#max would be so happy the new rangers are ‘kids’ like him!

[gooddaykass]

The Broken Hearts Gallery: a review

Before actually watching this movie, I absolutely didn’t, not in a thousand years, think that I would merely even enjoy it. I had my reasons, or rather excuses for the negative presumption, just like how I seem to have my excuses for everything else in life. The movie wasn’t famous, none of the actors were well known, the IMDB rating wasn’t looking too interesting, it seemed to be just another typical romcom, blah blah blah. 

Then why did I want to watch the movie to begin with, you ask? Well, I have a habit that once an actor really impresses me, I’d watch their entire filmography. It seems obsessive at times and most of the time I would only find mediocre movies at best, in which the actor played a mediocre character, but there are still those very few times I’d find those mind-blowing films buried deep somewhere on the internet no one knows about but me and those moments keep me going. 

This time, it was Dacre Montgomery. I, like many of us, was captured by his incredible performance as Billy Hargrove in Stranger Things. I found it very impressive how he was able to embody the tension, the venom, the violence that Billy always carried around, yet still beautifully humanised him and made the character resonate with the audience. The complexity, depth, and potential of this character need their own post, and that’s future-me’s problem.

As expected, I then watched through almost everything written in his filmography section on his Wikipedia page (in which I realised I had watched Power Rangers before and remember nothing about Dacre in that movie!) and eventually came The Broken Hearts Gallery. I will spare you the rant about how much I did not want to watch the movie in the beginning, but just this time, okay? 🙄

Well, I was painfully wrong. The movie was absolutely amazing. It has been a while since the last time I enjoyed a piece of romcom that much (though to be honest, romance isn’t exactly my thing).

summary

Essentially, the movie is about our girl, Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan), and her journey of building her own gallery, getting over her ex(es), and gaining a new (boy)friend, Nick (Dacre Montgomery), along the way. Lucy is a girl filled with passion: she loves art and dreams of owning her own gallery one day. During a big event at the gallery she is working at, she catches her boyfriend, Max, cheating on her with his ex. Hurt and drunk, she makes quite a scene at the event, consequently getting herself fired.

After the event, she calls an Uber to get home but gets into Nick’s (the love interest) car instead, for that she mistakes him for her Uber driver, and he drives her home anyway since she refuses to get out of the car in her drunken-in-misery state of mind. Lucy then complains about the disastrous night with Nick on her way home. They meet the second time when she follows Max and his ex-turn-girlfriend into a restaurant and Nick pulls her out of it to prevent a scene from being made. The two of them get close while she is helping him with building his dream hotel in exchange for gallery space there at the hotel. Overall, the movie has a very light mood, things didn’t get too serious.

The movie is bright, lighthearted, funny, sweet. It is bright, not the blinding brightness at midday but rather the first spec of light at the crack of dawn from the window of your bedroom. To me, the movie feels like the giddy, happy feeling you get staying up all night talking to a close friend you haven’t seen in a while. You talk about everything in the world, from the crazy project you’ve been working on to the cute kid in class you’re having a crush on. You talk so long that when you look out the window, the sky’s already lighting up. The sun’s not up all the way, the sky is still in a deep shade of blue, but it’s slowly waking up, light spilling into your room.

what I love about the movie

Lucy herself is probably the best part of the movie. The list of reasons I have for loving her could go on and on but the biggest one has got to be because she has so much chemistry with everyone and everything. There is a scene where she was playing around with a sock hand puppet by herself and it’s way more interesting to watch than, like, 50 shades or something (shhh I know it’s a bad joke).

Another point I would love to add is that Lucy is very passionate. She has enough passion to fill the world’s void, probably. She loves art, she wants to open her own gallery, and that’s the goal she’s been actively working towards achieving for the past 8 years, maybe even her whole life. She sees art in everything, just like her mother, and even though she was fired from her job at the Woolf gallery, broken up with, and humiliated on the same night, she stands back up and in turn, turns her dream into reality (and arguably she helps quite a lot in making Nick’s dream come true as well). 

Not only this but she really approaches everything in life with the same amount of passion. She sees a campaign collecting signatures and she stops to sign even though she was in a hurry, she sings with all her heart in karaoke (and also, does Dacre really suck that bad at singing or was he faking it?), she comes across an old sofa she loves and proceeds to carry it 40 blocks back to the Chloe Hotel on foot while wearing a stunning sundress. This woman is wonderful, a total blessing to all of us. Geraldine is such a talented actor and I hope to see her more in the future.

The special friendship Lucy’s trio has is absolutely amazing. Right from the get-go, we have an adorable scene of our friends group set 8 years before the main events of the movie. They were sorting through Lucy’s “cave of souvenirs” from old relationships. The three were already blooming with chemistry with their banters and snarky comments and I LOVE THEM because THEY’RE TOTALLY MY FRIENDSHIP GOAL!!

It’s so funny how despite being the best of friends, Nadine and Amanda are so different. It’s amazing how the snarky, sarcastic, lawyer-to-be Amanda with the weirdest taste in men ever and the loving, sensitive, fashionable stay-at-home model Nadine, whose list of girlfriends no one could ever keep track of, looked at each other and went, “Yep, that’s the one I’ll be attached at the hip with for the rest of my life” but I’ve got to say, great choice, the three of them. Lucy, Amanda, and Nadine’s energy fit together like pieces of Lego and they create such a piece of wild art. The foundation of their friendship must be very strong. 

Despite their stark differences, they have an endless amount of unconditional support for each other. They might be unconventional, a bit crazy and otherworldly but the first thing these girls give each other is support and sympathy. You have an opinion? That’ll have to wait. Even when they give each other snarky comments, they know each other well enough to not get offended and to know that no harm is intended. I must say, from personal experience, this takes a very long time and a lot of understanding and trust to establish.

There’s this scene when Lucy tells her friends she and Max broke up and she was fired from her job, Nadine and Amanda instantly know what to do. They wrap her in a blanket, get her snacks and drinks, and sit next to her in a cuddle puddle. The scene is incredibly cute!! Literally friendship on another level. Top-tier besties.

The cool thing is, I think they know exactly how to care without crossing the line or trying to solve other people’s problems. For example, when Nick comes to their house to tell Lucy that he would stay away from the hotel on the night of the gallery opening due to the terrible fallout of the encounter with Chloe (his ex), Amanda and Nadine give him some (very comical) threats since he hurt Lucy’s feeling but they never try to actually stop Nick from seeing Lucy. I think they knew whatever was happening between the two of them, they needed to figure it out themselves. This detail is quite memorable to me because I realised I’m a bit too nosy for my own good sometimes (and I’m trying to work on it :D).

Lucy and Nick’s first encounter is nothing new in the world of romance. The trope generally goes like this: they accidentally run into each other after a bad day, one person (usually the female character) complains about her life to the other character and the other person (usually the male character) listens and adds comments here and there (though admittedly forcefully). I find this niche trope rather relatable for many reasons which deserve their own post but in this movie specifically, the scene is hilarious and adorable. Really though, I giggle throughout the entire movie because almost every scene is so lovely I want to die.

more details I love

I feel like Dacre’s American accent in this movie is kind of awkward 😆. He did great in Power Rangers and Stranger Things but then when he played Nick he was like, “Nick would be more funsies if his accent is a bit more artificial and Aussie than he’s supposed to be” and that’s adorable.

The shirt!

The gazillion weirdly relatable quotes

things I don't like

Of course, the movie is not perfect, no matter how much I wish it was. I really hate the Chloe plot. The entirety of it. What happened was that Lucy saw Nick and Chloe, Nick’s ex girlfriend and also the one whose name was on the door, go together after they had pretty much established that they were a thing. She appeared for 1 minute in total but was already established as a bad person (I am trying to be polite, okay?).

Nick using her name to name the hotel was, I guess, understandable. People are not smart when they’re in love, but the miscommunication drama was unnecessary. The reason why Nick did not tell Lucy it was his ex’s name on the door was apparently because he “didn’t know when and how”? That was a terrible reason given that they spent all their time together building the hotel and preparing for the exhibition, probably before they even developed romantic feelings for each other. Besides, everyone hates the miscommunication trope.

Personally, I don’t think Nick and Lucy have ✨the spark✨. Like, you know, the ✨tension✨ people have with the one they find sexually/romantically attractive? The one that we all insist exists between the characters in the non-canon ships we love? Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. I don’t know if it’s just me but when I look at them and their interactions, I see two very close friends who love each other endearingly in a capital-P Platonic way. They ⭐sparkle⭐ because of the joy of purely being in each other’s presence, the same way Lucy, Nadine, and Amanda do when they’re together, not the ✨sparkle✨ that would lead to two naked people in one bed, which was what wound up happening in the movie.

Still, I think this movie is a must-watch <3

[karenjacksons]

My mind is currently breaking thinking about the wf/ns crossover we were robbed off

[welllpthisishappening]

Welllp This Is...Holiday Fic, Version 3.0

Hello, internet! It is December, and that means it is also time to regain our festive feelings through holiday-type fic. Of which I have written just...an absurd amount of. So, before we start slamming on some more keys with inevitable cliches and kissing (and the list of prompts I’m going to post later and maybe start writing tomorrow) here is a wholly self-indulgent, self-promotional list of the copious number of holiday stories I’ve written. Under the cut, because honestly it’s ridiculous. 

Multi Chapters

To Make the Season Bright Rating: M Words: 49,683 Chapters: 5

It's just one weekend. At Christmas. In New York. With everyone there. With Killian there. It's fine. Emma doesn't mind – he's always there and she wants him to be there and it'll be good. Great, even. Festive. She's looking forward to it. She just hopes she doesn't do something stupid. Like shout feelings in his face. That probably wouldn't be very festive.

The Gift Receipt Rating: M Words: 46,244 Chapters: 5

It genuinely makes sense in her head. After all, Mary Margaret is being Mary Margaret and Emma just needs five seconds to herself and for her friends to get off her back and saying she can’t talk to Killian Jones because she and Killian Jones once went on a very bad date is the perfect excuse. It’s also not true, but whatever. It works. Until Emma needs to bring someone home for Christmas. To get the entire town off her back. So, she comes up with another plan and another lie and pretending to get back together with a guy she was never actually with will make their inevitable break-up incredibly easy. It makes sense. Seriously. That is, of course, until Killian agrees and there’s far too much pie and radio hits of the 70s and opinions on animated Christmas classics. It gets a little more complicated after that.

Older Now, But Not Done Hoping Rating: T Words: 25,577 Chapters: 3

Killian Jones has lost his festive spirit. It's been forcibly removed by corporate America and private developers and how much alcohol the customers at his bar drink every night. Although, he supposes, that means he's making a profit, but that also feels a little Scrooge-esque and he doesn't have time for visits from ghosts. Because he's suddenly got a whole schedule in front of him, written out and planned by his roommate. To reclaim their mutual and collective festivity. Together. Oh, and he's in love with her. At Christmas. And all the time, really. This is going to be great.

It’s the Thought That Counts Rating: M Words: 27, 178 Chapters: 3

It was, in theory, a good idea. It was, in theory, an absolutely fantastic idea. Because there was still, sometimes, a crisis or two in Storybrooke and nothing would be more chaotic than trying to find a Christmas present on Main Street, while also trying to keep said Christmas present a secret. Ordering gifts on the internet makes sense. It's just a few clicks and online sales and the presents will be there in plenty of time for Christmas to be perfect. Emma and Killian are positive. Except then the presents don't show up and it's Christmas Eve and plan B isn't so much a plan as it is just a bit of pre-holiday desperation and the entire town knows what they're up to.

One Shots

The Best Laid Plains Rating: T Words: 4,040

Emma knows what she wants. And she remembers what the qualifications are. She just needs some help with them. Or: She and Killian once decided they'd only get married if one of them came out with an outlandish proposal.

Following the Recipe Rating: T Words: 3,802

Emma can't bake cookies. That doesn't stop her from engaging in cookie-baking competitions. At Christmas. And Killian is more than happy to help.

Grounded Rating: T Words: 6,064

Being stuck at the airport is the worst at normal times. At Christmas, it's at least ten-thousand times worse. Unless you manage to make friends with the vaguely attractive, frustratingly charming guy sitting next to you in the terminal.

Carol of the [Wedding] Bells Rating: T Words: 7,926

Going to Vegas with your friends for Christmas? Totally normal. Getting married to one of your friends while in Vegas at Christmas? Might take a bit more explaining. Especially when neither one of you can remember it.

More Than You Could Ever Know Rating: T Words: 5,040

It’s the perfect plan. So, she told the new guy at work that she was already married and couldn’t date him. Fine, no big deal. Emma has someone more than wiling to pretend to be her husband and a friend more than willing to do her pre-party hair. She’s certain everything will work out. The very last thing she expects is for Killian to be jealous. Because she might have picked the wrong Jones brother to play doting husband.

Once Again As in Olden Days Rating: T Words: 6,462

She’s absolutely freezing cold. It’s a dumb metaphor, one that only serves to make Emma even more pissed off than she already is. Because two hours ago it was summer. But a few more hours before that, she was also locked in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. And now she’s outside. With her kid. And a pirate that isn’t hers, explicitly, but keeps staring at her like he wouldn’t mind if he was. So maybe it’s not the worst. Maybe she’ll be able to get warm eventually.

Want Something That Will Last Forever Rating: T Words: 5,093

The weight in his jacket pocket is getting heavier. Burning a hole. A metaphorical one. Because a literal one would probably freak David out and David is already worried enough and Killian is a very good friend. Who is willing to help David plan his proposal to Mary Margaret. Even if it messes everything else up in the process.

A Fair, Even-Handed, Noble Adjustment of Things Rating: T Words: 9,267

Emma just wants to do something good. Give back. Maybe get a few bonus points. Metaphorically speaking. Not the last one. That defeats the purpose of all of this. But she can’t really think straight because he keeps humming and using nicknames and stealing all the flour. And she’d give up all the bonus points she’s, maybe, accumulated by, possibly, doing good if she could just remember what his name is. This is not going the way she planned. At all.

Heart to Heart and Hand in Hand Rating: T Words: 7,052

She was cold. She was tired. She did not want to be ice skating. She wasn’t really ice skating. She was just…kind of standing there – while getting yelled at by security guards and stared at by her boyfriend and they were being pushed off the ice. Not literally. And Emma knew she was being a Grinch or, maybe, just Max the Dog because she wasn’t in control enough to be a Grinch, but Killian wanted to go ice skating and well…fake it ‘til you make it festivity, right?

Kiss Her Once [For Me] Rating: T Words: 9,500

To say that the last year has been hectic would be the greatest understatement in the history of the modern world. Or, like, libel. In print, it’s libel. Because the last year has been filled with political promises and campaigns and far more press conferences than Emma realized were possible. And now, with Washington D.C. ahead of them, the only thing Emma really wants is to figure out how many boxes she’ll need to move all her stuff. That is, of course, until Killian finds her sitting in the middle of Regina’s hallway, a distinct lack of alcohol in her system, and the guarantee that he’s got a plan. For fun. Of the festive variety. It includes mistletoe.

Prompt: Santa!Con Rating: T Words: 2,444

Killian is very drunk. There are people dressed like Santa everywhere. And Emma isn't sure she heard the question correctly. She might be a little drunk too, honestly.

Prompt: Killian Wakes Up Without Any Blankets Rating: T Words: 2,444

He's freezing. Presumably because his wife — who he loves very much — has once again stolen all the blankets.

Tripping Over the Blue Line

A Few Days Off for Christmas Rating: T Words: 11,903

Matt's first Christmas at the brownstone means several things. Chinese food. Bad bread pudding. And unexpected guests.

A Chance of Snow Showers Rating: T Words: 3,372

Everything's a competition on this team. So no one is all that surprised when Killian agrees to race during family skate. Even with a baby strapped to his chest.

Dropping Gloves...In the Name of Festive Fashion Rating: T Words: 3,038

It’s probably one of the more ridiculous things any of them have ever done. It’s also one of the better ideas any of them has ever had – it’s festive and in the spirit and the fans will love it. And maybe it’s kind of fun because it ends with another win and some positive press before the break and Phillip’s jacket is really just…a work of fashion art.

All Knotted Up Rating: T Words: 2,188

He’s never actually done anything like this – brought a girl home for Christmas. No, not just a girl – Emma. Emma was coming to the brownstone for Christmas and the entire Vankald family would be there with traditions and bread pudding and there had to be gifts.

He needed to buy a gift. Or, at least, get a gift. And the list of people who wouldn’t laugh right in his face at the idea of Killian Jones, captain of the New York Rangers, freaking out about that was growing more and more slim by the minute.

We’ll Take a Cup [Defense] Of Kindness Rating: M Words: 19,204 Chapters: 2

It's one night. New Year's Eve. And a whole list of rules. Because Regina might have actually lost her mind. Or maybe that's just Emma. Because they've played a million games in two days, or it's at least felt that way, and planning an outdoor practice a few weeks before the Olympics seemed like a good idea at one point. Now it just seems insane. So she's going to wear this dress and kiss her boyfriend. A lot. He's good. Better than good. Great. The greatest. It's New Year's Day and, yeah, sure it's freezing, but Killian hasn't actually tried to push Scarlet on the Subway tracks yet so that seems like a step in the right direction. So he's a little distracted a few weeks before the Olympics, but that's fine. It's good. Or it'll be good. Eventually. Soon. In the meantime he's probably just going to kiss his girlfriend. A lot.

First Line Center Rating: T Words: 9,508 Chapters: 2

She hadn’t read the invitation. It hadn’t changed in years, after all - a set of rules and expectations for a New Year’s party that they were all going to break anyway because the most traditional thing about this team was flouting tradition. So, Emma had mostly ignored it. Until. A shout and Killian refusing to wear a tie and something crashing in her kitchen, one kid worried about another and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing something. There was a joke about fresh ice to be made, she was sure.

[9bitghost]

REMEMBER THIS AU???

Took me 2 years, but I’ve finally got everyone’s designs roughed out for my RPG AU!! Some designs gave me a lot of trouble, so I’ll probably change a few in the future, but for now, they’re all based around their outfits in the show. Getting back into this has also got me more into learning about D&D, so classes and subclasses are based on stuff from there and homebrews I’ve found and liked, with some liberties taken for the fun of it. ☆  

I want to write proper backstories for all of them sometime, but until then, classes, alignments, and headcanons are under the cut!! ↓ ↓ ↓ (VERY LONG)

This AU can be set either as its own, or if everyone sat down and played D&D with characters based on themselves. I would love to write fic splicing the two together if I ever get around to it lol

Character Info

David: Ranger/Bard - Champion of Nature (Lawful Good)

S4E7 pretty much laid out his character and class perfectly; David is a Bard at heart, and sought to make people happy with his tricks and performances when he was younger, until he found his true calling in his connection to Mother Nature. His home is wherever he can set up camp and has his heart set on protecting the forests’ natural beauty and integrity from quickly growing cities. Breaks into song at random and dislikes conflict. Prefers to shut fights down though talk and song, but does excel at archery and long-range combat if the need arises.

(tbh, binary-bird’s david design is so much cooler and i was heavily inspired by it, so please just imagine him in that one instead lol)

Gwen: Bard/Cleric - College of Lore (Chaotic Neutral)

In all honesty, Gwen is the most difficult one for me to place in this AU. She strikes me as the one to DM for the kids so Nerris can play, and enjoys creating stories for them, hence why Bard comes as the most natural to class her. An unconventional one, as she’s sharp-tongued, usually straight-faced, and witty in a sarcastic sense. Probably owns a bookshop in her town and writes many of her own books (half of which are erotica and stored in a curtained off area you need a password for). She has a way with words and handles her spear with the same proficiency. Badass fighter if you get on her bad side.

Max: Rogue - Thief/Trap Master (Chaotic Neutral)

Grew up poor and practically on the streets with barely a glance from his parents, Max learned it’s every person for themselves from an early age. Known for being a little shit and a master at picking pockets, MacGyvering traps, and winning bets through words alone. Shitton of knives, prefers throwing them from the shadows. Says he doesn’t care for anyone but himself, but would actually kill a man or 20 for his friends. Met Neil when trying to swindle him out of some expensive potions and wound up traveling with him. Purely for profit at first after hearing about the tech Neil’s in search of, but they ended up clicking and became fast friends (in denial).

Neil: Artificer - Alchemist (Lawful Neutral)

Neil’s family is very well off and many of his relatives are well known scholars; his father being the leading philosopher in their district. Though proud of his family’s and his own scientific accomplishments, Neil became bored of his mundane village and life, and thus set off in search of new scientific discoveries that could land him a place in the history books. Hates combat and stays out of it whenever he can. Sticks to the side lines, crafting bombs, poisons, splash potions, and buffs for the party. Relatively level-headed and often leads the team’s strategies in battle, until things go wild and sends him into a panic.

Nikki: Barbarian/Druid - Path of the Beast Master (Chaotic Good)

Born into a broken family, Nikki fled to the woods at a young age and lost her way home. Found and taken in by a pack of wolves, she quickly answered to the call of Mother Nature and grew into a nomadic lifestyle with her pack. Nikki is a wild one, brandishing her giant axe with ease, communicating with animals, and able to shift into a wolf form. Met Max and Neil as they were passing thorough her forest and nearly bit a chunk out of Neil’s arm on their first encounter. Would do anything for her friends and thinks of them as her own pack as she journeys with them.

Nerris: Sorceress - Storm Bloodline (Neutral Good)

Born to a human mother and elven father, Nerris is skilled in magic pertaining to the elements, specifically lightning and electricity, and not to shabby with their shortsword when the need arises. Left their village on a traditional journey to hone their skills and become a great sorceress to make their family proud. Always up for adventure, but rash and dives head first into more dangerous situations. Met and traveled with Harrison, who they bicker with constantly over who is the better magic user, before they both joined the Main Trio feat. David. Don’t mess with their party, man, Nerris will beat your ass into the neighbouring realm.

Harrison: Wizard - School of Illusions/Wild Mage (Chaotic Good)

Harrison was born with chaotic magic that had his parents on edge since the beginning. He quickly became a specialist in illusions, but due to his wild magic, he’d caused a lot of unintentional trouble in his town, escalating to making his brother disappear with no idea how to get him back. Fled his family and town young in pursuit of honing his magic and searching for a way to bring his brother back. Terrible at hand-to-hand, weapons, or close-range combat, but packs a punch when his magic goes haywire, often being linked to his emotions. Will sometimes levitate without realizing and freak people out. His hat is his nearly unlimited inventory and is probably a dangerous rip in space-time that should be dealt with.

Preston: Bard - College of Glamour (Lawful Neutral)

Preston travels around in search of fame and artistic inspiration and loves any audience he can find. Rarely staying in one place for long, he recites his poetry and one-man acts for captivated audiences in the town’s square or taverns, sometimes accompanied by lute or flute music. His outfits are flashy and as much of a trainwreck as he is so he’s easy to spot. In battle, his acts are usually used to stun or paralyze opponents, often done as a tag team with a more offensive member of the party. If forced to fight, he’s not too bad at fencing his way out of it.

Dolph: Bard - College of Paint (Neutral Good)

Born into a prestigious and proud military family that he left to pursue a career in art. Has painted quite a few nobles’ portraits and has thus become well known as a traveling painter. Became quick friends with Preston when they met in a town square Dolph was passing through. Hates conflict and tends to stay back in battle, but if he has to fight, he’s able to summon whatever he paints in ink to fight for him (think Sai from Naruto lol).

Ered: Rogue - Scout (Chaotic Neutral)

Daughter and assassin-in-training of her two fathers who work closely with their country’s monarchy. Though she loves them more than anything, Ered has more of a go-my-own-way attitude, opting to work more freely and alone for smaller contracts than under her parents’ wings. Amazing sharp-shooter with her crossbow and can hold her own in hand to hand combat. She’s a name quite a few know in underground circles, and Max has heard of her before as well.

Nurf: Barbarian - Path of the Brawler (Chaotic Neutral)

Half-orc and full temper, Nurf is a brawler through and through. On the run for various crimes and resents the justice system for putting his mother behind bars. Fights mainly with fists and daggers and is one of the strongest in the party. Actually quite perceptive and insightful, but whether he chooses to act upon that insight is entirely dependent on how he feels at that moment. Nurf joined the party a little later than the rest, after meeting them during an ongoing brawl and teaming up as a spur-of-the-moment decision. He stuck around for one reason or another.

Space Kid: Cleric - Cosmic Domain (True Neutral)

Space Kid comes from a line of astronomers and astrologists, and he too answers to the Stars and Celestial Bodies. Many of his decisions are based on what star charts tell him and he’s just happy to be along for the ride. Met the Main Trio early on during a quest relating to astrology and, realizing they lacked a designated healer for the team, found Space Kid to be decent enough. Probably has untapped powers that are pretty incredible if he knew how to access them. Sticks around due to the Stars hinting that their fates are tied and good things will come about in the party’s future.

Other Notes

I’ve gotten an ask or two in the past asking about Daniel and he is 1458903% a Lawful Evil Warlock/Bard who answers to his patron Xemüg. Quartermaster is also a Warlock, probably Chaotic Neutral, and I like the idea of his patron being The Octopus (thank you S4E5 for the harrison and QM inspiration).

[seatostars]

2021 NHL Draft (11-20)

SPOILERS!

11. Arizona - FORFEIT

12. Columbus - Cole Sillinger (C)

I’m kind of surprised he went this late because all I’ve heard about in terms of rookies for the last several weeks have been the top 4 + this guy. I’m happy for these kids that they’re all going to go to Columbus together and won’t be alone in the rebuild.

13. Calgary - Matthew Coronato (RW)

Another kid who doesn’t look happy! But it sounds like Calgary is getting quite the scorer. He’ll get to play with some pretty good US players there at least. And Calgary has its own vibe! It’s not Philly, but I’m sure it’s fun if you want it to be. Canada isn’t that bad, guys. Sheesh.

14. Buffalo - Isak Rosen (RW)

Hm. Moved up. He was projected to Dallas so it’ll be interesting to see who we take instead. I hope it’s not Lysell because I heard he’s a pain in the ass. You watch. It will be. Good luck being a bigger pain in the ass than Tyler Seguin, kiddo.

Dallas WE DROPPED? Wow. Nill really doesn’t think much about this draft, eh? What did we get from Detroit? It better be something good. STOP LETTING YZERMAN FLEECE YOU.

... Okay, so apparently he DOESN’T hate this draft. Picks #23, 48, 138.

15. Detroit - Sebastian Cossa (G)

Ah, yes. They were like we need a goalie. And Dallas was like go for it, we got lots of those. Sounds like he’s really good, so good for Detroit. They are becoming scary! Good ole Stevie Y. Oh, interesting. Trains with Hartsy. Hm.

16. NY Rangers - Brennan Othmann (LW)

Oh, look! A Pickering kid! Nice. And he moved up! Good for him. Apparently his mom set him up with a new home gym and a nutritionist, and it paid off. The moms are just killing it in this draft. “Shout out to mom, Paige.”

17. St. Louis - Zachary Bolduc (C)

THAT IS A LITTLE BABY CHILD. He looks max 15. And his first language is French? Montreal is going to be so pressed haha. Another kid who really jumped up ladder. Good for him!

18. Winnipeg - Chaz Lucius (C)

Another USNTDP kid looking miserable to go to Canada. Couldn’t they at least try to look happy? Not for Canada, but for their teammates? Pretend, dudes.

...did that grown-ass old man with white hair just say “Chaz Delicious”?!

19. Nashville - Fedor Svechkov (C)

It’s weird that the Preds pick is in and they’re chatting and now interviewing Yzerman. WHAT IS HAPPENING?

A Russian! He dropped a little but apparently this is a “steal” because his game is complete. And he’s learned English already! Interesting.

Edmonton Move down, get #22 & 90

20. Minnesota - Jesper Wallstedt (G)

Aw, they have the Kurvers kids there. Good job little man! :) I figured Minnesota was moving up to snatch up the goalie. It made the most sense. I would say I’m surprised he fell down so far but it would’ve been more surprising for him to go as high as he was projected, honestly.

[graedari]

Alright. Alright. Because of beautiful, amazing, talented, and creative @wroammin and @lavender-mochi talking about Pokemon and Sides and Emma so graciously blessing me with her condolences to post my own HC for the Sides’ Pokemon Teams and stuff, that’s what ya’ll are getting

It’s very long. I am so sorry. This needs to go beneath a cut

Patton:

Patton is a breeder in the world of Pokemon! He loves to travel and explore new places with his Pokemon! He often can be seen gifting Pokemon he’s hatched to new trainers and those who aren’t able to catch their own Pokemon. His team consists of:

Togepi, who is one of Patton’s first Pokemon he hatched! It’s baby

Riolu, which very much reminds him of another very stubborn and emo friend of his

Happiny, who likes to help Pat care for and hatch the eggs and baby Pokemon he has

Eevee, whom Patton enjoys snuggles with. He’s offered to let it evolve many times, but has noticed it’s happy just the way it is, and Patton would never force it to change

Drampa, Patton’s first Pokemon! Drampa enjoys watching after all of Pat’s baby Pokemon and it’s very favorite kiddo, Patton!

Houndoom, Patton’s devil’s advocate and best puppo! Houndoom helps keep eggs warm as well!

Logan:

Logan is a field researcher who is traveling through the regions studying Pokemon and their affects on habitats that they may not have been originally native to (think regional variants like Alolan or Galarian forms). His team is:

Alakazam, Logan’s first Pokemon, an Abra he befriended as a child 

Meltan, one of his first species he researched in the field when they appeared in Kanto unexpectedly and accidentally found one in his bag when he had moved on. It’s just his now I guess.

Porygon 2, a present from a relative for his birthday one year, Logan was surprised to not receive a Porygon through trade, but a Porygon 2 as it was holding an Upgrade when it was traded to him!

Reuniclus, one of Logan’s assistance in his research, who is a little mischievous 

Tediursa, another friend Logan acquired during his travels, the Tediursa had a strong liking to the jam Logan had brought with him for a snack one day

Sylveon, a sibling of Patton’s Eevee, evolved after Logan had a strong bond and was very surprised to find a Slyveon rather than an Espeon or Umbreon (his Sylveon is also shiny! Pat gifted it to Logan as he had assumed it was a regional variant at the time. He was not correct)

Virgil:

Virgil kinda just is there going on his Pokemon journey. He’s from the Johto region though just cause I said so. Idk I just like the idea of him participating in the Bug Catching Contest in the National Park lol. His team consists of:

Ariados, Virgil’s first Pokemon, which was a Spinarak he caught outside of Cherrygrove (can you tell Grace has been replaying HGSS?)

Toxtricity (Low Amp Form), a gift from Patton as a Toxel, Virgil wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the big purple baby, but he loves this dude with all his heart and they jam out to Panic! and MCR

Haunter, a friend! Virgil found this dude in one of those places someone probably shouldnt be like a burnt down tower, but they vibed so it was all cool

Phantump, another ghost friend Virgil picked up. He was planning on taking it to Patton to take care of, but the little dude got attached to Virgil so now, as Patton put it, Virgil has graduated to dad status as well

Mimikyu, if you couldn’t tell there’s a theme of Virgil picking up ghost friends while just vibin in random abandoned places. He found Mimikyu while joining Logan on his trip to Alola to study Alolan forms of Pokemon

Absol, this gal just kept showing up right before Virgil was about to have a hard time with stuff (i.e. the time Virgil almost walked off a ledge, Virgil almost getting trampled by some Pokemon, etc. Y’know. Just Virgil having horrible luck). He ended up just catching he darn thing so it didn’t have to follow him to keep tabs on this poor unlucky child

Roman:

Roman is a contest star in the Sinnoh and Hoenn region (mostly Sinnoh though as he more specializes in their form of contests even though the twins are from Hoenn). He loves to pamper and dote on his Pokemon as well as compete along side them in the contests. (I’m working with contests as sorta a hybrid between the games and the anime and idk if that will make to anyone but me lol). His team consists of:

Swablu, big fluffy cloud that is also tiny blue bird that will sing with him. It’s part of his whole “Prince” image he built up

Milotic, one of his star Pokemon as it was one of the first to win Master Rank. Roman raised it from a Feebas he befriended when he and Remus were kids. Remus loves it too <3

Gardevoir, Roman’s first Pokemon and  one of his aces when competing in Hoenn contests as he does own a mega stone and Gardevoite to Mega Evolve it! Roman caught it as a Ralts when he and Remus were kids

Gallade, trained from a Ralts by Remus, the Gallade showed that it wanted to compete in contests rather than compete in battles, so the two traded Pokemon. Roman will usually enter doubles contests in Hoenn with Gallde by his Gardevoir as he also holds a Galladite to Mega Evolve it as well (depends on the routine which he will mega evolve)

Jigglypuff, an Igglybuff gifted to him by Patton, a drama queen raised by Roman, often sings and helps Roman commentate his contest routines

Zamazenta, a good doggo Roman befriended when he accompanied Logan to Galar for his researched. While he was investigating the Galarian Wheezing of Slumbering Weald, the twins may have snuck off to a secret altar on accident and may have accidentally become the spiritual successors to the Princes of Galar but that’s uhhhh... There I guess

Remus:

Remus is a trainer bound determined on getting every single gym badge (and Grand Trial Stamps) . What is he doing with them? They don’t know. He won’t challenge the leagues after. His team is:

Zigzagoon (Galarian form), a very energetic doggo which slight kleptomaniac tendencies

Grimmsnarl, Remus’ 2nd strongest Pokemon, it’s carried him through many a battles (it also carries the G-Max trait and can Gigantamax)

Applin, nicknamed “Princey” after his brother. The Applin has an affinity for sweet things

Applin, nicknamed “Dukey” after himself, this Applin was the Pokemon Roman traded for Remus’ Gallade. Roman had managed to find a Shiny Applin while out with Logan and was told how rare that was. He wanted to give Remus something of great value for taking on the care of such and important Pokemon to Remus (as the Ralts had been Remus’ first Pokemon). This Pokemon has an affinity for sour and tart things

Malamar, a Pokemon of their family that took a liking to competing in battles. It had been a gift to Remus after he completed his first set of badges

Zacian, Remus made his own doggo friend when they went wandering in the Slumbering Weald

Janus:

A Top Ranger from the Almia region who is currently traveling regions to check in with those who don’t have regular Area or Top Rangers. He has a set Pokemon team, but isn’t allowed to use them while on his job, but does use his Arbok as his Partner Pokemon. His recreational team includes:

Arbok, his trusty Partner Pokemon. The Golden Snake is a well known face in the Almia and Fiore regions (yes it’s a shiny. Fight me. It’s too perfect)

Ditto, a Pokemon he picked up because he was intrigued by the very nature of such a Pokemon and hadn’t ever come across one as they aren’t native to Almia

Zoroark, a Pokemon he had befriended during a job in Unova that involved checking in one the Lostlorn Forest

Hypno, a Pokemon causing trouble that he relocated, but it was stubborn and continued causing problems, so Janus caught it and is now rehabilitating it

Shedinja, a Pokemon that had accidentally been left behind when a trainer hadn’t realized it didn’t have a Pokeball to reclaim it once their Nincada had evolved. Janus took it in and kept it as part of his team

Kecleon, little fucker kept eating his capture disc so he threw a Pokeball at it 

[neriad13]

Favorite Media of 2020!

There was a large swathe of this year during which I was unable to concentrate on reading (as there probably was for a lot of other typically-frequent readers), so, as a result, I ended up listening to way more podcasts and watching way more TV shows. Not a bad thing, but boy did I read way less books than usual. 

However, for the first time in a while, the amount of fiction I read was about equal with the amount of nonfiction I read. Last year’s reading resolution was to read more fiction, so...success??

I did read a lot of phenomenal fiction when I had the energy to do so this year.

Books - Fiction

The Martian - Andy Weir

This book is the hardest of the hard sci fi I think I’ve ever read. Every single aspect of it is minutely researched and calculated. The author literally wrote equations to write this book. The science is insanely impressive and yet...it never loses its sense of humor or humanity in the mix. In fact, they’re the thing that drives the entire story.

Warlock Holmes - G. S. Denning

Way early in the year I was strolling down the fantasy aisle at the library, when this cover caught my eye. I took one look at it, went “oh, this looks silly” and...proceeded to devour the entire series in a matter of weeks. 

It is very silly. Especially when it’s pointing out something that was silly in the original. There’s something so satisfying about Watson immediately answering Holmes with the correct number of steps in their flat when he’s trying to make his point about how most people don’t pay attention to things like that.

World War Z - Max Brooks

Every single scenario in here could easily support an entire book. A park ranger whose job it is to contain the yearly zombie spring thaw? HECK YES. I’d read tens of thousands of words about that. A Chinese admiral who defaults, steals the government’s premier submarine, loads it up with the families of his underlings and takes to the sea for years to live in the maritime economy that has sprung up in a world where everyone is trying to escape the shore? That could be an entire movie on its own. 

Every chapter was more creative than the last and as a huge worldbuilding fan, this book was so, so fun.

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

In which a queer, neurodivergent protagonist solves a mystery on a spaceship which is a microcosm of antebellum era politics! This had a beautiful, mysterious, wonder-inducing writing style and it was a joy to peer into the wildly differing minds of every single character.

Books - Nonfiction

Underland - Robert MacFarlane

In every chapter, the author visits a different hole. Basically.

It’s an exploration of caves, catacombs, mines, nuclear waste facilities and the hidden underbelly of every forest. It was fascinating. And fundamentally changed how I look at time.

Rejected Princesses - Jason Porath

After years of having enjoyed the web entries, I finally got my hands on the first book and was not disappointed. 

There are the more entertaining entries, of course and the art is as charming as always, but what struck me the most were the more difficult stories. The deeper you go into this book, the more horrific it gets. The author does not hold back on the indignities suffered by the historical figures he writes about. It’s terrible...but also very, very illuminating.

The Gift of Fear - Gavin De Becker

This book - while maintaining all the essential information in it - could be pared down to one sentence in a sea of blank pages and that sentence would be: trust your instincts. End of story.

But in a world where instincts are either customarily suppressed or going haywire, it’s not quite that easy, which is why I’m glad there is more to the book.

I picked it up thinking “ha ha, betcha can’t help a person with anxiety who fears all the time already” and...what it actually ended up doing was giving me the tools to differentiate between real fear and unfounded fear. And did help with the anxiety quite a bit.

Fanfiction

Watch Over Me - cakeisatruth

A Bioshock fic from the point of view of a little sister who is learning how to trust and be an ordinary child again. Dark and sweet. An excellent combo.

All That is Visible - Ultima_Thule

An exploration of a minor character in a well researched historical context? That’s my jam! How did they know?? A Tron fic about what it’s like to be a female programmer in the 70s.

Graphic Novels

The Adventure Zone - McElroys + Carey Pietsch

Yesssssssss! It was a running-to-the-library type event whenever my library got a new volume in. The jokes are so good, the art is so lively and the ways in which they added the details that the podcast couldn’t necessarily get across is *mwah*

Trail of Blood - Shuuzou Oshimi

Hoooooooly shit, the art style of this one!! It’s beautifully detailed and expressive, sure, but the real draw for me was how it changes with the emotional state of the main character. There’s this sequence in which he’s consumed with anxiety at school and all of his classmates become blurry and unfocused, until they can’t be recognized as humans at all, that particularly sticks with me.

It’s a horror story about a kid who witnesses his loving mother push his cousin off a cliff for seemingly no reason and is then obligated by her to keep the secret, which is eating him from the inside out. It’s so good, guys, please read it.

Level Up - Gene Lien Yang/Thien Pham

A story about a kid who is haunted by his late father’s desire for him to become a gastroenterologist. It’s funny and touching and the ending gave me what I can only describe as a feeling of exhilaration. Y’know that feeling when something unexpected but not out of left field, perfectly in tune with the narrative arc and gut bustingly funny happens, all in the same panel? That one.

Film

Searching

This is a fairly standard thriller about a dad trying to find out what happened to his missing daughter. It’s also found footage...but not in the usual way, which was what made it so compelling to me. It’s told through the dad’s phone calls, google searches, social media interactions, news footage, security cameras and webcams. It was such a cool way to tell a story.

Train to Busan

There’s a lot that’s already been said about this movie and I don’t think there’s much more I can meaningfully add to that. Suffice to say that ya gotta take care of each other if you’re going to survive a zombie apocalypse!!

TV Series

My Brother’s Husband

As close to a perfect adaptation as a person can get (barring the entire conversation in English which was...oof). I was so happy when they took it a step further and showed Kana and Yaichi actually getting to meet Mike’s family.

Zumbo’s Just Desserts

I watched a lot of baking shows this year. Like...a lot. They were my much-needed comfort viewing for the year and this one was my favorite, even over The Great British Baking Show (which I LOVE). Why? Because the pastry chef for whom it’s named makes such bizarre and wonderful desserts and fosters an environment in which the competitors do the same. I’ve never seen anything like a lot of the desserts that make an appearance on this show. Every single episode was an awesome surprise and so help me, this show had better get a third season.

She-ra and the Princesses of Power

There’s also a lot that’s been said about this one, so I won’t say much more. Suffice to say: DAMN. That’s how you do an 80s toy tie-in cartoon remake.

Infinity Train

This show’s premise is probably the most unique I’ve seen in recent years. Its balance of comedy, horror and existential dread is also *mwah* I also love how much it trusts the viewer to figure things out on their own.

Primal

A late entry sliding in before the year ends! I finally got to watch the second half of the first season last weekend and it was EXCELLENT. The pacing, the brutal fight scenes, the adorable dinosaur antics, the animation, the quiet moments - *mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah*

The most emotional moment for me was the part in which the protagonists watch, with sorrow, as the rabid dinosaur who’s been trying to kill them all night dies an excruciating death.

Also it sets up a fascinating new plotline right before ending in a cliffhanger!! Another one for the ‘had better get a next season’ list.

Games

Night in the Woods

This is one that’s been on my to play list for a few years and I was so glad I finally got my hands on it. It’s like...The Millennial Experience (TM), the game. I felt so seen, playing it. The character writing was fantastic.

Prey

I don’t know why I put off finishing this for so long. I guess I wasn’t in the right alien killing headspace for a while?? Anyway, the setting is gorgeous, the alien biology is weird and cool, the ethics are delightfully murky and the interconnectedness of the station was really cool, especially in the OH SHIT moments at the end. 

Podcasts

The Adventure Zone

I tried to narrow this down to one favorite arc, but found that I couldn’t do it. I love Balance for its comedy and creative energy. I love Amnesty for its drama and acting. I am loving Graduation for the depth of its world and the way in which the real story behind everything that’s happened is slowly unfurling. It’s a good podcast all around.  

The Magnus Archives

Who obsessively listened to every single season while playing Minecraft in about a month? Surely not me, nooooo. Of course not.

There’s also been a lot said on this one, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ve seen things in here that I haven’t really seen elsewhere in horror. My particular favorites were the creepy psychiatric hospital in which the horror comes not from the patients, but from the denial of the doctor to believe them about their mental illnesses and every single thing related to the Anthropocene. The one with the Amazonian village made out of trash - CHILLS.

[pucksnsticksnhockeyboys]

it’s what you deserve - pt. seven

summary: you finally have the chance to make things right, once and for all.

word count: 2.4k

link to the rest of the series

You had never seen Bee so happy as when you had told her that you ended things with Max. And it was odd, you had just broken up with your boyfriend, but you weren't sad. More, hopeful. When you had explained this to Bee, she just smiled widely at you and pulled you in for a bone crushing hug.

You watched the rest of the game with a little more enthusiasm, yelling at the refs for bad calls like you normally would. And instead of following Brett's figure on the ice as he skated around with guilt evident on your face, you looked determined. Determined to make things right, to do what would make you happy for the first time in months. Though, you still couldn't take your eyes off of him.

And so, you made a plan.

Work the next day had been absolute torture, the only respite you got was when you were able to check your phone every once in a while to see if Adam had texted you. He was vital to your plan, and once you had gotten the message that everything was all set on his end of things, you were able to breath a bit easier.

You wanted to text Brett and tell him that he had been right. That Max didn't deserve you and that you figured out how you should be treated. You thought that since he played a direct role in you ending things with your toxic ex, he had a right to know what happened.

But that was all too much to say over the phone. You wanted to be able to see his reaction and not just some typed out response. You wanted to be able to hold him tight as you told him you returned all the feelings he confessed to having just two days prior, and that just wasn't a possibility over a FaceTime call.

You raced back to the apartment after work and found Bee already ready to go, telling you she had picked out your outfit for the night. You simply rolled your eyes with a grin, brushing past her and into your room to find out that she had, in fact, laid out an outfit for you on your bed like she was your mother. The jeans and white sneakers she had picked out were fine, something you probably would have worn regardless, but the top she had was new—and definitely didn't come from your closet.

“Adam had that at his apartment and told me to get it for tonight, just don't ask me why he had it.” Bee explained with a chuckle as you picked up the Rangers jersey, the number twenty-one obvious and Howden scrawled across the back. Your heart raced at the idea of wearing his name, and a broad grin broke out across your face.

“Just remind me to thank him later.” You were grinning widely, shooing her out of the room so you could change. It felt right, wearing his name and number, and it gave you hope that this was going to work out.

It wasn't until you were walking into the Flyers arena did you begin to panic that maybe this was a bad idea. Would he want to see you after the way things had ended? Or would he be too upset that you had chosen Max over him, no matter how briefly, to give you a chance? Would he even want to be with you since you just got out of a relationship?

Your arm was linked through Bee's so you wouldn't lose each other in the crowd, so she felt you slow down the closer you got to the ice. You had already scanned your tickets in, having gotten the ones that Adam left at will call specifically for you and Bee—you really did have to remember to thank him. Between work and the travel time to get to Philly, by the time you arrived at the rink practice was over and you wouldn't actually get to talk to any of the boys until after the game.

“Get out of your head, okay? It'll be fine.” You tried to listen to Bee's words, you really did, but it was borderline impossible for you to not think about the multitude of ways this could blow up in your face.

When the players came onto the ice for puck drop you couldn't tear your gaze away from Brett—nothing new, honestly. You were a few rows off the ice, so you didn't blame him for not spotting you no matter how much you stared at him.

As the game progressed, you honestly couldn't be bothered to remember who scored what and how. Bee elbowed you every time someone scored, but your attention was fully on the brunette you held your heart. He hadn't smiled once the entire time he had been on the ice, and that was what cut you deep, thinking that it was your fault he wasn't having fun doing the one thing he loved the most. Guilt crept into your chest and gripped your being as the final seconds ran down on the clock.

The Rangers won, but just barely. Brett had taken a few necessary penalties, but you were glad he hadn't gotten hit like the night before. You weren't sure you could handle seeing that live. You hoped that what you were about to do would snap him out of his funk, and he could get back to playing as good as he had been the past few weeks.

Bee led you down to where Adam had told her to meet him, and you started shifting nervously on your feet. You chatted absentmindedly with Bee, knowing she was only telling you about what your old neighbor had said to her that morning to distract you. She peppered in a few comments to assure you that it would all be fine, and you were thankful for her, because before you even knew it players started filing out of the locker room.

“Please tell me you're here to make up with him.” You jumped in surprise at the deep voice belonging to Chris Kreider, somehow not noticing him approach. He was one of the teammates that had invited you out to dinner with Brett and the rest of the guys a few times, so you knew him decently well. You nodded at him, cheeks flushing at the fact that the older player probably knew what happened between you and Brett. Chris just grinned, pulling you into a one armed hug that caught you a bit off-guard. “The kid's head over heels for you.”

“I just hope he still feels the same, after everything, you know.” You mumbled, finally letting some of your concerns out in the air. Chris just laughed, teaming up against you with Bee who rolled her eyes at you. You were fighting a losing battle against the two of them.

“Trust me, he does.” Chris' words barely had time to register before Bee was leading him away, having spotted Adam walk out trailed by the boy you had been waiting for. They both muttered ‘good luck’ and 'see you later' before they left, but you hadn't really heard them. Your attention was focused solely on Brett, who hadn't seen you yet.

In the time it took him to realize you were there, you cataloged his features. He looked tired, deep bags under his eyes and a heavy slump to his shoulders that didn't come from the hard game. His was tie loose and hair a mess, he didn't even bother to style it after the post-game shower. Everything about the way he looked told you had been struggling with how things had ended the last time he was at your apartment, and that it effected him just as much as it did you. Still, he was just as devastatingly handsome as you remembered.

His head snapped up to look at Adam, who had elbowed him in the side to try and get him to notice you. There were only a few feet separating you from him, and he had yet to even see you. It was only when Ryan Lindgren called out something along the lines of ‘look in front of you, dumbass’ did he finally spot you.

He froze mid-step, not even acknowledging how his sudden stop made Buch bump into his shoulder as he swerved to avoid completely colliding with him. For a second, he just stared at you like he didn't quite believe that you were there, in Philly, wearing his jersey and waiting for him outside the locker room.

But then he snapped out of whatever daze he had been in, and he quickly closed the distance between you and him, pulling you into a hug before you could even blink. It felt so right being in his arms, that you sighed deeply, unsure how long you had been holding in your breath. You were certain you could have stayed right there forever, but the hoots and cheers from the boys around you had you pulling back.

Brett still didn't say anything, instead he threaded his fingers through yours and used your conjoined hands to tug you down a quieter hallway. Even when he stopped moving and decided you were far enough away from prying eyes, he didn't drop your hand—and you'd be fine if he never let go again.

“You're here.” He muttered, eyes roaming over you, as if he was searching for something wrong, waiting for you to come bash his hopes once more.

“I am.” You spoke just as quiet. “I broke up with Max.”

And at that, his smile was absolutely blinding. It was the biggest smile you'd ever seen on him, and you were certain his cheeks had to hurt. The type of smile that had you smiling too, though with Brett, every smile of his had you grinning right along with him.

“You know, I meant what I said about it not having to be me.” His smile faltered a bit, softening to one that held some sadness, despite the fact that he looked at least ten pounds lighter as a result of your confession. “I'm just glad you realized you deserve more than him.”

“Brett.” You took in a breath to steady yourself, wrapping your arms around his neck to stop him from rambling. It effectively shut him up, and his hands came to rest on your waist. You were smiling now, you couldn't help it. You were in the arms of someone who treated you right and wanted the best for you, even if it meant he couldn't have you. “What if I said I wanted it to be you?”

“Please,” he started, his right hand coming up to cup your chin as his face dropped closer to yours. “please tell me that it's me.” And with how close he was to you, you couldn't even begin to formulate a coherent sentence, so you simply nodded.

What happened next was long awaited, having been built up since probably the first moment you had laid eyes on him in that cafe. Brett finally closed the gap between the two of you, his lips pressed against yours with a sweetness and a desperation only matched by you. It was like you both were afraid of what would happen when you pulled away, so it was delayed as long as it could be.

Eventually, you did have to breathe though, and you disconnected your lips first. Brett didn't move back far, forehead resting on yours and nose pressing into your cheek. The scruff of his beard scratch your chin and drew a giggle out of you, one that Brett matched as he pulled you flush against his chest in a tight hug.

“Yeah, I definitely want it to be you.”

The next few weeks with Brett were infinitely better than the months spent with Max. Somehow, even though Brett had a busier schedule, he still found more time to see you than Max ever did and quickly you forgot completely about your ex. You had never smiled and laughed so much as you did when you spent time with Brett—you were certain he was your person and you were his.

“Can I take your order?” The waiter asked, and you shook your head politely. You didn't miss the quick glance he shot to the unoccupied chair across from you, and how he knew you'd been sitting by yourself for ten minutes.

“My boyfriend is on his way, I'll wait for him.” You explained, and the waiter gave you a tight-lipped smile before heading to check on another table. Almost as if on cue, your boyfriend entered the restaurant, looking at you with an apologetic smile as he approached.

“Sorry I'm late, I just got caught up in traffic and I left late because Adam made fun of my shirt and I had to change—” Brett started rambling out apologizes as soon as you were in earshot. He cut himself off as you chuckled, smile telling him that you weren't upset at him.

“Brett, you're five minutes late, and you texted saying you were running behind schedule.” You explained, standing to greet him with a hug and a kiss before you both took your seats again. Except, he stole two more quick kisses before you were able to sit back down.

“Yeah, but I know you usually get to restaurants early, so I try to get there early too.” He pouted, reaching across the table to grab your hand and press a kiss to your palm before threading your fingers together and resting them on the table. You just smiled at him, a look of pure adoration on your face that your boyfriend easily picked up on. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It's stupid.” You shook your head, ignoring his question and the blush that bloomed on your cheeks. Brett wasn't buying it, and instead raised a brow in silent question. “It's just, I've never had a guy care about me like you do, you know?” And for a moment, he didn't respond. Instead, he just smiled softly at you, looking at you the way you had been looking at him just moments before. And when he did speak, it was barely above a whisper.

“It's what you deserve.”

[elavoyy]

Worn Wear Won Wars (aka Chuck Hansen Birthday Fic)

Chuck’s 17th birthday started as uneventful as any other day he spent in the shatterdome. He had woken up, trained, walked Max, showered, had breakfast, then trained some more.

The atmosphere in Sydney Shatterdome was filled with an undercurrent of anxiousness and anticipation, and a routined busyness as always. Everything seemed the same as yesterday.

He didn’t expect to see Herc before their afternoon combat training session, but there he was, sitting at their table in the mess hall at lunch, having a seemingly pleasant conversation with one of Striker’s J-techs.

If Chuck had learned anything during the past year of drifting with his father, it was that Herc hated when Chuck publicly demonstrated how disfunctional their relationship was. It hadn’t much to do with shame or pride, no. Rather everything to do with how private a person Herc was and how much he hated assumptions, particularly on their father-son relationship, and how the soldier in him expected his son to act like one at all times.

So Chuck cursed to himself inwardly and made way to where his father was sitting, tray in one hand and Max’s leash in the other. He took the seat with a mumbled ‘hey old man’, then picked Max up and dumped him in Herc’s lap. Almost a peace offering as good as any.

‘Hey kid,’ Herc replied, scraching behind the tail-wagging bulldog’s ears without any protest to the deliberate greeting, which really was a surprise to Chuck. But he made no comment on it, instead picked up his fork and started attacking on the egg salad.

It wasn’t often that he and Herc ate lunch together when their schedule didn’t overlap in the morning. Chuck preferred to get ahead the busy lunch rush and finish eating as quickly as possible while Herc usually waited until the last fifteen minutes before they stopped serving. And in his stubborn mind Chuck had always thought Striker’s team being seen together was more for appearances’ sake than them actually wanting to spend time with each other.

Which was why he couldn’t help feeling a little alert when Herc made no move to leave after he had obviously finished his food. He could feel the old man’s attention focusing on him even though he was still idly chatting with the J-tech across the table.

That was another thing with sitting side by side with your drift partner, no wire or machine was needed to feel the other’s existence in the back of your mind, nor does every intention need to be read through body language or eye contact.

Finally Chuck broke his silence when the J-tech left the table and Herc showed no sign of following, ‘Don’t you have something better to do than sitting around, old man?’

Herc glared at him for a second and said: ‘Don’t call me that.’ Then he looked down at Max, clearly avoiding eye contact, which he rarely did and that just got Chuck more on edge.

Now that Chuck actually turned to look at him, he could see the slight awkwardness on Herc’s face. The typical “I have something to say but I don’t know how” face which could only mean the next thing that comes out of his father’s mouth would be either extremely infuriating or tremendously embarrassing. Great. Chuck regretted not just take his lunch and leave when he had the chance. He was having an okay day until then and really wasn’t in the mood for emotional conflict.

He was just about to get up and leave but of course Herc sensed his retreat and stopped him before he could.

‘Striker’s crew wants to throw you a party.’ Herc said, in a carefully neutral tone.

‘What?’ Chuck asked. Because none of the words Herc just said made sense to him.

Looking at Chuck’s furrowed brows and genuinely confused face, Herc sighed, ‘They knew it’s your birthday today. And they wanted to celebrate. They asked me to ask you if you were down.’

Chuck looked at Herc like he’d just lost his mind. ‘What? No! Why?’ Then he realised he was probably over reacting a bit, so he lowered his voice, ‘No. What were they thinking? This isn’t a fucking summer camp. And why didn’t you just tell them that?’

Herc, surprisingly let the swear word slide, just shrugged. ‘I told them a surprise party would be a very bad idea. And that you probably won’t say yes.’

‘A surprise party.’ Chuck repeated dryly. Just saying these words out loud made Chuck want to grimace. Yes it’s only been a little more than half a year since he started working with these people, but nevertheless they should know that Chuck passionately hated both socialising and surprises. A surprise party. If Chuck didn’t know better he would think they were trying to get back to him for breaking Striker’s fingers on their last drop.

‘They mean well.’ Herc said, ‘And you can’t blame them for finding every excuse to let loose a bit, eh?’

That last comment brought up some unpleasant memories for both of them, and for a short moment Chuck didn’t know what to say.

‘Besides, it’s your first birthday as a Ranger. Reckoned you’d want to celebrate.’ Herc stood up and made to collect both their empty trays. ‘I’ll just tell them that you don’t then.’

Chuck picked up Max’s leash and followed his father’s movements without thinking, still feeling a little off balance with what Herc just said, though he couldn’t quite figure out why.

Herc turned to face him at the door way and hesitated, but in the end he just clapped Chuck’s shoulder and said: ‘see ya later, eh kid?’ Then walked away.

————————

Their training session that afternoon went as well as training sessions could go, leaving them with sore muscles and aching bones and a wonderful aftertaste of adrenaline rush. To Chuck’s relief, Herc didn’t mention anything about birthdays or parties or surprises again, so all in all Chuck was quite happy with how this day ended, now all that left to do was to shower, get some food, then go back to his bunker and do some reading before bed while cuddling with his dog.

Chuck was about to go pick Max up from his sitter—a nice mechanic lady who works in the workshops in the hangars, before heading to the mess hall, when Herc called out to him.

‘Chuck, wait.’ Herc strode down the hallway and gestured for him to follow, ‘Come for a sec, got something for ya.’

‘What now, old man?’ Chuck’s tone was sceptical and wary, as he seamlessly fell into step with his father, ‘This isn’t about that party bullshit again, is it?’

‘Watch it kid.’ Herc warned without really meaning it. ‘No, it’s not. I got something for your birthday, you little wanker.’

Now Chuck wasn’t expecting that. See, after Angela had died, the Hansens just didn’t do birthdays anymore. Mostly because they were usually apart at the times, and evidently calling to say “Happy Birthday” was beyond their capabilities. In the past six years, Herc had gotten Chuck exactly one birthday gift, and that gift was probably getting a belly rub from a nice little lady in the mechanic shop at this moment. So Chuck really didn’t know how to respond, except with his usual “when confused with emotions, act like a little shit” tactic.

‘Since when do you care about anyone’s birthdays?’ Chuck scoffed as they came to a stop in front of Herc’s room, ‘Is it a head injury or just being old?’

‘For fucks sake, Chuck. Can you stop being a brat for one second and accept that people actually care about you?’ Herc pulled the metal door open with an unnecessary amount of force, and purposely ignored the loud noise when it smashed against the wall. He rolled his eyes when Chuck was startled at the sound. ‘And I’m not even forty. Get in.’

Chuck sat on the desk chair and watched Herc close the door behind him, then went straight to pull something out from the cupboard in the corner.

‘Here, try it on.’ Herc threw the jacket at Chuck’s head, but Chuck’s reflex was way too fast to get hit.

It was a leather bomber jacket, dark coloured with short faux fur lining the collar. The leather dull but thick and resilient, the weight heavy and the touch soft. Striker’s logo was sewn onto the right upper arm, its colour vibrant and stitches new, a jarring contrast to the old leather. But Chuck’s eyes were caught on the back, where a little Kaijiu head was spray painted to the left.

‘You got me a second hand bomber.’ Chuck was trying to sound judgmental but he couldn’t stop himself from tracing his hand along the Striker logo and the soft leather over and over.

‘I wore it in Hong Kong.’

Chuck looked up at Herc, there was reminiscence in his eyes, which quickly dissolved into smugness when he saw how carefully Chuck had caressed the garment.

‘It’s probably a bit big for you now, but you’ll grow into it, hopefully.’ Herc said with a smirk.

‘Yeah yeah, and soon it’ll be too small.’ Chuck grinned in that way when he knows he’s being a brat.

‘You wish.’ Herc chuckled, shook his head, then opened the door and waved a hand, ‘Now get out of here and go eat your veges.’

Chuck folded the jacket over his arms and walked through the door, then turned back to look at his father, who was looking at him with the same expression as at lunch, and said: ‘Thanks, dad.’

Herc smiled at him, and for some reason, looked almost relieved as he replied: ‘Happy birthday, Chuck.’

Chuck nodded once and walked away, he never heard the loud clang of a metal door before he turned the corner.

Fin.

[wallstoothin]

Long Live the Empire

I’m sorry for posting this again but I tweaked it and decided to fully post it instead of leaving a link like last time. This is technically in my P5 in P3 Au but it’s written in case someone want to view it as a childhood au.

Stepping on top of the plastic milk crate, Akira makes sure to give out his best laugh to his followers each sitting around his feet waiting for him to give his speech. He was the leader, of course he’s about to give the best speech the world has ever heard. He spent hours researching and learning about it. At this point he was practically a pro. 

Showtime.

He coughed into his fist to clear his voice and announce his presence to the world and his audience. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen !” He called out. “I thank you for taking time off your busy day to be with me here today. “ Akira smiled in satisfaction taking in the cheers of his audience.

His audience were hard to please but at the same time so easy. It must be his natural charm (max stats of course). He reaches into his bag and pulls out a flag- something he only created a night before but serves as a symbol for something he planned for a long time. His followers follow his hand as he moves it up above his head letting the wind to take control to proudly wave it around.

“The time for change is now! Together we can change the world, no changing the world would do no good to us. We can do better. Let’s rule the world with an iron paw!” 

The crowd was absolutely wild at this point, the ladies are crowding at his feet, the men not so far behind. Akira can feel a giggle building up from his chest to his throat. 

He hasn't felt this type of high in a long time. He was truly happy. Nothing can stop him from taking over the world now. 

Nothing except for him.

He was just standing there, his left hand clutching the strap of this school bag, his other hand behind his back. Was he hiding something? Doesn’t matter. What mattered was that the kid was glaring at him again. His ugly face was giving him the look. The same look he has whenever Akira has one more apple slice than him. The same look he has whenever Akira scores better than him on a test and the same look whenever they had a fight based on who’s the best ranger is. 

That kid refuses to listen to logic and proper reasoning. It’s no surprise that he’s here to ruin everything.

Akira scowled as the kid make his way across the street. If they were at school then he would have heard a large thump as he stomped across but since this is the street all the anger the kid has can only be expressed by a soft ‘tap tap tap’ and sore feet. Not only would Akira would have to deal with the situation now but also the whining during bedtime. Great just great. 

His audience is getting restless as well, the high spirited mood quickly cut off the kid’s anger radinating a street away. Akira found himself petting the head of one of his younger audience both to comfort himself and the little one. 

Akira scrunch up his face hoping that it ends up looking somewhat disgruntled instead of constipated. 

“Akechi Goro.” He sneered. 

“Kurusu-kun.” Akechi returned. “Delaying your trip home are you?”

The kid didn’t even say his line correctly. This just proves Akira’s point further. 

“I’m campaigning .“ He replied honestly. There’s no point in lying. Not when Akechi can catch the fact that he’s lying as soon as it leaves his mouth.

Akechi scrunch up his face. The same face he uses whenever he sees his audience. “With a bunch of cats?” 

Akechi was a dog person. Meaning that he is Akira’s natural enemy. He must’ve pet a dog on his way home. Akira can see the dog hair on his pants. His followers can also smell it as well from the hissing he hears from behind. 

Akira scoffed. This guy. 

“They are not just a bunch of cats.” He hissed emphatsing the words Akechi has said before. “They are my comrades. We’re going to overthrow the government and make it a cat empire. We are simply having a rally. We don’t need...we don’t need.” What is Akechi in terms of this campaign? A disbeliever? An antifan. Calling him a rival seem so juvenile 

“Go home and do your homework Goro.” he said instead cutting off whatever he was saying before.

“No.” Akira would like to kick that smug face in the shin. “In fact I think I’ll take down your...party.” 

What?

He must have said that out loud because Akechi’s grin widened. He nodded eagerly. “You said you wanted to take over the world right? Someone should take you down. And I decided that I will be the one to do it. It’s a hero’s job after all.”

‘The new episode of Featherman comes on tonight’ Akira thought. No wonder the older boy was talking about being a hero, ‘What a nerd.’

He’s no better than the girls in his class gushing about Loveline. He wonder if Akechi also keep Loveline merch somewhere in his room. Maybe in that treasure chest that he's been hiding under the bed. 

Akechi can’t take him down right? As long as he’s standing on the crate he is taller than him and being taller means he has dominance. Plus he have his followers who would follow him thick and thin. Nothing can get in his way. And if he does end up pushing Akira down the crate and on to the floor he’ll just tell on him. The scrape that he’ll get would be his evidence. 

“Oh yeah? You and what army.”

He watched as Akechi dramatically reached for his bag, slowly letting the strip slip off his shoulder one at a time as he opened the flap to his bag. The cover makes a loud noise as he comes in contact with the bag. And Akira watch with wide eyes as Akechi points a gun at his head.

Well it was not a real gun. It was the limited edition water gun from Featherman. If Akira remembers correctly it was this gun that stopped the big boss from destroying the city in the latest Featherman movie. Akira gulped. His followers still by his feet, meowing and rubbing their faces against the crate. They don’t know the true threat that Akechi presents.

He watched as Akechi gave one more smirk as he lowered his arm until the gun pointed at the floor. 

“W-wait don’t!”

Akechi shoots at the ground immediately the cats flee each moving in different directions. Loud meows and screeches filled Akira’s ears and no matter how much he tried to calm them his followers won’t stop crying. One of the more bigger cats bumped into the crate causing Akira to lose his balance and fall off landing on his butt. He winces and rubs his sore behind and when he look up Akechi was already there. The gun now pointed at his forehead. 

“Did you really think you would succeed?” The brown hair boy asked. 

He interrupted Akira before he could answer.

“Whatever, This is how your justice ends Akira-kun.” 

He pressed the trigger and then…

Akira’s hair was now wet. And just like that eight year old Akira’s empire was overthrown by some Featherman fanboy.

He’ll get him back next time. 

[xolarajean]

Greenhouse Academy S1-4

Preface: So, I finally have gotten around to writing a review about S1-4 of Greenhouse Academy. I finished over a week ago and watched all 4 seasons in about 4 days haha. Honestly, I’ve been procrastinating this review because I have A LOT to write about. So here we go!

Plot: Eight months after losing their astronaut mother in a rocket explosion, brother and sister Alex and Hayley Woods enroll at a private boarding school, the Greenhouse, for gifted future leaders. Separately, they join two competing houses, Ravens and Eagles, within the school and tension builds up between the two siblings as they adjust. Soon, mysterious events catch the attention of the students from both houses and forces them to work together in order to find out what is happening at the draw the Greenhouse.

Review: 3.5/5

I found the plot really intriguing at first. In addition, I liked the actual events that happened and where the story could head in the future. Though, the execution was not as great. The acting I felt was good for the most part, but the writing seemed a little awkward and cringey at some points. But bear in mind that it is targeted at kids/teens (even though at some points in season 3 and 4 there were some curses thrown around) so it is kind of expected to have those moments. Either way, those moments are bearable to watch through. I personally liked season 1+2 more than season 3+4 for the most part. There is one main issue I have with this show, but I can’t describe it without spoiling it. So, continue reading if you’ve watched the show/don’t care about being spoiled (It’s mostly about season 3+4).

But the main issue I have were the character changes. The obvious ones are the actual cast changes for Emma and Brooke. And the fact that Jackie left... that broke my heart. I still have this naive hope that she will come back though. It sucks that the original actresses could not continue with season 3 and 4, but you can’t really blame anyone since those decisions are based on personal reasons. It’s hard not to prefer the original actresses because well they are what we are used to. Though, I can’t understand why everyone is hating on them sooooo much. I personally think they were fine at acting. The REAL problem was the writing. In season 3 and 4, the personalities of so many characters were switched and the plots were messier. 

To start off, the whole love triangle between Daniel-Hayley-Leo was annoying. I DID ENJOY Daniel and Hayley, but Leo was just being a dick for the entirety of season 3. Obviously Leo was already a bit of an ass with the whole Aspen and LDR drama, but in season 3 the writers just made him 10x that (especially with the whole leading Beca on and straight up insulting Hayley at every chance he got). As you can tell I’m not a big fan of Leo, but the thing that got me is that the writers made Daniel such a jealous boyfriend? It seemed really out of character to me for Daniel to go through Hayley’s text like that and be paranoid of Leo (I mean hello this is the guy that is just straight up insulting your girlfriend and cheated on her. I don’t think you have that much competition or so I thought -- ending of season 4 was annoying). Like I know he was probably scared of Hayley getting back with Leo because of the Brooke and Alex thing, but honestly he knew that his relationship with Brooke was already sinking before Alex came into the picture. Plus, Hayley wasn’t flirting with Leo like Brooke was with Alex in Season1+2. The only good part about this love triangle was how supportive and understanding Daniel was with Hayley at the end. I mean done get me wrong I was thrown off by the huge 180 his personality took, but I’m just gonna believe that Daniel is just that good of a guy to be that mature. Anyway I’m just gonna end it with I prefer Dayley because their relationship felt more real (also I’m so glad that she told Daniel about the button and secret room right away and the writers avoided the keeping secrets to protect you which leads to tension trope because I would have imploded if they did that) and I want to erase the ending of season 4 from my head. 

Next up: Emma and Max. Honestly in the first episode when I learned that Jackie was gone and both Emma and Max started lying about being in LDRs, I knew the writers were gonna try and pair them up. I had hope that they would pull a twist and have Jackie show up in the middle, but NOPE. Like this pairing is just super... boring? Like they are both sweet characters, but they really don’t bring that much to the table in terms of romantic chemistry. I liked them better as best friends who geek out together. And because the writers focused so much about their relationship it left almost no room for actual individual screen time or character development for either of them. Like all they did was use some algorithms and their intelligence to solve some seriously hard problems, but it made them seem more like robots and tools to solve the conflicts in the plot. All I have left to say is that I still ship Jackie+Max.

Now I wanna talk about Alex and Brooke. Tbh I never saw much chemistry between the two characters in any season. Like yeah Alex was a good guy that was with her at the right time when she went to the cave at night in like season 1 where he fought off the park ranger, but still it didn’t feel like a real relationship. This continues into season 3+4 and I was sooo happy when they broke up (but why did she have to do it during a basketball game? Heat of the moment I guess) Also, even when Alex was “trying to be a good friend” to Brooke, it came off that he was still trying to get back together with her even though it is obvious that she is just not ready? And near the end of season 4 after she talks to Jason in the hospital when she and Alex were talking, I cringed so hard when he admitted that he was having trouble being just friends because it felt to me that he was trying to guilt trip her into getting back together with him which is just so wrong?!?! Again, I wish to delete this scene from my brain.

Lastly I wanna share my opinions about Sophie, Parker, and Enzo. Let me start out by saying I think in season3+4, Sophie was my favorite character. I mean come on how could I not love her? She is determined to chase her ambitions like the bad ass she is even with her past (which I’m super mad that they didn’t really delve into her past because that could have made the show a lot more interesting). I also liked the introduction of a character like Enzo since it brings a new kind of person into the show and makes it more realistic because for the most part these kids seemed a little “too perfect.” Though, the writers didn’t use him to the full potential that he has which sucks for the viewers and the actor too and based on what we saw he is pretty good. Anyway I liked how he is actually a softie at heart and does the right thing for Soph. Now I wanna talk about the Sophie+Parker ship. Honestly, are the writers trying to pair up literally all the students together?!?! Again like Emma and Max, I felt that this wasn’t a real relationship; we’ve barely seen these two have any romantic chemistry and I view them more like a good pair of friend (class clown/funny + class president/serious dynamic is something I love). That’s all.

Quick opinion: Louis just felt off since the S3. I mean I get that he wants to better the students, but causing fights seemed wayyyy out of line for his character. So that was weird. 

Anyway that was all of my thoughts (at least for now) about Greenhouse Academy! Even though it seems like I hate the series based on my complaints above lol I actually really liked it and hope for a season 5 (crossing my fingers) where the writers and other staff can hopefully redeem themselves by fixing the problems above. If you have any thoughts about the show, please do talk to me about it because I LOVE chatting about the shows I’ve watched. 

[hockeyluver-1995]

Chance Meetings- Morgan Rielly Chapter 3

Morgan Rielly Story

Chapter 3

Word Count: 3.6k

September 2018

The last couple of weeks had been crazy for both Morgan and me so we haven’t had a chance to see each other. But that didn’t stop Morgan from sending me a good morning and good night text every day. As well as texting me when he wasn’t busy with getting ready for the season.

The Maple Leafs started their preseason games about four days ago playing in New York the first two games.

Today was the Maple Leafs first set of home games in the preseason set by the NHL. Morgan texted me after the first preseason game in New York saying that he had left 4 tickets for the afternoon game and that we would be sitting with Lucy and Henry.  I had immediately messaged back questioning why he had left four tickets instead of one, his response was that they were for the kids as well. After getting the okay from both Jess and Tom, the kids and I were getting ready for their first Maple Leafs game.

Once Jess heard that the kids were invited to the game she purchased both Max and Ella a Maple Leafs Jersey to match Nate’s.

I quickly got dressed for the game before heading to the kitchen to help finish getting the children ready.

I picked up Max from his high chair and brought him into his room to change his diaper and to put him in his mini jersey.  I grabbed all the essentials needed to take a baby on an adventure and headed into the living room to finish packing the diaper bag.

Jess had agreed to drive us to the game and then pick up the children after so that I could spend time with Morgan. Jess parked the car and I got out and opened the car door on Max’s side, starting to unstrap him from his car seat. With Max in arms, Ella holding my hand and Nate holding her hand, we headed into the arena. Once we got to the ticket area I mentioned my name and she handed Nate the tickets.

We got the tickets scanned and made our way to the seats about 10 rows up from the Leafs net. Once we got to the seats I saw that Lucy was already sitting in the seats beside ours. Lucy nodded her head towards me as she saw me walking down the stairs with my gang. When we got to the row Lucy stood us with Henry in her arms and gave me a big hug.

“Nate, Ella, Max this is my friend Lucy and her son.”

“It’s nice to meet you Max, Ella, and Nate,” Lucy said as she shook the children’s hands.

“Do you guys want to follow me, I usually go and stand at the glass for warm up with Henry.” She said as she started walking down the stairs to the glass.

Nate and Ella quickly followed behind and just as we made it to the glass the leafs started to get onto the ice for warm up.

My mind started to wander as we stood at the glass as the boys skated around and shot the puck. Dam Morgan looked so hot in his uniform skating around the ice.

Max was wiggling excitedly as he placed his hands on the glass. I pulled out my phone to get a video as all three kids started banging on the glass.

I looked over and saw that Jake was standing in front of Henry handing him a puck through the camera hole.

Morgan noticed that I was looking towards the happy family and he sent me a wink as he took off skating really fast.

After a quick lap around Morgan stopped right in front of us and started to stretch. Which consisted of him wiggling his butt as he bent forward.

“Omg, he is totally doing that for you,” Lucy stated as she started to giggle. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight as well.

When Morgan was done stretching he grabbed a couple of the warm-up pucks and threw them over the glass for the children. Nate caught all three and handed them to his siblings. I mouthed thank you to Morgan as he nodded his head and made his way back to the dressing room.

Lucy and I quickly walked back up to our seats so that we would be ready for the start of the game.

During the first period, Morgan made some really good plays that prevented the Rangers from scoring. He also made a really smart play, which resulted in a breakaway for Auston Matthews. The buzzard sounded signaling the end of the first period. We quickly stood up from our seats so that we could use the restrooms and grab some food before the start of the second period.

Soon the buzzard sounded signaling the start of the second period.  This period the maple leafs were shooting our way.  Two minutes into the second period Morgan’s line hopped over the boards and onto the ice. Once on the ice, Morgan quickly received a pass at the blue line from his teammate and he took a slap shot towards the net.  Seconds later the goal horn sounds, and Morgan skated towards where we were sitting.

I jumped up out of my seat and started celebrating with the children and Lucy.  Looking towards the ice to watch Morgan celebrate with his teammates I noticed that he sent a wink in my direction as he celebrated with his teammates.  I could hear Lucy beside me awe quietly as a small blush flushed over my cheeks.

Sitting down in the seat I looked up towards the Jumbotron. The clock counted down the seconds as Morgan cleared the puck out of their end zone as the buzzard sounded signaling the end of the game. Leafs fans all around quickly stood up and cheered for their team, giving out hi-fives to everyone they could reach. The atmosphere was electric as the fans cheered on the boys to a 5:3victory.

Nate leaned over his sister Ella and gave me a big hi-five before sitting back in his seat pulling his little sister into his lap for a cuddle.

We watched as they announced the three stars of the game. Morgan was announced as the first star of the game with a goal, three assists, and two blocked shots. He walked out of the tunnel and skated onto the ice with a signed stick. A little boy who must have been six years old was standing right at the glass banging his little hands against the glass which caught my eye and the eye of Morgan. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Morgan skate up to where the little boy was standing and passed him the signed stick over the glass.

Morgan caught my eye as he was skating back towards the dressing room and sent me a wink as he slowly disappeared through the tunnel.

As everyone around us was getting ready to leave the game Lucy whispered: “Morgan wants to see you and the kids after the game, so I’m going to take you down.”

I nodded my head and mouthed thank you as we stood up and followed Lucy to an elevator and made our way to the basement floor. Lucy led us down a narrow hallway before stopping in what looked like a suit and stepped in.

I looked around the room and noticed that we were the only ones in the room. I thought for sure there would be other family members and significant others in the room waiting for their guys.  

Lucy noticed my confusion and whispered into my ear “Morgan wanted it to be just the two of you. He wants to keep you to himself before he has to share you with the other boys. He knows once he introduces you to them they won’t leave you alone.”

I nodded my head and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I have to say, Hailey, I have never seen Morgan act this way with any of his girlfriends. He really thinks you’re special” she added “he phoned me after your date in the park and thanked me for introducing you guys because he was too nervous to approach you himself. “

“Awe.”

Max was itching to get down and walk so you put him on his feet as you watched him walk around with his siblings.

You took a quick picture and sent it to Jess and Tom. Just as you hit send Morgan and Jake both walked into the little room.

Nate ran up to Morgan and gave him a big high five congratulating him on his amazing goal. Ella followed her brother and hugged his leg stating that he looked like Kristoff from frozen.

Max noticed the new people in the room and walked towards me wanting into my arms. I quickly picked him up and he buried his head into my neck. I kissed the top of his head as I murmured that I loved him and made my way over to Morgan, Ella, and Nate.

Morgan noticed me walking over and pulled me into his arms. I cuddled into his strong embrace and whispered “nice goal superstar.”  

“Thanks, I guess I had a little bit more motivation today to impress two pretty girls,” Morgan said sending a wink my way.

Ella quickly started blushing at the fact that the guy that looked like he was from her favourite movie had called her cute.

Max slowly pulled his head from my shoulder as he quietly studied Morgan. After a couple of minutes of staring Morgan down, he reached out for him. Shocked that he wanted out of your arms I looked towards Morgan and he nodded his head and you hand him, Max.

Once in his arms, Max quickly showed Morgan the puck in his hand before throwing it on the floor. Everyone in the room started laughing as Max started to laugh hysterically.

Lucy, Jake, and Henry slowly made their way towards us and offered to take a picture. I nodded my head as I handed them my phone. Lucy took the picture and I sent it to Jess and Tom before we made our way up to where Jess was picking up the children. Morgan had to grab his car keys from the locker room so that he could drive me to his place. So I agreed to meet him at the ticket counter after the kids were on their way home.

Jess pulled up and I gave her a smile as I helped load the children into the vehicle. Before I shut the door “have fun Hails,” and sent me a wink.

I shook my head and laughed as I shut the door. Just as I stepped back into the building Morgan was just walking up the booth. He saw you walk over so he met you half way and grabbed your hand interlacing your fingers. We walked towards the players’ parking lot and he opened my side of the door to his white Porsche.

Shutting the door he quickly made his way to the drivers' side a climbed in. He backed out of his parking spot and we made our way to his building in Trinity-Bellwoods.

15 minutes later we were outside of his building. He opened the door for me and held my hand as he guided me into the elevator hitting the 4th floor.

We walked out of the elevator and made our way to his door. He opened it and guided me into his apartment.

“Nice place Morgan.”

“Thanks.” He said as he set his keys on the table.

I looked around the kitchen and noticed flowers and a box of chocolate sitting on the kitchen island. I couldn’t help but  ‘Awe’ out loud as he remembered what Nate had told him

“You remembered.”

“Of course I did, ” was his reply as he pulled me in for a long hug. I hurried my head into his chest as I got a whiff of his cologne.

Morgan pulls away looking into my eyes “now I believe you promised me homemade cookies.”

Laughing you quickly make your way into the kitchen and started making the chocolate chip cookies that you had helped the children make the other day. Morgan kept coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around you before reaching down and stealing a piece of cookie dough. Laughing at his attempt to be sneaking you lightly smack his arm away laughing.

As we were waiting for the cookies to bake Morgan pulled me into the TV room and sat down. I sat down beside him as he grabbed the remote from the coffee table. Once the remote was in his hand he leaned back on the couch and placed his feet straight on the sectional.

Once he was comfy he pulled me into his body so that my head was on his chest and our legs were intertwined.

He turned on the TV and went to Netflix. We scrolled through Netflix and settled on F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

Just as Ross and Rachel were about to have their first kiss I looked up into Morgan’s blue eyes and I could see that he was looking towards my lips and then back up to my eyes.

We both slowly moved our heads towards one another. Just as our lips were millimeters apart the oven dinged signaling that the cookies were done. We pulled apart and Morgan made his way into the kitchen. He had never hated cookies more in his life. He was finally going to kiss you and then the stupid oven beeped and it ruined the moment.  

I followed Morgan into the kitchen to find him opening the freezer for the vanilla ice cream. I walked up behind him and gave him a hug “don’t worry Mo, I’m sure there will be many opportunities for you to kiss me.”

“You called me Mo!” He said as he looked into my eyes.

I quickly looked down towards the ground embarrassed.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” he added sending me a breath-taking smile.

We grabbed the cookies and ice cream and made our way back to the couch. However this time we didn’t turn on the TV.

“Hails, I am really enjoying every minute I get to spend with you. I know everything is going at a fast pace, but I can’t stop thinking about you and I want to spend all my time with you.”

“I’m loving every minute I get to spend more time with you as well.”

“I know it’s moving fast but what are you thinking in terms of a relationship?” Asked Morgan as he looked into your eyes. I could see the nerves radiating from his body.

I looked into his hopeful blue eyes and set my empty plate on the coffee and did the same thing with Morgan’s. I maneuvered my body so that I was facing him grabbed both of his huge hands in my tiny ones.

“I really want to be your girlfriend but it's just going at such a fast pace and that terrifies me” I took a deep breath and started explaining Lucas. “My last boyfriend really messed with my head. Over the course of our two-year relationship, he cheated on me every chance he could while he was on the road and it crushed me when I found. I was young and naïve when I met him and I believed everything he told me. He tried to manipulate me into believing that’s what happens when you date a hockey player and that I should just get used to it. I quickly added “not that I think you would cheat on me if we were together. I’ve only known you for 3 weeks but you are already so different than Lucas.”

I could feel a tear roll down my cheek as I finished explaining Lucas to Morgan. Morgan’s hands quickly wiped them away as he pulled me into his muscular chest.

“God, I hate that he did that to you. I just want to have the opportunity to show you how it feels to be treated like a priority and be with someone who will show you what being in love really feels like. But don’t worry we will take it as slow as you need but know that I am all in.”

I nodded my head and buried myself deeper into Morgan’s embrace.  Enjoying the safety of being in his arms. I could feel the walls around my heart start to crack and fall down with every moment with Morgan.

Just as we were eating the pizza Morgan had ordered and continuing watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S there was a knock on the door.

Morgan huffed as he stood up to see who was interrupting his cuddle session with Hailey.

He opened the door to see Jake and Lucy standing at the door. I stood in the doorframe of the TV room to see Jake with a shit-eating grin on his face and Lucy rolling her eyes at her husband.

“By the look on your face, I can tell we are interrupting your precious time with Hailey aren’t we?” asked Jake as he started cackling like a Disney villain.

“Yes, asshole,” Morgan said as he shoved Jake.

Lucy looked around the boys and mouthed the words sorry as she walked further into the apartment and gave me a big hug.

Morgan and Jake started talking about the next couple of game in the preseason game.

As they were talking Lucy pulled me to the side and asked me how I was feeling. “To be honest I am terrified of my feelings. I’ve known him for three weeks and I feel like I’ve known him my whole life. My heart is telling me to let myself fall in love with him and to trust that he isn’t going to break me apart. But my brain is telling me to protect myself from being hurt.”

Lucy pulled me in for a hug “I can't promise you that you won't get hurt along the way but I can promise you that Morgan will do anything in his power to make sure you will feel loved and wanted.  I have known him since he was drafted and I have never seen him so invested in getting to know someone as much as he is with you. I see the way he looks at you as if you are the only thing that matters to him. He is falling for you just as hard as you are falling for him.”

“Your right Lucy! He asked me to be his girlfriend this afternoon and I said I want to take it slow. But I shouldn’t be so worried about the past that I miss what is right in front of me- my future.”

“What are you girls talking about?” asked Jake as he jumped on the couch between Lucy and me.

Morgan looked at me and rolled his eyes as Lucy shoved him off the couch.

“We were talking about how it was all your idea to crash their second date.” Answered Lucy as she sent me a wink.

“We now that you’re here why don’t you have some of the cookies Hails made?” asked Morgan.

Jake quickly jumped up into a standing position and ran into the kitchen. Morgan quickly ran in after him yelling “just don’t eat all of them…. They are my cookies.”

“I’m just here to help you out so you don’t get in trouble with Babs.” was Jakes reply.  

“Those two.” Lucy said as she rolled her eyes “can you imagine how they were when they lived together.”

Seconds later both boys came back into the TV room with a plate of cookies each. Morgan quickly sat down beside me on the couch and handed one me a cookie as he put his arm around my shoulder.

“Well, now that Jake has eaten his cookies and crashed your date we should head home now.” Said Lucy as she stood up from her spot on the couch.

Jake followed Lucy to the door but not before turning towards Hailey “Take care of my boy Hails.”  

I nodded my head and leaned into Morgan’s embrace on the couch.

Morgan grabbed my hand and led me out onto his balcony where you could see the sun start to set.

I looked into Morgan’s blue eyes and I knew right at this moment that I was done waiting and taking it slow.

“I’m all in Morgan.”

“Really?” he asked as I could see the excitement in his eyes.

“Yes! I’m done letting the past control me.”

“WOOHOOO!”  Morgan yelled as he picked me up into his arms and spun me around in a circle.

I couldn’t contain my giggle at his reaction.  I looked up into his eyes as he pulled me close. A piece of my hair fell into my face and I could feel his hand move up to move it. His hand moved the piece before slowly moving down to cup my cheek the whole time he was staring into my blue eyes and biting. Our heads moved together and our lips slowly touched as if we were two magnets being pulled together.  It was like time stood still and fireworks were going off. We slowly pulled away connecting our foreheads together as we both breathed out “wow.”

“I promise you, Hails. I will never make you question my commitment to you.” Morgan said as he pulled me in for another breathtaking kiss.

[buzzdixonwriter]

Hoo Noo Shmoo?

Never let it be said that this blog is flagging in its enthusiasm for flogging horses so dead they’re found in the glue bin at Office Max.

To whit, the Scorsese vs MCU brouhaha.

Bottom line: Scorsese is right.  As well made as MCU movies are, they ain’t cinema, they’re glorified commercials to sell MCU product.

Full disclosure: I should know, since I wrote for G.I. Joe, Transformers, and a host of other toy-based syndicated animation shows.  I’m happy with the work I did, I can point proudly to specific episodes I wrote that aspire to be more than mere half-hour commercials…

…but they ain’t art.

They ain’t art, despite our aspirations to do the best job we could, because ultimately we creators were not allowed to create what we felt best for our stories, but what Hasbro deemed vital to their sales.

(The closest we got to art was when Hasbro cancelled The Inhumanoids toy line in mid-production of the TV series, and said we could finish our broadcast commitment however we saw fit so long as it didn’t result in an FCC complaint.  As a result, we went nuts.)

My Hasbro / Sunbow experience remains a highpoint of my creative life, so I’m not denigrating the talent, skill, ability, spirit, and enthusiasm of those making MCU movies.

…but they ain’t art.

Now, those who love MCU movies think Scorsese’s comments are a slam against them.

Welllll…no, not directly.

But they do underscore how popularity -- especially of media designed to push product -- is a faulty measuring stick for artistic merit.

Case in point: The Shmoo.

Wuzza shmoo, you ask (and thus proving my point)?

Shmoos were extremely popular in the late 1940s.  Part of the wonderfully wacky world cartoonist Al Capp created for his hit Li’l Abner comic strip, shmoos represented a parable on American consumerism, modern day geese laying not mere golden eggs but birthday cakes with candles a’blazin’.

As Capp described them:

They reproduce asexually and are incredibly prolific, multiplying faster than rabbits. They require no sustenance other than air.

Shmoos are delicious to eat, and are eager to be eaten. If a human looks at one hungrily, it will happily immolate itself -- either by jumping into a frying pan, after which they taste like chicken, or into a broiling pan, after which they taste like steak. When roasted they taste like pork, and when baked they taste like catfish. Raw, they taste like oysters on the half-shell.

They also produce eggs (neatly packaged), milk (bottled, grade-A), and butter -- no churning required. Their pelts make perfect boot leather or house timbers, depending on how thick one slices them.

They have no bones, so there's absolutely no waste. Their eyes make the best suspender buttons, and their whiskers make perfect toothpicks. In short, they are simply the perfect ideal of a subsistence agricultural herd animal.

Naturally gentle, they require minimal care and are ideal playmates for young children. The frolicking of shmoos is so entertaining (such as their staged "shmoosical comedies") that people no longer feel the need to watch television or go to the movies.

Some of the more tasty varieties of shmoo are more difficult to catch, however. Usually shmoo hunters, now a sport in some parts of the country, use a paper bag, flashlight, and stick to capture their shmoos. At night the light stuns them, then they may be whacked in the head with the stick and put in the bag for frying up later on.

Of course, in the original strip continuity, the shmoos were quickly eradicated, driven to extinction by food packagers who feared bankruptcy.

It was a sharp, biting message, and one that looked critically at both insatiable consumerism and capitalism’s claims of superiority.

Capp, of course, was too savvy a marketeer himself to eliminate the shmoos entirely, and so he provided for one breeding pair to survive…and for the shmoos to make repeated appearances for the rest of Li’l Abner’s run.

Shmoo mania ran rampant with shmoo dolls, shmoo clocks, shmoo games, shmoo candy, shmoo snacks, and shmoo apparel.  

The money truck basically backed up to Capp’s front door and dumped its load on his porch.  Shmoos proved insanely popular and it seemed the mania would never end…

…except it did.

To mangle metaphors, you can only take so many trips to the same well before your audience starts asking “What?  Beans again?”

And then, in a fickle flash, it’s over.

I’d be hard pressed today to find anyone younger than the boomer cohort who ever heard of Al Capp or Li’l Abner unless their school or community theatre presented the Broadway musical adaptation of the strip (the show remains popular with amateur theatrical troupes such as high schools and colleges because the huge cast of Dogpatch citizens guarantees everybody who tries out for the show will land some part in it).

For all their popularity and merchandise and media impact -- songs on the radio, big spreads in weekly news magazines -- the shmoos left virtually no cultural footprint.

(Full disclosure yet again: I wrote for a Scooby-doo knock-off by Hanna-Barbera called The New Shmoo and it was a piece of crap, abandoning the whole consumerism point of the original shmoos and making them -- or just “it” in our case -- a pseudo-funny dog sidekick for a squad of mystery solving kids.  And it wasn’t a piece of crap because we didn’t try our best, it was a piece of crap because the shmoo was treated as ubiquitous “product” under the misconception that of course everybody younger than Joe Barbera would recognize the name and love the character so deeply that they’d simultaneously develop amnesia about what made the original character so appealing.)

Product.

That’s what one of the most brilliant, most poignant, most spot-on commentaries on rampant consumerism and ruthless capitalism ironically reduced down to.  Product.

There’s a line in Jurassic Park that resonates here:  ”Life will find a way.”

Let’s paraphrase that to “Art will find a way” because like life, art is an expression of the creative urge.

Right now, by and large, it’s trapped in the giant all encompassing condom of corporate consumerism, providing fun and pleasure and excitement, but not really creating anything new, to be wadded up and thrown away when the suits are done screwing us.

But every now and then there’s a tiny pinprick in the sheath, and when that happens there’s the chance of something wonderful, something meaningful, something of lasting value emerging.

It is possible for art to emerge from a corporate context, but only if the corporate intent is to produce a work of art for its own purposes.   Michelangelo carved David as a work for hire, the local doge commissioning the sculpture because he wanted to impress peers and peasants by donating the biggest statue ever made by the hottest artist of the era (and even then Michelangelo needed to resort to subterfuge to keep the doge from “improving” on his work with “suggestions” [read “commands”].)

The very first Rocky movie was a work of art because the producers focused on telling a simple, singular story about a loser who could only win by going the distance, not by defeating his opponent but by refusing to be beaten by him.

It’s a great cinematic moment that rings true and it’s going to last forever…unlike sequels Rocky II - V where Rocky fights supervillains like Mr. T and a robot (hey, that was the movie playing in my head when I watched Rocky IV and it was a helluva lot more entertaining than what I actually saw onscreen).

The suits castrated Rocky, reducing him from a unique universal cultural touchstone down to…well…product.

The MCU movies are product; rather, they are two-hour+ commercials to sell product in the form of videogames, action figures, T-shirts, and Underoos.

The real art occurred almost 60 years ago when Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko knocked out page after page as fast as they could, drawing deep from the wellsprings of their own interests, experiences, and passions.

(“What about Stan?” I hear you ask.  Look, we all love Stan, but truth be told his great contribution to the MCU came in his service as drum major for the Merry Marvel marching Society.  God bless him for firing up the fan base’s enthusiasm for the Marvel bullpen’s work, but compare what his artists did before and after their collaboration with him to what he did before and after his editorial tenure at Marvel and it’s clear upon whose shoulders the muses rested.)

As much fun as MCU movies are (I’ve seen about 1/3 of ‘em and enjoyed most of what I saw), I also recognize in them the harm they do.

They are promoted heavily to sell product to raise the fortunes of one of the biggest corporations on the planet, a corporation that holds control over five of the largest, most popular entertainment brands on the market.

To protect their cash cows, Disney chokes potential rivals in their cribs.

Think there’s going to be another Alien or Predator movie now that Disney owns them and Star Wars?  Why create rivals to a mega-successful property you already own?  (I will be genuinely surprised if we see another Guardians Of The Galaxy movie in light of the faltering popularity of Star Wars in Disney’s eyes; they’re going to want to shore up their billion dollar investment rather than call it a day and let some upstart -- even an upstart they own 100% -- rob them of revenue.)

Disney’s battle plan to choke out all potential rivals leaves no room in the DEU (Disney Expanded Universe) for independent minded creators.

They want competent hired pens who can churn out the product they desire in order to bolster sales of other products derived from those.

(Even more full disclosure:  I wrote for Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers as well as some Aladdin and Scrooge McDuck comic book stories.)

Disney’s MCU, for all its expertly executed whiz-bang, is a bloated, soulless zombie, a giant gaudy inflated parade balloon blocking the vision of others.

There’s a scene in the movie The Founder -- a genuine cinematic work of art that comments ironically on the selling of a product --  that applies here.

Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) relentlessly browbeats the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) into letting him replace their real milkshakes with what will come to be known as the McShake, an ersatz product that at best reminds one of what a real milkshake should taste like.

The McDonald Brothers are horrified.  Not only does it not taste like a real milkshake, but it goes against the very grain of what they desire as restauranteurs:  To provide quality food quickly for their customers, trading value for value.

Kroc will have none of this.  To him the customers are simply one more obstacle between him and their money.

He doesn’t see them as the source of his revenue, but as impediments to same.

What benefits them, what nurtures their diets, what gives them pleasure, what trades value for value is completely unimportant to him.

They exist only to make him rich and powerful.

By the end of the film, Kroc has effectively declared war on his own partners, his own employees, his own customers.  He recognizes he is not in the business his customers and employees and partners think he’s in (i.e., fast food) but rather in the real estate business, buying land that McDonald’s franchises must lease from him in order to operate.

By the end, he’s not concerned with how well his customers eat, or how well his employees are treated, or how financially secure his franchise managers feel.

By the end, all he wants is the money, and he doesn’t care how his franchises make it so long as they pass it along to him.

As a result, McDonald’s contributes heavily to America’s obesity and diabetes epidemics, advising their employees to take second jobs so they can afford to continue working for them at substandard wages.

Disney’s MCU is a super-sized Happy Meal™ that’s ruining the cultural health of its consumers.

   © Buzz Dixon

[grownups-are-the-real-monsters]

what are some 80’s songs each of the stranger kids can relate to?

Hey, I just typed all this out and it deleted it all. SO I’m literally stress crying while I try to remember everything. So sorry if the explanations seem short! 

I still don’t know Stranger Things all that well BUT I’m putting 100% into this

Steve: ‘Believe It Or Not (Theme From “Greatest American Hero”) by Joey Scarbury. ‘: This is a cheesy song 100% so it’s perfect for such a cheesy boy. BUT in a more serious tone, it’s clear that Steve never really thought that highly of himself. Though he portrayed confidence, it was more of an act. This song sings highly of his development from season 1 to 2. He never thought he could be much of anything in life but then bam! It hit him like a ton of bricks! He actually fell in love with Nancy, became the kind of person some kid looks up to and he can’t believe it! It means the WORLD to him. He sings along to this song very cheesily anytime he hears it but we know he is very sentimental about it.

+ ‘The Boys of Summer’ by Don Henley. This song SCREAMS Steve to me, listen and you’ll hear it!!

Nancy: ‘Sister Christian’ by Night Ranger: A song about growing up! I gravitated to this for Nancy instantly. I can really see her as the young girl in the music video. Wanting to do what her friends are doing, maybe willing to pretend to be someone she isn’t, wanting to grow up too fast. “Sister Christian there’s so much in life. Don’t you give it up before your time is due”

Jonathan: ‘Dancing in The Dark’ by Bruce Springsteen: This may be a weird pick? But this is the ultimate song to make you want to drive away and leave your life behind you while the radio plays. And that’s all Jonathan craves right now. “Message keeps getting clearer. Radio’s on and I’m moving ‘round the place. I check my look in the mirror, I want to change my clothes, my hair, my face. Man I ain’t getting nowhere. I’m just living in a dump like this. There’s something happening somewhere. Baby I just know that there is…”

+ ‘Radio Gaga by Queen’: The purest, sweetest song about the love affair between a young man, his love of music and the radio….is that not perfect for Jonathan???

Lucas: ‘Born to Run’ by Bruce Springsteen: I don’t know entirely why but I really wanted to give this to Lucas! It called to me. He’s secretly the actual leader so I wanted to give him the BOSS Bruce Springsteen!!!?? I feel like Lucas would relate to the feeling of wanting to get out and being ‘born to run’. And the feeling of wanting to be with a girl who also deserves a way out of town! 

Will: ‘I Won’t Back Down’ by Tom Petty: Will was forced to become a lot stronger at a much younger age than he was ready for because of all that he went through. But it allowed him to become a stronger kid. The first time he hears this song, he cries. It hits him somewhere deep inside. He’s fought before, he can & will fight again, He won’t back down.

Dustin: ‘Hold On Tight’ by Electric Light Orchestra: Dustin is such a happy, positive kid! He preaches the message of this song all the time! You can bet on that. And when he needs a pick-me-up, he goes right for this one! PLUS, he shares the same hairstyle with Jeff Lynne!!!!!! :’)

Mike: ‘(Everything I Do) I Do it For You’ by Bryan Adams: Mike is entirely too focused on Eleven. He hears this song and instantly feels his promise burning inside of him again. He will do anything to get Eleven back even though no one knows where she is. He plays this song while he paces his room, muttering to himself about how they need to make a plan to get her back.

Max: ‘Under Pressure’ by Queen & David Bowie: Max had to go through a lot of stress and pressure in her home-life.But she won’t dare let that stop her in life. She’s found love in her new friends & herself. Honestly, I can see this working for Lucas too.

Eleven: ‘St. Elmos Fire’ by John Parr: A song about overcoming, accomplishing and powering through. Eleven falls in love when she first hears this, alone on her bed. She feels that fire burning inside of her too. “You broke the boy in me, but you won’t break the man!”

(I have many hc’s for Steve + Music, and Stonathan + Music…. but idk if that’d ever see the light of day since I don’t really wanna post hc’s for Stranger Things! :/) 

[whimsoriginalcharacterscentral]

OC Origin

MAX

Origin: 2006 or 2007

Appearance: golden-blond hair, sky or cerulean blue eyes

Backstory: Changes with each iteration

1st + 2nd iteration - Max Dragon

Max Dragon is the prince of dragons. Well, a version of dragons that are part human and primarily look like humans until they're capable of transforming at the age of twelve. Max and his twin Giancarlo were the subjects of a prophecy that they could kill a dark dragon known as Ken. Ken attempted to assassinate the royal twins during their first public appearance as literal infants.

The King and Queen decided the best course of option for their children's survival was to send the twins away to live amongst humans. They were given to two guardians who would take them away. Max's guardian was a twelve year old boy named Jake (renamed Valen in later iterations) who descended from the family of a dragon that had married a wizard and not a human.

Jake leaves the hidden paradise island of dragons and runs away to the human world with baby Max. He hopes to reunite with a distant human relative that will help him raise Max in secret. Unfortunately, Ken is hot on his heels with the belief he has both infants. Jake spends months running from Ken but a recent encounter leaves him gravely injured. With a stroke of luck, he makes it to his human relative and stresses the importance of Max and his protection. With his dying breath, Jake obscures Max from Ken's sights and succumbs to his injuries.

Max is raised by Jake's relative known as Old Man Jenkins. They don't have a good relationship since Jenkins didn't want the responsibility of taking care of Max. It's a better relationship than the one they have with the other villagers. Max is ostracized by the villagers for his unusual eyes, his mysterious origins and because he lives with the odd hermit. As such, he's lonely most of his youth. He joins a secret organization of rangers to develop some of his skills and also meets pure dragons that he has an automatic connection with.

Things change when Max is 11 as the village leader figures out Max is working with the rangers to overthrow him. He sends men to trap Max inside a burning building in order for him to have a terrible death. However, Max's heritage allows him to survive the fire. Max is confused but puts it on hold to effectively end the reign of the village head. On the eve of his 12th birthday, Old Man Jenkins reveals Max's origin and how he came to take care of him. Max, with the Old Man's permission, decides to return to his home, reclaim his title and kill Ken. His adventure begins.

The adventure includes finding his brother, meeting mermaids and their princess Zelda that he grows affection for, returning home, traveling to different worlds and times, war, loss, love, clones, truth of a clone-triplet situation and meeting an evil alternate self of his.

3rd iteration - Max Darwin

Max Darwin is a human boy who lost his parents to a teacher who had become obsessed with him. He's a quadruplet - Giancarlo, Sehel and the official appearance as a sibling with Halt - but is distraught since the other three are in comas since the attack by the teacher. Max is a closed off boy that Jake Anderson, legal guardian and cousin, struggles with since he knows Max is just hiding his pain.

Max meets Zelda and the two have a typical teenage coming of age story where they begin to open up to each other and fall in love until news break out that his obsessed teacher has escaped prison and is most likely searching for him. Then it becomes a thriller.

**least developed version**

4th iteration - Maxiel Garwin

***Current Iteration(s)!!***

Maxiel "Max" Garwin is the latest iteration that has subcategories: the king/prince, the God, the damaged soul and the assassin.

King category: King Maxiel Ilian Draconian

Maxiel I. Draconian is the Dragon Witch-King of the country of Draconia in the No. 6 fanfiction Children's War (first fanfiction appearance of the character!). He lost his father at a young age, before his father could choose a successor. So he and his brothers became the Four Kings, ruling the country until an invasion from a foreign country's king led to their deaths(?)

God: Leixam, 12th God, "Maxiel"

Leixam - Leixam is one of the Elder Gods in the No. 6 fanfiction universe that makes his first appearance in the OC-centric Serendipity: Through the Eyes From Above. He is initially an apathetic, bored deity until he becomes involved in the love story of Nezumi and Shion. He goes through great lengths to ensure their happy ending, messing with the natural order in order to do so. To summarize, he's a big NezuShi shipper.

12th God - 12th God is a part of a large pantheon of gods that has been helping humanity for centuries. Unlike his fellow deities, 12th God likes to spend his days disguised as a human and chilling with them. He meets an interesting village boy named Nath, who is a complete atheist. 12th God grows fond of Nath and is distraught when Nath catches a terrible plague that kills his family and nearly kills him. 12th God spirits Nath away to the realm of the gods and gives him the gift of immortality since he can't cure the plague, as it was another god's doing. Nath initially hates immortality and is rattled by finding out gods are real. He grows thankful of his new life and stays with 12th God for centuries. Forces threaten to tear them apart such as jealous gods, amnesia, near loss of immortality and, oddly enough, death.

Another version of 12th God has him meet a modern day Nath - short for Nathaniel - under the human alias Maxiel. The two met at several points in Nath's human life while "Maxiel" was fighting a celestial war. The two became a couple a year after Nath divorced his wife and they lived together for decades. They had several demigod children - none of them born in a traditional way - and fun adventures.

However, 12th God finally realizes one day that his Nath has become old. Despite Nath's insistence, he remains by his side with the promise to immortalize his soul after his death. Unfortunately for the duo, others want Nath's soul and immortality seems less likely to happen.

"Maxiel Nikas" - "Maxiel Nikas" is not a god like the previous versions but he's not completely human either. He was created as an Irregular weapon with the power to implant, erase and manipulate memories. For the power to manifest, he has to have physical contact with the person. He weaponizes his power in order to complete his mission.

The damaged soul: Maxiel Hadriel Garwin-Russo

Maxiel H. Garwin-Russo - Maxiel is the son of a wealthy CEO and an international actor. Like most of the other incarnations, he is born with other siblings. This time, he's a quintuplet with the same brothers plus a younger, quintuplet sister Gwendolyn. For reasons not to be told to avoid spoilers, he ends up in the streets where he meets Zelda and their love story begins anew.

The Assassin: Maxiel Garwin

Maxiel Garwin - Max has been an assassin since he was seven, eliminating an entire crime organization that killed his parents, sold his brothers and kept him as a slave. He was found by two men, Jason and his younger brother Ken who, instead of doing the right thing and sending Max to therapy, recruited him as an assassin for their organization.

He does pretty awful acts in his line of work until he disappears at the age of seventeen and reappears at age nineteen with an interesting case of amnesia and a bullet that should've killed him. Instead of letting him go, Jason takes advantage of the amnesia to convince Max that he is his father and Max is fiercely loyal to the organization. He brainwashes Max with falsehoods before he allows him to interact with others.

As this happens, "Felix" wants to create the Black Jokers, a group of 4 individuals that they can use to assassinate anyone they please. "Felix" wants the amnesiac Max to be the leader, to Jason's anger since he wants to have Max completely under his finger before releasing him. After a threat, Max is released and allowed to join the Black Jokers.

The story involves friendship, experimentation, fake deaths, hurt and comfort, child abuse, manipulation, fragmented memories, more mature content, quintuplets, racism, etc. I can't divulge more without spoiling anything but I can say that therapists should come out more often.

Love interest: Max, in many iterations, is either bisexual or ace. Bi!Max is present in the fourth iterations with the exception of King Maxiel Ilian Draconia and "Maxiel Nikas". Those two are asexual and have no love interest. Hell, the war that led to the downfall of King Maxiel was his insistence on not getting married and a spurned man deciding to try to take him as a spouse by force. "Maxiel Nikas" doesn't have any romantic or sexual interest in people and he doesn't fault his mission for it. He genuinely doesn't understand it. The godly versions of Max are either pan or aro/ace.

Max Dragon in his first iteration had no love interest since both he - and I as the author - were children. So his sexuality was never brought up or thought upon by yours truly. The second version of Max Dragon did have more options since he lived longer and I was older. He dated Maxine, Hebe and Zelda, only marrying Zelda and having children with her. 2nd Max Dragon still didn't feel straight, though, so it could be possible he was bisexual.

The 3rd iteration of Max is also a mystery. Again, I didn't think of a sexuality because it didn't seem important.

Depending on the iteration, Max has either Zelda or Nath as his love interest. So he definitely has a type since both have black hair and bluegreen/sea-green eyes. Both Zelda and Nath are morosexual - exclusively attracted to morons - since they like Max (Just a joke, ya'll).

Several people have fallen for Max - mostly women - for his status, looks or personality. The majority do it for his status since he's either a prince, king, rich kid, god or just a powerful assassin with influence. Nath and Zelda are the few of the people that look beyond the mask of Max, loving him because of who he is rather than his money or looks.

Possible love interests: I actually had to read back my old writings (yikes) to discover people who could've been Max's love interests if the story had taken a different route. They are: Maxine, Hebe, Greyson, Lady Cassandra, and Oliver.

Maxine was Max Dragon's fiancee but circumstances caused by one of the people on the above list (Greyson) cause Maxine to believe Max was dead. She mourned for two months before marrying his cousin, Samuel. Upon his return, Max was heartbroken but tried to not show it. Maxine was the first love interest written for Max.

Hebe, the goddess of youth, didn't think her relationship with Max was as serious as he thought it to be. He loved her more than she ever loved him, leading to their mutual separation.

Lady Cassandra's the darkest of the girl love interests since she wants Max despite his marriage to Zelda and their children. She didn't view Max as a person either, seeing him more as a trophy to be earned. She wanted Max because he was a powerful, handsome king, not for anything else. She's the most selfish person "in love" that I've written.

Greyson is the prince of the wyverns (drakons in the original version) who was manipulated by Ken to see Max as an enemy to his people. The two nearly destroy each other until they realize that they were manipulated. After that, the two began a very close relationship. Greyson always did his best to save and protect Max and was his most loyal friend during Max's darkest times.

Oliver met Max when the two were slaves. Oliver immediately decided he wanted to protect Max because he saw the other boy as fragile and weak. The two were separated and Oliver temporarily lost his purpose and thought Max had died in his absence. They reunite but Max has no memories and Oliver feels slightly intimidated by Max's strength and independence.

The closest people to qualify as potential love interests are Greyson and Oliver. Heck, Oliver and Max would've become a couple had they not been separated. Alas, the two are second to Zelda and Nath.

Family: Max tends to have an extensive family. The first iteration has him with the largest amount of siblings who would either be written out or rebooted. His original family consisted of his parents, the eldest and only sister Elizabeth, older brothers Jake, Jacob, Zack, and Cody and his twin Giancarlo. The 2nd iteration brought Sehel into the family.

The 3rd iteration removed Elizabeth, Jake, Jacob, Zack and Cody and put in Halt and having Max be a quadruplet. Max is also orphaned in this version with his legal guardian being Jake/Valen, his older cousin.

The 4th iterations returned some of Max's previous siblings. Elizabeth, Jake, Jacob, Zack and Cody are the older siblings of Maxiel Garwin-Russo while Max is a quintuplet thanks to younger sister Gwendolyn. He doesn't have true siblings in his godly forms, though. Just vaguely connected to other gods. Maxiel Garwin the assassin only has three brothers and two sisters (removing Jake, Jacon, Zack and Cody).

As for kids, only 3 versions of Max has kids: Max Dragon version 2, Maxiel Garwin and 12th God "Maxiel".

Max Dragon has a lot kids with Zelda: Blake, Gabriel, Dylan, Atticus, Kay, Zora, Senna and Nami. The first three are later incorporated into Maxiel Garwin the Assassin. 12th God Maxiel and Nath had 7 children, currently unnamed at the time.

Closing thoughts: I really really love Max. He was my first and oldest OC. I created him as this spunky, confident and outspoken kid because I was the complete opposite. I've changed throughout the years and Max has been the only OC that changed with me. I even used him as a form of therapy when I got a bit depressive in middle school. Max has a special place in my heart and is the OC that made me fall in love with writing. That's all for Max's OC Origins. See you next time!

[theklancecollection]

Keith & Krolia Modern AU

Keith is an only child who lives with his mom

he doesn’t know much about his dad; his mom refuses to give any concrete answers save he loved you very much but now he’s not here

he used to care a lot when he was younger

on father’s day when all the kids would make glittery cards for their dads, keith would come home empty handed

when he learned about families, he was taught the nuclear family code; how every normal family has a mom and a dad and a baby and they all live in a big house with their cats and dogs

keith came home crying that day because he didn’t have a dad or a big house or a cat or a dog

his mom marched her way to the school the next day and had a long talk with the principal about the wrong messages that are are being delivered to the children

you don’t need to abide by the nuclear code to be considered normal

a normal family can have two moms or two dads, or no parents and only grandparents; or siblings/caretakers/guardians or just a single mom or dad

there is no rulebook that says there needs to be a mom and a dad in order for the child to be happy

the principal argued back, stating the child’s mental well being which pissed krolia off

keith ended up changing schools in the middle of the semester

since it’s just the two of them, they live in a small, but cozy, apartment

he loves the view of the setting sun

the entire flat would be bathed in a deep golden light

during summers, they pull out a mattress and sleep in the living room since their rooms become really stuffy

the fan will be on full blast but it’s no use; so they will have the windows open

they can hear the cars zooming past and the occasional siren

keith is more of a sportman

after school, he will drop in only to chug down a cold water bottle before he dashes out to play with his friends

loves playing basketball

he prefers doing his homework when his mom is home

krolia comes home by 5 / 6 pm max

she hates making dinner

when she comes home, she just wants to sit back and relax

keith’s teenage years were a nightmare for her since that boy ate like a vacuum cleaner

he would inhale rather than properly chew his food

she loves summers as she can just walk around in her shorts and tank tops

she loathes winters because of all the layers she has to wear

they love watching horror films together

their halloween preparations begin as early as september

they don’t care much for thanksgiving; it’s all about the scares and thrills for them

they will hit all the stores and buy huge bulks of various chocolates, treats and flavored popcorn

but they don’t share any of it with the trick-or-treaters; they hoard it for themselves

keith loved buttered popcorn for the longest time until he switched over to chex mix

it has everything

kroila loves spiced popcorn

every friday and saturday night, they will cuddle together munching on their goodies as they go on movie marathons

if either of them scream loudly and hide behind the other, they don’t say a word about it the next day

krolia is scared of all kinds of insects while keith is terrified of clowns

he fucking hates pennywise with a passion

he’s not scared to admit, he had to sleep with his mom for a whole week after he watched It

they love to play pranks on each other

they try to up the scales with each prank

krolia purposely put in a red sock in the washer making all of keith’s clothes turn pink

he was teased about it for about a month

keith bought a bunch of rubber spiders, threw them on his mom’s bedroom floor when she was asleep

she woke up to the sound of skittering and screamed at the top of her lungs seeing all the “spiders”

keith recorded the whole thing and never let her live it down

keith loves going on hikes even though his mom doesn’t want him to go on his own

there’s no telling who might be out there

he still goes and one day he’s actually followed by a creepy, looking guy

he manages to get away but when he comes home, he’s a mess

krolia yells at him a lot that day

from then on, all hiking adventures are saved for the weekends and during the day time

keith hates all the science

he likes his social studies class more

he only manages to pass his science classes because his mom is super smart and is able to dumb everything down for him

they like to cook together

tacos, enchiladas, pizzas (anything that can be assembled really)

they don’t have the patience for long duration meals especially during school days

during summer times, they like to experiment a lot

krolia loves to bbq

keith always brags about his mom making some of THE BEST bbq foods ever

wings, steaks, kebabs etc. she’s a PRO

keith loves to make popsicles, smoothies and milkshakes

they both love waffles over pancakes

BACON and turkey sausages are a MUST for them

saturday mornings, they laze around in bed

keith would bring their breakfast and they will slowly re-energize

they spend at least an hour just finishing up their meals and watching cartoons

if he’s really lazy, he’ll just bring bowls of cereal (honey bunches of oats with crispy almonds)

if he’s feeling a bit fancy, he’ll make scrambled eggs, toast (buttered for him not his mom), some fruit (they both split a banana and share the grapes and strawberries) and have a side of bacon (he can never get the sausages right)

sundays, they have to get their asses in gear and get all the chores done

usually means laundry, sweeping, cleaning out the bathroom etc

keith takes the longest showers

he would spend hours pampering himself with all the scented shampoos and conditioners

kroila had to learn the hard way to get her ass out of bed and into the bathroom before he did

on her really bad days, kroila loves to take bubble baths so that she can de-stress

she’ll light up the candles, use her special bottles and crack open her favorite romance novel and playing calming music

keith knows not to disturb her during this time

kroila hates grocery shopping

she never knows what to get

once she’s in there she feels like a black hole as she wants everything

once she went out to get a tub of ice cream and brought home some yuccas instead

so keith ends up going along with her much to his chagrin

she’s okay with all other forms of shopping though since she only gets what she needs

they have a monthly ritual where they alternate between picking out a new restaurant to visit

keith loved the last caribbean place they visited a lot

he earned a fond taste of spicy foods while kroila needs things to be on the sweet and sour side

keith’s mom works at a hardware store and is very knowledgeable about fixing things

she would often be called on by people in the building for help

she’s able to make decent money this way but she chooses not to

she’s often invited by men who are lusting after her

once, a man followed kroila home and tried to force his way in

keith, who was about 6 at the time, was frightened but kroila was able to fight the man off with no problem

she called the police and filed an official complaint on him just to be safe

even though he was scared, keith had a baseball bat in hand, ready to strike in case his mom needed help

kroila got teary eyed and after locking the door shut, hugged her boy really tight

they both cried and huddled together that night

kroila tried teaching keith the basics on how to defend himself but he kept holding himself back whenever she urged him to attack her

she enrolled him to several karate and martial arts classes

keith’s favorite show at the time was power rangers

he would imitate the fight sequences the rangers performed

he would get yelled at every time he broke a vase / lamp

when he was 11, he asked his mom if she ever wanted to get married again or have a boyfriend or something

she didn’t; she was perfectly happy with what she has with keith right now and truthfully, doesn’t think she can make time for a relationship

she just doesn’t feel attracted to people that way anymore

keith isn’t entirely sure what she meant by that but he didn’t push it since he was happy with the answer he got

part 2 || part 3