#we're trying to be proud of our accomplishments

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

I was rudely tagged by @tripleaxeldiaz for Fanfic Writer Appreciation Day to share my five favorite fics that I’ve written (even though she knows I hate talking about myself). Unfortunately I’ve been unable to sit down and do this until now, so sorry this is late!

I’m sticking just to 911 fics for this one since I am sure as hell not going through the *cringes* 200+ fanfics I’ve written over the years. So let’s get cracking.

Love and Bullets Both Shatter Hearts (But Only One Can Put You Back Together) - Spy AU

So this fic was the first I had written in a long time that I was happy with after a long period of disliking everything I wrote. It was a fic that was more vibes than anything else, but I dearly love those vibes, and I think I managed to deliver a full and layered story in a relatively short amount of words which is difficult to pull off. Also spies are sexy.

To Build a Home We Deconstruct Our Rituals - Fake!Married/Marriage of Convenience/Friends to Fiancés

Fun fact! I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this, but the title was inspired by the Richard Siken quote that you “construct elaborate rituals that allow you to touch the skin of other men.” The idea was that Buck and Eddie have constructed these elaborate unspoken/subtextual rituals that allow them to almost but not quite have what they want, and that there comes a time when, as a queer person, you must drop the rituals and speak/act directly in order to completely have what you really want (but in doing so you risk everything).

...which all sounds rather serious for a fic that is basically fluff the entire time whoopsies. Anyway, this fic was written while I was in the throes of dramatic frustration over certain choices in the season four finale, and the lovely @extasiswings coaxed me back off the edge of the cliff. I wrote this fic to take the idea I’d had of “what if Buck moved in with Eddie after the shooting” and spun it from there, and I’m actually really fond of it. This fic helped me to work through my frustrations and rediscover my patience. I was also going through a deeply bad time in my life, so it was nice to have something to escape to during the hiatus. I’m really, really proud of how it turned out, especially the idea of Buck and Eddie “falling gently” together - that they’re already dating, so taking that final step would be small and soft.

The Monsterfucker’s Symphony - a collection of oneshots where Buck, Eddie, or both is some sort of supernatural creature

Oh my God she picked the monsterfucker one who would’ve thought - LISTEN, THIS ISN’T ABOUT THE SMUT, OKAY? I actually really love this series because of the worldbuilding I put into each of the monsters. What does a succubus look like? What is the color of Buck’s angel wings? How does merfolk anatomy work? Exploring the physical and social stuff for each of the supernatural creatures I chose was a lot of fun, and I’m delighted with how each entry turned out - especially the last one featuring Angel!Buck. That one was the one closest to an actual plot and was inspired by quite a few things including the TV show Lucifer, the works of Lois Lowry, and all those trashy fun angel romances that stocked the YA shelves when I was thirteen.

Another reason this is one of my favorites is that I’ve had a lot of people tell me they don’t usually read monsterfucking - it’s just not their thing - but that they took a chance and read one or more of the entries in this collection, and that they really enjoyed the emotion and worldbuilding. That’s such a huge compliment to me. I’m always here to deliver you guys some fun smut but I put a lot of work into characterization and relationships, and to have that shine through enough that even people who don’t have that monsterfucking kink enjoy my writing?

(Shit fuck I’m tearing up please hold)

Anyway I’m really proud of this work and absolutely floored by the responses to it.

Let My Ink Stain Your Pages - Castle!AU

First off, this piece of shit was not supposed to exceed 50k so please note that for the record. Second of all, this was a blast to write. I had so much fun with this, especially since I was working on it after I’d needed a hell of a break thanks to another fic (we’ll get to that one) and needed something less serious. While wrangling all the aspects of the cases and translating them from the TV show to this fic could be a real strain on my patience, I had sooooooo much fun writing this. I needed something more fun and lighthearted after the heavy angst I had last written, and I’m proud of how I incorporated the Castle series’ plotlines with the 911 characters. I understand why television writers drag out slowburns, because writing this slowburn was delightful. I think I did a good job of not dragging it out too far, and balancing the comedy and banter with the heavier subject matter of, well, homicide.

Your Fingerprints Smeared on My Heart (Lead Me Back to You) - Reincarnation!AU, Soulmate!AU, Cowboy!AU, dash of Gilded Age and the kitchen sink

This fic was the product of a challenge. Because I love challenges. Especially challenges that nobody actually set and I end up doing them to myself. I asked @extasiswings what her five favorite kinds of AUs were, and she said among other things Reincarnation AUs and Historical (including Gilded Age). At another point she answered a question about liking soulmate fics but being picky about them. And my stupid ass decided to combine all three things into one fic. Because I hate myself.

This fic was one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, that I’ve ever written. It was a massive labor of love and I’m really, really proud of how it turned out. I knew that I was taking on something really big with this - I needed to balance two timelines, make it historically accurate, come up with a system of reincarnation... I bit off a lot, and I knew it, and I wanted to really make it all work and fit in with canon as much as possible. There was also a lot of heavy emotion, one might even say (temporary) tragedy in this fic - definitely heavy angst for sure. Which made it a very heavy fic to write (I cried a couple times) and I worried I was getting too maudlin on occasion.

All that said... maybe this is tooting my own horn too much? But I think I pulled it off. I know that Leading with the Left is my most popular 911 fic, but to be honest, I think this is my best 911 fic.

#mads writes stuff #tagging thing #tripleaxeldiaz #I've gone back and forth on whether or not to post this but here we go #we're trying to be proud of our accomplishments

[worriedvision]

Your family consider you a failure - Wriothesley, Neuvillette

Okay so this is a very self-indulgent fic, basically reader had to drop out of university after they hit a real low with their health. A lot of mentions about being a quitter, and being a potential criminal and/or spoilt brat. It's a happy ending, although this is an angst plot. Wriothesley's one is longer than Neuvillette's...

--

Wriothesley:

When he asked when he would be meeting your parents, you were hesitant to take him. Your relationship with your family was shaky, and it didn't help that you still hadn't been able to 'pick yourself up'. It led to an argument, with Wriothesley talking about how lucky you were for having a family and you lashing out at him for trying to guilt you into taking him along for dinner. Your parents had heard of your relationship, and they were in favour of meeting the man. He was the Administrator, after all.

After some insistence, you finally invite him to meet your family. He fails to hide his excitement, asking what your family likes as he thinks of what teas he could take along as a gift, meanwhile you were preparing yourself for the family ripping your name apart and playing Cupid for another family member who accomplished more than you did.

"Oh, you must be Wriothesley!" Your mother greets your boyfriend, not you, at the door. "Please, come on in! We've been begging for our child to invite you over."

"Oh, I've been looking forward to this as well. It's nice to put a face to your family name."

Oh, our child is known for being a slacker with important things. Enough about them, I'll introduce you to everyone else!" Your mother giggles, Wriothesley just following in confusion at the sentence.

You stand outside for an extra minute, needing a moment to gather yourself. Unfortunately, your least favourite relative comes along.

"Come on, if you aren't careful I'm going to steal your boyfriend. He's a hot piece of action!"

-

Wriothesley didn't speak to you at the dinner table. In fact, he was silent. Staring at the table, he seems out of it.

"Oh, we have to tell you about (cousin)'s achievements. They are so gifted and talented!"

Oh crap, here we go. Your cousin brags about all of their degrees and qualifications, smirking at you whenever you'd make eye contact with them, and trying to impress Wriothesley. You were worried that your boyfriend was thinking about leaving you for one of your family members, especially with the jabs your mother made at the start of the meeting.

"_'s silent...Oh, sorry, I forgot you gave up." Your cousin chuckles. "I mean, failing to complete a degree and hiding behind health? Spoilt brat if you ask me." They continue. "Probably had to commit theft to keep their accommodation, how shameful."

"That's not true!" You plead, noting Wriothesleys shaking. "I've worked towards supporting myself."

"Oh, so you were lying about your health? Disgusting."

You hear a glass shatter in Wriothesleys direction, and upon looking over you gasp in horror. His hand had crushed the glass, now harmed by the glass.

"Is that what you think of people who can't get lots of qualifications? Well, let me tell you something." Wriothesley grumbles, hand still clenching as you try to calm him down. "I don't have degrees, nothing fancy. In fact, I have a criminal record, are you going to tell me I am a failure?"

"Well no, but-"

"In fact, I i think you are a failure of a human being if you are so close minded as to assume there is only one measure of intelligence." Wriothesley stands up, slamming his hands down on the table. You hold his unharmed hand, but this only makes him continue. "I do spoil _, but I do that because I love them. I am proud of my partner for picking themselves up, and I am ashamed they have you as a family."

"Oh? Didn't mean to strike a nerve there. Are your family-"

"Come, my love, we're leaving." Wriothesley tuts, you run to catch up with him. You hear your family call for you, your cousin calling you a gold digger as you keep going.

Upon your return back at the Fortress of Meropede, Wriothesley turns around and holds you close.

"I'm sorry for forcing you,"

You shake your head, crying into his chest as the long wait for the elevator to reach your floor continues. "I should have told you."

"What? That you're human? I'm not perfect either." Wriothesley sighs. Hearing a drip on the floor, you pull away, looking down at his harmed hand.

"Let's get your hand sorted."

---

Neuvillette:

When you proposed to Neuvillette, he requested to ask your parents for approval. He knew that some people would be intimidated by him, and approval from your family would reassure him you wouldn't get affected by this. Figuring it would be a quick visit, you agree.

If only you remembered just how cruel your parents could be.

Your parents tore into you, disrespecting you for needing some time to recover after failing to succeed in your first plan. The implications are that you were a criminal and pointing out the irony of you dating the Ludex, adding in the possibility you gave him a 'bribe' to be innocent.

Neuvillette held your hand, running his thumb over the back of it, and you note the rain has started.

"I apologise, _, it appears I made a mistake in wishing to meet your family." He sighs, your parents furrowing their brows. "I won't request another meeting with your family, given their behaviour towards you. As your fiancé, I cannot accept this slander. I bid thee farewell."

Your boyfriend walks out, you following with a warm smile on your face as you realise you chose the best man you could.

#wriothesley x gender neutral reader #wriothesley x reader #wriothesley #gender neutral reader #angst #neuvillette x gender neutral reader #neuvillette x reader #neuvillette

[estapa-edwards]

SECOND CHANCE - L.HUGHES

paring: Luke Hughes x fem! reader

word count: 1.5k

requested? yes- “do you… love me, by any chance?” “yeah, why?” “well, i’m sorry, i was just— WAIT WHAT—” w/ Luke Hughes!

warnings: use of y/n. established relationship.

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

The New Jersey Devils were facing off against their arch-rivals, the New York Rangers, in a crucial divisional matchup. As always, I was in the stands, proudly wearing Luke's jersey and cheering him on. The atmosphere was electric, with both teams battling fiercely for every puck and every goal.

Midway through the second period, tensions on the ice began to escalate. A controversial call by the referees led to a power play for the Rangers, much to the dismay of the Devils and their fans. Luke, who was on the ice at the time, was visibly frustrated and exchanged heated words with the officials.

As the game continued, I couldn't shake off a feeling of unease. I knew that Luke was a passionate player who wore his heart on his sleeve, but tonight, his emotions seemed to be getting the best of him. When the Devils failed to kill off the penalty and the Rangers scored a go-ahead goal, Luke's frustration reached a boiling point.

With less than a minute remaining in the period, Luke was involved in a heated altercation with an opposing player. As fists flew and players from both teams rushed to join the fray, I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew that this was not the kind of player Luke wanted to be, and I was worried about the repercussions of his actions.

After the game, I waited nervously for Luke outside the locker room. When he finally emerged, his face was flushed with anger and disappointment. Without saying a word, I took his hand and led him away from the crowd, hoping to find a quiet place where we could talk.

We ended up in a secluded corner of the arena, far away from the prying eyes of fans and reporters. I could see the frustration in Luke's eyes, and I knew that this was the perfect opportunity to address the issues that had been brewing between us.

"Luke, what happened out there tonight?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm and steady.

"I lost my cool, okay? I let my emotions get the best of me, and it cost us the game," he replied, his voice tinged with regret.

"I understand that you're passionate about the game, but you need to control your temper," I said firmly. "You're a role model for so many young players, and you can't let your emotions dictate your actions on the ice."

Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking down at the ground. "I know, Y/N. I know I messed up, and I'm sorry."

As much as I wanted to comfort Luke and tell him that everything would be okay, I couldn't ignore the underlying issues that had been causing tension in our relationship. I took a deep breath and decided to address them head-on.

"Luke, this isn't just about tonight's game," I said, choosing my words carefully. "We've been arguing a lot lately, and I feel like we're drifting apart."What do you mean?" Luke asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"I mean that we've been struggling to communicate and understand each other," I replied, trying to articulate my feelings without placing blame. "Between your demanding schedule with the Devils and the pressures of our personal lives, it feels like we've been growing apart. I miss the connection we used to have, and I think we need to address these issues before they drive a wedge between us."

Luke's expression softened as he absorbed my words, realizing the gravity of the situation. "I didn't realize things had gotten this bad between us, Y/N," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "I've been so focused on hockey and trying to prove myself on the ice that I haven't been giving our relationship the attention it deserves."

"I understand that your career is important, Luke, and I'm proud of everything you've accomplished," I said, reaching out to gently touch his arm.

"I understand that your career is important, Luke, and I'm proud of everything you've accomplished," I said, reaching out to gently touch his arm. "But maybe we should take a break from being together."

Luke looked at me, his eyes widening in surprise. "A break? Are you serious, Y/N?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "I just think we need some time apart to figure things out. We've been arguing a lot lately, and it feels like we're not on the same page. I care about you, Luke, but I think we both need some space to evaluate what we want from this relationship."

Luke's expression hardened, and I could see the hurt and confusion in his eyes. "I thought we were doing okay, Y/N. I didn't realize you were feeling this way."

"I've been trying to communicate my feelings to you, but it seems like we keep hitting a wall," I replied, my voice trembling slightly. "I think a break could give us the opportunity to reflect on our relationship and determine if we're truly compatible or if it's time to go our separate ways."

Luke sighed, running a hand through his hair as he contemplated my words. "I don't want to lose you, Y/N, but I also don't want to force you into something you're not comfortable with. If you think a break is what's best for us, then I guess we should give it a try."

As we stood there, facing each other in the dimly lit corridor of the arena, I felt a mix of emotions - sadness, uncertainty, and a glimmer of hope. While I knew that suggesting a break was a risky move, I also believed that it was necessary to address the issues that had been causing tension and discord in our relationship.

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

Despite the agreement, the days that followed were tough for both of us. The absence of each other was more palpable than we had anticipated. Every time I heard a knock on the door or the sound of footsteps in the hallway, my heart would race, hoping it was Luke. The silence between us grew louder with each passing day, and the empty space beside me in bed felt colder than ever.

One evening, as I was preparing dinner in my apartment, there was a sudden knock on the door. My heart skipped a beat, and a rush of emotions flooded over me. Could it be Luke? I hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, before walking over to the door and cautiously opening it.

To my surprise and relief, there stood Luke, looking slightly disheveled and clearly out of breath. His eyes met mine, filled with a mix of longing and uncertainty.

"Luke, what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to maintain a sense of composure despite the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling.

"I couldn't stay away, Y/N," he admitted, his voice trembling. "I know we agreed to take a break, but I've been miserable without you. I miss you, and I needed to see you."

I looked into Luke's eyes and saw the sincerity and vulnerability that I had missed so much. Despite our decision to take a step back, it was clear that we were both struggling to stay apart.

"Come in," I said softly, stepping aside to let him enter my apartment.

Luke stepped inside, and I closed the door behind him, enveloping us in a moment of tension and uncertainty. We stood there, facing each other, as the reality of our situation sank in.

"Do you… love me, by any chance?" I finally blurted out, unable to hold back any longer.

Luke looked taken aback by my question. "Yeah, why?" he replied, his voice filled with confusion.

"Well, I'm sorry, I was just— WAIT, WHAT—"

Before I could finish my sentence, Luke closed the distance between us, cupping my face in his hands and pressing his lips against mine in a passionate kiss. The world seemed to fade away as we lost ourselves in the moment, our doubts and uncertainties melting away as our love for each other shone through.

As we pulled apart, gasping for breath, Luke looked into my eyes and spoke from the heart. "I do love you, Y/N. I'm sorry it took us this long to say it, but I want you to know that my feelings for you are real and true."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I wrapped my arms around Luke, pulling him close. "I love you too, Luke," I whispered, my voice filled with emotion. "And I'm sorry for doubting us. Let's promise to work through our issues together and make our relationship stronger than ever." 

Luke smiled, his eyes shining with happiness and relief. "I promise, Y/N. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right between us." 

Over the next few weeks, Luke and I made it a priority to nurture our relationship, setting aside time for each other amidst his demanding hockey schedule and my own commitments. We went on dates, explored new activities together, and most importantly, communicated openly and honestly about our feelings and concerns.

#luke hughes #nhl x reader #new jersey devils #nj devils #luke hughes x reader #luke hughes x y/n #luke hughes fic

[starsandhughes]

Penalty Box Series— Quinn Hughes Edition (Fifteen)

Hughes Palooza Edition

SEASON MASTERLIST

previous: fourteen

hi i’m back! i had to take a much needed break <3 trying to post every game when i was so behind got to me and it wasn't fun to watch anymore. because of this, i’ll only be posting special games (like when the guys play each other), record breaking games, and reslly any game i have the motivation to (like if it's chaotic and quinn/trev get penalties). i’m not pushing myself anymore i hope y'all understand🤍

and because there was a lot of tense feelings after this game for devils fans, i decided to make this post *mostly* about the millers

JANUARY 6, 2023

yourusername

liked by _quinnhughes, jackhughes, and 18,439 others

yourusername welcome back to my postgame penalty box update show: hughes palooza MILLER EXTRAVAGANZA EDITION!

THE colin miller, number 24 on the devils, number 6 in my heart (his number on the stars iydk), scored not only his first goal of the season, 🚨BUT HIS SECOND GOAL, TOO🚨 pop OFF step dad!!! congrats on being third star of the game!

and OUR miller, mr. jt, ceo of shaking his head at my nonsense (he loves me), scored two goals 1 minute and 4 seconds apart!

WE GOT A MILLER DICK TRICK EVERYBODY! two from jt, and two from colin! 2 + 2 = 4!!

✨now for the accomplishments✨

my best friend, my lifeline, loser of the postgame mario kart competition, quintin jerome hughes, has best the canucks franchise record for most multi point games by a defenseman last night with his 69th (😏) game! I'M SO UNBELIEVABLY PROUD OF YOU, HUGGY BEAR! this is the second record (that isn't his own) he's broken this season, and we're not even halfway through! he also has the most points from all defenseman in the league currently! (10th overall!)

and demmer had his 100th career win tonight! we love a milestone!

and luke played, too! he was definitely there!

i’m so proud of the valiant effort and fight everyone on the ice put into the game tonight! especially colin! i love colin! go colin! i’ll be mailing jack your first goal trophy!

happy miller extravaganza everyone! xoxo, sissy🤍

edit: luke is the rookie defenseman points leader and he threw a fit so i’m adding this so he'll stop being annoying. proud of you, lukey poo!

edit: petey also scored twice and was first star of the game! and he also whined so i had to include this! yay petey!

tagged _quinnhughes, lhughes_06, colinmiller1029, and j.tmiller9

view all 406 comments

lhughes_06 i feel personally victimized by this post

yourusername personally, i think i victimized other people more

_eliaspettersson @/j.tmiller9 she's talking about you

yourusername @_eliaspettersson i’m going to victimize you.

_eliaspettersson @/yourusername you did by not including me

lhughes_06 @/yourusername we deserve justice

yourusername @/lhughes_06 @_eliaspetterson fine you cry babies! happy?

lhughes_06 good enough

_eliaspettersson i’ll take it

yourusername you two are lucky i love you🙄

lhughes_06 aww i love you, too, sissy

_eliaspettersson love you!

user17 MILLER DICK TRICK HA

_quinnhughes my pictures are way better than i thought they'd be

yourusername you beat another record so i decided to be nice <3 i love you!

_quinnhughes i love you, too

lhughes_06 @_quinnhughes she was mean to me

_quinnhughes @/lhughes_06 that sounds like a you problem

lhughes_06 @_quinnhughes @/yourusername get out of my apartment

yourusername @/lhughes_06 "i'm not letting you go back to california. you're moving in and we're getting bunk beds"

lhughes_06 @/yourusername rat

yourusername @/lhughes_06 mwah!

jackhughes we would've won if i was there

yourusername oh look another cry baby

jackhughes we would've!

yourusername your team came close without you! and you can't prove shit! be happy for your brother! i'm literally taking care of you! i will leave you alone to die!

jackhughes @_quinnhughes good job

yourusername good boy

_quinnhughes @/jackhughes thanks

user8 okay but they would've won with jack...

yourusername hi! the devils put in an insane amount of effort and came back from a three goal deficit at the beginning of the third. the canucks basically doubled their amount of offensive zone time and yet the devils still pushed through all their adversity and was so close in the end. you're dismissing all of the other players great work and play by claiming that just jack alone would've changed that. yeah, he probably would've made an impact, but the canucks have been in the top ten of the league all season and nico daws still held his own pretty well and stopped a good portion of their shots against a team that was top of the league for a hot second and was 5th coming into the game. every devils player played to the best of their abilities and there were some unlikely heroes, another thing you're dismissing. jack is my brother and i love him, but he is not the only player on the devils. it's a team. a team that came so close in the end with almost half of the amount of sog. don't dismiss the rest of the team. be proud of them all.

user81 preach!!

j.tmiller9 i thought you loved me

yourusername i do! why would you think otherwise?!

j.tmiller9 i got the worst photos out of everyone!

yourusername well i couldn't do it to colin! and quinn beat a record so i had to be mostly nice! and they barely showed luke proof of life! somebody had to be the one to give good content! congratulations! it was you! i love you🩵

j.tmiller9 you could've been nice to everyone! you're such a sweet girl!

_quinnhughes @/j.tmiller9 she's deranged and this is how she shows her love

j.tmiller9 @_quinnhughes do i need to show her how to love in other ways?

_quinnhughes @/j.tmiller9 you can try but it probably won't work

jackhughes @/j.tmiller9 it's best to accept it

lhughes_06 @/j.tmiller9 this just means she loves you so much and trusts that you won't leave her for doing this

j.tmiller9 @/yourusername i love you, too! i'm here for you!

jackhughes @/j.tmiller9 she's emotional and under my shirt but she says "i love him so much he's one of the best people i’ve ever met and i'm buying him a present for being so nice"

user96 quinn hughes beat a record to make up for being the only hughes that didn't score last game

colinmiller1029 thank you! but i’m a little confused

yourusername COLIN! STEP DAD!

colinmiller1029 step dad?

jackhughes @/yourusername sissy, you're supposed to ask before you give people father figure titles

jackhughes @/colinmiller1029 she's a little obsessed with you i'm so sorry

yourusername @/colinmiller1029 hi i know we've only met twice but will you be my step dad? i already have a dad (troy terry) and then a real dad so your duties aren't that bad!

colinmiller1029 duties?

jackhughes @/colinmiller1029 dealing with her nonsense is the only thing. it'll be pretty easy for you since you were a dallas star. she started a gang with wyatt, ty, and thomas

colinmiller1029 @/yourusername sure! but as your step dad, i should probably tell you that you shouldn't start gangs

yourusername @/colinmiller1029 it's a little too late for that, sorry! it was delly's idea!

colinmiller1029 that sounds about right

jackhughes @/colinmiller1029 and that is what your duties are! see? easy enough

user56 LUKE LOOKED SO GOOD DURING THE ANTHEM FUCK

trevorzegras come home the kids miss you

jamie.drysdale @/yourusername mason and i are the kids

yourusername @/trevorzegras @/jamie.drysdale soon! i promise! i’m getting some much needed brother time! (send help jack's whiney)

trevorzegras have fun! i love you, forever!

yourusername you're the worst! i love you, always!

jamie.drysdale mwah!

#penalty box series #penalty box series: quinn hughes edition #quinn hughes #quinn hughes imagine #luke hughes #luke hughes imagine #jack hughes #jack hughes imagine #nj devils imagine #canucks imagine #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #trevor zegras x reader #elias petterson #quinn hughes x sister! reader #hughes sister #quinn hughes fic #quinn hughes fanfic #quinn hughes au

[wilbursoot-updates]

Lovejoy: The British rock group that we will have to follow very closely…

Lovejoy is in this article!

Rock is not dead! Lovejoy explores the nuances of independent, almost garage rock, while breathing a breath of fresh air.

Just a year ago, they played their first concert. This summer, Lovejoy performed on stage at Rock Werchter. A real accomplishment for this English indie rock band.

Lovejoy was formed only two years ago, under the leadership of William Gold and Joe Goldsmith. The group was formed almost by chance: the two long-time friends met Mark (the drummer) on the Fiverr application and Ash (the bassist)… in the toilets of a burger restaurant.

They are releasing a brand new single this October 6, “Normal People Things”. Meet the group that intends to become the spearhead of English rock.

Before being in a band, you had your own solo project William. How is it different creating music alone, versus in a band?

William Gold: Oh, it's very different, especially in my lyrics. I often choose the safer option when writing for the band, because I'm a little afraid of what they will think of me. My solo music has always been very direct and sometimes a little too raw, whereas Lovejoy is a little more like my stream of thoughts converted into poetry, whereas my solo music is just my thoughts.

Do you think it's better or just different?

William Gold: I think it's better. Personally, I much prefer Lovejoy's lyrics to my solo music. I feel like it's just as personal, but it touches on different areas, areas that are a little less raw and acerbic.

For the instrumental part, you all compose together. How do you do?

Joe Goldsmith: I'm still figuring out how that process works... (laughs) I think we're still a pretty young band, so we haven't gotten to the point yet where we don't like each other anymore. So, everything is going pretty well. But as far as the process goes, I think it varies and we don't really have a strict definition of how to create a song. Sometimes it starts from a riff that Mark writes. Sometimes the starting point is an idea Will has for the lyrics… It's very random and we're trying to figure it out, because we want to be a little quicker.

You released an EP last May, what was your inspiration?

William Gold: Life in general, and all the experiences we've had. And my musical tastes personally evolved a lot during this period as well.

Joe Goldsmith: We started playing live a year ago, and I think that's definitely influenced the way we approach songs. We saw how the public reacted to certain parts of our music and we adapted our old catalog. We changed the songs slightly live to make them more exciting for the audience.

Is there a particular message you want to convey through your music?

William Gold: I just want people to dance. I want excitement. I want to convey honesty and passion.

Joe Goldsmith: I just want to inspire other people to take on creative projects. I want people to write songs, paint pictures, write poems...

William Gold: And they do!

Joe Goldsmith: Our fans are really very active and talented. We are constantly given amazing gifts. I have oil paintings in my house (portraits of us) that people have done. I have handmade sculptures, giant stuffed animals... That's my favorite thing about all of this: seeing that our ideas inspire other people.

Which song do you consider the most meaningful to you?

William Gold: I think “It’s All Futile!” is the one that is most personal to me. But of our latest songs, I think “Call Me What You Like” is the one I’m most proud of lyrically.

You have your own label. Is it important for you to have your own independence?

William Gold: Absolutely. Our independence is incredibly important. We're still trying to find our way in this industry. It's crazy to see how much support you need to do a lot of things, but also to see that you can do a lot of things yourself. And I feel like we're doing a good job of navigating the two. We are by no means a DIY band, but we want to do as much as possible ourselves.

What are the benefits of doing it yourself?

William Gold: Agency and freedom. And simply out of stubbornness! We don't want to give away our catalog when we can do so much on our own.

Joe Goldsmith: Once you cross that line, you won't really go back. You will never be independent again. So we're going to continue this as long as possible.

What sets you apart from other groups?

William Gold: I think it's our very strong connection with our fans.

Joe Goldsmith: I see other bands and other labels trying to make this...

William Gold: ...but we can't make it. We're lucky to have it and it's not something we did intentionally. It wasn't a marketing team that told us what to do, but we managed to create this heartfelt connection ourselves, and it's our most important priority to maintain, excite, and prioritize it above everything.

Joe Goldsmith: I try to do as much as I can to give back. I always do treasure hunts and secret competitions for our fans, to make sure they have a great time.

William Gold: I want to make sure that all of our concerts provide an option for people with less financial means. So, we have a messaging system where just ask to get tickets at half price (or even less). We do it at every concert where it’s possible. And when theaters refuse to do it, we try to find alternatives. It is essential to maintain our “fan base” at a high level.

#lovejoy #wilbur soot #joe goldsmith #normal people things #articles

[antifainternational]

Genuine question here.

If being Anti-fascist, yet trying to dictate what others can do or vilifying / condoning violence towards people who have different views, is that not a derivative of fascism? Trying to dictate what others say or do because you believe it to be in everyone else’s best interest? Although we are all individuals with our own goals and beliefs.

As it seems you are forcibly trying to oppress the opposition or people with alternative views even if they do not forcibly oppress others but wish to live their life in their own ways. As you believe what you want is in everyone’s best interest but it is almost impossible to be completely neutral and not have some sort of bias due to your own beliefs and upbringing.

Ah yes, the old “anti-fascists = fascists” line of reasoning.

We're going (very generously) assume that you are being genuine and are just this ignorant about fascism and anti-fascism, Anon, because we know a lot of people out there are. First off: you seem to think fascism = "telling people what to do" or "being violent." That's like saying that fascists often wear pants, so wearing pants = fascist. Yes, fascists are fond of "telling people what to do" and "being violent." So is every other state and governing structure in existence. If that's all that fascism was, then every society with both rules + a way to enforce those rules (which inevitably falls back on violence/"forcible oppression" = "derivative of fascism," rendering the category of fascism meaningless and, quite frankly, insulting the victims of fascism by equating what they suffered with, say, speed limits. So from jump, you clearly don't have a useful understanding of what fascism is. Not to worry, Anon, a lot of people don't and we can help you with that. Let's start with this poster from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:

If reading is your thing, we’d also recommend The Anatomy of Fascism by Columbia University historian Robert O. Paxton; if reading is not your jam this video by Philosophy Tube is a useful starting point for understanding what fascism actually is. If you’re going to espouse your opinions about fascism and anti-fascism, Anon, these learning resources are not optional for you. Next, let’s talk about violence. If you think the fascists’ take on/use of violence is the same thing as anti-fascists’ take on/use of violence, you’re once again demonstrating a real ignorance on the matter.

For fascists, violence isn’t just a tactic or strategy; it is the tactic/strategy. Fascists consistently and repeatedly glorify, prioritize, and valorize violence as a legitimate and desirable means to accomplish their goals. By contrast, violence employed by anti-fascist is always in defense of ourselves and our communities. Anti-fascist violence is typically employed as a last resort and is typically proportional to the threat being confronted. A few examples to illustrate: 1) The Proud Boys reserve the highest level/rank within their gang/terror group for those members willing to commit acts of violence.

We defy you to name and provide evidence of an anti-fascist group that does this.

2) The Center for Strategic and International Studies looked at 900 acts of politically motivated violence in the US that resulted in deaths. Here’s what they found when they compared violence committed by antifa, the left in general, Islamic extremists, and the far right:

As you can see, the overwhelming number of deaths from political violence is caused by far-right extremism. 3) Maybe you heard about the “violent” Black Lives Matter protests “burning down our cities” a while back. Researchers at Harvard looked at over 7300 BLM protests and discovered that less than 4% of those protests saw any vandalism or property damage and in less than 3% was anyone injured. In that 3% of protests where someone was injured, as the researchers note, “when there was violence, very often police or counterprotesters were reportedly directing it at the protesters.”

Now let’s talk about your mischaracterization of fascist ideology as a “differing view” or “opinion.” Let’s be absolutely clear that the “viewpoint” or “opinion” of fascists is that people who differ from the fascists in terms of ethnicity/race, religion, language spoken, geographic origin, migration status, gender or sexual identity, or disability should be dehumanized, scapegoated, persecuted, driven from the community, and eliminated, preferably by force.  The viewpoint/opinion of anti-fascists, in contrast, is that people should be allowed to live their lives free of fear of persecution and violence being directed at them because of their ethnicity/race, religion, language spoken, geographic origin, migration status, gender or sexual identity, or disability. The anti-fascist position is captured by the slogan Respect Existence of Expect Resistance. We’d go so far as to argue that the fascist position isn’t even an opinion because (as any first-year philosophy student could tell you) opinions must be defensible; something the fascist position clearly is not. Look Anon, if fascists were arguing about whether pineapple belongs on pizza or how much tax money libraries should receive, we’d happily debate them on those opinions or viewpoints. But whether or not certain groups of people deserve basic human rights or if they should instead be persecuted, forcibly removed, enslaved, and/or murdered is not a matter up for debate and people trying to spread that ideology must be stopped. If you think that they should instead be defeating in the free market of ideas through vigorous debate, please consider a couple what Michael J. Dolan succinctly explained; that "when you argue that fascists should be defeated in debate what you're actually suggesting is that vulnerable minorities should have to endlessly argue for their right to exist and that at no point should the debate be considered over and won." If fascists want to “live their lives in their own ways,” they should fuck off to some part of the planet no one else lives in or holds claim to and do it there (maybe Elon Musk go lead them on a Mars colonization project?); so long as they continue attempt to do it in communities other people live in, they pose a clear threat to those communities and need to be shut down by any means necessary.

[hermitscratch]

TANGDUBS + 2!! PRETTY PLEASE

Send me a pairing + a number! || Accepting

2. An accidental kiss, Tango/Bdubs, 866 words

"Sooo," Tango drawled awkwardly, scuffing his boot against the packed dirt, "We're in agreement that you're totally bonkers, right?"

Bdubs looked up from where he was wrapping his knuckles, the methodic twist of bandages familiar to the point of being soothing, "There's nothin' bonkers about it! We're just- we're settling some differences, that's all, we're getting even," He replied, squinting at the ground below where Tango stood, "Hey, hey, stop kicking up the ring! Do you know how long it took me to build us this arena?"

Tango eyed their "arena". It wasn't much, a circle of cleared space that must have measured half a chunk across its widest point, flattened and padded with a layer of sand and gravel. The perimeter was trimmed in snow blocks- a clever callback to what landed them there that made Tango's tail lash in brief distaste- and beyond the circle, artfully arranged stairs and scaffolding served as seating for their nonexistent audience. It was simple, but it was enough to give this... whatever this was supposed to be... an official feel. "I dunno," Tango offered flippantly, "Like, twenty minutes?"

"Twenty min- ohh," Bdubs fumed, and Tango grinned as Bdubs continued, largely to himself, "Ohhh, I'll get you just for that one. Twenty minutes, hah, the pair on this guy..."

Tango snickered, raising his hands placatingly in front of him, "Hey, I'm just saying! Only one as masterful as you could pull off a build this nice that fast, you know?"

"Uh huh, that's what I thought you meant," The retort was sharp, but Bdubs' lips quirked with amusement, "You ready yet?"

"Erm. Not gonna lie, I'm still not sure what you're trying to accomplish here," Tango admitted. Idly, he tamps down the patch of dirt he'd dug up, smoothing the sand and gravel back over the dent, "Last Life is over. What happened, happened," Tango fought to keep the bitter taste out of his mouth, "What's this gonna do?"

"Plenty!" Was Bdubs' immediate answer, lifting his nose like he was proud of whatever logic he was employing to justify challenging Tango. Not even to full-on PVP, either, to a sparring match.

"Oh yeah," Tango said emphatically, "We come out here, sample some punch sauce with our faces, and suddenly it's like you didn't brutally murder me after I brought you back from red badness!"

"You're flaring, sweetheart," Bdubs pointed out, and Tango grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair, reducing the sparks to embers. Maybe it wasn't the best idea for Bdubs to construct the bleachers out of wood. "But that's just it, though! It's closure!" "Closure," Tango repeated skeptically.

"Closure," Bdubs affirmed, "This way if I win, I'll have earned the life I took! And if you win, you get the satisfaction of revenge! I know you're mad, but this has gotta help us get back on good terms, right?"

Bdubs' wide eyes were earnest, pleading, and Tango has never been good at denying him his whims. Especially not when there's such a blatant I miss you, I miss us between the lines.

Tango pursed his lips, looked around their little arena, and sighed. "Fine, let's do this."

The rules were set. They took opposite ends of the circle. And then, they were at each other's throats, Tango's agility matched at every turn by Bdubs' stamina, Tango's resourcefulness met head-on by Bdubs' resilience. For all they were out of practice in hand-to-hand, there was an elegance to it that came less from the execution of moves, more from the ebb and flow of knowing an opponent intimately, a dance that kept them on their toes for nearly an hour.

And Tango knew. He knew Bdubs, had known him for years. Worked with him, based with him, teamed with him. Cared about him, here and in the game, and Bdubs had backstabbed him.

The rush of feelings were ugly. Love and hate and protectiveness and betrayal and hurt, hurt, hurt, fueling every punch and kick and hiss, every connection making him feel a little bit lighter, until-

"Tango!"

Tango froze, looking down. Bdubs was on the ground, on his back, immobilized in every way that mattered by Tango's weight. That was the victory condition they'd agreed on; no deathmatch, only a chance to make the other vulnerable.

Bdubs lifted the only hand he had free, and Tango dully realized that there was something to wipe away when Bdubs started scrubbing gently at the corners of Tango's eyes. "You won," Bdubs said softly, smiling through a split lip.

There was still anger. There was pain, but there was elation, an overwhelming catharsis, a feeling too kind for the outlet it had come from, and when Tango leaned down to kiss Bdubs, there was relief.

It was brief. As soon as Tango realized he'd done it, he pulled away, clearing his throat bashfully, "I, uh- that's embarrassing. Sorr-"

"If you apologize instead of getting back down here right now, I'm punching you again," Bdubs said, hooking his hand around the back of Tango's neck, threading the short hairs around his fingers.

Tango has never been good at denying Bdubs his whims... especially not now, when he sounded so fond.

#Tangdubs #Tangotek #Bdoubleo100 #hermitshipping #Trafficshipping #Hermitcraft #Last Life #MCYT #Hermitfic #Asks #randomly-reblogs #Bdubs #Tango #Astral Library #My Writing #I'm not confident in my Tango voice sdfghj #I've written this man maybe twice in my life

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.101 Cash money

I took Kooper for a nice long walk, which was something we didn't do often. He was chill and required less physical activity than Rosie, so I always favored her when I wanted company on my jogs. Even though he could have gone without, he appreciated the time together and smiled the entire time. When we got home, Sophia was standing at the door giving me that look. I unleashed Kooper as quickly as I could and whisked her away into our love den. Being on vacation in a fancy house was cool and all, but nothing compared to our own bed. I think we were trying to show it how much we missed it and lingered there until our stomachs growled around dinnertime. Afterward, we attempted to settle on the couch in the office, but we were intercepted by a huge pile of presents. I forgot that was a thing sims did at weddings. Sophia was overjoyed at the sight; it felt like Winterfest all over again.

I let her open the first two from my parents, but then she handed me a box that had my name on it. I thought it was odd that the sender would single me out when the gift should have been for both of us. But when I saw who it was from, I understood.

"It's from Dub! Oh, there's a card..."

[click to enlarge]

I couldn't believe it and had to sit down and read it again. He had no idea how much of a blessing that was for us. Or maybe he did. Whatever the case, I was elated, and humbled, and determined, and proud, and all the other positive emotions. Our friendship was such a beautiful thing. Not because he gave me money, but because it was pure. It had no conditions or warnings or complications. He was the kind of friend I always wanted.

Eventually, it hit me that Sophia and I were about to come into a bunch of money and we could accomplish our dreams a lot sooner than later. I started dancing in my seat.

"A money tree? I didn't think they were real," Sophia said.

"Isn't it great?? If it grows fast enough, we could be in our house by next week!"

That thought excited me even more, and I danced even wilder.

"It's a very generous gift," she said hesitantly, "but..."

Like a record scratch in the club, I stopped. Party done.

"What's wrong? With all the money we're about to have, you'll never have to work again if you don't want to. We can go on vacations and stay as long as we want, buy our kids whatever they want... Hell, maybe I won't have to worry about teaching classes anymore. It's gonna be great!"

Her hands snapped to her hips, and I knew I'd messed up somehow.

"No, Luca! This is what I mean! I like who we are. Money has a way of changing sims, and I don't want that. I thought you taught yoga because you were passionate about it. Why would you stop? Are you doing it for the money?"

"I am passionate about it! But it's also how I make a living. If I didn't have to worry about making money, maybe I wouldn't have to worry about going from spa to spa, begging for a chance to teach!"

Her eyes flicked open, like she just realized something.

"But that's why you're going to open a studio."

"Yeah, but..." I sank back in the chair and let out all the air in my lungs. "That was my mom's idea. It's a good one, and sometimes I want to do it too. But sometimes I want my own plan. Everything I've done has been her idea, and..."

"So...you don't want a studio?"

"I don't know!"

She gasped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. It's just...it's complicated. You want me to return the seed, then?"

She sighed.

"No. That will be an insult to Dub and his family..." She sighed again and paced the room, searching for a solution that would satisfy us both. "It would be nice to move into our house before the baby comes, but I don't want this to get out of control."

Something like a bolt of lightning struck through my soul, and I felt my eyes grow as large as the sun.

"The baby?! Are you-"

She gasped again.

"I'm sorry! That came out wrong! I just meant it would be nice to be settled in our home before we start having babies."

"So...we're not having a baby?"

"Not at the moment."

I was a little bit disappointed, to be honest. Her slip up shocked me at first, but I was kind of excited about it.

"Alright, so what do you suggest we do?" I asked.

"I just think we need a plan. Put some controls on it so we don't go crazy."

Heh, I know she said we, but she totally meant me. Whatever.

"We don't know how much money it's going to give us," she continued. "So what if we just take what we need to get our house and cover ourselves for a few months?"

"Alright... But what happens after that?"

"It can just sit there until an emergency comes up. Or when our kids want to move out or go to university or get married or...whatever."

The plan wasn't exactly what I wanted, but at least she wasn't completely opposed. This very much felt like one of those pick your battles moments, so I conceded.

"Okay fine. We can do it that way. Let's get this thing in the ground."

We went outside and picked a spot to plant it. I laughed when I took the seed out of the box.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"This seed! It's cash shaped like a flower! What kind of wizardry is this?"

I dug a hole, dumped the seed, covered it, and poured some water on it. Then, I stood over it, watching as if something were supposed to happen.

"Grow fast, little guy. I want to be in our new house as soon as possible."

Before going back into the house, I sent Dub a message to thank him for the gift.

Dub's note written by @mysimsloveaffair

#ISBI challenge #sims 4 story #sims 4 gameplay #adolting #adolting gen 3 #luca winston murillo #sophia aguilar #banks collab

[hazard-and-friends]

had our first AKC scentwork trial today:

boy howdy this was chaotic. fucking hell. Jo went up to ask the stewards who was currently running to see if we should line up and not only did they not know they clearly had no idea why she would be asking.

lots of conformation people (derogatory) who have no situational awareness, someone walked their dog 6 inches off our bumper while I was handling both dogs to the side of the car; my guys promptly lost their nut and the person was just like...whatever.

however at higher levels lots of NACSW people cross-training and they were all lovely etc, gave good tips on running in AKC

we ran back-to-back-to-back-to-back, so all 4 elements in a row no breaks. he did stellar with this, no fatigue, no lessening of engagement. definitely got the feeling especially on our first search that he was surprised I pulled him after he alerted. lmao.

they had 3 people waiting in a row to go in, and all dogs could see each other. kept about 10 feet apart but still. this wigged him out, and I've been battling a migraine for the last two days so was stressy, so we both sat and stressed up together. he was reluctant then to walk past the barrier to the first search (ie, too much pressure) but perked right up when he saw the boxes.

both of us were thrown by the size of the search areas (THEY'RE SO SMALL). especially in int and ext he kept trying to go check other places. we're used to NACSW areas which are nice and roomy. oh well.

containers first. 100% sure he was trying to overthink it. gave me a halfassed alert on a box and I called it before either of us could second-guess. Q

buried. was a little worried about this as we've literally never trained it, but I suspected that the sand would diffuse the odor intensity down to more familiar NACSW levels. I was right or he's a genius (or both) because the best alert of the day. Q

interior. right in, right to the source, halfassed alert. this time I waited to see if he'd commit to it. he did not. spent another 1 min 45 sec dicking around in the search area before asking to leave. NQ. judge disappointed in my handling. all of his alerts today were shaky, this was just the only one I challenged him on.

exterior. right in, checked a few things, then alert. Q.

so 3 of 4, which given how stressy he was and the lack of much AKC specific prep is pretty dang good.

accomplished the goals of (a) working on endurance, NW3 is six large searches over a day, so 4 bitty ones in an hour is good, and (b) just another trial environment where Boss is stressing and needs to be told where things are.

super proud of him for working through his feelings though, that was very impressive.

#hazard to society #nosework #nw3 in 3 weeks give or take

[cactusnymph]

hugs #4 for dammon x rolan ?

Rolan feels like the air itself is choking him.

His mouth tastes like blood and his entire body hurts, screaming at him to lie down an rest. But he can't rest. He can't stop—shouldn't stop, shouldn't—

He can't breathe.

Lia and Cal are gone and he can't do a godsdamned thing to get them back. Rolan curses the rudimentary magical powers he never really got to develop and no matter how proud he is of what he already accomplished his magic didn't do anything to help him when his siblings got dragged away from him.

They're gone. They could be tortured and killed right now and Rolan is kneeling on the ground, his fingers digging into the dirt below him as he tries to count the seconds.

Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.

Breathe in. Hold—Lia and Cal screaming his name, Cal's wide eyes, Lia's defiant shouts—

"Hey, do you need help?"

It takes Rolan's brain a few long, agonizing seconds to register that someone is speaking to him. His robes are bloody and covered in dust and soot and he feels as if he hasn't breathed fresh air in years.

What if they're dead? What if Rolan is all alone now, his entire world shattered—

"Alright there. It's Rolan, right? We can breathe together, see if that helps. One, two, three—"

Warm, strong hands covered in callouses wrap around his wrists. Rolan's senses narrow in on the voice and the feeling of skin on skin as he slowly follows the melody of the numbers, trying his best to get his breathing back under control.

When he finally looks up Dammon's face swims into view, his eyebrows pulled together in worry and his head tilted.

Rolan swallows.

"I'm alright", he croaks, realizing how idiotic that sounds. His face is bloody, bruised and streaked with tears. But he was never one to confide in others or accept help easily. The fact that Dammon has seen him like this burns shamefully in his stomach as if someone dropped coals down his throat.

"It's okay if you're not", Dammon says softly and releases Rolan's wrists. "Would you like some water?"

Rolan nods silently and awkwardly gets up from the ground. His legs are still shaking and his head is swimming, but he refuses to kneel and cower in front of a virtual stranger any longer than he already has.

He didn't even realize that he broke down in the shadows of the inn close to Dammon's workshop, but now that he looks around he can see the tools and weapons and smell oils and leathers.

If Lia and Cal were here they would tease him for ending up here of all places. Rolan swallows and keeps concentrating on his breathing.

"Here you go. Have a seat. Pardon my language, but you look like hell."

Rolan doesn't answer. He doesn't know what to say. He must reek of sweat and dirt and shadow creature innards. There's a long silence as Rolan forces himself to sip the water Dammon handed him while he does his best to look anywhere but at Dammon who hovers close by as if Rolan might topple over any second.

"I'm sorry about your siblings", Dammon finally says, his voice soft and way too gentle.

Rolan doesn't need gentle. He needs the steel reserve to go and get them back.

Fuck.

"I tried to get them back, but I barely made it out of the bubble before—"

His words die in his throat as he grabs the glass so tight that it shakes in his fingers.

Dammon takes the glass out of his hands, probably to stop it from breaking in his grip. Rolan feels the overwhelming urge to curse the stranger who went to save the kidnapped people, just like they busted in and convinced him to stay with the refugees, to help fight.

The truth is that they would have to cross these lands alone otherwise. Rolan isn't stupid. But he needs to hold into his anger, or else he fears that he might simply break down.

"Trust others to help", Dammon says and grabs Rolan's shoulders. "I know we're used to try and solve all our own problems, but they're one of us, right? They'll do their best and your siblings will be safe. But you also need to stay safe so they have someone to come home to."

Rolan stares at Dammon.

In another situation he would have called this talk of hope and trust stupid and ridiculous but his throat is burning with more unshed tears and this is all he has. The hope that someone else will do what he couldn't.

"I—I can't lose them", Rolan finally whispers, the terrible truth that grips his heart with an iron fist.

"You won't. It'll be alright", Dammon says again with a small smile and Rolan has no idea if he's so naive to actually believe it or if he just says it to humor Rolan. He has no time to ponder this further, because Dammon kneels down in front of the log Rolan is seated on before he pulls Rolan forward and right into a warm, tight hug.

Rolan's thoughts grind to a halt and his entire body tenses before collapsing into itself and the hug.

Fuck.

"We'll make it. We're all going to make it."

And in this steady embrace Rolan can almost believe it.

feel free to send me one of these <3

#bg3 rolan #bg3 dammon #dammon #rolan #dammon x rolan #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 fic #mi writes #bless you for indulging my weird rarepair tastes anon <3333 #i wuv them

[japhan2024]

Hi there! It's me! 😅 Idk if you want to but, could you write some fluff Ianthony while they are writting the Food Battle script? Like they being cute and laughing and being dorks, some sweet shit like that? PLEASE 🙏🙏

Omg you give the cutest prompts, I'm MELTING. I will try my best!!!

Eye contact

Genre: fluff, angst

"Ian, we're so good together. We work. We... I want you to be happy, and stay happy, and I don't know how many times I have to say that I will stay with you forever, but I will say it as many times as it takes."

read on ao3

"The crinkles around Anthony's eyes when he smiles and laughs. His proud little smile when he talks about what they have accomplished together.

Ian looks sideways at him as they hold a Food Battle marathon at Ian's house. Lately, Ian allows himself to 'look' at his best friend more and more. It is hard not to stare, though. Because Anthony is beautiful. So unfairly beautiful. Being in his presence always excited Ian but he never dared to look at Anthony longer than a second.

But now, after everything that has happened... why not? Why not sneak a peek at that chiseled jaw, those inviting curls, and that olive skin, a mature version of his BFF he remembers from school. Ian catches himself sighing. And so does Anthony. As they lock eyes, Ian quickly looks away, smiling down into his lap.

"This scene is so dope, right," Anthony points at them on the screen.

"Yeah, you're right."

~

It's the next day. They're at Anthony's house to work on the new Food Battle script.

Anthony looks at Ian with soft, admiring eyes. He loves one thing most of all. Above anything in the world. And that is watching Ian's creative process at work.

"This is so dumb. But what if I just give her a comically large piece of chewed gum right out of my mouth?"

"Ew, that's so gross!! I love it."

Ian laughs. Not the reserved chuckle he gives other people. But the hearty, all-out goofy laugh he only shares with Anthony.

"So, the wife dies... Sorry feminism, but the twist is... YOU were the wife the whole ass time!!"

Anthony giggles. "That explains the seven-year pause so well, oh my god. But... If I'm your wife, how does sex work?"

Ian shrugged matter-of-factly. "Duct tape and an empty Gatorade bottle." He makes a plopping sound to match his zany ass explanation and sends Anthony into hysterical laughter.

"Fuck, we have to put this into the script! We might get demonetized, though."

"Hey, if we really cared about money, we would just steal TikTok videos and put them in compilations on YouTube for the rest of our lives."

"True. God, how I love this..." They smile at each other. God, Ian has such unnaturally light-blue eyes. Anthony notices that lately, Ian makes way more eye contact with him than before. Which is amazing, because he's always tried to get more out of him. More and deeper conversations. More emotion! But it seemed impossible.

At parties, Ian is outgoing, and Anthony gladly tags along. But when it's just the two of them, Ian likes to chill out with his thoughts. And that's fine with Anthony, but he can't help but want more. And now, since everything that happened, they finally talk. For hours!

"To think we both forget how great this is, writing together..." The sunlight that comes in from Anthony's window lights up Ian's eyes even more. Anthony wants to stare into them for all eternity. Those moments of direct eye contact send shivers down his spine, make all his hairs stand up and make him want to run some laps out of sheer excitement.

"Do you remember Star Stories?" Ian asks.

"Oh yeah, that shit was wild."

"Do you remember the George Michael one?"

They both laugh.

"Write about what you know, what you know, what you know..." Anthony mimics the old comedy show.

"There's this one bit," Ian says while laughing. Anthony loves it when Ian is so excited about something he already laughs at it before even telling Anthony.

"What?"

"It's when George Michael cries about his band mate leaving, and it's all dramatic, and then he's suddenly like, super unbothered and says "I'm over it." We should put that in. Like I'm crying about my wife for 1.5 seconds and then I'm like, okay let's do Food Battle, biiitch!"

"That's amazing."

"I know, I didn't come up with it."

"Shut up, you come up with brilliant stuff all the time."

"If you say so."

"Let's take a break," Anthony says.

They order some lunch and hang out on Anthony's balcony. They are drinking some flavored water.

"Any new dates?" Anthony asks suggestively.

"Nope." Ian doesn't elaborate.

"Ian, have you even tried?"

"I guess I haven't. But I'm really happy, Anthony. The right girl will come along, I'm sure."

"Or the right guy?" They never talk about Ian's bisexuality but Anthony wants to bring it up. He wants to know how he can help Ian get a date. Above everything, he wants to make Ian happy.

"Or the right guy, I guess. Or just a person in general. But boobs are a plus."

"Are you into man boobs as well?"

"Hell yeah! As long as I can suck on them... oh no, this is a terrible idea..."

Anthony's eyes light up. Ian's terrible ideas are genius 100% of the time.

"Ian, you must tell me..."

"One of the challenges should be a breast milk pump."

Anthony compulsively giggles through his words. "Oh my god! Ian, we can't show that on YouTube..."

"Can I at least suggest it? You'll say 'ew gross' and I will say, "Oh yeah, you're right... damn it!" And I'll look disappointed."

"We will work it in there somewhere."

Ian squints at Anthony. "Are you giving me more leeway because you're still cheesing about our reunion?"

"Maybe."

"You know you're playing with fire."

"Yeah, I know, hahaha."

"By the way, I'm still willing to burn Smosh to the ground with you."

"I think our fire will light up Smosh, warm the place up."

"With our looove," Ian says in his mocking voice.

Anthony kicks him fondly.

The bell rings: their lunch has arrived.

"I'll go get it," Anthony says, leaving Ian with his thoughts for the moment. He still can hardly believe how invigorating it is to work with his best friend again. It doesn't feel like work at all, they are just hanging out. This is them.

"Here is your gluten-free bagel," Anthony says with a tucked-in chin.

"Well have fun eating your vegan salad of misery," Ian counters.

"At least we are pretty and healthy!" Anthony uses his girly voice. He hasn't in quite a while.

"That voice takes me back."

Anthony laughs.

"For real though," Anthony continues in his normal voice, "you're becoming fitter by the day, the gluten-free diet is working, or are you also running again?"

"I'm hella running, dude. Every morning."

"That's awesome. I'm so happy for you, it used to be such a big part of who you were in high school."

"Yeah, it makes me feel so much better. And if I skip a day, I immediately feel worse. So it's kind of an addiction by now. Gotta go faaast!"

As they eat their lunch, a group of birds flies by. They are shimmering, bright green but their call sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

"Wow."

"Did you know birds have one hole for everything?" Ian suddenly says.

Anthony raises his eyebrows and snorts. "What?

"For everything." Ian looks him in the eye again. That sends Anthony and he doesn't recover from laughing until a few moments later, while Ian repeatedly says "It's called the cloaca, man, the cloaca!"

"Why are you so fucking funny, Ian. You're the funniest person I know. And that's saying something, with all our employees at Smosh."

"Aww, thanks Anthony! I think we just share a kind of humor. My jokes don't land like this at the office." He chuckles.

"Kids these days..." Anthony scoffs.

"Hey, come here, your hair is messed up. I'll fix it for you," Ian says suddenly and comes up to Anthony, closer than he expects. He puts the wayward curl that the wind has blown in Anthony's face, back on top of his head. "That's better. Now you can go back to being pretty again," Ian jokes.

"I love it when you do that kind of stuff," Anthony murmurs.

"What?"

"These little gestures of affection. I appreciate it so much."

Ian doesn't look him in the eye now. Anthony feels bad.

Because he knows.

He knows Ian likes him.

For all those years he's liked him. And he has sometimes taken advantage of that. Flirted with him so Ian would do work for him, that type of stuff. But he hasn't done anything like that since they reconnected. And he isn't planning to. This time, he wants to give Ian what he deserves. To truly appreciate him.

"Hey." Anthony takes Ian's hand.

"Don't do that," Ian tries to look the other way, but fails. They lock eyes once again.

"I'm being sincere, I promise," Anthony says. Ian blushes.

"Ian, we're so good together. We work. We... I want you to be happy, and stay happy, and I don't know how many times I have to say that I will stay with you forever, but I will say it as many times as it takes."

"That means a lot," Ian says. "Now cut it out with the sappy shit, you know I'm bad with that."

But Anthony holds onto Ian's hand stronger.

"It's not sappy, Ian, it's the honest truth. I love you."

Ian swallows. "Yes, and I love you, bro. I love you... and it's hard sometimes, you know? It's hard because when I look into your eyes, Anthony, I see... I see something I want to have. And it's this close, man. But I'll never have it and I've accepted that a long time ago."

"Come here," Anthony says softly, and pulls him into a tight embrace. He whispers: "I've done you wrong for so long, Ian. I want to give you everything... Anything you want. You can have it, whatever it is."

"Don't play with my feelings, Anthony."

"I'm not, I promise."

Ian slowly lets go, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Remember the staring contests?"

"Oh my god, those were always terrible hahaha."

Of course, Ian would break the tension.

"But this doesn't feel like a staring contest. We can finally look at each other honestly. Damn, it does feel good."

"Yeah."

"But Anthony, we have a script to finish."

"Fine. But promise me you're staying over tonight?"

"Fine. Idiot."

"Dumbass."

They go back inside.

#Ian's day #Ian day #fanfic #fan fiction #ianthony #this was my last fic for ian's day! I hope yall enjoyed! The fics I have read so far are stellar!! yall r incredible! #and the art!! jdshksdgjd #ian's day is already a success #and there's the writers who will post later in the day!! so excited!!!11 #AND ARTISTS

[muthaz-rapapa]

Otona Precure '23: The Sequel We ACTUALLY Deserve

Let's not mince words.

Otona Precure wasn't just fantastic, it puts every reboot or sequel of an established series to shame.

Because yea, it's primarily aimed at an older audience alright but the issues and the themes discussed in the story are relatable and relevant to everyone's interests, regardless of age.

That reality is much harsher than we think it is, more than we can comprehend. That the world will never be perfect like we want it to be.

But also that, because we're on this planet right now at this very moment, we can't just sit around and resign ourselves to not do anything as situations continue to worsen.

Pollution, climate change, toxic society, war.

The show did not shy away from addressing these topics but what's even more notable is it pointing out that people, humans, are the source of them all.

And I appreciate the honesty of that statement because yes, frankly, we are the problem.

People are selfish. We indulge too much in ourselves, our own egos, that we are blinded to the welfare of others. We are also lazy and discriminating and even those who say we'd like things to be better often give up too easily because searching for a solution is too hard and daunting.

Mankind is the shittiest species to walk upon this earth and no one's gonna argue on that.

But does that make everyone inherently bad though?

No, of course not.

We're flawed beings but we're also capable of learning. We're capable of understanding and compassion. There are many among us who do try our best to make this world a kinder and more beautiful place to live in.

But as the finale shows, it cannot only be these few people (like Precure) to do all the hauling and pushing. Everybody has to pitch in. Everybody has to contribute for a better world to be possible.

And that doesn't mean tackling a conflict that's a lot bigger than you can handle. That doesn't mean you have to go at it all alone.

It means that you have to change the way you are, change the way you do things to get the ball rolling. Only by changing yourself first that you can begin to change your surroundings, not the other way around.

It's only through the collective effort of everyone wanting to change for the better that we can protect what we love and create the future that we envision.

Precure is meant to inspire that will to act which is best exemplified in Nozomi. Cure Dream, the Precure of Hope.

Nozomi stands out among the many lead Cures we've had over the years in the quality of leadership she displays as the head of her own team.

She is not the brightest nor sharpest person in any group but damn, does that girl woman never give up.

Not even when she pushes herself to the brink that she falls unconscious from fatigue several times did she ever consider the thought of giving up.

And that's exactly what makes her such a strong and effective leader.

It's not because she's been put into that position so she's only functioning as one.

It's because she inspires everyone around her to become the leaders of their own lives which would then repeatedly bring about the butterfly effect in people beyond their own circle.

Additionally, we must applaud at how well the themes of adulthood and personal struggle have been explored. Look at the girls! Look at how much they've grown, how much they've progressed from the time they were still just middle schoolers dreaming of what they want to be in the future.

(GODDAMNIT, MILK BECAME THE PRIME MINISTER OF HER HOME COUNTRY, I'M STILL NOT OVER THAT AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!)

They've accomplished so much and you can't help but be incredibly proud of how far they've come on their individual journeys.

But now that they're adults, they also realize just how difficult it is to keep the optimism they had when they were kids. Things don't always go the way you want them to. Real life is stressful and exhausting and the accumulation of all those negative feelings of helplessness is enough to send anyone into depression.

As an adult, you're constantly asking yourself "is it really worth it?" because you don't want to betray the hopes you had as a child but sometimes, it's just too hard that all you want to do is give up.

...and that's okay if you need to for a while.

Take a break, go talk to someone you can trust if you feel you've really hit rock bottom.

Find a secure, safe space to cry it all out if you have to.

It's okay to not be okay all the time.

Because that's pretty much what adulthood is.

Being an adult is not about doing everything but knowing you can't do everything and telling yourself that's okay. Because you're already doing everything you can. Your best is good enough.

It's good enough for one person. Nobody's asking you to save the world or become a magical girl to fight off monsters or resolve a major crisis with a miracle answer.

You just need to do your part of the whole in the best way you can. That's all.

And I believe Bell knows that as well.

She knows that just because today's worst was averted, it doesn't mean we're out of the doom radar yet. Because she's right. Humans still can't be trusted as proven by that after-credits scene. There are still plenty of jerks out there who don't give a damn about how much harm they're adding to the world.

But she also knows that as long as there is someone like Precure to do their part, to yell at those jerks to pick up their trash, then maybe, maybe, not all hope is lost just yet.

And so she leaves with the words "I'll be waiting for you in the future", hoping that what the Cures have taught her to believe won't betray her when that time comes.

That said, for us longtime fans of the series, Otona Precure is also a love letter.

A project of appreciation to us for the past 20 years of love and support we've given this franchise.

And I'd say we got what we wanted because before the announcement of this spin-off, I didn't think Toei would ever care to redeem Yes! 5 Precure on how badly it performed during its two seasons run.

Yet here we are and even 100 times better than the original.

They cut out all the fillers which was the primary flaw of those two seasons and focused entirely on the characters. The girls and the expansion of their story arcs. The stuff we actually want to see.

Moreover, the writers did a very great job of showing how everyone has matured. For example, Rin and Karen outgrew their bickering and even the uncalled for vitriol that Kurumi always directed at Nozomi is nowhere to be found.

Seriously! I laughed so hard when Kurumi switched the target of her criticism from Nozomi to Coco. I don't think we've ever seen her this concerned and sympathetic towards Nozomi to the point that she didn't even hesitate to yell at her superior to "cut it with your responsibilities crap and go comfort your lonely girlfriend, you idiot king!"

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Everyone is just incredibly supportive of each other and that's so heartwarming.

I also personally loved how they dealt with Komachi's episode, which introduced a sort of sub-theme of one's love for their hometown.

Komachi has always aspired to become a writer and it would've been fine to go down the route of getting her out of her slump.

But having Komachi put in effort for her community, learn about the history of her town, and becoming determined to defend it after her strengthened appreciation fit with the overarching theme and her personality so much better.

The inclusion of Splash Star into this story was awesome, too.

If I can be honest, I don't think Saki and Mai would've done as well as Otona Precure if they had 12 episodes only to themselves (including Michiru and Kaoru, btw). So by giving them a fair amount of screentime next to the Yes!5 girls, the show just felt more complete with their conclusions.

They're still chasing their respective dreams, had their relationship troubles (and Saki got engaged to her boyfriend/fiance who seems like a very good guy judging by how he's supportive of her going to Luxembourg, ugh so happy for her!) and career doubts but are still as close as ever which allowed them to pull through in the end.

Wonderful.

Finally, let's all agree that no anniversary season is complete unless proper spotlight is given to the dai-senpai Precure, FutariWa.

Maybe that's why 10th anniversary was such a dud?

They didn't get as much screentime as they did during the 15th anniversary (which included two episodes in Hugtto and sharing the main lead role with Hana/Cure Yell in the All Stars movie) but they still made a grand entrance in the penultimate ep of Otona Precure and kicked absolute ass in the finale and that's really all that matters.

So good job, Toei!

And ok, finally finally, NozoCoco officially got 💖MARRIED💖

Romance is not a vital aspect of Precure nor does it ever have to be because focusing on friendship and teamwork is still the most important aspect when it comes to this series...

But only a stupid numbskull would say Coco is unnecessary to Nozomi's happiness because he's the biggest reason she was able to become who she is today. The fact that she even tells him, right after she woke up from her coma, that she needs him to truly be happy is a proof of how irreplaceable he is to her.

She doesn't ask him to be with her because she needs a man. She wants him to marry her because he brings out the best in her. Because he is the one person who can understand her better than anyone else can and the one person whom she wants to share the rest of her life with.

Remember that Nozomi was inspired by Coco. She became Precure, became Cure Dream, because she met him. She aspired to become a teacher because of him. The butterfly effect for her began with him.

For them to overcome all these obstacles to their relationship and promise to be there for one another, through all the good and bad...it's the fulfillment of a dream they both deserve.

And the perfect ending to Yes! 5 Precure.

So congratulations to Yes!5 and Splash Star on an amazing sequel.

Congratulations to Precure for these precious 20 years you've given us.

Here's hoping to more successful years ahead.

See you in the new year!

#my last post of 2023 so going out with a bang #otona precure #yes! 5 precure #splash star precure

[starsandhughes]

Penalty Box Series— Trevor Zegras Edition (Six)

23-24 Season Masterlist

previous: five

next: seven

OCTOBER 28, 2023

these have been short lately i’m so sorry

yourusername

liked by trevorzegras, leocarlssoon, and 15,688 others

yourusername welcome back to my postgame penalty box update show: MY BABY DADDY SCORED HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON EDITION!

tonight, my duckies won 7-4 against the flyers! coincidentally, the only time the ducks scored 7 goals last season was also in a 7-4 win where trevor scored and stromer assisted on it! isn't that fun? yay stats! that's my mans and my hero!

you'll notice that i put 0.5 as the penalty count, and that's because z sat for a too many men bench penalty, which don't count towards his personal minutes, but he was still in the box!

and our son! he's taking after his father with his second penalty of the season! i’m so proud of you, leo! i love you! we love criminals in the zegras-hughes family <3

i’m so proud of you guys! you're 3-0 on the roadie so far, with one more game to go! this is your season, boys! i love you!

my love, i’m so incredibly happy for you, and beyond proud! here's to the first of many! (i chugged my drink when he scored to celebrate btw so if you're currently drinking— chug! chug! chug! chug!) i love you, always, sweet boy🧡

p.s. FRANKY TANKY! MY BOY! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SECOND HATTY! YOU AND AUSTON PAPI MATTHEWS ARE NOW THE ONLY TWO IN THE NHL WITH TWO HATTIES! IT'S YOUR YEAR, BESTIE! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU! I LOVE YOU! MWAH!

p.s.s. coachy cro, never stop sending z in as the default criminal! it brings me immense joy!

tagged trevorzegras and leocarlssoon

view all 139 comments

trevorzegras i love that you love stats, my precious little weirdo! i wouldn't know my accomplishments without you telling me them🧡 i love you, forever

yourusername y/n "sissy" soon to be zegras-hughes: professional event planner, professional nerd, professional fiancé supporter

trevorzegras damn right

lhughes_06 JUST fiancé supporter?

jackhughes sissy, your brothers exit

colecaufield sissy, your friends exist

yourusername @/lhughes_06 @/jackhughes @.colecaufield i’m an amateur supporter of the rest of you <3

jamie.drysdale you two are bad influences on your son

yourusername YOU TAKE THAT BACK, DRYSDALE! HE CAME THIS WAY AND WE LOVE HIM!

trevorzegras we're trying our best!

leocarlssoon i take offense to this

yourusername SEE! YOU BROKE THE BABY! YOU BUMBLE FUCK BITCH!

jamie.drysdale @/yourusername okay okay i’m sorry! you're doing great! you'll be a great mom to your twins! i didn't mean it!

jackhughes @/yourusername does this mean i’m your favorite ex husband?

yourusername @/jackhughes no <3

user59 when sissy says chug, you chug!

frank_vatrano thanks, y/n/n! i love you, too! your new hat trick medals are definitely a plus

yourusername ya girl has a big brain!!

frank_vatrano she does😂

maxjones98 @/yourusername how much stuff for goodie bags and awards do you actually have on hand right now?

yourusername @/maxjones98 a lot! i have so much faith in my duckies! and my other boys!

trevorzegras @/maxjones89 her craft room has a bookshelf full of the stuff she includes with drawers labeled individually for all of us

frank_vatrano @/trevorzegras doesn't she also give bags to canucks, devils, and habs when we play them?

trevorzegras @/frank_vatrano it's a huge bookshelf

jamie.drysdale @/trevorzegras don't forget the stack of boxes to mail first goal trophies and personal record awards

trevorzegras @/frank_vatrano what he said

maxjones98 @/trevorzegras your girl is so amazingly sweet it's insane

yourusername @/maxjones98 JONESEY! YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY!

user40 the ducks?? on a win streak?? somebody made a deal with a god

_quinnhughes i think z should be at -1

yourusername 2 minute penalty for being a rude head. go sit in your bathtub.

trevorzegras you heard my baby mama! go!

_quinnhughes @/trevorzegras @/yourusername STOP WITH THE BABY DADDY AND MAMA

trevorzegras @_quinnhughes NO

yourusername MAKE ME

_quinnhughes oh dear god

user6 sissy and z are gonna make quinn go grey at 24😭

leocarlssoon i love you too mom😂

yourusername you're swimming so well!! you're such a good duckling!!!

leocarlssoon i try

yourusername you're succeeding!

user61 z pulled a quinn after he scored fr

colecaufield @/trevorzegras THAT'S MY MAN!

trevorzegras PLAY INSANE IN THE BRAIN!

yourusername his goal song might be by vanilla ice, but my mans is not vanilla

colecaufield @/yourusername why? just why?

jackhughes MY EYES

lhughes_06 AHHHH

trevorzegras @/yourusername ;)

_quinnhughes @/yourusername MINORS! THERE COULD BE MINORS READING THIS!

jamie.drysdale this is why i moved

yourusername @/jamie.drysdale stfu no it's not

colecaufield @/jamie.drysdale you were a tough soldier

user75 sissy gives no fucks about a digital footprint oh my god

_alexturcotte our boy is giving the rockettes a run for their money

yourusername his true dream is to be a vegas show girl

_alexturcotte shame he had to settle for hockey

yourusername truly

trevorzegras @/yourusername you're my new dream

yourusername @/trevorzegras that's sweet but we were teasing you and you ruined it

_alextucotte @/trevorzegras MOMENT RUINER

trevorzegras i can't win

jackhughes @/trevorzegras about time! that's my boy!

trevorzegras got these flashing lights on me🚨

yourusername that... i think made sense... i might have cracked the hockey boy code with this one!

jackhughes @/yourusername big brain

trevorzegras @/yourusername that's my girl!

#penalty box series #trevor zegras #trevor zegras fanfic #trevor zegras x reader #trevor zegras au #trevor zegras imagine #trevor zegras edit #trevor zegras series #trevor zegras x y/n #trevor zegras fic #trevor zegras insta edit #quinn hughes #jack hughes #luke hughes #jamie drysdale #leo carlsson #cole caufield #alex turcotte #nhl imagine #hockey imagine

[poohsources]

Hello, I hope this is okay to send here. I wasn't sure of another place to ask for advice. I apologize in advance if this is a bother.

Do you have any advice on getting out of the comparison trap and feeling rejected? I've had my blog around for a few months now and I've been doing my best to engage, but I get pushed to the side a lot. I know the comparison trap is ridiculous too, but a lot of the people I follow have high activity and I'm feeling dumb things, like the rejection and feeling lonely. I'm trying to break out of these thoughts, but it's been pretty hard.

Even if you don't have any advice, do you have some encouraging/positive words to share? I could use some kind of pick-me-up, if you can.

hi there! first off, no message is ever a bother to me. you can always send me whatever you want — after all, i'm here to help with whatever you need. even if you just need to vent to someone, i'm always all ears ( i may not always be able to answer immediately, but if you need someone to listen i'm here ).

as someone who has a tendency to perfection and compares herself to others a lot, i know only too well where you are coming from. what helps me is to take a step back and try to look at it from a more "distant" perspective. try to be proud of the things you do. maybe there's a certain thread or ongoing plot you're really excited about; something you feel greatly accomplished in. doesn't even have to be related to tumblr or writing — sometimes how we currently feel in our life can have a big influence on how we feel about being here. so if there's something going on in your life that makes you happy, take strength from that.

another thing, which admittedly, is easier said than done, is not to let it get to you too much. try to avoid what triggers these feelings ( if you know what it is ) and be appreciative of what you do have. there'll always be people others gravitate towards more but that's okay because in the same vein, there will be people that gravitate towards you. honestly, comparing yourself to others lies in our human nature, and more often than not it is linked to our own insecurities. but trying to overcome them by learning to love yourself for your skills can be one step forward.

roleplaying can be hard, especially because it's an evolving space where it can feel like things and people are moving on at different speeds at all times. but just know that many of us struggle with the same thing, we're all here to have fun and do what we love while writing silly things about characters we like with people who enjoy doing the same.

just remember that there's only one you and that there'll always be people who will love you for that. you will have your own personal spin on a character that no one else has and that alone is something to feel proud about.

#answered questions. #pooh helps. #( i feel like this post is kinda all over the place but i still hope this helps a little at least )

[itsabitcloudy]

Hii could you please write something about cooking with Sonny? Or maybe reader trying to teach him how to bake? Just fluff for our sonshine 🥹💗

Baking with Sonny

Summary: You're a great baker. You can bake cookies, cakes, anything. Sonny, on the other hand, well he’s better off eating what you baked. Thus, you make it a mission to teach him how to bake.

Author's Note: Hope you like it!

You had always loved baking. There was something therapeutic about mixing flour and sugar together, the scent of vanilla and chocolate wafting through the air. You could whip up a batch of cookies or a layered cake with ease, and it always brought a smile to your face.

Sonny, on the other hand, was a disaster in the kitchen. He could barely boil water, let alone bake a cake. But you had a mission - to teach him how to bake, no matter how chaotic it might be.

You were in the kitchen, surrounded by ingredients and baking tools. Flour, sugar, eggs, and butter were spread out on the counter, ready to be transformed into something delicious. You loved baking, and you were good at it too. But Heung-min Son, your boyfriend, was another story. He couldn't even make a simple batch of cookies without burning them.

You decided it was time to change that. You made it your mission to teach him how to bake, to give him a taste of the joy and satisfaction that came with creating something from scratch. You knew it wouldn't be easy, but you were determined to make it work.

"Okay, Sonny," you said, rolling up your sleeves. "We're going to start with something simple. Chocolate chip cookies."

Heung-min looked at the ingredients skeptically. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked. "I don't want to ruin your kitchen."

You laughed, feeling the warm glow of affection for him. "Don't worry," you said. "We'll do it together. And even if it doesn't turn out perfect, it'll still taste great."

Heung-min smiled, picking up the mixing bowl. "Okay, let's do this."

You guided him through the process, showing him how to measure out the ingredients and mix them together. Heung-min was a quick learner, but he still managed to make a mess of the kitchen. Flour flew everywhere, eggs cracked on the counter, and butter splattered on the floor.

At one point, he accidentally dumped too much sugar into the bowl, and you had to quickly intervene to fix the ratio. "You're doing great," you said, trying to keep the frustration out of your voice. "Just be a little more careful."

Heung-min nodded, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry," he said. "I'm not used to this."

"It's okay," you said. "Just keep going. You'll get the hang of it."

Finally, the dough was ready, and you started shaping it into little balls. Sonny took charge of placing them onto the baking tray, carefully spacing them out. You watched as he concentrated, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked so serious, so focused, and you couldn't help but think how cute he looked.

As the cookies baked in the oven, you both sat at the kitchen table, watching them through the glass door. The warm, sweet scent of chocolate filled the air, making your mouth water.

"They smell amazing," Heung-min said, his eyes fixed on the oven.

You smiled, feeling proud of your handiwork. "They are amazing," you said. "And you helped make them."

Heung-min looked at you, his eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you," he said. "For teaching me how to bake. It was a lot of fun."

You grinned, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Anytime," you said. "And who knows? Maybe one day, you'll be able to bake something on your own."

Heung-min chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said. "But I'd be happy to learn more from you."

You leaned across the table, taking his hand in yours. "I'd be happy to teach you," you said. "As long as we get to make a mess together."

Heung-min laughed, squeezing your hand back. "Deal," he said. "But next time, I'm wearing an apron."

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[keanuquotes]

Alexandra Grant is shedding new light on her relationship with boyfriend Keanu Reeves!

The accomplished visual artist, 50, attended the Los Angeles Beverly Arts Icon Awards on Friday sans Reeves, 59, and when asked if it is harder or easier to tackle red carpets alone, gave a thoughtful answer.

“The good news about falling in love as an adult is that I had built my own career by the time that my relationship had begun,” she tells PEOPLE. “I feel very confident in the relationship on the red carpet. I feel confident on it alone.”

"It's interdependent and independent in the best ways,” she adds.

While Grant, an honoree at the ceremony, hit the red carpet solo at The Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, she has been photographed at several events with Reeves since the pair made their public debut as a couple in 2019.

When asked how she and the John Wick star — who started off as friends and collaborators — interact with each other’s professional environments, Grant began her response by recalling a moment she felt stuck creatively.

“In a moment of frustration in my life, I once said, ‘Sometimes I feel like a Maserati stuck in traffic,' that I have this big engine, but, for a variety of reasons, that I couldn't ever go,” she tells PEOPLE. “And I know a lot of people feel frustrated in their lives, that they're not able to run their engine.”

She adds: “I think every creative person feels that way.”

“What I love about Keanu and our exchange is that we're pushing each other to build new roads,” she says. “Seeing the other person's problem-solving is inspiring, like, ‘Oh, well, okay, this one, that's a cul-de-sac. How do I try this other thing?’ ”

“He's such an inspiration to me,” she continues. “He's so creative, he's so kind. He works so hard.”

Grant also shares that “storytelling is at the heart” of what both she and her actor boyfriend do.

“My work is much more of a private performance, but I have a text that I interpret in the studio into a painting, into an object,” she says. “He takes the text in private and then turns it into a performance in public. There's a relationship. We're both at the heart readers and researchers. We both care about people and we care about characters.”

Grant went on to compare her and Reeves’ creative worlds using a metaphor.

“I think there's a lot of similarities,” she began. “Sometimes I feel like, to make a film, as we're seeing now in the strike, that it's a cruise ship. Everyone is dependent on everyone else. You can't go off and— being an artist, maybe at the beginning of my career, I was in a kayak on the sea of creativity. Now maybe it's a small speedboat, but it's still a lot more nimble.”

“I think that is very inspiring for him,” she said of Reeves and the “cruise ship”-like nature of making a movie.

She continues, “To make a film, you require hundreds of people. To be an artist, you don't. You require one. You require a community to get the work into the world, but not to actually make it. I think part of the inspiration is the differences of scale.”

According to Grant, her art has “absolutely” changed since she began dating Reeves in 2019.

“I had a studio visit a few years ago, and this very kind, very high-level person said, 'I can see that your work has gotten happier,’ ” she remembers. “That's real. We're all human beings. We're animals. We're expressing from where we are and certainly feeling happier. I think the work is happier.”

Both Grant and Reeves dedicated their Friday nights to art. The Matrix star had to miss the ceremony to perform with his band Dogstar, according to Grant.

“I'm really proud,” she says. “I am a huge Dogstar fan. I had the great pleasure of going to their first public show and because I've been listening to the latest album for quite some time, I was one of the only people in the audience who knew all the lyrics. That was really cool. It's fun. It's beyond fun.”

She continues, “I was dancing to all the lyrics and then I looked around and I was like, ‘Nobody has heard the album except for me and a few people.’ It's been a real pleasure to see the guys come back together, to be so creative and supportive of one another.”

Grant says she is “so proud” and “happy” for Reeves’ alternative rock band, which reunited this year for the first time in 20 years.

“I'm glad they're able to do it,” she says, adding that she thinks it’s “really great that Keanu has the ability to pivot to being a musician” amid the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

“They had been playing music and rehearsing and they had already recorded most of the album before the strike,” she adds. “What it opened up was more time to go on the road.”

#Keanu Reeves #Alexandra Grant #Art #artists