#LOOK AT THIS! It’s so snazzy he’s going to be leaving people questioning what kind of UFO just went past them

[lonelysoul029]

His Hufflepuff Secret ~ Four

<-Previous Chapter

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Day of the Yule Ball

"Hannah you look stunning!" Y/N praises, seeing her roommate walk out of the bathroom in a dandelion mermaid tail dress with her natural curls falling just below her shoulder.

The tall blonde blushes, "Me? Look at you! Who knew green is totally your colour?" Hannah looks her up and down and grins, "Every boy will want to be with you and every girl will want to be you!"

It's Y/N's turn to blush, "Oh, please. It's not like that." She turns to the mirror, placing one last pin into her bun. She decided to style her hair tonight in an updo, leaving a few curled strands to fall onto the sides of her face. Her eyeshadow is gold blending into a light colour at the inner part of the lids. The pink-stained lips are shiny with clear gloss, making her smile even brighter.

The two girls finish adding the final touches for tonight's looks then head to the common room, where they wait for their dates to arrive. They both sit on either end of a couch, careful not to wrinkle their dresses.

The boys' dormroom door opens and Hannah's date, Darren, walks out in a navy blue tuxedo. He greets the girls and walks up to Hannah, grinning. He offers his hand out to help her up, "Shall we, m'lady?"

"Why thank you, kind sir," Hannah takes his hand and gets up. She turns to Y/N, "Should we wait for you date Y/N?"

"No need," Y/N looks to the common room entrance, "He's already here."

The standing pair turns and sees someone they didn't ever expect to be anywhere near the Hufflepuff common room, Draco Malfoy. Hannah whips her head back around to face Y/N and gives her a questioning look, "Really?" she mouths.

Y/N just shrugs at her and then walks to the blonde in the white tux. His mouth is slightly open and his eyes are wide, making her giggle at her best friend's expression. "Take a picture, Malfoy. It'll last longer."

Draco seems taken aback. He rubs at the back of his neck, "You look, uhm.." he trails off.

She tilts her head to the side and raises an eyebrow at him, "Hideous?"

His mouth falls open again, almost comically this time, "W-what? God, no," he shakes his head, "You could never look hideous."

Y/N grins, "That's very sweet of you."

He chuckles a little, "What I meant was, you look beautiful."

"Well, thank you," she replies, "You look very snazzy in that suit."

"I know, love," he winks. There's the Draco I know. His cocky smirk is now on his face, "I've got something for you," he says, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulls out a black box and uncovers it, revealing a gold chain necklace with an emerald stone pendant.

"Draco..." Y/N gasps, "It's beautiful."

"Turn around," Draco instructs. Y/N nods and follows. He places the chain around her neck. She sucks in a sharp inhale as the cold metal hits her skin. Draco locks the clasp then puts his hand on her shoulder to guide her back around to face him.

Y/N smiles up at him, "Thank you, Draco. I love it."

"Right, then," he smiles back then lifts his arm towards her, "Let's head to the ball, yeah?"

She links her arm around his and nods, "Lead the way."

~~~~•~~~~

The four of them reach the Great Hall where the ball is being held. The whole way there, Hannah kept giving confused and questioning glances at Y/N. Draco Malfoy is the last person she expected to be her roommate's date. Y/N is so sweet and caring, while Draco is... well, the complete opposite. Hannah has never seen the two even talk, so when Malfoy shows up as her date, saying she's shocked would be an understatement.

"Hey, gorgeous," Hermione comes up to Y/N with a knowing smirk.

Y/N lets go of Draco's arm to hug her friend, "Hey, yourself. You look delectable, Mione!" She greets back with a chuckle.

The girls chat and giggle about the people at the ball, entertained by the people dancing and having fun.

"So apparently, darling, we're the talk of the night," Draco approaches the gossiping pair with drinks. He hands one to Y/N, who takes it.

"What do you mean, 'talk of the night'?" she questions. Victor Krum comes up to them and asks Hermione to dance. Leaving Y/N and Draco by the table.

Draco sips at his juice, "Well, I overheard a group of people talking about how Parkinson is upset because I took you to the ball, and not her."

"Oh," Y/N turns to look down at the table, "Why didn't you ask her to the ball instead?" She always knew that Pansy Parkinson has a not-so-secret crush on Draco, and Y/N has always been bothered by how close the Slytherin girl tries to get with him. Maybe it's because she's jealous that they're in the same house, but then again, Y/N and Draco are almost always together behind closed doors. Stop being jealous, Y/N.

He sits on a chair, facing her, "Because I didn't want her to be my date, I wanted you. Now here we are," Draco states.

"I just don't get it," she starts, "We agreed not to let anyone know about us being friends and now, as you said, here we are at the ball as dates."

"What's so wrong with people knowing?" he asks, a bit irritated. Does she not get it?

"I don't know," Y/N replies shyly, still gazing down.

A new song starts to play, and Draco gets up, "Shall we dance?" he offers his hand out to her.

She looks up at him, then at his hand, biting her lip in thought. After a moment, she takes his hand and he leads her to the dancefloor. Draco places his free hand on her waist while hers is on his shoulder. They waltz around with the others, bodies perfectly in tune with one another.

"Everyone's staring at us," Y/N whispers.

"I think they're just staring at you, love," he replies with a chuckle.

Y/N tilts her head up at him, confused, "Why would they be looking at me?"

He lowers his head so his lips are brushing the shell of her ear, "Because you're so entrancing that you've captivated anyone who glances at you."

For the millionth time, Y/N blushes at his words. Why does he know exactly what to say to make me blush? "T-that's not true," Great. Now I'm stuttering.

Draco smirks when he notices her cheeks turn even pinker than the makeup blush she has on, "I would have to disagree," he utters, his voice so low that she can feel the rumbles from his chest, "You've certainly captivated me, Y/N."

Her eyes widen, "Really?" her voice barely a whisper, but he heard. A small smile graces his lips, he stops their movements. Some people are staring while the others ignore the pair standing still in the middle of the dance floor as they continue to dance around them. "Draco, why are we sto-"

She gets cut off when Draco cups her cheek and leans down, kissing her softly. At first, Y/N freezes in shock, but after a second kisses him back. It's everything she hoped it would be. Draco's lips are gently moving against hers and his ringed calloused fingers caressing her cheek. Her eyes are closed but she can feel other people's gaze on them. She couldn't care less. All she can focus on is savouring this moment.

Reluctantly, she pulls away, placing her hand on his chest, "W-what was that for?" she asks, breathless.

"I think you know, Y/N Fawley," Draco replies with a grin.

She smiles shyly, looking down once again, "Maybe I do know."

"Do you want to get out of here?" he inquires.

Y/N nods and he takes her by the hand, weaving them both through the sea of dancing guests and out the Great Hall. She giggles as they continue to run through the empty corridors, "Where are we going?"

"To the tower, of course."

They reach the top of the astronomy tower, out of breath. Y/N sits on a trunk in the room to take off her heels, "You know, you could warn a girl before making her run in heels," she finds the task impossible with the skirt of her gown in the way.

Draco laughs, "Sorry, love," he kneels down in front of her and reaches for her feet, "Here, let me."

"What a gentleman," she playfully swoons.

"Only for you," he winks as he undoes the straps of her shoes and takes them off. It's true though. He only ever shows that he cares towards her, not anyone else. Not even his own mother and father.

He stands to help her up. Once she's on her bare feet, she makes her way to the open window and sighs at the view. Draco follows and stands beside her. They both stay like that, just gazing at the night sky and the snow covered-ground, "Did you mean to do it?" She asks after a few minutes of silence.

Draco turns his head towards her, but her eyes are still up at the stars. He waits a moment, just admiring the way the moonlight shines on her face, before answering, "I've been meaning to do it for a long time."

Now it's Y/N's turn to face him. She sees that his eyes are already looking into hers, full of sincerity and longing, "Why did you wait so long?" she whispers.

"I wasn't sure if you'd want me to," he replies nervously.

Y/N takes a step closer to him, placing her hand on the back of his neck, "I've wanted you to do it for a while," she smiles slightly.

"Really?" his voice unsure, but his face filling with joy. She nods at him, then he asks, "Would you want me to do it again?" No sooner than her nodding once more does he lean down to capture her lips with his. He snakes his hands around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

This kiss is different from the first. There's more emotion to it, as if he's trying to tell her how he feels in a way words failed to do so. Y/N gives the same emotion back. How could she not? She's had feelings for Draco since the day she woke up with his arm around her. Of course she'd never admit that out loud, but the way her other hand goes up to his platinum blonde locks to keep him close tells him that she feels the same as he does.

Draco's tongue slides against her bottom lip, asking for entrance, which she grants. She tastes better than he'd imagined. He lets out a surprised groan when she sucks on his tongue. Y/N didn't expect that reaction come from him yet she's determined to make it happen again. She weaves her fingers through his hair and pulls slightly, making him groan.

He suddenly pulls away, panting, "Darling, I-I..."

Y/N mentally facepalms when she opens her eyes to see Draco stepped back and his eyes wide, Great going, Y/N. You made him uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, Draco. I d-didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No!" he immediately answers. He steps forward and takes both her hands, rubbing his thumbs on them comfortingly, "You could never make me uncomfortable, sweetheart."

"Then what is it?" she prompts, "Did I do something wrong?"

Draco laughs nervously, "On the contrary, you did something right," he looks sheepishly on the ground, "I just, I don't know..." he trails off.

"Was it okay?" she asks quietly, "Me pulling on your hair?"

A grin appears on his face, "Very much so," he admits.

She lets out a sigh of relief, "Okay then," she involuntarily shivers. They've been in the cold for quite a while, lost in the feeling of each other.

"Here," Draco shrugs off his black dress robe and drapes it over her shoulders.

"Thank you," Y/N smiles, "Won't you be cold, though?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," he replies, "I'm cold-hearted, anyway" he jokes.

Y/N punches him lightly on the arm but then her face turns serious, "You're not cold-hearted. That's just a front you put up. You can be very kind and sweet around people."

"I'm only like that around you, though," he says, "You could say, you bring out my disgusting soft side," Draco smiles and pecks her lips, "But utter a word to anyone about me being nice, you're dead."

"My lips are sealed," she promises, making a zipping motion on her lips and throwing away the key.

"Good," Draco nods, "Do you want to sleep over in my room tonight?"

"The day I answer 'no' to that, you can avada kedavra me right then and there," Y/N teases.

~~~~•~~~~

"Have you seen my robe?"

Draco groans, "I swear, you left it right there in the closet when you were last here."

"Well it's not here," Y/N huffs, "And I can't go back to my room to get my other one because then I'll be late to Transfiguration. McGonagall already hates me for arriving late three days in a row. I can't have her lecturing me for not wearing proper uniform on top of tardiness."

"Merlin," Draco walks to his closet and retrieves his spare Slytherin robe, "Here, just wear this."

Y/N turns to face him, "Are you joking?"

He raises an eyebrow, "What?"

"I can't wear that!"

"Why not?"

"It's a Slytherin robe," she says, as if that answers everything.

"Well no shit, it's a Slytherin robe!" Draco rolls his eyes, "Just wear it will you? You're the one complaining about being late and not wearing proper uniform."

She looks at him, then at the robe, "Fine," Y/N snatches it from his hand, "But if I get in trouble for this, I'm taking you under the bus with me," she pouts.

He grins and kisses her pout away, "Go. I bet McGonagall has already started the lesson."

~~~~•~~~~

Y/N reaches the classroom on time. Completely out of breath, but still on time. She walks in and spots Hannah sitting with Darren, so she sits on the desk behind them. Hannah's eyes widen when she realises what she's wearing.

"Is that why you didn't sleep in our dorm last night?" The blonde queries, "You were with Malfoy!" she continues, a little bit too loud for Y/N's liking.

"Shush, it wasn't like that," Y/N slumps into her chair, folding her arms across her chest.

"Why are you wearing his robe then?" Hannah pushes, "Did you guys, you know," she smirks and wiggles her brows.

"You slept with Malfoy?" Darren chimes in.

"I did not!" Y/N starts, "Well, yes, technically... but not in the way you think."

"Sure," Hannah replies, unconvinced.

Y/N starts to say something but McGonagall walks in. The professor starts to explain what they are doing for this class when her eyes land on a Hufflepuff in a green and black robe, "Miss Fawley," all the other Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors in the room turn their attention to the girl in question, "Have you forgotten which house you belong to? Or have you switched to Slytherin without letting us know?"

Some students start laughing at her, and all Y/N wants to do in that moment is melt, "Er, no Professor. I misplaced mine, so I had to borrow someone else's robe."

"I'm sure Miss Abbott would've gladly let you borrow hers. You are roommates, correct?" McGonagall looks at her and the blonde.

Y/N doesn't know what to say, so she stutters, "W-well yes, but-"

"But I'm afraid my spare robe was dirty and is being washed," Hannah cuts her off, saving her friend from further embarrassment, "So we searched for any robe in the lost items room."

The older lady hums, "Well, Miss Fawley. I expect to see you in your own house colors in our next class."

"Of course, Professor." Y/N nods. McGonagall continues the lesson, and when she's not looking, Y/N taps Hannah on the shoulder, whispering a 'thank you'.

Class later ends, and as Y/N is walking out the door, Hermione pulls her to the side.

"First the dance, and now you're wearing his robes?" the curly brunette asks, "I thought you two wanted your friendship a secret?"

"It's a bit of a long story, Mione," Y/N answers, "I'll tell you about it at lunch. Right now, I just want to go to my dorm and change out of this bloody robe before I get called out by another professor."

"Alright," Hermione let's her go, "But tell me everything."

"I will," she replies. Y/N turns around and starts walking hurriedly, but bumps into someone. "I'm sorry, I didn't se--" she stops talking when she looks up to see none other than Draco Malfoy smirking down at her.

"Hey, Fawley," Draco looks her up and down, "In a hurry are we?"

Y/N rolls her eyes, "If you must know, I'm heading to my dorm."

"What for?" he asks.

"To change into my own robe obviously."

"What's wrong with this one?"

"I just got in trouble with McGonagall for wearing it," Y/N explains.

Draco bites his lip, "What a shame,"

She tilts her head to the side, confused, "Why?"

He lowers his head next to her ear to whisper, "You look really adorable in my robe."

Y/N's cheeks turn pink, "Is that why you wanted me to wear it?"

"Maybe," he shrugs then walks away, but not before winking at her, making her blush even more. When he turns the corner, Y/N sprints to the nearest bathroom to spray cold water on her overheating face. When she enters, she sees three other girls by the sinks. She goes to the one not blocked by the girls, but hears her name being called.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Y/N Fawley," Y/N turns to face the person who's shrill voice annoys the hell out of her.

Pansy fucking Parkinson.

_____

Next chapter ->

[staticscreenwriting]

Wonderful tonight // F.M.

Synopsis: Reader is Pope’s sister and her and Frankie have been dancing around each other for years. Now Pope is getting married and emotions are running high and Frankie and Reader are both single at the same time for the first time ever. It’s all about the longing, the yearning. 

A/N: This entire thing was inspired by that picture of Pedro in the header and how handsome he is. This is my first time writing for this fandom and I rewrote this story about 5 million times. If you like it let me know if you don’t then you can also let me know if you want. I did run this through spellcheck but it’s not really edited. I don’t have the time, honestly. Just ignore mistakes, please and thank you. Hope you enjoy.

[additional note: I am German. Sometimes I get the tense wrong or make mistakes. I am useless when it comes to punctuation. Go easy on me, please.]

“ One day I’m gonna stand right over there. I’m gonna wear an expensive suit and shiny shoes. I’m gonna get my hair done real nice, and probably have a flower pinned to my jacket. My hands will be clammy and my heart will be racing. There will be flowers, lots of them, all over the garden. We'll have a musician playing acoustic guitar. All my friends will be there, and — and our entire crazy family. And I’m gonna get married to the love of my life. Right here. And things will be good. People will be happy.” 

“ Mom will probably be crying. “ 

“ Oh for sure. “ 

As she steps out into the garden, (Y/N) can’t help but let her mind wander back to that one summer night a long time ago. Pope was fresh out of high school then, about to move out and start the rest of his life, away from home. Nights like these, sitting in the garden of their childhood home and sharing silly stories and hopes and fears, were numbered. That’s the thing about having siblings, it really only occurs to you how important they are to you when you’re faced with the idea of a life without them. So they sat there, on the steps of the porch, ice-cold cans of coke in hand and hearts open and vulnerable. Pope had never shared any of his dreams with her, not like this at least. But maybe him leaving home made him feel nostalgic too. 

Her eyes meet his across the aisle and he smiles at her with his signature Santiago Garcia smile, the one that’s gotten him out of so much trouble when he was younger, the one that looks so much like their mother’s. An ocean of flowers surrounds him, just like he said it would. And their entire crazy family has taken their seats, ready to watch him get married to the love of his life. (Y/N) has always been proud of her brother's achievements, in and outside of the army. But she’s never been more proud than today. 

Will softly links his arm with her’s as they walk down the aisle to take their respective places as bridesmaid and groomsman. The air is filled with the soft melodic strumming of an acoustic guitar and the perpetual scent of peonies. The rational part of (Y/N)’s brain knows that life isn’t like the movies but maybe, she thinks, sometimes life grants us a little moment in which we get to relish in a bit of that magic that makes those films so enchanting. 

Just as she’s predicted all those years ago, her mother is crying. Big happy tears roll down her blushed cheeks. If we’re being entirely honest, neither (Y/N) nor their mother had really believed they’d ever see Pope up there, wearing an expensive suit and shiny shoes and waiting for the love of his life to walk down the aisle so he can marry her and start their happily ever after. Then again, ever since he was little Pope always found a way to get the things he wanted if he only set his mind to it. The sky was and still is the limit for her brother and that is something (Y/N) is infinitely envious of and wonderfully amazed by at the same time.

As they reach the front, Will lets go of her arm and walks right to stand with Pope and the groomsmen and she walks to the left stepping up beside the maid of honor.

It all goes so fast from then on, one more bridesmaid and groomsman, the flower girls, then the bride. She looks gorgeous and she’s smiling the biggest smile. It’s one that just radiates with pure unfiltered joy. And there’s love in her eyes. So much love. The way she looks at Pope leaves no doubt about her feelings for him. It’s the most basic of all human emotions and yet the most complex to grasp though at that moment, in her eyes and his, it’s so clear to see and so easy to understand. 

(Y/N) feels her heart do a little stutter as she allows herself, for the first time that day, to let her eyes wander towards the row of groomsmen. This is, by all accounts, a bad decision that’s only gonna hurt. Self-destructive behavior is something she’s pretty good at though.

Frankie stands next to Pope like a rock, sturdy and determined and ready to catch him if he were to stumble or fall. That is something so enigmatic about Frankie. As flimsy and unpredictable he can be when it comes to himself, he’s incredibly loyal towards his friends and loved ones. He does not falter, does not shake. Not for his loved ones, never.

The dark blue suit looks good on him, it fits him like a glove and it must’ve been expensive. Though (Y/N) can’t help but feel like something is missing. This isn’t the Frankie she knows. The one she —. Granted, it’s been years but still, there’s something funny and peculiar about Frankie in a fancy suit. 

His lips are pulled up in a small, gentle smile. One that makes a comfortable warmth settle in (Y/N)’s heart. This man is both so familiar and yet so complicated. He’s been a constant in (Y/N)’s life for a long while now, ever since the first time Pope brought him around for dinner. Even without any blood relation, those two are brothers through and through. Will and Benny too. Those four, forever bound to one another by the horrors they’ve seen, the pain they’ve felt, and the family that developed along the way. 

(Y/N) loves those boys, they are as much a part of her family now as they are of Pope's and yet, something about Frankie always felt different. From the first moment, their eyes met, the air filled with a strong magnetic pull. Invisible but palpable. It was always special. Always. Frankie is the kind of guy one can call at 3 am because you’ve heard a scary sound and don’t feel safe and he’ll jump into his car and come check it out for you and protect you, no questions asked. And he never wants anything in return. He just gives because that’s what his heart tells him too. The world, (Y/N) thinks, needs more people like Frankie.

He’s not without his issues, far from it really, and (Y/N) can acknowledge that. But the sum of his faults does not undo the size of his heart. Somewhere along the way of their friendship things changed. It was a gradual change, slow and steady like water down a stream. Glances lingered, hands kept brushing more frequently and the air held a perpetual sizzle of static. Though neither of them ever admitted it, they both knew it was there. Hell, even the boys, foolish and naive as they could be, noticed. It was a well-known secret.

If life really was a movie, the two of them would’ve gotten a happily ever after by now. A dance on a rooftop, a kiss in the rain, a soft indie song leading them into the end credits. A gentle epilogue to a slow burn romance.

But life really isn’t a movie. Everything seems to be working against them. Mostly time and cultural conventions. This man is her brother’s friend. Her brother’s brother. You don’t date your brother's friends, that’s like an unwritten rule. But time is probably the worst of their enemies. It never seems to be on their side. They’ve never been single at the same time. Frankie went through several more or less serious relationships and while (Y/N) hasn’t found anyone to settle down with permanently, there’d been men she lent her heart to.

Last year, just a few weeks before Pope swept his band of merry men off on their suicide mission to Colombia, (Y/N) moved back home after ending a 3-year relationship. Dave was — he was nice. Nice and secure and stable and boring. Something about him felt too squeaky clean. That night, looking at old pictures of herself and the boys that were proudly displayed on the fireplace in her parent’s living room, it became abundantly clear to her that Dave wasn’t the problem. The problem was that Dave wasn’t Francisco. She’d really set her mind to it then, to pull herself together and muster up the courage to finally seek a conversation with him about the elephant in the room they both had refused to acknowledge for so long. She’d been determined. Then Pope dropped a bomb on her.

“So Frankie and his girl are having a baby.” 

And from that moment on she refused to let herself entertain any thought of her and him having any kind of future that went beyond being friends. It hurt, god it hurt like hell. But dreaming of things that could never be wasn’t doing her any good either.

Seeing him now, looking all snazzy in his suit and smiling, it sends a familiar shive through her body and makes the moths in her stomach go crazy. If only life was a movie. If only.

The ceremony passes in the blink of an eye. There’s happy tears, lots of them but love shines brightly through it all. Every glance, every touch, every word spoken. As her brother and his new wife make their way down the aisle, (Y/N) dares to take another glance towards Frankie and, for the first time that day, he’s looking back.

The world doesn’t shift or shake right then, doesn’t spin out of its axis. Nothing fundamentally changes but the air feels different. The electricity is back. The magnetic pull. The undeniable attraction. Just like that, they are both thrown back into this everlasting limbo of what-ifs.

(Y/N) looks away before her heart can break further, knowing what could’ve been and what can never be.

Weddings have this strange side effect of making you think about your own romantic entanglements. It’s not necessarily a bad thing or a sad thing. It’s just a fact. Seeing other people’s love being displayed so prominently, being celebrated, it makes you wonder. Will I ever find this kind of love? 

“ You know, I think you and I gotta have a talk.” Pope’s voice holds a certain edge to it, a teasing tone she’s heard so many times growing up.

“ About what? Shouldn’t you be dancing with your wife right now? “

“ Ah, she got caught up in a conversation with her aunt, something about corgis. Once that woman starts going there’s no stopping her. It’s — it’s a lot.” 

“ And you left your wife behind to fend for herself? What a way to start life as a married couple.” 

Pope gives her a chuckle and their silly banter makes (Y/N) feel like a kid again.

“ So I’m gonna need you to talk to Fish. “ 

“ Huh? “

“ Oh don’t play dumb. I’ve known you your whole life, kiddo. I know when something’s going on with you and something is definitely going on.” 

“ What’s my emotional turmoil got to do with Frankie?” 

Her older brother raises his eyebrow in mock offense. As if to say “you really think I’m that dumb?” 

“ You two have been throwing looks at each other all day whenever you think the other isn’t looking. Subtlety really isn’t either of you's strong suit. “ 

That, (Y/N) thinks, must be absolute nonsense. Frankie’s got a girl and a baby, there’s no reason for him to sneak glances at her. Clearly he’s gotten his happily ever after already and it doesn’t involve her. Pope must be delusional. Must have a head filled with cotton candy and all things rose-colored.

“ You’re on a wedding high, my guy. There have been no looks. “ 

Her words are met by Pope shaking his head in frustration. “ Look, I just — just please go talk to him. This dancing around each other is very high school drama and I love you both which is why I can’t watch this going on any longer. “ 

“ What are you saying?” 

“ That if there’s something there worth um — worth exploring, you don’t have to worry about me or my opinion on it. “

If anyone had ever told her those words would ever leave her brother’s lips, she would've called that person crazy. Not that they change anything, he’s still got a woman at home and a baby. But still — it’s nice to know that if things had worked out differently, Pope would approve.

“ Are you saying that if I wanted to date Frankie — which I don’t, but like let’s pretend I did. Hypothetically. You’d be okay with that? “ 

“ (Y/N), “ Pope says and his voice dips lower as his expression grows more serious “ I love both of you. I just want you guys to be happy. “ 

Before either of them can continue the conversation, the bride steps up beside them, throwing her arms around Pope’s middle and facing (Y/N) with a big, radiant smile on her face.

“ Sorry I had to interrupt but I needed to get away from aunt Lisa and her Corgie stories.”

“ Nah it’s okay, don’t worry I uh — I gotta go talk to someone. “

Pope smiles at her in return and a silent understanding passes between the two. Maybe the story wasn't all that hypothetical after all.

Much to (Y/N)’s delight, Frankie sits alone at the table. His suit jacket is lazily thrown over the back of the chair and the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up to his elbows. This looks more like the Frankie she knows. The one she loves. Effortlessly cool and yet so undeniably charming. 

Sliding onto the chair next to his, she can feel her heart speed up with anxiety. She shouldn’t feel this way around him. Underneath all the feelings, this is still her Frankie, one of her best friends, a member of her little family of misfits.

“ Hey, you. “ her words are soft, delicate, almost as if she’s afraid of saying them. And maybe she is. A little bit at least.

“ Hey, stranger. Long time no see.”

His voice is dark and soothing but there’s an edge to it, a hint of teasing. 

“ Mmh. It’s been a while. “

“ Yeah, and with the way you’ve been avoiding me all day today, it makes me wonder if I did anything wrong. “ 

Oh god.

“ Dude, what’s it with everyone thinking I’m avoiding you? I’m not. “ 

“ You sure about that? “ Frankie asks and raises his eyebrow in question.

“ Yup. Just been a — a busy day. I’d never avoid you, I missed you. “ 

At least the last part of that statement is factual. She’s missed him terribly. 

“ I missed you too “.

There’s a truth in his eyes, a grounding honesty that is so hard to come by in people. Whatever words fall from his lips they are deliberate and he means them 100%. It’s something (Y/N) has always admired and appreciated about him. 

“ Sooo … I was hoping you’d bring a plus 1 today. “ 

“ Huh? “

“ The baby ! “ 

“ Oh. Oh, I think it’s way past her bedtime by now. She’s uh — she’s with her mom. “ 

“ Do you have a picture? “ 

Frankie scoffs, “ One? I got a bunch of ‘em. How much time have you got? “ 

As he pulls out his old battered leather wallet, (Y/N) can’t help but let a smile take over her face. It’s so fitting that he would carry the pictures around in his wallet instead of having them saved on a phone. Frankie was never the guy to get all obsessed with having the newest technological gadgets. Though he was smart as hell and good at navigating any and all electronic devices, he never felt the desire to own a smartphone himself only having caved and bought one a year ago when his old phone died on him. 

“ That’s her. Just celebrated her first birthday. “ 

The girl in the picture is undeniably Frankie’s daughter. She’s grinning up at the camera with his exact smile only she’s missing a few teeth still. Her eyes are the same soothing shade of brown and are rimmed by the same thick black eyelashes. She’s gorgeous and something about seeing her sends a pang straight to (Y/N)’s heart. What if …

It was one thing knowing that he was a dad but actually seeing his baby and realizing that’s his new reality, it’s strange. And while (Y/N) is happy for him, a part of her has a hard time coping with that realization. What if things had worked out differently, could that have been her life too?

“ She’s adorable. “ 

“ Yeaaah, “ Frankie replies and shrugs his shoulder casually, “ guess I did a pretty good job there. ‘s the first time in my life. Only thing I ever did right. “ 

Though he tries to shake it off and veil his words with a tone of mockery, (Y/N) can see right through him. The self-depreciation has always been a point of contention to her. How he can not see how wonderful he is, how loyal and sweet and loving, is beyond her.

“ Shut up, Frankie. Except for my brother, you’re the only guy I know that would drop everything to help me paint my kitchen at 1 am on a Tuesday. You’re so sweet and funny and I have not a single doubt in my mind that you’re an amazing dad. Stop selling yourself short. “ 

For a moment a quiet settles upon them that is neither comfortable nor awkward. It just is. And then Frankie looks into her eyes again and the moths are back going haywire. If only her future lay in those eyes, oh how wonderful yet foolish of a thought. 

“ Ah, I don’t know. Her mom doesn’t seem to think so. Left just before her first birthday. I mean — “ he sighs and takes a sip from his bottle of beer “ things between us hadn’t been good for a while and a breakup was inevitable. It’s just that I wish I could see the kid more. She’s my heart. She’s my everything. I want to be good enough for her, you know? So one day she can be like that’s my dad and he’s a pretty alright guy. Not that’s my dad, the ex-addict unemployed pilot. “ 

“ Frankie. That kid's gonna love you so much, now and forever. Because you love her. That’s all that matters. When you think about your childhood, do you think about your parents’ jobs? No. You think about how much they loved you and the good memories you had with them. “ 

Frankie stays silent for a moment, just looks at her with his big brown eyes, and then — then he smiles. 

“ Can I tell you something? “ 

“ Always.” 

“ When she was born. When the doctor let me see her and hold her for the first time. I wanted to call you. You’re the first person I wanted to talk to about her. I was so fucking terrified at that moment because she was so tiny and the world is so big and scary and I don’t know how to not fuck things up for her and how to protect her from it all. And you, when I’m with you I never felt scared, ever. You’re so good at making me feel like I can do everything and at making me forget about my own shortcomings. I wanted to call you so bad. “ 

“ Then why didn’t you? “

He averts his gaze for a moment, as if it’s a secret that weighs heavy on his heart. One he hasn’t told anyone before. One he isn’t sure he’s ready to share.

“ Didn’t wanna bother you. “ 

That’s not the truth. She can tell immediately. Frankie is a lot of things but he’s not a very good liar, at least not to the people that know him very well. Though she doesn’t push the situation any further. 

“ Pffsh. Bother me …” 

“ Didn’t think your boyfriend was gonna be okay with me calling you in the middle of the night. “ 

“ Well fuck him. “ 

Frankie raises his eyebrows in surprise. “ Huh “

“ Yup. “ 

“ Didn’t work out? “

“ Nope. “ 

“ Why’s that? “ 

Cause he isn’t you. That’s what she wants to say. That’s what rests on the tip of her tongue just waiting to be spoken. She doesn’t say it though, doesn’t have the guts. There’s an overwhelming sadness about getting your heart broken at a wedding and it’s not something she wants to experience today.

“ Just didn’t work out. Realized he wasn’t who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. “ 

“ So you’re not gonna be the next one inviting me to a wedding and making me wear a stupid fancy-ass suit? “ 

“ No way. First of all, you look hot in this suit and you know it. Second of all, nah. I feel like this isn’t in the cards for me. I want —  I want a guy that I can call at 3 am to get chocolate chip pancakes at the diner and that will run through the garden sprinkler with me when it’s hot outside and that will ask me to slow dance at a wedding even though the song that’s playing is super cheesy and overplayed. Dave was sweet and he was secure but I always felt like something was missing. I loved him but we were never friends. I think that’s what I was missing. “ 

Their eyes meet again and a shiver runs down her spine. There’s a tension in the air so thick one could cut it with a knife. And for a moment, just a fleeting moment, one that passes in the blink of an eye, there’s the courage she’s been looking for for so long. The one that helps her push the words from the tip of her tongue and speak them. For the first time. Finally.

“ Frankie, he wasn’t y— “ 

“ (Y/N), Darling. It’s time for your speech. “ 

At that moment she wants to strangle her own mother. That courage? It’s never gonna come back. This was her one chance and it’s not gonna come back ever. Oh god, what is Frankie gonna think? What’s gonna happen to their friendship ?! 

“ Yeah. Yeah, okay. I’ll just. Okay yeah. I’m coming. “ 

She doesn’t dare even as much as glance back at Frankie. Though before she makes her way over to her seat where the mic is already waiting for her and the speech she’s so meticulously planned, she hears him call out to her.

“ (Y/N)! “ 

“ Hmm…? “ 

“ I lied. I didn’t call you when the baby was born because I thought It was extremely inappropriate to call the woman I’m in love with while the mother of my child is recovering from giving birth. “

The moths in her stomach are gone now. There are bats now. Maybe a swarm of birds. Something bigger than moths for sure. Her whole body feels like it’s on fire and simultaneously being splashed with ice-cold water. Her heart is beating faster and her hands are clammy and all she can do is stare and get lost in his eyes and his smile and this moment that seems unreal.

“ Honey? “ 

Her mother’s words break the spell and (Y/N) follows her to take her place at the table. The mic feels heavy in her hand though everything else feels weightless. Maybe, she thinks, this is what love should feel like. Weightless. Easy. Magical.

There’s a piece of paper in her sparkly clutch with a long and sentimental speech written on it all about love and finding your soulmate and all that stuff that, until today, she always felt like she didn’t really know anything about except for what they tell you in the lovesongs on the radio or the rom-coms on tv. And yeah maybe it’s still too early to feel like the world is an entirely different place now but those words he said, she’s been waiting for those words for over a decade. If there was ever a moment to romanticize her own life, to relish in the feeling of being loved, and to celebrate her own successes, it’s today.

The pre-written speech stays in the purse. Instead (Y/N) takes the mic and starts talking. Straight from the heart.

Across the room, her eyes meet Frankie’s and all she can do is smile, for it’s the first time in a long time where her future isn’t so scary. It’s exciting. Maybe everything else that came before was just the prologue and her story is just now about to really begin.

“ Hi. I’m (Y/N), I’m Santiago’s sister, and uh — I wanna talk to you about love. “ 

Weddings are hectic and busy affairs. There’s something going on at all times and it’s impossible for (Y/N) to find even a second to have a proper conversation with Frankie about — well everything. So much time had been wasted between them, on keeping their feelings locked up and trying to find the right moment. Now the moment is here and the conversation doesn’t seem so scary no more. Now the only thing that stands between them is this wedding. There are speeches then food then cake then more speeches then a picture slide-show one of the bridesmaids put together then then then. It’s never-ending and though it’s fun and (Y/N) enjoys celebrating her brother’s love, she wishes time would pass quicker right then. If only for once, time could be on their side. 

Only when the newlyweds have left the venue to spend their wedding night at a fancy hotel nearby and most of the guests have cleared too, (Y/N) finally finds time to sit down and just relax for a moment. No speeches to listen to, no uncles who insist on getting one dance with her, no bride who needs help holding up her dress while she pees. Just calm and quiet and —

“ Can I have this dance? “ 

His hand is reaching out to her and there’s a nervous smile playing on his lips. There’s something quite intoxicating about it all now that she knows he feels the same. All the anxiety is gone and replaced with hopes and dreams of a future that now seems like it might actually happen. One that’s been a “What-if” for so long.

“ It would be my pleasure. “ 

Neither of them is a particularly good dancer but it doesn’t matter right then. All that matters is that they get to exist together at that moment and in their little bubble. That they get to be close and sway left and right as Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful tonight” echoes through the room.

“ That song is so cheesy and overplayed, “ (Y/N) exclaims, “ I love it. “ 

Frankie places a soft kiss on the top of her head and it sends her heart into overdrive. Is this what the lovers in a Jane Austen novel felt like when their hands locked for the first time, just a fleeting whisper of a touch?

It feels exhilarating and (Y/N) feels alive and like nothing is missing. Everything and everyone is right where they’re supposed to be.

“ You ever thought Pope was gonna end up actually getting married? I didn’t see that one coming to be honest. “ 

(Y/N) leans her cheek against his chest as they keep softly swaying to the song. A tiny content smile settles on her lips.

“ Actually, yeah. It was always part of his plan and you know him, if he sets his mind to something he usually ends up succeeding. “ 

Frankie nods in response. “ Talking about your brother, we had a uh — a conversation earlier.” 

“ Now why in the world would you do such a thing? “ she jokes though not for a second does she lift her head off of his chest. He’s warm and soft and she can just about make out his heartbeat. This feels too comfortable to disrupt it for even a second.

“ He kinda implied that he wouldn’t mind if you and I — “ 

He stops, considers his words, rearranges them. 

“ If we what? “ 

“ Started dating? That sounds wrong, that makes us sound like teenagers. “ 

“ You know, it’s funny because he implied something awfully similar when I talked to him earlier. “ 

“ Huh. weird. “ 

“ Ya think that maybe this, “ she says and gestures between the two of them “ is also part of his plan? “ 

Frankie shrugs and moves his hand to her jaw, softly stroking her cheek with his thumb.

“ He always gets what he wants, guess we can’t break the chain, huh? “ 

“ Guess not. “ 

They’re so close. So unfathomably close. His warm breath falls onto her skin and he can smell the flowery scent of her perfume. The air around them sizzles with electric anticipation. 

Back when she was a kid, (Y/N) was obsessed with the Disney Cinderella movie. Everything about it felt so magical and wonderful and life held the sweet bliss of childlike wonder and innocence. And then she grew up and witnessed her heart breaking over and over again. 

Now that she’s standing here, in the arms of the man she’s loved for so much longer than she can remember, she thinks that maybe the movie wasn’t all wrong. Yeah, maybe it’s an overly sugar-coated fairytale where happy endings are guaranteed and things get fixed with a song and the help of some critter sidekicks. But the underlying message of them all, the most fundamental truth of them all is that love is worth believing in even when life gives you so many chances to lose hope. 

Just like the fairy godmother has said: Even miracles take a little time.

This kiss, warm and gentle and passionate, is a miracle in itself. If only for the fact that it has taken over a decade for it to finally happen. His lips meet hers and the world spins faster and slower all at once. If this was a movie, they’d probably show a montage of all their happy memories throughout their years of friendship, all the longing glances, and flirty touches. But this isn’t a movie. This is real life. She’s really dancing with him. He’s really kissing her. 

She doesn’t have to imagine any of it anymore because it’s happening right here and right now and life is so much better than any movie or romance novel or cheesy pop song. They can never live up to the real thing.

Neither of them wants to pull away though eventually their lungs demand oxygen and they reluctantly detach their lips. 

“ You think we should, give this thing a chance? “ 

Once again there he goes being so casual. As if this is not a decision that’s been in the making for such a long time now. An accumulation of years of longing and wishing and hoping and constantly missing the right moments and bottling up feelings.

“ Francisco Morales, I’ve loved you for a long ass time now. I am not letting you go anytime soon. Ain’t no getting rid of me, buddy. “ 

“ Good, I’m not planning on it. And I love you too, by the way.“ 

They seal it with a kiss and life feels like it always did only — better. Everything feels so damn right. The what-ifs are gone and in their place now stands a future worth looking forward to. One filled with adventure and happiness and love.

“ Hey, (Y/N)? “ 

“ Hmmm ? “ 

“ You wanna go get pancakes at the diner around the corner? “ 

“ With chocolate chips? “

Frankie scoffs “ Duh. What a question. “ 

There’s a lot of comfort to be found in romantic media though as they walk outside the venue, hand in hand and matching smiles on their faces, (Y/N) thinks that every once in awhile life itself makes for the best movie, the most magical moments and the greatest love stories. 

[aerynwrites]

Words Unspoken - Din Djarin x Reader

Author’s Note: Good morning everyone! I finally completed another One shot from my never shrinking list of requets 🤣. I’m planning on having at least one more out this week along with a couple other things, but I’ll make a separate post about that later today at somepoint. Any who, I hope you all enjoy it and as always i love to hear your feedback! Also! Thank you to my lovely beta readers @anniebombannie and @amberthefiredemon! They have been such a blessing to me an helped me out a ton!

Request: Can you do a Din x Armorers apprentice!Reader where they kind of have an unspoken thing going on, and in ep 8 where din comes upon the pile of armor in the tunnels, he finds readers helmet in the pile and assumes the worst, but she comes around the corner with the armorer in snazzy new armor and Din is all *heart eyes*. And Din is all “I thought I lost you” and they have this really intimate moment amongst all the chaos and they do the thing where they rest their foreheads together.? Tysm!  (requested by @emma-frxst)

Word Count: 1.8k   

Warnings: angst, fluff, death.

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You and Din had known each other your entire lives. Having grown up together as neighbors, it was inevitable that you would form a friendship as children. However, this also meant that you were together the day your village was attacked. Your parents had immediately scooped you up from your bedroom and ran frantically from the house to meet up with Din’s parents and tried to escape the droid attack in vain. Your parents had died that day, and the Mandalorians had taken both you and Din in as foundlings. 

You both began your journey to become Mandalorians together. You ate together, trained together, took the creed together, and even cried together when the nightmares plagued your sleep. And as the years went on, this bond turned into more, and you both found yourselves falling hard for one another. Although you never outwardly told one another how you felt, you both knew. And even though you had not physically seen one another in decades, you could still feel the connection you had. However, when it came time to choose your paths in the covert, fate pulled you each in different directions. 

You knew Din was a fighter. A warrior. And while you could fight well, you felt a calling to work with your hands and help in other ways. So, you chose the path of becoming the Armorer’s apprentice. 

She had taken you on happily, stating “It’s nice to have someone who understands they can help in other ways than brute force.”

However, these different paths meant that you and Din rarely saw each other, and when you did it was in fleeting touches and soft words spoken in the few moments you had together. It killed you two. And that’s how you ended up standing in front of Din in your small quarters within the covert six months ago, as he told you of his plan to rescue the asset he had turned over earlier that day.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, gloved hands rubbing together anxiously, avoiding the unmoving gaze of the beskar helmet in front of you, “I’m sorry I can’t be there to help you.”

Din shook his head taking your hands in his own, “We can’t change the path that we’re destined for,” he reassures.

You just shrug your shoulders, “I know but-“ you pause steadying your shaking voice before continuing, “I’m just scared of what will happen to you. I never know if you’re okay until you walk back through that door,” you whimper.

You hear the man in front of you let out a quiet scoff, “Don’t be stupid. You can’t get rid of me that easily,” he jokes.

You let out a quiet laugh before looking over his new beskar armor, a reward for the very bounty he was going to take back, a reward you helped create, and you lean your head forward, relishing in the soft clink of metal against metal as Din lets his forehead meet yours. A Mandalorian kiss. 

“Just be safe, okay?” you ask quietly, hands squeezing his softly, “I don’t know what I’d do if you don’t come back.”

Din lets out  soft sigh before pulling away from you reluctantly, hands coming to rest on the sides of your helmet, “I’ll come back as soon as I can. I promise.”

But that memory felt like years ago as Din lies dying on the destroyed floor of the Nevarro cantina. That had been the last time he had seen you before he had saved the child and was forced to leave Nevarro, forced to leave you and break the promise he had given you all those months ago. He hadn’t heard your voice or seen you since that last conversation…hell, he didn’t even know if you were alive. That thought alone stirred fears and regrets inside of Din that he hadn’t even realized were there. He was full of regrets as him and his small team of friends laid pinned down in the destroyed cantina. He had told them to flee, sure that he was going to die. Cara and Greef reluctantly agreed, taking the child and leaving him with the reprogrammed droid and his own regrets. 

Those regrets being unspoken words and abandoned touches. He had never told you how much he loved you. He had planned to when they made it back to the covert, but now he didn’t know if that would happen. The next few moments pass in a blur. Him threatening the droid, removing his helmet, the droid healing him instead of hurting him -  It was all too much for his injury muddled brain to handle. Too many emotions and too many things happening all at once. He felt his heart pund against his ribcage as they finally caught up with Cara a Greef and began naviagting the damp, dingy tunnels leading to the covert

Would anyone still be here? Would you still be here? How would you react, did you think he was dead?

Even as his head began to clear of physical pain, it was still clouded by an emotional fog. He hadn’t seen you in so long and his heart clenched at the idea of finally being with you again. When the small group round a corner however, he almost stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. 

Mandalorian helmets.

A huge pile of them, all discarded and broken as they had been tossed aside after their owners were no doubt slain by the very people hunting him down. He continued to approach slowly, turning the light on his helmet off as he finally came within reach of the eldritch pile. His comrades were silent, no doubt feeling great sympathy for their friend. But as he scanned over the empty visors in front of him, he felt his breath being sucked from his lungs as his eyes  landed on an all too familiar gold colored helmet. 

Your helmet.

He knelt down, more because his knees collapsed beneath him at the weight of the situation more than anything, and he grasped your empty helmet in his hands, gripping desperately at the sides as tears of anger and confusion burned at his eyes. 

You were gone. Wiped out with the rest of the clan like roaches under the imperial boot. Snuffed out as easily as a candle, like you didn’t exist at all. 

But you did exist.

You existed in a happy and joyful life despite everything you had been through. You existed in Din’s bleak world as a light guiding him to shore to keep him from being sucked under the dark and dismal waves of his everyday life. You existed to him, and now, you were gone…taking a piece of the Mandalorian with you, and in that newly emptied space, Din’s entire soul was flooded with rage as he stared into your shattered and empty visor.

Cara took a cautious step forward, “We should go,” she says quietly.

“You go,” Din said firmly, “Take the ship. I can’t leave it-“ he had to stop himself, swallowing past the lump in his throat, “I can’t leave it like this.”

He pauses for a moment, before standing up abruptly turning on Greef with your helmet still held firmly in his hand, “Did you know about this?” he ignores Greef’s look of surprise and continues, “Was this the work of your bounty hunters?” he seethes, anger and grief lacing his words as he held onto your helmet like a lifeline.

Greef splutters, “No. When you left the system and took the prize, the fighting ended and the hunters just melted away,” he defended, “You know how it is. They’re mercenaries. They’re not Zealots!”

Din took several threatening steps forwards, and he felt the tears leaking from his eyes now as he still gripped the metal helmet in his hand with such force he worried he might break it.

“Did you do this?” he demanded, “Did you?” he was yelling now, his emotions getting the better of him for once.

“It was not his fault.” An all too familiar voice speaks through the darkness and causes a brief flicker of relief to flash through Din’s heart as the Armorer speaks.

“We revealed ourselves,” she says walking out of a nearby door to fiddle with a few discarded metal pieces, “We knew what could happen if we left the covert.”

Din watches her every move, not because he is afraid of her, but simply because he is waiting for you to come out behind her, a hope he knows is in vain. 

She continues, “The imperials arrived shortly thereafter…this is what resulted,” she states, a certain sadness in her voice. 

Din glances from your helmet in his hand then back to the armorer, “Did…any survive?”

The armorer seemed to understand the hidden meaning behind Din’s question, and he saw her move to answer but a set of approaching footsteps from the door she came from interrupted her.

“Who are you talking too?” 

Din feels the blood in his veins turn to stone as he hears a familiar and sweet voice meet his ears and you emerge into the tunnels. He noticed that a new set of armor replaced your old set as you stopped in your tracks and your gaze fell onto the group in front of you. You dropped the tools in your hands as your eyes fell onto Din’s form, the all to familiar beskar glinting in the low light. 

“Din?” you whisper, not believing that he was here, in front of you, after all these months. 

A loud metallic thunk is followed shortly after as Din drops your old helmet onto the concrete floor and runs to you, arms wrapping around you so tightly the air is pulled from your lungs. You feel tears fill your vision and fall down your cheeks under the helmet as you return his embrace, all your subdued fears and anxieties melting away as he held you in his arms once more.

“I saw your helmet and I thought-“ his voice cracked slightly as he spoke but he continued, “I thought I had lost you cyar'ika,” his voice was low and wet with his own tears as he spoke. 

You let out a soft chuckle past your tears as you pull away from the embrace, opting instead to rest your forehead gently against his own in a familiar gesture. 

“You can’t get rid of me that easy,” you say quietly, moving to intertwine your gloved fingers with his own, “Plus you had a promise to keep.”

Din smiled under his helmet and relaxed into you, his helmet leaning more heavily on yours as his hands squeezed yours firmly, “Yes, I did, and I came back, just like I said I would.”

You saw the other members of his group and the armorer move into the room behind you to give you some privacy, and you took this moment to pull away from Din minutely, hands still intertwined as you looked into his visor through your own. 

“I love you Din Djarin.”

Din doesn’t reply, he just pulls you into another tight embrace and leans his forehead against yours once more, letting out a quiet and relieved sigh. 

And even though he doesn’t say the words back, you know he loves you more than words could ever express.

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Mando Tag: @tryn25 @igotmadskills @dizzydazed @theforceofdisney @jeepangel @maryan028 @mandalorian-theway

Pedro Character’s Tag: @fleurdemiel145 @sargesbestgirl @lustriix @yeah-boiiiiiiiiiii @longitud-de-onda

Permanent: @lord-wolfgen @petalduck @sebastianstanslefteyebrow @stillreadingfantasy

[kickasskody]

                          DAKOTA ‘ kody ’ PIERCE, a character study.  “just because i cannot see it, doesn’t mean i cannot believe it.” -- jack skellington

Character’s full name: dakota pierce Reason for name and/or meaning of name: kody’s parents met and fell in love in north dakota, and decided to name their son after the great state 💖 Character’s nickname: kody Reason for nickname: in middle school, kody didn’t think the name dakota was cool. but the name kody, the most generic white boy name ever , was definitely cool Birth date: december 13th, 2002. baby sagittarius 

Physical appearance Faceclaim: austin abrams Gender: cis male Height: 5″8 #shortking Build: scrawny boy body. looks like he couldn’t lift more than 30 pounds... PSYCH!!! he’s a vampire so he can actually lift several hundred pounds 🤪🤪🤪 Eye color: blue with little dark green specks Glasses or contacts?: not with that snazzy 4k vampire sight !! Distinguishing marks/scars: funny little frecklescape on his back that looks like this emoji 😦 Hair color: dirty blonde Type of hair: type 1, aka straight hair Hairstyle: gets up out of bed, looks in mirror. maybe tussles it a little bit. thats it Physical disabilities: none Mental disabilities: adhd Clothing style: sweaters sweaters sweaters. striped sweaters ( because the best time to wear one is all the time ), disney sweaters, sweaters with dogs on them. white collared shirts to go underneath most of them. denim jackets, a couple of them tattering with holes in the elbows. black skinny jeans -- like he owns four pairs of the same black skinny jeans. someone tell him that skinny jeans aren’t in style anymore. uses the same jansport backpack he’s had since the eighth grade with a sewn in epcot center patch on the front pocket. dirty checkered vans. falling apart high-top converse. it’s not that he’s poor and can’t afford new things, he just prefers all his old stuff.  Make up: has never worn any but wouldn’t be opposed to trying some !!

Personality Good personality traits: good at secret keeping, friendly and uplifting, loyal, thoughtful, great memory, cautious, playful. chaotic good energy  🥰 Bad personality traits: gullible, slightly obnoxious, constantly confused, easily distracted Mood character is most often in: cheery, happy as f, practically bouncing off the walls Sense of humor: goddamn hilarious!!! at least he thinks so lol Articulation: loud and occasionally stuttery. repeating himself pretty often. the type to get lost in the middle of conversation and have to take a second to mentally loop back and remember what exactly they were talking about. uses the word ‘ like ‘ way too much. talks with his hands a whole lot. constantly talking like he’s a kooky disney character on a mission. Character’s greatest joy in life: riding a mf’in roller coaster Character’s greatest fear: disneyworld getting blown up / physically hurting someone  Character is most at ease when: he’s curled up with his friends watching a disney movie Most ill at ease when: he’s laying in bed at night, pretending he’s sleeping since he can’t Enraged when: thinking about how there are vampires in bridgemead -- that they could turn other people, kill other people, or worse... harm his friends.  Depressed or sad when: drinking from a blood bag. watching disney pixar’s coco. thinkin’ about a disneyworld churro and how he’ll never be able to enjoy the taste of one again. Priorities: at the moment? trying not to hurt anybody.  Life philosophy: “Keep Moving Forward!” -- walt disney said that Greatest strength: his optimism / ability to take something sad or bad and turn it around! Greatest vulnerability or weakness: giving just about anyone the benefit of the doubt. 

Goals Drives and motivations: getting enough money to be able to travel the world and visit every disney park on the planet.  Immediate goals: graduating high school / helping the scooby gang solve mysteries Long term goals: roller coaster designer / engineer. create a haunted house / rollercoaster hybrid ride

Childhood Hometown: orlando, florida Type of childhood: the kind where he’s an only child, where his middle class parents live to please and spoil him, take him to whatever amusement park he wanted to go to and buy him all the best merch. the smile on his face was worth more than anything they ever could’ve purchased for themselves. kody probably would’ve had siblings, but his parents had complications getting pregnant again, and thus they lived to make sure he had the best life possible.  Pets: a cat named toulouse ( shoutout aristocats ), but he passed when kody was fifteen Most important childhood memory: waiting in line for five hours to ride harry potter and the forbidden journey at universal studios orlando. blew his little kid mind. Dream job: imagineer!! Religion: non-practicing christians. church on easter and christmas ONLY!

Present Current location: bridgemead, massachusetts Currently living with: his parents 💖 Pets: none Religion: agnostic Sexuality: currently questioning his sexuality. growing up he always felt attracted to both boys and girls, but has never been able to articulate it. he’s only ever expressed interest in women, but he has a fat crush on chris evans as captin america Politics: would be socialist if he cared enough to think about politics Occupation/education: bridgemead high school super senior Mode of transportation: his parents dark blue prius!! but only thursday - sunday

Family Parent one: marcus pierce -- drug store manager Relationship with them: kody and his dad are best buds! if it weren’t for his fathers love for rollercoasters, kody doesn’t know what his life would be like today. they used to play rollercoaster tycoon growing up and kody still cherishes those memories today. Parent two: tina pierce -- bridgemead city manager Relationship with them: kody and his mother have a very loving relationship. however, kody’s adoration for his mother dwindled when it was her job that forced them to move to bridgemead. he thinks of it as her fault that he doesn’t get to go to disneyworld anymore, and there’s a bitter part of him that thinks that if she hadn’t made them leave, he never would’ve become a vampire. he knows its wrong to attribute her to his curse, but sometimes when he’s really sad he cant help it.  Siblings: none Other important family members: his widowed aunt shirley who lives twenty minutes from disneyworld and occasionally would join them on their weekend visits to the parks. he misses her greatly 😩😩

Favorites Color: that bright electric blue color on the cinderella castle at disneyworld  Music: electronic Food: a disneyworld churro.  Film: the incredibles / scooby doo 2002 Drink: pink lemonadde mixed with sprite Form of entertainment: disney+ subscription. if that’s all he had, he’d be content. Most prized possession: a magic kingdom two day passport ticket from the 1980′s

Habits Hobbies: playing rollercoaster tycoon / designing rollercoasters on his computer. obsessively watching ghost club paranormal on youtube. bothering aj with the latest thing on his mind that she definitely doesn’t need to know about Plays a musical instrument?: nope. wishes he could though!  Plays a sport?: nope, but would be great at track now that he’s a vampire! How he would spend a rainy day: playing kingdom hearts II in his pajamas. Spending habits: great at hoarding all of his allowance! since he’s not spending it on food, he’s an excellent saver. pre-vampirism kody was not as cautious with his spending.  Smoking/drinking/drugs?: no way 🙅🏼 has yet to even try alcohol Extremely skilled at: cheering up his friends! finding the good in others and convincing them to see it too 🤗 Extremely unskilled at: stopping himself from crying when he’s sad / when he’s in the middle of crying. putting together pieces of their investigations. sure, he can find things -- but what the hell is he supposed to do with them once he’s got it?!?! Nervous tics: anxious picking at his cuticles. messing with his hair. aggressive foot tapping. scrolling through his phone without actually looking at anything.  Usual body posture: that boy has been working on rollercoaster code on his computer for YEARS. his body posture is absolutely RUINED! Mannerisms: constantly talking with his hands. bouncin’ around like tigger when something exciting happens. abbreviating things that don’t need to be abbreviated. the loudest in the room at all times.

Traits Optimist or pessimist? Introvert or extrovert? Daredevil or cautious? Logical or emotional? Leader or follower? Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat? Prefers working or relaxing? Confident or unsure of himself/herself? Animal lover? HELL YEAH.

Self-perception How do they feels about themselves?: before the year 2020, kody actually quite liked himself! he realized that he was goofy and sometimes not everyones cup of tea, but for the most part, he knew he was a good guy who was a little obnoxious! now, he has mixed feelings about himself. vampirism has elevated a lot of his emotions and more often than not now, he dislikes himself for what he’s become, or what he could become if things turn bloody.  One word the character would use to describe themselves: spunky What does the character consider their best trait?: his compassion What does the character consider their worst trait?: his gullibility  What does the character consider their best physical characteristic?: his fluffy hair !! What does the character consider their worst physical characteristic?: that he’s a short king. stream short kings anthem by tiny meat gang How does the character think others perceive them?: he’s pretty sure most people think that he’s wildly annoying, but that doesn’t stop him from being fully himself most of the time!  What would the character most like to change about himself/herself: his vampirism!! get this shit out of him just make him a normal aging boy again!!

Relationships with others Opinion of other people in general: kody is a big ole’ ball of love, and thus so, he tries to share that with everyone. strangers are treated with compassion, acquaintances are treated as old friends, and friends are treated like family. unless kody already knows someone to be a bad person, or is wary of them, he’s genuinely one of the nicest people one could ever meet. Opinion of the Scooby Gang: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it. Does the character hide their true opinions and emotions from others?: it depends on the topic, but for the most part, yes. when it comes to most scooby gang related endeavors, kody will share his thoughts -- if it’s something related to movies or tv, he’ll be talking your ear off for hours. if it’s something that could result in it hurting someone else, he’ll be quiet, and if his vampirism was ever to come into question, he’d be absolutely be suppressing it.  Most important person in character’s life: oh god, not to pick scooby gang favorites, but probably aj. she’s the closest thing he has to a sister, and he doesn’t know what he would do without their banter, and her support. Best friend/s: aj darke, dylan frye, & arabella byrne Dating experience: absolutely none. kissed 2 girls in the span of 2 years over 3 years ago. Romancing: kody wouldn’t know the first thing about trying to get someone to date him. all he knows is the stuff he’s seen on tv, watched in movies, or experienced around him ( such as his parents successful marriage, or his friends dating people ), but if it were to come down to him, he’d be extremely awkward. picture tom holland’s spiderman trying to talk to zendaya’s mj in far from home -- because that’s extremely accurate. kody isn’t trying to date anyone right now for a couple of reasons: one being that he’s too nervous, and not exactly looking for love, but if it were to happen... he wouldn’t run from it necessarily. but two being that his vampirism creates a bit of a problem for him, and he’s not sure if he should subject anyone to the curse he’s stuck with.

Extra Physicality: if necessary, could probably lift a car and throw it down the street. as of right now, doesn’t know how strong he really is / is more concerned about hurting his friends with this supposed strength than he is finding out how many hundreds of pounds he could lift. kody in a fight? probably losing within the first five seconds, unless bloods drawn and the instinct to pounce takes over. Species: vampire How do they feel about it?: hates it. would do anything to reverse it. wishes he had just stayed a little longer at karma cafe that night. or had never gone at all. How do they look in their supernatural form?: pretty much the same, however when he’s hungry and near blood, his eyes go all dark and bloodshot, and the veins around his eyes start to pulse ( basically just like vampire diaries ), but kody is unaware of this since he’s never seen it happen to himself or another vampire

[tisfan]

Black Thumb, Green Wallet

Title: Black Thumb / Green Wallet Collaborator Name: @tisfan Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25019287 Square Filled: O3: “Why do I even Bother?” Ship/Main Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: teen Major Tags & Triggers: none Summary: Tony doesn’t know anything about plants. Bucky-- has no idea who this crazy guy is, but he has a cute butt and is willing to help out. Guess gardening 101 is in session Word Count: 1397 For @monobuu For @starkbucksbingo 

“Why do I even bother,” Tony said, looking disgusted. The plants, which had been bright and cheerful a few days before were limp, drooping, and one of them had turned black. He wasn’t sure which one was more pathetic, the dead one or the one where all the leaves had fallen off.

It wouldn’t be so bad, really, except that Pepper had given him the plants, specifically for his birthday. And she and her husband Happy were coming to visit for the fourth of July weekend. Tony’s balcony had a good view of the fireworks and they could drink and eat without being surrounded by people. 

It had been a while since Tony had seen her in person, really. The plants had been part of some delivery system, and Tony had watered them and put them in the windowsill.

He thought he’d even managed to water them more than once.

Probably. He thought.

Pepper wouldn’t say anything if she didn’t see the plants. She wouldn’t. She wasn’t that kind of person. But she would look around for them, and then for just a second, her eyebrows would get that little wrinkle and Tony would know she was disappointed in him, once again.

There were so many people who were disappointed in Tony on such a regular basis, it was hard to admit to disappointing Pepper.

“Fine,” he exploded at the empty air. “Fine.” He gathered up the little stakes from the plants that told him what they all were. There had to be someone at the nursery -- he was pretty sure that garden shops were called nurseries. Maybe they were called nunneries. Now he couldn’t remember, damnit. -- that knew enough to get him at least replacement plants and he could pretend everything was fine.

Like when he was eight and his mom forgot to tell the maids to feed the goldfish while they were on vacation, and she had them replaced with new fish. Like he wouldn’t notice.

Well, Pepper at least hadn’t seen the plants. 

Had she? He thumbed through his texts and emails to her to see if he’d mailed any photographs. And no, he hadn’t. Except for one, but maybe he could tell her he’d had to repot that plant.

Probably.

Right?

Jesus, he was in trouble.

*

“Hey, hey, excuse me,” someone said. Bucky, who was staring into the endless depths of the delivery truck and knowing for a fact that Quill was slacking somewhere in the back with his headphones in, sighed. He was the only employee out in the nursery, which was usually fine, but then someone had to go and want to know why the begonias weren’t on sale. 

Lady, I don’t make policy around here.

Can you carry this to my car? No.

Would you-- No.

Bucky didn’t bother to answer. He laid another flat of pansies on the handtruck and started wheeling it down the truck’s ramp. If he didn’t get the plants unloaded by the time the driver got back, the driver would leave, half the flowers undelivered, and then there’d be hell to pay.

“Hi, yes,” the guy said as Bucky rolled the flat down the ramp. “So, I looked around and there’s no one else here, and I hate to bother you--”

Bucky gave the guy his thousand yard stare, but it didn’t seem to have any effect. Right. “How can I help you, sir?”

“So, like, I don’t know anything about plants--” 

Oh, Christ.

“Neither do I,” Bucky lied. He was, in fact, a master gardener, and he’d convinced the owner of Hydra Hardware to add on the nursery, but it also meant he was extremely overworked. “I just pick up heavy things and put them down. I gotta unload this truck, man.”

“If I help you unload, will you answer some questions?”

What?

Bucky looked the guy over; he was wearing painted on jeans and a ratty band t-shirt that showed off biceps for days. Did a very slow pan and scan, and even added in a little twirl of his finger. He wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to embarrass the guy, or what, but holy crow, the rear view was really, really nice.

“Don’t suppose you have better shoes than that out in your car,” Bucky said,

“Huh?”

“You’re wearing keds. If you drop something on your foot, you’ll break a toe, and I don’t want to get sued for that.”

“Wha-- oh, you know, I have steel-toed boots in the trunk, if I get them, and help you, will you answer some questions about plants?”

“Sure, why not.”

Because Bucky was almost positive that the guy did not have work boots in his car, probably some doc martin knock offs, which were great for working a shift behind the counter at the coffee shop, but still weren’t up for dropping a flat on your foot.

“Great, you’ve saved my life, sunshine,” the guy said, and dashed off. He actually ran pretty fast, Bucky noted. 

Well, stranger things had happened, but Bucky couldn’t remember when. He shook his head and got back to work. He’d almost forgotten about the guy when he came back, wearing black boots and a baseball hat. “Huh, are those mining boots?” 

“Matterhorns,” the man said. “I do a lot of workshop stuff-- rebuilding engines and stuff. Got tired of replacing my boots every three months.”

“Huh, okay, then. I gotta get all these flats off the truck in the next thirty minutes. You know how to operate a hand truck, or you just want to load, an’ I’ll take them down the ramp?”

“I got this,” the man said, and he pulled out a pair of work gloves, and got down to it. Nice. Bucky’d probably get fired if Pierce came out and saw him putting a customer to work, but Pierce didn’t come out of the back office all that often. “My name’s Tony, by the way.”

“Bucky--” Bucky displayed his employee name tag. “Nice to meet you.”

The guy was strong, shifting the plants as if he did more to get those muscles than go to the gym. Gym rats couldn’t pick up shit, they knew how to lift a weight bar, but not how to pick up one side of a washing machine without throwing their back out.

“So, what’s your boggle?” Bucky asked after most of the flats were unloaded. “Bring those with you, I gotta rack ‘em.”

“So, one of my friends got me some plants to liven up my condo,” Tony said. “And-- I’m not so good with plants, and they all died.”

“Happens,” Bucky said, philosophically. “What plants?”

Tony handed him a bunch of plant stake labels. 

“Uh-huh,” Bucky said. “And what did you do with them?”

“Put them in the windowsill and watered them every few days,” Tony said, crossing his heart like Bucky wouldn’t believe him.

“Okay, well, first off, some of these need more light than that, and some need less, and this one doesn’t need to be watered all that often.”

“So, you can help me?”

“Depends,” Bucky said. “If you want replacements so your lady friend won’t sneer at you and you might get laid--”

“Pepper is a friend’s wife,” Tony said, grumpily. “And I don’t date women anyway. I’m a failure as one of those sitcom type gays, though. I don’t keep my house clean, I’m only a snazzy dresser if I have someone else picking out my wardrobe, and I don’t know the first thing about interior decorating. Queer Eye would completely disown me.”

“No, Queer Eye would help you,” Bucky said, grinning. “But I guess we can go with Queer Eye for the Plant Guy. Look, you tell me what kind of lifestyle you’ve got and what you want your plants to do-- not what Pepper thinks you should have, and I’ll help you get all set up, and teach you how to take care of them. I can give you some good website resources, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Sure can,” Bucky said. He waved at the truck driver as Kurt packed up and pulled out. “Look, it’s my break now, come on, we can talk while I eat.”

“Buy you a cup of coffee and a danish?” Tony jerked a thumb at the bakery across the street. “And you can teach me all your planty secrets?”

“Sounds good to me,” Bucky said.

[thesecondcircleofkel]

NSFW Alphabet, Hawks: A-Z

Reposting all of these together for convenience and to save space. I don’t accept requests to do the entire alphabet for someone all at once. You have to stick to the guidelines of 1 character per ask, and 5 letters per ask, and once I finish the alphabet for a character with requests like that, I will repost it all together. Request are closed at the moment, though.  

A: Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He can be a bit lazy with aftercare. He likes to bask in the afterglow for a while after sex, and he’s not going to move much during that. His wings really come in handy at this point, though, because while he may not be too keen on moving his body, he doesn’t have any issues with using his feathers to get you anything that you need. Beyond that, though, just let the man chill out for a moment, and he’s totally down to cuddle for a bit if you want to.

B: Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

On himself, the obvious answer would be his wings. And he does love them; they’re a unique and gorgeous feature that very few people have, and he’s been able to do some fantastic hero work with them. He likes his eyes just a little bit more, though; he can churn out some really smoldering looks with them when he wants to, and he likes how those looks can have you panting in seconds.

On his partner, he’s torn between your ass and chest. He loves to leave marks all over your chest, but he also likes to grab a handful of your ass during sex. Both are visually appealing, too, so he honestly can’t decide between them.

C: Cum (Anything to do with cum)

He’s not picky about where comes, like, at all. He can see the appeal in coming inside of you and on you because he mainly just likes to make a bit of a mess with his cum, and he can do that via either method. His cum is a little on the thin side, but it’s still thick enough not to be too runny. The taste leaves a bit to be desired because he’s not exactly picky about what he eats.

D: Dirty Secret

He’s not exactly embarrassed by it, so much so that he’s actually planning out the logistics of it to try to make it happen, but most people would still frown on it so it still counts as a dirty secret: he wants to fuck you while flying at least once, just to say that he can and did.

E: Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Not as much as you’d think, surprisingly. Yes, he’s pretty and he’s got droves of people swooning over him, but he’s also really, really busy. He’s had his own hero agency since he was 18 and he’s been a top hero since then, too, and that doesn’t leave a lot of spare time for anything, much less dating or even one-night stands. He certainly knows what he’s doing, but most of that comes from research instead of gained experience.

F: Favorite Position

He can be a bit lazy during sex, so he loves any position where you ride him, particularly Cowgirl, but he will have to sit up a bit on account of his wings.

Leopard- he loves to see you stretched out in front of him as you work yourself on his cock, plus the view of your ass is to die for.

Oath- he thinks it’s pretty intimate, plus he can easily run his hands all over your body in this position, especially your chest.

Emperor-it gives him a damn good view of your entire body as you lounge out like a king/queen, plus it doesn’t irritate his wings.

G: Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc.)

He can definitely be a bit more on the goofy side during sex. He can be serious if you want him to, but he generally prefers to be more playful with you than anything, and if you think that he won’t tickle you with his feathers during the act just to get a laugh out of you, you’re dead wrong.

H: Hair (How well-groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes)

It’s all feathers…

I’m kidding, of course. The carpet is slightly darker than the drapes, and there isn’t a whole lot of it. What little there is of it is neatly trimmed, though.

I: Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Sex with Hawks can be pretty intimate, with those smoldering eyes of his and the constant hold that he’ll have on your waist. He realizes that his busy schedule doesn’t always allow him to be the most attentive of lovers, so he really cherishes the moments that he does have with you, and he’ll use sex as the perfect opportunity to remind you of how much he loves and needs you.

J: Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

He jacks off a fair amount. He’s a young guy in his prime, and he’s got the sex drive to go along with that. Unfortunately, he’s also a busy guy, and it’s gotten to the point where he has to schedule his ‘personal time’ or else he won’t get around to it. It’s the same situation when it comes to having sex with his partner, and that’s something that upsets him greatly.

K: Kink (One or more of their kinks)

He’s definitely into using his feathers on you, especially for teasing, so Quirk/Sensation Play. It’s nice to use something that the public reveres him for in such a debauched way.

Voyeurism and Exhibitionism also make the list, but he’s definitely more into the former option. Does he make an active effort to catch you in any sort of indecent act? Yes, without question.

He’s also into Bondage, and it’s split 50/50 as to which one of you will get tied up, but if you get to have your way with him, just tease the hell out of him and you’ll be his favorite person in the world (as if you weren’t already).

He’s not as open about this one, and he has no idea where it came from, but he’s also into a bit of Degradation. On him.

L: Location (Favorite places to do the do)

He not picky in regards to location. He’ll be just as happy to fuck you in his bed as he will to fuck you in his office. He is pretty fond of you riding him on the couch, though, especially when the two of you are enjoying a rare lazy day together.

M: Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Spontaneity- if you can find some time in his schedule that he somehow missed to throw down, go for it. He really hates being forced to schedule sex because of his job, and he’ll be absolutely thrilled (and turned on) at the prospect of being able to take you when it wasn’t on his schedule.

Wear something that shows off your assets, whether that be a tight shirt or pair of shorts, a low-cut shirt, or some snazzy underwear that he can catch a small glimpse of. His eyes will be glued to you the entire day until he can have you, and then he’ll be sure to pay extra attention to the assets that you showed off.

His wings are totally sensitive around their base and touching him there is a good way to get him hard pretty quickly.

N: NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He’s pretty open-minded, so there isn’t much that he won’t try when it comes to sex, although he is a bit remiss to hurt you in any way. However, if you’re convincing enough and you start off slow and easy, he’ll give it a go.

O: Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He doesn’t have a preference over one or the other, but lord are his oral skills something to write home about. He likes to take his time when he goes down on you, really savoring your taste as he teases you with small licks and nips to your thighs right as you think that he’s about to give you what you want. He loves to see you panting with need, so he’ll tease you for a while before he finally lets you cum. As for receiving, blowjobs are one of his favorite ways to relax. He’ll groan and throw his head back, closing his eyes and enjoying every little thing that you do when you give him oral. He’d like it if you took your time with him, just so he can relax and destress for as long as he can.

P: Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual?)

Whenever he has the time to be properly intimate with you, he prefers a slow pace. It doesn’t necessarily have to be sensual (he would definitely be down for some slow giggly sex, too), but wants to take it slow so he can have the time to truly appreciate your body and memorize it in all of its glory. With how busy he is, it may be a while before he can have you again, so he wants to make sure that each session lasts long enough for the both of you to be satisfied for a least a little bit.

Q: Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He is so down for quickies. As stated in his ‘Jack Off’ section, he’s so busy working as a hero that is has gotten to the point that he has to schedule his intimate times with you just to make sure that they actually happen, and that greatly irritates him. Because of that, though, he gets really excited whenever you find some time that wasn’t on his schedule to be intimate with him, and quickies work great for that.

R: Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

If it wasn’t clear enough in his ‘Dirty Secret’, Hawks is all for taking risks. He kind of sees them as a challenge, to see how he can best use his wits to avoid being caught, and the added thrill is a nice bonus to that.

S: Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last?)

He tends to get fairly worn out after sex, so one round is about all he’s got, but it’s a fairly long round, especially when foreplay is factored, so you’ll be more than satisfied by the end of it.

T: Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Hawks is all for using sex toys. They’re great for foreplay, they’re great for teasing, hell, they’re great for just about everything in his opinion. He’ll just as gladly use them on you as he’ll let you use them on him, and the naughtier the toy, the better.

U: Unfair (How much they like to tease)

Hawks is a huge fucking tease in the bedroom, but believe it or not, he actually has a preference for being teased rather than being the teaser. Both work as good stress relievers for him, but being at your mercy and having you push him to the brink with teasing is the best stress relief in the world in his opinion.

V: Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

This man has no damn shame when it comes to volume. He’s naturally loud during sex and he knows it, and he doesn’t care. He refuses to hold himself back. He’s going to let you know how good you’re making him feel, and he’s going to do his damnedest to get you to be as loud as he is.

W: Wild Card (Random headcanon)

He loves to tease you with his feathers. Yes, he’ll use them for some sensation play during sex, and yes, he’ll send a few of them to lightly run over your exposed skin at random points while you two are home together, but he’s also not shy about sending one down your pants to bring you to orgasm before he’s even touched you. He’ll just be standing there, grinning like a fool the whole time, too. It may not have been the most convenient thing in the world for you to have an orgasm while you were figuring out what to make for dinner, but hey, an orgasm is an orgasm. It’s his way of making up for being busy all the time, and even if he can’t have a full session of sex with you, he can at least make sure that you stay satisfied, even if he does it a bit facetiously.

X: X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants)

His dick is slightly thinner than average (around 4 inches), but length-wise he’s a little above average at around 5 ¾ -6 inches. He also has a slight upwards curve that’s bound to hit all sorts of nice spots.

Y: Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

His sex drive is pretty high, which is kind of unfortunate since he doesn’t get to act on it that much with how busy he is. He could have sex multiple times every day if he had the opportunity to, but fate is not on his side in that matter, so he takes what he can whenever he can get it.

Z: ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

As mentioned in his ‘Aftercare’ and ‘Stamina’ sections, he gets a bit tired after sex and he prefers to just chill for a while afterwards. He will definitely fall asleep if he has the chance to, but if not, then he can begrudgingly get up to carry on with his day.

[cakesunflower]

No Need Convincing Me [Tattoo Artist!Calum AU] Part 2

Summary: Elodie Banks hadn’t expected to get so caught up in her best friend’s tattoo artist. But all it took was one meeting with Calum Hood for Elodie to feel herself drawing towards him and the ink on his skin. Maybe once she was rid of a miserable relationship and the insecurities that came with it, she’d allow herself to realize that Calum was just as wrapped up in her.

All Parts: Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Part 2

She was arm candy, only to speak when spoken to. Which was laughable, given that her parents owned one or two hotels in every major city across the country and were the top members of the city’s elite society. Elodie Banks wasn’t arm candy—unless Nathaniel Roman said she was. And she was tired of it.

Their arms weren’t even linked together the whole they had been when they first arrived. Now, they just stood side by side as Nathan talked to some important looking people Elodie didn’t know. She had tried to pay attention, tried to engage, but every time she’d open her mouth, Nathan would brush over her and his voice would overpower hers. So why should she bother? It twisted her stomach uncomfortably, being silenced for ever having an opinion on anything, but she stuck by. She plastered a smile and nodded along as if she understood. Smile and nod. Smile and nod.

“You alright, honey?” Elodie had managed to break away from Nathan, not that he truly noticed as he was too busy schmoozing the men he was talking to, to grab a glass of wine. Her mother had taken that moment to check in on her, blue eyes glimmering with concern.

“Yeah,” Elodie assures her with a smile. She couldn’t exactly indulge in the fact that being with Nathan was suffocating because, well, her parents loved him. Treated him like their own son because they all grew up together. Not to mention, Elodie had a fear if she told them the truth, they’d say the same thing Nathan said: she was being too sensitive. Gesturing around lightly with her glass, Elodie said, “It’s a beautiful collection.”

She could still see the concern in her mom’s eyes, but was grateful that she accepted the change of subject. Mrs. Banks looked around, a smile on her face and hands clasped as she said, “Yes, it is; hopefully we’ll raise a great amount.”

Elodie nodded her agreement. The money from the auction of the artwork was going to a variety of environmental and youth charities, and Elodie hoped they’d raise a substantial amount for them.

Her mother eyed her once more, raising a concerned brow. “Are you sure there’s nothing bothering you?”

Elodie met her gaze, forcing a smile onto her lips she’d become an expert in faking. “No, Mom. I’m great.”

She downed the rest of her wine after her mom walked away, earning a raised eyebrow from Dominique as she had chosen that given moment to approach Elodie. “You going through something?”

Elodie’s eyes cast over to where Nathan was, lips turning down into a frown as she mumbled, “Neglect.”

She watched the way Dominique looked over to Nathan as well, rolling her green eyes and Elodie kind of wished she kept her mouth shut. The animosity between her best friend and boyfriend wasn’t lost on her; she desperately wished the two of them got along. She wished she didn’t have to endure listening to either of them bicker or hear one ridicule the other behind their backs. Dominique only wanted what was best for her, and Elodie was aware of her friend’s dislike of Nathan stemming from the fact that Dominique thought Elodie deserved better. And maybe she did.

Elodie hated that she was so weak. If she was stronger, more like Dominique, then she’d be able to talk herself into breaking up with Nathan and then doing so. But she isn’t. And that’s why Nathan liked her.

“You know what?” Dominique spoke after taking a breath, eyes meeting Elodie’s. She saw the mischief glinting in the green of Dominique’s eyes. “I don’t think I’m feeling too well. How about you, my best friend, take me home before I throw up on the artwork?”

Elodie’s eyebrows shot up, feeling the smile quirk at her lips as she stared at Dominique in incredulity and amusement. She wanted to ditch? To be fair, it wasn’t the first time Dominique talked Elodie into leaving not even halfway through some event their families attended, but every time it was brought up, a shock of nerves and excitement rushed through Elodie. Breaking the rules wasn’t something she did often, and only ever in Dominique’s company. And she never regretted it.

Fooling their parents wasn’t elaborate. Dominique just clutched her stomach and made an expression akin to of someone about to throw up, throwing in the act of having a headache too. Her mom, ever concerned, suggested going to the doctor, but Elodie and Dominique assured them she just needed some rest. And with Elodie offering to take Dominique home, it was said and done.

They were out of the banquet hall, approaching the exit of the hotel when Nathan’s voice spoke, “Where are you going?”

They stopped, Dominique rolling her eyes as Elodie’s stomach flipped, turning to look at her questioning boyfriend. She tried not to shift on her heels, hand holding Dominique’s arm as she said, “Dom’s not feeling well so we’re going back to her place.”

Nathan’s green eyes shifted to Dominique, who didn’t even bother putting up an act, instead fixing him with the glare she had reserved just for him. Scoffing, Nathan took a few steps towards them and said, “Dominique’s a big girl. I’m sure she can take care of herself–no need for you to go.”

Elodie frowned gently at the notion of Nathan trying to stop her from doing something and at the fact that he wouldn’t care if her best friend really was sick and she wanted to help. Moments like these did Elodie realize how selfish he was. “It doesn’t matter. I’m still going with her, Nathan,” Elodie told him, her voice soft and even, because that’s just how she spoke all the time. Especially with him.

She saw the irritation flash across his eyes, tightening his features as he clenched his jaw. Elodie tried not to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat, taking a breath as he said in a forced calm tone, “You’re my date, Elodie. You can’t just leave me.”

“Both of you came with your families, jackass. You’ll be fine,” Dominique scoffed, reaching her hand up to grasp Elodie’s, who pressed her lips together when Nathan’s expression darkened. He was so handsome—Elodie hated when the inside of him didn’t match. “The car’s waiting.”

Dominique pulled Elodie out of the hotel, and she couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder as she looked at Nathan. Her throat dried at the scowl he wore, hands curled into fists at his sides, and though her stomach twisted nervously at the sight of him, it was overpowered by the relief and excitement of getting out of there. And away from him, but Elodie silenced that thought immediately.

About fifteen minutes later, around nine-thirty PM, the two of them were sitting in some Halal Guys, waiting for their food, still in their evening gowns and high heels. The two ignored the looks they got, chatting amongst themselves in their booth, when suddenly Ashton slipped next to Dominique and Calum next to Elodie.

“A little snazzy for a place like this, huh?” Ashton grinned, arm going around Dominique’s shoulders as he grinned at the girls.

Dominique snorted, sipping her soda. “We’re classing the place up.”

On the other side, Elodie was more or less frozen, not at all expecting the man sitting next to her. Dominique had asked Elodie if it was okay if she invited Ashton, which Elodie was all up for, but no one had mentioned the dark haired tattoo artist sliding into Elodie’s side of the booth. She glanced over at the wave of cologne that nearly dizzied her, the smell fresh and delightful, and felt her heart jump when she noted Calum’s dark gaze on her.

She watched the way his eyes trailed over her, feeling her skin flush when his gaze met hers once more and he said in a quiet tone, “Red’s a good color on you.”

The warmth on her cheeks intensified, gaze dropping to the color of her dress as if she hadn’t known what she was wearing. It was ruby red, reminiscent of her birthstone, the material hugging her nicely. Finding her voice, Elodie murmured a, “Thank you,” just as the guy at the counter called out both her and Dominique’s order numbers.

“We got ’em,” Ashton said, exchanging a nod with Calum before the two of them got up to go to the counter.

When they were out of ear shot, Elodie looked at Dominique, her eyes widened a bit as she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me Calum was coming?”

Dominique let out a laugh, eyebrows raised in amusement. “I didn’t know Ash was bringing him, I swear.” When her smile transitioned into a smirk, she leaned forward and said knowingly, “He thinks you’re cute, ya know.”

Her words had the expectant reaction from Elodie, her face completely on fire as she pressed her lips together and pushed herself back into the cushion of the booth seat. Elodie wanted to desperately believe that Dominique was just teasing her, playing around, but she knew her best friend never joked about those kinds of things—especially with someone as sensitive and nervous as Elodie. So knowing that there was, to some extent, a bit of truth in Dominique’s words had Elodie’s heart skipping a beat and shoulders tensing when Ashton and Calum returned with their food.

The grateful smile upturned Elodie’s lips easier than she thought, heart fluttering when Calum returned it with a small smile of his own as he placed her plastic tray in front of her, the chicken platter and side of hummus nearly making her stomach growl as she reached for her fork. But before she began eating, she glanced at Calum and found herself asking, “Do you want some?”

His gaze met hers, like he hadn’t expected for her to offer, and the small smile that returned made his eyes glimmer more than the chain necklace did under the fluorescent lights of the restaurant. “Thanks, doll,” Calum hummed, the nickname slipping casually, though there was nothing casual about the way Elodie’s heart lurched as she heard it. Calum reached over, ring clad and tattooed hand picking up a triangle of pita bread and scooping up some hummus with it before taking a bite.

Elodie had to look away in effort of not just staring at the way his strong jaw moved as he chewed, nodding appreciatively at the taste. God. She was so weird.

“So did you decide what you’re doing for your birthday?” Ashton’s question pulled at Elodie’s attention, all eyes going to Dominique expectantly.

She put down her roll, swallowing down her bite and gently wiping at her mouth with a napkin. With a shrug, Dominique responded, “Costume party? My birthday’s always on Halloween weekend so it just makes shit easier.”

After sipping her drink, Elodie asked, “Are you gonna have it at your place or book a venue?”

Dominique hummed as Calum stole another piece of pita bread from Elodie’s plate, shooting her a boyish smile that had her own lips curling. He was undeniably handsome and it was fluttering Elodie’s stomach a bit too much. Handsome and intriguing, a combination Elodie shouldn’t get wrapped up in. “If the Playboy Club is available on my birthday, I’ll book it otherwise I can just throw it at my place.”’

Elodie let out a soft laugh around her fork. The Playboy Club would become readily available once they realized the party was for Dominique Lewis.

The four of them continued with light conversation over the dull buzz of the overhead lights, only three or four other customers in the restaurant as vague conversations occurred around them. Elodie found herself relaxed with the company she had, amusedly watching Dominique and Ashton pressed into each other in the middle of their booth, being the couple they denied they were, as Elodie finished her food with the help of Calum stealing some of her pita bread and hummus. The two of them sat at a respectable distance from one another on their side of the booth, but Elodie could still feel the warmth he radiated, could smell the faint scent of his cologne over the food they ate.

She found herself listening to the sound of his voice as much as she paid attention to the words he uttered; he was quiet, she noted as they sat, listening more so than speaking, but every time he did, Elodie got lost in his voice. A deep timber with a rasp that became more prominent if he spoke between laughter, his broad shoulders shaking as he did so. And for someone who came off as reserved—unlike Elodie’s shyness, Calum’s appeared as mysterious and intriguing—he seemed to smile a lot. Elodie found no fault in that—he had a gorgeous smile, complete with crinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes and cheeks pushing up adorably.

It dried her throat, how quickly she was finding these details in him.

“Would you ever consider getting a tattoo?” Calum had asked the question out of nowhere, making conversation with Elodie as, across from them, Ashton and Dominique lazily talked about something she hadn’t been paying attention to.

Elodie blinked as she looked at Calum, head turned towards her as he leaned back in the seat, right ankle resting on his left knee as his right arm rested on the table in front of them. He was making conversation, casual and easy, as he eyed her curiously. Elodie wasn’t quite sure what it was, but the way Calum looked at her, watched her, felt different. Nerve wracking—but in a good way. “I don’t think so,” she told him truthfully, almost shyly because she didn’t want to insult him or his job in some way. With a sheepish smile, she added, “I don’t think I’ve got the pain threshold for it.”

Honestly, Elodie liked tattoos. She liked the way they looked on people’s skin, admired the artwork and precision to detail, and wondered what the stories behind every tattoo was on every person she saw—if there was a deep meaning, if they got it just because they liked the design, if it was some kind of drunken mistake—the curiosity always ate at her. But actually receiving one herself? Elodie wasn’t too sure if she’d be able to sit through that. Besides, she wouldn’t even know what to get if she ever decided on going for it.

Understanding danced across Calum’s features as he nodded. “That’s fair,” he said, fingers tapping on the table top. She wondered what the letters on his hands meant.

Finding the urge to keep the conversation going, Elodie shifted ever so slightly, pressing her right shoulder into the booth to face Calum a bit as she told him, “I’ve always wanted to get my nose pierced, though.”

She watched the way Calum’s dark eyes dropped a bit, looking at her nose, and for some reason that had her smiling. Calum’s own mouth quirked, boyish and far too charming, as he looked at her once more and said smoothly, “You’ve got the perfect nose for it.” Elodie wondered if he was aware how easily he lit a fire in her cheeks. Wondered if she should be worried about that fact. Lazily pointing at her, Calum added, “If you ever wanna get it done, come by the shop. It’ll be on me,” the offer complete with a boyish wink.

Elodie raised her eyebrows, surprised and feeling almost sheepish at his offer. If she was being honest, she was kind of used to getting some things for free or for a valued price—it came with the status of being the daughter of parents like hers. She’d always been grateful for it, yet always offered to pay the full amount because she could afford it, because she didn’t find it necessary to be given things for free—a trait she didn’t quite share with the classmates she had in her private high school.

She often joked about how that’s how the rich stayed rich—by having companies give them free things for the sake of their name being attached to their brand.

Before Elodie could even hope to respond, a new voice spoke up, completely freezing her in her seat and immediately dissipating the easy going mood of their table. “If you weren’t feeling sick before, you sure as hell will now with that shit in your stomach.”

Dominique’s expression darkened as Nathan stepped into view, standing right at the end of their table as. His expression seemed cool, but Elodie noted the storm brewing in his eyes, the irritation trickling upon his features, and she felt her own body tightening in his presence. Her nails dug into her palms under the table, cursing at her instinctive reaction upon Nathan arriving; this wasn’t how she should be feeling around her boyfriend. Why couldn’t she stop?

“Actually, I was feeling great until I saw your face,” came Dominique’s rebuke, tone as icy as her eyes as she glared at the unwelcome guest. Elodie pressed her teeth together, gently nudging Dominique’s foot with her own under the table. Their eyes met, and Elodie silently pleaded for her to not provoke him. Turning her gaze back to Nathan, Dominique demanded, “How’d you even find us? Stalking’s a crime, you know.”

“Our drivers talk, Dominique. It wasn’t hard.” Nathan’s gaze then shifted to Elodie, and she hated that she felt guilty under the weight of his gaze. She knew she shouldn’t have lied to him in the first place, and while she didn’t regret being here, she wasn’t looking forward to Nathan’s anger. With patronizing raised eyebrows, Nathan taunted, “You ditched me for some cheap double date? What the fuck are you doing, Elodie?”

Her lips, long since having lost their gloss, parted to speak, her words caught in a nervous hitch of breath, heart pounding when Calum spoke up out of nowhere. “Are you really gonna speak to her like that?”

All eyes shifted to Calum, and Elodie was too busy taking a soft breath at the sound of him coming to her defense to notice the annoyance that intensified on her boyfriend’s face. Calum was looking up at Nathan, looking at him with an expression that was a cross between challenging and disgust, scrunched together eyebrows raised in question.

Jaw working, Nathan snapped back, “This is none of your business, buddy—”

Calum gave a single shake of his head—more of a sideways tilt of his chin, really—as he clicked his tongue and cut in, “Not your buddy.”

Elodie took a breath, not at all ignorant of the tension brewing between them. After all, it was her doing, wasn’t it? The amount of hostility between the two of them churned her stomach, naively wondering if it all came from this moment. The two men Elodie was sitting with didn’t know Nathan, and he wasn’t giving them the best impression of himself. Silently, briefly, Elodie wondered what that even was anymore.

Instead of responding to Calum, Nathan looked at Elodie once more, telling her tightly, “Let’s go. We’re leaving.”

His demanding tone didn’t settle well with anyone, and even Ashton frowned as he started, “Dude—”

Elodie’s skin felt like it was on fire. She was mortified, upset, angry. Nathan never hesitated on speaking to her like this, always demanded things of her even if it went against what she wanted. And he only ever did it in front of Dominique, yet in front of everyone else, he kept up that charming act that Elodie had fallen for in the first place, never giving the impression that behind the disarming grin, there was a man who had no trouble in being a puppet master to his acquiescent girlfriend.

Elodie hated that almost six months in, he was still working the strings.

“Now, Elodie,” Nathan snapped again, right at her, cutting off whatever Ashton was about to say. His eyes were fierce, challenging her to say no.

Her heart was in her throat, stomach churning and suddenly she wished she hadn’t eaten that entire platter. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, and Elodie unsuccessfully tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she cleared it and looked down at her lap, pretending to dust off crumbs from her dress. They needed to get out of there before Nathan made more of a scene than he already had; somehow, though, she was the one who was embarrassed, never him. There was a familiar sting in her nose, but Elodie ignored it as she asked in a small voice, “Calum, can you let me out, please?”

She didn’t dare look at him, but Elodie could feel the heat of Calum’s gaze burning into her upon hearing her request. Maybe he was wondering if he misheard her. Maybe he was wondering how she could let Nathan speak to her like that. Maybe he thought she was utterly ridiculous for listening to Nathan. God knows Elodie considered those last two options for herself.

Why couldn’t she just say no?

Instead, she was burning under everyone’s gazes—especially Calum’s. She could feel him staring at her, as intense as the lights above, and not for the first time Elodie hated being weak. Hated it for herself, and hated that Calum had to see her this way. And while she wasn’t exactly sure why the second was so strong, why it meant more than it should, but it did. And it made her all the more nauseous.

There was shifting from next to her, and Elodie saw from the corner of her eyes as Calum slid out of the booth without a word, and she swallowed inaudibly before sliding out as well. She felt like a fucking child as she stood next to Nathan, a child who just got reprimanded, and the embarrassment brought a new wave of heat to her skin as Calum moved to sit back down. Her gaze met his then, accidentally, and Elodie noted the frown on his face as he looked at her. His lips were pressed together in disdain—was it towards her? Towards Nathan? Towards this whole situation?—with his hands pressed to the tops of his thighs as if he was bracing himself, and Elodie felt her throat tighten at his darkened eyes.

She quickly averted her gaze to Dominique, who mouthed, “Call me,” as Nathan’s hand grasped Elodie’s. It felt rough, cold against her skin, and she bit the inside of her lower lip as he said gruffly, “Let’s go.”

They sat in the back of his family car, the distance between them noticeable as Elodie sat pressed against the door, gaze out the window as they drove back to Nathan’s place. She just wanted to go home.

The air was suffocating in the back of the town car as Elodie clicked her nails, the sound piercing her ears yet being unable to stop. She was probably pissing him off more. “You know, if you hadn’t lied to me, I wouldn’t have crashed your little double date.”

Elodie suppressed the scoff, the lie a bit too laughable. Instead, she looked down at her nails, throat working as she said quietly, “It wasn’t a double date. We were just hanging out.”

Nathan had no trouble in scoffing loudly, the sound patronizing and derisive that only had Elodie biting the inside of her cheek. “Hanging out,” he mocked. “That dude wants to get in your pants. He’s not your friend. Do yourself a favor and stay away from him.” And then, as if what he’d said hadn’t been enough, Nathan added snidely, “And, really, a nose ring? It won’t look good on you; don’t kid yourself.”

She bit her tongue, hard enough to send a sting through the muscle, as Elodie took a breath and looked back out the window. Nathan’s words and his insults stung, heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. Every time he just. . . Told her to do something, demanded something of her, made her feel like she wasn’t good enough, it felt so defeating. Why she ended up listening to him was beyond her. Why she stayed was another question she desperately sought the answer to.

The tears stung her eyes as she leaned her head back against the seat. Probably because she had no spine. No sense of sticking up for herself. Fucking pathetic.

*****

When Calum stepped through the curtain, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or give into the sudden animalistic urge of throwing a punch. For a second, he debated on turning around and asking Luke or one of the other guys to take over, but Calum wasn’t someone who ever submitted to anybody else—much less people he didn’t particularly like.

So he pursed his lips and kept his expression blank as the curtain closed behind him, jaw tight when Nathan’s disbelieving, derisive laugh sounded in the small space of the work station. He’d been standing by the chair an unfamiliar guy sat in, Calum’s actual client, arms crossed over his chest and looking utterly out of place in his suit, when his gaze landed on the man who would be doing the job.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Nathan scoffed with a shake of his head, lips curled into a sneering grin. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Calum was ready to kick the dude out, his mere presence encroaching on the comforting atmosphere of his store, as the guy seated—Scott, Calum recalled Sierra informing him—looked between the two of them in quiet confusion. Calum’s gaze, dark and fiery as he forced himself to hold back, met Nathan’s demanding one. He fought off the condescending smirk threatening to grow as he walked towards the stool and told him, “It’s my shop. If anyone’s got barely a right to be here, it’s you.”

As Calum settled on the stool, Scott spoke up with a wary, “Am I missing something?”

“This dude’s tryna fuck Elodie.”

Calum wanted to let out a laugh at Nathan’s crude words; he would never be caught dead talking about his girlfriend like that. Calum slipped his gloves on under the two men’s gazes; Nathan wasn’t entirely wrong—Calum had felt himself focusing on Elodie since the moment he met her, but he had more respect for her than that. He would never try anything with her while she was in a relationship—even if it was a shitty one. And, honestly, not out of his own morals—he just wouldn’t do anything because Elodie seemed like the type to let the guilt eat her alive at the thought of cheating on her boyfriend.

Calum was drawn to her, that much was obvious to himself. But he wasn’t going to start anything, if there was an opportunity to do so, when there was the potential of her feeling guilt over anything else.

His glanced up, expression blank under Scott’s raised eyebrows and Nathan’s glare, as he stated flatly, “We’re friends.” Patience wearing thin, Calum braced his hands on his knees and turned his attention solely to Scott, raising his eyebrows in an almost bored sense. “Is this gonna be a problem? D’you want me to hand you off to someone else to get this done?”

Scott blinked, lips pressed together before glancing at a still glaring Nathan. Calum once again felt the urge to kick him out of the shop, especially after how he’d seen Nathan treat Elodie at the restaurant the other night. It had taken everything in Calum not to go after them, to put Nathan in his place for speaking to Elodie—to anyone—the way he did. After he’d taken her, Dominique had cursed and continued to be worried about her best friend, Ashton trying his best to comfort her while Calum, sat opposite of them, ignited a pain in his jaw from how hard he was clenching it. He was furious, disgusted.

It all seemed like a mess, yet another reason for Calum to ignore whatever the hell he was feeling towards Elodie. But he couldn’t ignore it. Not when she looked like she was trying to escape as badly as Calum was wanting to help her out.

Looking back at Calum, Scott gave a shake of his head. “Nah, man. I’m fine here.”

Calum was a bit surprised, but he didn’t question it. The same couldn’t be said for Nathan, who let out a protesting scoff. “Are you kidding me, Scott? He’s—”

“One of the best tattoo artists in the area,” Scott cut him off, throwing an irritated look towards his friend. Calum fought the urge to smirk; he wondered if Nathan’s own parents even liked him. “I’m not going somewhere else just ’cause you’ve got an issue with everyone.”

It was a silent affair, though that’s how Calum normally liked it. He preferred working in silence, only hearing the buzz of the gun and the sound of The Maine playing through the shop’s speakers, as he got everything prepared, grabbing the gun and adjusting the needle and sterilizing the area of application. Calum remained aware yet uncaring of Nathan’s scowl, bitterly amused that he hadn’t dragged his friend out of the shop the way he had Elodie’s. Or was that just because they were around her friends? Did he act that way around other people? Calum had a twisting feeling that kind of behavior was only saved for Elodie, and his dislike and contempt for Nathan started blossoming into hatred.

Calum worked with easy confidence and concentration, feeling just a bit more relaxed once the tattoo gun was in his hand and he was finally working on Scott’s tattoo—a quote his father always says in his handwriting, which Calum thought was dope. It was going fine, the silence inviting and needed as Calum focused on his work, until Nathan decided to speak up.

“You know, I find it hilarious that you think Elodie would go for some dude who owns a tattoo shop when she’s already got a guy already set on Wall Street.”

Calum wanted to snort. He’d been right about the Wall Street angle from the second he’d laid eyes on Nathan the first time.

Instead of Calum responding, Scott spoke up, his tight tone towards his friend as he said, “Dude, can you not provoke the guy who’s tatting me up?”

“’S alright, Scott,” Calum mused smoothly as he leaned back a bit, wiping at some of the excess ink and blood. His tone remained cool because, truthfully, what Nathan meant to be a snide and taunting remark had no effect on Calum. It wasn’t a secret that Calum didn’t give a shit what Nathan thought of him, the man’s opinion meant nothing, so why waste any energy rebuking? “Unlike your buddy, I’m capable of keeping my shit together in public places.”

“What’d you just say?”

But Calum didn’t grace him with a response, instead bit back a smirk and continued finishing Scott’s tattoo. He expertly ignored the tension in the room, the buzz of the gun calming as he finished the quote on Scott’s forearm. Nathan was nothing but another body in the room as Calum wrapped up Scott’s tattoo and gave him the routine after care talk, and any animosity Calum felt towards his friend didn’t translate into his interaction with Scott as they shook hands. “Thank you, man. Appreciate it,” Scott smiled, ignoring the clench of Nathan’s jaw and the impatient exhale of a breath he sounded by the curtain. He looked ready to leave, and Calum was more than willing to kick him right out on his ass.

Nathan’s presence in his shop was pretty anticlimactic, though Calum wished he never stepped foot inside in the first place, yet he couldn’t help but mutter a gruff, “Fucker,” once the door shut behind Nathan, the glare furrowing Calum’s eyebrows returning without a thought.

Sierra, who heard him, raised her eyebrows from where she sat behind the desk, looking up from her phone as she asked with a slightly amused laugh. “Who was that?”

“The blonde with the pocket protector?” Sierra snorted as Calum rolled his eyes, lips curling distastefully. “Elodie’s boyfriend.” He remembered Luke and Sierra had left the bar just minutes before Nathan had arrived that first night; they were lucky enough to not make his acquaintance.

Sierra twirled a pen between her fingers, quirking a brow. “We don’t like him?”

Calum exhaled sharply through his nose, aware of the irritation caused by Nathan’s presence still heating his skin as his gaze met Sierra’s pointedly. “We don’t like him.”

--

tags: @irwinkitten​ @softforcal​ @valentinelrh​ @sweetcherrymike​ @astroashtonio​ @meetashthere​ @calntynes​ @hereforlukescruff​ @novacanecalum​ @captain-what-is-going-on​ @angelbbycal​ @singt0mecalum​ @hopelessxcynic​ @lfwallscouldtalk​ @bodhi-black​ @findingliam-o​ @softlrh​ @calumsmermaid​ @erikamarie41​ @quintodosuniversos​ @longlastingdaydream​ @babylon-corgis​ @lukehemmingsunflower​ @imfuckin10plybud​ @pastelpapermoons​ @conquerwhatliesahead92​ @rotten-kandy​ @metangi​ @neigcthood​ @ohhmuke​ @old-zeppelin-shirt​ @5sos-and-hessa​ @trustmeimawhalebiologist​ @vxlentinecal​ @pettybassists​ @vaporshawn​ @lu-my-golden-boi​ @buggy-blogs​ @visualm3nte​ @isabella-mae13​ @dontjinx-it​ @lifeakaharry​ @neonweeknds​ @antisocialbandmate​ @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave​ @calpalbby​ @grreatgooglymoogly​ @gorgeouslygrace​ @cocktail-calum​ @miahelizaaabeth​ @madelynerin​ @dramallamawithsparkles​ @theagenderwhocriedwolf​ @kaytiebug14​ @hoodskillerqueen​ @bitchinbabylon​ @empathycth​ @xhaileyreneex​ @inlovehoodx​ @sunnysidesblog​ @calistheloml​ @aestheticrelated​ @bloodlinecal​ @sublimehood​ @madbomb​ @raabiac​ @britnicole11​ @outofmylimitcal​ @fluffsshawn​ @bloodmoonashton​ @vxidhood​ 

[janaikam]

Hi hi, I’m back with another commission for @multibug​ through the @mlbforblm​ drive. The drive still has 16 more days left and you can commission me or other  artists/writers/content creators! All your money is going towards a good cause!

I hope you enjoy this very interesting fic!

Summary:  Ladybug catches Alya and Chat sneaking around one night. What on earth are her kitty and best friend up to?

Chat Noir glanced around the empty street nervously. A nearby light flickered, struggling to stay lit. He hoped that it would stay lit, otherwise the street would be bathed in darkness. His night vision would help him see, but it definitely wouldn’t help the person he was meeting.

Why did they have to meet in the middle of the night? Why not a bit before dawn? At least then the sun could start lighting things up.

The sudden screech of bike brakes caused Chat to jump up almost a foot in the air. Quickly looking around, Chat let out a sigh of relief once he saw who it was.

“Are you scared, Chat Noir?” Alya said, walking into view.

“N-n,” Chat cleared his throat. “No, I’m not scared. I’m just worried someone might catch us. ‘Cause you know we’re supposed to keep this on the down-low.”

Alya rolled her eyes, taking a step closer to Chat, leaving hardly any space between them. He could feel Alya’s breath and how it was coming out in quick little bursts, which probably meant she biked out here pretty quickly. Made sense since she technically is supposed to be home asleep at this hour.

“We’re not doing anything bad. Besides no one comes on this side of town anyway, so we won’t be caught,” Alya whispered.

Times like these, he hated his super senses. Alya smelled like cinnamon, and it was driving him crazy. Maybe if he thought about something else he could push the overpowering scent of cinnamon away.

Chat gulped. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Of course, I’m right!” Alya pushed a yellowish envelope into Chat’s arms. “I need you to get these things for me, okay?” Chat nodded. “Good, I’ll see you Saturday at 23.”

Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, Alya turned back towards her bike.

Chat watched as Alya disappeared into the darkness before leaping onto a nearby building. He couldn’t wait until Saturday.

                                                            XXX

Ladybug stood shocked from her position on a roof not far from where Alya and Chat had been standing. She had just been doing a midnight patrol in the area, when she happened to spot Chat. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, she hadn’t gotten the chance to swing down to him before Alya appeared. Which begged the question what exactly were Chat and Alya doing, meeting up this late at night?

Were Chat and Alya secretly dating?

No, that’s impossible! There had to be some other explanation for what Ladybug had just witnessed. Right?

It’s not like two people can’t kiss if they aren’t dating. Yeah. Yeah.

Besides Alya was dating Nino and Chat was dating that girl…who could totally be Alya.

Oh no. This couldn’t end well. Because if what she thought was happening is actually happening then that means her best friend-NO!!!

Nope. No. Nuh-uh. Not gonna consider that.

For all she knew, this was just a meeting to set up for an interview or something that Chat was doing for Alya. Yeah, that had to be it.

She totally wasn’t going to try and figure out where they were meeting Saturday…

Well, it wouldn’t hurt anyone right? It would give Ladybug peace of mind, and that’s what really mattered.

                                                            XXX

Despite their desire to sneak around, Chat and Alya were pretty easy to find.

So her tracker may have helped her, but it’s Chat’s own fault for not turning it off. He could have easily decided to wear a disguise like that stupid banana suit. Actually that might’ve drawn a lot more attention to them...

Okay so it didn’t really matter how she found them, but it did matter where she found them.

Le Palais du Fromage.

A fancy restaurant that Marinette had dreamed of going to ever since they opened 5 years ago. Getting a reservation there was practically impossible unless you were someone important.

She had always imagined herself there tasting all their different cheese platters and getting stuff on just entrees, yet leaving just enough room for dessert. Especially the one that included camembert. Gosh, she loved camembert.

Shaking away the thoughts of camembert, Ladybug watched as Chat and Alya walked up to the door. It was odd to her because the restaurant closed every day at 22:00 sharp. It was also pretty clear to her just looking at the restaurant. All of the outside chairs had been placed leaning against the table. The inside lights had been turned off save for a few in the back. Probably just the kitchen light or something.

Alya was wearing a fancy red dress that seemed to hug her perfectly in all the right ways, while Chat had somehow put on a suit over his costume. She had to admit they looked very snazzy.

When they reached the door, Chat knocked three times, and the door opened. The pair rushed inside, and the door slammed shut behind them.

Ladybug’s jaw dropped.

How on earth did they get a reservation when the restaurant is closed??? What were they even doing that warranted them going to a fancy restaurant late at night?

Purrhaps to have a secret midnight date.

Nope. Not happening on her watch. She was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.

Getting up, Ladybug swung down to the front of the restaurant and knocked on the door.

Initially, no one came to the door, though she could hear the silent whispers of people arguing. Likely arguing about whether to answer the door or not.

Knocking again, the whispers stopped, and this time someone answered the door. The young man that answered the door had blonde hair that had been gelled back so it didn’t get in his face. He had on a dark red vest paired with a black dress shirt and pants.

His sea-blue eyes grew to the size of saucers once he realized it was Ladybug at the door.

“L-ladybug! Wh-uh what brings you by at this hour?” The doorman glanced at something behind him. What? Ladybug couldn’t tell from her position.

“I was just patrolling nearby and noticed the lights were on. Wanted to make sure everything was okay because I know you guys normally close at-I MEAN! You’re normally closed at this time.” Ladybug let out a little laugh, slightly embarrassed she almost painted herself as a restaurant stalker.

“Everything is good here! Heh, a few of us are just, uh…” The man in front of her looked back again, panicked. “We’re, uh, just doing some inventory! Yeah, inventory! That’s what we’re doing late at night. Totally not suspicious at all. Heh.”

If Ladybug didn’t know any better, she’d say they were running some kind of underground mafia business here or maybe even a secret butterfly cave. But she knew he was likely just hiding the fact that Chat Noir was there for some reason.

“If you don’t mind, I would love to check and make sure everything is okay?” Ladybug blinked innocently.

“Umm...yeah. Let me just check with the manager for a quick second.”

Ladybug heard a soft groan from behind the doorman, but she ignored it in favor of smiling.

“Thank you so much! It shouldn’t take long, I just want to make sure the citizens of Paris are all safe!”

Safe from my wrath that is.

                                                            XXX

“And here is our private dining room. You can hold about 100 people here. Perfect for birthday parties and the like,” the manager, Mr. Colby Jacques, informed Chat and Alya.

Chat had to admit that the dining room looked amazing. There was an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, which reflected the light through thousands of little diamonds. The walls were covered in stunning paintings of famous chefs from around the world. On one end there was a window with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower.

“Wow,” Alya breathed, looking around.

“This is perfect!” Chat exclaimed, slowly spinning around and taking in the beauty of the room.

Ladybug would love this.

Mr. Jacques smiled at the two teens’ reactions. “Yes, this dining room is very popular among our guests. If you will follow me-”

“Sir!” One of the waiters, who had stayed behind to help, ran up to the trio.

“What is it, Jean Pierre? We have very important guests.” Mr. Jacques looked very irritated at his employee’s interruption. Chat guessed that if he and Alya weren’t standing right next to him, the poor man would’ve been fired on the spot.

“U-uh, umm,” the waiter fumbled, nerves clearly overtaking him.

“Out with it boy!”

The sudden outburst from the store owner surprised Chat and Alya, causing them both to jump a little.

Mr. Jacques noticed them jump and immediately straightened and fixed his tie. “My apologies, I did not mean to shout. It’s just we don’t want the kitchen staff to be waiting all night. What is it, Jean Pierre?”

Years of high society training told Chat that the kitchen staff being held back was the least of Mr. Jacques’ worries. He was obviously more concerned about the Chat and Alya’s business here at the restaurant, and he was just trying to save face.

Maybe this wasn’t the purrfect place after all.

One glance at Alya and he knew she was thinking along the same lines as him.

“Uh, Ladybug is at the door, and um, she wants to come in and, um, make sure everything is okay.” Jean Pierre got out softly.

Oh. Oh, this was bad. Ladybug being here could ruin the whole surprise.

Alya shared his worried look, but it seemed that Mr. Jacques did not. In fact, it appeared that he forgot the whole reason why the pair needed to come after hours.

“Did you tell her we were closed?”

Jean Pierre nodded frantically. “Yes, yes. Philipe told her, but she’s insisting to come in and check the place out.”

One of Mr. Jacques’ eyes twitched in frustration. “I will go deal with this. Please show our guests to the kitchen, and don’t mess this up.”

The last part was whispered to Jean Pierre, but with his super-hearing, Chat was able to hear it clearly. Yeah, they weren’t going to pick this place for the surprise.

But if Mr. Jacques couldn’t keep Ladybug away then there would be no surprise anymore. He could only hope that the pretentious manager could hold back Paris’ (and quite possibly the world’s) greatest superhero.

Yeah, there probably wasn’t going to be a surprise anymore.

                                                            XXX

Ladybug tapped her foot impatiently. It had already been about 10 minutes since the doorman said he was going to get his boss, but no one had come out yet.

They were likely stalling to find someplace to hide Chat and Alya. Maybe she should knock again.

As Ladybug went to knock on the door, it opened, revealing an older balding man. Unfortunately, she was unable to stop her hand from hitting him in the face.

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry!” Ladybug brought her hands to her mouth, hoping that she didn’t accidentally break the man’s nose with her super-strength.

The man groaned, holding his nose for a second, but then removed his hand. A strained smile graced his features as he pushed past the likely growing pain in his nose.

Even though she had just hit him in the face, she just got an unpleasant vibe from him. Maybe it was just her feeling weird that he’s helping Chat and Alya sneak around, but this dude did not pass the vibe check.

“I-it’s alright, Ladybug. Unhhh…What brings you by at this hour?” The manager’s nasally voice, perhaps caused by her accidental punch, further added to his rancid vibes.

“I’m just here checking in on you guys. I was just worried that such a fancy restaurant like yours staying open this late was strange. I know most restaurants like yours pride themselves on closing quickly, so I was just a little concerned and wanted to check and make sure everyone is okay.” Ladybug smiled sweetly, moving a little closer to the door.

“I thank you for your concern Ladybug, but everyone here is just fine. We’re just doing some unexpected cleaning in the kitchen. One of our busboys accidentally spilled a few buckets of dirty plates. Truly a big mess that has kept us behind. We’re all uninjured, just cleaning up the mess,” the manager explained. Ladybug couldn’t help but notice as his nose grew darker and more purple-ish.

“I thought you all were doing inventory? At least, that’s what your doorman said.”

The manager froze as he realized his mistake. “Ah...yes we are also doing some inventory. That’s why there are a few of us here. But trust me everything is under control. I hope you have a good night, and thank you again for your concern.”

The manager, who she realized she never got the name of, tried to quickly close the door, but Ladybug moved her foot right between the door and the frame. It hurt just a bit, but she was grateful her suit protected her from most of the pain.

“With all due respect sir, I frankly don’t believe you. You can either let me in peacefully, or I will call in some back-up to help let me in.” Ladybug glared at the manager, and she could see him slowly realizing that he couldn’t win this battle.

Sighing, the manager opened the door back up for Ladybug. “Right this way.”

Ladybug grinned as she walked proudly through the doors.

“Oh, you might want to get some ice for that nose. I guess I still don’t know my strength.”

                                                            XXX

After maybe 10, the manager, who she learned was Mr. Colby Jacques, had only shown her the three main dining rooms with no signs of any workers that should have been there. The only worker she had seen was the one who ran to get Colby an ice pack.

“Uh, Colby, where are the other workers? I thought you said there were a few of you who stayed behind?” Ladybug asked, looking around. She was mostly looking for potential hiding spots for Chat and Alya, but so far she had not seen any possible spots.

“Oh, they’re all in the kit- I mean they must have gone home if they’re not around here. After all, no point in staying at work if you’re already done. So that means there’s no need for you to check on them!”

Colby immediately tried to turn Ladybug back in the direction of the front of the restaurant, but Ladybug had already picked up on his slip-up. They’re probably hiding in the kitchen.

“Oh, but you wouldn’t mind me checking out the kitchen, would you? Just to be sure no one else is here.”

Beads of sweat appeared on Colby’s face despite the fact there was an ice pack on his nose. “I-I guess that should be fine.”

“Purrfect!”

Ladybug allowed Colby to guide her to the kitchen doors where it was very obvious there were people in the kitchen.

“Oh, wow, I guess there are some people still here.” Mr. Jacques, sweating, had yet to let up, and she was pretty sure if he took off his blazer that there would be sweat stains on his shirt.

“Good thing we decided to check here then.”

Colby grimaced, or maybe he smiled she couldn’t really tell, as he pushed open the door to the kitchen.

The first thing Ladybug noticed upon entering the room was Chat and Alya, sharing what looked like and oreo cheesecake. They each had their own fork, and their arms were linked as they both ate their pieces of cheesecake. A group of kitchen staff stood around them watching them for their reactions.

“Aha! I caught you two!” Ladybug exclaimed, pointing at the two. Both of them turned and stared eyes-wide at Ladybug, clearly not expecting her outburst.

“L-ladybug! What are you doing here? At this clearly closed restaurant?” Chat asked nervously.

“I should be asking you the same thing, Chat. What are you doing here? After hours? Dressed fancy? With Alya Cesaire?” Ladybug crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.

Alya and her kitty shared nervous looks as if they were trying to figure out what to tell her.

“Alya and I are madly in love!” Chat declared, pulling Alya closer.

“I can’t believe it!” even if the thought had passed through Ladybug’s mind multiple times during the past few days. “Alya, I am ashamed. I thought as the Ladyblogger you would be a good example of what citizens should be like. Dating both my kitty and another man. Dishonor on you. Dishonor on your cow. Dishonor-”

“We’re not dating!” Alya interrupted, pulling herself away from a starry-eyed Chat. “We’re not dating! And I could certainly never cheat on Nino. He knows I’m here. With Chat.”

Ladybug frowned. “Oh, but then what are you doing here if you’re not on a date?”

Alya gave Chat a look. “Do you want to tell her? Or should I?”

“No, I will.” Chat sighed, pulling himself out of whatever daze he had been in. “We’re here because we were planning a surprise birthday party for you. Surprise!”

“But I never told you when my birthday is.” Ladybug furrowed her brow.

“True, but you did tell me that you’re a Leo, so I figured sometime during Leo season would work,” Chat explained, shrugging his shoulders.

“Okay, if that’s the case then why were you guys just eating the cheesecake like that?” There were just so many questions and things that didn’t add up. She needed to know before her brain exploded.

“Because someone saw it in a movie and wanted to try,” Alya said while tilting her head towards Chat.

“I thought it’d be cute!” Chat defended.

“Okay okay. Why isn’t Nino helping out?”

“He is but we were only allowed two people to come to the restaurant.”

“That-that makes perfect sense. I guess I’m just curious then, but what was in the envelope you gave Chat the other night?”

Chat and Alya blinked, surprised.

Chat brought his hand up to scratch behind his head. “Wow, I didn’t know you knew about that, but uh it was just a list of party things to get. Ya know for the party.”

“Oh. I-I guess that’s all I was confused about. I guess all of this was just one big misunderstanding?” Ladybug softly laughed.

“Yeah, though we probably didn’t help matters,” Chat moved over to Ladybug and wrapped his arm around her.

“Yeah,” Alya agreed. “It’s kinda funny cause I really couldn’t see us together at all.”

“Oh totally, we’d be too chaotic to actually get any dating done. It wouldn’t work out.”

“Yeah…” All three agreed simultaneously.

[1833outboy]

@carbonbased000 gave me the prompt, “Is that... my shirt?” from that list i reblogged forever ago, and it took me 84 years to fill it, but here it is finally! i hope you like it, carbon, sorry i took so long.

When Patrick rouses from his bunk it’s way past noon and the bus is almost empty. 

Empty but for Pete, who’s lounging in the living area, watching The Nightmare Before Christmas for what must be the sixtieth time this month. It’s October, so it’s necessary, according to him. Patrick isn’t so sure.

As Jack starts to sing of the magic of Christmas on the TV, Patrick wanders to the kitchenette, eager for coffee. 

“You in a better mood today?” asks Pete as he lies back on the sofa, socked feet resting against the arm rest.

Patrick mumbles some affirmative, guilt curling his insides. He has to admit he was a bit short with the guys last night. Utterly exhausted, convinced the show they put on wasn’t great and tired of being near people, he’d told them all to leave him the fuck alone before climbing into his bunk. Maybe he could’ve handled it better. He feels kind of shitty about it now.

Which is probably why when Pete asks, “Hey, can you pass me some chips while you’re up there?” Patrick grabs a packet of Lays from one of the cupboards — Joe’s, Patrick is pretty sure, but if you put something in a cupboard on this bus you know it’s a free for all, so it’s his own fault — and throws it at Pete without a word. He’s just about to turn back to the fridge and his hunt for milk when something about Pete catches his eye. More specifically, something about Pete’s clothes.

“Is that… my shirt?” That’s definitely Patrick’s shirt Pete’s wearing. Nothing particularly special, a black Bowie shirt he probably wears far too often than might be strictly healthy. But Pete definitely doesn’t own a shirt like that.  

Pete glances down at his t-shirt, looking almost surprised to see Ziggy Stardust staring back up at him. “I’ve got nothing clean,” he says with a shrug. “All my clothes smell like ass.”

Patrick is sure that his shirt won’t smell much better; he’s been wearing it for several days, prior to today at least. “Okay...” he says instead of addressing that, and tries to get back to his coffee. 

It’s strange though. He finds his eyes drawn back to Pete, lying back and staring at the TV in his jeans and Patrick’s Bowie shirt. It reminds Patrick, with a stab of something too bitter to be apathy and too sad to be anger, of last summer when Pete used to come back from the MCR bus wearing one of Mikey’s shirts. Patrick’s shirt looks a little more baggy on Pete; unsurprisingly, since he’s a bigger size than either Pete or Mikey.  

But more than that, it looks… good on him? It looks good, for reasons Patrick can’t quite identify. Not because it’s an especially fashionable or snazzy looking shirt, just because… because of reasons. Because Patrick likes seeing Pete wearing a shirt he owns. For reasons. It sets off a strange sort of spark deep in his chest.

“Scooch,” he mutters, nudging Pete’s legs as he wanders next to the sofa, coffee in hand. Pete pulls his legs back, allowing Patrick room on the sofa, then immediately rests his feet on Patrick’s lap. Patrick lets him, trying desperately not to let his eyes move from the TV to Pete. Pete, who’s eating chips and wearing Patrick’s shirt like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

This is so stupid; it’s not like Pete hasn’t worn one of Patrick’s shirts before. It’s not like Patrick hasn’t worn one of Pete’s shirts before. Back when they shared an apartment with Joe, and therefore threw all their clothes in the same washing machine, they used to mix up their shirts all the time. Patrick had often grabbed any shirt that would fit from the pile of clean laundry none of them bothered to put away.

Patrick’s not sure what feels so different here, but something definitely does feel different.

“Why didn’t you borrow one of Andy’s shirts?” Patrick asks suddenly, unable to keep his stupid, useless thoughts to himself for some reason.

“Huh?” Pete blinks away from the movie, frowning. “Why would I borrow one of Andy’s shirts?”

“Because… you’re the same size.” Also, Andy’s shirts are probably cleaner, he doesn’t say.

Pete stills Patrick with an odd, curious sort of look. “Does it bother you?”

Patrick feels his face heat up somewhat. What the hell is wrong with him? Why is this bothering him? “No… No. Why would it bother me? Just don’t... destroy it somehow. It’s… whatever.” 

There’s a small titter of laughter before Pete simply shrugs and says, “This shirt smells like you,” as he turns back to the TV. 

Well. That seems kind of seems like an odd thing to say. Probably just one of those Pete things, right? Pete says things like that sometimes, things he doesn’t really mean. At least, he doesn’t mean them as they sound.  

“So, like sweat and lucky charms?” he asks, thinking of the cereal he spilled on the bottom of that shirt yesterday.

Pete frowns, still watching the TV, and he’s quiet for so long, Patrick thinks he isn’t going to answer. Then there’s a shift and suddenly Pete’s feet are no longer resting on Patrick’s lap. Patrick allows himself a moment of loss, then wonders why he should feel loss for that. 

Pete’s sitting up now, frowning and apparently still considering Patrick’s question very seriously. “It smells more like... sweat, that sweet deodorant you like, and... your bunk, I guess.”

“My... bunk?”

Pete nods before turning himself round, letting his head rest on Patrick’s lap instead of his feet. Patrick brushes his hand through Pete’s hair almost without thinking.

“And all of that… makes you want to keep wearing my shirt?” says Patrick after a moment, staring at the Jack Skelington running along Pete’s arm rather than the one on TV. 

“Dude, you…” Pete sighs, eyes on the TV. “You smell like... relief, man. I don’t know what to tell you. You smell like being safe after a nightmare. Or like— draining away all the fucked up thoughts. The opposite of anxiety. That’s what this shirt feels like.”  

Pete doesn’t say, I needed that today, but Patrick suddenly feels like he might want to. His gut clenches as he wonders if Pete had wanted — needed — to climb into Patrick’s bunk last night, but decided against it because Patrick had been such a little bitch. Because Patrick knows that’s what Pete usually does when he needs relief. When he needs to stop the anxiety. 

“Oh,” he says softly, fingers moving from Pete’s hair to touch at his jaw. “I— Are you okay?”

Pete smiles up at him. “Right now? I’m awesome.” 

“Sorry, I… I mean, sorry I was kind of an ass last night.”

“You’re an ass sometimes, Rick. So am I.” He grins. “It’s why we’re made for each other.”

Patrick snorts, shaking his head. He feels warm. “You need to stop saying shit like that.”

“Before you believe me?” Pete asks, and something about his tone makes Patrick meet his eyes, silent for a few seconds. There’s a lot to be said about the golden glint in Pete’s eyes, the glint that seems to say a thousand things. “You know,” Pete continues. “I think you kinda like that I’m wearing your shirt.”

Patrick swallows thickly. “You’re... an idiot.”

“Is it because, since I’m wearing your shirt, I’m also labelled property of Patrick Stump?”

“My clothes don’t have labels with my name written on them,” Patrick says immediately. “I’m not five.”

“Is it cause I look hot in this shirt? I know you’d look hot in one of my shirts.”

“I’d look like an overstuffed plushy in one of your shirts,” Patrick replies, because he can’t imagine looking anything resembling hot in a shirt at least two sizes too small. 

“Nah, hot as hell.” Pete scratches absently at his stomach, the Bowie shirt riding up a little and revealing the tight, tanned skin underneath, marred with ink from his bartskull. 

It’s getting very difficult for Patrick to convince himself that he isn’t really, really turned on by Pete wearing his shirt right now. He’s extremely close to getting extremely hard, which is a problem because Pete’s head is on his lap, inches from his dick.

It’s possible Pete already knows this, judging by the golden glint in his eyes as they stare at each other for a few moments. “Patrick?”

Patrick tries to concentrate on something other than how much he wants to kiss Pete right now. He can’t. “Mm?”

“Just so we’re clear…” Pete’s tongue peeks out briefly to wet his lips. “If you wanted to kiss me right now, I’d be totally cool with that.”

Yes, yes, yes! he thinks immediately, even while his mouth contrarily says what it thinks he should probably be thinking, “I don’t— Pete, I don’t know if this—” 

That glint in Pete’s eyes dulls almost immediately and Patrick feels the loss on a visceral level. As Pete tries to sit up, lifting his head from Patrick’s lap, Patrick squeezes his hand against Pete’s shoulder, halting him midway to a sitting position, their faces way too close now. 

Pete frowns. “Look, dude, I—” 

Patrick kisses him.

Pete’s gasp of surprised pleasure seems to vibrate through Patrick’s bones, and he pushes deeper into the kiss, shoving Pete back onto the sofa and almost toppling them both to the floor in the process. 

Pete pulls back briefly, “So, should I keep this shirt on while—”

“Oh my God, stop talking.” Patrick pulls Pete back against him. 

Pete keeps the shirt on.

[rachelkaser]

Stay Golden Sunday: The Truth Will Out

Rose’s daughter visits, leading to the revelation of a secret about Rose’s late husband, Charlie. Blanche becomes obsessed with a murder trial.

Picture It...

Rose is making a snack in the kitchen in preparation for the arrival of her daughter and granddaughter -- a Maple Syrup Honey Brown Sugar Molasses Rice Krispies Log. Blanche enters, all fired up about a society murder in the news called the Duncan Osgood Trial. She believes he’s guilty because the late Mrs. Tippi Osgood was found at the bottom of their lake clutching her husband’s dicky.

ROSE: *about the Log* Some people put flour in it, but I think that makes it too heavy. My kids always liked it this way. DOROTHY: *choking* Tell me, Rose: Do any of your kids still have their own teeth?

Sophia, meanwhile, is sour about having to room with Dorothy while Rose’s daughter Kirsten and granddaughter Charley are in town. When Rose admits to being nervous about the visit, though, Sophia is the first to ask why. Rose says she has to show Kirsten, who she’s made executor, her will, and is worried what her daughter will think, but doesn’t elaborate on what she thinks will surprise Kirsten.

Ahead of Kirsten and Charley’s arrival, Blanche confides in Dorothy that she’s suspicious of Rose’s reticence regarding her will. She’s mostly basing it on the Osgood case, as Duncan Osgood was his rich wife’s heir. Kirsten and Charley arrive -- Kirsten says Charley is going to a kid’s astronaut program while she reviews Rose’s “estate papers.” They gift Blanche and Dorothy their own Maple Syrup Honey Brown Sugar Molasses Rice Krispies Logs.

BLANCHE: *aside to Dorothy* What are you going to do with yours? DOROTHY: It’s a log. I’m going to burn it.

All four Girls are having dinner with Kirsten and Charley, and Rose and her daughter go to the kitchen with dishes. Kirsten effuses about Rose’s friends, and says she now understands why Rose moved in with them despite (as far as Kirsten knows) not needing to save the money. Rose decides to show Kirsten her will, and visibly braces herself. Kirsten is confused, as Rose’s will shows she doesn’t have much money to leave. Blanche and Dorothy drift into the kitchen and overhear Kirsten asking how Rose could have burned through Charlie’s “fortune,” which Rose says happened because of bad investments. Kirsten leaves in tears. Blanche and Dorothy don’t believe that’s what happened, but Rose storms out without answering their questions.

Later that night, the Girls meet up in the kitchen. Rose won’t explain what’s going on with her will, but she asks what the others think about lies. Blanche and Dorothy tell stories of their own previous lies. When they try to reassure Rose that lies aren’t the worst thing, Rose says her lie to Kirsten has Kirsten hating her. Sophia tells her to tell the truth, but Rose says she can’t let Kirsten find out the truth about her late husband Charlie and leaves the kitchen. Blanche, in full detective fervor, wants to know what secret Rose is hiding, but Dorothy says it’s not their business.

BLANCHE: No, of course it’s our business! We’re friends. We’re roommates. I have no secrets from you. My whole life is an open book! SOPHIA: Your whole life is an open blouse.

Charley is in Rose’s room, dressed up in jewelry, a snazzy hat, heels, and what looks like her grandmother’s cardigan. Rose enters, and Charley says she has a date [side note: I have no idea if the date she’s talking about is with a real boy she met at camp, or if she’s talking about an imaginary person; the episode doesn’t really make it clear]. Rose helps her put on her makeup, and Charley says the boy reminds her of her grandfather, in that he’s very rich. Rose is taken aback when Charley the Second says that’s all she knows about Charlie the First.

In Dorothy’s room that night, Sophia leaves in frustration as Dorothy won’t stop tossing and turning. Rose enters and offers to swap. When she lays down, she tells a silent and presumably sleeping Dorothy that she was willing to let her lie to Kirsten continue. But now she realizes that lying to her daughter is effectively lying to her granddaughter, and she’s going to come clean in the morning. She tells Dorothy she loves her and to sleep well. After a few seconds of silence...

DOROTHY: Oh thank god, I thought you’d never shut up.

In the morning, Blanche reveals the outcome of the Osgood trial: Shockingly, Duncan was innocent, and the butler and maid were framing him. Rose catches Kirsten and tells her they need to talk. She insists on Blanche and Dorothy hearing the truth as well: Charlie, her husband, didn’t leave her a fortune to squander. Rose says that he was a great man, but not a great businessman. But since he traveled so often, she let her children think he was financially successful so they’d think as highly of them as she did. She apologizes to Kirsten, who, knowing the truth, forgives her mother.

After they leave, Blanche is a little put-out that the big secret was so mundane, given she’s been so wrapped up in the Duncan Osgood mystery. But she does come around, saying that things seem to have turned out alright since Rose and Kirsten no longer have a big secret between them, and an innocent man didn’t go to jail for murder. Dorothy’s response to her good humor?

DOROTHY: That’s easy for you to say. You’re not at the bottom of a lake clutching someone’s dicky.

“How practical: A snack you can panel your den with!”

Before I say anything else, I want to dedicate this post to Bridgette Andersen, the child actress from this episode. Andersen struggled finding acting work in her teens and died at age 21 of an opioid overdose. As always, Hollywood is an absolutely brutal place for young women. Rest in Peace, Bridgette. You’ll always be our little Charley.

I’m realizing, as I continue this series, how hard it is to cover episodes I consider less-than-great. We’ve all got those episodes in the Golden Girls rotation we skip when they come up, and while this episode has its good points, the A-plot is such a relentless downer that, like my last two-slice episode, I had a hard time watching this one enough times to finish the analysis.

It isn’t just boring -- it’s kind of infuriating. The episode makes it seem like the major conflict is Rose lying to Kirsten, but it’s actually Kirsten being upset with her mother for not giving her a lot of money. If seeing Rose sob, “I lost it all, I’m sorry,” like a child being scolded before Kirsten stomps out in a huff doesn’t raise your hackles, then I don’t know what will. No matter how hard the writers try to position this as a moral quandary (even going so far as to put poor little Charley in the middle), the whole thing feels very unfair to Rose.

BLANCHE: Oh boy, I’d love to put some surprises in my will. Like leaving a small remembrance to each of the men who’s brought some special joy or pleasure to my life. DOROTHY: And where would they read that will, Blanche? The Astrodome?

I’ve never been in a position to inherit a large sum of money, so I couldn’t relate even if I wanted to, but I think Kirsten comes off very unsympathetically here. She softens later when she learns that Charlie never left any money to begin with, and that Rose had been inflating stories of his being a success, meaning the actual issue is dodged. But when you take a step back and look at what Kirsten was expecting from her mother, it’s pretty unreasonable.

In the first place, the episode doesn’t make it exactly clear how large a fortune Kirsten thought her father had. I mean, he sold insurance; he didn’t found IBM. She’s also ashamed -- her word -- that Rose managed to “piddle away” a fortune in 15 years, as if 15 years is a brief span of time. Rose is a widow without a lot of career training who works a low-wage job. Even if Charlie did leave behind an 8-figure sum, Rose would have had to burn through a lot of it just to stay alive.

Also, Kirsten kind of contradicts herself in the scene with the will, because she mentions that she expected her mother to be living a more independent lifestyle than she was, and yet she gets upset when Rose apparently spent the money for her own purposes. “I expected you to be spending daddy’s money... wait, you spent daddy’s money?!”

BLANCHE: Oh honey, you didn’t eat your Brussels sprouts. CHARLEY: I don’t like Brussels sprouts. SOPHIA: Neither do I. *opens her purse* Put them in here with mine.

But even if Charlie the First had left behind a fortune, and even if Rose had spent it frivolously, I don’t think that’s Kirsten’s business. It would have been Rose’s money and she could spend it however she likes. I get that Kirsten was hoping that the money would go to her, her siblings, and the grandchildren, but the only “crime” she can accuse Rose of is not being as wealthy as she was supposed to be. That’s not reasonable -- that’s the villain’s motivation in Northanger Abbey.

The timeline is also very confusing here. This episode reaffirms that Charlie Nylund has been dead for 15 years. Given that Charley looks like she’s at least 12, that means Kirsten has to be at least in her early thirties. The episode doesn’t make it clear whether Rose talked up her husband’s financial success while he was alive. So the options are either A) Rose somehow managed to lie to her children about the size of their dad’s pocketbook while said dad was still alive -- which, unless they lived in the I Love Lucy show, someone would have unraveled by now -- or B) Rose felt the need to lie to her adult children after their father died so they wouldn’t think he was a loser. Why do neither of those sound particularly plausible?

Speaking of continuity, what exactly are the sleeping arrangements in this episode? Sophia opens the episode complaining about having to sleep with Dorothy, and says she’s giving up her room for Rose’s family. But later Rose swaps with her and Sophia says “I’m taking my bed back.” Also, Charley’s scene with Rose is in Rose’s room. So Kirsten and Charley are staying in Rose’s room, Rose is staying in Sophia’s room, and Sophia is staying in Dorothy’s room? These musical bedrooms are making me dizzy.

SOPHIA: *getting out of Dorothy’s bed* That’s it, I’m outta here! DOROTHY: Ma, what’s the matter? SOPHIA: I can’t sleep! All night long, tossing and turning -- I’d get more rest on Space Mountain!

I don’t want this analysis to be nothing but complaints, though. There are some decent jokes in this episode, and the B-plot of Blanche getting way too involved in a sensational murder trial definitely feels very in-character for her. We all know Blanche loves the drama, and I love episodes where she gets to show character traits that don’t revolve around men and sex. Having said that, when Charley says she’s going to astronaut camp because she wants to “meet boys who want to be astronauts,” Blanche’s big smile and conspiratorial whisper of “Me too!” is adorable.

The funniest thing about the episode actually doesn’t happen in the episode itself. In the scene with Charley, where Rose helps her put on her makeup, child actress Bridgette Andersen wasn’t available for the initial rehearsal (I’ve heard different reports -- she was either sick or in school that day). So stage manager Doug Tobin took her place, and he made the colossal mistake of trying to improvise a joke while reading from the script. When he reads Charley’s line about going on a date with “Robert,” he adds with a giggle, “He’s the PA!” referring to production assistant Robert Spina.

Betty White visibly pauses when he goes off-script, and, even in the grainy film footage of this moment, you can see she gets a look on her face like, “Oh, you done did it now, boy.” She then picks up a makeup puff on the table, which looks like it was dipped in flour, and covers Tobin’s face in white powder. By the time she’s done slapping him with this giant puff, it looks like she slammed a pie in his face. Here’s the moment caught on camera.

Doug Tobin said in an interview with Golden Girls Forever that he realized later that, even though he kind of provoked Betty by going off-script, the whole thing was set-up ahead of time. As he said, they didn’t usually put film in the camera during these rehearsals, so someone knew what was going to happen and made sure to film it. He also said he looks back on it and wonders what he was thinking, trying to mess with Betty White. As he says, “The woman could destroy me in a second!” And she did, Doug. She did.

Episode rating: 🍰🍰 (two cheesecake slices out of five)

Favorite Part of the Episode

SOPHIA: *interrupting Rose’s scene with Charley* Are you two coming? The spaghetti is getting cold. ROSE: We’ll be there in a minute, Sophia. We’re in the middle of a makeup lesson. SOPHIA: I hope the kid can help you. You wear more rouge than Miss Piggy.

[takadasaiko]

One Hundred and Eighty Days (a Veronica Mars one shot)

FFN II AO3

Summary: Logan returns from his six month tour in the Persian Gulf. Part of my Spanning Years. Continents. series.

One Hundred and Eighty Days

Six months.

One hundred and eighty days.

It had seemed doable, especially following the nine years of silence that had spread between them after she'd left for Stanford. It wasn't like Veronica didn't have plenty to focus on with her father's recovery and getting back into the swing of the PI business. It helped to have her friends by her side rather than across the country, and the ability to - at least on occasion - Skype with Logan while he was away. She never would have anticipated that one hundred and eighty days could feel so fucking long.

She hadn't been sure she could meet his ship as it came into port. Forty-eight hours before she was knee-deep in a new case and twenty-four hours before she was neck-deep into it. Logan had told her not to worry about it. She'd be there or she wouldn't, but he wouldn't hold it against her if the case wouldn't give her a chance to get away. He knew how hard she was working. That carefully cool voice of his over their last Skype call rang in her mind and drove her crazy. So crazy that three hours before he was due in - up to her eyeballs in the case - both her father and Mac had demanded that she drive down to San Diego. He'd left his car with her anyway, right? Right. She should go pick him up.

Veronica made record time down to the Naval base where he would be docking and was shuffled through each checkpoint. Every time she expected to hit a snag, her name appeared on all the right lists. Logan may have said that it wasn't a big deal if she couldn't make it, but he'd clearly made sure she had a straight path in if she chose to show.

The docks were busy with husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. New mothers pointed at the ship to their babies like they had any clue that that's where their dads had been for the entirety of their short lives. Veronica weaved in and out of the crowd, watching and listening and observing. Conversations about how long they'd been gone, about information sent home, about plans once they disembarked. Everybody was excited, which left Veronica - as she often was - the odd one out. She should be excited, she knew, but really she was just left with a tremendous amount of anxiety.

It wasn't that she wasn't excited to see Logan again, but she was equal parts terrified. As long as he was gone they were both looking forward to his homecoming. It gave them a goal, a north star to focus on. Now that his ship was docked and it looked like they'd start letting the officers off soon, Veronica couldn't push down the overwhelming fear that they'd fall back into old patterns. Chaos came to their door, they gave into the magnetic pull that felt so right in the moment, but it inevitably turned bitter as one or both of them did something to spoil it. There'd been so much pain in their past that sometimes she wondered if either of them were capable of healthy relationships. Logan, at least, seemed to be trying in a lot of ways, but it was easy in the short sprint of time that was her arrival back in Neptune to help him choose a lawyer and him shipping out. Now that they were both going to be in the same town, she knew it could make or break them, and after everything she wasn't sure she could take another break.

This was where she usually ran. Distanced herself and fled for the hills.

But here she was. Waiting for him.

She hoped it wasn't going to crush her.

Cheers sounded from the crowd and Veronica looked to where sailors were disembarking in their snazzy white uniforms. She waited and watched from her place where she could actually see - at least at a distance - who was leaving the ship, and finally spotted a familiar figure. Her heart leapt in her chest and her feet were moving before she gave them permission to. "Excuse me. Yeah. Sorry." She pushed her way through the crowd in the general trajectory of where she'd seen Logan making his way down and finally broke through the other side to find no familiar faces.

She'd missed him. He must have already gone…. wherever they went when they got home.

"Veronica?"

Veronica turned, recognizing the voice instantly above the rumble of the rest. Logan stood with the same bag he'd had slung over his shoulder the day he'd left, his hat perched on his head, and his thin lips slowly stretching out into a smile. "You made it."

She echoed his smile and then some as she launched forward and heard the sound of his laugh - full, not the amused chuckle she so often got over Skype - in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. Her legs went around his middle and she felt him spin her around, kissing the side of her head because it was the only part of her he could reach.

He shifted her just a little so that she could lean into a real kiss, her lips melting against his and she felt him set her down carefully, deeping it. His hands rested on either side of her face and one of hers reached around to the back of his neck. He wasn't getting away until she let him, and that wasn't going to be anytime soon.

"Echolls, that her?" someone shouted off to the side and Logan reluctantly broke the kiss. He was still grinning and the other man that was wearing the same wings on his uniform that Logan sported gave him a mock salute and a wink, even as a woman slugged him in the shoulder, laughing.

Logan turned his attention back to her. "You got some time?"

"For you, I can make it," she answered.

Somehow his grin grew and he pecked a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Let's get home."

                                                   ---------

Home was a relative term. Logan had been living out of a small, studio-styled guesthouse off of Dick's main house on the beach before he'd shipped out. While Dick had another high school buddy - was there any other kind for Dick Casablancas? - moving in soon, he wasn't there yet and Logan still had run of it for at least his first few days back. If he needed to find a new place was a problem for another day. That night, he was home, Veronica was going to take full advantage of the fact that they had privacy there that they never would have gotten at her father's place. She really hoped one of those apartments she'd been looking at came available soon. This was going to be problematic if they had no place to go other than her dad's place.

Logan's kisses were as desperate as her own as he carried her into the little apartment, his bag forgotten in the car parked outside and she was already tugging his uniform off. It was a blur of motion as they moved towards the bed that she hoped had been made up since the last time she'd been in it. They fell back and Veronica reveled in the fact that he was there with her and that he wouldn't have to leave first thing in the morning.

Some time later she was still reminding herself of that fact as they both lay back, pillows thrown from their place and neither of them wearing anything that they had been before. They were wrapped up in the sheets and she was curled up against him. She ran a bare foot up his leg and his fingers sent chills up her spine as they moved up her back, his touch light and delicate like he was savouring it.

This wasn't their first time back together after nine years apart, but it was the first time where they didn't have something looming over them. If it wasn't a false murder charge and her father in the hospital, it had been his orders to ship out as soon as everything was cleared. Now, back on shore-duty, they had some time. Time that left them lounging in bed, her hands traveling over exposed skin, and Veronica couldn't ignore the scars that she knew hadn't been there years before.

Logan caught her hand as it lingered against one just below his ribs, maybe two inches long, and pulled her fingers up to press a gentle kiss to them. He didn't say anything, but she caught his gaze and held it. "Am I allowed to ask?"

A rough chuckle left him. "You're Veronica Mars. I didn't realize you needed permission to ask anything."

Her fingers curled around his and she pressed herself up on her elbow so that she was looking down at him. His expression was soft. He wasn't going to volunteer anything, but he also wasn't telling her not to ask. He was just waiting on her.

"Where'd you get the scar, Logan?"

He pushed a long breath out from his nose. "About four years ago we were flying over… an undisclosed location -" he offered her an apologetic smile and she nodded the small acceptance - "and we came under fire. Shit happened, we had a hard landing, I took some shrapnel."

"Holy shit," she breathed, her fingers moving back to the scar that stood out against his skin.

"Yeah, wasn't fun, but I bounced back."

"Wallace always said you had nine lives."

His lips tugged outward at that. "I should probably check in on how many I have left."

"What…. happens?" she asked carefully, not sure exactly how she should phrase the question. "When you're on deployment and you get hurt, I mean."

He leaned back a little deeper into his pillow, loosing another breath. He wasn't comfortable with talking about this, that much was clear, but if she were to make a bet on it he wasn't used to it. Logan had never been one to volunteer certain things about his life. If people didn't push, he wouldn't say anything. She'd always been one to push. No stopping it now. If they were going in on this, they were going all in.

"When you enlist you have to give them a next of kin. I mean, technically, mine is Trina, I guess? Hell if I was gonna list her though."

Veronica snorted softly, her fingers moving across his torso to lightly scrap his ribs. She felt him tense at that, but certainly not in a bad way. "So who'd you list?"

Logan grimaced at the question. "Dick."

"Casablancas?" she choked out.

He shrugged. "Listen, I know Dick's an… acquired taste, sometimes, but he's loyal. More loyal than most of the people in my life." He sighed and Veronica felt him tighten his hold on her just a little. "People around me leave in one way or the other. Lilly died, my mom died, Duncan left… I'm not blaming anybody, just…. the way it is. Dick can be an asshole, but if I ever need him he's there."

She lay there for a long moment, her fingers still tracing up and down his side and she let his words soak in. If he had died overseas in these last six months - hell, if he'd been injured - she would have been at the mercy of Dick Casablancas to get her the news. Loyal he might be - at least to Logan - but that wasn't acceptable. Not in the longterm, and she wanted this to be longterm.

"Can you change it?"

"Change what?"

"The person who… I don't know. Gets that call?" Again, she felt like she was floundering for the right terminology. As she'd filtered through the crowd on the docks earlier that day it'd felt like people had been speaking a different language. She hadn't known what the acronyms meant or how to decipher what was being said. It was fine. It had all been in passing. But it wasn't, not really. Not if she was honest about wanting Logan in her life.

"Sure," he answered. "I'd just have to update my file."

"Then do it."

He huffed a small laugh. "Do what?"

"Change it. To me."

He tensed at that, catching her gaze. "Veronica….You'd be listed as my next of kin," he said slowly, as if somehow he thought she didn't understand that.

"I know."

"And you're good with that?"

"Are you?"

His lips twitched upward. "I am, but you..." He sighed. "What if the call comes in the middle of a case? What if you should have your focus on something else and you -"

Veronica leaned down, cutting the words off with a kiss. She felt his hands travel up her sides and pull her deeper into it. "I want you," she breathed out, her lips still dangerously close to his. "And I want you to know when you're out there that you have me to face if you let them hurt you."

Logan chuckled at that, leaning up to steal another kiss. "I love you. I never stopped."

"Me neither," she admitted softly. "I wanted to, but…. I think it was pretty obvious when you called after nine years and I flew cross country."

"I didn't know if you would."

"Yeah you did, you asshole," she laughed, kissing him again. "You knew it."

"I hoped." He shifted, easing her around so that she was on her back and he leaned over her. "You really want me to make the change?"

"I do."

"It's a big step. I know it doesn't sound like it, but -"

"Logan," she breathed, "I'm not going anywhere. Not this time. You and me, we're epic."

He grinned and leaned into the kiss. "Years and continents," he whispered.

"Bloodshed," she answered back and he laughed.

"You do love the bloodshed."

"Because anyone that comes after you -" her fingers danced across the four-year-old scar - "they have to come up against me too."

"And this is how we win the War on Terror," he chuckled as his kisses moved down to her jaw line and her neck.

Veronica wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in closer. This was it. One hundred and eighty days or nine years, it didn't matter. They always came back to each other. This time, though, she was determined that they would stay. She was his family now.

                                                  ---------

Notes:

I actually started on another fic and then this one just sort of tumbled into place as a compilation of a couple of different ideas that ended up fitting together very well. I love the idea of Veronica being listed as his next of kin if anything were to happen and that being a way that she's choosing to support him when she can't physically have his back.

I do feel like I should mention that I am not a member of the Navy, nor are any living members of my family, so there's a better than even chance I'll get a detail or ten wrong along the way, though from what I've heard canon does as well so there's that. :P

[shinjukuspiritcommittee]

Spirit Committee Mod’s Christmas Gift to you

So back earlier this year when I first started this blog, one of the first ever requests I received was a question asking me “What were my 20 favorite Housamo characters?” At first I really didn’t have an answer since I was trying to reintroduce myself to the cast, but now that I’ve ingrained myself into the community a decent bit I can give you guys what I look for in a Housamo character as my thanks to all of you for just enjoying my content really. I look for what appeals to me visually (I’m the kinda writer that likes em big and beefy) but also well written. While not every character may or may not be the best written character since there’s so much reading I have to go back and do, but I am comfortable 20 characters I find to be downright great.

My Top 10~20 Housamo Characters

Honorable Mentions: Characters who do definitely qualify in the Top 20, but are just simply hard to place exactly in a definitive slot (lists like these are pretty hard to write for in hindsight…)

~Aegir: This is a character that’s very hard to place for a few different reasons. On one hand he’s easily one of the more aesthetically pleasing characters to me and I don’t just mean his body. There’s just always something about outfits in Housamo that just look amazing and I think Aegir’s is one of the better ones because they both show off his best assets and are pretty snazzy. His color scheme in most of his outfits tend to say hes an ocean man and I like you can just tell by looking at him given the whites and blues along with the gold he adorns himself with. Sort of what you’d expect from a treasure hunter such as himself. And yes he is a total heart throb alongside that I do have a bit of Gacha bias here and for the next one since I have all variants of them and some really good artwork. On the other hand, what do I know about him? Well, he’s a pretty boisterous fellow who loves to show off and is a big man. What else? Um…. Unfortunately Aegir’s events aren’t fully translated and his voice lines and bio do leave a bit to be desired for me at least. When it comes to writing him I have no issues, but when it comes to trying to visualize him as a character among the vast cast it just becomes hard to give him a good place beyond “He has a nice chest and bulge” most of the time. It’s not anything personal and my opinion of him may change after this Christmas event is over and translated by the Housamo Blogspot and GomTang is one of my favorite artists working with LifeWonders so he may get bumped up or off. As an additional upside I do like how his gameplay in both of his variants reflect his character, it’s a nice touch game designers often do.

~Takemaru: Yes, both 2019 Christmas boys. And yes, it’s because of their tiddies. I’m mostly kidding… But in all seriousness Takemaru is one of the better offensive supports in the game who’s one of the easier units to pull in the gacha, especially right now considering he has an alt on the banner so in theory he should be showing up more frequently as a 3star. But that’s just a theory. The thing with Takemaru I like beyond his design is the fact with how genuine sweet he is as a character. He’s rough in how he speaks but his personality is very sincere (for the most part from what I can gather) However he falls into the same trap as Aegir since I haven’t read the events he’s a part of just yet. Plus he is a crafter boy and you never say no to a Crafter.

~Kengo: One of two Summoners on this list. I have a bit more preference for Kengo over the other summoner that did make the list, but to be as fair as I can in my judgment I have to leave Kengo in the 11-20 pile. Visually he has all the check boxes that just draw me to a character initially and his personality is simple, but I like that he’s simple. Characters don’t always need to be complex and multi faceted to be engaging, plus I just kinda want someone who would encourage me to be more active and I feel a few characters alongside Kengo would do that, he’s a Chad and a bro. So why is he not in the inner circle for this list? It’s cuz the story treats him the worst. What do I mean? deep breath If you’ve read Chapter 3 of the main story then you should know the absolute mess it is. It tries to shove in as many characters as possible during this part of the story which, okay understandable since this is a gacha game but they forgot to give Kengo, you know one of the cover boys, a proper role in the story and it really feels LifeWonders thought that they could bank on Kengo’s Himbo status and just showing us the others. But I need sustenance. I need to read! He did because he has moments that could have been much more if they just shifted the focus back on Kengo for more than a few moments at a time and he sort of highlights a lot of my issues with the way the stories are told in this game but those are for another time.

~Arc: In my perspective, the antithesis to Kengo. Not to say I find Arc visually unappealing, but they aren’t for me the way other characters are though. As a character though Arc’s story is honestly one of the best stories has to offer and they actually have (pardon my pun) an arc. I won’t spoil too much of their story because it’s all pretty late into the game but you really do sympathize with Arc and begin to understand the larger narrative the game has. Plus a nice detail is that Arc’s voice lines change depending on the point of the story you’re in I guess? Or maybe it was a release thing I’m not too sure how you trigger one over the other but they get 2 sets of lines. And they actually integrate Arc into the story and revolving cast pretty well instead of casting them to the wayside for 80% of their story. I can’t go much deeper than that unfortunately. All I can say is read Chapter 7 and 8 but do know that they are some of the more darker and serious chapters in the game so far.

~Durga: The only Yoyogi girl who strives to be number one. Unfortunately she joined the wrong list and wound up in the runner up tier. But for starters Durga has one of my favorite voice actresses who plays a number of my favorite characters in anime and games so I’m glad LifeWonders are capable of getting such talented voice work. As a character I know what this character is mostly about and the event I haven’t really read yet is her initial one so when that gets an official TL I’ll read it to grow more understanding. But from what I have now I can safely put her as one of my favorites because her drive to be number one is inspiring to try your best and everyone should follow her example to some degree. I say that because she really does feel naturally flawed given her alleged age. I won’t spoil much of Dreamland but I will say how Durga’s struggle is further amplified is totally understandable given her position in the group of athletes and her desire to always win and why she always pushes herself to be her best at any cost and it’s definitely something I can see someone doing (without as catastrophic a breakdown when it backfires and just learning what works best for her). As for why she’s not in the other category given my praise of her character is because I don’t have the full story much like with a few prior entries on the list. But when that event does get a TL at some point I do want to read it and finally have the full picture for her so I can rank her properly.

~Kyuma: I shall dub him my Kouhai because he is a first year. A lot of people don’t like Kowmei’s art, myself included, but overall his characters don’t really put me off that much since there’s only one in particular. Kyuma’s good though. He is a good, hardworking kouhai I’d enjoy being around given he seems the most levelheaded of his friends despite his age.  Or maybe its because of his age? There’s no grand singular reason he’s on this part of the list. He just needs to be in more events and get an actual alt. That’s all.

~Zao: I wish he was introduced in a better event because he is one of the better characters released in year one. But good lord does his event drag you through the dirt with terrible battles and awful pacing. It’s unfortunate his whole story is dragged down because the game was still in an early spot when this event originally came out. Outdated gameplay aside I think Zao does best in setting the precedent for shop units when it comes to writing and design. I like his arc going from a stubborn mountain man to a more open and accepting person. However he has a similar issue with Kengo where he has to share his spotlight with characters of varying degrees but unlike Kengo the other characters who appear in this event are meant to compliment Zao rather than detract from him.

~Amatsumara: He’s the dad of the Crafters and is who makes the Crafters really feel like a family. Every member feels like they have a role in the Guild and you can really see how much Amatsumara values them. He just seems like the doting father type who gives you noogies and I can respect that. Seeing him interact with characters in Chapter 9 was also one of the more enjoyable aspects of that chapter. I won’t spoil it but it was pretty good.

For the final 2 they’re just characters who’s designs I like a lot and just need to do more research since this game has a lot of characters to try and find information on

~Dagon

~Tomte

And yes, its cuz they’re cute and new. I am shallow… ;u;

Now for the Top 10 favorites, but even then placement can change depending on what LifeWonders plans to do with them down the line.

10. Gunzo: Kicking off this list is the rugby player himself. To start he’s a very dorky athlete. He isn’t the greatest at handling social situations and kind of a goofball when it comes down to it. But those are not bad things, in fact they’re what landed him on the list. His quirkiness is just plain adorable and I do enjoy the antics he and his classmates get into. Not only that but he’s a pretty laid back guy once you get to know him a bit better. It’s his lack of awareness that is his best strength, but worst weakness at times.

9. Kurogane: deep breath ANIKI~!!! Jokes aside Kurogane is the character that when I first saw, I was very disappointed he wasn’t playable. (Then GoGo happened and made me one happy person) and he’s voiced by the same guy who did Broly back in the day so that’s pretty awesome. Kurogane actually likes it a lot when you call him “Big Bro” and I would totally call him that once I found out he did because he’s so wholesome and goodwilled. Plus he does deserve some recognition as someone older since he is the youngest in his Guild. Not only that I can sort of relate to Kurogane’s desire at being an engineer since when I was still attending classes in college that was what I was studying as my major. I can’t quite match the same level of enthusiasm as Kurogane, I do see where his character does come from when tackling certain things, which is how he easily became one of my favorites.

8. Claude: You want a sugar daddy? Claude is probably your guy. So the leader of the Berserkers Guild is a great guy, most of the time. He has his moments where he can get carried away with his own desires rather than doing the correct thing, but honestly there’s something satisfying about a man just taking what he wants. That and well, getting a bit of a wake up call that you can’t just do all of that because you’re bored. His character quest is what really sold me on Claude as a character and something about it felt very real. A lot of it was very vague terminology and confirms Claude’s status as a bottom. Claude is also very intelligent and he’s always trying to make the best move that will benefit the most amount of people, whether or not its for his own interests usually. Also this wouldn’t be your mod if I didn’t mention how good he looks, especially his outfits. Bombom just really knows how to design clothes.

7. Moritaka: Arguably the face of the franchise right after Salomon. Moritaka, to my knowledge, is one of the most popular Housamo characters and to be frank I can see why he would hold that title. He’s just a lovable character with cute art. I really think I show my love for him in my Headcanons so I’ll keep it brief by saying he’s a really enjoyable character.

6. Maria: Our local Lesbian sister will help you find true love, I promise. Maria is another really popular and well-liked character and again I can totally see why. She’s cute as a button and really compassionate towards everyone she meets. And from what I’ve seen from her, Maria is very honest with herself going forward from a certain point which is so satisfying to see. I won’t spoil her entire arc even though her chapters have been out for a while just so you can experience it for yourself. She’s too precious for me to spoil. But her character growth aside, she’s a very compassionate and kind character even to those who aren’t the most kind in return and she even goes out of her way to try and relate to those characters despite the fact they might not make sense.

5. Hephaestus: Here we have my son, please buy him Legos instead of Mega Bloks or he’ll cry. I was a little hesitant with Hephaestus at first to be blunt. He seemed to be quite crude in certain places and really uncaring and a little cliché with his attitude. Plus he’s quite nasty to Talos, often times getting mad at Talos for simply doing what he was made to do. But Chapter 9 really put it into perspective. For spoilers I can’t say what made me turn around from wanting to look away from wanting to just hold him and protect him. All I can say is that he has been put through the wringer and just deserves to be happy.

4. Ashigara: Best bear, Volos stans don’t come for me. I explained it before but Ashigara is a character that tends to radiate “me” energy and I can totally see us being friends in real life. He’s the kind of guy who’d send you memes when your sad but he’d eat all your food, which is why you were sad in the first place. All about give and take.

3. Oniwaka: A bully BF uwu god have mercy but yes. Oniwaka was actually my first ever Housamo summon when I first began to play and on my most recent account (I’ve been on and off with the series until I started this blog and became more of a permanent player) he was my first 5star unit so it weirdly came full circle with him. His alternate skins are an absolute delight to behold and he is no slouch in the writing department after the slog that was Chapter 3. If anything he just got better with each appearance. He was rough around the edges, but seeing his softer sides just warms your heart.

2. Wakan Tanka: Touching down at silver place is my “Housamo Husbando”. Weird I know but let me explain. Wakan Tanka is a character I very much love and cherish, he is a really cute boy who just wants to do good by everyone he meets. He hates treating people especially different which is societal goals. However, he has a tendency to come off as a bit too perfect. While I really like him, he’s also feels more like an ideal than someone who can actually develop and grow. Wakan has basically achieved ascention. As for the top place on this list though…

1. Taurus Mask/Daisuke Ikusaba: Much like how Oniwaka was my first pull, Daisuke was my first Housamo crush. First and foremost his design is what I consider to be very tasteful. It’s both an incredibly attractive outfit, it’s also very appropriate and it isn’t too distracting. Second I love how LifeWonders leans into a character completely and just goes all out with a number of references to their lore or culture. Since Daisuke is a luchador inspired character its really cool to see his Summon Day be May 5th. Thirdly and finally, his writing as a character completely wins me over. He is a shy senior by day, but wrestling prodigy by night. Not only is that badass, but you have the perfect set up and the writer in me squeaks like a little fan girl that I am. Wrestling was never really my thing growing up so while I don’t have any fondness for it in particular, if I had seen Taurus Mask in action you would see me in the crowd shouting for him. Daisuke is just that amazing and why he’s my Number 1 favorite Housamo character.

[vegetacide]

Tagged

Tagged by @gumnut-logic  :)

1. Would you rather accessorize with scarves or necklaces?

Scarves,  cause I like soft stuff to snuggle and hide my face in.

2. How old were you when you first saw mountains? (Or if you haven’t seen mountains, what do you imagine they’re like?)

Smokey Mountains on a road trip... erm.. in my mid teens I guess...

3. Do you make your bed in the morning?

It a habit I recently started when we first went on lock down to help me get my day started... prior to that.. hell no as I would just be crawling back into them later.

4. What type of stories did you like as a child?

Book wise when I was little.. anything my Dad would read to me at bedtime...As a teenager it was Sci-fi, fantasy and romance and hopefully all in the same book. 

5. What was the most exhilarating experience of your life?

Hmm ...no idea so will pick some at experience at random... sailing through a sun shower in St. Thomas on one of our honeymoon excursions to see sea turtles in their natural habitat. ...

Snorkeling for the first time in the ocean..

Skiing down a winter slope when I was a kid and somehow not managing to kill myself (I suck at skiing) 

First day we brought my daughter home from the hospital.. feels surreal as I sit here to think the 5 year old softly snoring beside me was once sooooo small and it was ONLY 5 SHORT YEARS AGO.  Dude, when they say the little years go by fast.. they weren’t kidding..

Oh.. and of course walking down the isle and somehow not tripping over my feet and face planting in front of my family and friends as I was shaking like a leaf caught in a hurricane having a mild panic attack and worried I was going to fuck up somehow.

Okay, so the last one was more terrified than exhilarating but.. meh...

6. Do you agree with the concept of exotic pets?

Here in North America... if the thing was born in the wild.. it should stay in the wild...unless under the extreme circumstances of animal rescue when the animal can’t be returned to the wild..   If it was breed in captivity and is not on the endangered species list and wont eat you or rip your face off...say like a hedge hog which is oddly enough considered exotic where I am.. then its okay but only if the owner can provide a loving, healthy home.  (wolf hybrids,  tigers, ligers, and other exotic large cats are the exceptions as no one can care for them properly unless specialized training has taken place and you have like a billion acres of land for them...basically any animal that has not been domesticate over hundreds of years ... leave em alone... )

7. Describe your feelings about maths.

Necessary evil...enough said. 

8. When was the last time you finished a book?

Do audio books count? If so.. in March right before lock down.  Listened to a lot of books on my travels to and from work..   Currently I am able to actually pick up a hard copy and I am working my way through Crazy, Rich Asians.   Good book!

9. What’s a small way that you’ve been kind recently?

All the things I have done recently have just been what is expected of a normal human being with responsibilities so I cant really say.. erm.. made an extra meat loaf for my Dad so I know he is eating well... collected his beer bottles for return cause they just started excepting them again.. 

Started making my husband lunch as he was recalled to work... Do his laundry cause he usually does it for himself...

I haven’t really be out much in the world lately and as I said.. basic stuff. 

10. What new hobby/activity have you always wanted to try?

And got to the bottom and I think I fucked this up... oh well.. lmao.. so on to the questions I was supposed to answer...ooopppsss..  gonna leave the other answers above cause I spent the time to write em.. 

Oooh, and now I have to ask questions…

1. If you could go anywhere, where would you go?  

Falling Lakes aka  Plitvice Lakes National Park  in Croatia cause it looks beautiful and would be the closest thing on Earth to being in a fantasy novel..  

2. Favourite pasta shape?  

No favourite shape.. just spoon sized cause spaghetti is messy

3.What do you need to do everyday to keep your mind and body working well?

Wake up... lmao

4. First ever fandom and why? How old were you?

This is a surprisingly hard question to answer as I have loved many things over the years.. I have always loved cartoons going back as far back as I can remember and later in life comic books and anime  so will answer this by first fanfictions  and first community.... 

Well.. first fanfiction i got hooked on reading was for Sailor Moon..age..erm... high school so like maybe grade 9ish..  At that point I had always loved cartoons but Sailor Moon really sucked me in. 

First I wrote and will never see the light of day... Biker Mice From Mars and/or G.I.Joe...cant rightly remember which came first and I am a huge Snake Eyes fan.  

First posted... DBZ I believe under another name.. and ermm.. no, I wont tell. 

First community I joined... Dragon Ball Z on here in fact.. and within the last few years.   I am still a DBZ fan but I jumped the fandom community wagon and joined up with a bunch of Thundernerds and completely fell down the rabbit hole.

And I am being vague about the age for a reason.. lol   

5.Deserted beach or snazzy night club?

Beach! 100% Sand between the toes,  the sound of the water lapping up the shore.. the smell of the salt in the air.. the sun on my back and my sandals dangling from my finger tips.. ahhhh perfection. 

6. Do you find it easier to talk to people online or offline?

Online.. cause there is security in anonymity. 

7. What do you think is the aim in your life? What do you ultimately want to achieve?

Wow.. talk about a soul baring question.. lmao.. I don’t know.. to be remembered and looked back on kindly.   To be better then those before me and to not make the same mistakes.. to be a good mom to my daughter and to not fuck her up to bad. (I answered this one out of order.. meh)   

8. Coolest Thunderbird

....well this one should be an obvious answer. lol

9. What is your absolute favourite topic to talk about?

My interests.. which are vast and varied. 

10. Do you have an embarrassing story to share?

How I fucked up this questionnaire.. lol 

okay so now for questions to ask,..if I understand this right that is what i am supposed to do now... hmm

1. Favourite dessert.

2. What would you rather...fine dining or eating around a camp fire?

3.  Favourite past time outside of here?

4. If you were a video game character, who would you be? Why?

5. Flight or invisibility? 

6. In the case of a zombie apocalypse what would be your escape plan and what would you do to survive? 

7. If you could go on a road trip anywhere in the world.. where would you go and what car would you be driving? 

8. Who would be in the seat beside you? 

9.  What would you rather... watch a thunderstorm or close the blinds

10. What 10 questions would you come up with if you could ask anyone anything?  (Ya, I so cheated there mu ha ha a ha) 

Feel free to answer.. or not. Open to anybody just copy and paste the last 10 questions.. not the whole thing like I did... oops... cause that would be wrong.. Oh and if you made it all the way down here after this long ass ramble .. GOLD STAR FOR YOU!  :) 

[beccaland]

Which is your favorite Time Lord costume and why? Which do you not like? Thoughts about Gallifreyan fashion, any era?

Oh my goodness! What a question. Even if we rule out all the renegades on the principle that they’re idiosyncratic and not representative, that still leaves us with so many choices. 

The very first time we see non-renegade Time Lords, it’s these three chaps from the CIA:

8/10 for practicality 

 It’s a simple design: practical and comfortable for doing a desk job, which is all any right-thinking Time Lord ever wants, right?

Later on, in the Third Doctor era, things start looking a bit fancier:

6/10 looks impractical and not all that snazzy. 

 I’m going to be honest, I can’t remember if these fellows are supposed to be with the CIA or not. I remember they’re on some sort of monitoring outpost, so CIA seems likely. But if they are CIA, things have taken a turn toward the less practical, more ostentatious garb favored by the capitol hoi-polloi. These people have important work to do, but I doubt any of them can get dressed without an assistant.

By the Fourth and Fifth Doctor eras, we finally discover that Gallifrey is the definitive Planet of the Silly Headgear:

8/10 These people look exactly like I would expect of a planet run by self-important academics.

Though a somewhat more practical smock still seems to be favored by Time Lords who actually work for a living. 

5/10 Castellan Kelner’s robes and swirly hat are far fancier than is practical for him to fulfill his Very Important Duties of feeding the Lord President Doctor his jelly babies and keeping the Capitol safe from alien invaders.

(gif by @rassilonwatchathon​)

10/10 Rodan’s stylishly tailored smock stands out among the Time Lords’ lower bureaucratic class. She’s clearly going places.

the Fourth Doctor story The Invasion of Time is also the first time we see the Chancellery Guard uniforms:

5/10 These uniforms are silly, and the capes and shoulder pads are not at all practical. They’re wearing helmets, but only Andred is wearing any body armor, and it’s only ceremonial.

When we get to the Sixth Doctor and Trial of a Time Lord, things get a bit more interesting. We see several new types of Time Lord robes, representing various offices among the Capitol bureaucracy.

The Valeyard:

6/10 Badly tailored, but at least he’s wearing a thematically appropriate colour.

Left to right: Inquisitor Darkel and the Keeper of the Matrix

7/10 Both of these outfits offer stylish echoes of the standard Time Lord regalia while offering something distinctive as befits their unique stations.

That brings us to the end of Classic Who for Time Lord costumes, and into the New Series. 

The first time we see the Time Lords, their costumes are not that different from late Classic Who, though there’s some additional flourishes and the color-coding of Chapters seems to have disappeared during the Time War; nobody on Gallifrey seems to wear any color but red anymore (to hide all the blood, maybe).

3/10 The silly collar looks great, but Rassilon’s tunic is both hideous and badly tailored, and it looks like he’s wearing a fancy bathrobe over it.

8/10 the High Council may have lost their ability to see any color other than red and gold, but they’ve still got a sense of pompous style and access to the best tailors. Check out all those gorgeous little details on their robes.

We do get some new flourishes in The Day of the Doctor, however: a new ridiculous collar for the War Council, and updated armor for Time Lord soldiers that echoes the defunct Chancellery Guard uniforms.

9/10 Now THAT looks like proper armor. The general’s cape is excusable as it’s not really a combat role.

9/10 Rassilon’s updated look in Hell Bent loses the stupid tunic and gains a much prettier robe. Love the Circular Gallifreyan border on his cloak!

The War Council robes are so gorgeous, I just have to add this extra photo from @theheroheart‘s post on Gallifreyan costumes so you can see all the incredible details:

10/10 I adore the new collar, both aesthetically and practically. The amount of detail on those robes is just stunning. I still want to see it in Chapter colours, though.

Though they’re not technically Time Lords until they graduate from the Academy, I just have to include these bonus Gallifreyan children’s outfits: 

10/10 for the adorable Gallifreyan children. Please keep them away from the Untempered Schism.

To sum up, here’s what we know about Time Lord clothing:

No Gallifreyan would be caught dead wearing trousers unless they’re a soldier or a renegade.

They love layers–is Gallifrey colder than Earth median temperatures?

Red is the new black (unless you’re a member of the CIA, or evil).

Hats must be silly–again, unless you’re a soldier not named Maxil.

Collars are a must: the bigger, the better!

The Seal of Rassilon is a perfect accessory that goes with any outfit.

Swirly things are high class.

Chevrons indicate Practical Skills of some kind.

Pleats are practically a must.

Only take your gloves off when absolutely necessary.

Unanswered questions: 

Do Time Lords wear pants under their robes, or do they all go commando?

What happened to all the different colors of the Chapter Houses?

[theswiftarmy]

#17 – We Go Live In Five Hours!

Scene 17: The Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live - Downtown Los Angeles - Daytime, Interior – Twelve O’clock Noon exact on Sunday November Twenty-Fourth, Twenty-Nineteen.

FINAL DRESS REHERSAL FOR THE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

TAYLOR SWIFT, POINT OF VIEW: Watches as the show director for the American Music Awards, Jeffery, tells the show’s stars sitting in audience seats that they must run the entire show from the top as a full dress rehearsal, again.

CHANGE CAMERA SHOT, we ZOOM in on Taylor Swift, slowly, panning from a full shot of the stage.

WRITER: Oh yeah, this is good stuff.  I really should start writing this as a screenplay from here on out, so that way after Taylor Swift finds it and reads it, and then sends it over to her friends that made that “Cats” movie—and I am in turn contacted by Taylor herself along with a big time studio in Hollywood to get this masterpiece made into a movie, the screenplay will already be ready!  And THEN I can be all like, hey Steven Spielberg, you want in on this? And he’ll be all like… “Cut it, print it, ship it, sell it, baby!”  Or whatever snazzy jazzy lingo it is they use out in Hollywood—

EDITOR: Uh, I hate to break it to you, but this is never going to be a movie.  Can we talk about this?  First off, you’re never going to get all these people to agree to be IN a movie together in real life, what with the bad blood and all.  Plus, you do know that’s just not how it works… The process of getting a movie made is so much more complicated than posting awkwardly written fan fiction online for your idol to stumble upon it and fawn all over your wordplay—

WRITER: Just trample on my dreams why don’t you?

EDITOR: I’m just telling it like it is!  Dude, I’m not trying to let you down… But that’s not at all how Hollywood works!  Plus, I doubt Taylor is ever going to even see this story, she’s REALLY busy these days and you tend to ramble on and on in some sections, you should definitely be a little more concise instead of meandering around making your point, but keep dreaming…   Keep telling yourself: “Oh, look, Taylor Swift is going to find some random Tumblr novel about her and sit there reading the ENTIRE thing post by post completely captivated by your every word…”  Because THAT’s realistic!  Let me let you in on a little secret though, I don’t know how I feel about Taylor, I mean, have you read some of the stuff online about her?  The gossip against her…  Maybe you’re better off not capturing her attention… She could bad news my friend.

WRITER: Why don’t you go edit something?

EDITOR: Oh, yeah, because that’s a come back.  Why don’t you go right something?

WRITER: AH-HA!  See… And you call yourself an editor… don’t you mean WRITE something!?

EDITOR: No.  I mean what I said, ‘right’ something—right a ship that’s sinking fast—right something that’s going wrong…. Like this story, that’s going nowhere fast.

PRODUCER: Ohhhhhh… Sick burn!  Sick.  Burn.

WRITER:  Just leave me alone and stop crushing my dreams.  I know it’s never going to be a movie, I know Taylor is never going to read it—you don’t think I know that?  I know that… Just let me at least dream while I write this scene and stop being so mean.

EDITOR: Look at you, Mr. Poetic.  Alright… I’m gonna go play some Xbox, call me when you’re done.  Come on producer, I’ll let you pick the game.  We’ll leave the writer to his “dreams”.

EDITOR AND PRODUCER EXIT STAGE LEFT, THEY LAUGH AS THEY SLAM THE DOOR SHUT, WRITER STARES OUT WINDOW WATCHING SNOW FALL, SAPPY MUSIC PLAYS.  ZOOM IN ON WRITER FOR SHORT MONOLOGUE.

WRITER: If only I could make the Editor understand.  I just don’t see things the way he does.  I don’t see how a girl that makes such wonderful things, could be bad.  Look at this story!  Isn’t it neat?  Wouldn’t you think it’s cool and complete?  About a girl, a girl who has… Everything.  A trove, of treasures untold!  How many wonders can her song catalogue hold… Looking at her, well you’d think, sure, she’s got everything! She’s got catchy songs a plenty!  She’s got singles and albums galore.  You want music videos?  SHE’S GOT TWENTY!  But who cares, no big deal, she wants more.  I want to be where Taylor’s people are… I want to sing and be there dancing!  Hanging out with all her, what do you call them?  Oh, Swifties.  Being a fan of hers is cool and all but I want to do more than just jumping and dancing.  I want the cameras rolling along with a catchy musical… What’s that word again?  Oh yeah, beat… Up where they talk, up where it’s fun, up where they sing all day in the sun… Swiftie and free… Wish I could be, part of that world.  What would I give, if I could make movies with Taylor… What would I pay, to spend a day part of Taylor Swift’s band … Bet you she’s grand and understands and doesn’t reprimand someone’s daughters.  Bright young women, Swiftie women, taking a stand!    And I’m ready to join with her, ready to go!  Ask her a question, and get some answers… What’s her favorite cover song and how long did it take her to, what’s the word… Learn?  When’s it my turn, to make a movie about love, a lover for sure, she is she’s a lover in love… As everyone can see…  Sigh.  Wish I could be, part of that world… Maybe they’re right.  Maybe it’s silly to dream.  But what if Taylor never dared to follow her own dreams!  If she never picked up a guitar or played a single note on the piano.  What if she never tried at all, how many Swifties would be Swiftieless!  How many lives has she positively impacted with her music, with her kind words, with her retweets and reblogs on Tumblr, with her fan photo hearts, her genuine heart… and all her creative works of art…

WRITER SIGHS.  Writer continues tay-ping into the night on the computer keyboard…

“Everyone!  We’re going to do it again.  Because, right now?  I can’t.  I just can’t… I can’t even handle it. I can’t even look at it, I can’t even think about it, I can’t even say I can’t about it…”

“Calm down Jeff.  Okay?  Just breathe.  We’re gonna get it right.”

“Carol… It’s just… Everything is mess.  We go live at eight!  EIGHT!  They’re acting like it’s still tech week!  WE GO LIVE AT EIGHT!!!  And that’s New York time, which means we go live at FIVE here in L.A.”

“It’s okay.  You’re stressing yourself too much.”  Carol King stood on the stage with the director of the American Music Awards, Jeffery, attempting to reassure him.  A stage manager also stood nearby for backup should Carol’s efforts go in vain.

“Those two crack me up.”  Selena sat in the audience seat to the left of Taylor.

“Well, it does need to be perfect, Selena.”  Taylor reminded her.

“Speak for yourselves, I’m already perfect, did you see me during Tik Tok… NAILED IT.  And my new song… Oh HELL to the yeah.”  Kesha kicked her feet up and put them on an empty seat just to the left of Selena.

“Watch it!” Selena said turning her head slightly.  “I just had my hair done!”

Kesha wiggled her barefoot toes close to Selena Gomez, just inches from the new hair-doo, egging her on, Selena made a grossed out face shifting over in her seat closer to Taylor.  Kesha sat up. “WAIT!  You guys, I just had an idea!!!  I should make a TikTok video, during Tik Tok!”  Kesha impulsively yelled her idea immediately up to the stage, “JEFFY!  Can I record a TikTok while I perform Tik Tok during my set?!”

“NO KESHA!”  He shouted back from the stage.

“Way to ruin my dreams.”  She said sulking back into her seat.  “It’s my creative expression, I should be able to do whatever I want.”  Kesha made a pouty face.  She went back to trying to pretend to touch Selena’s hair with her toes.

“Taylor, I know it needs to be perfect, but he’s stressing out so much.  KESHA!  Stop, that’s soo gross.”  She turned around and stuck her tongue out at Kesha.  Kesha laughed then let up and moved her feet away.  “Ugh…  Poor guy.  He practically runs this whole thing.” Selena sighed. “I mean yes, there’s a ton of other people behind the scenes, but it all falls on his shoulders.”

“EVERYONE!!! WE GO LIVE IN…” He looked at his watch, “FIVE hours.  It’s NOON!  The show starts at EIGHT Eastern Standard Time, which means we pull the curtain at FIVE O’CLOCK PACIFIC TIME!”

“We know Jeffery.  Just chill out man.  Jeffy you’re gonna get your pants in a Jeffy jiffy twisty.”  Ozzy yelled in his Ozzy Osbourne voice from his seat as he turned and high fived Post Malone.

“Right on.”  Post laughed, and then sipped his beer.  “Just take it as it comes and carry on.”  He toasted to the stage with his bottle of beer and then clinked glasses with Ozzy.

“Post!  It’s only noon.  How are you already drinking?”  Lizzo said looking over two seats.  “Also, did they open the bar yet or what?  This girl gotta get her drink on too.”

“Nah, B-Y-O-B, they won’t serve until after the red carpet…  You want one?”  He opened a cooler with a six-pack of beer.

“Ummm, I’ll wait.”

“Suit yourself.”  He reached in and cracked open two more handing one to Ozzy.

“Ozzy!  It’s only noon!” Sharon said slapping Ozzy on the hand.

“Sharon… Chill out…  It’s non-alcoholic.”

“Oh, well in that case, give me one.”

“Sure thing Sharon…” Post Malone smiled and cracked open another beer handing it to Sharon Osbourne.  He pulled out a bag of Trader Joe’s chips and passed the bag around for everyone to take a handful.  Life is funny like that, one day you’re eating chips on your own solo, the whole bag to yourself—maybe with some dip, or salsa, or guacamole even, and maybe not—then suddenly the next thing you know, it’s a Post Malone party, you’re sharing the bag of chips together with Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, and Lizzo.

Taylor turned back from Taylurking the conversation happening several seats away from her between Post Malone, Lizzo, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.  Just wait until you try my Fizzy Lifting Lover drinks she thought to herself.  

“At least Scooter won’t be here.”  Sara said to Taylor in a low voice, leaning over in her seat.

“I know.  But, I kind of wanted to roast him in front of everyone, watch him squirm a little.  That would have been sooooo amazing!”

“Taylor, no.  We talked about this.  You need to wait until the time is right.  We need to…” She quieted down and looked around.  “Well you know.”

“Sara, I know.  Okay?”  Taylor whispered back.

“Hey Taaaaaay…” Shawn Mendes walked by Taylor and smiled over his shoulder.

Taylor awkwardly covered her mouth, hiding a smile waiting for it to subside, when it finally did, she waved back.

“What was that?”  Sara asked noticing Taylor blushing ever so slightly.

“What was what?”

“Umm, between you and Shawn.”  Sara pointed over at Shawn now standing beside Camila Cabello.

“Nothing.  What?”

“Taylor—Is there something between the two of you?  Because if there is, as your attorney, I NEED TO KNOW!  YOU NEED TO TELL ME EVERYTHING!”  Sara raised her voice—she was almost shouting.  Billie Eilish looked up from her phone raising an eyebrow in Taylor and Sara’s direction, then turned her attention back to her phone.

“Whoa, Sara…” Taylor lowered her head sinking into her seat, “You’re making scene.”

“Sorry, I… I don’t know what came over me.”  Sara’s voice returned to her normal calm and collected tone.

“It’s okay… It’s… It’s alright.”  Taylor pushed her self slightly away from Sara in the seat; she’d never seen Sara act like that before.  Almost like Sara was a different person for just a moment.  Taylor reached down to check on the masters case and make sure it was still seated next to her, unable to make contact she looked down and noticed Sara had pulled it closer—Taylor pulled it back.

“I just need to know things, okay?”  Sara said to Taylor, making direct eye contact.  Taylor looked back up at Sara.  “To… protect you.  That’s all.  And to advise you properly…. I care about you okay?  I’m not just your lawyer, I’m a loyal Swiftie, and I’m your biggest fan.”

Taylor’s eyes drifted away from Sara and back to Shawn again.  “Riiiiight.  Okay Sara, yeah, sounds good.” She said distracted, ogling Shawn Mendes.  She felt that same dang crooked smile forming on her face.  What was that?  Why could she not help but smile every time she looked at him, SHE almost felt like a different person—She needed a distraction.  Taylor pulled out her phone and texted Joe.

Hey you…  Just wanted to say I was thinking of you!  Inset 50 heart emojis.

She clicked send.

There was a sudden commotion from one of the entranceways to the theater, “Billy Porter is in the house!”  Someone yelled.

“Oh my God Billy is here!  Sara, hold my phone.”  Taylor got up from her seat and ran over to hug him.

Sara looked at the phone in her hand; the screen was unlocked… She began to tap through a few of Taylor’s apps, her social media accounts folder named ‘My Loves’, which included the Tumblr app, Twitter, Instagram, and various other ways to connect with Taylor’s fan base, her Swifties—The pulse of the Swifties’ synchronized heartbeats in one tiny little device, she felt a wave of power rush over her, one Tumblr post, one Tweet, an Instagram photo, all of it connected to millions of Swifties, around the world, an army ready to act on Taylor’s behalf at moment’s notice.

As Taylor returned to her seat, Sara placed the phone back on her lap pretending to have never looked at it, she handed the phone back to Taylor with a reassuring smile.

“HELLO!!!  ARE WE GOING TO DO A SHOW OR NOT?  You still have to go home, freshen up, red carpet, photos, AND WE HAVE NOT EVEN STARTED THE DRESS REHERSAL… Am I the only one who cares about this?”

“Jeff, they care, okay?  It’s just that we’ve run through it 73 times.  The show is already good.”

“Good is no good, you should know that CAROL!”

Carol rolled her eyes.

“Okay everyone, everyone, let’s take it from top!  Places… PLACES!!!!”  He paused.  “Oh, Taylor, I have a note here that you had a change request to add a backing track during your performance of Lover?”

“Yes, that’s right.”  She yelled back to the stage gleefully.

“Okay, well, make sure you get that track to the sound team as soon as we finish rehearsal!”

“Oh, I will.”  Taylor’s eyes flashed Teen Wolf RED for the second time today.

@taylorswift

[theproofisinthesloth]

5 Essential Hypnosis Training Tips & Tricks THAT MAY HELP YOU BE CONSIDERED A Success LIKE A Hypnotist

How long is a bit of string? That’s one particular hard-to-answer questions. Because, no real matter what size you slice it, it’s still a “piece” of string. Even if it exercises to the moon and back again. So instead, here’s a question that’s a great deal simpler to answer: What benefits can hypnosis enable you to get? Plenty, depending on what you utilize it for.

You might opt for hypnosis in another of the next ways:

As a robust tool for self-growth

As a practical profession option to help people business lead more rewarding lives

As a way of entertainment

Or, if you would like to, you can combine all 3. Whatever you choose to do with it, certain things will stay constant. You’ll desire to be the most successful hypnotist you will be. You’ll want to keep refining and enhancing your skills. You’ll want to provide the best program or performance you can provide, every time. As an actor on the stage, you’ll want your “audience” to leave feeling satisfied. Sense moved. Sense like their life has been enriched for some reason. And to do this, you’ll have to have the right equipment in your hypnosis toolbox. you can also check www.igorledochowskihypnosis.com

5 Essential & Indispensable Hypnosis Training Tools

Why is one hypnotist much better than another?

Could it be their personality?

Could it be their level of skill?

Is it the quantity of time they spend honing their art?

Or could it be that they learned their trade from a recognized master?

Just as in virtually any other profession, many people are different.

Both bring something unique to the desk.

They won’t all become well-known for what they do.

And for many reasons, not everyone would want to.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy superior hypnosis skills.

Whether you’ve got ratings of fans on YouTube or not, you can still raise your skill.

You can still increase your game to its top level.

You can still be sure you always perform at your peak, regardless of what goal in store.

For yourself, or for those who else.

And here are 5 awesome tools that will assist to ensure your success as a hypnotist:

1. Use H+ always

H+ is about wanting the best possible hypnotic experience for your subject before you start any hypnosis. So before you begin, ensure you arranged the right purpose and “go first” by engaging in the right way of thinking.

Part of the requires that you as the hypnotist also switch into a trance which means that your unconscious brain is open and can use your subject’s unconscious brain. The other part of H+ is how you connect to the subject.

Make an effort to be warm, understanding, compassionate and prepared to listen, listen, listen. The greater you can know them, the nagging problem they’re facing, and exactly how it’s influencing their lives - the simpler it'll be that you should help them conquer it.

H+ identifies hypnosis that’s as positive as you possibly can. Upbeat, motivating, motivational, affective, and results powered. But it’s not only hypnosis - it’s hypnosis plus. And which means placing extra attention and enthusiasm into every program. The greater passionate you are in what you do, the greater reactive your topics will be.

If you’re positive, caring, passionate, warm and kind - your topics won’t have the ability to help themselves. They’ll follow your business leaders and be a lot more available to making constructive changes.

2. Practice Self-Hypnosis

You will find 3 reasons why every hypnotist should practice self-hypnosis frequently:

Learning how to hypnotize yourself will normally deepen your knowledge of hypnosis. The more you realize the process, the better outfitted you’ll be as it pertains to hypnotizing another person.

Consistent with reason 1, when you practice self-hypnosis you’ll want to create the right feeling before going into a trance. This can help with “heading first” when you hypnotize another person. Having done it for yourself, you’ll realize the need for getting your subject matter into the right mindset before each goes into a trance.

Self-hypnosis is a very important tool for goal setting techniques, visualizing success and working with personal behavior that isn't use within your hypnosis profession. As soon as again, when you’re used to establishing your own goals, you’ll think it is simpler to help topics set theirs. You can even relate your own experience to topics, which can only help to verify and validate the procedure - and the results it may bring.

3. Research Your Craft

What made Albert Leonardo and Einstein da Vinci so significant? It wasn’t how big are their brains or the period they resided in. They certainly weren’t given birth to metallic spoons in their mouths. And on the facial skin from it, they didn’t exactly have a simple time of things either.

Da Vinci was the illegitimate child of the wealthy man and a peasant lady. Being illegitimate, he didn’t have even a surname. Instead, he was known by the name of where he originated from, that was the Tuscan town of Vinci.

Einstein’s beginnings weren't much better. At age 16 he took the entry exam for a polytechnic in Zurich. He didn't reach the typical criteria on the primary area of the test, only getting reputable marks in physics and mathematics.

And yet, even with the chances seemingly stacked against them, both of these men rose to be giants. That which was it about them that allowed these to flourish like this?

It was the fact that other things that were happening in their lives, they continued learning. They continued looking for answers. For answers to problems. For innovative means of doing things.

So when they found out something new, different things, or something uncommon, it was used by them as a springboard to growth. They didn’t consider outside the package. When necessary, they developed a whole new box. You can’t ever know too much possibly, can you? And that means you owe it to you to ultimately learn all you can about hypnosis.

Proper training will complete the spaces, strengthen your skills, and offer you with a good foundation to create on. Following that, depending on your targets, you might decide to enroll in a qualification program. Or go to training seminars.

Programs like these help you develop your skills and increase your self-confidence in your capabilities. Along the real way, you could also grab a few snazzy diplomas to show on your workplace wall structure.

4. CREATE A Strong Support Network

No real matter what stage you’re at, there’s no need so that you can do things alone. One method to quickly develop as a hypnotist is to make a network of like-minded people around you. There are several different methods you may take. Some are simpler and more apparent, while others require a little time and dedication. Here are some options that you can chew over:

Sign up for a MeetUp group locally. If an organization doesn’t can be found, consider starting one yourself. It doesn’t need to be a formal affair - only a regular meet in an area restaurant will kick things off.

Attach with hypnotists online. Connect to others on LinkedIn or Facebook. Tweet about your encounters and adventures. Make an online search to make a global network of followers, supporters, and fellow fanatics.

Sign up to hypnosis websites or publications. Find out what’s occurring locally, nationally, and internationally. Stay up to date with advancements so you’re always educated or more to velocity.

A solid support network offers you opinions, offer you someplace to get tips and ideas, and provide you with the opportunity to both study from others and spread a few of your insights.

5. Practice BEING TRULY A Hypnotist

How will you reach Carnegie Hall?

In the same manner, you can turn into a top-class hypnotist.

Practice, practice, practice!

You can research. You can read and research. You can pick and choose things up when you are super observant.

Nevertheless, you can’t truly call yourself a hypnotist if you don't practice hypnosis.

It seems obvious, but just how many people forget to place their skills to use? A lot more than you’d think.

You can’t figure out how to be considered a supreme hypnotist by attending courses, or by memorizing all you need to find out. You will need time to place your knowledge to the test, and you will need visitors to hypnotize. But where is it possible to find prepared volunteers? Eventually, you’re bound to perform out of individuals in your immediate group. You can only just practice on relatives and buddies for such a long time. Just what exactly else is it possible to do?

A good way to find a limitless way to obtain “guinea pigs” is to apply street hypnosis. Set some time aside, go out into the big wide world, and have people if they’d prefer to help you. Some won’t, of course, but be discouraged by that don’t. Simply say thanks to them and get to someone else. Another way to find people is to advertise your services using an interpersonal press. After you’ve set up your professional web page, such as Facebook, you can run advertisements to its advertising hypnosis classes for even just a little charge of $20.

This will provide you with a chance to practice many people, and it is also affordable for many people. Throughout your first 12 months, try to practice with at least 100 people before you begin a “real” hypnosis practice expertly. Not merely will this provide you with the experience you will need, but training on strangers is also a terrific way to build your self-confidence and develop your rapport-building skills.

And since none of these people will know you, at least in the beginning, it doesn’t even matter if things don’t go flawlessly well. It’s simply a chance to check things out and discover what works. As the more often you need to do it, the better you’ll reach it, and the greater astonished your potential audience will be.