#TREAT US LIKE WE'RE IN A DOG VIDEO

[vegaseatsass]

Someone tell me why I'm in between catching up on 10 different television series many of them quite excellent, but the only thing I want to post about is Tay saying "Gun's not into gaming, so when New and I play videogames he teases us for attention and we have to include him so OBVIOUSLY we kiss back!!!" and "Gun is like this with Off too but he sees him all the time so he misses us more and when he sees us we HAVE to sniff each other" and Tay and New saying "we were raised differently than Gun [very rich subtext here] but he likes skinship and now that he's part of our gang we've all changed and we all like skinship" and Tay saying "we've been this way for 10 years, fan scolding may stress out a younger group of acting friends and convince them to keep their distance but you're not going to change us, we're like this and we're going to stay like this"

[disabirbity]

What are some things other psychotics do to differentiate between hallucination and reality? And what are ways some of you hold off symptoms? Looking to get a nice thread for people to help each other going here, this stuff isn't posted about enough.

Ways we prevent symptoms/stop them from progressing:

Make background noise to prevent auditory hallucinations. Most of ours start by hearing something that we can't identify the cause of in the background, and our brain starts the spiral from there. So we listen to music all the time and sleep with a fan on every single night, even in the winter. We just point it away from us if we don't want it making us cold.

Blame the cat (or other pets). Any weird movement, scratching, crunching or thumping? That's just Jerry, don't worry about it. He's a silly cat that does cat things even while we're sleeping. Any noise can be blamed on pets or the wind, which stops the paranoia from setting in and making everything bad.

We also tell ourselves that if there was an actual issue like an intruder or monster, the cat would hiss or scream, and the dog would be barking or making noise. This can be applied to many pets.

Stay busy. Focus on something--art, video games, tv shows and films, craft, gardening, anything that keeps you thinking. Don't let the anxiety get to you, just stay focused on your regular life.

Laugh at it. You're hallucinating a monster in your peripheral vision? Name it Fred and tell him to pay rent. You hear weird noises? Tell them to come back with a warrant. For us, treating symptoms like they're jokes or not serious makes us less anxious and therefore makes it easier to get back to a point where we're okay.

Having a friend or a pet near you can help. We feel safer and less alone when we see another living thing near us that's safe. We don't feel as much like we're trapped in another dimension that way.

How we differentiate between reality and unreality:

Touch it. This one only works for things you're not scared of, and if you don't have tactile hallucinations. It's not foolproof! But when we're seeing things like bugs and stuff, reaching out to touch them causes them to fade away so we know they're fake.

Ask friends and other trusted people if they "heard that" or "saw anything". If they're psychosis friendly, feel free to explain and be specific. If not, be vague and keep it to simple things like "hey did you hear anything? I couldn't tell what it was", if that will be safe enough. Having people to ground you can be great.

Look at how others around you are acting. Are they running or interacting with the thing in question in any way? Do they seem to look at it or no? If no one is noticing, it's less likely to be real.

These won't work for everyone and some of these might be harmful to others, but they're helpful to us. You know best what will help you!

Please feel free to add your own! We need more discussion around psychosis that isn't "scary evil person disorder and how to deal with people who have it".

[simplydnp]

be honest with me. what are the chances of a hard launch in june

anon this question goes back years. and the thing is. we have been right once before.

you ask me this this time last year? fuck no. i might even quip that dapg would come back before dnp would hard launch. well. look at us now.

and even then, you look back on the content they started with in the revival--it honestly kind of felt exactly like where we left off, only a lot more explicitly queer (we stan). and then... trying to see without my glasses 2. and bang, spooky week happened. and that shifted the balance. we suddenly got slo-mo replays of handholds. day, after day, after day, finishing with the absolute masterpiece of halloween baking cinnamon rolls. in all honesty it was so much more than i'd've ever expected from them. truly another post-baking universe.

and it never really slowed down. suddenly we had cat prom photos, catboy butlers, catboy dan w/ phil photography credit, theyre 'wrestling' --running us full throttle into gamingmas, the first since 2017. and every day we had a new thing to freak out over: standing close. golf jokes. and then... pinof reacts. i don't know what compelled them to do it but i do have speculations. genuinely, i think they wanted to defang a lot of their history. we treated pinof 1, especially, with this... reverance. and it wasn't talked about too publicly--and dnp didnt do it either. so if they really wanted to move on, to bring down the walls, open the floodgates, define this new era: they had to throw the first stone. and they did. quite heartily too. suddenly this almost taboo part of their history--almost too intimate to be perceived--was on the table. and we were talking about it. joking about it. giving clear signals of 'we see it, it's okay.' and suddenly we existed in a post-pinof reacts world. of anything, i would've never predicted they would've done that. absolutely wild. follow that with it takes two being so chill and fond. incohearant being so blatant and heartfelt. trombone champ being unhinged and chaotic. the genuine and sweet complimenting of each other in the red carpet video. devan wedding... happilyphoreverafter... we crashed forward in time. never knowing what would be next. where is the line? how far will they go.

they teased us with japhan honeymoon and we knew 2024 would be wild. but we didn't know how much. from wdapteo 2023, to specific reminiscing about japan w/ devan, WAD happening, and phil playing a huge role in it all--from the orange carpet hosting, to 'ive been in *sex noises* with phil from the start!', to 'remote crisis manager phil lester', to dan saying he can stay during the thank you.

one of the biggest videos so far this year was the tiktok likes one. i will be forever haunted by the dog eating cheeseburger and willy wonka tiktoks--theres some things i was never meant to know. and yet. they tell us. explicitly.

every single video on amazingphil since the return of dapg has mentioned or featured dan. there's been a palpable shift in the way they interact. have you seen the way phil has been glowing in videos lately? this guy is on cloud nine all the time. it's really not hard to see why.

the energy of keep or yeet w/ dan... the absolute Lack of pretense of it all. phan twitter... watch your step baby girl...

dan and phil fucking crafts. talk about an unexpected return. legacy defining, one might even say. we're still in this tailspin of what everything means and they drop this insanely iconic video on us. from the storytelling to the production to the aesthetic--and its all capped off by explicit handholding. yes, it was part of the sacrifice. but hand in hand, the heart dan ripped from phils chest in one, and the knife that did it in the other... oh boy. we're really in it now. and then they put it on fucking merch. genius. truly no one does it like them.

and the foot has been on the accelerator since. dan and phil connections, shuffleboard & mocktails, getting deep slumber party, acknowledgement & approval of fics (yes previously given but never like this)--hell, even the sims today was wild for 'is their love language horrible banter 👀'.

you didn't ask for an essay but i gave you one. all of this to say, they've been moving the line. quite intentionally so. they intentionally revived their joint branding. they are 'dan and phil' again, and seem happier than ever about it, and i think that means something. they're saying things they never would have before--out of the closet or not.

as for june... 5 years since coming out is a big deal. so is this year being 15 years of dnp. hell, so is this year for being the first out pride month where they're explicitly a duo and regularly making content together. they're sentimental, there will be something.

my craziest idea is reacting to their coming out videos ✌️😔 --but i don't think it'll actually happen. as for more realistic, i could see pride merch. and however that goes will be significant, in my opinion. i'm excited and curious.

i don't know if they'll hard launch. it's hard to put all of the implications, complications, and speculations back into the box once it's opened. dan's talked about it before--wanting to be able to fuck up and not be publically executed, instead, being able to learn and grow and work it out. i think that's a very understandable stance to have. very grounded. we'd have to ask him if tour/dapg has changed that now. i do think he's had some sort of life epiphany--whether it's about that specifically, only he can say. but i think it's there.

even if i portray a lot of level-headedness, i wear my clown nose with pride. sometimes the only option is to go with whatever is funniest at the time. they're both jokesters, so they could commit to a bit like that. but it's also like, it can be too serious for them to want to joke about. i don't know. i think we're in this almost beautiful state right now--the we know you know of it all. there's no expectations, no demands to be met, no obligations of types of content. they're happy. we're happy. it depends on if they feel ready. if they want to. we'll be here, always.

[thechaoticdruid]

°•IF THE BG3 COMPANIONS BABYSAT YOUR KIDS!•°

Lae'zel

Congratulations your children are spending an afternoon at boot camp!

You can rest assured they will be treated fairly at least.

No favoritism going on here.

Anyone who misbehaves shall be sent to solidarity confinement and left there until....Idk

If they want a snack they WILL have to fight one another in a duel to the death.

Or at least until one of them falls down and cries.

To the winner go the cookies.

Or more accurately maybe some giant space hamster jerky.

Karlach

This is assuming her engine has been fixed, naturally.

The kids absolutely love Auntie K.

Legit can carry them all on her shoulders at once.

She gives the best hugs too and is always so nice and warm.

She is up to play any games with them! Especially ones where she pretends to be a monster and chases them around.

Very protective of the little ones.

Brings them new stuffies each time she visits.

You MUST remind her constantly to watch her language around the little ones!

Gale

Arrives via magic portal.

Brings Tara to help him.

Takes it very personally if one of the children don't like him.

Tries to impress them via magic and creates a magical illusion to entertain the kiddos.

Attempts to teach them everything he knows about the weave.

Takes it very hard if the children fall asleep during his lecture.

Must be consoled by Tara.

If any take an interest in the weave they immediately become his favorite.

You'll probably end up coming home to your home appliances floating or having some kind of enchantment on them.

Halsin

Yes he turns into a bear and lets them ride on his back.

Most time is spent outside enjoying nature and all of its beauty.

Will carry the littlest one on his shoulders at all times.

Always brings healthy snacks, mostly fruit like apple slices.

Proceeds to take them to a nearby pond to feed the ducks.

Widdles them little animal figures to play with.

No TV or video games. The thought of technology taking over their lives makes him sick.

We play outside or we don't play at all.

Doesn't mind them grabbing at his ears, if they can even reach them that is!

He has to remind one of them multiple times that he unfortunately cannot turn into a dragon.

Sad sad truth.

Shadowheart

Makes cute little flower crowns with them.

Helps the little ones feel better if any of them are afraid of the dark.

Is very good at comforting them.

Possibly might be one of the older one's first goth girl crush.

Badmouths Lae'zel in front of them shamelessly.

Always puts on a tim Burton movie or something for them to watch.

Definitely the reason for any of their emo phases.

They think she's really cool though.

Wyll

Always the first to volunteer to babysit.

Man has the patience of a saint and can handle even the most unruly of children.

Always talks them up and is very careful to never put them down.

Tells them all kinds of exciting stories of his time as the Blade.

Makes sure to adjust them to be suitable for the kiddos.

Leaves out the scary parts.

If any of them are mean to one another and can't get along he's the type to make them each say something nice about the other as a punishment.

Let's them play with toy swords and teaches them a thing or two about using them.

Never raises his voice at them. Is super calm and collected.

Loves them all to pieces!

Also may or may not take them out to get ice cream if they're good.

Astarion

Assuming this is Spawnstarion we're talking about because the vampire Ascendant would just laugh in your face if you asked him then slam the door on you.

Our sweet little spawn will also likely laugh and think you're joking at first.

"You seriously want a vampire to watch over your children?"

Assuming you pay him and be sure to give him big sweet puppy dog eyes he may consider it.

This man is a very not my child not my problem kind of guy.

Gets annoyed with all the children asking tedious vampire questions and responds with very sarcastic answers.

Does not approve of them wanting to touch his ears.

Agrees to let them see his fangs in hopes to scare them (the mischievous little shit).

The children instead think they're cool, which confuses him. He really isn't sure how to feel about it.

Threatens to eat them if they get on his nerves.

Spends most of the time on the sofa, boredly reading a magazine or watching television.

Miraculously takes a shine to one of the younger girls who call him pretty and compliments his clothes and hair.

This is also given the girl is a little mischief gremlin who pulls pranks on her older siblings.

He lets her paint his nails purple or red while she gossips about her mother/father's new partner or her siblings.

Unapologetically shows her favoritism and lets her sit on his lap and watch TV with him.

Will not bat an eye if the other children run a muck and destroy shit.

Legit just keeps watching TV. Probably some drama filled 'reality' show.

He actually finds the chaos caused by the children quite amusing.

One of the children somehow ends up on the roof.

Once the parents are home and it's time to leave. The youngest girl gives him a hug.

His eyes get all big and round and almost threaten to tear up.

Astarion is not asked to babysit again.

Sorry some of them are so short, I mostly write for Astarion so I'm not very confident at doing the other characters.

Hope you like it though!

[marleemutt]

TLDR: im a black trans artist who can use some help right now following the sudden passing of my only sister - her doberman is now the responsibility of my parents and we can use help for his food, supplements, toys etc.

Kofi (help me send Chewy orders to my parent's house)

Wishlist (literally send him things like toys, treats, etc.)

⬇️ more info ⬇️

hey guys

some of you might be aware of this already, but early October, my eldest sibling & only sister suddenly passed away due to a seizure, she had been dealing with epilepsy her whole life.

this has been incredibly difficult for me, and my family. her passing was incredibly sudden, she was only 30.

for the past month or so ive been struggling to find any motivation to draw, and barely able to work.

she was the incredibly devoted owner of a doberman named Remi(Ramsey). Me and my sister traveled 4 hours to pick him up three years ago. He's a goofball who tears up socks and needs constant supervision. My parents love him, but I can tell he is a lot of work for two people who have fulltime jobs and have lived long lives.

I'm going to try to help them take care of him as much as possible, I feel that it's the least we can do to honor my sister's memory, since she loved him so deeply.

My sister always wanted a doberman, for years she would watch videos about dobermans and talk about them to anyone who would listen.

Remi wasn't easy to raise - I shared a room with my sister when she got him in 2020, she still worked a 9-5, five days a week, so I was his nanny for most of his difficult childhood. I was his chew toy for the first year of his life about - but that only made him bond closer to me. If he wasn't following my sister, I was choice #2. Dobermans are "velcro dogs", they were bred to guard their owners, and because of this, they are fiercely loyal. I've been moved out of my parent's place for going on 3 years, and my sister had just moved with Remi out a few months prior to her passing.

A week before my sister's sudden passing, we had to board Remi at my dog daycare job while my family and I took a trip out of state. When dropping him off, although he was happy to see me again for the first time in months, the moment my sister turned her back to him he began to panic. He got through the boarding all right but my coworkers told me he would cry and wait by the door for me or her. When my sister picked him up, they said he jumped all 80+lbs into her arms.

Since my sister's passing, Remi has been directionless. He's with my family, people he trusts, but he's bored, confused, and heartbroken. My sister would often take him to the dog park, social events, on runs, etc. but my parent's can't do that in their age. If my apartment allowed large dogs, I would take him, but I can't, and I see him maybe twice a month if possible.

Ramsey's Christmas List

I made a christmas list for him of things that might help my parents better take care of him. We're trying different food brands out because he struggles with frequent stomach issues, and we can't seem to figure out what food my sister was feeding him. This list is by no means a necessity for him, but I tried to add things to help with his boredom and keep him stimulated when my parents can't give him all their attention.

i do want to state that my family is capable of providing him with the essentials to live, we arent irresponsible. i would just like to help my parents out since a 3 year old 80-90lb doberman is a lot of work to be suddenly placed on them soley. And I worry for his health and well-being sometimes - Remi has a tendency to eat/tear random objects when he's bored.

please consider donating whatever you can. Everything goes directly to him.

thank you for taking the time to read this, and possibly reblog if possible. ❤️

[this-is-a-name-dont-worry]

things that seemed reoccurring this update:

- Meat

- peas

- jelly

- Hibernation

- Eddie's absence

- Acting out a script (Sally mumbling asking if it's her cue and Howdy changing the script of the narrator in Homewarming storybook, characters general interactions with the narrator, different moments in the video, like the Sally and Frank ad break or the song a barely silent night, where the two literally fight over who get to sing, Sally mentions she wrote the lyrics, and Frank says she already has a song. yeah all of these are easy to see as meta goofs in the original material, but it's the fact there's so much of it this update) (of course all this wrap up with the end of the video where Eddie and Frank are obviously acting off script)

- Being alone (Eddie not having any news of anyone and not even seeing anyone outside (which is interesting as the story says that Sally was up in a tree near his home and saw him fret over having nothing to do), Wally saying it's so quiet during Homewarming and it's just he and Home for a while (potentially the show putting out a christmas special and then being on break? can a show do that?), and in the normal website material, the end of "An ode to hibernation", Frank saying "Where all that's left is me", the "me" being a "...me?")

- Welcome Home being used to sell stuff (cigarettes, medicine, eggnog, cereals, and the cookbook lists ingredients that are a specific brand)

(I'm putting under read more my rambling thoughts so you can just reblog the list without having to see them)

so I can't really make sense yet of all the food stuff. Maybe there are cultural elements/expressions I don't know that explains it? But I still find it very interesting how fucking unhinged that cookbook is yet the commercial and the website treat it normally. The cookbook is overall extremely interesting, because some of the recipes seem to actually be written by the characters; Barnaby who only presents you weird hot dog dressings with pictures but no recipe (and all jokes), Frank who lists not just the ingredients but also the material, and overexplain each steps (at least overexplain compared to the other recipes. it's actually interesting to know why you do x or y), and Julie who turns her recipe into a game at the end, and felt a bit harder to follow? anyway.

The cookbook, the Homewarming tradition of hanging a ham in the tree, Santy Claus being said sometimes instead of Santa, the ham for Santa? Once again, the christmas commercials being so casual about some of the weird stuff it says and presents? This almost feels like an alien who only has a blurry grasp of Christmas and what humans enjoy made the cookbook and the live commercial.

Sometimes, Welcome Home feels like it never actually aired and produced things, but we're making it retroactively exist. Something is making it exist. Like a retcon of the universe, "What do you mean you never heard of Welcome Home? No, of course it always existed and was very popular, look at all this old material we find!"

So maybe whatever is making it exist doesn't fully get humans and accidentally creates things that are weird to prove its existence. Like a cookbook that tells you a single pea in a buttered plate is a classic meal, or that of course you give Santa ham on Homewarming! (tbh almost getting an AI weirdness feel)

But in total contrary, in its story, Welcome Home also feels like it always existed, but got somehow completely wiped from people's mind, as something caused its sudden stop, and its characters gained consciousness of what they are and their world. As an existential dread fell on them one after the other, slowly realizing something isn't right. As Eddie felt anxiety and nervousness over no one being there or contacting him, to then having the story acts lightheartedly about it, the narrator saying things have been solved but he doesn't feel it, and suddenly Home is staring at him.

Both "It never existed but the universe is being retcon into it existing" and "it existed but something terrible happened that erased it from peoples mind" seem plausible. If two theories contradict each other, that means there's a third one that needs to be found.

Maybe it existed. Maybe it truly was popular, but something corrupted it, leading to its disappearance. A disappearance so big it stopped to exist. And now the thing that corrupted it is trying to crawl back, make it exist again, but it's making it come back completely off.

Anyway.

Also, I think the show may have been on hold during the Holiday season, "hibernating", and the character who got some self awareness realized that something was off. They're alone because there's nothing new, so no one is there bringing life to the neighborhood.

[ghostlykeyes]

Hi Keyes! Nice to meet you ❤️ I was wondering if you would accept a request 👉🏻👈🏻

Its my first time asking for requests! So sorry if Im not clear enough of if I forget the rules. Im totally new at this T-T

I had this idea in my mind for a long time and I was wondering if you could consider writing it! Kayn x fem reader headcannons where Kayn falls haaaard for reader cause he found a partner in crime in her. They both like to cause a little trouble here and there, and also he found someone that could drive ever FASTER than him.

Omg Im so in love with him 😮‍💨❤️

Thank you and hope Im not breaking any rules!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

HEARTSTEEL KAYN/TROUBLEMAKER READER ♡ No TW's ♡ SFW ♡ Nice to meet you, you're so sweet!! Thank you for your fantastic request, I loved writing it! I hope you'll feel free to request more in the future (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

KAYN

Instead of traditional nicknames like "honey" or "babe", Kayn exclusively calls you his little demon. Given your wild side, it's pretty accurate.

All it takes to get Kayn to do something is a dare. He has a hard time turning down dares as is, but if it's coming from you? His partner in crime and chief enabler? Oh, no way in hell he's backing down. Naturally it works for big, bold things: popping a wheelie on the Paranoia MV motorcycles, climbing a water tower, vandalizing a cop car. It also works for small things, too, though. Dare him to get you a glass of water or give you a kiss and he'll roll his eyes, but comply. "Oh, a dare, huh? You know I can't turn those down." He folds to your innocent, cute demands like paper. Just be mindful, though; he knows you're a troublemaker too, and he's not afraid to throw a dare or two of his own your way.

Whenever Ernest is naughty, fingers immediately point at you and Kayn. "He gets it from you two," the rest of Heartsteel claims. Kayn just shrugs. "We're his favorite," he defends (not true—Ezreal is clearly Ernest's favorite, but it's best not to rub that in Kayn's face). "Of course he's gonna take after us." He rubs Ernest's ears, completely ignoring the fact that he just stole food off the counter or shredded K'sante's favorite shoes. "Yeah, you're our little monster, huh?" If you didn't know any better, you might think Kayn is encouraging the dog's troublemaking...

(He is. He totally is. You've literally seen him sneak Ernest a treat after turning one of Sett's plushies into a chew toy.)

Kayn nabbed your phone one time and set the home screen as a picture of his mug shot from the music video. Not to be outdone, you stole his phone and set the home screen as a picture of your mug shot. Kayn has nothing but questions. "Is this real?? The fuck did you do? Why do you look so hot in this..." Of course, you don't tell him if it's real or staged. You can't give away all your secrets so easily, now, can you?

There's a change jar in the Heartsteel apartment kitchen marked "Kayn and (Y/N)'s Bail Fund". At first you thought it was a complete joke, but then you noticed Ezreal drop a twenty in there after Kayn broke a Taco Bell drive-thru window during a night-out. Now you're not so sure. Either way, hopefully you'll never have to use it for that.

Every single time you and Kayn go somewhere, it's a race. You line your cars up at the mouth of the parking garage and then you fucking go. You've raced to McDonald's for lunch, raced him to his rehearsals, you even raced him to a funeral one time. There are no rules except 'get there first', and yes, this little game has resulted in multiple speeding tickets. But whatever what's a small fine compared to an adrenaline rush? They wouldn't put 130 on the speedometer if they didn't want you to do it.

Kayn and you have been permanently banned from a fair handful of establishments. Reasons why include: totaling a go-kart, throwing bowling balls overhead, bribing a ring toss worker to get a gigantic Bulbasaur without playing the game (Sett really, really wanted it). And that's the beginning. Don't even get Yone started on the infamous Laser Tag Incident...

The perfect date for you two is a rage room. Yone got you and Kayn passes for a local rage room for Kayn's birthday one year. Playing frisbee with glass dinner plates? A surprisingly good time. Sure, they may have asked you not to come back after Kayn got a little rowdy with an old radio and an extension cord (you asked him how high he thought he could slingshot the thing and the answer was "pretty fucking far", which of course he had to prove), but it was a good time regardless. Whenever Kayn's feeling extra stressed and you don't want to deal with the fallout around real property damage, you take him to a rage room for the afternoon and smash bottles to your hearts' content.

Kayn never paid much attention to minor scrapes and bruises before meeting you. But, since you're now hopping fences or slipping through open windows together, he's suddenly become attuned to the bumps acquired while daredevilling. He keeps a small container of band-aids in his bag just for you. "I might have some bandages in here," he grumbles whenever you get scraped up. "Dunno if I used 'em all." (Of course he hasn't. They're your band-aids and he wouldn't dream of using one.)

Whenever Kayn just needs to talk, the two of you often sneak into an old building to do it. Getting caught puts your nerves on edge, for sure, but it allows Kayn to pretend he's not anxious about discussing his own feelings or worries. Of course he feels vulnerable, you two are trespassing! That's totally why his palms are sweating and his chest feels tight. It has nothing to do with his deep-seated reluctance to talk about his emotions. If you can tell Kayn's wound up extra tight, offer to sneak into a nearby community pool or abandoned gas station late at night. Under cover of darkness, in the silent hallways of a vacant building, Kayn lets you take a peek under his dark shell.

[pumpumdemsugah]

I just finished Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde few weeks ago and this book was one of the best Feminist books I've ever read (and I have read many feminists books through the years lol). But something that really makes me feel sad is how Audre Lorde isn't viewed as an important activist who had great insights on plenty of complex debates we're still struggling to this day(her perspective on how race, sex, class, sexuality etc create an intricated system of oppression is something few theorists really got) but a cheap token that promotes the dehumanization of black women while pretending to care about us.

People mention Audre Lorde just to mention her. It's a pattern I've noticed with how Black female scholarship is treated. No one actually engages with what those women have to say or think, it's a diversity tick. You don't see people pouring over what Black female academics think or respecting it or people would know what intersectionality is. I've seen people bring up intersectionality as a stand in for diversity and inclusion and it's not that. The OG piece is not that long. The Black women they love are the ones playing attack dog running around gleefully telling other Black women " you're barely considered a woman" as if they don't sound fucking crazy and they're not cooning

You reminded me I need to reread sister outsider ( I might have read it and I'm confusing the contents with another book she wrote but title I can't remember which is why I need to read it again )

When you look at the way people engage with Black women online, it's clear the ones that manage to " win " at the game of social media either suffer being misinterpreted because when do white people and non-blacks treats us like we're intellectual peers? or they just say what non-Black lib gen Z and millennials expect them to say and it can never be that deep because god forbid a Black woman produces something that requires active engagement. The more self loathing with lib language a Black woman can come across the more these people love her. They don't like Black women who see ourselves as normal people and normal women

The age of the mass consumption of content slop, it's hostile if you have thoughts that aren't glib and require previous reading

These people will scream " listen to Black women" and the only listening they manage is a retweet or video " essay "

[daintyshu]

𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

vi. big boy papers (0.85k written)

riki scoffed at sunoo's reply to his tweet. he was tired of this. tired of his friends treating him like a kid just because he was younger. i mean, he was only a year younger than jungwon but they didn't treat him like this. it was frustrating.

as he walked angrily in the direction of his shared apartment with the very friends he was upset with, he caught a glimpse of a familiar head of black hair wiping tables outside a cafe. ah, he forgot odd atelier was on the way home.

it was around 10:50am now and it was a fairly bright day so why was riki surprised when you turned around? your hair swaying from the light gust of wind that passed, the sun shining directly onto your face, making you squint a little. his heart rate picked up. you truly did live up to the nickname his little group of friends came up with.

an even stronger gust of wind passed, making your hair fly around, you struggling to keep it away from your face, even having to spit out a few strands that somehow made their way into your mouth. riki chuckled at this. you were cute.

you turned around at the sound, surprising riki as he halted his steps. he didn't even realise he was walking towards odd atelier as he was preoccupied with staring at you.

"hey, you're the one from last week," you noted, more to yourself than riki. "u–uh, yeah," riki scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. he didn't know whether to be embarrassed to be caught staring or honoured that you remembered him.

"sorry, by the way, i didn't mean to call you a high schooler. i swear i was gonna say it's a joke after. i didn't know your friends would tease you that badly over a passing comment," you start, moving over to wipe another table now but still paying attention to the boy.

"hey, no, it's fine. i'm used to it," he chuckles, despite very much being upset about it even now because of his friends. "you're alone today? were you about to come in or were you just passing by?"

riki's mind goes blank at this. he wasn't planning to even drop by odd atelier, really. his initial plan was to just play video games all day to let out his frustrations. but it won't hurt to sit around for a few hours if you were around for him to admire, right?

"i was about to come in actually, are you not open?" he asks sheepishly, looking into the cafe and noticing how the lights aren't turned on yet. "we open at 11! you're welcome to come in and sit first, my manager's almost done setting up everything," you give him a bright smile, eyes turning into crescents. he felt the blood rush up to his cheeks. why were you so cute?

"can i? i don't wanna trouble you guys," he once again scratches his neck in embarrassment. "no, of course you're not troubling us! come on in!" you usher him inside and direct him to the same table he sat with his friends almost a week ago. "i'm yn by the way," you say as he sits down at the table. "u–uh, riki. my name's riki."

"nice to meet you, riki! i'll be right back to let you know when we're ready to take orders!" you grin, to which he returns with enthusiastic nods, watching as you walked back into the pantry to probably talk to your manager.

riki lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. he couldn't believe this whole interaction he just had with you. you were much more easygoing than you were that day when he and his friends visited. then again, his idiot friends didn't really let you joke with them. you did mention that you were about to say you were kidding that day but apparently sunoo and jungwon couldn't keep the teasing until they were at their tables.

he found himself staring at the direction you ran off to. you were so lovely —personality wise— despite having spoken to you for about 4 minutes only. he wonders if that's why you had a guard dog (read: donghyuck). because you were so likeable that everyone just feels the need to gatekeep you. he definitely would.

wait, what?

when he tweeted about stealing his jake hyung's pretty barista girl, he was sure he only meant it as a joke. but having gotten to talk to you and have a (4 minute) conversation with you, he couldn't help but feel giddy. he couldn't remember the last time he felt this way around a girl.

what's wrong with you, riki? you talked to her once and suddenly you like her? get a grip on yourself! the boy scolds himself internally. these feelings hitting him all at once were confusing him.

suddenly, all the lights in the store turned on one by one, reminding him that he had been sitting in the store before it even officially opened. he looked up to see you lightly skipping out the pantry and towards him, your now tied hair—you must've done it while you were in the back—bouncing along with you.

he tries to control himself but he couldn't help the smile that grew on his face as you stopped in front of him. he couldn't hear a single thing you said as all his brain could process was that cute smile on your face.

shit, maybe he might like you.

prev | m.list | next

synopsis. in which you work at odd atelier cafe and can only make hearts in your lattes, causing a certain boy to misunderstand your intentions..... then he brings his friends and chaos ensues.

authors note. a little peek into riki's thoughts and feelings yay

taglist (open): @semisemirin1i82 @txtmetonight @ilyjxdz @miniature-tragedy

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Slave Of Duty: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.3k

Summary: You're pulled away for a case in the middle of Haley's funeral. Spencer is still mad at you that you didn't let him see you while in prison, but how can you explain to him that whenever you look into a mirror, you hate the person you see? You're far from being okay and Spencer is the kind of comfort you're desperately looking for.

Season Five Masterlist

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

You two walk back into the office and join JJ's side who is talking to Penelope over video chat. You assume Spencer brought everyone up to speed on what you found.

"Find anything?" you ask.

"Several people had access to each home. Housekeeper, gardener, pool cleaner, and dog walker. Each of them had their own key and an alibi to match." 

"Any cross-over?"

"None. We even vetted delivery people and utility workers."

"Garcia, do you have anything?" Rossi asks.

"There are no hits on the prints at all, but I did what Sir Derek asked and I created a paper trail. There's no cross-over between the two victims themselves in the wee hours leading up to their murder, but they did run in similar circles."

"Like what?"

"They both have country club memberships but to different clubs, they went to upscale restaurants, private concert venues, and posh hotels. They enjoyed a high-class, highfalutin lifestyle which isn't cheap."

"A lifestyle he's fit right into," Emily says. You look behind you to see her and Derek in the room. "This guy is educated, intelligent, and proper. He's a downright gentleman."

"The rose petals sent a pretty specific message. He's romancing them whether they want it or not. He's got the social skills to back it up. Hey, Garcia, take a look at dating services and social networking sites. Look for working professionals and the privileged elite," Derek says.

"Check, check, and checkers. Back in a smidge," she says and hangs up.

"Have we figured out how he's getting into these homes?"

"There are no signs of forced entry anywhere. Yet he's still gaining access to their homes before the victims ever get home from work. I mean, this guy needs time to cook and set up his scene. He's either got a key or he can move through walls."

"We need fresh eyes," Rossi sighs.

"Alright, I want everybody to go back to the hotel and try to get some rest. We're gonna have to pick this up again in the morning."

"We're giving up?" Emily gasps.

"No, we're taking a break. We have to give the profile at morning roll, and none of us has slept since the funeral. Once Garcia can get us a paper trail, then we can expand our canvas. Till then, there's really not a lot we can do."

You don't tell anyone that you're scared to go to sleep. As soon as you open your big mouth, people are going to look at you differently. You don't want that. You never wanted them to treat you differently. Instead, you keep your mouth shut and head back to the hotel with the rest of the team.

You and Spencer are in one room like always but tension is high. You can cut the air with a knife. You're in the bathroom getting ready for bed while Spencer is getting into it. You're not sure when he is going to be okay with what you did to him but you have to give him time like Rossi said. Spencer keeps one of the lamps on for you while his lamp is off.

He doesn't know that your entire world is crumbling. You're sitting on the floor with your back against the door and tears streaming down your face. Your hand is over your mouth to muffle any kind of noise you might give out. Spencer has no clue how much pain you're in but the last thing you want to do is tell him. When he hurts, you hurt and you don't think you can hurt more.

You're terrified to go to sleep. If you close your eyes, you might wake up back in that cell surrounded by women who burden you with their feelings. How can you ever tell the man you love that you don't feel safe at home anymore? For the next thirty minutes, you try to calm down enough to get into bed without alerting Spencer.

You do but you don't fall asleep until the clock strikes two.

Due to only getting four hours of sleep, you're exhausted by the time you walk into the police station. Spencer left before you did which is a good thing because you cried the entire time you were in the shower. You must have dark circles under your eyes and pale skin because Spencer does a double-take when he looks at you. Despite how he feels right now, he still loves and cares for you.

"Are you okay?" he whispers.

"Fine."

Spencer leaves it a that but JJ notices something between you two. She bites the end of her straw in thought but you don't pay attention to her. Derek and Emily are the last ones in and Derek notices you by the coffee machine. You're staring at it as if it's holding the secrets of the universe. You're checked out so he puts his hand on your shoulder which brings you out of your trance.

"Hey. Coffee?"

"Sure. Thanks. Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"I don't think so. You just got out of prison. That couldn't have been fun."

You turn to Derek and take his hand while trying to hide your desperation. "Derek, I am fine. I am going to be fine. I will continue to be fine." You're not sure if you're trying to convince him or yourself. "Please believe me."

"Okay. You know I worry about you."

"You have nothing to worry about."

"Then let's start the profile."

He and the team gather Landon and his offices so that they can deliver the profile. You're still by the coffee machine repeating those three sentences in your head over and over again. I am fine. I am going to be fine. I will continue to be fine. With coffee in hand, you walk over to the team. You're not sure you can do your best so you decide to stay silent and let them handle this one.

You catch your reflection in one of the windows near you and pause. Who the hell is that staring back at you? You used to be so full of life and hope. Now, it's just an empty shell. Your spirit was stolen from you in prison and you're not sure if you can find it again.

"We believe our unsub is already with his next victim," Rossi begins. "If he matches the pattern, she'll be a successful woman, probably brunette and in her early thirties to mid-forties. She'll be at home in Nashville's upper echelon."

"This means that he fits in. He drives the right car, he wears the right clothes, he's highly intelligent, and he probably comes from a place of status. This guy's sociable and endearing. You would never suspect that this man is capable of murder, but he will do whatever it takes to protect the fantasy that he's trying to relive."

"It's this fantasy that fuels his drive. He's recreating a romantic evening and repeating it with each of his victims. He most likely had a relationship taken away from him recently, so look at men who have lost loved ones or have gone through a messy divorce."

"Much like Bundy, these women are representations of that first loss. Bundy picked victims who had similar features to the woman who abandoned him. We believe that our unsub is doing the same thing," Spencer explains. "These women were confident, successful, and strong. They fought back which means he has the ability to overpower them fairly easily. He believes or fantasizes he's in a relationship with these women. No matter how fleeting the initial interaction is, it's everything to him like an invitation."

"Our technical analyst has compiled a list of locations that the victims visited prior to their death. These are high-class establishments. We're going to want to visit the same places. Look for men who fit the profile but also women who match victimology. If somebody's been paying a little too much attention to them, talk to them. Get a read, then jot their name down so that we can check them out," Derek finishes.

"Alright, folks, pick up your canvassing assignments and get to work," Landon addresses.

"Thank you."

It's not long until another woman is murdered. You knew it was coming but you didn't know how soon it would be here. This murder is different because the unsub killed two people, and one of them was a man. It's not in the MO of the unsub to do that so you can only assume the male victim caught the unsub by surprise.

"The house belongs to Erika Silverman who is a project director in an international design firm. We're assuming the male victim is her boyfriend, Grant Franklin. They're both pretty beat up. We'll need dental records for a positive ID," Landon says when you get there.

"Who called it in?" Emily asks.

"UPS guy. He needed her signature for a package and saw the door wide open. He's out back right now.'

"JJ, talk to him," Derek says and she leaves.

"Where is Erika's body?"

"Follow me." Landon takes you to Erika's body which is a brutal sight. "He changed his MO. She has multiple stab wounds to the face and neck, and there is evidence that she had sex before she died."

"Classic overkill," Rossi comments.

"Forced or consensual?"

"There is no evidence of sexual assault."

"She played along. She had sex with the unsub because she thought it would keep her alive," Emily sighs.

"Why didn't it? This kill is clearly personal and angry. She didn't give him everything that he wanted."

"What else did he want?"

"Y/N? See anything?

You turn to face the front of the house to get a better look at what happened the night before. Erika is already in here with the unsub but the front door opens and Erika's boyfriend enters. The unsub is angry that his plans are ruined which explains the overkill on both of them. Both Grant and the unsub begin fighting but something is wrong here. Grant begins running from the unsub and turns to see if he is chasing him, but you're staring at yourself being chased by the unsub, not Grant.

What the hell is going on here? You open your mouth to scream but nothing comes out. The fear you have is manifesting in your visions. How can you help this team if you can't help yourself? No one knows what's really going on, and how can you tell them now? How can you come clean that you're not ready to be back at work? You thought you could just put it behind you like you've done every other time.

How can you ever move on from a place like that?

"Excuse me. I'm sorry," you whisper and leave the house.

Emily, Derek, and Rossi look at each other with concern written across their faces. You walk to the end of the driveway where the street is and take a few deep breaths to calm your racing heart. You close your eyes and count to ten in hopes that when you open them, your panic attack will have subsided.

However, when you open your eyes, you're brought back to your past. One that you've been trying so hard to escape from. The street is empty save for a few cars parked on the side. The house you were just in doesn't look like Erika's house. It looks like a random house on this random street in a city that's all too familiar to you.

There is a car that's parked that you'd recognize even with your eyes closed. It's a van that can be used as a camper since the back seats have been taken out. There are curtains inside the car that are drawn closed to prevent people from looking inside. The car rocks to show that there is a struggle inside and a little girl's scream can be heard.

A desperate scream for help. Anyone. Your scream.

You've only thought about this moment every day since it happened. You haven't forgotten one detail of it.

Your breathing picks up as you look for anyone who can come help you. You're being assaulted and there is nothing you can do about it. The man was too strong... too powerful. Something moves out of the corner of your eyes and you turn to see a person walking down the sidewalk. You grab her shoulders when she nears you and shake her desperately.

"Help her. She needs your help. Aren't you going to help?"

"Y/N?"

You're brought back to reality by your friend's name and gone is the van you think about every day. Emily stands in front of you with a worried look on her face, and you let go of her shoulders.

"Sorry," you whisper and wipe the tears from your face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You're crying."

"I said I'm fine, Emily. Excuse me."

You leave your friend behind and join everyone else who is still inside the house. Derek and Spencer are in the kitchen so you decide to see what's up with him instead of looking at Erika's body and reliving her torment.

"The dinner dishes are washed, but the breakfast plates aren't. He didn't clean up this time. The boyfriend must have surprised him and disrupted his routine."

"I don't know, I'd say he came pretty close to finishing it. It looks like they watched a movie and had an early breakfast. She was with him all night," Spencer theorizes.

Your phone rings and you almost jump out of your skin from the noise. You look to see Penelope's name so you force your feelings down and answer her call.

"Hey, Pen."

"Bad news, buttercup. There is no payoff on the social networking sites, and Erika does not leave a breadcrumb-like trail. Aside from a couple of online purchases and some automatic debits, she hasn't used her credit card all week."

"Thanks." You hang up and look at Derek. "Garcia didn't find anything about Erika's whereabouts over the past week. No stores, no restaurants, nothing."

"There might be another way to figure out where she's been. Do we know where any of the victims' cars are?" Spencer asks.

"Impound, probably."

"We need access to all four of them."

"Four?"

"We should also get Grant's car. He may have driven Erika somewhere where she met the unsub."

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[vaspider]

Vet Update!

Mila is looking much better this week, the vet says. Her lymph nodes are barely able to be found, her eye (which was kind of looking weird bc her lymph node was pressing on the optic nerve) looks much much better, and she's putting weight back on. We had noticed all of that but it's really good to have Official Confirmation.

She's been eating us out of house and home and got a Little Spoiled for a bit, bc when she was really sick, we were giving her Whatever She Wanted As Long As She'll Eat. So now we've had a bit of tug of war over "if you're really hungry, eat the fancy dog food that Emet bought, Mila. No, you don't need lunch meat or granola. Yes, we know you know where both of those things are. Your food is right there in the bowl."

It's nice that she's well enough that we can HAVE that argument.

When she gets into that loop, Emet just takes the kibble and feeds it to her by hand. Then it becomes Treats and not Food, and there's less of an eternal tug of war.

This - of course - has all only been possible because of your support, and I cannot thank you all enough. I'm overwhelmed by all of your generosity. 💗

As of right now, we have about 2/3 of what we need to cover her October visit. It is set aside in a separate account where it can't get gobbled up by NerdyKeppie payroll or any other thing. We've got a month to get the remaining money together, and hopefully what we have gets used for that, and not final expenses, which what we have right now will just about cover. We really won't know how she does on the less aggressive protocol until about 2 weeks from now - this is so week-to-week that I feel a little like we're being strung along by reality. (I'd rather uncertainty than bad certainty, for sure.)

Again, thank you so much. Seeing her get better, at least for a bit, so we can play with her and take more video and pictures, has been an incredible gift.

I know this won't last, can't last, but for now, we have our girl back - smiling at everyone, rolling around on the floor, playing, dancing for her food - and that's just so, so good.

Thank you.

[sunnyie-eve]

25 | Boston

Series: Unexpected

Paring: (Matt Sturniolo x OFC Brock!) (Chris Sturniolo x OFC Brock!)

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: none

| MASTERLIST |

Arriving in Boston, the triplets parents were to pick them up from the airport and Dani was nervous. The boys kept telling her she was gonna be fine but she was psyching herself out, "What if I like trip walking towards them?"

"Dani, you're gonna make yourself trip if you keep thinking you will." Nick tells her as they wait for their parents outside.

"What if-,"

Matt cuts her off grabbing her by her face, "Will you please shut up. You aren't gonna do anything wrong. They can't wait to meet you."

"Matthew Bernard Sturniolo, that's what's making me nervous." She slaps his hands away from here.

"Excuse me, Danielle Rae Brock, but you still need to stop." He fights her hands away as well.

"They're using full names, wow." Chris laughs so the two stop bickering to look at him.

"Okay, Christopher Owen Sturniolo." They both say at the exact same time.

"Hey, don't drag me into this!" He points his finger at them and all three of them start while Nick watches their parents pull up.

He stays silent walking over to his parents saying hi giving them hugs then sees the other three still haven't noticed, "Dani is nervous she'll make a bad first impression. So Matt told her not to worry and they started using full names. Then Chris decided to laugh at them so they used his full name as well. That's what that's all about." He tells them putting his suitcase in the car.

"We'll come back for you three when you're done." Jimmy says making the three shut up looking over.

"Mom! Dad!" The boys go over hugging their parents while Dani smiles embarrassed.

"Hi," Dani walks over, "I'm Danielle but you already know that." She puts her hand out.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Dani." Marylou pulls her into a hug instead, "The boys tell me so much about you. And you're so much beautiful in person then in pictures and videos."

Dani smiles hugging her back then their dad gives her a side hug as well making the boys smile knowing they would love her right away.

- Later in the day -

"You know what's annoying while we're with our parents?" Matt speaks up in the far back of the car with Dani as Chris films, "They love Dani. Mom gives her more attention than us."

"Haha," She moves her head at him while Trevor starts to whine, "Trevor baby, mama will be back." She leans forward to see him in the passenger seat, "Don't cry."

"Look now Dani is calling mom, mama to Trevor." Matt points out acting annoyed.

"Yeah to the dog! It's not like I call your mom, mama to her face."

"Mom really has been treating her like a daughter since we got home. Dad does the same." Nick speaks up looking back at Matt and Dani.

"It's like they adopted her." Chris laughs, "I like how we're talking about you like you aren't back there." Chris looks back at Dani.

"I know, you're talking behind my back to my face." She laughs before Chris and Nick start to talk about something. "Matt, will you stop poking me!" Dani shouts getting annoyed as they wait.

"What? You gonna tell on me?" He asks still poking her till his parents come back to the car.

"Marylou, Matt keeps poking me." Dani speaks up as they start to drive again.

"You literally told on me you brat." Matt's jaw drops.

"Matt leave her alone." Marylou looks back at the two.

"It's your fault mom, you put the two back there together." Chris tells her and Nick agrees.

"We told you it was a bad idea."

"Well neither of you wanted to sit back there with him so it's your fault." She tells them and she was right.

"I can't believe this." Matt huffs surprised how she got their mom on her side.

Dani sticks her tongue out at him so he quickly grabs it with his pointer finger and thumb. She starts to hit him so he would let go and they play around hitting each other.

"Matt leave Dani alone." Jimmy looks back at them through the mirror.

"She started it."

"What? I did not. You literally grabbed my tongue." She lightly punches his arm so they play around more.

Chris and Nick look at each other shaking their heads, "You know they have never acted like this before coming home." Nick lets his parents know.

Once they get home and out of the car, Matt picks Dani up rushing inside to toss her into the couch, "You Tatar Tot bitch," He laughs before going to his room.

"You two are killing Nick and I." Chris plops onto the couch next to her.

"You literally fought with me over the last Pepsi earlier. And took it from me so I had to jump on you back to get it back since you used your height against me." She laughs at him.

"Because I called dibs on it!"

"You did not! And your mom said I could have it since you had taken the one before not long before." She sits up straight as they bicker now.

"I did to call dibs. I said there was one left and it's mine. I shouted for the whole house to hear." He points his finger at her.

"Don't point that thing at me." She moves his hand to point up.

"Watch me!" He points both hands at her.

Before they could go at each other, Nick steps in pulling Dani off the couch, "Nope, nope. You two get so bad you tackle each other." He drags her to his room.

For dinner they had homemade burgers and all say together at the table chatting or whatever. Chris and Justin were on their phones, Jimmy was getting more to add to his plate, Matt took a break and was on the couch, while Nick watched Dani and his mom chat.

"No, I don't see how you did it. I've been with them for almost a month and they kill me." Dani laughs.

"It'll get easier trust me. Them annoying you will feel so normal it won't even bother you anymore more."

"What it ten years?" Dani jokes, "Nick is the least annoying, then Chris and Matt are tied for me. They each have their moments."

"Who do you spend the most time with?"

"Matt," Dani smiles.

"He is a very sweet boy."

"I know, he's helped me out a lot. He's the reason I even live with them." Dani smiles, "Matt and I actually became friends because bonded over our anxiety." She adds laughing.

"Mom what did she tell you?" Matt asks from the couch.

"None ya business." Dani looks over at him with a smile.

"Missy!" He gets up joining them at the table.

"I'm just getting to know her more honey." Marylou tells her son.

"Yeah but I heard my name. So I wanna know what you two are talking about." Matt takes a seat next to his mom, "Why do you need to talk about me?"

"I said their names too." Dani point at Nick across from her and Chris next to her.

"But mine was quieter." He looks away from his mom to her.

"Because it's a little secret between us." Marylou tells him so he looks back at her.

"Mind your own business Matty."

"Let us just talk alone." He mom adds, "I've been looking forward to this. She's better than how you boys talk about her."

Dani gets a big smile, "Aww, that means a lot Marylou."

"You approve of our roommate?" Matt asks eating his burger.

As she goes on about why she likes Dani, Nick texts Matt saying it's crazy how much their mom loves Dani. When Matt reads it he nods his head looking at Nick.

"Oh, my god yes!" Dani says agreeing with Marylou about what they were talking about.

"I'll need to take you in the future."

While Dani was with Marylou, the boys did their own thing with Justin playing cards. "So mom loves Dani more than I thought she would." Nick speaks up first.

"She does." Matt agrees happy that their mom loved Dani since she was part of their life now living with them.

"What do you think Justin?" Nick asks him.

"Do you approve as well?" Chris laughs.

"Yeah, she's really sweet. Matches you three's energy well." Justin agrees, "So which of you two has a thing for her?" He asks the important question because he knew his brothers.

"They won't admit it. As much as I dislike the idea..." Nick rolls his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Matt looks at him.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, but she's our friend." Matt says.

"Yeah but..." Chris speaks up messing with his cards.

"What?" Matt looks at him.

"Ooo," Justin looks at the two.

"Do we have our first confession?" Nick laughs looking at Chris.

"How can you not have a little crush on her?"

"Well, I'm gay so that's why I don't." Nick stats, "And if I wasn't I probably would a tad bit but I'd favor our friendship more." He adds before looking over at Matt, "You gonna fess up? You're the one closes to her now."

"Ugh, what Chris said." Matt refuses to look at anyone, "But like you said... Our friendship is more important to me."

"Also she probably doesn't even feel the same about either of us." Chris adds.

"Well, I know nothing so I can't add to that." Nick tells them.

"And if she did? How would that work?" Justin asks the two.

"Be happy for the other." Chris says so Matt agrees.

"Chris and I have liked the same girl only once in the past and nothing happened." Matt adds.

"If you two drive her away..." Nick huffs thinking the worst.

"Hey, I'm just myself around her and don't even try to push the whole, I got a thing for you." Chris says.

"I don't try either. I'm just being a friend for her." Matt adds as well.

[chuckbass-love]

Hi there, so I was scrolling through TikTok and I was watching this one video of the guy singing careless whisper while looking very depressed and I thought maybe something like the reader was leaving for a girls vacation and Chris is being a little dramatic about it and Scott records him singing into a whiskey bottle and postes it on TikTok idk I just thought it would funny

YES YES YES!! Although we're all very aware of how independent Chris can be, how he is very vocal on his need for his woman to have her own things going on. We already know he'll have his fair share of clingy moments. I had a lot of fun writing this for you. Thank you for requesting and i hope you enjoy it. I am also so terribly sorry for the long wait. I've been working my ass off to complete part 2 to a younger model. But i figured a nice short break to write this wouldn't hurt. Enjoy, lovely🥰

Disclaimer: My work is not to be posted or to be translated anywhere else other than MY Tumblr, Wattpad and Ao3 without permission. Reblogs are welcomed though.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Fem!Reader

Warnings: None! Just pure fluff.

Word Count: 2,860

GIF NOT MINE!!! Credit to @chrisevansupdates 💕

Endless Pining

It had only been two hours...and Chris was already struggling. You had been invited on a bachelorette party for your sisters upcoming wedding and what was worse is that said party was in Cabo. You informed Chris of these plans months in advance and he was very cool calm and collected about the entire thing...until you started packing the night before.

"Are you sure you have to go?" he said, his eyes puppy dog like, he could have definitely given Dodger a run for his money in that moment. Gone was the Chris you were used to, the one that said he preferred his woman to have her own things going on, not wanting her to be tied to him all the time. And now look at him. Begging you to stay like some love struck clingy teenager.

Not that you're complaining, of course. You love Chris, it's obvious in the way you very nearly stayed home just to be with him. He's the love of your life, as cliche as it sounds. Although every single heartbreak lead you to him, you still wish he was the first and only man you fell for, slept with and met. But such is life, you can't complain now when all of that mess and hurt brought you to now, to being the woman who gets to be there at the end of a long couple months filled with interviews and awards shows. You're the one he comes home to. And vice versa.

Chris makes you feel the way you've always wanted to feel. He doesn't even make you question if you're the only woman in the world for him because you already know you are. You've never had to make pros and cons lists of why you should and shouldn't be with him and lastly, you've never had to ask him to treat you right. He just does. It's refreshing.

But the same goes for you with him. You are always there for him when his schedule dies down again and he's back home for a couple weeks, you get to cuddle up on the couch, play with his hair until he falls asleep and when you both eventually go to bed, you're there to cuddle him.

He knows how lucky he is to have you and he's never shy when it comes to showing his appreciation.

You see, Chris has had his own fair share of heartbreaks and times when he's been the heartbreaker, but he was young, naive and stupid. He made mistakes just like everyone does when they are growing and learning and maturing. He's never tried to hide his disdain for his past behaviour but he's also never tried to hide how much he knows he had to be that way to get to where he is now. And look at where it all lead him, straight to you. He's forever grateful it did. He never has to worry if you're in this relationship for fame and money, because you have your own successful career.

It all works, you balance one another out. It's heavenly and healthy and you couldn't wish for any better. And even if you did, how does it get better than this?

The total length of the holiday is three days, Friday to Sunday. It's a weekend that will surely be filled with lots of alcohol, lots of partying and lots of good memories to take home.

Oh and let's not forget about the embarrassing pictures that will be sure to haunt you, as well as the stripper all of the girls collectively hired for your sister. She's going to kill all of you, and you're not even slightly bothered by that.

The journey to the airport was as short as you wanted it to be and now you're just waiting around for the rest of the ladies to arrive. You all agreed to meet outside the airport and you've been here for almost an hour now. Thankfully you haven't been alone, your sister is here with you. The two of you have just had a small catchup of your week before nearly falling off of your suitcase the second you hear a bundle of screams.

As you look up you instantly see Jessica, Lucia, Callie, Myla and Angela. They all have grins that run from ear to ear and you instantly get up, running towards them along with your sister Dalia.

The seven of you all squeeze one another, jumping around in circles and insisting that the weekend is going to be crazy and fun. It's time for the bachelorette to really begin.

"Sooooooo... i brought some shots for us all to take now, to you know, kick things off" Angela says, rummaging through her hand luggage to find 6 bottled shots of tequila. Okay, she didn't come to play around today, one thing you absolutely adore about Angela. She's the biggest party animal of the group and it's the best thing. You know that you'll always have fun with her. No doubt about it.

Whilst you all knock back the shot, faces wincing at the taste, Chris sits at home alone. His feet rest up on the coffee table, something you always tell him off for, as he thinks over what takeout he's going to order tonight.

It's now been two and a half hours and he has no sense of time. He knows this because two and a half hours has felt like five. As dramatic as it seems. But to be perfectly honest, it's most likely due to the beer he's been drinking. This is his third and he's nowhere near ready to stop.

As a man that's always wanted the best for his girlfriend, to want her to have her own career, her own hobbies separate to being with him, he sure is feeling the polar opposite. He wants you here with him, all up in his face with your breathtaking smile as you straddle him. Your lips becoming increasingly enticing. God he's down bad, and he knows it.

Whatever happened to the Chris that enjoyed his space, that enjoyed having alone time? He has zero idea. But it's weird and unfamiliar territory to be in right now. He's lost.

As you were packing last night he kept trying to put your clothes back, his way of jokingly asking you to stay of course. But it didn't work. You're still gone. Granted, it is for your sisters bachelorette and it's only for the weekend, so he guesses he can cope alone. Maybe he'll even call Scott over. Or, he could even pay his beloved mom a visit. Have some family time. Yeah, maybe that'll distract him.

He has the best ideas when intoxicated.

Placing the beer bottle on the coffee table, Chris sits up and pulls his phone out, clicking on his brothers contact to call.

"Wanna come over tonight?" he asks, and it doesn't take long before Scott is won over. Alcohol, pizza and Disney movies? Sold.

-----------------------

Not long after the pizza arrives, Scott does too, with a six pack of beer in hand. Chris already has some in but he’ll never say no to more. Especially since he’s had quite a few since calling Scott to invite him over. 

“You stink of beer and....” Scott steps closer and inhales one last time “is that whiskey?” he asks, voice laced with concern.

“Careful brother, you’re sounding awfully judgemental right now” Chris raises a brow before taking the six pack from his brother and heading into the kitchen.

“I take it Y/N left already” well isn’t he the observant one today.

“She did indeed and i’m fine by the way, a little space is healthy” he isn’t fooling anyone with that lie.

Chris is perfectly fine with you having your own space though, he’s just being overly dramatic as per usual and feeling sorry for himself. He’d never actually stop you from doing your own thing just to stay close to him. He loves that you have an active social life. However, lately he’s just felt the need to be closer to you. Whenever you’ve cuddled it genuinely felt like he wanted to merge with you, if that even makes sense. But you love it. You love this occasional side to him. At least it means he adores you and can’t get enough.

Besides, being that his schedule is so hectic a lot of the time, it’s nice that whenever he does get a break that he likes to be around you every second he can be. It fills you with warmth and security. 

“Sure....” Scott trails off before heading into the lounge with some pizza and a beer with Chris trailing behind slowly, bottle of whiskey in hand as well as the box of pizza. 

The television goes on, more depressing news, nothing to capture Chris’s attention. But with whiskey to compete with, it was hardly ever going to win. Not even politics is pulling him away from his pity party. 

Scott chuckles as Chris eats his pizza whilst staring into the distance, knowing full well his brothers little tantrum will end soon. He’s just a lost puppy right now, worse than Dodger when he doesn’t get his own way. 

It’s all just over dramatised in his own head. Because to Chris, it’s usually him travelling around for press junkets, filming and premiers. However, you usually accompany him for the premiers. Whenever the roles are reversed, he doesn’t know what to do with himself. And he doesn’t remember the last time he felt so strongly about a woman where it lead him to be so clingy. It’s strange. 

“You’ll be okay, quit moping already” typical brotherly love as always from Scott as he rolls his eyes with a smile on his face when passing Chris on his way to the bathroom. 

“Not helpful” Chris grumbles, causing Scott to cackle down the hall, the echo making him laugh twice as hard. 

Chris just shakes his head, half annoyed his brother isn’t trying to make him feel better and half amused at Scotts reaction to his attempt to gain sympathy.

It’ll be a long night by the looks of things so maybe Chris should quit this half feigned and half authentic sadness. Deep down he knows you deserve the chance to let your hair down with your girls and relax. You work so hard, you deserve this break from the boring day to day routine. 

Flight boarded, luggage checked in and now sitting comfortable in your seat, you await the announcement for seatbelts to be fastened and whilst you do so you decide to pull your phone out. Your chat with Chris pops up on your phone as a recent message appears from him.

Chris: Please come back, make this loneliness end

His begging makes you swoon in the strangest way possible. It’s certainly not something you ever saw yourself loving, being as past similar situations have had you cringing, the opposite effect so to speak. But with Chris, it’s something you adore. He’s made you feel things you’ve never felt before. It’s unfamiliar territory every single day with him, unfamiliar in the best way possible though. 

You: You’ll be okay, trust me. Besides, think of the hot reunion sex we’ll have when i’m home...it’ll all feel worth it then. Missing you already. I love you x

Chris: I’ll make sure i get the rose petals ready then. I love you too, have a safe flight and call me when you land x

You: I will, i love you more x

Scott watches Chris’s lips tip up in a grin as he stares down at his iPhone, clearly you sprinkled some attention upon him, there’d be no other explanation, either that or he’s looking at pictures of you like the lovestruck puppy he’s always been just for you. When Chris falls, he falls hard. It’s been known. And Scott has only seen that a small number of times. He’s glad his brother has you in his life.

As Chris places his phone down, smile still rife on his face, not looking to go anywhere anytime soon, he takes a sip of his drink before finishing off his slice of pizza. Just that little text exchange alone was enough to fulfil his craving of you...for now. When he attempts to sleep alone in your shared bed, that’s when he’ll be at his most dramatic. And if only you’d be able to see it, you’d most likely poke fun at him whilst also telling him it’s adorable.

And then you’d laugh, the laugh he’s longing to hear. 

God he really should get a grip of himself. What have you turned him in?

Chris glances out of the window through the slightly open curtains at the sun as it starts to set.

It spurs on memories of the two of you, with Dodger in tow, lounging around outside, a mountain with the most gorgeous view. Steaming hot coffee, in your hand as you sit with you knees to your chest whilst he covers you with edges of a blanket from behind.

It makes him smile a little, his heart warming with just the memory alone.

That's it, he needs to distract himself. He stands up abruptly before making his way to the piano out in the hall.

Taking one last swig of his whiskey before placing it atop of the piano.

His hands scatter across the notes, pressing random ones to familiarise himself, he hasn't played in a hot minute, that's for sure.

After a couple rounds of random chords, he slips into the George Michael classic, Careless Whisper.

Humming along with the music he's making, he slowly starts to murmur the words.

"Tonight the music seems so loud, i wish that we could lose this crowd. Maybe it's better this way, we'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say"

Scott makes his way out to watch as his brother sings beautifully. He's always loved hearing Chris sing, but it's a rarity these days.

"We could have been so good together, we could have lived this dance forever"

Without thinking about it, Scott pulls out his phone, hitting record as Chris pauses to swig more whiskey before continuing seconds later.

"But now, who's gonna dance with me? Please, stay. And i'm never gonna dance again, guilty feet have got no rhythm"

More intermittent piano playing fills the hall before he comes back in with the last of the song.

"So i'm never gonna dance again, the way i danced with you" closing out with a couple of notes, he sighs to himself before stopping and turning to Dodger.

"Missing your mommy, bud? Me too"

The fluffy dog doesn't respond in any way, just sits there, silently judging his dad.

And then Scotts laughter breaks him away from his trance.

"That is genius" he says, typing on his phone before popping it away in his pocket.

"What is?" Chris's brows furrow but Scott waves him off. "Oh, nothing, just some tiktok i found. Are you done moping yet?"

With a roll of the eyes, Chris shrugs.

"Possibly. Wanna play Mario Kart?" he suggest, knowing that'll get Scotts full attention.

He nods as the two of them head into the lounge and set up the games console.

Once you land and get your bags altogether, you check your phone in the line to the bathroom at the airport.

A tiktok notification alerts you that Scott has uploaded. You click it to check it out and have to immediately turn the volume down until you can put your earphones in. Once they are, you play it from the start.

It's a video of Chris, he's sat at the piano, Dodger sat by his side. He starts to sing to no one in particular. But it's the song he sings that makes your heart swell with love.

"George Michael" you say out loud, well, you whisper it.

He seems so lost without you. Maybe you should text him.

Midway through his second win, Scott groans as Chris pauses the game to check his phone that just went off.

Y/N: Landed safely. I'll call you later when we get to the beach house. P.s you really should sing more often, i loved your video x

Frowning at the last part, Chris mumbles to himself.

But as he goes to ask Scott, his phone starts to blow up, notification after notification. Twitter, Instagram, TikTok. It's nonstop.

He opens TikTok first, only to be horrified to find that Scott filmed him singing earlier.

As soon as Scotts eyes meet Chris's, he knows he's found.

"Oh you are so dead"

Scott gets up and runs with Chris chasing him. Some things never change.

------------------------------

General Tags: @deadlymistress24 @coffeebooksandfandom @holtzkinnon @mychemicalimagines @llamadelreyx @haus-of-bitch-talk @buckstaybucky @thewinchestergirl1208 @chrissquares @patzammit @cevans-fics @americasass91 @toni9 @aaliferous @bradfordmyworld @thereisa8ella @yassspose @randomsevans @meetmeatyourworst @leyannrae @rainbowkisses31

Just Chris & His Character Tags: @sheofthegarden @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @mrslokibarnesrogers @princess-evans-addict @stxvercgersslut @chris-evanslover @bval-1 @thejemersoninferno @denisemarieangelina @janeyboo @evansphnx12 @dwights-new-plague @whxre4cevans @cherry-gemz @chvntelle-99 @talley84 @peakascum @allthingschrisevans @janaev4ns @moonlacebeam

Let me know if you want to be tagged. The Chris tag list will now just be for his characters as i will no longer be writing for him. This was simply me finishing off a fic i started.

Hope you loved it x

[pjunicornart]

SAW UR POST WAS IMMEDIATELY INTERESTED :3!!1!1!2!211

can u feed us lazy four info, like how did they meet? fav hangout spot? some random stuff they do together? stuff like that :3 if youve had time to develop them??? considering u probs plan on writing lazy wilro.....

SO. 👏

All of the Lazy Four exist within the same universe. So we have Wilbur, who lives in the Robinson estate on the outskirts of the city. Penny is a pop star originally from Chicago, but now lives in the city due to the rich estates and luxuries. Pop star life, y'know. Violet is a skater girl who goes to Wilbur's school. It should be noted that within Lazy Days, the Parrs DO NOT have superpowers. But, I did give them professions/hobbies which elude to them (Mrs. Incredible is a silk ribbon dancer, for example. Keep this in mind). Last but not least, Hiro is a third generation Japanese-American immigrant living in his grandfather's cafe with his older brother and aunt.

How they met: Well, Wilbur, Violet, and Hiro all go to the same school. So they met there. As for how they met Penny, there is a story there. Because of who Cornelius is, he has quite a lot of connections and "high profile clients" as his PA would put it. A couple of years ago, he was sent on a lengthy business trip. He had to bring Leo (Wilbur's baby brother) along since he was only a year old at the time. Wilbur was 13 about to be 14 when this happened. Wilbur tagged along because Neil promised they'd do something awesome for his birthday, and he didn't let work get in the way of that. This was a trip to Norway, so they figured they could do birthday festivities there as a special occasion. But first, Neil had to meet up with his client, who just so happened to be Penny's father, her manager. While the two men were discussing boring business stuff, Penny and Wilbur were able to hang out. At the end of the ordeal, they had exchanged numbers and kept in touch. Back home, Wilbur (over video calls) introduced Vi and Hiro to Penny, and the rest is history.

Some stuff they do: They mostly hang around the Robinson estate, because the family is fun. Well, also the hot tub and theater. Individually, Violet hangs out at the skate park, Wilbur in the home library, Penny in her garden, and Hiro wherever food is, tbh. Boy can't get enough of sweets. Not related to the kiddos, but Neil became good friends with Helen because they were in the same silk ribbon dancing class. Vi thinks her mother is better/more flexible, but Wilbur laughs in his father being a gymnast, yogi, pole dancer, and silk ribbon dancer. Take that Vi!

Miscellaneous points: - Wilbur is always reading something. Sometimes, he just can't shut up about the newest book he's reading. - Tadashi is still alive! Because I like him. The fire still happened, so Tadashi does have severe burns he has to treat every day. Luckily, Wilbur's father knows a thing or two about treating burns. - Sometimes Violet secretly wishes her siblings could be like Wilbur's. Quiet and polite! - It's pretty well known that Leo only likes to be held by/in the presence of Neil. However, he tolerates Penny and Wilbur. Probably because they were there when he was away from Neil for the meeting. - All of them are babies when it comes to horror. Except for Violet. She loves horror, especially psychological horror akin to Cooking Companions or That's Not My Neighbor. - Penny has three dogs. Bolt (duh), Lightning, and Shock. - If we're talking about Wilro, Wilbur calls Hiro "mio dolce." Half of Wilbur's family is Italian, so he knows some words/phrases. "Mio dolce" is a pet name. It can mean "my sweet", "my love", or "my cake." - Whenever all four of them are in Hiro's aunt's cafe, they ask for the day old donuts. - Violet can't whistle or snap her fingers. - Hiro is only slightly terrified of Wilbur's little sister's (Mazie) pet snake. Its name is Bananaconda. - Yes, Hiro knows how to bake! Instead of being a prodigy in inventing like his bro, he's an advanced baker with very intricate techniques. All figured out by the time he was nine. - Penny became a pop star when she was twelve. She mostly did kid's TV beforehand, before she got her career in music. Think... Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande, just without the gross tongue stuff and home wrecking. - Violet does name her skateboards. Her favorite is Pico. - Wilbur is canonically bisexual, Hiro is pansexual, Penny is a straight ally, and Violet is a demigirl lesbian. - Bit of a sad point here, but Wilbur did struggle with an eating disorder (anorexia) when he was 12 and 13. Unfortunately, he inherited his father's body dysmorphia.

In regards to the Wilro fic... It will be inspired by the one Wilro image I did. It will also be pure fluff, since these are teenagers and I'm not about that gross shit! =D They'll be in the Robinson estate, and I'm unsure if we'll see any more Robinsons. We'll see. I gotta do some planning.

[bookishtheaterlover7]

WOO! Had to go through high or hell water, but a blessing in the form of the mysterious new friend 🎄 helped me get the info I need

Now... Let's drag this pretentious bitch through the mud again, shall we..?

For starters, let's admire the "bride"😜

Well, well... They actually made the Wicked Witch of the East (West is Elphaba, I will not drag her with this bitch) look good. Even 👸 said she actually liked the lipstick and wearing a good outfit, covering what everyone has already seen too much of, and choosing black, to mourn her lost Instagram followers? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

And what is with that position?! She also hates the little bow on the dress, it's indicative of Albitch's Lolita personality (in my words, AS IF THE BITCH NEEDED TO REMIND EVERYONE). And those cold black eyes 😆 What is with the bow below? Most people would have the bow at the waist! (I told her that Albitch doesn't have curves to accentuate 🙃)

👸 is being a savage today and I'm loving it!!!

Honestly, she's right, as always 😆 and the thing with Albitch's stupid ass position it kinda reminds me of Cinderella's step sisters 🤭

And she actually wears something other than crop tops?!😵 And really? A babydoll dress? Could you be anymore obvious, Albitch?!

And one last thing... FUCKING FIX YOUR POSITIONS, YOU WANNABE!!!

Onto the topic of Chris...

Their rings don't fucking match! What married couple doesn't have matching rings?! This isn't the 1800s where only the bride wears the ring. Both husband and wife, are supposed to have a ring. They might not wear it all the time, but they do have rings! But these two? You put their photos right next to each other, and it looks like someone told them to each buy a ring without knowing what the other even looked like 🤭☕

His is some form of gold. Still doesn't fit... And hers, are silver, dull and fucking loose!!!

Sidebar~

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by alba updates (@albaupdates)

Thank you 👸 for showing me this vid, I needed that laugh 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Albitch, do you seriously don't know what to do with your hands? With all your slutty posts, I thought you'd be an expert by now 🤭 I guess that's why you never show them in pictures you post...

And another thing. This goes to all of the people who thought she's hiding because she's pregnant...

DOES SHE LOOK REMOTELY PREGNANT TO YOU?! YOU'RE FUCKING DELULU!!!

And we're back to Chris...

Yeah those wedding rings are seriously not matching. And no matter how you spin it, there's absolutely zero reason for those two to not match. Unless neither knew what the other bought in which case...

THEY'RE EXPOSING THEMSELVES!!!!

Just like how Albitch appearing without Chris only confirms our suspicions, that he's in MA, with his family, DEFINITELY WITHOUT HIS LOVING NEW BRIDE 😁

Now, isn't that just couple goals... 🙄

I mean Dodger will actually have a happy Thanksgiving this year, because his Daddy would actually smell nice and not have his wicked Step-Mother

Oh, I forgot! 👸 rewatched Chris' NYCC panel, and at 10:14 of the video...

She told me, it's really hard to notice, and I didn't but after two tries I did too, that Chris mentions that he has to use treats to get Dodger to come near him, because, "sometimes stuff happens"...

I'm sorry, but WHAT STUFF HAPPENED THAT MAKES DODGER NOT WANT TO BE NEAR YOU, CHRISTOPHER?!

I know it sounds like a stretch, and probably a major conspiracy theory. But come on! Dodger is the least shy dog on the internet! He loves new friends, in dog and human form.

And he's a dog who, like his Dad, loves to show affection, and receive it. There's no way, Dodger would avoid people, unless, and my dog is like this, they've had a bad experience with that person, and they don't trust them. Even just the scent might have them stay away. 🤔🧐

TL;DR

🎄 is an angel sent from the heavens to have helped me. 👸 is SAVAGE today with the sick burns. Albitch looks decent, but her positions, and the fact that literally EVERYTHING but the ring shines is another Red Flag 🚩(we're about to run out of room for these flags). Chris and her have rings that don't fucking match. Dodger might be having a happy Thanksgiving because his wicked Step-Mother is as far from MA as she can be (Green card, what? She doesn't know her🤭)

Oh, and...

Happy Thanksgiving to those that celebrate it 😁🍗

[therottenkingsreckoning]

We're back with another one! Went through several agonizing rewrites here, stressing probably more than necessary that things all flow well and feels hit like they're supposed to. But finally, the whole extra long beast of a chapter is finished.

I'll put some stuff down below this like I did earlier- except this time, it's a link to the B Dylan Hollis recipe video I had in mind when Frank is talking about cake (a recipe I'd still love to try out myself) and the drawings of Apple the houpa I made ages ago.

Anyway, enough rambling. Fanfic ahoy!

Little Flame, chapter 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was one thing for Eddie to be nervous. After all, his mate and child were on the line if anything happened. But it was another thing entirely when the other neighbors starting treating Frank the same way.

"Oop, watch your head there!" Howdy called out, passing by them with armfuls of boxes. Frank had been helping out around the bodega lately, a way of repaying the stolen test which had over time morphed into a biweekly half-job. It was also a chance for the two to hang out, since they otherwise wouldn't have done.

"I'm just saying, you should give it a chance," Frank said, continuing where he'd left off in both sweeping and conversation. "Beans add a nice richness you don't get from the regular stuff."

"But in a cake? Really? Apple, move outta the way." Howdy nudged the houpa with his foot, earning little more than a mrrp? in response. "If ya ask me, it sounds like the cravings might be getting to your head right now."

Frank huffed. "This was before I'd gotten pregnant, so I highly doubt that would've had an affect on my taste."

"Heh, if ya say so," Howdy replied, beginning to unpack the first box of the stack he'd set down beside him.

Frank would've responded further, they already knew what to say. Unfortunately though, the now awake cat-horse that was Howdy's pet had deemed his broom a suitable plaything, clamping the bristles between his hooves & teeth with considerable force.

"Nggh ...God, it's no use trying to get anything done around this animal!" he scoffed, ceding the tool to its new rightful owner. "Why do you even still keep him here?"

"Hey now, you heard what Ember said, he can't be released into the wild. And I've caught you snuggling this big dork several times, so don't try to claim you don't like him too." A lower hand grabbed the scientist's arm as they were reaching for a box, the taller shaking his head firmly. "Uh uh, no heavy lifting for you Mr. Mom."

Frank let out a noise of frustration as he realized what Howdy was saying. "Oh come on, not you too! It's like I suddenly can't do anything anymore!"

"Sorry fella, I just couldn't live with myself if you got hurt. Not to mention Eddie would probably have my head for it." The caterpillar shrugged his shoulders in succession. "Matter of fact, I can probably take care of the rest here if you wanna get going. It's been great, but I'm sure you've got stuff you wanna do."

Frank took the offer, begrudgingly. Howdy was wrong, he didn't really have anything better to do with his time. But they'd certainly not be made to sit uselessly inside the shop! No, he'd go see what Julie was up to.

Outside was nice, the weather warm and a little windy. the sounds of birds and bugs made gentle music on Frank's ears, and he felt their spirits lifted as he walked along the path. No sense in letting it get to me now, they thought. He's wrong, but I'll let him be wrong. I've got a day to enjoy.

They passed by Barbie's house, the dog herself just stepping out when she noticed him and raised a paw in friendly greeting. "Hey there Frank, you heading to Julie's house?"

"Indeed I am," Frank answered simply.

"I'll go with ya then!" she said cheerfully, not waiting for an answer as she strode up beside the grey. "Got a book I was gonna return to her anyway."

Frank let out a heavy, dramatic sigh and kept walking. "Alright, but if you get too annoying I'll go somewhere else."

In truth it was mostly just for show, and he suspected she knew that too. They'd gotten along well in recent months, her frequent visits to Julie's house meaning the two had had plenty of time to get to know each other better. And Frank was grateful for a distraction in any case, as she rambled cheerfully about everything and nothing.

"...he's got paints set aside for that, mixed the batches up himself" she chuckled, wiggling her fingers for emphasis. "Doesn't want me dippin' my big ol' mitts into the good stuff."

Frank nodded. "Suppose that does make sense. There's much less oil paint, and it really isn't meant f-"

"SHH!"

Words and walking stopped short as one of those same big hands swept out to catch him. "There's something up ahead," the dog growled, all cheerfulness gone as her ears perked and eyes narrowed to scan the treeline. Frank looked around himself, feeling a growing fear creep into the pit of their stomach until-

A squirrel darted from between the lower branches of a tree, running swiftly past them to the other side of the road. "Phew, thought it was somethin' big," Barbie said, releasing the iron grip she'd had on the smaller's shoulders.

Frank wriggled out of her grasp and frowned. "You're really getting this worked up over squirrels?" He scoffed, arms folded.

Sheepishly, she shrugged. "Can't really help it, sorry. I guess it's some kinda instinct that tells me I need to keep ya safe. Especially right now, with uhh...things bein' the way that they are."

"You mean my pregnancy."

"...yeah."

Frank grumbled, pinching the bridge of their nose. "I don't need you protecting me Barbara, I can handle all this on my own."

Barbie opened her mouth to protest further, but a glare from the other shut her down quickly. "Yeah, fine I won't bug ya about it," she sighed. Then grinning, added, "Don't suppose you mind bugs though."

Frank groaned out loud. My God, this was the worst one yet! Barbie gladly took the victory as a sign to press further, the two subconciously falling into familiar rhythms of grump and jokester until they were suddenly right outside a familiar pink dwelling.

Unsurprisingly, Julie was the middle of planning a game when they arrived, marking hopscotch squares out with chalk. "Frank!! and Barbie too!" She squealed excitedly upon seeing her friends, jumping to her feet and giving both of them a warm hug. Still on the ground, Sally laughed softly and waved a hello. "Already done with your work at the bodega dear?"

"Yes, well, he allowed me to leave early," Frank said with a roll of his eyes, sitting down beside her on the dirt. "We had a bit of a disagreement over my current capabilities."

"Oh, I'm sure he's simply worried for you darling," Sally reassured, "We all are."

Frank sighed. The condescension was beginning to get annoying, but he didn't want to ruin things with an argument when they'd just arrived. For your friends, for Julie, he thought, mentally gritting his teeth as he silently picked up another of the hula hoops the star was inexplicably wrapping in colorful tape.

Next to them, Julie was explaining the rules of her new game. "So if it lands on heads, you gotta run around the neighborhood before they catch you."

"Ough, might wanna lay off the runnin' right now," said Barbie. " 'S at least two of us who can't do much of that."

Frank turned to look at her. It was quite clear she was referring to themselves, yet he rationalized- not an unfair proclamation. It's true, I can't really run too far now without getting winded. No need to get worked up...

Julie seemed to consider it, a worrying look of worry starting to creep over the monster's features. "Oh that is true, we gotta be careful with Frank right now! Don't wanna hurt the baby."

Frank's heart sank. Oh no. Not her. They could handle the others, could pretend their opinions didn't matter to him. But Julie... "You don't need to..." he started.

"Better take out the ball-throwing too in that case!" Sally interrupted. "Maybe even these hula hoops, they could hit someone's stomach pretty hard if you spin them fast."

"That's..."

"Perfect thinking!" Julie proclaimed, already pulling her her notes to make amendments. "No running, no throwing..."

"Julie please," Frank begged, increasingly upset.

It fell on deaf ears. The three were talking as though he wasn't even there, oblivious to the building whine of stress & overstimulated rage happening inches away.

"Take out-"

"Better change-"

"Really for the best that we-"

"STOP IT!!!" Frank screamed, jumping up to his feet and throwing the hoop somewhere off into the distance. Their breath was ragged, his eyes burned so badly with tears that they didn't dare open them. "Why don't you trust me to do anything right now???? Why are you treating me this way?!?"

Dead silence filled the air, even the sounds of nature seemingly stunned by his outburst. All that was there was the rustling wind and his heavy breathing, through gritted teeth and shaking hands. Julie gently touched their arm, but he smacked it away, not wanting touch or care right now. "And you especially Julie! I thought you of all people would understand."

"Frank I'm-"

"Shut up," he huffed, already marching away. "Just shut up."

Frank felt so sick, and tired, and angry. Why was everyone like this right now? Just because he was pregnant, he was suddenly unable to throw a ball, or lift a box, or do anything he could've done five months ago? "It's like all they care about is you," he snarled, poking at their belly, "I'm just a vessel."

A sudden splash, and wetness seeped into his sock. As though this awful, awful day couldn't get any worse, he'd stepped into a puddle. But maybe it was the anger twisting their mind around- it felt good now. A puddle's full of awful germs they wouldn't want me touching. Shame if I...

SPLASH! his other foot stomped down hard into the mud, sending water flying up onto his trousers. SPLASH SPLASH! they danced and kicked around in it, somehow reveling right now in how awful it felt, how forbidden.

"I'm doing things! I might hurt myself!" He sang out loud to no one, grabbing a nearby tree branch and pulling. "Won't somebody stop me?!" It snapped, and he tumbled back into the dirt, giggling manically as they stood up and swung it back into the trunk like a sword. Then again, and again as the rage turned to violence and then into tears. Frank sank into the dirt, breathing hard as he sobbed.

"Are you ok?"

Frank opened his eyes to a familiar blue swirl above them, its owner giving them a look of confusion. "Go away," the taller sniffled angrily. Last thing he needed was people caring.

"Ok," Wally answered simply with a shrug, already turning around to start walking away. In that moment, with just how completely messed up this whole day had been, it was this simple lack of concern that struck Frank's heart all of a sudden. "Come back," he sniffled, sitting up. And Wally did.

"You're not worried about me?"

Wally raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Well yeah, if you're crying in the dirt and hitting things I'll be concerned."

"But you don't think I'm...less capable? Just because of my being pregnant?"

Things seemed to click for the demon then, sitting down next to Frank. "Who told you that? No- I mean I've never been pregnant, but as far as I know that doesn't mean you can't do things."

"Exactly! But everyone acts like I suddenly can't, or I shouldn't in case...something happens, I guess. I don't know." Frank gripped on to the broken branch, picking away at its bark as they spoke. "First Eddie being too scared of letting me climb, then at Howdy's when he wouldn't let me lift the boxes, those I could sort of understand. But then Barbie, then Sally and even Julie..." he trailed off.

Wally seemed to think. "You want me to tell them to knock it off?" he offered. "If they won't listen to you, maybe they'll listen to me instead."

"Tch," Frank hissed. "That's the whole problem though. They won't listen to me! It's...it's like I don't even matter, my feelings don't matter, and all that's important is-"

"Frank..."

Frank and Wally both looked over to see their friends standing in the road. Julie, Sally, Barbie, and Eddie still breathing slightly hard from running towards the sound of his partner's yelling.

"Hello friends," Wally spoke, his usually cheerful greeting tinged right now with the slightest anger. "Frank was telling me about how you haven't been treating them very well."

"I'm sorry," Julie sobbed, quite visibly shocked & heartbroken. "I had no idea it would upset you that much."

"You would've if you'd listened!" Frank retorted. "I was trying to tell you, and you kept talking over me."

"We...we were only trying to help..." Sally piped up nervously, then winced at the glare shot her way. "Right, you're right though. It is... your baby, we shouldn't overstep your bounds like that."

Eddie slowly approached Frank, gently helping them back to his feet. "I guess...we're all just real excited for that right now," he said. "We wanna make sure that things go right."

"That doesn't mean-" Wally started, but Frank cut him off with a gentle wave. "It's ok, I can handle it." And now that things were fully out in the open, now that his blood had settled down from its boiling point, he could.

They sighed. "I know you mean well, but... it hurts. I'm still me! I can still do things! I promise I'm not as fragile as you think, even right now. I just...I need you all to trust me, and if something truly feels like it's a risk, I'll let you know, ok?"

Julie hugged him gently, checking first he was comfortable with touch right now. "I'm a terrible friend," she said. "I'm sorry."

"You're not, I promise." Frank squeezed her tight. All anger gone, he felt so tired in her arms, and glad to have those arms back to hold. "We're all new to this thing, and you're trying your best. Just...don't do it again, ok?"

They all nodded, still shuffling awkwardly. "Hey," the grey offered with a weak smile. "How about this? You let me pick all the rules for the next game."

"Ok!"

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