#i have been blessed with Andy content | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

declinlalune · 1 year

Text

Three Gays in a Predicament || Andy, Leah, Nicole

TIMING: current. LOCATION: art walk in downtown. PARTIES: @phoenixleah, @nicsalazar & @declinlalune SUMMARY: andy, leah, and nicole decide to have a nice time out on an art walk before they're rudely interrupted. CONTENT WARNINGS: sibling death mentions.

“Did you know she wrote ‘Jolene’ and ‘I will always love you’ in one day?”

Nicole heard the guide call out to the group of tourists snapping pictures right in front of them. A small gathering she actively tried to walk past, bumping shoulders, and getting elbowed on the ribs in the process. She tugged on Leah’s fingers, gently pushing forward when her smaller half looked to be winding up to interject in the conversation. Nicole offered her most sincere apologetic smile, one that promised she could share her Dolly Parton facts or dispute the guide’s claims in the safety of… not this crowd.

All things considered, Nicole was handling the outing well. It wasn’t a typical tourist spot for her. That often entailed less human interaction and more physical exertion, plus a completely different landscape. But it was fun (aside from the current tourist problem). Different. The idea of hanging out casually with a girlfriend and a friend seemed impossible not too long ago. That reminder of her progress eased some of the tension building up on her shoulders. Bursted the anxiety bubbling in her chest.

The last she heard, was a couple of teens talking about Dolly’s eyes moving, but they were no longer within earshot as Nicole led Leah and Andy toward another mural. This one, which garnered less interest, had a very distinct garlic smell in the air instead (which may have been the reason people were avoiding it). And yeah, she couldn’t ignore her stomach grumbling in response. Following her line of sight, her gaze landed on Andy when she asked, “should we… you wanna get something to eat before we continue?” while gesturing at the food trucks around.

Andy wasn’t sure how she didn’t know that Leah and Nicole were dating. Nicole had mentioned how she wasn’t in town a lot, but still. After having befriended Leah, Andy felt like she should’ve known that the other woman was in a steady relationship at the very least. Getting closer to the two of them felt both like a blessing and a curse. For one, Andy was grateful that she finally had friends her own age, and with like interests, too. The guilt, however, was hard to ignore. She knew that both Nicole and Leah were not human, but they had no idea that she knew that. The urge to tell them was overwhelming, but she didn’t want to lose two friends. She knew it was selfish, and at the end of the day, she hated herself for it.

But it didn’t stop her from accepting invitations to hike with Nicole, or to visit Leah’s shop and just talk. Andy hated that she knew what she knew, but there’d be nothing she could do to get away from it, so she had to accept it. Maybe one day she could tell them, but not when their budding friendship from occasional hangouts had maybe turned into something more. Something real. Because Andy and Alex wouldn’t have to leave Wicked’s Rest. They could stay this time.

The art walk hadn’t been so much her idea as a thrown in comment about how it offered enough to do while still allowing movement. Andy didn’t think that her first hangout with the couple should’ve been third-wheeling at the cinema.

The guide continued to explain the origins of another mural as Andy followed Nicole to another painting, bright and bold on the wall. She wasn’t sure why she’d never come to the art walk before. The smell of the garlic made it so that Andy was beginning to taste it on her tongue. Mouth watering involuntarily, Andy looked over at Nicole as she offered the choice of grabbing a bite to eat. “You read my mind.” Andy smiled at her friend before looking at Leah. The two were impossibly cute together. Like they were meant for one another. Before Andy had really had grown roots anywhere, she thought that kind of thing– relationships, were things of fiction. She’d seen them in television shows and in music videos, but hadn’t ever imagined that she’d feel the adoration radiating from somebody towards another person herself. It hadn’t helped that her parents weren’t exactly the loving type. “I kind of want fries… Do you think they have that? I’m not sure I’ve actually ever eaten from any of these.” It was a dumb question, because almost every food truck advertised some version of fries, whether it was Belgian style or topped with chili and queso. “Answered my own question, never mind. But food. Yes.”

Leah had to work to actively continue walking along with Nicole and Andy. She loved a good tour, especially from someone as knowledgeable as a museum docent. In another life, where she wasn’t terrified of public speaking, maybe Leah could have been one- although she was sure her topic would have been a bit more academic than the queen of country. As they ended up in front of the garlic scented mural, Leah suddenly had a craving for garlic bread. “I’m down. I wonder if that bread truck is still around!”

As they made their way over to the trucks, Leah made a point of people watching. It was an activity she often participated in, especially when Nicole was there to guide her along the way while she was distracted. With a crowd as big as they were in, it was fun to take a guess as to who might be supernatural, or who might be a normie, or a hunter, or who might just be an asshole, too. She pointed toward a food truck that exclusively served potatoes with a grin. “I think you’ll find what you’re looking for at ‘Spuds’, Andy. I’m hankering for a loaded baked potato myself, since it seems the garlic bread is out of the question.”

The line was longer than she had expected, but it just meant more time for people watching. “We should take one of those guided tours one day”, she said to her companions, watching a haphazard group bustle by them. I think that sort of controlled chaos looks sort of… thrilling!” The line moved forward, but she walked backwards as it moved since she was facing Andy and Nicole. “Or we could try a natural history museum, or even a more formal art gallery.”

Nicole wanted to tell Leah there was no bread truck around, not one that she could pick up with her keen senses, but that might end up revealing a little more about herself to Andy. She knew it’d come a time to disclose that part of herself, she had no reason to believe Andy would harbor negative feelings towards supernaturals, but she still had a long way to go before blurting it out in the middle of an art boardwalk. “We’ll get you that bread later” she promised, a smitten smile playing on her lips.

She walked in silence, allowing Leah and Andy to work out the best snack option. Which turned out to be a truck specialized in potatoes. It was fine, good even. Nicole liked potatoes. She just wished the line and the crowd weren’t so…long. She stepped back to let Leah go in front, the pads of her fingers tapping her girlfriend’s palm three times before releasing. I love you. Leah would know what to order for her, she didn’t have to stress about it. Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned towards Andy, eyebrows lifting in amusement as Leah geeked out about potential tour ideas. Not even close to the first time she had done so, nor the last time she’d do it. But always impossibly adorable. “You know I’ll follow, as long as there’s a food break. What about you, are you a history or art buff or just… arm buff?” she nodded at Andy, face morphing in disgust as she heard her own cringy joke. She could guess the answer. Andy was a lot more like Nicole than Leah, but she had learned not to stick to assumptions when it came to her friend.

The line had been long, but moved surprisingly fast, which led to the trio reaching the window in a matter of minutes. Nicole stepped to the side, leaving Leah and Andy to take care of things. And once the orders were placed, she waved at the pair to join her by the side of the truck to wait for their food. She continued where the conversation had been left off before they were interrupted. “I don’t know if Wicked’s rest has that many… uh, cultural places though”.

Andy looked around, gaze scanning for the coveted garlic bread truck, but it didn’t seem like it had made an appearance. Andy looked over at Nicole as she explained to Leah that they could get it sometime later. A small grin pulled at the corners of her lips and she averted her gaze, watching as a kid with a balloon ran up behind his parents. She had reassured Nicole that it wouldn’t be weird if it were just the three of them and she wanted to hold onto that promise, even if it hadn’t been much of a promise at all. Andy didn’t want to make things awkward just because she didn’t have a hand to hold. Besides, she didn’t think she’d fit the part of that– of somebody else’s other half. It was something she had made peace with. It was nice enough to see that love did exist in a way that was not painful.

Leah’s voice pulled Andy from her deep-seated thoughts and she looked back towards the shorter woman gratefully. “Spuds?” She glanced up towards the food truck’s menu, and sure enough, they had fries on it. A few different types, too. Andy followed the women into the line, taking a spot just behind Nicole. She craned her neck so that she could see the rest of the menu, all the while listening to Leah as she explained that maybe they could do something else on another day, too. It made Andy glad to know she hadn’t been too weird or too boring. Granted, she didn’t know if museums were much of her thing, but if Leah wanted to do it, Andy could sacrifice the part of herself that would find it boring– she’d find something interesting about the museum for her friend’s sake. “That would be cool. I’m not sure I’ve ever been to anything like that.” She didn’t think that her visit to Metzli’s gallery had been close to any kind of tour given what had happened, but she knew that Metzli owed her, so maybe it was something she could suggest down the line.

Nicole’s joke caught Andy off guard and she let out an embarrassed laugh. “I think art is cool, you know? But…” She looked at Leah before shrugging, “I’d be willing to try it out. New things, or whatever, don’t wanna be a stick in the mud.” Andy wanted to give it a chance, even if she knew prematurely that it wouldn’t be much of her scene.

Through their discussion, the line moved with ease, and Andy found herself shoving a five dollar bill into the tip jar after ordering her garlic fries and pink lemonade. “I think there are a few? But I mostly spend time outdoors.” She thought about what Nicole had said about Leah being on the more fragile side. She wasn’t sure what that could mean for what she was, but Andy decided not to think about it. She didn’t want to speculate over her friends’ identities. Andy felt her chest tighten with guilt and she cleared her throat to dislodge the feeling. “I think there are some boat tours, too?” She wasn’t sure how seasick either of them got, and to be honest, Andy wasn’t sure about herself, either. “There were a lot of pride events, so maybe something we can do next year?" If their friendships lasted that long. Andy hoped they would.

Leah smiled softly at Nicole’s little symbol, liking that they had things for just them. It was subtle enough, she hoped, that Andy wouldn’t feel left out or like a third wheel with the two of them, but prominent enough that she felt their connection without any words spoken. She let Andy order for herself before she stepped up, ordering a loaded baked potato for herself and Smokey Mexican Beef Wedges, no sour cream, for Nicole. “You just gotta know where to look”, she said toward her girlfriend, dropping some cash in the tip jar. “Or I guess, it depends on what you consider cultured. Back in High School, I used to make this brochure about all the best, most interesting spots to visit in town. I wonder if my mom kept it.”

As they moved to the side to wait for their orders to be called, she suddenly got the feeling like she was being watched. Not by Andy or Nicole, obviously, they were all looking at each other, but by someone in the crowd, maybe. She scanned it quickly, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. It was probably nothing, she surmised, but she felt her shoulders tense in slight apprehension anyway. She looked toward Andy, a small smile playing on her lips. “I don’t think it’s a stick in the mud to have a difference of opinion… maybe we could do some sort of cycle, you know? Like, next time you pick where we go, then Nicole, then me.” That way, everyone would get a chance to visit someplace they wouldn’t normally go. At the mention of boats, though, Leah blanched. She wondered if she visibly whitened like she felt she did. “I will have to veto water adventures, though”, she said, trying to appear non-chalant. “Rare water allergy”, she said to Andy to explain like she so often did, never willing to elaborate further. She shared a glance with Nicole quickly before clearing her throat, moving the conversation along. “Now pride sounds fun! I’d definitely be down to dress up and celebrate if both of you would!”

“You did that?” Andy tried to imagine Leah in high school, or even Nicole. She tried to imagine herself, too, sitting at a desk with a notebook in front of her, a pen nervously tapping the desk as she tried to muck up the courage to ask a pretty girl to one of Leah’s events. Despite the fantasy and how she had longed for it once upon a time, Andy’s expression did nothing to betray her. Instead, she smiled. “That’s really cool that you put that much energy into it, but I’d love to see how it holds up.” Andy wondered how many places would have closed, either due to retirement or disaster.

Andy scanned the crowd, mimicking Leah in the way she’d done so. Her eyes landed back on the smaller woman to see her visibly tense. Her brows lifted slightly, but she was brought out of her question as Leah explained that she had a water allergy. Andy knew that if she simply thought about it, connecting Nicole’s statement about Leah’s fragility to the fact that she didn’t like water, she could figure out exactly what her friend was, but Andy didn’t want to. She hated how invasive it was, and hated what it could mean down the line. She pushed the thought away before shrugging. “Oh, no problem.” Andy looked up at the sky, checking to make sure that it wouldn’t rain, but it was as sunny as could be, compared to how it’d been the last few weeks. She looked back at Leah, then to Nicole as Leah explained they should dress up for pride. “I’ve never done anything like that.” Andy paused for a moment before continuing, “I’ve always wanted to, though. My sister and I have done a few things, but…” She motioned towards the two women, slightly embarrassed, “it’d be the first time with friends.”

Her eyes were on Leah as the pair reunited with her. And not for sappy reasons (though that was a given), but because Leah seemed to be carrying tension on her shoulders. It wasn’t there before. She watched her look around, then she noticed Andy joining her, and Nicole wondered what she had missed while they were buying their food. She mirrored the other two, eyes darting around. Looking for what? She wasn’t sure. But she realized the crowd had dispersed enough, only a small group waiting on their snacks remained.

Anyway, it was a fleeting moment and though her eyes lingered on her girlfriend, the trio got back to discussing plans in no time. “I get seasick,” she supplied without missing a beat, examining Leah’s face for discomfort. She in fact, did not get seasick (she’d never been on a boat to know, more precisely). But she hoped it’d remove pressure off Leah to explain herself. Luckily, Andy wasn’t curious enough to ask. Or maybe, she was doing the thing she did during their hikes. Knowing when to drop topics. Regardless, Nicole appreciated it, swiftly moving on to Pride. “Hey, I’ve only been once—” she smiled at Andy, comforting, “last year. It was okay. I think… gotta make it happen for you next year” knowing what Andy had shared about relationships, or lack thereof, she was excited for her friend to experience something like that. She then turned to Leah. “You know how I feel about dressing up, but maybe one—” she was interrupted by a shout. Their food was ready.

Okay. ‘Spuds’ was fast. And their food was good. All qualms about it left Nicole as soon as she took the first (impossibly hot) bite. She let out a few pained huffs, pointing at the most isolated spot in the seating area. Sure, it wasn’t crowded anymore, but she still wanted to enjoy her food in peace, away from the rest of the world. On her peripheral vision she picked up a runner in the distance, but she thought nothing of it, save for the pang of annoyance. He wasn’t running on the trail. But whatever, maybe he was rushing somewhere. They kept walking, and he kept jogging. Until they were reaching the picnic table, and the steps grew louder, quicker. Determined. Nicole turned, watching the runner, now fully sprinting in their direction. Still unsuspecting, she inched closer to Leah, hoping to remove her from this guy’s path (with his speed, even an accidental bump could have serious consequences to her fragile bones).

She urged Leah forward, but didn’t move fast enough to stop herself from colliding with him. Though it wasn't a normal collision. It felt more like a tackle. Only when Nicole’s back hit the ground, knocking the air out of her lungs, and she met his hateful gaze did she understand this wasn’t so accidental after all. She froze, then cowered as the shine of a blade came into view, bracing herself for pain she hadn’t felt in thirteen years, but could never forget.

Their conversations about pride and high school hobbies and potatoes were blissful to a calming degree. Really, Leah shouldn’t have been lulled by the bliss- someone who had been so keen on watching others since childhood should have been aware enough of her surroundings not to ignore those feelings of unease she had just had. But the bliss was intoxicating, so much so that she’d nearly forgotten about the fear until she was ushered out of the way by Nicole, watching her get tackled to the ground quickly after.

When people talk about natural responses to dangerous situations, they usually mention fight or flight, but a well-read person could tell you that there were actually 6 common ‘F’ fear responses when it came to high stress situations: fight, flight, freeze, fawn, flood, and flop. For flood, it explained a reaction that resulted in a multitude of emotions, sometimes presenting themselves as extreme and inappropriate dysregulation. Leah had seen it as an observer plenty of times before, but this was the first time she felt it. In a different situation, she would have tried to remember how she was feeling for research purposes.

If she didn’t already know what this was, the blade against her girlfriend’s neck would have been a quick indicator that those feelings of eyes on them before, the tension that she let slip away from her body in a quick moment, was the same hunter who was here now. Her eye’s flashed toward Andy’s, thinking of all the times they’d danced around what they knew about the realities of Wicked’s Rest. Leah had decided a long time ago that her friend definitely knew something, though, she supposed she was about to learn the extent of that knowledge. Nothing like some good old exposure education.

There was a growl from the oaf on top of her girlfriend, and she resisted the urge to kick him right in the gut, worried about the force it would take to have any effect versus the fragility of her bones. Fear turned into anger, and she had to clench her fists to stop the fire that threatened to erupt there. Her eyes focused on the knife’s handle, careful to concentrate her energy there (her lack of experience made what she was about to do particularly risky- but she’d practiced temperature transfer enough times to feel it was worth it). “You’re doing this in broad daylight?” she asked with a sneer, sending heat towards the knife’s handle. “Sounds pretty desperate to me. There are better ways to win your daddy’s approval, though. You can start with a better fitting sweater. Especially on a day that’s so… hot.” She attempted to send another flash of heat toward the knife, hopefully enough to burn his hand for good.

If the three were friends, void of any other identities, then maybe they could have continued discussing plans for another time. Andy could recommend bringing bear claws with them wherever they ended up, and Leah would dive into the history of where bear claws originated, probably. Maybe Nicole wouldn’t have such a sad, wandering look behind her eyes. Maybe they could share things about themselves they were so obviously hiding. They could continue eating their food, peeling off towards a secluded spot for the sake of rest and shade rather than anything else. They could be three women, navigating friendship and what that meant with one another. There would be no secrets, and no hurried glances.

But this was Wicked’s Rest, and it was not kind. Especially not to her current company, depending on who was watching.

Andy stumbled back slightly as the man barreled towards them. He dove on top of Nicole, brandishing silver. She could recognize that glint anywhere. Within seconds, he was dropping the blade, cradling his hand. Andy wasn’t sure what had happened, but she shot a glance towards Leah.

The hunter seethed as pain, red and hot, shot through the palm of his hand. The silver knife clattered to the side, and he shot a look towards the two figures behind him. One, a monster, and the other— an unnecessary trip down memory lane. Though she insisted she was not who he thought she was, any fool could see the lies that showed through her rushed excuses. He made a move to grab the knife again, planning to press the point directly into the balam’s chest.

Andy moved quickly, dashing between Leah and the hunter. Gripping the back of his shirt, she yanked him backwards, sending him onto his ass. Her heart hammered in her ears and the taste of iron coated her tongue. Fear for herself, for her friends— for what she would do to this man. Anger coiled in her like a spring as she used the momentum from pulling him off of Nicole and onto the ground. His shoulder blades made a sick cracking sound against the pavement, but she made no move to regret the ferocity in her movements. “Go!” Andy screamed at them, hand clamped down on his wrist as he tried to twist the knife towards her. From where she leaned over him, knee now digging into his chest, she could see the burn mark of the knife’s handle against his palm. What the hell had caused that? Any guessing could prove fatal, but if this man lived up to any kind of code, then she guessed he wouldn’t turn the knife on her, not unless he wanted to prove a point.

“Putting on a show?” The hunter breathed, using every amount of strength he could to yank his hand out from her grip. After freeing himself, he grabbed the redhead by the back of her neck, pulling her to the side in one grand movement of putting her off balance. “Show them who you really are!” He grunted, twisting his body so that now he was on top of her, blade to her throat. “Why are you pretending!”

The first time Nicole came in contact with the sharp end of a blade she hadn’t faced it at all. It had come from behind, torn through her shoulder, catching her by surprise. Her sister’s tiny hand slipped from her fingers as she fell to the ground. Whatever unfolded next was safely tucked away in the most primal part of her brain, out of reach. It belonged to the jaguar. So rationally, this wasn’t as bad. At least she could see the hunter’s intentions written all over his face this time. His disdain and his conviction etched on a sneer. At least this time, she understood why she might have been hunted. At least there were no little siblings nearby to keep safe (and no risk of failing again). But her body didn’t seem to care for any of that when ill timed memories of everything she had lost rushed through her, zapping inside her ribcage like lightning.

Her heart seized in her chest. That unbearable ache had been dulled for a while, snuffed out into something manageable, under control though never quite extinguished, but now ignited again. Wild and devastating. Her shoulder blade throbbed with phantom pain, anticipating something much much worse as he readied to slice her throat. But it didn’t come. Instead he hissed in pain, and Nicole caught a glimpse of his hand, turning red, no doubt soon to be blistered. Leah. She should’ve taken advantage of that split second and push, used her strength to get him off, but her body was still in shock, heart pounding so painfully in her throat it felt like she might choke.

She spotted his motion to grab the knife again and her chest heaved, before something (someone) pulled him back. She heard Andy’s order and Nicole finally felt herself get back into her body. Slowly, she sat up. Andy didn’t hold him off for long. Words were being exchanged, and had she not been dealing with so much already, she could’ve caught the obvious familiarity between the two people quarreling. All she saw instead, was the man shoving Andy to the ground, blade pointed at her. “Leah!” she pleaded, eyes filled with unshed tears. One more distraction. It was too much to ask for, she knew it. But she didn’t trust herself not to be a shaky, weak mess if she got up to help.

Leah was at Nicole’s side the moment the hunter was ripped off of her. Her hands tried to be everywhere at once; under Nicole’s arms to help her up, petting at her hair, running over her face gently to check for any signs of injury… but they never quite landed in one spot. Andy’s urging shook her out of her mini-trance, and somehow, she managed to get the two of them standing, placing herself in front of Nicole in the process.

She squinted her eyes as she tried to process the exchange between the hunter and Andy. Did they know each other? If there had been more time to think, Leah might have been able to find a link here- an explanation for Andy’s subtle knowledge about the truth of the world around them, but everything was moving too quickly for her to properly process anything. Instead, she looked at Andy in front of her, in the same predicament her girlfriend had been in only seconds before.

“We already know, you idiot!”, she said, bluffing and catching Andy’s eyes. What she was supposed to know, she wasn’t sure, but they could figure that all out later when there wasn’t a knife pressed to one of their necks. Maybe, like she and Nicole, she was some rare, hidden supernatural species, one that was too subtle for even Leah to pick up on. Her eyes fell to the knife, dangerously close to drawing blood from her friend. She knew if she didn’t weigh her options carefully, the hunter wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Andy. He was quick, he was trained, and Leah knew better than to try to solve the problem by normal means.

“I’d choose my next move wisely if I were you”, she said, her eyes quickly shifting to their surroundings. Miraculously, everyone had seemingly left the area without noticing the commotion. There was a small tree in a planter a few yards away, and Leah took a few seconds to release enough heat in its direction long enough for it to catch fire, hoping it might distract or scare the hunter, or both.

“And like I said, it’s too hot today to be wasting your energy like this. Much, too, hot…” She was losing energy, and fast, but again she sent some heat in the direction of the hunter, this time focusing on his whole body instead of the tiny knife. Slowly, she hoped, he’d feel his internal temperature rise and rise, so much so that maybe he’d be sure that it couldn’t go any higher without melting his insides, and even then Leah would let it get a little hotter before she took the heat back.

Maybe it wouldn’t get that far; maybe the hunter would realize he was outnumbered and out-powered and give up before it had the chance to. But the worst, most inner, feral parts of Leah hoped that it would.

This was the second time that the man had accused her of being something she wasn’t. Or, rather, that she no longer was. She had shed that skin prior to her parents passing, but it didn’t seem to matter to him. He saw Andy’s mother in her, and therefore, with that recognition, he seemed to want something. Did he know about what happened? Did he know Alex?

Her thoughts were jumbled as she craned her neck, trying to bury herself into the concrete below her to put distance between the knife and her throat. The man continued to mumble, enough venom in his words to even poison the kindest of minds. “Get off of me!” Andy tried to slip beneath his grip, but the movement brought the knife closer with the threat of drawing blood. She was strong, but without constant training, there’d be no match against somebody who had continued to keep up with such a thing.

The hunter’s eyes glittered at the promise of pinning the woman to her absolution. To show those she walked freely with that she, too, was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That just like him, she would spill their blood. At first, he thought her hesitance had come with what happened to her parents. He had known her mother, and she was a spitting image. It was the only reason he was able to tell, with certainty, that she was like him. But she didn’t seem to want to be. It angered him, that she thought just because her parents had passed, she could get out of this. Of her destiny; of putting monsters into the ground. How dare she walk freely amongst them?

Just as he was about to press the blade deeper, something— no, a phoenix, he realized, (with both the burn on his palm and the way the tree had suddenly gone up in flames), started to make him sweat from the inside out. The warmth spread through his body in a way that made him want to peel his skin off for some kind of relief. The groan that left him was agonizing, and perspiration began to bead along his skin.

Andy used the number of distractions to her advantage. Due to the way he was sweating (gross), the knife slipped easily from his grip. She bucked her hips and twisted, jabbing her forearm against his throat to create distance between herself and the hunter. She flipped him to the side and scrambled away from the other two women, not daring reach to them for help. She’d gotten them into this mess. Either Leah or Nicole had done something. She was betting it had been Leah, given Nicole’s desperation. So her friend was a phoenix. That was cool. Then again, she wasn’t so sure they’d be friends after this. Slowly, she got to her feet, her hand to her throat.

The hunter stayed on the ground for a moment longer with no relief to be found. His insides were burning. He was going to die here, and that stupid bitch wasn’t going to help him. She would let him die. “You’re a traitor,” the man hissed, grasping at his chest, pulling his shirt away from his skin. “You do nothing to help me, and instead you help them, you’re a traitor!”

As much as Andy wanted to tell him to go and cry a fucking river, she couldn’t seem to speak. She was a traitor. She’d been called it plenty of times before. Sometimes, jokingly by the other kids in the hunter camps. Even by her own cousin— though, nobody had known exactly how far that went at the time. “You need to go.” It was not directed at the hunter, but instead to Leah and Nicole. What if this guy had friends? “Please. I’ll— I’ll take care of this.”

Leah’s distractions were working, and for that, she was grateful. Sometimes her powers were a hit or miss. She wondered if normal sirens and phoenixes- those who grew up surrounded by others like them, got some sort of training on how to control their supernatural differences. Leah was 10 before she realized she could produce fire, after an argument with her sister that made her so angry she nearly burned their treehouse down. Since then, she’d been trying to do a training of her own (in secret, that is, until she moved out of her parents house. They were always worried it was too dangerous to even try). At first it was hard, because she only seemed to be able to control temperature or throw fire at all when she was incredibly pissed off- a feat that only seemed possible when she was arguing with her siblings. But over time, though nowhere near perfect, control became easier.

She learned that day that fear must have been a trigger as well.

She was so tuned in on keeping the heat around the hunter that her ears were hyperfocused to what he was saying- so much so that she dropped the act momentarily as she processed his words. Traitor. Why would he be calling Andy a Traitor unless…?

She stared at Andy, the circumstances and coincidences of all of this finally coming together to make perfect sense. The hunter was calling Andy a traitor because she was one, too. It all made sense now, but Leah didn’t quite want to believe it.

Instinctively, she placed herself in front of Nicole, licking her lips. Nicole deserved an explanation, but she couldn’t muster one. “Andy, are you…?” She swallowed, but then grabbed Nicole’s wrist behind her, walking backwards and pulling Nicole along with you. She wanted to ask the accusatory question, but her concern for her friend overshadowed the betrayal she felt. Instead, she said, “Are you sure?”

She didn’t bother waiting for an answer, though, because the more her mind wrapped around the situation, the more she knew that she was right. She had incapacitated the hunter enough that Andy would be able to deal with him, and now the priority needed to be to get Nicole to safety. She ran as fast as her low energy would allow her to, toward people or the car or anywhere that might give them a bigger promise of safety than alone in a courtyard with two hunters. As she pulled poor Nicole along, who probably felt more confused than anything, she breathed out what she had been thinking, trying to fill her in the best she could. “I think… I think Andy’s a hunter”, she muttered, not willing to gaze toward her girlfriend to gauge her response.

First, Nicole watched the tree go up in flames, then the man visibly struggled with whatever was being done to him. She knew better than to reach out, even if she wished to place a supportive hand on Leah's shoulder (knowing the toll it took on her), for fear of ruining her focus. She could feel the heat emanating from her even a couple of feet away. The distraction worked, Andy was able to flip them, getting the upper hand. Nicole almost stepped in, feeling steady enough to try and help pinning the man down, but fingertips wrapped around her pulse point, hot and insistent. She was being pulled away, and— only because it was Leah, she followed. Several questions died in her throat. She wouldn’t do this without a good reason. She probably put something together Nicole couldn't see yet.

They ran aimlessly, until the two were back to blending with the artwalk crowd, and Nicole came to a stop. She pulled Leah into an embrace, feeling her own limbs tremble as they gingerly wrapped around the smaller frame. “You did good, you did— thank you…” she gasped, cheek brushing against Leah’s hairline. Apologies built up in her throat, a painful knot she couldn’t swallow. She wished to excuse her own inability to measure up to the circumstances (for the second time in her life). Not only had she failed to do anything, really, she’d forced Leah to put her abilities on display, making herself more of a target. Fear wrapped around her ribcage even before horrible scenarios could form in her head. What if he came back for Leah?

Her anxiety jumped back to Andy, who was currently dealing with that dangerous man. She wanted to ask about her, convince Leah to go back. Andy was strong but not defeat a hunter strong, right? But before she could string the proper sentences, Leah revealed what she had put together before her. Nicole loosened the hold she had on her girlfriend, head turning back to where they came from. Failing to process the information, trying to find ways to refute Leah’s claim. Why would a hunter befriend them? Why would Andy spend so many hours hiking with her, just the two of them in the immensity of the forest and not make a move? A sting that felt close to betrayal flared in her chest.

But despite the shitty feeling she was experiencing, and the shock she still couldn’t quite shake (her legs still not solid enough), Nicole wanted to go back, check if Andy was alright. Couldn’t entertain the idea that she might not be worth going back for. That their friendship had been a guise for something else. A means to an end. What end? She had no clue. Are you sure? She almost asked, but knew better than that. Leah wouldn’t have left a friend behind for a mere hunch. Her knuckles traced Leah’s jawline, trying to get her attention, searching for her eyes. “We should go, then. More like them could be waiting to attack”.

Andy dropped next to the hunter, holding him down as best as she could, fearful that he might try and lunge after the two.

However, they ran, just as Andy had instructed. The hunter struggled beneath her hold, but she didn’t dare let go. Letting go would provide access to them, and even though she couldn’t hear their retreating footsteps any longer, she didn’t want to take any chances.

She didn’t want to focus on the way recognition had flitted over Leah’s features, or the confusion in Nicole’s expression. She wanted to get this guy as far away as possible, but how did she do that? He was clearly incapacitated by whatever Leah had done, but there was only a matter of time before he recovered. The hunter groaned, obscenities slurring from him as he wriggled beneath Andy’s grip. She felt stiff— out of her body, almost. She had run with Alex for so long that this was a slap in the face. Had it all been for nothing?

Andy was only half-listening to the way that the hunter pointed out her flaws. She gave him a half-hearted nod before getting him to his feet. She’d get him far away from here, and then she would deal with the aftermath. The fear she’d felt when he’d been on top of Nicole had struck her down, but she needed to make it right now. He wouldn’t hurt anyone else, not as long as she was around. She would make sure of that.

#para: three gays in a predicament #para: leah #para: nicole #wickedswriting #sibling death tw #//i love leah and nicole sm and ig julie and mary are ok

9 notes · View notes

penofdamocles · 1 year

Text

> Give a Gift (a week ago).

In a flash of green light, an overburdened angel appears in Season's Harbor in the motion of opening his mouth in a sharp but short scream and taking a step backward, away from a horror that's no longer present. Staring instead at the contents of his own, safe, puppet-less bedroom, Madison Aurel hugs the large soft object already in his arms in self soothing, focusing slow breaths to interrupt the moment of panic. He has absolutely no desire to know what the fuck the /moving teddy bear/ was about, or to ever visit that shop again, really, no offense meant to its disoncerting and concerning owner, whom he really hopes doesn't /always/ look like that.

Soft footsteps sound from the hall outside, audible only because of their hurried approach, and there's a light, careful knock on the purple bedroom door. Taking 1 last deep breath, Mads puts the massive green plush dragon he carries down on his wide, soft bed, before adjusting his sunglasses, approaching the door, and tugging it partially open.

“Hey, kiddo.”

A small befreckled human looks up at him through the gap with wide green eyes, lit with concern despite their unphased expression. “Uncle Mads Aurel, you screamed, are you in active danger or crisis?”

“No, uh, don't worry, I'm fine, just got freaked out for a second before I teleported back, but I'm safe and fine now so it's all cool. I have a surprise for you though, a positive 1, do you want it now?”

Andy relaxes at Mads' assurance, but perk up in a less tense fashion to stare at him in excitement. “A surprise? I have no reason to postpone obtaining such a gift if it is already prepared. Is there a specific purpose, event, or rewarded behavior corresponding to this sudden generosity?”

Mads can't help but grin a little at their response, always a rewarding part of getting people unexpected presents. ”Nothing in particular, I saw an open opportunity to easily help get you something you actively, specifically wanted but couldn't pay for yourself. I mean, what kind of angel uncle passes up a gifting chance that golden?“

The hint's not terribly subtle to a teen this clever, and their hands rise in front of them in giddy realization, their feet bouncing as they almost hop in place with joy.

“Rose created it already? How impressive, at the estimated measurements of material in this timeframe that must have taken dedication unexpected from a commission I was unable to offer down payment on.”

Andy's droning assessment doesn't express how excited they had initially been at the opportunity, how tempered that had been by the assessment of required work to pay for it, or the deep disappointment when it became clear that their currency was nearly worthless to the toymaker, even if she finished the commission and they did as much work as they could. They'd sadly written it off, already attempting to move on, but Mads has successfully relit a snuffed hope; he can tell, and he's proud of it.

”She did work super fast, yeah, but she seemed really, uh..happy, with the results.“ Or whatever that was. ”Want to see slash have it?“ Mads offers, opening the door further and taking a step back.

Andy is already nodding before the question is fully stated, they'd be happy just to see it but to have it for themselves, also? Despite the angel obtaining it of his own efforts? Praise Madison Aurel, they've been bestowed a great blessing. They rush into the angel's bedroom, a space they've long since been welcome in, and immediately fixate on the contents of the bed.

”The dragon…they are so large,“ the warlock assesses in quiet awe, observing the sheer size of their new friend. Their fingers touch their chin and their eyes are literally sparkling with some variety of revealing magic as they examine it on other levels, following a deep curiosity to Know everything about it, of course. Andy steps closer, reaching out to learn more via touch, and Mads leans on the door watching while they pet every patch of fabric, play with every fin and claw, squeeze its limbs and tail, finally kneeling at the base of the bed to stare the stuffed dragon intensely in the sewn-on eyes. They're having a moment, trying to Understand this new and important addition to their life, and Know their True Name.

The angel doesn't question or judge their process, it's far too endearing to him, drawing a soft and steady smile from his tired face. He may not understand their thought process, but he knows how important this is to the little human, no longer of any conscious relation to someone he hates to think of; Andy's established plenty of their own associations by now. The nickname helps. They just remind him so much of his ward in behavior, it's easier to ignore the way their stare, fixed on him intently, sometimes makes his strings feel a little tighter around him. But they're happy, right now, and it makes him happy to see.

After several minutes of intense staring and thought, Andy nods to themselves, once, solemnly.

“Leofric.”

“Is that their name?” Mads raises an eyebrow, straightening up.

“That is the name he desires and deserves, yes. It means ”beloved king“. As he shall be.”

“A king, huh? What qualifies him as nobility here, was he voted in? Founded the kingdom?”

“As with many rulers who have historically claimed, to various levels of accuracy, to have been designated rulers by a divine messenger bestowing such power upon them personally, so shall Leofric receive a celestial's blessing and the right to rule from an inarguable source.”

As they explain, Andy stands up and moves back over to Mads Aurel, taking him by the hand and tugging him over to the bed, still very serious. They position him in front of the dragon, looking up at the angel expectantly.

If anyone can play along, it's Mads, but he does need to take a moment to figure out what he can do here that means jack shit. It takes him a second to remember he has more literal than usual divine magic at his fingertips. Raising both hands, Madison Aurel mutters a spell, a golden glow enveloping his fingers and, in a shining aura, Leofric and Andy. The latter looks from their glowing hands to their dragon to Mads, wide-eyed at the power and authority they see in him. It doesn't make him uncomfortable anymore, they mean well, and it feels nice to meet their expectations sometimes.

“Leofric, son of Rose, I declare you the rightful king and ruler of..“ He raises an eyebrow at Andy, and without speaking they send him a mental prompt. ”..the kingdom of the Safest Room, and all the lands and creatures within. May you rule with compassion, wisdom, and, a perpetually comforting presence. And, Andy, child of Hinata, I declare you the king's chosen steward, guard, and cuddle buddy, a bond made unbreakable by the divine blessing I've given you both. Do you accept this position?”

They stare in awe at this unexpected involvement and personal assigned task, but nod respectfully, hands shaking in front of them with semi-contained excitement. “I do, and I declare my eternal devotion to the king, and his divine patron.“ Dramatically, they kneel before him; Mads isn't sure how serious they're being, but after an awkward second he gestures them back to their feet.

”How was that, is Leofric nice and officiated now?“

”He very much is, I express my deep gratitude for your contribution. And- oh, my goodness, it did not occur to me.” Andy suddenly moves forward to hug Mads, feeling smaller than usual in this position, due to his literal height increase. He doesn't flinch, but hugs them back, looking down curiously.

“Thank you, Uncle Mads Aurel, thank you very much for providing access to this rather frivolous desire of mine, it means more to me than I am capable of clearly expressing.”

“I dunno, kid, it's perfectly clear to me,” Mads chuckles, rustling their curly hair. “It's not frivolous, I'm sure he'll bring you a lot of joy. You're very welcome. Now, let me give you a hang getting it back to your room because it's literally taller than you are.”

“That will not be necessary, I must adapt to transporting him regularly.” With that confidently established, Andy hefts Leofric up and off the bed, instantly concealed behind his plush mass. Mads watches them go like an ant with an entire marshmallow out his bedroom door, removing the king to his new domain and closing the door behind them with a deftly wedged foot.

#((a belated scene i was meaning to write but that i'm quite proud of!#((it's very cute :)#action #No Strings (ic)#learningeye #viewed ooc

6 notes · View notes

bifairywife · 2 years

Text

tag 9 people you’d like to get to know better

thank you @river9noble and @spellbook-gayboy for the tags!!

three ships:

jaysteph (jason/stephanie - dc comics)

THE ultimate rarepair of mines that is SLOWLY becoming a dream come true cause now they have finally interacted after YEARS-

floriven (flora/riven - winx club)

another rarepair,,,,,, i would like to say for the record that i am still suffering over them btw netflix you added to my torment with your remake

gajevy (gajeel/levy - fairy tail)

man the CHOKEHOLD they have on me, it's so painful to love side ships more than main ships cause yeah they are canon but you get just crumbs of content 😭😭

first ship:

marina/sinbad/proteus (sinbad: legend of the seven seas) a VERY close second would say be wonderbat thanks to justice league unlimited series <33

last song:

steve lacy's bad habit

i had a fwb!jaysteph fic and comparing the release dates, i am strongly convinced that steve lacy made that song for me jaysteph

last movie:

glass onion (2022)

GRAHHHH I LOVE IT SO SO MUCH EUGH

i saw this post somewhere and the big brain with naming cassandra "andi" and helen is just so [chef kiss] because of greek mythology - one saw the vision of troy's downfall that no one believe and the other is the one that brought the downfall (i'm glad miles wasn't named troy because that would've been too obvious and it shows that the real focus is on these girlies <33)

currently reading:

does choices count 😭😭 i'm so invested in laws of attraction and crimes of passion (highkey projecting my inner want to be a lawyer and detective)

man i should return to reading again, i'm up to a book review on beach read (bless my cousin for sharing a copy to my reluctant-to-spend-money ass)

currently watching:

northern exposure (1990)

dad downloaded the first season and it's slowly growing on me, i have a few issues but it's mostly a generational thing tbh

currently consuming:

the dread grades came in and i'm feeling conflicted

currently craving:

doughnuts pleaseeee i miss em

also!! puto bumbong

(btw no pressure) tag time!! @forcesofnatureunleashed @lesbian-birdhouse @jason-todd-enthusiast @chatbugg @plasmacandle @barrenceallence @agrebel18 @roseworth @milliyon

#jaysteph #floriven #flora x riven #gajevy #im tagging cause i wanna talk with fellow shippers 👉👈#summer.tagtime

12 notes · View notes

newsworld-nw · 11 months

Text

Taylor Swift is not expected to attend Travis Kelce's Chiefs vs. Broncos game

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce They have been the speak of the city from Kansas Metropolis to New York Metropolis, however the well-known pair aren't anticipated to convey their romance to Denver. Taylor, who was final at Denver Stadium in a two-night cease on his Eras tour, attended 4 of Travis' final 5 video games and performed higher than when he was there in particular person.David Yulitt/Getty Photographson him to new heights podcast, Travis responded The truth that Taylor's stats enhance when he is within the crowd, admits his brother, Jason KellsIt is "onerous for me to wrap my head round it."Travis coach Andy Reid additionally observed the improved numbers, telling reporters that Taylor, who Publish his model 1989 Friday, "He might be as shut as he needs.""I like Coach Reid, man, what a man," Travis mentioned on the podcast. "Pay attention, once you're getting Huge Purple's approval and blessing, you are doing one thing proper."David Yulitt/Getty Photographs“Taylor is loving courting Travis,” the supply says. "She has her personal objectives, ambitions and accomplishments, they usually complement one another. She loves that they each have their very own careers and separate lives, but additionally join on so many ranges."On the Kelce facet of issues, Travis's household “Taylor adores,” the supply says of her dad and mom. Donna and Ed Kells."They're fascinated by her and assume she's candy, giving and caring, identical to Travis," the supply mentioned. "Travis is a cool, humorous and charismatic man." "I believe they're two very pushed, skilled folks," Ed added of Travis and Taylor's bond. "I believe they're very supportive of one another, which is vital. It is a tough time for one among them in a relationship. He is in the course of this gigantic tour. He is knee-deep in (the NFL). He takes her as severe as he can, so far as dedication to their craft.Associated content material: #Taylor #Swift #anticipated #attend #Travis #Kelces #Chiefs #Broncos #sport Read the full article

0 notes

breakingarrows · 1 year

Text

Games Media in Review: Kinda Funny & Kinda Funny Games

Kinda Funny had multiple starts before its official start as Kinda Funny and Kinda Funny Games on Patreon on January 5, 2015. It really started on Greg Miller’s personal YouTube channel, GameOverGreggy, on August 16, 2012 when the first Conversation with Colin episode was uploaded. In it, Greg gives roommate and coworker Colin Moriarty a random topic to discuss. The first topic: ants. This continued for over a year, being joined by an Oreo review show, Greg’s own vlogs, and occasional behind the scenes clips of his job at IGN. On December 9, 2013 Greg and Colin were joined by Nick Scarpino and Tim Gettys on the first GameOverGreggy Show podcast episode. The topics: which Disney princess would you like to fuck, Tim Allen, fat people, and being either Marty McFly or Ferris Bueller. On September 15, 2014 they launched their first Patreon under the name Kinda Funny. Within two days they had 894 patrons and were projected to be earning $10,042.32 (gross) per month. At the start of 2015 the four would reveal they had left their jobs at IGN to relaunch Kinda Funny full time and launch a new channel: Kinda Funny Games, both with separate Patreons and shows to go along with the separate channels. As of January 7, 2015 they had grown to 2667 patrons and projected to earn $15,253.81 (gross) per month, with Kinda Funny Games accruing 2325 patrons and was projected to take in $14,306.19 (gross) a month. Kevin Coello would aid them in lots of behind the scenes production and officially join the team in 2015. All of their content was filmed in Greg and Colin’s apartment, with a majority of the shows being hosted in their third (spare) bedroom. This continued until the summer of 2016 in which Kinda Funny launched their new studio space.

Despite the success there was turmoil in the beginning of 2017 when in March Colin announced he was leaving Kinda Funny. It was clear Colin’s political leanings and thoughts did not sit well with the larger games media crowd, especially after Trump won the 2016 election. His infamous tweet of, “Ah. Peace and quiet. #ADayWithoutAWoman” in response to women at large not tweeting in protest of the Trump presidency was a breaking point and he would soon depart to found Last Stand Media which continues to this day. Later that month Andy Cortez would join the team as a video editor alongside Joey Noelle and Greg Gettys. Barrett Courtney would join in January 2019. Blessing Adeoye joined in January 2020. Roger Pokorny joined in January 2021. Other’s have come and gone. Alanah Pearce, Danny O'Dwyer, and Andrea Rene were regulars for some time before moving forward in each of their own careers. Currently Snowbikemike (2020), Janet Garcia (2021), Parris Lilly (2021), Gary Whitta (2017), and Tamoor Hussain (2021) are all listed as Kinda Funny members in all of their video descriptions. It was in October 2022, after the years of Covid and remote work and a lengthy tease of a new space, that they moved into a larger studio that has been utilized since.

Much like when writing about IGN (a profile, which upon looking back, seems much shorter than it should be now), I have a long history with Kinda Funny. I was there as a Podcast Beyond fan following Greg and Colin’s every article, podcast, and tweet. I was a big fan and wanted to do what they did. This led to launching the YouTube channel IllustriousMagic with my then closest friend Matt, a channel whose 10th anniversary is quickly approaching in November. I followed Greg and Colin, and later Tim and Nick, as they launched Kinda Funny, gave them money via patreon, attended Kinda Funny Live 2015 (that’s me at 55:24), and even made my own fan videos such as my own Oreo reviews and a skit based on a podcast conversation. I was somewhat involved in the community and made many friends, including now staff member Barrett Courtney, some of whom I still talk to to this day. Kinda Funny helped connect me to someone who I would somehow convince to move across the country to live in Las Vegas with me and remains to this day. As with IGN, I eventually drifted away as tastes changed and I found myself wanting something different from games and media coverage than Kinda Funny was offering.

So what do you get watching Kinda Funny? Well you have two channels: one for general entertainment and another purely for video games. Their daily games news show lists out the stories of the day with their commentary and frequently will feature guests from their friends in the industry. Afterwards there will be a stream that could be anything from streaming games to going in a car to drive around and rank fast food french fries. The vibes are very casual, laid back, just a bunch of friends hanging out, shooting the shit, trying to get the biggest laugh. Lots of self promoting throughout their videos talking about what’s live, what’s going live, how to support, and where to find them.

Most videos are tied to a specific show, you have the standard video podcasts covering everything from the latest franchise IPs being watched and recapped in order to complete a ranking list, you have current shows being discussed the day after with Star Wars Ahsoka, a conversational podcast, a PlayStation podcast, an Xbox podcast, a throwback to the IGN Let’s Play days with Greg and Brian Altano playing Tears of the Kingdom for short periods, reviews, previews, and archives of live streams such as Snowbikemike playing Kingdom Hearts for the very first time. Kinda Funny is all video, on Twitch and YouTube, which makes it easy to follow, and they have an offering of Patreon exclusives as well which I wasn’t able to get into as I wasn’t contributing during my two week period of watching everything they were putting out and going backwards when the new stuff ran dry. The production pipeline is somewhat similar to outlets such as Giant Bomb: long uncut and unedited footage of a group playing, commenting, talking over, or reacting to games and other such topics. Livestreams become videos on demand on YouTube, there is rarely the heavy editing you see in some other channels as videos frequently are close to an hour or more, though thanks to their new studio they have a massive video wall that they can place graphics and videos onto in real-time to provide additional or info for both the hosts and viewers.

Unlike IGN becoming more regimented in structure, which directly contributed to my no longer following them closely, Kinda Funny encouraged getting off topic at all times, which is what kept me around for so much longer than I thought. Checking through my YouTube likes it appears to be sometime around 2018 that I stopped really following Kinda Funny closely, whereas I thought it was closer to 2016/2017.

I was, and still am, a fan of RedLetterMedia and their conversations about movies ever since I started watching videos on YouTube. RedLetterMedia in January of 2017 launched a comedy series called “The Nerd Crew” which satirized the geek culture podcasts whose mentality are, as Jay Bauman stated in one episode, “Don’t ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next product.” This sentiment can broadly be applied to a lot of enthusiast press culture, and I think Kinda Funny can often fall under that sentiment as well. In a recent series covering the latest Star Wars show, Ahsoka, while discussing Episode 5 guest Saige states, “I’m a simple Star Wars fan and Carson also references Leia. We have to acknowledge that Carson also says Senator Organa is running interference, Senator Organa. I’m a simple Star Wars fan, I hear Organa and I go *clap* Yay!” Carboni, “We know who that is!” This bit is pretty much 1:1 the conversation RLM paradies in Nerd Crew and is the number one reason why I don’t find much insight amongst their critical stuff then, and now.

Another recent example of differences in opinion showing the opposing mindsets would be Bethesda’s latest game, Starfield. Kinda Funny had an extra long 48 hour stream dedicated to Starfield and their review and further coverage have been mostly positive in talking up the size, scope, and breadth of the game. However where they see the quantity of things to do I see a procedurally generated level of quality in most of its activities. They talk about high highs and low lows and I write in my notes how three out of the nineteen main quests had anything genuinely interesting or fun or thrilling or evocative to offer. They share “fishing stories” about cool things they’ve come across and I upload a video of bunny hopping amidst a barren wasteland to my objective as “The Starfield Experience”. I don’t think Starfield is very good and align most with Blessing and his complaints, especially when it comes to “exploration” being a load of bullshit as you’re pretty much going to go into your fast travel menu to get anywhere efficiently. There is just a chasm between the way we think about games. Microsoft’s internal marketing for a mid-generation console refresh is that it will use slightly less power. Who cares! Your Xbox using less kilowatts is not going to combat climate change in any meaningful way. This is like the individual shaming of failing to recycle, meanwhile corporations are dumping truckloads into the ocean. Microsoft has trillions of dollars worth of assets, they could more directly combat climate change than through a low power rest mode in their consumer device. These things are not celebratory.

As an example of those that I do find insight from nowadays I really enjoy Noah Caldwell-Gervais’ video essays, as well as Tim Rogers dba Action Button. For podcasts it’s places like Bad End, Abnormal Mapping, and Insert Credit. I also still have a love for the written word, both for what it can do that the video medium can’t, and because translating an essay into a video is time consuming and hard work. Text sites I frequent include: Bullet Points Monthly, Deep Hell, No Escape, Radiator Blog, and other individual blogs such as Autumn Wright, Liz Ryerson, Grace In The Machine, and Bobby Schroeder. The main difference between people like these and Kinda Funny is that Kinda Funny are entertainers first and critics second, whereas the others are only ever critics. And Kinda Funny are good entertainers, I found many literal laugh out loud moments watching them again, reminders of why I had such a love for the channel earlier. When it comes to sitting down and talking about a game critically though, is where the aforementioned differences appear. We are ever evolving, as every year I look back at my beliefs and work from a couple of years ago and think, “What a fool!” which I believe is a good thing and gives hope that others are ever evolving and changing as well. I do find it depressing how entertainment is valued over criticism by the general audience. I keep a spreadsheet of gaming-centric Patreons and even based on their 2020 data before it became private, Kinda Funny’s two channels were the top earners when it came to gross estimated income from Patreon alone. Meanwhile a good majority of the critics I follow closely would never be able to sustain themselves full time doing the work.

Reluctance to be critical of a work has been recurring when watching conversations at IGN and GameSpot. I’m not deluded enough to believe in the moneyhat but I think being friends with so many within the development side of the industry, as well as frequently doing marketing events on behalf of publishers within the industry, does create a reticence to be very critical save for when the occasional stinker like Gollum comes out. As many others have written out before, criticism is done out of love, and I partly write this piece out of love for Kinda Funny and what it could be, in my mind, in terms of promoting a diverse range of critics.

As with any modern YouTube channel there are sponsored ads that are edited into the shows, though one in particular caught my ear. Draft Kings, a sports betting website (aka gambling), has a sponsored ad in which the final section is a sped up disclaimer about help for gambling addiction. It doesn’t sit well with me for several reasons. The presumed audience for Kinda Funny, to me, is a reflection of what I was at the time of my fandom height, a young 20-23 year old looking to show my support any way I can. Kinda Funny has for a long time referred to its audience of fans as “best friends,” a sentiment that conjures up the worst aspects of parasocial relationships online as detailed by Shannon Strucci in their two part series on the term and its elements. Engaging your audience as best friends, asking them for support, and offering one of the ways of support as a Draft Kings offer designed to get you into gambling, a pastime well known for its preying upon those susceptible to addiction, isn’t right. A pastime that has been slowly making its way into games and has been the main subject of a recent Twitch competitor, Kick, whose main draw, and potential funding, has been to encourage gambling after Twitch finally came down against gambling streams on its platform. All of this is to say, I don’t like that they’re advertising for a gambling website, even if it earns them some income, and other fans have also voiced their concern.

If you pay close attention to the faces behind the list of Kinda Funny members you’ll notice there’s a higher ratio of people of color compared to most gaming media outlets, namely the two I’ve profiled previously: IGN and GameSpot. Tamoor Hussain even doubles as an employee of GameSpot. Seven out of the fifteen staff members listed by Kinda Funny are people of color, a proportion I don’t believe is even close to being matched by any of the other gaming media sites out there. It reminds me of the little incident of Dan Stapleton tweeting out, “I think I can speak for just about everybody in games journalism when I say that we’d love to hire more black and other minority writers. But we can’t if we don’t hear from you. When you see job postings go up, apply apply apply - or recommend someone who should.” To which Blessing responded, “I applied to IGN more times than I can count. If you think not enough black and minority content creators aren't putting themselves out there, you're not looking hard enough.” Whereas most sites fail to bring on diverse talking heads to be featured on camera, Kinda Funny frequently has lots of diversity in their cast and who they bring on. People such as Imran Khan, Kahlief Adams, and Belinda Garcia have also been featured numerous times on their various shows.

Kinda Funny has a history of collaborating, bringing on, and featuring, other online personalities, from larger ones like Comic Book Girl 19 to smaller ones like LiteWeight Gaming. Some of their staff were recognizable figures in the gaming space prior to being brought on, and some were not so well known. This approach of platforming and promoting smaller personalities as equals is commendable and I think does help to foster a cooperative and helpful community of people.

I have found that when it comes to Greg Miller most have long made up their mind, they either like him or hate him, find him charismatic or loud and obnoxious. Beginning to watch Kinda Funny again for this profile I found myself being reminded why I had become a Podcast Beyond fan so long ago, the man is simply entertaining to watch. It is obvious that being entertaining is the main goal of all Kinda Funny content, and while I’ve mentioned my issues with this approach, I would like to commend Greg for creating a channel that frequently raises and promotes other voices. As I mentioned in my write up of IGN, they are siloed off and rarely acknowledge that there is other stuff out there to read and watch. GameSpot had a different approach, and Kinda Funny is one of the most willing, I believe, to work with and bring on smaller talent onto their platform. Obviously there is the parasocial criticism of their naming of the audience as the best friends, and despite the best attempts at fostering a loving and cooperative community, with any large enough audience you’re going to find some snakes and segmented opposing groups within that audience. Still, I think Greg as an individual has proven he is willing to listen and learn and attempt to make up for what mistakes he may make. Despite attempts to turn opinion against Greg, such as Bob Mackey’s failed attempt in 2020, the industry at large continues to embrace him. Without him we wouldn’t have Blessing’s wonderful video about how We Need To Fix Black Hair in Video Games.

Despite my criticisms I still find myself jealous of those who work there. Kinda Funny comes across as offering a type of place that allows their creators to chase after what interests them at the time and what they find meaningful. Having a daily talk show to espouse my own views on the news and encourage the change I’d like to see would be a great opportunity, and by all appearances it does seem to be a place where everyone is friends and enjoys each other's company. A fear would be that this familial relationship brings about long overtime hours of unpaid work (whether knowingly or simply felt as an implicit responsibility). Still, watching the Games Daily with Sam Lake I find myself, a huge Remedy fan, chomping at the bit thinking, “That could have been me!” and once again daydreaming of all the things I could do was I working there. As a source of entertainment, Kinda Funny is strong, though as with anything, is quite dependent on taste. I do think that their willingness and history of platforming and promoting smaller, and more diverse, people is a great help to an industry predominantly white and full of insulated staff lists where names transfer between IGN, GameSpot, Polygon, before the ultimate end of most games media: public relations or game development.

#Games Media in Review #Kinda Funny #Kinda Funny Games #Writing #video games

1 note · View note

here-i-lie-awake · 2 years

Photo

Actual human puppy, Josh Anderson.

#josh anderson #I have been blessed with Andy content #just look at him #habs #montreal canadiens

49 notes · View notes

midnightswithdearkatytspb · 3 years

Text

VelvetCardiganBucky’s Recommendations 2021: Week 17 | April 18th – April 24th

Welcome to week 17 of my recommendations, if you would like to be featured on a future list, I follow the hashtag #VelvetCardiganBucky, message me, tag me in your future works, or reblog this post and link to your story, one-shot, Masterlist, writing challenge, etc.

Be aware some if not most stories and writers on this list are meant to be consumed by an audience of those 18+. My blog is also an 18+ blog.

✨Page breaks are made @firefly-graphics✨

«Last Week

Week 18»

My Masterlist

My Fic Rec List of Mafia/Mob Bucky/Sebastian & Steve/Chris/Andy

Stuff I Posted This Week

Forever & Always: Stage 1 - Denial | Pt.1 » Bucky Barnes x Witch!Reader & Platonic Avengers x Reader — Y/N “Birdy” (nicknamed by her family), comes from a long line of witches and warlocks, living her days at the New Avengers Compound, alongside her friends. The Avengers are part of her family and her family is always welcome to the compound. Things for once seemed to be going well now that all was right from the attack on Thanos, everyone was alive, all was forgiven, friendships were thriving, that all ended when Birdy’s brother came calling with sad news, their mother had suddenly passed. These are the stages of grief Birdy faces, through the loss of her best friend, her protector, her mother.

His Favorite Day » Chris Evans x Reader — Chris’s favorite day of the year is your birthday.

Bucky Barnes

One-Shots:

*No Hidden Messages by @jobean12-blog » TFATWS!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Sam sends you a picture of Bucky and the endgame is priceless. | Honestly I love me some dominant Bucky, and if Sam had sent me that picture I would have dropped my phone and been like yep that my babe. I was thinking something more dirty but I’ll keep that thought to myself. 😉

Sucker Punch by @buckyblues » Boxer!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader — Bucky thought he knew what was his, until he accidentally let it roam free. | Someone come dump a cold bucket of water on me please?

Someone Like You by @startrekkingaroundasgard » Bucky Barnes x Hydra Agent!Reader — Taken from their SHIELD prison cell, the reader finds themself alone with The Winter Soldier negotiating for their life. | I really enjoyed reading this, the sass of the reader and how Bucky handles them. It’s just so perfect. Nicola says there is more to come for this pair and I’m so very much looking forward to it.

(Mini) Series:

Happy & So Happy by @mrwinterr » Rockstar!Bucky Barnes AU x Female Reader — You meet your favorite artist and get more than what you bargained for. | The smut in this is hot and by the end you are hoping the reader gets a happy ending not a tragic one.

*A Tender Heart 💜 Pt. 3 by @river-soul » Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader — You’ve been sweet on Bucky since you started working at the compound six months ago. Normally quiet and mild mannered, an unexpected fight with a coworker brings Bucky into your orbit. [A/B/O dynamics and explicit sexual content, 18+] | I feel the love that is radiating from this story and I really love it and the little bit of smut we get in chapter 3 is perfect!

the (after) party by @buckycuddlebuddy sequel loft music » fuckboy!bucky barnes x reader — “why don’t we have this thing they call goodbye sex? one last time.” he leaned forward, his lips brushing your ear. “i’ll make it good for you.” | In some strange way it was therapeutic to read this but at the same time I felt bad for the reader in the first part. Second part you are rooting for her but still feeling bad. I will say the smut in this is perfect.

Just Like Dad Pt. 3 🦾 Pt. 1 🦾 Pt. 2 by @ladyfallonavenger » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Bucky finally confronts Steve and moves forward with his life. | Very sweet ending and I loved it.

Sweet Dreams 🥞 Pt. 4 🥞 Pt. 5 🥞 Pt. 6 🥞 Pt. 7 by @jedimastermelkor » Bucky Barnes x Reader & ? x Avenger — Your daily routine involves waking up in the morning, going to work and sulking at night. But then you meet the man you’ve fantasized about for your entire life, Bucky Barnes. At the same time, you’ve caught someone else’s eye and his first step in winning you over is to cook you breakfast. But will you be welcoming of that person’s affections? | I like how she named the puppy Pancake and the first thing the mysterious avenger gave her was pancakes. I don’t want to give too much away but things are getting really good and you find out who the mysterious avenger is in chapter 6!

Steve Rogers

One-Shots:

*Caught by @giorno-plays-piano » Bluebeard!Steve Rogers x Reader — If he kept you warm, saying words of love to you every day while he looked you in the face, you’d marry him even if in a year he hanged you just like all his wives in the dungeon of his castle. | It’s dark but in a soft way and it’s so good. I highly recommend you go and read it.

Drabble Request by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Steve Rogers x Reader — We find out how Steve and Reader met before they ever got in a relationship. Takes place before Tell Me What You Want. | I loved this so much, I was laughing and pictured this whole piece so vividly in my brain. Also I just want a part where Bucky teases Steve about that night in front of reader making her giggle, maybe at the wedding?

(Mini) Series:

*Yuánfèn 📖 Pt. 4 by @writerwrites » Steve Rogers x Reader — When you’ve lost everything and try to run away from your problems, you keep finding a way back to the one person who completely understands. Can you make another person happy with a broken heart? | I always look forward to the updates on this story. It brings me so much comfort and the relationship that is blossoming between the reader and Steve is beautiful and organic. I highly recommend this.

Misc.

Headcanons:

*Just Like Her Old Man by @rebelwrites » Chibs Telford x Reader — I asked for: Parents get called into school for a meeting due to their daughter fighting, and trying not to be proud. Taking them out for a treat after the meeting. | It turned out so great. If you knew me at my Sons Anarchy Days, you know I loved Chibs the most. This feed my love for him even more. Thank you Heather!!

One-Shot:

*A Simple Solution by @sweetlyscared » Andy Barber x Fem!Reader, Ari Levinson x Fem!Reader, Andy Barber x Fem!Reader x Ari Levinson — You and Andy had a purely sexual relationship for several months, and you’d started to grow attached to him. Unfortunately, life has a way of complicating things, and a chance encounter at a bookstore had you stuck between a rock and a hard place. | We all owe a huge thank you to Sweet Lee, for writing and posting this. She wrote our dreams out so perfectly, and if you haven’t thought of this now you can. It’s just so hot and good, I for one am very thankful.

(Mini) Series:

*Give In 🐈‍⬛ Pt. 23 🐈‍⬛ Pt. 24 🐈‍⬛ Pt. 25 by @overr-written » soft!dark!Lee Bodecker x Reader — She didn’t think she was anything special. So when the intimidating Sheriff takes an interest in her, she can’t help but feel a little unsettled. Her boring life is about to get a little interesting. | I love this series so much and the lengths that the chapters are. I really am going to be sad when this is over. I don’t ever want it to end. 😭

Seal Team

One-Shots:

Imma Take Care Of Your Body by @rebelwrites » Clay Spenser x Reader — Reader is the only female member on Bravo who also has a no strings attached relationship with Rebel. | Let me just say this is hot, like really hot. Give me a glass of water and let me cool down. Thank you Heather for blessing us with this.

Tier One Babysitters by @bravo-four-seal-team » Seal Team; Ray Perry x Naima Perry — Ray and Naima ask the team to watch 6 month old Jameelah. | I promise you will be laughing.

You Are Perfect by @rebelwrites » Clay Spenser x Reader — Clay tells you everything he loves about you. | As a big boned girl this meant a lot and has me wishing for a Clay Spenser to call my own.

692 notes · View notes

nevermindirah · 3 years

Note

Do you have any thoughts on the use of AAVE for Nile (or lack thereof) in TOG fanfiction? I've been reading some Book of Nile fic and some writers seem to write her as a Millennial™ (using words like "fave" and "woke") but never acknowledge her Blackness in her patterns of speech. I know we don't see her use as much AAVE in the films, but I would argue she's in situations where code-switching would be valued (first in a "professional" environment in the army, then around a group of non-Black strangers).

Hi anon! I have many thoughts on this and I'm honored you asked me! But I should start by saying I'm white and any thoughts Black fans and especially Black American fans have on this that they want to share would be beyond lovely. (I'm not gonna tag anybody bc that feels rude but please add onto this post if any of y'all see this and want to!)

The main reason I personally avoid AAVE for Nile in my own fics is because I'm not Black. But Nile-centric fics by Black writers tend to avoid using much of it too, at least from what I've noticed/understood, and my guess is it's largely for the reason you mention, that she's in situations that encourage code-switching.

In movie canon Nile is highly competent at tailoring her language to each situation she finds herself in. This fantastic linguistics analysis meta shows how skillfully Nile chooses her vocabulary and grammar to meet her goals with different conversation partners in different contexts. In comics canon Nile had a bunch of different civilian jobs before joining the Marines, so she would've had experience code-switching in the ways that made sense for all those different contexts as well as the Marines and her family and high school and wherever else she spent her time before we met her. And now she's spending her time with a handful of immortals none of whom are native English speakers and a fellow Black American but one with a Queen's English UK accent whose professional experience is in the CIA where high-status code-switching is often an absolute must for success or even survival.

Fics featuring Nile are charged with extrapolating from that to how it might show up in her use of language that she's coping with a traumatic separation from her family and her career and pretty much everything she's ever known and now she needs to be able to make herself understood to people who seem to care about her and each other but are super duper in crisis, three (soon to be four) of whom predate Modern English entirely and the only one who's anywhere near her contemporary she's not supposed to talk to for a century. All of these people are telling her that pretty much any contact with any mortals poses an existential threat to her and the rest of the group. How the FUCK is she supposed to cope with that, like, generally? And would it be a more effective way for her to cope if she talked to Andy Joe and Nicky using the speech patterns that she used to use with her mom and brother, to at least retain that part of her identity even if it means having to do a lot of explaining, or would it meet her needs better to prioritize Andy Joe and Nicky understanding what she means with her words over using the particular words and grammar forms she used with her family?

I've seen several fics, both Nile-centric / BoN and otherwise, explore this a little bit in how/whether Nile uses Millennial™ speak. It's often a theme in Nile texting Booker despite the exile because of the popular headcanon that he as The Tech Guy is the only other immortal who understands memes. But Nile's much-younger-than-Booker mom probably uses Boomer and/or Gen X memes and Andy has been adapting to new communication styles for forever as evidenced by her canon high level of fluency with standard-American-accented English.

Which brings us back to people avoiding AAVE because they're not Black and they don't want to make mistakes (or they're not Black and they don't want to get yelled at for making mistakes, though I think many people overestimate how much they'll get yelled at while underestimating how much these mistakes can hurt). I can imagine some Black fans hold back from using much AAVE in fic because they don't want to share in-group stuff with white people who are likely to then adopt and ruin it, as white people so often do with Black cultural stuff. Some links about this including a great Khadija Mbowe video. I'm saying this gently, anon, because you might not know: woke, an example you cited as Millennial™ speak, is AAVE, and that's gotten erased by so many white people appropriating it and using it incorrectly online.

And also there's the part where fandom is a hobby and you never know when you're reading a fic that's the very first thing someone's ever written outside of a school assignment. This cultural considerations of language shit takes a level of effort and skill that not everybody puts into every fic, or even could if they wanted to because they haven't had time to build their skills yet. It's definitely easier for non-Black fans to project our millennial feels onto Nile than to do the layers of research and self-reflection it requires to depict what Blackness might mean to Nile, and it's not surprising that often people sharing their hobby creations on the internet have gone the easier route. There's not even necessarily shame in doing what's easier. It's just frustrating and often hurtful when structural white supremacy means that 3-dimensional Black characters are rare in media and thoughtful explorations of them in fandom are seen by the majority of fans as not-easy to make and therefore Nile Freeman, the main character in The Old Guard (2020) dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood, has the least fic and meta and art made about her of our 5 main immortals.

I've been active in different fandoms off and on for twenty years and I barely managed to write 5,000 words about Sam Wilson across multiple different fics in the 7 years since I fell in love with him. There's an alchemy to which characters we connect with, and on top of that which characters we connect with in a way that causes us to create stuff about them. Something about Nile Freeman finally tipped me over the edge from a voracious reader to a voracious writer. It's not for me to judge which characters speak to other individuals to the level of creating content about them, but I do think it's important for us to notice, and then work to fight, the pattern where across this fandom as a whole Nile gets way less content, and way less depth in so much of the content that's in theory about her, than any of these other characters.

Anyway, back to language. My two long fics feature Nile with several Black friends — Copley and OCs and cameos from other media — but all of those characters except Alec Hardison from Leverage aren't American. It's very possible I'm guilty of stereotyping Black British speech patterns in I See Your Eyes Seek a Distant Shore. I watched hours and hours of Black haircare YouTube videos in the research for that fic and I modeled my OCs' speech patterns on what I heard from some of those YouTubers as well as what I've heard people like John Boyega and Idris Elba saying in interviews, but the thing about doing your best is you still might fuck up.

I'm slowly making progress on my WIP where Nile and Sam Wilson are cousins, and what ways of talking with a family member might be authentic for Nile is a major question I need to figure out. For that, I'm largely modeling my writing choices on how I hear my Black friends and colleagues talking to each other. I haven't overheard colleagues talking in an office in a long-ass time, but back when that was a thing, I remember seeing a ton of nuance in the different ways many of my Black colleagues would talk to each other. Different people have different personalities! And backgrounds! And priorities! A few jobs ago my department was about 1/3 Black and we worked closely with Obama administration staff many of whom were Black and there was SO MUCH VARIETY in how Black people talked to each other, about work and workplace-appropriate personal stuff, where I and other white coworkers could hear. There are a few work friends in particular who I have in my head when I'm trying to imagine how Sam and Nile might talk to each other. From the outside looking in, God DAMN is shit complicated, intellectually and interpersonally and spiritually, for Black people who are devoting their professional lives to public service in the United States.

One more aspect of this that I have big thoughts on but I need to take extra care in talking about is the idea of acknowledging Nile's Blackness in her patterns of speech. There's no one right way to be Black, and Nile's a fictional character created by a white dude but there are plenty of real-life Black Americans who don't use much or even any AAVE, for reasons that are complicated because of white supremacy. (Highly highly recommend this video by Shanspeare on the harms of the Oreo stereotype.)

Something that's not the same but has enough similarity that I think it's worth talking about is my personal experience with authenticity and American Jewish speech patterns. My Jewish family members don't talk like they're in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and I've known lots of people who do talk that way (or the millennial version of it), some of whom have questioned my Jewishness because I don't talk that way. That hurts me. Sometimes when another Jew tells me some shit like "I've never heard a Jew say y'all'd've," I can respond with "well now you have asshole, bless your Yankee-ass heart," because the myth of Dixie is a racist lie but I will totally call white Northerners Yankees when they're being shitty to me for being Southern, and this particular Jew fucking revels in using "bless your heart" with maximum polite aggression, especially with said Yankees. But sometimes I don't have it in me to say anything and it just quietly hurts having an important part of me disbelieved by someone who shares that important part of me. The sting isn't quite the same when non-Jews disbelieve or discount my Jewishness, but that hurts too.

Who counts as authentically Jewish is a messy in-group conversation and it doesn't really make sense to explain it all here. Who counts as authentically Jewish is a matter of legal status for immigration, citizenship, and civil rights in Israel, and it's my number 2 reason after horrific treatment of Palestinians that I'm antizionist. But outside that extremely high-stakes legal situation, it can just feel really shitty to not be recognized as One Of Us, especially by your own people.

It can also feel really shitty to be The Only One of Your Kind in a group, even if that group is an immortal chosen family who all loves each other dearly. Sometimes especially in a situation like that where you know those people love you but there are certain things they don't get about you and will never quite be able to. I'm definitely projecting at least a little bit of my "lonely Jew who will be alone again for yet another Jewish holiday" stuff onto Nile when at the end of I See Your Eyes Seek a Distant Shore she's thinking about being the only Black immortal and moving away from the community she'd built with a mostly-Black group of mortals in that fic. Maybe that tracks, or maybe that's fucked up of me.

Basically, this got very long but it's complicated, writing about experiences that aren't your own takes skill which in turn takes time and practice to build, writing about experiences not your own that our society maligns can cause a lot of harm if done badly, it can also cause a lot of harm when a large enough portion of a fandom just decides to nope out of something that's difficult and risky because then there's just not much content about a character who deserves just a shit ton of loving and nuanced content, people are individuals and two people who come from the exact same cultural context might show that influence in all kinds of different ways, identity is complicated, language is complicated, writing is hard, and empathy and humility and doing our best aren't a guarantee of avoiding harm but they do go a long way in helping people create thoughtful content about a character as awesome and powerful and kind and messy and scared and curious and WORTHY as Nile Freeman.

#nile freeman #linguistics #TOG POC Love Fest #nileweek2021 #tog meta #tog #long post #mine #antiblackness #jewish things #hi i'm an antizionist jew no i don't really want to talk about it

232 notes · View notes

chinchillinator · 3 years

Text

Like we’re all going absolutely FERAL over the Old Guard screenplay pages that are circling tonight. (Blessed be those who post and also comment and tag, I’m having the time of my life for sure.) But like listen to me.

And am I wrong in assuming we all want to see these Joe/Nicky moments? As if we would actually survive it??? I mean, really, do we imagine that Luca Marinelli and Marwan Kenzari, the kings of getting Extremely In Character™️ and Having Fantastic Chemistry™️, would not have gone All Out™️ on these scenes????

Are we going to pretend that Nicky wiping the blood off Joe’s back might not have been accompanied by the softest of kisses to the back of Joe’s neck? That it might not have included the softest of kisses to Nicky’s cheek in gratitude? Or, perhaps, feature Joe reaching back to squeeze Nicky’s hip in thanks as he spoke and Nicky resting a hand between Joe’s now-clean shoulder blades in acknowledgment of his thanks??

ARE we going to believe we would have made it through the kitchen scene, with Joe all wrapped around Nicky, holding him back while he tried to swipe at Booker, possibly burying his nose in Nicky’s neck while his shoulders shook with laughter???

Do we think that Joe commenting that “it will be good because you are making it” might not have come with a Cheek Kiss™️ or possibly a Hip Touch™️ or maybe even a Forehead Bump™️????

We. Would all physically perish if these moments were put on our screens. Do not pretend you are above succumbing the absolute softness these moments would produce in the hands of the actors we got.

(And don’t get me started on the Andy/Quynh/Lykon content. Like I would implode on the spot if I saw that. I would legitimately no longer exist. At all.)

#anyway its really late but im still up thinking about this #the old guard #tog #i would apologize to all my followers who are not here for old guard content #but im really not sorry so… 🤷🏻#battle script™️

353 notes · View notes

declinlalune · 10 months

Text

Stabby Wabbies || Andy & Zane

TIMING: current. LOCATION: downtown. PARTIES: @rn-zane & @declinlalune SUMMARY: zane is helping an injured civilian and asks andy for help. CONTENT WARNINGS: none.

The ER was rough these days, especially with all the displaced people coming in cold or hurt after spending the night outside with nowhere else to go. Not to mention those who were simply having a breakdown because a loved one was currently stuck and no one could provide information on whether or not the morbid statues all around town would actually pull through or not. So it was a relief when his shift ended, the cold evening air a blessing. Even returning to the house of doom felt better than staying at the ER longer - at least Zane could cuddle up with Buddy, put on something wholesome and turn off his brain.

Wishful thinking that the town would let him off that easy.

Zane would have smelled the blood first hadn’t his nose already been congested with the smell from his shift so nothing prepared him for the stranger who practically stumbled into his arms. Barely catching the man, his tired brain switched back into work mode as he lowered the stranger onto the ground, feeling something warm and wet coat his hands as he did. It wasn’t hard to spot where the blood was coming from, the desperate man clutching at his stomach in vain. Zane replaced the man’s hands with his own, pressing down but leaving him unable to call an ambulance.

“Hey! Over here, please. We need help,” he shouted, flooding with relief as someone exited a nearby store. Someone he recognized, Zane realized once the person rushed over. “Andy? Hey, hi, I- you need to call an ambulance.”

–

Andy heaved her tote bag over her shoulder, the cans of ravioli and off-brand campbell’s soup knocking against the keys at the bottom of her bag. So maybe she hadn’t planned packing her groceries away quite right, but did she ever? She always forgot her keys at the bottom of her bag, and then later on she’d be shuffling things around and rearranging just to find them. It was a toxic trait, and the carabiner she usually wore through her belt loop was left mangled on a pair of pants at the cabin.

She continued towards her jeep, looking up absently from her phone as she heard the telltale sound of somebody in need of help. Then it was her name. Andy looked up, confusion splitting across her features. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness easily, and on the ground was a familiar face, hands pressing into the stomach of somebody who was critically injured. She dropped her bag, rushing over. The ravioli and soup were forgotten– she could get them later.

“What the hell happened?” She scrambled to punch in the number for the ambulance, putting the phone on speaker. Andy dropped to the ground next to Zane, the smell of blood making her stomach turn. It brought her back to that place in the ranger’s cabin, her own hands covered in his blood– but this was not him, this was somebody who needed help.

The line connected and Andy recited Zane’s plea, explaining to the woman on the other line where they were. “Hurry!” She gasped out, reaching over with her free hand to stabilize the man, palm of her hand pressing into the wound to try and staunch the bleeding. She dropped her phone and looked up at Zane, mouth peeling over with iron.

“Tell me what I need to do.”

–

“I don’t know, he just- I don’t know,” Zane explained frantically, eternally grateful that Andy didn’t seem too frazzled to call for help. Knowing that help was on the way made it easier to focus, even with the smell of blood now fully filling his senses. He’d be fine, he was in control, but it definitely made it harder to think clearly. It was a relief when Andy’s hands moved to replace his own, now covered in blood.

Throwing off his bag, Zane emptied the contents onto the sidewalk, picking out the spare shirt and bundling it together. “Here,” he instructed, working with Andy to place the material over the wound and press down. “Hold it. Tight.” His attention moved further up the man’s body, thankfully not seeing any more injuries as he rubbed his knuckles against the man’s sternum. He was rewarded with a pained groan and heaved a sigh of relief. “Hey, there. Help is on the way, just gotta stay with us for a little bit longer, buddy.” His hands found the man’s face, eyes slowly opening, looking unfocused.

“Just keep holding that pressure on, okay?” Zane instructed Andy, offering a small smile that hopefully told her she was doing great. Once his attention turned back to the man, he noticed him pawing meekly at his chest and eyebrows furrowed in worry. “Your chest hurts?” He pushed the man’s jacket open further and immediately recoiled, scrambling back where he was kneeling on the asphalt at the sight of the stake that was tucked inside the man’s jacket.

—

Andy had expected for Zane’s heart to be hammering just as hers was, but the sound of her own heartbeat and the slow, but still there beat of the man’s heart on the ground was the only sound brought to her ears except for a few cars pulling by. None of which seemed mildly interested in helping. Of course. Maybe they thought this was an act; something about the bystander effect.

It didn’t matter what Zane was, Andy decided. What mattered was that he was helping this person, and it was clear that he knew how to do it. He was a nurse, after all, and those were the backbone of every hospital. That’s what she thought, at least. Andy took the material Zane handed her without question, pressing it down onto the man’s wound. It immediately began to seep up some of the blood.

Would somebody have done this for the man she had killed if they’d been there? Would Kaden have, if he hadn’t walked out? No, no, Andy thought. He had accepted she killed him, even if he didn’t like it. She swallowed thickly, feeling sweat begin to bead at the back of her neck. Stop it, Andy thought to herself as she held down on the wound, now is not the time.

Zane was speaking to the victim and Andy pretended those words were for her. They kept her grounded– like some kind of buoy to keep her from sinking too deep into the reality of this situation.

“Yeah, yeah.” Andy nodded, tilting her head slightly to wipe some of the sweat from her forehead off on the forearm of her flannel. It was cold out, but she felt so warm all of a sudden. The man was motioning towards his chest and Andy looked over, eyebrows knit together as she tried to get a good look at what had sent Zane backwards. “Is that–” It wasn’t hard to place, she realized. She looked over at Zane, mouth opening and then closing. “Is he–?” No, he still had a heartbeat, he was still human. “What the fuck.” She squeezed her eyes closed tightly, seeing stars for a moment before they sprang open with the realization that this could have been a hunter who had his weapon turned back on him. The thought made her want to release the pressure she had on him. But what if that weren’t the case?

All she could taste was iron, and she could smell it, too. “Zane, ask him what happened. Try and ask him.”

—-

Not being able to breathe while not actually needing oxygen never got any stranger. Zane knew he both didn’t need to and was physically capable of breathing at this moment but the panic constricting his chest was making it hard to think. A slayer. A hurt slayer that had probably been hurt in a fight. Where was the person he had been fighting? Maybe they were gone. Maybe they were like the vampire he had watched Emilio kill, the one Zane had somehow convinced himself deserved it. Just like for a moment he truly wanted to convince himself this man also did.

The moment passed and Zane shakily moved back closer, Andy’s words barely registering as he stared into the slayer’s eyes. Finally, he spared a glance at his companion who looked just as shocked as he did. So she did know more than she’d let on during that first meeting, at least enough to be disturbed by the sight of a stake. Swallowing thickly, Zane turned back to the man and quickly reached for the stake, tossing it far down the street where it couldn’t be used for more harm.

“The person you were after, are they still alive?” Zane demanded, his posture now wary and a far cry from the worry and protection that had come off him in waves before. The slayer was glaring at him, clearly aware of what was keeping him alive at this moment, and hating it. “Are they still alive?” he repeated, teeth gritted. After a beat, the slayer finally nodded. It could have been a lie to save his hide but Zane could tell from the disappointed look in the man’s eyes that his kill had been foiled.

—

Zane ripped out the stake and blood bloomed across his chest. For a moment, Andy hoped he’d bleed out. The thought was ripped from her as she pictured Emilio on the ground– a hunt gone wrong with somebody– or something that deserved it. It could have been a spawn, or some other kind of beast. It was complicated, feeling the way she felt. She could tell it was complicated for Zane, too, because his expression was not that of a calm and collected individual.

Andy listened to the slayer, in between his shaky breaths, and she felt her chest burn. Did it matter what the man said now? Would she believe him? Would Zane? Andy lifted her gaze to meet Zane’s before it slipped back over the injured slayer. She still saw a version of Emilio– of a man who had tried to protect somebody but had gotten hurt in the process. Then she saw the ranger. A man who had gone after somebody who was put into this life– into their situation without any say. Andy wasn’t sure what story to believe.

She pressed down on the wound– enough to keep the pressure, but enough to hurt. It was maybe a little sadistic, but she couldn’t help herself. “Where are they?” The slayer groaned in pain and she pressed down harder. “Where?” The slayer’s hand lamely pointed in the direction from which he’d come. “There,” the man gasped out, that same hand coming to where the stake had been, fingers separating his shirt from the wound in his chest. Andy looked up at Zane and nodded. “Do you– do I check? Do you?” What if this were just some person who’d been attacked for the sake of what they were?

—-

To Zane’s surprise, Andy’s eyes burned with the same intensity he felt, suspicion and anger rolling off the pair in waves. Had this slayer been reaching for his stake to take care of the vampire attempting to save his life? Was he one of the good ones, or even just one of those that fell somewhere in between, like Emilio?

Andy took over the questioning which was a relief, head spinning faster in Zane’s head than he could properly deal with. She was hurting him, not too badly but it was there, in the determination on her face. Zane didn’t tell her to stop, which somehow felt worse. Her attention turned to him and there was no getting lost in all the thoughts now - he needed to reply, to make a decision. Off in the distance, he could hear the faint sound of sirens. “I’ll go,” he settled on. If this was something dangerous, he didn’t want to have two bleeding people in his hands.

“You try anything, she’ll let go and you won’t last twenty seconds,” Zane warned, the words unfamiliar and strange coming from his mouth in that harsh tone. Giving a nod to Andy, he moved slowly towards the corner, trying to catch a scent of anything other than the blood on his hands, which he now realized smelled off. Not for vampires to snack on. Faintly remembering something about some slayers’ blood bringing pain to vampires, grateful that wasn’t the case now.

Rounding the corner, his eyes focused through the darkness until finally settling on a form that didn’t fit in with the trash bags and cardboard boxes. Something in the shape of a human. “Hey,” Zane said softly, his eyes burning red in the hopes it would help not scare this stranger off. “It’s okay, I’m here to help you.” He took a step closer and stopped immediately as the stranger moved, every muscle preparing for an attack but instead the stranger bolted off, clutching at what looked like a mangled arm. If not for Andy being all alone back there with a slayer who maybe deserved to bleed out, Zane would have followed. Instead, he skulked back to the commotion, blue lights now flashing just a few blocks away.

“They ran off…”

—-

Zane understood her plea, and Andy looked back down to the slayer beneath her hold. There was a warning left in his wake, too, and she couldn’t help but be grateful that he seemed to understand that, too.

The time in which it took for Zane to leave and reappear was filled with the slayer’s gurgling breath and the telltale sound of sirens coming down the street. She was glad to at least be rid of him soon enough. She waited for Zane, expression hopeful as he came back into view.

They ran off.

That was better than left dead. Andy looked back down at the slayer who now had his hand wrapped around her wrist, probably to ease the pressure she was applying. She pressed harder and he gasped out in pain. There were a lot of questions that Andy wanted to ask– did Zane get a good look at their face, did they look like they’d survive, did they look like they had done something to deserve this? But none of them left her mind.

“Ma’am?” Andy looked up to see one of the paramedics at her side. She hadn’t even realized they arrived. “We can take it from here.”

Where her hands once were, were replaced by the woman who was speaking to her, and in a flurry of movement, they had gotten him onto a gurney and into the ambulance.

“We’ll ask that you remain here, the police will have some questions.” Andy just nodded before looking over at Zane. “Do you think he’ll make it?” She wasn’t sure what she hoped.

—

So much flashed across Andy’s face and most of it seemed to mirror Zane’s thoughts exactly. His own head was spinning, the scene of paramedics taking over passing like a blur in front of his eyes. Bloody hands hung limp by his side as he offered a curt nod of his own to the paramedic. Andy looked just as struck and all of the ‘whys’ in Zane’s brain spun faster and louder.

“In my experience, they don’t die easy,” he found himself saying, own voice foreign to his ears, the sharp chill of it. The doors to the ambulance slammed shut and Zane stepped closer to Andy, chest twisting at the sight of a police cruiser rolling up. “I think… we should talk when they let us leave.”

Whatever Andy was, or knew, it was more than she had let on so far. Even though Zane felt rather confident now that she shared his opinions on slayers, she was definitely smart enough to know that he did, too. Whether she’d fully pieced together the slayer’s reaction to him was unclear but… Well, they were both in need of some answers. Some clean clothes and tea as well.

#para: stabby wabbies #para: zane #wickedswriting #//i love hera and zane sm.....

6 notes · View notes

ofmermaidstories · 4 years

Note

Gosh u make bakugo so in character it’s insane! Also do u have any fic recs?

Thank-you!! 🥺🌷🍊 we love that gremlin in this house. and i do!! i do have fic recs!! Are we looking for Bakugou/Reader spefific ones, or do we wanna branch out? I’ll keep it to Bakugou/Reader for the most part, unless an author I’m mentioning does another fic that I particular love. The following are some of my absolute favourites — I’ve reread them over, and over again, though they are, by no means, the end of my faves or recommendeds.

Explicit/Mature content warning, for most of these!!

from @makoodles, we have —

in bloom

general

Kirishima/Reader, one-shot

Your ground-floor apart is an oasis of plants and greenery that attracts the admiration of a local Pro Hero, on his way back and forth to work, everyday.

(this is so, so incredibly perfect — it is one of my all-time favourites, and is the reason i knew i wanted to write a flower-shop AU)

darling it’s better (down where it’s wetter)

explicit

Mermaid!Bakugou/Reader, one-shot

You’re caring for your Uncle-Not-Uncle Aizawa, in his sea-side home... and one day, you take the boat out. Downside: you very nearly drown in the following storm. Plus-side: You meet a merman! Who is kinda terrifying, not gonna lie.

(one of the first Bakugou/Reader fics I ever read — without having seen anything of the manga or show LMAO. Really set the bar, not gonna lie)

how to set fires by @hawnks

explicit

Bakugou/Reader, one-shot

You’re one of Bakugou’s early rescues; he never quite lets go of the feel of your hands grasping at him as you let yourself cry. And then one day you appear in his life again — as Kaminari’s assistant/best friend.

(GOD, this fic!! This fic. When it dropped I read it once, then went back and re-read it, and then immedately SCREAMED at my group chat - filled with my non-BNHA stan friends - about it, that is how good it is. Everything Hawnk’s writes has this like... trademark tenderness, it’s lovely, and the fact that Hawnk’s blesses us with it for Bakugou is just,,,, chef’s kiss.)

mine by @some-kindofgnome

explicit

Bakugou/Reader, one-shot

Bakugou has always needed to be the best; he shows you exactly how, after a Gala leaves him with nothing but his jealousy.

(It’s a PWP, but it’s very good,,, especially when it feeds us possessive, angry Bakugou.)

the sun has not yet fallen by @saintdabi

teen and up, angst

Bakugou/Reader, one-shot

You just want a little bit of the old Bakugou — he just wants some space. Frustrations bubble over, and things are said.

(I near cried LOL. I think it’s a very, very, realistic look at what it would be like, being with someone like Katsuki, who also works a high-pressure job — and the kind of fights that’d cause, when they can’t gvie as much of themselves to you as you want. It hurts, it hurts, but the first step is acknowledging the problem.)

now, @andypantsx3 is a fantastic source of BNHA/reader, lmao, and I couldn’t choose one so we have —

war paint

mature

Bakugou/Reader, chapters

Set in the same AU as Andi’s Cinderella Todoroki/Reader retelling, you’re the only child of a desperate family — so, in order to make enough coin to save the family farm, you disguse yourself as a man and join the Kingsguard. Pity Captain Bakugou is a suspicious piece of shit.

(one of the first of Andi’s I ever read, absolutely immersive.)

ab intra

mature

Shinsou/Reader, chapters

Someone is using their Quirk to hurt people, and you, a city detective, are at your wits end — and then in walks the secretive, wicked underground Pro Hero Hitoshi Shinsou. He’s obnoxious as all hell — and hiding something, something that could be important to this very deadly case.

(Apart from the trademark Andi steaminess, there’s a very real thread in this about trust, and what it means, and I find it lovely, set admist the suspense and excitement that it is)

cover shot (through the heart)

mature

Bakugou/Reader, chapters

You’re the well-paid but overworked assistant of one Bakugou Katsuki, model and international - and beautiful - meance. For four years he hasn’t been able to chase you away — and then he discovers a weakness of yours, wielding it with knife-like precision.

(Fucking hilarious. Between this and darling it’s better (down where it’s wetter) I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that much over a fic. I really admire humour in writing because it’s not a thing i can capture, LOL. But I’ve always enjoyed Andi’s Bakugou, because he is smart, and dangerous and sexy — and decisive in what he wants)

Bonus mention:

I Melt With You by art_deco_deity

NOT RATED

Bakugou/Reader, chapters

You’re a nurse who can take on other’s pain. Bakugou Katsuki crash lands on your balcony, and is, unfortunately, in a lot of pain.

(I’m still making my way through this, but ADD’s Bakugou is rough, mean — compelling. Reader wants to help, but often finds their buttons pushed)

there’s so many good fics out there!! these were a really, really select few that i enjoy. feel free to suggest others!!!

#ofmermaidstories-asks #fic rec #people are clever and create amazing things: writer’s edition #please read these some of these fics are the reason why i even tried writing mine tbh

298 notes · View notes

broadwayandnetflix · 4 years

Text

Slow Down - Bill Hader x Reader

Warnings: Language

Theme: Fluff + 1/4 of Angst

Summary: Hi I’ve literally been binging all of your fics and I didn’t know if you were still taking requests, but I was wondering if I could request an imagine with Bill Hader where the reader is sick and passes out at SNL and Bill helps them and takes them home

Word Count: 4.1k

A/N: Ahh thank you so much for your patience @bduchrnskei I really hope you enjoy this fic and it met your prompt expectations. I absolutely loved writing this one amongst all of my evil schoolwork, but what can you do?

Living in a small-sized New York City apartment was not all that it’s cracked up to be. Whether it’s the heavy traffic and clutter of construction that never halts or the extreme temperatures during any season.

In this case, in particular, winter.

Or, more specifically, in this case, your heater broke, and it had become like an iceberg within your apartment space. As stated by your landlord, the repairmen were supposed to come on Saturday night, and as of right now, it was Thursday.

So bundling up had to do, in a way, you kind of missed the heater’s incessant rattling, as it had become a sort of a white noise these last few months.

You hadn’t been in New York City for very long, a little under a year, maybe? It wasn’t like you to pack up and move randomly to the Big Apple, but after clearing a spot as a new cast member with Saturday Night Live. It was most certainly a must.

Ever since you were little, you’d always had a knack for making others laugh or just getting to see someone smile. Saturday Night Live became your goal, and to secure it was like winning a million dollars. Even if it meant having to endure New York’s extreme seasonal changes.

This week was no different in the typical workflow; you were technically a new cast member. So the number of sketches you had been in was significantly limited. Still, you loved it nonetheless, with the lack of skits that you had been in lately allowed you to get to know your cast members more.

Specifically, your other recurring cast members like Nasim Pedrad and Jenny Slate, the three of you would often meet up for coffee on Sundays. Taking the time to decompress and discuss your favorite sketches of the week. It was nice to have a group of people you could relate to and find solace in, especially when the weeks became stressful or exhausting.

And oh boy, did your week’s become exhausting, especially on Saturdays. You shuddered at the thought of dress rehearsal as it stretched late into the night; losing sleep was worth the excitement.

You looked at the clock, it was nearing close to four in the morning, and you still had been awake at this point. Maybe it was the cold or the thousands of thoughts swirling through your mind, much like the snow accumulating outside.

Work was gonna be a bitch tomorrow.

You sneezed at the thought, sighed, and made sure to set your alarm before letting sleep take over.

You awoke with a headache and a blaring alarm that was erupting from your phone. Groaning, you shut the phone off and tried to ignore the incessant pain protruding from your forehead.

Swallowing some painkillers, you got dressed, grabbed your keys, and headed to work. Totally not picking up a coffee and a breakfast sandwich on the way.

“Why good morning Y/N!” Jenny chirped as you walked into the room, still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.

“You sound oddly chipper, what happened?” you said as you put down your stuff, eyeing her curiously.

“She got some sleep, that’s what happened.” Nasim replied, nursing a cup of coffee in her hands, giving you a sleepy smile.

“Lucky duck,” you murmured, instinctively reaching for your coffee as well. It coated your throat nicely, you sighed in content.

Jenny only smirked before starting up another conversation with Nasim; you let your eyes wander across the room. Everyone in motion, working hard to make sure shit got done. That’s the thing about working at 30 Rock; no one ever really stopped moving.

One thing that you still had not gotten used to was Monday’s. The grueling and exhausting twenty-four hour stretch period of planning and concocting up sketches. It was a scary feeling, as if you could ever compare to everyone else.

Every now and then, a pitch you threw into the ball pit would get picked, the tiny butterflies in your stomach reminding you why you did what you did.

Your eyes landed on a particular figure as he strolled into the room. His hair beautifully tousled, eyes half-open, and shirt resting ever so comfortably upon his chest. You diverted your eyes quickly, only to feel yourself begin to sneeze.

Fuck, for the love of all that’s holy, please do not sneeze in front of Hader.... too late.

He looked up, meeting your widened eyes, and gave you a soft smile. It lingered for a bit until Andy swept up from behind and hugged him along by the arm. For a second, you could’ve sworn he was gonna look back, but Andy had appeared to say something.

“Bless you!” Nasim and Jenny said in unison.

You mouthed thanks and leaned back against the wall, replaying the scene over and over again.

“Thinking about Hader again?” Jenny asked, following your line of sight, as she nudged you in the side playfully.

“Jenny! Not too loud, he might hear you.” you frantically whispered, a stern look aglow in your eyes.

“Oh honey, it’s so obvious.” Nasim chimed in, Jenny nodding eagerly in response.

“Plus he’s too far away, you’re more than safe Y/N, I think it’s cute that you like him. All the more reason to make fun of you.” Jenny says quickly before she is shoved by Nasim.

“I’m joking! I’m joking! Okay maybe not fully joking.” Jenny yelps, giving you a wicked grin.

You groaned, rubbing your hands over your eyes in embarrassment. It was so bad, crushing on cast members, but man, was he handsome. Although you had denied it, a lot of your favorite sketches from the past weeks always seemed to involve Hader.

It was not like it was gonna go anywhere; you two barely spoke, and plus you’d probably be a mess if you did. Every now and then, though, you’d often find Hader sitting beside you at table reads. His laugh is always so goddamn infectious, and Jenny and Nasim eyeing you playfully like schoolgirls.

God, you were a mess, and it seemed like everyone knew it. Maybe even Hader knew; let’s hope he doesn’t.

“You know Y/N, I’ve never seen Hader as shy as he is when he’s around you. I mean the man literally sniffed my hair yesterday,” you quirk a brow, “But- but with you, he’s soft” Nasim’s voice crowds your thoughts, and you instantly look up to meet her in disbelief.

“Bullshit.” you retort, trying to ignore whatever attempt she was trying to make.

“Girl, you’ve kind of got a point. He’s not as jokey as he usually is whenever he’s around you Y/N.” Jenny adds, only to be interrupted by Lorne calling for a meeting.

Ah, how could you forget? Dress Rehearsal. While these days didn’t run as long as the others, they were equally draining and stressful. The three of you walked to Lorne’s office just in time as the rest of the cast stood beside you.

You felt yourself to begin to shiver unexpectedly, hugging yourself tightly. Since when was 30 Rock so cold? You felt Nasim look at you questioningly, and you shrugged her off.

Lorne had discussed the skits’ arrangements for the day, murmurs of excitement beginning to spread like wildfire around the room. Everyone just itches to get out and see if their sketch would succeed or bomb.

You took your seat in the audience as the sketches would come and go, meeting your cues whenever necessary. At the same time, your painkillers had seemed to wear off as your headache only seemed to get worse.

You made your way backstage to find the building’s first aid kit, only to brush past another coworker. That just so happened to be Bill Hader.

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out, slowly clamping it shut; his eyes met yours in slight confusion before softening slightly.

“Woah, hey Y/N, everything okay? You were in kind of a hurry there.” he asks; you could barely meet his eyes as they searched yours for any sort of response.

“Oh,” you gulped, “Yeah I just have this crazy headache, um I was just looking for the first aid kit.” you say, shifting the balance on your one foot to the other.

His eyes widened before nodding quickly as if he was just reminded of something. The butterflies in your stomach crescendo as he quickly rested his palm upon your shoulder. You didn’t even know how to act, your body practically freezing at the contact.

“Actually to save you the trouble I have some painkillers upstairs in my dressing room. Not that I have like tons of drugs, but it’s no problem with me if that’ll help your headache.”

You quickly nod in response, trying to hide back a small smile before following him up several flights of stairs. God, you hated being so shy around Bill; it wasn’t like he was some mean old jerk; he was oh so genuine and thoughtful.

The two of you halt at a labeled Hader door; he looks back at you almost to check if you’re still there. Opening the door, he led you in, giving you a quick smirk, before crouching down and digging through the contents of his bag.

You had realized that this was the first time that you had ever been in a specific cast member’s dressing room. In particular, Hader’s room was neat and tidy, but you could see bits and pieces of his character sticking out. You couldn’t help but smile at it all, so caught up in the intricate details you didn’t even notice him get back up.

“Y/N, you good?” he asks; you focus your attention back on him quickly.

His hands outstretched, one holding a bottle of Advil and the other clamped tightly around a water bottle.

“Oh, um yeah. Thank you so much you have no idea how much I appreciate you for doing this.” you say rather quickly, but Hader doesn’t seem phased by your awkward nature.

You reach for the bottle and water, fingers gently brushing against his. The two of you looking down at the contact before parting ways.

Hader clears his throat, and you feel your stomach begin to tighten. Slipping two pills into your mouth, you unscrew the cap and down it carefully.

“You nervous about tomorrow?” he asks while placing the pill bottle back within his bag.

“A little I guess, I mean I tend to get nerves closer to the show. I’m sure at this point though, you’ve become an expert at staying calm.” you reply, his gaze falling towards the floor.

“Oh my god, I’m a wreck Y/N. This show is so stressful it eats at me every week, no matter what. I mean, clearly I’m doing something right and Lorne’s not gonna fire me, but, my anxiety gets so bad.” he says quickly. His eyes widened, and his posture became slightly tenser than before.

You couldn’t help but soften your gaze; you had no idea that he even went through this every week. Even now, with the buzzing tension in the air for tomorrow night, you couldn’t imagine what he was going through. Let alone the fact that he made the time to help you out.

“I wouldn’t have ever noticed,” he looks back up at you. “I mean, you’ve always just looked so...confident. I just can’t even begin to imagine what’s that like, every week constantly. I’m so sorry you have to go through that.” you quietly admit.

He shakes his head quickly, putting out a hand almost as if he was trying to stop you.

“No, no, it’s fine. Thank you though, it’s awfully sweet to hear that. Especially from someone like you.” Hader’s eyes filled with such warmth.

Was Hader blushing? Or were you losing it? Probably losing it.

“Oh about that headache, everything okay up in there?” he murmurs, stepping just a tad bit closer to you.

“It’s probably nothing, but I do appreciate the help.” you look back at the door, “We should probably get back? Right? Don’t wanna miss our dress.” you say quickly.

Hader nods within an instant, eyes widening at the realization of how long you two had been gone for. He led you to the door, giving you a quick smile before he ran out, murmuring something about a skit that had something to do with the guest host.

You giggle softly, heaving a contented sigh. It definitely was gonna be a long day, and you could’ve sworn that the temperature had just dropped.

Strange.

You couldn’t have stumbled into it until at least one in the morning, but sleep had been desperately calling your name. Oh, how you missed having a regular sleep schedule; it would make mornings less of a struggle.

Except this morning was different, or more so than you were used to. The headache that had arrived less than twenty-four hours earlier was now ten times worse. Your body ached, and you couldn’t decipher if the bed was too hot or too cold.

This was torture, and quite possibly the flu, not to mention, you had the show tonight, shit. You practically sprang upwards before feeling the instant aftermath of that decision settling in. It felt absolutely criminal to leave those sheets as you groaned and grimaced your way towards your kitchen cabinet. Eyes barely opened while you blindly searched for the thermometer you had kept.

One quick temperature check later, you were running a low-grade fever. Shit, shit, shit, shit. I mean, you couldn’t miss the show, right? It just didn’t seem plausible, or maybe it did?

You frantically wondered while your fingers grazed over the Google search bar whether going to work with a low-grade fever would be beneficial?

Every answer didn’t really seem to fit the unrealistic expectations that you had set for yourself. Still, one disgusting shot of Dayquil later, you were out the door.

The day went by in a haze, and the headache never really did seem to falter. It was almost like yesterday in a sense, but seeing Hader waltz into the room made you smile. He smiled back.

Of course, Jenny and Nasim knew something was up; they always did. It wasn’t like Lorne was gonna fire you for missing one show; it was the flu. Except, you had made it this far, how bad could it possibly go?

The lights were too bright, far too bright for you to even think properly, and your fever was sure burning up. Or maybe it wasn’t, you always had to ask others around for that sorta assistance. Except, this was the primary night of the week and you weren’t gonna ask a cast member to feel your forehead.

Imagine if Hader did, Y/N, please stop being a dork.

You found solace in a large water bottle, but it didn’t do much to help the way your body ached miserably. You looked like a mess, you felt like a mess, but this was the big leagues.

The last time you had checked, the previous performance of the musical guest had been underway. Which meant you had survived, but the exhaustion that had been ever-growing was begging for you to lay down.

The floor looked so good right now, yeah, just for a hot second, ugh why is everything burning up?

Slowly closing your eyes, you let yourself press up against the wall, except there wasn’t a wall right there, and down you went with a thud.

Bill had been anxious all night, of course for the show, but for you in particular. You usually always looked so put-together, but tonight something about you was just off. It was beginning to rub him the wrong way.

“Andy, do you notice anything strange about, um, Y/N over there?” he said, trying to muffle the concerned edge that rested within his voice.

“Y/N? Oh that new cast member you like?” Andy replied without much thought, earning a stern look from Hader.

“She’ll hear you, god man you sure can be loud. Whatever, she just looks kind of off man, I’m a little nervous for her.”

Andy’s gaze softened just a tad until something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

“I mean normally I would say that she looks fine and you’re just crushing, but I don’t think that is normal.” Bill’s gaze instantly locked onto the same thing, which was you fainting onto the floor.

His body going rigid before ultimately bolting upright, he wasn’t gonna catch you in time. Still, he definitely was gonna help if he could. Although he most definitely wasn’t the only one, other stray coworkers who happened to be backstage stood, jaws dropped.

There you went, tumbling to the ground, and Bill couldn’t help but feel his heart drop. Maybe that headache was worse than you had let up. He felt guilty for not speaking up sooner, but there was nothing he could do now.

They called a medic on the site, trying to keep it discreet as possible. It was a live show; he didn’t think it would be professional if broadcasted that shit.

He tried to fill in all of the details of how you had been acting the past few hours. It felt like he couldn’t do much to help, but he didn’t wanna leave your sight. It was odd; something about you really drew him in, leaving him reaching for more.

Plus, at this point, the last thing he had to do was go on stage while they rolled the credits. Bill was optimistic that this would count as a good reason.

He watched anxiously while the medic’s placed you upon a stretcher, his feet following without much thought. They wheeled you out to a waiting ambulance; he gulped at the thought of you having to be taken to the hospital.

Surprisingly they allowed him inside the ambulance; he was so convinced he’d be forced to wait until god knows how long. The vehicle provided seats off the side, allowing him to catch his breath and try not to worry about his current state.

That is until he saw you looking back groggily at him; now, this was definitely normal, as the medic had explained. He just didn’t see it coming; you blinked a few times, looking around at your surroundings.

“Hey, saw you took a little snooze there.” he teased, his gaze never leaving yours.

The ambulance rattled slightly, and you gasped a little before focusing your attention back onto him.

“Is this an ambulance? What happened?” you sat upright, feeling ten times worse, trying to piece together precisely why you and Bill Hader, of all people, were in the ambulance?

“Y/N, you fainted. The doctor’s said you’re burning up, they’re taking you to the ER.” he explained carefully, as you groaned in frustration.

He cocked his head slightly, clearly not expecting that response.

“About that, yeah I think I have the flu, I had a low-grade fever this morning.” you admitted sheepishly, not even daring to meet his gaze.

“I’m sorry what?” he exclaimed, his eyes as wide as literal saucers. “Lemme get this straight, you went to work, with the flu?” you nodded, and he ran his hands over his face.

“Listen, I didn’t wanna disappoint Lorne. I mean it’s the night of all nights.” the words came out softer than you had intended; Hader practically melted.

“Oh, did you really think that Lorne’s gonna get pissed at you for having the flu? Oh sweetie, you know your health comes first right?” his words falling ever so sweetly off his lips.

You could barely look at the man, let alone control the multitude of butterflies that jolted in your already queasy stomach. Not to mention that he even thought to tag along, you nodded, not saying a word, focusing on his blue eyes like they were a safety net. Until you closed them, letting sleep overtake you.

You awoke once more to the sounds of machines beeping, people going from room to room, and an incessant tapping of one’s shoe.

This was most definitely the emergency room, your eyes scanning its surroundings until they landed on one person in particular. He looked exhausted, more so than you did, and you felt awful given the time it was at night. In fact, it was practically morning.

“You’re still here,” he sat upright, rubbing his eyes, “Thanks for sticking it out, Bill.” you tried to give him the most genuine smile you could possibly muster.

“Of course, I mean I overheard the doctor anyway. You’re cleared to go when you wake up, and definitely have to get some rest. I already spoke to Lorne.” you gaped, but he only stood up.

“Bill, what did he say?” you whisper.

“That you should listen to the doctor, and me.” you raised a brow. “Okay maybe he didn’t say me, but you get the point?” he exclaimed as he helped you get out of the bed.

The two of you walking towards the desk in which you had to sign out some papers, the pen unsteadily perched upon your fingers. Bill’s hand holding securely upon your back, in hopes you wouldn’t stumble. In reality, just being near him set your heart aflutter.

“Now I’m taking you home, but first I was thinking I could get you some soup for home. That sound good?” you could only look at the man in pure awe.

“You don’t have to do this Bill, really, I mean you’ve already done enough.” you gulped, only to see the man give you a smirk, his eyes glinting at you mischievously.

“Soup it is.” his hand clamping against yours, he led you out of the hospital and into the cold streets of New York City.

It didn’t take long for the two of you to reach the little soup shop he’d been talking about; it was cozy and apparently open twenty-four seven. Against his offer, you paid for two soups that looked the most delicious and cupped the cups while strolling back to your place.

“How do you think you got the flu?” he asked gently, looking at you with curiosity.

You had to try not to laugh; I mean, at this point, it was your fault, you subjected yourself to the tundra in your bedroom for the past few nights.

“Well, my heater has been broken for the past few nights. I assume that’s how I got it.” a smile aglow upon your face, giggling at Hader’s shocked expression.

“It better be fixed tonight when we get to your apartment complex. That’s ridiculous, Y/N.” you kept giggling, and soon he joined in with that gorgeous laugh of his.

You enjoyed your time with Hader even though internally you felt like shit; he made it so much more bearable. The air was light between the two of you, he made it easy to open up, and you wanted to know so much about him.

God, wait till you let Nasim and Jenny know about this night. They’re so gonna flip; you just knew it. Not to mention, the big looming ‘I told you so’ that was so coming your way.

“This is it.” he came to a halt, admiring the quaint little building that you happened to call home.

“You do know I’m not leaving until that heater is back on, right?” he ordered, but underneath his serious tone, you could see the concern.

“Oh come on Hader, let’s go see.”

The two of you taking the steps at a time, your body wanting to collapse, but you couldn’t let him know. He stood beside you while you inserted your keys into the lock, twisting it, before walking inside.

“What’s that rattling noise?” Hader wondered aloud.

A huge grin meeting your lips, you looked at him in pure delight, and he soon got the memo. His eyes widening before heaving a sigh of relief, only to halt.

“You call me if you need anything okay? Get some sleep, and um, stay warm. That’s an order, you hear me?” you could see his performance wavering as he tried desperately not to laugh.

“Yes, Sir.” you saluted weakly, but he only began to break instantly.

You really did love that laugh.

Thanks, Bill, for everything, really.” you said as he turned to head to the door, stepping up on your toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

His face instantly turned red before trying to compose himself as he walked away. You watched while he left the residence, giving you one last smile.

You awoke in a drowsy stupor that next morning to a text message from an unknown number.

Unknown Number: Want me to bring you some coffee and breakfast? - btw, this is Bill. Hope this l wasn’t too creepy. I ain’t no stalker.

Maybe: Bill: ps. How do you like your coffee?

Bill: ps.s yes or no?

You fell back on the bed with such a shit-eating grin, only to groan in response to the mistake you had just made.

You: Yes

#@broadwayandnetflix #bill hader imagine #bill hader x reader #bill hader x you #bill hader #fluff #angst #snl #Saturday Night Live #andy samberg #nasim pedrad #jenny slate #2021

300 notes · View notes