#i figured id die by the time i was 16

[bingobongobonko]

i wont even lie i just feel like. awake and restless, i wanna stay up but i know im gonna regret that for work tomorrow. but damn i really like. im old. and im alive. woww. ? and people like me. Wowww. Shit i didnt kill myself. wowww. shit dude. Woah! Damn. thats yeah. cool. anwyays yea i cant sleep but heres progress on stuff im doing

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

SCREAM MASTERPOST

*= smut

CHAD MEEKS MARTIN

Bodybag | Riley!Reader

Chad comforts you after Dewey's death

Cockblock roommate *

Ethan stops you and Chad from continuing your activities

Don't go upstairs with him

Chad stops you from going upstairs with Frankie...and then confesses to you

Goodnight kiss * | Riley!Reader

Chad walks you home and finally takes your relationship to the next level

Helping hand *

After Chad gets released from the hospital, his personal nurse gives him a helping hand

I can't go through this again

Another ghostface strikes and Chad has PTSD from the legacy murders

Is that my shirt?

Chad notices that the shirt you're wearing is his

Late night in the kitchen *

During a trip to the twins' family cabin, you and Chad have a late night adventure in the kitchen

Save a horse, ride a cowboy *

You make a move on Chad and end up in an empty bedroom with his cowboy hat on, riding another kind of horse

Setting up the tree

You and Chad decorate the Christmas tree together

Stab stab stab

Chad gets stabbed by Ghostface when looking for you

Stood up

You get stood up and Chad offers you his shoulder to cry on

The no-sex rule *

You and Chad don't listen to Mindy's 'surviving a horror movie' rules

Wrong person

You send you nudes to your ex by mistake

You drew stars around my scars

You sleep over at Chad's dorm and see something you hadn't seen before

MINDY MEEKS MARTIN

Blood on the subway

Mindy gets stabbed on the subway...there's a lot of blood

Give me attention *

Mindy works on a school assignement, but you're bored and decide to tease her

Movie night

After watching the horror that is Halloween Ends, Mindy needs kisses to erase the movie from her memory

Skilled fingers *

Mindy is a goddess in bed

TARA CARPENTER

Caught *

Tara asks you to use a vibrator on her...and Sam walks in

I was so scared

After Tara gets attacked at her house, you visit her at the hospital

Is this good? *

Tara tries to top for the first time

I thought you were dead

You survive the attack inside the shrine

Sleepover *

It's the first sleepover since Tara got attacked in her house. You and her breaks the friendship

We might die tomorrow

After Sam and Tage get attacked at the bodega, everyone stayed over at the appartement

ETHAN LANDRY

Catching feelings *

You grown feelings during a game of teasing your roommate Ethan

Friends touch each other, right? *

You teach virgin!Ethan how to touch a woman

I can't forgive you | Riley!Reader

Ethan betrays you, but you can't forgive him

It's you *

You figure out Ethan is Ghostface

Let's play a little game *

You get a phone call from a masked ID when you’re home alone…

Night visits

As Quinn's friend, you are not allowed to see her little brother, so you and Ethan have a secret relationship

No protection needed *

You and Ethan do it without a condom for the first time

Play with me *

Ethan asks you to play with him

Panty stealer

Pervy!Ethan steals your panties

Pretty boy * | camgirl!reader

Ethan purchases a private session with his favorite camgirl

Pretty boy part 2 *

Ethan purchases another private session...and get the girl's number

Pretty boy part 3 *

Camgirl!Reader and Ethan finally meets

Roomie *

Ethan jerks off to his roommate and gets caught

Shy!Ethan

Ethan has a huge crush on you but is too shy to make a move...so you make one

Study time

Studying econ turns into teasing your boyfriend

That's hot

You find out that Ethan does boxing

Video games *

You give Ethan a blowjob while he games with Chad

Video girl *

You convince Ethan to make a video with you

BILLY LOOMIS

Knife play

You seduce Billy with the knife he used to kill Maureen Prescott

Ménage à trois * | Billy x Stu x Reader

A typical movie night at Stu’s turns into a ménage à trois

Mouthful * | Billy x Stu x Riley!Reader

Why settling for one when you can get two?

PG-16 at the Theater

Billy gets handsy at the movie theater

Stranger danger *

Billy decide to surprise you on your way back from Tatum's

Talk dirty to me *

Phone sex with Billy

[chiefdirector]

Hostage Taking | Tim Bradford | The Rookie

Act One | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19

Content Warning under cut: Episode 3x05. Themes of Racism (Doug Stanton, at the end), bombing and other canon typical plights. Read at own risk.

“So when do you think you’ll be back from court?” (Y/N) asked, walking alongside Harper towards the evidence lockup.

“Eh,” Harper said. There was nothing Harper hated more than court duty, especially when the case was so clear cut that she didn’t need to be there. “Hopefully soon, that way I can enjoy having Nolan on front desk duty for the rest of the day. Let him enjoy the general public”

“Is he really that bad to ride with?” She stopped at the door.

“No, and that's what sucks. He’s too nice, and sometimes I don’t need all that positivity.”

(Y/N) just shook her head as Nyla just winked at her as she entered the evidence room. Turning on her heel, (Y/N) passed Lopez as she wandered back to her desk, trying to figure out what to do with her day. Most of her cases were closed, the Damian Barrett case had all but run dry and Grey had all but forbidden her from working on her own case alone, despite how much she wanted too.

Sitting down, she gathered all of the papers on her desk, stacking them neatly, before organising them alphabetically, and then chronologically. Next on her hit list was the pen pot. Grabbing the container, she tipped them out, testing them one by one on a loose post-it.

She had only just opened the chess on her computer when the radio belonging to the blonde officer who worked opposite her rang out. “Sargent Grey, this is officer Nolan, go to channel nine.”

(Y/N) stifled her laugh as she moved her pawn two spaces, of course it was Nolan she thought. Even in her short time back in the precinct, Nolan’s reputation had been shared with her. Her good humour was cut short as the rest of the conversation rang out through the handset.

Grey replied quickly “Nolan this better be important”

“Sure is buddy” An unknown voice rang out. (Y/N) closed the chess game as she began to listen more intently.

“Who’s this”

The stranger’s voice rang out again. “The guy sitting in your parking lot with an ammonium-nitrate fertiliser bomb.”

Without hesitation, (Y/N) rushed up from her seat and made her was over to where she could see Nyla and Grey looking down at the radio, officers silently surrounding them, all listening to the bomber

As she got closer, she could hear the stranger’s voice again. “I have cameras on every exit. Do you understand me? If anyone leaves, everyone dies”

“I can confirm the cameras, sir.” Nolan’s distant voice chimed in, “Our bomber has a dead man's switch, sir.”

“Okay,” Grey said, voice solemn and serious, “You have my attention. Tell me what i can do for you.”

“Rectify an extreme miscarriage of justice. I demand the immediate release of Donalf Feltt from the Primedale Department of Corrections.”

(Y/N) moved to the computer near her, typing in the given name as Harper moved beside her. His record showed immediately. Donald Feltt, ID no: 4076696, sentenced to life without parole on multiple charges: Possession of an illegal substance, undocumented concealed firearms, animal abuse, drug trafficking, battery, and murder.

Grey tensed his shoulders as he read the screen out loud to the bomber, trying to confirm that they were both on the same page.

“That's him,” The man confirmed, “and it’s not going to be a back-door parole for my boy. Feltt walks out of there today.”

“Back-door parole?” (Y/N) asked, looking up from the screen

“For when you die in prison,” Harper replied. “Our bomber’s done time.”

“Most likely with Feltt,” Grey lifted his radio up again, “All right. That’s a big ask. It’ll take time.” He lowered the radio and looked to Harper, “We need someone on the outside.”

“I’ll call Lopez, she left already.”

Grey nodded his head, raising the radio again, now on the general channel to alert the units, both in and out of the precinct of the tactical lockdown and what to do. Once he was done, he turned to face (Y/N). “You should go down with everyone else to the parking garage, you’ll be safe there.”

“Like Hell I am, now what do you need me to do?”

----------

“It’s morse code.” Grey said, looking at the camera feed pointed towards the brown van, (Y/N) moved to get a dictionary, only to be stopped by the Sargent raising his hand. “S-C-R-L-I”

“He has a scar?”

“On his left eye. Good man, Nolan.”

“So,” (Y/N) said, opening the laptop she had bought over, typing as she spoke. “If we assume he did time with Felt. We know that he is a white male with a scar on his left eye.” Pressing enter, she quickly read the results aloud. “Graham Porter. He did three years at Primedale, a couple of misdemeanours prior. Nothing that screams mad bomber.”

“How does a guy like this get on with a guy like Feltt?”

“Let’s hope Lopez can find out,” Harper said, returning from the parking garage.

----------

“So Graham Porter is in desperate need of money?” Nyla asked as she regrouped with Grey again, this time joined by Chen and both Bradfords.

“So why not demand a ransom?” Grey responded “Why give us a head fake on Feltt”

Chen stepped forward. “Maybe it’s not a head fake. Maybe Feltt’s paying Graham to bust him out of prison.”

“Feltt’s a murderer, not a cash-heavy narcos.” (Y/N) said, looking over to Tim, allowing him to finish her statement off.

“If this Feltt’s gambit is smoke, we’re chasing our tails trying to free him. Meanwhile, an accomplice robs a bank or something.”

Grey considered the next step for a moment. “Contact West and Stanton, have them check out a nearby check cash-in place. I’ll contact the chief to see if we can get more boots on the ground.”

Nyla nodded, going off to make the call, leaving Tim, Lucy and (Y/N). The three stood in silence for a moment before (Y/N) turned to her laptop again.

“What are you doing?” Tim asked, looking over his wife's shoulder.

“Googling him.”

----------

It didn’t take long for Grey and Harper to find their way back to the other three. There wasn’t much luck on either end, apparently everything was “Code Four” with Stanton and West, and the rest of the LAPD was spread thin by having an entire precinct down so that not many more men could be spared.

“We found something.” (Y/N) crossed her arms. “I ran his name through the web. He had a YouFundMe, set up by his girlfriend, Kelsey Adams. I asked Lopez to run her down, there was nobody there, no cell answer either.”

Tim moved to stand near (Y/N), disliking this whole situation. “This whole thing is weird. Kelsey is using an assumed identity. Her social security numbers are fake. No record No picture.”

“According to Lopez, Kelsey and Graham are inseparable. So she is likely involved.”

“But how?” Harer asked, If it's not about money or Feltt…”

They sat in silence, contemplating Nyla’s question. (Y/N) uncrossed her arms, letting her hands fall down and began to play with her ring.

Lucy was the one to break the silence. “What if this is all a distraction meant to pull our focus outside the station, when we should really be looking inside?”

“What kind of woman would be crazy to be inside a building ith her boyfriend parked outside with a truck full of explosives?”

Tim rolled his eyes at Nyla’s question, before sending an incredulous look towards Lucy. The two of them had a silent conversation before taking off towards the parking garage, leaving the three officers with the words “Freegan Frida.”

As the pair left, Grey looked at the two detectives. “What the Hell is a ‘freegan?’”

----------

(Y/N) and Nyla moved through the corridors with their guns raised, silently sweeping each room for Adams. Tim had alerted them of the woman’s presence when she had left the garage, leaving the other’s trapped. Grey had taken one half of the building, whilst the detectives took the other. The two had found nothing until they approached the evidence room, finding the door broken.

On Nyla’s silent command, (Y/N) entered the evidence room, looking around for the suspect whilst she called Grey, alerting him of the situation and that a search was underway. As Harper spoke, (Y/N) moved through the evidence locker, looking down the aisle. It only took moments for her to find Kesey, rummaging through a secure bio-evidence bag.

“Hands up.” she commanded, “Don’t move.”

“Please, I have to find it,” the woman begged.

Harper approached from behind. “Find what?”

“He thinks I’m dead, If they run my prints…”

“Are you trying to destroy evidence?” Harper asked, moving closer to Kelsey.

“No,” Kelsey exclaimed, panic and desperation clear in her voice. “It’s my husband. He’s a loan shark in El Paso. He hurt me. I ran away three years ago, got a new identity, the works. So he would never find me. Then there was a robbery where I work. The cops took a bunch of stuff, things with my prints.”

“So when they run the prints, they will get a hit on the real you.” (Y/N) stated. The tree women stood in silence for a moment before (Y/N) continued speaking. “Look, we will try and help you but you need to get Graham to stand down.”

----------

(Y/N) listened to Grey speak to Graham as he told him to stand-down. That he knew what their plan was, that Kelsey had told him that the bomb was fake. That he was going back to prison for a long time. She also listened in as Graham demanded the S.W.A.T team back off, and when he threatened Nolan’s life if they didn’t.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and that grew at the threat. She hated this whole situation. She hated that it was Nolan that was trapped, she hated how the entire precinct was shut down because of this madman, she hated how there was nothing that she could do to help Nolan. She hated it all.

She only began to feel marginally better when she heard Nolan’s voice ring out on the radio. “Sargent Grey, this is Nolan. One is custody. We’re code four.”

Although, hearing the click ring out afterwards reassured her somewhat.

----------

“Oh God, what happened earlier?” (Y/N) said, curling up on the sofa as Tim grabbed two beers from the fridge before joining her.

“Stanton let Jackson get assaulted. Bastard did nothing.”

“Is Jackson okay?”

“He was taken to the hospital. Bruised and beaten but nothing he can’t recover from. Physically anyway.” Tim moved to wrap his arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders, pulling her into his chest. “Stanton is on administrative leave. Grey took his gun and badge.”

“What happens now?”

“This will be the end of Stanton, I don’t see him coming back from this.”

(Y/N) nodded, processing the information. “We should go see him tomorrow. See how he’s doing, if he needs anything.”

Tim just hummed in agreement, moving to place a kiss on the side of (Y/N)’s head.

Act One | Chapter 19 | Chapter 21

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

Tags: @xceafh @kmc1989 @buba424 @salty0cracker @iamasimpingh0e @malindacath @agentred27 @hufflepuffwhore13 @tessalynni @anaferreira-4

Tags are open :)

[casualsavant]

20 Questions More

This is a deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers. Thanks to @TetsujinOtaku88 for the tag. I'm doing this #Supercorp style.

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship / fandom?

I think the Supercorp Fandom is pretty self-perpetuating because the canon needs to be fixed and there's lots of AUs to put them in. Plus there are so many talented people whose art, video edits, and fanfic fuel each other.

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good?

Following the answer above I think the beauty of Supercorp is that it attracts really talented creators. I love reading @searidings, @jazzfordshire's fix-its and canon-adjacent stuff, @lgbtimelords, @coffeeshib, @mycatismyeditor, and @snowydragonscave just to name a few. They have such a deftness of language and an understanding of the characters that it's hard to stop reading!

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write?

I really love Sam Arias, Jess, and Alex. I wish I could get a better handle on Kelly because DANSEN forever. I also have a soft spot for Eliza and a deliciously evil liking for Lillian.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you'd never write about? Which ones?

Karamel, Lames, Top Lena, Bottom Kara. To each their own. It's just not my thing.

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

Carry around a little notebook to scribble ideas, lines, sometimes whole scenes. Figure out a rough outline / structure / plot. Do unnecessary amounts of research. Open doc file. Plunge into dismay and self-doubt. Watch the show. Get frustrated. Open the doc file. Be filled with despair and self-loathing. Get a blast of inspiration and productivity. Cycle through mental instability, writer's block, and actual writing. Get dragged by Kara and Lena to unanticipated places that derails what I intended to do. Sighing and doing what the muses want. The elation of completion. Struggling with summaries and tags. Posting. Crippling anxiety and running away from AO3. Lather, rinse, repeat.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process?

The elation of completion. The unnecessary research is fun too.

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic?

Cherry tree mutations and the structure of yakuza organizations in modern Japan.

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)?

Different tenses in the same document. Also it's and its.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why?

Describing Kara's post-PZ night terrors and Lena’s fever dreams in Deliverance. Also the action sequence at the end of that story was so difficult.

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely?

ALL THE TIME.

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why?

Both of them. After I come to my senses and out of a dead faint because I was meeting them at all. And then I would die of sapphication.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing?

Oh my usual tags are: light angst, tooth-rotting fluff, friends-to-lovers, Lena needs a hug, Kara gets a hug.

13) What's your most important resource as a writer?

Talking with other writers!

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work?

I usually give it some time before I edit so I can have relatively fresh eyes. Spell checking, punctuation, and grammar suggestions help you catch things but NOTHING beats reading it over yourself.

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic?

Definitely the anxiety!!!

16) How do you define sucess for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it?

I think it's good to track kudos and I love getting comments. But ultimately I wrote for my enjoyment or for my peace of mind because the idea would not let me go.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character / ship?

Nope but that's not a bad idea. 🤔

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it?

Wow I'd be thrilled if any of them got art. I am partial to the way @rustingcat draws Sakura blossoms though so maybe Cat for No Wrong Seasons.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have?

8 total. Finishing "the Arcana", "The Sound of Veracity" (Part 2), Prequel and Smutilogue of "Always With Me, Always With You", Supercorptober 2023 "Art" prompt, SG Mayhem fic, the Telepathy/Empathy fic, the Body Swap fic.

20) What's your advice to new fanfic writers?

I posted my first Supercorp story in March 2023 feeling it would be completely lost in this large fandom and having no hope for it. I felt that I was too late. That everything had been done (and done better). I did find readers who liked and some who really loved my work. But mostly I learned to write for myself, which has truly been a gift. Write for yourself. Write what you'd want to see. You'll get better at it over time.

Tagging but no pressure: @fyonahmacnally @nottawriter @chaotic-super @luthordamnvers @fazedlight

[mijikai12]

BIENVENIDOS!!!!

hola chicos!! this is my main blog and this pinned post is also a more updated and simpler than the og!!

warning: LONG POST ⚠️⚠️⚠️

BLOGS ->

Main: @mijikai12

Vent: @kayventa

Reblogging: @mijikai12-reblogs

Ask(1): @just-ask-finn

Ask(2): @the-prismo-ask-blog

Com!/Colab/Art: @yoki-san

MusicBased: @cheryap

where you can also find me ->

spotify

wattpad

youtube

instagram

twitter

details ->

i am a minor (13) and my birthday is March 2nd! 🎂

i am a aromantic lesbian

i have adhd and some autism

im an extrovert mainly around people i know. but i am literally forcing myself to interact with people (i swear it actually works omfg)

i go by Kayla

i love talking to people here.

i joined i think in september or october.

i play flute, piano, and a bit of recorder

my favorite colors are 💚🖤🤍❤️

i like weirdcore

im a big adventure time fan

im open for asks

im in seventh grade

i like to draw, animate, make music, and write!

she/them/green

im a Pieces

i'm hispanic

i speak english + spanish

MAIN OC'S!!!!!!:

Mijikai Tsocka(mascot): she is a bunny hybrid bc of course. i gues she was tested on or something, i havent quite figured her lore yet. she's a she/them 16 lesbian female.

Sarahnah Dandila(princess): She's fucking annoying anyways; she is a she/her 23 straight female. She's princess of whatever idk i dont have a name for the kingdom yet. (most parent standard hehe)

Mattie Sercel: He's a he/it 21 bisexual trans (least parent standard haha) he's in college and majors in 3D art and animation.

okay! i really hope you enjoy my blog!! i cant wait to meet yall and to get into situations id rather die than be in!! 😊

edits below:

edit1: guys i made a Neobook account!! i dont know what shit to do there so it might be empty for a while.

edit2: im trying to make an ao3 account. i should be on by 1/30

edit3: i know ive already said this but my reblogs are slowly being deleted. so my art posts will go to Yoki while normal text/memes/etc posts will go here (≧∇≦)

edit4: i lied in that last edit. anyways, i am gonna make an insta soon (maybe tonight) and i might make a Pinterest account! 😆

edit5: I MADE AN INSTAAAA

edit6: i have a twitter if you didnt notice

edit7: AO3 DOESNT LIKE MEEE

edit8: i have a gf omggg i'll be posting a lot about it at @kayventa

edit9: yeah ao3 does NOT like me wow. anyways, so springbreaks coming up soon. i'll post about this on thursday or friday ✌🏽

edit10: ive had an c.ai account for months ive posted about it idk if yallve seen it yet 😒

edit11: i found out a few days ago that when ao3 said i'd be on by 1/30, they didnt mean 1/30/24, they meant 1/30/25. wtf

[babygirl-but-a-boy]

Reverse Robins AU Ideas

Duke is the oldest but (Like Dick) he was never formally adopted

I don't think 16 -year-old Duke would vibe with Damian (I'd imagine Duke started at 14)

Tim becomes Robin- Damian becomes Nightwing, Damian gets the name from Jon (canonically Dick got it from Clark- its kryptonian), Duke stays as the signal

When Tim takes a break from being Robin, Bruce gets Stephanie (canonically accurate) But Steph dies

Tim comes back as Robin

Stephanie becomes Red Hood

they all have bird names but they have different birds (Robin was Dick's name, so each person would have a different name, no legacy names, just a legacy position)

Damian goes to the Circus when Dicks Parents die, and adopts him

at this point dick either goes by Flamebird or robin

maybe he goes by robin and then when he gets older he become flamebird

cass is never close with Steph (I could go into detail about why, in this universe they wouldn't) suffice to say, Cass is super against killing, and finds it personally disrespectful (canonically) when someone who uses the Bat mantle kills people

Babs probably doesn't become a vigilante because she probably would never meet dick, but Im not sure on how she canonically became a superhero- id need to read more about her

damian (as nightwing) does not become a cop- realistically I don't think he'd even need to work given his al ghul side of the family and part of me thinks he'd become a painter (under a pseudonym, he would want the wayne name being the art) and go that way, or he work with animals

dick did not have formal education in the circus and I think Damian (someone who was trained with private tutors and hated going to formal schooling/Gotham Academy) wouldn't make him- so Damian would homeschool him

alternatively dick might not have even become a vigilante, damian might have helped him process his anger toward his parents death or smth idk

when damian learned about Steph- he brought her to the lazarus pit himself and brought her back to life, but then she ran off and they lost contact, when she came back as the red hood, it made their relationship compliacted

it also complicates damians reltaionship with tim, and tims reltionship with stephanie

jason would be bruces apprentice

Duke or Cass become batman after bruce "dies", around the same time Damian becomes Nightwing

Bruce didnt want Damian becoming Batman and it was a contention in their relationship (lack of trust) so when Bruce "died" he didn't become batman

jason is robin, and Tim figures out how to bring Bruce bacl but because hes older and closer to damian, damian actually helps him and thats how Tim meets Ras Al Ghul

the teen titans are formed by tim before he becomes batman

so it goes Duke, Damian, Tim, Steph, Cass, Jason, Dick (ish)

[hollowknightinsanity]

baby. fuck you

[Image ID: A black sketch of an infant bug, curled up on the ground with its eyes closed, drawn on a dull pink background. There is an arrow pointing at the child’s head with text that says, “Full of leaf”. /End ID]

This is Somber, the newborn child of Holly and my self-insert, who i still haven’t made.

Said self-insert is a silkworm moth, and I’m thinking of making him half-wyrm, but I’m not sure if I’ll actually do that

Anyway, logistics and uh. Lore ig? Under the cut

Ok, so. In my AUs, Holly (THK) is a hybrid between a Rootkin (White Lady’s species) and a Wyrm (Pale King’s species). Rootkin are strictly an egg-laying species, but Wyrms are capable of both laying eggs and giving live birth — it mostly depends on the environment/subspecies the Wyrm belongs to.

PK is part of the subspecies that gives live birth, but using his Soul magic, he’s capable of fertilizing eggs from laying species, such as Rootkin and Weavers, hence Hornet and the Vessels.

Holly takes after their mother — this is true across all my AUs — and as such, they adopted her reproductive system, so they lay eggs.

They had a condition that caused them to begin producing and laying eggs early, and started laying when they were 14. Now, this sucked for them in various ways; for one, early egg production and laying is very painful, and considering the state of their (mostly missing) organs, their pain was amplified tenfold when they started.

Secondly, if their parents found their eggs, they would immediately be outed as impure, and they did not want that. At the time, they thought that if they were outed, their parents would literally kill them — which isn’t true, by the way, but they had no way of knowing that — so they kept it a secret.

Initially, Holly attempted to just hide the eggs, but after a while, they started worrying about the hiding place being found, so they began destroying the eggs instead.

They laid once every two months, and every egg they laid was broken and thrown out. What exactly they did I’m unsure of, but I feel like they’d crack the eggs into some type of disposal area they made/found, and crush the shells into dust.

Anyway, they destroyed all the eggs they laid, except for one.

When they were 16, about a week before their sealing, they started thinking. They thought maybe, if they did get out alive, if they did escape the Black Egg, then maybe they could have a family. Keep the Pale King’s legacy going. They knew he was poisoned with Void and destined to die, so they thought that maybe if they survived, they could keep Hallownest alive by birthing an heir.

So, they took the last egg, and made a nest in the Queen’s Gardens, where they decided they would hide it, and they placed two Seals of Binding on it to protect it in case the nest were found by the Mantis Traitors.

The egg and nest were very well hidden, though, so nobody ever found it. Holly was sealed, and that was that.

Decades later, after escaping the Black Egg (which they heavily doubted they would, but hey, a bug can hope), they and my self-insert (who I’ll just call K here, I’m still trying to figure out a name for him) met and started a QPR. They ended up getting very close in their relationship, and Holly decided to carry out their plan from when they were 16. Though, instead of wanting to continue Hallownest as a kingdom, they just wanted a family.

At some point, after Holly gets quote-unquote “outed” to PK about their impurity (he knew since they were 10, but they didn’t know that), they ask K to come with them to the Gardens, as they had something important they wanted to speak to him about in private.

Some conversation happens, and Holly shows him the nest and tells him that they want to start a family. Because I need to be super self-indulgent when it comes to my writing sometimes, he of course agrees, and the 60-year-old binding-protected egg is fertilized, and later hatches into the itty bitty baby in the sketch, who Holly named Somber.

Google’s definition of somber is “oppressively solemn or sober in mood; grave,” and I believe that would fit the AU perfectly, so the child is named Somber.

For an in-universe explanation for the name, Holly would name their child after themself, I think. According to Google, a similar word to somber is solemn, which could mean either “not cheerful or smiling; serious” or “characterized by deep sincerity,” which both fit their life to a T.

As for when exactly this takes place, all I’m sure of is it happens after they out themself to PK. Maybe it’s somewhere around the same time the rain oneshot happens, or maybe a bit before or after — I’m not sure. It’s just around that timeframe.

Anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk, I will now sink into the fuckin. Swamps of Sadness from The Neverending Story.

[gardenoblues]

Fic Tag Game

tagged by @iamfandomcrazy @therulerofallpotatos @dark-visitors sorry it took time to reply, y'know uni stuff and shit <33

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? -8 2. What's your Ao3 word count? -46,208

3. What fandoms do you write for? -Wednesday, ENHYPEN (and Raise Tanin ga ii tho i doubt id write for this again) 4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? gee this is embarrassing i really dont have much 1. BloodyLocks (311) 2.Hyde The Past (74) 3. The Pastor's Son (50) 4. you never forget your first (63) 5. Who doesn't love The Smiths? (39)

In Wednesday? -its the same fics above 5. Do you respond to comments? -I try to reply to all as much as possible but if they aren't positive comments i just erase them lol. But I do appreciate the comments (not like I have a lot but nonetheless they make my day) 6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? -It's not written yet, still in the drafts and I won't spoil >< but to answer that question, I don't think I have written angst, I'm still figuring my way as a writer and if I will to write angst I want it to hurt but with purpose, and I'm not sure how to do that yet. 7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? -all my fics aren't done yet. except for you never forget your first. that's pretty happy, well the Wyler version of happy.

8. Do you get hate on fics? -So far so good. But I do think that I hold back my ideas because I'm still so scared in writing them. Maybe someday when I get bolder I'd get them. Can't wait actually lol. 9. Do you write smut? What kind? -Yes. But it's just light smut. I just begun writing so I'm still exploring myself in that area.

10. Do you write cross-overs? -No, but it sounds interesting. Maybe when I get the idea. 11. Have you ever had a fic translated? -Not that I know of. Prob not. 12. Have you ever cowritten a fic before? -Nope. But I would love to if chance comes! 13. What WIP you would like to finish, but doubt you ever will? -My Reaper and Hyde The Past I have a whole plan laid for these 2. Both drained me until now, but I don't think I'd want to die while they're still unfinished. I will finish them as I promised myself no matter how long that takes. 14. What's your all-time favorite ship? -Wyler! It's more likely that I won't find another ship that tops them. (Just last night I wrote like 2 story of drafts abt them lol they're my favorite brainrot)

15. What are your writing strengths? -Narrating and dialogue. Having tons of ideas for a fic.

16. What are your writing weaknesses? -Thinking for the fic in the long run, and missing out some of the details that can make the fic more, not sure how but just more, and this factor makes me write slower. As well as being too self-conscious and ending up complying to the safest choice. Oh and fight scenes, they just seem like fairies fist-fighting when I read them lol makes me laugh. 17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? - I've thought so much about Wyler in Filipino. Somehow they can fit, but I don't think I have the determination for that yet. This made me remember @ablatheringblatherskite idea for Filipino/cultural mythological creatures for some reason, I want to write a fic about that someday as I know a lot about Filipino folklores.

18. First fandom you wrote for? -WYLER. It's BloodyLocks I had my ao3 acc made months before just so I can comment to the fics I liked with ease. But when Wednesday came out, I suddenly became a fic writer lol. Thanks to their dynamic, I have one more hobby that drives me slowly to insanity. 19. Favorite fic you've ever written? -Hmm, I thought of Hyde The Past right away, (I have a lot, I mean A LOT, that I have written for this fic, but its hard to connect them now) it pushes me to the edge of burnout. At the moment The Pastor's Son is the easiest to write and I'm personally liking where it's going.

20. What fic would you want to rewrite one day? -Hyde The Past If I can rewind time, I would write it so much better and wouldn't rush. You can say that when I wrote that fic I was in my lowest, and it hurts my eyes and brain when I try to read it as I think of what should happen next. It's probably one of the reasons why it's taking me so long to finish it.

I'm tagging @tastethesetears @cosmic-lullaby @nouklea @lovepoison9 @writerrose1998 @chinita-inzunza @ablatheringblatherskite @anotherbluesunday @chaoticstupiddm i don't know who was been tagged and if you have u can just ignore this <33

[starlit-hopes-and-dreams]

Hidden Depths: Masterlist

Genre: Fantasy whump

During the course of an interrogation gone wrong, Resh decides to run. This poor life choice ends with him as an inmate instead of as a servant at the prison. Now at the mercy of Prince Marcus' sadistic tendencies, the only question Resh asks himself is if he will survive the time remaining in his contract. 

That is, until Carr arrives. 

Convicted of theft, Carr is dragged kicking and screaming into the prison, determined to protect a secret that could have horrible consequences if discovered. 

To protect themselves, Carr and Resh will need to work together. However, life on the streets has been kind to neither, and Carr has a million and one barriers to break through to even consider something like trusting another person. 

Main CWs: captivity, creepy whumper, restraints, male and female whumpees, lady whump, several mentions of past noncon, lots of torture & violence & general unhappy things - which are sometimes described explicitly, angst angst angst :D Please heed individual chapter warnings.

Arc 1 - Quicksand

Also on ao3

This Arc can be considered a complete story, and does have a happy end :)

written during/used prompts from Whumptober 2022

Chapter 1: This wasn't supposed to happen

Chapter 2: Nowhere to run

Chapter 3: Running out of air

Chapter 4: Famous last words

Chapter 5: Everything hurts and I'm dying

Chapter 6: It's been a long day

Chapter 7: Emotional damage

Chapter 8: No way out

Chapter 9: Enough is enough

Chapter 10: Tip of the iceberg

Chapter 11: At the end of their rope

Chapter 12: No one left behind

Chapter 13: A light at the end of the tunnel

Arc 1 - AU

I wrote an (nsfw) AU of Arc 1, find it here!

**Contains spoilers for the main storyline if you have not read through chapter 8.

Arc 2 - Recovery

Also on ao3

Are you ready? :D

Resh, Carr, and Orla travel north. I'm sure the journey will be filled with sunshine and rainbows, right? 😂😅

CWs: see main warnings, although there is no captivity in this arc (this is now a lie. there is mostly no captivity lol). Or torture, sadly. Although some douchebag minor character does die, so there's that 😅😂

Chapter 14: Everything is fine... Just fine

Chapter 15: Overkill?

Chapter 16: In the dark

Chapter 17: Called out

Chapter 18: The sweet torture of dreams

Chapter 19: Hope is a dangerous thing

Chapter 20: Surprise surprise

Chapter 21: Blurry (out of place)

Chapter 22: There's no me without you

Chapter 23: A good sign

Chapter 24: Getting out

Chapter 25:

Chapter 26:

Chapter 27:

Extras

A snippet of Carr's backstory (from an ask)

Worst childhood: Nykim v Carr (ask)

Magic inspo ask - in-depth canon magic rules

Characters

Bio's & art/portraits

(portraits made by me on artbreeder unless otherwise noted)

Resh

Carr

Nykim

Resh & Carr commission by @antisocialxconstruct

Resh & Marcus stick figure comic by @ littleperilstories

Stick figure Carr by @ burntcoffeewhump

Tags

Resh is a sweetheart

Carr doesn't give a fuck

Nykim collects strays and bones

Image Description

[ID: The banner is a blue-green background, with tree branches arching over a set of blue-green eyes, forming an approximation of a face. The words Hidden Depths are written in white above the eyes. Any other images are purely decorative lines. end ID]

[orangedodge]

Okay, I have some questions:

1 how old was Dani Moonstar at the time of the, roughly, 2005 New X-Men series, and by extension, M-Day?

2 how old is she supposed to be now?

For the record, a part of me wants to say she was 19 when Elixir became her ward, but I'm not sure. I'm just trying to figure this out for myself.

If you take the in-universe dates and ages at face value, then we know 1) Rahne was 19 during New Mutants vol. 2/Academy X, when she worked as a teaching assistant. 2) Sam was over 21 during New Mutants vol. 3/Utopia (where he's above the California drinking age and it's not presented as a fake ID). Dani and Sam were both 16 when they were introduced, and were between 2 and 3 years older than Rahne. Utopia takes place around a year after Messiah Complex (and therefore both Academy X and M-Day), but that's also a direct reference to the real passage of time in a Marvel comic (always dangerous to trust!), so you could just as well ignore it if you want and have it take place some undisclosed number of months later. Either way Dani ends up being around 21 - 22 when she met Josh, depending on if she has an early or late birthday.

As for her current age in the comics right now... um, honestly she's probably intended to be around the same age, as absurd as that sounds? They've heavily compressed the timeline for Krakoa, so that there would be only two generations of X-Men, and part of the effect of having everyone die and get resurrected at least once is to let them just ignore age differences from here on out. If you look around at the modern comics, Laura (and her age cohort) are treated as the same age as the New Mutants or Jubilee. Xuan is dating a student and no one thinks it's weird. Illyana and Doug are presented as being in the same generation as Teen Cable, who is around the same age as the Stepford sisters and Armor. They're all somewhere nebulously in their early twenties, with the older X-Men (Scott's cohort) all somewhere nebulously around thirty.

Thanks for the question!

[rxgueone]

LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG PT. 2

Word count: 3,230.

Pairing: Austin Butler x oc

Summary: Aurilia (oc) is drunk as hell. She calls Austin to come pick her up. When he spends the night with her.

Warnings: mentions of drinking, substance use, death, angst, fluff (?). All I can think of.

Tags: none.

Note: PT. 1 PT. 3

—

“You should dress nice for the occasion.” Nik suggested as they were both walking to the address. They were about to turn into the next block before Nik stopped them.

Austin turned to face him in silence, Nik took his flannel off. Handing it to Austin with a lazy expression plastered on his face. Austin raised a brow, but took it without asking. In turn, he had given Nik the black ragged xxl hoodie he always wore. Nik grabbed the cigarette in his mouth to hand it to his friend, who held it for him as he put it on. Taking it back and popping it into his mouth, he looked over at Austin.

They both had continued walking after. Austin’s breathing became heavy, emptying his mind of all thoughts. The smell of a fresh smoked cigarette filling his lungs. Nik, who was only 19 started smoking at 16, going to an ID-less smoke shop to get a pack of spirits. At the time his addiction was awful, smoking almost three packs a day. Now just one pack.

Nik would push his limit’s back then. Chain smoking at least 2-3 cigarettes at a time. Admittedly, Austin hated it. However he admitted in his mind it’d only be a matter of time when Nik would start. In spite of him worrying, Austin and Nik signed up for this life at just 12. He was pushed by his older siblings, and for Nik? He just didn’t want his ride or die to be scared and alone while dealing.

The longer this life continued. It wasn’t if they’d get jumped for dealing and cutting out, it was a matter of when they’d get jump. When they’d lose their life. It’s already almost happened before, he could remember clear as day when the cops got called on him. Looking up at his towering friend, Nik exhaled smoke. His black messy hair covered his eyes, and like usual he seemed relaxed.

Aurilia waited for Austin to come by. A strange man had offered to walk her home. But she rejected, yeah she was drunk. But not drunk enough to think this man was Austin. They were rambling on and on about something she didn’t care for. She didn’t go to this party alone, she was the side bitch. Just the acquaintance, her dorm-mate didn’t want to go alone. But now that same dorm-mate was occupied with a guy. And frankly? Aurilia was bored. Her friend had ditched her for a guy whilst this other stranger was bothering her.

Just in the distance she could spot a duo walking side by side. Her vision was a mess, but she saw blonde wavy hair and a tall figure. That must be Tin Head… and his friend Nik. She thought. Clearing her throat, she stumbled over her heels. “Ey, ey, ey! Be careful!” She heard the man yell at her.

Quickly swishing around. “My friends are here.” She protested. “I’m fine.” Flicking him away like a pest, she swiftly turned her back on him. Stepping forward, she bumped into something. “Hey, watch—“

“Hey Ricky,” a deep voice snapped her back to reality. Looking up, she could see Austin standing in front of her, “hello to you too, Lia.”

“Hello,” she hummed, “how’re you?” She had a bright grin plastered on her face.

Austin’s eyes kept looking down at her, he didn’t bother to move his head. “I’m fine.”

“Hey Aus, you know this chic? She’s been tryna walk home alone. I’ve been keeping an eye on ‘er.” Ricky had a typical Italian New Yorker accent. But, he seemed close to Austin, which had confused Aurilia.

“Yes, she called me to pick her up. I apologize for her behavior.” He answered solemnly. Aurilia like a dog, went to Austin’s side. Leaning onto his shoulder as he conversed with Ricky.

“Nah ‘s alright pal.” Ricky shook his head, looking back at the house. Nik looked down at Aurilia then at Austin. “So, Nikkie!” Looking at Nik, Ricky seemed interested. “Could make some paper here if you get my meanin’ y’know.”

“I’ll stay here.” Nik claimed. Austin didn’t protest to it, Nik was no longer needed for the night. “If I didn’t, Al would kill me.”

“Alright, I’ll see you two later.”

“Cya man.” Ricky and Nik both pulled away from Aurilia and Austin. Austin could see Nik flick the cigarette away, only to grab another.

“You okay, Lia?” He looked at her flushed face. She was lost, but nodding to his question. He sighed, rolling his eyes. Stepping back, then swiftly turning around. He walked a few steps forward, then waited for her.

This was done repeatedly until he had enough. She kept falling behind. “Lia,” he held his hand out, but she was out of her mind. Not noticing his hand, he grabbed hers. Their fingers interlocking with each other, he pulled her to his side. Narrowing his eyes, “keep up.” He said under his breath.

They both walked side by side. Aurilia hugging his whole arm. “Hey Tin head,”

“Hm.”

“Thanks for picking me up.” She looked up at him. Austin and her stopped walking, and he turned to look back at her. His head craned down to look at her face closely. She reeked of alcohol, specifically of scotch.

Her eyes widened in awe. His left ear was pierced with a black hoop. She could feel the warm rings he wore on his left hand tightly pressed against her palm. His eyes were examining her face, while hers were staring at his face. Sniffling, “yeah.” He looked away as they resumed to walking. “I’ll drop you off at your place.”

“Don’t you have a place?” It was a question of genuine curiosity. She always saw him outside, away from the neighbors. After dropping her off, he’d always leave the dorms immediately.

Hesitantly, he answered. “No.” Bringing his hand to the nape of his neck, he had breathed in to process everything. He didn’t know how to explain this to her. “I uh…” clearing his throat, “the streets are my home.”

“What do you mean?”

“Y’know,” he let out a sigh, “I live out here. I don’t got a home.”

“You’re homeless?”

“Yeah,” he gave a nod.

“Is that why you never smile?” He cocked up a brow, confused why she would say that. “We’ve been friends for a month. You never smile.” She claimed, tilting her head to the side. “Smile.” She ordered.

As she watched him. His lips quivered a bit, as if he was struggling to smile. He brought up a sheepish smile. “You look cute.” It was a genuine compliment, his face drooped down instantly.

“C’mon.” They both went back to walking. Aurilia was swinging their hands together.

“You should stay over.” She suggested, glancing up at him to see his reaction. Which was a simple deadpan expression.

“Where would I sleep?”

“With me.”

Austin had no issue with this. He knew he’d do nothing with her and just stay up all night. Plus, it would feel nice to lay in a bed again instead of constantly hanging his head. For Aurilia? She trusted him. She knew he wouldn’t do anything. Plus, she was incredibly bored. She knew Austin would keep her entertained. Not to mention, he smelled of pure cigarettes. He needed a shower. “You sure?” He wanted to double check with her. She was drunk of course, but he wanted her to be sure.

“Yep yep.”

A heaving sigh was all she needed. She knew he was gonna say yes. And she had the brightest smile.

—

Aurilia was staring at Austin who was laying beside her. She had washed his flannel, which apparently belonged to his friend. His hair was fluffy, just washed. He smelled of strawberries, which was odd cause he usually smelled like the city. She wasn’t use to it yet. After a few moments, she fell asleep beside him.

Austin, who had been awake the whole time. Opened his eyes, his eyes gliding to the side to look at her. She was sleeping peacefully. Slowly sitting up, he wiped his face. His face turned to hers so he could take in her features. He had never gotten a good look. He was a simple walker, would meet her at 5:30PM, sleep at her table, after that he’d walk her home. What would he do after? Just live off the streets.

His life was complicated. His brothers had a place, he could always stay with them. They were paying for his college too. But, his college was just a formality. The only reason he got into it was so he could deal. After all, college kids love to party, love to rebel.

Turning away from her. He sat on the edge of the bed. His elbows rested on his thighs, hands covering his lips as he hunched over. Live fast, die young, live fast, die young. He would repeat these words in his head for the rest of the night. It was something his brothers taught him. To accept this life, he was going to die young.

Aurilia stirred awake, poking her head up from the pillow she smeared with her makeup. She could see a shirtless boy in front of her. His bare back facing her, with the smell of fresh coffee filling the room. She looked at the night stand beside her bed, a mug of coffee sat waiting. With a few packets of sugar and creamer.

Looking back at the bare back, everything from last night hit her. She had asked Austin to stay over. What day is it, what day is it. Her hands looked for her phone. Which she had found due to Austin handing it over to her. “Mornin.” He greeted.

“Good morning,” she croaked.

“It’s ten-thirty on a Sunday.” He told her everything she needed to know. “Made you coffee.” Rolling her eyes to the back of her head. She blinked repeatedly, as if she was trying to snap back to reality. “You look awful.” Austin commented. She scoffed at that, however she couldn’t deny this. She felt like vomiting.

“Shut up Tin head.” Getting off the bed, she grabbed his head to keep her balance from falling.

Pushing her hand away, he got up, standing beside her. Wrapping his arm around her waist to hold her, she put her arm over his waist as well. “I’ll take you to the bathroom then make you an ice bowl to wake up.” The pair stumbled to the bathroom. Aurilia almost tripping over herself repeatedly.

She kneeled over the toilet seemingly to hang onto it. He stepped back, leaving her alone if she were to throw her guts up.

Austin came back with a bowl of ice water. Aurilia dunked her head into the bowl, and he sat beside her to watch. Pulling her head out, she spat water at Austin. Who simply wiped it off calmly. Breathing like there was no tomorrow, she had looked at Austin. “Thanks Tin head,” he looked tired, but he nodded. Studying his face for a moment, she could see his eye bags, “did you sleep?”

“No.” His tone was firm. Grabbed the bowl, he poured all the water and ice out in the bathroom sink. Aurilia got off the floor, watching him walk out the bathroom to put the bowl away. She had followed behind him. Her eyes pondered after him. He slipped his black shirt on, as well as the flannel he wore last night.

“There’s no class today.” She said, sitting on her bed. “We could hang out and get you some new clothes.” Aurilia was admittedly tired of seeing her friend in the same boring clothes. Seeing him in a flannel was different, sure. Only issue was that it stunk of cigarettes.

Austin looked back at her. He couldn’t do that. Not after yesterday. It hit him like a truck that he had to call Al, after all it was the first night of selling something different. Not just that but it was Sunday, a day that was important for Al. “I can’t. I have family I need to see.”

“Can I come?”

This question took Austin back. Nobody except for Nik had met his family. He looked at her clearly, debating. “Sure.” It wouldn’t hurt. Aurilia would just have to stay in the bar.

—

Austin walked with Aurilia by his side. He seemed focus on something. Walking in front of her, their hands were intertwined. Austin wanted to hold hands with her because she was a slow walker compared to him. He took long strides, while Aurilia took short ones, causing him to walk faster each time.

He opened the door to the bar. Holding it open for her to walk through, he followed swiftly behind. “Hey Joe,” Austin pulled up in front of the bar tender who was an older gentleman.

“Your brothers in the corner.” Joe seemed to already know what the blonde was going to ask him. His head flicked forward to show where Al and Keith were. Austin pulled out five bucks from the pocket of his black sweatpants, pushing it to him. Joe took it quickly, slipping it in his pocket.

Austin turned to Aurilia. “Stay here alright?” He had a gentle tone. “Ol’ Joe will watch you. He’ll take care of you. I just gotta talk with my brothers over there.” He pointed to the table.

“Okay.” She nodded to him, confirming that she’d stay here with Joe. Watching Austin walk away, she sat down on a stool. Her eyes moved to where Austin’s brothers sat. They both didn’t look much like him. The one with blonde hair was growing a stubble, but he did have blonde hair and blue eyes. But unlike Austin’s eyes, they were a deep shade of blue. It popped out due to having such light colored skin. The other who sat beside him, also didn’t look like Austin.

As she watched, one of them had seemed to get mad. The blonde one was glaring at Austin, and she saw them flick their head towards her. Austin dipped his head, but he froze in place. For some reason, he looked terrified out of his mind. The blonde one brought out a bottle of water with another bottle of powder. Austin shook his head. His hands that were placed onto the table were frantically shaking. He was losing his mind.

Then a suitcase was pushed towards him, Austin took it without any hesitation. Right after he got up, so did the other one with black hair. He handed Austin a bag, who took it without any emotion displayed. Grabbing the back of Austin’s head they had brought him close, leaning down to whisper something. He gently pat Austin’s head after, stroking his hair. Nodding his head, Austin pulled away.

From acting terrified, he had a stoic expression. His eyes narrowed, strutting to her. He stood in front of Aurilia, holding both the bag and suitcase. “We should get going.”

As he held the door open for her. Austin looked back at Keith and Al. Al wasn’t even looking at him, but Keith kept his cold expression onto his kid brother.

—

They were back at her place. Austin put the suitcase and bag down, reaching into it. He pulled out a suit that was tailored just for him. “Were those your brothers at the bar?”

“Yes.” He had a solemn tone. “Their names are Keith and Alphonse. Alphonse is the blonde one, Keith is the black hair one.” Quickly taking his shirt off, he grabbed the black vest, swinging it over his shoulders. “Alphonse is the oldest while Keith is the second,” glancing at her as he pulled his sweatpants down to replace them with black slacks, “we’re all half brothers.” Zipping his fly up, he began buttoning up his vest. “Their mothers abandoned them so my mother took them in. Later on when I was twelve, eight years ago, our mother died.” Grabbing the silky blazer that was on Aurilia’s bed. He also quickly threw that on. Aurilia noticed how he said ‘our’ meaning that he did see his brothers as kin. Genuine real kin. “Luckily for us, Alphonse was eighteen. So we were able to stay under his eye. Keith was sixteen, I was twelve.”

“So eight years ago…” Aurilia muttered under her breath, amazed by this. He was twelve when his mother died. Now he was here, homeless. A street rat. She figured his mother’s inheritance was paying for his college. But if that was so- why didn’t Austin buy a home?

Quickly grabbing a bottle of gel. He started to do his hair, looking in the small mirror that was on Aurilia’s nightstand. He breathed in deeply. “Tell me something I don’t know.” Aurilia asked, sensing that Austin would be leaving soon.

He paused for a moment. “You can make over seven bars of soap with the human body.” He began, putting the bag and gel away. “You gotta use human fat though. It makes the best soap.”

Aurilia scowled, blinking a few times to actually process what she had just heard. Not only that, but at how casual he was about it. “How do you know that?”

“School.” He grabbed the suitcase and stared down at her as she sat on the bed. Austin was meeting up with someone in his brothers place, which was why he has dressed so fancy. It was shocking for Aurilia to see him so nice. He wore black on black. The silk blazer didn’t even look like a blazer, it looked like a jacket. His black vest was made of cotton, with a deep v neck. It was exposing half of his bare chest due to him not wearing anything underneath.

Two black bands on his left hand, one on his middle finger, the other on his ring. With a black hoop piercing on his left ear. Now that she was examining his look, she could see a scar on his left side. It went from the back of his jawline down past his chest. As if someone slashed him there.

“Do I look presentable enough.” He asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good— I’ll see you at the coffee shop.” He promised, tightly holding the black suitcase before he left.

—

Putting the suitcase down onto the glass countertop. He leaned over it, looking at his surroundings. He felt the gazes of many that seemed to be staring at him. A woman who was behind the counter approached him. “Hi, may I help you?”

She gained his attention immediately. He raised his brows, putting on an act. “Hi, yes. I’m here to drop something off for a man named Alphonse Butler— I’m his little brother. He couldn’t make it. So he made me take his place.” He explained.

“Oh yes!” She got out a sheet of paper just from underneath the glass counter, which was on full display. “Al called and said.. what was your name?”

“Austin Butler, ma’am.”

“Yes! Yes okay good! You are legit.” The woman seemed happy. “Can you open the suitcase please?” She had a playful tone.

“Of course, ma’am.” Without any hesitation, he grabbed the locks of the suitcase. Effortlessly flicking them up, he opened the suitcase. And he was greeted with bars of soap. Where he would sell these to the woman.

[koifishanonymous]

for the aro ask game: 4 5 6 9 12 16 19 :)

hey thanks for the ask!

4. Are you out as aro?

only to a few people, online i'm very out but most people irl don't get the concept of being aro the same way i don't get the concept of romance

5. How did you figure out you are aro?

well for a starter, i didn't get the point of romance in general. i vividly remember asking why all the music on the radio was always about love, because to me there was so much more to know and to sing about than love, which in retrospect is very telling. and then when i started reasing fanfic i never got why saying ''i love you'' was such a big deal to the ships, because i thought i would've said it easily, had i had the chance. and then i found out that aromantic was a thing, and as my friends did feel romantic attraction, i felt it necessary for me to id as grayromantic. ofc i changed labels many times since that, but i think i always knew to some level that i was aro :)

6. What is your favourite part about being aromantic?

the detachment from romance i think, like i love reading about characters falling in love, hell i even like setting people up irl (an aromantic cliche, i know) but god forbid any of those tropes happen to me. i would rather die than wake up tangled up with someone else because we had to share a bed (/lh, i'm just touch-averse :])

9. What is your favourite aro-spec identity flag?

definitely the arospec flag! the greens are soothing, but i also like the aroflux one!

12. Do you have any friends, acquaintances or other people you know that are aro-spec?

i know a few people, not very closely irl

16. What are your views on romance? Could include if you are romance repulsed / favourable / etc?

as i've said, romance is cool but only in theory. to me romance is a work of fiction, something that is interesting to think about only because it isn't real (to me). it's like time travel

19. Is there a song that is very aromantic to you?

home by cavetown, i know it's regarded as a trans anthem generally, but literally the first lines are about love so i view the rest of the song as aro as well :)

[justabunchofdragons]

Well akdnsjd idk I'm just curious what like your life was like? Like what hobbies did you have, what was your house/apartment/living space like? Did you have any plants? What were your friends like? (I feel like. That's a lot akdnjsns sry)

>:D theo you've unlocked chaos ramble mode™️ buckle up im about to talk for half n hour

ok. im not gna lie and say i was overly interesting. also i won't make shit up. some stuff i literally don't remember because source (well. the fic) was fuzzy about details & also this was 4 yrs ago.. did not have a diary back then to record stuff but i will try to answer as best i can :D

so. !! i ran away from home at 16 ! not completely sure why. racking my brains and coming up blank. dropped outta school and met . sherlock.. sigh. on a train to london. he figured out everything about me in like 2 seconds which was. really fucking weird. my sherlock needed to learn some people skills.

anyway i think we parted ways after that and i must've lived somewhere close to them (don't remember that part.) because somehow i got johns number. dunno if i knew sherlock & john were flatmates but i called john when i got stabbed. why not the ambulance you ask!! well i was 16 and scared. also this is slightly off topic but i remember (as a irl memory not an exomem) old host spending like half an hour finding an alley on google maps that was a short enough drive from 221b that i wouldn't. u know. die. before john got there.

why did i say all of that. oh yeah. !! i was homeless for a bit. teach me to run away to london /j. after i got .u know. john either took me in or 221a did. something like that. got to know lestrade & co. etc etc. dont think i had any plants. everything was very. intense. plants probably wouldve just died.

didn't have any friends 😔 it was absolutely not healthy for me to only be talking to 25+ yr olds.but im gna be honest. that was an oversight on old hosts part. shoulda written better fic 🙄. kgkgjgkf. uhmm i feel like there was a creepy boyfriend at some point...? after my ordeal with moriarty (not getting into that. i think that part was testing how much trauma would fit into one person without killing them) he tried to get back w me and i punched him in the face. i remember walking back to the office with a new coffee and a black eye and literally i was the "you should see the other guy" trope

also id like to clarify i pretty much always looked like shit. never got any decent sleep. definitely. OH SHIT. I JUST REMEMBERED. sherlock let me take drugs one time. that was so shitty of him wtf john yelled for DAYS. oh my gosh. that was why i think someone forcibly stopped us watching sherlock actually. it was. not a good time in our life & constantly thinking abt taking drugs was Not good. holy shit. epiphanies at 11.30pm i wasn't prepared for

[artleaguemdcnorth]

DRAWING CLASS FINAL ASSIGNMENT 4/12/23

This class will be working on their Final Assignment starting this Weds (4/13) right after class.

In class on Weds. (4/12), you will continue to work with the figure for a second time.

Make sure you bring Bristol paper and paints to work in class.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT: 

Create a painting that expresses one of the 30 Articles of the International Declaration of Human rights.

There are three videos to watch in preparation for this assignment.

One is regarding how children are used in sweat shops around India and the world. 

The second video documents how the cosmetics industry works with slave labor as well.

The third video documents how your favorite chocolate brands are created using child slave labor. From Mars to Hersheys, M&M , Snickers all these brands are brought to you thanks to the use of child labor in Africa.

These children are usually abducted from their homes a three to four years of age only to be put in fields working 15 hour days for years. They are never reunited with their parents or family.

You will watch all videos and then look and review all 30 articles from the link included above  the class blog.

I will assign an article to each student on Weds in class . 

You will then create imagery that expresses the importance of that article.

You will begin work on this assignment starting on Weds after class.

This assignment will be due  Monday 4/17 at 10:30am. We will have a critique on that day at that time.

Materials:

1) You will need  canvas board or canvas.

2) Acrylic paints

For the canvas board or canvas you can use any of the following sizes:

12 x 14 or 

16 x 20

When you start reading about these articles consider how these rights affect yourself and your community and the world at large.

One example would be article Article 4 ,

“ No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. “

When you think about this article , our first thought is maybe the american slavery of African Americans and Native Americans. 

Beyond that historical content, how can we understand this article in present terms?

Think about human trafficking or drug trafficking which brings countless of individuals who are suffering through poverty from third world countries into different parts of the world. 

Think about child labor.

This situation is still happening in parts of the worls.

In India children are used in sweatshops for cheap labor.

In Africa child labor is used to mine diamonds and for chocolate plantations.

Watch the video below the talks about how that Hershey’s kiss and our snikers chocolate bar is made through the sweat of child labor. 

These children are abducted from their homes at an early age and kept in servitude until they either scape or can pay their way out.

Below is a newspaper report from last year about a truck which had over 39 bodies trafficked for the purpose of force labor in England.

https://www.thecut.com/2019/11/39-bodies-were-found-inside-a-u-k-truck-what-happened.html

These are two examples of seeing one particular article beyond past historical association.

Article 9  and Article 6 are two circumstances that conjure past and present association. 

We witnessed this during the summer of 2020 here in america with the unjust death of George Floyd and so many other minorities who die at the hands of crooked law enforcement agents.

As you approach this assignment think of your duty as a citizen of the world.

How will you work towards a more just and fair society?

These articles offer us a template to live by.

As artist we have an obligation to engage in art that promotes peace and wellness beyond our boundaries.

Think about this as you create your artistic contribution for these rights.

I will post a link to the document above this post along with the videos to watch for this assignment.

Review them before class this Weds.

Below see examples from previous classes.

  DO NOT USE ANY OF THE IMAGERY SEEN BELOW.

You must come up with your own ideas.

A

B

C

D

F

FINAL ASSIGNMENT IS DUE ON MONDAY 4/17 AT 10:30 A.M. 

ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE BROUGHT TO CLASS COMPLETED ON THAT DAY. 

DO NOT PROCASTINATE . 

WEDS OF NEXT WEEK :

ALL CLASSES WILL TURN IN THEIR COMPLETED CURATED PORTFOLIOS WIL A FINAL ARTIST STATEMENT . 

I WILL HAVE A POST ON MONDAY WITH ALL THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO COMPLETE THAT TASK.

[actuallysaiyan]

My Personal Love Story: Vegeta

Request:

"hi!! first, congrats on 1k!! i love everything you write and im so happy other people do too<3 okay so, id like to request fluffy relationship headcanons with Vegeta<3 a few things about me, im 5'2 and i really love tattoos and drawing/painting/tattooing. ive given myself like 16 this year, and one of my personal favorites is a Bunny on my calf since my chosen name is Bunny lmao. i can be pretty talkative at times,, idk my personality type? but im a pisces sun, libra rising, and aries venus! i like walking around and making jokes about random things on dates, just making each other laugh and spending quality time when we can:) my favorite musician is hard to choose, but recently id say Mitski<3

thank you so much if you do this, and its okay if you don't too<3

also, pretty sure i have adhd (as a detail)"

My Personal Love Story: Vegeta

Your Song: Space Age Love Song- A Flock Of Seagulls

Headcanons:

It took some time for Vegeta to get used to you, but once he realized how sweet and fun to be around you were, he made exceptions. He’d allow you to come watch him train or fight Goku, but it really surprised him when you stayed and watched him the whole time and then you’d compliment him on his fighting.

From that time, Vegeta realized how he truly likes you. He has a hard time showing his true emotions and gets hot headed from time to time, but he always wants you to know that he enjoys your company so much.

Lots of time spent watching him train and even letting him teach you a few moves. He’s got a big ego, so the more time you spend complimenting him and listening to him teach you a new move, he’s going to really appreciate it.

If he does take anytime to actually train you, you know you’ve got a very good bond with Vegeta. He doesn’t fight just anyone, but when he’s with you, he just wants to be close to you no matter what.

Vegeta actually really loves going on dates with you. Whenever he’s not training or fighting, he loves going out with you and doing something fun together. If it’s a competitive activity, Vegeta can get a little too intense with it at times.

If you’re more into spending time doing your own thing at home, be it drawing or painting, Vegeta is more than okay with also doing his own thing. He enjoys just being near you and within your company. He loves having quiet moments where the two of you are just being passionate with your hobbies and passions.

Vegeta loves listening to you tell him stories about your day or even just things that have happened to you in the past. He secretly loves pillow talk and cuddling. It’s one of his favorite things to do with you. Nothing beats holding you close to him after you’ve made love and you are enchanting him with your voice.

Speaking of which, your voice really comforts Vegeta. He feels at peace whenever he hears you. If you cheer him on while he’s battling, he will make a big effort to show off in front of you and have you marvel at his strength. Vegeta loves it whenever you call him “my prince”. Depending on when he hears it, it could have different outcomes.

He would literally die for you. Or kill for you. Either way, you know that Vegeta is going to protect you from now and until forever. He will not let anyone hurt you in any way, be it physically, mentally or emotionally. There’s no way anyone will even get the chance to. He’s your lover and you know you can count on him to keep you safe.

Vegeta absolutely wants a family with you. He doesn’t want to push it on you, but he really wants to have many children with you. He loves the idea of being a father and with you by his side, he’ll always be at peace.

How You Started Dating:

This was becoming somewhat funny. You and Vegeta have been running into each other at Bulma’s parties so much that you both were kind of laughing at it. Sure, you both knew you’d be invited, but you always figured Vegeta would stick to Goku or Bulma all night. He never struck you as someone who would mingle.

But now it’s been so many times you’ve been up close and personal with him. He seems so much more charming now. He smiles when you talk, but he does keep it a secret only shared with you. Vegeta tells you of his passions and dreams. It’s an odd thing to witness, but you are falling more and more in love with him as the time passes.

“Tch, figures you’d be here again.” Vegeta scoffs with sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Yeah, bet you’re really sad about it, huh?” You joke and you see a smirk on his face. He moves closer to you but he’s careful that nobody has really spotted either of you.

Vegeta leads you to a private bedroom, and once the door is closed, he leans in to kiss you. You’re a little surprised but you are more satisfied than anything. You can’t believe that Vegeta has finally made a move on you.

“I never thought you’d kiss me,” you challenge him. Vegeta just chuckles.

“There’s a lot about me that you don’t know, woman. Would you like to stick around and find out?” There’s a slight hopefulness in his voice. You smile and lean in to kiss him again.

“Is this your cheesy way of asking me out?”

A slight blush on his cheeks would suggest that your assumptions are correct. Vegeta just avoids your eye contact and he mutters how this is stupid. You know he’s just a little flustered.

“I’d love to go out with you, Vegeta.”

“Of course you would, I am the prince of all Saiyans.”

[detectivereyes]

I Watched the Leaves Go From Green to Grey

Summary: When TK gets anxious, he gets into fights.

Notes: for the self-harm square on my @badthingshappenbingo card, or my interpretation of it bc i didn’t want to write a traditional “self harm” fic yk

beta’d by @marjansmarwani and also s/o to loml @seaoflittlefires for providing her objective perspective and fixing all my past/present tense issues 💗

word count: 2.3k

read on ao3

If you asked TK, the first time it happened was definitely an accident. 

He wasn’t planning on getting into a fight, and he wasn’t even that high. Instead he found himself riding out the tail end of a high in some dingy bar in the East Village, trying to numb the pain with whatever alcohol the bartender would give him with a quick flash of his fake ID. At only 16, he knew he didn’t look 21, but the bartender didn’t ask or didn’t care.

It started with a simple misplacement of his elbow, brushing up too close against the glass of whiskey belonging to the burly man sitting next to him. He didn’t even realize what had happened until he heard the glass shatter on the floor between them.

He started to stutter out some form of an apology but not before he felt a flash of pain hit his face, radiating through his lower jaw until his body collided with the ground. Though he was caught off guard, the pain he’s feeling didn’t feel wrong. In fact it made him feel alive.

He hopped back up, managing to throw in a few punches of his own until more of the burly man's friends showed up and he couldn't decipher which direction the blows were coming from. But with each punch or kick, he felt more empowered. Each freshly formed bruise serving as a reminder that he wasn’t actually numb. 

He was here, and he was alive.

Fortunately, he had managed to sneak out before the cops showed up. Unfortunately, the bruises did not go unnoticed by his mom or dad. Though they didn’t press too hard, he knew he would have to be more careful next time.

He never forgot the outlet getting into fights provided. A way to not only relieve the numbness, but relieve stress and have the pain on the outside match what he felt on the inside.

He didn’t get into fights that often, only when the pain built up too much and he needed to let it out somehow. Or sometimes he used it as a way to just quiet the anxious thoughts when substances no longer did the trick.

Even after he got clean, he would occasionally find himself back in some random bar that he hadn’t managed to get himself kicked out of yet. Every bar had at least one drunk asshole who he knew would be easy to pick a fight with.

He quickly learned the right words to trigger the perfect reaction. He also got better ducking and throwing his own punches, and hiding the bruises that did form on his skin until his parents no longer noticed or worried about him.

When he arrived in Austin, he figured it would only be a matter of time before he found himself in a dingy bar on the outskirts of town, opposite of the bar the team frequented to avoid any chance of running into a familiar face.

The numb feeling and colorless vision was too much and Judd’s words only served to exacerbate the pain he was feeling inside. He attempted to fight Judd, knowing his larger frame could do a lot of damage and would do the trick. But he should have known the other man wouldn’t fight back, instead holding him close so he couldn’t do any damage until Paul broke them up.

As soon as the shift ended, TK all but ran into the Uber. The tension in his body wound up too tight and he knew it wouldn’t settle until he got in a fight. 

The fight itself was a blur, but what happened next wasn’t. As he walked out of the police station with his bag of belongings and busted lip still pulsing in pain, Carlos’ words rang in his ear.

You should talk to someone about why you felt compelled to do something so suicidal.

Was it suicidal? He always saw it as a way to remind himself that he was alive, not trying to die. But he'd also never met someone who cared so much about his well being. 

The police officers he usually ran into during his fights never seemed to give a shit about why he did what he did. And if the guys he hooked up with noticed the busted lips or black eyes, they never said anything.

Carlos checked both of those boxes, yet seemed genuinely concerned with what TK was getting himself into.

That was when he knew things would be different here.

And they were for a time. For a while the color returned into his life and the pain that he had grown so accustomed to settled into a dull ache that he barely noticed.

But like everything else, the good could never last. And soon enough the pain grew more noticeable and he felt like he was going to jump out of his skin. He needed to know he wasn't numb. He needed to feel pain. He needed to fight.

So he found himself in another dingy bar, much similar to the one he went to when he got to Austin over a year ago. He knew he shouldn’t be there. He had to call someone. But Carlos was on shift and his dad was on a date and while both would have probably picked up in a heartbeat, he couldn't do that to them. And anyone else he could have called wouldn’t understood or known what to do. 

He knew what he had to do.

On muscle memory he ran through his routine, spouting out the perfect words to trigger the reaction he craved. 

After only a few blows to the face, the punches stopped and the fight broke up as the cops arrived. He scanned the area, letting out a sigh of relief when he didn't see Carlos’ familiar brown eyes, and managed to slip out the back before anyone noticed.

The Uber ride from the bar back to his and Carlos’ home passed by in a blur. If his driver noticed the purple bruises likely beginning to blossom on his face, she didn't say anything.

He made a beeline to the bathroom as soon as he walked through the door, hoping that the damage wasn't bad enough that he couldn't cover it up. There was no way Carlos wouldn't notice, but if cleaned it up a bit and came up with a good story, it might not be as bad.

Flipping on the light switch TK frowned at his reflection. While there were a few scattered bruises all over his body, the worst by far was the one forming around his eye, already turning a lovely shade of deep purple. Above his eye was a short but deep gash, stretching across his eyebrow.

Well, that definitely wouldn't go unnoticed.

TK sighed, rifling through the medicine cabinet until he found the box of butterfly bandaids. He knew it probably would need stitches, but if he could avoid a trip to the ER tonight, that would be ideal, and these bandages would do the trick for now. He carefully placed two on his eyebrow, hissing at the contact as the wound closed. He then shut off the light and settled on the living room sofa, waiting for Carlos to come home. 

By the time he heard the jiggling of keys in the door, a few hours had passed and he had nearly fallen asleep under the soft blanket on the couch. He panicked for a second, not quite ready for Carlos’ reaction when he saw TK’s face.

On impulse, he ducked under the blanket before the door swung open. He could see the light switch on and Carlos’ outlined shape from beneath the cover.

“Babe? What’s going on?” he asked. TK could sense he had stopped in front of the couch but was refraining from coming any closer.

“Don’t freak out,” was all TK could manage to say, and he could only imagine the confusion painting his boyfriend’s face.

“I’m freaking out that you won’t tell me what’s going on,” he stated matter of factly.

TK sighed before slowly pulling down the blanket and peeking his head out, giving Carlos a sheepish grin. 

Carlos’ eyes widened in concern as he sat down next to TK, gently running his fingers over TK’s swollen eye. “What happened, baby?”

“Combative patient,” the lie rolled too easily off his tongue. “Woke up while we were treating him and took a swing at me.”

“I see,” Carlos nodded slowly. “And these other bruises?” he added, trailing his hand over the blossoming bruises on TK’s neck and arms. When he reached his torso, he didn't miss the way TK winced at the contact. TK hadn't even realized how sore he was.

“Must have fallen a little bit in the scuffle,” he shrugged.

Carlos hummed along to TK’s response. TK tried to get a read on what Carlos was making of his story. It was a pretty good one if he gave himself any credit, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Carlos just wasn't buying it. 

“You know how people get when they’re caught off guard,” he quickly added, panicking when he realized he should be adding more details before Carlos could doubt him anymore. 

Carlos though remained silent, studying him carefully. 

“We’re here to help them but they don’t always realize that right away,” he laughed nervously, hoping Carlos wasn't catching on to his anxious rambling.

“TK,” Carlos trailed off, his eyebrows pinching together in worry. He knew something was off, and there was no getting out of it.

Before he could dig himself into a deeper hole, he decided to dam break. He launched into the whole story about how he felt so on edge after his shift and he didn’t know what else to do, which is why he fell back into old habits. Carlos listened intently as he explained what happened when he showed up at the bar and instigated the fight, and ducking out he could get caught.

“I’m so sorry, Carlos. Please don’t be mad,” he said at the end of his rant, still shaking with adrenaline while he waited to see how Carlos would handle hearing the truth. 

Carlos sighed, gently rubbing TK’s shoulder. “I’m not mad at you, TK.”

“You’re not?” TK said, sniffling. 

“No, but I am concerned at why you didn’t think you could call me. And then why you felt like you had to lie about it.”

TK shrugged. “I’m just kind of used to bottling it up, I guess.”

“But you should know you can talk to me about this kind of stuff.”

“I do! But sometimes it just gets to be so much that I don’t know what else to do and I need a way to let it all out.”

“What gets to be so much?” Carlos cocked his head to the side. 

“Everything,” TK quickly responded, as if that clarified anything he was saying. He knew he wasn't making much sense and Carlos was trying his best to understand. But TK didn't know how else to describe the way he was feeling. Like a row of tightly wound string, one pluck away from snapping. 

“TK, what happened that made you want to get into a fight tonight?” Carlos asked. 

“I,” TK started to answer but stopped himself when he realized he didn't even have a good answer. He'd never stopped to consider the reasons for why he felt this way. All he knew was that he felt like he was about to explode and he needed a good way to release it. “I don’t know.”

Carlos nodded, and TK could only admire the patience his boyfriend had with him. The tears started to well up in his eyes and he took some shaky breaths as Carlos pulled him close into a hug, letting him sob into his broad chest. 

“It’s okay if you don’t know,” he whispered softly into TK’s ear. “But I think it is important to examine why you do feel this way. And to realize when it starts to get bad so it doesn’t happen again.”

TK pulled away from Carlos’ embrace, nodding and wiping back the tears while doing so. “It just feels like there’s always this pain, and sometimes I don’t notice it but other times it’s so much that I need to do something about it. And I can’t do the other stuff I used to do to deal with it, but getting into these fights… I don’t know, it helps. Which probably doesn’t make any sense but it’s better than some of my other coping mechanisms.”

Carlos gave him a sympathetic look. “TK, it might not be drugs, but you are just as likely to get hurt.”

TK looked down, nervous squeezing his hands, unsure of how to respond to Carlos’ observations.

“It’s not healthy,” he continued. “I need you to promise me you will call next time. It doesn’t matter what time, or if I’m on shift, or I’m asleep. Talk to me about it. And talk to me about what you’re feeling all the time so we can try to prevent it getting this bad. Okay?”

TK nodded in agreement. 

“Hey,” Carlos tilted TK’s head up so they matched each other's gaze. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

“I know,” he gave Carlos a small smile. “I appreciate it, and your patience with me.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that. We’re a team, and I want to help you in whatever way possible. I love you, TK”

TK melted under Carlos’ soft brown eyes and genuine smile. “I love you too, Carlos.”