#at least winny gets to wear his favorite color (blue)

[aprilblossomgirl]

Winny Thanawin & Satang Kittiphop at GMMTV 2024 PART 1

[vanillaflowerstuff]

thought i'd get in on a scooby doo redesign before the trend is completely dead -- "scooby-doo and the ghoul school" (1988) was my favorite scooby doo movie when i was a small child (dunno why) and i rewatched it with my sister yesterday. it's uhh it's real bad but it still means something to me. love how shaggy was just a p.e. teacher for one movie without any explanation

so for shaggy i just kind of put him in my style and gave him nicer, more modern clothes. in the movie he's wearing red and blue, which felt kinda wrong. like that's not his Colors

sibella got the most dramatic redesign because her canon design is the worst. she's a child but for some reason she's hypersexualized and is wearing the most appalling, poorly cut dress. i just wanted her to look normal i guess??

winnie gave feral-kid-at-summer-camp energy so i went in that direction. all the kids were just wearing rags so i wanted them to look better cared for than they did

i had the least notes on tannis, her design's pretty cute. just separated her dress from her wrappings and she was set

didn't have a lot of thoughts on phantasma, except i wanted to give her a little more color variety than just ice-ghost blue

my sister really wanted elsa to have platfom doc marten sandals so i did that. and uhh that's about it

[megan-loves-surveys]

Hello.

How are you doing today? Alright. I just got home from work. Concert last night was awesome, as was meeting the boys <3

What is the last song you listened to in a car? Not sure.

Do you like prefer apple cider warm or cold? I've never had it.

When did you last feel misunderstood? Dunno.

Have you ever visited The Louvre or would you like to? I'd love to.

Have you ever accidentally locked yourself out of your place of residence? Not my house, but my Dad, stepmum and I got locked out of their house once. My Dad had to climb in the bathroom window xD

Do you remember your favorite songs as a kid? Spice Girls, Five, Backstreet Boys, Aqua, All Saints etc.

Do you currently feel calm? Not really, but I'm not anxious either.

When did you last lace up a pair of shoes? Today.

What’s your go to comfort meal? Mac & cheese, or just a bag of chips.

Do you enjoy cloud watching? Haha not really.

Do you currently have any candles lit? No.

If applicable, what’s your favorite sports team? None.

How many cardigans do you own? Loads, about 7 or 8.

How much is too much for clothes? Depends what it is - most of the stuff I wear is cheapish.

How soon do you normally decorate for holidays? Depends - we usually put our Christmas decorations up at the end of November. My Mum put up our Easter decorations the other day, but Easter isn't until the end of March haha.

Are there any important things happening this week? I saw Five and met them last night, that was important to me <3

Do you know anyone who is terrified of dogs? Yes.

What scent was the last soap you used? Unscented.

How old were you when you made your first big purchase? Hmm, not sure but it was probably a computer or a cellphone xD

What last made you angry? Some random woman at the concert last night pushed in front of these people near me and when a guy shoved her back, she played the victim when the security came to sort it out, saying he shoved her for no reason. I backed the guy up and said she appeared from nowhere and got in his way. I HATE people who push in at concerts, if you didn't arrive in time, you can't just get to the front. Go away LOL.

What’s a color you think is underrated? Orange. I love orange, but not a lot of people like it.

What are you usually doing when midnight comes around and you can’t sleep? I never go to bed at midnight unless I'm super tired or sick lol. But when I can't sleep, I just put on a YouTube video on my phone.

What is your favorite way to eat rice? (white, steamed, fried, brown, sweetened…) Fried.

What color is the top you’re wearing? I'm wearing a purple playsuit haha.

When did you last laugh so hard you cried? Last week watching Matt Rose videos on YT, he's so FUNNY. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe xD

What’s your favorite horror movie? The Ring.

What’s your favorite and least favorite fast food restaurant? Fave - KFC. Least fave - I don't really have one, I like all of the main ones in some way. I used to say Burger King but I like BK a lot more these days.

How many pictures can you see in the room you’re in? LOADS. My walls are covered in posters and photos.

When did you last sign your signature? At work.

What cover do you think is better than the original song? Loads! Too hard to pick just one.

Are you currently listening to music? Yep, Blue - Let's Get Sad <3

What do your favorite pair of pajamas look like? Prob my Winnie the Pooh shorts and a tank top haha.

What is something you’ve been working on? Some fanfic, but I slack on it a lot.

What’s something that excites you about the future? Going to wrestling shows and hopefully traveling again.

How often do you drink smoothies? On occasion.

What’s a TV show you have gotten into recently? I only watch wrestling and soap operas lol.

Have you ever had to have a tooth cut out? Yes.

When did you last rush for something? Monday at work, the bus got caught in traffic so I had to basically run from the bus to the office.

How many blankets do you own? A few.

Have you drank enough water today? Probably not.

Do you prefer apple pie or pecan pie? I don't like nuts, so apple pie.

What color takes up most of your wardrobe? Black.

What makes you feel alive? Lots of things.

Who is your last missed call from? Work. They called back, so it's fine xD

Do you have any unusual pet peeves? Probably.

What is a food you think is nasty that most people enjoy? Onions.

Would you rather never be sick again or be rich? Be rich, cos with money you can buy medicine xD

Do you have a specialty dish that you’re really good at making? I suck at cooking.

What video games did you play when you were growing up? Loads and loads of DOS games, usually platformers like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, Commander Keen, Secret Agent, Crystal Caves etc. Broken Sword was another series I got into as a kid, still love it to this day <3

Are you good at making big decisions alone or do you tend to seek approval from others? It depends on the decision and what it affects.

Does your town or city have good public transport, or is it easier to drive? I use public transport and it's a mixed bag. The buses are pretty good but the trains are atrocious - our train line was closed for 10 months in 2023 lol.

What was the last cocktail you drank? Long Island iced tea.

Are you good at keeping running counts and tallies in your head? Depends.

Does your country have its own edition of Big Brother? We never did, we just got the Australian version over here.

How often do you take a nap during the day? Never, unless I have a migraine.

What social media platforms do you use? Facebook and Discord if it counts. I have Twitter/X but I haven't tweeted since 2022 lol.

Are there any foods you hate the smell of but like the taste, or vice versa? Probably, but I can't think.

Do you have a dishwasher? Yep.

Who do you live with? My Mum.

Are you listening to anything right now? NiziU - CLAP CLAP

What is one of your favourite sitcoms? Desperate Housewives counts, right?

Do you make to-do lists? Sometimes.

If you could magically become fluent in any language, what would it be? Japanese or Mandarin.

Have you ever tried vegan ice cream? No.

What pet names do you use for your friends/loved ones? I call my boyfriend babe and baby xD

What pet names do you like to be called? I love most of them - my boyfriend calls me babe, baby, baby girl, sweetheart, darlin, kitten, sugar, buttercup etc.

What was the best concert you’ve ever seen? It's hard to pick, but right now I gotta go with Five last night <3

Do you have any hobbies? Loads - video games, music, writing, watching and attending wrestling shows etc.

What is your favourite pasta shape? Dunno xD

Have you ever developed your own film? Yes, cos I took Photography at school.

When was the last time you stayed in a hotel/motel and where was that? Hotel - 2019 in Melbourne. Motel - not for years, prob when Zoe came up to Auckland and I stayed with her lol.

What breed was the last dog you saw? Not sure, but it was really small and super cute.

Do you watch the Super Bowl? I watched some of it this year, I gave up after the halftime show ended lol.

What’s your favourite Disney movie? Dunno.

What’s the most stressful job you’ve ever had? Call centre, I hate answering phones. I do it at my current job, but it's more chill now.

What was the last text message you received? It's from my boyfriend, he texted just to tell me how nice his lunch was, LOL.

Should you be asleep right now? If so, go to bed! It's 4:39pm, so no.

[seasonsofeverlark]

Beautiful Dreams

Author: @ameliaodair​

Prompt:  Katniss and the children are down with a cold. Peeta takes care of them. Brings them Lamb Stew and favourite baked goods. He draws colouring pages for the kids but all are colouring. He puts in a fall realted movie. As all who are sick are snuggled together in the master bedroom. Katniss says shes cold Peeta goes and gets more blankets walks out of the room to get more comes back and looks at his wife and children all cuddling together watching the movie and thinks how did he deserve this. [submitted by @katnissandpeeta125​]

Rating: G

Author’s Notes: Thank you @eiramrelyat​ for betaing :)

Word Count: 1977

___________

“Thanks, dad. Katniss caught the kids’ cold and woke up feeling pretty miserable this morning,”  I tell my father, explaining the care package I am picking up after placing the order at the butt crack of dawn.  It is filled with all of her favorite foods; two pints of lamb stew, a dozen cheese buns, and half a dozen mini rolls of Mallorca sweet bread for the kids.

“The kids are feeling better, though?”

“They’re on the uphill slope,”  I tell my dad as I climb into the driver’s seat of my car.  “I better hurry up and get back before the kids destroy the house. I love you, dad!”  I yell out to him before shutting the door behind me, and wave through the window as I pull out of the parking lot.

“Daddy, Daddy!”  Stella yells excitedly as soon as I open the door. She runs up to me and wraps her tiny arms around my legs⎯ nearly knocking me down in her all too adorable Winnie the Pooh pajamas. 

It utterly blows my mind at how easily children bounce back after being sick.  I remember around a year ago when Stella had the flu. It only took her two days before she was running around, bouncing off the walls and full of energy. Yet, when Katniss and I were run down with fevers, it had been almost a week before we could muster the energy to simply lift our heads from the pillow.  Thank goodness for our wonderful parents who live less than five minutes away, or I do not know what we would have done.

“Hey sweetheart, where is your brother?”  I ask her, making my way into the kitchen to place the care package down on the island.

“In his cwib, daddy,”  she tells me matter-of-factly, giving me a slight roll of her eyes as if I should already be aware of this information.  Scooping Stella up, I raise her in the air and blow a raspberry on her belly.

“Why don’t we go check on him?”  I ask her once her giggles subside, then I carry her into her and her brother’s room and set her down.

Lucas is sitting up in the corner of his crib, hugging one of his favorite stuffed animal teddy bears.  At the sight of me, he erupts into the most adorable toothless grin, seeming to emanate an almost iridescent light in the process.

“Come on big guy, how are you feeling today?”

“Da-da.  Ma-mee!”  He chirps, grabbing onto the rail of his crib to steady himself while holding his stuffed teddy bear out to me.  I reach in the crib to scoop him up, and the three of us make our way into the kitchen.  We stop at mine and Katniss’s bedroom first, and I crack the door open, poking my head in to peek in on her.  But no matter how sick she is, her hunter’s instincts are always as keen as ever, and she lifts her head groggily from her pillow.

“Peeta, are you okay, the kids—” She croaks, her froggy voice sounding no worse for the wear.

“We’re okay, I was just going to heat up some lamb stew.  You want some?”

“That sounds amazing.  Will you guys  keep me company?”  She whines in her sick throaty voice.

“Of course, just give us a few minutes and we’ll be in here.”

“Okay.”  She moans and her head collapses to the pillow, gravity getting the best of her.

Once we are in the kitchen, I strap Lucas into his highchair while I heat the lamb stew.

“Daddy, forgot to get dressed!”  Stella squeals, already trying to peel off her nightgown.

I pour the lamb stew into a pot and set it on the stove to simmer for a few minutes. “Honey, remember, we’re having a sick day, pajama’s only,”  I playfully scold her, twirling around like one of her ballerinas to show off my own pajama pants.

“Do you guys want to watch a movie with me and mommy in our bed?”  I ask Stella, raising my voice an octave near the end to make it sound more enticing than it actually is. 

“Wif lots of bwankets and piwwow’s?”  Stella beams, her eyes lighting up as if it’s Christmas morning.

“No—” I begin, frowning and pretending it’s a bad idea and my heart sinks when I see her eyes sadden a bit, so I quickly brighten my face with a radiant smile, “—with lots and LOTS of pillows and blankets!”  I finish quickly and watch as her eyes return to their previous state of sheer excitement.

“And coworing, daddy?”  she asks, already running into the playroom to collect her crayons.

Lucas is squirming in his seat, already bored of sitting there with nothing to do, so I hand him a wooden spoon to bang against the tray of his highchair.  Stella returns with her container of assorted crayons, and I frown at her, wondering why she didn’t bring her coloring books.

I stir the lamb stew and test it out on my tongue, making sure it’s hot enough, and then give my attention to Stella.

“You forgot your coloring books, sweetie.”  I point out.

“Siwwy daddy, you draw the coworings.” She grins, shaking her head and pointing to me.

“Oh, okay,”  I concede, shrugging my shoulders.  

One rainy day a few months ago, Stella was flipping through a coloring book, and noticing her frustration after the third time, I asked her what was wrong.  With a disappointed face, she informed me that the coloring book didn’t have the specific image she had in mind, so I offered to draw it for her.  Ever since then, Stella refuses to color in the pre-drawn coloring books⎯ preferring  my sketches instead, which I suppose I should be proud of.  My daughter does have exquisite tastes.

“I think it’s done, are you guys ready?”  I ask the kids after scooping the stew into two bowls and placing them on the food tray.  I remove the tray from Lucas’s highchair and pick him up to set him down on the floor.

“I’ll carry our food and drinks. Stella, will you help your brother?  We’ll come back for the rest after we eat.”

I carefully pick up the food tray which contains two bowls of lamb stew, a plateful of cheese buns, and the sweet bread, then motion for Stella to follow me into mine and Katniss’s bedroom.  When I look behind me to make sure they are not far behind, my heart swells with an inordinate amount of pride as I see Stella crawling on the floor next to Lucas.  She’s making a game of having him chase her into our room, and I cannot help the ear-splitting grin that overcomes my face⎯ nor do I want to.

Katniss is already sitting up in our massive bed and has made room for the three of us to climb in with her.  I hand her the soup and she takes it greedily⎯ lamb stew being her favorite.  Stella climbs in first and scoots up to Katniss, then I pick Lucas up from the floor and swing him in the air and plop him onto the bed. He bursts into a contagious round of giggles that Stella catches for a moment.

Once the kids have calmed down, I climb in next to the kids and we all situate ourselves under the covers, getting ready to have breakfast in bed as a family.  Stella grabs her own piece of bread and takes a bite into it.

“Peeta, will you hand Stella a napkin?  I don’t want crumbs—”  Before Katniss is able to finish, I already have a towel wrapped around Stella’s waist, ensuring that it will catch any pieces that do not make it into her mouth. 

Katniss turns her head to meet my eyes and mouths the words ‘I love you.’  I can’t help but lean over the kids and plant a kiss on her forehead.  “I love you too.”  I tell her, meeting her eyes.

“Daddy, you fowgot me!”  Stella mumbles with a mouthful of bread, glaring at me with those beautiful bright blue eyes that resemble my own. 

“One for you—” I tell her, kissing her cheek, and then move to Lucas, “And one for you.”

I begin pinching off pieces of the sweet bread dipped in lamb stew and feed it to Lucas in between bites of my own.

“You guys want to watch a movie?”  Katniss asks after turning her bowl up and slurping the last remnants of her stew.

“I want Winnie-Pooh!”  Stella squeals, scrunching her shoulders up excitedly.

“Winnie-The-Pooh it is!”  Katniss says excitedly, but I see her rolling her eyes behind Stella’s back.  Stella is obsessed with Winnie the Pooh, and we have probably watched ‘Winnie The Pooh’s Season of Giving’ at least fifty times since the beginning of October.  And since Lucas is too small to voice his opinion yet, Winnie The Pooh it is.

Once everyone has finished eating and are moaning over their full bellies, I clear the food from our bedroom and sit the food tray on the counter in the kitchen. I save the dishes for later, eager to return to my amazing family.  Stella disappears for a moment, returning with her container of crayons and my sketch pad.

“Dwaw Pooh, daddy?”  she asks me, her eyes so wide and blue⎯ how can I say no?  I scoop her into my arms, hugging her tightly, and place another kiss on her cheek.

“Of course, baby girl.”  I release her and she snuggles up to Katniss while I sketch her an image of the famous Pooh Bear.  She accepts the picture and secures it on her clipboard and begins coloring away. 

“No, Lucas, we don’t eat crayons, we color with them,”  I tell Lucas, giving him his own piece of paper and showing him how to utilize the crayons.  Fascinated with the array of colors, he begins fashioning his own masterpiece while we watch Winnie the Pooh.

Stella is exhausted by the time she has colored in every bit of white on her paper, as is Lucas.  Tired baby that he is, he nestles himself onto Katniss’s chest, while her chin rests on the top of his baby-soft hair.  She leans up to kiss the top of his head, inhaling his signature baby scent.

“Are you cold?”  I ask Katniss, but I already know the answer as I feel her shivering next to me.

“I’m okay.”  ‘Liar.’ I think to myself.

“I’ll be right back,”  I tell her, popping out of bed before she has time to object and run into the playroom to search for her favorite blanket.  The kids were making a fort a few nights ago, so it must be in here somewhere.  It takes me a little longer than I expected, but I finally find it.

Scooping it up, I make my way back to our bedroom but stop myself in the doorway⎯ my heart fills with so much joy I think it may explode on sight.

Sitting before me on our bed is my beautiful, amazing wife, fast asleep and lightly snoring, with Lucas curled up on her chest just the way he did as 0a newborn.  Stella is scrunched up on her side with Katniss’ arm securely around her back.  And all three of them are fast asleep.

Standing in the doorway, witnessing this perfect family we have created, I grin from ear to ear, intoxicated with so much love, wondering how I got so lucky for these amazing creatures to be mine.  I slip into bed next to them and kiss each of their heads before spreading the blanket out to cover all of us.  And although reality can’t get much better than this, I fall asleep, awaiting beautiful dreams.

[atendersun-archived]

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬

FULL NAME. Mason Uri Thompson

NICKNAME. Muu 

GENDER. Male.

HEIGHT. 5′9″

AGE. 25

ZODIAC. Pisces

SPOKEN LANGUAGES. English is his primary language. Japan is secondary and verse dependent.

𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

HAIR COLOR. Blond

EYE COLOR.  Brown-Green hazel

SKIN TONE. Fair, but with a pink, rosy undertone.

BODY TYPE. Mesomorph. His legs, back, and chest are the most muscular, while his arms trail behind as the leanest parts of his body.

VOICE. Is of average deepness at his normal speaking level, but raises when he’s nervous, or sad. His defense mechanism in stressful situations is to make himself appear smaller for safety purposes, but he’s working on being more aware of it.

DOMINANT HAND. Left

POSTURE. Somewhat arched. Having spent a lengthy amount of his time hunched over in an effort to take up less space as a person has had some life term effects on his posture. He does wear a bright blue brace for about thirty minutes a couple times a week to train his back to stay more upright, but he still finds himself slouching in the presence of people that unknowingly intimated him.

SCARS. He has a round shaped scar on his left arm from an incident with a colleague nearly from about five years earlier, so it has a lot time to heal to the point of being far less noticeable than it was when he first acquired it. There are also some very, very faded scars along his lower back from being unintentionally attacked by a dog as a child. He’d startled it when trying to retrieve a toy from a neighbor’s yard, and instigated a chase when he ran away. It was a small poodle.

TATTOOS. On the inside of his right arm is a tattoo is of very cartoony version of the character Oh from the movie Home. When he was very lonely, and down on himself, it became it his comfort film. He related a lot to the alien character of the film. When on a whim, he decided to get a tattoo, he knew he wanted it to be of something with a lot of meaning to him, but also something that would strike a sense of familiarity to those who also felt like they were an Oh in the world too.

BIRTHMARKS. On the side of his upper left leg, quite close to his butt in fact, is a small, circular mark with tiny, darker colored dots within it. If looked at the right angle, it almost appears to a smiley face. As kind of odd as it is, he really likes his birthmark, and the location it resides on. For a very long time, he held a lot hatred for his lower body for things that took a lot of counseling to come to terms with. Nowadays, he’s far too comfortable pulling down the back of pants just enough to flash his birthmark to people.

MOST NOTICEABLE FEATURE(S). In the sunny, warm seasons of the year, he tends to get freckles that scatter primarily across his nose and his arms. They cease to be noticeable come late fall only to reappear after the rainy parts of spring.

𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝

PLACE OF BIRTH. From what he’d been told by his grandparents, he had been born while his father and mother still resided on a military base somewhere within the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. After circumstances leading to the questioning of his mother’s parenting abilities, both him and his brother were relocated states away to live with their paternal grandparents once their father released custody to them in order for him to join the Navy.

HOMETOWN. Verse Dependent

SIBLINGS. An older brother named Matthew who is about two years older than himself.

PARENTS. His mother is entirely absent from his life after a string of broken promises that she’d gotten her life together enough to be a good mom to him, while his father and him are just distant from having very little in common with another. They can hold civil conversations with one another when they interact for brief moments at family get togethers, but he still is far closer to his grandmother than he is with any other parental figure in his life.

𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞

OCCUPATION. Preschool teacher at a daycare center for children between the ages of 6 weeks old to 6 years old. He never imagined himself as ever working with children, because quite frankly they kind of scared him at one point, but he loves his job more than he would have ever expected.

CURRENT RESIDENCE. He lives alone in a very spacious home that was actually leased to him when the man knew the younger was seeking out a place to live after an end to a relationship. His favorite thing in all of his home is the very large bath tub. It is far more comparable to a pool than a tub, but he has not yet had anything occur where he questioned downsizing it.

CLOSE FRIENDS. All of ‘em. Every last one of them. He has been especially grateful for the opportunities to reconnect with Hisao @angstiism, Hannah @kannojo, Alex @dis--parity, Pchan @nvrcmplt​, and Yukio @silvxcs. Someday, when he grows the guts to meet with and check up on some old, familiar faces, such as Archer at @sonderrow, and Nicole @gamenu, he’d like to just listen intently in regards to where life has led them. He also is blossoming in the new friendships he is forming with new people.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS. Verse Dependent.

FINANCIAL STATUS. He falls somewhere on the back end of middle class, yet he doesn’t really mind. It is familiar for him enough that he has learned how to make do without having a lot of money left over. It is for the best, really, because he still remembers very much so the ridiculous amount of money he’d spent only on pudding and snacks many years ago.

DRIVER’S LICENSE. No. He’s terrified to learn how to drive, so he just makes do with either walking, riding the bus, and sometimes even riding his bike if he has the energy to do so.

CRIMINAL RECORD. Clean. He’d like to say he’s done some wild things that have gone untraced, but the most adventurous he’s ever gotten was the time he stole a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal from a store in the mall. He later went back to pay for it out of guilt, so even that one doesn’t particularly count.

VICES. The constant need to be busy doing something to give his brain far less of a chance to dwell on things he is not satisfied with dwelling on. Maintaining an active and creative lifestyle are very important to him. Otherwise, in the event he does sink to an unexpected low, he tends to build himself back up by indulging in activities that brought him peace as a child. Doodling, watching cartoons, buying random things online from things he watched a kid to boost serotonin. His latest thing is to actually read poetry. He finds it really enjoyable to see something on a page that artistically expresses thoughts he can relate to, and has since started to collect an abundance of poetry books.

𝐬𝐞𝐱 & 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

SEXUAL ORIENTATION. He identifies under the queer label. He doesn’t really know for certain where he falls in terms of sexual attraction, since frankly he went years without even getting close to it, but he does know that he has deep feelings for all kinds of people underneath other categories of attraction. A more descriptive way of describing himself would be to say demisexual panromantic, but he prefers to use queer.

PREFERRED EMOTIONAL ROLE. Honestly, he really just thrives on fulfilling whatever role his partners request. He loves to care for people to immeasurable bounds, while shifting to a relaxed, or sometimes needier side of himself when the roles are reversed.

PREFERRED SEXUAL ROLE. He’ll tell you he’s a switch with a preference for topping, but in reality he is a switch with a preference for literally doing whatever the person he feels comfort and admiration for enough to get to that level with them in the first place. He does get a tad bitter when people make suggestions that he doesn’t have the assertiveness to be the dominant partner in those types of relations, and is therefore trying to education himself as much as he can on the overall process before he can even consider taking the reigns like that in real time.

LIBIDO. For the most part, very low. In his main timelines, he has gone seven years without going completely all the way with another person out of a fear of what could follow after that level of intimacy. He doesn’t necessarily have those same fears, but he does feel completely out of the loop in comparison to peers of his who have far more experience than he does. He is at least putting a lot of effort and thoughtfulness into being a more sex positive person, so in time he believes he will reach a point where he will have an average adult male libido.

TURN ON’S. Words of encouragement and affirmation, undivided attention, and playfulness are the primarily ones. Even if it doesn’t always sound exciting in its application, Mason actually finds it really helpful when a partner either verbally describes why and where they are touching him, or how they want him to touch them instead, because it gives a complete sense of clarity and consent. He’s admittedly very inexperienced and clueless, so being shown AND told are clearer in his mind than just being left to try and plan out his next move with limited reference.

TURN OFF’S. Dirty talk. Being called things like whore, slut, or other demeaning names while having sex not only turns him off, but it also really hurts his feelings even when it is jokingly implied that he is being labeled something bad. He also does not really like being referred to things such as little boy, bitch, baby boy. He doesn’t mind being called Baby when it is used to be an affectionate pet name, and he is so much of a sucker for being complimented on, that he’d probably not even bat an eye if someone playfully called him Princess. Just not around other people, because he takes his pride in being a top-man very seriously.

IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES. His main two love languages are words of affirmation and physical touch, while the others typically fall not too far behind. He also really just loves the ability to spend time with another person where both people are doing their own thing together. Those moments when he can just glance over to see the twitch of his partner’s lips, or the squinting of their eyes when they get seriously invested in their passion are very meaningful to him. He is also aware that he comes with things that are not always the easiest to love, such as heavy subjects spoken only about in serious conversations, and in the days that are harder to get out of bed than others, so he tries to actively make up for it in the ways he knows how. He’ll often take over the bulk of the work around the house and yard. As a man with a little bit of knowledge about a lot of topics, and a lot of love to give around to make up the difference, he seeks to love and be loved unconditionally by putting in all of his effort to doing whatever he knows will bring the people he is dating complete happiness. 

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬

CHARACTER’S THEME SONG.  Here I am Alive, by Yellowcard and Way Less Sad, by AJR.

HOBBIES TO PASS TIME. Learning how to play the ukulele, drawing, listening to music, playing videogames from time to time, and texting his friends.

LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED. Right.

PHOBIAS. He really doesn’t have any of the same intense, yet irrational fears as he did as a young man, so it is a lot more difficult for him to pinpoint whether or not he has any remaining phobias. In some ways, the fears of rejection and abandonment still linger at the back of his mind from time to time. Otherwise, he would likely only become of just how terrifyingly ingrained something was to him at the exact moment he was face to face with it. Additionally, he does not hold any trust towards demons, and would scream profusely if he was locked in a room with one, but he refuses to admit that he finds them scary out of spite.

SELF CONFIDENCE LEVEL. For the most part, it is pretty comparable to the self confidence level he had as an innocent, wildly curious teenager, and is a thousand percent better than when he was experiencing the complete lack of self esteem that came with the depression of his very early twenties. He still wrangles with moments of issues of self worth and blaming himself for things that he is slowly becoming to terms with being the result of other people’s problems instead of his own, but they are at least only on very few occasions. Saying he necessarily loves himself would really likely come down to who he is present with at the time, because in some circumstances he believes saying such a thing would lead to him being punished for reasons he might not be able to explain.

VULNERABILITIES. Expressing his feelings to people. He spends a lot of energy dreading the possibilities that can occur by him being anything but kind and happy around the people in his life. He takes no pride in thinking that he’d some way be passing on his troubles onto another person, thus making them take on part of his low as they go about their own day. Logically, he knows that the likelihood of someone physically striking him for expressing his emotions are low, but internally he knows why that sense of fear is there in the first place. He’d rather be a person who is openly loved and feels internally than be someone who feels openly and is not loved at all. It is very telling of his complete trust in another person when he cries around them.

[silverarmedassassin]

Silent Night

Pairing: 40s!Bucky x Reader Word Count: 1266 Warnings: Soft Bucky, a concerned Winnifred Barnes. Steve annoying Bucky with his talk about the serum again. Summary: Twas the night before Christmas...and Bucky has the perfect gift for you. 

A/N: I couldn’t control myself and wrote a third installment of 40s!Bucky. Again, it’s not necessary to read the first two, but they all compliment each other. But I’m not about to tell you what to do. Enjoy! Oh, and this wasn’t edited prior to posting so....sorry!

Read Part One & Party Two | 2019 Christmas Masterlist

Bucky had never seen anything so beautiful. You were curled to his side, head resting on his chest while your fists held onto his uniform coat like your life depended on it. And, as far as he knew, it did. Because you were his whole world, and he was darn sure he was yours.

Across the small sitting room, situated by the dying embers of the fireplace, Beccas was sitting on the floor in front of Bucky’s ma, who was sat in her favorite reading chair combing through her daughter’s curls with her fingers. Steve was standing by the bay window watching as large snowflakes fell to the earth. Bucky thought he would never enjoy the sight of the snow again, but it was different when he was home. Different when he was with you.

“Did it hurt?” Becca asks. Bucky chuckles because it’s one of the first things he’d asked Steve too.

The rumble in his chest causes you to stir, but just slightly. As much as he wishes you were awake; that he could see your pretty eyes light up when he calls you one of his pet names; to hear you say his name, he’s glad you’re getting some rest. Beck and his ma had told him of the countless sleepless nights at the Barnes household, you hauled up in his sister’s bed as you both cried and yearned for his return. He understood the pain, the longing of being reunited and the inability to sleep out of worry. If he could do one thing while he’s home, it would be to make sure you at least rested.

Bucky waits until your breathing even outs again before he returns his attention to his family. Steve is blabbing on about Dr. Erskine and his serum, how he’s no longer sick and can see color. As much as he loved Steve, he didn’t want to listen to the recounting of his transformation again. So Bucky draws the attention from Steve in the best way he can.

“Gee, it’s mighty late,” Bucky says as he gives a dramatic yawn. It wasn’t fake - he was tired - it’s just he could probably stand staying up another hour or two if it meant extra time with his family. Bus desperate times…

“You’re right. Becky, you need to head to sleep,” Mrs. Barnes says as she drops her daughter now-braided hair. “We’re still going to Christmas Mass tomorrow morning.”

The young girl - well not as young as Bucky had left her, a woman of 21 now - grumbles as she stands. “Fine,” she says bending down to kiss her mother on the cheek. After she makes her rounds, she heads off down the hall.

Steve is already setting up the sheets Mrs. Barnes had brought out for him when they returned to the Barnes’ home, and Bucky is trying to rouse you long enough to get you to his bed. Somehow, with the help of Bucky and his ma he knows, your parents had agreed to let you stay the night. With a quick kiss to both their cheeks and a promise to be respectable, you were bounding out the front door, changed from that wonderful number you’d been wearing earlier and a bag gently packed with a dress for church in the morning in hand.

“Why don’t you just leave her, darling,” Winnifred says as she watches her son have no luck with waking you. “I haven’t seen her this deep in sleep for so long. You deserve your bed, anyway.”

Bucky looks down at you and sighs. If his ma was saying it was okay for you to sleep on the two-seater, it should be fine. But he wasn’t about to sleep in his own bed with you on the old lumpy thing.

“Nah, I’ll stay out here. The bed would probably be too soft anyway,” Bucky replies as he shifts and shimmies his way from under your sleeping body. He grabs the afghan his mother kept thrown over the back of the sofa and tucked it around your sleeping form.

“Let me grab you some blankets, then,” his mother says, but Bucky stops her.

“Let me help.”

He follows her down the short hallway to the linen closet. He isn’t much help since Winnifred keeps shooing him away when he goes to grab a pillow or blanket. Let me take care of you. You deserve it she keeps saying, and it makes Bucky feel guilty.

“Hey Ma,” Bucky finally says as he manages to grab the quilt from his mother’s arms. “Can I ask ya somethin’?”

“Of course, darling,” she almost laughs but stops when she turns to see the look in Bucky’s eyes. Gone is the light-heartedness she’s used to seeing, that she’d been seeing all night. His blues, identical to hers and Becca’s, are clouded over, an unavoidable storm brewing under the surface. “James? What is it?”

Bucky wrings his hands in the thick cotton fabric and looks away from his mother’s gaze. The entire trip home he’d been thinking about this moment, and the moments that would follow - the happiness that comes with being a man and wife, gold rings on their left hands symbolizing their commitment to forever.

“Remember Grandma’s ring? The one she gave to Pa to give to you to give to me?” He can feel himself starting to ramble, so he shuts his mouth tight.

“Yes?” Winnie asks. There’s a slight bit of excitement in her tone, maybe a lot of fear as well.

“I think I’m ready, Ma. I gotta ask Y/N to marry me before I leave again.”

Winnie nearly drops the sheets she’d been gripping. Although she’s not shocked by her son’s revelation, the timing is less than ideal. “James...Are you sure? She’s waited an awfully long time for you, didn’t even know if there was still a you to wait for there for a while. Are you sure you want to do that to her?”

Bucky sighs. Of course, his mother would bring up the one thing he’s fretted about since deciding he was going to ask you to marry him. He knew it was unfair to ask you to wait for him, to commit to him and him only when he was thousands of miles away. He didn’t know how much longer he’d be gone or if he’d come back. But he didn’t think he could leave again with making you officially his. 

“Ma, this is the only thing that’s been keeping me going. Knowing that Y/N is here, safe and waiting for me. It’s not fair, I know, and she deserves someone who will be here for her and treat her right. But I’ve seen these boys, these men around here and none of ‘em deserve her. I don’t deserve her. But somehow the good God above gave me her and I’m not letting that go.” 

Bucky stops to take a breath, try to figure out what his mother is thinking. Those eyes of her, always so good at keeping secrets, give nothing away. “Please, Ma. Please.” He whispers, almost begs. 

A moment passes before Winnie gently smiles. She returns the sheets to their place on the shelf in the closet and motions towards her bedroom door.

“Well come on, then. I’ve got to show you how to properly care for it before I go turning it over.”

His mother continues on as she opens her jewelry box - something about resizing, cleaning, the such - but honestly, Bucky isn’t listening. All he can think of is giving you forever, just like you deserve. 

[khadij-al-kubra]

Imagine, if you will, FtM single dad Patton and little anxious kid Virgil. Based off of “Rockabye” (Acoustic Version) sung by The Mayries. Patton is kicked out of his house after coming out and his trashy bf dumps him after finding out Pat’s pregnant. Pat works day in and day out to support Virgil and one day, he meets Logan. Single dad Lo with little maniac energy Roman. Logan, I dunno let’s be cheesy, own a coffee shop and meets the overworked dad and it’s just Bam. Love at first coffee.

Okay, I just listened to the song and….literal tears! ~TT^TT~ I absolutely ADORE this idea! The Patton angst hurts my heart but luckily i’m good at taking angst and making fluff! So Lets take this wonderful idea of yours a step further lovely anon! [Disclaimer, long post ahead] Picture this:

Rockabye AU:

Logan was divorced from his wife Valerie because they grew apart. The union ended amicably and even though Logan got majority custody because the mom travels a lot for work (part of why their marriage didn’t work out) Roman and his mom do still have a healthy relationship even if they don’t see each other often. She and Logan actually make better friends than they ever did as husband and wife!! XD

His coffee shop is right next to a University where he substitute teaches part time to help with the bills. And his coffee shop is called the Logos Roast (because he roasts people with logic and that is the ONLY pun he will ever admit to making XD). The coffee shop is popular with students and professors, so along with the sub work he makes a fairly comfortable living.

Roman is all over the place, energetic, imaginative and on the autism spectrum (because I SAY SO) yet Logan loves him to bits!!! He encourages Roman’s imagination and love of the arts by reading him classic fairytales and myths from all different cultures and will play violin (yes he plays violin to relax because why not?) for him. It’s one of the only two things that’ll calm Roman. The other being his super soft & soothing stuffed dragon he takes everywhere. They both also share a love of astronomy, and sometimes Roman will make up stories with them.

There’s a corner of the coffee shop with chairs and bookshelves for people to read in and Roman will often be found there either coloring or reading grimms fairy tales. Logan has to take his son to work with him somedays, and it’s tough helping customers AND keeping an eye on his son.

He meets Patton one day when the stressed single dad comes in and orders a hot chocolate with a shot of espresso, whipped cream and cinnamon, holding his small six year old son on his hip. Logan is immediately smitten but notices the sadness in Patton’s soulful blue eyes, yet he still has this tired yet hopeful and bright smile. Logan says hi gently to Virgil, smiling in a way that the normally shy child actually opens up to a bit. Virgil has selective mutism (again why not? because i say so) and his Papa has been teaching him sign from a book borrowed from the library. Logan catches Virgil signing something and signs back (he took ASL in college). He gives Patton the order and writes a line of Shakespeare’s sonnet on the side. Logan also offers (with Patton’s permission and checking no allergies) Virgil a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven, his treat. Patton reads this, sees Virgil’s tiny smile,  and smiles so brightly. 

Logan is head over heels!!! He is not good with emotions. He is all books and logic and organization and keeping a modicum of control in order to support his son and keep his once chaotic life (divorce be a bitch) under control. But Patton has now become the X factor in his life and honestly, he doesn’t want to subtract him from the equation. Not this bright beautiful soul.

Patton comes to the Logos Roast at least twice a week now as a treat, especially because it’s by one of the places he works at. He and Logan start talking more and more, little by little and form a bond. Patton wont admit to himself how much he likes Logan though. Mind you, he finds Logan EXTREMELY attractive. But Patton thinks he has no time for romance and frankly has been guarding his heart like a dragon’s hoard ever since is ex abandoned him and their child. So while he’s willing to be friends with this kind and brilliant single dad (you bet your ass they bond over that and share parenting tips), he refuses to fall in love.

Virgil and Roman even get to becoming friends, which both dad’s are very happy about. Even though Roman normally has a lot of energy and doesn’t have much of a filter, Virgil and him bond over mutual love of disney. (it helped that Virgil was wearing a Winnie the Poo shirt from goodwill under a patched up oversized Jack Skellington hoodie) Six year old Roman learns to tone it down around the shy and sound sensitive anxious Virgil, because he intuitively understands what it’s like to get sensory overloads. And Virgil happily listens to Roman rant about his favorite subjects and stories he makes up. They also both like to draw together when their dads are busy. Patton is so happy and proud that his bright but shy son finally found a friend!

One day Patton comes in and he looks more tired than usual (which is saying something) and Logan can’t help but ask what’s wrong, and his tone is so sincere and gentle that Patton burst into tears. It’s been a HARD week for Patton, between balancing his jobs as a waiter at a diner by the waterline at night, working part time at an animal shelter (which he actually enjoys), and working as a janitor on weekends. He hates the diner job most of all because his boss is also horrible and leers at him, stupid hips and chest; he didn’t used to mind his body most days,it gave him Virgil after all, but he HATES being seen as a girl AND leered at, and it’s not like he can afford a binder. Patton does his best to make time for Virgil and keep him in school, or at least tame him to the public library, but he’s tired and overworked and after five years on his own he just doesn’t know what to do anymore!!! And he’s so scared that social services might take Virgil away from him if they think he’s not able to take care of his son, and Virgil is all he has left in this world, he just cant LOSE HIM!!! Patton promised Virgil the day he was born that he’d give his son the life he deserved someday but it’s so HARD! He just can’t do it alone! He just weeps.

Logan’s protective instincts kick in and he immediately tries his best to calm Patton down, even going around the counter to embrace Patton. this is the first time they’ve touched beyond hand brushes and they both just melt into each other. Logan asks his co-worker Remy to cover for him while he takes Patton around back. Remy’s been seeing their obvious chemistry for a while now and agrees happily. 

With gentle comfort and encouragements, and after talking the man through some breathing exercises, Patton finally tells Logan his whole story. By the end Logan is FURIOUS at this douchebag and Patton’s family for abandoning him and Virgil (whom he now adores) for his gender, sexuality, and child. But he also now has even greater admiration for Patton, this forlorn yet hopeful and bright as sunlight soul who’s become the object of his deepest affections, more so than anyone else in his life! (well next to his son of course)

Logan offers to help Patton. He wants to because not only has he come to care for Patton and Virgil both, but because he knows that Patton is capable of so much more in his life, of doing great things for himself and others, if he just had a little more support. Logan asks Patton to let him be his support for now, or for as long as he let’s him be. Logan emphasizes his last please with a kiss to the back of Patton’s hands. ANd as he hold them and they look into each other’s eyes, Patton see’s just how much Logan means this and means to him. He nods yes, and two days later, he and Virgil have moved in with Logan.

Patton insists on “earning his keep” by offering to cook and help keep the house clean. Since Logan is actually a pretty terrible cook, both he and Roman are actually really grateful to have Patton’s help in the kitchen. Plus, his food is HEAVENLY OH MY GOSH!! Logan offers Patton a job at the coffee shop part time as the baker, and because of this he is able to quit his diner and janitor jobs. Patton couldn’t be happier. Even Virgil seems happier and is sleeping better knowing his Papa isn’t so stressed and sad anymore. Plus it helps that they aren’t sleeping together on a mattress in a cold one floor apartment.

Overtime Logan and Patton grow closer and closer, and they get along really well with each other’s sons. Logan is a great source of calm and quiet for Virgil, and Patton actually has the energy and effervescence (as well as the patience) to keep up with Roman. They can’t help but laugh and blush however when one day they come home from work to find a messy kitchen, a battery candle lit dinner, and their two eight/nine year old sons covered in food bits waiting for them. (the boys may have gotten the idea from The Parent Trap XD)

Finally Patton and Logan officially start a relationship. Patton opens himself up again, Logan subtly yet significantly becomes better at displaying his emotions, and Logan even helps Patton through his dysphoric days. Logan always assures Patton that he sees him for the strong, kind, handsome man that he is and not as a woman. Yes, Logan is attracted to both men and women, but he fell for Patton’s soul, not his body. And Patton feels the exact same way, because okay, he admits it, he ADORES Logan! They balance each other out in way neither of them ever knew they needed. (plus their chemistry is, well, brewing quite nicely in other ways on nights when uncle Remy and his partner Dante offers to babysit the kids ;D )

When they have a holiday dinner with Logan’s family over they all get to meet the Patton and Virgil they’ve heard so much about. Turns out Logan’s got a big family since his parents are polyamorous. So he has two moms, a dad, an enby and three sibling. All of whom welcome Patton with open arms. (give my boy a better family than his birth parents goddamnit!) During dinner, Logan makes a fumbled nervous but heartfelt declaration of love for Patton, gets down on one knee, presents a ring to Patton and asks if he will give him the honor and joy of becoming his husband? Patton of course says yes.

They have a simple wedding with close friends and family on the university campus with a reception in the library. (it’s a fancy ass university and Logan pulled some strings). Patton wears a fetching suit, complete with his brand new binder that Valerie (because yes they met, logan did gush to her about him over phone calls, and became besties) gifted him. And to everyone’s slight surprise Logan decided to wear a silvery wedding dress with a midnight blue blazer over it, because screw gender constraints he wanted to look and feel elegant on his wedding day to the most beautiful man he’s ever met, and Patton is in joyful tears. and of course Virgil and Roman are the flower boy and ring bearer. 

They become husbands, Patton feels loved for who he is, Logan is the happiest he’s ever been, Roman has a new Papa and brother, Virgil has a new Dad and brother, and they all found family in each other. While Patton may have started out scared an alone, he got back more than he ever could’ve dreamed for himself and his son. Safety, family, home and love. More than that, he was finally able to keep his promise to his baby boy. For that, it was all worth it.

THE END!!! I hope you enjoy it anon and everyone because holy heck did i cry writing this but ADlsjkfa THANK YOU FOR THE IDEA!!!!

[the-canary]

Stay Gold - B.B (2/5)

Summary: Ours doesn’t have a happy ending, but I’ll give you everything else. (Reader/Mobster!Bucky Barnes) 

Prompt: Everlong - Foo Fighters

A/N: this is for @tropicalcap‘s 4k writing challenge. slightly happier things! 

It takes you a week and a half to convince your father because even though you might not be as rich anymore, he was still a stubborn and prideful man. Your aunt stands behind you when he comes over the weekend after James asks you out politely.

“Please Papa,” you whisper, as his same colored eyes meet yours. You might have taken after you more in almost everything, but you had your father’s stubbornness and will to live. She holds your shoulder and meets her brother-in-law’s eyes.

“I remember certain someone fightn’ tooth an’ nail for her date,” your aunt keeps explaining, as your father’s eyes narrow, “Wouldn't want sugarplum to miss this chance.”

Both you and your father understand what she is trying to say and as brash as an attack that might be for him, your timed cough has its intended effect as he shakes his head,

“Saturday,” is all he says, “And I want ya back by 8.”

Your father leaves the room with a shake of his head, as your aunt squeals in delight. You aren’t too sure what had just happened and exactly what sensitive nerves you had hit by mentioning your mother, but at least now you could go at least on one date in your life.

“I’m gonna doll ya up!”

You try your hardest not to fall in shoes you are are not used to wearing. You try your hardest not get your hopes up over one date. You try to take is slow and easy so that your illness doesn’t flare too much. You try to keep your smiles and fluttering heart to a minimal because nothing is worse than a gal who asks for too much -- as your aunt likes to say.

Bucky smiles as he twirls to a slower moving song, you let out a laugh as the room spins.

‘There is it,” he can’t help but whisper as you look at him with a curious stare, “That’s the smile I was lookin’ fo’.”

You can’t help but cough just a little at the sight of his dazzling smile, as you fail at everything you had set up for yourself, but one date turns to two and so on.

You can’t help but smile at the sight of Bucky sitting next to Charlie, as your only sibling the two of you were attached at the hip with you needing to help take care of him at times. And while sometimes it ran through the time you promised to spend with Bucky, he never complained about -- it was more like he was always there to teach him something new.

“--Did you know--”

Charlie goes into another one of his tandems with the ratty old books he is carrying this time around, but instead of dismissing him like any other adult might do --like father does-- Bucky takes a seat next to him and listen to everything he has to say as you make lunch for the three of you.

You can’t help but think that this is what it is like to have a small family of your own one day, though that might be asking for too much. For now, you are content with what you have.

It’s easy for you to get along with Steve. It isn’t because you are both ill in some way, though that does connect in some form of comradery, but because you are so used to looking through books and art during your time in the hospital -- something Steve had done during his own limited free time as well when Bucky wasn’t there.

Hemingway, Poe, Van Gogh are just some of the things he finds the two of you talking about and while Bucky was a smart young man, mathematics and engineering had always caught his attention a bit more. However, he can’t help but smile at the sight of his two favorite people --outside of the Barnes family-- getting along so well together.

“Why you got such a goofy smile on ya face, punk?” Steve can’t help but ask, as he had been watching that goofy smile bloom onto Bucky’s face for good awhile. You look up from your book and look at the two, still a bit unsure of your placement in all this, but you were happy to be with both of them.

Steve laughs and you smile, “Nothing, jerk.”

Bucky grins. He’s okay with all of this -- all he needs is his family, his best friend, and his best girl and life was sure to be sweet -- Brooklyn had everything he wanted.

However, things that are sweet and youthful aren’t meant to last forever.

Draft No. 32557038.  

James Barnes had been called to the war effort.

Bucky knows what he wants to do, wants to ask when he is ready to leave for Fort McCoy. However, his ma asks him to think about it longer, but the idea is already blooming in depth of his heart when you kiss him sweetly as he leaves for basic training. He dreams about it when there is nothing else to do but stare at the ceiling above his bed at night.

He knows he wants it deep in his bones when you hug after six weeks without seeing your face. You eat dinner with the Barnes family that night and Winnie just knows that look in her son’s sparkling blue eyes -- completely and utterly in love even in the middle of a war.

Maybe, that why she searches for a little object once Bucky decides to walk you back to your aunt’s apartment. She’s sitting in the kitchen when he comes back, as her only son gives her a shy smile.

“You really love her, don’t you?” she can’t help but breathe out while playing with the small piece of jewelry in her hand.

“To the moon and back, ma,” Bucky whispers out lovestruck as she laughs, remembering her own husband and another war from across the sea.

“Well, I hope can you keep it up,” Winnie smile before pulling out a simple gold band that had been given to her decades beforehand. Blue eyes widen as Bucky lets out a delirious chuckle before picking up his mother and swinging her across the room, happy to have her blessing.

Your father is a completely different story, as Bucky wears his Army uniform and his hair slicked back to head to his office when he knows you aren’t going to be there. There is a frog in his throat when he stands in front of his desk. Your eyes, but darker and more somber staring back at him as if knowing what he was already going to ask for.

“Sir,” Bucky states with a stutter, “I would like to ask for your daughter’s hand.”

“And tell me,” he starts off in a tone that reminds Bucky of his own father’s drunken anger but more precise and sober, “Why would I let you have her?”   

The door closes behind Bucky and thought it takes an hour and a lot of sweat and tears, he has your father’s blessing by the end of it.

Charlie comes running down the creaky hallway when he hears you scream. However, it isn’t exactly the sight he was expecting or no that he had been trained for as he sees you towering over Bucky who is on one knee.

“Will ya do me the honor--”

You cradle his head in your arms as tiny laughs and sobs are shared in front of the apartment. Charlie smiles before walking back down the hallway.

Your wedding is a quick one in the church that Barnes attended from time to time. His mom and sisters are there, along with your aunt and Charlie. Your father might not be there due to the last minute business trip, but you have someone better walking down the aisle.

“You better treat her right, punk,” Steve can’t help but chuckle out as he hands out over, only to walk over to Bucky’s right side as his best man.

“Wouldn’t dream of anything else, jerk,” Bucky laughs as the both of you --in a blue tux and lace dress-- turn to face the slightly frowning priest.

By the end, you’re giggling and running in your own little apartment (a gift from your father) a few blocks down as the new Mr. and Mrs. Barnes.

However, the war is quick to remind you that your newlywed bliss is a quick little spark in the tumultuous sea of war, as you and the Barnes family (Steve was nowhere in sight) as you see him away that gloomy morning.

“I’ll miss you,” he states softly, blue eyes staring into yours.

“I love you,” you answer back before kissing him. The moment is too short as the ship’s crew starts declaring that it's time for departure and you try not to cry right then and there as Winnie holds you by the shoulders and Bucky moves away from sight.  

Days turn to weeks and slowly into months, as you keep writing to Bucky about everything that you can even when you don’t send all the letters that you have addressed to him. You try your hardest to stay positive and keep your mind on other things, though it is very limited since you can’t do much, much less help in the war effort.

But, you keep writing and writing and sending letters when you can. As Bucky keeps them --alongside your picture-- as close to his chest as possible, staring at them (like he used to in a different way back in Fort McCoy) when there is a moment of breath.  

My darling, stay safe...stay gold.

Bucky isn’t sure how he is supposed to do all that with all the blood on his hands.

[purplesurveys]

666

hi i’m a little drunk/hungover lmao so just a disclaimer if some of the answers sound a lil too out-there

What is your middle name? ‘Middle name’ is always a tricky term given the different naming customs in the Philippines. My second given name is Isabelle, but what means middle name here is basically my mom’s original surname before getting married, and I’m not giving that away haha. What was your first job? I haven’t had my first job but my first legit internship was at a PR firm. What is your favorite pizza topping? It’s not the most popular opinion out there, but barbecue chicken. I tried BBQ pizza once and never looked back. What was the name of your first imaginary friend? Katrina was the name of my first and only imaginary friend. I was annoyed it wouldn’t talk back to me, so I ditched her after like seven minutes. What was the name of the first pet that you loved? Tobi, my rabbit. He was a sweet one.

How tall are you? Somewhere between 5′1′ and 5′2″ but definitely not 5′2″. List three celebrities that are your height. Lady Gaga and AJ Lee are sort of my height, but I can’t think of a third one. What was your first CD? Pretty sure it was the Camp Rock soundtrack. If not, it would be Beyoncé’s I Am... Sasha Fierce. Idk, they came out the same year. Does your zodiac sign fit your personality? I’m a Taurus, and I’d say most of the descriptions/habits attributed to Tauruses apply to me, but then again so do the descriptions for all the other signs. What is your zodiac sign? ^ What is your Chinese zodiac sign? Year of the tiger. Does your Chinese zodiac sign fit your personalIty? I never cared for Chinese beliefs, so I don’t know how Tiger babies are supposed to be like. What is your favorite color? Right now it’s pastel pink but I also like black, sky blue, and mustard yellow. What was your first favorite color? Purple, because it was my great-grandma’s favorite and all her stuff used to be purple. Which travel destination is top on your bucket list? Right now, it’s Thailand because of all the museums, temples, and street food. Plus I want to conquer Southeast Asia first before I head out to other continents, haha. Have you ever been on a missions trip? Never. Back in my old school they used to give out envelopes to each of us once a year so those who were willing could donate to fund the people going on such trips, but that’s pretty much my only experience with the whole thing. What's your shoe size? My feet can fit in either size 6.5 or 7 shoes. What grade were you in when you had your first crush? My first legit non-celebrity crush was embarrassingly my Grade 5 science teacher. But if we counted reality in the picture, it was Andi, in Grade 6. What color hair did your first crush have? Black. Does anyone know who your first crush was? Not really. It was a small crush and she’s since migrated and is hella straight, so it would be weird to bring up a crush I had ten years ago. It probably wouldn’t be as weird if we stayed close, but we have definitely drifted apart since then. Who was your first celebrity crush? Ashley Tisdale. And that crush was also the reason Ashley was my favorite girl’s name throughout my childhood and tween years haha. Do you keep a diary or journal and write in it frequently? This is essentially my diary. I wouldn’t say I post frequently, especially when I’m busy with school. I usually post during weekends when I have some free time. What was/were the best years of your life so far? The latter half of high school was great, and so was the second half of my time in college. The thing with me is that my adjustment periods in new experiences usually initially go down messily and miserably for me and it takes a while for me to warm up to the environment and the people. But once I do, I end up having the good time I had been envisioning and wishing for. Do you have regrets? I have one big one, but that’s it. I don’t like storing regrets in my head. What do you regret the most? I’ve always felt sorry for myself for having a hard time adjusting in new places. It something I could never help; my first years in high school were marred by failing marks and having no friends, and my first years in college were also spent having no friends, no place to stay in but my car during my breaks, and a lot of self-pity crying and self-harming in said car. I know it was something I felt and couldn’t get out of during the time, but I wish someone told me to just not be afraid and start doing stuff much earlier. There’s been a number of opportunities that I let fly by me just because I was depressed and moped around all day. While I’m grateful for the experiences I have now, I just regret the fact that I could have had more if I didn’t adjust so badly. Are you double-jointed? Nope. What are you allergic to? No allergies. Have you ever owned a designer purse? A couple, but tbh they are hand-me-downs from my mom. Do you wear contacts or glasses? Glasses. I can’t imagine wearing contacts, I hate the idea of putting, dropping, or inserting anything in my eyes :/ Have you ever had to use an epi pen? I have not. Do you prefer online shopping or in-store shopping? In-store for clothes so I get to try them on or see their actual size; online shopping for literally everything else. Have you ever questioned your sexuality? Like I said in a previous survey, I still question it to this day. I’ve been in one relationship so I don’t really have a grasp of what I want, but it’s never bothered me... it’s not something I feel pressured to know or discover. Demisexual seems to fit me best, so that’s what I go by most days. Did you ever dream of running away from home? I did, as most disgruntled, emo, puberty-stricken teenagers do. What color was your first phone? I think the phone itself was gray? but I got it with a red Winnie the Pooh case. Who do you know who is colorblind? I may know someone, but I’m probably not aware that they are. Do you know anyone with Down's syndrome? Yesssss, one of my aunt’s has Down’s and she is the sweetest, most adorable person. How much do you weigh (only answer if comfortable)? The only time this question has been asked politely lmao. I’m a little under 100 lbs. Have you ever been overweight? Never. I’ve always been either underweight or just...healthy weight lol. Name one friend you miss. [continued from yesterday, so I’m definitely not hungover anymore haha] Sofie. She used to be a best friend, so I miss her the most out of all my past friends. Have you ever made a huge mistake? I’d be surprised if anyone also aged 21 hasn’t made a big mistake in their lives. What pharmacy do you use? My family never really needs to go to pharmacies. Our go-to drugstore is Mercury Drug, if anything. Do you take a lot of prescription meds? Nope.

Do you take vitamins? I used to, but my mom stopped buying when I was like 15 or 16. How many pairs of Lularoe leggings do you own? Zero. Do you prefer skinny jeans or jeggings? Both sound uncomfortable, but I’d wear skinny jeans between the two. What color is your Christmas tree? Green. What color Christmas tree do you want to have in your hosuse someday? Just plain old traditional green would be fine. It makes everything feel Christmassy the most. What color house did you grow up in? It’s white with a red roof and a maroon gate. Have you ever been baptized? If so, how and where? Yep. I got a Catholic baptism and if I’m not mistaken it was in a church in Makati. Do you ever feel embarrased and think to yourself, "I'm so stupid"? Duh. Do you think you look better with long or short haIr? Short hair. I actually just got a haircut (my first in nearly two years) and finally got bangs like half an hour ago lmao. What type of wedding do you want? I don’t know about ‘types’ of weddings... but my dream wedding would be big but still traditional, held in a huge venue with lots of flowers with either an all-white or pastel motif (or a bit of both) and 200-300 guests with delicious food and an open bar and a great live band. Who is someone you wanted to be able to trust but just couldn't? An old friend back in Grade 5 who ultimately taught me how much trust is supposed to mean, Marielle. Do you read a devotional? No. What's your favorite devotional? Where did you go on your first plane ride? My family and I went to Boracay. Who is your favorite Disney princess? Rapunzel from Tangled. Are you taller or shorter or the same height as your mom? I’m a bit shorter. Do you wish you could afford expensive make-up? Nah, I never wear makeup so it wouldn’t make sense for me to buy them to begin with. Do you make some of the stupidest decisions? I make at least one every day. What country would you most like to visit? Morocco! Or Turkey. What is your heritage? Filipino. What was your first job? I haven’t had a job. Did you like your first job? What are all the jobs you've had? What are jobs you'd like to have? These days I look for money more than fulfillment, so I think I’d be happy with any job that makes me loaded at the end of the day lmao. Have you ever experienced something supernatural? I have not, but I’ve endlessly heard stories from family and friends who have. Do you believe in God? Absolutely not. Do you love God with all your heart? Who is your best friend? Gabie. Do you make your bed every day? Yeah I do. My mom requires me to and besides, it feels so much better coming home to a neat bed. How do you most commonly wear your hair? I usually wear it down. Which family member did you get your hair color from? All Filipinos have black hair. What is your natural hair color? ^

[gritsandbrits]

Danny Phantom OC, Winifred. I have two versions of her backstory and role

Story #1: Winifred was already a mutual friend of the Phantom trio from the start. Starting from the S1 finale she began developing powers which leads her to discover her witch side.

Story #2: Winifred was a new student that Sam befriended in S2. She already had her powers from the start and used them to fight crime. However she's also inexperienced and so she and Danny had to train together in order to work on being heroes.

Weaknesses and hindrances

- Her major flaws includes low confidence and tendency to be a drama/gossip queen

- Unlike Danny and Vlad she can't Transform and has to wear a costume underneath her school clothes

- Her spells are fairly limited, meaning no sudden outbursts of power or Plot Armor

- As a witch she is weak to fire and very extreme conditions like intense heat and gold

- She can still fall prey to possession and other curses if she's not wearing her talisman

- Starts put with low confidence so her spells are weak

- Vulnerable to fairy magic

Strengths and development

- Immune to anti-fairy/dark magic

- Does fairly well against pixie magic

- Becomes more confident, meaning her spells get more stronger

- In the future she becomes the new Mother Witch, using her power to protect the remaining population from the insane Dan.

- Also in the future she casted a powerful spell to weaken Dan (she didn't kill him because she can't cast lethal spells) which lead to his inaction for several years

- Her greatest strengths is her tenacity and empathy

- Her core is Spirit

Facts about Winifred

I don't consider Season three to be canon. The "series finale" will be the intended one as stated by Steve Marmel (where Dark Danny was supposed to be the endgame villain). Also I'm making sure to reduce Sam's Creator's Petism so that she becomes an actual character again.

- She prefers to be called Winnie, leaving some rather cruel jokes "Winnie the Poo-stain"

- Winifred is allergic to cats and latex/rubber

- Winifred will NOT be changing several canon events because she either has no relevancy in certain episodes or they include plot points too important to change

- Her favorite things are watching sappy romantic movies and homemade carrot cake

- Her least favorite things are cats, the subject literature, and horror ("I have to deal with enough monsters as is!")

- Interesting for the children's cartoon her best subject is math from making her own potion recipes

- She celebrates two Pagan holidays, which I have done no research on

- If she existed in canon she wouldn't be a main character or Danny's love interest

- Her costume doesn't have a skirt but she does wear a tunic that has a skirt-like effect

- In my fanmade universe she is Danny's endgame love interest because I never liked Danny x Sam (for reasons I will state in another post)

- Winifred x Danny will NOT happen very quickly nor is it based on the fact that both happen to be supernatural hybrids

- Winifred's main color is magenta

- In the bad future she was sent to a separate dimension to train as well as to keep her protected from Dark Danny. Her future self plays a major role in stopping him in The Ultimate Enemy

Romance Arc

- I created Winifred before Danny x Sam became canon, though she had a different name and admittedly a Mary Sue

- Danny x Sam lasted for a few years until both decided to break off on friendly terms in college

- Winnie and Danny don't really end up together until a few years after they graduated college and settled into their adult lives

- NO LOVE TRIANGLE IS INVOLVED!!!

Powers and Abilities

- Spellcasting

- Magic talisman

- Empathy

- Aura sense

- Broomstick capable of flight

As a bonus, here's a list of ship names!

Danny x Winifred: Blue Cauldron

Tucker x Winifred: Hayshipping

Sam x Winifred: Garnetshipping

Jasmine x Winifred: Twisted Sister

Vlad x Winifred 😱: Black Cauldron

Dark Danny x Winifred: Red Cauldron

Valerie x Winifred: Stakeshipping

Ember x Winifred: Smokey Quartz

Technus x Winifred: Technobroom

Wes Weston x Winifred: Fakeshipping

Paulina x Winifred: Catshipping

Kwan x Winifred: ?

[lupinlongbottom]

Honey

Fred Weasley x Reader

Summary: (Y/N) tries to enjoy a beautiful day near the lake, only to be interrupted by Fred Weasley. He needed help on a Potions assignment, but grew quite intrigued by another book in (Y/N)’s possession.  

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: None, just fluffy goodness.

A/N: Fluffy fluff! That’s all this is. Slightly self indulgent I guess? (Y/N)’s favorite book growing up was my favorite too lol. Ah well. 

__

The wind was blowing slightly, the breeze bringing the scent of spring. Flowers and the faint smell of leather Quidditch gear far from the pitch wafted along the wind. It was (Y/N)’s favorite time of year at Hogwarts, especially when she sat under a rather large tree on the edge of the lake, the water reflecting the sun brightly on it’s crystal surface. (Y/N) leaned against the trunk, closing her eyes gently. It truly was a perfect day.  

“Oi! (Y/N)!” A voice shrieked. (Y/N) opened an eye curiously, trying to find the source of the sound. No luck. She closed her eye again, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. “What’s the matter (L/N)? Didn’t hear me?” She opened both eyes this time, only to be met with one Fred Weasley.

“I heard you,” (Y/N) said automatically. “Didn’t want to answer s’all.”

“Ouch! That hit me hard (Y/N). Hurt my pride a bit.” Fred said, flopping down on a patch of grass near her, laying flat on his back. She rolled her eyes.

“Sure it did,” (Y/N) laughed. Fred always had the flair for the dramatic, trying to usually catch the eye of whoever was around him. “What did you need? I was trying to rest my eyes for a moment.” Fred rolled over on his side, looking at (Y/N) head on. She was still leaned up against the trunk, somehow comfortably, much to Fred’s astonishment. Her hair was flowing with the breeze, the patches of light filtering from the tree above swayed around her. It reminded Fred of the Muggle contraption called a ‘disco ball’ he had heard his father talk so much about. She was ethereal, unbelievably beautiful. Fred couldn’t believe he existed on the same planet in the same place and time she did.

“Needed some help with the Potions homework, seeing as you’re so amazing at the subject,” Fred admitted. “I tried asking Georgie, but he hadn’t done it yet either, if you can imagine that.” (Y/N) pulled her back from the trunk, a bit of her hair caught on the bark behind her, eliciting a small wince of pain as she broke free.

“You—Fred Weasley—want to complete a homework assignment a good three or so days ahead of the due date? Am I getting pranked?” (Y/N) glanced around dramatically, hand grabbing her chest. Would she find a group of people waiting for her reaction? It was hard to say. Fred groaned, flopping back to his backside, staring directly up at the swaying leaves above, the peaks of sunlight shining in his eyes.

“Hey, a guy can change his ways, can’t he?” Fred asked, glancing over. (Y/N) just stared at the redhead with her eyebrow cocked upwards, arms crossed. “Okay, maybe not that drastically. But seriously, I would really appreciate the help.” His eyes found the top of the tree again, not meeting with (Y/N)’s face. His cheeks were slightly pink. He hoped the shade would hide the color from (Y/N)’s gaze. It didn’t, but she chose to ignore it. Or, at least try to.  

“Suppose I could,” (Y/N) sighed. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” She mumbled quietly, hoping Fred didn’t hear. He did, but decided if he wanted any help, he should fight the urge to tease her about it. Still, the words reverberated through his head, repeating back to him over and over. His heart was beating a little faster than normal, a typical reaction that he had whenever (Y/N) was around.

“Great! I owe you big time (Y/N)!” Fred said, sitting straight up. He found himself almost leaning in to hug her, but stopped before he got too close. It would be strange if he did hug her, seeing as they were friends. Just friends.

“You’re in luck. I think I packed my textbook in my bag, do you mind grabbing it for me?” (Y/N) pointed to her brown book bag, tattered on the corners from wear and handling. It was weathered in a way you’d expect, faded and wrinkled from the sun and exposure, the (Y/H) crest adorned smack in the middle of the flap. It was obvious she spent loads of time outside with the bag. Fred leaned over to grab it, looping his hand through the strap and pulling it to his lap, grunting at the surprising weight.

“What do you keep in here? Merlin’s pants! It’s so heavy!” Fred squeaked, flapping the top open. (Y/N) smiled gently at his misery.

“Just the essentials, books, parchment, quills and ink. Usual student stuff.”

“Essentials!? Usual students don’t carry this many books,” Fred mumbled, fingering through the colored covers in the bag. He had found their Potions textbook quite easily, it was thick and a musty purple. A bright blue book caught his eye, leaning up against their textbook. It was small and rather thin compared to the others. He touched it gently, running his fingertips across the worn spine. “Find it?” (Y/N) asked curiously, peeking into her bag. Fred moved the flap so (Y/N) couldn’t gaze into it.

“Oh, yeah,” He hummed. Without a second thought, he grabbed the blue book to look at the cover. “Though, this seems much more interesting.” On the cover was an illustration, Fred assumed it was a child and what looked to be a bear. His eyes scanned the title. “Winnie-the-Pooh?” (Y/N)’s eyes widened, her cheeks growing rosy.

“Give me that!” She leaned forward, trying to snatch the book from Fred’s grasp. He was quick to lean back and away from her grabbing hands. (Y/N) moved to her knees, waddling over to Fred, who raised the book high over his head.

“Not until you tell me what this is!” Fred said, holding the book higher. He silently thanked his parents for blessing him with such a towering height, it had finally had become useful. (Y/N) sighed, admitting defeat.

“It’s a children’s book, a Muggle one,” (Y/N) said, pushing stray hairs behind her ear. “My favorite actually.” She looked embarrassed, as if she had even the slightest reason to be.

“What are you doing with a Muggle book?” Fred asked, almost stupidly. (Y/N) cocked another eyebrow at him as she sat back down against the trunk.

“My mum’s a Muggle, remember?” Suddenly, the fact dawned on Fred, slapping him flat on the face. Of course he remembered. (Y/N) was a half-blood, her father was a wizard who had married a Muggle. (Y/N) was raised mostly in the Muggle world, not really experiencing what the Wizarding World had to offer, seeing as her father chose a life most wizards scoffed at, blending into the Muggle world.

“Oh, right. Forgot.” Fred said hesitantly. He flipped open the front cover to find a hand-written note in the top left corner, drawn in a cramped, looping font.

To my dearest (Y/N),

May Hogwarts fill your life, heart and mind with the many adventures I could never give you.

I’ll miss you my little Honey Pot.

Love,

Mum  

Fred glanced up at (Y/N), her face shined a bright pink hue. Fred couldn’t pull his eyes away from her glowing cheeks, the way her eyes were shifted down at the patch of dirt beneath her hand. His breath hitched, caught in his throat. Merlin was he taken by this girl.

“My mum,” (Y/N) took a deep breath, her cheeks still flamed. “She would read me a story from that book almost every night. The characters felt so—so real, like they were there, beside me. Reading that book now,” (Y/N)’s eyes met Fred’s. “Calms me down, reminds me of home. Makes me feel a little less alone,” Fred didn’t speak. (Y/N)’s face flared brighter, flustered by the silence. “Forget I said anything, let’s—Potions homework. Right.” She reached for her book bag, only to be met with Fred’s hand.

“Read it to me.” He held her hand tightly, afraid to let go. Her palm was slightly calloused. From what? He wondered. Perhaps her broomstick, she had a nasty habit of falling off.  “What?” (Y/N)’s voice snagged. Fred’s eyes were full of intensity, something (Y/N) had only ever witnessed when he was fully invested in his latest and greatest prank. Hardly did she see him look this serious.  

“I—I mean, only if you want to! I’m really interested in what stories Muggle parents tell their kids,” Fred said, stammering. He pulled his hand away. “All we wizard kids have are The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and those stories make little to no sense! Runes, who can read those anyway? Besides, this sounds important to you. I want to hear all about it,” Fred tried to explain himself, paint himself in a curious light perhaps. He could admit he was slightly interested in the book, but he was more interested in hearing (Y/N)’s sweet voice.

“It’s hardly that interesting,” (Y/N) gently grabbed the book from Fred’s grasp, flipping through the worn and slightly yellowed pages. “It’s about a stuffed bear and his friends—”

“Named Pooh?” “Yeah, a toy bear named Pooh—don’t laugh, it’s not the same as what you’re thinking of—they live in a forest you see. They’re usually visited by their good friend Christopher Robin—”

“Christopher Robin?” Fred scoffed. “What kind of name is that?”

“Would you let me finish?” (Y/N) spat, clearly irritated. Fred shut up. “It’s just a collection of stories that the group of friends experience together. Teaching kids the importance of love and friendship and all those good things.”

“So, no deaths?” Fred questioned. (Y/N) looked up from her book, only to notice that Fred was being completely serious, his face hardened in anticipation.

“No. No deaths, it’s a children’s book Fred,” (Y/N) giggled. “Why? Do wizarding stories usually include death?” Fred wiggled up against the tree trunk, closer to (Y/N), looping his hands behind his head, supporting his neck.

“Nah, more like hexes, jinxes and curses really. Lets kids know if you’re a terrible person, the world will punish you for it.” Fred took this chance to lean up next to (Y/N), he was close enough to smell her perfume. Minty and floral, with a hint of honey? Whatever it was, it was entirely delightful. He wanted to breathe it in all day if he could.

“Sounds… dark. Interesting! Terribly dark, but interesting. You’ll have to share a few of those stories with me sometime,” (Y/N) giggled again. “But if you insist on hearing me read—”

“Yes please!” Fred slumped down the trunk, head landing on (Y/N)’s lap. “Read away!” His pointed hand flew to the sky. The movement was sudden, sure, but nothing out of the ordinary.

“Comfy are you?” (Y/N) teased. Fred wiggled, adjusting his head slightly. The grass was tickling his arms, but he decided to fight the urge to move. He was enjoying his position far too greatly.

“Am now. Go on, do your thing.” His eyes were closed, though he knew that (Y/N) was grinning all the while.

“Will do.” (Y/N) cracked open the book and began to read. Her voice was laced with slight excitement, masked by a soft tone. She hadn’t read these stories aloud in a long while. As much as she despised how embarrassed she felt before, the position she currently was in made it feel all worthwhile. Was the excitement truly from the book? Or did it stem from the redhead softly settled on her lap?

“Oh! Honey pot! I get it now! Because the bear—the honey!” Fred interrupted, remembering the note (Y/N)’s mum had written in the cover. “It’s a lovely nickname.”

“Shove it Weasley.” (Y/N) feigned annoyance, though, she did rather enjoy hearing him speak of her childhood nickname.  “Honey pot, because you’re so sweet,” Fred yawned. He had grown rather drowsy from the story, (Y/N)’s voice had lulled him into a quiet state. “Sweet nickname for a sweet girl.”

(Y/N) chose to not dwell on Fred’s tired words, instead, she gently brushed her fingers through his hair, continuing to read with the vigor and passion her mother once did. Fred smiled gently, leaning his head into her touch, holding onto every word (Y/N) uttered. The Potions homework was all but forgotten. One day, he’d buck up the courage to tell (Y/N) how he really felt, but for now? It truly was a perfect day.  

[sidhewrites]

CHAPTER 1A. Approx 1600 words. As always, feel free to send Asks or Messages about what’s written or anything you’re curious about.

Confetti rained down from the sky like snow, every color imaginable and then some. The brass band trumpeted loud enough to be heard all over Merveaux as it passed through the streets, and it rattled the windows as it walked down main street, all the way from the palace to the western edge of the city, where they would perform the battle of the Grandes Fabricantes for Mirinmas, just in front of Moriel’s University. Children shouted and cheered and sang along as they tried to catch swirls of color and glittering images of pixies that fell from the sky. Musicians marched past in perfect sync, while the fabricants kept the floats danced along on air currents just above the ground.

Gemstone dragons battled knights made of roses and wildflowers. Pirates battled each other for claim over the land and sky. The Fabricants Chancelliers would stand atop their dais and show off the scholars latest discoveries, and the Suvi firestar dancers would paint the sky with their fireworks and wyverns. And a princess in a tower pleaded for help while acrobats in suits of armor climbed and fell while they battled the evil Avaryss, fabricant of shadows and night, with her flowing, glittering robes and sparks flying from her hands.

But she was getting distracted. It would be another few minutes before the Avaryss float came by, and there was work to be done. She looked down from the rattling window, back to the lacy sunhat in her hands.

It was as white as the walls of the buildings here, all whitewash with gold gilding and those sky blue rooftops. Comtesse Sylvia was having her baby shower in a few weeks, and she had to have her outfit ready. Winnifred had worked tirelessly with Comtesse Sylvia’s personal seamstress to ensure the designs matched up perfectly. She would be a shining beacon of light. Saint Mirin would be jealous of the light glimmering off her outfight, bright as the holy fires .

The lace was her favorite part. She made it from hand as often as she could, each delicate thread being woven in and out of the other, despite the fact that it could mean each hat took weeks or months to complete. She had no attunement herself, no skill for any sort of magic, but there were few people in the city who believed it.

A boom shook the tools of her workspace, and Winnie nearly jumped out of her seat, hand clasped to her heart, eyes wide in fear. It knocked curls loose from her braid, and it took a moment for her to recover her senses before sitting forward once more, pushing her hair back behind her ears and clearing her throat, ashamed despite her solitude in the workshop.

A glance below told her Agnes was still craning her head above the crowd, glitter peppering her tanned skin and dark hair as she held held her nephews’ leashes. They tried their best to pull against the leads, aching to get in the middle of the procession and join the dancers. They knew the steps by heart. Everyone in the Millinery did. Duva had snuck them into rehearsal after rehearsal. On lucky days, they even got Winnie in on the fun, though she had never cared for such revelry. Not when she didn’t already know the steps by heart and knew she wouldn’t make a fool of herself.

But it was hard not to smile when the music hit that familiar crescendo and became dangerous and foreboding. The Avaryss float was coming by, with Duva herself standing at the top in all the glittering robes, smoke billowing out of her dyed fingertips and silver stars shining in her tightly coiled hair, dark as the night and all piled up on top of her head so that she looked even taller than she already was. Deneri men and women towered over them all, and Winnie couldn’t help but love seeing Duva standing tall, dancing and cackling like a proper villain.

But as her tower passed by, that evil glare turned towards the workshop window, and it went from theatrical to dangerous. Duva stomped her foot and pointed a damning finger as she passed. Winnie shrank under that unspoken accusation, not looking forward to the trouble that would come that night. She’d only promised she’d try to make time to get out for the festivities, after all. Not that she would. But she said she’d try.

Winnie continued her work diligently. Comtesse Sylvia’s hat would be perfectly unique, and deserving of such a wealthy woman’s attention. Duva was going to tell Agnes, of course, and Agnes would stomp inside and drag Winnie to the festivities, kicking and screaming if she had to.

--

It took twenty minutes to take a horsecar from the parade’s end to the Aureus Millinery and their home above the shop, and Agnes arrived right on time, heeled shoes announcing themselves loudly on the cobblestones before she even unlocked the front door. Winnie sat in dread as her footfalls grew closer. She’d put her things away already, knowing the argument to come would be lost quickly enough. Agnes was a force of nature when she wanted to be, and one did not have to work hard to cow Winnie into submission.

Duva, still dressed as Avaryss, stepped in silently with her cloth slippers and Avaryss costume, Agnes right behind her in vibrant yellows and green that went so beautifully with her dark skin and darker hair. Her father had been a cartographer from Dener, and her mother a sculptor. They’d visited Merveaux half a year ago and took a tour of Saint Moriel’s University library. She’d fallen in love with the city, and with Agnes, at first sight, and she’d stayed ever since -- pursuing theater rather than science, much to her parents’ horror. But Duva seemed not the least worse for wear, least of all when she dragged Winnie up from her chair and into Agnes’ bedroom muttering in Deneri. She pulled a chest out from the closet -- many of her old costumes she couldn’t bear to part with. Winnie caught something about girls with dark hair, and the sin of staying inside during holidays.

“It’s not a crime to stay inside in Dener, is it?” Winnie tried.

“It is in my family.” Her Deneri accent had yet to fade, and she still struggled now and then with Noques’ language.

“Your parents hated the holidays here.”

“They hated the music here. Too much brass instruments, not many wooden ones. It sounded silly.”

“I promise, I’ll go to the next one.”

“You said you’d go tonight,” Agnes chimed in, sitting Winnie down on her bed as she joined Duva at the closet.

“But the hat…”

They began to pull costumes out of every color. Winnie winced at the sight of them, each one worse than the last. Bright, shining fabrics, ornate embroidery, brocade corsets that had to have been out of style for a hundred years now, if not more. Duva was taller and slimmer than Winnie, but they could be made to fit. And their feet were almost the same size besides. Winnie just about fainted at the sight of how tall some of those heels were.

No -- Winnie blushed pink. The gowns were the worst. Low-cut, nearly see through. Robes meant to be worn over a suit of many colors, but the fact that Agnes even held it up against Winnie, considering the idea of making her wear it … she could have fainted.

Even the modest clothes they chose were appallingly colorful. A layered pink skirt with orange stripes that just barely reached her ankles -- entirely taffeta, of course -- and a heavily patterned turquoise vest, all tied together in a bright yellow bow at her waist. Even her sleeves had been puffed and fluffed up for the evening.

“It’s Mirinmas, Winnie,” Agnes insisted, while Duva tied Winnie’s curls back and away from her face with ribbons to match her skirts.  “You’re supposed to be colorful.”

“I don’t like loud colors. People will stare at me.”

“Stop fussing. Everyone will stare at you if you wear anything else.”

“I’ll be in the shadows, watching the boys.”

“And the boys will be yelling and causing trouble. You’ll be seen no matter what. Might as well look the part.”

Winnie fussed with the bow, trying to find a strong enough argument. “If I’ll be seen regardless, then I might as well be comfortable, don’t you think?”

“I usually would agree, but I very recently learned on good faith that a certain Monsieur Francame, will be off duty that night, missing his sister who’s stuck in Veroesse until summer’s end.”

She made herself look away, flushing pink, before Agnes could begin waggling her brows knowingly. It was a cruel thing, using Sacha against her. Winnie’s infatuation had only recently begun to show its face, and she was still unfamiliar with the entire concept of crushes and young men. Her heart stuttered foolishly, and her face turned a ridiculous shade of red as she thought of his messy yellow hair and how he always ran his fingers through it. His soft, grey-blue eyes. This nonsense wasn’t a good look on a young lady like her -- someone of high breeding and class, and sensibility in all things, stammering and blushing at the very mention of someone’s name.

Taking her silence as compliance, Agnes pressed a kiss to Winnie’s cheek and whisked her out the door just as Duva finished with the ribbons. She found herself missing her navies and pale blues of daily life long before she stepped out the door. Bright colors, loud noises, ideations of romance … Winnie missed the safety of her workshop already.

[ascreamingstrawberry]

Strip Me of My Walls, Please

Present : Part 1 + 2,  Next : Part 3 + 4

Summary: Logan hires a prostitute to pretend to be his boyfriend. Patton is a prostitute just trying to support his son when he falls with a very rich man needing him to pretend to be his boyfriend.

Pairings: romantic Logicality, future Prinxiety, Elle x Damien (my original characters)

Word Count: 3,093

Warnings: bruises? swearing? sexual innuendos? family shenanigans? 

Notes : This is my Ao3 fic that I’m posting here I’ll post every two chapters, but yeah! Please leave a like and a reblog! 

The door to the Sanders household opened, signaling Thomas had come back from school. As he wiped his shoes off on the mat near the door, Thomas tried not to think about the horrible bus ride he had had home. He gave himself a one over in the mirror on the wall next to him, staring back at him was a big, ugly, purple bruise right underneath his left eye. He could hear his father in the kitchen so he ran into his room as quickly as possible, shutting his bedroom door quietly but quickly behind him.

He sat down at his desk/vanity, and pulled out a small portion of his makeup supplies starting work to cover up the bruise. His father had gotten him it as a gift, for when Thomas had started doing plays, and Thomas used to like to wear it to school, not as much anymore of course.

“Kiddo! You home? I heard the door open.” His father said, at the other side of the door now. Thomas rushed, even though the bruise wasn’t completely gone, it at least looked like he was just tired.

“Yeah, I’m here, Dad.” The seven year old replied, and when his father opening the door, he was smiling. There was spaghetti sauce on his grey cardigan that was always wrapped around his shoulders.

“Dinner in about an hour, pumpkin. I’ve got to work tonight but Roman said he’ll come watch over you.” His father said, watching as Thomas looked over the couple of choices he had for eyeliner before Thomas nodded at him. His father saw something out of the corner of his eye and reached over, grabbing Thomas’s face quickly. Thomas jumped, hoping he hasn’t been found out. “You tired, hun?”

“Yeah.” Thomas looked longingly toward his bed, his father’s hand falling from his face,  a nap didn’t sound too bad right now, actually.

“Get some rest.” His father leaned over Thomas to press a kiss to his forehead before leaving and shutting the door behind him. Thomas worked for a minute longer until you could barely see the bruise before jumping starfish style on top of his bed with the dark yellow bed sheets. He sighed, cuddling up with his favorite stuffed animal, Winnie the Pooh, before closing his eyes. He remembered his dad said something about thinking good thoughts before bed helped bring good dreams, so he fell asleep thinking about his father’s hugs.

Patton knew Thomas wasn’t telling him something, and he noticed the way the light reflected off some kind of makeup underneath one of his eyes more than the other. It could be he was trying something new, of course, but something felt off. 3:35, the clock said, two hours until his shift.

He only had one job tonight, it shouldn’t be that long. He would do what he needed to do, or rather who he needed to do, and then get back home to figure out what was up with his son. Sure, his job was a little unorthodox, but it helped pay the bills all the same. Their house was small, only the essentials, and the neighborhood/school wasn’t all that great, but it was something. Patton only wished he could do better for Thomas, the bright boy that was the light of his life deserved so much more.

The timer on the counter brought Patton out of his head, and he walked over to the oven trying to wipe away the tears at his eyes with his arm. He pulled the lasagna out of the oven, setting it on the counter, before turning to look at Thomas’ bedroom door. Thomas and Patton always had an early dinner on the nights Patton had to work, and then he would order pizza or something with whoever was babysitting him that night. Thomas had gained Patton’s love for food, but Patton always loved to feed so it was never a problem.

“Thomas!” Patton knocked lightly on his son’s door but called a little loud so that Thomas could hear him. As he opened the door, Thomas rubbed his eyes, sitting up on his bed and cradling Winnie the Pooh to his chest. “Dinner’s ready kiddo.”

Dinner was like talking to one of those toys that said the same thing over and over again until you went insane and took out the battery. How was School? Fine. Your friends? Fine. How’s the homework going? Fine. The doorbell rang and Patton was clearing the plates, and the ‘Who Is It’ Thomas asked as he opened the door anyway was more words than he’d all night from him.

“Your highness, Royal Guard Roman, at your service.” The charming voice at the door replied, and Patton could almost picture Roman bowing at the door. Thomas giggled, his father’s attitude warming at the sound, and let the man inside their home. Roman plopped down on their couch, Thomas cuddling up next to him. Roman told Patton that the two normally watched movies and played pretend, but Thomas didn’t appear in any mood for the second option.

Roman clicked through Netflix as Patton came by, pressing a kiss to his cheek, before going around to pull Roman’s shoes off. He had forgotten to take them off, per usual, but Patton couldn’t blame him because he looked so darn cute running a hand through Thomas’s hair as Thomas hummed presumably a Disney song. “Who you working tonight?”

“New client. Scheduled me for like four hours.” Patton and Roman always tried to speak in cryptics about their work when Thomas around. Roman had been one of the first people Patton had met on the job, and the two quickly became best friends, and Roman had helped him a lot in the field. Patton didn’t have Roman’s body or his charm, but he was decent enough to make good money. Although Roman liked him as a friend either way, Patton was very grateful for his friend helping him out.

“Good luck walking tonight.” Roman chuckled, Patton hitting him in the back of the head as he tossed the shoes by the doorway. Patton left his bedroom door open, changing into the gold sequin underwear before throwing on a light blue three piece suit over the bastardly thing. Patton hated wearing it, his chubby stomach stuck out over it, Roman looked fantastic in it,  but since it was their uniform he had to.

“I’ll be taking the bus. See you later, kiddo.” Patton kissed Thomas’s cheek, staying put for a minute as Thomas mumbled something and wrapped his arms around Patton’s shoulders. Thomas let go after a while, and Patton kissed Roman on his hair. “Be good.”

“I will.” Thomas replied.

“I was talking to Roman.” Patton laughed, closing the door behind him.

The bus ride wasn’t that bad. Patton had nearly fallen asleep and missed his stop but thankfully a text from Roman woke him up just in time. It wasn’t anything grand, but it was something Roman always did as a little reminder of why they did this or rather who they did this for. A blurry picture of a sleeping Thomas, looking more peaceful in his sleep than he had when Patton had just seen him. He couldn’t wait to get home.

The house was huge, Patton could tell that whoever this was clearly had enough money to spend on a prostitute for weeks, let alone a couple of hours. He swallowed the lump in his throat he got on every doorstep he went to, tried to remember that this was just a job and then knocked. Next thing he knew though he was being tugged inside, man this guy must be really eager. Patton had a flash a light, he could remember hearing voices, and then it was pitch black.

Patton was in pitch black, he couldn’t see anything, he could only hear breathing. Oh god, he’d been kidnapped. They had kidnapped him, he was never going to see his son again. Thomas had no one other than Roman now, oh dear, Roman please protect him and feed him and give him Winnie-

“Sorry about that, I needed to talk to you.” The voice was calm, calculated, and incredibly attractive. The light turned on and Patton was met with quite possibly the most attractive face he had ever seen.

As his eyes adjusted to the light they traced the man’s sharp jawline, and hopped from freckle to freckle.  Patton  landed on the most striking eye color ever seen behind a pair of black Warby Parkers, they were almost grey with how calm of a blue they were. Patton could stare at them for hours, he wanted to stare at them for hours, he just, might be able to. “I’m Logan.”

“Patton.” He blushed, trying to hide his face as Logan smiled. God everything about this man was gorgeous. Patton watched something happen to the man’s face, he wasn’t sure quite what though.

“Oh dear, this isn’t going to work.” Logan’s eyebrows furrowed together worriedly and before Patton had a chance to ask what that meant, Logan kept talking. “You’re far too attractive, there’s no way she’s going to believe I landed someone like you- oh my god-”

“Hey, take a breath.” Patton put his hands on the taller man’s shoulders, watching the blush form over his dark freckles, making them stick out more. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Well, this may come as a surprise, but I have not hired you for sex. I’m sure if you would like to participate in coitus at the end of this evening, I would be more than happy to oblige, but I must ask you a favor first. You see my mother-” Logan stopped as he heard a voice come from outside, but it went away quickly and he relaxed again.

“Why don’t you just give me the simple version of what you want from me?” Patton realized his hands were still on Logan’s shoulders so he removed them and Logan made a small sound of something, he wasn’t really sure.

“Ineedyoutopretendtobemyboyfriendforaveryawkwarddinnerwithmysiblingsandmyoverprotectivemother.” Logan spoke so fast, like he was holding it for so long, and when Patton only raised an eyebrow in confusion, he took a breath before repeating himself. “I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for a very awkward dinner with my siblings and my overprotective mother.”

“Okay.” Patton said before he realized what he was saying. It certainly wasn’t the weirdest request he had received in this business, plus Logan was really cute. “I’ll do it.”

“Yeah?” Logan looked ecstatic, it looked well, great on him.

“And you don’t have to have sex with me as a payback or whatever.” Patton said, stepping even closer to Logan than he already was, he assumed they were in the closet or whatever. Patton’s eyes moved from those beautiful grey eyes down to the pink, full lips towards the bottom of Logan’s face. Logan was taller than him so his eyes were eye level with Logan’s lips anyway. “But I do have a question.”

“Yes?” Logan’s voice sounded breathier than before, and they were so close that Patton could feel it against the space in between his eyebrows.

“Can I kiss you?” Patton really wanted to. Any of his previous clients were not nearly as beautiful as Logan, Roman always got the good ones because of his body, hell Roman himself paled in comparison to the man in front of him.

“Please.” Logan’s voice whined, and Patton felt a burn in his veins at the sound. He’d probably used the word beautiful too many times in his head by now, but god this man was fucking beautiful.

Patton kept his eyes open, not closing them until the very moment their lips met, and god was that more amazing than Patton had ever felt in his life. Logan relaxed against Patton, the guy seemed to be pretty intense, and Patton was almost going to pull away when Logan placed his hands on either side of Patton’s hips. He moved them backwards, towards a wall, Patton thinks he was going to get slammed against a wall and utterly wrecked and honestly he wouldn’t even mind by how arousing this man was, but then Patton feels the flush of Logan’s body as the other man hits the wall with another whine. He’s letting Patton take the lead, and Patton never got to do that, especially not with someone who looked like this.

“Wait.” Patton’s hand had moved to Logan’s hair, tugging once and Patton had thought Logan enjoyed based on the open O of his mouth as he gasped but he must of been wrong.

“Sorry.” Patton replied as Logan placed his hands on Patton’s chest, willing him to move apart. Too bad, Patton really wanted to frown, I was enjoying myself.

“No, it’s just, my mother is going to be here soon and as much as I’d like you to screw me in this closet, that would be not be practical or efficient in this moment.” Logan’s voice was barely as put together as it had been before, oh Patton didn’t just want to screw this man, he wanted to keep him locked up from the rest of the world just because of what that voice was doing to him.

“Okay.” Patton smiled, running his tongue along his lips just to be playful but also to taste Logan on his lips. It was faint, but Patton loved it nonetheless.

“So, um, god you’re making this, and me, really hard.” Logan stuttered, and Patton blushed, hiding his face in the shoulder of Logan’s shirt. “So you can answer questions however she’d like, I haven’t told her anything about you so.”

Patton watched as Logan’s hands, which had previously been gesticulating along with his words, fell flat against his sides. “Would you like to know about me?”

Patton wanted to be shy, what if he didn’t care and only wanted you for this one thing and then was going to dump you to the curve, but Logan nodded so enthusiastically that he had to give in. “Well my name is Patton Sanders, I have a son named Thomas. My best friend is Roman Prince, yes like the musician. Oh! And I like the color blue.”

“A son?” Logan asked. “I also like blue, but I prefer a much darker shade, although the green of your eyes seems to be my second favorite color.”

“Thank you.” Patton blushed. “But yeah, a son! He’s seven and the most important thing in the world to me. He’s why I do, well, this. To give him a good life.”

Logan face turned soft and Patton almost thought he got too serious but then he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. “I have only known you a few minutes but I’m absolute shit with emotions so if I don’t get this out now you’ll never hear it. You’re hot, an amazing kisser, and that statement was one of the most honest things I’ve ever heard.”

“You don’t sound like someone who is bad with feelings.” Patton replied shortly. “But thank you.”

“Oh I’m garbage. You’ll see it soon enough, feel okay leaving the closet?” Logan held out his hand and pulled them outside, Patton saw the white walls of Logan’s house behind him.

“I’m coming out of the closet.” Patton paused, a smirk gracing his lips. “Again.”

“That was not funny.” Logan said, giving him one of those breathy laughs though as he shook his head. Logan guided him through his house, upstairs to the second floor, and oh goodness gracious there was a third floor. The shoe closet they had been in and the garage had been on a floor all by themselves. The sound of voices got louder as Logan brought Patton closer to the living room. Logan stopped and stood in front of Patton to block him from seeing the other people in room until he was ready. Logan’s back straightened and greeted his guests. “Hey.”

“Jesus, Lo, if we had known you were going to let him screw you senseless first, we would’ve put on a movie or something.” One of the voices snickered.

“Virgil!” A female voice, or a high pitched male one, Patton didn’t assume, said.

“So where is the macho golden stripper?” Another, different voice said.

“Guys.” Logan’s voice was stern and even Patton felt the urge to keep his mouth closed. “This is Patton.”

Logan stepped away and Patton was greeted with the sight of three people and a small child. There was a blonde man, taller than the rest who had his arms wrapped around the woman with dark red hair similar to Patton’s own color. A child, who was probably the couple’s, sat on the ground strumming a small ukulele pretty skillfully for his age, which looked to be about two years younger than Thomas. The third adult was sat on top of the back of the couch, and he looked the most different. While Logan, the man and the child were all in grey suits, this man was in a black dress shirt and black pants. The dress shirt had frill that made it look torn and the pants were quite tight to his legs.

“I wouldn’t call myself macho, though.” Patton tried to smile, but even his own words caused it to falter. It was true, he was short and kind of chubby, not enough to notice, but enough for Patton to hate it.

“Patton, this is my sister, Elle, her husband, Damien, and their son Jon.” His open hand landed on the blond child who walked up to Patton, shook his hand without saying a word, and then sat down again back to strumming his ukulele.

“Nice to meet you.” Patton giggled.

“I’m Virgil, Logan’s twin brother.” The last person said, and Patton honestly wouldn’t have known. Virgil had streaks of purple towards the front of his hair, and dark eyeshadow underneath his eyes. It starked against the pristine look of Logan’s grey three piece.

“So, second guessing agreeing?” Virgil asked and Patton shook his head.

“Nope, I’m in wonderful company. Logan’s charming and handsome, and you’re an absolute delight!” Jon, the small child, snickered at Patton’s compliment, and he almost felt he’d said something wrong but Logan reassured him. There was a light arm on the crease of his elbow, that carried the look of amazement in Logan’s eyes at the shorter man next to him. This was going to be a wonderful night.

[toomanysurveys9]

Is your window in your room open? no, it is not open. we always have the a/c on so that would be pointless. Do you like blue cheese? i’ve never actually tried it but it doesn’t sound appealing. Have you ever smoked? nope. Do you own a gun? i do not. my dad and jacob own several, though.

Do you like the American or British way of spelling words? american i guess. that’s probably just because it’s what i’m used to though.

Do you get nervous before going to a doctors appointment? yeah. especially when pregnant. i’m always nervous until i hear ellie’s heartbeat. and until i know i don’t have to get undressed from the waist down. those appointments will be here before i know it.. What do you think of hot dogs? i don’t really like them. but i’ll eat them if i have no other options. Favorite Christmas movie? oh man. i don’t even know. there are so many good ones. What do you prefer to drink in the morning or nothing? usually milk or orange juice. Do you hate celebrities with big boobs and have had plastic surgery? no, i do not hate them. it literally has zero effect on me.

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry? wedding and engagement ring, which did end up being found. Favorite hobby? my only hobby these days seems to be hanging out with wy. lol. which is definitely a favorite! also i love reading. i want to get a library card again soon. What’s the one thing you hate about yourself? the awkward/anxious/shy parts of my personality. Current worry? if i should confront vanessa or not and whether that would piss her off. but letting people think jacob and i are horrible to her, or are keeping wyatt away from her when we’re not, is going to seriously piss me off. every time she asks us to go over, i go. most of the time when i dropped off money when we were staying in her trailer, i would take wyatt in to see her and/or tom. i didn’t have to. i didn’t have to go over when she asked. she never came to see him really since he was a newborn. always me going there. i’m not doing it anymore. Do you own slippers? i do not. i don’t see the point. Would you ever want to be a pirate? i did once upon a time (i was a lot younger and going through a phase). i don’t want to be anymore though. Where would you like to go? italy would be cool.. What type of songs do you sing in the shower? whatever song comes on my ipod that i know the words to. If you could make everything on earth one color, what would you choose? that would be horrible. and boring. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? i’ve never slept on them so can’t say. How do you bring in the new year? with my family (jacob and wyatt at least, but usually my parents, siblings, and grandparents are also there). Favorite place to be? anywhere with wyatt is really okay with me. Would you rather live in 1980 or 2080? 2080 seems.. i don’t know. so unfathomable. i guess i would rather live in 1980... Favorite color? black, blue, and i still like gray. What color of shirt are you wearing? mostly a dark gray color. What’s the last thing that made you laugh? wyatt made a cute little sound when he woke up for a minute. What artist to do you find yourself singing a lot of? there’s not really one i sing more than the others... Can you whistle? not well, no. Where do you wish you were right now? i wish i could fall asleep but my mind is racing so i can’t. When you were younger, did you ever have cartoon sheets? yes. i know i had barney and winnie the pooh when i was super young. and i remember scooby doo as well. What’s in your pocket right now? no pockets. i’m in pajama pants. Do you love where you live? not the city, but i do love our house quite a bit. Do you care what strangers think about you? i mean.. i guess to some extent, but mostly no. Do you use any acne medication? i do not. Do you know when it’s just a little crush vs. true love? yeah. it’s a pretty obvious difference. Have you picked out flower petals, saying, ‘He loves me, he loves me not? lol, when i was a lot younger than i am now. Are you a small town girl, or from the big city? closer to a small town girl. Do you ever look in the mirror and are surprised by how good you look? no. i can’t say i’ve ever had that experience.

Do you ever look in the mirror and feel revolted? ugh. yes. story of my life. only thing i don’t hate about my appearance is my baby bump. Do you have a hard time talking to people? yes. which is why i don’t really have friends. Is anybody in your family schizophrenic? If so, what is their life like? yeah. my grandpa’s brother is. he lives in a group home and is on a bunch of medications. he’s pretty out of it most of the time because of them, and you don’t always know what he’s talking about when he speaks. he plays guitar really well though and makes his own songs up, and it’s so much fun to listen to him. What’s something somebody can do to make you hate them instantly? say something horrible about my kids. Do you like it when you find yourself in a conflict? definitely not. yet i keep finding myself in it because people can’t move on from shit a year ago. Are you emotional or very stoic? definitely emotional. How late do you go to bed during summer nights? i’m usually in bed by like now. but i can’t make my mind stop tonight. Are you feminine, masculine, or quite androgynous? i guess i’m more feminine but i don’t know. What’s the first red object you see in the room? wyatt’s red shirt that he is wearing. Who did you last have a text conversation with and what was it about? the last actual conversation was about my one year old cousin’s birthday party with my mom. she was asking how it went. i have texted jade since then (about the situation with jacob’s mom and basically that entire side of the family) but she was probably sleeping so she didn’t reply. i also texted jake asking if he was coming up to bed soon so i could go bathroom, but he didn’t respond by text. he just came upstairs. Are there regular trains in and out of your town/city? yup. Do you have a mailbox or do you collect your mail from the post office? we have a mailbox again! What was the last animal you saw, and was it a pet? phe. she’s my pup. :) Have you ever had an ear infection? yes. i was getting them pretty often for a little bit right before and after i had wyatt. If you could watch any TV series right now, what would it be? eh. don’t really care about watching tv right now. Would you have any clue when your best friend last got their hair cut? nope. tonight (on facebook) was the most we’ve talked in awhile. Someone messages you just as you’re about to go to sleep. Do you reply? depends who it is and what it’s about. but probably not. Is there anything you need to remember to do before the day ends? the day is pretty well over, so no. Do your parents have any authority over who you date? as an adult, no. How many different shades of nail polish do you have? none. i got rid of all my old makeup, including the few nail polishes i did have. What did you have for breakfast this morning? yesterday (it’s 12:08 am which is way too early for breakfast), i didn’t eat breakfast. Are you lucky enough to have an ice maker in your refrigerator door? we actually do now. Are you the type to wake up before the sun has even risen? noooooo. Have you ever watched an anime series, start to finish? i have not.

Do you feel the need to rant about anything right now? If so, go for it. i could but i already did a little mini rant so we’ll just leave it at that. Have you seen any films with Judy Garland in them?: the wizard of oz. that is all though. How did you feel when you woke up today? Why? i was tired yesterday. i haven’t slept yet since then. Who was the last person you messaged on Facebook? kayla. When was the last time you saw them? july 14th for erin’s 16th birthday party. Do you have a friend named Nick? What’s his favourite food? not really friends... What are you listening to? jake is watching youtube videos. i don’t know what about. Do you prefer non-diet or diet soda? regular. i don’t really like any diet sodas. Do you like seafood? i do not. Are you craving anything right now? eh. nothing super specific, no.

Do you dress appropriately for your age? i think so. with the exception of some of my shirts maybe. today i wore a five nights at freddy’s shirt... If McDonald’s sold hot dogs, would you buy them? noooo. How long is your hair? if it’s totallly straight it goes slightly past my breasts. if not, it kind of just rests on them. Do you like your neighbors? don’t really know my neighbors. my grandparents have talked to them and seem to like them though. What’s your school motto? no longer in school. Has a bird ever flown into your window? when we lived in the house before the trailers one did. Which word did you say first, mama or dada? dada i think my mom has said. How old were you when you learned to walk? i don’t know. What was your first pet’s name? first pet that was actually mine was named angel. How many kids were in your class in kindergarten? i don’t remember. Who was your best friend in elementary? leslie. juliet. ariel. those were the three main ones.. Who was the best athlete in your freshman class? don’t know. i’ve never been into sports really. Where do you see yourself in a year? here. taking care of my kiddos. If you were able to change one thing about yourself, what would it be? this is stupid, but i would want to be more attractive for jacob so he wouldn’t tell his playstation friends that they wouldn’t find me attractive. Are you content just blending in with the crowd? yeah. i definitely don’t like standing out much.

[chicklette]

Rain Dance

This is for the Nony who sent me that terribly sweet message earlier this week.  I haven’t been able to stop thinking of these two idiots, dancing in the rain.  (Probably should be rated M, no powers, AU.)

The music from the jukebox is loud, but not overbearing.  It’s currently playing classic rock, which Bucky doesn’t mind one bit.  He’s got a table in the back, two pints and two shots of Jameson in front of him.  He’s just about to pull out his phone to text when he sees Steve make his way to the back of the bar, shaking rain out of his hair and pulling off his coat.

He looks – Jesus he looks good.  His hair’s a little bit too long, and he’s shaking drops of rain out of it like a dog.  But the wide shoulders are even wider in the navy blue peacoat that he’s wearing, and the color, combined with the dark room, are making Steve’s eyes look dark blue.  He’s gorgeous. 

When Steve sits, Bucky pushes one of the shots forward.

Steve gives him a miserable smile before picking up his shot.  The two of them toast to Brooklyn, which is corny as fuck, but it’s the toast Bucky’s dad always makes, so it was the first thing that Bucky and Steve ever toasted to.  Now every first toast is for Brooklyn, and Bucky’s feeling certain that there will be a fair few toasts tonight.

“Alright,” Bucky says, glad he doesn’t have to yell to be heard over the music.  “What happened?”

Shrugging, Steve stares at his pint.  When he meets Bucky’s eyes, he looks miserable.  “I dunno.  She said she couldn’t do it anymore, handed me a box of my stuff, and left.  Least I got my favorite hoodie back,” he says, looking down at his SUNY sweatshirt.

“She didn’t say anything else?”  It’s not like Bucky’s never been here before.  Counseling Steve after a heartbreak is something he does a couple of times a year.  By now, he feels like he’s probably earned his LCSW – Licensed Clinical STEVE Worker.

It’s fine – as much as it can be.  Not anyone’s fault he’s been gone on his straight best friend nearly his whole life.  Just the luck of the draw.

“She said ‘I thought I could do this, but I was wrong.’  When I asked her what she meant, she told me not to be an asshole, and left.”  Steve shrugs and downs half of his beer at a go.  Bucky signals Nat, the bartender, for another round.  She takes one look at the two of them and pours doubles.

He’s never told Nat about how he feels about Steve, but somehow she just knows.  Once, he’d been at the bar, watching Steve and his latest girlfriend (Say what you will about the guy, he’s never been one for casual relationship – oh no – Stevie Rogers had to fall in love with the girls he was dating, or at least give a damn fine impression of it) dancing on the bar’s tiny dance floor.

“You need this,” she’d said, floating a glass of Jamie his way.

“I don’t –“ he’d replied.

She cocked one brow his way before turning and looking fondly at the doorman – a blonde with a penchant for purple, coffee, and dick, before pushing the glass back his way.  

She’s the only person he’s ever told his secret to, and she’s been a good friend to him over the years.

“Hey, man,” Bucky says, and reaches out to squeeze Steve’s shoulder.  “If she couldn’t see you for the great guy you are, then she’s not worth thinking twice about.”

Steve nods, but there’s a sadness in his gaze that Bucky knows oh, so well.

What Steve wants, what he really wants, is to settle down.  He wants to find the love of his life, and buy a house and have some kids and take vacations in the summers and build model planes with the girls and have tea parties with the boys, because fuck misogyny.  He wants every single mundane, simple, happy moment out of this life that he can get. ‘Everyday joy,’ he’d called it, and God, does Bucky see the appeal.

He just can’t seem to find the girl to do it with.

“Come on,” Bucky says.  “Let’s get fucked up.”

So they do.  Nat keeps the drinks coming and before long, Steve and Bucky are laughing so damned hard at what Jimmy Morita did in the sixth grade that they’re crying and holding on to each other to keep from falling down.

“And she said – d’ya ‘member?”

“Oh, god,” Bucky says, laughing and trying not to fall off of his chair, before proceeding in a high falsetto, tinged with a Southern accent.  “At least in Baton Rouge they have manners!”

Steve howls with laughter and Bucky’s side stitches.  It takes them a moment to calm down, and when Bucky looks up, Steve is actually crying.

“Aw, Stevie,” Bucky says, and puts his arm around Steve, pulling him close.

God fucking damn Sharon Carter for breaking his heart.  Bucky will hate her until the day he dies for making his best friend cry.

“Did you really love her?” Bucky asks, both needing to know the answer and hating himself for asking.  Why does he keep torturing himself like this?

Steve looks down and sniffles, before wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve.  Punk might have grown into his attitude – at 6’2” and 200 pounds, he can finally finish all the fights he starts – but inside?  Inside Steve Rogers is a total marshmallow.

Blinking, Steve looks at Bucky.  “I don’t think I did,” he says, and his face crumples again.  “How fucked up is that?  I don’t even think I loved her.  I just – I just want to be happy.  I want…”  I want what your folks have, is what he doesn’t say.  I want what my folks had, goes unsaid, but heard loud and clear, regardless.

It’s what Bucky wants, too.  They had had a great childhood.  They grew up as next-door neighbors, and their folks hit it off like wildfire.  Growing up, Steve spent as much time at Bucky’s house as he did his own.  Then when his father died (freak heart attack out of nowhere), Bucky’s folks had stepped in and half-raised Steve: Winnie watching the boys while Steve’s mother worked, George taking the boys out camping and fishing, teaching them about the outdoors.

(“Does she have to come?” the boys would say, eyeing Becca Barnes and her knobby knees and her dolls.  “Be nice,” George Barnes would say, and the four of them would troop off into the woods, learning to identify plants and animals, how to build a fire and make sure the water wouldn’t make them sick.  There was a time when Bucky thought maybe Steve and Becca would get together, and he could have been okay with that, he thought.  Then, at least, they’d be brothers.  But Becca’d met Davey Proctor her junior year of college, and that was that.)

“Stevie,” Bucky says again, and Steve buries his face into the crook of Bucky’s neck.

Bucky rubs his back, eyes darting around the room to see Nat watching them with careful eyes.  He looks away, feeling his face heat.  He doesn’t need the reminder of how fucked the situation is.

He wants to move on.  Hell, it’s not like he hasn’t tried.  But he’s never found anyone who’s even half as interesting as Steve.  It’s like one day, Bucky blinked and realized that his best friend was the only man he was ever really going to love.

Inconvenient, to say the least.

At Nat’s pitying look, Bucky’s skin grows tight.

The music changes and Steve chokes a laugh, before tipping his head back.  “Jesus,” he says, then looks at Bucky, who’s grinning like a madman.  This song.  This song.

“C’mon,” Bucky says.  The music’s gotten loud enough that they have to yell into each other’s ears, but it doesn’t matter because this is their song.

The first time Steve heard David Bowie, he’d immediately run to find his best friend and tell him all about the amazing albums he’d found in his mother’s collection.  Bucky’s teen years could be mapped surely and succinctly by the different phases of Bowie’s career:  They’d been freshmen for the “Let’s Dance,” phase, sophomores for Aladdin Sane, and seniors for Scary Monsters.  But the year they’d learned to drive, the year that Steve had shot up and filled out, and the year that Bucky first realized that he was irrevocably in love with his best friend – that year, they’d listened to Heroes.  They’d danced to it, sang to it, Bucky came out to Steve to it, Steve had had his first kiss to it (Peggy Carter, who, years later, turned out to have a cousin named Sharon) – that year was filled with firsts, and David Bowie crooned them along toward adulthood.

Bucky drags Steve by the hand out into the street.  It’s raining still, and the street is painted in neon, reflecting from the shops, colors slipping between wet windows and wet sidewalks, making everything feel unreal.

Steve’s laughing, stomping into the puddles, and Bucky starts screaming the words to the song:

“I – I would be king!”

“And you,” Steve chimes in, “you would be queen!”

“Though nothing, nothing would drive them away,” the pair screams.  They are dancing and singing in the street like absolute lunatics, the rain showering them, soaking their hair and their skin and their clothes, and it’s the happiest Bucky has been – the happiest he has seen Steve – in a year.

“We can be heroes,” they sing, and Bucky comes in close, then grabs Steve and dips him back.

“We can be us, just for one day.”

Steve straightens and shakes his head, water flying off in a rainbow of droplets, reflecting the neon red, white, and blue Pabst sign in the window.

“You’re a lunatic,” he says.

“Made you smile,” Bucky grins, and the two of them laugh.  Bucky knows that he is never going to be over Steve.  Never.

It breaks his heart.

Walking back into the bar, Bucky lets the cold and wet sober him up some.

“I gotta get out of here, man,” he says.  “You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, Buck.  ‘Course.  Hey,” he says, and grabs Bucky up into a long, tight hug.  “Thank you.”

“Shut up,” Bucky says, because he’s just drunk enough to let himself wonder what it would be like to drag his lips across the damp skin at Steve’s neck, where he smells warm and safe and like home.  “Call you tomorrow,” he says, and pushes away.

He walks to the bar to push a couple of twenties Nat’s way, but she pushes them back.  “Loverboy’s got this one,” she says, and Bucky shrugs.

He needs to get himself home before he does something really stupid.

Bucky’s not sure what time it is when he’s woken up by a pounding at the front door.

“What the fuck?” he mumbles, then looks at his phone.  It’s after three and he has four missed calls from Steve.

Fuuuuck.

He’s stumbling into a pair of boxers and fishing around for a t-shirt when the front door opens.  They’ve had keys to each other’s places since they’ve had places.  It’s not unusual for Bucky to wake up to find Steve asleep on his couch, having fought with a girl and gotten drunk and not wanted to go home to an empty apartment.

“Dude,” Bucky says, walking out into the living room where Steve is standing tall.  Bucky’s sober now, and his mouth tastes like ass, and he has to be at work in just a few hours.  “What the fuck?”

“Is it true?” Steve asks.  He stands just a little taller, and Bucky would recognize Steve “fight me” Rogers getting ready for a brawl from a hundred paces in a snowstorm.

“What?” he asks, feeling stupid.  He definitely does not have the script for whatever this is.

“What Nat said.  Is it true?”

Bucky’s stomach clenches in the moment he hears Nat’s name.  God, she wouldn’t he thinks, even as he is four thousand percent positive that she would.  His heart hammers so hard he can hear it whooshing, inside his head.

“Stevie,” Bucky says, because if Steve is still kind of drunk, maybe by morning he’ll have forgotten all about this.  “Come on, let’s get you to bed.  Grab some pillows,” he says, turning toward the hall closet for blankets.

Steve grabs him by the wrist, swings him back around and gets right into his face.

“Is it?  She said,” Steve blinks and swallows before going on.  “She said you’re in love in with me.  Why would she say that Buck? Why –“ Steve closes his eyes and lets out a shuddering breath.

“Steve,” Bucky says, because he doesn’t know what else to say.  What do you say to the man who is your truth, but also your only lie?  “Come on,” Bucky says, and tries to step away, but Steve holds him tight, right there.

Bucky is – he’s terrified.

“I used to think you had it on lock,” Steve says, and even in the darkened room, even in just the moonlight, Bucky can see how blue his eyes are.  “Bucky Barnes, he’s never gonna get his heart broken like some chump.  Isn’t that right?”

Bucky swallows.  He is so scared, and everything inside of him hurts so bad that he wants to cry.

“Doesn’t matter,” Bucky says, looking down, and then the worst thought, the one that’s so bad he’s never even thought it before, that one comes rushing out of his mouth.  “Does it?  Because if it does – if it –“ His voice breaks and he hates himself a little right then.  “If you don’t want to be my friend-“

“Oh, shut up! Shut –“

And then Steve is kissing him. He has both hands on Bucky’s shoulders and he’s gripping him so tight and he’s pressing his mouth to Bucky’s hard enough that his lips are going to go numb.

Steve pushes away and the two of them stare at each other, panting.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know!”

“Why would you -?”

“I just –“

“You’re an asshole!” Bucky shouts.

“Well, I learned from the best!” Steve answers, before reeling Bucky in for another kiss.

This time it’s softer, but it’s also messy and desperate, Steve clinging to Bucky, wrapping Bucky right up into his arms and threading his fingers through Bucky’s hair, tilting Bucky’s head and when Bucky opens his mouth (instinct, it’s instinct, he tells himself) Steve licks into it with a gasp.

It’s gorgeous and terrible.  It’s either the worst first kiss or the best last kiss, and Bucky isn’t sure he’s ready for either.  Not after all this time.

“Steve,” Bucky says, pulling back.

Steve presses his forehead against Bucky’s, breathing hard against Bucky’s lips.

“She said I was an idiot if I couldn’t see what was right in front of me and I am an idiot because I thought she was talking about herself but then she gave me that look and I thought – it couldn’t  - I mean, I would have known, right?  But it made me think back to a few months ago, me and you were at that Mets game, remember?  And we were on the subway coming back – we were both a little day drunk and just talking and laughing on the train, and you got off at your stop and we hugged and you kissed my cheek – you remember that day?”

Bucky nods.  Of course, he remembers it.  They’d started drinking at Bucky’s place even before the game, and they’d spent the whole day leaning into one another, propping each other up, soaking in the sunshine and the booze and it was perfect.  They were just drunk enough by the end of it for Bucky to lay a smack against Steve’s cheek, the quick, rough scratch of Steve’s stubble against his lips. As he’d sobered up, he’d worried that he’d given himself away, but the next day, nothing had changed, and Bucky locked that memory away, along with all of the others that hurt too much to look at often.

“There was a girl on the train sitting opposite us. She said ‘I wish my boyfriend looked at me that way.  You two are goals.’  I laughed it off, but…it made me think.  And then tonight I called Sharon and she said she couldn’t compete with you, and she was tired of trying, and Bucky,” Steve says, and he draws back to look at Bucky, his eyes full of questions.  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Steve asks.

“Didn’t want you to know.  Didn’t – I don’t want to lose our friendship,” Bucky says.  He leans in, leans his head against Steve’s chest, leaving a space between them, just enough for a confession. “I love you.”

And he does.  Steve is his best friend and his most ardent fantasy and he doesn’t know how to separate his love for eight year old Stevie Rogers with a bloody lip on the playground from eighteen year old Steven (and wasn’t that a hilarious phase?) who was daydreaming about girls from twenty-eight year old Steve who is his best friend and who had just kissed him within an inch of his life.

“Who says you’d lose me?” Steve asks, and he leans back before running a fingertip along Bucky’s jaw, and looking at Bucky with something like wonder.

“Stevie.  You’re not gay.  That’s gonna be a problem, don’t you think?”

“No,” Steve says.  “I’m bi.  I think so, anyway.”

“You think so?  Stevie, come on.  You don’t – you don’t gotta do this, okay?  We’re fine, just like we are. It’s not – it’ll go away, you know?” And damn if that’s not the filthiest lie he’s ever told.

“Is that what you want?”

Bucky can’t say yes.  He can tell a lot of lies and half-truths, but he can’t bring himself to tell this particular lie.

“Come on,” Bucky says, and takes a step back.  “It’s almost four in the morning.  Let’s just…sleep it off.  Come on,” he says, and turns toward the bedroom.

“You are such a stubborn fucking shit,” Steve says, before pulling Bucky back into the puddle of moonlight leaking in through the window.  

“We can’t,” Bucky says, pulling back.  “You can’t – you have to – Jesus, Steve, you have to mean it. We won’t – we won’t make it back if you don’t.”

He searches Steve’s eyes for something, some sign that Steve understands what he’s saying.  Bucky would have been just fine eating his heart out for the rest of his life, and never having Steve quite the way he wants him.  He would have been fine with that.

But this?  Kissing Steve and touching Steve and getting this close to what he wants? If Steve decides in three months that he’s not a little gay after all?  There’s no way they’ll be able to come back from that.

Steve’s watching Bucky’s face, searching his eyes. He pulls Bucky back in, so that they’re chest to chest, knee to knee, and he takes Bucky’s face in his hands.

“I’m so sorry, Buck.  I’m sorry that I didn’t see you, and I’m sorry that you had to wait here, all this time, without me.  But I’m here now, and I’m not letting you go.”  

He looks at Bucky, and then blinks. “Jesus,” he says, and cups Bucky’s cheek.  “Look at you.”  

Steve slides his fingers into Bucky’s hair, cradling his head, before dipping down for a soft, warm kiss.  

It’s not the hard, something-to-prove first kiss, and it’s not the messy, not-sure-what’s-happening second kiss. This kiss is easy and full of gentle intent. This is a kiss that Bucky can believe in.  

This kiss is perfect.

The kiss deepens, Steve pulling Bucky all the way into his space, wrapping his arms around Bucky and holding him tight. Bucky brings his arms up around Steve’s neck, pressing even further in and it’s – oh – it’s just exactly what he’s wanted, all these years, all this time.

They kiss and they kiss and they kiss.  Bucky feels warm, wet tracks running down his face, and Steve’s warm thumb wipes them away.  And still they kiss.

In the morning, they kiss some more, even though they’re bleary-eyed and their mouths taste terrible.

Three months later, they kiss at the threshold of their new apartment, Bucky holding a box on his hip and Steve with a rug under his arm. They kiss past Valentine’s day and through Easter, the first day of spring, and then of summer.  Their kisses are sweet with chocolate or salty from the ocean, or boozy from one too many of Nat’s drinks.  They taste of eggnog and then champagne, bubbly, fizzy kisses, and after another year passes by, they kiss to the applause of their loved ones, sliding golden bands onto one another’s fingers.

They kiss through promotions and raises, and at the threshold of a new house, a bigger house.  A house with a yard.  They share giggling kisses over the yelps of their new puppy, and a soft, tender-sweet kiss while holding Becca’s baby boy.  

There is a kiss in a lawyer’s office, full of excitement and hope for a life that might soon be theirs to nurture, and then there are kisses through tears, as that dream falls apart. There is another kiss soon after, though, one interrupted by a baby’s harsh cry, and a few years later, it happens again.

“I’m never going to sleep again, am I?” Bucky asks, flopping onto the bed.  Steve is propped against the headboard, glasses on and reading through a thick stack of briefs.  He’s in court next week on an immigration case, and he’s been working himself ragged, trying to perfect his arguments.

“No,” Steve answers.  “Probably not.”  He sets the briefs aside and opens his arms, and Bucky crawls into them, resting his head right over Steve’s heart.

“Daisy’s asleep – finally.  I thought she would never go down.  At least Joey sleeps through the night.”

Steve gives him a squeeze and kisses the top of his head.  “Speaking of,” he says, and rolls Bucky onto his back.  

“What are you -?  Oh!” he breathes, as Steve begins kissing his way down Bucky’s body. “Oh, Stevie.”

Over the years they’ve kissed hundreds of ways – filthy and sweet and shattered and joyful.  Through the good times and the bad, through their joys and sorrows.  But the one that Bucky remembers most is not the first kiss, or even the second.  He remembers that third kiss, standing in the moonlight, Steve cupping his cheek and promising with his words and his eyes and his kiss that Bucky’s heart would be safe with him.  That together they would be happy.

And they are.

[mew-mew-mothertrucker]

Cold Storms - Chapter 1

Hello everyone! So this is my first fanfiction I’m posting anywhere in a few years. I used to write a lot but then some stuff came up but now I want to do it again. So here is the first chapter of my first multi-chapter fic in like 3 years. I present to you chapter 1 of Cold Storms

Chapter - 1

Word count - 10793

TW - Mentions of child abuse

Summary - Virgil is the new kid at Summerville Elementary school in Mr. Sander’s 3rd-grade class.

Fun Facts about the chapter - Virgil’s last name is the short form of the Greek name Thanatos, meaning "death." Also, All facts about New Mexico are true

Virgil looked up at the building. Red brick, a flagpole in front of the school surrounded by a beautiful garden that was fenced off from the kids. A few park benches and two main entrances. It was the first day of school, and around him were mothers and fathers saying goodbye to their little ones.

Don’t think about mom he internally said to himself.

He walked up to the door and found his name on the slip of paper that assigned kids to the classrooms of the small elementary school

Virgil Than - Room 301 Teacher - Thomas Sanders

Virgil adjusted his usual black and purple hoodie he wore to cover the bruises from his father and walked into the cool building outside of the warm sun. He gripped his hands on the straps of his backpack as he walked past the office and into the hall that was labeled “3rd Grade” with a cheesy kid’s sign, bright yellow and covered in small people that were any shade of skin and dancing. He found room 301 and sat outside of the room. The bell rang and he stood up, waiting for other students. The first kid to come up and stand next to him was in a pair of jeans and a black polo shirt. He had on a pair of glasses and was holding a rather large book for an 8-year-old to be reading. The kid leaned on the wall next to Virgil and didn't say anything to him. The next kid to come up was wearing a bright blue t-shirt with a cat on it and a pair of glasses.

“Logan! You’re in Mr. Sander’s class too?”

“Yes, it would appear that was, Patton,” The kid with the large book said.

The kid in the blue shirt-Patton- looked at Virgil. “Oh, are you new here?”

Virgil nodded, feeling his heartbeat quicken. “I-I just moved here”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Patton, and this is Logan!”

“M-My name is Virgil,” he said the last part quietly.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” Patton said.

“V-Virgil,” he said a bit louder.

“Oh, like Publius Vergilius Maro?” Logan asked.

“Wh-who?”

“Nevermind,” he said, looking back into his book. Virgil looked at the cover, it was covered with Gladiators and the book was clearly about Roman history.

Another kid walked down the hallway, a shirt from The Lion King on. “Patton! Are you in Mr. Sander’s class?”

“Yeah, wow looks like all three of us have the same class this year!” Patton said to the new kid. “Oh Roman, this is Virgil, he’s new!”

Roman looked at Virgil, clearly unimpressed by his tattered hoodie and ripped jeans. “How...nice,” he said before getting in line behind Patton. Virgil sighed. A teacher walked up to the door and opened it, gesturing for the students to come in.

“Hello, you four seem to be the first ones in, I have organized you all into groups of four, so find your name tag and get out all the required materials out of your backpack and place them in the desks, you bags can go over there in some cubbies” The teacher said, pointing at some cubbies that had a large green sign with “Bags” on it, decorated with small cartoon backpacks. Virgil got out his items and went to look for his name, finding himself sat next to the three students he had just met.

“Wowie guys, look at this, we are all together!” Patton said.

“This seat is...suitable enough,” Logan said.

“Well at least I’m next to you two,” Roman said.

Virgil sat own, next to him Patton and across from him Logan. Roman sat in the fourth seat, and slowly more kids trickled in until the last bell rang. The teacher closed the door and walked to the front of the class.

“Hello students, I am Mr. Sanders, but you can call me Mr. S if you want to, and let me personally welcome you all to this 3rd-grade class! This year we will be going over how to become a better reader by looking at context clues how to read and write in cursive,, multiplication and division, food changes and state history! Now, how about we start off with a game of getting to know each other!”

Virgil felt his heart rate increase and his palms became sweaty. “We are all going to write 10 facts about ourselves on a piece of paper that I will read out loud to the class with the student next to me, even I will be answering this question! Now we will be answering a few questions that I will put on the board. While I write them out, could you all please get out a piece of paper and a pencil?”

Virgil lifted the top of his desk with the other students, getting a pencil and a piece of paper. While some students let the desk close in a crash, Virgil gently let his down and looked up at the neat handwriting on the board.

What is your name?

What is your birthday?

Do you have any pets? If so, describe them

Who do you live with?

What is your favorite movie?

What is your favorite holiday?

What is your favorite toy?

Do you have a favorite book? If so, what is it?

What is your favorite color?

Do you have a best friend? If so, who is it?

Virgil looked at the questions then back at the paper.

Virgil Than

April 24th

No

My dad

The Black Cauldron

Halloween

When Virgil got to number 7, he didn’t know what to say. His father had never gotten him any toys. The only toy he had was a stuffed animal that his mother had gotten him before the incident and he couldn’t stand to look at it. He just decided to go with the toys he saw on TV when his father was at work

Hot Wheels

Yes, Alice In Wonderland

Purple

No

When Virgil was done, he flipped the paper over glanced around at the rest of the class. Girls in dresses, boys in t-shirts and jeans, he was the only one in a jacket.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped, looking up to see Mr. Sanders looking down at him. The teacher seemed to be concerned with Virgil jumping but brushed it off.

“Hey there, you done?” he asked. Virgil nodded and he took the piece of paper. Soon, everyone was finished and Mr. Sanders walked up to the board.

“Okay class, I will read out by answers now. My name is Mr. Sanders, my birthday is April 24th, I have no pets, unfortunately, I live with my husband, Terrence, my favorite movie is the Lion King, I love Christmas, I have this stuffed animal that one of my dearest friends gave me a few years back that I hold close to my heart, My favorite book is actually in the Harry Potter series, my favorite color is red and my best friend’s name is Joan.“

Roman Patton and Logan all looked at each other when Mr. Sanders said his name and something unspoken passed between the three. Virgil was curious, the 24th of April was also his birthday, why did they all look like that?

“Now, I will select a random piece of paper from the pile let’s see Uh can Virgil please come up here?”

Virgil got up and shuffled over to the front of the classroom, feeling all eyes on him. He stood nervously next to the teacher's side as he read out the answers and when the teacher was done, he shuffled back over to his seat.

Now the other three kids at his table were all looking at him weirdly. Mr. Sanders called on a girl named Amber to come up and read her answers. Next, to him, Patton wrote something on a paper and passed it to Roman. Roman read it and wrote something then passed it to Logan, who read it over and passed it back to Romac who passed it to Patton. Amber’s paper was done and a girl who looked exactly like Amber walked up after Mr. Sanders called out the name Rosanna.

Patton quickly wrote something back and passed it to Roman. The paper went through the three as Virgil tried to pay attention to the other students.

“Can Patton please come up?” Patton got up and walked over to the front of the room and stood next to Mr. Sanders, smiling at the class.

“Okay buddy let’s see, you were also born on April 24th wow that’s 3 of us now, aw you have a large husky dog, okay you live with your parents and a baby brother, your favorite movie is Winnie the Pooh, your favorite toy is a Winnie the pooh stuffed animal, you love the book Highway Cats, your favorite color is blue and your best friends are Logan and Roman, awe that’s so sweet.”

Slowly the pieces clicked together in Virgil’s head. It was confirmed after roman and Logan had been called up. All of them had the same birthday.

Mr. Sanders asked the class who was buying lunch what they wanted and sent the order to the cafeteria. Virgil did his work, writing out cursive A’s until lunchtime, where him and the rest of his class got in line and walked to the cafeteria. Virgil had a brown bag filled with a sandwich he made himself and some chips, along with a water bottle. He sat at a table, all alone. The only other students were all in the third grade as well, but he didn’t know anyone, so he sat and ate the ham and cheese sandwich slowly, watching what other students did. Soon, everyone who had ordered lunches were sitting at table and Patton walked over.

“Hey, Virgil! Mind if me, Roman and Logan si with you?”

Virgil shrugged and gestured to the seats, due to his mouth being full. Patton smiled and sat down, Logan with the same book next and Roman last, sitting as far away from Virgil as possible.

“So Virgil, where did you move from?” Patton asked.

“New Mexico”

“Ah yes, New Mexico, land of enchantment. Hatch green Chile is grown there and is very popular among locals. The state capital is Santa Fe and the largest cities are Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Rio Rancho. It is the background of many movies and T.V shows and has oil in the southern parts of the state. Turquoise is found there a lot, as well, being one of the most common gems in jewelry there” Logan recited as if he had been waiting for that to be Virgil’s answer.

“Uh...yeah”

“Well, that’s interesting,” Patton said.

Roman had yet to say a word, just poked at his pizza that looked more like cardboard painted red and covered in paper.

“Anyhow, we were wondering if you would like to be our friend,” Patton said.

“Why?”

“Well, you have the same birthday as us silly! We’re all friends because of that!”

“So you want to be my friend because I happened to be born on April 24th?”

“Well of course!”

“No, thank you”

Patton frowned.

“Well, if you don’t want to…”

Roman was the first to leave and go sit at another empty table. Logan went after and Patton looked at Virgil sadly before getting up and joining the other two. Virgil almost regretted it but then the voice in the back of his mind came up. You shouldn’t get close to people when you do they get hurt. And besides, they would soon learn how messed up you are

Virgil finished his sandwich and threw away his trash before spending all of the recess after lunch sitting against the school, alone, watching as a pair of twins from his class played foursquare with three other kids who weren’t in his class, boys from other classes and a few from his class playing basketball, and finally his eyes landed on Patton Roman and Logan, all playing on some of the equipment, laughing and yelling at each other, Logan’s book neatly placed next to the steps leading up to some slides. Virgil got up and spent the rest of the recess in the classroom, alone.