#namely how he treated my mom and aunt (his sisters)

[kummatty]

back home . this weekend was driving 12 hrs to redacted, getting ready in a rush in full langa voni (half sari) jewelry bangles etc in the hotel (probably took us 2 hrs bc hello), attending my cousins engagement party from 6-11, getting back changing repacking going to bed at 1am, waking up at 7 getting ready and driving 12 hrs back

[kining-the-evil]

All I Have Left ch1/?

Summary: you were in love with Randy, you had a life plan with him. But after his death, you cut out everyone in your life. It’s not until you take custody of his niece and nephew that you begin to live life again.

An: this is going to be platonic/motherly!reader to the twins. The idea has been bounced around my head for a couple of days, so I wanted to try it out

It’s not overly long, but if I continued with the idea it would have been way to long. So I may write a part two

Scream Taglist: none currently. Let me know if you want added

Scream Masterlist All Masterlists

“I think it will be a girl.”

You glanced up at Randy when you heard his words. The two of you were in the middle of a movie night in his dorm room, you tucked into his side while his arm was wrapped around you. He wasn’t even looking at you, making you wonder if you were hearing things.

“What?”

“Our first kid, I think she’ll be a girl.” He further explained, looking down at you. The two of you had been talking the night before about life after college. You were high school sweethearts, and had talked about it plenty of times. He was going to major in film, and you psychology. You would live in Hollywood while starting your carriers, and once ready for a family you’d move to a close by suburb. A plan you had started making the summer before senior year. And last night, you’d talked about kids.

“You think so?”

“Absolutely,” he confirmed.

“What makes you so sure?” You asked while giggling slightly.

“A dad just knows,” he winked.

“Well, so does a mom and I think it will be a boy. Besides, it’s not like you’re currently a dad.” You poked his chest lightly, making him chuckle.

“I’d love to have a son, and I’d love him,” he reached down to grab your left hand and place a kiss on the engagement ring on your finger. “But I’ll get my little girl. Don’t care how many times I have to fuck you.”

“Wow, so noble,” you teased as he pulled you to straddle his lap. “What would you name her?” He had clearly put thought into this, and you wanted to know how far his mind had gotten.

“Mindy.”

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•

That night was only a week before Randy was killed, and every night after you wished you were dead yourself. Everything made you angry. Seeing Sidney or Dewey made you angry, and even thinking about Gale and her stupid book made you angry. Seeing the school made you angry, and the police made you angry.

So you dropped out of school. You cut people off, distanced yourself, and moved back to Woodsboro. You only went to town when you had to, and worked at home in any way you could. You didn’t need a tone of money, just enough to live in your small house alone. Sidney had tried to reach out a few times, but eventually got the hint that you didn’t want to see her. The only person you were slightly civil with was Randy’s sister, Martha.

She worked at one of the stores you went to often, and you just couldn’t bring yourself to hate the women. You’d known her for years, being friends with Randy for years before going out. So when you saw her at the store, you said hi. If she asked you to come over for a drink or dinner once in a while, you said yes. And when she got pregnant, you promised to be as involved with the kids life as she needed.

“Please…” Chad whined, giving you his best puppy eyes. You had to hand it to the seven year old, he was pretty good at it.

“No, your mom said you’ve been wearing them for the past three nights. They need washed,” you attempted to reason with the boy. Which didn’t work in the slightest.

“Mom said she ‘gave up on that fight’” Mindy spoke up. She had already changed into her pjs, quickly complying when you promised a treat during the movie. Martha and her husband were out for the night, and you had offered to watch your niece and nephew (technically godchildren but as Martha said ‘you would have become their aunt’).

“Enough,” you scolded her before turning back to Chad. “I know for a fact you have more then one pair of train pjs. Get one of your others.” You were at a standstill, a staring contest with a seven year old. You were pointing towards the dresser, and you were determined to win this fight.

“Fineeeeee,” he stretched the word before walking towards the dresser. “But can you wash them for tomorrow night?”

You agreed, knowing Martha would appreciate the clothes at least being clean. You helped the two kids get ready for bed before sending them down stairs to pick a movie. You grabbed some more of their clothes, starting a load of laundry. The sound of arguing drew you downstairs, but you stoped at the fire place. A small shrine that had been set up for Randy. You still didn’t know how to feel about it. Every time you saw a photo of him it reminded you of finding him in that van, but at the same time it reminded you of whatever goofy memory surrounded the photo.

You were pulled from your thoughts again when the arguing got louder. You were sure you knew what it was about. Mindy was attempting to get Chad to agree to whatever movie she wanted to watch. He mate as of splitting it up you grabbed the two bags of candy, one of each of their favorite, and walked into the room to flop onto the couch. This caught both of their attention.

“What are you doing?” Mindy was practically glaring at you, and you had to do your best to hold in your laugh.

“Well, i was going to give you guys this for during the movie, but you are busy arguing so I figured I’d eat it myself.” A horrified look crossed their faces at your words, and it took minutes for them to chose a movie and to climb onto the couch with you. They each stole their respected candy, giggling as though they had tricked you into handing it over.

It was almost 2 in the morning when you woke up to the sound of the house phone ringing. Chad and Mindy were up in bed, and you must have fallen asleep while waiting for their parents. You blindly reached over to grab the phone, pulling it to your ear.

“Hello?”

“Is this the Meeks-Martin household?”

“Ya, can I take a message?” You yawned a bit through your sentence, trying to wake up a bit more.

“Y/n? Its Dewey.” You sighed lightly at the man’s words. You did your best to be civil with the man, it wasn’t his fault that your worst memories in life included him.

“What can I do for You officer Riley?” You questioned.

“I um, I’m calling for Woodsboro memorial Hospital. I have some bad news.” You quickly sat up, suddenly not so tired. “Joel and Martha Meeks-Martin were in a car accident. They um- they were dead before getting to the hospital.”

“W-what?” You whispered, unsure of what else to say. Your entire body felt numb, the same way you had felt when sitting at the police station after Randy. A feeling that made everything feel fake, like in a dream.

“I’m so sorry y/n,” Dewey’s voice practically whispered through the phone. “But we need you to come down and identify the body’s, as well as decide what will happen with the kids.”

You squeezed your eyes shut, willing tears not to fall. What felt like your only two friends left were gone, and you had to tell their kids what had happened.

“Y/n? Are you ok-“

“Do you need me tonight or can it wait until morning?” You cut him off.

“Tomorrow is Fine. Listen, if you need anything at all-“

“I’ll see you then Dewey.” You quickly hung up the phone, setting it on the couch next to you. You let your head fall to your hands, a small sob being let out. You would cry tonight, morn your friends tonight, and tomorrow you would be whatever Mindy and Chad needed you to be.

[anon2710]

if criminal minds was a family, my pov

disclaimer: this doesn't include every character from every season, but on the characters that I connected with and fit with my headcanons the most -- i.e., these aren't fact, just how i see it <3

also i.e., pls pls don't be mad if we have different headcanons

the basics:

aaron hotchner: father, single dad, can be strict but will always listen to and be there for his kids, doesn't smile very often but has the BEST, most contagious laugh

david rossi: cool, fun uncle, gave the kids their first sip of alcohol (only when they're 21 though), the more 'chill adult', a playboy, but finally married their aunt krystall who is their favorite

derek morgan-hotchner: oldest child & son, very protective of his siblings, a little bit of a playboy but does settle down, smart without trying

emily prentiss-hotchner: nicknames are em and ems, second oldest, oldest daughter, very smart (smarter than her little brother spencer sometimes) and the most emotionally intelligent of the siblings though this surprises most people because she's very rebellious and very private - opens up to people but with time

jennifer jareau-hotchner : nicknames are JJ and jaje, middle child, quiet and responsible, very popular athlete, surprisingly kind of a badass when her family or friends (especially her little brother and sister) are hurt

spencer reid-hotchner: nickname is spence, youngest son, penelope's twin, very smart with an IQ of 187 and very sensitive, sometimes gets bullied but always protected by older brother derek, a bit nerdy like his twin

penelope garcia-hotchner: nickname are pen, penny and garcie, youngest child and daughter, spencer's twin, a little bit loud and boisterous at times but also very sensitive and kind, great at computers and majored in comp-sci in college

tara lewis, matt simmons, luke alvez: triplets, but not related to the hotchners, though they have been family friends with them for years and are treated as family

luke: very popular, football player and jock but not a playboy at all, a little quiet and secretly a nerd, LOVES musicals and baking

tara: very smart, loves psychology and crime-thrillers, very funny and and a bit of a smart-alec, loves teasing her little brother luke

matt: nickname is matty, very mature, very kind and very responsible, also a football player with his brother, often breaks up the arguments between tara and luke when one or the other takes it too far

other details of the headcanon

aaron is currently dating beth who will hopefully be the family's step-mom soon (aaron has been planning to propose for a long time and the kids keep teasing their dad that it'll never happen)

though derek is a playboy all throughout high school, he eventually settles down with a smart girl on the pre-med track in college named savannah

derek often gets into fights with his dad, especially when he was younger, but that's happens less as he gets older and when he finds comfort in savannah

JJ's been dating her high-school sweetheart, Will, since freshman year, they've already started planning how many kids they want and their names (as it stands: 2 boys and a girl, henry, michael and maggie)

matt has also been dating kristy forever, since high-school and they both want a big family

emily, jj and tara are an unlikely trio of best friends; emily has only ever told the other two her biggest fear

derek, matt and luke are also best friends and often include spencer in their hang-outs

penelope and luke were very 'will they, won't they' for a long time because penelope often resisted luke's charm because she was afraid of getting hurt, but eventally start dating and are everyone's favorite couple

penelope dated a bunch of assholes before luke (kevin, shane, tyler) and is part of the reason why she was afraid to date luke -- luke is aware of this and does her best to treat her like a queen

spencer just started dating max but can see himself marrying this girl; max has helped him come out of his shell

spencer is the older twin by 5 minutes and often holds this over penelope's head

matt is the oldest triplet, then tara and then luke (who is the baby and treated as such by his siblings)

spencer and penelope are built-in best friends and watch doctor-who, marvel and star-trek marathons together -- max and luke join these when each couple starts dating

tara, luke and matt often see aaron/dave as parental figures and lean on them for support

they are all very protective of each other, but everyone is the most protective of penelope

tara and penelope call luke 'lukey' as a nickname to bug him, but he secretly loves it

the eight kids (penelope, luke, matt, tara, emily, jj, spencer, derek) don't have that much of an age gap between them so they are all very close, hang-out a lot and very much fit the found-family trope

dave and aaron take the kids (including matt, tara and luke) on a family trip every year -- 2024 is going to be a beach trip

Okay, I have a lot more, but these are some :) love to hear your thoughts on this

[fear-of-flyers]

holiday cards

my work for @buttercupjosh as a part of @antoineroussel winter fic exchange! enjoy kirsten <3

pairing: anthony beauvillier x fem!reader word count: 1.9k warnings: none that i'm aware of (ofc let me know if i need to add any)

Winter was by far your favorite season. It meant all of the things you loved: snow, warm drinks and spending all your free time cozied up with your best friends and family. It also meant that you got to spend all your free nights watching your favorite person in the world play hockey. You had been dating Anthony for almost 3 years and never tired of watching him live his dream. And it didn’t hurt that Anthony living his dream had led you to some of your favorite people in the world, most notably Sydney Esiason Martin. Since meeting her, Syd had become almost like your big sister. She knew firsthand what it was like dating a professional athlete but was also super funny and caring. The two of you connected on a deeper level and the connection had only increased when she had her and Matt’s daughters. You and Beau were one of the first choice babysitters and you were looking to Sydney’s advice for when you started your own family. For now though you were more than happy being an aunt and dog mom. 

Beau had surprised you with a chocolate lab for your second anniversary after months of talking about getting a dog. Her name was Amber, she was 2 and absolutely spoiled by Anthony. He went into it thinking the dog wouldn’t be on the furniture and now she had a permanent spot on the couch and in your bed. This was why you knew Beau would say yes when you asked to do a holiday card. You were at the Islanders game against Nashville during the beginning of December when Sydney was telling you about their annual Christmas card shoot and you knew you had to do it. Despite being virtually certain Anthony would say yes, you made sure to get everything you would need for the shoot before asking to increase the chances. You got matching PJs for you and Anthony and a bandana in the same pattern for Amber and used pinterest (and Syd) to figure out the general vibe you wanted for poses.

All that planning meant that when Anthony got home after practice the next Friday you were set to ambush him. At 1:15 a text from Beau let you know that he was on his way home and you set to work. You tied the bandana on Amber and laid the matching PJs out on your couch; on the side table you put out a container of Anthony’s favorite cookies and Amber’s favorite treats as bribes before sitting at the kitchen island to work while you waited. Not even 20 minutes later you heard a key in the door and Amber’s paws tapping across the hardwood as she ran to greet her favorite person. “Hey there Amber!” You heard Beau say, “How’s my most favorite girl? How was your day, huh?” You rolled your eyes at his words of choice, a small smile forming on your lips. “Most favorite girl?” You said, walking over to your boyfriend. “What does that make me?” Anthony laughed, closing the gap between you and pulling you into a soft kiss. “I have the two best girls in the world,” he said, “you’re both my most favorite.” You smiled against his lips, unable to help it. “Well,” you said. “Would you do us a favor then? Since you love us so much?”

Beau’s face immediately turned suspicious. “What kind of favor?” He asked, pulling his shoes off and placing them under the bench by your door. “A special one.” You replied, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the living room. “Did you notice Amber’s bandana?” You asked, turning back slightly to see Anthony’s response. “Yeah,” he said. “I liked it. Is it new?” You nodded to answer the question. “Yup! And it’s a good thing you like it!” You said, finally coming to a stop in front of the couch. “Cause we have PJs that match!!” You turned to him and were met with a look of confusion. “I don’t understand,” he said. “Is this it? This doesn’t seem like much of a favor.” You smiled a little, stepping closer to him. “Well, I thought that we could put on our matching PJs, then take a picture and putitonaholidaycardtosendtoeveryone.” 

“Woah there,” Beau said, raising his eyebrows. “We’re gonna do what? I just want to make sure I heard that right.” 

“Well, I was talking to Syd at the game Thursday night and she was talking about her family’s holiday cards. I thought it would be cute if we did one.” You said, looking up at Beau through your lashes, a move you knew he couldn’t say no to. “Just super close friends and family, I promise. Plus, they can’t make fun of you because it would be making fun of the other guys who do holiday cards; and no one’s making fun of Marty.” Beau sighed and pulled you into him and you knew you won. “Thank you!” You said, wrapping your arms around his waist and leaning up for a kiss. Beau indulged you and leaned down to meet your lips before asking when you were gonna take the pictures. “I was thinking tonight, if that’s okay with you.” You answered, your head not moving from its place in his neck. You felt him nod against you. “Perfect,” he said. “Just enough time for a nap.”

…

At Beau’s insistence you napped with him. And when you woke up about 30 minutes later you decided to shower and start prepping dinner while Anthony finished sleeping. Finally, about 45 minutes later you heard Anthony’s footsteps coming down the hallway and the telltale taps of Amber walking next to him. “Hi babe,” he said, arms wrapping gently around your waist. “Hi love” You responded, putting the knife you were using down and leaning back into his embrace. “How was your nap?” Beau rested his chin on the top of your head. “Good,” he said. “Turn around.” You complied, reluctantly moving yourself from his embrace. But you were glad you did because when you turned around you were met with Anthony in his brand new PJs. “Wow!” You said, smiling as you took him in. “You look wonderful! Let me finish chopping the zucchini then everything can go in the oven and I’ll change.” You said, moving to turn around and pick up the knife. But Anthony beat you to it, gently moving you out of the way. “Let me do it.” He said, pulling the cutting board closer. “You go ahead and change; we can take the photos as soon as you’re ready.”

You smiled at his thoughtfulness and turned to go change. In the bedroom you put your PJs on before applying a little makeup and pulling your hair back into a bun. By the time you finished and made your  way back to the kitchen Anthony was setting the timer for your dinner. You stood, leaning against the doorway, until he noticed you. He finally did when he turned to leave the room, a smile taking over his face. “You look good, Y/n.” Beau said and you could tell that any hesitancy he had before was gone; the excitement was shining in his eyes. “Yeah?” You asked, grabbing his hand as soon as he was near enough. “Always.” He responded, kissing your cheek. “Amber’s on the couch and I’m ready when you are.” Instead of responding you pulled him gently in the direction of the living room. 

Once there you set up your phone on the TV stand and got started figuring out poses. You ended up sitting next to Beau, squeezed close; Amber was sitting on the floor in between the two of you, her head half on your leg. And it took you a couple of tries but eventually you got the shot. But to your surprise the picture you ended up going with wasn’t one of the few where you looked perfect. You had gone into the photoshoot looking for something idealistic and came out of the experience with your new favorite family photo. In the picture you chose Beau was petting Amber who was looking up happily at you as you laughed at something Beau had said. There was pure joy in each of your eyes, joy you could tell was real. As you scrolled through the photos to choose a couple more Anthony and Amber got back from their quick walk. “What are you smiling at like that?” Beau asked, unclipping Amber’s leash and slipping his shoes off. “Come look!” You said, turning your phone slightly towards him as an invitation. “I picked the main photo for our cards.” As he started towards you the timer on the oven went off so you got up, handing him your phone on the way to the kitchen. And as he swiped through the photos you took your zucchini and chicken out of the oven and turned off the rice cooker before grabbing plates and setting your places at the island.

By the time you were finished serving dinner Beau had made his way into the kitchen and put out food for Amber. He got the both of you water before finally sitting down to eat. You ate in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before asking the question you had been sitting on since you gave him your phone. “What’d you think of the pictures?” You asked, turning slightly to face Beau. “They were really great Y/n.” He said, pulling your hand out of your lap and squeezing it. “I had a lot more fun with it than I thought I would. Thank you for setting it all up.” You smiled at him, tension leaving your body. “I’m so happy about it. I can’t wait to make the cards and send them out. I love all the pictures but especially the fourth one, we look so happy.” At that Beau fully stood up and pulled you into a hug; “We are so happy.”

[bonus]

About a week later the cards came in and you spent an afternoon addressing, stamping, and stuffing envelopes. When that was all finished you walked with Amber to the post office and sent the cards off. A couple of days after that Anthony walked into the locker room and all heads turned to him. He didn’t quite know what was happening so he opted to go right to his locker and start getting dressed but when the staring didn’t let up he scooted a little closer to Mat. “Alright, what happened?” He asked, wanting anyone to say anything. “The cards bro.” Mat responded. “I’m pretty sure most of us got them yesterday.” Anthony nodded in realization, “Oh,” he said. “Were they bad or something?” He asked, now addressing the room at large. “No, just strange,” Oliver spoke up. “Not that it’s a bad strange.” Anders interjected, wanting to reassure Beau. “Yeah, it’s sweet kid.” Marty chimed in, a smile on his face. “Syd was saying that Y/n was talking about doing a card but didn’t know if you’d be down. It’s really nice to see that you did it; plus you look so happy.” Beau felt the smile taking over his face and the blush covering his cheeks, “I wasn’t super excited about it but I wasn’t gonna say no, and we are really happy. I would do anything for her.”

[naavispider]

Hey, I remembered how you once wrote that you can see Lyle as the girl's dad and I wonder if you have any hc what would happen if in modern au he had a daughter let's consider a 6-year-old daughter who would be brought up among all military uncles and aunts and would have Quaritch as a godparent. Maybe you could write a one-shot of what her meeting with Spider looked like? He could see what his life might have been like if he had never been taken from his father.

Hi! I can't believe anyone remembered that! This is the post you're referring to. Here are some headcanons about the daughter meeting Spider:

Wainfleet's daughter is called Sophia, and she is about 7 when Spider is 16. Wainfleet is still with her mom (Helena) though they are very on again, off again. Both of them always put Sophia first though, even when they're in a 'i need space' phase of their relationship. Everyone (the squad) knows that they're each other's soulmate (for want of a better word) and it's just Wainfleet and Helena who don't see it.

Sophia was raised mostly by her mom while Wainfleet was away on active duty, which was relatively often. However, whenever Wainfleet got back Helena would always allow Wainfleet to have pretty much unlimited access to her, even when they were fighting. When they weren't 'off again', things were great. Wainfleet would come home and they'd be a happy family. He'd bring his mates round, including all of the squad, and Sophia would get to know them and grow fond of them all, especially when they always brought toys and candy for her.

All of the squad pretty much see Sophia as their niece, and treat her like such. Wainfleet (and Helena) know that if anything happened to both of them, Sophia wouldn't be short for carers.

When Spider first meets Sophia it’s when Quaritch took him round to Wainfleet’s house. Maybe after Quaritch gains custody, or maybe when he gets suspicious the police have hacked Spider’s laptop. Sophia isn’t as shy as other kids her age when meeting new people, because of how often she’s been around Lyle’s work life, so when she sees Uncle Quaritch and a strange teenager walk in she rushes over to Quaritch to hug him. Spider is so confused by this - it seems a huge juxtaposition seeing this huge, tough marine being a gentle with a seven year old girl.

“Hey princess,” Quaritch would mumble into her, and then she’d turn and boldly say hi to Spider.

“Er, hi,” Spider replies.

Quaritch introduces his niece and Wainfleet watches on, not needing to verbalise his protectiveness over his daughter. They make their way to a back room to look at the laptop, and Helena follows them tentatively.

Spider’s never had a sibling, but he imagines Sophia is a perfect example of what it would be like. At first she waits by the door, not afraid to be seen eavesdropping, and then she just gains in confidence until she comes in unashamedly and starts making conversation with a slightly weirded out Spider.

“What’s your name?”

“Spider.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what people call me.”

“My name’s Sophia. I’ve never seen you before.”

Spider doesn’t know what to say to that, he finds talking to Sophia similar to talking to Tuk, but he was far more wary of her than his foster sister. She’d clearly been raised in a military family and had no idea of the things her father and ‘uncles’ did when they were away.

[snowfrostssimp-books]

HARLIVY'S CHILD

Grow up absolutely loved and cherished.

You always had space to be yourself and be confident in your ways.

Reluctantly on your part joined the Batbrats but they treat you like family.

Alfred helping you stitch up after a mission since your moms are at home binging the pottery wars or something.

"Uncle A, I got shot again." "Sit down child."

"Don't worry he looks much worse than me." "I don't doubt it."

"What will my moms say?" "They'll go on a bounty huny if not already on one." "Right, Ma talks with plants like me." "Hmm."

Bruce secretly adores your.

"Hey uncle B." "Can I help you?"

Dick sees you as an annoying little sister. "Hey Mr Glutes." "It's weird because your moms also call me that." "Suck it up."

Batgirl is like your big sister that Harlivy easily get annoyed with. But let's it slide cuz she's a good influence on you.

"BG, how you been?" "Hey you! How's training going?"

Damien is confused but not repulsed by your company.

"Batbrat stop with acting like you're a sweet potato pie." "I don't have to act. I just am."

Best schools attended. Genius child. Duh look at your moms.

Gymnastic training. Variety of martial arts training. How to connect with the green training.

Gardening with Ivy and anti-heroing with Harley.

You're 70% Anti-hero.

The other 30% dislikes humans.

Missions goes something like this...

Nightwing: "Give it up Riddler we solved the puzzle."

Riddler: "No. You cheated."

Y/n: "Uncle R, why don't you come in peacefully and I'll show you the unsolvable puzzle book collection I got for my birthday?"

Riddler: "Unsolvable?"

Y/n: "So I've been told."

Riddler: "Fine, lemme see it."

Most of the Rogues are actually just like your aunts and uncles. They're your family but you have no problem with kicking their asses if need be.

"Aunty L, you coming for dinner?" "I should be out by Friday kid." "See you then."

You, weirdly enough, get spoiled by Joker much to Ivy and Harley's dismay.

"Hey J, I got your present and I like it. Thanks." "Anytime."

No one knows why he cares but people suspect it was his wife's doing.

Harley and Ivy can be hard on you wanting you to be your best version of yourself. But you still have many rants with them knowing they won't judge and feeling comfortable with them.

You tend to seek comfort from Ivy but when you need a cry you'll go to Harley she's much better at comforting you.

Ivy doesn't do good with tears, but atleast she's learned hugging works so if you start crying she just hugs you letting you cry into her shoulder.

May the gods have mercy on whoever hurts you because your moms sure as hell won't.

You got 2 cats from Selina who's like your cool wine aunt.

The others are confused at how much Selina adores you but your moms love it.

"I'll name them Bruce Jnr and Selina Jnr." "Just like your mom, you suck at naming animals." "You named your cat Isis, Aunty Sel, you can't judge."

Kingshark is your favourite uncle/babysitter.

"And to hack the govermen is easy." He teaches you how to hack like a pro.

Shark hugs all around.

Clayface would always morph into you and you'd be fascinated by the sudden appearance of a twin.

Clayface loves taking you on shopping sprees even if you don't like it as much you enjoy seeing him try on outfits and rant about what characters it fitted. You loved letting and watching him delve onto his creative mind. Often asking more about the characters letting Clayface get lost in his world of imagination.

The Justice League has recruited you but you didn't like being associated with them but always help out when they need it. You're on their 'Phone In Case Of Emergency' list.

Bane is your favourite uncle.

"Big B, are we going to the dog show next month?" "You bet we are!"

Sometimes you take him to the spa for a day to just relax or go to the gym with him to blow off some steam.

Beware any creeps that stare at you for too long. "Bane sees you staring at my gym partner!" He doesn't care if everyone hears and looks over.

Lex has tried recruiting you for The Legion Of Doom but Ivy made it clear just how she disapproved of his choices. Harley made sure to also give him a piece of her mind.

You live a free and wild life but you have protection around every corner on every side. The Batfamily. The Rogeus. All your family.

[facewipes]

posting the mybeauty iceberg specifically so that icy can get caught up on some mybeauty lore fire might’ve missed

explanations under the cut [tw substance abuse, csa, ed, family death]

tier 1 - you guys should know everything here and if you don’t. tch

tier 2 -

magenta mine: buggie’s hit song after leaving mybeauty. infamously known for having the line “i’d pretend someone’s work was my own too if my voice sounded like the vomit you puke into the toilet after every time we ate”

why charlene likes clowns: her dad was a clown and it sparked a special interest for her. simple as that

neo’s real name: yafir, that’s all

tipsy toms: buggie and minnie’s workplace. just a classic american food chain restaurant

elvis: buggie’s brother that died of lung cancer when she was 17. his death led buggie to run away from her family.

tier 3 -

best new artist: beauty won best new artist in 2022

mommy issues: both emil and charlene’s problems stem from their moms.

dinocon: a convention held by dinos (like furries but for dinosaurs). cole has been to a couple dinocons in his life

jubilee’s fursona: self explanatory

bulimia: a core part of emil’s character is that he is bulimic and has been since he was 14. he has small periods where he’s fine until he relapses again

neo addiction: omg wow speaking of relapse…neo! neo has an alcohol and sleeping pill addiction. he uses his addictions to knock himself out of reality…there’s a point where he does go to rehab in 2018 but once the stuff with emil and co goes on in 2022 he gets back on everything

bloodsuckers: in-universe fantasy/mystery comic turned getflix live-action show. emil and jubilee are big fans

charlene’s stitches: from her gallbladder removal

tier 4-

dead pigeons: a british pop punk band that jubilee likes a lot

jubilee is adopted: self explanatory

fractured pelvis: referring to how emil has a minor fracture in his pelvis due to a car accident

misses madam the musical: a semi-popular musical. malcolm is a part of it. there’s a specific storyline involving him and this musical + emil but i don’t want to take forever explaining it…maybe i will another time

mmood swingz: a group of toxic gen z north florida teens in a band that makes music that no one likes and everyone makes fun of. their lead singer mika is a stan of mybeauty/emil

froot and veggi vs emil: picture this. you’re a pop duo of twin greek sisters with more plastic surgery procedures than years of your life and suddenly a washed up frail chainsmoker tells you that you’re untalented. he then proceeds to have a coked up hissy fit about how you and your sister suck and that back in his day pop music was good. amongst all his ranting you just watch and from being silent you automatically win the fight that he made up for no reason

tier 5 -

cole’s ex: a girl cole used to date in high school before he met jubilee and who is now a model. her name is gia. jubilee gets extremely jealous of gia when she sees cole interacting with her. so jealous in fact that she goes on kidder and bashes her for appearance basically no good reason.

beauty pageants: erin grew up being in multiple beauty pageants. though she never won any. her standards of beauty was shaped through her experience as a pageant girl…

camila: erin and emil’s cousin from their dad side. she’s not very nice to her cousins (nor her parents, uncle, aunt, and grandparents, for that matter) but she still expects them to be there for her when she “needs” it

erased lesbianism: referring to erin getting the lesbian card revoked

yoohoo bunny: a little white bunny mascot that can be found as toys, clothes, bags, pillows, and so much more. emil and bambi love yoohoo bunny

prom queen 2013: the year erin (gasp) won prom queen. she brags about it anytime she gets

tier 6 -

swine: the nickname buggie gave her groomer, monty swineson. a very abusive and controlling man. treated buggie like dirt while trying to convince her that he was the only person who cared for her. overall scum!

papaya fields: think of a site with a fruit in the name and targets trans people. this is the beauty version of that and you can bet your ass they have a dedicated page on emil somewhere

lost music: the earliest music emil and neo made together is completely lost and the idea of it ever being found is very slim

jivin: an editor for indiefools and emil’s future (like very distant future) boyfriend

motorg!rl: an online alias created by neo where he can pretend to be a cute anime girl producing music. he has a league of devoted fans who have no clue who is actually behind the music. if you looked his persona on google images you will get…interested results

jubilee gets drugged: there’s a moment during 2017 mybeauty where they all go drinking and jubilee (who never drank a day in her life and lowkey got pressured by cole to do it) gets drugged. she falsely accuses cole of doing it out of paranoia

drunk meltdown in france: neo gets REALLY fucked up in france + has a fight with dondre and ends up going live on the motorg!rl channel. he reveals his identity and calls all his fans “gross porn addicts”. he then cries for the rest of the live until passing out with the camera still on. this destroyed his online persona immediately

tier 7 -

“i wish i was born a girl” truth or dare: one night the gang is all together hanging out playing truth or dare (but like the one that is a physical game where you get like a truth or dare prompt on the card) and buggie gets a truth card directed at neo that reads “what is your biggest hot take” and everyone is expecting neo to say something silly but neo is already pissed at buggie for something earlierso he hits them with “i wish i was born a girl.” which causes everyone to go “….🥚?” but then neo goes on about how being a woman is easier than being a man and how women don’t seem to understand the privilege they have above guys. it’s basically him generalizing the experience of all women and comparing it to his unique experience as a man and most of it was just neo being bitchy about something buggie said earlier. tldr neo has a misogyny moment because a clown girl pissed him off.

jubilee’s doppleganger friend group: jubilee has a seperate group of friends that can basically be described as off brand mybeauty. their names are emiliano (mili), neya, aaron, and chelsea (cricket). mybeauty meets them and finds them to be very…offputting

medical abuse: referring to medical abuse both neo and emil faced. mainly involving mental health services.

why cole’s dad is in prison (csa tw): he made cp. he would sell stuff with other kids but never uploaded or shared anything with cole included, however, he did take gross pictures without cole’s knowledge back when he had custody. the police raided his house when cole admitted to his 3rd grade teacher that his dad assaulted him just a day prior. cole’s dad also abused his older sister judy before abandoning her, cece, and his ex-wife, but he never laid a finger on cece. cece feels guilt about it constantly

tier 8 -

dondre’s mom cause of death: murdered by his abusive stepdad. in a blind rage dondre grabbed his stepdad’s gun and shot him too. thankfully, he wasnt sentenced/charged due to it being deemed self defense. the memory of that day haunts him forever.

charlene is anti vax:

emil sex tape: i think the name makes it sound like he and neo made a sex tape kim k style but it refers to when emil used to make porn while he was homeless because he had no other form of income. a lot of people found these videos years later and used it to harrass him

neo dated his music teacher (csa/grooming): neo would call it dating but i personalllllyyyyyyyy would just call it grooming. he started doing things with his music teacher after school (some sexual some not) in exchange for good grades (he would’ve been a A+ student in that class without it but his teacher tricked him into thinking that he would fail if they weren’t together). their relationship offically ended when the teacher got fired for something completely unrelated. to this day neo refuses to see it as grooming since he wasn’t “forced” into anything. neo look at me you are a VICTIM.

tier 9 is just jokes nothing serious

[eyeslikewatercoolers]

It's Not Where You Come From (Kerri-centric, pt 1/2)

Long awaited, but here's the first half of the Kerri adoption fic, as part of the Wedding Planner AU! This takes place about 9 months after the events of Dearly Beloved.

Also for those who are not from the US, here is some information about FMLA. This fic also includes mentions of child neglect, transphobia, and theming around the US foster care system.

Read on ao3

Kerri’s been watching the driveway all afternoon, waiting for the familiar State of California vehicle to pull up. She has an open library book in her hands, but she’s barely read a single sentence. Soon enough, her CPS worker arrived, rolling the black bag filled with her and other kids’ files. 

Kerri’s gotten used to this weekly routine for the past six months and has realized that she had no choice after being placed in foster care. She knew she would be stuck in this rotted system until she would turn eighteen and would never be adopted. Who wanted a pre-teen who came out as trans, and then her birth parents just gave up?

The preteen waited in the bedroom that she shared with her foster brothers. She wished she lived in the girl’s bedroom across the hall, but after her foster parents went back and forth on her situation, they decided it would be best for her to stay in the boy’s room. But she had the bed by the window, so at least she was grateful for having that. 

After about twenty minutes of waiting, she heard footsteps walking down the hallway and opened the bedroom door without knocking. 

“You’re wanted downstairs.” Her older foster brother told her before plopping down on his bed with an older-generation of an iPhone. Kerri was pretty sure that it didn’t have service on it.

Kerri said a quiet thank you and left the book under the pillow. She’s had her stuff stolen before and couldn’t take any chances. 

Her foster mother and the CPS worker welcomed her into the living room. She sat in her usual seat that she resides in during these weekly check-ins. Her hands busied themselves with the loose thread on the arm of the chair.

“I’ll leave you two alone, then.” Her foster mother politely smiled as she left the room. Kerri would consider her as one of the better foster parents, only if she allowed her to grow out her hair and wear girl’s clothes. 

The CPS worker started asking her all the standard questions. Is she being fed enough? Is she being treated well? Kerri’s answers always remained the same yes’s and no’s, and whatever short answer would get this meeting over with the fastest. 

“I’ve got some news for you. I’ve already talked to your foster mom about it and she thinks it’s a good idea.” Her CPS worker said as she was putting Kerri’s file back into the bag.

Kerri’s head tilted slightly in curiosity “What is it?”

Her CPS worker took a deep breath “Remember when we tried to find you a placement within your family, but they all said that they couldn’t take you in?” Kerri nodded. How could she forget? She didn’t have many known relatives in the area. Her mother was an only child, and her father moved from Hawai’i to California. Her grandparents and her mother’s cousins in San Diego had all said no to Kerri living with them. 

The only other family she has ever heard about was her father’s estranged brother, who cut off all contact almost twenty years ago. 

“Well,” Her CPS worker continued, “You have an aunt who lives in LA, on your dad’s side. She was hard to track down, she changed both her first and last name years ago.” 

“Wait, my dad didn’t say he ever had a sister.” Kerri crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. “All he had was a brother that wasn’t in the family anymore and…” her voice trailed off, realizing that this could be the same person. It felt like a long shot to ask, but she had to rule out the possibility. 

Kerri swallowed her nerves “Is she like me?” she quietly asked.

The worker nodded, “She is, her name is Sasha. I haven’t tried to contact her yet  because I wanted to see how you felt about it first.” 

She did have a blood relative out there. But Sasha cut off all contact with her family, as she might not want to be found again. Kerri wanted to be mad, but she could understand where Sasha was coming from if that was the case. 

But this could also be her way out of the foster system, even if there was a big chance that Sasha didn’t want anything to do with her family. There was only one way to find out.

“I want you to try to contact her. I really want to meet my aunt.”

The following week, the CPS worker came for another visit, but she was alone. Kerri watched the car from the bedroom window for a few seconds longer than usual to ensure no one else was in the car. 

Kerri didn’t want to feel disappointed, but she couldn’t help it. She felt frustrated that a relative she’d only known about for a week hadn’t appeared yet. Maybe her worries about Sasha were correct. This woman did not want anything to do with her family anymore, even if Kerri was just some kid that wanted to meet her aunt. 

The CPS didn’t mention her aunt either during the meeting. It was the same routine as every other week, some questions that Kerri’s answers never changed. As the CPS put away the files, Kerri blurted out, “What about my aunt? Have you tried to contact her yet?”

The worker took a steadying breath before answering Kerri’s question. “I’ll be honest with you. I did call her, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

Kerri’s voice lowered slightly “Why would I get my hopes up?”

“She said that she wasn’t sure right now. She told me she would think about it and call me back as soon as possible.” The worker explained carefully. 

“Oh.” was all Kerri could respond with. She knew she had nothing to lose from the CPS worker contacting Sasha, but Kerri felt as if she lost the last possible connection to her family. 

Better get used to the foster system since Kerri is stuck in it for the next six years. 

Another week passed, and Kerri watched from her usual spot by the window for her CPS worker to arrive. Kerri accepted that Sasha didn’t want to meet her, as big of a pill that was to swallow. It was fine and nothing had to change in Kerri’s life now. She needed something stable, as there were too many changes in the past year alone.

The California state car pulled into the driveway and stepped out from the driver’s side was her CPS worker.  Same black rolling bag and it will be the same meeting she has every week. Kerri pulled down the blinds, she wouldn’t miss anything new outside that she hadn’t seen before. 

Kerri stopped paying attention to the time, actually reading her library book when her foster brother barged in the room. 

“They want you downstairs, and there’s some lady there too with them.” He said in a bored tone as he pushed open the door, then went to the end of the hall. 

“Wait, what lady?” Kerri asked with no response. Could it be Sasha? Did Sasha agree to meet her?

Turns out, it was Sasha who was downstairs in the meeting. Sasha was everything Kerri could ever dream of being one day. Her long dark hair was in a high ponytail, and her warm green eyes looked at Kerri without pity. Her aunt was stunningly beautiful and kind, and Kerri was nervous about making a good impression on her. 

Each time Sasha asked her a question, Kerri could only manage to answer in short, simple responses. It took Kerri until the end of the meeting to settle her nerves and feel comfortable around Sasha. 

“Is there anything you want to know about me?” Sasha asked her directly, and Kerri looked up at Sasha in front of her and noticed a ring with a set diamond on her ring finger. 

“Are you married?” she asked, pointing to the ring. 

Sasha smiled warmly and looked at her ring “Yes, I am. My wife and I just got married this past spring, and she even surprised me with the best honeymoon trip to Hawai’i.” 

Her aunt was married, lived in LA, and went on a surprise honeymoon trip. Sasha seemed to be doing great for herself, Kerri couldn’t wait to get out of the system if that life was possible for her one day. 

Sasha came back the next week and the following few weeks after that. It took a while for Kerri to warm up to her aunt, but she looked forward to her visits from the CPS worker and Sasha. 

She learned a lot more about Sasha during the following few weeks. Sasha owned her own wedding planning business in LA, which was one of the coolest jobs Kerri could ever dream of. 

Sasha didn’t mention her wife very often, as all she mentioned to her was that her spouse worked nights and they had been together for almost three years. Kerri didn’t even recall Sasha mentioning her wife’s name. She mostly spent the time during meetings listening and asking Kerri about herself. 

One day, Kerri came downstairs for another meeting, and she saw there was another woman next to Sasha. She didn’t remember meeting this woman before, she was a couple of inches taller than Sasha and had cherry-red hair and sharp brown eyes. 

“Who is this?” Kerri asked as she found her seat in the living room. She looked at her CPS worker and Sasha. 

Was this a new CPS worker? A new foster parent? A random woman looking to adopt a pre-teen? The last option was the most unlikely, but a girl could dream.

“I wanted you to meet my wife.” Sasha said, putting her hand gently on the woman’s shoulder “Kerri, this is Anetra.” 

Anetra leaned forward to give Kerri a pleasant handshake “Nice to meet you. Sasha has told me a lot about you.” Kerri noticed a faint scar over Anetra’s left eye as they shook hands. Anetra’s hands were long and willowy, a distinction from her athletic figure. 

Kerri couldn’t tell if Anetra was shy or didn’t have much to say at all. During the meeting, she watched Sasha’s wife (or maybe Kerri’s other aunt? She wasn’t sure what to label Anetra) and her reactions. Anetra didn’t talk much, so that was all Kerri had to go by to get a first impression. 

Anetra’s face didn’t change much either. She laughed with everyone, nodded, and smiled when appropriate, but that was about it. Kerri couldn’t tell how Anetra was feeling, maybe bored? Mad? Like she didn’t want to spend her afternoon with her wife’s niece in a foster home? Kerri had no idea what to think of Anetra. 

A couple weeks after meeting Anetra, the Department of Social Services granted approval for the Colbies to take Kerri out of the foster house for day visits. By this time, Kerri’s aunts were visiting without the CPS worker and taking her out for afternoon visits. 

These visits quickly became Kerri’s favorite time of the week. They took her to the parks in the neighborhood, coffee shops, and sometimes the beach (weather permitting). Kerri spent most of the time talking to her aunts and learning more about their lives in LA. She learned that Sasha started in wedding photography and recently got back into the hobby after their honeymoon. 

It took a while longer to learn about Anetra, but she learned that her other aunt did competitive taekwondo until she was about sixteen. But that was about it, Kerri realized that Sasha did more of the talking out of the couple.

One week, Sasha came by to pick Kerri up to spend the day at the nature park, but Anetra was nowhere to be seen. 

“Where’s Anetra?” Kerri asked as they got into Sasha’s small black car. 

“She had a rough migraine this morning, so I told her to stay home and feel better,” Sasha said as she started the car and buckled her seatbelt. 

“Oh, that sucks,” Kerri said. She wasn’t sure how Anetra felt about having a kid in her life since she was so hard to read. 

“Yeah, but her best friend, Marcia, is coming over and bringing her some medicine and food from our favorite Thai place later. So she’s in good hands.” Sasha smiled, pulling out of the driveway and down the street. 

Kerri’s spent barely two minutes with Sasha today, and she’s already learned two things about her elusive aunt.  Maybe Sasha could tell her more about Anetra while they were out today. 

“I think that’s the same one that Anetra has a tattoo on her chest.” Sasha pointed to a butterfly that was on a milkweed leaf in the nature center’s butterfly garden. 

“Oh, it’s pretty.” Kerri simply said. 

Sasha looked at Kerri, eyes full of concern “What’s going on? You aren’t usually this quiet.” 

Kerri took a deep breath, “Can I ask you something about Anetra?” 

Sasha nodded as she led them to a nearby bench, “What is it?” 

“Does she not like kids?’ Kerri blurted out without warning and saw Sasha’s confused stare before continuing.

“I mean that she’s hard to read, so I can’t tell what she’s thinking. She doesn’t talk much either.” Kerri said in a rush, hoping that Sasha would understand what she was saying. 

Sasha smiled at her, but not in a mocking way, “Do you know how many times I’ve told her that she has the meanest-looking resting face? Her scar doesn’t help much, either. She’s just a quiet person, but it takes her a bit to warm up to people.”

Kerri sighed in relief, “So it’s not that she’s bored or mad or anything?”

“No, and she absolutely loves kids. Whenever the florists at the store bring in their little boys, Anetra will come by just to play with them.” Sasha laughed to herself. 

The scar comment stuck out to Kerri after she felt her nerves from before untangling themselves out of relief. “Then how did she get her scar? If you knew her before she got it,” she asked, hoping it wasn’t a rude question. 

Sasha stood up from the bench and invited Kerri to join her in continuing their walk “I’ll let her be the one to tell you that story one day. It was scary when it happened, but we can laugh about it now.” 

“Really?’ Kerri started walking alongside her. 

“Yes, it’s a good reason we don’t have much glass in our house.”"

Weeks continue to go by, and Kerri notices that the visits with Anetra and Sasha change slightly. They never acted differently, and they still talk to her and take her to different places in San Diego. 

But at first, the visits aren’t as long as before. It wasn’t noticeable to Kerri when the visits ended about ten or fifteen minutes earlier than usual until it happened week after week. She never mentioned this change to her aunts, thinking they might not have been paying attention to the time. 

Then the visits become much shorter than usual. Most visits consisted of about half an hour of going to a park, talking, then dropping Kerri back off at her foster home and leaving to head back to LA. She tried asking why her aunts left sooner and sooner, but they always gave vague answers to Kerri’s frustrations. 

“We want to beat traffic on the way home.”

Or 

“There’s a meeting we need to get to.”

Or 

“We have something early to get to in the morning.”

Kerri grew more frustrated when she heard these answers to her constant questions. And with the frustration also came worry. 

She was worried about what the sudden change in her aunts could result in. Were her aunts not wanting to see her anymore? After months of visits, they decided they didn’t want Kerri in their lives.

Kerri tried her best to keep the negative thoughts at bay until Anetra and Sasha didn’t show up one week when they were supposed to. They didn’t call her foster parents to tell them they wouldn’t be there. They didn’t give Kerri a heads-up during the previous week. 

The driveway was empty all day, and Kerri would know since she watched it from the bedroom window until it got dark out. 

It was the saddest she’s felt since getting placed into foster care. She felt sadder than when her parents brought in an old suitcase and told her to pack what she needed. Even sadder than saying goodbye to her younger siblings. And much sadder than keeping her hair short and wearing hand-me-down boys' clothes for months. 

She told her foster mom that her stomach was hurting and didn’t want to eat dinner that night. Her foster mom gave an understanding nod and told Kerri she would keep a plate in the fridge whenever she was hungry. She stayed in the bedroom for the rest of the night, never getting hungry enough to get her plate until she fell fast asleep. 

Days later, her sadness turned to anger. Kerri felt angry at her aunts, she felt angry at her CPS worker, and she felt angry over almost everything in her life. How dare they string her along for months and then suddenly not show up when they were supposed to? How dare her CPS worker bring up contacting Sasha months ago just for Sasha to stop showing up one day? 

Her CPS worker was visiting that day, and Kerri was almost too pissed off to meet today. But she was required to go to these meetings, so she grudgingly headed downstairs when she was called. 

As she was answering the CPS workers with a hint of venom in her voice, there was a knock at the front door. She tried to keep her eyes away from the door as she heard Sasha’s voice thanking whoever let her and Anetra inside. 

Now Kerri felt like she was silently fuming. Her aunts didn’t bother showing up a few days ago just for Kerri, but they would show up to a boring meeting with her CPS worker when they didn’t even have to be there.

“We’re sorry we couldn’t make it the other day, we’ve just been so busy this week.” She heard Anetra explain as they found their seats on the couch. 

“Is that why your visits are getting shorter too?” Kerri asked her tone sharply pointed with her anger. She looked at her aunts, and both had small looks of surprise. 

After a few seconds of silence, Sasha spoke to her wife and the CPS worker “I think it’s about time that we tell her what’s been going on with us.” The other two nodded. 

Kerri tried to soften her voice “Tell me what?” 

What was going on with her aunts? Were they getting a divorce? That would have explained why they had been leaving sooner and missing visits. 

Kerri looked up to see smiles on Sasha and Anetra’s faces, and confusion grew as she listened to what was said next.

“We’re getting guardianship over you,” Sasha said in a gentle, yet excited voice. 

After a few seconds of the thought of guardianship settled into Kerri’s mind, she managed to say “You two? Want to be my guardians? You do?”

“We do, It’s been a long process, but we just need to sign a few more papers, and we’re approved to be your guardians,” Anetra said, as Kerri watched all the adults in the room carefully.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked.

“We wanted to wait for it to be official before we said anything to you. We weren’t sure if the state would approve us since we’ve only known you for a few months.” Sasha explained.

“Does that mean I get to live with you in LA?” she was met with nods as she felt euphoria flood her chest. She’s finally getting a real home again, and a home where she’s allowed (and encouraged) to be herself. 

“We’ll be back in about a week to help you pack and move. I’m taking some time off work since it’s the off-season, and Anetra is taking a few weeks of FMLA so we can help you get settled and enroll you in school.” Sasha explained helpfully. 

“So what do you say, Kerri? Would you like having your aunts as your guardians?” her CPS worker asked, but already knew the answer. 

Kerri nodded and felt tears spring to her eyes. The two women in front of her noticed and jumped out of their seats, and gathered the pre-teen into both their arms. 

This was her first hug in almost a year and one of the best in her lifetime. She felt Sasha’s fingers run through her hair and Anetra gently rubbed her shoulder and back.

Kerri didn’t realize it until years later, but she was finally with her parents. They weren’t the ones who gave her life, but who would provide the unconditional love she always needed.

[cleoselene]

tw suicide, cancer

My Uncle Art, who married into the family when he married my Aunt Leslie, he's a great guy. He wasn't always, I'll be honest, he was a real dick for most of my childhood, but he was an alcoholic. And when he quit drinking, it was like a personality switch was flipped and he became this gentle, loving, helpful, compassionate person when he was none of those things before he got sober.

This last month alone, Art has been down from Ohio where he lives to visit his sister, who lives in the same town in Florida as me, three times. He comes down from time to time because he owns the condo she lives in (and pays all her bills and expenses... while she goes through a fifth a vodka a day. How she is alive, not one of us can comprehend. But while he was here, Art took time to A) install a new hot water heater for us and haul the old one out, B) do the same for our dishwasher (and then he went to the grocery store and bought us a huge tub of detergent pods and a bottle of rinse aid, because he's thoughtful like that and noticed we were low on pods when he was fussing around under the sink), and C) fixed the garbage disposal. He didn't have to do any of these things, he volunteered because he's one of those old guys that likes to, as my mom says, "putz around and fix things" because it's his love language, honestly. Acts of service.

Her daughter is a little younger than me? I'm almost 45, I wanna say she's 35. Anyway, I didn't know her super well, but I know her. We shared an aunt and uncle, not quite like a cousin, but she was nice. Chill. She sold me weed at cost (she was a weed dealer) a few times, we smoked out together a few times. She had survived leukemia, and we bonded over being in the Terribel Illness Club, right down to the fact that my disease-modifying drug is Kesimpta, which was used to treat leukemia under the name Arzerra. Bonded over the joys of poisoning your body to save your body.

Well, she unfortunately succumbed to mental illness yesterday, taking her own life. My poor uncle, he is devastated. So is my aunt. It never makes sense when these things happen, and it's sticking with me a little not just because I knew her and considered her a friend, but because she had been in the Awful Illness Club with me and she's beaten hers! I love when people get the diagnosis and beat it! It's one of my favorite things! My roommate had spinal surgery last year and he has recovered so much more mobility than he could have possibly dreamed of and I see him thriving more and more each day and it warms my heart, and he told me he feels bad because he knows there's no miracle procedure to make me suddenly turn around and feel better. But I don't want him to feel that way! I love living off successes like this vicariously!

Anyway, it turns out that leukemia was the one she could beat. Mental illness she could not. I'm so sorry, Emily. I hope you've found peace.

It has been a bad week for uncles. My Uncle Chris was diagnosed with prostate cancer. They think they caught it early, but given that he's 78 years old they have to look everywhere to make sure that's the only place the cancer is. I gotta admit, I'm scared. I know prostate is one of the more survivable cancers, one of my other uncles had it and the treatment was so fast and effective that the extended family didn't know it had happened until he was already in remission. But Chris is not Bob -- he has a much more fragile constitution, and probably an eating disorder? All his life he's been scary skinny and obsessive about his weight. Bob climbs mountains and stuff, Chris sits on his porch and sips vodka and watches the ducks. There's just a whole different level of healthiness here.

Also, to be frank, Chris's wife is a wretched succubus. She is AWFUL to be around because she is one of those people that just CREATES stress out of thin air. It's like her magical power, creating stress out of nothing at all! She has alienated him from all three of his sisters (well my mom not as much, but she also doesn't spend nearly as much time with him as she used to? They used to go to the beach and see the sunset 2-3 times a week. Now it's like. 2-3 times in the last year) .

I am not on speaking terms with the wretched bitch or her daughter (this child has been a brat since birth, and continued to be. Last I talked to her was an argument because she thought I was vagueblogging about her on Facebook, which, lol? I do not care enough about her life to be passive aggressive to her like that. She also accused me of being jealous of her life, which is HYSTERICAL because she has three small children (that she cannot handle and honestly didn't want more than one, but well...) and a Republican husband with the personality of damp toast. He's like 6'7" and I think she fell prey to the "he's not hot, just tall" trap. Anyway my cousin accusing me of being jealous of her life, really funny stuff, she's probably projecting? But sure, she can imagine that i'm jealous of her 3 children under 6 and her ugly inside-and-out husband and her exciting career shilling cleaning products for an MLM scheme.

But I love my uncle and I really am worried between his wife and his daughter they are going to stress him to the grave. They have stressed him out constantly for 4 decades now, don't see any reason they would change when they can both enjoy walking all over him. Which they do. It's depressing. My mom worked with DV offenders for 3 decades and she says their relationship has all the hallmarks of verbal and emotional abuse, and I believe it. Sometimes the things my aunt would say about my uncle would make me tilt my head because it would be some outrageously offensive thing that my uncle would never, ever say.

It goes like this: Aunt Beeyatch: Your uncle told me I looked fat Me: *head tilt* Really? That doesn't sound like something he would say. *turns to uncle* You didn't really say that, did you? My mom: Say what? Me: Aunt Bee just said Uncle Chris said she looked fat, which i thought was really weird, because it doesn't sound like something he would say it all. My mom: Of course he didn't say that, *dismissive as all hell, turns to Aunt Bee* Why would you make that up? Aunt Bee: I'm just joshing you (I kid you know she says "joshing" all the time -_-) Me; *politely* Oh okay. I knew it didn't sound like something he would say!

some version of this conversation has been had MANY times over the decades

all this to say I'm worried about my uncles :( send good thoughts to them both.

[franki-lew-yo]

Dog feelings

It's funny to me just how everyone's personal bad experience with dog breeds clouds their judgement so much on dogs - rationally and irrationally.

When I was little there was a MEAN and scary German Shepherd who'd bark through a fence at me. It started my fear of those dogs, but my lasting fear came from seeing images of the civil rights movement and police brutality. (H1tler having an affinity for them didn't help). Like,OF COURSE- German Shepherds aren't inherently evil. I've met some wonderful and sweet German Shepherds in my life and I'm sure the German Shepherds in your life were good wholesome doggos - I'm still afraid of them.

I guess I'm lucky that I've never been at the business end of a 'fighting' or 'working' dog breed that wants to hurt me. I know not to treat pitbulls like puppies ftr, no one should. They're strong. I guess my opinion of ''mean dogs'' (so says talking dog media I consumed as a kid) was put in place by my aunt's rottweilers. One of them, Indie, was so kind and docile I hung out with him as a tiny baby. The one they got after, Luke, did hurt my aunt in a way that required stitches, but it was by accident. My aunt and uncle taught me how to raise your voice high and let an animal that's bigger than you and doesn't want to hurt you, which Luke was, know that it is hurting. Luke wanted to play and be an eternal puppy but what was scary about him, and I presume some pitbulls are like this as well, is he didn't KNOW his own strength. There's something so different between the fear of an animal that you know wants to hurt you vs one that could hurt you if you both aren't careful. When you're a kid who doesn't know how to be safe yourself, you and the animal BOTH have to be taught this lesson.

Which brings me to the dog breed I'm the most cautious around even though there's so many examples of good doggos out there: labs.

My mom and us had a neighbor around 7 years ago. They later got a hound-mix named Bernie, but their first dog they really should have had or could take care of was a lab named Basil. Basil was mostly just annoying- she'd get out of her yard and chase the neighbor cats, dig up other yards, try and hunt our neighbor's chickens. Ginger (rip) and later Shelby obv didn't like her but so did most dogs in the neighborhood. Basil would also kind of like Luke in that she'd run into your crotch nose-first and slobber on you like she was still a puppy and not a grown dog, which was intimidating but some people found it cute because she was a lab. Then, one Halloween morning when my sister and I were carving pumpkins in the open garage - we looked up to see Basil - out of her yard again - baring her teeth at us and growling. It was terrifying. Ginger was somewhere in the front yard and was distracted so we had no way of knowing she was even there until she just was THERE. Worse still- Basil didn't move or stop baring her teeth until Laura and I put down the carving knives we were using on our pumpkins. Then the returned to wagging her tail and tearing up our yard. From then on though, she both bareled in and smelled us but ALSO would bare her teeth at us.

I know how unbelievable that sounds. I have no idea if Basil recognized knives for being a thing that can hurt you . I HOPE she didn't actually recognize what it was for. Excitable dogs like her can mistake any longish-thing in your hand for either a toy or a thing to whap them with. But even without that-she was terrifying. She scared me. Another blond lab on our street also would try and maul Shelby and other little dogs if she got too close.

Just like how Pitbulls, German Shepherds and Doberman's are bread to bite and can, people forget that Labrador Retrievers are retrievers. They're hunting dogs. They're active and can do damage, for all their cuteness. Any dog can be a good dog, but every dog has to be trained to behave. When you have big dogs take care of them right in every sense of the word.

[nuaghtylilgirl]

Fantasy

I'm cuddling with Prince and Princess(mommy named the dogs that cuss that's how I would treat them)

My head is on princes belly cuss I've been slowly stroking him as we lay there while Princess occasionally will lick random parts of me. It's been a nice slow dady since mommy and daddy are both at work.when suddenly there's a knock on the door......the dogs don't react which I weird but what ever I go to answer it.

"oh Hi Aunt Emily!"(she's daddy's sister mtf)

"hi baby is your daddy home?"

"no he's(looks at clock) work for a few more hours,same for mom"

"oh well I guess I'll just wait here then."

"ok, I have to introduce you to Prince and Princess first!" Then come and sniff her for a while.

Ain't Emily goes and sit on the couch and we talk for a while and eventually she get board and has me suck her while she pets the dogs for a bit.

Soon she starts to fuck me but almost like it's something to do more then she's horny type way, I don't really care since it feels good.

She finally comms and tells me to make a show of the dogs licking me out which I do of course!

I lay on my back over the ottoman legs spread so she can see it all as the dogs growl and lick me clean.

[that-fruitier-emo]

Time to revisit my atla au.

Ralph- Ralph's dad was a lower class fire nation citizen, making Ralph a fire bender. Ralph has an older sister, but his mom died giving birth to him. His dad couldn't bare raising his kids because they reminded him of his late wife. Ralph's sister became a kyoshi warrior because she didn't have bending. Ralph was taken in by Robert's family, who were a higher class fire nation family.

Jack- Jack grew up in the southern water tribe, but instead of following tradition and being a hunter, he was much closer with his mother and learned healing. His dad was very strict, and was very upset about Jack going against tradition and learning how to heal with water bending.

Roger- Roger also grew up in the southern water tribe, and was taught water bending by his father. His father died when he was eight, and Roger taught himself to blood bend vowing to avenge his father's death someday.

Piggy- While with his glasses he doesn't need to rely on it, he can do the thing Toph does where he can see with his feet. Piggy grew up in the earth kingdom, a higher ring of the earth kingdom. His parents being killed when he was little, he lived with his aunt who was a friend of the earth king. And when Rogers being a jerk Piggy shoots rocks at him.

Simon- Simon was a son of one of the airbenders who got air bending in harmonic convergence. While his family wasn't big in practicing every bit of air nomad culture, Simon is a practicing air nomad. But he's familiarized himself with all air bending techniques, even the deadly ones. And his flying bison is named Lizard because he's never seen a dragon, and wants to some day. (Ralph shows him one)

Sam- Sam grew up in a lower class earth kingdom ring, and discovered that he was the avatar when he was eight. Although it didn't really become public until he was 10, then he started learning earth bending when he was 12. He learns his earth bending from Piggy.

Eric- Eric grew up the same as Sam, and after Sam being the avatar became public he got very bitter about it sometimes. But he takes comfort is he was born with the metal bending and lava bending jeans while Sam wasn't.

[that's all for the official team avatar]

Robert- Robert grew up in one of the higher rings of the fire nation, his dad being a loyal friend to the fire lord. Being of such status, he has a dragon. He treats it much more as a friend rather than as a pet, he practices fire bending with Ralph, and is quite good. But Ralph's better. He got his dragon when he was 13, and Ralph helped him with raising it a lot.

Maurice- Maurice is a sort of mid level citizen in the earth kingdom. He can earthbend decently well, but not better than Eric or Piggy. But if Sam was restricted to just earthbending, Maurice would beat him. Maurice grew to be very clever, and does hustle people on the street from time to time. He once tried to fight Piggy and got a rock thrown at his head.

[hogwartsalumni08-slytherin]

Blaise Zabini & Holly Potter

My name is Holly Potter and I am fifteen years old. My twin brother, Harry, and I just finished our fifth year at Hogwarts. I have been dating a Slytherin by the name of Blaise Zabini. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were skeptical at first because Blaise is in Slytherin. Blaise is not like the other Slytherins. Yeah he is a pureblood but he doesn't care about my half-blood status. Blaise is of Italian origin but looks black. I have fair skin, shoulder length red hair, and hazel eyes. I am not sure how Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley are going to react to me dating a black guy.

I am sitting with Blaise on the train ride back to Kings Cross Station. Draco and Pansy walk into our compartment. Draco says, "I wasn't sure what Blaise was thinking at first. But, I gotta admit Potter that you two look good together." I say, "Draco, call me Holly." Draco nods. Pansy smiles and asks, "What are you doing this summer, Holly?" I say, "My twin and I live with our Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and cousin Dudley. Petunia was our mom's sister. Then, I am sure toward the end of the summer we will end up going to the Weasleys." Blaise says, "Ron is just your friend." I nod and say, "Yeah Ron and his brothers are all like brothers to Harry and I. Ginny is like the little sister I never had." Draco nods.

Before I knew it, we were at Kings Cross. Blaise helps me with my bags. We walk holding hands off the platform; and, he kisses me. I hear Uncle Vernon call, "Come on Holly." I nod and say, "Bye, Blaise. See you in September." Blaise says, "Bye, Holly."

Harry and I sit quietly in the back seat of Uncle Vernon's car. Once we were inside the house, Uncle Vernon says, "Petunia and Dudley come in here." They both walk in. Uncle Vernon asks, "Who was that boy you were with, Holly?" I sigh and say, "Uncle Vernon, that is my boyfriend, Blaise Zabini."

Uncle Vernon asks, "Does he treat you right?" My eyes widen and say, "Yes sir he does." Uncle Vernon says, "If he ever mistreats you let me know." I ask, "So you don't care that he is black?" Uncle Vernon says, "No. I don't." Aunt Petunia says, "Your dad had some Greek or Mediterranean don't care if you are in an interracial relationship, Holly."

Harry says, "I was skeptical at first but that is because Blaise is in Slytherin." Dudley asks, "What does that mean?" I say, "When you begin at Hogwarts you are sorted into one of the four houses based on your characteristics. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I are all in Gryffindor. Blaise is in Slytherin like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was. Slytherin gets a bad rep; but, they are not all bad." Uncle Vernon asks, "Does he care that your mom's parents weren't magical?" I say, "No. Blaise said that he could care less. His mom is the same way." Dudley asks, "Do you have a picture of Blaise?" I nod and show Dudley a picture of him. 

Aunt Petunia looks over my shoulder and says, "You should invite him to come over sometime this summer. I want us to meet him." I nod and say, "I will." Needless to say, I am glad that my family approves of my relationship with Blaise Zabini.

[qvid-pro-qvo]

for a prompt 🌺 Macheresin + late-night confessions Thank you and I hope you're having a nice day! 😊

as always, movie nights end with a bit of an argument. no matter the time, no matter the movie, there’s an insistence that there’s no way it could be bedtime, and that everyone should stay up for one more feature film. never mind that kids and parents alike are yawning, and that each passing moment the time gets later.

but eventually, logic wins out. or at least, dad wins out, once he gives a solid look and one last sweet treat. and then the whole crew starts the wind down, until it’s time for a final goodnight from papa to seal the deal.

it’s javy’s favorite day of the week.

there’s nothing he aches for more when he’s deployed. he loves the bedtime routine. loves tying back their little girl’s hair, loves making sure their son brushes his teeth. and more than anything, he loves listening in to the bedtime story, just down the hall from where javy puts away the dishes.

“one more time, papa,” danielle urges.

“yeah, c’mon, please,” jamie says, and javy can’t help but smile. his own room is down the hall, but he always listens in while jake is in danielle’s room. “tell us!”

“all right, all right,” jake tells them. “but then you’re both going to bed.”

the springs creak a little as the two of them settle in. jake hums for a moment, and the comforter rustles as he pulls it up to her chin.

“when your daddy and i first started flying,” jake starts, “i would call home as often as i could. which wasn’t too much at all, but i missed texas a lot.”

“who’d you call?” dani asks, and javy can see how big her eyes are without looking.

“my mama, your grandma. my sister, your aunt sarah, and your uncle hunter. anyone i could talk to.” jake’s voice has that hint of a smile to it, and javy stops ceramic bowls from clinking too loudly so he can eavesdrop. “so i’d call, and i’d tell ‘em how it’s going, and every time i’d talk about my new friend javy. how he’s doing. how we’re gonna be the greatest pilots alive.”

“every time?” jamie murmurs.

“every time.” there’s a pause, and then jake continues. “so one day, i’m going on and on about this machado guy, and then aunt sarah just gives this little… sigh.”

“like she knows,” danielle chimes in, and javy chuckles a little. not the first time for sure.

jake chuckles, too. “like she knows. and she waits until i’m all finished, and then she sighs again. a little louder. and she asks me —“

which is when jamie’s voice interrupts, pitched a little higher. “when are we gonna hear about you, jake? we keep hearing about this javy machado.”

“which is when you said,” danielle pushes, and the springs creak with her bouncing.

“well, you better get used to hearing his name,” jake tells them. “because that’s the guy i’m gonna marry.”

jamie and danielle both laugh, and jake gives them both loud smacks of kisses. “that’s right. now, bedtime. both of you. c’mon, jamie, hop to it.”

“i didn’t know that,” javy tells jake. after giving their kids both goodnights of his own, the two of them sit on the couch, leaning against each other. an episode of a show they’ve already seen playing while their brains start to shut down.

“know what?” jake says, blinking a bit. their age is starting to betray them, 9:00 PM feeling like hours later.

“that you told your sister you were going to marry me.” and then javy chuckles again, pushing jake’s hair back from his forehead. it’s getting long. “while we were in flight school.”

“oh, i told mom, too,” jake tells him, chuckling and stretching his limbs out wide. “hunter didn’t really care since we mainly talked about the cowboys game.”

“you knew?” javy asks him, raising a brow. “way back then?”

and after a moment, jake sits up. faces javy fully. “i didn’t know anything back then,” he admits. “i just knew i was lucky. we worked well, together, and you really fucking knew how to fly. so i knew i wanted you in my life. no matter what it would look like. me saying that… was a little bit of hope, i guess.”

“speaking it into existence.”

“something like that.”

javy hums a little bit at his words. it feels like he’s been smiling all night, but with jake, it’s not often he stops. and then a memory comes to mind, lazily floats to the surface. and he can’t help his laugh as he thinks about it.

“you wanna know something crazy?” javy tells him. “i told my mama about you, too.”

“what’d you tell her?”

“i told her about a pilot who was trying to kill me,” javy teases. “how he flew like nobody i’d ever seen—”

“sounds about right,” jake says, and shakes his head a little.

“and how he was gonna be sticking around a while,” javy finishes. “and how i couldn’t wait for her to meet him.”

in the low light of the living room the two parents look at each other. share a gentle kiss, silhouetted by the glare of the TV. and behind them, hiding in the hallway, two young kids watch their parents share that moment, and think that maybe a couple of bedtime stories about that kind of love might just make up for not watching another movie.

[svt-vivi]

Vivi w/ Her Family

summary: a little info on the dynamics of vivi and her family

warnings: mentions death and divorce, spanish curse words.

disclaimer: none of the photos are mine but the collages are and none of these photos included the actually face claim of my oc. this is just to give an idea of the relationships

❥Mom: Baek Yerin

age: 1971

contact name: Mother Hen🐥 career: apparel business owner

her mom was her role model, best friend and pillar of strength all wrapped into one

her mom had always been her number one supporter of her dreams

she encouraged vivi to audition for pledis even though she knew the cost and struggle it would be bc she believe in vivi's talent and she didn't want to be the reason it withered away

it warmed her heart seeing her daughter finally debut after years of strenuous training

her mom taught her all she knows about fashion and designing clothes

when her mom passed away, it was the most difficult time in vivi's life

every now and then when something happens in vivi's life she will call or text her mother even though she knows no one will reply

she got a tattoo dedicated to her after she passed away

her mom loved all the svt boys and treated them like her own sons

she would always mention how grateful she was that s. coups is in vivi's life to kind of fill in the father's role

❥Sister: Baek Jiwoo

age: 1995

contact name: pendeja🥰 (this words is a spanish curse word) (her sister has her as puta)

career: lawyer

the two are polar opposite

while vivi was a troublemaker and didn't care about much, her sister was more responsible and care way too much

this often lead them to fight when they were younger but they always had each other back

vivi will always be there to give her sis some relief from the responsibility of being the eldest and jiwoo makes sure she doesn't do anything stupid

when their parents argue jiwoo would give both vivi and her brother headset and blast music so they couldn’t hear their voice

vivi help her sister hide the fact she was working while in school from their mom to help raise money

when their mom passed away it only strengthen their bond for each other

since her sister had more years with their father, jiwoo would help vivi and their younger brother keep the connection w/ their hispanic heritage

her favorite member is wonwoo bc he was chill, smart and like his tastes in books. they would recommend books to each other

❥Brother: Baek Jiho

age: 2003

contact name: Bambi🦌

career: college student

these two have always been close knit

since they are closer in age they often walked to school together

he was still young when vivi was a trainee and it was hard for him when vivi was always away for long hours and didn't get to spend time together

he would always ask when she was coming home after she debut and vivi always felt like a terrible sister bc she could never give him a proper answer

so she tries to call him often and hangout w/ him as much as she can

she hates how his growth spurt happen way too quickly. he's almost the same height as mingyu now

although they bicker often, he's actually very gentleman-like towards his sisters

he basically treats vivi like a princess

vivi is super protective of him

if anyone messes w/ him she will hunt them down

she used the money she got from svt to help pay for his college tuition

his favorite member is dino since they are closest in age and he always thought his dancing is sick correct

❥Aunt: Baek Yejin

age: 1973

contact name: Queen of Baddies😎💋

career: photographer

she didn’t know much about her aunt before her family moved in with her

she was always the aunt that would send gifts for christmas and birthdays and occasional awkward phone calls

once she got to met her when she moved to South Korea she wasn’t very fond of her aunt bc she put the blame on her aunt for them having to move

but her aunt is hard not to like, it only took a week before vivi was constant following her aunt around the house

to vivi, she was the cool aunt who will cause trouble w/ her and made her see she didn't have to fit into society standards of women

she is also the reason vivi became obsessed w/ tattoos

when vivi’s mom passed away, her aunt took them all in and tried her best to be somewhat of a responsible adult

but she never tried to fill in the role of their mother which vivi loved

❥Dad: Sebastián Lopez

age: 1970

career: finance

she doesn't have many fond memories w/ her father

most of them consisted of his loud voice echoing throughout the house when he was arguing with her mom

the only few good memories she had with her father is when he taught her about her hispanic culture

it's why she is very knowledge on that side of her heritage because those memories will always hold a special in her heart and she's always touching up on it

because she was young and naive, she thought her father would still try to keep in contact with her but when she realize that wasn't the case it broke her heart

it wasn't until seventeen started become known worldwide that he tried to rekindle the relationship

but her heart had already turned cold for him

[skinslip]

I'm a woman born of madness, from a long line of mad women; mental illness lives in our bones and it stretches back 10 generations or more. My mother and I are the first generations to not be committed (yet) but I don't necessarily think that is a bragging point.

There was my great aunt Lærke who killed her first husband by tying him up and castrating him, leaving him to beg and plead as he bled out like the pig he was. And she fled that abusive, violent man. She started a new life in England, met a good man, had some children of her own, and the madness went into remission.

But the authorities finally caught up with her and she was committed, even lobotomized, a common way to treat unruly women at the time. And at a later date she was returned to her husband's care to spend the rest of her days staring out her bedroom window.

My grandmother's sister talked to animals and dressed in men's clothes and cavorted with women. Her husband had her committed after only 3 year of marriage, only to run off with his secretary. Leaving poor Mabel to the hands of professionals to fill her days with electricity.

And the stories go on and on back to the beginning. Many of those unsaid mad women contained their madness but unleashed it on their children in private, continuing the curse until it finds a logical conclusion.

Me. I'm the logical conclusion, child free and mad as a lark, maybe even as mad as Lærke, standing on the threshold of my aunt Arla's mobile home; a single wide in the vastness of Oklahoma. The smell of the dead woman permeates the stagnant air, even now days after she has passed.

I'm wearing two masks and I still have the urge to vomit, this smell makes the air feel thicker, it's a smell that takes forever to leave my nostrils, which I can still recall to this day with clarity and a shudder.

Where does one even start when going through a mad woman's possessions? A life of clutter accumulated in every nook and cranny. Barely a walkway to navigate through the narrow mobile home, a box of aluminum and bare minimum insulation, a swamp cooler to ensure the air is damp.

I spent 2 weeks in this filth, knee deep in rotting TV Guides and bricks of National Geographics moldering in the hallway. The floor sags and squelches in the back room and I am glad I don't have to stick around and try to sell this dump; never entirely sure why I came at all.

I wish I could be kinder to the memory of my aunt, but this was a woman who threatened to kill me on multiple occasions. She constantly emotionally tortured me for the entire time I lived with her in Austin. 

"I'll kill you in your sleep, you faggot." she would hiss and slam against the door, each time the door threatens to give way. At some point she installed a lock on the outside and started locking me in my room when she went to work her job.

She put a knife to my throat and a gun to my head and the whole time I was cleaning up the remains of her home I bitterly cursed her name. She was not a kind woman and I had long ran out of empathy for the things in her life that brought her into being such a toxic and violent person.

But the empathy had long gone with the knife to my neck, with the gun to my head, with her hands around my neck, it washed away leaving only the bitterness in me and the bitterness of the bile I ejected from my body in a room with a squelching floor and the scent of mildew in the air. I came to peace with the things she has done in the years since, but the bitterness of the moment still haunts me, makes me feel gross as a person.

My mom lets out an exasperated sigh as if anyone wants to willingly throw up in a dead woman's home next to a stack of Better Homes & Garden dating back a few decades and I know what she is going to say before she says it "Couldn't you have done that outside?" Her tone a stabbing condescension that pierces, and I just didn't know how to protect myself from her barbed tongue.