#i listen to these 9 seconds on loop

[xenabutdryad]

Yes, Spock, I'll be in the sociolinguistics corner of the universe :)

[chimmaddie]

[ID: two digital drawings forming a small comic of Hen and Karen Wilson from 9-1-1 on abc. Both are done in a semi-realistic style with soft warm colors.

In the first image there are 3 panels, first Hen's glasses have fallen down her nose and she looks up in surprise as her as Karen comes up to her and starts talking with a speech bubble stylized to look like stars in space. The second panel expands Karen's speech bubble now including more stars, the sun, three planets, and Mars closest in view. Karen is smiling with one hand lifted as she speaks. In the third panel Hen is pushing up her glasses and looking intrigued. small text in the corner between panels reads, "tumblr@chimmaddie."

In the second image, is a full size drawing of hen looking at Karen in admiration and listening aptly with her chin cutely resting on her hands. There are small hearts in her eyes as highlights. Karen is beside her in profile, with her eyes shut smiling as she speaks. End ID.]

Prompt fill for @911actions Gotcha for Gaza! Check out there how you can donate and get your prompt filled ^_^ this was requested by @brasscacti thank you for donating and I hope you enjoy! <3

the gif this is based on under the cut:

[ID: a looping gif of a black person with long straight black hair. They are seated and seen from waist up, wearing overalls and a sweater. The gif cuts from them raising their hands to smoothing their hair back and in the same motion tucking their hands under their chin. They lean their arms on the table and look to the left with a cute smile, as if they are adoringly listening to someone off-screen. End ID.]

[foone]

Your best guess is that you've been in this time loop for something north of 15 years. You've lived that day, April 9th, 1997, something like 6000 times. You think... The second most ironic thing about being in this time loop* is that you have ADHD, and time blindness has always been something you've suffered with.

The time loop hasn't helped. You'll really get into a book, and don't look up from it until it's yesterday. Or, earlier today? Or tomorrow, it's all the same day. You wake up in your bed at 8:27, having slept through your alarm, no matter what happens. You've had plenty of time to do all the classic time loop things: told everyone (they forget the next day), kissed everyone (a surprising number of people turn out to be up for itl), tried to run (you made it all the way to Memphis one day, but it didn't make any difference), tried to make everything perfect and right (harder than you'd think, and there's nothing obvious that needs fixing), and gotten yourself exploded and shot and run over. You even made it into orbit once, NASA still swearing at you on the radio the whole way up. You've robbed all the local banks, kidnapped the mayor, and stolen half the stuff in the town, just to see what people have. Why not? It's hard to have a sense of morality when there are no repercussions to any actions, at least none that last more than 24 hours.

You convinced a scientist to shoot neutrinos at you once, thanks to something you'd read in a book on time. Didn't seem to make any difference, though you could swear the next day felt different, in some hard to define way.

You've gotten into a rhythm of starting each day and just walking out your front door, to visit a different place in the city, and knock on their door. If they're home, you ask questions, then use the answers next time to get further. If not, you let yourself in and see what their house looks like from the inside.

Even their shocking crimes no longer can shock you. Mr. Stevens is a burgler, Jenny J. is halfway through murdering her husband, Alex over on 5th street has a basement full of photos they shouldn't have, and more neighbors than you'd think are cooking meth or growing cannabis in their little backyard sheds or closets.

You can go to the police, you can confront them, you can explose them, or you can get a weapon and go all vigilante on them... It doesn't matter in the long run (and for you, the long run is very short indeed). They'll be fine the next morning, back at it again like nothing happened.

You wake up that same Wednesday morning, put on some clothes, and walk out the door. You got into a gimmick of crossing the road with your eyes closed: you know where the cars are, and if you keep the same pace, they definitely won't hit you. Besides, if you do, you wake up back in your bed. Big woop.

But you don't make it to the road this time. You trip, falling on the hard concrete of the sidewalk. What the hell? Your arms ache from catching yourself, and you have to suppress the time-looper instinct of "I hurt. Restart the loop!",at least until you figure out what happened.

You look back and there's a sneaker sitting on the sidewalk. A perfectly normal shoe, just a little skuffed up. A bit down the sidewalk, there's another, the other foot presumably.

You have a moment of equal parts panic and elation. You're out of the loop? You're out of the loop! This might be Thursday.

You gather yourself from the sidewalk and run back up the path to your door. You open the newspaper... April 9th. This is still the same day. You look back at the road, seeing the patterns of crossing cars you've seen thousands of times before. You listen, and your neighborhood sounds right. You can hear Timothy down the road yelling about baseball, so it's not 9:14 yet.

This isn't a new day. This is the day. This is your day. So why is something different? What, a partial time loop? And almost time loop? Most things are the same, but not all? It makes no sense.

You hear yelling down the road. You jog towards it, as an out of place sound just doesn't happen in your day. Around the corner there's a police officer shouting at a woman who is rapidly disrobing and flinging her discarded clothes at the officer, who is shouting at her and his radio. So far, she seems to be winning, but she's about out of linen ammunition.

You realize you don't recognize her. She's not one of the people you know, and you know everyone. She's someone new, the very anthesis of what a time loop is about. That, combined with recognizing that charicatistic disdain for consequences makes you gasp. My God... She's another time looper. She's done this day before, and it's just repeated, and now she's doing everything to see what happens. You're not alone in this crowded city anymore! You run towards her, eager to introduce yourself.

* Themost ironic thing about being in this time loop is that every copy of Groundhog Day at your local Blockbuster is checked out.

[whimsyfinny]

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Charlie discovers the Winchester boys to be struggling with keeping the bunker tidy, looking after themselves and being able to do their job simultaneously. Luckily she has a friend who’s from a Hunter family that is in need of work and can help them with research. Or so she thought that’s what her job would be. When Dean sees your more domesticated side, his head won’t stop swimming with all the wrong ideas.

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, smut

Warnings: language

Chapter Word Count: 2288

—-MDNI—-

A/N: AHHHHHHHHH IM SOOOOOOOO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG ITS NOT EVEN A SPICEY CHAPTER… I hope it’s ok! Let me know of any errors as I’m the only proof reader .

——————————————————————

Please read the below:

Prologue Chapter 1

Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Chapter 6 Chapter 7

Chapter 8pt1

Chapter 8pt2

Chapter 9

I’m Not Your F*cking Maid

Chapter 10

I stood in the kitchen over the stove, the smell of bacon tickling my nose as it sizzled in the pan. Watching the fat and grease splutter, my mind replayed the rapturous events of last night with every tantalising memory bringing heat to my skin and fluttering to my pulse. The simple thought of Deans hands on me set my whole body aflame. Not to mention that I woke up in his room, in his arms, listening to his soft breathing as he slept peacefully - not a single crease between his brows as he slumbered unburdened. I had crept out, not wanting to torment myself by staying by his side until he awoke.

I had eaten breakfast alone; neither of the boys rising early enough for us to eat together, so I tucked in whilst the food was still hot. I was a mixture of grateful and ungrateful in this instance. Grateful, because I could be left alone with my sinful thoughts - and ungrateful, because I didn’t want to be left alone with my sinful thoughts. They were driving me insane, spinning around and around inside my head. I desperately needed to remind myself that Dean Winchester was an insufferable jackass who seemed to be making it his life’s mission to get under my skin. And I couldn’t let him.

Oh Bobby, if you could see me now, you’d be so disappointed in my life choices…

I had just tidied the kitchen and placed the food in the fridge when I heard the front door open and close and I made my way to the main room - Charlie appearing at the top of the stairs wielding half a dozen shopping bags.

“Good morning bitches!” She beamed as she began making her way down, right as Sam and Dean strode in, sleep weighing on their features. I opened my mouth to respond but my gaze snagged on Dean, who was already looking at me and my words evaporated in my mouth. We stared at each other, both of us with a sort of dumbfounded look about our faces. Charlie stepped next to me, looking between us.

“I said… good morning bitches! No? Anyone?”

Without saying a word I grabbed her hand through the countless loops of shopping bag handles and dragged her through the bunker until we reached my room. I pushed her through the door and slammed it behind us, leaving the frenzy in the hallway as we looked at each other in silence. I huffed out a sigh, running my hands through my hair before cupping my cheeks. She dropped the bags and sat on the edge of my bed.

“What’s going on with you? Are you ok? You see-”

“I fucked Dean.”

“No!”

“Twice.”

“NO!”

I nodded and sat next to her as she jumped up, a wild look on her face.

“You fucked the guy you beat the shit out of?”

I nodded again, biting my lip and cringing.

“I thought you hated him?”

“I do. I mean, I don’t hate him. He just infuriates me so much.”

She pauses for a second, smirking and raising her brows as she sits down beside me.

“Was it good?”

I closed my eyes and breathed out, memories flooding my brain.

“Oh my God Charlie you have no idea…” I crisscross my legs and face her, and she does the same. We look like a couple of teenage girls talking about our high school crushes at a sleepover.

“That good?”

“It was the best sex I’ve ever had in my life. He’s ruined me,” I sighed as I saw her wicked expression, her gaze flitting between myself and the shopping bags abandoned on the floor.

“What?”

She picked up one of the bags and plunged her hand in, fishing around for a second before pulling out an outfit. There were… bunny ears?

OH

A slutty bunny outfit was thrown onto the bed, the bodysuit crafted with expertise and soft black velvet, with shaping-bones ascending the bodice and plush padding in the bra cups. The white cuffs were made of soft, pressed cotton, and amongst it all I spotted a little fluffy tail.

“Why have you bought me a Playboy outfit?” I raised an eyebrow, unable to stop myself from finding out if the tail was as soft as it looked. It was. Charlie beamed.

“Because the girls at this club are known for their irresistible aesthetic. You’ll need to blend in. But don’t worry,” she gestured to the other bags, “if you don’t want to be a bunny I bought you more.”

“Of course they wear outfits…” I groaned, knowing that the boys will never let me live this down.

“Plus…” Charlie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, “now that I know you’re FINALLY getting laid, you can actually put these towards their intended use.”

I smirked and threw a pillow at her.

“Oh yeah? And when was the last time you got laid?”

She rolled off the bed dramatically before throwing the pillow back at me.

“A lady never tells!”

“Bullshit!” I laughed, before grabbing the outfit off the covers and headed to the bathroom to try it on.

*

The afternoon passed by quickly, most of it spent trying on those ridiculous outfits that Charlie had bought for me. I must have tried on a dozen, ranging from ‘let’s only cover flaps and nips,’ to ‘you’re gonna need x-ray vision’. I went for something in between, not too scandalous but enough skin on show to get the wolves howling. Charlie lounged around on my bed reading comics and muttering to herself whilst I busied away getting ready, doing my hair and makeup and quadruple checking that this ridiculous outfit wasn’t going to spontaneously explode off my body. Overall the whole ordeal took around five hours from start to finish - six if you include lunch and coffee breaks, and six and a half hours if you took into account all the occasions that Deans ego led him to believe that we ‘might need a mans opinion’ on the matter. Said ego had many a door slammed in his face.

Evening had rolled around and I pulled a long coat over myself - another gift from Charlie - making sure that it covered everything not meant for outside a club environment. Or Comic Con, actually, because I eventually learnt that Charlie had purchased this particular outfit from a cosplay website. It explained a lot to be honest. From the quality fabric to the delicate lace trims and tiny petticoats, it was made to a much higher standard than anything else she’d brought with her. Adorning the final touch upon my head, I exited my room before joining the others in the research room, my heels clicking softly on the hard floor.

Upon arrival, all eyes were on me. On my face, my cloaked body, my exposed calves and heeled feet. It was like every other gaze in this room was trying to see through the wool of the overcoat concealing the surprise beneath; a present to be unwrapped… a meal to be devoured. I wasn't sure who to look at, every set of eyes hot with expectation so I chose to study the ribbons on the top of my stilettos, observing in great detail how the fabric shined in the dim lighting. A moment passed before Sam cleared his throat.

“Come on guys, let's get going.”

It should have been Sam that I looked at when I replied, but my eyes were drawn to Dean like a compass to North. His jaw was tight and his eyes dark, as though it pained him to not know what I was wearing. Although he could have been thinking anything really, as we hadn't exactly spoken much since the tantalising events of the previous night and we definitely hadn't spoken about what had happened. I think we were both well aware of the dangerous situation we were putting ourselves in, despite trying to act oblivious to any consequences. We both knew at some point the conversation needed to be had.

“Yes,” I replied to Sam, my voice cracking from the anxiety starting to crawl up my spine, “let's get going before I freeze to death.”

*

The car ride was quiet. Too quiet. Dean was in a weird headspace and didn't crack any of his usual jokes or poke fun at anyone in the car. Sam hadn't made eye contact with me since I gave him the dance, and whenever our eyes met his face erupted into a red-hot blush. Tapping away on her tablet, Charlie paid no mind to any of the silence at first, both of us in the back seat minding our own business. However after a long wait at a red light, she glanced over at me before pulling out her phone and tapped away. It didn't take long for my own phone to vibrate. Retrieving it from my pocket, I opened the message from her.

Chazzie: wtf is going on with you and these guys?

I sighed and wrote my reply.

Me: it's a long story… and tbh I didn't give you all the details about me and Dean…

Chazzie: bitch this is a long drive, tell me! I know Sam won't look at you and Dean won't STOP looking at you. And I know Dean, he's normally a ‘no strings’ kinda guy. But bitch you've got that man on a leash.

I sighed again, throwing her a look before giving in and typing away.

Me: so Dean made me annoyed and told me I would be no good for this mission because he doubted I could even do a basic lap dance. Well, it ground my gears so yesterday evening I put on some music and gave a lap dance to prove my point.

Chazzie: ooh I bet he was in heaven, I remember when you took those classes! You were soooo good <3

Me: awww thanks babes <3 but I didn't give the dance to Dean… I danced for Sam…

I heard her choke on her own spit as she read the message and she threw me a disbelieving look.

Chazzie: WHAT?! Why Sam?! I mean it explains why he won't look at you. But whhhyyy? When you've already fucked D-boi?

Me: tbh I was mad at Dean and I wanted him to suffer. Plus I had a point to prove, he needed to be able to see the show to know I was good.

Chazzie: I mean that's true! How did he take it when you danced for Sam?

Me: tbh I don't think he was best impressed at first, but then I think he just enjoyed the show. … I do feel a bit bad for Sam tho for dragging him into his. I feel bad for using him.

Chazzie: don't! I can tell he loved every minute of it from the permanent blush on his face hehehe. You're a wicked woman tho. Really torturing those boys. How long did it take for Dean to come to your room?

Me: ughhh don’t even joke… you make me sound like I'm in some shitty YA novel… and technically he didn't come to my room. I bumped into him in the corridor. Then he told me he ‘couldn't stop thinking about me’. The we made out and then we eventually fucked in my room.

Chazzie: Welp somehow you've made Dean Winchester your bitch. Gold medal for you, because I've seen soooo many girls try and fail. So did he wake up in your room or did he go back to his? Because this is fucking important.

I looked at her and felt my face heat up, a grin appearing on her face as she playfully smacked my arm.

Chazzie: bitch seriously?! He stayed the night?!

Me: technically no… my sheets were ruined so we slept in his bed instead …

Before anymore texts could be exchanged, I felt the car slow to a stop and the handbrake engaged, engine flicking off. Dean turned to face us, doing a double take over my blushing expression and Charlie's wild grin. He mumbled something under his breath about this making him nervous before he faced forward again and Sam turned around instead, his soft gaze scanning my made-up eyes and lips.

“Are you sure you're ok with this (Y/n)? Because it's still ok for you to back out now if you want.”

The older Winchester tore his gaze away from the lone two-storey building before us; its neon lights reflecting in the puddles on the pavement. Two guys in leather jackets stood outside, and I'm assuming they were security. Dean's expression turned to one of unease as he surveyed the club from a distance.

“Exactly what Sammy said. (Y/n) this is dangerous and I don't want you going in there. Back out now.”

I couldn't help but scoff and roll my eyes.

“I've not gotten this far and this fucking dressed up to give up now. Besides, my safety isn't as important as the safety of the civilians who are at risk of leaving these vamps even a day longer. You know that. That's why we do this job-”

“Look, your safety is all I give a shit about.”

Dean's assertiveness came as a slight shock, not just to myself but to him as well. We blinked at each other before I turned to Charlie.

“Do you have the paperwork and ID I need to get in?” I heard Dean sigh and turn back to face the steering wheel, cursing under his breath. Without saying another word, I took the envelope from Charlie's grasp and flung the door to the impala open, clambered out and slammed the door behind me.

——————————————————————

@suckitands33 @jackles010378 @aliceeinwonderland420 @tina-theslytherin @deans-queen @hobby27 @sobearcowboy @girls-alias @selfdestructionandrhum @ericasabe @lacilou @littlemadamred @anneanirac @deans-baby-momma @swimregulas @ashdoctor @littlemarvelstan8 @atcamillanorrman @deangirl96 @zannemes @kr804573 @foxyjwls007 @divadinag @cookiemonstermusic258 @mysterialee @ababy-girl @joonseuph0ria @mxltifxnd0m @deans-spinster-witch @st4bl3-ch40s @feyresqueen @roseblue373 @clusterfuck-meup @urinternetmom @rachiem4-blog @ceeshellecee @mojos-hidden-castle @snowayumi @evzyi @mymuseisbipolar @magssteenkamp @koharuheartfilia @spookyysinsanity @safiyas-world @uncle-eggy @happyt0exist @supernaturalstilinski @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @mrsjenniferwinchester

Up Next: Chapter 11

[steventhusiast]

STWG daily prompt 19/9/23

prompt: "we're not family"

pairing/character(s): steddie

-

Steve and Eddie are used to certain assumptions being made about them to avoid the uncomfortable (for some) truth. Mostly, people call them best friends to explain their open closeness to each other in public. Steve's pretty sure someone called them business partners once, and he still doesn't understand how that explanation would explain his arm being around Eddie's waist.

But this? This has truly thrown them through a loop.

"Excuse me?" He asks, hoping he misheard the receptionist.

"Oh, did you not hear me? I'll speak up, dear," It's an older lady, with grey roots and smile lines, "I just asked if you and your brother are here to see anyone. You both look awfully nervous."

Steve blinks once, twice, three times as he processes her words. Beside him, he hears Eddie burst out into a loud laugh as he grips onto his shoulder for support.

"Ha- Brothers!" Eddie gasps out.

A smile starts pulling at Steve's mouth as he listens to Eddie absolutely lose his mind over it. His first thought had been to be offended, but of course, Eddie just finds it hilarious.

The receptionist for the labour ward looks increasingly uncomfortable as the seconds tick by, and Steve decides to have mercy on her.

"We're not family. Well- We are? We will be. Our surrogate's in labour right now with our," He gestures to Eddie's doubled over form, "baby. We're just waiting for the good news."

The receptionist's cheeks go bright pink, and she starts spluttering out instant apologies.

"I'm- I'm so sorry, sirs. I didn't mean to assume-"

Steve shakes his head, and Eddie finally recovers from his bout of laughter and unfolds to his full height to grin at the lady.

"No, no need for apologies. I think you actually just made my day. I don't even feel nervous anymore. Holy shit. Brothers? Haha!"

[happylikeasadsong]

carmy’s always running out of time

i just need to get this out of my head once and for all.

i don’t know if someone has already mentioned this, but time is a recurring issue for carmy this season. He often feels like he’s behind schedule or something.

watching it for the first time i didn’t notice carmy’s mention to time until i got to the syd and carmy scene in episode 9., so i decided to rewatch just to catch every time he mentions it throughout the season.

so he’s reasoning to stop smoking was time, not health. it was the means to get to the end goal (get the star, not let the team alone) he wants to stay sharp and focused and he can’t waste five minutes on a cig break. so he gets the nicotine tablets instead.

(just a side note: ijbol every time his speech was compromised by the damn tablets I couldn’t take him seriously when he was fighting to not spit that thing out. i also wanted to smack that shit out of his mouth so many times)

not smoking leaves him impatient and more sassy than ever, and I can’t help but to trace a parallel line between not smoking and his sudden bursts of anger (him telling nat to figure out the money thing and stomping out of the office)

when sugar comes in she asks him why is he doing all that for, his answer is straight forward:

we see the first glimpse of the carmy we’re gonna see for the rest of the season: impatient, anxious and snippy.

in episode 3, doors, when richie comes up with his own non-negotiables list, he gets angry and defensive that someone would try and challenge his ideas. but he doesn’t have time to explain why cause he’s running out of time. He doesn’t even want to listen, cause he’s running out of time.

in episode 5, children, uncle jimmy brings the computer to run an analysis on the restaurant finances and things aren’t looking too good, but carmy, once again, refuses to listen, he just wants to get back to work and block all noise

it gets to the point jimmy has to pull him aside cause he’s being so annoying about it.

then we have episode 7, legacy, where we have this:

this scene, once again, reinforces the idea of him always getting ahead on the next thing, never really enjoying the moment he’s in cause he has a job to do.

he barely lets sydney finishes her sentences, he already has everything mapped out in his head and thinks he doesn’t need to let her in the loop. he never slows down, is go go go time in his mind.

every second counts.

then finally, episode 9, apologies, where he apologizes to syd, he’s tired of always getting ahead, he wants to do differently:

she’s the only person he apologizes for constantly pushing for time and making her constantly having to play catch up.

as sydney states, it wasn’t a skill issue, but communication, something that she told him before and he didn’t listen. he never enjoyed the moment.

it made me think of when sydney asked him in episode 5 if he knew what he had was special when he was working under chef terry and he said he was always too busy to know it at the time.

now that he’s faced with ever closing, a place he thought it would last forever, I think he’s ready to admit that he doesn’t have to run anymore, he needs to stay in the moment.

(now this is just crack but this is so non-stop by hamilton coded lmfao

the man thinks he’s Alexander Hamilton writing the other 51 confederalist papers, assuming he’s the smartest in the room and that attitude will be his doom, sorry for the ref)

[hockeylovee12]

Crossing Enemy Lines

Chapter Three

Luke Hughes x Original Character

Warnings: Cussing, some toxic family dynamics, mentions of being used

A/N: I got really lazy writing this chapter so it may be a bit bumpy, but I hope you guys enjoy it. Chapter 4 will probably be out within the next week

November 12th, 2023

The sounds of blades slicing through a frozen surface fill the small practice rink in Newark, as the New Jersey Devils take the ice for their 9 AM practice. 

Head Coach Lindy Ruff, gathers his players on center ice, his stern expression a clear indication of his displeasure with the personnel occupying the sea of red and white jerseys in front of him.

"Listen up boys," Ruff barks, his voice echoing off the boards, "We let in seven goals on Thursday! That's unacceptable" 

Luke flinches at the reminder of Thursday's game, His mind recalling the feeling of disappointment he felt, followed by the memory of meeting Jordan. 

"We can't be giving up chances like that, especially not to the Rangers" Ruff continues, his tone growing more frustrated "Jacob Trouba and his boys had a field day out there" 

A surge of anger courses through Luke's veins at the mention of Jacob Trouba, prompting more unwelcome memories of Jordan to run through his mind. 

Lindy continues his speech-which Luke has lost all interest in- as he feels himself getting more and more aggravated with each passing second, as the image of Jordan storming out of the cafe, plays on a loop in his head.

Then the loud sound of Ruff's whistle pierces through the air, signaling the beginning of practice. "Alright, let's start with some one-on-one battle drills," Ruff announces. "Luke, Mercer, you're up first. Let's see who comes out on top."

Luke takes a breath and skates towards the blue line, lining up in front of Dawson. As the whistle blows, they engage in a battle for the puck, sticks clashing and skates cutting through the ice. Luke tries to channel his frustration into the drill, using his body positioning to shield the puck while Dawson tries to exploit any openings in his defense.

"Good work, boys!" Ruff shouts. "Keep battling! Don't be lazy!" 

The drill continues with each pairing taking a turn, and for a moment Luke's mind drifts back to Jordan. 

He's mad, no he's pissed, he's pissed with the way things happened. He's pissed, that Jordan's last name is Trouba, he's pissed that out of all the fucking people he could've met, the one person, the one fucking person he works up the courage to talk to, to form a genuine fucking connection with, is the one fucking person he can't have. 

A sigh escapes Luke's lips as he regains focus, and Ruff transitions the team into backchecking drills. "Forwards, I want to see you hustling back to help out your defensemen," he instructs. "Backcheck like your life depends on it!"

Luke throws himself into the drill, chasing down opposing forwards with a burning intensity. He disrupts passes and applies pressure, determined to shut down any offensive attempts.

But even as he pushes himself physically, he can't escape the nagging thoughts in his mind. He wants answers, he wants answers, to questions he doesn't even know how to ask.

He's mad, he's confused, and he's sad.

He’s sad that he met a girl he really likes and he can’t date her, he can’t hang out with her, he probably shouldn’t even talk her, and he’s sad that even if he could talk to her she probably wouldn’t wanna talk to him, because he's an idiot who fucked things up. 

"Hughes, good hustle! That's what I wanna see in a game" Ruff praises. "Keep it up!"

Another sigh escapes his lips, as he continues pushing himself. 

Halfway through practice, Ruff calls a five-minute water break. As the players gather around the bench, Dawson skates over to Luke with a mischievous grin. "Hey, Casanova! How'd it go with the girl you met the other night?"

Luke's jaw clenches. "Shut it, Dawson," he warns, his tone sharp.

John raises an eyebrow. "Ooh, touchy subject. Looks like our boy struck out."

"I said, shut it," Luke snaps, his patience wearing thin. The guys exchange glances, sensing the tension radiating from him.

Ruff blows his whistle, and moves the team to the net for some net-front presence drills. "Defensemen, your job is to clear the crease and make life difficult for the opposing forwards," he explains. "Forwards, battle for position and look for those dirty goals."

Luke positions himself in front of the net, engaging in physical battles with his teammates, and his mind wanders slightly, he wonders what they would say, if they knew, knew that the girl he met in the bar is Jacob Trouba’s sister. He knows they would tell him he can’t see her again, even though that bridge has already been burned. 

But it’s like a part of him doesn’t know why, no actually that’s a lie, he knows why, he knows the rules, even if they’re unwritten,  you don’t date an opponent's sister, doesn’t matter the sport, the league, or the team, and if there was a rulebook for the NHL, the message No Devils player should date a Rangers sister would probably be bolded in red at the top of every page.  

"Box out, Hughes! What are you doing?!" Ruff yells. "Don't let them establish position!" 

Luke hesitates, trying to regain his composure, when one more thought comes, a small, tiny thought racing through his mind, a thought that causes goosebumps on his skin, a thought he's trying desperately to ignore, whispering maybe, just maybe, it’s worth it. Maybe?

The practice continues with passing drills, the players focusing on crisp, tape-to-tape passes. Luke tries to lose himself in the familiar rhythms of the game, but his mind keeps wandering back to Jordan. 

A few of his teammates shoot him concerned glances, almost every time they notice a change in his focus, but each time he shakes off their glances, and their reassuring words telling him to focus on practice or asking if he's alright because the one thing he knows for certain, is that even though their relationship is over, his teammates never need to know is that he went on a date with the enemies sister, or that she won't leave his mind. 

Then as practice nears its end, Ruff has the team skate lines, something Luke knows he can't fuck up.

The players line up on the goal line, their chests heaving and sweat dripping from their brows.

"Alright, boys, let's finish strong!" Ruff bellows. "On the whistle, skate to the red line and back. Keep pushing until I say stop!"

The shrill sound of the whistle pierces the air, and the players take off, their skates pounding against the ice.

They push themselves to the limit, legs burning and lungs screaming for air, as they continue to skate back and forth. 

Until finally, Ruff raises his hand, motioning for the players to gather around. 

"Alright, boys, that's enough for today," Ruff says, his tone softening slightly. "Good job. Hit the showers. We're leaving for Detroit at 11."

 *****

Jordan's eyes begin fluttering open, her body still wrapped in a cocoon of cozy blankets and sheets, embracing her in what feels like a warm hug. 

She reaches for her phone, squinting as she checks the time: 11:04. 

Memories of yesterday's date with Luke flood her mind, and a wave of disappointment washes over her.

With a sigh, she swipes away the notifications, her mind still groggy, and swings her legs over the side of the bed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before standing up and making her way to the living room.

As she walks, she can't help but feel upset and angry about how things ended with Luke. She really liked him, and their connection had been undeniable.

But the fact that he couldn't see past the rivalry between his team and her brother's? It's stupid, it's frustrating and it's disappointing.

"Hey, Jordy," Jacob greets her as she enters the living room.

To her surprise, Jacob is sitting on the couch, his attention focused on the TV. He had been away the previous two days, the Rangers having a back-to-back with the second half being an away game in Pittsburg.

"Hey, when did you get home?" Jordan asks, her voice still thick with sleep as she settles onto the couch beside him.

"Not till about one this morning" Jacob explains. Jordan nods, knowing she was still awake at that time, and probably too distracted by her thoughts to hear him come into the apartment. 

"How was Pittsburgh?" She asks 

"Eh, same old, same old. We got the win, so that's what matters." Jacob nudges her gently. "So, Kelly told me you had a date yesterday. How'd it go?"

Jordan shrugs, not particularly wanting to delve into the details. "It was fine," she says noncommittally.

Jacob raises an eyebrow. "Just fine? Do I need to beat someone up?" he jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

A small smile tugs at the corner of Jordan's mouth. "No, no. It just... didn't go well, that's all."

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" Jacob prods gently, concern evident in his voice.

Jordan shakes her head. "I'm sure. It's not a big deal."

Jacob studies her for a moment before deciding not to push further. "Alright, well, in that case, you and I are going to lunch. Come on, my treat."

Jordan lets out a small laugh, appreciating her brother's attempt to cheer her up, "Alright just let me get dressed and brush my teeth" Jordan says

She heads back to her room to get dressed, choosing a comfortable outfit for their outing.

Then the siblings make their way to a local restaurant, not too far from their apartment, the aroma of freshly cooked food and the buzz of conversation enveloping them as they step inside. They settle into a booth, perusing the menu as they wait for their server.

Once they place their orders-a salad with Salmon for Jacob and a club sandwich with fries for Jordan-Jacob leans back, his eyes fixed on Jordan. "So how's NYU treating you?" he asks, with genuine interest in his voice.

Jordan brightens a little, "It's great," she gushes, launching into a detailed account of her classes and the new friends she's made.

Soon their food arrives, and they begin eating.

Their conversation naturally shifts to hockey, with Jacob recounting the details of the Rangers' recent games. "-But the game against the Devils was great, but intense cus they're all a bunch of softies" he remarks, oblivious to the way Jordan tenses slightly at the mention of Luke's team. "Pretty sure half their players threatened to cut my head off before the third period. But the Devils are all fucking talk, the scored one goal, and kept complaining for hits we made, but the fucking lost anyway, and with the way they were playing, a power play wouldn't have made any difference."

Jordan forces a laugh, trying to push away the thoughts of Luke that inevitably surface. "Yeah, that's crazy. Y'all really hate the Devils?"

Jacob, laughs before responding "Well of course, we're supposed to plus, they're all assholes so who would wanna like them"

"Yeah, right" Jordan says

Jacob continues to talk about the game, but Jordan finds herself only half-listening, her mind drifting back to Luke and their ill-fated date. She can't help but wonder what he's doing now if he's thinking about her too.

Noticing her distraction, Jacob pauses. "Hey, you okay?"

Snapping back to the present, Jordan nods. "Yeah, sorry. Just got lost in thought for a second."

"No worries." Jacob takes a sip of his drink before changing the subject. "So, Thanksgiving is coming up. Kelly and I were thinking of hosting the team at our place this year. You're still cool with that, right?"

Jordan's heart skips a beat at the thought of being in the same room as a bunch of Rangers players, but she knows she can't say no, well actually she could but, she won't. "Yeah, of course. That sounds great."

"Awesome. It'll be fun, having everyone together like that. And who knows, maybe you'll even meet someone new." Jacob winks playfully.

Jordan scoffs playfully, "You'd want me to date a Ranger?"

Jacob shrugs "Nah probably not, but if you did I would be okay with it, as long as it's a Ranger, though, otherwise find a different sport"

Jordan forces a laugh, her thoughts once again turning to Luke.

If only her brother knew the truth, the truth that she's already met a guy who plays hockey, a guy who wears a different crest on his jersey, a guy who keeps running through her mind.

 *****

The Detroit skyline looms in the distance as the New Jersey Devils' plane touches down on the runway. The team disembarks, collecting their luggage and boarding the team bus that will take them to their hotel. 

As a rookie on an entry-level contract, Luke shares a room with his teammate, Alex Holtz. 

Once in their room, Luke puts his stuff down and flops onto the bed.

He begins absentmindedly scrolling through his phone, when a knock at the door interrupts his mindless browsing, and he gets up to answer it.

Jack stands in the hallway, an expectant look on his face.

"You ready to go?" Jack asks.

Luke blinks, confused. "Where?"

Jack gives him a look. "To see Mom and Dad. We're getting lunch. Did you forget?"

Rolling his eyes, Luke tries to play it off, even though he really did forget "No, I just need a few minutes to get dressed."

"Alright, hurry up. I'm gonna call an Uber." Jack turns to leave.

"Okay," Luke replies, closing the door. He quickly changes into a pair of black jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a flannel before grabbing his stuff and saying bye to Alex.

The brothers meet up in the lobby and climb into the waiting Uber.

As they drive through the familiar streets of Detroit, Luke remains quiet, lost in thought as he watches the scenery pass by.

They arrive at the restaurant and spot their parents, Jim and Ellen, already seated at a table. Ellen waves them over, standing up to give each of her sons a warm hug. They sit down and place their orders, falling into easy conversation.

"So, boys, how's the season going so far?" Jim asks, taking a sip of his water.

"It's been good, Dad," Jack replies. "We've had a few tough losses, but overall, the team is really coming together."

Ellen smiles. "That's great to hear. And how about you, Luke? How are you adjusting to life in the NHL?"

Luke shrugs. "It's been a learning curve, but I feel like I'm starting to find my footing."

The conversation turns to family updates and upcoming holiday plans until Jack casually lets it slip that Luke had a date yesterday. 

Ellen's eyes light up. "Ooh, a date? Give me the details!"

Luke shoots Jack a glare before turning to his mother. "It was just a date, Mom. It didn't work out. I don't really want to talk about it."

Jim leans forward, curiosity piqued. "Why not? What happened?"

"It just didn't work out, Dad. Can we please drop it?" Luke pleads, feeling uncomfortable.

"Oh, come on, Luke," Ellen says, her tone gentle. "We're just curious. It's not every day you go on a date." 

Luke sighs, somewhat fighting the sarcastic urge to thank his mother, for bringing that detail to light.

"Seriously, Luke it's been a while since you've had a girlfriend" Jack states 

This time the sarcastic quip isn't fought back as he responds "Thank you, Sherlock" 

"We're just saying Luke, it might be nice for you to have someone" His mom adds

Luke sighs, he thinks it would be nice too, but unfortunately that hasn't happened yet,

"I know can we just drop it" Luke states, his voice raising slightly. 

An awkward silence falls over the table.

After a moment, Jim clears his throat. "So, that game against the Rangers." he says, shifting the topic, which unknowingly causes just as much frustration for Luke, as their previous one, especially considering how Jim chooses to approach the conversation.

Jim leans forward, his expression serious. "Luke, You seemed a bit off"

Luke shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "It was a tough match, Dad. The Rangers are a strong team."

"That's no excuse," Jim counters. "You can't let the other team dictate your play. You need to be more aggressive, take control of the game."

"I'm trying, Dad," Luke sighs, feeling the familiar pressure of his father's expectations weighing on him.

Jim continues, "And what about that turnover in the second period? You can't be making mistakes like that, especially not in your own zone. The other team is just gonna eat that up and score on you"

Luke feels his frustration rising. "I know, Dad. I'm working on it."

Ellen, sensing the tension, tries to intervene. "Jim, honey, I'm sure Luke is doing his best. It's not easy being a rookie in the NHL."

But Jim is undeterred. "The best players find a way to rise above the challenges. If you want to make a name for yourself in this league, Luke, you need to be better."

Jack, noticing Luke's clenched jaw, attempts to diffuse the situation. "Come on, Dad. Luke's been putting in a lot of hard work. His coach has been giving him good feedback. Plus he's producing well"

"Hard work is important," Jim acknowledges, " and he is producing well, but don't forget you're a defenseman, points mean nothing, if you keep giving easy goals away."

Luke's frustration boils over. "I got it," he snaps, his voice louder than intended.

An awkward silence falls over the table again and Jack nudges Luke, silently telling him to calm down. 

"So, Mom, how's the garden coming along?" Jack asks, steering the conversation to safer ground.

Ellen smiles, grateful for the diversion. "Oh, it's going great," she gushes, launching into a detailed description. 

The rest of the lunch passes more pleasantly, as they finish their food, and stick to more neutral topics. 

Then the check arrives, and Jim insists on paying, waving away Luke and Jack's protests. They say their goodbyes, Ellen hugging her sons tightly and making them-specifically Jack-promise to call more often, before they go their separate ways. 

In the Uber back to the hotel, Jack nudges Luke. "You alright, man? You seem a bit more on edge. You usually don't let dad get to you like that?"

Luke sighs, rubbing his face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind."

Jack nods, silently clapping his brother on the back. 

They arrive back at the hotel and Luke makes his way to his room, before lying down on the bed, his mind still reeling from the ups and downs of the day. 

His phone buzzes with a new notification, he picks it up, seeing the contact name, it's one of his best friends Dylan Duke: Hey man, we still on for dinner tonight with Mark and Ethan at 8? 

Luke types out a quick reply: Yeah, see you then.

He sets his phone aside and closes his eyes, trying to calm his swirling thoughts.

 *****

Jordan sits at her desk, a textbook open in front of her and a pen poised in her hand. She's been staring at the same page for the past half hour, the words blurring together as her mind wanders back to Luke. 

She leans back in her chair, a heavy sigh escaping her lips, as she recalls the nervous smile, on his face, when they met on Thursday, it was cute, charming, just like his laugh, and his hazel eyes, or his competitiveness during their game of pool, that was just the right amount of cockiness to keep him from coming off as arrogant. She can't lie, she felt a connection with him, a connection she hasn't felt in a really long time. 

And just like last time, her last name ruined everything, it's ridiculous, that a stupid rivalry caused all this, a stupid rivalry she's not even a part of, ok well yes her last name, but like not her.

Jordan reaches for her phone, her fingers hovering over his contact. She wants to text him, tell him she's not her brother, and her life shouldn't be dictated because of it, she wants to tell him that, she really fucking wants to.

But how would she even say that? "Sorry my brother is your team's biggest rival, but I don't have a problem with the Devils so can we still date?"

She laughs bitterly at the thought. It sounds ridiculous, even to her own ears.

And yet, a part of her doesn't care. A part of her wants to do it anyway, say fuck it.

But she knows it's not that simple. She knows the unwritten rules, the lines that can't be crossed, blah, blah, blah, they're stupid.

Her mind wanders to past relationships, to the boys who only saw her as a stepping stone, a way to get their foot in the door with the Rangers. She remembers the hurt, the betrayal, the feeling of being used.

But with Luke, she thought'd it'd be different outcome, but the outcomes the same, just took a different route, a route still dictated by her fucking last name. 

Luke had been a breath of fresh air, someone who seemed to genuinely care about her, who made her feel seen and heard. And now, she may have lost him forever.

A single tear slips down her cheek, and she quickly wipes it away, not wanting to let herself wallow in self-pity.

"Jordan!" Jacob's voice echoes from the kitchen, startling her out of her thoughts. "Dinner's ready!"

She takes a deep breath, composing herself before responding, "Be right there!"

With one last glance at her phone, she sets it down on the desk, the screen still displaying Luke's contact. She knows she can't text him, can't reach out, no matter how much she wants to.

 *****

Around 7:45 Luke leaves the hotel to meet up with Dylan, Ethan and Mark. They decide on a sushi restaurant that's walking distance from Luke's hotel. 

As they settle into their seats, the conversation quickly turns to life at Michigan.

"Man, you should see the new freshmen," Dylan says, a grin on his face. "They're a riot, especially this one kid from Canada. He's always trying to impress the girls with his accent. It's hilarious."

Ethan laughs, shaking his head. "Remember that party last weekend? I swear, I've never seen someone drink that much and still be standing."

Mark chimes in, recounting a particularly memorable moment from their latest hockey practice. "And then Coach just lost it, started yelling at everyone to get their acts together. I thought he was gonna blow a gasket."

As his friends continue to share stories and updates, Luke finds himself only half-listening. His mind keeps drifting back to Jordan and the way things ended between them. He also can't shake the feeling of nostalgia, missing the carefree days of college life.

Dylan notices Luke's distraction and nudges him. "Hey, man, what's up? You're too cool for us now that you're in the NHL?"

Luke snaps out of his thoughts, looking at his friend. "Of course not," he says, a small smile on his face.

Dylan grins, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Just kidding, dude. But seriously, what's going on? You seem a little off."

Luke hesitates for a moment before opening up. "I met this girl on Friday, and I really liked her. We went out yesterday, but things took a turn for the worse." He doesn't mention her last name, keeping that detail to himself.

His friends listen intently as Luke continues. "We got into a disagreement about something, and it kind of ended everything."

Mark leans forward, his eyes sympathetic. "Do you like her? I mean, really like her?"

Luke nods, a wistful expression on his face. "Yeah, a lot."

Ethan places a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Then it shouldn't matter, man. If you care about each other, you can work through whatever the problem is."

Dylan suddenly looks serious, a rare occurrence for him. "Hold up, she doesn't hate hockey, does she?"

Luke can't help but chuckle at the question. "No, she doesn't hate hockey."

"Then Ethan's right," Dylan says, a smile returning to his face. "Whatever the issue is, you guys can figure it out."

Mark and Ethan nod in agreement, encouraging Luke to reach out to Jordan and try to make amends.

"I don't know, man" Luke says, uncertainty creeping into his voice. "What if she doesn't want to hear from me?"

"You won't know unless you try," Mark points out. "Just send her a text, see how she responds. What's the worst that could happen?"

Luke considers their advice, his mind racing with possibilities, before he lets out a chuckle "When the hell did you guys get brains?" He jokes.

"Junior year apparently" Dylan remarks, resulting in a laugh from the table. 

The conversation shifts back to lighter topics, as they finish up their meal, before remaining at the table, for at least another hour, before Luke has to get back to the hotel, for room checks. 

Once back in his room, he notices Alex already asleep, always an early sleeper, unlike himself, so Luke quietly changes into his sweats and a t- shirt, before lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He replays his friends' words in his head, contemplating texting her. 

And in a moment of impulse, he grabs his phone, his fingers hovering over the screen. Before he can second-guess himself, he types out a simple message to Jordan: I'm sorry.

He hits send, his heart pounding in his chest as he waits for a response that may never come.

A/N I hope you enjoyed reading! Feel free to send me any comments about this story, if you like it, I'd love to hear them!

[cloud-wizard]

*Siffrin on their 120th loop busting in the door to the King* YOU LISTEN HERE YOU FUCKING POSER DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES YOUR DUMB ASS PAULDRONS AND RUPENZEL ASS LOCKS HAS COME INTO MY FIELD VISION?? 112 TIMES. 112 TIMES. I MIGHT GET A FAST PASS JUST TO GET HERE SOON, I MIGHT GET A FUCKING LEASE ON THE LAST RESTING ROOM. AT THIS POINT FIGHTING YOU IS LIKE DOING MY LAUNDRY ITS A DAILY FUCKING RITUAL FIRST I WAKE UP BRUSH MY TEETH KICK YOUR FUCKING TEETH IN THEN WALK THE DOG. THATS HOW FUCKING LOW ON THE LIST OF PRIORITIES YOU ARE. IF I HAD TO RANK THE DIFFICULTY OF FIGHTING YOU AND WORKING THROUGH YOUR EMOTIONAL BULLSHIT OR FLOSSING MY MOLARS YOU'D BE A CLOSE SECOND. EVERY FUCKING DAY ITS LIKE AN NPR PODCAST HOSTED BY JOE ROGAN AND A GODAMN SEA CUCUMBER FROM A LLOREAL PARIS COMMERCIAL YOU STUTTER MORE THAN PORKIE PIG ON A PIPE ORGAN . FUCK. YEAH YOU FORGOT OUR COUNTRY AND LAUNGAGE AND YOUR FAMILY BUT YOU TOOK THAT AND WENT "THE ONLY REASONABLE ACTION IS TO ICE 9 THE COUNTRYSIDE" HOW FUCKING BATSHIT CAN YOU BE IS THERE NOT ENOUGH BLOOD FLOWING INTO THAT FUCKING EASTER ISLAND HEAD ASS OF YOURS??? YOU ARENT EVEN A KING YOU PICKED THAT BATMAN ASS ALIAS JUST TO PISS EVERYONE OFF. "I NEED TO DO THIS NOBODY UNRERSTANDS ME" BRO I FUCKING WISH I DIDNT UNDERSTAND YOU THEN MAYBE YOU WOULD BE ACTUALLY MYSTERIOUS BUT NOOO I UNDERSTAND YOUR EVERY THOUGHT AND DESIRE IM IN YOUR HEAD MORE THAN IM IN ISABEAUS AND THANK THE STARS HES NOT A LITTLE BITCH ABOUT IT. EVERY LOOP I GET THIS MUCH CLOSER TO JUST LIGHTING THE BUILDING ON FIRE AND LETTING YOU GO FULL MIDSOMMER BUT I DONT DO THAT, BECAUSE DENTING THAT FUCKING CROWN IS THE ONLY REAL JOY I HAVE LEFT ITS LIKE CRACK TO ME NOW, MALAGNA FRITTERS TURN TO ASH IN MY MOUTH AND THIS BEAUTIFUL HIMBO OVER HERE IS SCARED TO TOUCH ME (OH FUCKING CHRIST I NEED A A BEAR HUG SO TIGHT I START OVER AGAIN I SWEAR IT WOULD FIX ME) SO THE ONLY THING I GET UP IN THE MORNING TO DO IS PRAY THAT THE ONLY REASON IM IN THIS TIME LOOP IS TOO SEE HOW MANY VERTEBRE I CAN DISSECT FROM YOU IN 3 ROUNDS. OH AND IF YOU EVEN FUCKING LOOK AT BONNIE I WILL CUT YOU ASS TO MOUTH AND WEAR YOU LIKE A JACKET. LIKE. A. JACKET.

". . ."

*ding!*

Siffrin Time!

[mcmactictac]

9 people you’d like to get to know better

Thanks @moonystardust7 for tagging me, I don’t do these often but this one looked banger

Last song I listened to: my Spotify says that it was Waiting Room by Phoebe Bridgers but that’s just because I’ve been trying to branch out from looping I Know The End (also by Phoebe bridgers)

I’m currently reading: The Whispering Skull by Jonathon Stroud (the second book in the Lockwood and Co series because I’m still trying to cope with the fact the show got cancelled)

Currently watching: nothing because I don’t have time for a new hyperfixation right now but I’ll watch episodes of merlin and some of my other old favourite movies on occasion

Current obsession: would also be bbc merlin, it always lives in the corners of my mind. As mentioned I’m trying so hard not to trigger another hyperfixation right now as I’m very busy with work but Lockwood and co likes to creep back in there sometimes. Also been getting into crotchet/knitting more recently?

I’m gonna tag @softbeanofexistentialcrisis @boygirlctommy @bigpapawalkingdownthestreet @firerose @khyrrn-v2 @marcskywalker @technolilly @adrianainthesnow @hyacjnthus

[huellitaa]

bee's record player: march edition. 🎀𓂃 ࣪˖

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !! notice !! ♡

surpriseee <3 wanted to try and add a little of my personal influence to my girlblog since music is literally my entire life & thought it might be funny to show u all what makes up the chaotic glittery mess that is my brain (and because there are almost 1000 of you beautiful people following me whatt?? thank you😭). i've allllways wanted to do smth like this too so, here u go !! 🩷💗

(+ this is a way for me to rant about my interests without being annoying to my friends / moots 😭. to anybody who has listened to me rant or cry or scream or whatever over music ily guys mwa)

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 NEW ARRIVALS

goddess, laufey

♡ released march 6th, 2024

♡ single

♡ running time: 4 minutes 28 seconds

eternal sunshine, ariana grande

♡ released march 8th, 2024

♡ full album / LP

♡ best songs: supernatural, the boy is mine, we can't be friends (wait for your love), intro (end of the world)

♡ running time: 35 minutes 33 seconds

unheard, hozier

♡ released march 22nd, 2024

♡ extended play / EP

♡ best songs: too sweet (i adore this song.)

♡ running time: 13 minutes 59 seconds

super real me, illit

♡ released march 25th, 2024

♡ extended play / EP, debut! ♡

♡ best songs: magnetic, midnight fiction

♡ running time: 9 minutes 36 seconds

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 BEE'S TRACKS: TOP 10

♡ 10. my world, illit

girly girl song!! i've been obsessed with illit's whole super real me album, their debut is soo good oh my gosh. its criminally short but i seem to have listened to it a lot !! 😭

♡ 9. we can't be friends (wait for your love), ariana grande

i have SO MUCH to say about this song but it resonates with me so much in so many different ways and i just. oh my god. ariana i love u so much

♡ 8. we got so much, le sserafim

k so i initially didn't really like this song but... it's grown on me. a lot. since it first came out. um. it's pretty simple honestly and it's just really girly girl it makes me feel like a school girl i love it

♡ 7. this is what makes us girls, lana del rey

girlblogger anthem!! okay confession i did not get into this song until LAST MONTH. i know. it's terrible and i am ashamed i am so sorry. but i have formed such a strong emotional attachment to this song its crazy i adore it

♡ 6. imperfect for you, ariana grande

exposing myself pt.3 i was in a really big depressive slump for like one half or more of this month actually and this song helped me so much i can't 😭 i love you ari

♡ 5. the boy is mine, ariana grande

(are you noticing a pattern here yet) um another ariana grande song no lol um idk what ur talking about haha 🥰 this song is so twerkable im sorry i wasnt a fan at first but im obsessed i need to stop

♡ 4. smart, le sserafim

no words. once again wasn't a huge fan originally but oh my god im obsessed w it now. afrobeat type of songs are, will, and always be top tier and i will die on this hill. (i've been SO OBSESSED with le sserafim lately but i think thats fairly obvious here😭)

♡ 3. eternal sunshine, ariana grande

i adore this song oh my god. its become one of my favs of all time since it came out. this was on loop for HOURS when i first heard it and its such a comfort song for me. it shows her growth so beautifully and there's so much about it i just absolutely adore like i could write a whole essay on this song and still wouldnt be able to express how much i love it

♡ 2. magnetic, illit

illit was bound to pop up here again this month tbh ok so me and my bsf were listening to this on loop the entire time at school a little after it came out like we were sitting in the front row of our class and were still watching the magnetic mv under the desk on her phone. so in love with this song it makes me so happy n feel so cute i ahh <3

♡ 1. supernatural, ariana grande

SUPERNATURAL IS THE SONG EVER. first day it came out i listened to the album and this was on loop constantly for the next week or more. it's made it up to my top 10 fav songs of all time ever and i listen to A LOT of music. this song is my life<333

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 ALBUMS

♡ 1. eternal sunshine, ariana grande

fairly self explanatory. i love u ari. there was soo much ari this month bc ive been a diehard ari stan since i was 8 and have never looked back. since yes and released in january i have been ecstatic about ag7 releasing in march after 4 YEARS of no ari so this was MONUMENTAL for me 😭😭 THE DROUGHT IS OVER ARIANATORS RISE 🩷🩷🩷

♡ 2. super real me, illit

so basically the day this album came out my best friend was spamming me about them and i only listened to them like 2 days after cuz she was annoying me about it and OH MY GOD. i listened to them and then proceeded to loop the whole album for the next 72 hours 💗 and for a debut as well is amazing ily illit girlies

♡ 3. with you-th, twice

so i wasn't much of a fan at first bc they just sounded really similar and bland to me but its grown on me a lot since it came out and i've been listening to it so much throughout the entirety of march. its just so oddly comforting in a way and feels like a hug in music form (+ rush and bloom are the best songs argue with the wall)

♡ 4. easy, le sserafim

self explanatory. i'm obsessed with le sserafim at the moment and this album is everything to me. ass shaking album 10/10

♡ 5. k-12, melanie martinez

i have been revisiting one of my fav albums of all time this month and its as amazing as always. this has been my favourite album of all time since it came out and i will never ever get over k12 🩷 10000/10!!!! <3

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 ARTISTS

♡ TOMORROW X TOGETHER

♡ TWICE

♡ LANA DEL REY

♡ LE SSERAFIM

♡ ARIANA GRANDE

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 SPECIAL MENTIONS

♡ happy 1 year to portals by melanie martinez! oh my god this album helped me through all of 2023 and i went to see her on tour in london for my birthday last november and it was surreal. she's amazing. i adore her and this album (i have it on vinyl hehe) and love it SOO MUCH 💖

♡ expect ordinary things by ariana grande to be high high on my top 10 next month its been on loop for days now im obsessed

♡ there's going to be a LOT in next month's issue seeing as 2 of my all time favs are coming back next month, so prepare for that! so excited ahh <3 (one has already released at the time of writing this. prepare urselves.)

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 EDITOR'S NOTE

this was SO FUN oh my gosh. i am 100% making this a regular thing~ lmk if it was entertaining, improvements needed, artists / albums you'd like me to keep up with etc, or just general comments, ideas, reviews and so on. thank you so much for reading, this was so fun! look forward to next month 💗🫶💖

lots of love 💘

[flcwermimi]

— VOID STATE PROGRESS CHART ❜

Hlo everyone so right now my Summer breaks are going on and I've decided to enter the void state because I can and this is my daily routine progress chart though I've decided to share this with you all yesterday but I was unable to post so I am sharing it right now

Ok my routine is simple and right now I am not doing anything in day ( like listening to subliminals or doing robotic affirmation) I am using deep trance hypnosis method which I got to know by @/gorgeouslypink when I came across one her of post she suggested this video and after that when I research a little bit on this topic I get to know that DEEP TRANCE : is altered states that are characterized by profound relaxation and loss of control over the body, as well as a subjective sense of floating or detachment from one's physical self

I kind of found deep trance similar to Void helpful for my brain because it doesn't question around when I am doing this method

So this all for this post right now I will be updating it after doing the method tonight bye luv you all🫶🤍

— 5/07/2024 : okay so update 😭this is hilarious lmao what happened actually is that I thought first I will do some breathing exercises for relaxation & for which I was listening to a video and I didn't knew that my mobile was charge was low on the top of that I fell asleep on my back lol but anyway I when I woke in up the morning I affirm that ' I can enter the void when I want ' I will update tomorrow luv y'all 😌

— 6/07/2024 : y'all probably thought I had give up but no I was in mobile area for few so days so there no internet connection and for update I had change the methods because the voice in hypnosis is too sweet to focus. everytime I found myself wandering in different things. So what I did in next two days was focusing on lucid dreaming

— 7/07/2024 : The whole day I listen to this subliminal ( probably one of the best subliminal I've ever found) while listening to subliminals I affirmed that ' I am always aware when I am dreaming & I lucid dream easily and effortlessly ' I kept doing reality check every hour like biting tounge counting fingers and pinching nose though in the night'I didn't dream😭lmao all I remember was a pitch black so belive I was in void but unaware and I also kept the subliminal on loop so that was the mistake I guess

— 8/07/2024 : Again I did the same routine which I did yesterday but this time I didn't kept the subliminals loop all night instead I started counting while affirming the same affirmation then I fall asleep again when I woke up in the morning I thought it again ended on the same page like yesterday but I was able to recall each and every single details of my dream & I am pretty sure I will Lucid dream tonight will update tomorrow and also I will be making a different post how to shift/tap into void through lucid dream that's all for today luv y'all 🫶🫡

— 9/07/2024 : update so yesterday I did the same routine though I just couldn't sleep on my back because I felt like someone was ripping my scalp out of my skull and I thought I will do that 4-6 hours method for Lucid dream but when alarm woke me up😭💀I was like it's just 4:30 why I am waking up so early?? I forgot what I was doing then fell asleep but anyway each and every step I take I am feeling I am very close to my goal I am very motivated any second you all can get my success story 🤭so hang on lmao will update luv y'all 🤍

— 10/07/2024 : update okay guys I seriously have no idea what happened yesterday's night cause i feel I did have multiple dreams I tired to connect the dot but it doesn't end up anywhere so that's it will update tomorrow 🤍

— 11/07/2024 : i feel like I am having iceberg it's frustrating but okay I didn't follow the routine yesterday cuz I was feeling very low but I will do it again today will update tomorrow 🤍

12/07/2024 : okay okay update I was lucid in my yesterday dream but all of sudden a spider was crawling in my hand💀 an I have Arachnophobia so I just couldn't control the dream and I woke up lmao I will try today not freak out with a spider okay bye will update tomorrow

13/07/2024 : update I just fall asleep normally because I feel I am having burn out so I will took break of three days where I am going for tracking and I will update after that 🤍

14/07/2024 : Break

15/07/2024 : Break

16/07/2024 : Break

17/07/2024 : 😂okay I forgot I was doing void routine but any way will update tomorrow 🤍🫶

18/07/2024 : okay I didn't follow any routine yesterday I did have plenty of works and after doing that I just fell asleep will update tomorrow 🤍

19/07/2024 : okay I didn't did anything different from yesterday I've been busy with the uni addmission process will update tomorrow

20/07/2024 : yesterday I didn't know how but from nowhere I did have alot of symptoms and I was so tired. In my mind I was convienced I am not gonna move but the symptoms were alot I couldn't focus so u gave up will update tomorrow

21/07/2024 : Yesterday I was in sleep paralysis but I heard smthing terrible sound in my earbud it was really terrifying I just can't describe here skskdkshkdsss will update tomorrow 🤍😐

22/07/2024 : I went for bonfire so i didn't did anything after that will update tomorrow

23/07/2024: 😭 seriously I forgot to update

24/07/2024 : Either I am dreaming about spider or someone chasing me with something axe on their hand yesterday I was lucid but I got freak and woke up will update tomorrow

25/07/2024 : 😭 update yesterday I was in hypnagogia state i also had that floating sensation ok ok will update tomorrow skskskssfkss

26/07/2024 : pulled allnight so didn't did anything will update tomorrow

27/07/2024 :

28/07/2024 :

29/07/2024 : hey y'all sorry I haven't updated it two days cause I've been sick it's some kind flu spreading in our area and I don't feel doing the routine so I will update when I get better and yes I will answer your DM thankyou 🤍

- sorry if there are errors I am improving my English

[leptonyx-constellate]

this is really only a small point in the end, but like... the first thing that made us solidly go "nope!" about the idea of a school for plurals was the mention of everyone having a badge connected to simplyplural that would show the current fronter.

like, not even going into the personal part, our first point is: who would manage the simplyplural account, first of all? taking us, for example, doing shit on our phone is incredibly difficult and overwhelming. there's a reason why we don't answer 90% of asks we get (on this blog, on the plurillean-confessions blog, etc) on our phone, and as far as we can tell, simplyplural is primarily a mobile app (actually, we're trying to register on the web, and it just straight up is not working--either it tells us that our password isn't valid even though it is, or it gets stuck in a loading loop). and there's probably folks who would struggle to manage a simplyplural themselves in general, regardless of where it was.

okay, so, then who would manage the account if the person it's for can't? we sure as hell wouldn't trust someone else to manage something that's so personal, let alone someone who is meant to be an authority figure, so that puts staff entirely out of the picture if you're trying to make this a safe and comfortable place. and of course, there's every chance that whoever is chosen to manage the simplyplural just... won't listen to the system in question. won't add new members the system says are there for whatever reason, won't change pronouns or apeparances, etc.

alright. alrightalrightalright. put managing it to the side. let's talk about the display of who's fronting, right? two problems i can immediately foresee:

(1a) privacy. this is immediately a huge concern for privacy, say for headmates who want to log themselves fronting, but don't want other people to know they're there. for a while, one of our headmates (Mimic) used a completely different pk proxy while talking in certain servers because it was worried that, if people knew who it was, they would immediately run it out of the place.

(2a) multiple fronters at once. unless this badge is huge or the text or whatever else is on there is tiny, how are you going to manage multiple fronters? multiple badges? okay, how many badges is the maximum? because, for example, when Wolf fronts, all of us are always there. so that's immediately 6 people. and usually, there's more than just Wolf. often, other folks such as Arratay, Parrot, and Lewis are around. that's 9 people all fronting at once. how are you going to deal with that?

and (2b) hey, the whole point of showing who's fronting is to show who is talking, right? what about in cases where someone blips in for a few seconds to add in a random comment before leaving? what if this regularly happens to the point where it could get confusing about who said what unless someone shows up on the badge (like with us, where mentioning a certain headmate or something they're interested in will get their attention, and they'll often send in a quick "hi" or a short (or long) infodump about whatever we're talking about before promptly leaving)?

oh, and not to mention (2c + 1b) what about headmates who front a lot because of something, but don't talk? if they're fronting, they'd supposedly show on the badge, but it wouldn't be them talking. some months ago, we joined a server for a game that was a special interest of Guppy's, and ze would pretty much be in front every time we were playing the game or engaging with the server. note: ze never said a single word, ze always had someone else talking for hir because ze was too anxious to talk to people and let people know ze was there.

and then, of course (2d) what about systems who are almost constantly blurry? who often have multiple headmates fronting at once, but when they're fronting, it's basically just thoughts-and-feelings soup that can't easily be separated into "headmate 1" and "headmate 2"? or systems that struggle to figure out who specifically is fronting for one reason or another? what then?

i don't know. maybe it's just us, but that comment was the very first thing that really put us off. (and then, of course, followed by the whole "ooo it's an experiment!" thing.) that was the thing that immediately put a sour taste in our mouth. it's small potatoes compared to... everything else, but we were really put off by it (and we're honestly surprised nobody else has said anything about it).

[curator-on-ao3]

Again, cool response to the last question, so I'll let you pick from these options:

And there are things I have fan-fixed in my head to the point that I have to remind myself that the fix-it isn’t part of the actual canon: favourite one of these?

Or

Your/a favourite part of actual canon. Like, maybe something little but it's just so lovely and fitting to you and you're just happy that it exists?

I’ve been a little down on Trek lately, so I’m going to type as fast as I can to brain-dump, in show order, the first things that pop into my mind that I absolutely love in Trek canon:

Kirk calling Nomad his son, the doctor

Christine Chapel’s snark to Roger Korby about schtupping the androids

Mark Leonard’s performance in Balance of Terror

the Horta (a great mama)

“Edith Keeler must die.”

Captain John Christopher, United States Air Force. Serial number 4857932.

Tribbles

the lesson of The Cloud Minders that we must have empathy and listen to others when they tell us about their lived experience in an environment unlike our own

the cheap-ass animation of TAS

Q

Bynars and Minuet

Beverly Crusher’s frustration in Arsenal of Freedom (and the episode’s Good Ship Lollipop joke)

Picard shooting the other version of himself in Time Squared (to clarify: out of respect for those times when we have to stop ourselves from getting caught in loops/doing stupid stuff and we summon up the courage to break a bad cycle and move forward)

K'Ehleyr

Picard out-lawyering the Sheliak

Rachel Garrett; Yar and Castillo

Lal (but I can’t watch the end anymore, it hurts too much)

the Shakespeare and “Set a course for Betazed. Warp 9.” comedy in Ménage a Troi

Best of Both Worlds, I and II (Shelby inclusive)

every conference table discussion in all of TNG

Beverly’s jump in Remember Me (such a damn good episode)

the reveal in Future Imperfect (which one? all of them)

The Dancing Doctor tap dancing with Data

Darmok. And Jalad. At Tenagra.

Ro Laren

Troi saying, “You could have easily been right” to Ro in Disaster

Hugh, Third of Five

the fact that The Next Phase has so many plotholes and they’re forgivable because the episode is so fun and great

Scotty on the holodeck version of the TOS bridge and Picard joining him

Rascals!

Deanna’s “Ancient West” outfit

the Jefferies tube music and make out session in Lessons

Attached. Oh, my heart.

the Enterprise with three nacelles … and that absolutely perfect last shot of the series

“You exist here.”

Sisko’s casual, everyday affection for Jake

“Old Man”

Rejoined. Lenara Khan. The love. That kiss. The emotional stakes. All of it.

the three Ferengi hitting their own heads to try to fix their universal translators so the 20th century Earth military people mimic the movement to try to communicate

every second of Trials and Tribble-ations including Sisko working overtime to stop fuckmaster Dax, tossing the tribbles, Sisko meeting Kirk, “We do not discuss it with outsiders,” and so much more

Kira blaming Bashir for putting the baby inside her when … you know … behind the scenes

The Sons of Mogh helping with the harvest in Children of Time

Far Beyond the Stars — some of the best if not the best science fiction I have ever seen

the monster fakeout (and kindness) in The Sound of Her Voice, even though the end makes me cry

“Computer, erase that entire personal log.”

Solok

Sisko and Kassidy discussing their comfort levels about a simulation in which the reality was segregation

Janeway waterfalling off the sofa to be closer to Mark on the screen

“Warp particles!”

the lizard babies

the two Janeways in Deadlock

Remember (a painfully good Holocaust episode that doesn’t get enough credit and, yes, I know the path the script took and I’m glad it ended up as a B’Elanna episode)

“I don't know what I'm seeking.” “Then I believe you are ready to begin.”

“The child you spoke of, the girl. Her favorite color was red.” Also, Tuvok’s meditation lamp in the window for Kes.

hot damn, Counterpoint, yaaas

everything in Relativity

“The Yankees, in six games.”

Janeway going after Seven in The Voyager Conspiracy

“This is Lieutenant Reginald Barclay at Starfleet Command.” “It's good to hear your voice, Lieutenant. We've been waiting a long time for this moment.” “The feeling is mutual. Unfortunately, the micro-wormhole is collapsing. We have only a few moments.” “Understood. We are transmitting our ship's logs, crew reports, and navigational records to you now.” “Acknowledged. And we're sending you data on some new hyper-subspace technology. We're hoping eventually to use it to keep in regular contact, and we're including some recommended modifications for your comm system.” “We'll implement them as soon as possible.” “There's someone else here who would also like to say something.” “This is Admiral Paris.” “Hello, sir.” “How are your people holding up?” “Very well. They're an exemplary crew, your son included.” “Tell him, tell him I miss him. And I'm proud of him.” “He heard you, Admiral.” “The wormhole is collapsing.” “I want you all to know we're doing everything we can to bring you home.” “We appreciate it, sir. Keep a docking bay open for us.”

“Nice hair.” (Live Fast and Prosper)

Janeway and Jaffen in Workforce

the spot-on legal concerns of Author, Author

“Set a course. For home.”

(Nothing from Enterprise or Prodigy only because I haven’t watched enough of Enterprise or any of Prodigy)

Burnham and Georgiou forming the delta with their footsteps

the CGI on only the shields protecting Burnham from space

“Are we in session? Because I didn't know you were practicing again. Because if I have your undivided attention for fifty minutes, I can think of a whole bunch of other things we could be doing.”

“That's as depressing a trait as I've ever heard.” “I don't give a damn … I still don't give a damn.”

Cornwell beaming in, phaser aimed, taking command of Discovery

Cornwell phasering the fortune cookies

Cornwell’s voice breaking: “So my Gabriel is dead.”

Detmer’s little bounce when Emperor-as-Captain Georgiou takes command

Pike beaming aboard and instantly being all like MOJAVE to prove to the audience he’s the guy from The Cage

New Eden. Everything. Oh my God (pun intended). The visuals. Owo’s backstory. Pollard patching Pike up after he’s shot. The light at the end. Oh my God, yes. That episode. Yes.

Number freaking One beaming aboard and having her lunch briefing with Pike (Chris and Una’s decades-long friendship wasn’t canon yet, but it shows here so beautifully)

Gabrielle Burnham

“In case the shit hit the fan.”

Michael Burnham on truth serum

Book

Laira Rillak, everyone!

Q&A

season 1 Raffi Musiker

Fleet Admiral and Commander-in-Chief Kirsten Clancy

“You owe me a ship, Picard.”

“You need a feather in your hat.”

Riker greeting Picard

Hugh greeting Picard

the separate trio of Raffi, Clancy, and Deanna all telling Picard he’s shit

Rios singing in Spanish

President Annika Hansen

everybody finding each other in the Confederation Universe

Liam Shaw — a character with incredible highs and lows

Majel Barrett as the computer voice when the crew gets to the Enterprise D

“Somehow I figured you might.”

everything in Ghosts of Illyria

Spock and La’an’s mind meld

Spock and T’Pring in Spock Amok

“You cannot resign. The loss to Enterprise would be unimaginable. To me.”

“If you’re going to steal a starship, do it correctly.”

Neera Ketoul

La’an normalizing needing to eat all the time as a teenager (especially important for girls to hear)

Pike and Una visually checking in with each other so often that it’s in their cartoon versions (that whole episode, actually, including, “Riker!”)

That’s scrolling through episode titles and jotting down stuff I love off the top of my head, fam.✨

Thank you so much for this ask, anon! ❤️ I needed this positive energy in my life.

[countrymusiclover]

8 - One Friend to Another

Part 9

Dr. Redheaded Neighbor

Tag list - send an ask to be added @annieradcliff @watermeezer @zaidatorcuatomorgado @kmc1989

The ambulance doors flung opened when we pulled up to the emergency entrance. Raegan was taken out on the bed through the double sliding automatic doors into the ED. I hopped out the back of the vehicle carrying Maxon still in my arms. “Female, late 20’s, has some burns on her forearms and injuries to her stomach.”

“You’re going to be okay, Raegan.” I reassured her even though I wasn’t sure if she could hear me as some nurses came over to us.

A nurse touched my arm asking me as I walked beside my friends rolling bed. “Ms, are you hurt anywhere. Does anything hurt?”

“Uh no. I’m fine, just make sure she’s okay.” I told her before I heard shoes squeaking on the tile floor of the ED and I saw that it was Will who nearly slid into the nearest wall coming up to me in a frantic manner.

“Mallory! What happened. Are you okay. Is Maxon injured?”

I did the best I could to reassure him knowing he would go into full doctor mode regardless of the things that I said to him. “I’m fine. We just got caught in an explosion at Raegan’s building. Maxon just needs rest and fluid. Raegan is the one who needs your help right now.”

“I’ll do my best. Let’s get her to trauma four.” Will called the nurses attention and she wheeled my friend into the room lifting her onto the bed so he could examine her. He removed his stethoscope from around his neck seeing me standing in the corner still holding my loyal dog in my arms. “I can have April call the nearest vet office and check him out.”

“I’m not leaving her here by herself.” I replied back rather quickly.

Will slightly turned his body to face me. “I’m just saying that you should clear your head. I’ll keep you updated but you standing here every second. It - isn’t going to be good for you.”

“Do you pinky promise to keep me updated?” I asked him shifting Maxon to lay mostly on one arm, holding up my right pinky finger.

Will takes a step towards me looping his pinky with mine. “I promise, Mal.” Nodding my head I carried my dog out to the waiting room calling an Uber to take us to the nearest vet office. Climbing in the backseat of the car I let my mind wander back to the night Will and I had made the pinky promise pact between each other.

It was basically mine and Maxon’s last night living across from Will for a while since we were supposed to be flown out to the base in the next two days. I had already gave the landlord money to keep my apartment locked up until the time we came back – of course though I knew there was a chance we might not come back too. Anyway, Will had decided that we should watch a movie and order in some pizza for the evening. “Let’s state it for the record now that you are not allowed to pick the next movie when I come back from my service.”

“How was I supposed to know that the movie would be horrible. My brother Jay said it was good.” Will ran a hand down his face taking a drink from his beer.

I pointed my beer bottle towards him. “Right there is your problem. You shouldn’t have listened to him.”

“Well, I’m sorry. I’ll be sure to tell him that the next time I see him.”

I sat my beer bottle down on the coffee table in front of us. “Okay then I really need to meet your brother whenever that day comes.”

“I’ll do my best to remember that , Mal.” He nodded in agreement.

Maxon was chewing on some pizza crust we had given him since I didn’t really it unless it had cheese stuffed inside of it. “We should make a promise type deal. That if someone says the code words then you are ultimately agreeing that they will follow whatever said promise was made.” I reached for another piece of pizza, taking a bite out of it.

“So, like a vow or serious pinky promise.” Will glanced in my direction picking up on what I was suggesting.

Nodding my head yes, I talked with some pizza in my mouth. “Exactly. So, if you told me I had to meet your brother one day then- “

“Please stop talking with your mouth full. I can’t stand it.” He chuckled flashing his dimples at me and holding his hands up in his surrender. “But yes that sounds like a good idea. Let’s do a pinky promise situation okay.”

I hold out my right pinky finger to him with a smile on my lips. “Just say the arrangement, Will.”

“Eventually you have to meet my brother Jay.” He held up his pinky and I looped mine with his own.

“It’s a deal, Halstead.” From that night we hadn’t broken that agreement between us and I doubt we ever would until the day one of us died.

Exiting the vet building I walked Maxon out on a leash that they had given me. The nurse had given him fluids and he had only slept for about five hours. I had another Uber drive me to the hospital to check on my friend since Will hadn’t texted me off any changes. Heading inside the building I waited in the lobby after telling a nurse named Maggie to see if Halstead was available to talk for a quick second. “Mallory. Hey, how did everything go with Maxon?” Will came out into the lobby.

“Why don’t you see for yourself.” I grinned opening my legs before my dog ran through them straight into Will’s embrace.

A huge boyish grin became plastered over his face. “Hey, hey, Max. Dang you sure are a tough dog aren’t you. Yeah, that’s my boy.” He threaded his fingers into his fur receiving some licks from Maxon.

I leaned back in the chair I was sitting in. “Army has to make their soldiers and K-9’s have to all be the same level of toughness.”

“Yeah that’s true. I’m just glad he’s okay.”

I finally asked the question that was spinning inside my head. “How’s Raegan?”

“She’s stable. Dr. Rhodes was able to stop the piece of metal that was inside of her chest from getting to her heart. Give her a couple of days and she should be out of here pretty soon.” He informed me seeing the lobby automatic doors slide opened with a blonde in a Chicago fire department jacket on her. “Do you know that women, Mal?”

Glancing in the direction he was looking I could somewhat recognize her from the explosion incident. “I think I might. I don’t know why she’s here though.”

“You’re Mallory Easton and Will Halstead aren’t you?” She strides up to us, putting a hand on her hip.

Will rises to his feet with Maxon standing by his shoes. “Yeah. Are we in trouble of some kind, Ms – uh.”

“Sylvie Brett.” She introduced herself.

Will dropped his hands down at his sides unsure of how to respond to her. “Nice to meet you I think.”

“Uh Sylvie, what exactly are you doing here?” I pushed my body up from the chair walking up until I was standing a few steps in front of her.

She focused her gaze between my best friend and me before she finally answered my question. “Mallory, I’d like to talk to you about something. Privately if you have the time now.”

“Yeah, sure.” I replied following her out towards the double doors where I glanced over my shoulder not sure what she wanted to talk with me about.

Maxon made a noise looking up at Will with a tilt of his head. “What do you think that conversation is gonna be about, Max.” Will just sat down with him laying at his feet simply wanting to wait until she got back.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[garf-lover96]

my long ass elaborate ranking of Will Wood's (and The Tapeworms') albums!! (Everything is a Lot ranking list)

for the purpose of making this i've been listening to this whole album like non stop for the past week. i even made my parents listen to it with me (my mom liked it and said that she'd go to see the songs live if she could!). it was actually pretty difficult to rank all of them but i think the top 3 will remain unchanged forever, they're some of my all time favorites from will wood!! the way i'll do this i think is i'll write down all the things i like about a particular song, maybe a favorite lyric and a favorite moment or something. or just some general rambling. also i split Everything is a Lot into Everything is a Lot and Destroy to Enjoy, like in the remastered album!

———

1. Skeleton Appreciation Day in Vestal, NY (Bones)

first time i heard this song was over a year ago so i can't tell what my exact first impression was but it did almost immediately become my favorite song ever. I LOVE IT SO MUCH IT'S INSANE. also fun fact, memberoflottiescult really likes this song!

my main thing with this song is that it sounds like?? you know, bones?? it sounds like skeletons. the melody is like something a skeleton would've come up with. i can't explain it but it is hearable. best song ever

2. 6up 5oh Cop-Out (Pro / Con)

it was one of the first will's songs i've ever liked on spotify. ughhhh the energy, the general mashing of the piano and it sounding like it's about to fall apart any second lol!! the high ass notes. perfect, so perfect. i was listening to this song while purchasing a meter long plush goose. the song is like a brother to me

my favorite part is the spoken "am i being detained? am i under arrest? read me my rights please! I WANT MY PHONECALL" it's uhfhdfhkf. showstopping

3. White Knuckle Jerk (Where Do You Get Off?)

it took me exactly one (1) full listen to this one to absolutely fall in love with it, holy fuck. one of the best things i've ever heard. every time it's on i have to loop it a few times

my favorite parts are the "i wonder how i woke up in the middle of my surgery and i watched them botch my heart. only the second worst thing that i could've thought was 'this won't have to end if it doesn't start'" and "i'll never know what it's like to love you" because ummm???? the emotion in his voice omfg, i love it when this happens. it's so perfect (reminds me of julian devorak..........)

4. Lygerside Daydream

had me hooked after the first listen as well. i love the melody and i love how the lyrics are written here. i, too, want to blow the seeds of dandelions and wish for nothing more. such a sweet sound. one of my favorites as well. nice to daydream to, ha!!!

5. Front Street

idk how to explain this but the pace of the song, like the way the lyrics are sung is so satisfying. just the sentence structure and stuff.. uhhh i really don't know how to describe this, but i love it a whole lot. the piano melody here is amazing as well it so???? I DON'T FUCKING KNOW it's just good

6. The First Step

so nice to sing along to!!! "and i hope i don't choke on my vomit tonight" and "take my anxiety and my sobriety, i'll kill two birds with one stoner. so if you see me please, take my keys i don't wanna be an organ donor" are my favorite parts:3 so satisfyingly said

7. Chemical Overreaction / Compound Fracture

one of my first ones too i'm pretty sure. the chorus really pulled me in. fast and fun. i think i showed it to my godfather once. the spanish part scratches my brain so good

8. Cover This Song (A Little Bit Mine)

very nice to sing along to as well. i love the melody on the very first verse. i love the part with the piano solo so much

9. Everything is a Lot

i love the melody sooooooo much, "all the moments you've lost, all the money it cost" part is my favorite. shouldn't be overlooked!!!!!

10. Red Moon

i had to come around to it a bit but i actually love it. love the "the constellations form infinite paisleys in the sky" part, such a nice sound. satisfying lyrics in general

11. Thermodynamic Lawyer Esq. G.F.D.

nice to listen to when i want to have something screaming into my ears. loooove the fact that liar liar was sampled in the beginning, i really like that movie. i used to be obsessed with jim carrey also. i binged pretty much all of his movies as a little lad

12. Jimmy Mushrooms' Last Drink: Bedtime in Wayne, NJ

the kalimba kind of bothered me initially but i got used to it. i enjoy the melody. don't have much to say about it

13. ¡Aikido! (Neurotic / Erotic)

it's not horrible by any means, it just kind of doesn't do it for me. i usually skip it

14. Destroy to Enjoy

satisfying rhymes, i prefer not to listen to construction work as a past time

———

this took so long to put together, i kept forgetting about it or rearranging it...

[lucarionite9364]

Khaotic Turn of Events

Havik x Reader Ch. 1.5

(Side plot where we actually interact with other characters)

CW: sad Kung Lao, that’s about it lmao

WC: 1855

A/N: actual second chapter next week tehe💖

Your mind is racing with too many thoughts to comprehend at once. You feel overwhelmed. Why? Because you leave for Outworld tomorrow morning.The stress of preparation has kept you up all night. You have to make sure that you’ll have everything you need. . . and may not need, but there could be a situation where you need all the backup Yo-yo string you have in your drawers.

Stopping your pacing, you take a deep breath in, then out. Calm down. You still have time to double, maybe triple, check your bag. But that will come later. For now, you need to find your fellow champions. Putting a pin in your stress-packing, you leave to find the boys.

You find Johnny and Kenshi first, as they’re both in Kenshi’s room. Kenshi looks exhausted and a little annoyed. However, the reason isn’t that hard to find. Johnny is non stop talking about his Hollywood movies. You pause at the door and wait for permission to enter.

Kenshi notices you first. When Johnny sees that he isn’t listening anymore, he turns to look for the distraction. He smiles and waves you in.

“Hey! I was just talking about one of my movies. Wanna hear about it?” He smiles so wide like a kid. He really loves his own movies, doesn't he? Before you could foolishly say yes, Kenshi interrupts you. “Sure, say yes,” He deadpans. “He’ll only talk your ear off for 3 hours!” He shoots daggers at the actor with his eyes.

“Oh come on Takahashi. It’s only been about 30 minutes. At BEST!” You sense Kenshi’s growing agitation before it shows on his face. “You have been running on and on about your dumb movies since we came back from dinner at 6. It’s 9:30 now!” You finally chime in, “Johnny, I think you might need to get a watch.” He frowns, “Oh hush.”

Kenshi just sighs and Johnny starts sulking, trying to get more attention. “Anyways, did you need something?” You look at him like he grew a second head. You were so caught up in their petty squabble that you forgot why you came here. “I didn’t really need anything. I was just stressing myself out packing. I just needed to get my mind off of it. That’s all.” You shrug as the other men nod.

“Well I would have been packed a long time ago if it weren’t for someone here.” Johnny feigns being offended. You stifle a laugh at their bickering. They either snicker or scoff at you finding amusement in the situation at hand. When Kenshi shoots up from his bed to point fingers into Johnny’s chest is when you decide to intervene.

You whip out Reaper from your short’s pocket. Giving it a few spins you throw the yo-yo in their direction. You watch in delight as Reaper wraps around the two, tying them together. Johnny loses his balance and falls forward with Kenshi landing on top of him.

Johnny’s pained cry can be heard as he’s always loud. He wheezes out, “Not cool dude! Kenshi, get off. You’re squishing my beautiful face into the ground.” Kenshi squirms to attempt getting out of Reaper’s hold. “I would be faster if you would just sit still for five seconds.”

They both would have hit the other by now if they had full range of their hands. Your eyes feel wet as tears start to well up in your eyes. “GAHAH,” You doubled over. “You two should see your faces right now.” You let out a string of cackles. Your stomach hurts from roaring at the situation. All you get in return is glares from your two friends. “Untie us Y/N.” “Get him off me!” They shout in unison.

You chuckle the whole way walking over to them. You really tied them tight. It took full effort to get the string untangled. Finally getting the last loop undone, they push themselves off eachother. You skillfully recall the yo-yo back to your hand. With the looks they give you, you almost think that they’re tired of your pranks.

With that, Kenshi ushers you both out of his room. He did have to pack after hearing a whole TED Talk about Johnny’s movies. You and Johnny continuously laugh as you walk to find Raiden and he walks to his room. Probably to pack at least three more hand mirrors.

As you head down the halls of the Wu Shi, you feel more relaxed. You quickly find Raiden’s room as you are all grouped close together. You knock gently on the door. You hear soft footsteps coming to the door as he slides it open. He was surprised to see you but welcomed you in.

“Hey Raiden,” You plop down on a chair in his room. “How’s packing going for you?” He sits on his bed not too far from you. “I was done packing earlier this morning. I’ll take it that everyone else isn’t done?” He chuckles slightly. “I might be avoiding mine and Kenshi had an unfair distraction.” You look at him but Raiden gives you a confused look. “Johnny was said unfair distraction. Let’s be thankful that we didn’t have to hear about his movies for three hours.” You grimace. Raiden only has a baffled expression on his face.

“Three hours? I knew Johnny could talk endlessly, but I’m surprised Kenshi put up with it that long.” He smiles as he removes his hat to put it on the nightstand. “I totally thought Kenshi was gonna hit him after I tied them together,” The mental image in your head makes you snort. “Raiden, are you ready for tomorrow?”

He looks up at that question, then looks away sheepishly. “I don’t know. I’m nervous that I won’t be the champion Lord Liu Kang wants me to be.” His hand rubs the back of his neck. “Rai, you’ll be fine. You were chosen for a reason.” You smile softly at him and he relaxes a little. Standing from your seat, you move over to the bed and put your hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Whatever you could possibly lack in strength, you make up for in heart.” He looks directly at you hearing those words. You seem to have struck a chord in his mind as he looks more assured than before. “You give me too much praise. Thank you, I will not let you guys down.” “Atta boy, that’s the spirit. Now I have to go. I still need to find Lao. Good night Raiden.” “Good night.” He waves you off as you leave and close his door.

Honestly, it feels like you haven’t seen Kung lao since breakfast this morning. We had the day off to relax before the tournament. Thank the Gods for that. You make your way to Kung Lao’s room with ease, however, you make a quick detour to the kitchen to grab some chips. You two play games and have snacks together often, so you know his favorite kind of treats.

You knock on the door, “Hey Lao, you in there? I have snacks.” You hope the snacks will get him to run to the door. Nothing. That’s weird. He never refuses snacks. You knock again, and after no response you think he must be asleep. You turn to leave, before you hear the door creek open. You turn around only to be met with a disheveled Lao.

Your face drops to worry and you open the door farther to see the mess his room is. “Lao? What’s wrong, what happened?” You put the bag of chips aside and move him back to sit on his bed. He wipes away the remnants of his tear streaked face. Sniffling, “You brought snacks?” You pause, that's what he wants after crying? Makes sense. You retrieve the chip bag and open it, leaning the bag toward him.

He takes a chip, and eats it. He stiffens as he feels your hand caress his back. “You can tell me what’s wrong. I want to help you.” He keeps his head low, not wanting to make eye contact. “I just– It’s that,” He calms himself with a deep breath. “I’m jealous of Raiden, and I hate that I feel this way because he’s my best friend.” You're shocked at his response. He is so carefree. You never thought anything got to him. “Can you tell me why you’re jealous?”

He looks at you like he might start crying again. “It’s because. . . he got the title of champion and I didn’t. I’m so happy and proud of him. But I just wish that it was me. I carry the name of the Great Kung Lao. How am I supposed to honor that name if I wasn’t even good enough to be champion?” Your heart breaks for your friend at his confession.

You rub circles into his back to give him some comfort. He pushes his face into his hands. “I’m such a horrible friend.” That takes you aback. He is nothing of the sort and you will let him know, right now. “Kung Lao, you are not a horrible friend. You’ve always been there when we needed you.”

He sniffles, “Really?” You smile, “Yes of course. And being jealous doesn’t make you a bad person. Everyone gets jealous, it’s a part of being human. What makes me so proud of you is that you can recognize those feelings, and not let them get the best of you. That takes being a great friend to do.”

You thought that he couldn’t hug you tighter in that moment than when you said, “Your ancestors would be proud of you Lao.” You probably felt a rib pop but this is fine. When he lets go he wipes the tears from his eyes.

He looks at you, “And what about you? You don’t feel jealous that Raiden is the champion and you didn’t get a chance to compete?” Your heart pounded. “You know I’ve waited almost my whole life for the tournament. Despite how badly I wanted to participate, I knew I wouldn’t be able to. I’m not from Earthrealm, but it is my home.”

“Does that not hurt?” “Of course it doesn’t, but I’ve made my peace with it. Regardless if I was born here or not, home is what we make it, not where we come from.”

“Thank you Y/N. You’re the best. Now. . . Are you gonna eat the rest of the chips?” You both burst out laughing at how he still thinks with his stomach. “No, you can have them. And if anyone asks I’ll blame Johnny. Now get some sleep, Champion of Friends, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Goodnight.” “Goodnight.”

He covers himself up with the blanket, but you still hear him crunching on his chips. He won’t be going to be soon. You chuckle to yourself at how many crumbs will be in his bed by morning.

You’re exhausted, but that doesn’t change how excited you are for the tournament tomorrow. You swear the moment you hit the bed you’ll pass out. And that you did. . .