#little Monica lily

[sotwk]

I was wondering who are your fancasts for your headcanon world?

<33

Hiiii Quickie! @quickslvxrr

Am I right in guessing that your question was prompted by my reblog of your reblog of Charlie Hunnam's gif set? XD

Because if so, I will just say that I am very excited to have selected Charlie as my fancast for Théodred of Rohan! (Excited because I hope to start writing chapters of my Eomer x OC fic soon, which actually co-stars dear Théodred.)

I have a growing fancast list for the SotWK AU! I still need to get around to making an official and complete list, but since you seem curious, here is majority of what I have so far.

Apart from Reader Insert stories I write in response to requests, all fics and characters I create are grounded in the SotWK AU, so these characters exist consistently across and crossover between my stories.

SotWK AU Fancast List (a work in progress)

The Royal Family of the Woodland Realm

Elvenking Thranduil - Lee Pace

Elvenqueen Maereth - Jennifer Connelly

Crown Prince Mirion - Henry Cavill

Prince Turhir - Sam Heughan

Prince Arvellas - Rupert Friend 

Prince Gelir - Sam Claflin

Prince Legolas - Orlando Bloom

Crown Princess Itarildë  - Teresa Palmer

(later Crown) Prince Aranion - Bradley James

Princess Anariel- Gabriella Wilde 

Elvenking Oropher - Jason Isaacs

Greenwood Elves

Darthol (Gelir's birth-mate) - Dan Stevens

Olondir (cousin of the Thranduilions) - Jake Gyllenhaal

Rivendell Elves

Elrond - Hugo Weaving

Celebrían - Connie Nielsen 

Nimeithel (oc cousin of Celebrían & mother of Itarildë) - Rebecca Ferguson

Elladan - Richard Madden

Elrohir - Sebastian Stan

Silmarillion / First Age Ancestors

Glorfindel - ???? -still searching!-

Elemírë (oc wife of Glorfindel & sister of Elenwë) - Vanessa Kirby

Maglor/Kanafinwë - Ben Barnes

Velcálë (oc wife of Maglor) - Zendaya Coleman

Círdan the Shipwright - Iain Glen

Eäriel (oc wife of Círdan) - Olivia Hussey

Eärondir (oc son of Círdan & father of Maereth) - Alexander Skarsgard  

Laurinwen (oc mother of Maereth) - Lily Collins

Dwarves / Line of Durin

Durin III, King of Khazad-dûm- Hugh Jackman 

Frerin, son of Thrain - Gerard Butler

Gondorians

Aerdis (oc love interest of Boromir) - Freida Pinto 

Anarlas (brother of Aerdis) - Oscar Isaac

Imrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth - Eric Bana

Ivriniel - Isabella Rossellini

Finduilas - Monica Bellucci

Erchirion - Adam Driver

Lothíriel - Gal Gadot

Rohirrim

Théodred - Charlie Hunnam

Signyr (oc shield-maiden & Éomer's love interest) - Katheryn Winnick

Léodor (oc in Éomer's Éored) - Chris Hemsworth

Héothain (oc in Éomer's Éored) - Will Poulter

Haradrim

to be revealed OC - Pedro Pascal

YUP. I almost didn't want to insert that little spoiler of my upcoming fic, but I'm just too excited about fancasting the widely adored Pedro Pascal in my AU. It will be one heck of a character, too! I am SO VERY excited to create Harad OCs (Pedro's will be the main one)!

Thank you for the Ask! Although this list is still messy and incomplete, answering it puts me one step closer to getting an official fancast list done! :)

Just tagging people whom I think/hope might be interested in this:

@hobbitwrangler @scyllas-revenge @ass-deep-in-demons @emmanuellececchi @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras @konartiste @hippodameia @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @achromaticerebus @aduialel @asianbutnotjapanese @entishramblings @heilith @ladyweaslette @laneynoir @quillofspirit @stormchaser819 @g-m-kaye @mirra-kan @alwayssevvy @marsharmonicorchestra @laurfilijames @coopsgirl @jane0error @jezzibee @lathalea @cuarthol

Other useful links:

Introduction to SotWK

SotWK HC Masterlist

Fanfiction Masterlist

Fanfiction Request Guidelines

[maluceh]

That painel was AMAZING, thank you thank you thank you! ❤️

Sorry for missing a few references, could you share a list of all the universes?

damn ok… ummm (from top left to right and so on with every row)

brooklyn nine nine (amy and jake)

morticia and gomez

modern family (claire and phil)

tangled

they’re just drinking chescos in this one

band au

i got lazy so kissy time

dinosaurs

the last of us au

game of thrones au

10 things i hate about you

celebrity au but i tried to do the cinderella concept art cause 50s

old people

slasher

sapphic jily victorian era

mexican folklore dancers

i got lazy again and i just sketched them as spooky cartoons

deleted scene from dead poets society but it’s not them as dps characters, i just wanted a snowy scene

barbie

pirates of the caribbean

anne with an e

legos

elevator love song by BeeDaily (it’s a fic)

cowboy au

how to train your dragon (astrid and hiccup)

percy jackson (them as percabeth)

sapphic jily in the 14th? 15th? century with princess jamie and her loyal guard lily

this is just a kids drawing so you can interpret it as you want (harry drew it or little james or little lily)

vampire au

couple selfie!

sapphic jily with a reference to glee (the cheerleader uniform). so this one is kind of like cheerleader x outcast type of thing

pride and prejudice au (bingley and jane)

set it up (it’s a movie on netflix)

rocks

greys anatomy au (them as mark and lexi)

role swap (quidditch player lily/muggleborn james)

ice skater couple au

juno (reference to the intro credits from the movie where there’s like drawings and stuff, i thought it would be cool idk)

the office (them as jim and pam)

haikyuu (tanaka and kiyoko are literally jily in another font)

patronuses

genderswap jily

romeo and juliet (2013)

before sunrise (1995)

titanic movie

ferris bullers day off (i think they fit sloane and ferris A LOT)

friends (chandler and monica)

maurice (1987)

detectives au (i tried to emulate 1940s drawings but alas i’m only a girl)

mermaid au

mlm jily as Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete I BELIEVE this is Dos tipos de cuidado (1953) i wanted to draw them as homoerotic mexican actors from the golden age of mexican cinema

canon jily

sapphic jily in bly manor (as dani and jamie)

animal crossing jily

big fish (2003)

sapphic jily as pirates who got caught

idk i took it from a pinterest pic

shadowhunters jily

fantasy jily (?

sapphic jily kissing at sunset

worms

idk what movie this is, i wanted to draw them as silent actors from the 1930s i also tried to use the same art style they used in that era but alas i’m just a girl

widow victorian lily and ghost james (this is a direct reference to Anders Zorn the widow 1883 i believe)

how to lose a guy in 10 days au

shadow and bone au (them as nina and matthias)

ballet dancers au

romeo and juliet AGAIN (1996 tho)

anastasia (1997)

the princess diaries 2 (them as Mia and nicholas)

them with a cat (it’s algernon, the cat is algernon by the way)

spiderman (itsv spider-man to be exact)

i got lazy again and i just doodled them listening to music together

ants

genderswaped jily as emma and mr. knightley (2020)

mamma mia (2008) (love that movie, sophie and sky made me the bisexual i am with that one beach scene)

the hunger games mockingjay part 2 (them as katniss and peeta)

hogwarts professors

coworker rivals

mlm jily but at hogwarts

sapphic jily just vibing (heartstopper vibes??? idk i put the leaves)

shelf awarness by GhostofBambi on ao3 (one of my favorite jily fics)

and that’s it

[genrockstar]

Under the Midnight Sky

pairing: glen powell x oc

summary: glen and his co star have spontaneous night out

author's note: scroll down and listen to the song while reading!!

The moon hung high and full over the Santa Monica Pier, casting a silvery glow across the ocean. Glen Powell leaned against the railing, taking in the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the shore. He was in LA for a break between filming, and the night had felt perfect for a spontaneous getaway. Little did he know that the evening would turn into something he hadn’t quite expected.

He glanced at his watch, wondering if she'd arrive soon. He had invited her on a whim, intrigued by their previous conversations and a spark of chemistry that seemed undeniable. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to find a text from her.

“Hey! On my way. See you soon. :)”

Glen smiled, his nerves easing. He turned his attention back to the ocean, the cool breeze ruffling his hair. He was lost in thought when he heard a soft voice behind him.

“Is this seat taken?”

He turned to see Lily, a vibrant woman with a warm smile and eyes that seemed to hold a thousand stories. She was dressed casually, but there was a grace to her presence that made the evening feel even more magical.

“Nope, all yours,” Glen said, stepping aside to let her take a seat on the bench next to him. “I’m glad you could make it.”

Lily sat down, her gaze drifting out to the water. “It’s beautiful here. Thanks for inviting me.”

They spent a few moments in comfortable silence, the only sounds the distant laughter of other beachgoers and the gentle lap of the waves. Glen glanced over, his curiosity piqued.

“So, what’s been on your mind lately?”

Lily’s eyes met his, and she smiled softly. “Oh, you know, just life. Work, trying to find balance, and dreaming about new adventures.”

Glen nodded, understanding more than she might have realized. “It’s easy to get caught up in everything and forget to just enjoy the moment.”

She chuckled. “I think we’re on the same page. Sometimes I think we need a little nudge to remember what really matters.”

Their conversation flowed easily, like an old friendship rekindled. They talked about their passions, their favorite books, and even their most embarrassing moments. The hours slipped by unnoticed until the pier began to empty, leaving just the two of them under the expansive sky.

Glen hesitated for a moment before speaking, his voice a little softer. “I’ve really enjoyed tonight. It’s been a nice change from the usual whirlwind.”

Lily turned to him, her gaze steady. “Me too. I didn’t expect to have such a great time. It feels... special.”

He looked at her, seeing something in her eyes that made his heart skip a beat. “It does, doesn’t it?”

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. Glen leaned in slightly, his voice almost a whisper. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but there’s something about you that feels incredibly right.”

Lily’s breath caught in her throat. She reached out, her fingers brushing against his hand. “I feel it too, Glen.”

Without thinking, Glen gently took her hand in his, their fingers intertwining. The touch was electric, sending a shiver up his spine. He looked down at her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of hesitation. All he found was an openness that mirrored his own feelings.

Slowly, he leaned in, his heart racing as he brushed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. It was soft and gentle, like the first light of dawn breaking over the horizon. Lily responded with equal warmth, her arms wrapping around his neck as she deepened the kiss.

When they finally pulled away, their foreheads resting against each other’s, Glen whispered, “I didn’t expect to find something like this tonight.”

Lily’s smile was radiant, her eyes filled with affection. “Neither did I. But I’m glad we did.”

They spent the rest of the night talking and laughing, their connection growing stronger with every word. The pier, once bustling with activity, had become their private haven, illuminated only by the soft glow of the moon and stars.

As the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, Glen and Lily knew that the night had marked the beginning of something truly special. The world might have been waking up, but for them, it felt like they had discovered a little piece of forever under the midnight sky.

And as they walked hand in hand along the shore, the promise of new adventures and shared moments seemed as endless as the ocean stretching out before them.

[randomfoggytiger]

I’m happy to hear you love to chat and I’m sorry I’m on anon… what do you think Mulder, Scully and their family are up to now? What’s life and love for them in the year 2024? I personally hope they are happy, healthy and still have tons of sex 🔥

No worries, anon! Unidentifiable asks are just as fun as identifiable ones. Plus, they give a nice little "ooh, I have a wider audience" kick. ;))

Per the Revival: you're probably right~.

I do wonder: would their daughter inadvertently shove them into more traditional settings, say, a mommy-daughter or daddy-daughter group, dance recitals, and local little leagues games while raising her eyebrow at their responses-- or lack of-- to the age old "why didn't you ever get married to mommy/daddy?" question? If so, Jackson would be a reflection of their more complicated, "outside the norm" past whereas Lily would come from a place of sweeter connection and greater appreciation for their second chance. In short, stability; a sense of normalcy. Or, perhaps, she'd be just fine with their "different"; and it's Mulder and Scully who-- like any parent-- would wonder if their unconventional job or numerous enemies or wandering son are a reflection of their abilities?

I don't believe Mulder or Scully could completely disattach from the files, not yet. It fulfills them, it grows them, it shares their history, it bonds them. Post S8? Yes, Post S9? Yes. Post IWTB? Yes. But each of those scenarios ended with an opportunity to do something else, more, different. The Revival ended with change and second chances but also reopened wounds that needed healing and last questions that needed resolution-- a way to end on their own terms, not have a finale thrust unexpectedly on them.

What would they do? Coursework, in my opinion. Light cases. Seminars. Training opportunities. Skinner would have a hand in that, would pointedly shrug on his cane if Mulder and Scully got stir crazy, would pointedly ask them how their daughter was over the weekend. Would delay a permission slip to pursue and solve paranormal cases until there was no other recourse. Would quietly look into who Mulder or Scully hired to watch their kid while they were gone.

Monica Reyes is buried, sorry.

DOGGETT. Doggett's no longer in contact because he sensed a shift in Monica before Mulder and Scully began their Revival shenanigans; and withdrew, jaded, from anything other than regular work. Explore that pain a little: he had to process the inability to save his son during S8 and S9 by accepting the paranormal and its reality; and still lost Mulder and Scully to the quest and Monica to "the darkness." Heavy.

Work in that psychic Charlie story line. Perhaps that's the case that brings Mulder and Scully back out of semi-retirement following the birth of their daughter. Work in the angle that he represents another sort of disconnection from his family or friends, a similar but different path than his sister walked. Meet his niece, ask hard questions about his nephew. Maybe William got some of his powers through those heavily implied psychic Scully genes from the original run. Maybe Lily does, instead; and Scully's case is a way to heal the fears Scully and Mulder face from her burgeoning psychic inclinations: she's not a Jackson 2.0, she's her own person. Etc. It'll help put to bed a few things for Scully, too.

What are Mulder and Scully doing now now? I think others would have a clearer perspective than I do or would; but here we go:

Mulder's looking into what he says are the cost of repairs but are really thinly veiled easy renovations he can tackle with his daughter. Scully is mid-nod before this dawns on her; and she swoops over his shoulder to exclaim "Painted granite countertops?" Lily's... what age, again? Old enough to know the difference between careful mess and wanton chaos; and, more importantly, when to sniff out an opportunity and make a break for it. While her parents are caught up in their discussion ("Not permanent paint, Scully, something washable"), she speeds around collecting string or yarn or anything thin and tie-able; and is halfway through her plan of pulling out a tooth via the old door-and-string trick before her parents sense the silence and bolt for her room. Scully explains why her tooth needs to stay in a few more years and Mulder promises her that the tooth fairy won't come if it's pulled too early. They call it early that night, read her a few books, and collapse on the couch, hearts still racing a little.

[wonderlandleighleigh]

26 pages of fic in retaliation of the spoilers. So spoiler alert for the season 5 spoilers that have come out.

September, 1989

“Mama, no.” 

Midge wrinkles her nose. “What do you mean, ‘Mama, no,’ what is that supposed to mean?” 

Esther huffs as she follows her mother around the kitchen. “You can’t cook for twenty-six people, it’s too many!” 

“Please, I’ve cooked for armies!” 

“Real armies?” Eden asks, her ears perking up as she watches her partner chase Midge around. 

“Armies of comics,” Midge shrugs at her daughter-in-law. “Armies of musicians. Hungry entertainers, mostly.” 

“So not even as well-behaved as soldiers,” Eden jokes as she lifts her son up from the floor and snuggles the toddler. 

“Not nearly,” Midge responds.

“It’s too many people,” Esther presses. “Get it catered.” 

“God, no.” 

“Mama.” 

“Esther.” 

“You shouldn’t have to bust your ass in the kitchen all day,” Esther argues. “You just got home from a tour, don’t you want to relax?” 

“How long have we known each other?” Midge asks. 

Esther blinks. “You gave birth to me.” 

“And you’re how old?” 

“Mama.” 

“You’re thirty-one,” Midge answers for her. “Which means you’ve had thirty-one years to realize that relaxing is not my thing.” 

“But-” 

“It’s very sweet of you to worry, Honey,” Midge smiles, wrapping an arm around her daughter. “Really, I love you for being concerned, but the best way to decompress from two months on tour is to make a shitload of food that will eventually kill you all, and then force-feed it to you while I criticize all your choices.” 

“Seems like she’s dead set,” Eden comments. 

“I once cooked for two hundred people at Uncle Shy’s house for an album release party,” Midge tells them as she gets to work. “Monica fired the caterers five hours before the party started and then locked herself in the master bathroom, and I get this completely panicked phone call from Shy, begging me to come and do…something with the truck-load of food the caterers left because it was already paid for. So it’s me, Jerome, Bonnie and Gordon in the kitchen, while Shy, Lenny and Carly are trying to coax Monica out of the bathroom, and the only thing that did it was some cocaine someone had brought to the party..” 

Eden blinks as silence blankets the kitchen, before she turns to Esther. “Sometimes your mother tells these stories and I don’t know if they’re true or not.” 

“Ask Lenny, all true. I was six months’ pregnant with Lily at the time.” 

“I was very tempted by that cocaine, by the way,” Lenny says as he wanders in, lifting little Joshy from Eden’s arms. “I talked myself out of it by pretending if I did cocaine, it would somehow hurt the baby Midge was pregnant with.” 

Eden blinks again. “That’s…weird.” 

“And effective.” 

“Esther thinks we should have Rosh Hashanah catered,” Midge tells her husband.

He gives his stepdaughter a confused look. “It’s too late to get it catered now.” 

Esther rolls her eyes. “You’re comedy legends, I’m pretty sure if you snapped your fingers real hard someone would come running to cater Lenny Bruce and Midge Maisel’s Rosh Hashanah dinner.” 

“Why would we do that?” Lenny asks, still confused.

“Give it up, Babe,” Eden chuckles. “They’re never gonna outsource dinner.” 

“Especially since cooking keeps me out of the same room as your father for as long as possible,” Midge adds. 

“You could have just…not invited him,” Esther points out. 

“No, I can’t.” 

“Yes, you can.” 

“Nope! He’s still family. He sucks - that’s what the kids are saying now, right? Sucks?” 

“Sucks,” Lenny agrees. 

Midge nods confidently before turning back to Esther. “He sucks, but he’s still family, so he gets the invite.” 

“He could just decline,” Lenny points out. “And he never does.” 

“Well, someone has to bring Zeyde,” Esther points out.

“Lan and Charlie are in town, Lan could bring Moishe,” Midge says. 

“This keeps getting more hopeless,” Esther comments. 

“Mama is going a little crazy, Joshy,” Lenny tells the toddler in his arms, bouncing him a little. 

Esther sighs and takes her son from his arms. “I come by it honestly.” 

***** 

Ethen steps into his mother and stepfather’s home, leading his wife and two children inside from the breezy weather. 

It’s a large brownstone in the Village, decorated with a tasteful mix of built-in wood accents and bright colors. A perfect blend of both of the people who own the house. 

These days, even though all of the kids have moved out, both Ethan’s grandmother Rose, and Zelda, the family’s former housekeeper, call this place home, though Zelda is out for the evening.

Ethan had been worried once everyone left the nest, it would just be his parents rattling around this big place, but he’s heartened, knowing that they’re able to take care of a few of the more elderly members of the family, though Susie still refuses to give up her lavish, custom interior uptown apartment. 

“I worked hard for this,” she told him when the subject came up over drinks. “I’m not ready to call quits on it. The bathtub is too fucking good and the exact height for me to get into.” 

Fair enough.

“Okay, team,” Ethan says, turning to his family. “You know the drill: If you’ve got the shpilkes, go run out in the garden, but don’t pull up Pop-pop’s flowers. Be nice to your cousins, and for the love of God, please do not kick Papa Joel this time?” 

“That was my fault,” Julia chimes in. “He insinuated your mother was a slut, so I told Noah to kick him.” 

Ethan blinks and thinks that over. “That’s fair. But no kicking tonight, okay?” 

Noah nods dutifully as Norah goes running down the hall for the kitchen. 

“Softa, Softa!” she squeaks, and Ethan hears his mother’s voice as she showers the little girl with affection. 

“Here we go,” he mutters, lifting Noah over his shoulder and heading for the kitchen. “You gotta stop telling our kids to kick people.” 

“What else are they for?” Julia jokes. “It’s not like we can cook them and eat them.” 

“Why not?” Ethan asks.

“Don’t eat me!” Noah shouts. 

“Ethan, stop threatening to cannibalize your son,” Rose’s voice admonishes from behind them.

He swings around and grins at his grandmother. It’s odd to see her at this age, in her eighties, but she’s definitely still her. Certainly she’s slowed down, but she’s still sharp. 

“Hi, Gramma,” Ethan grins, kissing her cheek. “Ready for the chaos?” 

“As I’ll ever be,” Rose responds, letting herself be kissed. “Hello, Julia. I love your hair today.” 

“Aw, thanks, Rose,” Julia beams. “You look nice, too.” 

“I,” Rose tells them, lifting her chin, “am old.” 

“And still gorgeous,” Lenny says, peeking out of the kitchen. “Everybody in to say hello.” 

Ethan grins and heads past Lenny, straight to his mother, kissing her cheek. “Hey, Ma.” 

“My boys!” Midge chirps, kissing both Ethan and then Noah. “How was the drive?” 

“Fine,” Ethan shrugs. “Nothing to write home about.” 

“Hi, Gramma,” Esther grins, hugging Rose. “How are you?” 

“Old,” she tells her a little forlornly, before lifting Joshy out of her arms. “But this makes me feel better.” 

“Hi, Rose,” Eden says, getting to her feet. 

“Eden,” Rose nods coolly. “So nice to see you.” 

Ethan watches the interaction closely without comment, knowing that Esther’s coming out had been a little fraught at first. While most of the family hadn’t batted much of an eye (Lan came out a year earlier after all), Rose had been more than a little shocked. Though Midge had been quick to point out that there were stories of Abe dating a man back in the day. 

“It was the twenties!” Rose had countered. 

“Well, now it’s the eighties and your granddaughter is dating a woman,” Midge had shot back. “Get over it.” 

Ethan’s never seen Esther cry quite that hard.

“So we’re currently missing…almost everyone,” Julia points out, looking around the room after getting a cheek kiss from Lenny. 

“My God,” Lenny marvels, turning to Midge playfully. “I wonder where all of them could have learned this horrific lack of punctuality.” 

“Keep it up, you don’t get any challah,” she shoots back, making Ethan, Esther, Julia and Eden hoot teasingly. 

“Dad’s in trouble,” Esther sing-songs. 

Midge shakes her head, amused. In the old apartment, Ethan knows she would have shooed everyone out, because it was too small, but the brownstone has an enormous kitchen, perfect for this kind of gathering, and he can’t say he minds. 

“So, Chaim and Rachela have Bram of course, and they’re bringing Astrid,” Midge tells them. “Joel is bringing Moishe. Mei and Lan and Charlie are all coming together. Ella had a piano lesson, so Kitty said they’d be running a little late…Lily is always late, but I’m hoping that the new boyfriend will be a good influence.” 

“Have you met him yet?” Esther asks, looking intrigued. 

“I haven’t,” Midge admits. “Lenny has. He surprised her with lunch at the lab a couple of weeks ago, and he was there.” 

“Tall, Jewish, named Benj,” Lenny tells them. “Seemed nice. Some kinda chemist or some such.” 

Ethan tilts his head at his stepfather. “Oh, you hate him.” 

“No.”

“A little.” 

“...Maybe a little.” 

“You’re Lily’s father,” Rose points out. “Of course you hate the man she’s seeing.” 

“Abe loved me,” Lenny points out.

“Abe was going through a midlife crisis when he met you,” Rose counters. 

“In any case,” Midge chimes in. “That leaves Susie.” She turns to Ethan. “Where is Susie?” 

“At the Gaslight to check out a new act,” Ethan tells her. 

“In the afternoon?” Midge asks, baffled. 

Ethan shrugs. “She said she’d be along.” 

“Okay! Then I’m gonna get going here. The challahs are nearly done.” She whirls around as everyone starts to lunge for the oven. “Don’t you dare.” 

They all looked chastened as they back away.

***** 

“Are you sure we shouldn’t use the front door?” Benj asks as he follows Lily through the garden gate and towards the back door.

She blinks back at him, tilting her head. “Why would we do that?” 

“Because it’s polite,” Benj points out. 

Lily thinks about that. She’s never really thought about it, having spent her life since moving with her parents to this brownstone using the garden entrance to be able to check her father’s flowers and herbs before heading inside. 

“But I lived here,” Lily tells him. 

“You don’t now,” Benj shrugs. “I mean- don’t get me wrong. This garden is amazing. Did you do this?” 

“My dad,” Lily says. “He used to work on a farm when he was young. Most people don’t know he’s got a green thumb.” 

“Cool,” Benj grins. 

“You still want to use the front door,” Lily surmises. 

“...It feels like they might like me more if I use the front door,” he admits sheepishly. “I want to make a good impression.” 

“Fastest way to the front door is going through the garden door, down the hall and out the front door,” Lily tells him. 

“Wait, what?” 

“Come on.” 

***** 

Midge frowns as she hears the garden door open and close. She leans out of the kitchen, spotting her daughter and who she assumes is the boyfriend heading for the front door. 

“Lily?” 

“We’re not here yet!” she calls back. “Benj wants to use the front door!” 

Midge’s frown deepens as Lenny joins her at the doorway.

“You know,” he muses. “When she was first born, I never could have predicted that our genetics would mix quite that way.” 

Midge giggles a little. “Fun, though.” 

They watch as the front door opens and Lily and Benj step inside.

“We’re here! And we used the front door!” Lily calls. “Please be nice to my boyfriend!” 

Midge tries hard not to laugh as she steps out and hugs her youngest child. “Hi, Sweetie.” 

“Hi, Mama. This is Benj. He’s polite.” 

Midge smiles understandingly at Benj. “Hi. Nice to meet you. Welcome. For future reference, we all expect Lily to come in through the garden. No front doors necessary when you’re with her.” 

He grins sheepishly as they shake hands. “Good to know.” 

***** 

Moishe Maisel has lived a big, long life. He has seen war and death and life and good business and bad business and very bad business, and joy and heartache, and great things and stupid things, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and everything that comes with the highs and lows of living.

But for all of his experience, he still doesn’t really understand his only son.

“You could date, you know,” he says as they walk up the sidewalk towards the Weissman/Bruce brownstone. “Find someone.” 

“So could you,” Joel shoots back.

“What do I wanna date for?” Moishe asks. “There’s not another Shirley out there.” 

Joel huffs out a breath as he stops in front of the large house, looking up at it pensively. “You know, we could just get some deli and go home.” 

“Why would we do that?” Moishe asks. “Miriam’s cooking a feast, she always does.” 

“It’s just-” he blows out a breath. “Why do I keep doing this to myself?” 

Moishe wrinkles his nose. “Doing what? Going to family dinners? Seeing your children and grandchildren?” 

“Going to Midge’s house.” 

“Because she’s the only one with enough space to host everyone.” 

Joel shrugs helplessly. “Well, maybe next year it could just be us and Ethan and his family.” 

“Ethan hates you,” Moishe reminds him.

“Esther’s then.” 

“Eden hates you.” 

“Well, then Lan!” 

“Lan is never here, lives with your second ex-wife, and you still can’t get over your farkakte feelings about his boyfriend.” 

Joel throws up his arms in frustration. “Fine! I fucked things up thirty years ago and everybody still thinks I’m an asshole, and now every time I come here for a holiday or a family get-together, no one lets me forget it!” 

Moishe stares at his son for a long moment and he thinks about trying to be supportive. About trying to give him advice and how all of that advice has fallen on deaf ears for decades. 

Instead, he opens the gate and walks up the pathway to the porch. “Lenny’s azaleas are really poppin’ this year!”

Behind him, he knows Joel is rolling his eyes, but following him.

***** 

Esther beams as she opens the door on her grandfather. “Zeyde!” 

She hugs the older man tightly, kissing his cheek. 

“Oh, my sweet little Esther, you look good!” Moishe tells her, rubbing her arms. “Where’s my great-grandson? I have a candy for him.” 

“Zeyde…” 

Moishe wanders past her, on the lookout for said great-grandchild, as Joel steps in.

“Pop, hi,” Esther says, kissing his cheek awkwardly. 

“Hey, Sweetie. Things devolve into chaos yet?” 

“No, everything is fine,” Esther tells him, a little confused. 

“Lenny must be out of town,” Joel tries to joke.

“...No, he’s in the garden with Ethan and Julia and Lily and her new boyfriend…” 

“...Right.” 

She leads him back into the kitchen, where her mother is still cooking while Eden and Rose keep her company.

Eden lifts an unimpressed eyebrow at Esther’s father. “Joel.” 

“Hi, Eden. Doin’ good?” 

“Sure.” 

“Hi, Joel,” Midge says politely as she keeps working.

“Midge.” 

“Look who I found!” Moishe crows as he shuffles into the kitchen, carrying Joshy and flanked by Noah and Norah. 

“Hey!” Joel smiles, hugging the kids. “Look at you guys!” 

“The kinder look good,” Moishe agrees, before smiling at the assembled group. “Hello, Miriam. Rosie, Eden.” 

Eden grins at him. “Hi, Moishe. How’s the retirement community?” 

He shuffles over and takes a seat with her at the kitchen island. “You would not believe the mishegas these nuts get up to.” 

“Ooooh, geriatric gossip,” Midge teases. “Let’s hear it.” 

Esther glances back at her father as Moishe begins to regale them with his tales. “Pop, why don’t you take the twins out back to run around?” 

“I’m good,” Joel tells her. “Really, Es, it’s fine.” 

“I mean, you’re lying, but okay.” 

“Esther.” 

She shrugs, and starts to respond, when the front door opens and closes again.

“Hellooooo!” 

She’s not terribly proud of losing interest in her father’s discomfort, but the sound of her beloved older sister’s voice after not having seen her for a while tends to send her reeling back into her childhood. “Kitty!” 

She finds herself barrelling out of the kitchen and back to the front door, hugging Kitty tightly. 

Kitty giggles, hugging her back. “Oooh, there she is! Hi!”

 “Hi!” Esther responds against her shoulder. “Hi, hi, hi.” 

“Aunt Es!” Ella squeaks from behind them and Esther lets go of Kitty to hoist the five-year-old into her arms. 

“Look at this beautiful rock star,” Esther says, kissing the little girl’s cheek. “How was piano?” 

“Fun,” Ella tells her, giggling. 

“Hey, Esther,” Daniel says as he helps Kitty out of her coat.

“Hi, Daniel, good to see you,” Esther grins. “Everyone is here except Lan and Mei and Charlie, and Aunt Astrid, Chaim and Rachela and Bram.” 

“Thank god we’re not the last ones here,” Kitty huffs. “Remember the last time?” she asks her husband. “Rose stared daggers right into my soul.” 

“Your soul, what about mine?” Daniel jokes. “She cornered me in the kitchen and gave me an entire lecture on punctuality.” 

“Which is hilarious because Mama has never been on time for one thing in her whole life, including her second wedding, and Lily’s birth,” Esther adds, making them all laugh.

“Uh-oh, did I miss a joke?” Lenny asks as he steps into the foyer. 

Ella squeaks and wiggles down from Esther’s arms. “Pop-Pop!!” 

Lenny chuckles as he scoops her up, kissing her firmly on the cheek. “There she is!” 

“Pop-Pop, I have so much to tell you!” Ella says. 

“Okay, before you regale Pop-Pop with stories of piano lessons and kindergarten,” Kitty laughs, leaning forward to hug her father. “Hi, Daddy.” 

“Hey, Kit,” Lenny says, hugging her as he still holds Ella. “Hi, Daniel.” 

“Hey, Dad,” Daniel responds, grinning. “How are things looking so far?” 

“Same old. Lily brought her boyfriend.” 

Kitty gasps and turns to Esther. “How is he? Is he cute? Is he nice? Do we need to grab Ethan and talk about where to hide the body?” 

“Okay, first of all,” Esther laughs. “He’s cute, and he seems very nice, and second of all, Lily is very capable of hiding her own bodies.” 

“What? No, she’s not, she’s a little baby and we need to protect her.” 

“She’s twenty-four.”

“Exactly!”  

“You know you’re the daughter of two criminals, when…” Esther teases, making everyone laugh again.

“That funny bone is wasted in the courtroom,” Lenny tells her. “Quit and get a writing gig.” 

“Never,” Esther smirks. 

Lenny shakes his head before turning back to his granddaughter. “Tell Pop-Pop all about your adventures!” 

Kitty smiles and wraps her arms around Esther. “And you tell me about yours. How is Eden? How is Joshy?” 

Esther beams at her sister and tells her.

***** 

Eventually, the rest of the family show up, with Lan showering his nieces and nephews in hugs and praise for how grown-up they all look, and Mei latches herself onto Midge in the kitchen as she cooks. 

“So? How is LA?” 

“It’s wonderful,” Mei tells her as she sits down. “Really, Midge. The sun and the food…I keep getting asked to guest lecture and write guest articles. It’s heaven.” 

Midge beams at her. “It’s nice to see you happy.” 

"You and Lenny should move to LA."

Midge scoffs, laughing. "God, no. Lenny hates it there for a wide range of reasons. And we love New York."

Mei rolls her eyes. "Yes, but it would get you away from you-know-who."

"I'm not going to let him scare me into moving across the country, away from my children and my life," Midge says firmly. "He's the miserable one. He can move to LA."

Mei laughs. "Hell, no, you keep him."

Midge sighs heavily and turns to her, taking a seat at the island across from her. "He's been getting more unhappy by the week."

Mei shrugs. "He fucked up two marriages and alienated all three of his children. He lost the club in the seventies to a gambling addiction and he drank his way through the first five years of the eighties, until he realized he wouldn't be able to see his grandchildren if he didn't get his shit together. So color me not shocked."

"I know," Midge says quietly. "I just- feel bad, I guess. He hates that I moved on. He never lets me forget it."

"Then maybe it's time to cut it off," Mei suggests. "This is your house and your life. Ethan and Esther are grown. If they want to spend time with their father, you don't have to be a part of that…I bet Lenny would be relieved."

"I'm pretty sure Lenny stopped acknowledging Joel's existence sometime in 1976." 

"Ooh, good for Lenny."

"Good for Lenny what?" the man in question asks as he steps in with Ella on his hip. 

Midge gasps. "A grandbaby!" she chirps, lifting the little blonde into a hug. 

Mei kisses Lenny's cheek in greeting. "We were talking about how you keep forgetting Joel exists."

"Who?" Lenny jokes with a hand to his mouth. "Oh, him. Yeah he tried to start a fist fight with Ethan that one time after stowing cocaine in our closet, and I thought 'nope,' so now I just ignore him aggressively."

"God, what an awful night," Midge says, snuggling Ella. 

"It was awful," Mei agrees. "But a lot has changed for the better."

Midge smiles and kisses Ella's temple before setting her down. "Go play, sweetie."

She does, and Midge turns back to Mei and Lenny. “Mei thinks we need to stop inviting Joel to the house.” 

“She’s right,” Lenny nods firmly. “I know you feel bad for him, Midge. But he’s not your responsibility.” 

She nods slowly, thinking that over. “I guess - I guess I just never thought about not trying to help him.” 

“I know,” Lenny tells her, taking her hand. “But it might be time to finally start.” 

“No might,” Mei interjects. “Definitely.” 

****

"Ethan."

"Pop."

Susie watches the father-son interaction with its cold overtones and sighs. "You two ever gonna bury that hatchet?"

"You know?" Ethan ponders. "I'm good." 

"Fucksake," Susie grumbles. 

Noah giggles. "Fucksake!"

Susie nods. "Exactly, kid."

"Jesus, Susie!" Joel cries. 

"He's not here, we're Jewish," Ethan comments before turning to his son. "What'd we say?"

Noah pouts guiltily. "No bad f bombs."

Ethan nods, satisfied. "That's right."

"You are an excellent parent," Susie praises him. 

Ethan nods. "Damn right I am."

*****

Dinner is, of course, incredible. 

While Lily is very good with plants and even animals, the culinary arts have eluded her for most of her life. 

She’s very good at boiling rice in chicken stock and adding some cheese and a little hot sauce, but beyond that, it all feels a little nebulous. 

Her mother, however, is magical in the kitchen, and tonight’s feast is no exception. 

“Mama, everything looks amazing,” she tells her mother, smiling up at the woman. 

Midge beams at her. “Well, dig in.” 

Everyone does, and Lily smiles, turning to Benj. 

“I’m really glad you’re Jewish so I don’t have to explain all the food to you,” she tells him happily. “And you won’t get weird about it.” 

Benj smiles back at her, obviously amused and a little charmed. “Well, I’m glad to eat all of it. It looks incredible. My father isn’t much of a cook.” 

“Your mother isn’t around?” Julia asks curiously as they pass food around the table.

“Ah…no. She uh…she left us when I was little, so it was always just my father and me,” Benj explains with a sheepish grin.

Lily nudges him gently and grins at him. “You wanna share mine? She’s a little crazy, but she does make a mean brisket.” 

Benj laughs and kisses her cheek, before digging into the food. 

***** 

Ethan finds his mother prepping coffee and dessert in the kitchen and wordlessly starts to lend a hand, pouring cups before starting a fresh pot. 

“How you doing, kid?” Midge asks as she slices up the apple cake. 

“Ah, y’know. Happy to see everybody. Most everybody.”

“Your dad getting you down?” Midge frowns. 

“Same as always,” Ethan shrugs. “Shit never changes with him, even though we all keep moving on. Lily’s new boyfriend. The rest of us have kids and jobs…you and Lenny keep working and changing. Even Susie.” 

Midge grins warmly. “The Friar’s Club has been bothering Susie again. They want to roast the shit out of her.” 

“Is it my birthday already?” Ethan jokes.

“You tell me, I can’t remember what we decided your birthday actually is anymore,” Midge chuckles softly and hands him a piece of cake. “Your favorite.” 

Ethan grins and takes the plate, taking a bite. “Mmm. You still got it. You should host a cooking show, like the Frugal Gourmet or something.” 

She waves a dismissive hand. “I’d get thrown off the air for my terribly scandalous stories.” 

“We pitch it to HBO.” 

“With the porn?” Midge laughs. 

“Ah, you’ve shown your boobs to an audience before,” Ethan jokes. 

“God, I so wish I could still ground you,” Midge tells him, laughing harder. 

He nudges her and eats more cake. “Hey everybody! Coffee!! Cake!!” 

***** 

Esther lounges on a lawn chair in the garden, eating some honey cake as Lenny sits in the one next to her, sipping on a cup of coffee. 

“You know what I’ve been thinking about?” Esther asks, considering her cake. 

“Hm?” 

“The day we met,” Esther tells him. “It’s one of my first, full memories. I must have been…three? Four? And you came over for dinner - the whole family was there - and for some reason you were sitting next to me.” 

Lenny grins at her fondly. “I remember. I cut up your chicken for you.” 

“You did. And you poured me some juice.” She smiles. “And I remember you looked at me like…I mattered to you. Even though we hadn’t ever met before and you were a stranger. You cared.” 

Lenny thinks about that for a long moment, sighing softly. “You were Midge’s, and she’s always mattered to me. So you mattered, too. And I was really missing Kitty. Missing being a dad. It felt good to stretch those dad muscles, even though you weren’t technically mine.” 

Lan wanders over then, a bottle of whiskey in his hands. “I’m the fun fairy,” he announces as he dribbles a little into Lenny’s mug. 

Esther gasps and lifts her own mug from the ground. “Me, me!” 

Lan pours some into hers as well, before sitting on the grass in front of them. “Are we having serious conversations?” 

“Nah, just talking about old times,” Lenny chuckles, sipping his coffee. “Just the right amount. Good pour.” 

Esther sips her own. “How is Charlie holding up?” 

“He is hanging out with Julia, looking at old family photos,” Lan tells him, taking a sip of the whiskey. “Which he loves. And I love him for it, but also? I was not that cute of a baby.” 

“An enormous lie and we all know it,” Lenny points at him. “Astrid!” 

“Yes!” Astrid calls from across the grass, sitting with Chaim and Kitty. 

“Wasn’t Lan the cutest fucking baby!” 

“The absolute most adorable!” Astrid calls back. “He had the chubbiest little cheeks and the tiniest little tush!” 

Lan shakes his head. “Oh, my god.” 

Esther giggles and offers him some cake, which he readily takes a bite of. “Seen Dad?” 

“Sitting on the front porch alone,” Lan says. “I tried to talk to him but he got weird.” 

“I think he’s turning into a weird old man,” Esther says, fretting. 

“Well, yes,” Lan agrees. “He’s been heading that way for like a decade.” 

“Is it weird that I’m worried about it?” Esther asks. 

“No,” Lenny tells her, reaching out to pat her hand. “He’s your dad. You’re supposed to worry about him. God knows Kitty and Lily worry about me sometimes. It’s just part of the deal. But at the end of the day, he’s a grown man. He has to figure out his own shit, no matter how much you wanna help him out.” 

“Yeah, you’ve got a two-year-old already,” Lan jokes. “You don’t need another.” 

Esther nods. “I know you’re right. I guess I just wish things were less bad with him.” 

“We all wish that,” Lan commiserates. “But we have each other.” 

“Fun fairy!” Chaim calls, lifting his mug. “Refill!” 

“Oops, that’s my cue,” Lan grins, hopping to his feet. “Fun fairy is back on the clock!” 

Lenny chuckles softly and shakes his head. “You kids are a fucking delight.” 

Esther nods, lifting her mug. “Yes, we are.” 

***** 

Kitty helps Rachela, Ethan and Eden put all the kids to bed in the “kids room.” 

Midge had had it redecorated with four built-in bunk beds. It’s stylish but fun at the same time, giving the kids an entire room all their own to sleep over in. 

“Truly, this would have been Bubbe Shirley’s dream, having this kind of room,” Ethan comments with a chuckle. 

“I heard she was an incredible grandmother,” Eden comments as she settles Joshy into a bottom bunk. 

“The best,” Kitty says. “It didn’t matter to her that Lily, Chaim and I weren’t really her grandkids. She lumped us all in together with Ethan, Esther and Lan. We were a set and she refused to break it up.” 

“That’s so sweet,” Rachela says as she settles Bram into another bottom bunk. “I feel so lucky to have been taken in by this big, crazy family.” 

“It hasn’t always been easy,” Ethan tells her. “Y’know. With my parents divorcing early, and everything that happened after. Things were rough for a long time.” He shifts Norah into the top bunch and then settles Noah down underneath. 

“Every family has its problems,” Eden shrugs. 

Kitty settles Ella into the last bottom bunk, unable to really reach the top. “Ours has quite a few. The breakups, drugs, overly healthy egos, run-ins with the law, near-accidental deaths, the CIA popping up every now and then.” 

“Believe me, when Chaim’s father died, the Company came knocking on Astrid’s door multiple times,” Rachela tells them. “Looking for things they thought were there in the house.” 

“They did something similar after Papa Abe died,” Ethan comments. “He worked for Bell Labs for a second and they had to come around and make sure he hadn’t kept anything.” 

“Daddy’s been raided by the cops a few times,” Kitty comments. “It's stressful."

Eden nods. "This family is weird as hell."

They all laugh quietly before stepping out of the room. 

*****

Midge finds him on the front stoop.

"There's coffee."

"So?" Joel snaps as he takes a pull from his cigarette. 

"I was asking if you wanted any," she clarifies. "Lan is running around with a bottle of whiskey, jazzing it up for people,” she smiles, amused. "He's calling himself the fun fairy."

"Just what every father wants to hear about their son," he mutters to himself. 

Midge narrows her eyes. "I thought you were fine with Lan's sexuality."

Joel looks back at her, deeply annoyed. "Maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm tired of being fine with all the bullshit that gets thrown at me. Lan and Esther making crazy choices-"

"You think it's a ch-"

"Mei running away from me, Ethan avoiding me, you staying with your pet junkie. Maybe I don't wanna be fine anymore, Midge." 

She stares at him for a long moment, tilting her head and really, truly seeing him for the first time in a long time.

She'd always wondered, had they stayed together, if he would have been different. 

She knows the answer is no. He'd still be discontented and angry and taking it out on her. 

She doesn't think about the next words that leave her lips. 

"I am so grateful you cheated and left," Midge tells him. "Because if I had to deal with this every fucking day, I don't know what I would do."

Joel stares at her in silence for a long time. Ten years ago that would have stung him much more than it does now. 

He takes another drag. "Go fuck yourself, Midge."

She closes the door quietly, and when she turns around, Susie is standing there. 

"Lock the door," the shorter woman tells her. 

"He can just go around the garden," Midge points out. 

"Yeah, and he'll be doing the walk of shame past his ex's husband and a bunch of family members to get back in. Lock it." 

Midge does and Susie puts an arm around her. 

"Let's break out the good booze," Susie says. "That whiskey Lan has is like lighter fluid."

Midge chuckles. "He's still young, his system can take it."

*****

It somehow usually winds up being the six of them and a joint. 

"How is this so smooth?" Kitty marvels as she passes it to Ethan. 

"LA pot is the best," Lan explains. "And nobody checked my bag at the airport."

"Our gain," Lily says as Ethan passes it to her. "Dinner was nice."

Chaim nods in agreement. "Dinner was nice. Been a while. Benj seems like a good guy."

"He is," Lily nods. "He thinks I'm pretty and smart."

"You are pretty and smart," Esther tells her. "You look happy."

"You know? I am," Lily nods. "It feels nice."

Ethan kisses the top of her head and looks out the garden gate, frowning. "Is that-?" 

"Pop trudging through the gate even though he was at the front door?" Lan supplies. "Yes it is."

"Is something wrong with the front door?" Lily calls. "Benj likes the front door."

Joel stops, obviously caught out. "Your mother locked me out," he admits. 

"Because you acted like a douche canoe?" Chaim supplies. 

The rest of them giggle helplessly. 

"Oh my God, where did that even come from?" Kitty asks as she and Esther lean on each other for support as they laugh. 

"An intern at the Times," Chaim supplies. "It sounds good, right? Just rolls right off the tongue!"

Joel shakes his head, looking to the sky. "You kids. You have no respect for your elders. You just do whatever the fuck you want and fuck everyone else."

Esther takes the joint, pulling a long toke. "We learned from the best, Pop. Nobody does selfish asshole quite as expertly as you."

"God, weed makes you articulate," Lan praises her. 

"I once wrote an entire essay on the first amendment while on acid," Esther tells him. "My ass got an A plus." 

"You think you're so funny," Joel grouses. 

"We don't, actually," Ethan shrugs. "Growing up in a house with professional comedians, you learn real quick if you're funny. We just know how to banter." 

"You and I need to have a discussion," Joel tells his oldest. 

"Now? Like right now? Because I'm really stoned, and you're not going to like what I have to say," Ethan tells him. 

"He wouldn't like what you have to say sober, either," Lily points out. 

"Stay outta this, Lily," Joel snaps. 

She gasps loudly. "Good God, I exist to Joel Maisel, he knows my name and everything! It only took twenty-four years! We should celebrate, pass the pot back." 

Mei steps out of the house, wandering over and eyeing the six of them. "Having fun, I see."

"Joel knows my name!" Lily chirps as she coughs. 

The others giggle as covertly as they can. 

"We raised a passel of assholes," Joel tells his second wife. 

Mei shrugs. "An entertaining passel of assholes. Come inside. Leave them be." 

"Bye Pop, love you Pop, don't be mean to anyone inside, Pop!" Lan calls. He takes the joint as he's ignored. "That man hates that I'm gay."

"Hate is probably too strong a word," Kitty says soothingly. "I think he just doesn't get it."

Lan pouts and it earns him a hug from the oldest of his sisters. 

"He doesn't get me, either," Esther commiserates. "And my wife is Korean, so that's an extra layer of 'holy shit, Esther did what?'" 

Kitty wraps her other arm around her. "You both are living your lives and making yourselves happy. That's really important stuff. And the rest of the family gets it. Even Moishe just shrugs his shoulders and ignores that it's not what he's used to."

"Besides, Pop is sixty years old and he still has no idea what he wants," Ethan shrugs as he takes another hit. "He left his wife and kids after only four years, messed up a bunch of relationships, gambled away an entire nightclub and then hid half a brick of cocaine in the house of a recovering drug addict. You're really gonna listen to him?" 

Lan and Lily turn to Ethan, looking confused. 

"Sorry, what?" Lan asks. 

"Joel did what?" Lily says at the same time. 

"Oops," Kitty mutters. 

"I don't know this story, either," Chaim chimes in. "Joel hid drugs here?" 

Ethan sighs heavily and sits back. “It was a little over ten years ago, now. It was right before he gambled the club away. He was turning a blind eye to dealers who had started hanging out late into the night, and some big dealer tasked him with hiding half a brick…he didn’t want it at the club where Archie could find it, so he brought it to family dinner and stashed it in a closet here…Susie was staying over…she goes to get a towel…” 

“And she finds a fuck-ton of blow,” Lan surmises. “Fuck.” 

“She thought it was Daddy’s,” Kitty chimes in. “They had a huge fight about it.” 

“And when it came out that it was Pop’s,” Esther adds, “Ethan punched him in the face.” 

The group goes quiet after that. 

“How are none of us career criminals?” Chaim ponders. 

“I think we’re too dumb,” Lily tells him. “I mean, we’re all booksmart, but I don’t think we have the cold calculating brains for real crime.” 

Lan nods solemnly in agreement. “I’m a terrible mob prince.” 

They all giggle.

***** 

Eden really likes her mother-in-law.

She’d been a little worried, Midge being a big name in comedy, that she’d be kind of a dick. And sometimes she can be, but mostly, when she’s at home and not on stage, she’s just a mom, and now a grandmother.

It helps that her reaction to Esther coming out had been ‘As long as you still give me at least one grandchild, what do I care about the gender of the person you go to bed with every night? Now eat some babka.’ 

And even better, Midge genuinely likes Eden. They have real, meaningful conversations when they visit, and Eden is showered with affection every time they see each other, almost as much as Esther is. 

It’s late now, Esther is outside with her siblings (probably playing bad kid), and Eden is helping Midge with the dishes. 

“So Lenny comes over one morning,” Midge tells her, continuing a delightful story about their family. “And he’s holding an entire gift basket of muffins, sent to him by Carl Reiner as a ‘please tighten up this Dick Van Dyke Show script, I’m dying’ bribe, and a bag of freshly roasted coffee beans in a big paper bag.” 

Eden chuckles as she dries a big cast iron pan. 

“I open the door, he says ‘Good morning, Sweetheart. One of these muffins probably has a laxative in it, wanna figure out which?’” 

Eden laughs fully at that, shaking her head. “Where did the beans come from?” 

“The beans,” Midge tells her, “were from a short little Jewish man named Irving Kramer who lived in a tiny basement apartment in Harlem. He roasted his own coffee beans and sold them for a little quick cash and sometimes drugs.” Midge hands the younger woman another pot to dry. “I have been all over the world, and I tell you, it was the best coffee I’ve ever had.” 

“Maybe it was who you were sharing it with?” Eden offers with a shrug. 

Midge grins at her and nudges her gently. “Eden, turning into a softy.” 

“No.” 

“A little.” 

“Maybe motherhood has made me a little more squishy,” Eden shrugs. “And Esther. That helps.” 

Midge nods in understanding. “I know who I would be without my family. I don’t like to think about it very much, but I know exactly who that person is, and it’s- well, it’s not pretty. So I understand.” 

Eden regards her mother-in-law thoughtfully, imagining a lonely, famous old woman, wandering around a much larger home than this by herself. With only her accolades to keep her company. 

“There any more cake?” Lenny asks as he steps into the kitchen and kisses Midge’s cheek before patting Eden’s arm affectionately. 

“On the island,” Midge tells him. “Sweet tooth finally rearing its head?” 

He nods as he slices himself a piece of honey cake. “Seems so. It’s probably the whiskey and the smell of the pot smoke from the garden.” 

“I can tell them to quit it if it’s bothering you,” Eden offers. 

He waves her off good-naturedly. “I’ll live. I miss it some days, but not enough to indulge, and the occasional almost-contact high is pleasant enough.” He takes a bite and breathes out a sigh of satisfaction. “Mm. You guys see Joel come in through the garden door?” 

“I locked him out the front,” Midge explains. “Susie’s idea.” 

Lenny chuckles.

 Midge turns to him, smiling a little. “We should take a vacation soon.” 

“Yeah?” Lenny ponders, his eyebrows lifting. “Where to this time?” 

Midge shrugs thoughtfully. “Maybe back to Miami.” 

“Good memories,” he beams. “I’m in. You wanna leave tomorrow or what?” 

“You have a gig tomorrow,” Midge reminds him. 

“Rats. We’ll figure it out.” 

“What happened in Miami?” Julia asks as she wanders into the kitchen and steals a bite of Lenny’s cake. 

“Oh, this is good and romantic, you’ll like this one,” Midge tells her, gesturing for both women to have a seat. “I was on tour with Shy Baldwin.” 

“And I was living in a crummy motel by the water,” Lenny chimes in. 

“And one day, I’m sitting at the bar of the Fontainebleau, writing dick jokes…” 

**** 

Eventually, the night winds down completely and people start heading out. 

Esther, Kitty and their families are staying over, as well as Susie, but everyone else is heading home, or in Lan, Charlie and Mei’s case, their hotel. 

Lenny hugs all the kids and sleepy grandkids, saying his goodbyes. As he gets older, the end of the night feels like it gets harder every time. Maybe one day, it will be the last time he says goodbye to these people he adores so much.

“Stop looking so maudlin,” Lily chides him playfully as they hug. “Yom Kippur is in like two weeks, and we’ll all be back to eat another big, over-the-top meal.” 

“Yes, I know, but I miss you when you’re not here,” he admits. “I like when all the kinder are together.” 

“Even when we’re ready to eat each other out of hunger?” Chaim asks as he hefts Bram into his arms. 

“Especially then, it’s a free show,” Lenny jokes. 

“Time for us to go, too,” Moishe says as he shuffles to the door, hugging and kissing on his way. “I will be here with bells on for Yom Kippur.” He eyes his six grandchildren. “Can all of you behave for Yom Kippur?” 

“Yes, Zeyde,” they chorus, earning chuckles and soft laughs from their partners. 

Midge kisses all of the kids and grandkids too, waving them off, and Joel wanders out after Moishe. She stands up a little straighter and smoothes out her dress. “Goodnight, Joel.” 

He nods silently before disappearing down the front steps, and she sighs softly as Lenny settles his hands on her upper arms comfortingly.

“Maybe he doesn’t come to Yom Kippur,” Lenny offers. “Maybe Ethan goes to get Moishe and Joel just…does his own thing.” 

“Please, fuck, that sounds like a dream,” Susie groans. 

Ella giggles sleepily from Daniel’s arms. “Fuck.” 

Lenny lets out a short, sharp laugh, and closes the front door. 

END

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Queer Holiday Books

🦇 Good afternoon, my wonderful bookish bats. I'm LOVING all your amazing holiday book guides, but what about adding a few queer holiday books to the list? Here are a few to consider asking for under the tree this year!

✨ Sapphic 🌟 Season of Love by Helena Greer 🎁 Under the Mistletoe by Everly James 🌟 Checking it Twice by Lucy Bexley 🎁 Under a Falling Star by Jae 🌟 Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun 🎁 In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae 🌟 Silent Night by Lily Seabrooke 🎁 The Christmas Ball by Lily Seabrooke 🌟 Christmas in Mistletoe by Clare Lydon 🎁 All I Want for Christmas by Clare Lydon 🌟 Higher by Roz Alexander 🎁 Collie Jolly by Leigh Landry 🌟 The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish (also m/m) 🎁 How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow 🌟 Monica Adams Skips Christmas by Krista Harper 🎁 Whiteout (Anthology) 🌟 Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young 🎁 Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

✨ Gay 🌟 Faux Ho Ho by Nathan Burgoine 🎁 A Boyfriend for Christmas by Jay Northcote 🌟 Glass Tidings by AJ Cousins 🎁 What Happens at Christmas by Jay Northcote 🌟 You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky 🎁 The Working Elf Blues by Piper Vaughn 🌟 Merry Elf-ing Christmas by Beth Bolden 🎁 Let Your Hearts Be Light by Fae Quin 🌟 Merry & Sprite by Dani Lakely 🎁 In the Winter Woods by Isabelle Adler 🌟 Tangled in Tinsel by Ellen Mint 🎁 The Inside Edge by Ashlyn Kane

✨ M/F 🌟 Meet Me in Los Feliz by Kelly Reynolds 🎁 The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese 🌟 A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

✨ Nonbinary 🎁 Sugar & Spice by Eli Wray 🌟 The First Noel by Eli Wray 🎁 Secret Santa by Eli Wray 🌟 Christmas Inn Maine by Chelsea M. Cameron

[amalia-uwu]

INSEPARABLE

Photo by Monica Oprea from Pexels

Based on the fanfiction Firsts & Seconds written by Skerbbie @skerbbie

I DONT OWN -> Undertale, Farmtale, the fanfiction First & Seconds. The rights go to the respective owners!

Undertale by Toby Fox

Farmtale by GuinongTale_AU

First and Seconds written by Skerbbie @skerbbie 💙

Warnings ⚠️: very light angst, fluff, lots of fluff

Note 1: Since I don't know the Canon grandpa name. I'll create an OC. So, for the needs of this story I'll use the names

Aster Lilian Crisanto.

-> Crisanto means golden flower (if I remember correctly it's Greek) I'll use it as last name.

-> Lilian is the masculine of Lily it's French. (it will be his middle name)

-> Aster; is a flower, a font and it's Greek. It means Star. Αστήρ

Note 2: In this story Papyrus exists. Im just focusing on Sans. Let's say Papyrus is with Aster's sister. (headcanon) ♥

Note 3: Sans is around 5 years old in this story. While Aster is around 35 years old.

Fun fact /Note 4: this idea came to my mind, while I was doing my makeup! I was just putting eyeliner and mascara and I was like; well how about Sticks meeting Brinley for the 1st time?

Enjoy!

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

🌾

🌾

🌾

His grandpa was holding him by the hand. "Where are we going grandpa?" he looked at him questionably.

"There is someone I want you to meet" he smiled lovingly at him. Sans nodded and smiled back.

They walked towards a door. When they reached it , his grandpa let go of his hand.

He added a little force and opened the big door. The little light that went through the windows and the door illuminated the place.

Sans looked around perplexed, staying close to his grandpa.

Sans saw a huge animal approaching them. He hid behind his grandpa's leg.

Aster chuckled "Don't be afraid Sans, she is big but she is kind and affectionate. This one here is Brinley. Brinley meet my grandson, Sans!"

Brinley rubbed her head affectionately on Aster's hands.

Then she noticed the little skeleton. She leaned down.

Sans hid himself behind Aster's leg a little more.

Brinley was patient. She knew from experience that human and monster children were sometimes intimidated by big animals.

"It's okay my boy she won't hurt you, she wants to see and sniff you" he assured.

"She is not gonna eat me?" he peeked from behind him a little. Eyes shining green. Sticks held Aster's pants for dear life. His voice low.

"Heh, no, she only eats grass and plants. Besides I am here, I would never bring you to harms way"

He slowly walked towards her. She was still there waiting patiently.

He raised his tiny hand on her face and she leaned closer. She sniffed and huffed softly.

He patted her. She closed her eyes, his touch was soft.

She gently rubbed her nose on his hand.

He was braver now, his grandpa was right, she wasn't so bad.

He gave her face a hug. She closed her eyes and huffed contently.

"Grandpa could you please give me grass? I would like to feed her"

"Way ahead of you bud" He was already holding the grass on his hand. "Here" he smiled

"Thank you" He took it and brought it closer to her face. She gently took and ate it.

He walked towards the grass storage a little further and took as much as his hands could carry. He ran back.

He stretched upwards and gave her more. She accepted the offering. Brinley gently leaned down and ate form his little hands again.

He was watching her in awe. He patted her leg. Her hair were smooth, soft.

She was like a huge teddy bear.

He stepped back and went in front of her again. This time he asked kindly and innocently  "Could I lay on your back?"

She understood and looked at Aster, as if asking for permission.

He nodded and she knelt down. His grandpa helped him sit on her back.

Once on her back. He laid face down and caressed her fur. He stroked her fluffy brown hair while giggling.

Looking at her eyes you could understand she likes him. Sans seems to adore her too.

"Come on Brinley get up" Aster said.

She didn't.

"Brinley? Get up please" he repeated and lifted his phalanges up.

Brinley stayed on the ground.

She looked at him and then at her back.

He followed her movement. After a few seconds...

It clicked. His expression soften.

She didn't want to accidentally throw him down.

Aster smiled and got moved. "Thank you Brinley, you are a good girl". She huffed softly.

Sans had stopped moving and was just laying there, face down.

"You okay up there?" he smirked.

"yeah, *huff puff* I just *pant pant* got tired"

"Come then Sans it's time for us to go" he gently stretched his phalanges and took him in his arms.

"Can we come later?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around his grandpa's neck.

"Of course we will visit her later. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow.. she isn't going anywhere".

"Alright" he smiled, "See ya later Brinley!" Sticks waved at her.

Aster chuckled.

He walked home. Sans had his hands wrapped around Aster's neck.

Outside he gently put him down.

"Now let me clean you, then lunch and after that nap okay?"  he informed. "Okay" he smiled.

He gently put him down "Stay here!" he said softly. He hummed in response.

Aster took a special vaccum and removed the hair from his clothes. He took a piece of cloth and gently cleaned his bones. He'll give him a better bath later.

"Alright, now go put on some clothes and come back down to eat" he gently pushed his back.

"Mhm" he ascended the stairs and went to his room. He put on a yellow shirt, green floral pants and blue jacket. He then went downstairs.

His grandpa brought him the plate "here you go"

"Thank you!"

He waited, he rested his ulna and radius from both hands on the table. Aster got slightly concerned at the silence.

"Sans? Aren't you eating?"

"Im waiting for you" he spoke cheerfully.

Aster chuckled. He turned around and let the orange juice on the table. He sat down and both ate.

Sans finished his food and took his dishes to the sink.

Aster was watching him. He returned back to his chair and began drinking his orange juice.

Aster smiled softly. He finished his dinner and proceeded to wash the dishes.

As he was doing so, his mind got lost in thoughts.

Truth be told; he tries not to show it, but.. He is afraid. Ever since he found out Sans is a little fragile and that he will have some issues because of that.. fear conquered his soul.

He tried to teach Sans and Papyrus to be careful.

Papyrus despite being a child he understood everything his grandpa told him. Sure they did shenanigans like all siblings but they were good children.

Papyrus and Sans were very obedient, such good, kind children.

Papyrus also seemed to be protective in his own way around Sans. Smart and observant skeleton.

They loved and cared for each other a lot.

Okay, maybe at first Aster was a little bit overprotective.. But he worked on it. He accepted it. He tried to make their lives as best as he could.

It also made his soul melt at how protective Brinley is. It's good to know that she will be there for him in her own way. After all..

Who said animals don't understand and feel emotions?

.

.

As Sans was waiting for his grandpa to finish his jobs, he fall asleep on the table. Aster finished the dishes and dried his hands. He turned around and was slightly startled that Sans was still on the table sleeping.

Aster just stood there a few seconds and smiled affectionately.

Sans felt two hands picking him up. He opened his eyes "Sorry fall asleep"

"Its okay you still kept me company"

Sticks smiled.

He gently laid him down and covered him with the bedsheet "love you grandpa" he grinned.

"Love you too Sans".

.

.

(2 hours later)

Sans opened his eyes. He stretched, got up and exited the room. Looking down he saw that his grandpa had fallen asleep on the couch.

He took his small bedsheet and quietly  tiptoed outside. He then walked towards the barn, where Brinley was.

He managed to open the door with great difficulty.

She was still there, she saw him dragging the bedsheet with him. She leaned her head on the side. Sans stood in front of her.

"Brinley could I please take a nap with you?" he asked with pure innocence.

She huffed softly and laid down. He joined her and curled up.

She smiled and curled up. Both enjoying a peaceful sleep.

.

.

(Some time later)

His grandpa woke up. It was eerily quiet, he decided to check on Sans. He knocked on the door.

Silence.

He quietly opened the door and peeked in. Maybe he was sleeping.

.no sans.

He slightly panicked  but before he jumped to conclusions. He checked around the house.

Where did he go this time?

He suspected that maybe he went to Brinley.

He walked towards Brinley's place and noticed that the door was slightly opened.

He pushed the door and peeked in. Brinley opened her eyes and looked at him. She carefully moved her head showing Sans

"I'll check later" he whispered. He sighed with relief.

.

.

Later Sans woke up and his grandpa came to take him "warn me next time sweetie."

"Sorry grandpa" he apologized.

"Its okay" he hugged him a little tighter.

"See you tomorrow Brinley" he waved at her. She huffed softly. Aster chuckled softly.

It was clear to him that from that day, Brinley and Sans became

¡Inseparable!

.

.

.

.

The End! 😘

Thank you for reading! 💙

Comments, Likes, Constructive Criticism is accepted.

PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK!

[findroleplay]

I only RP on Discord. 21+ peas and ques.

About me: Izzy, She/they, 23 I'm looking for people who can write 2-5 paragraphs using functional grammar. I'm not looking for perfect I just gotta know what you're saying. I only write in the third person and ask that you do the same when writing with me. I work full-time in the school system (yikes I know) and I'm also a college student (double yikes) SO response times may vary. I try to respond daily but sometimes life gets extra lifey and it's once a week. Please do not bug me for responses that being said I am more than happy to have some OOC chit-chat in the meantime. In fact, I love OOC chit-chatting with my RP buddies. Tell me about the books your reading, yummy food, movies or tv shows you're watching. Rec some music. Share the cute fur babies. Seriously I love it and totally do think of my RP partners as friends. By all means, if this isn't your thing tell me to piss off. That's fine. OK Back on track. Plots: I love to write romance, slice of life, action, mystery, adventure, hurt/comfort, crack, fluff, angst, spice. Like all of the things blended into one. I like to have a dynamic plot loosely figured out and then just continue to build on it as we develop characters and their dynamics. I write both OCxCC and CCxCC NO OCXOC sorry! Fandoms I write for are:

Marvel (MCU and Comics): I’m open to OCxCC, CCxCC, ABO, and Poly in this one I love world-building and meshing MCU canon with comic Canon and our own idea’s as well. If we’re doing CCXCC I do have a preference of M/M pairings but I am open to some M/F and F/F and other paring combinations.

Harry Potter (Marauders Era after graduation only): I’m open OCxCC and CCXCC I adore world-building for this one and bending Canon to fit our liking. I do also prefer to have multiple characters and moving parts in these plots in the background.

Criminal Minds: I’m open OCxCC, CCXCC. ABO and Poly ship here as well. I like to have a nice blend of slice of life and other things with a little bit of casework. Basically the reverse to what the show gave us.

Supernatural: I’m just looking for OCxCC here uhmm it’s been a hot minute since I’ve roleplayed this fandom. I think I’ve seen up to season ten for sure? I am planning on finishing it soon. I think my OC would pair up nicely with Dean or Cas but I’m open to your suggestions as well.

Some other less common fandoms I write are: WWE Yellowstone 911 Lonestar LOTR/Hobbit Almighty Johnsons 

Marvel Ships Storm/T'challa Steve Rogers/Wolverine S teve Rogers/Tony Stark Steve Rogers/Clint Barton Steve Rogers/Peggy Carter Steve Rogers/Natasha Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson Sam Wilson/ Rhodey Sam Wilson/Clint Barton Sam Wilson/Monica Rambue Sam Wilson/ Bucky Barnes Sam Wilson/ T'challa Sam Wilson/Natasha Natasha/Tony Stark Natasha/Matt Murdock Natasha/Bucky Barnes Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton Clint Barton/Bobbi Morse Clint Barton/ Thor Clint Barton/ Phil Coulson Clint Barton/Scott Lang Clint Barton/ Matt Murdock Clint Barton/ Jessica Drew Clint Barton/ Tony Stark Tony/Rhodey Rhodey/Carol Danvers T'Challa/Okoye Okoye/M'baku Polyvengers Criminal Minds Ships Hotch/Emily Hotch/Rossi Hotch/Morgan Morgan/Garcia Morgan/Emily Morgan/Reid Reid/Emily Reid/Rossi Reid/Luke Emily/Tara Emily/Rossi Harry Potter Ships Remus/Sirius James/Lily Remus/Dorcas Meadows Sirius/ Marlene McKinnon Bill/Flure Alice/Frank Longbottom Charlie/Tonks Bill/Tonks Remus/Tonks Crossovers I would be interested in writing. Marvel/Criminal Minds Marvel/Hobbit Marvel/Supernatural Criminal Minds/911 Lonestar Criminal Minds/WWE Other Fun stuff to know I love making playlists, mood boards, Pinterest boards, and just all of the things for RP's, ships, and characters. I'm a menace honestly. If you'd like feel free to message me here or on Discord. Discord: noneherself

-

[catsofcalifornia]

Lili and Maisel from Smitten Kitten Rescue in Santa Monica, California

Click here for more information about adoption and other ways to help!

Click here for a link to Smitten Kitten Rescue’s main website.

Maisel and Lili are a mama and daughter pair who are more like sisters because Maisel was a young mom. When rescued, they would play together endlessly. They are easy going cats who are independent and also social. They both love people but Maisel is the more confident one, while Lili can be a little shy at times.  You will often find them snuggled up in a chair together. Maisel has a confident attitude and is never shy about meeting new people, or checking out whatever the humans around her are doing. She loves to lounge on the sofa, bed, in a sunbeam, or on top of a cardboard box.  She really loves food, and she does have a belly to prove it. Juliet is a beautiful, Turkish Van looking kitty with big green eyes. While she normally takes great care of her daughter, Lili, she will leave her in the dust when it's food time.  She will lie on your lap and watch a movie or TV show with you for as long as you can keep still for her.  She appreciates head scratches and loves when you pet her under her chin. Lili is a sweet cat without a mean bone in her body.  Her little squeak of a meow sums up her personality.  She's great at finding hiding spots you didn't know existed in your home, but also quick to greet a new human.  She likes to be around people but she's less likely to lie on your lap than Maisel but every now and then she'll try it out. These two will bring a lot of love to someone’s life!    

[esoterium]

top 100 characters statistical "which character" is similar to yours personality quiz

**picking five characters i know to add to the list while i take a couple!!*

Nomi Marks (Sense8): 83%

Marianne (Portrait of a Lady): 83%

Inej Ghafa (Shadow and Bone): 83%

Salvatore Romano (Mad Men): 82%

F o x M u l d e r  (T h e X - F i l e s): 82%

Torvi (Vikings): 82%

Baby (Baby Driver): 82%

Ally Maine (A Star Is Born): 82%

Marie Kreutz (The Bourne Identity): 81%

Riley Blue (Sense8): 81%

Elisa Esposito (The Shape of Water): 81%

Buck Vu (The OA): 81%

Alice Cullen (Twilight): 80%

Abby Sciuto (NCIS): 80%

Ben Hargreeves (TUA): 80%

Andy Dufresne (The Shawshank Redemption): 80%

Floki (Vikings): 80%

Rogue (X-Men): 80%

Amanita Caplan (Sense8): 80%

Juliana Crain (The Man in the HC): 80%

Ola Nyman (Sex Ed): 80%

Willow Rosenberg (Buffy): 79%

Neo (The Matrix): 79%

Ariadne (Inception): 79%

Guinan (Star Trek: TNG): 79%

W i l l G r a h a m  (H a n n i b a l): 79%

Bonnie Bennett (TVD): 79%

Monica Dutton (Yellowstone): 79%

Sam Button (The Perks): 79%

Frenchie (The Boys): 79%

Robin Buckley (ST): 79%

Marianne Sheridan (Normal People): 79%

W a n d a M a x i m o f f  (WandaVision): 79%

Violet Parr (The Incredibles): 79%

Luna Lovegood (HP): 78%

Nymphadora Tonks (HP): 78%

Trinity (The Matrix): 78%

Jasper Hale (Twilight): 78%

Toni Topaz (Riverdale): 78%

Kalinda Sharma (The Good Wife): 78%

Han Lue (Fast & Furious): 78%

Amélie Poulain (Amélie): 78%

Maeve Wiley (Sex Education): 78%

Cassie Thomas (Promising Young Woman): 78%

River Tam (Firefly): 77%

Omar Little (The Wire): 77%

Morpheus (The Matrix): 77%

William H. 'Shakespeare' Hill (This Is Us): 77%

Jonah Byrde (Ozark): 77%

Chris Washington (Get Out): 77%

Lane Kim (Gilmore Girls): 77%

Céline (Before Sunrise): 77%

Ada Shelby (Peaky Blinders): 77%

Jonathan Byers (ST): 77%

Benjamin Button (TCCBB): 77%

Heloise (Portrait of a Lady): 77%

Lily Iglehart (Sex Ed): 77%

Naomi Nagata (The Expanse): 77%

Hester Prynne (The Scarlet Letter): 77%

Remus Lupin (HP): 76%

Maeve Millay (Westworld): 76%

Daniel Jackson (Stargate SG-1): 76%

Rosalind Walker (CAOS): 76%

Storm (X-Men): 76%

Hernando Fuentes (Sense8): 76%

Dr. Sean Maguire (Good Will Hunting): 76%

Mozzie (White Collar): 76%

Kinsey Locke (Locke & Key): 76%

J o h n W i c k  (John Wick): 76%

Ekko (Arcane): 76%

Albus Dumbledore (HP): 75%

Inara Serra (Firefly): 75%

D'Angelo Barksdale (The Wire): 75%

Janis Ian (Mean Girls): 75%

Damian Leigh (Mean Girls): 75%

Dom Cobb (Inception): 75%

Michael Scofield (Prison Break): 75%

Jughead Jones (Riverdale): 75%

Darlene (Mr. Robot): 75%

Wyldstyle (The Lego Movie): 75%

Nairobi (Money Heist): 75%

Penelope (The Odyssey): 75%

Aunt Polly (Peaky Blinders): 75%

Penelope Garcia (Criminal Minds): 75%

Joyce Byers (ST): 75%

Will Byers (ST): 75%

Angela Montenegro (Bones): 75%

Maleficent (Maleficent): 75%

Kang Sae-byeok (Squid Game): 75%

Jules Vaughn (Euphoria): 75%

Viktor (Arcane): 75%

Suzuha Amane (Steins;Gate): 75%

Natalie (Yellowjackets): 75%

Jyn Erso (Rogue One): 75%

S i r i u s B l a c k  (HP): 74%

Elizabeth Bennet (Pride & Prejudice): 74%

Black Widow (MCU): 74%

Paul Smecker (Boondock Saints): 74%

Ciri (The Witcher): 74%

Kurt Hummel (Glee): 73%

[godsofhumanity]

while i've been inactive, i've been tagged in LOADS of tag chains, especially by the lovely @15pantheons, so i've decided to just respond to everything in one big post.

Feb 20, 2024: 4x fictional characters you relate to + let someone assume something about it. btw, @15pantheons, ur combination of rapunzel + a frog + a classical painting depicting a scene i can't quite place + alice from twilight makes me assume that ur a kind, gentle soul with a penchant for nice, pure-hearted characters <3

i relate to shaggy and cronus because i, too, have a huge appetite. i relate to seraphim because sometimes i feel evil. i relate to ash because sometimes i just want to live my life in peace and then shit happens and i have to take responsibility for it even though i don't want to.

<- idk what happened to the formatting.

Feb 26, 2024: do THIS personality quiz and list the first 20 characters:

Carmela Soprano (The Sopranos): 80%

Sansa Stark (Game of Thrones): 79%

Claire Standish (The Breakfast Club): 79%

Rarity (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic): 79%

Mamá Imelda (Coco): 79%

Fleur Delacour (Harry Potter): 78%

Monica Geller (Friends): 78%

Dana Barrett (Ghostbusters): 78%

Lila Crane (Psycho): 78%

Yu Shu Lien (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon): 78%

Rose Weissman (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel): 78%

Tahani Al-Jamil (The Good Place): 77%

Tess Ocean (Ocean's 11): 77%

Legolas (Lord of the Rings): 76%

Michel Gerard (Gilmore Girls): 76%

Penelope (The Odyssey): 76%

Amy Sosa (Superstore): 76%

Mitchell Pritchett (Modern Family): 76%

Diana Barrigan (White Collar): 76%

Amanda LaRusso (Cobra Kai): 76%

unrelated but this i had the Rarity MLP when i was little and she was my favourite so it's funny to see her on this list. also W for dana and legolas being on this list. sickk

3. March 4, 2024: list the song you LAST listened to, a song stuck in your head, and your favourite song:

last song: notorious // duran duran | song stuck: little fighter // white lion | favourite song: still loving you // scorpions

4. March 10, 2024: type "my gender is" on your phone and let your phone finish the sentence

"my gender is a woman" which is correct!

5. March 25, 2024: picrew maker :)

6. April 4, 2024: picrew maker 2

7. April 4, 2024: uquiz AND picrew maker 3

8. April 4, 2024: two out-of-context images saved on your camera roll

9. April 4, 2024: find your "cosmo persona"

10. April 4, 2024: 3x random facts about yourself

a) i'm a fifth-year engineering student, b) i hate my degree, c) my hobby and, arguably, greatest skill is sleeping and napping

11. April 7, 2024: uquiz for what sad planet analogy u are

12. April 7, 2024: make an evil picrew 4 of yourself

13. April 7, 2024: another picrew.

aaannd done!!

i'll tag basically anyone who sees any of these and would like to do them.. thank u very much for tagging me Lily <3 i'm sorry i didn't reply sooner :(

[the-flora-family]

Hello everyone! Welcome to our Tumblr page. We are an OSDD-1B system that is made almost entirely out of fictives, aside from Venus who is the host, and Pain, one of our persecutors. There are way too many of us to write down and describe in one entire post, so we will simply list the sources we have. Sources marked red have alters that are either always up front or otherwise very active in our system. Only sources marked red will have the alters listed out, but as always you’re free to ask for an individual list of alters if we happen to share sources. We’re always open to making new friends.

Brain-Made

Venus - 26 || Shey/shem || Host || engaged to Mickey & Ian || 🪴

Pain - Age Unknown || it/its || Main Persecutor || 🩸

Shameless

Mickey Milkovich - 26 || he/him || Main protector/traumaholder/cohost || Married to Ian, engaged to Venus || 🚬

Ian Gallagher - 26 || he/him || Caretaker || Married to Mickey, engaged to Venus || 🍅

Fiona Gallagher - 32 || she/her || Caretaker || 💚

Lip Gallagher - 27 || he/him || persecutor to Ian only || 🧠

Debbie Gallagher - 21 || she/her || Caretaker || 💛

Carl Gallagher - 20 || he/him || we honestly don’t know what he does apart from cause chaos regularly || 🌿

Liam Gallagher - 12 || he/him || Middle/protector to Franny || ⚽️

Franny Gallagher - 5 || she/her || Little || 🧸

Frank Gallagher - 63 || he/him || persecutor to all the Gallaghers || 🍺

Monica Gallagher - 67 || she/her || Unknown. We don’t know where she lives in here, only that she’s ‘around.’ || 💊

Mandy Milkovich - 25 || she/her || Protector || 💄

Harry Potter

Harry Potter - 17 || he/him || Unknown || Dating Draco || ⚡️

Draco Malfoy - 17 || he/him || Unknown || Dating Harry || 🐍

Sirius Black - 35 || he/him || Unknown || Dating Remus || 🐕

Remus Lupin - 35 || he/him || Unknown || Dating Sirius || 🐺

James Potter - 21 || he/him || Unknown || Married to Lily || 🦌

Lily Potter - 21 || she/her || Unknown || Married to James || 🌸

Severus Snape - 37 || he/him || Unknown || 🦇

Aberforth Dumbledore - 48 || he/him || Unknown || 🐐

Aurelius Dumbledore - 20 || he/him || Traumaholder || 🌪️

Newt Scamander - 35 || he/him || Unknown || 🦎

Shadowhunters

Alec Lightwood - 33 || he/him || Gatekeeper || Married to Magnus || 🏹

Magnus Bane - Unknown because he keeps saying a different one every time || he/him || Caretaker || Married to Alec || ✨

Jace Herondale - 31 || he/him || Protector || 🗡️

Isabelle Lightwood - 31 || she/her || Protector || 👠

Max Lightwood-Bane - 14 || he/him || Middle || 🫐

Rafael Lightwood-Bane - 16 || he/him || Middle || 💧

Chairman Meow - Age Unknown || he/him || Does he even have a role? He’s literally just a cat, so who knows? || 🐈‍⬛

Sense8

The Fosters

Love Victor

Wednesday

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Carmilla

Death Note

Teen Titans

Dear Evan Hansen

Hamilton

Be More Chill

Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends

Powerpuff Girls

Ed Edd N Eddy

Encanto

DNI

People who subscribe to any of the following ideas should not interact with us under any circumstances.

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Using us for ‘Thinspo’

[starlingsrps]

shot in the darkest dark.

jamie corcoran is one of rebecca’s favorite student at saint monica’s. he’s sweet and considerate, which is more than she can say for most five year old boys and definitely more than she can say for his father. darren corcoran is an assistant da for the city and has the personality of a pit bull. then rebecca thinks about some of the pit bulls she’s met and realizes that that’s an insult. the pit bulls she’s met are kind. darren corcoran is just an asshole. you don’t get that far in politics or law without being one she guesses but that’s also a terrible excuse as far as she’s concerned.

nothing good can come from being called into an after school meeting with him. while she packs her bag and locks her classroom, she tries to think of anything that it could possibly be about - jamie is smart and always brings home gold stars but she’d had to use leftover pink hearts from valentine’s day last week and darren corcoran seems like the type to make a big deal about it.

sister francis is at her desk while darren corcoran sits in one of the chairs before it with a wad of nicorette gum in his cheek. rebecca can’t help but think that he looks like a nicotine addicted gerbil. his greeting to her is short and clipped. clearly, there won’t be any small talk.

“if this is about jamie, i can assure you-“

“you work at limelight?” 

rebecca glances at sister francis but her face is a serene mask, as always. “i - i don’t know what that has to do with anything.”

the wad of gum shifts and he leans in slightly. it’s a little claustrophobic. “it’s a yes or no question.”

“i - yes. i’m a bartender a few nights a week.” she gives sister francis an apologetic look, as though it’s her fault single income as a teacher in san francisco is a pipe dream. “the tips help with rent and-“

corcoran cuts her off. “you know it’s a front, right?” she must look confused because he scoffs. “ask your little boyfriend: i’m sure he’ll be happy to explain.”

“he’s not my-“ rebecca cuts herself off there and clears her throat. she’s losing control of the situation and it doesn’t occur to her that she’s never had control of this situation. she turns her attention to sister francis, someone more level headed. “sister, i really don’t know what i’m here for and if you could just explain?”

her voice tilts up at the end, turning it into an apology instead of a request.

“mr. corcoran has reason to believe that you’ve violated the morals clause of your contract.”

she immediately thinks of her fingers in marco’s hair and his lips on her thigh before remembering that no, no she can’t be talking about that exactly. “i don’t understand?”

corcoran makes another scoffing sound and seems ready to launch himself back into the conversation but apparently even attorneys aren’t immune to a silencing stare from a nun. sister francis continues. “when you told us you had a second job, we understood but had reservations about it being in nightlife.”

rebecca closes her eyes for a moment and braces herself. she’s going to get fired for being a bartender. of course darren corcoran would be the one.

“you’ve always had sterling character in the classroom so we didn’t see it as cause for concern until mr. corcoran informed us of the nature of this establishment.”

she stays quiet, even though she wants to say that they aren’t even allowed to show nipple at limelight. then she realizes that they’re waiting for her to tell them just what kind of establishment it is. “it’s a bar…we have floor shows. i’m-“ she glances at corcoran and then back at sister francis. “if i need to quit, i understand.”

“it’s a fucking mob bar,” corcoran finally barks. “like i said, ask your little boyfriend what he gets up to in the back and you’ll find out it’s not just tits and cosmos.”

rebecca flinches, more from the tone than the words. they just don’t sound real, they don’t sound like something that could happen to her. it sounds like a bad movie or one of lily’s romance novels. the mob?

“the da office has been investigating the civellas for years and i haven’t nailed the little shit yet but-“

he keeps talking but the blood has rushed to rebecca’s head and she can’t hear him over the roaring in her ears. this can’t be real. the mob isn’t real. it has nothing to do with her, nothing to do with marco. it can’t. she’ll wake up from this dream any minute now and it will all be exactly the same. she’ll tell marco about it later and he’ll laugh that short, dry laugh before telling her she’s crazy. lily will tell her she skipped right over the sexy part of the mafia boyfriend fantasy and went straight to legal consequences.

she would know. she would know if she was doing something illegal, wouldn’t she? she would know if marco was doing anything illegal. 

right?

“-and i don’t want some slut teaching my kid.”

“that will be enough, mr. corcoran,” sister francis interjects. “thank you for your concern. i’m sure you’re a busy man.”

darren corcoran leaves in a flurry of righteous fury. his briefcase bangs against the back of rebecca’s chair as he passes and she can’t imagine it was fully an accident. sister francis is looking at her with the same sad, kind expression that the sisters used to look at her with when they realized she wasn’t a carbon copy of marie. “rebecca,” she starts. the softness in her voice makes her stomach churn. “mr. corcoran assures me that there is no reason to suspect you had anything to do with…criminal activities at this club. however, you must understand that we simply cannot have these associations with the school.”

rebecca forces herself to nod because she does understand and because she’s a nice girl who doesn’t disagree with superiors. she hears the echo of marco calling her good girl, the words sliding along her skin and into her blood stream. it had felt good then, like praise and power at the same time but now she feels dirty by association. for as gentle as sister francis is being, rebecca still feels like she knows every single thing she’s done.

she’s fired. it doesn’t matter how softly the words are delivered, they’re still the same. the shame slams into her, followed by the overwhelming urge to cry. she forces it down. she knows she will later, once the adrenaline has worn off, when the panic sets in. she gets through it with her fingernails dug into her palm, manages to shake sister francis’ hand and leave on legs that aren’t shaking yet.

she sits down hard on a bus bench halfway down the block when the shock wears off and drops her head in her hands. she doesn’t know what to do. there are a million thoughts in her head, bumping into each other and making her more confused. she has a month of rent saved but she needs to get another day job but she can’t give up limelight. she wants to talk to lily because lily always has an idea but she can’t explain what’s just happened because she still doesn’t know what just happened. 

this is real. this is painfully real. 

[randomfoggytiger]

On this lazy Sunday I would love to hear some of your Mulder/Scully early relationship and post-revival headcanons if you feel comfortable sharing 😊

**Note**: No beta testing, we ghost edit later like men.

I'm not a Revival girlie; but I shall play fair and by the rules! >:DD

Hm. I think the Jackson story line would have made more sense if Jackson was a clone from one of Scully's ova, ala Emily or the Kurt Crawford project. But that aside, I think...

I haven't seen the Revival, so these are speculations.

I think Mulder and Scully would have reduced their workload, if not retired. Not because they could but because the second pregnancy would necessitate a "time out" for them to heal. It's their second chance; and with Mulder saying "what am I, if not a father?"-- horrible phrasing of that aside-- his focus would be hardwired in that direction. Requiem all over again: "there's more than this."

CSM's dead, right? Jackson's out there-- his expression from one screenshot after Scully's confession on the dock leads me to believe he knew she "gave him up" for his sake, and he'll be returning sooner rather than later. Jackson's Mulder's son.

I do, unfortunately, believe Miller and Einstein will be worked into the basement somehow, someway. I think Monica Reyes dies ala a Diana Fowley betrayal; but I'd love to see a confrontation between her and Scully on Monica's deathbed-- maybe a way to air grievances or work towards redemption? Skinner's forced into retirement, bless him: he did so much for his agents only for them to eat up his emergency cash on muffins. Maybe take up a position that allows him to get things handled while leaning on a cane? ...In that case, he probably wouldn't retire.

The baby's a girl, her name's Lily, GA and DD have spoken. Her parents never could decide on a middle name for her with all the lost people to honor. Maybe Lily has powers? Probably not-- there's no Messiah undercurrent to her story (...yet.) She adores Mulder and Scully, they adore her. Mulder tries to teach her words Scully will snort adoringly over. Scully tries to hone her motor skills faster-- in vain-- so Lily can pitch or toss or catch a baseball with Mulder. Her interests change daily and neither of them can figure out who she takes after more. Her hero is Horton, but because of the story where he hatched someone else's abandoned baby, not the Who one. She loves to lose things, purposefully: walking over a bridge, she'll toss her favorite toy in the lake below just to see what happens. She's not only the baby but the only niece on both sides of the family-- she is over-spoiled but philosophical with her wealth, handing them out to the unfortunates (her older male cousins) as an expression of her love and benevolence. Scully watched her like a hawk for a week when Lily's eyes grew wide and determined after Mulder told her about "Mommy pretending to eat a bug once."

On Mulder and Scully's early relationship: I wrote a LONG dissertation that I'm sticking under a "Read More" section.

Mulder and Scully were drawn to each other immediately, Scully's interest in his abilities turning into a crush in his basement turning into a tempered understanding after his Samantha revelation-- knowing him transformed him from "idol", in a way, to a human, a friend. She falls in love with him somewhere after, realizes it ~Darkness Falls or Tooms, but doesn't start acting on it until Little Green Men through her abduction. Mulder doesn't fall in love until ~Darkness Falls or Tooms; and doesn't realize it until One Breath (while Maggie knew by the end of Ascension and Melissa knew after their first few conversations.) Season 2 was tender healing, Season 3 was unhurried friendship-- the type where you can jealously cross lines and shove other kids on the playground outside the inner circle with a claim that hasn't crossed into romantic possession, strictly.

Early Season 4 began the shift for Scully: not that she wanted them to change, but that she felt that something should without realizing why-- not wanting to settle down in Home, but entertaining thoughts of Mulder's genetics; not wanting to believe in soulmates but aching that she wasn't Mulder's; believing it was the endless line when really it was Mulder's focus on that endless line instead of what was between them. Never Again taught them both lessons: Mulder became more attentive, tailoring Leonard Betts to her expertise and Scully walked away from more complicated issues (like she did later in Detour.) Memento Mori shifted from "we" are fighting this to Scully looking deep into her soul and making this battle-- not just her cancer, but also the mission-- HERS. Mulder was delighted; then began to panic as her condition worsened. Scully, seeing he couldn't handle her weakness-- out of fear-- became strong for him as well as her mom.

Redux II: emotional openness Mulder couldn't express at any other time. Detour: a return to his status quo because he, again, wasn't ready-- same with Fight the Future to The Beginning and Dreamland I. Scully was willing to wait not because he was dying over him but because he and the work fulfilled her; and she knew post Redux II (and was affirmed again in Fight the Future and Amor Fati) that he returned her singular devotion. In the meantime, she worked through her own pain and struggles, her own inability to trust attachment.

I believe Millennium was their first time, not just because of the IVF timeline I broke down, but also because Mulder had to see the alternative without her to set aside his last excuses and live a life with her. Then Samantha was found, and he was free... and then he ditched Scully to run off to England. Scully's unresolved issues from Never Again rose up in a new way: "did I make the right choice?" was called into question after so much of her life had changed but nothing really had, at all. By the end, she realizes it had, it did; she had, she did. And this was the perfect life for her, just as she'd always chosen. And she needed to accept it fully, like Mulder had post Amor Fati and Millennium.

[fritextramole]

Oh my God Jenny kissing Dan during the season 4 masquerade would have been soooo fucked up given that she and Juliette would knowingly and voluntarily have chosen which of the boys they were kissing that night lmao. At least if it happened in season one it’d just be a Ross & Monica-esque gross but honest misunderstanding, but the season 4 kiss would have to have been A Choice on Jenny’s end. (To be fair, these are the same showrunners who included an oral sex scene between siblings on the actual HBO Gossip Girl reboot so… 🤢)

I mean, I could see a universe where Juliet either forced Jenny's hand/tricked her into kissing Dan (why exactly she would do that is beyond me but I'm sure the showrunners could come up with something) (I could also see a universe where it's a case of mistaken identity on Dan's end as they flee similar to in season 1)

but given your later point about the oc and dynasty who's to say the showrunners didn't love incest and hate Jenny enough to have her make that choice 🤢🤢. they already had her do along with William giving Lily fake cancer and try to get Nate drunk so she could sleep with him last season who knows what she'll do

Also on a related note a part of me genuinely wondered if the showrunners weren’t toying with the idea of having Eric be Rufus’s secret love child, rather than Scott. Obviously the timeline would have to be different, but then they played pretty fast and loose with the Rufly timeline to begin with so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ There were just enough jokes/throwaway lines throughout the first couple of seasons that it felt like kind of a “haha just kidding…. unless?” type of thing to me.

Anon, your mind!!! I'm obsessed with this idea I wanna hear more about it!!!! I remember Jenny's line at Thanksgiving about how Eric's roots are "pretty Rufus-like" but do you have any other examples I wanna read a multi paragraph breakdown of this theory!!!!!!

when do you think they would've found out? in the season 2 brunch episode where GG sent out the blast that Dan and Serena share a sibling? at the beginning of season 3 when Scott was around in the show? at the end of season 3 when William showed up???

I'm sure there would've been a little hand wringing about the affair but the show had stopped caring about Alison at this point so they would've moved on. Eric and Jenny probably would settled on being happy about it but it's hard to say for Dan and Serena given how they never moved on from each other (do you think they still would've gotten married in the finale or would rufly be allowed to stay together?)

I could see a universe where Lily didn't know (or at least wasn't sure) that Eric was Rufus's son but I think narratively it's more dramatic if she did. how would Rufus have reacted to the fact that she's been keeping their son from him? (she didn't even tell him after she and William got divorced! is that why she and William got divorced? Serena would hate that it could be interesting)

anon I want you to know I'm going to be turning this over in my head for the next like week please tell me more

(I've said before that I think early on they were planting foreshadowing for Jenny and Eric to date and I am going to combine these 2 possibilities into one au if only to torture these fictional characters in my head)

Also, there WAS actually a similar near incest plot in The OC (which the GG showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage made before Gossip Girl), and the CW Dynasty reboot they did after had a major romantic pairing that turned out to be cousins, in addition to a bunch of other pseudo-incestuous pairings. I have no idea WHY they keep inserting different variations of this same plot-line into their shows (at least Dynasty has the excuse of being a reboot of a soap opera that had some of the same relationships in it), but it’s kind of a recurring theme.

I mean... I think it's because incest is the universal taboo so it's guaranteed to scandalize no matter what. like rewatching the early gossip girl episodes it's like. "Blair had sex with Chuck and Nate in the same week! what a whore!" which feels like small potatoes knowing about the Princess-Diana-esque-Royal-Wedding-Unplanned-Pregnancy-Car-Crash-Deal-With-God plot she's got in a few seasons but the near incest still feels gross. (but I mean. given how the show dresses and looks at its female characters I would bet there's also some level of poorly disguised fetish at play)

[jacobbseedd]

I have mostly fc5 OC’s.

I have,

•Hannah Patrick- my main oc- she’s a deputy and the harbinger of hell.

•Sara Patrick- Hannah’s little sister and my future new dawn oc

•Casey Martinez- my oc that I have for Faith also a deputy

•Monica Ramsey- belles mother and leader of the whitetail militia (new dawn) in fc5 (she’s a lawyer)

•Belle Ramsey - Joseph’s wife and mother of the disciples.

•Shaun Colly - my militia man friends with Jacob.

•Travis Warren- my hunter oc that actually hated the cult at the beginning.

•Danny Olsen- Johns chosen ( head)

• Lily Wyatt- Faiths chosen ( head)

• Katherine McRae - Jacob’s wife and leader of the pack

Farcry New dawn: I need more!!!

• Katie Moore- captain

•Sara Patrick - friends with Carmina

•Kayden Dean- Sara’s lover

Those are cute may I ask how long you have had Travis Warren like how long and who region he in ?