#grumpy old geeks

[cosmics-beings]

Megastar is canon ????!!!!

[katyspersonal]

I will sound like I am 45 and not 25 ofc, but to be truthful, I am heading towards losing my joy and passion as a fan-artist. It is about the fandoms as a concept in general, without applying it to any specific one. More like about, WHAT fandoms are by now.

I tend to dive into a game/show/whatever ears deep because as an autist I interact with a lot of concepts vicariously through fiction, but also because I just have this natural wish to respect and love (revere, even) something, and complicated creative works that combine several art types work just well. But fandoms are... bad. They are just bad. Now this is absolutely normal for some gremlin that doesn't know anything about the source material to jump in and start to do their thing - be it being super inaccurate to begin with, breaking the source material to replace with their agenda and tastes, or simply spam a lot of samey, 'soulless'(?) fanart with clear clout in mind to, as kids call it, "build the platform" so they can let the STONKS roll in and promote their own stuff at last if they have it.

Like... This is what fandoms ARE by now. Halfway the grinding ground to gain following to sell commissions to, halfway a ground to spread politics and opinions. Business or propaganda. Not a matter of whether products and propaganda are for good things, they're value neutral concepts and can be used for good or bad equally, but both are not ABOUT the source material. Okay, not fully halfway - some ears-deep fans still are here. But why even? When we, actual fans, give people essays on why they are drastically wrong about a character - we get mocked for not having (highlight the correct: real life, girlfriend, touched the grass, job, all applies). When we demand respect and accuracy to the source material - we are called snobbish entitled gatekeepers at least, accused of various isms and phobias at large. When we try to encourage something deeper and more interesting - again, people tell us we are "boring" and that no one cares about this or that character, and outright boast about how they are only here for this sexy man or for that ship and not really lore dive.

Even basically ancient fandoms like Doctor Who, Star Wars or Star Trek that sprouted THANKS TO those exact "30+ loosers with no life" could no longer uphold the whole ears-deep fan mentality because new installments invited too much shallow fans that are prone to mocking too, and celebrities that are responsible for making awful reboots/continuations can just violate the source however they want under cover of "everyone who doesn't like it is just a sexist and racist incel". This is just how it is now. Passion, elaborate knowledge on the source and respect for a thing truly great creative minds created are now considered DIRTY things, and are a proof of one's inferiority in accomplishments and personality. Because fandoms are no longer a place to gather FANS. They are "platforms".

I just consider, would it be more fun to either invest in the fandoms for real people (composers, poets, scientists, etc) where loving the source material for what it is is a requirement (because...... real people... historical accuracy....), or to just head towards creation my own thing sooner than later? I got to say though, I am thankful for each and every fan in whatever fandom I visited that was/is just as passionate as me. It felt, and still feels less lonely to have more people that don't see shame in REALLY fucking loving stories and characters.

[katanablue]

I originally had a totally different idea for this but I think I may just do a part 2 hehehe. ALSO IF ANYONE GOT ANY GOOD 07 DONNIE FICS ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Warnings: NONE JUST DONNIE BEING A CUTE GRUMPY DORK.

Another day another long boring shift full of talking to idiotic people who don’t know the difference between hardware and software and explaining to one too many elderly people that ‘No, you cannot print out the Internet.’

He’s just finished a call, rubbing the space between his eyes as he feels his daily headache come on. He’s impressed that he’s managed to nearly finish his workday without it appearing until now. He groans low in his throat, debating on getting up to grab a glass of water so he can take a pill or just sucking it up these last 30 minutes.

He gets his answer when an incoming call rings through his headset, making Donnie roll his eyes hard and into the back of his skull. He inhales deeply through his nose to prepare himself, letting it out when he clicks on a key to answer the phone.

“Thank you for calling tech support, this is Donatello speaking, how can I help you today.” He doesn’t bother putting on his customer service voice, his headache dully throbbing now as he waits for the other person on the line to start rambling about their dumb issue.

“Hi, how are you today?” You say, giving the standard pleasantries before delving into your computer issue.

Typical, of course his last call would try to make small talk.

“I’m fine ma’am, thank you. How can I help you today?” He repeats it, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again and leans back in his chair, swaying gently side to side. He thinks about what he should eat after, his eyes trailing to the clock in the Lair that signifies in big red letters that it’s nearly 2 a.m. Not the latest he’s stayed up but today’s shift was particularly exhausting. Maybe it’s the full moon or something, ‘Mercury in Gatorade’ as Mikey would sometimes call it.

“Hello?”

Shit. He totally just fucking zoned out on you.

“Apologies ma’am, I didn’t quite catch that. Would you mind repeating it?” Great, he just extended this call by about 2 minutes.

“Oh, that’s alright! I’m dealing with an issue with my laptop’s ability to open programs fast. It’s taking forever just to open something and I’m not quite sure why.” You repeat your issue, quietly sighing as you aimlessly move your mouse around your screen, hoping that the guy on the other side will be able to help with you.

Donnie immediately knows what the problem could be; slow processing speeds a fairly common issue for him but thankfully an easy fix.

So he starts by asking the standard questions: do you have any programs that take a lot of space? Any tabs open that you aren’t using? Anything running in the background?

When you tell him ‘no, no and no’, that’s when he sits up from his chair and squints his eyes. If those aren’t the cause of your laptops slow speed then what could it be?

“Well,”

Ah, there it is.

“I do play a few games but those have never caused me problems before. Could that be it?”

Normally Donatello’s irritation would increase when the customer would ‘suddenly remember’ something that could be pausing their problem. You, however? Didn’t spark that within him for some reason. In fact, besides your calm demeanor, it’s the way you spoke so kindly to him combined with the fact that you also game apparently that has Donnie not wanting to snap at you.

“Like what?” He asks, being sure to keep it professional.

And when you list his all time favorite game among some others that he’s obsessed with, he has to practically force himself to not totally geek out. Sure he’s played some of the popular games nowadays like League or Valorant, but hearing you say that you modded some old PS1 games to play on your laptop practically skyrockets his excitement.

Which in turn makes his headache pound harder.

He’s unable to keep himself from hissing when a pang shoots right through his skull, knowing you heard it when you trail off your sentence.

“Are you alright?”

Maybe it’s because he’s had a long day or maybe it’s because this seems to be shifting into a migraine, but the concern and sincerity in your voice makes an odd feeling bubble in Donnie’s chest. Surely no one would ever be genuinely worried over an I.T guy, not when you have more pressing matters on your hands.

“My apologies miss, I’m just uh, dealing with a bit of a headache right now. Although I think it’s turning into a migraine.” He grunts through his clenched jaw, swinging carefully around in his chair as he searches for his bottle of Advil only to suck his teeth when he shakes the container and hears absolutely nothing rattling around.

“Oh no, I’m sorry! Do you want to go grab some medicine? I don’t mind waiting.”

The corner of Donnie’s lip twitches upward. He brings his hands to massage at his temples, the motions doing something to relieve the tension in his head but not nearly enough.

“I unfortunately just discovered that I’m out of medicine. But that’s alright, I’ll pick some up after this call.” He doesn’t bother hiding his sigh, settling back in his seat as he prepares to ask you more questions to help you out.

“What about any oils? Got any of those? Usually lavender or peppermint do the trick.” You put him on speaker and go to your Safari on your phone to begin looking up other remedies, wanting to assist this poor I.T man.

Donnie’s not quite sure why you’re trying to be helpful but at this point he doesn’t exactly care, the throbbing getting worse by the second.

“It could also be too much pressure, literally, around your head. Do you wear headbands or anything like that? Could also be your headphones.”

“No, no headbands. And my headphones have cushioning all around so not those either.” He responds, debating on texting Mikey to bring him the peppermint oil that April bought for Splinter last Christmas.

“Ah, a man of comfort.” You laugh, fingers quickly typing in your question into the search engine.

Donnie finds himself smiling faintly at the sound, a fleeting thought of ‘Wow, I want to hear that again’ passing through his brain.

“Well, I can’t use regular headphones for gaming. I’m also a fan of those games that you play.”

You blink in surprise, your scrolling faltering for half a second before continuing on.

“No way, really?”

And so you talk for the next 20 minutes about said games; reliving memories, talking about specific moments you wish you could experience again, the soundtracks, the characters. Everything.

For the first 10 minutes, Donnie kept reminding himself that he was just prolonging his work call, that he should drive the focus back onto your issue so he can hang up and clock out. But the more he talked to you, the more he said ‘fuck it’ and allowed himself this one rare moment of normalcy.

He also nearly forgot about his raging migraine, until it pleasantly reminded him that it was still present with a sharp stabbing pain behind his eyes.

It’s what snaps him back to reality, his face grimacing from the white hot torment happening in his skull.

“I’m so sorry, we should really get back to your computers issues.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

God, why did he feel so awful saying that? And why did it make his stomach twist when hearing just how disappointed you sounded? It’s something he’ll have to dissect later, not when he’s already 30 minutes past the standard call time for support.

“Let’s see what we’re working with here.”

This is one of the rare times Donnie wishes he wasn’t so smart with technology because in less than 5 minutes he solves your problem. He wishes he could just be a little average to talk to you more even if it’s computer stuff.

“Alright, you shouldn’t have a problem anymore. Anything else I can help you with?”

Please say yes please say yes please say yes.

“No, I’m all good. Thank so much Donatello!”

“Donnie! You can call me Donnie.”

Fuck.

“Just your friendly I.T tech support here to help you 24 hours a day.”

Double fuck.

Why did he say that? It’s standard spiel protocol but still, how utterly lame…

You can’t help but giggle at him, your cheeks hurting from smiling so much from this total stranger.

“Alright then, Donnie. I’ll know who to ask for if I ever need help again.”

He smiles and asks for your name, just so he’ll know who he’s talking to if you ever do call again. He repeats it back to you once you tell him, the word rolling off his tongue in such a way that makes you feel giddy and grinning like a kid in a candy store.

“Have a good night, please don’t hesitate to call back if you’re still experiencing technical difficulties.”

And by Darwin he hopes you do.

[moronkombat]

Do you have any funny random hcs for the Lin Kuei trio? 🤎

Bi-Han:

He absolutely cannot handle his alcohol but if someone were to challenge him to a drinking contest, he simply can't refuse. He would at first but then his pride gets the better of him. He gets through about two drinks before he needs to carried away or else he's falling over everything and everyone all the while insisting he is not drunk. He is

Has no groove whatsoever but you know who does? Tomas and Bi-Han hates that. Does Bi-Han try to practice dance moves when he's alone? Yes? Has he been caught? Yes? His excuse? A new fighting technique. Is it believed? No

Is very opposite of photogenic, especially in childhood photos. He looks grumpy in all his photos even in the ones where he is actually happy smiling. Do not ask him about his baby pictures. He will never show you. He'll lie and say he doesn't have any. He does. He was the first born after all. There are tons of pictures

Tomas:

Every time he tries to pull a prank or a joke on someone it backfires and he ends up pranking himself. You know those old school tricks of putting a bucket of water on the door. Yeah, he's gonna try it. He's gonna get someone good with it. Uh oh he forgot something in the room? Better go back and get it-oops yeah that's right he put a whole bucket of water on the door and now its spilled on him

When in front of a mirror, he can't help but make weird or silly faces. It gives him a laugh and he can find himself just goofing off in the mirror for hours making himself crack up. A man of simple pleasures really

Total dinosaur nerd. His favorite? Suzhousaurus. Why? He thinks it's neat. What's that? There's a new exhibit at the museum that has it? Well, guess where he's going? Yeah he's there as the doors open and he's geeking out like crazy. Someone asks where Tomas went for the day? Oh he's looking at dino bones. Bi-Han is not amused

Kuai Liang:

Has to pet every cat he sees. It's just the way how things work. There's a cat? Well, Kuai Liang is by it and petting it. There's a colony of cats? He's petting every single one and won't leave until he does. Uh oh, what's that? He'd feeding them and suddenly there are cats lingering about the Lin Kuei manor? Well, guess they are all his cats now

Snorts when he laughs. Full on lil piggy mode. No one expects it and people are shocked when it happens. Now everyone is trying to get him to laugh to hear it again. The hunt of the snort but that snort does not like to be hunted because once it's caught it can't stop

Mostly sleeps sitting up. He'll sit in a chair, cross his arms and close his eyes. A lot of the time people think he is just meditating, oh wow how wise of him. No, he's just sleeping. How do you know? He snores and he snores loud. Is that a bear growling? No, it just Kuai Liang taking a nap in the next room

[sunbearsophia]

Sorry again for how few and far in-between my Tumblr posts are, guys! I'll try and be more frequent with them!

It hit me a while back that for all I talk about my Next-Gen on Twitter, I hardly ever talk about my fan kids here on Tumblr! So, I decided to throw together a ref sheet for my main girl, Emmy, to get started on that and introduce her to y'all!

---

Her full name is Emilia Luna-Ophelia Barrabas-Darling, but almost everyone calls her Emmy for short. She was named after her late grandmother on Eduardo's side, although Laurel was actually the one who suggested it when she was born. (Eduardo absolutely cried when she suggested it, not that he wasn't already sobbing lol.) Her middle names were each chosen by one of her parents. (Luna for Eduardo, Ophelia for Laurel bc her mummy's a Shakespeare geek and we love her for it aaaaa.)

Probably 21 in the reference, definitely college-aged!

Working in retail currently to pay the bills, but saving up to attend art school when she gets the chance, wants to work as a background artist in animation.

Is generally a really friendly and outgoing person, extremely open with her personality, interests and affection, much like her mom. KNOWN for her hugs that could throw out someone's back, just generally really kind and chill, basically a big ol' puppy lady. She's also pretty stubborn and abrasive, however, and does have a temper on her, however. Aside from just generally getting grumpy when she's tired, exhausted or frustrated, she is just as willing to throw some HANDS when someone's pissed er off, just like her old man.

A pretty artsy-fartsy kinda gal, but not so much a snob about art, more like she'll happily ramble about art techniques and history when the subject is brought up. Also has a love for dancing, sports and Shakespeare.

Is extremely close with her family, she adores her Mummy Laurel and is a MASSIVE Daddy's Girl for Eduardo, she never misses the chance to see and spend time with them, and always wants to make them proud. (Her dad was her inspiration to start drawing when she was little, and always thinks of Eduardo and Laurel both as her heroes.) Also loves her little brother Leonardo, and is very protective of him, mess with him you mess with HER. >:(

Also loves her Uncle Mark and Uncle Jon with all her heart, they basically were third and fourth parents to her ever since she was a baby and she knows she can always go to them for anything. Very close to her other uncles, too, but out of all of them, she's closest to Jon and Mark. Also loves her Grandmado, and misses her terribly as an adult.

Has ADHD and dyslexia, so she often uses word processors and audio books to help with the latter and tends to plan and schedule her days in advance and stick heavily with routines to avoid losing focus with the former. Still has her struggles but knows she's supported and loved by those around her and is too stubborn to let them win.

Loves avocados, just like her dad. It was one of her first words, and to this day, her and her dad have a designated day all for eating avocados all throughout. (HC BY THE AWESOME @tamaraskabr ITS SO WHOLESOME I LOVE IT QwQ) Other than that, she loves basically anything mint chocolate, she's a simple woman lol.

---

All the tidbits I've got for now! Plan to follow up the post with some sketches of her other outfits I've worked on! For now, hope this gives some insight on who she is so I can share more art of her on here with context!

she's my goober daughter and i love her sm lol

[luveline]

maybe grumpy!r with zombie!au jonathon ? totally fine if this doesn’t work haha have a good day <3

tysm ♡

The river kisses the rubber toes of your shoes, rushing water loud over stone. If Jonathan knew you were sitting by the river defenceless he'd worry in his way, sweetness first and annoyance second.

But Jonathan won't know, you decide, tracing the silky blue water until it turns to froth. 

It's not his fault, not Will's, not any of your group's fault that you resent your life with so much passion, and so you try to leave them alone when you know you'll lash out. Will says your sullen, Jon just says you're tired, but it's Hopper who hits the nail on the head, every time. 

"You're a grump, kid. Old man in a young girl's body."

You're not sure about young —you feel like living to this age is impressive enough in the circumstances— but you agree to being thought grumpy. You're kind of awful, actually. 

"How many times do I have to tell you?" 

You jump at Jonathan's voice at your shoulder and almost smack your skulls together. "How many times do I have to tell you?" you ask, glaring at his easy smile. "Don't fucking sneak up on me." 

"Don't sit by the river alone. Idiot. It's too loud, you'd never hear a geek coming up behind you and then I'd have to put you out of your misery, and how is that fair? I don't want to kill you. Will would never forgive me." 

"That's your reason?" 

"Sure is. I got you this." 

A hand thrust in front of you, a flower twirled by the stem. You're not sure what kind it is or where he got it, but it's tall and strong, petals all shades of purple. You accept it with tender fingers. It feels foreign to see something as starkly beautiful as his clean flower between all the gore and grit of your life on foot. 

"Thank you," you murmur. 

"Anything for me?" 

Jonathan looks at you head on. Christ, he's handsome. He doesn't seem to think so, but it's in his smile, and the way he talks, the easy roll of his shoulders now and his more timid moments, too. It's in his laugh, his eyes. 

You huff in annoyance and kiss him. 

"Don't be like that," he says against your lips, punctuating with two quick kisses. 

"I'm not being like anything."

"Don't kiss me if you don't want to," he says, his fingers wrapped around your wrist. You love his touch, the firm, almost rough brunt of his thumb against your pulse and his forehead as it rests on your shoulder. "It's fine. I'll just die miserable." 

"You're not funny," you say, staring at the top of his head. 

"You're not, either, but I usually laugh." Jonathan stops his teasing, his voice shining with sincerity as his lips skip over your sleeve. "Are you okay? I was worried about you. I am worried about you." 

You look down at your flower, a perfect little gift. It staves away the dirty feeling that lingers on your skin. 

"Do you think I could press this? Keep it forever?" you ask. 

Jonathan sits up, spinning away from you so you're staring in opposite directions, hip to hip. "Yeah, you can. You just need a little tissue paper. But if it doesn't work, I'll find you another one." 

"What if it's winter?" 

"I'll find you something else." 

"I want something pretty as this," you warn. 

"Then I'll find you a mirror." It's awful because he's not joking. 

You take his hand and put it on your thigh to watch his cheeks turn pink. The river roars, the smell of roasted frogs and hare drifts along the breeze, and Jonathan Byers can't look at you. He's all talk. 

"Thanks, Jon," you murmur, rubbing his knuckles. 

He coughs. "You're welcome." 

[going-to-ikea-for-the-fries]

Retired!Ghost x Newcomer!Soap - Boxing AU

[MY MASTERLIST]

Rating: G Words: 600~ Pairing: GhostxSoap CW: mention of painkiller addiction and alcoholism, mention of sport-typical permanent injury

Johnny "Soap" MacTavish who has just begun his boxing career, who is aiming for being at the top of his weight class, and is deemed a worthwhile newcomer by fans of the sport.

Soap who rarely loses a match, who never gets KO'd. Soap who has a signature move that everyone knows, a move that kids everywhere like to copy in the school playground.

Soap who earned his nickname from consistently "wiping the floor" with his opponents.

Soap's PR manager, Gaz, who has his work cutout for him because Soap literally never shuts up and talks a lot of crap about other boxers in press interviews and on social media.

Soap who's cocky and challenges everyone and anyone to get into the ring with him.

Soap who challenges the wrong person, a very famous boxer who's known for brutalizing his opponents and putting many legends out of commission.

Soap's manager, Price, who is scared shitless when the other boxer accepts the challenge. Price who knows Soap is too cocky of a bloke to admit he's going to lose.

Price who calls in a favor with Ghost, whom he also used to manage/represent, begging him to mentor Soap for a month, until the date of the scheduled fight.

Ghost who used to be an absolute legend of the sport but vanished off the face of the Earth after he got demolished by that same boxer, who, back then was just a fresh face in the scene, and somehow KO'd Ghost within the first round.

Ghost who got a concussion so bad from that KO that it had irreversible consequences to his physical and mental health and had to quit his boxing career and retire... and ended up getting addicted to painkillers and alcohol.

Ghost who is so bitter from his career loss that he doesn't even keep up with the sport anymore so he has no clue who Johnny is, but who feels like he owes Price a favor, and is surprised to find, in his research, that Soap actually has potential.

Ghost who shows up to observe a training session and starts giving grumpy advice, which Soap, being cocky, doesn't take, seeing Ghost as some random old man who stumbled in and thinks he knows anything (especially because Ghost looks homeless in a dirty hoodie and jeans and shaggy hair/beard + smelling like booze).

Soap who ends up getting suddenly confronted by Ghost and getting his ass handed to him before he even saw it coming, which causes Price (who's in the sidelines) to laugh his ass out.

Soap who looks up at Ghost while on his back on the floor of the ring and, even though he doesn't know Ghost's face, he recognizes his eyes immediately. "Steamin' Jesus..."

Soap who immediately bounces up to his feet and geeks out about Ghost, gushing about how many times he watched him on TV, about how he was a huge fan growing up and had posters of him all over his bedroom walls.

Ghost whose whole shtick was wearing the skull-printed balaclava and the fact that every time he won a match he'd add another skull tattoo to his half-sleeve, until it extended all the way up his bicep into a full-sleeve.

Ghost who earned his nickname because he moved so fast around the ring that he basically danced with his opponents.

Soap who begs Ghost on his knees to mentor him, to teach him all he knows.

Ghost who, for some reason, can't say no...

Ghost who's first advice to Johnny is to "shave that stupid bloody mohawk".

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 1

Episode 3: Mo' Danger, Mo' Problems

Reporting to his job, Henry walked into the elevator and hit the down button. Even though he braced himself, the sensation of falling down the shaft in the broken machine still made him scream all the way to the bottom. The elevator door opened, letting the pyjama-clad boy step out.

"He's got to fix that elevator." He groaned and huffed to (y/n), as he walked into the Man Cave.

"Where's Ray? He triple-beeped me." Henry asked the sleepy-looking woman, who like him was wearing pyjamas. 

"Honestly? I don't know. Jerk woke me up and just said to give you this and to tell you to put it on your wrist." (y/n) held out a watch for him and rubbing her tired eyes.

"Sure, what else would I put it on?"He joked, fastening the strap, as (y/n) chuckled at him.

"Flip the cover." She said as she sat down with her arms on the back of the couch. She let her head flop down as she looked at Henry. 

"Hiya Henry!" Ray said excitedly in hologram form. 'So that was his plan.' (y/n) grumbled in her mind.

"Oh!" Henry looked at the little Ray in shock at the sudden appearance of his boss.

"Ray?" He said to make sure it was him.

"Yep. I'm hovering over your wrist in hologram form!" He said waving his hands in a silly manner. Henry wanted to see how his new gadget worked, so he poked Ray in his eye, causing him to clutch it in fake pain.

"You poked my eye out!" He screamed, making (y/n) roll her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Henry thought he had injured his boss and put a hand over his racing heart.

"I'm just kidding. You can't hurt a hologram or a Captain Man!" Ray reassured him, doing a little dance.

"This is so cool." Henry geeked out at the thought of having hologram tech. 

"It would be even cooler if I hadn't been woken up." (y/n) mumbled, her words slurred from her face being smushed into her arms. 

"It's like we're in the same room." Henry carried on complimenting the watch.

"We are." The holo-Ray turned around and walked off, causing the image to fizzle out. Henry looked confused and waved his hand over his wrist to see where the man had gone.

"Where'd you..." Henry started, but Ray had crept past (y/n) and patted him on the shoulder, scaring the wits out of the boy.

"Peek-a-boo," Ray said, as Henry screamed. The young woman at the couch wasn't happy from the noise and looked up at the males who were keeping her awake.

"Couldn't this have waited until morning, doofus?" She glared.

"Aww, she's always grumpy when she's tired." Ray fawned over her despite the killer look she was giving him, before turning back to his sidekick.

"Now, take off your old wristband." He instructed.

"Okay, why am I--" Henry started, but Ray was too impatient for questions.

"From now on I'm going to contact you on your new whiz watch."

"So what do I do with the old one?" Henry questioned, holding the old gadget in his hand.

"Toss it up in the air," Ray replied nonchalantly.

"Why?"

"It's about to self-destruct." He told the teen, who promptly threw it to the ground with wide eyes. The bracelet started beeping, but there was a delay between the beeps and the explosion.

"Hmm- that's weird. It was supposed to--" They were caught off guard by the wristband imploding, making them jump into each other's arms and (y/n) to awake from her dozing with a start.

She looked up and saw the two hugging each other in fear, but they soon found it awkward, so they parted, clearing their throats and avoiding eye contact. 

"I see you're wearing pyjama pants," Ray mentioned, trying to diffuse the awkwardness. 

"Yeah, it's almost midnight. I was studying for this huge test I have tomorrow." Henry explained.

"And I was asleep, but you came into my room and jumped on my bed." The girl had walked over to Ray and was pointing an accusing finger in his face. He just smiled at her and pulled her into a warm hug.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He said, his body heat making her sleepy again, so she stayed silent and just let herself doze off against his chest.

"What subject?" Ray asked over her head, trying to ignore the sweet smell of her shampoo. The vibrations from his chest made her face feel funny.

"Puerto Rican history." Henry overlooked their cuteness and didn't mention the embrace, because he knew Ray would kill him.

"Ahh, Puerto Rico, Land of..." The superhero began, but he trailed off when he realised he didn't know a lot about the country. 

"Puerto Ricans?" Kid Danger filled in for him.

"Right." He admitted defeat, but the emergency alarm went off, which made (y/n) jump in his arms. With a whiny moan, she stepped out of his warmth and trudged over to the supercomputer with them, opening the camera link to the store above.

"What's up, Gooch?" She slurred with her elbows on the control panel and her face in her hands.

"There's a robbery in progress." He instantly reported.

"Where?" Ray interrogated. 

"At the 24-hour antique bottle shop."

"Glass from The Past?" Henry asked, knowing where the store was in downtown Swellview.

"Affirmative," Gooch said.

"On it." Ray said, as his best friend slowly pressed the off button, cutting the video call. 

"Right here to Glass from The Past, ETA is like, 15 minutes I think." She said quietly, rubbing her face so she could wake up and notify the owner about Captain Man's arrival.

"Shall we?" Ray showed his gum tube to Henry, who shared his look of determination.

"Let's blow some bubbles and fight some crime," Henry said, putting the gumball in his mouth. They chewed and stepped away from the computer, so they could transform properly into their Captain Man and Kid Danger costumes.

"Let's hit it, Kid Danger." Captain Man said to the boy on his right.

"Fist." Henry and Ray fist-bumped each other, both running on adrenaline. 

"Get some sleep." Ray said to (y/n), who was wearily looking on from the computer chair. She waved at the two, as they ran to the tubes and slapped their belt buckles.

"So whipped." Henry chuckled, once his tube was down and only Ray could hear him.

"Up the tube," Ray said in a slightly stern voice, looking at Henry with his serious face, but the boy cheekily grinned back, as they were sucked up.

"Aw, my boot!" Henry couldn't believe his shoe had fallen off, all the way down at the other end of the tube.

"Ha! Serves you right! Just yell, 'Up the boot!'" Ray bit his tongue, amused that karma had paid Henry back for all his teasing. With Henry gaining his boot back, the two made their way to the store, ready to kick some criminal butt.

~(y/n)'s PoV~

I hadn't felt that tired in a while, but working for Captain Man meant that every couple of weeks brought a few sleepless nights. The last robbery at Swellview Bank had only been a few days before, and Ray didn't come back 'til 3AM. Like me, he was exhausted from fighting The Toddler and the rookie criminals at the bank. Still, he was lucky that he now had Henry to help him. I made him some hot cocoa and we both fell asleep for 14 hours, waking up the next day to another emergency call.

I blushed when I remembered how Ray's arms were around my waist from him spooning me in our sleep. He groaned as he got up, and I quickly had to answer Gooch's call before he saw my red face.

'No, no no, focus on the task at hand.' I scolded myself.

'Just call the store owner and tell him Captain Man is on his way. No distractions.' I took in a deep breath and dialled the number on the supercomputer.

"H--Hello?" The man on the other end of the line shakily said. 

"Hello sir, Captain Man will be with you in a few minutes, please remain calm," I said softly, not wanting the man to freak out and do something that meant the robber would hurt him. 

"Please! I need him here now! I'm being robbed!" I sighed, feeling too tired to deal with this, but I carried on, knowing my colleagues would be there soon.

"Sir, please stay calm. Captain Man and Kid Danger will be with you shortly." I tried to keep the man quiet, knowing the criminal was close by, possibly even in the same room as him. 

"Put that phone down, come on bro, open up that cash register." I heard the thug shouting and slamming on the counter. 'Sweet cheese, come on Ray.' I prayed that things wouldn't get ugly.

"I'm going as fast as I can, boss!" I made out the owner trying to tell him, but it seemed the robber wasn't a patient man.

"Give me that pretty lavender bottle, 'cause it matches my motorcycle helmet." My eyebrows furrowed when I heard the strange request, deducing that this was another nutjob, bad guy. 

I continued the listen to the poor owner follow the demands of the robber, hearing the rustle of paper and his compliant answers. 

"Excuse me." I let out a sigh of relief when I heard Ray's familiar Captain Man voice through the speaker. The owner's delighted words reassured me that he now had the proper help and that the criminal was about to face justice. 

I pressed the end button on the panel, glad that my job was done. I slowly got up from my chair and stretched my tired muscles. Feeling the sleepiness creep up on me, I decided to take Ray's advice and slowly lumbered up to the sprocket and off to bed.

~Glass From The Past, 3rd Person PoV~

"What the--" The robber looked over to see Captain Man had just entered the store, much to the happiness and delight of the owner he was threatening.

"I hope you're planning to pay for that lavender bottle," Ray told the criminal, but he knew the real answer.

"And I hope that, too!" Henry added in, as he shot through the door and stood next to the older man. The store owner was so relieved to have the duo in his store to protect him and his property.

Ray walked forward, in time with the goon, and stood in front of him in a standoff. The two glared at each other.

"I ain't afraid of you." The thug said in a tough voice, raising the metal bar in his hand and whacking it on Ray's head. Keeping cool, Ray swallowed down the yelp that threatened to escape and coolly looked back to the criminal.

"Try again. Keep your left arm straight." He said, his eyes squinting in a challenge to the large man. Not backing down, the man hit him again with more force, the pain making him grunt this time.

"Strike three." He growled huskily, having had enough with the criminal, but Henry butted into his imposing façade.

"That was only two." He pointed out.

"Okay, don't correct me in front of the criminals." Ray chastised him, not wanting to look dumb. Henry backed off, so Ray could stop the man on his next swing. Grabbing the arm with the metal pipe in, Ray knocked it back into the man's face, making him scream in pain. Stepping back, Ray then kicked him into a display of antique bottles, which horrified the cashier.

"You really wanna fight us? Ray asked, not caring about the broken vases. The man looked between the large, muscly superhero and his smaller, scrawny sidekick.

"Can I just fight the kid?" He asked looking at Captain Man, which offended Henry, who thought he could take on any bad guy, even if they were three times his size.

"No, you can't just fight--" Ray started.

"Sure he can. Come on, tough guy." Henry challenged, getting into a fighting stance and rocking back and forth on his toes.

"Okay." That was all the criminal said, as he just put his purple helmet over Kid Danger's face and grabbed his pipe.

"Oh, this smells so bad!" Henry complained, trying to get the helmet off so he could see. Ray stood there, unimpressed and agitated, but he didn't want Henry to be hit by the metal pipe, so he grabbed two antique golf clubs from the shop wall. The man at the cash register protested at him, not wanting any more damage done to his shop.

"Kid Danger, catch this golf club!" He shouted, throwing one at Henry, but due to his inability to see, it just hit him in the face. The criminal charged forward, the metal pipe in the air, trying to hit Captain Man, who was narrowly dodging his blows. 

"You're not helping me!" The owner shouted at them, as more and more antiques were destroyed. The battle resulted in nearly all the bottles on display being smashed, either from Ray and the thug missing each other with their weapons, or Henry blindly swinging his golf club around.

"Captain Man, where are you?" Henry yelled, not know what was happening.

"Follow the sound of my voice!" he told the teen, and they started to play Marco Polo in an attempt to find each other.

"Marco!"

"Polo!" They continued to smash up everything in the shop.

"Could you superheroes please just leave?!" The cashier pleaded, his whole livelihood turning to nothing on the floor, as Ray roundhouse kicked the criminal into a shelving unit. Finally being near Henry, he avoided the boy's wild swings and brought him under control, removing the helmet.

"Where is he?" said Henry, ready to keep fighting, but the bad guy was on the ground, writhing in pain. 

"Did I get him?" He looked up at his boss.

"Yeah, you got him," Ray said, mostly to keep him happy.

"My whole store is destroyed!" The owner sounded distraught as he looked over the damage.

"No need to thank us." Ray smiled at him.

"Thank you?" The man replied rhetorically.

"You're welcome." Ray didn't understand that the man was upset.

"Let's go, Kid Danger." He said to Henry, ready to go back to the Man Cave and relax. 

"NO! Nobody leaves until you boys clean up all of this broken glass." The owner insisted, making the superheroes turn around with surprised eyes.

"Alright." Captain Man conceded.

"But I've got to get up at 7AM tomorrow for my test at school." Henry reminded him, not liking the idea of staying up all night to clean up. His test was too important.

"This will only take us like, five hours. I'll get you a broom." Ray tried to sound positive, but it was futile. He walked to the back of the store, as Henry staggered back to the wall, already exhausted from the notion of hours more work. He slumped to the floor in defeat.

~Five hours later, Ray's PoV~ 

I let out a long groan as the tube dropped me back down into the Man Cave. Cleaning up at the robbed store had left me feeling drained, and I was glad to be back home. Removing my mask and rubbing my eyes, I decided it was best to forget grabbing something to eat and to just go to bed since I didn't know when the next emergency would come in.

Going through the sprocket, I walked down the corridor towards my bedroom. I slowed down as I passed by (y/n)'s room and remembered how tired she was. Without a second thought, my hand pressed the button to open the door and I poked my head in to check on her. I saw her tucked up in bed, sleeping soundly, making me release a breathy smile. 

'Too cute.' I thought to myself, noticing how her chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm. My face flushed when I realised I was staring, and I quickly retreated from her room, closing the door behind me. I walked quickly down the hall to my room and I could feel my ears burning. 

'Just friends, nothing more. She's outta your league.' I said the mantra in my mind, thinking that she could never be mine. Finally, I got to my room and started to remove the super suit. I dumped it into my laundry basket, knowing that (y/n) would clean it as soon as she woke up like she always did. 

Pulling on some pyjama bottoms, I made my way over to my bed and flopped down onto it, pulling the blankets over me. Sleep rapidly brought me under, and I gently drifted off to dreams of a girl with (y/c/h) hair and (y/c/e) eyes. 

~Swellview High, 3rd Person PoV~ 

"Henry?"

"Henry." Called Miss Shapen, Henry's history teacher. She looked down at the boy, who had fallen asleep in class from fighting crime all night. Deciding that no student was going to sleep in her class, the teacher put her finger into her mouth and then into Henry's ear, giving him a wet willy. He jerked awake from the feeling and looked up to see the woman sneering down at him.

"HENRY!"

"Whoa, whoa, what happened?" He blinked through the sleep and looked around the class.

"Did you just give me a wet willy?" Henry asked in disgust.

"Mm-hmm. It was real wet." Charlotte mentioned from behind him.

"You slept through your entire test." Miss Shapen scolded him.

"I did?" Henry couldn't believe he had missed his test, as he'd not written a single thing down.

"You all see this boy? This is what happens when you stay up all night on Twitflash and Twiddlegram." The teacher said to the class, pointing at Henry.

"Excuse me, Miss Shapen?" Jasper requested from his seat near the back of the classroom.

"What?" 

"Can I have a wet willy?" His question thoroughly confused her, and everyone else listening, but it was Jasper, so they all ignored how weird it was.

~Henry's house, later that night~ 

Henry had run upstairs to his bedroom, after getting a triple beep from Ray on his watch. He'd had to make an excuse to his family about being too tired to eat his 'chilli balls'. Locking the door, he flicked the watch open.

"Henry, why aren't you on your way here?" Holo-Ray said, confused as to why his young sidekick was still at his house.

"Because I got in trouble for sleeping in class today and I had to make chilli balls," Henry explained.

"Did he say 'chilli balls'?" He could hear (y/n) wondering in the background.

"It was my night." he replied, trying to convince them that he had been forced to make dinner for his family.

"Kid, there's been an escape from Swellview Prison. I need you." Captain Man urged him, knowing that there were dangerous criminals on the loose.

"Alright, I'll be there in 10 minutes." Henry sighed, he was way too tired to fight some bad guys, and he still needed to study for his big make-up test on Friday.

"Good, run like a bunny," Ray said, which made his best friend.

"When have you ever said that before?" She giggled, but the hologram shut off before Henry could see them argue. Closing his whiz watch, he walked to his bed and tried to clamber over it, so he could reach his gum tub on the nightstand.

"Okay, just gotta get my special gum." He said to himself, leaning across the pillows. However, the feeling of the soft mattress and fluffy pillows caused his tiredness to creep upon him. His gum tube was in hand, but the lull of the sleep he so desperately craved made him drift off, mumbling something about bunnies.

~90 minutes later~

Henry's watch was beeping like crazy, but the teen couldn't hear it from his deep sleep. He also didn't hear Captain Man climbing up to his window, even though he was banging on the glass and angrily calling his name.

"Henry, open up!" Seeing that his attempts were useless, Ray was too impatient to wait for Henry to wake up and decided to use his laser remote to shoot open the lock on the window. Sliding it open with a grunt, he rolled in and saw Henry still asleep. Feeling extremely irritated that his sidekick hadn't noticed his presence, he shut off the beeping watch from his remote control and wafted his scent over to the boy. The foul smell made the boy wake up with a scowl on his face.

"Ugh, what is that smell?" Henry asked, still not noticing Ray.

"I'm that smell!" Ray yelled at him indignantly.

"Wh-- Captain Man, what are you doing here?" He asked, shocked to see the superhero in his room.

"What are you doing here?" Ray shot back rhetorically.

"Huh?" 

"I called you 90 minutes ago and I told you we had an emergency!" Ray squeaked out, the anger making his voice go high-pitched.

"R--right, I guess I fell asleep," Henry replied in a small voice.

"I guess I fell asleep" Ray mocked him in a whiny voice. Henry stepped forward and sniffed his super suit more closely, his nose wrinkling at how bad the stench was.

"Ugh, why do you stink?" His grimaced.

"I stink because I just spent the last hour chasing three criminals through the Swellview Sewer. You know what's down in the Swellview Sewer?" Ray shot back, emphasising how he had to do it alone.

"Poop?" Henry guessed in a tentative voice. 

"POOP!" Ray confirmed with a shout. Suddenly, there was a bang on the door and Henry realised that Piper was trying to get in.

"Oh, my sister." He said, trying to shove Ray to the window. Piper would implode if she saw Captain Man in his room.

"We have a lot to talk about." Ray tried to say, but for a small kid, Henry was surprisingly strong and kept pushing him backwards. Not wanting to be pushed around by a child, Ray let up the ledge in Henry's room and dived out of the window onto the ground below.

"I'm okay." He shouted back up. Henry knew he wasn't hurt and went to unlock the door so he could let his sister in.

"Who were you talking to in here?" She quizzed him as soon as the door was open.

"Nobody." Henry scoffed.

"MOM!" Piper yelled in her shrill voice, wanting to get Henry in trouble. 

"What is it, sweetie?" Mrs Hart appeared.

"Henry was talking to someone in his room and now he says nobody's in here." The 9-year-old snitched. 

"Well, I'm sure if Henry said nobody was in here, then-- Ugh! What is that smell?" Mrs Hart's rational thinking was cut off when Ray's poop smell hit her nose.

"Uh, it's Piper. She hasn't had a bath in a week!" Henry lied, knowing it would kill two birds with one stone; it would explain the smell and get rid of his annoying sister.

"That's a lie!" Piper protested, but Mrs Hart pulled her away anyway. Hearing Piper's shrieks down the hall, Henry slammed the door shut and locked it again, glad to finally be alone. But the hand tapping on his shoulder said otherwise.

"Don't sneak up on me like that." He said to his boss.

"You disappointed me tonight," Ray said in a voice that all grownups have. 

"I'm disappointing everybody. People should just call me 'Kid Disappointment." Henry whined, feeling depressed because nothing was going right for him.

"All right, well, just tell me what the problem is," Ray stated, looking up at Henry, who was now sitting on his couch by the window.

"Time, school, working for you, my family. It's just--it's a lot to handle." He admitted, which made Ray think for a moment.

"Well, giving advice is (y/n)'s strong point, but I do know a guy that could get rid of your family." He said, semi-joking.

"What?" Henry looked at him with a shocked expression.

"Kidding! I joke... I do know a guy." Ray smiled and pointed at the boy.

"Oh! I think I can fix your problem." He said suddenly, clapping his hands together.

"Really?" Henry was sceptical, but he kept listening.

"Meet me at headquarters tomorrow." Captain man said excitedly.

"I'm there." Henry agreed, but Ray got distracted by a photo on his table.

"Hey! Who's this?" He said flirtatiously.

"My mom," Henry said in disgust.

"Niiiiice. She, uh, she still married to your dad?" He said smirking, but Henry wasn't having any of it.

"Yes. Dude, don't you like (y/n)?" He said in exasperation. 

"Just friends. Does she ever seem bored or lonely to y--?" Ray tried to say, but Henry felt too tired to deal with him.

"Go home, Ray." The superhero moved towards the window, the photo still in his hand.

"The picture, Ray." He took the photo back, as the superhero climbed out of his window, down the tree and subsequently, went home.

~The Man Cave, 1 hour later~

Ray shot down the tube and as he stepped out, still covered in poop, he noticed that (y/n) was sat at the computer. She was eating popcorn and laughing along to a cheesy romcom. 

"Hey." She greeted him in a happy voice, but then the smell wafted to her side of the Man Cave.

"Oh my God, what is that?" She looked at him in repulsion and walked over to him so she could identify the smell. Stepping closer, she took a sniff of his suit but immediately stepped back, as Henry did earlier. Her hands snapped over her nose, trying to block out the offending odour.

"God, you smell like sh---" Her voice was muffled by her hands.

"Yes, I know. I had to climb through Swellview sewer. Alone." He said, yanking his mask off in irritation.

"Alone? Where was Henry?" Normally, (y/n) would've given him a hug, or put a comforting hand on his arm, but there was no way she was going to be near the superhero in his current state.

"Asleep! The kid fell asleep in his room and never turned up!" Ray recalled, his voice going high again.

"He did spend all of last night cleaning up with you, and he has to go to school." The young woman reasoned, knowing the superhero life was tough, especially for a young boy.

"He really let me down tonight," Ray muttered, walking to the couch to sit down, but (y/n) hastily shooed him away.

"Don't touch anything! Get that suit off and go get cleaned up!" She scolded him, pointing to where the showers were.

"Oh, and don't give Henry a hard time. All teenagers have a lot going on, and he's now a superhero. You should understand how hard that is." Her voice was soft, but the look in her eyes left no room for an argument, so Ray just whined and went up to the sprocket.

"He's coming over tomorrow, I've got a plan." Ray said, walking down the corridor, leaving the girl alone.

'Not another plan.' (y/n) rolled her eyes, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

~The next day~

(y/n) stood with a brain scanner in her hand, and she was busy using it on Henry's head, who was looking uncomfortable with the situation.

"Um, what's that thing doing?" He asked her, not knowing what was going on.

"Scanning your brain," she said, smiling so it sounded like a good thing.

"Oh, cool." The boy replied, seemingly impressed.

"Take a deep breath for me." The young woman instructed, switching sides so she could scan the other part of his head.

"Now go, oodle, oodle, oodle." She said, just wanting to see if Henry would do it.

"Oodle, oodle, oodle." Henry mimicked the noises she made, which resulted in (y/n) giggling.

"You're off-key. It's oodle, oodle, oodle, oodle." They started to do it at the same time, laughing alone with each other.

"Why are we doing this?" Henry asked.

"Relax, kid," Ray said, coming out of the door near the auto-snacker.

"I can't. I got a huge makeup test tomorrow and I gotta study, and (y/n)'s making me go oodle, oodle, oodle." Henry explained, feeling agitated from the weird stuff he had to do and from the stress of his upcoming test.

"You're still not doing it right." She said in a flat tone.

"I don't care! I don't have time to relax!" Henry shouted back.

"Exactly! Your only problem is a lack of time." Ray said mysteriously, making Henry look to the left in thought.

"Imagine if you could do all you studying for school in only 30 seconds." (y/n) proposed.

"How can I learn anything in 30 seconds?" Henry wondered, not understanding the correlation.

"With this. The cerebral data transducer, or as we call it, the H.R.Z" Ray lifted up a technical-looking helmet that was connected to a long wire.

"This device can transfer knowledge from a data source directly into your brain, at 90 million digibles per second." The young woman explained the science, briefly looking up from the controls. 

"Why am I locked in a chair?" Henry queried.

"Do you wanna get a good grade on your Puerto Rican math test?" Ray asked him.

"History." His sidekick corrected.

"Same thing." Ray's short answer made his best friend laugh.

"Right, let's do this thing." (y/n) said, and Ray placed the helmet on Henry's head, making it flash and beep.

"Now, I'll just set the computer to acquire all the world's historical knowledge on Puerto Rico," Ray said, reaching past (y/n) who was fixing the cable

"Woah, intense. But, uh, will this hurt?" Henry asked, his heart thumping loudly in his ears.

"Yeah, a lot." There's no point in lying to him.' The girl thought, as she turned up the power with Ray. They each ran over to the controls, and both pulled down a lever, starting the extremely painful process.

"Wait, so, how will I know--?" Henry started, but the rush of information flooding into his mind made him cry out in agony. The two grown-ups with him could only look on and hope it would work.

"Just enjoy it!" The superhero tried to encourage, but Henry couldn't hear him over his screaming.

"Does that look enjoyable to you?" (y/n) looked at him with lifted eyebrows. Henry was kicking his legs out and his knuckles were clenched white on the armrests, making Ray and (y/n) grimace at the sight of him. However, Ray being childish, made a begrudging (y/n) take a picture of him smiling and giving a thumbs-up next to Henry and the machine.

They brought the power back down as the process was complete, and the 13-year-old slumped back down into the chair, the pain slowly releasing from his body. Each taking a side of the H.R.Z, (y/n) and Ray unscrewed the locks and took it off him, noticing how traumatised he looked. 

"Well?" Ray looked down at him.

"That hurt badddd." Henry clarified, the fear still evident in his eyes.

"Sorry about that, but now, tell me everything you know about Puerto Rico." (y/n) smiled at him from the other side of the chair.

"I don't know anything about-- Puerto Rico is a series of islands with a landmass of 3,500 square miles and a population of 3.6 million people. Its glorious beaches and lush rainforests make it the perfect setting for a wedding, bar mitzvah, or growing bananas." Henry recited the information, making the two friends behind him nod at each other, pleased with their success.

"Whoaaaa. I know Puerto Rico." Henry looked at both of them in awe.

"Yeah, you do." (y/n) nodded with him.

"You see? You can learn anything you need to know for school in a matter of seconds." Ray said, putting the H.R.Z back.

"Yeah. Wait, do you think that's cheating?" Henry asked them in an unsure voice.

"Eh... no, not really."

"It's a grey area. No one will ever know." They reassured him. 

"I guess. Anyway, I really doing this appreciate you for me." Henry tried to speak, but all his words came out in the wrong order.

"Oh sweet cheese, the side effects." (y/n) facepalmed.

"What side effects?" Henry looked petrified.

"Y'see, after you use the H.R.Z, when you talk, you might mix up your words for a few days," Ray said, looking sheepish.

"Well, you could have before that you told me." Henry jumbled out, not really making much sense.

"Look at it this way, now, you're gonna do well on your test." (y/n) said to cheer him up. Henry perked up a bit, but then let out a loud, girly shriek. He looked a Ray in fright, as (y/n) grinned at the outburst.

"Why did I just--" he began.

"Another side effect." The woman said tentatively.

"Sometimes you'll scream like--" Henry cut him off with another screech.

"--a girl." Ray finished. 

"Just for a few days, no biggie." (y/n) was also trying to convince herself that everything would be okay.

"Oh, so I'm a girl like a days for a few screams. Wait." The word mixing was back. And then, Henry released another ear-shattering shout.

"You guys wanna get lunch?" Ray said to distract them all from Henry's problem. 

"Yeah." (y/n) quickly agreed, walking over to the snack machine with Ray, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"What?" Henry just looked at them, as they walked away from his issues.

~Henry's school~

Henry was concentrating on the history lecture Miss Shapen was giving, ensuring he wrote down everything she said. He had just finished his sentence, when the bell rang, symbolising the end of the lesson.

"Okay, everyone, get out." Miss Shapen didn't have much love for her students.

"Henry, may I see you?" She called out to the boy, who was hoping he hadn't done something wrong. 

"Yeah sure. What's up?" He slung his backpack over his shoulder and went over to her desk. Charlotte decided to wait for him at the door. His teacher looked at him with a proud smile.

"Your grade." She said, passing him his test.

"100, I makeup test on my got?" Henry said, all in the wrong order.

"I mean, I got 100 on my makeup test?" Henry quickly corrected himself, before Miss Shapen was too weirded out.

"You answered every question perfectly." She complimented him.

"Awesome." Henry smiled before he let out one of his girl screams.

"That was inappropriate." Miss Shapen and Charlotte stared at him with a concerned face.

"I just got excited." Henry tried to explain.

"I'm proud of you Henry, I'd give you a hug if it wouldn't get me fired." His teacher gave him a rare compliment.

"Thanks."

"Have a good weekend." That was all Miss Shapen said.

"Too you." Henry shook his head at his incorrect words but resumed walking to Charlotte by the door, who congratulated him on his result.

"Where were you yesterday? You weren't in class." Dang, Charlotte was too smart for her own good.

"I go to had somewhere." He lied, confusing his friend.

"One more time?" She requested,

"I had... to go somewhere. Nailed it!" Henry spoke slowly, so he could speak correctly. He was glad he managed to say something right until he shrieked. Again. Charlotte jumped back from him.

"You later see." He quickly left the classroom, not wanting to do anything else odd, leaving Charlotte utterly confused as he let out more screams in the hall.

[imtrashraccoon]

Well shit, I literally can not stop thinking about the dark fortress dragon boys so I am just going to pour my ideas here because I have no where to fit them all in my mind.

•Nightmare now prefers to stay hidden in the shadows because he kind of hates the way he looks now, Nightmare now has four long tails now in place of his tentacles, regrets letting the sorcerer in who cursed him and the others.

•Killer has the most positive outlook on the curse, still the same skeleton as before(well mentally), out of all the dragons; Killer is the sleekest in build, tries to make the best of it anyway he can.

•Dust is an grumpy boy and will snort fire at you if you’re being annoying, likes his anthropomorphic form best because it is the closest resemblance to his old form, he had a custom hood made for his dragon form(Yippee!) and he still wears his scarf.

•Horror now is a ravenous beast if he is angry, he’s the second biggest with Nightmare being the largest, will die if you cook for him, like you give him a jerky stick and he’s like “This is my future spouse”, will smack anyone with his skillet if he finds them trying to steal food that’s not done(Looking at Killer).

Also I thought about the transformation some more and I would say it was a painful agonizing process and they passed out half way through and found themselves as dragons and the sorcerer gave Nightmare a condition that if he and his subordinates found love in three years the curse would be broken but with everyone fearing them that never came to fruition until you came looking for a fight and Killer nearly tore you apart.

Hope you don’t mind me geeking out about this and have a great timezone!

Well, these are delicious ideas so I don't mind lol. While it's technically a "bad" ending cause their curse isn't broken, some probably people would prefer courting a dragon. Thanks for sending I enjoyed reading it!

[dyemelikeasunset]

Hope this is not too silly of a question, but I've been binging Disney Park videos the past handful of days (yes, I am embarrassingly a lifelong Disney Park fan, while also being deeply critical of the company) and I dunno, it got me thinking about what a Disney Date in the Park look like for Dom and Mor. 😅

I feel like Morgan would be a fan of the parks and be really excited about going and geeking out over everything (Morgan absolutely is Disney Princess vibes in my mind) and maybe getting a little overstimulated, while I picture Dom being utterly confused, taking certain things too seriously, but discovering something she genuinely loves and getting consumed in it. And ending the night watching the fireworks show, holding hands, and snuggling up next to each other and being adorably sapphic.

THIS IS THE CUTEST QUESTION PLEASEEE 🥹🥹🥹

in fact it was so cute you got me rambling, so under a read more it goes lmao. I basically wrote a blurb (it gets a little emotional at points cause that's who i am)

So Mor does like a couple of the Disney princesses (she really likes the background art of Sleeping Beauty and likes the movie if you watch it with the lens that "Aurora isn't the main character and neither is the prince, the three fairies are!! It's actually a heroes' journey about the three of them and that's so interesting yknow? What other movie stars three old ladies fighting a dragon???" but Aurora isn't necessarily her fav princess "I mean she just sleeps. the memes about her are funny though." Not technically a princess, but she loves Lilo a lot)

But no, she doesn't go to the parks often because of overstimulation. It's actually Dom's idea cause "Ah couples go to disneyland. That means we should go too? I should ask Morgan if she wants to go." And Mor is surprised, "I haven't been since I was 12? do you want to go???" and promptly discovers Domi has never been to a single Disney park ever in her life, so Morgan makes it her business to give Dom an enriching experience

They spend the next few months doing research between work and life-- on the best places to stay and how to optimize costs-- and it's really business-like and practical. Halfway through the process Domi's like "Is. Is this romantic? We're being so dry" but Mor insists "No it's important to be prepared!! For everything!!"

Anyway, cut to them finally going, it's probably exciting but also a little nerve-wracking. They chose the LA park. Mor did her hair up in buns to match Mickey cause teehee, cute. Dom wears a facemask cause she doesn't want to get recognized. Dom probably wants to take a lot of pictures bc. lol. couples do that?? right??? also Morgan is beautiful and she wants to remember it.

"We should do the hand holding trend"

"N-no Domi I'm too embarrassed"

"NO LET'S DO IT"

They do the hand holding trend. Mor makes it her pfp later.

Mor is constantly trying to sneak in couple selfies and it becomes a personal game to catch Dom looking candid in cute situations (spoiler, Dom's candid is still like a model. High fashion girlfriend + Donald Duck. Mor can't stop laughing)

They start having fun. They're both grumpy at the price of park food and agree not to do many of the rides because "that's an unreasonable amount of people." They try small world and are a little uncomfortable at the dolls, but being together in a little boat on the water is nice-- they end up staring at each other more than the ride and decide to check in. Dom has to lean in close so Mor can hear her over her sound-supressing earbuds. Morgan takes the chance to kiss her and Dom completely forgets what she was saying

After lunch, Mor surprises Dom with Mickey Ears because she HAS to see it. It's as adorable and hilarious as she thought it would be, and when Domi laughs, Mor finds herself thinking about how lonely Dom was as a kid and wonders if she's helping her heal her inner child, bc Dom has helped Mor heal hers. Dom wears it for the rest of the trip and every time she smiles at her, Morgan wants to laugh and cry at the same time.

They surrender and buy $5 churros to eat as they ride the ferry and realize halfway through they keep getting on the boats. Mor is shy but eventually caves and takes a picture with Tiana.

They visit the Disney Gallery to learn about some of the history. Mor already knows a lot of it and ends up filling in some of the gaps to Domi. The awkwardness has completely melted away at this point and Domi is trying to find an artbook or poster she thinks Mor would like. She sees Mor looking at mugs and wonders if she's happy, wonders if she's stopped thinking about all her exes, wonders how anyone could hurt someone has kind as Morgan.

They decide to find a spot for the parade early and talk as the sun sets. The parade starts and Dom holds Mor close so the crowd doesn't make her anxious. She finds herself watching Morgan more than the parade.

As the fireworks start, Dom tells her about a memory of when she was 19. She was staying in Tokyo for a job and watched fireworks alone in her hotel room and wondered if she had made the right career choice. Mor watches the lights dance on Dom's profile and can barely get a whisper out, so she squeezes her hand instead. Dom smiles at her so warmly that Morgan almost feels whiplash

Mor lays her head on Domi's shoulder in the hotel bed and can't get the story out of her mind. Dom's soft breathing doesn't lull her to sleep like it usually does. They were too tired to make love but she desperately wants Dom to know how much she means to her. She settles for crying into her neck quietly and it's a strange mix of exhaustion and sadness and relief and joy. Morgan makes a silent promise to never let Dom be alone again

When they're packing for home in the morning, Dom wonders out loud if they'll come again. Mor asks if Dom had fun, and she smiles so wide that it washes away all the lingering melancholy. Mor promises she'll take Dom whereever she wants to go, whenever she wants to

[aydann-runs]

“Okay, kid, it's gettin’ late. Time to button it up and head home to yer fella.”

Michael rolls out from under the Jeep he’s been working on all day to find Sanders standing at his feet, sipping from a battered mug. This late in the day, he highly doubts it’s coffee the old man is drinking.

“I’m not a kid anymore,” Michael protests, more out of habit than anything else. Not that he’d ever admit it, but he likes it when Sanders calls him kid. When he first started working at the junkyard–back when he’d actually been a kid–it was the first time anyone had called him anything other than Michael or Guerin that wasn’t an insult.

In the beginning, it had irritated him, had felt patronizing. Was Sanders just another adult looking down on him? Was Michael so beneath notice that Sanders couldn't be bothered to learn his name?

It took him a while–longer, perhaps, than if he hadn't had the childhood he did–to realize that Sanders calling him kid was his way of showing affection. But he figured it out, even if he didn't yet understand why the grumpy old mechanic cared about a scrawny teenager with no place else to be. It was another ten years before Michael finally understood why Walt had taken him under his wing. Before he’d come to realize that kid wasn't just a nickname to Sanders, but the true expression of who Michael was to him.

Now, he has other nicknames. Liz calls him Mikey, especially when she’s geeking out with him over something sciencey, and Dallas has taken to calling him Mike. Somehow, he’s the first person to do so, even though nearly every other Michael in school had been called Mike.

But Michael’s favorite nickname will always be kid.

[melsie-sims]

It's time to play the second household! Let me introduce you to the founders living on the Brindleton Farm.

From L to R, we've got Gabriela, Harley, Iggy, Floyd and Jack.

Gabriela Gomez

Age: 19 years old Gender: Cis Female Sexuality: Straight Personality Type: Pleasure/Popularity Traits: Jealous, Self-Absorbed, Romantic Current Aspiration: Social Media Star

Biography: Gabi wants to be famous, and not just for being the daughter of a well-known comedian. Now that she’s been accepted as a BACC founder, she plans to vlog the entire experience. It’ll be fresh content that the world’s never seen before! Unfortunately, she hasn’t realized they’ll be living off the grid for the foreseeable future…

Harley Fields

Age: 26 years old Gender: Cis Male Sexuality: Straight Personality Type: Family/Popularity Traits: Loves Outdoors, Adventurous, Slob Current Aspiration: Freelance Botanist

Biography: Harley remembers when his fifth grade class went to a pumpkin patch one Harvestfest. Years later, he still dreams of one day running his own farm — growing vegetables and raising chickens seems like the perfect life, but not one he’s ever been able to pursue in the overcrowded city. Hopefully, this brand-new BACC will be the fresh start he needs.

Iggy Fisher

Age: 25 years old Gender: Cis Male Sexuality: Gay Personality Type: Knowledge/Fortune Traits: Active, Loner, Dog Lover Current Aspiration: Angling Ace

Biography: Iggy has been on boats for as long as he can remember, but becoming a fisherman like his father doesn’t feel completely right to him. He loves it, don’t get me wrong, but what if he could do something more? Applying to be a BACC founder is definitely stepping outside his comfort zone, but he’s willing to try. 

Floyd Santos

Age: 22 years old Gender:  Trans Male Sexuality: Bisexual Personality Type: Knowledge/Family Traits: Creative, Geek, Loyal Current Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Biography: Every new nation needs a teacher, and there’s none better than Mr. Santos. Although he does love his 7th graders very much, Floyd won’t miss the underfunded and overcrowded middle school he’s leaving behind. This new journey will be so exciting, and maybe one day he’ll get to teach a brand new generation of children. 

Jack Riggs

Age: 28 years old Gender:  Cis Male Sexuality: Straight Personality Type: Knowledge/Fortune Traits: Animal Enthusiast, Mean, Loves Outdoors Current Aspiration: Country Caretaker

Biography: Jack doesn’t like people, and that’s probably the main reason why he decided to leave the bustling city behind. There’s nothing quite like the idea of living in the middle of nowhere, off the grid, answering to no one but himself. Will he mesh well with the rest of the group or will his grumpy personality bite him in the plumbob?

[savaggeland]

Characters From The TWBB Teen AU

I'm starting to get organized to write this. No one (ABSOLUTELY NO ONE) asked me for this, but I'll do it anyway.

.

Eli Sunday: 17 years old. Depressed and somewhat self-conscious. He lives in a very religious family and constantly hates himself for his preference towards men. He likes to draw, but it's not something he does very often. He has dyed his hair because he wants to be as different as possible from his twin, Paul, with whom he is always compared. He has a secret relationship with a 32-year-old businessman. He loves horror movies. He is made fun of at school, which seriously affects him. He usually cries very often in the early mornings, which is why he always brings with him huge circles under his eyes. He has to wear glasses for reading but he refuses to wear them because he doesn't want more people to make fun of him for being even more of a geek and nerd.

•

Paul Sunday: 17 years old. Friendly and very happy. He is extremely optimistic. Her favorite color is beige. He is fascinated by books of all kinds, music and cinema. Unlike his twin brother, he always keeps his room well organized and his parents adore him since he is a more than exemplary student at school. He suspects things about Eli, but he still doesn't think he has enough to act.

•

Daniel Plainview: 32 years. Very young businessman, recognized throughout the world for his skill and performance in every field in which he has become more than rich. He has an adopted son named Hans William whom he nicknames H.W. He is very grumpy, cold and manipulative. He is in a relationship with Eli where he is aware of it only because he knows that in this way he can extort him as he wishes. He has alcoholism, which makes him extremely aggressive. He shares his house with his son and his fake brother.

•

Hans William (H.W.) Plainview: 7 years. He is very happy and talkative for being so small. In some way he is not fully aware of what a monster his father is because Henry does a great job of distracting him from his reality. He loves everything colorful and all the things that his father, Daniel, considers "girl things." He loves bracelets and has a box of children's jewelry in which he spends the time making accessories that her father always ignores, although Henry always uses his inventions. He has no idea who Eli is, but he always wants to play with him, thinking that he is just another child, which makes Eli feel immature.

•

Henry Plainview: 21 years old. Troublesome and nervous at the same time. He has lived with Daniel for three years since he was able to leave his condemned orphanage. He met Daniel when he was 17, just like Eli. It is somewhat problematic, although over time it has calmed down. He has depressive tendencies, since apparently that seems to be the type of boy that Daniel likes. Take care of H.W. because he feels that he is like the little brother that he would always like to have had. He is somewhat jealous of Eli, but tries to clear his mind by helping H.W. with his jewelry or going for a couple of rides on a motorcycle (a motorcycle that Daniel bought him, of course).

[justagalwhowrites]

bestie happy lavender day!!!!! Can’t believe this story is a year old already - it has genuinely enriched my love and experience of both tlou and the Pedro fandom SO much and I am so so grateful for you and the world you’ve created 🥺🫶

I adore all of your writing but this one holds a very special place in my heart :’)

In terms of questions I would love to know how you think a garden party / double date with Joel & Doc / Bill & Frank would go! How do you think their dynamics would play out? I feel like as much as Frank / Doc and Bill / Joel share the sunshine x grumpy parallels, I could totally see Bill and Doc bonding in the kitchen while he cooks and she bakes 🥺 like Bill might be disgruntled at first but quietly respects Doc’s skills around a whisk lol

would love to know what you think!! xxx

EEEEEE thank you so much, Bestie!

It's so amazing to know that this fic impacted you that way. This story is so special to me and I love hearing that it's special to others, too.

OMG an AU where Joel and Doc are together and go see Bill and Frank? Amazing. There are so many parallels here. Frank loves Doc immediately, of course. They're both so happy for a new friend and Frank LOVES that she wears ribbons in her hair and makes her go with him to the boutique to go shopping because, in his words, "I was a little gay boy who wasn't allowed to have Barbies as a child, give me this." Bill and Joel kind of look at each other like "dear lord what have we brought upon ourselves."

But then she charms Bill, too. She has her secrets in the kitchen - like the soy sauce instead of salt in the cookies - and they get down into the nitty gritty of it, geeking out over their shared passion. After Joel and Doc leave Frank looks at Bill and kinda elbows him a little and goes "See? Wasn't so bad." "Guess not. Don't know how she puts up with him, though." Frank kind of shakes his head at the obvious similarities I'm their relationship sailing right over Bill's head. "Good question."

Thank you for asking, Bestie!

Love you!!

[locke-rinannis]

『 D&D CLASSES: Ruran Vas 』

Bold what applies. Italicize what is situational.

𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙰𝙽 »   toothy grins, stories around the campfire, clothes covered in pet hair, hot temper, old jeans, heartbeat in head, potatoes and steak, beaded jewelry, bruise like galaxies, mementos, backpack stuffed full, craigslist furniture, spontaneous road trips, air ripped from lungs.

𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙳 »   homemade bread, white lies, easily excited, trying on hats, band geek, pep talks, no impulse control, sunsets, vintage fashion, long showers, selfies, following dreams, rosy cheeks, song mash-ups, pink lemonade with tequila, loves easily, animated storyteller, full of comebacks.

𝙲𝙻𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙲 »   list of wishes, biting their tongue, band-aids and neosporin, shoulder to cry on, morning sun, necklaces, trial and error, homemade quilts, formal clothing, astrology fan, messages in bottles, pleated braids, speaking up for friends, feathers, motivational quotes, vivid dreams.

𝙳𝚁𝚄𝙸𝙳 »   bird watching, shy kid, wind chimes, trying to whistle, summer camp, apple orchards, lost in their head, glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, hoodies, thrift shopping, saving worms off the sidewalk, pig latin, bare feet, thunderstorms, numb fingers, braided hair, naming potted plants.

𝙵𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃𝙴𝚁 »   goosebumps, leather jackets, adventure, chewing nails, cares deeply but can’t show it, bronze locks, no sleep, taste of iron, netflix binges, never forgets, combat boots, stories behind scars, table for one, official soundtracks, sore calves, trusts themselves the most.

𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙺 »   always trying to be better, wanderlust, meditation, sweatpants, old photographs, yoga, sleeping in hammocks, nostalgia, minimalist design, breath of fresh air, baby animals, volunteering, perfectionist, doesn’t care about fashion, healthy snacks, noticing the little things.

𝙿𝙰𝙻𝙰𝙳𝙸𝙽 »   school uniforms, thick jackets, sleeping with the windows open, logical advice, scrap booking, compasses, I fight for my friends, sculpture gardens, cold morning air, big soul, likes routine, secret romantic, last to get jokes, sunflowers, practical presents, misty weather.

𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁 »   herbal tea, smell of rain, blinking away tears, camping trips, collecting bones, swiss army knives, first impressions, anxious thoughts, bobby pins, burnt marshmallows, too competitive, clothes lines, messenger bags, holding grudges, gets along better with animals than people.

𝚁𝙾𝙶𝚄𝙴 »   flirtatious sarcasm, candid photos, lost phone chargers, adrenaline rush, picking dirt out from beneath their nails, social chameleon, clashing clothes, self-deprecating jokes, claw machines, sits in chairs wrong, smudged eyeliner, has too many sunglasses, eats nothing or everything.

𝚂𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚁 »   infectious laugh, family trees, shivers down their spine, lipstick and roses, mood swings, clumsy, believing in destiny, high expectations, sleeping in darkness, collection of nail polish, passionate, good grades but never studies, poetry books, blowing kisses, not knowing their own strength.

𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙺 »   knowing everyone’s secrets, backpack covered in pins, envy, being in walmart late at night, earl grey, selective memory, conspiracy theories and cryptids, keysmashing, need to know basis, can’t cook, bags under eyes, experimental art, flickering bulbs, black clothing all year long.

𝚆𝙸𝚉𝙰𝚁𝙳 »   piles of books, cat in lap, keeping a diary, indecision, scented candles, studying alone in a café, lingering touches, museum dates, unanswered questions, taking on too much responsibility, collections, chalk dust, comfy robes, unnecessary apologies, coming home after a long day.

Tagged by: @grumpy-limsan-customs-cat (Thank you!) Tagging: Anyone! Do it and tag me so I can see!

[allthesespoonsareknives]

i am not normal about good omens

i have never once in my life been normal about good omens.

it had been my favorite book since i could read chapter books.

(as an aside, i daresay that the locked tomb series took it’s place but i usually just say that’s my favorite series and good omens is my favorite standalone novel)

anyway, that’s a long time to love something... and, as a tiny nerd child who got made fun of for being such even by their own dad, i’ve cried at many things existing now because it’s good to be a geek... i cried when marvel got big and started bringing my comics to life. i cried all the way through all lord of the rings and hobbits movies. i cried through stardust, coraline, and american gods. i cried watching the mortal kombat movie... i’m ridiculous.

but the face that good omens now exists and is on a screen for me to watch is just such an emotional thing for me. i am so happy and i am so sad. and seeing a man i fell in love with in 2003 playing a werewolf and a man i fell in love with in 2006 playing a grumpy old man in a box... it just... my heart is so full.