#and Bailey's voice is genuinely amazing

[lumienn]

So... You & Me is now a fully produced song and I have a lot of feelings about it

[slime-crafters]

Honestly it's criminal that dawnguard came out in 2012 and I've sunk a considerable amount of my playtime in skyrim with serana as the only follower I'll ever have and only now do I learn that you can cure her vampirism. I almost feel the need to spoiler tag this post because nobody has ever seemed to mention it besides the critique video I just finished which mentioned it

[auras-moonstone]

Hey girlie,

Can you write a mini story of Jack and the reader. And can you write how she met him on the set of avengers endgame. With that, the reader is already casted in her future marvel movie(like in 2022?) and during the timespan, she was filing avatar as well, so she and Jack got closer. And in her own marvel movie premiere, she comes with jack(as her date) and everyone is crazy about and interviewers are asking questions. And with the press tours as well. And can you be specific in how they met and how they got closer.

hi! 🫶🏻 sure! i love the best friends to lovers trope and i will never get tired of writing it. hope you enjoy it! 🤍

i’m only me when i’m with you — jack champion

words: 2,971

pairing: jack champion x fem!reader

summary: y/n and jack met on the set of avengers, and then reunite on the set of avatar. they form a close friendship and eventually fall for each other.

Y/N WAS ENERGETICALLY RUNNING AROUND THE AVENGERS SET WHEN HER BODY COLLIDED AGAINST SOMETHING. Hearing a grunt of pain, she realized it was not something, but someone. A boy around her age, with a Justin Bieber 2010 hairstyle.

“I’m so sorry!” she apologised. He stayed silent, looking at her with wide eyes. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”. The short boy shook his head frenetically, without emitting a word. “You are not okay or I didn’t hurt you?” she laughed.

“You are Y/N Y/L/N” the boy said breathlessly.

Y/N looked down, inspecting her body before laughing “Yeah, I think so. Are you okay?” she repeated.

“Yes! Yes, sorry. I’m just a big fan, you are amazing as Venus” the boy replied nervously.

Y/N smiled widely, her cheeks tainted a deep red “Thank you so much! What’s your name?”.

“Jack, Jack Champion. I’m doing a very small role at the beginning of the movie. It’s not much, but well, I’m excited”

“No matter how small the role is, it’s still a marvel movie. So, you should be proud of yourself. Congratulations” she gave him a genuine smile.

“Thank you, that’s very nice of you! I appreciate it”

Jack was called by the director, so they had to say goodbye. Sadly, it was his first and only day on set, so they didn’t see each other again until a week later.

It was the first day of filming the Avatar movie, and Y/N was very nervous. Unlike the rest of the young cast, she didn’t have to audition, the director already had her in mind for the role, so she didn’t get to meet anyone until that day. She was afraid of, not only not fitting in, but that they would think badly of her for not having to live the excruciating experience of the audition.

The pressure on her chest intensified when she saw the group laughing together, but she walked towards them nonetheless. They fell silent when they noticed noticed her, and Y/N felt like crying.

“Y/N!” the excited voice of a kid said, and the sight of a familiar face calmed her nerves a bit.

“Jack, hi! So nice to see you again” she smiled.

“You too!” Jack was utterly surprised that the girl had recognised him, and even more excited to have the opportunity to work with her. “Let me introduce you: this is Bailey, Trinity, Jamie and Britain. Guys, this is-”

“Are you kidding me? We know!” Bailey interrupted him. “It’s so nice to meet you! You are amazing!”.

“Your character Venus is so cool!” Britain said.

“Yeah, and you are very talented” Jamie complimented her.

Y/N blushed at the wave of flattery she had just received “Thank you very much guys!”.

“Can we ask you if you are going to be in any marvel movies after Endgame? Only if you can say it” Trinity asked her. Her voice was so sweet and adorable that Y/N couldn’t lie to her.

“Please don’t say anything, but yeah. I’m still going to be working with Marvel, can’t tell you what though, for now. But I promise you that when I’m allowed to say it you’ll be the first to know” Y/N smiled at her.

“Not fair! She gets privilege for being adorable?” Jack said, acting as if he were annoyed.

“Yup” Y/N said, and Trinity stuck his tongue out at Jack, making them all laugh.

Y/N was happy she fitted right in. She bonded with the young cast pretty quickly, and she had never been happier with her work. Excitement was all she felt every morning she woke up to go to the set, and sadness when the filming hours were over.

Jack and her were the ones with the closest friendship, as they spent most of their time with each other due to their characters having lots of screen time together. So comfortable around the other, they also started to spend their free time together. Their mothers literally couldn’t pull them apart, they appeared to be sticked together with glue.

“School is trash“ Jack groaned in frustration, resting his forehead on his math book.

Y/N laughed “Come on, don’t be dramatic. You better get use to it, because we have four more years of high school” she hit him with her pencil.

“Y/N/N! That hurt” he tried not to laugh while rubbing his head.

“Oh my god! Did you hear that thud? You really have nothing in there” she said motioning to his head.

“Oh you think you are hilarious, don’t you? You’ll pay for that” he said before tackling her to the floor of his living room and started to tickle her.

She let out a small scream “No! Stop it!” she said in between laughs.

“Say you’re sorry!”

“No!” she said stubbornly, trying to get him off her. She was taller than him, but his training clearly gave him an advantage.

“What is going on here?” Y/N and Jack’s mothers entered the living room.

“She called me dumb and I’m making her apologise” Jack answered.

“Jack please let go of Y/N/N” his mom told him.

“And Y/N, apologise to him” her mother said.

“I’m sorry I called you dumb, dumbass” she said. The thirteen-year old grabbed a small pillow from the couch and hit her with it “Here, let me help you with that task” she offered once they recovered from the laughing fit.

The two mothers looked at their kids with big smiles painted on their faces. “They’ll fall for each other eventually. I have a feeling”.

“Oh, most definitely” Y/N’s mom agreed.

“Sorry I called you dumb, I was joking” she told him before leaving his house.

“Y/N/N I know it was a joke, don’t worry. Besides, everyone knows I’m the smart one in our friendship” he teased.

“Literally no one believes that” Y/N said, rolling her eyes. “I have the looks and the brains”.

“I hate you” he pushed her shoulder lightly, making her laugh.

“I love you too. See you tomorrow” she waved goodby after kissing his cheek.

“YOU ARE TELLING ME EVERYONE HAS BEEN PEEING ON THE TANK FOR YEARS AND NO ONE TOLD ME?” Y/N asked Jack in disbelief. They were on her room, she was lying on her bed, resting on her elbow and with her head on her hand while Jack laid on a made-up mattress next to her bed.

“I thought you knew! Why are you surprised, though? It’s not like you haven’t done it”

“I haven’t”

He sat up, eyeing her expression “No way. I don’t believe you. We spend hours on that tank”.

“I swear I haven’t” she told him truthfully. He furrowed his eyes “Not because I didn’t want to. I was just being respectful, but guess no one cares about manners anymore!”.

Jack laughed “And then you say I’m the dramatic one”.

“We are both the dramatic ones” she said. “I can’t believe the film is almost over. I’m going to miss working with you”.

“Don’t get all sad on me” he said, grabbing her hand. “We are still going to see each other. You’re my best friend, you are definitely not going get rid of me”.

“You promise?”

“I promise, Y/N/N. I love you” he said.

She sat up to hug him, and also to hide the blush that tainted her cheeks. “I love you too”

He looked at his watch and smiled. “Happy 15th birthday, Y/N/N”.

“Thank you, Jack” she said, hugging him even tighter.

“My mom and I got you something” he said excitingly, standing up to look for something in his bag. “Close your eyes!” she muttered an ‘okay’. “Don’t cheat!”.

“I won’t!”

“Okay” he placed a package on her hands. “Open your eyes”. It was a thin cardboard and it had the shape of a square. “You have to open it carefully”.

When she finally unwrapped the gift, she gasped at the recognisable cover. “Holy shit, Jack! You didn’t”.

“We did!”

“How?!” she said loudly. “It’s extremely rare, and the prices are also extremely high… oh god, Jack you didn’t”.

“You are worth it” he shrugged, as if it was nothing. He had no idea how fast her heart started beating when he said that.

She stared at the 1989 vinyl in awe. It wasn’t just any vinyl, it was the pink one. Being an special RSD edition, there weren’t many left. Jack knew how obsessed she was with that record—it also was her favourite album of all time—so he didn’t hesitate to buy it, nonetheless of the price.

The vinyl was special to Y/N, not because of its rareness, but because Jack got it for her.

“Thank you so much! It’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen”

Her smile was so wide and her eyes so bright that Jack swore he would buy every single thing she wanted if it meant he would get to see her like that.

That was the day Jack and Y/N knew they liked the other as more than a friend.

THE AVATAR SHOOTING ENDED AND SOON ENOUGH Y/N BEGAN SHOOTING FOR MARVEL. She was excited of course, it was marvel, but even if it had been a year since she finished filming Avatar, she couldn’t help but miss the homey feeling that set gave her. Most of all she missed Jack. They talked and hung out, but they used to spend the whole day, every day, for years, together so it clearly wasn’t the same.

After doing lots of stunts, she finally had a break, so she went to her trailer. She threw herself to the couch—she was exhausted and her suit was beyond uncomfortable.

“Holy shit you are Venus!” the familiar voice invaded her ears. She looked at him in surprise, then stood up and jumped into her friend’s arms. “Hey…”

“I missed you” Y/N whispered against Jack’s chest.

It was funny. When they first met, also on a Marvel set, he had been a very short twelve year old with an awful haircut. Now, he was a very tall and muscular seventeen year old with very nice curly hair. She once used to tease him about being taller than him, now she had to raise her head to properly look at him. They had grown together, and their bond was one of a kind.

“Hey… what’s wrong?” he asked worried, noticing the hint of sadness in her voice.

“I guess I’ve been feeling a bit homesick, that’s all” Y/N answered in a low tone. She closed her eyes when her vision started to get blurry from the tears, she definitely did not want to see her cry over missing him.

“You go home every single day?” Jack said confused.

“Not my homesick for my house… for the Avatar set… for you” she whispered.

“Y/N/N…”

“I know it’s silly…” Y/N said a bit embarrassed.

“Hey, no. Look at me” Jack told her, she instantly shook her head. “Y/N, please” his heart dropped when he saw the tears in her eyes “It’s not silly. Why did you think I came here? I know exactly what you’re feeling. I miss you like crazy too. Two days a week and facetiming is not nearly enough of you for me”.

Y/N smiled softly and relaxed a bit. Between filming, finals and being homesick, she felt overwhelmed. And now, being in Jack’s arms, felt like getting the fresh air she was desperately needing. Everything was becoming too much, and if she didn’t have a contract with Marvel, she probably would have quit. Not very professional of her part, she knew it, but she felt suffocated.

They sat on the couch, Y/N’s leg over Jack’s lap and head on his shoulder, while the boy had his arm around her shoulders and rested his head against hers.

“You don’t know how much I needed this. After this movie, I’m taking a break. Only interviews for the things I filmed, nothing more” she told him.

“That’s perfect, love. That’s what you need” Jack massaged the side of her head.

“You’re making me fall asleep, I need to go in a few minutes” she laughed, looking up at him.

Their breaths hitched at the closeness. Eyes so connected they felt like they were in a trance. Y/N couldn’t believe how pretty he was, she could admire him for the rest of her life. And he was astonished by how breathtaking she was, even with puffy eyes.

“If I were to kiss you right now… would it ruin our friendship?” he asked, so low he almost couldn’t hear himself.

“Only if you don’t feel the same way that I do” Y/N whispered back.

Jack’s eyes never left hers “And what do you feel?”

“That I’ve loved you since we were fifteen”

“Then our friendship is, officially, not ruined” he smiled.

And the moment they have been waiting for two years finally came. And it was better than they have ever imagined, like their lips belonged together and now that they finally were, they couldn’t pull away. Like some magnetic force was holding them together.

THE DAY OF THE VENUS PREMIERE ARRIVED AND Y/N WAS HAPPIER THAN EVER. Ever since she and Jack got together, six months ago, everything felt better. They weren’t a private couple, but definitely not super public. They shared pictures and tiktoks with the fans, but never talked about their relationship. So, when they walked appeared together at the red carpet, everyone was thrilled. They were definitely considered one of the “it” couples, and everyone loved them.

“Have I mentioned how gorgeous you look today?” Jack whispered in her ear as they walked towards the reporters.

“Only a hundred times” she smiled at him.

“Well, my goal is a thousand, so I have a long way to go”

“I might do the same, because you look extremely handsome. Could you stay in that suit forever? Wait- you also look very cute in your hoodies and tank tops, so scratch that. Wear whatever you want, you always look handsome” she sent him a wink. She absolutely loved complimenting him, because his cheeks always turned red and she liked being the reason why they did.

“Hi Y/N, Jack” an interviewed greeted them.

“Hi!” they both answered with big smiles.

“First of all, congratulations on Venus! That’s a big deal, having a film dedicated only to your character” the blonde woman said.

“Thank you so much! And yes, it was quite a shocker when they told me about it. I was scared at first, because we’ve entered a complete different era for the MCU and people are, with good reason, very attached to the original characters and critics can be a little harsh. But I am actually very proud of this movie and I hope the fans enjoy it”

“Do you have any more projects now that the film is over?”

“No, I’m taking a break for an indefinite amount of time. I’ve been through very emotional phases and it’s best for me to stop for a little bit. Stay at home, enjoy my family and friends… so yeah”

“I hope you are feeling better. It’s very understandable, though, you have been working non-stop for years! And you are so young”

“I am feeling much much better, thank you. You aren’t getting rid of my face, though, I still have interviews to do for Venus. And Avatar is coming soon too, so yeah! I’m actually excited for that, I miss the cast so much”

“You two worked together in Avatar, right?”

“Yes!” they both answered.

“You met there?” she questioned.

Y/N looked at Jack, telling him to respond. “Actually, no. We met on the set of Avengers Endgame!”.

The blonde interviewer’s jaw dropped “Wait what?”

“Yeah! I had a small role at the beginning. If you are a big fan, you might remember me. I’m the little boy on the bicycle who stumbles upon Ant man!”

“No way! Yes! You had a Justin Bieber haircut!” the interviewer recognized him.

Y/N chuckled, and Jack turned red “It was stylish at that moment!” he exclaimed.

“No it wasn’t! That hairstyle, thankfully, died on 2010” Y/N said.

“Whatever” he rolled his eyes while smiling. “She’s always bullying me”.

“Not true! I’m a very sweet person”

“Most of the time, yes, but you do bully me a lot”

“Stop playing the victim in front of the cameras, you aren’t fooling anyone” she laughed.

The woman smiled at their dynamic “You two are so cute! How did you get together?”

“Well, we have liked each other since we were fifteen-ish, but I guess we were too scared to ruin the friendship. Six months ago, he visited me on set, and I was feeling a bit sad because I missed him too much. We both confessed, and yeah, that’s pretty much it” she explained.

“She’s truly the best person in the world, and I’m so glad she bumped into me that day on the Avengers set” he said, a dazzling smile on his face.

“And we have to say thank you to James Cameron. He’s like our wingman” she said. “Anyways, thank you for being here and sorry for having to deal with us”.

“What? Thank you! It was so fun to interview you both. You make such a good couple and the love you have for each other is very evident. Congratulations on Venus and Avatar!”

“That was really fun” Jack said once they got away from the cameras. He leaned down to place a kiss on her lips. “You look gorgeous tonight”.

Y/N laughed “And you look annoyingly handsome”.

“Isn’t that a back-handed compliment?” he asked confused.

Y/N shrugged “It may have sounded like that, but I promise I mean it as a compliment”.

“Couldn’t you just have said ‘You look handsome’?”

“Oh so you are making your own compliments now” she laughed.

Jack shook his head “You are impossible” he laughed.

“I love you, Jack” she hugged him “Thanks for being here with me tonight”

He rested his head on top of hers “Tonight and always. I love you too, love”

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 1A, MATCH 1 OUT OF 8!

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Ariel (Animated):

Because someone had to submit her. I mean the animated version, specifically.

She may make very stupid decisions in the name of her special interest, but you've got to admire the dedication at least! Also goddamn her singing voice.

Part of Your World still hits so hard and makes me so emotional, despite not feeling very attached to this movie. Jodi Benson has such a beautiful voice! I haven't watched the live-action remake so I don't know how good that rendition of Part Of Your World is, but this one is so incredibly powerful.

Ariel (Live Action):

She's just so cute and beautiful and sweet and her singing voice is amazing!!!

I LOVED the live action! Ariel was portrayed so well and given a lot more depth. Plus, her and Eric's relationship was ALSO given a lot more depth <3 The scene where she breaks something (i don't quite remember what it was XD) and shows him what was inside? Them bonding over their love of learning? Hovering over a map? Scurrying around and hiding from Eric's mom? Couple goals, imo. idc if I get into a relationship or not, but if I ever do i hope to god they will geek out with me as much as these two nerds did <3

tbh i have despised all of the new disney live action adaptations, and haven't watched them since the less then stellar beauty and the beast was released in 2017. but everyone was going on about how good this one and when i finally watched it was pleasantly surprised. sure there were general soul-less disney remake moments - but halley bailey's ariel was so beautiful and genuine! her passion and determination, her beautiful voice, how flippin expressive her eyes are. ironic that a little mermaid was such a breath of fresh air. an absolutely beautiful character adaptation

She was forced to listen to Awkwafina rap, she deserves SOMETHING.

[youranemicvampire]

Thoughts and opinions on The Little Mermaid (2023) with SPOILERS.

First of all, i'm so happy to be able to watch it. I've been waiting for it since 2019. And the casting announcement was the reason i became a fan of Chloe x Halle

The casting is perfect! I'm really a sucker for a good casting so....

Halle Bailey is everything Ariel. TBH, it feels like she's not acting that hard coz her expressions and voice are naturally Ariel. She's born to be a Disney princess. I could not imagine another person playing this role. From her face, features, physique, height and voice. She's a whole package.

Jonah Hauer-King is indeed charming. When his casting got announced, i never doubted him coz from his looks, he also has this Disney and Princely face. And i even like his version of Prince Eric better than the animated one.

Melissa McCarthy is great. She is actually terrifying lol but my complaint is that her make-up is lacking and then i found out that a straight person made it. I don't see the Drag in her face. It should have been better. Way better. They should have hired a queer make-up artist or someone in the Drag scene.

I know we all hate Awkwafina, but she actually has this annoying bird voice that is right for the role.

It's my first time to see Jessica Alexander act and whew! I think i might have a new crush. And she's bisexual??? I stan!

I don't have that much say for the other casts, but they are all great and visually amazing.

I expected a lot of changes, but i think it's good that they only changed the things that are necessary. It felt more genuine.

It's not that dark! It was just the right level of darkness for the scenes that are meant to be dark. The day scenes are actually colorful.

I saw a take about the sea creatures not being animated and expressive enough, but i think it's more of the CGI limitations, not the movie itself.

Having said that, Flounder could've been better. Still cute tho.

Halle and Jonah's chemistry is amazing. I'm a hetero-hater, but i was gushing in the theatre. Ariel and Eric are the best Disney live-action couple 💯 And Jalle's friendship offscreen is cute and wholesome.

I'm also a big musical fan so this live-action is special to me because they actually casted a singer and not just a basic one. What i hated about other Disney live-actions is the autotune. It's so annoying.

One of the minor issues i have is that i wished they didn't release too many stills and clips. I was kinda pissed on the "Under the sea" part coz i already saw the majority of it on social media. I wanted to be surprised because that scene was so fun and magical.

They should definitely have a sequel, a prequel, and a mermaid sisters spin-off. It would be a waste to only see them once especially Halle and Jonah's chemistry. The sisters are also too beautiful not to have their own stories coz from how they look, they have really different identities.

People complain too much on animal designs, but ignore the mermaid tails of Ariel and her sisters.

I'm also proud of Halle's acting coz i watched her on Grown.ish and her acting skills and confidence really improved by miles. Even when she lost her voice, she was very expressive. She didn't even have to try that much.

For me, this is the 2nd best Disney live-action so far. My first is still Maleficent.

Idk if I still need to say this, but the soundtrack is on-repeat after I watched. I actually want to rewatch the whole thing with subs coz i can't understand the British accent. lol

Halle Bailey needs to be in more musicals. I just can't get enough. Jessica Alexander should also be in more villain roles. Sapphic villain specifically 🥵

I also liked how Ariel and Prince Eric were longing for each other's world you know. It's a story about freedom really, not wanting to be boxed, and wanting to explore no matter how dangerous it is. It's such a queer allegory. And it's special knowing the original version of Hans Christian Andersen.

[marinerainbow]

I don't usually make posts like this, but I said I would. So Herr are my thoughts on

The Live Action Little Mermaid

First and foremost: HALLE BAILEY IS AN AMAZING ARIEL!!!!

I never had my doubts about her from what I saw in the trailer. But HOLY HELL she brought the animated mermaid to LIFE with how she played her! Her voice, her expressions, her acting! It all flowed together and I could see Ariel, not someone playing as Ariel. The same goes to the rest of the actors!

And Ariel took more initiative in this film too! She did do a little of that in the original (actively breaking the rules to pursue her passion, taking a leap of faith to try to join the land and have her love, etc) but she seems more involved in the live action film. And not in a way that tries to hammer in the 'girl power' message either (children should have good role models. But when the feminist message starts to take away from the story and becomes that characters' entire personality, that's a bit too much). Ariel here was crafty and wanted to unite the two worlds, but remained her old bubbly and curious self!

Not to mention, Eric! First of all, I loved his performance in the film just as much as Ariel. And they made him more likable too! Like Ariel in the original, Eric was a bit more developed than other prince's in the original film (talking about how he'd not going to go through an arranged marriage, having fun with his love interest instead of just saving her, etc). Though, he was still a kinda bland character. In the live action though, Eric is not just Ariels prince. He feels like he's actually her second half. And the decision to make their goals and backgrounds similar also sheds a new light on Eric and Ariels relationship that the original didn't quite have.

And of course, I can't forget Ursula. I'll admit, I had a slight doubt when I heard they were casting Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. Not because I don't like her, I actually love her in her films. But I've never seen Melissa play a fairytale villain, so I wasn't sure how it would go to have a raunchy comedy actress starring as the sea witch. But BOY HOWDY, Melissa quickly dashed my those fears away. She brought her own spin to the character while also being the sassy, intimidating, deal maker we all know and love! And not to mention her singing voice. Holy. Shit. Melissa, you gotta play more characters like Ursula.

And the same applies to all the other characters! From Ariels friends and her family, all the actors and actresses' brought a whole new life to the characters they were casted as! Including the new ones, such as Eric's mother! Honestly, that's pretty much how this whole movie felt. It felt like I was watching a fairy tale brought to life once again, and not an exact repeat of the original nor a butchered version. They kept a lot of the original script and songs, while also adding new things. Eric and Scuttle got their own songs, some locations were changed but they felt like they worked with 2023 Little Mermaid, and the decision to make the film take place on the Caribbean Islands was a very interesting choice that they made work!!

And I CAN NOT finish this post without mentioning the CGI, beautiful visuals, and character design! All if the graphics were just... AHHH! I can't even describe it. The cast felt like they actually were under water with the changed gravity, and the stunning way they animated the animals. Speaking of which! Yes, they did change the characters' designs, and some of them are goofy, such as Flounder. But they are just as cute too!! And they gave the animals E X P R E S S I O N S!!! This isn't a repeat of the live action Lion King. Through body language, eye movement, and voice, these character genuinely feel like they are living!!! My personal favorite thing about the CGI is that they still gave Sebastian the realistic crab eyes, but animated them so you can still see where he's looking and what he's feeling!!

I found only ONE fatal flaw, though... They did not have Sebastians arch nemesis, the Chef (I'm just kidding. I'm a bit disappointed the Chef wasn't in here, but that's a personal thing and not like a 'the movie is ruined' thing)

Conclusion? Go see The Little Mermaid. Please. You WILL NOT REGRET IT.

In all seriousness, I was a little disappointed when there weren't as many vocals/back up singers in the songs 'Under the Sea' or 'Kiss the Girl', but that's not at all a bad thing. That's just my nostalgia being nit-picky XD and they did make those songs work! It was awesome to hear Ariel and Sebastian sing together, and her friends ACTUALLY working together instead of Sebastian carrying the majority of this operation on his shell.

[madscientist008]

Why I Love Critical Role and You Should Too

If you’re a fan of fantasy, adventure, comedy, drama, and role-playing games, then you should definitely check out Critical Role. It’s a web series that features a group of talented voice actors playing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), a tabletop game where you create your own characters and stories. The show is hosted by Matthew Mercer, who acts as the Dungeon Master (DM) and guides the players through various quests and challenges in a rich and immersive world.

Critical Role has two main campaigns so far: Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein. Each campaign follows a different group of characters with their own backgrounds, personalities, goals, and relationships. The show is streamed live every Thursday on Twitch and YouTube, and each episode lasts for about three to four hours. You can also watch the episodes later on YouTube or listen to them as podcasts.

One of the best things about Critical Role is the amazing chemistry and friendship between the cast members. They are not only professional voice actors who have worked on many video games and animated shows, but also genuine fans of D&D who enjoy playing the game together. They improvise, joke, cry, laugh, and create memorable moments that make you feel like you’re part of their adventure. They also interact with their fans through social media, fan art, fan fiction, cosplay, etc.

Another great thing about Critical Role is the quality and diversity of the storytelling. The show features a mix of genres and themes, from epic battles and political intrigue to romance and comedy. The show also explores complex issues such as identity, morality, trauma, redemption, etc. The show is not scripted or planned in advance, so anything can happen and the stakes are real. The DM and the players collaborate to create a compelling and immersive narrative that keeps you hooked and invested.

Some of my favorite moments from Critical Role are:

The first time Vox Machina met Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel), a charismatic gnome bard who sang hilarious songs and flirted with everyone.

The battle against K’Varn (Matthew Mercer), an evil beholder who controlled an ancient city under a lake.

The confrontation between Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brien), a half-elf rogue who made a deal with the Raven Queen (Laura Bailey), a goddess of death.

The wedding of Percy (Taliesin Jaffe), a human gunslinger who sought revenge for his family’s murder, and Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey), a half-elf ranger who loved nature and money.

The introduction of The Mighty Nein, a group of misfits and outcasts who met in a prison transport.

The encounter with Mollymauk Tealeaf (Taliesin Jaffe), a tiefling blood hunter who had a mysterious past and a colorful personality.

The rescue of Jester (Laura Bailey), a tiefling cleric who worshiped the Traveler (Matthew Mercer), a trickster god.

The infiltration of Nicodranas, a coastal city ruled by an oppressive lord.

The reunion of Caleb (Liam O’Brien), a human wizard who suffered from trauma and guilt, and Astrid (Matthew Mercer), his former friend and lover who became an agent of the Cerberus Assembly.

The showdown with Lucien (Matthew Mercer), a cult leader who sought to unleash an ancient evil.

These are just some examples of the many amazing moments that Critical Role has to offer. If you’re interested in watching or listening to the show, you can find all the episodes on their website or YouTube channel. You can also join their fan community on Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit, Discord, etc. You won’t regret it!

[sevensdeadly-if]

yeah i get you being upset about rachel Z playing snow white!! idk what up with her now man. she was in the reboot of west side story and i lover her in it and she has an amazing voice honestly!! but i don’t really understand why she’s shitting on snow white when she’s LOTERALLY playing her! i have no doubt that her singing will be amazing in the movie but i feel like she’s kind of tainted the film now cuz now we’re all under the impression that she doesn’t even like snow white :(

the thing i liked with the other actresses who played the other princess was that they showed genuine interest in the character (halle bailey, lily james, elle fanning etc…). While even tho some of there characters are there characters “don’t care about anything but love” they showed that their princess had more to them than just love. i like how while they were falling in love they were sweet and kind and strong!! they played their princess amazingly!! and honestly i feel like rachel z might too!! im just scared about how i might perceive her in the movie cuz i don’t wanna associate her with someone who hates love and only wants a strong female character who only wants to fend for themselves of some shit, cuz not all girls want that!

i def do not hate rachel z i NEVER did! in fact i actually love her!! i think she just def fucked herself over with how she described snow white and how she went about some interviews!! anyhow sorry for the long rant haha🥲 i needed to vent about this cuz i feel like while everyone on the internet hates rachel z (not saying you do ofc❤️❤️❤️) i still love her cuz ik she can do right by snow white!!

I definitely don’t hate her. Honestly until this whole debacle I never really had much of an opinion on her. Really for me it’s just disappointment in how she is handling things. Making it seem like it’s not feminist to simply want true love 😕 like as a die hard disney fan it does hurt as dumb as it sounds. Like Snow White was a defining moment for women and movies in general at the time of its release. So just insulting it that way is frustrating. But I definitely don’t hate her. And I doubt my opinion will really have much effect. But unfortunately I do think she has kind of busted the chances the movie may have had 🫠

[graveyardcat7-moved]

Hii *On hands and knees* good Gerry fics/author recommendations please?

under the cut! as its long and a bit silly

first off, anon, if you would like a document entitled "jongerry fic recs" send me a dm anytime. it is a detailed list through my favorites to ones i hate, alongside some other recommendations. some things from there will be mentioned here, but not all! feel free to dm me abt that i dont bite ^__< besides that. most fic recs ill give are romantic. i love romance so much. so:

author recommendations:

verboseDescription <- wrote one of my favorite jongerry fics ill ever read. really interesting writing style, GREAT character voices, ALSO wrote the BEST timgerry series out there it makes me go bonkers. IceEckos12 <- wrote a howl's moving castle au i've reread 3 times. i drew art for that fic (ITS OLD ART NOW). generally has a GREAT gerry voice and really interesting, heartwarming fics. PitViperOfDoom <- STILL REGULARLY WRITES REALLY WELL DONE TMA FICS, TYPICALLY INCLUDING GERRY (WHO IS QUITE WELL WRITEN) ITS. i really appreciate it. i like, ADORE their work.

fic recomendations:

fool me, fool me - andro(slur im not comfortable typing LOL) : every single time i read this fic i cry it's so funny and sweet and ive read it 4 times and tis perfect and amazing and and and (EXPLODES INTO A FINELY CRUSHED DUST, SCATTERING UPON THE EARTH AND PROVIDING THEM WITH WONDERFUL NUTRIENTS) so like read it. ok? ive got his number from the great beyond - verbosedescription : basically the same as above except less on the funny more on the oh my fucking god. oh my god. oh my god. ue, ue, ue. ive read it 3 times bailey school kids - verbosedescription : this fic genuinely hurts me to read because it makes me so emotional i cried so hard i couldnt see at the end of this once. ive read it 5 times he stands in front of the mirror with a net, hoping to catch something - blackwood (transjon) : this fic is utterly heartbreaking. its so well written. it makes me fucking crazy. why'd it have to be a bin. it didnt have to be a bin! fuck! god! auhhhh!!!!

i'm going to be so serious i literally have so little gerry standalone fics because they are never well written. i've tried so much they're all bad. theres one where he fucking converts to christianity i am SO fucking serious rn. i read the whole thing because i was intensely curious and it ended with him going to a fucking church in america it was literally INSANE i HATED IT. maybe one day ill trudge through his tag, but. its also just full of him making a one-off appearance and never being a meaningful character so it doesn't feel worthwhile, really? meaningless standard trite that contains just the most bland takes and writing styles ever. also porn. and i dont. read that so... i have a lot more recommendations but they're all in that document or in the mentioned author's works! dm me whenever ill literally always wanna talk about gerry he specifically has been my special interest for... two years...

tldr: read fool me, fool me, all of verbosedescription's work, and dm me for a google doc of jongerry recs with some other stuff in there. yippee!! ^__<

[biglisbonnews]

Halle Bailey Says Her Portrayal of Ariel Will Be 'Nuanced' Earlier this month, the full trailer for Disney’s 2023 The Little Mermaid debuted during the 95th Oscars. The two-and-a-half minute clip features stunning visuals parallelling frames of the original cartoon, Awkwafina as the voice of feathery sidekick Scuttle and Halle Bailey’s young Beyoncé-like vocals making waves as Ariel.Related | Halle Bailey Stuns in 'The Little Mermaid' TrailerAs more progressive parents rewatched the original The Little Mermaid, Disney has faced persistent criticism surrounding the 1993 cartoon’s perceived sexism, with many pointing out that Ariel’s fate to marry into a life on land could be considered problematic. In an effort to revisit concerns for the initial story, Bailey is promising a more nuanced portrayal of the princess.“I’m really excited for my version of the film because we’ve definitely changed that perspective of just her wanting to leave the ocean for a boy,” she said in a profile in Edition Magazine.“It’s way bigger than that. It’s about herself, her purpose, her freedom, her life and what she wants. As women we are amazing, we are independent, we are modern, we are everything and above,” she continues. “And I’m glad that Disney is updating some of those themes.”Despite the burgeoning hype surrounding the live action remake from fans of all ages, many aren't happy about the widespread change taking place for the live action remake, suggesting that a remake should pay homage whenever possible and sarcastically asking if producers even took the time to listen to the original soundtrack. One Twitter user replied under a tweet relaying Bailey’s comment: “You’d think someone involved in the film might have listened to “Part of Your World” maybe once? I don’t know, too much to ask?” None — (@) Bailey laid speculation that the new movie wouldn't be true to Disney to rest in a simple, upbeat tweet, clarifying that producers for the film aren’t changing Ariel’s character at all; instead, they’re giving room for her character to be fleshed out. She tweeted: “In the original story those themes & qualities about Ariel were always there..you will just see more of that side of her in our film. I'm not against falling in love, y’all, duh.." None — (@) Bailey is no stranger to negativity — the trailer received over 600,000 dislikes on YouTube — but she moves forward with grace. “It’s honestly been such a crazy ride, and I genuinely feel shocked and honored and grateful to be in this position. A lot of times, I have to pinch myself and be like, is this real life?” she said.Photo via Getty/ Jeff Kravitz https://www.papermag.com/halle-bailey-the-little-mermaid-2659631163.html

[loquaciousquark]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E136 & 137 (May 11, 2021)

Good evening and good night, everyone! Tonight on Talks are Laura Bailey & Sam Riegel. I was seriously hoping for Travis after the oh-so-spooky ending to last week's episode, but we'll make do! Tonight, Sam joins us while exercising on his Peloton (apparently in a full workout program led by Peloton teacher Tunde(?)) in front of a green screen. Boy, this is gonna be a thing, huh?

We're not even to the first question and Sam has already been photoshopped into a carwash. Oh, brother.

How is everyone feeling diving into the Cognouza ward? Laura doesn't want to be there at all. She knew Liam desperately wanted to see it, but she didn't. Neither did Sam: it's like being in someone else's gross bathroom where you really don't want to touch anything. Isn't the whole city a body? Is there an earwax room, Sam wonders?

Dani called that Sprinkle was Artagan waaaay back when. She thought it was either a Hollowed One or the Traveler. Travis and Laura were joking about it at home a while back as well, but she didn't think it was real. Sam assumed Matt just didn't want to retcon Sprinkle dying after various adventures & never expected him to tie a plot point to it.

Sam thinks the campaign is winding down & he's trying to get Veth one-on-one time for everyone. Laura is his favorite due to Jester's & Nott's relationship. Laura very much wants to open a real detective agency in game if they both survive this fight.

Laura can't believe Sam is committing to the Peloton bit. "I just had no idea that you were going to do this the whole time. I genuinely thought you were choosing to wear a sleeveless shirt." Sam: "I like that we're at that part in our relationship where you're like, 'well, this is a mistake for him but I'm not even gonna bring it up.'"

If Jester wasn't in a relationship with Fjord, she'd have wink-wink'd at Charlie.

Veth on Devexian: she's very drawn to confidence and sexy voices. There are no men in the M9 who check those boxes. Jester: "Fjord is very tall, dark, and handsome!" Sam: "Yeah, but he's got those little stick arms!" Brian points out that Yasha is the most tall, dark, and handsome of the group, and Sam laments that he already tried that too. She's not going to sleep with the robot, but she can appreciate beauty.

Laura starts to tell us about the Shape of Water while talking about Devexian's functionality and makes THAT GESTURE, YOU KNOW. She then collapses with laughter at being shy about it. She tells Sam Jester isn't shy at all and draws all sorts of humanoid species dicks.

They both agree the powers Caleb & Beau have right now are awesome but will 100% come back to bite them. Sam thinks the 3/9 eyes means there's a 1/3 chance Molly can control them.

Once Molly takes them over, they both agree Beau must be killed first. "She could kill all of us in a heartbeat."

Cosplay of the Week: kairiceleste on Instagram with an amazing Caleb. Great fire photoshop as well! Brian pulls the digital CR gift card off a genuine Bafta. These kids, I tell you what.

Jester still wishes they had access to the Wild Magic chaos since it seemed perfectly harmless and only funny. Laura, on the other hand, knows it's a good thing they've left it behind since not all of them are so benign.

Both Sam & Laura are delightedly astonished to remember Veth is still like a foot tall. Sam says he would have been doing an even higher-pitched voice had he known.

Laura feels great about her Parent Trap success. She likes that it was grounded and not fanciful. It was very bittersweet to leave them behind, choosing not to say goodbye. It almost felt like Jester has accepted whatever fate has in store and if something happens to her, she knows that at least someone will take care of Marion.

Right now, Jester feels a stronger purpose than anything to stop the city. It's so hard to marry that serious & driven purpose to Caleb's desire, for example, to explore a room and pick up a piece of paper. She really thinks she did see that vision of the eye that Matt mentioned last episode, contrary to what Matt thinks.

It wasn't as satisfying as Sam had hoped to kill Otis. He wanted to face off in a fair duel and win via superior cunning & scrappiness. "Who knows, maybe Otis will come back to life!" Maybe they can Speak with Dead and Veth can rub it in.

Laura desperately wants to go back and explore the city. It felt like a video game level with a time limit; it killed her that she couldn't take as much time as she wanted to explore. "There was so much loot!"

Sam wasn't expecting the Somnovem to have distinct personalities. Dani has a theory about them being heightened emotions. Sam: "Like Inside Out??" Laura: "Inside Out in the flesh city." There has to be a way to sweet-talk them into helping. Laura never expected that they'd actually land in the city at all.

The only thing that is stopping them now is that Lucien hasn't placed his threshold crest yet. Laura thinks that if he does, the city will go back immediately and--she suspects--the nine Somnovem will rise again in power like gods, and drive the city to destroy Exandria.

Fanart of the Week: gazedraws with a lovely Devexian. Great gold work on the neck and face! Sam: "It would take a while to put a hickey on that, but I could do it."

Brian's entirely imagined neon sign dropping from the ceiling with the gift card is powered (apparently) by Sam's Peloton. Laura complains that the light isn't bright enough because he isn't pedaling fast enough. I can't believe how intricate this has become.

It makes perfect sense for Jester that there is power that comes from belief. She's coming to terms with the idea that the Traveler isn't a god.

All three of them forward-nostalgize about sitting on a couch together. Soon, friends!

They're dying to know about the weapon Veth found. They need time for Caleb to identify it.

Lucien's visible reaction to being called Circus Man has to be a clue from Matt that Molly's still in there. Both Sam & Laura are convinced that they can reach Molly somehow if they can just say the right thing. They are determined to try to get Molly back before Travis just kills Lucien. Laura wonders if they're going to encounter the consciousnesses of Yussa and Molly somewhere in the city.

Sam and Laura think they have good odds against Cree, even with legendary actions. Sam's sure there will be some wrinkle to either make the fight harder or delay them in the fight against Lucien. Laura suggests splitting the party. Brian: "You should be careful splitting the party; without Caduceus, there's no healing!" Laura: "...that's true." Sam thinks that Cree will be able to control Beau or Caleb (or other party members) with the blood vials she took so long ago.

Sam has gone 14.1 miles on the Peloton. What a nice workout!

And that is that is that! Is it Thursday yet?

[necros-writing-stuff]

Fucked up love interests you say? Can I request Eden getting sick of Avery keeping his kid from the woods, so Eden breaks into Avery's place, ties to to a chair and makes him watch as Eden ruin's his kid. He wanted to rail them in his cabin, but fucking them stupid in front of their dad works too. Better if it starts as noncon, but the PC is addicted to Eden's cock by the end.

Would Avery get off on watching this, even with how much he hates Eden?

Got a little carried away here, so under the cut for length

Eden comes into town looking for supplies, same old, same old, only this time his eyes end up falling on non other than stuck-up Avery coming out of an expensive looking jewelers with the prettiest little thing Eden has ever seen following soon after.

He's overjoyed when you call out "Father!" to get the businessman's attention. He's your dad, not your daddy. That's good, Eden doesn't like the thought of that fucker having touched you.

Immediately, fantasies about bringing you home and having you sit in his lap so you can cockwarm him while he reads rush through his mind, and the hunter finds himself trailing the two of you to Avery's car. And memorising the make, model, and licence plate.

It takes so long to find out where you live. Big, fancy house with a pristine garden - no suprise there. Then he has to watch and find out when you'll be home alone. Easier to get you that way. Then he had to call in favours from Bailey to get some stuff to disable the over the top security system.

One day, when he's walking past, he bumps into Avery by accident. The rich prick had the audacity to sneer at him and tell him to get out of the neighbourhood, that his mere presence is bringing down the property value, before shoving past and entering his gated community. Looks like someone hasn't grown since school. If he'd stayed a moment longer, Eden would have started throwing punches.

Instead, Eden's plans to get you alone and take you away secretly morph into something else. Something more vengeful.

When the time comes, he slips in through a window and silently makes his way up to the master bedroom. Avery sleeps peacefully, in silk pyjamas of all things, and the hunter gags him before he begins binding the man. He wakes up half way through, but its too late at that point.

Avery struggles against the rope and tries to scream, skin going red at how angry he is. Its funny to see, actually. Such a high and mighty man reduced to this. The hunter drags his catch out of his room, across the hall, and into the room of his sleeping prey.

You wake up, hearing the racket, and freeze in shock at what you see before you yell out for your father. Still, you hide beneath your blanket - as if it'll protect you from anything. You don't need to be scared anyways, you're about to have the ride of your life.

Eden drops Avery on the floor, maybe purposely letting his head bounce against the wood for his own entertainment, before marching over to you and ripping away the covers.

Kick and scream all you like, the hunter finds it easy to tear your clothes off and wrestle you into submission. You're so small and delicate, you need to be protected and cared for properly - and considering what happening now, clearly the businessman isn't capable of doing that.

Just like your father, Eden ties you up. Unlike him, you're not gagged. He wants to hear you beg for him at some point tonight. Wants to hear you moan out when you cum on his prick.

"You did a good job making this one," he praises as his hands trail all over your bare skin. Avery still flails on the floor, voice going hoarse from all that screaming he's been doing. Tough luck, he's stuck until Eden decides otherwise.

You're crying and shaking, begging to be let go as the hunter flips you onto your back and spreads your legs to get a good look at that pretty little hole. His mouth waters, and he can't help himself from having a taste.

He's never gone down on someone before. He hopes you enjoy the way his tongue teases, the way he fucks you open with it.

"Please, mister, please stop!" your voice quivers as you say it, obviously affected by the stimulation he's giving you. Maybe you're just trying to put up a front for dear old dad, so he doesn't think you're a whore. It's okay, Eden will still give you what you need.

Your taste is amazing, he thinks. You're amazing, body so perfect, voice so sweet. He could tongue-fuck you all day, but tonight he has other things in mind.

The hunter is breathing heavily by the time he comes up for air, desperately hard in his pants. He nearly tears them when he shoves the fabric down his thighs, letting his massive cock out and laying over you so you can see exactly how deep it will go. The thing reaches your belly-button.

Eyes wide, you try to wiggle away. "No, it's too big! Please, it'll hurt, mister, please-"

Not listening, Eden presses the thick head to your spit-slickened hole and starts pushing in, savouring how you gasp out and go stiff. A loud bump from the floor let's him know Avery is still trying to get loose. Frustrated screams tell him it's not coming along great.

Bottoming out, Eden leans over your body and starts fucking into you like an animal, squeezing out every whimper and whine that he can from between your lips.

Full, is how you feel. So incredibly full and it's hard to breathe from how this stranger batters your poor hole. Each drag of his dick against your gummy walls send a million jolts of pleasure through your body, and you want to cry harder from the guilt that it makes you feel.

Your father is there! Bound, being forced to watch as you're raped - as you enjoy being raped - in your own bed! Who was this man, anyways? A competitor? No, he's not dressed like a man your father would bother with. He looks wild and uncaring. Rugged. And unfortunately, handsome.

"Such a delicate thing, aren't you? You'll make a wonderful spouse when I get you home," he says as he pounds away, before turning once again to Avery. "You're not going to see them again after tonight. You don't deserve to have such a sweet thing as yours. Can't even protect them in your own home."

It makes you nauseous to hear the plans he has for you. That you're about to be abducted and kept god-knows where by this mad-man with a grudge. Will he hurt you? Will you be forever kept captive?

You can't look at your father. You can't see the heartbreak, anger, maybe even disgust that could be on his face. That would be a sight that would haunt you in your dreams, and you want your memories of him to be good ones. Like the times he takes you for icecream after you do well on tests, or takes you to wonderful parties where you can wear your best clothes. Instead, you study the wild man above you. Focus on the stranger's long hair and muscled body. Try to steady your breathing and hold in moans as a coil forms in your stomach.

One last time, you attempt to get away, only to be pulled right back onto his length. The change in angle makes it hit something inside of you just right, and you keen in a high pitched tone. So good, it feels so good, and you hate this man for it.

Eden loves the dazed look in your eyes as he hammers at that special spot. How he can see all logic leave, replaced by lust and a need to get off. So he stays consistent in his movements, giving you exactly what you need, so he can feel you tighten around him, ready to milk his cock like a good little pet.

Back arching, your whole body shakes as you reach your peak, incoherent babbling falling from your mouth. Its all so hot, so addicting to see, and the hunter joins you in your bliss soon after.

Dick still twitching, Eden stays buried inside of you. He'll be starting up another round in a minute or two, but he wants to treasure this moment. Treasure how you've become putty in his hands, not even whining when he leans over and kisses you. You have such soft lips.

"Good pet. There's plenty more where that came from, I promise. You just have to keep being so well behaved, just for me," he whispers into your ear, placing butterfly kisses along your neck as he does so.

Reluctantly, he pulls back. A certain someone had gone quiet, and the last thing he needs is the bastard getting free and starting a fight.

Luckily, Avery is still where he left him. Must have gave up fighting, instead laying there with his cheek smushed against the polished floorboards, breathing hard through his nose.

"Tired already? Come on, you've barely moved. Fucking pathetic, really. What, don't love your kid enough to make a real effort to save them?" there's no reaction from the businessman, so Eden pushes further. "Nah, you're all performative. Only pretending to care so they'll be obedient and keep your reputation up, right?"

That gets his attention. Earns Eden a seething glare that only makes him laugh. Then it's back to you. To caressing your cheek as he starts pumping his hips again.

"I'll care for you, genuinely. I promise. You'll never have to doubt me," he coos, a hand coming between your legs to play with your sensitive sex. You arch up into his touch with a moan, too tired to deny your body the things it seeks.

Preserve your energy, you tell yourself. Be pliant and good so you can fight back later. Don't think about how right it feels to be impaled on this man's prick, how mind-blowing your orgasm was.

Limp, covered in his own sweat, and full of solemn defeat, Avery watches from across the room. Sorrow is what he feels, along with rope burn across his skin perfect, cared for skin. Sorrow that, yet again, Eden has won. That he can't break free of these ropes despite working so hard to keep in shape. That his only child is being defiled by such a brute.

Avery can't do anything as his baby is fucked into oblivion over and over again. Can't tune out the moment you stop begging for it to end and instead ask for more. You're only trying to please the hunter, he reasons. Only being submissive so you aren't hurt, you're smart like that.

At least, that's what he hopes.

[overkill-max]

Wedding mini-fic

A mini-fic of what happens during and after the wedding. From the perspective of Maya’s mom. 

---

Looking back at the wedding pictures, she thinks she looks out of place. She sees herself without makeup, in a plaid shirt. Having left her husband that same day. He was on a rant about Maya and her “lifestyle choices.” Katherine was cowering, just as her daughter described her. Feeling suffocated. She looked at Lane, all the anger directed towards her daughter, that would soon turn to her, and she felt herself turn into the husk she was before she left.

For an instant, she thought about Maya.

“I have to go pick up ice.” Katherine whispered. Lane did not hear her. He never heard her. Or Maya. Or Mason. Or anyone else.

She grabbed her purse and her mask and left.

 //

She did not pick up ice.

Maya’s house was empty.

Katherine didn’t know where to go. The only other place familiar to her was the fire station.

 //

She walked in not knowing her daughter would be admitting she forgot to write her vows. Carina mentioned that it did not matter, that it was sweet and perfect that Maya, someone who was overprepared and had lists and clipboards, had forgotten to write down a list. She was too excited to start their lives together.

“I love you, and I choose you. Forever.” Hearing her daughter say that with such joy, made her cry. Interrupting their vows. She apologized but the way that her daughter and her soon to be bride looked at her, both lighting up, let her know she made the right choice.

//

Maya and Carina were happy for most of their wedding.

Then they realized that another firefighter had taken her job. Or cost her the job. Katherine was still confused about how a person can get fired so casually.

She thought she would need to hold her breath. Whenever Lane was upset, she would walk on eggshells to avoid setting him off.

Maya looked betrayed and sad. But not devastated. She was not angry. Her wife excused them with a polite smile, then took her outside.

Katherine did not know if she was allowed to follow or not. She wanted to comfort her daughter. Yet it had always been hard. Maya was so much like Lane. Hiding everything away until it exploded in unhealthy ways. Lashing out. Wanting to keep everyone from seeing her in pain.

She worried about Carina.

It was a lovely wedding.

She should not have followed them, but she did.

//

“Maya, it’s okay.” It was soft. “Bambina, you are a fighter and so smart and strong. If this captain job is what you want, you can get it back or get another captain.”

Maya said something too soft for her to hear through the door.

“No, you are an amazing good captain. This is just them punishing you for supporting your fire fighters and not the administration… remember what you told me? Why they were afraid to do what you did?”

//

Katherine went back to the party.

//

She does not remember the rest of the party. Only what the pictures tell her.

//

The thing she does remember is how her daughter interrupted her own wedding to ask her friends to help her move in with them.

Even fire fighters from the other shifts helped. Five men stayed outside with Lane. The rest carried things she pointed to from inside the home she used to call hers. Packed her bags. “Mama B, you need your passport.” Carina… her new daughter in-law said.

It made the room feel smaller. Lane controlled that. He had all of that in his gun safe. In the office he kept locked up.

“Maya.” Her daughter nodded.

They were alone in the room where before she had always been too scared to move. Constantly drowning. No wonder her daughter chose to be a fire fighter. She was used to the feeling of having to work hard to breathe.  

Carina talked at her. Katherine did not have the mental capacity to forms sentences or words. Still feeling on edge. Never safe. Never safe in this house.

She appreciated how at ease the other woman was. How kindly she smiled. Not in that ugly way others did. Where they pitied her. Seeing her as both a victim but also deserving of Lane’s anger for not standing up for herself. For going back.

Carina was just as she remembered her at the spaghetti dinner. Genuinely excited to spend time with her.

It made her feel uncomfortable and happy at the same time.

Even Maya’s patience with her ran thin. Often lashing out in anger. Raising her voice. Narrowing her eyes the way her father did. She was so much like him. It broke her heart to see it.

Yet, Katherine understood that. She was comfortable in that. Had lived with that.

Carina was unexpected.

//

Maya returned with a stack of folders and a gun.

Katherine flinched.

“Maya, no.” Her daughter-in-law commanded.

“But…” Maya tried to argue. “No. Bambina, look at your mother… look at this country… Look at what happens when you have so many guns in the house and so many fears… I don’t want that in my house.”

Maya mentioned her father. It struck a new type of fear in Katherine.

“What makes you think he cannot buy another gun if you take this one? How much angrier is he going to be if that happens?”

Katherine swallows. She hated that Lane had a gun. Feared that he would use it against her. Or worse, the kids. Maya knew that. If he was angry, he might.

Carina understood anger. Escalation. Violence. She saw blood and death. The result of things like this.

“You take your papa’s gun and you have to be ready to shoot him with it. This thing, it will not end well. Leave the gun… this is only about your mama… you take that thing into our lives and you make it about something he thinks is his. You make it into a fight.”

Maya leaves in a huff.

“You are not his. You are yours.” Carina tells her. Firm voice. Needing to be heard. Soft hands. Wanting to comfort.

She nods.

They leave.

//

Everyone that helps set up her room stays at their house.

“It’s the after party.” Carina shouts happily. She puts on music and begins making pasta in her wedding dress.

Warren and Bailey come from the fire station with the men and women that stayed behind to clean up.

Cases of alcohol get brought into the house and people keep drinking and dancing. Victoria sings. Maya comes out in a sleeveless shirt and sweatpants. She kisses Carina and takes the knife from her. Telling her to get comfortable.

“Please don’t angry chop my pasta.” Her daughter-in-law begs. Maya shrugs. Pretending she’s not listening. Mimicking angry chopping.

“Mama B, make sure she separates the pasta and hang it to dry.” Carina shouts, laughing as she leaves the kitchen and bumps into Andy.

 //

The whole night was chaotic and filled with laughter and love.

//

Katherine wakes up early the next day. Not knowing what to do without Lane dictating every minute of her life, she lays there. Unsure of what she is allowed here. This place has her things, but it doesn’t feel like hers. It feels borrowed. Like last time.

She gets up and heads for the kitchen. Tip toeing around the place. Unsure of how quiet Maya and Carina need her to be. She is a guest.

“Suocera!” Carina enthusiastically greets her from the stove. Katherine nods. Confused. “Buongiorno.” She tries. It’s the only word she knows in Italian.

Carina laughs as she shakes her head. “Right... It… it is… you are the mother of the wife?” She asks. Not knowing the word.

“Oh. Mother-in-law” Katherine quickly fills in.

“Yes, suocera.” Carina repeats and smiles. Flipping over the French toast in the pan. Katherine stands there and Carina waves the spatula around. “I made espresso, but if it’s not your thing, you can add the water. Cups are there. Explore.”

“Can you grab me the thing?” Carina asks. Pointing vaguely behind her.

Katherine smiles. Uncomfortable. She likes the house. It is lovely. But Lane liked things to be a certain way. To stay there. For cabinets not to be opened unnecessarily.

“Uh.” Katherine stops. Looking at the counter.

“Maya, the thing! You know, the thing.” Carina says louder. Katherine freezes. Carina turns around, smiling and her face drops. She turns pale. Katherine waits for the explosion.

“I’m sorry.” Carina tells her. Voice softer. Hands moving wildly as she tries to find the words. “I’m sorry, suocera. I know when I get excited it seems like I am yelling. But I am not yelling at you. Or at Maya. I… I am not yelling.”

Katherine feels the tension in herself. In the other woman. As Carina wants to comfort her but does not step closer. She waits. Looking torn. “Boundaries.” Her therapist’s voice says inside her.

Katherine tilts her head down. Looking at the floor. She barely nods.

A small invitation is all it takes to be swept up in a tight hug. Carina pats down her hair and kisses it. “I’m sorry, suocera. I’m learning too.” Is all she says.

She cries and she is held.

The French toast burns, and Maya runs in to witness her wife running with a flaming pan, heading outside. Her mother is coughing. The water is on in the sink. Putting nothing out.

“Carina!” Maya shouts as she stares at her mom. Instead of finding the cold, angry blue she is used to, she finds worry. There is no blame. It feels like no time has passed but her daughter is different. This is not the same woman that told her she needed therapy for thinking what they went through together was abuse. For knowing it was wrong.

She runs out and takes command of the situation. Taking the hose from her wife and making sure there are no flames before heading back inside with a waterlogged piece of bread. Black from the flames. The kitchen is filled with smoke but there is no fire or damage.

Maya hugs her mother and Katherine feels like she can breathe. Even with the smoke. She cries. Her daughter had never been soft. But she changed for love. Katherine never felt strong. But she learned from her daughter. For her daughter.

She wonders what will happen if she stays. If this place becomes her home.

//

Katherine thinks she looks out of place. When the pictures come back.

She does not feel out of place.

Not then. Not now.

Carina is laughing beside her. Pointing out all the pictures that make her smile.

Three months feel a world away.

 //

Katherine was worried about Maya. The offer came from Carina.

She did not want to overstay her invitation. But finding a job as a home maker that was scared of men shouting or froze at every loud noise, meant her prospects were limited. Especially in a pandemic.

She wanted to find her own place. Or even a shelter. To let her daughter build a new life without the old once holding her back. But Carina was so nice. So welcoming. She was so soft and safe that it was hard to feel bad about not trying hard enough.

Maya was different too. She was still reserved. But she was brighter. In a way she never thought Maya could be. The last time she visited there was so much anger. Denial. She was closed off and lashed out when people got too close to the core of who she was. So much like Lane that it hurt to look at her and see nothing but steel staring back. Cold. Lifeless.  

Now she was nothing but awe and love.

Katherine liked it. She liked knowing who her daughter had become without all that pain. Without the constant pressure to achieve. To make Lane proud.

 //

She asked, once. When Maya was not home.

Carina was direct. She never made them guess. She never hid her feelings or what she wanted. She was stubborn. And she always answered. Even when she could not find the words. She would answer. Because Carina liked clarity.

Katherine understood.

Walking on eggshells while not knowing what would set Lane off made her appreciate Carina’s openness. Even when it made her uncomfortable. Or mad at herself for not being able to reciprocate. She still liked who Carina was.

“I get to have a family again.” Carina shrugged. Passing the sheet of pasta through the metal press.

Katherine waited. Carina was the daughter that she always imagined other parents had. She giggled easily and gossiped. Filled the silences with laughter and words.

“I did have a family. But it was before. Then mama left and I stayed so Andrea could go. And it was just papa and me. He was so angry, and their marriage was so terrible that I hated the idea of family… but then…” She smiled softly.

“Then Maya became my home and family was something I missed… I… in Italy… you are expected to move with your husband’s family. To have your suocera and their nonna and all these people constantly in your life… I wanted to have that…” Katherine nods.

“I know it’s selfish to want you to stay. Americans, you like your life to be individual and separate and borders and very yourselves. But… I feel like a momma chicken. I like all of the people I love in my house. In my roof. Happy and in each other’s life… it feels… warm. Like a home.” Carina shrugs. Cutting the pasta into small sheets.

Katherine smiles. Liking the idea that family, home, could be something other than what both her and her daughter have known. What her daughter-in-law has known. That it could be built on new traditions. Starting with a wedding she was underdressed for but still belonged in.

[funnyexel]

100 Years of Age

Logan x Reader (Oneshot)

A/n : I’ve recently have had an OBSESSION with Logan from the X-men franchise. Thus, this short fanfic. Usually my fanfics would end in a little spice (kiss, smut...etc.) but this time it’ll be a fluff ending. Please bare with me, this is my first fluff story so if it sucks that's the reason. Also, sorry if the title doesn’t really make sense. I tried to make it nostalgic in a way. Enjoy my lovely’s <3 Masterlist Mega List

“How could you?” Hot tears glided down your face. “How could you!?” There your parents stood before you as you got yanked away in chains. “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?!” Your last words as the truck doors closed. You were being taken and it was all their fault. Full on balling on the truck floor, the soldiers watched. A 14- year old getting taken away with their parents consent...that’s got to be a first. 

The truck was a one-way ticket to hell but how could you have known? They gave you away to some unknown cause to save their own asses. You spent years there, being tested on.

“She has the right DNA. We’ll be one step closer to evolution.”

The first few months were horrible. Being tested on for the Elemental Project, being alone in a foreign area, resenting your parents and being a child in all. On a certain dreadful day, an experiment worked on you. That day was your 15th birthday. They did four major experiments and preps over and over and over again. At this point, you weren’t upset anymore. Your parents are living their lives now. They may or may not be regretting their decision but its out of your hands. You’ve come to terms with this, after months of denying it.

“how are you feeling?” She quietly walks into your cell, trying not to disturb you as you were watching tv. You were sitting against the wall, hands in your lap as your eyes staying glued to the tv. “fine.” Your voice strained and quiet. She hums to your word. You’ve become a woman of little words, only speaking when comfortable and necessary. This woman was nice to you. You welcomed her into your small bubble...sometimes.

She placed a glass of water in front of you, without looking the water arose out the glass and separated itself into these words. “Today is my 15th birthday.” They subsided back into the glass, which you proceeded to pick up and drink out of. She and others were amazed, astonished. This isn’t the end. They still had much to do. You may not have mastered the first element but you’ve grasped it and that’s all they needed to know, before starting the next tests.

The tests were excruciating and brutal. The elements were manifesting backwards. Water, Earth, Air and Fire. Each element took an amount of lives. They told you to control it...they told you to fix yourself. But you could not. You did not control the elements. They only took a liking to you and allowed you to have them, nothing more nothing less. 

But they don’t understand, their thoughts clouded by war and hate. You got put into war before as a ‘learning activity’. Yes. A fantastic idea to put a 20-year old in The American Civil War.

You were cold. Very cold. They made you clothes to fit the elements but the clothes were not very war worthy attire. “She’ll burn her clothes off, if she wears that.” The woman says to the general in charge. “I better see something, Ms. Bailey.” The general says before glancing at you then taking his leave. She turns to you with a little smile. “Be mindful of people around you.” You nod your head to her. You weren’t scared given you were put into a war. You were just..just...you didn’t know. You didn’t know what the feeling was called but you were feeling it.

“Bring her here!” Ms. Bailey and you follow the soldier. “You can’t come on the field.” He stated to her. She gave you one final look before turning away. He motioned you to follow. The sounds of gun shots flooded your ears and the smell of gun powder filled your nose. “Stay close.” He said, not ever laying a finger on you. It was almost nightfall, they knew this’ll be the best time for you to come out. You stayed with him and two other men. 

They were conversing a few feet away, also keeping an eye on you. A young boy was coughing, around the age of 16. You crouched in front of him and rested a hand on his shoulder. Doing a faint hand motion you cleared the air he was breathing. “T-thank you.” You smiled to him but the smile faded as the soldier called out to you. “Come, we’ve got the ‘go’ from the general.” The field was painted in blood and bodies. 

“Can’t handle it?” One of the other soldiers teased. You scoffed at him, the sound barely being audible. “We need you to take an enemy and bring them back here.” The soldier says to you, motioning the two men not to follow you out. You sighed and nodded at him. Walking to the middle of the battlefield, you dipped down to the ground. Your fingertips lightly touching it. “I will not control you.” The ground began to rumble as big chunks of dirt and rock get pulled out. Carefully, you aimed each one at their big guns and incoming soldiers. 

With ease you walked to their men. Their guns were inefficient, due to you setting the gun powder in the guns ablaze. Finally, you found someone that looked like they knew a lot, motioning your hand to the sky. Particles of water parted from the clouds and engulfed the victims body, knocking them out momentarily and carrying them with you. You quickly got escorted back to the base.

“Great, we have the enemy. HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET INFORMATION FROM A DEAD MAN!?!” You flinched at the yelling general. There the man laid on a nursing bed, dripping wet. A gust of wind passes by to dry him then you put your hand over his mouth. Taking the liquid out his lungs. An array of coughs alerted one of the nurses. “alive.” You spoke, looking the general in the eyes. Ms. Bailey took you to the tent for a rest. “You did good today.” She smiled handing you sleeping clothes. You took the clothes and changed, now sitting on the floor, no movement what so ever. 

You often did this when the elements were uneasy and they were always uneasy. “Sorry, no visitors.” You look over your shoulder and see one of the men you were on the field with. Getting to your feet, you walk and stand next to Bailey. She nods to you and walks further into the tent, keeping a watchful eye. “Hi, I’m Logan.” He sticks a hand out for you to shake. You hide your hands behind your back, denying his request. He retracts his hand at your reaction. “y/n” You whisper to him. “Okay, that’s all, she needs to rest.” Bailey closes the tent as you wave goodbye to him. 

Those memories became distant, vivid as you went back to the dreadful place. Time passed very slowly there. You never knew why but it did and it was awful. “This is ground breaking! Absolutely ground breaking! Now that we’ve got her to adapt to all the elements we’ll be able to make an army.” That day felt different. Stumped on the why but it felt different. Later on you found out why. You’ll never ever forget it. It was your most happiest day you’ve lived. The freedom. The life that filled your soul and the genuine happiness that accompanied your aura. But nature had different plans for you. 

Nature had weird ways of caring for you. It liked you. It had better plans for you. Plans that would not involve this era in anyway what so ever. You were hesitant at first but your character is familiar to its weird ways. Thus, leading you to comply. “wait. everyone quiet.” Voices were creeping into your hearing, slowly becoming louder. “She’s waking up.” Your eyelids flutter open. It felt as if you were worked to the bone, took an elevating nap then woke up refreshed. You were in a cocoon like capsule, made by water and other bits of nature. The cocoon discarded itself, evaporated and moving itself into the ongoing water cycle. 

Your body slumped a bit, a little surprised squeak as you stood straight. Seeing people in weird gear and other gadgets around the room. Eyes big and observing everything. “Hi.” You looked at the man before you. Your eyes instinctively trailing to the flat screen. It’s a television. ‘How the world has evolved.’ You thought looking back to the man, mouth open but no words flow out. So you decide to respond with a small wave. Your calmness got interrupted as you saw a gadget that resembled a gun. “the war is still present?” You speak in a low tone and sigh. “The war?” He shakes his head. 

“How old is she?” Someone utters in the background. You shrug to their question. “1863?” You look the man in the eyes. Pure shock fills his soul. “It’s the 2000’s.” You feel a force pull you out the establishment. Into a forest. ‘The 2000’s? What would you want me to do in the 2000’s?’ You question in your head as you run. To no destination in particular but to get away from those people. You ended up in a bar. It was one of the things you could recognize...everything was so different. As soon as you stepped foot into the bar, all eyes were on you. Stares full of disgust, lust and confusion. 

You walked to the counter and stood at the end of the tall table. “Miss, are you lost?” You nod to the nicely dressed lady. She converses with her peers as you look over to the television. ‘Mutant Rights? Mutant? What’s a Mutant?’ This is so new. It was a lot happening at once. A high pitched whistle, stung your ear. “Hey, cutie.” Looking to him unbothered, you point to him and a gust of wind pushes him away. Not enough to knock him down or anything serious like that but enough to get him out your personal space. He looks at you like he’s seen a ghost. “m-m-m-m-m-m” 

He kept stuttering, you cock your head to the side in amazement but puzzlement. “Yeah, she’s a mutant. Run along, boy.” The woman exclaims and pulls you into a back room. “You seem like a wonderful girl but men will take advantage of you.” She says handing you a soft fabric. “what’s this?” You ask, opening the folded clothing. “A hoodie? Have you not- you know what never mind.” She leaves the room. Pulling the fabric over your head. “A hoodie.” You fiddle with the cup like piece. “I’m a mutant?” You look at the full length mirror. ‘I see why she said I’ll be taken advantage of.’ 

You dust off the skin tight shorts and knock out rocks out your minimalistic flat shoes. “where do mutants go?” You walk out the door and ask the girl. She finishes serving someone a drink before answering. “here.” She hands you a pamphlet. ‘Xavier Institute’ You study the interestingly folded paper then look to her. “thank you.” You smile and walk out the bar. ‘Now to find this Institute.’ At those words many images and places flood your mind, until one image matched the pamphlet. You could hear children giggling and happily cheering. The images fade away and you know exactly where you’re going. 

Putting the paper in the hoodie pocket, you begin to walk in the direction of the school. “ouch.” A small pebble hit you in the leg. Sighing, you stand still. The ground beneath you begins to rumble, carving a circle large enough for you to stand on. It slowly ripped itself out the ground bringing you in the air. Putting your hands out, you began to get your balance as you fixed your stance. It seemed like your seeing the world in a different light. The trees were so vibrant and beautiful as you were gliding on the rock. The sun was rising, its the most beautiful thing you’ve seen in your life. You couldn’t help but smile. 

In no time, the school came into your view. The rock pile that was holding you up, broke apart into little rocks as you were lowered to the ground. Walking through the gates, you looked around for others. It didn’t seem like anyone was out yet, but lights were on in the inside. Placing two knocks on the door, you stood and waited for someone to answer. A woman with white hair answers the door. Before she could let out a simple question, you stop her with your own. “what year is it?” Her face scrunches up with confusion at your odd question. “2006? Come inside.” 

She pats you on the shoulder as a welcoming jester. You hesitate before stepping into the abnormally big school. “logan?” You lock eyes with the recognizable man. “Do you know each other?” The white haired woman asks you. Breaking away from the eye contact, you frantically shake your head and back into the door. Logan kept looking at you, in confusion. “I- um. I might be at the w-wrong place.” Mist begins to fill the space you occupied, giving you a chance to leave. Time running short as footsteps echo behind you. Having no time to run off the property, you run into the woods that’s to the left of the school. 

“I-I...I don’t want to go back.” You cried out as they grabbed you from behind, roughly sitting you down. “You know me?” He asked. You responded with a hum, still being a little shaken up. “you and I met at war. it was only once.” You looked up to him. “Why’d you run?” He asked as you got up to your feet. “when I escaped my project. there had been many more trying to recreate it. I thought it was still going on.” He lead the way back to the school. “I was apart of a solo weapon x program. It- it wasn’t #1 priority but it was still important.” They brought you into an office and began to ask questions, which you answered. 

“So how old are you exactly?” Storm asks. “I don’t know.” Logan asked a few questions here and there but he stayed quiet most the time. Storm gave you an vacant room after the long introduction. You got familiar with the room before going out to the yard, you observed some students and meditated. It seemed like everything was calm. It was odd non-the-less but very nice. “Hello.” A child no older than 11 greets you. “hello.” You give a small smile to him. “What’s your name?” He asks, you look up to a small group of students a good ways away. “Y/n.” You say looking back to him. 

“Look at what I can do, Y/n.” He says a bit excited. Pulling a weed from the ground, he holds it between his thumb and index finger, slowly it turns to a flower. “That’s very similar to what I can do.” You smile to the innocent boy. “Can I see?” He asks in a cutesy pure tone. “Sure.” You point to some moving rocks. They bonded together and came rolling to you. It was a medium sized ball of pebbles and rocks. Clasping your hands together then breaking them apart, water separated from the rocks. The rocks now rolling back to their places. The water splits into two and glides around, almost dancing with each other. 

Soon enough it came down to you. “Wow.” The boy says, studying the water. You then open your right palm, heat gathering in it and creating fire. Now you had fire in one hand and water in the other. The two elements began to fight with each other. Trying to put the other out. Finally, you put the fire out and disperse the water. A gust of wind swishes through is hair, roughing it up a bit. Standing up, you give him a smile. You see Logan in the corner of your eye. “bye, flower boy.” He gives you a smile and you approach Logan. “You didn’t answer my question properly earlier.” He slows and matches your pace. 

“I- I see. I had a failed attempt before. I thought I found refuge but I was horribly mistaken.” You looked away from him for a moment. “a distant memory is all it is now.” You give him a small friendly smile. “How can you not be upset?” He stops his actions and turns around to you. You stop too. “Upset? Why would I be upset?” He studies your answer for some time. “I’m not upset. How could I be? When all those people who experimented on me, are surely dead. While I am here, in a new era. Alive, well and hasn’t aged a day.” Your lips curve slightly but drop into a noticeable frown.

You wanted to open up a bit more to him but you felt you weren’t ready to talk about it. “You look upset.” His statement hinting at a tease. “Not upset. Just..sad.” Not picking up his light-hearted statement. You part ways as Logan gets called by Storm. Giving him a small wave, you go to your room. During the start of your months at the Institute, you did some strength training. “Colossus and Kitty, will spar with you.” It was soon clear to everyone that you are fairly powerful. Continuing your stay at the school with studying, you had to learn about the 21st century somehow. You found a new passion for reading while doing so. Romance books in particular.

“What romance book are you reading tonight?” You hide your smile as your head lifts from the book. “I’m actually reading a crime book.” He sits in a chair close to you. “What brings you here?” You bookmark your page and set the book down. He let out a heavy sigh. “Nightmares?” You whisper and he nods to you. He does a jester to you, returning the question. “visions of my parents.” You lean back, rubbing your forehead. “I need a cigar.” He exclaims under his breath. “do you ever think about it?” His eyes lock on yours. “do you ever just think about why we were chosen?” You try to maintain eye contact with him. “stupidity and..” He points to himself then you. “sacrifice.” 

You break your eye contact with him. “I’m sure it wasn’t stupidity in your case. At least you had a choice.” He stays silent wanting to hear more about you. Logan was very hesitant about letting people in since Jean. But he couldn’t help the fact that he wanted to learn more about you. You knew him in the past and besides that you were an interesting person to him. “My parents...they gave me to the program. They didn’t even know what it was, all they needed to know was that it was going to save themselves if they gave away their child.” He reached over to you, giving you a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 

“I don’t even remember much of my childhood. They told me it was garbage in my mind that I didn’t need.” You leaned into his touch slightly. “Some people say they want to forget their family. They don’t mean it. Do they?” A few tears escape your eyes. “because this feels like hell.” You quickly wipe the tears away. Logan walked with you to the sleeping quarters. You can’t stay up all night. The walk was silent but you two did walk pretty close together. “goodnight.” You smiled to him as you opened your door. “I’m sorry for dumping that all on you tonight. You don’t have to remember.” You nervously chuckle. He shakes his head.

“It’s..okay.” Hesitation in his voice. “If you need someone to talk too, I’ll- you can talk to me.” You can tell he struggled to find the right words but you appreciated it more than any other person would. Giving him a heartfelt smile. You gripped the door knob and looked over your shoulder. “Thank You, Logan.”

[chachkayes]

Hi here’s a prompt: Hayes introducing Meredith to Irene 🥺🥺🥺

Smile

Thank you so much for the prompt! It was so much fun to write after being so sick all weekend, I really hope it meets what you had in mind! Enjoy!

“C’mon ‘Mac, why can’t I meet her now? You said she got off the breathing tube.” Irene pressed into her brother-in-law, wanting nothing more than to meet the woman who made him smile again. “Because, she hasn’t woken up yet. And when she does, she is going to want to talk to her kids and the rest of her family first. She’s been out for a while.” Hayes quickly shot back, and Irene rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I’m talking to her before I leave this place!” She called out as he headed for the door to her recovery room. 

-

“Is she awake yet?” Irene asked the next morning when Hayes came to check on her before his shift. “I don’t know.” He responded, trying his best to keep a stoic face. “Oh yeah, I definitely believe you.” She responded sarcastically, smiling from under her mask. “She woke up late last night.” Hayes finally broke, grinning, and Irene followed suit. “Oh ‘Mac that’s amazing, have you gone to see her yet?” She asked, to which Hayes shook his head. “I will, when she’s had a chance to talk to her family and get caught up to speed.”

“Fine, but I better know who she is and what she looks like before tomorrow! I can’t keep imagining her with the description given to me by the boys.” Irene demanded, she would meet the woman her brother-in-law talked about with a smile she hadn’t seen since her sister was alive, if it was the last thing she’d ever do. She knew she’d have to report back to her nephews when she got home from the hospital. “I’ll ask if she wants to meet you later today. Can you leave me alone about this now?” Hayes pleaded, he was still figuring out how to navigate the feelings he’d developed for Meredith and it pained him that Irene had gotten involved. She was just as stubborn as the woman she wanted to meet. “Fine.” 

-

“You off today or something?” Was the text that caught Hayes off-guard a few hours into his shift. Meredith. He’d avoided her room, wanting her to have the chance to talk to Maggie, Amelia, Bailey, Richard, and her kids before he went in to talk to her. He hadn’t expected her to text him, and he certainly didn’t expect her to want to see him so soon. He stared at the text message so long he convinced himself it wasn’t real. The buzzing of his phone snapped him back to reality. 

“I can see that you read my text, surprised you haven’t come by to say hi yet.” He’d forgotten he had his read-receipts on. Quickly, he messaged her back. “Sorry, just wasn’t expecting you to message me. I’ll be by soon.” She only sent a thumbs up back, and he headed to her floor, not wanting to keep her waiting too long.

“Hey, you.” Meredith said as soon as Hayes knocked on her door and entered her room. He chuckled a bit and sat down, what was he supposed to say to her? “Sorry for not coming by earlier, I wanted to give you time with your family. I’ve had to deal with my own family issues too, so…” His voiced trailed off. It’d been so long since he’d talked to her, it felt like he’d forgotten how to have a conversation. “What happened?” Meredith asked, concerned. 

“Ah, Abby’s sister is in the hospital. Kidney stone. Ureter fell out when taking it out. Catherine Avery and Wilson had to do an auto-transplant to fix her and save her kidney. Kind of felt like my world was falling apart, not going to lie.” Meredith frowned at him. “I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of jealous of Wilson right now. I miss surgery. I miss auto-transplants.” Her voice trailed off, and Hayes regretted sharing about the surgery, knowing how long she’d been away from it. “But how is she doing?” Meredith asked quietly, worried it wasn’t going to be an easy recovery. “Good. Stubborn as ever. Pain in my ass, but work is a good distraction. Just glad she’s okay.” He sighed, and Meredith nodded, instinctively holding out her hand for him to grab in comfort.

He looked at her for a second, wondering if he should. But he did, and he was glad he did. She squeezed his hand, knowing exactly what he was going through. “You know, a few years ago, Amelia had a brain tumour. Koracick had to remove it. It was a 10cm Grade 1 meningioma. One of the scariest things I went through after Derek died. Didn’t want to tell the kids they’d lost their aunt too.” Hayes could only nod, glad he had someone who could actually empathize with him and understood his worry.

“I’d love to meet her someday.” Meredith spoke up again after sitting in silence with Hayes for a few seconds. Hayes looked at her and laughed to himself. “What’s so funny?”

“She’s been asking to meet you as well.” 

-

Hayes barged into Irene’s room, tablet in hand and Meredith on screen. “What the hell, ‘Mac?” She asked, glaring at him. “I have someone on the tablet who wants to talk to you.” Irene rolled her eyes but sat upright, expecting it to be one of her nephews. She was surprised when a woman with a mask on appeared in front of her eyes. Irene looked at the name at the bottom of the screen, only to look up at Hayes in shock when she saw Meredith Grey, Chief of General Surgery. Hayes winked at his sister-in-law and left the room, knowing Irene was about to tell Meredith that he talked about her around his kids constantly and other embarrassing things he didn’t want to be present for.

“So, you’re the infamous general surgeon my nephews kept hearing about.” Irene said, shocked that her brother-in-law had caved that easily. “Oh, did they now? Interesting. But yes, I guess that’s me. And you must be Irene. Hayes has told me lots about you.” Meredith said, grateful her mask was hiding her smirk. “Mac tells me you were on a breathing tube for a while. Mind if I ask what happened?” Irene pressed, wanting to know everything about Meredith, and what the hell had happened to make her need the vent. She didn’t want Hayes to get too attached to someone else who was terminally ill. Meredith laughed at the nickname Irene kept using for Hayes. “I got COVID.” She said, and Irene frowned. “I’m glad to see you’re starting to get better now. Don’t know how ‘Mac would’ve handled losing someone else he cares about.” Meredith didn’t show it on her face, but she was shocked by all the things Irene was telling her. 

“Where did that nickname come from, by the way?” Meredith asked, genuinely curious. “That’s a long story.” Irene responded, and Meredith could only nod. The two women talked about their lives, and Irene immediately understood why her brother had fallen for Meredith the moment she mentioned she was a widow as well. They talked about everything from Amelia, to Meredith’s kids, to Austin and Liam, and then even Abby and Derek. 

Just before they signed off, Irene said the one thing she’d been wanting to say to Meredith since she learned about her existence from her nephews. “Thank you, by the way.” Meredith tilted her head, confused. “For what?” She asked with a slight laugh. “For making him smile again. The kids say he hasn’t smiled like he does when he talks about you in a really long time. And I gotta say, I get it now that I’ve seen it for myself. I haven’t seen that smile on his face since before my sister died. So, thank you.” Meredith smiled sincerely at Irene, placing her hand on her chest.

“That means a lot, he makes me smile too.”

[cadaceus]

C2E138

This was another short episode that had so much packed into it. I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time, and it really does feel like it is ramping up to something big. My full spoilery liveblogs for Campaign 2, Episode 138 are down below but be forewarned that there are many capital letters because... yes, I got excited. MULTIPLE TIMES.  Can we time travel to next Thursday please?

- I came in one minute late and the Nordverse is going wild, Chosen One Travis never fails to make me laugh! (also *harp music* Laura Bailey~)

- I know it makes sense for it to be the end of the Campaign but it will still make me slightly sad every time he says it  😭

- “Cree Deeproots” ooh we’re getting Cree lore?  👀

- ROLLING INIATIVE RIGHT OFF THE BAT OH GOD

- 60 POINTS OF DAMAGE?? LET’S GOOO VETH

- Extort Truth?? Have we seen Beau use this ability before? Either way, that’s super cool

- Empire Sibs picking up on Cree telepathically saying “Nonagon, help me” I am both terrified but also kind of sad, I almost don’t want her to die?  😭

- WHAT DOES VESSEL OF THE PATTERN MEAN OH GOD DGVHFDJNKLDFL EVIL AVATAR STATE WAIT WHAT TF IS HAPPENING WHY IS SHE GROWING A WEIRD MONSTER BODY

- You know what, I take it back, y’all can kill Cree now because uhhhh ruh roh

- Everyone: battling scary monsters, having moral conflicts over killing Cree Meanwhile, Widojest in the corner:  💃 (I know what they’re doing is important but the difference made me laugh lol!)

- God, Matt is so good at describing things--the way he described Cree’s face in the creature is so amazing yet spooky

- “Read in books” Or read in one specific book... that may have given them eyes...  and powers similar to what Cree is experiencing? 👀

- My heart skips a beat any time Beauyasha call each other baby <3

- HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS VETH THE BRAVE?

- DUNAMANCY!!! Immovable Object was so clever, oh my god, Caleb I love you

- FJORD VETH AND ESSEK HAVE RED EYES IS THAT WHAT THE WIS SAVE IS RUH ROH 

- EVERYONE HAS AN EYE?!?! (except for Jester and Yasha, okay... I wonder how much of a role these eyes will have beyond just like... creepy aesthetic value and seemingly okay powers)

- All of them having Telepathy with each other (minus Jester and Yasha) is actually quite badass

- Essek finally admitting he’s hurt and then Matt RE emphasizing it later   😭 Heal my neutral evil NPC

- ESSEK SUGGESTING TIME TRAVEL I WILL FINALLY GET MY TIME TRAVEL ARC IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO 

- “We’re on what is essentially the largest Cadaver in history, I was born to put this shit down” CADUCEUS GO OFF, this gave me chills

- “Like I deserve all of the things that haunt me” it’s true but it makes me sad anyways

- Yes my internet cut out the first time around watching this, yes I am watching the rerun at 2am, don’t worry about it :P

- ESSEK’S NATURAL 20 I KNEW HE WOULD GET THERE EVENTUALLY AND THE FACT THAT IT’S ON A ROLL THAT COMBINES HIS PAST RESEARCH ON TIME TRAVEL WITH HELPING HIS FRIENDS....... POETIC CINEMA DARE I SAY

- it worked!!!!!!

- Mind Blank danggg! That is a smart choice I think!

- I’m glad Yussa is alive(? okay?) but big Yikes to Beau getting sliced!

- Gaudius seems so pleasant which makes them CREEPIER, also the politics of the Cognouza are so interesting, like the different relationships between everyone, I’m so curious

- YUSSA WITH A HOLE IN HIS FACE RUH ROH

- Caleb Banishing Yussa, thank goodness... also Caleb is being so Good with spells today what’s sexier than wizards....

- Beau et al. willing the flesh tunnel into existence... this place is almost like creepy body horror Alice in Wonderland?

- a FOURTH eye on caleb  😭 😭

- “Nine pulsating orbs” Are these orbs Luxon beacons or something else???

- I know the Somnovem are saying important things right now but I’m just so entranced by Matt’s voice

- Proto realm? Hmmmmmm “About to be born” don’t like that either

- LUCIEN???

- NOT A FLESH THRONE. HOLY SHIT. HIS AESTHETICS ARE ON POINT I’LL GIVE HIM THAT

- I keep expecting Matt to end the episode but I don’t want it to end dfgfhjkl

- WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE INTUIT CHARGES HELLO????

- Another short episode this week! (Funny that we can call three hours as “short”!) But oh my goodness this was such a good episode, and I was on my toes for so much of it... I genuinely feel like I’m about to go FERAL over here because we got: Almost all of the Mighty Nein (including Essek) with eyes, Cree battle/death, time travel, Somnovem lore, freeing Yussa,Lucien doing whatever tf he just did.... this is gonna be a lot to process

- BUT until next week... I love you all so very very much. Is it Thursday yet?