#unusual mcdonalds

[hometoursandotherstuff]

The McDonald's in Frattocchie, Italy is built on an archaeological site and features three 2,000 yr. old skeletons in a glass-paneled floor.

When construction began, an ancient Roman road was found with 3 skeletons preserved alongside it.

It's mandated by law that any ruins of historical value have to be preserved and made available to the public, so McDonald’s put the road and skeletons under glass in the floor.

McDonald’s also devotes funds to preserving and protecting the road site. 

People joke that the skeletons are waiting for the ice cream machine to be fixed.

https://www.mashed.com/1123456/an-italian-mcdonalds-has-2000-year-old-skeletons-on-display/

[nostalgia-tblr]

i had a thought (oh no). i've seen people say S2 Sylvie is cranky and confrontational because she's only starting the arc Loki is at the end of, but I feel like S2 Sylvie is written as though she has finished her arc, and that now she's freed the multiverse nothing remains to stop her fulfilling all her dreams by retiring to work in a McDonalds.

She will only return to the action to fulfill contractual obligations help out intermittently and unreliably with this new plot that has nothing to do with her other than being a direct consequence that neither she nor anyone else could have predicted because this plot does not actually follow on from the one she was part of before she didn't have all the necessary information about how this story would be dragged out while also not actually dealing with the situation(s) the end of S1. So she's annoyed to discover that things are still broken, but she's retired now and would prefer to be left alone.

Meanwhile Loki's arc is ongoing in S2 as he has yet to realise and accept that all this stuff about Free Will was bullshit and he is literally doomed by the narrative and can best serve those he cares about by becoming a cable tidy.

[angrymac]

chapter 2!

[sleekswosobession]

that’s enough

barça femeni x teen!reader, alexia putellas x fem!reader

request: here

A/N: this is a mess. the plot is like when ur writing an english essay and you let your subconscious mind write it so it ends up splitting into three topics with no context.

TW: throwing up, coarse language

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

Last night, I went out again. It isn’t unusual for me and if I get caught it gets me in trouble with Alexia. I’m not even doing anything bad most of the time, just driving around to take the pressure away. What I don’t factor in this time is the fact that we have an early morning session and a late night session. So if hell was a day, this is it.

First, we have a video session discussing tactics. Which is at 7am, then at 6pm we have a field session. Of course when I wasn’t there when Alexia woke up she immediately called me.

“Where are you? Where’s your car and why aren’t you in the house?” She questions clearly annoyed.

“Relax Alexia, I went out on a little drive, I’ll be there for the video session don’t worry.” She’s about to say more but I hang up. I know I won’t hear the end of this but there can’t be too much harm.

Turns out there can be.

I walk inside the room with my mcdonald’s coffee, I’m not the last person there but Alexia is in the room and shoots daggers at me. I shrug my shoulders, moving to sit next to Ingrid.

“Alexia is really mad, what did you do this time?” She asks, looking at me with a slight smirk.

“I went for a drive to clear my mind. I guess it’s illegal to do that now. I got a coffee though.” She wrinkles her face in disgust.

“Out of all the places to get coffee, you choose the worst one? Honestly kid, please find some place better. Staring at that makes me physically sick.” I roll my eyes.

“I was in a hurry and they call it fast food for a reason. Imagine if I was late? I’m already in trouble.” She nods her head in understanding.

“So, any plans for today or are you going to play Hogwarts Legacy all day.”

“I’m going to watch a movie.” I reply.

“The whole day?” She questions confused.

“Well… I never said I was seeing the movie IN Spain.” She sighs pinching the bridge between her nose.

“That’s not a good idea. Why would you do that?”

“Because I hate subtitles and I don’t want the movie to be in Spanish.” I shrug.

“That’s… a good point. If Alexia finds out you’ve left the country again she’s gonna lose it so have fun and make sure not to tell her you told me.” I nod.

“Will do my friend.” I’ve left the country before, one time to Germany where I accidentally met Georgia Stanway and got drunk with her. And the other time was at the UK in which I got into some nasty fights against some sad Arsenal fans. Like yes I was taunting them but no reason to attack me. I won in the end, obviously.

So if Alexia finds out I’ve left again she will be so mad. I focus my attention to the screen in front of us and listen in on what whatever Jona has to say.

- - - - -

After the session, I quickly make my way out of the room and into my car. I’m almost gone but Alexia is right behind me and she bangs on the window. I groan pulling it down.

“Hi Aleeee.”

“Don’t you ‘Hi Ale.’ me. Where have you been and how long? Do not lie to me.” I sigh.

“I went out on a drive around town, it’s so pretty at night, so excuse me if I want to look at it. Now if you must know. I’m on a tight schedule so, may you please move so I can move?” I ask, she reluctantly agrees and steps back allowing me to drive off to the airport.

(this is rlly fast paced but you can imagine whatever movie you want during the time skip)

- - - - -

It’s currently 5pm, I’ve been out all day the flights were only 2 hours and they were cheap. I don’t know why the others think of this stuff. Maybe I’m just Australian though.

I notice my stomach feels off, but it’s probably because I’m dehydrated and haven’t eaten a proper meal all day. Only a large popcorn and 2 packets of skittles.

I arrive at the grounds just in time and walk in with Sandra. I walk over to my area and get changed into the kit, before walking out onto the field with Lucy.

“You alright mate? You’re pale.” She states.

“I’m good, little tired is all.” I can tell she doesn’t believe me but we walk on.

The session is gruelling, high intensity and does not do anything to help what I’m feeling. Alexia has been pushing me harder than anyone else which is annoying and I low-key want to fall to the ground. That would only result in more laps though.

The 1.5 hour session ends, we have dinner which lasts half an hour than another 45 minutes in the gym. Both of which I am not excited for.

I can’t even think of anything when it happens, I feel bile rise up my throat and I just know that I should’ve eaten a proper meal. I make it into the bathroom in the nick of time, spilling my guts into the bowl. Someone is in here holding my tied back hair but I can’t be bothered to find who.

When I finally stop gagging, I flush the toilet and lean against the wall staring in front of me to find Keira.

“You feel any better or do you want to stay here.” She asks, resting her hand on my cheek. I shrug my shoulders as she sighs.

The door opens again and it’s Lucy.

“Oh, there you guys are. What happened?” Lucy turns to Keira.

“I was walking by the bathrooms and heard someone gagging and here she was throwing up.” She nods her head and I go to stand up.

“NO! No, you are not doing that. What if you throw up again? I’m going to get Alexia. Right now.” Lucy says sternly.

“Nooo, get Ingrid instead? Please Lucy.”

“Fine.” She walks out leaving Keira and I alone again.

“Mind telling me what lead to this moment?” I nod, explaining the staying up all night to not eating any proper food.

“That’ll do it. Can’t believe you just got on a flight to London.”

“It’s not even that long, it’s a great way to spend time. It’s like you saying a 45 minute drive is long. That’s how long it takes for me to get to school when I’m in Australia.” She shakes her head.

“Aussies sense of time is so out of whack I’m telling ya!” The door is opened again as Ingrid and Lucy make their way inside.

Ingrid sighs, “What are we going to do with you huh?” I laugh.

“Come on, let’s get you to the medics and then you can go home. I’ll drive your car and before you say anything we will be telling Alexia.” I nod, knowing there’s no escape.

We get to the medical room and Alexia is already there, talking about her knee with one of the physios. She looks over in question, Ingrid pushes me forward while Keira explains everything to the doctor. Who explains for me to eat a proper meal and drink some actual water. Before going to bed to get actual sleep.

Alexia is fuming, muttering many curse words and dragging me out of there. We get our stuff and give my keys to Mapi who nods at the plan of getting my car back home.

- - - - -

We walk through the door and Alexia guides me to the couch.

“I have had enough of this. We need to set some rules ok? You are 16 in a foreign country, you can’t go around to other countries when you fucking feel like it. I don’t care if you didn’t do anything bad but I can’t have you out of this city without me. Got it? As for the night driving, we’ll set a curfew and I expect you to be back by a certain time and you won’t be able to leave until a certain time. I told your parents I’d watch out for you but you are seriously making it hard for me to live up to that.”

“Sorry Ale.” She shakes her head.

“I’m not doing this with you right now. I’m going to make you a proper meal, you will drink 1 litre of water then you are heading straight to bed. No phone, no xbox, nothing until I deem you can be trusted. Am I clear?” I nod, feeling like I was 12 again.

“You might think this is excessive but I care about you. I want you to be safe, I need you to be safe. So please, make it easier for both of us.” Shes pleading now and it makes me feel bad, tears brim at the edge of my eyes and she sits down next to me.

“Amorcita, don’t cry. Por favor.” She rubs my thigh.

“I’m sorry Ale, I didn’t mean to. The night drives just lessen my anxiety about some things, you know. Like therapy.”

“I know, but you can speak to me about it any time if you feel you’re spiraling. Anyone on the team. Don’t do stupid things to get us to notice. Just talk I’m always here.” I sob into her arms, I can feel all the anger she has fade.

“Thanks, this means so much. Again I’m sorry.” She shakes her head.

“Don’t be, but I would like to know why you travelled to England to watch a movie, don’t you hate England?” This has me laughing.

“I mean… I do but in Spain it’s either gonna be in Spanish or have subtitles and I wanted it in English without.” She laughs softly.

“Of course, now how do you feel about Chicken Burgers for dinner? With potato gems.” I nod my head. She gets up and walks into the Kitchen starting to make the food.

Maybe I can start trying, and maybe I am truly cared about more than I thought. This team 🫶.

A/N: I LOVE SICKFICS I HAD TO. if you see any sickfic requested, i probs requested it lol

[raphael-angele]

Nico Protection Squad

WARNING: Use of hateful slur

Nico, coming home from school with Percy: Hey, Reyna. Hey, Jason.

Reyna: Hey, Nico.

Jason: Hey, Buddy

Percy: Hey, guys. Uh, Nico, why don't you go to your room and rest. We need to talk.

Nico: Mkay. *leaves*

Percy: Make sure to do your homework, alright?

Nici: Uh huh!

Reyna: What happened?

Jason: Is he okay?

Percy: ...we need to call the team

---Later---

At one of their rooms:

Percy: Good day, everyone. I know it's late and it's unusual for me to call a meeting at this time but this is an emergency

Annabeth: But first, an attendance check. Annabeth? Here. Bianca?

Hazel: Oh, she comes back next week

Annabeth: Ok. Jason? Here. Thalia? Here. Percy? Here. Hazel? Here. Piper? Here. Reyna? Here. Will? Here. Grover? Here. Leo? Here. Frank? Here. And Mr. D? Present! Ok, that should be everyone. Take it away Percy

Percy, clearing his throat: Okay, I need you guys to swear that you will not go berserk right after this and you will remain seated until we have a plan.

Everyone:

Percy: So, I was picking up Nico from class. On the drive back, he...

Hazel: He what?

Percy: He...asked me what a faggot was.

Everyone:

Thalia: WHAT THE FUCK?!?!

Will: Is he okay?!

Hazel: Where did he even learn that from?!

Jason: Did someone call him that?!?!?

Reyna: WHO THE HELL WOULD CALL HIM THAT?!?!?

Leo: Every single douchebag in school, of course!

Piper: You think they'd learn their lesson after the first time

Percy: *gavels* Order! Order!

Grover: I think we're all missing the point here. How's Nico doing?

Percy: He's fine. I asked him where he knew the word from. He said someone was calling him that, a couple of students a year above him apparently.

Frank: What happened then?

Percy: I asked him if he knew their names. He didn't and he asked me again what it meant.

Will: What did you say?

Percy: I didn't answer. There was a McDonalds right there and I went for it. He took the bait and has been quiet for the whole car ride.

Grover: So...what do we do?

Leo: OH! *raises his hand* WE'LL SET THEIR LOCKERS ON FIRE!

Thalia: I think what Grover meant was what do we do for now? We don't know these guys, and we don't know how much it's affecting Nico.

Reyna: Thalia's right. We need to have a plan to protect Nico and catch these bastards.

Annabeth: Percy and I already thought about it.

Percy: Introducing the Pick up/Drop off Nico Chart. We each get a schedule of when to pick him up, and when to drop him off

Annabeth: And to make sure we catch these guys, we think it would be best to see Nico off to his classrooms or at least the building.

Thalia, raising her hand: Uhm-

Percy: Don't worry. We adjusted it for times you guys are away. Which is why we used magnets to represent us. See? I'm the water droplet, Annabeth's the owl, Grover's the goat, Leo's the fire, you're the tree, Hazel's the-

Annabeth: They get it, Percy. All in favor of the chart say aye

Everyone, raises their hand: Aye!

Leo: So how are we gonna get back at these guys?

Jason: We could tell them off to the dean

Percy: You'd suggest that, wouldn't you, Mr. Goody Two Shoes?

Piper: I can charmspeak them to do embarassing stuff

Percy: Eh, we need something more

Annabeth: I'm writing that one down, it sounds funny

Mr D.: I am the God of Insanity. I can just drive them crazy.

Annabeth: Mr. D, no.

Percy: Not a bad idea though. I'm writing it down.

Will: Wait. I think I figured out another problem

Percy: What is it, Will?

Will: Who tells Bianca?

Everyone:

Percy: ...all in favor of keeping this a secret from Bianca, say aye?

Everyone, terrified: Aye!

Will: Whu- Percy, no. Remember that time you didn't tell her about how you accidentally destoryed Nico's mythomagic cards and made him sad for nearly a month?

Percy: *shivers* I still get nightmares from that.

Annabeth: Fine. Who tells her?

Everyone: *looks at Reyna and Thalia*

Reyna: No

Thalia: Absolutely not.

Mr. D: Hang on. If Bianca is so terrifying, why not just give the guys to her?

Percy: Mr. D, although that's a tempting plan, there is no telling what Bianca will do to those guys if we let her get near them.

Mr. D: She can't be THAT scary.

Everyone: Yes, she can.

Percy: With what she did to me? She might as well have sent me to Tartarus!

Frank: Gods, what did she do to him?

Annabeth: She took away all the blue in our apartment and replaced them with orange.

Percy: It took a month before she put them back! There was no blue food for a month!

[verysium]

please write something about blue lock as cat dads, like we have cat and its batshit insane <3

my cat was furiously scratching at my bedroom door this morning, so i'm taking that as a sign to write this. here you go anon:

rin owns a void. black fur with bluish green eyes and sharp little fangs. rin adopted him as an emotional support animal after sae left for spain. his name is kuro (黑) which means "black" in japanese because the itoshis are just unoriginal with all pet names. sometimes the cat camouflages with the furniture, but rin knows its habits too well to accidentally sit on him. they have an almost telepathic bond. kuro follows a very strict routine. feeding times are 7 in the morning before rin's football practice and 6 in the evening during dinner. he is calm and quiet most of the time but hisses whenever there are birds in the window. very shy around strangers. will curl his tail around rin's leg and peek out from time to time but does not have the courage to actually approach. sometimes if rin has free time, he takes kuro out to the park and lets him chase after the butterflies. kuro is also very intelligent. knows how to unlock doors, fetch the newspaper, and clean up after using the potty. sometimes spaces out when rin watches his horror movies at night. will blink at the screen owlishly. he's not very skittish when it comes to jumpscares. he just doesn't understand what's going on in the film. his favorite time of the year is during the holidays when rin goes back to kamakura to visit his parents. mama itoshi always sneaks kuro an extra fish bone.

oliver has a cat with heterochromia. his name is björn which is swedish for bear because he is a massive maine coon. flirts with all the tabby cats in his neighborhood and purrs loudly to show off. incredibly fluffy but sheds a lot. very strong physically. one time he moved oliver's entire closet because he did not like how it was blocking his cat door. secretly the leader of a cat gang, but oliver doesn't know. pretty chill most of the time and enjoys large family gatherings. multilingual because he can respond to commands in swedish, japanese, and german. he also knows a little bit of danish. oliver taught him a few tricks as a kitten. he can twirl around, roll over, and give high-fives. despite his large size, björk is very flexible and light on his feet. one time he got into the cookie jar on the top pantry shelf, and oliver's mom had to shoo him out.

shidou has an orange cat named ryu (竜) which is an alternative form of the kanji for "dragon" (龍). it is also adapted from the first character in his name "ryusei." his cat looks exactly like how mcdonald's sprite tastes. very spicy. does not sleep at night. his business hours are from three in the morning to whenever he passes out. drifts like a literal race car and makes vrooming sound effects. ryu took one whiff of catnip as a kitten and has never been the same since. all of his toys are shredded. prefers taking the head off first. you will find cotton stuffing everywhere. he destroyed the brand new cat bed shidou got for him, so now he's been downgraded to a cardboard box. ryu is prohibited from all open windows especially the ones with pull-down blinds because he once saw a squirrel and went absolutely feral. only eats raw meat and refuses to even touch dried kibble. sits beside shidou whenever he orders yukhoe from the local korean restaurant. feasts on all the scraps.

barou has a tuxedo cat. her name is mimi, and she is the sweetest cat in existence. claws are always trimmed. licks herself clean. unusually calm at the vet and groomer and is one of the few cats who actually enjoys baths. sometimes helps barou with cleaning by catching all the dust bunnies. his apartment is also insect-free thanks to her. she is, in fact, a baddie. the tomcat next door has tried to get her attention for over a year now, but she refuses to be swayed. he gave her a dead rat once, but mimi swatted it away before telling him he better start paying some bills and look somewhat hygienic before she even looked his way. the only man in her life is barou, and it will stay that way. mimi is also a polydactyl cat, so it looks like she's wearing white mittens. sometimes barou comes home from practice exhausted and collapses face first into bed, and mimi will crawl onto his back to knead his muscles for him.

nagi has a scottish fold. she has white fur and brown eyes, hence her name yuki which is japanese for "snow." she is very similar to nagi. lazy and sleeps all day. their favorite activity together is sunbathing. eats a lot but somehow still manages to stay in shape. she often sits upright like a human and kneads the fur on her tummy. as a kitten, she mirrored nagi's actions, so he got her a mini video game controller. it doesn't actually work, but she gets to press on the buttons whenever nagi is gaming. makes her feel very involved. scientists have also classified her as a liquid. she can get herself through every nook and cranny. even the two millimeter crack under the bedroom door. her favorite place in the house is her bed. has two fluffy blankets and a teddy bear. during winter, she moves her bed closer to the heater. has unofficial beef with choki because she tried to eat him once. ended up with spines in her mouth and never touched a houseplant after that. choki still has a giant missing chunk from where his arm was bitten off.

reo has a persian cat. her royal title is kana-hime because she is a spoiled princess. she has silky fur that smells like perennial roses. has an entire room to herself and a private chef. reo has like 3134736845 pictures of her on his phone. she is even included in the holiday cards and family portrait above the fireplace mantel. her collar is made of sterling silver with a diamond in the nameplate. very coquette. pink bows are her favorite. sensitive paws so reo customized a pair of small fur booties for her. clingy and has attachment issues (just like her owner.) sometimes goes on playdates with yuki. said playdates involve yuki just sitting there while kana-hime gives her a full body grooming session and makeover.

sae owns a siamese. light blue eyes and a dark patch of fur on her face and paws. she does not have a name because sae never formally adopted her. one morning he had gone to practice and returned to a mother and her kittens on his fire escape. sae did not keep the kittens, but unfortunately the mother was very persistent, so he let her stay. despite originally being a stray, she is very clean. always licking herself and sae's hands. not very picky but has a preference for seafood, specifically surume. very productive during the day. rearranges her bed and water bowl. scratches her post five to six times. takes a daily stroll on the rooftops of madrid. she doesn't have a collar, but somehow always manages to return safely to sae's window. has an almost sixth sense when it comes to his emotions. if she senses he is tired, she will hop onto his lap and force him to lay down and give her pets. if she sees that he is stressed, she rubs her head under his chin to calm him down. probably the only emotional attachment sae has had ever since he left japan.

kaiser has a norwegian forest cat. it has golden fur, dark stripes, and blue eyes. has a little mane around his neck, so he resembles a small lion. his name is klaus. basically a mini kaiser. preens in front of the mirror every morning alongside michael. prances around as if he owns the entire establishment. bullies other cats but is scared shitless in the presence of dogs (even chihuahuas). has a little habit of gently biting kaiser's finger. not enough to draw blood but enough to leave a little imprint from his fangs. it's his way of showing love. nuzzles against kaiser's neck tattoo when he picks klaus up. a very needy baby at night. cannot sleep well in any place that is not michael's bed. needs to be tucked in like a child with his stuffed animals and blankets. ends up sleeping on kaiser's face by the time the morning rolls around. has perfect loafs, as in 11/10 if it was a competition. side-eyes ness whenever he comes to visit. extremely judgmental to the point kaiser suspects klaus must have been a human in his past life. knows how to pose for photos and even tilts his head to capture a good angle.

[symbioticsimplicity]

I firmly believe that punk!Steve and babygirl!Steve can and should coexist together.

Punk has never been about following rules and being what you're expected to be. And for that reason it houses a lot of queer folk.

As he gets more accustomed to the scene, he finds himself meeting more and more people with unusual gender presentations. Things he didn’t really think of as an option. He learns that not only is how he feels valid, but its okay to feel that way. It takes him some time, and support (Robin takes point on this one, she's had a biweekly appointment to fist fight gender out back of the McDonald's parking lot since 7th grade, she gets it) but he lets himself explore.

He finds out that maybe his father's riged definition of what "being a man" is was wrong. He thinks maybe he can make his own definition. He enjoys what hes doing, and he's not hurting anyone so really its no one's business and that's that.

He learns that he likes lace, but fishnets pull on his leg and chest hair so he tries shaving that. He likes the feeling of being soft and smooth but its a lot of work so he really only does it as a treat. He puts baby pink laces in his combat boots instead of his regular ones. He tries mascara and immediately adds it too his standard makeup kit (its just a little thing but he got tired of stealing everyone else's.) He tries baby pink lip gloss and adores it. He paints his nails whatever color he feels like and leaves them until they chip off. When he jeans tear in awkward places, he patches them with pink plaid patches.

Even his jacket evolves with him. He cuts the sleeves and stiches them back up with the black lace hes cannibalized from a cast off shirt he stained. The back, which is made of music lyrics and nicknames of his scrawled messily across it (King Steve is there but its been proudly graffied over by Baby-Sitter), gets a new nickname added. "Babygirl".

Eddie took to calling him that when Steve took the time to get prettied up to this new level. He almost walked into a stop sign the first time and Eddie apologized profusely. Steve had asked him to say it again, which he did. Steve liked it, no, he loved it. It spoke to some place he hadn't known existed inside of him and quickly became one of his favorite petnames to be called.

When Pretty in Pink comes out, Pretty in Punk joins the phrases scrawled on Steve's back.

[adobe-outdesign]

Thoughts on the Aisha? It’s been my favorite neopet ever since I got a mcdonalds plushie of it when I was like 8 before I even knew what neopets was

Aisha are great because they're almost somewhat normal cat-like creatures—except they have two pairs of ears, one normal set and one set sticking up like antennae. These ears are the most important part of their design, as they're both visually distinct and very memorable.

Aishas also vaguely implied to have some degree of extra-terrestrial origins due to the existence of alien Aishas, which is a nice bit of worldbuilding and helps explain the weird ears even more (not that they're that unusual by Neopet standards, but still, it's neat).

In addition to the four ears, the other main notable thing about Aishas is their near-constant closed eyes (though some Aisha characters do have theirs open), which are punctuated by a ring around the outside. The ring is nice, as it helps break up their otherwise solid body colors a bit.

I'd also argue that Aishas benefited greatly from customization. First, their old artwork was getting very dated and needed a refresh anyways, and secondly, the only real change is that they're standing now, which doesn't really affect anything.

But the other big benefit the Aisha received is that their collars became a wearable item that can now be removed. I'm not going to lie, I never liked the collars. First, they're weird because in-universe, Neopets are anthropomorphic, and indeed, no Aisha characters sport the collars. Secondly, as a species, where do those collars come from, and why do Aishas wear them? And thirdly, they tend to add unnecessary color to their designs (like how the blue and green Aishas shown above sport red and yellow collars—though this varies depending on paint job). The "A" tag also feels clunky. They're not the worst, but having the choice to remove the collars or keep them is the best of both worlds.

The only big benefit to the collars is that they do sometimes do some really fun things with them depending on the color, as I've spotlighted below.

Favorite colours:

Alien: No Aisha review would be complete with talking about alien Aishas, which are absolutely iconic in their own right. Species-specific colors are always enjoyable, and the fact that the alien Aishas have SIX ears is fantastic. I also like the spacesuit/helmet combo, and the red triangle at least accents the red color a bit if you choose to keep it on. I just wish they had done something fun and futuristic with the collar, instead of sticking to the standard version.

Darigan: The converted version of this pet isn't terrible, but the unconverted version is fantastic. The thin body looks great, almost snake-like, and the pointed tail matches the tall ears, which are given a delightful devil-horn look. The spots help break up the body a bit, as does the addition of an underbelly, and the collar changes shape to a D for darigan, which is fun.

Mutant: Mutant Aishas, my beloved! What a great design. Replacing the second pair of ears with mouths and then accenting the pink lips with floppy, tongue-like spikes on the back is just great, with the pink working great against the blue. Bonus shoutout for the singular eye and the mutated "A" on the collar. My only nitpick is that the collar tag should've been the lighter teal of the stripes on the ears, and the band should've been pink.

BONUS: I'm cheating by including this, but I have to give a shout-out to the baby Aisha for being downright adorable with its little binky collar and soft blue color. I'm not usually big on baby pets, but this one's actually pretty great.

[apod]

2024 January 3

A SAR Arc from New Zealand Image Credit & Copyright: Tristian McDonald; Text: Tiffany Lewis (Michigan Tech U.)

Explanation: What is that unusual red halo surrounding this aurora? It is a Stable Auroral Red (SAR) arc. SAR arcs are rare and have only been acknowledged and studied since 1954. The featured wide-angle photograph, capturing nearly an entire SAR arc surrounding more common green and red aurora, was taken earlier this month from Poolburn, New Zealand, during an especially energetic geomagnetic storm. Why SAR arcs form remains a topic of research, but is likely related to Earth's protective magnetic field, a field created by molten iron flowing deep inside the Earth. This magnetic field usually redirects incoming charged particles from the Sun's wind toward the Earth's poles. However, it also traps a ring of ions closer to the equator, where they can gain energy from the magnetosphere during high solar activity. The energetic electrons in this ion ring can collide with and excite oxygen higher in Earth's ionosphere than typical auroras, causing the oxygen to glow red. Ongoing research has uncovered evidence that a red SAR arc can even transform into a purple and green STEVE.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240103.html

[the-ace-with-spades]

Concept: Christopher only realizes how serious of a trauma the tsunami was when he's already almost finishing high school.

I know in the show he's got nightmares about the tsunami but I couldn't help notice how the nightmares are more about Shannon dying in the tsunami than the tsunami itself, which is understandable given that his mom's death was sudden and probably unexplained to him beyond 'there was an accident'. So his brain was probably struggling to process that she's not coming back ever again, like she did when he asked for her to be back on Christmas.

The nightmares aren't about him or even about Buck. Kids' brains can be weird about trauma.

(Skippable context: When I was seven, my dad and I had a car accident. The car behind us skidded on black ice when we were on a river bridge, hit us and we hit another car that swiveled down the hill into the river and then we also hit the balustrade hard enough the front of our car was dangling out. The people in front of us died in the water. We were moved back onto the road by the firefighters after about half an hour, with my dad staring at that river the whole time.

I didn't remember it like that at all, only learned the above from the firefighter who had checked me out on the scene and remembered me years later when my dad set the hedge on fire and the same station answered the call, literally said 'I didn't cut you out of that car so you could set the whole village on fire' to my dad. I only remembered my dad telling me if I wait patiently in the car, he's going to get me McDonald's tomorrow and asking me what I'd written in the letter to Santa (which 6yo me refused to say because it was a list for Santa only) and the firefighter teddy bear Stefan I got from the mentioned firefighter. I literally went on with my life like nothing happened. Like, my dad's leg had stitches but he said it was alright because 'scars are cool', and I literally begged my mum so she'd let me go to school the next day so I wouldn't miss the clay day and then in the evening called out my dad for not taking me for my promised Happy Meal. No nightmares, no fears of bridges, cars or rivers. I didn't even connect that the new car wasn't there because my dad got bored of the last one like he said, but because the old one was totaled.)

So what if Chris only realized how serious the tsunami was years and years later when, idk, they were writing personal statements for college applications and 'the day that changed your life' question comes up and everyone has some either traumatizing or motivational examples but he doesn't know how to answer. And one of his friends says, "Weren't you caught in the tsunami with your dad?" (which, by that point Buck and Eddie are married and he calls Buck pops). And his automatic, absent-minded answer is, "Yeah, but that wasn't a big deal."

And everyone just stares. Because he said surviving a tsunami wasn't a big deal.

Chris knows where they're coming from because if someone told him they survived a tsunami, he wouldn't dismiss them and tell them it's not a big deal.

And obviously, he vaguely remembers asking Buck where all the water went and he remembers that the run Buck did with him in his arms after that was kind of funny and then the water hit.

But he doesn't remember the water hitting him or destroying stuff on its way, just remembers Buck telling him to keep swimming and that he's got him. And the next thing he remembers, they're on the fire truck and Buck is helping people and Chris felt so proud for helping by watching the ropes (which, now he knows was a distraction, duh) and then he remembers Buck just telling him to wait patiently and then playing I Spy and it was kind of fun again and Buck was hugging him and just, it was nice, a bit unusual, but kinda felt like they were just sitting on abuela's back porch, but wet.

Even when he fell into the water again, he wasn't that scared because he heard Buck jumping after him and he was sure he'd get to him in a minute or so. And then the water retrieved and some nice lady helped him and he was still kind of fine because he knew Buck would find him and then they could go to the aquarium like Buck promised early in the day. In fact, the process of looking for Buck was the only time he remembers feeling scared - because he was thinking, what if Buck doesn't find him before Dad comes back after work to pick him up? Dad is going to be mad at Buck if they aren't there.

He just never clocked in how close to dying he was, or how close to dying Buck was.

And that day he comes back from school and asks Eddie if he can tell him what happened during the tsunami because he remembers it differently than he probably should. Eddie gets really quiet and tells him, "I don't know. I never asked Buck for details. All that mattered to me was that the two of you were in one piece."

In the time it takes for Buck to get back home, he rationalizes that maybe it wasn't a big deal to Buck either, he was a firefighter, he probably dealt with enough of that stuff to not really be that affected, and maybe it was just different for both of them.

But then he asks Buck if he can tell him about the tsunami and Buck gets really quiet and pale and finally says, "It was the worst day of my life."

[mattsturnioloarchive]

Imagine being in a relationship with Christopher Sturniolo (Part 2)

Disclaimers: It's my first time writing, so forgive me if it's not great. Nothing written here reflects reality, so please, don't freak out. It's just something written from fan to fan. If you don't like this type of content, don't read it. This content is original, written by me. English is not my first language, so feel free to correct me on anything.

• You'll be even more in love and find it hilarious when Chris tries to cook for you. He'll do his best to make the best dish you've ever eaten, and sometimes he'll succeed, but other times it'll be a disaster, and the only way out will be going to McDonald's while laughing at the situation and getting a large soda to wash away the bad taste of the food. And you're the only person on earth he doesn't mind sharing food and drinks with, but he'll obviously always be taking a bite or a sip of your food and drink too.

• He'll take you to do all the activities that you both love. And then, he'll take you grocery shopping, where he'll buy any snacks or things you like, even without you asking, because he knows what your favorite things are. He'll gift you with anything he thinks suits you, no matter the cost. Chris definitely doesn't mind spending on you.

• He'll make a special playlist to listen to with you, with songs that remind him of you, songs that make him feel good, and if you show that you're enjoying the playlist as much as he is, that'll be heaven for him. And he loves seeing you in the driver's seat, driving all focused.

• Chris prefers to break away from the conventional most of the time. Common and traditional dates, like a fancy candlelit restaurant, aren't really his thing, and luckily, not yours either. You both enjoy more unusual and casual dates, like going to the arcade, visiting a playground, watching live sports, going to concerts, and then spending the night wandering around the city. You're not against tradition and romance, but you like to be creative and have the freedom to have fun together.

• No matter where you two are, Chris will always look for you and try to be close to you. He feels safer by your side, so when you're not around, he feels lost and too insecure to do anything. But the moment he finds you in the crowd, he'll immediately feel calmer and more confident. And he'll always smile when he sees you, it's the most beautiful thing in the whole universe.

Part 1

tag: @leah-loves-lilies

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Al-Jazeera Arabic publishes new footage of desperate, starving Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza being shot and killed in cold blood by Zionist snipers who targeted the civilians as they attempted to retrieve food aid that was air dropped into Gaza a distance from where the group had been gathered, a direct violation of International humanitarian law and a crime against humanity.]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏠💥🚑 🚨

ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES CAUGHT OPENING GUNFIRE ON STARVING PALESTINIANS ON DAY 182 OF GENOCIDE

On the 182nd day of "Israel's" Special Genocide Operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 5 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 54 civilians, mostly women and children, while another 82 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, many victims remain trapped under the rubble of buildings they were sheltering in at the time of being bombed and shelled, who, although presumed dead, are unable to be reached due to the IOF actively blocking paramedic and civil defense crews from reaching the sites of Israeli attacks.

Meanwhile, in an unusual move, the McDonald's corporation will be buying the entirety of the Alonyal McDonald's franchise In "Israel", which includes a total of 225 stores, employing approximately 5'000 Israelis.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinsky said the franchise has seen "meaningful business impact" as a result of boycotts and protests organized by the BDS movement against the Israeli franchise, along with other McDonald's chains, after the Israeli franchise announced it would be offering free meals to Zionist soldiers committing a genocide in the Gaza Strip, beginning after the events of October 7th.

McDonalds added that it “remains committed to the Israeli market and to ensuring a positive employee and customer experience in the market going forward."

Sales growth for the McDonald's division of the Middle East, India and China were down significantly, with sales growth for October-December at just 0.7%, well below the market expectations of 5.5%.

Similarly, sales for Starbucks, another U.S. company which has deep financial ties to "Israel," while the leadership of the company holds an openly Pro-"Israel" stance, has also seen significant harm to sales due to boycotts and protests, prompting CEO Laxman Narasimhan to state back in February that Starbucks had seen an "significant impact on traffic and sales."

Meanwhile, the Zionist entity's authorities released a total of 101 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza who were kidnapped and detained by the IOF during its war of genocide in Gaza, many of whom showed signs of torture, and included some prisoners who were taken during "Israel's" raid of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, occupation warplanes bombarded agricultural lands in the vicinity of the Salah al-Din Gate, along the Egypt-Palestine border in the city of Rafah, in the south of Gaza.

At the same time, the carnage of "Israel's" war of genocide in Gaza resumed on Friday, with renewed artillery shelling of the central and western Khan Yunis governate, while the IOF also resumed bombing on the southern Gazan city of Rafah.

Intense Zionist airstrikes targeted Sheikh Zayed City, in the north of the Gaza Strip, while the central governate of Gaza also saw renewed artillery shelling.

At midnight, Zionist fighter jets bombed several residential buildings in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City, in the north of Gaza, while occupation forces directed an intense artillery bombardment on the southwestern and southeastern areas of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, as well as directing artillery fire on residential homes to the east of the Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The resumed intense Zionist bombardments across the Gaza Strip led to dozens of deaths overnight, along with the wounding of scores of others, including women and children, many of whom remain buried under the rubble of their homes and shelters.

IOF jets also bombed several residential homes in the Batn al-Sameen neighborhood, located to the southwest of Khan Yunis, while also bombing the village of Abasan, to the east of Khan Yunis.

Elsewhere, Zionist forces withdrew troops from the eastern region of Tanzania, coinciding with the intense bombardment of the area.

Tragically, local paramedic and civil defense personnel recovered the bodies of of three martyred civilians from the town of Al-Qarara, to the north of Khan Yunis.

At the same time, Israeli occupation warplanes bombed various parts of the central Gaza Strip, including the areas of Al-Nuseirat, Al-Maghazi, Al-Zawayda, and Deir al-Balah, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 15 Palestinian civilians, and also wounding a number of others.

Zionist occupation air forces also bombed a gathering of civilians near the Abu Holi Junction, northwest of Al-Qarara, resulting in the deaths of at least three civilians and wounding a multitude of others.

Back in northern Gaza, in yet another horrific tragedy, occupation warplanes bombed civilian structures in the Beit Hanoun area, with a second strike targeting paramedic crews as they attempted to transport the dead and wounded to a nearby hospital.

As a result of "Israel's" Special Genocide Operation in the Gaza Strip, the death toll among the Palestinian population has risen in excess of 33'091 civilians killed, over 25'000 of those martyred being among women and children according to the United States Pentagon, while another 75'750 others have been wounded since the start of the latest round of Zionist aggression, beginning on October 7th, 2023.

#source1

#source2

#source3

#source4

#source5

#videosource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[coralcatsea]

what do alfred and arthur have in common? I think Alfred is more like Francis

-They're silly. Alfred more obviously so, but Arthur is as well. They both put on cat ears to 'prank' Japan and have random little races with each other just because. Hima himself said he can't decide if Arthur is a serious person or not.

-They're animal lovers. Arthur adopted a cat, named him Larry, and spoiled him. Alfred is literally depicted hugging a bunch of animals (including a gator) that the presidents had as pets. And he has a whale.

-Both grew up mainly alone. Arthur spent a lot of his childhood alone, so he assumes it's normal and tells Alfred he will be fine by himself, too. Arthur ends up away taking care of his own nation duties most of the time, and Alfred is shown just kind of doing things by himself.

-They have weird taste in food. Arthur's is either bland or burnt (though he's gotten better) while Alfred has all those neon cakes. Arthur also loves McDonald's and that cheesy American food he tried in the courtroom strips. They both love sweets as well.

-They like to tease. Arthur told Alfred with a big smirk that he might be a snakeman for Halloween, and Alfred is scared of snakes. They also lightheartedly teased each other over the phone about their political problems. Once when they were camping/spying at night, Alfred tried to tease Arthur about how the atmosphere felt like 'bloodthirsty monsters' were about to come out of nowhere. Arthur said if he were a monster, he'd avoid Alfred, and Alfred winked and said, "Well, it can get pretty dangerous around me!"

-They both like seeing each other in questionable/skimpy outfits, such as the Robin costume, a Rio Carnivale outfit, and Alfred's April Fool's outfit.

-They're both competitive. There's the whole Halloween competition they always have, and then there was that random race that I mentioned earlier.

-They're interested in old coins, as depicted in that strip about Arthur showing Alfred an old coin he found.

-They have a hard time being honest, and hide their vulnerability since they're sensitive to rejection. Alfred is tentative to admit how much Arthur means to him, like when Arthur was dying, or when he rejected Arthur's offer of friendship – despite very obviously wanting to be his friend given how much he goes out of his way to find excuses to hang out. In turn, Alfred's rejections make Arthur put up walls and come up with excuses of his own when he does things for Alfred, such as giving him food.

-They like showing off/impressing the other. Again, the coin Arthur excitedly showed Alfred. There were multiple times Alfred showed off during the Industrial Revolution, and then when Arthur was giving Alfred a tour of his country, he started texting his magical friends to come over the second Alfred expressed interest in wanting to see something fantastical.

-They're prideful. This goes along with the two points made above.

-The attention they give each other is mutual. Here's a whole post dedicated to the topic.

-Both love Halloween and scary things. They try to scare each other, Arthur has a tendency to sing creepy songs and likes ghost stories, and Alfred likes watching scary films and playing scary games even if they freak him out.

-Both love steampunk. Arthur got really excited when he found out Alfred shared this interest.

-They both have unusual friends. Tony, the whale, Flying Mint Bunny, and other magical creatures.

-They both like fantasy. Arthur watches fantasy movies and Alfred mentioned wanting to see fantastical things on his tour of England.

-They both like romanticism. Arthur is said to become a romanticist before he goes to bed and Alfred expressed an interest in romanticism on his tour of England.

-They both have experience as isolated countries. Arthur has his "Splendid Isolation" and the U.S. has spent a lot of time being isolationist as well.

-They're both intelligent. Arthur is described as sharp-witted and creative in his bio. Alfred is also creative, interested in archaeology, and is actually capable of reading the atmosphere, he just chooses whether or not to do so based on the situation.

-They value each other's opinions. England takes America's advice on how to improve his products, and America prompts England to give his plan a critique despite being sensitive to criticism. Also, Alfred wouldn't be sensitive to Arthur's criticism if he didn't care about his opinion.

-They like to please each other. Arthur often gives Alfred food, like ice cream and chocolate bars. In Hetalia Fantasia, Alfred planned and created an entire dungeon for months, only invited Arthur, and offered the prize of raising his stats extremely high if he won.

[mncein]

zcp! : 01. when i get to heaven (half written) —

whoever, and whatever the stranger wants from minji, she totally looks like a creep. and the last thing she would want to do is meet the person. but she knew it was not necessary for her to judge so quickly.

so her plans of avoiding the unknown dropped off seeing that they're walking closer and closer. minji hurriedly posted a tweet, a sort of virtual prayer... in hopes of it helping the current situation that she'll be experiencing sooner or later in her life, just let her be.

you suck in a heavy breath, the feeling of overwrought flowing through your systems while you approach. it wasn't like you haven't gone through your ways of asking a girl for her number, in fact you have a lot of techniques, this girl just has an unusual effect on you.

you gently reach and pat down the wrinkle in the lower area of your clothing, assuming that you look presentable in the eyes of the worker, which was the entire opposite. you had your beanie on, a sweater, some baggy pants you didn't know that was in your closet, hands shoved inside your pockets, and a mask (that you don't know you wore either)? your whole body is nearly covered whole.

that leaves minji to wonder if the word 'cute' was right to describe you, considering the fact that she only had seen your eyes. without further comment, she puts on a smile. you unintentionally got lost on how she put on a grin, that someone else got first in the line, minji can't help but stifle a laugh.

"damn it..." you muttered under your breath. as a reaction, you crossed your arms as you waited in line in embarrassment, avoiding to meet the worker's gaze on you.

minji uncontrollably giggles at what she just saw. well, having a cute creep isn't actually creepy at all, is it? you had the same effect on her that she forgot about her work, and comes back to reality when the customer clears their throat.

...

as you headed home, a frown crept across your face. to your disappointment, there was no zero coke available, and to make matters worse, the friendly girl behind the counter turned out to be a bit of a karen instead of the customer. it was quite a surprise to find that what you thought would be a simple food craving turned into an encounter with someone, less pleasant.

OVERVIEW : oh no! it's not available at the moment ! but what were you doing in mcdonald's at midnight? it was the time where your midnight snack cravings kick in, you couldn't let that one slide; was also the same time that minji meets the most stubborn person ever, and got her manager called. in fact, rather than lessening your unspoken addiction with the beverage, minji recommends you an alternative.

TAGLIST (open) : @yoontoonwhs @haerinkisser @awkwardtoafault @yyxy27 @modanisgf @mym1na

SHARE : masterlist | previous | next

[atimeofyourlife]

@steddie-week Day 6 misunderstanding

Steve was making the most of the evening with Eddie, as he would be away in Chicago for a week with family obligations.

"So, I'm driving up tomorrow, the day after is some big family dinner thing, the day after that is the wedding. And god, I am not looking forward to it. Weddings in my family are just about showing off, it's black tie, so I know I'm just going to be uncomfortable the whole time. Maybe I should be thankful that my aunt was able to talk her down from white tie, a different cousin on the other side had a white tie wedding two years ago and honestly, it was one of the worst things I had to wear in my entire life." Steve rambled as he leaned against Eddie's shoulder.

"What the fuck is white tie?" Eddie replied.

"Even fancier than black tie. Black tie I have to wear a tuxedo. White tie includes a fucking tailcoat, and my mom basically forced me into a top hat. It's ridiculous and over the top, which is why my family loves it. If we are ever able to get married, I want it to be nothing fancier than semi-formal."

"You would marry me?" Eddie asked quietly.

"In a heartbeat." Steve pressed a kiss to Eddie's cheek, before continuing. "I'll be wanting to ditch as soon as possible, so I will be driving myself no matter how much my parents protest, but I know they will kill me if I ditch too early. Then there's two days where I've got nothing, other than recovering from however much I drink at the wedding. Then it's my Nonna's birthday, so I've got to stick around for that. And then the day after that, I'm coming home. While I'm there, I'll probably spend most of my time with Danni."

"And who's Danni?"

"My favorite cousin. The only person in my family that isn't insufferable and stuck up."

-

The week away went mostly as Steve had predicted. He got constantly reminded by his parents how much of a disappointment he was. Constant questions from other family members about college, or what he wanted to do as a career, when he was going to join his father's company. If he had a girlfriend. When he was going to get married. It was draining.

But Danni was the shining light. He spent every spare minute with her. Ditching the wedding a little early, and ending up in a McDonalds in their formalwear, with her wearing his tuxedo jacket over her dress. Spending as much time as possible out in Chicago together on the days they had nothing to do. Talking and sharing stories, and gaining a deeper understanding of each other when talking about their partners, Steve mentioning Eddie, Danni bringing up her Laura.

Danni had more time to spare than Steve, so decided to join him in returning to Hawkins, to meet the friends he'd spoken so much about, especially Eddie.

-

After getting home, it all seemed to go downhill for Steve. As soon as he got in, he called Eddie, like he had promised to. But Eddie was unusually cold and dismissive on the phone, as if he didn't want to talk.

"Yeah, ok. I've got to go." Eddie hung up, and the call had barely lasted a minute. Steve felt worried, as Eddie was usually much more interested in talking to him, at any chance they got.

He called Robin next, and that didn't put his mind at ease. After a brief catch up, he brought up Eddie. She mentioned he'd been fine until a couple of days before, then had started to become a little distant, without telling anyone why.

"Maybe head over there after work tomorrow, if you've not heard from him. He's probably just throwing a hissy fit because you were away for a week without speaking to him and he thrives on attention." Robin said as the call came to an end.

"Yeah, maybe. Thanks, Rob."

Steve tried to make the most of the evening, hanging out with Danni. He felt a little bad that he would be leaving her alone for most of the next day.

"Dude, I'll just take advantage of your pool. I knew you have work, if I wasn't cool with hanging out by myself, I wouldn't have come with you." She assured him.

-

By the end of the next day, Steve felt more worried. He'd tried calling Eddie a number of times, but the calls were never answered. He drove over after he'd finished work, Eddie's van was missing from the spot next to Wayne's truck. He still went to the door, hoping Wayne could put his mind at ease.

"He's out with Gareth and Grant. He's fine, and whatever's bugging him, he'll get over it soon."

"Oh. Thanks, Wayne. Could you let him know I came over, and ask him to call me?"

-

Steve tried to put it out of his mind, taking Danni out to breakfast the next morning before hanging out with Robin.

As they walked into the diner, he noticed a very familiar back in the corner. He felt lost, conflicted. Unsure if he should ignore it, or confront him.

"I'm just going to the bathroom before we order." Danni said to him before they reached a table.

"I. I'm gonna be over-" Steve gestured vaguely to where Eddie was sat.

"Is that-" Steve nodded before she could finish the question. "If you need me to, I can kick his ass."

Steve nodded, before making his way over to Eddie, feeling a little nervous. The what if. He had never been good at seeing the end of a relationship, or knowing where he'd gone wrong.

"Eddie?" He said hesitantly.

Eddie looked up, and his face was unreadable. His friend's expressions varied from disgust to glee.

"Harrington, you here to confess? Tell us all about what you've been up to?" Grant asked, looking him upside down.

"What?" Steve was confused, unsure about what was going on.

"Oh, I said he would play dumb. How could he think he did anything wrong?" Gareth mocked. "We know what you've been doing."

"Seriously, what the hell are you talking about? Eddie, can we talk?" Steve asked, feeling desperate and wanting to get it over with.

"Go ahead, Harrington. We're waiting for your excuses." Jeff added.

"Can we talk outside, alone?" Steve pushed, not wanting to have to deal with Eddie's friends' comments. He knew they didn't like him, and would put the wrong ideas into Eddie's head.

There seemed to be a moment of silent conversation between them before Eddie got up. "I'll tell you guys how pathetic his excuses are."

Steve clenched his jaw, unsure of what Eddie thought he'd done wrong.

"Ok, what the hell, Eddie?" Steve demanded once they were outside.

"That's exactly what I want to know, Steve. Try telling the truth about what you were really doing this week." Eddie sneered.

"I told you what I was doing. Family wedding in Chicago and hanging out with family until my Nonna's birthday. That is exactly what happened. I mean I know I didn't call as much as I would have liked, but I was busy." Steve replied.

"But who were you busy with, huh? Because Gareth was in Chicago for a college tour and he told me everything. How he saw you out, repeatedly, and all over the same girl. Her wearing your tux jacket in a Mcdonald's late at night, looking all cosy over the table. Then seeing you out in Downtown Chicago. Holding hands, hugging, you lifting her up as you were laughing together. Then you show up here with the same slut." Eddie leant into Steve's face, spitting the final words out.

Steve was stunned for a second, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Don't fucking call her that." He burst out. He was aware of the door opening and closing nearby, but didn't pay attention to who it was that came out.

"What should I call her then? Homewrecker? Sidepiece? Whore?" Eddie drew out each word.

"She's my fucking cousin. You know, the favorite cousin I told you about that I was planning to spend all my time with. The one person in my family that isn't insufferable." Steve was fighting against his emotions.

"You said his name was Danny." Eddie accused.

"Yeah. Danni. As in short for Daniella. She's basically my best friend, and there is nothing I do with her that I don't do with Robin. Or are you going to start accusing me of cheating with Robin?"

"Well, I know Robin, and she's a lesbian anyway, so I know I don't have to worry about her." Eddie dismissed what he'd said.

"But you really think I would cheat on you?" Steve couldn't keep the hurt out of his voice, and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to hold back the tears.

"Steve?" Danni's voice cut through the tension as she moved to Steve's side.

"How much of that did you hear?" Steve asked softly.

"Everything after this asshole calling me a homewrecker," Danni replied, venom clear in her voice. "Let's do first things first. Even if we weren't related, Steve wouldn't be anywhere in the realm of someone I'd be interested in. Because he's a man. I've got a girlfriend in New York that I'm very happy with. So I'm not happy with that accusation of me being the other woman."

"I didn't-" Eddie started to backtrack on what he'd said.

"You know, Steve had really talked up his boyfriend. Telling me how amazing this guy was. But, it seems like his taste in men is as bad as his taste in women, at least with how they treat him. Because it's real interesting that you accuse him of cheating when he has told you about his parents, about how his mother has to follow his father around on business trips to curb his affairs. When his only other serious relationship involved him getting cheated on after they'd been together for a year."

"Steve, I'm sorry, I just-" Eddie trailed off, unsure on what he was going to say, how to dig himself out of this hole.

"I can't believe you didn't just ask me. You know your friends don't like me. That they could twist things to put me in a bad light. When I called you to say I was home, you could have said that Gareth had seen us out and asked me about it. I would have told you and invited you over to meet her. But you had to assume." Steve winced as his voice cracked.

"Stevie, I can make it up to you. Let me-" Eddie hurried over his words, and stepped forward to try to comfort him.

"I think you've done enough." Danni moved so she was between them.

"You can go back in there and tell them just how pathetic I was." Steve walked away, with Danni right behind him, heading for his car without letting Eddie respond.

-

They'd picked up Robin before heading back to Steve's house.

"I can't believe that he'd just accept from Gareth that you were cheating on him. Without even talking to you about it. He could have asked me or something." Robin rambled from where she was curled up against Steve's side. "I feel like going down there and tearing him a new asshole for that. He knows how much cheating fucks you up."

"I'm with you on the tearing him a new asshole thing. Maybe we should steal Steve's keys and head over to his, I'll drive, you can direct." Danni replied.

"Can you guys leave it? At least now I know what he thinks of me. That he doesn't trust me around girls that he doesn't know. That he trusts his friends words more than he trusts me." Steve sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I love him so much, but he obviously doesn't feel the same, or he doubts how I really feel about him."

It was a few hours later when there was a banging at the door. Steve moved to get up, but Robin beat him to the door.

"Munson." Robin's tone was cold, closed off.

"Robin, I. Is Steve here? I need to talk to him. I know I fucked up." Eddie pleaded.

"Damn right he fucked up." Danni shouted from the kitchen.

"I just need to apologize to him. I feel like shit for this. It was a total misunderstanding, and it's all on me."

"Apologize? You need to fucking grovel. You accused him of cheating on you, when you know that cheating is one of his biggest insecurities. Based on what? The word of a guy that has never liked Steve. A guy that has repeatedly tried to convince you to break up with Steve. Why the hell would you believe anything he said about Steve?" Robin's voice got louder, agitation evident.

"I know. I just got caught up because Steve wasn't here and I guess I just wanted someone to blame. I need to make this right?"

"Make it right for what? So next time you hear about him hanging out with someone you don't know you can accuse him of cheating on you again?"

"Rob, it's ok. Let me speak to him." Steve came to the door, knowing he looked a mess.

"Stevie. I am so fucking sorry. I know I fucked up by listening to Gareth, I shouldn't have let him get into my head like that. I'll do anything to make it up to you. I know you wouldn't cheat, I know you're not like that. And I love you. I've never loved anyone like this, and I don't want to lose you over this. Please, give me a chance to fix this?" Eddie begged.

"I know you're sorry, but I can't forgive you. Not yet. You hurt me so much by ignoring me and assuming I had cheated on you. I was open and honest about what I was doing and who I was going to be with. And you chose to listen to Gareth. I need time to know that you'll come to me when you hear something and not just blindly take your friends side. I can't be just waiting to see if you're going to hurt me again. And I'm not the only one you need to apologize to. What you said about Danni was unacceptable. What if someone said that about Robin or one of the kids?" Steve's voice was a little rough with the emotion of the day.

"It would have been fucked up. I was wrong, I know that. I assumed something about someone I didn't know. Please? Stevie, I can't be without you."

"You don't get to choose when someone forgives you, Munson. And you're not the only one who needs to apologize. Your friends need to own up to being wrong and accept that their view of Steve is wrong. That their treatment of him has been cruel." Robin replied.

"I need time alone, Eddie. I'll call you when I'm ready to talk." Steve walked away from the door, allowing Robin to shut it in Eddie's face.

I'm sorry I am considering making a second part to this, but I don't know if or when that will happen! Also on ao3 Now with a part 2!

[lokiprompts]

I'm alive - just pregnant and overworked. Here is a chatgpt story of a daydream I had when I was craving a mcChicken like a crazy person.

Enjoy

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In the heart of the Avengers Tower, Loki found himself facing an unusual dilemma. His wife, Y/N, was pregnant and had developed a sudden, overwhelming craving for a McDonald's McChicken and a sundae. It was a request that had left her nearly in tears, and Loki, the God of Mischief, was determined to grant her wish.

As he stood in line at the nearby McDonald's, his green eyes surveyed the colorful menu overhead, and he wrinkled his nose in disdain. "What curious mortals they are," he muttered to himself, his cape billowing with regal disapproval.

Approaching the counter, Loki had to suppress a smirk as the cashier's eyes widened at the sight of him. "I shall have a McChicken and a sundae," he declared, trying to sound as serious as possible.

The cashier fumbled with the register, struggling to process the order. "One McChicken and a sundae, got it. But I'm sorry, our ice cream machine is down. Would you like something else instead?"

Loki was not one to be easily deterred. He leaned forward, his emerald eyes locked on the cashier. "I demand that you repair your accursed ice cream machine immediately."

The cashier stuttered, "I, um, can't do that, sir. It's a complex piece of equipment."

With a sigh, Loki waved a hand, conjuring a soft glow around the machine, causing it to spring back to life. Ice cream began to flow smoothly into a cup, and the cashier blinked in astonishment.

"I am the God of Mischief, and I shall not be denied a simple sundae," Loki declared with a wry smile.

The cashier nodded vigorously, still in shock, and handed Loki his McChicken and sundae. Loki took the food and left the establishment, determined to return as quickly as possible.

Back at the Avengers Tower, Y/N eagerly awaited her unusual meal. Her eyes lit up as Loki walked in with the McChicken and the sundae. She looked at him with a mix of delight and astonishment. "You got it! How did you...?" She trailed off, realizing that it was better not to ask questions when Loki was involved.

Loki presented her with the meal, a regal flourish accompanying the fast-food presentation. "For you, my dear, and our unborn child."

Tears welled up in Y/N's eyes as she took the McChicken and the sundae. She took a bite of the McChicken and let out a contented sigh. "You are incredible, Loki. I love you."

Loki grinned, feeling a warmth he couldn't have imagined from indulging in fast food. "I love you too, Y/N. Even if it involves these... curiosities."

As they enjoyed their unconventional meal, they shared laughter and stories, making the best of an extraordinary situation. And Loki couldn't help but admit that sometimes, even in the oddest of circumstances, love could be found in the most unexpected places—like a broken ice cream machine at a fast-food joint.