#mama wants a housing upgrade

[hellhoundmaggie]

ooh thanks for the honey Mr. Sacks!!!!!!!

[magdaclaire]

i saw my grandmother's conservative soul leave her body last night

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

If you look at the trademark application for American Riviera Orchard, you’ll see that she’s trademarking it through a newly registered in Delaware company called Mama Knows Best, LLC.

Infact when you dig into the domain names etc, it seems this was thrown together last minute aka 2months ago after KC3/ PssoW C’s illnesses were announced. They are using PR to pretend they were working on it for an entire year, but even Scobie said they had nothing or whatever they had was all over the shop and he had no idea what it would be.

His comments don’t speak to a focused vision that is researched into whatever this is.

And what’s glaring about this launch is the lack of anything to sell. Not videos or actual products which speaks to the theory that this wax thrown together very quickly.

Russell Myers from the Mirror says if you sign up to the website, you get a respinse telling you that you’ll be notified of products when they are created/ available……if this was a year in the making and with proper marketing/ PR people, they’d have products ready to go. What it is right now is a landing/ holding page ( comments turned off on IG) until it produces products. 

It’s also interesting that the video is showcasing cooking which Markle tried to manifest for years while dating Corey. She auditioned and or popped up on varioys cooking shows/ fashion segments hoping to be hired. Acvording to people magazine, this launch of a lifestyle brand will have a companion show on Netflix. If Network tv won’t hire her for dream job then she’ll use her distribution deal to make it happen aka pay herself to make it happen!!!

However, one thing she revealed which tells me she has no clue about aspirational lifestyles/ branding. Her home kitchen hasn’t been updated from the dated 2000s/ early 2010s decor. It’s tye same kitchen from the sales brochure. 

Infact, glimpses of their home show a distinct lack of updating from the sales brochure. The onpy room thry updated is the one with the dining table as desk and their two side by side chairs. They removed all furniture and painted it white and addedva jute rug and that california bear poster over the fireplace. 

The current trend in kitchens for the wealthy is marble counter-tops and sleek designs meanwhile she’s displaying faux country/ italianate kitchen from the 90s. 

The women she is cosplaying eg GOOP, Martha and Ina Garten have upgraded to the current trend in kitchens. GOOP showed off her new kitchedn in AD. Heck, JLO is showing off her sleek kitchen. 

*****************

That they haven’t updated their house to their taste is what I laugh about the most. Are they really that cash-poor? Do they really have that much debt that they can’t afford to redo anything? Surely Markus and Soho House can cough up a few million to keep her happy, and when the Sussexes default on the loans, they can make Soho Olive Garden, a Californian spinoff of Soho Farmhouse. Win-win, if you ask me.

meanwhile she’s displaying faux country/ italianate kitchen from the 90s. ➡️ Remember, Meghan’s whole aesthetic is 90s. Of course she wants the Italian Country kitchen.

And thanks, anon. You’ve just reminded me of a house I looked at when I was moving back in 2022. The homeowners were so into that Italian Country Kitchen theme that they PAINTED the entire kitchen like it was a rustic Italian restaurant. You know you go into a family-owned Italian mom-and-pop place (not a chain like Olive Garden or Maggianos, but something like your neighborhood Italian pizza place) and it’s got that orangey-beige sponge paint that’s supposed to mimic sandstone and there’s a huge wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling mural of Italy and dusty fake vines hanging from decorative columns? Yeah, that was how this kitchen was painted. Even the cabinets. And that was not even the weirdest house I looked at by a mile.)

[berberriescorner]

That girl is not about to babysit all those damn kids please😭

AND ISSSS! If momma needs help, baby girl gon’ provide 👏🏾. The middle child will put in the work as well. As the oldest, Marcus gonna help too😂🤣!

No, but seriously. Little momma needs to chill on her mother. The lady of the house is more than capable of taking care of all her babies. Daddy Rio is completely comfortable with her being a full-time mommy🥰😍.

Little Ms. Mamas can chill. She can babysit to earn some extra allowance.

Here y’all go getting another continuation out of me😒😂:

“Mama? May I upgrade to the new iPhone that just dropped? Daddy said he was cool with it. He said I have to run it by you first.”

“We just got you a new MacBook and AirPods. No ma’am. You can upgrade when your birthday rolls around.”

She kisses her teeth, instantly regretting it as you give her that look.

“Not you trying to have an attitude? See, that’s y’all’s problem. You’re so used to getting whatever you want.”

“My birthday isn’t for another three months. Please, ma? It’s not like we can’t afford it.”

Did she just…I know she didn’t just say that? See, Rio this is what happens when there isn’t a balance. We've created spoiled little monsters.

You took a deep calming breath. Trying to keep from raising your voice.

Gentle parenting, Y/N. Remember to practice gentle parenting.

“Correction. It’s not like WE can’t afford it. We, meaning your father and me. You must be confused, baby girl. I didn’t know you paid bills around here.”

Your oldest daughter huffed and rolled her eyes. Rio had walked in just in time to catch what you said. Watching his daughters reaction let him know he needed to step in.

“Baby girl, you know Daddy loves you with everything in me. Peep this though. Two very important things you need to learn, baby. One, I know that’s your mother, but that’s my wife. Watch your tone, cut the dramatics, and respect her, darlin'. All that huffing and puffing gotta go. Chill on rolling those eyes.”

Your chest swelled with pride as you thought, “I know that’s right, papa.”

Rio continued, “Second lesson of the day. Life’s not fair, darlin’. Now I was cool with it, so long as your mama was. Given your reaction to what she said. I noticed something else you need to learn. You want something bad enough baby girl, hustle for it.”

Your daughter looked at him quizzically.

“You want the phone bad enough. Pay for it.”

“That would take all my saved allowance.”

Rio shrugged, “find a hustle, baby girl.”

“Yes, sir."

Realizing that her father was right, she spoke again, “Sorry for acting like a brat, mama. I understand what you both are saying. If I want it, gotta earn it.”

Dear Lord. He’s going to turn all these children into finesse kings and queens. I don’t know whether to be worried or proud. It couldn't hurt to be both, right?

You embraced your daughter and kissed the top of her head.

“Look, I’m not trying to be hard on you, but sometimes we need to find balance. Yes, we love spoiling you and your siblings, but we want you all to know how to go out and get it on your own.”

Hearing you impart wisdom to your daughter, placed a smile on your husband’s face. He kissed both his babies on the forehead.

“I'll tell you what. Come up with half. Daddy and I will pay the rest, deal?”

Her face lit up, as she bounced up and down excitedly.

“Thank you, Mommy! How can I earn my half?”

You started to give suggestions when she cut you off.

“How about I babysit for the next four date nights? Nana wouldn’t mind if I sat in for her.”

Rio chuckled, “I thought you hated watching your siblings?”

“I don’t hate it, daddy. I don’t love it either, but bread is bread.”

“I feel you little hustla. Baby girl said a win is a win. This is a proud daddy moment. Yeah, that works for me.”

Rio pulled you closer, wrapping his arms around your waist. Kissing your neck a few times, he asked, “That alright with you, mama?”

You sighed happily, loving his sweet embrace.

“That’s fine with me, baby,” you responded, turning to peck his lips.

“Eww! Please don’t have another baby.”

“Girl hush and go check on your sisters. It’s too quiet in this house. Probably doing something they're not supposed to.”

“Fine, but can I get five dollars for my time?”

“Y/D/N,” Rio said authoritatively.

“Yes, sir. I’m going,” she chuckled.

Rio waited for her to leave the room. His hands gripped you tighter, nibbling your ear.

“I say we give her one more sibling to look after. Six sounds like a good number to stop," he whispered trailing kisses down your neck.

“I’d say no, but you’re not going to listen. I’m tired of being pregnant,” you teased.

“You ain’t tired of making them though.”

[thr-333]

Since Leo can portal, does he ever just decide to switch houses? Along that same thread, do the turtles ever just decide they want to stay with a different parent and just leave or do they always just wait for the next kidnapping.

Do the parents enforce strict rules of behavior for the turtles or do they have some freedoms to act how they want?

And cloaking brooches! The boys are probably famous for being Lou Jitsu's sons. And also famous in the Hidden City. They're literally just chilling while people make theories about their lives.

Also when do the boys discover Run of the Mill for the first time? I think Hueso would be a fun dynamic to add in for Leo (if you do the "Tio Hueso" thing a lot of people headcanon)

The boys are all criminals. It's lucky they're famous because they definitely don't follow the law lmao

Leo is the one most likely to dip out(usually on Draxum). Most of the others never feel the need because the turn over rate is so high. But Leo is always willing to smuggle them out if they are missing a particular parent. Mostly they are content to wait for the next kidnapping and enjoy their time with the parent they are with.

Usually when Leo is sick of Draxum he goes to Tio Hueso. When he was younger he used to go right to his Dad but Draxum always came right after him. So he learnt if he wants a break from the goat better to go anywhere else.

Run of the mill is the boys favorited place to hang out. One their Tio is there. Two its a Yokai space in the human world so it's a good middle ground. Three if Draxum or Big Mama's goons show up they can duck into the maze. It has pizza and they have long since memorized the layout.

As for strict rules I want to say Draxum's strict but lets face it; with that design the man's feral. If the kids blow something up he's more likely to reward than punish them. Splinter is his laid back self. So the only actual strict parent is Big Mama.

It's not in a 'behave and be polite way' her kids are hellions and brats which she full encourages. It's more about not screwing her over personally. Which is why Leo tends not to escape via portal when she kidnaps them. He's likely to loose priviliages.

Because something I cannot stress enough is that these kids are RITCH. They have their famous actor dad, which yes the mysterious children and his custody over them is the source of many gossip columns. Then there's Big Mama who has a monopoly over the crime syndicate of the Hidden city(and parts of New York) along with her Nexus and hotel. Draxum is a highly decorated warrior who comes from OLD money, enough to fund his experiments and keep on top of his ever upgrading security to stop Splinter stealing the turtles back.

So not only are they famous but they're rich with poor parental supervision and a shitty home life. They absolutely get in trouble with the law. Everyone thinks Leo is the biggest trouble maker but they're wrong, it's his brothers: Raph has been arrested the most, Donnie is the one who actually deserves to be arrested, Mikey is the one who has committed the most crimes. Its a race for the parents whenever one ends up at a police station to pay bail, that's basically a free kidnapping!

[talshiargirlfriend]

This instalment of spy-ay-ay-ay ✨vibes✨ for @candiedsumire snowballed on me, so let me sell you on it real quick: family banter, chocolate, an impassioned speech, Vulcan jokes, only one bed, and a dose of mutual pining. 2.8K words to use 2 lines. Can you pick them out?

Thank you @deadheaddaisy for talking me off the ledge 🥰🥰🥰

also tagging @iamstartraveller776 for a reason which will be clear about 370-some words in 😅

Follows immediately from the previous post here

—

Maybe he had been overthinking because things certainly started off well enough. His parents met them on the walkway in front of the house with smiles. 

Trip stepped up to make introductions. “T’Pol, I’d like you to meet my parents Elaine Meyer and James Tucker. Mom, Dad, this is T’Pol.”

He had no time to second guess whether he should have included her rank or called her his girlfriend as immediately his parents each raised a hand in a pair of very passable Vulcan salutes. 

“Peace and long life,” Elaine said in choppy Vulcan while her husband stood beside her proudly.

“Live long and prosper,” T’Pol responded in kind. 

After a brief pause, Elaine continued in English, “Sorry, I don’t know much more than that. Welcome to our home, T’Pol. We’re very pleased to meet you.” 

T’Pol gracefully moved her hand down to shake first Trip’s mother’s hand and then his father’s. 

“Thank you for your hospitality. It is agreeable to meet you, Ms Meyer and Mr Tucker.” 

“Please, call me Elaine,” his mother spoke at the same time his father insisted, “It’s Jimmy, please!”

“Oh, you’re gonna have to work for that one, Dad. It took me months to get her to call me Trip.” 

His parents exchanged an amused glance and led the way into the house.

Trip decided to press his luck a little, “and we were on kissing terms by then, right sweetheart?” She didn’t roll her eyes, but it really looked like she wanted to and that was good enough for him. 

As they followed his parents through the front door she paused and gave him a quizzical look. 

“What?”

“Perhaps I have misapprehended the nature of your nickname,” she said in a hushed tone. “Your father is not named Charles?”

“Oh.” Trip had a brief flash of panic. If it hadn’t occurred to him to tell her this, what if he’d forgotten something important?

“Trip?” she prompted. 

“Nah, you’ve got it right. I’m the third Charles Tucker, but I’m named after my grandad and my uncle.”

Jimmy overheard that and added, “Our oldest son is named Bert after Lainey’s dad, but then my brother Charlie and his wife Maggie had three daughters in four years and decided they were done having kids—”

“My cousins Daisy, Aster, and Violet - you’ll meet them tomorrow,” Trip interjected. 

“So when this fella came along after that we decided he should carry on the family name.”

T’Pol looked between the two men. “I see.”

“That’s her ‘humans are strange and illogical’ face. I see that one a lot,” Trip joked. 

“Maybe that’s because you personally are strange and illogical, son,” his mama chimed in. 

Jimmy chuckled, and T’Pol’s lips twitched. 

“Ha. Ha. Isn’t it nice to be home,” Trip groused. 

Ignoring his put-upon tone, Elaine patted his cheek. “It’s real good to have you home, baby. Why don’t you two go put your things away and get settled, and then we’ll have dinner.” 

Jimmy led them upstairs. “You two are in here,” he said, pushing a bedroom door open.

And that’s when they saw the one large bed filling the space. They’d be able to walk around it fine, but his plan of sleeping on the floor was right out. 

“Oh wow, new bed,” Trip said weakly. 

His dad winked - actually freaking winked - at him and said, “With you kids getting older and starting to bring home spouses and kids, we thought this room needed an upgrade. I’ll see you two downstairs for dinner.” 

Once he had departed, Trip eyed T’Pol warily. “Looks like we’ll be sharing a bed.” 

She responded with typical Vulcan pragmatism. “Then there will be no reason for you to suffer back pain. Which side would you prefer?” 

He stared at her for a second before placing his bag down to claim his side. She was either completely unaffected by the thought of sharing a bed with him or she was enjoying his discomfort. Maybe both. 

After a moment T’Pol spoke without looking up from the personal items she was unpacking. “I was concerned my being Vulcan would cause you some difficulty with your family. I am pleased that doesn’t seem to be the case.” 

“Nah, I mean it’s definitely unusual, but they’ve always been pretty supportive of me finding my own way in the world. And what’s not to like about you? Plus Mom has Vulcan colleagues - friends, even, at the university. Hell, it sounded like Dad was on board before I even called. If anything, I’m more worried someone’ll make an embarrassing sex joke or ask when we’re getting married… but you’re trained to handle ‘offensive situations’ and I grew up with it.” He smirked. 

“I do not think my family would be as welcoming,” she said quietly. She sounded almost sad. 

“Well, it takes some people a little longer to come around. Our project and the joint missions to follow could really help with that. Are you close to your family?”

“Not particularly. My mother is often concerned about my erratic behavior,” T’Pol said drily. 

Trip looked at her suspiciously. “You’re not joking?”

She shook her head slightly in the negative.

“You’re a loose cannon? A Vulcan black sheep? My girl’s a rebel.” He looked at her salaciously, “T’Pol, that’s kinda hot.” 

She gave him a long-suffering look, but there was no longer a trace of sadness on her face as she followed him to dinner. 

Shortly after they all sat down at the table a blonde tornado blew in. “Sorry I’m late! Hi Mama! Daddy, is that the spicy pasta? It smells delicious! Oh, Trip! I’m so glad you made it!” 

She paused then and took a breath. 

“You must be T’Pol,” she continued in a much more dignified manner. “I’m Elizabeth Tucker, and I’m very pleased to meet you.” 

“It is agreeable to meet you, Ms Tucker.” 

Elizabeth’s ponytail swung wildly as she shook her head, “No, don’t get up on my account! I’m just gonna go wash up and I’ll be right back!”

“So that’s Lizzie,” Trip said into the silence that followed. 

“Takes after her mama,” Jimmy grinned. 

“And her brother,” T’Pol added almost inaudibly. 

Elaine and Trip shared a mock offended look and then she shrugged. “All my babies are brilliant and beautiful. I’m happy to take the credit.” 

Elizabeth returned, and dinner continued. They chatted about Lizzie’s new job, progress on the technology integration project, the fact that Trip’s mom and T’Pol’s mom worked in anthropology and cultural history respectively - small universe! - and Captain Jefferies’s excellent recovery among other topics. Trip found himself relaxing and enjoying himself. 

“T’Pol, I’m not sure how to ask this and I promise I intend no offense…” Elaine began.

Trip felt his stomach clench. So much for relaxing.

“You seem more … personable, I suppose, than most of my Vulcan colleagues. That could be personal preference or generational difference, and I don’t mean to imply that you’ve been too casual! Or that they’re too formal! I just … I don’t want you to feel like you have to try too hard with us. We want you to be comfortable here.” 

“There is no offense where none is taken. As Trip’s chosen partner, I do wish to make a favourable impression on you, and I appreciate your efforts to ensure my comfort,” T’Pol replied. “However, I believe what you have noticed is the result of my cultural training prior to joining the technology integration project. Captain Stenn impressed upon our team the logic of observing and adapting to certain human cultural norms, as he believed this would facilitate cooperation and yield more productive results.”

“Your cultural sensitivity training must’ve been a lot more interesting than ours. We pretty much got taught the ta’al and reminded not to talk with our mouths full,” Trip chuckled. 

“I don’t know, T’Pol,” Jimmy said with a twinkle in his eye. “Maybe you’re just a charmer. The handshake thing…?”

“Slick, right?” Trip exclaimed. “Like a choreographed dance move. I knew I was in trouble the minute I met her and she pulled that on me.” 

“Well, she’s certainly charmed Trip,” Lizzie added as she looked between her brother and his apparent partner in amusement. 

“Hey, I’ve charmed her, too,” Trip defended himself.

All eyes swivelled to T’Pol, who somewhat reluctantly confirmed, “He has made a positive impression.”

Trip shot her a cheeky grin, “and you think I’m funny, too.”

“I will allow you to persist in that belief because it makes you happy.”

“All right, fine,” Trip said over the laughter of his family. “If I’m gonna be mocked by all and sundry, I should at least get some dessert to console me.”

He looked at his mother hopefully, “Did I hear you mention cheesecake?”

“That’s for tomorrow, but I did make brownies — egg and dairy free.”

Lizzie clasped her hands together in delight and leaned toward T’Pol, “Mama only bakes for special occasions. Her brownies are so good!”

Trip stood up to clear away the dinner dishes and his mother followed suit.  T’Pol moved to join them, but he waved her off with a smile, “I’ve got it. I’ll see what tea they’ve got since you’re not big on coffee.”  

Once dessert was finished, T’Pol excused herself for evening meditation. 

A few minutes later Trip gestured vaguely, “I’m just gonna go check on T’Pol and see if she needs anything. Be right back.” 

His parents exchanged a knowing look. 

“Goodnight, son,” his dad called to his retreating back. 

Trip knocked on the bedroom door so he wouldn’t startle T’Pol. He’d seen how fast she could react to a threat and sneaking up on her was likely to get him pinned down with her arm against his throat and … Whoa, easy there.  He shook his head to clear it. 

“Come in.”

She sat on the end of the bed in her snug t-shirt and loose pants pajamas looking just slightly … spacey. 

“Hey, I don’t want to interrupt your quiet time. Just wanted to make sure you're ok.”

“I’m fine,” she answered too quickly. 

He narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Chocolate has a … mildly intoxicating effect on Vulcan physiology,” she answered grudgingly. 

Well, that was news to Trip! He grinned, “So you’re tipsy?”

She glared. “Slightly. I have been trained to act while under the influence of a variety of intoxicants and will continue to perform any necessary duties that may arise,” she assured him. 

She’d retreated into formality and couldn’t seem to settle on a focal point when looking at his face, so yeah, she was definitely a little drunk. 

“Of course. Never doubted you… you look a little wobbly though.”

“Your sister was very insistent that I share a second slice with her. I did not believe it would cause any difficulties. However, the effect was slightly more potent than I anticipated.” T’Pol sounded almost apologetic.

Trip winced, “Yeah, uh… Mom told me she accidentally added the cocoa twice and was really relieved the brownies still tasted all right.”

T’Pol tilted her head adorably. “Then it appears my initial judgment was sound. I simply failed to anticipate the… human element. I will not repeat that error.” 

“So, is there anything I can do? You need water or a cup of tea? Want me to get out of your hair? I can go sleep on the couch and say I was snoring—“

“No! That will not be necessary.”

“Ok, then what do you need?”

She looked so reluctant to answer it tugged at his heart. 

He sat down beside her. “Come on, T’Pol. You’ve done so much for me. Tell me how I can help you.”

“I have simply done my duty to the best of my abilities,” she deflected softly. 

He snorted. “Duty is getting the sensor and engine upgrades going. Watching my back is duty. Calming me down when Matt was rushed to the hospital? Watching silly movies with me? Coming here with me and charming the pants off my folks? Honey, we’re way past duty. Maybe you think you’re just really good at your job and maintaining cover - and you are - but you’re also … you’re really good at being my best friend. We’re in this together. And you and me? We make a hell of a team. So whatever you need right now, I’ve got you. Okay?”

She looked at him, emotion pooling in her dark expressive eyes until she blinked it away. Her brow creased like she was considering something. 

“Since we are in no immediate danger, the most sensible course of action would be to rest and allow my body to metabolise the toxins naturally.”

He nodded, and she continued, “Normally I would meditate to calm my mind before sleep, but the effects are making it difficult to achieve the desired state of mind. However, I believe listening to a familiar voice could provide a grounding effect.”

It took him a moment to hear the request in her words. “So, you want me to stay here and talk to you?” he checked. 

“If it is not an inconvenience.” 

“It’s not. But even if it was, I would gladly be inconvenienced if it made things easier for you.” A little embarrassed by his own vehemence, he stood abruptly. “Just gonna change and brush my teeth.”

When he returned she was sitting exactly as he’d left her, listing slightly to one side. 

“You sure you’re gonna be able to sleep next to a smelly human?” he teased. 

She made a show of sniffing the air in jest. Something indecipherable passed across her face. It wasn’t disgust, but whatever it was disappeared in a blink as she leaned back, gripping the bedcover tightly. 

“Your scent is not offensive to me, Trip.” 

Before he could work out how to respond to that, she’d moved up the bed and curled up on her side, closing her eyes. 

Trip followed suit and laid on his back with his hands tucked behind his head. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, “So is hitting the chocolate and shacking up with boys the kind of erratic behaviour your mom worries about?” 

T’Pol frowned slightly. “When word of our pairing reached Vulcan, she told me to expect a formal communique regarding the dissolution of my betrothal. She was not pleased.”

Trip was stunned. He really didn’t like the idea of causing problems for her. Or the idea of her having a fiancé, for that matter. 

“You’re engaged? he spluttered as he turned to face her fully. “Is this- am I causing you trouble?” 

She waved a hand in dismissal without even opening her eyes. “It is a formality. I was issued an ultimatum regarding my betrothal prior to accepting assignment on Earth.  I preferred a position on the integration team over marriage to Koss. Activation of my secondary assignment - our situation - simply makes me more undesirable. Thus the ‘greetings t’sai’ letter.”

His jaw dropped. “Was that a ‘Dear John’ joke?” he asked incredulously. 

She looked pleased with herself. 

“Well, I’m glad you think it’s funny! Geez, T’Pol. I thought I’d ruined your whole life!”

She didn’t quite snort. “Hardly.” After a moment she added, “I may be divulging too much information in my inebriated state.” 

“Not from my perspective, and you know I’ll keep your secrets, but we can talk about something else.” 

Trip settled onto his back again and rambled on with occasional replies from T’Pol. He talked about how glad he was to have met her, his opinions about the upcoming Vulcan-Starfleet mission, how he would improve the sensor installation prior to testing, and a rundown of the various family members she might meet at Lizzie’s graduation party the following day.  

After a quiet minute he thought she’d fallen asleep until she suddenly whispered his name rather intently. 

For a horrible second he thought she was going to tell him she needed to vomit. He turned on his side to face her. “Yeah?”

“You have a very interesting face,” she told him, staring at said face for a moment and raising her hand in his direction slightly before tucking it under her pillow and closing her eyes again. 

“Okaaaay,” he laughed. “Thanks, I guess?”

“I don’t think I’d get tired of looking at it,” she mumbled sleepily. 

By the time he could process the thought what does that mean? he realised she was actually asleep this time. 

He looked at her peaceful features, grateful she felt safe enough to let her guard down with him. After a moment he became aware he might be moving past friendly affection toward something like longing and turned away before he could reach creepy staring territory. 

He let the steady sound of her breathing behind him soothe him until he hit on another realisation: he’d been joking around with his dad before, but he might really be in trouble here. 

[tomtenadia]

Our solstice miracle

@leiawritesstories helooooo I am your secret Santa. Here I am with your present. Turns out that watching the NHL (the game between the Dallas Stars and Nashville predators was live and I had in it the background - neither of them are the team I support but the sound of hockey was perfect for writing) was all I needed. Not a huge story and definitely not a masterpiece but I hope the fluff will give you fuzzy feelings.

It's a Rowaelin as parents, we have Maya being her usual adorable self, lots of cuteness and a very small hint of smut at the very far end.

Merry Christmas and also thanks to @rowaelinscourtfor organising this event.

Aelin loved the solstice. Loved winter and snow. The whole season made her giddy and Terrasen was big on winter since the snow was a permanent feature of the land.

But that year the celebrations had been a little subdued.

Her husband Rowan had gone to work for a month across the sea. He was an aircraft engineer working in the R&D department for a company manufacturing airplanes. He was quite renowned in his field and they had asked for him specifically. He was meant to be back already but the airport in the country he was at the moment, had shut down due to heavy snowstorms.

Aelin had cursed them and complained that they needed to be ready for all sorts of weathers and do not stop her husband from coming home and enjoy the holidays with his family. 

She and Maya, their six years old daughter, had called him that morning to wish him a good holiday and Rowan had joked that he was going to suggest an upgrade in planes to be more resilient in heavy snow. 

“Mama, can we skate?”

They lived outside Orynth in a huge chalet style house with nature around them and, to their delight, a lake behind the house. Such lake usually froze over around the beginning of November  until usually the end of March.

Aelin smiled, the lake had a lot of memories for her and Rowan. He had taught her to skate when they were young and he was a hotshot hockey player at uni. They had their first date on a bench on its banks. He proposed while they lay on the ice and admired the northern lights painting the sky with colours. She had announced him she was pregnant with Maya on a summer day during a walk.

She sighed “yes, baby we can go and skate before it gets dark.”

Maya squealed in delight and ran to her bedroom to grab her skates.

When she came back she had her backpack on her and a pair of small skates in her hands.

Rowan still played hockey in the local amateurs club and loved the more relaxed attitude.

He had the skills to go pro but he was more concentrated on finishing his degree with flying colours and get a good job so, although he had been the captain and he led his team to numerous victories he had no interest of playing hockey professionally. When then he met Aelin, the fiery med student who loved to figure skate occasionally, he knew his heart had been stolen. They fought when they had to share the ice, until they started practicing together.

They both had very demanding degrees but together they faced all the adversities and the stressful exam sessions. They even survived the four months that Rowan spent away for a prestigious work experience after graduation.

Seven years of marriage and this separation of a mere month was taking a toll on her. It was the first solstice apart and she was definitely not a fan.

“Why are you taking elf?”

“Because he wants to see the lake.”

Aelin kneeled near her daughter “Maya, leave elf home, you don’t want risk losing him, do you?”

“No mama.” The little girl removed the toy from the bag and placed him on the sofa telling him that she would be back soon.

Maya loved that stuffed elf. Rowan’s mum had gifted it to her when she was one and they had been inseparable.

“I am ready.”

Aelin got ready and made sure her daughter was all wrapped up.

“Do you want to take your stick?”

Maya had of course grown up surrounded by hockey. It was a religion in Terrasen and with her grandad being a famous THL player and her dad a keen player, it was bound to happen that she’d be obsessed too. She had just started her basic hockey lessons and going to games was a family tradition. Having Aelin’s father as a living legend it was enough to grant them great seats most of the home games and a lot of meet and greet with players.

“Yes mama, I need to practice and show dad I am good.”

Aelin smiled and grabbed the equipment and then left the house and headed to the lake.

The scene in front of them was stunning. The sky was a stunning deep blue and the air was crispy with temperatures at a mild -2C. Well, mild for Orynth standards.

At the bench Aelin sat her daughter down and helped her changing into her skates. Maya was still learning to tie her shoes so Aelin did it for her “now, wait for mum to change too and we are going, okay?”

“Mama, will you dance for me?”

Aelin smiled. Once, during a family outing Rowan had pushed Aelin to show their daughter some of her skills. It took some convincing but Aelin managed to re enact some of her routines. She had been in the figure skating team at uni but never had the time to take it seriously. Med school did not agree with extracurriculars. She loved skating and with time it had become a way to relax after a stressful day.

Together they reached the middle of the lake and Maya sat down on the ice, her heavy snow trousers keeping her warm and dry.

While keeping an eye on Maya Aelin did a loop while gathering speed. She pulled up her leg and spun quickly, listening to Maya giggle and cheer her on and when she was sure she had enough speed Aelin moved her body in position and executed a toe loop jump. A big smile painted on her face as she landed and with that  boost of confidence she did another loop gathering momentum for a Salchow.

Maya whooped in the background and Aelin skated back to her daughter “did you like that?”

“Yes mama, you are so pretty.”

Aelin never really learned the other more complicated jumps. She could land a decent Lutz but never had the time to learn something like an Axel. She knew the theory but never tried it.

Maya got up “mama, me too.”

Aelin laughed and took time to show Maya what to do. While her daughter was busy trying to jump, Aelin snapped a few pictures of her and sent them to Rowan We are at the lake and we miss you deeply. It’s not the same without you.

His answer came very quickly I miss you madly too. The hotel offers very little in terms of entertainment and people here cannot deal with the snow.

Aelin sighed and started at the background of her phone where she had a picture of Rowan and Maya. 

“Come on muffin, play with mum.”

Aelin extracted a puck from her backpack and collected her stick from the ice. Maya got ready too and as soon as the black disc was on the ice, Maya sprung forward and grabbed it.

Aelin was speechless. Maya had definitely inherited her father’s skills on the ice.

“Mama look.” She skated away and pretended to score in an imaginary net. Aelin burst out laughing and move forward towards her daughter and then stole the puck “it’s mine.”

Maya groaned in a way that sounded a lot like her father when he was frustrated and started give chase to her mother.

Not long after, both girls were splayed on the ice laughing while Aelin kissed her daughter on her rosey cheeks.

“Fine, munchkin, you are a better skater.”

“Can I tell dad?”

“Of course, my love.”

The sun had started to fall at the horizon and Aelin was about to tell Maya it was time to go home, when a tall figure appeared at the edge of the woods.

She would recognise that silhouette everywhere. But it was not possible. Rowan was far away, stuck in a foreign land away from them. He had texted her a few hours ago. Surely she was dreaming.

He stopped to change into his skates and then moved towards them.

“Dada.” Maya screamed and put all her strength into skating to her father.

Rowan met her halfway and lifted the girl in his arms “dada, you are back.”

“Yes, my love, I really could not stay away anymore from you and your mum.”

“Did you miss me?“ her face snuggled in the crook of his neck.

Rowan’s gaze found his wife’s and smiled “I did. So very much.”

Aelin moved closer and a sob erupted from her lips and once she was in his arms she melted against him, inhaling his scent of pine and snow that always made her feel at home.

For a time that seemed endless they remained like that, Rowan with his arm around Aelin’s waist and Maya sandwiched in-between her parents.

“Ro, not that I am complaining but how?”

He chuckled “one of the guys stuck with us is ex airforce. He got tired of being away from his family so, with the help of the big boss of the company we managed to get a private jet organised and have clearance. He flew us home safely. The storm had abated, it was just the airport which was in bad condition.”

“Well, we need to buy a few drinks to this colleague.”

Rowan laughed and deposited a kiss on Maya’s head “I guess I just have to beg your dad for a few extra VIP hockey tickets.”

Aelin kissed her husband “all you want, hotshot.”

“Dada, will you play with me?”

Rowan placed his daughter on the ice and grabbed the stick Aelin passed him “come on muffin, show me what you have got.”

Aelin moved to the bench and changed back in her shoes while admiring father and daughter play.

*

Later on that night, after Maya was cozy in her bed and asleep after an intensive round of storytelling from her dad, Rowan joined his wife in bed.

Aelin placed the book on the nightstand “how many?”

“Five stories.”

“She missed you, Ro.”

Aelin pulled her husband closer “She is not the only one,” he added while snuggling closer.

His lips found her and devoured her mouth in an hungry and avid kiss “next time, we are meeting here and we’ll teach them something about winter flying.”

Aelin chuckled as her hand sneaked into his boxers “now, dear husband, show me just how much you missed your wife.”

Rowan growled as he pulled the t-shirt off her and his mouth closed to a hard nipple.

“Ro?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Maybe tonight we can work on making Maya a big sister?”

His head lifted and his green eyes lit up in joy and the statement “oh well then, you know I love a good challenge.”

“Then get to work, old man.”

Rowan laughed and caged his wife in his arms.

After a month away, being back with his family was all the solstice miracle he needed.

taglist

@rowaelinismyotp @swankii-art-teacher @whimsicallyreading @elentiyawhitethorn @aelin-bitch-queen @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity  @mis-lil-red @thegreyj @sailorsassley @leiawritesstories @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire @sv0430 @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon @rowanaelinn @backtobl4ck @susumaus98  @gracie-rosee @mybloodrunsblue @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah @whoever-you-choose-to-love  @theywillnotsingforme @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water @goddess-aelin @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart @lovely-dove-zee @athena127

[jessadamsdraws]

Luigi's Mansion Chapter one

!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPOLIERS FOR THE SUPER MARIO BROS MOIVE!!!!!!!!!!

The Bro's have officially moved from the small apartment in Brooklyn to a still small house in the Mushroom Kingdom. Okay it wasn't small per say it was a massive upgrade from what they left behind but it wasn't a mansion. Luigi has been having a harder time adjusting to the strange Kingdom and it doesn't help that all the residents keep pushing them apart both kind of literally but also metaphorically. He wanted to make sure that he was at least useful to his brother. That all changes when he get a letter in the mail stating he won a mansion.

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

This is a kinda pitch for the super Mario bro's movie sequel to be for the first Luigi's mansion movie. Which I'm all for!!!

@jellyfishinc

It should be stated for the record that Mario wasn’t the one to take Peach’s offer to live permanently in the Mushroom Kingdom, it was Luigi. I know, shocking right? His twin thought so at the very least. But, it was his.

After the final showdown with Bowser a lot happened all at once. The bros were very overwhelmed and were very much on an adrenaline high. The bros Mama saw this and invited everyone to have dinner at their place. She knew this would give her sons a moment to catch their breaths and relax for a moment.

“Hey mustaches. Can I talk to you two for a moment?” Their whole family plus the new addictions decided to make festivities to share the communal roof as their apartment was too small to fit all of them.

“What’s up Princess?” Mario replied, setting his end of the plastic fold table down while Luigi did the same joining in the conversation.

“I was wondering, do you all live together? In that tiny space?” She asked in a concerned voice. 

“Eh, it fits his size perfectly.” Dk laughed as he helped carrying like three plastic folded tables with one arm. Clearly trying to one-up Mario… again.

Mario took a large deep breath through his nose, clearly trying not to start a shouting match with the ape (as much as he reeeaaalllllyyyy wanted to). 

“Yeah it’s been home for as long as me and Lu can remember. Money’s been tight for a while so we can’t afford anything else.” Mario attempted.

“Yeah, we still share the same room too.” Luigi added.

“Also that commercial and quitting ya jobs didn’t help.” Their father shouted from a far. Causing Mario to wipe his head around and give an angry glare. 

“What’s a commercial?” Peach asked, turning to Luigi for answers. He was about to replay but Mario cut him off with a small ‘it’s not important’.

“Anyway, the thing is. You two saved not just my kingdom but the well worlds. Truth be told you should be rewarded for that. But I don’t hold much power here and with today's events proves that I’m not as well equipped to handle tragedies like I thought I was.” She said fidgeting with her hands. Clearly scared to ask whatever she was going to ask.

“What are ya getting at Princess?” Mario asked, now suspicious of what she was going to ask of them.

“Would you like to live in the Mushroom Kingdom?” She asked in one breath. Like if she kept it in any longer she would explode. 

“What?!” The twins said at the same time. 

“Not like permanently or anything. The warp pipe is already repaired thanks to the Star’s power you two unleashed. So you can come here and back anytime to visit. It’s just, I can have Toad constructed you, your own houses. Or you can share a house if you’d like. I know how attached you two are.” Mario raised a hand to cut the princess off.

“Princess thanks for the offer but I’d half ta…” but Mario couldn’t finish his sentence for it was Luigi’s turn to cut him off.

“Except yar offer.” Luigi said, smiling, swinging his arms in a can-do-attitude he’d always do.

“What?” Mario turned to his brother in surprise. 

“Oh perfect, I'll have the toads prepare your house right away.” She said clearly ignoring that elephant in the room of Mario about to reject her offer. 

“Wha? No, wait, Lu?” Mario turned to his brother, clearly confused. “Why’d ya accept? That place could have roasted ya alive.” Mario said, grabbing his shoulder giving it a little shake hoping whatever came over Lu would snap him back to reality. 

“Mario, you’ve been saying you wanted out of the apartment for ages. Hell, the whole reason we started the ‘Super Mario Bros Plumbing’ business was to get away. On top of that the big turtle guy is a small turtle guy now so no threat anymore.” Luigi said using exaggerated hand gestures to get his point across. Though convincing Mario of anything that Mario considered dangerous was something both bros were not used to.

However, that wasn’t the real reason Luigi accepted the Princesses offer. The real reason was because seeing Mario soaring like a hero and saving the day, the way others finally saw his brother they he did for so many years. He couldn’t let his bro pass up this opportunity even if that meant he’d go too. He knew his brother, he knew that if Luigi said he didn’t want to go then he wasn’t gonna go. He couldn’t hold his brother back again. He’d just have to toughen up. I mean how hard could that be, right?

[adoracora-elizabeth]

But Papa! Why? Chapter 3

"I will not be home this weekend." Robert said while putting his fork down.

Rosamund had invited him and their parents for dinner. And they just finished the main course.

"So, we come to London for you to be away?" Violet said with an annoyed tone.

"I cannot help that Rosamund suddenly plans a family dinner. I already have plans this weekend, and I will not be home. You can use my apartment, while I am away."

"Where are you going son?" Patrick asked, while also putting down his knife and fork.

Just having some downtime out of the city centre."

"You wanted to move to the city, we never forced you too." Violet said.

"I know Mama, and I like it. But sometimes I just want a little break, like a holiday."

"Are you seeing a girl?" Marmaduke joked.

Robert wished he were. It was already a couple of weeks ago that he met Cora and he forgot to ask her number. He had not been in his house in Richmond since then and had not the change to bump into her. "No, I am not seeing a girl. If you must know I am seeing John."

The evening never seemed to end, but finally Robert walked back to his apartment. He had not told his parents that he started to play the piano. It turned out that he was quite good at it, but he was ashamed to tell them. He was also scared for his mother's reaction. She never reacted well on things that did not go according to her plan. And being a musician was not something on her list of doing well. His father would probably not mind, but he was not taking the risk that his mother would find out.

He had searched for a small house just outside of the city centre and he ended up in Richmond. He found a house with a small garden. His piano fitted perfectly in the living room, and he did not need more. It was weird that a small home like that gave him such a comfort feeling. The bedroom was small, his double bed barely fitted and the other bedroom, was not even big enough for a double bed. The bathroom had needed an upgrade, and he hired a contractor to place a modern one. Yes, it was small, but he had a nice shower and that was all he needed. For him it was the best place to create music. He had started playing music from composer's like Einaudi, but he now was also composing his own. It was a challenge, but he really liked that, he needed something more than telling people how to run their estate's. He knew that one day he was expected to run Downton, but for now that day was still far away. His father was in his mid-sixties, so if everything went according to plan, he would have at least ten more years outside of Downton. If he worked hard enough, he would have made name in the music industry. John was the only one who knew about his aspiration’s, and he gave him an alibi quite regularly.

With his bag on his shoulder, he walked towards the subway. He was looking forward to a weekend with just himself and his music. He was secretly hoping to see Cora, she lived in the same area. The fact that he had bumped into her in the supermarket was for him prove enough she lived in Richmond. It was tempting to just walk around, hoping to bump into her. But that would be foolish. He needed to work on his piece. In less than two months he had an appointment with a producer, who was willing to look into his work. But by that time, he needed to have some of his own work ready. He did not want to the kind of piano player that only copied work from others. He wanted to produce his own records, how wonderful it would be to walk past shops and see his own name on the sleeves of records. He knew it was a silly dream, but he hold on to that dream, especially because it made him happy.

After a short ride he walked into the street where his second home away from home was. He noticed that he was constantly scanning his surroundings, hoping to see her. And at the same time, it would be better if she did not see him with his bag. She should not know he had a second house here. What if she found out he played the piano, she would laugh and run from him, surely. He reached his house, without seeing anybody he knew. He needed to start having doubles of everything, so he only needed a small backpack when he moved between houses.

He dumbed his bag upstairs; he would look at it later. He needed to get a song out of his head. He had been thinking of Cora constantly the last couple of days and she inspired him. He opened the piano lid and brushed with his fingers over the keys. He felt so much love for his instrument, the bond they had was special. The fact he felt this for his piano, made him even more ashamed to tell people about it. It did not feel as if it was normal to have those feelings. He heard about musicians, who talked lovingly about their instruments, but they all had been big artist.

He sat down and his fingers started running over the key's. Warm tones filled the room, he had opened the window, since it was a nice summer day. The endless heat had finally left, and only nice warmth was left. The tunes felt like a river running down, through green hills. Sometimes it was a slow stream, but then it transformed into a small waterfall. The water tinkling down, finding its way to lower ground. Where it gathered into a small pond. Where small forest animals came to lessen their thirst. Small birds chirping around. He went fully into the music, he lost himself and the notes followed each other quickly. Once he got to the end of the song, he realised that he forgot to turn on his recorder and he did not write down a single note. Could he recall what he had played? He could only hope.

He thought about Cora's face, her soft expressions. Her melodic voice, her blue eyes that sparkled when she looked at him and laughed about a joke. Her long fingers, holding up her glass. That glass that went to her perfectly formed red lips. Lips that were very kissable he thought. He had only seen her twice, and he could recall every detail of her face. It did help to bring the music back that he had just produced. And while playing, he now wrote down what he had played. With help of his recorder, he had written down a new piece a couple of hours later.

That was no surprise at all! He had not eaten since he had left home. He could have food delivered, but he decided to walk to the supermarket. Who knows who he had run into! It would be a coincidence if Cora were in the supermarket again, but he could always hope. Could he not?

+++

Feeling a little bit disappointed Robert walked home. He stocked enough food to fill his fridge, he decided to stay a little bit longer than this weekend. His felt inspired to the bone and he needed to get it all out before it was lost.

"Carson, can you make sure my appointments for Monday and Tuesday are all rescheduled."

....

"No, I am not sick. I cannot come into the office, but no I am not sick. Please just reschedule those appointments. I will be back on Wednesday and will make up for the lost two days."

....

"I do not need permission from Lady Grantham for this. Please do not bother her with unnecessary information. Her schedule is busy enough."

Robert walked home, while he called Carson. He realised that it was officially his free day on Saturday, but he did not want to have to call in on Monday morning. And the day Carson had started working for him, he had said that he could call day and night. Robert realised, that he was acting like a spoiled prince. He felt guilty instantly. But it was too late now. Carson was arranging his free days for him at this moment.

In the distance somebody was running towards him. Dressed in black leggings and a pink top. Her white shoes were hitting the pavement in a nice rhythm. Her hair was tied up, but some curls had escaped and danced around her face. When she came closer, he saw that it was Cora. Suddenly he did not know what to do, and he had to fight the urge to hide behind a tree. It was already too late to even try to hide because Cora had spotted him. A smile played around her mouth.

"Are you stalking me?" She asked, while she slowed down.

Robert felt his face turn red, even though he had thought about searching for her. At this moment he was genuinely just on the streets because he needed to bring his groceries back home.

"I am not trying to." He stuttered.

Cora was running on her spot, but now stopped. "I was only joking. You have every right to walk on these streets as I have. I am only surprised to see you here again. John did live in Twickenham. Did he not?"

"He indeed does, I was just getting some groceries." Robert could slap himself, why did he say that. Now Cora must wonder why he was getting groceries in an area that he did not even live.

"We all need those. Well, it was nice seeing you again." She smiled again and started walking again. She quickly picked up the same rhythm as before. Robert stared at her; it was fascinating how her body moved. Her small waist perfectly formed bottom. Her hair that was dancing again. She was mesmerising.

When she turned a corner, he was woken up out his trance and realised, that he once again had let her go without asking her number. Although, that would have been weird, because he had just said, that he was not stalking her. He sighed. Why were things so complicated.

[feral-zebra]

Hey. Idk if this will post, but if it does, cool. Im still alive. Taking a mental health break and Im upgrading my gaming systems. Just got my Switch OLED and a new PC build. Now just saving up for the PS5. I am still writing soo, here. Hope you all like it.

After about fourty minutes, Robin and Nancy walked up to their daughter’s room and watched her play for a few moments before opening her baby gate. When Storm heard the gate open she turned around and smiled when she saw her parents.  “Hi baby, are you playing with your toys?” Nancy smiled as she walked over to her daughter. Storm mumbled happily as she held up a plastic dog for Nancy. The brunette smiled as she took the dog from her daughter.  “Stormy, do you want to help pick out your outfit today?” Robin smiled at her daughter. Storm shook her head and grabbed onto Nancy’s skirt. Nancy smiled as she knelt down next to her daughter. Storm mumbled softly as she grabbed onto Nancy’s blouse and played with it.  “Hi sweetheart,” Nancy spoke softly as she watched her daughter. Storm mumbled happily as she grabbed onto her mother and laid on her. Nancy wrapped her arms around Storm and snuggled with her.  “Baby, we’re going to leave the house for a bit. Can you go tell Mama Robin what you want to wear?” Nancy smiled at her daughter, hoping Storm would stop being stubborn. Storm whined as she pulled on Nancy’s shirt. Robin smiled as she knelt next to her daughter. Storm mumbled happily as she watched Robin.  “Storm. Do you want me to help pick out your clothes?” Robin asked her daughter. Storm shook her head again as she gave Nancy a hug and laid on her. Nancy nuzzled her daughter and rubbed her back.  “Hey why are we being stubborn? Mama Robin and I have errands to run and we want you to go with us,” Nancy explained to her daughter. Storm rubbed her eye as she laid on Nancy. Nancy snuggled with her daughter and smiled.  “I wanna play,” Storm mumbled. Nancy smiled at her daughter as Storm still fussed. The brunette snuggled with her daughter. “We can play after we run errands. Mama Robin and I want to take you somewhere special. Can you please help Mama Robin pick out your clothes?” Nancy tried to negotiate with her daughter. Storm whined as she traced the design on Nancy’s blouse. Robin gave Nancy a small smile.  “Mama blue shirt,” Storm mumbled as she looked at Robin. Nancy smiled as she snuggled with her daughter. Robin grinned as she went to Storm’s closet and grabbed a blue shirt with a shark on it and a shirt with some planets on it.  “Here Storm. Which one do you want?” Robin smiled at her daughter before showing her her choices. Storm mumbled softly before pointing at the shark. The blonde set the shirt on the bed before she pulled out some blue jeans for her daughter.  “Mama black ones,” Storm mumbled, wanting her black jeans. Nancy smiled as she kissed her daughter. Robin grabbed the black pair of jeans and showed her daughter the pants.  “Stormy, which ones are the black ones?” Robin asked her daughter. Storm whined and tried to suck on her thumb as she looked up at Nancy. Nancy shushed her daughter and tried to scold Storm for sucking her thumb. Soon the toddler pointed at the black jeans.  “Aww that’s right, Storm! You’re so smart!” Robin grinned at her daughter. 

[therichantsim]

I am concerned. Z is an adult, she can handle herself, and speak up for herself, but even if she's willing to take on more, she's still basically in orientation, but her guide, Q, is not guiding.

I feel like he's neglecting her, in a way. He knows his family, so he should have expected the hazing from Ma Pat and ensured it didn't happen or at least warn her about it (bare minimum). We haven't seen every minute of their lives since the rose, but of what we've seen, there were very few instances where he was with her, like by her side, while interacting with the family or even just specific people. He should be teaching her how to drive, so to speak, and not just any car, but the family minivan with the tricky lock on the rear gate that needs an extra bit of umph to engage and that stubborn window you just have to finesse to get it open. It's like he left her to fend for herself.

I get that Q has his routine and life has been a well-oiled machine, but by not taking her interest as an opportunity to integrate her into his life and lifestyle, he's treating her like an optional add-on instead of a required upgrade. Or, in her own words, "his built-in blow up doll."

Like I said, I know Z can speak for herself, but she really shouldn't have to in this case. And this is not to say that Q should be a mind reader, but it feels like he didn't give nearly enough thought to basically air dropping a first-time driver right into the middle of F1 race.

Even if he feels like he doesn't want to overwhelm her--taking a cue from the convo about the wedding--he should be checking in with her to see where she's at, what she's feeling up to. If he did, it would at least somewhat negate the fact that he hasn't recognized that she has been constantly offering to shoulder some of the weight, share in his daily life, but is constantly being rejected.

Looks like there are still conversations to be had and Q needs to get it together.

Okay,

I'm not taking Q's side but I will say this. Quinton's relationship with Big Daddy and Mama Pat is relatively new. They didn't become this close until his wife died and he decided to up and move to Henford. Not sure how far you read back but Big Daddy and Octavia weren't speaking for years. Saying all this to say her "hazing" Zahara is new for everyone. Not that I think she would see it that way. She is acting like how some southern grandmas of her age act. They have certain "ideals" about keeping house etc. Again this doesn't make it right but in those two instances most would chop it up to the saints just being saints.

Now as far as him allowing her to participate in more work around the home and with the children... Well, you'll just have to wait and see how all of that works out. I will say this... in my head based on my own timeline of events. Quinton is 8-10 years older than Zah (30) and obviously has had a more lived experience in his lifetime. So, at times he may inadvertently treat Zahara like she's naive and wet behind the ears. So, I agree with you there are definitely more conversations that need to be had. However, he said it best in S15.Ep:74 scene 22 "Most people get months to date and get to know their spouse. I will be doing all of that while we're married and already doing life together."

[renee-writer]

Teachers Chapter 53

AO3

“Let me see my nephew!” Jenny pays no attention to her brother or new sister -in-law. She lifts James up from his car seat, “Hello my love. I am your Auntie Jenny. I am going to spoil you, aye I am.” She coos to the startled baby.  He exams this new person trying to decide if he is going to grin or cry. He decides on neither and simply stares, wide eyed, at her.

 

“Jenny, officially meets my wife, Claire.” Jamie smiles. His sister has wanted to be an auntie for awhile. She tried setting him up with their neighbor, a childish lass named Laoghaire. He didn’t even get through the first date. Now that he has brought home a wife and son, she is in her glory, “Claire meet Jenny and her husband, Ian.”

 

Ian stands behind his wife and offers his hand to Claire.

 

“It is so nice to meet you in person, Claire.”

 

“Thank you Ian. I feel the same.”

 

“Claire, my dear,” Jenny draws her to her side with the arm not holding James. The baby, at seeing his mama, reaches out to her. She takes him with her own free arm, “How wonderful to have you here. There will be some heartbroken lasses at the knowledge that Jamie has a wife but dinna fash about them.” She continues as she leads her into Lallybroch proper, “welcome home.”

 

Jamie, Ian, Lamb, and Brian start gathering up the luggage as Ellen joins the lasses.

 

Claire, raised by an archeologist, pulls in her breath as she enters the old manor house.

 

“My goodness! These stones are original.”

 

“Aye they are,” her mother -in-law replies as she runs her hand over them, “she was constructed in 1702 and all we have done is repairs and modern upgrades. All the Frasers that have lived here through the many generations have been committed to keeping the original heart of her intact.”

 

“That is incredible.” They enter the great room.

 

“The stone work on the fireplace was the same that the original Brian Fraser laid.” Jenny says. She is proud of her home and wants her new sister to be as well.

 

Claire walks over, James in her arms. She runs her hands over it.  There is an inscription.  “Fraser, 1702”  “Look James. That is you. The newest Fraser.”

 

The men join them. “We just placed everything in your room. Figure you two can sort it later, eh?” Brian says.

 

“Your home is amazing.” Lamb adds. His sweep over the old stone and brick, cataloging all the details.

 

“Thank you. That will be fine.” Claire says. “ It really is, isn’t it.”  To her Uncle Lamb. Jamie walks over to his wife and child.

 

“Impressive, isn’t she?”

 

“Very.”

 

Ian smiles. “Wait until you see the rest of her.”

 

“Uncle Jamie!” His niece and nephew come running in.

 

He scoops them up. “Look at how big you have got!” he exclaims. Wee Ian and Maggie were a toddler and infant when he last held them.

 

“Aye, I am a big boy now.”

 

“That you are. Do you want to meet your auntie and cousin?” They both eagerly nod while looking at the new lass and baby, “Ian and Maggie Murray meet my wife, your Auntie Claire and our son and your cousin, James.”

 

“Pretty baby.” Maggie declares.

 

“Hello, I am Ian Murray Jr.” The little boy, having been set down, bows low to her. Maggie curtsies. Claire charmed does a small curtsy herself.

 

“Very nice to meet you both. Would you like to hold the baby?”

 

“Aye please.” An eager Maggie answers.

 

Jenny sits her children on the large couch, wipes their hands down, and Claire lows her son into his cousin ‘s arms.

 

“James, your cousins Maggie and Ian.”

 

The grandma wipes tears away so she can get some good pictures. Ian takes his turn.

 

“Hey James, I am glad you’re a lad.” James grabs his nose. The room laughs.

[kamui-oki]

riot forge games i want for my top 10 league champs

making a long ass post for funsies about what kind of riot forge games i want to see in the future revolving around the champs i like, most of this might feel like a shit post but thats kind of the point since i dont know anything about game design Ezreal i want ezreal to be the male version of lara croft, just the annoying gay version, give him a tomb raider styled game in shurima, ixtal or even targon and have him just be the narcissistic bisexual man he is, brownie points if he has multiple different ship endings cause that mf is shipped with everyone. Aphelios and Alune aphelios i have multiple ideas i kind of like, i like skooches idea of a fps shooter adventure game with skill trees and stuff, but i also have grown really attached to the idea of a Kid Icarus Uprising styled game with aphelios going on missions while alune is just casually talking to the aspects and granting aphelios his weapons much like Pit and Palutena. maybe have the 2nd act of the game be with Aphelios actually being voiced due to stuff in act 1 idk idk just spit balling. Sett ok ok ok so what if it was announced that sett was getting a game and it was called something like Sett's Fighting Simulator, where its literally just a fighting game with Sett, but you pick what kind of fighters you want sett to sponsor (idk if thats the right word) so he can earn money, obviously have sett do some of the fighting too. but you might be wondering what would you use this money for? well you could go the boring route and just have it be to upgrade Sett's fighting pit, but you could go the more wholesome route and have the 2nd hidden half of the game be a house decorating simulator for Sett's mom cause WHY NOT. basically do a fnaf pizza simulator but the opposite. Rengar Monster hunter, das it, just have like a monster hunter game with Rengar where you hunt monsters, thats all i got, also maybe you could give rengar outfitoptionsthataretotallynothornychargedokaybye Zoe my bf was thinking of like a gacha game for Zoe where she summons random beings around runeterra or the universe, i like the idea but i just wasnt sure what kind of gameplay it would have. I also really like the idea of cooking mama but its Zoe and she makes chocolate mooncakes and has her own delivary service (asol) and its just a cooking sim Yone my idea for Yone is a crave that i NEED fullfilled now, basically. the first part of the game is a point and click detective game, where as yone you try to figure out what kind of azakana your up against and who it is possessing, once figured out the game switches to a sekiro kind of fighting game where you have to slay the azakana. its simple but i really am attached to the concept. Rakan its really hard to make a game with rakan and not have xayah included (don't get me wrong i like xayah shes just not in my top 10 champs), so I decided for a niche idea thats kind of already been done with the Star Gaurdian event, but it would be a dating simulator where you play as Xayah dating Rakan (duh) and it takes place before things go to shit and they get corrupted. basically have all those pictures of xayah and rakan in Everything Goes On be cute little dates that we actually get to see and maybe have it end tragically idk idk i forget if rakan mf dies in the last event or not lol Yuumi how tf am i supposed to create a game about Yuumi, her lore is dull af and shes just a stupid cat. anyways i love her and her game would be like Talking Tom/Hey You Pikachu where you yell at your phone to get her attention and the microphone just doesnt work and she does the exact opposite thing you want her to do. Nunu and Willump song of nunu is already looking to be everything id want in a nunu gaming game, but if there is no willump hug options in song of nunu then make that its own game

Zeri SUBWAY SURFERS BUT ITS ZERI AND ITS ALSO A RHYTHM GAME OKAY BYE

[roxy206]

The Dock Of Dreams — 04/11/2023

watch here | listen here

Do you wanna get naked? I mean … I just, I’m just gonna say what everyone’s thinking What? Should we get naked? I mean I think we, I think we should. However, there are ladies present & I just don’t feel comfortable— I’m not having a maladaptive daydream, right? This actually happened?

Forget a psychology degree, you don’t even have to have stepped foot in one psych lecture the way Trixie is being so very blatant to analyze this

The hand batting

This Shania moment

Not me wanting to go look at my pictures from Jacques now to look for boots 👀

F in the chat

It was the time & it was the place

I’m not laughing No you are & you should

I’m building on your story not derailing your story No I’m done

I’m scared as a drag queen to tell any stories about Uber drivers without being 100% honest about what happened Right. Precedence have been set — I almost spit out my drink 😂

TRIXIE BRINGING KATYA TO DAVE & BUSTERS WHEN

🥺 Trixie complimenting Katya

Mama, who’s inheriting money? Not my ass

You would be The Little Mermaid. You would be The Little Mermaid

Katya being so amused at the thought of Trixie rowing out to a boat house

I had a different voice then

Please Trixie assigning Katya to be the waves of this soundtrack

Oh your fly is undone you slut — the way this isn’t even the first time this has happened on the pod

Girl. This reenactment.

It’s so fucking cute when Trixie is like I gotta show you this on my phone

We have to see it Okay, we’re gonna watch it We have to Okay, we’ll watch it

If I have my floaties on especially

I’m sorry but the two of them snort laughing over who they would cast in a movie is so precious & it’s giving me major feels!

I wasn’t gonna tell you all that, but I’m glad she spoiled the movie for you

Katya launching herself at Trixie

Who would you cast in Read U Wrote U All Stars Season 2? Anyone is an upgrade 💀

that yellow suit you love

Oh wait one last thing, one last thing

[babykentthegent]

Second Month of Boo Boo Bear

How Kent is already two month’s old is beyond me. He’s doubled his weight since birth and has evolved so much over the last month. When he was 7 weeks old he started social smiling and also discovered his penis for the first time, haha! Most impressive, however, is his ability to hold his head up and turn left and right with ease. That tummy time is sure paying off. Admittedly, Rob has been more strict about it than I have (I’ve got my ADHD brain to thank for that), but I’m so glad he’s been diligent. Almost daily Kent will make a sound or a coo that is new and different from anything we’ve heard before. Then there’s his sleeping. He’s sleeping 6-9 hours through the night which is a miracle! Dad reads him The Hobbit before bed and when I put him down I’ll either play, sing, or hum Studio Ghibli music. He also loves to be read to from his collection of children’s books. 

He spent his fourth of July at the house listening to our neighbors fireworks blasting in the background. His Opa was kind enough to gift him some outfits for the occasion. His hair is growing exponentially and he’s slowly filling in his old man baldness. He was born with a lengthy mohawk on top and a mullet in the back, but it’s filling in nicely. Just like the first month of his life he only cries when he needs something. We know when he’s hungry because he starts chewing on his hands. The first time he gripped a toy I was beside myself. You never think these things are a big deal until you’re a parent...then suddenly it feels like humans just landed on the moon for the first time. Watching him grow and discover things has brought us so much joy. 

Tomorrow is Kent’s 2-month doctor visit where he’ll be finally getting his vaccines. We’ve been looking forward to this since it’ll mean he can be around more people and go out to places on occasion. I could never understand why new parents stayed home so much in the beginning. Apart from the vaccinations, it’s also exceptionally challenging to do most things. We wear him in a baby carrier or wrap as much as we can since he seems the happiest there. He’s reaching a stage where he really prefers to be held rather than to be put down. All the books say there is no such thing as “spoiling” your child before they’re four months old, so we’re not concerned just yet. 

We are continuing to take daily family walks around the block with him and the dogs. Kent loves being outside, so long as he’s warm. The bumpier the ride the quicker it lulls him to sleep. The same goes for car rides - it sends him right to slumberland. Well, with the exception of when mama wants to go get a coffee and needs to order then he likes to cry but only for those 2 min of me talking. I swear he does it on purpose, haha! We sing to him a lot, usually to a tune of an existing song with our own made up lyrics. We also love to narrate what we’re doing and when he starts talking in baby talk we pretend we’re carrying a conversation. It’s quite entertaining for all involved. 

He still crosses his legs as often as possible and still uses his fist to lean on. We’ve had to say goodbye to all of his newborn attire and now he’s wearing 0-3 month sizes and is just about ready to upgrade to diaper size 2. His legs and arms have turned into little marshmallows which I can’t help but squeeze on the daily.  It’s so special watching him grow and learn and develop. We can’t wait to see what the next month has in store for him. <3 

[thr-333]

hi! so i have some questions about your Triple Divorced AU! (excuse me it's so long fgsdjk)

you mentioned that each boy (outside of Mikey) has a fave parent, but do the parents have fave kid(s)? i suspect Draxum likes Raph the most since he actually managed to convince him to get into training?? but outside of that i have no idea!

also with which parent they spend the most time? or which house they consider their "main" home?? if even they have something like that

also! in your recent drawing of baby leo (very cute btw i want to pinch his cheeks!) he seems to be actually excited to show off to draxum, but you mentioned that currently he doesn't really like him, which made me think- how did the relationship between parents and kids change from early childhood to "today"??

oh and how's the relationship between each parent? like i get they hate each other's guts, but are there specific types of hate? (i can suspect splinter vs BM arguments are mostly verbal while splinter vs draxum is physical fighting?) (also a silly question but- was/is there ever something… (hate)romantic between draxum and splinter at some points? or is that a big NAH??)

I LOVE long asks!

Yes the parents have favorite kids. Other than Splinter who is a proud proprietor of I don’t have favourites. Or does he just not know any of his children well enough to pick, who’s to say(:

Draxums favourite isn’t actually Raph it’s Mikey. Purely because his mystic abilities are so advanced. It’s sort of rooted in a pride of ‘I made this I’m awesome’ or wanting your kids to be talented and successful. It’s ironic because Mikey is the least likely to go for his kill all of humanity bullshit. He wouldn’t align himself with a plan like that. Usually when Draxum brings it up Mikey goes into dr feelings mode and talks about the deep rooted issues of why Draxum hates humans which the yokai does not care for. But he’s deluding himself that one day he will get Mikey to change(even if it’s far more likely to be the other way around)

Big mamas favourite is Leo. She likes the other boys they’re easy to manipulate in their own ways. But she likes Leo because he doesn’t fall for all that. They can have a relationship on more even footing. Oh he annoys the hell out of her but that’s because he is also the most like her. It’s almost like a mentorship/rivalry. Big mama never considered having an heir before but baby blue might just fit the bill.

It’s a fairly even split between where they spend time(Mikey tires to keep it that way) but it depends. Sometimes Splinter gets job offers as Lou Jitsu so he isn’t around to take the boys back. Draxum likes to upgrade his security in between kid nappings as does big mama so those tend to be the gaps where they get to spend more time with Splinter. Typically it would take longer for either parent to steal them off big mama because of her security personal. But she has a nasty habit of using them as bartering chips so they don’t tend to stay as long as they could. Suffice to say these kids have no stability in their lives.

They don’t really think of one place as home. Home usually means ‘where we’re sleeping tonight’ they are just as likely to call home one of the houses they grew up in or a side of the road motel(something I’ve done so I don’t actually know if I’m explaining that feeling well cause that’s just how it is)

Yes! Baby Leo is adorable! I can’t wait to show the rest of their baby designs(I need to do a character like up once all the main people have been introduced). The comic I made that panel for explains it a bit but I haven’t posted it yet so I’ll explain.

When the kids were younger Draxum did try to train them as soldiers but got pulled up by the social workers and had to tone it down. Leo who craved his ‘Draxys’ approval was slighted by this and developed an instant hatred— no but really Leo’s dislike for Draxum was something that built up over years. Being ignored being used and overall just missing out on things that parents probably should be doing. He got a lot more of that from splinter and since splinter didn’t like Draxum Leo adopted the attitude. A sort of us against him mentality.

That’s happened for a lot of the kids. Growing disillusioned by their parents. Being forced to pick sides over time. Each of them could be their own ask so if your curious about a certain relationship ask. That way I’m not just rambling about something people don’t care about!

Yes each of the parents have their own brand of hate. Splinter and big mama are bitter exes slash can’t get over each other. Draxum had such a big fat crush of Lou Jitsu it wasn’t even subtle. In this au he has been low key pining for years. Unfortunately some people express their love by breaking into your house and mildly traumatizing your kids. It’s very much the “I hate Splinter” while hanging up pictures of him meme(I would draw that it I wasn’t writing this during my lunch break)

Splinter has no idea how he feels but big mama does. The two are SO petty about it. It’s that love triangle rivalry except I’m not trying to pass it off as cute. These two need to grow up and check their standards.