#we'll get back to posting... soon. ish

[tvuniverse]

9-1-1 -> 6x10-11 // 8x15 (potential) coma dream

[geeeemmmmmmm]

"Cant take my eyes off you"

A/N:Ignore how the title of my post wouldn't work lol. Bro I cannot get the gif working but thank you to the person that showed me the gif<3. Just finished rewatching TFATWS and that last scene with Bucky on the boat with the kids playing on his vibrianium arm as he talks is just "chefs kiss" As always sorry for any mistakes and enjoy:)

Summary:You and Bucky go see Sam and his family on their boat on a nice warm summer evening.

Warnings:Mentions of beer, fluff

WC:956

"C'mon already Y/N" Bucky called in that fake irritated way he loved to tease you as he waited at the front door of your house. "Yea yea, here I am" you said while you walked out looking breathtaking in your creamy white sundress that flattered your body in every way possible and quite frankly you knew it as you did a fake model strut, swishing your silky smooth hair in the air as you made your way down the hall to see Bucky's jaw practically sitting on the floor. He always did this when you came down the hall from your guy's shared bedroom, even if you were in the mundane outfit he was always in awe of how he managed to get a girl like you in his life. "Not so bad yourself" You smirked taking in how handsome your boyfriend looked even if he was only wearing his dark red short sleeve that really made his arms just look unreal with a pair of his usual black denim jeans but the thing that sealed the deal was his beautiful ocean blue eyes just gazing at you with all the love in the world. "C'mon already Buck" you teased him as you made your way out the door as he completely forgot about the outside world as he admired you, you laughed as he stumbled back into reality while locking the door and running up to you hastily putting his flesh arm around you as you just sighed in bliss as you started the about 15 minute ish walk. Bucky has always preferred walking to places, no reason at all but as long as it gave him more of an excuse to wrap his arm around you and press kisses to your soft hair.

The sounds of distant chatter and laughter became louder as you two approached the Wilson's boat as you were greeted by Sam's nephews charging at you two, they had been anticipating you and Bucky's arrival for ages just wanting to be near you guys. Kids have always been drawn to Bucky, he may not be the keenest of kids but he always stays a gentleman even to them but it was your calm and kind personality that always drew them to you. "Guys, guys we'll come see you all soon" Bucky tried to direct them away in a fake serious voice as he pulled you off to come see Sam with him as the kids just looked disappointed while a collective sigh came from all of them.

"Feels like I haven't seen y'all forever" Sam gushed as he got two beers for the pair of you "We saw you recently when you revealed the fixed boat to everyone" you giggled to Sam as he just swatted his hand in reply. Before Bucky could speak, someone dinged their glass to begin a toast "To Captain America and the greatness he has already achieved and for all the pride of the country to come with him!" Sarah cheered glowing with pride for her brother. Bucky and you clinked bottles with Sam "To Cap!" you and Bucky celebrated while Sam pulled you both in a big hug.

As the sun began to set you both made your way to sit down making small talk with friends and family of Sam. "1...2...3!!" hushed whispers were heard right as the nephews tried to begin a playfight with Bucky but he just smirked and held his metal arm up while they tried and tried to bring him down, not knowing the true strength Bucky held. The whole table laughed seeing Bucky unphased and still talking while the kids used all their might to just move his arm "Give them a chance" you whispered in his ear as you patted his chest watching him look down in defeat as he dropped him arm for the kids to again try pull him down while you saw the sparkle in his eyes as he glanced at the boys seeming to be having the time of their lives as his eyes made their way back to yours as he pressed a small kiss to your lips.

Just as the clock hit 9PM Sarah grabbed the two young boys with an actual serious tone "Bed. Now" as they reluctantly let Bucky's arm go moping as they walked "I'll rematch you next time" he whispered to the boys in a mischievous tone as their faces lit up and suddenly they ran to their room already making "battle" plans. "I want front row tickets to that" you breathed out in a sleepy tone as you fell more into Bucky's side "I'll need you ringside Doll but for now let's get you home" He whispered back as he began getting up and reaching his hand out to help you up. You took his hand gracefully and smiled at him as you two embarked home, but of course you two did your rounds hugging and saying goodbye to everyone as Sam and Sarah only let you go if you two come back soon. Bucky smiled faintly and waved at them while you waved quickly after him trying to look a little more awake.

The walk home was peaceful, while you were sleepy you took your time admiring how the street lights lit up Bucky's face perfectly and how you could really see his eyes gleaming their beautiful ocean blue colour. "You've been staring at me all night" he declared before he cupped your face in his metal arm, noticing how you shut your eyes and leaned into his hand "Can't take my eyes off you" you mumbled sleepily with a cheeky smirk on your face as you reached your front door with relief you could cuddle up in bed with Bucky

A/N:This was so fun to write, I hope you all enjoyed!!

[midnight-in-town]

Recap of highlights from the servants' investigations

Rereading the investigation mini arcs before the first chapter post hiatus is released in April. Here are the points of interest to keep in mind :

Mey Rin & Ran Mao

A summary : impeccable investigation, flawless duo, 10/10 cooperation and efficiency 👌

The conclusion : A full success, the operation was 100% dismantled and rendered useless, thanks to Ran Mao's monstrous strength.

The explanation : Baron Heathfield agreed to help the Aurora Society and to hold a blood collect in his basement, because he was "searching for a bride", namely one who would have a soul with a similar shape as his deceased wife's.

We don't know yet what this concept means, but surely it is relevant to a part of the current evolution of the BD project (most likely with the experiments at F.O.L orphanage).

Side note of importance : the introduction of Jane's character, a maid who was hired as security guard at the manor. Jane is not a part of the Aurora society and is probably not one of the Star Lords either. I personally think Jane is John Brown, a demon, investigating the BD project for the Queen's sake, but we'll have to meet her again to get an answer or more hints.

Bard & Lau

A summary : a rather tough investigation, with Ronald on Shinigami surveillance, super creepy Layla/Al kid who seems to be Star Lord Vega and several backstabbing threats from Lau to Bard.

The conclusion : Okay-ish success, with Bard avoiding murder by Layla/Al, thanks to blood transfusions. The operation wasn't dismantled but basically stolen by Lau who wants to relocate them to Shanghai (still hoping for Ada to work with Sieglinde & Wolfram, but Lau has to become a villain soon I guess...). Ciel is aware it's what Lau was after though (ch212), so I guess it's okay.

Also, Layla/Al was taken away by Ronald and Will, meaning the Shinigami Organization can now learn how a bizarre doll functions more accurately.

The explanation : Nurse Ada who wanted the means to work properly in nursing care after coming back from Sudan (kudos to her) made a deal with a doctor from the Aurora society (another Shinigami deserter ?).

However, she started growing afraid of the blood collects when she realized that her business was tied to the blue sect's scandal, but without the Aurora society's funds she couldn't continue helping her patients. Her hands were tied, until Bardroy offered to help.

Side note of importance : Layla/Al fought against Will and Ronald with a death scythe, meaning this death scythe was either stolen from an active Shinigami (who died in duty ?), or given to her by another deserter besides UT working on the BD project, who also kept their scythe when they left the Organization.

Lastly, it's more or less a crack theory at this point, but there is a possibility that Layla/Al is also the undead child of Baron Heathfield. [x][x]

Finny & Snake

A summary : Good duo (the sweetest) who really tried their best, but definitely the worst place to investigate, leading to disastrous developments, because it probably wasn't the best idea to send 2 kids with big childhood trauma at the Orphanage of Horror... T_T (not that Seb & Ciel could have known...)

Also Doll returned, once more involved with child trafficking, like when Kelvin was alive. She seems to be Star Lord Canopus and wants revenge against the Phantomhive household for what happened during the Circus arc. ://

The conclusion : Unfortunate failure. Sadly, Snake died by Doll's hand and might soon be turned into a BD, meaning he will possibly fight against his previous coworkers, whom he cared about a lot </3 T_T

The facilities were not destroyed but Finny, despite being forced to leave Snake's body behind, managed to escape with the 4 elder students : Artie, Theo, Oliver and Mabel. They however lost the evidence to expose the facilities and couldn't save the other children for now. Finny is bringing the 4 kids back to Seb & Ciel.

The explanation : Unfortunately, the truth behind the operation wasn't fully discovered. The 4 groups of students at the Orphanage are apparently made to perfectly match the Star Lords' characteristics : the more a kid from each group matches with their Star Lord, the longer it seems their blood will keep the BD functioning.

When a child reaches "fledging day", they are actually brought into a secret laboratory where they are killed. Yet blood collects may not be the only thing happening in that lab, as the staff mentioned "clinical trials" and the children saw organs being harvested as well.

My personal guess is that this orphanage is trying to make the blood transfusions have a longer effect for the Star Lords, but it may also be a test to turn the BD project into a profitable business [part 1] [part 2].

Side note of importance : It seems the orphanage is run by somebody in particular whom we haven't met during the arc, but whom the 4 elder students came across before. According to them, they are a "pervert".

It should also be noted that the facilities looked "familiar" to both Snake and Finny upon arrival (architectural similarities to the Phantomhive manor ?) and we haven't found out what the acronym "F.O.L" stands for.

So we will probably figure more about these facilities once the 4 elder students meet with Seb & Ciel.

What to expect for Seb & Ciel ?

Not off to a very good start because they were instantly recognized upon arrival at the "Nectar Springs" Hotel. 100% their fault though, because they were not wearing any disguise lmao.

As for what to expect, the fandom discussed the possibility of meeting Druitt [x][x], Joker/Polaris or maybe Soma. Personally, I also hope this mini arc may finally tell us whether or not UT also brought Madam Red back from the dead.

Since we also got all of the servants' backstory, there is also somehow the possibility to find about Tanaka's backstory and arrival into the Phantomhive household (how is the question though).

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the chapter in April ! :)

[rouge-the-bat]

yo would anyone be able to help out and send me and my girlfriend ( @ashtwinproject22 ) some money for some kitty-wellness?

TLDR; we need help to get 3 female stray cats fixed asap as its mating season, and get one of my cats lump checked at a vet before fixing him too. this all can cost anywhere from approx $157 to $253+ the unknown price for potentially removing the lump. if you can help, my girlfriend's cashapp is $nalathequeen2186 and paypal is @nalathequeen2186 !

(also please check the reblogs when you can, in case i have any updates about prices, if we reach the amount we need, changes to the situation, etc. will also show updates of the kitties when we can get them fixed/to the vet, to prove were getting it all done!)

the strays weve been trying to help out ⬆️

my sweet silly boy with the lump (ft. me) ⬇️

full explanation under the cut:

one of my brothers and his girlfriend moved in with us until they can find a place, and they brought over the cats that were living under their house that theyve helped take care of, but theyre mostly stray, and unfortunately my brother is very "let nature run its course" about outside cats 🙄

its 3 sister mama cats, and we already took in their 3 surviving babies, and have gotten 2 of the babies fixed and have the 3rd one scheduled to be fixed in less than a week. so atm, we have 7 cats in this house, and as much as i would love to, we just cant take in the 3 mamas as well, even though theyre incredibly sweet.

im unsure what our full plan will be about the 3 mamas, especially since im unsure what my brothers plans with them will be once he and his gf move back out (were not exactly on speaking terms right now since hes been a total piece of shit about me and my gf struggling with mentall illness- which he doesnt even believe is real 🙄🙄🙄). im hoping we can get them nice homes, but at least for now were wanting to get the three of them fixed so there wont be more stray cats, and especially not more kitties dying out there. and unfortunately, mating season slipped my mind and is now upon us, so we REALLY need to get these mamas fixed ASAP.

and in addition to that, one of my cats has this large-ish lump on his right side that were wanting to get checked out, and get him fixed as well. i suspect that its nothing serious, considering it doesnt seem to cause him any issues- he'll even lay on it without a problem- but im worried about it nonetheless, and we'll need to get it checked out and potentially removed before we can get him fixed in case it could cause complications during the neutering.

unfortunately, as you can imagine since im making this post, we dont really have the money for this. my mom, who we live with, rarely has much extra money and certainly doesnt atm, and me and my girlfriend have been struggling with too many mental health issues- and for her, physical health issues as well- to get a job for a while now. things will be improving soon now that we have adhd diagnoses, but my gfs insurance is dragging its feet to finally get her adhd medication approved, and i only JUST finally got my own a few days ago, and am basically playing extreme catch-up with trying to get stuff done around the house right now and help out my mom more.

im really not sure exactly how much everything will amount to, but so far ive figured up getting all 3 mamas fixed should be either about $75 if a certain program the spay/neuter clinic nearby has for strays/ferals can be used, or if not itll be between $111-171, and getting just an exam to check out my cats lump would be around $55, and i dont know how much a potential fixing/removal of the lump could be as i cant get an estimate until hes examined. then itll be $27 to get him neutered.

so if this is all right, and were able to use the program, theres no health risk with the lump, and no other additional charges for anything else, all of this can cost about $157 or so as the minimum, OR it could be around $253 PLUS however much it may cost to fix up the lump.

(also as a bonus pic, heres the 3 precious babies we took in that the mamas were collectively taking care of. theyre living a nice cozy indoor life now and are very happy and SO sweet <3)

[fictionalsownme]

More Than A Woman | wilford warfstache x gn!viewer / reader |

chapter one - "I've known you very well"

A/N: hi everyone!! I'm so excited to post this! Usually I spend a long time on the stuff I write but I wrote a good chunk of this in a feverish burst haha, I've been wanting to write for Wil and had such a clear idea of how I see him in my head for so long :)) This fic will probably be around 10 chapters~ish and progress will probably be a little slow but I'm also trying to get faster at my writing so I guess we'll see! Getting it down is always the hardest, then you spend a bit of time hating it, then the fixing can start! Anyway, I hope you guys like this, I love this dorky weirdo a lot for whatever reason, and I'd love to write for other egos too :) ((there might be a guest appearance or two in here in the last few chapters if plans don't change 👀)) hope you guys enjoy the first chapter at least! lmk 🥰! word count: 2.9k notes: reader is gender-neutral, similar to all of mark's stuff :) -- the title is just after the song! no pronouns or descriptors are used other than the occasional they/them. reader is the viewer (& district attorney) from wkm, adwm, ahwm, iswm, etc, but that won't come up until later. wmlw wilford. story will be mostly fluff, some hurt/comfort & angst, lots of romance and flirting! story is adapted from an idea I had for my self insert. we will get into some lore stuff (or at least my understanding of the lore 👀) and filling in gaps with headcannons, but it's mostly about wilford & reader and I'll try to explain as we go so don't worry about it too much if you don't know all of it. especially since I don't know if my understanding is always 100% accurate 👉👈 let's have fun yall! 💞

masterlist | AO3

The music playing softly over the convenience store speakers was pleasant, if slightly boring. Like elevator music— there only to help ease the passing of time. Your night shift would end soon, and the sky could be seen as it lightened more every minute through the windowed front of the building.

Other than that, the old store was quiet. Dusty. Pink and orange neon strips lined the walls near the ceiling. They overpowered the dated fluorescent lights, casting everything in a slightly peach haze. Like a dream. 

Different sections of the store were marked with neon too, the letters glowed against the wall denoting the drinks, the snacks, the hot food… You liked your little store. Even if the unyielding isolation of your work made you a bit… complacent. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d truly talked with someone.

The ice creams chilled your fingers through the wrappers as you pulled them from their box and slotted them into place. Even with the cold air of the freezer wafting over you, you could smell the cool summer air coming in the sliding front doors.

You liked to prop them open on dawns like these. The convenience store lights did draw in the occasional pestering bug, but they usually found their way out again before long. You did get a bat once. Albeit a little crazed and frantic, you were surprised to find it harmless. Maybe a little lost. Now that thing seemed like it would never leave. 

Refocusing on your task, you brushed your condensation-soaked fingers on your work apron, tied tight behind your neck and around your back, and shut the freezer door. 

The motion alert chimed a pleasant tune through the staticky old speakers as a customer entered the open doors from the street.

You called an automatic, “Welcome in~,” and went about straightening a shelf of snack bars and chocolate. You didn’t bother to look in their direction as you heard them make their way through the aisles.

“Pardon me,” said their strange, nearly British accent from beside you now. You turned to the source of the voice, the man who’d just walked in, and your eyes went to his outfit first. 

A silky-- almost sparkly in how it caught the light-- lavender shirt with mismatched buttons revealed expanses of his bare chest. It was paired with white bell-bottoms and a fake pink afro hanging half-off his head, about to fall off. He had olive skin and dark hair-- nearly black--, fluffy and sticking up every which way like hands had been running through it. Scruffy facial hair framed a thick mustache that tinted slightly pink where it turned up at the ends.

He looked… honestly, he looked ridiculous. But the 70s getup was fun, you supposed. And his eyes-- dark brown and monolid-- were handsome. Underneath all the… extra mess. You blinked, slowly, in a way that felt like waking up.

“Uh, hi. Are you coming from a costume party or something?” It was August, but you supposed it was never too early to start the spooky season. 

“Oh! Do you know of one? I do love a good costume. But no. Just the regular-sort. Just woke up from one.” He scanned the products near his head, grabbed a protein bar, sniffed the wrapper, guffawed, and put it back.

“You just woke up? Are you alright?”

“Oh, worry not, friend, this is normal for my level of reverie! I’m not even hungover!” He laughed, his hands going to his hips.

You stared at him.

“I was just looking for something to gnaw on! To nourish myself before I’m on my way.” His eyes were still traveling all over, not really seeing you.

Now in theory, a strange man coming in at this hour, acting even stranger, with his clothes disheveled? You knew you should be on your way to your safe space behind the counter to get him checked out and exiting the store as fast as possible. But there was something about him… 

Something you couldn’t place…

Instead you raised your eyebrows and relaxed against the cooler door. “Uh, I guess that depends on what kind of food you like,” You offered. After a moment, his gaze landed on you and he seemed to finally take you in. Your uniform, your crossed arms, your patient expression, your features. His face scrunched into confusion.

A moment passed, staring at each other like that. “Your shirt’s looking a little rough, you know.”

“Have we met, friend?” He asked as he began to fix his buttons. 

You watched passively as more of his chest came into view. He either didn’t notice or didn’t mind your blatant staring. You weren’t sure why you were staring, or what you were feeling as you did so. 

You weren’t gawking at his abs or anything-- well,-- not that he didn’t have abs. He did, sort of. The expanse of his chest and abdomen were tight with toned muscle. He definitely wasn’t lacking abs, anyway. Either way… this was about something different. 

You wondered for a moment if a vague familiarity was what you were picking up on, but quickly dismissed it.

“I feel like I’d remember meeting you.” 

You realized with a start that your comment could be seen as flirtatious, and added quickly, “Just, you know-- generally.”

But he just hummed and spun on his heels, turning away. You sighed and found yourself in-step behind him, hands in your uniform pockets. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

“Well, either way!” He started, his energy returning tenfold. “Let's see what this cute little shop has to eat!” 

For some reason, you asked, “Do you have money?” 

He froze. “Er, no~. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Mind what?”

“Well, spotting me of course! Let’s just say I owe you one, eh friend?”

You rolled your eyes, smiling. “Thought so.” 

Thought so? Maybe you did know him… 

It was your turn to squint in displaced confusion. “What’s your name?”

His voice came from behind you and you spun around, your shoes squeaking on the tile floor. When did he sneak around you? 

He bent over and twirled his hand, a flamboyant bow finally knocking the afro off his head. “Wilford Warfstache, at your service.”

“That’s your name?” 

He righted himself. “For now.” It suited him well enough, but for some reason it sounded misplaced.

… But no, either way, you definitely hadn’t met him before. You didn’t know many people in the first place, let alone someone so eccentric.

Still, you were curious about him. Curious about his personality and who he was. He felt sort of like a puzzle waiting to be solved. And so far, despite his quirks, despite how admittedly weird you’d also been acting, he’d been friendly. You couldn’t say the staring and prodding questions were too in-character for you. At least not when it came to customers. 

His hair looked softer without the wig to weigh it down-- parted at his brow and long enough to fluff over the tips of his ears and end where his neck met his spine. You reached down to scoop the curly mop of synthetic hair up off the floor.

“Where did you get this thing?”

He hummed something like ‘I don’t know’, his eyes sort of wide like a clueless puppy’s. 

“What, you just kind of have it?”

“Yea’p.”

You squinted at him, a smirk forming on your lips. “How about I do you a favor and throw this away?”

He shrugged, hummed an ‘alright’ sound, and turned away. 

“Oh no, I was kidding! God, here--!” You had to grab his wrist to stop him from wandering off further and placed the pink afro in his hand.

You had just been trying to tease him, but now you just felt bad. “Look, Wilford, you want something to eat? We have to throw the hot food out every night. You can have a taquito or a slice of pizza or something if you want.”

Then he was frozen again-- staring down at where your fingers wrapped around his wrist. Your eyes followed his gaze down and then you were staring too.

A moment passed. Then two. Finally, you let go and crossed your arms again, tucking your hands away where they couldn’t embarrass you again.

“... Fuck, I’m sorry. I-I don’t know why I did that.” You did your best to clear your throat.

But he was still stuck there. He blinked a few times and his gaze met your eyes, his brows gathering together. 

“Wh-What did you say your name was, friend?” He seemed so… serious all of sudden. So dire.

You hadn’t mentioned it yet, but told him with a hesitant voice. 

His expression blanked, eyes widening. He brought his arm, the offending afro in tow, to his chest, touching his wrist where you’d held it.

“Oh…” 

You raised your brows and asked softly, “Sorry, do you know me, then?”

“Hm?” And he blinked like his mind was clearing, like he’d forgotten you were there. 

He cleared his throat, smiled-- ear to ear-- his mustache lopsided like a cartoon. “Oh-- nevermind about that! Some food would be lovely, if you don’t mind.”

His eyes were sparkling. 

“Sure. I mean, it’s nothing fancy. Here,” And you walked over towards the front counter. Wilford trailed close behind you-- holding onto the wig in his hands like a school kid holding a lunch box-- his gaze wandering over the store again like he hadn’t seen it the first time.

You arrived at the hot foods section, a glassed-off section of day-old food over heated rods. You shrugged. “If you have a sensitive stomach, maybe don’t,” you started, “but it’s mostly fine to be honest. I eat it if I’m in a pinch, you know.”

You hopped up to sit on the counter, your legs facing Wilford, and leaned back to reach around and grab the tongs waiting there. You straightened and clapped them together twice. You offered him a smile. “What’ll it be, Mr. Warfstache?” Then a quieter, “--that was your last name right?”

“Do you gravitate towards anything yourself?”

“Can’t go wrong with a slice of pizza, I guess. Even here.”

His smile grew sort of soft. “Then that. If you please.”

“You got it.”

You leaned over again and served up the slice of moderately warm and slightly greasy pizza on a brown napkin and passed it off to him. 

“Much obliged.”

You got one for yourself too, and when you righted and your eyes found Wilford again, he was sitting in a retro-style diner chair you’d never seen before-- his feet against the edge of the counter beside you.

You couldn’t help the surprised laughter that choked out of you. “Wha-- where did you even find that?”

The chair teetered on its two legs as he leaned precariously back, tilting his head at your question. The pink wig sat in his lap and you couldn’t help thinking it looked like some weird dog.

“Well, there’s no need to worry! I’m only borrowing it, I’m not a barbarian.”

And you just knew you weren’t getting more of an answer than that.

“So who even are you?” You asked as he took a bite of the pizza, somehow pulling all the cheese right off the top in one piece. He pouted down at the offending mozzarella, slurping it into his mouth and swallowing it. “Do you live around here?”

“Mm. I don’t really live anywhere. Much more the exploring-- ever on the move-- type.”

He was so expressive. It really felt like talking to an old cartoon come-to-life or something. You turned to lean against the side of the glass cover, swinging your legs so your feet rested on the counter, not far from his still against the edge. You weren’t touching at all, but you were surprised at how quickly the two of you fell into a casual-- albeit timidly curious-- rhythm. 

“So what do you do?” And you began to eat too.

He beamed, his smile reaching all the way to his eyes. “I’m an interviewer! Warfstache Tonight, that’s what my show is called! It’s quite a professional endeavor!”

You smiled and hummed around your bite of pizza, impressed. That actually explained a lot. And it suited him nicely enough. “Sounds pretty glamorous.”

“And what about you? You can’t just be a convenience store clerk!” He seemed so affronted by the idea. Crinkling his nose, dropping his voice an octave. “How dreadfully boring.”

You winced. “‘Just a convenience store clerk?’ Ouch, Wilford…” You couldn’t help frowning down at your slice. 

 “Oh! No no, pardon me!” He let the chair fall back to four legs, waving the idea way with a panicked hand. “I only meant that… this isn't what truly stirs your passions, is it? Do you do anything at your leisure? For work or just… something you enjoy?”

You squinted at him. But you didn’t really think he was trying to insult you. And he wasn’t wrong. It just… wasn’t always the most fun when someone pointed it out. Especially like that. 

You sighed, fidgeting as you considered his question. “Not right now… This job keeps me pretty occupied. But you know, it’s not too bad. It keeps me, I don’t know, grounded I guess.”

He thought for a moment, then nodded, taking another bite. “I do hope you get more opportunities soon, then.” He said, surprisingly grounded.

You looked at him. “... Thanks.” And you meant it.

“And… my apologies for the earlier, uh, miswording.”

 “That’s fine… I’d be curious to hear more about your show, though! Have you interviewed anyone interesting or anything?”

A beat. A sort of tiredness settled into his shoulders and he peered up at you. “The odd gold-star guest did wander in from time to time. I’m not sure if my skills were quite deserving of them at the time.”

Was that… shame?

“The truth is, I couldn’t quite live up to the role. I--” He laughed, pained. He cleared his throat. “I’m taking a bit of a break from show business for the moment.”

Ah. So that’s what happened. You offered him a sympathetic smile. “To party? That’s probably why you don’t have any money, Wilford. And why you have to rely on shitty convenience store food?” You held up your greasy napkin like it was evidence.

“Now don’t underestimate the power of a good party! And this food is fine, I’m grateful for it,” He crumpled the now empty napkin and gestured wildly with it. “The truth is I get by just fine. I’m just not sure what else I should be doing.”

You looked out the front windows. The sky was getting lighter. The timer marking the end of your shift would go off any minute.

So maybe that’s why he’d been asking you about your passions. You felt bad for him. He was strange, to be sure. And a little hard to follow. But he was also… sweet. He had a softness about him.

And still… there was that feeling that hadn’t disappeared since meeting him. Like… like your soul recognized him. Maybe not deeply. But distantly. Like you’d met him in a dream. It was a ridiculous notion. Ridiculous didn’t seem beyond his territory.

You turned, legs coming down from the counter once again. You leaned forward, your hand landing at the junction of his shoulder and neck. His silk shirt was soft under your fingers. His eyes jumped up to yours and you looked down at him with a smile. 

“You liked doing your show right? You want to be an interviewer?”

He nodded slowly. His lashes fluttered. 

“Then that’s what you should be doing! You just have to try again!” You shrugged with one shoulder. “It might suck a lot. And you might fail again. But pick yourself back up. Keep going. I’m sure you can do it if you keep at it and think outside the box, you know. Failing only means failing if you stop.”

You leaned back, your hand sliding away. He stared at you.

“That’s what the rest of us do, anyway. Honestly, maybe you should do your show online! You know, livestream it or something. I’m sure you’d find your own way to it.”

Slowly, a smile crept back in, the corners of his eyes creasing. 

“What a wonderful idea…” 

God, his eyes… 

You looked down at your own napkin, laughing a little at yourself. “Wilford, I promise, the advice I just gave you was nothing crazy.”

“Well, perhaps it’s just a little too rare that I get a pick-me-up.”

You hopped down from the counter. “Swing by whenever, I’ll hand them out for free. Though, if you’re always on the move, I guess you’re probably not in town for long, huh?”

He quickly followed your lead and stood, his chair nearly falling in his haste. “Uh— w-well I, I don’t know, I could always… linger for a day or two. Hard to say really.” 

“Uh huh.” You smirked at him, raising your brows. “Well, if that constant partying you have going on brings you back here, feel free stop in, okay? … It’d be nice to have someone in here every once in a while. Well, someone friendly, anyway.” 

“Right. Will do. Of course.”

You gave him two solid pats on the chest and turned to throw the napkins away behind the counter. When you turned to face him again, he was gone.  Only slightly confused, you quickly recovered and yelled a quick, “bye~!” to the now empty store.

[haecien]

Birthday Wishes X.MG

A/n - this fic is for my baby @mirxzii <33 HAPPY BIRTHDAAAYY !!!! I literally love u sm I'll try to get this out on march 20th or the start of march ! Also we are both march babies and your birthday is 6 days ahead of mine<33 (we are literally twins atp) I HOPE U ENJOY THE FIC <33 Also happy birthday to everyone else who is celebrating their birthdays on march mwa <3 (divider creds @/cafekitsune & @/saradika-graphics)

Also babka looks so good👁

Synopsis - Being an idol is tough, especially with your strict diet. You wanted to celebrate your birthday in peace but your company thought otherwise, but here comes your boyfriend to the rescue.

Genre/s - Idol!Minghao x idol!reader, fluff, secret relationship, tried to make this gender neutral so y/n is in a split group (kard situation just imagine whatever gender you wish to be! <3), also a mix between smau + written!

Warnings - Mentions of food, Strict(ish) diets mentioned, Cursing, Body shaming(?), use of petnames, If you find more warnings I should add lmk! <3

Wc - est 700 words?

You just got back from a fan meeting, you're so tired and exhausted from it. You were annoyed from how many aegyo requests you got today though.... but you're atleast happy you got tons of gifts from your fans.

" My God... this is a mountain of gifts, so many jewelry this time tho! — "

One of your bandmates butted in " Well... you did mention on a weverse post you been wanting to buy new jewelry, and it is your birthday soon anyways— " Oh, my, God.

Did you really just forget your own birthday? Your OWN birthday?

" I— I JUST FORGOT MY OWN BIRTHDAY. MAKES SENSE WHY I RECIVED SO MANY GIFTS I WHAA- " you again got cutted off but this time by your manager.

" Listen up, we have a busy schedule today and the next few days. And I know y/n its your birthday in a few days, we'll host a weverse live and all that— " " Will there be cake? "

" What? " " You heard me, will there be cake? "

If there was one way to describe you, its that you love your sweets very much. There are numerous compilations of just you eating and adoring sweets as your fans found your sweet tooth the most cutest thing ever.

" Y/n please tell me you're being serious right now— Some netizens are noticing you're putting on some weight. That's a risk to your image! " Your manager scolded you, leaving you and your band members to be silent for a bit.

Your bright smile quickly faded into a slight frown, you were about to say something but quickly closed your mouth.

The leader of your group stepped up and tried to break the tension, " Thank you manager-nim, let's talk a bit later since the members are tired from the fan meeting— I'll see you in the afternoon. "

Your leader bowed down, as the manager left, " Y/n, I know you're a bit upset but you need to know hes trying to look out for you. If they say you need to limit on the cake then you need too. "

You nodded, looking upset.

The leader sighed and looked at you, reaching for there wallet. " Lets buy some Babka, you said you were craving that right? " suddenly you wernt feeling sad, your eyes lightened up. You quickly nodded your head, the leader giggled at your expression and your band headed out of the building to buy foods and treats.

That was your boyfriend for you, the one and only Xu minghao. The public doesn't know you two are dating besides mutual friends and members. Really you both didn't expect you'd be dating each other, your first meeting of each other was scuffed.

It was just when you newly debuted a year after seventeens debut, you were both at a music show award and they won their first award. You rarely knew these guys but you felt so happy for them.

Later after the awardings you saw the same band backstage, you wanting to be friendly approached them. " Hi! I'm y/n from (group name) , I just wanted to congratulate you guys for your first win! " the member who was closest to you looked a bit confused but just gave you a polite smile and a simple thank you, it was a bit awkward so one of the other members from seventeen came forward.

"Thank you y/n, oh I'm seungkwan! That was the8, hes a bit shy and he is still learning Korean and English so bare with him please... " you laughed it off and said it was fine.

After that it felt like the universe just wanted to make you go together at every award show at this point, it was like you couldn't escape them.

So naturally you both expected to always see each other during award shows and sometimes even variety shows. Some of your fans started to notice it and made a little fun inside joke which you all talked about with each other.

When one group is absent the other gets confused, usually after the show you'd be frantically texting each other bombarding everyone with "WHERE ARE YOU" texts. Because of these interactions your groups were very close behind the cameras, so its expected the whole fan base would be shocked to see a picture of you and minghao walking together, alone.

The company cleared it up by saying how it wasn't really them, obviously that didn't work... but the issue died down and no one really remembers it. Non the less after all of that you both still managed to have one of the most best relationships you both have.

But, telling the members the news of you guys dating sent them absolutely going bat shit crazy. After that some members slipped in a little joke or hint about you two, though the fans suprisingly didn't notice.

Time skip — The day of your birthday.

The day has started and you open your weverse notifications and you were bombarded with happy birthday messages, all of your colleagues, members, friends, family all greeted you a happy birthday.

Your birthday live was canceled due to conflicting schedules and you not having the energy but you assured your fans about it saying how you'll do a live as quickly as possible.

Your birthday was great, it was still missing one key thing. Ofcourse the cake, you and your members had a little private party and your company strictly told your members to NOT give you any sweets or anything that might make you gain weight, all you could eat was stupid salads and like one cupcake.

What a killjoy.

You saw everyone else eating whatever they wanted, you envied how much some people didn't care about their weight. It made you feel sick over how people were just eating and stuffing their faces with all kinds of sweets, on your own fucking birthday.

After your little party you went back to your dorm, you were surprised to see your door unlocked though.

You swore it was locked an hour ago, what if someone went in? Shit worse a fan went inside and maybe installed cameras inside?

Or left a creepy note with cameras! Your heart was beating while you slowly entered your dorm, closing and locking the door. You heard a metal sound, its sounds like something fell from the kitchen.

Scared, you grabbed a umbrella that was beside your door and held onto it tightly. You ran towards the kitchen and just started swinging the umbrella around trying to hit whoever or whatever was there.

You heard a thud and looked up, " Fuck— HAO? "

Minghao rubbed his head and looked down at you, " Happy birthday? " he had cake frosting all over his face and hands, and chocolate on his lips.

You dropped the umbrella " Oh baby I'm so sorry for hitting you oh my— you look fucking messy by the way." Minghao rolled his eyes at you.

" Thank you genius. "

Minghao pulled you in his arms and gave you a little peck on the cheek, " Now your face is covered in chocolate too. "

" Ew, the chocolate tastes good but ew... "

"Oh boo hoo, I know you're happy to see me. "

Yeah, he was right. Of course you're happy to see him. The only thing that could cheer you up after having a shitty day was your boyfriend.

Even if sometimes your schedules are packed for the week you still both secretly met up on breaks, hey what can I say your companies are close.

You peaked behind minghao and saw a glimpse of a beautiful wrapped box before he blocked your view again, " Aha, not now love. Later you'll see what I have prepared for you. "

"Come on, you love me right? Can't I have a little peak? " you cupped his cheeks in your hands, shaking his head a bit. " Nope, that doesn't work on me. Even if it's your birthday. "

" It will ruin the surprise ! "

Minghao convinced you to go into your living room and put on your favorite show to keep you distracted for a bit.

— After awhile Minghao covered your eyes and lead you back into the kitchen again.

" Happy birthday my dearest, y/n. "

Your kitchen was beautifully decorated, the balloons in your favorite color, the smell of the candle filling the room. The snacks on the counter, freshly made just for you and him.

And most importantly, the strawberry cake on the table.

Your reaction made Minghao giggle, " I'm assuming you like it baby? " you felt like you were about to tear up, " Hao, I love it so much, its better than the party my members did. "

" Im glad you like it, I'm sorry if I don't have much for your gifts but here. "

He gave you an envelope, labeled " To my dearest, y/n "

You opened it to see a letter. You quickly read the letter ;

" My dearest, y/n.

No matter how old you're turning today, I wish I'd spend all of my lives seeing you. I want to grow old with you and stay by your side, I want you to be my first and last, the person I'd marry and have my future with.

I know things haven't been the most easiest but I'm so glad you're still with me til this day. You have dealt with me for so long, you helped me when I was at my lowest. I wish to repay you back with every cent I have.

But if I cant repay you with money then I shall repay you with my life.

Happiest of birthdays to you my love. "

TAGLIST — @slytherinshua , @weird-bookworm , @woozvc , @bangantokchy , @mayashu , @mirxzii , @glosskirt , @amxlia-stars , @addicsvt , @isabellah29 , @hrts4hanniehae

[lollipencil]

Mare Phantom: Part 6

@void-of-unparalled-chaos, here's some more!

Enjoy and be gentle ---

Standing on a rooftop, Marc pulled a deep drag of fresh-ish air into his lungs.

Maybe he was being a coward, but after faintly hearing a voice that might have been Doctor Doom himself over the Mission's phone, he had to breath for just a moment. "Shit's hit the fan, eh?" Jake asked into the silence. "Auugh." "At least, when the media finds about all this, everyone that 'law' victimizes will know that not everybody wants them dead," Steven pointed out. "Or deader than dead," Marc added in agreement, followed by another deep breath.

Oh, how he hoped no one would try to interview him when that finally happened.

A third breath, and Marc turned to head back to the Mission. When a familar sound came from behind, along with the usual voice with it. "Moon Knight!" Marc turned just in time to see a hurried Spider-Man land with a small bundle in his arms. Instantly, he closed the distance. "What happened?" "The GIW! They've built a lab in New York, a bunch of us just raided it. Lots of injuries," Spidey panted as he explained, "This one's the worst."

Marc allowed Spidey to pass the bundle to him. A glowing green dog, no bigger than a puppy, looked up at him and weakly yapped. "Got some webbing as temp stitches, but they're dissolving fast! Go!" Marc turned instantly and sprinted.

The Mission's doors slammed open as he neared. "Reese, we've got incoming!" he greeted as the screaching of tires sounded from behind. "What kind?!" she was imedieatly by his side. "Injured travellers," he stated, letting her see the dog. "Oh, my- Go, I'll direct everyone to the med-bay and join you!"

Instantly, Marc darted through the nearest door, and was there. "Wha-?" Danny and Badr said almost in sync. "No time, GIW base in New York just got raided," Marc breathlessly laid the bundle on a table and unwrapped the cloth.

The instant the dog was exposed, Danny's eyes widened. "Cujo?" he asked faintly. Cujo whined. The artifical webbing was visibly failing, showing off the deep cut in the pup's belly. "Marc, get the medical thread," Badr quickly commanded. "Wait, it won't work!" Danny staggered from his bed, "the ectoplasm will just eat right through it!" "What else can we use?" Badr asked. "The Fenton Ghost Fisher, the wire's coated in an ecto-based resin," Danny stated, "He's also going to need ectoplasm, but the only two portals are too far away, and if the GIW is here-"

"We'll deal with it," Marc promised, "right, Badr. Wrap that wound best you can. Kid, do you know how to get a hold of that device?" "I can do you one better, I can make the resin. I just need ecto and some supplies." "State what you need, we'll get it." Marc closed his eyes and swallowed, "The Sanctum might know how to get ectoplasm." As the med-bay suddenly grew new five beds, Badr nodded.

Marc ran out, yelling to Reese as he passed: "Supply run!" His phone only dialed for a moment before Greer picked up. "Marc, what's-" "No time to chat," Marc panted over the chlled night air as he ran, "Got several injured ghosts in the Mission, I'm heading to the Sanctum for ectoplasm. I need you to get some stuff for Danny." "Of cource, name it." "I don't know yet, but Reese or someone else should be messaging you soon with the list." "I'll be waiting. Keep me posted."

The call ended just as Bleeker Street appeared. Hopefully with good news.

[brigid-faye]

New Podfic - part 1 of 3 posted

Hello loves

I thought maybe this is a moment in time where we would like some wish fulfillment. So here is the first of about three hours of me reading my bring back Black fic, because it's a story full filling my own wishes to have canon-ish wolfstar go differently. I have it all recorded and am just editing the other two parts, I should have them up soon.

The world feels really hard right now for a lot of people. I'm going to miss the community and weird moments of joy TikTok brought into my life. I hope us Americans leaving that platform means we'll look for connections on other platforms. I hope so. We really need each other.

Anyway - here's some healing wolfstar angst fluff smut because this is how i've coped for 20 years. You get it.

[kiwi-luminaryofthestars]

02/28/2025 "Fiction and Feast" Progress Update:

Is it better for me to start these with the "read more" so it's smaller??? Idk, we're gonna try it today.

Eyyy we've been dutifully editing chapter 1 today (or is it, like, post-editing-editing?? it's another round of editing based on what beta has suggested lol) and I'd say it's close to done? We'll see, we'll see, I still gotta hear final thoughts. But I'm in no rush to release; I want it to be shiny and spat on, so no rushing in these parts. I am excited to see what others think about it, though, because I'm perhaps letting Believe's praise go to my head a little bit lmaooo. I can't help it, reading someone laugh at my stupid jokes and despair at my stupid angst is wow very fun.

THEN I drafted more of chapter 2. Yeahhh I know I said I'd get to chapter 5 of the phantom thief au, and I AM I promise, my head was just in this vampire universe today so I wanted to write a bit more. I've mentioned chapter 2 is largely drafted, just needs some reworking (which I've been slowly doing anyway) and shit I really could go full-speed and get it done, too... But no, we gotta wait a bit. Get back to caring for my neglected child that is the phantom thief au. Let the vampires sleep soundly for a little bit.

Oh yeah, there's hopefully going to be a mini teaser fanart up here for chapter 5 soon-ish. I tried to pick a scene that wouldn't be, like, really anything spoilers, but something for people to see and be like, "OOP, what led up to this and what's coming after??" And it's from an artist I love and see all the time (and JESUS very cheap again for commissions, y'all need to charge more, I say with love!!)

Admittedly, I'm waiting with bated breath for one of my favorite drv3 artists to open their commissions so I can IMMEDIATELY snatch one (or more). One of my favorite things about saiouma art is how unique everyone draws their noses. Like, they're anime boys so they got a fucking splinter for a nose, and seeing how people headcanon their noses is AWESOME, and I admire only the best noses lolll. It's one of the reasons I love the fanart in chapter 4 so much: Shuichi's got a bomb-ass nose!!! I'd like to think Shuichi's probably got a crooked, maybe hooked nose and Kokichi an upturned-button sorta thing. If I knew how to draw, I'd show you lmao. Maybe one day; I've wanted to learn for a long time, I just have never had the patience for it.

Anyway! I've got more exams tomorrow, ugh, so I gotta actually go to bed at a decent time- aaaand it's already 1:00am lolll. Fuck. Hope you all have a lovely night!!

[breadvidence]

I like to take stock of my writerly self at the beginning of each year, glance backward and check forward. Sometimes that's been a quick shrug and a fucked if I really know—let me tell you, retail did not put me in a good place during the holidays any which way, creatively or otherwise—but I'd say outlook's solid this round. Some of y'all express interest in this stuff, so I'll post about it.

Here's where I stand on the current slate of projects, words-wise:

Not bad! I'm particularly pleased with how small that discard count is—in the past, I've normally had a higher % of prose tossed than kept, and posting as I go has done me good on that grounds. DAMMIT SCRAP is a bit of a misnomer: it's scrap in the sense of "will be added to the soup pot by-and-by."

Some plans:

1 - Soon I'll get my prompts from the Bishop Myriel Fundraiser—I'm super excited for this! Those will, of course, get top priority soon as they're available to me.

2- I would like to finish Dammit this year, but it'll be OK if I don't. My sense of whether the third arc is as meaty as the second is shaky; if it's 55k-ish like the first, great! If it's another 150k+ chonker, great for y'all! I told my partner I would have the characters abducted by aliens if the piece hit 300k but probably will not actually do so.

3 - Dammit: Fucking Montreuil and Loup-Garou will continue to be "Dammit ain't being nice" projects, I don't do goals where they're concerned.

4 - The Éponine survives AU where her and Valjean move to Papa Pontmercy's old house in Vernon and they're haunted by something in the river has combined with the souls-externalized-as-animals AU, which means the latter has a plot and the former has an engine. I'd like to start pulling that into shape, as I think y'all will like it. Not sure if that'll be a chapter in Les Misc-ellaneous long or more in the zone of "Vulture, Lark, Sparrow, Owl".

5 - I have started getting my research resources put together for the unnamed baby's canon era Valvert spectacular, which—alas, sorry—my current vision for involves not posting as I write, so you might be hearing about this bitch for years, presuming all goes as I expect in life. It's partially an excuse to play with metafictional elements and structure; I've never succeeded at finishing a piece in which those're central but have been dabbling in since childhood, so. Those don't lend themselves as well to shares along the way. If there's anything I'll ever lob back into the pro-pub world, it's also this one (though my deep dislike of the pro-publishing ecosystem makes me doubt I'll bother).

Plus, god knows!, what bunnies may hop into the field. We'll see.

[bluestar22x]

The Fallen Warrior: Chapter 2

Pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader (nicknamed Willow)

Other Characters: Ellie Williams, Tommy Miller

Summary: A nephal can only remain hidden for so long

Rating: 18+ Series

Word Count: 4,300(ish)

Warnings: Fowl language, angst, POV switches, nods to show's plot continues

Author’s Note: Back at it again. I know I'm so slow to update this one, but it's getting where I should be able to post more often real soon. Fingers crossed.

xxx

"So how's Ellie settling in?" Tommy asked as you sat down at a table in the local bar with him and Joel, beers in hand.

It had been a week since you'd taken her in, eight days to be exact, and it was the first day you'd dared to leave the house for anything but groceries, having taken some time off of work to help the girl transition into living with you.

"Alright," you told him honestly. "Ellie's got a mouth on her, and she doesn't like talking about her past, but I can tell she really wants this to work out..."

"However?" Joel prompted, having heard the pause at the end of your sentence.

"However the adoption agency side of things isn't going well," you said, "I haven't told them about Ellie yet, she's made me swear not to until I get approved, but I went to see all the officials I needed to see to get permission to adopt a kid and it turns out it is going to be a lot harder than I expected. Did you know it can take up to six months or more to get an okay? And even if I do get it, that doesn't mean they'll let me adopt her in particular."

"Well, that's just stupid," Tommy commented, after taking a sip from his bottle. "Why wouldn't they let you pick her? Or her you? Surely if she wants to live with you that would be that."

You sighed. "You'd think so, but apparently it doesn't work that way."

"Fuckin' red tape," Tommy muttered.

You chuckled. "Yeah. But I'm going to save the cursing for later, if it doesn't happen. I'm not giving up hope yet. If I have to fight for her I will."

"What will ya do if they don't let you take her in officially?" Joel inquired.

You huffed. "I have no fucking idea. What I'm doing now is technically illegal. Harboring a runaway, they call it. She can't stay with me for the whole process or I'll risk them finding out. And if they turn me down, she'll be stuck in the foster system once more until she runs off again. Who knows where she'll end up after that."

Joel's expression turned grim, knowing fully well where she'd end up. On the sharp side of an angel's blade.

"Well, we won't let that happen," Tommy assured you.

You scoffed. "Sorry, but what are you going to do? Take me and Ellie on the run with you?"

"Maybe not," he said, "But Joel and I can give you glowing references as we planned. That's a start at least."

You smiled. "Thanks. Though I could probably use some aiding and abetting if that's too much to ask. I don't want you guys to get into trouble, but I could use some assistance tomorrow."

Tommy raised his brows in surprise. "Oh?"

"There's a lady that's supposed to stop by to check out the house tomorrow," you explained. "Ellie obviously can't be there when she shows up. I was hoping you two would watch her for me. Keep her at your place until she's gone."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Joel told you. "She don't like me."

"She didn't trust you," you said. "There's a difference. But she knows you and Tommy are friends. If I tell her it's the only way she'll jump at it."

Joel and Tommy shared a look of concern.

"She won't tear the house down," you promised them.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Joel said.

"If the lady finds out Ellie's a runaway I will tell her I lied to you and that you both didn't know," you added.

He grunted. "Not that either."

"We'll look after her," Tommy decided, interrupting you both. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"I'm probably asking a bit too much of our friendship," you mused.

He shook his head. "Don't matter. Just means you'll owe us when we have to bury a body."

You snorted. "Ha ha. You think you're hilarious."

He flashed you a wide grin. "Cause I am."

You rolled your eyes and shoved his shoulder. "Sure, cowboy."

There was nothing to be done that night about it, so you changed the subject after that, trying to keep things light.

But while Tommy was on board, you could tell Joel wasn't. For the rest of the night he was quieter than you'd seen him in a while, clearly mulling over something. But whenever he got this way and you asked what was bugging him he'd just say "nothin'" and that was that, so you didn't bother.

You'd later realize that his "nothin'" was actually a hell of a lot.

x

When they got back home at eleven, Joel and Tommy parted ways for a while.

Tommy was going to stake out your place for a few hours and reinforce the invisible wards that he and Joel had put up on your house the night Ellie had moved in. It would keep her hidden from other angels, or at least make it difficult for them to pinpoint exactly where she was.

It was also taking a little bit of their power away every time they renewed it, but it wasn't like they weren't already getting closer and closer to being completely mortal anyway. Being cut off from Heaven (and Hell) did that to an angel.

It was probably why Joel didn't sense the angel in his kitchen until after he turned the lights on and saw him.

The angel was unassuming looking in appearance and stature. Small by adult human standards, barely reaching five foot two inches and bony all over, but it was an illusion, just like the way he was lounging in one of the kitchen table's chairs, as if he had no care in the world. Joel remembered him instantly. He hadn't been there the day Jophiel had struck down Eva, but he was her finest soldier. Her right hand man, as humans put it. To forget him would have been dangerous.

Joel froze in place by the edge of the room, fear coursing through his veins. "Zuriel."

"Jaoel, brother." The angel smiled, but it was not warm. "Nice to see you again. It's been a while. What have you been up to?"

"You don't get to know," Joel said gruffly. "You here to kill me finally?"

"We gave up chasing you centuries ago," Zuriel stated, swinging one leg over his other casually. "That ended the target on your back. Michael and Jophiel don't care that you and Thomas are here anymore, so long as you continue to not be in our way and you do not...reproduce."

His expression twisted in disgust, the idea of mating with a human absolutely repulsive to him. What resulted was even worst as far as he was concerned.

Joel had already heard it from him way back when the first nephilim had begun showing up on Earth.

"Then why are you here?" Joel asked, making fists with his hands and clenching his jaw.

"You do not know?" Zuriel questioned, quickly playing off his initial surprise. "There's a nephal nearby. We can't quite pinpoint where it is, and we were wondering if you had sensed it?"

"No," Joel lied. "You know what it's like for fallen angels. Thomas and I have been here too long to recognize others by their power easily. I didn't even know you were here until I saw you with my own eyes."

Zuriel hummed. "True. And no chance it's yours?"

"Fuck you, Zuri," Joel hissed.

He huffed. "I'm not your type."

"Out!" Joel snarled, pointing to the front door. "We haven't done anything worthy of you bothering us. Go on your way."

Zuriel hopped onto his feet and strolled over to him, a smirk plastered on his face. "Careful how you speak to me, Jaoel. You're not an archangel anymore. You can't be sure you can still win a fight against me."

Joel narrowed his eyes at him. "An even playing field has never perturbed me."

"True."

Zuriel passed him and headed for the door. "If you notice anything, you know how to summon me."

"Why would I help you?" Joel inquired, his jaw starting to hurt from how tense he was keeping it. He'd forgotten how good Zuriel was at getting under people's skin. He'd never been the one under attack. Zuriel had never toyed with Jaoel. He'd once respected him; but that was a long time ago, before Jaoel had loss much of his power and changed his name to Joel.

"Cause if you don't, if you hide a nephal from us, we will end you," Zuriel said over his shoulder. "And we'll make sure Thomas is first."

With that, he stepped out of the house and banged the door behind him.

Joel was left fuming, still standing at the entrance of the kitchen.

The anger quickly morphed into dread.

It was only a question of how long he and Tommy would be able to hide you and Ellie from Zuriel and the others. They already knew Ellie was in the city. Eventually they'd figure it out, wards or not, and it would be in a matter of days, not weeks.

Joel wanted to rush over to your house immediately and tell you to follow him, go on the run with him and Tommy, but he knew to convince you he'd have to reveal the truth about himself to you, and he wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Besides, Zuriel could be watching. It would be better to wait. At least until after your meeting with the adoption agency's representative.

It was an excuse, but he needed time to pack and plan anyway.

x

It was one in the afternoon when you walked Ellie over to the Millers' house, an hour before the representative from the adoption agency was supposed to show up.

When you entered with her, Joel and Tommy joined you both by the door and exchanged brief greetings with you.

"Ellie, this is Tommy and Joel." You waved your hand at each of them as you spoke their names and she nodded.

"Remember what I told you," you pleaded, taking one of her hands in yours.

Ellie huffed. "Yeah, yeah, best behavior, they're your friends."

You kissed her temple before she could avoid it, and you turned to the brothers.

"Thanks again for watching her."

"No need," Tommy insisted.

"Okay, I'd better go," you said, backing away. "I'll come back to pick Ellie up as soon as the visit is done."

"Good luck," Tommy said.

"Thanks!" you called out as you left the house. The screen door slammed behind you, and then there were three.

Ellie glanced awkwardly over at Tommy, then at Joel. "Soooo...got any board games?"

"No games," Joel said shortly, turning away, still not liking the idea of being stuck with the kid for a few hours, even though he was trying to save her.

"We got movies," Tommy offered, gesturing for her to follow him into the living room. "You can pick one to watch."

"Do you have hot chocolate?" she asked.

Joel couldn't help but stop and turn to face her, eyebrows arched. "You want hot chocolate in eighty degree weather?"

"Willow has it almost every night," she replied defensively. "Says it's her go-to cheat treat. I'd never had it before she had me try it a few days ago and I like it too. What does it matter if it's not winter? Texas never actually gets a real winter."

She had him there.

"We have some in the kitchen pantry," Tommy told her. "You know how to use a water boiler?"

"I'm fourteen fuckin' years old," she muttered after rolling her eyes. "Of course I know how to use one."

She strolled into the kitchen and Joel followed her, observing quietly as she grabbed the appliance off the counter and headed for the sink to fill it up.

He'd been thinking all day about giving her an invisible ward that would help her hide better from the angels outside of your home, and how he would manage to do it. He didn't know if a better opportunity would come up, so he took it.

He raced over to the sink as she opened the faucet up and snatched up her wrist, shutting the water stream off at the same time. Using more of his power he burned the invisible ward into the skin under his fingertips and she hissed at the brief but sharp pain that resulted from it before yanking her arm away from him.

"What's your problem, dude?" she snapped. "Crazy old man."

"Can't use the tap water for drinkin'," Joel explained. Another lie in two days. "It's not safe. Got arsenic. We've got a jug of water in the fridge, use that."

Ellie looked at him oddly then headed for the refrigerator and used the water inside instead.

She boiled the water all by herself with Joel hovering and Tommy plopped down in one of the kitchen chairs, neither of them having anything better to do. They were supposed to be watching her and that's what they were doing, even if it made her clearly uncomfortable, from the way she kept glancing at them.

Once the water was at a high boil she shut off the appliance and Joel handed her one of their plain green mugs, getting it from an upper cabinet that was too high for her to reach.

"Thanks," she said awkwardly before pouring a pack of powdered hot chocolate into the mug.

She went on to add the water, but she tipped the boiler over a little too fast as she did so and some of the hot liquid dripped onto her left hand that was holding the mug in place.

Cursing she jumped away from the bar the mug was set on and let go of the boiler so she could focus on cradling her freshly burnt hand.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Joel sprung into action, carefully grabbing the injured hand with his right one and guiding her over to the sink again to put her reddening skin under a cool, steady flow of water to soothe her pain.

"Keep your hand under there for a while," he ordered her, and she glanced up at him, surprised. It took a moment for Joel to figure out it was because of the gentleness in his touch and voice.

It had been all so automatic, something he'd done more than once for Eva when she'd burnt herself while cooking, although then it had been a bucket of water he'd used. Eva had never been careful enough when she got distracted for one reason or another.

Joel cleared his thickening throat and backed off. "I'll go wait in the living room."

He didn't look at Tommy as he passed, not wanting to see what his expression might be. No doubt his curiosity would have been piqued by his quick action and tenderness.

It was nothing to think about. He'd gotten used to it; caring for mortal beings, humans and sheep alike. They all had been so easily hurt. And he'd always been there to tend to them. But only a select few. Only the sheep on the farm. Only Eva and Sarah. Only those that meant something to him.

His attentiveness had simply been instilled into him. He didn't actually care about Ellie, not beyond wanting to prevent another nephal from dying on his watch anyway.

But that, in no doubt, was not what Tommy would be assuming, so Joel avoided his gaze.

He didn't want to question it too.

x

Ellie was three minutes into digging through their video tape and DVD collection when she threw her hands up in defeat.

"How can I choose?" she exclaimed. "These movies are all for ancient people!" She picked up one of them, an aged video tape of The Maltese Falcon. "This one's even in black and white!"

"Hey, that one's a classic," Joel argued from his spot on the couch, a little insulted.

She nodded vigorously. "Oh, I know."

Tommy, sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, grinned and almost laughed, but a glare from Joel shut it down.

Ellie sighed and put the tape away on their movie shelf. "Unless a copy of Jurassic Park manifests out of nowhere I'm going to need your input. Something made after 1980 at the very least."

"We could watch Young Guns," Tommy suggested. "Haven't watched that one in a while. It's based on Billy the Kid's story. The outlaw."

"I know who he was," she said before turning back to Joel. "What about you."

"Curtis and the Viper 2," Joel and Tommy answered in unison.

Ellie beamed at them. "That sounds so random. What's it about?"

Joel shrugged. "Nothin' much really."

"Dude, you recommended it," she said.

"It's about a young man named Curtis who has to fight his enemy, known as the Viper, to save his wife from him," Joel explained hesitantly.

Ellie searched through the DVDs to find it and lit up when she saw the cover. "Is this some kind of karate movie?"

"Kung Fu," Joel corrected.

"Basically the same thing."

"Karate is a Japanese martial art," he told her. "Kung Fu is Chinese."

Ellie smirked. "Whatever you say, old man."

She removed the disc from its case and slid it into the DVD player under the TV. "I might like this one. Karate, Kung Fu, they're all cool."

Joel silently agreed. He'd never tried it for himself, had always opted for an efficient bawling style of fighting when he hadn't had a blade in hand, but he had full respect for Eastern Asian martial artists. They trained hard and had the skills to show for it.

Ellie did end up engrossed in the film, seemingly enjoying the skillful fighting as much as he did, more so than the actual plot.

She spent most of the movie leaning forward on her elbows, eyes rarely straying from the screen.

But by the time the credits were rolling, she was fast asleep, head pressed against the armrest of the couch opposite to where Joel was sitting, her socked feet brushing against his thigh.

It reminded him of all the times Sarah used to fall asleep beside him, legs swung over his, or head on his lap.

He could feel Tommy watching him observe Ellie, but he ignored him, too lost in the moment and his memories.

Okay, maybe he did care about her. Nothing grand, just a basic fondness. She was as snappy as any human could get, a real pain in the ass at times, but he admired her strength of will, and he could see the innocence she was hiding somewhere deep inside. It was all in her eyes, ones not so unlike Sarah's.

And Ellie was the same age as Sarah had been when she'd died.

Maybe it was a sign. A sign that he was meant to protect her. Why God would want him to eluded him, but that was typical.

A sudden knock at the back door startled both Joel and Tommy and woke Ellie up. She rubbed her eyes and glanced around as the brothers sprung to their feet warily.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Stay here," Joel commanded. "Tommy, you too."

Tommy nodded and stood by Ellie to guard her while Joel headed for the door cautiously.

When he opened it a female angel was standing on the other side, slim but not skinny, pale with straight midnight hair that reached her middle back, and almond shaped eyes that stared into his soul.

He knew her well, just like his previous visitor. He stiffened, not sure what to expect from her. "Celina, what are you doing here?"

"I came to warn Thomas," she replied. "And you. I know we never interacted much, but Thomas was my friend, and so you are too. Zuriel is on his way. He knows you are harboring the nephal."

"You told him," Joel growled. Assuming.

"No!" she shouted. "I would not. I may be working under Zuriel, but I don't agree with any of them. I differ in their opinion that she must be destroyed. I have always. No being should be condemned for what they are. Only by what they do. And she has not harmed anyone to our knowledge."

"Who figured it out then?" Joel inquired.

"William," she answered. "He is a newborn angel. Trained by Zuriel himself. He was standing watch nearby and sensed her while she and her guardian were walking over to your house. Saw her. They've been planning ever since. Waiting until dark so they could attack without gaining the attention of prying human eyes."

"You need to go," Joel said. "They'll kill you if they find out you warned us."

"Not before you know," Celina paused, "They have more plans for the nephal girl than death. For the last century the demons have been rising again. More than ever before are breaking out of Hell. Michael wants to drain the nephal dry of her blood and use that blood, the power in it, to strengthen the weakening gates, to prevent more demons from walking the Earth. She is the key to saving the world."

"There must be some other way," Joel protested.

"In a way," Celina told him. "We need a lot of nephal blood, too much for anyone to survive if it were taken all at once, but her blood does not need to be fresh. It will strengthen the gates enough for the barrier to last for centuries even without a sacrifice. Joel, promise me you will keep her safe, but also promise me you will drain her of her blood, put it aside, and use it once you have enough. The world will end if you do not take the risk of going to the alter."

"Even if I did do that, I do not know the incantation to use," he admitted.

Celina shoved a hand in the back pocket of her jeans and handed him a piece of folded paper. "This has everything on it that you need to know to complete the ritual; including which alter to seek."

Her eyes darted left to right. She made shooing gestures at him. "Now, with all respect archangel, get out of here, now!"

He tipped his head at her. "Thank you, Celina."

He got a stern look in return. "Don't make me regret it."

Joel kept his eyes on her long enough to see her unfurl her dark wings and fly away, then rushed into the living room.

"I heard everything," Tommy told him when he entered.

"Get Ellie into the truck," Joel ordered him. "I'm going to empty the safe of our cash and throw some necessities in the duffel bag. One minute."

Tommy nodded and turned to Ellie. "You heard him."

She folded her arms. "I'm not going anywhere with you unless Willow comes, and until I know what the fuck is going on."

"Bad people are coming for you," Joel explained.

She blinked at him in disbelief. "What?" Why?"

"No time to tell a story," he told her. "We will answer all your questions later."

"I'm still not going without Willow," she declared.

"We'll get her too," Tommy promised. "I'll go get her. Just stick by Joel."

He shared a glance with him and Joel gave Tommy a single nod of permission. There was no use fighting Ellie over it and you were likely in danger too, especially if Zuriel arrived to an abandoned house. He would seek you out; demand to know where he'd taken Ellie.

Tommy darted across the street, and Joel got to work shoving whatever he could into a single duffle bag that he kept in the main closet for emergency use. There were already supplies in it, toothbrushes and paste, combs and spare clothing for him and Tommy, but he had much more to add in. The money, their blades, their fake IDs and passports, small drinks and snacks. The bag barely zipped when he was finished.

He and Ellie were out the door when you and Tommy reached the truck.

"I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what's going on," you said, hand on hip.

"There's no time!" he exclaimed.

"Then you'd better be quick," you told him.

"Fine," he spat, tired of humans resisting him. Why couldn't you and Ellie just trust him?

"There's angels after Ellie," he revealed.

You scoffed. "I was thinking serial killer, but that's even better. Are you missing some meds or somethin'? This isn't like you."

"It's true," Tommy insisted.

"And how do you know that?"

"'Cause we're ones too," he admitted, letting his wings free to stretch wide out, not caring if any of the other neighbors saw. There were more important matters now.

Your jaw dropped as you stared at them, as did Ellie's.

Joel just sighed. He really would miss Austin.

"Holy shit, his wings are fucking real!" Ellie gasped. "Willow, they're fucking real!"

You swallowed hard. "Why are they after her?"

"We will tell you both everything once we're all safe," Joel swore. "But if we don't leave now, I won't get the chance to."

You nodded and turned to Ellie. "Get in the truck."

"They're fucking angels, Willow!" Ellie yelled.

"And they're friends," you said. "Go on."

Ellie watched as Tommy tucked his wings away once more then turned quickly to climb into the backseat, leaving the door open for you.

With a final glance to Joel and Tommy, you followed her in.

xxx

Tagged: @harriedandharassed @solanumofthestars

xxx

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

xxx

[gamerbot-22]

Olm Soup for the Soul

Prompt: Soup

TW/CW: A bit of Pelynx, barely proofread and I appreciate spellchecks!

Word Count: 1,054

A/N: Another Belobogian! Hell yeah! Hoyoverse I am on my hands and knees begging for more Belobog content please!!! Lynx is such a fun character concept I love how her just. Existing makes Gepard even more anxious than he already is about something going wrong and Serval actually loose her cool a little. Truly, she is The Little Sister Ever. Also can you tell I've been reading Dungeon Meshi?

Translation Note: Julienne is just a style of cutting up vegetables (usually long ones like bell peppers or carrots) into long, uniform-ish strips. (I'm aware that this isn't as deep of a cut (ha) as other TNs, but I didn't know this until I wrote the ficlet so bam. Knowledge Shared.

Likes and Reblogs appreciated (reblogs > likes) and Requests are Open! Read this story on Ao3 here!

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The dividers in this post were made by @/gamerbot-22 (me!) ☆

© All rights reserved by miHoYo

Lynx knew the kind of person Pela was. She was happy to try new things and come along on Lynx's expeditions, but at the end of the day, she was definitely more of... an indoor cat than Lynx was.

Case and point: Lynx knew that mountain climbing required a lot more layers than normal, and while the outerwear Pela packed for the trip was very fashionable with the fur trimmed hood and the freshly polished silver buttons, just that over her normal clothes wasn't going to cut it once the sun went down. And despite some good-natured warnings... Pela was starting to get the shivers pretty bad now that it was dark.

"We'll go back down in the morning," Lynx declared. Her voice was soft but incredibly certain as she stoked the fire, kicking up a flash of embers into the cool air. There wasn't a harsh bone in her body, but Pela couldn't help but feel a little bad.

"We don't have t-to! Really, I'm ok-kay!" She insisted through chattering teeth. Her knees were knocked together, and she was sitting a lot closer to the fire than Lynx was.

"No, you're not! You're gonna turn into Pela icicle if we don't get you warmed up soon." Lynx reached over to her side and swung a pot from her pack onto the metal frame she had set up over the fire. "A Pela-cicle, even!"

Riding the momentum of getting that pot on the fire, Lynx reached about elbow deep into her rucksack and pulled out a heavy looking jar of broth before rolling it across the snow to Pela. "Could you put this in the pot for me please?"

"S-S-Sure!" Pela started to try and pop the lid open, but her attention was quickly drawn elsewhere...

Pela reached into her rucksack again and pulled out a little bag filled with vegetables with one hand and a cutting board with the other. She laid the latter across her lap and with the little survival knife she kept in her boot, she minced a few heads of garlic, chopped up a red onion, and julienned a root vegetable so fast Pela couldn't even tell what it even was before it was added to the growing pile. By then, the pot was getting warm, but the broth was still in Pela's hands.

"Do you need some help with the lid?" Lynx asks, popping one of the strips of vegetable into her mouth for a snack.

"Huh?" Pela snapped back to herself and was suddenly very grateful that the cold was already reddening her cheeks. "N-No, I got it!" She quickly popped the lid off and poured the broth into the pot, listening to it hiss on contact with the hot metal. It was hard not to get distracted watching Lynx in her element. She was like a well-oiled machine built specifically for survival.

"Thanks, Pela," Lynx said quickly, not even waiting before dumping the vegetables into the broth. "Oh, while that's going, could you stir it a little? It'll warm you up and make sure everything is together."

"Mix it with wh--oh!" Pela took the wooden spoon Lynx pulled from her seemingly bottomless bag.

As the vegetables began to soften, Lynx reached into her bag one final time for the piece de resistance: a hefty looking sealed plastic bag filled with pre-cut cubes of meat. The label on the side facing Pela read in big black letters "OLM," which was an amphibian that was found in Belobog's underground and used for food, similar to chickens before chickens went extinct on Jarlio-VI. Lynx cut the bag open, and then shook the contents slowly into the broth.

"There!" Lynx said, setting the slightly bloody bag aside in the snow, and then scooping up a handful of the snow to wash her gloves. "Once that's done, we'll both be warm!"

Pela blinked a bit owlishly, then pushed her round glasses up higher on her nose. Once the awe of just how quickly Lynx had got the stew going passed, the other girl smiled, excitement starting to flicker in her chest like the fire between them. "Oh, I can't wait! It already looks really good. When will it be done, do you think?"

Her companion went a bit quiet, her eyes going from focused on the broth to staring at the space between the pot and her face.

"Lynxy...?"

"...Probably an hour...?" She admitted a bit sheepishly, nudging the flattened snow at her feet. "Maybe more?"

"O-Oh."

Lynx's face flushed with embarrassment. "I think I got so excited for stew that I didn't... really think about how long it was gonna take."

"Th-That's ok! It was c-cool to w-watch you cook." Pela sniffed and wiped at her nose. "'Scuse me--"

"Well... while that cooks, what do you think of sharing the Big Blanket?" Lynx gestured at Pela's bag, with the rolled up blanket of legend tied to the top. The Big Blanket was something that Pela had found in the city while working, hanging in a shop window with a beautifully patterned outside, depicting snowflakes and flowers, and a fleecy inside. It was heavy, but that made it warm. Especially when there was another person to share it with.

Pela smiled really big and reached for her bag, gathering it up in her arms to get the straps loose. "Th-That sounds perfect!"

And perfect it was. The two of them sat at the edge of the tent, curled up at each other's sides under the combined weight of the Big Blanket, and listened to the fire crackle and roar.

"Even if we have to go back down the mountain in the morning, I'm glad I went with you," Pela said, reaching to take Lynx's hands in hers.

"Yeah," the explorer rested her head on Pela's shoulder. "I'm glad you came, too. When we get back into town, I can help you find some big, nice coats for when we try this again. If you want to."

"I want to!" She smiled. "I like getting to be out here, spending time with you."

"I like getting to spend time with you, too, Pela."

The two curled up closer, and for a moment, despite the snow outside and the chill in the air, the two of them forgot what cold felt like.

[selfpositiveundertale]

Update post

So a lot has happened.

I finally got my driver's license in February, yay! Much later than any of my peers got theirs, but better late than never. My husband was very patient with me and took me out to practice driving at every opportunity, including having me drive the car when we'd go grocery shopping and run other errands. I took the driving test on the day we started dating 15 years ago, so after I passed we celebrated by having a dinner date at one of our favorite restaurants.

My husband started a new job that pays better than his previous one, and his new employer is a decent human being, unlike his previous employer.

I'm trying very hard to get back into crocheting so I can reopen my Etsy shop. One of my best friends has commissioned me for some art and a very large crochet plush doll of their favorite anime character, so I was able to invest in more of the yarn I use for things like the Ralsei amogus dolls. I've got a few ideas for new-ish things to put in there but first I have to make them lol. I'm currently working on a commission project for someone who wants a crochet doll of their dinosaur sona. The pattern I'm working from is a little confusing but I find that the phrase "trust the process" is good advice in this situation.

My chronic pains have gotten worse, but I stay determined and keep going out of spite. I'm seeing one of my doctors today for an exam that I'm way overdue for and I'm frankly very nervous about the potential results. Either they'll find something and we'll have to figure out treatment from there or they won't find anything and we'll be back to square one trying to figure out what's going on with me.

I'm supposed to be starting cognitive behavioral therapy with my therapist soon, so I'm looking forward to that. She warned me it might be difficult and at times uncomfortable but I think I can handle it and I'll let her know if I can't.

I still keep having episodes of existential dread that sometimes escalates into panic attacks but my therapist is going to try to help me get that under control. One of my other workers had me create a "coping card" with a bunch of questions I need to ask myself but often forget to ask when I'm having an episode like that so I can look at it and figure out what I need to do to calm down. I might put those questions in another post for y'all.

I think that's about it for now but I might update if I think of anything else.

Stay determined.

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

[onthewaytosomewhere]

wait?! it's wednesday!?!

well - i guess it has been all day - i'm certain i knew this y'all 🤷‍♀️

so i've got a few tags today (i luv tags) so @england-would-fall @suseagull04 @magicandarchery @agame-writes @taste-thewaste @sunnysideprince @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @heybuddy-drabbles @firenati0n thanks ever so much for the tags (it reminded me it was wednesday and got me wanting to write some more tonight - yay!!) ❤️ i will be perusing these all soon-ish to be unhinged as per normal at your amazing words - once the holy crud is this day over yet portion of the day is finally done ❤️

so today's bit of words is from my hockey!alex and bookshop!henry cuz i got a chance to work on that some more in the last week - amongst the new smaller one i'm also working on to hopefully post next week or so - we'll see lol

“Oh, that’s a load of bollocks, you know as well as I do, you can restock those books later. Now is when you will tell Auntie Pezza why you’re ignoring me. You should know you can’t get away with that by now. On our sacred pub trivia day, no less, what have I ever done to you to deserve such treatment?” Pez’s hand goes to his heart like an overly dramatic southern belle about to faint.

Henry rolls his eyes at Pez’s dramatics, “If you know I’m ignoring you, that’s great. You can skedaddle back where you came from so I can continue getting my work done; I’m sure you have some of your own.” “I do. I’m meeting Liam at the Shelter in a couple of hours, but until then, you have me here.” Pez kneels down and picks up one of the books off the pile Henry has on the floor before continuing, “Haz, tell me what’s going on. What knots are you working that pretty mind of yours into? Is this about the enchanting Alexander?” Henry scoffs, “Enchanting? Are we talking about the same person? Because I don’t see how you would get that.” Pez smiles, reminding Henry that he is talking to the person who knows him best in the world. “I heard you were quite enchanted for at least part of the time he was here. I won’t ask again what happened because I know you are, as my dear Liam says, ‘dug in like a tick,’ and it would be useless right now. Remember, though, when you are ready to talk about it, I’m here.” Pez stands up and holds his hand out to help Henry up, and he takes the hand, the olive branch his best friend is extending. Acknowledging the silent agreement that, as always, he will confide in him when he gets his thoughts untangled enough to communicate them. As they walk over to the counter where Pez left the food by the register, he asks, “So why is Liam meeting you at the shelter? Are you skipping out for the afternoon? If so, please don’t tell me the no doubt dirty details of whatever you have planned.” Pez laughs, and the fond roll of his eyes he directs at Henry tells him he is forgiven for going radio silent for the last day. “You know I don’t kiss and tell, at least not sober,” Pez sends Henry a grin that reminds him of some of those times he has done just that. “But, no, Liam is coming to discuss some of the upcoming events we’re arranging with the team, him and Alex.” “Oh.” Henry tries to keep the contempt out of his voice, but based on the look Pez gives him, he’s unsuccessful.

❤️so now the fun part (and if you've already done this and i missed it (cuz not really had a chance to look yet) well 'hey!') no-pressure tags to @adreamareads @anincompletelist @bitbybitwrites @dragonflylady77 @duchessdepolignaca03 @firstsprinces @forever-fixating @inexplicablymine @junebugclaremontdiaz @kiwiana-writes (i'm totally blaming ya for the pez/liam that now wants to pop into all my fics lol - but i do kinda luv it lol) @priincebutt @sophie1973 @stellarm @typicalopposite

[popcornfairy28]

An update!

Just right now, I just went through my "read by the author" podfics on AO3 and changed the "Read by the Author" tag (which was meant for podfic) to the now dedicated "Podfic Read by the Author" tag. Technically, it's the same tag functionally, but now it just says it lol. I also added the tag "Podfic and Text in the Same Work" for the more recent works where that is appropriate. I'm so excited that AO3 added those tags! I had been using "Podfic & Podficced Works" for the latter, and that tag is still on those works.

But that's not really what I wanted to share with y'all 😅

You're gonna have to say goodbye to sleep-deprived me, because I am finally curing my insomnia of recent years. Turns out, my current bedroom is a lot more disruptive with noise at night from inside the house than my old (much smaller) bedroom, so I've been sleeping in there for the past four nights and I've had sooooo much energy and been so productive!! I have gotten to become a much lighter sleeper than I used to be, so it took me ridiculously long to figure that out. I really should've figured it out earlier, since even the numbers don't lie. When I was in my old bedroom was when I first started posting to AO3 and wrote 50000+ words (and probably much more, but for WIPs) in a month, and my three year hiatus immediately started as soon as I moved to my "new" bedroom. So ummm we'll see what this does for my writing productivity 🤞

For writing, I might as well tell you how it's going. Here's the order I hope to update my WIPs: First Snow, The Older Siblings (+ prequel), Perry the Teenage Spy, and then Bap Away at My Heart should be getting its last chapter at the end of the month/early March. Any The Golden Years installments will have to wait until March/April. I will also be attempting to participate in the Inklings Challenge Four Loves Challenge, and I'd still love to write some for the Christmas Challenge. At some point, I will update the Chesterton Challenge Prompts before May. I won't give any specific dates, as I never succeed at them lol.

I still have a few podfics left to edit from Voiceteam Mystery Box. I will be working on them for this week and potentially the next. Then I will be posting a few romantic-ish ones for Valentine's Day. Then I hope to post a few for the "Leading Ladies" Podfest going on this month. In March, I hope to be mostly working on a longer podfic for the Podfic Big Bang. In April, I will be posting my bloopers of my "read by the author" podfics for my anniversary of my 2nd podfic (as that was the one that Voiceteam reached out to me and got me really making podfics), and then I plan to take it easy with podfics in order to gear up for Voiceteam again in May (Then I will definitely be editing Voiceteam podfics in June, if not also July).

Another thing I want to do with podfics this year are go back through and make versions with music! I want to record a few stings and jingles and such from the shows with my guitar and add them for page breaks and such. And, if I could figure it out, I would also add audio effects. (I also have a New Year's Resolution to make 100 podfics this year, and I'm already a tenth of the way there! It would be really funny if I already hit this with Voiceteam events haha)

Sorry for the long post, but it does show that my concentration has very much improved with better sleep 😂 Considering I just wrote this out in 15 minutes!

(I can of course get sick and throw this all out of whack, since the flu has been going around, SO while this isn't entirely unrealistic planning, it is a bit hopeful)