#i think those two and amy would get along really well

[illdowhatiwantthanks]

heyyy, so i have a request cause i really love your amelia storys. So could you do a amelia one, where the reader is pregnant and amelia is scared to have sex. The reader goes to her best friend (maybe arizona or christina) for advise. Than the friend and the reader go to a sex shop and buy the readers first dildo. Later amelia finds the reader using the toy and the talk about amelia being scared to have sex while the reader is pregnant. And well smut at the end.

Xoxo

Can do! Hope you enjoy. :)

Playing It Safe

Amelia Shepherd x fem!reader Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI, NSFW, sex, fingering, oral, masturbation, toy usage, sex shop, squirting, language around genitalia, some explicit language, previous Amelia trauma, pregnancy times, established relationship (let me know if I've missed anything!) Word Count: 2.1k

Summary: You're needier than ever during your second trimester, but Amelia has some pregnancy trauma that's getting in the way. Thankfully, you've got people who are willing to help you get what you need.

“Amy,” you prompted as she circled your clit with her tongue. You gently pulled her head up, and she looked up at you expectantly with those beautiful, blue eyes. “I love your mouth, but I need you inside me.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “I don’t know, babe.” She crossed her arms and rested her chin on your protruding stomach. “It doesn’t feel safe.”

You rolled your eyes. “Amelia, come on. We’ve been over this. Pregnancy sex is perfectly safe. If straight people do it, we can do it.”

“It just…” she stuttered, flopping onto the bed next to you. You sighed, your body drifting down, down from where it had tensed up. You weren’t going to get what you needed. Not today. “It makes me nervous.” She shrugged, and you cupped her face as she lay next to you. How could someone so smart be so stupid.

“You’re a doctor. You should know this. I know this.” Amelia never treated you differently because you were a nurse. You had a different skill set, that was all. But at a time like this, you didn’t mind emphasizing that, of the two of you, Amelia should absolutely be the more educated about pregnancy and safe sex.

Amelia was quiet for a while, looking down and avoiding your eyes. “I keep thinking about Christopher.”

Shit, you thought. It’s not that you’d forgotten about Amelia’s first child, the one who’d died in her arms mere minutes after he was born. Christopher was a part of her. But you sometimes forgot that the hopes and fears that surrounded your pregnancy were different for Amelia than they were for you. Amelia had experience. Not only that, she had trauma. Heart-wrenching, horrible trauma that she’d carry with her the rest of her life, even as she also got to carry and treasure this new child. It wasn’t fair to expect Amelia to be completely rational when it came to pregnancy safety.

You ran your thumb along her cheekbone, your voice soft. “Hey. That’s not gonna happen again. Our baby is perfectly healthy.”

“I just don’t want to take any risks,” Amelia whispered.

“Okay,” you sighed. “Okay. Whatever you need.”

Amelia started moving her hand down your body. “I mean, I can still…”

“It’s fine, Amy,” you said, hoisting yourself out of bed and kissing her on the forehead. “I gotta go to work anyway.”

You felt bad for your patients that night at Grey-Sloan. It wasn’t their fault you were sexually frustrated. You slumped into a rolling chair at the nurse’s station, groaning, and laid your head on the desk.

“Wow.”

You looked up and smiled wryly. It was Arizona–Dr. Robbins, as her patients would call her. For a little while, you and her had been the only out lesbians on the peds floor, so you’d become fast friends. Never dated–you weren’t each other’s type–but you were excellent wingwomen for one another. In fact, it was Arizona who had set you up with Amelia.

She leaned over conspiratorially, so that the people around you wouldn’t overhear your conversation. “That’s a sad lesbian sigh if I’ve ever heard one.”

You shrugged.

“What’s going on?” she prompted. “Trouble in paradise?”

You leaned closer, trying to keep your voice low. “She won’t sleep with me.”

Arizona looked genuinely shocked. “Like, at all!?”

“I mean, she won’t go inside me.”

You had never seen Arizona look more confused. “...Why?”

“She’s afraid it’ll hurt the baby.”

Arizona sat down next to you, rolling close to continue the conversation. “There’s no fucking way she really believes that. She’s a surgeon.”

“I don’t think she really does. She’s just…” You sighed and groaned. “She’s got some trauma.”

Arizona shrugged and mumbled. “I mean, if you really need to, you could just use the strap on yourself.”

You blushed. “We don’t use a strap.”

“Ever?!”

“I don’t know… it just hasn’t come up, I guess.”

She seemed to think deeply about this. “Well, do you have a vibrator or a dildo or anything?”

“No,” you answered quietly, your face getting redder by the minute.

Arizona looked at you like you were an infant, smiling, like you were something cute and tiny. “Aw, you’re just a baby.”

“Shut up. Just because I’m younger than you doesn’t make me a baby.”

“No, you’re right,” she nodded, smirking. “Not owning any sex toys makes you a baby.”

You rolled your eyes.

“What time are you off today?” she said, glancing at her watch.

“7:00,” you answered.

“Me too! It’s a date then.”

“Wait, what?” She’d lost you somewhere along the way.

Arizona squeezed your shoulder. “We’re gonna find you something to put inside yourself.”

You’d never felt more out of your element in your life than you did standing in front of a wall of fake penises with Arizona.

She smiled at your horrified face.

“Little much?” she asked.

You nodded. “I don’t know, Arizona. These all seem way too… real.” You eyed a particularly girthy, veiny dildo and grimaced.

Arizona leaned on your shoulder. “They’re better when they’re attached to boobs,” she admitted. “Here, come here.”

She led you to another aisle where the toys were similar in shape, but much less realistic looking. They were almost futuristic. Sleeker, smaller, more your speed. But there were so many of them.

“I’m feeling overwhelmed,” you told her, staring at all the options.

“You want my advice?” she asked.

You shrugged and nodded.

She pulled a toy down and handed it to you. It was blue and small and bent and there were buttons. You felt like you were in Star Trek. “I’d start with this*,” she explained. “It’s relatively small. It bends, so it can mimic the feeling of fingers.” She looked pointedly at you. “Since that’s what you’re used to.”

You nodded, looking at it. “Yeah, okay. I’ll try it anyway. I just…” You sighed. “It’s not as good, is it?”

“As a partner?!” Arizona shook her head. “But it’ll do the job.”

An hour later, you were sitting in bed, the package opened in front of you, reading the little instruction manual. Sixteen settings. An app!? You just weren’t sure about it. And you felt a little bad for even wanting to use it. You knew you weren’t cheating on Amelia by masturbating. You both did it, you both knew you both did it. You worked long hours, sometimes things just didn’t line up. But this felt different somehow. Illicit.

But, god, you needed it. You’d needed it since last night. Since last week, even, when you’d started to show and Amelia had started treating you like you were made of glass.

You took a deep breath and leaned back against the pillows you’d stacked against the headboard, trying to think sexy thoughts. Amelia thoughts. You thought of her body against yours, the taste of her, her curves you loved to trace.

Your breath started to grow rhythmic, ragged, and you circled your fingers gently over your clit. After a few minutes, your arousal started to pool, and you spread it around, taking a deep breath and grabbing the toy. You looked at it suspiciously, as if it was an alien. It wasn’t Amelia. It didn’t look like Amelia. But, then maybe, like Arizona had said, it would get the job done.

You pressed one of the buttons, choosing a vibration pattern at random, and slowly slid the toy inside of you. You moaned at how good it felt to have something inside you, to once again feel something pressed against your fluttering walls. And while, no, it didn’t feel as good as Amelia’s fingers would, it was new and exciting to be able to control everything, all of it, the whole experience. The speed, the depth, the direction, to cater to your every want and move because it was you on both sides.

You continued stroking your clit as you thrust the toy in and out of you, shaking around it. God, you’d needed this.

When Amelia burst into the bedroom, still in her scrubs, you froze, face beet red, hands between your legs. She wasn't supposed to be home. Not this early.

She stared at you in shock, and neither of you spoke for a moment.

“What are you doing!?” she said, sounding somewhere between sad and angry. It was pretty clear exactly what you were doing.

“Amy, I–”

She shook her head in frustration, sitting on the edge of the bed. You tossed the toy aside and covered yourself with the sheets, feeling more self-conscious than you ever had around her.

You felt like crying. All you’d been trying to do was meet your own needs, so that Amelia wouldn’t have to. You didn’t want to make her any more anxious than she already was, but it seemed like you’d done just that.

She looked in your direction, but not in your eyes, and you saw that hers were full of tears.

“Amy…” you breathed, moving toward her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping tears from underneath her eyelids. “I know it’s safe. In my head, I know it, but I’m just–” She sucked in a shuddering breath. “I’m so scared, all the time. And I know you need me, and I’m just–I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” you said, drawing close and wiping a tear from her cheek. “It’s okay. I’m sorry. I should have been better about telling you what I needed and, well, what I was doing to get it.”

She breathed deeply, seeming to calm down a bit, as she looked you over.

“Did you finish?” she asked, smiling slightly.

“What?”

“Just now. Did you finish?”

“Uh… no. No, but that’s oka–”

Amelia’s lips crashed into yours, hot and salty from her tears, and you pulled away a bit, surprised.

“Amy, it’s okay,” you assured her, holding her face in your hands. “You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” she said, her voice rough with lust and emotion. “I’m so tired of being scared.”

You looked into her eyes as she pushed you down on your back. They were lustful, determined, and just a little bit sorry. You brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, running a thumb along her brow bone.

“Everything’s gonna be okay, honey,” you told her, quietly. “The baby’s safe and healthy.”

“I know,” she said, pressing her lips to yours and slipping her tongue into your mouth, her hands squeezing your hips. 

And she didn’t look away. She kept her eyes–so beautiful, so brave–on yours as she pressed her fingers inside of you. You gasped, arching your back into her, so happy, so relieved to have her inside you again. The toy was just that–a toy, a tool. Amelia was a goddess.

Amelia whined, too, planting sloppy kisses all over your neck, your collarbone, your chest. “I missed this,” Amelia huffed, high on the way your body pulsed around her, tight and desperate and already so close to the edge. “I missed you.” Her breath was hot on your skin, her lips red and puffy from colliding with yours so furiously.

You felt yourself barrelling toward the cliff of an orgasm and grabbed her arms for dear life. “Amy,” you moaned. “Amy, I’m gonna–”

She grinned as you fell apart, quaking and throbbing around her, your hips thrusting, back arching. But, then–something neither of you had expected or experienced before–a tiny stream of fluid, flooding out of your body. You cried out, coming harder than you’d ever come in your life, way too far gone, too lost in your orgasm, to think about what the hell was going on down there.

When you finally came down, Amelia stared at you, gaping–her face a mixture of shock, self-satisfaction, and pure, dumb happiness.

“Holy shit,” she said, biting her lip and bouncing a little.

You propped yourself up, alarmed at how wet the bed was. “Did I–”

“Yeah,” Amelia laughed, running her hands through her hair. “You sure did, baby. Holy shit.”

You stared at the wet spot. That had never happened before. You weren’t sure you liked it.

“Jesus,” you said, your eyebrows furrowed. “I–”

Amelia crashed her mouth into yours, wrapping her arms around your neck.

“Never,” she said, pulling away breathlessly, “let me say I’m too afraid to fuck you again. Never.”

“It’s okay if you are,” you assured her, running your hands up and down her back.

“Nope,” she argued, shaking her head. “If that’s on the table, trauma can suck it.”

You laughed and kissed her again, happy to have her body close to yours–with no inhibitions–once more.

*This is the toy, in case you’re wondering. 😉

[nortedwayfinder]

Team Blue

i picture these four teaming up to find Sonic, Knuckles, Rouge, and Metal and the meme potential is insane.

Based on this recent post from sonic official twitter/tumblr:

[ackerfics]

i carry your heart with me (i carry it with my heart): gojo satoru

— i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)

gojo satoru x reader

notes: first time writing for jjk and it's for our pretty boy !! based on that one b-99 scene between jake and amy

being on the same year level with gojo satoru means having to put up with the spontaneity of his man-child tendencies. while it is true that he is the pinnacle of the entirety of the jujutsu society from his first wail to the world --- a god amongst mortals; tipping the equilibrium with his very existence, there are moments embroidered in between his rambunctious nature that makes him almost human. key word being almost. such as betting on the most random missions to prove a point like regular teenagers.

"am i going to regret this bet, suguru?" you ask the person yaga assigned to be your pair in capturing the rest of the 2nd-grade curses loitering around the area, with the possibility of a 1st-grade intermingling with them, which puts the entire chase into a total of nine curses. you two are in one of the more desolated areas of tokyo, having split up from the usual group of four your school boasted since the start of first year.

before starting the circle of exorcism your group is about to unleash on these curses, satoru used this opportunity to dangle a proposition between you two, a tradition before embarking on a mission.

it goes this way this time: if he exorcised more curses than you, you're going to do anything he wants (nothing sexual, but judging from the grin on his face, you nearly shivered). he emphasized his words with those black sunglasses of his reflecting your astounded face. you instantly felt the world cave, because your life is on the line. why would you ever date such a person who has no regard to safety and is always known to be obnoxious to the point that you wished you were never a jujutsu sorcerer in the first place? however, if you win this round (which you never won since the first time you two started this whole charade), he's going to be a bit more honest with you. for other people, your condition is as simple as letting impulsivity carry on their choices; but for satoru, it's a moment of weakness. you were left stunned when you saw the tiniest budge of hesitation flicker on his face, almost as if he knew what you meant in your conditions, but just as quickly as you saw it, it vanished. so, he wears false confidence like a second skin and accepts the bet with a handshake, partnering up with shoko instead of suguru. he said something along the lines that you need all the help you can get and that because he's so good, he's going to give suguru to you to at least even out the two parties. what an asshole. he doesn't even give you a chance to utter a rebuttal because he vanished in thin air with shoko waving and pumping her fist at you.

"well," suguru draws out the word.

you throw him a look. "oh, come on, i know that tone --- i'm going to lose my monthly allowance, right? i know he's going to ask me to buy anything sweet he can find on our next mission."

suguru hums with that smile of his, never dimming, never fading, and always warm to the touch. he takes out one hand from his pocket and pats you on the crown of your head. "i'm with you on this one."

you look up at him. "what?"

"i want to see satoru stop all this dancing around he's been doing with you. i mean, the rest of us are even confused if he really does hold feelings for you or not. i think it will do him some good for once in his life."

you look down on the gravel, your hair doing its job covering your features.

ever since you introduced yourself to the other first years in the tokyo branch of jujutsu high, satoru has always sparked this inexplicable interest surrounding you. you like to think it's because of your upbringing, being from one of the more noble jujutsu families who bears the technique of forming contracts with curses, very much like how suguru goes about his technique. the difference between you and suguru lies in the fact that most of the curses your family has made a contract with are special grade, embodiments of the japanese folklore rather than the regular blobs and flies; and that everything is consensual between the sorcerer and the curse. so, stepping inside the room housing three other teenagers like yourself, the flare of your cursed energy captures their attention, one of which possessing the legendary six eyes, having sparkled like no other the moment he placed them on your figure. this rather random fascination of you he had since day one morphed into something that of courting, as yaga once called it (quite so done with it actually), since the boy started calling all the most absurd adjectives and phrases and attached them to your name. beautiful, pretty, heavenly, utterly graceful, stealer of my heart, owner of my attention ... darling, honey, kikufuku, mochi ... anything exhausting really. everything was so abrupt and out-of-the-blue that you had no time dwelling on when this all started.

you now want it to stop.

it doesn't do well because it's blurring all the lines you've drawn between you and your classmates. you don't even have the time to think about the number of times a passerby remarks how wonderful of a couple you two look (any elderly people really) and gojo would boast that yes, my girlfriend is so beautiful and i am lucky enough to have her, ma'am; we started dating last year; it was love at first sight --- you just want to punch him.

then comes the unexpected, lingering touches he brushes against your skin; a pinky finger intertwined with yours, his hand lightly hovering at the small of your back, his knuckles caressing your face and remarking how you look nice for the day, an invading hand tucking a stray bundle of hair behind your ear, nearing his face so that you can whisper something to his ear without any difficulty, and anything that sets your heart ablaze. not to mention he looks at you with something indescribable; eyes reflecting you and only you and sunglasses sliding from the bridge of his nose. it's all softness, no rough edges like how he is with suguru or shoko, and he treats you as such. he once mentioned you are his haven, the only person he doesn't mind turning his infinity off for and the only person to touch him without having the need to let him know.

"i think it won't be good for him if he tells you how he really feel," suguru's voice takes you away from contemplation. "at most, you would benefit from it as well." you turn to him and he wraps an arm around you for good measure. "i want my friends to find solace in our bleak part of the world. and hey, if you two do get together, i will be so proud!"

"yeah, right."

"i would!"

your two groups are tied.

the last curse is right at the end of the intersecting alleyway and what sets your blood pumping is the figure of gojo running from the opposite entrance, shoko cheering for him at the back. great, he managed to convince shoko that his conditions are worth supporting. you grit your teeth and you push forward with more speed that you ever did in a physical activity. god, you're definitely going to feel the repercussions of pushing yourself too hard after this.

feeling the taut connection of your contracted curse, you summon her, "amanozako, go."

the image of a beastly woman slithered from within you, hungry to satisfy her cravings of lesser curses. you watch with narrowed eyes as gojo laughs, teleporting himself closer to the last curse you four have on the list.

then, the most bizarre thing happens.

you somehow reach the curse first than him, leading to your contracted curse to swallow the target in one swoop. she disappears from view and you can only see him --- standing there with a huge grin on his face, the sky of his eyes shining brighter than a beacon.

you blink, breath shuddering from all the running. "w-why--?"

gojo shrugs. "you have it first."

"but you're faster."

he glances behind shoko, who knowingly nods her head. his eyes flicker back at you. "i like you."

all air seems to escape you. everything is silent and all you can hear is the thudding rhythm of your heartbeat. you're pretty sure you look like an imbecile with your mouth open in shock but with the way gojo stares at you from over his sunglasses, one will think he's staring at the most pulchritudinous being he has ever laid his eyes on --- the first blossoming of spring in april. because even with the others lingering in the background, gojo has his six eyes focused on you. you can't even manage to utter a word when he repeats those three goddamn words that will haunt your daydreams.

"i like you, [name]. i'm willing to lose against you if that's what it takes to say my feelings. figured this is the better route compared to the cowardly one i wanted."

"thank me, you idiot!"

"ignore her," gojo casually says after hearing shoko's words, his steps taking him closer to you with his hands snug inside the pockets of his slacks. once he stops in front of you, he takes one of his hands from his pants and brushes the back of his knuckles over your cheek. butterflies seem to bloom on the areas where he leaves behind his wordless declarations. "so, what do you say, sweetheart? wanna give this a shot?"

[ruthplaysthesims]

📩 Simblr question of the day: Choose a sim of your own that you consider your/a fave, then choose one sim from three (or more!) different simblrs, now imagine what those sims would be like in a room together? Who's walking out first? Who's staying the longest? Who would get along? Who wouldn't get along at all? Elaborate as much or as little as you'd like :) (p.s please feel free to share this to others, anon or not, and feel free to use the hashtag " SQOTD "! I love seeing everyone's answers and reading them makes my day ~ 💛 )

AHA SAY LESS!!!!

My sim of choice (and everyone's fave boi): TYSON BLACKWELL!!

The other OCS I choose:

@living-undead's Zaria Dimmer

@matchalovertrait's Dulce Alegria

@pralinesims' Aaron <3

Okay the scene:

Tyson walks into the room finding 4 chairs around the table. He just casually takes a seat and begins to wait. Not too long after, Dulce walks in, sees Tyson and hesitantly takes a seat. Tyson, being the friendly lovable man he is will strike up a conversation and Dulce begins to feel at ease. He may or may not mention the fact that he was watching diced junior (*looks at Amy*) and was rooting for Dulce to win.

A few minutes later, Aaron (in all his fabulousness) walks into the room like the sexy mf he is, takes a seat and scans the area, looks at the two, may strike up a conversation (or stay quiet and watch) we do not know.

And then comes Zaria. Girl doesn't even want to be here. She doesn't like the vibes one bit, she loathes just how bubbly Tyson is (wait till she finds out about his career as a secret agent...) Questions why Dulce is here and you'd think Aaron would be the one she gets along with, but nope. She thinks he's too cocky for her taste.

Tyson might stay a little longer, mostly to get to know the people in the room. He gets along really well with Dulce (she's a sweetheart). With Aaron, it's like a mutual respect kinda thing (don't bother him, he won't bother you) However, there is only so much one can take when it comes to Zaria's constant judgement. Aaron respectfully tells her to SHUT THE FUCK UP! Tyson thanks him. She gets angry and walks out.

one down, three left. The three seem to be getting along quite nicely. Dulce is constantly asking for fashion tips from Aaron, and he gladly answers them, making Tyson smile.

Time has passed, and Aaron has to go, leaving the first two that walked in alone. Dulce is happy she met a fashion icon and hopes Zaria is okay. Sure she was a biatch, but giving her a dose of her medecine did not sit right with Dulce (this child is too pure!!)

Tyson, though he disagrees with her, won't say that to her face and just pats her on the head. Dulce receives a message from her mom, who's come to pick her up. She smiles and hugs Tyson, glad to have made his acquaintance and of course encourages him to come visit her family's bakery. Tyson smiles and waves her bye, staying all alone in the room before walking out.

I loved making this!! and i really hope I was accurate with you guys' OCs @pralinesims @matchalovertrait and @living-undead. If not, I'd be more than happy to rewrite it :)

[deliciousdefendorinternet]

what sorta story do you want to see in the next Christmas Special? assuming there is one.

so this is kinda a combo of both what you'd like to see but also what you think is a more likely option so no Kismet and Bro zone at war with each other stories as fun as those are cause we kinda know they won't be happening at least not in a Christmas Special. anyway I do think it is fairly likely and would make for a nice little story maybe just Branch over stressing himself trying to make sure his first Christmas with his Brothers back is "" Perfect "".

but of course despite his over planning family Drama strikes maybe JD and Bruce get a bit petty and competitive over the family board games.

Clay keeps rearranging things in certain ways that he's used to organising things and Poppy and Viva keep getting crazy ideas for other fun stuff they could all do that don't mesh with Branch's planned out day. anyway in the end things all end up a mess due to the family chaos and Branch maybe loses his Rag a little with everyone. stating that he used to dream when he was a kid about having these big family special occasions and he just wanted a normal family Christmas for once given how many he spent without any of his family in his life.

only for him to go off somewhat upset but I feel his Brothers would go after him and apologise for the day not panning out like he wanted but also kinda light-heartedly point out that this is how these things usually go. back when their family was together their special occasions were always crazy and disorganised as hell and also Bruce would probably point out its the same every year with his other family. to steal a quote from one of my favourite episodes of Brooklyn nine nine where Jake and Amy's parents meet and chaos ensues I like to imagine Bruce's pep talk to Branch being somewhat similar.

Bruce= "" Hey Branch you know how you said you always wanted to have a big family Christmas? well I have a wife 13 children two parent in laws 4 Brother in laws 3 sister in laws and overall 16 nieces and nephews by marriage who spend every Holiday together I had the kind of family that you always dreamt of "" awkward silence. Branch= "" oh are you done? that seems like a really mean place to stop talking but you seem to be taking quite a long pause "" Bruce= "" when we were all together it was a Huge mess I can't tell you how many special occasions I've spent in the Hospital but that's part of what it means to have a big family like this one ""

I could maybe imagine something along these lines for some good old emotional Trolls cheese.

also FR tho I Hope it gets acknowledged in the next Holiday special how big something like this would probably be for Branch.

given so far since the first film he's had one Christmas that he spent with Poppy that being Holiday in Harmony ( don't forgot the first Holiday special doesn't actually take place at Christmas )

but before that he presumably spent every special occasion doing his own thing in the Bunker alone which is sad AF when you think about it especially when he was a kid 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

so the next specials gotta acknowledge how different this would be for him finally spending Christmas with a family in his life again when it hasn't been that way for him since he was a friggin baby.

like Daaaam if that don't make his Bros feel bad about themselves then I don't know what will.

@incurable-bookkl3pt0

[lilyevanstan1325]

❤️ Built For This World ❤️

Chapter 4

I've been here at the farm for almost 5 days so that means that sweet, defenseless little girl has been out there for a week.

Sophia has not yet been found.

I really hope with all my heart that she is still alive.

We all hope so.

Last night before going to sleep Carol updated me a little on the situation.

Daryl and the others are still busy searching and it seems that the archer has found a good lead to follow.

And damn, despite everyone's efforts, Daryl really seems like the only one who really cares about this whole thing.

He spends entire days searching every millimeter of these woods, following every possible path.

Spending all his strength.

Carol tries not to show it but even an idiot would notice that her mental state is in full decline.

And the night, poor woman, she spends every night crying.

How do I know?

As accommodation they let me sleep on the floor of Dale's RV since neither I nor they have an extra tent for me.

And just when the woman thinks everyone is sleeping she gives vent to all her pain.

And honestly I don't know what to do.

I have often thought about getting up to console her but I have always stopped, not because I am insensitive to her pain but because I don't know what to say to her.

And I'm sure that my words don't even help her.

She just needs her little girl and not my stupid words of circumstance.

I even thought about offering myself for the research but there is a small detail that stops me.

Daryl.

He hates having me around and I don't think he would ever accept my help or even my company.

So I avoid being around him.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm settling with the others quite well.

Everyone is very kind to me, except for two obvious exceptions.

Daryl, precisely, and Shane.

I try to stay away from the latter.

Really away.

Apparently the man can only tolerate me if I remain at a safe distance from him.

And who am I to disappoint him?

For the rest I get along with everyone.

A good relationship is being established with the women, they are all very polite to me and try to include me in the group.

To reciprocate their kindness I continually try to get busy.

I help with the fire, with the preparation of meals, with the perimeter guard shifts and with everything I can.

Like now.

Me, Lori, Amy, Carol and Andrea are making breakfast for everyone this morning.

Maggie and Beth, the farmer's daughters, kindly gave us some eggs and even offered to help us out.

So all together we are trying to set up something decent, at least for the men who will soon leave to resume the search for Sophia and for those who will leave for a quick reconnaissance down in the city in search of further supplies for the winter that will soon arrive.

A gust of wind makes me shiver.

Even if during the day the temperatures are still quite high, in the morning the air begins to feel increasingly cooler.

I shrug, rubbing my hands along my arms to try to get some warmth.

“Summer?Summer, dear can you hear me?”

I snap out of my thoughts at Carol's voice.

I look up from the bowl full of freshly picked peaches.

“Sorry Carol, tell me”

Carol raises an eyebrow as she takes a few steps closer.

"Everything is fine?This is the third time I've called you.What's going on inside that little head of yours?” she asks me kindly, keeping her voice low so as not to be heard by the other women.

I shake my head, smiling weakly.

Just like my mother, she always seems to know when I overthink about something.

Maybe this is a super mom power?

"Nothing.I was wandering”

I shrug indifferently at the end of the sentence.

I don't want to give her any more worries.

She's already had enough of it.

“Mmh mmh” she murmurs, unconvinced, grabbing a knife and taking the peach that I turn over and over in my hands.

I also take a knife, grab another peach and follow her, imitating her gestures.

In silence we begin to peel the fruit and cut it into small pieces.

The sweet smell of peaches makes my mouth watering.

Behind us we hear Amy and Beth giggling.

For just a moment it's as if everything were normal, as if we were just a group of friends intent on preparing breakfast.

There is no death, there is no pain, there are no dead people brought back to life.

There is peace, calm.

But the reality is very different.

We're just a bunch of strangers trying to get ahead.

Not to give up.

We're just trying to survive.

We're just trying to make sense of this fucking world.

“Did you talk to Daryl?” Carol asks me, feigning indifference.

I sigh, closing my eyes and trying to stay calm.

That evening after having...I don't even know how to define it...argued?

After having that brief confrontation with Daryl I was very nervous and I couldn't keep it from her.

I told her what had happened and how I felt.

Nowadays I still don't understand Carol's reaction.

“Don't mind what he told you.Daryl isn't that good with words” she replied smiling.

Her look seemed amused but I decided not to investigate further.

But from that moment on I had the impression that she was pushing me to resolve the issue with the man.

Which obviously I've always avoided.

He stays away from me and I have nothing to say.

He looks down every time our paths cross and I don't complain.

I do not want to create problems.

I'm new and I just want to earn my place in the group without bothering the others.

“Daryl and I have nothing to clarify”

Saying his name makes my stomach clench.

“It's okay Carol, we avoid each other and we're all happy” I whisper.

At least he is.

Carol shakes her head but she doesn't say anything else.

More giggles catch our attention, making us turn around.

Amy and Beth seem to be talking to each other, constantly glancing to their left.

So I decide to follow their gazes to understand what it is.

And a little further on there is him.

Daryl.

He seems busy checking something inside his backpack.

He is wearing a pair of black jeans and his ever-present sleeveless shirt.

This man appears to be insensitive to the cold.

The muscles in his arms bend sinuously, swelling with every movement.

Muscles that have nothing to do with exhausting sessions in the gym.

Oh no...

His body is built only by his struggle for survival.

Apparently the archer's past life was not very different from the one he leads now.

Hunting and rural life have always been part of his life.

Or at least that's what Carol and Glenn told me.

After a few minutes he crouches on his knees to check some arrows, the powerful muscles of his thighs seem barely contained in the constriction of his jeans.

He cocks his head to the side and grabs an arrow, studying it carefully.

He checks the tip with his fingers.

For a moment I remember the strength of those fingers closed around my wrist as he dragged me with him into that woods.

My heart does a somersault remembering the warmth of that hand, the strong grip of his calloused fingers.

“Do you stop, please?”

Andrea has an amused frown on her face as she scolds the two girls who don't stop giggling and continue to throw mischievous glances at the unaware Daryl.

"What?" laughs Amy, Andrea's sister, as she approaches me to hand me some dishes.

Her young blue eyes shine like lapis lazuli.

Amy throws her head back laughing heartily.

“Don't tell me I'm the only one here?” she replies, turning to all of us, indicating the man with a nod of her head.

I look back at Daryl and a shiver runs through me.

Carol giggles.

Andrea's eyebrows raise dangerously upwards.

"What?" Amy repeats again crossing her arms over her chest.

“He's sexy as hell” the girl admits candidly, triggering more giggles.

“He's rude” her sister immediately replies.

“That doesn't mean he doesn't have a perfect ass, look there.Right Beth?” she asks, turning to her friend.

Beth giggles again.

“You know Amy, your sister prefers guys like Shane” her friend supports her.

Wow.

What the fuck?

Really.

Just one word.

Eew.

Lori from her spot shifts her weight from one foot to the other as if she is uncomfortable.

Her and Andrea exchange a fleeting glance, full of tension.

Which I can't fully understand.

“Well, he may be rude but Amy's right.If I had been a little younger I wouldn't have wasted my time”

I turn my head sharply towards Carol shocked by her spicy revelation.

Seriously Carol?

With her words she attracts everyone's attention.

Her dreamy expression is focused on the ass of the archer, bent forward intent on raising the crossbow lying near his feet.

I drew my bottom lip between my teeth and bit it nervously.

The response from the other women doesn't take long to arrive and in fact another chorus of giggles rises in the air.

For my part, I'm paralyzed with the dishes still in my hands.

I don't like the direction this little girl talk session is going.

Why?

Because it's obvious that my thoughts are common to theirs but I don't even want to think about it.

I can't afford to think of him like that...nothing good would come of it.

Not for me at least.

I feel my face go up in flames.

"I'm right, you heard her?" Amy replies, satisfied, challenging her sister to reply.

Andrea huffs in exasperation, turning her back on her sister.

Maggie approaches me, gently taking the dishes from my hands and starting to fill them with scrambled eggs.

“Ok, he's not that bad.But he's not my type”

With these words the oldest Green gives us her opinion on the subject.

“And who would be your type, Glenn?” Lori teases her, her words make the girl blush.

Then Maggie's dark eyes stop for a moment in mine.

A small look that I can't decipher until an alarm rings in my head.

Wait.

Wait…oh god.

Oh God no!

I turn away from the discussion among the others to focus on Maggie.

I approach her, taking a dish and starting to help her.

Maggie was very nice to me, she gave me clean clothes, she takes care of my sore wrists and I don't want her to even think that I'm somehow trying to come between her and Glenn.

I would never do that.

It's true that the boy and I have become very close in these few days but there is nothing sentimental between us.

I don't feel attracted to him in that way.

I have to tell her something to prevent the seed of doubt from sprouting in her head but in the distance I actually see Glenn advancing towards us so I decide to postpone our discussion.

As the man approaches, his eyes are all for Maggie.

I shake my head with a smile.

How could she ever doubt it?

“Good morning, my beautiful ladies” he exclaims with a big smile after reaching us but without ever taking his dreamy gaze away from the farmer's beautiful daughter.

In response he receives kind good mornings in return.

Maggie hands him a plate accompanied by a smile and then he walks away to sit on one of the improvised chair blocks.

Slowly all the other men join us.

First Rick, then Dale, T-dog.

Even Shane.

I hand him a plate trying to be as kind as possible and I even receive a half-thank you in return.

Wow!

This is an event worth noting in the yearbooks.

That prick knows the word thank you.

Lori approaches us taking two plates.

“One is for Carl” she justifies herself, afraid that someone might object.

“Hersel hasn't given him permission to get up yet so I'll go eat in the room with him” she continues.

I smile at her and she walks away, entering the big white house.

Carl.

One lucky little guy.

Not everyone can survive a bullet.

This is how this group came to the farm.

Due to a horrible accident.

Apparently Otis, one of the inhabitants of the farm, accidentally shoots the boy while hunting a deer.

Offering his help immediately, he would later die by sacrificing himself and allowing Shane to bring back to Hersel everything needed to save the boy's life.

I haven't had the chance to meet Carl yet but from what Lori and Rick told me about him he really seems to be a special little boy.

“Go eat with the others Summer”

Maggie's voice wakes me up from my thoughts and I immediately realize that they are all sitting enjoying their breakfast.

Everyone except me and her.

And Daryl of course.

No trace of him.

Why the hell am I always so aware of his presence or absence?

I nod as she turns her back on me but before she can disappear inside her house I whisper her name.

At first I thought that she didn't hear me but then her pace slows until she stops, then turning towards me.

“Tell me” she replies with a smile.

I approach unsure of what to say.

Where do I start?

I feel embarrassed.

“I…emh I wanted to tell you… yeah I mean...”

The words die in my mouth.

Is it really the right thing?

Even though she has always been friendly to me, can I really intrude into her private life like this?

"What happens?"

Her large eyes observe me carefully.

With one hand she tucks a lock of hair behind her ears.

She is really very beautiful and I really don't understand how she can feel threatened by someone like me.

No one has ever looked at me the way Glenn looks at her, why would she ever doubt his feelings?

With a big breath I take courage.

Now or never.

I quickly peek over my shoulder noticing that the others are far enough away that they can't hear so I decide to speak.

“It's about Glenn” I whisper, returning my gaze to her face, torturing the fingers of my hands.

“Oh” the girl whispers in a broken voice, looking at me with the same look she had given me shortly before, when Lori had brought up her crush on the boy.

Her long fingers nervously crease the hem of her cotton shirt.

Around us the silence is interrupted only by the echo of the chatter of the rest of the group.

We both remain silent unable to continue this embarrassing conversation.

Her gaze remains low on her feet as she kicks at the blades of grass around her.

“Do you…do you like him”

And hers isn't a question.

"What?"

My slightly too shrill tone of voice makes several heads turn towards us.

“No, no Maggie” I reply whispering.

I immediately approach her, gently grabbing her hand.

She slowly raises her face almost in fear.

I continue to shake my head as she looks at me curiously.

"No.This is what I wanted to talk to you about" I reassure her.

Her face seems to relax a little.

“Glenn was the first to show me some humanity, he helped me and I can never thank him enough but Glenn and I are just friends”

“Really?”

“Really.I don't see him the way you see him” I tease her making her blush.

“Oh Summer, sorry!”

Her words are followed by a suffocating hug.

She holds me tightly, in her grip I can feel the relief but also a lot of anxiety.

I hug her back, trying to convey to her all the truthfulness of my words.

Glenn is amazing and maybe in another life I would have even considered going on a date with him.

He is sweet, nice, smart.

We have many interests in common such as comics, video games, films.

We are two classic guys in our early twenties, both raised in a city too big for our simple spirits.

But despite all that I don't feel attracted to him in that way.

My gaze slides behind Maggie.

Towards Daryl's tent.

No, Summer.No!

Damn it.

It's not possible.

It's absurd, irrational.

Sure Daryl is attractive, strong, brave...

But mine is just a stupid physical attraction.

After all, apparently I'm not the only one who finds him beautiful.

Maggie is the first to break the hug but our hands remain intertwined so together we approach the porch steps to sit on them.

We both keep our gaze fixed straight ahead, watching the sun slowly take its place in the sky.

“I'm sorry for thinking that you and Glenn…”

Maggie begins but I immediately stop her with a wave of my hand.

“Don't think about it” I reassure her.

“It's my fault.Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so close to him and disrespected you” I admitted rather embarrassed.

Maybe I couldn't have known it at first but I should have pulled back a little when I realized the looks that the two lovebirds usually throw at each other every time they have the chance.

I feel Maggie's hand rest on my knee, squeezing it slightly.

On her face there is a beautiful smile that will take your breath away.

“You don't even have to say it.I know Glenn cares about me but I also know he cares about you.I was just a little scared.That's all”

We laugh together at her confession and I watch her as she stands up.

“I'm going to see if dad needs me.See you later Summer” she greets me.

I greet her with a smile.

“Oh Maggie?”

“Yeah?”

“When you see Glenn could you tell him to come find me?I have a favor to ask him”

“Okay” she replies and then closes the door behind her.

I sit on the porch steps until Carol joins me with a plate of food.

“Thanks mommy” I thank her rolling my eyes and making her laugh.

“If you remembered to eat I wouldn't have to chase you like you were a five year old girl, right?So shut up and eat” she scolds me gently, forcing the plate into my hands.

“Yes ma’am”

As I finish my meal one bite after another, I am hungrier than I thought, I see Daryl coming out of his tent ready for the new research session.

He quickly places his backpack on his shoulders, tightening his grip on his crossbow and quickly walks away heading towards the stable.

I follow him with my gaze.

Carol's elbow digs painfully into my ribs.

“Damn Carol” I cough.

For her part, she feigns an innocent expression but her sly smile tells me something completely different.

I roll my eyes so much I could see the back of my head.

I get up huffing.

“I'm not going to talk to him, Carol”

“No one asked you”

“No?”

“Nope”

She looks at me from below with her immense blue eyes with a toothy smile.

I don't know her well enough but I'm more than certain that that look on hers doesn't bode well.

Only then I realize that she is turning a canteen between her fingers.

She stands up and forcefully shoves it into my hand like she had done earlier with my plate of food.

“What exactly should I do with it?”

I feel panic crawling in my stomach.

In my hands that stupid canteen weighs like a boulder because I know who it belongs to.

I often saw Carol fill it and then give it back to his owner.

“Why are you doing this to me?" I ask her almost desperately, whimpering as if I were really a five-year-old.

Why is this woman so keen to have the archer humiliate me?

“I thought we were friends” I hiss through gritted teeth.

My eyes get wet.

Fuck!

I hate the close correlation between my feelings and my eyes.

I'm sad?I cry.

Am I frustrated?I cry.

I am happy?I cry.

I listen to a good song?I cry.

And I swear it's never been a problem for me but in this place, surrounded by people I barely know, well let's say it embarrasses me a little.

“You'll thank me one day” Carol coos, leaving me alone.

What the answer is this?

Jeez.

Shit.

I might not go.

I might turn around and go to Dale's RV to see if he needs a change of guard.

I might go and see if there's laundry to do.

Or I could count the blades of grass.

Anything to avoid facing the archer's cold indifference.

Because despite everything the fact that he can only see trouble for his people in me hurts me.

I am really grateful to him for saving me and I would just like to have a civil relationship with him like I have with the others.

I turn the canteen over and over in my hands and with a big sigh I steel myself by forcing my legs to move in the same direction Daryl disappeared from.

Even though I'm not dying to interact with him I can't let him go out there without water.

My feet move unsurely on the grass and with each step that brings me closer and closer to the source of my discomfort my heart beats more and more irregularly.

And not only because of who I will have to see but also because of that place.

I haven't set foot in the stable since that damned night.

Only bad memories are connected to that place.

My hands are sweating and for a moment I fear I'll lose my grip on the cold metal of the canteen.

Once I reach the stable I hear Daryl's voice coming from inside.

“I know ya're a good girl.Ya're a good girl, aren't ya?”

His voice is hoarse, persuasive.

The softly shuffled letters mess up my thoughts.

I feel my knees shaking.

When I reach the stable Daryl has his back to me while he strokes the head of a beautiful horse.

The calloused hand moves between the animal's ears and then descends to the muzzle where he leaves two light gentle pats.

Once I reach my destination I knock twice with my knuckles on the boards of the door even if it is already open.

His head snaps towards me.

His blue eyes linger on me for only a few moments after which he turns his full attention back to the animal in front of him.

“Wha' do ya want?”

His abrupt tone makes me jump.

When I waste time finding the right words he turns away, his body turned completely in my direction.

A severe frown seems to reside permanently on his face especially when it comes to me.

“So?” he asks, spitting out the words as if they were poison.

And just like poison they burn a small portion of my heart.

“I…” I stutter unable to maintain eye contact.

My gaze shifts mortified to my hands.

I can feel his eyes boring two deep holes straight into my soul.

“Carol asked me to give you this” I whisper in a small voice showing him my hands.

A deafening silence wreaks havoc on my brain and when I decide it's too much for me I look up again but Daryl is turning his back on me again.

He started petting the horse again as if I wasn't here.

As if I hadn't spoken.

As if I didn't exist.

I could stamp my feet, shout at him how rude he is but I'm sure that would only make the situation worse so gathering up every ounce of courage I move closer until I get to his side.

Daryl glances at me sideways but says nothing.

I ignore him, putting my hand close to the horse's muzzle.

The animal, initially wary, moves away, but after a few seconds it brings its muzzle closer to my hand and lets me touch it.

I rub my fingers between his large dark eyes and receive a loud whinny in return.

I laugh.

“He's beautiful” I whisper to myself.

I have always dreamed of having a horse.

I remember as a child begging my parents for more than a year to have one.

My father almost lost his mind explaining to me how impossible it was for such an animal to live in a small garden in the city.

“’S a girl” Daryl murmurs, still without turning towards me.

My hand freezes immersed in the shiny mane.

"What?" I ask unable to stop myself.

Is he really speaking to me after treating me as if I were invisible?

“The horse.She's a girl” he repeats finally turning his head towards me.

And for the first time, in days, I no longer see all that anger in his eyes.

For the first time in days I found a little piece of that man I met in the woods.

Trying to hide my smile I turn and dig both hands into her soft mane.

“Oh I'm so sorry baby” I coo, scratching the docile beauty near her ears.

His soft chuckle makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“Are ya apologizing to a horse?” the amused archer asks, his voice seems more relaxed but I don't dare turn around to make sure.

I'm afraid that even just looking at him this moment of tranquility could vanish.

“Well if I were in her place I would have been offended if someone had mistaken me for a boy” I reply letting a genuine smile blossom on my face.

Maybe the first since I've been here.

“Nah… no shit.I don't think is possible.Yer too pretty, sunshine”

That nickname again.

But this time no mockery to accompany his words.

Too shocked to keep my promise to ignore him, I slowly turn to him and find his gaze fixed on my face.

A mix of emotions swirl in my brain even as I try to keep a neutral gaze on the outside as I try to understand what is going through the mind of the man in front of me.

A slight frown of frustration crosses his forehead.

It's as if he wanted to tell me something but his mouth was unable to do so.

“Daryl Dixon makes me a compliment.Wow”

“'M a asshole, sorry”

“It's ok”

“No, that's not ok” he replies immediately.

His right hand grips the crossbow so tightly that the object seems to creak in protest.

His vaguely agitated gaze flits from one side of the stable to the other as if he were looking for a way out of this uncomfortable situation.

I'm really sorry to see him like this so I decide to give him a hand to get out of this situation.

“Listen to me Daryl.You didn't do anything wrong.I understand you.You feel obligated to protect these people but I assure you that I will do everything to make you understand that I am not a threat"

Almost I want to add it but I avoid it.

If only they knew what trouble, just taking me in, could mean for them.

He could kill everyone just for the fun of it.

I shook my head vigorously.

No.

He's not here.

He is miles away.

Nobody has to know.

More silence.

“I should have been there instead of Glenn that night.Or Carol.I should have dragged ya away from this stable and instead I was stuck listening to that prick's lecture”

“Shane?” I ask looking at his eyes again.

Daryl nods, gnawing on the side of his thumb.

I can read a lot of anger in his gestures.

And regret.

“Nah…I already gave you so much trouble.Don't blame yourself for things you couldn't foresee” I try to reassure him.

“You already have so much to think about”

Carol, I think.

I know he feels haunted by Sophia's disappearance and he is doing everything for her.

And for Carol.

“I need to find tha' little girl, ya understand?Carol…”

His agitated words only confirm my thoughts.

Daryl is a man with a big heart.

Now we are facing each other, eye to eye.

Our bodies are so close that I could just reach out my hand and caress his face.

I would really like to smooth out the worry lines on his forehead with my fingers.

All around us there is a tense silence.

The air seems to become unbreathable.

The rays of the sun that penetrate between the cracks of this stable are reflected in his blue eyes, making them shine like the clear summer sky.

“You know, I like this” I smile, pointing first at me and then at him with my hand.

His right eyebrow lifts upwards curiously.

“It's nice talking to you.Without arguing, I mean”

Daryl smiles slightly, one corner of his lips lifting slightly.

I blush and squirm in embarrassment.

He's really beautiful, I think.

To ease my embarrassment I reach out a hand towards him.

Daryl looks at it without understanding my intentions.

“We can start again from here.What do you say?"

His eyes linger on my hand for a few more seconds then return to my face, straight into mine.

His arm slowly lifts and his hand, strong and calloused, wraps around mine.

It's not a real handshake but more like his hand engulfing mine, making it almost disappear.

An innocent gesture and yet I feel a fire burning inside me.

“I have to go now” the archer mutters under his breath.

I nod.

But despite this, neither of us moves.

A weird energy crackles in the air.

I can't hear any sound other than the desperate beating of my heart.

His eyes look like an immense ocean where I fear I will drown.

Or maybe it's just too late.

I'm already drowning.

His gaze, imperceptible for a moment, touches my lips.

His lips barely open, remaining ajar just enough to be able to see the tip of his tongue which comes out in a flicker to moisten his lips.

A deafening whinny snaps us out of our thoughts and Daryl's hand suddenly lets go of mine as if he too had just woken up from a daydream.

I watch as he takes a step back and lowers his head as if he's embarrassed.

As if this was too much for him.

“I have to go” he repeats.

“Okay” I squeak and then clear my throat.

His eyes are still focused on the old floorboards and some strands of hair fall in front of his eyes, hiding those wonderful blue pools from me.

I feel a tingling in my hand and without realizing it I am already raising it towards the man's face.

I observe my hand as if it had a life of its own, unable to stop me, while the tips of my fingers push aside some locks, finding those eyes to which I feel attracted for no real reason.

What do I know about this mysterious man after all?

What do I really know about him?

Why do I feel so damn attracted to him?

In my few past relationships I have always taken things very calmly.

Never love at first sight, any irresistible attraction.

Why now with him does it seem like I have no control over my thoughts?

And apparently not even that of my body because after having pushed aside his hair my fingers touch his forehead until they reach his cheekbone where my timid exploration is interrupted when the man grabs my wrist.

I think he's going to shove me away but he doesn't.

His fingers gently tighten around my wrist, his thumb caressing the abrasions on it.

I could even swear I felt his face tilt slightly towards my hand, pressing his cheek against my palm.

His stubble tickles my hand, awakening a flight of butterflies in my stomach.

His stormy gaze knots my thoughts, leaving me pleasantly confused.

Who knows what fantastic sensations his hands could unleash on me.

Oh my God...

I feel suffocated under his gaze.

“Be careful out there.Come back in one piece, okay?” I murmur in a strangled voice.

“Yes ma’am”

Daryl gives my wrist one last gentle squeeze and lets it go, turning his back on me and disappearing through the door.

I bring my hand to my chest, clasping my wrist with the other hand.

What the hell just happened?

I turn my head, a sweet fear grips my insides making my breathing irregular and without being able to help it a broad smile spreads across my face.

Carol was right.

I'll have to thank her.

I shake my head in disbelief.

I was so scared to face Daryl that now I can't believe how it turned out.

I leave the stable determined to find Glenn, I have to find him before he leaves.

With a light head still full of thoughts about the archer I return to the farm where not far from it I see Glenn coming towards me.

“Hey, Maggie told me you need a favor”

When I reach him I grab his arm and drag him with me.

“I need your help.I want to go to town with you”

Glenn nods.

“Ok but I don't think Rick is against it.Why do you need my help?” the boy asks me curiously.

I look around looking for the officer and find him almost immediately.

He and Shane are standing in front of the hood of an old Cherokee studying what appears to be a map.

"Come with me.You'll understand" I reply, focused on my goal, dragging Glenn with me.

I know Rick would have nothing to say about my wanting to go on a run with Glenn but I want something back.

Something that belongs to me.

And I want to do it right.

I want them to trust me.

When we arrived near the car, the first to notice us was Shane.

His features are serious and impassive, his necklace with the number 22 shines around his neck, hit by a ray of sunshine.

I maintain eye contact as I take my final steps to reach the two men.

The man nudges Rick and nods at me.

The officer's eyes lift from the map to rest on my face.

He smiles kindly at me unlike his friend who continues to look at me with a smug look.

Sumbitch.

“Hey Rick.I'm going to town with Glenn.I need some things and then the two of us will do it faster”

The man's blue eyes observe me carefully, then he nods.

“If you feel like it I can't stop you” he replies.

All right.

Now the hard part.

Seeing that I make no sign of moving, Shane intervenes.

“Do you need anything else, kid?”

His stupid question makes my hands itch.

God I want to punch this dickhead so bad.

Rick swings his worried gaze between me and his friend.

Maybe my thoughts are well painted on my face, after all, why hide how I feel towards that idiot?

He doesn't seem to make a secret of it so...

"I want my weapon back, Rick" I state turning my attention towards the only one who has the power to decide while completely ignoring Shane.

“No way”

“I didn't ask you” I reply without even sparing him a glance.

Shane takes a threatening step towards me but I'm not intimidated.

I'm not moving.

I don't even look at him.

My eyes stay on Rick the entire time.

“I know Hersel's rules and I'm not going around the camp armed, I just want my knife for walking around town.Once I get back I'll give it back”

Glenn moves closer to Rick.

“We can trust her, Rick”

Thanks Glenn, you did just what I needed.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see Shane glaring at him.

Rick seems to think about it but then he nods, thus agreeing to my request.

Shane seems irritated by Rick's choice but he doesn't say a word.

He just looks at me like I was a walker.

I grab Glenn's hand and turn on my heel, dragging him with me.

After not even a couple of steps Rick calls me.

“Hey Summer!Don't you ask me where your weapon is?” he asks me raising an eyebrow.

“No need.I know where it is.I saw it a few days ago”

Shane's gaze narrows curiously while Rick smiles amused by my answer.

“So why didn't you just take it, kid?” the latter asks me.

I shrug with a nonchalance worthy of an actress.

“Because I want you to understand that I'm not just a mouth to feed or another stupid worry.I want to be an integral part of this group and I want to do things according to the rules”

Shane shakes his head almost amused.

“We'll see, girl” he mutters, returning to focus all his attention on the map spread out on the hood of the car.

Rick follows close behind.

So without letting go of Glenn's hand I start walking again towards Dale's RV where my weapon is hidden in a locker.

“But didn't you say you needed my help?” my friend points out laughing, giving me a slight push with his shoulder.

His playful gaze lingers on mine.

“Oh but you did” I reply, getting into the RV and going to open the cabinet above the bed.

I grab my knife and put it in the waistband of my jeans and then I turn towards Glenn who in the meantime has also gotten into the vehicle.

“Rick trusts you.Your support was decisive for him to accept my proposal”

“Make sense.You know, you're lucky that your friend here is a big shot” boasts Glenn, puffing his chest out and placing his hands on his hips.

I roll my eyes.

We both smile.

“Come on big shot, let's go.I want to get back before dark" I tell him pushing him out of the RV.

“Listen, I'll see you at the car in a few minutes.I want to let Carol know that I'm coming with you, okay?”

“See you at the car” he nods, leaving me alone.

Wow!

Who would have thought that today would go so well?

My mood has definitely improved compared to this morning.

I got my weapon back.

I clarified with Maggie.

I'll go to town to find what I need.

And…

Oh c'mon!

The main reason for my good mood has blue eyes and smells like the summer woods.

As I leave the farm behind I go looking for Carol, my head dreaming and my heart full of Daryl.

On my way I am stopped by a voice calling me.

It's Lori.

I observe her curiously as she approaches, looking around with fear.

As if she didn't want to be seen.

“Everything is fine?Is Carl okay?” I ask her as soon as she reaches me.

Her son is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw that scared look on her face.

“Yeah, yeah.He's fine.Glenn told me you were going with him to look for supplies and I was wondering if you could do me a favor”

I look at her confused but nod.

Lori and I haven't talked much since my arrival and I haven't had the chance to get to know her well yet but that doesn't mean I could deny her a favor.

Her tired and drawn face worries me.

“Is everything okay Lori?” I ask her again seeing her get agitated.

Her gaze wanders from one side of the field to the other.

“Everything is fine.I just need you to get me some things” she replies handing me a small paper note.

What is all this secrecy?

Having really reached the end of the world, do some women still have shame to talk about periods and tampons?

Why did she have to write it?

Amused by her excessive shyness, I grab the piece of paper, giving a slight peek at its contents.

I remain motionless staring at the paper.

Incredulous.

The smile on my lips quickly fades.

“I would like to be able to count on your confidentiality.Do you think you can do it?” Lori adds in a whisper.

I nod unable to answer.

“I…I don't want to burden you with this but you're the only one who can do it.I can't ask Glenn.And I don't want anyone else to know.Nobody” she adds, agitated, pressing on the last word.

Copy that.

Rick doesn't have to know.

I shake my head from side to side trying to get rid of my amazement.

It's none of my business if Lori doesn't want to tell Rick and I will certainly keep my mouth shut.

“You have my total discretion, Lori" I reassure her by squeezing her upper arm.

She chews on her lower lip nervously as she looks around.

A light gasp from her makes me jump and following her gaze I notice Shane.

Standing on the porch, with his back resting against the white wooden planks, he is observing us.

He has his arms crossed over his chest and the sole of his right foot resting on the railing in front of him.

His haunted eyes follow every movement of the woman in my company.

Lori squirms under Shane's gaze and shivers.

“I have to go” she says quickly.

Without another word she walks towards the house, slowing down as she approaches it.

Lori and Shane exchange another long look until Rick comes to their right and catches their attention.

Lori jumps again and feigning indifference, badly I dare say, she corrects her trajectory by heading towards her husband.

Rick, unaware of that small exchange of glances between his wife and his best friend, passes his arm around her shoulder and kisses her temple and then heads together towards their tent.

I turn my attention back to Shane, studying his every move.

His large dark eyes are agitated, haunted as he chews on the inside of his cheeks.

His nostrils are flaring with anger.

I look down again at the note Lori handed me and at that moment something clicks in my brain.

The look between her and Andrea this morning when Beth mentioned Shane now takes on a whole new meaning.

Lori and Shane had an affair, probably when everyone thought Rick was dead.

Oh shit.

Oh man…I mean I'm nobody to judge but I honestly wouldn't want to be in Lori's shoes right now.

And I thought that my life was messed up.

The sound of footsteps violently trampling the ground sends a shiver down my spine.

I already know who it is before he says a word.

Putting on a relaxed expression, I lift my face to meet Shane's crazy gaze.

Without being noticed I put the note in the back pocket of my jeans.

The man gets dangerously close, invading my personal space.

He is so close that his smell stings my nostrils and makes me sick.

His eyes pierce mine, leaving me paralyzed.

I am aware that I am alone, at this moment of the morning everyone is already busy with their chores so there is no one who can help me.

I have to deal with him myself.

“Do you need something?”

I try to use a cheeky tone, as if I'm bored of him right now and not totally paralyzed by fear.

But Shane is smart.

Too smart.

He knows I might know something.

I tried to hide the tremor of my hands by digging them into the pockets of my jeans.

“I'm in a bit of a hurry Shane, if you don't mind?”

I try to dodge him but he steps in front of me with a threatening expression.

“Not a word, kid” he whispers to me, bringing his lips too close to my ear.

I can't help myself and a shiver runs through me.

Feeling satisfied with my reaction, the man walks away without saying a word.

I feel the sweat dripping down my back, soaking my shirt.

From now on I will have to sleep with one eye open.

Without wasting time I reach Glenn who, seeing my shocked face, gets out of the car and comes towards me.

I'm sure that my already naturally pale complexion is currently cadaverous.

“Are you okay, Summer?”

His agitated voice is an octave higher than usual.

I am fine?

No, absolutely no.

Shane is dangerous and I don't know if anyone else has noticed and they pretending nothing happened or if this son of a bitch is so good that he knows how to play his cards well and let everyone buy it.

Not receiving an answer, Glenn opens the passenger door and helps me get into the car, then gets on the other side and starts the engine driving away from the farm.

During the journey he does nothing but give me worried looks.

He knows that it would be useless to ask questions and that when I'm ready I'll talk.

I observe the landscape passing quickly outside the window, the sun high in the sky indicates that the first part of the morning has already flown by.

A couple of walkers wander undisturbed in the tall grass on the sides of the road.

I rest my forehead against the cold glass of the window and close my eyes.

I think of Daryl who could be anywhere right now and in my heart I really hope that he is okay and that he comes back safe and sound.

I feel the car slow down and when I open my eyes I can already see the outlines of the city buildings.

I dig my fingers into the flesh of my thighs.

The doubt consumes me but I can't do otherwise...

I promised Lori that I would keep her secret, this is true, but this was before Shane threatened me.

I can't ignore it and I have to tell someone, so that if something happens to me he doesn't go unpunished and above all he can no longer be a danger to the others.

Once we reach our destination, Glenn parks a little further away from the main road and turns off the engine.

When his hand is on the door handle I grab his knee forcefully, forcing him to turn towards me.

I feel my eyes fill with tears, a few drops escape my control and crash onto my thighs wrapped in the jeans.

I cannot believe it.

I thought I was done with this shit the moment I ran away from him but here I am.

Dealing with a fucking psychopath again.

Once again submissive to the will of another man.

But if I succeed the first time I can do it again, right?

This time there is a difference.

This time I'm not alone.

I have Glenn.

I have Carol.

I have Daryl.

And a lot of people I can call friends now.

The fingers of the man at my side wrap gently around mine, which still grip his knee.

“Summer, whatever it is, you know that you can trust me.Let me help you”

His plea tightens my heart.

Glenn, just like Daryl, is offering to help a complete stranger even if it means going against his own family.

I hate this idea but I need help now.

“Can you keep a secret, Glenn?”

Please comment, share and rate ❤️

Taglist

🔥 Masterlist 🔥

@deansapplepie

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

Hi! Hope you’re doing well.

I have a few fun questions for you if you don’t mind answering.

First one, from one SonAmy fan to another, if the two hedgehogs EVER became canon, how would you write their future relationship?

Secondly, what are your opinions about Sonic opening about his emotions more often in different medias?

Third, what Sonic characters would you like to see interact more?

Haaaiii!! Thank you so much for the ask!!! 🤩🤩🤩

Oooh, good questions!! Okay, if Sonamy ever becomes truly and fully canon, (once I finish flipping out lol) I'd probably actually write their relationship to be very similar to what it is now. One thing I really like about Sonamy is how they can each be independent, but still love and care for each other. And they've both matured to the point where I think that not much would look different if they did start dating. I think there would be subtle differences, at least at first. Like, I doubt they'd be super public about their relationship. Sonic probably wouldn't tell many people, except maybe Tails, and possibly Knuckles. Sonic would definitely still travel, but I can see him picking up souvenirs from random places for her, buying stuff he wouldn't normally get and maybe passingly commenting that it was for his girlfriend (and then he'd leave without elaborating and the cashier would go nuts haha). Amy would probably want to be more open about their relationship, but I also know she would respect his wishes if he didn't want to. They'd probably spend most of their dates in secluded areas, probably out in nature, in the mountains or in the middle of a flower field, far away from society and cities. He'd probably take her with him on more of his runs. But yeah. 🥰💙🩷

I keep meaning to make a post with a list of Sonamy headcanons along those lines haha. 😂🥰

I LOVE when Sonic gets to express his emotions more!! I totally get that they can't have him be overly emotional, that makes sense with his personality. (Besides when he's being a drama king over silly matters 😂) But like, getting in his head during the Metal Virus arc and seeing him start to stress and overthink things after days of infection and no sleep, seeing him have a breakdown in the first live action movie after being alone for so long, seeing him panic, seeing him display symptoms of PTSD and trauma in Prime, I've honestly been loving getting to see him be more vulnerable. He's still a hero, he'll always be a hero, but his falterings and doubts make him feel a lot more true to life. I love it!

The main duo that comes to mind that I REALLY want to see interact is Shadow and Whisper! I actually ship them, as does my bestie, but also I just really want to see their dynamic, what with how they both have trauma, both have experience with loss, and their lives have indirectly intersected. I want to see how they'd talk to each other, how they'd interact.

I also wanna see Sonic and Tangle just doing stupid stuff together. 🤣 They make such a chaotic sibling duo, they're both suckers for reckless adventure, I can just see them going cliff diving and stuff together while all their friends facepalm. 😂

Thanks so much for the ask!! I'm doing pretty well, I've been sick but I'm not feeling too horrible. 😁 I also just had a Sonic energy drink and feel like vibrating into the atmosphere. 🤣 I hope you're doing well too!! 💙

[multi-fandomsfreak]

Hi, It’s me the anon that requested the Xenophanes x Demon Reader that was friends with Fleeway.

I have another idea 💡

So continuing on from my previous request let’s say reader and Xeno are just hanging out and somehow Sonic stumbled into Xeno’s dimension and he sees the reader next to Xeno and he freaks out because he thinks Reader is Amy so he runs up and grabs Reader trying to save them from Xeno and both Xeno and Reader are confused and shocked by what’s happening. So now we have Xenophanes and Sonic chasing after each other because of Sonic’s confusion.

Meanwhile Xeno’s puppets (Eggman, Tails and Knuckles.) are just watching the whole thing go down while Majin Sonic and Unused Sonic (His name is just Unused but yeah..) are just silently making jokes and laughing at Xeno.

Once again, I hope you’re doing okay! 👍🏽 And I’m doing alright as well 😽✌🏽

Xenophanes with a demon reader (Part 2)

Hey there again! Thanks for the ask!

Honestly I love the idea you just said that I started writing this as soon as I saw the request. Although it’s almost 5:00am where I am and I should be asleep right now I don’t care. Just imagine Sonic having an Amy moment when she accidentally confuses others like Shadow for him. Kind of ironic when you think about it. Anyways glad to hear your doing well and once again hope you enjoy reading this! ~J/Blaze

Here’s Part 1 of the Ask

Pronouns: She/They

Warning: ❌ (Sonic has his Amy moment lol)

Requested: Yes/No

Characters: Xenophanes + Sonic + Xeno’s Puppets (Tails + Knuckles + Eggman) + Majin + Unused

Proofread: ❌

Credits: Art by OrcaTheArtist on Deviantart + Banner by 5macc13 on Pinterest

———————————

- It’s been a while since you’ve met and eventually befriended Xenophane and you got to say you honestly don’t regret it. Pretty much after being ‘introduced’ to him by Fleetway you two have been attached to the hip. You even got to know his puppets which although at first they only got along with you because of Xeno eventually they did manage to genuinely get along with you outside of him.

- You even got to know some more of his ‘friends’ , for example people like Majin and Unused. Honestly you found the two of them interesting. It didn’t seem they did any harm yet they seemed to hang around people like Xeno. Just like the puppet gang they were actually decent to be around. Sometimes when you aren’t hanging out with Xeno or Fleetway you three like to have a get to gather and just talk. Kind of like the Unused and Majin Show (By Nominal Dingus on YouTube) just minus the talk show part.

- Surprisingly the two of them somehow don’t confuse you as Amy. Although they do see the resemblance just like Eggman they can distinguish the difference between you two. Plus they understand that you are your own person and understand that it can be annoying when you get compared to someone you aren’t. They respect that so they don’t do it.

- You’ve pretty much gotten used to hanging out with demented version of sonic and his friends as well as being one yourself you haven’t really had the chance to think about what would happen if you met the real deal. Although you couldn’t really care less if you met the actual Amy, however with someone like Xeno you severely doubt that he would be kind meeting the real Sonic or any of his friends. Considering what he did with his versions of Tails, Knuckles and Eggman, who knows what he would do with the actual characters from the hit game series. However, you were about to find out what would happen and although nothing too violent happened it was definitely funny at least to you and those who witnessed it.

- Somehow Sonic found himself in the universe that contains all of you. Not recognising where he was and wondering where his friends were he immediately went and looked trying his best to not get caught by whatever could hurt him. After looking around he stumbled between all of you hanging out. At first he was wondering who the hell all of you were but when he saw you his eyes immediately widened. Although you didn’t have that much of Amy’s appearance, he saw his friend's silhouette and automatically assumed that you were ‘Amy’. He didn’t want ‘Amy’ to get harmed by Xeno and the others so he figured he risked his life and save you.

+ As soon as Sonic saw his friend hanging out what looked like disturbing versions of him he let his emotions get the of him and placed a hand on your shoulder and pulled you back. At first you were confused at who the hell was pulling you back and it seemed like the others were as well. “Amy! Be careful!” Sonic said hugging you tight, keeping an eye on the others still not paying attention to you who clearly wasn’t Amy. “Who the hell are you? And why the hell are you grabbing onto them like that?” Xeno said slightly growling at Sonic like a goddamn dog seeing another dog. “I’m not letting you get close to her or harm her so back off”. Everyone including you just looked at Sonic. The puppet trio whispering to each other about their friend confusing you for Amy, wondering what Xeno may or may not do to him. Majin and Unused slightly chuckling to themselves, well mostly unused and Xeno preparing himself to attack Sonic.

+ “What do you mean? They aren’t going to attack me?” You said as you tried to remove Sonic’s arms around you “What are you talking about Amy can’t you see…” Sonic was about to explain how clearly dangerous the others looked, however he quickly stopped himself and took a minute to take in what you said. Why weren’t you worried about them? Then he finally decided to look at you directly. That’s when he finally realised that you weren’t Amy. Well at least not mentally and sort of physically. “Wait your aren’t…” he said slightly, stumbled back removing his arms from you. “Unfortunately I’m not your friend ‘Amy’ I’m [Name]” you explained yourself giving a shocked Sonic a smile. You can hear Unused letting out a slight snort trying to hold in his laughter as Xeno approached him. Sonic slightly chuckled to himself out of awkwardness and slowly tried to get away apologising before quickly running off with a slightly pissed off Xeno chasing after him. The rest of you pretty much just stood still watching this whole shit show go down. “Should…we stop him?” Majin spoke up suggesting how to stop Xeno from harming Sonic “Nah just let him do it” Unused waves Majin off slightly entertained with what’s happening right now “Yeah I agree, let’s at least let him get it out of his system before stopping” You added on trying your best to conceal the smirk appearing on your face.

———————————

[wist0ragic]

#☆ sonic headcanons but video games!!

(a little simple and silly but they were fun to brain storm)

⋆｡˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ⋆｡˚

Sonic!

- personally i think sonic would really like rhythm games, his favourites are project diva x and mega mix, as well as muse dash

- for rhythm games he of course enjoys playing the faster paced songs and starts off with hard, completely skipping normal

- but for party games he really likes to play splatoon with all of his friends

- he definitely gets competitive and likes to push straight through to the other teams base to ink

- but for two player games his favourite is for sure cuphead and he saves that game for whenever him and tails hang out

- sonic always plays as cuphead and tails always plays as mugman

- now taking a bit of a leap here, i think sonic would also really have fun playing fromsoft games, like elden ring and bloodborne (more so elden ring)

- for these games he likes to play them with shadow but they never get anything done because sonic is always messing with him and tricking him

————

Amy!

- she LOVES animal crossing and put lots of time and effort into making her island cute and pretty with her main theme being something along the lines of coquette for sure

- amy of course tries to convince everyone to play animal crossing as well so they can all see each others islands and decorate together

- she also likes to play rhythm games but is less worried about her score unlike sonic, and she actually enjoys the slow songs

- but if amy had the whole day to herself she could easily spend every hour of it playing the sims which seems to confuse everyone but she’s just having a blast

- she also really loves the legend of zelda games and adores zelda

————

Shadow!

- okay now i know that amy and sonic already like rhythm games but i think shadow would also really enjoy them

- he definitely challenges sonic to the harder songs and secretly enjoys playing with him, even if he might be a little bitter since his score was only 1% away from beating him

- but circling back to elden ring and bloodborne, he’s actually pretty damn good at those games. in elden ring he prefers a bleed build and in bloodborne he usually just sticks with the saw cleaver

- aaaand despite his gruff attitude he actually likes animal crossing so him and amy like to visit each others islands

- i also think he might enjoy a good story game like omori, dredge, night in the woods, far lone sails etc

————

Knuckles!

- he’s for sure someone who mainly plays fighter games like street fighters and constantly gets his friends to try and play with him in a 1v1

- same goes with smash bros of course, he really enjoys it and likes to play against sonic

- knuckles also has loads of fun playing any justdance game with his friends. he gets competitive for sure but somehow always manages to get 2nd or 3rd

- and much like amy if he had the whole day to himself he could easily play hours and hours of his favourite game, fallout 4

- he usually likes to join the brotherhood of steal for their power armour and such

————

Tails!

- tails loves the portal games and especially loves to play portal two with sonic and explain the puzzles

- he also likes to play legend of zelda of games but his favourite is for sure tears of the kingdom because he can invent all kinds of stuff

- once in a while he’ll replay undertale because he enjoys the jokes and story but he can only ever do the pacifist run, he’s very emotionally invested

- and on the days where he simply just wants to sit back and relax he’ll unwind with games like unpacking, a little to the left, some animal crossing and so on

————

Rouge!

- now she doesn’t play many games but one of her favourites i feel like would be resident evil 4, both the original and the remake (a big part of it is because she really loves ada)

- she’ll play animal crossing for amy but doesn’t invest too much time in decorating and what not, though she does love how cute the game is

- and meanwhile thanks to knuckles she’s gotten pretty good at smash bros and street fighter since she plays with him the most

- and last but not least she also likes to play fromsoft games with shadow but she’s definitely more chill while playing

[selfsabotaqe]

paying good $$$ for someone to let me play courtney eaton, davika hoorne, nicholas galitzine, jessica alexander, logan lerman, xavier serrano, greta onieogou, ayca aysin turan, kim doyeon, chase sui wonders, maia cotton, drew starkey, taylor zakhar perez, gracie abrams, lola tung & apo nattawin in a plot on discord. open to anything in terms of pairings and any slice of life plots, but there's some specific ideas down below 🥹

any generic mumu. looking to generally start with a maximum of four muses each, but i would love mumus with ships with intertwined plots. the floor of an apartment building? college friends? high school friend group getting together for a reunion? band on tour? travelers staying in the same hostel room? sports team with wags? go wild. specifically for mumus, i would prefer writing a variety of pairings including same sex couples, and writing (against) a mix of men, women and non binary muses. so i ask partners are open to writing a variety of muses in terms of gender and sexuality themselves. i'll always be down for m/f plots as well, but i am not interested in just doubling up for the sake of it.

any sports plots. rival athletes to lovers? teammates who hook up constantly (no homo) but are in denial about feeling more? athlete and the no nonsense journalist who makes their life hell, but they are kinda into it? athlete and their celebrity significant other, who could be a real couple or fake dating? athlete and assistant coach, or team medic, or pr manager? mumu with multiple plots within the same sports league or team? especially looking for soccer, formula one or hockey (because i know most about those) but open to other options.

enemies to lovers based on jake and amy from brooklyn nine nine. two coworkers stuck in a work performance rivalry that's slowly turning more and more romantic. lawyers trying to win cases? servers or bartenders trying to make the most tips?

any cliche hallmark holiday movie plots but add more to it. pretend to be my significant other for the holidays? i've been stuck in a snowstorm in this town/city away from home? i'm visiting my family far away from where i live and oh shit, there's a really hot local? i'm visiting my family in my home town for the holidays, and my childhood best friend is giving me butterflies? just give me cliches, give me one trying to teach the other how to ice skate, give me hot cocoa in front of the fire, give me hooking up in their childhood bedroom and trying to keep the noise down for the family downstairs.

give me any (modern) royalty au. heirs from rival countries being forced into marriage to form a political alliance? prince secretly hooking up with one of his guards? unknowing american traveling to this small european country where they by chance meet one of the royals?

enemies with benefits plots in any capacity. sports setting? academic rivals? neighbours who drive each other mad playing loud music too late at night? just these vibes.

potentially something based off this, but maybe combined with a "muse a thinks they're enemies while muse b has been flirting all along" plot. very open to make this m/m or f/f as well.

very legal (don't make it weird!!!!!) age gap plots where maybe for once they do think it's difficult. maybe they're at different places in their life? maybe one of them wants kids and the other doesn't? maybe they just moved in together and they're having a ton of fights? maybe they want something different out of their relationships? could also be combined with any of the above tbh.

[cutegirlmayra]

Sonamy prompt: Sonic gets invited to a high society: ball, charity event whatever you name it he has to go and can bring a guest. He asks Amy to go mostly so she can keep the crazy fans and press away. She agrees thinking it'll be a fun date night. The night comes and she feels like a fish out of water. High society start judging and mocking her making her feel bad. Sonic is not okay with this and the two make a ruckus. Dancing and singing eating food "improperly" and then eventually take off

PROMPTS ARE ON SHUTDOWN, DO NOT ENGAGE INBOX, THEY’RE HAPPILY MARRIED AND DON’T NEED YOUR OPINION!!!

Prompt:

Sonic adjusted the cuffs on his new tailored gloves, “You sure this shindig’s necessary?” He had tried to get out of it, but the President was insistent. To help with his campaign, he wanted Sonic at his fancy ball he was hosting, a party for those of high political society.

He figured, if Sonic was there, so would the press. Not just that, but it would be the talk of among potential voters, and make it look like Sonic was supporting him.

Not really understanding the significance of his presence, Chris had told Sonic it was a very honored thing to be invited by a President, and didn’t want Sonic to appear rude.

“Why can’t you be my plus one? Or you?” He asked Chris, then pointed to Tails, who was helping put Sonic in a nice black jacket after he had already been buttoned up by Chris in a white shirt.

“Because, plus one usually means you’re bringing a girl with you.” Chris explained, and held up his finger, “Just a second, I’ll go see Vanilla and Cream are done working on Amy’s dress, yet.” He rushed to knock on the door, about three times, before he heard the excited voices of Cream and Vanilla.

They cheerfully called out, “Coming!” Before Amy called out, “Just one second..!!!” Sounding kinda nervous.

“Huh? Amy? Getting nervous?” He walked away from the door and shook his head, “That’s a side of her I never thought I’d get to see…” He smiled with a raised eyebrow, coming back to Sonic who was tugging on his nice suit jacket a bit, trying to ‘stretch’ it since it felt restrictive, looking annoyed. “You sure you remember your manners, Sonic?” Chris reminded him.

“Yeah… I think so. Mr. Tanaka wouldn’t let me sleep last night in peace without sending me through a few drills… and Ella did the same with Amy.” He suddenly looked over from down at his new clothes before his eyes widened and sparkled somewhat… looking speechless.

“Huh? What’s wrong, Son-” Chris turned around before his face also turned to one of mesmerizing delight. “Wow, Amy! You look… incredible!” His mouth opened wide into a grin.

Amy walked out with her hands together in front of a beautiful red, glittering dress… white gloves to match, a hair clip of a rose with some sheer fabric to the side of it, going down near a front quill of hers.

Her sparkling red shoes she lightly poked out of her dress and then posed, tilting her head and chin up a bit to the side, being confident. “Well?” She asked, “What do you think, Sonic?”

Sonic remembered something then, “Hey… It looks… different from the one you wore on the Blue Typhoon, Amy…” Sonic walked up to her and put his hands to his hips, “What happened to that one?”

She tensed up, her bangs and quills becoming prickly, and her cheeks puffing up in agitation. “Girls have more than one dress, Sonic!” She huffed, and he flinched back a moment, removing his hands from his confident but relaxed pose as his smile faded, too.

“H-Huh? No need to get snappy, Amy. I was just surprised you had a new one…” He put a hand out to explain, before withdrawing it up to behind his head, “Sorry, Amy.”

Chris looked at the two a little awkwardly, having some sweat on the side of his cheek, before bending down to whisper into an equally worried Tails’s ear. “Do you really think they’ll get along for this evening, at least?”

Tails moved his mouth to the side, whispering back with his hand up to him, looking ahead but his eyes shifted directly to look up at him, “This isn’t Sonic’s first rodeo. Amy’s dragged him on tons of dates! He’ll be just fine if he-” They were both jolted into upright positions by Vanilla tugging on their opposite ears.

“You know, it’s quite rude to gossip right in front of people.” With her eyes closed in pleasantry, she walked in between them and made sure their heads were now pulled away from each other. She let them go and put a hand dainty to her mouth, “You look lovely, Amy. Sonic? Be sure to be a gentlemen at all times. This is Amy’s night, too, you know.” She gently instructed him.

Sonic smirked to Vanilla, “Emm.” showing he was intending to keep it a good one, as Amy happily returned Vanilla’s kind smile and cheer. “Ah-ha!”

At the ball, Sonic had Amy’s arm around his own, and the two walked in looking pretty small compared to the expenses of this grand campaign. “You don’t… think this is all for us… do you?” Sonic asked, looking directly up, “Wohh…” Seeing multiple chandeliers and fancy lights all over the grand ballroom.

Both his and Amy’s eyes sparkled at the extravagant sight, before a ton of ‘important’ guests started trying to barge their way past the two and soon they were almost trampled as they clambered to get inside.

Sonic pulled Amy ahead of him and they started running, “The food here must be really good, huh? Wah-aahhhh!!!” he pulled her up into a bridal style and immediately his face turned to a cool and collected hero. “Heh.”

He smirked and jumped over some tables as though they were obstacles on a natural tundra back home, and then skid to a halt behind them, his toe up in the air as he slid. “Heh, try and surprise me, why don'tcha?” He subtly jeered a little, having fun as he set Amy down. He put his hands out to her dress, “Is your pretty dress okay? Not ruined, is it?”

Amy blushed at that, shaking her head, “Em-mm, it’s fine.” She smiled sweetly to his chivalrous question.

He ‘phew’d and got back up, “Good.” He nodded, putting his hands to his hips again, “You seem to care an awful lot about it.”

Amy had a strike of an anger mark pulse on her head at that comment. “Soooonic…” She made fists by her sides and shook them slightly. “Are you calling me a material girl!?”

“Huh?” Sonic seemed to not understand, leaning forward towards her as though wanting her to explain before the President and his plus one came up to him with their bodyguards.

“Ah! Sonic The Hedgehog!” He outstretched his hands to the two, “I’m so glad you could come! Ohh… and who’s this little lady by your side?” he blinked curiously to Amy. “Hmm… Have I seen you before?”

Amy looked flattered at the ‘little lady’ part, but the second he seemed to completely not recognize her as one of Sonic’s ionic friends made another zap of an anger mark pulse on her head yet again, twitching with a slight sound effect as though she was trying to keep her rage bottled up in front of company…

“O-Oh, I’m one of Sonic’s friends…” She nervously laughed out.

“Yeah, don’t you recognize her?” Sonic pointed to Amy, very casually, “She’s Amy R-”

“Well, I’m sure my memory will be jogged in good time!” he clapped his hands, “Now, Sonic, if you would be a dear and come with me, just step right over here, that’s it…” Sonic was suddenly pushed from the back up to the press where they took pictures of him and the President, as Amy reached out her hand, not sure why he was being taken away from her as the Plus One of the President slid in next to her.

“You know, he really does look dapper in that little suit of his.” She chuckled into her hand, trying to be mannerly but her eyes were closed as though also looking a bit high-class as well. Was she snooty? “I just think little animal heroes are all the rage these days… It also makes you look incredibly adorable as well, Miss The Hedgehog.”

Amy twitched again, a smaller anger mark. “C-Cute?” She was trying to look sophisticated and like an adult…

“O-Oh, uhmmm… Ehem, I’m not actually Mr. The Hedgehog’s wife… eh-heh-heh… yet.” She swiped her eyes off to the side with a shine… a goal of hers, obviously.

The woman made an obnoxious laugh, “Ohhhh-hoho, how darling! You two looked so perfect together, I just immediately assumed!” She then leaned down, “Hey, hey… one girl to another, do you all stick to your species or is there branching out involved? Do you ever fear he’ll go after a mongoose or something?”

Amy’s anger marks were now turning into mouths and angry eyes, barking and arguing on Amy’s head back and forth as she twitched an open smile, “Ah-hah…hah haha… Why do you think these thoughts?” she then questioned the woman with squinted eyes as Sonic called out to her.

“Amy!”

She turned immediately, blinking her eyes as she leaned forward, “Oh!” She noticed he was trying to climb over the people, mostly women and reporters, crowding around him.

She knew he hated that, and narrowed her eyes while shaking a protective fist.

“Amy, help m-..!” He was being pulled back into the epicenter of the moshpit of people as Amy took out her hair clip and handed it to the woman, “Hold this a sec.” she raced towards Sonic and jumped into the crowd, like a superhero, she wiggled herself out with Sonic over her shoulder, clinging up on her shoulders as though a trembling chihuahua over water, completely out of place among the ‘fans and elites’ all wanting a piece of him.

She jumped down from stepping over people’s heads and shoulders, landing like a true hero and putting Sonic down, dusting him off, and patting his cheeks to let him know he was okay now.

“Thank YOU!” She swiped the hair clip out of the gawking woman’s hands and began to readjust it back into her downward pink quills. Once in, she moved her hands away, touched it up a bit more, then put her hands happily to her hips and looked proud of herself.

“Thanks, Amy.” Sonic rubbed the back of his head, then dusted off his arms again, “Those people really know how to trap a guy in!” He adjusted his quills as well, “How long do we have to be here for, anyway?”

“Sonic…” She looked a little disappointed, her eyes bending back, “We… We just got here.”

“That’s right!” The woman looped her arms around Amy, “You two adorable little things can’t leave now! We have a dinner and a dance for everyone! Including a very special performance, you’ll love it!” She dragged Amy over to a chair as Sonic helplessly followed her with his arms out, not sure when to use his strength and abilities when it came to these odd humans…

When sat down, Amy addressed it, looking like her entire hair was messed up due to the woman holding her like a ragdoll in the air by her waist. “I swear… if one more person treats us like pets..!” She adjusted her hair, and then re-pinned her hair clip. “Sonic, why didn’t you just spindash your way out of that people-pit?” She wasn’t look at him, just doing her hair as he sighed.

“I promised Chris I wouldn’t act ‘unmannerly’ at such an important summons… but to be honest, no matter how many drills Mr. Tanaka put me through, I still don’t get which spoon is what and why there needs to be so many rules.” He looked down at the set-up of the table. His eyes narrowed as though trying to remember, but then not caring and hopelessly waving a nonchalant hand about, “I just wasn’t made for this ‘heroic rewarding’ stuff.” He yawned and leaned back, lifting a leg up, “Think I’ll snooze for a little bit…” He started to doze off as Amy smacked a hand to her face, dragging it down to stretch out the skin.

“Well, that is just who you are… after all.” She eventually sighed and smiled at him fondly.

The President gave a profound speech, and everyone clapped modestly before the food was served. Amy nudged Sonic and he woke up in a small jolt, before yawning and letting Amy point and move his hands to the right silver tools he was supposed to use.

When Amy and him took their first bites, their eyes had stars in them, and they immediately both went, “Oh, wow!” and started digging in. “Have you ever tasted something so good in all your life, Sonic!?” She exclaimed, scarfing it down as Sonic nodded, agreeing.

He could hardly speak without his mouth completely full, “It’s the best!”

With wild handfuls, they were shoving the food down, as people stared in disbelief or with blinking eyes at the displayed behavior.

Amy suddenly looked up after blinking her eyes out of the stars, and noticed everyone staring at them. Embarrassed, she leaned back in her chair, “Ah-haha…” she tried to grasp at a napkin, and the President’s Plus One scooted it to her and she immediately patted her face.

Looking over at Sonic, she noticed he was still oblivious, and cleared her throat.

He looked up at her with complete innocence and full cheeks, “Huh?” His emerald eyes made her giggle a little, pointing to the rest of the table.

“Oh… ywou wawnt swome twoo?” He chewed and looked to what he thought was a huge set of food she was gesturing, too. He, thinking it very polite, got up on his chair, leaned over the table after pulling his suit and white shirt down, and then picked up the enormous–according to their size–glass dish ware and held it up over Amy’s plate. He swallowed then after some time of chewing and smiled sweetly to her, “Isn’t this the best? Glad we stuck around, huh!” The chandeliers lights on him only made his expression of joy that much more genuine and heartfelt to Amy. He was basking in the rays of the room’s light, and she had never felt more gleeful about Sonic trying to show ‘correct mannerisms’ to her before than this moment.

She put her hands up to her cheeks, squeeing at his gentlemanliness, “Ohh~ Sonic~” she then took a big inhale, “That’s not what I meant.” and pulled his coattails down to have him forcibly take his seat, dropping the rose-tinted glasses act for a second.

Once he was back in his seat, he blinked, still holding the huge stack of food on the tray as Amy put it back down where it was supposed to go, “We’re making a scene…” She seemed disappointed at having to say that, as though watching Sonic truly take delight in the moment was everything she wanted for the night… but she had to deny that experience for the both of them… due to the crowd of onlookers judging them…

They tried to eat correctly, Sonic looking more and more frustrated by the passing of seconds he couldn’t shove the amount of food he wanted in his mouth, and Amy completely concurred.

She had to pick up ‘miniscule’ bites and pieces, and the food kept slipping off the ‘recently polished’ silverware which made it even more impossible to take in the yumminess of the food.

Both growing annoyed, Amy finally just put the fork down and turned to Sonic, smiling the best she could. “Want to dance?” She took his hand and he was dragged to the dance floor.

At first, Sonic looked as though he was being pulled around, and Amy realized she would have to lead a lot more aggressively to get him on track.

“This isn’t what I had in mind… When they told me we’d be going to a fancy party…” Her face was a smushed frown, her eyes were as though someone was pulling them apart on the sides, melting away before Sonic finally made a comment.

“Well,... why can’t we just make it our party?” He asked, which made Amy blink up at him and lose her sunken expression.

“What… do you mean?” Her eyes showed that she was desperate to save the night, and Sonic smiled at that fact.

“Amy… Want me to be the hero this time?” He slightly joked as Amy looked completely like that was out of the blue for her, “What I mean is… You’ve been helping me all night… but I think it’s my turn to do what I do best.” He winked to her with a signature, bright smile. “Let me make your night one to remember!”

She blushed, turning pink on the sides of her muzzles just below her eyes. “Sonic…” She stared into his handsome face as he then broke out of the embrace and spun her about, jumping onto the food table and doing his own dance. Break-dancing, spraying food everywhere, and kicking up his feet, “Sorry, Chris! I also told Vanilla I’d be a gentleman to Amy! And Amy’s not having any fun either!” He then jumped up and spindashed around Amy, landing to take her hand, “And what kinda gentlemen would I be if I didn’t save the girl’s night?”

Amy swooned, her expression bright and cheery again, as she raced off and started to dance wildly and eat as much as she wanted again!

Suddenly, a loud voice cried over the crowd, “STOOOPPP!!!” The two hedgehogs ceased a moment, frozen in mad chaos of about to start a food fight, before the President looked to his Plus One, surprised by her suddenly manly voice.

“A-A… Elizabeth?” He asked, but the woman suddenly mechanically transformed, her thin waist now a large one, her proportions off, and Eggman flipped a sliding door and stepped out of the contraption.

“I had to go through SO MUCH to plan this little crash party… you have no idea how much of this man I had to endure!” Eggman pointed angrily at the President while still talking to Sonic and Amy, while the President touched what used to be a leg of the woman and rubbed it lightly as though mourning in a weird way that she was just a robot. “I’m the party crasher, not YOU!” he pulled out a mechanical gun strapped around his back. “I deserve it for what I’ve had to put up with far more than YOU TWO HAVING ONLY TONIGHT IN THIS LOONEY BIN!”

Realizing Eggman had been in a female robot, and that technically meant he was crossdressing, Amy and Sonic tilted their heads and second before absolutely having to clutch their stomachs and covered their mouths as they tried desperately not to laugh loudly.

Eggman sent his robotic army and they battled them out, never being invited to another ‘elite and influential party’ on earth again…

[cookieblobber]

Fast Friends Forever and it’s Fulfilling Step-Forward

So, the official Sonic accounts online posted a video dubbed what you see already in the image

At first glance, it’s just a little celebratory ad video collage of how Sonic has helped people make friends due to interests of the franchise and all. But when you fully realize the impact and implications this ad has just by this logo, it’s one of the most satisfying and vindicating moments in this franchise.

————————

One of the biggest issues this franchise has suffered was this total hatred of Sonic’s “stupid friends”. Ever since the jump to 3D, there was a bigger focus on Sonic’s friends; instead of just being run and jump characters who play like Sonic with a new ability to make traversal and platforming unique with them like in the classic games, they were given more unique playstyles way different from Sonic, at least in the Adventure games. Knuckles with his treasure hunting, Amy with her more slower paced platforming and hammer bashing, Tails who initially tagged along with Sonic’s gameplay started using a mech in SA2. In Heroes, they would be in groups of three like SA2, but they were taken a step back and playing more like the classic games where they act like Sonic running and jumping, but have more abilities to them that’s beneficial to whatever path requires their ability. You were able to swap members in a group around to choose whichever path you wanted. 06 kinda does a mix of both Adventure and Heroes - Tag Team gameplay like Sonic Heroes, but giving them back their more unique playstyles like Knuckles and Rouge doing treasure hunting, but still trying to not entirely change the gameplay to feel like it’s completely different from Sonic himself.

——————————

I don’t think I perfectly explained each game well but you get the gist, they used their friends a lot more often in 3D and made them a core part of the full experience; you couldn’t play as just Sonic anymore, you had to play as the other characters too. Understandably to some, this could get a bit annoying; having to constantly adjust to a brand new character every second, what a fucking skill issue but it could get disorienting, especially in games like SA2.

So, one would think the logical conclusion would be for Sonic Team to try and dial them back and make them more akin to the classic games where they had the same movements like Sonic, but had one or two abilities to make them unique enough that it feels like a new playthrough, maybe add in some paths only they could access that Sonic couldn’t, and not make it required where you have to play as those other characters mid-game to progress.

.

.

.

…unfortunately Sonic 06 crashed and burned and SEGA/Sonic Team scrambled to get things fixed by overcorrecting the problem.

When Sonic 06 failed, this was (as you can guess) a very critical breaking point in the franchise. All the issues people had with the franchise were being aired out left and right, some understandable critiques like how the game could ever be released in such a state, most being really awful ones, the whole “Sonic and his stupid friends” shtick was one of them as 06 made people think they were just useless trash who offered nothing to the games and only got in Sonic’s way. So they decided to just make Sonic and only Sonic playable going forward

It got to a point where they treated the lack of friends like it was a great thing to advertise for a 2D game that was supposed to be this return to form (Sonic 4).

I’m sorry to rant like a nerd for a second but, this was so stupid when you consider the fact the old days did the complete opposite of this.

Ever since Sonic 2, you met a new character who you’d be able to play as. Other Sonic media like shows or comics around that time involved Sonic having friends and allies along his side. Hell, ever since before Sonic fucking 1 was ever fully conceptualized, the idea of Sonic having friends and even a girlfriend was on the devs’ minds.

While spin-offs like Riders, Chronicles, and All-Stars would let you play as other characters, still undeniably it was disappointing that the next BIG title of the franchise wasn’t really featuring the other characters as playable and just sorta random background characters. Even in Generations, celebrating the franchise’s history, still lacked even just at least a model swap or something but that might’ve been boring.

————————

It would take until 8 years later, we would finally get to see Tails, Knuckles, and even Amy to be finally playable again…in Sonic Boom 🥲.

If 06 being the last time other characters were playable wasn’t painful enough, the next time it happened and it would be an even worse disaster than 06, especially with how hyped up this new spin-off was as this like new direction for the franchise, it just seemed like there was no hope we’d get to see these characters finally playable properly in some way again. But then, a beacon of light shined through.

Sonic Mania brings back Tails and Knuckles once again as playable characters. Dude, the fucking crowd shouted when Knuckles was shown in the trailer, it was that big of a deal. Sure, this was a 2D game, but it was close enough that it helped the general public remind everyone what truly made the 2D games on Genesis so great, and what made Sonic’s friends memorable and unique. With Mania receiving its high praise and new DLC reintroducing Mighty and Ray, it was safe to assume these characters were definitely going to be coming back at some point.

Forces also tried to bring in some hype with Shadow as DLC but, he was just an simple skin swap of Sonic and was only playable for 3 levels. So not too much to note sadly.

As we head over to the next 3D game, Sonic Frontiers, it reintroduced the world these characters’ struggles and attributes. Amy’s want to help the little ones in need, Knuckles’s loneliness and ancestral burden, Tails’ lack of self-confidence and over-dependence of Sonic. Sonic was still the only one playable, but it was nice seeing them play some sort of major noticeable role in progressing the story.

And then lives were changed

Just a few weeks after release, free DLC was announced, showing the final one will be Tails, Knuckles, and even Amy Rose will be playable soon. Now, at the time of me writing this, they are still yet to be playable, so I can’t say if they’re that good or not, but just seeing these characters be announced to be playable in a 3D Sonic game that has finally found success among the gaming community, it’s so exciting to finally see happen, and only one can imagine what kind of abilities they will bring themselves.

Speaking of DLC, Sonic Origins announced Amy as a brand new character to play within the old games, further starting to make Amy a true part of the main cast of characters than just the three boys.

And Sonic Superstars coming up soon, another 2D momentum based platformer akin to the Genesis games where not only will you get to play as the 4 again, but local co-op will be available for the first time. And what’s so crazy is: this feels exactly like this right balance I talked about earlier. Dialing back the characters to where they’re not mandatory to play as all of them to progress the game, giving them one unique moveset of some kind (as apparently the 7th emerald will grant characters a character specific ability), and giving them more character specific paths that others may not access, as shown recently with how there’s apparently Acts made specifically for Knuckles, Amy, etc.

Slight off topic but, Superstars truly does feel like a true evolution from the classic momentum formula. That’s not to discredit something like Sonic Advance, just…think of it more like branching paths, you know? Advance series evolves the 2D formula by slowly molding into something more unique with experimental playstyles ala boost and tag team, and Superstars more so plays it safer and retains what makes the fundamentals of 2D formula work and tries to work with what it already has. Both succeed in evolving the 2D gameplay in their own right.

——————————

So, I just gave you a whole history lesson of Sonic’s friends in the games, but how the hell does it relate back to this Fast Friends Forever logo?

To me, this logo and ad campaign solidifies this new era of Sonic the Hedgehog. For the first time ever, Sonic’s friends are mascots of something in the franchise. It’s not just Sonic’s face in that logo, his other 3 allies are involved too. SEGA is proudly and unapologetically showing off the other 3 as an important part of Sonic’s identity and what makes him so well loved and intriguing.

After years of Tails, Knuckles, Amy, being shafted in the sidelines, just being supporting background characters and at times flanderized, it’s a beautiful sight to see them finally be given respect, treated to be just as big of a deal as the main face of the franchise, and showcases there is more to come in future out of these characters going forward.

Fast Friends Forever, indeed.

[what-gs-watching]

"Why is no one having a good time? I specifically requested it."

Here’s a thing: my husband used to watch a ton of tv, all the time. Always had something on in the background. But then he got sucked into TikTok and his attention span broke, so I’ve been watching most things myself.

He just put together a snack to wind down from his work day, and came back in for a glass of milk. I’m on the couch and as he swished by he said “I just turned on Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, which in and of itself was surprising, only to continue “and remembered he’s dead…” and I let out a wail I’ve been mostly ignoring. 

Andre Braugher, I’m so sad that you’re gone. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of my absolute favorite comfort shows, and I’m not sure how I’m going to stand it now, for a while. Captain Holt is iconic, you can’t watch that show and not fall in love with him. 

And now it’s just…sad.

Nine-Nine is another one of those shows I started watching religiously while it was airing on cable, the entirety of the reason being Andy mother-effing Samberg. I have been in love with him (and the Lonely Island, which we should talk about eventually) since that crazy man joined SNL and so nothing was going to tear me away from his randon sitcom. I came for him, obviously, but I stayed for everyone else.

Including, and mostly, Captain Raymond Holt. 

I’m not gonna lie, he might be the most realized, well-defined character on the show. The man has layers. Gay, black cop who finally becomes captain of his own squad. Deadly serious, married to a professor, proud dog dad, lover of rules, hard grudge-holder, extremely literal and blunt, with the weirdest sense of humor. 

Most of the best moments of this show involve Holt. There’s an entire scene wherein the squad is put on the night shift and it’s fucking with everyone’s relationships and someone suggests his bad mood is because he needs to  bone down with his husband. His reaction has me crying every single time.

He has a dance-off with a kid on the street. He goes undercover as a straight person and does it hilariously. He gets incredibly, heavily, disturbingly invested in the Halloween heist game Jake sets up each year. He creates a ridiculous balloon arch for a wedding and gets deeply attached to it, and is infuriated by the fact that everyone thinks it’s weird as hell. He has the most fantastic arch rival relationship with an old partner, to the point where he plans to deliver a scathing eulogy when she unexpectedly dies. He learns the choreography set to Salt ‘N Peppa’s “Push It” and performs it to distract Amy while she’s giving birth. 

It feels like a lot of characters on tv are two-dimensional, but good lord, Holt was in full technicolor, and it’s obvious the reason it works so well is because Andre Braugher was a master of his craft. He WAS Holt, for a lot of people, including me. No one else could have stepped in and created that man. 

Throughout the show, Jake treated him like a surrogate dad because his own father (lol at Bradley Whitford in that role) was a dumpster fire, and it was really sweet. He just wanted validation, and acceptance.

In the finale, he tells Jake, "On my first day here, I asked Jeffords to tell me about everyone, He told me you were a great detective, but the one thing you couldn’t figure out was how to grow up. Well, I think you’ve finally figured it out. Over the years, you’ve sometimes referred to me as something of a father figure, but I want you to know, if I had had a son, and he had turned out like you, I would be very proud of him.”

I have a dad of my own, he’s wonderful and I love him and we have a great relationship, but y’all, Holt can be a surrogate dad for me too. He can be one for everyone. He always had a pearl of wisdom and he supported the entire squad in absolutely everything, and he was just an excellent human. Who was FUNNY and multidimensional and just…dope. 

He’s one of those perfect characters. And they don’t come along that often. So I guess the point is, thank you, Andre Braugher, for bringing him to life, and giving us the gift that is Captain Raymond Holt. I’m glad we still have him, even if we don’t have you.

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: Grand Reunion

In Cosmic Discoveries, after SS!Amy got OMT!Tails cured of the Chimera Virus, they were walking through one of the tranquil areas with OMT!Cream following.

OMT!Tails: This place really is something. With LM off my back for now, I have plenty more time to take it all in again.

SS!Amy: Well, our efforts definitely helped in stopping one of those so-called "canon events" from happening. You've already been through a lot as is, and we couldn't risk you getting worse from it.

OMT!Tails: So, how have you found it here so far, Cream?

OMT!Cream: It's been amazing! I never knew how many other iterations of me and our friends were in the multiverse. I already made friends with multiple mes!

OMT!Tails: You'd be more and more surprised every day, of course!

SS!Amy: What's the bond between you and your Cream like, Tails?

OMT!Tails: Well, compared to the intended norm, me and Cream are actually siblings. I took her in after her mom lost her life to OMT, and we had been living with my Knuckles and Amy.

SS!Amy: I'm really happy to see that you guys have a universe that strays away from all the norms, Tails.

OMT!Tails: Hehe! Thanks, Amy!

They continued along the area to where Skye and Melody were.

Melody: Sure kept us waiting, alternate dad.

OMT!Tails: Heh, sorry, Melody.

Skye: The others are just up ahead from here! We'll follow behind.

They headed forward.

OMT!Tails: Hey, guys!

OMT!Mina: Tails!

The two shared a hug together.

OMT!Mina: I'm so sorry about before, Tails. I understand if you-.

OMT!Tails: Hey, don't worry. It's okay.

D-Sides Mighty: Welcome back, bud!

Mini Sonic: Great work, Tails!

Mr. NM passed him a cheeseburger.

Mr. NM: Here, kid! Just as promised!

OMT!Tails: Sweet!

Nitro: We just met the kids you brought over, by the way.

OMT!Tails: Yeah. I met them on my way back.

Antho: So I heard you met my Tails earlier. What got you two on the move?

Melody: Well, we got forced out of our universe and can't get back in. We were stranded until this Tails found us.

Skye: Yeah, that's right...

Blitz!Tails: As it happens, me and mini-me were the first to come across the little guy on our travels, and he stuck with me whilst Mr. Red-Eyes was chasing Tails around different universes.

Melody: And he found me and rescued me from that Eggman lair full of robot doppelgangers!

OMT!Tails: Believe it or not, I ended up coming across the PRIME universe along the way!

The group were surprised and amazed.

Antho: You met the ORIGINAL Sonic?! Ex-Prince Brian: That's awesome!

CR!Sonic: Guess that's one more thing you can tick off your bucket list, kid!

OMT!Tails: Hehe, thanks!

SS!Amy: So, while we're taking a breather, you mind us having a chat, Tails?

OMT!Tails: Not at all.

The two headed off while OMT!Cream stuck with the Blur Gang and their allies. They came to a stop at another point of the sector as Nine watched with a soft smile.

SS!Amy: So, were you able to make up your mind about the whole Quill Society thing? There's still no pressure, of course. It's up to you.

OMT!Tails: Yeah. Well, I had been thinking about it a lot. I mean, it's a really amazing community space, though there is still my world to help protect and my friends to be around, so I can't imagine it being full-time.

SS!Amy: Heh, it doesn't have to be full-time, Tails. I mean, you saw everyone here from the Blur Gang yesterday, and it was in the aftermath of a school day, too!

OMT!Tails: Heh, you're right. A part-time rotation would be great for me, of course, so long as it's alright with Knuckles, Amy and my main teacher, of course.

SS!Amy: I'm sure they'd be really supportive of you taking that first step forward to stringing out further yourself.

OMT!Tails: Well, I mean, I could never have gotten this far without the support of people like you, and I couldn't be more grateful. If I do get a part-time rotation and it's on Friday to Sunday, I'm definitely gonna aim to work alongside guys like you and Pana more!

SS!Amy: Hehe, sweet!

OMT!Tails: Hey... I just wanted to say... thanks for sticking by my side through all of this, Amy. I know it's been really tough having to move out of the universe you once knew, but your caring nature has never once been broken.

SS!Amy: You're welcome. Anything to help out a buddy!

They smiled to one another.

Nine: How's the conversation coming along?

SS!Amy squeaked in surprise, blushing bright-red in embarrassment.

OMT!Tails: Oh! Hey, Nine! I didn't realise you followed us.

Nine: Heh, yeah. I've got you to thank as well, Tails. You coming into my life changed it for the better in SO many ways. For the first time, I could make amends with those I had hurt, and that whole multiverse conundrum meant I could finally co-exist with you guys. I mean, seeing this whole Quill Society made me see that, no matter what dimension, anyone can string out from being a wingman and be their own boss.

OMT!Tails: I'm glad to have helped, Nine. You've been an amazing friend throughout our journeys together.

Nine: And you've been just as amazing, if not more so!

The three shared a laugh between each other.

Nine: Well, EV said he prepared your dorm room. Why don't we go and take a look?

OMT!Cream: Oh! Wait up!

OMT!Cream arrived, with a familiar Chao with her.

OMT!Tails: Heh! You got your own Chao companion!

OMT!Cream: Yeah! After seeing all my other counterparts, I decided to name him Cheese in their honour!

OMT!Cheese: Chao chao~!

OMT!Tails: Aww! He looks so cute!

Nine: Heh! Well, let's go, you guys!

They headed off. Over with Blitz!Milla and Skye, meanwhile, they were tending to some flowers in the Chao Garden together.

Skye: So, what's gonna happen if our dimension's... you know?

Blitz!Milla: Well, I really don't want to leave either you or Melody orphaned, Skye, so if you'd like, you two can stay at our dimension under our care!

Skye: You'd... actually take us in? Like second parents?

Blitz!Milla: Of course! You both deserve a happy life to grow in.

Skye: Heh, thanks, Miss Milla.

He gently hugged her as she smiled. As he did so, Smol Devy came from behind and hugged Skye too.

Smol Devy: New fwiend!

Skye: Hehe, aww!

Blitz!Milla: Hehe! You and Devy are welcome at my dimension whenever, too!

Smol Devy: Gweat! ^v^

Meanwhile, with Blitz!Tails and EV!Sonic...

EV!Sonic: So, what was LM's state last you saw him chasing after Tails?

Blitz!Tails: He really didn't look stable whatsoever. I mean, he was still the big grouch the Society now knows him as, but... he seemed more insane when I knocked him into Dimension NEX-2023's further bounds. As if he really isn't being him anymore.

EV!Sonic: This is concerning. Once you get the chance, I recommend investigating his dimension with the Blur Gang to figure out what's amiss.

Blitz!Tails: I'll do my best out there.

EV!Sonic: I'm sure you will, buddy!

MV!Tails: I'll go with 'em. If he's planning something especially nasty, I'm gonna make good on my promise from before.

EV!Sonic: Yeah, good call.

Blitz!Tails: Alright. Let's go!

The two Tails's headed off, whilst EV!Sonic checked the dorm review ratings.

EV!Sonic: Heh, Tails scored his 5 stars. Sweet!

[honey-from-hell]

Red, White, & Royal Blue Movie Rant

Spoilers. All the spoilers. You've been warned.

I'm going to be talking pretty negatively about the movie, and if you don't want that, please, please scroll. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I know how important this movie is to a lot of people and the last thing I want is to upset anyone with my opinions. I just need to get my thoughts down. I'm a list autistic (yes, ha, like Alex).

My ramblings about this are not in any way meant to take away the importance of this movie. It is sacred in a way to a lot of people, the same way Harry Potter was when it came out (fuck JKR). It makes people feel seen despite how good or bad it is and that is important. This is my opinion on this piece of media as just a movie, as a thing. NOT as a concept that is good and needed and unashamed. I really hope this is the beginning of more feel-good queer movies. As a queer person, as an American in a time of trans-bills who is dating a trans person, this movie is powerful. But like, also bad. And I have opinions on it. 

So, I didn't like the movie. The mixture of the promos, the R rating, and the 90% it had on Rotten Tomatoes before it came out definitely got my hopes up. And I love the book. But in the end, I don't like the movie. I wasn't expecting something worthy of awards and critical acclaim, but I was expecting something more.

I think the reason I can say I didn't like the movie and not something more along the lines of, "I enjoyed it despite its problems," is because of how many issues I have with it. If it was just pacing, or just the cheesiness, or just an actor I think I would have liked it. But I pretty constantly went, "Oh, I don't like that." And the issues just kept stacking.

Going into it, I knew the main differences from the book were the lack of June and the fact Ellen and Oscar weren't divorced. And I think those two huge elements that play a part in Alex's character are really apparent in the movie. I thought Alex was kind of flat. I thought a lot of the characters were kind of flat. And this one is going to piss a lot of people off, but I didn't like Nicholas Galitzine's acting at all. I think the moment the movie went from enjoyably bad to bad bad for me is the last third where it's from Henry's perspective. The scene where he started browsing the books in the red room like that was particularly awkward and stilted. A lot of his scenes felt like that, like he was acting for a play or something. It wasn’t realistic. Since he’s a main character, it really did affect my opinion of the movie as a whole. 

Amy and Zarah were amazing. And Stephen Fry as the King did a great job. Taylor Zakhar Perez’s acting was on point, most of the time. I think some of my favorite scenes were Alex interacting with his mom, Zarah, Amy, and Nora at the beginning of the movie. Also, I fucking loved Nora. I wish she had been in the movie more, and also explicitly bisexual. And Pez. I just really wanted Nora/June/Pez, but I digress, not having that is not what made the movie unenjoyable for me.

I tried not to compare it to the book as a way to determine how good or bad it was. Like, when I heard June wasn't a character, I didn't immediately go, "Well, that means it going to be bad." But one of the great things about the book is the way all the characters interact with each other, not just Alex and Henry. We get to see what kind of relationship Alex and June have with their mom as their mom and as the president. We get to see the White House Trio be goofy but genius young adults figuring themselves out. Those were the moments that flesh the characters out and make you care about them. And there just really wasn’t very much of that in the movie.

The R rating made me happy, for one, because Alex says “fuck” so much in the books. His potty mouth is commented on. It is part of his character. It’s such an easy way to portray this very genuine and good character as someone who is still brash and a bit of an asshole. I had also hoped that the rating would help it feel like the book (says the person desperately trying not to compare it to the book). It is supposed to be sexy and fun on top of being unapologetically queer. But on the flip side, that was such a PG-13 movie and I have a feeling whoever decides the rating of movies was being homophobic. Because a gay sex scene is more “inappropriate” than a straight one. I also associate a level of maturity with R-rated movies, not because of more mature content but because the people consuming the movie and the movie itself should appeal to a more mature audience. If that makes sense. But it felt like a Hallmark and Disney’s ever so slightly more raunchy lovechild. 

The pacing immediately took me out of the movie. It was like watching a movie on 2x speed. I totally get why so many people thought it should be a mini-series or something. And I know they couldn't fit all 400 pages into a movie, but there have been adaptations before that do a solid job. I don't think RWRB did. I feel like Alex’s character development was flat and a bit magical—unnatural and unearned. Like, Henry apologizes and suddenly they are BFFs.

AND THE EMAILS. That’s what the whole ending conflict and it felt very much forgotten. We got the text messages and stuff, but when it came to the emails, it was just voiceovers. I think, like in the book where Alex thinks about private email servers (which is like my favorite joke in the book, it’s so layered in so many ways), there needed to be the equivalent of that in the movie before to bring attention to it. But this catalyst just kind of gets overlooked until it’s relevant.

And motherfucking Miguel Ramos. He felt like just a juvenile addition by being into Alex and being big bad because he’s into Alex. It was kind of icky in a way the book avoided. In the book, it was about politics, and while icky, they didn’t use a queer character to achieve the big conflict. His character, and really the whole progression, reminded me a lot of fanfiction written by a new writer. Like, the concept is good but the execution is what holds it back. 

Okay, so, I for sure have more things I disliked than things I liked, but I did appreciate the humor. It was the one part that 100% felt like the book. It was stupid and inappropriate, but witty and compelling. The direct quotes had me fangirling. Zarah, Amy, and Nora. Just ugh. I’m gay. Shaan? I also miss his sweet ass. 

I didn’t expect this movie to be perfect but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. I’ll try watching it again when I’m not in hyperfixation mode. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

EDIT: Also, Alex confirmed their relationship in the speech BEFORE the talk with the king. Like, Sir King Stephen Fry, it's already out there, man. The speech was supposed to take place after their talk with Philip and the King.

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Pretty cool answers got some more if that’s ok?

1: what is something the duo believes in? Like Bigfoot, mothman, etc…

2: what’s their opinion on cops in general?

3: you mention in a earlier post that Chris accidentally brushed his teeth with Jake’s toothbrush, was there any other gross moments the duo received?

4: you might’ve answer this before I think but what’s something that makes the duo really angry like super-saiyan angry?

5: what bets does the duo regular make? Like sees who’s faster for example?

6: what does the duo like to do with those respective girlfriends? Like hand holding, kisses on the cheek, etc

1) Well given that well….its the DCU where Greek pantheon gods, biblical demons, descendents of the Norse pantheon (New Genesis and Apokolips) and many others are all legit characters, it’s likely those cryptids indeed do exist anyways. Mainly the Duo though would give some attention in saying the Loch Ness Monster and the Congo’s Mokele Mbembe are real. Unlike in our reality, they have some actual evidence

2) Whilr they certainly have very good allies in Dan Turpin, Maggie Sawyer and especially Amy Rohrbach (in addition it of course Jim Gordon, Renee Montoya and even Harvey Bullock), Chris and Jake are overall more cautious around police officers in general and prefer not to overly rely on them as they both are aware of the systemic issues and structural problems many police departments have, the ones that we in the real world would acknowledge. This is especially true for Bludhaven as their police department is stated in being more corrupt than even Gotham’s.

3) Well, there only two incidents they are willing to talk about including the time Jake was dared by one of his classmates to not shower for a few days, hoping to break a record from an urban legend at their school. While he was able to beat said record by one messily minute, by the end of it he’d smelled and I quote from Chris “like if a foot and Brussels sprouts had a baby….who went Number 2 on their diaper.” Once Jake finally beat said record, Mar’i and Chris immediately gathered up some clean clothes, dragged Jake immediately straight to the bathroom and shut the door behind them so he can finally shower.

The other time would be when Chris and Jake love did some volunteer work at the local zoo, especially when it came time for cleaning some of the animal enclosures. Most difficult of all being the chimpanzees given their usual methods of warding off intruders. One of their ‘items’ they threw literally hit a fan (thankfully an air conditioner fan not a person) from across their habitat.

4) Easily hurting their loved ones and best friends like each others real badly and especially right in front of their eyes while gloating/laughing about it. During the brutal duel and beat down against Victor Zsasz on Jake, had he not been restrained by a power dampening anklet with traces of kryptonite in it, Chris for sure would’ve gone absolutely ballistic on the deranged criminal and rightfully so.

Also hurting innocents just to spite them or being careless is another way to get the two real ticked off. Even Chris and Jake have shown amazement on their ability to hold back during the few times Mongul nearly annihilated large swathes of Bludhaven and Metropolis, merely pounding him down rather than outright incinerating him.

5) Along with who can fly and/or run the fastest, they also made bets on Who can Eat Raw Onions without Crying (Chris won that one), Who’s the better poem writer (Jake), Who Can Curl Their Tongue (Jake again), Who can Annoy Hawkman first (Chris) and Who Can handle Spicy Hot Wings (like we’re taking spices including Habenero and Ghost Chili Peppers) with their Powers Shut Off and Without Milk (a Tie since they both made it two Twenty Wings before rushing for the Gallons)

6) Hand Holding, Quick Cheek Kisses, Sitting Close to each other when taking a seat, Paying for Lunches (Chris and Thara often make reservations at a local Big Belly Burger in Metropolis while conversely Jake and Meredith are regulars at a Bomp N Stomp in Bludhaven), Going to the Movies together (Especially Kaiju movies for Meredith of course), and helping each other out with their homework at their nearby libraries; all these are common place for the Duo regarding Thara and Meredith respectively

Thanks for the asks and your compliments @pin-crusher2000 . It’s very appreciated :-D