#He's such an old man... So snuggly <3

[bumjuthedwarfbunbun]

Snuggle bun.

Bumju loves sleeping on the bed with the hoomans! Usually he sleeps against the arm of my partner (Eli), and occasionally shoves his head underneath her hand :')

[shomixremix]

Hello! If it's okay, can I make a silly request? (I think they are open? I apologize if they aren't) may I request something fluffy with the immortal characters (which ever you write for) where their s/o is mortal but they've been together so long that their s/o is an old wrinkly person and the s/o gets mistaken for their grandparent? I just want some cute fluff, but everyone writes smut 😫

Eternal love ♡︎

hi anon!! yep, reqs are open!! i'm so sorry for not being here for some time, exam week was hell but i'm back now lovelies!!

idk rlly which immortal characters you meant but i hope it's okay that i chose these two!! and also i know that this is like fluff and all but for some reason this is so sad to me!! like yeah the reader is old and they are immortal but the reader is GONNA DIE AND OH MY GOD THEY'LL BE ALONEEEEEE AND GRIEVEINGGGG i don't deal well with thinking about death so this was a little challenging to write. but fun!! and hehe don't worry anon even though i write smut more i'm always here for fluff!!

hope you lovelies enjoy <3

tags: zhongli, neuvillette, fluff, slight angst, female!senior!reader

-> being in love with an immortal being had its' many perks, and yet, it had it's flaws. you only began to realize those flaws existed once you celebrated your 50th anniversary with your husband.

reqs open ♡︎

-> zhongli

"there you go, love. would you like to rest now? it is way past your usual nap time... you're sure you'd like to stay here?"

your husband asked, handsome face washed in worry for you. his appearance, ever so youthful and mighty, completely contrasted with your wrinkles and gray hair. but morax didn't mind the slightest - he still thought you were beautiful.

even though you were now hunched over, thick glasses sitting snuggly on the bridge of your nose and spent most od your times either asleep or knitting, he had loved you just the same as all those years ago. he looked at you now, at seventy, in that same way he did when you were his sweet, twenty-year-old fiancé. you were still you, no matter how old, and you were still the most heavenly person he has ever met.

"i'm sure, dear," you reassure, nodding softly, "i would like another cup of tea, please"

he hurriedly called the waiter of the lovely liyue café you were sitting at to bring you a cup more.

"could we get one more cup of this tea for my date?"

the waiter, seemingly very polite and kind, nodded.

"certainly, sir. and i have to comment, i think it's very lovely you're taking your grandma out for brunch! i don't get many people who respect their elders"

zhongli's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. respect his elders? when he was the one a aproximately a millenia older than you?

your husband looked to you, then back, clearing his throat. his voice slightly offended, he spoke: "this is my wife. we're celebrating our anniversary"

the way the waiter's face fell made you softly giggle, giving him a look full of empathy. you knew you appeared much older than zhongli and that people weren't used to it, with you looking like some kind of sugar mommy he married for the inheritance. people had no idea he was actually the older one, and how would they even be able to tell with the way his face hasn't aged a day?

"oh, ma'am, i'm so sorry, i cincerely apologise-"

"it's alright, sweetheart, i can see why you'd think i'm his granny!" you laughingly reassure. the waiter quickly runs to get you your tea, and zhongli turns to you.

"pft, you're not even that old, love. seventy-three is nothing." he scoffs, kissing your saggy cheek, "and no matter how old you are, i don't appreciate you calling another man sweetheart"

-> neuvillette

"are you alright? would you like to sit down, mon amour?" he asks, moving his feet inch by inch as he walked alongside you. even though this pace was almost torterous for him, he'd never dare go any faster. he'd walk alongside you, always, no matter if it meant he had to move at a snail's pace.

"i'm quite alright, my dear. but, could we have a break, just for a moment?"

his ocean-blue eyes frantically searched for a spot to rest, scanning a nearby bench. he set you down on it, wrapping a careful arm around your shoulder and let you rest.

you were so adorable, even now, with saggy skin and an obsession with cardigans. his beautiful, incredible wife, so gorgeous and full of life even though you were in your seventies.

those eyes of yours looked at him with just as much love and just as much wanting as they did a whole lifetime ago. when you first got married, he always had that thought in the back of his mind of a youth potion, always thinking that ot would feel weird if you would change with age and he would not.

but he was wrong. chief justice neuviellette was so, so wrong.

it wasn't weird at all - it was beautiful. your face and body, even though old and wrinkly, perfectly showed everything you two went through; your big smile lines, from a lifetime of chuckling with him, eyes so full of care from the few young ones you raised, hands veiny and rough from a lifetime of caressing his scales.

"would you like to feed the birds, mon cherie? remember, we brought the bread crumbs?"

you nodd softly, softly laying your gray head on your husbands chest.

"oh, yes, the birds! i almost forgot!"

as he gives you a little baggy filled with some leftover baguette breadcrumbs from your breakfast that morning, a couple of melusines swarmed around the two of you.

"mr. neuvillette! mr. neuvillette! we have never seen your grandma before!! hello, mrs. neuvillette's grandma, very nice to meet you!"

your husband softly chuckled, intertwining your fingers. he pressed a loving kiss to your hand, returning his gaze to the scattered melousines: "this is my wife, and i can asure you, you've met her many times before"

"oh, really? we can't remember.." one of the melousines replied, scratching her head.

"that's alright, neither does she" he whispers playfully, earning him a soft smack from you, "hey, i can still hear you, you know!"

[mylovelies-docx]

Sorry, I Love You - Part 6

It's my birthday, so here is my gift to all you lovely people :)

Plot: You and Bucky have a good thing going - best of friends that also have more than a little chemistry between the sheets. Everything is fine until you develop feelings for the man who doesn't want a relationship. What will happen when Bucky finds out?

C/W: brief mentions of HYDRA approved "science", insecurities

Word Count: idk ill look later

Tag List: NOW CLOSED! If you'd like to keep up with this story, please follow my blog and turn on notifications! ❤️ you :)

[Prologue][Part 1][Part 2][Part 3][Part 4][Part 5]

Meeting with the contact goes down without a hitch. You’re surrounded by scraggly trees and evergreens, snow heavy on bare branches and pine needles alike. You’re briefed on all the important information: who’s who, ongoing projects, expectations for your work. You nod along as you write down shorthand notes – really only intelligible to you, but you’ll burn them once you memorize the information regardless.

The rendezvous is short, but you’ll be seeing them again soon at your new ‘job’. You flip your notebook closed and dip your head briefly to acknowledge the end of the meeting. Olaf (not his real name) returns the gesture and stalks off, presumably heading back to the HYDRA facility.

You take your time getting back to the house – you want to give Bucky his privacy and time by himself to prepare for the workday ahead. You envy the monotony of working on vehicles all day: scouring the engine, finding the necessary parts, sliding under the metal frame and lying on your back for hours… 

Come to think of it, maybe you shouldn’t imagine lying on your back for hours in the same thought process that involves Bucky. Too many memories and too much pain.

Regardless, anything is better than working for HYDRA, even if you are actively working to sabotage them while you’re there. Yeah, Bucky is here to keep an eye on you and provide backup and know-how, but you’re the one that is pivotal to this mission. The one that needs to get in, get out, and get gone before HYDRA realizes how big of a mess they’re in.

You begin fine-tuning the personality and mannerisms that will serve you best here. Olaf had explained the specific work culture of the HYDRA facility during the meeting, so you’re now better able to imagine your life for the foreseeable future: work, work, work, kidnapping, torture, experiments, exhaustion. 

And going home to Bucky every night, your brain supplies. You mentally swat the words away. Of course you’re going ‘home’ to Bucky. He’s your immediate backup in case something goes wrong – he has to be close. Even if it’s not the intimate kind of close. Not the kind of close you used to be when this mission was first given to you last year. Not the close that originally had you posing as husband and wife, but the kind that now has Bucky as your brother.

A shiver courses through you at the thought, and you wrap your arms tighter around your snuggly bundled self. Bucky as your brother is the worst scenario you could possibly imagine, but everyone agreed that with the new tension between you and Bucky, romance wouldn’t be the wisest play up here.

A soft groan leaves your lips and you dip your head quickly in disappointment before popping back up and looking ahead. There’s no point in yearning for something that will never happen again. You need to actually move on, not just lie about it and pretend like you did. Bucky deserves that much. You deserve that much.

Taking a deep breath, you shift your focus back to the mission. It’s time to embrace the role, leaving behind the echoes of a love that was now confined to memories. You couldn't afford distractions or longing. HYDRA's demise depended on your unwavering commitment, even if it meant burying your heart's desires in the depths of your being.

***

You arrive home a short while later, the creaks and groans of the old house underlying the silence of the empty rooms. It seems that Bucky had left for work while you were out. Glancing over to the clock atop the fireplace mantel, you're taken aback to see how much time has passed. You must have been lost in your thoughts far longer than you had initially realized. 

You close the door softly behind you and shuffle out of your coat. You hang it on a peg beside the door where your and Bucky’s other coats reside, noticing how well the colors reflect both of your personalities. You can’t help but laugh at the blacks, grays, and dark blues of Bucky’s jackets that contrast sharply with the whites, pinks, and pastels of your own. The smile lingers until you kick off your boots and walk further into the quiet house.

The echoing silence pulses in your ears and makes you uncomfortable. You hadn’t been alone like this in a very long time – there was always at least one person in the next room or house or building that you could reach out to. But with Bucky at his ‘new job’ and no neighbors knocking on the door to welcome you to the neighborhood, you feel totally isolated.

With nothing else to do besides wallow in loneliness, you decide to throw on some music and dive into all the information the team has gathered on this HYDRA location. You’d skimmed the files on the way here yesterday, but now you had the time to really peruse. You run upstairs to change into comfortable clothes and throw your hair up and away from your face. You return downstairs and pull out your laptop, setting up camp at the kitchen table. You open your favorite music streaming app and hit play, starting up your ‘get shit done’ playlist. You bop your head to the beat and dig in.

***

Hours later, you hear the door creak open and Bucky steps inside, his face smudged with grease and a tired smile on his lips. You rise from your hunched position and stretch your aching muscles. The pain in your upper back and neck eases slightly as you greet him, "Hey, Bucky. Welcome back. How was your day at the garage?"

Bucky wipes his hands on a rag, glancing at you with a mix of exhaustion and genuine warmth. "Oh, you know, the usual. Fixing engines, tinkering with parts. It's a nice change of pace from our usual gigs."

You nod, attempting to keep the conversation light. "Well, at least you get to put your mechanical skills to good use. It must feel good to work with your hands again."

A brief moment of silence hangs between you as you both glance down to Bucky’s hands. His metal arm is covered by Stark tech that makes it appear as if he’d never lost it in the first place. You can tell how uncomfortable he is with the sight after working so hard and so long on learning to accept himself the way he is now. He picks at the fake skin, pulling it slightly away and letting it snap back into place. Bucky clears his throat, his voice a touch hesitant, "It doesn’t quite feel right, ya know?"

You shift in your chair, tucking your leg up under you. "No, I get it, Bucky," you say. “Doesn’t feel like you, does it?” You give him a smile and a small shrug of your shoulders, as if what you’re saying is common knowledge and an opinion that everyone shares, “If you ask me, I prefer the metal.”

Bucky's eyes soften and he stops fidgeting with the skin, letting his arms drop down to his sides. “Yeah,” he agrees, “me too.”

You nod, trying to hide the warmth swelling in your chest. "Anyway," you begin. “I’ve been going over the data that you guys have gathered in the last few months. There’s a lot here, huh?”

“Yeah.” Bucky sighs and walks over to you, taking the chair opposite and stretching out his legs underneath the table. His feet encroach on your space and nearly rest underneath your chair, the table not really accommodating for his size. You pick up the one leg you still have dangling off the chair and tuck it under you with the other one. Bucky places his hands behind his head and leans back. “All of my memories of this place are hazy, but this place was a real piece of work.” A grimace mars his face and his eyes start to cloud over.

Wanting to shift the conversation away from the discomfort he may be remembering, you change the subject, "So, did anything noteworthy happen at the garage today? Any signs of HYDRA activity in the town?"

Bucky's eyes shift with a sense of purpose, grateful for the chance to discuss something less complicated. "Actually, there was something unusual. I overheard a couple of guys mentioning some military-grade vehicles arriving tomorrow for inspection. Might be worth investigating to see if they’re HYDRA."

As you delve into mission-related details, a sense of normalcy descends upon the conversation. The awkwardness and unspoken emotions linger in the background of your mind, but for now, the focus is on the task at hand. You understand that the mission takes precedence over personal matters, and you commit again to putting aside your feelings for the sake of success and Bucky’s peace of mind.

With a renewed determination, you delve into strategizing and planning, resolute in your shared mission to dismantle HYDRA's operations. 

Part 7

@jackiehollanderr @rabbitrabbit12321 @12345sebby @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @lauraashley93 @themorningsunshine @happinessinthebeing @nash-dara @calwitch @stany0url0calwh0res111 @pono-pura-vida @learisa @introverbatim @kentokaze @marvelogic @kaz11283

[fourstarsoutofnine]

Hi thereee~ Would you mind doing some headcanons of the chain with a reader that basically has no personal space rules set in place for themselves, so they're like a living teddy bear up for hugs and anything else? Who would totally take advantage of this for free cuddles?

A/n:Oh my goodness this is really cute heck yea. I’m not sure if this was meant to be platonic or romantic but it can be read as either!! Also, I’m only gonna do three for right now, just so I can have something out and it doesn’t take too long to produce, I’d hate to keep you waiting for so long :(. The other ones will be written as well though! Just in multiple parts! Thank you so much for your patience🫶

Chain w/ free cuddles reader <3 part 1.

This part includes Time, Sky, and Twilight in that order!

Also Lemme preface and say the chain would absolutely make sure you’re 100% okay with it first. They don’t wanna cross any lines, even if there aren’t technically any lines there. Just had to throw that out there. Anyway!

Time:

The old man isn’t really a cuddly person, but if you were you just come up to him and hug him, I don’t think he’d think anything of it. You’d definitely have to initiate it first with him for a while. Take for instance he and the captain are going over plans. You walk up to him and just hug around his torso or hug his arm and lean your head on his shoulder(or wherever you can reach), he wouldn’t even miss a beat.

“Hey uhh old man?”

“What?”

“…nothing”

They’re all just a touch too intimidated to say anything. He has a soft spot for you and would let you walk all over him if you wanted. Eventually he does get to a point where he returns your affections and place an arm around you whenever you come up—even if you don’t initiate it. He gets used to the affection you give and subtly begins to seek you out. Sitting by you at dinner time, putting his bedroll by yours, silently hoping you end up in his arms in the middle of the night. You’re comforting to him and he likes having you around.

Sky

Sky would 10000% take advantage of free affection. That man is the human version of the word “cuddle,” so the fact that you are as well makes him melt. Finally, he has someone just as snuggly as he is. I can see the two of you constantly snuggled up by the fire, his sailcloth around you both to act ad a blanket. He’d either be whittling something new(probably some cute gift for you) or playing his harp—or even just talking to one of the others. If he’s not doing something with his hands, you best believe he’s got at least one of his arms around you. I also know for a FACT he loves having someone play with his hair(it’s me I’m Jojo I say so/j). You can’t have hair THAT fluffy and not constantly want someone playing with it. Sky will absolutely seek you out at any time of day—as the chain travels around, he’ll come to walk by you and take your hand, swinging it with a dopey smile like he was proud of himself to get to walk beside you(spoiler alert:he is. He’s so happy he gets to exist at the same time as you, even momentarily.) sky adores you and wants nothing more than to hold you all the time. He will if you let him, but you’d have to say that first.

Twilight

My rancher, my cowboy, my beloved. He gives the best bear hugs in all of Hyrule—every Hyrule! He’s probably the second person under sky to absolutely take advantage of the ‘free hugs from y/n’ rule. He loves getting hugs and giving them too :,). He and sky are the comfort people in the chain—and you, little charm, are the newest addition to that title. If anyone is in need of comfort and love, they go to one of three folks. Sky, twilight, and you. You are Twilight’s comfort person, most definitely. Both as wolfie and himself. The wolf walks by you, and twilight will do his best to as well. Usually he sticks around the old man, but when he can, he’s by you, even doing so much as to drag you to the front of the group so he can have both. He likes being in his mentor’s plans, hearing the creation of them, knowing exactly what direction they’re heading and being able to be one of the first into action should something occur—speaking of action, that’s another reason he likes you by him. Not only to sling an arm around you and have you hug around his torso—but so he can protect you as well. He adores you and would absolutely blame himself if something happened to you(he and the champion are alike in that way). He can always keep you safe, and hold you when he wants to, so it’s a win win situation!

[critter-rarepair-reccs]

Hello all! I hope you're having a lovely day. Today I bring you our very first recc list, featuring eighteen fluffy fics! Some are pure schmoop, some come with a side of angst, and a few with a touch of smut as well. You can find them below the cut and I highly encourage you to check them out, and leave kudoes and comments to spread the rarepair love 🩷

To Keep It All In by rabbitxheart (2071 words, Teen) Pairing: Fjord/Caleb Widogast (Widofjord) Warnings: Drug mentions

Fjord touches a weird mushroom thing that makes him high and sick and has to be babysat until the clerics can heal him the next day. While Caleb is sitting with him he tries to make a confession.

Reccer Says: It's really cute and Fjord has sweet moments with Beau and Nott too. Just great sickfic fluff

lips pressed to the palm of your hand by vietbluecoeur (2410 words, General) Pairing: Yussa Errenis/Marion Lavorre (Rubygold) Warnings: None

Yussa does Marion's makeup for her before a performance. She returns the favor. They kiss about it.

Reccer Says: It's just SO beautiful. Every word feels gilded or done up in the cosmetics that cover Marion's vanity. The whole thing is poetry, not least of all the relationship between Yussa and Marion. They're so sweet and you can feel the affection they have for each other in every sentence. The way they banter and tease each other is adorable and Viet's voice for Yussa is also just so fun (let that old man say fuck! XD) Also, the way the title ties into the fic is just so sweet.

a place for us to dream by glossolali (1105 words, General) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidomauk) Warnings: None

Essek, Molly, and Caleb share a cozy and domestic summer afternoon.

Reccer Says: I am a sucker for cozy cuddly domestic fluff and for Shadowidomauk and this combines the two in the sweetest package. They're snuggly and in love and it's absolutely wonderful.

cheap wine and new beginnings by bunnymauk (2618 words, Teen) Pairings: Past Lestera/Mollymauk Tealeaf, Hinted Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss (Shadowmauk) Warnings: Referenced drug use, referenced car accident

Essek and Molly leave the club early and hang out at Molly's place together, there's cuddling <3

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

fledgling pledges by hanap (3100 words, Teen) Pairing: Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Blumenshadow) Warnings: None

Caleb, Astrid, and Eadwulf go on a date with Essek, and each try to woo him.

Reccer Says: Its adorable

she said "take care", but i take more than i bring by MouseInTheCastle (3385 words, General) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss Warnings: None

Molly and Caleb are together, and Caleb and Essek are together, but Essek and Molly aren't - Essek gets sick and Molly takes care of him

Reccers Says: Warm and fluffy and cozy, very very sweet <3

December's Language is Imprecise Grief by Marvelouska (2688 words, Teen) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidomauk) Warnings: None

Molly, Caleb, and Essek staying in the dorms over christmas break, and Molly and Caleb try to make it a great holiday for Essek.

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

someone as lost as you by floralprintshark (6500 words, Teen) Pairing: Beauregard Lionett/Jester Lavorre (Beaujes) Warnings: None

Jester asks Beau about her first kiss. The conversation leads to a question Beau didn't expect.

Reccer Says: It's very sweet and has a lot of mutual pining and disaster lesbian Beau

Thread by Crewe (2256 words, General) Pairing: Fjord/Caleb Widogast (Widofjord) Warnings: None

Fjord and Caleb develop a routine at night, Caleb reading his books and Fjord mending his and his friends' clothes.

Reccer Says: It's quiet and domestic Widofjord from the very beginning of campaign 2.

Maybe by Tulikettu (3389 words, Explicit) Pairing: Shaun Gilmore/Vax'ildan (Vaxmore) Warnings: None

Vax thinks a good cuddle will really set him right. And Shaun must give the best hugs. (Fluffy smut ensues)

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

Vivere, Ridere, Amare by noconceptoflife (20189 words, Mature) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Anxiety

AU where Caleb meets the Brenattos soon after leaving the asylum and hides with them in plain sight. Pretend poly marriage turns real.

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

The Maps are Gone (So Are Our Footprints Too) by J (6514, Explicit) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast Warnings: Consensual voyeurism

Yeza knows Caleb and Veth have something special, and decides to show Caleb how best to take care of Veth on their travels.

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

Not Fancy Stuff by CriticalRolemance (3216 words, Teen) Pairing: Shaun Gilmore/Vax'ildan (Vaxmore) Warnings: None

Vax and Gilmore take a moment to forget about the looming existential threat of dragons and have a picnic dinner on the roof of Whitestone Castle.

Reccer Says: All the fics in this series are simple sweet fluff, but this one is probably my favorite. They're just a pair of romantic idiots and they deserve to get to be stupid in love together.

something sweet by roundtriptojupiter (4988 words, General) Pairing: Percy de Rolo/Grog Strongjaw Warnings: None

An oblivious, and very confused Percy, becomes subject to Grog's tribe-specific courting rituals when the goliath gets a crush on him. (He eventually gets the hint)

Reccer Says: It's a very niche ship written in a way that feels very authentic to the characters. It also completely got me onboard to the possibilities of said ship! As well as that, it's just a well written, very sweet fic. A great way to get acquainted with what is probably one of Vox Machina's rarest pairings.

The Scientist's Guide to Being Loved by tangereen (1237 words, Teen) Pairing: Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss (Esswulf) Warnings: None

Essek tries to figure out if Eadwulf is in love with him using logic.

Reccer Says: Essek is a goofy little guy trying to use science to explain emotions. I think it's cute.

bifurcation of heart and bone by 917651827 (2372 words, Explicit) Pairing: Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss (Esswulf) Warnings: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics

After his pregnancy, Essek can transform his body and fuck his partner the way he prefers.

Reccer Says: This esswulf focused entry in an Astrid/Eadwulf/Essek/Caleb series is so sweet! After he gives birth, Essek is able to get his dick back and fuck Eadwulf. They're both so loving and gentle with each other. It makes my heart burst!

Through the Years by piratesPencil (5649 words, Mature) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast Warnings: None

Scenes of how Caleb and Essek and the Brenattos' relationship grows over several years and they eventually form a polycule.

Reccer Says: I love each one on one scene between Essek and the others. Also great demi Essek feels 💕

And we have two reccs for; Today I Love You Even More by wtgw (5687 words, Teen) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast Warnings: None

Yeza encourages Veth to pursue her crush and is surprised when he ends up developing one of his own. Takes place in Xhorhas between the time Yeza is rescued and the time they’re able to relocate him; a very sweet fic about Yeza slowly falling for and awkwardly romancing the Wizard boyfriend his wife picked up on the road.

Reccer 1 Says: I loooooove Yeza's characterization his dynamic with not just Veth and Caleb but the rest of the nein is great Reccer 2 Says: I always love any story fleshing out Yeza and his personality+motivations, and this one does it so well! His patience and kindness in letting Nott persue Caleb, and then his own developing feelings, are just so endearing and fun to read about.

Thank you for joining us for our very first recc list! We'll be doing these every Wednesday for the foreseeable future 🩷 All enclosed recommendations were submitted by the community via our submissions form, which you can find here. All fic information is as it was provided by the reccer, so it may not be accurate to the author's intent or the precise contents of the fic itself. Please assume good intent from all parties 🩷

Submissions for next week's list are already open! We'll be featuring Modern AUs. If you have any you'd like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Whump, and you can also submit fics for that now!

If you want more rarepair fic, check out @cr-summer-wildflowers and their event collections on ao3! If you want some friendship after all this romance, take a look at @critter-genfic-events and their recc lists! And if you're interested in everyone's favorite wizards, you can't go wrong with the lists at @aeor-is-for-reccing !

Thanks all and have a lovely day/night/timezone! 🩷

[butch-reidentified]

New kitten Nicatine (always cat pun names) has been given a scrunchy for a collar. We thought he'd hate it but he actually seems to be attached and cried when we took it off 🥺

Nik was found injured with two siblings at about 3 weeks old by a friend of my neighbor's. My neighbor took them in despite a severe cat phobia, because she has a big heart (and isn't scared of kittens so much as grown cats). After running into me outside one day and finding out we are registered kitten fosterers for the county, my neighbor came to me for advice and I helped her out with the kittens. Sadly, by that point the three of them had come down with a mysterious illness, suspected to be parasite-related. Despite our best efforts, by 7 weeks of age, he was the only survivor of his litter.

She became deeply attached to little Nik, even more so because she couldn't save his sister and brother, but knew she couldn't take care of him. He'd grow up, and she would struggle with her phobia despite her love for him. And besides, she struggles with mental and physical health issues as is, and is going through some challenging life stuff right now on top of it all.

She's been having a difficult time finding an adopter for him - and is very worried about ensuring whoever adopts him will take proper care of him and shower him in love and spoil him. At the same time, our roommate has moved our since we got married, and took his two cats with him, leaving us with "only" three cats and two dogs. So we had been discussing possibly adopting another cat. And it would be so great for her to have this bundle of joy she loves so much be directly across the street where she can visit or even borrow him any time she likes....

So we did! And he's adjusted so incredibly well. Everybody loves Nik and Nik loves everybody (though I'm missing a pic of him and Cleo, our calico). He is super sweet and snuggly, and loves to play-fight with both the dogs and the cats. He did have scabies when we got him, but we fortunately already had medication for it (one of the upsides of having so many animals - we have a home vet pharmacy at this point). So we treated it immediately and it hasn't spread despite our being far too soft to keep him quarantined (well, it wasn't just our softness - we also didn't want him to miss out on crucial weeks of learning, development, and socialization).

He's just the best. I have to admit, while we have a male dog we adopted in early 2018, I always said I'd only adopt female cats. I've just always had the sweetest, best female cats, and the male cats I've known have generally been unfriendly, if not outright aggressive. But the circumstances were just too perfect. The only complaints I have so far are that, 1, despite being litter box trained, he's been shitting under our bed because he's so attached he doesn't want to leave our room. So of course I did what anyone would do and bought a litter box for the bedroom. And 2, he's definitely got some attachment issues and screams endlessly if I kick him out of the bedroom so we can sleep. Fortunately, this is easily solved by making sure I don't just kick him out, but take him all the way out to the rec room where the other cats are so he's not lonely.

Also... he's definitely an ass man 🤣

And my last little gem for you all is this: I have turned my poor Nik into yet another iPad baby. If you have cats, especially young kittens, and haven't heard of the app Cat Alone... girl have I got a TREAT for you! Just look at him. This is a tame video, but he usually goes nuts hopping all over my phone chasing the beetles. They make fun noises when he gets 'em.

And it's not just beetles - you can pick from other bugs, a finger, or a green laser pointer-style dot of light. I usually let him pick now, and he actually knows which ones he likes and clicks them! And to top it off, he's started asking for my phone when he wants to play by jumping on it and biting at it, then sitting up and staring at me until I get the message.

I'm sure I'll be reblogging this and posting a ton more Nik content (tagged Nik & in my catposting, petposting, and mine tags). Let me know if you have any specific requests for content of him or any of our other 3 cats and 2 dogs! I love sharing the immense love and comfort we get from our zoo with the rest of the world.

And lastly, since he knows how to use the phone, if you comment or reblog and say hi or welcome home to Nik, I'll let him type out a personalized reply for you 😋

[stormanbates]

Turtle Tots: Sick Babies

Splinter knew from the moment he opened his eyes that his sons were sick. The 3 year old, twin 2 year olds and 1 year old were coughing, sneezing and sniffling and crying about being cold, even though they felt very warm to the touch.

And when Splinter tried to look in Blue's throat, the normally compliant tot pushed his arms away and cried that the back of his mouth hurt.

"I know, let me see." Splinter said.

So, Leo complied, opening his mouth wide enough for his dad to have a look.

The turtle's normally pink throat had turned red.

"Sore throats, slight fever, chills, cough, stuffy noses, here it is!" Splinter found the page in one of his baby books he procured when he became a father.

"You all have a cold." He said, closing the book.

"Cowd?" Raph asked.

"Yes, Red, a cold. You kids stay here." Splinter went to his own bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. Not good.

The only medicine in there was cold medicine for adults, as instructed on the label, no one under 12 should drink it.

Splinter had a choice to make. Bundle up the kids and take them to the surface, where a pharmacy was 2 blocks away from their main manhole cover, or leave them to avoid crying toddlers bringing attention to the mutants.

It was too risky, but he didn't see someone drop Children's Tylenol down their sewer grate. That was for coins, paper boats and the occasional 2005 cell phone.

"Raphael, listen to me very carefully. I need you to stay here with your brothers."

The red masked turtle nodded. "Okay, why?"

"Daddy needs to go get some medicine to help you boys feel better. You just stay here and watch some tv." Splinter pressed the button on the remote and the projector turned on, replaying the movie the kids were watching the night before: Mulan.

"Okay. When will you be back?" Raph asked.

"Very soon, I'm just going down the street, getting the medicine, and I'll be right back home. It should be back before Mulan defeats the Huns." Splinter said, not wanting to confuse his son with time slots; he was only three.

"Okay!" Raph said, excited. He could watch his brothers while they snuggled in daddy's armchair and watched a movie.

With three baby turtles nestled snuggly with their big brother under a soft blanket, Splinter hurried outside, determined to get home as soon as possible to avoid anything bad happening while away.

He heard on television that children around his' ages being taken away because they were left alone. Sure, it was irresponsible to leave a three year old in charge of 3 kids under three, but Splinter saw no other option: he had no partner to watch them and he couldn't risk them being found out.

He'd only be gone a few minutes.

He raced to the Walgreens, contemplating on running on all fours to go faster, but he decided against it, not wanting to make a scene.

'Stay calm, don't panic!' He told himself.

To the rest of the store occupants, Splinter looked like an average mid-sized man in thick clothes, just shopping around.

A good sign.

Splinter followed the signs that led him to the children's medicine.

'Whoa! There's so many options!'

Colds, fever, colds and fever, teething, upset stomach, saline drops, acid reflux relief, etc.

'Kids can get these?' He thought. He cursed himself for being so unprepared.

'One problem at a time.' He thought as he picked up a box containing the cure to his sons' ailment.

The box said it helps stabilize the symptoms of colds and flu.

But he had another problem. Flavors.

When he watched sitcoms, whenever the child in the show got sick, they refused to take medicine because of how yucky it was. And Splinter remembered that in his own childhood, he hated taking medicine, no matter how sick he felt.

Now he knew how the adults in his life felt.

There were Cherry, Grape, Strawberry and Bubblegum.

"Can I help you, sir?" A voice made Splinter jump.

He turned and saw a young woman wearing the store's uniform.

Splinter didn't know what to say, so he decided to keep things as vague as possible to avoid suspicion.

"My toddlers have a cold. What would you recommend?"

She bought it.

"Ah, I would recommend this." The women, who Splinter saw from her nametag was named Ashleigh, grabbed a box from the shelf: Cherry flavored Children's Tylenol. "I buy this for my little girl all the time. Can't get enough. Should I bring these up to the counter for you?"

"Yes." Splinter said, before deciding to be prepared for the next bout of sickness. "I'll take two."

"And I'm not usually a person who gives advice, but I would also recommend a bulb syringe, just to get snot out of their nose."

"I'll take it!" Splinter said, not because he was interested, but because he wanted her to leave him with his thought to avoid being seen.

"Very well, sir." She turned and walked away with his items.

So far, so good.

Splinter stood in line, feeling nervous. The clock behind the counter told him he had already been gone too long and he had to get home.

He forced himself to relax, and his eyes wandered. That's when he saw it.

Candy!

There was a sale on old Halloween candy for a steal: 75% off! What a deal! The boys would be happy.

Grabbing a bag of assorted mini chocolate bars and bags of sour candies, Splinter finally got the clerk that helped him earlier.

"Two boxes of Children's Tylenol, a bulb syringe and bag of sweets, that will be 17. 49." Ashleigh said.

Splinter slammed a 20 dollar bill on the counter. "Keep the change, you've been a big help."

Truth be told, he didn't want to wait for this young lady to count out his change: he HAD to get home.

"Have a nice day, sir."

"Ditto." Splinter called as he took his bag and practically ran out the door.

He got home in record time.

And not a minute sooner.

"Daddy! Mikey stinky!" Leo yelled.

Splinter went to the tv room to see Raphael and Donatello watching Mulan, and Leonardo trying to keep Michaelangelo from touching his precious comic book, which was laid on the floor. Mikey was fussing, and from the stench coming from him, Splinter knew why.

"Come here, you little stinker." Splinter scooped up his youngest, relieved that nothing went wrong while he was out.

After changing the diaper, where Mikey whined from the cold wipes combined with his sick state, Splinter got the medicine from his bag and opened the box to take out the bottle of dark red liquid.

Using his tail to grab a spoon, he ordered his sons to line up.

"Open wide, Red." Splinter tilted the spoon towards his son's mouth, waiting for the grimacing.

"Yeck!" Raph retched. "What is that?"

"It will help you feel better. It's medicine." He turned to the second oldest. "Your turn, Blue."

The blue masked turtle slapped his hands over his mouth to avoid the medicine. He saw Raph's reaction and wanted nothing to do with it.

"Come on, open wide!" Splinter said, trying to coax the toddler to take his medication.

Again, Blue wouldn't budge.

Then Splinter had an idea.

"Oh, well, I guess I'll have to take it myself..." he turned the spoon towards his own mouth, which made the blue turtle go "nuh uh! Mine!"

When Blue took the spoon in his mouth, he still gagged.

'Works every time.' Splinter chuckled as he refilled the spoon.

Donnie sniffled and coughed, so he barely noticed the taste of the liquid. At least he was cooperative when he was sick, Splinter took that note.

And now was Mikey...

Trying to get the orange turtle to take anything on a spoon was a task and a half and Splinter almost gave up, but he thought of something.

When Mikey was trying mashed carrots for the first time, Splinter read from his baby books about "play feeding". He decided to see if that would work.

"Here comes the airplane! Rewwwwr!" Splinter waved the spoon and soon, Mikey's attention was grabbed and he opened his mouth gladly for the spoon.

He immediately regretted it and almost spit it out.

"Good boys. Now for dessert." Splinter held up the bag of candy.

The boys' eyes lit up!

Normally, Splinter would never let them eat candy before meals, but he decided to let it slide since they felt so icky from their cold.

He soon regretted it when 4 boys were bouncing off the ceiling in their bedroom while Splinter was making soup for their cold.

As he chopped various vegetables and poured them into the simmering pot of broth, he could hear the screeching and cheerful yelling as the boys played.

"I guess the Tylenol worked." He said to himself as he sprinkled parsley into the pot. He'd have to stock up on this stuff if it instantly cured his sons.

Soon, the noise stopped and the rat-man knew that meant trouble.

Silence is golden, unless you have 4 toddlers.

Turning the stove low to avoid burning, he rushed to the bedroom that the boys shared and was baffled at the sight.

As if by magic, all four had just plopped into a big pile in the middle of the floor and were fast asleep.

Reading the medicine's side effects, he chuckled at the words.

"May cause drowsiness. Ha! You think?"

No matter, the soup still needed time to cook, so the boys could have a peaceful nap followed by a delicious meal.

Splinter gently put his sons in their cribs (yes, cribs, they were still babies to him), and turned out the light.

Finally, a moment of peace.

Until...

"*Cough* *cough*"

"*sniff*"

"Achoo!"

"Waaaaaahhhh!"

Splinter sighed and got up to heat up the soup.

"That was nice while it lasted. Here we go, again." He entered the room to greet his sickly children with a smile.

[whatamibutabutteredcroissant]

For Vague Angst Dialogue:

11 "They shouldn't treat you like that." with Fearne, if you please?

Prompt Ok, so, confession time... I may have been a little dumb and reblogged some prompts because I liked them, and forgot that they're for ask games. However, I cannot stop thinking about this prompt and I've been looking for a reason to get back into writing. So, thank you so much for the ask, and I hope I can do it some kind of justice! (However it may be awful kdlakjhdlajsh) This ficlet is set in the hotel room in Yios. Also, hope it's ok that I don't write the exact line into this. <3

"Can any of y'all smell burnin'?"

Fearne could, in fact, smell burning. Fearne could also feel burning. But just as she was about to leap out of bed, there was a hoarse scream, and a splash, and then in place of the fiery heat licking up her left side there was the icy shock of a cold glass of water.

"Take that, you little bastard hellspawn!" cried the tremulous voice of one Mr. Chetney Pock O'Pea.

"Chet!" squealed Fearne, shooting bolt upright and clutching a screeching, soggy and very displeased Little Mister to her chest "Why would you do that? He was just trying to make himself all nice and cozy!"

"Cozy? That creature attempts arson on a daily basis, Fearne! How long d'you think it's gonna be 'til he actually kills one of us?" Chetney questioned, his normally adoring gaze replaced with one of a very pissed-off and sleep-deprived old man.

"Rheaaahk!" retorted Mister.

"Awwww, my poor baby boy!" cooed Fearne, her attention immediately diverted "It's okay bubba, Mommy's got you, she's not gonna let the nasty little man hurt you anymore. He doesn't get to yell at you like that.". Mister draped himself over her shoulder with a foul glance at his attacker, and a few more disgruntled chatters. "There we go. All safe and snuggly". Fearne looked up from her position on the bed to see the rest of the Hells watching her, unimpressed but not sure how far to take the matter. A flash of worry crossed her mind. What if they tried to make her sleep separately from Mister? What if they tried to make her get rid of him? He was her only little piece of home, her constant throughout all of her travels and uncertainty. Without him, she would feel so vulnerable, so out of place, so-

Orym's tiny hand brushed her shoulder. "It's okay, Fearnie. I think he's learned his lesson for tonight. How about we find him some sort of heatproof blanket tomorrow? That's the joy of being in a city. They've got a fix for every problem, you know.". Fearne's jaw unclenched at her best friend's steady voice, and she was once again reminded of how grateful she was for the ever-calm and rational presence of Orym.

"Okay." she whispered, and stroked the soft (but slightly damp) fur of her beloved fire monkey.

The rest of the group made noises of agreement, and started getting comfortable again in their respective cuddle piles. Laudna wistfully stroked Pâté, before nodding at Fearne, and Imogen put a hand on Laudna's shoulder in understanding. Ashton grunted in acknowledgement before turning their back to everyone, and Letters gave a last nervous glance around the room before powering off once more. Relief and gratitude flooded into her bones at the immediate acceptance from her team.

"Sorry for throwing water at you, Fearne." said Chetney, a shadow of guilt on his wizened face.

"No, that's okay, Chet. Thanks for not letting me burn to death." replied Fearne. She laid down and offered him her arms, and drifted back to sleep with Chetney as a little spoon, Orym in the bend of her knee, Little Mister in the crook of her neck, and the knowledge that no matter the problem, her little family would always help her find a solution. Even if there was some impromptu baths, arguments and chaos along the way.

[miirshroom]

The Dark Souls Pendant

A simple pendant with no effect. Even so, pleasant memories are crucial to survival on arduous journeys.

I have been looking up the 12 year old discourse over the Dark Souls Pendant item.

People like to bring it up as an example of Miyazaki "trolling" by saying he'd pick a useless item as a starting gift. With evidence being in a later interview saying that was "a bit of an intention to play a prank". I agree that there is a prank happening here, but it took all of 15 minutes for me to read a few wiki pages and think of at least four reasons why Miyazaki would pick the pendant as a starting gift. So. I will go through them.

1) Questline Importance

To draw attention to the nature of hollows, and perhaps generally incentivize people to look at questlines holistically in considering the fail states to be as significant as the successes. There is an NPC in the game named Rhea who drops the pendant item if her quest terminates early by being slain by another NPC - Petrus. If her quest is progressed further to the Duke's Archives (crystal dragon library) she turns hollow and instead upon death only drops her Ivory Talisman - no Pendant. The Ivory Talisman is an interesting thing of itself to be obtained at the end of this quest, considering that its name translates to "the false dreams of the greatness of man" (poet Virgil wrote of receiving false dreams by passing through the gates of ivory, and "talis" is Latin for "so great"). But regardless, turning hollow = loss of the pendant = loss of pleasant memories.

2) For Trade Value

a.k.a. Affiliation with the Blade of the Dark Moon covenant. The Pendant may be traded to the invisible crow "Snuggly" who desires things that are soft and warm. In return, the player receives the Souvenir of Reprisal that is used to increase rank in the Dark Moon covenant. This item has the form of "a blood drained shrunken ear". Some sources say that this use for the pendant was not available at launch and only patched in later, but regardless as the director Miyazaki would have known that this trade is intended. And perhaps this is the extent of the prank - he knew for a fact that the "functionality" of the item literally did not exist but what it does have are its trade value and its lore value.

3) Rejection of the Dark Moon Covenant

The Dark Moon Covenant is unlocked by finding a plain gold coloured ring called the Darkmoon Seance Ring and equipping it to speak with secret endgame boss Gwyndolin behind a fog wall. If you ever cross the fog wall to see Gwyndolin you get kicked out of the covenant. Members of this covenant use the blue eye orb to invade other players who have committed PVE or PVP "sins", where the names of players who have done and their sin level are written in the Book of the Guilty. Altogether quite convoluted. Originally, before the launch of Dark Souls Miyazaki said that he would choose the pendant or "nothing". I imagine because he is not a game character who needs an item to recall pleasant memories - he is a person who keeps his memories in his head. And similarly the Souvenir of Reprisal would be a reprisal on a meta level. Something of a warning against being so willing to trade away happy memories in the service of an intangible entity. Weigh and measure what it costs to devote hours to hunting achievements and secrets and high ranks in video games compared to anything else that you could be doing or thinking about.

4) Foreshadowing

This is also sortof a combination of points 2 and 3. As mentioned, the Souvenir of Reprisal is in the form of a severed ear. And I can't help but notice that Sir Gideon Ofnir's illustration at the start of Elden Ring shows him lying in a bed of severed ears. Ofnir being a name for Odin, who famously has two ravens named "Thought" and "Memory". Considering that the pendant is representative of memory there are some pieces that can be put together here. Also, wiggling at the corner of my mind are the opening lines of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." Speaking of foreshadowing, put a pin in that for later - it might become relevant when discussing the significance of the Rubicon River and the longest year in the history of the Roman calendar.

But then there is also the Dark Moon covenant, which comes back in Elden Ring in connection to Ranni. It is in the lore snippets that Ranni was affiliated with the Dark Moon, but this is perhaps no longer the case - I find it more likely that she left the Dark Moon behind in Chelona Rise and now merely adopts the aesthetic. She never does use the spell that has her name attached to it. There is no dark moon covenant in Elden Ring - or any covenants - because FromSoft does not care any more to stoke player incentive to grief others or to have a group of players dedicated to griefing the "rulebreakers". People are more than happy to deliver unpleasant memories to other people for free.

So for the people who would accept nothing less than the Pendant being a mechanical key that opens a secret door - they are missing the point of the "trolling". Instead of making a pleasant memory out of exploration and appreciating the artistic work for what it is, they have chosen to make it a negative memory of the time they pushed all of the buttons in a Skinner box and nothing happened. And memetically convey this experience upon other people. Placing external blame on an internal inability to cope with trial and failure to receive a reward that was never actually promised. It is indeed a failure to internalize that basically every time Dark Souls - and Miyazaki himself - "pranks" its players it is to teach a lesson about the themes of the game underlying the lore.

(Also, the Pendant does have a legitimate use in the Dark Souls boardgame. The Pendant image is attached to the "Heroic Action" token that is flipped to indicate usage of the special abilities of each class. The boardgame was designed and released multiple years after the video game, but would have passed approvals with FromSoft, for what it's worth.)

[aconflagrationofmyown]

My darling Marina. I had to wait until today to be able to sit down and really focus on Welcome to Germany, and boy am I glad I did! Here are the lines that particularly affected me.

“Mamas! that really you?” a very darling and familiar voice carries over a couple dozen heads in the tubular space and it makes you want to giggle over how desperate he sounds. Like he’s rescuing you from the lion’s den instead of a commercial airline.

“Can’t.” you holler, “you’re clogging the drain, daddy.”

Sickeningly sweet. I love it. <333

...I’ll get you full again, just hang in there, hang in there, oh goddamn, I hear ya whinin, those tiny fingers of yourn ain’t doin near enough, are they….”

And then you just go and kill me with that entire paragraph! Lmao

—god what a vision. His wife. Twelve hours on a plane and all it cost you was a droop to your eyelids that vanishes the moment you catch sight of him. That old spark in your eyes lights up and your face burns red as a smile splits your cheeks apart and he loves you so badly, loves knowing this ravenous joy hasn’t caressed your face since last time you saw him, he alone provokes that look.

He is starving for you and it only grows as he registers in relief that you’re eyeing him up appraisingly, taking in the adjustments that “rigorous army life” has made on his physique and face.

And love, he gave you that, security, direction and a devotion you weren’t quite sure you had a large enough heart to match, but my god you wanted to try.

If there's one thing I've always hoped for, it's to have a love so intimate, so primal that neither of us could bear to be apart, and reading these words immersed me even deeper in the story. <3

...but yer gonna apologize to my lil wife, too, you hear me? Go’on now, you scummy sunnuvabitch, you don’t even deserve to look at er.”

I wonder how Elaine feels when she thinks about this later. 👀 Her big strong man, defending her honor. 😏

Anyway, I am so glad you're continuing this series. With your talent, it'd be a crime not to! ❤️‍🔥 I didn't want to go off on too long a tangent, but MAN! I'm going to need some "private time" after reading this. Matter of fact, I think I'm gonna go read it again. 🥴

Oh my dear, I’m ever so glad that you liked it. I’ve truly missed them and can’t wait to explore and share more… like, what Elaine thinks and does about her Big Strong Man defending her honor 😏 . . . I’m thinking snuggly pallet on the floor because they are at someone else’s house in Germany for their first night reunited and the headboard banging is a dead give away

[drowningindango]

"holding hands during a stressful situation" is this not canon for madaobi in the 4th war?

(It's true. Many people are so distracted by NaruHina holding hands that they don't notice the villains were holding hands the entire time while murdering people. /jk

Anyway, here you go <3 Read under the cut or on ao3.)

The roar of the Juubi rolled over the battlefield with a force that shook the earth. It disturbed the masses of people on the ground, causing them to scatter and reform whenever a bijuu dama was sent towards them. With the eye of an ordinary shinobi, the people below them would look like ants, indistinguishable from each other from this height. But the two Uchiha standing on top of the Juubi were blessed with enhanced eyesight. It was easy to spot the two jinchuuriki and the bigger threats in the crowd.

But the further the Juubi evolved, the harder it was to control it.

Obito felt the strain it put on his psyche and chakra to stay in control. The beast was as difficult to steer as a giant ship, and not because it was unwilling, no. It was numb, mindless… and it needed a strong will to convince it to move at all. The hurdle only grew the more power it gained.

If it had not been for Madara…

He glanced to his left, where the other man stood. He was also connected to the Juubi and it helped. Usually, too many cooks spoil the broth. Two heads to control the juubi should have been difficult to balance. But with Madara it felt as natural as breathing.

His eyes wandered lower, to where their hands were snuggly intertwined.

He could sense their chakra flowing, dancing together, forming a leash to keep the Juubi in line. Despite the manifestation of pure power boiling right underneath his feet, Obito stood there unfazed, grounded. Madara's hand was not warm, not cold, his grip was firm yet he almost forgot they were touching at all. Like an extension of Obito's self, or perhaps it was the other way around. That was likely how Madara would see it.

There was a near unnoticeable sting in his chest. He shoved it away. He always knew he was nothing but a means to an end to the old man. A mindless little pawn whose ultimate job was to ensure Madara would be revived. No matter how it looked from the outside, there was nothing intimate to this act of holding hands. Nothing emotional. It would be a naive mistake to assume it meant anything…

Obito inhaled his breath just a tad sharper when a pinky slowly grazed the outside of his hand. His eyes flickered back to Madara, but the other man was still focused on the movements of the resistance below. Maybe it was an accident, he thought, but then Madara began to stroke his skin again, this time with his thumb. A single, repetitive pattern that went back and forth. "Soothing" was the first thing that came to mind, but this action only confused him more.

What need was there for this kind of assurance? It was not like either of them was scared of the pitiful, unenlightened crowd beneath them.

The tender, almost unnoticeable touches continued. Whatever intention was behind them, they at least served a purpose and calmed him down. Controlling the Juubi was becoming easier and easier by the minute. He could sense that Madara was in a similar state, and for a moment, he felt good… until he remembered that this mental connection was a two way street. Everything he felt, Madara felt as well. The realisation was enough of a distraction that suddenly the Juubi missed its next shot. Obito's jaw tensed and he shot Madara another look.

The tiniest of smirks lifted that bastard's lips.

And then their eyes locked and fuck if he didn't want to wipe away that smug grin with something.

Obito hastily looked away.

But his own fingers began to return the favour.

[lassieposting]

LASSIE HAS DOGE?????????????????????

I have three! They're family dogs tho, so they live with my mom, not with me

(1) Our grumpy old man malamute, Boof. He's loud and likes to have conversations with you. If I facetime and ask "Where's my big buddy?" he'll start wooing at me.

(2) Fat little baby, Gobling. She loves shoving her tongue up your nose and tries to roll in your face if you blow raspberries at her

(3) puppy farm rescue mama, Anxious Mop. We've had her since 2019 and we still can't touch her, but she will take food ever so gently from your hand and if you ask her "Baby want fish?" she gets excited for a fish biscuit. She'll sometimes sit on the far end of the couch with me if I'm quiet and I don't move. Literally the most traumatised little dog ive ever met i just want to love on her always

There's also

Baby Himbo. He's braincell-negative and full of love. He's only like six months but he has been a snuggly lapcat from day one and his latest thing is to very gently touch my eyelashes or make gentle biscuits on my cheek. He gets the noisiest rumbles and if you don't kiss him on your way past the cat tree he cries. He took one look at Anxious Mop and was like "it's free mama"

I also have a whole army of Frenpets™ i love who get their own folder of pictures on my laptop

[sassy1121]

I posted 1,360 times in 2022

That's 1,031 more posts than 2021!

132 posts created (10%)

1,228 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ourflagmeanslgbtqia

@queerpiracy

@forpiratereasons

@creepy-paper

@knowlesian

I tagged 1,298 of my posts in 2022

Only 5% of my posts had no tags

#our flag means death - 519 posts

#wwdits - 277 posts

#fan art - 145 posts

#taika waititi - 65 posts

#text post meme - 47 posts

#frenchie - 41 posts

#😂 - 37 posts

#fandom crafting - 26 posts

#david jenkins - 20 posts

#harvey guillén - 20 posts

Longest Tag: 119 characters

#however as an apparently official old i must say i’m identifying with the teachers and parents more than anyone else 😬

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

"Hey, I meant to ask before -- has the dolly got a name?"

Wee John looked down at the rag doll nestled snuggly between his forearm and belly. "Nah, haven't had 'em long. Found it in a trunk and just..." He blushed a little and looked away. "It's silly."

Frenchie looked at him with open curiosity. "Nah, mate -- what? It's adorable. Just thought if it was gonna be roommates with us, I should know its proper name. Just been callin' it 'Dolly' in my head, but that seems disrespectful if it's not her name. His name? Their?" He looked a bit like he was trying to do sums in his head.

Wee John furrowed his brow and mumbled, "Hadn't really thought about it. Never had a doll before."

"What, never? Not even when you were a wee lad?"

He scoffed. "Never was 'a wee lad'. Always been big and always had to act grown. I can't remember anyone ever treating me like a lad, not really."

It was Frenchie's turn to scowl. "You said you made dresses with your mum -- you never made the scraps into toys or nothin'? I had a rag doll my mum made from a walnut and a scrap of linen." A small smile lit his face at the memory.

"Oh, there was no time for any foolishness like that. Work, work, work, it was. Ten mouths to feed, and me the man of the house."

Frenchie's look of sympathy was confusing. Isn't that how it is for everyone who grows up to be a fuckin' pirate? Besides His Nibs, of course. "I get it, man. Still a shame though. Every kid deserves something of their own, just for fun."

Wee John thought he might cry, but he pushed it aside. "I suppose... I suppose I'd call her Sinéad, after my nan?"

Frenchie reached out to gently take the doll's hand and bowed ever so slightly. "Very pleased to make your acquaintance, Sinéad. Welcome to the room. But so's you know, the bed is for sleepin' and the nook --" he pointed to the corner "-- is only for sittin'."

Wee John held Sinéad's arm and shook Frenchie's hand for her. "Much obliged," he said in a voice higher than his own.

"Well, now that's settled," Frenchie grinned, "where exactly are we gettin' these mints?"

88 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

#4

Tonight my kid (13??? for those keeping track at home) asked me what “slash fic” means. She was so, so, SO offended when I told her. Offended that there’s a special word for it. 

We had an extremely interesting discussion about why you would need a word just for that, and what the fic and fandom landscape looked like before she was born. 

Then I told her about the word “femslash” and she got EVEN MORE OFFENDED. 

I think we landed on “well now if you say ‘fanfic’ people *assume* it’s gay, so CHECKMATE STRAIGHTS”

163 notes - Posted May 21, 2022

#3

me, anytime I've forgotten to do something or not been able to concentrate over the last week:

188 notes - Posted March 26, 2022

#2

Lighthouse Painting, my beloved.

(embroidery on random cotton fabric. it's about the size of a business card. i'm gonna stitch it to my bag, where it will get very beat up, so let's all just remember it as it is in this moment, shall we?)

207 notes - Posted April 22, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

4,248 notes - Posted April 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[petnews2day]

Adorable Dogs For Adoption At Hope Animal Rescue

New Post has been published on https://petnews2day.com/pet-industry-news/pet-charities/adorable-dogs-for-adoption-at-hope-animal-rescue/

Adorable Dogs For Adoption At Hope Animal Rescue

Hope Animal Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to rescuing and rehoming dogs in North Carolina. They promote the compassionate and humane treatment of all animals while focusing their efforts on homeless and at-risk pets.

Hope Animal Rescue’s mission is to protect and find good homes for abandoned or neglected companion animals. They advocate for dogs and their welfare while cultivating outreach initiatives to further the bond between people and their pets.

Hope Animal Rescue’s vision is to create a community where 100% of adoptable dogs find loving homes. They aspire to become a community where no pet dies due to overpopulation in shelters and rescues.

Hope Animal Rescue also saved over 350 dogs and assisted multiple families in crisis this year.

Below are some photos of some of their adoptable dogs.

The rescue is also in need of dog foster parents, and volunteers.

More info: hopeanimals.org

Meet Melba!

Melba is a petite (only 27 pounds) beagle mix. If you’re looking for a lap dog, you’ve come to the right place! Melba is a people-dog who wants to be with her humans. She loves to be petted, and when she’s comfortable with you, she likes to give kisses too!

Hello, I’m Chimichurri!

And just like my namesake, I’m exactly the extra flavor you need in your life. I am a curious, vibrant, sweet little dog who loves being around my people. I am about 14 pounds, five years old, and am very friendly and full of personality. If you have an open lap, I will hop right up on there and make myself at home. But sometimes I like exploring and seeing what’s going on outside the window just as much as I like hanging out with you.

Hi there! My name is Josephine

Thanks for checking out my bio! I’m roughly 3 years old, but a true lady never reveals her age. Other than that, I don’t have many secrets, and I have so much to tell you! I love to chew on toys and am happy to chill and hang out wherever you are, so I’m an ideal work-from-home buddy. I love pets, and I’m not shy about letting you know when I’m ready for them. No playing hard to get here-I’m a girl who knows what she wants!

Hi, I’m Sugar

She is a very special girl looking for a very special adopter. Sugar came to us after being found at a gas station with a gun shot wound. She’s fully recovered now and is searching for a new home where she can really get the second chance she needs at a new life. Sugar has a lot of wonderful traits that would make her a great companion for the right person. She is crate-trained and house-trained. She loves going on long hikes and would thrive with an active owner that would take her on adventures in the woods.

Hi there, I’m Tootie!

I’m a young, 2-year-old who had a rough start in life. I was found as a pregnant stray, but some kind of humans found me and I was eventually brought to Hope Animal Rescue. I love to play and cuddle, and all I want in life is good food, chew toys, and a warm loving home to call my own. I am house-trained, and settle in my crate quickly. I am also very good at learning to walk well on a leash.

Meet Cub!

This little bear Cub is a sweet, snuggly love bug. His favorite thing in the whole world is hammock time with his human; he would lounge there all day if he could. He is a happy, wiggly boy who loves to play with toys, people, and other dogs. He hasn’t met anyone or anything he doesn’t love! He’s a mellow little man most of the time with clumsy bursts of puppy energy.

[babblydrabbly]

The Audit || Rick Flag x Reader || Professor AU || Pt 3

FROM EDEN Masterlist || Main Masterlist

Smut - 3k words - warnings: language. dom!rick. pet names. kissing. oral (m receiving). facefucking. masturbation (f). implied captain boomerang x blackguard. Rick is about 45-50. Reader is around 30.

A/N: thank you to @loverhymeswith for beta reading ♡ sorry for all the different formats with these posts, im trying to see what works. anyway, enjoy some professor boomerang in this one too. Part 3/?

[Gif]

You visit Rick on campus and get a taste of his work life.

“Excuse me.” You approach the man in his mid-thirties, mistaking him for a student.

You navigated the campus well enough as you strolled toward your destination on foot. But at the top of the hour, just as you entered the Humanities building, you were swarmed with hundreds of students hurrying off to their next classes, turning you all around as you searched for the right room.

Digger Harkness glares up from his phone. He wears a thick wool coat and sweater, the collar of a dress shirt peeking up around his neck all askew. With a thermos tucked under his arm and his beanie pulled snuggly over a nest of golden curls, he gives you the impression of someone nursing a terrible hangover on his way to class himself.

Digger blinks, remembering where he is, it seems. Tucking the phone back into an inner pocket of his coat, he nods to you. “Yeah?”

“Am I on the right floor for Andru Hall?”

You refrain from mentioning Rick’s name. Still, the man appears to leer at you knowingly, his eyes flitting up and down your dress and peacoat.

“Ancient Greek, ay?” He smirks. Digger tosses his head in the direction behind you. “Flag’s on the right. If you really wanna get into Greece y’should come take my course. Hellenistic art ‘n sculpture next semester. 3020.”

Your mouth falls open a little. “You’re a professor?”

“Don’t sound so shocked, love.” He grins, already walking away. “3020! Take it!”

You dart your eyes around, hoping nobody else notices your exchange. As much as you’re delighted in surprising Rick today, you certainly didn’t want to get him in trouble. You shake your head before you overthink the strange man’s pointed look at you and turn in the direction of Rick’s lecture hall.

You wait until the last student exits the large hall before slipping your way inside. The carpeted floor creaks from old age and use, the sound swallowed up by the rows and rows of cushioned chairs separated by small writing desks. Your impressed whistle teases Rick’s attention up from the lectern. He blinks over at you from his notes, clearly surprised.

You smile at the professor coyly as you approach him, veering off to take a step onto the stairs leading up to the higher seats.

“Sheesh. How many seats does this place hold?” You wonder aloud.

Rick removes his reading glasses with an amused smile. “Around two hundred. But it drops to about a hundred and fifty by the time midterms roll around.”

“Oh?” You lace your fingers behind your back as you imagine Rick speaking to such a big room. “Scare them off?”

The man snorts softly. “Bore ‘em half to death’s more like it.”

“Well, Professor Flag… I’m quite interested in historical linguistics and I was wondering if I could audit your lecture today. I’ve got a lot to learn about romance languages. What do you think?”

Rick’s eyes flit over the dark green of your a-line dress and black stockings, his face never giving away even a glint of the dark look he so desires to shoot you with. He shuffles his papers around in a neat pile and nods up to the back of the hall.

“Better keep that coat on.” He warns. The playfully stern tone that floats over to you is nothing like the real one. That deep, sultry voice that sets your skin aflame and your knees weak. Here, your little exchange has your smile threatening to split into a grin. Rick arches his brows and glances at you from over the top of his glasses, also amused. “I don’t want any distractions from you, Darlin’.”

You shrug innocently, turning back up the steps as the first early students begin to roll in.

The lecture itself is quite compelling. Perhaps it’s your investment in the speaker, but Rick’s interest in his own subject is clear from your point of view. You’d already spent a few weeks getting to see him like this in the evenings- the way he murmurs to himself-  making note of things to add of later in his lecture slides as you lounge beside him in bed. How you’ve slipped some notes off his lap and flipped through them, committing his hurried scrawl in the margins to memory.

Halfway through his presentation Rick releases the class for a short break. You stay in your seat like most of the students do, though a few of them venture out to snack or use the restroom.

You take the opportunity to slip your arms from your coat and push the fabric back onto your seat. It doesn’t take long for Rick’s eyes to do a sweep of his hall and clock you minutely as he does so. You cross your legs beneath the tiny slate of wood that makes up your ‘desk’, and you know if you time it right, Rick can see the clip of your garter fastened to your stocking.

The professor’s double take is nearly imperceivable. But you chuckle mutely into your palm as he clears his throat from across the room. Shifting around, you seat yourself more modestly as everyone begins returning to their seats. It was far from your normal attire at the coffee shop, but you considered visiting Rick at his job for the first time a special occasion. It was only fair- how many mornings had Rick shed his coat and jacket in your shop, distracting you from your tasks with his broad, sculpted form and impeccable clothes?

You’re pulled from your musings when the young man in the row in front of you turns around. You pretend to scroll on your phone as he and the girl beside you chat about the class. Your ears perk up when the coursework talk eventually falls on Rick himself.

“I’m pretty sure I saw him out on the lake this weekend.” You stiffen.

“Our lake?”

The girl beside you and the girl beside her both lean in.

Their friend shakes his head. “No, it’s about an hour away. I swear to god, he was on the water with some woman.”

You’d never been sailing prior to Rick Flag. You frequented the lake nearer to the campus, as the girls assumed, often taking walks with your dog or reading on the shore. But Rick had proposed a spot with a little bit more privacy… —apparently not too much more privacy.

“Did you recognize her? Was she a teacher?” The girl asks.

You relax internally when the man shakes his head.

“Nah, they got too far away. I was busy looking at Professor Flag. Guy’s fucking shredded.”

A low chorus of giggles. You bite back a smile.

“And you won’t fucking believe this— Flag? Hot Mr. Rogers? Tattoos all up and down his arms. Sleeves.”

“Shut the fuck up. You’re lying.”

“Professor Sweater Vest?”

“Professor Daddy. I told you.” One of the girls nudges the other playfully with an elbow. “He’s sexy.”

You press your lips into your palm, smothering a giggle of your own as the three continue to gossip.

You couldn’t blame them. Rick never ceased to surprise you with every day you spent together. But the tattoos were one of the biggest surprises yet. It was only recently that the two of you could lay bare together— the first time you had pulled his sleeves down his tanned, muscular arms, you had whimpered, your breath shuddering at the sight.

Rick caught your stare with a sly smirk. He braced both elbows on the bed on either side of you, his mouth connecting with your neck to elicit more of your broken little sounds. Goosebumps flared across his skin as you mouthed at his inner bicep in return- tongue laving along the dark, inky lines stretching over every muscle.

You blink when the idle projector comes back to life. Rick returns to the lecture as you shift in your seat faintly, suddenly too hot for even your cardigan. You carefully unbutton the piece of clothing and fold it over the back of your chair with your coat.

Rick is in the middle of talking about the birth of all modern European alphabets when he notices you lean forward from the back of the room. You smile at him softly as he clears his throat. His hazel eyes flit away before they linger too long on the curve of your neck and the pendant you pinch between your fingers absently as you listen on.

+

Rick spins you around the moment you lock his office door. Your back presses to the wood as he cages your body in, tilting your chin up in his hand.

“Told you to leave that jacket on.” He warns against your lips. You nudge forward to close the gap between your mouths. Rick applies pressure to your throat gently to keep you in place. You simper, but smile wickedly up at him.

“I was getting warm.” You whisper. You press your thighs together like you did back in the lecture hall, your core already hot with want. Rick’s knee pushes between your legs. You curl your fingers around his lapels.

Rick’s lips drag down your jaw teasingly until they find your throat- feel your pulse hammer against your skin as he keeps you pinned.

“The way you expound on diachronic and synchronic syntax…” You bat your eyelashes.

Rick snorts against your neck. With a single heave, he scoops you up by the back of the thighs, drawing your legs around his waist. Rick walks you both over to his desk and falls into the leather chair, all while finally capturing your needy gasp with his lips.

You moan as his tongue slips inside your mouth, swallowing at it greedily. You admired the way he could stand there for three hours- shaping young minds- but you’ve had enough talk. This hour, you’d have the professor all to yourself.

You soon slip off his lap and run your hand down his front as you get on your knees between his. Rick’s head falls back against the chair, his fingers working his belt undone for you so you can spring his growing arousal free from his pressed slacks. The hot, velvety weight in your palm makes your mouth water.

Your eyes fall shut as you wrap your lips around the head of Rick’s cock. His taste is familiar on your tongue. Your cheeks hollow with a quiet hum when you feel those strong fingers slip into your hair and give you an encouraging tug. It’s a sharp, pleasurable feeling- one that travels down your spine and uncoils in your lower belly as you start to bob your head with enthusiasm.

Rick’s own pleasure is controlled today. You know you’re on the right track when his muted but resounding moan stays behind his clenched jaw. The sound makes your pussy clench with want.

You gasp as you pull your mouth off his length, sucking some air back into your burning lungs, and Rick tenderly brushes your hair back behind your ear. You smile, your grip replacing the wet warmth of your mouth to keep stroking his hard cock steadily.

“There’s a good girl.” He growls, voice thick. Despite the mild way he flicks his eyes down over you, there’s no mistaking the glint behind his black blown pupils.

You lean back down, your lips already parted and tongue pushed out to seek that taste you crave once more when a sudden, urgent knocking fills up the room. You startle there on your knees, eyes flying open. Normally, you’d marvel at the way he so calmly calls back to the stranger on the other side of the heavy door- but after hearing those rumors, you’re on edge now. Would this day turn out to be a terrible idea?

Your worry worsens when the voice in the hall doesn’t relent. Suddenly, their persistent, harried accent jostles your memory.

“I’m a little busy, Harkness.” Rick shoots back, a bit less patient now. He flashes an apologetic look down at you, his hand on your arm in a soothing manner.

“Fuck you you’re busy! I’m comin’ in!”

Panic cuts through you when Rick swears loudly, and you find yourself scooting beneath the large desk beside you, until Rick’s spread legs bracket you again, enclosing you in the small space.

Digger Harkness’s anxious steps across the carpet as you try your best to stay utterly still. He seems to start mid-conversation, picking up wherever he and Rick had last left off.

“Knew I shouldn’t have texted first. You said I had nothin’ to lose, Flag!”

“Where in the hell did you get that key, Harkness?” Rick interrupts irritably.

“Ah, right, Harls told me to give it back to you, mate.” You hear the light tinkle of a key being tossed onto the surface just above your head. “Fucker’s been sending me straight to voicemail all weekend, then I see ‘em in the quad just now and he just turns the hell around! What the fuck!”

“Listen- Harkness-”

After a few minutes, the tension in your limbs relaxes a bit- mostly to avoid the ache of crouching so uncomfortably as the art professor prattles on. Eventually, you dare to rest your cheek on Rick’s inner thigh as you wait in silence. And to his credit, Rick remains perfectly civil as he talks the man down from what seems to be a recurring episode.

You try to follow the conversation. Something about yet another staff member- A statistics professor? And a drunken night that seemed to go well enough. It certainly wasn’t your place, but it seemed to you that whoever this skittish Richard Hertz was, he had a bit of a ghosting streak. Your chest heaves with a silent sigh. You’re sympathetic- you really are- but you have other things on your mind.

You blink when Rick finally shifts in his chair minutely. Your breath must have stirred a reaction, because you witness Rick’s flagging erection twitch as he trails off mid sentence. The corner of your mouth ticks up and you repeat the soft action.

Rick’s knee jerks against the side of the desk with a notable bang. You freeze. Still, Harkness is unperturbed.

Carefully, you slide a hand up Rick’s slack-covered thigh until you’re inching near the man’s cock again.

“Look- George-  You’re better off ventin’ to Quinn on this one. I don’t know how much help I can be-” You grin, boldly wrapping your grasp around the base of his length. “I don’t even know the guy!” He bursts.

“Well thanks a lot, then, Flag! Christ. Department brothers, ay?”

You have no trouble working him to his full, thick self again as you toss propriety out the window and pump your grip up and down his long length. The tip of your tongue darts out, laving at the sensitive area on the underside of his swollen head.

Rick stutters uncharacteristically, “I… Y’know I’m a TA short this semester. These midterms are just-”

Harkness waves him off before he has to finish grinding out a labored excuse. “Yeah alright. Talk to ya at drinks Thursday night.”

“Lock it on your way out, Harkness.” Rick calls after his receding footsteps. The two of you wait a beat that feels like eternity.

A thrill runs through you when Rick doesn’t wheel away immediately after the room is plunged back into silence. You let out a soft, muffled yelp when his hand slip its way under the desk and wraps a portion of your hair around his knuckles deftly, the other hand pressing down the back of your head. Rick’s cock slides past your lips until your nose presses to the thatch of curls at the base. Tears prickle your eyes with a broken moan.

“Need my cock that much, huh, baby girl?”

You whimper again- an emphatic yes. Rick cants his hips, thrusting into your mouth with a deep groan. He fucks your face just like this, rough and quick, all while you stay wedged there between his muscular legs.

“Well go on now, you’re so eager. I know that needy little pussy’s aching for it.” He mocks. “Let’s see you come while you’re suckin’ me off so nice and pretty.”

You push your free hand down into the waistband of your lacy panties, whimpering again when your fingers make slick contact with your clit. And he’s right- of course he’s right- the ache between your legs sends you into a mess of high-pitched little sounds as Rick continues using your spit-covered mouth.

Your eyes roll up into your head when you come quickly, your hips jerking against your palm as you cry out. Rick muffles the debauched noise with an even rougher thrust of his cock, burying himself deep in the back of your throat as the sight of your blissful face sends him right over the edge- his cool demeanor from earlier coming apart at the seams with it.

Rick coaxes you of his softening length a short moment later and you take in a lungful of air gratefully. A careful thumb swipes at your shining bottom lip, collecting up the mess you’ve made of yourself with gentle care.

“Y’liked that, did you?” He muses, smirking down at you. Your cheek brushes his thigh as you rest your head on him once more. “I’ll have to thank Harkness somehow, then.”

“I can’t believe that man’s an instructor here. He seems so…”

“Manic?”

“Out of place.” You correct kindly.

“You’d be surprised.” Rick finally wheels his chair back, helping you up out of the small alcove. You slip onto his lap with ease as he places a hand over your tender knees, rubbing them fondly. “There’s plenty of crazy characters on this campus. And most of them always wind up buggin’ me.”

[darlingholland]

lucky stars

pairing: joshua bassett x reader

synopsis: late night drives lead to late night confessions.

word count: 1.1k

a/n: inspired by a lovely dream i had of this man :p hope you love it as much as i do! <33 p.s. i’m counting on y’all to get the reference

josh:

"hey! i miss you :p wanna go for a drive?"

seeing the message flash across your screen, you smile, replying with a simple,

"ofc! <3"

joshua had just arrived home from filming. moments alone with your best friend became a rarity, taking any chance you could to hang out.

happy to leave the comfort of your home, you hurry to get ready. your mind races as you think about what adventure you will get into tonight. car rides late at night have become a tradition of some sort for you and josh.

it was these car rides you missed most. car rides that consisted of you both singing as loud as you could. car rides that sparked countless inside jokes. car rides that made you fall in love with your best friend.

like a fanfic trope, you had fallen in love with your best friend. but unlike all those fics you've read, you were almost certain your best friend reciprocated your feelings. lingering touches here and there, frequent compliments, and oh so much more only validated your feelings.

these thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a notification coming from your phone.

"i'm here :)"

darting your way to your front door, you make sure to do a mental check for everything you need. anxiously, you take a deep breath and open the door.

your breath hitches as you see joshua, leaning against his parked car with his arms stretched out and a smile adorning his face. fumbling with your keys, eager to be in his arms again, you try your best to lock the door. once accomplished, you rush over to your curly-headed friend.

wrapping your arms securely around his neck, you let out a muffled "i missed you, joshy."

"happy to be back." hearing his voice for the first time in months filled you with delight. it was relieving having him in your arms again.

reluctantly pulling away, josh gently brushes his hand over your cheek, the action making you burn up.

"ready to go?" he asks with a gentle smile.

"always."

opening the passenger door, he helps you settle in. and as you wait for him to get in, your eyes wander over the interior of the car. that was until you spotted franklin in the back seat, seatbelt secured snuggly around the stuffed teddy's tummy.

you quietly laugh to yourself as joshua opens his door and takes a seat.

"what?" he asks as he follows your gaze. he laughs along with you once realizing.

"what? he missed you and wanted to come along with us." he whines.

"oh, i'm sure he did." you lightly tease.

after driving in comfortable silence for a couple minutes, you speak up "so, where are you taking us tonight, bassett?"

"uhh i thought we'd do a little stargazing. y'know, like old times." he looks over to give you the sweetest smile imaginable. his smile alone makes you melt into your seat.

"but it's only been three months." you respond with confusion.

"yeah, but it felt like an eternity without you."

oh the things this man does to you.

needing music to still your mind, you settle on harry styles. this prompts the two of you to sing along softly, all while sneaking loving glances at each other.

after some time of driving through random neighborhoods, joshua pulls up to a small grass field. after turning the car off, josh turns to you to say "lemme go get the blanket and we'll go, yeah?"

"okay," you nod, "but i'm bringing franklin."

"he would love nothing more." he says with a playful look before getting out of the car. as you reach for the handle, you find joshua has already opened the car door for you. flustered due to his manners, you whisper a meek "thank you."

on his way to the trunk, he opens the door leading to the backseat. smiling at josh's attentiveness, you quickly unbuckle franklin.

"ready?" josh asks, already standing beside you.

"yeah, are you?"

"always."

closing the door, josh places a hand on the small of your back, leading you over to the edge of the field. once he was satisfied with the spot, he haphazardly unravels the large blanket. after a couple seconds of watching him struggle adorably, you decide to help him flatten it out.

he gestures to the blanket, “after you.”

with a smile playing on your lips, you question him, "why are you being sweeter than usual, joshua?" you take a seat, setting franklin on your lap.

he takes a seat next to you, leaving little space between you.

"i've just missed you is all." he says as he wraps his arms tightly around your shoulders. you let playful groans as he does so.

"you're gonna make me squish franklin." you pout.

"he doesn't mind."

pulling away, you both look up. a blanket of dazzling stars cover the night sky. he picked a lovely night to go out.

"y'know, while i was out there filming," he starts, "i made sure to look up at the stars every night. and there was this one star, one star that would shine brighter than all the others."

you turn your head to look at him. his eyes, like the heavenly bodies above, twinkle.

he laughs lightly to himself, continuing, "and sometimes, after those long, stressful days, i would talk to this star. i would pour my heart out, wishing and thanking that singular star. and after some time, that star became my lucky star."

he turns you to, a gentle smile planted on his lips.

"i thanked my lucky star for you every night i was away."

your breath hitches, mind not preparing you for his words.

"i wished for you to be mine."

your heart pounds against your chest as you relay your words, "well, i think you should thank your lucky star again," you smile warmly, "because i'm gladly yours."

hand once again coming up to your face, josh gently cups your cheek. he takes a second to glance down from your eyes to your lips.

"are you alright with this?"

"of course i am."

it the gentlest kiss you've had, somehow not lacking any bit of desire. it was everything you could have wished for with years of uncertainty washing away with this one kiss. thinking about pulling away was just dreadful.

then suddenly, a stuttering hiss could be heard, followed by a light mist washing over you. pulling away from each other quickly, you two assess the situation. damn sprinklers.

you throw your head back in laughter, your mind immediately going to a certain movie, as josh scrambles to his feet.

"this feels familiar." you chuckle as you take the hand he's offered.

"now you have to giggle uncontrollably while we awkwardly run through the sprinklers" he teases.

grabbing onto your waist to steady you, josh pulls you into his chest.

"we could," you suggest, "or we can kiss again?"

he smirks, "yeah, let's do that."

exchanging more needy kisses throughout the night, you can't help but thank your lucky stars for your darling boy.