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rustedhearts · 11 months

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the incident ♡ part i (boxer!steve x librarian!fem reader)

summary: a brutal argument and steve's terrible temper drive you away from your malibu home. steve loses you again, and this time, you're both left wondering: has he lost you for good this time?

uses she/her pronouns and female anatomy.

✶ the king of the ring ✶ part ii, part iii ✶ main masterlist

tags: angst, so toxic, more manhandling (mostly just Steve grabbing her), shoving, brutal verbal argument, Steve is genuinely terrible, also there's like no build-up, we get straight to it lol.

a/n: this is it, folks. this is the incident, the one that changes everything for steve and libby. it's rough to read, and this is your warning now that it's bordering domestic abuse. but once again, i will never write explicit violence against women (as in, he will never hit her).

malibu, california, november 1992

"Every time. You do this every fucking time, Steve."

The back of your head was just as pretty as the front, but Steve hated the sound of your voice when it was yelling at him. He deserved it, of course—he always did. But that sharp, scolding snap—it enraged him. No matter how much he deserved it, no matter how awful he'd been. Steve hated being yelled at.

"Do what? He was askin' for it."

"Asking for it? Do you hear yourself? You knocked him out cold, you fucking prick!"

Steve stopped short in the open doorway of your Malibu home, holding the doorframe. Freshly cleaned, scented of lemon cleaner, a little slick on the floor. He watched you stomp up the carpeted stairs in your little heels, bag swinging with every pound of your feet. You had that pursed, scrunched look on your face he knew all too well.

But when you yelled at him, he just wanted to yell back.

So, he followed suit, quickly closing the distance between the pair of you. He reached the bedroom just as you threw your purse onto the bed, whipping around to head toward the closet.

"So fuckin' what? I'm just supposed to let some creep—"

"—oh my god, Steve! How many more times are we gonna do this? Its-it's fucking driving me insane!" you shrilled, turning to stare at him in exasperation from his position in the doorway.

Steve huffed, stepping into the closet toward his array of black fabrics on the other side. He whipped his shirt off and let it pool on the ground, belt clinking as he slid it from the buckle.

"Yeah, whatever. How d' you think I feel when I see guys like that all over you, huh? I mean, Jesus Christ, he was practically drooling on your tits, Libby," Steve snarled, hands waving in those open, empty gestures that you always rolled your eyes at.

You paused in your pursuit of changing clothes. Comfortability could wait. Steve needed to understand how infuriating it was to be tugged at and shielded like a doll. How enraging it was to be treated like nothing more than his object, something to possess and hold onto.

You felt like a toy in the tight grip of a boy that refused to grow up.

"He wasn't doing anything. We were talking, Steve. Would you have reacted that way if it were a woman?"

Steve rolled his eyes this time, shoving his jeans over his thighs toward his ankles. He kicked them off, reaching for a pair of loose, black Nike shorts that he usually wore around the house.

He kept his back to you as he yanked them over his hips, slung low enough to show the newly cut muscles he'd gained over gruesome training for higher-stake title fights. He'd been training at a rigorous pace that worried anyone not on his payroll—you most of all.

He was always littered in bruises, always sporting some kind of migraine bordering concussion—and most of all, his anger was at an all time high. If it wasn't something you did, it was something you hadn't done. If it wasn't you, it was anyone nearest you that breathed wrong. It was anyone, anywhere, anytime. No one was spared of Steve's wrath.

But you bared the brunt of it.

"No, because a woman wouldn't be slobbering all over you—"

"—we were talking, Steve! Something you and I don't seem to be doing lately. So yeah—"

"—what? What the fuck are you talking about?" Steve's face screwed sideways, body turning to face you finally.

"—yeah, I'm gonna talk to someone who actually listens to me. It's like talking to a brick fucking wall with you lately."

Steve reared back, then jutted forward: chin first, eyebrows furrowed, eyes squinted inquisitively. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He hadn't been listening to you?

"Well, maybe I'm fucking tired after working all day, honey. Maybe I don't wanna hear you whine and complain about how boring it is—"

"—ew, God, did you just say that? Do you hear yourself? You think you're so fuckin' important. So fuckin' high and mighty now that you're in Hollywood, right?"

Steve glared at you, jaw tightening. "You know I don't give a shit about—"

"Oh," you snapped, brows raising. "Oh, you don't? No? No, you didn't throw a tantrum after you lost that fight last year?"

"No—"

"You didn't freak the fuck out when Title didn't cut you 'what you deserved' after the Davidson fight?"

"No, don't twist my fuckin'—"

You were standing toe to toe now, Steve half-clothed and barefoot, the dress you'd been wearing all day still sticking to your skin from Californian heat and a humid gym. Your feet were killing you. Your face was flaming hot. Steve's nostrils were flaring rapidly and his breathing was growing unsteady.

This had been building up. After months of fighting and making up, after weeks of giving silent treatments only to be suckered into his kisses and murmured apologies. Months of picking up pieces of picture frames he broke in outburst, deciding to hang them up without the glass to keep from breaking because you couldn't afford his temper. Weeks of wondering when you'd break, when you'd finally snap and ask what the hell happened to the man that protected you, loved you, made you feel like something special and cherished?

Because the man standing in front of you was nothing like the man you first met. The man standing in front of you, millions of dollars richer and all the worse for it, was a cold, hard shell of who you once knew.

"I know you, Steve. You might think you can fool me by pretending you don't care about Hollywood and money and fame but—I know you, Steven. And all you care about," you stepped closer, glaring up the tip of your nose at the broad, fuming boxer, "is your ego."

It was the one-fingered push to his chest that set him off. You were on your way through the door, heading back into the bedroom to put space between the pair of you. But Steve wouldn't let you have the last word. Steve wouldn't let you be right.

"Oh, but it's my 'ego' payin' for all this, isn't it? Huh? I haven't heard you complainin' about all those diamonds around your neck, right?"

The grip Steve had on your arm was all too familiar, and he used it to yank you back around with a force that made you flinch. His hand burned where it wrung your bicep, and you ground your teeth to keep the tears at bay. You wouldn't cry prematurely. You had every right to scream and rage right now.

And with the way Steve was looking at you right now, all condescending pouts and head tilts, chasing your gaze when you wouldn't give it to him because he wanted to corner you—it made you feel truly insane.

"Yeah, you don't care so much about my 'ego' when I'm fundin' your lifestyle, do you, sweetheart? When I'm buyin' all those pretty dresses and fueling a fuckin' jet." Steve punctuated the sharp snap of his teeth with a tightened grip on your arm, using it to yank you into his chest.

You shoved at his chest, eyes starting to burn. "So fucking take it, Steve. I don't want any of it."

Steve tipped his head again, face too close for your liking. You suddenly didn't find those swampy eyes so endearing. The menacing sneer he wore in the ring wasn't so handsome up close.

"No?—"

"No!" you snapped, shoving him again, glaring up at him with wet eyes. "Take it all back, you fucking asshole! It means nothing to me. I was here for you. I was here because I loved you!"

You were crying now, and you hated yourself for it. Why wouldn't you just be strong, breathe through it? Why did he always have to get the best of you? Why did he always have to make you cry?

Steve was silent this time, and it almost made you feel worse. Since when did he have nothing to say to 'I love you?' With a whimpered grunt building in your throat, you shoved your forearm into Steve's stomach, urging him away. His hand loosened around your other arm just enough for you to rip it away, and with another shove to his chest, you yanked free from his hold and stomped toward the closet.

"Here, take it all back, you fucking dick!"

You hurled your clothes toward the bedroom where Steve was fuming at the end of the bed, glaring at all the items piling on the plush, cream carpet. Dresses, skirts, shoes, purses. When you returned to the bedroom, you yanked the pearl drop earrings from your ears and tossed them toward his looming figure. His eyes hardened when they barely brushed his nose.

"There, have it, Steve," you snapped.

You stomped toward the door, rushing for the stairs. Stepping over the mess you made, Steve was quick to follow, bare feet padding the freshly cleaned wood until they met the carpet of the stairs again. You ignored him, sniffling and wiping at your tears, until he took one large step in front of you. You took one back, bumping into the entryway wall as a result.

Blocking your path to the kitchen, Steve crossed his arms and glared down at you. He had you cornered. "Don't act like you're so fucking innocent here, honey," he sneered.

You rolled your eyes, mirroring his stance and folding your arms. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll find something to dock me for, Steven. What did I do this time, huh? Did I breathe wrong?"

"You always fucking flirt with them. You always flirt with other guys, and you know what that does to me. You do it just to fuck with my head." Steve tapped his temple and you tipped your head back with a groan.

"God, you're still on this? I don't flirt with anyone, Steve! The only man I want to be with is you!" Though you weren't so sure you even wanted that anymore.

You wanted Steve—grumpy but lovable, privately sweet and adorable with a dry sense of humor that always made you giggle even when he wasn't trying to be funny. You wanted the Steve that brought you flowers every time he came to pick you up back home in Indiana. You wanted the Steve that begged to wash your hair because he 'liked how your shampoo smelled,' and the Steve who watched you sleep because 'you looked so pretty.'

You didn't want Steve 'The King of the Ring.' You didn't want the Steve that glared and screamed and treated you like another opponent in the ring.

"Oh, yeah? Well what was so fuckin' funny that you had to caress that guy's arm today? Tell me, baby. Was he just so fucking funny—"

"—Jesus, Steve, shut up!"

The tip of Steve's finger bumped your nose when it came to point in your face. "Don't tell me to shut up."

You smacked his hand away, rivaling his mean stare with one of your own. If stares could slice, Steve's head would be in pieces by now.

"Or what?"

The apple of Steve's cheeks were round and red, and a splotchy trail of heat began to scale the length of his neck. You should have shut up. You should have walked away.

You should've left him months ago when you cut your finger cleaning up another one of his messes and he told you to 'be more careful.'

You shouldn't love a man like this.

"Stop it, Libby," he told you lowly, head shaking. "I don't wanna do this with you."

You scoffed, brushing your hair away from your forehead. It was starting to gather a sheen of sweat. "Yeah, right. You only wanna yell at me when I don't yell back, right? You push, and push, and push, and then call me crazy when I finally explode, right, Steve?"

Steve dropped his arms and placed his hands on his hips. His shoulders shrugged in that cocky, douchebag way that always had you boiling.

"I mean...if the shoe fits."

And it was there that any chance of dropping this argument went out the window. It was there that you truly lost it.

Bobbing your head, you dropped your own hands and used them to shove Steve's chest, punctuating every word with a little nudge. You were only adding fuel to the fire, but you were too enraptured by your own fury to care. Finally you were angry, and finally it felt good.

"Oh, is that right? Well, you know what they say about you, Steve? You're just. Like. Your. Daddy."

The house fell silent. You weren't sure Steve was even breathing. But he was staring at you, eyes void and face blank. The only sound that filled the emptiness was the thump of your own heart, like a gong reverberating in your ears.

The regret didn't have a moment to sink in before Steve lunged back into place and slammed his hands into the wall on either side of your head. You jumped, freezing stock-still between his arms caging you in. Your breathing shallowed, caught in the center of your throat.

"Oh, yeah?" Steve growled, tipping his head to find your eyes again. "That's how you feel, honey?"

"Well," you swallowed, steeling your nerves. Steve wouldn't get the best of you today. "If the shoe fucking fits."

"Shut up!"

The impact of Steve's fist against the drywall felt like a firework in your ear. Earth-shattering, ear-splitting, jolting you so hard you lost your breath for a moment. You felt the whoosh of air when he reared back, felt the boom of his hand breaking the foundation. It crumbled in chunks of shattered plaster, clattering against the hardwood.

The room around Steve seemed to vignette. Shadows gathered around the shape of his face, and the space in your lungs shrunk to a minuscule amount. You suddenly couldn't breathe. There was no room in your body for air. Your ears hurt and your cheeks felt swollen, the way they do when you're about to be sick. That sore, stinging ache that came from the onset of tears gathered behind your eyes.

Steve's face went through a series of shifts in the next few palpable moments of silence. First, contorted in anger: brows furrowed and angled down, lip curled into a sneering scowl, cheeks flushed hot red. Then: the brows softened and knitted together, his cheeks dimmed to a soft pink, and his mouth fell agape. His fingers uncurled from their place in the wall. More plaster fell to the floor in chips.

"Oh...oh, god, baby—"

You were out of there. You were so out of there.

You ducked under Steve's arm, still crowding you against the wall. You sprinted for the door, unconcerned about your purse or any of your belongings strewn around the house. The only thing on your mind was getting away.

"I-I'm taking the car," you stuttered out, though you weren't sure why. Maybe you were talking to yourself, reminding yourself to keep moving, to not stop. You couldn't stop. You had to keep going.

"No, don't take the car, baby—"

The jingle of keys between your fingers sounded miles away. As did Steve's voice, following you out the door with a pleading upturn and a nasally whine. He was crying. In the back of your mind, you registered that. Someplace in your head, you saw his tears, heard his pleading.

But you just kept going.

You slid into the car and slammed the door, immediately encompassed by the thick heat collected inside. The brown leather was warm. The engine rumbled to life.

Steve ran across the driveway, all flat grey stones he had redone. His bare feet collected flecks of dirt, little pebbles lodged in his heels. But he had to get to you. He lunged for the car—his car, with you in the passenger seat leaking a shower of tears he wasn't quite sure you knew you were shedding.

Steve banged on the driver window and winced at the sight of his own hand: swollen, split at the knuckles and seeping hot blood. It trickled down his hand and raced for his wrists. He hated how it stained the glass of the window, how it got all over the handle when he yanked at it.

"No, baby, please. Please, baby, open the door. Please, please, please."

You yanked the car into reverse, fingers unsteady and buzzing with some far off, tingling feeling. Everything felt like someone else's actions, someone else's body. It felt like you were watching from a distance.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, don't go. Baby. I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry."

You were hiccuping and choking on your own breath as you slammed your foot on the gas and whipped the car around. In the rearview, Steve jogged after the car, half naked and bleeding, and you hurried to put it in drive and haul off. You squealed out of the driveway, down the hill, and toward the end of the street, sobbing the whole way.

It was about five minutes later that you managed to get ahold of yourself. You slurped up whatever snot attempted to escape your nose, wiped it with the back of your still-trembling hand, and clicked on the turn signal to go right.

There were only two other people you knew in Malibu. Right now, you needed a friend.

♡ ♡

to be continued...

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starleska · 10 months

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So what I get is that most fans are spreading rumors about clown being hacked or putting words in his mouth, and some are treating him like a child who needs to be protected at all cost (which is kinda creepy behavior). And this is happening because he made a NSFW tag, right? What a way to wake up to.

hello anon! yes, you've hit the nail on the head - i'm so sorry that this was what you woke up to! it certainly had my heart rate up for a bit 😭💖 here's the situation (apologies for the long post):

Clown has now made an official separate tag for NSFW content, #PlayfellowXXX. this is excellent! much like Toby Fox did with the #Undertail tag, NSFW fanworks creators now have a separate space to place their work, meaning that individuals who don't want to see that content don't need to.

Wally Darling and Frank Frankly Voice Actor F. Frankie Frankenstein confirmed that this was real, and a decision made by the Welcome Home team.

this was quickly corroborated by Clown, who said that they have not been hacked, and he just needed some time to adjust to all of the new attention. they also found the whole outcry quite funny!

after this, Welcome Home team member Anonymous Puzzler also said that this was a mutual decision between the team, and specifically said that it wasn't coerced in any way. she also confirmed that NSFW was never prohibited in the first place - it was just asked to be private while they worked everything out.

during this time, there were a variety of reactions from people. many were elated; some were confused; others were angry and/or upset. some believed Clown was hacked; others believed he was coerced; others acknowledged its veracity, but were saddened/angered all the same.

to recap: NSFW content has never been banned, according to the Welcome Home team: they just wanted time to work out the best way to protect younger people and those who don't want to see that kind of content in an enormous fandom. the team's preference is now for all Welcome Home NSFW content to go under the tag #PlayfellowXXX. this is a decision Clown and the team have reached organically, without coercion, and for the betterment of the fandom.

there is a significant portion of folks who are distressed by this news, and who are assigning thoughts and feelings onto Clown without knowing him personally. i don't think this is terribly healthy. it's okay if you don't like NSFW fanworks; having a separate tag means you can block/blacklist, and not have to see it!

personally, i think this is a wonderful idea. i'm saddened by the backlash NSFW creators are receiving in the wake of this news - especially as someone who received some of that hate, despite never having made NSFW content for Welcome Home!

i'm also baffled by the repeated assertion that Clown has somehow been coerced into this decision by 'porn-addicted weirdos'. the Welcome Home fandom has been extraordinarily respectful of the private NSFW rule...now, it's okay for people to make NSFW content for Welcome Home, guys. we literally got the green light 😅

the creator is an adult, the characters are adults, and it's a horror project which will deal with mature themes. this really is the best way the team could've handled this kind of project suddenly getting an enormous audience with a lot of younger people! no one is 'more deserving' of being in the fandom, and no one is 'better' than anyone else for making or not making a certain kind of fanwork. certainly, no one 'owns' a tag, character, or fandom - it is a courtesy to have a separate space so that people can avoid NSFW content if they want to.

at the end of the day, i hope those who are upset get a chance to rest, and realise this isn't the end of the world. i understand how hard this might be, especially if NSFW content is a real no-go for you. but everyone's fandom experience is different, and i promise you, the NSFW creators aren't making that content just to make you, personally, feel bad! 💖 if you see someone posting in the wrong tag, or who has outdated information, just politely let them know, or mute/block/scroll on as you need to.

now, i realise i'm breaking my own rule about not weighing in on discourse...but i have so many Welcome Home followers and wanted to make this easily accessible 🙏 i hope this clears up any questions people have.

to the NSFW creators - have fun! to those who'd rather not see NSFW content - take care of yourself! i hope you all have a wonderful day :3c

#welcome home #welcome home arg #playfellowxxx #wally darling #starleskasks #naughty tag #suggestive #long post

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honeybadgercomeback · 1 year

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No Goodbyes

Goodbyes happen. But sometimes when they do they can become something so much better. You didn’t think that hiding from Daniel would cause this, but with his hand in yours and people trusting and believing in both of you, this is going to become something more than a final race week. Part two of Not Yet Goodbye.

AN: I still can’t fully believe the reaction to Not Yet Goodbye, I’m in absolute shock at how wonderful you all are. Thank you for the support and kindness.

Warnings: McLaren folks, Christian Horner (but being nice?). This is mainly fluff tbh.

—

As soon as the fact that Daniel Ricciardo was holding your hand got through to the garage, things got awkward to put it mildly. There was joking around, but as soon as they could get Daniel away for his final debriefing you were pulled into a meeting. That first meeting with Andreas was almost painful. The team principal had rushed you into his office, Zak following close behind. The two men looked at you in surprise as you held their gazes evenly.

“How long as this been going on?” The CEO asked you. You checked your watch and did some mental maths.

“Around twenty two hours, officially. I didn’t hide anything from anyone and after tonight Daniel no longer works for McLaren Racing. I didn’t need to report anything. You stayed calm despite the heartbeat thundering in your ears.

“If there was anything going on, anything you didn’t want…” the words hung in the air as the implication hit you like a ton of bricks. You shook your head fervently in denial.

“Daniel and I made a mutual decision. I wasn’t forced into anything. I spent last night having dinner with his family.” A deep breath centred you before you continued speaking. “While I appreciate that you’re looking out for me because of a potential power imbalance, it couldn’t be further from the truth. There was no coercion or anything inappropriate. Nothing happened between us until last night because we’re both aware of our jobs and what we do, but thank you. Now it’s the end of the season and my boyfriend is waiting for me so we can go for dinner with his family to celebrate that he was in the points today. Do we still have two weeks off before planning for next year starts?”

Your final question was directed to Zak who nodded in response. “It’s Thanksgiving at home next week, I won’t be in the UK until the first full week of December.”

“Perfect. I’ll be working remotely until then. I need to clear my head from the season, you can reach me by email.”

You held yourself together as you left the room, trying not to shake with frustration as you made your way back to the table you’d nabbed for yourself in hospitality. Normally you’d have never spoken like that to either of them. But this was different. You’d been in the room and watched the awkward moments as Danny had lost some of his sparkle because of everything that had happened. You’d been at the MTC when he made that speech. There was a large group of you who didn’t agree with how things had happened and you’d always been in that group. Yes this relationship was new but your loyalty was always going to be to your boyfriend. Jobs came and went but men like Danny didn’t.

It took all of two minutes to pack your tablet and laptop into the grey and papaya bag when your phone buzzed with a text. Holding your breath you opened it.

That was inappropriate. Once the cargo is gone take the time off, you deserve it.

Thank you.

You couldn’t reply with anything more than that, your frustration was still too high and you didn’t want to snap at him.

“Are you leaving?” You looked over at Danny’s sister, Michelle, standing there with her kids. You smiled at the slightly shy children who waved nervously and nodded your head.

“Finishing packing. I don’t need to be here for the tear down so I like to leave pretty soon after.”

“You’re coming for dinner, right? We’re getting pizzas delivered to his suite. None of us want to go out, it’ll be all family.”

“That sounds really good.”

It was quiet between you while you zipped up your branded bag. Your routine stayed the same, triple checking the pass around your neck was firmly in place and you had everything. Michelle walked out with you, the kids holding her hands before grabbing one of yours too.

“He really likes you, y’know. I was telling him for months to man up and ask you out. But then the break happened and…” she trailed off and it was clear what she thought of everything that had happened with her brother’s career.

“I wouldn’t let him say goodbye.” Michelle looked at you as you spoke, but you kept walking and looking straight ahead. “Yesterday. He was saying goodbye to everyone except Lando and the mechanics, but I kept hiding because I didn’t want to say goodbye. So I get it. And I’ve no intention of hurting him.”

She relaxed as you both swiped out and you helped the kids to do it.

“I’m glad. Want a ride to the hotel?”

You ended up in the back of the rented SUV, jammed between two child seats as the kids settled down. There was casual conversation between you, Michelle, and her husband as he drove back and you felt calm. The season was over. You could relax for a little while. Tonight was about dinner and chatting and later on working out when you and Dan could spend time together that wasn’t just filled with work related things. And getting the details on what he’d be doing next year. Milton Keynes wasn’t as far away from Woking as it could have been. Plus he’d be at races so that made things easier to plan. But this was oh so right and you wanted it.

After a shower to wash away the desert heat and sweat and changing into comfy clothes there was a knock on your bedroom door. Dan stood there with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a wide smile on his face.

“Long time no see,” you murmured as you reached up to kiss him in hello. Once you separated he came into the room and put the arrangement on the desk before pulling you in for a proper hug.

“Missed you.”

“It’s been two hours.”

“I still missed you.” He pouted at his words and you kissed it away before filling him in on Zak and Andreas’ words. Anger started to fill his face but he took a breath and squeezed your hand.

“Do people really think that I’m forcing you? Seriously?”

“No. And we both know that this is completely consensual. Anyone with eyes knows that. But we also know that until after the last race there was that power imbalance. They were right to check in, just not the way they did it.” He calmed at your words, pulling you close and kissing the top of your forehead.

“I’m going to Red Bull tomorrow to sign my contract and flying back to Monaco the day after. Will you come with me? I know you can’t be in any of the photos or anything but I want you to be there. Mum and Dad will be.”

You took a deep breath. It’d be more than just your secret or even your colleagues in McLaren knowing then. It’d be known immediately around the paddock and as soon as you arrived in Bahrain for the first race next year everyone would know you were Danny’s girlfriend. But you wanted it. You wanted to be there to support him in whatever way you could.

“Is signing this the best thing for you to do?” It was a simple question and he sat on the edge of the bed, pulling you into his lap.

“I’m not ok right now. I…I’m burnt out. I’m miserable. Driving these cars isn’t fun anymore, I’m half afraid when I do it. It’s become something I’ve started to dread and if I don’t have full confidence I can’t do it. They’re giving me sim time to help with racing lines, a chance to help develop the car for next year and beyond, and I can be at whatever races I want. Plus it’s Christian. Even when I was leaving and he didn’t want me to go he supported me. He always has. It’s nowhere near a guaranteed seat but it’s a chance to try love the sport again with people who believe in me and want me to succeed.” He looked like he was about to say more but you cut in.

“Then I would be honoured to be there to watch my boyfriend sign his contract. You deserve the world, Danny. You deserve everyone to know that you’re a good driver, that you’re successful and easily able to battle anyone on the track. I want to see that happen.”

The kiss you shared with him was filled with meaning and hope. Even after your lips separated you stayed with your arms wrapped around each other.

“I should have kissed you last year. I nearly did at Monza. Remember the after party?”

You never could have forgotten it, delaying your flight to stay and celebrate the 1-2 finish. You’d been standing at the bar ordering a drink when Daniel appeared beside you and handed over his card to pay for your drink instead. When you’d thanked him he just grinned and pulled you in for a hug to cement the friendship you already had. It made you think that anything romantic could never happen.

“I’d have kissed you back.”

“We were fools.”

Dinner that night was bright and happy, the knowledge that the contract was being signed tomorrow and Daniel was happy helping everyone. He’d been invited to Seb’s goodbye party and had stuck around for a few minutes before leaving. It was Seb’s night, he didn’t want to bring the mood down and instead said he wanted to spend the night with his family. The walk from your room to his suite was about a minute, everyone standing there and greeting you both with hugs and kisses on your cheek. Michael shook his head at the way Danny wouldn’t keep his hands off you, making you smile shyly at the knowledge.

Once the pizzas arrived they were opened and spread over the table, people handing slices through as wine was poured. The kids had juice and were clinking glasses with everyone between each sip. When they chose you to clink with you couldn’t help the grin spreading over your face. Dan’s arm was around your shoulder as you all sat at the table. It was a nearly perfect night.

People started slipping away as the night went on. Hugs goodbye were given and you were surprised to be included in them. Finally it was just you and Dan left in the room and he pulled you to them, arms holding you close.

“Stay the night?” You smiled up at him and reached for a kiss, sealing exactly where you were staying.

When you woke up in his arms you were pleasantly sore with a warm hand rubbing a circle into your hip.

“Good morning,” you murmured as you turned over to see him there.

“Morning.”

Getting ready would have been a lot quicker if he hadn’t dragged you into the shower with him, heated kisses between the two of you making it take much longer in the warm water than you truly needed. Once Dan was dressed he went down to your room for clean clothes, returning with a navy shirt and jeans. You raised an eyebrow.

“Look, there’s no logos. But you can’t wear orange today.” Your laughter pealed through the room before grabby fingers ticked you. You made him stop so the two of you could meet his parents and get there on time.

The Red Bull motorhome had always been somewhere you’d wanted to visit and learn from. Their set up was effortless and when you had a few minutes you enjoyed watching how they worked together, wanting to see if you could steal some of their efficiency for McLaren. Today though there was no paddock passes and turnstiles, just you and Danny arriving hand in hand with Grace and Joe behind the two of you. His fingers fit perfectly between yours as you walked beside him. There were looks from your team breaking down the McLaren motorhome but you just smiled and continued on to the far end of the paddock. Once you reached Red Bull Daniel looked down at you.

“Ready?” He asked and you squeezed his fingers.

“As long as you’re ready.”

It was mostly boring while you watched him sign away what felt like his life with multiple signatures. You stood at the back of the conference room with Grace and Joe while mostly Daniel and Christian spoke and you felt completely out of place. Finally it was done, the two men standing up and shaking hands before pulling each other into a hug. Christian greeted Grace and Joe but Daniel reached over to take your hand and pull you forward.

“Christian, you know my girlfriend from the paddock, right? She does the McLaren setup and travel planning. Meet Christian Horner. He’s nicer than he seems to most people, I swear.” You smiled and held your hand out, Dan holding onto your waist.

“It’s nice to meet you.” You introduced yourself and Christian shook your hand.

“I’m well aware of who you are. You turned down Ferrari last year, didn’t you?” Your cheeks heated at his words. The job offer they’d given you had been kept hush hush, but it would have been highly paid. You didn’t want to leave McLaren at the time so you turned it down. You didn’t think that anyone except you and Binotto even know that there was a firm offer on the table.

“I did. I wanted to stick where I was.”

“And if I offered you a job here?”

You took a beat but shook your head. “I’d appreciate it, but my answer is still no. I want my reputation to stand on its own. I don’t want people thinking I’m just following my boyfriend around the paddock to his new team. Ask me in another year and I might consider it.”

Horner laughed, clapping your shoulder. “I should have guessed that would be your answer. Binotto still wants you there, so I’d prepare for that job offer if things settle down in Maranello. Now we’ve got photos to do outside. Not that I want to face the sun after last night, Sebastian got the Jaegermeister out and it was a mistake.”

There were photographers snapping as the two went outside, Grace and Joe slightly behind and you following at a distance. Danny slid the navy polo shirt on and you had to admit it really did suit him. They sat at a table and signed the last page before taking questions and filming content. It was so clear to you just how happy this made your boyfriend. He was relaxed and grinning, smiling and joking even when Christian grabbed his chest. You laughed at the scene, taking your own photos of them. Once it was done Daniel came back to you with his fingers grabbing yours and holding tightly.

“Do you want lunch?” Christian asked, Daniel shaking his head.

“I can’t be here when afternoon practice starts. I need to get a clean break, and I’m back in Monaco tomorrow. I’m in Milton Keynes in two weeks?”

“We want you at the parade. Will you both be there?” The second part was aimed at you.

“I won’t be,” you replied. “I still have my own job to do, so I’ll be supporting at a distance and outside of work.”

“We’ll see you around.”

The drivers were starting to come in for the practices, Lando hugging the two of you briefly and Oscar looking nervous to see you there. Daniel squeezed your hand before going to speak to him for a moment, the two separating looking brighter. It was nods to everyone else you saw before getting in the car and Dan leaning his head back.

“I’m going to Monaco in the morning, do you want to come with me? I want to spend time with you away from the tracks. Eat food, spend time together, get our shit together. What do you think?”

You grinned at him, leaning over to nuzzle your head to his chest.

“That sounds like one of the best ideas you’ve ever had. I want to spend time with you and get to know you properly, Daniel Ricciardo. Plus, I think I’ve made friends with your family.”

“I think they’d pick you over me.”

It was a lie, but a sweet one. You smiled and agreed, pulling up your travel app and cancelling the flight to London. You could book the Nice flight later on that evening. The afternoon ahead beckoned with laying out at the pool to enjoy the October sun, jumping in and splashing the family that had quickly welcomed you as a member. Dinner that night was another family dinner in the restaurant but out in the main area rather than a private room. Anyone could see all of you together but you weren’t worried. The almost out of clean clothes situation did worry you slightly, but it was manageable as you pulled an outfit together. Dan had done some magic to move your belongings to his hotel room, your toiletries mingling with his in the bathroom. The way they just fit together didn’t go unnoticed.

“How come you didn’t take the Ferrari job?”

Dan had just finished clasping your necklace when he asked, pressing a kiss to where the chain hit your neck.

“I didn’t want it.” You turned around and looked up at him, a small smile on your lips. “Carlos put my name in for it when it came up. He told Binotto that I’d be perfect for it and Binotto agreed. I didn’t even need to interview. But I told you, I’m awful at goodbyes.”

“You stayed because of me?” You’d have been lying if you said he wasn’t part of your decision, the friendship you’d shared meant so much.

“Not just you. But I was loyal to McLaren. Now though I’m loyal to you.”

Photos from the dinner ended up online, shared on instagram and TikTok. You really liked one of them that had you and Dan with a child on each of your laps. It was taken from far enough away that nobody’s face was truly visible so you took that opportunity to lock down your instagram account before anybody could work out it was definitely you. Even though you’d appeared on his photography account in a work context you wanted to keep what little privacy you could for a while.

It lasted all the way on the hour or so drive to Dubai International for the direct flight to Nice. While not as busy as Abu Dhabi would have been the airport was still filled with people who’d been in the UAE for the race. Thanks to your lack of non work clothes Dan had given you one of his tees to wear - laughing at how it was essentially a dress - and you were clearly together as he checked you both in and whisked you into the lounge after saying goodbye to his family. People stopped and stared at him but only a few asked for photos which let you relax a little. It was a little bit scary and definitely unusual, and you didn’t know quite what this relationship would involve but you were determined. This wasn’t going to end in a goodbye, even with the what could be of next season.

Just before you boarded both of your phones dinged, Lando creating a group chat with you. You opened it up to a link to an instagram post putting the dinner photos together with the times you’d been caught on camera and the one and only time Ted Kravitz had spoken to you, naming you as Dan’s girlfriend.

Just saw this, thought you should know. For the record you look adorable.

Dan squeezed your hand before the two of you handed over your passports to the gate agent, holding on as you walked down the jet bridge. Once you were settled into the plush first class seat - and you’d have a conversation with him about paying for it later - you looked at him, catching his gaze. He seemed slightly worried but you smiled.

“Fuck ‘em all?” You asked, his eyes lighting up at the familiar words.

“Fuck ‘em all. We know what we’ve got.”

Dan took your hand as you listened to the pre flight information. You took a photo of the hands linked, Dan’s rose tattoo showing clearly. You sent it to him, watching as he smiled and picked up exactly what you were thinking. Less than a minute later he nudged you to open instagram. When you opened the app his latest post was the first on your feed. The caption made you grin.

Honey Badger’s being tamed. FEA, babe.

You kept the smile on your face as you sat back and put your feet up, waiting for the six hour flight to begin. Whatever the media wanted to throw at the two of you could suck it. This was the best non goodbye you could ever receive.

Tagging: @vroomvroommbtch

#daniel ricciardo x reader #daniel ricciardo fluff #daniel ricciardo x y/n #daniel ricciardo x you #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f1 fanfic #daniel ricciardo one shot #daniel ricciardo fanfic #daniel ricciardo imagine

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teenagemutantninjatrauma · 1 year

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*sigh* 2003 turtles should’ve made a radio station

Did anyone see that one video of Raph and Mikey doing a podcast and answering questions? How neat would it be if they just… had a radio station??

Imagine, right, Mikey reads scary stories and he and Donnie are writing an episodic murder mystery story. Leo does mini-lessons in Japanese language and culture. Raph blasts absolutely banger music and gives updates on any new happenings New Yorkers should watch out for - ongoing gang wars, aliens on the loose, but also charity events outside of Oroku Saki’s work because. Fuck Oroku Saki lol

Whenever they get into trouble and can’t get to their radio station or are too busy fighting something, the few New Yorkers that listen to them worry, and as they worry, they talk, and so ironically anytime the station goes quiet, the awareness of it spreads. The turtles keep coming back to new listeners, and they make more stories, more little lessons, they share little censored bits of their life. Mikey does in-depth analysis of superhero comics and shows like Star Trek, and very often reminds his listeners to Be Fuckin Weird!!! Be you be fun be interesting, your interests and hobbies are so cool I promise you, your outfit is banger and your hair is stylish and you deserve to feel confident in yourselves!!

Donatello shares hacks to make putting together machines easier for yourself, especially encouraging women to not feel intimidated or ridiculed by men for never being taught stuff like car mechanics — once you know where to start and what things look like, it’s easy enough! He researches reliable resources both online and offline, and occasionally rambles about new breakthroughs and what they mean in the bigger scope of all things science.

Leo has little episodes about exploring the soul - learning to understand yourself, meditating on who you are and want to be, but also how to cope with dangerous or traumatizing situations (shoutout to the Ancient One). Lots of queer folk lightheartedly agree that they would come out to him without hesitance because he “would be so so nice about it I bet.”

Raph starts setting up interviews, at first with the humans he knows - the kind Mrs. Morrison, talking about the horribly unfair housing policies making her life harder, the Professor, to humanize the homeless, but then he gets a little braver and starts interviewing nonhumans that live in the city — Leatherhead first, and then Sydney and the other people from the Underground City. A stray Utrom that settled down here and opted to stay when their peers left for home. Professor Honeycutt, when he visits - that interview sort of cements that he’s not making these people up, because, well. Everyone had seen and heard the fugitoid during the invasion. He interviews superheroes, both those that work during the day, and those that work during the night (and yes, he does interview the Turtle Titan). He invites the Battle Nexus Daimyo for a visit. But the interview most beloved by the listeners… is one Raphael conducts with his dad.

They never mention they’re mutants, but I wonder how many people feel something click in their minds when Raph starts the interview by going “so. Just you and four kids, practically homeless, hiding in the shadows. How did you manage, those first few years when we were really little?” And they talk about being a single dad who was “barely an adult” (read: still learning himself how to be a mutant) and all the folks out there who maybe had to deal with having kids too early or at a time where they couldn’t properly take care of them as much as they wanted to, they all lean in, because this man sounds like he’s about sixty now - surely he’ll have some wise words of advice? And he does, Splinter talks about having to learn what kids are even like, never having had interacted with that many people in general before, he often had to guess at what was a serious ailment and what was simply a byproduct of childhood and later puberty, he talks about how visiting his few friends (the Ancient One, and the Daimyo) helped him remember that he’s not all alone to do this, he talks about how what worked for one of his sons didn’t work for the other three and how a parent should always remain flexible and open minded and accepting of change, as change is natural to life and inevitable especially during the early years. And they talk and talk and I bet a bunch of New Yorkers go “wait a minute.. four guys that live on the streets with a dad they occasionally call a ‘master,’ one of them constantly talks about machinery, they all speak fluent Japanese… could these possibly be the fucked up little guys that saved my ass that one time? Could this be the guy I punched that one time cuz I freaked out?’

Like. Just consider it okay. A turtle radio station.

#chatter #my ideas #tmnt 2k3 #tmnt 2003 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #this was originally a shitpost but then I overthought it lol #2k3 donnie #2k3 leo #2k3 raph #2k3 mikey #ninja turtle radio #revolution radio au

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zedecksiew · 3 months

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BLOGGIES 2023 REVIEW WINNERS

Week four of BLOGGIES month has ended. Soon there will be a four-way free-for-all, where GOLD winners in each of the four category brackets will vie for BEST BLOG POST OF 2023!!!

But first: your winners of the REVIEW category, their medals, and acceptance speeches!

(I asked these designer-critics for some thoughts about their winning entries, and where they think we in TTRPGs are going.)

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BRONZE BLOGGIE FOR REVIEW POST:

🥉MICROBLOG: CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND TABLETOP GAMES🥉 from FAIL FORWARD

Sandro:

Firstly I'd like to thank anyone who thought it was a good idea to give me an award of any kind. It's humbling and bewildering and y'all are the best. This was a just-for-funsies lunch time blog post that almost didn't happen. It was inspired by carefully listening to folks much wiser than me talk about what makes them tick. (Often times I think people's aspirations can tell us a lot about what their origins and inspirations might be) Yet here we are, an award winning post! Let this be a testament that it's always better to put yourself out there because you never know what people will resonate with! I'd like dedicate this award to children big and small, in and out of homes of all shapes and sizes. The suffering so many kids endure is heartbreaking, so if you take anything from this little speech let it be this: Be kind to the next generation. What we pass down to the young readers of today shapes the writers of tomorrow. No pressure ~

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SILVER BLOGGIE FOR REVIEW POST:

🥈Plagiarism in Unconquered (2022)🥈 from Traverse Fantasy

Marcia:

I am so happy that Ènziramire’s excellent critique of The Mwangi Expanse won first place for reviews this year, for three reasons. First, because he is a wonderful friend and I am so excited to celebrate his successes. Second, because his critique is such an insightful application of historical materialist and anti-colonial theory to the realm of tabletop game literature, above all the rest deserving first place. Third, I’m upset that my “review” was nominated and voted for to such a degree over other bloggers’ more deserving work as well as over my own actual reviews and critiques. Being nominated for a long-form call-out post, and it being treated as a significant accomplishment on my part, feels gross. Someone had to write it, but all it had to be was over and done with. It did not, and should not, need to be celebrated. I’m very glad that an actual review, especially one so cohesive and incisive, won in the end. Congratulations, Ènziramire!! As for the content of the post itself, here's my final word on it: if you're going to commercialize your work, commercialize YOUR work. My constant emphasis on the distinction between copyright infringement and plagiarism is more than pedantic: it's the difference between disrespecting intellectual property (about which, who cares!) versus privatizing the work of others. Going forward, sure, we should work towards a better culture of creative attribution, but we should also work towards non-commercial interactions with our hobby. Pseudo-Paul says, "The love of money is the root of all evil", and it's difficult not to see the constant grind of commercial publishing and social engagement as responsible for this incident. Isn't an ideal creative culture not just an attributive one, but a free and accessible one disentangled from the demands of capital (even if expressed through our particular needs)? We should attribute generously, but we should also share freely as well. From each according to their ability, to each according to their need!

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(In lieu of a medal, Gold winners will get a linocut print; here’s a design inspired by Ènziramire's post & Christina Sharpe's In The Wake: On Blackness and Being---a dragon and her wake. )

GOLD BLOGGIE FOR REVIEW POST:

🥇An Empty Africa - PF2E's The Mwangi Expanse and the strange career of Black Atlanticism🥇 from A Most Majestic Fly Whisk

Ènziramire:

"An Empty Africa" was, if you’ll forgive the joke, written in a spirit of homecoming. Pathfinder was my first tabletop RPG and the frustrations with bourgeois Afrodiasporic creative spaces expressed in the post are the same exact ones that compelled me to make a blog in the first place. The post’s reception in those same Black spaces has been varied but the most important conversations about it that I��ve participated in have been characterized by a kind of low level nervousness. What does trans-Atlantic intimacy and community look like if many of the ‘natural’ connections between Black folks we take for granted are actually expressions of Afrodiasporic supremacy? Is the desire to feel wounds together (with the Middle Passage as the ur-wound) inherently imperial? There's nothing wrong with a bit of healthy concern, but a perspective on diaspora that includes and inscribes Africa as a constitutive locus (as opposed to a static source for diasporic self-invention) is one that opens up passages. It’s trendy to say that the politics of Afrodiasporic relation, real capital-P Pan-Africanism, ‘dies’ in the 20th century bc a solidarity of shared suffering is somehow false or limited. Fuck that. Solidarity between people going through it is just one basis for affiliation, but it’s a basis that continues to demonstrate its power and relevance. South Africa and Palestine, average Chadians rescuing Darfuris targeted by genocidal militias in Sudan, Rwandan activists risking prison or worse to protest their government’s role in the bloodletting in the Kivus, mutual support networks linking queer Ugandans and Namibians together, and so much more. My father, himself a stubborn old pan-Africanist from Somalia's "born-free" generation, is fond of saying that the experiences with racial capitalism which make immigrant Africans Black are blessings if you read them backward; mourning together gives you new kinfolk. My advice for people with similar fears: don’t let liberal constructions of identity constrain your love. The part of you that wants to be caught up in the emotional worlds of cultural Others—what Glissant might call the entangled co-creation of selves, “unities whose interdependent variances jointly piece together the interactive totality”—is something to be cherished and scholars of Black music have noted that serious play allows us to explore forms of diasporic belonging that respond to difference with joy instead of masking it behind strategic essentialism. Africa should be more than an object of retrospective rediscovery, yes, but genuine familiarity is the most potent weapon we have to combat that tendency. Anyone insisting that this work, learning to reflect each other more honestly, must be restricted to (nebulously defined) 'people of African descent' for it to matter is an idiot or a huckster. We’ll fuck up, but that's family, yeah? Thanks for reading, y'all.

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Thank you, TTRPG family!

(Special thanks to Martin / Sharkbomb for his assistance tidying up the medal graphics.)

#bloggies2023 #art #ttrpgs #community #blogs #reviews

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supercap2319 · 1 year

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Baby It’s Cold Outside Chapter 3

A/N: Chapter 3 is up.

It was silent between them.

It wasn’t that awkward silence where you fill it with small talk back and forth, but the comfortable kind. The quiet you get when you’re in your room, comfortably lying on your bed as you watch a movie or listen to music. Tyler’s hands had been tight on the wheel; his knuckles white into the first four hours of their trip. He looked back every mile until he was sure his father wasn’t following them. The barista was surprised his boyfriend hadn’t picked up on his nervous energy. Y/N could smell fear, thanks to his vampire senses, and could hear the slight change in someone’s heart, so Tyler figured either Y/N didn’t notice his uneasiness or he was waiting for the right moment to catch Tyler and confront him on his lies.

Tyler's stomach did knots at that. God, he hoped not. He could handle his father hating him, but Y/N? He would die if he did. The sound of Y/N’s singing brought Tyler out of his thoughts as he watched him sing to the radio song of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, but he changed the words to them. Probably, the version he sang with his own family.

“It's Christmas, and the graveyard folk has all come to play. They're going to make a fuss and walk around causing disarray.” Tyler began to chuckle. His first laugh in a while. His boyish features were displayed as Y/N looked at him and frowned. “What’s so funny, Puppy? Aren’t those the words?”

“The words are much different, but I like your version better. Sounds more fun.”

“It is. Remind me to teach you the full song later,” Y/N said.

Tyler smirks. “Deal.”

Y/N looks at his boyfriend as he has his eyes glued onto the road. His smooth skin and his golden brown curls, along with his blue eyes, were dressed in flannel over a white shirt with a brown jacket. Y/N’s heart skipped a beat. His mother told him that her undead heart came to life the moment she met his father, and Y/N wondered if that was the same feeling that he was experiencing right at this moment. A boyfriend who was half normie, half Hyde. His family would be so proud of him. Tyler's head turned towards Y/N, who looked away. Tyler smiled once again. Busted. “You were checking me out, weren't you, Y/N?”

Y/N blushed. “No…”

“You were!” Tyler cried. “What were you thinking about, mmh? Something naughty?” He couldn’t help how his smile grew as Y/N squirmed underneath Tyler’s teasing stare. “Perhaps, kissing out in the snow? Or maybe handjobs underneath the Christmas tree?” Tyler was surprised those words just came out of his mouth. He was never one for dirty talk. I guess his Hyde side was shining through and through.

The Munster boy looks at him, red in the face, but he smiles. “Sorry, I just forgot how beautiful you are. You’re like those paintings in museums. Absolute perfection. I’m lucky to have you as my boyfriend.” Tyler’s heart did not skip at being called Y/N’s ‘boyfriend.’ Nope, not one bit. The way it rolled off Y/N’s so smoothly that you just had to believe that they belonged together. It just made sense, but at the same time, it couldn’t. Not because of Y/N, no, this was all Tyler’s fault. He couldn’t give Y/N his everything like the other male had him. The curly-haired boy couldn’t even stand up to his father and say Y/N was his boyfriend with pride because he was scared of the repercussions of letting his homophobic dad know that he was very much not of the straight guy variety.

Y/N deserved someone happily out of the closet instead of a closeted, psychotic, curly-haired bartisa with daddy issues. Y/N’s probably told his family about him, and Tyler’s not sure if he’s ready for the expectations or rejections. The young man was so much into his head that he barely registered that Y/N was calling his name. “Uh, What….?”

Tyler turned to see Y/N looking at him, all traces of a blush gone as he glanced at the barista with concerned but hopeful eyes. “I said can we stop somewhere to get something to eat? I’m hungry.” The supplies of soda and chips could only take them so far into their journey, and Tyler was surprised that Y/N hadn't piped up early to ask to stop to get some food. He felt bad. He should have asked. What kind of gentleman doesn't ask if someone is hungry? His face reddened with embarrassment. “Sorry, Y/N, I should have asked if you were hungry sooner.”

“It’s fine. My fault for not asking before, but you looked so insistent on getting to New Jersey that I didn’t want to bother you.”

Tyler flushed even more at that. Y/N did notice Tyler’s off-putting nature in his efforts to get as far away from Jericho as he could, and in the process, he disregarded his boyfriend’s feelings and needs. “I’m sorry. Shit, that was stupid of me.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Y/N said. “You were probably eager to get out of Jericho for a while. It’s okay, Ty. No need to beat yourself over that.”

The sheriff’s son cleared his throat. “Right, so is there a place in mind?” He looked at their gage, and they were close to running on empty. They needed to put some gas in soon. Otherwise, Y/N would be a vampire speeding them the rest of the way. It was a funny thought that plagued the corners of Tyler’s mind. Seeing Y/N caring for Tyler's bridal style as he speeded them to his home in New Jersey. “Well, there’s a diner near a gas station if that’s okay with you?” Y/N looks at his phone’s GPS. Tyler nods his head. “Yeah, that’s perfect. Kill two birds with one.”

Y/N frowns. “A stone? Oh, no, no, no. If you want to kill birds, grandpa says you should use a throwing ax or arrows. More effective.”

Tyler laughed.

Once Tyler guided his truck into the parking lot of the Silver Diner, he and Y/N got out as the snow lightly clung to their jackets and on top of Tyler’s curls and Y/N’s red beanie that he did not steal from Tyler’s room. The door chimed like Christmas bells as they opened it and were greeted by the old-fashioned classic American diner as the jukeboxes played Christmas songs. The place looked like something out of the sitcom Happy Days. With its pink fluorescent lights all around the booths that were red in leather, with miniature jukeboxes at every table. It was awesome.

They walk towards the booths as customers, which consist of regulars, truckers, and tourists, stare at them as they walk past them. Tyler knew why they were staring. Their judgment gazes were the same ones as back in Jericho. Hateful. Fear filled. He briefly wonders if they would look at him the same way if they knew he wasn't one of them. If Y/N noticed their judgmental stares, he didn’t say anything as a waitress approached them. “For two? You and your…. umm… brother want a counter seat or a booth?”

Y/N looked at her, an exciting shine in his eyes. “He’s my boyfriend, ma’am. Not my brother.”

“Oh, sorry about that. I just assumed that.” She looks at Y/N’a green hues. “That’s some mighty fine Christmas-colored hair you got there.”

“Thank you. It’s the hair I was born with,” Y/N smiles as the waitress frowns in confusion.

“Booth will be great, right?” Tyler asks in a hurry to avoid the awkward stares their waitress is giving Y/N.

“Yeah, sounds great!”

They were led through the aisles, and people stared at them as they passed. Tyler put a protective hand on Y/N’s shoulders until he slid into one side of the booth. Tyler slid into the other as he looked over the menu. So many different choices to make as he looks up at Y/N as he’s deep in thought about the food he wants to order. The barista was surprised to learn that Y/N doesn’t have to feed on blood to survive; he could stay on normie food just fine. He only drank blood to keep his vials normal and healthy.

“You know what you’re going to get?” Tyler asked from across the booth.

Y/N looks up at him. “Yup. You?”

“Yup.”

The waitress, Mary, her name tag stated, made her way back to the table, perching a hand on her hip as she held up her order notepad. “You boys ready?” she asked.

“I’ll have your double bacon cheeseburger, please,” Tyler politely said.

“Fries or tots?”

“Fries.”

“And what to drink?”

“Coke.”

The waitress turned to Y/N. “And for you?”

“The same, please. No onions, and can I order your cakes in a pan, please?” It took a moment to register to Tyler that his boyfriend meant pancakes. Mary wrote their order down and looked at them. “I’ll be back with your drinks. Did you want those pancakes before or after your meal, sweetie?” She looks at Y/N, and Tyler’s pleasantly surprised look of bewilderment is gone. Maybe not all normies were so bad.

“After.”

“You got it.” She walks away.

It wasn’t long before they received their food, as they settled into a comfortable conversation that should have been impossible for a normie, well, half normie and an outcast, but it wasn’t like that between them. When they talked, it was like the rest of the world faded away to just them, and there were no labels in their world—just peace and safety.

Tyler felt himself finally relax as he laughed at something Y/N said. His boyish features are on full display, including his dimples too. He honestly left his worries behind him, and now he’s going to enjoy the holidays with his boyfriend. The consequences could suck it. There was an ease that settled in Tyler’s soul when he reached over and stole fries from Y/N’s plate. Y/N didn’t mind, though; he smiled as Tyler munched on his stolen French fries.

“So, who’s coming to your family’s Christmas party? Your uncles from the old country?” Y/N’s uncles, who lived in Transylvania and other places, were coming to the states for Christmas. Y/N nodded. “Yup. There’s uncle Charlie, my dad's twin brother. There’s uncle Phantom of the Opera. He has a beautiful voice that shatters glass. There’s uncle Gilbert from the Black Lagoon and uncle Stefan. He’s from Italy.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet them.”

“And they can’t wait to meet you, too,” Y/N said. “That’s okay, right? I told my family about you, and they’re so excited to see you, Ty.”

“Really?” Tyler asked. “Even though I’m half normie and a Hyde?”

“Of course. Grandpa says I found myself a keeper when he learned you were a Hyde. He practically gave me his blessing for a marriage proposal. He says Hydes are like royalty back in Transylvania.”

Tyler hadn’t expected that answer. He expected to be turned away as soon as they discovered he was a murderous killing machine, but the Munsters liked that quality in a future-in-law. Go figure. The curly-haired boy licked his lips as his blue orbs looked at Y/N. “I hope that I don’t disappoint them. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time that I didn’t live up to someone’s expectations.” And just like that, the angst is back. Thinking about his father is back in full force as Tyler frowns.

Y/N frowns, too, as he puts a hand over Tyler’s. “Ty, what are you talking about? My family’s going to love it as much as I do. You could never disappoint them or me.” The promise in his boyfriend’s voice was so commanding and powerful that Tyler just had to believe him. That strangers were willing to welcome someone they’d never seen in their home. It was almost enough to make the Galpin boy cry. Almost. “You think so?”

Y/N smiled. “I know so.”

…..

After their waitress brought them their stack of pancakes that they shared down the middle; their diner date was pretty uneventful, except for who should pay for their dinner. Tyler and Y/N both fenced back and forth before it was agreed upon that Tyler would pay for dinner, if Y/N paid for the gas. Once they had left the diner and filled up Tyler’s truck with enough gas to get them to Y/N’s house, they set off once again for the road as they finished the last three hours of their trip.

Tyler drove through the town of Mockingbird Heights as the GPS guided them towards the street of 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

Once they had arrived at their intended destination, Tyler got out of the car and opened the other side of the door for his boyfriend as he turned towards the house and gasped. The house, or mansion a better word for it, was a Gothic Victorian style. The house stands on a property enclosed by a stone wall and the yard is full of weeds and dead trees. Tyler’s never seen a house like this in life before, only in the movies and tv shows. It was amazing.

Y/N successfully grabbed all their luggage in one go thanks to his Frankenstein like strength as he guides Tyler through the gates of his home with a giant ‘M’ on the bars. As they head up the porch towards the house, the barista notices some Christmas decorations on the front lawn. There’s all the colorful and festive lights surrounded by a giant spider web with mechanical spiders. There’s also the snowman getting his head cut off by the executioner at the guillotine. Over and over again. And the rabid reindeers on top of the house.

“Wow, this place is pretty bleak and horrifying,” Tyler said. Then he realized how that sounded and blushed as he stammered out an apology. “Y/N, I’m sorry I didn’t mean too–”

“–Wow, Puppy, that was so sweet of you to say.” Y/N smiled. “My family sure did try hard and to hear you say those kind words about it makes me smile.”

Tyler rubbed the back of his head nervously. “You’re welcome.” Bad and bloody, we're good here. They were compliments.

They stood on the other side of the door as Y/N set their stuff down and knocked. The whole mansion shook underneath Y/N’s fist as Tyler tried to steady his nerves. Any minute now, he was going to be meeting his boyfriend’s family as soon as that door opened. Hopefully, he doesn’t screw things up. Sensing his uneasiness, Y/N grasped his boyfriend’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and a small smile. Tyler smiled back.

The sound of thundering footsteps could be heard as the front door opened up to reveal a hulking figure about 8-foot-tall if Tyler had to guess. He had green skin with a square shaped face, a scar on his forehead, bolts on either side of his neck and black hair. He wore a gray coat over a black sweatshirt with pants and giant boots. Probably the biggest shoes Tyler’s ever seen. Despite his monstrous appearance, he had a sunny disposition about him like his son, as his blue eyes sparkled when he looked down at Y/N and Tyler.

He let out a loud braying bellow as he grabbed Y/N into a hug. Tyler could hear the faint crush of bones and he was concerned, but Y/N seemed ecstatic. “Y/N! Good to see you, my son!”

Y/N giggles as he hugs his father back and Tyler hears bones crunching underneath Y/N’s arms. “You too dad!” They separated as Y/N’s father turned towards Tyler. “Oh, and just who is this young man?”

Tyler opens his mouth to speak, but Y/N beats him to the punch. “Dad, this is my boyfriend, Tyler Galpin. Tyler, this is my dad, Herman Munster,” He introduces the two. “He’ll be staying for the holidays and maybe New Year’s before the spring semester.”

Herman stares at Tyler, and he has to fight the urge to shrink underneath his intense gaze. Finally, Herman breaks into a smile as he holds out his hand. “How do you do, Tyler?” The son of the sheriff looks at the outreach hand and grasps it with his own. It’s surprisingly cold to the touch. He shakes his hand as he politely says , “It’s nice to finally meet you, sir,” Tyler says, proud to hear that his voice doesn’t shake or crack.

“Likewise, young man. Though he’s certainly less hairy than the boyfriend I had when I was your age, Y/N.” Herman laughs at his own joke.

“Seriously, dad jokes? Are you trying to embarrass me?” Y/N blushed as Tyler looks at him and giggles. Herman smiles. “Why don’t you both head inside and I’ll take your bags upstairs?” Y/N nodded as he grabbed Tyler’s hand and led them into the mansion.

Y/N led Tyler past a staircase as Herman traveled up said stairs with all their stuff in his hands as the barista was led into the living room. The first thing Tyler noticed were the webs. The whole living seemed to be covered in it, like Spider-Man had a fight here and didn’t clean up after himself. There were candles lit all around with an old-fashioned clock, an electric chair, a tv, and a fireplace with a couch and a coffee table. There was also a giant harp too.

“Hope you don’t mind, but my mom cleaned this place up for our arrival,” Y/N said.

“That’s fine. No problem at all.” Tyler smiles.

From another room, a beautiful and slender woman with long dark hair with flex’s of gray mixed in and greenish skin, wears an ankle-length pale pink gown that appears faded and old, a bat-shaped medallion around her neck as she is accompanied by an older looking man who also has green skin. He wears a tuxedo with crazy curly gray and white hair. They stop when they see the two boys.

“Ma! Grandpa!” Y/N whooshed towards them and hugged them tight as they did the same to him. “Oh, dear, it’s wonderful to have you home for Christmas, Y/N.”

“It certainly is. Especially with the new blood you brought into the family.” The old man looks at Tyler, a gleam in his eyes as in a blink of an eye; he’s right in front of Tyler, grasping his arm. His fangs come out as the curly-haired young man watches him attempt to bite his arm.

“Grandpa!” Y/N speeds towards them and gets in between as he stands in front of Tyler protectively. “You can’t just bite my boyfriend’s arm.”

“That’s right, grandpa you can’t. You didn’t even ask him for permission first.” the woman says. “Besides, Y/N already has a claim over him and will bite him if he so chooses to do so.”

“Ma, I told you, vampires, my age, don't bite people anymore. It's not considered cool.”

“Cool?” the old man asks. “Back in my day, it was the coolest thing about being a vampire and suddenly now it's not? Your grandma would be turning in her grave right now.”

“What are you talking about? She always turns in her grave.” Y/N gives Tyler an apologetic look. “Sorry about that, Tyler. That was very rude of my grandfather.” He glares at the old man.

“Oh, so this is Tyler?” The woman asks Y/N.

“Wait, he’s Edward Hyde’s great, great, great great, grandson?” The old man gasps.

“Yup, he sure is. Ma, grandpa, this is Tyler. Ty, this is my mom, Lily, and my grandpa, Sam Dracula, Count of Transylvania.”

“Hello, there. Nice to meet you both,” Tyler said.

“You too, Tyler. So wonderful to finally meet you in person. Y/N’s told us all about you,” Lily said.

“He sure has.” Grandpa smiles as he pats them both on the shoulders. “He’s a keeper, Y/N. You have my blessing.” He leans close to Tyler. “Catch ya later, your highness.” He walks out of the room.

“Where are Marilyn and Eddie?” Y/N asks.

“Oh, Marilyn is on a date, and it’s nighttime. I suppose I should wake up Eddie from his sleep. Don’t want him wasting a beautiful night in bed,” Lily said.

“Speaking of bed, Tyler and I are going to get some sleep. It was a long trip.” Y/N noticed Tyler trying to hide his yawn.

Lily nods her head. “Of course, dear. I made sure to clean your room with fresh cobwebs and dust.”

Y/N leads Tyler away from the living room and up the stairs, passing his father as they go up and he goes down. “Going to bed, son? In the middle of the night?”

“Yeah, pops, we’re pretty tired.”

“Alright then, son. You and Tyler have a bad night's sleep and sweet nightmares,” Herman said. Y/N nods and kisses his father’s cheek goodnight as he leads Tyler towards his room.

When Herman comes down the stairs, he finds his wife waiting for him. “Oh, Herman, do you really think they should be sleeping in the same room together? You know how boys are.”

“I do, Lily. Because I am one,” Herman says.

“Would you two stop worrying?” Grandpa said. “Y/N’s a responsible young man and he would never do anything inappropriate. Besides, when I was his age, my parents let my partners stay in my coffin all the time.”

“Yeah, that’s because most of them were dead on their feet.” Herman says with a loud bellow.

#x male reader #male reader insert #male x male #wednesday 2022 #tyler galpin x male reader #tyler galpin x y/n #tyler galpin x reader #tyler galpin #hunter doohan x male reader #hunter doohan #the munsters #Y/N Munster

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pebblysand · 10 months

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Omggg pebbles! That mia pov fic🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 I'm so in love with how you've portrayed her. She's heart broken but she's gonna get better, I hope she does. It's so sad that she was so hurt because of harry especially when harry didn't mean to do so at any point. I wonder if harry actually thinks about her and regrets their relationship for actually hurting her. Also pebbles, how do you think ginny feels about mia at this point? Are ginny and harry sorry that they kissed when harry was in a relationship with mia?

Also at some point do you think harry and miss could ever be in touch? And what about her father? Will that dickhead ever come back to his senses and treat his gem of a daughter the way she deserves? Will they ever be in touch?

Istg i have soooo many questions about mia. Thanks for writing about her, I see so much of myself in her and i can't help but root for her ❤❤❤

aww thanks ❤️. you have a lot of questions about mia? that's good - i have a lot of thoughts, lol 😆 (for reference and for anyone who hasn't read it - Mia fic is here)

it's funny, i recently had a similar discussion with folks on discord about mia getting to her own version of the epilogue. i think people generally want me to say that she's okay in the same way that people want(ed) JKR (obv. pre-JKR becoming awful) to tell them that george was "okay." this sort of comfort of: we know they've been through a lot but they're okay, please-tell-me-they're-okay, you know? and i remember JKR was always a bit like "😬 is he, though?" realistically speaking? i think that's how i feel about mia too.

on discord, about her epilogue, i said:

i think her epilogue in my head is maybe a bit more… bittersweet than other people's epilogues. cause i think (and this is totally my headcanon, you can see it differently), she has a lot of good things coming out of this. she’s able to establish boundaries with her parents in a much healthier way, she learns to trust herself and stops being such a people pleaser, she learns that she doesn’t have to do everything alone, she has an amazing career - all those things made possible by her character evolution while she was with harry. but there’s this bittersweet aspect of: i think to her, he is and will always be the one that got away. and the kind of love story they had, at the age she was (20/21), those are the things that just stick with you, you know? and i don’t think she regrets anything she did/decisions she made, but there’s this aspect of: he’s the one she fell in love with, and he’ll probably always be the one she will compare other people she dates to. and that’s just… it, you know? and i don’t think she’s sad forever, i think she has fun and has a good life and maybe even finds another partner if she wants to, but harry is the one she's always going be talking to her therapist about. again, that’s okay, and i feel for her So Much, but i think it does sort of have this impact on her that never truly goes away.

i think to me, when it came to shaping mia's character, it was very important for her to have her own arc, too. of course, she existed in reaction to harry's storyline, and was going to help him realise some things about himself, but i also wanted her to be a person, and to grow in her own way.

at her core, mia is someone who is very lonely. when we meet her, she's in her last year of uni. she's away from home, in an environment that is not her own, and basically has no one who really cares about her. her mother is having a new family (new husband, new baby) and while she loves her, she's also replacing her. this is a detail in chapter 13 but mia doesn't even have a bed in their new house. her father is an absolute arsehole who tries to control her life after being absent for 17 years, and she doesn't really have friends. harry always says she has a lot of people around her, but they're school friends, acquaintances, going-out friends, not people she'd ever actually confide in. when she's starving herself trying to survive, no one notices. she says so herself in chapter 14:

‘You know no one else [cares], right?’ she says, then. Looks up to cross his gaze and takes his breath away. ‘Not my dad, not my mum, not my friends in school where I’m like,’ she speaks quick, rolling her eyes, ‘the token black girl with the funny accent from up North when their parents all know people - bloody Vivienne Westwood or something,’ she sighs. Her voice breaks. For the first time that morning, he hears tears in her words. ‘And, I don’t even hold it against them. They’ve all got objectively more important things than me to worry about. It’s just so fucking lonely sometimes.’

i think when i was building her character, i kept thinking about how lonely i felt during my first years in uni. mia isn't a self-insert in the way that i think we're very different people (god, i would have dumped his arse so much quicker), but that's definitely something i wanted to address in castles. in popular culture, we tend to romanticise our early twenties and uni years as the "best time of our lives," but the more i think back, and the more i talk to my friends now, as a grown-up, the more i realise that many of us have this very similar experience of deep loneliness and this feeling of being "lost" in the wild world of early adulthood. it's not just about mia's family, or her friends, or her doomed romantic relationship with harry. what makes her relatable, i think, is this general feeling of loneliness and inadequacy that we've all felt at some point in that time period of our lives. you're in uni, you're sitting there stressing about finding a job, a partner, what life is going to be like once you graduate. add to that that this period of your life is often where you get your first real relationships and heartbreaks, and it makes for a very hard time. and, it's terribly lonely because it's so romanticised that you can't even say it's hard, or that you're lonely, because This Is The Best Time of Your Life and #yolo.

and, with mia, you add to that the fact that she's broke af. like: she doesn't have money for food. in an environment where everyone around her has money. so, she doesn't want to admit how broke she is, doesn't want to ask for help because there is literally no one who would help her, but the financial stress is killing her. and, i think it's very important to consider that the money harry gives her isn't much to him, but to her - she later owes him her life and her career. the thing about financial precarity is, you can tell people to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" all you want, the staple of financial precarity is that you're one major expense away from a catastrophe. people are maintained in poverty because what is a small expense to someone with financial security (say: having to fix the lights on your car for instance) can throw someone else in a cycle of debt that they'll never get out of. the money harry gives her is just enough that she's able to get her head above water, and while he always says it's not about the money - to her, that makes a huge difference. because, she's not only one major expense away from a catastrophe, she's also one minor donation away from being able to live the life she dreams of. she - quite literally - owes him paris. she owes her career to him choosing to believe in her in that moment when it mattered. could she have done it without it? maybe. but there is a high chance that if he hadn't given her the money, she'd probably have drowned, given up and gone back to manchester and had a shit job she hated for the rest of her life. that is terribly important. she'll always be grateful to him for helping her out when no one else did.

and, i think the loneliness is also why she and harry connect on such a deep level, because when they meet, he is incredibly lonely too. not in the same relatable, muggle uni ways but: ginny's left, the "buzz" and the elation of the first couple of post-war months have lifted, the press is saying he's gone insane, it's winter, it's dark, wet. he says it himself when they first sleep together in chapter 5:

Mia dances close; Harry mostly watches, but at around three in the morning, they share another taxi home. The fact that they live in the same building could have been a good excuse, Harry thinks, except that by that point, they don’t really need one. He’s already kissed her, trailed his fingers up her thighs in the club (loud music, smoke; he managed to just smile and not think) so it’s not exactly a surprise when he follows her down the stairs to her flat instead of going up to his. He kind of hates himself for the thought but to be honest, it’s been over two months since he’s last had sex and well, she’s offering.

it's kind of tragic but being "there" and "offering" is most of her appeal, at that point in time. and, it's in reaction to those who aren't there and offering. and so, in those months, they bring each other so much. and of course, it grows into something that is much more than loneliness-bonding. again, to mia, harry is the one who shows her her father is an arsehole. he's the one who believes in her when no one else does. he shows her she can trust people. i think the fact that he insists he cares about her, and will always care about her, even when they're not together, means the world to her. she's never had anyone like that in her life. and, in a strange way, by being an - objectively - shitty boyfriend, he teaches her to stand up for herself. because, not only is she terribly lonely, she's also such a people-pleaser that she never pulls anyone up on their shitty behaviour. she doesn't resent her friends (see above), or her dad, or her mum. when harry says this in chapter 15, it really matters:

‘You’re brilliant,’ he just said, instead. His voice cracked and he felt tears clouding his vision, closed his eyes for a moment. ‘You deserve so much better than this.’ She looked down to her lap, then back up to him. ‘Better than him or better than you?’

the question is rhetorical here and they both know it. harry is important to her development as a character because at the end, he allows her to be like: yeah, i fucking deserve better than you people. for her, that's huge.

but then, in a strange way, i do think she's rather nostalgic about it. because i think she really did love him and just wishes things had gone differently. because again, he's the one person who cared about her when no one else did and that's hard to let go of. i think she - again - has very conflicted feelings about it, which do filter through in the paris fic.

that said, to answer your question (I wonder if harry actually thinks about her and regrets their relationship for actually hurting her): yes, he does. i think that's part of his character evolution too. he knows he Fucked Up and it sucks. he feels very guilty about it. that's why he agrees to be the 'bad guy' in the end, when she basically asks him to break up with her because she can't, and then does it in the most godawful way. he takes responsibility for his behaviour, which is also very important to his character arc. it's very hard to navigate your late teens/early twenties without hurting someone without meaning to. what matters is how you react and own up to it. he struggles, acts like a complete douchebag, but in the end, he owns it. he gives her the story she needs to move on and be like: yes, he cared about me, but he was also an arsehole. he gives her that:

She met a boy who slept with her on and off for eight months and broke her heart, dumped her after sex and punched her father in the face. It's not a lie.

in a very strange way, that's an act of love and care too. it might not be enough for her to completely get over him or forget him, but it does allow her to have mixed feelings and hang onto the fact that she deserves better, which is already a lot.

but yeah, of course he feels guilty. he even says so himself in 15 & 16:

(xv) They talk about Mia, that night. Not that he brings it up, but in light of what Gwenog Jones said, he actually asks if she regrets the dating and the going out. There is no judgement in his voice, he’s just curious, and she says: ‘I don’t know, it’s complicated.’ She asks if he regrets Mia and he wants to laugh - same, yeah. He wonders if perhaps, these were the mistakes they needed to make.

(xvi) It’s a fair question, of course. How he feels about Mia. A couple months have passed. Water, bridges and all that. ‘Still a bit guilty, I think,’ he admits. Winces. ‘You?’ ‘Still a bit jealous, I think.’

so, yeah, regarding how ginny feels: of course, she feels a bit jealous. because she knows that he loved mia and cared about her. and, ginny herself slept around, sure, but love wasn't part of the equation. if you remember, she tried to date someone (early on - from october to january of '98) who she did like (but not yet love) and even told harry about, but then that blew up in her face so spectacularly that feelings never really crystallised. (sidenote: i actually think the matt incident probably had even more of an impact on her than sleeping around because this was the first person she ever put her trust in that wasn't harry (post-amycus) and he dumped her in an extraordinarily dickish way (blamed her for the press, which she couldn't control) and that is also what triggered her to be like: fuck this, they say i'm a slut, might as well be one sort of attitude --- but i digress).

it was really important for me that they both have pasts and insecurities about their respective pasts because -- well, that's part of any relationship, isn't it? like, you should never let it eat you up, but it's normal to feel a bit awkward and insecure about your partner's past at the start of the relationship. and, also about yourself. you really want this to work and not fuck it up. so, like: harry feels shitty about treating mia like shit because he didn't mean to. he feels a bit insecure about the fact that ginny's been with a lot of people before him, and doesn't want to admit it. he feels insecure about whether or not she loves him because she's dumped him once before and, well. she feels insecure because everyone thinks she's a slut and she worries he does too. she feels insecure about the fact that he used to love someone else.

but, the important part is: they talk about it. and, that's how they grow and act adult, and that is what matters. the insecurities are obviously there, but they chat and reassure each other and that's what grown-ups do. it even comes up during the sex in 16 and i love how they deal with it:

‘Merlin, that was -’ she laughs. He laughs, too. ‘Much better than last summer,’ she adds. He’s got this stupid, self-satisfied, Cheshire cat smile across his face when she finally turns to look at him, so large it’s probably rather obscene, and a stupid (stupidstupid) thought suddenly hits his brain: I’ve had time to practice. He doesn’t say it, but she must bloody read it in his eyes because suddenly, a flash of recognition washes over and he wants to say something - anything - to take back that cringey, gauche thing he hasn’t even fucking said, and he wants to disappear deep - far - into the ground. He thinks back to their conversation at the restaurant, and: ‘Still a bit jealous, I think,’ - it makes his skin crawl. Now, though, Ginny laughs. At him, mostly. ‘Harry,’ she says. ‘Harry, look at me.’ Reluctantly, he does. ‘It’s fine,’ she whispers. ‘Just kiss me.’

there's acceptance there, and love, and trust, and that's what matters.

to anwer your other question: Are ginny and harry sorry that they kissed when harry was in a relationship with mia?

honestly, no, i don't think so, though. i think the kiss is the least of it. it's not about one kiss. it's about Everything Else, really.

regarding mia herself, she might make a cameo at a later date. not saying more. but i don't think she'll come back regularly. she needs to be away from him. she says so herself but this isn't the kind of break up where they can stay friends. it would kill her.

lastly, regarding her father (And what about her father? Will that dickhead ever come back to his senses and treat his gem of a daughter the way she deserves?): i headcanon she goes no-contact with him. you can of course hc different things but imo, that's one toxic relationship she lets go of. she knows harry was right there, and i think she's thankful to him for showing that to her, too.

so, in sum: i think mia moves on. i think she has a great life. i also think her love story and harry are always somewhere in her mind. like everything in castles, it's complicated.

#castles #asked and answered #this turned into a massive meta about mia i'm sorry lol

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hisuianhellion · 4 months

Text

The Alpha Release - Blood CW

It wasn't the most pleasant of days today, Rose sitting upon a bench at the Wallflower as Beni squinted at the sky. Murky. Rainy. Humid in a way she wasn't exactly all that fond of. It made her knee ache, and to be perfectly fair? Her hair frizzed like crazy in this weather. Fuck humidity, it was the number one reason why brushes lived in her goddamn pack even on long expeditions. Still. She flicked another coin to Beni as she nibbled on a rice cracker. Freshly grilled senbei, as per usual. That man never put out premade food. You waited and you liked it (which to be fair, she really, REALLY did).

It was her slated day off. She had her Eevee, Sally, beside her, somehow not disliking the humidity (Rose had been wondering if she wanted to evolve, and Vaporeon was looking rather likely), and Klaus the Espurr was still being his wall-eyed self. Most people couldn't see a single thought rolling around in that fluffy head. Rose saw mischief. Endless mischief. But it was the kind that was kept to a minimum with snacks, so he had a senbei of his own. Oup, he got a few crumbs on that pink li'l face, wipe that off-- there ya go li'l guy.

"You really are a stubborn sort with them beasties..." Beni stood by the entrance as usual, looking her over quietly as she wiped Klaus' cheeks off, gaining a faint squeak of dismay before he went back to munching away at his rice cracker. "Practically no fear of 'em, even with what they did to you."

Rose peered up for a moment, only to shrug. "It's not really a lack of fear, it's a respect." That got Beni to put a hand to his chin, eyeing her with a squint, but her response was to smirk. "Klaus here? He nearly crashed a window just hatching. And c'mon, you said it. I nearly lost a leg. But it's not because I don't fear 'em. It's 'cause I know you need to give them the respect that they deserve. A battle if they ask or show off, a snack if they seem like they're desperate. Sometimes it's really just as easy as a level tone and to show 'em who's boss or give 'em the space they wanna have."

"Hah. Like ya did with them bandit girls? Funny thing about 'em. They all used to work out here with us common folk. But there was somethin' about 'em that just made it clear honest work just wasn't in the dice." Rose snorted slightly, nodding before eyeing the older fellow with a snide smirk.

"Aaah, a gambling man. Ain't you fulla surprises."

"A long time ago, perhaps. Game houses were aplenty back where I came from. Liked to frequent 'em for a certain kinda folk. Made a lotta money back then." He grinned a bit wider. "Makin' a better livin' here, though. Stable. Feels good to put down some roots."

"... was that a joke?" Rose leaned forward with a skewed squint, side-eyeing him with an exaggerated lean, only for Beni to whistle idly off to the side, hands behind his back in his usual stance. He wasn't admitting to a thing, connoisseur of a certain soot-themed seasoning that he was. Rose laughed gently before standing herself up, having finished her senbei. Klaus got lifted up into her arm, and a tap to her shoulder had Sally hop right up with a gentle "Vui~", and she promptly plopped up on top of her head with a blep to feel the rain a bit better. As she spoke, Rose began tapping idly on her Arcphone, amused as she was. Her mood was a bit better now, at least. "Ah well. Thanks for the snack, Beni. See ya tomo--"

Crash!!

Over by the battle arena, loud as could be, a slam of the door to the Training Dojo snapped it right off its rail, crackling to the ground of the leveled dirt in front of it. Zisu, having been assisting by the front gate in making sure a new shipment for the Ginkgo Guild arrived safely, felt her head swivel in turn. But Rose was already on the move, dashing right over with Sally held by one hand and Klaus the other. And what she found was not what anyone was expecting.

With a roar of furious frenzy, out had burst... a Hisuian Zorua?! And not just any of its kind, one that stood tall enough to come up to Rose's chest! It was an Alpha! One that was clearly extremely nonplussed about not being in the snowy environment it typically called home, looking around with a frantic growl. Stumbling out with a nasty bruise on his face and a rather visible line of three gashes, perfectly emulating a slash upon his leg? A member of the Security Corps, pulling out a Pokéball from his side. "G-get back in your--"

The Zorua swiveled. And almost immediately as the line to recall them into the Ultra Ball that they had been put within before shot out, they slipped right into the shadows cast by the overcast, rainy sky above. It took a few moments of the man struggling to conceive of what was going on, having missed as he did... before Rose shoved him.

It was just in time. A slash of dark, ghostly energy came right out from a deepening shadow along the ground, and it narrowly missed the man thanks to Rose's timely intervention.

It did not miss her.

A clean, horridly painful slice, cleaving upwards from the shadow, cleared the distance from the ground to her left arm, as the right was holding Klaus. And the purple energy ebbed into crimson splotches on the ground very soon after. Rose let out a shout of pain as her teeth grit, and her stagger back put distance between her and the enraged Zorua. Sally squeaked out frantically in worry over Rose, who now had a viciously mangled arm, and Klaus hovered himself down onto the ground soon after with a grit of his own fangs, covered in a psychic energy to try and defend her. A screen of transparent energy came right up in front of the trio as Rose panted heavily.

The blood dripped from her arm, the same three gashes along it's length that the Security Corps member was dealing with on his leg, with the Alpha staring her down with a growl. A deep one. Those eyes were flaring red, flashing along the gold normally along the pupils. Its reddened fur flowed like wisps of ghostly energy, warping and flaring in anger. And Rose could note something very unpleasant about that energy: it was cold. It was spiteful. It could freeze a man to the bone if it came into contact with skin. Bitter and malicious. Proof positive that Pokémon were dangerous, and could kill at a moment's notice.

Zisu came charging up, Pokéball up and at the ready, but Rose immediately barked out an order. "Stay back! Let me handle this!" Her voice raising made the Zorua snarl out a bit of a more rapid growl, a deep gekker of a threat.

"It's an Alpha and I see that wound, soldier, I'm not--" Rose lifted her good arm, holding up a finger to the woman as she bristled.

"I swear to G-- Sinnoh, STAY BACK!" Rose's eyes were on the Zorua's. She saw those raised hackles. That flaring energy. "Everyone, wide berth, NOW!" Even as the blood trickled down her arm, coating her sleeve and dribbling down onto the ground from the rain still spitting from the sky, she did not break her stance. This was nothing. Her leg had handled worse. She had gotten a cut like this before. Maybe not this severe, but she'd deal.

Very slowly, she looked at the Security Corps member. "The ball. Toss it very gently to me. Now." Her eyes flicked back to the Zorua, massive as it was. It wasn't moving. It was watching every single one of the humans surrounding it. However, it's attention immediately shifted to the ball once it heard it bounce onto the ground, and Rose caught something very keen on that face.

It's eyes widened. Its teeth bared far sharper. But that fur flared even more, both with energy and with an emotion she wasn't expecting an Alpha to display: fear. She had planned on recalling it quickly. Getting it into its ball quietly and easily, and then laying INTO this man for having a Pokémon he could not feasibly control! But that reaction...

The Zorua was not handled with any care at all. It was not angrily lashing out. It was not acting out of pure malice or any bitter resentment, at least not intentionally. This massive creature was an Alpha that was afraid of them. It was defensive. It was acting out, lashing at its captors, because it had no idea what was going on. All it saw were humans. Humans that had forced it into a ball, locked it down, and only deigned to release it in one of their closed off buildings. Without properly preparing a wild Pokémon for that, especially one here in Hisui's much more combative wilds? Of course it would attack! It felt cornered!

She shifted very slowly, and very carefully towards the ball, as it had come to a rolling stop a foot away from her. That Zorua watched her very keenly. Its body flared again, ready to attack. Ready to kill if it had to. A standoff as Rose's foot, covered in a boot for this type of weather, lightly brushed against the Ultra Ball.

She rose her foot. The Zorua growled. She set it on the ball. The humans mused with concern. The Zorua bristled.

She stomped.

The ball shattered.

Everyone went silent. The Zorua physically winced at the sound, the shadow underneath of them darkening... before they saw what she had done. It stared at the cracked ball with its mouth open in faint shock, and a squeak, far smaller than it should've been, escaped the near four-foot tall creature. It looked at Rose with confusion writ on its face. And she began to step back, lightly snapping a finger. Klaus caught the wordless command and began to follow her backwards, his body still glowing noticeably, but she was giving the Zorua even more space. "Clear a path."

"Rose, are you really all that sure we should just let it go after what it did?!" Beni stood off to the side, but his voice rang out, Zisu nodding.

"Agreed. Alphas like this are dangerous, it needs to be brought to heel, especially after when it hurt not just one of my guys, but you, too!"

Rose stared off into space for a few seconds, only to look back at them with visible anger. "And did anyone think to pay attention to the fear displays they're showing? A Pokémon does not growl when it's trying to kill a prey. It growls when it's angry or afraid, and it wants out of that situation as fast as possible." Her eyes flicked to the man who tossed her the ball, and he shrank under her gaze, especially with the blood still dripping from her arm. She pulled off her jacket, beginning to wrap it steadily and slowly around the arm to apply some pressure before she sighed out with a near growl of her own. "You don't fucking blame a human kid for lashing out at something when they've been kidnapped, do you?!"

Silence reigned.

"I didn't fucking think so. Clear. A. Path."

They listened. Rose gently began stepping back, eyeing the Zorua. And with a gentle motion towards her, she began descending the small stair-laden hill to the main street of Jubilife. The fox watched her for a few longer seconds, eyeing the others... before beginning to very slowly follow.

Five agonizingly long minutes. It took five minutes that felt closer to five hours for some, but eventually, she reached the gate to Jubilife with the large, Alpha Pokémon. And eventually, she stepped to the side, motioning to the open gate.

They locked eyes for a moment. She nodded, her gaze trying its best to soften. Though she was rapidly growing dizzy from the blood loss, she needed to make sure this one would be okay. After a tense silence... it took the offer, and shot right into the shadows soon after, darting clear of the gates to the terror of the guardsman at the entrance.

But not before stopping, taking one more look at Rose as she began to collapse onto her knees, shifting into a sitting position with a heavy pant.

Only then did it finally leave, allowing the alerted Medical Corps doctor to collect Rose and begin helping as she stared at the ground with a furrowed brow.

#rosy recountings #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon roleplay #pokemon rp #blood cw #cw blood

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thestrangestthlng · 9 months

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Red White and Royal Blue - The MOVIE

I have some (spoiler free) opinions and I'm ready to talk.

My thoughts on the Red White and Royal Blue movie starring Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry and Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex Claremont-Diaz.

First and foremost, I think the cast did an amazing job. Taylor's Alex was the heart of the movie and Henry's Henry was absolutely the soul. Sarah Shahi?? Let's be honest, she's another reason we fell in love with the book! They filled the movie with emotionality that is what made us all fall in love with the book in the first place. I don't think there was one wrong casting here.

It made great cinematic choices, imo. I loved the way they did the phone calls, and the lake scene - Nicholas gets a 15/5 for that scene.

I am going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, that being said. As an adaptation I give it a 3/5. HOWEVER, as a standalone movie it's easily a 4-4.4/5. Maybe even a 5/5 depending on enjoyability. This is not a flaw, it just is what it is.

Big changes: No June - sorry y'all, but that's what happens often in adaptations, especially ones that don't HAVE HP budgets. It's going to be very rare to get those kind of adaptations. No Congressman Luna. We have another bad guy with different motives. But that's all I can really talk about without spoilers.

Now, had this been able to be adapted to a limited series, it would have been a much better adaptation - look at Heartstopper.

All of that being said, I don't really care to hear anyone complain that it's silly, or unrealistic, cheesy or any kind of negativity that you wouldn't give a straight comparable movie.

Queer folk are allowed to have a silly romcom, or a romcom without trauma porn. Queer folk are allowed to take up all the room at the table if they so choose. Audrey Plaza would have had justification if this was her story and that's the kind of content I want. (If you know you know).

Queer people deserve to have a million movies where they get their happy ever after without the trauma of existence. The fact that so many people (usually those who aren't LGBTQ+) want queer media that is full of trauma p*rn and y'all that's real fucking weird.

Queer people deserve movies and shows where they have wonderful supportive parents who love them and only want what's best for them, and yes talks to them about needing the HPV vaccines and PrEP. Queer people deserve media where they get to do all the things that opposite sex couples get to do without it being taboo - sex in a supply room, stolen kisses in front of Alexander Hamilton, slow dancing in a closed museum, words and affirmations for their eyes and ears only.

So, this went on way too long, but enjoy it for what it is. And what i is is two young men falling in love, hooking up whenever they can, and existing in this world that so often doesn't want queer folk existing at all.

Excuse me while I go watch it a third time. kthxbyyeeee

(Also, the movie was dedicated to Taylor's sister, Kristy, who unfortunately passed away from a courageous battle with stage IV cancer a few months ago. Taylor said in an interview that she was looking for to it and let's all send him some love. Especially given that they are on strike and he's not able to share this with the world as much.)

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creativeafterdark · 7 months

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Chapter 9 and 10

Heyo folks taking a @journeythroughjourneytothewest

Had to take a break from book club last week, burn out was very bad. But I've had a week to relax, celebrated my birthday and slept most of the day lol. Let's get back into Journey to the West

First: Chapter 9.

We finally meet our Monk and learn the story of his family!

We don't spend a lot of time learning about them (minus his Dad, gets a thumbs up from me. Kind to all and easy going enough to be like "I got hit by a ball-- oh I'm married now? Okay cool". Like talk about a shotgun wedding), but we do see little bits that remind me of our Monk. He does share his kindness with his Dad, and I genuinely think his anxiety is from his mom. I'll talk about her in a minute because she is a whole other thing.

My one question is... wouldn't other officials notice that Liu Hong, essentially becoming Chen E, had no idea what he was doing??? He went on business trips, did no one recognize he wasn't who he said he was????? I mean you would think anyone who took the exams with him who got positions would be like "uh... that's not him tf??". Or they just did not care. Who knows at this point. Apparently he had Six Eared Macaque level disguise skill, rolled a nat 20 in bullshitery.

Now. Lady Yin. The poor lady went through hell for over 18 years. She had to watch her husband get murdered, had to abandon her baby, and had to play wife to a murderer. Even when her husband came back... I'm not surprised she still ended up passing. That's a lot of guilt (and I'm sure Liu Hong was not kind to her) on her mind for a LONG period of time, nearly two decades. I wish there was a happy ending for the family but I get why it ended how it did, knowing what depression and anxiety can do to people.

Now our baby Monk. Our Xuanzang. I am so proud of him for being as brave as he was. This recently turned 18 year old did everything he could to help his family. Licking his grandma's eyeballs was...a choice. But it was for a good cause so good on him. I can see why he was a good choice as the Scroll Pilgrim.

And as promised, a sketch of Xuanzang

And as a bonus baby Monk with a doggo

But now we move to Chapter 10.

...I legit got annoyed going thru the debate between the fisherman and woodman. Like it went on far longer than it should have. I'm sure there was a profound moment that we're supposed to glean from it but I just wasn't receptive to it. Maybe I'll read it again.

Anyway.

I have been doing some looking into of Chinese historical heroes (I desperately want to read Romance of the three kingdoms, and I need more reading material about folk heroes and heroines) so seeing some references to the stuff I learned made me happy. There was mention of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang and the painting of The Emporer's Generals on the doors (supposedly the Tang dynasty is where this practice was first used. A few three kingdom folks also get this treatment as door gods, or menshen, along with other important heroes and deities. Makes me wonder if the Emperor essentially deified his Generals and Wei Zheng. How does Heaven handle that?)

Fun fact! In my jttw x mythology story Wukong will work with Asena, mythical wolf mother of the Ashina Clan of Gokturks. Guess which dynasty of China had to deal with them a lot? :)

Anyway.

I've also come to the conclusion that Dragons just like to fuck around and find out. Like, the Dragon King just goes against heaven's orders to spite a very accurate fortune teller, does not even THINK of the consequences, and is surprised Pikachu face when he gets in trouble. Also not sure why he thought appealing to an earthly emporer would save him from THE SUPREME DAOIST DEITY'S JUDGMENT. Like, y'all, I'm beginning to think dragons just don't give a crap or just don't think. Got what he deserved for being dumb. Did the emporer make promises he shouldn't have? No doubt, you don't promise supernatural beings anything because it will make you want to die if they catch wind of you breaking promises, regardless of nationality. Did he deserve what he got? .... I mean historically probably but in the sense of this story, no.

I find the Tang dynasty interesting (because it gave us a certain Empress and had some fun female warriors, like Taizong's sister, who helped her father found the dynasty) and I can definitely thank jttw for getting my attention about it.

I think that's all I have as far as thoughts. And I apologize if my rambles just jumped around too much lol.

Over and out ✌️

#journey to the west #jttw book club #jttw tang sanzang #jttw Xuanzang #xuanzang #slight mention of #jttw x mythology #the more you know

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dead-loch · 8 months

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wondering what my Deadloch folks think of this headcanon which I will be working into my fic:

Eddie throughout the season is very over-the-top homophobic in ways that, to me, obviously speak to someone who has repressed a part of themselves (I’d be interested to know how others feel about my read on that, specifically people who identify with wlw). The things she says are made to be as offensive as possible but they don’t strike me as coming from a place of hate (tbh this might be due to the writers and the actor, but again, let me know if you think differently).

(Homophobia stemming from repression is not something that needs to automatically be forgiven or I guess a better word might be it’s not an excuse, but it is an explanation. I don’t want to downplay it because it can cause real harm both inwardly and outwardly)

At the end, of course, she reveals she’s “done stuff” with women.

I’m wondering if Eddie-the-young-person (and let’s include here anywhere up to the age of 25 maybe? Idk how old you are or what kinda schooling you need in AUS), prior to her career in law enforcement, had tentatively been exploring queer relationships of some kind. But once beginning her career in law enforcement, (which, I mean, need I say more than that really) realised how Not Good of an environment it was for someone discovering they might be queer (whatever that may entail for her). And that for years she prioritised her own safety and sanity by adapting to a shitty, homophobic and sexist and racist environment and becoming “one of the boys” as a sort of armour. Of course, this armour would not ultimately protect her from being thrown to the wolves and blamed for the death of her partner, and boy was that a piss off.

Throughout her time in Deadloch, Eddie is (maybe for the first time ever) surrounded primarily by queer people and by queer women specifically. She goes from an environment of toxic masculinity, one she’s spent a very long time adapting to and-maybe-ingratiating herself to, to an environment that is, well, nearly the complete opposite. If it was me, I think I’d be angry. And maybe feel betrayed. Like… I could have had this all along?

Holly, I believe, is the only woman Eddie has had a close relationship with prior to Deadloch, and even then, it was through her partner on the force. But we know that Eddie and Holly were close enough because Eddie keeps calling her. But this one relationship (and here I mean friendship, not that there was anything romantic or sexual between them necessarily), to me, seemed important to her and not just in a “you’re my work partner’s wife” way. It felt to me like Eddie, on some level, really valued that relationship but that it was also something she craved, again, on some level, and probably not on a conscious one.

Just… imagine chipping away at yourself for years and years so that you’re protected from poisonous hate, and then suddenly finding yourself in a place where others like you— or like the you-who-could/might-have-been— have allowed themselves to exist as they are. (And again, this is fully said without judgement. We deserve to feel safe and that can take many forms and should be up to the individual to decide for themselves what is best for them at any moment in time.)

I can’t speak for queer Australians (although I’d love to hear from you) but even just discovering that marriage rights were only afforded to queer couples in 2017 pushes this narrative even more. For comparison, my country legalised “same sex marriage” in 2005, with some provinces having legalised it as early as 2003, and civil marriages between “same sex” couples existing since 1999. I was 15 in 2005 and I can assure you it didn’t really make anything in my day-to-day life easier but it did mean… other people like me are out there. We didn’t have the world at our fingertips as readily as we do now, even so relatively recently.

#when I get a full night of sleep I’m suddenly having a million very clear thoughts #like Hm maybe I should do this more often #Deadloch #eddie redcliffe

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fanficfanattic · 9 months

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Okay, no one asked but I love this fandom. Gonna talk about some of my fic outlines and see if anything stands out for y’all!

Sexy

Soulmates: Jamie and Keeley aren’t soulmates but they aren’t looking for that kind of commitment/life. Keeley and Roy aren’t soulmates, and yet neither care even though they are wishing for that kind of life. Obviously Roy and Jamie aren’t soulmates. Duh. No tension here folks!

But Roy + Keeley + Jamie touching initializes their soulbond. Just like with any two party soulmates, it doesn’t get tripped until all three are in contacrt together.

Secrets: Season 1 Dani starts dating Jamie shortly after the loan ends. He loved their shoot outs and liked drinking with him. So he was sad he wasn’t going to really get to meet him. Then realizes he can, he just has to call him up.

There is a team dinner and Jamie shows up and everyone is like “wtf?” Keeley even tries to ask why he’s there and he very Jamie-like says he was invited. So Keeley is all “okay, but before the transfer back. You aren’t on the team anymore?”

Dani finally makes his entrance and everyone realizes by invited he meant literally as the SO of a player. And Jamie has just enough self-awareness to go “Dani…you didn’t tell them you were bringing me?” “I did too!” “I told you Jamie is used for any gender. They probably thought you meant you were bringing a gal!”

Not addressed in this overview is that it’s a bit of a D/s situation. Dani is a doting dom, happy to give Jamie clear boundaries so he isn’t acting out to try to find them himself. Jamie is a sweet sub, he just likes making Dani feel good. And being loved AND respected.

Family

Mom: Season 1 Jamie has his mom and stepdad come down for the Family Day that Ted orchestrates. It’s where he flirts with Moe’s mum. Find out Georgie was a young mom, so she’s a little younger than Roy. Jamie is perfectly at ease with her, more smiley than they’ve ever seen him.

The two of them are even a bit silly together. They run off to do their ritual every time Georgie visits Jamie at a club. He gives her a piggy back run around the pitch while she times him.

Simon starts shaking hands and he called Wichita State to find out Ted and Beard’s favorite muffins and has baked them. In a fucking basket and all. No one knows what to make of him, and Ted finally says he had not pictured Jamie’s dad anything like Simon.

Who laughs it off explaining that he’s the stepdad. Jamie’s biological father deserves to burn in hell.

Dad: Jamie comes clean to Sam about how some of his antagonism came from jealousy over Sam’s dad being so wonderful. Sam is like “oh, is that what it was?” And “c’mon mate, got a solution for that.”

Calls his dad up and says he wants to introduce him to his new son, Jamie. Ola takes it completely in stride. Sam has told him about all the work Jamie has put in to show the team the real him. And Ola respects the hell out of that.

“Ah, yes, how could I forget to properly greet my other son?” And that’s not Jamie crying, it’s just raining inside innit?

Angsty

Spite: Season 2 Jamie gets a little flirty with Paddy O’Gara when they play Man City. Another player (first year with City) fouls him real rough. At the after match interview he explains that Jamie was flirting with them to try and rattle them. Admits he didn’t hold his temper but assuming they’re homophobic just because they’re footballers is wrong.

Ted, and the team that has just started warming up to him again, don’t even ask Jamie what his side is. Ted tells him he’s benched next game. Colin accidentally comes out he’s so upset. He can’t tell them the truth, since it would out Paddy. So he just says “okay, coach” and leaves.

The next training, someone yells that he hasn’t even apologized to Colin for being such a prick. When he says he’s done nothing he needs to apologize for, bloodlust rises. Ted sends him home for the day and says there will be a meeting the next morning with Rebecca.

Meanwhile, Paddy is beside himself because the media has been brutal towards Jamie. He’s about to retire. It wouldn’t affect his career as strongly. But he won’t do anything unless Jamie agrees. Which he now does, because the only team that would take him on, with this kind of shit staining his name, would be a team unsafe for him.

They contact a team to do an interview. Someone for telly and someone to write an article. (Trent Crimm y’all!) It comes out the next morning while Jamie is in his meeting with Rebecca. Tells her the truth that no one asked him for and that the article/video combo will be up soon.

Malice: Post Lust Conquers All, but before he secures coming back to Richmond, James kidnaps Jamie. Sells him on the black market. Later in that season or into 3rd season territory, Jamie has escaped. Ties up the buyer with his own chains and steals their car. Realizes he’s close to Richmond, and decides to go there.

He was disappeared the last time because no one was expecting him to be somewhere specific. But if 30 people, even people who don’t like him, literally lay eyes on him. It’ll be harder for him to be disappeared again. So there he goes.

To up the stakes a bit, I have the loose idea that when he’s first about to make his escape, a woman and her daughter get added to the basement make-shift prison. He has to wait long enough to know the woman isn’t going to betray him. Once they’ve decided to become brother and sister, making him the kid’s uncle, its time to bust out. Eventually. Because the circumstances have to be right to do so.

Bonus idea is that Keeley is upset about him being calm and rational after this. She can’t figure out why he is pretty much the same person. So he explains that she’s never known him pre-his dad being a sexual predator asshole.

#jamie tartt #jamie tartts mom georgie #jamie tartts stepdad simon #tw james tartt #ted lasso #roy kent #keeley jones #sam obisanya #dani rojas #rebecca welton #tw kidnapping #tw captivity #tw sex assault #ola obisanya #soulmates

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medea10 · 6 months

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My Review of My Happy Marriage

How did I get into this anime? So, I noticed this anime’s promotional poster and wondered to myself if this was going to be like Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale. That is the weirdest reason for watching an anime I’ve ever given and I sometimes pick animes just because of who sings the opening theme. Actually, I wasn’t that far off with my idiotic question.

Miyo Saimori is someone who was brought up under some unfortunate circumstances. Miyo’s mother died when she was really young. Her father ends up remarrying another woman and having another child with that woman soon after. Miyo was kinda shoved into the background and become subservient to the family as she was seen as useless. Apparently, everyone in the family has supernatural abilities except for Miyo. That’s why they see her as someone with no merit and useless. Her step-mother and half-sister are cruel to her. Her father says nothing. All Miyo does is lower her head and obey them.

Oh my God, what kind of Cinderella, Princess Sara, Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale shit did I pick up here? This first episode is just cruel. Treating Miyo like a slave is one thing, but erasing every happy thing from her life including what her dead mother left her is just sick.

There is one person who has been kind to Miyo for all of these years and that’s a family friend, Kouji. He’s the only one to ever make her smile. Unfortunately, things change and not for the better. Miyo’s father announced that Kouji was to be betrothed to Miyo’s half-sister Kaya. This of course broke Miyo’s heart despite her expecting something like this was going to happen. Now, there was more to the announcement. Miyo was also to be married off. They’re sending her away to be married to the lord of the Kudou clan. And just to be bigger dicks than you would imagine, they’re sending Miyo to be married off to someone who has a reputation for being a jerk.

If this story takes place around the same time as Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale, could the story do us a big favor and just have this whole family die in the Great Kanto Earthquake? I know it’s a terrible thing to wish upon anyone, let alone a fictional family. I was just really annoyed by everyone in Miyo’s family that it made me say what I just said.

Despite the rumors about this young lord and all of the marriage proposals that have lapsed due to his attitude. This man, Kiyoka Kudou is actually kind-hearted. And Miyo just deserves the best. She deserves a nice life!

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: Welcome to a very new experience here. As you all know, this is a Netflix exclusive anime. But unlike many animes they’ve licensed in the past, this one was put out on the same day as released in Japan with an English dub. That is almost unheard of on Netflix. Recently, Netflix has been releasing anime alongside the Japanese schedule like when Blue Period came out. Some had a small, couple-week delay like Komi-san. Others are released all at once like Aggretsuko and The Way of the Househusband. And then there are those animes that people wait an eternity to see, but Netflix finds a way to delay it by weeks or even months.

The U.S. waited 11 months for that Steven Stone vs. Ash Ketchum match. That’s a disgustingly long wait, Netflix. Not even 4Kids was that cruel! THIS DOES NOT HELP WITH PIRACY YOU PEOPLE KEEP SCREAMING ABOUT! I will never be over that one.

So, I’m watching the dub. I gotta give praise to the cast here. This is my first time hearing either Miranda Parkin or Damien Haas. I am impressed by their performance and wish them nothing but the best in the future. It wasn’t all newbies in the cast. I saw a few memorable names like Lizzie Freeman, Mela Lee, and even a few Pokemon voice actors like Erica Schroeder and Mike Pollock. This kind of stuff makes me giddy. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Miyo is played by Reina Ueda (known for Mallow on Pokemon SM, Kisa on Fruits Basket 2019, Kanao on Demon Slayer, Gray on Lord El-Melloi, Jiro on Tokyo Ghoul, and Elianna on Bibliophile Princess)

*Kiyoka is played by Kaito Ishikawa (known for Kiawe on Pokemon SM, Naofumi on Shield Hero, Genos on One Punch Man, Iida on My Hero Academia, Kageyama on Haikyuu, Sakuta on Bunny Girl Senpai, and Urie on Tokyo Ghoul :re)

ENGLISH CAST: *Miyo is played by Miranda Parkin

*Kiyoka is played by Damien Haas

DISLIKED CHARACTERS: I think you know what I’m about to do here.

Miyo’s entire family (minus birth mother) are horrible people. And if this series is set during the Great Kanto Earthquake, I hope they all die. I know I said that before and it’s a horrible thing to say, but I’m at that point where I’m saying ‘fuck it’. The step-mother and half-sister are that usual kind of awful that one would expect in a Cinderella type of story like this. But Miyo’s father, her actual biological, blood father had the audacity to say in the third episode that he doesn’t care about his own kid and whether she’s still alive or not after sending her to the Kudou home. Just because she can’t see spiritual beings like the rest of the family?! I think I hate you the most.

This hatred was just the beginning.

Give Taishou Maiden Fairy Tale some credit as I didn’t have to see Tamahiko’s rotten family in every episode. The first six episodes were full of horrible scenes featuring Miyo’s father, step-mother and step-sister being horrible creatures. Whether through nightmares Miyo continues to have or them plotting and scheming, they continue to exist. The pinnacle of their disgusting behavior came when Kaya got jealous of her sister being happy for once in her life. So, Kaya and her step-mother had Miyo kidnapped off the street, tied her up in a shed, and beat her until Miyo caves into their selfish demands.

By this point, I’m thinking if this is just overkill in the evil department. Like, if you two are looking for the worst characters in anime for the year of 2023, you’d win that category. Even the guy that stabbed Ai Hoshino is in no competition compared to these bitches. But I feel like their evility was much too much.

Thankfully, after episode 7 we don’t see much of these wretched people. Kiyoka torched everything in his way and pretty much destroyed Miyo’s father, step-mother, and sister Kaya’s livelihood. I even think Kaya’s engagement to Kouji was broken off as she’s sent away to fuck if I know. I’ll take any kind of karma that can be bestowed upon these cum-buckets.

SHIPPING: Arranged marriages. Perfect matches or doomed from the start? Let’s see how this works out.

In the first episode, I was worried that this poor girl is going to continue getting abused. By the second episode, I twinged with this after watching Kiyoka put up the defiance just eating the food Miyo made. But that soon disapated with some optimism when Kiyoka took Miyo out on the town and gave her a present that could be mistaken for a marriage proposal. And by the end of episode 4, I was cheering for this. Especially when Kiyoka went to Miyo’s parents and demanded them to apologize to Miyo.

Unfortunately, other forces are working for selfish reasons. Apparently, Miyo’s father had originally promised Miyo to another family. Despite not having any spiritual powers, she still carries her mother’s blood and she could potentially pass on something to her children in the future. And this other family is Kouji’s family. Kouji is of course still on Miyo’s side and was pissed that his father did nothing to aid in Miyo’s torment. Just for good measure, let’s add Miyo’s cunt sister Kaya to this mix. She’s willing to throw away her fiancé Kouji and steal Kiyoka just because she can’t stand her sister being happy.

As I mentioned before, we don’t see much of Kaya and the rest of the family after episode 7. Same goes for Kouji. You would think that’d be the end of the interruptions and this ship can set sail. You know as well as I do that isn’t in the cards. We’ve got Miyo’s meddling cousin Atara to deal with.

ENDING: Everybody wants Miyo! It’s clear that Kiyoka loves Miyo and just wants her to be happy. But then you’ve got these interlopers who want Miyo only because she has an almost extinct bloodline (Usuba) running through her veins. Pretty much the same reason Koji’s father wanted Miyo. Two of those people are Miyo’s grandfather and this guy named Arata that happens to be her blood cousin.

That’s nice. Where the fuck were these two bros when Miyo was getting abused by the Saimori family? Follow up question! Where the fuck were these two bros when Miyo was getting the Kunta Kente treatment just a couple of episodes prior?!

For people so worried about the fate of the Usuba bloodline, you didn’t seem too concerned about Miyo until this very moment when she might have a slim chance of having some special power. As it turns out, Miyo just might. The following problems to this are; it’s ravaging her in her sleep, and her full power might have been sealed off by Miyo’s deceased mother. For this very reason, these two family members insist Miyo stay at their premises. Kiyoka was not going to give up his fiancé to these people whom he still has severe distrust over and ends up in a duel with this Arata dude. This was essentially, bringing a sword to a gunfight. Unless your name is Himura Kenshin, you are probably not going to win in a gunfight with a sword. I know Kiyoka is pretty tough, but…no. Knife to gun fight!

There’s a lot on Kiyoka’s plate at the moment. There have been going-ons with a supernatural called “the grotesques” and one wrong move could result in many lives lost. But this whole thing with his fiancé is something that has him worried all over the place. I guess Kiyoka’s demeanor changed quite a bit since we first saw him in his debut. During the big battle against the grotesques, he wound up seriously injured.

Meanwhile, Miyo learned from her grandfather about the Usuba family and her mother Sumi. Turns out that when Sumi was younger, she decided to help the dwindling Usuba family with their family troubles by marrying one of the families willing to give financial support. That just happened to be the Saimori family. The father was not happy by that decision and it unfortunately caused a rift between the two. Soon after marriage, Sumi gave birth to Miyo and realized her potential already. Sumi (who already had a weak constitution to begin with) managed to seal Miyo’s supernatural powers to prevent her father and the other Saimoris to abuse it. And then she died! Okay, I’m easing up on hating on the grandfather. Miyo’s cousin is still on the sus-watch as he continuously kept Miyo away from Kiyoka. Even when Kiyoka is injured, Atara tried to keep them apart. Thankfully, Grandpa realized that if he did this, he would lose Miyo the same way he lost Sumi. Miyo was able to be by her beloved’s side.

Kiyoka was in a deep coma due to a horrific injury. After a few weeks with the Usuba family, Miyo was able to regain what was sealed away from her after so long. Miyo has a special ability to go into dreams. She went inside Kiyoka’s dreams. After battling around with her inner insecurities, she managed to protect her fiancé and he was able to recover. This power was also able to vanquish the grotesques that invaded too. No one can tear apart these two. Not the Saimoris. Not the evil governor that wanted all the power for himself. Not Atara. No one! And we end with a happy ending where Miyo goes to a fancy party and puts her new education from her sister-in-law to good use.

Yes, love me some happy endings. Miyo deserves it! And best of all, we’re getting a season two to this. Guys, end it here. I know I can’t resist seeing what happens next. But after everything Miyo has been through, I can’t stand the fact that more tragedy could befall her. I also don’t want to see the Saimori’s again. I don’t care if karma came in like a firestorm to these people, I never want to see them again.

I’ll be honest, I was unaware about this story being about people who have supernatural abilities until episode 1 or 2. When I learned that, I thought that was just sloppily tacked on. That was until all this grotesquery nonsense and Kiyoka’s work came into play. I dropped my thoughts on the matter then. Despite every horrible thing happening to Miyo is playing right on my screen, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if this girl ever gets her “happy marriage” like what it says in the title. And at least if there’s a season two, we might see the actual wedding. I mean, they aren’t married yet.

But aside from that, if you want to watch a supernatural/romance anime, you might want to consider watching this anime. Just be warned that the first half of the anime could aggravate you with how they treat one of the characters.

Every episode is streaming on Netflix.

#anime review #my happy marriage #miyo saimori #kaya saimori #kiyoka kudou #watashi no shiawase na kekkon #shinichi saimori #kanoko saimori #arata usuba #yumi usuba #kouji tatsuishi

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cheesus-doodles · 2 years

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You ask for Izana and I shall give it to you!-Winky Wink

Y'know, there’s one common trope in Yandere writing that you haven’t touched yet. Darling escape Izana's gremlin clutches.

Let’s just say that Izana's possessiveness and protectiveness were so severe that he justified his crime of imprisonment to protect his innocent and fragile darling inside his own home or rented a place to imprison her. The neighbor were somewhat aware of what was the darling's situation, but everyone ignore her because they didn’t want to mess with the boss of the infamous Toman. Thus, Izana's crime had been unpunished for a long time. Until one day, the cops barged inside their home, arrested Izana on spot and rescue the darling. It was all thanks to anonymous who post a vid of the darling being abused. Legal stuff happened leading to Izana was sentence 5 years in jail.

Darling recover from her trauma and started to live normally again. Those five years was the happiest time for darling till the demon forced himself into darling's life. Despite the fact Izana was imprisoned, he still had connections in the police force, allowing him to gave out command to his gang inside the jail. Once he about to finished serving his sentence, he order his goons to kidnapped his beloved dearest or something like that. Thus, Darling is forced to relived the nightmare she faced 5 years ago all over again

I wonder if this is good enough?

Sorry for the sudden quietness here folks - been bashing my head against this for the better part of two weeks, and its finally completed! Feels kinda weird to be plugging this here given this is a sfw blog, so this will be the first and only time I will ever put any Minors DNI content here. A little (sfw) taste below for the curious!

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Please do check it out if you are 18+ on my new side blog (and read the trigger warnings and rules on interaction carefully), link is at the bottom! Back to the usual content soon!

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A Waltz In the Dark

Yandere Yazuka Boss Izana

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Twirling a picture between two fingers on one hand, lit cigarette pinched in the other, Izana exhaled, the smoke drifting lazily out through the small crack in the window. The gentle light of the moon did little to illuminate the inside of his cell, let alone the photo he held ever so gently, yet the tanned man could hardly bring himself to care - after all, each and every picture he owned of you had long been burned into the back of his eyelids. He could see them even when he closed his eyes: your doting smile, your bright doe eyes, the loving looks you sneaked when you thought no one was looking. Izana knew them all, and you, by heart.

The prison was dead silent at this time of the night, though Izana found it hard to pinpoint when this little slice of hell ever bustled like the other parts housing the general population - the solitary isolation ward was made to quash his command over the outside world, and to punish monsters like him. But while tranquility had once been considered a rare treat, a respite from his hectic days running his yakuza empire, the quietness now hung over him like a curse that he couldn’t exorcize. The same silence he was forced to endure alone on that tortuous day you were torn away from his grip, the serenity of the solitary isolation wards only served to force Izana to replay the torment again and again when he tried to rest - a broken, wretched movie on repeat that he had no escape from.

It had always been you and him against the world. Kind, gentle, innocent you who he worshiped with his whole being, who deserved nothing but the best in return for your love, your affection. Then the onslaught of blue uniforms that broke into the sacred temple he built to protect you from the world, snatching you away from his arms like the unforgiving jaws of a saltwater crocodile. And Izana could only watch as you were forced out into a harsh reality you were never built for, while he was thrown into prison on some superficial charges based on an anonymous tip off, to the delighted howls of pretentious scum.

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Read the whole fic here on my (very new) nsfw side blog (mind the trigger warnings!):

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talesofsonicasura · 2 years

Text

Axolotl Dreams- Prologue

For the Six Eared Macaque fans, an x Reader for you folks involving my Mer!Macaque. I'm getting a hang of these but some could be more awkward than others. I'll try my best like with any other story and headcanon! This can be read gender neutral or preferred gender. Enjoy.

Moving day, something that is equally split in how one may view it. On one half is the positive outlook when it comes to such a topic. A new life with the rare building a family that comes with it. The chance to start again after a tragedy or get away from ghosts of the past.

Reconnect with something you haven't seen in a long time. Maybe the rare chance to be somewhere you can fit in and make new friends. Even meet the love of your life or even old companions.

Now to the negative side of moving. Long stressful drives after packing up your various items. The possibility that the place you move to is worse or not it was described to be. Difficulty of making friends alongside the risk of awful neighbors. Moving away from all you know and the friends you treasured. Unpacking your stuff while settling into your new house. A house that could have unknown issues inside.

For you, it was a mix of both. Moved to avoid the ghosts of your past and begin again, to have a life you choose. The drive been brutal since the new home is at least 4 states away from your last residency with the place being a bit of a mess.

Ceiling plaster, pieces of old trash such as fully rotten food to broken cutlery like plates, and even plants on their last legs. You decided to save the dying flora first as they didn't deserve such a fate. Getting water from the bathtub would be much faster plus a good way to set up a mop bucket after your done picking up the trash.

The mess couldn't be more brutal for it took at least three extra big garbage bags to clean up. Some of those broken plates had nasty unidentifiable gunk to it that you would rather not find out. Overall it had been a harsh two hours but the floors were ready to be mopped.

After that awful mess, you thought to yourself that a light snack would be good before continuing on. The bathroom surprisingly being the most clean part of the house. You left the bathtub full of water so you wouldn't have to constantly run it just to fill or rinse the bucket.

But nothing could've prepared anyone for what you found. Inside that tub full of water was some kind of creature. Appeared to be an axolotl larva from the body shape, light pink coloration and a violet tadpole tail as the creature is about a ft long. That was the only axolotl about this entity though.

Its face was starch light with a resemblance to a monkey though, six little pink frills that looked too much like ears, black hair that lead to a short across the back, small arms bearing small fingers and pearl opalescent eyes. The strange fella looking at you with complete curiosity. Something that would have been adorable if wasn't the fact you don't know how it got in.

"Um...hey little fella. I didn't see you there." They gave you a little heart melting blep and swam a bit closer. Tiny pearl eyes staring at the large bag of chips in your hand. Guess they're a bit hungry or wanted to try some. Why not?

You spent your small break eating chips with the strange bathtub creature. Called them 'Chip' since they really like well, chips. Chip was definitely part axolotl as their face did a little derpy axolotl smile when they yawned. Again, so cute.

Although you had to bribe them with a few bath toys so you can finish cleaning up the house and unload all your items from the truck. Mop bucket is getting sink water this time. While you continued to mop the floor, you couldn't help wondering about Chip.

What exactly is the little fella? Did they enter the bathtub through the pipes? Are there more like Chip? If so, where are their parents? These thoughts made time seem a lot slower even when you began to unload your items from the truck.

Only things you were going to unpack for the day are your mattress, a few blankets, your old aquarium tank and a pull wagon. The two latter items being for Chip to use. Can assume that the fella is a baby and shouldn't be left alone for too long. One of the reasons why you went to check on them everytime you finished mopping a room.

You cleaned up the large tank before filling it with water, laid a water proof cushion at the bottom, then load onto the wagon. After securely strapping the tank, it was time to pick up Chip. The little fella was currently fast asleep using the small waterproof pillow you provided to lay on.

Being quiet and gentle, you pick up the little slumbering creature. Their skin felt very smooth with a soft film like texture to it albeit a bit slippery. Carefully placing Chip and their pillow into the tank. Once you quietly rolled the wagon into your bedroom, it was time to drain out the bathtub.

You didn't know how long Chip would be staying if their parents showed up but you make sure the little baby is well cared for. The parents is another can of worms altogether that'll be left for a later time. Plus, taking good care of Chip could save your hide if they're hostile.

Dinner tonight would be simple Macaroni and Cheese. A nice quick easy meal with little hassle. Like before, you shared some of your food with the axolotl baby. Spoon-feeding Chip to avoid any scraps from ending up in their tank.

The remainder of the night was spent by reading. A little bedtime story to get the baby to fall asleep and some light reading before you head off to yourself. Darkness of slumber blanketing you in seconds.

The sound of Chip cooing had stirred you awake. You were about to do say something only for the words to be caught in your thought by one simple thing: Chip's parent. The little fella's parent showed up and holy shit is the guy huge!

Holding Chip in his large hands was a 24 ft sized Axolotl type Mer...monkey. That's definitely the upper body of a monkey, actually yeti being a bit more accurate. The lower axolotl half being a violet magenta in color, four powerful looking legs held it up, the ankles had gray with a pink stripe cloth bands, black fur peeking underneath the accessories and cover part of the hand shaped feet.

The tail ended with 9 different color frills that resemble fan leaves:two green, two red, two blue and ended with three violet outlined pink frills. A thick mane of black fur went down the black with some branching down to encircle magenta and violet outlined spots almost like makeshift eyes.

The waist had violet fur before leading up to the monkey top half. Black fur circling around a lean powerful muscles with a nice blotch of violet fur between his large man tits and silver spots becoming peppering the black fur now more noticeable alongside the pink paw pads on the hands.

Finally his face, fur under his chin look similar to a short beard, purple highlighted the end of the large bangs around his face, six colorful gold rimmed ears sharing the same colors like the tail from top to bottom i.e red, blue and green, red face markings painted his nearly chisel face, red tinted golden brown eyes amongst light yellowish gold, and a monkey muzzle currently in a grin.

He held Chip happily in his hand when you noticed two extra babies were with him. They were nearly twice the size of Chip with one a few inches bigger than their sibling. Both little Mermonkeys in a violet bubble no doubt filled with water. A heartwarming sight.

It was heartwarming until the father turn his head towards you. A large mischievous grin as he licked his lips with a long tongue before flashing very sharp teeth. "Oh little mortal babysitter... I SEE YOU~" Shit.

And that's it. Looks like Reader got a discussion with Macaque next chapter. The three babies are Macaque's and they do have names. Smallest one Reader been calling Chip is Meredith, his youngest daughter. Lacuna is the biggest since he was born first. And Shǎndiàn is the second girl alongside the middle.

I'll explain how they came to be in a later chapter alongside Reader's reason for moving. Next chapter of Crocodile Rock is in progress alongside the next headcanon for Joestar Misadventures Sun Wukong.

There will be more Macaque and Josuke Higashikata related content coming since Billy Kametz sadly passed away yesterday from colon cancer. My first exposure to this actor's incredible talent had been in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, long before Lego Monkie Kid was made.

Josuke being one of my favorite Joestars in the series so far and such a comfort character honestly. A sweetheart capable of being a smartass and a badass.

Anyway, please be respectful to Billy and his family. I heard about people hounding his family for funeral details. Something that is not only rude but completely disgraceful. There is a difference between being a loyal fan and an inconsiderate hound dog. Let his family and close friends mourn in peace ya pricks.

That's it for now. Until next time folks, here's a link to my Axolotl Mermonkey Macaque. I'll see you back in Megapolis. Rest in peace, Billy Kametz. Wish you a peaceful afterlife alongside a good life in your next one.

#lego monkie kid #self insert #monkie kid #lmk #six eared macaque #tales of sonicasura #sonicasura #macaque #macaque x reader #macaque x y/n #lego monkie kid macaque #lmk macaque #monkie kid macaque #liu er mihou #six eared macaque x reader #rip billy #rip billy kametz

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