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Parent!Phan With LGBTQ+ Children Masterlist
Anna Bi-nana (ao3) - phanielspiano
Summary: Anna Lester comes out as bisexual to her family.
a rose by any other name (would smell as sweet) (ao3) - truerequitedlove
Summary: Dan and Phil are finally able to foster a child, and a shy teenager shows up at their door with long messy hair and an averted gaze.
Be Yourself - dxnhowell
Summary: Dan and Phil's son has always talked about boys, ever since he was younger. He surprises his parents when he brings home a girl one day and introduces her as his girlfriend. Dan and Phil knows something is up and they want to get to the bottom of it.
I’m Not Isaac (ao3) - finching
Summary: Dan and Phil's child Isaac isn't Isaac at all. Her name is Isabelle.
Introduction (ao3) - croissantbleu (orphan_account)
Summary: Dan and Phil find a note from their child on the kitchen counter
love, simon (ao3) - danhoweiis, twoheadlights (fizzfic)
Summary: Like fathers, like son.
or: Simon Lester has something he needs to tell his dads.
Making a Change (ao3) - binchmarner
Summary: Winston takes the first step in his transition by getting his hair cut. A fluffy angsty story reflecting the doubts and anxiety trans youth have.
The LGBT YouTubers’ who’d transitioned described the first step being the hardest, whether that's coming out to parents, or even just cutting their hair. But Winnie’d never imagined that he wouldn't be able to leave his damn seat.
Perfect Son - dxnhowell
Summary: Dan and Phil's son loves dressing up in girls clothes and even wearing makeup sometimes. When he gets a bit older, people start bullying him. Dan and Phil are tired of what other people think of their son, but they know he's happy and that's all that really matters to them.
Pride (ao3) - KaytheJay
Summary: Dan and Phil's daughter comes out and admits she wants to go to pride.
Protective - dxnhowell
Summary: Dan and Phil's daughter comes out to them as lesbian.
Proud (ao3) - pasteldanhowells
Summary: Elisse Lester is seventeen, and she’s ready to come to her parents about her sexuality. She knows it’ll be fine. She has two dads for crying out loud. But, that won’t stop her from being nervous. Luckily, her girlfriend is there to assure her that everything will be fine.
Say What You Need (ao3) - binchmarner
(TW) Summary: Dan and Phil moved to the Isle of Man after their close friend and surrogate Louise Pentland had given birth to twins, Deila Rose, and Edward "Teddy" James Howell (the fact that one baby became two had been a real shock to all three of them). They'd quickly decided that the city of London was too hectic for the new parents to settle down and have a family, and the Isle of Man was close enough to Phil's parents so they could still pursue their YouTube careers, and Grampy and Grammy Lester were always happy to babysit.
"No, no, Phil not like that. Like, she seems to be...distant from us."
~*~
Parents Dan and Phil learn something new about their fourteen year old son.
The Daughter Named Rosie (ao3) - ThingsThatRuinedMyLife
Summary: Dan and Phil are so happy to bring home their beautiful little girl Rosie. As she gets older, things get discovered and they all learn to cope.
The daughter, the girlfriend, and the fathers (ao3) - Euphoria_Venus
Summary: Dan and Phil have a 16-year-old daughter named Elizabeth. Liz comes home one day with a girl named Charlie who she declares is her girlfriend. Dan is super protective of his family and starts harassing Charlie.
The Universe Just Made a Mistake (ao3) - sapphicGarland
Summary: Dan and Phil’s son ‘starts’ a bit too early, surprising the doctors and sending dysphoric angst through the boy
OR: Trans problem #151: starting your period
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phantasticworks · 2 years
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Shiny Things/Paper Rings (iydlmp bonus fic)
Hello all!! back again with some more iydlmp bonus content! if you haven't read the original fic this one will probably make absolutely zero sense, so i recommend reading iydlmp first! also this turned out a lot shorter than i thought but I just thought you guys would like some phil pov and what better place for it than the part where dan was mad at him :')
read on ao3
Summary: Phil and Martyn have a day out...
This Phil POV bonus fic occurs during Chapter 22 of the main fic, If You Don't Love Me, Pretend. This fic picks up after Phil leaves the apartment the morning after Jaiden's trip to A&E and gives some insight into what Phil was thinking during this chapter.
Word Count: 2.9k
Warnings: none
He’s not sure how it happened, but this whole morning has definitely gone horribly wrong.
Phil sighs, shaking his head as he makes his way downstairs to where the Uber is waiting. He’s trying not to think about the way Dan had turned away from his touch just a moment ago, his stomach churning with the thought that he might’ve made Dan uncomfortable somehow. Despite Phil’s best efforts to push it away, his head is spinning, trying to come up with some explanation for Dan’s behavior, some mistake he’d unknowingly made that set him off. But it doesn’t do more than give him a low-grade migraine and he eventually decides that it’s not worth making himself sick over. He can still fix this.
The look on Dan’s face when Phil had tried to kiss him earlier floats back into his mind, and he swallows hard, his stomach sinking.
He can still fix it. Right?
~~~
“Took you long enough,” is the first thing out of his brother’s mouth when he meets him at the shops.
“Yeah, well,” Phil says, shrugging. He doesn’t meet Martyn’s eyes, instead just scuffs his shoe against the uneven bricks beneath their feet.
Martyn seems to hesitate, like he’s reassessing the situation, and Phil briefly hates him and how perceptive he is. “Are you alright, buddy?” he asks gently.
Phil nods, then shrugs. He finally forces himself to make eye contact, giving Martyn what is likely an unconvincing smile. “I’m fine. Are we gonna go eat? Shop? What are we doing?”
“I’m… I’m not sure. Are you sure you’re okay?” Martyn asks.
“Yep. Just tired,” Phil lies through his teeth.
There’s a beat of silence in which Martyn seems to be studying him closely, narrowed eyes and all. He must be disappointed at what he finds, because his shoulders drop and he sighs. “Alright,” he says, sounding resigned. “You don’t have to tell me, but… I’m here if you need to talk, okay?”
Damn him for being such a good brother.
Phil rolls his eyes despite himself. “I know that. C’mon. Let’s get inside somewhere, it’s bloody freezing.”
Martyn’s spirits seem lifted enough now that Phil’s speaking in full sentences, so he turns to lead them off down the street. “Do you have anyplace specific you’re wanting to go?” Martyn asks. “Because I’ll be honest, mate, I haven’t a fuckin’ clue where I’m headed.”
Phil almost chastises him for the swear, just like he’d do to Dan at home, but with a start he realizes his kids aren’t with him. That’s so unusual these days, unless he’s at work, that it takes him a second to process it. “Er…” he stalls, trying to come up with a response to whatever the hell his brother just said, even though he wasn’t really listening.
Just then, they pass by a familiar sign posted above a shop. Something nudges Phil’s memory and he absently reaches to check that his wallet is in his pocket. It is, of course, and his feet slow in front of the shop.
“Actually…” he says slowly.
Martyn stops, a little belatedly, and he has to backtrack a few steps to remain in front of Phil. “What?” Martyn says, looking around. He spots the sign of the shop they’ve stopped in front of and his eyes go comically wide. “Uh… didn’t you two already get the prop rings, or whatever?” He asks, glaring at the jeweler sign like it’s personally offended him.
Phil twists the silver band on his ring finger of his left hand. “Yes,” he replies simply, eyeing the ring display at the front window.
“Then…” Martyn says slowly.
And honestly, Phil knows he’s already connected the dots, he truly isn’t that daft. But he sees no reason to deprive him of the answer he’s fishing for.
“This isn’t going to be a prop ring.”
There’s a beat of silence, and before Martyn can protest or anything, Phil marches towards the store, a decisive pep in his step.
“Welcome to Goldsmith’s, how may I assist you?” the cheerful sales associate asks as soon as Phil steps inside.
“Phil,” Martyn hisses from behind him.
Phil ignores him. “Hello,” he greets the associate. “I’m looking for an engagement ring.”
The girl smiles brightly. “Well, congratulations, sir! This is a very exciting chapter of your life, so I’d be happy to help you find what you’re looking for.”
“Great,” Phil says with a smile. He ignores the pointed stare Martyn is sending his way.
“We have a wide selection of engagement rings and bands to choose from, but let me show you to some of our more popular sellers,” the sales associate is saying as she leads them to a case towards the front.
Phil stops her with a short laugh. “Actually, I was hoping I could see your more unique styles. My fian- partner-“ he clears his throat. “My partner is very particular, and I know he’ll want something different, something unique.”
The attendant smiles. “It’s great that you know that! Makes my job a lot easier,” she laughs.
Phil smiles, shaking off his brother’s hand when he tries to grab Phil’s arm. The sales associate is showing them to another case when Martyn starts to whisper.
“Are you sure about this? Like, absolutely positive?” He sounds paranoid, and Phil can’t believe someone else is more nervous about this than he is. “This is a huge decision, Phil, and the two of you aren’t even really-“
“Don’t,” Phil says, sharper than intended.
Martyn snaps his mouth shut, but looks at Phil with a guilty frown.
“These are some styles that either aren’t “in-style” right now, or just aren’t very popular,” the sales associate explains, pulling out a jewelry tray for Phil to examine.
“This one is nice,” Phil says absently, tapping on a rather simple one that has three stones embedded in the simple white gold band. He glances at Martyn, who’s studying the rings with something like confused curiosity. Phil nudges him. “What do you think?”
Martyn glances between him and the ring a couple times, then shrugs. “I don’t know… I reckon Dan would like something a bit flashier, actually.”
Phil smiles, relieved that Martyn’s actually helping now and not questioning his decisions. “Yeah, true.” He looks at the others, letting his gaze linger on the more ornate ones a little longer, waiting for some sort of sign to hit him, but it doesn’t happen.
A moment or two passes where none of them speak, giving Phil the quiet time to study the rings carefully. And study is all he can really do, since none of them really stand out to him. “Is there…”
The sales associate must be all too familiar with this, because she’s quick to pick up on his train of thought. “You know, I think I have another drawer in the back, give me just a moment.”
Phil nods, smiling in relief now that he doesn’t have to actually voice his opinion on the rings he’d been shown so far.
She’s barely been gone a minute when Phil feels Martyn’s hand on his arm. He sighs. “Martyn,” he starts, turning to tell him, kindly, to bugger off.
“Hey,” Martyn interrupts him. He’s smiling a little, which wasn’t the expression Phil was expecting to see. “You really love him, huh?”
Phil drops his gaze to the ring he’s already wearing, the one he’s so emotionally attached to now that he can’t bear to imagine ever taking it off. “I… yeah. Yeah, I really do.”
Martyn is quiet for a moment. “Have you always? Or is this like… a new thing?”
Phil levels him with a look, one brow quirked in disbelief. “You’re really going to ask me that?”
“Well…” Martyn shrugs, then laughs when he sees the dumbfounded look Phil is giving him. “Okay, yeah, yeah. I mean… you have been rather obvious from the start.”
Phil has to laugh at that. “God, I know. No idea how Dan didn’t realize it sooner. I guess we were both just so deep in denial that we didn’t know how to deal with ourselves.”
“Does he? Realize it now, I mean?” Martyn asks softly.
Just then, before Phil gets the chance to reply, the sales lady returns with another drawer of rings.
“These are some of our more unique choices, mixed in with some newer pieces that haven’t done as well as we thought they would,” she says, setting the tray down and stepping back to give him the space to survey them.
“Dan would love that,” Phil remarks, mostly to himself.
“Which one?” Martyn asks.
Phil shakes his head, still studying them closely. “No, I just meant like, getting a ring that no one else wants. Adopting it, saving it from the depths of jewelry hell and all that.”
Martyn laughs, and Phil smiles. “Fair enough.”
The sales associate begins explaining some other options she can present if he doesn’t like these, but it’s while she’s talking that he sees it. It’s flashier than he’d prefer for himself, with a somewhat feminine style. It’s white gold, Dan’s favorite, with simple diamonds twisted on the band leading up to the center, where the main diamond sits.
It’s perfect.
“Can I see that one?” Phil asks, pointing to the ring that is absolutely, perfectly Dan.
The sales associate smiles and nods. “This one has been here for a month or so. It’s the only one we’ve got, but we can get it resized if you decide you like it.” She hands the ring to him carefully, then steps back to give him a chance to look it over and consider it.
Phil clutches the ring gently, holding it up close to his face to inspect it. It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. He can already imagine slipping it on Dan’s lovely digit, the face he’d make when Phil really, properly proposes.
He’s so deep in the fantasy that he doesn’t even realize the sales associate is speaking to him until his brother pinches his arm.
“Ow!” Phil yelps, turning to glare at Martyn with little thought to the other person standing there.
“I’m sorry, but she’s trying to ask you a question, mate. At least pretend to pay attention,” Martyn says with a roll of his eyes, smiling apologetically at the sales lady when he’s done being dramatic.
“I’m so sorry,” Phil says to her immediately. “I was… sorry, what were you saying?”
The girl smiles kindly at him. “I take it this is the one?“ she says, nodding to the ring.
Phil takes one last look at it, then nods. “Yeah, this is definitely the one. He’ll love it.”
She smiles. “Lovely. I was just asking, do you happen to know what his ring size is?”
“Well, actually- oh, here, I guess I shouldn’t be the one holding onto this,” he says, handing the ring back as he starts digging in his pocket. He pulls out his wallet and takes a second to rummage around, finding what he’s looking for in record time. “Oh, here it is. We actually bought some jewelry here not too long ago and we both got a copy of the receipt,” Phil explains, sliding it over to her.
The sales associate picks it up, scanning the information quickly. “Oh, this is perfect. Since you’re already in our system I can look up the purchase and we can figure out his size. I’m assuming we’ll definitely need to resize this, correct?”
Phil glances at the ring again, and nods with a laugh. “Oh, definitely. That wouldn’t even fit on his pinky.”
She laughs along with him, then closes the case, the ring still clutched safely in her hand. “Alright. If you’ll just follow me, I’ll pull your account up on the computer and we’ll get the rest squared away!”
~~~
Less than half an hour later, Phil and Martyn step back out on the streets, a new receipt in Phil’s pocket, the estimated pick-up date circled on it in red ink.
“Is this what you had planned for today?” Martyn asks as they begin strolling off towards some other shops.
Phil laughs at that. “No. What I had planned for today was snuggling my boyfriend and my kids.”
Martyn gives him a look. “Boyfriend, eh? So it’s official, then?” he asks, a mischievous smirk on his face.
Phil can feel his face flush when he realizes what he’s just said. “Well… I call him that sometimes. In my head.”
Martyn isn’t polite enough not to laugh at him. “Oh, so Dan isn’t aware of this new development?”
There’s an awkward pause as Phil tries to think of a realistic lie, but it’s filled with Martyn cackling, then pretending to cover it up with a cough. “He knows that there are… feelings happening. I think.”
“You think?” Martyn basically squawks. “Jesus, man. Why don’t you just tell him you fancy him? You know he feels the same.”
He gestures them towards a candy shop then, and Phil is helpless to refuse. He follows behind Martyn slowly, trying to gather his thoughts.
“Well… I mean, I guess I think I know how he feels, but I… I’m not sure.”
Martyn had stopped to hold the door open for him, but at that he pauses, turning to give Phil a blank stare. “Mate,” he deadpans.
“What?” Phil says defensively. “Open the door, it’s freezing out here.”
Martyn rolls his eyes, but waves Phil through, following behind him closely to continue the conversation. “Don’t be daft. Or, at least be less daft, if you can manage that.”
“Thanks, Mar, you’re such a beaming ray of kindness today. I’ve missed our bonding times,” Phil says, and he hopes his voice is dripping with sarcasm.
“You know you did,” Martyn teases. Phil can’t even deny that. He did.
“Whatever,” he says, mindlessly strolling the store, his hands tucked firmly in his pockets to keep him from buying anything.
“I’m serious, though,” Martyn says after a minute, tucking a box of licorice under his arm, likely for their father. “I think you both would feel better if you just had a conversation about it, yeah?”
Phil’s quiet, thinking about it. Of course, Martyn is right. “I know,” he says, rather than admitting it in so many words. “And, God, I’ve already bought a real ring, haven’t I? I’ve got to say something. Surely he’ll say no if I just propose out of nowhere. And-”
“I doubt it,” Martyn interrupts his rambling, examining some chocolate oranges.
Phil blinks. “Doubt what?” He says, suspicious.
Martyn shrugs. “I doubt he’d say no. Knowing the two of you, he might actually prefer it if you just propose, so neither of you have to actually talk like functioning human beings.”
And this, Phil thinks, is where Martyn clearly doesn’t know Dan very well. “Oh, no. Dan loves to talk. He loves a good serious chat. We have them with the kids all the time.”
Martyn glances at him then, smiling a little. “He’s a good dad?” he asks.
Phil sighs wistfully, wishing again that he’d said no to his brother and just stayed home to snuggle with his grumpy-Dan and their kids. “The best,” he says truthfully. He hesitates then, debating on whether or not he should share this next part with his brother.
“What is it?” Martyn asks, Phil’s anxiety and hesitation far too easy to read for someone who has known him his whole life.
Phil chews his lip in contemplation, but sighs. It would be good to get a second opinion on this, he figures.
“Dan asked me to adopt the kids with him.”
Martyn drops the box of licorice.
Phil winces at the noise, and they both glance at the shopkeep, who gives them a tired once-over before going back to his coffee and tablet.
“He what?” Martyn whisper-shouts, leaning back down to retrieve the box.
“He asked me to adopt-”
Martyn flaps his hand. “Shut up, I heard you. I just…” He stares at Phil, his eyes wide. “That’s a lot, man. That’s a big responsibility.”
Phil knows he doesn’t really mean it like that, but he bristles anyway at the insinuation that he maybe can’t handle that responsibility. He feels like he’s been doing just fine so far, though.
“I know that,” he says, a little defensive. “We know that. I just…” he trails off then. This may not even be something Martyn understands. He and Cornelia have Evan, but… still. This is a little different.
“Just what?” Martyn says, his voice soft.
Phil sighs. “They’re my kids, Martyn. And as odd as it sounds, Dan is my family. With or without them, he’s… He’s my person. And he’s the only person I’d want to have a family with.”
Martyn is silent, glancing at Phil for only a minute before going over to the counter to pay for the candy. Phil trails after him, feeling a little like he’s in trouble, even though he hasn’t even done anything. Martyn can’t crucify him for a crime he didn’t even commit, he thinks bitterly.
They head out of the shop, and Martyn pulls out his phone and glances at the time. “You feel like doing a little bit of Christmas shopping?”
~~~
Later that evening, when Phil is eating dinner at the table by himself, a message pops up from his brother. They’d abandoned the conversation about Dan and the kids at the candy shop, and Phil had honestly thought Martyn was angry with him. The message clears his conscience of that, at least.
Martyn: Talk to Dan. If you guys can ever get your shit sorted out, I think those kids would be thrilled to have you guys as forever parents.
Martyn: Also, you owe me for lunch
~~~
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roadstostray · 7 months
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I don't know how insurance works and neither does he
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simplydnp · 18 days
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how do we know they're visiting phil's family?
the lodge they went to posted about it, which is located on the isle of man, which is where phil's parents live. it's a pretty small place (572 sq km, 221 sq mi) so it wouldn't really make sense to go there and not see them. phil's self-admittedly very close with his parents and visits them regularly, and dan is almost always there too.
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alice-in-phantasyland · 6 months
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I love watching dan act like a little brat 😭 some of the shit he says to phil has me rolling bc he’s such a lil bitch sometimes. dan and phil games just brings out the real bants <3 it’s heart eyes howell but he gets such an evil look in his eye 😭😭😭
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freckliedan · 12 hours
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hello in your infodumps in the notes on that post you said that about dan that 'his dad is homophobic and no longer in his life'. is that something we actually know? all i can remember is him talking about a homophobic remark his dad made one time
yes, dan's only talked about his dad making a homophobic remark one time, but that was really notable to me because like? dan stopped talking about his dad after a certain point in time. he used to mention him occasionally the way he mentions his mom and grandparents.
i'm pretty sure his parents separated which we maybe have more solid confirmation of but which i can never solidly remember the details on? it's not something that dan told us about. iirc that was around 2014/15. and dan fully stopped mentioning his dad Ever.
and then like. the one and only time he mentions his dad individually since then is in a main channel video where the only impression you get of him is that he was at best casually homophobic when dan was a little kid. that wouldn't be the ONLY acknowledgement of dan's dad if he didn't want to give the impression that his dad is homophobic.
& when i say his dad's no longer in his life, i don't mean dan's dad made that choice. i mean i think dan disowned his dad. and so does every other long time phannie i've discussed this with.
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nebulaedaniel · 5 months
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it’s been s e v e n years since tatinof ended hello???? excuse me???
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i a literally in shambles. i did not need to watch them make jokes about doggystyle and gloryholes and all that
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acolyteszn · 1 month
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dnp are either planning something crazy and insane or they've abandoned us. there's no in between.
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yonpote · 18 days
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i have such doubts that theyd ever tell us about getting married tho like Why would they tell us
no same, i think they would once theyre fully off youtube and i mean like in their 70s long long long after anyone in their right mind is still passionate about dan and phil would they say anything about it
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tricksheart · 7 months
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ur too young to be around izaya
If that's the case, then Akira shouldn't be around half the world's population. Or half of his confidants and people he knows. Your ask sounds a little ageist to be honest.
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Adoption (Parent!Phan) (3) Masterlist
part one, part two
All Because of Him. (ao3) - Howellsprincess
Summary: Someone leaves a baby at Dan and Phil's flat. Dan doesn't know what to do with a baby, he can barely take care of himself.
Can I Go Where You Go? (ao3) - sapsgroupie, sweetestcon
Summary: Dan and Phil find time to settle down.
A proposal, a marriage, a honeymoon, and an adoption.
The life they'd always secretly wanted.
Charlotte (ao3) - dannihowell (anotherdaughter)
Summary: When Dan's little sister needs a home, he and Phil offer a place to stay.
Father and Child (ao3) - dannihowell (anotherdaughter)
Summary: Dan and Phil in the adoption process. The mother is a young girl who doesn’t seemed too pleased the future parents of her child.
Firsts (ao3) - TortiTabby
Summary: A series of oneshots about firsts in life as parents for Dan and Phil
It Feels Like Home To Me (ao3) -  TheUKAmazingDan
Summary: Phil decides to shave off his mustache and his little girl decides to take it personally.
Katie’s Graduation Present - auroraphilealis
Summary: Phil Lester has missed the majority of his daughter’s high school years because he’s spent the last four years in the military. When Dan finds out he’s going to miss her graduation, too, he throws a fit, and doesn’t even say “I love you,” before hanging up on him. So who’s the military guy in blue at the bottom of the bleachers?
let me make something beautiful (ao3) - huphilpuffs
Summary: Technology arises that allows same-sex couples to have biological children. Dan and Phil consider.
Loving Livy (ao3) - dannihowell (anotherdaughter)
Summary: "You fell asleep on the aeroplane and I keep making funny faces at your kid to keep them amused and the steward mistaken us as a couple and for some reason you keep flirting with me now but I don’t really mind."
on the nature of daylight. (ao3) - commonemergency
Summary: They have a house. It has two people, a dog, and plenty of rooms for guests, family members, and a child. Someday. Soon. Or the one where Dan and Phil are ready for a child and sometimes it doesn't always work out, but then it does.
Pool Parties, Booze, and Kids: A Short Story in Domesticity (ao3) - Eavans
Summary: After an invitation from one of Phil’s old Uni friends turns out to be a pool party for his 4 year old son, the topic of kids comes up. And neither of them are really afraid to hold back.
Sea of Love (ao3) - pasteldnp
Summary: After years of preparation, planning, heartbreak, and waiting, Dan and Phil finally get the call that there is a baby for them to adopt.
Supportive - dxnhowell
Summary: Dan and Phil’s 16-year-old son finds out he’s a Carrier after he sleeps with his best friend, and he ends up pregnant. He tries to keep it from his parents but they end up finding out anyways.
That Little Thing Called Family (fanfiction.net) - Salvatore-Whore 
Summary: The sequel to That Little Thing Called Love! Read that first! Dan and Phil are married now, and have grown up a lot, but still hold on to their Vlogger life! Read their adventures with their adopted daughter Cherry.
Thinking Out Loud (ao3) - koleen
Summary: Dan and Phil finally get married after settling down for years, and they have a child.
Through the Wire (ao3) - breatherepeat
Summary: While on the US tour, Dan receives multiple calls from his grandmother.
No worries. Grandmother is fine. She just has an important question for him to answer.
Set in the same universe as Everything. Don't need to read Everything to enjoy this one though.
Two Daddies - dxnhowell
Summary: It’s almost Mother’s Day and the class is required to make cards or something for their mommies, but little Emily has one problem, she has no mommy. She has two daddies.
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phantasticworks · 2 years
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One of the Few Things - Chapter 2
hello! back again! this took way longer than i thought it would (thanks writer's block) but here it is! I'm working on a couple of other things atm as well so updates for this will continue to be pretty slow but I hope you guys are enjoying this one so far!!
read on ao3
Words: 4.3k
Summary: Dan finally has cause to meet Willow's dad.
Warnings: none
The next couple of weeks are hectic. Every new school year comes with that awkward settling stage for the first couple of weeks, but this time it feels even more nerve-wracking now that Dan’s own son is experiencing this side of things for the first time. Last year was different, reception was practically just daycare in Dan’s eyes. But this year? This year, his son walks in the big kid halls every day and Dan is quite honestly terrified for him.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you to class? Just once? I could meet your new friends!” Dan is practically begging at this point, and if he had any pride left he’d probably feel embarrassed about that. Luckily, he didn’t.
Jack groans, covering his face with his little hands. They were already almost to the school, less than ten minutes away, and Dan had been exhausting the conversation pretty much the whole car ride. “Daddy,” Jack starts, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I love you very much but you’re really bothering me very much today, also.”
Dan tries not to laugh, but an amused noise escapes anyway. “Sorry, bub. I just want to be there to support you if you need me,” he explains gently. And while some part of him is just pressing the issue because it’s funny to see Jack riled up, the bigger part of him feels this ache in his chest at how quickly his baby boy is growing up.
“I know, Daddy. But I’m five now, I need to be a big kid, like Willow.”
Dan has to actively try not to cry when he hears that. “Okay, buddy,” he says, his voice cracking. He clears his throat, and avoids looking into the rear view mirror, terrified that his son will catch him crying. “I’m proud of you for wanting to be so independent,” he tells him.
“Thanks, Daddy,” Jack says, though Dan suspects he doesn’t even know what “independent” means.
They arrive at the school, which is a welcome distraction from Dan’s spiraling thoughts about the steady march of time and how horrible it feels to watch his son’s childhood slipping away. “Here we are,” he announces, pointlessly, as Jack is already unbuckling his seatbelt. He’s in such a hurry these days, but luckily, Dan had put childlock on the doors years ago, so he didn’t have to worry about any little accidents happening.
“Are you gonna let me have a hug when we get inside?” Dan asks, helping Jack out of the car. Lately, he’s been picky about when he’ll let Dan hug him in front of his peers and when he won’t, and Dan hasn’t been able to work out the difference yet.
“Guess so,” Jack says with a shrug. He reaches up for Dan’s hand as they walk, and Dan squeezes it, pleased when Jack squeezes back, the way he used to when he was tiny.
“You don’t have to,” Dan tells him quietly. “It’s always your choice, of course.”
Jack smiles up at him, patting his hand. “I know, Daddy.”
Dan smiles right back at him, holding the door open so they can go inside and find Willow. She’s not hard to spot, since she’s taken to waiting close to the front door every morning for Jack to get there.
“Hey!” Willow says with a wave, smiling brightly at both of them. “Good morning, Mr. Howell.”
“Morning, Willow,” Dan says, returning her smile. He lets go of Jack’s hand, allowing him to move freely, but he’s very pleased when Jack turns to him, holding his arms out for a hug. Leaning down, Dan wraps him up in a warm embrace, kissing the top of his curly head. “Love you, Jack. Have fun at school today, learn something new.”
Jack pats Dan’s back, and it’s such an oddly adult gesture that Dan almost laughs. “Love you, too, Daddy. I’ll see you later.”
It’s a quick hug, and as soon as Jack says this, he’s pulling away, reaching for Willow’s hand with a smile. Dan can’t help but grin fondly at them, waving as they start off down the hall. “Bye, you two! Willow, I’ll see you later in class, yeah?”
Willow turns to nod at him, waving one last time. “Yep, see you then!” she calls as they disappear around the corner.
Dan sighs heavily. Who knew letting your kids grow up and find their independence would be this draining? He thought the hard part was supposed to be when they needed you for everything.
He didn’t realize it would get harder when they didn’t need you for anything.
~~~
Dan’s grading some papers during his planning period late in the afternoon when he notices it. He hadn’t really been paying attention to the names at the top of the papers as he went through them, but the tone of this particular journal slows him down, makes his eyes flicker to the top of the paper to see who could’ve written something so beautifully morbid.
Willow Lester.
He shouldn’t even be surprised at this rate, honestly. Call it whatever; fate, divine intervention, coincidence - anyway, it seems that Willow is meant to be a standout figure in his life right now.
He rereads the line that had struck him once again, considering it carefully.
“But the sun will shine wherever it wants, even in the reaper’s garden.”
The journal assignment had been to write about a time that they were uplifted by something or someone, and Willow’s was somehow more real and depressing than any of peers’ had managed to be. He doesn’t know whether to be concerned or just impressed, but as his eyes flicker back over the journal, taking in the almost poetic way Willow describes visiting a cemetery, he decides that concern is probably the proper response.
He writes himself a quick reminder to set up a meeting with Willow’s parents, or at least a phone call, before setting her paper off to the side and continuing his grading.
~~~
Naturally, Dan forgets about the journal and the necessary phone call home until a couple days later when he has Willow in his class again. He curses himself for forgetting about it, especially when he had left himself a note, but there’s not much he can do about it for now. He forces himself to get through his class just like normal, going through the motions he does every other day. But that note, and Willow’s journal, weigh heavily on his mind throughout the entirety of his class.
By the end, he’s nearly shaking. Several years into teaching and he honestly would’ve thought he’d be over that kind of anxiety by now, but maybe it’ll never really go away. Besides, he hates making tough parent contacts at the best of times, and although it’s not like he expects this one to be that terrible, his personal rule is to always talk to the student first and tell them he’s going to talk to their parents. And in this case, that scares him.
Not that Willow is scary or anything. She’s probably the least-threatening child in any of his classes, but he dreads the idea that confronting this with her will destroy the rapport and relationship they’re building, and he can’t afford that this early in the school year. He just has to take a leap of faith and hope for the best.
“Willow, could you hang back for a second, please?” Dan asks once he’s dismissed his other students, who are already chattering loudly as they filter out of the room.
Willow has a nervous look on her face as she trudges up to his desk, stopping at the corner and looking at him curiously. “Yes, sir?”
Dan gestures to some of the desks. “I don’t have a class next period, so we can sit and chat for a second,” he says, grabbing her journal off his desk as he goes to join her.
She slides into a desk quietly, watching him warily as he does the same. He struggles to fit his long legs under one of the desks and she nearly smiles, but seems to catch herself before she can. “Am I in trouble?” she asks, fidgeting with her hands nervously.
“No, of course not,” Dan assures her. “I just wanted to talk to you about the journal you turned in a few days ago.”
Willow looks confused at first, then a slow understanding dawns on her face. “You read those?” she asks, almost on a whisper.
Dan nods. “I do. And firstly, I wanted to say how impressed I am by your writing. You have an incredible vocabulary and your writing flows beautifully. Really, really great job on this,” he says.
Willow smiles. “Thank you,” she says, looking relieved. “Is that all? Can I-“
Dan holds a hand out when she starts to leave. “Not yet,” he says apologetically. “While your writing style and word choice is fantastic, I did want to chat about the content for a minute, if you don’t mind.”
Like a flip has been switched, Willow deflates, staring down at the desk with a dejected look. “Okay,” she says softly.
Dan’s heart is breaking already. “Your journal was a bit darker than your peers’ journals were, but I’m more concerned about the truth behind it. Is this something we need to talk about with the counselor? I don’t want to be too nosy, and you don’t have to answer any of these questions, but I want to help you if I can.”
Willow is quiet for so long that Dan think she won’t say anything at all. And when she does, his heart sinks. “It’s not. It’s just a made-up story. I didn’t know what else to write about, so I made something up,” she says.
Dan would believe her if she’d make eye contact with him.
“Are you sure?” Dan asks gently. “If this is something you’d like to talk about, I’m always ready to listen,” he says.
Willow shakes her head. “No, thank you.” She shifts then, reaching for her bag. “Can I go now?”
Dan sighs, but nods. “Yes. Let me write you a note.”
He scribbles her a note to inform her next teacher where she has been, but right before she steps out into the hall, Dan calls her name.
“Yes?” Willow says, turning around expectantly.
Dan gives her an apologetic look. “I know you said this is something you don’t need to talk about, but I believe it’s something your parents should be aware of. I’ll be contacting them shortly to set up a meeting, and I just wanted you to know beforehand,” he says, trying to be as gentle as possible.
All the color has rushed out of Willow’s face, but she nods. “I understand,” she says, her voice stale and monotone. “Bye, Mr. Howell, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The door closes loud and heavy behind her, and Dan hopes once more that he hasn’t ruined the rapport they’ve built so far this year.
~~~
The phone is on the third ring when someone finally answers.
“Hullo?” A deep voice greets him.
“Er, hi,” Dan fumbles. He glances at the phone number on his computer, the only number listed for the parents of Willow Lester. He’d been expecting her mum, honestly, since it was only just after school hours, and he knew her dad was a teacher as well, and now he’s a bit discombobulated.
“Hi,” the deep voice parrots in amusement when Dan doesn’t immediately respond.
“Oh, um- I’m so sorry, I-” he pauses, taking a deep breath. “My apologies, I suppose I should have cleared my head a bit before making this call,” he says, cursing himself silently at how stupid he sounds. Even Jack looks up from the corner of the classroom, giving Dan a sympathetic look.
“It’s quite alright,” the man replies. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call, Mister…”
Dan wants to punch himself in the neck. God, he’s stupid.
“Howell. Daniel Howell, from the primary school,” Dan replies quickly.
“Oh. Mr. Howell as in…”
“I’m Willow’s English teacher this year, sir,” Dan supplies, in case Mr. Lester had been thinking of another Mr. Howell.
“I see. I have a student with the same surname, I don’t suppose you happen to have a son called Jack, do you?” Mr. Lester almost sounds amused, now, as if Dan’s fumbling is funny.
Dan hesitates, considering that was not the nature of their call at all, but he responds easily enough. “Yes, I do, actually. I suppose I should have introduced myself sooner, but this time of the year is so busy, you know.”
“I understand,” Mr. Lester replies. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Howell,” he says kindly. “But if you aren’t calling to introduce yourself as a parent of one of my students…”
Dan sympathizes with the man’s wariness. It’s never pleasant to get a call from a parent, but even less comfortable is possibly an unforeseen call from your child’s teacher. He decides to just rip the bandage off. “Well, I was actually calling to introduce myself as the teacher of your child, and to see if we could set up an in-person chat about your daughter’s work.”
The other end of the line is dead silent for long enough that Dan pulls the phone back to make sure the call hadn’t dropped. Before he can panic too much, the other man speaks again. “Of course. Would tomorrow afternoon, right after school, be alright?”
“Er- sure, that should be fine,” Dan agrees. “Um, your daughter usually walks my son back to my classroom at the end of the day, so maybe she could show you the way?”
“Sure,” Mr. Lester replies. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, Mr. Howell.”
“Right. I look forward to it,” Dan replies. They exchange goodbyes before hanging up, and then Dan slumps forward, thumping his head against his desk.
“Good job, Daddy,” Jack says from across the room.
“Thanks,” Dan mumbles against the papers crumpled under his face.
He hears little footsteps, and then feels Jack pushing at his chair, making room to crawl to sit on Dan’s lap. “Was that Willow’s daddy?” he asks, observant as ever.
Dan sighs, sitting back and staring at his son’s curious little face. He can’t lie to those little brown eyes, he never can. “Yes,” he says. “It was Mr. Lester.”
“Why were you talking to him?” Jack asks, tugging on a string on his sleeve and avoiding eye contact. “Am I in trouble?”
Dan laughs quietly at that. “No, bubba, you’re not. I just need to talk to Mr. Lester about Willow, is all.”
“Oh,” Jack says. “So… is Willow in trouble?” he asks, which of course shouldn’t surprise Dan.
“No, she’s not,” Dan says, ruffling Jack’s mop of curly hair. “Enough nosiness, mister. Are you about ready to go home?”
Jack nods, climbing off Dan’s lap with a little reluctance. “Can we go to Sainsbury’s on the way home and get some snacks?”
Dan sighs as he packs up the papers on his desk, but nods, helpless to such a simple request. “Sure, bub.”
~~~
The next day passes slowly, but somehow all of it blurs together as Dan frets over the meeting with Mr. Lester scheduled for that afternoon. Willow doesn’t have his class for another week, so he can only wonder about how it will go, worrying about whether or not Willow has told her father about her writing, or if perhaps he’s just worried and confused about the reason behind this meeting.
Dan selfishly hopes it’s the ladder, that way he isn’t the odd one out for being slightly worried and paranoid.
At the end of the day, Dan is setting his classroom back to normal like he does every afternoon when he hears voices in the hallway, one of which distinctly sounds like his son. He smiles absently, but finishes erasing some notes from the whiteboard, writing tomorrow’s date in the corner, along with the objectives for tomorrow’s lesson. He’s still writing when he hears his son call out, “Daddy!”
Dan turns around with a smile, placing the marker back in the tray and holding his arms out for the hug that Jack willingly throws himself into. “Hi, bubba. Missed you today,” Dan says, kissing his head. “Did you have a good day?”
Jack nods and wriggles out of Dan’s grip, turning and grabbing Willow’s arm from where she’s stood hesitantly at the door, a tall man behind her. “I had so much fun today,” Jack says, rambling as he drags Willow to the back corner where he plays every day when Dan has to work late after school. “We colored and learned a new song and I got to trade my cheese for a cookie at lunch!”
“That’s great, Little Bear!” Dan says, turning to the man he assumes is Willow’s father and mouthing an apology. “I want you to tell me all the details later, okay? Daddy’s gotta talk to Mr. Lester for just a few minutes, so you guys just hang out and play in here, alright?”
“M’kay,” Jack agrees carelessly, already moving on to interrogating Willow about her least favorite Pokemon.
Dan takes a breath, almost exhausted already just from listening to Jack talk so much. He turns to Mr. Lester, gesturing to the hallway subtly. The other man nods, stepping just outside the door. Dan follows after grabbing a paper off his desk, pulling his classroom door gently closed behind him.
Mr. Lester looks at him expectantly.
“Hi,” Dan says dumbly, holding his hand out for a polite handshake.
“Hi,” Mr. Lester parrots with a smile, accepting Dan’s hand and giving it a firm squeeze. “I assume you’re the Mr. Howell I’ve been hearing so much about?”
Dan flushes with that comment, but nods. They’re still holding hands. “All good things, I hope.”
Mr. Lester grins. “Of course,” he says. He glances down at their hands, and Dan startles, tugging his hand away in the most socially-awkward way that he’s probably capable of.
“So,” Dan starts, clearing his throat. “Mr. Lester, I noticed-”
“Phil,” Mr. Lester interrupts.
Dan blinks at him. “Pardon?” he says dumbly.
Mr. Lester smiles, like Dan being an idiot is funny, endearing even. “You can call me Phil. I don’t really feel old enough to be a Mr. Lester, honestly.”
Dan nods slowly. He turns the name over in his mind a couple times, cataloging the odd curve of his nose and his prominent Adam’s apple, ultimately coming to the conclusion that Phil fits him quite well. “Right,” Dan says awkwardly. “Well, Mr. Le- Phil-” he corrects when the man quirks a brow. “I just wanted to address some of Willow's work, as I’m a little concerned about her.”
Mr. Lester nods, but his eyebrows are furrowed like he’s confused. “Okay… Do you mind if I…” He holds a hand out for the paper, and Dan nods, handing it over easily.
“Firstly, I have to commend your daughter. She has a real, genuine talent for writing. And if it weren’t for the subject matter, I probably would have just sent an email praising her talent, but…” Dan’s rambling comes to a slow halt as he notices Mr. Lester’s reaction to the journal, his body stiffening like he’s going into some sort of fight or flight mode. Dan wishes, briefly, that he could do something to help him relax, as the tense body language looks so out of place on him.
Dan watches quietly while Mr. Lester finishes reading it, and to Dan’s surprise, there’s actually a look of comprehension and understanding on his face when he’s finished. He folds it carefully, glancing up at Dan with a much more reserved look on his face than he’d worn just a few moments prior.
“Do you mind if I keep this?” He asks, surprising Dan even more.
“Uh, sure. Sir, I don’t mean to intrude, but… Is this type of content typical of Willow? It’s rather dark for someone of her age, and-”
Mr. Lester cuts him off. “It is,” he sounds exhausted, suddenly, like this isn’t even the first time it’s happened. He tries to smile, but it’s not very convincing. “We… She has a few things she’s working through, but it’s a process. I apologize if this upset you, Mr. Howell, but I promise everything is alright at home.”
Dan feels a little like he has whiplash then. Worrying about her mental wellbeing was as far as he’d gotten; he hadn’t even considered the state of her homelife, although he probably should have. “Er- right,” Dan says dumbly. “I just- I wasn’t sure how regular this behavior was for her and I like to make a parent content when I notice something I deem out of the ordinary, even though this was probably fairly-” Dan realizes he’s rambling again when Mr. Lester gives him a little smile.
“It’s quite alright, Mr. Howell. I appreciate the gesture, truly. And I will speak to Willow about this and ensure that the rest of her work is school-appropriate from here on out.” It sounds like a rehearsed speech, somehow.
“Sure…” Dan says slowly. “But… When you do, if you don’t mind me saying this… Please be sure to emphasize how talented she is. I mean,” Dan laughs, still a little in awe of the writing this child had produced. “This is probably better work than I could manage on a good day, and I would hate for this to be the thing that stifles that for her.”
Mr. Lester gives him a curious look then. Up until now, he’d only given Dan these vague smiles, like he thought he was stupid but endearing, but now he’s got a skeptical glint in his eye. Dan squirms under the assessing gaze, forcing himself to stand still, meeting Mr. Lester’s eye with what he hopes is an air of confidence.
“Right,” Mr. Lester says finally. Dan breathes out an inaudible sigh of relief, one he’s not so sure goes unnoticed. “Well, I appreciate this chat, Mr. Howell. It was lovely to meet you. Jack is such a wonderful kid to have in class, just so you know.”
Dan feels relief flood him, proud that he’d successfully navigated the hardest part of this conversation and now they can move on. He rolls his eyes when he processes Mr. Lester’s words. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s a delight. Honestly surprised he hasn’t been sent to the headmaster’s office yet, really.”
Mr. Lester laughs, reaching a pale hand up to cover his mouth as he does it. Dan swats away the pesky thought he has, telling him that it’s a cute gesture. “Well, he’s wonderful in my class. Very curious, asks a lot of questions, but… We learn a lot when he’s in the room, for sure,” Mr. Lester says with a bright smile.
Dan warms at that, and he gives himself a second to feel smug. That’s his child, his curious little goblin. He made that! “Well, you’re lucky you don’t have to play 1,000 Ways to Drive Your Dad Insane every day after school. It’s his favorite game these days,” Dan says, sighing over-dramatically.
“Maybe we ought to trade sometime,” Mr. Lester jokes with a wink. Or what probably would have been a wink if he didn’t wink both eyes at the same time. Or maybe it was a blink and Dan’s just desperate.
“Absolutely,” Dan agrees absently.
Mr. Lester smiles, and right before he speaks again, they hear a voice from behind them.
“Dad? Can we go now?” Willow asks. She smiles sheepishly when Dan turns to look at her. “Sorry,” she says. “I’m just hungry.”
Like some kind of curse, Jack pops up next, looking absolutely deranged. “Yeah! Daddy, I’m hungry too!”
Dan rolls his eyes, turning to share a knowing look with the only other adult who understands his struggles here. “Well, I guess that’s the cue,” he jokes, scooping his son up when he starts to tug at Dan’s shirt.
Mr. Lester smiles but nods. “C’mon, Will,” he says, gesturing for his daughter. “Bye, Jack! See you next week!” He waves at Jack, who then throws his entire body into a big wave of his own.
“Bye, Mr. Lester! Bye, Willow. Don’t forget about the Pokemon snacks tomorrow!” Jack says.
Willow grins, giving him a thumbs-up. “Sure thing, buddy. Bye, Mr. Howell!” She waves too, then starts off down the hall without even looking to see if her father is following her.
Mr. Lester rolls his eyes, shaking his head when he makes eye contact with Dan. “Thank you for this,” he says, holding up the journal entry page. “It was lovely to meet you, Mr. Howell,” he says kindly before turning around to leave.
Dan sees his chance slipping away, and in true socially-awkward meerkat fashion, he chooses to rescue it in the worst way possible.
“Dan,” he calls out, probably far louder than is strictly necessary.
Mr. Lester turns to give him a strange look. “Sorry?”
Jack giggles. Dan clears his throat. “Er. Dan. That’s my name. You can… You can call me Dan.”
Mr. Lester- Phil- smiles. “Alright. Bye, Dan.”
“Bye,” Dan says quietly, watching him leave.
He gets maybe three seconds of peace. Then, as sweetly as possible, his tiny child leans in close, making unnerving eye contact with Dan before saying, in his best approximation of Dan’s voice, “Dan. You can call me Dan.”
Dan groans, dropping his son to stand on his own in a flush of embarrassment. “Zip it, brat. I don’t wanna hear it.”
They close up and leave his classroom to the sounds of Jack’s uproarious laughter, a sound Dan wouldn’t change for the world. Even if it is at his expense.
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anticw-spn · 11 months
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amazingphil come back here
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simplydnp · 1 month
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anon from 8 hours ago here ! losing hope in a dapg upload today as we speak 😭😭
😭 how could they do this to you
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jendoe · 1 year
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🖊️🖊️🖊️ + oc of your choosing! ☺️💕
thank you alyssa!!! 💖💖 gonna do this for mai 👁
🖊 her metagene activated when she was around twelve years old. her parents had been arguing for hours, she had a headache from trying to drown it out with her headphones, and well... she ended up blasting her father through the wall of their apartment straight into the next lmfao. as you can imagine, that just made things Worse and her parents divorced soon after for multiple reasons (but mostly because her paternity came into question).
🖊 her powers have a variety of physical effects! they make her incredibly cold to the touch and even more so when she's actually using them. she doesn't honestly notice a difference until everybody starts complaining about how high the thermostat is set (in the middle of july). she can also light up her tattoos as a neat little party trick; she'd realized this shortly after getting her first one and quickly booked another appointment. and you can always tell if your ass is about to get blasted ten feet away if her eyes suddenly shift to purple 💥
🖊 like any true oc of mine, her music taste is a bit old-fashioned and her favorite song is sunny by boney m. it was also her mother's favorite and one of her earliest memories is dancing with her in the kitchen while it played.
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