#gee I love giving my characters pain

[carol-shine]

Alright, here we go, more Papyrus angst

TW // Mention of Death

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Beginning Underswap by Popcorn Pr1nce

[arcadiabaytornado]

Chloe Price is such an agonizingly realistic portrayal of grief. 

Her grief isn't beautiful or poetic. It isn't a single tear running down her cheek as she thinks back on the past with a smile. It isn't a quiet pain she bears alone to not "burden" her loved ones. It's not a dull ache that's easy to forget. It's hateful and raw. It's agonizing and seemingly never-ending. It's loud and off-putting. It's grief. A word for when you still have so much love for someone that you can no longer give it to.

That lingering love makes you irrational. Sure, it's not fair for Chloe to blame Joyce or William for his death. William didn't know. He didn't choose to leave her that day, and Joyce didn't know either. She didn't make the decision to take a father from his daughter. Yet, maybe it's easier to blame them, because if it's their fault, then there's a reason. It means his death wasn't just a senseless act by a universe that seems out to get her.

However, that's what his death was. It was a senseless accident. We don't know what happened, but it's never implied the truck driver did it on purpose...it just happened and left Chloe so angry. She doesn't know who to blame but knows she wants to place it somewhere. We see that in this scene. At first, she blames William, then she blames Joyce, then says she has to blame them, or it's her fault, but it's not.  

More Undercut

Then we have Max, an agonizingly realistic portrayal of someone who doesn't know how to handle their friend's grief. Max grieved William too. However, she could move on from his death, while Chloe stayed in that moment, leaving Max not knowing what to say to bring her back to the present. Because what can she say? Nothing she says will make it better. Nothing she says will bring him back. Yet, she is clear-headed enough to know that William and Joyce don't hold the blame for his death. However, Chloe isn't ready to face that yet, so Max’s words just make her more upset. 

And that’s not the beautifully poetic thing to do. According to how grief is often portrayed, she was supposed to smile and go “Well jolly gee Max. You sure are right. I’m deeply apologetic for allowing my grief to effect me outside of one scene.” But she doesn’t do that. Because, as I said, her grief is angry and raw...and...real. It doesn’t just go away because Max is uncomfortable and trying poorly to defuse. 

I think about the way Chloe’s grief is portrayed everyday. It’s maybe of the most hard hitting deceptions of grief I’ve ever seen, and I’m so glad she’s a character I found when I was navigating my own grieving journey.

[irisintheafterglow]

Hi, first of all I would like to say that your blog gives me so much comfort. You seem like such a loving and kind person and I love to read your writing. I adore the co-parenting series and am honestly looking forward to reading more parts <3 (no pressure tho, just wanted to say that I love it)

Actually, I wanted to make a request. The song 'Deep Sea' by 'Snail Mail' has been stuck in my head for weeks, the lyrics kill me every time and I could imagine some heartbreaking angst based on the song. I saw that you don’t write reader or character deaths and it doesn’t have to be that. Maybe a breakup or something like that, it’s really up to you and up to whatever the song might inspire you to write. For the pairing I love Gojo and also Getou or Choso, but I just want you to write whoever you like! 🤪

I had the idea for that request earlier today and made a post about it (that I have since deleted) because you came to my mind and I just really wanted to try my luck and ask you if you would maybe like to write about it 💞

Hope you’re having a great day, thank you <3

it took so long to know someone like you (gojo x you)

cw: breakup, chest-aching angst, swearing, emotionally constipated satoru where he doesn't know how to be vulnerable with someone so his first instinct is to push them away :))))))))))

note: HI!!! thank you for the love, i'm so sorry that this is so late, hopefully you still like it. pro tip, listen to travis atreo's cover of "when she loved me" along with the song mentioned to make reading this extra painful. again, thank you for the love and the ask. i hope you like this!!!

likes, reblogs, and replies are always appreciated <3

"don't look at me like that."

"if you don't like it, stop looking," you laugh humorlessly, feeling your heart twist like a wet rag with every shallow breath. "you just told me you don't want me; i think it's valid i can look however i want." your voice breaks off at the end of the sentence and you blink at the darkening clouds above. a storm was coming, but you felt like one had already devastated you.

"that-that's not what i meant," he says through gritted teeth, avoiding your glaring eyes in shame. "i just need a break. is that so bad?" every word felt like a separate cut to your soul and you were slowly bleeding out in the fucking mall parking lot.

"but, why? i'm just not good enough for you?" you practically spit your questions like snake venom. you hoped they stung, hoped the burned into his memory like his promises that he'd give you a future. high and mighty gojo satoru, reduced to a puddle in your arms and vowing that he was yours forever. pathetic. "finally got tired of me, is that it?"

"no," he croaked. "no, no. i just-i don't know who i am when i'm with you." the sky was falling and you hoped the ground crumbled beneath your muddy shoes. "and, that scares me."

"you don't like who you are when you're with me," you echo hollowly, taking a shaky breath and pulling your jacket closer to your body like a safety blanket. "that's really a shame, since i really liked how you were with me," you huff another painfully mirthless laugh that turns into a sob. on instinct, he reaches out to touch you but you pull away like he was radioactive waste. "making all those lofty promises, letting me think that i was your forever and eternity and everything after that. you're really an asshole for that one, you know that?"

"i never said anything like that," he protests even though you know damn well that he's lying. raindrops start to catch on his hair, making it glisten like he was sent from heaven. too bad his words didn't match. "even if i said those things, i can't guarantee i actually meant it, so i'm sorry."

ouch.

"you're sorry? you're sorry?" you have to take a step backward or else you'd have actually slammed your knuckles against his infuriatingly perfect cheek. "gee, thanks! i'll remember that next time anyone says they love me," you hiss and relish in the way he flinches. "they could just be kidding, after all, right? stupid me." it took so long to finally get through to him, to stand steady enough that he let down his walls, and suddenly he was throwing them up again and shutting you out.

if you were completely honest and without your stubborn pride, you'd admit that you understood what he was talking about. it was a little lonely being with him, especially when you didn't have any more time for self-discovery without worrying about another human being. you lost track of time when you were with him and lost a little bit of yourself, too, and you weren't sure if he was adequately filling that emptiness. you had no idea how to discuss it, let alone navigate it, and it struck a crack that only grew larger. neither of you knew how to cope with this, it seemed, and that's how you ended up sobbing on the asphalt in front of the man you believed you were going to marry.

"don't you wonder who we could be without each other? we could be anyone," he insists but nothing gets through to you.

"i don't know who i am without you, satoru," you whisper defeatedly and it's like you can hear his heart start to crumble. he did this to you, and you watched him realize it in real-time. he didn't know what he was saying anymore. he felt too far deep in that he didn't remember why he was asking for a break in the first place. all that he knew was that he was hurting you and every nerve in his body screamed at him to fix it, fix it, fix it. you sigh tiredly, shivering in the cold sheets of water that were starting to fall. "look, if you need time, then take it. take all that you need."

"but-"

"no. i can't do this to myself if you won't even try anymore. goodbye satoru. a stupid part of me still loves you." as you slip into your car and accelerate away from him, he doesn't have the chance to say it back.

to tell you that the stupid whole of him still loved you, too.

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[crescent-lockhart97]

Random First Class Trio + Zack Headcanons #3: Crack Version

Angeal:

His favorite workout song is "YMCA" by Village People.

He's definitely knocked out Wutai soldiers like this:

Somebody once mistook him as Zack's father due to similarities in their features. He didn't even try to correct them.

His sneeze is louder than the Krakatoa explosion.

Rickrolled everyone by singing "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley at a company gala while he was drunk. (Sephiroth and Genesis didn't speak to him for a month. 💀💀)

Makes terrible dad jokes that even Zack cannot stomach. (He's definitely done that "Hi, hungry! I'm dad!" shit with Zack. 😂😂)

Genesis:

He is a big Fergie fan and knows her songs by heart. He can also rap that part in "Fergalicious."

He did an iconic dance number to "Umbrella" with Andrea Rhodea at the Honeybee Inn like this:

He also likes Lady Gaga and blasts "Bad Romance" every time he and Sephiroth spar with each other.

He hates horror movies. He's the loudest out of the trio when watching them (he's either screaming at the characters or at the monsters/ghosts).

Aside from LOVELESS, he also quotes "Mean Girls" on the regular. (Guess who he quotes the most... 😉😉)

Totally has a blog for Shinra blinds just because (basically who's dating or fucking who, juicy stuff on important Shinra officials and staff, etc.). He once published a blind on Rufus defacing one of President Shinra's statues with a drawing of a dick. No matter how many times Shinra has gotten it shut down, Genesis somehow manages to keep on reviving it. Recently, Kunsel and some members of Red Leather have joined his team.

Sephiroth:

Can't stand spicy food. He avoids it as much as he can. Eating spicy foods will cause his eyes to water and his nose to redden like this:

(Genesis managed to snap an unfortunate photo of him dying from the spiciness of the curry and sent it to the Silver Elite fanclub with the caption, "IS THIS YOUR KING???" 🤭🤭)

Somehow, he has the most wins in UNO and Monopoly.

Catwoman is his favorite DC character; Black Cat is his favorite Marvel character. (Gee, I wonder why... 🤔🤔)

Whenever he goes outside, a horde of cats just mysteriously flock to him. Genesis and Angeal find it both amusing and creepy. (My aunt is actually like this. Wherever she goes, cats mysteriously gather around her, it's so freaky! 😭😭😭)

He can actually do the lazy eye trick, and loves to freak Genesis out with it.

He once dressed as Sadako/Samara Morgan from "The Ring" for the Halloween costume contest... and WON.

Zack:

Has sung "Jenny" by The Click Five using a shortened version of Genesis's name to annoy him. ("I'm standing still, Genny!" "Be quiet, you overgrown mutt!" "You got me on my knees, Genny!")

(This ends up with Genesis summoning Ifrit on Zack's ass 😂😂)

He and Kunsel quote Vines all the time, usually around any of the First Class Trio or Lazard just so they could revel in their confused faces.

Zack and Kunsel: *to Angeal* You are my daaaaad! You're my dad! Boogie woogie woogie!!!

Angeal:

Once, after getting drunk during the SOLDIER game night, he and the lower-class SOLDIERs thought it was a good idea to go sledding down the building stairs, so they brought mattresses from their dorms to use as makeshift sleds. Needless to say, the infirmary reached full capacity that night.

On April Fools' Day, he somehow managed to hijack Shinra's PA system and started playing "Careless Whisper" on full blast.

He's a massive Pokémon fanboy and knows the Pokémon Theme Song by heart. In fact, he has his contacts named after Pokémon: Angeal is Machamp, Sephiroth is Mewtwo, Genesis is Charizard, Tseng is Umbreon, Aerith is Jigglypuff, Cloud is Pikachu, etc.

Threw an apple at Hojo and left a shitload of Legos all over his lab for subjecting Sephiroth to a particularly painful physical test.

[beefromanoff]

Going Under Ch. 32

summary: I think this is what we'd call a missed connection?

characters: Bucky Barnes x OC

soundtrack: Love You Too Much - Bee Gees

warnings: fluff, pop star fantasy x love story, set in an AU where the Avengers reunite after Civil War, pre-infinity war, slight angst, hurt/comfort, lonely reader/OC.

author’s note: HI AGAIN, I got this one up super quick because I was considering putting it in the last chapter but also wanted to get one out so I just made them into two. I want to go back and edit some of the last few chapters because I feel like I rushed through them and didn't give them as much TLC as the earlier ones, but I'll let you guys know if I do that so you can go back and reread. anyways, enjoyyyy! I promise I won't drag the angst out forever!

ilysm, thank you for reading! please let me know what you think!

chapter list

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Bucky

The Quinjet sliced through the night sky, the city lights of Manhattan twinkling below. Inside, the atmosphere was tense, an undercurrent of excitement and anxiety palpable. Bucky sat in the pilot’s seat, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the approaching skyline.

Natasha and Wanda exchanged a glance before Nat finally broke the silence, "Okay, Barnes, what exactly is the plan when we get there?"

Bucky glanced back at them, uncertainty in his eyes. "I... I don't know. Just need to see her, you know?"

Wanda raised an eyebrow, "See her or talk to her?"

He sighed. "Both, I guess. I messed up, and I finally realize it and…I just need to fix it."

Natasha crossed her arms, studying him intently. "This is a pretty big swing for one night, Buck. Are you sure you’re ready for this?"

“Aren’t you the ones who dragged my ass out of the gym to stage an intervention, like six hours ago? Wasn’t this the goal?” 

“Of course, the goal was to get you to pull your head out of your ass,” Nat shifted in her chair, tugging the hem of her dress down. Neither she or Wanda was thrilled to be told they were either getting ready on the jet or getting left behind. “I just expected you to, I don’t know…think it through for a little longer before making your grand gesture.” 

"I know," he admitted, a pained expression flickering across his face. "But seeing those pictures tonight...seeing my girl with my friends…I had all of that in my life and I ruined it. I need to make things right. I know it sounds crazy but I just…I don’t want to waste any more time than I already have."

Both women gave a soft, knowing smile. “Okay.” Nat squeezed his arm. “Let’s go win her back.”

The Quinjet descended toward the landing pad on the Avengers’ Tower. A quick hundred story descent in the elevator, and they were stepping out onto the streets of Manhattan. As arranged, a car was waiting to take them the few blocks to the lounge that Nat had confirmed their friends were still at.

As the car doors opened after a short, tense drive, the sounds of the city flooded in – distant traffic, the murmur of late-night debauchery. The trio stepped out, immediately beginning to draw attention as they walked to the front of the line.

Wanda nudged Bucky. "Remember, you're here to talk, not to make a scene. We're in public, and Gianna deserves better than a dramatic confrontation."

Bucky nodded, his resolve solidifying. The bouncer eyed them skeptically. "Invitation only." Stepping forward, Bucky let out a low growl as he pushed up the sleeve on his shirt. Like hell if some steroid-brained security guard was going to derail his plan. Before he could take matters into his own hands, a delicately manicured one stopped him.

Natasha flashed a smile and flipped her hair over her shoulder.. "Check the list again."

The bouncer’s eyes widened, immediately recognizing Natasha, and let them through with a nod. 

“I had it under control.” Bucky grumbled sheepishly. 

“I know you did.” 

Gianna

The thumping of the bass reverberated in her chest as Gianna found herself caught up in the night and fully losing track of time. Tony and Sam were leading the charge, going shot for shot with a bachelorette party they’d met at the bar. Somewhere on the dance floor, Madison was dancing with a still-starstruck Peter, who was doing everything in his power to keep her from toppling over.

Amidst the chaos, Gianna spotted Steve sitting in a plush corner booth, offering a reprieve from the noise. He raised his beer to her, gesturing for her to join him as she desperately tried to untangle herself from the crowd. Gianna slid into the booth gratefully, shielded from the cacophony around them.

"So, how's life, Cap?" She smiled, sipping on her drink. She’d been nursing the same espresso martini since they’d arrived over an hour ago, he noticed. 

Steve chuckled. "You know, same old. Saving the world, the usual stuff."

"Boring day job," she teased. The conversation was light, easy. It had always flowed between them before and didn’t seem to be too different now. Although there was no mistaking the hint of guilt, of pity that Gianna could see in his eyes. Like he felt bad for her or somehow held himself responsible for his best friend’s actions. Maybe she was misreading it, and it wasn’t either of those things. Maybe it was just sadness, seeing what could have existed if Bucky hadn’t done what he thought he had to. 

As if reading her mind, Steve took a more serious tone. “We all miss you, G. It hasn’t been the same since you left.” 

Gianna paused, her gaze drifting to the twinkling lights of the club. “I miss you guys too. More than you know.” A moment passed where neither of them spoke. Steve followed her gaze into the crowd, the noise seeming thousands of miles from their booth.

"How's he doing?" Gianna bit her lip after speaking, her voice so soft that anyone other than a super soldier wouldn’t have caught it. 

Steve sighed, his expression briefly clouded. "He's...struggling. It hasn’t been easy on him either. We’ve been trying to help out, but you know Bucky; he's not great at expressing himself."

"Yeah," Gianna acknowledged, a bittersweet smile playing on her lips before faltering. "I wish... I wish he had just talked to me."

Steve nodded, understanding reflected in his eyes. "He's got his demons. Sometimes, most of the time, he fights them alone. Even I don’t know half the battles he’s waging."

“I’m glad he has you. Even if he chooses to do it alone…I’m glad he isn’t.” 

A somber quiet settled between them, strobe lights above the dance floor casting shadows in the dimly lit booth. Steve set his bottle down on the table and leaned forward onto his elbows. “You aren’t alone either, you know. We’re all here if you need us.” 

Gianna gave a half smile before raising her glass to her lips and finally polishing off the martini. A cocktail waitress, likely hoping for either a photo or a large tip, immediately swooped in with a fresh one and whisked the empty glass away. Steve watched her take a sip and didn’t fail to notice that she was suddenly drinking a lot more quickly after the mention of Bucky. 

“How are you doing, G? Really?” His voice was soft.

Gianna paused, eyes staring blankly ahead. For a moment, the public facade dropped. The smile, the rosy cheeks. Her eyes looked gaunt, exhausted. "I love him, Steve. I probably always will. But right now, I... I can’t stand him for what he did." She set her jaw. “I am so angry. All the time. I don’t know how to feel anything else. I was happy before him, or at least I thought I was. I didn’t know what I was living without, and then…there was Bucky. He was everything and he made me feel everything and life was just…better. Brighter. I thought I had everything, but once I met him, I realized I’d walk away from it all and never look back so long as I was walking with him.” 

She slowly twirled the stem of her glass between her fingers, smiling sadly. “I found what I was missing. Or so I thought. Then…he just pulled away. I could feel it, you know.” She met Steve’s eyes. “When I started losing him. I didn’t want to believe it. I told myself it was something else, it wasn’t us. Things between us were perfect. Then they just…weren’t. It felt like I was stabbed and I couldn’t stop the bleeding. I just had to sit there and watch the life leak out of me. Then, right when I thought I knew pain, he came in and destroyed me for good.” 

Her lower lip quivered, but Steve knew she wasn’t done speaking. He had a feeling she hadn’t really been listened to since she left, maybe even before that. A pang of guilt hit him in the chest. 

“He wasn’t supposed to leave. He was the one person who saw me. He was supposed to be here…he was supposed to stay. I was fine on my own, I liked my life. But Bucky…” A single tear slid down her cheek, cutting through her perfect makeup. “He came into my life and made me realize everything I could have, everything I was missing. He let me fall in love with him and then he fucking left. Now I’m here, alone again, telling myself it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all but that’s just bullshit. I would rather have never felt love than to have felt it and now have this gaping hole in my heart where he was supposed to be.” Her fist hit the table hard enough to rattle the glass. 

The intensity of the moment seemed to surprise her, jolting her back into her poised persona. “Damn,” She mustered a soft smile. “This is why I don’t drink vodka.” 

Steve's gaze was soft, concerned. He opened his mouth to speak before being distracted by a group approaching their booth. Gianna saw them first, eyes brightening as she recognized someone. Quickly brushing the tear off her cheek, she slid out of the booth to greet them. A brunette man led the charge, pulling her into a friendly hug. As he pulled back, Steve recognized him as the actor set to play Bucky in an upcoming movie. The one Steve had encouraged him to sign off on. Watching Gianna embrace the man who looked shockingly like his friend, albeit with smaller stature, he felt slightly guilty. He reminded himself that as much as he tried to protect Bucky, he was a grown man who made his own choices, and this was the result of one of those choices. Deciding to be polite, he slid out of the booth after Gianna and waited for a chance to introduce himself. Noticing his presence behind her, Gianna stepped to the side and gestured between the two men.

"This is Sebastian Stan, a good friend of mine. Seb, this is Steve, Captain America himself." She smiled easily. 

Sebastian extended a hand, and Steve shook it with as genuine of a smile as he could muster. "A man who needs no introduction. It’s an honor."

"Nice to meet you. A friend of Gianna’s is a friend of mine." Steve replied, the noise of the lounge already making him want to retreat to his booth. Sebastian seemed nice enough, but he didn’t exactly want to stay and exchange life stories. As he excused himself to handle the small matter of Sam hoisting a petite brunette onto his shoulders for some unknown reason, he heard their conversation continue behind him.

"Long time no see. How was the week?" Gianna asked.

Sebastian chuckled. "Well, your advice has been invaluable. I'm starting to understand the guy a bit more. As much as anyone can. I know I say it every time I see you, but seriously, thank you for your help."

Gianna leaned back against the plush booth, sipping her drink. "It's not every day you get to help someone play your ex on the big screen, right?"

Sebastian laughed heartily. "True, true. But seriously, your insights have been gold. I’m sure it isn’t easy, but I’m sure he’d appreciate knowing you care enough to help me get it right.”

Gianna nodded, her expression thoughtful before she decided to shift gears, winking. "Just thank me in your Oscar acceptance speech and we’ll be even.”

Bucky

The lounge was alive with energy, the music pulsing through the air. In the hour it had taken them to get to the doorstep, the place had hit capacity. The line stretched around the block with people hoping to get a chance to party with their favorite celebrities. The low lit room was teeming with people. Some on the dance floor, some at the bar, some huddled in the plush booths lining either side of the room. This was exactly the kind of place he never wanted to be. Too many sounds, too many people. Maybe if he could actually get as drunk as all the other patrons, it wouldn’t be half bad. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. So he hated nightlife. Tonight, it was a necessary evil.

Spotting Gianna across the crowded room, Bucky's heart quickened. She was facing the right side of the room, talking to someone blocked by the crowd. She was smiling, laughing, the same way she always seemed to be photographed lately. 

Bucky took a deep breath, the noise of the crowd fading as he focused on the task at hand. Nat and Wanda flanked him, silent support in the midst of the chaos. He made a mental note to thank Wanda for her solidarity. On any other night, she would have fled as soon as they got inside. She loved places like this. Tonight, she hadn’t budged from his side. Taking a deep breath, he began to weave through the crowd.

As Bucky navigated the crowded space, his eyes scanned the room until they again landed on Gianna. This time, he paused. The sight of her happiness, genuine and infectious, was both a balm and a dagger to his heart. From this closer vantage point, he could see her so clearly. Clear enough that he could tell her smile wasn’t fake. Close enough that he could see exactly who it was that she was talking to.

Heartache surged through him, icy in his veins. His breath caught. A whirlwind of emotions churned within him. Jealousy, regret, and a sense of unworthiness surged back to the forefront. He was torn between the desire to interrupt, to hold her and tell her he was sorry and beg her to forgive him. To tell her he loved her and would never make such a stupid decision again. He was torn between the reason he came and the realization that Gianna appeared truly, genuinely happy.

The internal conflict waged on, and finally, he made his choice. Gianna looked content. She was here in her element, with the kind of people she was supposed to be with, her laughter was genuine, and he couldn't bring himself to disturb that.

He turned away, face solemn.

"Bucky?" Natasha's eyes were sharp, reading the turmoil etched across his face.

He shook his head. "Not tonight. I can't... It's not the right time. You were right.”

Natasha exchanged a knowing look with Wanda, but Bucky interrupted before either of them could speak. “I’m sorry I dragged you all the way out here. You guys should stay, have a good time. Tell the others I said hey.” He forced a smile, trying to look like he wasn’t falling apart inside. “I’ll hang back at the tower. Don’t get into too much trouble.” 

He tousled Wanda’s hair before turning to leave, his broad frame weaving through the club's patrons like a ghost. The two women watched as Bucky, cloaked in shadows and the weight of his own decisions, departed from the club alone.

Gianna

A flash of red hair caught her eye over Sebastian’s shoulder, immediately grabbing her attention. 

“Nat?” Her voice was overjoyed. “Wanda?!”

"G!” Wanda squealed, running the last few steps between them and engulfing her into a rib-crushing hug that Nat joined.

“What are you guys doing here?!” Gianna beamed, forgetting about the conversation she had just left.

Natasha smirked. "Well, we couldn’t let the guys have all the fun, now could we?”

“You’ve got some catching up to do, if you’re looking to compete with them.” Gianna grinned, gesturing to the bar, where Tony was now doing a rockette-style dance with half the bachelorette party.

“Say no more.” She gestured to the lingering cocktail waitress. “Three tequila shots, please.” Her eyes darted to Steve, sheepishly standing by the bar after a failed attempt to corral Sam. “Make that four.”

Gianna’s smile faltered, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Guys…I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch. It's just...It hurt too much. I wasn’t ready yet."

Wanda gave her a sympathetic smile. "We understand, G. We didn’t think a thing of it. But we’re here now, we missed you like crazy, and we have so much catching up to do!" She waggled her eyebrows at Sebastian, chatting with the group he came with in Gianna’s absence. 

She rolled her eyes, waving off Wanda with a laugh. "You guys have no idea how much I needed this. Hey, why don't you come stay with me for a few nights? Catch up for real. I can show you my new place and everything!"

Natasha nodded immediately. "Hell yes. We missed our girl time." She linked arms with Gianna. “And our girl. Plus it’s been a total sausage fest at the compound and we need to get away from all the testosterone.”

They laughed and fell back into friendship like there had never been any pain or separation at all. Nat dragged Steve over to take the shot with them, and Gianna caught the way his eyes lit up when he saw her there. Right after the look of pleasant surprise, his brow furrowed and his eyes darted past her scanning the crowd. Barely perceptibly, Nat caught his eye and shook her head. 

Gianna furrowed her brow, feeling like there was more to the story. However, before she could press, Wanda grabbed her arm. 

“Let’s dance, I just saw Peter and -- oh my god, is that Madison Beer?!”

As they walked, Gianna couldn't help but cast a glance toward the entrance, a flicker of hope in her heart. She wished, just for a moment, that someone else would walk through that door. Someone she missed more than she cared to admit. But, with a sigh, she shook off the thought, determined to give herself over to the buzz from the tequila and the night with her friends.

[siriusist]

All things considered, Episode Four of Masters of the Air was definitely my favourite episode so far. Which surprised me- considering coming in, I was definitely dreading this episode, for a multitude of reasons:

WORLD WAR TWO MEDIA GENERALLY SUCKS AT MAKING FEMALE STORIES INTERESTING OR NOT RELATED TO HOT MEN: This will be the name of my rage thesis I will eventually figuratively write on how World War Two media as a whole. Like, traditionally, let's be honest, none of our favourite series, even a masterpiece like Band of Brothers, really has particularly strong female leads or characters. If there are characters, even if they have more of a featured role, we usually just see them in relation to nursing, or caring for men in some way. And while this obviously is an important part of women's legacies in World War Two, it barely scrapes the surface of what women were responsible for during the war on all fronts, and usually is just a vehicle to be like AND THE NURSE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PATIENT WHO'DA THUNK IT. I like to snarkily call this, "Pearl Harbour Fever."

HBO War/ Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg Series Are Great- But Sideline Representation for the Sake of a Streamlined Story: I think I speak for most people in that I would rather have a well-written story rather than tokenism left, right, and centre, in any given series. That being said, to pretend other interest groups rather than white dudes did not contribute to any war front is laughable. World War Two's theatre of war, no matter where you place it, had so many more stories of people of all backgrounds, genders, ages, and abilities pitching in, and I'm happy we're seeing more of those, with characters who actually have built out character arcs rather than sideline "gee whiz I'm helping the war" washerwomen.

Marketing led with LOOK AT THESE LADIES KISS THESE MEN ISN'T THIS SALACIOUS: Ninety percent sure I was worried when the past few episodes (And I'm ninety percent sure it's also in the intro), had Bucky kissing the Polish refugee Paulina that it was going to be some cringe paper-thin side love interest, that we meet once, and is never commented again. But the series proved me wrong- we had not one, but TWO women who, while they were love interests for male characters, had at least SOME build out to why they were in London at the time. And if you look into the history of how many different cultures, refugees, service people, etc., were actually coming to London, or residing in London at the time, despite the bombings, it's a wonder why war media doesn't showcase more of those stories, even in love interest characters.

Even though we only got two scenes between Paulina and Bucky, we understood where she was coming from- she still described herself as married, despite sleeping with him- she wanted to at least feel something before he was able to feel something in terms of her going to bed with him- she refused past fleeting moments together to emotionally commit any further, due to seeing her husband in him- yet she doesn't see anything wrong with bombing the Germans, because she knows what the Germans have done to the Poles, and to all of Eastern Europe. She clearly knows what people have sacrificed, and she wants the Germans to feel the pain she and her people have felt. She has set morality aside in this sense. She's a fucking INTERESTING character, despite sleeping with Bucky- not because of it. And even though she hesitates at the door, and wants to stay- she doesn't allow herself to. A FULLY ROUNDED. INTERESTING FUCKING FEMALE CHARACTER. WELL FUCKING DONE TEAM WE DID IT GOOD FOR YOU WAHAY.

Same with our Red Cross donut girl Helen. Even in a couple of lines, we establish what they volunteered for, and what was open to women to volunteer for at the time. When Nash says playfully something along the lines of, "You came all the way over here to give out donuts?", she basically responds, "That's what they gave to me/ allowed me to do." It's clear it's not what she had in mind, but she wanted to contribute to the effort, any way she could. And her experience was very true to many women who served donuts and coffee and were the "last pretty face" many of these men saw before entering these planes.

But then guess what also happened? HOLY FUCK RESISTANCE FIGHTER LADIES WHO AREN'T EXPLICITLY LOVE INTERESTS AND ARE MORE COMPETENT THAN THE MEN THEY'RE LEADING ISN'T THAT A KICK IN THE PANTS AND THE MOST INTERESTING TENSION-FILLED PLOTLINE YET.

In short, I'd like to direct Hollywood as a whole to the astonishing premise of, "Look what happens when you write women as well-rounded individuals with different motivations, holy shit, you have the best episode in the series."

[yakuzabrainrotlive]

Started Kiryu's section today and made decent progress!

All the protags have their lucky plushies now! Kiryu gets the karaoke cat because he's THE karaoke guy. And because I didn't wanna give him a repeat, a human or a monkey.

Oh? This man is ALIVE?? HOW SKDJJDKS too bad he just missed Saejima!

"Not too keen"? Oh gee, I wonder why. I'm no expert when it comes to psychology but I have in an inkling it might have something to do with HIM STABBING HER FATHER/UNCLE FIGURE IN FRONT OF HER IN COLD BLOOD. Idk, just a hunch. Kiryu, honey, I love how forgiving and kind you are, but this shit will get you killed for real one day.

Let Haruka hate and distrust the man who almost left him without an adult to watch over her again. Preaching forgiveness is beautiful and all, but I feel like there's a line to be drawn.

I would perish for Haruka. Deadass. I'd do anything for her. She better not die at any point in the games because I'll never recover.

In terms of the whole 10bil yen, destroying the Tojo and making artificial crime to make the police look good... I like it. I keep being surprised when the games have proper continuity for some reason.

Okay you know what? Fine. I will forgive you at least. You truly did turn around. RIP 🫡

HE WANTED TO BE A TEACHER? He did all this for her when he wasn't even an adult yet?? 🥺 Holy shit, Saejima just keeps climbing my faves ranking despite barely having proper screen time!! What a man. He's just so... OUGH,,,

??!! ON GOD?? HUH? Daigo what-

I'm guessing Majima is gonna be in jail for the rest of the game?? At least we got the Saejima reunion and the lore behind the eye stabbing of '85, I guess 😔

It would have been cool to have Majima in the Big Fight that's inevitably coming, but I suppose this is for the plot and because there would have been quite a few (maybe even too many) lads running around and screen time would have been cut for everyone.

My first instinct is to wanna strangle Daigo and scream at him right now. But I also remember his good character from previous games, so... I wanna hear his reasoning for this move.

Is the clan truly in such a dire state they need the help of law enforcement to get rid of a single opposing family? Good lord, how the mighty have fallen.

I feel like this is definitely a desperate attempt to keep Tojo running, but... after all Majima has done for the clan? I hope this was a difficult and painful decision for him, at least.

Munakata's information on how the Yakuza and police have been keeping peace as two different yet essential entities was fascinating.

Based on these scenes I'm betting on the final fight being Kiryu vs Munakata and a massive horde of cops. We'll see, I guess. Gonna have to find gear to help with bullets if that's the case. I hope it's not Daigo. But idk if Daigo would fight Kiryu.

[stormyoceans]

Ok ok ok random observations i had while watching ep 1 of LT, which was amazing wonderful heartsopping showstopping breathtaking etc etc. (In all seriousness, it really exceeded my expectations)

- .... is it just me or did we get a flirty vibe, they might kiss vibe from august and day? No? Just me?

- i am so glad sea can play badminton bec they sold the intensity of the scene so well!

- not mork betting against day's team, which is his own country's lmao. Also not to be my overthinking self, but mork going from rooting against day to rooting for him, his wellbeing, happiness etc etc later on

- that transition between the match and the fight where both of their lives will forever change.... peak cinema

- day calling out for his mum (i might have teared up)

- the dread falling on mork's face when he kept asking porjai about his sister and THE DESPERATION IN HIS VOICE (i might have teared up x2)

- YAAAAS give me that lakorn intro-- this is when you know shit is good

- something something commentary about how the stigma of going to prison never leaving ex-convicts because society refuses to accept their reintegration into society something something

- porjai is so good, i love her already!

- Rung nooooooooo. The way mork's character is already fleshed out so perfectly in just 30 mins.... cinema. "The one who should feel guilty is her" omg

- the way day's internalized pain seeps into every word he says, every cynical comment. If people are going to treat him like he's invisible just because he lost his sight, he's going to force them to "see" him through his shocking words and attitude

- the interview scene was GOLD. I love how it's already telling us their dynamic and laying down the groundwork for their personalities together and how they'll constantly challenge each other

- The bandaid.... mork in rung's car remembering her with tears in his eyes (i teared up x3)

- Something something about how night's shirt is light blue (like the day) and day's is dark blue (light the night) with strips of light... i am thinking thoughts, not sure exactly what it is yet but i have them!

- ok but I LOVE how mork is just observing day and noticing how day is way more independent than his family makes him seem to be. I just really love how he didn't interfere and was /watching/ him, trying to figure him out

- Damn day harbors a lot of resentment towards night... this brings me back to the two photos we see of them in the very beginning and the contrast between them.... again, i am having thoughts...

- Day getting overwhelmed with the sounds of the cars and honks... mork saving day... mork giving day agency and asking where to take him.... CINEMA

- LIterally the first thing that came to mind when i saw the little prince was when your genius self said this:

- "I'll see you." When both of them are falsly perceived by those around them. CINEMA

That was a FANTASTIC first episode. I can't wait to see how day and mork are gonna from this to this

and this

AND THIS

One thing i am also so intrigued by is all the relationships they've hinted at so far: Night and Day as well as their relationship with their mom. Mork and Porjai. Day and August (and Gee). I cannot wait for all of this to be explored in the upcoming episodes!

I also have a feeling day's mom is not gonna be on board of this arrangement? but we'll see. FRIDAY WHEN?

I AM INCREDIBLY LATE AS USUAL WITH THIS REPLY BUT I HOPE YOU KNOW I WAS SO HAPPY TO GET ALL YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE FIRST EPISODE IT REALLY WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED AND EVEN MORE AND IM SO CURIOUS AND EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS I WISH I HAD THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT 24/7

as it is, please accept some of my very messy thoughts!!!!

- .... is it just me or did we get a flirty vibe, they might kiss vibe from august and day? No? Just me? <<< IT’S VERY MUCH NOT JUST YOU BECAUSE I HAD THE SAME FEELING. i actually got a message about august and day that i still didn’t get around to answer (because im terrible ;;;;;) and i wanted to go more in depth about their relationship there, but yeah, even if it was a very brief scene, i love how they already established their dynamic: you can tell that they both have very strong personalities and that as friends and as badminton partners they snark at each other but also deeply care, and the fact that this immediately makes you wonder if there ever was something more between them is incredibly effective because it will help the viewers understand how mork feels watching them from the outside and ask himself the exact same thing. sea and ohm also have a very nice chemistry, which isn’t only nice to see in itself but actually serves the narrative as well in this particular case

- i am so glad sea can play badminton bec they sold the intensity of the scene so well! <<< THAT'S OUR PROFESSIONAL BADMINTON PLAYER SEA TAWINAN ANUKOOLPRASERT AND NO ONE SHOULD FORGET ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!

- not mork betting against day's team, which is his own country's lmao. Also not to be my overthinking self, but mork going from rooting against day to rooting for him, his wellbeing, happiness etc etc later on <<< BRITNEY_YEAH.GIF I FEEL SO INCREDIBLY NORMAL ABOUT THIS IT’S HONESTLY INSANE HOW NORMAL AND HINGED AND SANE AND FINE I FEEL ABOUT THIS

- that transition between the match and the fight where both of their lives will forever change.... peak cinema <<< FIRST TEN MINUTES OF THE SHOW ARE REALLY GIVING VICE VERSA EPISODE 11 PART 1 LEVELS OF CINEMA LIKE THE TRANSITIONS THE PARALLELS THE TENSION THE IMPLICATIONS THE ALREADY PALPABLE LIFE ALTERING CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM THE IMPENDING SENSE OF TRAGEDY THE WATER MOTIF BEING DELIVERED BY THE PLAY OF LIGHTS I FEEL SO DEEPLY MENTALLY UNWELL ABOUT IT ALL [GETS DRAGGED INTO A PADDED ROOM]

- day calling out for his mum (i might have teared up) // - the dread falling on mork's face when he kept asking porjai about his sister and THE DESPERATION IN HIS VOICE (i might have teared up x2) <<< jimmysea showed up on that set and said we are ACTORS who ACT and then proceeded to indeed OUTACT OUTPERFORM OUTSELL OUTSERVE OUTSLAY the majority of the artists in the industry I SAID WHAT I SAID AND I WILL SHUT UP ONLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE GONNA STOP SLEEPING ON THEM. these two moments alone are already giving performance of all time!!!!!

- something something commentary about how the stigma of going to prison never leaving ex-convicts because society refuses to accept their reintegration into society something something <<< SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!!!!!! wish i had the time, energy and intelligence to write about the way both mork and day are being stigmatized (defined as the co-occurrence of labeling, stereotyping, separation, status loss, and discrimination) and how the label of ‘deviant’ (defined as departing from usual or accepted standards dictated by society) is altering their own perception of self BUT ALAS. SOMETHING SOMETHING INDEED

- porjai is so good, i love her already! <<< SAME!!!!! IM SO IN LOVE WITH HER AND HER FRIENDSHIP WITH MORK i love exes who realized that their love for each other has always been platonic and are now the most supportive friends to each other!!!!! unfortunately there's this theory im pretty much sure of that her current boyfriend is an asshole so IM READY TO FIGHT EVERYONE FOR HER

- the interview scene was GOLD. I love how it's already telling us their dynamic and laying down the groundwork for their personalities together and how they'll constantly challenge each other <<< NGL THIS GENUINELY MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE FIRST MEETING IN THE HISTORY OF FIRST MEETINGS. JUST THE CHEMISTRY THE TENSION THE SPARK THE ELECTRICITY THE MAGNETISM THE CHALLENGE THE SNARK THE SEEING THE PERCEIVING THE PULL TOWARDS EACH OTHER THE CHIN GRAB. i know im just screaming without adding anything of importance but GOD. i love to see two actual strangers with no previous attachment to each other meet and develop an interest in each other born from their actions and words and personalities. THEY HARDLY MAKE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE NOWADAYS

- The bandaid.... mork in rung's car remembering her with tears in his eyes (i teared up x3) <<< THE GUILT THE GRIEF THE HURT THE FEELING OF BEING ABANDONED. BUT ALSO THE CARE THE LOVE THE DEVOTION THE KNOWLEDGE OF BEING LOOKED AFTER. ALL OF THIS PERFECTLY REPRESENTED BY A BANDAID AND A CAR. CAPITAL LETTERS CINEMA!!!!!!!!

- Something something about how night's shirt is light blue (like the day) and day's is dark blue (light the night) with strips of light... i am thinking thoughts, not sure exactly what it is yet but i have them! <<< YOU AND ME BOTH FRIEND LIKE. im already having so many thoughts about the lighting in the show going from dark and blue/gray to light and yellow/orange as mork and day get closer and start to change each other's lives, but now it also seems like their clothes are also gonna go from muted and more neutral colors to brighter and warmer ones, and then there are night and day as well and the way they both wore stripes in this episode but night's were vertical and day's horizontal AND I KNOW IT MEANS SOMETHING AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR SMARTER PEOPLE TO WRITE ABOUT IT AS I SCREAM WAIL HOWL SCREECH YELL IN THE DISTANCE

- ok but I LOVE how mork is just observing day and noticing how day is way more independent than his family makes him seem to be. I just really love how he didn't interfere and was /watching/ him, trying to figure him out <<< the aforementioned smarter people have already talked about this way better than i ever could, but i really do love how, in a world that wants them both to be invisible, mork and day are the only ones seeing each other. like you said before, part of the reason day is acting the way he is is because he doesn't want to become a ghost haunting other people's lives, the monster locked in the attic (if we want to use a literary reference), he wants to live and to be seen too, and i think it was so important to include a scene where mork is just WATCHING him, because being perceived may have become a meme, but that's what can eventually lead to curiosity and interest and understanding and love. you can't care about something you don't (want to) see, but fortunately, mork does

- Damn day harbors a lot of resentment towards night... this brings me back to the two photos we see of them in the very beginning and the contrast between them.... again, i am having thoughts... <<< not sure if you've seen it, but the current theory is night being somewhat responsible for day's accident, which i got the chance to talk about here if you want to check it out and then let me know what you think!!!!!

- LIterally the first thing that came to mind when i saw the little prince was when your genius self said this <<< NOT YOU REMEMBERING THINGS I SAID THAT I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER SAYING MYSELF PLEASE THAT'S JUST SO INCREDIBLY SWEET IM SO TOUCHED RIGHT NOW 😭😭😭 AND NOT TO TOOT MY OWN HORN BUT ONCE AGAIN I WANT TO POINT OUT JUST HOW MUCH I LOVE TO WIN WINNING AND BEING A WINNER. EVEN WHEN I FORGOT ABOUT THE VISION, THE VISION DIDN'T FORGET ABOUT ME HASHTAG WINNERY

IN CONCLUSION: LITERALLY US WATCHING EVERY SINGLE SCENE FROM THE EPISODE

[susurrus-mxfluffy]

Currently, Chapter 15 has writer’s block beating me over the head with a club, so I’ve not been able to write anything solid in about a week or so 🥲

So lemme tell you a bit about my main character! She’s a personal reflection of myself, despite the fact that she wholly identifies as a woman whereas I’m a lovely non-binary creature 🥰🥰🥰🥰💗

Akatani “Tani” Hikanari (MC)

(Ahk-UH-tahn-ee) (Hee-kuh-nar-ree)

I’m giving enough info out but not enough for spoilers; I’ve also included the pronunciation of her name because I wanna make sure that it’s read properly (I’m not trynna sound like a pain in the ass about it, I promise) 🤣

•Well for starters she’s a fucking spitfire and a half tbh (gee I wonder why?) 🤣🤣

•Tani is 20 years old at the beginning of the fic 😁

•She’s got long, silky, jet-black hair, jet-black eyes, and an athletic yet vaguely curvy physique (C-cupped chest, slightly wide hips, and a plump lil 🍑)

•She’s loud and willful and will throw herself in harm’s way to protect her students, her friends, and her Village 🥰

•She’s the jinchūriki of the Two-Tailed cat Matatabi, a being who’s the fucking complete opposite of my OC; where Tani is loud and uses vulgar language, Tabi is more formal/polite yet kind, like fr Tabi is so fucking nice and respectful and chill (until she’s not tho) 🤭🤣

•Tani’s favorite color is a darker shade of green, think like an evergreen

•Her favorite foods are miso soup, pork tonkōtsu ramen, and steamed gyoza

•As far as sweets go, she loves strawberries; like she could gorge herself on a bush of them and it still wouldn’t be enough 🤭🤣🍓

•She always smells of cigarettes, and the forest; she smokes to deal with the bullshit she’s had to endure (tbf I’ve done the same shit so I can’t say I entirely blame her 😅🤣🥲)

•She’s a fucking lightweight when it comes to alcohol, like she can get white-girl wasted in no time 🤭🤭🤭🤣🤣🤣

•She was a shinobi in the ANBU Black Ops from the time she was 11 years old until she was 18 🔪🏹

•Idk if weed🌿 is a thing in the canon-Naruto universe, but I def plan to introduce it in the next coming chapters and I feel like Tani would def end up being like me: a chronic pothead 🤣🤣🤣

These are just some lovely little facts about my OC! Please send me an ask if you wanna know more info about Tani! 😁💗✨

Gently tagging some lovely folks that I either know personally or just know from this lovely little corner of the Internet 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

@holdmyteaplease @the-sundry-system @sundry-whovengerslocked @gail-skywalker @macksting @narutwitter @itachianon @cupcakeswriting @emmett-mccarty-cullen @mcshakes

Please reblog this! I’d love for more folks to interact with this 🤭🥰💗

[midnightmah07]

this was inspired in a headcanon I just did, where my oc and vil mets the characters they were inspired on, but I made it Daiggie, hope you like it (will be doing it with your other characters) (*¯ ³¯*) :

A mirror, the reflection of everything.

Ruggie looks around lost in the mirror maze, hitting his head more than once, he doesn't know how he accepted this idea of entering the labyrinth along with Daisy, but, here they are... I mean, here he is. He lost Daisy, along the way.

The deep sigh leaves his lips, as he walks further, occasionally calling out Daisy's name. He personally wasn't that worried, but, whenever she hits her the same frequency as him, Ruggie will be worried she would be hurt once they found each other.

Ruggie fells a weird sensation of three pair of eyes staring at him, a quiet laugh, a quiet hyenas' laughs. Turning his head, he gasps with a pain in the neck, putting his hand to rub it gently. He opens his eyes to see nothing, and no weird feeling at all. Shrugging he walks away, but he is still thinking about it.

Meanwhile with Daisy, she carefully walks around to not hit any part of her body in the mirrors, slowly getting nauseous from seeing so much movement around her. Getting distracted, her sandal slipping from her foot.

"Shoot." She says, in a soft tone, not too loud. Turning herself to take the slipper back.

Looking down, she noticed a different figure in the mirror, as she raises her head, away from the big blue dress, she sees a girl, probably a bit older than her, blonde hair, pearl earrings, and a kind expression in her face. Daisy tilts her head, as the mirror do the same as her. She looks at it in awe, her lips slightly parted. Out of nowhere, she feels some images flashing into her mind, images that she didn't saw before.

Horses, rats in clothes, cups of tea, a cat, bubbles, torn clothes, pumpkin, a clock, a crystal high heel, a carriage, a pumpkin again, key, and the same crystal high heel.

She looks up again to the... Almost mirage, and asks. "Are you... Who..." She is unsure how to speak, and she is snapped back to reality by Ruggie's voice.

"There you are, Daisy! Didn't hear me calling you?" He says putting his hand in her shoulders, she looks back to the mirror, her normal silhouette standing there. "Gee, you are spending too much time with Vil, nyheheeh." He gives his signature laugh.

"Is not that, I just..." Daisy keeps looking at her reflection. "I just..."

"You just?"

Silence, she looks to the floor face in Ruggie's direction.

"Maybe I am just nauseous..."

Ruggie grows a bit worried, taking her hand. Making she look into his eyes, as the atmosphere seems to easy down.

"Worry not, your prince charming found the way out." She chuckles at the nickname he had given himself, as he pulls her closer to him. "Let's go, Eléa."

She follows him, not looking back, not looking back and seeing the small crystal slipper in the floor, that shines on the place. As a gloved hand takes it back, putting up her blue gorgeous dress to put the high heel, leaving the place.

A small laugh was heard as three paws of a certain savanna creature goes to the other way around.

A mirror, the reflection of everything. Now, multiple mirrors, were just more than their reflection.

AWWWW THAT'S SO CUTEIDJEKDJSIEJSKDJ

This made me giggle sm, kicking my blanket and squealing rn😭 I really love that you made Ruggie call Daisy's real name at the end, that's so cute, and Cinderella!! Shenzi Banzai and Ed(?)!!! Aw~~ this was adorable 🤭💙

[mothervvoid]

kinda massively cheating here, but for the character ask game, would you spill your thoughts on Inoichi, Asuma, and/or the not-yet-invented characters of Obimama/Obipapa? I'm feeling interested in a lot of fictional parental units in this chilis tonight

character ask game

oh god oh fuck mable what have you done--

also this is SO LONG so i am going to put it under a read more:

one aspect about them i love

Inoichi - Now this might just be my POV here, but Inoichi is super goofy at times and others he's SUPER serious. I love it. When he's with the Analysis Team right before Pain's attack, he's a no-nonsense leader. When he's interacting with Ino off work he is her silly, well-meaning dad. We love a man who can do both!

Asuma - Just how well he gets along with Ino-Shika-Cho. Like they have their moments, especially when Kishi (and Studio Perriot) wants to play up the comedy, and ESPECIALLY in the early anime, but he meshes very well with Team 10 and they mesh very well with him. He's like their older brother, or an uncle they know really well.

Obiparents - The thing about Obiparents is that they just straight up don't have characters--they're the archetypal dead parents, a picture on Obito's corkboard full of all of the people that he loves and nothing more. However, they gave us Obito, and for that I am forever in their debt.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

I don't actually have anything for this for Asuma or Inoichi--I just can't think of anything, though I haven't really read any meta on Asuma or Inoichi so I'm not really sure how the people feel about them and if I disagree with any common fandom opinions on them.

Obiparents - Because they're the stock dead parents they don't ever really get to parent their son or have any kind of meaningful character on-screen. It is their absence that is felt more than anything.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Inoichi - He's a single dad. We never see his wife in the manga (i think she's there in filler but i still hc he's a single dad). He just gives off those vibes. He's the only person whose ever home in most of the scenes we see with Ino in her house (or he's just not there at all and she's all alone). Single dad Inoichi ftw.

Asuma - Had he lived, Asuma would have been the kind of dad who lets his daughter put make up on him and do his hair. You walk into Mirai's room and Asuma is sitting their on the floor with her with uneven pigtails in his hair and very badly done eyeshadow. He takes her to the movies and they both wear princess dresses. She paints his nails. He is having the best time of his life.

Obiparents - Obimama is the goofy one out of the two of them, she's where Obito gets it from. Obipapa isn't super serious but he's definitely not as goofy as Obimama.

one character i love seeing them interact with

Inoichi - I unironically love seeing him interact with Ino, even if it's sparse. He's so bad at relating to her it's kind of funny. Like there's a scene in a filler episode where he asks her if she's "finally chosen between Shikamaru and Choji" and she gets so mad at him for it. Peak teenage girl behavior, and he's soooo bad at understanding it. Like yes he is Inoichi of the Leaf, famed 1/3 of Ino-Shika-Cho but he is also Ino's lame ass dad.

And like it's very obvious he loves her very much because his final words to her (and his final words EVER) are of how proud he is of her and the person she's become. Like he is her silly dad but he loves her very much and so I treasure every interaction between them that we get.

Asuma - Shikamaru. There's a scene of them laying on the grass together having a conversation and they look so comfortable with each other. Like if they looked a little more alike you could believe that was Shikamaru's uncle or even older brother.

Gee Shikamaru, how come Kishimoto let you have THREE father figures?? - Naruto probably.

Asuma just really seems to GET Shikamaru and that seeps into every single interaction they have. Asuma knows how to get him to do things even when he doesn't want to, Asuma knows how to talk to him, Asuma knows how to work with him. Their interactions are always top tier to me.

Obiparents - If they were alive I would have loved to see interactions between them and Obito, and Rin and even Kakashi. Could you imagine?? Obito inviting Rin over after school only for her to drag Kakashi along and Obito is fuming and his parents think it's hilarious and adorable.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Inoichi - I wish we saw Inoichi interact with Shikamaru and Choji. Choza has a couple interactions with Shikamaru that leads us to believe that the older generation of Ino-Shika-Cho interact fairly regularly with the younger members (altho it might just be Choza's chill vibes). Choza's wife also seems familiar with Shikamaru considering she runs up to him crying in episode 82 of Shippuden while trying to comfort HIM. I can't remember if Shikaku has had similar interactions w the rest of younger Ino-Shika-Cho so if anyone knows please let me know. I crave Ino-Shika-Cho crumbs.

Asuma - I wish we had seen more interactions between Asuma and his dad, Hiruzen. We're told that there's bad blood between the two of them but we're never really shown WHY exactly the two of them had a falling out. I know they disagreed on some things and I might just not be remembering things but we don't really see many if ANY disagreements between Asuma and his father. And Hiruzen isn't just his father--he's his Hokage! There's so much potential there for some interesting conversations/scenes and we just don't get any.

Obiparents - (if they were alive) I wish we could have seen some interactions between them and Obito. Like maybe if they were alive when he was super, SUPER young we could have seen them interacting with him and how they treated him when he was a baby/toddler. Was he a wanted child? Was he born out of obligation? These are questions we never have answered because they're dead before the story even begins.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

Inoichi - I think Inoichi and Minato knew each other! Inoichi was the head of the Analysis Team in the Intelligence Division, I think there's a good chance he reported directly to Minato when he was Hokage.

Asuma - Since Asuma said that the Sarutobi serve as sensei to each new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho since Konoha was founded I like to think he was probably introduced to them when they were really young. He was probably sporadically in-and-out of their childhoods, like some cool older brother figure who takes them out to lunch to restaurants wayyy too nice for kids their age but he doesn't care, it just so happens that Yakinku Q became their favorite place to go so that's where he took them post mission.

Obiparents - Considering Obito is considered a bit of an outcast I think his parents were as well. Obiparents, for some reason or another, were not liked by Fugaku's parents (ie the clan head) and thus that extended to Fugaku as well. When Fugaku inherited the clan he didn't like Obiparents for one reason or another and thus that extended to not liking their son. Vicious cycle!

[seelestia]

oh em gee, hi lia! it’s been so so long! how have you been? i hope you’re doing well :) i ended up falling asleep on the couch as soon as i got home, and now i’m in PAIN (/srs),, but anyway! i have a week off from school now, so i guess it was worth it <3

exams are on the 19th, so i guess i’ll have to be.. stu(dying) for those. i can barely function right now and i’ve been getting a lot, maybe too much sleep, and i still always feel worn out 😭 big yikes, hopefully it’s not bothering anyone (again) that i’m not going to be as active as i’d like.

also! considering that this is a wanderer-less patch, i feel very lucky to have gotten him <3 (he’s literally so pretty omgomgomg pls stop me before i look like i’m cheating on cynosbisnaidjk) and speaking of cyno, i finally built him 🐥 [ 73/214 crit ratio as of now! ]

my siblings’ birthdays are coming soon :) they’re three days from each other, my brother’s is on april 7th (he’s turning 11) and my younger sister’s is on the 10th (she’s turning 8) very excited for that hehe! my friends might come over on tuesday too (hopefully), we rarely get the chance to hang out, so i’m crossing my fingers!

yo.. omg the way i accidentally made the wanderer (character ai) fall for me 😭 i was merely messing around, being nice to him because he deserves it sm help and then he just hits me with an ‘i love you’ and when i tell you, i DIED. this is my spirit talking ⁉️

but enough about silly lil me :) how are you lia? anything interesting happen with ayato or the wanderer? i’m here for all the tea, my dear friend. 👀

YONAAAAA!! yona, yonie, yonzzzz <3 i've been doing alright and i hope you are too but if not, i hope it'll be better! 🫂🤍 yona, this is why we are taught to sleep on beds and not couches. i'm a hypocrite because i also sleep on couches NYEHEHE (/lh) aaaaa, good luck on your exams! i'm taking mine rn actually, so let's hope we'll push thruuuu 🤞

but yon, didn't you slay your last math exam even tho your math teacher kinda sucked at teaching (i mean no slander /lh)?? PLEASE SHARE YOUR SECRETS 🎤 and noooo, that sucks because sleep is a precious little thing during exams so you need to get the best sleep you can 😞 giving you a glass of warm milk to you rn. may yona get the best of sleep, bibiddi-bobbidi-boo! 🪄 and dw about being active, your personal life should always be your #1 priority!! especially when you're a writer / content creator so don't apologize for putting yourself first ever >:D <3

WANDERER HAVERS, I'M COMING OVER TO YOUR HOUSE. (/lh) you should've seen the way i was in disbelief like 😦 when i checked the livestream's banners and there was no wanderer?? but they dare made him look SO GOOD in those eight seconds he was on screen??? even my other irl friend who played genshin thought he was getting a rerun at first from that alone. vv devastated over this, so i shall be abducting everyone's wanderer 😞 (/j) AYOOO, THE GODLY CRIT RATIO??? yon, that looks awesome. are you gonna pull for nahida next?? i heard she makes a good team with cyno! (and not to mention, nahida also reminds me of you. vv little sib-like, considerate and curious and needs fo be protected but can also protecc others, ehehe. /pos)

OHHHH. according to the time this should be posted, it was already your brother's birthday so HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY to him and your sister too!! feliz cumpleaños 🎈🎂 i like how you and your siblings' birthdays are so early in the year, teeheeee, coming from an october born. 🤭 i hope you get to hang out with your friends! advice from lia: always go crazy and go stupid whether that be with your friends or you're alone <3 (/pos)

HUHHH, HE POPPED THOSE THREE WORDS FIRST?? yon, you gave him the affection he deserves and now he's clinging onto you like a koala... you're living my dream. (/lh) i find it funny that the first time i discovered the c.ai site, wanderer was the first bot i talked to (help). first, he threatened to kill me and then we both sat down to talk abt the different sides to life and mortality, etc. I AM NOT KIDDINF. WHY WAS THIS A WHOLE THERAPY SESSION. i still have this chat saved!! yona, should we present our c.ai message logs to the class together. (/hj)

awwww, yonzzz, thanks for checking up on me! there is no hot tea ready to be spilled except for the fact ayato got a rival and it's the wanderer and i'm stuck in the middle between these two 🧍‍♂️ (as a fellow infj like you, i do not know how a fight between an entj vs. an intj is gonna go /j lia typology nerd)

[andrewmoocow]

Little Homeworld Life chapter 13: Snowfall Feast (originally posted on November 7, 2022)

AN: And now, for our big finish to the season! It may not be Christmastime yet, but that doesn't stop stores everywhere from blasting Mariah Carey once Halloween ends. Anyways, what better way to celebrate the season with giving than to give a parody of How The Grinch Stole Christmas to quite possibly the sourest character in all of Little Homeworld? Yeah, much like Halloween, or Samhain Night, Black Rutile doesn't see the point of my stand-in for Christmas, but in this case, since her time in Little Homeworld has been so miserable, why not make everyone else miserable for once? Yeah, she's officially devolved into cartoon supervillainy at this point, but she's desperate to get a victory in, okay? And as for the Crystal Gems, we once again have some family drama to sort out, but it's not related to Steven this time. No, this time it's about Greg and his parents from "Mister Universe!" How can they work things out in time for the holidays? Tune in and find out!

Synopsis: On the most merry holiday of the year, Black Rutile tries to spoil the festivities for everyone. Meanwhile, Greg reunites with his estranged family.

Cast:

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Zach Callison as Steven

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper, Shy Rose

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Tiger's Eye

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, Volleyball

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Jennifer Paz as Lapis

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

David Willis as Andy

Maurice LaMarche as Thomas DeMayo

Laura Post as Gloria DeMayo

Kristin Chenoweth as Sheena Synstylae

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball, Ruby

Erica Luttrell as Sapphire

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Dee Bradley Baker as Lion

Featuring Bill Farmer as Santa Claus

And Matthew Rhys as The Narrator/Dr. James Brenner

--

Ah, Snowfall Feast. It's the most wonderful, merriest time of the year. Fun for all that everyone, human and Gem alike, calls their favorite holiday. Yes, everyone loved Snowfall Feast a lot. However, the ever-unabashedly unpleasant Black Rutile did not. She just hated Snowfall Feast, the whole holiday season. But why do you ask is her reason?

"I just don't see the point of it all!" Black Rutile complained. "It's absolutely abhorrent! Why should everyone be merry when my time here has been nothing but pain?!" Throwing on a white scarf, Black Rutile stormed outside her house to continue fuming, as she watched all the Gems decorate their homes with typically festive decorations. "Like, I have suffered nothing but setback after setback, failure after failure! And instead of just shattering me on the spot, they subject me to a fate worse than harvesting!"

"Hey, Black Rutile, happy Snowfall Feast!" Tiger's Eye exclaimed while giving her a Santa hat to wear. "You like it? I made it myself!"

"Thank you; I am very touched." Black Rutile growled as she marched away from Tiger's Eye. "Like, why do the denizens of this disgusting planet choose now of all times to actually play nice with each other when they just go back to bullying each other for the rest of the year?"

"Something troubling you, my Rutile?" Aquamarine asked as she flew down to perch on Black Rutile's shoulder. "You don't seem to be in a merry mood."

"Gee, I wonder what tipped you off?" Black Rutile dryly replied as she sat down on a snow-covered bench. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Just helping with the decorations." Aquamarine responded. "How about you?"

"Too busy working on the Vortexxer to get into this silly spirit." Black Rutile proclaimed. "Like I said, why do people choose now of all times to be nice to each other when no one here has been nice to me?"

"Maybe it's because you're so unbelievably selfish and think the universe has to bend to your whims, that you think everyone has to act as you say?" Aquamarine responded under her breath, catching her master's attention. "I mean, yeah, why does nothing ever go your way?!"

"I heard what you said, and yes, I totally don't take offense to being called selfish because I know a certain someone who's no better." Black Rutile added. "That reminds me, what are the Crystal Gems doing for the holiday?"

--

Meanwhile, the townies were also getting into the holiday spirit in Beach City. Families and friends had reunited for the season, and the Crystal Gems were no different. However, one family, in particular, wasn't as together as one member wanted it to be. As the Gems baked cookies, wrapped presents, and decorated the beach house, Greg solemnly gazed out the window while drinking some hot cocoa and sighing.

"Problems, Greg?" Pearl's paramour Sheena Synstylae asked the rock star-turned-father as she sat down next to him by the window.

"Oh, hey, Sheena." Greg casually greeted Sheena. "Just thinking about my family right now. I mean, I already got a great one with Steven and the Gems and all his friends, but I can't help but think of my parents now. Aside from Andy, my fam hasn't been together in years, as far as I know. And after hearing about how Steven made amends with Rose, it made me think about my folks and how they're doing after I moved out."

"I can relate." Sheena concurred. "Never had the best relationship with my stepmom myself. Oy gevalt, the stories I could tell you about her! Like, this one time she accidentally took my makeup, and I think I nearly got gray hairs trying to get it back!"

"Hehe, nice." Greg laughed softly before taking a sip of hot chocolate. "Did you two manage to patch things up?"

"Eh, it was half and half." Sheena replied. "We're on better terms now, but we still get on each other's nerves from time to time. Take the good with the bad, as they say."

"Oh, Sheena honey, there you are!" Pearl exclaimed as she walked over to her pink-haired lover and kissed her on the cheek. "And what a coincidence I found you talking with Greg because I was about to give him some great news!"

"What kind of news, Pearl?" Greg asked Pearl.

"Well, I overheard you talking about your parents just now, which reminded me that I arranged for them to come over for Snowfall Feast!" Pearl exclaimed. "Isn't that delightful? I can't wait for Steven to meet your folks once he comes over!"

"Wait, they're coming, here, now?!" Greg yelped in shock at the news. "But, you, I, parents, Rose, dead, Steven, alien-"

"Yo, something wrong here?" Amethyst asked while eating some leftover cookie dough out of the container. "What's this about Greg's parents coming over?"

"Well, that's the thing." Greg responded. "How can my parents possibly respond to the big pink elephant in the room?"

"Pink elephant? What could you possibly mean?" Pearl wondered, only to immediately realize what Greg was talking about. "Oh right, Rose."

"Yeah, gonna be pretty hard to tell everyone that your wife was an alien warrior who died in childbirth, even if everyone knows who the Gems are now." Sheena said. "Hey, Pearl fell for me because I was a near-dead ringer for her. Why don't I fill in?"

"I have an even better idea!" Amethyst declared before she began shapeshifting into Rose. However, Greg quickly stopped her mid-transformation.

"No, no, no, let's not do that all over again!" Greg yelled frightfully, not wanting to be reminded of the last time Amethyst did something like that. "I think maybe we try to be as honest with them as possible." Suddenly, he got a different idea. "Or maybe….." He then suddenly grabbed Pearl by the wrist and dragged her along to the Warp Pad so she could be used to activate it and send them away.

"What's up with Greg?" Bismuth wondered quizzically, stopping her decorating of the tree to watch Greg make off with her and Sheena's mutual girlfriend.

"Daddy issues." Garnet flatly responded. "I don't think I want to know what harebrained schemes can come out of this."

"You know what this reminds me of?" Amethyst asked. "That one Lil Butler Christmas special where the butler disguised as the neighbor's grandpa!"

"Oh please, it can't be that bad!" Peridot remarked while she and Lapis wrapped presents together. "I mean, what's the worse that can happen?" As if the universe wanted to answer Peridot, Greg and Pearl finally returned from their sojourn with a Rose Quartz that looked almost exactly like the one who formerly led the Crystal Gems following them.

"Um, pardon me for being rude," Lapis said. "but what's this Rose clone doing here?"

"Phew, you had no idea how long this took us!" Greg panted in exhaustion. "I had to go to another galaxy just to find a suitable replacement!"

"Uh, hi Crystal Gems, nice to see you again." The shy Rose nervously greeted. "Happy Snowfall Feast, I guess."

"Hey, isn't she one of those Rose Quartzes from the zoo?" Amethyst asked. "How are they possibly going to believe this?"

"I got a plan, everyone." Greg stated. "We're going to act all nice and normal, so that means no weird powers, no fusing, and no shapeshifting in front of my folks. If any of you slip up, we'll say we live an alternative lifestyle. And whatever you do, don't mention the war."

"Yep, totally a harebrained scheme." Garnet nodded just as the front door opened, and in walked Steven Universe, having decided to take a break from his road trip to return home for the holidays. "Steven!"

"Hi, everyone, happy Snowfall Feast!" Steven greeted everyone in the beach house before locking eyes with the lookalike of his mother standing next to Greg. Even if he amicably parted ways with the trio of Rose Quartzes, he never guessed he'd see any of them again, especially this one. "Uh, what did I miss?"

--

"Closer, closer!" Black Rutile muttered to herself as she started running some tests on the nearly completed Vortexxer. "Just a little more!" As the portal began showing some signs of life, Black Rutile's front door suddenly opened, and in walked White Topaz and Jasper, both dressed for the weather and bringing cookies inside.

"Happy Snowfall Feast, Black Rutile!" White Topaz yelled happily, causing her former boss to lose concentration and the Vortexxer to fizzle out, much to her disappointment.

"No!" Black Rutile yelled angrily before turning to glare at the pair. "Look what you made me do, you dolts!"

"Geez, we were just trying to help you get into the spirit." Jasper responded before presenting a cookie. "You want some Snowfall Feast cookies? White Topaz made them herself."

"No, thank you, you should know Gems don't need sustenance." Black Rutile replied as she got back to work. "I just don't get this holiday at all! What's the meaning of all this blasted happiness and cheer anyways?!"

"Oh, I know where this is going." White Topaz realized cheerfully. "You're just a total Grinch or a Scrooge who's too moody to understand the true meaning of Snowfall Feast. It's not just about being happy and merry; Snowfall Feast is about the celebration of giving and the bonds that bring us all together. Plus, all the cool gifts in exchange for cool gifts you give to the ones you love too!"

"Like I buy that sappy garbage." Black Rutile grimaced, not taking her eyes off her experiments one bit. "As that old codger from that silly story would say, bah humbug!"

"Well, if you feel like coming out and celebrating, our door is always open." Jasper said as she and her girlfriend began leaving the house. "Happy Snowfall Feast, I guess."

"Get bent!" Black Rutile yelled back before the door closed, just as Holly Blue, Eyeball, and Cat's Eye entered the room.

"How is progress going on the Vortexxer, my Rutile?" Holly asked her rebel leader.

"I was just about to make a breakthrough when Jasper and White Topaz broke in to assimilate me into their holiday cheer." Black Rutile answered. "I don't understand it at all! Why is everyone but me so freaking happy all the time?!"

"Probably because we've encountered nothing but setback after setback in our plans." Cat's Eye said, which gave Black Rutile an idea. "I mean, what point do they have in making us happy when we have no plans to?"

"Wait, I got it!" Black Rutile beamed creepily as she got a positively wonderful, awful idea. "If they want to force us to be all happy and peaceful, then I think we should make them realize how miserable I am here, and maybe they'll be just as miserable too!"

"I like the way you think, my Rutile!" Eyeball exclaimed as she snacked on the cookies left behind by White Topaz. "But what are we going to do?"

"I'm shocked you didn't get the implication." Black Rutile said as she tied a piece of scrap metal to Eyeball's head to act as a reindeer's antler. "Ruby, with your gem so bright, won't you help us steal Snowfall Feast tonight?"

"Wait, really?" Eyeball gasped as her eye lit up in amazement. "But what will the other Rubies think?!"

"Oh, come on, you've already bullied them into becoming your subordinates. What say we put them to good use?" Black Rutile suggested smartly. "Now, let's start plans for tonight; everyone should be asleep by then."

--

Later that day, more members of Greg's family were invited to Beach City to celebrate Snowfall Feast with the Crystal Gems. Andy showed up first after landing his plane on the snow-covered beach and walking up to the front of the beach house before greeting them as he opened the door. "Hey Greg, happy Snowfall Feast."

"Hi Andy, glad you could make it!" Greg greeted Andy as he let his cousin into the house. "You arrived just in time, because we got some special guests coming!"

"Yeah, Pearl invited Greg's parents for dinner!" Steven added eagerly, though Andy was less than enthused about the news.

"Hey, I'm all for a little family reunion, but how do you suppose they're gonna react to, y'know?" Andy asked while gesturing to each of the Gems. "I mean, it took a while for me to get used to them. I wouldn't be surprised if the same applied to them."

"Ah, don't you worry, Andy-man, we got everything under control!" Greg said proudly with a laugh that quickly turned into anxious stuttering. "Oh geez, this is gonna get so awkward!"

"And who's this supposed to be?" Andy asked as he turned to the shy Rose Quartz, now dressed as Steven's late mother. "Isn't your wife supposed to be dead or something?"

"Hello." The shy Rose politely greeted Andy.

"That's actually a really long and complex story." Steven answered. "I think you're going to need to sit down for this one. You see-"There was a knock at the door. "We can talk later; I think they're here!"

"AGH, THEY'RE HERE!" Greg screamed, his anxiety over seeing his parents again kicking into overdrive. "LET'S HIDE AND BURN THE HOUSE DOWN!"

"Calm down, everyone. We can make it through this. Just don't mention the war." Garnet eased everyone's nerves before she opened the door for Thomas and Gloria DeMayo. "Hello there."

"Excuse me, madam, but is this the right address?" Thomas asked the fusion. "I'm told this is where Gregory lives now."

"Yes, welcome to Greg's house. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. DeMayo." Garnet greeted and shook the DeMayo father's hand. "Would you like to come in?"

"Gladly." Thomas answered as he and his wife entered the house, where he immediately met his son for the first time in decades. "Son."

"Hey, pops, long time no see." Greg awkwardly chuckled and gave his dad an equally awkward hug. "Pat pat."

"Oh Greg, you've gotten so big!" Gloria exclaimed as she got a hug from her son as well. "And I've been told you're a millionaire now? How lucky you must be!"

"Yeah, an old business partner of mine used one of my songs for a burger commercial." Greg responded. "He's dead to me otherwise."

"And I suppose you must be Greg's son." Thomas said while looking down at Steven. "Stephen, I suppose?"

"Steven, actually." Steven corrected his grandfather. "Nice to meet you, Grandpa."

"So, who's the lucky woman you got together with to make such a handsome young man?" Gloria asked with a tousle of Steven's hair before looking around at the Gems in the room with them. "Is it the one with the long nose?"

"What, me?!" Pearl blushed in embarrassment, causing Sheena and Bismuth to laugh. "Oh no, you got it all wrong, Mrs. DeMayo; I'm only Steven's mother in spirit, though I did possess feelings for her once upon a time."

"Hm, is it normal for humans to become this elderly?" Peridot quizzed the DeMayos while examining their aged forms. "I must conduct further research on this."

"Hi." Lapis greeted Greg's parents while sticking a candy cane in her mouth.

"My my, your friends are certainly unique." Thomas remarked dryly. "In fact, I think I remember-"

"Oh, it's nothing much, really!" Greg interrupted his father before introducing him to the rest of the Gems. "I'd like you to meet my wife Rose, her old college roommates Estelle, Amy, and Pearl, her sister Biddie, and Steven's sisters Lana and Dot!"

"Wait, sisters?!" Peridot squawked in offense. "I'll have you know Lapis and I are actually-"

"Quit yacking, you wacko!" Lapis whispered as she slapped Peridot's mouth shut and dragged her away.

"Well, this is certainly a colorful family you have here." Gloria punned softly.

"Good one, Mrs. D!" Sheena exclaimed while standing under the mistletoe with Pearl & Bismuth and getting kisses from them both. "Oh, I guess he forgot, but name's Sheena. I'm Pearl's girlfriend."

"I see; you're one of those queer found families." Thomas stated while adjusting his tie and turning to meet the Rose posing as Greg's wife. "You must be my son's lovely wife, yes?" he asked while kissing the shy Rose on her hand. "Charmed."

"Oh, why thank you." Rose blushed at the older man's politeness. "Though, I've only known him-"

"Since I toured Beach City when I was young!" Greg interrupted his fake wife. "Hey, you two must be tired after the long trip. Why don't we sit down to some hot chocolate and chat for a bit?"

"Oh, we'd be much obliged." Gloria said as she sat down on the couch. However, she didn't know that the sofa was already occupied by Lion, whose mane was decorated with ornaments and Christmas lights. "Oh my! Is that a-"

"Lion!" Steven exclaimed as Lion looked at his young master and pounced on him. "Oh, I missed you too, big guy! How's Connie doing these days?"

"Uh, is that an actual lion?" Gloria whimpered at the sight of a predatorial animal in the house. "How did you manage to get one?"

"Oh, Lion." Garnet replied. "He's just a huge cat we got from the shelter a few years ago. Please don't ask why he's pink. Not even the shelter workers know why."

"Nice kitty." Thomas said nervously as Lion got off Steven and slid towards the DeMayos to inspect them. "Be a good boy, and don't chomp my arm off."

"Hey, who wants cookies?!" Bismuth yelled as she presented some Snowfall Feast cookies on a baking sheet she turned her left hand into. "Oh shoot, my hand!"

"Cut it, cut it!" Greg whispered to Bismuth, who quickly exchanged her hand for a regular baking sheet. "Don't mind Biddie here. Sometimes she's not very good with her hands."

"I see." Thomas said while sipping his hot chocolate and turning to watch Lapis make shapes with her cocoa in the air, to Gloria's delight. "And what's she up to?"

"Psychic powers!" Lapis got in on the fibbing. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Oh yes, my dear sister Lana is quite the telepath." Peridot declared. "You should've seen what she did to the gardens last week! Positively spellbinding!"

"Fascinating. I want to give that a look later." Thomas replied dryly when he heard a strange humming nearby. Suddenly, two little girls were standing beneath a mistletoe dangling from one of the support beams. "Good lord, what is happening over there?!"

"Look, Ruby, mistletoe." Sapphire chuckled lovingly.

"Oh, come here you!" Ruby exclaimed as the happy couple made out under the mistletoe, much to Thomas's alarm. "Uh, hi there. I'm Ruby. Nice to meet you, sir."

"Wha, how, I-"Thomas stuttered in alarm.

"Now, Thomas, no need to be so close-minded," Gloria said to her husband.

"No, it's not like that; I just want to know where they came from!" Thomas yelled.

"We have made a huge mistake." Sapphire realized. "Look over there, the aurora borealis!"

"Where?!" Thomas yelled as he looked away, giving the two small Gems enough time to fuse back into Garnet, arousing more suspicion from him. "Wait, where did they go?!"

"I don't know who went where." Garnet said cheekily.

"Those girls, they were right there!" Thomas roared in shock, but his expression changed from shock to anger as he turned to Greg. "Gregory, you have some explaining to do!"

"Uh, Grandpa, can I talk with Dad for just a moment?" Steven tried to calm everyone down and took Greg to the bathroom behind their families. "Look, Dad, I know you're uncomfortable about talking to your parents about what you've been up to and especially about Mom, but I think this is all a lost cause. I mean, they probably know who the Gems are because they were already over the news. Why don't we just cut our losses and confess to them already?"

"Aw, come on, Schtu-ball, just give me a chance here." Greg responded softly. "Listen, this plan may not make much sense, but I suggest we just ease them into our situation here, and then we can tell them everything."

"Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I'm warning you," Steven urged Greg. "This will end badly."

"Sheesh, no need to be such a pessimist." Greg awkwardly answered as the father and son left the bathroom to rejoin the gathering.

--

As night began to fall on Little Homeworld, Black Rutile began putting her plan into action. All through the town, not a creature was stirring, not even a Flower Buddy, a gourd pup, or a mouse. The stockings were hung all around with care, in the hopes that the big man in red would be there. The Gems were nestled, all snug in their bed, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads. With Black Rutile in a Santa costume and her cronies in elf caps, they made sure their plan was under wraps.

"Ho ho ho, this is perfect!" Black Rutile laughed as she drove her makeshift sleigh around Little Homeworld, pulled by Aquamarine and the Rubies with Holly Blue and Cat's Eye in the back. "I just can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize everything's gone!"

"Yeah, this might be a good reason to kill time before the Vortexxer is finished." Holly Blue agreed. "So, which house are we robbing first?"

"Where else?" Black Rutile answered as the sleigh pulled up to Jasper and White Topaz's house, and she got off the sleigh to sneak in through the door. As she, Holly, and Cat began pilfering every Snowfall Feast decoration and present they could find, Black Rutile was suddenly reminded of a song. "You're a mean one, Black Rutile; you're proud of being vile!" she started singing. "You're as warm as a volcano; you're as sweet as stomach bile, Black Rutile! You're as disgusting as a hideous pile!"

"Oh my, you write that yourself?" Cat asked as the trio went outside with their loot to pack into the sleigh.

"No, ripping off some old Snowfall special." Black Rutile answered before commanding the Rubies to pull the sleigh again, and she continued to sing. "You're an animal, Black Rutile, you literally have no heart! Your gem is covered in cracks; you've got razor blades for a soul, Black Rutile! I'd rather die than touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole!"

Next up on her list of treasonous former minions for Black Rutile to rob were Demantoid & Pyrope, followed by Emerald, and then the Lapis twins. Presents aplenty were snatched from homes all around, clothing and tools and such all ripped from the ground. Anyone else wouldn't dream of causing such despair, but that naughty Black Rutile didn't care.

"You're disgusting, Black Rutile. You'd make the evilest souls retch!" Black Rutile kept singing as she next chopped down the big tree at the center of town with her sword and tied its trunk to the back of the sleigh. "You have the heartlessness of a man with lots of sketch, Black Rutile! If you had to choose between him and me, you'd choose the man with lots of sketch!"

Despite Black Rutile's attempts at catlike stealth in her theft of Snowfall Feast, the tree dragged loudly against the ground, rousing at least one Gem from their slumber. But she was too busy singing to notice as she began reaching the front gates of Little Homeworld. "You're morally bankrupt, Black Rutile. You're a real piece of junk! You've got the mind of a madman and the attitude of a punk, Black Rutile! If I had to pick three words to describe myself, they would be as followed: stink, stank, stunk!"

--

"The talent agent asked what the name of their act was." Amethyst finished telling a story at the dinner table to the Universe and DeMayo families. "And you know what their answer was? The Aristocrats!" Everyone began laughing uproariously at the punchline, but Pearl was a little turned off by the joke.

"That was quite possibly the most disgusting story you've ever told, Amethyst." Pearl declared as she tried not to barf. "And that's saying something considering the booger story from last month."

"Pardon me, but what is this booger story you speak of?" Thomas asked.

"Oh man, you should've been there!" Amethyst exclaimed, grossing Pearl out even further. "It was the greenest, the biggest, the juiciest-"

"Could someone please pass the potatoes before I lose my appetite?" Gloria nervously asked, and Rose did just that. "Oh, thank you, Rose, you're such a dear! I can see why Greg fell for you."

"Thank you." Rose began blushing.

"Oh dear, none of you have eaten!" Gloria realized as she discovered the Gems hadn't touched your dinner. "You're going to let such wonderful cooking go to waste?"

"We actually don't need to eat." Pearl responded.

"I do!" Amethyst added. "More for me, then!" She quickly scooped up Garnet, Pearl, Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth's dinners and hoarded them all in her mouth. To Thomas's shock, Amethyst did not gain additional weight from that much food.

"You young people and your alternative lifestyles." Thomas frowned.

"Actually, we're way older than you. Like, thousands even." Lapis accidentally slipped up, and she covered her mouth in horror of what she had just said. "Uh oh."

"Thousands of years older, huh?" Thomas said as he ominously turned to Greg. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

"Aw geez." Andy groaned as he smacked his face in disappointment.

"I knew it." Steven muttered, just as disappointed, while Greg slumped in his seat.

"Okay, you got me." Greg sighed in acceptance. "I'm not part of a normal family. I was actually married to an alien warrior who died in childbirth to give birth to Steven."

"I knew it!" Thomas yelled while smacking the table, briefly spooking Gloria and Pearl. "You were lying to us this whole time! What's next? Are you going to tell us that you replaced your wife with an imposter too?!"

"Actually, that's exactly what we did." Pearl pointed out brightly, quickly realizing she wasn't helping, and kept quiet.

"I'm sorry if I made you mad, Greg's dad." Rose shyly apologized, followed by Gloria putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Now, Gregory, what do you have to say for yourself?" Thomas coldly admonished his ashamed son.

"Look, Dad, I'm sorry for lying about all this." Greg apologized to his father. "It's just; I only wanted to ease you all into what I've been up to since I moved out. But now, I guess I have no choice but to tell. So which story do you want to hear, mine or Rose's?"

"Either one of them will do, dear." Gloria replied calmly. "Go on. We won't judge."

"Okay, it's a long and complicated story." Greg sighed as he started telling everyone about Pink Diamond. "Got any gum?"

--

"So what do you suppose we'll do with all our loot?" Aquamarine asked as the Rutile Rebels parked their sleigh outside of Little Homeworld. "Maybe burn it all or toss it off a cliff?"

"We can sort things out later; I just feel like gloating right now!" Black Rutile answered. "I can't believe it; this might be my first big triumph in ages! I've not just ruined Snowfall Feast for all the Gems in the present, but I'm sure to ruin all Snowfall Feasts yet to come too!" As Black Rutile let out a wicked cackle, suddenly, another Gem began making crunchy footsteps in the snow, causing the Snowfall thief to turn to discover who it was. "You again? Why do you keep sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, like everywhere?!"

"Santa Claus, why?" Teal Zircon asked innocently as she discovered that Black Rutile was making off with all the presents and decorations in her sleigh. "Why are you taking our Snowfall Feast? Why?"

"You really don't get it, do you? Figures for such a complete idiot." Black Rutile sneered before shedding her disguise. "Nay Teal Zircon, it is I, Black Rutile! Besides, there's no Santa Claus, just like there's no Easter Bunny or queen of England! He was just some fat idiot made up by morally bankrupt toy companies to make more money!"

"Of course, it was you, Black Rutile." Teal responded. "Still, why did you go all this way to steal everything Snowfall Feast-related from Little Homeworld? Is it because you have some kind of bah humbug grudge against the holiday?"

"No, it's because I don't get it at all!" Black Rutile snapped at the childish Zircon. "I'm expected to be all happy and smiley during this time of year, but I have no reason to because I'm constantly miserable here!"

"Well, if you don't want to be happy, I guess I'll have to make you myself, my bromide." Teal said as she took a krav maga stance and fiercely tackled Black Rutile, causing her bag of presents and décor to topple over as the two Gems fought. Among them was a gift box labeled "To Lapis and Peridot, from Jasper" containing a small, orange Pomeranian puppy that peeked out of the box.

"Come on, Black Rutile, can't you let your heart grow three sizes for just one day?!" Teal yelled as she trapped the rebel in a headlock.

"Never!" Black Rutile yelled. "Plus, having your heart grow any size larger would probably be deadly! To me, my Rutile Rebels!"

"Hands off, you annoying advertiser!" Holly Blue yelled, drawing her whip and cracking it at them both, shocking the Gems and freeing Black Rutile from Teal Zircon's grasp.

"You don't understand, I am so close for once!" Black Rutile exclaimed. "Can't I get a little victory as a Snowfall Feast gift?!" Just then, she heard an assortment of indistinct voices echo from Little Homeworld as they slowly approached the front gates. "Oh no!"

"What's going on here?" Volleyball wondered as the Gems discovered the Rutile Rebels with their sleigh full of stolen goods, along with Black Rutile face down in the snow and Teal desperately trying to save Snowfall Feast. "Teal, what's the meaning of this?!"

"It's Black Rutile!" Teal yelled while poking her head out of the sack. "She's trying to make you all as miserable as she is by stealing Snowfall Feast!"

"Somehow, I figured something like this would happen." Jasper rolled her eyes with dismay.

"Yeah, I think this might be the time for a lesson here, Black Rutile." White Topaz added. "Sometimes, Snowfall Feast isn't about what comes from a store. Maybe it means just a little bit more."

"That's it? That's the message you want to give me?!" Black Rutile yelled in disgust. "You know what, forget this dumb plan, and you can have your dumb stuff back! I'm out of here!" With an overdramatic huff, Black Rutile turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving everyone to take back their stolen belongings.

"Once again, Black Rutile refuses to budge. Not surprised." Jasper huffed back before she looked down at the Pomeranian pawing at her ankle. "Hey, little Earth creature." She said while picking up the puppy. "Let's get you to your new owners."

--

"So, there you have it." Greg proclaimed as he had finished telling his parents the story of his relationship with Rose and everything afterward. "The long and complicated history of me, Rose, and the Crystal Gems. So, what did you think?"

"My, you…. certainly had an eventful time as a father." Thomas said plainly in response to the story. "I was just so blind to how much you've been through. Plus, I did not expect to hear that you technically killed your wife through, y'know."

"Oh, you poor dear." Gloria said as she brought Greg in for a hug. "You've been through so much but never let go of what mattered most. At least you still found happiness after leaving us."

"Thanks, Mom." Greg replied and returned the hug. "You too, pops."

"Okay, you asked for it." Thomas smirked as he stepped up and hugged Greg even tighter than his wife. "Please forgive me for driving you away."

"Eh, maybe that could take a while." Greg said just as the door opened, Jasper and White Topaz walked in. "Oh hey girls, you missed a real crazy night!"

"Hi, Mr. Universe, happy Snowfall Feast, everyone!" White Topaz exclaimed. "Hey, we just wanted to stop by because we got a little gift for a pair of special someones."

"Really, who's getting what?" Peridot asked, causing Jasper to unfurl her hands and reveal the Pomeranian inside them. "Oh my stars, it's so precious!" she exclaimed with stars in her eyes. "What made you want to get it?!"

"Well, we knew how much you missed Pumpkin, so maybe this could be a good replacement." Jasper said sheepishly, not being used to being so giving to her former enemies. To her surprise, the two Gems hugged her in response. "Thanks."

"Merry Snowfall Feast to all!" Steven declared happily.

"And to all, a good night!" Rose added.

--

Unfortunately, not everyone was so merry on Snowfall Feast. Black Rutile sat down on the whirly-bird tower, gazing up at the night sky all by her lonesome as she began contemplating her actions. "Is it really worth it to keep doing all this when failure is basically the only option?" she pondered to herself. "Why even bother trying to make everyone miserable when I'm the only one who's left miserable myself?"

"Something the matter, kiddo?" a jolly voice said, making Black Rutile turn around to see a large man with a white beard, a red suit, and a warm smile sitting next to her. There was no mistaking it; Black Rutile had come face to face with Santa Claus himself. "What's gotten you so sad on Snowfall Feast?"

"What's gotten me so sad?! Oh, you have no idea what I've suffered, old man!" Black Rutile exclaimed. "I am only doing what's best for everyone and trying to be a good leader, but the universe seems to be doing everything in its power to ruin everything for me! I've lost all my power, I barely have any allies, I'm treated as a joke by my former superior, and now my plan to steal Snowfall Feast and make everyone just as sad as I am has been ruined!"

"Well, you're certainly not the first person to try stealing this time of year." Santa commented cheekily. "But I don't think you get it. Snowfall Feast isn't completely about getting things from other people, though that is a very good reason to celebrate it. No, Snowfall Feast is about spending time with the ones you love the most, giving to your fellow man, and just celebrating what it means to have peace on Earth. You get that, right?"

"Why yes, I do." Black Rutile answered. "That was basically the exact same answer White Topaz gave me! I don't know why you bothered visiting me!"

"Okay, geez, I was just trying to be nice, you naughty little Gem!" Santa yelled as Black Rutile stormed off once again. "Uh, merry Snowfall Feast, Black Rutile!"

"Get bent!" Black Rutile responded to Old Saint Nick.

--

"And so ends this heartwarming Snowfall fable." Dr. James Brenner proclaimed while sitting by a fireplace and closing a book. "Please come again, if you are able. We'll take a break for some holiday fun, but when we meet next time, this shall be a good one!"

--

Well said, Brenner. I hope this could become an annual holiday tradition for fanfiction readers, but when we meet again in 2023, shit will surely hit the fan as Black Rutile's next big plan comes to fruition. See you next year everybody, and happy holidays!

[fmhiphop]

Creed III Set To Have Big Weekend

Creed III has plans to top the box office this weekend as the third installment in the series opened at midnight.  In what will be Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut, the previews already raked in $5.45 million on Thursday.  The film is projected to reach $36 million in its debut weekend, just shy of Creed II’s opening weekend.  Creed II hit $35 million while the origin of the series, Creed, managed to do $29 million.  Stars Jonathan Majors and Jordan have built anticipation of their characters and movie plot via trailers and interviews.  Fans will be in for a treat! Creed x Anime Jordan gives credit to Anime in certain aspects of this film.  One of the many themes of Creed III is being challenged by a person you once called a friend and shared a bond.  This is a theme that can be found in various Anime films or series such as Dragon Ball Z and My Hero Academia.  The Black Panther actor says he identifies with Goku in Dragon Ball Z in a conversation with Polygon. “It’s Goku’s resilience, you know? No matter how much pain and struggle he goes through, every battle, a Saiyan only gets stronger….I think that resilience, that never-give-up attitude is what I connect with, and I dig that.” Dreamville Soundtrack The premiere of Creed III was set in Los Angeles at the TCL Chinese Theater earlier this week.  Many stars showed up to the premiere such as Cordae, Chloe Bailey, and Big Sean.  Big Sean probably showed up to the premiere because he is on the soundtrack to the movie.  Creed III: The Soundtrack is an album by Dreamville featuring artists from the J.Cole led record label as well as other artists. Dreamville artists, JID, Lute, Cole, Ari Lennox, Bas, Cozz, Earthgang, Omen, and SiR, are all on the soundtrack.  Guest features include Kehlani, Morray, Buddy, Blxst, Symba, Big Sean, and EST Gee.  Bas had the pleasure of playing “Blood, Sweat & Tears” in the studio for the Creed III director, to which he immediately fell in love with it.  Jordan along with Ryan Coogler also had a hand in executive producing the soundtrack. J.Cole and his record label have been busy this week.  They have also announced their lineup for the 2023 Dreamville Festival.  The festival will take place in Raleigh, North Carolina with Drake and Usher headlining the three-day event along with Cole.   Read the full article

[muffysisthecarbs]

I had a really devastating realization last night, a realization that has hit me in little waves for the past few years but the wave finally knocked me over. I have no one. I have no one in my life that fulfills my emotional needs. No family, no friends, no lover. I have family, I have two friends, but still connection is so far away. No one takes me in and wraps me in love. I'm so lonely. I used to have four friends but two of them decided to stop being my friends.

The first friend was a really complicated situation. August 2021 I had a talk/confrontation with her about her spending habits and how irresponsible and doomer she had gotten in the years following her autism diagnosis. We talked for three hours, I cried, she argued me and I argued her back, she went home and apart from a few texts we didn't speak again until May 2022. We spoke a bit, facetimed a bit, hung out twice. The second time ended in another argument about Don't Worry Darling that turned into meditation of if bigotry is inherent or learned. I felt that she was wrong to say that it was inherent and after an hour of that we stopped talking and she left. We have texted a few times since then but it's been a month. The friendship isn't the same.

The second friend is an even more complicated situation. A flirtation that turned into a friendship that turned into a relationship that turned into a really horrible break up that turned into a split of 8 months that turned into a really strong, loving friendship. In August 2022, my friend was going on a trip to see their partner in Georgia. The morning of the trip I texted them "gee wiz! I sure do hope your plane doesn't crash 🥺... 😐" which isn't super out of character cause we can be very morbid. they responded "what's actually wrong with you? I hate you." I said "I'm a katya" and then they never responded. For a week they were in Atlanta and I was texting them every day, little random things like how I usually do but they weren't answering. I figured it was cause they were on a trip with their boyfriend and it was their first time visiting their boyfriend. When the week passed and my friend was back in our home state they still weren't answering me. I finally realized what was happening; they were upset and I was being given the silent treatment. I was hurt and very annoyed. My friend has a very short temper and is a "hangry" person, so there have been many times when I get lashed out because of their annoyance at a person/situation/ or have been given attitude because of them being hungry. I always let it slide because that's just an aspect of their personality that I understand. Outside of our breakup we did have one major conflict that was mostly my fault partially their fault, we moved on from it but this new conflict has emotionally mirrored the previous conflict. I accidentally did something that upset them and they responded but shutting me out. In this new case, after three weeks of silent treatment and me texting them sporadically (not about the conflict but random texts) they finally answered saying that I had really upset them. I responded saying that I know they’re upset and I’m very hurt that they easily decided that instead of telling me they decided to give me the silent treatment. They are also a very confrontational person (meaning that when issues arise they are quick to address them) so them just deciding to stop speaking to me and moving on so easily is INCREDIBLY painful for me. They apologized, I apologized, and we moved on. However, after a few weeks a daily texts and FaceTime called and hanging out once (with everything feeling back to normal) the silent treatment started again. Two weeks of silent treatment they finally spoke up (in response to a random text from me) saying that they’re not upset that I knew they were upset and I didn’t say anything. Now that PISSED ME OFF because the last time we had conflict I had to be the one to initiate the make up even tho they had hurt me immensely. So again instead of telling me they were upset they reverted to the silent treatment. We had a short but very intense conversation through text that ended in them saying that they have a hard time holding me accountable, I asked why and if there was anything I've done in the past to make them feeling like that, and they said no "it's not based on a pattern of behavior" and that pissed me off and I esentially said well do you wanna be my friend or not? and they said they needed more time, I said "okay im gonna unfollow you on everything" and since that day in late September we haven't spoken.

So for the past two months I've been very uneasy and scared. Where are all my friends going? Simultaneously for literally no reason all my other internet acquaintances have all stopped talking to me. I text and text and I get ignored. No one is talking to me. I only have Dana and Adrian left and I worry those day are numbered too. I can feel them getting tired of me, outgrowing me. Is this what my life is destined to be? Am I a stepping stone to better things? Aminah (friend 1) stopped talking to me and then immediately got into nursing school, met a boy, has been going out, and seems happy. I don't know anything really about Christian's life (friend 2) but last I knew they were also happy and thriving in a new fulfilling romantic relationship. Am I destined to always be left behind? I don't wanna sound like those horrible men who say that all their exes were crazy, ignoring the fact that he was the common denominator. I've been talking about this in therapy and I don't know what I do to everyone. Daniel Wilson and I used to be close I think. We would at least talk every once in a while and facetime but now he's been leaving all my texts on read for weeks. I didn't do anything to him. Amin never talks to me pretty much. Sebastian ignores all my texts. What did I do? I have two friends and neither of them like me very much. Last night I texted my friend Dana cause I was very sad and I told her I was sad and she just read them and never answered. She called me this morning and she asked "do you even care that takeoff died?" and honestly no I don't so I said that and she said I was being a hater. I didn't have anything to say and she was the one that called me so we kinda just sat in silence and then she hung up. I just don't know what I do or what I am so warrant this behavior. Why did i get the silent treatment? Why is no one talking to me? Why do I have friends that only want me when I'm okay? Why am I meant to feel shame for who I am and for my feelings? Why am I always guilty but no one is guilty when they hurt me? Why do I have to bend to everyone's will but no one can even text me back when I feel sad? Why doesn't anyone tell me they love me? Why doesn't anyone love me? I'm surrounded by people and no one even cares about me. No one actually likes me. No one is interested in making sure I feel fulfilled in our relationship. No one wants to hug me, no one wants to scratch my head, no one wants to talk on the phone, no one wants to see me. I'm so lonely and I'm so alone. but if I want to kill myself then suddenly everyone loves me! Love doesn't only matter when times are hard, love matters on a random Tuesday when someone you care about feels sad. I don't have any love in my life. Maybe that's why I wanna die so bad, because I'm not experiencing pure honest love. Dana and Adrian don't love me, Christian and Aminah obviously don't love me, my family doesn't love me, they don't even know me enough to love me. I really am all alone in this horrible little world.

[holdmytesseract]

A Place to Stay?

Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader

Summary: Alexandria. A new chance for the group to finally settle down. The people there seem kind and everything looks safe - but is it a place to stay? You'd answer that question with a yes. Would Daryl?

Set in Season Five

Warnings: Uhh... bit of the usual TWD stuff... fluff... suggestive smut, if you squint

Word Count: 3k

a/n: So... This one has a lot dialogue in it, I'm sorry, but I'm still trying to get in line with the characters. Still testing out Daryl and the others. 🙈😊 I hope that fic is not too awful... 🙈 Also, I am still watching TWD. 🙈 Started to watch season six now, so please forgive me for any lack of knowledge. 🙈

Alexandria was a beautiful place to stay - without a doubt. The people seemed friendly, the system trustworthy and the safety guaranteed. Nevertheless, we were still cautious. Especially after all we've been through... Appearances were often deceptive – how we learned. Mostly in a painful way.  

Deanna gave us the opportunity to stay in two of the countless fancy mansions, but Rick decided that we'd sleep all in one house together that night and not split up. Just in case. You never knew… I really hoped, that we could find a home here. I had nothing against being out there, on the road... But we all needed a break. We all deserved a break. To sleep not with one eye open at night for once. And oh, what would I give for a quiet night alone with Daryl, in which we wouldn't need look out for walkers – or other unwanted guests. Just the two of us and the love we were sharing. A dreamy sigh left my lips at that thought. The last time we had such a night was all those months ago in the prison. We had sneaked out one night after dinner and digged ourselves in one of the guard towers - only to get caught by Rick the next morning, but it was worth it. Even if it was a bit of an embarrassing situation... Rick swore to keep our secret - and he did. Then the prison fell, I got separated from Daryl, everything seemed to go down the drain - until I met him and the others again in Terminus, where we all got almost killed, but well. Was nothing new, eh? We survived - and now we were here. Hopefully for a longer time.

I was on the porch of our mansion, seated on the wooden stairs, as Rick stepped out of the door. My eyes widened when I saw him. "Woah! Who are you and what did you do to Rick?" I joked, referring to his now shaved beard, trimmed hair and clean look. The man just shook his head and smiled. "I dunno. I asked myself the same question, as I looked in that mirror." I giggled at his words, "But it fits you. Lookin' so much better now." and stood up. "Imma go for a shower now as well. Don't tell Daryl I said that." I said, winking. "Don't tell me wha'?" The man of the hour sauntered of course in that exact moment out of the door and towards us - a sceptical look on his face. "Nothin' important, Daryl. Y/N just said, I look better without the beard." Daryl looked immediately at me. "Is that so?" I rolled my eyes, but smiled. He could be so childishly jealous sometimes... "Mhm. Less like a stray dog and more like a puppy again." "Pfft." Huffed out Rick with a laugh. "Gee, thanks." I laughed too, before I turned to Daryl, side-hugging him. The former policeman took that as his cue to leave - what he did; disappearing inside the mansion again. "I am goin' for a shower now." I started, biting my lip, before I stood on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Wanna join me?" I asked, placing a small kiss on his stubble covered cheek. "You could use a shower too, ya know." But Daryl shook his head. "Would be quite a bit suspicious, if we both jus' vanish upstairs in the bathroom, eh?" I shrugged my shoulders, giving him a smug smirk. "We could just sneak upstairs." Once again the man shook his head. "Nah, 'm fine." A pout spread over my lips, trying to convince Daryl to join me - but it didn't help. He didn't budge. "Fine..." I said, letting go of him again. "Then not. Your loss. I'm not the one, missin' out somethin'... You are, baby." With those words and a last kiss on his cheek, I left Daryl standing there, before he could even say something. I went back inside the mansion. "I am going for a shower, guys!" I called into the open living room, before I vanished upstairs.

As soon as the warm water jet of the showerhead beat down on my exposed body, joyous, breathless laughter left my lips. It's been so long since I lastly stood underneath a freaking shower. I let the water rain down on me, wetting my tousled Y/H/C hair and dirty skin of my body. I enjoyed every second of my shower. Although, I was still hoping Daryl would join me - what didn't happen in the end, but well... After I was finished and dry again, I slipped in fresh clothes, then went down again to join the others. It felt like heaven. I was clean, had something to eat and drink, a roof over my head and was united with all the different, crazy and loveable people who became my family through the world's downfall. But most importantly, I was safe and had Daryl by my side. What would I need more?

I sat down on the sofa, joining the others in their conversations for a while. Of course, I had noticed immediately, that Daryl was missing - yet again, but didn't think much about it. He was a big boy and could roam the streets alone. That was what he was most likely doing - or he was out, hunting. I was not worried in the slightest. Not here.

When the moon had replaced the sun and it had gotten dark and very late, the whole group laid spread out in the whole living room, sleeping on the floor on mattresses and/or blankets. I had settled in the top left corner, gaze directed on the passage to the hallway. Everybody around me was fast asleep; snores could be heard from a few. Abraham, for example. I tried to sleep, but couldn't. Daryl still wasn't back and so slowly I got worried for real. I already thought about going out and searching for him, but it was way too dark and probably too risky alone - despite that we were in Alexandria now. Walkers weren't the only thing you've got to fear these days... The minutes ticked by and I just stared at the wall of the hallway. Just before I was about to change my mind and really go out to look for him, I heard the soft squeak of the front door, followed by quiet footsteps. My hand reached for my dagger immediately, preparing myself to defend the group, in case it was not the man I hoped for. But when the intruder turned around the corner with a faint flashlight pinched between his lips, I could clearly see that it was, indeed, Daryl. A relieved breath left my lips. Not just because it wasn't a strange person... "Daryl!" I whisper-shouted, not to wake the others. "Over here!" His head turned towards me, before he tiptoed over to me, getting rid of his crossbow and vest on the way. He knelt down beside me, turning off the small flashlight, before he flopped on the empty space beside me. I couldn't help myself but to cuddle close to him. I pressed my back against his chest, entangled our legs, while Daryl wrapped a strong arm around me, pinning me against him. "Where have you been so long, baby?" I felt him shrugging his shoulders. "Jus' outside, huntin' a few squirrels." I huffed. "You could've told me, ya know. I got worried..." His lips ghosted over my exposed neck, leaving a gentle kiss there. He got much more affectionate through the months. "M sorry, Y/N. Gonna tell ya next time, promise." I nodded, pulling him closer. "Alright." We went silent for a moment, enjoying each other's company. "You know you need to move over soon, if we don't want the others to find out?" "Mhm, jus' another minute." The minute turned almost into an hour. I was on the verge of sleeping in, when I finally felt him move him away from me - much to my dismay, but well...

The next days flew by quickly. Some of us got a job from Deanna and started to accustomate a bit to the new environment we were in, others were still struggling. Daryl was one of them. I noticed how he isolated himself quite a bit. He was barely talking to us and the other people here. He spent the most of the day on the streets and outside the walls. I felt his struggle. It wasn't easy for him to get used to what we suddenly had… Deanna had thrown a welcome party for us, on which he also stayed away. After almost a week, I decided to talk with him; find out what exactly was on his mind.

I knew he was outside, so I asked the doorman to open the main gate for me - which he did, of course, letting me out. I checked on my daggers and strapped my gun on my cargo pants, before I went to search for him. Good thing he taught me how to track. But what he apparently didn't think of, was that I was also able to track him now as well…

I saw him walking through the thicket of the forest, crossbow in hands and a string with squirrels slung over his shoulder. How long had he been out here already? I quietly followed him further, giggling to myself at the little game I played - okay... Tried to play. "Ya ain't good at followin' people, Y/N." He suddenly said with his back still turned towards me, causing me to pout. How the hell did he notice? I didn't make a peep! With a grin on his lips he stopped and turned to face me. Well... The tree I was now 'hiding' behind. "I can see ya." "Ugh, that's not fair." I stated and left my 'hiding' place, crossing my arms over my chest. "Why are you so good at this, huh?" Daryl just shrugged his shoulders. "Cause I am." I huffed, but smiled. "At least I can track you and not have to follow you secretly." "Yeah and that's the moment I regret, teachin' ya... You shouldn't be out 'ere alone." I nodded into his direction. "You neither." The man rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I can look after myself." "And I cannot?" "Didn't say that. 'S jus'... I don't want ya out 'ere alone." I stepped closer to him with a smile, "Well, lucky for you, that I found ya." and placed a small kiss on his lips. "Now c'mon. There's space for a few more squirrels on that string."

After successfully hunting another few squirrels and getting rid of some walkers, we made our way back towards the safe walls of Alexandria - and that was the moment, where I decided to speak with him.

"Daryl, you okay?" He nodded. "Course. Why shouldn't I?" I took a deep breath. "Cause I can feel that you are not..." Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno what ya mean." "Oh yes, you know exactly what I mean. When are you finally going to learn, Mr. Dixon, that talking to me is better for yourself, than just pretending everything's alright? You can maybe fool the others... But you can't fool me." A defeated sigh left his lips. "Ya gonna be the death of me, woman." I had to giggle at his words. "Careful what ya wish for. I don't intend to lose you." He shook his head, "Ya won't lose me." and paused for a moment. "S jus'... I dunno... I am not the type to settle down in a fuckin' mansion. I feel... caged. Ya know wha' I mean? Gotta be rather out 'ere, than pretend everythin's fine in there. 'S not." I nodded, understood of course what he meant - and I certainly couldn't blame him. He never was the type of just sitting around. "I know what ya mean." "Yeah?" "Yeah... And I can understand it. Trappin' you inside a house, would be like trappin' a lion in a cage. Doesn't work. You gotta be out there. You're made for this. I know that..." I paused for a second. "Doesn't mean I like it, though." I added, voice barely above a whisper. Daryl suddenly stopped in his motions; his hand on mine held me back from walking on as well. I immediately turned to face him - and saw the love inside the depths of his brown eyes. "I know that ya don't like it. I know you'd like me to stay inside those damn walls... But-" "You can't." I gave him a soft smile and squeezed his hand. "We all have our jobs to do - and this one's yours." He nodded, swallowing, "Bout that... I wanted to talk with ya anyway..." before he gently dragged me with him. "Aaron gave me a bike." "A bike?" "Yeah." "But that's great! A bike is exactly the thing you need, isn't it?" I smiled, were truly happy for him. "And… he wants me to replace Eric. Asked me to go out with him, recruitin' new people." I breathed out a small laugh at his words. "Of course, Aaron would ask you. Who else? If someone can do that, it's you." "Really? Ya think tha'?" I nodded. "Yes. You are a tracker - a pretty good one at that. And you can see the difference between good and bad people." "Aaron said that, too." "See?" I giggled, "So... You ain't mad at me, if I'd go out with Aaron?" and shook my head immediately. "Nah." We both stopped, when we saw that the big walls of Alexandria came in sight. "If that is what you want, sure, baby. As long as you promise me to come back to me - in one piece and unharmed." Daryl scoffed. "Of course, Y/N. Told ya before... I'll always come back for ya - no matter where ya are." I smiled at the man in front of me and wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him close. "I love you, Daryl Dixon. Remember that." "How could I not, eh?" Daryl asked, brushing a strand of Y/H/C hair out of my face. "Ain't forgettin' my girl. Ya know I love ya, too." A smile played upon my lips, when stood on my tiptoes and kissed him, pouring all the love flowing through my veins in the kiss - and it didn't just stay at one kiss...

"When are you and Aaron leavin'?" I asked, panting and out of breath with kiss swollen lips. "As soon as possible. Guess in a few hours or so." What? In a few hours or so? My jaw dropped. "Already? And you're tellin' me now? Daryl!" "M sorry... Didn't know how to tell ya..." Typical. "You don't even stay another night? Damn... I was so lookin' forward to spend a night with ya in privacy." I said, pouting at him. "I know, Y/N... 'M sorry. As soon as I'm back, promise." I sighed, but smiled softly. "Alright. I think I can live with that." I kissed him once again, before I let slowly go of him. "Take care of ya, while I'm away, yeah?" "Of course. You too." Daryl nodded. "And if that lil' boy makes a move on ya, I'm goin' to beat his ass into the ground." I frowned at his words. "You mean Spencer?" "Yeah. Saw him lookin' yer way." I couldn't help but giggle. "Why take a boy, when I can have a man." I winked at Daryl and kissed him a last time, before I turned around to leave. "I'll head inside now, before I change my mind and try to convince you to stay." With those words, I walked to the gate and left Daryl behind.

I didn't say him goodbye that day before he left. I never did.

Now, I found myself once again sitting on the porch of the mansion, when I saw Maggie heading my way - with a stupid grin on her face. That meant nothing good... "Ugh, I know that smile. What is it?" Maggie sat down beside me, still grinning from ear to ear. "So... How long is this goin' on now?" An uneasy feeling started to spread throughout my body at her question. I hoped she didn't mean what I feared she mean… Could she...? Did she...? "How long is what goin' on?" Maggie shook her head. "Don't act innocent now, Y/N. I saw you 'n Daryl." I almost choked on her words. "You... What?! When?! How?!" She giggled. "And you just admit it." At her words, realisation dawned on me. I did. "Shit." Maggie giggled again. I liked that girl a lot. She became definitely one of my closest friends. "So?" "When did you see us?" "Few hours ago. I was on the guard tower, lookin' for Sasha, but she wasn't there. That's when I saw ya two - and it looked pretty obvious to me. I couldn't believe my eyes at first. I mean - no offence - but, Daryl and a woman?" I couldn't suppress the small laugh when I heard Maggie say that. "You rather mean Daryl and love." Her eyes widened. "So this is somethin' serious between ya two?" I nodded, smiling. There was no way to deny it any longer anyway, so why should I lie to Maggie? "Yeah, I'd definitely say so. There was always somethin' between us. Since the day we met. We somehow just got together then at some point. I think when we were on your farm." Maggie smile again. This time, it was a honest, happy smile. "Ohh, but that's wonderful. I'm happy for you 'n Daryl. You both deserve this." "Thank you." We smiled at each other. "But please don't tell the others." She nodded. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." Secret... It hardly wasn't a secret anymore, was it?

a/n: Should Daryl kick Spencer's ass in a second part? 🤔