#and the scene with them doing the crossword together

[riickgrimes]

#daisy and billy: besties era

[holidaybrews]

this is my favorite moment in the entire series it is so domestic and cute like red and yellow are just doing the dishes together and duck is sitting and doing a crossword on the newspaper. I could talk about this scene for literally days I am not kidding and the fact that when yellow opens the cupboard and all the plates fall and break, neither red nor duck yell at him. red just kind of laughs and duck’s like completely content and asks if anyone wants him to shred anything in the shredder and then they start talking about bills, like I love how they’re just a simple little family and they just kind of have this normal domestic life when the teachers aren’t there I love them so much I love these stupid puppets with my entire heart and soul.

[agentplutonium]

Have this small Milo/Sweetheart scene where their morning routine changes a bit (and Milo is more than happy with this (most definitely temporary) change)

Mornings for Milo and his Mate typically went the same. They'd be up first, putting on coffee and feeding the cat before sitting at the table with a fresh mug. They'd have their laptop out, organizing what they had to do for the day before decompressing with the daily crossword. Milo would wake up soon after, groggily shuffling out in his pyjamas after his trip to the bathroom. He'd kiss the top of Sweetheart's head on his way by, only getting a light brush as they were focused on what they were doing. Milo would make breakfast, putting food in front of Sweetheart and forcing them to eat. The battle wasn't as hard fought this late into their relationship, but it was routine to squabble over if Sweetheart needed to eat before work. Milo always won. Sweetheart would usually be out the door first, making sure to give him at least one goodbye kiss, and Milo was tasked with tidying the kitchen. The two of them would work on the dishes after they ate that evening.

However, this morning, Milo woke first. Of course, his internal clock woke him up not even an hour after he normally does. But Sweetheart was still beside him, and Aggro was at the end of the bed staring at them both. Aggro was never a loud one when he didn’t get fed, but he got awfully passive-aggressive. With a quick kiss on Sweetheart's forehead, Milo got up to follow the disgruntled Aggro out of the room.

Milo found the problem soon enough. Aggro was attempted to be fed, assumably by Sweetheart earlier that morning, but in their attempt, they did not open the can and just set it on a plate for Aggro. Milo let out a small chuckle. Sweetheart was absolutely out of it if they pulled off a stunt like this.

"Alright buddy, I see the problem," Milo said, picking up the plate. Aggro was stuck to his side every time he moved around the kitchen, watching him intently. When he started pawing at his pant leg, Milo tisked at him. "Hold your horses, I'm fixing this, it takes time you know," he reprimanded.

Milo set the plate down again, and Aggro was on top of it immediately. Milo huffed again, rolling his eyes. It was only an hour or so since his normal feeding time, the cat would have been fine. When he glanced at the kitchen though, he frowned just a bit. The two of them had gotten in late the night prior, and had mutually decided that it would be done in the morning. There was also a few bigger errands that needed to be done as well that Sweetheart has been stressed about getting done all week. Milo knew on a deeper level Sweetheart was not at the energy level they had to be to get these things done. If they were still sleeping then they needed the rest. He knew that.

Milo pursed his lips for a second, thinking things through. He won't be able to get all of the list done, but he can tackle the things that would bother Sweetheart the most. The groceries still had to be put away and organized, and the dishes would be overwhelming even with the two of them working together. It wouldn't take too long for him to deal with it.

With his mind made up, Milo got to work. He made quick work of the groceries since they had a pre-established system of how the cupboards worked. The dishes were a bit harder to get through, just because it was from the day prior, but he did it anyway. He was surprised he hadn't woken Sweetheart by accident during this whole ordeal.

When Milo was putting things together for breakfast, there was finally commotion from behind him. There was a pressure against his back, between his shoulder blades, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Good morning to you too," he said, turning his head enough to see Sweetheart wrapped in a blanket behind him.

"Mm," Sweetheart sighed, wrapping their arms around him.

"You seem still half asleep," Milo commented, turning back to the task at hand.

"Mm."

Milo chuckled, and Sweetheart just cuddled closer. He left them there, enjoying the feeling of them resting against him. It wasn't often that they got quiet moments like this and Milo was going to enjoy every moment of it.

Sweetheart's head shifted on his back, and they gave his waist a quick squeeze. "Where's the dishes?" They asked quietly. "And the groceries?"

"I took care of them," Milo said. He put his knife down and twisted around so that they were facing each other. "You seemed like you needed the rest. You were exhausted."

"Says you," Sweetheart countered, half-heartedly.

"Yeah, says me, you wanna know why? When you fed Aggro this morning you just gave him the tin. Unopened."

Sweetheart paused for a moment, looking at him. "I did not," they said, though they sounded unsure.

"No, you did. Woke up to Aggro plotting my death at the end of the bed because of it," Milo said, chuckling again.

"Thank you for doing the chores," Sweetheart said quietly, changing the subject. "You could have waited until I was up."

"You needed the rest," Milo repeated, leaning forward to kiss their forehead, hands cupping their face. "And I would do anything for you," he added, moving down to kiss their nose. "And, guess what?"

"What?" Sweetheart asked, trying their best to keep the amusement out of their voice.

"I," Milo paused to kiss them properly, "love you. Did you know that?"

"I think I did," Sweetheart giggled. "I love you too, you know."

Milo grinned, kissing them again. "I know, my Mate."

Sweetheart smiled wider gently knocking their foreheads together. Milo enjoyed the closeness for a second before breathing a sigh. "Come here," he said, lifting Sweetheart, "on the counter. I have to finish breakfast."

"I can help," Sweetheart protested.

Milo shook his head. "Nope, I started this, I can finish it. You can be a quality tester for these strawberries though."

Sweetheart sighed but did accept the bowl that Milo held out to them. Milo smiled, winking at them which earned him a scoff.

This was not how their usual mornings went, but Milo was not going to complain. Sweetheart was adorable munching on the strawberries, watching him. Milo would do anything if it meant he got to see Sweetheart relaxed like this once again. He'd do anything to see Sweetheart look at him like that forever. That adoring look he loved.

Milo shook his head, returning his focus on the breakfast he was making for the two of them.

[jiminsass-istant]

Dipping my feet into a pile of dogsh*t again: JM Tattoo discourse

Okay I absolutely hate bringing this up again, and I wish I could physically, gently hold jkkers hands when they type about this topic again. Maybe hold them hands and look into your eyes with a pleading look. Let's put an end to this, shall we?

One, if you are choosing to 100% believe JK's own words, you are doing the right thing and you can stop reading this as you have already made up your mind.

Now that they are gone, let's consider these facts:

1. JK is an artist. No, he's like a real proper painter and everything. A good one at that. Have you seen him digitally making letters with that cartoonish font? Yeah.

2. JK is a videographer, video editor, photographer, vlogger even. And he's good. You must have heard of GCFs right?

3. Before tattoos are made, your tattoo artist will give you a preview of how they would look. At least you yourself would think and visualise how it would look on your hands. A very visible part of your body. He knew how it would look and be perceived.

4. Crossword formation: JK has a crossword tattoo on his arm. Even primary school children can solve crosswords you know.

5. The JM: Jimin has used "#JM" and "#JMJK" on bts_twt posts since forever. JM in relation to BTS has always been short for Jimin. I don't think I need to bring up the fact the n number of times JK has referred to Jimin as JM.

6. JK is a man of few words. He doesn't churn out lyrics or words or life changing sentences like RM on the daily. His form of expression has mostly been art, music, videos, tattoos, outfits.

About the implications of the tattoo if it is indeed about Jimin:

1. Why would an idol ever reveal that he has his bandmate's name tattooed on his arm if he knows there are very serious shippers in the fandom who would definitely blow this up till the media puts out an article next day?

2. What's wrong with having a bandmate's name on your hand? Now this part is most important to me.

What's wrong with having the name of a man on your hands? The same man with whom he spent some of the worst and best times of his life over the past 10+ years. The same person who JK has repeatedly implied understands him, "we click", and spends a whole lot of time together for a fact. The same person JK goes to spend time with, to share silence and do nothing, after a gruelling day of rehearsals and photoshoots. The same person who he trusts enough to take care of his mental health for possibly the most difficult time of his life for 18 months. If I loved tattoos and had a friend like that, I wouldn't hesitate to tattoo their name on me either.

I heard that 2 members from Ateez, who consider themselves bffs and soulmates also have matching tattoos. There you go. It's not that weird now, is it?

"Then why didn't JK just admit it was for JM?"

Simply because he didn't want to. They are very very aware of the media. Not just k-media. Global media as well. Imagine how the fandom would react if he was that biased towards just 1 member. They'll be doing the usual SCT (screaming, crying, throwing up).

I'll put the JM tattoo issue on the same shelf as GCF tokyo. Something he did despite knowing the implications and how it would be perceived. But did it anyway. JK just does the stuff he wants to, guys. High time you all realise that.

I'm not the type of person who is easily swayed by theories. Either a theory makes sense or it does not. If there are no huge gaps in a theory, it makes sense to me. This is one of those.

Remember how people said JK was lying on Suchwita when he was asked the 'dream' question by Suga and replied he wasn't aware of this segment... because he watched the entire Jimin Suchwita? WRONG. He didn't watch the entire one. In the last segment of Suchwita, our JK was already distracted and went to the kitchen to do something. Then he came back for the ending scene. He actually didn't know about the last questions Suga asks his guests. This is one example of why you shouldn't go with everything the jkkers say.

Anyhoo...i digress.

Final thoughts:

The fandom and even shippers didn't react this strongly when people came up with the BS theory about how the tattoos represented all members. That theory became BS right when JK said that he wished the letters in 'army' tattoo weren't so minimal. The 'A' without the line in the middle was never 'V'. If JK had foresight, the 'A' would have had the line, maybe with a tail and horns on it and flames coming out. You know what I mean. The OT7 theory went out the window just like that.

Just because there's a possibility it means 'JM', doesn't prove or disprove they are 'real'. What it does prove is that they are the best and closest duo in Bangtan. They don't care how their actions towards each other are perceived because they are THAT secure about their friendship/bond. Jimin didn't care when he openly admitted multiple times in 2020 that he spent nights with JK, woke up and saw JK etc. Neither did JK care when he keeps saying they do nothing at night (once in the early years (2014-15), another time when he was asked about the most memorable time of the tokyo trip and it was jm playing all night on phone, and most recently - going to Jimin's room for no reason other than to do nothing (during PTD)).

PS: (fanfic alert)

Jimin notices the JM formation on JK's hands for the first time.

"JM!?.. you love me so much JK. "

"It's not what you think. J is for ...umm JK".

"Where's the K then?"

"......"

"It's okay bro, I'll write a song for you one day. That's how I'll repay this gesture, bro."

"Would you feature me in it?"

"So you admit it's JM??"

"NO!!!"

~~~

[tickle-bugs]

If prompt requests are still open, I have a beetlejuice one! We all know Adam is a huge jokester. I like to imagine that Adam and Barbara like to play around and see who can make Lydia laugh the hardest. Adam is always winning with his jokes, so Barbara decided to take matters in her own hands and tickle Lydia since the game just said to make Lydia laugh, but never said it could only be jokes. Adam accused Barbara of cheating and the jumps on her and tickles her and Lydia. Sorry if this doesn’t make sense lol feel free to disregard it if it doesn’t make sense or if prompt requests are closed. Thanks!

Okay, I Believe You

Summary: After a long drought of joy, the Maitlands hold a competition to see who can make Lydia laugh first. No Beetlejuice AU where Lydia summons the Maitlands on accident while trying to bring her mom back.

Something that Barbara will always love about her husband is his unflappable sense of joy. His light never wavers. As a bit of a cynic, she used to take it for granted, but now…his light is the single-most important blessing a ghost could ask for. 

Even now, doing a crossword from almost twelve years ago, Adam’s still smiling. She’s watching him delight himself every time he figures out an answer and it should be more heartwarming than it is, but her mind keeps drifting. 

She flips through one of the Deetz’s photo albums. Dozens of pictures of Lydia, lovingly arranged, spell the story of her childhood. A wobbly, gap-toothed toddler in too-big rain boots grows into a shaggy, unabashedly weird child. Smiling. 

“Do you think Lydia likes us?” Barbara’s gaze turns towards the attic door. Lydia’s trapped downstairs at one of her father’s real estate dinners. Her absence guts Barbara a bit. 

“Of course, honey. Yesterday, she said we were ‘pretty okay’, remember? That’s a big upgrade from ‘tolerable’!” He straightens out the newspaper and watches her over it. She averts her eyes.

“Yeah, maybe.” Barbara chews on her thumb. “Sometimes I wonder if she wished she’d gotten her mom back, instead of us.”

Wordlessly, Adam stands and folds her into a hug. She tucks into the frigid crook of his neck and sighs. Even in death, they fit together perfectly.

“I think—“ He pauses to run his fingers through her hair— “that Lydia shows her affection much differently from other people. We shouldn’t take her normal as anything strange.”

“You’re right.” Barbara sighs. “It’s just…when I think of her, I think of her frowning. Even with all these pictures, I can’t imagine her smile. Her joy.” 

“Tell ya what. I’ll get her to crack a smile and you’ll see what I mean.” Adam leans back a bit to catch Barbara’s eye. 

“You think you can make her smile?” She looks up, sliding her hands to his waist. 

“I’ll do you one better. I’ll make her laugh.” He grins. 

“So confident. Maybe I’ll beat you to the punch.” She raises her brow. He laughs heartily.

“You’re on.” Adam sticks out his hand to shake and Barbara takes it. 

….

A dreary scene unfolds at the dining room table. Real estate execs politely choke down Delia’s food as Charles attempts to dazzle them with his nightmare house. Maxie Dean seems to be the only one enjoying himself--his loud, grating guffaw bursts out every few minutes. A giant taxidermy bear, poised and ferocious, rattles on its stand behind him. The giant red bow on it threatens to slip free. 

Lydia, wearing a frilly yellow nightmare of a dress, busies herself with trying to kill Delia with her eyes. The pointed impact of her silverware against the near-inedible steak on her plate sets a pace for the whole affair.  

“Hey, Lydia.” Adam leans on the back of Lydia’s chair. Immediately, she sits up straighter. 

“What are you guys doing down here? They’ll see you!” Lydia hisses under her breath. When the table breaks out in mechanical laughter, she rolls her eyes. 

Barbara thinks of the time she walked in on Charles and Delia and shudders.

“They definitely can’t see us. Don’t worry about it.” Barbara pats her shoulder.

“We just had to visit our favorite occult expert.” Adam ruffles her hair. Delia looks over curiously. Lydia glares until she turns away. 

“This seems like a drag.” Barbara surveys the table. “What’s with the bear?”

“That wasn’t always there? I thought that was one of your dad’s…choices.” Adam squints at it. Lydia sighs.

“Gift from Maxie. Kill me now,” Lydia mutters, flicking a piece of rubbery steak across the table. When it hits the plate of the agent across from her, she levels him with a challenging stare.

“Well, I can’t do that, but…bear with me.” Adam gestures to the bear with a mischievous grin. 

A bowler hat lifts off of the hat rack and bobs through the air, ducking behind ugly sculptures and chandeliers to avoid prying eyes. It lands haphazardly atop the bear’s head. Adam gestures with more enthusiasm. 

Lydia snorts quietly.

“I’d offer him some of this steak, but…it seems he’s already stuffed.” Adam scrunches his nose and an apple floats into the bear’s open mouth. Lydia ducks her head to hide her smile. 

“What do you think a bear’s favorite constitutional amendment is?” Adam whispers, already chuckling at himself. “The right to bear arms. He’s already halfway there!” 

Lydia rolls her eyes with deadly force, but she’s still smiling. Barbara puts a hand over Adam’s mouth before he can gear up for another unbearable joke. 

“Okay, my turn.” Barbara grins mischievously. 

Maxie Dean taps a knife against his glass for the attention of the table. All eyes turn to him and the bear. 

Barbara flicks her wrist and a vinyl on the other side of the room slips free. It lowers itself onto the record player and the needle drops harshly. A gentle beating of drums fills the room. 

“Whoa, well that was…convenient—“ He looks uneasily towards the turntable—“but I love some mood music.”

When Maxie next opens his mouth, it’s not his squeaky voice that leaves him. Instead, in a guttural shout, he booms:

“DAAAY-O!”

The dining room goes quiet, save for the record. Maxie clears his throat. Lydia’s eyes widen. 

“Sorry, I’m not sure what--me say day me say day me say daaaayyy-o--”

Chaos erupts in the dining room. Harry Belafonte’s crooning voice fills the space as everyone but Lydia is forced to their feet. A conga line of disgruntled real estate mooks chugs around the table. Charles stiffly beats an ice bucket like a drum. The bear rocks around the room on its stand, shimmying with the music. Delia and Maxie spin like tops. 

Lydia sits at the perfect center of the storm, watching the whole thing with a gaping grin. Barbara waits for even a chuckle of disbelief, but all she gets is:

“Make Delia put the fruit bowl on her head.”

… 

“I can’t believe that didn’t work!” Adam pathetically kicks a pile of their junk and shakes a few things loose. A magic eight ball rolls across the attic floor and disappears in some far off corner. 

“Honey, you’ll have to do better than a hat on a bear.” Barbara snorts. “I’m shocked my plan didn’t work.”

“...you are?” Adam raises his eyebrow. Barbara swats his arm. 

“I brought the roasted pig to life and made it chacha! That’s precisely her sense of humor.” 

Lydia comes up into the attic humming. The door squeaks but doesn’t shut behind her. 

“That was awesome.” She sighs happily and twirls. “Almost made wearing this dishrag of a dress worth it.”

“I think you look positively haunting.” Barbara twirls Lydia under her arm, trying to shake a giggle out of an already-silly mood. No dice. Lydia gives a playful curtsy and flops down on a milk crate.

The attic door creaks open and Delia tumbles in. The levity evaporates. 

“Why are you poking around up here?” Lydia scowls. 

“I was not poking, I was…observing the feng shui of the attic stairs.” Delia sniffs and dusts herself off. She steps tentatively into the attic, looking at the various piles of Maitland-Deetz junk with distaste. 

“What do you want? I’m busy.” Lydia taps her foot against the floorboards. Delia approaches her gently. 

“Have you ever read Matilda?” Delia asks loftily. Lydia glares at her hard enough to elicit a squeak of fear. 

“In that charming novella, the titular young heroine develops…supernatural abilities under extreme emotional stress. But ultimately she uses them to rid herself of her greatest enemy and becomes a hero.” Delia gestures fervently at Lydia and receives a blank stare in return. 

“So does Carrie. What’s your point?”

“Look, when I was a youth…I often felt trapped and holed up. I know you must feel that way now, in our new house—“ 

“You think I’m trapped in here with you? You’re trapped in here with me. This is my house.”  Lydia leaps to her feet suddenly. The motion destabilizes a pile of junk at the end of the room. An old lamp falls over. 

“Lydia--” Delia swallows nervously. Adam, seizing the moment, rattles the shutters and piles of clutter. Barbara grins at him. He winks. 

“This can’t be happening.” Delia’s eyes dart around. Adam nudges the magic eight ball towards her. It stops at her feet. Outlook not so good.

“Perception is reality, right? You said it yourself.” Lydia stalks towards her. 

“Hang on, kiddo,” Barbara murmurs in Lydia’s ear, then concentrates. Lydia’s feet rise slowly off the ground as she levitates. She squeaks in surprise, then resolves her face back into murderous mischief. 

“Leave this place!” Lydia shouts, and Adam flings a cross stitch kit from a high shelf. Delia yelps and scrambles backwards. She looks up at Lydia in terror. 

Is this healthy for their relationship long-term? No. Is it fun? Absolutely. 

Delia screams and flees the attic, falling down a few stairs by the sound of it. Adam slams the door shut behind her. 

Lydia grins, bright and free, and it’s the most distinct show of joy they’ve seen from her…ever. Much like the pictures gathering dust up here, she’s radiant. But…still no laughter. Barbara’s not above admitting when she’s desperate. 

“You can put me down now.” Lydia twists to peer at her, still bobbing in place. Barbara chews the inside of her cheek. If this doesn’t work, nothing will. 

“Remember, you can’t kill me if I’m already dead,” she murmurs, then skitters her fingers over Lydia’s stomach. 

Lydia giggles, then cackles, kicking her legs where she still floats in the air. 

The Maitlands gasp in unison--Barbara in sheer joy and Adam in betrayal. 

“B-Barbara!” Lydia throws her head back as she laughs. Barbara squeezes her sides once, gently, and she squeals, shaking with the force of her laughter. Barbara thinks back to the photo albums--Lydia has her mother’s smile. 

“I didn’t think this would work.” Barbara’s hand passes through Lydia by accident and her voice leaps an octave or five. Lydia scrambles for her hand and pulls it out of her stomach. 

“That’ssobad,” Lydia gasps out, giggling like a maniac. Her eyes glitter with sheer joy as she squeezes Barbara’s hand. She almost seems to be waiting for something. 

Oh. How sweet. 

Barbara scuttles her fingers up Lydia’s ribs and her voice completely drops out. She hides her face in her hands but it does nothing to dim the room. It takes her a moment to uncurl once the tickling stops, but Adam catches the flash of disappointment that she tries to smother. 

Lydia floats back down, bewildered and bright pink, as Barbara takes a victory lap around her husband. 

“I win! Yes!” Barbara floats straight off the ground in a joyous little spin. Adam splutters and gestures at her. She sticks her tongue out at him. He splutters louder. 

“You are disqualified for eternity--” 

“On whose authority--” She snickers. 

“What is happening?” Lydia throws an old pillow directly through both of them. It thumps uselessly to the ground. 

“We were having a little contest to see if we could make you laugh. I won.” Barbara grins. Adam growls and starts reeling her into his arms. She gasps and starts trying to worm away. 

“You did not win, you cheated--”

“You guys are so…weird. Why do you care if I smile?” Lydia’s nose wrinkles with the force of her thoughts. She doesn’t look upset, which is promising, but she’s quickly reaching neon levels of blush. Her teenage need to look cool is very visibly warring with her smile. 

“Well, kiddo--” Adam speaks smoothly while wrestling with a giggling Barbara-- “We care about you. Is that such a radical concept?” 

As Lydia stands there, quietly bowled over that someone would look at her with such care, Adam busies himself with tickling his wife within an inch of her undead life. Barbara’s laughter floods the attic, the lights flickering in time with the music of it.

It’s so simple to them, Lydia thinks. Joy. 

“You gonna stand there like a ghost or are you gonna help?” Adam grins, lifting Barbara clear off the ground. She shrieks in surprise and starts stumbling her way through bargaining. Lydia coos at her mockingly and accepts Adam’s invitation. As she approaches, Barbara starts talking faster, and Lydia’s heart warms. 

“Wait, guys, we can talk about this--”

Adam buries her face into her neck and she squeals, somehow higher pitched than Lydia. Barbara throws her head back to laugh and it’s warm in its familiarity. Lydia dismisses the memories swirling like watercolors at the edges of her mind, instead opting to tase Barbara’s ribs. She snorts through her next peal of laughter, tossing her head from side to side as she tries to hide. The snorts find her anyway. 

Adam and Lydia exchange a mischievous look. 

Adam descends on one side, Lydia on the other, and Barbara giggles so violently that she phases directly through the floor. Adam and Lydia burst out laughing, leaning on each other for support. Barbara trudges back up the attic stairs, grumbling, and it sets them off again. 

“Next time, we’re setting up rules.” Adam wipes his eyes.

“Next time I’m sending you through the floor,” Barbara fires back, wiggling her fingers in his direction. Adam yelps and disappears entirely. 

Lydia’s too busy laughing at him to acknowledge the flutter of excitement at ‘next time’, but she’s overjoyed that it’s there.

[jmagnabo92]

PM - April 28 - 59 - Guidance

@prongsfoot-microfic

When James’ parents catch them in a not-so-innocent situation, they decide that the boys need parental guidance - Particularly Sirius.

AO3

***

“I just think that he needs some guidance in his life,” Effie says, jarring Sirius’ attention from his crossword puzzle.  He and James had been put in ‘time out’ (from each other) for the rest of the day ever since Effie and Monty Potter had caught them in James’ room having not-so-innocent fun.  

He’d been worried that they would kick him out – and considering his runaway status, he didn’t exactly have many choices on where he could go.  Thus, sitting here, a distance away from James since they literally used a spell to keep them apart as punishment and worrying that he might never get to be with him, again.

“I know, Effie, all I’m saying is that I’m not sure how to guide him,” Monty says.  “I was never – we didn’t…”

“Explore?” Effie questions.  “Things were different in our time.  There’s nothing wrong with it – we just need to guide them – especially Sirius.  Do you think the Blacks bothered to talk him through things?”

Monty groans.  “I don’t think that I could get through such an awkward conversation – especially… with the fact that he and James are already…”

Effie gives him a look.  “It’s our responsibility to make sure they’re both aware of the repercussions and to guide them into making the right choices – which include being careful about fooling around.”

“It’s just awkward.”

“Yes, well, it’s not just the fooling around – he’s been getting into all sorts of trouble at the school, running away…”

“Which brings us back to guidance…”

“He needs a good male role model.  Take him out, talk to him – help him realize that he’s got to grow up.”

“Alright – alright, I will.”

***

Sirius could admit that he probably needed some guidance in his life, but the awkwardness of the day with Monty would not leave his mind, especially when all he could think about was the scene that Effie and Monty had walked in on.  

Unfortunately, he couldn’t talk about it with James because they put spells on their bedroom doors to prevent another incident.  Seriously, they were practically adults – it feels all sorts of unnecessary.  

Annoyed, he grabs his mirror, “James!”

“Sirius?” James asks, as he appears in the mirror.  “I thought we were sleeping?”

“I can’t sleep – there’s all sort of awkwardness today.”

“My parents love you – yeah, it’s weird, but I promise that they’ll get over it.”

“That’s not – your dad wants to be a good role model for me and that’s weird.”

“It’ll blow over – just like the whole spells on our doors thing will blow over.”  

“I don’t know about that – the talk he gave me today about … all that … was rather – in depth.”

James laughs.  “Yeah, I know – I’ve heard it.  Look, mum and dad are just trying to do right by you since you ran away – and you can’t deny that you don’t need some parental guidance.”

“Their parental guidance is only somewhat appreciated – I’d appreciate it more if I could be laying next to you right now.”

James grins.  “Don’t worry – in a month we’ll be back at Hogwarts, and no one will keep us apart for our own good.”

“Sounds like a dream.”

“Which is what we should be doing,” James reminds him.  “Night, Si.”

“Night, Jay.”

With that the mirror goes blank and Sirius is left feeling somewhat better.  Maybe the Potters were right and if they weren’t – well, it was only another month until he’d have unfettered access to James whenever he wants.  With that lovely thought, he drifts off to sleep dreaming of all of the chaos he and James’ll get into together once they’re back at Hogwarts.

[chalkanthit]

For the SE HC ask: 4!!!

Going for SE Askboard @h0lly-hued-s0ul has made!

Ik it's a bit late but better late than never dkfbdokf

Also going for most of the youngsters bc they're my little precious weirdos uu

Offer a hobby-related headcannon for any character.

Soul

We should all be aware by now that soul is a huge music nerd even if he's pretending to be "just casual" About it but somehow I could even imagine that his guilty pleasure is also baking since... Have you seen the cute little tea and cakes he sometimes brings Maka when she's studying for exams like crazy??? He claims he just buys them from "that one little bakery" That Maka suspiciously never finds but in secret (not really) he really does them by himself and is proud when they're well liked!!

Maka

She's deffenly a little sport nerd kinda girl that got to like things like Basketball and soccer/football quite a lot, but she also would still enjoy a good book (or ten) at times as well next to solving crossword puzzles and other Puzzles and riddles!

Basically everything that makes her Brain go brrrr! Also idk how much it's connected to the hobby aspect, but I hat girl would have Duolingo on her phone and use it almost religiously every evening before bed!

Oh but also she would have a big knack for poetry and writing overall even if she's sometimes quite shy about it since Soul and Black star made fun of it a few times-

Tsubaki

Everything around gardening and cooking???

She also would simply enjoy long walks and nice quality time with her friends since Tsubaki really is this comfy person that likes a calm life but also the fun and more adventureous aspects of it;;;

A part of me can also imagine that she'd enjoy something like Yoga and Ice skating a lot when she gets the chance to do it in peace-

Black star

Sports nerd! Everything that resolves around movement and putting his brain on serotonin 24/7 with the bees on crack he apparently has in his butt-

But also we already saw that he also enjoys comics a LOT and would totally be into video games as well even if he would loose to patty constantly!

Kid

He'd actually like things that put his mind off ease? Like he very much enjoys cleaning much more in a healthy but for many weird manner since who likes cleaning am I right?? But also is very open and keen to things like Chess and plenty of other board games he most likely plays with Liz and Patty almost every Saturday night unless Liz manages to escape :')

Also hey! I can imagine him liking to draw a lot as well together with Patty Duke while listening to murder mystery podcasts-

Liz

Shopping and dancing Q U E E N!

Ik it's basic but hear me out! She just loves fashion a lot and can give people a lot of advice for this topic and would occasionally do makeovers if you let her!

She just blooms so much doing that and seeing how much people can show their other sides as a well! Also my bc especially is that it was initially her idea when Crona was kidnapped on a shopping spree and she would even just offer Ox so many hair stuff in hopes he'll finally STOP shaving it all off like bro.. PLEASE!

Other than that she also got those moves and surprisingly knows a lot about music as well so her, soul and Kilik can actually connect and vibe together super easily and well!

Patty

Again, patty is a huge art person!

Of course she likes other things like beating people up with a passion, but she just loves to be creative and takes almost every medium bc why not trying everything and see how it goes??? Life is too short to be boring and plain!! Patty would most likely also like to bake as well but her creations are.... Experimental to say the least-

At least Stein and Ragnarok do like her stuff weirdly enough..

Kim

Also a little doodle enthusiast but she really would have a knack for Crochet and knitting too since Jackie has taught her the latter! She would rather die than to admit her hobbies and pleasures but she's a big softie when it comes to her interests!

God forbid people would even find out that she likes "girly" Stuff like figure skating and dancing as well.. Oh the horror!

Omg she would also have a secret love for flower arrangements as well but that's just me having more lore and hcs for her past as well that I won't (and likely never will) fully elaborate on :'DD

Jackie

Similar to Kim she loves knitting but also has a big talent and interest in Tayloring as well?? That girl probably had a bit horse phase as well and would actually love to get back into it at some point but a horse in the middle of Nevada is a little too much to ask for-

A bicycle would do as well I guess???

Idk why but Jackie seems a little bit of a person that enjoys Theatre and Musicals a lot as well so take that for what it-

Also little side note I want to add bc it's sth very dear and personal to me but glass engraving and the like?? It just fits quite a bit to her qvq

Kilik

Batic and Linol printed shirts!

The shirts he wears? Self made! The necklace?? Probably as well!! Also another music and Sports enthusiast even if he's more into more combat related sports rather than just running around for a good time!

He seeks the thrill and the surprising so unless you throw something at him out of the blue, he'd just see it as plain and simple training-

The drums are also his hobby but it's less than a hc than it is actually canon in the manga;;;

Overall he's pretty much an everyman kinda guy that has a good amount of Hobbies and interests that overlap with many others he sees as friends!

Fire & Thunder

They're still young as hell so I can't say AS much about them as I like to but they give a lot of crafty energy and would probably get a collecting hobby phase as well like for crystals and all!

Less for the esoteric aspect but more for the minerals itself!

Ox

Again not as much of an HC than it is a fact, but that guy takes a lot or enjoyment into research and other things that make his brain tingle like chess for example! Like he just LOVES burying himself into old history and folklore about plenty of topics and cultures and can easily spend days in it if Harvar wouldn't remind him to eat something in between-

Again I really don't know why, but something in me also knocks at my brain doors and continuesly shoves the HC in my head that Ox actually has a talent to actually draw?? Not like Patty where it's very imaginary and expressive, but more in a sense of scenes and architecture!! Basically pretty black and white and stuff!!

Harvar

It's super ironic but like Kim he actually has some hobbies he either won't admit to or people simply wouldn't believe it since why would a guy like him he interested in something like THAT???

Like liking to go swimming is one thing people could still get behind bc he hates boredom with a passion so it's good to stay active but him actually being into exact the same comics as black star is just super funny in my and it's very much the absolute opposite of Harvar sooo..

Omg but on top of that just.. Imagine him actually do liking video games but nothing like a souls game, but f*cking animal Crossing-

Of course he also likes research and chess a lot like Ox (even tho he's by far more competitive there) but he screams like Modelling as well! (The crafty stuff like building trains or Lego etc)

He just SUCKS at art tho which actually frustrated him-

Bonus

Crona

Crona most likely would catch some interest for poetry and other writing related things as well since they can actually express themselves much better with it without having to speak about it and they don't even have to show it to others as well.. It actually already helps that it exists in the first place and that they have something they can look at like "I made that!"

Aka bullet journaling sounds like sth tame enough for them but still sth to keep their mind somewhere unrelated to u know.. The whole childhood ordeal-

Basically they would enjoy many things that won't put Crona into the spotlight or that is to be shared forcefully so even if it's just reading something, it's just.. Nice;;

Also please give Crona sth calm like Animal Crossing-

Let them share an island with Harvar or Maka dkxbfodndp

Gopher

He sees something that peeks his (or Noah's) intetest, he HAS to overanalyze it and write every crucial detail down!

Like we don't just talk about one smarty little journal! I'm talking about whole Bookshelves worth of Infos written by that puppet alone!! Even his calligraphy and poetry/writing skills and hobbies are top notch and would rub it under Makas nose a LOT!

Hell he would do it so much that even Ox would have to remind him that he was meant to be Makas super annoying rival and not him pfffff!

(You could say that annoying Maka is also a passion of Gopher)

He would actually like to just casually fly and travel around a lot as well even if it's something he just does to get a job done.. If he'd focus more on the aspect itself, there would be much more appreciation etc!!

Also God forbid but he'd be into dnd as well-

My brain tells me to so it must be true!/j

THANKS FOR COMING TO MY INCOHERENT RAMBLING!!!

[noneedtoamputate]

Every Beautiful Thing Outtakes - Chapter One

These are scenes that just didn't fit in my main story. The entire chapter is posted here, and is also posted to A03. This falls between Chapters 4 and 5 in Every Beautiful Thing.

The waitress came around to drop off menus. "Get you a drink?" she asked. Ellen ordered coffee, black.

"Do you have tea?" Chuck asked. She shook her head.

"I guess I'll have coffee. Cream and two sugars, please."

"You really don't like coffee, do you?" asked Ellen.

Chuck shrugged. "Never really drank it before I joined up. Then it seemed like I had it all the time. It was usually burnt. And it … reminds me of things during the war." He looked far away for a moment.

"When I came home, tea was a lot easier to make,” he started again, pointing at his left hand. “And tea is great because restaurants never have it, and my friends give me a hard time about drinking it.” They both laughed. “Always had it black in the army, so if I add enough cream and sugar now, it isn’t too bad. Won’t have more than one cup, though.”

Their drinks arrived. “Do you know what you want?” Ellen asked Chuck. He nodded. “You go first,” she said. She scanned the menu quickly and didn’t pay attention to his order.

“Pancakes, please,” Ellen said.

They put their newspaper sections down when the food arrived. A stack of fluffy pancakes for Ellen. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and buttered toast for Chuck.

She reached across for the syrup and saw, just for a moment, Chuck eye her plate. Several realizations entered her head at the same time.

Chuck’s breakfast order was classic. No one would think twice about anything on his plate. It was also easy to eat if you only had one good hand. There was nothing that required a knife.

And she didn’t have a lot of evidence to work with, but she assumed Chuck had a sweet tooth. He devoured the chocolate chip cookies she made for him, and he took his coffee with two sugars.

She doused the pancakes with syrup. She cut them lengthwise, turned her plate, and did the same again.

They dug into their food and sipped their coffees and returned to their newspapers. The waitress refilled Ellen's coffee and brought Chuck a water.

When Ellen was about three quarters done with her breakfast, she pushed the plate away. “I can’t have another bite,” she said. “Help yourself if you want.”

She opened another section of the paper so Chuck couldn’t see her face, but she peered over the page and saw him eye the plate. She quickly darted her eyes back down, pretending to be reading. She heard the plate move closer to him.

The next week she ordered waffles, back to pancakes the week after that, each time leaving some of her breakfast for Chuck to finish. Week four, she got crepes just to mix it up. Chuck asked for one more egg and two extra slices of bacon to his regular order.

“Just in case you aren’t full before sharing,” he said.

She wasn’t sure what to say now that Chuck had figured it out. She looked at him, trying to gauge his feelings.

“Thank you,” he said.

“I don’t know how much you’ll be thanking me later. Just so you know, I’ll never say no to bacon,” Ellen said.

“Just so you know, I don’t offer my bacon to just anyone,” Chuck replied.

*

Chuck liked watching Ellen do the crossword puzzle every week, her eyes scrunched up in concentration while she considered the clues, her face excited when she solved the whole thing.

She tapped the pencil on the table while she read the clue aloud.

“Send a Dear John letter,” she said. “Four letters.”

“Did you ever send one of those?” Chuck asked jokingly.

Ellen put her pencil down.

“No,” she said simply. “I wrote a letter every week for four years. He ended up marrying a nurse he met overseas.”

Chuck stared at her, dumbfounded. “Shit, El. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I was just …”

“I know, Chuck,” she interrupted.

She dove into the whole story.

His name was Steve Somebody. Chuck couldn’t be bothered to remember his last name. They met in college and had walked out together the year before he enlisted. He got sent to India, some desk job.

“India was pretty terrible,” she explained. “It was just so … different. And so far. No USO shows. No Marlene Dietrich.” She sighed. “Guys got dumped every week. They even had a little club for guys who got letters. Just an excuse to go to the bar more than anything, but it was happening a lot.”

“But not to him,” Chuck pointed out.

“No,” Ellen admitted. “He always wrote how the other guys told him how lucky he was to have a such a loyal girl back home.”

And when he came back to that loyal girl, he said he needed time, that things had changed. A month later, he was on a train to Milwaukee. He never bothered to tell her there was someone else. A mutual friend had to tell Ellen. Steve started seeing the nurse the last year of the war and didn't know how to break it to her. So he didn't.

“That’s terrible,” said Chuck. “You must have been …” He couldn’t find the word.

“Annoyed,” supplied Ellen. “I felt annoyed. Annoyed at all the time I spent writing letters and worrying about him. Annoyed at the money I spent sending him things, at having to explain everything to my family, his family, our friends. Annoyed at all the dates I turned down. Do you know how many dates I turned down? I only lived in San Francisco. Not a solider or sailor or Marine to be had for miles around,” she said sarcastically.

She took a sip of her coffee.

“After about two weeks of being annoyed, and eating chocolate, and downing gin and tonics, I realized that if he was the love of my life, I wouldn’t be annoyed. I would have been devastated. I would have been heartbroken. So, I picked myself up, got dressed up, and went out dancing with some girlfriends.”

“And?” Chuck said, knowing there was more to the story.

“Well,” Ellen said slowly, “a lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“But?” Chuck urged her on.

“I did let a Navy man know how grateful I was for his service.”

Chuck laughed. “Navy, huh?”

“Well, I was still a little annoyed at the army.” She looked him in the eye. “I’ve gotten over it, though.”

“Good,” he said.

“Jilt,” she said. “Four letters.” She picked up her pencil and filled in the squares.

He walked her home after breakfast.

“You know, we don’t have to go out to breakfast every week,” he said.

“Are you trying to get out of going to breakfast with me?” she asked.

“No, no,” he said quickly. “Just, if you have other things to do on Sunday. I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

She stopped walking. “Chuck, if I ever have something else I need to do on a Sunday morning, I’ll let you know. But if you every stopped wanting to go out for breakfast with me, I would feel something between annoyed and heartbroken.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” he said.

“No,” she agreed. She squeezed his hand, and they continued on their way.

[pricelessemotion]

and when i say i need the insider info for all of these…

i’m jk but i wud love to hear abt ‘and your ex was their ROOMMATE’ ++ the one you’re most excited (to write or daydream HWJEUAHJSHA) about

WIP GAME

PLS 🫣🤭 you know you are ALWAYS welcome to all the insider info <3

'and your ex was their roommate' is a fic ive been writing on and off since june 😭. i actually opened the doc up again recently and was taken aback bc it’s semi-autobiographical 💀 BUT NOT RLLY!! but anyways it’s an eddie munson x reader fic. basically it’s a modern au and takes place in san francisco. eddie and reader had a bit of a situationship that didnt end well. reader is besties w steve and robin and shes helping them move into their new apartment and Gasp!! their third roommate is Eddie!!!! he's kind of an asshole in this one unfortunately,,, but im hoping that somehow I can redeem him LMFAO.

He begins strumming, lightly. Not enough to make actual noise, but just enough to create a lulling white noise that calms you. The chords sound familiar.  “I never gave you permission to play my guitar.”  “Just shut up and go to sleep.”  The question pounds your head, or that might just be the sickness. Still, the loopy feeling the cough syrup gave you is enough to loosen your chapped lips.  “Why are you being so nice to me?” The question comes out murmured and far more vulnerable than you would’ve liked. Your eyes are closed, so you can’t gauge Eddie’s reaction. No doubt, he’s coming up with a snarky remark. 

the one im most excited about is ‘labyrinth’!! it's a javy machado x reader fic and it's a big departure frm ANYTHING i've ever written before. the reader is jake's widow and her and javy help each other navigate their grief n then they fall in loveee. it's angsty and filled with guilt and hope and it's been so fun to write so far.

You’ve missed this, you realize. There are a lot of things that you miss about Jake, specifically. But this: the simple act of being close to someone. The simple choice to be there for someone else to lean on. Joy and guilt are like lightning and thunder. When one comes the other will soon follow.  You think about this from the outside looking in. Javy coming home, kissing your cheek, telling you about his day. Him cooking dinner while you do laundry. You doing the dishes while he does the crossword. The two of you, lying down on the couch after a long day and watching television together. The scene is exceedingly domestic in a way that makes your cheeks tingle and your chest ache. Your left thumb instinctually goes to caress the base of your ring finger, only to come up empty. Your heart drops to your stomach. Then, you remember. You always take off your rings when doing the dishes. It was best practice, to make sure that the delicate gems wouldn’t get unnecessarily tarnished. You’d never once forgotten to put them back on, though.  You linger on the absence of the rings and the presence of the man sleeping soundly right beside you. Joy and guilt. Lightning and thunder. 

[firstdegreefangirl]

He Loves Me

Buck eases the Jeep into his favorite parking place in front of the station, slides the gearshift into park as the tree branches cast shade over his windshield. He could park closer, he knows. There are still open spaces right up by the door. But this spot is his favorite, not in spite of its distance from the door, but because of it. It’s nice to have a little walk after a long shift, a few steps to clear his head before he drives home.

He’s running behind again this morning; not late by any means, but most everyone’s cars are already sitting empty on the lot. He can picture the scene inside before he even opens the door.

Bobby has to have arrived first, like every morning. He’ll start a pot of coffee and sit down at the Formica dining table to start reading the newspaper while it brews.

(Buck asked him once why he doesn’t just get his news on his phone, but he’d stopped listening halfway through the tirade about how print media is a dying institution and it’s important to tear his eyes away from a screen every so often, and crossword puzzles and sudoku are best done by hand, in black ink.)

Hen probably wasn’t far behind him, always coming straight to work after Denny’s school drop-off. She’ll splash a little milk in her coffee, let it cool down until the steam stops rippling from the top before taking her first sip.

He never knows if Chimney is here or not, ever since his best friend started hanging out with his sister off and on. Sometimes Maddie drops him off, sometimes he drives her car instead of his own, sometimes she comes in with him and sits around with the team until she has to report for her own shift in dispatch.

(He tries to ignore how latently awkward it is every time Maddie and Chimney break things off again. They always get back together, sure as the sun comes up in the morning, but then he has to deal with a couple weeks of them being even more over-the-top saccharine than usual. His best friend, and his older sister.

It’s fine, really. He just wishes they’d make up their minds and either date or not.)

There’s a paper bag in his hand, a freshly baked cranberry orange muffin tucked inside. Buck can’t wait to eat it, sit back and savor the soft crumbs as his morning unfolds in front of him just like they always do.

And sure enough, he comes over the top of the stairs, sees the top of Bobby’s head poking out from behind the local news section. Hen is blowing on the top of her mug, scrolling through her phone with her free hand.

“Hey, Cap,” Buck says as he sits his breakfast down in front of an empty seat. He reaches for a mug as soon as he makes it to the counter, pours the coffee slowly as Bobby returns the greeting.

“Did you see about the zoo?” Bobby asks. “They’re adding four new -”

“Four new penguin chicks,” Buck finishes for him. “And a polar bear. Yeah, there’s a contest on Instagram to name them. I voted for Larry, Moe, Curly and Hyde.”

“Of course you did,” Hen rolls her eyes, but smiles affectionately as Buck sits down. Footsteps click on the thin metal stairs, and he glances over his shoulder. Chim is trying to look sneaky, he’s pretty sure, coming in like he wants everyone to think he’s already been there. Buck wonders why it matters to him, until he leans back far enough to see the front door opening again, and his sister’s head popping in to look around before she steps into the building.

Buck looks over at Hen, hiding a smirk behind her hand, and shifts his chair slowly until he’s close enough to lean over and whisper.

“As if they’re hiding anything,” he rolls his eyes.

“Maybe from a blind man,” Hen snickers.

Buck opens his mouth, prepared with a witty retort, but sits up straight when Maddie squeezes his shoulder as she walks behind him with a fresh mug of coffee. She skips three empty chairs, including the one right beside Buck, before sitting down and pulling her seat to press right up against Chimney’s.

“Hey, Maddie,” Buck smiles, like he doesn’t know what he’s about to do. “Don’t you have, like, work or something? Sure hope no one calls 911 while you’re hanging out here.”

“Shut up, Buck!” Maddie swats his arm with the back of her hand, barely enough force for it to sting. When she leans back, she tucks herself against Chim’s side, settling his arm around her shoulders. “My shift doesn’t start for another hour, and I wanted to spend it with everyone.” As she finishes speaking, Maddie turns around to look at Chimney. Buck barely manages not to gag; it’s painfully obvious that ‘everyone’ has nothing to do with him. Or Hen or Bobby, for that matter.

They’re disgusting, truly.

The small talk is a little easier for him to stomach, though, when he thinks about the piece of paper folded up in his pants pocket.

Read the rest of Chapter One on ao3 here!

[paris-geller-was-straightwashed]

I’m probably just yelling into the void at this point but whatever. as we debate the possible return of kali in s5, there’s one thing I just can’t let go of. and that’s henry mentioning her to el.

we’ve seen a lot of potential hints in s4; kali’s name showing up in the crossword brenner was doing, the number ‘8′ in the plink(?) game el was playing having a disk under it to show the number vs all the other numbers having disks covering them (plus, henry taking a disk and placing it under the ‘1′ to in exactly the same way to indicate that ‘one’ was still alive), the duffers hinting at wanting to go back to s2 themes in s5, and even someone telling me that kali was recently added to the stranger things mobile game when she’s never been considered before.

all of this....I can potentially push aside. we always say how the duffers are meticulous on detail and things are usually in there for a reason, but not every theory is correct (plus, I haven’t really trusted them ever since they forgot the date of will’s birthday) and it’s not quite enough for me to solidify kali returning. the disk lining up to show ‘8′ might’ve just been a mistake, kali’s name in the crossword might’ve just been a fun easter egg (since barb’s name was there too, and there’s no way she’s coming back), etc.

HOWEVER, the one thing I cannot let go of and otherwise justify is henry mentioning her. in the flashback scene, he begins by asking el if she remembers the day ‘a strange woman came in’ (terry) - following it up with ‘that was when eight was still with us.’ the whole point of henry telling el this, wasn’t to bring up kali. it was so he could tell her that that woman was actually her mom who came to rescue her, that brenner lied to her, etc, all to help manipulate her into better accessing her powers so he can utilize them. so, my question remains then, 

WHY DID HE MENTION KALI

WHY???? WHAT WAS THE POINT???? WAS IT JUST TO GIVE EL A POINT OF REFERENCE??? BC I’M PRETTY SURE EL WOULD’VE REMEMBERED EITHER WAY.

I just don’t get it, narratively. if henry wanted to refresh el’s memory of the moment terry broke in trying to take her back, he very much still could’ve done that without mentioning kali. there was literally no other reason to mention kali in that circumstance - other then to bring her up. the show has been otherwise ignoring kali ever since her episode, never speaking of her again, even el not mentioning she had a sister. if a show wants to forget a character, they will just in fact ignore that that character ever existed; I’ve seen it before. it’s like they poofed right out of existence.

but now, all of a sudden, she’s being mentioned. that means, if the duffers/writers bothered to put her in the script and have a character mention her by name, they want us to be aware of her existence. they even replayed the rainbow room scene from terry’s memory, where it shows a young kali and el playing together (you could argue that it would’ve been too hard to simply edit kali out for sake of the scene, but whatever).

this, to me, is the one SOLID stake of evidence for kali to possibly resurface. this, and then those other little hints, altogether, make for a solid theory I think. bc I cannot think of another reason henry would mention kali to el, other to simply drop her name in anticipation for what’s going to come up.

or at least I hope I’m right, bc the one thing that would make s5 is kali returning, teaming up with el and fighting vecna.

[undercoverpena]

Jo! I'd love to know about 2&8 for late night texts. 🩷

hi babes!! firstly, i'm so sorry you've had to wait for this, my day got insane but i am so glad to be able to answer you now

as it's for late night texts, and i dont want to spoil things, i'll pop under the read more.

2: What scene did you first put down?

the first scene i wrote down (outside of my weird way of writing where i write an ending first) was the first time they begin doing the crossword together. i had it in my head from the get-go that i wanted them to work together on something, a puzzle, that kept them dialled in on the other until they realised they were each others missing piece. they both solved a puzzle, and solved their own irl puzzle. i like things to have lots of meanings hahaha.

8: Did any real people or events inspire any part of it?

not directly. there are odd tiny little things included, like the things they say or do that have been plucked from my real life. also her best friend the chef is my best friend, had to include her in there. but this wonder all came from my brain being super sad and wanting to make people fall in love.

fic titles + questions game

[schrijverr]

A Behind the Scenes of: Journalist Nancy Byers

Jonathan gives an insight to the start of Nancy's journalistic career featuring Nancy herself as a guest.

On AO3.

Ships: Jargancy

Warnings: sexism mentioned

~~~~~~~~~

The video opens with Jonathan and Nancy. Jonathan greets: “Hi, I’m Jonathan Byers, the main photographer and editor of A Collection of Queer Photography. Today it’s a little different, because my beautiful partner Nancy has agreed to take a look with me on her journalist career that is a thread throughout the book.”

“Hi,” Nancy greets with a soft smile. Her face has gotten more severe throughout the years, but she’s dressed in a soft sweater instead of a professional suit and being around Jonathan seems to ease her demeanor more.

“Lets just get into it,” Jonathan says as he grabs the book, now with new tabs in it and flips it open on the first page.

Between the two appears a profile portrait of a young Nancy with the city as a background. She is staring at something, a little frown between her eyes that only serves to make her look more determined. What can be seen from her outfit is professional, she looks like a steadfast young woman, trying to make it in the corporate world. The only thing out of place in the image is the tip of her pen that rests against her lip.

“I think this set is so sweet,” Nancy smiles. “You can be such a sap sometimes.”

“Oh shush,” Jonathan blushes slightly, before he agrees: “I also love this set, but it’s about you right now. And if I may be a little arrogant, I think this is a really good photo of you and who you were at the time.”

“Not arrogant,” Nancy corrects gently. “And I do really like this photo. I used it on resumes at the start of my career. It’s very professional and it’s important to present an image.”

“But there’s a touch of non-working you shining through,” Jonathan points out. “I like the pen resting against your lip. You do that when you’re thinking. It’s a small thing that I really associate with you, especially when we’re working. I’m so glad I caught it and you weren’t already writing again by the time I got my camera ready.”

“I do?” Nancy asks.

“Yeah,” Jonathan smiles at her, then flips to the next photo. “Ah, this is the pride photos, I talked them in the Pride video. Do you have anything more to say about these photos?”

“You already said a lot about that day,” Nancy says. “I think all I’d say that day cemented who I wanted to be as a reported. I’d always dreamed of doing it, but this made me determined to report on those at the bottom of the social ladder and the discrimination they faced. I’m not thrilled about it happening to me, however, I am glad about the fire it gave me.”

“I think you had plenty fire before, but that’s a great way to look at this moment,” Jonathan tells her, before flipping the page.

Between them appears a photograph of Argyle, Jonathan and Nancy. The three of them are all half asleep, sitting at the table, all wrapped up together, but doing their own thing. Nancy is making notes on a notepad, Jonathan is rolling film and Argyle is doing the crossword in the paper.

“Soft Mornings. Jane actually took this one when she came to visit up in ‘91,” Jonathan comments. “She’s my little sister. She’s been doing photography as a hobby since ‘86. I’m glad we got her photos in there as well, she has an eye for it.”

“Ahw, I remember this, she came to visit. Eddie picked her up,” Nancy gushes. “She’s such a sweetheart and a badass.”

“She is,” Jonathan agrees fondly. “But we’re focusing on your career right now. So, do you remember why you were making notes here?”

“This was before graduation,” Nancy says. “I think I was working on a story for the school newspaper, honestly. Just the fluff stories that are often in there, but I liked doing them. Journalism can let you tell a story that otherwise won’t be heard. I always interviewed the heads of unknown clubs or just random people I thought looked interesting. It was really fun. And it’s good practice for when you’re in front of a celebrity.”

“You can be a little bit of a workaholic too,” Jonathan teases her fondly. “This was our weekend off remember. You spend every free moment working.”

“Jon, you’re working too in the photo,” Nancy points out, with a quirked brow. “Besides, I did take the time to show Jane around. Don’t twist facts.”

“Never, Nance,” Jonathan smiles, pecking her cheek, before flipping the pages until he gets to the next tab.

A photograph of Argyle kissing Nancy’s forehead appears. He is holding her graduation cap in his hands as he does, leaning down so he can reach. She is dressed in a power suit with a neat pencil skirt, her gown over it. She is holding Jonathan’s hand, who is checking his appearance in the mirror.

“This one is taken by Eddie, we called it Good Luck Kiss,” Jonathan says.

“God, we graduated in ‘91, that’s already so long ago,” Nancy groans, leaning in so she can see, as she comments: “I like that you didn’t take any of the pictures on this page. You’re always working as well, you know. So, it’s nice you took that day off to celebrate.”

“Only because Argyle forced me,” Jonathan grins, looking at something behind the camera.

Argyle isn’t miced up, so he sounds a little off as he calls back: “Because you deserved the rest, baby boy. Don’t work when you’re celebrating.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jonathan rolls his eyes, but he’s blushing and smiling fondly.

Nancy saves him from his own flusteredness, by commenting: “I really love this photo. I love that we’re all in it and just being domestic. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how nice it is to feel domestic like that. I never thought I’d be into it.” “You never thought you’d be into a white suburban heterosexual christian marriage, I think that’s a little different to what we’re doing,” Jonathan points out, having recovered.

“Fair enough,” Nancy grins.

“But I totally agree,” Jonathan says. “I also like how it shows the difference between us. I was really nervous about my appearance on that stage, since I’ve always been a shy, poor kid. You needed a little bit of love, because you knew you were going to look professional, you just didn’t know if you’d be taken seriously.”

Nancy looks at the photo again, lighting up as she compliments: “God, I always love how you see things like that,” which makes Jonathan blush again as he flips the page again as to not have to reply to the compliment.

A photograph of Nancy doing her hair in the mirror, power suit on, comes on screen. She has a few bobby-pins in her mouth and is absorbed in her task.

“This was your first day as a reporter,” Jonathan says, looking at the title. “You were so nervous about it, but so determined. This photo is you putting on your professional armor. I like that little look behind the powerhouse that you are.”

“Ahw, thank you,” Nancy smiles, squeezing Jonathan’s hand for a second. “But, yes, I was very nervous. My only experience before this had been the school paper and that horrid internship in ‘85.”

Both of them cringe at the thought.

Nancy explains to the viewers: “It was horrible. I was just a coffee lady to the guys and they kept pushing me and my ideas to the side. They never took me seriously and I was very nervous for that to happen again.”

“As a women in this business it’s so hard to be taken seriously, to not be walked over,” Nancy goes on. “I’ve always been told I’m cold or ruthless, but if you weren’t, you’d be bringing coffee around every morning. There isn’t another way to make it. Especially not back then. It’s like Jon said, I was putting on an armor.”

“You’ve come a long way since then,” Jonathan assures her.

“God, I hope so, if I stopped learning as a person in my twenties, I would have been fucked,” she laughs.

“That’s true,” Jonathan agree with his own huffed laugh, which is more subdued that Nancy’s. Then he flips the page once more.

On screen comes Nacy proudly holding up a copy of The Washington Post on which is an article about a big corporation with branches all of the USA, which had been unlawfully underpaying their workers, which Nancy had exposed, leading to a law suit and many pay increases. It had been Nancy’s first time on the front page.

“Nancy on the Front Page, 1993,” Jonathan reads.

“That was so exciting,” Nancy gushes. “I had been working on that story for months. I was carefully collecting evidence, maybe breaking and entering a little, but it was so worth it. Doing an expose piece really makes me feel alive. There is just something about dragging some shitty corporation out in the sun with their pants around their ankles that is so satisfying.”

“I think you really come across like that in this photo,” Jonathan says. “You’re practically glowing from the inside. God, we were so proud of you. Still are.”

“Hell yeah, buttercup,” Argyle comments from behind the camera, making the both of them look up at him and smile.

Nancy is blushing a bit as she thanks them. Then she says: “It was the break I needed. It was my first big solo piece and for it to make the front page meant the world to me. After that my career just took off.”

“You worked hard for it,” Jonathan tells her. “Now, I mostly remember our guest room being overtaken by notes on the wall and chaos everywhere. Wanna talk about it more?”

“Sure,” Nancy agrees pleasantly. “The hardest part was finding inside sources. Everyone was scared to loose their job, which is so fair. The economy was only just starting to take off again, so everyone was clinging to it. The fact that unemployment can hang over a person’s head is such a powerful tool these companies use. It’s why anonymity is so important. You have to be able to assure a person that their livelihood isn’t going to go down the drain.”

“A big part of a journalists job is trying to get someone to trust you enough to open up about the reality,” she continues. “I struggled with that part of the job for a long while, but going to protests and organizing in the community really helped me built my people skills. At the end of the day, it all just takes practice.”

“Solid advice, my first photos were shit,” Jonathan says, lightening the mood and making Nancy snort in an undignified manner. With a proud little grin, Jonathan moves on.

A photo of Argyle, Jonathan and Nancy squeezed in the back of a car replaces the other one. Nancy is in the middle, asleep on Argyle’s shoulder. Argyle is smiling fondly down at her, having shifted so that she’s more comfortable. Jonathan is getting the bag that is slipping out of her grip.

“Robin took this one,” Jonathan says. “It’s called Sleepy Nancy and is from ‘94.”

“Ahw, this photo is so cute,” Nancy comments. “It’s when I flew back from that convention. You guys came to pick me up with Steve and Robin. That was so sweet.”

“Yeah, didn’t really think that one through,” Jonathan says. “We forgot that if you were there in the car with us, there would be less space. That car was small.”

“I liked it,” Argyle comments. “I was already planning on cuddling with both of you guys on the way back.”

You can see how both Nancy and Jonathan melt a little at the words, both of them sending the spot next to the camera soft, loving looks.

Nancy clears her throat and moves on, commenting: “It wasn’t what Eddie and Steve were going through, but it was hard whenever I had to travel for work.”

“Yeah, it was never fun when either of us had to leave,” Jonathan agrees.

“It’s so important to carve out time for each other,” Nancy addresses the camera, talking to whoever is watching. “Love can feel effortless, but if you don’t put the time and work in, it can slip through your fingers anyway.”

“I think we did pretty well,” Jonathan says, bumping his shoulder into Nancy’s.

“We did,” Nancy nods. “But we made a system. If someone came back, we tried to get the day after off, so we could spend it all together.”

“Those days were nice,” Jonathan sighs. “But I like that we’re more stationary now, I’m gonna be honest about that.”

“Same,” Nancy says and there is an agreeable hum from behind the camera too.

There is a pause, before they move on and the new photo appears. In it Argyle is boosting Nancy over a big chain link fence. The statue of limitations is three years, so they could publish this photograph now.

Both of them burst out laughing at it and Nancy giggled: “I still can’t believe you named it Trespassing Beauties.”

“What? It’s true,” Jonathan defends himself playfully.

“Fair enough,” Nancy laughs, shaking her head as she looks at the photo again.

Jonathan is talking to the audience now, saying: “If you’ve ever worked with Nancy, you’ll know she’ll stop at nothing, if she knows she’s right. For things like these, you need people who won’t tell on you, so me and Argyle go as her backup. I’d take photos for proof and Argyle was our muscle and look out.”

“Looking good while he did it,” Nancy chips he is.

“Looking very good,” Jonathan agrees.

“Ahw, you two are melting my heart,” Argyle speaks up, a smile obvious in his voice.

Turning back to the photo, Nancy shrugs: “Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get the story. I’ve gotten quite good at running.”

“You’re insane,” Jonathan says and it sounds a lot like I love you.

“I know,” Nancy grins, the edges a little sharp. Then she points at the page: “I really liked that we put this photo I took next to it.”

Trespassing Beauties gets replaced by the photo Long Nights. It’s of Jonathan asleep on one of their big chairs, curled up under a blanket. Argyle is tucking in the corners and kissing the top of his head.

“You two truly did so much for me and helped me,” Nancy says, sounding grateful. “I wouldn’t have made it as far as I have, if it weren’t for you two willing to follow me in my plans.”

“Course, Nance,” Jonathan tells her.

“Wasn’t a hardship, I have a competency kink,” Argyle speaks up, making both Nancy and Jonathan exclaim his name in unison, which is followed by his deep laughter.

“Okay, with that interesting commentary, lets move on,” Jonathan laughs.

“You’re not going to cut that?” Nancy asks.

“Nah, cupcake, that shit’s funny,” Argyle says, as Jonathan answers: “I’m not winning against him in that argument.”

“You two,” Nancy rolls her eyes.

Jonathan moved back to the page: “I like this addition as well. We kind of showed the long nights and the work you have to do besides just writing. Kind of like we got all the extras that come with the job together.”

On screen the image Scientific Discussions appears. In it Nancy and Dustin arguing as they point at the scientific development pages in the paper. It is game night, but the two have gotten distracted as often happens in this group.

“Yeah, a big part of the job is reading the newspaper,” Nancy says. “I think we have a dozen paper subscriptions. But it’s just really important to know what’s going on, so you can place your own articles in the most relevant framework.”

“Here in this photo, however, I’m arguing with Dustin,” Nancy tells the audience. “As a journalist you have to write about discoveries as well and that can be really hard. If you’re lucky whoever discovered it has an interest in sharing their findings with the public. Then you get a press release from them where they neatly explain it, otherwise you’re going to have to figure it out yourself.”

“9 times out of 10, you’re struggling to understand all the jargon, so it’s tricky to explain it properly when you barely get it yourself. Plus, papers want to have zingy headlines. A new story. Something people want to read. And most of the time, science is a little boring,” Nancy shrugs.

“It’s important to be truthful, but it’s not the easiest,” Nancy says. “Me and Dustin were arguing, because he actually read the research and wasn’t happy with how the paper explained it. I was trying to defend the journalist that wrote it.”

“Not to give a PSA, but if you’re going into the sciences, please, please, try and invest in your communication skills and write a clear press release if you make a discovery,” Nancy tells the camera. “Lets make all our jobs a little easier and get knowledge out there.”

“Thank you,” Jonathan says, closing the book. “I think that’s all of your career that’s in here. You’ve had a wonderful career afterwards, won a Pulitzer Prize, that was super cool. And you’re still a big name.”

“Hype me up too much and I might get an ego,” Nancy jokes, though she is obviously flattered at Jonathan’s words.

“You already have,” Jonathan teases.

“Oh shut up and end your video,” she exclaims as she pushes him away playfully.

Jonathan signs off: “That was a behind the scenes of Nancy’s career between 1986 and 1994. Thank you so much, Nancy, for being here. Say bye.”

“I had fun,” she says, before waving to the camera and saying: “Bye!”

“Bye,” Jonathan also says.

~~

A/N:

This is the first time I’ve written Jonathan/Nancy moments and it’s a little weird lmao, I don’t know what to do with them, so bear with me pls xp

[gra-sonas]

Have you caught your breath after THAT ending?

Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 Episode 2 ended with a shocking twist! And it's a twist that will directly impact Michael Guerin, played to perfection by series regular Michael Vlamis.

Catching up with Michael is always so much fun, and we spent the early part of the interview discussing his next movie, Crossword, which he directed, wrote, and starred in! Make sure to follow his socials to keep abreast of news about this exciting project! Seriously, the movie sounds incredible.

The man is a machine, but we were lucky enough to pick his brain about all things Malex, what impact he hopes the role of Michel Guerin will leave on viewers, and he even let us know which of his castmates kills it at Super Smash Brothers. Check out the interview below!

Getting into Roswell here. Before we get into the episode, can you tell us a little about where we'll see Michael this season, his mindset, and what kind of journey he's headed on?

Yeah. Yeah. His mindset, it'll shift a little bit once he fully realizes that Alex is missing. He's never going to stop to find him. We've seen him do that in the past, but Malex has never been in a better place.

They are a full-blown couple, a full-blown item. There is no Michael without Alex. There's no Alex without Michael.

It gets pretty dramatic towards the end of it. Know that Michael is going to be a man on a mission. A lot of that, as he builds up to going after Alex, a lot of it is trying to figure out what's up with these aliens in town. What's going on with them and trying to stop them.

At the same time, when you're learning about someone that you're trying to stop, if you have strong ties to them, because you're from a similar place, it's got to be hard to not be intrigued or smitten by them.

I think Michael Guerin has a tough journey ahead of him where he's got to infiltrate this group, and he's got to get the answers everyone needs to stop these aliens. At the same time, he's trying to get, he can't help, but selfishly go for the answers that he's been searching for his whole life.

I think that's where Michael Guerin's going to run into some problems.

Sure. It's funny; you just merged into some of my other questions because when I was watching the second episode, I was thinking how much of Clyde I saw in Guerin, you know what I mean?

Some of the things he was saying about Earth and things like that got me interested in what those kinds of interactions would be like with Guerin, Clyde, and Bonnie, too. Are we going to see more of that?

Yeah, yeah. Oh, we're going to see a ton of that. Andy and Zoe, those are the actors playing Bonnie and Clyde, they were amazing to work with. I forged great friendships with them over the season, but we got some good drama coming on-screen between us. I'll tell you that.

Okay, cool. Also, with Michael and Alex, you touched on this as well, but I've liked seeing them together and discovering what it looks like for them to be in this committed relationship. I thought to myself during that bunker scene, the second one, that season one Alex and Michael could never have this conversation.

They just weren't at that place.

Never.

Yeah, exactly. Can you kind of speak to the place the relationship is at now?

I think it's the most mature it's ever been. I'm really proud of it. I'm really proud of them as characters. I'm proud of the writers for taking us that way. I think it's earned. I know the fans want more Malex throughout the seasons, but it's a slow burn. The best love stories take time.

I think they've really done a great job allowing it to grow, allowing it to shape into what it is now. It is the most fulfilling place our relationship has ever been in.

Guerin is still struggling with some things he's always struggled with. When you take someone who at one point in their life was fully broken, and we've all been there in different capacities, it takes a lot to get out of that. While things seem good, he still struggles in episode two.

By the end of it, he's at least self-aware enough to know that this is his person. He has to fully trust this person. If he can't do that, their love will never grow, which is why he's willing to let it grow.

I love the little assist from Sanders, too, with you guys' conversation.

Sanders is the man. That guy is the best. Nicholas. I love him. He's one of my favorites to work with.

Yeah. That was a nice scene.

He's like the father I never had. That's what he is.

Oh, for sure. Yeah. If there was one word you could use to describe Malex throughout season four, what would you say? How would you describe them?

One word. If it's one word, I'll say cosmic.

Okay!

Because that is the theme of us. I think what will be will be. So, I'm not going to give any spoilers away, but I think they're meant to be together, and that's all I got to say.

All right. I'll take it. In the first episode, we saw some good scenes between Michael and Dallas. It's nice to see Michael make new connections and make new friendships. I was curious, how do you feel that Michael's brotherly relationship with Dallas differs from the one he has with Max? If you see them differing at all.

No, I think they differ tremendously. It's like when you're talking to a sibling, sometimes when you're looking at a sibling, I don't know, maybe this is just me, and it's weird.

But sometimes, when I'm talking to a sibling, one of my sisters, and they're going on about politics or something, my sisters are so smart, and the way they talk to me sometimes.

If I'm talking to someone else on the street, I'm probably not putting on a front but seeming more engaged or more understanding or more knowledgeable about whatever we're talking about. When you're dealing with someone as close to you as family, you can't help but know that there's that imposter syndrome.

They know who I am. Even if I'm interested in what we're talking about right now, they know five years ago, I didn't know a thing about it.

When it comes to Dallas, he doesn't know anything but me now, so it's very loose. It's very free. It's very fun. There's no drama. There's no emotional weight to it. It's just two guys having a good time. Literally bro-ing down.

I told Alex in a previous season I can't go from love to or lust to 'sup bro' overnight, but with Dallas, you started 'sup bro,' and it's a beautiful thing.

Yeah, I like that.

Quentin is the man. I hang out with Quentin all the time. He's really good at Super Smash Brothers on the Nintendo switch. We play that all the time together. We forged such a bond outside of the show that it made it so easy to work together on screen.

That's awesome. Your chemistry carries over. Your real-life chemistry, because you can definitely see you guys seem like friends.

We are! We are friends. That's exactly right.

What are you most excited about viewers seeing this season as it continues to unfold?

I'm excited for them to watch Michael struggle with trying to stop these aliens, but he can't help but uncover truths about where he's from. He's in such a place where he is conflicted of doing the right thing, quote-unquote, whatever the right thing means to everyone.

Then doing the thing that satisfies him as a person and what he's been searching for his whole life. There is a beautiful conflict. The fans are going to see me deal with other characters throughout the season, too, which I think is really cool. Because you just touched on that with Dallas. It's the same thing for Bonnie and Clyde.

Just seeing Michael Guerin exist with new people. I think you learn a lot about him.

Cool. Now, these are some questions about Roswell in general. What's been your favorite storyline for Guerin up to this point?

Oh, well, that's easy [laughs]. That's so easy. Malex.

've got to ask!

Malex is my favorite storyline. It is vulnerable. It is scary. It is fulfilling. It is full of love. It's full of heartbreak. Literally, every single different emotion that you want to play with as an actor has been given to me in Malex. Saying even things like him handing the house keys to me and telling me this is mine.

You see in that moment, Michael Guerin does not feel like he deserves that. That was even a brand new thing I got to play. It is an ever-evolving relationship in the show that allows me as an actor to go to places that sometimes you got to do several movies to get to all those places.

With this one character development, I've gotten to go there, and I've gotten to go there repeatedly and try new things and learn about Guerin, which at the same time when I'm learning about Guerin, I'm really learning about myself. That is such a beautiful thing.

I love learning about myself. I love learning why I pick, and why I get angry at certain things. Why certain stupid things make me so happy when they don't mean anything to other people. What is it about me that is reflected in Guerin?

I get to do that with Malex. I love Malex the most.

In what ways do you think Guerin has grown from the pilot until now?

Oh my God.

So many?

Yeah, so many. I remember in the character breakdown, which I actually posted on my Instagram, "Alien 28 simmering."

There are all these things. This guy is just so mad at the world, and as an actor growing and as a character growing, I got to go from so much anger to more of a nuanced character who still is always, not always, but for a while, he's going to be that person that he starts at in the pilot.

It's fun to play with the fact that you can have all these feelings, you could be super angry, but you can find people like Alex where you just behave differently with them. That is what we've seen. I have that with my siblings too.

I have a different relationship with everyone in the show, but there is a special bond with Alex where I'm not as hard as I am with other people. The real softer Michael Guerin comes out with that. I think that was something that I really didn't have in the beginning, early stages of season one.

Even through it, we saw some things develop, but Guerin was just beat down in season one. He saw his mom die in front of him. Finally, every season he seems to have some kind of beat down like that, whether it's with his dad last year in the battle scene or my mother in Coffield prison.

But from season one to now, he's a much more fleshed-out person. That has to do with the writers and the character growth and myself as an actor growing and learning as well. Also, Michael Guerin, as a human being, learning that it's not worth it to be holding on to all this anger all the time.

Yeah, for sure. The last question for me here is that Michael Guerin genuinely resonated with fans on many different levels. With the series ending now, what impact do you hope the role of Michael Guerin and the series will leave on viewers?

Oh, man. I hope that viewers can see Michael Guerin and they can see themselves in them and know that it's okay to be flawed. It's okay to come from a background that you're not proud of. It's okay to have once in your life, not loved yourself. That is all okay. That is all-important.

The traumatic experiences that have happened to you in your life have shaped you into who you are now. Some people have dealt with way worse things than I will ever deal with, so it's really hard to speak on how everybody is going to feel and how everybody can overcome their trauma.

Some people, especially those with mental illness, it is even tougher.

I do think it's so important to always remember that who you are is okay. Accepting yourself is the first step. Very, very hard to do. I think Michael Guerin had four seasons, 50 some episodes to do that, and I think he's gotten to that point, especially by the end of this season, but that's the biggest takeaway.

I think we got to see the beauty and the flaws, not be so hard on ourselves, and in turn, we're not going to be so hard on others. That is what I think a lot of Guerin's storyline comes down to.

Awesome. Well, thank you so much. Your interviews are always so thoughtful. I really appreciate it.

Well, thank you, Whitney. Your questions are always so thoughtful, so that helps me.

Always. Thanks. You have a good day.

Yeah. All right. You, too. Talk to you soon. Bye.

[pantheramore]

For Anita; 🥰,🎞️, ☕️, and 📝!

🥰: How would someone who loved you portray you?

I think it'd be easy for someone to swing Anita either too far into their giddiness and curiosity, but also just as likely to swing them too far into their more cynical, antisocial side. They're both equally fun to explore, but I think someone who truly understood Anita would know that they only allow a select few other people see their genuine happiness and curiosity because they feel like it would otherwise undermine the tough, intimidating facade they put on.

🎞️: What ‘canon’ scenes would the fandom point to as evidence for the validity of your ship?

Mordecai and Anita knew each other as teens back when they both lived in New York. They eventually lost contact, but when they met again in St. Louis, their friendship is pretty awkward and distant in comparison to what it used to be.

After Mordecai gets injured during the cabin incident, Anita finally works up the courage to talk to him and help him with small favors like making him tea, and that's where their relationship reignites and they finally acknowledge to themselves in their own ways that that they missed each other.

☕️: What are the most common plots of shipping fics between you and your f/o?

If it's not the tiniest little ember of a ridiculously drawn out slowburn, it's probably how their relationship developed from when they reunited at Lackadaisy to how they got together.

📝: How would your story in canon go? How would you influence the events of the original story?

Putting this one under a readmore cuz I'm just gonna go full details but tldr:

Anita and Mordecai knew each other as kids, lost contact, then eventually met up again. It took them a while to get together romantically due to their own personal hang ups, but eventually their trust in each other allows them to conspire against Lackadaisy for the purpose of keeping Anita's job afloat. Also they murdered Kehoe.

First thing's first. There's this little bit from the Lackawiki-

That person that Mordecai had a crush on is Anita, and their story is an exploration of if well, it did go beyond that.

So when Anita and Mordecai meet each other again they're initally pretty nervous and guarded because they're still very cautiously like "is it really you???"

When they realize that yes, it is them, Mordecai tries to distance himself because he assumes Anita probably hates him for leaving all of the sudden back when they were kids after he refused to associate with Anita out of fear of what they would think of him if they found out that he had killed someone, and Anita is a mix between angry he left, happy he's here, and nervous and unsure if Mordecai is interested in rebuilding their friendship, but because he's so distant, Anita assumes he's not interested.

While yes, Mordecai's interest in relationships in general is pretty fleeting, in reality he's mostly just closed off and traumatized.

Anita considers trying to reach out to him but they get too nervous, and they have to leave on another rumrun, and they end up missing him while they're gone. So when Anita returns, they want to figure out how to grab his attention, but they get nervous again and this cycle happens over and over again for a few months until theyre sick of it and begin just... doing anonymous small favors for him, particularly after he gets injured in the cabin incident. Eventually Anita starts leaving Mordecai short notes, just asking him how he's doing and attempting to catch up with him after so long. Mordecai is kinda confused by this at first, but being able to write back helps him collect his thoughts better than talking in person.

Eventually they're writing each other about their personal lives, even though they see each other somewhat often in person, but they don't really talk much in person, though eventually they start sitting closer together or doing crossword puzzles together, although its still kinda rough bc Anita doesn't really understand Mordecai's boundaries yet bc so much has changed for him since they were teens and he's become a lot less emotionally responsive since. This makes Anita wonder if he's trying to keep them distant, but they still see glimpses of who he used to be and Anita starts falling for him again, though this time, their infatuation with him is less about them bonding over their shared interests and similar personalities, and more about the fact that Anita finds solace and familiarity in his presence amidst the chaos of the bootlegging business.

But they're hesitant to actually pursue a relationship because they aren't sure if he's actually interested, or if having to deal with his less pleasant moments is worth it, or if one of them is gonna die and leave the other heartbroken.

But the more Anita thinks about it, the more they feel like they'll never know if anything will ever happen if they don't at least try, not to mention Anita is the sort to chase whatever they desire despite the risks, so Anita started writing him a love letter.

They're having trouble wording the letter right, and the closer together they become the more Anita feels the urge to tell him, especially since Mordecai's not making any indication about what sort of relationship he wants with Anita.

Anyway after a while Anita's just at their limit and they end up rambling to him about it incoherently, but that only puts more distance between them again because Mordecai doesn't want Anita to be in danger by being drawn to him, even if he doesn't want to actually say it, and he just doesn't know how to process all that.

Anita, on the other hand is dealing with feelings of shame and embarassment for telling him, and just generally feeling defeated, but Mordecai isn't so distant that he's shunned their relationship entirely. He still writes letters, and eventually they're back where they were before and they just... don't really talk about the confession.

In reality, Mordecai also has feelings for Anita but doesn't want to act on them or show any interest because hes scared that something could happen to Anita and then he'd be hurt and alone again, and he'd feel like its his fault, especially because he doesn't want to feel like it's his fault for losing the last thing that represents his (relative) childhood innocence by hurting the only person who remained in his life after he left New York, plus, he really just doesn't know what to do.

Eventually though, Mordecai and Anita find themselves in some conflict while Anita's trying to make a dropoff, and they have to defend themselves from some hijackers. Anita isn't a great fighter or anything but they at least held their own, which allows Mordecai to drop his guard a bit, but he tells Anita that he's going to start working on making sure they can defend themselves. He says hes doing it so that a situation like that doesn't happen again, and thats what hes telling himself too, but in reality, he wants to be sure that Anita is safe so that he doesn't have to worry about them so much, and if he doesn't have to worry, then he can afford to get a little closer to them.

By this point, they're hanging out together outside of work and they're pretty close, so Anita decides to shoot their shot again and writes him another letter, basically asking if he's interested in them, but without the expectation that they should be in a relationship. Mordecai says yes, and they slowly start to let the relationship become more romantic at a more natural pace.

While all their interpersonal stuff is going on, Anita is working for Captain Kehoe, but after a series of hijackings and a police raid, the business is barely staying afloat, and Anita's getting fed up with Kehoe for the fact that they're not seeing much financial recovery due to their percieved incompetence of Kehoe.

Anita wants to switch to supplying to Marigold, who, while not as large as Lackadaisy yet, is growing switftly both in size and reputation, and wants in on that growth, however Kehoe thinks that investing into better liquor to meet Marigold's standards is a waste of money.

However, after Atlas dies and Lackadaisy's business begins to plummet, Kehoe must begin supplying cheaper and cheaper liquor, due to the Lackadaisy being the only large speakeasy desperate enough to buy from them just to stay afloat.

Mordecai has moved on to Marigold, though he has a much more peaceful "parting" with Anita than he did with Viktor, primarily because it wasn't a parting at all. He already knows that Anita wants to supply for Marigold, and has been helping them, behind the back of Mitzi, negotiate a business deal with Asa. Mordecai and Anita also conspire to murder Kehoe so that Anita can take over the business.

Though the details of the murder aren't clear to Lackadaisy yet (Mitzi thinks that both Anita and Kehoe are dead at the moment) Kehoe's sudden murder leaves them struggling for a new supplier so desperately that that's what leads them to turn to the Arbogasts despite their current ties to Marigold.

[loonysama]

[image: a yellow banner with the words Trivia Tuesday in a cursive font]

Trivia Tuesday

Creators: give a “behind the scenes” look at one of your works. This could be things that got removed or changed, the origins of ideas/details, whatever you like!

Fans: share bits of trivia from canon and challenge others to create something based on that trivia - fic, art, or something else! I once made a crossword puzzle :)

Feel free to repost this header!

✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨

Thanks for the tag @annaofthenorthernlights!

I'm going to give some background on The Refugees today.

I originally had this being a plain old mundane high school AU where Kristoff was a foreign exchange student. I think at first, war was supposed to break out while he was out of his country, and he was going to stay put. I'm not sure at what point it became a much serious story about trauma and people who had escaped genocide. I think the language had something to do with it - Kristoff being surprised that Anna knew how to speak a little of his language. And they had this very dangerous secret tying them together, and sets them apart from everyone else. Weaving the three languages together is actually one of the things I like best about the story, and that's something that carried over from the initial concept.

I mean, Kristoff is still kind of a foreign exchange student in a way. Only difference🤷‍♀️

I am planning to update The Refugees in the next couple of weeks. I also recently added a one-shot with discarded material that is compliant with The Refugees universe called Just a Tent.

Tagging @keeshya6 @justfrozenthings @alondradina @leaves-of-laurelin to offer any trivia behind their writing if they'd like.