#for those not familiar with the game show they take two groups (families) and have them face off with a representative for the final bit

[saffyink]

"We asked 100 WoLs... Name something the WoL wouldn't eat."

WoL's diehard fans, tonight on (Final) Fantasy Feud!

[chukys-mouthguard]

I’m obsessed with Quinn and Nico, can you write something with them?

nice to meet ya

2.4k words | not proofread

featuring: nico hischier x female reader x quinn hughes (semi-featuring luke and jack)

genre: fluff

summary: after the hughes bowl, Jack invites Nico out with your group in hopes of you two hitting it off. However, once he sees the way you and Quinn interact, he’s afraid he’s got no shot

The Hughes’ bowl had to be one of your favorite times of the year, it was quite honestly your Super Bowl.

Having grown up with the Hughes family, the boys were practically your brothers. And getting to see them all play under one roof, for one night, you always made sure your schedule was clear.

The game never being about who won or lost, though the boys would beg to differ, simply being an opportunity for all of you to get together. You’d taken a half day at work so that you had plenty of time to get ready and off to the arena. A couple of your friends tagging along as Luke was always sure to hook you up with good seats.

“The boys are actually going to crucify you for showing up in Canucks stuff.”

“Especially after Luke got us such good seats.”

You rolled your eyes as you and your girlfriends hung out in the family area, waiting for the boys after a hard fought Devils win in overtime.

“Please, Luke definitely didn’t have to pay for those seats. And, Quinn is practically my twin, they should expect nothing less from me at this point.”

The three of you laughed as you continued your waiting. Quinn was your age, and the two of you had always been inseparable. Like you said, you were practically twins. Your personalities meshed so well, and you were much closer to him than Jack or Luke. Your friends often joked that you and Quinn should date, but the thought of that made each of you want to vomit. Never once having any type of feelings for one another other than those of love for a sibling.

“There they are!”

Your friend called out as Jack and Luke emerged from their locker room. Hair still slightly damp as it clung to their foreheads, now dressed in more casual clothes versus their suits as you’d all planned to head to a bar for drinks after the game.

“Y/n, again with the Canucks gear? They are gonna stop letting me give you tickets if you keep pulling shit like this.”

Luke playfully scolded you as he wrapped you in a hug, then pulled your leather jacket tightly shut to cover the Canucks logo.

“Quinn needs to hurry up, I feel an espresso martini calling my name!”

Your friend urged as she playfully stomped her heel into the floor, all of you waiting to see Quinn emerge from the visitor’s hallway.

“Jack, you have a second?”

Looking up your eyes met those of a familiar face, but not one of the guys you’d met before. Jack looked up and saw you eyeing the man, figuring you were expecting an introduction.

“Nico, this is y/n, I apologize for her Canucks apparel, she was supporting Quinn tonight and not us apparently.”

Playfully you stuck your tongue out at Jack before accepting Nico’s hand that extended towards you.

“Nice to meet you y/n, I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”

“If it came from Jack, don’t believe a word he says.”

Now Jack was the one sticking his tongue out at you before stepping to the side to chat with Nico. Your girlfriends immediately noticed your eyes following the two of them, pulling you to the side so no one else could hear their comments.

“Girl, if you do not take advantage of that gorgeous man eyeing you up and down like that, then you are certifiably insane.”

Rolling your eyes you turned your attention to the hallway, searching for Quinn in hopes his presence would rescue you from the interrogation of the girls. His damp brown hair clung to his forehead as he made his way down the hall, slightly jogging as he knew he had made everyone wait on him. A shy smile on his lips as he saw you standing with your hands on your hips playfully scolding him.

“Sorry, sorry. Captain’s duties, I couldn’t dip out early.”

He wrapped you in a hug before noticing the outfit you’d chosen for the night, a huge smile on his face as he looked at you.

“How mad were they?”

“Luke threatened to stop giving me tickets.”

“Well, there’s plenty of tickets for you in Vancouver should he stop bringing you to his games. We know you’d rather attend mine anyways.”

Luke simply rolled his eyes as you and Quinn continued your jokes, the group waiting on Jack to finish with Nico so you could head out.

“Hey, do you guys care if Nico joins? I figured the more the merrier?”

Everyone looked to one another, shrugging as if to say what’s the hurt in an extra person.

“Okay, it’s decided then, you’re coming with us Nico.”

The group headed out of the arena, Quinn riding in your car along with one of your girlfriends, the other choosing to ride with the rest of the group as she and Luke were slowly becoming a thing, which you were happy to see. Always wanting the best for the boys, especially when that was in one of your friends that you know and love.

You’d all parked down the street from the strip of bars, Jack and Luke knowing exactly which ones to go to that wouldn’t result in mobs of fans crowding or bugging them all night.

You and Quinn had come up with the brilliant idea to race each other in the parking garage, one of the many dumb things you two found yourselves doing just because. Though you immediately regretted it when you rolled your ankle in your heeled boots. Slightly stumbling as you whined, Quinn just laughing as he crouched down, signaling for you to get on his back.

The others had made their way out of Jack’s car, watching Quinn carry you and not even questioning it. Nico simply laughed with the group as you explained about your ankle, sticking close to Jack as he’d noticed how Luke and Quinn both seemed to be coupled up with you and your friend. The other friend of yours had mentioned her boyfriend once earlier telling Nico it was likely just him and Jack for themselves.

“You don’t ever feel like a third wheel around them?”

Jack looked to Nico a bit confused, shaking his head with a laugh.

“Absolutely not, those two are off in their own world. They’ve always been that way for years.”

Nico watched as you threw your head back laughing at something Quinn must have said, the smile on your face making you even more beautiful than you already were. The way your laugh echoed in the parking structure like music to his ears, but he feared he’d not be able to get close to you seeing you attached to Quinn’s hip.

Jack had invited Nico out to join you all, thinking perhaps you and the Captain would hit it off. To which Nico happily accepted after seeing how gorgeous you were, his knowledge of you only from the stories Jack and Luke told. Never once having seen a photo of you or met you. But his excitement about getting to know you faded as he’d begun to sense something between you and Quinn. The piggy back ride, the way you looked at one another, the way Quinn made you laugh. However, what the man didn’t know was that there was nothing behind the interactions. Jack just sucked at explaining anything, leaving Nico to think he didn’t have a chance with you.

Settling into a somewhat private section of the bar, you snagged an extra bar stool to elevate your foot and rest your ankle. Quinn immediately attempted to get ice for you as the others found their seats. Nico was seated to your right, smiling at you as you looked up at him laughing.

“I promise, I’m not normally such a klutz. I’m usually pretty light on my feet.”

“Well, running in heels I think changes that a bit.”

His voice was soft as he spoke back to you, a soft chuckle leaving his lips as he looked at your foot elevated on the bar stool.

“Does it hurt much?”

“It’s okay, nothing some alcohol can’t fix.”

“You want a drink? I can go get you one?”

Nico gestured to the bar, to which you kindly accepted as you gave him your drink order. Watching as he approached the bar and struck up a conversation with Quinn. Unsure what the two of them would talk about since you hadn’t known them to cross paths much.

“Oh, hey man. Quinn, I don’t think we’ve ever officially met.”

Nico shook Quinn’s hand with a smile, mentioning something about one time when Quinn knocked Nico on his ass, breaking the ice between the two of them.

“Are you getting drinks or?”

“No, trying to get a bag of ice for y/n. Hard to believe that if you need something that you aren’t paying for, they serve you slower.”

Nico laughed as he looked over his shoulder at you, your eyes wide as you were clearly telling some elaborate story. Your excitement showing through your body language, making him smile softly to himself.

“You and y/n have known each other for awhile yeah?”

“Practically our whole lives, we’ve been told by our families we were destined to get married ever since we were like ten.”

Nico slightly nodded, taking in the words of Quinn as he felt his heart sink a bit. Not realizing that you and him were so serious.

“Wow, that’s crazy. I mean, she is a beautiful girl, can’t blame anybody for wanting to have her all to themselves.”

“Yeah she’s definitely beautiful, but marriage is a little crazy for people to say I think.”

“You don’t want to get married?”

“I mean, maybe one day, if she’s the right girl. But, right now I’m not thinking about that at all.”

Nico looked at Quinn confused, as if they were having two different conversations. But before he could follow up Quinn’s statement, he was headed back to the table with a bag of ice for your ankle.

The bartender tapping the wood top to get his attention, Nico quickly ordering drinks as he’d felt bad you’d been waiting.

“Thank you so much!”

You took the drink from Nico as you smiled up at him, he’d sat down with a sigh as he eyed your ankle. The bag of ice in its place, hopefully helping soothe your pain along with the vodka lemonade he’d just brought you.

“How is it?”

Nodding your head as you stirred the drink, you looked to Nico with a laugh.

“It’s vodka lemonade, so, you can’t really mess that up.”

He playfully smacked his head as he laughed at himself, realizing he’d not been clear in what he was asking about.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so stupid, sorry. I meant how is your ankle? With the ice?”

“Ohhhh!”

You threw your head back laughing as your hand rested on his forearm, the two of you amused by the miscommunication as Nico took note of the feeling of your hand on his arm. Appreciating the time it took for you to finally put it away, but missing your touch as soon as you did.

“It’s better! Ice was definitely needed, that's for sure.”

The night continued on with drinks, funny stories from the game, and even a few shots. Luke and his girl left early, not being night owls, and your friend had to get home to bed for an early workday. Leaving you and Nico at the table while Quinn and Jack took part in a very competitive game of darts.

“So, y/n, how long have you and Quinn?”

Nico’s voice trailed off as he sipped his drink, your expression a bit puzzled. Not sure if it was the alcohol or possibly Nico’s accent that had you confused as to what exactly he was asking. You were sure he knew that Quinn was like a brother to you, he’d mentioned the fact the boys had spoken about you before. But then again, Jack was notorious for leaving out key details. Which in this scenario, could be why you’d felt an awkward vibe from Nico all night. As if he was unsure what he could or couldn’t say to you.

“I’m sorry, do you think that Quinn and I are, dating?”

Nico’s expression quickly turned to one of confusion mixed with embarrassment, as if he’d missed out on some obvious joke amongst you all.

“Well, yes? I mean, hearing the way he talked about you I thought so. But he did say something about everyone telling you two to get married, but then he said he definitely wasn’t gonna do that anytime soon, which I thought was weird if you’ve been practically dating since you were ten years old.”

You tried your best not to laugh, knowing that Nico clearly had no clue that you were in fact not dating Quinn, and you were simply friends. Feeling bad as you could see how respectful he’d been trying to be all night.

“Nico, I’m so sorry, Jack clearly sucks at providing pertinent information.”

His nervousness settled as you’d rested a hand on his cheek, your smile comforting him as he was sure he’d have to leave and never speak to you again because of this mixup.

“No, Quinn is not my boyfriend. He’s simply my best friend. I am single as a Pringle.”

“Pringle?”

He looked at you confused, you simply told him to forget the joke as you both erupted in laughter.

“Well, okay, that changes things for sure.”

“Changes things?”

You looked at him with wide eyes as you sipped your cocktail, unsure as to what he’d be referring to.

“A lot of things actually. Starting with the fact that I’d love to take you on a date sometime. Miss single Pringle.”

You held a hand to your mouth as you tried not to let your laughter cause you to spit out any of your drink. Already embarrassed at the fact you’d had to sit next to Nico all night icing your ankle.

“And if it goes well, maybe I can be your source for Devils tickets? I wouldn’t mind having you around the rink more often.”

A slight blush crept over your cheeks as you smiled at him from behind your glass, trying not to seem too excited at the offer of a date with Nico. Mentally thanking Jack for inviting him tonight while still cursing him for fucking up the details on who exactly you were.

“But, if you do let me take you out and start coming to my games, no more Canucks gear okay? I think a Hischier jersey with number thirteen on the back would look much better on you!”

[chelseachilly]

so high school

pairing: reader x ben chilwell summary: you and ben have been friends for years, but you haven't seen him much since you left chelsea for another job opportunity. all it takes is an engagement party, a bit of alcohol and a drinking game to bring the feelings you've been harbouring for years to the surface... warnings: hints of smut, alcohol use word count: 5k

author’s note: this fic has been SUCH a long time coming! it started as an idea from a request i got like a year ago asking for a friends to lovers fic involving spin the bottle, and then i got re-inspired to finish when 'so high school' by taylor swift came out. please note this takes place last summer since that's when i started writing it lol, and hope you enjoy!

-

You didn’t really know what to expect when you arrived at Kai and Sophia’s place, but you figured it would be a somewhat classy evening. 

You’ve had your fair share of wild nights with this group of friends - the night in Porto after the Champions League win comes to mind - but you’re all a little older now and you are celebrating Kai and Sophia’s engagement, after all. You thought it would be a relaxed, grown-up party. 

Evidently, you thought wrong.

Kai is already clearly drunk when he greets you at the door with a massive hug, and you can hear Sophia squeal as she comes running to hug you too.

“Congratulations, you two!” you exclaim, hugging Sophia back. It’s the first time you’ve seen them since the engagement, and you’re over the moon for them. 

“Thank you!” Sophia grins, proudly showing off her ring when she pulls away, beaming at Kai. “Now come on, everyone’s already here and they’re excited to see you!”

You knew you were running a bit late, but you don’t realize how late until you walk into a living room filled with drunk footballers. You know most of them, except for a couple of Kai’s new Arsenal teammates you haven’t had the chance to meet before. Reece is here, Timo, Kepa, even Mason is in town for the night.

And, of course, on the couch next to Mason is Ben, whose face lights up when he sees you.

When you got a job on Chelsea’s media team in 2019, you were pleasantly surprised by how quickly you became friends with many of the players. During your very first week, Mason invited you to a party at his house, and from that point forward you’ve been close with a lot of the boys and their partners. 

They’re now like family to you, regardless of if they’re still playing for Chelsea. Many of the boys have now gone in different directions, and you yourself left the club for an incredible job opportunity at Sky Sports a few months ago, but you wouldn’t miss an important occasion like this one for the world.

Even if that means you have to see the one person who has always made your legs weak and your brain turn to mush. The one you’ve missed significantly more than all the rest of the guys since your departure.

The one that you’re pretty sure you fell for the day he signed for Chelsea and you bumped into him in a hallway at Cobham.

Ben Chilwell. 

“Y/N!” Ben exclaims, jumping up to hug you. As usual, he looks unfairly hot in just a white t-shirt and black shorts. “You’re finally here!”

You sink into his embrace, breathing in his familiar scent before the hug is over - which is far too quickly for your liking.

“Yeah, can someone get me a drink or did you lot finish off the bar already?” you joke, pulling back to meet Ben’s gaze. 

“On it,” Mason offers before Ben can say anything, giving you a quick peck on the cheek on his way over to the bar. 

As Mason makes you a strong drink so you can catch up to everyone else’s level, you turn back to Ben and find him still looking at you with those bright blue-green eyes and the warm smile that captivated you from the start. 

“How’s your summer been?” you ask quickly, trying to ignore the butterflies erupting in your stomach from just being in his presence.

It’s been a couple of months now since you’ve seen him, but you’ve seen on his Instagram that he’s spent his summer at F1 races and on yachts while you’ve been stuck working in London. 

“Good, it’s been way too long since I’ve seen you, though,” Ben says sincerely. “How’s life as a hotshot producer for Sky?”

“Busy,” you reply, trying not to blush at his previous comment. “I’m liking it, but I do miss Chelsea. You know, the atmosphere at the club, all the familiar faces.”

“The club misses you too, trust me,” Ben says without missing a beat.

You don’t have time to respond before Mason is thrusting a drink into your hand and Sophia is tugging you away to discuss early wedding plans. 

After an hour or so, you’ve quickly relaxed back into a familiar state of comfort with your friends. Even if you don’t see each other as much as you would like these days, and it’s only going to get harder to make time when the season starts, these people still mean the world to you. 

At some point, after you’re a few drinks deep - you’ve definitely toasted to Kai and Sophia’s engagement with at least 3 different bottles of champagne at this point - and have made the rounds to talk to everyone, you feel someone grab your hand and tug you down onto the couch. 

You let out a surprised squeak, and your heart rate doesn’t settle down at all once you realize who grabbed you - who you’re now sitting so close to that your legs are touching. 

The entire time you’ve been here, you’ve been trying to resist going back over to chat with Ben, even though you’ve felt a magnetic pull in his direction from the moment you laid eyes on him. You’ve been sneaking glances at him whenever you can, admiring the way his eyes light up when he talks or the way he runs his fingers through his hair when he’s thinking about something, but you haven’t had a moment alone since he greeted you.

“What’s up, Chilly?” you ask, chuckling at his content expression. “You pretty drunk?”

“Just buzzed,” Ben smiles. “You know, last hurrah before the season starts.”

“You didn’t have enough fun frolicking around the Mediterranean for a month?” 

The question leaves your mouth before you can think about what you’re saying, and you see the way his eyebrows immediately raise and a slightly smug look appears on his face.

“Someone’s been stalking my Insta,” he smirks. “You miss me or something, Y/N?”

You take a small sip of your drink, staring down at your lap before answering him. Some combination of the buzz and the party and just him makes you briefly emboldened to tell the truth. 

“Yeah, maybe I did.”

When you look up, Ben’s eyes immediately lock with yours, and you suddenly feel your cheeks growing hotter and your stomach in knots. 

There’s always been some unexplored tension lingering beneath your friendship.

Nothing has ever actually happened between the two of you, although there are a few times it probably could have (and one time it almost did) if you weren’t trying to be professional and not hook up with one of the players at the club you worked for.

A club you no longer work for, you realize. 

“I missed you too, Y/N,” he says in a slightly lower voice that sends a shiver up your spine.

You continue to look into each other’s eyes, the tension seeming to build with each second, until Sophia plops down beside you and interrupts the moment.

“Alright, we’re playing a drinking game,” she declares, setting a deck of cards on the table in front of you. 

“Is that really necessary at this point?” you joke, gesturing to the fairly inebriated group of people around you.

“No, but it will be fun,” Sophia grins. “And I’m the bride-to-be, so I’m in charge.”

It’s a simple game to follow, thankfully. It’s essentially a version of truth or dare where the questions and challenges are pre-written on the cards. You go around the circle a few times, and thankfully you get some fairly easy ones, like revealing the name of your first crush (who nobody here knows) and taking a shot of the alcohol of your choice.

It’s entertaining watching the boys complete some pretty outlandish dares, and you’re excited to see what crazy task Ben ends up with when you see him draw a dare card from his spot next to you.

“Alright,” Ben says before reading his card aloud to the group. “Kiss the person…to your left.”

Even in your slightly inebriated state, it doesn’t take you long to realize that you’re the person to his left, meaning Ben has to kiss you. 

The room goes silent as the implication of this settles in. You’re certain at least half of the people here have had some kind of wager at some point over when you and Ben would get together, but you always brushed it off and joked that it would never happen.

Nothing has ever technically happened between you, other than flirtation and the occasional touches. You’ve never kissed him, despite how many times you’ve wanted to. 

There was one time you almost let your desire get the better of you, right after the Club World Cup win in Abu Dhabi. 

You were both caught up in the excitement of the win, and you’d been spending a lot of time together outside of work lately as Ben was recovering from his ACL injury and you wanted to support him as much as possible. 

You knew it was hard for him not to be a part of the win that day, to have to watch from the sidelines as his team emerged victorious. So, you spent basically the entire day with him, sitting with him during the game and staying close by during the celebrations afterward. 

Toward the end of the night, you ended up alone with him in a corner booth of the restaurant the club had rented out for the party. Nobody was paying much attention to the two of you, everyone still caught up in the excitement and dancing the night away. 

“Thank you, Y/N,” Ben said, gazing at you intently as he set down his drink, which wasn’t his first of the night (or third or fourth). 

“For what?” you asked a bit shyly. “I haven’t done anything.”

“You’ve done everything,” he corrected quickly. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

You weren’t sure if he meant physically there in Abu Dhabi, as you were the one that had encouraged him to come, or where he was mentally in his recovery at the moment. You’d done everything you could to help him through it, but there was only so much you could do. You weren’t a doctor, or a time-traveller that could magically stop the injury from happening, or even his girlfriend. You were just a friend with no medical knowledge, trying to help without overstepping any boundaries. 

You were just a girl who was head over heels for one of her best friends. 

“Ben, I haven’t…I’m just being a friend,” you said softly. “You’re the one who’s faced this setback head-on, never complaining or giving up. And you’re almost there. I’m so proud of you.”

For a moment, you saw a look in his eyes you didn’t recognize, one that made your heart flutter uncontrollably. The next moment, Ben began to lean in, his eyes flickering to your lips, and you had never wanted anything so badly in your life as you wanted to kiss him.

But you knew you couldn’t. Not when he was drunk and vulnerable and had been relying on you for emotional support for months. He was sad and confused and you knew he would regret it in the morning, and you would regret letting yourself feel something that wasn’t real.

“I, um…” you muttered quickly, pulling away from him. “We should go to bed. Early flight home tomorrow.”

Ben just stared blankly at you for a moment. “Y/N, I’m sorry, I-I’ve just had too much to drink and-“

“Don’t worry about it, Chilly, seriously,” you said, reverting back to the nickname you’ve used for most of your friendship, worried that the if you spoke his first name right now, the pure adoration you harbour for him would come through in the way it left your tongue. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

You quickly squeezed his shoulder as you got up from the table, making your way to the exit as stealthily as possible to avoid having to talk to anyone else. 

The moment you got back to your hotel room, you cried over Ben Chilwell for the first time. You cried in a way you hadn’t even after breakups. 

You cried because you knew he would never be yours, and you had to accept that. 

That night was over a year ago now, and you and Ben never spoke a word about what nearly happened between you. There were certainly moments since where he looked at you with that same glint in his eye, and you allowed your mind to wander as to whether he was feeling some deeper for you, but these hopes were always quickly dashed when he went home with some model or bid you goodnight without acknowledging the tension between you. 

You took the job at Sky, and started seeing him much less often, which wasn’t exactly intentional but wasn’t totally an accident, either. It certainly made your life easier not having to suppress your feelings for him at work everyday. 

Until now. 

Now, when he’s looking right at you with those eyes and you’ve never wanted anything more than to kiss him. 

“Uh…” Ben looks at you and scratches the back of his neck. “It’s up to you-“

“Just do it, Chilly,” you say with a sudden burst of confidence and a bit of recklessness, turning on the couch to face him properly.

Something flashes in Ben’s eyes for a moment - maybe surprise, maybe pure elation - but he doesn’t take long to act on your instruction. 

He grabs your face with both hands and leans in to kiss you firmly. He tastes a bit like beer, but he’s so warm and his lips are softer than you imagined - and you imagined them a lot. 

Everyone cheers and hollers at the kiss, but you can hardly hear them while you’re so singularly focused on the feeling of Ben’s lips on yours.

It’s over before you can properly enjoy it, making you wish desperately that there weren’t so many people here and you could grab him and kiss him over and over again.

“That’s gonna be tough to beat,” Mason jokes from across the table as you and Ben are silently reeling from the kiss you just shared. “I think we should call the game, Soph.”

Everyone else murmurs in agreement, and they begin to get up to get more drinks or continue to chat. But you remain frozen in place, only able to move enough to glance over at Ben, who is still looking at you. 

“Y/N,” Ben breathes your name. “I…”

“I should go,” you say quickly.

You immediately have deja vu to the night he nearly kissed you, how quickly you ran off, but this time is different - now that you know how good it feels to kiss him, there’s no way you can stay another moment in his presence without doing it again. 

“Wait, please,” Ben says, gripping your hand before you can stand up. “Can I give you a lift home?”

“You’re driving?” you ask in confusion, knowing that even if he’s not fully drunk, he’s certainly not sober enough to drive a car.

“No, no, I’ll just get an Uber and have it drop you off first,” he insists. “Make sure you get home okay.”

You know it doesn’t really make sense logistically, as you live much farther away than he does, but you can’t resist the temptation of his soft voice or the way his thumb is caressing the back of your hand. 

“Okay, sure.”

Ben gives you a small smile before pulling out his phone to call the car. 

Once he’s ordered it, you both quickly grab your things and say your goodbyes, ignoring the curious looks and knowing smirks you get when you say you’re sharing an Uber. 

Within five minutes, Ben is opening the door for you to climb into the back of a fancy black SUV, and then sliding in tantalizingly close to you. 

You feel like you’re going to explode with desire for him. 

“You alright?” Ben asks you after another minute has passed, and the look on his face gives you the sense that he’s been working up the courage to say something to you. 

You nod, holding his gaze and trying to keep your heartbeat under control. 

“Do you remember that night in Abu Dhabi, when we…”

You can feel your cheeks growing hotter as you nod, trying to process the fact that Ben not only remembers that moment between you but is choosing right now to bring it up. 

“You were drunk,” you remind him.

“Yeah, but I still - I still meant it. And I still remember how gorgeous you looked that night. You always do, really, but-“

“Ben,” you cut him off, unable to hear another word from him if this is going to end the same way it did last time. “I think you’re drunk now, too.”

“I’m really not,” he says in a steady enough voice that you’re inclined to believe him. And, now that you think about it, you don’t think you saw him have more than a few beers all night. “Are you?”

You shake your head, managing only a small gulp in response as you meet Ben’s intense gaze.  

“Y/N…” he says, barely above a whisper as he leans in closer. “Can I…”

“Your place,” you reply without a beat. Your brain is fogged by how much you want to kiss him again, but clear enough to know that once you start, you aren’t going to want to stop. “It’s closer than mine.”

Ben stares at you for another moment, just processing your words, before he nods and turns to the driver, asking him to skip the first address and go straight to his. 

It’s only a ten minute drive from there, but you’re so full of nervous anticipation for what’s to come that it feels like hours. 

By the time you pull up to his house and get out of the car, you still can’t quite believe what’s happening. Ben quickly unlocks the door and holds it open for you to enter his house. You haven’t been here in a while, but it’s as big as you remember it from all the times you’ve been here for a party or movie night. 

It shouldn’t be awkward being here, except for the fact that you haven’t really been alone since the night of your almost-kiss. And the fact that your first actual kiss was less than an hour ago. 

“Can I, erm-do you want some water?” Ben offers, gesturing to the kitchen. 

You nod with a small, nervous smile and follow him into the next room. 

The kitchen is dimly lit, the only light source coming from the hallway and the stove light as Ben  grabs two glasses and fills them both with water. He passes one to you, and you thank him quietly before taking a sip. 

“Been a while since you’ve been here,” he remarks, perhaps reliving all the same memories you have been since you walked through the door. 

“I know,” you say, setting your glass down and taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry I’ve been a bit distant since I left Chelsea. It was just…easier.”

“I’m sorry if I fucked our friendship by trying to kiss you at the totally wrong time,” Ben says sincerely. “But honestly, I’m more sorry for not trying again since.”

That’s all it takes for you to take the few steps between you and crash your lips to his, immediately throwing your arms around his neck to steady yourself. 

Ben stumbles in shock for a moment before his hands find your waist and he kisses you back with equal passion, backing you up against the kitchen island. 

You moan slightly as he parts your lips with his tongue, tangling your fingers in his hair. Kissing him like this, with no restraint, is something you’ve craved for so long that you can hardly wrap your head around the fact that it’s happening. 

You let out a small squeal of surprise as Ben’s hands move to your thighs and he hoists you up onto the counter, never breaking contact with your lips. Your legs subconsciously tighten around him, and the friction makes Ben groan into your mouth. 

Kissing Ben is everything you dreamt it would be and more. No guy has ever made you feel a fraction of the way he is right now, and all you can think about is how good it would feel to have him inside you. 

You know how badly you want him, and it’s pretty clear that he wants you just the same, but you have just enough sanity left to know that you can’t just be another one of the girls he’s slept with. You’ve liked him too much, and for too long, to be just another notch in his bedpost. This has to mean more to him, too.

“Ben,” you sigh, reluctantly breaking the kiss and feeling your heart palpitating as you open your eyes and see his swollen lips and dilated pupils. “I…I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

“Me too, baby,” he smiles, and the new pet name alone is almost enough to make you cave on the spot and kiss him again. 

“I don’t just mean like this,” you say, hoping he understands what you mean. “I mean I want more with you. Something real.”

It’s the most terrifying moment of your life as you wait for him to respond, not sure what to expect. But when a wide grin breaks out on his face and he lets go of your waist to gently cup your face in both hands, your heart flutters uncontrollably. 

“I want that too, Y/N,” he says softly. “I’ve wanted it from the moment I first saw you, in the hallway at Cobham my first time there. You were wearing that flowy white dress, and I was so nervous being there, but you just smiled at me and introduced yourself and I felt so…safe.”

“You remember what I was wearing?” you ask in astonishment, thinking back to your first encounter with him. You have a similar memory of thinking he was the fittest guy you’d ever seen and how you could get lost in his eyes for hours. 

“Of course,” Ben smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, those same eyes sparkling. “And I remember thinking I couldn’t believe my luck that I signed for my dream club and met my dream girl on the same day.”

You let out a shaky breath, your eyes beginning to water from the heightened emotions you’re experiencing. 

“I-I never knew you felt the same,” you breathe. “Why did you never…”

“At first, I didn’t want to ask you out because I thought it might be frowned upon at the club and I didn’t want to break any rules or do anything inappropriate,” Ben explains. “And then we became such good friends, I didn’t think you would feel that way about me. When I tried to kiss you in Abu Dhabi and you turned me down, I took that as your answer.”

“God, no, Ben, I wanted to let you kiss me so badly,” you sigh. “I just couldn’t take advantage of you. You were drunk and emotional about the injury and…”

“I know, I know, it’s okay,” Ben assures you, pecking your nose quickly. “Now we both know how we feel, right?” 

You nod, resting your forehead against his for a moment and just taking this all in. You’ve wanted to be close to him like this for years, and to have it finally be a reality is almost too much to take. 

“Kiss me again?” you ask quietly. 

All you see is another quick flash of Ben’s grin before he leans in and presses his lips to yours. 

It only takes a moment to escalate back to the same passion you were both displaying before, and Ben’s hands move back to your thighs to pull you closer to him again.

You can feel your desperation for him growing by the second as his tongue explores your mouth and his hands roam your body. You reach for the hem of his t-shirt and pull it upward without breaking the kiss, making Ben chuckle as he helps you in your effort to remove it and tosses it on the floor. 

You immediately move your hands to his sides, feeling the toned muscles you’ve admired from afar all these years. 

The sundress you’re wearing gives him easy access to where you need him most, and his hand is tantalizing close as it rests on your upper thigh. 

“Ben, please,” you groan. “I want…can you-"

You’re interrupted by your own gasp of surprise as Ben tugs you closer and lifts you up off the counter. Your legs tighten around him reflexively, and the friction created makes you gasp again, this time in sheer pleasure. 

“Been waiting too long for this to not do it properly,” Ben says, punctuating his sentence with another, softer kiss. “You wanna go upstairs?”

You just nod and shift slightly to try to get down, but Ben only tightens his grip on your thighs and begins to walk toward the stairs. You continue to exchange sloppy kisses as he ascends the staircase, and you’re turned on even more by the strength and ease with which he carries you up to his room. 

He kicks open the door and gently lays you down on the bed before reaching over to flick on the lamp. You take a moment to take in your surroundings. Of all the times you’ve been in his house, you’ve never been in his bedroom. It’s cleaner than you expected, and a bit cozier and more lived-in than the rest of the house. There’s a book on his nightstand that you can’t quite make out the title of, and a photo of him and his family next to it. 

It feels like Ben, and you feel completely at home.

Ben climbs over you and begins to kiss you again, and your hands immediately fly to his shorts to help take them off. Once they’re discarded and he’s in nothing but his boxers, you can feel how hard he is pressed up against you. 

“Are you sure?” Ben asks softly, though you can see him biting his lip in anticipation as you lightly stroke him over the thin material.

You nod, maintaining eye contact as you quickly pull off your own underwear and toss them aside.

“I’m sure.”

Ben leans in to kiss you again, and you let out a sigh of pleasure as you let yourself surrender completely to the ecstasy of being with him. 

-

“I can’t believe we waited this long to do this,” you sigh dreamily.

You’re curled up in Ben’s arms, lying with your head on his chest and an arm and a leg draped over him. You’re both still catching your breath a bit after the most perfect, mind-blowing sex you’ve ever had in your life. You always knew he would be good in bed, or at least you thought he would be, but he truly surpassed all of your expectations. 

“I know,” Ben murmurs, pressing a reverent kiss to your temple. “I wish I had the courage to tell you sooner, but you’re so important to me. And a part of me also thought I would never have a shot with you.” 

You prop your chin up on his chest to look him in the eye, furrowing your eyebrows. “You thought that you, a super fit, gorgeous footballer would never have a shot with me? Are you being serious?”

Ben nods shyly, as if he didn’t just go down on you until you were seeing stars and screaming his name in pleasure less than 30 minutes ago. 

“You’re beautiful, Y/N, and you’re the smartest person I know,” he says, almost certainly making your cheeks redden. “You’re definitely out of my league.”

“Please, Ben, you spent the whole summer with Instagram models with perfect bodies,” you remind him, a bit ashamed of how insecure it made you seeing him all over social media with so many women you know you look nothing like. 

He laughs softly before shaking his head and pressing a soft kiss to your nose. “No, my mates spent time with those girls who don’t compare to you at all while I sat around feeling sorry for myself and missing you.”

You can’t resist leaning in to kiss him firmly on the lips, your hand tangling in his messy hair. Your heart is so full of affection for this boy already that you know it’s only a matter of time before you fall even deeper for him than you already have.

“You know, maybe it’s a good thing we waited,” you say when you break apart, your fingers still threaded through his hair. “We’re both a little older and more mature now, and we don’t work together anymore. If we’re going to do this, we should do it properly, right?”

Ben smiles sheepishly. “Does that mean you’re my girl now?”

You stiffen, a little surprised by his question even if it’s far from the biggest surprise you’ve gotten tonight. 

“I, um-well, if you want-“

“You already know what I want, babe,” Ben says with a soft expression on his face. “I meant it when I said you’re my dream girl. I want everything with you, Y/N.”

“Alright,” you reply, a wide smile breaking out on your face as well. “Then I’m all yours, Chilwell.”

You both lean in for a kiss at the same time, giggling softly against each other’s lips. You’re so giddy that it’s actually a challenge to kiss him properly, soft moans mixed with the glorious sound of his laughter. 

You don’t think you could ever get enough of this.

And as you drift off in Ben’s arms a bit later that night, after going another round and exchanging a few more soft goodnight kisses and tender words, you make a mental note to buy Sophia and Kai a really nice wedding present. You certainly owe them one.

-

a/n: please let me know what you thought of this, it makes my day getting feedback 💓 thank you for reading!

[escapist-of-fiction]

Title: Let the games begin. Pairing: Troy Otto x OC Evie

Summary: Lots of these one shot scenes take place in the infirmary on the Ranch, potentially other locations further down the line. Pre-apocalypse Evie was a med student in her third year, so knew enough to adopt this role when she arrived. Troy is obviously a regular visitor because, well, he's Troy and he's one, hot mess and chaos seems to follow him around. I guess this is the beginning of their slow burn relationship. Up until this point, Evie and Troy had not really had a reason to speak to each other or spend time together. All it takes is one small decision, and the rest is history.

Dislaimer: I will use characters from the Fear The Walking Dead series and some details from the show but that's as far as it goes really. This will mostly be an original plot. ---------------------------------------------------------------

It had been forty eight hours since the Militia had left the ranch and, when Evie had bumped into Jake during lunch earlier that day, he had seemed unperturbed by the group's absence.

"Evie, this is a regular thing. Troy goes off on idiotic missions to satisfy his curiosity. Things take a little longer than planned." He paused, forkful of pasta halfway to his mouth as he eyed her suspiciously, "Why do you care so much?"

She tried to ignore it but Evie could hear the underlying tone of 'who do you care about?' as well. Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled and answered without so much as skipping a beat,

"As resident Medic, amongst other job roles, surely it's my duty to care?" Jake immediately smiled in surrender.

"Point taken. Listen, if I know Troy as well as I do, he'll have them back by sundown."

-----------

On the quiet days, everyone milled around the ranch completing their jobs, busying themselves with idle chit chat. Evie, personally hated those days. Time moved incredibly slowly and it gave her too much time to think, about what could have been and what the future held. A monotonous task, like taking a medical supply inventory and basing herself in the medic tent, kept her occupied until the familiar skidding of tyres on gravel sounded at the main gate. Listening carefully, she heard the regular shouts of greeting from friends and family alike. No one sounded like they were raising the alarm for any emergencies. She continued with her job, seemingly satisfied with the outcome.

She found the Militia still unloading the trucks a little while later. Evie nodded at a few of the more familiar faces, hauling barrels off the back of a truck,

"Where did you end up this time?" She asked. George, one of the older and more established members of the Militia paused to fill her in,

"We went a bit further afield, past the two main towns, found an abandoned warehouse. It must have been a clothes supplier once upon a time. Then Troy decided it would be a good idea to chase down a herd." Evie nodded in understanding, she knew how that story always ended and didn't need him to finish. She sighed.

"Where is he now?"

"He headed towards the pantry with Jake. We managed to raid a store on our way back."

With a little nod, Evie headed in that direction, her pace quickening as she got nearer overhearing raised voices. Jake and Troy stood facing one another, deep in their heated discussion, surrounded by the boxes of supplies that they had just carried across the yard. Jake was staring furiously at Troy, who looked almost bemused by his brother's overreaction.

"Christ, Troy. What were you thinking?" Jake hissed, gesturing wildly in the trucks' direction, "They are our people, they have families. We don't go searching for danger for the hell of it. Do that on your own time!"

Troy scuffed his boot in the dirt and folded his arms across his chest indignantly before responding,

"Stick to being the house wife of this ranch, Jakey. What I do with the Militia on our missions is my business." A smug sense of satisfaction washed over Troy as he watched his brother twitch in annoyance. He didn't like this 'tit for tat' arguing but his brother's constant need to be the responsible one riled him to no end.

Evie could see this had hit a nerve with Jake instantly so decided it might be a good time to take it upon herself and interrupt them.

Up until now, neither of them had been aware of Evie's presence, so her sudden approach startled them both and distracted them from the heat of the moment, fortunately.

"What's wrong?" Jake huffed, hoping nothing serious had happened but equally looking for a reason to walk away from his brother before he really lost it with him. Evie felt she needed to think quickly for an answer or it would seem a bit odd that she had approached them in the first instance. She wasnt even sure why she had gone to seek Troy out in the first place. She found a reason soon enough as she cast a glance over Troy, who was staring at her inquisitively.

"You need that wound treated," she said, pointledly nodding at his hand that he had obviously tried patching up himself, which was now dripping with blood. Troy lifted his hand dismissively,

"This old thing? It'll be fine once I've washed up." Evie marched up to him and grabbed his wounded arm, holding it up for inspection. This bold movement from the medic, stunned both men into silence. Evie wasn't known for her forwardness, in fact, it was rare to see her outside of the infirmary at all most days.

"By my reckoning, you treated this wound yourself and you've done a terrible job of it. So unless you want it to get infected? Infirmary now." Evie didn't wait for a response from Troy. She simply took a hold of his good hand and pulled him in the direction of the medical tent, leaving Jake staring after them, a little perplexed.

Neither of them spoke at first. Evie tapped the empty bed and Troy hopped up obediently. She began to unwrap a roll of gauze and make a solution to disinfect the wound. He watched her every move carefully, enjoying the way Evie's nimble fingers treated his injury with effortless care. Evie, on the other hand, was completely unaware of Troy watching her, she was too engrossed with the task in hand. She unwrapped the scrappy fabric, now caked in dried blood, that he had twisted around the cut to stop the bleeding. She threw it in the nearby bin and held Troy's hand up to study it carefully in the daylight that was now seeping in through the tent's doorway as the afternoon reached it's peak.

"You know I could have sorted this out myself back home..." Pausing the careful treatment of his hand, Evie locked eyes with Troy, an eyebrow raised as she responded,

"You're welcome?" Her sarcasm earned a wry smile from Troy.

"You know that's not what I meant. As much as I'm enjoying this little Florence Nightingale routine, I'm not sure what I've done to deserve this treatment. Other than being a dick to my brother back there."

"Well," Evie began, winding the bandage around Troy's hand tight enough to watch him wince ever so slightly, "as I said to your brother earlier; it is my duty to care for everyone - even stubborn, reluctant patients like yourself." She lifted her gaze from Troy's hand and found him staring at her intently. Evie felt the heat to rise to her cheeks. "Anyway, " she babbled on, "You are in charge of the ranch and we kind of need you alive in order to keep it running. Sort of." She placed Troy's hand gently down at his side. "There. That's you all patched up."

Troy turned his hand over, seemingly impressed with her handy work.

"Thanks Medic. Permission to leave?" A tiny smile spread across Evie's face at Troy's gentle teasing.

"Permission granted," she said, playing along with a little chuckle, stepping aside to let him past. She soon realised that there wasn't a lot of room in the Medic tent as Troy sidled past her so closely that his body briefly brushed up against Evie's.

What was most alarming was how her body reacted to the physical contact with Troy, however fleeting it may have been. She watched him lift the canvas and duck out of the tent, stepping into the sunlight and she exhaled slowly, realising she had been holding her breath. She waited for the tingling sensation in her stomach to subside, a mixed feeling of confusion and realisation washing over her.

And it was in that moment that it dawned on Evie...she was falling for Troy Otto.

[rose-icosahedron]

The Prodigal in Book Of Hours is Gwendolen Farouk*

(explaining my friend @clintonlighthouse's theory as I understand it)

*this does not mean Gwendolen Farouk is The Prodigal** **This will be explained later.

This post contains major spoilers for the ending of The Lady Afterwards and minor spoilers for the beginning of Book of Hours, as well as discussions of cannibalism and filicide. If you are familiar with either of these characters, you know why.

Part one: Who is The Prodigal?

"Brancrug, March 7th, 1936,

'There has been no Librarian at Hush House since the fire - seven years now. Suitable candidates are very difficult to find, but perhaps we have found one in you. Take care on your journey - the seas around Brancrug are treacherous…'"

To construct a theory about a character, you must know who they are.

As the newest Librarian of Hush House, the player-character of Book of Hours wakes up on the shore of St Brandan's cove following a shipwreck. They are then tasked to figure out what is left of them, and The Prodigal finds that they still have their Chor and Phost (elements of the soul), as well as their journal. They will also remember their reason for choosing to come to hush house: Their parents are trying to eat them, an inevitability of when any immortals have children.

"My parents were Long - which is to say immortal - and Long are not permitted to make children. Their punishment is this: now that they know I live, they cannot rest until they devour me. Here in Hush House, I will be safe. It is even possible that I might learn to shape a weapon to defend myself." (Memories: the Prodigal)

Later on The Prodigal will solve a very minor Lantern challenge allowing them to read the hammered copper journal and be reminded of their origins, and the player will be told that "The Prodigal's dearest wish is sanctuary".

This is most of the information that can be gleaned about The Prodigal, and the rest of the information that can be gained about them specifically is in relation to their future: the different victories they can gain. These are about The Prodigal's future, however, not their past, so we do not need to dwell on them here. In fact, we should take a look into the past at Gwendolen Farouk.

Part two: Who is Gwendolen Farouk?

"You've been summoned to Alexandria, a city of coloured lights and curious histories. An old friend needs you to track down a woman. She's probably in trouble. Probably trouble herself.

Cherchez la femme, the saying goes. But what does the lady look for?" (5)

In the table top roll playing game The Lady Afterwards, a group of players (playing as alternate versions of some of the main characters of Cultist Simulator). Look for a woman named Audrey Leigh Howard at the behest of one Loretta Farouk.

In the process of their investigation, they learn Loretta has a daughter named Gwendolen. Records of her family show inconsistencies and it is eventually revealed that Gwendolen is actually the daughter of Audrey Leigh Howard and her lover Everett, two Long planning on eating their daughter in order to sate their hunger.

However the players may choose to intervene for Gwendolen's sake, leaving many endings for Gwendolen's story. The game runner's guide provides many potential endings, and since Gwen is to become The Prodigal, these are what we care about.

Maybe the players fail and Gwendolen is eaten, maybe she is whisked away by one Madame Matutine, maybe the player's give her magical water saved for her by her aunt so that she may be forgotten by the world and live in safety. Or maybe, none of those things happen.

Gwendolen gives the players a hastily written note musing about her future, thanking them for her survival and saying she might want to study and find some sort of peace and safety from her parents.

Becoming the Librarian of Hush House would of course be that, but how would she get there in the first place?

Part 3: Connecting the Dots

"A letter to me from St Rhonwen's Trust. The Trust's connection with Hush House is probably benevolent, but persistently obscure." (A Letter to The Librarian)

"Perhaps we have found a suitable candidate in you." The first thing the player reads when they play Book of Hours is a piece of text (the quote at the beginning of this essay) that is divided into two pieces. We have already touched on the second half, written in first tense, which states that the Librarian was in the shipwreck. However we have not touched on the first, which is written in quotes and second tense, states that it is hard to find a suitable candidate for the Librarian of Hush House but that you might be one.

Across the game, the combination of quotes and changed tense is used to represent things that are either said to the Librarian or direct transcriptions of text the Librarian has read. This, combined with the fact it is placed before the Librarian's memory of their shipwreck, implies that it was read or heard by the Librarian prior to their decision to head to Hush House, and is probably their invitation to the position.

The author or speaker of the text is left ambiguous, but later on the Librarian receives a letter from St. Rhowen's Trust asking if arrived and saying their will send a yearly stipend "as previously promised". It seems then that the Trust was the one to select and invite the Librarian.

The connection between St. Rhowen's Trust and Hush House is explicitly stated to be unknown to the Librarian, although when meeting one of the former Librarian's, Dr. Serena Blackwood, the Librarian mentions the Trust has worked with her as well. That connection is also left ambiguous, but a clearer connection is available in the Lady Afterwards game runner's guide. "Serena Blackwood is the founder of the St. Rhonwen Trust, a charitable fund established for the advancement of education, chiefly through scholarships for promising young talents." (32)

Beyond this, within The Lady Afterwards, Dr. Serena Blackwood is noted to be protecting Gwendolen and have an interest in her, as well as the Trust is stated to have provided Gwendolen a scholarship to the Egyptian University.

While this could be enough to make an argument for Dr. Blackwood setting up Gwendolen with a position at Hush House once it becomes available, or at least recommending her the position, there is even more evidence found in Gwendolen's letter to the players if she survives.

This quote both further states Dr. Blackwood's interest in Gwendolen, as well as her willingness to help her, given that she is "offering her time to think". A position at Hush House would be exactly what Dr. Blackwood wants for Gwendolen, both safety and a chance for her to achieve something.

Gwendolen could become the next Librarian of Hush House, and if she did she would match every detail of The Prodigal: A child of two Long on the run. More than that, Gwen is intelligent and innocent, intending not to become Long even if she does want to study the Mansus, both aligning with the pieces of the soul---Chor and Phost---The Prodigal has remaining. Beyond that, The Prodigal's diary is for lack of a better term flavored like Gwen's story, being made of copper (which Forge Long's blood, like Audrey, is said to resemble) and requiring completion of a Lantern (like Everett) mystery.

(I find it fitting that Gwendolen, so haunted by her parents, would have a journal reminiscent of them. Not only is it in some way about them; but Gwendolen was haunted by visions of a Lighthouse which she later interpreted as her parents calling our for her, they would still call for her in her dreams.)

This ties up almost everything, however it does leave one thing un-answered: Gwendolen doesn't always survive, how can she be in another game?

Part four: The Genius of the Secret Histories Timeline and Video Games.

"The attention of the Hours is drawn to the bloodiest wars. Afterwards, the Histories are braided like hair." (a Forbidden Epic)

Gwendolen does not always survive, but The Prodigal is not always the Librarian, in fact The Prodigal is only the Librarian one twelfth of the time.

This reveals a detail of all of the Secret Histories games. Any run possible within any of the games could be canon to the others. (I just think it's neat).

Part five: Conclusion

Every version of The Prodigal is Gwendolen Farouk, although not every version of Gwendolen becomes The Prodigal (Not mine, for example, since she ended up with an assistant and missing and arm. Sorry Gwen). And I just spent the evening of my first day back to school writing a 1.5K word long essay about a game series. Goodnight.

(Essays work like fics, if you want to encourage me to write more insane essays at inopportune times, tell me what you thought)

[bifronse]

The Outsiders social media headcanons except they’re still boomers

Since Pony is writer, he has multiple platforms but primarily uses twitter. Pre-Musk, he’s verified and is relatively active on it. He’s used the internet since the advent of it so he’s the most familiar with internet culture and lingo. He migrates to Bluesky after the Musk takeover

Pony’s fanbase skews young because of his heavily character-driven novels, so he has a hoard of teenagers that always bug him

Darry makes a Twitter to follow Pony. Rarely updates and is the most dad twitter you can think of. Posting pictures of his grills and family, as well as occasional updates about his construction company. A chunk of Pony’s followers found him and jokingly hype up all his tweets, no matter how mundane. He doesn’t know how to feel about that

Two-Bit is on Facebook and follows all sorts of humor groups, and he is blissfully unaware that over half the content farm shit that shows up on his feed is AI. If you tried to tell him about AI, he’d just laugh it off because “I don’t get that stuff”

After Pony leaves twitter Darry vows to stop using socmed entirely because he doesn’t want to bother learning how to use another one, Twitter was bad enough. He fails miserably once Pony sends him a Bluesky invite because he’s still The Worrier and Needs to know what Pony’s up to

Steve has a Facebook and most of what he posts is either just reposts of articles he finds (being a retired drug counselor he’s always keeping tabs on drug-related research), simple life updates, or strong opinions about current day cars

Steve eventually mutes Two-Bit because the reposts of content farm slop became too incessant. He swears up and down that it’s nothing personal

Steve and Pony have a constant tension over politics. They both like and hate the same things but Steve is significantly more apolitical. As an example: Pony hates Musk for being a scumbag billionaire, Steve hates Musk because he hates Teslas. So whenever they talk IRL, afterwards they take to their respective platforms to throw vagues at each other. Thankfully they’re on separate platforms otherwise it’d be a nightmare

The Curtises are, eventually, pushed into making a Facebook so they can all keep up with each other. Pony’s page collects dust but Darry ends up using it more than he ever did Twitter because, well, his posting style was made for Facebook. He’s also able to properly promote his construction company on there

Pony had a tumblr that he had to stop using ~2017 because the asks got too aggressive. Why that happened is up to your imagination

Bonus resurrections:

Johnny is one of those older guys that somehow gets sucked into streaming video games. You know the ones. He’s decently popular despite not actually talking much

I’m a Dally Optimist so he’d be one of those guys that goes around on different platforms to spread awareness about the dangers of gang life and prison conditions

Soda may be in his late 60s/early 70s but that will NOT stop him from fucking it up on Instagram and TikTok!!! He’s handsome so that obviously makes the old man fuckers go crazy

Soda would catch wind of the “hyping up Darry’s boring tweets” and join in on it, so Soda’s crazy thirsty followers would find Darry. It is Darry’s personal hell but he secretly finds it hilarious. Get it grandpa!

[goldenseresinretriever]

You Catch More Bees With Honey: Chapter 17

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Summary: Bradley Bradshaw, blindsided by a team he trusted like family has been traded to the San Diego Dogfighters. Across the country from the place he calls home, Bradley feels lost and betrayed. Not to mention the familiar faces and ghosts from his past that he now has to face every day at work. Bradley’s caught between wanting to show his former team the mistake they made in double-crossing him and wondering if it’s time to hang up his skates after one final season. You’re living your dream as the PR representative for the Dogfighters. When Coach Maverick made a bid to bring his godson to the team, you hadn’t batted an eye. Bradley was a good teammate, and a good player. Unfortunately, the Bradley that shows up in San Diego is nothing like your research suggested. He’s moody, irritable, aggressive, and angry, throwing a wrench in all your careful planning. What’s caused such a drastic change in him? And can you figure out how to help him before he makes a mistake you can’t fix?

Series CW: 18+ ONLY, swearing, dead parents, drunkenness, alcohol consumption, violence, sports violence, blood probably, angst, fluff, eventual smut, age gap (28 and 38), enemies to lovers, suggestive language, hockey inaccuracies etc. There will be individual chapter warnings. No use of Y/N.

Word Count: 5.7k

A/N: This is a repost of my completed series, You Catch More Bees With Honey. It was originally posted in November-March 2023, and was lost when my blog was deleted.

Previous Chapter // Series Masterlist // Next Chapter

You can see the Empire State Building out the window of the jet as snow falls like you’re trapped in a snow globe. The city looks picturesque and it takes your breath away as you near the airport. New York City’s regular hustle and bustle is bundled up in a fresh coat of snow and the effect is a transformation into a winter wonderland. It’s not your first time in the city, but the awe of seeing it in the wintertime, especially around Christmas is truly magical. The Dogfighters are in town for the last game of a five-game road trip against the New York Rangers before enjoying three blissful days off for Christmas. The guys are exhausted from being on the road for so long but the upcoming holiday has spirits high. Jake and Javy have been leading a group in singing Christmas carols since it had been announced that they were preparing to land. You and Bradley had joined in at first, but you’re slowly winding down as your attention is grabbed by the sight outside the window. Bradley’s a lot closer with the team ever since his accident in Philadelphia and it warms your heart to see him slowly falling into comfortable camaraderie with them. You still have to drag him to game nights but that’s more due to his desire to spend those evenings alone with you rather than with his teammates that he sees every day.

***

Snow is falling once again as you gaze through the gauzy curtains that are half open as you’re curled on the bed. The Rangers game is tomorrow and you finally have the evening to yourselves after a long day of travel, preparation for tomorrow’s game, and practice for the boys. It’s past midnight and you’re looking forward to a quiet night spent wrapped in Bradley’s arms. You’ve once again shuffled the room assignments and the two of you have the room to yourself. Bradley’s in the bathroom and you sigh as you watch the snow, the lights of the city catching on the flakes as they blow past. The click of the bathroom door makes you turn to look at Bradley. You frown as you see he’s not dressed in his pajamas at all. He’s wearing jeans and a sweater and your frown deepens as he grabs his coat before turning to you, raising an eyebrow in response to your expression.

“Bear, where are you going?” You whine, letting your frustration show through your exhaustion. He chuckles, eyes softening at your expression.

“More like where are WE going?” He says, taking your coat out of the closet and holding out a hand for you. “Come on Honey, you wanna go on an adventure with me?” Your lips curl softly into a smile as you think back to the first time he spoke those words to you and nod even as your body screams at you not to leave the bed. You climb out of bed, padding past Bradley, pausing to press a kiss to his cheek on your way to your suitcase, pulling out some clothes, and disappearing into the bathroom.

***

Snow kisses your eyelashes as you blink through the lazy flurries that dust the two of you as you walk hand-in-hand through New York City. Bradley still hasn’t told you where you’re going but you trust him and relax as you watch people walk by. At such a late hour of the night, the streets are mostly deserted but this is the city that never sleeps after all. You’re thankful that you don’t have to worry about your hand being torn from his by bustling crowds. You start to recognize street names and your brow furrows in confusion until the two of you round a corner and your breath catches at the sight.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree comes into view and it’s gorgeous, dressed to the nines with twinkling lights and keeping festive vigil over the ice skating rink below. You feel your heart ache at the beautiful sight and then Bradley’s tugging you forward and you follow, apprehension increasing as you get closer and closer. The lights from the tree reflect off the smooth ice as Bradley leads you to the edge of the rink. You glance over the railing down to the deserted ice, heart hammering in your chest as Bradley covers your hand with his.

“Honey?” His voice is soft and gentle, and you tear your gaze from the smooth surface that houses every last one of your fears as you meet his eyes, knowing that your turbulent heart has to be on full display.

“Bear, what are we doing here?” You ask, even though you think you know. The dread pools in your stomach as you study Bradley’s face for any hint of disappointment at your reaction. He doesn’t say anything at first, just sliding the backpack he’s been carrying off his shoulders, before holding it out where you can see and unzipping it. You peer inside and your breath catches, confusion furrowing your brow as you take in the sight of your old ice skates. You haven’t seen them in years. Truthfully, you thought you’d gotten rid of them. They’d sat abandoned in your closet throughout the rest of your college years and you hadn’t seen them since. You wrack your brain, trying to figure out how they ended up in Bradley’s possession when he answers for you.

“I got them from Mickey. He said he kept them, that he couldn’t bear to see you throw them away. He said he hoped one day you’d be ready to put them on again.” He pauses before cupping your cheek, raising your gaze to his. “That doesn’t have to be tonight.” He clarifies, searching your eyes for every ounce of hurt so that he can snuff it out. “But if you wanted to, we could.”

“We?” Is all you can say, your voice barely above a whisper, wavering in the air.

He takes his hand off your cheek to push aside your skates in the backpack to reveal his own underneath. Your breath catches again as your heart squeezes. On your last adventure with Bradley, he’d unfrozen his past for you to see, to let you in. Now he’s offering you the chance to do the same. “You’ll go with me?” You ask, tentatively and Bradley’s eyes soften.

“Of course, Honey, you don’t have to do this alone. You never have to, not as long as you have me.” Warmth kindles in your chest and you take a shaky breath as you turn the idea over in your head even as Bradley’s sweet words warm you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

“Okay,” you whisper and you see his eyes widen with surprise, as if he didn’t expect you to say yes.

“Okay?” He echoes and you nod, becoming more sure of yourself. He rezips the backpack, shifting it back onto his shoulder before reaching for your hand and leading you down the steps to the rink. When you get to the bottom, he guides you to sit on the steps before kneeling in front of you and your heart clenches as he once again opens the backpack, fishing out your skates, handling them carefully, almost reverently. You see that despite the fact that it’s been almost a decade since you last wore them, the blades are clean and sharp, showing how much thought Bradley’s put into this. He eases your boots off, gently before sliding the skates onto your feet, lacing them gently, looking up to check with you and ensure that they're not too tight. Once you’re done, he sits down beside you and laces up his own skates. When he’s done, he stands, extending a hand to you. “May I have this dance?” He asks and you see the humor sparkling in his eyes even as his gaze is tentative, giving you a chance to change your mind, back out. You nod, suddenly shy, placing your hand in his and he helps you up.

Despite your long period of retirement, muscle memory takes over and you’re steady on your feet as you follow Bradley to the edge of the rink. He steps onto the ice and turns to look at you expectantly, hand in yours squeezing gently. “You ready, Honey?” You weren’t sure until now but now you know that you are and you nod.

“I’m ready, Bear.” Your breath shakes as you place your skate on the ice and you feel a shock go through your entire body. Bradley’s your steady anchor as your other foot follows and you let go of a breath that you’ve been holding since that day eight years ago. Your breathing is ragged as Bradley takes a step back, pushing off with his skate, leaving you room to follow, gloved hand still clasped in his. You step forward then, pushing off and a broken sound leaves your lips as you glide across the ice behind Bradley. After that first step, you feel like a weight has lifted from your chest and the two of you make a round around the rink, you following after Bradley as he leads you forward. You’re not sure when the tears started falling but the cold air makes them pinch your cheeks with cold. After the first loop, Bradley comes to a stop, turning to face you and you see his eyes soften as he takes in your expression. “Thank you,” you croak, skating up to him and throwing your arms around his neck. “Thank you, Bear.” He holds you just as tight.

“Thank YOU, Honey, for trusting me.” You sigh as he holds you, letting your tears fall as you mourn. Not only for your mother but for yourself, for everything you used to be and everything you could have been. You don’t regret your choices, though, because they brought you to him, to Bradley. No amount of fame or Olympic medals could compare to the feeling of being in his arms at that very moment.

When you finally break apart, Bradley’s voice is cautious as he asks, “Can I see? Just a little bit and only if you’re comfortable, but I’d love to see you skate.” Your heart warms as you regard him.

“You never looked it up?” You ask, slightly surprised. “I’m sure there are videos out there.” He shakes his head.

“I wanted you to share it with me when you were ready.” He says and you fall in love with him a little bit more in that moment.

“Okay,” you say shyly and he smiles.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you nod. “Fair warning, I’m probably rusty.”

“I wouldn’t know,” he says with a shrug and you smile at that. You glance at the rink again, trying to figure out what to show him. “Do you need music?” Bradley asks then and you look back at him, considering his question.

“It would be nice, but it’s not like we have access to the speakers.” He holds up a finger, skating back to the edge of the rink where he left his backpack. He pulls out a Bluetooth speaker and you let out a bark of surprised laughter as he comes back holding it. “You really thought of everything, didn’t you?” You ask, surprised as he hands you his phone. You pause with your finger over the search bar, considering what you want to skate to. You haven’t skated in a long time so you’re not about to try anything too intense so a slower song would probably be better. Then a memory surfaces and your fingers fly over the keyboard, typing in a name and then you hand the phone back to Bradley. You skate to the center of the ice as the first notes of the violin come through the speaker.

The song is one from a video that you and your mother used to watch when you were little based on a book you used to love. You were mesmerized by the way the music matched the colors and images in the video so perfectly. This was back when your mother was still competing here and there and she’d surprised you by preparing a routine to the song in the video. You’d watched her skate, mesmerized by how well she captured the essence of the song through her movements, and when you’d been old enough to start making up your routines, it was the first song that you ever choreographed. It was a surprise for your mom’s birthday and you remember her watching you skate it for the first time, tears in your eyes. Tonight you carried her with you as you skated to the song, your movements a combination of her routine and yours. Your skates glide effortlessly across the ice, memory and perhaps your mother’s spirit guiding your movements as you take each spin and turn. When the violin finally comes to an end, you stand, breath coming out in sharp puffs in the cold air as you glance at Bradley to see his eyes shining with tears that cascade down his cheeks. You skate over to join him and he almost drops the speaker as he pulls you into his arms.

“That was beautiful, Honey, it was perfect.”

“It’s one of my mom’s and my favorites. I thought she might like to see it again,” you say and he nods tearily.

“She must be so proud of you,” He says, cupping your cheek with his large palm. “I know I am.” Your eyes well with tears at that and you take Bradley’s hands in yours.

“Skate with me?” You ask him and he goes easily, tucking the Bluetooth speaker in his pocket as he selects another song and the two of you move across the ice in a brand new dance, and you swear you can feel your mom there with you.

***

It’s after three when the two of you finally wrap up, the cold starting to get to you and Bradley rubs your arms to warm you up as the two of you pack up your stuff. You pause then, realizing exactly what the two of you have been doing. “Oh my gosh, Bradley are we trespassing?” He chuckles then, ruffling your hair gently.

“Nope, turns out one of the guys on staff is a Flyers fan.” Your eyes are wide as you gape up at him. “So not only do we have the rink to ourselves, but we’re not breaking any laws.” He grins at you, “I know how much of a stickler for the rules you are,” he teases and you scowl up at him.

“It’s my JOB to be a stickler, I’ll have you know. I’m sorry I don’t want to have to bail you out of jail with money I decidedly don’t have.” Bradley’s eyes soften at that.

“Well, we can’t have that, now can we.” He says and you roll your eyes, huffing. He wraps his arms around you, pulling you close. You squirm in his grip, still pouting but he lays a smacking kiss to the top of your head.

***

Snow once again flurries outside the window of the hotel, teasing the possibility of a white Christmas as Javy crows from where he’s perched on the table across the room. You hide your fond smile behind your drink, eyes following your friends from where you’re standing by the window. Just a few hours ago, the boys edged out the New York Rangers at the last possible moment, keeping the game from going into overtime, and now they’re celebrating not only the win but the upcoming Christmas holiday. Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve and tomorrow morning you’re headed back to San Diego. You’re full of hope and excited to spend your first Christmas with Bradley. Since you were in Jacksonville before San Diego, the lack of a white Christmas doesn’t seem to bother you, but you know it’s been a point of minor inconvenience for Bradley who’s used to a traditionally cold winter and by extension, Christmas and the idea of the weather being perfect for a day on the beach is upsetting. Maybe next year, the two of you can spend Christmas in Virginia Beach, or even visit his friends in Philly. You’re not picky about where you are. Most years you’ve shelled out for a grossly outrageous priced ticket to wherever Mickey is or he comes to you. This year he’s just across town instead of across the country and you can’t help but be reminded of your college days when the two of you trudged through the Wisconsin snow to the Christmas tree farm and lugged a fresh tree to your apartment, filling the space with the scent of the holidays as you slowly started to heal from your mother’s loss.

“Hey Honey,” Bradley’s low timbre brings you back to the present as he comes to stand next to you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pressing a kiss to your temple. “You okay?” You smile and nod.

“Just thinking about Christmas,” you admit and he smiles at that.

“Any big plans?” He asks, and you giggle.

“Not to beat a very cliche horse, but all I want for Christmas is you,” you whisper and he leans in, lips ghosting over yours.

“Well you already have me, so you’re going to have to choose something else.” He says with a fond smile as he brushes his nose against yours. You pout up at him playfully and he chuckles, but you watch unease dance in his brown eyes, slipping in between the joy like storm clouds over a sunny sky.

“What is it, Bear?” You ask, reaching up to cup his cheek, fingers brushing the stubble there.

“I know… I know we haven’t talked about this,” he starts and your brow furrows in confusion at his nervousness. He swallows hard before he continues. “And I know it may not be what you want, and you may not be ready yet, and it’s fine if you aren’t. You set the pace, Honey, rules or no.” You nod, encouraging him to get to the point as you struggle to keep your mounting anxiety off your face. He reaches into his pocket, before taking your hand in his and pressing a key fob into it. You glance down, examining the car keys curiously before looking back up at him, still confused. “Bridgeport is only two hours from here,” he says and everything falls into place as your throat dries in shock. You haven’t been home in eight years, not since the funeral. You hadn’t even spoken to your father in years until Thanksgiving and now you call him here and there as you slowly begin the process of letting him back into your life. “I’m not saying you have to go home, because that may not even be home for you anymore and that’s okay,” Bradley says softly, voice still tentative like you’re a horse he’s afraid to spook. “But if you’re ready, I want to be there for you, to support you. And if you’re not, then we don’t have to do this. Philly is three hours in the opposite direction, and we’re always welcome at Lucas’s place.” He’s thought of everything, offering you an out like this without the guilt that comes with refusing the rental car.

“What about the team? We’re supposed to go home tomorrow morning, and it’s already so late,” you glance out the window at the night sky.

“I talked to Dare about it and cleared it with her. We can stay as long as we make it back to San Diego in time for our next game after the break.” You consider his words carefully. It’ll be the first year in ages that you haven’t been with Mickey for Christmas but as much as Mickey is your family, so is Bradley. Your family is expanding and you’re ready to welcome him in. And you really do want to let Bradley in. Your heart has been so light today since skating with him last night and all you can think of is how much he’s opened up to you. You owe it to him even if he insists on waiting until you’re comfortable. You’ve waited long enough.

“What if we did both?” You ask tentatively. “We could go to Bridgeport,” you hesitate before continuing, “see my dad, and then we could go to Philly and see your family.” You watch Bradley’s eyes widen in surprise. “I know it’s a lot of driving,” you stammer out, anxiety gripping your heart at the inconvenience this is going to cause, “and it’s the holidays so there’ll be a lot of traffic, but-“

“No buts, let’s do it.” Bradley cuts you off and you look up at him, surprised. “It’ll be perfect,” he assures you. “If you’re really worried about it, we can get started tonight, get out of here early. The car’s downstairs.” You hesitate, looking over at the rest of your team, your own little family as they celebrate together. You make eye contact with Jake where he has his arm around Bugs watching Javy make a fool of himself. He seems to look between the two of you before he detaches himself from Bugs and heads over to where you’re standing on the other side of the room.

“You two heading out?” he asks and Bradley nods, a look of understanding passing between the two men and you look between them, surprised. “Well then be safe and Merry Christmas,” he says with a warm smile before pulling you in for a hug that you return. He hugs Bradley next and your heart warms at the sight. You turn to Bradley when Jake’s out of sight, smiling up at him.

“You told Jake.” It’s not a question. Bradley nods.

“I felt like I should clear it with the captain.” You smile to yourself at the words left unsaid. “Should we go?” You nod and Bradley leads you across the room. You pause to say goodbye to your friends, finally stopping in front of Mickey.

“Are you sure you’re ready? He’s not pressuring you is he?” Mickey asks instantly which tells you that Bradley’s informed him of your plans as well. You shake your head hugging him.

“I know we usually spend Christmas together and I’m going to miss you, but Bradley’s a part of my family now too and I need to do this, with him.” Mickey nods, eyes full of unspoken understanding.

“Merry Christmas, Zam.” He says and as you leave the room, your eyes are damp with unshed tears.

***

Bradley loads the bags in the car and you find yourself once again lulled by the movement of the car and the familiar background of the 80s station on the radio as you fall asleep as he drives. You wake when the car comes to a stop and you blink as your eyes adjust to the street lights. You gasp softly as you peer through the falling snow to look at your childhood home. A wave of emotion washes over you and you feel Bradley’s hand slide into yours. Your eyes are wet as you tentatively open the car door, stepping out into the snow. It falls over you, making the scene before you feel like a dream as you walk up the path to the front door. There are tarps over the plants that usually line the front walk, but you recognize the familiar shape of your mother’s hydrangea bushes and the iris beds that are a burst of violet and blue in the spring announcing her presence in the front of the house the way that her wild laughter used to fill the halls. You linger by the door, taking in the lace curtains in the window that belonged to your mother’s mother. Everything is as you remember it, as if you never left, and you’re almost convinced that if you ring the doorbell, she’ll come running to the door, wrapped in her deep lavender robe and sliding down the hall in her hurry with only one slipper on and her fuzzy socks on full display, hair that matches your own sticking up every which way from sleep. You hear Bradley come up behind you, suitcases in tow. He lays a hand on your shoulder comfortingly and you reach up to take it in yours, lacing the digits as yours tremble with nerves. It’s the middle of the night after all, and you’re turning up completely unannounced after eight years. You fight down the nerves threatening your resolve, reaching a shaking hand to press the doorbell. You hear the faint but familiar chime echo through the house beyond and you shift anxiously as the house remains silent in its wake until you watch lights flick on, announcing your father’s imminent arrival. Your breath catches you spy his familiar silhouette through the curtains, sticking in your throat as the deadbolt turns and then the door swings open, creaking on its hinges as the veil between your two lives tears in two as you take in the sight of your father.

Your heart aches as you realize that he’s aged. His hair is fully gray now, sticking up from sleep, new glasses perched on his nose, and crinkles gracing his skin, joining the laugh lines that had always been deep and your mother’s pride and joy. He’s still wrapped in the same worn plaid robe, with the same pair of shabby brown slippers, a familiar hole still exposing his big toe to the cold winter air that races past him to explore the warmth of the house. You’re not sure what to say as your tears escape down your cheeks, running for him in the way you ache to. You hadn’t thought this far ahead. You’re saved from having to say anything, however, as your dad exclaims your name and lunges forward, slippers slapping against the brick of the porch as he wraps you in his arms and you shatter at the familiar touch. His arms are just as strong as they’ve always been. He still smells of aftershave and the cologne that your mother loved. He’d been wearing it the day he met her and has been wearing it ever since. Sobs wrack your body but he holds you all the same. You’re not sure how long the two of you stand there until he pulls away, cupping your cheeks.

“Sweetheart, what brings you here?” He asks, awe in his voice as he convinces himself that this is real and you’re really here.

You shrug softly, “Merry Christmas?” You laugh nervously and his laugh joins, booming and filling the silent night. Your mother always said her favorite thing about him was his laugh and you understand as you take in the man that raised you, that loved both you and your mother, always content to stand aside while his girls shone. It’s in the details you remind yourself of. Keeping up your grandmother’s curtains, keeping his worn robe and slippers that he could more than afford to replace. Tending your mother’s flowers, that she loved so much but never planted. He planted them for her and tended to them every year knowing how much they made her smile. When you came along, sunflowers lined the backyard, knowing how much you loved them. He used to say he was the baby’s breath in the bouquet of your mother’s irises and your sunflowers but now you think he’s wrong. He’s a sunflower, always turned towards the sun that was your mother, content to bask in her warmth and you can’t help but be reminded of the way Bradley loves you. Love in the quiet, resolute, and strong to support the wild and whimsical you and your mother brought to your respective relationships.

“Well then, come inside, come inside. I’ll get the beds all made up.” He shoos you inside before turning to Bradley, eyes sparkling with amusement. “You must be Bradley. I’ve heard so much about you.” You reach your hand out for Bradley and he takes it as you lead him into your past.

***

The cemetery is quiet in the afternoon air. It’s Christmas Eve and most of the town is busy celebrating amongst the living, the dead treasured in the safety of their hearts. You and Bradley are among the few that wander along the rows. In your hands are clutched a bouquet of irises from your father’s personal collection that he manages to keep alive year-round in a sunroom he’s had built since you were last home. The only change to the house in the last eight years and even though she’d never been in the room, it feels like it’s all hers. You stop in front of the headstone, fumbling to free your hands before Bradley beats you to it, dusting off the snow that covers the top.

“Hello Katarina, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Bradley says, still squatting in front of the headstone so it’s at eye-level for him. “I’ve learned so much about you in the past few months and even more in the past twenty-four hours, and I feel like really I’ve met you. Thank you for raising such an incredible daughter, I’ve heard she’s just like you and if that’s true I think we would have gotten along just great. I’m going to take care of her for you, so you don’t have to worry about her as much. She’s safe with me.” Tears track down your cheeks as he reaches out to take your hand and he stands back up. He takes the flowers from you and lays them on the snow at the base of her headstone. He wraps you in his arms then, standing behind you as you choose your words carefully.

“Hi, Mom. I miss you so much, that much hasn’t changed. But it hurts less now, I feel less alone and I think you know why. Thank you for sending me Bradley, all three of you.” You feel Bradley’s arms tighten around you at the words. “He takes such good care of me, you’d love him as much as I do.” You smile softly before adding, “He reminds me of Dad. I know you probably think so too. I know why you married him.” Bradley’s breath catches behind you. “He feels like home to me too.” You relax into his hold. “And home is so much better than any adventure, don’t you think, Mom?” Your voice is teary as you finish and the two of you linger a little longer until Bradley leads you back to the car.

As the two of you drive in comfortable silence you notice Bradley take a wrong turn. “Wait, Bradley, that’s not-”

“We’re not going back quite yet, Honey.” He says and your heart flutters as you recognize where he’s going.

The sand slides under your boots as the two of you make your way to the water’s edge. Bradley squats down, pulling off his gloves and tucking them into his pocket as he starts to mold the damp sand at the shore as the waves pull away. You start searching for some small sticks and pebbles. The sandman watches over the freezing ocean as the two of you stand and watch as well.

“I know it’s early, but I wanted to give you your present,” Bradley says, breaking the silence as he digs into his pocket and you smile at him, reaching into your own.

“Looks like great minds think alike,” you say with a smile as pull out a small wrapped package from your pocket.

He chuckles, “Well me first, I must insist.” You grin, sliding the package back into your pocket as Bradley hands you the package. You unwrap it to reveal a simple black box. You raise an eyebrow at him as you open it and your breath catches as your eyes fall on the simple necklace with a bumblebee charm. “I adopted a honeybee,” he explains. “I named her Zam.” He says with a fond smile and your eyes water all over again. “When I was angry my mom always used to say ‘You catch more bees with honey than vinegar,’ and well,” he cups your cheek gently. “I caught myself some Honey,” you let out a watery laugh.

“Oh Bear, it’s perfect!” You exclaim before turning around and looking back over your shoulder at him, handing him the slim silver chain. “Put it on me?” He takes the necklace from you, sweeping your short locks away from your neck, and clasps it around your neck, the bee laying on your collarbone. You turn back to face him, beaming. “How do I look?” You ask and his eyes are full of love.

“You look like everything I’ve ever wanted, Honey.” Your cheeks heat at the compliment and you wrap your arms around his neck, kissing him deeply.

“Thank you, Bradley.” You whisper against his lips as you pull away, digging in your pocket for his gift. You hand him the wrapped bundle and bounce on the balls of your feet as he unwraps it. He looks up at you, surprised, as he regards the gift in his hands. It’s a snow globe, a simple tourist tchotchke holding the Philadelphia skyline. “So you always have a piece of your old home in your new one.” You explain and you watch his eyes soften. “I know it’s not much,” he cuts you off.

“It’s perfect. Plus, you went ice skating with me and brought me to meet your parents. There’s nothing small about that.” He examines the snow globe, a fond look in his eyes. “I love it.” He pulls you close, nuzzling your nose with his as he places playful kisses on your face. “Now let’s get you out of this cold weather.” You giggle as he swings you into his arms and carries you back to the car. Snow starts falling as you walk and you can’t help but feel like you’re in a little snowglobe. You’re wrapped up in snow and love and everything feels perfect. It truly is a merry Christmas.

[phneltwrites]

Sunday Snippet

Wilhelm's still in the time loop

Simon gets plates while Wilhelm takes everything out of the bag. They’ve given them chopsticks even though they aren’t eating noodle soup. Who made the restaurant feel like they had to do that? That’s not how it’s eaten in Thailand. Wilhelm spoons out food onto each of their plates and sits back with his own. Simon puts his fork in his right hand, Wilhelm wonders if he should switch. If he wants to be a normal Swedish person, would that be the right way to do it, as opposed to the way his tutors drilled him on. The ambassador was hosting dinner and they had to be respectful. So Wilhelm learned. He knows he needs to unlearn a lot, is this one of those things? Simon’s friends have already teased him for holding cutlery in a pretentious way. 

He rubs his head.

Wilhelm washes the dishes while Simon puts the food away. They retreat to Simon’s bedroom. It’s easy to pass the time with Simon. He can lose hours just staring at him. They lie on the bed head to head, feet at opposite ends. It’s a new perspective on Simon’s face, upside down, but he’s still achingly familiar. 

Simon turns on his side and Wilhelm mirrors him. “Hi.”

A smile curls on Wilhelm’s lips. “Hi.”

“What’s the best thing that could happen to you today?” Simon asks. It’s a game that Linda started with Sara, apparently, but it’s caught on in their friend group. Felice and Wilhelm have a separate two-person chat that’s dedicated to this.

Wilhelm has an easy answer. He leans forward and kisses Simon. That’s the best thing that could happen.

When they break apart Simon mashes Wilhelm’s face with his hand. “Sap.”

Wilhelm doesn’t deny it. “Your turn.”

Simon purses his lips. The urge to kiss him again is irresistible, so Wilhelm doesn’t fight it. Then, Simon rolls onto his back. He puts his wrist on his forehead and the triangle his elbow makes to frame his face is the world’s most perfect geometry. “The best thing that could happen to me today is Mama and Sara show up with homemade pastries and we sit together and eat them and play a board game and we find out the state exams are cancelled so we plan a group trip somewhere warm instead.” Wilhelm wants this for him. Uncomplicated joy with his family. Simon turns his face. “Now you. A real go.”

Wilhelm’s throat closes up. The best thing that could happen to me today would be that yesterday never happened. Which from Simon’s perspective, it didn’t. Look at him, winning. But it was real for Wilhelm. He lived it. He clears his throat, coughing to force it open. “The best thing that could happen is…” fuck. He can do this. Nothing too desperate, nothing too needy, and nothing too depressing. Focus on what would actually be good. “The clouds clear and when we go outside after dark there’s a meteor shower and we get to watch it together.”

He checks Simon’s expression, after. He’s smiling at him warmly. “That sounds great.”

***

He wakes up in his bed. It’s the anniversary of Erik’s death. He exhales, pressing his head into the pillow. It was never going to be the answer, but it would have been nice if the right thing to do was devote himself to loving Simon to the best of his ability.

In a better world, that would be enough.

He drags himself out of bed.

[kimpossibly]

DON'T LOOK DOWN -> the last of us

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi...so I'm absolutely losing my mind over this show. I have some friends who have played the game that are head over heels for it as well, but as someone who's never played, I'm SOLD. I'm in love with the world, with the characters, with the set design, EVERYTHING. Ever since I saw episode one I've had an idea rattling around in my head for an OC, so I did what I always do — come to Tumblr to flesh them out! I hope you enjoy this and please let me know if you do through comments or reblogs!! Remember that if you like a fic or any post for that matter, you should like and REBLOG it, because likes mean next to nothing. Support your fellow artists and spread the love!! Enjoy, my lovely readers <3

PAIRING: PLATONIC joel miller x fem!reader (I'm talking some SERIOUS found family stuff here) WARNINGS: Heavy use of guns and weapons, mentions of the apocalypse, DETAILED descriptions of violence, trauma, and death. Family member death. I definitely sobbed while writing this SUMMARY: After losing her family and getting found by the Fireflies, Y/n goes with Ellie and Joel on a treacherous journey to Salt Lake City.

"I spy with my little eye...something blue."

"Is it the sky?"

"No, dipshit, that's too obvious." Ellie said with an eye roll.

Y/n just scoffed, shaking her head. "Joel, you got any ideas?"

"How 'bout we start with making this the last round of this game?" he said gruffly. Ellie just gave him a glare and muttered something about him being a killjoy underneath her breath. Joel cleared his throat, looking around them — the open field to the left, the forest to the right. "You got me."

Ellie groaned, her head dropping. "It was Y/n's backpack, duh." she said. "Which, I'd like to add, has two guns in it. Not one. Two."

"Cause I actually know how to use them, genius." Y/n replied. "I'm kind of shit at aiming, but I can't point and shoot until the cows come home. If there's one good thing about the apocalypse, it's that it taught me some basic life skills really damn fast.

"Aren't you from Arizona? Hunting season's pretty much year-round down there. Didn't your dad take you out hunting or something?" Joel asked.

At those words, something in Y/n's eyes glazed over. "No. No he didn't." she said, her voice flat. After a moment, she sniffed and rubbed at her nose, turning her head away so as not to let them notice. But Joel saw. She coughed. "Come on, we should pick up the pace if we want to make it to Bill's by sundown."

With that, she sped up until she was walking a good ten feet in front of them. Joel watched her with confusion, which Ellie noted.

"She does that when she doesn't want anyone to see her cry," she explained quietly. "She's got some rough family stories."

"We all do." Joel replied.

But Ellie just shook her head, glancing back at Y/n. "Not like hers."

Ellie and Y/n huddled behind the hole in the wall, listening to the sounds of gunfire come and go. Pop, pop. Silence. Pop. Y/n could barely stand it. She flinched at the familiar sound of gunfire now.

Y/n popped out above from hers and Ellie's hideout and fired a few times into the open, not sticking around to see if she'd actually hit one of their attackers. She always figured it was better if she didn't know. Based on the number of shots coming from their end, she could tell that Joel was wildly outnumbered. They weren't FEDRA or Fireflies, but they had a big enough group to overwhelm one man. Glass shattered as a bullet from the other side shattered through the truck's windshield. Y/n peeked out as glass rained down on Joel. He was alone as the enemy approached. And Y/n couldn't let that happen.

Joel carefully made his way to the other side of the truck as someone stepped in through the obliterated doorway of the laundromat. Glass crunched under his feet. Every step he took brought him closer and closer to discovering Joel. They were running out of time.

Y/n turned to Ellie suddenly, startling her. She put her hands on either sides of Ellie's face, looking at her with an expression so serious that she knew it was in her own best interest to shut the hell up. "Listen to me, you need to stay here. Don't get up. Don't move. Don't even think about it. Don't get a bright idea and try to play hero, alright?"

Ellie gave a quick nod and Y/n stooped down, unzipping her backpack as quietly as she could and pulling out one of her pistols. She began to creep to the hole in the wall, but Ellie grabbed her sleeve before she could come into view. "What are you doing?"

Y/n turned back, trying not to let the fear coursing through her show to the younger girl. "I got a bright idea."

Y/n crept carefully through the hole in the wall as the man stepped closer towards Joel's hiding place. She held her breath, both hands wrapped around the pistol, her pointer finger on the trigger.

Crunch.

The man wheeled around, and Y/n, caught off-guard, abandoned the gun, placing a strong kick to the man's stomach. He stumbled back and the gunfire resumed, stronger now than ever. Joel used this moment to leap out of his hiding spot, jamming the butt of his rifle into the back of the man's head. He crumpled on the spot, blood pouring from the point of impact.

"I told you to stay there." Joel said angrily.

"I don't listen." Y/n said. A single gunshot whizzed past them and they crouched down to avoid it.

"If you go leaping into open fire, what's to stop Ellie from doing the same, huh?"

"She wouldn't follow me out here."

"How do you know?"

"Because I told her not to."

"I told you not to. And you didn't listen." Joel said, reaching up to fire. There was a yell as his bullet met its target, and the gunfire ceased instantly. He went to reload, but found the barrel had jammed.

Y/n stood up, glaring at Joel. "She listens to me. She trusts me." she said. "You're just the guy in charge of taking us from Point A to Point B."

"Trust isn't the point here, okay?" Joel replied, standing. "You're not setting a good example for her."

"You're not my dad, Joel!" Y/n replied, her tone low and harsh. "Ellie is the closest thing I've got to family. Once we reach Salt Lake City, I'm going to be the only one she has, and I'll be damned if I take that away from her. I can protect myself. So worry about yourself."

Joel had no answer for that. Suddenly the silence they were surrounded by seemed impossibly loud. Either they had killed their attackers or frightened them enough to make them turn around and run. Y/n wasn't sure which she'd prefer.

"Are you guys done arguing so I can come out now?" Ellie's voice came out muffled.

Y/n gave Joel one last pissed off look and turned around. "Hang on, I'm coming to get ya!" she said, heading back to the hole in the wall. "Here, hand me your stuff and I'll—"

The sudden sound of the back door to the laundromat bursting open silenced her. There was a gunshot and a yell — whether it was from Joel or his attacker, she couldn't tell. Y/n didn't wait to see what was happening before she practically shoved Ellie back into the hiding spot to keep her out of harm's way.

Y/n turned as someone in dark clothing knocked Joel to the ground, scrambling on top of him pressing his rifle to his neck to choke him. "Now you're gonna fucking pay! What you fucking did, you fucking killed yourself, motherfucker!" the guy shouted, his voice filled with rage. Joel struggled against him, but his grip stayed firm, pressing harder and harder down on his throat. His shoes squeaked against the floor as he tried desperately to move away, but it was useless.

The gun weighed heavy as Y/n lifted it. Arms straight out, finger over the trigger. Joel's struggling was becoming weaker and weaker with every passing second. Beads of sweat collected on Y/n brow. This was no time for indecision. No time for fear. She grit her teeth and gripped the gun even tighter.

Bang.

The man let out a yell as he fell to the side, slumped against the wall. Joel immediately began to gasp and wheeze, taking in heaving breaths of air. Y/n stepped closer, the gun still held out, and she saw that she hadn't killed the man.

He was leaning against the wall, his chest heaving violently. When he removed his hands from under him, they were slick, coated with blood. He struggled to get himself up, grimacing at the pain, and Y/n realized with horror that he couldn't have been much older than she was.

He was just a kid.

"No, no, no, no, no! It's okay! It's okay. It's over. We're not fighting anymore." he shouted frantically, holding a bloodstained hand out to stop her. His voice had completely changed from before. What had been violent rage was now desperate pleading. "I'm gonna go home. I'll tell everyone you're good." he said, his voice choked with tears.

Y/n swallowed, refusing to lower her weapon as a lump in her throat began to form.

Suddenly he sobbed, his voice becoming high-pitched in distraught terror. "I don't know what to do. My legs don't work."

She had shot him in the spine. She must've paralyzed him.

"My mom isn't far, if you could get me to her." he cried.

Joel slowly began to get up, but Y/n was frozen in fear. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. All she could do was watch this terrified kid beg for his life.

"We could trade with you guys. We could be friends. I didn't know!" he said, panting through tears. "I'm Bryan! I'm Bryan. What's your name?"

Y/n's throat constricted. Tears rushed to her eyes and she didn't stop them, but her body knew better. Tears were weakness. She pushed them away almost as an instinct, but something was still weighing heavy in her chest. Bryan.

Joel's hand suddenly reached out, grabbing the pistol from the top. Y/n suddenly became aware, her eyes darting to Joel's. He said nothing, but the look on his face said all she needed to know: You know what I have to do.

Slowly, she let go of the pistol and found that her hands were shaking violently. He turned back around, causing Bryan to panic. "Wait, wait, wait!" he shouted, doing his best to drag himself further away. all he was doing was backing himself further into a corner. Suddenly he reached into a holster and pulled out a large hunting knife, dropping it to the ground. "You can have it...It's a good knife." he said, his voice becoming even more ragged.

Joel bent down and took the knife from him. Y/n was feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time. Not since the time she watched her mother's eyes close for the last time.

Joel turned to her. "Get back behind the wall." he said.

"No, no, no, no! I'm sorry! Please, please. We could just talk! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Bryan shouted, holding his hand out as if to shield himself from them.

Y/n tried to speak, but choked on her words. She paused, not sure what to say. "Joel," she said finally, her voice coming out as nothing more than a rough whisper.

Joel's expression hardened. "Y/n. Get back."

But she couldn't leave. Bryan was crying out to her, apologizing to her, begging for help. There was nothing they could do to help him, and there was nothing he could do to hurt them. But he had seen their faces, and now he knew their names. And that kind of information was deadly.

Y/n just shook her head, her eyes glazing over just as they had earlier. Joel realized then that there was no convincing her. The damage had already been done. So he turned away from her and cocked the pistol.

"No, please! Please! I'm sorry!" Bryan's cries became even more frantic. "Please! You don't have to! No, no, no! We can just talk!"

He was babbling now. Y/n couldn't move. She looked at Bryan, and for and for one fleeting instant, she saw herself that one December night seven years ago. The night she lost everything but her life.

"Mom! Mom! Mom!"

Bang.

Two days. It had been two days since Y/n had said a word to Joel or Ellie. It had also been two days since Joel had put a bullet in Bryan's head.

She walked like someone possessed, eyes staring blankly ahead, face frozen with no expression.

Ellie did her best to goad her into conversation, but she may as well have been talking to a brick wall. Y/n never replied to her questions or laughed at her jokes. Ellie didn't scare easily, but now she was terrified. Nothing quite like this had ever happened.

The only time they ever heard a sound from her was late into the night, when she thought they were both asleep. That was when she allowed herself to cry.

Joel awoke on the third night to complete silence. As the forest floor came into focus around him, he saw Y/n sleeping bag laying flat on the ground, empty.

He sat up, images of the worst immediately coming to mind. He looked to his other side and saw Ellie, fast asleep in her bedroll. `That calmed some of his nerves, but left a lot of his questions unanswered.

The sun was just barely beginning to rise in the east when he got up, looking around himself for any sign of Y/n. There were none. So, after glancing back one more time to make sure Ellie was safe, he picked a direction and began to walk, hoping to find the elder Pain in His Ass.

He wasn't sure how long he had walked before he found her. She was sitting on the forest floor with her back against the thick trunk of a tree, her knees tucked up to her chest with Joel's jacket draped over them. She looked up when he came around, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen.

For a moment, neither of them said anything, merely accepting the others' presence.

"I'm sorry I took your jacket." Y/n said. Her voice was rough and gravelly, and Joel discovered with surprise that he had almost forgotten what it sounded like.

"Don't worry about it." he replied. "Mind if I sit?"

She said nothing, giving a small nod and turning back to stare off into the distance. Joel moved to sit down next to her, grimacing at the pain in his joints as he did so. Y/n continued to sit like there was no one else there, her blank gaze focused on the horizon.

Joel had a pretty good idea what was bothering her. She had shot someone. And what was worse, she'd left them in pain. He almost thought it would've been better if she'd have killed him with the first bullet.

"Y/n—"

"He was crying for his mom." she said suddenly, cutting him off. "He was crying for his mom and you shot him."

Joel went silent for a moment. He'd had to do things he never imagined himself doing — that had been one of them. "I couldn't take the risk."

She knew what he meant, of course. She understood why he'd done it. And, most of all, she was almost sure that if she'd been in his position, she'd have done the same thing. But seeing firsthand what it looked like to beg for your life reminded her of things she'd rather leave in the past.

"My father was a smuggler." Y/n said, her voice hollow. "We never asked what he did; we just knew that, because of what he did, we lived a lot better than a lot of other people. I'm not really sure what he did — if he had made a bad deal, or double crossed someone that shouldn't be crossed, but I woke up on Christmas morning to gunshots coming from my living room. I should've stayed in my room, I know. But I couldn't just sit there and wait. My whole family was down there. So, I went to see if my dad was okay. He was dead before I got down the stairs. My mom grabbed me and my sister as these three guys pointed guns at our faces. She was screaming at them, begging them not to take her children, begging them to take mercy on us. All three of them shot at once."

Her voice stayed firm and toneless as she spoke. "By the time the bullet hit, I had accepted that I was going to die. My eyes shut and I never once thought they'd open again. But..." Y/n pulled down the hemline of her shirt an inch to reveal a thick white scar just below her collarbone, "fate took pity on me that day. Marlene found me just before I bled out. She kept me alive. And when I woke up, I was in the worst pain I'd ever experienced. All I could do was scream for my mom, ask if she was okay. I never got a straight answer, but I already knew what had happened. I just didn't want to believe it."

Joel listened carefully, his and Ellie's conversation echoing in his mind:

"She's got some rough family stories."

"We all do."

"Not like hers."

She was only seventeen years old — he knew that from the beginning. But now that truly seemed to sink in as he looked at her, sitting with her knees tucked to her chest, huddled under his blanket like it was a coat of armor.

"You shouldn't have had to see that," he said. "No one should."

Y/n nodded in agreement. She knew that it wasn't fair. That none of this was fair. But that didn't change that it had happened, or that she'd have to carry it with her wherever she went. It never really got lighter — that was the thing. All the memories did was get harder and harder to hold.

Her glass expression shattered then as she turned to him, tears falling out of her eyes before she could stop them. "I'm trying so hard to hang on, Joel, I really am," she said, her voice finally breaking. She all but collapsed, leaning her head on his shoulder as hers began to shake with sobs.

It had taken Joel years not to see Sarah in every kid he met — but things always fell through the cracks. When he'd least expect it, a sudden laugh or sarcastic comment would take him back to Austin, back to his daughter, and for a moment he'd almost forget that she was gone.

This was one of those times.

"Oh, Y/n," Joel said quietly, wrapping an arm around her. This girl was not Sarah. No one would ever be Sarah. But right then, Joel was almost sure that she was the closest he was ever going to get at a second chance.

"I'm sorry I don't listen," Y/n said through tears. "I know I need to set a good example for Ellie, but if we lose you...I can't be sure I can get her to the Fireflies by myself. We need you. I..."

She stopped herself just short of saying I need you.

"Hey, it's alright. It's okay. You're not gonna lose me." Joel said. "And sometimes...sometimes you just can't listen. You can't take unnecessary risks, but sometimes the situation demands them. You have the sense to know when that is. The world needs more people like that. Like you.

"Don't even think about losing anyone, okay? You just can't. This whole thing, it's like walking on a tight rope. You look down, that's where you're going. So don't look down."

Y/n was coming back to her senses by now, her shoulders stilling and her tears coming to a steady stop. She nodded, wiping away at the last few stray tears and sitting up. "Don't look down," she repeated. "Is that why you're so grumpy all the time? Because you're always looking down?"

She sort of half-smiled in a way that reminded him so starkly of Sarah that he almost forgot to breathe. But he recovered, giving her a wry grin in return. "It's questions like that that make me want to throw you in a lake."

"Please, with your balance, you'd throw yourself in before anyone else."

[e-vay]

Evay QA Bulk Post 1

I’m working through my inbox but don’t want to drown y’all’s feed in my asks so I’m grouping as many together as I can. Q&A below:

MISC SONIC ASKS

Thank you so very much! I was trying to really combine both Amy and Sonic’s aesthetics. Amy is classy and design oriented so I wanted to keep that feel, but I wanted to show how their home would evolve once she and Sonic start living together. Sonic’s never canonically had a house, but he travels so much that I headcanon that he’s constantly collecting trinkets and souvenirs from all the places he’s visited. So I wanted to give them a very “worldly” design style. If you’re familiar with Uncharted 4, I picture Sonic and Amy’s house being very much like Nate and Elena’s beach house.

I love interior design and architecture but I’m not great at drawing it (yet). Once I improve I want to do a full layout of their house for my stories (and the future Shadora Fortress).

I really enjoyed the movies and I’m excited for the third! I hope they give Shadow a voice that’s deep and delicious and doesn’t sound like a sniveling villain. I don’t like it when they cast him with a very generic evil voice, I prefer it when he’s got depth. Honestly I’d be happy if they stuck with Ian Hanlin, he’s perfect to me. 

For the record, I absolutely love that game. Some of my favorite memories involve me and my best friend playing it. He ABSOLUTELY is an avid gun collector. I love seeing the memes of Shadow just rambling off about gun details. BUT HE KEEPS THAT CRAP LOCKED UP IN A SAFE AND UNLOADED AT ALL TIMES!!!!

At least for my stories he isn’t one to actually threaten to harm anybody for wanting to date his kids. He dealt with that enough trying to be with Aurora. But you can bet he won’t think anybody’s worthy to date his kids lol

First of all, I am ALWAYS down for Sonic singing his feelings. Like that is my #1 favorite thing in every story. Whenever he breaks out the guitar/lute I’m like “HELL YEAH LET’S DO THIS”

Secondly, that SONG omg!!! I’d never heard it before but wow 😭 I couldn’t love it more. I completely agree and thank you so much for sharing with me!

That is so funny that you say that. It was not my intention to make human Sonic look like RCS but honestly he is my favorite Sonic at this point so maybe it came out subliminally! Also I think Roger is just so damn handsome so I will take that as a compliment lol! 

SHIPPING ASKS

I do ship them but I don’t know about them having kids. I don’t really know those characters well enough to write family members for them and I wouldn’t want to do it wrong. Thank you!

I’m fine with any of your ships as long as it’s not with relatives. And as long as you keep my characters “in character” then that’s fine. 

Interesting! 🤔 I haven’t heard that pairing before but hey I’m certainly not going to tell you that you can’t ship them together. 

I loved Amy the minute I saw her so just from a superficial level I was like “These two are too cute together!” But I really fell in love with them when their story evolved and we got to see their dynamism in the games outside of just a cute little pink sprite in Sonic CD. And Sonic X really sealed the deal haha So many romantic moments between them in that show, God bless. 

Sonic and Amy were just making out, not anything more. Orbot and Cubot aren’t accustomed to seeing that so that’s why they reacted that way. 

I don’t have any plans on that at the moment. I like that universe and I especially loved how Sonic acted around her in it, but idk if I’ll make a comic about it. But I can never say never!

PERSONAL ASKS

I’m sorry to have worried you, but honestly I was okay while I was away. I went through a lot of major life events and I had lost my drawing mojo and was fighting to get it back. But now it’s back with a vengeance!

I plan on doing both. I know several amazing parents who do a wonderful job raising their kids and still follow their passion.

Thank you so much! I’m self-taught, but I’ve researched a lot of tutorials and references to help me improve over my life. The number one thing people need to study if they want to do comics or animations or anything is ANATOMY! You don’t have to take an anatomy class (I didn’t), but look up references and tutorials to learn how the spine works, how the muscles work, proportions, etc. Even if your characters don’t fall into the typical human form, you still need to understand skeletal structure and muscles. 

I’m not an avid listener but I do like some if her songs :)

I’m in the process of assembling that. There’s a lot so it’s taking time lol 

WILL YOU CONTINUE HHNF?

Yes I’m going to continue HHNF

AURORA ASKS

Thank you! Yes that’s pretty accurate. Their family is all about honesty and telling the truth, but younger Aurora doesn’t like to share all the details with Sonic because he’s so reactive with her and will quickly try to fix whatever the problem is and Aurora wants to learn to fix it herself. Amy is more willing to just listen to Aurora and offer advice if Aurora asks for it. Amy WANTS to beat up whoever is upsetting her daughter but she also knows the importance of learning how to fight for yourself so she wants Aurora to feel empowered to do that. 

Thank you! I hope you’re having a great day too! I think Amy is better at TALKING through feelings and Sonic’s better at the overall cheering up way of handling things. So as long as there’s nothing terribly awful bothering Aurora and she’s just feeling a little down, he’ll find ways to make her laugh. Sometimes that means walking in unexpectedly in a costume to shock her or dragging her out of the room to have a musical jam session together. 

Sonic’s also known to give people flowers when they’re sad in canon (he does this regularly in the games and in Sonic X), so he’ll bring her bright, colorful flowers to make her smile. 

In my AU, Eggman has already kind of peaked by the time of Boom!Baby. He’s softened a lot and isn’t interested so much in world domination as he just wants attention lol. Having Sage and becoming a father further helped me justify that with my AU. 

He's also particularly sentimental towards Aurora since he helped deliver her, so he doesn’t really fight the team anymore. He is more like a constant pain in their sides mucking things up. 

Sonic team is busy fighting other, newer foes in my AU.

Their biggest challenge is going to be the Time Travel comic that I haven’t completed yet. It’s hardest because not only will lives be put on the line, but it also touches on trust and when to let go. I’m sorry I can’t give you a more detailed answer yet but I don’t want to spoil the plot! And thank you so much! 

MISC ASKS RELATED TO MY AU

Yes I just need to draw them. There are so many dang Sonic characters hahaha

It’s VERY important to Aurora for her parents to give their blessing, so Shadow will honor that and ask them for it. I already know how and when he’s going to do it, but I can’t spoil it for you yet! 😉

They’ve had three litters. I headcanon that back in the day hedgehogs used to have litters (2 or more kids) all the time but that became less and less common in modern day. But I also headcanon that as the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow was engineered to be able to… multiply effectively. So even though they’ve only been pregnant 3 times, they keep having triplets or twins. 

I do consider the First Kiss comic canon to my AU. But it happened a while before My Gal, maybe like a year or so before. Give them time to stew on that kiss hehehe

They just wanted to make a life change. The stars just happened to align at the same time haha

All the kids’ names are supposed to be based on their personalities or powers. Most Sonic characters are named that way, so I don’t know if it’s canon for Mobian parents to sense what their kid’s powers will be or not. Aurora has dreams that sometimes give her premonitions so she had inklings to what their kids might be like so she and Shadow could brainstorm ideas based on that. Also a lot of their names are outer-space-related or at least outer-space-adjacent and that was because Shadow’s a space man lol So he had influence in that. 

Sonic wants all his descendants named Sonic II so he’s no help lol. 

Thanks, I’m happy you like it! 

There are 3 litters. The first litter has the triplets Piper, Zane and Nova. The second litter was born almost a year and a half later and has the twins Aster and Blitz. The third litter was immediately after and that has the triplets Cinder, Diamond and Boon. All this information is listed in their character reference post. 

In the beginning the family mostly just stuck to ordering online and getting home deliveries lol. But if they do have to do a grocery store run it’s a full family event. The kids all ride on Shadow (see this post). Their house has two fridges to accommodate for all the mouths to feed!

Their life certainly isn’t boring anymore 😂 It’s exhausting but they’re happy (also there are 8 kids haha!)

Thank you so much, it’s good to be back!

Aurora definitely would have asked him about this, but at least in my stories Sonic became an orphan at a young age and I don’t have him with any siblings. 

I’ve had another person ask me who I picture Sonic’s parents as and I do plan on drawing a reference of them, but they’ll be unique to my stories. They won’t be from any other Sonic media. 

I don’t draw Aleena, Manic and Sonia because of a couple reasons. I never watched Sonic Underground so I don’t have the allegiance/nostalgia that a lot of people have to that show. Also for my own preference, I don’t like the idea of Sonic being born to royalty. It doesn’t suit him, in my opinion. That doesn’t mean I don’t respect people who have that as a part of their canon and it doesn’t mean I have any bad feelings towards the Underground characters. I just don’t draw them. I grew up on the games and later Sonic X and Sonic Boom so my stories revolve around what I know. 

It’s funny that you mention that ship because I only just learned about it from Starrjoy’s P!AU comic. Again I didn’t watch Sonic Underground so I don’t know who Bernadette is, but sure I’m down for Sonic having two moms. Families come in all shapes and sizes, so as long as they’re a loving parent or parents then I support it. 

They love all their grandkids and they love spending time with them, but I think in their older age Sonic and Amy go off on more adventures again. They never stopped adventuring, but they settled down a bit while raising Aurora. Now they’re relishing a second wind and they’re frequently going on worldly explorations.  

But they always make sure to attend any events the kids are involved with and are always home on Sundays for family dinner. Sunday night is dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s! <— I have them always having dinner at their house on Sundays even before Aurora and Shadow have kids

To be honest, I never felt like they needed more. I had a comic where they discussed it hypothetically, but they’re content with just having the one kid. (Don’t worry, just because they’re not having kids does NOT mean they aren’t… active 😈 They’re very VERY much so!). I am okay with fan stories where people give Aurora siblings and there’s a fic I’m reading right now that involves Sonic and Amy having a whoopsie baby way late in life and adult Aurora is having to deal with that and I love it lol. But just for my own writing, it’s a single-child household. 

[heartfullofleeches]

I have no self control so- New Slasher Yandere Ocs Zachary Belz (M) and Rory Macher (F).

The two are apart of a small group of four together with another oc that makes Slasher films off the murders he commits

Zachary is a doctor and disown son of a prosthetics company owner. Lost his left arm in his early teens and was disowned for not wanting to take over family business. Developed a fear of mortality of death after his accident, but still values a the feel of organic body and so he used the bodies of his victim for profit and to frankenstein parts to cover the enhancements he's given himself. About fifty perfect of his body is metal with most noticeable areas being his left arm, right eye and leg.

He is a somewhat distant, but off putting man. Deep down he has a softer side, but will go for the easier route of showing his love by ridding you of your troubles or stealing the eyes of a past love that you admired so and making them his own.

A general description from the post he originated on: [The man wears a black mask with large beady eyes like an insect; gas mask filters stitched into its lower half. He wears a doctor's coat over an old tank top and jeans; his entire body covered in scars and healing wounds - flesh discolored in certain places. There's something wrong with his left arm as he touches your face again. The skin is clammy and the bone beneath feels sharper than normal. Your stomach churns as you see it pull around his bicep, showing pieces of metal beneath]

-

Rory Macher is a costume designer, and makes majority of the costumes my other Slasher oc wears while directing his real life horror films. She has been desensitized to violent from a young age after the death of her parents by her older sibling, and shares her acquaintances love for horror movies. Came across her old college buddy when he had picked her ex-girlfriend for the cut, and joined his team since she was cheating anyway and that was less mess for Rory to clean up.

Rory is a loud, rowdy woman, but very passionate about things that catch her interest. As she has little mortal compass and a history with roughing people up already, Rory number one tactic in gaming your affection is to first get rid of those who try to strike up a relationship with you. She's always a very creative person in general, and will leave a handmade card on your dresser after breaking into your house.

General description: [Another figure hops down from a counter. They wears a black mask with a red smile panted across its lips, and a red checkered hoodie over top. The smile has some kind of glow to it; giving their appearance a sort of look that makes it seem like you're looking into a void. A hunting knife is strapped to their chest from the harness over their shoulders. The jacket is familiar, but you distinctly recognize the voice as the woman at your door.]

[glagger-true]

Howdy dear reader! I'm your host Glagger, and today we have reached the tenth post of my Password medal analysis series. Woohoo!

Before I start this very exciting installment I'd like to remind you that, as usual, this post has SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL. So please, if you haven't read the novel yet, and don't want to be spoiled, leave for now.

Gemini, the medal of Completion, Unity and Understanding:

Gemini the only medal in game split in two halves, and both of them are found by Tyson on different days. The first is found on day 4 inside the hedge-maze, and the other on the final day of path B, inside the Old Shack in the woods. Only the first half is Tyson exclusive, and the days they are found on make Gemini simultaneously the first and last medal to be found in game before the ending exclusive medals.

In first half's scene, Tyson takes Dave to the place in the maze where he hid the medal after he found it the day before. They have a very domestic back and forth, where their familiarity with the other becomes visible to the reader. Tyson isn't agressive to Dave chastisizing him or almost calling him a dog, and also reassures Dave he would tell him anything if it becomes important. Dave also isn't afraid to ask Tyson personal things or to show worry for the wolf, something that people would usually avoid doing or caring about except to judge him further.

The second half has two variants for the scene, and is found after Dave and Tyson sneak out the old shack without attracting Jack and Dominic's attention.

In non-Tyson routes, Tyson asks Dave directly why he still puts up with him when he's so far of being perfect, to which Dave answers he does so because the wolf is family, and his imperfections are irrelevant because they are just parts of who Tyson is. Dave also says that while he likes not knowing Tyson completely, he also wishes he could understand the wolf better, and that Tyson would just tell him things directly. The scene ends with a heartfelt hug between the two, and the second half is found directly after they escape a few frames of text later.

In Tyson's route, Dave tells Tyson he's happy the wolf's okay, but angry he left like that, saying that Tyson should apologize for endangering his own life and worrying Dave. Tyson apologizes, but says he can't promise he won't do it again, but will try to try for Dave's sake. Tyson then kisses Dave gently, saying it's just in case they don't make it out alive, and the scene ends with them hugging tenderly before escaping and finding the second half.

In astrology, Gemini is categorized as the positive mutable air sign of the zodiac. This sign is the Playful social butterfly of the zodiac wheel, being very quick-witted, objective and direct when communicating with others. They are resourceful and intellectual. Having so many different pursuits, they divided themselves in two to acheive them all. Gemini is known for being very curious, to the point they are always trying to juggle different passions, hobbies, careers and even friend groups sometimes. This sign has a natural duality attached to them that often causes them to be seen as two faced. Ironically however, nothing could be further from the truth, since this sign is one of the most open and honest of the zodiac, rarely having any hidden agendas.

Astrologers believe those born under Gemini's stars are curious, energetic and innovative. They love to guide new projects by changing and transforming them. They are known for being hyperactive and having short attention spans, making it so that they usually don't stick around once they are done with something, and move on to whatever new idea they have as fluidly as possible. They are very disconnected and detached, preferring to ignore feelings and emotions in favor of being analytical, which can sometimes make them look ruthless. Despite that, self-expression is essential to Geminians, to the point that the act of communication is often more important to them than what they actually say with it, leading them to sometimes be crude, abrasive or unthoughtful in their words. This also gives them the very unique strength of being able to recover easily and quickly from embarassing social moments. They put their feet in their mouths so often that they simply don't care and move on from whatever shame that could generate.

Gemini's planetary ruler is Mercury, the representative of communication and movement. Mercury's influence is what causes Gemini to be so expressive and curious, and makes this sign express their emotions externally rather than internally. Gemini needs output, which makes it common for it to communicate with their hands and body language. They need a constant stream of transmission and stimuli, which makes them restless and constantly search for new engagements with people.

In babylonian astronomy, the two brightest stars of Gemini, which they called Castor and Pollux, were seen as two minor gods whose names meant "The one arisen from the underworld" and "The mighty king" respectively. However, both of their names were also titles of one single major god in babylonian mythology, making them two halves of the same being. In Greek myth, Gemini is associated with the mythological Castor and Pollux, a duo of half-brothers who were sons of Leda. Pollux was immortal since Zeus was his father, but Castor had a human father and was mortal. They spent their whole lives together, going on many adventures that became legends, but ultimately ended in tragedy when Castor finally met his demise thanks to his mortality. Desperate and heart-broken, Pollux begs his father to make Castor immortal so he could live with him forever, even offering to share his own immortality with him. Zeus does as Pollux asks, and immortalizes them both in the skies as the Gemini constellation, so that they stay together forever.

Paralleling Gemini to Tyson, we see that he is very cold and analytical when it comes to emotions, oftenly disregarding them when making decisions. He's very blunt, direct and witty during conversations, hardly being caught off guard when interacting with others. When he does like people however, talking and doing it properly becomes essential to him, something visible in his extensive interactions with Hoss and Dave. Despite not being book-smart, he is very resourceful and intelligent with the knowledge he does have, and is eager to learn new things when they interest him, like when he tried to create a bracelet for Dave in his route. He has a very "what you see is what you get" persona, being very open to the point of rudeness about himself, but also having a hidden softer and gentler side that is just as open, but only towards people he feels comfortable with. When emotional, he often expresses these frustrations physically, through his body language and especially his hands, rather than through words.

If we compare Tyson's story with the myths, we can see many similarities between him and Pollux. At the beginning, he is the strong and dependable in the relationship, who's always ready to defend his frailer brother. Dave acts as his Castor, being the one who humbles and supports Tyson by watching his back and trying to keep him out of trouble. They also grew up together and went on many adventures during their teenage years at school, at home and at their family outings, much like the half-brothers they are being paralled with. Dave also ends up dying during the story, causing a heartbroken Tyson to beg him not to die while declaring his love for him. In the final scene of his route on Path B, the way Tyson asks David at the graveyard to let Dave marry him is very reminiscent off how Pollux asks Zeus to let his immortal life be split with Castor so they remain together forever.

The journey Tyson shares with Dave of learning how to properly communicate with the other and express their emotions clearly is also very connected with Gemini's meaning. They both possess traits the other doesn't, and flaws that are balanced by the positive aspects of their partner. They transmit these traits to the other, interchanging their roles and switching them constantly mid-relationship. Dave, despite being selfless and kind, becomes selfish, aggressive and borderline abusive when Tyson is endangered or hurt. Tyson, on the other hand, is usually selfish and distant, but becomes selfless, sensitive and devoted when Dave is involved, acting almost like a saint when he allows his love for the hyena dictate his actions.

Gemini's influence is evident even in their intimacy with one another as well. Their first sexual interaction has Tyson take a more selfish and indulgent approach as Dave enables him by being receptive of his desire. Their second one in path B, however, has Tyson emotionally submit to Dave by replacing his dominance and aggressivity with vulnerability and submission, causing their intimate connection to be a selfless expression of love the second time around. The writing even implies their sexual roles reversed during their second time, which fits perfectly their narrative and Gemini's motif.

In Craig's final thoughts on the medal, he says the medal was either split as a joke, or as a test to see if the proverb about it representing how two people could understand the other so well, and could exist in perfect equilibrium had any stock to it. This is a direct reference to how the first half marked the beginning of their journey for understanding and balance, and the second half only completed the first after they reached the end of that journey and achieved perfect equilibrium with the other, completing the medal's superstition.

Banner was made by Xernok on Discord.

Artworks were made by Xernok and Ghostlink on Discord respectively.

[blissfulalchemist]

8, 12, 14 for anthea and hythlodaeus!!

Okay technically they never have a wedding because there wasn't much of a need but that doesn't matter because I have thought of it so many times over! I love imagining their potential wedding.....would love to gpose it one day.....anyway! please note there are some visual spoilers with the videos i linked for EW

8. Was there any drama whatsoever regarding the guest list?

Yes and no. See they were perfectly fine inviting the core group of people and making it small, others (not naming names but their starts with a D) made it known around people that felt they were entitled to witness it (mostly researchers and those that worked with convocation members and members of the convocation themselves). Why? No one knows all the reasons but a few wanted to see if Emet-Selch was going to be a grump through it all still, which I can't blame them.

12. Do either of them play music while walking down the aisle (if they do at all)? If yes, show us their song.

Okay now I need you to know I did not pick the names of the songs you can take that up with SE. But there are two songs that would play, one as Anthea is walking down the aisle and one as the couple leave the ceremony or even play softly in the background while they read out their vows and we're all crying in the audience. These two songs are also what start and end their playlist so if you need any further proof of them being perfect for them its right there!

The song that would play as Thea walked down the aisle is the night time theme when in elpis and it has always been such a Thea song since I first heard it after they became an idea. Its got a melancholy feel but bits of light throughout and it just is that perfect kind of tempo to walk down an aisle for.

Now the song that would play either during the ceremony/reading vows or as they left is one that's called Heartbloom and yes its another name for the elpis flower but like its just such a nice sending off song or something to go in the background of them claiming their love to all their friends and family. like it is just so! !!!

(its not actually an hour long i just want you all to witness the adorable bird child)

14. Do they follow any familiar, cultural, and/or religious traditions at any point of the wedding?

As far as I'm aware there isn't anything cultural for the Ancient society when it comes to weddings and the like. I do believe they (the couple) would do speeches of those closest to them, trust me you have never seen Emet get close to getting choked up than during that speech. And for sure those two would do the cake cutting with the stuffing cake of the other's face and making a small game of it! I also would honestly love to see them do the traditional garter toss, yes the one where no hands are used to remove it. Frankly my fantasy wedding for them so they do and its fun and its purposely tossed to land in Emet's hand because of Iris or Laha catches it and there's a sigh because he's not going to tempt marriage number 2. But yeah there isn't much and any traditions would be the ones we have here with the rule being "If its fun its gonna be done."

[witchthewriter]

Hi <3 first of all, i love your writings (sending all my love to u from peru) 2nd english is not my first language so If I made a grammar mistake i’m sorry, and 3rd I’m kinda new asking for a request so i hope i’m doing it ok😭 so.. i was wondering if you could make a matchup post for me (level completed 3)

My fandoms: Game of thrones/ Harry Potter/ House of the dragon

About me🦋

•Infj

•she/her

•Venus born

•Apolo child/cabin 7

•My dragon: Silverwing

•Westeros house: Tyrell/Martell

•Taurus sun, Gemini moon, Taurus rising

•Kinda introvert (with extrovert people) kinda extrovert (with shy people)

•Black hair/ dark brown eyes/white skin

•Straight

•Gryffindor

Personality🕸

Sometimes I tend to get angry easily at random times but I always attribute it to the fact that I'm a Gemini mess lol. But most of the time I'm the one who usually keeps my cool when trouble is brewing around me. I'm an empath, so I tend to sense the feelings of my friends/family (based on this characteristic I try to fix people but if they’re getting on my nerves they better run) I am a quiet person although sometimes a little lonely (I like to keep my feelings to myself) I have a high sense of standing up for people who can't make it on their own, and well, I like to sometimes converse with those who people ignore because they consider them different. I am the girl: "your beauty never ever scared me". I'm very creative by the way, and also very sensitive at times. I’m adventurous (I'm a shifter who is dying to run free and discover things in her dr) spiritual (quartz, signs, witchcraft stuff) and also a history lover (ancient greece/greek mythology, rome, ottoman’s empire, etc).

Hobbies: Musical theatre, ballet, singing, painting (just everything that have to do with art) Makeup

Like: The moon, food, dogs, color black, the stars, pop/indie/delta music, leather jacket, sci-fi movies, boots, rings, perfume, mint chocolate ice cream, little pigs, campfires, styling…

Dislike: Lateness, disinterest, disloyalty, lack of communication, racism and discrimination of any kind, pizza with pineapple, raw tomato, hot sauces, yellow color, intolerance, large groups of people, too much noise, traffic congestion

Want one? Here be the rules 🦋🌈

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with Draco Malfoy. I think you two would have a relationship like Katniss & Peeta, where you bring Draco a lot of sunshine and joy, like Peeta does with Katniss.

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Tilts your chin up just to kiss your forehead at random moments

・Draco moves closer to you in his sleep whenever he's cold

・Does things for you that he absolutely wouldn’t do for anyone else.

Theme Song:

↬ All For Us by Labrinth & Zendaya

Relationship Tropes:

↬ Bully Turned Soppy

𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with Aemond! I think he just wants to prove himself - he wants to show that he is a man and he can brunt the responsibility of being a ruler. I think you would do well together because you would support and encourage him. He would love to take you flying on Vhagar, and show you how he sees the world.

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Hugging you just to take in your familiar scent

・Massaging the back of your neck or running his hand up and down your back.

・Will stop whatever he's ding, no matter how important it may be, to focus on you, whenever you need it.

Theme Song:

↬ As The World Caves in by Matt Maltese

Relationship Tropes:

↬

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with Theon Greyjoy! I think you would be such a reprieve from the horrors that he's endured throughout his life.

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Asks for consent, even for little things like kisses or hugs

・Bringing you flowers (always your favourite obvi) just to see you smile. He also likes you gift you moon/star themed items. Like a necklace of a half moon, or a dress with stars woven in the bottom seams

・Will go as emotional support to something with you when you need it.

Theme Song:

↬ Heat Above by Greta Van Fleet

Relationship Tropes:

↬ "I Care About You!" x "You Shouldn't!"

[xipiti]

The first time Tony Ford played Dungeons & Dragons, he was a wiry Black kid who had never seen the inside of a prison. His mother, a police officer in Detroit, had quit the force and moved the family to West Texas. To Ford, it seemed like a different world. Strangers talked funny, and El Paso was half desert. But he could skateboard in all that open space, and he eventually befriended a nerdy White kid with a passion for Dungeons & Dragons. Ford fell in love with the role-playing game right away; it was complex and cerebral, a saga you could lose yourself in. And in the 1980s, everyone seemed to be playing it.

D&D had come out a decade earlier with little fanfare. It was a tabletop role-playing game known for its miniature figurines and 20-sided dice. Players were entranced by the way it combined a choose-your-own-adventure structure with group performance. In D&D, participants create their own characters — often magical creatures like elves and wizards — to go on quests in fantasy worlds. A narrator and referee, known as the Dungeon Master, guides players through each twist and turn of the plot. There’s an element of chance: The roll of the die can determine if a blow is strong enough to take down a monster or whether a stranger will help you. The game has since become one of the most popular in the world, celebrated in nostalgic television shows and dramatized in movies. It is played in homes, at large conventions and even in prisons.

By the time Ford got to high school, he had drifted toward other interests — girls, cars and friends who sold drugs and ran with gangs. Ford started doing those things, too. He didn’t get into serious trouble until Dec. 18, 1991. Sometime before 9 p.m., two Black men knocked on the door of a small home on Dale Douglas Drive in southeast El Paso, asking for “the man of the house.” The woman who answered, Myra Murillo, refused to let them in. A few minutes later, they returned, breaking down the door and demanding money and jewelry. One opened fire, killing Murillo’s 18-year-old son, Armando.

Within hours, police picked up a suspect, who said Ford was his partner. They arrested Ford, who was 18 at the time, the following day. He has maintained that the two men who entered the house were brothers, and that he was outside in the car the whole time. There was no physical evidence clearly connecting him to the crime. He was so confident that a jury would believe him that he rejected a plea deal and took his case to trial in July 1993. He lost. By October, at age 20, he was on death row.

Back then, death row for men was located in a prison near Huntsville, Texas, where hundreds lived in tiny cells. The men were allowed to hang out together, watch television, play basketball and go to work at prison jobs. And because they were locked behind bars rather than solid doors, they could call out to one another and talk. That was how, one day, Ford caught familiar words drifting down from the cells above him, phrases like, “I’ll cast a spell!” “Aren’t there too many of them?” and “I think you have to roll.”

It was the sound of Dungeons & Dragons.

[mmmthornton]

Abbott Elementary D&D Episode WHEN baby?

What can I say, I'm a simple lesbian. I see a show with a great group dynamic and I gotta think about what they'd be like at the tabletop.

Plus, I'm...responsibly imbibing and putting off work so HERE WE GO!

Jacob becomes determined to start some kind of gaming club at the school, but he hadn't actually DM'd before so he asks the other teachers if he can do a "practice run" first and bribes them with takeout and beer to let him run a game for them in the gym in the evenings. Surprisingly Barbara has come around to it NOT being a tool of the devil thanks to her and her husband watching Stranger Things together ("If it can help those kids beat a demon and learn to appreciate family in the god-forsaken 1980s, it can't be all bad"). Melissa says she could learn a new game since its no fun card sharking the same five people at her local bar, and Gregory is pretending really really hard that he's not EXTREMELY excited about this because he's always wanted to play but never did as a kid. Ava laughs until she cries when Jacob first asks if she wants to join then flips when Gregory will be there..."and when those craft beers go right through his skinny hipster body" she wants to be there to see his "wild" side. Janine knows nothing about the game but is excited about a new extracurricular activity and thinks its a great way to bond with the kids, and Mr. Johnson wasn't invited but shows up with Coke and a Costco-sized bag of Smartpop because he KNOWS whats up.

Barbara : Definitely a Cleric. She is willing to physically fight Jacob though if she has to "choose a god" from the pantheon, so to keep the peace AND the immersive experience they agree Not To Go Into It but its enough that her healing and spells are faith-endowed. Early on though, she gets some REALLY good rolls to hit when they're surrounded by enemies and she becomes more of a "warcaster" in addition to healing. Lots of buffs and she gets into the idea of a powerful warrior who gives holy blessings with her presence. Probably should've chosen Paladin from the getgo with how she ends up playing, but she makes Cleric work for her.

Melissa : Definitely a Rogue. Okay, I promise all my thoughts aren't basic but also listen to me. The whole concept of the rogue network is SO up her alley. She almost seems like she's not even playing a character at first, but then JACOB surprises her with his NPCs and the two of them roleplay thieves cant as a sort of south philly slang. I think Jacob would be an AMAZing DM so he's ready to meet her where she is (not really invested at first, kind of skeptical on the whole thing), and draw her in by accurately using terminology and making the world feel gritty, lived-in, and familiar - and Melissa LOVEs it. She starts to really get into the fiction of this fantasy world and take the threat/plot hook seriously. Gets yelled at by the support for jumping into fights and going unconscious because she's not a tank class; maybe multiclasses into Barbarian or at least takes a feat or two so she's not going down every fight.

Gregory : The archetypal wizard; old, beard, pointy hat, the whole deal. I hear you thinking "Why not human fighter?" but no. Gregory will not do human fighter, he's been waiting to play D&D for like twenty years and hes researched EVERY aspect of every class. Could be a minmaxer, but moreso is just WAY overthinking the choice so finally Jacob just gives him a premade, high-fantasy, Gandalf-ass wizard named something like Geoffrey Jankins or whatever. Gregory spends a lot of time making his : [ face, worried that he's already destroyed his chance of "having fun in a tabletop game with work friends" because he's THAT kind of person. Once he relaxes, he starts to feel a lot more kinship with his wizard character; he's got a backstory in the premade sheet where he's trying to find a spellbook that was stolen from him that contained years of his hard work and research. Over the course of the game Jankins kind of works with the others the same way Gregory did as he warmed up to them as a substitute, and in the end has the Real Emotional Moment in-game as he realizes what his work was keeping him away from (the relationships with the others in the group being his found family). No one leaves that game with a dry eye.

Ava : Elf Bard, College of Swords. She refused to make a character when Jacob mentioned it involved adding numbers because she's too hot for math, so she got another premade that he knew she'd enjoy. She's actually pretty stoked on the idea of a Creative and Powerful Artist who's dripping with charisma enough that she actually gets the ins and outs of the spell rules really well and is very generous with her Bardic Inspirations ("even to Gregory's old-head-ass"). She does however seem to only use Cutting Words on her own team, specifically Janine ("Jacob! How could you let her use that spell?" "In my defense I didn't think she'd even read the spell sheet!"). I say College of Swords because the worst thing about being a bard is having to share the spotlight with someone else, so she decides she wants to be the hero AND the sexy song vixen who makes the ballad about it.

Janine : Some kind of Genasi or fey druid. She wants to connect with the nature in the world and tries to channel a kind of Pan-from-mythology-meets-Steve-Irwin-depicted-by-Simone-Biles character. Her character motivation is she wants to write a guidebook of the animals - both common and magical - that they come across but keeps absolutely failing her rolls. She rolls a one and slaps a Mystical Enchanted Forest Deer in the face, launching a fight that the party is NOT prepared for. IS very good in a fight; she'll transform into an owlbear and headbutt an enemy away if one of the other party members are in trouble. Only remembers how to use like, three spells total and doesn't tell Jacob that she has no clue how things like spell slots or materials work so she just doesn't track it / makes up a number when asked how much she has. Jacob catches on pretty quickly, but side eyes into the camera to let us know he's deliberately letting it slide because she keeps rolling badly and could use the break.

Mr. Johnson : Makes his own dwarf warlock who's ABSOLUTELY minmaxed to hell. The overall playstyle of the group though is more laid back, but he's after a harder core play experience and only drops in sometimes if he hears there's a boss fight. Can do things from the book that are completely legal but have Jacob looking up obscure status effects and rules to try to keep up. Would probably make a good DM, but says he's more of a Warhammer guy.

Jacob : Obviously the DM, but I imagine that once the kids get into the game one of them might want to take a turn DM'ing. Jacob, gleaming with pride, would be happy to pass the DM screen to the "younger, brighter, woker generation". He joins the party as a ranger ("...which in the fifth edition classic is not the most capable class however with updates and features can be utilized in very specific cases for role-play and battlefi-" "For f*cks sake Jacob just take a shortbow proficiency and lets get on with it"), and spends most of the time that they're playing being extremely proud of his student....until the kid catches him on a technicality on his animal companion range.