Let's make sure you make it the rest of the way in one piece, 'kay?"

He holds onto you the rest of the way down the stairs. Once you're on the sidewalk, he lets go, you miss his touch instantly.

"Thanks again, Mr. Munson. Take care."

"You too, sweetheart."

He gives you a nod before walking to the parking garage. You wait at the bus stop and check the schedule. The next bus isn't due for another 15 minutes. You would normally head back inside to wait but you don't want to risk embarrassing yourself again with the stairs.

You're shivering and breathing into your hands as a beat-up van approaches. Eddie reaches over and rolls down his passenger window to talk to you.

"You're gonna freeze out here, y'know?"

"Oh, I'm fine Mr. Munson. Really, don't worry about it."

"C'mon, let me drive you home."

You take a moment before getting in the van. It smells like cigarettes and some type of woodsy air freshener or cologne.

You buckle your seatbelt and thank him.

"Of course. Can't leave a fair maiden such as yourself to freeze. Where to?"

You smile at him and give him your address.

There's a comfortable silence between the two of you as he drives.

You look over at him and say, "Can I ask you something?" He looks at you from the corner of his eye.

"Why did I steal the air dancer?"

"Why did you steal the air dancer?"

"I didn't, he just came to my show. Can't help it that he has great music taste. Nice guy, actually. Named him Ozzy.

You laugh and he then says,

"That dealership is the worst, scamming people into buying shitty used cars for well over what they're worth. I work at Thacher Tire and we have so many people come in after being scammed by that place. I just had enough."

God, he stole something so stupid for such a sweet reason.

"That makes sense. A little payback for the people."

He looks at you and smiles, a beautiful dimpled smile "Exactly."

"How do you feel about the verdict?"

"Well, I'm still disappointed that my original trial by combat request was denied."

Your laughter fills the van, delighting Eddie as he continues,

"I'm glad I only have to pay $20, wish it was $0 but it's much more ideal than 14k."

"Very true."

"And the community service is fine. I mean, I was doing service for the community by stealing the damn thing in the first place but whatever." You nod in agreement as he continues,

"I'll be honest, one of the reasons I stole Ozzy is that I thought he'd be fun for shows. And for business."

"At the tire shop?"

"No, I deal on the side."

"Deal… cars?"

He laughs, "No, uh, other stuff."

Your eyebrows shoot up to your hairline and scold him,

"Eddie! Don't tell someone you met at the courthouse that you're a drug dealer!"

"Aw, I'm not Mr. Munson anymore? I liked when you called me that." You roll your eyes as he pulls up to your home. You're disappointed the drive was so short.

"I'm mostly just sad that I had to give Ozzy back to those dickheads. He belongs on stage with the real Ozzy, y'know?"

Your heart hurts at his personification of the inflatable man. You place your hand on his arm and say,

"Maybe they sent him to a farm where he can dance to Black Sabbath all day with others just like him."

He looks at your hand and bites his lip as he smiles.

"That's the dream. What, uh, what do you have going on the rest of the day?"

"Well, they sent me home early so I have no plans. I'm all free."

"Yeah? I'm kind of a free man too, in a way. Avoided some serious prison time today."

"Yeah? What are you gonna do with your newly found freedom, Mr. Munson?"

He looks at you for a moment before leaning in to kiss you. It's soft at first, your lips are barely touching as warm breath fans over you. He holds the back of your head with one hand and rubs your thigh with the other as he deepens the kiss. You give a tentative swipe at his lips with your tongue. He opens his mouth and repeats the action to you. You have your hands pressed against his chest as you lick into each other's mouths.

You pull back and invite him to come inside, he smiles a big toothy grin before jumping out of the van and sprinting (and sliding) to the passenger side to open your door. You giggle at him, he holds your waist as you walk up to your front door. You hesitate before opening it, realizing you should make sure he isn't some notorious drug kingpin.

"What do you deal?"

"Just weed. Sometimes other stuff but it's usually just weed."

"Other stuff? Like what?" Once the door is unlocked take off your shoes and he follows suit.

"Well, it's rare that anyone wants it, but every once in a while I sell ketamine."

"The horse tranquilizer?"

"What's a girl like you know about special k?" He asks.

You chuckle, "A girl like me spent 60 hours last week transcribing in drug court. Probably recording some of your clients, now that I think about it."

You lead him to your bedroom. Once you're inside, he slips off your coat and cardigan, then begins unbuttoning your shirt.

"Well with customer confidentiality I couldn't possibly say." He removes your shirt once it's unbuttoned and leans down to plant kisses along your breasts. You moan and tug at the many layers covering his torso, he takes the hint and removes them.

"Of course. You're a professional, after all." You kiss his neck and trace the tattoos that decorate his chest with your fingers.

"But, the next time one of my customers gets picked up, I may have to show up to their arraignment if it means I get to see you again."

You laugh and lay back on your bed before replying, "You think that would be good for their case? Their dealer showing up with a stolen air dancer?"

He climbs on top of you, a couple of loose curls hang by your face as he leans in.

"Who knows? I may just woo you into accidentally writing the transcript as not guilty."

You roll your eyes and kiss him.

He runs his hand up your stocking-covered leg. Once he reaches the top of your thigh where the fabric ends, he lets out a groan.

"Fuck, these don't go all the way up? You're killing me here. Let's get this skirt out of the way so I can get a better look."

He unzips your skirt and rolls it down your legs. Once it reaches your ankles, he stops and rests his head against your calf.

"Honey, you are something else." He kisses his way along your leg. He looks into your eyes as he lightly bites the fabric of your stockings and pulls. Your thighs go to close on instinct but he pulls them apart.

"Y-you tear those and you're buying me another pair."

"That's fine. Got a deal set up later today with Arod for some Ket."

"Who?"

"Arod? Legolas' horse in Lord of the Rings? He- y'know nevermind. It's not important right now. I'll tell you after."

You laugh at him and he returns his focus to kissing up your thigh. He lays smooches and licks in the area where your mound and thigh meet.

Your hips buck, he holds them down and says, "Woah, down girl."

"You're ridicu-"

He cuts you off by pressing his mouth to your clothed pussy.

You gasp and hold onto his hair.

He pulls back to slide off your panties and says, "Keep talking, sweetheart. Tell me how ridiculous I am while I lick you out." your face heats up as he uses his pointer and middle finger to spread your lips, inspecting you.

"Fuck. Isn't she pretty?"

He spits directly on your clit which makes you squirm. He licks a flat stripe up your folds before eagerly lapping at your clit. It sends little shocks through your whole body. His big hands keep your thighs spread as he devours you.

The slick, wet sounds combined with both of your moans is, quite frankly, obscene.

He moves down to your entrance and gives it a few licks before shoving his tongue in as far as it will go. You gasp and shudder as he presses in and out, fucking you with his tongue. He switches from keeping your thighs spread to squeezing them against his head. You're a bit worried about hurting him, but he's having the time of his life.

The vibration from the little pleasured noises he is making, the feeling of his tongue inside you, and his nose nudging against your clit has you nearly sobbing.

You feel his eyes bore into you and when you finally give in and look down at him, he's a mess. Red cheeks, ruffled hair, and a twinkle in his eyes as he watches you come undone.

He shakes his head back and forth desperately for a moment before moving up to focus on your clit. Having his pretty pink lips eagerly suck at your oversensitive clit is almost painful. As you feel the pressure in your belly build, you tug on his hair and whisper that you're close. He continues sucking, working for your orgasm like it's a prize to be won.

When your release hits, you're seeing stars. He doesn't stop sucking and lapping until you push him away, twitching and teary-eyed. He moves up your body and kisses you. He's more gentle with your mouth than he was with your cunt and the taste of him mixed with your own slick is mouthwatering.

You reach down and fumble with his belt. You tug down his pants and boxers just enough for his cock to spring out. It's a bit longer than average and thick with a reddened, leaky tip. You stroke it softly as he kisses your neck.

"Gotta be inside of you, honey. Please?" He practically whimpers.

"Mhmm, put in me."

You feel him smile against you before saying,

"Yes ma'am. Here, let me help." Reaching down, he covers your hand that's holding his cock with his own and guides your hands up and down your folds before prodding at your entrance.

He enters you slowly, inch by inch, until he's buried all the way in.

"Jesus Christ, I'm not gonna last long. She's squeezin' me so tight. I nearly creamed my pants from eating you out."

"It's okay, Eddie. Take your time."

He holds still for a moment before grinding into you. You moan and hold onto his shoulders. Once he has control over himself, he finds a rhythm. The patch of curly hair surrounding his cock tickles your clit with every thrust. He reaches down to grip your thighs as he fucks you. He lasts for a few moments before pulling back to look at you with a pained expression on his face.

"You okay?"

"Fuck, I'm so close. Where c-can I cum?"

"Wh-where do you want to cum?"

"Your thighs, fuck. Want to cum on your thighs so bad."

"Please, paint my stockings, Mr. Munson."

Your words send him over the edge, he curses and pulls out, covering your stocking and skin with his release. He lays down beside you and pulls you to his chest. You listen to his heartbeat while he takes a moment to catch his breath. Once he does, he says,

"So, as I was saying, Arod is Legolas' horse and-"

[skye-huntress]

I’m in Love with the Villainess Reaction

Episode 6

I’m like 90% sure there are more Knights than those 8 people, but I guess no one else bothers to show up to the meetings.

In the novels, the crossdressing maid cafe was entirely Rod’s idea, but anime seems to be going closer to the manga route. I prefer it this way though

I like how all the girls voted yes for similar reasons.

It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment, but you can see the Bauer siblings in their maid outfits in the OP.

Yeah, Lambert’s kind of a big deal, so I still find it funny that the First Prince simply referred to him as “the other guy” and “the Vice Captain” in the last episode, like he didn’t know who he was.

Claire’s fear of ghosts and the like is also adorable. And she was so confident a moment ago.

Remember Miss Claire, this is a job you volunteered for.

Now we start to see one of Rae’s most appreciated talents. If it wasn’t for all the teasing she had done previously, Claire might have asked for her hand then and there.

So when Lambert first mentioned about the school being haunted, you can tell Rae was initially confused, but once she heard the details, she immediately knew it was mostly her fault.

I wonder if Rae is getting enough sleep with all of her late night kitchen experiments.

Okay, that’s a nice touch having Misha teaching Ralaire how to play Rock, Paper, Scissors and that’s why she’s been mimicking a hand so much lately.

Oh no, we’re doing that flashback.

I sympathise with Claire here. The whole situation was just so unfair.

Of course, Rae knows about that whole tragedy. There’s more to the story, of course. Even with the new novels from Claire’s perspective, we’re learning new details about it that just make the whole thing so much worse.

Given the dream she was having, I bet Claire was the one who grabbed Rae’s hand in her sleep.

Classic isekai trope right there. Rae certainly didn’t choose to be Claire’s maid for the salary, so if Rae needed a lot of money, she’d have to acquire it through other means.

Ah yes, Claire and Ralaire are both gluttons for Rae’s cooking and baking.

Insurance in case “something happens” which coming from Rae and her knowledge of future events yet to come, means the time will come when Lene needs those recipes. Claire might be Rae’s priority, but it’s nice to see her looking out for other people who need it.

First time we see Rae’s healing magic at work. Of course, Rae made sure to figure out how to do healing, in case Claire ever got hurt. On that thought, I’m reasonably confident that the real purpose behind developing her tungsten carbide barrier was also so she can better protect Claire from any threats.

Oof, that foreshadowing.

I see Rae’s ED song has entered a second phase. I’ve listened to the songs so many times by now that I can just tell, even though I can’t understand a single word.

The Foundation Fair is next episode, and that’s going to be a treat to watch for so many reasons. This is going to be a long week.

On a final note, check out the tags below. I found the second by chance and was really scratching my head trying to figure out the difference.

[rimouskis]

get to know me game (as tagged by @yippayappa [thank you!])

do you make your bed?

Every morning! It's one of those chores that once I got in the habit, I now cannot NOT make my bed. It's an essential part of the morning for me! Also perhaps I'm kind of a control freak about my space and having an unmade bed would drive me batty.

what's your job?

WELL I'm about to start a new job ahaha so my job is: new :) but honestly I've had a mildly interesting and unorthodox career path, and I've worked in kind of a lot of "industries" for someone my age. There have been some weird vaults that look peculiar on my resume until I explain them. Jack of all trades, master of none, perhaps?

if you could go back to school, would you?

If it was free? Sure! Yes! I think...

can you parallel park?

I mean, yes. Can I parallel park WELL? that... is up for debate.

do you think aliens are real?

Statistically speaking I think it would be very, very unlikely no other life exists in the universe. Of course that life could be, like, amoebas jiggling around on a rock somewhere. I don't really buy into the idea that intergalactic space travel has been conducted by an advanced alien species, but I think life of some sort MUST exist out there!

can you drive a manual car?

No. My dad tried to teach me with his old Honda accord and I gave up after a single lesson lol

guilty pleasure?

You're scrolling it, baby!

tattoos?

No because I'm a sensitive baby with commitment issues :)

favorite color?

green 4 eva, baby!

favorite type of music?

I recently impressed a new friend with my varied taste in music 😌 I literally listen to bits and pieces of everything. Top 40 pop, rap, hip hop, rock, country, classical, hyperpop, metal, folk, alt/indie, electronic, synth-pop, tons of 90s rock (thanks dad)........ I like a LOT of stuff. There is so much good music in the world!

I've been really enjoying the new charli xcx album. However, I think my heart belongs to rock. I know I've hawked this artist a lot in the last year, but in my defense I've seen him twice in the last six months and he's a hell of a performer. So go listen to Des Rocs:)

do you like puzzles?

Depends. Can I solve them? Then I like them. Are they notoriously difficult and annoying and I can't figure them out? Then I cast them into the depths hahaha

any phobias?

Dead bodies. Can't be near them. Every funeral I've been to has been a careful act of avoiding the casket. It's like... the only bone-deep "my body literally will not allow me to get closer" fear I have.

favorite childhood sport?

I was a softball girlie for the longest, but I also enjoyed dance a ton while I did it!!! I played soccer, tennis, volleyball, and gymnastics when I was younger though, haha. My parents just threw us at the local rec center all summer long.

do you talk to yourself?

Rarely. Usually only when I do something stupid and I just say my own name in an appalled tone, haha

tea or coffee?

neither:) one tastes like bitter beans and the other tastes like bitter leaves

first thing you wanted to be be when growing up?

I think a spy 😂 I was SO into the Alex Rider novels as a kid.

what movies do you adore?

The Princess Bride, Twilight, Robots (2005), and Top Gun: Maverick are some of my favorites!

Tagging @horkey @ticklefighthockey @yabagofmilfs @timbitshockey @goofingup @simmyfrobby @icedbatik @idontlikeem and... whoever else would like to partake!

[russburlingame]

Meet Your Heroes, Kids.

I have always thought “never meet your heroes” was a terrible piece of advice. In my life and career, I have been lucky enough to meet a number of people whose work I greatly admire. I have only had really bad experiences once or twice, versus dozens of great experiences on the other side (and even a few lifelong friendships). Yesterday, my daughter was lucky enough to have a similar experience.

I had a day off yesterday, so Cali and I decided to surprise Samantha with a day trip to New Jersey to meet StacyPlays, an author and entertainer who Sammy calls her “favorite YouTuber.” Of all the (many) people Sammy follows on YouTube, Stacy has always been one of my favorites, too. She’s smart, creative, and makes art that brings something positive into the world. None of those things are necessarily de rigueur on social platforms.

Stacy has a new book out (I actually talked to her about it for my day job, in an article that should be up tomorrow!), and she’s doing a signing tour. When we saw there was an appearance less than 4 hours from Syracuse, we decided to make it happen for Sammy.

Sammy struggled in the run-up to the trip. She was very excited to meet Stacy, but also very nervous about the prospect of meeting her hero. I shared a story with her about the first time something like that happened to me, and how I was nervous, too. Sammy also gets car sick easily, so she was on edge more or less the entire trip about that.

We left very early, hoping to spend a little time in Paramus, because we didn’t want to be at the end of the line for StacyPlays. That was lucky, because about halfway there, our car died. Totally unexpected, not something we were prepared for, and Sammy was despondent. She was scared, and cold, and convinced that we were going to miss meeting Stacy.

I’ll spare the details – there are many. But the short version is, everything that could go right, did go right. A tow truck literally happened to be driving behind us when we pulled over. We got the last rental car reservation in the county. After about 90 minutes, we were back on the road.

Getting to the point of all this – StacyPlays is an absolute treasure of a human being.

When the signing happened, we were the second people in line (I told you we left early!). Stacy quickly read Sammy’s nervousness, and was working VERY hard to bring Sammy out of her shell. She was kind, attentive, and repeatedly tried to engage Sammy even though Sam was obviously feeling very intimidated.

We took some photos, and the first one is really emblematic of the moment, with Stacy smiling up at Sammy from her seat. I’m not sharing it, because nobody was posed yet, and so it isn’t the most flattering photo of Stacy – but it’s my favorite, because not only is Sammy beaming, but Stacy is radiating the same level of enthusiasm. She looks like she genuinely cares about this kid she just met, and she’s really happy to be taking a photo. It’s an incredibly kind and empathetic moment that I clocked in real time and captured (kind of) on camera.

After feeling nauseous most of the day, and being really stressed and scared when the car died and we were trapped two hours from home, Sammy told me last night that she had a good day, and that she was really glad she got to meet Stacy. Cali and I were struck by how incredibly lucky we got in a number of ways, and how great everyone was. I’m praising Stacy here because she’s a public figure and was incredible, but B&N manager Laura was also a rock star. A very long, very stressful day was made worth it by simple acts of kindness, including by Stacy.

I’ve gone to dozens of comic conventions, signings, and other events like this over the years. Most professionals are friendly and happy to spend a few minutes with you. The people who want to genuinely and empathetically engage are a lot more rare, and I think it’s worth celebrating them – especially when their audience is made up primarily of kids.

So, in short, meet your heroes, kids. And buy Stacy’s book if it sounds like your kind of thing. She deserves the love.

[woltourney]

ROUND 3 / SIDE B / POLL 4

Naru (@blucifer08) v. Vastha Mhakaracca (@incense-and-iron / @wanderer-of-light)

Naru:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Naru, she/her

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Xaela

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Reaper

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. N/A

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Naru became a hero in search of a missing piece of herself! She never felt satisfied in her home of the Steppe. She was an orphan, and although she had an adopted family, she sought out more from beyond the Steppe. She enjoys helping, but I don't think she likes the word 'hero.' In her free time she paints environmental paintings, tries out her bartender friend's drink combinations, and sunbathing :)

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. "Ah… I'm not too sure. I suppose I'll win if fate chooses me. I'll accept failure, no matter how bitter… Though I don't see it as likely."

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. In my canon, she got fully turned into a sin eater and she uses light instead of void powers as a reaper :)

Vastha Mhakaracca:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Vastha Mhakaracca [He/They]

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Miqote - Keeper of the Moon

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Main classes: Dragoon, Dark Knight, Monk, Reaper, Dancer

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. N/A

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. I'm a happy guy! Like to entertain my friends and put a smile on other people's faces. I ended up becoming a hero after following (partly) in my mother's footsteps-- she was a lancer and gave me her old lance when I wanted to leave home to adventure. It kind of broke ages ago… but I still have it! So she shouldn't be too mad about it. Hopefully, heh. Uh, anyway, I enjoy dancing and have tons of experience in managing and entertaining people since my family runs a small inn on the side of some nameless road. As for liking being a hero… it's complicated; as much as I really wish it wasn't that way. It use to be so easy and fun. Simple, even. There was still danger of course, but… I dunno. Fighting five giant ladybugs doesn't really match up in danger levels as the types of things I've been up too as of late [[<-- post EW content]]. Not to mention all the worst parts of having so much on your shoulders, things I really don't want to get into for such a fun event. B-But, don't take it as if I don't want to be a hero!! I can do it, so I want to do it. And it's not a 'If I don't do it, no one will', either. I think there are people who definitely could and would. People who have pulled way more weight through all this than I have. Even so, with all the pain and trouble I've been though, it's worth it at the end of the day. Knowing that I've helped so many people, that I have the power to keep the worst at bay, that I can make a change in the world and have that change try and be something good and positive and kind: that's what makes me like such a dangerous and oftentimes thankless job. Free time? Well, there's: dancing, cooking [[Culinarian is at level 90]], tending to my new island hangout, I've been doing LOTS of sightseeing-- Oh! I LOVE taking pictures and doing photography. Mostly of landscapes, they're just easier for me to work with than people; not to say I don't snap pictures of my friends now and again. What else… Oh! I've been taking up other crafting jobs as well since I have the spare time. It gives me something to keep my hands busy and lets me go out and collect more plants and rocks. I always liked going out to collect random stuff, but some of my older sisters, who I ended up bullied into hiring on as retainers so they could keep tabs on me away from home, got tired of me dumping popotos and iron ingots onto them to figure out how to sell en mass every week. I saw nothing wrong with it, but it really just must be me. Hmm… A lot more stuff about me is kind of personal. While I'm a rather open guy and like to chat, there's even some stuff I don't like talking about too casually or with strangers, sorry! Maybe we can be friends? I'm always open to new friends! Let's talk more sometime, okay?

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. Why should I win? Oh man, I just think it'd be neat! "Vastha Mhakaracca, winner of the…" uh, what was this called again? Oh, right! "winner of the WoLTourney 2023!" Could even put that on my little adventure card thingy just for fun.

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. Some other facts about Vastha he didn't get to cover himself: Transmasc [he/they] and gay (despite all the handsome bachelors in game, he hasn't fallen for more past a short lived crush or two.) He has 4 older sisters, making him the youngest in the family He use to be more meek and shy, which turned to 'all talk no bite', which turned out to now where he's more mellow and friendly but will not hesitate to throw hands if someone starts something He actually likes to do fetch quests because it lets him explore local areas to take more pictures Vastha comes off as a bit of a dunce and a ~stoopid widdle catboi~ to people because he likes to have fun and goof around like he use too (before all the horrors (tm) of being an adventurer). He notices, but doesn't comment on it. He'd rather people keep thinking it and underestimate him so he can prove them wrong through action. And with so much life experience now, he really doesn't care what others think of him anymore; he knows himself and that's all he can control in life. Despite being so giddy and friendly, the man does have some things he dislikes a normal degree, and other things (and people) he hates with the rage of a thousand suns-- which upon mention of will immediately switch his mood to more sour and serious. It's rare to stumble across such topics, thankfully.

[nuklearis-sutotok]

Answering all of these because @anonymous-badger-238 did.

Here’s some questions to ask:

If you could change your height, would you? And be able to reach something? That would be awesome.

What’s something that happened years ago that you’re still mad about? I made a very ignorant mistake and outside forces did not give me the chance to rectify it.

What was your favourite musician/band when you were ten? My brain does not process time this way... I don't know. I have long had an affinity for The Highwaymen. Willie has always been my favourite and the first artist I recall hearing.

Do you like sparkling water? Most of it tastes burnt to me. Some brands I have tried are tolerable. Maybe I am trying the wrong ones.

What’s the last album you listened to? I tend to listen more to individual songs or playlists... Dad has a High Kings album in the car atm, so I suppose that one.

Do you wear flip flops? I wear sandals indoors, but no, flip flops hurt.

What time do you usually wake up in the morning? This varies greatly and can range from not sleeping, the crack of dawn, 6, or 8ish.

If you could choose one language to instantly be fluent in, which one would you pick? I am currently working on it, but, Hungarian.

How long have you had your tumblr blog? Not this one specifically, but I joined in 2013.

What was your dream job as a child and is it anything like your current job? I was torn between music teacher, librarian, physics teacher, and comic artist... Currently I am looking to go back to become the third, I have been the second and done some of the first, have a degree of sorts in the last.

Did you usually have a cafeteria lunch or a packed lunch in school? I was home schooled for the most part, but usually packed a lunch whe. Sometimes I had cafeteria food... If it was food. This was in the 90's, nothing was certain.

Do you pop your pimples? Because of a tissue disorder my skin is unusually clear, but I tear at it. That is not as messed up as it sounds I swear.

If you could choose one celebrity/public figure to erase from history, who would it be? I assume this could have a potential nasty domino effect. You may erase some bad things, sure, but how much good do you erase as well? It is not, thankfully, for me to decide in any capacity.

How old were you when you first used youtube? Idk... When did youtube come out? I was there for that. So 10, I guess.

What was your first ever anime? That is hard to remember as well, it could have been Pokemon, DBZ, or Sailor Moon.

Were you more into disney channel, nickelodeon, cartoon network, or pbs kids as a child? Cartoon network and pbs. Mostly cartoon network.

If you could redo one year of high school, would you? And if so, which one? I didn't go to high school. I got a GED and went to college, so I guess none of them. There would be no point.

If you could make one fictional character real, who would it be? Myself. I'm kidding. I have no idea.

What video game have you put the most time into? Heck, that one is hard to decide... Could be something from the Final Fantasy series, could be one of the Suikoden games, could be a handful of others.

Do you like doing jigsaw puzzles? Yes but pattern recognition makes me feel like I am somehow cheating.

What’s your favourite dog breed? Wolves, huskies, big fluffy borfs but I like them all.

Do you prefer scented or unscented lotion? I like scented, but am picky about the scent. I like forest scents, amber, musky scents, cherry.

Were/are you a theater kid? If so, what’s your favourite play or musical? I was a media services professional, so yes, a lead stagehand. Probably the 1940's Radio Hour.

Do you collect anything unusual? Define "unusual." I collect books, sheet music, knives, wolves, foxes, Manhattan Project related things, art supplies, rocks, and whatever interests me... I suppose none of that is too unusual.

What’s your ideal weather and/or temperature? 68 degrees if we're just sort of there... But I like rain, storms, fall, and winter.

Would you rather take three five year olds or one fifteen year old in a fight? ... Why are we fighting children?

How long did you live at your last address? I have no idea, I have moved many times.

What’s your favourite sandwich? Ice cream ones.

Have you ever had surgery? Dental.

What’s your least favourite pokemon? Idk, I would have to think for awhile on that.

Do you have any accessories that you wear every day? What counts as accessories? No. I have some I wear often... A watch, a forint on a necklace...

Do you have plushies on your bed? Yes, a handful of them. A couple of stuffed goats, a couple of stuffed hedgehogs, a dinosaur, and a couple of foxes.

What’s your favourite lady gaga song? I don't know if I have a favourite but I do like her.

Do you prefer to make your own playlists or listen to ones that others have made? Depends. Typically I make my own but sometimes I listen to others.

Were/are you ever able to find souvenirs with your name on them? I think I found one once, but I don't remember what it was and I was shocked to find it. I believe it was at a store on the local reservation.

Do you own a bike? If so, how often do you ride it? I used to, not now, no. I used to love riding. I don't know if I still could or not.

Do you prefer iced coffee or iced tea? Allergic to tea... Probably like coffee a little too much.

What’s your favourite big cat species? All of them. Floofs.

When was/is your golden birthday? I was 4.

Have you ever run a stoplight while driving? If so, was it an accident or on purpose? I don't drive.

What family member, immediate or otherwise, do you get along with the best? Living or...? Living, one of my sisters, dead, my great uncle understood me fairly well. My grandparents.

How many times have you cried in the last week? I don't keep track.

Do you prefer barbie dolls or bratz dolls? Action figures.

How many shirts do you own in your favourite colour? One is close... My second favourite colour? Most of my closet is black.

Do you currently live in the state/province you were born in? Yes.

Would you rather have bird wings or bat wings? Bird.

Are you good at swimming? I sink like a rock. So many people have tried to teach me, I know how, I just can't. I don't even float. It's just straight down.

If you could pick one craft to instantly be good at, which one would it be? My first thought is blacksmithing, Idk. That is probably not what I would choose in reality but at the moment it sounds good.

Do you know how to play any trading card games (pokemon, yugioh, magic the gathering, etc)? Several, yes. Pokemon, Yugioh, Magic, DBZ, Digimon... I collected a lot of cards for awhile, I don't anymore. I wouldn't mind collecting again in the future.

How long was your shortest relationship? That is a difficult and complicated question to answer. Pass.

[sophieswundergarten]

Because apparently I like angst, I was thinking about the various iterations of "Kate gets adopted by Curtain" AUs, and my brain went to...

The TPJ Cave Scene

Because, I imagine that in this version of events, Kate really was on the Society's side. She wanted to join them, and she tried her best to help them at the Institute, but when push came to shove she couldn't leave SQ.

(SQ knew a little bit about the whole situation, but he has, like, negative ten self-confidence, so he's caught in the middle of his headstrong sister and control freak dad, and he's pretty sure that Kate and the others must just be misguided, but it's his job as the big brother to protect Kate, so he doesn't tell Curtain a single thing)

So she went with Curtain and kept quiet about her mutinous thoughts. Sure, she still snarked at him and pulled him into arguments about his paranoia or his treatment of SQ, but that was nothing really out of the ordinary. She sent a few letters, far too vague and far apart for the Society's comfort, with no return address and no details beyond "We're safe. I'm so sorry."

So they end up on the island in hiding and Kate is doing her best not to rock the boat, but still begging SQ to trust her and leave Curtain before something worse happens.

Meanwhile, the Society is losing their entire minds because immediately after Kate apologized and slipped away to check on SQ, Milligan shows up. And he's regained his memories.

Anyways, instead of a scavenger hunt they're just actively searching for Curtain/Kate the whole time, and when eventually they figure out he's probably looking for duskwort, Mr. B and Number Two have been doing field research while the others stay at home and research that way. But cue Mr. B and Number Two going missing, and that whole crisis, and the kids go off on their own.

Because they were actually involved in the search this time, they get to where they're going much quicker. They still get to meet Noland/Cannonball/Sophie because I love them and they need to be included, but at last they get to the island!

There they find Kate hanging out in the forest/abandoned village because she got mad and ran off and Curtain let her because A) Where's she going to go? It's an island, and B) He's spiraling down the paranoia hole at this point and can barely pay attention to anything.

The Society is super excited to see Kate, and assure her that they understand her not wanting to abandon her family, and she fills them in on all the details. Number Two still escaped, and is... somewhere. They're trying to come up with a plan when Milligan shows up!!

The kids all look at him and Kate uncomfortably, and he announces loudly and forcefully that they will be focussing on one problem at a time, and right now they need to deal with getting everyone off the island safely.

So, they formulate a plan, and then the Ten Men or Grays or whatever show up and think they're trying to kidnap Kate :)

Milligan fight scene, and the kids get to the cave

The Society gets captured, and Kate gets in serious trouble. She has a fight with Curtain where he yells at her a lot and tries all his nasty manipulation tricks like telling her her real dad didn't love her and how great he is for adopting her, and then goes somewhere else to Plot.

SQ tries to comfort her, and the kids take this moment to try and convince him how awful Curtain is. SQ is too scared and uncertain, though, and while he's definitely not going to hurt the kids or tell on them, he isn't about to give up the only protection he and Kate have ever known.

Mr. Benedict has to do his hypnotism trick, but Kate doubles back after a minute and arrives just in time to see Curtain going berserk, just so angey at poor SQ for messing up. Kate hides until Curtain storms out again and rescues SQ, who is so miserable at this point (And after being confronted that 90% of what made his life bearable was Kate, and thinking she had finally gone because he made too big a mistake) that he agrees to go with them.

Aaaaand then they find Milligan and get back to the Shortcut (Where Number Two is) and SQ does his best to help in whatever way he can and sticks right to Kate's side the whole time, and then they get to head back home!!

At this point it's basically a backwards version of the lovely @sqenthusiast's post here, but I will never get over the Cave Scene, so here's what came out of it this time :)

[ly0nstea]

My thoughts on the final special, skip to the end if you just want the review and not my hilarious commentary as i watched

The ringing in armins ears was a very nice touch

Armoured titan continues to do all the heavy lifting

Uh ohhhh

Adding scenes with onyankopon at the fort was nice

Getting to see more of the nine was really nice

Pieck solos fr

Pieck getting got by the tybur warhammer and reiner by porco and marcel is kinda hilarious

Connie solos frrr

MIKASA JUST FUCKING RAPID FIRE 3 THUNDERSPEARS WTF

Dude ymir HATES reiner bringing up his whole past

WHAT REINER DOESNT GET EATEN IN THE MANGA WHAT THE FUCK

Nvm he does i just checked i forgot

HOW IS REINER SO FUCKING INVINCIBLE

Jean forgiving reiner L take jean

SNAKE TITAN

BOOOOO GABI THROW HER OFF

Why is falcos titan green

LETS GOO ANNIE

"Where's Arm- i mean, Pieck" ARUANI ARE SO WINNINGGGGGG

Booooo dont kill eren let him win

The eldians should kill all the marleyans fuck them shoot their asses

THEY HAVE LIGHTNING AND FUCKING BOWS AND ARROWS?????

AND FUCKING SWORDA???? AND AXES

Pieck solos again

PIECK KEEPS SOLOING

Jean does not solo bro please

Mikasa not being able to fuckung speak lmaooo

Fucking gabi tryna shoot the titans dumbass tell her ass levi

Cringe Levi L take stomp them all out he doesnt regret his choice bcuz hr knows erwin wpuldve done the based thing and wiped out humanity outside the walls

Slingshot mikasa we stan

Oopsie

Annie doing parkour off the spine of the titan shes the real mvp

Armin having an out of body experience

Damn armin hates himself, based tbh hes a lil bitch

Fucl yea all thosw bitches and the giraffes getting trampled

YO COLLOSSALS ON THE LAVA THATS SO SICK

Millenia of history getting wiped out only paradis deserves to stand 💪💪💪💪

Zeke building his lil castle

Ey its the explanation

"Being alive means dying eventually" zeke youre not smart please stfu

Baby eren ❤️

Zeke and armin talking about the same thing but seeing entirely different things might genuinely be my favourite image in the entire series holy shit

AND SCYTHES

Bertie boys fighring for the love of his life bros so cucked

Ymir saving reiners life bros so cucked

Fucking gabi and her stupid rifle hate that bitch

Aruani stays winning

Krugers so cool bro

Why does zeke love being naked so much

Zekes always fucking up erens shit man

Cucktoldt is back

Zeke getting to reconcile with grisha was nice

Levi gettjng the fucking brawl sound affect for killimg zeke lmaook

Booooo why didnt the baby get thrown

Imagine being the last guy to fall off that cliff thatd suck ass

Jean finally did something

Reiner continues to fucking carry the entire plan by himself

If only armin used his nuke on more civilians </3 him getting held up was sick asf tho

Gabi got to live and her parents booooo kill them all

LET REINER FUCKING DIE HOLY SHIT

LETS GO ERENS ALIVE ABSOLUTE LEGEND

Boooo the eldians and marleyans are working together L bozos kill the marleyans every man woman and child

How did connie figure that out

Honestly id accepy jean and connie dying if it meant gabis bloodline being ended right now

That was such a nice send off for connie and jean im kine of mad its a fake out tbh

REINER CARRYING ONCE AGAIN

Mikasa stop getting fucking headaches and do your job holy shit

Uh oh cabin time

The why are you crying symmetry oo

Cabin erens a lil bitch

HES SO TALL

ROCK HIS SHIT EREN

Mikasas cut looks so good in this

HE TURNED ARMINS FACE TO RUBBLEEEE

Mikasas such a traitor

WHYD SHE CUT HIS HAIR

Mikasas a necrophiliac and ymirs a voyeur

Child armin looks so mich like a girl in mappas style

Whys he tryna make mikasa the mc in the last chapter 🤡🤡🤡

Eren killed his own mom what a madlad

Get rocked eren

Whys armins face like rhat

Its the "worst manga panel of all time"

A sea of blood thats beautiful

80% not enough it shouldve been 90% with only the 10% on paradis left

"Im sure the hell we went through has happened over and over" i actually dont think this has happened before armin

Gross hes holding hair and teeth

"It was at out feet but you were always looking at the distance" is a very nice allegory for freedom and drive

0/10 armin didnt kiss him as well

Still mad we dont get to see anyone elses converstions with eren, especially floch

Pieck is so unserious

MICHE AND PETRA ON SCREEN LETS GO 10/10 FINALE

gabi on screen 0/10 finale

"Give him a proper burial" his is ass does NOT deserve that

"Prove it" cant prove a negative dumbass this is why marley deserves to die theyre all dumbasses

Ymirs all grown up and is it too early to say—

Erehisu stans are so fucking fuming rn holy shit

JAEGERIST INSIGNIA IS SO FUXKING COOL SHIT

Nicoli on screen 0/10 finale

HITCH ON SCREEN 10/10 FINALE

Reiner please calm down for 2 seconds

ANNIE IN A SUIT SHES SO SMALL I LOVE HER

Levi on screen L YO HIS EYE THOO THATS SICK

Can gabi and falco please fuck off

Paradis looks so pretty

Mikasa never threw away the scarf smh

Love the idea that shiganshina becomes a fucking cyberpunk capital and not just a big city

Anyway all jokes aside, the ending still feels a bit inconsequential seeing that no one dies in the final battle, considering how the rest of the show was. Eren's still a coward and a pussy and his inability to act with decisiveness is the reason shiganshina (and presumably the rest of Paradis) is inevitably destroyed, it also proves the Jaegarists point that no matter what happens theyll never stop trying to wipe out eldians, even centuries after titans are wiped out. Eren lied to the people of Paradis and got them killed so like 8 people could live half decent lives cleaning up his mess, most hollow victory of all time. Over all its like a 7/10 ending, there isnt any other way it really could have ended comsidering the story. The new paradis emblem is so fucming cool tho holy shit. Get Rumbled Stay Humbled.

[wgc-productions]

YESSSSSS ask meme! 4, 8, 9, 17!

Yay!

4. Is there a specific episode that was especially fun to work on?

For me "fun" can mean two things when it comes to making art. It can mean that everyone was at the top of their game, because watching people be good at what they do is such a pleasure to me. If we are going with this understanding then Small Victories 207 (which comes out today) is the one. It's one of the few episodes where the very first time the cast did it it was perfect. Loved that.

The other meaning is that me and the SV team just had a blast making it regardless of performance. And I think that is kind of harder to get a lock on because we record three episodes a night and they all sort of blend together. I will say, though, that, for this season, 205 was fun to record because Cody Smith was there and I just get a real kick out of what he does with Aaron. Plus 205 is my favorite episode this season and it was great seeing it turn out so well.

8. Pick a character from your show and put together an outfit you think they’d wear.

I'm going to pick Marisol because she has protagonist privilege.

I'mma be honest, I haven't really thought about this, but I think because Marisol (in my mind) is rocking serious "teenage boy or queer woman" realness she is probably dressing like Whoopi in the late 80s/early 90s. Like so:

9. If your show was a different genre what genre would it be and how would the plot change?

This could just be because I'm in my Buffy bag right now, but I think Small Victories could work as a low-fantasy slice of life series. It's already got that magical realism edge anyway with the Host and The Stranger, but I think if we leaned into it and made Marisol an wizard who had real trouble coping with a difficult past and abused her magic powers and is trying to figure out how to live in the world without using her magic because she is afraid of what she is capable of it could be very interesting.

It would be a little more monster-of-the week though to meet the demands of the genre. She would probably have to pick up some sort of detective/fixer-esque job in order to fit into the conventions and each week she would tackle some new mystery while struggling with her ability to manage her powers and atone for the messed up stuff she did when she was sick off magic.

And of course we could still have the rest of the cast. Nina would be the child of a pair of high mages but instead of following their path to rule over others she decides to move away and help teach advanced magics to people who advanced magic is kept from, which would rain down the ire from the higher ups thought her parents choose to protect her from it.

Nina is drawn to Marisol because Marisol is a skilled wizard despite the lack of training. The two find that they in fact really do like each other and they grow to love one another, but after Marisol snaps she disappears and Nina is left confused and hurt. The series could start with that distance, but Nina can be wrapped up in cases because she has useful skills and a heart tuned into justice. As time goes on their bond develops and becomes more complex.

Oliver could be a wizard too, but I think it'd be fun if there were other species so the world could be richer. Ollie could be an elf or troll or something like that and instead of going to college he instead is expected to, as all people in his culture are expected to do, become more integrated with their specific culture, which would explain the sort of distance he and Wizard Marisol would have.

Aaron would still be the boyfriend, but instead of a "Drug Dealer" he is a practitioner of more serious dark magics that he and Marisol used to indulge in. He handles the magic fine, but Marisol has trouble keeping anchored while using it, and so their bond is severely strained when she stops using magic altogether. He would still be a pianist though, cause I think that's a fun fact.

And all four of them could be a team and solve the mysteries and there would probably be overarching plot lines that betray some greater conspiracy in the world.

I will say, though, this would probably have some different things to say about addiction because Magic would be apart of her and suppressing parts of yourself due to fear is not a message I would want to put out in the world.

You know I've never thought about this before, but the more I write it I think that would be fun in a fanfic AU kind of way. But also I like the idea of a wizard detective. It just feels fun. Who knows maybe I'll flesh out this idea over on the WGC Patreon. I want to practice working on longer shows anyway.

17. What’s something that inspired your show?

Okay, back when I was a teen there was this webseries called Carmilla that came out. And I loved it very very much. And then the production company (KindaTV) dropped this other show called Barbelle which is a semi-whimsical webseries about a musical duo, Barbelle, that is made up of this couple (Alice and Veronica). However, by the time the series starts they are broken up because of a lot of reasons, but a very big chip on Alice's shoulder is the fact that Veronica has very serious problems with drugs and alcohol.

It has two seasons, and the ending of the show is pretty melancholy I'll be honest, but when I was watching this show back in 2017 it struck a pretty deep chord. It was just such good writing and so compelling.

I hadn't been watching it when I started writing Small Victories in March 2019, but when I think about it now I can definitely see that some of the things I was/am doing in SV were influenced by Barbelle.

[tobiasdrake]

We're here. The final leg of our mission: Glacial Peak.

Every bone in my body has fragmented into shards. When I move my limbs they crickle-crack like maracas. T-T Also Luana was not kidding when she said it's cold as balls up here.

I hate this. I hate everything about it. I want to go home. Working for the postal service sucks. ._.

...hmm....

HMMMMMMMMMM

This ring perplexes me. Getting over to it is fairly simply but why would it be here? It's a graplou target but. It's in a corner. There's nowhere to reach by graplou-ing onto it.

What purpose could this possibly serve?

Oh well. Moving right along, we are just about finished here.

I have not! ^_^ Pretty sure once we drop off this Scroll at the summit, we're in the clear. We're probably like 90% through this adventure by now.

Looking forward to getting it done with and then maybe a relaxing spa trip. I wonder if any part of Bamboo Creek is still functional as a spa? They had a pretty cool high dive but I'm looking for more of a hot tub and sauna situation here. It's very cold.

Oh, thanks for the tidbit, I hadn't fucking noticed you dickweevil.

Sitting here all comfy in your room beyond time and space. Some of us have jobs, you know.

...yeah, okay. I've kind of been glazing through most of your stories since they don't really seem connected to anything but something about this one just... It sends a chill down my spine I can't quite explain.

I don't know why. I don't have a lot of mentors or responsible guiding figures to look up to. I've lived my life according to the teachings of an immortal being of limitless wisdom--

"19-year-old girl who, purely because of a well-timed nudge, tripped over her left ankle and fell backwards into incredible cosmic power. But don't mind me. I may or may not be an 'assclown'."

...an immortal being of limitless wisdom and eternal grace.

So I don't know what about this one called out so much to me. I guess it's just something I'll have to mull over.

...I'm touching your cabinet out of spite.

Honestly, this place isn't so bad. Sure, it's a little slippery here or there and the footings aren't great and also it's so heavily demon infested oh god I've died five times just from plunging to my doom

Is that the fucking Shopkeeper?

If he is Resh'an then Luana's going to have some choice words about him getting a statue. And most of them will be expletives.

The lanterns are frozen to keep me from going over there. That just makes me want to do it even more. But my sword and shurikens are useless against ice.

Sure do wish I had something to burn.

Also, sleeves.

No, at this point, I'm expecting it at every pit. ._.

Oh! Sorry, I was so focused, I forgot to tell you. Yeah, we've made to to Glacial Peak. I met two huge muscle-men that wanted to wrestle with me in their loincloths. One of them showed me his dick and then they apologized by breaking every bone in my body, and that's why we're freezing to death in this miserable place.

Honestly, can this place get any wo--

But I don't want to be perforated today. T-T

It's okay. Utilizing this weird new concept of patience and moderation, I think I've figured out his fighting style.

A careful and measured approach feels so heretical and yet so satisfying. It's like I'm working inside of my human limits to overcome the insurmountable!

See you around, warping wonderfuck. ^_^ Okay, I take it back; I'm feeling pretty good about my life right now. I can take on any--

Well, that's just rude. Okay, back to blazing the trail by skidding on my face across rock and snow.

Oh my goddess, trees. Actual living things instead of sheer cliff drops and onto bonesplitting rocks.

I think I'm here. I think I actually fucking made it. At last. I'm ready to drop off this stupid fucking Scroll, go home, and move on with my life--

Wait, my home burned down in a demon invasion. Right. Shit. Well, we'll deal with that when it comes. For right now, I should see what Shopkeeper has to say about--

...uh....

...

...

Hello?

...

Assclown?

...

...

I'm touching his cabinet.

...yes. Yes, I did.

But I WANT one.

I don't believe you. I think you have the secret to everything in this cabinet. The cabinet is life. The cabinet is my dreams. I belong in the cabinet.

[posyhart]

Introducing...Posy Hart

( mary elizabeth winstead, she/her, cis female ) i’m pretty sure i just ran into posy simmons AKA posy hart! you know them, they’re the 32 year old lead singer of cherry void that’s been here for 12 years. they can be pretty determined, but on the d.l., they’re also destructive. i have their ringtone set as celebrity skin by hole in my cell. next time you’re around manhattan, tell them to give me a call!

D.O.B. May 27, 1972 (a gemini queen)

Born and raised in Springfield Massachussetts, Posy was the only and beloved child of a pretty middle class, fairly comfortable family. Summers she spent at her grandparents' home in Kentucky, a farm house bordering a vast apple orchard so adventure was always around the corner.

Academically Posy was strong, but the more she grew up the more she clashed with her disciplinarian mother, who had ideas for what she should do and what sort of career path she wanted Posy to go down. She had high aspirations for her only daughter: lawyer, politician, judge. Posy meanwhile, just wanted to write, or start a band, or do something creative.

She enrolled in The City College of New York, but as soon as her feet hit Manhattan pavement, she knew that wasn't where she was meant to be. Before her first year was out, she decided to put all those college fees to different uses and dropped out (much to the dismay of her parents).

A string of working minimum wage jobs followed while she figured out what she wanted to do, and with whom. Her roommate's brother was in a band, a very loud one that would play the Bowery on the weekends. Posy made up her mind in between crowd surfing and getting beer spilled all over her: she was going to start a fucking band.

Saving up for her first guitar was a slog, everything else was a breeze. She advertised in the local music papers for a drummer and a bassist, and before long, Cherry Void was born. A second guitarist would join a year later, once they started playing shows.

The two guy, two girl band was an instant hit, with Posy's penned songs about heartbreak, angst, and everything in between hitting the radio and making big waves. By 1994, they had released their debut album, Carry Yourself, and it was big in the rock and grunge/alt scene. Posy Hart (self styled, catchy last name) was on magazine covers, posters and newsstands.

By the mid 90's, she was one half of rock's most famous couple. She met Russell Vile of socially conscious, rap-metal band Rage Against the Machine Annihilator and the two had a torrid, on and off love affair.

Spur of the moment, they got married in Vegas by a Prince impersonator and the rest was history. They had a daughter, Gracie Jane, born in 1998.

As hated as she is loved, Posy is a controversial figure in rock. She says what's on her mind, has never been afraid to call out her male peers, and has often been labelled a bitch, difficult, or just plain psycho.

Of course, a growing substance abuse problem didn't help matters, or the fact she went on a drunken vitriol-filled tirade aimed at Britney Spears at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

Then everything went sideways and hit a wall in 2001, when Cherry Vile's drummer Matt was found dead of an overdose. Posy's ever whirling world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll hit a wall, as did her marriage with Russell, the band, and everything else.

Character inspirations: Hole/Courtney Love, Jane Lane, Brody Dalle, Fleabag

CURRENTLY:

Cherry Void is on a much-needed hiatus, her and Russell are divorced (acrimoniously, but still coparenting), and Posy is just trying to make it to 2 weeks sober. Easier said than done, when everybody needs her all of the time. Really she's just trying to get Gracie to school on time.

possible connections: (aka just feel free to assume the following, if you want)

fans of cherry vile / fans of Posy

haters! (yes plsss)

plug/dealer

friends (bonus if they're connected to the music scene in any way)

unlikely friends

hookup/ONS

Gracie's nanny

exes (must discuss or plot beforehand!)

[crystalelemental]

“karnilla74: What sucks about Grass types is that they're part of the main trio. Like, how do you fuck up so bad gf??? Most of Grass types problems would be solved if they had access to more ground and rock moves. Water types get ice moves, fire types get grass moves, so why did grass types get no coverage???”

The starters, at least, tended to get Earthquake.  I think all of them through Serperior had access to Earthquake, and the only ones I know don’t are Serp, Decidueye, and Meowscarada.  Two of whom are considered some of the better Grass-type starters, go figure.

But the bigger reason is that Pokemon wildly over-estimates the value of status.  They look at things like Leech Seed and Sleep Powder and go oh man!  Sleep is super strong, and recovering HP by draining away your opponent’s passively every turn?  That sounds super busted.  We have to compensate for that.  And the compensation winds up overshooting the effectiveness of the traits.  Sure, Leech Seed is great, but not when you have like five weaknesses that roast your ass.  Sleep Powder is great, when it bothers to hit and last more than one turn.  I think Bug gets hit with the same, since most Powder moves started with like Butterfree and Venomoth, and so status is highly applied to them as well.  Or like, Poison before Gen 6, which had a decent defensive profile, but no offense worth talking about, just relying on Toxic to do its job, when everything could learn Toxic.  It’s the same issue with Ice.  Freeze is a ludicrously powerful status, basically having no guarantee it will ever go away and denying all actions, but it’s also like impossible to land so it’s never something to rely on.  They think these options are overpowered, that they’re balancing out the fact the types otherwise suck.  But they’re not.  Because the concept of status is over-valued, and it’s really weird to see that after Gen 7 nerfed status into a shadow of its former self.  Like okay, Burn deals less passive damage, Thunder Wave can miss for no reason, Confusion is now 1/3rd chance of inaction as opposed to a 50% chance, the only reliable Sleep move got blasted so hard that Darkrai fell to complete irrelevance.  How are you supposed to think this shit matters?

“Bug type gets bogged down a lot because a lot of mons that get the type are early game trash. A lot of late game bugs are actually pretty good like Scizor, Volcarona, Pinsir, Heracross, Scolipede, etc.”

Which is why I hesitated to include them in the bottom of the barrel.  I do think that Bugs have some solid representatives.  But I also feel like Bug as a type is fairly limited?  It’s not a great offensive or defensive profile at all.  Some of those operate only because of their secondary typing (Scizor, Heracross), or because of wildly powerful tools (Quiver Dance, Speed Boost, Mega Evolution).  If I’m remembering my lore correctly, I think Scizor dropped to UU in Gen 7, and Volcarona was discussed for a drop as well pre-Heavy-Duty Boots.  Like even their best options have notable limitations.

“If you ask me, Grass types should resist Rock and Fighting, while Ice should have Water and Electric resistance. Not sure what I'd give rock types. Bug types need better stats in general.”

Grass should resist Fairy.  I think Rock suffers enough that it doesn’t need another option resisting it, but Fairy sure as hell needs a bit of a nerf.  And Fairies tend to, as far as I can recall, have relatively limited coverage.  So Grass types would finally have pretty safe switch-ins, to start spreading status and seeds.

Ice definitely should have Water resistance, Water is stupidly strong, but I feel like Electric suffers enough.  Personally, I want Ground resist.  Ground’s had it too good for too long as an offensive type.

Rock types just need a physical move that can hit a target ever.  Split the difference between Rock Slide and Stone Edge, and just make a 90 damage, 100% accuracy move that has no special effects.  I would choose that literally every time.

I think better stats for sure, but I also kinda wish Bug had a special effect.  Like, you know how Dark is immune to Prankster, Grass is immune to powder moves, Fire/Water/Ice/Rock have bonuses under weather?  I kinda feel like Bug should get something like that.  Maybe work like how Poison has perfect accuracy with Toxic, but make it so Bugs can’t miss their status moves?  That wouldn’t overpower any of the options that are already good, but it would provide some nice benefits to the lower tier ones.

[stillmind2]

The Mystery of The Coral Castle

Lately, I've been fascinated with Telekinesis. The ability to move far away objects, regardless of the size or weight 

If I could travel to the past once, I'd have trouble making a choice, but sticking to this subject, it'd have to be Edgar Cayce. 

Or Edward Leedskalnin…

Let me go with the latter first. Cayce would take me days to write about.

What this guy accomplished should blow your mind. Let me explain.

Being in love could inspire a corpse. Most people who have had that magical experience could confirm it.

But when I was in love (or was it lust?) I had an average experience. Nothing extraordinary happened besides the spectacular heart-brain-hormones connection. 

But I couldn't lift 10-pound stones even if I had two nuclear-powered cranes at my disposal. Well, maybe with those I could. 

Ed Leedskalnin was onto something in 1923 when he managed to achieve such a feat. Without any cranes. And devastated by a love gone wrong.

I don't know, but when I'm out of love for whatever reason, my mood is so dark, the last thing I want to do is move stones or do construction.

This beautiful young lady he was to marry, named Agnes Skuvst just told him off, presumably because she changed her mind. 

Not only was this man horribly dumped, he was supposed to get married in just one more day. 

Someone once said, if you want to understand women, you better read the Encyclopedia (several volumes).

Instead of trying to figure out why his beloved bride changed her mind at the last minute, this man rolled his sleeves and built her a castle. 

At 5 feet tall, 26 y/old, and weighing just 100 pounds, we are supposed to believe (like the pyramids) that the deed was of human-construct. 

That this man, working alone, only at night and in complete secrecy (hence the night labor), managed to produce a castle of such magnitude that today, no one has figured out how he could have possibly managed.

The numbers are insane. 1100 tons of oolite limestone rock moved through the air like helium balloons and placed perfectly in place without even a mark from the pulleys or chains. Not once, but twice. The largest stone weighed 27 tons.

But the man couldn't catch a break. Right after he was near completion of the toughest part of the job, moving the heavier stones, he got terrible news.

Next to it, in Florida City, the town council decided to build a community center. Which meant he no longer could maintain the solitude he needed to accomplish his task. 

Yes, he was a 'slightly' complicated person, but aren't most geniuses? If you are a genius, I'm sure you'll agree.

What to do, what to do? 

Well, put everything on a truck, of course, and get out of Dodge.

And that's exactly what he did.

Incredibly, he moved it all on that truck with the help of one person. One. A living witness of the action. We got the receipts.

Ten miles up the road, he made sure this time nobody was going to interfere with his project. Obviously, he wanted it to be done before his bride turned 90, so I can't say I blame him for the effort and the urgency.

He bought 20 acres in Homestead, just in case he needed more than 2 for extra space, and restarted his operation.

An operation which he had to begin from scratch, without having put on any weight or built any kind of muscle. 

The same frail frame, doing it all over again, for a woman thousands of miles away who probably couldn't drink enough vodka to try to erase him from her mind. And from the guilt.

"Now we're talking," he probably thought to himself. "Now catch me if you can."

One thing that was highly peculiar was a small box that he named "Perpetual Motion Holder", for which he was trying to obtain a patent, but was ultimately denied.

Another little setback, nothing to write home about. He must have figured if it happened to Tesla, why wouldn't it happen to me? He was more right than he would ever know. 

At least, they didn't confiscate the thing. Even better, they didn't burn him at the stake for heresy. It's kind of hard to build a castle when you're smoldering from a burn.

"All hands on deck," He must have said. "I got my life, I got my limestone, and I got my box." 

It took him some time to finish his coral castle, which still stands today, drawing tourists from all over. 

This super impressive structure might have been a sight to see when it was done. My premise for dreaming of going back to visit it, and to meet him, if Quantum physics would hurry up and make it possible.

It was documented that a child could push an 8ft tall, 8.2-ton gate so perfectly centered on its axes with a single push of a finger and it would swing in the intended direction. 

There's something very strange going on here, that unfortunately, we, of this generation will never know. Who knows when, if ever, the technique (or the Juju inside that box) would be revealed. But I have a feeling this man's knowledge was not to be told casually to anyone, much less the public, for reasons that don't take a brain surgeon to guess.

Something so fascinating and advanced that who knows, (not me, said the little red hen) where it could lead the human race. 

Hello! Did I mention Tesla already? Ring any bells? 

This is a perfect example of Life imitating art. It could easily be an episode of The Outer Limits or such fictional show, and yet, here it is, this happened. 

He wasn't a greedy man. Like most geniuses, he didn't think much about money. As a matter of fact, he only charged an unbelievable ¢10 per person to enter that atrium made out of love. And for his love. 

He could have used an agent. 

One sunny day just like any other in Leisure City, FL, he didn't feel right. A practical man, he closed the shop for the day leaving a simple note on the front gate with the words "Gone to the hospital". 

His work done on this Earth, this magnificently brilliant man died three days later on Dec, 7th, 1951. He was 64 years old.

To this day, his secrets remain one of the biggest puzzles in the world of science.