#happy 4th of july to my american buddies

[transform4u]

Born Proud on the 4th of July-500 Follower Story

Milo Higgins stood tall and broad-shouldered in his backyard, a picture of American pride and muscle. His olive-drab t-shirt strained against his chest, showcasing his rugged physique honed by years of military training. The yard was a sea of American flags fluttering in the summer breeze, interspersed with military memorabilia and a meticulously maintained home gym in one corner.

As the football game blared from the outdoor television, Milo hollered over his shoulder, "Suzie, bring me another beer and some wings!" His voice carried a gruff authority, a remnant of his military command style. He believed in traditional roles, firmly believing women belonged in the kitchen and that his word was law in his domain.

His routine was disciplined and intense. He woke at dawn for his military-style workouts: push-ups, pull-ups, and weights, all executed with a grim determination. His evenings were spent watching football, wrestling, and Fox News, occasionally barking orders to Suzie or grumbling about politics.

Today was special—a Fourth of July party for his military buddies and their families. The guests began to arrive, a mix of fellow servicemen and their children. Among them was Julio, Suzie's best gay friend and Milo's least favorite person on Earth. Julio, always impeccably dressed and effortlessly charming, greeted Suzie with a warm hug.

"Hey Suzie, you look amazing!" Julio said with a wide smile.

"Thanks, Julio! So glad you could make it," Suzie replied warmly. She turned to Milo, gesturing towards Julio. "Milo, this is Julio."

Milo glanced at Julio with thinly veiled disdain before muttering, "Hey," and quickly walking away towards the grill where he flipped a few burgers with unnecessary force.

Julio followed him, undeterred by Milo's cold reception. "Hey, Milo, happy Fourth! Thanks for having me over."

Milo grunted in response, not making eye contact as he adjusted the heat on the grill.

Julio persisted, maintaining his congenial demeanor. "You know, Suzie talks so highly of you. It's great to finally meet you."

Milo turned abruptly, fixing Julio with a steely glare. "Listen, Julio. I don't need you putting ideas in Suzie's head, you hear me? She's my wife, and what she thinks ain't your concern."

Julio raised his hands placatingly. "Hey, man, I'm just here to celebrate, like everyone else. No worries."

Milo's jaw clenched, his dislike for Julio simmering just below the surface. "Just watch yourself," he warned, before turning back to the grill, effectively ending the conversation.

Julio's face fell as Milo launched into a tirade, his words stinging like a slap. "Listen here, you little punk. I don't care what you think about me or my wife. Just keep your filthy mouth shut and stay away from her. You're nothing but a damn faggot, Julio! And your woke politics can go straight to hell. This country was built on traditional values, not your queer ideals. And don't even get me started on how much of a hypocrite you are. You come into our home acting like some kind of saint when really you just want to corrupt my wife with your perverted lifestyle."

He couldn't believe the man was so narrow-minded and hateful. Suzie had always spoken highly of him, but it seemed she was married to someone who couldn't accept the truth about people or their relationships.

As Julio tried to gather his thoughts, he glanced over at Suzie, hoping for some sort of support or understanding from her. But she just looked uncomfortable and embarrassed by her husband's outburst. It hurt Julio to see her like that; he knew how much she loved Milo despite his flaws.

Taking a deep breath, Julio decided it was time for action. He wouldn't let Milo get away with this kind of behavior without consequence—not if it meant hurting Suzie in the process.

Julio sighed inwardly but plastered on a smile as he rejoined Suzie and their friends, determined not to let Milo's hostility ruin the festive atmosphere.

Neither Milo nor Suzie knew that Julio practiced brujería, a tradition steeped in mysticism and rituals. Julio, despite his charming exterior, had a deep knowledge of spells and hexes passed down through generations of his family in Mexico. Among his abilities was the art of cursing objects, infusing them with intentions and consequences.

As the Fourth of July party continued, Julio spotted Milo at the grill, his usual stern expression etched on his face.

Julio, frustrated with Milo's dismissive attitude and simmering hostility towards him, decided to take matters into his own hands. He knew he had the power to influence outcomes through brujería, and with a mix of irritation and determination, he focused his energy on the bottle of beer in his hand. Under his breath, Julio muttered an incantation, his eyes briefly glowing with a faint, otherworldly light:

"Por los poderes de la luna y el fuego, Transformo esta cerveza en un maleficio. Que el odio y el desprecio de este hombre hacia los gays, Se vuelva en su contra como una maldición.

Con cada sorbo de esta bebida, Su masculinidad tóxica se desvanece. Se transformará en lo que más desprecia, Un estereotipo gay que lo abochornará."

With a subtle wave of his hand, Julio completed the enchantment and then approached Milo, offering the beer with an inscrutable smile.

"Hey, Milo," Julio greeted with a disarming smile, holding out the beer. "I brought this from my hometown in Mexico. It's one of the best beers you'll ever taste."

Milo looked at the bottle skeptically. "I don't know, Julio. I'm not really into Mexican beers. Today's about celebrating America, you know?"

Julio's eyes glinted momentarily as he maintained his pleasant demeanor. "Come on, just try it. It's a gesture of peace between us."

Milo hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, fine. But just this once." He took the bottle from Julio's hand and popped the cap, taking a long swig.

As the cold beer flowed down his throat, Milo felt a strange sensation. He coughed suddenly, suds spilling over his lips and onto his shirt. Julio watched closely, concealing a small smile as he subtly chanted under his breath:

Milo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, unaware of the subtle changes beginning to take place within him. A warmth spread through his chest, and an inexplicable feeling of lightness replaced his usual heaviness.

"What did you put in this beer, Julio?" Milo asked gruffly, his voice sounding slightly different, softer.

Julio chuckled lightly. "Just some magic from my homeland. Enjoy it."

Milo frowned, feeling strangely vulnerable yet oddly at ease. He glanced down at his beer-stained shirt and then back at Julio, who was still smiling warmly. The party continued around them, unaware of the subtle transformation unfolding within Milo Higgins, the patriotic soldier who suddenly found himself questioning the very ideals he had staunchly upheld.

Milo Higgins felt an intense heat surge through his body, as if an internal inferno had been ignited. It was a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced—his muscles, once rippling and defined, now pulsed and trembled. His biceps, which had strained against his olive t-shirt, began to shrink, losing their mass and definition. His abs, once a symbol of his strength, softened and became less pronounced. Even his pecs, once proud and prominent, faded away under his shirt. His legs, accustomed to carrying his imposing frame, lost their bulk and power.

Panic gripped Milo as he felt himself getting weaker and weaker. He looked down at his hands, which seemed smaller and more delicate. He felt a strange sensation of shrinking, inch by inch. At 6'3", he had always towered over others with a commanding presence. Now, as he shrunk, inch by inch, fear washed over him. At 5'4", he looked around in horror at the people around him, who suddenly seemed taller and more imposing.

The beer can slipped from his weakening grip, clattering to the ground. Milo stumbled towards Julio, his voice trembling with fear and confusion. "Wha… what did you do to me, you freak?" His Adam's apple shrank, and his voice emerged with a distinct effeminate lisp, each syllable peppered with uncertainty. "Wha's wrong with my voice?"

Julio met Milo's panicked gaze with a coy, sinister smile. "Oh, nothin' Miley," he replied casually, drawing out Milo's new name with deliberate playfulness. "Just thought you needed a taste of your own medicine."

Milo's hands shook as he touched his softer, smaller features, a mixture of disbelief and horror etched across his face. His mind raced with questions and fears about what had happened to him. The once imposing soldier now stood before Julio, diminished and vulnerable, his identity and masculinity in flux.

Milo screamed, "No, no, no! You have to thtop thith! Where are my muthtcles? What'th happening to me?"

Julio smiled maliciously. "Hush now, little guy. You won't have to worry much longer. The mental changes will soon make you exactly what you hate—exactly what you made fun of in the past. Now, I'm not sure what exactly you'll become. Your own mind will take you down that row. But it seems like you think---or thought, that all gay men are whiny, short effeminate little twinks. How fun" But the time you're doing you'll be---" He leaned in close and whispered menacingly, "The perfect gay."

Milo tried desperately to resist but couldn't shake the feeling that his own mind was taking him down a path he never wanted to go on. The changes were becoming more apparent, he realized that Julio had been right all along—he was becoming everything he had once despised.

As Milo Higgins stood there, his mind began to undergo an even more profound change. It was as if a bright light bulb in his head, not that it was ever very bright to begin with, was gradually dimming. The thoughts and memories that once defined him—anger, resentment, and a rigid adherence to stereotypes—started to shift and rearrange themselves.

Milo's face contorted in confusion and fear as Julio spoke. "Twinks? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know, Milo. The young, slender gay men who act very feminine and are often seen as objects of desire by older men." Julio grinned maliciously. "It seems like your own mind is going to turn you into the very thing you despise most."

Milo stared at Julio in horror, his body trembling with fear and uncertainty. He couldn't believe what was happening to him—or that he was even considering becoming something he had always despised so much.

Gone were the memories of military service, where he had prided himself on his strength and loyalty to his country. The camaraderie of college football days faded into the background, replaced by new memories and experiences that began to flood his consciousness.

Instead, Milo found himself recalling moments of activism and protest, standing up against unjust wars and marching alongside women and LGBTQ+ communities for their rights. He remembered the exhilaration of going to school for art, where creativity and expression took precedence over conformity. Acting in community theater brought him a sense of fulfillment he had never felt before, a stage where he could explore different identities and emotions.

Singing show tunes with his bestie Suzie and Julio replaced nights out with his former buddies, where they would rate women and boast about conquests. Drag race, musical theatre,

As Milo's mind rewired itself, he began to feel a newfound openness and acceptance. The rigid boundaries of his previous beliefs dissolved, replaced by a curiosity and empathy for others. He felt a stirring of attraction towards Julio, mixed with admiration for the confidence and courage it took to confront him.

As Milo's mind rewired itself, he began to feel a newfound openness and acceptance. The rigid boundaries of his previous beliefs dissolved, replaced by a curiosity and empathy for others. He felt a stirring of attraction towards Julio, mixed with admiration for the confidence and courage it took to confront him.

Milo's head spun as he noticed all the men around him—their muscles straining against their shirts, sweat glistening off their hot bodies. His straight self seemed to dissolve before his eyes; women suddenly seemed icky and gross compared to these strong, virile men. A lust built up within him as an emptiness crept throughout his big bubble butt—he needed to be filled by one of these sexy straight men!

The straight men around them began teasing Milo playfully now that they realized how turned on he was by them. They called him names like "sissy" and "faggot," laughing with Julio as they watched Milo blush in embarrassment. But the embarrassment only seemed to turn Milo on further; his dick started to get hard, leaking precum as he watched the muscular military men flirt with him shamelessly.

Julio quickly grabbed Milo's hand. Julio's touch on Milo's hand was electric, sending a jolt through Milo's body as he blinked in confusion. Suddenly, they were no longer in Milo's familiar Patriotic Pad of the Patriarchy. The surroundings shifted around them, and Milo's eyes widened in disbelief as American flags morphed into rainbow flags that fluttered proudly in the air.

They found themselves in the midst of a bustling gay nightclub, pulsating with vibrant music and colorful lights. Milo stood there, momentarily stunned, as the atmosphere enveloped him. The air was alive with laughter, dancing bodies, and an undeniable sense of freedom.

For a moment, Milo's thoughts flickered to Suzie, his blonde wife, and the plans they had for the Fourth of July party. But those thoughts quickly dissolved amidst the energy of the nightclub. He felt a surge of excitement and liberation that he had never experienced before.

As Milo looked around, he noticed people of all shapes, sizes, and genders embracing who they were without fear or shame. He saw barely dressed twunks with their abs on display; cute twinks flirting shamelessly with muscle bears; daddies in leather trying to score with hot muscular men in jockstraps. A lust burned within him—a horniness that couldn't be contained any longer. He always thought gay men were just horny sexual deviants looking for sex at every turn...and that's exactly what he was becoming.

He started to move with the music, his body swaying instinctively to the beat. A smile tugged at his lips as he let go of inhibitions he never knew he had. His movements became fluid, graceful, and filled with a newfound confidence.

Milo's demeanor shifted dramatically. He felt a surge of expressiveness and flamboyance bubbling up from within. His voice, once gruff and commanding, softened into a melodious lilt as he engaged in conversations filled with laughter and camaraderie.

Gone was the rigid masculinity and narrow-mindedness. In its place, Milo embraced his love for theatre and the arts with an enthusiasm that surprised even himself. He found joy in discussing plays, musicals, and the latest performances in town. His gestures became animated, his laughter infectious as he connected with others who shared his passions.

Milo's eyes sparkled with a mixture of wonder and excitement as he realized he was becoming the very stereotype he once dismissed—a cute, bubbly, theatre-loving, liberal twink. As Milo looked down at himself, he gasped in disbelief. His attire had transformed into cute booty shorts that accentuated his toned legs and a colorful tank top that hugged his newly slender frame. His face seemed to lose any hint of sharpness, aging backwards in time. The years dissolved before his eyes, smoothing out wrinkles and refining features into something more youthful and boyishly charming. His hair darkened and grew unruly, framing his face in a way that accentuated its newfound softness. His once rugged face seemed to soften before his eyes, losing any harsh edges as if time itself was rewinding.

His blonde hair darkened to a rich brown and grew unruly, framing his face in tousled curls that added to his youthful appearance. Milo's features became smoother, his jawline more delicate, and a deep brown tan spread across his skin, giving him a radiant glow.

In this moment of transformation, Milo's old name seemed to evaporate into the air, replaced by a new name that echoed through his consciousness—Ishaq. A deep, bronzed tan spread across Milo's skin, giving him a healthy glow that seemed to radiate from within. Memories flooded Ishaq's mind—days of arriving in America as an immigrant, navigating a new culture with broken English and a charming lisp.

Ishaq was proud of his Middle Eastern heritage, and his newfound identity as a cute, bubbly, theatre-loving, liberal twink felt both exhilarating and liberating. He embraced his sexuality and his cultural roots with equal fervor, a proud expression of who he was meant to be.

Beside him, Julio danced with infectious energy, their movements synchronized in perfect harmony. Ishaq wore a cute and flashy outfit that shimmered under the nightclub lights—a sequined jacket adorned with colorful patterns, fitted jeans that hugged his curves, and stylish sneakers that completed his ensemble.

In the midst of the music and laughter, Ishaq reveled in the freedom to express himself authentically. He twirled and spun with Julio, their laughter ringing out like a chorus of acceptance and love. For Ishaq, this moment was not just about embracing his new identity—it was about celebrating life, love, and the beauty of being true to oneself.

The nightclub throbbed with pulsing lights and a bass-heavy beat as Julio and Ishaq moved gracefully across the dance floor. Ishaq's outfit, adorned with sequins that caught the strobe lights, shimmered with every step he took. His Middle Eastern accent and gentle lisp were evident as he spoke passionately to Julio.

Ishaq leaned in close over the music, his eyes bright with excitement. "Oh, Julio, darling, do you thee how fabulouth thith night ith? The vibe, the freedom... it'th all tho ex-hil-arating!"

Julio grinned, matching Ishaq's enthusiasm. "You're right, Ishaq! You always bring such energy to the club. By the way, who's your ultimate drag queen from Drag Race?"

Ishaq's face lit up, his hands gesturing animatedly. "Oh, hon-they, it hath to be Sasha Velour! Thhe's tho creative and revolutionary, and her lip thyncheth are pure art!"

As they danced, the DJ seamlessly transitioned into a playlist of pop hits. Suddenly, the familiar beats of Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" filled the air. Ishaq gasped in excitement and turned to Julio, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Oh my God, Julio, thith ith my jam!"

Ishaq pulled Julio closer, their bodies moving effortlessly together to the infectious rhythm. In the midst of the pulsating music and swirling lights, Ishaq gazed deeply into Julio's eyes. "Julio, you know what? I can't help but thay it... you're the cuteth thing I've ever theen."

As the night progresses, Julio and Ishaq's flirtation escalates into something more. They begin to make out passionately, their tongues dancing in each other's mouths. Ishaq whimpers and begs Julio to take him, his eyes filled with desire. Julio smirks, knowing he has complete control over the situation.

Without hesitation, they rush towards the bathroom where they lock themselves inside. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh echoes through the walls as they lose themselves in their lustful desires. Ishaq moans loudly as Julio takes him from behind, pounding into his tight hole with unbridled force. He screams out "Yassss daddy!" begging for more of this rough treatment from his new lover.

When they finally reach climax together it's like an explosion - both men crying out in ecstasy at being so deeply connected physically and emotionally at this moment in time . After coming down off their high, Julio tosses a wad of cash at an exhausted looking but satisfied Ishaq saying "You were worth every penny boy ,I'll be sure tell my friends about your services." With that said, Ishaq forgets about being friends with Julio anymore .He was just another gay whore now who happened to have given him pleasure earlier tonight .

[the-smallest-star]

//Happy 4th of July to my American buddies from the UK

[joshpup]

Svt on the 4th of July

Okay 

So 

Lets just say svt is in the grand old USA

*que shua saying the pledge of allegiance with and eagle screeching in the background*

But wait 

There’s more

its…THE 4TH OF JULY

Idk how it is over in the west coast 

But here in the east coast 

The 4th is wild 

Trying to figure out if what you are hearing is gunshots or fireworks at night 

Which mind you 

In my state

Both are illegal 

MERICAAAAAAAAA

Back to svt

So

Our boy shua takes the lead

Like the few times vernon did experience it 

He was probably to little to remember 

So in this case

Shua takes the lead 

So let the fun begin 

Im sure every member has hear a bit about the events that occur during the 4th

But now that they are going to get the full experience 

Buckle up your seat belts because this is gonna be a wild ride

Also im going to be basing this entirely off what ive experienced

So probably not what shua actually experienced 

But either way its america and the 4th

Its bound to be wild no mater what

So

They wake up early in the morning

No time to sleep on a holiday as important as this one

Catch shua decked out in as much red, white and blue, stars and stripes he can get on his body

Also hot as heck because it is July 

But patriotism above comfort am i right no

Anyways 

Catch shua making sure every member has some type of stars in stripes on 

Remember those little tattoos that you get wet and then put on 

Idk if they have a name tbh

Anyways 

Every member has a 4th of july one on 

Like most of them were smart about where they stuck on the lil tattoo

But yall

Hoshi and dk

Stuck the sparkly red, white and blue firework tattoo right on their face

Like catch these attractive grown men walking around with these tattoos on their cheeks 

I love it tbh

So all the members are ready 

Vernon found a flag banda and is now wearing it 

Shua has that dumb bucket hat on

I guarantee you someone is just straight up wrapped in a flag

Probably mingyu 

Okay okay so now everyone is ready for the day 

Time to stake out seats for the parade 

Or at least thats the plan 

They get there and immediately get distracted 

This is where my weird state comes into play srry 

Okay but so all these little pop up stores showed up 

From weird stores that just have like old knick knacks and such to like little pet booths where you can get your dog the new latest and greatest outfit with a matching collar and leash

Mingyu and wonwoo were the first to get lost at the pet accessory stole 

After that seungkwan, vernon and chan where left behind at the food stole 

Who is going to pass up funnel cake and like snow cones 

Not them 

When shua realized they were missing

He left coups and the rest at the turtle derby 

Yah you read that right

The best race ever 

So while the other svt members got way to into watching a bunch of turtles with numbers taped to the shell try and walk out of a circle first 

Good stuff 

Anyways so eventually shua rounds them up

Just in time to arrive for the great watermelon eating contest 

Watching people inhale watermelon at an alarming rate and worrying for their safety only makes the 4th that much more exciting

So after watching that mess of an event 

And coups surprisingly getting really really into it 

The 13 of them make there way to the roadside 

Blankets in hand 

Finally found a big enough for all of them 

Bonus its also partly in the shade

So they lay down the blankets and get all settled in 

The best 

And most terrifying part 

Of the entire day

The parade 

Everything admirable about the town shows up 

So basically 

Some school marching bands

Every firetruck and police car you can fit into one space 

A lot of random floats for things you’ve literally never heard of 

Some random prom queen idk 

But svt would be like 

OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE ALL THOSE INSTRUMENTS!!!!

!!!! there !!! is !! a !!! dog !!!! in !!! that !!!! one !!!! float !!!! 

Actually go deaf from the fire truck sirens 

But whatever 

Half of them scream with joy when some of the floats throw candy into the crowd 

Except its more like they pelt the candy at you but whatever m8

Shua is have a grand old time reliving the joys of the 4th 

Vernon is probably like oh god they weren’t joking when they said all this stuff about it 

And the rest of them are like america omg wild i love it 

Except wonwoo he might get a little overwhelmed 

And like i can kinda see seungkwan being a little sassy about all the cheesy floats 

Me too boo me too 

So after a while the parade ends 

Everyone is hyped 

No matter how crappy the parade is or how good it is 

Everyone is hyped

Because you know whats next 

The most memorable part of the whole holiday 

The fireworks 

But its like lunch time right now 

Its a while before its dark 

So svt goes for lunch 

Since its such a large group of people it was decided hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill is the best choice 

So off everyone goes 

And now begins the food preparation 

Doesn’t actually take too long 

Thankfully 

Because hungry boys doesn’t make for a good situation 

So they all get there food and eat to their hearts content 

Because eating and full svt is the best svt you can fight me on this 

So because its so hot 

Water usually gets involved 

And im just gonna say three words

Water Balloon fight 

Can you see it 

The split up into their units 

Fill up water balloons as fast as possible 

Set up bases 

Create a battle strategy 

Because this is an intense fight do you hear 

Life or death 

And so beings the adult water balloon fight 

Best and biggest water balloon fight in history lemme tell you 

So soooooo much fun 

A memory all of them would have for the rest of their lives 

They’d all be laughing so hard there stomachs would hurt 

Even if a random stranger walked past the battle 

Im sure they would just stop and watch and smile 

Because hearing such sweet laughter like that 

And watching 13 people just have straight up fun 

And just enjoy life would bring a smile to anyone’s face 

So now they are soaked 

Worth it tho 

By the time they collect themselves and dry off and like get all their energy back

Its probably close to dusk 

So they gather up blankets and chairs 

Shua hunts down sparklers and what are they called pop its ???

Omg hold on imagine svt with those pop its 

Im crying just thinking about it 

The best part of the 4th is chucking those little tnt poppers at your friends and watching them run away in terror as they explode 

Just imagine svt with that im yelling

Tbh at first they would have fun just throwing them down on the ground and watching them explode and hearing the lil snap 

And then shua comes in 

And just chucks it at jeonghan 

Jeonghan screams 

Throws one back 

Hits coups instead 

Coups throws one

Hits seungkwan 

Now you’ve got vernon and seungkwan joining in 

Somehow wonwoo gets hit 

Wonwoo isnt going to miss this chance 

Pelts one at mingyu 

Somehow woozi gets hit 

Everyone freezes and watches him slowly pull one out of the saw dust or whatever 

And then

All hell breaks loose

That lasts until they run out 

Which doesn’t take to long honestly 

Those boxes are tiny the run out so quick and ruin all the fun 

Anyways so now the sun is like almost setting 

So they all pile into some cars 

And begin the adventure for open space to watch the firework show 

Shua probably knows a good place 

Like an open field 

Or the top of a parking garage 

So they go there 

Set up camp round two 

Then they wait 

Light some sparklers 

Mingyu almost burns himself 

Tbh probably almost cries 

Minghao and jun roast people 

Someone probably flipped out and dropped a sparkler and almost caught another person on fire 

Its svt literally anything could happen with them 

Someone breaks out the glowsticks 

Cause it aint the 4th until there are glowsticks 

I guarantee you someone broke a glowstick 

Tbh i bet it was coups 

Someone would be struggling 

And he would be like i got this im the dad i got this 

*snaps it in half and all the liquid goes flying* 

Glowing the rest of the night lmao 

Finally the show starts 

Everyone is dead silent at first 

Totally into it 

110% absorbed in the pretty lights 

Then they start to oh and aw 

Then they are clapping 

Literally shook from the finale 

Like wth thats a lot of fireworks all at once how did no one die 

After thats over they beg shua to bring them back every 4th 

Literally haven’t had so much fun in a loooooong time 

Finally head back home 

Ears still ringing a bit from the loud bangs of the fireworks 

Fireworks going off in the distance probably fireworks lol

All together a highlight in sv bonding and memories and just so much fun plus cultural experiences good stuff 

Ah man just imagine all of that my heart 

[i-am-ironic]

Daminette arranged mariage au part 6

I thought the last one was part 6 but nope its this one

******************

Marinette and Damian had had a great day at the park with Xander and Titus. Xander was so excited to see the "puppy" that he practically jumped from Marinette's arms.

They stayed at the park until it started getting dark after that damian went home to drop off titus and then they all went to McDonald's because it was Xander's favorite American food. When they were done eating marinette suggested damian come back to the apartment to watch "Onward" with them because that was Xander's favorite movie (it was shaping up to be a great day for this kid).

Halfway through the movie the toddler fell asleep so damian put him to bed and came back to sit with marinette. He had to admit this had been a wonderful day, but they had a lot to talk about.

Damian sighed, "we are never going to have a normal relationship, you know that right?"

"I went into this relationship knowing how it started" she replied turning to face him, "and I'm ok with it."

"Even though it wasn't your choice to marry me?"

"Dames the reason i came here to find you wasn't just to introduce you to Xander it was also because I love you." Those words ment more to him then she could even know. She still loved him even after all this time. He kissed her cheek smiling, she blushed as she continued "We didn't meet in the best circumstances but that wasn't your fault, and we were still able to have a relationship, and a son."

"Its just...you had to raise Xander on your own and I know you had Luka but I should have been there with you." He thought of all the things he missed, "I should have Held your hand at the hospital, helped you with the nursery, been there when he learned how to walk. I should have kept looking for you. But I didn't."

"You thought I was dead I understand how painful that can be. You were shipped back here with your father. You didn't have a choice how we met or when you left." She took a breath, "I know you would have been there if you could have."

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any doubts about our relationship," he tried to find the right way to farase it so it didn't sound too blunt, "because my father thinks you should meet my brothers." $#*! That was too blunt.

"Are you sure you want to tell them?" She said not seeming to mind his bluntness.

"If I don't tell them they will get suspicious and will probably figure it out on their own, mother made sure we couldn't get out of this easily so we are legally married. Its a wonder they don't already know, besides once they know then maybe you can come on patrol with us, I'm sure you missed it."

"Oh and we can spar again that will be so fun." She said clapping her hands together. "So when am I going to meet your brothers?"

"I was thinking you could come over for dinner tomorrow and if things go well then we can have Luka bring Xander over." He wasn't quite sure how Luka had so much free time but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. that was how that saying went, right?

"Are you sure you want to tell them you have a girlfriend/wife AND that you have a son I the same day?"

"My dad took it pretty well."

"Your dad doesn't show any emotions unless the media are around." She wasn't wrong.

"It'll be fine they might be surprised but at least it's not a bad surprise."

She snorted in amusement, "if you say so."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damian woke up to the screaming of a toddler. As he opened his eyes in the bright light coming from the window he noticed that he was still at marinette's apartment, and that marinette was still asleep on the couch by his side. She scrunched up her face at the yelling and started to sit up until damian whispered, "mari you have been talking care of him for years let me take this one, go back to sleep." She groaned and rolled over as he got off the couch and walked to the little boy's room.

"Hey Xander what's wrong?" He said in his most Soothing tone.

Xander reached over the bed rail trying to reach something "I...t...truck.....*sniffle* c...can't reach.....and food....and mommy...."

"Hey its okay buddy here i got your truck," he said handing the little boy a green truck with a Robin symbol on the side. "mommy is right out there why don't we go see her ok?"

Xander nodded wiping his eyes and reaching up toward Damian. Damian lifted up the boy and put him on his hip like he had done it a thousand times. When they reached the kitchen marinette was already up making breakfast.

"I told you I could handle him." He said shaking his head.

"I know but I wanted to make you breakfast and pancakes are Xander's favorite." She said turning to the toddler in his father's arms, "Isn't that right baby?"

Xander nodded happily asking "syrup too mommy?"

"Yes, we can have syrup too, now let your dad put you in you chair and the pancakes should be done soon."

Marinette could hear damian struggling, After a moment he said, "Marinette can you help me? I can't figure out how to strap him in the chair." She smiled and walked over to help.

She wanted every morning to be like this. Waking up next to damian, him helping with breakfast and trying to figure out Xander's toys.

When all the pancakes were done marinette went to Luke's room to tell him it was time for breakfast and Damian cut up Xander's pancakes. Damian and marinette explained their plan to luka who agreed to watch Xander while they were at dinner. When they were all done eating damian said goodbye and that he would pick marinette up at 6 for dinner.

When he returned home around 10 Jason was confused not only because he hadn't seen damian since breakfast yesterday but also because he smelled like vanilla perfume. Which meant damian had been out with a girl. And had spent the night with this girl.

"So demon spawn were gave you been?"

"None of your business todd." He said in a tone not quite as angry as it usually would be.

"Really? Because I think you just don't want me to knowing you spent the night with a girl."

Damian's face turned red but he didn't deny it, "you will meet her at dinner with the rest of the family." He said leaving to make the arrangements with Alfred and his father.

Jason was perplexed, who had damian been out with and more importantly why was he just hearing about this now? Maybe he could do some snooping before dinner.

**************

So i saw this post about how when you are writing you should write all the dialog first and then fill in the rest and you will get longer chapters and I think it works! If anyone wants to be tagged please ask me and ill put you on the list, and I still need help with how far apart all the boys are i think someone told me but I was dumb and didn't write it down, oops. anyway I hope you like this chapter! If you have any questions feel free to ask me and happy 4th of July to any Americans, happy traders day to the British and happy Saturday to everyone else.

@thestressmademedoit

@abrx2002 I love that you suggested Onward for the movie because its about a boy trying to meet his dad for the first time and thats kinda whats happening in the story

@depressedrainbowcake

@myazael

[ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic]

Part 2 - Chapter 17 - So Far So Good

Blank Canvas Part 2

AO3 - here

Fanfiction.net - here

Welcome back! Hope you had a great week. And hopefully didn't set anything on fire with fireworks this weekend. XD Some people tend to get a bit pyromantic on the 4th of July. Crazy Americans. :P Anyway, the first day in the hero course continues with classes and 1-A getting to know even more about the Green Bean. He just has so many secrets in this fic!

We're getting a Kouda pov this chapter! I want to remind you that I know very little about sign language. I know that the grammar patterns are different but since I don't know what they're like, they're going to be similar to verbal speech. Just letting you know.

Warning for teasing. From the paragraph starting with [Midnight entered the room...]. The first two sentences are fine but the teasing starts at [She sent a knowing wink...] and ends at [Izuku chose to ignore...] which is the first sentence in the next full paragraph.

Linktree to all the things!

End notes for the chapter are under the line.

Now 1-A knows Izuku is fluent and Nezu's personal student! Again, I wanted Izuku to be fluent in English so he could learn JSL and the reason why I wanted him to learn that is to be better friends with Kouda. That and it would be helpful as a hero. As for Nezu, that would come out eventually so this sort of ripped that bandaid off. Hope it's not too clunky.

Apologies if Izuku seems more fluent than he should be with only learning sign for a month in story. (I know, it's only been a month into the school year since chapter 10 of part 1. XD ) Again, I'm not sure how sign language works grammar wise or for skill level, but it is canon that Izuku soaks up information like a sponge. So, it could be feasible that he would pick it up fast. Plus, he's had lots of practice having secret conversations with the teachers. Also, I just want him to have a sign buddy and be friends with Kouda. ^___^

Thanks to those on the discord for their suggestions on what Izuku should say. Though there wasn't one that seemed to fit to me so I went with the suggestion of him just going with a basic introduction instead. So thanks for that. ^___^

Also, Yamada is worried for Hitoshi though he doesn't know why exactly. More on that later as the internships commence. ;)

Fun Facts About Japan:

There are many types of personalities when it comes to students same as any school. Some are loud and boisterous while others are quiet and shy. I myself leaned more towards the shy side growing up and still do sometimes. But when I'm in my element of either the company I have or the topic at hand, I thrive. ;) Anyway, I just wanted to share one awesome experience I had at one of my schools in regards to shy kids. I believe it was my second year and I moved to working at one of the big schools in my area. Each year level had 8-9 classes so there were a lot of kids.

In one class, I remember there being a very shy girl who was known to barely talk. I tried to get her to participate best I could but she just preferred to be quiet. I would still include her best I could in my lessons during my time there and it actually paid off. It was my last week at that school and I was doing goodbye jeopardy with them as a last hurrah. The teacher had it set up that the students in their desk groups would take turns answering for their teams. Which was great and allowed everyone the opportunity to participate as well as share responsibility for their teams.

Anyway, it just so happened to be the group the quiet girl was in who won the latest round of janken and she was the representative for her group. Some answers were written and others spoken. This question had happened to be a verbal answer so I was worried she wouldn't answer. But to my surprise and joy she whispered the correct answer quietly in my ear and I was just so proud of her for speaking. It was only a whisper but she did it and trusted me enough to speak to me. ^____^ And with only working at the school for about 5 months.

Reminder that my city had us switch schools every few months or so which made it difficult to build proper trust with the students and teachers in such a short time. Which is why I was so happy that this shy girl was willing to say something to me at all. Building trust is very important in school and is vital for a good education.

Ok, long end notes are long. XD Next update we've got another lunch scene with, you guessed it, more bonding time! Along with other things. Mei apologizes to Iida, Dark Shadow and Izuku have a moment, more learning about the green bean, and some other stuff in between. Again, please stay safe and be well. Let me know of any typos or weirdness and have a great week!

[camillemontespan]

ten years from now  [AU. drake walker x camille montespan] [part nineteen: the king of 4th of july]

@ibldw-main​  @pug-bitch​​  @jovialyouthmusic​​ @katedrakeohd​​ @rainbowsinthestorm​​ @emichelle​​ @dcbbw​​ @sirbeepsalot​​ @notoriouscs​​ @burnsoslow​​ @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​​ @gardeningourmet​​ @pedudley​​ @marshmallowsandfire​​ @princessleac1​​  @kingliam2019​ @drakeandkatherine​

Master List

********************************************************

'Alright, so we have everything for the sangria, hot dogs, burgers, all of the carbs, pain au chocolate for Gisele as she doesn't eat much at the moment, whiskey.. Am I forgetting anything?' Bianca asked Drake and Savannah as she studied their newly bought groceries for the 4th of July celebrations. 

'You've got everything, mom,' Savannah assured her. 

Bianca smiled. 'All we need now are fireworks but Drake is going into town to buy some today, my helpful little boy!' 

'Mom..' Drake groaned. 'I'm not a little boy..' 

'But you're so helpful!' Bianca cooed, gently patting his cheek. 

Drake rolled his eyes. He was indeed picking up fireworks today and he had enlisted Camille to be his shopping buddy. 

'I'm gonna go pick up Camille,' Drake said, eager to get away. He gave Bianca a quick hug and turned to leave the kitchen, ignoring Savannah who was making kissing noises at his retreating back. 

******************************

Drake collected Camille in his pick up truck. He smiled as he watched her leave her house and make her way towards him. She looked beautiful today, even though she was only wearing a simple white t-shirt and denim shorts with Converse. Drake always thought she looked beautiful. 

They chatted easily as Drake drove them into town. They had become closer since Camille had been back in Texas. Their baby steps mantra was working. Forcing themselves to take it slow had deepened their connection but Drake was still fully aware that Camille had only just come out of an engagement. The ball was entirely in her court. 

'Here's our list,' Drake said, handing her a sheet of paper as he drove. 'We need to get all of these fireworks.' 

'Jesus, Drake, are you buying up all the firework supply in Texas?!' Camille cried, staring in bewilderment at the list that detailed 15 types of firework Drake desperately wanted. 

Drake rolled his eyes. 'It's the 4th of July, Camille! We gotta go hard!' 

Camille let out a throaty laugh, which made Drake's heart flip. 'Jackson would be so proud of you,' she told him. 

Drake smiled. 'I'm just trying to carry on his legacy, you know? He was the king of 4th of July. I'm not letting that slide.' 

They drove on in comfortable silence until Camille broke it. 

'You could be the new king of 4th of July, you know..' she suggested in a soft voice. 'I'm sure Jackson would be happy to pass the mantel to you.' 

Drake chuckled. 'One day,' he replied simply. 'It all hinges on tonight.' 

'I'm sure it will be perfect,' Camille assured him. 

Drake tried to stop himself from turning pink but he couldn't. Camille smiled at his embarrassment and reached out to squeeze his hand. 

'I'll help you,' she said. 'We can be a team!' 

Drake grinned, his cheeks turning back to a regular colour. He stole a glance at Camille. 

'We always are,' he said softly. 

It was now Camille's turn to turn pink. 

*********************

Camille had been horrified when she saw that Drake was intending to purchase M-80s which were used by the military. 

‘Isn’t this a little.. Over the top?’

Drake had stared at her, unamused. ‘No such thing as over the top for 4th of July, Montespan,’ he told her seriously. So, Camille tried her best to keep her mouth shut and helped Drake purchase a vast selection of fireworks, some legal, some… not. 

‘I am a terrible, terrible person,’ she muttered as she waited for Drake to finish purchasing an illegal firework. ‘A fucking accomplice.’

‘I can hear you,’ Drake said dryly, giving her serious side eye as he waited for the cashier to bag up his fireworks. Camille bit her tongue, making Drake smirk.

**************************

They arrived back at the ranch to find it decked out in American flag bunting. Bianca had set up the barbeque while Savannah was decorating the long wooden table for their guests, covering the surface with red, white and blue streamers. 

‘You’re back!’ Bianca cried, clapping her hands excitedly. ‘How was firework shopping?’

‘We came, we saw, we conquered,’ Drake replied breezily, setting the bags of fireworks down. Savannah ripped opened the bags, eager to see what he had bought and her face lit up with a wide smile as she spotted the M-80s. The Walkers adored 4th of July and it was all down to Jackson.

‘I’m going to pick up my grandma,’ Camille told them. ‘We’ll be back soon, ready to party!’

‘That’s the spirit!’ Bianca cheered. 

Drake followed Camille out to the front door. She turned to face him and gave him a sly smile. ‘I’ve seen a different side to you today,’ she told him. ‘Kinda scary.’

Drake chuckled. ‘Sorry. I get all excited for the fireworks. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.’

‘I know I was a little funny about it,’ Camille admitted. ‘But this is your day. If you want to go crazy with fireworks, then you go crazy with fireworks. It’s what your dad would have wanted.’

Drake smiled bashfully. ‘I just want to remember him in the best way,’ he said quietly, shuffling on his feet. ‘This is how I remember him. I get carried away, sure, but it’s worth it.’

There was a pause. Drake wondered if he had been too sentimental.

Before he could react, Camille leaned up and kissed him.

She tasted of watermelon lip balm and lemonade. 

As quickly as she had kissed him, she pulled away. Drake was staring at her with wide eyes. ‘What was that for?’ he asked, his voice hitching..

Camille blushed. ‘I just wanted to kiss you.’

Drake couldn’t argue with that. Smiling, she said goodbye and left the porch, leaving Drake staring after her with a dopey grin on his face.

*********************************

Camille and Gisele came back an hour later armed with champagne. Gisele had insisted on bringing the fizz and she also insisted on dressing as elegantly as possible; she was wearing a blue linen trouser suit and her silver hair was coiffed to perfection. She had tied red, white and blue bows around her crutches as a way to commemorate the day.

‘You will have to come over for Bastille Day!’ Gisele said as she hugged Drake. ‘We don’t make quite as much effort but we do watch the fireworks light up the Eiffel Tower on our computer and we drink champagne! Would you like to come over for that?’

Drake cast a glance at Camille who gave him a shrug, trying to appear casual although really, she quite liked the idea. Drake smiled warmly. ‘That sounds perfect.’

******************************

The day passed in a flurry of laughter, eating and drinking. While Savannah played with Bartie on the grass, Gisele and Bianca drank champagne and talked about everything without pausing for breath. 

Drake and Camille had changed into swimwear and jumped into the lake, screaming as they did so. When they broke the water’s surface, they swam towards  the edge of the lake near the jetty, their fingers brushing each other’s skin. 

Drake gently pushed Camille up against the jetty, his eyes roaming her face. Her dark hair was slicked back and water dripped from her eyelashes. The sunshine cast a golden glow over her skin; she looked like a mermaid from the deep. 

‘You’re staring at me,’ Camille said, interrupting his thoughts.

Drake smirked. ‘Can’t help it.’

He reached out to graze her jawline with his finger. Camille’s cheeks turned pink but she didn’t push him away. Drake floated closer so their chests were flush against each other. Camille ran her hands down his muscled arms, tracing his veins with her finger. 

‘I’m so happy you’re here today,’ Drake murmured, not taking his eyes off hers. 

‘Thank you for the invite,’ she replied quietly. ‘It’s been so fun.’ 

Drake’s eyes softened. Feeling brave, he leaned towards her, his lips opening slightly. Camille’s mouth parted and their lips met softly, tentatively. 

They were hidden from view. Nobody could see them kissing; with that knowledge, Drake increased the pressure, turning the kiss from one of softness and light into an urgent, intoxicating embrace.

Camille pulled away first.

‘Baby steps,’ she gasped. ‘I know I kissed you earlier but that was different. Nothing could happen-’

‘I get it,’ Drake interrupted, breathing heavily. ‘Baby steps.’

*************************************

That night, when the twilight sky turned a deep navy, Drake set up the fireworks, animatedly explaining which ones were which to the party. Savannah looked like she wanted to step in and let some off herself; Bianca was filling up her glass, tipsy from sangria; and Gisele was nodding with a smile on her face, trying to look interested when really, she had no idea what he was talking about.

‘This one makes a KABOOM noise that you can hear from three miles away!’ he said, his voice coming out in a quick flurry, ‘and this one takes its time before it suddenly explodes into gold dust! Oh my God, okay, look at this one, this one is the shit!’

Camille watched him as he showed off the fireworks, unable to stop herself from smiling. She loved seeing Drake in his element; here, he was confident and self assured. He was determined to make this a spectacle - and it would be- but the way he talked so passionately about the fireworks made her want to listen to him forever.

She realised that she always wanted to listen to him when he talked about fireworks. She wanted to be here, every 4th of July, listening as he showed them off. She wanted to watch him, giddy and childlike, completely at odds with his rough exterior. She wanted to see him be happy. 

Camille sipped her whiskey, trying to push down the realisation. But she couldn’t take her eyes off Drake now and she didn’t tear her gaze away when his eyes met hers. For that moment, he was stripped back, laid bare to her. He was the Drake Walker she had grown up with and fell in love with. He was lit up like the fireworks he adored; shining brightly for all to see. 

**************************************

The fireworks had lit up the sky in a colourful display of gold, pink, blue and red. Drake worked hard, making sure each one went off at the right time, while everyone else oohed and ahhed. 

‘Fuck, that one was incredible!’ he hollered. 

When the display finished up, he topped up his glass with whiskey and sat beside Camille. 

‘You want a blanket?’ he asked her, seeing that her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around her body.  Not waiting for her to answer, Drake found a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. ‘Can’t have you getting cold,’ he told her gently. ‘Not on my watch.’

Camille rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she savoured this moment. The whole day had been incredible. Everything she had loved about Texas had been pulled to the forefront of her mind and she felt more content and happy than she had in months. Now, she felt her worries slide off her shoulders and all she could think about was where to go from here. 

‘Ahem, attention..’ Bianca announced, standing up. She turned to Savannah. ‘Let’s do it, baby girl.’

Savannah giggled and rushed indoors, peaking everyone’s curiosity.  Bianca turned to look at Drake and gave him a wink. 

‘Mom? What’s happening?’

Bianca ignored his question. ‘Following a simply spectacular 4th of July celebration, I am pleased to announce..’

The doors opened and Savannah came back outside, holding something shiny in her hands. As she got closer, Drake realised what it was. 

A plastic gold crown set on top of a cushion.

Bianca smiled at her son. ‘I am pleased to announce that my son, my baby boy, Drake Walker, is now the new King of the 4th of July!’

Gisele and Camille burst into applause. Drake stared at his mother, unable to form words. Seeing this, Bianca made her way towards him and crouched down to look up into his face. She placed her hand on his cheek and smiled a wobbly smile.

‘Your dad would be so proud of your efforts today,’ she said, her voice cracking. ‘You went above and beyond to make this party one that we’ll never forget. He always wanted you to love 4th of July and here you are. He would want you to be the new king.’

Savannah held out the cushion to Camille. ‘Will you do the honours?’ she asked. 

Camille stood up and adopted a regal pose, throwing her shoulders back. ‘I would love to,’ she said grandly, making Drake laugh. She took the crown and stood in front of Drake.

‘Drake Walker,’ she said, trying not to laugh. ‘Do you accept the responsibility of being the king of 4th of July?’

Drake chuckled. ‘I do.’

‘And do you swear to uphold the values of 4th of July and to make all other 4th of July celebrations pale into insignificance?’

‘I swear.’

‘And do you swear to wear this crown every 4th of July because you will look adorable wearing it and I need to take a picture of you?’

Drake rolled his eyes. ‘I swear.’

Satisfied, Camille placed the crown on top of his head. Everyone erupted into cheers and applause, chanting Drake’s name. 

**************************************************

Savannah, Bianca and Gisele soon started to yawn. ‘I should get going,’ Gisele said. ‘I need my beauty sleep.’

Camille stopped playing cards with Drake to look at her grandmother. ‘I’ll come with you-’

‘No, mon petit chou, you stay here and play cards,’ Gisele interrupted. ‘You’re having fun.’

Bianca stood up. ‘I’ll take you down the road.’

Savannah eyed Drake and Camille, who were cosied up together with a whiskey bottle between them, decks of cards in their hands. Drake was currently winning.

‘I’ll come with you too,’ Savannah said. 

They left Drake and Camille in the garden; the two of them didn’t mind. They were enjoying each other’s company. 

‘And that,’ Drake said, banging his cards on the table, ‘is how you win at cards!’

‘You’re such a smug bastard!’ Camille protested. ‘A king would never rub his fortunes in his subject’s faces!’

Drake smirked. ‘This one does.’

Camille swatted his hand playfully, jumping when his fingers trapped hers in his. Their hands remained clasped.

‘Wanna go down to the jetty?’ Drake asked her softly. ‘It’s our spot. Thought we could have some peace and quiet.’

Camille smiled. ‘That sounds nice.’

They abandoned their cards and wandered down towards the jetty, still holding hands. The moonlight bounced off Drake’s crown, making him look quite fabulous. 

They reached the jetty and settled down. Drake leaned back on his hands, breathing in the warm Texas air. Camille looked down at her hands, now no longer in Drake’s, and she bit her lip. Sensing a change in her, Drake looked at her steadily. 

‘What’s up?’

Camille smiled. She forced herself to meet his eyes. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she was in danger of word vomiting; this was not the time to word vomit. She needed to be clear. She needed to take a breath and tell him that in no uncertain terms-

‘I love you,’ she whispered. 

Drake’s eyes widened. He stared at Camille, unable to form an appropriate response. What happened to the baby steps? Or had the baby steps worked? Had she made her choice now and he was it for her? She had chosen him? 

Camille couldn’t work out what he was thinking. And so, the word vomit burst out of her.

‘I love you,’ she said quickly. ‘I guess I always have. But ever since I saw you again, I felt a pull towards you and I kept trying to push it down until I couldn’t do it anymore. I made some bad decisions along the way, I hurt Liam, I hurt you.. But I feel clearer now. I have clarity. I’m home. You are my home, Drake. I know we were trying to do baby steps and I’m so happy we managed to because it’s only made us closer and I’ve learned so much more about you now. But I don’t want baby steps anymore. I want to dive in and just be with you, all of you. I watched you tonight and you were so bright and happy.. I felt so much love for you right there. I want to see you be the 4th of July King every year. I want to help you buy fireworks. I want to host 4th July parties and go crazy and drink whiskey and sing bad songs and lose at cards. I want to celebrate it with you every year. I want it all. I want you-’

Drake’s mouth crashed against hers with such a force that his crown fell off. Camille made a startled sound until she realised what was happening; he was kissing her. He was kissing her desperately, urgently, with all the pent up frustration and love that he had kept cooped up in his heart for so long. His hands raked through her hair, bunching it into clumps, and he held her close, as if he was trying to keep her together. 

‘I love you too,’ he murmured against her lips. ‘Always have, always will.’

[queasyghosts]

ahhhhh i didn't get around to messaging you yesterday i'm sorryyyyy. oh and also happy 4th of jewly! make sure your puppy isn't spooked by the fireworks. :] -o.e. (p.s. best 4th of july memory? mine is just watching fireworks displays with my family and eating popcorn and stuff as a kid. lame, but a classic.)

HEY OE ANON!! I HOPE YOU’RE DOING OKAY BUDDY!! 

happy american flag day :0c tbh this is the first 4th of July that I don't feel comfortable celebrating, especially with how America has been acting >>:///

(my fav memory would probably playing with sparklers with my cousin and writing stupid things on the concrete and munching on ice creams)

[aphrodaisyacs]

Stoki Fic Rec List

No Six Sentence Sunday this week just me and my first ever fic rec list. This is the result of me caring too much for a rarepair that not enough of the fandom cares about but ANYWAY. The fic rec lists I’ve seen for this pairing are quite a few years old, so I decided to make a new one of my own. The list is sorted in chronological order of the MCU timeline, and also quite long, which is why I put it under a read more:

under bright stars burning by @thelightofthingshopedfor (nearly 21k words, Teen and Up)

When Steve is a kid, he meets a boy named Loki who says he's a prince and shows him real magic. It's kind of weird (but that doesn't mean he doesn't like it).

A fic where Steve and Loki sort-of grow up together, but it’s still set in the canon-verse (don’t worry, the timeline discrepancy gets explained). Kid!Loki and Kid!Steve are so damn adorable, there’s quite a bit of angst between them but there’s also more than enough hurt/comfort to make up for it. I was so disappointed when this fic ended where it did, because I enjoyed it so much that I wanted it to go on forever.

Silver Moon by aurilly (23k+ words, Mature)

Steve and Bucky meet a weirdly dressed guy who claims to be a banished prince from some place they've never heard of. Most New Yorkers would have left the lunatic right where they found him, but Steve and Bucky have never been good at doing things the easy way.

Okay so I cheated a bit, because this fic is actually Steve/Loki/Bucky, but. It is so well-written that I’m including it in this list anyway. In this universe Loki discovers his heritage far earlier than in canon, which leads to a series of events resulting in him getting his powers stripped then banished to pre-WWII Midgard- specifically, Brooklyn. After repeatedly failing to convince Heimdall to return him to Asgard, Loki eventually settles into a life with Steve and Bucky. But then WWII happens. Slow build, quite a bit of angst, but there’s an optimistic ending.

Those Who Favor Ice by CatalenaMara (18k+ words, Explicit)

“You haven’t said anything incorrectly so far,” Steve said, and could hear an edge in his voice.

“Men of such beauty and strength and talent often feel they must outshine everyone they meet. That they must cast a very large shadow so that the world sees only them.”

So many emotions crossed Loki’s face so quickly that Steve could only interpret a few. Resentment. And longing. And need.

“I wasn’t always strong,” Steve said slowly. “Not as a child. I was sickly - so weak that anyone could beat me.”

Loki’s gaze sharpened. “And did they? Beat you?”

Don’t mind me I just love fics that feature Jotunn!Loki and/or Loki dealing with his heritage and Jotunheim in general. We get to see a possibility of what might have been if Heimdall hadn’t betrayed King Loki, which apparently involves Loki running off to become King of Jotunheim and later Steve’s lover. Beautiful prose, smut that doubles as character study, A+.

Madness by @scotlandevander (19k+ words, Teen and Up)

Time makes a deal and when Time makes a deal, it plays out till it is fulfilled. Steve Rogers is learning this the hard way and he’s quite sure it’ll end in madness.

Steve is stuck in a time loop spanning from the moment he wakes up in the 21st century to the events of T:DW. Needless to say it doesn’t take very long for him to run out of fucks to give. I really love the gradual development of Steve’s relationships with Bruce, Natasha and of course Loki throughout the loops. The progression of Stoki is slow mainly because Steve’s a useless bisexual and nice to read. Definitely one of my all-time favourites for this ship.  

Living Contradiction by Ebyru (1k+ words, Teen and Up)

Loki hates Captain America, but over time he realizes it’s a lie.

Excerpt: "Captain America is brave, strong, independent and an astounding leader. Maybe no-one can tell, but far beneath the mask of strength he wears and the flag he carries, Loki can see he’s just a follower."

Something short and sweet set vaguely post-Avengers (2012). Contemplative character study as Loki learns more about the man underneath the Captain America costume. I recommend this if you’re in the mood for a quick pre-slash read.

In The Land of Gods and Monsters by thisiswhatthewatergaveme (nearly 5k words, Explicit)

Steve makes a mistake: he lets his guard down. He lets a momentary relief cloud his judgment. He doesn’t spring into action when Loki spins around and presses a tight-lipped kiss against his mouth. Doesn’t even move when it softens, slightly, Loki’s hands curling over his arms.

And then the god is gone and Steve realizes something important. He realizes, perhaps for the first time, that there are different kinds of war.

While the author has tagged this fic as Porn Without Plot, I think it’s more accurate to say that there is plot, it’s just that the entire plot is centred on the build-up to the porn. And said build-up is mostly Loki catching Steve unawares to kiss him, interspersed with Steve suffering some moral crises over being attracted to his enemy.

Thawing Universe by Vulcanmi (17k+ words, Teen and Up)

A what if that starts after the events of Thor: the Dark World but before Winter Soldier. What if Loki had gotten tired of playing Odin?

Parts 1, 2 & 3 are purely Stoki, while part 4 & 5 are Thor/Bucky-centric with background Stoki. Loki gets bored of pretending to be Odin rather quickly, and thus he goes down to Earth to continually invite himself over to Steve’s apartment. Steve has exactly zero say in all of this. This series makes the pairing seem way more adorable than it has any right to be, all the while keeping everyone in-character. Part 1 builds the relationship, part 2 has the other Avengers reacting to it, and part 3 has Steve finally getting off his useless bisexual ass and asking Loki out for real. One of my favourite depictions of this pairing for sure.

Strange Love by @dvswraatins (12k words, Teen and Up)

It starts with a simple taunt.

Spoiler alert: the aforementioned “taunt” is Loki putting on a great show of seducing Steve in order to piss off Thor. Featuring Loki being unapologetically a piece of shit, Loki as a part-time Avenger and narration that becomes hilariously descriptive whenever Thor enters the picture. One of the things I adore about this fic is that it explores a dynamic for this pairing I didn’t know I needed- of Loki trying to use Steve for his own gain, but Steve manipulating him right back.

The Dreamfasting by suchaprettyface (80k+ words, Explicit)

This is the highly unlikely and yet somehow inevitable story of how Captain Steve Rogers, Avenger, becomes the lover of Loki Odinson, younger prince of Asgard and Public Enemy Number 1 according to the FBI database of known offenders.

Steve and Loki discover quite by accident that they are connected by a very old form of magic whose initial purpose seems to be getting them in each other's pants as often as possible. But there's far, far more at work than that...

To break this series down to its bare essentials: lots of porn + lots of plot. Post-AoU, Loki gets captured by SHIELD but almost immediately after Steve runs into him again, the two of them begin sharing wet dreams. The more dreams they share, the stronger the indescribable connection between them grows. Yet, in the background of all the dream-fucking, there is the mystery of why these dreams even exist in the first place, as well as Steve finding himself physically changed by them. 

Look At Me Now by @arimabat (33k+ words, Teen and Up)

Steve is on the run. His already complicated life becomes just a little more complicated when an old enemy shows up unexpectedly. But Loki has changed since their last encounter and he could have crucial information to stop a fast-approaching threat. If he’s willing to tell Steve.

Or, the one where Loki keeps bothering Steve until he figures out a way to get something useful out of it and then it all just becomes a mess.

Post-Civil War, pre-Ragnarok. Loki is absolutely delighted by a jaded, cynical Steve, and Steve is very much unamused by the unwanted attention. Steve attempts to take advantage of this attention anyway by interrogating Loki about the Infinity Stones, which leads to the gradual development of a relationship neither of them expected. I absolutely love the conversations and banter between everyone in this fic- not just between Steve and Loki, but also between Steve, Natasha, Sam and Wanda. However, (spoiler alert) the ending for this fic isn’t all too happy BUT the good news is that it’s part of a series, which isn’t complete yet at the time I’m typing this up.

Be My All-American Boy by @gavotteangel (6k+ words, Teen and Up)

It's Steve Rogers' birthday and it's Independence Day. Naturally, the freshly reunited Avengers vacation to a lake house and throw him a party. Nothing goes as expected.

Or: LOKI HAS A BIG FAT CRUSH HAPPY 4TH OF JULY FOLKS

Post-Ragnarok, post-Civil War, with a dose of Infinity War being cancelled. Highlights include Loki having a crush on bearded!Steve and abhorring the fact that the crush even exists in the first place, Loki trying his best to hold back his stabby instincts on his new allies, Loki and Natasha being drinking buddies and Loki eating the rest of Steve’s birthday cake out of pure pettiness.

I’m also going to shamelessly self-promote and rec my own series Mischief Managed (nearly 20k words, Teen and Up)

Set post-Ragnarok in an AU where Infinity War is cancelled and Steve and Tony have gotten their shit together.

The series follows Steve and Loki while they form an unlikely bond as they team up to prank others, again and again.

Initially based on this headcanon, with Steve getting the opportunity to confront Loki about it, which somehow leads to both of them teaming up to prank the rest of the Avengers. Part 2 expands on the unlikely friendship they formed in part 1, except this time Steve and Loki take advantage of the media circus and fake date to piss off homophobes. Meanwhile, the Avengers are forced to watch this train wreck happen in real time. According to the comments this series is funny enough that it made people laugh not that I’d be able to judge properly since I’m the one who wrote it. 

Tangerines are Sweet Enough by @fel-as-in-tumbld (4k+ words, General)

(Steve is seven, cold and hungry and it's Christmas morning; he's seven, sitting on the floor, pulling perfect miniature suns out of the foot of his stocking. Tangerines; he's seven, and he can feel the flesh tear under his thumbnail, can taste the burst of flavour on his tongue, the juice slide down his throat; he's seven, and he's sitting with his mother and everything has been cold and hunger, but there is this--tangerines, like eating the sun with his mother, and the warmth of her laughter--

Steve hasn't eaten a tangerine since she died, since Bucky vanished off to war; too many memories, too much intimacy.

Post-Infinity War fic where Loki actually gets revived I’m looking at you Russos. It has beautiful prose which sets a soft, wistful tone to the whole thing, helped by the fact that it takes place during the winter holidays. Steve and Loki’s relationship here is... well, melancholic, mostly, but it does end on a warm note. 

*

This rec list only reflects my personal reading experiences (and are also only limited to AO3), so feel free to add more suggestions in reblogs or replies!

Honorary mention goes to Remember This Cold by @veliseraptor (nearly 800k words, ranges from General to Explicit depending on the part) which I didn’t include in the main list because let’s be real, anyone who’s looking for Stoki fic recs has already read this series.

[balkinbuddies]

We’re celebrating July 4th with  the ALAN Review article entitled “Where Are They Now? Remembering Our Most Popular Young Adult Authors.”

     An article written by Don Gallo appeared recently in the Summer 2019 issue of The ALAN Review entitled “Where Are They Now? Remembering Our Most Popular Young Adult Authors.” Among those remembered were four authors with whom I worked very closely during my years at HarperCollins and, with Don Gallo's and the ALAN Review's permission, I'm including those remembrances on the Balkin Buddies blog:

     Here they are in  the order they appeared in the article:

Paul Zindel [Tied for first place with S.E. Hinton in 1988]*

    Paul Zindel's death in March 2003 ended the brilliant career of a unique individual. Not only did he win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and an Obie Award for Best American Play in 1970 for The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1965), but he was also one of the earliest writers in the field of contemporary literature for young adults. The Pigman, published in 1968, is still one of the most well-known and widely taught novels in the genre. He followed The Pigman with My Darling, My Hamburger (1969); Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball (1976), The Undertaker's Gone Bananas (1978); Harry and Hortense at Hormone High (1984); and other novels with attention-getting titles. His writing revealed how well he understood teenagers, believing that “adolescence is a time for problem-solving – for dealing with the awesome questions of self-identity, responsibility,  authority, sex, love, God, and death” (Gallo, 1990, p. 228).

     In addition to Gamma Rays, this versatile author wrote a number of other plays, including And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little (1971) and Ladies at the Alamo (1975), as well as a number of movies and television scripts that include Up the Sandbox (1972), starring Barbara Streisand; Mame (1974), starring Lucille Ball; Runaway Train (1985), starring Jon Voigt; Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass (1985), with a cast of 50 stars that included Red Buttons, Ringo Starr, Scott Baio, and Shelley Winters; Babes in Toyland (1986), starring Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves; and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1989), starring Keshia Knight Pullman. During those years working in Hollywood, Zindel associated with numerous movie and television actors and became good friends with Walter Matthau who lived in the house next door.

     In his later years, Zindel, always knowing what would appeal to teen readers, turned from realistic fiction to monster/horror books, such as The Doom Stone (1996), Rats (1999), and Night of the Bat (2001) – all of them filled with suspense and action and all selected as Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

     Zindel reveals a lot about himself in his 1987 autobiographical novel, The Amazing and Death-Defying Diary of Eugene Dingman, except that the fictional Eugene grows up in Bayone, New Jersey, while Paul grew up on Staten Island, New York. Of his teen years, Paul says bluntly: “I was an awkward freak.” More about Zindel's early life, family, and adventures can be found in his autobiography, The Pigman and Me (1992), which was named one of the 100 Best of the Best Books published for teenagers during the last part of the twentieth century.  In 2002, the American Library Association bestowed upon Paul Zindel the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement, and later that same year, he was presented with the ALAN Award for his contributions to young adult literature.

M. E. Kerr [Tied for fourth place with Robert Cormier and Katherine Paterson in 1988]*

     Writing under the pseudonym of M. E. Kerr, Marijane Meaker was one of the earliest authors to gain notoriety in the YA publishing world with Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!, published in 1972. Among her 20 popular novels are Is That You, Miss Blue? (1975), I'll Love You When You're More Like Me (1977), Gentlehands (1978), Him She Loves? (1984), Night Kites (1986), the Fell series (1987, 1989, 1991), and Deliver Us from Evie (1990). Kerr has always chosen to write about differences in people, “understanding them....trying to make sense of it all, never losing sight of the power love lends.”

     In an interview published in Teenreads, she explains her motives: “I was very much formed by books when I was young....I was a bookworm and a poetry lover. When I think of myself and what I would have liked to have found in books those many years ago, I remember being depressed by all the neatly tied-up, happy-ending stories, the abundance of winners, the themes of winning, solving,  finding – when around me it didn't seem that easy. So I write with a different feeling when I write for young adults. I guess I write for myself at that age” (“M. E. Kerr).

     Marijane Meaker began her career in publishing after she was unable to sell any of her stories to magazines. She presented herself as Ms. Meaker, a literary agent with six clients, and sent out her own work under various pseudonyms, male as well as female. One was a middle-aged female teacher writing true confessions (at $300 a story); another was a young college woman selling to magazines, such as Redbook and Ladies Home Journal; a third “author” told a story, titled “I Lost My Baby at a Pot Party,” about her child wandering from a house where a saleslady was pitching Teflon pots. Along the way, a Gold Medal Books editor convinced her to write a novel about sorority life, for which she earned $4,000 a book at a penny a word. This very resourceful writer also published two or three adult mysteries a year under the name of Vin Packer, and other novels were penned as Ann Aldrich and Laura Winston. Her books for children are published under the name Mary James. “A lot of my stories,” she says, “sold well enough for me to enjoy trips to Europe, an apartment off  Fifth Avenue in New York City in the 90s, and a Fiat convertible.”

     M.E. Kerr's novels for teens have won multiple awards, including a Christopher Award in 1978, a Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in 1981, a California Young Readers Medal in 1992, the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1993 for her lifetime contribution to young adult literature, the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile and Young Adult Literature in 1991, the ALAN Award in 2000, and the Golden Crown Literary Society Award for her groundbreaking works in the field of lesbian literature in 2013. In 1996, Long Island University awarded her an honorary doctorate.

     A collection of her short stories for teens – dealing with dating, love, race, bigotry, homosexuality, self-love, and  acceptance – titled Edge,  was published in 2015. And Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950s, a memoir recounting Meaker's relationship with famous mystery writer Patricia Highsmith, was published in 2003. Still writing at the age of 91, Meaker recently completed a novel about gay life in New York City during the 1940s and how she became a literary agent for her own work. It's titled Remind Me, based on the lyrics of an old song from that time written by Jerome  Kern and Dorothy Fields (1940): “Remind me / Not to find you so attractive / Remind me that the world is full of men.

Katherine Paterson [Tied for fourth place with Robert Cormier and M. E. Kerr in 1988]*

     Born in Qing Jiang, China, in 1932, the middle daughter of missionary parents, Katherine Paterson has lived in a variety of places, from Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, and New York City to China and Japan, where she was a Presbyterian missionary. She now lives in Montpelier, Vermont.

     Her highly regarded novels include The Sign of the Chrysanthemum (1973), Of Nightingales That Weep (1974), Master Puppeteer (1975), and Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom (1983), but she is known best for Bridge to Terabithia (1977), which won the Newbery Medal in 1978; The Great Gilly Hopkins (1978), which won the National Book Award in 1979; Jacob Have I Loved (1980), which won the Newbery Medal in 1981; and Park's Quest (1988), which made The Horn Book Fanfare Honor List in 1988. Published in 1996, Jip, His Story won the Parents' Choice Story Book Award and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction in 1997. In 2006, Bread and Roses, Too won the Christopher Award and was a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, a Parents' Choice Gold Medal historical fiction book, and one of Voice of Youth Advocate's Top Fiction for Middle School Readers.

     Paterson has also authored several autobiographical books about her writing, including Stories of My Life (2014), and is a coauthor of Consider the Lilies (Paterson & Paterson, 1986), a nonfiction book about various plants of the Bible that she wrote with her husband, John.

     Over her long writing career, Paterson has also received a long list of awards for her body of work. Among them are the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota (1983), the ALAN Award (1987), the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Writing (1998), the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2006), the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (2013), and the Massachusetts Reading Association Lifetime Award, along with writing awards from Germany, France, and Sweden. In 2000, she was declared A Living Legend by the Library of Congress, and for 2010-2011, Paterson was the US Ambassador for Young People's Literature. She is also the recipient of more than a dozen honorary degrees, including ones from Vermont College of Fine Arts, the University of Maryland, Hope College, and Washington and Lee University.

     Paterson's latest novel is My Brigadista Year (2017), set in Cuba in 1961 during the literacy campaign that made Cuba a fully literate nation in  one year.

Robert Lipsyte

     The author of The Contender (1967) turned 80 years old this spring, as his ground-breaking novel passed the 50-year mark in print. Lipsyte is also the author of One Fat Summer (1977), Summer Rules (1981), The Brave (1991), The Chemo Kid (1992), The Chief (1993), and Raiders Night (2006) for teens, and for young readers, The Twinning Project (2012). Lipsyte's list of publications for teenagers isn't especially lengthy when compared to those of some authors who have been writing for the same length of time, but that's because writing books for and about teenagers is only one kind of work he has done especially well. He has also published a number of short stories, essays about sports issues, and biographies of several sports celebrities, such as Muhammad Ali, Jim Thorpe, and Michael Jordan, as well as several nonfiction books for adults, including Nigger, with Dick Gregory (1964), the African American satirist; Sportsworld (1975/2018); and Idols of the Game (1995). As the author of The Contender, one of the very first realistic novels about contemporary teenagers, Robert Lipsyte was honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award by the American Library Association in 2001.

     And that's not all. Among other things, Robert Lipsyte has been a highly respected columnist and prize-winning sports reporter for The New York Times, a correspondent for the CBS television program Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt; the host of his own award-winning television interview program, The Eleventh Hour, on New York City's public television station, WNET Channel 13; author of a television documentary series about sports; and the Life (Part 2) series for PBS-TV on subjects of interest to older people. He is also the author of an entertaining memoir, titled Accidental Sportswriter (2011).

     In addition to speaking at a lot of high schools, Lipsyte recently has been flying to North Carolina for a week at a time to teach at Wake Forest University, which he says he enjoys very much. He continues to write a monthly column, mostly on local politics, for his hometown weekly, The Shelter Island Reporter, which he says “gives me as much pleasure as the old Times' column.” He also occasionally writes about sports and politics for a site called Tomdispatch, which distributes to a batch of leftish publications like The Nation and The Guardian. If that's not enough, after his cameo on the O.J.: Made in America documentary film (Edelman, 2016) that won an Oscar, he gets called often to pontificate on various TV documentaries, most recently on one about Sonny Liston, three on  Muhammad Ali (including one by Ken Burns), and another on that “hard year” 1968.

     Meanwhile, this very busy author has been promoting the film, Measure of a Man (Scearce, 2018), starring Donald Sutherland, based on One Fat Summer, Lipsyte's 1977 novel about a bullied teen. View the trailer at https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/measure-of-a-man/. “I have toyed with a new YA novel,” he claims, but where will he find the time?

     *Based on the list of 169 authors' names Mr. Gallo sent to 41 present and past officers of ALAN in 1988, asking them “to identify the most important and popular YA fiction writers of the time and to add other names of writers they felt were as important.” Due to space limitations, he “limited this investigation to the top 30 authors included on that 1988 list.”

     The ALAN Review   Summer 2019

     Reprinted with permission from the ALAN Review and Don Gallo.

     I hope you enjoyed this excerpt and get to read the entire article. Personally, I feel honored to have worked with such incredibly talented authors as well as with all the amazing people at ALAN.

     For information on Balkin Buddies, be sure to visit our website or blog.

Catherine Balkin, Balkin Buddies

[ghoulsister1]

To all our American buddies,

🇺🇲Happy 4th Of July!!🎆

Me, my F/O and my kitty Princess wish you all a very safe and awesome 4th Of July! Also keep your pets safe and indoors during the fireworks okay! It can be scary for them so make sure they are safe indoors and are comforted okay👍❤

🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲

🇺🇲Happy Independence Day

Good Buddies!🇺🇲

🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆🇺🇲🎆

[andiwillholdontoyouu]

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL MY AMERICAN BUDDIES I LOVE YOUUUU!!!

[mystreeshop]

5Th Grade Boo Crew Ghost Pumpkin Teachers Halloween T Shirt

5Th Grade Boo Crew Ghost Pumpkin Teachers Halloween T Shirt, Hoodie, And Sweater

When you open up your closet, there’s a serious lack of tie-dye. You may have a few shirts left over from your summer camp days, and times when you participated in intramural sports in college. But, compared to stores and brands that you love and are promoting their colorful collections all over social media, your closet may be looking pretty bleak. It could use a super trendy upgrade, courtesy of DIY tie-dye TikTok videos. Your afternoon is about to take a rainbow-Esque turn from the moment you hit “play” on these tutorials. They’ll help you through the various steps you need to take in order to create a swirl on your blank crewneck or an old shirt you want to eventually tuck into an embroidered pair of high-waisted jeans! and 5Th Grade Boo Crew Ghost Pumpkin Teachers Halloween T Shirt. The only thing you’ll have to be in charge of is what color dye you want to use, and where you’ll tie-dye your clothes — whether it be in your backyard or a driveway.

5Th Grade Boo Crew Ghost Pumpkin Teachers Halloween T Shirt

Peace Love Deliver Dhl Express Heart T-Shirt

2020 Pride Month T-Shirt

Bmw American Flag Happy Independence Day T-Shirt

I'll Put You In The Trunk And Help People Look For You Don't Test Me Sarcasm Classic T-Shirts

Dad Jokes It's How Eye Roll Funny Father Quote T-Shirt Hoodie Sweatshirt

Avoid The Boring Alinps T Shirt

Sphynx Cat Lover Send Nudes T-Shirt

Dragonfly Accept What Is Let Go Of What Was And Have Faith In What Will Be T-Shirt

I Want To Leave UFO Believer Vintage T-Shirt

English Bulldog Usa Love It Or Leave It 4Th Of July Independence Day T-Shirt

Barbecue One You Put My Meat In Your Mouth Your Going To Want More Vintage T-Shirt

Get Your Black On Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Peach Ribbon Warrior T-Shirt Hoodie Sweatshirt

So God Made A Farmer Tractor T-Shirt Hoodie Sweatshirt

Biker Couple If You Want To Go Fast Go Alone Go Far Go Together T-Shirt

By the time you’re done and if you followed all of the steps correctly, the hangers in your closet will have been totally refreshed. You’ll have a few new pieces to wear when you’re hanging at home, or taking selfies in a mirror for Instagram. Sweet! That’s the goal, right? These eight DIY tie-dye TikTok videos will help get you there. First up, follow along with this video if you want to make a tie-dye set that matches your BFFs. Simply have one friend pick a color like pink, and the other pick one like blue, then get your ~artsy~ vibes on. Put on gloves, sprinkle dye on your bunched-up clothes, and wait for the results! and 5Th Grade Boo Crew Ghost Pumpkin Teachers Halloween T Shirt. If you’re the queen of basics and buying clothes that are easy to mix and match, then you’ll want to check out this DIY tie-dye video. This user coaches you through the easy process, showing you how to bunch your items with elastic bands and rinse them after they sit for a while. The final result is a super cute set that can be paired with any jacket or hoodie.

If I Had Any More Christmas Spirit I'd Be Pooping Jingle Bells T-Shirt

Savage Classy Bougie Ratchet 2020 T-Shirt

Daddy's Future Gaming Buddy Father's Day T-Shirt

Books Make Me Homesick For Places I've Never Been And Fall For People I've Never Met T-Shirt

Damn Right I Am A New York Yankees Fan Now And Forever Stars T-Shirt

The World Will Be A Better Place If You Kick An Asshole In The Face T Shirt

Dog Squirrel Vintage Retro T-Shirt Hoodie Sweatshirt

August Girl 21St I'm Living My Best Life I Ain't Goin' Back And Forth With You T-Shirt

I Am Not Old Best Of 1940 I M A Classic T-Shirt Hoodie Sweatshirt

God I Let Go Do Your Thang T Shirt

Un Breton Peut Boire 10 Heures Sans Marcher T Shirt

My Children Bark Pug Dog Vintage T-Shirt

Duck How To Encourage Mask Wearing And Social Distancing T-Shirt

I Drink Cocktail And I Know Things Vintage T-Shirt

Those who want to spend the entire afternoon perfecting their tie-dye skills should watch this video on TikTok. It’s all about a scrunch method that makes your final product looks like an item Billie Eilish might approve of. Watch it a couple times so you can get the technique down before pulling out your own items to dye. Did you know there are multiple ways to tie-dye? It’s true. You can use bleach to tie-dye clothes that are darker, and dye for a #look that’s white or grey. This video will teach you quickly, so you can get to creating in your backyard or driveway. Just put on a pair of gloves before you get started, OK? When you’re hanging out at home, you probably don’t want to put on a pair of jeans or a fancy blouse. That’s where this video comes in. It creates a cute and comfy sweatsuit that isn’t too colorful and bright. Any pastel lovers out there will want to try to make a similar one at home. Sweatshirts, T-shirts, and sets you can work out in aren’t the only things you can tie-dye! and 5Th Grade Boo Crew Ghost Pumpkin Teachers Halloween T Shirt. This video proves that by turning one pack of white socks into a technicolor dream. Use it as a source of inspiration when you’re bored this weekend or want to change up your closet a little bit. Give your feet a reason to dance with these spectacular socks.

Are You Drunk Yes No Braaap Motorcycle T-Shirt

Floral Queens Are Born In August T-Shirt Hoodie Sweatshirt

Broken Poem Yours Truly Away I Go The Broken Butterfly T-Shirt

Be Weird Rude Stay Alive Crime Junkie Podcast Merch T-Shirt

Alien Coronavirus We Can Cure Reach Us At Area 5I T-Shirt

Bon Jovi Band American Flag Happy Independence Day T-Shirt

I'M A Heavy Metal Dad Like A Normal Dad Just Way More Awesome Vintage T-Shirt

I Want To Break Free To Ride My Bicycle To Make A Supersonic Man Out Of You It All Vintage T-Shirt

Unicorn LGBT I Am Brave I Am Bruised I Am Who I Am This Is Me T-Shirt

Yorkshire Terrier Blue White Red American Flag Independence Day T-Shirt

Peace Love Butts T-Shirt

Justice For George Flower T-Shirt

Sick Of It All Est 1986 T-Shirt

Merry Ottermas Otter Christmas Knitting Style T-Shirt

You may not have all the supplies in your house to tie-dye a shirt. But, you may have food coloring from all of your baking adventures. Take some tips from this video. Create a piece that’s as vibrant as the pool floats or bowls of fresh fruit in the summertime. Last but not least, if you’re planning on spending multiple days with your bottles of dye, then watch this video that teaches the major tie-dye techniques. The swirl? Check. The bullseye? Also, check. You won’t ever be bored with your results or the trendy pieces in your closet that you created all on your own. Miss Texas 1988 is a familiar funny face to Slog readers. Texas and I have known each other for a decade; we met when we both lived in the same dorm together in Minneapolis (the tea is that Miss Texas hails from rural Minnesota and has never even been to Texas). She’s been busy since moving to Seattle! and 5Th Grade Boo Crew Ghost Pumpkin Teachers Halloween T Shirt. After a fierce competition, she was named Critter Person 2018. She won R Place’s “So You Think You Can

[placetobenation]

Happy 4th of July everyone! It’s surely a much different Holiday this year as COVID-19 has put all of us in a new normal for our daily routines. So, no, there won’t be the huge July 4th fireworks crowd, but instead more intimate backyard bbq’s and yes, unfortunately no baseball.

It also means no big wrestling extravaganzas around the Summer to celebrate either. Any thoughts of getting crowds back into the WWE have been seemingly set aside by the spikes around than 30 states in the past two weeks. So, let’s enjoy what we have and that my friends was a very strong week on all three shows. My nod to the tops of the week – NXT with a holiday themed Great American Bash!

Star of the Week:

Sasha Banks & Bayley – Three shows again this week and they were standouts on each and every one of them. Banks taps out Asuka on Monday night before the green mist gets the revenge on Wednesday night as the Empress trumps the Boss. Bayley rounds out the week with a DQ win over Alexa Bliss due to Nikki Cross’ blindside on the champ. Week in and week out they are carrying the women’s division at the moment. They even gave themselves a nice little tribute to boot too!

RAW

RESULTS

Andrade & Angel Garza defeated The Viking Raiders

24/7 Championship Match: R-Truth defeated Akira Tozawa to win title

Seth Rollins & Buddy Murphy defeated Aleister Black & Humberto Carrillo

Peyton Royce defeated Ruby Riott

2-on-1 Handicap Match: The Big Show defeated Andrade & Angel Garza

United States Championship Non-Title Match: MVP defeated Apollo Crews

Bobby Lashley defeated Ricochet

Champions vs. Challengers Match: Sasha Banks & Dolph Ziggler defeated Asuka & Drew McIntyre

Loved it:

#ExtremeRules: The Horror Show can't get here soon enough.#WWERaw @DMcIntyreWWE @HEELZiggler @WWEAsuka @SashaBanksWWE @itsBayleyWWE pic.twitter.com/FPnDaJa4cn

— WWE (@WWE) June 30, 2020

Double contract-signing chaos – Loved, loved, loved getting both contract signings out of the way to start the show and instead make it an in-ring main event as champions Asuka & Drew McIntyre took on their Extreme Rules challengers Sasha Banks & Dolph Ziggler. Contract signings are things of the past and predictable as hell. So, I appreciate the out-of-the-box thinking having Samoa Joe in the ring with chaos already ensuing to start the program. Plus, the main event was very good to boot!

Welcome back Ricochet – It’s nice to see Ricochet back, even in defeat to Bobby Lashley.

How many times can we…

A glimpse into @reymysterio's future?#WWERaw @WWERollins pic.twitter.com/3aTLMrHvVQ

— WWE (@WWE) June 30, 2020

Get Seth Rollins, Murphy, Aleister Black & Humberto Carrillo together? – It’s getting stale. Plus, here’s a thought to Rollins character of the Monday Night Messiah. If he truly is a Messiah, shouldn’t he have throngs of followers by now just not the same two guys to do his bidding? Either go full in cult or not.

HE DID IT!@The305MVP just DEFEATED #USChampion @WWEApollo on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/GXENHXvG6s

— WWE (@WWE) June 30, 2020

Have MVP win – For a guy who seemingly retired after one match against Rey Mysterio in his WWE return, MVP sure does wrestle a lot and win. Now, we get a victory over the US Champ? Hmmmm. I get it, he needs Bobby Lashley to do it, but still. Can we make Apollo Crews look a bit stronger first before we tear him down? Ultimately, I think he makes the turn to heel town and joins MVP down the road.

Pay tribute to The Undertaker – Damn, they are really try to sell us that that Boneyard Match was his final match, I guess.

Meh:

Where was Liv Morgan – Sure thought Liv Morgan was going to save her former friend Ruby Riott against The IIconics but I guess that vacation took precedent.

Andrade & Angel Garza – Another week of win one, lose one for the Zelina Vega boys. I think it’s time to let these two fight it out for better or for worse. And speaking of that, can we get Angel & Charly Caruso together already! LFG!

NXT

RESULTS

NXT Women’s Championship Number One Contender’s Elimination Match: Tegan Nox defeated Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, & Mia Yim

Timothy Thatcher defeated Oney Lorcan (submission)

2-on-1 Handicap Match: Rhea Ripley defeated Aliyah & Robert Stone

Strap Match: Dexter Lumis defeated Roderick Strong

NXT Women’s Championship Non-Title Match: Io Shirai defeated Sasha Banks

Loved it:

𝙎𝙐𝙍𝙋𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙀 ! @WWEAsuka helps @shirai_io turn the table on @SashaBanksWWE & @itsBayleyWWE at #NXTGAB! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/tx9udWsTI9

— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

The entire show. I thought that night 1 of the Great American Bash was entertaining from start to finish. The only thing I would’ve done differently is maybe to roll in some historical highlights of GAB of the past. Sure, Mauro Ranallo gave us some historical context during the Strap Match between Dexter Lumis and Rodrick Strong which was nice, but some video could’ve put the cherry on top of the sundae.

So, what stood out?

Her face says it all.

@TeganNoxWWE_ is victorious in the No. 1 Contender's #EliminationMatch! #WWENXT #NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/YZTXNRdQxD

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 2, 2020

Two amazing matches starting out of the box with the #1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match. Who honestly saw Tegan Nox winning? Not me for sure! The back-and-forth was well done. Candice LeRae getting triple-team was expected and sets up next week’s street fight vs. Mia Yim.

The main event between Io Shirai and Sasha Banks was top notch including a wonderfully placed shoulder slam against the barricade by Banks to Shirai. Asuka’s arrival with the Green Mist was nice surprise too to help Io get the win.

With nowhere to run, @roderickstrong finally looks fear in the

in this #StrapMatch against @DexterLumis . #WWENXT #NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/mFZMEkS0AB

— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

In between, the Strap Match was better than expected although I thought for sure Strong was going back in the trunk!

Thatcher vs. Locan was a damn physical old school match too.

.@RheaRipley_WWE is NOT joining the #RobertStoneBrand anytime soon as she makes @WWE_Aliyah AND @RobertStoneWWE TAP at #NXTGAB! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/vkzznvHCe6

— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

Rhea Ripley continues to win me over while adding some personality to her in-ring skills. Beating Aliyah and Robert Stone brought some levity to the show.

Plus, we got cars, puppies and a nod to the 4th. Can’t wait for night 2!

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Matt Riddle defeated John Morrison

Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Styles defeated Drew Gulak to retain title

SmackDown Women’s Championship Non-Title Match: Bayley defeated Alexa Bliss (DQ)

Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Kofi Kingston

Loved it:

The first hour of #SmackDown featuring @SuperKingofBros vs. @TheRealMorrison & @DrewGulak vs. @AJStylesOrg was

! pic.twitter.com/xlzW6psv1U

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) July 4, 2020

First hour – That was SOMETHING! If you are a wrestling fan, that was some kind of first hour with two amazing matches! Matt Riddle backs up his upset over AJ Styles two weeks ago with a second SmackDown victory, this time over John Morrison that was athletic as hell! Then, on the heels of that, Drew Gulak and Styles brawl it out before their match that was equally as good. Plus, I LOVED that they made AJ look strong with the victory. A very strong and smart 60 minutes, probably the best hour of the week.

Not so much:

Second hour – After such a strong hour, it seemed like hour two was just more set-up than quality. Getting just five minutes of Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley before Nikki Cross interfered for the DQ was a little disappointing, but set up next week’s tag match and of course, leads more for Cross vs. Bayley at Extreme Rules. The same can be said for Kofi Kingston vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. It was all to set up next week’s tag team title match.

Can do without:

Who knew @WWESheamus was a poet? #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/W2Ly5pMYTq

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) July 4, 2020

A Toast to Jeff Hardy – Just not into the whole storyline of Sheamus mocking Jeff Hardy’s trouble with alcohol and substance abuse. Week after week of the same message just isn’t appealing for me. Plus, it’s just in bad taste IMHO. It was fine for a hook for one night, but they need to move on. Plus, was that main event slot worthy? I think not!

Can’t wait:

#SmackDown @WWEBrayWyatt @BraunStrowman pic.twitter.com/qJV0OPWaes

— WWE (@WWE) July 4, 2020

Back to the Swamp – I’m just intrigued how they will put it all together in the swamp when old friends Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt take the Horror Show to Extreme Rules.

Ironic, don’t you think:

Sasha & Bayley – LOVED that Sasha finally got back at Bayley for all her “Sasha will fight you now” by having Bayley fight Bliss Friday night. The back-and-forth between these two over three shows each week has been very entertaining.

Extreme Rules – Horror Show – Updated Card

WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Asuka vs. Sasha Banks

Universal Championship Swamp Match: Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt

SmackDown Women’s Championship: Bayley vs. Nikki Cross

Parting Shots:

Renee Young’s big announcement – Well, she definitely had the internet buzzing with the rumors of a big reveal this week. Could she be joining hubby Jon Moxley in AEW? No, just putting out a cookbook! Should be tasty! Congrats Renee and here’s to a speedy recovery from COVID-19!

Wednesday Night War – Well, for the second straight week, NXT beat AEW in total viewership – 792,000 vs. 748,000. In the demo ratings, AEW is still the victor so still lots of stuff to crow about on each side. Quality stuff from both continues if you ask me.

Coming Up This Week:

RAW Champion vs. Champion – Asuka vs. Bayley

NXT – Great American Bash – Night 2 Champion vs. Champion Winner Take All Match: NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. North American Champion Keith Lee Street Fight: Mia Yim vs. Canice LeRae 6-Man Tag Team Match: Drake Maverick & Breezango vs. El Legado del Fantasma Damian Priest vs. Cameron Grimes

SMACKDOWN SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross Money In The Bank Universal Championship Match: Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!

[pressingtobinheath]

Nikki and Sam masterpost (Samton)

Well it all started when Sam Kerr joined her best buddy Caitlin Foord at Sky Blue FC after the 2015 WWC. Despite popular belief Sam and Caity never dated. It’s fake news and alternative facts... anyway

Summer 2015

Sammy joins Sky Blue! and they seem to be hanging out a lot 

A post shared by Sam Kerr (@samanthakerr20) on Aug 9, 2015 at 10:55am PDT

Sky Blue season ends and Sammy heads back to Australia 

Australia Season 1 (US Fall 2015- US Winter 2016)

but then.. a wild Nikki appears in Australia to play for Sam’s home team Perth Glory 

A post shared by Sam Kerr (@samanthakerr20) on Oct 12, 2015 at 11:35pm PDT

Posted on Billie (Sam’s dog) instagram: Nap time with @gutinikki7 ☺️

Sammy gets injured and Nikki post this insta wishing her luck on surgery 

They continue posting pics post surgery (First selfie Sam post of just them, pay attention to the caption)

samanthakerr20 🎯

Nikki is still in Australia and going on adventures with Sam

Nikki goes on family vacay with Sam’s family 

They come back from vacay and Sam continues to show her around, now featuring Dibernardo 

This is the last post of Australia Season 1

samanthakerr20 😋 😠 (her caption for the post below

nikkiguti7🙋🏼😊 (nikki comments) 

Sam nor Nikki bares each other goodbye on social media 

Sky Blue 2016 - NWSL Season 

Before Sam arrives in NJ she begins to do what she does best: Embarrassing and making fun of Nikki. 

Nikki’s only strike back is correcting Sams terrible grammar. Grubka decides to do the same and Sam refers to Nikki as a peasant

April - Sammy finally comes back to SBFC (Still rehabbing from injury) 

and influences Nikki’s way of eating 

May comes and Rachel Breton begins to spill the tea via her insta go pro vids

They attend a baseball game (Confirms what we all expected) - May 30, 2016

WHAT’S THAT? That’s Sammy holding her girl as they walk into the stadium 

Heres the Rachel Breton videos of tea being spilled 🍵🍵🍵🍵

A post shared by Rachel Breton (@rachiebret) on Jun 5, 2016 at 6:01pm PDT

A post shared by Rachel Breton (@rachiebret) on May 27, 2016 at 12:59pm PDT

Then things begin to add up as the season goes on... 

Sam is wearing Nikki’s shirt from her high school* (Breton actually didn’t spill this tea, Nikki did it herself on insta)

They go and see the GOAT of Mens soccer aka Messi play even though Sam is a Real Madrid fan 🤢

June 25th, 2016 Sam can finally play again, gets subbed in and scores basically right away. She then full on SWERVES her teammate to run to Nikki who’s on the sidelines. Sam did an arrow podcast not that long ago where she talked about almost giving up due to her last injury, so her finally scoring and being healthy was a big deal. (gif credit to @uswntinmotion )

Resulting in the best SBFC picture that they use for everything. 

Back to normal posting as they both post the same selfie

Sammy leaves for the Olympics in mid July

Kimmy post this picture of the housemates as Sammy leaves ( I cropped them because Nikki looks all teary-eyed) 

Nikki post this shortly after wishing her the best of luck in Rio. 

nikkiguti7 Good luck in the Olympics @samanthakerr20 👋🏼👋🏼!!! #riobaby

Sam randomly posts this picture at the end of July after a game (obvi missing Nikki, we find out this becomes a theme: Sleeping nikki pics) 

samanthakerr20 Mood .

And then the Olympics begin and a wild Nikki appears in Brazil wearing Sam’s jersey and traveling with the Kerrs (the small fandom is shook) Unfortunately we never get a picture of them together at the Olympics. 

nikkiguti7 What a game. What a stadium. What a group!!! 🇦🇺⚽️💪🏾 #aussie #aussie#nicegoalsammy #kanga #andnicewinusa

nikkiguti7 Had the most amazing time in Brazil!! Didn't get mugged, or get Zika! Met some great people, watched some great soccer, and got to be part of 50 Aussie fans in a stadium of 60,000 Brazil fans. Thanks for all the Aussies for being so great 😊 Now back to New Jersey to get back to work! We got some unfinished business 🇧🇷⚽️💪🏾🔹🔸 #greatjobmatildas#didntgetmybraids

(comment on post) samanthakerr20 🐨

The Matildas are eliminated and Sam post this on instagram

samanthakerr20Leaving Rio tonight to head back to Jersey. Thank you to my amazing support crew for always being there for me on this roller coaster journey! Back to Jersey to rejoin @skybluefc & push for play offs! #grateful 🇦🇺

They return back to Sky Blue Fc and back to normal frat dad/flop activities

such as: Boat life 

Attending Red Bull games

and sleeping Nikki

Sam being a good gf

Sams birthday - Sep. 10th

nikkiguti7 Happy Birthday to my best friend @samanthakerr20! I hope that you have the best day and it's the best year yet!! Im so happy that you're in my life. You are one of a kind! 23 never looked so good🦄🤖🐶😍👌🏽👵🏽👵🏽👵🏽!! #idiothead

Sam posts a pic for national peanut day aka calling her girlfriend a peanut aka saying she’s cute. 

Sky Blue has a last Cloud 9 event to celebrate the season and this cropped part of a team photo emerges. THE FANDOM IS SHOOK. 

They don’t make it to the playoffs (I  don’t want to talk about it) and Sam heads back to Australia early but they interact on twitter briefly

Everyones like “stay in seattle?” 🤔😏

and Mid october Nikki is headed to Australia gain 

Australia - Perth Glory 2016-2017

(Screenshot credit to @stephcat )

Nikkis birthday in Australia. Sammy being cute. 

samanthakerr20 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Spending her birthday having coffee with cats 🐱☕️ So happy to have you in AUS for another birthday 🎉👌🏽 @nikkiguti7

Australia continues 

samanthakerr20 Uhh 😍

And so do the adventures 

(Screenshots of instastory credit to @pughnation )

They puppy sit for some friends

(screenshot credit to @pughnation ) It’s a video of Sam showing the puppys, cricket and then ending on Nikki. 

(following two screenshots from @agent-sarahwalker )

Christmas at the Kerrs feat. Nikki, Dibernardo and Mautz

Australia 2017

New Years Eve ( Vid of Nikki holding Sam from behind, it’s cute and worth the click) 

They attend the Aussie open with Dibernardo on Jan 5

Club time 

Twitter banter over own goal scoring

Dry waterfalls in Aus. 

They both get suspended for the same match. Couples that get suspended together stay together?

Sammy gettin jealous 

Back to Adventures

and the sleeping pics continue in australia 

Perth Glory makes it to the grand final of the W league

However they sadly lose to Melbourne City and Nikki along with Mautz and Dibernardo are headed home while Sam prepares for Matildas camp

samanthakerr20 Sad to see my 3 American buddies head back home! Been a blast, See you all soon 🇦🇺🛫🇺🇸🛬

🤔

Feb. 24 Sam is away with the Matildas in Portugal and post this

samanthakerr20 Dreaming 💭💦

            nikkiguti7 This is you: 😝

            samanthakerr20 @nikkiguti7 this is you 🐸

            nikkiguti7 No this is me: 👸🏼

And then she post this on her dogs instagram.

(Also note, Nikki wearing Sams shorts from AusWNT.)

Nikki’s fave part of Aus 2017 

March 26th Sam bids Aus fairwell on insta and includes these pics on her insta ( i cropped the one) 

NWSL 2017 - PRESENT 

Sam’s back to being an ass on instastory 

but she’s back and they’re living together again with Kelley, Taylor Lytle and Sarah Killion

being typical flops again

This tweet becomes important in a few posts. 

First game of the season in Seattle which is Nikki’s hometown and also on Easter weekend. 

Nikki takes over SBFC snapchat

Quality time with the parents

They stay in Seattle to celebrate Easter and hike 

nikkiguti7 Happy Easter from the top of this mountain #hikers

They come back from Seattle and Sam gives Nikki a fresh pair of Nike’s taking care of her girl for the season

April 20th, 2017 they begin a family... okay not really but they brought Brooklyn home from the shelter to foster her 

They go away for a game and rookie Kayla Mills blesses us with A++ content on her snapchat takeover. (Not sure since it’s early in the season if the rookie didn’t know, didn’t know that we all know or that nobody generally cared) 

Best house at SBFC aka the Frat House

Sam leaves for Australia and misses the next game but wins a major award from the W- League, 

When Sam gets back to Jersey, she post on her instastory a picture of a card and balloon waiting for her on her bed back at the frat house

Referencing this tweet becomes important 

Because Nikki posted this picture while Sam was away 

Anyway the inference is that they live in the same room at the frat house

Back to their family 

I wonder who she sleeps with?

Sam and her bike helmet being a derp 

Kelley is their constant third wheel 

Happy family

Sam’s instastory of her little family sleeping 

another one of Brooklyn on their bed 

Recent FIFA - June 

They go hiking in Utah

and take a helicopter tour of the grand canyon ( which im surpised sam did since she said she absolutely hates flying) 

Current - Mid June

Back with Brooklyn after FIFA Break

Sam wearing Nikki’s Perth Glory shorts 

Embarrassing Nikki asking her Curry or Lebron.. and Nikki chooses Curry while wearing a Lebron shirt that is clearly Sams 

June 17, 2017

Portland vs. Sky Blue

After Sam’s 2nd goal

At the end of the game (Sheridan ships it) heres the vid of this

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/161953058178/scnnett-look-how-happy-she-is-oh-you-got-it credit to @scnnett

After the Portland game they stay in Oregon to celebrate Fathers Day with Nikki’s dad 

Giving the people what they want at Volleyball Tuesdays 

End of June/Beg of July 2017

Goal celebration hugs 

Riding Bikes on 4th of July  - Click for link

July 9th game, Sam scored a hattrick to win the game 3-2 in 12 minutes right at the end. Post game hugs and tweets

After game day snuggles with Brooklyn

http://padfootnprongs21.tumblr.com/post/162799775646/nikkis-my-spirit-animal vid posted by Sammy of Nikki and Brookyln

http://padfootnprongs21.tumblr.com/post/162942060821/i-am-still-nikki-nikki-is-still-me - another one 

Game Day 7/15/17

After game Frat Dad activities

Boat days are back!

Featuring a not so impressed Nikki and Sam just living life

wait there’s the smile

and the abs

End of July 2017

Sleeping in Seattle 

Nikki irish step dancing and Sam recording her calling her a “flog”

Tournament of Nations

- coffee in Seattle 

Australia vs. USA - Nikki is there, we hear she’s in street clothes but her dad is wearing a Kerr jersey 

Be your girls biggest fan 

Sammy and the Matildas win the Tournament of Nations and Nikki can’t wait for Sam to get home

Sam’s flight gets delayed on the way back to Jersey and a Sky Blue Cloud 9 member tells me that Nikki rushed out of the Washington game saying she had to get Sam from the airport. 

They’re back and go on a mini golf date ((August 2017)

and to the beach 

https://scnnett.tumblr.com/post/164182577728/she-got-it-from-kelley - Sam scaring Nikki 

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164226533858 - Nikki cuddling Brooklyn with her legs on Sam 

Sam gets nominated for Fifa Womens Play of the Year 

Sam scores 4 goals in the Sky Blue FC vs. Reign game. Reclaiming her 1st place spot in the golden boot race, extending her record for NWSL All Time Scorer, becoming the first person to score a hattrick 2 times in one season, becoming the first to. score 4 goals in one in league history. 

When the final whistle blows Nikki eats kisses Sam’s ear 

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164424572937/anyway-heres-the-clip-of-nikki-eating-kissing - Here’s the link

Here’s pic by pic ( credit to @uswnt-tobin )

Days after the game they visit DC because Sam’s mom is visiting

Mini gold with Sam’s mum

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164679192478 - Sam attacking Nikki with a stuffed snake 

Presents!

8/26 Nikki assist Sam’s goal against Boston

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164760751973/dashonkelley-these-two - Sam messing with Nikki during her post game interview 

Another sleeping pic 

Brooklyn taking over the bed

(Nikki’s story) 

Sams story 

Coffee Dates 

- http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164756403758/coffee-date 

THE PICTURE THAT SHOOK US ALL 8/28

http://pressingtobinheath.tumblr.com/post/164839490870/im-brooklyn-getting-yelled-at-in-the-background - Sammy doesn’t really care about the flowers Nikki is painting

US Open with the Frat dads 

Stud muffin!

Sam’s birthday!

http://dashonkelley.tumblr.com/post/165206770910/happy-birthday-sammy - Sammy’s surprise birthday party at McDonalds

Holding Nikki as they walk into Mcdonalds

Rachel Breton and Taylor Lytles live insta describing this as. “Their natural habitat” (playing cards)

Visiting Brooky girl at her new home

Picking up new foster dog (Nikki wearing #20 Australia shorts)

“Who’s gonna wash your pants? (Nikki to Sam) “You are cause you’re her girlfriend” - quote from Maddy Tiernan 

Season ends... time for Australia 2017/2018

Missing cuddles 

Counting down the days 

*Reached video limit so I have to just put links 

*Shoutout to @scnnett for offering help and trying to help me get the videos even though I failed

*Shoutout to. @voices-from-above for encouragement

*Shoutout to anyone whose post I used, I credited them and everything else I got myself 

*They don’t have a ship name.. - send me suggestions

*If I’m missing content submit it or put it in an ask and I’ll look for it

*I’m thinking they’ve been together almost 2 years

*Sammy is 23 and Nikki is 26, they’ll be 24 and 27 in the fall

*GUTI stands for get used to it and was Nikki’s nickname in college because she used to tackle hard and say “get used to it”

*If I made a grammatical mistake, forgive me I’ve been doing this. for 2 hours and I’m over it. I’ll fix it eventually.

*Thank you and enjoy this wonderful ship

*We’ve been exposed. Evacuate. Nikki liked a tweet about this post. 

[mari-musing]

Happy 4th of July To My American Friends!

3 - 4 July 2017

Here in Western Australia the 4th of July has rolled around ahead of the USA so I’ve popped up my temporary facebook profile picture for y’all. I’ve made some pretty awesome cyber-acquaintances from the United States, so have a happy holiday folks. (If I’d been paying attention I would have done the same for Canada Day -  apologies fellow Commonwealth buddies!)

For me, this will be Day 4 of Dry July - no alcohol for 31 days - and it already feels like an eternity. I haven’t been tempted to drink wine (I ate a tad too much sugar in compensation yesterday though) but it already feels like an ultra-marathon. The habit is strong. I was simply going to make this a private challenge but on impulse signed up to the official challenge, which raises money to support people with cancer. I figured I might as well help others while I help my own health, and donated the money I would normally spend on wine in a month.

I have Tuesdays off and, like my pooch, was feeling a bit cold and tired this morning - she emerged with her blanket still attached. We settled on the couch to watch yesterday’s Tour de France stage (I watched - she went back to sleep and snored). I am weaning off prednisolone and am due to change over from Remicade to Humira shortly; the bowel is not great and probably explains my enervation.

Abstinence notwithstanding, July itself has been wet wet wet. My run trainer belatedly posted those cheerful snaps on fb after our last sunny session two Saturdays ago. Yours truly instigated the silly post-run poses of course heehee. Looking at our timing and vertical jump fails there’s barely a fast twitch muscle between us - endurance ftw!

[love-yourselfeu]

happy 4th of july to my american buddies! ✨💕🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸