#ok post of the year now on to post nothing for the next six months or so

[tinypixl]

Inspired by Vrelnir saying that Harper was originally supposed to track down asylum escapee PC's on the blogspot a while ago, so here's a lil scene for how I imagine this could have gone (with a tiny sprinkle of wish fulfillment✨)

@pip-n-chips come get yo food, this was motivated by you digging up that old-ass ask 👀

Warnings/Additional Info: m!Harper, no smut sry, Harper being Harper, stalking, vomit mention, wobbly writing, implied past/future SA, traumatized PC, drugs, kidnapping, a tiny sprinkle of yandere

"...And remember, ladies and gentlemen," Harper said sternly, his hands folded behind his back: "You are dealing with a very disturbed and possibly confused individual that is quite capable of harming others as well as themselves."

Harper now finally turned to face the group of orderlies behind him with an unreadable expression. He paused for a few seconds, letting his words set in before continuing: "That being said, it is of upmost importance that you do not underestimate the patients intellectual capacity," Harpers expression remained unreadable but he visibly clenched his teeth, remembering how he himself had so stupidly miscalculated that sharp wit of yours.

"...Especially not after the incident that they caused a few days ago, which started this whole situation in the first place. The ones of you working in the asylum will know the full extend."

Some of the orderlies exchanged confused glances, the others knew better.

Harper turned around again and took a few steps forward. He stopped infront of a desk and picked up a piece of paper. It was a poster. A poster of you, with glazed, terror-stricken eyes. It had been taken when you first came to the asylum, now printed out as a warning to the townfolk (at least, that's the excuse he used in this case all the time: the safety of the townfolk...)

He inspected it incrediously, before swiftly fetching it as he spoke up once more: "I not only want you to be on the lookout for anyone entering and leaving the Nightingale hospital, I want you to keep an eye on the whole town, especially on Domus street. We've talked about the benefits those who'll retrieve this patient will recieve."

Harper looked upon that beautiful poster of yours once more before turning his head towards the orderlies one last time, the soft smile he usually wears had returned to his features.

"That was all, don't forget it," he remarked mannerly but one would've been reckless to ignore the discreet undertone of his voice.

"You are dismissed."

Orderlies began to shuffle out of the room. Harper made sure to wait until the last one left, the door slamming close before he returned his attention to the poster.

The dark room was dead quiet now with the only light peaking in through the thin lines of the shut blinds.

Harpers thumb gently brushed over the cheek of your image as he only took in your haunted expression for a moment. Then, he moved his arm to put it back on the desk again but stopped short of it's surface. Instead, he folded it three times and put it in the right pocket of his doctor's coat for later. It's not the first copy he lended for personal use but it's okay, he made enough for it not to make a difference.

To his suprise, he actually found himself feeling quite giddy today. It was certainly a big improvement from last weeks mood.

That being said, he still chastised himself for his embarrassing underestimation of your character. After all, it was extremely significant for his profession to be wary and watchful. But you were always so unassuming. Harper had carelessly mistaken your quietness as flustered shyness, maybe even submission. A mistake, that had made him want to rip his hair out when it finally hit him.

Your mind's stubborn refusal of his hypnosis attempts should've been a major red flag for that but then again, you'd never made the impression of an unruly patient who was plotting something. You weren't really popular with the other patients, mostly keeping to yourself and studying. You never resisted the rest of the treatment, never attacked him, always looking at him with those big innocent doe eyes-

Harper slammed his hands on the desk in front of him, some of his irritation returning accompanied by an odd fluttering in his stomach.

That little plan of yours had set into motion about two months ago, he reckoned. He recalled the view in front of him, of the flimsy hospital gown barely covering your supple body and how you'd obeyed his command to sit on his lap without any protests. The way your plush thighs had pressed against his own...

He could still feel the shivers go right into his crotch thinking about it... And how you'd kissed him then... Your soft lips hungrily bruising his, wet little tongue peaking into his mouth. So eager, so devoted... He really thought then that you'd lusted for him in the same vain that he had for you for so, so long.

A shaky breath came through Harper's slightly parted mouth. He wasn't entirely sure if you'd taken his keycard then or after he had you bend over his desk but it was gone in the evening. He'd spend the entirety of that day flushed with his heart pumping, he hadn't thought much of it going missing, as he'd also visited the farm not too long after. There was a spare he'd kept after all so it didn't matter much to him, thinking it just fell out in his lust-filled stupor...

Imagine his horror when he'd gotten all the patients back under control during that incident and you were suddenly missing. He'd even been worried at first that you'd gotten attacked and were lying somewhere, hurt. The security footage disproved that rather quickly. None of the orderlies had been able to find, let alone retrieve you from the surrounding area.

He'd spend that whole evening looking for you, and the entire night looking through hours upon hours of security footage. You'd entered the security room the same evening you'd stolen his keycard. That had also been when your frequent studying habit started. Every single damn textbook you'd used had been looked through by him that night. Oh you smart, slippery little thing. You'd been trying to figure out how to manipulate the control panel all this time...

A uncharacteristic grin formed on Harper's lips, his giddiness returning. Right, you were smart and you'd tricked him. He gave you that. But you were also all alone. Sure, he couldn't really waltz into Bailey's territory to get you back, you were still his ward which he hated, he should be the one in control, it wasn't enough to desperately pull on your delicate strings-

But you also wouldn't be able to hide in the orphanage forever. Eventually, you would have to resume your everyday life and then it would only be a matter of time.

Harper glanced into the asylum's yard through the cracks of the blinds, watching all the small moving figures.

It would only be a matter of time before he got you back.

~

A few small knocks rang against your door. The noise didn't startle you too much anymore, you'd gotten used to it pretty quickly after coming back. Despite this, it seemed a bit different today. With how early it was you first thought that it had been Bailey but the softness of the knocks contradicted that assumption.

For another moment, you just laid there, staring up at the ceiling before exhaling and dragging yourself to your dingy bedroom door.

Through the little gap, the flickering light of the hallway as well as two big, round, sympathetic eyes greeted you. Robin. She wore that small apologetic smile, with her brows softly knitted over her eyes. You adored that expression as much as you loathed it sometimes, it made you feel so pitied...

"Hey, how are you feeling?", Robin inquired carefully.

Stuttering, you could only give her a rather vague answer: "Umm I... I d-don't know I... think I'm okay...?"

"Do you think that... Maybe you'll be able to go to school again? No pressure of course! I'm just... A bit worried that you'll maybe miss too many hours. Don't want you to get written up or anything.."

Sweat collected on your hands that you tried to wipe on your pyjama pants. Robin was right but... You were still a bit... skeptical about assuming that you're in the clear just because you escaped but you couldn't tell her that.

Robin noticed your inner tutmoil and chimed in once more: "Of course, I'd walk with you to and from school! Just like you did when I was...", she trailed off.

Your mouth felt dry, trying to force out an answer.

"... Okay. I'll get ready."

Robin beamed at you before telling you to come to her room when you were done. It's fine you figured, you couldn't hide in the orphanage forever.

~

It was, in fact, not fine. But you didn't figure that out soon enough, the days after you'd gone to school again running just too smoothly. Despite looking over your shoulder, you never saw anyone watching. On the third day you even felt save enough to start to go to work on your own again.

Now, hiding in an alleyway beside two dumpsters in the dead of night, you noticed your slip-up.

Your hands were clutching a poster that you had ripped off the wall behind you minutes prior and probably the reason why you were in this situation in the first place. Your face was plastered on top. On the bottom it read: 'Warning! Dangerous asylum escapee; Caution is advised' along with a number to call about your last whereabouts. You had never been a danger to other people and still weren't but you knew the truth didn't matter in this town. Not when it was so easy for someone sneaky and powerful enough to just twist it to their advantage.

It was now abundantly clear to you where the orderlies you'd ran from earlier came from. Why didn't any of those posters catch your attention before?

Quietly, you huddled further into yourself beside the two dumpsters, trying to keep it together.

The alley lead into a dead-end but maybe, just maybe you were lucky and they hadn't seen you go in. You assumed they were still searching the surrounding area, so if you were quiet enough-

"Are you certain they went this way? You haven't found any trace of them yet."

You almost choked on the air that you were trying to inhale, hands instantly clasping over your mouth as you tried to keep yourself from hyperventilating. Of course, you'd recognize that smooth almost plummy voice instantly. You briefly wondered why he'd make such a big effort of showing up himself to bring you back but then again, the poster clutched in your hands over your mouth should've been enough prove to you that he was very serious about this.

A group of footsteps ripped you out of your thoughts and made your heart jump in terror. They were still rather distant but... definitely in the alleyway you were hiding in.

"100% sure Doctor, 'seen them go in this direction myself. We've searched any possible place they might've went. They have to be in here."

Oh god, you felt like you were going to throw up. The footsteps came closer, you could hear it. The ones closest to you sounded calm as they could be. Unrushed, taking their sweet time before they suddenly stopped.

"Alright. Let me handle this.", Harper's voice rang out once more. Now you could only hear those calm, slow footsteps coming closer and closer. Tears stung at the corners of your eyes.

Your name being called out gingerly sent a cold shiver down your spine. Harper's voice had taken on a soothing tone, the same one he used to play-pretend a normal doctor, the same one he used to hypnotise people:"... You don't have to be afraid any longer. I'm here to help you!"

At this point, you had completely given up on trying to control your breathing. Instead trying to hold you breath as much as could to prevent a full-blown panic attack. Prey, you felt like cornered prey.

"Please don't make this so hard on the both of us. I can help you. You'll feel so much better with regular treatment, I promise..."

Tears now ran down your cheeks freely as it took everything in you not to sob in pure horror. Despite your heartbeat pounding in your ears you heard clearly that his voice had started to shake slightly; giddy with anticipation. You needed to get out of here... You needed to get out of here!

"Someone in your predicament shouldn't be without help for so long...", his voice became more breathy as he closed in on your hiding spot.

"We both know that I know what's best for you..", the edge of lust in it was now unmistakeable. He was getting off on this.

You bit down on your tongue, trying to still your quivering form. You'd captivated the dear doctor, so much more than you could have known that you did and now, you'd pay gravely for your mistake-

"Got you."

A bloodcurdling scream tore out of your throat when his flushed, panting face was suddenly inches away from yours. It was instantly muffled by a chloroform-drenched rag. In your adrenaline-fueled desperation, you tore on his arm and pulled him down with you.

It took Harper by suprise and he crashed down on his knees, which gave you the chance to draw in a last-minute breath before wasting no more time to get to your feet to bolt out of the alley.

Something brushed over the hood of your jacket, trying to grasp ahold of it but failing as you ran, ran, ran

right into the arms of the two orderlies, to your unfortune.

"Not so fast!", one of them commanded. You tugged against them but they have you held tightly by both arms.

The clicking sound of dress shoes against concrete rang in your ears. You lifted your head to Doctor Harper's approaching figure.

Finally, the loud sob you'd been holding in slipped from you. You started struggling even harder against the two orderlies, nauseous with pure dread.

"Easy there kid.", one of the oderlies told you but you couldn't hear them, your mind preoccupied with primal fear.

Harper steps in front of you, with his usual soft, creepy smile.

"Sshhh..." Harper gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear before firmly grasping your chin. His thumb lightly stroking it.

"Don't worry, I know what you need. I know that you need me."

With that, he held the rag to your face tightly as he continued to shush your muffled cries.

His thumb never leaving the softness of your cheek until your lights went out.

[starry-bi-sky]

I saw a post a few months ago (and damn was it really months? In PLURAL?) that was a cracky dpxdc au where the LOS were making Damian clones but the clones kept getting snatched by ghost portals and dropped into Danny’s lap and Danny just goes “ok ig this is my life now” and takes care of each one until he has his own mini army of Damian Clones.

And I remembered it a few days ago, and now I've been thinking about it again. Because I love clone aus (see: clone danny au, the 'danny is thomas wayne' au) because it itches the part of my mind that loves exploring personhood and the exploration of identity and what it means to be clone.

(What do you do when nothing about you is unique? When your face, your eyes, your hands, your hair, your voice, all the way down to your heart, all belong to someone else?)

(When it comes to nature vs nurture what of you came from your environment and your experiences, and what of you was already programmed into you from the DNA that made you?)

(What do you do to make it unique? What do you do to make you unique?)

And if I could remember who made that post I'd @ them right now because it was their original post that inspired this, but I'm just thinking of if the au only had One Singular Damian clone that fell into Danny's life.

(a read more because im apparently incapable of making posts that are less than 1k words...)

One Damian who knew he was a clone and knew that he was to either bring the original back to base or kill him to take his place, who was being trained the same way but kept getting compared to his original over and over again. Like an older sibling who you can never match up to. Who is still a child who craves adult affection and validation and praise, and can't get it because nothing about him is original.

One Damian who, at six years old, in a twist of fate is sucked through a swirling portal and lands in Amity Park, directly on top of, in front of, or in line of sight of one Daniel Fenton, half-ghost extraordinaire and local hero.

What happens next?

Well, for one, Danny recognizes him immediately. He would recognize the face of Damian Wayne anywhere because his best friend was ranting about him all week about Damian Wayne's environmental stuff he does.

And for two, he would recognize that the Damian Wayne in front of him was not Damian Wayne. Because Damian Wayne was a teenager. And the Damian Wayne in front of him is a child. Six years old.

Getting this not-Damian but also-Damian to go along with Danny is not, not an easy task. The tiny Damian is aggressive, regal, and at this point in time, six years old, barely understanding english. He also has a sword.

It takes all day and a google translator to get this Tiny Damian to finally agree to go home with Danny. It's a miracle. Seriously. A tried and true miracle. And its also only when Danny has to fight a ghost does he finally agree, saying something in arabic that Danny doesn't understand.

Danny flies them both home, carrying Tiny Damian like a koala. The ensuing conversation in his room is not any better. It is tiring, long, and exhausting. Tiny Damian is six years old, and every single thing he says when Danny asks where he came from is met with a poorly translated "that's classified".

Danny keeps an eye on the news. There are no reports of Damian Wayne going missing, in fact he's been rather public. Bruce Wayne is not one to lie about his children going missing, and Damian's secretive behavior and young age draws Danny to one conclusion: Damian is a clone.

He doesn't know why Damian Wayne is being cloned. Frankly he doesn't really wanna know, because whatever organization that did it doesn't seem too pure-of-heart if tiny-Damian's immediate attempt of murder when they first met is of any indication. But he's too busy taking care of his city, that he doesn't have time to deal with whatever shady business Tiny-Damian was produced from.

In the end though, he decides that this Tiny-Damian is not going back to whatever place he came from. Tiny Damian disagrees. It is a long, nebulous problem of Damian trying to run away, Danny catching him, and Danny pulling him back home.

In that time, Danny downloads a language app and starts learning Arabic so that they can talk to each other properly. Damian slowly, slowly, starts picking up English.

In that time, Danny also has to inform his friends and his sister about Damian. Tiny Damian is not a fan of this. That is another argument they have. Tiny Damian does not like Sam or Tucker for a long, long while. He only really "listens" to Danny, citing something in arabic that Danny still cannot understand, but has a repeated use of the word "lieazir". It's the only word that Danny can catch in a sentence immediately, because its what little Damian calls Danny.

Tiny Damian, in that front, is very interested in Danny's powers and in his parents work. He finds tubberware of ectoplasm in the fridge once while they're down in the kitchen and calls it something with the word lieazir in it. The other word is something that Danny later learns means water in arabic.

It makes him feel even more uneasy of whatever place little Damian came from.

It takes weeks for little Damian to finally give up on escaping, and then a few weeks more for him to almost entirely lose his spunk. Danny isn't sure what started it. It was as if he'd been flipped with an off-switch.

(Damian had been so confident that the League would go looking for him after his disappearance. He was wrong, and he is crushed. He is still a child, alone, in a country very big and very busy, where nobody understands what he's saying. He feels powerless, helpless.)

(The lazarus boy who calls himself Danyal is nice to him in a way the league has never been, and he's making an effort to learn Damian's language. But he leaves for hours at a time and Damian doesn't have much else to do but wait in this house for him to come back.)

(He tried leaving, many many times, but he doesn't understand the street signs, the roads, the people. He doesn't know where he is, and he feels scared in a way that he's not felt in the League. Danny finds him every single time, hours later when Damian is lost somewhere in Amity Park)

(And he never yells at him. Never. The first time this happens, Damian puffs himself up and prepares himself for this strange lazarus boy to yell at him. Damian feels like he's tripped on the last step of the stairs when Danyal doesn't yell at him.)

(He can tell he's frustrated by the tone of his voice, but when Danyal lays eyes on him he just looks relieved. He gets scolded on the flight home, but Damian doesn't understand any of it other than Danyal just sounds worried. Not angry. He gets a proper scolding once they get back, with Danyal typing into the google translator and playing it for Damian to hear.)

(This happens every single time until Damian finally agrees to stop running away.)

It's with Jazz's help that Danny finally realizes that Damian was depressed. It's with her help again that Danny tries helping with it. It's like trying to get a stray cat to trust him. And with everything else they've done, it takes a long time.

And it is so, so worth it when it all works out.

Tiny Damian doesn't really like Sam, or Tucker, but he likes Danny. And he finally starts calling him his name. His full name, but his name nonetheless. Danny doesn't bother correcting him. He's not looking a gift horse in the mouth. And it's endearing hearing Damian call him Danyal.

Damian in this time, also begins to take more initiative into learning English. And they teach each other words they know. Danny buys flash cards and writes the english alphabet on them, and then finds a book on arabic to teach himself and Damian. Sam and Tucker and Jazz start learning as well.

And then when Danny knows enough arabic and Damian knows enough english, and Damian trusts Danny, Damian tells him he's a clone. It's a quiet moment, late at night when Danny takes Damian up to the ops center to look at what stars they could see through the light pollution.

It'd be very easy for Danny to tell him, "I know. I could tell from the start.". He doesn't, it's not the time nor the place, and Danny's matured enough to know when to open his mouth and when to keep it shut. He lets Damian, almost seven now, tell him that he's a clone of Damian Wayne. Lets him tell him why he was made, what his purpose was.

(Danny will need a minute later to process the fact that Damian Wayne originally came from some kind of... assassin league with an obsession with immortality. But he's focused on Damian.)

In the end, he puts an arm around Damian Wayne's clone and pulls him into his side. Thanks him for trusting him, it must've been hard to tell him, that he's brave for being able to. And if he wants to, they can find a way to get into contact with the Waynes and let Wayne know about him.

Damian hides his face in Danny's ribs and holds him tight, and tells him he doesn't want to. Danny leaves it at that.

Perhaps it would be more morally ethical to alert Damian Wayne that there was a clone of him running around, that his... uh, grandfather was making clones of him. Hell, Danny would have liked it. But little Damian has asked him not to say anything, and little Damian needs someone to rely on; someone he can trust.

And in the end, its not that hard of a decision to make. Danny knows little Damian more than he knows Damian Wayne, and while Danny likes to think he's a good person, he knows he's not a great one. Nor a perfect one. He cares more about someone he knows than someone he doesn't.

If Sam tries to argue with him about it, then Danny will just double down. If Damian doesn't want to tell Wayne about his existence, then it's not their place to say otherwise.

There's a lot more to talk about over Damian's cloning, like what he wants to do moving forward. But that's a long conversation not meant to be one taken late at night. Little Damian is falling asleep at his side, seemingly much more relaxed than he did before, and Danny wasn't gonna ruin that.

And later he's right, it is a long conversation, and a slow one. Talking with Jazz about it helps him figure out what to do moving forward, and their best bet is to let Damian figure out what he wants to do. So he sits Damian down at the dinner table the next morning and tells him before breakfast that he doesn't need to be Damian Wayne.

He doesn't need to learn all the same things Damian Wayne did. He doesn't need to do anything that Damian Wayne does. And little Damian is seven, and he's smart, but Danny still has to word it in a way that's not too complex for him to realize.

And in the end, what he says essentially boils down to "You are not Damian Wayne, you are just you. Don't be anyone else but you." and it'll take more time to drill that into his mind when all he's ever heard and learned from is that he was a copy of Damian Wayne, and he must act like Damian Wayne. But it'll happen.

It's a hard task when Danny's the only person Damian really trusts and he can't be by his side all the time, but he starts to warm up to the rest of Danny's family. The Fenton parents know of him, it's hard to keep a six year old child a secret for as long as Danny did without eventually having to come clean about it. His parents, much to Danny's relief, are very welcoming to Damian.

Damian figures out what he likes. Slowly. He's six years old, almost seven, and nobody expects of him to figure out who he is immediately. No child knows who they are right off the bat. So like any child he begins to explore. His english is better but still rough, and he struggles to read said language, but the Fenton family are happy to help even if Damian learns words that no normal seven year old does. (Many of them scientific.)

Damian realizes he likes stars, even if said interest is influenced by the association to Danny. Danny is all too delighted to tell him all about them, and in the process takes him flying out somewhere where the light pollution doesn't reach and showing him where constellations are.

Damian is six-almost-seven, so he doesn't find all of them, but Danny helps him figure out the easier ones. He tells him the scientific facts behind them, and then tells him about the mythos of the constellations. Later on they make their own constellations and make up stories about what they are.

(Damian adores Danny out of anyone else in the Fenton Family. The name Danyal turns to Dany. If anyone asks, Daniel Fenton is Damian's big brother.)

(He still refers to Jazz as Jazmine, and Danny's parents as Mrs. and Mr. Fenton.)

He realizes that, like his original, he loves animals, and he becomes vegetarian too. Sam is smug and Tucker is disappointed, but Damian doesn't super care about their opinions. ...he's getting better at liking them, even if he thinks Manson is a bit snobby and Foley is too much at times.

Its inevitable that the conversation of school comes into play. Damian can't stay home all day and he needs proper schooling. So after a long talk with Damian, they agree to send him to elementary school.

...And before they can do that the Fenton Family goes through with legally adopting Damian into the family as Damian Fenton. It takes convincing to get the administration to enroll him into the first grade without a proper schooling background.

(On his adoption form, Damian asks to change his birthday to the day he met Danny. Perhaps its not the most responsible thing to agree to, but Danny wants Damian to find himself. And its not like they know when his actual birthday was.)

And despite where he learned it from, Damian quite likes sparring. And he quite likes sparring with Danny in particular. Danny makes it fun, something that was foreign in his old league training, and Danny never hurts him. It's a lot like roughhousing.

Danny tells Damian how he got his powers, and how his parents don't know. Damian wakes up late at night to Danny sneaking out of the room (their house is not big enough to give Damian an individual room, and Danny agreed to share his) to go fight ghosts.

It's upsetting. Damian knows that Danny gets injured in those fights, even if Danny never comes home until after those injuries have been fixed up. He wants to help, and he voices it, and Danny shoots him down.

It becomes an argument, something that has happened less and less over the months.

Damian is experienced.

Damian is a child.

Damian knows how to fight.

Damian is mortal and fragile. He is a tiny, squishy human boy and the people Danny fights are ghosts who are near-indestructible. Who are intimately acquainted with death but also do not remember that humans are capable of it. Especially when they're fighting.

Damian says that Batman's rogues are capable of the same thing, that he lets his Robins help him fight.

And Danny says he is not Batman and he will not allow Damian to fight ghosts with him. Those ghosts will kill him and it will hurt. Dying hurts in a way that is terrifying and unimaginable and he will not risk Damian experiencing it. Not even Sam and Tucker help him in his fights most of the time, they are not able to. Not in the way Danny can.

Damian doesn't talk to him all day the following morning, but Danny does not budge on his decision. Damian tries to follow him out the next night, and Danny catches him and takes him back. Over, and over, and over again.

Until finally he gets intercepted by Skulker while taking Damian back home and is forced to fight him in front of Damian. (If it had been his choice, he would not have let Damian see it at all.)

It's not pretty. Skulker has new weapons, weapons that hurt, a lot. Danny is stuck between trying to take him down and trying to protect Damian from Skulker's attacks at him and from all the debris being created from the fight. It's with Damian's quick thinking and fast feet that finally helps Danny take Skulker out. But Danny is badly injured in the aftermath.

He doesn't have time to take Damian home and get medical attention. So he takes Damian with him to wherever he has his supplies stashed. He doesn't call Sam or Tucker or Jazz, and has to stitch himself up alone, with Damian watching.

Damian is quiet the entire time, he feels awful. Danny's not mad at him -- well, he is. But not because he had to protect him. He's just tired, and a little disappointed in him. Damian doesn't sneak out again. But he still feels helpless.

Danny tells him that that is why he doesn't want Damian to help him. Ghosts, his ghosts, are hard to fight. They are powerful, and his 'rogues' are mean. They will not care that Damian is a mortal child, if he picks a fight with them, they will fight back. And Damian is not immune to certain ghost powers like Danny is.

Damian is silent. He wants to help. But Danny is right: he is a squishy, mortal, living child. There is not much he can do to help Danny. Not without any gear to do it. Not without any powers to do it. He wants to help. He cannot.

Damian, almost-seven-years old, begins to cry. It is the last thing Danny was expecting, and for a moment he is at a loss of what to do.

Damian reaches for him -- in the Fenton family, physical affection is expected. Damian is getting used to it, but Danny is the only one he likes touching him -- and then stops, cringing away like he only just remembered that Danny was hurt.

He only cries harder.

Danny meets him halfway and pulls him into his arms, situating Damian between his knees from where he's sitting. Through his tears, Damian says he wants to help. He wants to help. He doesn't want Danny to get hurt anymore. He doesn't want Danny to fight ghosts alone anymore. He's scared that Danny will stop coming back.

Danny doesn't have anything to say to reassure him. Can't say anything to reassure him. It'll all just be lies. He's not going to stop fighting ghosts, he can't. He's not going to stop getting hurt, he can't. He's not going to bring Damian with him, he can't. He'd never be able to live with himself.

"I'll always come back." He says though, because that is something he can promise. Whether dead or alive, he'll come back.

When the tears finally stop, Damian doesn't say anything again. He sniffles, and presses his ear to Danny's chest, listening to the steady, slow heartbeat. If he puts his ear to his sternum and strains his ear, Damian would almost hear the low hum of Danny's ghost core, like a small dwarf sun.

"If you die, I'll drag you to the Lazarus pools myself." Damian mumbles eventually, his voice sleep-full. It's spoken in arabic, and Danny only understands half of it.

He laughs quietly, and smoothes his hand over Damian's hair. He hasn't had a haircut since he arrived, it's gotten long and there are curls beginning to form. "Okay."

Damian falls asleep shortly after, and with much consideration to his own injuries and Damian's sleeping form, Danny flies them back home.

It's hard to say, but not much changes in routine afterwards. Damian hovers close to Danny, more than usual. Danny still goes out at night, he still stitches himself up before going back, he still goes back home where Damian is waiting worriedly for him. Damian doesn't like falling asleep without knowing Danny is there.

Now the hard question is: when does little Damian finally meet the Waynes for the first time? There's plenty of ways to go about it, both easy and hard. Perhaps we go this way:

The Fenton family are visiting Maddie's sister in Arkansas. And Damian is dragging Danny around through the surrounding forest. It's his first time being in a forest this large since he moved in with the Fentons. Safe to say he is delighted by all of the nature, and he's dragging Danny along with him.

Danny likes the peace and quiet it gives him, he's found that he enjoys the rural area more than he likes the city. He's happy to let Damian point out every plant he recognizes, even if some of it is in arabic.

They walk around all day until Damian gets tired, and then at night when the sky is clear Danny and him go look at the stars. It's peaceful at first.

On the third day of their visit, Damian drags Danny out far from the house. It's slightly worrying, but Danny can always fly them back if it gets too late.

It's in the woods that Danny and Damian stray much too far from Alicia's house, and from there in the early evening that they run into Batman and Red Robin, both of them in rough 'just got out of a fight' shape.

Safe to say, it was the last thing any of them expected to run into. Damian and Danny had stopped at a small crik to rest, and the two vigilantes came through the tree line on the other side.

It was... quite the staring contest.

Damian, now seven years old at this point, forgot to mention that the Waynes were vigilantes when he told Danny he was a clone. But he was told that Batman was his original's father.

Before anyone can say anything, little Damian wraps his arms tight around Danny's middle and stares Batman and Red Robin down. His sharp edges have softened around the Fentons. But he makes no exceptions to anyone else outside of Danny's immediate social circle.

Danny's arm automatically goes around Damian's shoulders, and he looks between both Red and Batman uneasily. If they were here then it meant that there was something unsafe nearby. Danny did not fight the living, and he wasn't going to put Damian in the crosshairs of anything that does.

"Should... should we leave?" He asks, brows knotted together with a frown. He stands. "Is there something going on nearby?"

Batman suddenly grunts, and looks at him. "It's been handled." He says, and his voice is gruffer than Danny imagined it. Lower. Danny is not all that comfortable with that answer.

"Do you guys live nearby?" Red Robin asks, and Danny can't help but notice that he keeps looking at Damian. Warily. In fact, so is Batman.

He pushes Damian behind him slightly, and Damian's grip tightens on him. "Not... exactly." He says, his eyes narrowing slightly. "My family's visiting my Aunt and my brother wanted to explore since it's his first time out of the city, I guess we wandered too far away if we're running into you."

There's no visible indication of whether or not both Bats reacted to him calling Damian his brother. But he can all but feel little Damian preen at the title, it makes Danny's mouth twitch into a smile as his hand finds Damian's hair.

"Would we be able to go back with you?" Red Robin asks, startling both Danny and seemingly Batman, who looks at him instantly.

"Red Robin." He growls out, and Red Robin throws Batman a look of annoyance.

"We are lost, B. They jammed the comms and our trackers back there and it hasn't come back on yet, his aunt may have the signal we need to let the others know where we are."

They end up walking back with Danny and Damian. It's silent, and awkward, and Danny has Damian walking on his opposite side so he's not near the vigilantes. Red Robin is fiddling with a phone but still can't get a signal.

Batman is silently brooding.

Red eventually gives up and shoves the phone into a pocket on his belt, then turns to make conversation with Danny. "I never thanked you for letting us walk with you. Thanks, by the way."

Danny blinks at him, and smiles awkwardly. "No problem, man," he says, "I'm uh, Danny." He glances down at Damian, who looks up at him with big green eyes, and Damian nods quietly.

He looks back at Red Robin, and says, "This is my little brother, Damian." And Damian peers over his side and glares at Red Robin -- and Batman, who looks over when Danny says his name.

"He looks like Damian Wayne," Red Robin notes, head tilting like he's inspecting him.

Danny huffs dryly, "We get that a lot."

Red Robin smiles at him, its a tilted thing. It makes Danny uneasy. "Where did you say you were from?"

"I didn't," Danny says bluntly, and he really doesn't want to tell them where he's from. Not when Red Robin was acting strange, but they're vigilantes and notorious for their detective skills. If he's suspicious, they'll look into him. "But I'm from Amity Park."

Damian in that moment, peers around Danny again and scowls at Red Robin. Full on scowls at him, as if it were the first months when he met Danny. "You're being nosy." He sneers, his hand squeezing Danny's.

"Damian," Danny hisses, suppressing a smile. Damian jumps like he's been startled, and looks up at him with big green eyes. "He's just being curious."

(He lets his smile slip through briefly, just to let Damian know he's not that upset. A tension leaves his little brother's shoulders.)

"But he is." Damian continues, a whine leaking into his voice. Danny jabs him in the ribs with his fingers, and Damian jumps, swatting away his hand with a squeak.

"Would you rather have us walk in dead silence, Dames?" He goes for Damian's ribs again, a grin stretching across his face as Damian jumps back again and swats his hand. "Hm? Hm? We could just walk in awkward silence for the entire trip back, I know you just love awkward silence, little brother."

(It's funny, saying little brother always sounds so uncomfortable when he reads it in books and watches it on tv. But Jazz always makes it sound so natural when she does it, and Danny finds that he sounds the same too.)

Damian continues to bat away his hands, but it's not enough to prevent him from squealing with laughter when Danny gets a good hold on him and starts tickling him. Danny's grin only gets bigger, and he swoops Damian up with his arm and holds him like a football.

"Is that it? Huh? Me, you, and two vigilantes walking back to Aunt Alicia's cabin in complete, utter silence." He says, "You won't get to hear any of my amazing jokes."

Damian's wriggling, trying to pound on Danny's ribs, he's giggling uncontrollably. It's the best sound Danny's ever heard. "Your jokes are awful! Laeazir! Put me down!" He cries, grinning from ear to ear.

(From the side, both Red Robin and Batman tense up.)

Danny chuckles, and through a short series of flips, has Damian sitting on his shoulders. "I will not. You're sitting up in air jail for insulting my hilarious jokes."

Damian tugs on his hair in revenge, harrumphing at him but making no move to get down. Danny squeezes his ankles playfully, and looks back to Batman and Red Robin.

Both vigilantes look at him like he's grown a second head.

....Red Robin looks at him like he's grown a second head. Batman just stares, and then looks away. Danny tilts his head at them, his smile waning. "You guys look like you've seen a ghost or something."

(Damian tugs on his hair again. A silent boo at him.)

Red Robin jerks, "Oh, sorry." He says, not sounding all that sorry. "It's just... I've lost count to how many times I've saved Damian Wayne from the occasional kidnapping and he's always been very... serious. It's just weird seeing a kid that looks like him be... not serious."

From his shoulders he feels Damian hide his smile in his hair, that's another thing they can put on their "Things That Damian Does That Damian Wayne Does Not" list. It started as a joke, but it's been surprisingly helpful for when Damian is questioning himself.

However, Danny is not a fan of the comparison, and he smiles widely, perhaps a tad passive-aggressive. "It's a good thing that my Damian isn't Damian Wayne then." He says, giving him the slight stink eye.

Red Robin picks up on it quickly, and nods.

The rest of the way is spent in idle conversation. It's oddly casual, even if most of the conversation is Danny talking about himself. It's annoying, but he unfortunately understands the reason. Secret identities and all that.

Damian interjects a few times, some parts to talk to Danny, and other parts to throw shade at Batman and Red Robin. Mostly Red Robin, who seems begrudgingly used to it.

("I'm surprised you haven't asked me much about myself." Red Robin says at one point into the conversation. Over his shoulder Batman glares at Red Robin. "A lot of civilians do when they're able."

Danny stares at him. "You're a vigilante." He says, frowning, "Isn't it superhero 101 that you don't ask superheroes for their secret identity?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Huh. Well, no. I'm not gonna ask you about yourself. I quite like talking all about me.")

When they finally reach the cabin, it's late into the night and Danny has moved Damian from his shoulders to his front in a koala-like carry. Damian's fast asleep with his head on Danny's shoulder.

His family was also frantically searching for him, and Jazz sees him first. She immediately turns behind her and yells "I FOUND HIM!". And then sprints over to him, his parents thundering not too far behind.

Both vigilantes are subsequently ignored as Jazz dotes over him and Danny, and soon enough so is his mom and dad. They're all talking all at once, asking him where he was, they were worried sick, did he know how late it was.

He shushes all of them, loudly. And whispers that Damian is sleeping. His family then immediately quiet themselves, and go back to yelling at him in a more appropriate manner.

"Me and Damian walked too far by accident." Danny finally says when he can get a word in, and then he jabs his thumb in Red Robin and Batman's direction. "We also found two superheroes who need assistance."

The speed of which his family all snap their heads over to the direction he's pointing is almost comical. As is all of their expressions of shock.

His mother is the first to regain her senses, and she sighs at him. She sighs! "Only you, Danny." She says, and Jazz snorts into her arm.

[forestshadow-wolf]

do you have any roach fic recs... any ship, any plot, any length, i literally have no preferences other than /roach/ i need more roach centric fics in my life....

I DO!

but first you should check out this post from @/boxofthings they have quite a few Roach centric fic recommendations. however it has been about six-ish months since then so I'll just add ones from recently

"you are a memory" by withyourrythm

"It takes 8 days of nursing an infected gunshot wound at his thigh, of trying to keep Roach breathing through the nights, before Ghost realizes that there is no help coming. Then, it’s time to move on."

"Roaching Around" by KDFoxbug

"Roach is captured by the enemy and becomes buggier"

"GhostRoach teehee :3" series by ghostroacharemybabies

Filled with a bunch of little stories I wrote of GhostRoach. Some sad, some happy. It’s just a mix of a bunch of emotions.

"Candy shop" by littlehorusaximand

roach is down bad for his lieutenant and his captain, and they accidentally find out.

"serendipity" by bravo six going queer (cornerdreams)

Roach gets back from a mission involving ice shelves, a compromising of his captain, and a harrowing snowmobile chase. Ghost is just happy he came back home safe. Both of them do a little reflecting.

"Just one kiss" by grechka_zhest

“Hey, L.T. ,” Roach muttered, licking the spoon and wincing right after at the taste of metal and canned meat, if it can even be called one, on his tongue. "Hm?", the lieutenant’s voice was tired and quiet, like Roach's own. It's nothing new. The sergeant quickly licked his dry lips, covered in small cuts. "Ever kissed before?", Sanderson asked with a grin in his voice. He himself doesn’t know whether this was supposed to be a joke or an insult. But behind the malicious grin there was a lively interest. Ghost chuckled, placing the now empty can on the ground, next to the sole of his boots.

"Memento Mori" by Anonymous

Roach got his callsign from being an unkillable insect with very little self preservation instinct. Unfortunately the rest of the team can be a little like that too, to the detriment of each other.

"How (not) to ask someone to marry you" by kkyso

Gaz needed to find a quick way to propose to Roach, but all his ideas seemed to go wrong. Until Soap has the brilliant and absurd idea at the same time, Making Gaz rethink the whole plan.

"These Bones Are Broken" by fixfoxnox

Roach nearly loses someone and it results in a momentary break in his carefully constructed mask.

"Two sergeants, one lieutenant" by Roach_Simp

Gaz, Ghost, Price, Soap and Roach go on a mission to get intel, finds out the mission was a set up then Roach gets kidnapped and tortured before they find him and then Roach, Ghost and Soap cuddle before it turns into spice. :3

"Roach" by MorningGlory30

"I promise I'll come back in once piece." After the death of his father, Gary "Roach" Sanderson thought that he should join the military just like his dad. He never really gave it much thought and as a seven year old, it never meant much to him. As he grew older, he came to like the idea of joining the military--of doing something better for his country than just being another rugby player. He joined as soon as he graduated and had worked hard in the SAS to be picked for an elite group of soldiers. Serving under Captain John Price and Captain "Soap" MacTavish wasn't the easiest thing to do because of how high the expectations were but it was something that he could handle. Even in the toughest times, Roach knew he could make it out of any dangerous situation and keep the promise that he made to his older brother.

"Raindrops" by TheCalmCreature

Gary doesn't seem to be fine after a mission. Simon checks up on him. written for the prompt: "[GhostRoach] Maybe they tend to each others injuries after a mission or they just need to make sure the other is ok? a happy/comfort ending”

"FNG... or something..." by KairaKara101

Gary knew those dreams were something strange yet it filled an empty part of his soul. There was something off about him. A bad luck charm perhaps? Gary really wished he knew why he was always the FNG. This time... being the FNG sucked. But past (?) collides with present. Once an ODST always an ODST. And you know what those ODST always said? Are you prepared to drop? Feet first into hell, troopers.

"Thorns in my lungs, petals on my tongue" by MossTimeBaby

the Roach Hanahaki fic that I was desperate to read

"Roaches Can't Die" by pinboardscarecrow

Ghost and Roach are betrayed by General Shepard; shot and killed by their own leader. But moments later, Roach wakes up back in the forest outside Makarov's safe house. Can he change his and Ghost's fates?

"is it really better to have loved and lost?" by MossTimeBaby

When Ghost has to fake his death to go deep undercover, Roach is left behind to pick up the pieces of himself.

"Two Sides of The Same Coin" by Vityed

It was Gary's first Christmas with Task Force 141, seeing as he had only joined the team six months earlier. As such, he had no idea what to expect. He just hoped it would be a good time to get to know everyone. Everything was perfect and ready. A Christmas tree decorated with tinsel, baubles and twinkling lights, and topped with a shining star, and plenty of alcohol to go around. What could possibly go wrong?

"Dear to you" by vani_tas_talk

messy university roommates breakup AU, starts as Roach/Soap/Ghost, endgame Roach/König

"If We Crash (I Hope We Do)" by mintyiecat

Simon and Gary live, and fall into a steady sort of companionship. Gary starts wondering (dramatically) what they are exactly. “How do you do that?” Simon scowls. “Swear to God it always jams.” ‘Magic fingers,’ Gary signs, and wiggles his.

[fatherforgivethem]

Hi💚I saw your Hotd Hunger Games post and I couldn’t help but ask to do Hotd meets Bly Manor, or Hill House if you can🤷‍♀️

“I’m a dream, and so are you, and so are we…”

.

.

.

Alicent Hightower had only ever wanted to give her family a sense of adventure. She wanted them to see different parts of the country, and with her job as a house flipper, she had been able to do just that. Until recently….

She had wanted her children to like the new house, she had wanted herself to like the house; but something about it made her feel a certain kind of unwell. And no matter how she tried to encourage her children, it was a known fact that the family was sick and tired of Hill House.

Yet, life had changed when her little girl had begun to speak of figure she’d scene around the house. A women, she’d explained, that she called the Bent-Neck-Lady. And when Aemond had spoken of a very tall man he’d seen walking about the halls. All of it seemed to be going wrong. She herself had begun to see a vexing auburn-haired women that would snarl hateful nonsense into Alicent’s ears. Even Daeron hated the house. Aegon seemed to be doing the best out of all of them.

Her life felt like chaos, like madness. It was so mad that it drove her to point of no return. She felt light, like she was floating. She was once there, in the flesh with her children. And now, she was one with the house. She was of Hill House. Forever wandering the halls alone until a voice that sounded like her little girl’s rang through her ears like music.

Aegon could identify the exact moment that his and his families life had gone up in flames. It had been when his uncle Gwayne, who had been staying with them at Hill House, had pulled Aegon and his siblings from their beds, ordering them to keep their eyes closed as he lifted them in his arms and began running down the halls as fast as his feet could carry them.

He’d shoved them into a car and driven like a madman to the nearest hotel. It had been in the chaos of the car that his uncle had revealed what had happened to their mother. It was that exact moment that Aegon knew nothing would ever be the same and the family would be forever changed. The days after that night had been full of questions from Aegon and his siblings, but those questions had all gone unanswered by a shell shocked, almost hollow-looking Gwayne, who Aegon realized only the next morning had been covered in blood the night before when they’d escaped Hill House.

They had moved in with Gwayne. Who in Aegon’s opinion, was not stable enough to care for them after the death of his sister, Alicent. Aegon did what he could for his family. But despite his efforts they always seemed only just out of his reach. From then, time had gone on, and Aegon and his siblings and grown up. Aegon had married a man named Jace and the two opened a funeral home. They had a little girl and even Daeron had moved in with them, living in the guest house.

Aegon thought, or at least hoped, that life should have been set, it should have finally been at a place where they were all fine and happy. But that was never the case with the Hightower family. Aemond had fallen victim to nearest substance, Helena hadn’t been taking her meds in over a year, and it had all been left to Aegon to sort out, as their uncle Gwayne had become harder and harder to reach in the last several years. It seemed that Daeron and Aegon were the only ones holding on to some semblance of a healthy sibling relationship with each other.

Despite it all however, Aegon could at least say that it was going ok. Aegon had been able to get Aemond a place in a rehab facility. And Helaena had her husband to rely on. It was going ok… until Helaena had called.

Aemond had been seeing the man again. It had been ok for a little, it really had. He had been in a facility, one he had wanted to be at. He had been taking his medicine. He was even going on six months of sobriety. He was doing ok… until he saw him again. The man, the one with the hat who seemed to be at every corner that Aemond turned, always looking in the opposite direction. He had made the mistake of leaving the facility for a girl he thought had cared for him.

All he wanted was his family, he wanted his mom who he remembered only in pieces, he wanted his older brother Aegon who always knew what to do, but who Aemond knew was tired of him asking for money, he wanted his little brother who wanted nothing to do with him, and who he really wanted was his twin. Helaena. It was Helaena who would understand what he was feeling.

He had tried to stay somewhere, to sleep, but he only saw the man, the tall one who was always there, watching him. He had tried calling his uncle Gwayne but he hadn’t answered. He tried calling Aegon and Daeron but they hadn’t answered. When he called Helaena, she had sounded off, like something wasn’t right. Aemond could always tell when something wasn’t right with Helaena. The same way she could always tell with him. It was a twin thing. That’s what they’d always said. She had kept going on and on about Hill House. And the line had cut off after that. He needed to get to Helaena.

He needed them, his family. He would get to them somehow. He would.

Daeron knew people looked at him as odd for always wearing his gloves. As if wearing something on his hands made him a freak. It was just gloves, truly. And to others, he wanted to keep it that way. But he knew the truth. Those gloves protected him from knowing things that no else wanted to know. He could touch an object and feel the exact emotion of the last person that had used it. He could touch a couch and feel the emotions of the last person who has sat on it. He could touch a lamp and the same thing would happen. And with his mother gone, there wasn’t anyone to help him with it. He was all by himself when it came to this. And so, the only way to keep it in check was to put a barrier between himself and everything else. To put leather gloves over his skin. The odd stares people sent his way were worth it.

After the events at Hill House, Daeron had put most of his time and energy into school, and it wasn’t long before he was graduating and staring his job as a child’s psychologist. He could still remember the proud look that Aegon and Helaena had given him when he walked across the stage. Aemond had been absent. He’d been at one of many rehabs. All of that, the struggle of school, the absence of Aemond, that had all been before. Before everything else that soon occurred. Before Helaena’s husband had died and she had stopped taking her medication, before Aemond was nowhere to be found. Moving in with Aegon had been the best decision he made in a long time. They needed each other more than anything.

And so, years after Daeron had cut ties with Helaena and Aemond, years after dodging calls, Daeron was surprised to see Aegon so worked up after a voicemail from Helaena. It wasn’t long before Daeron was waking up in a fright. His sister was there. Back at the house they had sworn to forget all those years ago. He could feel it.

She was in the Red Room.

Life was a terrifying task that Helaena had been forced to live through as of recent. She had a husband, a charming man who had loved her despite her odd quirks and nightly terrors. He was loving and supportive, kind and gentle. She had needed him. The two had been happy, she had been happy for once in a long time. When her mother had passed, it seemed as if nothing would be the same again. However, when she met him, Arthur, her life had seemed to brighten. He was the lamp inside a dark room. Though, like most lamps, the bulb eventually went out and the room was left in the dark once more. He had gone in the night, a brain aneurism of all things. Unexpected and bewildering. One moment he was there, and the next, he was gone.

She had been plagued as a young child with night terrors. A woman with long black hair and a bent neck who seemed to float above her her bed and she jay there, or before her in a dark hallway. And each time she saw her, it was as if her body was stuck. Frozen. Paralyzed by fear. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t blink, she couldn’t scream. That was always the worst part.

It seemed it would never end. Until one day it did. She had been glad that she had called Aegon. Glad that she was able to leave some kind of message before departing.

If there was a creature in the woods, they would have seen her feet moving along the gravel and into the creaky house. Hill House, it was called. Now, if a particle of dust were to watch her, they would see her dance with no one, deeper and deeper into the house, until she was so far, that she could never dream of making her way back out. Until the world she had once known had been replaced with a world full of something different. Something less real.

[unsleepingtales]

Cursed out! What an ep!

Thinking about the Lucy/Gorgug parallels post and rotating them. In my head

Bakur art????

Aelwynnnnn

Ah they have leveled up!

Cottoncandy bitchfuck <3

Kipperlilly is independently wealthy ok

If Adaine could charge for her oracle duties that would be great

Adaine hates her SO much

I love the close up shot of Siobhan’s hand

I love Brennan glancing over at Ally to let them know that they need to pay attention to this next part before mentioning the divine stuff

The Abernant Sisters are everything to me <3

Even when you were being evil you were at least interesting and cool!

Aelwyn you gotta take care of yourself pls

HECTOR

And people are dying or something?

Loam Farm. Ok so the issue wasn’t with the faire, it was with the former venue?

Were they framed to get the faire to change venues?

Summoning a demon. Just another thing.

Riz is SO done

“You’re getting a+s and you’re killing all your extracurriculars so where is the stress coming from”???? Sklonda. Sklonda! Cmon. You had to have heard yourself say that.

Keep my name out of your mouth 💀💀💀 they are MARRIED

Sorry what

It’s called the moonar yulenear? That’s what the midwinter holiday in solace is called?

Ally ASCENDING

November (if that’s what month it is)

Brennan SO meant for Riz to be running

Lolaaaaa

Of course Riz is going to Loam Farm.

Maximum legend!

Ratgrinders group art!!

FIG HAS OFFICIALLY TAKEN TWO LEVELS OF PALADIN

Hallariel!!

Ally continues to be great at blending rp and mechanics

Hmmmm Kristen going to fallinel. Thoughts.

That’s so sad actually

Zac is SO smart

Your drama’s beautiful and I think it’s really gorgeous but I do think that Fig is fully cursed

God they’re insane I love them so much

Mazey!!

It’s just an orifice

I love that little hands moment with the friends <3 I could pick your hands out of a lineup they are calloused and freckled and I love you

I’m wearing a sports bra and a g string and I want to be closer to all of you!!

He really tried to figure out a way to politely decline a bardic and he couldn’t

Mazey are you okay??

Oh god

The vice principal can’t leave a certain distance from the school??

There’s gotta be a way to get Ayda in on this

Awwwww

Wild that student government only has one elected position?? How are all the other positions chosen??? I was on student gov for six years and I had to run every time?

Brennan is thrilled with them

Shoutout to Zac for using proper over-under cable coiling technique while miming

Tragic this is devastating

She doesn’t need to die she’s gonna pass on the position at the end of the year??

Jealousy surrounds me. (The most serious she’s been all day)

FABIANNNNN

Stop bringing him UP

“When you think about me why do you always bring up the ball?” Onesided fabriz truthers are having a field day rn

Mazeyyyyyy you care so so much

He wanted to live with his family I’m gonna cry

Hmm. Convincing.

From the man who dabbed at a school assembly we now bring you the revival of pwned

Bro she likes you

Paperweight boggy!

It’s a whole thing

Oh god

Summer god domain changed to more fire stuff regarding rage?

Not my circus not my monkeys 😭😭

Five from 2d10 😭

Whyyyyyy are you giving a speech to the middle schoolers. WHY

Sandra Lynn and Jawbone’s art makes me so happy

This little bitch ass cat >:(

Lydia Barkrock I love you forever and ever

D&D is so cool D&D IS SO COOL

Also science :)

Paladin Fig!

No that’s the curse babes

Yeah

Fig is super fucking cursed

They literally tagged their notebooks with the ratgrinder sticker !

It’s not his place to feel wrathful. Oh my god he’s. Something.

Oh GOD

Yolanda WAS neutral though that was the whole POINT she gave up any relationship to a deity in order to better teach clerics!! The token she gave Kristen was all about divine power and relationships despite lack of a god!!

Stay the fuck away from her brother

(Ally mumbling threateningly)

Step off buddy. Step Away.

Oooh why is that dc that way

Oh yeah but that has nothing to do with Fig

FUCK YEAH OATH OF ANCESTORS I love paladin mechanics so fucking much guys

Ey?? Zara and Porter?

Fig how many fucking parents are you gonna get

THANK YOUUUUUUU I love paladin mechanics I love devotion to a friend I love getting literal magic from love and devotion and a promise

This is sooooo leading towards Fig becoming a paladin of Bakur’s deity.

Ally and Lou’s reactions 😭

GIRLYPOP WHATTTT

Murph face

Ruben seems genuinely upset about Lucy

Why is that your email address

Do you want me to get you a phone????????

A card that says thinking of you but fig signs it from gorgug 😭 I’m gonna cry

ITS SHAPED LIKE A LITTLE METAL BRIEFCASE 😭😭😭

You absolute sweetie 🥰

What a choice!

Ohhh Fabian. Fabian misses his dad. Ouch.

Wild art imitating life moment bc we were just talking about getting hit in the tattoo

Oh goddddddd rage tokens

They would do anything for each other

The gleam in Brennan’s eye……..

Oh nooooo

(Emily laughing sadistically)

You made that so terrible for yourself and you did not have to.

Oh my GOD

Ok chill out man

Ok next week looks fun. The return of Baron. That’s chill.

[canonicallyobserving911]

Seven Several Sentences Sunday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

In Chapter 12, "Petty Eddie" & "Jealous Buck" make their comebacks.

I’m working on Chapter 12 again and my goal is to post it within the next few days. But now that Buck and Eddie are in a romantic relationship, things get even more interesting as Jealous Buck and Petty Eddie return.

Chapter 12 - Will be posted soon.

“I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Currently 11 chapters completed: 296.3K Words Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

___________

Here are two snippets from Chapter 12: one for Jealous Buck and one for Petty Eddie.

___________

Jealous Buck

In a voice filled with venom, he responds, “Rosen?”

Eddie raises his eyebrows.  “Yeah, you know Julie because she’s worked with A-shift before.”

“Well…”  He trails off because he’s trying not to get jealous but he knows he passed the jealousy stage a few minutes ago and now the green-eyed monster is whispering in his ear saying, "She’ll probably try to hit on Eddie" and he thinks fuck that because he waited six damn years to be with him and no one is going to come between them especially not Julie Rosen.

He figures he’s been quiet for too long when he hears Eddie calling his name.

“Buck?  Buck?”

“Uh… yeah, sorry… I’m still listening.”

“Ok.  I asked you to tell me what you were going to say.”

“Nothing!”

“Buck… just say it.”

“Never mind.”

“Julie is a good paramedic and she’s played poker with me, Captain Mehta and Chief Williams several times.  We’re friends.”

The more Eddie talks, the more the green-eyed monster whispers to him that he’s going to lose Eddie to someone else.  Logically he knows that’s not going to happen but like Elvis Presley, logical Buck has left the building and he’s being replaced by jealous Buck.  He already didn’t like the fact that Eddie was hanging out with her and he didn’t know about it and now Eddie was trapped in an ambulance with her during his shift. 

“She is but just don’t…”

“Don’t what?”

“Never mind, it’s nothing.”

Is Buck going to tell Eddie why he doesn’t want him working with Julie? 👀

_________

Petty Eddie

When Connor looks up, he sees Eddie and he’s startled because he assumed Buck would be here alone.

“Uh… hi.”  Connor reluctantly greets.

If Eddie felt like smiling, he would but he doesn’t since he knows a snake when he sees one and the pettiness he hasn’t displayed in months makes a dramatic appearance because he can tell just by looking at Connor that he’s up to no good.

He stands up, walks over to face him then says, “We haven’t formally met but I’m Eddie Diaz, Buck’s boyfriend.”

“Uh… no we haven’t.  I’m Connor… me and Buck were roommates…”

Eddie interrupts him because he has lots of pettiness for Connor’s trifling ass.  “That’s right, you haven’t been roommates with Buck in more than six years and yet… that still didn’t stop you from asking him for his bodily fluids.”

“Well…”  Connor replies.

Since he looks sheepish and like he wants to run in the other direction, Eddie’s initial impression of him is confirmed.  He knew when Connor showed up at the firehouse unannounced to pressure Buck that he was nothing but a user and a person who wants to take advantage of people.  But he won’t have the chance to do that to Buck anymore since they're in a relationship.

There’s an awkward and loud silence that fills the room until Connor looks at Buck then asks, “Can we talk in private?”

“No, whatever you have to say to me… you can say it in front of Eddie.  We don’t have any secrets and he already knows about the sperm donation, the lawsuit and everything else.”  He motions to one of the bar stools then says, “If you’d like to have a seat… you can tell both of us why you called me even after my lawyer told your lawyer to cease all contact.”

Connor sits at the end of the counter while Eddie and Buck sit at the other end.

After a few seconds, Connor looks around and Buck supposes he notices how barren the loft is.  “Are you moving?”

“That’s none of your concern.”  Eddie replies.

Will Connor tell Buck why he asked to see him or will he chicken out since Eddie’s there too? 👀

___________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-11 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

[sassenashsworld]

Ok I will get a little sentimental here, then feel so free to just ignore this post

It's a hard subject too, really hard to me but maybe hard for someone who have go thought similar

So, July 17, 2021 will remain a date in my life I was pampered by Life (not so much lool) because although I come from very far and very low, even if I lived many trials that I will not talk about (we all have our childhood, eh, and many have lived worse), but life gave me plenty of resources, and even if I saw the horror, even I’ve lived horror, by some miracle, I’ve always managed to get through it and go further, higher, and to get thrught it, somewhere, always manage to be myself, sometimes had the luck to make a difference, to have incredible experiences, and finally, to fulfil some of my dreams I was pampered because I built a life for myself—not quite as I dreamed, but authentic I’ve achieved goals; I can raise my kids, okay, and I have my house, my publishing house, a few novels under my belt, and a few projects  I am a respected person. I am a respected person in my family and in my political life (Eh OH! NO! Don’t imagine anything! I help the good guys, I am behind and I do not belong to any political party; I help the people FOR THE PEOPLE), in my community. I have the respect of my peers and friend Especially because I have always managed to stay clean, because I am involved, and because wherever people are discouraged, I continue to say, "Just because no one has done it does not mean that no one can do it." And I do it; I assist in doing it; I do good But in reality, it was before. It was before July 17, 2021 Because on July 17, 2021, the only person I managed to experience feelings like I thought I was in love with, the only person who managed to get into my sacrosanct, the only person I trusted enough to, once in my life, completely open up to... tried to kill me and my kids

In one evening, my whole existence changed in every way (and, uh, I don’t talk -write- about it without emotions, I confess)

In all the hell that became, for one night, my life for almost two years, I managed to stay in the course. I didn’t get the help I should have, but I had an incredible team around me, and I didn’t lose anything. I still have my children, I still have my house, and I still have my reputation.

But I lost... myself I got horribly and irreparably lost I was told I was capable of anything; I now feel capable of nothing. And the fact that everyone around me—my former colleagues, the publishers and authors I worked for—still believes in me only makes things worse.

Because I was not that person anymore, I'm not her anymore

And I can’t find her And I entrust to you that even though I am a fervent worshipper of life, I have thought many times... I questioned myself in the worse way... I just stand because I knew it was the good thing to do. I just stand for my kids... but I didn't believed in anything anymore. I lost my confidence.

I didn't believed in me anymore

Stupidly, at some point in my life, I was asked to make a (required) choice, and I had to be a mother or a gamer. I had a collection that would make you happy Gamer since the 80s Imagine a, eh-eh, game Yes, I had it Platform and everything In a moment of rage when I was ultimately judged to dare to continue to be a gamer after having children, I took everything out on a table in front of my house, put up a sign to sell for $50, and I’ll let you imagine the face of the guy who ran to get his son to bring the boxes home (add a few zeros to the value of the merchandise, and that was the last time I had my collection appraised)

Okay, yes, I can be intense But at that moment, I dedicated my life to my children, and I sacrificed everything, literally everything

Why am I telling you? Because after July 17, 2021, I was no longer able to find who I was; I had always breathed with the same confidence and was now prone to panic attacks. I thought I’d die several times in the next six months just because my heart couldn’t take it anymore At the height of despair, at one point, I decided to turn to the one thing that made me feel alive—to evolve, over the years, for so long, outside of the literature on which I couldn’t concentrate at all Video games I feverishly took the box of Fallout 4 that I had just bought on a whim, put it in my PlayStation (ok, that of my children), and... and I started playing again for the first time in twelve years And... it helped me a little bit Then... I met him Nick Valentine And a real miracle happened The inspiration, the real The real thing The current that had ruled me all my life What I called my harmonic chord It vibrated again With Nick Valentine, I started climbing the echelon again to get out of my trauma He reached out to me with his kindness, reminded me of the values I had stood for all my life, and most of all, reminded me that other people are fighting to pass on those values (he was a creation of people, people who thought he should exist) He reminded me that every fight is worth it when it is conducted with the heart And I lived in my little reclusive world for those long months, alone with my video game and my fanfiction, then shyly (still) on my tumblr blog that I was so afraid to open, but that turned out to be another big step towards healing And on the weekend On the weekend, what Kennet Vigue, Wes Johnson, Stephen Russell, Courtenay Taylor, Peter Jessop, Danny Shorago, Matt Mercer, Shari Elliker, Paul Guyet and everyone else did it...

They offered me a moment of happiness

Of true happiness What I hadn’t tasted for so long... I laughed like I couldn’t remember being able to do... My parents told me I looked alive again And that’s how I feel For many, it will only be a show; a stream For many, it will be an epic moment For me, it was almost like a rebirth I feel alive again For the first time since July 17, 2021 Thank you, and thanks for making this magic moment in the name of a cause I am proud to help, for my grandad and my best friend I have lost at the hands of Alzheimer's...

[blackwoolncrown]

This is a vent post but I am so pissed off and I’ve been pissed off about this one thing for months.

I moved into a house with a six month lease because I needed to move out of an Airbnb and find somewhere more stable to stay that wasn’t as expensive as an Airbnb. And I found this lady who will need to go visit her family in Canada for a six month visa, so it was like cool perfect that will give me time to settle into the town and look for a longer term place at the end of the lease

The house is cute it has a lot of the things that I need like a yard where I can compost and a good bed and good kitchen and all that. The first huge downside came when I realize that it is next-door to like a three-story house at the top of which are three roosters which never shut up. Now this is annoying for anybody but it’s super annoying for me because my work is creating meditations and audios and I need it to be quiet.

Since it’s not and I can’t work or study with their constant noise I had to rent a small or second place that’s further out so that I had somewhere to study and work so that’s an extra cost.

OK, whatever, I’ll deal with it.

But the other thing that I’ve been dealing with ever since I got here is an endless barrage of roaches and scorpions. Literally every day except for about three days for the three or four months that I’ve been here, in the evening I encounter and have to kill 1-2 scorpions and roaches EACH.

This mainly happens because- and this fact pisses me off SO much- This house is not properly sealed in any way shape or form. The doors, the outlets, the light fixtures, they all have gaps and spaces in them so more or less if you are a bug you can just get in and out of this house as you please.

It is so stressful having to deal with not just bugs but potentially dangerous bugs every evening. And actually, the other morning when I woke up and open my door to the bedroom the first thing I saw was a HUGE scorpion just walking across the floor in front of me.

The ant infestation in the kitchen because the foundation and the spaces around the windows have humongous cracks in them is annoying. The fact the cockroaches have such an easy time getting into the house via the washroom and bathroom- annoying and disgusting.

But the fact that any entire three months or so since I’ve been here only three days out of all of that time have I not encountered a single scorpion is so stressful.

I find it really really annoying that this is like a fully done house and they bother to put in cute features like the patio and a sliding barn door and vaulted ceilings but didn’t think to finish and seal the fixtures and doorways.

IDK what to do there’s nothing I can really do about it actually. I have like three or four more months of being here and then I can leave. I just really need to vent. This house is really really overstimulating and it’s just driving me crazy. I haven’t been able to be in my own energy in a settled home for months and months now. Mind you this is all after having to very quickly leave my home country last year in November.

[jammie3132]

Fandom: Glee Pairing: Blaine Anderson & Sebastian Smythe Summary: Sebastian Smythe decides to check out the location of his next movie, a carnival in a small coastal town. He’s a million miles away from anything he’s ever known until…“Hi everyone! He’s Sam, I’m Blaine and we’re McKinley! Let’s get this party started!” Note: 10 Days of Seblaine 2023 Day 8: McKinley

Sebastian made a checklist when he moved to Hollywood, 10 Steps to the A-List. He knew this was no different than thousands and thousands of other wannabe actors, but he was Sebastian Smythe. When he put his mind to something, he always got what he wanted. There was that one time, but he’s moved past it…well, maybe someday.

Not only did he have the determination to accomplish his goals, he had the desperation. The day he graduated from Dalton he skipped the traditional parties for his own pity party. The only invitee was a bottle of Courvoisier. He’d had a ball in the pit of his stomach for months…and no, it had nothing to do with that fucking proposal! Ok, he wasn’t as past it as he wanted to admit.

That whole week he wondered what his emotions would be watching the over-the-top spectacle. Jealousy was nowhere on his list (he liked lists). He wasn’t jealous of Hummel (maybe a little). He was jealous of Blaine.

Blaine Anderson saw his future and was happy.

When he saw his future, he saw 7 years of Ivy League Undergrad and Law School, followed by 10 years working his way to partner. During that time, he’d have a continuous stream of hook-ups until he found a (parent approved) man to marry. By the time he was 45 he’d have his own practice, two beautiful, adopted children (boy and girl of course), a loveless marriage, a “boyfriend” on the side and a drinking problem.

In other words, he’d become his father…substitute wife for husband and no adoption. Although, he wasn’t sure if his father’s side piece was a mistress or mister.

Sebastian Smythe saw his future and wanted to vomit.

And he did (several times) during his post-graduation pity party. The next morning, he did both the bravest and stupidest thing he’d ever done. He emptied all his bank accounts (he wasn’t that stupid) and left everything he’d known behind. He had no idea what he was doing or where he was going. He just knew someday he wanted to experience the same joy Blaine had the day of his ridiculous proposal.

He never expected to land in Hollywood, but he did. And 3 years later, he never expected to be Hollywood’s latest “It” boy (despite what he told everyone). His 10 Steps to the A-List checklist worked to perfection. He was currently on schedule, beginning Step 7 Oscar-bait Indie Movie. That’s how he found himself on the coast of some state he didn’t remember the name of, in a hotel he’s sure he saw once in a horror movie.

He’d known from the beginning Indie was code for no money. On the bright side it also meant shoots were shorter than usual. The superhero movie he’d just finished shooting was four months. This one was six weeks, technically seven for him.

But it was of his own choosing. His latest fuck buddy had begun an incremental move into his house and thought he didn’t notice. That was the end of that, and he was off to, he really should remember the name of this state. Avoiding scandal, especially ones involving the words gay or love, was #1 on his Road to the Oscars list.

The downside of being a week early was no one else from the cast or crew was in town. He’d met them and they were all nice enough (for 6 weeks). But right now he was bored and the pay-for-porn channel only had that hetero crap. He was so desperate he put on his movie star pretending to be tourist disguise of hoody, cargo shorts, sandals, sunglasses and baseball cap and headed out to the seaside carnival where the majority of filming would take place. His character operated the Ferris Wheel. He should probably at least ride one before filming began.

Problem was he was afraid of them…traumatic childhood experience.

He’d walked around for less than 15 minutes and already felt like he’d been transported to an alternate universe. He was a million miles from everything he’d ever known.

Hi everyone! He’s Sam, I’m Blaine and we’re McKinley! Let’s get this party started!

His alternate universe joke had become a reality. No way in hell was Blaine fucking Anderson at a seaside carnival in, he really should remember the name of this state, on a stage singing country music with the guy who was his best friend in high school.

At least the name McKinley made more sense.

They were good…really good. The music was upbeat, not too twangy although Sam (he finally remembered) had a couple moments and the two of them were giving one hell of a performance.

Again…what the fuck were they doing at a seaside carnival in, he really should remember the name of this state.

When their current song ended, Sam and the band went behind the curtain while Blaine grabbed an acoustic guitar. He was going to sing a solo while everyone else took a break. The alternate theory had exploded into a multiverse.

He should get rid of the mindset from his previous movie before next week. Indie also meant limited retakes.

Hey everyone! You having a good time? (*cheers*) Great! While the rest of the guys are taking a break, you’re stuck with me (*laughter*). Since it’s just me and my guitar I’m going to take this down a notch. I wrote this song a couple years ago but it will be on our album…dropping in three weeks (*laughter*). Can't blame a guy for a random promotion drop. Expect a few more, Sam and I are really proud of what we put together. T he title of this song is The Song Remembers When.

I was standing at the counter I was waitin' for the change When I heard that old familiar music start

It was like a lighted match Had been tossed into my soul It was like a dam had broken in my heart

After taking every detour Gettin' lost and losin' track So that even if I wanted I could not find my way back

After drivin' out the memory of the way things might have been After I'd forgotten all about us The song remembers when

Since Blaine was here, and not in NYC, it was obvious something happened between him and Hummel. No way would old Gayface be caught dead in, he really should remember the name of this state.  But Blaine's song made their split sound amicable, although a little sad. If he had to guess, the outcome was the best Blaine could have hoped for.

He would’ve predicted a trainwreck.

“Hey, come with me.”

There was a big guy with a security badge next to him. He should be more aware of his surroundings. “Why would I do that?”

“Blaine thought you might like to watch from the wings before someone recognized you.”

“Oh…ok.”

He had no idea how Blaine recognized him standing in the back, in his lame disguise while putting on a hell of a show but he didn’t care.

When they made it to the stage, big security guy pointed to a stool he could sit on and watch. He’d missed the rest of Blaine’s song but he and Sam were switching places. So, after he grabbed a bottle of water, Blaine fucking Anderson was standing in front of him.

“I’d give you a hug but I’m already sweaty. The humidity is ridiculous.” Blaine froze except for his free hand going to his head. “Oh my God, you’ve never seen my real hair. I swear, it’s usually not this bad. The humidity...”

Sebastian shook his head and laughed. This was the Blaine Anderson he’d remember when he let his thoughts drift…not the depressed mess the Warblers tried to lure back to Dalton. “I think your curls are great. Very you, well, this you.”

“Yeah, not what you expected, huh? But to be fair, I never expected to watch Sebastian Smythe become a movie star. Here to film something?”

“Yes, but it’s a long story. I’m assuming Blaine Anderson, country music singer is a long story as well.”

“When I’m done here, and take a shower, you want to swap stories?”

“I’d love to. One thing though, I have to ride the Ferris Wheel.”

It was another hour until the concert was over, and if the crowd had their way it would’ve been another hour. Blaine and Sam sang beautifully both together and individually, but their performance was next level. High energy the entire time, except when they purposely slowed it down with a ballad. And they played the crowd perfectly, having them singing along with the covers and laughing at the banter between songs.

He had no doubt McKinley would be playing much larger venues in the near future.

Big security guy took him to where the buses were parked to wait for Blaine to shower and change. A few minutes later Sam came out of the tour bus, shirtless and drying his hair with a towel.

Hello abs!

“Blaine’s fixing his hair” Sam told him as he sat in one of the other chairs set out for them. “If he’s not out here in 5 minutes, I’ll send Jackson in to get him.”

“Jackson?” Sam pointed behind him “Oh, big security guy.”

“That is true.” A member of the crew handed Sam water. “Want one?”

“No thanks. I don’t want anything on my stomach, even water.”

“Does it have something to do with the Ferris Wheel? Blaine said that’s the one thing you had to do.”

Sebastian hadn’t spoken of his childhood trauma in years but for some reason he wanted to. “I threw up the first time I rode one. I managed to lean forward, it fell toward the ground and landed on my grandmother’s head. I haven’t been on one since."

“Don’t worry, I’ll hold your hand.”

Blaine Anderson was standing at the bottom of the steps to the bus, smiling as big as he did the day of the proposal…and Sebastian Smythe had never been more confused.

But he didn’t care. “I’ll take you up on that, Killer.”

“Then let’s do this now. Have you seen the chocolate covered caramel apples? They look delicious.”

“Did you have to mention food?”

Sam laughed and reached across to grab Sebastian’s shoulder. “I’ve got him B. You better get his hand now and not let go. He’s playing the Flash in his next movie. The guy’s a runner.” Blaine stuck out his tongue at his friend but took his suggestion. “Don’t stay out too late” he called out as they left. “We’re leaving for Indiana at 5AM!”

This time Blaine turned around to give Sam a middle finger.

By the time they arrived at the Ferris Wheel, Sebastian’s cover had been blown. But after the McKinley concert, Blaine was just as popular. One of the operators got them through the line and into a car as soon as the crowd began to close in around them. The whole thing was so chaotic, they were halfway to the top before Sebastian noticed they were moving. “Hey, this isn’t bad.”

“Good because when you had your eyes closed, I asked the operator to give us three trips around. Don’t worry, I’m not letting go of your hand.”

“Ok, ok, as long as you hold my hand, I can do this.”

When they were done the crowd was gone. It was replaced by an older gentleman holding two chocolate covered caramel apples. “Mr. Smythe, my name is Jim Yearwood. I’m the Mayor of Seaside. I apologize for earlier and I promise the citizens of Seaside will respect your privacy while you are here.” Then he handed Blaine the apples. “Mr. Anderson, I was told you requested these. Please accept them as part of our apology. And Mr. Anderson, McKinley is more than welcome to play here anytime. That was the best concert we’ve ever had here.”

After he left, Sebastian watched Blaine bring out his new McKinley (the duo...not the school) Blaine smile “What’s going through that head of yours Anderson?”

“The ocean! Come on!”

As Blaine pulled him toward the sound of the waves, Sebastian only had one question. “You want to eat these sticky monstrosities in the sand?”

“Part of the charm. Don’t tell me you’ve turned into one of those diva movie stars.”

“Excuse me, but Sebastian Smythe was a diva long before Hollywood."

The beach was remarkably empty making it easy to find a piece of driftwood big enough for them to sit on. Sebastian tried to get comfortable, but Blaine didn’t join him. He kicked off his sandals and began dancing around while eating his apple. “Oh my Goooood! This is even better than I imagined it would be. Try it. Sorry, is your stomach upset?”

“No, my stomach is fine. I think you saved me from the memory of my childhood trauma. I’m debating whether or not there would be a dentist around here competent enough to fix my teeth when I break them on this thing.”

“Shut up!” Blaine sat down, closed his eyes and inhaled. “I love the smell of the ocean. It’s my favorite smell in the whole world.”

“The ocean?”

“I’ve always been fascinated by it. When Sam and Cooper forced me to go to LA, we rented a house on the beach for a month. It was amazing.”

“You were in LA? When?”

“Ummm…almost 2 years ago.” Blaine took another bite of his apple then reluctantly sat it down. “I could eat the whole thing, but I catch up on sleep during long bus rides so I don't need the sugar high. 

Sebastian finally took a bite of his. It might have been the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten. But he was here for 6 weeks and Blaine was leaving in a few hours. He could have another one later. “Where are you going next?”

“Indiana.”

“Another carnival?”

“No, circus. It's Brittany and Santana’s wedding. Get this, they’re getting married in a barn.”

“Santana Lopez, Satan herself, is getting married in a barn…in Indiana?”

“Brittany tried to explain why but I’m out of practice deciphering her Brittany-isms. I’ll ask someone when we get there.”

Sebastian wondered if Blaine realized he’d left him a mile wide opening to ask about Kurt.

“Are you going to ask me about Kurt?”

“Your song told me everything I need to know.”

“My…?” It took a while, but when Blaine figured out what Sebastian was referring to he began to laugh, hard. “You thought The Song Remembers When was about Kurt?”

“Don’t laugh. From everything I'd been told, and then reluctantly watched, he was the only person you ever loved. But, I’ll admit, the thought of him letting you go amicably didn’t feel right.”

“Because he didn’t. He ended our engagement at a sidewalk café in the pouring rain. And no, not for the same reason as the previous time. He said I was smothering him.”

“He…he…what?”

“You heard me. I became depressed again, big surprise. It was so bad I was cut from NYADA. Sam and Cooper came to NYC the next day, packed my bags and put me on a plane to LA.”

Do not say I Told You So! “So, that song was definitely not about Kurt.”

"After drivin' out the memory of the way things might have been…the might have been isn’t about a relationship gone bad. It’s about a relationship I never had, that if I had given it the chance, it might have been great. Come on, I want to put my feet in the water before we go.”

And they did, talking the entire time. Sebastian told the story of leaving home due to fear of becoming his father, his10 Steps to the A-List checklist and he was in South Carolina (Blaine told him) for #7. And to his disbelief, he told Blaine why he was there a week early.

For Blaine it was how he and Sam were discovered at a karaoke bar in LA, how the label wouldn’t let them name the band Blam so they went with McKinley, how incredibly proud they were of their album, and how this stop was added at his request to get him in the right mindset for the wedding. He’d heard rumors Kurt wants another chance.

“I’m worried he’ll cause a scene at the wedding. I almost didn’t go because of that.”

“What changed your mind?”

“Santana would send his wardrobe through a wood chipper then cut off his balls if Kurt did anything to ruin Brittany’s big day.”

“That is true.”

The sun was long gone but the night was clear. The moon and stars were giving off enough light they could see they had walked in a circle and were back at the driftwood. Sebastian motioned for Blaine to take a seat. Even though they'd talked for what was probably hours, there was one more thing he wanted to tell him before he had to let him go.

“I vividly remember your proposal to Hummel.”

“Oh, Sebastian…”

“I was jealous of you that day.”

Blaine held up his hands to get him to stop. “Are you telling me you were in love with Kurt?”

“Oh, hell no! I was jealous of how happy you were. You could see your future and didn’t feel your insides twisting in knots. Blaine, you were the reason I had the guts to leave Ohio and never looked back. If I stayed, the only future I was looking at was becoming my father. Someday I wanted to smile the same smile you had that day.”

“For all the good it did me.”

“I didn't mean to upset you. What I'm trying to say is your smile today was 10 times better than the one you had back then. It's because now when you look at the future, it's one you're building for yourself. Did you, or anyone, think it would be as part of a country music duo? Pretty sure that answer is no. That's why it's perfect. You're not trying to mold your life into someone else's future anymore...except Sam. If you want McKinley to be as successful as I think it can be, you and Sam should be on the same page. And now I'm rambling."

Blaine blushed (thank you darkness) and fought the urge to kiss him. "Sam calls us platonic life partners. Anyone we wind up with has to accept we're a package deal...except for the fun stuff."

"Damn!"

“Ah…you like me.”

Sam’s voice shook them out of the bubble they’d made for themselves. “Sammy, why are you and Jackson here?” Blaine asked, not hiding his annoyance.

“I told you we’re leaving at 5AM. It’s 3AM. Thanks for not being too hard to find. Jackson is going to take Sebastian back to his hotel. Better safe than sorry.” He'd prepared 12 premium level zingers to embarrass his bestie. Finding him like this…he’ll save them for the ride to Indiana. “We’ll give you a minute.”

Blaine and Sebastian didn’t know how to react to how late it was, but they didn’t have time to dwell on it.

"Thank you for helping me ride the Ferris Wheel."

"Thank you for listening to me bitch about Kurt. Sam probably thanks you too."

"You're going to do great at that wedding."

"You're going to be great in your movie."

"McKinley will be on top of the charts in no time."

"Thank me in your Oscar speech."

"I'm not saying goodbye."

"I'm not saying goodbye."

Despite both of them thinking about it the entire evening, they didn't share a kiss. That was until Sebastian was getting in the car to take him to his hotel and Blaine called out for him to stop.

It wasn't a grand movie cliché, it was a simple peck on the cheek. But that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was what Blaine whispered before he did it.

“I was standing at the counter…I was waitin' for the change…When I heard that old familiar music start. That song, the one that made me think of someone. Someone who if I'd given him a chance, we might have been great together? That song was Uptown Girl.”

[mirror-is-distured]

always (angst, hurt/comfort)

[{A/N} hey ghesties, this is my first post like, ever so plz give me some feed back!! ok, some quick TWs, dont read if you are sensitive to: parental trauma, sh, or bl00d . this is a reader X aether ghoul mini fic bcs hes my favorite. WORDCOUNT: 757 words]

I sat in my bed, i just dont know… i thought to myself. The past six months had been very hard. Even though i new i was finally safe, i still listened for the footsteps of a drunk parent or the argements that would ensue when my dad came home from work. I still waited for my mom to toss open my dorr to yell at me, it felt odd finally being free after all the years that i hid away. Dramatically flopping back onto my silk pillow, my nightgown floating down in pursuit of my body. Staring up at the red canopy that covered my bed, the blazing eyes of lucifers likeness stared back. My head dropping off to the side, i saw the dim light from my phone and heard the soft buzz sounding at a new message. I begrudgingly picked it up, it was a text from aether. Hey i can hear you crying through the wall, is everything ok? Was i really being that loud? I knew the walls were thin but i didnt know they were that thin. Yep :) i typed back. I didnt mean it but, well you should never tell another your troubles unless they request that you do so. I tossed my phone aside and simply started to cry. Out of anger, out of sadness, i cried at the thought of my parents, i couldnt pinpoint my emotions but i did know it was making me relapse. Even though my vision was blurry, i still managed to find the drawer containing my ritual materials. I knew what i was doing was wrong but in that moment i didnt care. Grabbing the blade and removing the sheath, i lifted up the hem of my dress. I closed my eyes as i slowly dragged the blade across my thighs. One after another, red lines appeared across my thighs. I thought about all the things that went wrong in my life. As i cut particularly deep i winced. A tear fell into the exposed flesh and i cried out. Before i had time to cover my mouth, there was a knock at my door. Shit. as i rushed to put my stuff away, i heard the door handle turn. I managed to pull my dress back down just as the door opened. Standing there was a ghoul, he was almost as tall as the doorway. “Aether? Whats up?” i asked, trying to subtly trying to wipe the tears off my face. He didnt say anything, he just looked down at my thighs. I followed his gaze, and froze. There were multiple lined of fresh blood forming stains on the light link dress i had been given for my night clothes. “Sister, mia bella… what have you done.”  he spoke, breaking the silence. “Its nothing, i just… i spilled my eyeliner.” thats what i come up with??? Om my satan am i stupid. “Sister we both know thats not true. Tell me whats going on.” he said, sitting next to me. “Its nothing i promise.” he grabbed the bottom of my dress, lifting it up and exposing my wounds to the air. “Aether-” without saying a word, he just got up and left. Why. why do i hurt the only people who care about me. Why di i drive everyone away… a million thoughts flooded my head, it was unclear how mush time had passed, it couldnt have meed long, i was still bleeding profusley. When my door opened one again, this time with aether, who was holding a roll of bandages. “Sorry it took me so long, i had to go find them as the nurse is sleeping.” he said, kneeling infront of me. He gently started to wrap my thighs before he got up and once again sat next to me. “If you dont want to talk about it now, that is ok. But i am here for you sister, always.” i tossed my arms around him, softly crying into the soft coton of his shirt. He pulled me down so we are laying together in my bed, his arms around me, in a way that only he could. When i was near him i just felt to… safe. It was unexplainable. “Thank you aether..” i managed in a soft whimper. “Of course mia bella. And if you just wish for me to hold you, just say so. I will stay with you for as long as you need.” he rubbed my back as we slowly fell asleep in eachothers arms.

[ayamisc]

rant about dealing with endings.

(c) Kishimoto Masashi (Naruto)

It's Feb 24..and I have a LOT of things to do. Yesterday..i didn't feel good, so i didn't get to do ANYTHING.

[plus the fact i was in my obsession phase at the time as well…]

ANYHOW. i know i should be doing something now.. but i feel lazy this time. but i'll do it anyway ^^

i've pushed off music for now because i have a LOT of things to do…

however, next week… rest assured, i will play the piano again.

uh..err.. before i go.. manga rant? ..haven't had those in a while…lol..just kidding… now i know why a part of me hates vacation. WHY? because i use the wasted time to do something unproductive..like READING MANGAS.

this president's week. due to my extreme boredooooom. yes. bored-doom..coz i always end up doom at some point during my times of extreme boredom… i figured i'd go read mangas of animes i've watched/liked since i was little..

i chose ruroken this time.. rurouni kenshin, i mean. like what i felt during the end of reading the manga Flame of Recca during the summer…. i really don't know what to make of it.

i guess i'm just not good at dealing with endings. it's true. i really don't know how to deal with them. sure they say endings are just beginnings of other things. BUT STILL…grrrrrrrrrrrr

for example..HARRY POTTER.

6 months before the final book came out. i distanced myself from anything Harry Potter. i didn't even THINK of Harry Potter at all. i completely blanked it off my mind.

and what happened after the 7th book came out?

i didn't even touch the book after reading it? that was the last time i ever touched that book.

it's sitting on the bookshelf now. not doing anything.. gathering dust.

then the movie came. i was so un-enthusiastic about seeing it… but since my friends wanted me to see it with them..i did

i liked the movie..it was okay.

…and that was the end of my harry potter…obsession? not even...just...a liking, really.

same goes with manga endings. anime endings aren't so bad.. coz they tend to leave the end very vague.

manga though.. are the original storylines of the animes..so.. u can pretty much say the end of the manga is the end of the story.

My issues with endings isn't only through fiction as well. Same goes for real life situations.

A.K.A. ...the impending end of high school [thank god..after SIX years..FINALLY…lol]

anyhow. so yeah. i HATE thinking of anything that has anything to do with the word "COLLEGE"

i hate it. i hate it. i just hate it.

..i think i'm afraid of changes. yeah..probably.

i'm a pretty laid back person. so changes are too TROUBLESOME for me...for lack of a better word.

but. I'll live. ^_^

THE MANGA RANT: …skip if u want lol eh. ok. Ruroken: so much better than the anime. sadder. funnier. more awesome. BUT…. much more troublesome too! >< ..REALLY don't know what to think of it.

so. Naruto and BLEACH.. nothing much to catch my eye..nothing enough for a rant. lol…

Vampire Knight. so..it's the 24th so LALA magazine has been published. so. comment about VK?

ZERO!! YUUKI!! YOU IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

…lol..so u pretty much know i'm a Yuuki/Zero shipper.

so. again. 24th of the month. LALA magazine. if so. WHERE IS MY OURAN 59!!! T_T

they're published by the same magazine. so. really. where is it.

…oh. and Kin'iro no Corda [La Corda d'Oro] is also published by LALA… but i haven't caught up yet to the current.

…i don't think i will for a while either. i have too much things to do.. like i said. so.

hn. so..that's my rant.

i'll add to this rant when i get my monthly dose of Ouran 59.

it should be here by later today... or tomorrow.

later………..

WHAT IS IN MY MIND:

WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK!

PS. This blog was originally posted on DeviantArt.

[rain-in-the-clouds]

I don't normally vent on this blog, despite it being my main, mostly I just try and share what I love and whatnot. But like so many my age, older and younger, I have a love/obsession/hatred of tiktok.

It's a fun app that can be so nice and a great place to build community, have fun and be silly. But my fucking gods, that is not what its like 99.99999% of the time. And no I know I'm no one special in saying any of this. But I gotta vent, and at least here I can scream into the void knowing if anyone is gonna scream back it's gonna be about something completely different and probably about cats, food, boobs, or Fandom, and honestly that's what makes this the best site.

Anyways, I've struggled with anxiety for the majority of my life, depression as a side helping, and a medley of other things. About six months before the pandemic my anxiety skyrocketed, I started having massive panic attacks every day multiple times a day. At one point it felt like I was just existing through the day to eventually deal with a night filled with the feelings of death.

It was awful, I was barely living.

This is a tangent, but if anyone knows the song Overkill by Colin Hay, I used to sing that song a lot as a kid, like 6-7 years old singing that song, one day to gorw up living the life the song depicts. The lyrics that stick with me: "I can't get to sleep. I worry over situations I know will be alright. Day after day it reapers, night after night my heart beat shows the fear."

It was night after night after night, months went by like this. By middle of 2020 I was.... I wasn't ok. A way I had helped myself during that time, before I got some help and the meds I need, I would use tiktok. Now I'd use its worst attributes to my gain.

It's short form content and use of short attention spans was, especially in the moment, very helpful for subduing (most of the time it just delayed the panic attack) but my goal was never to outright stop the panic attacks, cus I had no way to do that, but to distract my brain long enough to get tired and pass out. It worked for a good while. It especially worked for stopping an attack right as it was starting.

Fast forward to now. Just like prior to the panic attacks I use tiktok to have fun, goof around and see cool stuff, (don't get me wrong I'm all about activism, and I use tiktok like any other for that too, but that's for when I'm in a good place mentally) but now, idk it's like I've let it corrupt me. The past year especially, I've gotten into more arguments in tiktok comments then I've gotten into arguments irl, doesn't matter if the argument was valid or not or even worth arguing over.

And I know it's the internet, nothing stays innocent forever, yes I know. But what I'm saying is tiktok in particular has somehow become more toxic then the majority or surface level internet. To me, it seems like it's trying to become the next 4chan more then the next tumblr. And I had hopes that it was heading in the direction of this hellsite, the Fandom elements there, book lovers, science, all of it: seriously seeing people ask ScienceTok, or BookTok, just makes me flashback to the days of "Science side of tumblr what does xyz mean?"

But no, instead we get the love child of vine and 4chan, it's half cousin-brother reddit somehow looks better next to tiktok.

It's dumb, it really is, cus yes the simple answer is, get off tiktok. But it's not simple, my livelihood relies on social media, for many reasons, like many people. The answer I've been going with is limiting myself on time spent, and I've been successful, I go a week or two without even opening the app, then hop on to check in, post and get a good laugh. But somehow, even if it's just one day, it has the power, (that I give it by gods) to suck me in and make me mad at something, even if it is something to be mad about, doesn't mean it's something I have to let get so under my skin it causes this to happen, (the this being moving to my og site and venting my woes)

It's just such a disappointment. At least I'll always have tumblr.

[brokenmusicboxwolfe]

Anyone else tag a certain way for years and then wish you hadn’t.

When I started posting I didn’t tag my sculpting as “art” or “artists on tumblr”, in fact probably at least six months of posts aren’t tagged that way. But eventually some people kept encouraging me to use those tags.

Now I was never comfortable with tagging that way. I sculpt but I don’t consider it art, and I am definitely no artist. What I make has no great meaning, conveys no real emotion, displays no particular skill…it’s 3D doodling at best. Art is too grand a word for anything I make.

But I gave in, eventually. I rationalized it as the tags being a useful tool for people looking around Tumblr. Tagging my photos with photography was no problem because it was a simple descriptor of what I was posting. Ok, the “photographers on Tumblr” tag felt over blown too, since I am just a point and click person, but “photography” was fine. “Art” though felt like undeserved ego, but maybe I should just see it as another descriptor, removed from any claims of quality or worthiness.

And so for years I have used those tags on my sculpting. At first I was incredibly embarrassed and self conscious. Surely everyone would think I was being ridiculous, like someone that calls themself a singer but can’t carry a tune to save their life. I tagged anyway, because maybe it would help someone that would actually like my stuff get a chance to see it. Somewhere along the line I trained myself to stop thinking about it and just automatically tag. A tag doesn’t have to mean anything really.

But now I am back to feeling stupid. My sculpting has gotten so I can barely stand looking at it myself. Not that I do, and in fact I am making them so quickly and so without thought now that I often forget what I made by the next morning. There is nothing even attempting art about them.

Yet now I have to keep tagging them don’t I? After, what, seven years of posting all my sculpting and painted boxes, this is the only place I can look up my old stuff. That means searching tags, and unfortunately “art” and “artists on tumblr” are the most used on things I have made.

***sigh***

So why do I have to go back to feeling so foolish if I am going to keep tagging this way?

[letarasstuff]

Unbreakable Bond

(A/N): This is based on this post and this tiktok

Summary: A big age gap between Aaron's children doesn't have to mean that they are unable to form a strong bond

Warnings: Mentions of Haley's death and failed relationships

Wordcount: 1.8k

✨Masterlist✨

_________________________________

His life took turns Aaron never expected. It’s not the “Oh, mh, well that was unexpected”-type of turns, I talk about the “God played Cards Against Humanity with angels and decided to make it happen for someone”-type. But looking back he would not want to change a thing.

After Haley and Beth he was convinced that God, the Universe, something out there shared the opinion that romantic love isn’t the right thing for him and Aaron accepted that fact. Even more when he and Jack went into witness protection. I mean, when you are worried about the life of your family being in danger because of a stalker, you don’t think about the beautiful neighbor, who lives next door, right? Right?

Well, without going into too much detail, Hotch did think about her and she about him and vice versa. Everything went good until Aaron received the message that the team found the stalker and that it was safe to come back. He decided to come clean to his girlfriend. They talked about the possibility of moving back to Quantico.

In the end they decided in favor of the move, the final argument was the surprising announcement of her being pregnant. Hotch wants to raise their youngest where his and Jack’s roots are located. But he decides against taking a position at the BAU, instead taking a desk job in order to be more at home. He also has the opportunity to work from home after little (Y/N) was born and continues to do so until she is old enough to go to Kindergarten. Even then he takes two days the week where he stays home. Aaron learned from his decisions and mistakes he made in the past and wants to live up to them and be a better father and husband than before.

And Hotch keeps it to this day, six years later. It’s (Y/N)’s first day of school, while Jack just graduated high school and goes off to college in a few weeks. Even though they have an age gap from twelve and a half years, their parents are sure there are no other siblings with such a strong bond.

Ever since his baby sister’s birth Jack is her biggest supporter, protector and friend. Her first word was his name, though it was more of a “ACK!”, but that’s the best nickname he ever got. As soon as (Y/N) was old enough to comprehend the concept of movies, he introduced her to Star Wars. Since then lightsaber wars out of cardboard pipes are not uncommon. Last Halloween they even dressed up as Chewbakka and Han Solo. You get three guesses on who was who.

“JACK!” (Y/N) runs into her big brother’s room with an excited expression on her face. “Daddy promised to buy me a real lightsaber after I read ten books! With lights and sounds and all! Isn’t that cool?” Jack smiles. Aaron did a similar thing with him. For a certain amount of books he got a reward they discussed beforehand. This way he felt motivated to read and improved writing and reading skills.

“This is awesome. I think that means we have to go book shopping together, what do you think?” (Y/N) is not only the cool kid that has an older brother, she is also the cool kid, whose older brother has a drivers license, a car and a part time job. She nods with big eyes, speechless, because the offer sounds like heaven to her. Getting books and one on one time with Jack after he was really busy with school for weeks? This has to be heaven.

“Ok, then you put your outside clothes on and I’ll tell Dad about our plan.” At that the little girl rushes to her room, not wanting to waste any more time. Jack makes his way down to the kitchen, where Aaron wipes the table from lunch down.

“Dad, I take (Y/N) to this bookstore in DC and we’ll probably go eat ice cream after that. Is that alright?” Hotch looks up at his son. It still feels like yesterday as he told Haley that Gideon is a big no as a baby name. Now he is all grown up and just a few weeks away from the next big chapter in his life.

“Of course, just let me get my wall-” Jack cuts him off. “No need, I want to use this as a kind of goodbye thing. At least until Thanksgiving.” Aaron knows what he means. It’s his last day before he goes off to college and just a couple more until the first classes begin. The family still hasn’t told their youngest exactly what’s going on. Else she would refuse to go to school and go on with her day, insisting on using all the time they have until Jack drives off.

Two hours later the siblings leave the bookstore, both of them having a bag in their hands. Of course Jack's heavier, but both he and the cashier assured (Y/N) that they lift the same amount of weight.

“Uncle Spence will be excited when I tell him that I read Harry Potter, he told me so many good things about it”, the girl gushes. Jack nods, indicating that he is listening. Of course they also picked books that are not that advanced. Still, no sister of his shall grow up without knowing the beauty of the wizarding world. Also, secretly he is hoping for her to turn out as nerdy as he is so they get more things to talk about. His next step is superheroes, especially the Marvel ones.

They converse until they get to an ice cream parlor and order both their usuals. “Do you think you are ready for me to tell you something important?” The older one asks after they sit down at a table. (Y/N) nods, confusion taking over her face.

“Uhm, you know how I graduated from high school? I’m done with school, but I want to get a degree, but for that I have to go to college. It’s pretty far away so I can’t come home for a few months. But I’m back home when Thanksgiving is and also for Christmas.” It doesn’t matter what Jack says, a sad frown has formed on the little one’s face. “Oh. And after Christmas, will you leave again?” He nods and explains when he is off from college and when not.

“We can always skype and write letters. How does that sound? And when you get your first phone, we can even text.” That (Y/N) lights up a bit. For her first year of school she got a stationary set and is eager to use it to this day.

“I’m going to miss you so much”, she says hugging her big brother. Jack pats her back. “I’ll miss you, too.”

The goodbye the next day is a heartfelt matter. Everybody cries, especially (Y/N). She can’t fathom a scenario where her brother isn’t there for her all the time.

The following weeks are also hard for the family. The youngest refuses to sleep alone for the first three days after Jack’s leave. She is more closed off and mainly just does her school work or reads the books he bought for her. By the time Thanksgiving is only away for another two weeks, (Y/N) has read through all of them at least two times.

Her father already ordered the lightsaber he promised her. Unfortunately shipping takes several months, so the little girl still has to wait patiently for her reward to arrive. In the meantime she works on getting the next and she is already pretty close to the comic book collection she wants.

“Sweetheart, can you set the table, please? Your Mom will be here soon from grocery shopping and she will need help getting them from the car into the house”, Hotch calls for his daughter while stirring in a pot.

The little girl nods, putting her stationary set and pens aside to do as her father asked. She is in the middle of answering her brother’s last letter, telling him that she is now the one that usually has to read aloud for the class because of her advanced skill for a first grader.

Just as she sets the last piece of silverware down the doorbell rings. “Sweetie, can you please open it? This should be your mother.” Happily (Y/N) runs up and turns the door knob. Over the last few months she hit a small growing spurt and is finally tall enough to reach it without standing on her tippy toes.

“Mo-” She nearly chokes on her own saliva. The one at the door is definitely not her mother. “JACK!” (Y/N) runs up to him and jumps onto his leg. “Hey Princess. I thought now that you read your books, we need to hold the most amazing lightsaber fight in history.” With a mischievous smile he pulls two from his back, giving one to his baby sister.

It is the most epic fight in history between an elementary schooler and a college boy. They can only be stopped by their parents announcing that it is a tie between both of them and that they have to sit down, else the food gets cold.

The following weeks mostly consist of (Y/N)’s joyous laughs and cuddling with her big brother. She even insists on him sleeping with her in her much smaller bed. On his last night before going back to college, the little girl turns to him in the middle of watching her favorite movie in the living room.

“Do you promise not to forget me when you are away? Because I alway think about you and tell my friends so much about you. I told them you are a hero, my hero, just like Daddy. They wanna meet you because of that.” Jack has to hold back tears at her statement.

“I also think of you so much. All of my friends at college are pretty jealous of me having such a sweet baby sister. Maybe one time you can visit me and I can introduce you to them.” The thought of that makes (Y/N) smile and is a little consolation to the thought of her brother leaving again.

Aaron watches the interaction going down, happy to see the strong bond between his children, despite their age gap. This is nothing like he and Sean were and that is a relief for him and the worries he had in the beginning. It is a sign that he did do some things right as a father.

Taglist:

All works:

@dindjarinsspouse @big-galaxy-chaos @jswessie187

Criminal Minds:

@averyhotchner @mggsprettygirl @herecomesthewriterwitch @ash19871962 @ellyhotchner

[rabbitcrimes]

MDZS Rarepair Fic Rec: Make Me An Offer I Can't Refuse

less common or rare pairings, written so well that they won me over!

🌟 JIANG CHENG/NIE HUAISANG Four Days in Lanling by halotolerant - 21k Summary: Nie Huaisang looks at him. ‘You are confusing me, Clan Leader Jiang, perhaps I misunderstand, but…’

‘You didn’t misunderstand. You don’t misunderstand. You understand all of it.’ For six months Jiang Cheng has been mulling this over, and now with Nie Huaisang in front of him he can’t figure out if he most wants to knock him down or kneel at his feet. What he does is try and breathe. Clench his hands at his sides. ‘And now I am going to ask you to do something for me. You have to do something for me. You have to help Jin Ling.’ Notes: Went into this FULLY skeptical and was completely won over - it understands that sangcheng works only when it is wretched. Delicious!

🌟 LAN WANGJI/XIAO XINGCHEN/SONG LAN One Rogue Spark in My Direction by hansbekhart 5k Summary: He’d thought, in Yueyang, that they’d seen something in each other, something familiar. That maybe they’d recognized something in him. But it’s been many years, and many things have happened since, and he’s guessed wrongly at other people’s hearts before. Lan Wangji looks back down at the table, at his steaming, bitter tea. He’ll beg if he has to. Notes: My summary for this reads "Maybe some of the most successful porn + emotions I’ve ever read / if I ever shut up about this assume I'm dead"

🌟 LAN WANGJI/WEI WUXIAN/JIANG CHENG Out of Nothing by Pip - 27k Summary: You and me, Wei Ying had said. Jiang Cheng is going to take him at his word.

Command says that the first neural link is the one that stands out the most, the one that everyone has to be the most careful of, because a navigator’s thoughts can get tangled up with their pilot’s and become inextricably linked. Entangled. Notes: bitch oh my FUCKING god when is Tor going to publish this like I'm so incredibly serious this is one of the best things I read last year you know this post ??? that is a summary of this fic actually (JC & WWX are childhood sweethearts in this, not related) 🌟 LAN WANGJI/WEI WUXIAN/NIE MINGJUE good friends by plonk - 11k Summary: “I could invite her over for when the game’s done,” Nie Mingjue offers.

 Lan Zhan hums, considering it.

 They do that sometimes. Take omegas down together. Notes: listen to me LISTEN TO ME ok i HEAR the COMPLAINTS I HEAR THEM but LISTEN I am telling you its VERY GOOD i made my best friend read this on the way back home from a funeral that's how good it is. i would never joke about this

XUE YANG/WEI WUXIAN Blood Array by giraffeter - 16k Summary: “I told you already that there’s not enough of Xiao Xingchen’s spiritual cognition left to bring him back,” he tells Xue Yang flatly. “What exactly are you hoping I’ll be able to accomplish?”

“You’re the Yiling Laozu,” Xue Yang replies, his eyes wide and wild. “Death is no obstacle for you. I’ve tried to learn everything I could from your writings, but it’s not enough. Somewhere in here, there’s something I missed. There has to be. You can fix it. You can fix him.”

~

Xue Yang succeeds in abducting Wei Wuxian in Yi City and sets him to the seemingly-impossible task of trying to resurrect Xiao Xingchen. As the two of them work, fight, and sleep side by side, Wei Wuxian can no longer deny the similarities — or the attraction — between them. Notes: the thing about this one is that it is, on some level, soooooooo canon, you know?

LAN WANGJI/SU SHE Disrupt, Corrupt, and Interrupt Me by hansbekhart - 3k Summary: Su She was warned about Lan Wangji, the way that warnings like this are often shared: whispered humid in the dark, with barely stifled laughter. Did you hear? Lan Wangji chooses boys as if he’s hunting. Once a boy is in his sights, he’s like a rabbit caught in a snare. You won’t be able to escape. He’ll visit unspeakable desires on your body and then abandon you for his next prey. Notes: everyone hates when I fucking rec this one and I will nOT stop reccing it because it understands just ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING like is there anything better than having a really horrible sexy time. NO.

LAN WANGJI/WEI WUXIAN/JIANG CHENG the lantern by the door by Lirelyn - 64k Summary: Jin Ling’s needs were constant and repetitive; they ran like a lifeline through Jiang Cheng’s days. He didn’t need to see past the next feeding, the next changing. He didn’t need to persuade himself to get out of bed in the morning; sooner or later Lingling would cry, and he would find he could move after all. In the middle of the night, when neither of them could sleep, he paced up and down the room, holding Lingling to his chest, whispering, “Jiujiu’s here. I won’t leave you alone. I promise.” --- Jiang Cheng knew Lan Zhan had been seeing way more of Wei Ying than he had, but it still burned: Lan Zhan’s easy familiarity with Wei Ying’s household, with his thoughts. I’m the one that grew up with him. He was mine first. Notes: there's literally no way to be normal about this fic like I'm so incredibly serious about this look me in the eye it is the MOST character study ANYONE has EVER done (JC & WWX are not related in this one, although it does explore what the label 'brother' means to them so steer clear if that's a squick for you!) NIE MINGJUE/JIANG CHENG The Beat in your Chest by Pip - 5k Summary: Thursdays are for boxing. Thursdays are for Nie Mingjue. He pretends, sometimes, that they’re peers, even though they’re in different weight classes and always will be. He likes spitting and snarling at Nie Mingjue just to see what he’ll do, to push and shove at the boundaries. Nie Mingjue, it feels like sometimes, has self control the way that ponds have ice in the late fall- delicately and temporarily and easily disturbed.  Summary: it's quick and dirty who am I to argue with that kind of thing NIE MINGJUE/WEI WUXIAN Crowned in Glory (fear no more) by Pip - 19k Summary: It doesn't take an especially strategic mind to recognize that a poorly-maintained weapon is no weapon at all. Nie Mingjue can fix that. Notes: this is just GREAT fun!! I love sunshot era fics and this makes a really compelling case LAN WANGJI & WEN QING (not a relationship) sixteen stitches by curiositykilled 12k Summary: There is some irony, Wen Qing realizes, in being left to live with Lan Wangji alone in a small house with the last living member of her clan. Notes: this is a WIP and not a 'ship' per se bc they're not fucking nor dating in this but I LOVED how OP explores these two characters I love so much, maybe if we all comment how much we love it OP will update 😈

[btsqualityy]

Min-Seo’s second pregnancy and post partum depression

This is a snippet of Min-seo and Carson talking about her second pregnancy, as well as some of the post partum depression that she experienced after Ashton’s birth! Hope you enjoy it!

Warning: discussions of attachment issues, post partum depression

“Hey Car?” Min-seo called out as she stood in the doorway of Kai’s nursery. Carson glanced over his shoulder at her, smiling softly as he slowly rocked a  six month old Kai in his arms. “I need to talk to you.”

“Ok, just let me lay the little one down,” Carson said and Min-seo nodded before walking away, heading back down the short hallway to their shared bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed, bending down and holding her hands on her head as she tried to think how she was going to tell Carson what she needed to say. 

“Ok, all done,” Carson announced as he walked into the bedroom a few minutes later, but he froze in his tracks when he saw his wife holding her head. “Is everything ok?”

“No, everything is not ok,” she mumbled and Carson stepped over to the bed, sitting down next to her and rubbing her back gently. 

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“I’m pregnant Car,” she revealed, sitting up and looking at him. She wasn’t entirely sure of what his reaction would be. She thought he might be kind of indifferent, hell she even thought he might get angry; nothing could’ve prepared her though, for the wide smile that broke out onto his face.

“You’re not joking?”

“No, I took five tests,” Min-seo scoffed. “I’m definitely pregnant.”

“This is great!” Carson cheered, scooping her up into a tight hug and shaking her back and forth. He didn’t realize that something was amiss until Min-seo didn’t wrap her arms around him. “Seo? You’re not happy about this?”

“Honestly, no,” she replied truthfully, shaking her head as Carson pulled away from her. “Kai is only six months old. We’re gonna have two kids in two years.”

“We talked about this though, having a few kids,” he chuckled awkwardly. “I thought we agreed on three.”

“Yeah but not one right after the other!” She hissed, making Carson’s eyes widen. “I‘m just now getting back into the swing of things at work and I’m up for that big promotion. I don’t want to take more time off!”

“So, you don’t want to have this baby then?” He guessed and Min-seo shook her head.

“It’s not that, I just,” she sniffled, holding her head in her hands again. “I don’t know if I can do this, Car.”

“Hey, you can because I’ll be there with you,” Carson whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m never gonna leave your side, ok? This is unexpected but we’ll get through it.”

“Ok,” Min-seo nodded but deep inside, she knew that it would not be ok.

............................................................

Throughout Min-seo’s pregnancy, Carson thought she was fine. A little...detached maybe, but he thought it would all change once she held the baby in her arms for the first time. It wasn’t until Ashton was born and was a few months old that Carson realized that everything was not fine. 

“Seo?” Carson called out after he had put Kai down for a nap, following the sounds of Ash’s cries all the way to the baby’s nursery. When he got there, he saw Min-seo sitting in the rocking chair that was placed in the corner and Ashton was in her arms but it seemed like she was making no effort to soothe him. 

“Seo?” He repeated and she looked up then, alarming Carson when he saw how teary her eyes were. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t care that he’s crying,” she revealed, tears slipping down her face as she said the words aloud.

“What do you mean?” He wondered as he moved closer to her.

“I mean, he’s upset and I just don’t feel any need to soothe him,” she clarified through sobs. “Like, I don’t want to comfort him when he’s upset.”

“Ok, give me the baby,” Carson said as he held his arms out and Min-seo transferred Ashton over to his father. “And calm down. You’re just tired so why don’t you,-”

“I’m not just tired, Carson!” Min-seo exclaimed as she stood up from the rocking chair. “I’m not attached to him because I didn’t want to be pregnant again!” Before Carson could respond, Min-seo stormed out of the nursery and Carson didn’t know what to do. He wanted to go after his wife of course but if what she said was true, he figured it best to not do it with Ashton in his arms. 

After quickly soothing his youngest son and putting him into his crib for a nap, Carson walked down the hall to their shared bedroom and saw Min-seo curled up into a ball on the bed, her entire body shaking as she cried loudly. 

“Oh baby,” Carson whispered, not hesitating to get onto the bed and rub his wife’s back softly. “Baby, it’s not your fault.”

“But it is!” She exclaimed. “I do care for Ash, please don’t get me wrong but besides caring for his basic life necessities, it’s hard for me to feel anything else towards him.”

“Seo, you had a hard pregnancy and an even harder delivery,” Carson said. “It’s understandable if it’s hard for you to bond with Ash.”

“But it shouldn’t be!” She cried. “He’s my son but I don’t feel like his mother.”

“Baby, come here,” he said as he opened his arms and Min-seo didn’t hesitate to sit up, wrapping her arms around her husband and clutching onto him tightly. 

“I hate myself,” Min-seo whimpered. “He didn’t ask to be born and he has a mother who doesn’t love him.”

“Baby, it’s ok,” he assured her. “But I think maybe we need to talk to someone, yeah? Someone that can understand what you’re feeling?”

“Mmhm,” she nodded and Carson just held her tighter, hating how his favorite person in the world had seemed to break down right in front of him.

............................................................

After two months of intense therapy, Min-seo had turned a beautiful corner. She spent a lot of time working through her anxieties surrounding having two younger children, getting over the fact that she had even gotten pregnant again so quickly, and working through the trauma from Ashton’s difficult birth in order to bond properly with him.

Carson had been so afraid initially, even though he refused to let Min-seo see it. His wife was easily one of the most loving people that he knew and to hear her confess that she had found it hard to form that connection with their youngest child, it broke his heart. 

However, watching her now as she bounced Ashton on her lap with a wide grin, he knew that everything was going to be ok.

“Hey,” Min-seo called and Carson broke out of his thoughts to give her his full attention. “What are you thinking about over there?”

“You, and how amazing you are,” he replied honestly. 

“Shut up,” she blushed and Carson shook his head. 

“Seriously. You realized that you were struggling and agreed to getting help,” Carson said. “That’s difficult to do but you did it for Ash and more importantly, yourself.”

“Well, I just couldn’t let myself not fix it,” she murmured as she looked at Ashton, who was smiling at her with his gums showing. “This little cutie, along with Kai, deserve the best mama possible.” 

“And they’re gonna get that because you’re amazing jagi,” Carson smiled. “I love you so much.”

“I love you more,” Min-seo smiled, moaning lightly as Carson kissed her firmly.