#this would be a nice present for Alma

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 6 - Relationship Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons about 6 in a romantic relationship.

I was struggling soooooo hard with another 6 request so I had to get this post out of my system fist before tackling that one

Okay, first of all! I don't see 6 as the type of person who would be that interested in having a relationship, at least not beyond what is expected of him as the leader of Apeiron. It's the least of his priorities as of now.

Part of it is largely due to his responsibilities--he knows that he cannot afford to show any sort of favoritism, and he is much too thoughtful to force someone he cares about under such pressure, simply because he harbors feelings for them. It's very ironic that the one thing that defines his entire life and existence is also what keeps him from seeking any deeper relationships. 6 knows more than anyone that the loneliness of his title would be extended to his partner, and so, he has no actual firsthand experience in romantic relationships other than what he might've studied while in reclusion.

Of course, this isn't to say that he's entirely inept when it comes to socializing or all sorts of relationships. He is the best at being 6 for a reason, as much as he dislikes it.

We know that he loves his people, if his devotion to his role of leader is anything to go by. And he clearly cares about his friendship with 210, 37 and Sophia, as strained or complex as these dynamics may be, as he makes sure to retrieve the crown that they made for him each and every day that it's stolen. He loved his aunt Alma too, she played a big role in his upbringing after all.

So 6 isn't a stranger to love, but he is very passive about it.

To describe 6 as "passive" could be seen as an insult, especially after what his character event showed us in relation to his struggle against fate, but I think there's a key difference to the passive nature that is presented between 6 prior to receiving the Revelation and after he settles in as the new leader. His initial lack of action was fueled by resignation, a fear for the inevitable fate his bloodline carries. But now, he knows that refusing to act is sometimes necessary to maintain the harmony within the island, this is why he's described as a mediator. Love can happen, but there's no reason to upset the precarious balance he maintains by indulging in romance.

On the subject of 6 developing a crush.

6 is an extremely introspective man with a very good grasp on his own feelings and thoughts--even more so now that he's obtained the Revelation! If he has a crush then trust me, he knows. He notices the fondness he has for you the moment those feelings start blooming in his chest.

And he's not going to do a single thing about it.

He's not going to act upon any of his feelings. He's not going to let anyone find out, for the sake of maintaining this perfect balance. His behaviour remains the same, no signs of being flustered whatsoever. There are no fleeting glances, no hands brushing on accident. He doesn't stare at you from afar, wondering if you could ever love him, pining and yearning for your attention.

That doesn't happen, not in public.

Just like every other detail about his life, his thoughts of you are kept private, for him to ponder on whenever he's alone in his room, meditating. The outside world has no business bearing witness to these feelings--you are special to him and so, he keeps the memory of you safe and sound. 6 is much too mature to actually pine and yearn, but he does like to wonder and explore other possibilities, another life in which he's not burdened by fate, in which he's given the choice to find his own soul number for as long as it takes. Another life in which he can openly confess without fearing for what might happen to you should you accept him.

I like to think that these little fantasies help him tolerate the stress of the daily routine, it's something nice that gives him solace. When he's alone, his existence isn't defined by a number nor the history of his family, he can just be at ease and dream of better things.

I want to stress the fact that he wouldn't confess, no matter how strong his feelings are. Even if you happened to reciprocate, 6 would always prioritize the stability of Apeiron and turn you down for your sake and everyone else's. 6 would actually prefer to be close friends with his crush.

On the subject of dating 6.

I like to think that for 6 to start considering the idea of courting you, you have to actually debate him.

Not a battle of attrition like the debates 210 insists on having, but a fair and honest discussion to give him proof and solid arguments that could help him ease into the idea of dating someone for love, rather than duty. Something like this would really ease 6's mind, being able to get to know you better through the way you defend yourself and the love you hold for him, as well as weighting the public's reaction. Two birds in one stone. If you manage to do that, then there's no reason for him to object.

I don't know what I like the most out of these options though, the idea of 6 choosing to give a proper confession in private to finally share everything he's kept to himself, so that you may accept all of him at his most honest and vulnerable. Or him not confessing, choosing to invite you to his study and enjoy a moment of respite in absolute silence, knowing that there's nothing keeping you two from being together. So whichever floats your boat!

When it comes to actually dating him, not much would change.

6 understands that there's been a considerable shift in his life, but his lack of experience and solitary lifestyle would lead him to continue with his routine--if you want to see him, then you'll have to seek him out like you've always done. He's more than content knowing you're aware of his feelings and wouldn't really seek to change anything else, so it's entirely up to you to communicate and discuss what you'd like out of this relationship. He'll be more than glad to listen and accomodate you as much as he can.

You taking the initiative in this might also fuel him to share the things he'd like to do! Again, this passive nature doesn't come from shyness, but duty. I can see him being open to anything and being very direct about his own needs, as long as he can continue to separate his personal life and time with you from his time outside and his responsibilities.

Overall, dating 6 is a very calm experience! He never got the chance to know himself without the pressure of the Revelation, but he enjoys getting to know you instead. While most of the time he simply asks you to sit with him and relax, he puts the effort into finding time to spend with you, even if it's just walking together from one place to another before both of you must tend to your respective duties.

On the subject of his partner not being from Apeiron.

The way I see it, 6 is a little more lenient with certain aspects--unlike 37, for example. I don't see her capable of being in a romantic relationship with an irrational number, and getting to trust someone from outside who isn't specifically aiming to adapt to the scriptures will take a long time, but 6 is a little more flexible under the proper circumstances.

I believe this is the case because of his Bond: Morning voice line!

...One should never parcel off the loaf, for it's a violation of the scripture. But we are not on the island. So, please enjoy the freedom.

So the moment this pressure of responsibility is lifted from his shoulders, I think he would be open to the possibility of his partner being literally anyone. Because of the Revelation, I don't think 6 is blinded by faith like other members of Apeiron are, if else he's burdened by the contradictions and paradoxes that are natural in the world.

Not sure how he would feel with a human partner though! Chapter 05 only says that humans and mankind as a whole are dismissed entirely as "imaginary numbers," forbidden on the island, and there's no specifics on how they feel about mixed arcanists.

Round of cute things.

Literally just a round of cute things that 6 would do or enjoy because I don't know how to incorporate them onto the post in a fancy way.

His crown was made to keep his hair out of his face, but we can see that it's not doing a very good job lol. I think 6 would really find it charming whenever his partner tucks his hair behind his ear so they can get a look at his face--he's much too used to hiding and keeping to himself, so wanting to be seen by you is a pretty new experience. It's also a very casual and innocent gesture, so whenever he feels like getting you to pay attention to him (more than often as a way to excuse himself out of some other conversation) he will allow his hair to drape over his face hoping you'll notice.

6 isn't big on public displays of affection. Just sitting next to you is more than enough for him--but if he happens to notice you get lonely or make cute eyes at him, he will scoot close until your shoulders bump into each other. If 6 is feeling particularly cuddly, he will hold your hand.

But behind closed doors, 6 is very partial to kissing the top of your head or your temple. It's a very gentle kiss, he doesn't even pucker up, just closes his eyes, gently rests his lips there and hums to himself. And he could stay there for a long time if you let him.

If 6 is feeling restless for whatever reason, I can see him asking you to read something for him, so he can concentrate on the sound of your voice and nothing else. It's very soothing to him. He prefers that you read something he can tune out, as opposed to telling him something he'd like to pay attention to--like your thoughts or how your day has been.

Oh! Also, I don't see him as the type to want matching accessories or material things like that, but if you were to give him a gift or something to match with you, he would specifically ask you to keep it simple--nothing gilded, nothing shiny, nothing that is easy for seagulls to steal. Something like a little string bracelet, if possible in your favorite colors rather than his--it might be just a small fragment in a world of matters, but it means so much to him.

Also also, 6 does notice a lot of your gestures or expressions, the little things about you that often go unnoticed. The way you might scrunch your nose, tilt your head, fiddle with your hands, tap your feet--anything.

#reverse 1999 #reverse: 1999 #reverse 1999 6 #reverse 1999 x reader #6

[lxstfathier]

Heat

Cowboy! Alejandro Vargas x Horse Hybrid! Reader

Summary: you’re given to Alejandro as a gift, soon becoming an important piece in his new life as a lonely cowboy. But things get out of hand when you get your first heat.

Warnings: slight degradation, unprotected sex, p in v, pussy slapping, breeding kink, corruption.

A/N: i absolutely love the hybrid!reader fics that i see around here, but they’re always a puppy or a bunny, so i decided to write one with a horse reader and finally here it is, i hope you all enjoy reading this just as much as i enjoyed writing it! 💗 (and before y’all come at me, no, this is not zoophilia and i don’t expect it to look like it)

Soon after catching Valeria, Alejandro decided to leave the military, leaving Rudy as the colonel of los vaqueros, opting for a more peaceful life away from violence.

He bought a nice house in the outskirts of las almas, with lots of land to plant and raise cattle. So, once he moved in to his new home, he put his hands at work to get everything nice and perfect, planting some seeds and acquiring some animals, just starting with some chickens, a small herd of cows and two horses.

His new life in the middle of nowhere seemed to go just right, like dream come true. That’s until, one day, he received a gift.

A black truck came into his property, saying that the had a special present from another high-ranked colonel in the mexican military that he used to know. And how could he deny such thing? of course it would be something to be grateful for.

However, nothing could have prepared him for when he saw you for the first time.

Getting out from the backseat, you finally put your feet on the dry soil, looking at Alejandro with big innocent eyes as he admired every single inch of your body. Hell, you were definitely a rare sight, one of a kind. He had never seen a hybrid before, and you looked almost human, but those pointy ears and long tail revealed your true nature.

“A beautiful young mare” that’s what the strange men told him you were, created in a laboratory with the most pure and strong bloodline. But to Alejandro? you were just a pretty girl who slightly resembled to a horse.

So he took you under his care, even though he knew nothing about hybrids and you were too shy to speak to him for several days, still not used to being out of the horrible lab where you were raised for almost two decades.

First, being careful not to scare you, Alejandro showed you around, all the way from his house to the vast land surrounding it, introducing you to the other animals there, with whom you connected immediately. Then, he prepared a stall for you to use every night, using extra wood shavings to make it more comfortable.

And, with such kind treatment, it wasn’t long until you started trusting your new owner.

Two weeks later, you got out of your stall by your own, running on the field with the other horses, hanging out with the cows and their little calves, or simply just sitting in the grass every evening, enjoying the last rays of sun while you watch Alejandro from afar, admiring the way he unloads bales of hay from his truck, shirtless, with his tanned skin and strong muscles glistening under the orange sky.

Sometimes you even eat diner with him on his kitchen, chomping on a bowl of grain and carrots while he eats whatever he finds, hearing him talk about all those interesting stories from his days in the military.

It all went well for a while, enjoying the time spent together, just getting to know each other. Until everything got complicated again.

After a few months, when your body reaches full maturity, you get your first heat. Something that you’re so innocent and naive to even understand what is going on. You feel weird all day, with a strange tingle between your legs and a sensitive hot skin, aching for any kind of relief.

So you ask Alejandro for help, thinking that an experienced man like him should know what to do in that situation, but he refuses every time, telling you to just get some rest till it goes away.

And you try, you really try, but by the end of the week it’s unbearable, growing desperate and needy, clenching your thighs together, almost whimpering in pain at the slightest friction.

It’s practically a torture for both of you. And he finally snaps when he sees you there, leaning on the fence, mindlessly trying to flirt with his stallions, even though the poor animals can’t smell your hormones due to your mixed dnas.

“Can you stop being a little whore for at least five minutes?” Alejandro grabs you by your arm, practically dragging you away from there, clearly fed up with all that.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, i- i don’t know what’s going on, i just want to feel better” you apologize, still not quite used to that new change in your body, looking up at him with teary eyes and flopped ears. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

He’s not mad, he’s just pent up after all those days of teasing. But he understands you, he knows full well that you’re going through something difficult and suffering because of it, and he doesn’t like to see his animals suffer.

“Then tell me what do you need to feel better” he says, as if he didn’t knew exactly what, letting go of your arm to caress your cheek and run his thumb over your pouted lips.

You don’t know exactly how to put it into words, but you try your best to communicate your needs and not get distracted by his pretty brown eyes, that delicate caress, or his bare torso where you can clearly see his toned muscles.

“Touch me. Please.”

“Así?” Alejandro asks, a smirk appearing on his face as one of his hands gets under your shirt to play with your tits and the other one finds its way between your legs, exploring your soaked folds.

You just nod, unable to speak, feeling as if you were about to melt from his touch, holding on to his strong arm for some stability.

“You’ve been such a tease for days. Whoring yourself out for everyone here to see, and do you know what happens to little whores like you? huh? they get treated like one.”

You can’t process his words, you’re out of your mind already, but you’re willing to let him do whatever he wants to you, as long as he keeps giving you that sweet relief that you’ve been craving all week.

Alejandro smirks, almost mocking how pliant you are him, easily pushing you with his arm until your back hits a pile of hay bales. Now totally cornered and slightly scared, feeling your prey instincts come to surface.

Then, he grabs you by the waist, effortlessly lifting you up to make you sit on top of a few bales, just at the perfect height for him to spread your legs and admire that pretty pussy between your legs, all swollen and slick, practically dripping with arousal.

“Look at you, hermosa. So fucking wet. Who would have thought that such a innocent creature would be a total slut begging for cock.” he says, placing a few hard smacks to your sensitive cunt, making you squirm and whine with each impact.

“Please” you cry, trying to stop his hand.

“Please what?”

“F-fuck me Ale. Please, i need it.” you plead, looking up at him with teary eyes, wanting nothing more than to end your agony.

“Si?” Alejandro smiles, unbuckling his belt and undoing his pants, letting his hard cock spring free. “You want me to breed this little pussy?”

He wraps a fist around his length, dragging the tip along your slit, mixing his pre cum with your sweet juices. And the pure sight of that big veiny cock teasing you poor cunt is enough to make you clench around nothing.

You buck your hips, encouraging Ale to put it in already. And he does it, being kind enough to decide that it’s been enough torture for you, guiding his fat cock to your entrance, sliding it inside inch by inch, growling when he feels how tight you are around him.

There’s a slight stinging in the way he’s splitting you open, stuffing you so full and deep that you can almost feel him in your guts, but you like it, even if your eyes get teary and pained cries escape your lips.

“Tranquila hermosa. Let me take care of you, si?” he soothes you once he’s fully sheathed inside, caressing your fluffy ears as he kisses you softly, pushing his tongue into your mouth.

Alejandro starts thrusting slow, just to get you adjusted to him, and also because he doesn’t want the moment to end so soon. If he could be buried in your warm cunt for an eternity, he would, without a second thought.

But, when both of you start to get eager for more, he picks up a fast pace. His thrusts become harder, impaling you with his girth over and over, making you feel as if you were about to break in half, but at the same time, an immense pleasure with each hit against that soft spot deep inside you.

It’s too much. You break the kiss to moan loudly, digging your nails on the soft skin of his back, already knowing that you won’t last any longer.

And he can tell quite easily that you’re close by the way your walls hug him tight and your body tenses. So he gives you a little help, moving a hand down to rub your clit with his thumb, in fast circular motions that have you screaming out his name.

“Ale! f-feels so good! ah! i’m- i’m gonna-“

You can’t even finish your incoherent babbles when the orgasm hits you, exploding with waves of pleasure, crying and shaking under him, with you arousal being enough to form a creamy ring at the base of his cock.

“That’s it, good girl” Alejandro praises you, slowing his thrusts for a few seconds while you ride out your high. “Now i’m gonna pump you full of my cum, and you’re gonna carry my child and be a good mommy, si? you want that?”.

You’re so cockdrunk that you can only nod, just being able to concentrate on how his hands keep your legs open, the way he fucks you with new newfound strength, abusing your tiny hole, and the filthy squelching noises between your bodies.

Alejandro mumbles curses in spanish while you whine from the overstimulation, and it’s not long until his thrusts lose rhythm, finally coming undone. His cock twitches inside your warm cunt, flooding your fertile womb with thick ropes of white seed as a deep grunt escapes from his throat.

He ruts into you for a while, enjoying the delicious sensation, and then slowly pulls out, keeping your legs open to admire the mess. Your pussy is absolutely wrecked, with slick smeared all over it, slightly sore and dripping with his cum. And he’s proud of it.

“You’re feeling better?” he asks, rubbing your trembling thighs and fixing his pants.

“Yeah. A little bit” you answer shyly, knowing that it’s going to take more than that to calm your heat.

“Well, i guess that we’ll have to do this all weekend. Until your heat is gone, or until you give me a little filly… or a strong colt, i don’t care.”

You smile at his comment, not caring about it either, anything sounds good to you. But Alejandro is not shy to hide his desire to be a father, in love with the idea of having a lovely kid just like you, with ears and tail, running around the farm.

But, for now, he has to take care of you, his precious little mare. So he takes you in his arms, carrying your exhausted body to the house as you cling to his neck, ready to give you a nice bath, braid your hair and dress you with another clean shirt.

All while thinking that you are definitely the best gift that he has ever received.

#alejandro vargas x reader #alejandro vargas smut #cod smut #call of duty fanfic #alejandro vargas fanfic

[pearlofthesirens]

OMG I LOVE YOUR FIC WITH VALERIA 🤩🤩🤩🤩 can you write some fluff with fem reader? Valeria and her girlfriend have a movie night after weeks of not seeing Val (she's a busy woman we understand) and Val is not 100% into it but she wants to see reader happy and in the middle of watching movie reader sees that Val fall asleep. A lot of cute stuff and maybe some sarcasm...obviously from Valeria. I'll be so happy to read this but if you don't like it it's totally fine 😘😘😘

Thank you 🖤

of course!! thank you so so much for submitting a request, i promise you will love this one <3

cw: tooth rotting fluff, slight spanish cursing, val being a tease and lots of happy gae moments

Valeria being a very busy lady, doesn't always get to spend quality time freely with you. Dates often get cancelled, "Stupid fucking gringos stepped in Las Almas again." and "Putamadre Alejandro!" were recurring words in your household during some of 'long' vacations she'd take only to leave for her work. She would always let you help her prepare herself for the upcoming missions, leaving after giving you the longest kiss full of love.

"Take care of yourself, okay chula? I've got men outside to protect you from any intruder, will be back soon."

It's one of those days you're sulking at home, watching a random cartoon movie in Spanish for no reason. The blanket was bunched at your thighs, the cushion of the couch dipped under your weight. A bowl of chips was present on the coffee table in front of you untouched, you refused to take a single bite. Nothing but Valeria's sweet smile was on your mind, oh how you missed her. If she were there, the movie would've been long forgotten and you two would've been busy cuddling.

You felt a tear roll down your cheeks. Solitude was really hitting you at that moment and you pulled the blanket around yourself, letting out a soft sob. The big house felt even bigger, and emptier without your lover there. You missed the times when the halls would echo with both of your laughter, fairy lights adorning the curtains as you two sat and watched the rain while cuddling with each other. You missed the times she would kiss you sweetly and call you hers, her fingertips tracing your lips. You missed everything about her. But your train of thoughts came to a halt when you felt a familiar hand on your head, ruffling your hair a little.

"Miss me, amorcito?"

Your head snapped back, eyes meeting with your girlfriend's. You could barely wipe your remaining tears away before she came round and sat beside you, using her thumbs to swipe them away.

"You cried, mi amor?"

You could only sniffle back as you wrapped your arms around her, pulling yourself closer. She gently rubbed your back, placing butterfly kisses on top of your head as you sobbed in her arms.

"Missed you so so much, Val. I thought..I thought I wouldn't be able to see you again."

"But I'm right here now, out of any trouble. Don't cry, mi vida. I'll make up for the missing time, I promise."

You pull your face away from her neck, letting her wipe away your tears before she pulled the blanket over both of you comfortably. Laying down on the couch, her hands crept up to yours and slowly pulled you down so you'd lay on top of her. Your head immediately met with the softness of her chest as her hands kneaded your ass, a teasing smirk on her face before her eyes turned to the TV screen.

"Coco, really? You were watching a kid's movie?"

"But it's nice."

"Being childish, are we?"

"You still love me."

Her hearty laugh made your heart increase its pace, her husky voice tickling your ear as she brought herself closer.

"Mierda, of course I do. So much that I'd watch a stupid movie for you."

Her hands slowly pulled the blanket over you two, arms trapping you as you placed your head on her chest. Your eyes followed the TV screen, watching the movie as Valeria's chest heaved in and out. The way she breathed calmed you down and you weren't upset anymore. your fingers gently fidgeted with her shirt, eyelids getting heavy. Turning to face Valeria with a yawn, you called out her name.

"Love, wanna sleep."

"Val."

"Val?"

The lack of response had your eyes wide open, and you met with the loveliest thing you would ever witness. Your girlfriend had fallen asleep with you on top of her, yet one of her hands still stayed on your ass. With a small smile, you raised your head and placed a soft kiss on her lips before switching the TV off. Her arms held you tightly in her sleep as you snuggled closer, nuzzling in her chest happily. At the end of the day, Valeria not only cares about you but also makes up for the time when she's not present, even if it means letting you lay on her chest while watching kid's movies.

(not proofread!!)

#pearly venus asks #valeria garza #valeria mw2 #valeria x reader #valeria cod #valeria x fem!reader #valeria wlw #wlw #wlw fanfic #valeria fluff

[cheetee]

encanto headcanon collection #30493929

Because she's constantly listening to people, Dolores is fluent in every language spoken in the Encanto. she hasn't told anyone except Mariano this (it's not a secret, just nobody else has asked)

Camilo upstages EVERY QUINCEANERA. doesn't matter HOW nice and unique the dress you find is, doesn't matter if you hide it from him, he WILL show up in a dress that's prettier and more ostentatious. nobody knows if he's pulling them from magazines or making them up or what. he has every gender but mainly his mom yells at him for being rude, says if he's going to be a woman he 'needs to be uglier'

Dolores doesn't get sensory overload in crowds. Her favourite hobby is sitting down listening to 18 peoples drama simultaneously. she gets extremely overwhelmed in quiet rooms when there's no other sounds to focus on except the things she's actually supposed to be listening to

Dolores is extremely face blind and can't ready body language at all, she completely relies on listening to people's bodies to recognise people and their feelings. When she loses her gift it becomes extremely obvious she is Very Autistic (she doesn't mind)

Bruno can magically sense how much time has passed, what time of day it is etc with perfect precision. Again nobody knows this until he loses his gift and reveals he has never in his life learned how to read a clock

Mirabel shuts out her parents a lot and isn't very close to them even though they get on fine. there is NO REASON for this she's just 15. they've literally never done anything wrong she's just like 'idk they don't understand me'

(but because she's not going through any kind of supernatural crisis they think she's doing great. smoothest adolescence ever. nailed it)

(when isabela went through puberty she just RUINED the local ecosystem)

Alma is openly socialist, anti-war, Encanto is a refuge of peace etc etc, so gay couples have gotten married in their Encanto. this headcanon exists simultaneously with 'alma sleeps with women because she's homophobic': Alma can never bring herself to sleep with another man since Pedro but sex with women 'doesn't count' so she HAS absolutely gotten down with several other old women in the village. gay love is real but not for her. rip

Bruno sold ONE emerald vision plate in 1951 and that's the sum of the entire family's money, but nobody understands money so all he uses it for is for allowance for the kids

Bruno is actually very good-natured about being mocked or laughed at. Because most people in the village would treat him with terrified politeness he considers it an upgrade

Bruno is making NO effort to counter the rumours about him at this point, he's too old, local children sneak up to him and ask if it's true he eats brains and he's just deadass like 'wouldn't you like to know'

Dolores has perfect recall with sounds/words but she pretends not to. life is easier that way

Antonio can talk to bugs they mainly just sit around saying things like 'Leaves' and 'it's sunny'. Isabela starts keeping bugs with him. sometimes they just sit down and have Bug Conversations. ('Antonio, I like leaves' 'Leaves')

As an aunt Julieta is incredibly fun, but Pepa is just Another Mom But Stricter. rip.

Bruno is just DOGSHIT at giving presents. they still bring up when he gave Julieta a hammer for Christmas

#encanto #encanto headcanon #my mental health is down the drain is why I'm posting this instead of writing tbh #conveying headcanons thru the medium of fiction.... sounds fake

[hezuart]

Hezu your latest video about wendell and wild i have to disagree with you. For me kat elliot is sympathetic character i even dare to said she's much more likable and sympathetic than loona the hellhound from helluva boss. I think you went way too far calling kat elliot an asshole and jerk, Laika studio animation who produced coraline movie. Coraline jones is actually much more rude than kat

Hezu you have implicit biases against dark skin female character. You called isabela a bitch even though it's clear she suffer from unreleastic expectation from alma and throw that into mirabel, then you called kat elliot an asshole and jerk when she clear suffer from loss of her parent and being bullied, abuse, exploited. So please check your implicit biases don't forget racism and colorism too

But your rewrite of wendell and wild is nice i liked it

buddy, pal, sweet summer child Kat Elliot being abused is not an excuse for her to be an asshole and jerk to other people, especially not those who are constantly offering her help. Her own parents sat her down and talked about making better decisions and protecting people close to her. Isabela is a diva, someone who relishes the attention and praise but is essentially forced into keeping this role as the generational trauma and expectations of their family bear down on her. This is understandable. This is a well-written complex character. The moment I claim she is a "bitch" is when she can finally have the freedom she longs for, when her sister whom she shares a rivalry with actually saves her with the bell (or in this case, a crumbling house), causing a distraction that finally takes focus off of Isabela and interrupting her marriage contract, a contract that made her so upset and uncomfortable, she physically (with her nature powers) assaults her husband-to-be several times (it is played off for comedy but, it's not fair to him)

When it finally matters most, when Isabela has the opportunity to be honest and true, she treats Mirabel badly. She yells at Mirabel. She says Mirabel "ruined her life" when Mirabel did nothing of the sort, if anything she saved her future by interfering. She smiles as she makes Mirabel apologize, delighting in making her sister grovel at her feet. She's arrogant and petty. She doesn't turn around until mid-song, out of the blue, when she finally confesses to everything. Where she doesn't want that marriage, that she wants to be free, and thus becoming a better person. It's merely that moment of her interaction with Mirabel that makes her awful. Had the scene been written better, or if they had gone with the original plan of Mirabel catching Isabela dating some other guy and blabbing about it to the other family members where Mirabel DID in fact, ruin her life, Isabela's reaction would have made more sense. She would not be presented as a bad sister if things had been tweaked.

Neither of these women are assholes or jerks because of their skin tone, please see them as more than their race I am begging you

#coralines situation is not the same as Kats nor Isabela they have nothing to do with each other #thats a red herring fallacy #loona is also irrelevant but also her writing is too finicky to pinpoint what her backstory or personality is anymore #isabelas problem is just that one scene and Kat's personality is written bad all around #theyre mean because theyre mean #not because theyre dark skinned #ask #anon #text post #wendell and wild #encanto

[writeforfandoms]

Okay okay listen valeria and "10 years too late on that, love" prompt. F!reader! Will it be angst? Will it be bittersweet? Will it be fluff? You decide! (Go batshit crazy hun congrats on 2k followers!🩷🩷🩷 Here have a cupcake🍨)

- 🌕✨

Hee hee, oh I'm already having ideas on this one. Oh this is gonna hurt and then be golden. Thank you so much darling!! I hope you enjoy this! 💖

Warnings: hurt/comfort, these two have History, swearing, mild pressuring into Situations.

--

You didn't shake as you went back to Las Almas. Didn't tremble. Didn't look for familiar faces, no matter how desperately you wanted to.

You were here to do a job, and that was it. You'd be here a couple weeks maximum. And then back to your new home.

Everything would be fine.

You checked into your hotel, already busy planning your schedule for the next couple weeks. You had a few people to visit, things to do. Nothing terribly taxing or hard, but work all the same.

You got three peaceful days of work.

And then you got cornered coming out of a meeting. Three men stood around you, all of them in plain black suits, earpieces visible. They looked like security, almost.

Except for the fact that you knew nobody you were working with had security like this.

"Come with us," one spoke up, voice low and rough.

You debated making a scene. Or trying to run. Or just outright refusing. But... Well, you hated to admit it, but you had an idea of who was behind this. And if you were right... You wanted to see her. Just once. Just this once.

"How far are we going?" you asked, crossing your arms over your chest. Not moving yet.

"Outside the city," the man answered, a little reluctantly.

You narrowed your eyes at him. "And I'll be returned to my hotel room?"

He nodded, slowly but confidently.

"Fine." You let out a slow breath. "Fine."

They escorted you outside to a waiting SUV, bundling you into the backseat. You were oddly calm the entire drive - you already knew who you were being taken to, and you knew she wouldn't have you harmed.

You just weren't quite sure why. Why now. Why like this.

The house, when you arrived, was large and ornate. The yard was immaculate. You huffed a soft noise of amusement.

She had always dreamed of better things, and now she apparently had them.

A guard led you inside to the foyer and asked you to wait. You did, standing quietly and taking the chance to look around. The house was lavish without being ostentatious - nice floors and walls, but lacking the over the top touches. Nice. You hated to think it, but you approved.

"I was beginning to wonder if you had refused my invitation."

You turned slowly to watch Valeria walk down the stairs and towards you. Her hair was shorter than you remembered, with two braids on one side. There was a hardness to her that hadn't been present before.

But she was every bit as beautiful as she'd been when you'd left all those years ago.

"It was implied I didn't have a choice," you answered dryly, watching her, soaking in the mere sight of her. "You're looking well, Valeria."

"As are you." She stopped finally a few feet from you. "Apart from those dark circles. Not sleeping well?"

You smiled and ignored the question. "Why am I here?"

"Straight to business? How boring. I remembered you used to have more fun." She pouted, though it was purely for show.

"I wasn't here on business, then." You crossed your arms in front of your chest, tipping your chin. "It's a simple question."

She held your gaze for several long moments before her head dipped, just a little nod of acknowledgement. "You do good work still," she said, starting to pace a slow circle around you. A huntress, debating if prey was worth her time. "Your boss has nothing but good things to say about you."

"Dare I ask why you've been talking to my boss?" You kept the question wry, ignoring the thrumming of your pulse. She passed behind you, two fingers trailing over the back of your shoulder and part-way down your spine before lifting away again.

"I needed to know."

"For what purpose?" You didn't turn to face her, letting her play her little game. You stood straight and still.

Valeria came to a stop in front of you again. She didn't touch you this time. Just stood, looking at you, something longing in her gaze. "I'm offering you a job."

The laugh forced its way up your throat, bitter and wry. "You're ten years too late on that, love." The endearment slipped out without your permission. But you didn't regret it. Couldn't regret it, with the way her shoulders eased at that one word.

"I don't think so." Her smirk was cocky now.

"Don't you?" You shook your head, lowering your gaze. "That arrogance will be your downfall one day."

Her eyes narrowed and one hand lifted, two fingers under your chin forcing your gaze up until you met her eyes again. "Do you plan to refuse me?"

You let her hang there, waiting on you. It was good for her to have to wait sometimes, to have someone she couldn't growl into submission. "Tonight? Yes."

"Tonight?" She caught on the line, exactly as you'd expected. You both knew you'd left her that intentionally.

You leaned forward until her hand was pressed to your chest instead, your faces parted by scant inches. "Leave all of this, and we'll see."

Confusion flitted across her expression, almost too fast to catch. "Not even for you will I give up--"

"No, not give up." You frowned, considering how to rephrase your request. "There's a little restaurant near my hotel, with the covered patio and the gorgeous flowers. You meet me there tomorrow night. Just you. No guards at our table. No big showy motions. Just you." You lifted one hand, slowly, carefully, brushing the tips of your fingers against her cheek. Her eyes went half-lidded, a pleased cat.

"And then you will say yes."

"And then I will talk about it." You smiled, fingers slowly slipping into a small section of loose hair. Still soft. Just as you remembered.

You stepped back, before either of you could get carried away. "I'm going back to my hotel. I'll see you tomorrow for dinner." You took two more steps back and turned for the front door, both of you well aware that she was letting you go, that she was letting you retreat on your own terms. "If you don't show, I'll assume you're not interested any longer."

"Tomorrow," was all she said, a promise implied in her tone.

You smiled the whole way back to your hotel room.

#follower celebration #valeria garza x reader #2k celebration

[jungle-angel]

Early Risers (Bob Floyd x Reader)

Summary: Christmas morning under your roof is nothing short of special

It had been one hell of a Christmas, a blizzard having started on the way home from church the night before while you, Bob and the rest of the Dagger family had gathered at the ranch in Montana to celebrate. 

The kids had been quiet on the morning of Christmas Eve, playing round after round of beanbag toss in the large expanse of basement while the grown ups were left to take care of business. That was where the real craziness had ensued. 

It had all begun when Coyote, Rooster and Hangman had been sent on a liquor run, only to return with a truck bed containing half the store. Bob, your beloved and most patient of husbands, ran his hands over his face in exasperation despite the good intentions. 

Fanboy and his grandparents had shown up an hour later with Abuela Alma taking charge of the kitchen. You and her had the time of your lives as you cooked away, the house filling with a whole different array of smells that attracted the boys quite easily. Unfortunately, they were met with Alma’s swift hand and a dishtowel when Javy, Mickey and Rooster tried to sneak a taste of the tamales that had just come out of the oven. 

The kids had done the same thing, imitating their uncles and their grandfathers, though Alma was a bit softer with the children, shooing them away to the basement and warning them that if they didn’t wait they’d spoil their dinners. The both of you however, started to lose patience pretty quickly when Tank, Bob’s two year old Rottweiler sat close to the kitchen counters, pawing your thigh for a little taste of the food. 

Getting the kids ready for Christmas Mass was a nightmare in and of itself. Auggie, Nicky, Pete, Danny, Thomas, TJ, Sebastian, Roddy, Tiago and Gabe all complained about having to wear nice clothes, chasing each other through the house and whipping each other with their ties before their fathers all grabbed them to keep them from getting out of hand. The girls were a little easier, but keeping them from getting their clothes messed up? Phoenix and the guys all thought piloting through the canyon on the Uranium Plant mission was much easier than that. Finally, they decided to let the kids curl up in the living room to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” if it would help keep them quiet. 

Christmas Mass went off without a hitch, everyone going early in the evening while the food warmed at home. It was so crowded that you, Bob and the rest of the squad all had to stand at the back, the kids resting on the floor for the time being while Father Gonzales officiated. Joe and Irene pulled their truck around after all was done, you and Bob loading up Auggie, Patrick, Deidre and Baby Rudy so that their grandparents could take them home. You and Bob on the other hand, rode home with Maverick, Penny, Amelia and the boys, all of you totally caught off guard by the blizzard that started before you had gotten up the driveway. 

Twelve hours and ten million reruns of “A Christmas Story” later, you, Bob and the rest of the family poked your heads into the living room to find all the kids asleep on top of the huge pile of unopened presents under the tree. No one could resist the thought of snapping pictures of the kids all asleep in their plaid Christmas jammies, some of them snoring away from having woken at three in the morning to see if Santa came. 

The kids awoke soon enough as everyone opened their gifts, overjoyed at the thought that was put into every one of them. The kids played with their new toys or read through their new books while you and the rest of the squad let breakfast cook in the oven or hauled out the remaining liquor to make mimosas. You and Bob couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day, a day where all of you were together, surrounded by your family and friends and the people who loved you most of all.

#top gun maverick #robert bob floyd #bob floyd x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #pete maverick mitchell #natasha phoenix trace #jake hangman seresin #mickey fanboy garcia #reuben payback fitch #javy coyote machado #dagger squad #dagger squad christmas

[azurefishnets]

Without Form and Void

Hellooo, @dieanywhereelseart! I was honored to be assigned your prompts for @fyeahghosttrick's Ghost Swap this year! I loved them all; I hope you like the one I chose! Eldritch Sissel is too much fun as a prompt :3 I suspect I'll want to revisit this idea another day.

Happy Ghost Swap!

The story can be found at the link above, or you can read below!

AO3 Profile

Fandom: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Words: 2874

Summary: Jowd, Sissel, & Missile spend a day together; as ghostly experimentation ensues, they each get a little more than they bargained for.

Sissel sat at the top of the stairs and flattened his ears a little sardonically as the front door closed on a babble of voices; Lynne, Alma, and Kamila were going out together for an afternoon and Sissel was left to watch the house, Lynne’s dog, and Jowd, in approximately that order (although Alma had phrased it rather a different way around when telling Jowd the plans for the day.)

Lynne threw him one last odd look as the door closed, and Sissel squeezed his eyes at her as the door slid home. He knew she was still trying to understand her rapid assimilation into Jowd’s family; Alma had wasted no time ensuring that Lynne was part of Kamila’s life as soon as she got the real story of Jowd’s sudden silences and secrets surrounding Sissel, but Lynne still knew nothing of that time, only that Detective-now-Captain Jowd’s cat was a friendly little weirdo who seemed to enjoy having her and her dog around.

Missile scrabbled at the door a little for form’s sake, whining as Lynne’s laughter and Kamila’s chatter faded away, and then turned to the stairs and threw himself up them to crash against Jowd’s legs. From there, he immediately turned to Sissel and attempted to bowl them both over in a quick tussle that ended with Missile sprawled on his back, Sissel sitting primly as he straightened his fur, and Jowd chuckling as he leaned the long way down to scratch the dog’s ears and rub the eagerly-presented tummy. Sissel squeezed his eyes again. Even though it was on him to facilitate, he enjoyed the days when they could get together to talk. He supposed eventually Yomiel would be a part of their chats too, on the day hopefully not-too-far-off when he had acclimated to life once again with his human Sissel.

For now, feline Sissel dismissed thoughts of Yomiel as he turned and led the way, tail now waving high with interest and excitement, toward the large arts-and-crafts area Jowd had built onto the back of house approximately six years previous. Jowd still enjoyed painting and it now also served as an excellent catch-all room for Kamila’s tinkering, Alma’s rapid assimilation of hobbies from yarncraft to leatherwork, and even a small stage from which Cabanela could and often did serenade them all of an evening with his guitar and a flashy dance step or a hundred.

Jowd took the drop-cloth off his most recent painting, which featured Missile and Lynne. Lynne had already allowed herself, rather bashfully, to be painted, and now he was finishing the final details on Missile, who was, predictably, harder to pose. In truth, Jowd didn’t need either of them there, but it had become a good pretext to talk to the pets together in ways the humans in Jowd’s life couldn’t really understand.

Sissel yawned and tucked his body into a nice compact loaf on the table next to Jowd’s easel, then hopped out and sent his spirit flame toward Missile’s waiting fire. As always, the little dog greeted him with explosive joy.

“Finally! Welcome!! But Sissel, you took so long! I’ve been waiting and waiting for you to connect me to Mr. Jowd!”

“Oh, am I just your telephone operator?” Sissel said a little drily, reaching his other ghostly paw towards the flame of Jowd’s soul. “You know I’m the one that’s supposed to be traveling via telephone.”

“Well…” Missile looked briefly nonplussed. “I guess you are kind of like that black hello now that you have that body of yours back…but still! I have so much to say to Mr. Jowd!”

“Oh?” Jowd’s spirit-voice joined their conversation, his usual sardonic tones a little preoccupied as he continued painting. “And what do you have to say to me?”

“Er…” Missile’s tail—both his spirit and regular versions—began waving ever-faster. “Welcome back Mister Jowd! I missed you!”

“Did you? I’ve been here all this time.” It was Jowd’s turn to sound mildly nonplussed, as he always did when someone expressed how much they loved seeing him. “And was that all you wanted to say?”

“No! I really, really missed you and Mister Cabanela and Miss Kamila and Miss Alma! It’s been days since I saw you all!” Missile said, wriggling. “I even asked Miss Lynne to bring me over here yesterday and the day before and…”

“Asked Lynne?” Jowd sounded amused now. “And how did you do that?”

“I barked and barked and barked! Until she chased me with a broom!” Missile said proudly. “And then I got her to throw my ball for me and take me on a walk and I thought we were coming here but we just walked to that place that smells SO good and then we came home and Miss Lynne ate her whole dinner and she didn’t give me any. Two days in a row!” He flopped to the ground, indignantly flicking his ears back to show his brief displeasure.

Jowd was laughing in earnest now. “You must have gone to the Chicken Kitchen. Two days in a row? Alma would have something to say about that. But we won’t mention it.”

“Well, she didn’t give me any chicken,” Missile said, then sat up. “But you will, won’t you Mister Jowd! You smell like it so you must have some!”

“Uh…” Jowd’s voice was unrepentant. “We’re out of chicken right now. Someone ate it all. With ketchup.”

“A criminal offense,” Sissel interjected, voice dry.

“A criminal!” Missile jumped and growled. “We have to catch him! That chicken thief!”

“Okay, okay,” Jowd said, still laughing. “We’ll go on a walk in a little while and see if you can sniff him out. For now, I’m done with your portrait. Do you want to see?”

Missile looked up at it. “Oh. It’s very nice, Mister Jowd,” he said politely. “It’s so square! And flat! And it has nice shapes on it! They sort of look like my Miss Lynne!” He sniffed, his little nose quivering. “It smells like my ball a little bit? I like that part!” He sniffed again. “And it smells like chicken too! Maybe the criminal came by here!” His tail waved. “It’s a Clue!”

Jowd snorted. “Thanks. Your nose, as always, is impeccable. We’ll be hiring you as a police dog soon.” He took the painting off the easel and set it on a tarp to dry. “All right, Sissel. Your turn.”

“Me?” Sissel’s spirit flickered in brief confusion. “You’ve painted me before.”

“Well, I painted Yomiel. And yes, you as a cat,” Jowd agreed. “But I was thinking about painting you in your ghost form this time.”

“But my ghost form doesn’t have a real shape,” Sissel objected.

“Exactly,” Jowd said, satisfied. “That’s why it’s a challenge. You turn into whatever you can think of, and I’ll paint it.”

“Cabanela put you up to this, didn’t he,” Sissel said.

“Well, he and Alma, yes.” Jowd shrugged, his brush already moving to capture the Temsik waves radiating from Sissel’s body. “And what did you expect? With the three of you ganging up on me to tell them everything, of course they want to know the real you.”

“Huh?” Missile interjected. “But Sissel is Sissel. He looks like who he is! All the time!”

“And how better to show that to humans than a painting?” Jowd finished smoothly.

“Err…fine.” Sissel’s spirit wavered, then firmed into a red desk lamp, which swiveled back and forth on its base. “How’s this?”

“Hmm,” said Jowd, inspecting him critically. “That one doesn’t really seem like you.”

“Yeah!” Missile said. “But I like it though! A lot!”

“You would,” said Sissel, flickering out of it and into a fuzzy approximation of an exceedingly old Pomeranian. “This you did too. Or, well, he didn’t like it exactly, I guess. But he sure made it sound like he did.”

“Hey, but that’s not what I looked like!” Missile objected. “He was more like this! I remember… I think...” His own spirit flickered through a few fuzzy shapes before settling back into looking, once again, like Missile. “Oh… but I can see him, I mean, me, so clearly. Why can’t I change?”

“Guess you have to be actually dead to control your ghost form,” Sissel said, preening his ghostly whiskers with a paw. “We already knew you couldn’t use your ghost powers anymore, so it only makes sense.”

“Well! I don’t want to be lolling around dead any time soon! Miss Lynne and Miss Kamila need me here!” Missile said. “You’ll just have to do a better job of looking like me, Sissel.”

“I’m not the artist here, you know,” Sissel said, and flattened his ears. “Also, wasn’t I supposed to look like me all the time?”

“Well… yes, but…” Missile barked at him. “Hey! Stop being confusing!”

“He’s just being a cat,” Jowd told him, and bent down to give him another ear scritch. “Sorry that you’re the only dog in the world, probably, who has to hear a cat being a cat on a regular basis. But if it makes you feel better, I get the same feeling from talking to Cabanela.”

“Oh, Mister Cabanela is also Mister Cabanela all the time,” Missile agreed. “He can’t be anything but himself, even if he smells like someone else. He sure is good at being confusing!”

“Ha! Well, that’s Sissel too.” Jowd said, laughing. “But I guarantee you if Cabanela had the power to shapeshift he would have too much fun with it. I’m surprised Sissel hasn’t tried before.” He turned back to Sissel. “Anyway, is that all you’ve got? Come on. Give me something with feeling. Some oomph.”

“Something with feeling, huh…” Sissel said. In rapid succession, he turned into a crossing gate, a guitar with bullet holes in it, and finally a familiar shape to both Jowd and Missile, a man in a red suit with tall and pointed yellow hair and dark sunglasses, who lay on the floor with his face on the ground. “Well, I guess I can definitely turn into anything or anyone I’ve ever possessed. That’s a pretty neat trick.”

“Yes,” Jowd said, already busily sketching shapes. “But just any old inanimate objects? Not very clever to repeat stuff, is it?”

“Well, maybe you should try it,” Sissel shot back. “Fine! How about this!”

For a moment, a huge ovoid form, much larger than Jowd, stood in the room, hollow eyes staring out at the world with haunted, empty white holes painted on its chalky face. Long facial hair streamed to the floor and puddled around their feet as the object toppled forward toward them on its unsteadily rounded base.

Missile crouched and barked at it, but Jowd didn’t flinch, only kept sketching. “Mino, huh? Better. Still inanimate, although I like the extra touches you put on there. Getting a little creepy, I suppose.”

“Hmph.” Sissel’s spirit flame flicked in annoyance and Mino turned into a rugby ball and then was gone. “OK, how about…hmm.” He flickered into the form of a monster from one of the late-night movies Jowd liked to watch when he couldn’t sleep and meow/roared, fire flickering from his mouth and smoke leaking from his nostrils. “How’s that!”

One corner of Jowd’s mouth flicked into a smile. “Quite a sight! Too bad it’s probably trademarked. Come on, Sissel. Give me an original creation. How about you give me an actual scare?”

Sissel’s spirit wavered, flickering between an old-fashioned gun and a music box as he thought. Jowd stopped painting, eyes fixed on his ghostly form. “That’s a pretty good try,” he remarked, voice even, “but for scary, you’d do better with the B-movie monsters.”

Sissel’s form resolidified into a cat’s and he favored Jowd with a slow double blink of apology, before flattening his ears in annoyed concentration. “All right,” he said after a moment. “You want scary? Try this.” The blackness of his fur leeched into the shadows of the floor, spreading out across the floor in darkness growing ever deeper as his eyes grew larger, then larger still, until they were enormous twin orbs of golden glowing light with thin black slits bisecting them. The eyes regarded Missile and Jowd for a moment before they shut. Man and dog stood in utter blackness and silence for a moment until Missile’s tiny start of a whimper cut off as a chill developed around them and time seemed to stop dead, then swirl around them in eddies like a whirlpool drawing them both to an inevitable final event horizon. Stars appeared, one by one, and were drawn in and strung into long strips of glowing dust until nothing remained but Jowd, Missile, and howling hydrogen atoms blazing blue through an empty cosmos in beautiful, incomprehensible patterns that, at last, burned away into the kismet that comes at the end of all things.

After a time that might have been an instant and might have been an eternity, the void resolved itself into the form of a tiny black cat with golden eyes, who yawned and stretched, then hopped off a pedestal next to an easel in a house on a street in a strange country on a planet that orbited through crowded, lively space. Sissel stropped himself against Jowd’s leg, meowing one sharp questioning note that made Jowd jump and Missile begin barking as loudly as possible.

After a second, Jowd cleared his throat. “Yeah, that was…pretty good,” he croaked, his voice almost inaudible under the barking, and abruptly sat on the floor. Missile stopped barking, crept into his lap, and sat there for a moment panting, tail almost but not completely still. A beat of silence, and Jowd said in a voice that was almost normal, “I don’t think I can paint that, though, Sissel. It was a little… high concept. I don’t think I’ve ever been a black hole before.”

“Oh, come on,” said Sissel, and narrowed his eyes at Jowd. “Everyone’s a critic.”

“Oh, but, but, I didn’t like it either,” Missile said, his voice unusually timid as he tentatively stood up and his tail began to swish again. “It was like when I was dead but before I was reborn, and even lonelier than I was until Miss Lynne found me again. I didn’t know you could do that. I didn’t know I remembered that! And I didn’t like remembering!”

“Um, well… sorry.” Sissel offered. “I didn’t know I could do that either.” They sat in silence for a moment before Jowd broke it with a snort of laughter.

“Imagine how Cabanela would react, though,” Jowd said, his voice dreamy. “Wish he could have seen.”

“And Miss Alma too?” Missile asked.

“No.” Jowd swallowed hard. “No, probably not. She… doesn’t need to remember that. And not Cabanela either, really.”

“Actually…” Sissel said, the words coming slow as he thought out loud, “I think I could show them, though. Or something like it.”

“What do you mean?” Jowd asked, his attention sharpening.

“Been thinking about it lately,” Sissel said. “I think maybe my powers are starting to change, like Ray said his did. They’ve had a more…visual feel to them from the beginning—”

“What does that mean?” Jowd cut in.

“Uh…” Sissel looked to Missile. “You know what I mean, right? Like instead of just moving through space on the phone wires it’s almost like you’re watching it on a screen?”

“Sissel,” Missile said very seriously, and sat back down with his tongue hanging out and his nose quivering, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Well, whatever. Anyway, it feels like, lately, moving in phone calls has been a little more constrained? Or something. So I’ve been wanting to experiment a little bit with pictures. On the TV, maybe.”

“You’re taking too much after Kamila,” Jowd said, voice indulgent. “Or she is after you, I don’t know which.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re great influences on each other,” Sissel said. “Anyway, I bet if I were to try possessing the TV, I’d be able to use the pictures it makes.”

Jowd raised an eyebrow at Sissel and stood, holding Missile in one arm and picking up the cat’s inert body with the other so he could maintain their three-way contact as he stepped away from the easel. “Well, I don’t feel like painting anymore after that anyway. Want to go try? I’ve got an idea for something I want you to show Cabanela—it’ll scare the scarf right off him.”

“Uh, I guess. You two are as weird as ever,” Sissel said, hopping to a spirit core on Missile’s collar. “I don’t think what I did before is going to come through as well on a TV though.”

“That’s all right,” Jowd said, a little too quickly. “Let’s start…a little smaller. Maybe instead of a black hole…a doughnut.”

“I want a doughnut!” Missile said, and began to wriggle fiercely, swimming through the air in his eagerness. “Let’s go Sissel! I want to see your best doughnut!”

“Oh boy,” Sissel said. “I guess this is going to open up all sorts of strange new tricks, huh?”

“I can hardly wait,” Jowd said, and carried both of them down the stairs to begin practicing.

#ghost trick #ghost trick spoilers #ghost swap 2023 #writing af

[runekirikjartan]

Aledolfo + Valeria Thoughts Pre-MW2 Campaign.

Alejandro, Rodolfo and Valeria were in a poly-relationship prior to Valeria deciding she was okay with working for La Araña.

Rodlofo understood why Valeria did it, but that doesn't mean he forgives her for what the betrayal and disappearance did to Alejandro.

The initial disappearing act Valeria pulled actually caused Alejandro and Rodolfo to take a break from each other-

Alejandro chose anger and violence, often spending time in the gym on base than with Rodolfo.

Anger brought Rodolfo nothing but pain when he was younger so he chose to withdraw instead and focus on his work instead.

They forgot how to make time for each other.

It took one of them almost dying (Alejandro) to get their asses back into gear and to realize they were still in love with each other.

After Alejandro recovered Rudy drove them out to the safehouse where Rodolfo set up a ladder and got both he and Alejandro up onto the roof to watch the sunset, home cooked food in a basket and a bottle of tequila that they promised to open when they retired.

Alejandro's biggest fear is giving an order that'll get Rodolfo killed during a mission; dying on a mission is expected, their line of work isn't safe, but there's a difference between someone getting a lucky shot and Alejandro being the one who instructed Rodolfo to his death.

Rodolfo's biggest fear is that something will drive Alejandro back into that state where anger and violence were the only things on his mind.

Missing Valeria:

Alejandro may have been closer to her as a friend, but Rodolfo still mourns her deeply as a lover. She had understood him in a way that Alejandro didn't, never picked on his quiet focused anger, or teased him when he didn't feel like being talkative or friendly.

Alejandro doesn't know whether or not she'll survive their next meeting if Rodolfo isn't there to mediate, the betrayal makes him feel like shit, why weren't they good enough, why wasn't being good, good enough? When did Valeria decided that they, and Las Almas deserved to burn?

Rodolfo dreams about her sometimes and gets upset when he wakes, then feels guilty about it because he doesn't want to burden Alejandro with thoughts about her.

Alejandro wonders what would've happened if they weren't soldiers and if the three of them would still be together.

Rodolfo had rings for them both, expensive things he'd spent a portion of his savings on, the band on Alejandro's is thick and black, inlaid with two gems, one the colour of valeria's eyes, another the colour of his own. The matching set for Valeria is similar in concept, a diamond flanked by smaller gems of the same colours, her eyes swapped for Alejandro's.

They sit forgotten underneath the floorboards in a safehouse that they don't use anymore. (Alejandro doesn't know about them).

some bonus headcanons under the cut-

Valeria headcanons:

Alejandro had wormed his way into her heart, past all her defenses without even being phased by them. She hates that she felt so deeply for them.

She takes her coffee the same way Rodolfo has it because he always made it so nice- it reminds her of him.

Rodolfo had been kind to her even before their relationship when he didn't like her, a part of her misses him dearly, even if she knows he will not forgive her.

She has one of Alejandro's old cufflinks where it fell into her things while she was packing.

She has a series of polaroid pictures that Rodolfo took of her and Alejandro tucked away; she hates that she and Alejandro look so in love.

Rodolfo made her a crocheted blanket one day in winter when she complained it was cold and she still uses it even without them warming her sides.

Occasionally she remembers that she was jealous of the devotion Rodolfo gives, always steady and present, then she remembers that Rodolfo had also offered her the same when they were together.

[NSFW] The most memorable thing Rodolfo left her was a set of teeth prints on her inner thigh when he was eating her out.

She thinks Alejandro is far too good of a man to ever be a part of the cartel, and she never would've asked it for him.

#alejandro vargas x rodolfo parra x valeria garza #alejandro vargas #alejandro vargas x valeria garza #alejandro vargas x rodolfo parra #valeria garza x rodolfo parra #alejandro vargas mw2 #rodolfo parra mw2 #rodolfo parra #valeria garza mw2 #mexican murder husbands and wife #mexican murder husbands #valeria x rodolfo x alejandro #alejandro x valeria #rodolfo x valeria

[gamerbearmira]

Protective...huh 🤨

hey guyyyysssss <333 I'm currently writing for this au and. I wanna share.

Also writing is the only thing distracting me from the fact that I'm sick lmao

Lea get it

-----

The sun shone into the nursery of Casita, indicating the early morning. Mirabel cracked open her eyes, groggily reaching for her glasses as she yawned. The newly-turned 5 year old slid them onto her face, stretching as she looked around. So it wasn't a nightmare. She really was still in the nursery. Her ceremony did fail. She had no gift, no door. She wasn't like her family. Wasn't special.

Mirabel's eyes welled up with tears as she looked around. Her things still in boxes because she had been too sad that she never got to unpack and put it all back. Her ceremony dress thrown onto the other, empty and stripped bed, from when her mama helped her change into her night gown.

Looking at her ceremony dress she sniffed. What went wrong? She was a good girl, right? She was nice, helped her family and the townspeople, and always shared. So what happened?

Looking at the clock it read 8:00 a.m; an hour later than usual, she had missed waking up her family. She could already tell because she could hear some movement happening within Casita, voices too.

Mirabel frowned as she started to cry. What had she done to deserve this? She held her face in her hands, letting the tears fall. She heard Casita flip some tiles, but she didn't move. A moment later, she heard the door open. Looking up, she saw it was her abuela. Mirabel looked at her for a moment before looking away. She saw her abuela's look, she looked sad. She must be upset Mirabel didn't get a gift.

Mirabel stared at her covers as Alma sat down. She didn't look up.

"Mirabel?" Alma asked softly, moving one of her hands to cover Mirabel's small one. Mirabel didn't say anything. "Mirabel can you look at me please?" Alma asked.

Mirabel slowly looked up, glassy eyes meeting her grandmothers gentle ones. She didn't look upset or mad. Not disappointed or weirded out like Mirabel had thought. She looked a little happy if anything.

"I'm sorry," Mirabel quietly sobbed while looking at Alma. "I'm sorry I didn't get a gift. It's my fault the candle flickered," Mirabel cried, holding her Abuela's hand, looking down at it.

Alma frowned, and lifted Mirabel's face up, cupping her chubby cheeks in her hands. After using her thumbs to wipe away her tears, she kissed Mirabel on the forehead. Mirabel looked up to her Abuela in shock.

"Its not your fault. None of it was. It was that mean old candle," Alma said, and Mirabel giggled a bit at Alma's lighthearted teasing. Alma smiled as she picked up Mirabel, pulling her into her lap. "You are a gift yourself Mirabel, never forget that. You didn't fail anyome and you didn't mess up."

"Really? I'm not broken?" Mirabel asked and Alma shook her head.

"No. You are perfect the way you are. I promise," Alma said and Mirabel smiled as she hugged her Abuela. "Now. I've got a surprise for you. But first, we have to get you ready."

Mirabel's face lit up, a surprise? For her? She watched as she grandmother reached to her side and pulled something from her other side. A small, flat box. Alma handed it to the girl and she looked at it confused.

"What's this?" Mirabel questioned, looing at the neatly wrapped box.

"A birthday present," Alma said. She knew Mirabel's birthday was the day before but...she wanted to redo it. Do it right, everything had to go right. It had to be perfect.

"For me?" Mirabel as and Alma nodded. Mirabel look down, gently opening the box. She beamed at the present. It was a brand new dress. In her favorite color too! She usually wore clothes that were like her mama; after a Madrigal children got their gift, clothes that hinted their gift would be made and given to them. Mirabel wasn't given that chance but now...

"Just for you mariposa," Alma said, helping Mirabel pull it all the way out. "I know its early but I know you've been wanting one so..." Alma trailed off as Mirabel looked at it in glee.

"It's perfect!" Mirabel smiled, hugging her Abuela tightly.

"I'm glad you like it. Now, let's get you ready," Alma said and she got up. She helped her granddaughter change into her new dress, carefully tying her white ribbon into her hair after gently brushing it while humming to the small girl. Casita helped the girl put her shoes on as she excitedly hopped around the room, continuously asking her Abuela what her surprise was, though she wouldn't say.

"Are you ready to see your surprise?" Alma asked as she went to the door.

"Mhm!" Mirabel hummed happily, completely forgetting about what had happened the night before.

"Close your eyes," Alma said and Mirabel cover her eyes. Once she did, Mirabel felt Alma's gentle hands guide her to somewhere in Casita, still on the second floor. She could hear her family walking around and some giggling probably from Camilo or Luisa. "Ready?"

Mirabel giggled and nodded.

"Tres...dos...uno...surprise!" Alma shouted and so did the rest of the family (though not too loud so as to not scare or hurt Dolores). Mirabel removed her hands and gawked at the sight in front of her.

Her family surrounded her, all smiling happily as they presented the surprise. The were decorations like the day before, just more refreshed; Isabela had even sprouted a flower crown on Mirabel's head of her favorite flowers. She could smell her favorite food downstairs in the dining room, much to her pleasant surprise.

There was a banner with Mirabel's name in various colors, with butterflies painted on (those were Camilo's idea), and it hung above a door frame. A blank door. Her door frame. There, as if it hadn't simply vanished the night before. The swirling gold and sparkles emitted off of it, shining in Mirabel's eyes.

"Well? What do you think?" Alma asked her granddaughter. Alma had done this last night. She had even gotten up early, earlier than Julieta even to help get everything set up again. Once she filled in the family on what she was planning, they were all in. None of then questioned how Mirabel's door came back giving her a second chance at getting a room. They had let the girl sleep in, not only because she might have been tired, but also because they wanted to get more things set up for her in order to surprise her.

"I...I love it! Its awesome! Muchos gracias!" Mirabel smiled brightly as she clapped her hands and her family wished her (another) happy birthday. Mirabel practically tackled her abuela's knees, hugging her tightly. "Gracias Abuela, for giving me another chance," she said cuddling into Alma, the older woman happily reciprocating the hug.

"Of course Mirabel," Alma said. "You deserve it."

-----

Don't look too hard guys, major cringe alert 🤓

Everyday is a struggle not to spam you all with content from protective, housebroken, mario, papatonio and cocooned.

Everyday I am fighting for my life. Been thinking about making a one shot book that features things I write for the aus on this blog. With credit of course.

OK BYE GUYSSSS ILL SEE YOU LATER

(❀ฺ´∀`❀ฺ)ﾉ

#my asks are open #my asks #encanto #encanto au #au #encanto mirabel #encanto alma #protective madrigals au #a classic au if you will #shout out to the ones who have been here when I only had like 4 or 5 aus #i mean technically I still have 4 or 5 aus but #you get it #back when those were the only I talked about and posted about #I should post more about them #if I were to out this on ao3 #it would probably be called #where the daffodils grow #also #if I were to turn this into a story. are we thinking #regular protective OR cutthroat protective

[huntinglove]

hii, Ghosty! maybe 5, 8 and 17 from ‘this or that’ ask meme? :)

Hi hi!! Thank you so much for the ask!!

5. Hugs from behind or hugs from the front?

I prefer hugs from behind, both giving and receiving!! It's nice to be able to lean my head on their back and surprise them with a hug, never fails to make them flustered!!

Charlie prefers hugs from the front! He likes being able to see my face whenever he hugs me, he thinks it's cute whenever I squish my cheeks while I lean my head into his chest, it makes his heart beat faster, it's adorable!

Mychael prefers hugs from the front, he doesn't like being surprised, especially when it involves being touched without warning. Sometimes he'll close his sweater around me and "trap" me in a hug, it's sweet!

Alma prefers hugs from the back, especially giving them! They're not actually able to touch me, but having that cold sensation all around let's me know that they're being affectionate with me, plus having their voice so close to my ear when they do it is quite nice!

8. Constantly bragging about dating each other or keeping the relationship relatively secretive?

I prefer bragging! I'm not super vocal about it, unless people approach me with romantic interest, but I definitely don't hide my relationships and love for all of my beloveds in any way shape or form!

Charlie prefers bragging, quietly! He loves being able to say that I'm his boyfriend/girlfriend/joyfriend, when asked about it! Plus he's always holding on to me whenever we walk together, even if just by our pinkie fingers being entwining and dangling as we walk!

Mychael prefers bragging, not that there'd be anyone else to tell, but he really enjoys calling himself my boyfriend and learning about human relationships! He has so many romantic ideas for us to try out, it's always wonderful!!

Alma prefers to be secretive, mostly for my sake! Sure people believe that the campus is haunted, but if I suddenly just started talking about being in love with them people would be entirely freaked out, to say the least...

17. Love at first sight or slow burn?

I prefer love at first sight! When I fall, I fall hard! No holding back on my end, it's very easy for me to become infatuated, especially when it comes to my beloveds, they just have an instant grasp on my heart and I absolutely love it!

Charlie prefers love at first sight! The whole idea is very comforting to him, which makes our relationship so much more enjoyable and comforting for him! It's easy for him to catch feelings, even to extreme extents so knowing that we feel the same way about one another makes him very happy!

Mychael prefers slow burns! He feels like love is something that needs to be nourished and cared for, before allowing it to take over his heart! He can care about people fairly quickly, but feeling a crush build up is another story, it took a good while before he was able to confess his feelings for me!

Alma prefers love at first sight! They say that sometimes you just know when things are meant to be, especially when you're as connected with otherworldly influences as they are! Even if they're a bit shy about it, the feelings are still present and strong whenever we're together!

#✯ lovely asks #❥ strawberry flavored kisses #❥ love at first spore #❥ haunt my heart

[toaverse]

Oh I don't mean seer. I mean Luisa is Bruno's Daughter type AU. Maybe even she's an outcast for being his daughter.

"oh no, Bruno ruins the future but Luisa will ruin your present!"

Oh O.O

Bruno knew that the townspeople and even some of the family thought he was a bad omen, a freak that only brought bad futures to everyone...

So he hoped his daughter, Luisa, wouldn't have to deal with the same things he had when she got her gift.

The townspeople already call her the cursed child...

Luisa's gift ceremony arrived, and she got the gift of super strength.

Alma immediately put the 5 year old's gift to use, making her do chores around town.

Unfortunately, given that Luisa was Bruno's daughter, this got the townspeople gossiping about the girl, saying that the town now had the most useful Madrigal.

Alma took advantage of this...

Whenever the townspeople asked for a building to be moved, or anything else, Alma and Pepa would demand Luisa to go fix it...

"Luisa, the townspeople need you." Alma said to the girl when the family were in the middle of eating dinner.

"No Luisa, you can't eat lunch with us until you collect the donkeys and move the church again." Pepa said to her niece, annoyed at the girl's presence. "Now go help them, go away."

Julieta and bruno instantly noticed this, and decided to adres it. Julieta asked them to be nice to Luisa, while Bruno called Alma and Pepa out for demanding physical labor of a child.

But of course, Alma and Pepa denied that, saying that the town needed their gifts, and said that Luisa had the most useful gift.

But Bruno didn't buy that.

#green Luisa au #luisa madrigal #bruno madrigal #alma madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #toaverse answers #answered ask #encanto au

[b-afterhours]

Avenue of Sins: Neon

A Sequel to Avene of Sins

SUMMARY: ‘90s. It’s the aftermath. Jaded, Bill and Alma navigate their new lives as they try to drag themselves out of the dark debacherous trenches they had once ensnared themselves in. It’s easy to forget their evils when a silver lining introduces itself into their lives but can they create a less hedonistic life that would be just as satisfying?

WARNINGS: adult content, mature readers only.

The completed first series can be read and found here.

Chapter Thirteen

April 1993

They were in the living room, enjoying the rest of their evening indoors after a homemade dinner. Chicken tinga tostadas, something easy Alma managed to make in the slow cooker. The spring rain showers were in full effect now and lightning flickered occasionally through the drawn-open curtains that looked out to the porch. The rumbling thunder seemed to unsettle Echo a little until Bill distracted her with a gift. In his large luggage of curiosities, he had brought along something for her as well. 

Holding the gift behind his back, he crouched down and presented a little disco ball on a standing base to his daughter. She smiled happily and reached out to touch it. When he flipped a switch on the bottom, lights on the base lit up, the disco ball began to rotate, and specks of refracted light danced around the room. Her eyes lit up and she clapped happily following the specks covering the space around them. 

“Remember? The big one at Papa’s job?” He asked, and she nodded as he spoke. “I made it tiny for you so I could bring it with me so that you can have it.” 

“Say thank you, Echo.” Alma paused, brushing her damp hair from her shower. They had to take turns. They were fully planning on taking one together until Echo woke from her nap just as soon as Bill turned the faucet on. She let him go first. 

“T’ank you, Papa.” 

“You’re welcome, honey.” He said placing the disco ball next to her and getting up to sit beside Alma on the couch. 

He flipped through the TV channels looking for something to watch until he passed up some cartoon programs, and Echo motioned for him to go back. She then went on to be distracted by the disco ball, but he didn’t change the channel because he already knew she’d say something. Instead, Alma put her feet up on his lap to finally show him her matching pedicure and manicure she had gotten the day prior. They were just nicely filed in a short shape with rounded corners, painted with black polish, and the high-shine top coat made them look sleek. It was a birthday gift from both Ulyssa and Ash and it was nice to have some girl time with them at the salon. Bill complimented them and then he gripped the second toe on her foot and pulled, popping her joint. 

“Ow,” she said lightly, kicking his side with her other, which made him chuckle. 

Eventually, Alma decided to bring her schoolwork from the dining table to the living room. He watched her carry her bag over, mostly because she was wearing tight biker shorts with a shirt she had tied off in the front and he wanted to stare at her ass. He would peer at her homework and just see her penciling down a bunch of math formulas and occasionally she tapped on the loud calculator keys she had resting on her thigh. Because they spoke on the phone, he knew she was doing well in class. She even called him when she got the results of her midterms the month before to tell him she passed. Other than being excited over her good grades, she would always mention how boring it was. Admittedly, even to him, it looked boring. 

As she finished, she placed all her things back in her backpack along with her prescription glasses. His brows furrowed and then he frowned. 

“Don’t you need those to drive?” He said side-eyeing her. 

She drew the string of her bucket bag tight before slowly turning to look at him. Bill complaining about her driving was mostly a cop-out. Sure, once she dented the frame of his old car because she went over a curb and it pissed him off really badly. What he was actually worried about was her getting into a wreck. In fact, it terrified him. His mother passed away in a head-on collision. It was really ugly, based on what he had learned from his brothers. They were old enough to remember it better than he could. He couldn’t even remember receiving the news, his mind had just blacked all of it out. 

“I forgot them...” 

“What the fuck?” He scoffed.

“I’m not blind, Bill. I can see… just not well.” 

“You’re so fucking stubborn,” he said, shaking his head with a disapproving frown. 

Alma rolled her eyes. “Well…” she shrugged and then cuddled into his side. “I’m getting contacts. I’m just waiting for the optometrist to finally call so I can pick them up.” 

“Maybe… don’t. You’ll be able to see how I really look.” He joked. 

“I can see up close. I’ve accepted how you looked a long time ago,” she said, which made him chuckle. “I just use them to concentrate. I only ever used them when I was in school to see the blackboard.” 

Bill’s mind went back to those days that seemed like a lifetime ago now. “Weren’t you in Strathburg for the 10-year reunion?”

“Ugh, no. But it doesn’t fucking matter if I did or not half our class goes to the one bar in town. The ones who never left… It's grim. When you were there, you didn’t see anyone from school?” 

“No, but I also wasn’t looking. I saw your dad, though.” 

Echo got up from her spot on the floor, looking sleepy, and crawled up into her father’s lap and rested her head on his chest. Both of his girls were cuddling into him and he felt his heart warm. 

“What did he say?” 

“Nothing really,” he lied. The old man wasn’t too thrilled to see him. “But speaking of him. When was the last time you talked to him?” 

“Eh, earlier this year.” It was just a call she made to give him proof of life but they ended up speaking a bit. He was happy to hear she had gone back to school and then he spoke about some new chickens he was raising. However, Bill asking her if she had or not made her nervous, and she was glad he couldn’t see her face well as it was buried in the crook of his arm against the soft sweater he wore. Since he learned that she still hadn’t told her father about Echo, she was worried that’s why he was asking because she still hadn’t. 

“I just want to put some bullshit aside before we get into your birthday festivities,” he said, looking down, noticing his daughter's eyes getting heavier. “I’m planning on calling him soon about the property.” 

“Okay…” 

“I know you haven’t told him. You would have told me you did by now.” He said adjusting his body now to hold on to his sleepy baby better. Alma chose to just sit up then. “But,” he sighed. “I’m willing to tell him myself if you want me to.” He figured it would be better if he did so that she wouldn’t have to go through with revealing Echo’s existence twice. It was one reason, the other was that he felt as a man, he should tell the father of the daughter he knocked up himself. Maybe her father wouldn’t be too happy about it, but at least he could respect the fact that he owned up to it. 

Alma looked a bit uncomfortable. She had no idea how her father would react. He was an even-tempered man, even if he could be grumpy. That just came with age, though. She’d only seen him mad a handful of times in her life, though it was never directed at her or her mother. Would he be mad? She thought. She was a grown, almost 31-year-old woman. Even if she had to sneak around, she had done whatever she wanted since before she left for college. However, a father is a father at the end of the day. 

“Is that okay with you?” Bill asked again when she hadn’t spoken. She just looked tranced as she looked at the disco ball in front of them. “Actually. I want to do it, but I just want to know what you think?” 

She swallowed hard. “Well… okay. Yeah, tell him.”

“Okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine with it,” she said, turning to him with more confidence in her voice now. “Just deliver it well. I don’t want him to have a heart attack or something. He’s almost 78,” she warned. 

“Shit!” Bill grimaced. “Okay,” he nodded. “That’s all.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Unless you need to tell me something?” He said it sarcastically, but he was slightly worried he never knew with her.

“Hmm,” she furrowed her brows, thinking if she should ask him what she was wondering. “Can I ask when was the last time you heard about your dad?” She asked cautiously. She knew he hadn’t spoken to him since he left Strathburg but he was in contact with his brothers enough to at least know something.

He slightly looked away for a moment, now tranced by the disco ball in thought. He began to speak when he felt Alma put her hand over his. “Well, uh, I don’t know much but I’ve heard he lives in west Texas, working on a ranch. I think? And that he lives in a commune? I don’t fucking know.” He shook his head with a slight sneer on his face. 

“A commune?” 

“Yeah,” he sighed incredulously.

“Ugh. What a dickhead.” She said he just nodded in agreement, looking down at his daughter and brushing her hair away from her face. “I was just wondering…”

“That’s okay,” he said gently as she spoke.

“I don’t like to talk about him either.” She probably couldn’t ever hate her boyfriend's father to the same degree as he did but it was pretty damn close. “When she goes to sleep, will you show me what you brought in the luggage?” She asked, changing the subject. 

He shook his head and smirked. “I’m amazed it’s taken until now to ask that. You didn’t peek when I was in the shower?” 

“I was too busy with her to try,” she chuckled. 

“You’ll see when we go to the hotel,” he said, getting up cautiously to put their daughter down in bed and to leave further questioning concerning her gifts. 

…

Bill was loading the Jeep with the bags Alma had packed to take to the luxury hotel he had booked for the weekend. Alma was in her last class of the week, so to get everything packed, he put Echo in her car seat and hurried to carry everything from the apartment. Alma had suggested that they should load the car before taking her to class but he felt he could just do it himself. He was slightly regretting that now.

Before leaving, he called Ulyssa to ask if she had gotten decorations for the bar; they would all be on the day of Alma’s birthday. She had also helped him with suggestions for restaurants he could take her to. When she answered, she was coughing a bit since the phone startled her while she was smoking a joint as she made a late dinner of butter noodles. He had wired her two hundred dollars—way more than she could use unless he wanted the whole dive bar filled with so many balloons that no one could see each other's faces anymore. The call was brief. He was standing on the porch with the new wireless phone Alma had bought, so he was able to smoke a cigarette and keep an eye on the Jeep in the driveway. She even offered to give the leftover money back, even though she knew he wouldn’t take it. It just felt weird to receive it, and she wondered if he had so much money that he just forgot the cost of things, never having to worry about it. 

Bill drove around the neighborhood with Echo, killing some time before having to pick up Alma. He looked at the houses in the area and was just trying to understand how to actually really get around and soon he was neighborhoods away and a little lost. He was at a stop sign, thinking of which way to turn to get on the main road and back on track. He lowered the volume of the music that was playing and turned to look at his daughter, who was chewing on a teething toy. 

“You’re from here, Echo. Which way should I turn?” He turned back, tapping his thumb on the steering wheel. “Maybe. I should actually go straight. Right?” He said this to himself as he chewed on his bottom lip.

“Go, Papa,” Echo urged because all she realized was that they had been sitting at the stop sign for a while now. 

He went straight ahead and eventually found his way to the community center, where Alma had class. She stood there speaking to a woman and an older guy, whom he assumed were classmates of hers. She noticed her Jeep coming into the parking lot and said bye to them as she walked down the sidewalk to meet the vehicle. Just like the last time he picked her up from class, she noticed him chuckling to himself through the windshield, and she lightly rolled her eyes.

“What’s so funny?” She said, tossing her backpack in the car before she got in herself. Usually, he would open the door for her but she didn’t give him the chance. 

“It's just so weird to see you talking to your classmates and with your backpack on.” 

“Is it because I’m old and look like some school kid?” 

“'Cause you look like some school kid,” he said, kissing her. “Not because you're old, those are your words.”

“Mhmm,” she grumbled. “We got out a little early today. Review day and no homework,” she said happily. A little birthday luck started a little early for her, it seemed. 

After picking up sushi takeout, they arrived at the luxury hotel, and the bellhops were swift with grabbing their things to take up to the room. Soon, they were walking through the swank lobby after the Jeep was valeted. The marble floors almost looked wet with how shiny they were. Alma and Echo went to look at the fountain in the center of the lobby while Bill spoke to the receptionist to check in. She noticed an older couple looking over at them briefly. They were in well-tailored designer clothing, and she knew they were judging her. Bill and her were dressed similarly. Doc Martens, black jeans, and black shirts, but hers she had cropped the hem off with scissors. Only the woman’s eyes lingered on her, but she stared back with bored contempt until the woman backed down first. Bitch, Alma thought. 

“Ready?” She heard Bill ask behind her, and she turned to him. Pushing her hair back with a smile and a nod. 

They were up several floors, and Bill took Echo from Alma’s arms for her to walk in first on her own. It was beautiful. The living area had floor-to-ceiling windows, as did the room once she found herself in there. She turned to look at him with a playful smile when she saw a jacuzzi in the room as well. Bill just smiled at her, thinking about all they could do in it while he set his daughter on her feet. She would only be with them for the first night. He hated that he was sacrificing time with her, but he noticed in conversations with Alma that she needed some kind of break. With work, school, and taking care of her daughter, it seemed like it had been wearing on her. While she wouldn’t admit it, he could sense it, especially after Echo’s accident she seemed more on edge. 

She loved her daughter, but she had only ever spent one night away from her since she was born. The night she spent with Bill when he first came to Seattle. Echo would be away for two nights and about a day and a half. It made her a bit anxious.

“What do you think? Do you like it, E’?” Alma asked her as she ran past her legs to look out the windows in the bedroom and look at the city lights and the bay. 

“Cute!” She said ecstatically agreeing with her mother, which made her laugh a little. 

“Very cute!” She watched her daughter run over to the bed but it was too tall for her to get up on her own. 

“Up? Up, Mommy,” she said to her before she assisted her on the plush bed. 

“Comfy?” She asked, and her daughter just flashed her a delighted smile. “We probably need to get you a big girl bed soon, huh?” 

She joined her, sitting down to take her little pink Converse shoes off. Bill was in the living area, listening to their conversation and giggles as he placed their food on the bar in the kitchenette area. He liked that he could do these things for his girlfriend but also now for his daughter. One day she’ll be grown up and suitors couldn’t impress her with the bare minimum to win her affection. Alma liked that too—that her daughter wouldn’t ever accept anything less. 

It was near Echo’s bedtime by the time her parents ate, but they let her stay up with them a bit. She was looking at their sushi curiously, but Alma felt she was maybe too little for raw fish, so she gave her shrimp tempura to try and chicken katsu with steamed rice. She was satisfied with that and the apple juice her mother diluted with water. They were just about done eating when Alma noticed that Echo was falling asleep as she nibbled on a piece of shrimp, which made her laugh. She was trying to fight sleep, waking up and nibbling some more until her eyes got heavy again. 

She was fussy when Alma cleaned up her face and hands, even more so as she tried to change her into pajamas. She gave up when she started kicking her legs to prevent her from doing so, and so she was just left in her diaper to sleep in. As she swaddled her, she asked Bill for his help with arranging the pillows on the edge of the bed as a barrier for their child. Over dinner, they had agreed to go down to the bar in the lobby for a nightcap. 

“Just an hour,” Alma stressed as they walked out and pulled on the door handle to make sure the door was locked. 

“We have the monitor,” he said, showing her before putting it in his back pocket. “I just want to check it out. We have our bottles in the room.” 

They sat at the very end of the dim light bar. A bartender wearing a black vest and bowtie had come to ask them if they would like another drink. Bill looked at his wristwatch, they had time for one more. They kept the monitor between them and occasionally Alma would lift it to her ear, making sure Echo wasn’t crying or had woken up. 

“Anyway,” she said, continuing her story about a customer from the record shop. “I kept asking the guy, do you know what genre it was or, like, what decade it came out in at least? He had no clue and then he started humming some tune as if I could guess it that way.” 

“What did it sound like?” He chuckled. 

Alma hummed it to him after their drinks were set in front of them and Bill had paid. He leaned closer to her to hear the tune. It sounded like any generic four-beat tempo, and then he puffed out his bottom lip and shook his head, unfamiliar with the tune himself. 

“Yeah, I don’t know.” He said, taking a sip of his highball.

"Like, how the hell am I going to figure that out?” Alma laughed. “It’s like I get the idiot customers and Darby gets the loitering teens. I do try to help, but Jesus Christ,” she said face palming. “It’s the only thing I won’t miss.” 

Bill checked his watch in the middle of telling Alma about one of Payday’s new bits at the club. How she would messily apply red lipstick to male patron's lips and let them kiss her ass cheeks, charging them per lip print. Alma laughed. Men could be so easily persuaded into almost anything sometimes. Once they finished, he took her hand and led them to the lobby elevator. Bill noticed how fast she drank her French 75, she was anxious about leaving their daughter alone several floors up. They still had 20 minutes to spare if they had actually spent the whole hour at the bar.

“Um.” Someone a few paces behind them cleared their throat. “Excuse me?” 

Alma hit the elevator button to go up. They hadn’t bothered to turn around even after hearing whoever it was, because who would want their attention?

“Um, excuse me?” The person said a bit nervously now. 

Bill glanced at Alma before he turned his head. “Yes?” He said meeting the gaze of a young man and a young lady just behind them. Alma turned then and while the boy was intimidated by Bill's broad shoulders and height, her annoyed scowl scared him a bit more. 

“Are, uh, are you two in a band?” 

They were taken aback a bit and they both looked at each other for a second and smirked. “Mm, no.” 

“Oh, never mind then,” the young man said, slightly embarrassed. He turned to the girl, who was anxiously biting her black, varnished thumbnail. "See, I told you!” He said to her.

“Well, I thought they were, ass!” 

They heard her say back to him as they entered the elevator and felt free to finally laugh at them. 

“Do we look like we're in a band?” Bill asked, amused.

“Eh, it’s just the way we're dressed. That dork was wearing dockers,” she shrugged. 

Once they got in their room, Alma was the first to check on Echo. She sighed with relief, seeing that she was fine and hadn’t rolled off the bed like she kept worrying would happen. 

They went through their nightly routines and slipped into bed with their daughter in the middle of them in the king-sized bed. They had thought they’d have another drink and maybe fool around on the couch until they both caught each other yawning. Alma didn’t really ask for anything other than to spend time with him, but she did have two birthday requests of him. The first one, she wanted to go to JCPenney’s to take family photos. 

…

They had a slow morning. Alma noticed she woke before both Bill and Echo as she turned to face them. He had their daughter in his arms, lying on his chest. She smiled, adoring them both. They looked very similar, so at peace in each other's presence, even in their sleep. 

Though she hadn’t ever given it much thought before, she was glad it was him she had a child with. However, she couldn’t lie to herself because, deep down, there were moments in the past laying in bed high and restless, wondering what their child would look like if they ever had one. Those were just silly thoughts. Just like how a young girl would imagine who they’d marry and wonder about how many kids they’d have one day in the big magical house they’d conjure in their daydreams. Her dreams stopped at some point in her 20s because she was too self-involved and reckless, and cynical to think about things like that anymore. Then her dreams vanished, and the light left after that night in the old loft. Until now. Until only a few years ago, when her life changed just when she thought it was over. 

She carefully and silently slid out of bed for a moment to grab her camera from her bag and snapped a few shots of them. Pulling from the hem of her tank top, she took it off along with her underwear to take a shower. There was so much room, and it was nice not having to bump into the wall or a shower curtain like she often did in the one in her apartment. 

They were still asleep when she walked back out with her hair wrapped in a towel and wearing a fluffy robe. She looked at the clock then. 

“Shit,” she muttered, realizing it was just only 7am. Last night, she watched Bill close the curtains with a remote and assumed the blackout curtains were of high quality. That it was why it had been so dark, but now she can see some light peeking through from the bottom.

She laid back down next to them, cuddling into Bill’s side and holding his hand in hers, and decided to go back to sleep. 

When she woke again, it was because Bill nudged her awake as he stood next to her side of the bed with Echo in her little yellow bathrobe with prints of ducks on the terry cloth. He pointed to his side of the bed, where there was a bed tray with waffles and fresh-cut fruit for her. She smiled as she sat up.

“Morning,” she said to them as she grabbed the tray to put over her lap. “Where’s your food?” 

“We already ate,” he said. “And someone needed a bath,” he said, sitting her down on the bed. “I need to take one too because she peed on me,” he laughed. He woke up because of that, noticing he felt damp, and when he checked on his daughter, he saw that the blanket she was wrapped in was wet. 

“Aw, her diaper leaked?” Alma laughed. “Well, finally, I’m not the only piss pot in this family for once.” 

Echo laughed along with her parents, hardly knowing she was the reason they were. 

“Ah, Papa?” She called out for him as he was walking to the bathroom. Her mother quickly distracted her, asking if she wanted a blueberry from her plate. 

“Bluebie.” She said crawling closer to her mother.

~~~

“What time do we have to be at the photo place?” Bill had been out of his shower, fixing the crease in his trousers with an iron, while Echo lounged around the living room watching cartoons with him. Alma was in the bathroom doing her makeup and rolled her eyes. She had told him twice already. He had also asked her three separate times if he should shave off all his facial hair. After telling him he could do what he felt comfortable with, the third time she said yes, he decided to leave it alone and just trim it neatly. 

“One, thirty.”

He nodded his head to himself. She would pick a later time to be able to get ready at her pace. He waited a little bit and even let his curious daughter run into the room in her diaper and listened out to hear what Alma would say to her. It is better for her to bother her this time rather than him.

“I’m almost done, okay? And then we can start getting you pretty too!” She was applying mascara, she went a little lighter with her liner for the pictures. 

When Alma asked to take family photos, he originally cowered at the thought. It was different than Alma picking up her camera and taking a snapshot of him because she was behind the camera, but then he figured these were things you just do now. Over the phone, they would try to figure out what to wear or how to match. They thought about it too hard. Finally, Bill said they should just wear black like they always did. Why try to look wholesome when that’s not what they were? Better to look like themselves than one day cringe at how hard they tried to fit into some box they never belonged in. 

Bill walked into the bedroom, and Alma glanced at him, noticing that he was finally opening the luggage he brought. He could feel her gaze on him and he tilted his head in her direction.

“Any guesses?” 

“You’re showing me now?” She asked skeptically, as her birthday wasn’t until the following day.

“Yeah, I want Echo to see before she goes later.”  

Alma could see different textures of black fabric inside, but nothing discernible. Though she figured they had to be clothes. She had shaken it when packing for the hotel, and it hadn’t made any noise. 

“Just come in here,” Bill said, nodding his head back. He watched Alma pick up a dress from inside and she smiled. “Could you try them on for us?” He said, picking up Echo, who was standing by, holding on to his leg, wanting to know what was going on. 

“Even these?” She sarcastically asked, pointing to the lingerie that was also inside. One was a patent leather set. “Are you trying to get a piece off of my birthday too?”

He chuckled. “No,” he said, looking as if he might have gotten caught. “That’s for later. Wear them whenever, but I want you to wear one of these dresses for our dinner tomorrow.” 

“Okay. You know they have luxury boutiques here in Seattle too?” She said holding the slip dress in front of herself, feeling the material. The label had a long Belgian tag.

“Yeah,” he grumbled. “But it’s not like what I can get in New York.” 

“True,” she said, lifting another dress from the luggage. It was a Versace Bondage dress, and her eyes lit up at the details and intricacies of the garment. “You want me to wear this one to dinner?” She lightly laughed. 

Bill smiled. “Well, maybe not this one. You can wear this somewhere more exciting than a sit-down dinner.” 

She paused for a moment and looked up at him, meeting his mossy green eyes. “Why do you always like to dress me up?” She never minded that he did. He could be so cold sometimes and it was one of the sweet little gestures he made in the past, so she never questioned it. 

Bill bashfully pursed his lips. “Hm. I just like to see all the different things I can admire you in.” 

Alma gazed down, feeling her heart skip. She wasn’t expecting him to answer so sincerely. Admittedly, she had expected him to give a more dirty answer. 

“Put them on,” he said. “I want Echo to see how pretty her mommy is in her dresses,” he said, turning to her to kiss her little cheek and then leaning down to kiss Alma. 

He sat with Echo in the large wingback chair in the bedroom, speaking to her but also taking glances towards the bathroom, where Alma was in just red cotton panties as she slipped into the bondage dress first. Just to get it out of the way since she wouldn’t wear it out but knew he would like to see her in, even if for a moment. He smiled approvingly when she walked out to show him and so did her daughter, who reached out to touch the garment. Next, she tried the first dress, which fit looser, but the silk flowed over her curves nicely. He liked it too, she wore it just like he imagined when he bought it.

It was the last dress she tried on that she felt was the one she’d wear to dinner. It covered her body a bit more but the side paneling was sheer. It had a heart-shaped neckline and sheer sleeves. She smiled at herself in the bathroom mirror and even Bill could see that she had made her decision without her even having to voice it. 

Bill motioned for her to take a few steps closer to him when she came to show it off. He pulled her by her hip and smoothed the cool fabric of the skirt down before tugging the hem down to lay at her knees better. 

“This one, yeah?” He asked, looking up at her while she nodded. He directed her to turn around and he zipped the dress up the rest of the way up to the middle of her back. She felt his hand run along her bottom and then stopped to trace her panty line that he could see and feel through the garment. 

“I have different panties,” she said, looking at him over her shoulder. 

“I know,” or you could wear none, he finished his statement in his head. He smiled, leaning back as he scratched his ear. “What do you think, E’?” 

“Cute, Mama!” She giggled. 

Alma kissed the top of her little head as a thank you. “Can I show you what I got myself for my birthday? Just really quick.” She said walking over to her sleepover bag. 

He looked at her ass in the dress as she bent down. If their daughter wasn’t there—no, he thought to himself. Not wanting his mind to wander. She walked back, taking the lid off a square jewelry box. Inside were a pair of thick, two-inch gold hoop earrings, and he complimented them.

“I’m wearing them for the pictures,” she said, smiling at them. “Speaking of, we need to get ready now.” 

They were sharply dressed inside the department store. They were right behind a family of five who were all dressed in starched light-wash denim button-ups. Alma was wearing a dress that had been hanging in her closet. An off-the-shoulder dress with sleeves and a skirt that reached mid-thigh that she wore with sheer black pantyhose and simple black pumps. Bill was in a black button-down and a relaxed blazer with nicely fitted trousers he had added his wallet chain to while wearing the Louboutin Chelsea boots. Echo wore a black velvet long-sleeve dress, the peter-pan collar had white lace trim, as did the cuffs. She had on white stockings with Mary Janes.  

While they waited, Alma held a mirror compact and checked the reddish-brown lip color she had on and her blown-out hair that she had side parted, one side pinned back to show off a hoop earring. Bill was trying to keep his daughter from pulling out the half-updo Alma had done for her. He was chewing a piece of gum anxiously. He really wanted a cigarette and was doing his best to take a break but the situation wasn’t helping. Alma held her hand out, noticing the chewing, and then put it closer to his face when he gave her a strange look. The wad of gum landed in her palm from his mouth and then she stuck it underneath the chair they were sitting in. 

Thankfully, it was finally their turn, and the denim family looked at them curiously in passing. The wife side-eyed her husband with disapproval, noticing how he looked at Alma’s cleavage. 

The photographer had Alma and Bill take turns sitting side-turned on a wooden box with Echo in their lap while the other sat on a slightly higher box. They both would check each other to make sure their hair was still in place, or he would reach to fix the nameplate necklace on Alma or Echo’s bracelet. There was only one pose Bill didn’t want to do, which was his girls facing forward, and he stood behind with his hands on Alma’s shoulders. It felt too authoritative to him. Alma disapproved of them sitting on the floor, thinking it would look too casual for how they were dressed. They took a few more of them, all standing at an angle toward the camera. Bill held on to Echo while Alma stood behind facing them holding his arm and then a few in reverse. They took some alone with their daughter and ended the shoot with just some individuals of her. 

It was over and generally painless after all. Echo cooperated well, responding to all the tricks the photographer pulled to get her to smile. Sometimes it felt like the photographer was even trying to get them to smile brighter too. It also helped that Bill let Echo have a few Skittles occupying her hands away from her hair while they waited so she could ham it up for the camera.

Bill stood with Echo while Alma discussed photo sizes and found it amusing when the woman was shocked that she asked for all the photos that were taken to be developed. It seemed to him that most people would choose to pay for their favorite ones. Alma turned to him when asked for payment. He opened his wallet with one hand and told her to grab the credit card. He caught the cashier’s thin brows raised, noticing the thick wad of money inside, and snapped it closed once Alma grabbed the card to hand to the girl. 

She signed his name on the receipt and then tucked the card in a cup of her strapless bra while the woman gave her a pick-up date. The cashier found them curious too. She watched the family leave, obviously, they were rich, but why were they taking lousy department store photos when they could hire real professionals? While they hadn’t treated the experience as a joke, the money she saw in the wallet made her think that it maybe was. 

…

With Alma’s directions, Bill was driving to Yolani’s place, which he quickly learned was a duplex. Before they had walked around the mall a bit so that Echo could play in the children's area while they watched with fruit smoothies from Orange Julius. Alma knew he didn’t want to spend time away from their daughter, especially on a visit, but he was doing so for her. For her birthday week, which felt odd because she hadn’t really properly celebrated it in some years. She figured it was as good an excuse as any for him to make a trip. However, she felt a little remorseful because she was once again a reason why he couldn’t spend time with Echo. 

What she was failing to see was herself in all of it. That his visits were more than just him wanting to spend time with his daughter but also with her too. Being a mother, sometimes she didn’t feel seen, but rather the extension of herself was more well-received and more receptive. It was the innocence. She wasn’t in competition with her daughter by any means but it seemed like people asked about how she was more than herself. Recently, Alma had just felt like an afterthought to most people. In experiencing that, she felt a bit isolated. She went through the motions of motherhood because that was what was expected of her, and that was what her daughter needed from her as well. 

There was no time to be selfish, no time to be alone, no time to do what she wanted. At least not really. When Bill would make his visits, it eased her. He wanted to be with her, he saw her, he wanted her time, and he gave her the attention she craved. Then he would be gone again. It was wearing down on her. The life she made in Seattle was starting to feel hollow, despite how much she liked the little community she had enmeshed herself in. 

“Here on the left,” Alma said to Bill, and he slowed down. 

He pulled into a driveway and turned around to park on the curb closest to the house. He took the time to get Echo’s baby bag and herself out of the car for her overnight stay. 

Yolani answered the door after Alma had knocked and her brows raised seeing how she was dressed up. She had always thought she was pretty, but seeing her body in the dress she was still wearing from the family photoshoot was different. She was used to her in jeans and baggy shirts or oversized cardigans that usually hid her body. She had noticed, however, that she was slowly phasing away from the clothes that had obscured her body since her visit to New York. Today’s outfit was just a massive jump from that. 

“Don’t you look nice!” Yolani said, pulling the sleeves of her light pink sweater up. “I know it’s tomorrow, but happy birthday,” she said, opening her arms up to embrace her.

"Ah, thank you,” Alma said into her fresh-smelling hair. Her long, dark hair was up in a messy bun. “Thanks for having Echo overnight too. I’m so grateful for you.”

“Girl, it’s never a problem she’s my little friend! My sister should be on her way too.” 

“And maybe it’ll just be for one night. We’ll probably end up picking her up tomorrow, after our dinner.” 

“No, no. I promised to keep her for two nights. It’s your present from me.” Yolani stressed. She knew that her birthday celebrations were being kept secret. Drinking and going out weren’t much of her thing. She didn’t feel like she was missing out on anything. Besides, the dive bar visitors just weren’t her crowd. 

Bill was finally approaching and Echo started to wriggle in his arms, wanting to be put down. He relented and set her on her feet and she scrambled on her little legs straight into Yolani’s arms. She interrupted the woman’s conversation but Yolani quickly put her attention on his little girl, smiling at her and saying how much she missed her while they hugged. 

“Yolani, this is Bill,” Alma said as he walked up, and he quickly introduced himself. 

“Yes! Echo talks about you sometimes. Well… kinda she just says, Papa this and that, she’ll give me the real business when she can form something coherent. She’s almost there, though, she’s very smart. Observant mostly.” 

“Yeah,” Bill nodded appreciatively. Yolani and Ulyssa did look similar in the face. However, Yolani had more of a curvy body and was even a little bit shorter than her svelte twin sister. She didn’t seem so Type A as Ulyssa described, rather more typical, just normal, but not in a bad way. She spoke more confidently than Ulyssa had at their first meeting. “Thanks for watching Echo and helping Alma out. You’ve been a big help.” 

“Of course! Kids are fun,” she smiled. “Um, would you like to come in and see where she’s staying?” She said, stepping back to let them in. 

Alma knew the place well, even the neighbors, who were just a mother and her teen children. She wouldn’t ever leave her daughter anywhere if she didn’t know who else could be around. Bill nodded at the offer and stepped in. He was glad he didn’t have to ask himself, like he was going to. He wanted to know where his daughter spent half of her days and who she was with. All he had was Yolani’s phone number in case of an emergency, and Alma had informed him that she had his for the same reason, but their phone lines hadn’t ever connected. 

The place was clean, filled with big leafy plants, and everything was in its right place. The books on the small shelf by the back windows were neatly organized. He figured this was what Ulyssa meant by her being Type A. Most importantly, it didn’t smell like weed but like fresh laundry inside. He knew her sister smoked, so he wondered if she did too. It didn’t seem so. Yolani put Echo down and was quick to start taking her shoes off, like she was home. 

“My room is just back there, as is the bathroom. But once ‘Lyssa comes, we're going to build a fort in the living room for our slumber party.” 

“Oh, that sounds fun. Doesn’t it Echo?” He said, looking down at her. She rejoined them and was holding on to his pant leg.

“Pardee, Papa,” she giggled. 

Yolani did the same. She only heard bits and pieces of things about Echo’s father. She didn’t pry like her sister could, but having met him now, questions were brewing in her mind. He seemed nice, yet a bit reserved. It didn’t come off as particularly shy but rather protective in a sense. Bill listened to the women speaking. Alma was passing along the number to the hotel and the room number, stressing that if she needed anything, she should not hesitate to call. He saw Yolani nod, but with an expression on her face, saying that she could chill out a little. 

“Okay, thanks again,” Alma digressed. 

“Yes, of course. Go, have fun now.” She said to her. “And nice to meet you, too.” She said, turning to look up at Bill. 

“Thanks,” he smiled. “Echo,” he said, calling for her as she had run off again. She looked up at him from playing with some decorative pom-pom throw pillows she was messing with. “Be a good girl for Yolani, okay? We’ll see you in two sleeps.” 

“Mm. Two?” She said trying to hold up two digits, but her fingers seemed to have a different mind of their own. Yolani praised her for her effort. “Okay, Papa,” she nodded. “Ah, no, Papa bye-bye?” She questioned. 

“No. Papa will be back this time,” Alma said to her, understanding what she was trying to ask. “Can we get a hug before we go, baby?” 

They were out the door and in the Jeep soon after. Bill drove up the block in silence until the next stop sign. Alma was biting her lip and picking at her manicure.

“What now?” She said, looking out the windshield, almost as if a thought had escaped her lips and wasn’t meant to be said out loud. 

Bill turned to look at her. “Whatever you want.” 

She blinked a bit in thought because she hadn’t had free time like this in such a long time. Just doing something without her child in tow or as a thought felt so foreign. Even being alone with Bill without her felt new. There wasn’t a single time from when she was created to now that she hadn’t been alone with only him. Completely.

“Well…” she said, biting her lip. “I want to go back to the hotel.” 

Bill kept himself from smirking. “That’s where I was heading…” He was actually desperate to go but he couldn’t make her birthday celebrations about himself. “Does it feel weird? Being without her?” 

Alma turned her head to look out the passenger window. She didn’t want to hear some type of lecture from him about how he lived all the way in New York City. That how she was feeling now, felt like that for him constantly. She felt him reach for her hand.

“It’ll be okay. Yolani seems good with her,” he said, giving his approval of her choice of babysitter. Before then, he just went along with it. He knew better to trust her judgment on people. “It’s just two sleeps.” He said it to her now. 

She turned to look at him with an amused smile and nodded. “Two?” She held the digits on her hand as awkwardly as her daughter did, making them both laugh. 

Someone honked behind them, interrupting them, which made them jump a little. The maroon 4Runner pulled up next to them, revving their engine, and skipped them to go past the stop sign they had been stopped at for a while. 

“Dickhead!” Bill honked his horn, but the car was long gone, it was just a reflex from driving in New York City traffic. 

Alma laughed. “Okay, back to the hotel. I want to get in the jacuzzi.” 

…

They had stepped through the threshold of their hotel suite, and he immediately pulled her into his arms to kiss her. He held her by the waist as she leaned back, holding on to his face in her hands. She could feel his hands run down her bottom and up her skirt, trying to pull her up on his waist to hoist her off to the bed. She broke away from his lips but he continued kissing down her neck and along her shoulder. 

“Wait,” Alma said. She could feel herself melting into his touch but she wasn’t quite ready for that yet. “Bill…” She said with her eyes closing, almost losing the battle when she could feel him getting hard when he managed to hook her leg on his hip. “Wait.” 

“What?” He said into her neck as evenly as he could without groaning. 

“I want to go slow…” 

“You want to make love? We can make love.” His breath fanned across her neck as he trailed kisses up her throat more softly this time to reach her lips and kissed her deeply. A soft moan came from her. She disconnected from him again, and this time he flashed her a strange look. “What?” He questioned her, feeling rejected. 

“I want that too,” she said, placing a reassuring palm on his chest, but when she pulled her leg back down, it didn’t make him feel any better. “But,” she said, taking a deep breath, trying to gain some composure and settle her beating heart.  “Can I have like an hour to myself?” 

“Oh…” his brows furrowed, pulling away from her. “Okay…” 

“I just want to try the jacuzzi by myself for a little bit.” 

He nodded in understanding and took a deep breath himself. She hasn’t been able to spend a single moment alone and now she has a chance. He bit his lip and then pulled her into an embrace. 

“So an hour.” He said it into her hair. 

“And some change…”

He sighed. “Okay, I’ll just go down to the bar. But I was about to really—”

“I know,” Alma giggled. “But we don’t have to be so hasty here. In an hour, it’ll be just us,” she said, looking up at him and placing a hand on his jaw. “And I won’t have to be quiet here. Or you.” 

“Are you sure you want me to go?” He raised a brow at her.

"Never, but for right now, yes.” She said standing on her tiptoes to kiss his jaw. 

He remained standing there, taking his blazer off as she stepped away to take off her heels. She turned to look at him while taking her hoop earrings off. He was still there with his hands on his hips, looking on as if she would change her mind.

“What?” Bill lightly shrugged when she side-eyed him. “I can’t watch you undress?” 

“Oh my god,” she playfully groaned. “It’s an hour, Bill.” 

“Fine,” he sighed, grabbing the room keys off the kitchen bar. 

Alma walked him out and he kept turning to look at her with a jilted expression on his face, still hoping she’d tell him to stay. 

“Quit looking like that.” 

“Like what?” 

“Like I shot your dog or something,” she said, making him laugh. “Kiss me before you go, at least,” she said, still holding the door open as he now stood in the hallway. 

“No,” he smirked. “You can wait until I come back,” he said, stepping off and jingling the room keys in his hand. 

"Actually, just stay the fuck out!” She said slamming the door closed and laughing like she knew he was. 

She stepped out of her dress in the bedroom and then started the taps on the large jacuzzi. As the water ran, she was dumping the contents of a shampoo bottle into it to make it bubble. With a bottle of champagne, she had grabbed from the fridge, she finally settled in as it continued to fill and she smiled. Her hands waded through the water and the bubbles in front of her, finding the temperature just right. Picking up the champagne bottle from the wide ledge, she pulled the cork off, took a sip directly from the bottle, and sank into the tub with a satisfied sigh. She was finally alone, her fretting finally leaving her as she relaxed more but she was glad it wouldn’t be for long. He will be back soon. Exactly an hour on the dot. 

#my bill writings #avenue of sins #aos #aos neon #bill skarsgard

[cutepastelstarsalior]

ONE MAN BAND AU

AKA instead of mirabel having not gift she gets ALL of them.

When mirabel fist touch her door she instantly drop to the floor clutching her ears

She was holding her ears and a small cloud appears above her. Did she get Pepa’s gift? She turn around and her eyes glow a neon blue and with a POP! A blue tablet feel into her hands (she can see the present but only thing up from a few minutes to a day

. That's when everyone knew she had a combination of everyone gifts. The theory was proven correct when the went into mirabel room.

. Her room is basically a mashup of all the family bedrooms. In one corner is a waterfall of sand falling into a deep pit. Another corner has a theater and above everyone head are fluffy clouds

. It seem like mirabel has everyone gift

. It took mirabel 2 months to figure out how to work her gift. Usually her gift would overwhelm her and make her freeze or curl up into a ball crying

. The family had to help “train” mirabel with her gift. They found 3 things

1 mirabel gift works all the time unless she in her room or physical touching alma. They found the last part out after a week of mirabel getting her gift, she hug alma and notice that her hearing is now “normal”. When she stop hugging alma it came back, if she in arm distance from alma her powers are muffled and dither from that it’s back. The family things it’s because Alma is the one who created the miracle that can also make Mirabel powers stop

2 the second thing they found out is that even when the gift around constantly there, Mirabel can pick and choose which one she wants to use, she can use up to 3 (Felix joke that the madrigal come in three so it’s not that hard to believe that her gift can use up to 3 at a time.)

3 so because her strength and weather were the one that are constantly there she grew up helping Luisa and Pepa the most. After all two strong girl or two rebel weather witch’s can get the job done much faster

. It did get the job done fast. In fact by the time mirabel is 15 Luisa and pepa have a lot of free time. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday she works with Luisa. Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Pepa. Sunday is her day off. Depends on who she with, she and that person can get the job done in the morning and they rest of the time is for free stuff

. Because of mirabel gift, she spends a lot of time with her family and helping them. She help the family so much that the family is already on the road to a healthy family dynamic by canon time. Isabela, Dolores, and Luisa already had their “character arch” too in canon.

. (Isa why can’t you grow different plants?

*It’s because I’m the eldest I have to be perfect*

*Oh…..do I have to be perfect too? Since we can both grow plants?*

*No Mira just me. I don’t want you to have to stress and be worried about what Abuela things*

*Oh…but why do you have to? That’s not fair we can both grow plants!*

…. Cue WECID scene)

. (*Dolly why do you like Mariano so much?*

*Oh I like him because of his poetry, he talks care of his mama, he’s nice* *rambles about Mariano*

*Oh! That’s good :) I heard he like you too he like nice girls* )

Mira then help Dolores get over her shyness and help her confessed with Isa help) the engagement scene doesn’t happen but instead it’s a proposal dinner. She and Mariano have been date for 6 years (15-21) and she and Mirabel have overheard Mariano practice the prosal. Dolores arch is to see if she wants to marry Mariano (she does but she didn’t know if she wants to do it now or later)

With Lusia since Mirabel spend so much time with her Mira keeps dragging Lusia to play or relax after there’s done. It’s a slow process but since the two girls work together the most it happens

.in the au Mirabel still wears her teal skirt with embroidery but it’s very different. It has patches and lace and ruffles of all the colors of the rainbow to represent her family with a bunch of embroidery and stickers ad other trinkets. It’s so clutters that you can barely see the teal and the embroidery that repents her (but that’s ok really! It doesn’t have to be about her it’s and about they family….but isn’t she part of the family? Why should everything be about her family what about her and her needs?)

. During the canon events she still walks Antonio down the his door. He still gets his gift and Mirabel gets a new one. She kind of panics because of the idea of getting a new gift. Does that mean she keep getting gift with ever new generation? How many can she get? 20? 50?

. She is in the picture this time. But after the picture she leaves the party and thinks about how to deal with the new ability to talk to animals. The last time she got a gift she was 5 and had to practice all of them for months, maybe this one will be easier?

. While she’s think the title falls and mirabel looks at it then she gets a vision. She see her and the casita falling and golden butterflies. Bruno also got the same vision, and both have a different reaction.

. Mirabel takes the vision literally, think the casita is going to fall on her or she’s going to break the family and the house. Bruno has the reaction that the vision is metaphorical, that Mirabel is going to break from the pressure and stress

. It’s both

. So Mirabel spends the next day running out the casita asking if anyone needs help and she even goes all around the town talking to everyone asking if they are alright. After all she the family therapist, she has all their gift so that means she has to help the family, right?

. So the moive is Mirabel running around town. Trying to help everyone and be of service while the family has to cache after Mirabel after they saw the vision to get her to calm down and rest

#encanto #fandom #mirabel madrigal #encanto au #my au #one man band au

[criticallyacclaimedstranger]

Fic: The Question

Read on Ao3

Fandom: Triple Frontier

Ship: Frankie Morales x Jay ‘Lady’ Ray (OFC) **Series masterlist**

Warnings: Cavity-inducing fluff. Babies.

Words: 1,584

Summary: Benny comes to visit Jay and Frankie for the first time since they had baby Alma. Jay and Frankie have a question for him.

Taglist: @amneris21 @apascalrascal @harriedandharassed @kikis-writing-world @lovesbiggerthanpride @miraclesabound @mswarriorbabe80 @pazizz @paulalikestuff @rambling-in-purple @trinkets01

About to call Frankie's name, Jay enters the living-room and stops still when presented with the adorable scene in front of her: Frankie, stretched out on his back on the couch with little baby Alma nestled against his chest. They're both asleep, Alma wrapped in the little baby blanket Jay's mom knitted for her, Frankie with one arm behind his head, the other around his daughter. He has been a dedicated father from day one, just like Jay knew he would be, but it still fills her with so much love and gratitude to see how devoted he really is.

"Frankie," she whispers, gently nudging his shoulder. He blinks his eyes open almost immediately, mumbling a Huh? as he focuses his gaze on her.

"Sorry to wake you," she smiles fondly, "but Benny will be here any minute."

"Right," Frankie yawns, carefully lowering the hand he had behind his head to rub his eyes.

“I can call him and cancel, if you’re tired?”

“No, I’m good,” he smiles up at her. “Got a nice powernap.”

He finds Jay’s fingers on his shoulder and gently pulls her hand to his lips for a kiss, just as there's a knock on the door. "Speak of the devil..."

"And he’ll appear, or at least his distant cousin,” Jay grins before she goes to open.

Benny is beaming at her on the other side of the door, his trademark baseball cap as backwards as ever.

“Hey there, momma Ray…”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jay scoffs but accepts the bear hug he gives her. She invites him in and shakes her head when he presents her with a huge gift bag.

“You shouldn’t have.”

“Half of that stuff is from the guys, really,” he shrugs, "don't shoot the messenger."

"Might punch him in the face, though."

"Already swinging?" he teases her. "You look a little worse for wear."

"Wow, thanks," Jay rolls her eyes. "That's what every new mother wants to hear."

"Sorry," Benny grins, turning on all of his boyish charm. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good, actually, thanks for asking. Come on in, Frankie is with Alma in the living-room."

They go on through, Jay ushering Benny in front of her, and are met by Frankie, now sitting up on the couch, Alma still asleep on his arm.

"Hey, man."

"Yo..." Eyes trained on the little bundle in Frankie's arms, Benny takes a seat in one of the armchairs. "So that's the little dickens, huh?"

"This is Alma," Frankie acknowledges, beaming like an idiot at the baby before looking up when Jay takes a seat next to him. "Holy shit, is all that for the kid?"

"Yup," Jay nods, putting the bag down. "It's not fair. She keeps getting presents, but I'm the one who pushed her out. Where are my gifts?"

"I'd think the baby is the present," Benny guesses, ignoring the murderous glance Jay shoots at him. "Come on now, open them. I wanna know what I have to take back to the shops. According to the very cute sales rep in the baby supply store -" Jay gives him a look that lets him know that she knows exactly how that transaction went "- parents today are really fucking picky."

"We'll make sure to diss at least one item so that you'll have an excuse to go back", Jay promises as she opens the bag and reaches in for the first present, which turns out to be a soft, gray koala lovey with paws that can be velcroed together in a hug.

"Adorable," Frankie approves, "she doesn't have anything to snuggle yet."

"Except you," Jay points out with a warm smile. "Thank you, Benny."

"That was from the gang," he points out, a little jittery now. "But I did the picking out."

"Credit where credit's due," Frankie chuckles as Jay opens the next present, which is a tiny little baseball cap with the word "asskicker" stitched to the front.

"Figured she needs her own so she doesn't immediately steal Fish's, like you do," Benny explains with a wink at Jay, who measure the hat above the sleeping baby's head.

"It's a little big yet but she'll grow into it. She already gained seven ounces since we came home from the hospital."

"Is that a lot?"

"That is a lot," Frankie confirms. "She's outgrown the onesie she wore when coming home."

"Holy shit."

Jay opens the last present, revealing a crib mobile with different hanging little charms: a sun, a moon, a cloud, a helicopter, boxing gloves, and a bluejay. Despite all the items being of the same size and similar colors and materials, it's clear that the mobile wasn't bought like this, but custom made. Jay and Frankie both look at it before turning to stare at Benny, whose eyes narrow suspiciously.

"You guys don't like it, do you?"

"You're such a softie, Benjamin Miller," Jay smiles, putting the mobile back in its box.

"Only when it comes to pretty girls," he jokes, nodding at Alma.

"We love it, man," Frankie assures him. "Thank you."

"How did you even find something like this?"

"I made it," he shrugs. "Collected the pieces over a couple of months, bought a mobile, replaces the charms I didn't want. It's not that hard."

"We appreciate it. Alma will love it."

Jay collects the wrapping paper and puts it to the side, and Frankie looks down at the little bundle again, and rises from the couch.

"She's waking up. You wanna hold her?"

"Nah, man... I'd only drop her or break her neck..."

"You'll be fine," Jay dismisses his weak protest, and Frankie leans over to carefully place the baby in Benny's arms.

"You got the head?"

"I got her, bro."

Frankie retires back to the couch, next to Jay, and they watch Benny lose himself in Alma's little face as she gradually wakes up, her pink rosebud mouth opening for a tiny yawn, her dark eyes slowly taking in the features of the unfamiliar man.

"Hey there, Alma," he murmurs, his voice unusally thick. "I'm your uncle Benny. We met before, when you were in your mommy's tummy, but this is the first time we're meeting for real, and it's really good to finally see you."

Jay leans her chin on Frankie's shoulder. Benny is an important, close friend of both of them and to see him with their darling child like this is heartwarming. She catches Frankie's happy smile and nudges him gently. He glances at her before clearing his throat.

"Hey, Benny, we wanna ask you something."

"Yeah?" Benny's only got eyes for the baby.

"If you want to, we'd love for you to be her godfather."

Benny looks up, mouth open as he regards first Frankie, then Jay.

"I thought you weren't doing that?"

"Turns out this one's got family traditions," Jay sighs, patting Frankie's back. She never intended to have her child baptized, never even thought about it until Alma was born and Frankie asked if they should schedule a priest after a month or so. It had been quite a discussion but Frankie was adamant: his family was Catholic and even if they were not devout, traditions were important for the Morales family. There would be a christening, and godparents had to be chosen. Jay finally capitulated, but with the compromise that there would be no godmother, only Benny as a godfather.

Benny regards his friends, then looks down at Alma, whose face breaks out in a sunny smile. He looks up again.

"You bet your asses I'll be her godfather.”

Frankie laughs and Jay gets up from the couch.

“That settles that, then. Coffee?”

“If Fish makes it,” Benny grimaces. “Can’t drink the motor oil you force out of that poor machine.”

“Morales,” Jay nods to Frankie, “you heard the man.”

Good-natured as always, Frankie gets up and goes to the kitchen, and Jay sits down again, this time closer to the armchair with Benny in it.

“She’s really cute,” Benny praises, smiling down at Alma. “And so tiny, I can’t believe it.”

“Yeah, she’s quite something,” Jay concedes. “And she likes you.”

“She’s two weeks old, she doesn’t know what she likes yet.”

“No, but I know, because I can read her,” Jay insists. “She knows your voice.”

“Huh. Imagine that.”

They share a few moments of not speaking, just looking at the little baby, Benny making soft cooing noises at her.

“Benny,” Jay eventually says.

“Yeah?”

“I’m really glad you wanna be her godfather. You’re gonna make a great one.” She gives him a lopsided grin. “We’re going to dump her on you as soon as we can.”

“Can’t wait,” Benny promises. “I’ll look after her whenever you need to, Jay, you know that. She’s awesome.”

“Just wait until she’s screaming about something,” Frankie interjects as he comes back to the living-room. “She’s got quite a set of lungs on her.”

“Like momma, huh?” Benny tickles the baby’s chin. “Just like momma, right?”

“Careful, Miller.”

“Gonna take you with me to the gym as soon as you can throw a punch.”

“I was afraid of that,” Frankie sighs, crossing his arms in front of his chest, glowering at Jay and Benny. “You two are going to turn my daughter into a brawler.”

“With any luck, yeah,” Jay laughs, just as Alma begins to whine. “Okay, time to whip ‘em out.”

“Okay, thanks, I’ll have that coffee now.” Benny hurriedly hands Alma over to Jay before following Frankie to the kitchen.

#frankie morales x ofc #frankie x lady #triple frontier fanfic #francisco frankie morales #francisco catfish morales #lady jayne ray #my fic

[jellybeanium124]

Re: your post about wanting Hanukkah fics- is there anything specific you think Ed would especially enjoy participating in or even sharing with Stede/ the crew?

Also (and sorry if this is a weird question but I'm more of an artist than an author so I'd like to know), what are your thoughts on ugly Hanukkah sweaters? I know you can't speak for all Jewish ppl but I feel like I've been seeing those advertised more and more but I've never met anyone who's actually bought one so I have no clue what the common consensus is lol

I really don't have anything specific in mind when it comes to hanukkah fics. just the general stuff! menorahs and latkes and sufganiyot and dreidels and gelt! just a fun nice time! bonus points for alma and louis (in modern aus, probably) and also socks as presents.

as for ugly hanukkah sweaters, sounds to me like goyim trying to be inclusive but having no idea what they're doing and shooting blind. I would like a hanukkah sweater but why does it need to be ugly? goyim stop trying to make our holiday more like yours challenge lol

bonus: art I made of stede and ed in hanukkah sweaters last year:

#nina rambles