#in a normal sense kristen is great for that

[chompe-diem]

already living in the au where riz is senior class president bc i know it's never becoming canon

[operationslipperypuppet]

Fantasy High: Junior Year predictions that aren’t as much based in things I think will logically happen, but ones that either should happen or would be very fun/funny

Loose Duke reminiscent perception checks from Lou, constantly looking for Chungledown Bim.

Related, the return of Chungledown Bim, but they successfully escape him yet again.

Either a wedding between Hallariel and Gilear, or them having a kid. I just think Fig and Fabian would make great older siblings but also that they’d have a real hard time handling it.

Garthy O’Brien is at Mordred and it’s immediately clear that there’s something poly happening between them and Jawbone and Sandra Lynn.

Riz has some serious beef with another young licensed PI. This beef is mostly shown through Riz hissing at someone on the street, and they don’t meet this other person until episode 15. They’re pretty normal and the beef does not make sense.

A reveal that Porter is not evil or plotting something but that he was a member of Sandra Lynn’s adventuring party that she got kicked out of. Bonus if he was a deciding vote or the one who pushed her to leave. This would be fun to justify Fig’s paranoia a bit, but her reasoning was completely wrong. The best way for this reveal to happen would be for him to apologize (sincerely) to Sandra Lynn.

Adaine actually tries to include Alewyn in a lot of things, and they actually learn some important lore from Alewyn and she doesn’t put it forward in a condescending way.

Gorgug rolls up to Riz’s office, drags him out, and they go throw rocks at the river (like Riz wanted in Boys’ Night).

Another crab party live stream. That’s actually how the season opens. Kristen is crowned Crab King.

Someone suggests they go to a Drisden party. The boys scream “no” at the proposal.

Kristen succeeds in her first ever divine intervention roll (#BeardsleyBlessed)

Aguefort says something to Gorgug in the first episode about how difficult he finds him.

Gorgug changes his subclass. We had a lot of subclass changes at the end of fhsy and I think him focusing on artificing a bit more may cause him to refocus and not be as lost in rage as berserker works. The I’m going into a worry helps me think this lol

they start at level 11, there were talks of them double leveling post nightmare king forest but that wasn’t what happened with the one shots (which logistically makes a lot of sense to me). I also just think Adaine should get 6th level spells.

And finally, Brennan homebrews the spell Ice Feast, but only Adaine can cast it.

[ladylooch]

Comfort with Nico Hischier

A/N: Woof. That game tonight inspired me. I think we all mutually want to comfort him, so this is for us. Also, I’m purposefully putting this out before I see his post-game interview because I cannot. Nobody show me 🫣 edit: omg wait they didn't interview him? Oh it's bad, BAD.

Part of What My World Spins Around AU

Word Count: 695

My arms are crossed over my chest as I wait after game 2 for Nico. 

The Devils are down 2-0 in the series and looking completely unequipped to be in the post-season right now.

I sigh, wrapping my arms tighter as I look up to see if Nico is coming yet.

He isn’t.

I toss a wave to Kristen Haula as her and Erik leave with their baby. Once they are passed, my smile falls from my face again. I move closer to the wall, leaning against it with a disappointed huff. The Hischier on my back scrapes against the cement as I slide into a slouch. I could sense Nico’s irritation grow in the third period. The team came out with some great pep at the start, but everything disintegrated quickly with another Ranger’s goal. It didn’t help that towards the end, players were getting tossed left and right for minor infractions.

Eventually, long after every other player and their family has left, Nico emerges. His stride is fast and angry. He scans the area for me, seeing me against the wall to his right. He reaches his hand out to me, barely stopping for our fingers to lace together, before he is rushing us towards his car. I wait to say anything until we are buckled in and on the road.

“Babe-”

“Not in the mood.” He cuts me off. My stomach twists at his angry tone. His normally calm and collected demeanor has completely disappeared. I bite my lip, keeping my gaze on his rigid jaw. “Don’t look at me like that. Nothing you’re going to say will make this better.”

I turn away from him, crossing my arms to hold my body against the chill coming from the driver’s seat.

We get to our apartment quickly thanks to Nico’s angry foot. We ride up the elevator in silence. His head is leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, hands in his pockets. I click my phone screen to see it’s after 11:00pm. I yawn as Nico goes to unlock our apartment door. He throws his keys on the kitchen counter; they haven’t even slid to a stop before he has disappeared into our bedroom.

I actively avoid Nico from there. I take my shoes off, placing them in the front closet along with my playoff jacket. I hope I’ll get to wear it again. The WAGS are going a little more under the radar for games at Madison Square Garden, so I won’t get to wear it again unless we return to The Rock. I glance behind me, seeing that Nico has shut our bedroom door. I frown, going to the couch to lay down. I pull the blanket up my body, resting my head against the mountain of throw pillows tucked there from my pre-game nap earlier.

I don’t realize I’ve fallen asleep until I feel Nico’s hands under me. He settles my drooping head against his chest as he walks me to our bedroom. He lays me in the middle of the bed. His fingers work my jeans open so I can wiggle them off. They settle forgotten at the end of our bed. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispers against my lips. 

“It’s okay.” He shakes his head that it’s not. 

“You don’t deserve this, baby. I’m being an asshole.” He presses our lips together again. His hand trails down to my butt to pull me tighter. He tosses a thick thigh over my hips, cuddling me into a comfort cocoon with him. I sigh against his mouth, threading my fingers through his long hair.

“It’s not over yet.” I remind him. “There is still time. Small adjustments, yeah?” I place delicate kisses in each corner of his lips. “Be their leader, babe. Strong and steady.” His eyes close. 

“I should have let you say that in the car.” He sighs. “That made me feel better.” I can tell. His muscles are softening so he relaxes further into my body. “I love you.”

“I love you more, Hischier.” He snorts in disbelief, but says nothing else. 

We fall asleep wrapped tightly together, fingers tenderly stroking one another.

[whoiwanttoday]

So the last couple of days my friend @kat-eleven has made posts that were basically all about me. It makes sense, I am great, but it was very kind and of note, so I decided why not make one for her today? See, she often doesn't notice women or that they are attractive so I have to help her out and point out that girls can be pretty. Which brings us to today's post, an actress named Kristen Stewart. I really think Kat would like her, though she can take some convincing so I have included photos. She is wearing pants in a couple, which probably helps cause then she's dressed like a boy basically, and even has a little bow tie with one dress, also meaning she dressed like a boy. I can't help but think that lesbians might be into Kristen Stewart if they knew about her, which is why I am bringing her to Kat's attention. I have actually known about her for ages. I guess technically I first saw her in panic room but her first stand out role to me was a horror movie called the Messengers which was middle of the road but better than I expected and part of that was that she was good in it as the lead. It was the classic hot girl teenage role in that kind of movie from that era but she was better than normal. After that she did some Vampire movies and some Fairy Tale thing and stuff, I can't remember what they are called but you can probably figure it out with some googling. Once all that was over though she's become quite the good little indie actor, doing some great work in some small roles. I thought she was a real stand out in Still Alice and in Crimes of the Future a couple of years ago she was so fucking weird it was delightful. That movie was strange but my entire group of friends and I all commented on her performance. It was pretty great for a small role. Anyway, Kat won't watch any of that because she hates movies or something but I think Kristen Stewart is worth looking into, so maybe you guys should check her out. Today I want to fuck Kristen Stewart.

[fantasy-mixtapes]

Adaine Abernant S3 Character Playlist: Side A

So many feelings, so many. Here's to our overworked teenage oracle of all.

Genres Include: Alternative Rock, Folk, Pop-punk

1. Custom Concern, Modest Mouse

Their custom concern for the people Build up the monuments and steeples To wear out our eyes I get up just about noon My head sends a message for me to reach for my shoes and then walk Gotta go to work, gotta go to work, gotta have a job Goes through the parking lot fields Doesn't see no signs that they would yield and then thought This'll never end, this'll never end, this'll never stop

Yeah, obviously, this is about spending so much of your time devoted to a job and losing your mind about it. There are a lot of songs about hating your job, but I don't think they capture the level of dissociation and disillusionment like this one.

2. Why Am I Like This?, Orla Gartland

Last night, I smoked a cigarette My dad would have been so upset Then we got tattoos by the coast Maybe I'm an old soul trapped in a young body Maybe you don't really want me there at your birthday party I'll be there in the corner, thinking right over Every single word of the conversation we just had So why am I like this? Why am I like this?

I can just imagine Adaine getting to experience so much of "normal" teenage life now that she's not controlled by her parents, getting to be the party wizard, getting to be the cool girl with the best friends, and knowing that she still has that little voice in the back of her head.

3. I Don't Know You, Mannequin P*ssy

I know one, two things I have heard about you But I wouldn't tell you No, I couldn't tell you I know three, four things that they say about you But I wouldn't tell you No, I couldn't tell you I know a lot of things I know a lot of things But I don't know you

Adaine's exchanges with Oisin really took me off guard, just because romance has kind of never been able to be on her plate the past two seasons. It totally makes sense, she was dealing with the worst abusive family ever, but also that means that 17-year-old cool girl adaine is absolutely clueless about this stuff (not to say that Oisin is any better).

4. Boreas, The Oh Hellos

Making lists, folding laundry Keeping tidy with my radio show I'd be lying if I told you I'm keeping tidy anymore Yeah, I swing from believing That maybe my working will all pay off To considering drinking with Molotov I'm halfway out the door Maybe then my breath could embody A wildfire starting I'd sweep up the forest floor And my body'd breath life into the corners Be a darker soil

This song, in particular, is MY burnout song. It's one of my favorites, and it (Romans 10:9 by The Mountain Goats) is what I listen to when I just can't take it anymore. Also I love to pepper in a little bit of rage/fire/red imagery into each of the characters since I think we can all tell what brennan has cooking down the line 👀

5. Running Out Of Time, Paramore

Never mind, I hit the snooze on my alarm twenty times But I was just so tired There was traffic, spilled my coffee, crashed my car, otherwise Woulda been here on time Shoulda, coulda, wouldn't matter, ultimate alibi You know it's a lie There was a fire Metaphorically Be there in five Hyperbolically

Obsessed with this song and the entire album, Ms. Williams (and the rest of Paramore, by extension) have my entire heart. I also like that we have cross over with having Cest Comme Ca on the Kristen playlist and this song here. I really like the dreamy quality this one has for Adaine though (could almost say trance-like ha ha)

6. How to Boil an Egg, Courtney Barnett

Pull yourself together, pick myself apart Nothing lasts for never so be still my bleeding heart Oh I've been dreaming, dreaming of a brand new start Yeah, I've been dreaming, dreaming of a brand-new start Oh, you have a great abundance of axes there to grind Remember some people have real problems next time you whine Oh, hang the washing Hang the washing on the line Yeah, hang the washing, hang the washing on the line

I just think she should start charging for prophecies. Like those tarot readers/astrologers on like etsy. People (elves) should fantasy venmo the oracle and she should turn her unpaid position into a lucrative business. Extort some hoity toity elves.

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Rouge reaction to mad scientist vigilante who's borderline crazy and the only people who's stopping them taking over the world or going completely apeshit are their fellow vigilantes aka the batfam

They have techs that are so futuristic that some would believe that it's alien even though the vigilante made it from scratch and by themselves

Thinks of their techs as their own kids, probably would beat the shit out of you if you ever destroy it and believe me when I say that's not a good thing for you (they have a rocket hammer. *Softly* Don't.)

I took this opportunity to delve into an idea I've been playing around with and I had a great time. Also catch the references and you get brownie points!

You were definitely out of the ordinary, perhaps a bit more eccentric than most but your intelligence was of no debate. Most couldn't figure out your technology that you made. In the modern world, tech was made to be aesthetically pleasing. Even Edward Nygma had a flare of design in him. Hence the colour green in and around everything. Little did people know that appearances meant nothing to you. Fuction was everything. Even then, the devices resembled nothing to their counter parts. They were designed by a mind that didn't work like most others. You tended to get under the rogues skin as your creations became more and more daunting. Such as the AI robots that look like Kristen Kringle or Gilda Dent, making them horrifying. The Alice robot that's a trap to lure the Mad Hatter. You certainly didn't make it easy. Not to mention you put your heart into the craft. Then there were other things like the large heavy hammer that had rockets making it throwable to longer distances. This was only you with the restraints of the batfam.

The Riddler: Not a fan. Number 1) You seem pretty smart and he doesn't want the challenge. Number 2) YOU MADE AN AI ROBOT DOUBLE OF HIS EXGIRLFRIEND HE STRANGLED AND LET IT LOOSE IN GOTHAM TO FIND HIM. "Why am I the problem in this city?" No, he's genuinely asking anyone who can hear him in this moment. How is he the problem when theres a guy and a group of followers dressed like bats beating people up and they're buddy makes ROBOTS THAT LOOK LIKE REAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THE ROGUES. Plus you act like you have a few screws loose. How is he not the normal one? Ugh. He's just so done with you already. Your intelligence is overhyped and he hopes the Kristen Kringle AI kicks you in the shin. Hard. Suddenly hell snap with rage. "Why am I the problem in this city!?" He bellowed.

Scarecrow: ... actually kind of a fan. You earned his respect. You at least did your research on everyone. That's a nice change. The hammer thing he doesn't really get because...well are you hoping someone will give you it back after you throw it. Now that'd be something. Throwing a hammer only for it to come back. You two could make a great team with a mind like yours. Bringing fear to Gotham with the faces of those who have departed from the living and doubles of living people? It sounded magnificent. Although you were quick to emotional meltdowns. That wasn't exactly beneficial but regardless, it didn't take away from your work. You'd make an excellent criminal. He'd even go as far as to say your work is far beyond Edward's robots. He senses a jealousy in Edward. That wasn't surprising. He should be jealous in Jonathan's opinion. You made him look like a child with his riddles and mechanics.

Two-Face: Listen, sometimes you're cute when you freak out, beyond that? No. Not a fan. Turns out he also didn't appreciate seeing an AI robot of his ex-wife. He noticed how quickly you grew upset and found that rather questionable. Concerning even. Regardless, it was oddly personal. The robot didn't just look like Gilda. It spoke like her. It knew dates. Really personal things. It was unnerving to say the least. He tried not to give you the satisfaction, even though you weren't around. He understood how Jervis could be fooled. When he saw 'Gilda', he knew it was designed to be her spitting image but small flaws deterring it from being a perfect copy. You can't teach an AI to feel the emotions, only copy what they see. There was a dead look in the eyes, empty, unfeeling. It was the same skintone as Gilda but didn't have skin. When hit, it broke like glass. Shattering upon the force revealing a mosaic of colours and wires underneath. It really brought on the notion that just because somebody can, does it really mean that somebody should?

Black Mask: You are the reason nerds should be beaten up. He is absolutely serious. I reckon he's actually a little scared of you. Have you done anything to him directly? No, but he's been around when you freak out and he knew what you were capable of. Some people just deserved it and you were a perfect example of why. You clearly didn't fear him or anyone as you should. He certainly wasn't going to be your toy. No one fucks with Roman Sionis! He isn't going to risk you finding out anything about him either. He didn't know how you found out such personal details about people but he wasn't eager to be the next. He usually cleared off the moment there was any inclination of your whereabouts and he often hid from your creations. Only ever coming jn contact with your hammer. Thankfully the wall between you took the brunt before his arm could be crushed under the hammers size and weight.

Deadshot: Not cool. First, you're a freak and a geek. So not much in common. Second of all, you built a robot of his daughter so he's pissed at you. You made it harder to shoot because all he could see was his daughter. He's also fairly certain that you are not sane. You threw a tantrum when one of your robots got broken by a rogue! Slap bang, on the ground, kicking and screaming like a toddler and the CRYING. Jfc the CRYING. You sobbed like he had shot your child. If anyone had the right to be angry and distraught, it was definitely him!

[unsleepingtales]

Fhjy e2 reactions this episode is batshit and I love them but also I’m so sad

I’ll be so real gang I am stressed and have been in a downwards thought spiral so we’ll see how this goes yeah?

I love Adaine making her mage hand look like Riz’s ringed hand that’s so fun and lovely

Also the mage hand mini is so cool

Don’t patronize me, it’s bad 😔

Goddamn they’re good

Would you be interested in healing us?? Spare healing o cleric??

I love that they could heal the hangvan

The night yorb’s art is SO cute I need a plushie of it. I’m gonna just buy galaxy patterned fleece and make one.

It feels like a stretch???

It’s gonna bite!

I just thought if I acted excited it would be good

Naur 💀

Armor of ayda!!!

Go sit on a whisky bottle you punk bitch !

Duggan and Balthazar definitely explored each others bodies we’re all agreed on this right. In my mind they had something like the cowboy and the roman soldier from night at the museum had.

“This is hot” Emily I agreeeee

Perfect example of gambler’s fallacy but y’know what this did just reinforce it

Nothing I can do! Brennan. Brennan come on.

That’s a feat I took in LIFE

They THREW that that die TRAVELLED

“You know I’m always rooting for you”

Oh GOD

No more probability smashing ok murph?

Y’know what for being fully run over by a van? 22 points of damage is not bad.

Was last episode really only two rounds of combat

He is So defeated

I’m hurting 😡

ALSO the portal is so cool. This battle set is amazing.

The blood on the windshield I can’t

Oooooof

Can she resummon Baby?? Has he died before I can’t remember?

“From when you ran me over” as if Fabian is not Solely responsible for the choices he’s made. Riz didn’t intentionally run you over babe you fell out of the van.

This is. Not great!

What hell!

Oh nooooo

Cmon Murph please

SHIT

Oh god

Oh my god you are about to kill your healer

She had 23!!

Aaaaaaaaa oh god

:( I feel bad for the cute manta ray

Ally’s gonna sue you if they hit you

With my wizarding powers and my absolutely fucked van ! Gorgug thistlespring the man that you are

OH SHIIIIIIT

Yessss

Ok yeah that makes sense that was on the bingo

Ok so the van now holds the night yorb sealed in its roof and an angel in the engine. Fantastic.

That mural is beautiful

They’re so exhausted guys. School starts tomorrow.

(What an episode to air the week I go back to class and have Such A Bad Time Guys)

Eeeeeeeeeesh

Don’t menace me!

It means something to me emotionally. Gorgug Car Guy Thistlespring <3

You wanted to do a bit so now we’re doing a bit. Suffer for your bit.

Does the back door of the van mini open?? Bc that’s sick

Ooooh Ally has custom spell cards with the d20 logo on them. Those are neat

He’s gonna stab these guys but it’s not with any of the normal zeal 😔

Jesus

Just to try and feel something

JESUS

Why do you guys careee you’re bugssss

Brennan.

Zac oh god

‘Guys I think Fig’s getting hit with the ballista right now’

She doesn’t even cutting words she just takes it 😭😭

It’s that era, The Ball 😭😭

Oh my fucking god

The noises of defeat they’re all making

I want an ice cream. Like the old days.

Just like that ART oh I’m gonna reblog that art of them at basrar’s so bloody after a fight

I love them. I missed the bad kids guys.

I think we’ve gotta go to sleep.

Wooooo

Love an aso callback

Love wins 💅

We’re done doing this!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME

What kind of BULLSHIT

God this is so unhinged

No bonus action healing or anything Kristen?

Brennaaaaaan

So tactical. So late. So dead.

The slowest and saddest three point turn

The least enthusiastic stab

You didn’t! Have! To do it! You could! Have had! Ice cream! I! Want! To go! Home!!!

Oooooof

OOOOOF

That Turncoat 😢

This is so fucking sad.

What the fuck man

I don’t know why anything happened. Why did any of that happened.

The shard of the day yorb

Fig why would you ask that.

Riz desperately trying to keep the group together is so heartbreaking

The fucking dry guys

BY MEPHITS FOR MEPHITS

Gotta stay awake in the dome motherfuckers

Oh my GOD

They’re gonna cry man

Dome art!

Brennan what are you about to do

Daisy Cubby!!!!

Fig. What.

I’M gonna cry.

Everyone’s gonna cry.

Is it fun man. Is it really.

Map!!!

It says fuck you zac ☺️ in beautiful writing!

Emily Axford the woman you are……….

What the fuck is happening right now.

Oh god oh no

This is so horrifying

Kristen. Kristen No.

I love the map!

Oh god.

Oh the Hallariel art is FANTASTIC

Are they going on their honeymoon. I have paused the episode to write this are hallariel and Gilear going on a honeymoon did they get married and not invite their kids because they were saving the world I’m gonna be so pissed

Oh the Gilear art is cursed

Okay they’re going on a cruise.

Gilear’s voice has dropped

Oh SHIT okay so I wasn’t that far off

This is just. So fucking sad. I know that it’s gonna get happier because it’s fantasy high but right now this is so fucking sad

They’re newlyweds??? So they did fucking get married?????

Leaving for MONTHS after your only child gets back from saving the world and you got married to one of his best friends’ dad without your child or your new spouse’s child there is so horrible oh my god. I am real life mad about this.

Ok interesting things happening with Gilear and luck. Is Gilear not gonna go see Fig at Mordred before he leaves for a year???

Guys there is still almost an hour left in this episode is it all gonna be this fucking sad

Oh my god he inherited the singing barrel pirates

Good for them being unionized

Sklondaaaaaa

She’s got her own boarddddd

I love her

God they’re powerful this season

SKLONDA ART FUCKS

Oh thank god a loving mother.

It was… ssso tactical

That summer before junior year growth spurt/style shift combo is so real

Oh shit. The single mother struggling to pay for college storyline is gonna fuck me up monumentally I think. Fuck.

Scholarships are gonna be really important 🥲 line taken from my real life

Setting up a board is to riz gukgak what a spreadsheet is to me. I am him he is me.

Please god I need the thistlesprings to not make me sad

They’re so cute!!!!

Zac looks fucking near tears

Oh god any time Brennan’s face gets a little more serious and the music kicks in my heart just sinks

GORGUG AND ZELDA BROKE UP? 😭😭

That does not make any sort of sense

Staying tight with your ex’s parents is also so real lmaooo

He had a toothbrush at her house??????

The bad girls are so important to me

Awwwwwwwww

They’re aaaall crying

ZAYN THE RETURN OF ZAYN MY BEST FRIEND ZAYN DARKSHADOW

And Ragh and Lydia!! Yay!!

SANDRA LYNN FAETH THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE. I WOULD BE SO GOOD TO YOU YOU DONT’ EVEN KNOW.

Brb printing out the new Sandra Lynn art to hang on my wall

They’re so tired guys

Squeem is alive? Ok

Jawbone man.

Oh god. Literally.

Sobbing this is literally the high school mentality

Guys. Guys.

It’s a real crapshoot for me finishing things. Yep.

Babe that is not a measurement of classes.

Yes that is a thing you can do. You can take time off for extreme circumstances.

LOVE the Aguefort art. Slay.

Also love that the way Brennan gets into the Aguefort voice is to do the peace hands

He’s going on vacation with ayda?????

Ayda looks great

Oh God No

How could this possibly go wrong?

What is the quangle and why is it going to cause so many problems

Oh nooooooo

That’s so fucking sad christ alive

Oh god

Emily.

PEOPLE LOVE SKITS ON ALBUMS

“Does nobody respect the fact that it takes time to save the world” feels like the thesis of the season

Trackerbees breakup about to be confirmed??

ZAYN ART ZAYN ART ZAYN ART

Look at my best friend in the whole wide world and his pet rat. He’s so fucking pretty.

Aelwyn moved out??

Augh.

Oh that’s lovely actually

Oh aelwyn looks GOOD.

And she’s got cats and is teaching middle school??? Good for herrrr

Awww that’s sweet

Oh right somehow I completely forgot that Fig did a fucked up devil deal

Oh god fig’s spilling on her shirt. Did she somehow swap fates with Gilear or something.

Sandra lynnnnnnnn

That is a good way to think about classes :)

What??

Nooooooooooooo

Sometimes you really do just have to give Nothing constructive in an improv scene sometimes it’s better

Trackerbees breakup confirmed. Tracker’s doing great.

Still interested in the retcon or whatever happened with Tracker originally being a cleric of Lida and then switching to Galicea

Cassandra I’m sorry you and Kristen are both struggling so much

Oh Whatttt no

If Cassandra dies and goes to the astral plane I will be so sad.

Holy SHIT guys.

[greatygreatgreat]

I may or may not have hyperfixated on the plot summary for the Valentine’s Day episode *pulls up research* (I apologize for how long this is going to be, I’m an Aquarius and I love conspiracy theories/theories in general)

So first off, we have the official press release from ABC:

“Valentine’s Day” – On Valentine’s Day, the Abbott teachers discuss their relationships and plans for the holiday. Janine finds out one of her students has a crush on her and when turning to a colleague for advice, she inadvertently learns a secret about another teacher. Elsewhere, Ava sits in on Jacob’s Black History class after receiving a complaint

The most notable parts I took from this were “turning to a colleague for advice” and “about another teacher” since they never mention names. Could this be a red herring? Maybe. 

Plotline A and plotline B normally don’t have that much overlap character wise, besides the cold open or the stinger, since they are usually happening at the same time during the school day. This means we can cross out Ava and Jacob as the person Janine turns to for advice (Jacob would so spill the beans to someone though). This leaves Barbara, Melissa, Gregory, and Mr. Johnson. 

As far as the big secret (Gregory’s crush) goes, Mr. Johnson is the only character who could be involved in plot A who has made direct note of this. Barbara has noticed something budding but hasn’t said anything and Melissa would not get involved. Lisa notes that “[Melissa is] very committed to ‘mind your own business.’ It's not your business, so stay out of it.” which implies she is staying out of it. The press release mentions “another teacher” so Gregory would theoretically not out his own crush. Although we haven’t seen Mr. Johnson as involved with Janine compared to the others, it would not be surprising if he jumped in to help (potential reference to the Olympic village and his many past lives in addition to the fact he was bumped up to series regular this season). 

Side note: Tyler mentioned that he wants Janine and Gregory to have a “unique spin” on the will they won’t they. Sitcoms (and long running tv shows in general) normally have their main couple established in season 2 so it could allude to deviating from that or something else. 

Another theory going around is a secret about Melissa whether that be something with her ex, her current boyfriend, or the possibility of her being queer. Lisa has confirmed that "Yes. You will see [Gary] as well [as Kristen Marie]. And it's great” (EW interview). It would make sense for Gary to make a return whether it be as her date since they mention the teachers talking about their plans or he could return with a lack of V-day plans (his initial date offer to her was Dave & Busters so who knows what he’s like). Lisa has said that:

“there were a couple of interesting romantic moves that happen before the end of the season. I’m not going to say what, but I think the audience is going to be really happy. Also, they’re just gonna be enthusiastic. Last year, when people were saying, ‘What do you want to see happen?’ and I gave a scenario…that’s gonna happen and I can’t tell you what it is, but it’s coming up and I loved the episode. It was a big episode. I think it might be my favorite episode this season […] but I think this one that I’m talking about was probably planned. It was kind of a no brainer. If you tell me three scenarios, I’ll tell you if it’s one of those.”

From what I have seen in various articles, she doesn’t talk too much on other characters and their relationships (i.e. Janine and Gregory) so whether it is in this episode or later episodes, something presumably good is going to happen to Melissa. I don’t have a link to an interview but I believe I saw that she mentioned Joe and Gary will both come up this season. A lot of people have mentioned some of her lines that are really queer coded with the most recent being the “decisive women are hot” line. Lisa loves interacting with fans and has been known to repost work wives content as well as just generally supporting the LGBTQ+ community and their love of her characters which plays into her enthusiasm in the interview. This could start a major plot line for her if Janine were to catch on and bring back her sister since she mentioned Kristen Marie would be coming back this season (EW interview was post Principal’s Office episode for reference).   

The last teacher who could theoretically have a secret would be Barbara. In the fundraising episode, we see her go back and forth with the church ladies about church-like behavior. We haven’t had a multi-episode plot line with Barbara and even though there “isn’t a weird thing about her” we saw her crack at the end of season 1 when she contemplates retiring so we could see a moment of weakness from her this season. We also haven’t seen her husband or daughter in a while so it would be interesting to see either of the two reintroduced since they have connections to Abbott. Although we haven’t seen too many of her weaknesses, she isn’t the type to be direct with the cameras so this could add to the inadvertently part of Janine learning someone’s secret through someone else. 

Apologies for all the word vomit and thank you for reading my silly little 2am thoughts!! If y’all have any other interviews or theories, I’d love to hear them.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Title: Who the Hell Am I?

Author: Connie Francis

Rating: 3/5 stars

Who the Hell Am I? by Connie Francis is yet another entry in the genre of singer autobiography -- a genre I have mentioned before I love in principle but don't necessarily enjoy in practice. I've read a few of them this summer (Rita Moreno, Michael Bublé, etc.) and I can't help noting that each one, in a sense, follows the exact same format. "I was born at a time when [thing]. When I was very young, I had a normal childhood. Then I experienced great success that changed me in various ways. And here is how it changed me." The specifics can vary a lot, but it's the same basic story over and over again.

This one has a pretty remarkable twist, though. It's sort of a twist on the "manic pixie dream girl" meme -- the book is supposed to be written by Connie Francis, the 1950s/60s pop singer, but it's actually written by Boze Hadleigh, a novelist who is now her husband. What's he's doing here is writing a manic pixie dream girl parody, where the entire thing is "written" by Connie Francis -- his wife -- but is actually a sort of satirization of her.

On the one hand, that's an interesting premise. Connie Francis may be a true believer in some aspect of her life, or she may be totally corrupt, or it may be some other third thing. (The problem with autobiography is that no one is ever going to be fully objective about themselves, so some admixture of truth and fiction is inevitable.) Hadleigh's role in this dynamic can be seen as one of either manipulation or complicity, but in any case it's an intriguing one. And the book is entertaining in its own right, which makes it a better example of the manic pixie dream girl parody than any movie starring Kristen Stewart has ever been.

On the other hand, what are we supposed to be getting out of this? We aren't getting a true autobiography, because Francis is too drunk/high/naive to write a true autobiography, but we're also not really getting a portrait of what the "true" Connie Francis would have written either. Hadleigh is clearly doing a parody of her story, and it's very funny, but it can't tell us much about Connie Francis as a human being because it's not "about" Connie Francis as a human being, it's "about" "Connie Francis in Boze Hadleigh's mold."

So we get a book that's very entertaining, very well written, and about a completely fictional character. But if it isn't a true story, then what is it? What is Boze Hadleigh trying to say, and does he say it well? We don't know. Who the hell am I, indeed.

[matan4il]

Hi, love your blog, this became kinda long sorry 😅

I just wanted to say that maybe it’s just me but I’ve never really had hope for buddie to be confirmed in the first place. Like I do ship them and if they did become canon I would be very happily surprised but really it’s just never something I’ve entertained as a possibility because we just don’t get ships like this imo. There’s a few exceptions even if I can’t think about this right now but when a character’s introduced as straight or nothing has been said so usually assumed straight and then fandom ships them with an equally assumed straight person the show and networks and all that don’t want them together because they’re ‘normal straight people’.

Like in LS from the beginning TK’s introduced with a bf he wants to propose to, they don’t lose their ‘normal’ character (obvs it is normal to be whatever flavour of queer you are but idk how to word it better) since that was him from the start.

Also if it’s acknowledged that all the buddie moments were building up to a romantic relationship then it sheds light on other similar relationships in other shows or films that we were ridiculed for shipping when really it’s not so different. I really don’t know if I got my point across here and I’m sorry this got so long winded, maybe I’m just a cynic but I think my buddie dreams will have to be contented with fanfiction.

Btw I don’t mean this to be mean to you or anyone who does believe buddie will go canon in the show I just accidentally typed out this rant that was meant to be a short ask.

Hi Nonnie, thank you so much for the kind words! Kindness always mean so much to me, there is nothing I appreciate as much... Sending you tons of love!

So, I fully agree with everything you said. I've mentioned before that there are almost no slow burns for mlm couples on TV. A part of that is that shows need to show they meet the diversity quota from the start. So we tend to get either pre-established same sex couples (like Henren), or quick burns, where we know from the start where this is going (like Mavid and Tarlos). Even if we have a character assumed straight that's gonna be discovered to be something else (gay or, more rarely, bi), that will be something we the audience will discover pretty early on. Shows don't like rocking the boat, they don't like threatening audiences' sense of security when it comes to sexual orientation. But there are exceptions! BIG round of applause to Black Sails for being the most brilliant about it with men, if we expand to women, I can also point to Callie Torres and Erica Hahn on Grey's Anatomy, who were both introduced as straight, became best friends and then slowly, realized they were into each other. Callie figured out she was bi, while Erica was hit by a realization she was always gay, she just didn't know she was because until she was with a woman, she couldn't tell something was missing in her r/s with men.

My point isn't to convince you, BTW! I think it is SUPER legit if you don't think Buddie is going canon. It is SUPER legit to think they are. It is SUPER legit to be confused, unsure, go back and forth or not give a damn. Wherever you're at, I support you, and I think your enjoyment in fandom is what matters! I also think you specifically have a slight advantage: if you don't need Buddie going canon and they do, then yay, right? But if they don't, you won't be disappointed. You'll be able to continue to enjoy the show and Buddie, same as before. It's a part of why I try not to get my expectations up, even though I do hope for canon!Buddie. 'Coz I wanna be able to enjoy their love story no matter what. Whatever Tim and Kristen do, Buddie is canon to me. And I don't want anyone taking that away from me. So while I tend to think 911 may have the balls to be one of the few exceptions, I'll be here even if it doesn't.

Basically, your POV is welcome here, as is that of others. I hope ranting helped and you feel good! ^u^ Have a great day!

You might notice, I'm scheduling a lot of replies to post on the same day, I am trying to catch up with my asks. If you're worried you might have missed one, as always, here's my ask tag. xoxox

[joshlane]

TASK #11 WRITE A LETTER

triggering / sensitive content: adoption (just in case!).

Dear Kristen,

I've probably written you two dozen times over the past forty some years of my life, but I've never had an address to send the letters to, or a number to call. I keep the letters in a box, although I'm not sure why. Maybe optimism that someday, you'll reach out to me or dad, or maybe just so that someday, I can look back on them all and be glad that I didn't send them. Who knows? I don't even know if you're still out there somewhere. Maybe still exploring the world, looking for yourself. Or maybe you have a husband and children of your own, maybe the timing was right for you.

Through the years, I've dissected my feelings about my adoption, and put them all back together again, whether it be in these letters, or through long conversations with my own therapist. But I don't think there will ever be a cut and dry answer when someone asks how I feel -- about being adopted, about you, about the way that my life shook out. But I know that I'm lucky. And I know that I could never hate you.

I guess the whole thing is that if dad had never moved to Merrock to connect with me, it would have been a fairly typical adoption story. Two young people who genuinely were not ready to have kids decided to allow their little boy to be adopted by a loving couple who have always wanted children, but were unable to conceive. Other than the fact that I do not look like mom and dad, I would have grown up never knowing the details, and no one would have asked, or given me quizzical looks when I introduced my parents -- all three of them. My mother, my father, and my dad. It takes them a while to do the math, to run through the possibilities, until I laugh and tell the that dad is my biological father, but my mother and father raised me. And then they normally laugh, too. Nervously, but still.

Just because dad decided to reach out and find me doesn't mean that I hold it against you for deciding not to, by the way. I'm not sure if I've ever said that in any of my letters. The two of you weren't even really together when I was conceived, I understand. I think he just reached a point where he was lonely, felt guilty, wanted family, and I understand that. Family's become very important to me, too.

The last time I wrote you was... well, years ago, I think. Things have changed since then. I have a dog! Toshiko. I adopted him from the shelter in town, and he's been a gift -- a trial, at times. But a gift. I still have fish, although I've had fish since I bought my home, there was a tank with it, and it only seemed to make sense to fill it up to the brim with color and life. Esperanza, who you probably remember from every single letter that I have ever written you (if you read these, I mean), and I are still together, and going strong. I say still as though we weren't on and off for a good portion of our adult life through other relationships and her marriage and kids, but. We're definitely on, and if I'm honest, I think I've reached the point in my life where I can't really see myself being off again. I really do love her. And her kids are great, too, she makes me feel involved in her family without making me feel like I need to be their father, since they have and love their father. I get to be their Josh, and they get the added bonus of probably inheriting a lake house and a lot of cool cars someday. I'm still a therapist, although I've quit private practice to instead practice at the community center. I got tired of dealing with rich people problems and wanted to help those who needed the help the most. Which I do feel like I can do now. My parents are still working, but more for something to do -- and very healthy and happy.

And dad... again, I'd never hold it against you for not finding me. But I'm so glad that he did. We have such a strong relationship, and getting to connect with him, understand a little bit more about who I am -- why I am, it gave me a sense of purpose that I didn't know that I was looking for. We've visited Japan, we've traveled the States on our bikes, we're even in business together, running a classic car slash bike garage in the market place of the little town that I've always called home. He's doing really well for himself, has come to love the life we've built here.

I do, too. I'm sure that my mother would've loved to see me married with two point five kids and a picket fence by now, but I think she's happy that I'm in a good relationship with a beautiful house on the lake, too. And I hope that you're happy -- I hope that you know what kind of gift you gave me when you gave me to the Lanes. I hope every day that you're proud of that decision, and know that I'm grateful. I'll always wonder about what might have been, but thank you, Kristen, for the gift that you gave me.

Your son, -- Josh

[opinesandnettles]

How did we get here and how are we going to get out of this mess? (USA, 6/24/22)

That's a big question. But I do have a lot of little answers that lend to answering such a big question without being too reductive.

Our last chance to stop the backsliding into fascism was the vote in 2016. If you could have voted for Hillary Clinton and did literally anything else, this is your fault. Accept it. Breathe. I'll forgive you but you listen to the rest of this and take the advice without arguing about it.

Yeah, Hillary Clinton wasn't a great choice to be presented with, but she wasn't 1. A republican 2. Donald Trump specifically or 3. A Russian asset (which Trump and Stein were and are. Sorry. It was kinda obvious though.)

That Trump was a particular brand of awful does matter in terms of the current climate and the faster acceleration of fascism, but the specific issue we’re dealing with now leads back to the fact any republican won. (The the third party candidates can't win in the USA because of how first past the post voting works. Sorry this is the system, it's math, they're simply spoilers. In first past the post voting your job is to vote for the least worst one of the two frontrunning parties. We don't have alternative voting and I doubt we ever will. You must accept this.)

Because a republican won he got to do two specific things: Put three justices on the supreme court, and screw up royally the 2020 census so that it determined voting districts in favor of republicans. These two things are why things are not going to get better any time soon.

There won't be another census for 8 years and it's very unlikely that it will be carried out the way it's supposed to if republicans are in charge then. Which given the new districts is likely.

And those justices have to basically die before they get replaced. In the meantime they're practically unaccountable outside of impeachment which just isn't going to happen with the current or future congress, which because of the map is going to lean even harder towards republicans than it already did. (Which has to do with land allocation and population locations and a bunch of junk I don't want to get into today.) Anything that might fix issues with the maps will inevitably end up getting waved away by said justices.

In short: The republicans won. It’s over. It’s not going back to “normal”. Everyone else lost. 

Because republicans won in 2016 they gained more justices than even they thought they would. Mitch McConnell gave them one through sheer force of ass, one retired because he wanted a republican replacement, and one because RBG didn't have the sense to retire much earlier. They have six justices that are basically kings that can BS whatever they want and the only people who could maybe do something about it won't because... well, a bunch of reasons.

First one being that democrats are not rising to the challenge. They're a mix of not seeing the dangers, not caring, and actively okay with what's been going on. Sure, there's a few AOCs out there who have been on the bullhorn sounding the alarm early and often, but they're not the norm in the democrat establishment. All the establishment really seems to care about is money and their ideals are whatever wins enough votes from centrists. Most of them are rich and insulated from what's been happening to us poors. Except for the Kristen Sinemas and the Joe Manchins who are truly factually republicans in democrat skins (which is a huge part of why the paper thin dem majority in the Senate hasn't done much), most democrats of real influence are absolute short sighted fools and they're either waiting for their checks and retirement or don't get that their days of relevancy are coming to an end.

The second problem is Biden. He's not the worst dem president I've lived through, but he's pretty not great. He's killed a lot of goodwill from the blue wave folks by not keeping several of his promises and being a buddy to cops at a time where most of us have come to understand that cops are a mob legitimized by officials. These are largely problems of his own making, and there's more issues than I'm not listing, but what it boils down to that, at best, his vibe is more about keeping things from getting worse, not about making things better. And at this point in time we needed a president that would do everything in their power to fight the facist creep, not allow it to simmer. And yes, Congress was a bit hamstrug by DINOs and wouldn't pass his legislation, but the lack of executive orders and willingness to name and shame and fight for us is the real problem.

(Gas prices and price of living are not his fault, but that's another story and a reason to break up monopolies and other big businesses. Democrats have not been vocal enough about what's actually been going on I suspect because a lot of them are benefiting from the situation in one way or several. So republicans get to blame them for it when they're just as guilty and more-so. This happens a lot in the USA honestly. Moving on.)

America has a ton of debilitating long standing issues that got us here to today, but when the dust cleared after the 2016 election we had the major movers and shakers that we had to work with. Which means we became doomed to live under this breed of governance for at least the next 50 years if we're lucky and don't lose the right to vote all together (And looking at how republicans are acting around the electoral college... It isn't promising.)

So here we are. Now what?

Unfortunately the long term answer is vote. I know a lot of people turn their brains off when others say that, or they get very angry, but it's literally the only option outside of direct violence, which if you actually care about your people you should try to do everything to avoid violence. Your people will die in the greatest numbers not theirs. Don't be short sighted. Play the long game if you can, like republicans did. They won, right? So steal what wins. There were laws passed they didn't like so they waited and put people and tactics into motion until they got what they wanted. You can do that too, especially in local elections, (though perhaps not in the major ones for a while). And if you’re really stuck in a spot where your vote will never count the rest of us must pick up the slack.

As long as you can vote, wherever you can vote, early and often, vote for the least worst candidates in the viable parties, which honestly is going to be democrats most of the time like it or not. Over time, if you do this, the options will steadily get better and things will change. But it's a lifetime effort and there are no quick or easy answers. We’re starting back on the ground level because the rich and many of our elders failed us.

In the short term and in the event we can no longer vote/voting becomes compromised you 1. Take care of your own and whatever and whoever else you are able and 2. Be as annoying as possible to people in power. You should be as direct as possible while remaining as nonviolent as you can. While a lot of people certainly deserve guillotines violence will almost always only come back to bite you and will engender little sympathy for your cause. Remember you are playing the long game. Be as sly as serpents and innocent as doves. But be obnoxious as hell. Press at every nerve from every angle with a polite smile on your face. Because that’s what they did to us, and ultimately that tactic was far more successful than when they fired guns and beat people.

The media hasn't been mentioned here because they're mostly owned by billionaires and what does and doesn't get reported and how is suspect at best, so you can't count on their help here. And beware of astroturfing campaigns on social media. Tend to believe the little guy in a story over the big guy.

Vote as best you can, in local elections especially. Volunteer for school boards and ferret the fascists out from the bottom up. Shame them. Become thorns in their sides and heap hot coals on their heads. There's still way more of us than them. Work to gain back what we lost and more. Stay away from short minded people who think it's all hopeless and who tell you to give up. It's not too late and there is hope for a tomorrow, even if its for your granddaughters and not for you. And pray that they don't take even more of our votes away. Because they will if allowed. Don't allow it. The next couple of major election cycles are uphill, but the most critical. It’s not going to get easier from here.

[a-broader--sensibility]

hi, I was wondering if u could explain "being sexualized" vs "expressing sexuality" bc tiny clothes (so men can look at u), songs abt abuse=cool etc are sexualizing and seem slimy but at what point is it women "feeling sexy" and not being pushed into it for others benefit, idk if this makes sense

This is a great question, and I’m sorry I’m so late to respond. Before I answer, please keep in mind that this is the opinion of one person on the internet and you should consider many perspectives before making up your own mind.

I want to reverse your question a bit and begin with the idea of “expressing sexuality” rather than “being sexualized.” Plenty of ink has been spilled on the topic of objectifying women, so I want to discuss this idea that there is a way of expressing your own personal sexuality via clothing in a way that is empowering. Frankly, given that sexual desire is usually about desiring other people (besides yourself, unless you’re a narcissist), it doesn’t really make sense to think that the clothing you yourself wear can express your sexual desires. As a straight woman, I definitely find certain types of clothing on men attractive, but what I myself wear has no bearing on how attracted I am to a given man. If I were to wear lingerie, that wouldn’t affect my desire for another person. I am not attracted to myself. 

Some women have expressed that wearing sexy clothing or lingerie makes them “feel sexy.” I would counter that feeling sexy means feeling that you are sexually attractive to others—i.e. pleasing to other people, not yourself. Feel sexual =/= feeling “sexy.” Sexual feelings (arousal, desire, etc.) are about your desire to engage in sexual activities either with a partner or alone, whereas feeling sexy or beautiful is a type of confidence about how much your appearance pleases other people. It is possible to feel beautiful or desirable to others without feeling any arousal at all. Similarly, it is possible to feel arousal in a private setting where you aren’t even thinking about how you appear to other people (for example, while masturbating.)

It is true that many men are especially turned on by skimpy clothes or lingerie, but we also know that sexuality is extremely diverse and complicated. The notion that lingerie or short shorts makes you sexy is predicated on the presumption that most people (let’s be honest—most men) are turned on by the same narrow set of Western commercial beauty ideals. My experience of dating—however narrow—has been that even “straight cis” men are actually attracted to a variety of body types, types of clothing, and choices to wear or not wear makeup. No matter how you are dressed right this instant, someone out there would probably find you irresistible and someone else would find you hideous. It depends on who you ask.

A lot of women mistake being desired with experiencing arousal. Kristen Roupenian really explored this notion in her short story Cat Person. Here’s a quote taken from a sex scene where the main character, Margot, has sex with an older man she has earlier admitted to finding a bit disgusting and unattractive:

“As they kissed, she found herself carried away by a fantasy of such pure ego that she could hardly admit even to herself that she was having it. Look at this beautiful girl, she imagined him thinking. She’s so perfect, her body is perfect, everything about her is perfect, she’s only twenty years old, her skin is flawless, I want her so badly, I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anyone else, I want her so bad I might die.

The more she imagined his arousal, the more turned-on she got...”

I’m not judging anyone who makes this mistake, because it’s super normal for women—almost universal. We are so programmed to believe that other people’s desire for our bodies is our own sexual desire that we feel defensive when feminists point out that crop tops, mini-bras, corsets and the like are schmattes. They are garments sold by Hot Topic and Victoria’s Secret and whoever else. They’re fabric. Your sexuality is your body, your physiological response to complex scenarios that are personal to you, and they cannot be purchased for $19.99 at a mall. Clothing doesn’t make you sexually aroused, but it can make you more sexually appealing to others. 

If we say that Billie Eilish wearing a corset in Vogue is an expression of her sexuality, then what does that mean about Billie? Is she sexually attracted to her own body, like an extreme narcissist? Was she meant to be have been sexually aroused during the photo shoot (a professional event, a workplace environment, surrounded by probably 20+ photographers, assistants, aides, stylists, cateres, etc.)? Are we to understand that the desire that anonymous male viewers of her images feel for Billie is the same as Billie Eilish’s own desires? I know your question wasn’t about Billie, but I feel it’s relevant.

Anyways, I hope this was useful to you. I know this was a wordy response, but I felt the need to clarify exactly what I meant. I’m not against female sexuality, but sexuality is desire and arousal—not pride in one’s appearance.

[nocturnal-dreams]

I Just Want It To Stop

==============================

Pairing: Philza x GN!Reader (platonic)

Warnings: depression, cyberbullying

==============================

==============================

You sighed staring at your monitor, your twitch chat going by fast on your other monitor, you could barely catch up with what everyone else was saying. You were playing minecraft with your friends Technoblade and Philza, you were the only one streaming so currently you had almost all of Techno’s and Phil’s viewers on your stream eager to see the boys. 

You had the blanket that was normally draped over your gaming chair wrapped around your shoulders with your knees tucked to your chest as you listened to the two ramble. You guy were just mindlessly strip mining in your shared hardcore world except the risks were even higher that even if only one of you guys died, then the entire game was over. 

Glancing at your basically empty glass of water next to you, you tried to think of an excuse to leave that wouldn’t make Phil worried. Sure you were greatful for Phil and how much he worried about you, he definitely cared more than most people you knew, but you also very almost guilty. The thought of messaging Kristen came to mind to tell her about your problems recently but Phil would definitely find out from her, you weren’t even sure how Techno would be able to answer or help you with your situation. 

Wilbur and Niki definitely did cross your mind but it was pushed aside, the same reason you didn’t want to tell Phil, you didn’t want to feel like a burden. 

You glanced at the time on the wall noticing it was getting pretty late, sure you didn’t exactly want to leave the call since Phil and Techno were being pretty funny and it was bringing a smile to your face but you were struggling to hold back the tears that were wanting to make themselves known. Thank god you didn’t have a facecam on this stream and your camera wasn’t turned on or else Phil, Techno, or even chat would wonder what was up.

“I think I’m gonna end the stream since it’s getting pretty late and I’m kind of tired,” you said quietly into your mic, your voice cracking slightly as you prayed Phil and Techno didn’t get suspicious of how quiet your voice was or your voice crack.

“Oh okay Y/N, take care of yourself, you know streaming is just something to do on the side, put yourself first,” you could sense Phil smiling like usual, Techno giving a casual goodnight as you ended the stream.

When you made sure you were 100 percent off the call and the stream was over, you hugged your knees closer to your chest and your head between your knees. You hiccuped with each sob, the hiccups almost more painful than the emotional pain you were feeling right now. It just didn’t feel like anything was going right, especially with some hate you were getting online was getting to you. 

The hate had started when you first joined the sleepy bois inc group, people getting mad saying you weren’t a guy or that you were splitting up the group. Phil had been the one to get on call with you telling you to not listen to what people were saying online and that a lot of the fans actually loved you but it didn’t help the comments that really got under your skin.

‘I’d rather Niki or Tubbo joined tbh’ ‘But it’s sleepy bois inc, not sleepy bois and Y/N inc’ ‘They aren’t even that funny’

Those were some that hurt the most, you had told Wilbur on call a few times how much you just wanted to quit streaming but Wilbur kept insisting you keep going, that you shouldn’t let the people online dictate how you feel, that you should let the people around you allow you to feel good, not some face behind a screen.

You slid out of your gaming chair uncomfortably and fell face first into your bed, a pile of blankets over your shoulders lighter than the amount of pain you felt as you cried into your pillow. Your body trembling with each tear that ran down your face, hiccuping quietly not wanting to alert your neighbors downstairs and have anyone see you in such a broken state.

You jumped at your phone buzzing beside you, the facetime caller idea lighting up your face inside the dark room as you read ‘Dadza <3′. You sighed knowing you couldn’t just hang up on Phil, that would worry him. You quickly tried to cover up that you had been crying, trying to steady your breathing before answering, Phil’s face appearing on your screen as you pointed your phone up at the ceiling to hide your tear stained face.

“Y/N you okay?” Phil asked on the other line, he seemed to be editing something as he was still sitting at his office, his microphone pushed to the side and his phone perked up so he could see you, only getting met with your ceiling, “I’m sorry, I just notice on call you didn’t sound okay and I got worried.”

You tried to let words slip past your tongue but all that did was a loud sob as you quietly cried trying to hide it but Phil definitely heard.

“Y/N let me see you, please, I’m worried,” you swallowed the large lump in your throat and picked up your phone pointing it towards your face. Phil’s face softened and his heart broken looking at your puffy red eyes from crying and your body shaking slowly as you tried to hide your sobs. “You okay mate? Do you wanna talk about it?” You quietly shook your head watching Phil’s full attention going away from editing and towards his phone where you were, “how about I’ll just talk with you before you go to sleep, I’m pretty sure its late where you are right now and I’d rather you get at least an hour of sleep, you seem overwhelmed-”

“I just want it to stop Phil,” you said, barely above a whisper but Phil heard, his eyes getting glossy just from hearing your broken voice, “everything hurts, I want to quit streaming, its doing more harm than good.”

“How about this,” your head perked up at Phil’s voice, “I’ll talk to Kristen and see about flying over to you to spend maybe a weekend or two, depending how much support you need right now, that’s the best I can do. When it comes to streaming, I know you aren’t gonna like this answer but I agree with you to a degree, maybe not quitting all together but taking a much needed break. If people want to be jerks about you needed a mental break than fuck them.”

You laughed quietly to yourself hearing Phil swear, he always managed to put a smile on your face even in your darkest moments, “I’d like that,” you rested your head on your palm, your tears finally starting to clear up as you curled up in your blankets.

“Until then, do you want me to stay on call with you until you sleep? I can even stay on when you go to sleep in case you wake up and need someone to talk to,” Phil smiled on the other line, the weight on your shoulders feeling like it had been lifted by dadza.

“I’d love that,” you smiled leaning back in your bed, your phone propped up on your beside table, you watched Phil grab his headphones so he could edit while you slept and he wouldn’t wake you up, “wait.”

Phil paused, he put his headphones down quietly, “yeah mate?”

“I love you dadza, thank you for putting up with me.” You smiled warmly.

“Of course kiddo,” and with that, you laid down in your bed, humming to yourself quietly to sleep, Phil still on call like a protective dad although you loved him for it.

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[goldenpixel]

The scene with Wilbur in Quackity’s latest lore stream made me Think some Thoughts, and I wanted to get all of my SBI family headcanons together in one place, so here’s this post

First thing, this is their age order:

Philza -> Techno/Wilbur -> Tubbo -> Ranboo -> Tommy

- Techno and Wilbur were born on the same day, so most of the family refers to them as “the twins” but they are not blood related

- Philza did not know how old Techno was when they were ruling the Antarctic Empire, he thought that Techno was around 21 when he was actually around 14-16

- this is a fact that haunts Phil to this day, because he committed a massive amount of war crimes with an actual child, and also for reasons that will soon become very clear

Philza and Techno

- they’re married

- they got married with them each thinking that the other was close to their own age (Phil thought Techno was in his early 20’s, Techno thought Phil was in his late teens)

- for more on their marriage, check out this post

- despite Techno and Wilbur being the same age, Techno is mentally much older due to his past and his general status as the Blood God

- Phil did most of the work raising the older kids, but Techno did his fair share, and you can definitely see his influence when you look at the kid’s behaviors

- both of them are immortal

- Techno is a new immortal, the Blood God has only just come into existence, but he isn't leaving anytime soon

- Philza is an old immortal, he was there when the world was born, and he'll be there when it dies

Wilbur

- Wilbur and Philza are the only blood relatives in the whole family

- as much as he loves him, Wilbur has always been a bit bitter towards Techno, because when they were teenagers, Techno was off ruling and adventuring and having fun with Phil during the AE, and Wil was left home with a young Tommy to look after

- Wilbur’s hair is naturally blond, just like Phil and Tommy’s

- no one knows who Wilbur’s mom is (unfortunately mpreg is the norm on this server, so Phil carried him, and he’s got some ideas on who Wil’s mom is, but he honestly doesn’t care enough to look into it)

- Wilbur has wings

- they’re much smaller than Phil’s, he can barely fly with them, but they’re the same color and shape as Phil’s

- because of how fragile his wings are, Wilbur should not technically be able to fly, but he literally sheer force of will-ed it and threw himself off the roof of their house so many times that he can glide when he jumps from high places, and if it’s a really high place, he can get in a few good flaps of his wings to get him some extra distance

- Phil doesn’t learn that Wilbur can semi-fly/glide until one day they’re off adventuring together and Wil is being dramatic and theatrical and walking backwards while he talks, and he falls off a cliff

Tommy

- Tommy has been with them since he was a few days old

- because of his light features, most people assume that he is Phil’s son by blood, and he just didn’t inherit the wings

- (at ages 10 and 16, Tommy and Wilbur did the blood-brothers handshake where they cut their palms and then shook hands, so if you ask them, they’re blood brothers through and through)

- Techno taught Tommy how to sew

- Tommy is a young god, but he hasn’t grown into most of his powers yet

- Tommy is a god of death, the future Death himself, Kristen is his mother

- (this is how Phil comes into possession of him. Phil, being the Angel of Death, was really the only reasonable choice when it came to Death herself finding someone to raise her son)

- Tommy has light features, even though Mumza has dark features, because she purposefully made him out of the light, she wanted him to be good and kind, so she created him from the literal light that you see when you're dying

- because he was born from the actual moment of death, despite Tommy's eyes being blue, they hold the void itself in them

- if you look too closely into Tommy's eyes, it can be easy to lose yourself and fall right in

- sometimes Mumza comes to visit, these are very bittersweet moments for Tommy

- he loves his mom, and he loves seeing her and seeing Phil happy to see her, and she usually takes him along on her next trip, ever so slowly teaching him how to be Death, but he also hates that that is his future

- he doesn't want to be the next Death, he doesn't want to outlive all of his friends and his brother, he just wants to be normal

- because of this, Tommy represses pretty much all of his godly powers, trying to seem as normal as possible, the one he represses the most is his automatic healing, when he gets hurt, he wants to stay hurt

- he represses everything so well that its years before Tubbo finds out that his best friend is a god

Ranboo

- Techno raised Ranboo more than Phil did

- (because of this, he’s the only kid who actually views Techno as his father. Despite him literally being their stepdad, the others see Techno as more of a brother or an uncle)

- Techno found Ranboo when he was around 12 years old on the edge of a warped forest in the nether (if you want some more nether-boys hc’s, check out this post)

- at that age, Ranboo hadn’t hit his growth spurt yet due to malnutrition, so he was much smaller than the average human 12 year old, and everyone thought he was around 8-10 (because of his memory issues, Ranboo thought the same thing until Tommy kept pestering him about when his birthday was and he remembered the year)

- Ranboo is brought into the family when he’s 12, Tommy is 11, and Wilbur and Techno are 17

- as I said before, Techno may have been 17 when he took in Ranboo, but he was definitely a father to this anxious amnesiac preteen

- because of his height, Ranboo is constantly slouching to fit through doorways, inside houses, and to make himself appear smaller, so he grows to need a cane

Tubbo (and Dream)

- street cat

- they fed him once and he just kept coming back

- sometimes he’ll disappear for a few weeks, but he always turns up eventually

- boy’s got some family issues, some real bad family issues

- his dad is Schlatt, who left him and big brother Dream to fend for themselves when he and Dream were 6 and 11

- luckily Dream has an excellent sense of direction and memory, and got them to Aunt Puffy’s current port before she pushed off on her next adventure (but not before getting briefly separated and making some friends)

- (the few weeks they spend separated are when Tubbo first gets found by Wilbur and Tommy and forcibly adopted by Phil, and Bad lures Dream home with food and he meets Sapnap)

- both boys have ram features - floppy ears, horns, etc., Dream also inherited their Aunt Puffy's rainbow hair (he dyes it blonde semi-regularly. It's dyed when he meets sbi, and Wilbur and Techno have the exact same reaction to it when they finally see his natural hair: relentless teasing. Like father like son amiright?)

- Tubbo and Dream are half brothers (same dad, different moms), Tubbo is 1/2 ram and 1/2 human, Dream is 1/2 human, 1/4 ram, and 1/4 what he and Sapnap think is demon (basically Dream had a human-ram hybrid dad, and a human-demon(?) hybrid mom)

- when Tubbo introduces Dream to his new brother-in-law, Dream feels a bit of a kindred spirit, but he quickly brushes it off

- Dream spends most of his time either with Bad, Skeppy, and Sapnap, or on the sea with Puffy, so Tubbo mostly fends for himself

- Tubbo is more than happy to fend for himself, he actually prefers it most of the time. He doesn't like people fussing over him and sheltering him, so whenever his mood switches and he decides that he does, actually, want some family time, he just appears on sbi’s front porch

- Tubbo first meets Ranboo when he comes to visit after a few months away. No one told him that Tommy was with Mumza for the weekend, so when he arrived at 3am, 2 days before he told Phil he’d be there, he just let himself in and threw himself on top of the sleeping figure in Tommy’s bed, only to be met with a startled enderman screech that woke the whole house

- (Ranboo was in Tommy’s bed because he might not be a part of the official Clingy Duo, but the boy is as clingy as they come. He regularly sleeps in his family’s beds, both when they’re home and when they’re away, because his sense of smell is heightened as an enderman and he needs to be surrounded in their scent when he misses them or when he’s feeling sad (especially because these are the only scents he knows, he doesn’t remember any of the scents from before Techno found him))

Big brothers being friends

- one day, after Tubbo’s near-constant raving about how great the Minecraft family is, Dream agrees to visit with him

- this visit happens to fall during the AE, so the only ones home are Wilbur and Tommy

- Dream and Wilbur take one look at each other and their similar situations in raising their chaotic, problem-child little brothers, and never let go

- the four of them live together for a good 5-6 months before Dream gets a letter and he and Tubbo need to leave

- after this visit, Dream and Wilbur stay in contact, and they visit each other even without their brothers around to drag them along

- I know I said that Wilbur makes fun of Dream for dying his hair, but that’s only in public

- in private, Wilbur confesses to Dream that he also dyes his hair, that his hair is naturally blond and he dyes it darker. After this, Dream and Wilbur start dying their hair together, it becomes something scheduled that they both look forward to immensely each month

- the next time Dream and Tubbo visit together, Wilbur is off with a water spirit who stole his heart (I refuse to write about fish Sally, fight me), and Phil is showing Ranboo some cool builds in his current hardcore world, so it's Techno and Tommy who welcome them in

- Techno starts out pretty hesitant of Dream, but Dream almost instantly is like

- "I'm gonna annoy the blood god into being my best friend"

- and whatever Dream sets his mind to, he achieves

- so the visit sort of ends with Dream and Techno making Tommy and Tubbo promise not to burn the house down, and leaving them home alone to go off to cause some chaos together

Father/son relationships

- As I said earlier, Phil primarily raised Wilbur and Tommy, and Techno primarily raised Ranboo, with Tubbo coming in and out like a feral cat

- to Wilbur and Tommy, Techno is more of a cool uncle who brings them valuable trinkets from his adventures, and they want to be like him one day

- Ranboo and Phil’s relationship is almost exactly the same as Wilbur and Tommy’s relationship with Techno

- when Techno brought Ranboo home, Phil pretty much decided that he had his hands full enough with raising his two chaotic boys, and he declared that it was finders-keepers, Techno found Ranboo, so he gets to raise him

- after L’Manburg, Ghostbur and Phil learn sign language, because the explosion blew out Phil’s hearing in his left ear, and Ghostbur’s so soft-spoken that it’s sometimes really difficult for him to hear his son speaking

For more random hc’s I have about these characters and the characters of the smp in general, check out this post

Some quick tags for people who commented on my post asking who wants this post, thanks for the support guys :’) @anotherweirdohere @haveadayasgreatasyou @jupiterjordan

[anotheronechicagobog]

Rangers, Lead the Way

Written by: @anotheronechicagobog

Warnings: Swearing, canon compliant violence, I had to use a lot of material from the actual episode, mention of domestic abuse

tagging: @detectiveinchicago​

A/N: So, this is a new series. Basically, OA Zidan (FBI), Jay Halstead (Chicago PD), and Kenny Crosby (FBI: Most Wanted) all went to Ranger training together and kept in touch, something that was useful when they couldn’t be the one to keep their ‘partner’ safe and need to call one of the others for assistance when their ‘paartners’ are temporarily working with another member of the trio.

OA wasn't a name that he'd heard in a long time. They weren't in the same unit but they were in Rangers training together. Jay was one of the only two people there who didn't have it out for him solely because of his religion, while he was shocked to find a Muslim among the ranks at first, he quickly got over it. Not only did he trust that his superiors wouldn't let a terrorist into the army at all, let alone Ranger training, but OA was a U.S. citizen, and had a very personal hatred for everyone who sullied the name of Islam and used it for violence and their own personal gain. So he and Kenny Crosby befriended OA despite the shock and ignorance from their brothers and sisters in arms. They studied together, trained together, ate together, and bunked together. When they'd all been given different assignments they made sure to stay in touch. And they continued to call, email, and text each other after they'd all been discharged.

When Hailey got temporarily assigned to New York Jay was... Well, it's hard to describe how he felt. It was such a nightmarish combination of devastated, terrified, and heartbroken. It was like an icy hand had enclosed around his throat and was slowly squeezing, painfully closing his throat, all while his heart was being dissected out of his chest by another. Not only was he reliving one of the most traumatic moments of his life all over again, but Hailey was going to be in the field without him. She was going to be in danger without him there to watch her back.

And since Hailey was amazing, she could tell just by looking at him that his mind was dropping down into a dark place faster than Alice tumbled into Wonderland. "It's just temporary. And I'll be okay, Jay."

"Hailey..."

"I'm going to put in my time and come back as quickly as possible. It's okay. It's all going to be okay." Hailey's words didn't reassure him in the slightest. How could they, when they didn't even reassure Hailey?

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"Special Agent Zidan."

"Hey OA, it's Jay."

"Hey man, how are you?"

"Honestly, not great."

"What's wrong?"

"My- uh my partner..."

"Hailey Upton."

"Yeah. She's getting detailed out to the FBI for a bit. I found out that she's getting assigned to your unit."

"That makes sense, my partner's doing a UC detail right now, we'll probably be partnered together."

"OA... Watch out for her. Please. She is strong and more than capable of defending herself, and you quite frankly, but- she's my- I..."

"Don't worry, Jay. I'll have her back. She'll make it back to you."

"Thank you. Seriously, you have no idea how much this means to me."

OA looked at the now-empty desk that had been causing his heart to ache at the sight of it. His shoulder sagged at the pain that was pulling in his chest, the dark fog that filled his mind whenever he started to think, started to wonder, caused his head to throb. "Actually, I know exactly how you feel."

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"You will be partnered with Agent Zidan."

"Hi, I'm OA."

"Hi. Hailey."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."

"Listen up, everyone. This is Detective Hailey Upton from Chicago PD. She will be with us for the next few weeks as part of our interagency training program."

"All right, so let's, uh, direct our attention to the screens here. Found the body of a young John Doe in St. Nicholas Park. A hundred yards from Alexander Hamilton's house. Federal land, federal case- and no, it is not where Aaron Burr shot him. The famed duel took place in-- anyone, anyone? Weehawken, New Jersey. Kristen knew. Unfortunately, there's far less clarity in the present homicide case. Evidence of torture and abuse, the victim was brown-skinned, but there was no other evidence of a hate crime. So let's dig in, get to work, start filling in the blanks. Yeah? Go."

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, Chicago PD? Should I be nervous?"

"Nervous?"

"You guys have been in the news a lot and not for good reasons."

"Uh, yeah, we've had some issues, but they're being addressed. It's a great place. I'm proud to be a part of it. The next time you want to insult me, just come out and say it, you don't need to disguise it as a compliment. This car right here?"

"Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just my way of saying we do things differently here."

"Mhmm."

"Just trying to keep it real." And keep you from getting hurt so that Halstead doesn't develop a full head of grey hair. "So, you spend much time in New York?"

"Nah, first time here."

"Any early observations?"

"Pizza's too thin. It's like a cracker with sauce on it. Just trying to keep it real."... Okay, so maybe it would've been nice if Jay had warned him that she had an axe to grind, but he could make do.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If I hear you're harassing any more immigrants, I'm gonna come back here, and I'm gonna break your arm. Do you understand?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

"I forwarded Kristen the pictures of Aman. She'll get us a street block number based on the license plates in the background."

"Just like that, huh?"

"The FBI, Upton. Our tech resources are pretty sick. Look, it's not a big deal, but now that you're working with us, just try and be a little bit more careful. If that guy Prichard calls the Bureau complaining that you threatened to use force..."

"Look, man, I don't need a lesson on how to talk to people, all right?"

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with someone breaking that idiot's arm, it's just... It's just that the Bureau is hardcore, and they take that stuff really seriously."

"You're right. I'm sorry. If he files a beef, I'll eat it and make sure you're clear. All right?"

"Appreciate that. But what the hell's a beef?"

"It's an expression."

"I'm kidding. Kristen said Aman's house is around this area."

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So, Hailey is a badass. That was pretty damn cool to witness. Sidenote; Jay is going to murder him.

Hailey was fine, more than fine, she actually saved his ass. But that didn't matter, Jay had trusted him to protect Hailey and hadn't failed, but he hadn't done the best job either.

They'd been searching a house, and after coming down the stairs he completely missed an assailant in the kitchen. But Hailey hadn't. No, she saw him and got him out of the line of fire. He provided cover fire while she jumped back over to the wall at the end of the stairs. OA tensed, more than usual when he was in a firefight unless Maggie was- nope, not going there, the point is, he didn't miss the way a bullet penetrated the wall a few centimetres from Hailey's head.

"Halstead."

"Don't be mad-"

"Oh god-"

"Hailey's fine. One-hundred percent fine, not even a scratch. We just, uh, we got into a shootout with an assailant. He got a shot off close to her head. She's fine- more than fine! I swear! She actually saved my ass in that altercation! And I was covering her the whole time!"

"... That's it? That's a pretty normal day for us, OA. She's okay, you're okay... So, everything, is... Okay. And seriously, thanks again, man. I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me. I know that she can take care of herself and the others around her, but it's hard when I'm not the one there to have her six. So I really appreciate that I know and trust the person who is."

"Well, I'm glad that you're not gonna come at me like you did when I stole one of the cookies your mom made from your care package."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want a repeat of that."

"Plus, I know how it feels to... Not know. My partner is under right now and..."

"You're going out of your mind?"

"More than you can believe. I can't eat or sleep, and every time my phone buzzes I think it's a death notification instead of an emergency call from work."

"Sounds like you've got your own Hailey. You'll have to introduce me to Maggie one day."

"Yeah, I will. And Ken's definitely gonna have to introduce Hana. We have heard far too much about her to not even be able to put a face to the name."

"Tell me about it. Sometimes I regret our 'no search' rule, but then I remember how much we embarrass each other."

"By the way, thank you."

"Huh? For what?"

"For saving my ass back there. In the house."

"Oh. Okay. Cool. You're welcome."

"Halstead, how much do get shot at, exactly?"

"Why are you asking?"

"She pushed me out of the path of a bullet and when I thanked her afterwards she treated it like it was nothing."

"... I mean, there's not exactly a whole lot I can do about people trying to kill us..."

"Jay. Dude."

"I can try to stop being 'idiotically reckless' as Hailey calls it, but I'm not trying to be a hero or a dumbass or anything, it's just that... If it's not me getting hurt..."

"...It's her."

"Yeah."

"We're both whipped, aren't we?"

"Oh, ridiculously whipped. The desk Sergeant at my precinct is constantly making fun of me for it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Just got ballistics back on the slugs fired at OA and Upton. They match the bullets that killed Aman, but get this; they also match the bullets pulled from a drive-by murder victim two months ago."

"Could they ID a suspect yet?"

"Yeah, arrested him too. Name is Santiago Gonzalez, known associate of the Latin Players. He's being held at MDC pending trial."

"Latin Players. That's a Chicago gang."

"Hmm, looks like they're expanding."

"So the Latin Players killed someone, they get arrested, go to jail, and the gun

stays on the street."

"And the new owner uses said gun to kill Aman, a studious Indian engineering student?"

"Right. What are we missing? How are these two murders connected?"

"Have OA and Upton pay a visit to Inmate Gonzalez. Maybe he can help us answer that question."

"Right."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So this guy, Gonzalez, is originally from Chicago. Runs with the Latin Players, so maybe you should take the lead on this one. But go hard on him." Hailey and Gonzales were from the same city, same blood, this was her turf, and OA wanted to make sure that he abided by that.

"You want a reaction?" Hailey seemed to get exactly what he meant, what he wanted, but she also seemed hesitant, like she needed more than clarification. It was like she needed permission.

"A big one. Big enough to force him to call his people."

"I think I can do that." And just like that, she had a smirk in her voice and was walking ahead of him. OA could see the wheels turning in her head and a coolness to her features let him know that she'd come up with a game plan. He didn't know if he should be afraid or not.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where's the gun you used in the drive-by?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." They were less than a minute into the interrogation and he was already annoyed. Why did these guys always have to be so smug? He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and just let Hailey do her thing, only popping in to keep the flow going. "One of your friends used it to kill a civilian last night."

"Used it again this afternoon on us. Fired off ten rounds."

"Like I said, I don't know what you're talking about." OA had to hold in a sigh.

"You're staring 20 to life on the case you're riding. Give us the name of the person you gave the gun to, and maybe I'll be able to get you a reduced sentence."

"Get my ass, blondie." OA quickly debated the pros and cons of stepping in. Honestly, this guy would probably just make him angrier with his smug attitude and sexist remarks, plus Hailey wasn't even phased. She was still in control, and she actually seemed a little... Bored.

"I'm not a fed like him. I'm Chicago police."

"So what?"

"Means I play by different rules. Also means I know the names of all the shot callers in the Latin Players. Tomorrow morning, we're gonna do a warrant sweep. Means a lot of people you know are gonna get arrested."

"That's not my problem."

"But it is. Because I'm gonna make sure that they know you are the snitch who gave them up."

"Now, you know nobody's gonna believe that."

"Really? Because in my experience, pissed-off bangers don't do their homework, and if they think you're a snitch, you're a snitch. In the street, rumours become facts like that."

"I'm done talking."

"Alright."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So you think he believed us?"

"I don't know. What?"

"Nothing, you just reminded me of my partner, Maggie, in there."

"Oh."

"In a good way."

"Then thank you."

"Can you cue up the audio feed?" The prison guard nodded back at OA and did as he asked.

"So where is your partner?"

"Uh, she is on an undercover assignment. That I know absolutely nothing about besides the fact that she is gone and unreachable."

"That's gotta be pretty tough."

"Yeah, but she's really good, so she'll be fine."

"We're up." The guard unmuted the computer and moved out of the way so that he and Hailey could see it clearly.

"Yo, just say the word, man. Chicago about to throw that heat."

"What are you talking about?"

Gonzalez sighed. "Police and FBI here sweating me, man."

"About what?"

"That piece that I left behind. I'm guess it's all connected to what happened on the night at Highbridge Park."

"All right, thanks for looking out."

"No doubt."

"Can you trace the number that he called?" OA was ansty, ready to get moving fast before their lead disappeared and from the honed in look in Hailey's eyes he could see she felt the same.

"Payphone up in Washington Heights." The prison guard was curt and efficient, exactly what they needed and OA was silently grateful.

"Okay. Thank you."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm guessing that's his girlfriend."

"Hold on. I talked to her at the park, right before we found Ernesto's body." From the way her body tensed OA could tell Hailey wasn't happy she'd let this girl slip through her fingers. He could tell her that it wasn't her fault, no one was even remotely aware of this connection, but he knew that was pointless. Any passionate law enforcement officer would beat themselves over something like this, himself included.

"Ah, and we have a hit off of social rec. Her name is Harper Quinlan, 23 years old, last known address is 84 Groton Street, Queens, New York."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why were you at the park?" OA sat across from the young woman, dead set on getting all the information she knew. Arman's murder was quickly dissolving into a larger more horrifying crime and he was worried that the poor man who this had all started with would be forgotten and he didn't want to think about why that enraged him so much.

"I told you before. I was walking."

"Or was it to recover the glove that Lucas dropped after he killed his drug supplier?"

"I don't know anything about that."

"We have video of you in the driver's seat of Lucas' Range Rover at Highbridge Park the night that Lucas killed Ernesto Garcia, so you are now an official suspect in a murder investigation. That means no more lying, no more protecting your boyfriend. You either cooperate with us here and now, or you go to prison."

"I'm not gonna help you ruin Lucas' life. I just won't. He's a good person."

"Harper, good people don't sell drugs or kill people."

"Yeah, you don't know him like I do. He's so nice, and... he's sweet... He really loves me."

"Lucas isn't who you think he is, Harper. Protecting him will only get you and more innocent people hurt. Tell me why you think he was in the park that night."

"I'm not gonna help you."

"Are you listening to what I'm saying to you? You're a suspect in a murder investigation here. Lying to protect him makes this worse. You're putting more lives at risk. Be smart. Tell me why you were there that night. Harper, you don't need to go to prison for him." OA knew he wasn't getting anywhere and was trying to think of some other- any other method- to try and get Harper to talk, when Hailey burst into the room. She looked calculated, like she had a plan or idea that needed to be executed exactly or else the worst might befall those she was trying to protect. Which, if he read her character right, was everyone.

"Unlock it."

"What's going on?" Harper was just as confused as he was, but he knew better than to show it.

"Do it. Pull up your texts."

"Oh, my God."

"What does it say?" Hailey already knew, that much was obvious, but whatever was going on needed to be as brutally real as possible to Harper, and voicing it out loud would drive whatever was going on home for Harper.

"'Return the product, or he's dead. You have four hours. Tell your man to meet us at the place we did our first deal.' Oh, my- oh, my God." Harper's sobs quickly took up the space of the interrogation room, it didn't matter that she hadn't seen her father in so long, losing him would devastate her, and the Latin Players knew that well.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Let me take a run at her. I might have an angle to play." OA watched Hailey carefully, trying to make out was she was thinking, what angle she could possibly have, but he hadn't known her nearly long enough for any of that. There was this... Knowing glint in her eyes, and a sort of dark confidence had taken over her aura. She was confident in whatever plan she had, obviously, he just had no way of predicting what it was. In that moment, OA could really see what made Jay all twisted over her. She didn't look excited to break the accomplice of a drug dealer, or eager to impress the FBI. She looked like she was ready to get elbow deep in someone else's mess just for the sake of protecting as many people as possible with her quick wit and razor-sharp intelligence. So he just inclined his head and got ready to watch her work from the other side of the glass.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're in a tough place right now, Harper. We have video of you at the scene of a murder, which makes you an accessory. You're looking at 15 to 20 years in prison. But if you cooperate, we can help you. We'll talk to the prosecutor, explain why you were there, help him understand the nature of your relationship with Lucas."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know what's going on. He hurts you, doesn't he?"

"No. That's not true. He's a good guy-"

"No, he's not. What are those bruises on your neck? You tried to cover them up, but I can see them. When you first met, I bet he was great. You guys hit it off, you had fun. He was everything you wanted. But then he started chipping away at your friends and your family. So you pop a pill to numb the pain and tell yourself everything's okay, just hoping that the abuse is gonna stop. Harper. It won't. I talked to your dad. He loves you very much. And he needs you right now. He's in a lot of danger. If these guys don't get their drugs back, they will kill him. The only thing that matters now is you helping us to find Lucas, so we can recover the drugs and find your dad." Watching Hailey in the interrogation room really was something else. From the slight waver of her tone, the palpable understanding in her voice that seemed to wrap a crying Harper in the first hug she's had in a long time, he could tell that she was exposing a pain-filled part of herself to this- this girl, this accomplice in drug dealing and murder. And still, she was able to remain professional and in control, and OA could honestly say that her incredible ability to do her job both made his heart ache for her and impressed him far more than he thought she would.

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They were in the surveillance van, waiting for Harper and the SWAT team to get in to place. What OA was itching to ask her was highly personal. He did not expect her to feel comfortable talking to him about it, but she'd given Harper some of her strength and after revealing something so heart-wrenching, the protective Egyptian older brother in him needed to make sure that she'd left enough for herself. "So, how do you know so much about abuse? I am sorry, I did not mean anything by that."

"No, it's fine. It's all good. Everyone becomes a cop for a reason. I guess that's mine."

"Uh, yeah."

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"Don't forget, Harper. He wants the cash to get out of town, but we need the location where he first met his dealer. That's where your dad is." OA nodded along to Hailey's instruction, keeping a critical eye on the emotionally distraught Harper.

"Babe. They took my father."

"What are you talking about?"

"That guy that you deal with, they grabbed my father and texted me that they're gonna kill him unless we return the drugs that you took."

"Oh, no, no. I can't- I can't do that."

"They took my father!"

"Look, I feel bad, but they will kill me. Oh, Jesus, don't-"

"Lucas."

"Don't give me the sad eyes look."

"Lucas."

"I'm screwed. Look, I gotta look out for me- for us, you understand?"

"Look, I need to know where you and Ernesto did your first deal 'cause that's where they wanna meet."

"I just told you, I'm not going-"

"I will go! I'll call my uncle. He has a lot of money. Maybe I can negotiate a deal or something."

"I gotta get moving, all right, so give me the money."

"Where did you meet him?"

"Stay strong." Hailey could see her waver, could see her lose her ground and need someone to keep her steady. "Location first, then give him the money."

"Lucas. Lucas. Lucas!"

"I'll call you later on, all right?" Lucas, being the selfish douchebag that he is, grabs the bag of money and moves to book it, leaving his girlfriend who needs him behind.

"Damn it. Move in now!" OA sounded the call and immediately all agents left their posts and honed in on Lucas.

"Lucas!"

"You lying sack of..." Lucas, in an effort to prove that he really is a stellar guy, pulls out a gun and starts shooting at the agents, causing panic and fear in the civilians around them. Really, Harper? This guy?

"Get down! Get down!" Hailey pulled Harper out of the line of fire and pushed her to the ground before covering her with her own body, amazing OA with her selflessness yet again. You really picked a good one, Jay.

"Move, move!"

"Drop it!" Scola had joined them when Lucas went for the kill, forcing OA to do the same. Only OA was a good shot, though.

"Lucas! Lucas! Lucas! Lucas..." Harper couldn't stop calling for him, and OA was certain that the only reason she hadn't crawled over to his body was that Hailey was holding her in place. "It's okay." Hailey seemed to be stuck on repeat, comforting Harper. OA personally couldn't see how someone who had been abused would mourn their abuser... But then again, he thankfully had never had to suffer through that. Unlike Hailey.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Sounded like he was ready to hit the road, so I'm guessing his dope is close by. Nothing back here." OA went to the Range Rover with Scola to look for anything- finding the drugs would've been preferable, but as long as it was a tangible clue, they could call it a win.

"Yeah. There's nothing here either."

"Any luck?" Hailey approached them, her I-know-something-that-you-don't-but-don't-worry-I'll-tell-you plastered on her face.

"Nope. Nothing."

"You have the keys on you?"

"Yeah."

"Here, let me try something. Hop in. Shut the trunk." Hailey closed the driver's door, started the engine, pushed a button on the stereo and on the car door. A drawer illuminated by blue light opens, containing the missing drugs.

"I already pushed it. Nothing happened." Scola sounded mildly insulted, but OA just chuckled internally.

"Okay, Chicago." He was impressed, and he wasn't going to hide that. He was also going to give Jay a call later to tell him to ask her out already. There's no way a woman this amazing stays single for long.

"I have a CI who installs these things. Engine has to be on and doors closed in order for it to open."

"Okay, we got the dope. Now we just gotta figure out where to deliver it to."- OA

"Yep."

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"We have Lucas' texts from the phone he was carrying since Harper said he started doing business with the Latin Players about a month ago-" Kristen was leading their group of field agents and Jubal towards the front desks, explaining what she found, and while normally they would have totally enjoyed her explaining just how smart she is, things were a little time-sensitive.

"Yeah."

"We need to scrub that time period."

"There, on the 28th. There's a text that says, 'Meetings at 2. Let's do 9 instead of 8.'" One of the analysts pulled the info onto the computer screen in front of them, showing them the text records.

"'Let's do 9 instead of 8'? But the meeting's at 2:00. Is that some sort of code?" Jubal's mind was whirring away with Kristen's, figuring out exactly what it meant.

"Well, here's Lucas' GPS data from that day around that time." Kristen worked her magic so that Jubal could work his.

"All right, so from 1:37 to 3:12, he was in Brooklyn down by the river. Kris, can you zoom in? Get a more specific look at this. Yeah, over here. Can you drill down right there?"

"Okay."

"They met at 2:00 at a dock. Pier nine instead of pier eight. That's the meeting place." Scola voiced it out loud, like he was still in thought and hadn't had time to put all of the pieces in place internally first.

"There it is." Jubal's prideful voice made OA smirk.

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"We've got 67 minutes to get the drugs down to pier nine. Unfortunately, the guy we need to deliver the drugs is at the city morgue." Isobel voiced the dreadful obvious from her office, forcing them all to sigh and start their plan to catch Arman's killer from scratch.

"I'll go under as Lucas' friend. I'll give him the coke in exchange for Harper's dad." Hailey volunteered herself, but not with the same gusto she'd been working the entire case. Something was off and OA's 'spidey senses' were giving him no peace.

"No. These guys have done their homework. They're not gonna buy that." OA knew he made a good point, but he hoped that no one saw the way his shoulders went rigid.

"I get it, but I think I can pull it off."

"No, I agree with OA. It's too risky." Isobel agreed with him and OA felt like he could breathe again, he promised Jay that he'd watch her back, something he couldn't really do if he was watching her not with her. And if he were honest with himself, he'd become a little attached to her in the time they'd been partnered together, hoping that they would become friends.

"So we need a plan C."

"Let me do it. He's my father. I'm the one who got him into this awful situation. So let me do it. Let me do something meaningful. Something that will make me feel good about myself... Please. Gotta let me do it." Harper looked at Hailey, not even acknowledging the rest of the room.

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"You're gonna do great. Just follow the plan we laid out."

"He doesn't get the second bag until you see your father."

"Right. Got it."

"And if your dad's not at the meeting place, you tell the man to bring him there. He'll say no. You stand your ground." Hailey seemed to be offering more comforting advice.

"You have more leverage than you think. This dope is worth a lot of money, and that's all they really care about." While he seemed to be offering more calculated advice.

"It's okay to be nervous. They'd be suspicious if you weren't. You good?"

"I'm good."

"Okay."

"Okay. Here we go."

"Alpha team in position."

"Where's Lucas?" The gang leader, covered in tattoos was menacing as he approached.

"He sent me instead."

"And my product? There's only one kilo here."

"The other four are close by."

"Close by doesn't do me no good."

"Show me where my father is, and I'll get you the other four."

"Don't get cute with me, mama. I'll cut your throat. Go get my dope."

"Let's get ready to move in."

"No, no. Give her a chance."- Hailey was confident, but OA couldn't help but side-eye her. Wondering just what made her so sure.

"You trying to get your dad killed? 'Cause, that's what's happen if you keep playing."

"I need to see him."

"He's alive. I promise."

"I need proof."

"[whistles] Right over there, chica."

"Okay, we got eyes on the dad. We're good to go."

"Wait, wait, wait. Let's see if we can get him talking about Aman's murder. As soon as we see a weapon, we roll."

"Okay." OA knew that Hailey was smart, and she had been making great calls throughout this case, but he was still hesitant. An innocent man's life was in the balance, but he wanted justice for Arman too.

"Be a good girl, go get my dope. Do that, Big Papa walks. I'll go with you."

"So... So... How do I know you're not gonna kill me and my father once I give you the dope?"

"I don't kill civilians. Bad for business."

"You kill that Indian guy? He was a civilian."

"I try my best, but I'm not perfect, mama." Harper meekly retrieved the second bag from behind construction equipment.

"You did good, Harper." But 'good' wasn't enough for him. Suddenly a large silver gun was pointing at the middle of her forehead.

"FBI! Don't move!" OA lead the charge, coming out of hiding and announcing himself the second that they got confirmation that he murdered Arman they'd burst out of the van and beat SWAT to Harper, the Latin Players, and Harper's father.

"Drop your weapon now! Let me see your hands now! Put the gun on the ground! Step away! Put it down now!"

"Get on the ground! Get on the ground, now!"

"Dad!"

"Let me go! Dad! Dad! Dad!" Honestly, he didn't give the tearful father-daughter reunion much attention or thought, but he noticed that Hailey did, if only for a couple of seconds longer than necessary. He didn't know what to make of that, though.

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"Hey."

"Hey."

"I just filed my 302. Do you need help with yours?"

"Nah, I just finished."

"So, I have to admit, I wasn't so sure about you."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't sure about you either. But you're all right. For a fed."

"You wanna grab a beer?"

"I'm okay. You don't have to look after the new kid."

"I am pretty sure you don't need looking after. Come on, you saved my life. The least you can do is let me buy you a drink."

"For the tenth time, I didn't save your life. All right, let's grab a beer, but only if you tell me why you became a fed. I told you my reason. It's only fair you tell me yours."

"Deal."

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They didn't quite 'go out for a beer'. When OA heard Hailey's stomach throw a temper tantrum in the elevator he suggested going out for food that was accompanied by a beer. She'd agreed as long as they didn't go out for "crackers with sauce on them". OA had laughed, not even remotely or phased by Hailey's obsession with Chicago pizza. It's just another thing she shares with Jay. Besides, he wanted to take her somewhere else.

When they sat down Hailey looked around, taking it all in. Omar has been coming to this restaurant all his life. It had been open longer than he'd been alive, he'd even had his tenth birthday here. He hadn't brought Maggie here yet, not because he didn't think they were close enough, he just didn't know how she'd react to realizing that they are that close. "I hope you like Egyptian food."

"I've never had it, but I'm Greek and I know that there are a few shared foods and ingredients."

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed Greek from 'Upton'."

"My parents changed it when they moved here, their name was too difficult for Americans to pronounce, and there was some... Other stuff."

"I'm familiar with 'other stuff'. Do you want any recommendations or need me to explain anything on the menu?"

"You know what? You can choose what I eat tonight. If I like what you pick, I won't tease you for it the rest of the time I'm here."

"Well, for the record-"

"What record?" Hailey laughed.

"For the record, I am completely confident in my knowledge of food so I know I'll find something you'll like. After all, it can't really be bad so long as it's not non-Chicago pizza. Right?"

OA ended up choosing a dish called 'kushari', it wasn't like the Chicago or Mediterranean food Hailey was used to but she'd loved it. OA was smiling at her, proud of his victory, Hailey rolled her eyes, smirking at his impishness. "Tell me about your partner." The question caught him off guard and for a moment he'd felt a significant crack in his walls, leaving him exposed. Suddenly all the feelings he'd been pushing back since Maggie went UC enveloped and starting drowning him. Fear gripped his heart, haunting curiousity stabbed his mind, and loneliness hooked onto his soul. "OA? We don't have to talk about her, I'm sorry I asked, I didn't mean to upset you."

"She's one of the most amazing people I know. She's smart, strong, generous, empathetic, courageous... She's honestly one of the most amazing people in my life and I love having her as my partner." Hailey looked at him the same way his sisters and mother did whenever he spoke about one of the most important people in his life. Like they were able to listen between his words and decipher another meaning to what he'd said. But like his mother, his sisters always gave him hell for it, she said nothing. I couldn't even dispute it if she did say anything.

"She sounds badass."

"She is. What about your partner? Tell me about them?" He'd narrowly averted saying 'him', unsure how she'd react if she knew just how close she and Jay really were, and just how much Jay had told him about her. She got this smitten grin on her face, and OA knew that the roles were reversed from a few moments ago when he had that same smirk and far off look in his eyes. "His name is Jay Halstead, and he's an amazing person, except for when he's getting himself shot, the reckless idiot. He would rather get shot at than get a needle which rattles me to no end, especially because he's so much more kind and intelligent than he gives himself credit for and we need him you know, alive, but still, I admire him so much. He makes me laugh and he just knows how to get to me, you know? I would... I would follow him anywhere. Wow... What is in this food? Truth serum? I'm not usually that open..." It was like he could literally see a forcefield shaping around her. Shrinking in on herself, her face hardening, hastily putting a forkful of food in her mouth. She looked at the wall behind him, pretending to be interested in the decorations, trying to pass off the slight panic in her eyes.

"Maybe it's just my charming demeanour, or that I got personal first, really personal. Or maybe it's because you needed to tell that to someone you don't see every day."

"Yeah. Maybe." She still wouldn't look at him and a tense silence enveloped them until she took a deep breath and shook herself. Light seemingly went off in her head before she gave him an absolutely devilish smirk. "I believe I was promised your origin story."

"Is that what we're calling it? An 'origin story'?"

"It is now."

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"Halstead."

"Get your head out of your dumb ass and ask Hailey out."

"I- OA-"

"You won't regret it, Jay. I actually think that you will regret it if you don't."

"I just don't know if I'm ready to admit anything to myself, forget Hailey."

"When does life ever wait until you're ready, man? Neither of you work in a stable occupation, and even then the universe isn't exactly known for working on anyone else's timeline. I can literally feel you aching for her from here."

"But what if I'm not good enough."

"Oh, I've only known her for a few days and I already know that no one's good enough for her-"

"Damn have you adopted her as another honourary sibling? How many do you have now? And Hailey actually knows you've adopted her, right?"

"Not important, and don't try and change the subject."

"But if no one's good enough for her, then..."

"You're too hard on yourself Jay. No one's good enough for you either. Why shouldn't two people who are far too good for the world be together? You deserve happiness, Jay. You both do, and I think telling her that you're far gone with her would be a great start."

"Thanks, man. Really."

"No problem."

"... So you think that I'm 'far too good for the world'?"

"And now I'm regretting every word we've spoken." No I don't, but your head really doesn't to get bigger.

"Nope, no take-backs. You think that I'm badass and amazing."

"I never said 'badass' or 'amazing'."

"Jay Halstead- described as 'far too good for the world' by the humble and decorated OA Zidan-"

"I also called you a 'dumbass' but whatever, goodnight Jay. And seriously, ask Hailey out."