#better than none

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Better Than None

1200 words for 1200 followers #12

A/N: Hi friends! Welcome to the 12-A-Palooza! This event is my way of saying thank you for sticking with me. Your support and kindness toward me and my writing is out of this world and I’m grateful for every last one of you! This was the one that I posted that silly & fun vs. dark & gritty poll for, and I cannot tell you all how glad I was that the overwhelming majority went for the fun option. This one made me laugh to myself as I wrote it, and it was an absolute pleasure to write something so light for Joel. It goes back to a HC I posted about many moons ago, about Joel + video games, and is not connected to anything I have written for these characters, or anything I am currently planning. It is a true stand alone that's only purpose is to make you all warm and smiley, so I very much hope you all enjoy it!

Warnings: absolutely none aside from campy Mortal Kombat graphics & a terrible (but hopefully believable) made up finishing move.

Requested by: @jessahmewren Song: Kiss With A Fist Character Choice: Joel Miller - I went back and forth and back and forth and BACK and FORTH on this one, but I decided to be a little cheeky with the prompt instead of taking it literally ;)

Summary: Just a normal night at the Miller residence.

“Hey! Don’t-” 

A string of grunts and meaty thwacks interrupted your protests, blood splattering in the corners of the television screen. 

“Can’t what? Hm?” Joel asked, the barrage of attacks continuing without relent. “Can’t beat the sh-” 

It was your turn to cut his sentence short, a grin curving your lips to wipe the one off his face. Another round of frenzied blows landed, followed by more grunts. “Who’s beating the shit out of who now, Miller?” 

Before he could reply, another voice chimed in. “Um… Neither of you are beating the shit out of anything.” Ellie snorted. “I mean, look at the bars.” She pointed at the top of the screen where two long bars displayed your characters’ health. “They’re both still practically full. Your kicks aren’t even landing.” 

You laughed, shooting a look over your shoulder at the girl. “Well, you know, I thought I was coming over to watch The Breakfast Club, not to play a game I’ve never been good at.” 

Joel and Ellie had been in Jackson roughly two weeks when you were assigned to a patrol with him. You’d heard from others - Tommy included - that he could be gruff, standoffish. But either they were wrong or you were lucky, because he’d proven to be neither. Quiet, and clearly carrying heartache on those broad shoulders. But everyone did these days. Every newcomer who walked through those tall gates for the first time did so as a revenant of sorts, worn ragged by what the world had become. What they’d lost. What they’d done. You hadn’t forgotten what it was like to try to put your suffering to rest. 

It was clear that that was all Joel - and the girl he cared for as a daughter - were trying to do. 

So you’d matched his quiet. You hadn’t asked questions or tried to provide comfort. You hadn’t flirted  like you knew some women in town would do when paired up with a man as handsome as Joel. Four hours into your shift you were rewarded by his first attempt at small talk, pointing up at a cluster of stars.

“Think that one’s called Cygnus. It’s a bird. Maybe an eagle?” 

You glanced over to see him still looking up, starlight shining in his eyes, showing you strands of soft leather amongst the dark brown. Like that he hardly resembled the road-roughened wanderer he’d been when he arrived. It was that night that you met the true Joel Miller, that night that would stick in your mind and your heart as you continued to get to know him. 

“You like astronomy?” 

“Ellie does.” He shrugged. “Tryin’ to learn so I have somethin’ to talk to her about. Girl loves space. She’d live on the moon if she could.” 

His answer was simple and you found it sweet that he was trying to find common ground with her. It made you smile. “Who wouldn’t?” That earned you a small huff of laughter so you went on, raising your own pointer finger. “You were right about it being Cygnus, but it’s a swan. Aquila is the eagle, and that one should be…” Moving your hand across the sky, you located the other constellation. “Right over there.” 

Two days later you’d gone through the shelves of books you’d been collecting, finding the one you were searching for - The Idiot’s Guide to Space - and bringing it over to his house. He wasn’t home then, so you’d left it with a note. You’re not an idiot, but I thought this might help anyway.

That gesture had gone a long way with both Joel and Ellie, and before you knew it you had been accepted into their little family. The budding friendship between you had slowly turned to something more, until you found yourself invited to movie nights and dinners, falling asleep on his couch with his arm around you and your head on his shoulder. 

But Tommy and Joel had come across a working playstation with a small cache of games on their last rotation outside of town, so this month’s movie night had been swapped for a game night, you and Joel currently engaged in the first round of fights after a crash course in button smashing from Ellie. 

On the other couch, Tommy and Ellie watched, commenting on every misstep and failed attack.

“I thought you said you taught ‘em how to play this game, squirt.” Tommy gave Ellie’s elbow a bump and reached for a handful of popcorn, voice low as he spoke through a smirk. 

“Okay, one?” Ellie bumped him back and pulled the bowl into her lap. “Don’t call me that.” 

“Grow, then.” Tommy tossed a kernel into his mouth and chewed around a wink. 

Rolling her eyes, Ellie ignored him and continued. “And two, I tried to.” She stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth and used her salty hand to gesture at the couch where you and Joel sat. “It’s not my fault they still suck at it.” 

Tommy chuckled. “No, I guess it ain’t.” Narrowing his eyes, he watched as your character jabbed her fists through air. With a tilt of his head, he pointed at the television. “You get next and make quick work’a whichever one of ‘em winds up winnin’. Then you’n me’ll show ‘em how it’s really done.” 

“Please. I’m gonna kick your ass, old man.”

“Old? Who you callin’-” He reached into the bowl of popcorn to grab another small handful. Instead of eating this one, he tossed it at Ellie’s head, the girl responding with a scoff. “You’ll see, you little smartass.”

Her faux annoyance melted into laughter as she wrinkled her nose. “Austin’s a lucky kid. You’re gonna be a cool dad, Tommy.” 

Tommy blinked, mouth dropping open. He wasn’t expecting a genuine compliment, especially one that so readily put his worries to rest. If there was one thing he knew about his adopted niece though, it was that she didn’t mince her words when she was talking to people she trusted. 

“Take… that!” You broke the moment with a shout, jamming a random combination of buttons to unlock a finishing move. 

Your character delivered one of her signature lines - how ‘bout a kiss, loverboy? - and then as she locked lips with Joel’s fighter, brought both of her glowing, powered-up fists to his temples and punched, smashing his digital head between them. On screen, the word FATALITY flashed in big block letters, your character lifting both arms before the message changed and read GAME OVER.

“Did you just… punch kiss me? To death?” Joel blinked incredulously at you, the controller in his hands falling to his lap. 

Biting your lower lip, you laughed. “I did. A deadly kiss is better than none at all though, right?” 

With that he grabbed your controller from your hands and leaned in to press his lips to yours. “Good thing I don’t have to settle for that one then.” 

Once again the moment was broken from across the living room. “Uh, hello? Time to give up your controller, Joel.” He pulled back and gave the girl a faux glare that only made her snort out a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll avenge you.”

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Thank you for reading! If you’d like to be added to or removed from the tag list, please feel free to let me know. You can also fill out the form on my Masterlist! :)

tags: @something-tofightfor @littlemisspascal @mishasminion360 @nyctophiliiiiaaa @practicalghost @amb11 @mindidjarin @jk7789 @tentacruels @harriedandharassed @joelmillerscoffee @woodlandmouth @thescarletfang @sleepylunarwolf @trickstersp8 @princessxkenobi @imtryingmybeskar @wildmoonflower @mswarriorbabe80 @theredwritingwitch @silverstarsandsuns @competentpotato @pedro-pedrito-pascalito @mumma-moonchild @jedi-in-crocs @hannahkatharine @anoverwhelmingdin @chiyo13 @myloveistoolittle @spishsstuff @noisynightmarepoetry

[royalberryriku]

It's gonna be 39C (102.2f) and we don't have an aircon fuckkk I hate Australian summers. Especially since, at least here, it's humid af as well.

[simeleons]

sometimes i envision drawing projects so vividly that i open my app and im surprised theyre not there

[some-writing-a-day]

Enervate

It’s a common sight, coming across adventurers enervated and laying on the ground. Sometimes it is luck, encountering enemies that are stronger or unaccounted for. Sometimes it is greed, trying to push a bit further despite knowing that they do not have the resources to sustain. Sometimes it is a lack of planning, not bringing the correct items or counters required. As a courtesy or a way of paying it forward, we adventurers would always try to resurrect a member or rush to their aid. 

However, viewing the scene before me, I’m very reluctant to adhere to the unspoken code at the moment. The party would probably forgive me because there is no way that I’m wading into an orc camp to rescue a party of 5 adventurers who seem to have become dolls.

Large sized dolls that the orc kids and anyone really can dress up or decorate.

What It Means

Enervate is a formal word used for situations in which someone or something is being sapped of physical or mental vigor, vitality, or strength. The verb is most common in the participial forms enervated and enervating, as in "children enervated by the summer afternoon heat" and "a tedious discussion we found completely enervating."

[chausie9]

Faulker and Carpenter teehee :D

I just finished the last ep and it was awesome I loved it so much ^^

[uncanny-tranny]

You! Internalize that you do not always need to "improve your art/craft" now! It's great to learn and develop your skills, but you do not need to come from a place of hating where you are now! You certainly do not need to force yourself to improve if it is coming in between you and enjoying the things you do. Improvement for improvements sake does not have to be the only goal, nor the only one that "should matter"

You are allowed to have motifs, enjoyment, ameturism, and "less skill." Kill and devour the capitalist in your head that dictates that you must always improve for everybody else's sake and your "productivity."

[transmascissues]

“trans men don’t have any real safety concerns to worry about” i can’t wear a mask when i go into public bathrooms even though i’m higher risk and bathrooms are some of the easiest places to get sick because i don’t reliably pass when my facial hair is covered and i can’t risk not passing when i use the men’s room, but i also can’t just use the women’s room for safety anymore because i don’t reliably pass as either binary gender anymore. so my only options are to risk getting sick, take my chances with the consequences of not passing, or just never use the bathroom in public (which has its own health risks).

and today, it almost didn’t even matter that i was putting myself in danger to ensure that i passed because, thanks to a faulty lock and a man who didn’t think to knock, i came very close to having my half-naked body exposed to a bathroom full of cis men. if i hadn’t been holding my coat on my lap because there was nowhere in the stall to put it, every single guy waiting in the (very crowded) bathroom would’ve seen that i didn’t have a dick. how well do you think that would’ve gone for me? my money’s on Not Well At All.

[teaboot]

if anyone is interested in the current situation on Canadian Healthcare, it is 6:45 in the morning and I am in line for the 8:00 opening of the only walk-in clinic in the city, which takes no appointments, has only one doctor, is full by 8:30, and closes at 1pm.

There are two people ahead of me, and they brought folding chairs from home.

[msponies]

y2k love letter.bmp

[petricorah]

yue🌙 id in alt

[stil-lindigo]

ABC News in Australia covers the story of how community groups all over the country are coming together as a community to provide for returning Gazan families.

El Rahman Inc. stands at the forefront of this community effort in Naarm/Melbourne, and on the organisation’s Instagram page, regularly posts updates on what supplies are currently needed. It accepts monetary and supply donations at drop off points (which are currently closed until the 28th Dec).

The PCIA has also been instrumental in organising resources for returning Palestinian families. For more widespread support not limited to Melbourne, please consider donating to the Arab Council of Australia, another independent non-profit which has a long history of supporting their community. They are based in New South Wales, which is home to Australia's largest population of Arabic-speaking Australians.

--

ABC's news report also highlights that between October 7 and November 20, Home Affairs granted 860 visas to Palestinians, including those seeking to depart Gaza. However, what they fail to give proper attention to is the fact that Israel has been preventing Palestinians from leaving.

[ link ]

Of the around 860 visas distributed, only 143 Palestinians have managed to successfully arrive in Australia, with the number of new names being added to 'the list' falling to a pathetic degree. To understand the grave conditions of Palestinians awaiting safe passage, this is a great article to read. And although politicians like Penny Wong insist they are doing everything in their power to help Palestine in this time, Australia still shamefully stands by its strongest ally, the US, and actively provides military surveillance of the Gaza Strip to Israeli sources through Pine Gap, a military base in Alice Springs.

In this time, it is imperative to maintain pressure on the Australian government. Protest and vocal pro-Palestine movement is the only thing that caused Australia to eventually vote for a ceasefire in the recent UN resolution, after their cowardly performance earlier. Resources like vic_socialists on Instagram, regardless of where you may stand on their performance as a party itself, has been outstanding in organising regular protest movements across all of Victoria. APAN also maintains a list of pro-Palestine events all around Australia on their website, although I'm not sure at this point if it's exhaustive.

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Happy 1200 hon! What a milestone. I would love to help you celebrate. May I have "Kiss with a Fist" and Joel please? 😌

Thank you darling! ☺️☺️ And thank you for joining in on the celebration!! Kiss With A Fist is such fun song - even if the subject matter isn’t the lightest. It’s definitely one that I sing at a very high volume while driving. (You’re welcome, people at red lights who get free concerts when my windows are down.)

But boy oh boy did it give me a challenge for Joel! Me being me, my brain kept trying to go the angsty route. I came up with like three other options, all of the sad. But then I came up with just the silliest idea of all, and it was a ton of fun to write. I hope you like it!!

Better Than None

[mrtequilasunset]

Highkey so sad to see Kim's character get butchered by people who see Harry as whichever addict wronged them in their life.

[legionofpotatoes]

My annual invocation to play The Pathless to anyone that will listen

[deityofhearts]

:’) sorry to have to ebeg on tumblr dot com again but my phone bill is approaching once again and I am nowhere near having enough money to cover it + grocery and other necessary items I need

$0/150

kofi

cashapp

venmo

paypal

[galaghiel]

michael, meet the other michael!