Warnings : mentions of sh, blood, use of y/n, probably mischarecterisation
A/n : im so sorry for not making a new fic, life has been really kicking my ass right now and literally the worst thing i thought could happen happened. Ill try and write a few more fics before October (im not participating in kinktober).
You were dragging the small, pointy metalic object along your arm, adding more pressure each time before you let out a small yelp. Shit. Tate is definitely gonna give you a scolding when he finds you like this.
You wash off the blood, watching the water turn red and then transparent again. You had ran out of bandages the last time this happened so you just pull the sleves of your hoodie down.
"hey, y/n, everything ok in there?" you hear Tates voice through the door. You knew he wasnt an idiot and would definitely know somethings up. He always does.
"uh... Yea.. Im fine" your voice wavers slightly towards the end, seeing the blood bleed through your sleeve. Holy shit. Mabye you went deeper than you thought.
"ok well im not leaving till you open this door, im not an idiot. I know whats going on in there"
You feel a pang of guilt in your gut, knowing you promised him that you would stop. But this time was the first in a while. You can just predict the 'you were doing so well' thats going to come out of his mouth.
You know he wont leave until he sees how much damage youve done. Its not really like he has anything better to do due to being bound to the house and all that crap.
"the door isnt locked.." you tell him, feeling too ashamed to open the door yourself.
He opens the door.
You see his eyes go down to your sleves.
"pull em' up" he tells you. Its not a question, its a command.
As you hesitantly pull your sleves up, the blood smears up with it, creating a bloody mess up your arm. Your eyes begin to spike with tears, your lip begining to tremble and your breathing getting shakier.
"c'mere, let me clean this since i know you wont" his voice is softer now, his disappointment clear but he knows better than to yell at you when your in a glass state. Both fragile and he can see through your words.
He begins to rinse the cuts, using a cloth to wipe the blood away. His cheek rests against your shoulder as he does this.
"you promised me. You swore that you wouldnt do it again, y/n."
".. i know.."
"do you?"
After rinsing out the wounds to the best he could, he pats your arms down with a towel, also adding a bit of pressure to stop the bleeding. Despite the cuts not being fatal, the more pressure you were adding with the tool was making it worse.
After a few minutes, he removes the towel, bandaging your arms with a secret stash he had hidden from you. It was tight but not too tight it would cut off your circulation.
He presses a few small kisses onto the bandages, his thumb rubbing over them gently. It was a sweet moment. One that never usually occurs.
It felt nice.
A/n : shout out to the swaggy discord server im in and shout out to lily for watching sleepover last night with me over a discord call
the thing is, i wouldn't be nearly as bothered about mitch not being on the top line if it wasn't being treated as some kind of proof that he's never been good enough to play there and that it hurts the team or drags auston down when he does. i don't care about domi ultimately, he's an effective player (when he's not taking boneheaded penalties) and obviously it helps to spread out our best guys to make each line that little bit harder to play against by forcing the other team to decide how to matchup. whatever. i don't agree with keefe's choices there but i get the intent.
what i do care about is one of the best players this franchise has ever seen being treated like some kind of anchor holding the team (and auston specifically) back from achieving greatness and using domi's success with auston (BECAUSE of auston tyvm) to paint him as some selfish jealous (genuinely wtf @ this fanfiction in particular coming from an actual media guy) brat pouting over being ~demoted~ when he's never not done what has been asked of him (which is literally fucking everything) and has always been fully on board any time he's been paired with johnny!! or anyone else!! like these are all mitch's guys!!! he loves them and this team /so much/!!!! like i genuinely can't imagine the list of things he loves more than being a leaf is very long
i'm just so tired of so many (non-tumblr) fanspaces being dominated by people who have made an entire personality out of treating him like one of the worst things that's ever happened to the leafs (and, again, auston specifically) because idk they hate his dumb dad (welcome to the club weirdos!!!) and/or can't "forgive" him for his contract. even the critique of him in the playoffs is overblown in comparison to the rest of the team and the goalposts for what it means to be a ~playoff performer~ always seem to find a way to shift as needed to single him out as some kind of unique failure among the group which.. rme for all time
anyway sorry for venting lmao it's just such a bummer but WHATEVER here's to mitchell daniel marner having the best damn playoffs of his damn life!!!!!!!! go leafs go
ohhh anon. so many things i can (and will) say here, but you and i are totally on the same wavelength, lol. that's what has made this stretch so much worse imo... auston on a hot streak with two mid guys and workable chemistry (for now) all around, and we try spreading out the "offense" but actually... for the leafs... i think spreading the offense is less what we're doing w 1634 and more... shifting defensive responsibility off of our 'top' line and giving them easier matchups by putting the tougher ones with the mcmann-jt-marner line bc mitch is there now to take on some more defensive responsibility that isn't doable by players like willy/whoever else plays rw there. (which annoys me in it's own way bc it makes the 'top' line look more impressive stat wise while not even dealing with the most dangerous 'top' line on the other team, lol but.. it's still gonna require auston to be On Top of it all the time bc he's by himself defensively.. only reason it annoys me is the discourse afterward too like anyway). mitch and auston are our best all around players by quite a bit, lol, so i get WHY splitting them up works well too, but when people get mad that they're together so much... when they've proven to work better and be more dangerous year after year as a duo... i mean, peoples anger should be at the rest of the lineup that sometimes doesn't pull their own weight in that regard, lol. i get the experiment we're running rn. i'm not confident it will work, but we will see. i don't care if it does or doesn't... doesn't change the fact that ultimately, i know they want to play together the most and that hasn't changed bc of some randos that came in this year so. i genuinely think auston requests to play with mitch often after not being allowed to for a couple years, and this year he's sucking it up for the playoffs and trying something different for the sake of the team.
as for the way a lot of people treat mitch as expendable... it's so frustrating to me too... just the double standards abt him vs anyone else are insane. even tonight, seeing people lose their fucking minds over max reposting a fan's hype video without credit and assuming he made it (?? lol) and drooling all over themselves about how he "has the passion", but like... mitch had a video made last year and people were telling him to get off social media and perform better in the playoffs in the exact same spaces like. if he even comes on social media near the playoffs, it's always just hateful. honestly.... so many leaf fans don't deserve him and don't deserve to see a cup in their entire lifetimes either, lol. it makes my relationship with this team so much more complicated to have such a hate for the fanbase like that. like . this year, i just care so much less about the team as a whole too. i'm less connected to the overall results, lmao. i love the leafs and want my guys specifically to be able to win the cup in their lifetime more than anything, but i realllyyy don't care about some of these ppl on our team and i hate how the worst fans in this fanbase feel so vindicated over the dumbest ugliest shit. like i'd give anything to not have to see braindead opinions for a single day. as much as i'm rooting for them, if this isn't the year... well. we move, lol. i wouldn't die! (which is exactly why they'll prob do it this year lol) i'll feel competitive while watching the playoffs, esp vs the bruins, but like... whatever happens happens man. my men will be coming back and i hope some other ones won't, regardless of playoff results. sometimes it's even less about the player himself and more about the idiots attached.
all i literally care about this year is mitch's performance since we're going into a contract year for him. nothing he could possibly do would get people off his back but that, and somehow his points never seem to matter in the playoffs bc they're in games we're already winning ?? but yeah. the willy is our best playoff performer narrative makes me fucking laugh man........ like people will lower their standards and move their goalposts and do ANYTHING to make it seem like mitch is cancerous and the reason we keep losing and everyone else steps up when he doesn't and it's just a fucking lie. morgan is the only one with visible elevation in the playoffs imo, and . idk. maybe the way the team's structured rn and shifting players to different lines will work. maybe it won't. we won a round not doing it last year, so it's not like that's THE make or break thing and we haven't even seen this lineup play a single meaningful game in the last month fnlkdsjf or a singular playoff game so. it's all a LOT of big talk. at the end of the day.. if the leafs ever make it to the cup.. itll be 1634 passing it to each other and their names next to each other and that's all i want for them, honestly. leafs duo of all time regardless of the dumbasses the 23-24 season has emboldened.
gaz runs classes, has a youtube channel and quickly becomes one of the most sought after choreographers in the music video scene. soap is his dance partner for his classes, he helps run them and does demonstrations with him
ghost is also a choreographer and he’s gaz’s Arch Nemesis
he's famous for never performing his routines, never doing public appearances without his skull mask and being highly exclusive with who he allows to perform his choreo which earns him his name (since he’s a ghost creator). gaz however is a social media darling, his classes and videos regularly doing huge numbers
they both popped up around the same time and are neck and neck in terms of popularity and skill and they immediately rub each other the wrong way
gaz accuses ghost of not actually choreographing his routines himself bc no one has ever seen him dance and ghost thinks gaz is a clout chaser who's just in it for the fame instead of passion
he became a dancer as a way to channel his rage after years of being an underground fighter, the discipline and physicality helping him more than fights ever did. he hates the thought of someone just using it just to get famous when it literally saved his life
deep down they know their accusations are wrong and they have a grudging appreciation for the other's talent but they'd both rather die than admit it
price is a famous dancer turned director they both work with frequently and they always fight over him; trying to get their routines picked for his music videos. he's also the only one in the industry who's ever seen the ghost perform (before he got famous and before the Incident™)
he finally gets fed up with them constantly being at each other's throats and hires them both to work together and choreograph a joint routine. they're both famous in their own right but this video is for a huge artist so neither of them can refuse no matter how much they hate the other
gaz has a gymnastics background but also a ballet background which lends him to a more fluid style whereas ghost’s style is stronger, more masculine with sharper movements so they naturally end up butting heads
then there's soap who has a completely different style altogether, focusing on a more modern, breakdancer style which makes him see everything completely differently
but it also adds to his self-doubt bc he didn't have a formal dance education, he built his entire repertoire by himself. people see him as inferior to gaz who has that very formal, highly disciplined style. his insecurities about only ever being seen as gaz's demonstration partner and that he can only do gaz’s routines so all his skill is just an extension of him instead of being seen as a dancer in his own right forces him to adopt a rigid - destructive - perfectionism in himself and his body
soap meets ghost before the first rehearsal. he gets to the studio early to practice when sees this beautiful man dancing
he has no idea who he is but he moves so seamlessly, almost better than gaz, and he immediately falls a little in love. the man catches him watching in the mirror and he flusters, getting worse as the man just smirks at him and flawlessly completes the routine
soap tries to save face and asks him to teach him the routine he's doing
the man agrees, introducing himself as simon. the style of the routine is familiar to soap but he can't focus on it when simon's hands are on his waist, guiding him through the steps; his chest pressed up against his back. they work together beautifully, picking up each other's body language and dancing together easier and better than they've ever danced with anyone
then gaz arrives and the vibe in the studio immediately changes
simon's easy confidence becomes hostility, pulling up the skull gaiter he'd let hang around his neck as he practically pushes soap behind him to square up to gaz
soap’s shocked when gaz hits back with the same energy until he realises it's the same way he acts whenever he talks about ghost and his stomach drops
he steps out from behind ghost to side with gaz and the betrayal in simon's eyes hurts more than anything he's ever felt
from there it's romeo and juliet; camp gaz versus camp ghost as they fight over every step of the choreo and soap is the poor bastard stuck in the middle
soap tries to channel that “you’re my best friend’s rival, i have to hate you,” mindset but he can’t forget the way it felt to dance with simon
don't wash your hair every day! i think everybody knows this but i know a couple people who still dont wash their hair only 2-3 times a week. obviously it depends on ur hair type but only wash your hair when it needs it!
don't wash your hair with scalding hot water either. its not only bad for your body and face but its also bad for your hair as it ruins the natural oils and damages cells etc
if you have frizzy or easily knotted hair i recommend keeping a comb on hand in the shower and using it to detangle before putting in any products
i've been emulsifying my shampoo for only a couple of weeks but my hair is sooo much fluffier afterwards so i definitely recommend that!!
now i'm torn on this one but apparently shampooing twice is better for your hair than doing it once? i tried it one time and it did not end well for my hair type but i know it works for a lot of people so if you wanna give it a try then go for it ♡
i squeeze excess water out of my hair before i put in my conditioner so i can completely get it in there without
also change your pillow case often! this is for your face too, as the oils will build up and thats not good for ur hair or face. i change it once a week but 2x a week is good too if you're able 💓
don't go to bed with wet hair. stop doing that. its super bad for your hair and keeping it pretty & fluffy & cute
airdrying is my holy grail, been doing it since i was little and dont regret a thing. its a billion times better than blow drying & makes ur hair so fluffy too ♡
🎀𓂃 ࣪˖ body
DO NOT. HAVE. THE WATER. BOILING HOT. i am guilty of this and have been for years but it has such a bad impact and you shouldnt do it! cold showers are better but i prefer warm showers so theres a middle ground (& its always cold in england, so id freeze to death.)
using body lotion after the shower has been such a game changer for me its incredible. makes you smell nice, feel nice, look nice, and its so relaxing and i feel like a princess after i do it <3
exfoliating is really important if your aim is for soft skin 💓 i have been doing it for months and as somebody with super rough skin its SO soft now
partake in some form of exercise. i hated hated hated sports and exercise when i was younger but i did do dance up until i was eleven and have been doing pilates consistently for months now, and my mindset towards it has changed drastically over the years to finally a healthy one. it can be a difficult thing to get into but make it something you enjoy. it doesn't have to be sports. ill make a post on this soon but it can be pilates, kpop dances, running, hot girl walks, anything! and most importantly, do it for mental health and physical health, not losing weight.
make sure you're eating properly. remember that 1400 to 2400 calories of nutritious substance is the MINIMUM. this of course depends on many variables including, weight, height, BMR, what it is your eating, et cetera. your body is so important & is there to be nourished and not neglected !!! ♡ (💭🎀edit: updated info on calories and nutrition from a lovely anon i received a message from this morning! ♡)
change your bedsheets every week if you wanna smell good, this is so important bc sweat and odour will build up if u dont and thats icky and wont make u smell good & probably isnt the best for your skin either!
i also put two similar body washes on in the shower that i get SO many compliments on & its really helpful if one of your priorities is smelling good
dont just wash body wash straight off, let it sit for a few moments so the scent can actually sink into ur skin
🎀𓂃 ࣪˖ face
skincare every morning & every night. if ur tired or just not feeling it today then simplify it, just make sure you never leave it out because its super important! no. skipping. no work = no reward.
on this note, try not to have a too complicated skincare routine, as this can backfire and make ur skin worse than before. your skin isnt meant for 18 different products and 200 chemicals every morning!
never wash your face with hot water... this is also a given but just in case... it strips your skin of its natural oils and does more harm than good
stop touching ur face... just for those who need a little reminder
make sure ur sleeping enough. seriously disney princess movies meant it when they talked ab beauty sleep; it seriously makes a difference, so please try make this a priority, especially if you already have dark circles like myself! (like girl did you see aurora's face? my girl's skin was so clear i could see my reflection)
pay attention to what makes ur face puffy or irritated or makes you get break outs. i keep a little break out log in my skincare page in my journal (little teaser for an upcoming post 🤭) and this has helped me go over what helps or hurts my skin! i recommend this especially if ur prone to acne or breakouts 💖
cold spoons in the morning to depuff your eyes; ive only been doing this a handful of times but im making it a habit seeing as it really helps! (as someone who can get vv puffy eyes 😭)
hydration is so important, for everything in this list, but most of all (from my experience) your face! i drink A Lot of water every day. probably a bit too much. but its so worth it, my skin has been absolutely amazing ever since i started actually making hydration a priority. (and this is coming from a girl who didnt touch a drop of water when she was younger & had to go hospital for dehydration several times.)
i'd recommend scrubbing ur lips too in the morning when you brush your teeth, i saw this on pinterest aaages ago bc i had super dry lips and i do it every morning & every night RELIGIOUSLY. its so so good and i definitely recommend
i have super dry lips in the morning so lip balm in the mornings w my skincare is absolutely essential for me
i also put perfume behind my ears & on my neck so its the first thing people smell when they hug me! im a very touchy person and i love hugs and i love showing love to people so this is essential for me but its optional, just makes you smell good ♡
Hi! I'm a big fan of your art (✨It's beautiful✨) and your Idol Sans AUs, and... Uh... I, uh... Have a small request...? Uhm... Can I uh, have a small therapy session with some of the Idol Sanses? Preferably Killer, Dream, and Ink, please...! (And if there is an Idol Cross, him too-) I've just been feeling kind of down lately, and need some cheering up. Do you think that's okay? Thank you for taking the time to read this! Have a wonderful day! : )
(6 panels)
Cross is not so good at having conversations like this but he definitely understands the feeling and tries his best to make you feel better, even if its just a little bit.
(Im so so sorry if the convo isnt related to what youve been through, ik this kind of stuff is personal, i tried my best)
(if anyone wanna contact me, pls do on X or insta)
hihi hello is there anyway you can share your cuteguy /hotguy designs? or maybe share some notes about them?... im very fond of them and would like to draw em....
of course anon :^] thank you so much!! i'll also take this as an opportunity to share how I landed on their designs, if that's ok!
my initial sketch of them was done pretty quickly to throw around some ideas.
i wanted hotguy's to be reminiscient of his namesake (hawkeye) but different enough that it wasn't a direct 1 to 1. i also REALLY wanted to play with the idea of him using redstone leg braces and actor scar primarily using a wheelchair. originally i was thinking that they would've actually been made/designed by tango, though i'm not sure if that fits in with the finalized timeline/lore anymore. me and luna also talked very briefly about what the effects of wearing redstone so close to your body could do to you, but i dont think it ever went anywhere in lieu of Skulk taking more of a front role in that regard.
hotguy's design ended up not really changing much at all from this since i was already pretty happy with it, but cuteguy's definitely did based on a bunch of factors (the era of the zine we were in, character development, other contributor's designs etc).
thus begins the great Cuteguy redesign. i jest, but i was um-ing and ah-ing a lot over what i wanted him to look like, mainly because i wanted to keep him looking practical and less showboaty than hotguy. but at this point we had decided a timeline and i knew we were in the last era, so it felt important not have a design that looks like he quickly put it together or like something he'd be wearing in his early years as a vigilante.
eventually, i landed on these designs for them both! cuteguy matching hotguy's outfit as an established vigilante duo, keeping the casual elements of the hood and the joggers but having them more integrated into his suit, that all felt like a best of both worlds situation to me. i also switched the mask to a heart-shaped visor, both purely for cool effect and to match better. it isnt here, but additionally in the comic i switched his wings as cuteguy to a sort of maroony colour, as one of the things contributors played around with early on was the idea that he would dye his wings to hide his identity. i liked that idea as a failsafe if he was in a situation where couldn't hide them as a civillian, hence the change!
if you need any more info i'd be happy to share, or maybe even draw less messy references (i didn't think i'd be sharing these publicly LOL). thank you so much for reading the zine, and i sincerely hope you enjoyed it :^]
Now don't get me wrong, I like how... calm and unbothered Alastor is, or at least tries to pass himself off as being
but like.... we know he's a drinker.... and we know certain details about him having an alcoholic abusive father who was cruel to his mother which heavily influenced his whole Dexter serial killer morality bs... and I can't help but think of a fic idea where Reader and Alastor are together and, suddenly without warning you break up with him BECAUSE YOU CHEATED ON HIM. you're like, legitimately heartbroken and missing him but you broke up for a good reason and, time passes and you dont see or hear from him, you're basically just going on with your life, and, MEANWHILE HE'S JUST SLOWLY DEVOLVING IN A PATHETIC LITTLE MEOW MEOW
His radio show comes on and he's SLURRING and people are aghast. Alastor is usually such a classy gentleman, so careful with his image??? Meanwhile he's in his radio station with several glasses of whiskey and staring at a wall lined with your photos while he's broadcasting, "ohhhh hEeeEy LiSteNers!! How-how are you all doing this.... 😡LOVELY😤 evening. Isnt..... isn't it... so nice to... spend time with loved ones when you need them? 🥴 WELL I WOULDNT KNOW HA HAH HA" *cue 30 straight uninterrupted seconds of unhinged laughing from a man clearly having an emotional crisis* "so on tonightsssshow I was-i wasszzz hoping to-to discussss-"
Like imagine tuning into his show after avoiding it because it broke your heart and it turns from him like, having an actual topic and planned structure of his show, to then, one day you overhear a broadcast and he's just occasionally slurring, saying really really vague shit about how "real men are supposed to be strong enough to protect and hold onto those they hold dear" and you can occasionally hear the THUNK of his whiskey glass hitting the table meaning he's already drunk but still drinking WHILE broadcasting and, oh honey you already sound so wasted you don't need more--
You guys don't understand. I want this man having a very PUBLIC very MESSY mental breakdown because he was CRAZY IN LOVE WITH YOU and you sat him down and told him you love him deeply but you need sex and you've cheated on him REPEATEDLY and EVEN THEN he was HARDCORE COPING, "w well as long as you promise it won't happen again-" "I cant and i won't. I love you but i cant repress this part of myself" LIKE YOU DECIMATE THIS MAN. Alastor's just beside himself because like, not without valid feelings but you're basically dumping him to fuck strangers. Like. I just. What if he literally had a ring box or was starting to realize he's demisexual on the ace spectrum and was starting to have Those Feelings for you and you're just. Breaking up with him, and all he hears is "sorry but having these disgusting men I don't even know hunch over on me grunting like disgusting animals and defiling me who is definitely way too good for them is way better than being with you my respectful funny classy charming totally-not-husband"
I want you to be walking down the streets of Hell and Vox suddenly comes on their equivalent of a jumbotron and he's visibly beside himself with excitement, "BREAKING NEWS, THE RADIO DEMON IS PISS DRUNK IN THE GUTTER LIKE A FUCKING LOSER, MORE NEWS ON THE SCENE" and it just snap cuts to him facedown in the street somewhere. Have you ever seen Intervention. You can have grown ass adults with successful careers and loving communities and when they find something that breaks them you'll be seeing shit like, children finding their mothers literally passed out in the yard because they were too drunk to get into the house or even WALK properly. So. You just. See him in this legitimately pathetic absolutely humiliating state and you can't help but feel that that's YOUR fault, meanwhile Vox is living his best fucking life, GOD FORBID VOX SEES YOU STANDING THERE CRYING ON THE SIDEWALK, he's then broadcasting your crying face all over Hell, "Hey Alastor even your EX is CRYING AT HOW PATHETIC YOU ARE, GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY LEFT YOU HUH" and like. The live feed of Alastor shows him just, struggling to even lift his head to look up to, wherever, and see your image there, looking absolutely devastated, looking at him with pity and heartbreak. oh, his sweet beloved, looking so distressed because you see him so weak...
Vox is just living it up mocking both of you but he's made several enormous mistakes by putting you on the air, especially looking like THAT, especially with Alastor in this mental state, and ESPECIALLY to mock you when you're already looking so broken. The feed cuts. All the TVs read "LOST SIGNAL" and nothing comes back on the news for the rest of the night. Less than a week later, the radios are on again, and Alastor sounds... completely back to normal? Chipper, even? And at first you're happy to hear he's all good and well, but, there's something about some of the things he's saying that are making you a little.... nervous?
"You know folks, it took me an EMBARRASSINGLY long while to realize that, a true traditional man puts the needs of others above himself, and especially the needs of his special somebody! One can't truly care for one's loved one properly if you're too boggled down with, FEELING SORRY for yourself right? How else are you going to... defend what's yours if you just lie down and take it?"
"So while I was off the air, good listeners, I was doing quite a bit of, spring cleaning, let's call it! Yes, I was... unfortunately very busy, having to wrangle up quite a few.... disgusting, insignificant, dirty, thieving PERVERTS!!!! ....but now that that's all good and done with, I'd certainly like to think these streets are a little more... respectable!"
"To end the broadcast tonight, a final word to all my fellow men out there. If you happen to discover that, for whatever reason, your beloved has run off with another? It was because you deserved it for being WEAK. You allowed another man to just, COME IN and... DESECRATE what is precious to you? Disgraceful. Pathetic. Ill-mannered. You cannot call yourself a worthy partner if you simply allow your beloved to waltz themselves into the mouth of danger, can you? So, a little piece of advice from your humble host here tonight: Take back what is yours. Take them back, do not let them go, and do not let anyone EVER soil your love ever again. ........Also hey! Don't forget that the annual Cannibal District Cook-Out is this coming weekend so be sure to--"
a/n: hii! so ever since my adhd headcannons, ive been getting more mental health related requests (like this one!) and i just wanted to let you all know that i don't mind writing them at all, (i also have bpd). but please just be cautious reading these, i do not intend to trigger or make anybody uncomfortable, thank you ily.
warning(s): bpd, mental health mentions.
not proofread
so like i said in the adhd hc's, matt would be an absolute sweetheart in general, and you'd probably not wanna tell him about your bpd because yk.
^^ (atleast i wouldnt 💔)
anyways! i feel like you'd either slip up and tell him, he'd find out, or.. you having a bad day would just rant to him and tell him
so when he finds out he's like "oh" in like the sweetest softest tone ever (not in a bad way at all trust.)
he asks you about it and then takes the time to do his own research (sobbing)
when you have bad days he tries his best to motivate you and help you be productive
"wanna go get ice cream?" is a very common phrase you'll hear from matt (even if its two in the morning!!)
doesn't get mad if you snap at him and instead, just tries to calm you down and ask you if you're okay or if you wanna just be left alone, he'll do that too
slowly learns your habits, triggers, and what makes you feel better so he's always prepared
always tells you how beautiful you are and how much he loves you. (constant reassurance!!!!)
a common phrase you use is "please never leave me" or "please dont leave me" (something along those lines,) and so this man literally makes sure its engraved in your brain that he wont leave, ever, like ever.
self harm is a whole different topic, i wont write about it unless asked because i dont wanna make anyone uncomfortable or triggered, but, he would definitely help you stay clean if thats something you need help with.
thinks you being impulsive is cute, but makes sure you never do anything too impulsive (something that just genuinly isnt a good idea or something destructive, etc.)
the journey back to manchester was daunting, seeing the same old architecture from your past felt like a punch in the gut. the phone call you make to simon was awkward, it was just to tell him that.. well, you would pop by to see him. didn’t tell him anything else, didnt even mention you left years ago.
after checking into a shitty little hotel with the little money you had, you made your way to the pub simon said he’d be at, and where johnny mactavish would also be. mactavish. it’s been a really long time since you’ve thought about him, and it feels strange to know you’ll get a glimpse of him as a 26 year old man, as opposed to the pimply faced teenager you remember.
“the strongest stuff you have, please.” you say dryly to the bartender, who glances at the clock— it’s barely noon, before looking back at you again. “joking. you got any J20?”
with your little bottle of orange and mango juice and a thin paper straw, you nestle down into a booth, pulling out your phone as you begin your wait. simon did say his train would arrive at around 10am, so where was he? that’s fine, the pub at least has free wifi you can use to mindlessly scroll through. and scroll, and scroll and scroll and scroll until—
“fancy seein’ ye here, wee riley!”
you glance up from your phone, mouth agape as you look dead straight at a grown up, scruffily bearded johnny mactavish. “jesus christ—“ you mumble under your breath, eyebrows furrowing at how.. massive and grown up he is. he grins down at you, still standing. “what? gonnae give me a hug or whit?” he chortles, wiggling his thick unruly eyebrows around you. yep, it’s definitely still the same old mactavish brother you remember.
“ye look different than when we was wee bairns. yer definitely the better lookin’ riley.” johnny grins as he shoots a playful wink at you, taking a big swig of lager to parch his thirst. your eyes flit to the beer foam that sticks to his moustache, which makes you giggle. “you’ve got a lil something on your moustache. you saving it for later?” you tease, motioning to where the foam sits on his face.
“yeah, soap, you savin’ that for later?”
if your head had turned around any faster, you’d have probably broken your fucking neck. simon.
he’s… he’s so different now.
rising from your seat, you glance up at your brother with a nervous gulp. you can tell from the way he glances down at you that his heart is damn near close to bursting when he sees how grown his baby sister is, she’s not the little chubby cheeked scamp he remembers. but he quickly shoves the emotions down, his shoulders squared up as he watches you draw closer to him.
“simon,” you mutter quietly, biting your lip as you awkwardly hug his side. it’s been so long, you almost contemplate whether a hug isnt appropriate. a handshake? awkward fist bump? simon grumbles, patting your back as he reciprocates the hug with the same awkwardness. johnny cringes slightly at how uncomfortable you and simon look.
you find out that johnny is known as sergeant soap, while simon is simply lieutenant ghost. “yer brother’s fuckin’ brilliant on the battlefield, he’s saved my arse more times than i can count.” johnny grins, nudging his shoulder into simon’s, who just simply looks down at his drink with furrowed eyebrows. you nod, chewing the inside of your lip. “why do they call you soap?” you ask, tilting your head at johnny. he howls with laughter, shaking his head at you. “ye don’t want to find out, lass.” he simply says, shooting a teasing wink at you. you shouldn’t be attracted to that, but it does gets your heart pumping a little faster.
“so, lass, what about ye? any’hink goin’ on in the life of wee riley?” johnny hums out, propping his arms up behind him on the booth’s rim, his muscles bulging out from his tshirt sleeves. jesus christ, he’s ripped.
stealing your gaze from his biceps with a flushed cough, you shrug and take a sip of your drink. “i’m studying for my masters up in leeds. i.. haven’t been to manchester since i left.” you finally admit, eyes glancing over to read simon’s face, which is stoney and unperturbed. johnny whistles, grinning as he nods at you. “leeds, eh? northern girlie, are ye?” he teases, nudging simon yet again. “can ye believe it, monsi? wee riley’s all grown up, doin’ her masters n shit. damn.”
you roll your eyes, feeling a rush of blood to your cheeks as you fidget with your drink bottle. “there’s two years between us, johnny. ‘m not as young as you think i am.” you mutter quietly, your gaze flicking up to read his reaction. he’s still grinning, though he nods in agreement. “aye, canny argue with that.”
simon doesn’t speak much the entire time you’re all there, it’s almost like he speaks through johnny at times. “si’s been wafflin’ on and on about today, ye ken. been lookin’ forward to the ol’ riley-mactavish clan finally gettin’ back together.” johnny says, the two of you glancing over at simon who simply grunts, the corners of his lips twitching up into what looks like a hybrid of a grimace and a smile.
but at least johnny doesn’t make it awkward, always going on and on about whatever floated through his mind. he gives you updates on his sisters, practically glowing when he gets the chance to gloat about becoming an uncle. “the wee bairns, they like me. mam reckons i’ll make a good dad one day.” he hums as he shows you a picture on his phone, one where he’s flexing his muscles while holding twin baby boys like the deadliest missiles that cute tactical intelligence could muster up. it’s cute, the way he lights up when talking about his life, even how excited he gets for your achievements in life. simon doesn’t seem to want to get a word in edge ways.
as the catch-up comes to an end, you awkwardly slide out of the booth, rubbing your hands together. “well.. it was nice seeing you both.” you say on bated breath, a look of disappointment flashing across your face momentarily as you glance at simon. johnny pouts as he stands, patting simon on the back with a solid thwack. “we’ll have to do some’hink together, all three of us. like the good ol’ days.” he says, grinning up at simon, who nods. “spose so.” is all simon seems to add to the conversation, looking down at you.
and as you all exit the pub together, johnny giving you one last hug with a content groan, you give them a small smile and a wave goodbye, asking them to just let you know what they decide on doing.
as you lay down in the grotty hotel bed, curled up between thin sheets, you think about this sudden revelation that the two boys from your childhood aren’t cherubic anymore. life isn’t full of giggles and adventures, it’s ruthless and it’s dangerous. and the sight of your big brother, stone faced and silent, it makes you feel guilty. does he resent you for not staying in contact? has it been too long to attempt to reforge your relationship with him?
with a sigh, you reach out to grab your phone from the bedside table, eyes watery as you check the time. 1am.
ping. you receive a text.
it reads, “hey wee riley, it’s johnny m. we’re thinking abt going clubbing sat night. u remember jamies near the maccies? just lmk if ur interested xx nice to see u xx”
looks like you’re gonna have to pick out a dress for saturday night.
if i can be corny for a second i wanna talk about the greatest strengths of the 2003 tmnt series and why it speaks to me (esp as a queer person)
so i might have alluded to this before, but let me say it outright: each show is definitely a product of its time, and the ideals of whatever generation its from. whether talking about the humour, the story, the dialogue etc, its always important to remember that these shows will always come off in a way due to the generation theyre from. and thats not a bad thing! it just means its important to think about them from that perspective.
2003 is a show of my generation growing up, and a thing about that era that maybe some people younger than me wont understand is there is so much more language commonly available to describe yourself now than there was then. you can take this in any context; mental health, sexuality, gender identity, or even just the ability to describe your relationships with more (idk if this will be the right word) therapist language.
in 03 we have a family unit of splinter and his sons, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. we have a splinter who hasnt opened up to his sons about the trauma hes experienced, but not in a way of shutting them out, simply because it isnt their responsibility to know as they are teenagers. he tells them of the mutagen that created them, but not of his past with his master yoshi, who he calls father when by himself, but never around his sons which is just an interesting concept to think about.
(i do not intent this next sentence as ragging on the two shows after this when i say it, simply from a character standpoint) this is the splinter who completely doesnt make his problems his sons problems, but he also is very willing to tell them the truth when he knows they're ready. this is is the most idyllic version of splitner out of all of them, even when comparing to his mirage counterpart (who hes the most based on) due to that splinter raising them to be ninja specifically to make them fight shredder. this one is just their father who loves them and wants to keep them safe the best way he can, and he was never a human in the first place to even know how to be that. so this whole family dynamic starts with him, and the way he raised his sons reflects his parenting.
so, the setting and year this show is made is 2003. something very relatable here is how there isnt a lot of language for the personality quirks of the turtles. there's so much evidence here for mikey having adhd, his brothers will say things like "why doesnt mikey have to help?" and the answer is "well, he'd be bored. and whats worse, mikey not helping or mikey being bored?" its this beautiful moment of, "hey, we know its not fair, but thats how mikey is, and its better for everyone if we just respect that thats how he is" mikey cant keep his hands off stuff, they know this they dont yell at him for behaving that way, they just stop him. this coding feels the most specific, but like i said. its 2003. we dont have the words to describe what this is yet, and if we do its not common knowledge.
another example is in the classic episode where raphael meets casey jones. raphael is sparring with mikey, and he lashes out and nearly kills mikey. everyone reacts to this by getting him to stop, and no one is more upset than raphael himself. they all tell him to go get some air, which he does. theres no moment of any of them screaming at him for losing his temper, its very clear that they all know he's going to do that himself. and he does go get some air. they all know thats what he needs. he goes and meets casey jones, another hot head, and raph has to help coach this hot head on his anger. when he comes back at the end of the episode after having let out that aggression, he apologizes and no one is upset with him. there's a very clear understanding among his family that he cannot help it, but the best thing they can do is give him his space when he needs it. watching this from a 2023 perspective (20 years later) im sure we could analyze this as a few things going on with raph, my mind comes to autism but at the end of the day it doesnt matter why he behaves like this, the point is that he does and the best thing his family does is just...help him. which they do. and they never hold it against him.
when leo is going through his ptsd arc hes at his closest to raph as a character, the show draws a lot of parallels (like having him go let out some aggression with casey) and we get to see the dynamic in reverse. in "i, monster" (the rat king episode) leo is losing it, taking on rat king alone and not wanting to let up. raphael is actively holding his brothers back when they say "we shouldnt leave him to fight alone", raphael says "if leo gets in trouble i'm the first one in there, but right now it looks like leo's got more than one monster to work out of his system" raph doesn't exactly know what leos going through, but he recognizes it. he knows he needs to fight alone, so raph lets him. its only when the building collapses and leo is no longer in a safe position that he says "leo lets go", which leo wordlessly agrees with and actually listens.
this is what i think is the best part of these guys, the unconditional understanding they have for the way they are. we still have our "raphs a big hot head" "mikeys annoying" jokes, but they feel like genuine good natured sibling ribbing because they know each other on that level.
and to go back to the fact that this show is set in 2003, there's something so specific about the way mikey constantly makes references to liking women's clothing, to being fine with feminine language, and to being open about being the pretty turtle who "has that effect on minds of men" speaks to me as a queer person. this could easily be intended as homophobic jokes and probably is, because again.... its the mid 2000s, thats very much what media was like, thats what the jokes were. especially with the girly screams mikey does being one of the first jokes of this nature.
but theres something that happens in season 4, where an alien is attacking mikey, and donnie rushes in and says "hey, thats my sibling" that sticks out. and it happens again in fast forward. when talking to the dark turtles leo says "you and your brothers" "me and my siblings"
because of the way this family unit just understands each other without ever having a conversation about things, it feels like its not a joke. theres some kind of affirmation happening here. even if it seems like i could be reading into it too much, its specific! and it keeps happening!
and by the end of the show, when mikey says he wants to be maid of honour, even if that line in the media itself was intended to be a joke, no one in their family treats it like one. of course mikey is the maid of honour, he asked to be one! the only real offence taken is when april says bride's maid, to which he is offended because hes so much more important than that!
so from a story standpoint, this show doesnt have the intricate complexities and butting heads of latter iterations, there isnt much relationship growth to be had (in fact once we get to around season 5 the flanderization of the characters kind of begins and it loses some of the more complexities) but thats because its just not the focus of the story! the story is more about what they go through together, and thats fine! thats what our shows kind of were at the time. not saying there isnt any relationship growth, but its very much not the focus because these turtles? they already understand each other in a healthy way.
so to me, these guys are kind of the most wholesome family unit
Hi lovely! I love your writing! Can you do a single dad! james one shot where harry is in kindergarten (lily isn’t in the picture) and you’re harry’s teacher and james has a crush on you? No pressure if you don’t have time! Thank you!
hi dovie!! thanks for much for requesting! i was on holiday so i couldn’t respond quickly but i hope this was worth the wait 😊
-
Paper Rings~💌
singledad!jamespotter x fem!kindergartenteacher!reader
summary; Harry is a charming kid, but his dad might be even more charming.
a/n; no hate to my girl lily! i just like to imagine that she’s with mary or pandora (:
wc; 1.2k
warnings; none (:
contents; muggle au, james sirius and remus co-parent harry, lily isnt in the picture
YOU WERE NERVOUS, i mean, rightfully so.
Monday, August 23rd. the first day of school, and the first day of your new job.
in the past, you thought you’d be anything but a kindergarten teacher. but after volunteering with a local daycare over the summer…
you were smitten.
besides, you knew one day you’d actually have kids. but that was about… seven years down the line. (yes, you had your future all mapped out)
and it’s better this way, really. you get to hang out with the kids, paint with them, read with them, talk to them, and then at three o’clock you can just return them back to their parents and not have to deal with kids all night.
perfect plan, right?
wrong.
after pacing your well-decorated classroom back and forth about sixteen times in the past twelve minutes, a fellow teacher came in to chat.
“Hi, you’re Y/N, right?”
you spun around to the source of the greeting.
“sorry, yes, i am.”
you shook his hand with an anxious type of firmness.
“it’s nice to meet you, i’m Remus. i teach seventh grade.”
his smile lit up the awkward mood in the room.
“i assume you’re a bit nervous, yes?”
“a bit more than a bit.”
you admitted embarrassingly, they were just kids.
“well, you’ve definitely gotten the best age group to start out with.”
“i have?”
“mhm, all you have to do really is teach them their ABCs, and make sure they don’t eat the non-toxic paint.”
you let out a soft chuckle at that.
“i’ll certainly try my best, Remus.” he smiled.
“well, you’re about to get some kids in here so i should probably leave. just be careful, when i started out i was so much taller than the kids that some of them climbed onto me like i was a tree.”
he chuckled, definitely easing your nerves.
“that sounds like hell.”
“it was.” he nodded, closing your door with a soft thud, leaving you to your own thoughts and feelings.
until a young boy walked in with his dad, nervously clutching onto his big hand.
“hi… you’re ms. L/N, right?”
the dad spoke in a soft spoken manner, clearly not wanting to spook his son. (totally not because he was absolutely astonished and terrified that his sons teacher was maybe the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen)
“yes, i am.”
you answered with the same tone, swallowing down your anxiety.
“well… this is harry.”
Harry ducked behind his legs.
“i’m sorry, he’s not usually shy.”
“it’s alright, everybody gets nervous the first time they try anything.”
you crouched down to the boys level.
“hi, Harry. i’m Ms. L/N.”
“h-hi, Mrs. L/N."
the boy smiled cheekily as he held his little hands.
"we're gonna have so much fun today, so don't be scared." you returned his smile, yet you were probably about as nervous as he was.
you stood back up to face his dad, he was tall... very tall, and his eyes a hazel hue.
god, was he handsome.
no, that was not a good thing to say about someone who was definitely married with a kid.
but... maybe just sneak one more glance..
but, of course. the kids began to pile in, and the handsome young dilf dad waved goodbye to his son, and turned to leave.
little did you know he was thinking of you too.
your first day on the job was incredible, and time had flown by to Christmas Break.
your classroom was lovingly decorated for the holidays, and you had gotten to know your peers a bit better.
Remus was definitely your teacher buddy, you'd get coffee every Friday after school to discuss the past week and your plans for the next.
you had come to find out (through these coffee debriefs) that Remus was actually roommates with James- Harry's incredibly hot father.
and Remus was practically Harry's uncle, along with his long-time boyfriend, Sirius,
"So you're the Moony Harry is always talking about." He chuckled, blushing embarrassingly at the nickname.
"Moony was a nickname from High School, but Remus is difficult for Harry to pronounce so we went with that to make it easier."
You smiled, Harry was a very smart kid for his age.
"so.. James, is he-?"
"single? yeah, he chased after his highschool crush for about seven years at our boarding school, and once she finally gave in they got married quickly. but she eventually realized that she didn't like James that way, and had a thing for our close friend, Mary. so they broke off, luckily it wasn't a nasty divorce but Mary wasn't ready to take on the burden of a child, so James took Harry and now he lives with us."
Remus quickly explained before realizing that was probably a ton to drop onto you all the sudden.
"i-.. sorry, i didn't mean to drop that all on you at once."
"it's alright, and i'm sorry for James."
"he's alright now, the divorce took a large blow onto all of us, since... you know.."
"from the outside it looked perfect, didn't it?"
"couldn't have explained it better myself."
He smiled, sipping on his tea.
"besides, i think he's got his eye on someone."
"oh really? who?"
that was a selfish question.
"you."
"w...what?"
you deadpanned, thinking he was joking.
why hasn't he said he was kidding?
where's the punchline?
"he wont stop bloody rambling about you, Y/N."
"what?!"
"yes! he wouldn't stop talking about how you had these braided pigtails two or three weeks ago and how adorable you looked-"
his rambling about James' minute obsession with you faded into the background as you attempted to process-
James, James Potter, James Fleamont Potter, your favorite students father.
likes you, his sons Kindergarten teacher who probably has black circles under her eyes because she barely sleeps anymore cause she stays up and thinks about him-
"Y/N!"
"WHAT?"
Remus broke you out of your thought jail.
"i said that you need to set something up with him, because i know you like him too and i cant keep being the monkey in the middle and trying to get you both to finally wake the fuck up and date eachother!"
You'd never heard Remus so insistent, he was always so calm and collected.
"Remus... i've never asked anyone out before."
"And? it's really not that difficult."
you sighed, pinching your nose bridge softly.
"fine, fine. I'll talk to him Monday."
and you dreaded Monday, but it also couldn't come soon enough.
after finishing up your classes for the day, you walked Harry to James.
"Hey.. Y/N."
"James."
"Daddy!" Harry went running to James, gripping onto his leg with all of his toddler force.
"He did great today, as usual."
"That's great to hear..."
You accidentally stared into his eyes for moments longer than you should have, but it didn't feel awkward.
"Y/N, I have something i need to tell you."
"i have something i need to tell you too..."
"I like you, alot."
you blushed furiously, why wasn't this easy?
"i-i-i like you too.. alot."
"would you... want to go out for dinner, sometime?"
warnings gn!reader, mentions of small injuries (skinned knees/palms)
first of all i am so glad that we've all collectively decided that percy is a skater boy
second of all if you dont think this mf is going to teach you how to skate. youre incorrect. wrong. loud buzzer sound. try again.
you standing on the board and he's walking beside u, rolling u along and holding ur hands <3
if you guys r sitting on his bed or something and his feet are off the edge you can best believe he's got them on his board and is just rolling it left and right. does that make sense?
he wears converse most of the time but whenever he skates or he knows hes gonna skate at some point during the day he switches them out to a pair of vans that are like the exact same color
HE LETS YOU DRAW ON THEM <3
literally you could draw whatever on them and he'd cherish it and act like its the mona lisa or sumn
"grover!! look!!! y/n drew a horse on my shoes!!! isn't it amazing!!"
"oh thats a horse? i thought it was a whale"
"isnt it amazing 👿🔫"
anyways!!
he's definitely the kind of guy to take u to the skate park and yells "LOOK AT ME BABE" and does some kind of trick
more often than not he fucks it up (he was looking at u 🤭) and falls. and like skins his knee or wtv
if he skinned his palm doing a trick he'll be all pouty while you patch it up.
"babe :( how am i supposed to hold your hand now :( my hand looks like its been to hell and back :("
will ask you to pretty please with a cherry on top to kiss his scratches better <3
he has a playlist that he listens to while he skates around when he's alone and he puts some of your fav songs on it because they remind him of u <3