#nora would LOVE love LOVE will and el

[miimo96]

Thoughts on My Adventures with Superman S3 TEASER IMAGES (yes I know I'm EXTREMELY late on this one)

Clois and Kimmy are back! AHHHHHH it's been So long, They look so cute!!!! ^w^

New intro, Mixy's back, Lex is Bald, Cyborg Superman, and NEW CHARACTERS!? OMG Next season is Absolutely going to be Insane, I'm hoping to see more DC characters show up and maybe even see more sibling Dynamic between Clark and Kara, because last season they were absolutely cute together. Also Jimmy and Kara NEED to get together this season, I don't care what anyone says I NEED to see them together, FINALLY a Supergirl relationship that doesn't involve her being with Brainiac, because that was just 🤢 I'm Also hoping to hear some Future slang in this like "Crash" and "Shrap" mainly because we're getting Superboy, and It REALLY seems like Superboy will be from future, so having him say stuff like this would Really be blast, which brings me to my Next topic.

I've seen a lot of people's theories circulating online about How this could possibly be Lois and Clark's kid from the future, and I gotta say, I ABSOLUTELY Love this idea for 2 reasons, 1 if this is True then that IMMEDIATELY means he's come here for 2 reasons, 1 we could Definitely be seeing the Death of Superman play out this season. Since we're already getting Cyborg Superman and because one of the last episodes Last season was called The Death of Clark kent, so it would only make sense for this to be called the Death of Superman, if we're heading in that direction, leading to the whole Superman Legacy arc where multiple people took up the mantle of Superman, such as STEEL, Cybor Superman and Even Superboy. If we're going to be seeing this then that means he's either here to probably stop his father from dying, or just coming back to see and meet him before his Inevitable Death, which would REALLY Hit hard for us if that's the case. Also ya wanna know what it Really reminds me of, let me just get this straight for a second to see if I got the whole story Right, "A Super hero's child comes back from the future to See their Dead relative in order to get to know them before their eventual passing, and maybe even try Live up to their Legacy " Now where have I seen this before....? 😏

Once again They continue to Improve upon ideas that HAD Potential, but were executed poorly. Hopefully they Don't drop the ball on this one ^^ Now onto reason 2, if Superboy is from the future then that means he had to have gotten here by Something right? Maybe a Time Bubble 😏

THAT'S RIGHT! I'm suggesting that Mabye we could be seeing the Legion of Superheroes, being possibly introduced this Season, and that Superboy is a founding member, and if that's the case, that would be ABSOLUTELY Insane, and a Great move on DC'S part in my opinion. but those are just my thoughts, let me know what you think, Do you agree?

[artiststarme]

Steve had spent his entire life trying to be perfect. He tried to be the perfect son with sports and popularity, he even tried his best with his grades which was evident until his first major concussion. He tried to be the perfect friend to Carol and Tommy H., even the basketball teams and other jocks, by providing free rides, parties in his house, and being a listening ear for their teenage drama. He even tried to be the best Steve he could be after the popularity faded and the demons from the shadows of Hawkins emerged. Nothing was ever enough.

He wasn’t a good enough son that deserved not to be ignored or neglected by his parents. He wasn’t a good enough student to be allowed to get into a good college or even a local community one. He wasn’t a good enough friend to the people in High School and that’s why they left him.

Through everything though, he thought he was a good person afterwards. He helped the kids the best he could, he protected them with his life, and he would do anything to ensure the survival of everyone in the Party. He knew he was good at that.

Or he thought so until he saw Eddie wasting away in a hospital bed with handcuffs on his wrists and blood soaking through the bandages on the mauled skin of his chest. He tried his best to be a good friend that could support the Party until Dustin broke his heart into splinters for something he couldn’t predict.

“You were so jealous of Eddie that you gave him the most dangerous job?! You knew how harmful the demobats were and you sent him there for a reason! That’s why you didn’t let him go with you, you wanted Eddie to die!”

After all he’d done to be good, to be the person people could count on, to be perfect; he still wasn’t enough. The kids still looked at him as the mean boy of the town and if the kids did, what did the others think?

Did Mrs. Byers still see him as the teenage dirtbag that got into a fight with her son and got him arrested?

Did Hopper still see him as the scoundrel that drank underage and threw parties that upset the neighbors in Loch Nora?

How did Nancy see him? She was the person who actually saw him at his worst, the one who opened his eyes to his failures. Did she still see him as the guy that he never wanted to be?

Steve had worked so hard his entire life to be what everyone else always wanted him to be. He hid so deeply beneath fake masks and facades that he didn’t even know who he truly was anymore, he didn’t know if he ever had.

All he knew was that after their latest run-in with the Upside Down, he went home to an empty house. He ignored the broken glass and the damage caused by the earthquake. He only focused on the fact that everyone else was currently with their families. His parents were who knows where doing who knows what but they were together, the only family they had ever wanted.

Robin was at her place with her family, her parents probably doting on her after worrying for so many days. They’d let Steve in but he didn’t want to intrude more than he’d already had. Nancy and Mike were with their parents, Jonathan, Will, and El were with Joyce and Hopper, Lucas and Erica were with the Sinclairs and Max, and Dustin was with Mrs. Henderson and Mews II. Even Eddie in a pain-induced state of unconsciousness was with Mr. Munson.

Despite all of his efforts to be perfect, to be deserving of love and pride, Steve was still alone. He’d worked for years to be someone worth loving, hell, someone worth tolerating, and it still wasn’t enough. All he had were his friends in the Party and after his talk, nay the lecture, from Dustin, he wasn’t even sure he had them. If he didn’t have them, what did he have?

Depression, PTSD, chronic debilitating migraines, night terrors, and scars?

What was the point of anything if that’s all he had? Did he really want to stick around to find out just for things to worsen like they always did?

After years and years of trying to be perfect, Steve realized he never truly would be. The night he got back to his house after watching the rest of his friends reconnect with their families, he packed up the Beemer and left Hawkins in the rear view.

He was sick of the expectations, the disappointments, and trying to reach a standard he could never sustain.

He left his heart behind wrought with guilt at leaving the Party without any notice and leaving before he knew Munson would be alright but he had no choice. If he didn’t have the kids, he had nothing and that was something he couldn’t face.

[theladysmaid]

Eleanor Walton was born the last of three girls, but her mother had already left the family a few weeks earlier. For years, her father had tried to hide his wife's schizophrenia. But he banished her from his house before she could harm his own reputation. Pregnant and lost in her delusion, she gave birth to Eleanor in the middle of the forest and dropped her off at the court of the well-known and noble family. A few days later, merchants found her body in the woods. Eleanor was brought up with much love by a maid named Nora and later received this position herself. Even though she was on the verge of being suspended after being discovered by staff. In the family home, she is considered an orphan and no one knows that she has to hand over her hard-earned money to her father every week. He had managed to track her down a few months ago and since his trading business was no longer going so well, he saw in his daughter his new source of income. The alcoholic had always told her two sisters that she would be just as crazy as her mother. Since Nora, who raised her, became ill, Eleanor fears the loneliness every day.

✿ full name : Eleanor Daphne Walton

✿ nicknames : El, Elly, Nor, psycho

✿ birthday : 20th october

✿ spirit animal : butterfly

✿ likes : baking, reading, painting, sunsets, long walks, flowers, animals, fashion, boat trips

✿ dislikes : darkness, moonless nights, crowds of people, noisy clamour, the dark side of her mind

( ooc: mdni, selective, smalltalk in englisch or german but texts only in german, 19th century era themed, inspired by bridgerton, tw for mental illness and trauma )

[steddieasitgoes]

@steddiemas Day 21 Prompt: Home and/or Dinner

I honestly think this is my favorite one yet!

Tags: Pre-Relationship Steddie, Eddie Munson Has A Crush On Steve Harrington, Holiday Parties, Overstimulation (the bad kind, not the fun kind), Steve Harrington Is A Sweetheart

wc: 2215 | Rating: G

Read on ao3 | ao3 collection

The holidays were always a quiet affair at the Munsons.

A few gifts, wrapped in week-old copies of the Hawkins Post, placed under a modest tree from Merrill’s. Wayne’s famous (well, famous to Eddie) chocolate chip pancakes in the morning with a questionable amount of syrup and a reheated casserole from Ms. Jenkins down the street for dinner.

No church or family plans, just the two of them, a couple of beers (root beer in Eddie’s case until a few years ago), and whatever movie Eddie had insisted they watch before he turned the TV over to Wayne and the Christmas basketball game.

It was good. Great, even.

Eddie loved his holiday traditions with Wayne.

He did, but sometimes he’d catch sight of Ms. Jenkins welcoming her brood of kids and grandkids into her cluttered trailer or spot Gerald loading the passenger seat of his pickup with toys for his nieces and nephews and wonder what it would be like to have a big family to spend the holidays with.

Turns out, it’s loud.

So, very, loud.

The Hopper-Byers’ new house is bursting at the seams with guests. The entire We Survived The End of the World gang is here along with some guests — Wayne and Ms. Henderson. Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair stopped by for about an hour before excusing themselves to finish up holiday shopping (said in a hushed tone to not ruin Santa for Erica — as if she still believes, Eddie had thought). But mostly it was just the usual gang.

Eddie learned, in the form of Dustin’s “you’re being stupid” voice that it's become a tradition for them. Gathering a week before the holidays to pig out on food and dessert, play games, and exchange presents. Celebrate the year coming to an end and them making it.

As the apocalypse gang grew every year, the celebration got bigger and bigger until they were tripping over each other inside of the Byers house. That is, until this year when Joyce and Hopper got their shit together and finally moved into a decent-sized house on the outskirts of Hawkins. It’s no Loch Nora mini-mansion, but it works for them — even if it's still a tight fit when everyone is together.

Murray, Joyce, and Ms. Henderson are gathered in the kitchen — arguing over when to take the turkey out of the oven and the proper milk-to-cheese ratio in macaroni casseroles. A small radio sits in the corner, attempting to play Christmas music over the static. That’s the con about living farther out, Eddie supposes.

El and Max have claimed a fold-out table on the outskirts of the kitchen where they’ve been decorating cookies for hours, it seems. El’s simple and artistic, Max’s a chaotic mess of spilled-over frosting and candy sprinkles. (Eddie’s stolen one from each and thinks they’re both delicious much to their delight.)

The den’s been co-opted by Hopper and Wayne, and the TV volume turned all the way up (“We can hear just fine! It’s you kids that are making it hard,” Hopper gruffed when one of them pointed out the volume). They’re switching between basketball games while nursing beers and pretending not to hear the argument going down in the kitchen.

Jonathan and Argyle are hiding out in his room — smoking and trying to drown out the noise with whatever record he managed to pick up from the store he’s working at. Eddie thought about joining him, but the scowl he earned from Wheeler Jr. had him changing course.

The rest of them have taken refuge in the spacious basement. It’s too chaotic for Dungeons & Dragons so the boys and Erica have taken to playing an intense game of Monopoly. The threats he’s heard hurled at each other have been clever and downright terrifying. Way worse than anything they’ve uttered at his DM table. Those heathens.

For some reason, Steve’s taken on the role of the banker. Something about Dustin skimming from the top last time he held the role and played. Now, house rules say the banker has to be an NPC, and well, Steve fits the bill. Unfortunately, he seems to be struggling with the math of it all judging by the scoffs and annoyed eye rolls thrown his way. Eddie would go help, but he doesn’t think he’d be much help. Godspeed, Steve.

Nancy and Robin are there too, sprawled out on the couch and lost in their own little world. Occasionally Robin gets up to flip the record on the record player, but mostly they sit together, gossiping and talking about who knows what in hushed voices. Eddie might understand every little thing about dungeons and hobbits, but girl talk? That’s an alien language if he’s ever seen one.

As for him? Well, he’s hovering in the middle of it all. With Steve occupied, he’s taken on his babysitter role of sorts. Racing up and down the stairs to fetch whatever snacks the gremlins demand, rustling Max and El’s hair on the way in, and nodding at Hopper and Wayne on the way out. He narrowly escapes being sucked into being the official judge for the impromptu Murray vs Ms. Henderson pie off and almost makes it up to Jonathan and Argyle’s room before Dustin is bellowing for him.

It’s fun, mostly.

Getting to see everyone relaxed and having fun. A far cry from the last time they were all together like this back in March.

In some ways, it's what Eddie’s always dreamed it would be like. Being part of a big family, a cog in a never-ending machine of noise and organized chaos.

But it’s also becoming a lot.

Lucas is about to put a hotel on Boardwalk that has everyone shouting and throwing their own pieces at his head. Steve’s trying to keep them under control but it's a losing battle. One that pulls Robin and Nancy from their own little world to join the chaos.

And then there’s even more noise.

A crash from upstairs, the blaring voice of Joe Strummer coming from Jonathan’s room, more shouting, Wayne and Hoppers stopping, and giggles from Max and El.

Suddenly all Eddie can hear is noise.

It gets louder and louder and louder until finally, he’s certain his eardrums are going to explode.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he pushes through the chaos going on upstairs (dropped pies and frosting stains and shouting at TVs) and makes his way onto the wrap-around porch.

The crisp cold air is the first thing that hits him. Like an idiot, he ran out of the house without a coat or scarf or hell, even the warm hat Ms. Henderson knitted for him earlier in the month. He shivers, rubbing his hands up and down his bare arm as he tries to take deep breaths, watching as his warm breath twirls in the breeze.

As his body adjusts, so do his ears. He can still hear the chaos going on inside, but it's muffled now. Distant. He can hear himself think for the first time in hours and for once, it’s nice.

The snow is falling in slow but steady flakes, dusting the backyard in the white. Or, it should be white, but the hoard of Christmas lights decorating the house illuminates the backyard in reds and greens. It’s a real Christmas wonderland out there, now.

Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he pulls out a pack of cigarettes and his trusty lighter. The first inhale of nicotine warms him from the inside out, sending the goosebumps packing as he focuses on his steady and slow inhale and exhales.

At some point he zones out, so focused on the snow falling and the repetitive nature of lifting the cigarette to and from his lips that he doesn’t hear the creak of the door or the heavy footsteps that follow until the intruder is standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

“Figured you might be needing this,” Steve says, hand outstretched with Eddie’s coat.

“Thanks, man.”

They swap, Eddie takes the coat from Steve and Steve takes the lit cigarette from Eddie, keeping it safe while he shimmies his way into the monstrosity that he calls his winter coat. When he’s finally situated in the plaid nightmare, he reaches a hand out ready to take his cigarette back only to find it perched between Steve’s lips.

Oh.

That’s different.

Sure, they’ve smoked together before. Bummed off cigarettes in the ally behind Family Video and in the parking lot of Palace Arcade waiting for the gremlins to be done. But they’ve never shared the same one. Never pressed their lips to the same filter. Felt the dampness of their mouths on their own lips.

“Sorry,” Steve says, lips turning up in a small smile as he removes the cigarette. “Couldn’t help myself.”

Eddie nods, unable to say much else as their fingertips brush when he takes it back. Is it weird if he puts it between his lips right now? Is he supposed to wait a minute? Let Steve’s taste linger for a moment. God, he’s being so weird right now. In the end, he brings the cigarette to his lips and takes the smallest inhale, nearly coughing as the smoke floods his lungs because he’s so distracted by the way the filter feels different now that it’s been in Steve’s mouth — as if that makes any sense.

“You okay? You sort of booked it out of the room.”

“Yeah,” Eddie sighs, before leaning against the banister of the porch. “Yeah, m’good. It just—“

“Got too loud?” Steve supplies, mirroring his position. “I get it. I remember my first holiday dinner. There were a lot less of us in ’83 but shit. It was still so loud.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a pretty loud son of a bitch.” Eddie’s caught off guard by Steve’s snorting. Stealing a glance, he finds Steve lit up in reds and greens, a smile etched on his face so deep he can see the spot where smile lines are going to emerge in the next ten years, catching the way his eyes already wrinkle in the corners. Fuck, he’s beautiful. “But, uh, yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a house that loud before. Not even when I’m fucking around with the Corroded Coffin boys.”

“Well, I doubt that. Your music is very loud.”

“Uh, yeah, ‘cause it's metal, Steve.”

“So I’ve been told,” Steve says, smiling that soft, private smile again.

If Eddie was braver, he’d close the distance between them and press his lips to his. But if this year has taught him anything, it’s that he’s not. Not really. So he lets a quiet fall between them instead. They continue to stand shoulder to shoulder, passing the dwindling cigarette between them despite the pack in Eddie’s pocket being brand new, and watch as the snow steadily starts to pick up.

“You know,” Steve says, then stops.

Eddie turns, watching the gears tick in Steve’s brain as he decides what to say next. It’s magical watching it all pass on his face — the knit of his brows, his pupils dilating and returning to their normal size, letting the hazel shine through. The way his lips open and close like some gasping fish.

“If it ever gets to be too much, you can tell us. Tell me. Hell, I know I need a break after a few hours with those shitheads. Maybe we could come up with a code word or something.”

“A codeword? That’s might nerdy of you, Steve.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve says, waving his hand through the air as he bites back a chuckle. “But yeah, a code word. It’d be easier to say than “hey it’s too loud and I can’t think” you know. Plus, it would annoy the shit out of Henderson.”

“Well, then. Count me in. You know I love annoying the shit out of that kid. Gotta keep that ego in check somehow.”

They spend the next few minutes going back and forth trying to decide on a word that could work. Steve wants something common — a fruit or a vegetable. Eddie disagrees, saying it has to be something uncommon so they don’t accidentally say it, but common enough that it doesn’t sound weird casually being dropped in conversation.

They wrack their brain, throwing out silly words left and right until there’s a crash from inside. Their heads swivel in tandem toward the source of the noise. A flurry of shadows passes on the other side of the window as Steve shakes his head and sighs.

“Come on,” he says, handing the cigarette back to Eddie. “If we’re not at the table the minute the food gets served, we won’t be eating. The gremlins know no manner.”

Eddie laughs, stubbing out the cigarette on the ashtray precariously balanced on the banister, “Teaching ‘em manners seems like a job for their babysitter.”

“Nah,” Steve snorts. “Maybe one for their Dungeon Master, though.”

Just as the words leave Steve’s lip, there’s a shout from inside followed by another crash.

“Think it might be a job for both of us, actually,” Eddie laughs. “Together?”

“We need all the help we can get,” Steve says. “Together it is.” 

[howlingday]

Me gustó el tema de la simplicidad siendo una rareza con los cazadores así que imagina a jaune teniendo una tarantula del tamaño de una mano como mascota, es fácil de cuidar y a diferencia de otras mascotas sus hermanas nunca la acapararon y se que no es tan normal pero si lo comparamos con pet!au es muy normal, además me gustaría las reacciones del restó con jaune teniendo a anansi (su spider) en su cara

Nora o lo ama o intentó prender fuego a beacon bien la vio

I liked the theme of simplicity being a rarity with hunters so imagine Jaune having a hand sized tarantula as a pet, it's easy to care for and unlike other pets his sisters never hoarded it and I know it's not that normal but if we compare it with pet!au it is very normal, I would also like the reactions of the rest with jaune having Anansi (his spider) in his face. Nora either loves him or he tried to set Beacon on fire well she saw it.

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

I like this idea, and I also have a scene that would be perfect for it.

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

Weiss: Pyrrha, I have a gift for you~.

Weiss: (Thinking) And maybe this will keep someone as squeamish as Arc away from you~!

Pyrrha: Oh? What is it?

Jaune: Yeah, what is it?

Weiss: It's... a... (Removes cover, Leaps away) TARANTULA~!

Pyrrha: (Stumbles over the bed)

Weiss: Oh! I am so sorry, Arc! I should have considered your feelings before getting Pyrrha such a VILE, DISTURBING CREATURE! And in such a poorly constructed cage...

Jaune: What, are you kidding me? (Squeals) I LOVE THEM~! I used to have one as a pet until my sister's cat ate, but then her cat died... But Pyrrha, isn't this cool~?!

Pyrrha: Is- Is it on me? I feel like it's on me! I- I need to- (Runs into the bathroom)

[bullet-clubs-bitch]

AEW/ NJPW Wrestlers Pregnancy Headcannons

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Main Masterlist

Wrestlers Mentioned: El Phantasmo, Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors, PAC, Jon Moxley

(Mentions of abortion)

El Phantasmo

It was no secret Riley had been going through a touch time. He was depressed, he felt alone. All his friends had moved on from New Japan yet he coudn't get himself to leave the place he called home for so many years. When you found out you were pregnant you were shocked. You didn't think it would happen so soon. Sure you and Riley talked about wanting to start a family but now that you were pregnant you started to have second thoughts. When you told Riley you were pregnant he was over the moon. It was like he was relieved. His mood was instanly changed. He was instantly out of his depressive state. RIley was so exited to be a dad, he was contanly buying things for the new baby and woudn't leave your side. He was so supportive and encouraging during your whole pregnancy. There was nothing he woudn't do. The two of you ended up having a son and he and Riley instantly became best friends. It was almost like your son saved Riley.

Drilla Moloney

You were terrified when you found out you were pregnant. You and Dan where nothing more than friends that sometimes slept together. You didn't want to tell him about the pregnancy, in fact you didn't even want to keep the baby. Your friends convinced you to at least tell Dan about the baby before making any decisions. When you told him about the baby he was mortified. He was in no state to have a child. Dan was supportive during the process, he went with you all your appotiments and was understanding when you told him you didn't want to go through with the pregnancy. At the end of the day your relationship grew closer due to all of it.

Clark Connors

When you found out you were pregnant you knew it was more than likley you would have to do it on your own. Clark was terrfied when he found out he was going to be a father. All he did was party and do drugs, simular to what you did. He saw how easy it was for you to get your act together and get clean after finding out you were pregnant but knew he wouldn't be able to follow suit. For the majority of your pregnancy you were alone. It was hard, it was depressing. You didn't know how you would be able to raise a daughter on your own, especially in this economy. You called Clark dozens of times but it was no worth it. Two weeks before you have birth to your daughter Madaline, Clark showed up at your front door in tears. His hands were filled with gifts as he begged for foegiveness. He explained how he checked himself into a rehab and got sober. He admited to being a jerk and was genuinely sorry. He wanted to be apart of you and your daughters life. Clark would end up being a great dad. He spoiled your daughter and would play dress up with her. In fact he was such a good Dad you would end up having 3 more kids together.

PAC

Pac and his son were best friends. It was like you cloned your husband. Your son Wyatt was a absolute menance, he was a little bastard like his father. I just know Pac and his son would get up into trouble. The two of them were in a constant prank war to see who could scare you the most. He would teach Wyatt how to hunt, fish, fight and more than likley some illegal things aswell. When you told Pac you were first pregant the look on his face told you he was planning on knocking you up. You wondered if he replaced your birth control for sugar pills. I feel like Pac would be obsessed with your pregnant body, he loved the way your skin glowed and body changed. He wanted to keep you pregnant all the time.

Jon Moxley

Mox is such a girl Dad (I mean look at him and Nora). He would spoil your daughter to death. From a far he looked scary. He was always that sketchy looking guy at the park that often scared the other parents. But up close he loved your daughter. He would spend hours playing with her. She would play dress up with him, do this makeup and play with dolls together. Mox's soft spot was his daughter. Even though he did lots of "girlie' things with your daughter he made sure to teach her every sport. He would teach her Death Jitsu and how to fend for herself in the scary world. When you told him you were pregnant he was so happy. He coudn't wait to be a dad. He truly is the best father.

[cocogum]

✨Wakfu lgbtq+ hdcs✨

Qilby (aromantic)

“I hope the planets will still be here by the time we wake up.” - S4 EP10

reason(s) : he’s a sucker for knowledge and is completely devoted to the planets and the krosmoz in general. the only type of love he expresses and seems to feel is the familial kind. he thinks about his people following him to discover worlds and Shinonome is the only primordial sibling he thinks about.

Amalia (pansexual)

“Because I don’t know what I want?!” - S3 EP8

reason(s) : this whole ass analysis post I made about her speaks for itself.

Yugo (demisexual)

“I feel like I have an eternity to live.” - S3 EP8

reason(s) : Yugo lives for a long time. He’s not the type to act like a playboy so he won’t be hopping from partner to partner but would rather take his time getting to know someone on a deeper level before deciding if he loves them or not. although there is a possibility that he may not approve of a romantic relationship even under such circumstances.

Nora (lesbian)

“You’re not gonna make a pretty girl wait.” - S4 EP3

reason(s) : her whole aura in general and the way her body language behaves around Amalia.

Elely (lesbian)

“Women are complicated aren’t they, Yugo?” - S3 EP9

reason(s) : just this quote alone.

[ninacarstairss]

an incomplete list of things that will make me go feral if they’re included in the movie:

alex pulling henry in the red room and “impugning his virtue” against a painting of alexander hamilton and amy out the door pretending not to know what that horny little bitch of fsotus is up to

henry offering to get out of alex’s life to make it easier for him and alex brushing it off, only to realise later what henry was truly offering him and how stupid he was not to see it

oscar talking to alex at the lake house. oscar seeing him and accepting him. alex looking at henry, nora and june (yes i know she’s not in the movie just let me dream. he can be looking at henry, nora and pez too) and feeling like his world is complete. the night on the porch swing. sometimes you just jump and hope it’s not a cliff. the night in the lake. the little stone of certainty alex feels in his chest as he’s making breakfast.

yeah so just the lake house part

uma thurman delivering a power point presentation about dating the prince of england and alex running out when she brings up protections and pamphlets

jesus, could you stop being an obtuse fucking asshole for, like, twenty seconds?

so glad you flew here to insult me—

i fucking love you, okay?

the issue of le monde that henry keeps on his nightstand from the first time they woke up together

i want you. then fucking have me—

alex waking up in kensington in an empty bed, henry coming back, looking at alex and going “your hair in the morning is truly a wonder to behold” before making the world’s best declaration of love

“When he got older, he learned about love as a strange thing that could fall apart no matter how badly you wanted it, a choice you make anyway. He never imagined it'd turn out he was right both times.” there is like a 0,1% chance of this making it into the movie but i have this tattooed on my skin and it would be so perfect to see it on screen

alex saying in front of the fucking queen that he wants henry’s children

henry rambling about art and history in the v&a and alex pulling him into a kiss because he just loves him so much

i’m taking a picture of a national gay landmark. and also a statue

alex panicking about henry having to enlist

shaan having to dislodge philip from the chandelier when henry comes out to him

i’ve been gay as a maypole since i came out of mum, philip

henry’s obsession with jaffa cakes and mr wobbles

the memories email. I took that down to the gardens. I pressed it into the leaves of a silver maple and recited it to the Waterloo Vase. It didn't fit in any rooms.

alex being a brat about the turkeys “put them in my room put them in my room put them in my room”

And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it?

alex calling henry at christmas and telling him all about his family drama and henry simply telling him that he did his best, the only thing he really needed to hear

most things in this world are awful . but you are good

alex’s list of things he loves about henry (especially points 16 to 18)

henry writing down the list in the email and then calling henry anyway because he knows he likes to have these things written down but he needs to talk to him

alex kissing henry in front of a giambologna

Sería una mentira, porque no sería el.

the drunk bad metaphors about maps email

alex being summoned by the president after the email leaks and ellen just asking him “are you okay?”

alex’s whole family being there for him after the email leaks, hugging him through a panic attack and allowing him to be himself after a traumatic event that had to be dealt with in a strategic political way

or so help me God I will personally make your balls into fucking earrings. zahra you fucking queen

the call from the plane. “sweetheart” he hears henry’s exhale over the line. “hi love. are you okay?”

alex and henry running to hug each other as soon as alex gets to kensington

i won’t lie. not about you. alex and henry saying at the same moment that they want to do this, they want to tell the truth, because lying about this is not an option

the little touches between them. whether it’s holding hands beneath a buchkingham palace table or hugging in a closed room or pressing a knee agains the other in a public place, because that is a tether, a gravity that makes the world make sense

bea’s speech about grief and how it’s like a pie. i want to cry really hard

numbers on one of us getting involved in a sex scandal before the end of second term?

henry sticking out his chin in that defiant way

I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose.

"Plus we banged it our last night” shaan and zahra being a power couple

bea dumping the tea pot on philip and going “all that cocaine i did must have really done a job on my reflexes!”

the han and leia mural

dc dykes on bikes chasing protesters

To you, specifically, I say: I see you. I am one of you. As long as I have a place in this White House, so will you. I am the First Son of the United States, and I'm bisexual. History will remember us.

alex’s face being plastered on chocolate bars and thongs with henry’s after the royal suitor photos

henry telling alex he’s opening the queer shelters worlwide. henry telling alex he bought a brownstone in brooklyn

the flashbacks to election night 2016 when alex saw zahra crying and all those women taking in the moment their first madam president was elected

alex and henry biking through austin, alex opening the door to his childhood home with henry by his side

a little flash forward into their future and alex calling henry the love of his life, henry choosing the place for a credenza in his brownstone, going on vacations together and falling in love all over again, savouring their time together with no fear of getting caught, june and nora finally kissing and alex being shook at pez’s comment, henry realising he doesn’t want to ever go back, henry listening to alex talk to his mum about marriage when he has also bought a ring, henry and alex buying a house far from the public eye, having the quiet life they never had, june subletting the brownstone to be closer to pez and nora, “you and me”

[atombonniebaby]

Love in the Crosshairs: Just the Thing I need

Some notes!

(Love in the Crosshairs is my Nate and MacCready series 🙌 Part one begins Vanilla blends into SS2's storyline and jumps between Nate and Mac's POV)

(Note on the title: When Jake did his "Why it's an ASAM, just the thing I need!" I was fully invested in Sim Settlements 2 🤣)

Now that I have finally complete SS2, I know exactly how this whole thang plays out 💪🏻 I got 4 chapters for ya! (and then some...but those ain't in order yet 🤣)

----

Relationships: Nate & MacCready (father-son dynamic🙌), Nate/Jake Evans (SS2) MacCready/Sturges

Chapter 1: War Never Changes.

(I've posted this prologue before...but I have more chapters!)

Sanctuary Hills October 23, 2077.

Deep red leaves rustled in the crisp autumn air as the sun began to creep up over the hillside, casting a murky haze over the serene show of contemporary suburban living, America's "Homes of the Future." The residents of Sanctuary Hills lived in blissful ignorance as the world held its breath to the ever-present threat of Nuclear Devastation. Amidst the suburban sprawl, the morning sun warmed the cheeks of Nathanial Alasdair Watt, Nate to his nearest and dearest.

Nate leaned over a dusty blue cot, his eyes not quite believing that the soft and squishy bundle snoring away was his son. Months old already, how long would it be before he would be chasing after him around the cul-de-sac? With a lingering glance over Shaun, Nate slipped out of his room and stepped into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him. The house was quiet, and Nate's footsteps echoed in the empty hall, leading him to the kitchen.

"Ah, Master Nate! Good morning, sir!” Codsworth chirped, his eye stalks flitting in greeting. "Your coffee. 173.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Brewed to perfection!"

"Ah'll take yer word for it," Nate yawned, a fond smile spreading across his face as he reached for the steaming mug of coffee.

"Ah, of course, my apologies, Sir. 78.61 degrees Celcius!"

Nate snorted. "I flunked maths, son. Just say it's hot."

Codsworth let out a chuckle. "Ah, I forgot, the young miss is the brains of the operation."

"Aye, that she is. But she'll no be without a proper feedin'. Could you go rouse her for me?" Nate asked.

"Of course, Sir! Right away!" Codsworth trilled, floating away towards El's room.

"Good luck wi' that," Nate muttered, shaking his head. El liked her sleep, that one.

Nate chuckled, running a hand over his head, and frowned at the resistance. Big speech tonight. He could hardly rock up looking a scruffy mess, could he? With a sigh, he set his mug down and stretched out his back on the way to the bathroom.

"Lemme Sleep, Codsworth..."El's voice drifted through her door.

Ah, to be 19 again. Nate shook his head, smirking to himself as he turned to the closed-over bathroom door, a wide smile pulling in his cheeks when Nora's sweet voice filtered through, Shaun's favorite lullaby on her tongue. Nate would never tire of it or how her voice sent shivers down his spine.

"You're up early. How's my little man?" she asked as he stepped through the door. "I'm assuming you've been in there five times already?"

Nora, even under those horrid fluorescent bulbs, looked stunning. He caught her eye in the mirror she was brushing her hair in and gave her a wink. Nate took a few steps toward her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his lips brushing her neck. She hummed and leaned back into his embrace.

"What can I say, doll? Just like his mother, I cannae believe he's mine," Nate murmured, burying his face in her soft, icy-brown hair. "I keep thinkin' somebody's gonna pinch me, and I'll wake up from this dream."

Nora twisted in his arms, her green eyes sparkling. "You're a wonderful father, Nate. You shouldn't doubt yourself!"

"I hope so," Nate said, his ears growing hot. Nora knew him too well, and his bashful side never could stand up to her praise.

"I think Beth would agree with me. I mean, you practically raised that girl!"

Nate ducked his head and pressed a kiss to her nose. "She dotes on you, ye ken? She won't admit it, but she does."

"I like her too. I'm glad she's here. Now, care to explain why you interrupted my morning ritual?" Nora teased.

"I need some pamperin'," he raised his eyebrows. "Cannae hae this 'decorated war hero' looking like common street riff-raff, now can we?"

"Hmm," Nora smirked. "I dunno, that rugged Viking look is growing on me, Nathanial."

"Ooh, using my full name, eh?" he teased. "Am I in trouble, then, Mrs Watt?"

"You're always trouble, Nathanial Watt," Nora giggled.

"Tell the truth, doll. That's the real reason you married me, wasn't it?" Nate smirked. "That and the accent, aye?"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove away, returning to the mirror. Nate's grin lingered, his hands sliding to her waist. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and rested his chin upon it, gazing at her reflection. She met his eyes, a warmth and tenderness reflected at him.

"I love you, lass," he murmured against her hair, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "More than I can say."

Nora didn't speak, only leaned back, melting against him, a familiar gesture that spoke volumes. Nate's arms tightened, and he closed his eyes, wishing they could stay like that forever.

"Go get your trimmer; I'll at least neaten you up a little," Nora said, her voice thick. "Then, I'll see about breakfast."

Nate pressed one last kiss to her head and drew a sharp breath. "Yes, ma'am."

"—war never changes,” Nate sighed, the steamy air heavy with the weight of his speech.

“You're gonna knock 'em dead at the Veteran's Hall tonight, hon,” Nora purred, her fingers massaging the knots from his shoulders.

"Ye think?" Nate relaxed against her touch, letting his eyes flutter shut.

"Absolutely. Now get ready and stop hogging the mirror..."

"Right," Nate snorted. He stepped away and let Nora take his place. "You might want to fix the buttons on your blouse, love."

He couldn't help a small smirk tugging on his lips as she re-buttoned her blouse, not quite meeting his gaze.

"Wipe that smug look off your face, Mr. Watt! You're the reason I never get anything done around here!" Nora teased.

Nate couldn't help bursting out laughing. "Why dae ye think I bought Codsworth?"

"Out!" Nora laughed, pushing him towards the door.

"Love ye too, darlin'." Nate gave her a mock salute and stumbled out of the bathroom.

"Miss Elspeth, breakfast was served thirty minutes ago!" Codsworth's muffled voice met him through the opposing door.

"Codsy! Bugger off!...and 'ave told ye… it's Beth!" came El's equally muffled reply.

"My, my. For such a brilliant young mind, Miss Beth, your language leaves much to be desired."

"Get tae fuck, or I'll turn ye into a toaster!" El spat back, a bit louder this time.

"By God! I don't believe General Atomics programmed me with enough patience for this!" Codsworth sighed.

"I'll handle this." Nate interrupted, opening the door.

"Good luck, that child's got the mouth of a drunkard."

"I'm weeks away from twenty ye daft bucket o' bolts!" El retorted.

Codsworth sighed, bobbing past him a little less chipper than before. Poor bugger.

Nate chuckled and shook his head. Wearing that damn onesie, she was akin to an overgrown toddler in a babygro. El glared at him, her hazel eyes flashing with a fire that reflected his own, her cheeks flushed, auburn hair still a tangled mess, reminding him exactly why he opted for a smooth dome.

"Arse. Up. Now. Or I promise you I'll cancel that comic subscription I already reluctantly pay for."

El's eyes narrowed, a defiant glint remaining, a slight smirk curving her lips. "Ye wouldnae dare."

"Try me," Nate raised a brow and folded his arms. "And to rub it in, I'll replace it with one about all the latest fashion trends, braw big frilly skirts and whatnot..."

"Fine. Ye win." El rolled her eyes, sauntering past him.

"Smart move," Nate smirked.

"Bite me!" El snapped, stomping into the now vacant bathroom.

Nate chuckled, shaking his head, and approached the kitchen, his stomach growling in anticipation.

"Breakfast is served sir," Codsworth set down a plate of eggs and toast.

"Thanks. And if ye need the afternoon off to recharge after the morning ye've had, you take it!" Nate smirked.

"A good show of humor, sir, but with a steady supply of Mr. Handy fuel, I am proud to serve!" Codsworth chirped.

"Attaboy."

"Your thoughts?" Nora's voice drifted over him, snapping his attention back to the present.

Nate blinked, glancing at his wife. She was studying him, her brows knitted. Damn. "I'm worried about her, doll. She won't admit it, but she's been having trouble sleeping again. I cannae remember the last time I saw her without dark circles under her eyes."

"She's just stressed. It's been a big year for her. Why don't you take her away for a few days? It's been a while since you two had time together," Nora suggested. "You could take a little road trip or something?"

"Aye, I'd been considering it, but I can hardly leave you with the wee one, can I?"

"I've got Codsworth to help. And besides, Shaun's not exactly a handful." Nora grinned, nudging him. "Take her. Trust me, she needs it."

Nate chewed his lip, his brows furrowed. Maybe she had a point. El had always loved his impromptu adventures.

"Okay, I'll talk to her about it—"

"Talk to me about what?" El asked, walking into the living room, her frown deepening as she looked between them. "I'm sorry! I know I've been—"

"No, stop right there! " Nate shushed her. "Ye don't go apologizing...I know you've been overloaded lately with all your projects."

El shrugged, dropping onto the couch beside him, her eyes fixed on the TV. "Yeah, I guess. It's just a lot, and I—"

"Deserve a break? Me and Nora reckon you've earned one," Nate grinned, nudging her. "So, how about we take off in a day or two? It's been a while since we've done a drive together, just you and me?"

"Wait, you're serious?" El stared at him, a smile breaking across her face, but her frown returned as she turned to Nora. "You're okay with that?"

"Are you kidding? Some peace and quiet, hell yeah, I'm okay with that," Nora barked a laugh. "And Codsworth's here to help, so I'll be fine."

"I like her, Nate. Can we keep her?" El smirked.

Nate's laughter bubbled, shaking his head. "Aye, she's a keeper, alright."

Nora gave them a fond smile, rising from the couch."Alright, you two, I'm going to help Codsworth tidy up, give you time to plan."

"Thanks, love," Nate's fingers curled hers as she pulled away, before turning his attention back to El.

"So, short-stop, any votes on where ye want tae go?"

"Laurey, Virginia—"

"The Caverns, again, lass?" Nate's eyebrow quirked.

"Come on, it's been months since we went to D.C. We could do a day trip to Laurey and then spend the rest of our time exploring the Capital!"

"Fine, but that damn mole costume is stayin' put!" Nate chuckled.

"She looked adorable in that thing. Never know, maybe she'll catch someone's eye!" Nora's laughter floated over them from the kitchen, and Nate grinned.

El blushed, her hand rubbing against the back of her head sheepishly. "I'll stick to studying, ta—"

"Quite right. I don't think there'd be many nerdy, bookworm Spelunkers out there that could put up with your pish!" He couldn't resist.

El's nose wrinkled, and her eyes narrowed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence—jackass."

Nate snorted and leaned back, his arms draped over the back of the couch, tuning into the TV.

The same usual shite.

A knocking came to the door, and Nora sighed. "It's probably that salesman. He's been trying all morning, insisting he talks to you."

"Oh, great." Nate rolled his eyes and lurched out of the sofa.

An all-smiles fella in a trenchcoat greeted him when he opened the door, stepping forward. "Good morning! Vault-Tec calling!"

"Sup, chief," he deadpanned, leaning against the doorframe.

"You can't begin to know how happy I am to finally speak with you. I've been trying for days. It's a matter of utmost urgency, I assure you," the rep explained.

Nate frowned—something about the guy's tone made him nervous.

"Alright, son, I'm here now."

"So you are, so you are,' the rep chuckled. "I'm here today to tell you that because of your family's service to our country, you have been pre-selected for entrance into the local Vault. Vault 111. I just need to verify some information. That's all! Don't want there to be any hold ups, in the unforeseen event of *ahem*...total atomic annihilation."

"But there's room for my entire family, right?"

"Of course. Of course! Minus your robot, naturally."

"Oi, Codsworth is family!" El retorted, appearing at his side, her eyes narrowed. "He's a wee gem! We can't just leave him!"

Nate's hand fell upon his sister's shoulder, squeezing it. "General Atomics promised Codsworth could survive anything, even a nuclear blast," he reminded her, her sentiment mirrored in his heart. "Go. I've got it from here."

El nodded, a defiant glint remaining in her eyes, but she stepped aside.

Nate glanced at the rep, his unease growing."All right, let's have it."

"Splendid, splendid. Let's get to it. Just need you to fill out this paperwork, and we're all done. Won't take but a moment."

The rep pulled a clipboard out of his briefcase and held it out towards him.

Nate frowned, his jaw tense, glancing down at the stack of papers. He took the clipboard and scanned the pages, his frown deepening.

"What makes me 'S.P.E.C.I.A.L?' That's a bit on the nose, is it no? And this whole damn thing seems a wee bit excessive, no offense, son."

"None taken! It's simply a matter of determining what roles you may be able to undertake in a new life underground!"

"Well, lucky for us, we have a certified vault technician in our fold. My sister just finished her Masters at C.I.T. Did a whole project around Vault safety and maintenance," Nate couldn't help the proud smile creeping into his cheeks.

"Masters? At C.I.T?" the rep's eyebrows shot up. "My, my, that's impressive."

"Aye, she got the brains of the family. I clearly got the looks," Nate joked, handing the clipboard back to the rep. "Think that's everything, chief."

"Wonderful! That's..." he skimmed over the documents, smiling. "Yes, indeed, that is everything... just gonna walk this over to the Vault! Congratulations on being prepared for the future!"

"Aye, thanks..." Nate forced a smile, his jaw still tense. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I have a wee one who needs a bit of a feed."

"Of course, have a great day, sir, ma'am!" The Vault-Tec rep tipped his hat and strolled off, the tension in the man's shoulders not lost on him.

He watched the rep go, his instincts prickling as he stepped back inside."Something aboot that didn't sit right, did it, El?"

"I didn't like it, Nattie. You don't think he's doing this because—"

"Elspeth, don't get him started," Nora interrupted, her voice strained. "It's just a precaution, that's all."

Nate swallowed his throat tight. "Maybe ye're right, doll, but just in case, we should double-check the go bags."

Shaun's wails rang through the house. Cutting through his words, Codsworth followed.

"Master Nate. Shaun has been changed, but he absolutely refuses to calm down. I think he needs some of that "paternal affection" you seem to be so good at."

"I've got 'im." Nate smiled and strode down the hall, his unease lingering. Nora's footfalls followed.

"Right, ye wee gremlin," Nate teased, sweeping a finger over Shaun's cheek. Shaun's cries grew fainter, his teary gaze fixed on Nate.

"Spin the mobile a bit. He loves that," Nora cooed, stepping up beside him.

Nate gave the mobile a gentle spin. Shaun's gaze drifted to the spinning rockets, green eyes wide, and his cries now soft whimpers. Nora brushed Nate's arm with her hand.

"Maybe we should go out later, a walk in the park?"

"And miss the World Series on TV? Not going to happen." Nate smirked. "But tomorrow, I'm all yours! I promise."

"I'll hold you to—"

"Sir? Mum? You should come and see this!" Codsworth's urgent voice drifted over them.

Nate frowned, exchanging a glance with Nora. "Codsworth?"

"I've got Shaun," Nora assured him, scooping the baby up.

Nate hurried out of the nursery, a knot forming in his gut, his blood rushing. "Codsworth? What is it, son?"

"Sir... the news..."

El was perched on the couch, her knuckles white around her backpack, its contents organized on the coffee table. "They actually did it."

"Did what, lass?" Nate frowned, sitting beside her.

“—followed by... yes, followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions..." the news anchor caught his attention. "We're... we're trying to get confirmation…But we seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations."

"What? What is he saying?" Nora's voice drifted over them. "…Oh no.”

“...We do have... coming in... confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania…My God.”

The screen crackled, and the signal was lost. Nate's gaze fixed on the 'Please Stand By' screen. His mouth ran dry, a cold sweat prickling across his forehead.

"We have to get to the Vault. Now! Get all that back in the bag. I'll grab the rest." Nate blurted, his heart pounding against his ribs.

"Nattie...I'm scared."

"We're goin' tae be fine, El. We've prepared for this...You two wait for me outside!" Nate instructed, racing into their bedroom.

He yanked open the closet, his hands trembling, hauling out his and Nora's packs, followed by Shaun's. He slung them over his shoulder and hurried through the house for the front door—stopping on the threshold, glancing over his shoulder at Codsworth.

The Mr. Handy's eye stalks flitted over him, and he glided forward. "Goodbye, sir. May I say what an honor it has been to serve you and your family!"

"Ye've done us proud, son...maybe we could—"

"Now, don't you worry about me, sir! You have your family to think about. Go on."

Nate nodded, a lump forming in his throat. "Thank you, Codsworth..."

"He'll be alright, won't he?" El's voice pulled his attention.

He stepped onto the sidewalk and grabbed his sister's hand. "He'll be fine. Now c'mon, we gotta move!"

They raced down the road, Nora ahead of him, Shaun cradled against her chest. Nate swallowed hard, his hand tightening around El's. His mind raced. Vault-Tec. The rep—he knew something was up. That bastard knew this was coming!

"Nattie?" El tugged his arm, slowing.

"We're almost there, lass. Keep moving! Come on, we're nearly there—"

"We're on the list!" Nora's frantic voice greeted them, and Nate frowned as that Vault-Tec rep darted by them.

A soldier blocked their way, checking over a clipboard."Infant... Adult male... Two adult females... OK, go ahead."

Nate's heart pounded. It was real. This was really happening. They climbed the hill and clambered onto the platform, his arms circling Nora and El.

"Almost there, we're gonna be alright. I love you, all of you." Nate murmured, his pulse throbbing in his ears.

"We love you too," Nora whispered, her gaze locked on his.

The sky lit up with blinding white light, and the ground shook beneath their feet. A deafening roar filled the air. Nate's eyes widened as a mushroom cloud grew colossal in the sky. The blast waves thunder towards them, and El buried her face against his chest. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact.

"Send it down now!" a desperate voice shouted.

An orchestra of "Oh gods" and terrorized screams flooded his ears. The platform shuddered beneath them. His arms held tighter.

The blast crossed over them. The screams echoed, his breaths shortening, the pressure around his ribcage suffocating.

He held Nora, his lips pressed to her head, praying she couldn't hear his racing heartbeat.

The light faded, and the shockwave died, his ears still ringing.

The platform shuddered to a halt.

His eyes met Nora's, tears streaming down her face.

They had made it.

"Everyone, please step off the elevator and proceed up the stairs in an orderly fashion," the Vault-Tec security guard that greeted them instructed.

El clung to him as Nate made a move to follow the others, her breaths ragged and short. He glanced at Nora, Shaun sleeping soundly in her arms.

"She'll be okay. We're right behind ye," Nate murmured. "We just need a minute."

Nora nodded, her hand resting on his shoulder. "We won't be far. I'll go find out what's what."

"Be right with ye," Nate murmured, kneeling to meet El's gaze. "Hey, hey, look at me, lass. Look at me. Deep breaths. In and out. Like we practiced."

El's eyes flicked up to his, wide and fearful. She bit her lip, nodding. Her next shaky intake of breath was longer.

"Good, lass. Again. In and out."

She followed his lead, and soon enough, El's breaths steadied as her panic subsided, her grip on his loosening.

"You're a natural," Nate grinned, easing himself up.

El didn't respond and instead stood closer. His arm circled her, guiding them toward the vast cog-shaped doorway that loomed above them. Nate's heart beat faster. This was home now, for better or worse.

"It's impressive, eh? No wonder ye wouldny pipe doon about these Vaults!" Nate quipped.

El glanced at him, a faint smirk pulling in her cheeks. Nate squeezed her shoulder, their footsteps ringing as they climbed the metal stairs.

His eyes found Nora as they crossed the metal walkway. An orderly queue had formed behind her as she was collecting something up ahead.

Nora handed him a sealed bag and another for El. He eyed it, noting the '111' matching the jumpsuits some staff were wearing.

"What, do they no' come in a braw purple or maybe fluorescent green?"

El snorted at that, a wry smile curling her lips, and Nate's heart lifted a little. She was okay.

"Just follow the doctor here. He'll show you where to go," one of the scientists instructed.

"Lead the way, doc."

As Nora chatted with the doctor, El pulled away, her steps a little firmer, her gaze still far away.

Nate was drawn to the sudden bite in the air, a shiver running through him as he followed. People chatted, residents to Vault staff. Everyone seemed as edgy as he felt. They were led to a larger room filled with 'decontamination pods,' he was told as he was led towards one.

His attention pulled back to El, her belongings dropping to her feet. She stepped in front of them as one of the staff members attempted to collect them.

"I'm sorry, miss, but you cannot take your—"

Without a word, El unveiled a lanyard from around her neck and fixed them with a stern eye.

"You're a Vault-Tec intern? Very well, but be assured, vault-tec will not be held accountable if anything were to be damaged or stolen."

El nodded, her jaw set, and Nate couldn't help a smirk. Stubborn wee devil. Nate stripped to his boxers and tugged on his Vault suit, his skin prickling.

"Could ye's no have turned on the heatin'? It's colder than a polar bear's arse in here!" Nate grumbled.

El was already suited in her's when he looked up again, leaning against her pod, shoulders slumped, a blank expression set over her feature—still not back to herself yet.

"Can you hold him?" Nora asked, pulling his thoughts. Shaun curled up against her chest.

"Of course, love," Nate scooped him up, letting Nora get herself situated. He walked over to El, her fingers brushing Shaun's cheek, a weak smile curling her lips.

"Ye gonna be alright in there? I know how you get in tight spaces."

She held up her backpack, patting it fondly. Of course, she was always packed for every occasion.

"Right then, guess we'll see ye soon," Nate tried, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Okay, I can take him," Nora's hand rested on his arm, and Nate reluctantly handed Shaun over and planted a kiss against her cheek.

Nate climbed into his pod, and with a hiss, the lid descended, his breath misting the glass. His eyes locked onto Nora's, her gaze locked on him as her own pod closed, and she bounced Shaun in her arms.

"Just try to relax," the doctor reassured.

Nate nodded, pressing his hand against the glass. "Time for a whole new life."

"Resident secure. Occupant vitals: Normal," a robotic voice filled his ears.

A rush of cold flooded his pod. Nate's pulse spiked, his next breath shuddering.

"Procedure complete. In 5... 4..."

With every beat of the countdown, his vision whitened. Frost intertwined his eyelashes with every blink—everything faded.

Nate blinks away the frost that clings to his eyelashes, stretching his jaw to loosen the remainder of his beard and whiskers. It was a cold that hung as heavy as iron chains. Every breath stung his chest like swallowing broken glass as violent coughs wreck through him.

"...Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All vault residents must vacate immediately," The computerized voice echoed through the intercom, and a hiss filled his ears.

As the pod door lifts away, Nate's still-thawing limbs do nothing to prevent him from stumbling forward. His knees crack against the slick steel floor, a haze of mist following him. He didn't dare look up, unwilling to face the truth that the nightmare was real. But there was no escaping the memories that assaulted every fiber of his being: Nora's please, Shaun's cries as they tear him from his mother's embrace. Nate's own screams—lost in the deafening Gunshot that silenced Nora and continued to echo as Shaun's heartbreaking wails faded away—the face that mets him and the words that followed:

At least we still have the backup.

"That scar-faced bastard! Why did he have tae—"

"...Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All vault residents must vacate immediately,"

"Oh, shut up!" Nate yelled as he snapped his head back. "Can ye no see I'm havin' a moment, ye pushy cow!"

Blissful silence filled the chamber once more, and Nate breathed a sigh of relief. As if another entity had taken control of his body, he stood to his full height and ambled forward. His steps were clumsy, and fog engulfed the room as he moved toward Nora's pod. The faint glint of gold caught his eye. Her wedding band shined through the condensation. His fingers trailed over the icy glass.

Nora, his best friend, the woman he pledged his entire life to. Her rosy cheeks were now dusted blue, fear still painted in her expression. Her arms were so painfully absent—Shaun. He's just a baby, and they tore him out of her arms. Nate's knees buckled some, jolting him forward, and he braced himself, breaths coming out in rasps, his lungs constricting, the very walls closing in. His eyes opened over his wedding ring, a matching piece—he'd be dammed if he was leaving her's behind.

"C'mon! C'mon! There has tae be a release!" Nate barked, desperation bleeding into his brogue as he stepped back to take in the pod, reaching for the lever at its side.

His breath held as Nora's pod opened to him. Slowly, reverently, he slipped the ring off her finger, ignoring the spiderwebbing of frosted blood that now decorated her jumpsuit. 

"I'll find who did this, and I'll get Shaun back...I promise," Nate's tremblings slipped Nora's wedding band above his own, and pulled the level to reseal his wife. The door hissed shut, and the frost formed on Nora's pod window. Nate's tears froze on his face, and he stumbled back, his own thawing limbs failing him as he hit the vault floor. He lay there for what felt like an eternity, before finally gathering enough strength to pull himself together.

"Elspeth," he whispered, crawling to his sister's pod. Her features still frozen, that bloody pip-pad clutched between her fingers. Nate clenched his fists and breathed before his shaky hands grip the lever release to El's cryopod, and he is met with an immediate sharp, jolting buzz that has him staggering back.

"Malfunction in Cryo Pod manual release override." A robotic female voice announces over the intercom.

"No-no-no! C'mon! I need tae open this damn thing!" Nate pulls the handle harder. Again, the error noise frays his nerves, not releasing. "Come on!" He presses a palm to the frost-covered glass, feeling the cold sting on his hand. "El!" Tears stream down his cheeks, warm against the cold fog surrounding him. "No. This can't-" His forehead rests against the pod. He closes his eyes tightly and sobs. “Ye cannae do this! I just need tae get El!"

His mind falls back to the terminal those scientist-looking folks were working on when they were after Shaun, how they opened Nora's pod. Nate spins on his heels and sprints forward, almost pummeling into the console as he slides to a halt.

"Right, c'mon. Ye can do this, it's just a computer," Nate squints at the screen with a shaky breath,  gingers still stiff from his suspended animation, rattling the keys, jumping through the entries as quickly as his frozen digits allow.

*************** Welcome to ROBCO Industries (TM) Termlink ***************

Thank you for choosing Vault-Tec!

>Cryogenic Array: Offline. Premature termination resulting in system failure. Isolated manual and remote overrides detected. Controls disabled.

>Life Support: Offline. Premature termination resulting in system failure. Isolated manual and remote overrides detected. Controls disabled.

Pod Occupant Status

POD C1: Miss Watt

>Occupant status: Deceased. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation due to Life Support failure.

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

It takes several moments for him to comprehend the words laid bare.

Every occupant record painted the same picture: Cause of Death: Asphyxiation.

"No," Nate sobbed, his fist slamming into the console. "No, she can't be, she can't—Elspeth!...” 

Nate collapses, his knees slamming on the steel, fingers clawing at the frost-covered ground, and a scream rips through him, a blood-curdling wail that echoes out in the empty chamber. Every cell in his body is alight, a sickening, bitter cold fire. His shoulders shake violently, and he balls his fists, pounding them to the floor until his knuckles are raw. He barely feels the biting pain as the fight seeps away, leaving him drained, tears frozen on his cheeks.

Nate doesn't move for a long moment—left alone with his thoughts and the steady Drip. Drip. Drip. of frost melting. His little sister is dead. They're both gone. It would be easy to submit to his grief, crumple over, and lose himself in the pain—but they have his son. He has to find Shaun, even if all he has left is a warped image of a man who ruined his world. A scar-faced bastard whom Nate committed to memory. His fingers curl around the chain of his dog tags, fidgeting the wedding bands between bloodied knuckles, the cold metal grounding him, and as Nate grits his teeth, steeling his heart, and sets his jaw, he stands.

A silent vow plays on his lips: For Shaun. For Nora. And for El. He would rain fire upon whoever took them from him, even if it meant tearing whatever world awaited him apart, one bullet at a time.

He vows it as he looks upon El's face. Russet frost-bitten curls drape across her forehead. A picture so peaceful she may as well be sleeping.

He vows it as his lips graze Nora's cheek before resealing the pod, committing his love's image to memory.

He vows it as his fingers trace Shaun's name, etched in ink within the tan line of his wedding band.

There had to be someone around, Vault Tec staff, maybe someone hid, someone survived. Anyone. Nate forced himself to move, and limped towards the exit. It was slow going, his muscles burning, and his joints ache.

"Hello?! Anyone?!" He stumbled through the door, retracing the steps they'd taken minutes before. Water dripped. Rusted metal. It made no sense. "Am I the only one left?”

Nate caught himself on the wall, the burning in his lungs catching his breath—the coughing that wrecked his body had him holding his chest like it was the only way to keep the air from escaping all together.

‘Just breath Nattie.’

"Oh God, Elspeth," he choked back a sob, falling against the wall, the metal cold on his face. "I can't—I cant--" He coughed again, the spasms sending him to his knees. He'd failed everyone, Nora, Elspeth, Shaun, everyone. Maybe if they'd stayed, got in the car and drove—maye, just maybe they'd have found somewhere safe, somewhere better than here.

He didn't know how long he sat there, the ringing in his ears so loud, his tears so thick he couldn't even see anymore. It took everything he had to pull himself up, and even longer to realize the door they'd passed through was sealed shut. Forcing him another way.

Movement caught in the corner of his eye, and Nate grabbed for the security baton, slowing pacing through the corridor. "Hello?!" He yelled, his voice echoing off the walls, bouncing back—something—a shadow, a rustle—moved, and Nate froze.

He had to dreaming, maybe the freeze box messed up his mind. A cockroach, bigger than a rat scuttled across the damp floor, it's wings pulsing as it seemed to size him up with equal suspicion. Nate backed away, his head pounding, his eyes darting between the insect and the door it was blocking.

"Why'd it have tae be giant beasties? Why couldnae it be something cute like a wee fluffy bunny rabbit?" Nate mutters, his brogue thickening. "Ye picked the wrong day tae piss me aff," he leveled his baton, and charged, his heart racing.

It was over fast, the bug smashed under his heel, a pained chirp the last sound it made. Nate shook the big entrails off his boot and pressed forward into the generator room. The bloody things hissed and zapped as he passed, one more giant roach lay dead, the electricity dancing around it, the smell of cooked meat met his nose.

His stomach churned, and he took a second to steady himself. No time for a weak stomach, not when survival was at stake. Two more met their end, and his eyes fell on a skeleton, a tattered Vault Tec jumpsuit still clinging to the bones. "How is this possible?"

The door to his left hissed open, two more roaches charging through, their mandibles clicking, their wings buzzing. Nate swung wildly, the baton denting the first, sending it reeling. The second, he caught with his hand, squeezing it's guts out until it stopped squirming.

"Still not cute," he muttered, catching his breath, his eyes searching. He had to keep moving, had to find a way out, find Shaun.

The office he came to next was met with a smile, a handgun, ammo, some smokes—no lighter. He loaded the gun and looted anything of use, but the next door was sealed. "This room looks important. El told me their doors seal up in emergencies... Only terminals can open them."

His eyes squinted over the terminal. 'welcome Overseer.' meeting his gaze. "Emergency exit, I guess that's what I'm after. Here goes nothin'."

Click. Clack. Click.

The door hissed open, and Nate stepped through, a deep sigh escaping his lips. "Come on then ye overgrown bugs, I'm ready for ye!" He cried, his fingers tight on the trigger, his heart pounding. Despite his stress. Despite this whole damm shit show. He made every shot.

His reward, was a sealed Vault door and more skeletons. One had a pip-boy, conveniently by the door controls. Nate strapped it on, relieved that someone seemed to work as intended as the device booted up, and after some trial and error, he finally managed to figure out how to activate the door open sequence.

Alarms blared and pistons hissed, Nate busied himself with looting the lockers and grabbing the handgun ammo he found lying around. When the Vault door finally rolled to a stop, he crossed the bridge and found himself standing in the lift back to the surface. "Welcome Home." disappearing as he was hoisted out of sight.

The earth above him split open, blinding light pouring down, Nate shielded his eyes and steadied himself. He was alive. That was what mattered now.

He took a moment to breathe, to process, his fingers finding Nora's ring still on his finger, his jaw set, his eyes blinking back the tears.

As the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, he has nothing left to lose and everything to fight for.

War Never Changes, and Nate was ready to wage it.

Elspeth Rae and Nathanial Alasdair Watt

[acotars]

books read in 2023

january

sweep in peace by ilona andrews

one fell sweep by ilona andrews

a court of mist and fury by sarah j. maas

sweep of the blade by ilona andrews

sweep with me by ilona andrews

my best friend’s exorcism by grady hendrix

kiss her once for me by alison cochrun

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy

love and other words by christina lauren

sweep of the heart by ilona andrews

the only living girl on earth by charles yu

witches get stuff done by molly harper

you had me at hola by alexis daria

her vigilante by lillian lark

inconvenient daughter by lauren j. sharkey

anon pls. by deuxmoi

you are eating an orange. you are naked. by sheung-king

legends & lattes by travis baldree

bad vibes only (and other things i bring to the table) by nora mcinerny

signs of cupidity by raven kennedy

bonds of cupidity by raven kennedy

crimes of cupidity by raven kennedy

read: 23

february

exciting times by naoise dolan

sweethand by n.g. peltier

you made a fool of death with your beauty by akwaeke emezi

something wilder by christina lauren

highly suspicious and unfairly cute by talia hibbert

you deserve each other by sarah hogle

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max goldstone

would you rather by allison ashley

read: 8

march

meet me in the margins by melissa ferguson

king of battle and blood by scarlett st. clair

the exotic by hampton sides

river of shadows by karina halle

alone with you in the ether by olivie blake

lovelight farms by b.k. borison

the soulmate equation by christina lauren

before i let go by kennedy ryan

haunting adeline by h.d. carlson

the lies i tell by julie clark

one jump at a time by nathan chen

our wives under the sea by julia armfield

all systems red (the murderbot diaries #1) by martha wells

before the coffee gets cold by toshikazu kawaguchi

read: 14

april

funny you should ask by elissa sussman

make a scene by mimi grace

sweeter than chocolate by lizzie shane

the kiss quotient by helen hoang

my favorite half-night stand by christina lauren

romantic comedy by curtis sittenfeld

icebreaker by a.l. graziadei

the wedding proposal by john swansiger

circling back to you by julie tieu

by the book by amanda sellet

a lady’s guide to mischief and mayhem by manda collins

love in the time of serial killers by alicia thompson

if the shoe fits by julie murphy

whispers of you by catherine cowles

the kiss curse by erin sterling

by the book by jasmine guillory

honey & spice by bolu babalola

one night on the island by josie silver

the bodyguard by katherine center

the reunion by kayla olson

the neighbor favor by kristina forest

crooked kingdom by leigh bardugo

do i know you? by emily wibberley & austin siegemund-broka

just my type by falon ballard

delilah green doesn’t care by ashley herring blake

happy place by emily henry

dating dr. dil by nisha sharma

icebreaker by hannah grace

count your lucky stars by alexandria bellefleur

stone cold fox by rachel koller croft 

fake it till you bake it by jamie wesley

read: 31

may

the dead romantics

motherthing by ainslie hogarth

the woman in the library by sulari gentill

artificial condition (the murderbot diaries #2) by martha wells

the last word by taylor adams

you shouldn’t have come here by jeneva rose

read: 6

june

fourth wing (the empyrean #1) by rebecca yarros

the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna

love, theoretically by ali hazelwood

read: 3

july

the traitor queen (the bridge kingdom #2) by danielle l. jensen

the beast by katee robert

baldur's gate: descent into avernus by by james introcaso et. al

forget me not by julie soto

the wishing game by meg shaffer

read: 5

august

the true love experiment by christina lauren

pachinko by min jin lee

almond by sohn won-pyung, translated by joosun lee

hook, line, and sinker by tessa bailey

read: 4

september

hey, u up? (for a serious relationship): how to turn your booty call into your emergency contact by emily axford & brian murphy

everyone knows your mother is a witch by rivka galchen

fangs by sarah andersen

a room with a view by e.m. forster

juniper bean resorts to murder by gracie ruth mitchell

one's company by ashley hutson

the mysterious affair at styles by agatha christie

solita: a gothic romance by vivien rainn

you, again by kate goldbeck

the undertaking of hart and mercy by megan bannen

my roommate is a vampire by jenna levine

the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde

the vampires of el norte by isabel cañas

her body and other parties by carmen maria machado

evil eye by etaf rum

the seven year slip by ashley poston

read: 17

october

keeper of enchanted rooms by charlie n. holmberg

the serpent and the wings of night by carissa broadbent

shy by max porter

down comes the night by allison saft

the unfortunate side effects of heartbreak and magic by breanne randall

the hurricane wars by thea guanzon

read: 6

november

a witch's guide to fake dating a demon by sarah hawley

the wake-up call by beth o'leary

when in rome by sarah adams

the view was exhausting by mikaella clements and onjuli datta

hello stranger by katherine center

practice makes perfect by sarah adams

do your worst by rosie danan

read: 7

december

bookshops & bonedust by travis baldree

the fake mate by lana ferguson

read: 2

final count: 127/100

[ellewritesandrants]

What about a modern Harringrove ABO AU with Alpha Musician! Steve who ends up a nepotism baby so he leaves behind the small town of Hawkins and an unexpected child that Omega! Billy doesn’t tell him about so that Steve can pursue his dreams?

Fast forward a few years after a few world tours and Steve feels burnt out and uninsipired for his next album. He also feel nostalgic and he misses the place he used to call home and simple life he lived before he took a chance at fame so he makes the trip back to Hawkins without telling anyone.

He’s surprised to find out that not only has Billy basically adopted all of his pack and finished college but that he also had twins while Steve was gone which made his heart ache because even if the breakup had been his idea, Steve had always held onto the fantasy of coming back for his omega. He mopes and pouts until his manager, Robin points out that Billy doesn’t have a mating mark on his neck and she suggests he get to know Billy’s kids.

The first time he gets close, he immediately recognizes the mix of his and Billy’s scents and he realized what happened. The kids hold him back from confronting Billy in his anger and they get him to see Billy’s point of view of things. They also add a bit more to the story of how Billy became their pack Omega. They manage to calm Steve down enough to the point where he could talk to Billy as an adult.

Billy doesn’t regret letting Steve live out his dream of being a musician but Steve reminds Billy of his dream to have a big family, a pack and how he doesn’t want to give up that dream for his other dream. He asks Billy if he still has a chance because truthfully, he was never able to get over Billy and he still loved him. Billy still loves him too so they take it slow, especially in integrating him with the twins’ lives but Steve manages to work out a deal to spend a few months here writing in a home studio he’d construct before heading back to California.

Steve manages to spend a little more than half a year with his pack surrounding him and he loves every second of it, enough to pull some strings so he could get his California mansion redesigned for the large pack he would work on convincing to move out West with him. Steve had long since strongarmed his Omega into allowing him to provide for his pack and they’d recently moved in with him in the old house he had in Loch Nora.

He’d also took a work trip back to California to pull the ring he’d bought for Billy years and years ago out of his memories box so that he could finally give it to its rightful owner. Steve had long since convinced the younger members of his pack to study on the West Coast using his money so it was only really the Byer-Hoppers and Billy that he had to convince.

Surprisingly, Joyce and Hopper had already had plans to move out west since Jonathan had become a celebrity photographer with Steve’s help and since Will and El were due to start college in California, their parents wanted to be somewhat close to all of their kids. Billy had long since planned to go back to California but he didn’t want to leave behind the pack he’d formed. It had been the only reason he had initially said no to Steve’s proposal even if the twins had long since realized he was their dad. Thankfully, after correcting Billy’s misunderstandings, Steve proposed again to a hearty yes from the Omega.

They eventually moved across states, slightly rushed since Billy had unexpectedly become pregnant again after their engagement festivities and Steve was able to get Joyce’s help in planning their bonding ceremony, eventually using the footage from his wedding as the video for the first single of his latest album. Of course, it tops the charts and he shares his and Billy’s story to the rest of the world. Steve eventually gets his six little nuggets to add to the pups he’d adopted into his pack and he’s never been happier with his life than when finally had Billy by his side again.

PS. I kind of want to explore this more later so let me know if you want the more in depth version of this.

[there-was-a-hole-here-itsgonenow]

Thoughts on Loch Nora - Expectations & Conformity

Wracking my brain about these images and I welcome more people to throw out thoughts because I’m invested:

The Party goes into the wealthier neighborhood called Loch Nora, which isn’t the real name of this place in Stone Mountain, GA. It’s actually called Brentwood:

This has to mean something. Loch translates to ‘lake’ from Scottish origin and Nora can mean ‘honor’ or ‘light/shining light’ depending on variation. I think it’s interesting that there’s water and light association with this neighborhood. And honor? The kids emphasize hitting up Loch Nora for the full-sized candy bars and Dustin even comments that rich people are ‘suckers.’ The rich tend to be associated with honor, high respect and a conventional standard of conduct. It’s like being ‘in the light,’ so to speak. And yet these people in this scene are considered to be easily played because of that wealth. There’s an expectation to deliver and go above and beyond. As for ‘lake’—water—there’s already plenty of water symbolism in the show at this point, prior to this scene even. And they tend to be negative. Examples include El constantly submerged in water for purposes she’s forced into, Barb transported to the UD at a pool (and dies in it), and Will believed (a story fabricated) to have fallen in the quarry and died there. Loch Nora might also be a negative symbol. Lake Honor, Lake Light. Either way, submerged in that water—drowning in expectation.

So the boys and Max are in Loch Nora, Mike’s upset because Max is there, commenting that she’s ‘ruining’ the best night of the year, and he storms away from Will—between the number 1590 and a Reagan/Bush sign. The Reagan/Bush sign is in Will’s line of sight, perhaps a symbolic gaze at oncoming ‘expectation.’ Even later when Mike takes Will home, we get a closing-in shot of Mike’s house with another Reagan/Bush sign overlaid with Will saying he feels like he’s ‘stuck.’

Mike’s conventional expectations related to this sign comes from his own home; he lives with it, goes into it, and the sign itself is a reminder of it. Forced conformity, right?

But 1590? It has to mean something but I cant figure it out yet. There’s even a big bunch of red flowers behind this number (and some beside the Reagan/Bush and Loch Nora signs too) that’s easily noticeable and possibly tie further into expectation. Because who’s the character associated with red and goes into a not-great relationship Mike? Maybe this number is also negative in meaning. I’ve kept up with a handful of number significances for the show but I haven’t thought of this one before. Or personally seen it discussed but it must have at some point. Would love more takes and thoughts!!

-

@aemiron-main do you happen to have an idea on this number?? You have a lot of great insight on stuff like this so I have to ask!

[flu-shot-turned-me-gay]

Aid in the Survival of the AbuSitta-Morgan Family

The AbuSitta-Morgan family's donations have slowed down significantly and they're still $20,000 away from their goal! Help them evacuate from Palestine!

"Hello,

My name is Shahd Katba, a proud Black Gazan- Palestinian living in Germany's diaspora and previously in Egypt.

I am funding for the evacuation and humanitarian aid of my maternal family, the AbuSitta-Morgan family. All 14 members are descendants and kin of my grandmother Aisha who would be proud to know that we are reaching out across worlds to ask for help. It's been over 5 months of the ongoing genocide and we, Palestinians in the safety of the west, are being faced with the horrific reality of ongoing Nakba and forced displacement being practiced on our families still living in Gaza today.

Following the invasion of Gaza, in early December, our family was forced to evacuate their neighborhood by leaflets dropped from IDF Airforces stating the area would zone become a fighting zone for IDF. By then, they had already experienced one air attack on their neighborhood that targeted a nearby building, which they thankfully survived. They were living as all 14 members in Khan Yunis which was recently subjected to massacare and ground invasion by occupation forces.

They are now displaced into Rafah, living in horrid conditions, and have no real choice of returning to their homes safely soon. The lives of my uncles and aunts and their children is at risk. So I am funding for their evacuation into Egypt. Adult evacuation at the Rafah border cost $6,500 and children's evacuation cost is $3,500. The rest of the funds will go towards transportation costs and support with their living expenses and resettling expenses in Egypt.

If for any reason, their departure is unsuccessful, the money will go into survival materials which have gotten extremely expensive and difficult to acquire (e.g. flour, canned foods, dipers, basic living supplies, etc.)

1. My uncle, Abd El Kareem Morgan along with his wife Ghada and their 3 children Basel, Alaa and Adam.

2. My uncle, Riqbal Morgan (pictured above hoding his baby boy Mohammed), and his 3 daughters Nora, Reema and Ayoush.

3. My aunt, Anwar Abusitta

4. My uncle, Alaa and his wife Hiyam.

I can write chapters on how resourful and resilient my maternal family is, how they've raised me and loved me into being in the short years I've lived in Gaza but I will stop at affirming that all of us are worthy of a dignified life in safety and prosperity.

My biggest wound is that I had not been able to grow up alongside my Black Palestinian community in Gaza and it would mean the absolute world to me if they are able to reach safety soon where they can rest and recuperate from the most violence anyone in our multigenerational family has ever witnessed and experienced.

Thank you for reading! Thank you for sharing! Thank you for supporting!

May we never live to fear for our families' lives ever again.

Blessings,

Shahd"

[thefluffychipmunk]

Fruity Four Advent Calendar Day 1 - Christmas Lights

One House To Rule Them All

"Seatbelts!" Steve yelled out, checking the rearview as he heard the scramble for belts and several clicks. Robin was sitting comfortably in the passenger seat, utilizing her permanent shotgun privileges, with Holly wiggling excitedly on her lap. Dustin and Erica argued briefly over how to make the back middle belt fit them both. Lucas, Max, Will, and El flashed him thumbs up from the jump seats in the way back. Mike was already buckled in, squished between the back passenger window and Dustin. Eddie clicked in behind Steve and leaned forward despite the lapbelt holding his hips back.

"What are we doing again?" He asked. He sounded nervous."Looking at Christmas lights." Steve answered, doing a quick second check to make sure everyone really was buckled in.

“But why?” Eddie asked again, sitting back as much as he could. He had to angle himself some. It was a tight fit with four of them even though Erica was small and Mike was more bone than anything else.

“Because they’re pretty. Haven’t you ever gone looking at lights?” Erica scoffed at him.

“I’m Jewish,” he replied. She glared at him for a beat. Steve watched as Eddie looked around the car, settling on Will, the only other Jewish person he knew of, hoping for help. Will just shrugged.

“We do it every year. She’s right. They’re pretty.” Eddie huffed. and sat back. 

“Fine. I’m poor and gas is expensive. Sometimes the Donelly’s three trailers down put Santa hats on their lawn flamingos. Does that count?” All he got was a bunch of blank stares and a snicker from Max. 

“You can go with us now. We’ll show you the way.” Erica shoved at him gently. She was practically in his lap so he couldn’t go far, but he shifted over as much as he could anyway. Steve turned the car on and backed out of the driveway. He waved at Mrs. Wheeler as she watched them drive off. Robin shuffled through the radio stations until she found one playing Christmas music. 

"Okay. But why are we in the Wheeler station wagon? And is this even safe?" Steve chanced another glance in the rearview. Eleven people were crammed into a car that was meant to sit nine at capacity. But Erica was still pretty small and Holly was only six. It would be fine. They weren’t driving fast. It was fine. Totally fine.

“Strictly speaking? Probably not. But we wouldn’t all fit any other way.” Steve slowly made his way down the street. He was heading to the back of the neighborhood first.

“My mom used to drive us, ever since we were kids." Mike explained. Steve rolled his eyes. They were still kids. "Steve started doing it right after Will went missing and came back. My mom was sick and my dad is useless. Steve was still dating Nancy so he was always around and he was the only one with a driver's license"

"He volunteered!” Lucas chimed in from the back. Eddie hummed in the back of his throat and Steve knew that sound. That meant annoyance. 

“You could have stayed home. It would have been okay.” Steve tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He loved this tradition. He loved when it had just been Holly and the four boys and he loved it with every year and every new addition to the drive. Even last year, when Will and El had been in California, Robin had been added and she had lessened the sting of their absence. But everyone was back now. He had been excited to add Eddie to the mix.

“You asked me to come. I’ll be wherever you want me to be.” Eddie leaned forward to talk softly, meant for his ears only though the entire car probably heard, and he blushed. 

They drove through the neighborhood where the Wheelers and Sinclairs lived first. There were some pretty displays, a few yard decorations, mostly just lights on porches and gutters. They went through Dustin’s neighborhood. Through the middle class suburbs with the homemade displays. Steve took them through the mini-mansions in Loch Nora and their professionally decorated houses, both inside and out, with trees glowing in every street-facing window. A few had tasteful displays of just candles lit up in every window. Eddie seemed to appreciate those, though the kids all called them boring. Steve just liked spending time with everyone. 

Holly was just starting to get whiny, antsy in Robin’s lap, when he pulled out onto the main road and drove across town. They passed several neighborhoods before finally turning down an unassuming street. 

“Van Hoack! Van Hoack! Van Hoack!” The kids started chanting. They pounded fists onto knees. Holly squealed in delight. Robin grinned wickedly at Eddie through the rearview mirror. Steve just chuckled. He had no idea what he was in for.

He parked the car behind a line of other cars and everyone tumbled out into the cold night air cheering and hollering. They stretched and the kids took off at a run. Holly launched herself at Steve and he picked her up and over his head. She plopped onto his shoulders with a giggle. 

“Why’d we stop?” Eddie asked, sidling up next to Steve and watching the kids careen down a side street.

“Oh, you’ll see.” Robin teased. She matched pace with Steve, reaching up to hold one of Holly’s hands while Steve’s were busy gripping her ankles to keep her steady. Eddie matched him on his other side, shoulder to shoulder, and he burned underneath his clothes where Eddie bumped into him.

It became apparent, before they even got to the end of the street, just why they had stopped the car and walked for this last house. There was a line of people slowly making their way to the end and back again. Most of the houses were dark. But the end of the street glowed with light. It was like a beacon had been lit and every person around was drawn to it. 

The kids were already there, waiting for the rest of them. Eddie slowed as they approached and Steve let go of Holly’s ankle to reach for Eddie’s hand. He tugged him forward until they were both standing right at the edge of the lawn. 

“What in the actual hell.” Eddie wondered. Steve laughed.

They were standing in front of an average sized, middle class house. There were Christmas lights covering the entire house. The roof. The gutters. Even the posts on the porch were lined with lights. There were lights on every bush, shrub, and tree in the front yard. There were lights lining the driveway, the walkways, and the edges by the sidewalk, lighted candy canes a makeshift barrier. There were wooden displays in a few spots, hand painted and lit by spotlights in the grass. There were inflatables taking up every other available spot of grass.

It was truly atrocious. It was so ugly. It must take ages to set up and cost a small fortune in electricity and it clogged up the street with people stopping just to ogle the house. It was cluttered and tacky. 

Steve loved every bit of it.

“Welcome to the Van Hoack’s house. They do this every year.” Robin kissed Eddie’s cheek, though he was too stunned to acknowledge it, and moved over to the other kids, joining in their chatter. They were trying to pick out which decorations were new and arguing over what color lights the Van Hoacks had put up the previous year. 

“What do you think?” Steve asked him quietly. Holly was still on his shoulders, clapping and laughing and pointing at different things.

“This is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.” Eddie’s eyes roved over everything, darting from one display to another. He finally looked over at Steve and a grin split his face. “I love it.”

"Steve! Look! Mommy says Daddy has to kiss her when she stands under one of these!" Holly squealed and pointed directly above them. Sure enough, hanging from a branch that fell over the sidewalk right at the edge of the yard, a bundle of green lights dangled in an approximation of mistletoe. There might have been an actual plant in that tangle of lights but it was hard to see, more Christmas lights than anything else.

Steve looked at Eddie. Eddie looked at Steve. Steve considered it, for a split second, but there were so many people around. Just holding Eddie's hand was dangerous enough even if it was under the pretense of pulling him to the house.

Eddie reached up and grabbed Holly around the waist, lifting her easily and blowing raspberries on her cheek as he set her down. She flailed and laughed. 

"Not like that! That's not kisses!" she squealed. 

"That's not kisses? Then what are kisses?" Eddie asked. Holly giggled and tugged on his jacket. He leaned down and she gave him a little kiss on his cheek. 

"Oh! That makes sense. Can I try again?" He blew another raspberry on her cheek. She turned and wrapped her arms around Steve's leg.

"He doesn't know how, Steve!" Steve kissed the top of her head. "Teach him!" He looked around again. So many people, and at least half of them were watching the three of them. It was mostly fond looks, but still. That fondness would turn sour real fast. There was no way. He couldn't.

"Rain check on that lesson, Munson?" Eddie grinned at him, wicked and teasing. Steve felt like he just walked into a trap.

"Sure. But I charge interest. One kiss per minute of postponement."

"I'll have to come to your place after this. That's going to take awhile to pay. And I always pay in full." Steve lowered his voice as Eddie blushed. To everyone else, it was two kids joking to make a little girl happy at Christmas. To Steve, it was a promise. 

And he always kept his promises.

[nakuuro1994]

Hey There Everybody, so yeah, I was just thinking about doing a Superman AU fanfic story called "Superwoman: S.O.S." (otherwise called "Superwoman & The Sisterhood of Superheroes") but I was also thinking about “experimenting” a bit with something that I don’t usually do with my fanfic stories…which would involve a pregnancy. So essentially I was just thinking about having a AU version of a recently widowed Martha Kent being “abducted” by Kal-El’s space pod one night instead of discovering said space pod in the middle of a corn field like in most Superman origin stories as she soon talks to the A.I. version of Jor-El who essentially convinces her to become the surrogate mother for his unborn child Kal-El to ultimately save their dying species (since in this particular universe Kal-El hasn’t even technically been born yet before Krypton’s destruction as he’s just a genetic sample at this point) as Martha herself will ultimately transform into a big, beefy & muscular Half-Kryptonian woman via an extremely powerful case of “Microchimerism” while being the surrogate mother to her own half-alien son Kal-El/Clark Kent as she rapidly grows in strength, size & power as she becomes her universe’s version of “Superwoman” while also raising Clark as a hardworking single mother/farm girl in Smallville, Kansas.

Not to mention that she ultimately becomes a founding member of her Universe’s version of The Justice League (also known as “The Sisterhood of Superheroes”) alongside her other fellow founding members like…

• (Queen Hippolyta/Wonder Woman): Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons is soon convinced into helping out the outside world to fight against an invading alien force by the rugged U.S. Air Force pilot named Captain Sam Lane as they would later have a young demigod daughter together named Diana Prince-Lane, while assuming the alias "Mrs. Lyta Lane".

• (Martha Wayne/Batwoman): Martha Wayne & Alfred soon decide to form a Green Hornet & Kato style crime-fighting duo to combat the vast amount of crime & corruption within Gotham City while Martha struggles to balance her new roles of being both the newest CEO of Wayne Enterprises as well as being a single mother to her only son Bruce shortly after the tragic death of her beloved husband Dr. Thomas Wayne in Crime Alley.

• (Queen Atlanna/Aquawoman): Atlanna is the exiled queen of Atlantis who was seeking to reclaim her lost crown, only to find unexpected love with a land-dwelling lighthouse keeper by the name of Tom Curry who would later influence her to fight against injustice both below and above the sea while also raising her twin Human/Atlantean hybrid sons Orin & Orm Curry alongside her new loving human husband in secret.

• (Nora Allen/The Flash): Mrs. Nora Allen was a seemingly normal, loving & caring midwestern mother & housewife who was suddenly struck by a strange lightning bolt as she suddenly gained phenomenal superhuman speed.

• (M'yri'ah J'onzz/Martian Manhunter): M'yri'ah & her daughter K'hym had lost everything when her beloved husband alongside the rest of her people were tragically killed off by a telepathic plague that would decimate Mars. But miraculously, she & her own daughter escaped the death of their home-world as they seek a new life on earth to prevent another world from losing everything.

• (Dr. Bianca Reyes/Blue Beetle): So essentially Dr. Bianca Reyes was just your average hardworking paramedic & nurse from Palmera City, Texas as she’s also both a happily married wife & a loving mother of two beautiful kids when suddenly a strange beetle-shaped alien artifact crashed lands in her own backyard one fateful night after a long day at work as it soon became bonded to her spine thus unknowingly making her the latest incarnation of The Blue Beetle.

But yeah, what do you think about all that?😅

[alkaliineee]

Is that COCO JONES? Oh, no, that’s JORDYN CARTER, a TWENTY-SIX year old MUSICIAN who uses SHE/HER pronouns. They currently live in PALMERAS DEL PARAÍSO in VIÑA DEL MAR, and the character they identify with most is JESSICA RABBIT from WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT. Hopefully they find their own little paradise here in el país de los poetas! 

BASIC STATS .

FULL NAME . jordyn grace carter

NICKNAME(S) . j.c, jo, jordi

AGE/BIRTHDAY/ZODIAC . 26 / july 25th / leo

SEXUALITY . bisexual

BIRTHPLACE . new orleans, louisiana

HEIGHT . 5‘9

EYES . brown

PEIRCINGS . ears. TATTOOS . leo sign on the inside of her middle finger.

FC . coco jones

FAMILY  .

FIRST LAST ( relation, alive/deceased )

james carter (father/alive)

nora carter (mother/deceased)

-- carter (brother/29-35/alive)

levi carter (twin/deceased)

-- carter (sibling/23-25/alive)

-- carter (sibling/21-22/alive)

OTHER CONNECTIONS   .

TBA

EDUCATION   .

high school diploma

LANGUAGES   .

english. french. spanish.

WORK   .

Position .

musician

coco jones discography claim.

tbd discography claim.

FAVORITE   .

ANIMALS. dolphins. lions. sea otters. COLOURS. purple. gold. blue. DESSERTS. pralines. beignets. bananas foster. apple crisp. strawberry shortcake. cronuts. DRINKS. iced lattes. vodka. tequila. iced tea. cold pressed juice. smoothies. FRUIT. apples. strawberries. blackberries. peaches. HOLIDAY. mardi gras. ICE CREAM. pralines and cream. strawberry. vanilla bean. salted caramel. MUSIC GENRES. r&b. pop. soul. jazz.  SCENTS. vanilla. amber. driftwood. cedarwood. SEASON. summer. SNACKS. apple slices with peanut butter. french fries. avocado toast. snoball. kettle chips. fish tacos. WEATHER. sunny.

AESTHETIC   .

what are words? here is her pinterest instead.

PERSONALITY   .

+ charasmatic

+ loyal

+ observant

- dramatic

- stubborn

- tardy

BACKGROUND .

jordyn was third born ( shy of second born by just a few minutes and you would never hear her claim to be a middle child; that was an energy she just wouldn’t accept, ) to a couple who made you believe in love just by seeing their daily interactions. their home was always one filled with the padding of little feet, boisterous laughter and sticky fingers and she couldn’t imagine growing up any other way.

her mother was a singer at a jazz club, her father a chef, and the passion they both held for their respective careers was the kindling to jordyn’s own passion for music and cooking. she always loved helping her parents and siblings in the kitchen; even if at times it made more work for them, and watching her mother sing was a core memory for her. if they were all good and had all of their homework completed their father would take them to see her perform on the weekends, the six of them tucked into a booth, jordyn’s eyes wide and gleaming with awe.

tw: cancer & death mention. no matter how much she loved the idea of singing, making a career out of music always felt too daunting of a task, even if she had the support of her family behind her; but that changed shortly after her mother was diagnosed with throat cancer, because then it wasn’t just her dream, but her mothers too. jordyn was sixteen when her mother passed, and while utterly devastated she wasn’t going to break the promise of following through with their dreams. after graduating high school she moved to LA with levi in tow, his own producer career stuck in his sights.

we are skimming over the beginnings of. her music career / life in LA because hello my brain, but we know the importants, she signed with a label, was doing gigs, working in the studio, doing all the fun LA girl things, runyon canyon, beach days, drinking overpriced smoothies; yadayada all that fun stuff.

tw: car accident, drowning & death mention. jordyn and levi always went back home for christmas; no matter how busy their schedules had become, it had always been a family affair and usually one of the only times they all managed to be together under the same roof, so they always carved out the week to be able to spend adequate time with their father and siblings. the year after they turned 25 was no different. until it was. they were driving and reminiscing the day before they returned to LA, no clear destination in mind when they were run off the road by a drunk driver, except it wasn’t just a road but a bridge. the car started to sink and when jordyn looked over, levi was unconscious and with seatbelts that wouldn’t budge there was nothing she could do, and the car kept on sinking beneath the surface. as luck would have it, a good samaritan saw them go over the edge of the bridge and when jordyn was hanging on to the brink of consciousness he came to the twins aid, breaking jordyn’s window and cutting her free from her seatbelt, he had managed to get her to the surface, the wail of sirens heard off in the distance, but by the time he went back to retrieve levi it had been too late. no amount of cpr could save him and a part of her died right along with him.

for six months she barely functioned, neither new orleans or los angeles were places she could bear to be without her brother, and while she had the support of her other siblings and her father, nothing was the same, so she packed up her apartment and booked a one way ticket far away in hopes that a fresh start would make her fractured heart hurt a little less. a year of therapy later and there are still days where she wants to hide in bed and never come out, but she also has an understanding that more than anything levi would have wanted her to be happy, and now that she’s living for the both of them she’s trying her very best to do by right by him.

HEADCANONS .

very much has a dual personality. her stage/public persona is very confident and outgoing, but those she loves and trusts get to witness a softer side.

hates driving. absolutely haaaates it. will do anything in her power to not be in a vehicle and when she has to her window is always rolled down, doesn't matter the weather and there's a good chance she won't be wearing her seatbelt.

LA made her a beach girly, though since the accident she doesn't get more than her feet wet.

loves cooking. it's something her parents were very passionate about, especially her father and it's just been something that's ingrained into her.

ambivert.

not a huge fan of the gym, it's just not the vibe, but she does love a good hike.

if you've made plans there is a 99% chance that jordyn Will be late, it’s just the way life is.

doesn’t love being alone, growing up with a built in best friend who was essentially attached at the hip didn’t give her a lot of time to figure out how to be lonely without it feeling really uncomfortable, so she tries to surround herself with people when she can.

big fan of having friends over for dinner parties bc it reminds her of home and she doesn’t usually cook a full on spread when it’s just her, so it gives her a great excuse to do a big thing.

calls her father and siblings at least once a week, even if that time is just spent on facetime doing mundane tasks, it lifts her spirits.

you will never catch her without her headphones, she’s always listening to something.

big on going out, usually accompanied by alcohol but she has been known to go to the club just to dance.

constantly taking photos of her friends and loved ones, documenting everything she can because you never know when all you’ll have to remember someone by are the memories.

will be added 2 as my brain produces more things but this is where we are ending it tonight.

WANTED CONNECTIONS .

bestie: this could be someone prior to jordyn moving to valpo or someone who she instantly clicked with since moving here, either way that's her ride or die.

girls girl: who doesn't want a group of baddies to brunch, shop and go out with !! pls give me !!

flirtationship: this could always progress into more depending on the chemistry and whatever, but someone to have a flirty fun time with!

outdoorsy-ish pals: someone who won't curse her for dragging them out to do an all day hike, or even other semi-active type things, beach days, aquarium dates, farmers markets, whathaveyou.

misc: neighbours, enemies, exes (friends or romantic idc), musician friends, party pals !! i'm sure there are more but my brain is dead, we are open to literally just about anything !!!