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blackhakumen · 2 years

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Mini Fanfic #956: Spreading the Wonderful News!~ (Sonic)

9:12 a.m. at Vector and Vanilla's Bedroom........

Bunnie: (Eyes Widened at What is In Front of Her on Vanilla's Phone) Sweet Carrots in a baskets.....Y'all finally got hitched!?

Vanilla: (Holds the Phone Up her and Vector While Happily Showing Off the Diamond Crested Ring) You bet your fluffy, bunny tail we are!~ (Gleefully Hugs and Snuggles onto her Man Beside her) My soon to be hubby gave it to me last night!~

Vector: (Smile Brightly) By standing on one knee and asking her to be my wifey, but (Scoffs Whule Playful Shrugs) It's whatever.

Vanilla: (Giggles and Snorting Softly) Wifey?~

Vector: Hey, it was either calling you that or my waifu.

Vanilla: Hmm.....Vector-Kins' Waifu......(Smiles Softly) I think it has a lovely ring to it.

Vector: You really think so? It sounds pretty nerdy to me.

Vanilla: Perhaps, but if it means that I'll be yours for the rest of our lives, then I certanly don't mind.

Bunnie: (Nodded in Agreement) Exactly. (Puts on Teasing Smirk on her Face) Besides, mah cousin here's a biggest nerd I know growing up.

Vanilla: (Gasps Loudly Before Pouting at her Little Cousin on Screen) Excuse you, young lady!? I'll have you know that I was one of the most popular students in my class. I was even nominated for Prom Queen for goodness sake!

Bunnie: True, but that still never stop you from hitting the books all day. And do I really have to explain all the Perfect Attendance Awards you kept getting every semester?

Vanilla: Well, excuse me for wanting to learn, Bunnie! (Crosses her Arms While Pouting) Not my fault I came out as an egghead......

Vector: (Hugs Vanilla With One Arm) Ah relax, honey. At least you were more popular than I was growing up.

Vanilla: But darling, you were a up incoming DJ artist growing up. You're way more cooler than I am!~

Bunnie: Hang on now. (Raises an Eyebrow at Vector) You used to be a DJ in high school?

Vector: Yep! (Smirks Confidently) Not to brag to anything, but I was pretty skillful in the turn tables.

Vanilla: (Giggles Softly While Coveringer her Mouth) He even calls himself DJ Crocinstein~

Bunnie: (Starts Snickering) That was your stage name? Crocinstein?

Vector: ('Sigh') Look, I was young and stupid at the time, alright? (Starts Crossing his Arms While Pouting) I thought the name was cool......

Vanilla: (Happily Hugs Her Man Softly) Oh honey, It's coolest~

Bunnie: (Gives Vector a Soft Smile on her Face) Yeah, suges. I'd personally kill for a name like th-

A loud, sudden rang into Bunnie's ear as it made her yelp and drop her cup of coffee on the floor.

Bunnie: Ah dang nabbit! This again!?

Vanilla: (Starts Getting a Little Worried) Bunnie? Is everything okay on your end, dear?

Bunnie: ('Sighs Heavily') Yeah, I'm fine, cuz. The alarm just got turned on again. Which means duty calls......I'll call y'all back once the situations dealt with, alright?

Vanilla: (Smiles Softly) Sure thing. I love you.

Bunnie: (Smiles Back) I love you more, big cousin. You too, Vector.

Vector: (Eyes Widened a Little) Wait. Me too?

Bunnie: (Giggles Softly) Of course you too!~ You're a part of this family now, so we gotta look out for one another every now and then, right?

Vector: (Smiles Softly Before Nodding in Agreement) Right. Good luck out there, cousin.

Bunnie: (Happily Salutes to the Crocodile Much obliged, sugah. See ya.

'Call Ends'

Vector: Huh. Well, whaddya know? (Smiles Brightly) I got myself a cousin in law.

Vanilla: (Snuggles onto Vector) I'm so glad you two are getting along. I wonder who we should tell the news to next.....

Vector: Wanna do Rouge next? You two are pals, right?

Vanilla: (Giggles Softly) Gal Pals to be exact. I'm pretty she'll tell Amy about it after. That girl loves weddings more than Cream and I do.

Vector: (Starts Snickering) Yeah, especially when she keeps thinking about marrying q certainblue blur.

Vanilla: ('Sigh') I'm glad those two are finally dating now.....

Vector: Same.

'Door Opens and Closed in the Background'

Cream: MOMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!~ (Runs Over to the Room Hugs Her Mother on the Bed Along With Cheese) Congratulations!~

Vanilla: (Happily Hugs Cream and Cheese Back) Oh my sweet little angels, thank you!~ You have no idea how happy I am right now.

Espio: (Walks into the Bedroom Along with Charmy) Vector, I believe congratulations are in order this morning.

Charmy: Dude, is it really true that you proposed?

Vector: (Smiles Brightly) Yep! And I'm proud to say that she accepted!~

Espio: (Gives Charmy a Small Smug Smirk on his Face) And I believe that an "I told you so" is an full order right now.

Charmy: (Starts Rolling his Eyes) Yeah, yeah. Tell me all of that some other time. I wanna congratulate my dad already!....(Shyly Turns to Vector) I can....call you that anytime I want, can I?

Vector: (Smiles Softly at the Young Bee) Of course, kid. Anytime you want-

Cream: Vector!

Vector: (Eyes Widened a Bit at a Sudden Raised of Voice) Oh! Uhh...(Turns to Cream) Yes, Cream?

Cream: (Gives Vector a (Cute) Serious Look on her Face) You're marrying my mommy in the near future, correct?

Vector: Y-Yeah. I am.

Cream: Which means you'll do everything you can to love and take care of her no matter what?

Vector: (Gives Cream a Simple Nod) Always. I'll never stop being there for her.

Cream: (Looks Down on her Knees) And........(Starts Squeezing her Knees a Little) A-A-And........

Vector: (Starts Getting Worried a Little) Cream?

Cream: ('Sniff') (Looks Back Up to Vector Woth Tears in her Eyes) Do you promise to keep looking out for all of us? ('Sniff') To love us each and everyday? ('Sniff') Like....Like....('Sniff') Like any father would?

Vector: Oh Cream.....Of course I'm gonna keep looking out for you kids. You already mean the world to me as it is, so it would be stupid of me to stop now.

Cream: But.....('Sniff') I don't think you're stupid.

Vector: (Chuckles Lightly) I know you don't, kiddo. But my point still stands. (Starts Rubbing his Arm While Looking Away) Even if I may not be your real father in blood....(Looks Back at Cream With a Determined Look on his Face) that will never stop me loving you or anyone else in this house. That's a promise I'll willing to keep. For the rest of my life.

Cream: (Almost at a Loss of Words) Vector......(Sighs While Looking Back Down on her Knees) You're right. You're not my real father......('Sniff') (Immediately Hugs Vector Lovingly) YOU'RE MY DADDYYYYYYYYYYYY!~ (Cries Loudly into Vector's Chest)

Vector: Cream.....(Eyes Starts Forming Tears) ('Sniff') Come on. ('Sniff') I just got done crying yesterday! Don't make me go back now!

Vanilla: ('Sniff') Well, you're going have to let it out again, dear. ('Sniff') Cause I'M in the mood to cry again!~ (Joins into the Hug While Crying)

Vector: Vanillyeyeyeyeye!~ (Finally Begins to Cry in his Fiancé and Daughter's Embrace)

Charmy: ('Sniff') Mannnnn! (Joins in the Group Hug With Cheese) ('Sniff') Why do you guys have to cry so much!~

Cheese: ('Sniff') Chao Chao Chao Chaoooo!~

Espio: (Watches Everyone Crying Their Eyes Out in Their Group Hug) Was not expecting today to be this emotional, but.....(Sighs While Wiping a Single Tear From his Eyes Woth a Soft Smiles on his Face) I suppose I'll welcome it all things considered.

Vanilla: ESPIO!~

Espio: (Eyes Widened as He Realize Whats About to Happen) Waitwaitwait!-

Once Vanilla pulls the ninja detective into the group hug, the gang, with the expectation of Espio, continues to cry in each other's arms, as a family.

@rechicken-and-waffles

@keyenuta

@ma-lemons

@caleb13frede

@cyber-wildcat

@26shann

@albion-93

@vectorfan2

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nuttyrabbit · 2 years

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Hey Nutty, can you tell your opinions on Archie Sonic's main cast relatives like Sonic, Tails and Antoine parents, Sally's family, Bunnie's uncle, Amy's cousin, etc?

This has been sitting in my inbox for months and I've wanted to answer it for a bit so here goes, have some rapid fire answers.

Jules and Bernie- Honestly very underrated. Sonic having parents is a hard concept to sell but writers like Bollers and Flynn make it work to a degree. Helps that they have likable personalities and some genuinely great moments

Armand and Marie D'Coolette- Marie is a non character. Armand has some okay moments but only really made an impact on me with his death, which was really well handled (at least his actual death scene. What led up to it wasn't)

Amadeus and Rosemary- God I get what Ian was trying to do with them but everything involving them (especially Rosemary) fell horrifically flat to the point of dragging down the comic. Rosemary especially is so insanely unlikable it makes you wish Tails never got his parents back. Frankly them being dead would serve the story better

Alicia and Max Acorn- Alicia is mostly a non character which is a shame. Max is a terrible character by virtue of him doing heinous shit for most of his existence and it either being excused, him never getting called out on it, or both. Ian did his best to salvage something from him but honestly by that point he was just fucking rotten to the core. A shame because the concept behind him being a jackass upon his return and forcing Sally to confront her rose tinted view of him is a fantastic idea, but it's never actually followed up on in a satisfying way.

Elias Acorn- One of my favorite pre-reboot characters. Bollers and especially Ian took a literal Sally clone and gave him genuine depth and liability. His arc is one of the best in the comic, and he's just a solid character all around. Lowkey missed him during the reboot

Nigel Acorn- Ian literally said "What if Max didn't suck" and made Nigel and it turned out pretty good. He isn't the deepest character but he's extremely likable while also having some really interesting mystery behind him concerning GUN (and his dead wife). Also he's literally just The Cooler Tim Curry.

Rotor's parents (any continuity)- Literally who gives a fuck? Tundra is kinda cool post reboot but that's more for his own stuff rather than being tied to Rotor. And pre-reboot they just serve as an excuse to have Rotor fuck around in the cold and save them from Eggman AGAIN.

Rob O the Hedge- Him being Amy's cousin is the only interesting thing about him and that's just because of the uncomfortable implications.

Beauregard Rabbot- Easily the best main cast family member of them all and one of the best pre-reboot characters period. Ian took a literal throwaway line from Mecha Madness and used it to create a character that added a ton of depth to not only Bunnie, but also the Sandblasters and even Mighty later on. Also helps that he has a really striking design

#archie sonic #asks #Also I know Ellidy wasnt mentjoned but hes cool too #and I have plans for him

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juniaships · 3 years

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Now I want to rewrite the whole show because of fucking course i would to he a generic adventure/world travelling action show and Kong is just a regular sized gorilla who don't fight the dino kaiju

Okay so! The show is more of a generic action cartoon, the characters travel all over the West Coast and beyond saving endangered animals from poachers. Just a reallg feel good cartoon with no overly horrible shit happening or DEEP LORE ONLY PHILOSOPHERS UNDERSTAND!! So like Wild Kratts, with a more Carmen Sandiego twist. Also Richard and Botila technically aren't EVIL they're still antagonistic but this time they have a more nuanced portrayal. Not that I'll be giving them any excuses for their actions but their more sympathetic qualities get expanded on.

Lukas Remy: Only a 1000x cooler than canon. Created his own search and rescue organisation with his inheritance. He's a tried and true California surfer boi, looks like a goody two shoes cinnamon roll but is actually rebellious and not a huge fan of the authorities but willing to work with them if its to save lives. Total wildlife enthusiast he has the closest connection to Kong. Estranged from his twin brother he seeks the chance to make amends He lost an eye in a childhood accident, a prosthetic and implants gives him some special abilities

Jonesy: Technician, Lukas's high school friend and co founder of their rescue team Jonesy may be the typical comic relief but he takes his job very seriously, and seems to possess Charles Atlas Superpowers. Has zero time for Richard's yt privilege nonsense, but all the time for Botila. Actually came from the East Coast, moved to Cali in ninth grade.

Cadenza: Lukas and Richard's spitfire childhood friend who grew up with them in Cali she lived her aunt, their nanny. She tries to figure out what to do in life and its at the opening day she meets the Remy bros again. After saving people from Richard's out of control Robot Lukas offers her a spot on his team, which pisses off Richard. OC

Richard: The "evil" twin but actually super salty about the accident that injured him and his twin. He dislikes nature so he looks towards technology as The Future. May or may not have gotten involved in the black market, which he needed the money to fund his Tech Start Up. Has a huge crush on Cadenza from the time they were kids, even modeling Botila's features off her; has a soft spot for his former nanny Anita and refuses to include her in his plans

Botila: Richard's robotic assistant who just has no time for his shit. She's comes off cold and aloof but the joke is she's a LOT more human than people give her for

Amy: Veterinarian at the zoological park, she helps monitor the park and devises the Team's Gadgets

Danny: Amy's brother who claims he can talk to animals but everyone shrugs him off. But the thing is he really CAN talk to animals

Fransiska: Cadenza's younger cousin, just as much of a spitfire but shares the one Braincell with Amy. A Lukas Fangirl who shares his passion for animals, and notices him and her cousin being a lore more than friendly

Kong: Named after the famous fictional ape, he's abnormally larger than most gorillas of his species and the team mascot. Kong is very warm and empathetic but be careful not to hurt his caretakers

Anita: Cadenza's aunt and guardian; and Fransiska's great aunt. She used to be the housekeeper and nanny for the Remy bros. Something of a Morality Chain for Richard she tries to help him learn the error of his ways. After Dr. Remy's death she received a large sum of his inheritance enough to retire.

Liv Remy: Lukas's and Richard's mom and Dr. Remy's ex wife. She lives in Maryland Massachusetts and gained full custody of Richard after the accident. Seemingly obsessed with the high life and hi- tech she actually adores her sons; this makes her blind to Richard's troubling behavior. Also an OC but pretty minor one

Commissioner Decker: a police chief at odds with Lukas, he's something of The Stern Uncle to both him and his brother. Kinda wary around Kong due to a past incidents involving way more vicious gorillas

Brag and Wheeler: Two poachers under the employ of their mysterious boss; they try to kidnap animals at the park or around Cali

Mysterious Man: Brag and Wheeler's boss they target the zoo park and especially has it out for Richard. Is responsible for the strange attacks all throughout Cali. Revealed at the end of the first season to Richard's former mentor who Richard sold out and now looking for revenge. They exist mainly as a reality check for Richard showing his actions DO have consequences. OC villain

Basically more emphasis on found family, giving the characters REAL character development and giving it its own voice instead of just being 7"King Kong In-Name-Only"

#kong king of the apes #rewrite #king kong cartoon #redesign #rewriting shitty media #lukas remy #richard remy #king kong netflix #king of the apes netflix

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sambergscott · 4 years

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the best thing is you

just jake, amy, and their favourite things about being parents

There are a lot of things Jake loves about being a dad: stealing his kid’s food when he can’t finish his plate, sleepy cuddles before bed, putting on voices for all the characters in his books, and wearing matching Adidas Superstars. But if he had to pick his absolute favorite number one thing, playing with Sam’s toys would come out on top.

Luckily, their apartment is filled with toys, organised by type, colour and size into various bins and baskets and labelled (Santiago Style!) so he always knows where to put stuff during tidy-up time. If Jake so much as accidentally puts one red Lego block in the yellow Lego container, Sam tuts, rolls his eyes and snitches on him to Amy later.

He has lots of toys but it’s not like he’s spoiled or anything; Amy has a big family and he gets a lot of hand-me-downs. Amy helps him write thank you cards every time he receives a new toy, they constantly remind him how lucky he is and donate his unwanted items to less lucky girls and boys.

(During one decluttering sesh, he puts his favourite truck in the giveaway pile for another kid to play with and Amy almost cries. They’re biased, but they’re pretty sure that Sam is the best kid ever).

They re-enact Ninja Turtles scenes with his action figures, roam the apartment with his dinosaurs and play shop (which consists of Sam selling Jake tinned goods that he already owns).

Both Jake and Sam’s favorite thing to play is the appropriately titled Detective Daddy game.

In short, Jake wears his badge and a tie (even over his t-shirts because, as he explains in his Grandpa Holt voice that never fails to make Sam fall over in a fit of giggles, wearing a necktie in the workplace is very important) and interrogates the three year old until he confesses to his crimes.

It usually goes like this.

“Princess Mommy has been kidnapped!”

Dramatic gasp.

“And I think you took her.”

“Me?” He clutches his chest, feigning innocence.

“I found her tiara in your bedroom, I checked the baby monitor security footage and you weren’t where you said you were and most incriminating of all, I found your fingerprints on her Amy water bottle.”

“My name’s Amy!”

(He often confuses the fact that they share one of the same names and thinks his name is Amy, not Santiago. It’s kind of adorable).

“I checked your file,” he brandishes a manila folder he stole from work and drops it on the dining room table, “and your name is Samuel.”

He gasps again. “I didn’t do it, Officer!”

“Just admit it,” Jake growls playfully, leaning forward to intimidate the suspect.

Sam climbs onto the table and closes the gap all the way, booping his nose against Jake’s and making him break character for half a second.

“Admit you kidnapped Princess Mommy,” Jake insists, tickling him until he finally surrenders.

“I did it! I did it!” He cries. “I kidnapped Princess Mommy and Queen Karen!”

Cue Jake a dramatic gasp from Jake this time.

“You’re going to jail for a long, long, long, long, long, long time!”

Jail is a pillow fort in the corner of the room.

(It’s actually cosy and super comfortable; Sam sent Jake there one time when he played the role of detective the morning after Jake had worked a night shift and he may have fallen asleep until his son decided to jump on him to wake him up so they could have more fun).

Jake scoops the dangerous(-ly cute) criminal into his arms and throws him in pillow fort prison, then rescues his Princess and Queen from the couch.

Sam can’t get enough of cop related games. It warms both Jake and Amy’s hearts that he’s so proud of what they do; it makes all the late nights and time away from him totally worth it.

Victor and Camila buy him a Police Station Lego set for Christmas and, after constructing it with mommy and daddy, it sits pride of place on top of his dresser next to a framed picture of the three of them. The next time he visits the Ninety-Ninth precinct he brags to Rosa, Charles and all the uniformed officers about how his police station is way cooler than theirs.

That very Christmas, he plays cops and robbers for the first time and kicks Santiago cousin butt. Amy high fives him in front of her brothers, thrilled that Sam is continuing her legacy of being the best at the game.

Jake will come up with elaborate (kid friendly) cases that Sam is obsessed with, for example, “oh no! Someone stole a pizza from Sal’s and is getting away!”

“Not Sal’s!” Sam cries because even at three years old, he is aware that Sal’s is the best pizza place in Brooklyn. Like father, like son.

He chases his police cars around the living room, making siren noises and eventually cutting the bad guy’s car off before he can escape towards the bedrooms down the hall.

(They’re going out for a walk when their elderly neighbour offers him one of her grandson’s fire engines that he’s got too old for. Sam declines because firefighters are for losers and the FDNY suck. Amy shoots her an embarrassed smile and herds Sam away).

When it’s time for bed and all the toys have been put away, Jake tells him the story of how a cool, leather jacket-wearing detective married the youngest female Sergeant in the history of the Nine-Nine.

Sam asks to hear it again every night.

There are a lot of things Amy loves about being a mom: baking chocolate muffins and pretending not to see when he steals some of raw mixture (even though he has chocolate all round his mouth), sleepy cuddles before bed, singing to Disney hits at the tops of their voices and trying not to cry when he brags about his mom being the youngest female Sergeant in the history of the Nine-Nine to everyone they meet. But if she had to pick her absolute favourite number one thing, teaching Sam to read and write and count would come out on top.

She was always good at school. She got the highest grades. She loved crawling into her dad’s lap and reading to him, glowing under his constant praise. She didn’t need any help with the big words unlike Tony and it wasn’t long before her teacher advised that she skip fourth grade.

She studied Art History at college, topped her class, and was the best in her group of recruits at the Academy, too.

As her brothers started having kids, she loved helping them read and, as they got older, helping them with homework. She especially loved when they would confide in her that she’s smarter than their dads. Beating her brothers, even as an adult, was still her greatest joy. Until she fell in love and had a kid of her own and beating her brothers was demoted to third spot.

The Santiago genes are just as strong in Sam.

He’s like Jake in a lot of ways: his dark, unruly curls, his nose, his sense of humour, his penchant for dramatic reveals.

(Running into their room at 5am shouting, “Mommy! Daddy! I didn’t wet the bed last night!”, for example).

But he is smart. Santiago-level smart.

He learns to count to twenty before all his friends, is a super reader and bilingual.

Amy has been singing him Spanish lullabies since he was a newborn, teaching him his “Por favor”s and “Gracias”s, whispering “Te amo” as she kisses him goodnight. She cries so hard the first time he says it back.

It’s very important to her that he can speak Spanish so they have lessons with daddy on Tuesday nights. She buys a textbook and makes them sit opposite her at the dining room table like they’re actually in school.

“¿Cuántos años tienes?” She asks him after their first lesson.

“Tengo tres años,” he responds with a proud smile that has Amy gathering him into her arms and smothering him with kisses.

Rosa has been teaching Jake Spanish for a couple of years but his brain is so full of case details and Die Hard quotes that Sam quickly surpasses him, joining Amy on her side of the table.

“Tell mama she’s pretty,” he instructs.

He furrows his brow, immediately looking to Amy for help.

“Luces bien.”

“That was it!” He snaps his fingers. “Luces bien, Ames.”

She blushes, tucks her hair behind both her ears and flicks to the next page of the textbook. She’s only in one of his hoodies and leggings, she’s not even sure when she last washed her hair, but her husband makes her feel beautiful. Always has done, right back to the time he said her dress makes her look like a mermaid.

Along with Spanish, she teaches him basic geography. He knows that Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, that Havana is the capital city and can draw the flag with his crayons. He shows off to Camila the next time they visit and earns himself an extra cookie.

He can write his name, too, and she remarks that at age three his penmanship is already better than Jake’s.

(Jake sticks his tongue out at her, even if it’s true).

Like Amy, he loves books. Loves the silly voices Jake makes as he reads, loves reading along with Amy and love love loves reading the book of Jake and Amy (illustrated by Terry) that Jake has made for his fourth birthday.

“Don’t you want to read a different book tonight?” She questions foolishly. They’ve read it three nights in a row.

“Nope,” he grins. “Mommy and daddy’s book.”

Her heart melts as she opens the book and he snuggles into his arms.

“It was her first day at the Nine-Nine...”

After an interrogation that went on longer than expected, Jake missed dinner and bath time and had to break several speed limits to get home in time for his bedtime story and goodnight kisses.

He locks the apartment door behind him and follows the sound of Amy’s voice to Sam’s bedroom, recognizing the story immediately.

“I’m hearing wedding bells!” Amy reads, doing a spot on impression of Charles’ voice.

Jake stifles a laugh, leaning against the doorframe and listening to his wife recite the story he knows so well.

There are a lot of things they love about being parents, but at the end of the day, watching Sam play and learn and cuddle their spouse is the best thing of all. And soon they will get to watch them do it all over again with Baby Peralta 2: Peralta Harder.

#b99 fic #jake x amy #my writing #if anyone wants to doodle that kids book....... I would love you FOREVER

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amydancepants-peralta · 4 years

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44 or 52 pls! :)

Hi anon! I tossed up over the two for a bit there, but here goes!

Here is 52: “I thought you knew.” 💕

☀️ The sun feels warm on Amy’s skin, and as a refreshingly cool breeze rushes through her hair she finds it next to impossible not to break out into a grin. Today was turning out to be a pretty great day.

Given that over the years the Santiago family have spread themselves out over various states and cities, it has always been considered a sizeable task to get more two or more members in the same place and the same time - major family events excluded. Perhaps that was why today felt particularly special; an impromptu gathering in the park leading to three of her brothers (and their extended family) occupying a decent amount of space in a park thirty minutes drive from her and Jake’s apartment.

The infectious giggles of two of Amy’s cousins, Maria and Eddie, bubble up to her ears as they zoom past, far too intent on winning their game of chase to acknowledge their tia as their tiny feet kick up blades of grass. Their father, Luis, stands over to Amy’s right, manning the grill and holding his ground in a relatively level-headed disagreement with David about the ‘right way’ to barbecue the meat they were serving with lunch. To her left, her sister-in-law Clarissa teaches her and Andrew’s daughter how to play patty cake. The relaxed joviality that can only be brought about by the gathering of loved ones is floating in the air around them, and Amy is endlessly thankful that both she and Jake had the chance to join in today.

Six months have passed since the birth of their daughter - since, in one evening, Amy had experienced both excruciating pain and an abundance of elation, all within five short hours - and it felt like both yesterday and a million years ago, all at the same time.

It had been an interesting few months to begin with (babies, she had quickly learned, are not interested in following any schedules you may have put together, no matter how meticulous they may be); and it was only in the last ten or so weeks that the three of them had finally been able to figure out a routine. Finally, their little girl was starting to sleep through the night, and she and Jake have learned to adjust to their new normal (which always seems to be changing; but if there is anyone that has taught Amy Santiago to expect the unexpected, it’s Jake Peralta).

None of it has been easy - most of the great things in life rarely were - but she would do it all again in a nanosecond, just for the sheer joy of hearing her daughter’s laugh for the first time.

Today, Amy stands amongst family with freshly cut hair (thanks largely to her husband taking an extra day off yesterday, pushing her out their front door with a declaration that today is Amy Day), wearing one of her favourite dresses and lending out a helping hand as she talks to other adults about topics other than teething and feeding schedules, and it all feels kind of amazing.

A stray breeze grabs a hold of a pile of napkins that had been sitting at the table, throwing them carelessly over the surrounding grass, and Amy scrambles quickly - desperate to catch them before they fall victim to the trampling feet of her many nieces and nephews. It turns out to be an almost impossible task, excusing herself with a polite smile as she moves too close for comfort towards other people’s gatherings, snatching up the items as quickly as possible so that she can make a hasty exit.

It’s as she moves to grab the last offender that Amy manages to overhear a conversation, the guilt at eavesdropping only temporary as she picks up on the topic. There are two women to her left, both of whom were nursing what looked to be wine coolers in plastic cups, and one woman’s focus was on something (or rather, someone) in the distance before her.

“Ohmygodokay, Jenna … don’t look right away, but I’ve totally just found the hottest guy at this park.” There’s a pause, and then the voice continues. “I told you not to look right away!”

“Okay, okay - relax Rachel!” was the snarky reply, following up quickly with an “Okay, damn!”

Still keeping her head bowed, Amy’s wedding ring set sparkles in the sunlight as she reaches out to grab the last napkin, and it’s taking all of her restraint not to straighten up and look in the direction the women were facing.

“See? I told you I’d found the winner.”

“Mmmhmm, yep.”

“The height, the smile, the baby sling strapped around him … you know, I’ve never really been big on plaid, but on this guy it totally works.”

“It really does.”

It’s the mention of the plaid pattern that finally piques Amy’s curiosity, and she swivels her head as she stands, raising her free hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun as she studies the scene before her.

And honestly, the gossiping girls behind her were not wrong.

The hottest guy in the park was definitely walking towards them; and with an overwhelming surge of pride Amy notices that the hot guy is, in fact, her husband. He’s wearing the eco-friendly sunglasses she bought him for Christmas, and has their baby daughter safely strapped to his chest care of the sling that Gina had given Amy at her baby shower, and he’s honestly never looked hotter.

Returning from Diaper Duty - a role he shares equally with his wife without a single complaint, a fact that makes her love him all the more - Jake grins over at Amy when he notices her looking, lifting their daughter’s hand in a tiny wave as she moves towards the two of them.

“Hey babe,” he says as Amy nears him, lifting his index finger to his lips in a shhh motion as they fall into step together. “Sorry it took me so long. Bubba took a little longer than normal to settle, so she and I just kinda hung out for a little bit over by the flower beds, and then she totally zonked out.”

Craning her neck, Amy looks over at the tiny sleeping bundle resting against Jake’s chest, and she cannot help but feel her heart smile at the sight. “My god she’s adorable.”

“Ugh, I know right? Like, obviously we were going to make a cute baby. But this? It’s like a whole other level of cuteness. I literally cannot handle it.”

Slowing down her pace, Amy waits until she and Jake are standing on the outskirts of their family gathering before leaning in for another look, this time leaving a gentle kiss against the hat that sat on top of their daughter’s head. (Truly, there was no way anyone could have prepared her for how endearingly tiny all of their little girl’s clothing would turn out to be. Tiny hats! Teeny tiny socks! Ruffle covered bottoms! It was all too much, and yet never enough.)

“Here,” Jake offers, revealing a plucked daisy; the white petals looking far too small inside his crazily sexy hands. “We picked this for you.”

With her eyebrows raised in surprise, Amy looks up at Jake with a smile, taking the tiny flower and tucking into the juncture of her ear and hairline. “You two … are just the sweetest,” she mumbles, grabbing Jake’s hand and bringing it up to leave a kiss against his wedding ring. He grins in return, resting his hand against her lower back when she frees it, leading Amy gently towards the rest of the guests as lunch begins to be served.

It’s over an hour before Jake and Amy find themselves with a chance to pull away from the others, tidying up the remnants of lunch before standing off to the side and watching their cousins negotiate one last round of playtime before the drive home.

Resting her head against Jake’s shoulder as his right arm wraps around hers, Amy lets out a contented sigh. Apart from a brief moment of activity where she’d demanded a bottle, their baby girl had spent the majority of the afternoon asleep against her father’s chest. Knowing that she was comfortable and safe, while she and Jake sat together with family and caught up on each other’s lives, had relaxed Amy to no end.

Smiling up at Jake’s phone as he whips it out to take a selfie, Amy nods in approval at the resulting image before remembering the conversation she’d heard earlier.

“You are totally the flavour of the day, by the way.”

Turning his head to the right, Jake studies Amy’s face for a moment before furrowing his brow, replying with a confused “Huh?”

Nodding her chin towards the other women in the park, one side of Amy’s mouth slides upwards into a amused grin. “Just before you got back from diaper duty, I happened to overhear a couple of girls talking. And they totally declared you to be the hottest dad around.” Turning her body towards his, Amy reaches out to toy with the lining of the unbuttoned plaid that he’d thrown over the top of his shirt today. “I, of course, could not agree more.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Jake pauses as the information sinks in, then shakes his head. “Hottest dad, huh?”

Pulling away slightly, Amy looks at him in surprise. “I thought you knew?”

Jake cocks his head to the side, and she smiles before continuing. “You’ve had the biggest smile on your face all afternoon, Peralta. It’s practically stealing the sun’s job, it’s so bright.”

Her husband laughs at the comparison, his left hand reaching out to cradle their daughter’s head as his chest bounces repeatedly. “Ames,” he responds, letting his right hand slide down Amy’s back before grabbing her left, “I’m out at the park with family on a long weekend off. I’ve got my baby girl all snuggled up safe and sound, and my gorgeous wife is walking around in the same pink dress I remember peeling off her body on the first day of our honeymoon. Life is pretty damn good today. It’s no wonder I’m smiling.”

Amy’s heart stutters a little at Jake’s statement, her bottom lip curling up at the sweet nature of the man she loves. How she managed to get this lucky, she’ll never understand. Pushing herself up to her tippy toes, she cranes her neck up towards Jake and pushes a quick kiss against his lips. “Good save, babe.”

“Not a save so much as it is the truth,” Jake counters, leaning back down for another kiss. “I’m the luckiest man alive right now, and that is the only thing I know.”

Cupping his cheek in her hand, Amy matches Jake’s smile with her own. “I love you, babe.”

“I love you, too.” Dipping his head, Jake kisses her once more, then pulls away quickly. “Wait. Does this mean … I’m a dilf?”

Twisting her mouth to one side, Amy pretends to consider the obviously correct title before nodding. “It totally does. But … only if that means that I’m a milf in return.”

Jake’s forehead leans against hers, and he holds Amy’s gaze as he winks, lowering his voice so that only she can hear his reply. “I think the events from two nights ago will confirm that is most definitely the case.”

Amy feels the blush begin at the tips of her ears, flooding her cheeks before she has a chance to control it, and Jake chuckles softly at her reaction, running his hand soothingly up and down her back as she rests her head against his shoulder again. Peeking down at their daughter, Amy takes in the fact that she’s still sleeping and whispers “Your daddy is always finding ways to make mama blush, bubba. We’ve gotta figure out some ways to counter-attack.”

“Oh, please. She had me wrapped around her little finger, exactly zero point two seconds after she was born.”

Chuckling softly, Amy nods in agreement. “Same. If only she knew the power she has over us.”

A minute snuffle comes out of their daughter’s mouth as if in response, her perfect little lips bunching up into a tiny pout as she nestles closer to Jake’s shirt. There’s a tiny trail of drool left behind, and like two totally enamoured parents, they both find themselves smiling at the result.

“Oh yeah, she totally knows.”

Nodding again, Amy wraps her free arm around Jake’s waist, closing her eyes briefly and breathing in the scent of his cologne as she lets the last of the day’s sunlight soak into her skin.

Truly, this was turning out to be an amazing day. And she had the strongest instinct that there were a thousand more great days, just like this one, waiting for them in the future. But the future could wait - because she had everything she needed, right here in her arms.

#anon I hope you enjoy!#this ended up longer than intended #but turns out the idea of writing Hot Dad Jake is a topic I could go on and on about #seriously I had to edit this riiiight down #my writing #tumblr prompts #gahh I really do hope you like this one #and if this topic has been done I'm sorry #I've been absent because STRESS WHAT STRESS #b99 fanfic #Jake x Amy fic #jake x amy #peraltiago fic

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heyhowdyhellohi · 6 years

Text

How Quickly We Mend Pt. 6

Masterlist here

Peter Maximoff x OC (NOT PIETRO FROM THE AVENGERS! PETER AS IN EVAN PETERS AS IN X-MEN)

Warning: TRIGGER WARNING: ABUSE, Language Probably

Words: (estimated) 1.8k

Summary: X-Men Days of Future Past timeline, plus an oc healing mutant, Amelia. I’m not doing that thing where I quote huge chunks of the movie. This is going to be related, and then it’s going to veer off into its own thing, namely a love story between Peter and the reader.

HEAVILY EDITED

Peter practically inhales two whole boxes of pizza when he returns and Amelia shoves her worries to the side like she always does and eats half of the third pizza. Peter is flopped onto one of the plush brown leather couches of what appears to be a half library-half sitting room. Amy curls up in an arm chair. Both of them sit and digest for a bit as Peter prattles on an endearing story about his sisters and how he bothers them.

“And to this day we haven’t found that rubber ball.” Peter concludes his epic tale.

“It’s still inside him?!” Amy exclaims, dumbfounded.

“Well I don’t know where else it could be!” Peter shrugs, just as confused as she is.

“Does Wanda know?” Amy presses, leaning in conspiratorially, as though his sister could overhear them if she spoke too loudly.

“I’ve been too scared to ask. We haven’t talked about it since that day,” Peter admits solemnly. They laughed at life’s serendipity before settling into a warm silence.

“I never had any siblings. And I never really got to see my cousins that much.” Amy vocalizes.

“Family’s overrated.” Peter stretches and shifts to face her. “Hey, why do you trust these guys so much?” Peter seems to already be regaining his zooming energy as he is suddenly by the book shelf flipping through the pages of an old green edition as though it’s a flip-book.

“Who?” Amy rests her head on the back of the seat. She knows who.

“Hank, Charles and Logan. I mean, for me it’s fine. I don’t need to trust them, I can just make a run for it if things go south. But your power can’t protect you,” Peter explains a bit, looking half interested in the conversation as he puts the green book back and opens another one, red. The spine cracks when he opens it. But Amy knows his nonchalance is an act. He’s flipping through the pages slowly, one by one.

“I’ve been alone since I found out I was a freak,” Amy turns her head to look down at her feet, suddenly realizing that dirty shoes have no place stepping on a very nice leather arm chair. She lowers her feet to the ground, resting them instead on the elegant Persian rug. It doesn’t make her feel better. “I finally have the chance to be a part of something.”

“Hey, freaks are way cooler that normies. I prefer them actually,” Peter says, very matter-of-fact.

Peter sleeps on the couch. Amelia spends the night resting on top of the bed covers, fully clothed, in a room with a window to the garden. She had pulled the curtains apart to watch the stars. The air is stiff and stale, thick with the smell of disuse, as she stares up at the ceiling in the moonlight. She finds herself wondering if Peter would sit with her if she asked him to. But she knows she wouldn’t feel comfortable with him in the room as she tried to sleep. She thinks he’s both exciting and terrifying, but she’s not sure why. She fights with herself, because he’s just a boy, a nice boy who worries about her, that’s all. But it’s nice to think about being close to someone. Feeling ridiculous because there are a thousand better things to worry about in this particular moment, she turns to the window and counts the stars until the sun rises. Sleep seems about as far out of reach to her as the lights in the sky.

In the early morning, as the light casts shadows onto the hardwood and Amy watches the sun awaken the world through her window, there’s a commotion. Downstairs, the door has opened and something is happening, something that has caused raised voices and worry. Amy bolts up in bed and runs to the entrance despite the stiffness in her limbs and neck. The halls are confusing and maze-like, especially as they catch the early morning light in such an unfamiliar way, but she’s certain she’s moving towards the sound of voices.

“Don’t worry, Professor. I’ll get your medicine!” Hank runs up the stairs in the entrance, shooting her a small ‘hello’ before moving past her, long legs taking the steps two-at-a-time.

“What’s wrong with him?” Amelia asks from the top of the steps. She feels an empty, faintly vacuum-like feeling in her chest, and without looking she knows her hands are shaking. Logan is holding Charles up as the scrawny man rests all of his weight against the wall behind him.

“I don’t know. Stay over there,” Logan points at her, glancing her way for only a moment. “Professor, why can’t you walk?”

Amy ignores Logan and descends the stairs as Charles groans at whatever wounds he feels. She can’t see anything, blood, bruises, or otherwise. She stands by the two men, just out of arms reach of either of them. She wants to take his pain away and run away until her feet bleed all at once. It takes all of her will power to just keep her feet still.

“It’s the medicine. It’s fading. I missed doses.” Charles explains, gasping through the pain.

“You just hold on, Charles.” Logan helps him slide to the ground, legs splayed out in front of him.

“Amy,” he chokes out through whimpers, whipping his hands up to his head, over his ears. “You’re so afraid.”

“What is he doing? Why’s he saying that?” Amy backs up further. But she can’t escape the reach of his mind. It’s like plunging through tepid water and suddenly being two places at once. A part of her can hear Logan yelling for her, worried, confused. The other part of her is remembering, and she can feel Charles invading like a shadow weighing down on her mind, keeping her submerged.

Amy saw the first time her father hit her. His red face yelling right at her. The defiant flame in her chest as she talked back. Then the pain on her cheek.

“Amy!”

Then she saw as her father apologized for hitting her. Amy was wrapped in his arms, and despite everything she felt warm and safe and she forgave him the moment she saw the tears in his eyes.

“Professor! What the fuck are you doing to her!”

Amy was in her bedroom, curled up under her faded, hand-me-down comforter that did nothing to keep out the cold. She couldn’t sleep, haunted by the sounds of her mother’s pain and memories of her own helplessness. She felt the confusion, deep in her stomach with a vividness that had faded as the years crept by. If he loves me, why does he keep hitting me? How can I forgive him for hitting mom? How can I not forgive him? He’s my father. Is it really my fault like he says it is? Amy was that helpless child again, always willing to forgive and hope.

“She’s crying! Can’t you see you’re hurting her?”

Amy relives her mother rushing her into the closet in her bedroom when her father came home. She can feel the scratchy flannel she pressed into her mouth to keep from sobbing too loudly. Amy remembers listening as he beat her mother and being incapable of doing anything to protect the person she loves most in the world.

“Snap out of it! Please!”

Amy’s powers manifesting. The first time she was numb as her father beat her. The first time she looked into the bathroom mirror and watched the bruise and the bloody cut on her face disappear all on their own. The panic. The countless times Amy would lay with her mother and heal her after her father hurt her, and cry soundlessly at the pain that blazed through her every cell like a wild fire.

“Peter! Take her the fuck away from here!”

“It won’t help, Logan, he’s too powerful.” Hank is in her memory? No, Hank is outside. Hank is real. Hank’s yelling.

She saw her father burn a cigarette into her skin, and watch it heal. She felt the needles in her scalp as he grabbed her by the hair and threw her outside. Freak, he had called her. She felt the boiling tears and violent sobs as her own mother wouldn’t look at her, wouldn’t fight for her. As much as she begged and called at the door, they didn’t open it all night. It wasn’t until morning that her father came out with a gun and threatened to shoot her unless she left. Amy watched for the second time as the cowering shape of her mother whispered ‘Go away” from behind her husband.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so so so very sorry. I can’t... please, I can’t stop.” Charles. His words are in her head and in the air. Charles is everywhere.

She was walking down the sidewalk in winter. A car skid in the snow, crashed, wrapped itself around a streetlight. A father was in the front seat, a mother in the passenger’s, and a child in the back. The child got the brunt of the damage, she dying. The woman was alive, muttering something. A prayer. Amelia was hugging the child into her lap. She felt like someone was repeatedly beating her with a hot frying pan, cooking her flesh as it came into contact and shattering her bones, and through the torture she smiled, because if it hurt it meant the child was alive.

She is being shaken. Someone is screaming in pain. She is screaming in pain. The high-pitched howl chokes up as she realizes it is her own throat that is screeching. She’s kneeling on the floor. Logan holds her shoulders. He’s saying something.

“It’s okay. It’s over. It’s okay.” She leans into him and wraps her arms around him, trying to forget how the smell of his leather jacket reminds her of the dark closet at home.

“I’m sorry...” Charles is sitting on the floor, crying. She is crying.

“What was that?” Peter asks, eyes fixed on her.

“I”m so sorry, Amelia. I-” Charles’s voice breaks. He looks to Hank and ushers him to bring something over.

“The professor got into Amy’s head.” Logan growls out, still holding Amy. She is latched onto him like wet kitten, scared and desperate, expecting an attack from all sides.

Hank hands Charles a syringe filled with yellow liquid. “His powers are unreliable recently. They can be quite dangerous,” Hank defends his mentor and friend.

Charles tugs up his sleeve and places the needle at his vein.

“Charles, wait!” Logan commands. “We need to find Raven. You’re the only one who can do that. But only if you have your powers.”

Charles laughs dryly. “Did you not see what I just did to Amy? You think I can use Cerebro in this state?” he shouts, but he brings the needle away from his arm.

“We need to try,” Logan says, standing up and bringing Amy with him. She is shaking, and she still hasn’t stopped crying.

Charles glances between Logan, Peter, Hank, and Amy. His gaze lingers on her, on her red eyes and runny nose, the way she her body shudders as she takes deep breaths. “There’s no way. I can’t do it. We failed. That’s it. It’s over!”

“Peter, take her to the kitchen, please.” Logan turned to the silver kid. Peter holds her up and guides her away, walking slowly for once.

“Wait,” Amy mutters as she grabs a fistful of Peter’s silver jacket and turns to look at Charles. She feels like she’s just woken up from a nightmare and she can’t quite trust her senses yet because the dream hasn’t fully left her.

Charles looks down at his feet, useless before him. Though, not more useless than the rest of him, he thinks.

“If you’re going to do it, don’t do it for my sake.” she whispers to her own feet which barely hold her up as she leans on Peter. She wipes away her tears and sniffles in an attempt to compose herself. Her next words come out bitter. “Don’t use me as your excuse.”

“Amy, I never-” Charles tries halfheartedly to explain himself.

“If you’re going to claim you lost control, save it. You know I’ve heard that before. It’s time you gained control, don’t you think? Professor?” The way she says Professor is accusing, almost mocking. She keeps her head down as she turns again, letting Peter lead her away. Then, just at the doorway, unsure if he can still hear her, she says “I’ve met enough addicts in my life to recognize one when I see one.”

Part 5 - Part 7 (WIP)

#abuse #abusive parents #Logan #Charles Xavier #Hank Mccoy #Logan Howlett #Wolverine #Professor X #the beast #peter maximoff x oc #Peter maximoff series #Quick Silver #Quicksilver x oc #quicksilver series

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teamkaiforever · 7 years

Photo

24/7

(requested by @memesandfanfics) Kai Parker x Reader word count : 5 959 warning : smut summary : based on the song ‘24/7′ by David Correy | Kai is staying at Reader's grandparents' house for the summer, along with her cousins. Reader's grandpa is an old friend of Kai's father. note : i tried my best , but i am afraid it differed from the song a little more than intended KEEP READING AFTER THE CUT😈😈😈 *not my gif _________________________

2.17AM - 3 Days After Kai’s Arrival Y/N sat on the window in the small bedroom she and her cousin got to share for the summer. Moonlight seeped through the window along with a cooler night breeze as she opened her diary, tucked away safely a picture of her and Kai between the pages and began writing. Writing everything always helped her clear her head, though this time – it seemed quite impossible.

Dear diary, Summer is only beginning and I have no idea how I will make it through the next two months with the guy I am in love with sleeping down the hall and my cousin, who is also in love with him, sleeping five steps away from me. Every time I close my eyes I am back in that hot August day last year, laying on the old tree stump with Kai by my side. I remember it as if it was yesterday, how he cupped my face with one hand and leaned in towards me. How our lips met for the first time and butterflies flapped their wings in my stomach.How his soft lips touched mine lightly at first and then he had put his arms around me holding me towards him. I remember his blue eyes piercing into mine and everything had felt perfect, but then he had to leave and none of us ever spoke about it. However I know he rememberes. It’s in his eyes every time we look at each other. I kept my distance today and saw it hurt him but what else was I supposed to do when Amy rushed out of the house to welcome him, jumping into his arms like I wanted to. And now I am losing sleep because I can’t stop thinking about him. How his eyes lit up when he saw me, the way he smiled from ear to ear and those dimples. How every time he says my name butterflies flap their wings in my stomach , how my skin turns on fire at his slightest touch. He uses every chance he gets to wrap his hands around me and even though Amy pays so much attention to him, it appears he just wants to spend his time only with me. Which is only making it harder to keep my distance because that’s what I want too. To be with him 24/7, 365 days a year. Whenever I fall asleep, that’s exactly where my dreams lead me. To his arms. Right where I want to be but I guess the Universe decided it would be more entertaining to make both me and my cousin fall in love with the same guy. Probably a way to punish me for being what I am. Y/N tapped the page with the pen and scratched the second half of the sentence to a complete blank so no one could read it and she continued writing. I just wish he’d tell me if he feels something about me. If he does maybe I won’t feel guilty about wanting what I want.

* * * Kai laid awake in bed thinking … about her. He wanted to see her, to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. There weren’t many people he connected with or cared about or even felt something towards but with his Y/N, things were different. They had this almost instant connection and he knew what they had is special, he knew that much and wasn’t willing to let go of it. Even if it seemed like she doesn’t want to see him anymore and acts all shy around him all of the sudden. A sigh left his lips and he got up, quietly making his way out of his bedroom and two doors down to her room. He’d definitely get in trouble for sneaking into the girls’ room in the middle of the night if he gets caught, but he didn’t care. Every fiber in his body was pulling him towards her and he needed to see her, maybe wake her up and confront her because he knew for some reason she is acting like she doesn’t like him anymore. And he knew that wasn’t true. His hand hovered over the doorknob for a few long moments before he heard movements from the inside and he quickly disappeared into the shadows. A moment later the door opened and Y/N walked outside, in her PJs and barefoot as usual. She ran her fingers through her hair and closed the door quietly before heading down the stairs. Kai didn’t even have to think twice about following her to the living room and into the kitchen. He watched her open the fridge, slightly bending over to get the lemonade from one of the lower shelves and then grab a glass from the cupboard. “Can’t sleep?” said Kai, almost making her jump up. “It’s understandable. I know you don’t like sleeping alone in your bed. You are welcome to share mine , I won’t mind.” “So full of yourself.” she said trying to walk past him but each time he blocked her way. “You are avoiding me.” he stated. “Why ?” “Not avoiding you, just want to go back to sleep.” “You are such a bad liar.” he said, a smile tugging a the corners of his mouth. “You weren’t sleeping. Your eyes are wide open and you have never been more awake in your entire life. Why are you avoiding me? Have I done something to get you upset with me ?” “Kai –” “Don’t Kai me.” he slowly backed her against the kitchen counter, placing both his hands on either side of her to keep her from running away. “Why do you act so weird around me? All shy as if you don’t want to see me. Last year when I got here you could barely wait for my father’s car to disappear from view to jump into my arms. This year you barely even looked at me.” Y/N left her glass behind her while trying not to think how his body pressed so firmly against hers and she could feel his heart racing. She refused to meet his eyes for more than a second while trying to figure out something to say and her mind went on a full overload when he placed his hands on her waist lightly brushing his fingers against her bare skin, the feeling coursing trough her body like an electric shock wave. “Come on Y/N. I know you like me.” he said resting his forehead on hers. “And I know you remember – last summer when we were at the tree stump in the woods and I leaned in –” his lips almost touching hers as he spoke. “– and kissed you.” “I don’t know what you are talking about.” she replied, her eyes darting between his eyes and his lips. “You are lying.” he smirked seeing her nose crinkle again, just like every time she lied. “I can prove it.” He gazed into her eyes and his lips crashed against hers, sending a dozen butterflies in her stomach. The feeling spread through her body like a tsunami and he pulled her so close to him she could feel their hearts beating as one. For a moment she let go and tangled her fingers in his hair then pushed him away, placing her hand on his chest holding him an arms length away. “Y-you can’t do that.” she pushed him off her and almost ran upstairs, trying to calm her breathing and heart rate. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth still feeling the lingering feeling of his lips on hers. He had kissed her. What did that mean ? She made her way to the second floor when Kai grabbed her wrist, spun her around and his lips crashed against hers again. He backed her against the wall pressing his body firmly onto hers and pinned her hands over her head so she couldn’t push him off again. ”Stop lying to me and stop lying to yourself. There is something between us and you know it.” he said breathing a little heavily, resting his forehead on hers while snaking his hand around her waist pulling her towards him. “Don’t deny it. Your kiss already gave you away.” “I told y-you – I don’t like you this way.” she wiggled her hands free and pushed him off her, taking a step down the hall. Barely a second later he grabbed her wrist again, spin her around and smashed his lips against hers pulling her towards him. For a moment Y/N pulled him close too and then pushed him off again but he wouldn’t give up and pulled her back for another kiss leaving her completely breathless. “Sure you don’t. That’s why your heart is trying to leap out of your chest and your cheeks are flushed. That’s why you returned the kiss all four times and that’s why you are looking at me with those googly eyes right now. Makes total sense.” Y/N opened and closed her mouth trying to find any words to say to him, scrambling for any will power to push him off. Instead, she allowed him to shove her against the wall again, leaning in to whisper in her ear. “I want you and I know you want me.” he whispered, pushing his crotch against hers. “You know what else I want? I want to rip your clothes right in the middle of this hallway and have my way with you until the sun comes up.” Y/N opened a closed her mouth feeling her skin turn on fire at his words, Kai’s hot breath hitting her face intoxicated her and clouded her mind completely. He pinned her hands over her head and brushed his fingertips against her hip all the way up her body without taking his eyes off her for a second. Her eyes fluttered closed for a second and her back arched off the wall towards him and he pushed his crotch against hers again. “Kai , l …Let me g-go.” she stuttered not willing to look him in the eyes knowing the second she does she wouldn’t be able to push him off again. “Please –” Why did things have to be so complicated, why couldn’t she just – let go and be with him like she wanted? He wanted her just as much as she wanted him and if there was no one in the house, they probably would’ve ripped each other’s clothes by now. But if couldn’t happen, not with her cousin sleeping a door away and her grandparents being down the hall. “Only because you said ‘please.” he brushed his nose against hers for a second and took a step away from her. Y/N studied his face for a moment and quickly made her way to her bedroom. Her shaky hand hovered over the doorknob for a few long moments before she felt Kai’s breath on her neck, whispering in her ear. “I wish I could take you with me in my room –” he brushed his fingers against her inner thighs all the way up to her heat. “ – and spend the rest of night and every night after that with you.” * * *

(5 Days After Kai’s arrival) “Aren’t you coming with us?” wondered her grandma while everyone was getting ready to go to the lake for the day. Y/N shook her head glancing at Kai. “I don’t feel very well, grandma. It’s probably from all the sun yesterday. Don’t worry, it’s nothing a day inside and cold lemonade can’t fix.” “You can’t stay here all by yourself –” interjected her grandpa. “I can stay with her.” said Kai immediately. “Keep an eye on her in case something happe– ” “No.” protested both Amy and Y/N together. “You can’t miss the barbecue by the lake. Grandpa is going to teach us how to fish –” “I already know how to fish plus we can’t leave her all alone here.” he said concerned. “What if someone breaks in? I will never forgive myself if something happens to her and I could’ve prevented it.” “Such a sweet boy.” said her grandma leaning in towards Y/N. “He is a keeper.” “He sure is.” Kai grinned at her and a devilish spark flashed in his eyes for a second. “I’ll go help grandpa with the picnic baskets. Excuse me.” About half an hour later Y/N sat cuddled up on the couch with a book on her lap and a glass with lemonade watching her cousins and grandparents go through the door while Kai held it open, smiling innocently at every single one of them. “Have fun. Save us some of the barbecue.” called out Kai before closing the door behind them. A long moment passed and he took a peek through the window before turning around with a devilish grin on his face. “Finally. I thought they’d never leave.” “What are you doing ?” she wondered, watching him pull his shirt over his head. He tossed it on the comfy chair, leaned in towards her and grabbed her lemonade from her hands drinking all of it at once. “Ahh, that was so refreshing. Did you make this one? It’s so much better than the one your grandma made.” he grinned. “And to answer your question — it’s really hot in here.” Y/N scoffed and rolled her eyes at his suggestive look, trying to keep her focus on the pages in front of her and not on his bare chest or the way he was looking at her with that mischievous look in his eyes that she loved so much. He sat on the couch next to her, pulled her legs onto his lap and slowly brushed his fingers against her bare skin all the way from her ankles to her inner thighs. A tingly feeling spread through her body like a tidal wave, waking up every fiber in her body and he continued to do that going higher every time until his fingers got to her heat and she gripped his wrist. “Why are you here ?” “What sort of a question is this? You said you weren’t feeling well and I stayed to make sure you don’t die of a heatstroke,” he said as if its the most obvious thing in the world. “You seem perfectly fine to me though… More than fine actually. You look beyond hot with that loose ponytail and those perky short shorts, I just want to mmmmm –” “You know, you talk too much,” said Y/N glancing up from her book, her gaze falling on his bare chest. “It’s distracting. Like really distracting. I am trying to read and you are making it so hard to concentrate.” “Fine. I’ll stop talking. There is something else I want to be doing with my lips anyway.” his voice dropped a few octaves and he moved a little closer to her. “Like kiss every square inch of your body while my fingers trail every curl of your body before I get between your legs and make you scream my name until you can’t breathe.” Y/N opened and closed her mouth trying to find something to say, coming up empty every time. Her skin flamed up at his words and Kai grinned at her, continuing to crawl over her. No matter how much she tried to focus it wasn’t possible, not with his hot breath on her face clouding her mind completely. Every time she moved back on the couch pulling away from him, he crawled right after her, trailing his fingertips up her up inner thighs, their lips almost touching as he spoke. “How long are you going to pretend you are not dying on the inside ?” he wondered, his eyes drifting between her eyes and her lips. “You are dying for me to grab you and have my way with you.” “Am I ?” Kai hummed, took the book off her hands and left it on the coffee table next to the empty lemonade glass without taking his eyes off hers for a second until he almost climbed on top of her, slipping his hand under her shirt glazing his palm against her bare skin. “We both know you can hardly control yourself around me. It’s just us.You don’t have to pretend you don’t want me. I know you are obsessed with me.” Y/N took a shallow breath trying to ignore how his fingers quite literally drew fire lines on her skin everywhere he touched her. “Who’s pretending?” Kai brushed his nose against her cheek and pushed his hand between her legs parting them a bit, leaving wet kisses on her neck. He nibbled on her earlobe listening to her moan quietly when his fingers found their way to her heat. “Then why haven’t you slapped my hand away yet ?” “I um –” she gulped. Kai grinned at her and got up, taking a book from the bookshelf. Y/N took a shallow breath trying to calm down her heart rate/breathing and tried to return her attention to the book. He sure was persistent. For the past few days, he was using every opportunity to drive her out of her mind and get her to break and she was this close to the breaking point. “I wonder what this book is about.” he thought out loud, making her look up. “Oh wait – me !” “N-no,” said Y/N , her eyes widened and she started to get up. “You can’t read that !” ”Dear diary, it’s 5 am and I haven’t had a wink of sleep thanks to Kai who decided to steal my sleep for yet another night.” he started to read out loud, running around the room with her diary while she tried to catch him. “You know I really like how you spelled my name in tiny hearts. It’s so adorable.” “Give it back.” she reached for her diary but Kai eluded her at the kitchen door and flipped another page. ”I swear, one more second and I wouldn’t have been able to control myself. How long can I fight this for my cousins’ sake? I want him. I want him to kiss me and hold me in his arms 24/7 and never let me go. I want him to do all those things he whispered in the dark and more.” he looked at her and continued reading heading towards the stairs with her at his tail. “And tomorrow the hell continues because all day he will be right there and I will have to pretend that seeing him shirtless with water dripping down his bare chest doesn’t affect me at all.” “Stop.” ”‘That Amy stealing him from me doesn’t bother me one bit when in fact after all those midnight surprises from him, it is bothering me like Hell.’ Aww you got jealous,” he smirked at her. “That’s kinda hot.” “Me? Jealous ? Don’t flatter yourself, Parker.” Y/N finally snatched her diary realizing they were a few steps away from his bedroom. He had tricked her but she didn’t care. Electricity floated between them when their eyes met, the tension building up as he slowly backed her against the wall a step away from his bedroom door. He brushed his fingers against her cheek, trailing her lips with his fingertips and couldn’t help but notice how her knees literally caved in. Her back hit the wall and Kai braced his hands on either side of her, caging her in. “Amy can’t take what already belongs to you sweet cheeks. Haven’t you figured that out yet. ” he cooed resting his forehead on hers. “I want you. It’s driving me nuts how much I want you. My skin is literally on fire every time you are around. Do you have any idea what you do to me without even trying?” “Kai – ” “I never feel anything for anyone but for you – I feel everything and it’s driving me out of my mind. Why are you always in my head? How are you always there lurking in the corners of my mind, sneaking into all my dreams –” his lips almost touching as he spoke. He grabbed her hand and placed it on his crotch. “Feel this? This is how you make me feel and I bet if I slip my hand in your panties – you are just as excited as I am.” Y/N bit her lip feeling his hard on and all thoughts about him she had locked away flooded her mind at once. It felt as if she was drowning in all of them and only he could pull her to shore. Their eyes met and it felt as if literally sparks flew between them. For a long moment neither of them said or did anything, then their lips crashed together and they practically went through the door in their hurry to get inside, unable to get their clothes off fast enough or keep their hands away from the other for longer than a split second. “So hot.” he bit his lip looking her up and down as he pushed her roughly onto the bed and crawled over her until their eyes were on the same level. He gazed into her eyes and his lips crashed against hers while her legs wound around his waist pulling him towards her and his crotch grounded harder against hers, her fingers tangling in his hair. Every kiss, every touch felt like a match being light up starting a wildfire and there was no way to extinguish it now. Only fuel it more. A second later she lost her bra and rolled on top of him, her fingertips exploring every inch of his chest while her hips rolled on his crotch at a steady pace feeling him getting harder with every move. All this time fantasizing about this moment and it was finally happening and after this, there was no way they’d let each other go. “You are driving me completely out of my mind.” he moaned, placing his hands on her hips helping her move a little faster on him. “I want you more than ever right now.” Y/N grinned at him, their lips crashed together and he rolled on top of her so fast she didn’t have time to blink. His crotch pushed hard against hers making her moan into the kiss and his lips found their way down her neck, sucking on a spot on her collarbone marking her as his. He listened to her moan softly as he cupped her breasts, swirling his tongue around the left nipple and then around the right without taking his eyes off her. Her fingers tangled in his hair, lightly gripping on in as her back arched off the bed and her eyes fluttered closed. “Who’s driving who out of their mind ?” she moaned. His touch felt like pure magic, transporting her to places she never thought it was even possible to go. Both of them getting lost in the other with every second. He brushed his fingertips across her inner thighs all the way to her panties teasing her folds through the fabric. Her skin went up in flames when he pressed his mouth on her heat, inhaling and exhaling sharply, getting her breath caught in her throat. "I can’t wait to taste you –” Kai bit on the waistband of her panties and pulled them down her legs with his teeth without taking his eyes off her for a second. For a moment he pressed his lips together, looking at her with hungry eyes as she laid there completely naked before him now. “Absolutely breathtaking.” he said with a devilish spark in his eyes. His fingers brushed up her inner thighs and against her clit spreading her arousal around before he leaned in, parting her legs wide. He licked a bold stripe across her heat, slurping some of her arousal, letting out a moan as he did sending the vibrations directly onto her clit as he enveloped it in his lips and began sucking and tugging on it. “OH fuck –” she moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair, pushing his mouth further. Every move of his tongue drove her crazier but none of it compared to the moment he pushed a finger inside her, going into the last knuckle slowly curling it around feeling every inch again and again until his finger was joined by another. Kai loved how her body responded to him, how every curl of his fingers made her back arch off the bed more each time and how she tug on his hair a little harder but what he loved the most were all the sounds she was making. He listened to her moans mix with whimpers and his name constantly rolling off her tongue until she was almost screaming while his fingers pumped faster inside her. “Mmm you taste amazing.” he moaned, nibbling on her clit for a few seconds unable to tear his eyes away from her, continuing to devour her with hunger. Her walls clenched around his fingers and her hips pushed down on him craving more of him. “So tight around my fingers. It will feel amazing stretching you out later.” He could feel his briefs tightening around him more and more with every sound coming from her lips and could hardly wait to make her his. Her back arched of the bed and her eyes rolled in the back of her head while her orgasm approached fast. “Kai I am s-so close -” she moaned. Y/N’s eyes fluttered closed for a second feeling fire coursing through her veins with every curl of his fingers. She looked down at him and could swear it appeared as if the Devil himself had decided to pay her a visit and burn her alive. Her walls clenched around Kai’s fingers a little more intensely while her heartbeat and breathing raced with each other, trying to match and failing every time. Every sound she made only spurred him to pump his fingers faster until her orgasm tore through her body and she came screaming his name. “You look so hot falling apart under my touch.” he cooed, leaving kisses on his way up her body until their eyes were on the same level and their lips collided in a deep passionate kiss. Without breaking the kiss she rolled on top of him, straddling him at a steady pace and his hands found their way on her hips making her move faster. Their lips moved hungrily against each other, both of them pouring every suppressed emotion for the other into the kiss. Y/N traced his jawline and dipped her head leaving wet kisses on his neck, down his bare chest without taking his eyes off him for a second until her lips reached his lenght. She pressed her mouth on him through his briefs, letting her hot breath on him before her fingers hitched around the waistband of his briefs and she pulled them off. Her eyes widened a little and she bit her lip seeing his hard lenght flop onto his stomach. “What?” he wondered seeing her mesmerized look. “N-nothing. Just – enjoying the moment.” she smiled and leaned in licking a bold stripe all the way from his balls to the tip. Her fingers wrapped around his thick shaft and Kai bit his lip, propping himself on his elbows not taking his eyes off her for a second as she blew a light stream of air onto the tip. “I am losing it because of you.” he moaned, his eyes fluttering closed for a split second. “Who knew you were this naughty ?” Y/N hummed, running her tongue on the underside of his thick shaft while her free hand fondled his balls gently. Her eye contact was driving him nuts but he lost it completely when her thumb rubbed in slow circles on the tip gathering the pre-cum on it and he saw her taste him on her lips. “I thought I wanted you badly before but – if I don’t make you mine now, I am going to lose it.” he moaned. Y/N swirled her tongue around the head continuing to stroke him at a steady pace. Soft moans tumbled off his lips and he tangled his fingers in her hair, watching her take just the tip between her lips. He wondered why he had waited for so long to confront her about everything. There had been so many opportunities but he had somehow missed all of them. “Oh shit –” he moaned. Y/N nibbled on the tip for a few seconds, taking him a little further in her mouth every time.He watched her bop her head up and down on him, moaning/humming some song sending the vibrations directly onto the head. Y/N took her time teasing him and driving him out of his mind until he couldn’t take it anymore and pushed her head down on him, making her take him all the way for a few seconds before letting her continue on her own. It was driving him nuts how she looked so innocent doing all those naughty things. “So hot with your hair stuck to your face like that –” Kai watched her unable to tear his eyes away for a few more moments before he pulled her up until their lips collided, rolling on top of her without breaking the kiss. He lifted her legs over his shoulders and pinned her hands over her head, rubbing the tip of his thick shaft against her clit, lightly pressing it against her entrance watching her lose it. “I want you.” she moaned. “I need you.” “You need me to what baby girl? Tell me.” he continued to tease her without taking his eyes off her. A few more seconds like this and she’d lose it completely. His eyes were completely black with lust and just the way he was looking at her was enough to push her over the edge. “Fuck me –” “Mmmmm say it again.” he cooed, slowly sliding just the tip in, watching her bite her lip. “Fuck me Malachai.” A low growl escaped his lips and he entered her with one hard deep thrust withdrawing slowly and going in harder and deeper each time, hitting her spot almost from the start. He rested his forehead on hers, his hot breath hitting her face with every thrust clouding her mind more and more. Something flashed in his eyes for a moment and he entered her so hard knocking all the air out of her lungs, making her body jolt forward almost hitting the headboard. “Don’t call me by my full name.” he warned, thrusting inside her a little rougher. “Bad things happened when people do that.” Y/N’s eyes rolled in the back of her head and a louder moan left her parted lips when he filled her to the brim again, picking up the pace with each thrust. What did he mean by ‘bad’? She knew he wasn’t fond of his full name but she loved it. She loved how it rolled out of her tongue and could repeat it over and over again for hours. “Bad ?” she moaned. “What you just did felt so good, Malach-” Kai’s lips crashed against hers not letting her finish while he continued to pound relentlessly inside her, hitting her spot every time. Each thrust that followed was rougher than the last, leaving her craving more. Her walls tightened around him a little more intensely and it felt as if he wanted to bury his entire self inside her and even though he couldn’t – he kept trying. Sounds of flesh on flesh filled the room, mixing with their moans/groans and the sounds of the hitting the headboard hitting the wall. “Fuck you feel so good around me.” he groaned, gripping her wrists. His lips smashed against hers drowning her in a passionate kiss, but there was something different this time. His eyes opened instantly, widening in surprise seeing the red glow under his palms where he was holding her. “Damn Y/N –” Y/N’s eyes fluttered closed, feeling a pinch on her wrists where his skin touched hers. Whatever he was doing in that moment was driving her out of her mind and almost pushed her over the edge. Her walls tightened around him almost at the same time his lenght twitched inside her and Kai picked up the pace even more, barely leaving half a second between each thrust. He pressed his lips against hers slowly trailing them down to her neck, sucking on another spot she wouldn’t be able to cover no matter what. “Fuck I’m s-so clo-se.” she moaned. “Hold it. Wait for me.” he groaned, continuing the pound her senseless. Kai intertwined their fingers together, resting his forehead against hers, trying to figure out how he hadn’t found out her little secret earlier. Y/N’s eyes rolled in the back of her head and she held onto his hands tighter than ever, listening to their moans colliding in perfect harmony. Their lips touched, drowning their loud moans when he came in hot spurts inside her with her orgasm following shortly after. He never stopped or slowed down, riding through both their highs before collapsing on top of her, both of them trying to catch their breath. “Well, well … you kept your little secret well.” he said out of breath. “Wh-what are you talking about ?” she wondered as he rolled onto the bed next to her, refusing to look at him. Kai turned to his side and brushed his palm against her cheek making her look at him. A few moments later there was this slight pinch on her cheek and her eyes fluttered closed. “How are you doing that ?” “Your grandparents will so get upset but –” he suddenly got up and ripped one of the pillows, dropping all the feathers on his bed under her semi-stunned, semi-curious look. Kai hovered his hand over the feathers, slowly lifting his palm making the feathers float in the air around her and she shot up into seating position, reaching for one of his t-shirts near by. “You are a witch !” she smiled wider than ever, quickly putting on his shirt. “Oh my God ! And you never told me ?” “You never told me.” he retorted. “I um — ” she ran her fingers nervously through her hair. “– I don’t really tell anyone. I mean – it’s from my father’s side. No one here knows. My grandparents don’t even know.” “I knew you were special but damn ,Y/N.” he brushed his fingers against her cheek, kissing her gently. “This summer is going to be so much fun. Just you and me –” “You mean, you, me, my cousin who has a gigantic crush on you and her brother who keeps giving me the evil eye every time you touch me –” she started to say but Kai didn’t let her finish. ”Just you and me.“ he repeated, pressing his lips against hers. “I um – I am sorry about reading your diary.” "My diary..“ she trailed off. "Wait ,were are you going ? Y/N ?” Y/N slipped from under him, walked outside the room and picked up her diary. Quickly she closed the door and grabbed a pen from the desk before sitting on the bed next to Kai.He watched her with curiosity, wound his hands around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder while she began writing. Dear diary, this is going to be the best summer ever … _____________________________ MASTERLIST - SMUT MASTERLIST - FLUFF

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animalsoffarmsanctuary · 7 years

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Happy Animal Sanctuary Caregiver Day to the Hardest-Working Group of Caregivers I Know!!

Although the first annual Animal Sanctuary Caregiver Day was actually 10 days ago, because we are all so incredibly busy doing that caregiving, I am posting this a week late. And although this may be a long blog post, in reality it doesn’t even touch the surface of the work and dedication of our amazing shelter team does each and every day — 365 days a year.

Amy Gaetz with Bianca Giolitto bringing new life into the world and giving mom Julie a hand. Dipping Erin’s umbilical cord, giving him a boost of vitamin E and selenium, and ensuring he can nurse on his own was first priority. Our caregivers are there for each birth and ensure that nothing goes wrong!

Not only do they work hard, but they love hard — and so this job is not only physically demanding, but the responsibility is overwhelming at times. You have lives in your hands, and they are the lives of the most innocent beings that you have already grown to love — often from the moment you meet them.

Caleb Bachara does everything from being a farm assistant to maintenance projects, giving tours to volunteers, training volunteers, and helping out on transport and rescues. Here he is also showing his mad snuggling skills with Regina lamb!

And at Farm Sanctuary, we rescue some of the most abused animals in the world: animals used in food production. More than 70 billion land animals are slaughtered each year worldwide, with the U.S. numbers around 9 billion annually.

Kim Kaspari with her new pal Junip Sydney, getting to know this little piglet and learning just who she is. Piglets like Junip start out at only 2-4 pounds, and by the end of three to four years of growing, weigh in the hundreds. Restricting their diet but also ensuring that they have pain management for early-onset arthritis, which is quite common with industrial pigs, is imperative for a long, healthy life!

And at Farm Sanctuary, we see each animal — from the smallest bantam rooster to the largest Holstein steer — as an individual, and we have worked for more than 30 years to learn exactly what they need to be treated as such.

Jessica Due, caregiver at our Southern California shelter, with the tiniest of bantams, Peanut.

Because many of these animals are genetically altered and selectively bred to have traits that make them more profitable in the industry (to the detriment of their health), they are predisposed to having special needs that only the most talented, highly trained, and dedicated caregivers can supply.

Maddie Cartwright showing love to her favorite species. These misunderstood animals, who are no longer like their distant wild cousins, have so much love to give — and like all animals, they let you know their needs if you just pay attention.

Our healthcare caregivers are trained to help animals who are bred to live only a fraction of their normal lifespans live long, healthy, contented lives instead. So from birth until death — and our oldest animal lived to just over 30 years of age — our amazing shelter team provides the best medical, physical, and psychological care, always based on each animal’s individual needs

Northern California caregiver Teresa Lopes with sweet Rosa pig, a former gestation sow. From early arthritis to skin cancer, these pigs were not bred to be anything like their wild cousins and have health issues because of that breeding.

Even in the egg and dairy industries, animals are killed at just a fraction of their natural lifespans. Our oldest layer industrial layer hen lived more than 15 years and our oldest dairy cow lived to be 30, while hens are normally slaughtered at 2.5 years in the egg industry and cows living between 4-5 years in industrial dairies have a far more stressful and short life then those we care for at our sanctuaries.

Southern California Shelter Caregiver Brooke Marshall doing a bit of grooming on our boy William. This is a younger version of our now-very-tall boy. These Holstein males grow to be over a ton, but that is rarely seen in an industry that slaughters most of them before they reach even a year of age.

And male calves who come from the dairy industry have even shorter lives and are sold into veal and beef production, since they are useless to the dairy because they do not produce milk. The majority of the cattle from the dairy industry who call Farm Sanctuary home are the boys.

Farm Assistant Erika Decker keeps these hosptial pens clean and sparkly — which is imperative when animals need to be kept inside due to illness, weather conditions, etc. Buildup of ammonia is a killer for our farm animal friends, and cleaning barns is a huge part of the well-being of our animal residents.

Most vets are therefore not trained to work with the animals who come to our sanctuaries, because a sick calf, cow, pig, goat, sheep or chicken is usually a dead one in the industry; money on individualized care takes away from profit, so desperately ill animals often die without receiving any veterinary care at all.

All new animals are under strict quarantine and Tuba Agbas, one of our Southern California caregivers, feeds the incoming and elderly Betty Rose, who arrived emaciated and in need of special feeds.

But at Farm Sanctuary, chickens who would have been killed for meat at less than 2 months of age instead can live for years, and pigs who would have reached slaughter weight at 6 months can instead live happily for well over a decade.

Amy Gaetz with Wilhelmina, who, like many so-called “broiler” chickens, has had foot issues since her arrival and needed a middle toe amputated. These birds require not only very restricted and special feeds, but ongoing care to ensure that they are pain-free, healthy, and happy for the years they live with us.

This longevity is wonderful, but it also means that the animals have a chance to live long enough to experience the maladies and diseases their breeding has predisposed them to. It’s an enormous undertaking to keep them all comfortable, but daily treatments from our amazing caregivers make it possible — and the result is animals who are able to live long, happy, fulfilling lives despite the hands they’ve been dealt.

Daniel Singleton has a flock of admirers not even counting the turkeys. Daniel is now working out of our Watkins Glen facility, but he started out as an intern at our Southern California sanctuary and immediately joined our caregiving team there after the internship was completed.

Every animal who arrives at one of our sanctuaries is immediately checked for any health issues, which are then addressed to ensure that an animal in distress does not suffer for another second. This often keeps caregivers going late into the night, but our dedicated team is here to provide the care that these animals have never known before their arrival at sanctuary.

James Dumbleton and Tara Hess helping out with a blood draw on Chandini when she first arrived. We run all necessary tests on our incoming animals to ensure that they are healthy enough to be put in with our residents and also before we adopt them into homes.

The daily work of our highly skilled caregivers has meant the difference between life and death more times than I can count. When Julia pig arrived in shock and ready to give birth, caregivers worked around the clock to ensure that each one of her 16 (!) babies (who’d been born a week premature) would get the vital colostrum they needed to start life right.

Sarah Rappleye shows Julia pig the first real human kindness she has ever had. In shock, overheated, and frightened of people, Julia accepted this first drink of water and then collapsed.

Julia was only able to nurse with half of her teats due to mastitis, so each baby was marked and monitored for time on mom. The family was monitored 24/7, and countless hours were spent getting half of the newborns to take milk without mom, and teaching them instead to lap milk off of cookie sheets, which ensured that every piglet had all the milk he or she needed. Our dedicated caregivers literally saved these piglets’ lives.

Jill Tedeschi and intern Will help Julia deliver her piglets. The birthing lasted hours into the night. Each of these piglets had to be put on a working teat in order to get colostrum. This was the first of a few weeks of round-the-clock care for a very exhausted Julia and 16 piglet children.

This is just one of our hundreds of stories that have happy endings because of the commitment and compassion of our team of caregivers. Taking in animals is only the first step — the care and love they receive afterward is what sets this team apart from any other in the world.

Bianca Giloitto working with Bruce, one of the rescued goats from the backyard butcher in Hudson Valley.

And the work doesn’t stop there. This same team keeps the sanctuary grounds perfect for visiting guests, and for the animals who call our sanctuaries home. At Farm Sanctuary, animals rescued from conditions where they’ve been locked in dark, ammonia- and feces-filled barns are able to live in light-filled, softly bedded, clean barns — often for the first time.

Jim Dumbleton has been with us for years and years ensuring that the maintenance of the farm is completed and creating a habitat that is safe for our animal residents.

Animals arriving with frostbite, or those who have overheated, are welcomed into their new homes with fans and coolers in the summer and draft-free housing in the winter. They are kept in predator-proof barns so they can sleep peacefully, free from fear.

Farm Assistant Scott Curtis not only helps to keep the barns clean and safe, but also works with other farm assistants and projects folks at our Orland sanctuary in Northern California.

Bo Katzakian is our newest farm assistant in Acton and a great giver of the belly rub — which, if you ask pigs like Jumper, is a prerequisite for hiring. He also keeps the barns clean and ammonia-free — a far cry from where most of these animals come from.

Animals rescued from situations where they were picked on and injured by larger or more aggressive animals are instead placed in flocks or herds that meet their psychological needs as well as their physical ones. Having multiple pig herds, for example, is no easy task, but our pig residents are healthier and happier because of it. More herds means more work, but this team is up for any task that’s thrown at them — they’ll move heaven and earth to help these animals thrive.

Dana Penman, shown here as an intern with her goat pals from the Hudson Valley rescue. This crew, like so many, had very special needs and was bullied by other goats from the rescue, so they have formed a little family where they are happy and safe, as you can see by everyone’s love of a good time!

Our dedicated farm assistants, who are also part of our amazing shelter team and caregivers in their own right, transport animals from rescues, to veterinary hospitals, and to new adoptive homes — in fact, they put in more than 100,000 miles just last year.

Kevin Weil coordinates our farm assistants and ensures that everything stays ship-shape on the farm. Like the postman — snow, rain, sleet, hail, high winds, etc., will not stop him or his crew from ensuring the animal areas are clean and safe!

All winter long in Watkins Glen, NY, our farm assistants weather the storm — literally. With wind chills in the negative double digits and snow piling up feet at a time, this crew not only cleans the barn but ensures that the animals are safe and can get around without injury. At our California locations, try doing that same work in temperatures over 100 degrees. WOW!

Jason Klein, former intern and now farm assistant, showing some love to his favorite boy William sheep. William arrived during Jason’s internship and they became fast friends.

And although we carefully screen each potential adopter, we still transport every single animal we adopt out to his or her new home personally so that we can ensure that home will be a safe and happy place for the animal to live.

Ashely Pankratz and Jill Tedeschi getting Pickles to take a bottle after her arrival. Ashley is part of our placement team, but also does shelter administration, all with kindness and compassion. She ensures that hundreds of animals who cannot come to Farm Sanctuary are placed in homes across the country.

Our team drives from California to New York and every place in between for rescues and adoptions, and works with vets all over the country to ensure that we are giving our residents the best care possible.

Chad Richmond transporting Maurice goat to his new home in Orland. When Chad is not on a transport or rescue, he is ensuring that our farms are staffed and the day-to-day work of the maintenance and farm assistants team can be completed to make sure that our animal residents have the best lives possible.

Beyond their already enormous day-to-day workload, our team is trained to deal with animal emergencies and in handling animals during even the most trying of times.

Mario Ramirez carries Sasha calf from a local SPCA van to our trailer to be transported home to out Watkins Glen sanctuary. Besides carrying animals, Mario oversees the building, landscaping, and cleaning of our Watkins Glen facility and has done so for more than 10 years.

When catastrophic flooding hit factory-farm-filled Iowa in 2008, our caregivers mobilized to rescue the only remaining pigs out of the tens of thousands who had perished in the flood waters — remaining in the state for weeks to ensure that each pig was safe and healthy enough for transport, then traveling back to the sanctuary, where the pigs received care for months afterward to get them healthy and ready to go to new homes.

Jessica Due and Danielle Peterovich guide our sheep flock to the safety of our transport trailer to return home to the Southern California Shelter after it was evacuated due to proximity to the Sand Fire last year.

Rescues like the 2015 backyard butcher case in Hudson Valley, NY, had caregivers setting out from our sanctuary at 5 a.m. and not returning until 1 the following morning. Because the rescue site was a vast area with insecure fencing, this rescue involved not just loading up animals, but setting up a safe way to contain them first, and then getting them onto our trailers. It also included triage, and sending the first groups of desperately ill animals to the hospital.

Farm Assistant Chris Vandussen and former caregiver Abbie Rogers with a tiny little John goat at the Hudson Valley backyard butcher rescue.

There, they were met by other caregivers who’d brought with them healthy goats from our sanctuary to donate the blood that would help save these new family members.

Hilary Woznica and Hemingway goat at our Orland shelter. Hillary has worked at both our Watkins Glen and Northern California sanctuaries.

Vyolet Savage has a full-time job but plays a very vital role with the Daily Squeal gang. Here she is with Avery goat, who, along with his buddies, is living down the shore with Vyolet and company!

After all of that, they were up all night making sure that each animal was settled in and given any treatments they needed before a single caregiver went home to rest. And that same team was on the ground the very next day, continuing to treat these animals who had known nothing but sadness just days before.

Selina Rodriguez doing a hoof trim on Barry. Hoof care and other maintenance care is part of the daily routine of our caregivers and is vital to the well-being our of animal residents.

Rescue days are hectic and exhausting, but the hard work does not end that day. Instead, each day that follows requires that same level of commitment and care from these dedicated caregivers — and they provide it without hesitation.

Ben Hamilton is a farm assistant who always goes the extra mile and helps out with transport, sheep shearing, cattle hoof trimming, and anything we need. Here is is helping to move a very nervous mother Willow (I got to carry the little Josie Mae) to her new pen and pasture.

Chris Vandussen, John Sykes, and Mario Ramirez come up with a game plan in the sheep barn — assisted by the supervisor Skye goat, who is in charge of the sheep barn and its residents.

From cleaning the animals’ barns and living spaces to feeding them the best diets, from providing the treatments that allow them to thrive to transporting them or staying with them during vet visits, from ensuring that every need is met through all stages of an animal’s life to letting these beloved friends go when nothing more can be done — this is the life of a caregiver .

Sierra Sundeth, one of our Orland caregivers, insuring that one of the many Cornish crosses is getting his special diet.

Our shelter team stacked and fed out more than 380 tons of hay — 760,000 pounds’ worth — to ensure that our ruminant animals were fed this past winter. They plow snow in New York and do hourly animal checks hourly to make sure everyone is faring well in the heat in California.

When we agreed to take in Ferdinand sheep at our Northern California sanctuary we had no idea that just months later, his rescuer would do an internship with us and then join our Farm Assistant team. That is a good deal! Perry Snyderman, pictured with his buddy Ferdinand above, helps keep our barns clean and safe for our residents and ensures that they are always getting everything they need — including pears.

They mow pastures, assist with the shearing more than 150 sheep, and trim hooves twice a year for around 100 cattle, and provide maintenance care for more than 1,000 animals between all of our locations, including all hoof trimming, nail trimming, full-body checks, and dispensing medications and vaccines. They handle worming, and do Famacha checks on goats and sheep every month. They conduct oral exams, clean ears, and check blood work and do fecal exams when needed.

Shane Stringfellow and Teresa Lopes working inspecting an injury. Shane is currently working as a farm assistant, but will be switching over to our healthcare team very soon. Teresa is one of our Northern California caregivers.

They give fluids to the dehydrated; tube-feed the weak animals unable to eat (from newborns to elderly chickens); treat chickens with reproductive cancers; drain peritoneal fluids from birds arriving with EYP (egg yolk peritonitis) and/or cancer; they do enemas on pigs; deal with aggressive animals (such as newly arrived bulls or young steers with behavior issues); and they can restrain and treat every animal on the property once fully trained in a way that causes no harm or pain to either animal or human.

Dara Wedel, former Watkins Glen intern and now our newest member of the caregiving team in Acton, is learning the daily routine with help from Nina sheep.

And we have developed protocols for treatments for every age group of animals as well. From the newly born to those who are at the end of their lives, we treat their individual needs with skill and love.

Elder care is one thing we have learned to do well. Here, a very thin, elderly, and sick June Bug goat helps Jill Tedeschi pick out what she might like to eat for dinner.

Between our sanctuary locations, more than 200 animals receive daily or twice-daily treatments, from pain management to ongoing care for problems they arrived with, including viruses or diseases that are lifelong. Some arrive pregnant, others arrive already in their golden years, but most arrive needing a whole lot of care.

Kat Thorpe with Albert, one of our donkey friends at the Orland sanctuary. Kat just moved to our Watkins Glen sanctuary from our Orland facility.

Our caregivers engage with members of the public, telling the animals’ stories to help spread the word that each and every individual is worthy of compassion and respect. They know these animals intimately, and know what to look for to determine if one of them isn’t feeling well.

Jill Tedeschi, Tara Hess, Abbie Rogers, and I speaking at an event at our Watkins Glen facility. We also hold a Farm Animal Care Conference, with the animal and sheltering portion led by myself along with Tara and Jill every September. It is a must-attend if you are interested in starting a sanctuary.

Our entire shelter team will come to the sanctuary in the middle of the night when a large animal is down and we need all hands on deck. They deal with emergencies with every species, from the smallest bird to the largest bovine. They are the most dedicated people I know, and they inspire me every day.

Our master-level caregivers are trained to provide a level of care that is second to none when it comes to farm animals. Here, a baby Hazelton, who could not suckle for days after his birth, is being tubed. Now at more than 220 pounds, you would never know that he was born dead, resuscitated, and had to have very intensive care for the first weeks of his life.

And so every day I feel blessed to be with the most incredible animals on earth, but also the most selfless people, who come in early every morning and leave dirty and tired every night — only to get up and do it again. Because they know that those beings whom they are tasked with protecting deserve only the best individualized care we can give them.

Dean Adickes takes care of maintenance, but like all of our shelter team, also works directly with animals. Making a splint for an animal or creating a safer living space for any one of our residents is just part of his daily routine.

Barbara Vitale, one of our Watkins Glen farm assistants, is like all of the staff who provides daily care for our animals. Isaac sure appreciates the daily neck scratching too!

Erika Hultquist, one of our new caregiver assistants in Watkins Glen, is learning the ropes from our boy Valentino! So far, so good, according to him.

Luke Hess, former caregiver, is now the photo/video genius at our Watkins Glen shelter. This photo was taken during his caregiving days, and when we have an emergency, he often still jumps in to help!

With more than 70 billion farm animals being killed worldwide for food each year, having healthy, happy, secure, and loved representatives of their species living at our sanctuaries allows us to help people make the connection between these animals and the ones who aren’t as lucky, and show that each and every farm animal is someone, not something. Our caregivers allow this to happen day in, day out, and we are so thankful for them each and every day!

Tracey Stewart fills in whenever needed and has done so much for her farm animal friends.

Caregiver-in-the-making Maggie, pictured here with Anita horse, has even read books to the incoming animals who are not used to their new surroundings. She has a natural way with all of them.

Thank you GFAS for celebrating animal caregivers and making this an annual event, which we will definitely be celebrating from now on!

Bringing the babies home following evacuation from the Sand Fire in Southern California, Daniel Singleton giving a relieved welcome home to big boy Bruno. The caregivers never left the sides of our animal residents during the evacuation and even slept at the evacuation sites to make sure they were okay.

Dana Penman helped raise this little bundle of joy, who is nearly 800 pounds now and will eventually weigh well over a ton. It is amazing when a baby arrives and can have the same caregiver throughout the many stages of his life. Gary clearly loves his human mother right back!

Tuba and Kerrie at our Southern California location doing a foot wrap on one of our industrial Cornish hens. These girls, although on a restricted diet, still get so large that they are prone to pressure sores on their hocks and feet, which, if not properly treated, can become infected.

Totes goat getting a trim with caregivers Sierra, Amy, and Hillary.

Amy cleaning up and bandaging the post-operative surgical site on Peepers.

Oakley cow getting a much-needed sweat wrap on her inflamed knee with Kate and Kat.

Caleb and volunteer pal Kat Von D showing how maintenance work can be fun!

Kate overseeing the arrival of Emma after her rescue from the side of the road.

Sierra carefully wrapping one of our older hens’ feet.

Alicia and her duckling fans.

All smiles for Kat and goat pal Dana!

Kerrie holding a post-op Regina.

Violet sheep getting the love and snuggles she deserves from Kim, Brooke, and Daniel.

Appreciation given to our volunteer caregiver Kim Kaspari at our Southern California location.

Daniel and Brooke, just another day of caregiving.

More kisses at the evacuation site. Jessica reassures Mo sheep that everything will be okay.

Alicia with her rescued lamb friend Regina.

Alicia and Paul Harvey hugging during the evacuation during the Sand Fire.

Perry in the sheep barn with Bleu, keeping his friends’ barns as clean as possible.

Maggie making sure her friend Anna gets cooled down.

Tracey and tiny pal Cecilia.

Vyolet strikes a pose with one of our beautiful Watkins Glen turkey girls.

Hillary feeding the pigs in Watkins Glen, where she worked before moving out to our Orland facility.

Elise and sheep friend Bleu pose for a shot.

A beautiful Noel goat with his caregiver pal Amy at our Orland sanctuary.

Shane and his waterfowl pal Pip.

Dean on the scene making things well constructed and clean!

Teresa Lopes with new boy Napoleon, having a bit of fun during the work day.

A very beloved and missed Alexander with me surrounded by giant pals Tweed and Moo.

Amy Gaetz and a very young Ari strike a pose during the work day.

Kevin taking a break to check out his pal Francis sheep.

Mario and Tara bringing home newborn babies Jenny and Forest from Cornell.

Tara surrounded by newly rescued dairy goats Phoebe, Babs, and Carmen.

John Sykes, our Watkins Glen Maintenance staffer, always has a smile while he works.

Bianca making sure every one of her feathered friends gets the best possible care.

Tara Hess and Chris VanDusen bringing Jerome home to meet his new family.

Chris working hard keeping the barns clean.

Sarah bringing home new babies Henry and Lola.

Amy Gaetz with the triplets, Duncan, Tove, and Thomas, ensuring they get the proper diet to start out their lives.

Collecting hay samples! Jim and Tara making sure our ruminants get the best food possible!

#animals #animal rescue #animal jobs #animal rights #farm sanctuary

59 notes · View notes

gobsmackapplejack · 7 years

Text

Doljanchi

Rated G, 3041 words, on AO3

“Going out hunting,” Daryl mumbles as he grabs his crossbow. His footfalls are a little louder than usual. Something’s bothering him, Glenn can tell. But sometimes he just has to let Daryl work out whatever it is by stomping through the woods, shooting things. Though, it’s not hard to figure out the source of his mood this evening.

“Okay. Mom is making dinner, so you don't need to catch much.”

Daryl's response isn't audible to Glenn's ears. Which may be for the better. Glenn's mom has been staying with them for a couple of days already, preparing for Kevin's doljanchi. Their little house can barely fit everyone. It’s only four people, three adults and an almost-one-year-old, in their tiny two bedroom house, but you’d think it was Glenn’s entire extended family or something, the way they’re hitting on nerves so close to the surface. Thank God Merle moved out awhile ago.

Well, he didn’t so much move out as announce loudly when Glenn and Daryl started dating that the walls in their house were too thin for him to be around on nights when Glenn was staying over. Since that started happening more often than not, Merle and his stuff became more and more scarce. Eventually they figured out that Merle had met someone, and miraculously, she didn’t mind him moving into her place.

They give Glenn's mom their room and put a full sized air mattress in Kevin’s room. It covers the entire floor next to the crib so they only put it down at night and have to lean it up against the wall when they wake up in the mornings. One frantic night Glenn woke up disoriented when he heard Kevin crying, jumped up and tripped so violently after running straight into the baby’s dresser that the mattress popped, sending Kevin into terrified screams. That was not a great night.

Luckily, Daryl was able to patch the mattress the next day. Too bad their nerves and tempers were not so easily fixed. Those took several more days to smooth over.

Daryl comes home with a rabbit, already dressed and butchered, which he puts immediately into the deep freeze storage in the garage. They eat the jajangmyeon that Glenn’s mom made for dinner that night. It’s Daryl’s favorite of her Korean dishes and Glenn isn’t ashamed to admit (though not to Daryl) that he asked her to make it, hoping to improve Daryl’s mood. Plus, the noodles are soft enough so that Kevin can eat it too. The black bean sauce smears around his mouth and makes him look like he’s growing a baby beard. Glenn takes a picture of Daryl holding him, with their matching goatees.

They get to bed early that night, to get ready for another day of work and preparations.

The next morning Glenn’s mom takes over the kitchen as usual. Even getting a cup of coffee is a hassle, the coffee maker buried behind bowls full of marinades and sauces on the counter.

Daryl leaves early for his work, without coffee, at the high school, kissing Glenn and Kevin and giving Mrs. Rhee a nod. Glenn has the mornings to play with Kevin while his mom works on preparing party food. Around ten Glenn packs Kevin up and takes him to the daycare run by Beth Greene, their family friend, on his way to work. Mrs. Rhee continues party prep and also makes dinner and baby food throughout the day. Then, when Daryl brings Kevin home from his daycare she spends the late afternoon playing with him while Daryl showers and cleans up, then joins them. When Glenn comes home they all have dinner together. Daryl and Glenn go through Kevin's night time routine, bathing him, reading his stories and giving him a last bottle before he falls asleep. This is their pattern through the week until it's finally the day before the party.

Friday they pick Glenn's dad and sisters up from the airport. More family will be coming in from Michigan the next day, the day of the party.

Fortunately for them, Glenn's extended family knows the significance of this milestone, and two aunties and four cousins on his mom’s side are willing to travel for it.

Holding it in Georgia, they figure the maximum number of friends and family will be there, which is their goal. Also, the wedding had been up near Michigan so having the party in Georgia seems only fair. Only a few people were able to travel to the wedding: Merle, his girlfriend Andrea, and her sister Amy. Luckily, Hershel Greene, Beth’s father, had thrown a reception for them at his beautiful farmhouse just outside Atlanta, so they were also able celebrate with their friends locally.

Mr. Rhee, Ada and Alene spend the day at the house with Kevin, Mrs. Rhee, but later in the evening Glenn takes them to their rented rooms at Hershel’s. The retired and widowed veterinarian had converted his huge farmhouse into a bed and breakfast after all his kids moved out leaving so many rooms empty. His daughter Maggie soon moved back home to help him run it.

Finally, the big day arrives. Everyone wakes up early. The house is so clean you could eat off any surface but Mrs. Rhee continues to wipe and polish anything she can get at with her microfiber cloths.

They've set up one long picnic table out back with tons of chairs. Finger foods and bowls of Korean snacks fill the center of the table. All the other available surfaces at their house, inside and out, are covered with food too; the dining room table, the kitchen counters, the coffee table, the wet bar and the hutch have bowls of the largest fruit found in the state -- mangoes, asian pears, apples, carved watermelons and pineapples. Plates and platters are stacked with ricecakes, sweets and cakes, and all the grilled meats, vegetable and banchan dishes Mrs. Rhee prepared throughout the week.

There is one small table on the porch that doesn’t have food piled on it, sitting low to the floor. It’s covered with a red tablecloth and on top are seemingly random objects set out on display. Glenn waves Daryl over.

“This is the Doljabi. Do you remember?”

Daryl nods but looks slightly unsure so Glenn goes into the explanation again. It should be easier to remember now that they have it laid out in front of them.

“Whatever Kevin touches first is believed to be symbolic of what will come to him in life. The pencil represents intelligence - it means he’ll have a good job. The gold coin is, well, pretty self explanatory, he’ll never want for money. String represents a long life. Food - your kid will never go hungry. Those are the really traditional objects. The rest are more modern additions. The stethoscope means your child will go into medicine. A ball represents sports. Books for academia. We didn’t put in a paint brush for artist - I didn’t think you’d mind. Some people add objects for politics or acting.” Glenn shrugs, since it didn’t seem important to either of them. “I'm debating putting my phone or laptop in for a technology career. But we have the pencil to represent, like, all good jobs. I don't know if I want to pigeonhole him into something he doesn't like. You know, us Asians and our tiger parenting. I figure we’ll keep to the more general fortunes.”

Daryl nods and crouches down in front of the table, tracing his fingers over the gold coin. He looks at Glenn briefly then goes to the bedroom closet and comes back in with the crossbow. Sets it on the table. It takes up all the remaining space, even hanging off the edge and covering several other objects.

“Oh, hey. Bow and arrow is actually one of the traditional items,” Glenn is surprised he remembers this. “It represents bravery. But then people didn’t like that in older times it meant that your child would go into the military - become a war hero or general or something. It’s fallen out of tradition. But, do you want it to mean bravery?”

“No. It’s...that our kid’s gonna be a hunter.”

“But. He’ll learn that anyway. Do you think he’ll become a professional hunter when he grows up? That’s sort of what that will imply.”

“No. It’s… It’s just important.” Daryl is staring hard at the crossbow, brow furrowed, rubbing his chin.

Glenn pauses before responding. He knows this could be a sensitive area for Daryl. “I don’t think my mom would like a weapon as part of the Doljabi. She’ll think it means he’ll grow up to be a criminal. Or make a living where he’ll have to use weapons.”

Daryl isn’t meeting Glenn’s eyes. It’s almost how he was early in their relationship: closed off, hesitant to share his feelings. “S’my kid. I’ll put what I want.”

Glenn knows when he shouldn’t push. “Okay. Um. Okay. I’ll- I’ll let her know.” He will. He’ll make her understand, because it’s important to Daryl. But he still has some concerns. “It's kind of big though. He might grab it first just because it's the only thing he can see. Or because he sees you with it but he's not allowed to touch it. Or what if he starts thinking he can touch it because we let him grab it this one time?”

Daryl grunts and picks up the crossbow. He leaves, though not in a huff or stomping like he had earlier in the week.

Glenn is at a loss. Of course he’ll let Daryl include the crossbow. It’s just...it's huge. Putting it out there with things like a pencil or a piece of string doesn’t seem balanced. But does that matter? If it’s something Daryl wants to be included in the Doljabi, would it be so bad if it’s so oversized that Kevin grabs it first? Glenn hears Daryl’s motorcycle pulling out and driving off.

He’s only a little worried. Surely Daryl will come back. He didn’t seem upset, per se. But there is something bothering him, something important enough to take him away from the party.

The guests start arriving. Hershel and Maggie bring Glenn’s dad and sisters a little early so they can help with any last minute setup. Beth comes soon after with her boyfriend Noah, and Kevin makes excited noises when he sees her. Merle arrives with Glenn’s two aunts and Andrea and her sister Amy bring the cousins from Michigan they picked up at the airport. Merle immediately heads straight for the coolers in the back yard with the beer, takes one for himself and starts passing them around.

College friend and sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes and his new wife Michonne are the next to arrive with his five year old daughter Judith. His teenage son, Carl, comes a few minutes later with girlfriend Enid. Morgan, Rick's friend who then became their friend, arrives with his son Duane, and the three teens head inside to play video games.

Daryl’s work buddy Tyreese Wililams brings his girlfriend Karen, and his sister Sasha brings her boyfriend Bob.

Rosita Espinosa and Abraham Ford were a couple who were part of Daryl and Glenn’s drinking group, but once they broke up started avoiding each other. When they arrive they stay on opposite ends of the yard, but eventually start mingling with the group and later, grudgingly, with each other. Also in attendance are Eugene and Tara, more drinking buddies and Tara’s girlfriend Denise.

Aaron and Eric are there, friends Glenn first met doing consulting work for their recruiting firm. They hit it off and the two couples often hang out together. Glenn calls it their gay alliance.

Carol, probably their oldest and dearest friend, and also Kevin’s godmother, is last to arrive with her daughter Sophia.

All these people comprise their found family - those they came to love due to shared interests, location and circumstance. It's a blessing to be able to celebrate with them all.

Kevin, dressed in his hanbok, is carried around by Mrs. Rhee. She likes showing off that he calls her ‘hah-mo’ now. She lets others carry him too. He goes willingly, recognizing almost everyone as imo, ajumoni, or sam-chon.

Glenn tells people who don’t know, about the doljanchi tradition. How in the olden days in Korea, babies making it to their first birthday was rare, and so such an accomplishment called for a big celebration. He also spends time describing and explaining all the Korean foods, snacks and decorations.

Daryl slips in when Glenn is telling the kids about his favorite Korean candies, mallang cow chews. He goes into the house with a plastic bag under his arm. Glenn slips away from the conversation and follows. He sees Daryl opening a blister packaged toy. When he gets close, Daryl puts a nerf crossbow on the table with the other objects. It’s more reasonably sized and doesn’t take over the whole table like the real model had. The bright neon green will be very eye catching to a one year old though. He moves close to Daryl standing over the table and slips his arms around Daryl’s waist, hugging him from behind. Daryl doesn’t turn, only places a hand on top of Glenn’s and they look at the items together. Problem solved.

After the dinner of Korean specialties is finished, they ask everyone to gather around the doljabi table that’s been carried outside. Glenn’s cousins have set up a skype call on his laptop so the rest of the family in Troy can watch and cheer too.

Glenn gives a speech, welcoming and thanking everyone for coming, and for their friendship through the years, for being a part of their lives and more recently, Kevin’s life.

He explains the doljanchi one more time. Then Daryl sets Kevin down in front of the table, far enough away so that he’ll have to crawl forward a few feet before he can reach any items. At first Kevin is frozen, shocked by so many people crowded around, staring and cooing at him, but then he spots all the objects on the table and makes excited sounds.

Kevin scoots forward and gets a hand on the table and almost touches the spool of yarn but misses. He pulls himself to standing so he has a better view of the items. Glenn sees the moment Kevin spots the crossbow. His eyes light up and he smiles a mostly gummy smile, grabs the crossbow with its orange and green foam bolts. Glenn’s mom wails and clutches her chest and shakes her head. Everyone else cheers and claps. Daryl steps in quickly and swoops Kevin up, giving him a noisy kiss. Kevin squeals and laughs, still holding the crossbow, trying to chew on the handle.

When people ask what the crossbow represents, Glenn tells them about the traditional bow and arrow that represented bravery, and that he and Daryl want Kevin to be a hunter like his dad. Daryl smiles slightly at Glenn’s explanation, but never offers the explanation or elaboration of his own.

The party goes on until late, but Glenn and Daryl slip away to put Kevin to bed at his usual time. They are paying the teenage cousins to stay inside to keep an eye on him while the party continues on outside. They rejoin the party once Kevin is asleep, taking turns carrying the baby monitor.

That night, after the guests have departed and Hershel and Maggie have taken Mr. and Mrs. Rhee, Ada and Alene back to the farm, Merle and Andrea have taken Glenn’s aunts and cousins to the hotel in town, and they have cleaned up only the most pressing mess (mostly putting away the leftover food) they wash up and collapse into their own bed.

Glenn pulls Daryl in for a kiss, just a light, press of lips. They’re too exhausted for anything more. Not even much talking beyond a few murmured comments about the party, their friends, family, and Kevin.

Glenn rolls onto his back and closes his eyes, ready to drift off, when he hears Daryl take a slow, deep breath. It’s his ‘tell’ that he’s about to say something so Glenn opens his eyes and waits.

It takes Daryl a minute, then he starts in a low voice, “Hunting, it's. It’s...quiet. I found peace when I was hunting.” He stops, looking up at the ceiling, then turns to fully face Glenn. “It saved me. When things were bad with my dad I could go hunt. When we didn’t have a lot to eat. After the house burned down and my-.” His voice gives out and he takes a shaky breath. It’s the most emotion Glenn has heard from him when talking about his past. “When I figured out I was…different.” There’s the most meaningful pause Glenn thinks he's heard in their relationship. “That’s why it’s important to me. Hunting, tracking, knowing the forest. Knowing…yourself. It makes you able to survive. Self sufficiency. Not just surviving, but knowing you can survive. It’s zen. That’s…. that’s what I want for Kevin.”

Glenn nods, then takes Daryl’s hand.

“Okay. Yeah. That’s what I want too. Thank you, Daryl. Thank you for giving him that. That’s what he’ll have. That’s… yeah.” He reaches out and slips his hand around to the back of Daryl’s neck, brings their foreheads together. “I love you,” he whispers, and kisses him one more time, long and lingering.

When they pull apart, Daryl’s breathing is ragged. Glenn knows it’s a sign he’s overwhelmed, fighting his emotions. He also knows Daryl wouldn’t want him to call attention to it so he shifts them into a more comfortable sleeping position, Daryl’s face tucked into Glenn’s shoulder.

So he doesn’t tell Daryl, not tonight anyway, that that’s what he’s found too. Found it in meeting and knowing and loving Daryl. This reassurance that he'll be okay, no matter who he is and who he loves. The knowledge that he can take care of himself and his loved ones. This contentment with himself, his life, love, family and friends; it’s exactly what he would want for Kevin. So, yeah. The crossbow is perfect.

#darlenn #glaryl #glenn rhee #darlenn fanfic #kidfic #my fanfic #doljanchi

35 notes · View notes

willowdidnothingwrong · 7 years

Note

answer ALL THE QUESTIONS

sharanya there are a hundred!! but ok

1: is there a boy/girl in your life?

No!

2: think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them?

I’m really fortunate that no one has really hurt me since, I guess, high school! And I definitely forgive high school shenanigans because wow, I thought my friends and I were mature then but this was not true!

3: what do you think of when you hear the word “meow?”

nyan, nyan, nyan! nihao nyan~~~~~

4: what’s something you really want right now?

a really awesome nerd dance party!

5: are you afraid of falling in love?

No!

6: do you like the beach?

I used to love the beach, or any water, a lot! But I had some weird ear injury, and now it’s hard for me to swim much without getting ear problems. So I still really like the beach, but it makes me feel a bit wistful.

7: have you ever slept on a couch with someone else?

Yep.

8: what’s the background on your cell?

An aesthetic shot of Bay-Enterprise train station, in my hometown of Edmonton!

9: name the last four beds you were sat on?

My summer housing bed, a hotel bed in hartford, my bed at home, my bed at school last year.

10: do you like your phone?

Yes. It cannot successfully type ‘t’ or ‘u’, but this adds to the charm! also I’ve gotten really creative at using words which don’t have those letters so that’s cool

11: honestly, are things going the way you planned?

I didn’t plan, I guess!

12: who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts?

I think… a model united nations conference help staffer’s number?

13: would you rather have a poodle or a rottweiler?

why have either when you could have MY DOG. Which I can. (And you can’t.)

14: which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain?

Emotional pain lasts longer, I guess?

15: would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum?

Art museums, because zoos are nice but they also make me sad when animals aren’t well cared for or don’t have enough space! It would be so sad to live your life on display. That said a lot of zoos care for their animals in an amazing way – unfortunately too often, it seems like this isn’t the case though :/

16: are you tired?

No!

17: how long have you known your 1st phone contact?

As in, my first one to ever be added? I guess my parents, so my whole life. As in, the person I’ve texted the most over my entire lifetime? Since high school. As in, the person I talk to most over the phone now? Also since high school.

18: are they a relative?

For the first of my three alternatives.

19: would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes?

No! They’re all great people but our relationships ended for good reasons. I hang out with all of them though.

20: when did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with?

Wednesday?

21: if you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today?

No, well yes, depending on what ‘knowing’ means! If a 100% infallible oracle told me that this was the right decision, I guess! But if it’s just the ‘knowing’ of the moment, no! It’s good to have a time-distributed sample of ‘knowing’.

22: would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

No!

23: how many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now?

zeeero

24: is there a certain quote you live by?

“Je pense, donc je suis.”

25: what’s on your mind?

my head. But also my physics research, and thoughts about people! Mainly about how lucky I am to have acquired Amazing Summer Friends, which reminds me to tell them about why they’re great. **does so **

26: do you have any tattoos?

No.

27: what is your favorite color?

Red!

28: next time you will kiss someone on the lips?

When it happens, I guess!

29: who are you texting?

sharanya it’s you!

30: think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch?

Yes.

31: have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right?

Roughly as often as chance predicts.

32: do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?

Honestly… almost all my friends are nonmale? I have like, one, maybeee two male friends I can talk to about serious stuff? But I am in the process of acquiring a new male friend and I’m Really Excited about this!

33: do you think anyone has feelings for you?

Maybe? Unclear!

34: has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes?

On occasion.

35: say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you?

I would be surprised! But good for them!

36: were you single on valentines day?

Yep!

37: are you friends with the last person you kissed?

Yes!

38: what do your friends call you?

By my first name. or sometimes nerd

39: has anyone upset you in the last week?

I guess, but the perturbation led to me reaching a higher energy state!

40: have you ever cried over a text?

Six years ago.

41: where’s your last bruise located?

I don’t think I’ve had a bruise for years honestly.

42: what is it from?

Hence I forget.

43: last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad?

Hmm, probably not for three years, when I accidentally wandered into an unfamiliar and possibly sketchy part of Edmonton at midnight through a long and curious chain of events!

44: who was the last person you were on the phone with?

My mom!

45: do you have a favourite pair of shoes?

I love converse more than my own sole. (hahaha.) But they break pretty frequently, so whatever pair of converse I’ve had for longest that hasn’t broken!

46: do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day?

No, I only wear one hat and only when I’m feeling cool enough for it because damn it’s way cooler than I am.

47: would you ever go bald if it was the style?

i really like hair for dramatic dance moves;;;;;

48: do you make supper for your family?

Sometimes when I’m home, but honestly my mom does way more of the cooking work even then! The balance is slowly shifting in my favour as I learn better to make things my mom likes and get less lazy!

49: does your bedroom have a door?

Yes.

50: top 3 web-pages?

mspaintadventures,metafilter, wikipedia!

51: do you know anyone who hates shopping?

Most of my extended family!

52: does anything on your body hurt?

No!

53: are goodbyes hard for you?

Hmm. Usually they’re really easy, but when I’m hanging out with really cool people I’m always so awkward about it because they’re like ‘Bye’! and I’m like “bye…” but I’m really thinking “WAIT BUT YOURE SO COOL WHY NOT JUST KEEP HANGING OUT”

54: what was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?

Green tea!

55: how is your hair?

Wet post-shower!

56: what do you usually do first in the morning?

grumble, pull my blanket up, attempt to get into a comfortable sleeping position, decide I oughtn’t sleep, turn on my phone, log on to metafilter

57: do you think two people can last forever?

Yes!!! Of course!

58: think back to january 2007, were you single?

I was 10.

59: green or purple grapes?

I’ve never given it thought, I just eat them!

60: when’s the next time you will give someone a big hug?

this reminds me that I have not given a big hug for a long time! so whenever I have the chance!

61: do you wish you were somewhere else right now?

I wish cambridge ma were magically transported into canadaland because canada’s great! But Cambridge is nice and I’m happy to be here as it is.

62: when will be the next time you text someone?

Hmm, likely the next five minutes.

63: where will you be 5 hours from now?

Sleeping!

64: what were you doing at 8 this morning.

Reading differential geometry;;;

65: this time last year, can you remember who you liked?

My then-girlfriend!

66: is there one person in your life that can always make you smile?

Tons of people! My friends K and X and S. B., for a start!

67: did you kiss or hug anyone today?

Non non mon ami

68: what was your last thought before you went to bed last night?

“Zeta functions…. or hater functions”

(my brain’s dumb thoughts inevitably involve math. im sorry.)

69: have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?

Not really! Not that everything has been Successful, but a lot of it has and when things haven’t, it’s let me move onto other things which it turns out are hella cool and I really like so **happy shrug**

70: how many windows are open on your computer?

Seven!

71: how many fingers do you have?

ten

72: what is your ringtone?

The default one… but I’ve never turned on my volume ringer, like, ever?

73: how old will you be in 5 months?

74: where is your mum right now?

In Edmonton, Alberta! I’ll see her in three days and I’m excited!

75: why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love?

We lived 9 timezones apart with limited internet access, then turned out to have very different attachment styles! But we’re still like. almost best friends! And it turns out this is a much better dynamic for us!

76: have you held hands with somebody in the past three days?

Non non!

77: are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago?

Yes! Almost all of them, though since I’ve moved countries sometimes not in the frequency I would like. Like I really wish I could talk to my friends B.D. and T.J. more! But they’re both in California time.

78: do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7?

A., who was one of my best friends but in retrospect I was definitely gay for;;;; (A. is most definitely Very Straight.)

79: is there anyone you know with the name mike?

Yes! My cousin! He’s a great guy and has two AMAZING AND CUTE KIDS who I really wish I could spend more time with!

80: have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms?

Yes!

81: how many people have you liked in the past three months?

Definitely one, maybe two?

82: has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days?

No!

83: will you talk to the person you like tonight?

No current crushes!

84: you’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with?

Yelling at people from car windows is not ok and very objectifying! I am not doing this and if my friends are they’re getting a stern talking to!

85: if your bf/gf was into drugs would you care?

Yes, it’s probably not a for sure dealbreaker but it is almost certainly a dealbreaker.

86: what was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie?

THE MOVIE HAD AMAZING BABY SPIDERMAN and I got to get really excited with a friend about cute. baby. spiderman. who i love deeply.

87: who was your last received call from?

My mom! Honestly I only call my mom.

88: if someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you?

…no.

89: what is something you wish you had more of?

…knowledge of algebraic geometry? Ok, on a personal level, I wish I was better at talking to friends about personal issues? I used to be really good at this, but over the past few years I just have been really fortunate and I haven’t really had many personal issues at all! So I’ve become used to dealing with them myself, and I haven’t been very good at this at all.

90: have you ever trusted someone too much?

People have betrayed my trust, yes. But I’m happy I trusted them because even if it didn’t work out, the alternative of being suspicious seems too dark!

91: do you sleep with your window open?

Yes! the outdoors is nice and i want it in me!

92: do you get along with girls?

Yes! most of my friends are women!

93: are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth?

No!

94: does sex mean love?

They’re definitely distinct concepts! That said, I would find it pretty impossible personally to consider sex without love! Definitely that isn’t true for other people and that’s cool!

95: you’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem?

No! Except neither of us are good at breaking locks oops

96: have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring?

No!

97: did you sleep alone this week?

Yes!

98: everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you?

So many people in my life! My mom, my dog, my friends are all so awesome! I’m super happy and fortunate.

99: do you believe in love at first sight?

It can probably happen! But people are deeper than their appearance, and I think most successful love probably does not rely on first sight!

100: who was the last person that you pinky promise?

Probably a drunk dutch girl in hong kong who wanted me to pinky promise swear that we’d hang out more?

#ask #questions #self #self post #@shanakin

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adothoe-archive · 7 years

Text

Helpless (Semester 1.5)

This is (kind of) a sequel to Before the End of the Semester and All’s Fair (Semester 2). It takes place a little bit before the start of Semester 1 and ends right up to the beginning of the library smut from Alex’s POV.

Pairing: Alexander Hamilton x Reader

Warning: pining

Kink Tag: none

AU: modern/college au

Word Count: 2471

Song: “Touch” - Little Mix

A/N: Yes, I haven’t updated in 500 years, and yes this is hella late and the write-a-thon is over BUT this is for day 5 of the @hamwriters Write-A-Thon for reverse pov day. All french translated for me by my platonic soulmate @manuelmirandamn hope you enjoy!!!

A note from Mackie who proofread for me: “i read this as “on my sexual life” bc im taking french rn and I started cackling because i thought it was like “i swear on my life” but it’s alex’s sexual life” - about a line in french @protecting-my-legacy

Alex dropped the last of his bags on his bed, looking around the room to figure out what order he should organize his things in. Move in day was always hectic and stressful but you’d think after two years of college, he’d have it down already.

A loud bang and a strong French accent coming from down the hall notified him that Gilbert had just arrived. Smiling, he walked out of his room and down the hall to Gil’s.

“Nice flight,” he asked, leaning against the door frame. “Alexander! Mon meilleur ami!” He grinned and opened his arms wide for a hug which Alex happily obliged. Gil’s hugs were the best.

“How was France?”

“Incroyable. All the cousins were there and ma grandmére. She makes the best chocolatines. I had some shipped over for you guys. Your life will change forever.”

Alex laughed. He missed Gil and all his friends when they were on break but especially Gil. His life was boring without Gil’s drama in it.

“Did you get your class schedule?”

“‘Did you,’ is the more important question. Will we have to suffer through yet another semester of you pining after Y/N?”

“I don’t pine. And, yes, but I don’t know what her schedule is.”

Gil raised an eyebrow as he folded a shirt. “You mean you didn’t ask your dad?”

“George isn’t my dad-”

“He adopted you when you were fourteen-”

“He’s not my dad.”

“Fine. You didn’t ask Washington to find out for you?”

“No.” Another eyebrow raise. “Fine, yes.”

“Et?”

Alex ran a hand through his hair. “We’re in the same classes again. But I’m over it. It’s been a long summer and I’m only focused on getting valedictorian.”

“Give it five minutes into your first class and you’ll be at each other’s throats.”

He rolled his eyes. “I think I have more self control than that.”

“You two have been hurling insults at each other and debating like it’s a courtroom for two years straight. That’s not going to stop overnight. Or over a summer.”

“Whatever-”

“Non, mon ami. This has been a thing for two years. We’re getting you two together.”

Alex groaned. “Whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t. Seriously.”

“Pourquois pas?” (Why not?)

“Parce que je ne veux pas qu’elle pense que je suis amoureux d’elle ou quelque chose.” (Because I don’t want her to think I’m in love with her or anything.)

“Bien, es-tu?” (Well, are you?)

“C’est sans importance.” (That’s irrelevant.)

“Dieu, tu es!” (Oh my god, you are!)

“Est-ce que ça importe? Elle me deteste.” (Does it matter? She hates me.)

“La haine et la tension sexuelle est un ligne fine, mon ami.” (Hate and sexual tension is a fine line, my friend.)

“Alors?” (So?)

“Nous allons faire un pari.” (We’ll make a bet.)

“Sur ma vie sexuelle. Je ne me suis jamais sentie plus fraîche.” (About my sex life. I’ve never felt cooler.)

“Tu l’aures cependant.” (But you’ll get her.)

Alex found that very hard to believe.

By the first day of classes, Gil’s bet had already spread across campus and several people had come up to him to ask him to seduce Y/N on a specific day. Alex was growing tired of it. There was no need for the bet and he was going to prove it by being nice.

It turned out to be difficult since as soon as he spoke up, you responded with absolute venom.

“Here we are again, Y/L/N,” he said, smiling a little to show he held no animosity. “I’m curious to see how your debating skills have improved over the summer.”

“You have yet to beat me in a debate so maybe I should be saying that to you, Hamilton.” Y/N smirked.

Alex turned around with a frown, intent on ignoring you for the rest of the class when George walked in and announced that they would be working in partners.

For the whole semester.

Alex hated group projects. No one ever pulled their weight or was able to keep up with him and he ended up doing all of the work while his partners got credit.

And then the worst possible thing happened.

“Y/N Y/L/N and Alexander Hamilton. Find your seats please.”

George expected him to work with you for an entire semester? He was definitely going to talk to him about this after class.

But first, he had the absolute joy of dealing with you. He sent you a smirk, knowing you hated this just as much as he did but not willing to let that show, and moved his bag off the seat next to him. Just to annoy you, he patted the seat in a silent command to sit.

If you weren’t going to try to be nice, neither was he. And he was the best asshole anywhere around when he tried.

As the class shuffled out of the room, you particularly fast without even looking at the country assignment sheet, Alex made his way to George’s desk at the front of the room.

“Yes, Alex?”

“I need a new partner.”

He sighed and looked up from his syllabus on the desk. “Did I or did I not say partners were final and not up to your choosing?”

“Okay, but this is a different situation-”

“You expect me to give you special treatment because you’re my son?”

“I’m not your son.” A pained look flashed across George’s face but it was gone in an instant. What he said was true so Alex wasn’t very concerned and he blazed on. “Y/N and I have a history of blowing up at each other. We can’t work together.”

“You two are the smartest kids in this class. You just have to work together, not socialize.”

“But-”

“No but’s. And, anyway, I thought you’d be happy about this. I only put you together because your friend Gilbert said you’d like it.”

Alex groaned. Of course Gil had something to do with this. “Please, just change it.”

“I can’t do that, son. If I did it for you, everyone else would want a new partner too.” George looked over him quickly as if he wanted to say something else but changed his mind. “I think you’ll work well together. I did give you the best country.” He smiled and picked up his briefcase, leaving the classroom.

Alex put the strap of his bag over his shoulder and walked over to the paper that held your assignment. After finding both of your names and the country across from it, he quickly exited the building to try to catch up with you. He wasn’t going to let his grade suffer because you didn’t know what the project was on.

“So you have her number?”

“Yes, Gil, I have her number.”

“That was faster than I expected,” commented John.

Alex glared and whipped him with the dish towel on the counter. “You act like I have no game. I’ve had more sex than all of you combined.”

“Yes, Alex, we’re surprised you don’t have a multitude of STD’s either.”

“Oh, shut up, Herc.”

“I think what they meant,” Gil paused to taste the sauce he had simmering on the stove, “was that for two years you’ve been stuck arguing with her in the friendzone and now you have her number.”

“I don’t think you can call it the friendzone if they weren’t friends.” John laughed.

“Okay, the only reason I need her number is because George paired us together for a project that lasts the entire semester.”

“I think you would be happy about that, non?”

“George told me you did this, Gil-”

“I simply made a suggestion-”

“Why are you even fighting about this,” asked John. “You want to be with her, don’t you? Or at least fuck her?”

“Yeah-”

“Then being partners with her and Gil’s bet should be things that make you happy. He seems to be doing most of the work for you, by the way.”

“Yeah, why haven’t you entered the pool,” asked Herc.

“Because it’s childish-”

“Come on, mon petite lion, take a bet and surprise us at how fast you can get in her pants.”

“Um, it’s ‘make a bet,’ Gil-” A wooden spoon hit the back of his head and John promptly cut himself off.

Alex rolled his eyes at his friends. “Fine. I’ll make a bet.”

Herc got out his legal pad and flipped a few pages, then looked up, pen poised over the paper. “So?”

“Holy shit, how many people have made bets?”

“Around 500 people-”

“What?”

“What’s your bet, Ham?”

Alex grumbled and crossed his arms. “Before the end of our first project.”

“That’s like a few weeks, Lex-”

“Shut up, John.” John held his hands up and walked to the stove to try to steal some of the pancetta Gil was frying before being shooed away.

And Alex’s thoughts returned to you.

“We’re calling the bet off.” Alex dropped his bag on the ground and slumped in a chair at the kitchen table.

“Poor Alex, can’t get into one girl’s pants.” John laughed as he bit into an apple.

“Just because it’s taking longer than half an hour to get her to fuck you, doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Yet.”

Gil glared at Herc and John. “We’re not stopping the bet, Alex. We’ve already got almost two grand in the pot.”

Alex eyes widened and he sat up to look at his friends. “You’re serious?”

“As the plague.” Herc slid his legal pad with the bets on it across the table to Alex.

“Why the fuck is everyone so interested in this?”

John shrugged. “It’s been a long time coming.”

“Literally everyone sees the sexual tension, Ham.” Herc took his legal pad back and started crossing off dates that already happened.

Gil handed him a plate with a chocolatine on it. “What made you want to shut it down?”

Alex sighed and chewed the pastry. “She wouldn’t stop ragging on me. Literally everything I did she had something to say about it. I really think it’s only hate she feels for me-”

“I don’t think so,” said John. “Her best friend’s sister told me Y/N thinks you’re cute.”

“Cute?”

“Well, not in those exact words-”

“That’s one word, John.”

He rolled his eyes. “Apparently Y/N goes home with Angelica on the weekends and they have a cliche sleepover and talk about boys. I’m friends with Angelica’s sister Peggy so she told me.”

Gil leaned against the kitchen counter and looked at John. “What did she say exactly?”

“Peggy told me Y/N said that she’d find him attractive if he weren’t so infuriating all the time. Him being Alex-”

Herc snorted. “Yeah, we got that.”

“I bet she likes you, Alex.” Gil smirked.

“Can we stop with the bets? One is enough.” Alex rubbed his face. “You can keep the bet going but I’m not trying anymore.”

“Alex-”

“No. I’m done.”

Alex picked up his bag and went upstairs, trying his best to fall asleep and not dream about you.

The last two nights, Alex hadn’t been able to sleep and tonight was going to be no exception. Last night and the night before, he’d been able to distract himself with work until he passed out from exhaustion around six in the morning. But tonight, he had already read through all of his textbooks and he was finished with every single assignment he could possibly complete except for his Model U.N. project with you.

Which made him think of you.

All night.

Alex’s inner monologue was like a Nicholas Sparks movie had a baby with Valentine’s Day with just a dash of hope.

He liked you. He knew that. And he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit it was more than that, but he couldn’t make himself think it or he’d be crushed when you rejected him. Because you hated him.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes before checking the clock on his nightstand.

2:03 AM.

It was going to be a long night and an even longer semester trying to hide his feelings for the girl that hated him.

Alex showed up early to the study room this time, trying to avoid being yelled at again. Yawning, he finished his umpteenth coffee of the day and threw it in the trash can in the corner.

He knew he probably looked like shit. No sleep did that to you. He shouldn’t have cared but he did anyway. Knowing you, you’d probably show up looking gorgeous without even trying.

Alex sighed and pulled up the google doc the both of you had been planning on when you walked in the room.

“You’re late.” He didn’t want to look at you. He’d lose all focus and it’d just be more ammo for future arguments.

“So were you last time.”

Alex finally looked up to try and form an argument but you were wearing his favorite dress of yours and your hair was down, giving him just the smallest peek of your neck and was this what it’s like to be speechless?

You smirked and sat down across from him, saying something he only heard the tail end of.

“…everyone else doing? I assume you know.”

Alex shook his head to get some very embarrassing thoughts out and nervously clicked his pen.

“Well, Russia’s doing Aleppo.”

“You’re kidding me. Do they even know what’s going on in Aleppo?”

He tried to strike up an argument since he utterly failed when you came in. “Do you?”

You glared and began speaking about your plan to help Syria and Alex knew you were going to change the world someday. That you were probably smarter than him, and that he couldn’t deny he was in love with you.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep or that he couldn’t hold it in anymore but what he said next was definitely the most impulsive thing he’d ever done.

“…I could kiss you right now.”

And he definitely did not expect the response he got.

“So what’s stopping you?”

He tried to banter for awhile, but his heart wasn’t in it and he was entirely too distracted by your open invitation to kiss you. And your legs… No one had the right to have legs that enticing.

And then you sat on his lap and his entire mind went blank. The only thing he could do when you asked him for a yes was to nod his head.

He never expected to ever not be fighting with you. He never imagined he’d be this close. Never thought that he’d be able to touch you. And never, ever believed he’d be kissing you.

Which he did. Passionately.

And he’d keep doing that for as long as you’d let him.

#hamilton #alexander hamilton x reader #hamilton x reader #alexander hamilton #alexander hamilton imagine #alexander

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americanduckling · 5 years

Text

I guess I wrote something

I dunno. It's Jerry again. How he, Jonny, and Rockelle met Ocean. Potentially.

Hope you like. Assuming you read it.

Anyway, this is Jerry & the Robot Part 1

_____________________________________

The dark van sped off, from a location it wasn't supposed to be at.

Jerry, Jonnathan, and Rockelle were hiding in the bushes, trying their best not to be noticed by the people clearly trying to rob the somewhat technologically advanced shed about 20 feet away from them. The kids were successful, barely.

"Why couldn't we hide behind a tree or something," Jerry whined, scratching his arms and picking leaves and broken twigs out of his orange hair. "Those bushes were ITCHY! They look way more comfortable in cartoons."

"Yeah, well, real life sucks huh?" Jerry's cousin, Jonnathan, was having trouble removing a larger twig from one of his antennae. It had applied a sticky residue to him, and it seemed like it had no intention of releasing. "Besides," he continued, "the trees wouldn't've hid all three of us nearly as well. We woulda been had, no doubt." He ran a hand through his hair, hoping to cover up the twig with a mess of pink instead. "You see that shed, right? Those guys probably took some kind of crazy invention or weapon; we'd definitely end up as test subjects."

"Hmmm, maybe," the soft voice of Rockelle piped up. Her hair definitely had the most junk in it, due to how curly it was. Despite this, she focused on removing the leaves and twigs from Jonnathan's head first, and used magic to help alleviate Jerry's itch. "It looked like Xander and Lucy weren't taking any weapons; it seems to me that this was a kidnapping."

Xander was, in essence, the kids' arch-nemesis. A powerful vampire that has repeatedly attempted to take over their kingdom, Marin Valley. They'd bested him twice before, and Jerry had just assumed he would have taken a longer break to take care of his young sidekick, Lucy the Lema, who was a humanoid with certain lemur attributes.

"Whoa whoa, hold up." Jerry's eyes widened in the moonlight. "What makes you so sure it was Xander and Lucy?"

"Well," Rockelle began, furrowing her brow, "the last time we went to investigate something, it was them. And when you and Jonny went trying to save the Kingdom that first time, it was them, too. Their escapades always seem to attract you two, like some kind of... Adventure Magnet." She paused, lost in thought for a moment. Then her whole face brightened, and she began clapping her hands like a gleeful child. "That must mean I'm part of the magnet, too! We're Adventure Buddies by fate's design!"

In that moment, Jerry had an epiphany. "Wow, when you put it like that, it makes perfect sense! Rock, you're a genius!"

"Actually, yeah," Jonny mused in agreement, without his usual snarky comments. "It does seem incredibly likely that we're dealing with Xander and Lucy again."

Jerry blinked, eyes dull as an old emerald. "...Oh. Right. Xander and Lucy. We weren't talking about the magnet theory. Of course." A pause. Then, a question. "You said you thought it was a kidnapping, Rockelle?"

The question startled Rockelle, who was playing with a snakefly that had landed on her arm. "Hm?"

"What made you think it was a kidnapping?"

"Oh, I heard muffled yelling. You guys were too busy shushing each other to really notice, I guess. Probably worth it though; we didn't get caught! I'm sure you guys quieting each other made us go unnoticed!"

Jerry's and Jonny's cheeks flushed purple, the telltale sign of an embarrassed Ami. Any other person would think Rockelle was being passive aggressive or sarcastic, but Jonny knew sarcasm.

Rockelle legitimately believed their incessant bickering was what kept them all safe in that moment.

Her eyes practically glowed in the moonlight. "You guys really are experienced adventurers!"

Jonnathan took a moment to compose himself. "A-anyway," he stammered, still feeling a tad self-conscious, "we should probably go check out that shed. Make sure everyone's okay, and all that stuff."

"Oh, yeah," Jerry said, looking over at the mysterious small building. "Everyone's probably... huh. The lights are still out."

As the kids approached the gleaming metallic shed, it grew apparent that no one was awake. The lights were all out and there was no commotion either. It was almost as if the place was... empty.

Rockelle took the liberty of knocking on the door (the classic "Shave and a Haircut" rhythm, of course), but nobody answered. The vibe had dipped considerably. The lack of echo from the door created a harsh clanging noise when Rockelle knocked which, combined with the soft glow of Tente's moons, created an eerie feeling.

"M-maybe nobody's home?" Jerry offered, voice shaky and concerned. "Whoever was kidnapped p-probably lived by themself, or something."

"I hope not, man," Jonny responded grimly. "If that's the case, we don't have many leads on where Xander and Lucy are headed. Xander doesn't typically operate from his house, y'know?"

Rockelle choked out a question. "S-so... do you th-think that he..."

Jonny could see the fear in Rockelle's eyes as her dark skin went pale. She was so scared for the people she looked like she was about to cry. "Oh, nah," he reassured her. "No! Xander's a jerk, but he wouldn't just hurt people like that. He's got strong magic though. Maybe they're all under a sleep spell or something."

That seemed to mollify her, at least a little bit. "R-right," Rockelle sighed, relieved. "You're right, Jonny. Everyone's okay. Yeah."

Jerry, seeing his friend so worked up, managed to put on a serious face, which is pretty unusual. "Again, that's assuming anybody's even in there." He pushed on the door, but nothing happened. He continued to push and push, but was unable to budge the door. Still, though, Jerry was nothing if not determined, and he continued to try his hardest to open the door.

This went on for several minutes.

Jerry stared at the metal door for maybe 7 seconds, then looked back at his companions. "...This was supposed to be my cool action hero moment."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't," Jonny quipped.

"Maybe it's locked?" Rockelle wondered aloud. "I wouldn't know how to unlock a high tech scientist's door though."

"Xander and Lucy were in a hurry though, Rock," Jerry countered. "I doubt they would have time to re-lock the door."

"Well," Rockelle responded, "maybe it locks on its own?"

"Is that possible?"

"The captive is clearly really smart; he probably has some sort of precautionary mechanism to make sure it automatically locks."

A pause.

Jerry stared at the girl. "You sure they're male?"

Now it was Rockelle's turn to blush. "W-well, uhm... I mean, I heard the struggling, and when the kidnapee would make a noise it sounded masculine so I just-!"

"Yo!"

Jerry and Rockelle jumped. They looked towards the source of the outburst. Jonny stood in front of the door, facing them, and pushed it to his right.

"It's a sliding door."

As Jonny walked through the shed's entrance, Jerry looked at Rockelle.

"I feel stupid," he said.

"You're not stupid, Jerry," Rockelle reassured him. "Many people make that mistake. Now let's go."

Trekking into the darkness, the children began calling out to anybody who might hear them within the dwelling. However, nobody called back. No matter how earnestly they tried, it seemed that no one was around. Eventually everyone decided it would be wiser to reserve their efforts to look for clues.

It could be assumed there was much to be seen inside of a high tech shed. But even in the moonlight, the room just wasn't very well lit. Jerry and Rockelle used light magic to create makeshift flashlights out of their respective weapons: the Wonder Blade for Jerry, and Marin's Wand for Rockelle. Jonny, who didn't really use magic, found himself bumping into everything.

"Can one of you guys find a light switch?" he called, exasperated. "I'm shocked I haven't tripped over my own feet and cracked my skull in half."

"I thought you had unusually good night vision, or whatever," said Jerry, absentmindedly.

Jonny sighed. "Yeah, well, it's not working tonight. Please find a light switch."

"Alright then, will do," offered Jerry.

Jonny tensed. "Wait, actually... not you."

"What?" Jerry was offended. "Why?"

"Because you're gonna touch something you ain't got no business touching. We're trying to not break things. Rockelle, try and find a light-"

"Oooh!" The Princess squealed in delight, her reflection bouncing off of a collection of colorful chemicals in meticulously stacked beakers. "Wow, look at this thing! It's got all these colors and bubbles and... and..."

Jonny stared at her. Turning the light towards his face, Rockelle could see an odd mixture of confusion, annoyance, and... concern?

"...What happened?" she asked.

Jonny remained silent for a few seconds. "...Jerry go find a light please."

"You got it."

Jerry began to look around at the walls, scanning for a switch to turn on the lights. He couldn't find a switch near the door they entered through, and most of the walls were covered by either a bookshelf or a chalkboard. Rockelle continued to marvel at the display of beakers on a table in front of the right side wall, while Jonny was sitting in a sort of "cooler" version of the fetal position on the floor, telling Rockelle not to touch anything.

The room overall had a sort of rectangular shape. Between all of the books and shelves, there were doorways leading to other rooms, but the walls were too cluttered on the left or right sides to have any light switches.

"I think there aren't any switches Jonny," Jerry said, absently scratching his head.

"Dude," Jonny breathed, "that's stupid. There's not a house in the world that doesn't have lights."

"I doubt that this room has no lights, man. I said I couldn't find a light switch. There's a difference."

Rockelle managed to pull herself away from the chemical display. "Guys," she gasped. "Look there! Above the door!"

Jerry turned to look at where Rockelle was directing him, and noticed something broken hanging off of the top of the doorway. He directed his flashlight towards the point of interest.

"Oh, huh," Jerry said. "Looks like it's some kind of sensor."

"A motion sensor," Rockelle explained. "The lights were probably automatic. The sensor being broken seems like evidence of a big struggle."

"Ugh," groaned Jonny. "So I'm just blind then, is that it?"

"Probably not, Jonny," Rockelle soothed. "I'm sure there's a manual switch somewhere, like... at the far end of the room over there." She pointed her wand at the other side of the room, finding a switch on the wall, a large lever, and next to that... something on a table?

"...Um...? What is that?" Rockelle tensed.

The three of them inched closer to the other side of the room, with Jonnathan in front in order to shield the two younger kids from... whatever it was that surprised them. It looked like a raised platform with glass around the top, likely to contain something within.

As they edged closer and closer, it quickly became clear that there was a person lying on the platform within the glass. A girl, in fact. She couldn't have been much older than Jerry, who's 12. And that's assuming she was older than him at all.

She looked like she was in a coffin.

Rockelle was dumbfounded. "Why... is there a girl... in a glass coffin...?"

"And why didn't she hear us with all that yelling we were doing?" Jonny was beside himself, mostly in confusion. "Hey!" he yelled. "Little Miss! Wake up! Are you okay?!"

The girl didn't stir. It didn't seem like she was moving at all. Her chest and stomach weren't rising and falling through her yellow shirt, which had white sleeves. Yet she didn't look dead. Just... in stasis?

The kids continued to stare at her. Right away, one of the things they noticed was this girl's ears. Mostly because she actually had ears; pointed ones. So right away, it was obvious she wasn't an ami like them. A smaller detail that was easy to miss were these thin lines on her face. They seemed to start at the bottom of her head and travel up to the bottoms of the girls eyes. The most egregious detail that most other people would probably notice first was the large, poofy, wolfish tail she had. It was blue, the same blue as the hair on her head, and had a white tip.

"A werewolf?" Jerry asked, though really it was a rhetorical question. "Is she okay?

"We should probably turn on a light to get a better look at her, wink wink."

Jerry and Rockelle shot confused glares at Jonnathan.

"...It's annoying being the only one without a magic flashlight," he griped.

"Well then," Rockelle chirped, "let's get this boy some light!" She giggled as she flicked the switch on the wall.

The giggling ceased when a loud hum began to nearly vibrate the air.

All of a sudden, blue lines of light began to flow from the wall to the coffin, which itself was actually more akin to a sort of large control panel of some sort. The process was slow, and the light took many different paths on its way to the platform. It reached the platform, crawling up on its way to... the girl in the glass?

The werewolf girl immediately began to twitch and spasm, almost vibrating in place. Her joints began to glow with the same color of the lights surrounding her, soft and blue. All the while, the loud mechanical humming sound reverberated throughout the room, and the air seemed to crackle with electricity.

All three of the kids were completely nonplussed.

"What. Is. Happening??" Jerry nearly shrieked. "Is she a robot? Did we just activate a robot??"

"Rockelle???" Jonny asked, actually shrieking. "What did you do??"

"I don't know!" Rockelle squeaked out. She was defensive all of a sudden. "I thought it was a light switch! It was small, and on the wall! I've lived in a castle my whole life but I'm pretty sure that most light switches are like that!!"

"Rockelle!" Jonny yelled. The humming was so loud he had to, but still would have if it was quiet. "You activated a ROBOT! Someone else's robot!"

"I'm sorry! Sheesh!"

The humming quieted down. Then, for a brief moment, silence.

Jerry spoke up. "...Who maps a big giant fuction like 'activating a robot' to a switch that small anyway?"

Jerry never got an answer to that question. Now, don't freak out, he's fine. Jerry is okay. Everyone's okay, as a matter of fact. But, when the words left his mouth, there was a hissing sound. The glass casing on the large metallic platform raised itself up.

The girl within opened her eyes.

Slower than any other person would, she sat up. Then, she blinked. Her eyes glowed blue as she (quite literally) scanned her surroundings. The robot girl opened her mouth.

[Ocean Unit activated.] She stated this in a matter of fact way. This "Ocean" unit sounded just like a kid, but her voice had very little inflection. It was easy to see there was no emotion behind it.

[All systems: functional. Location: Papa's house. ...Unauthorized personnel detected.]

Rockelle gasped, softly. "Papa's house...?"

Suddenly, the robot turned towards the kids. [Unauthorized personnel detected. Error. Unit mode lock enabled due to improper shutdown during combat mode.]

Jonny gulped. "...Locked into combat mode...?"

The robot, Unit Ocean, reached out her arm out and pushed the lever.

...The lights came on.

"Oh!" Jerry exclaimed. "So the big switch was the light switch?"

Unit Ocean began flying, using rockets in her feet. Her fists clenched and crackled with electricity. Her eyes changed color, glowing red.

With Jonny and Rockelle poised to do battle with the killer robot before them, Jerry only had one thing to say.

"...Y'know what? Yeah the whole light switch sitch can probably wait until later. I think we have bigger fruit to pick."

[Unauthorized personnel detected... prepare for combat.]

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dawnajaynes32 · 6 years

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Designing the Perfect Podcast

Years ago, if you wanted to get on the air, all you needed was a little technical know-how to create your own radio station, and you can still do it. But podcasts are today’s radio. There are plenty of technical recommendations for recording your own podcast, but if you have an idea for a podcast and want to learn how some of the best of the best design podcasts got started—and how their hosts work—then you came to the right place.

Podcast Pioneer

When you hear the word podcast, you might think iPod, and rightly so. Ben Hammersley is often credited with originating the term podcast, a blending of iPod and broadcast. The early iPod allowed you to store downloaded audio files, and by 2005 iTunes fully supported the medium—available for free through the iTunes Store. Today, podcasts are not just limited to the iPod or iTunes. You can get them through Google Play, Spotify, Overcast, and other platforms. One of the earliest design podcasts was Debbie Millman’s Design Matters, but even before podcasting, Millman hosted it as a Voice America internet radio show, recorded live, and available to listen to later.

But everything changed when Millman’s friend Bryony Gomez-Palacio suggested Millman get on iTunes. But why podcasts, especially when the radio thing seemed to be working for Millman? Gomez-Palacio said, “It was a moment when Apple was transitioning from a nerd brand to a coveted consumer brand and the only one creating a platform that could reach more people—a key factor in my suggestion because I truly believed Debbie needed to be heard by a broader audience.” And she has reached a broader audience, now known as the Barbara Walters of the design world. While she is flattered by the comparison, if there’s anybody she has learned from and looked up to, it’s Terry Gross. Millman says Gross has “a lot of range” able to speak with anybody about anything, and it’s something that Millman also strives for.

From left, Matthew Carter and Design Matters host Debbie Millman, courtesy of Design Matters.

Research plays a big role in making that happen, and Millman calls it “one of the differentiating factors” that separates Design Matters from other podcasts. Listening to Design Matters herself, Gomez-Palacio always finds it amusing when Millman surprises guests because she knows something that they either forgot or haven’t spoken about in a while. She believes that Millman’s research and approach makes Design Matters stand out. “She does not go for the cookie-cutter question, or the expected question, she really focuses on finding something new that each particular guest can reveal that has not been covered before.”

Finding Your Voice

While Debbie Millman and Design Matters took off, another early design podcast was finding its footing: Be A Design Cast, launched in November 2005, concluding in February 2008. It grew out of the Be A Design Group blog and was sometimes shortened from Be A Design Cast to BADCast. Tom Nemitz and Nate Voss co-hosted BADCast, and Donovan Beery came on board—the three were also authors on the blog. Beery & Voss moved on to create 36 Point, a blog where The Reflex Blue Show podcast has lived since 2008. According to podcast veteran Beery, between BADCast and The Reflex Blue Show he has hosted “somewhere over 280 different guests.” Among those guests, regulars will come on, including Steve Gordon, Justin Ehrens, and Von Glitchka.

Donovan Beery recording episode #179 (Season 11, Episode 2) of The Reflex Blue Show, a Mountain Dew taste testing, photo by Ben Lueders.

Having done podcasting for so long, if there’s one thing that Beery is thankful for, it’s the learning opportunities. “Hosting a podcast has been the most educational thing I have done for my career—the opportunity to speak with guests and ask questions really is a learning experience.” Having been a guest on The Reflex Blue Show myself, I’ll admit, the experience is a lot of fun, especially because the recordings are done in person, sitting down and hanging out. Doing the recordings over Skype or Google Hangout—while it could open up his guest list—didn’t go the way Beery wanted. “I was doing about one Skype show a year, then I said that’s it, I want to do all of them in-person.” With a microphone in front of you and audio software capturing the moment, it can feel a bit intimidating, but the informal chat is the most rewarding part of the experience—especially in this all-digital, heads down & screens up world we live in.

Beery records his podcasts face-to-face but without an audience, whereas Millman is face-to-face with her guests in front of a studio audience. Millman says that having the audience there can provide input and energy, and it’s something that the host and/or guest can feed off of. But for Beery, who lacks the live audience, having the intimacy of just the host and guest—or guests—makes for what he calls “a water cooler show.” The recording sessions, casual conversation, all of it, it’s become Beery’s style. “When we started, we didn’t know of any other podcasts, so we just did what we thought would be fun. When I did finally listen to Design Matters, I realized what a full hour—a very smart show—sounded like. But that wasn’t really us, or me. I knew copying another format would always sound like a cheap knockoff. I’ve had a number of people ask for advice on starting a podcast over the years, and I always say you have to entertain yourself first, or you won’t get past a few episodes.” Millman shared a similar opinion, especially when it comes to longevity, “You need to be in it for the long haul to develop an audience.” For those starting out, she suggests doing 10 episodes to develop momentum. How much farther you take it is entirely up to you?

Strength in Numbers

Because they’ve been around for so long, Millman and Beery have proven that they’re in it for the long haul, and a new crop of podcasts are hoping they’ll have staying power too. Experts in the design and tech fields, Lea Alcantara & Emily Lewis fell into podcasting, in a way. As an ExpressionEngine expert, Alcantara was asked to be on the EE Podcast—part of 5by5, a “fledgling podcast network” according to Alcantara. When one of the EE Podcast hosts left, Alcantara came on board and because she was familiar with Lewis’ work and expertise, she asked Lewis to join her. Their CTRL+CLICK CAST grew out of that early experience, and has evolved over time, according to Alcantara. “We wanted to talk about the greater web and not have it so focused on one product, so we rebranded to CTRL+CLICK CAST over time. When you CTRL or Control+Click on your browser, you get a dropdown modal with features to allow you to inspect how the site is built. Hence our slogan, We inspect the web for you.” (Full disclosure: I was a CTRL+CLICK CAST guest myself.) But their show isn’t always about just design. CTRL+CLICK CAST seeks out guests “who represent the full spectrum” of the design and technology industries, and according to Lewis, “We are also trying to tackle topics that go beyond tech, into how tech and culture intersect—diversity and access challenges, pay inequality, ethics.”

CTRL+CLICK CAST co-hosts, from left, Emily Lewis and Lea Alcantara.

What advice would they give to somebody starting out, doing a podcast for the first time? Lewis says you need to care about it “because 99% of the time, it won’t make you money or make you famous. So if you want a sustainable podcast, your passion is likely what is going to sustain it.” Lewis also insists that you need to know the logistics and tech—hardware and software—to save yourself time and money. (Check out their PODCASTING 101 episode for tips.) Alcantara sums it up, “Pay someone to edit your show and offer transcripts (for SEO and accessibility!)”

Like CTRL+CLICK CAST, the Clever podcast is hosted by a dynamic duo, Jaime Derringer and Amy Devers. “We started the podcast with a passionate drive to celebrate designers, and offer a window into the humanity behind the design, celebrating humanity and while expanding cultural awareness,” said Devers, but they won’t host any guest. “In some ways, they have to be creative, and have a good story.” And after one look at their guest list, it’s clear that all of their guests are creative and awesome—including Terry Crews, who knows a lot about art and design.

Clever podcast co-hosts, from left Amy Devers and Jaime Derringer, courtesy of Clever.

Unlike Millman and Beery, who both record face-to-face with their guests present, both CTRL+CLICK CAST and Clever are recorded remotely. “Skype gives us the chance to reach big names,” said Devers, “and Skype opens up the world, in terms of who we can talk to.” But those calls can pose technical problems. “If a guest doesn’t wear headphones during the interview and listens to the conference call via speakers, then the guest’s mic picks up our voices and relays it back to us and we get feedback on the recording. We have gotten super good at preparing our guests in advance so that they absolutely have to have headphones or earbuds on for the call. Also, there is this weird cousin called Skype for Business which doesn’t seem to work with regular Skype. This has caused confusion particularly with international corporate guests. We’ve learned to steer around that one now too.” Derringer, who has more experience with editing in Audio Hijack, listens to the audio, offers feedback, and with Devers, will approve the final cut. “Sometimes I catch things that Amy doesn’t and vice versa, so it’s nice to have a second set of ears listening.” Once they complete what they call their own “light editing” they outsource it to an engineer who creates the final audio master.

Making It Sustainable

Having a podcast co-host goes a long way, especially when you need feedback on tricky matters like audio quality and interview pacing, or deciding on a guest or a number of guests. Jason Alejandro, who co-hosts the Dissection podcast with Christopher Holewski, finds working with Holewski to be rewarding, especially since they push each other. “We collaborate closely on it, and that kind of collaboration requires a lot of listening, getting excited about nerdy design things, and bouncing ideas off of each other. So whether I am sending him links, replying to emails, recording an interview, or editing an episode, we try to share responsibility of the overall direction and production of the show. I think I have also helped recommend some designers/artists that he might not have normally considered just because we’re both influenced by very different things.”

From left, Christopher Holewski and Jason Alejandro, Dissection co-hosts, courtesy of Dissection.

Hearing the two talk about their show, guests, and format, it might sound like Siskel & Ebert, a.k.a. Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. The two film critics Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert discussed movies, and would disagree. If there’s one thing Alejandro and Holewski agree on, it’s that they disagree—frequently. Which is why Alejandro probably compares their show, and their relationship as podcasters, to the two grumpy men in the Muppets, a.k.a. Statler & Waldorf.

Employed by JK Design, their podcast is actually done on the side, but since it’s part of JK Design, it’s more of an extracurricular according to Alejandro. “We get to do it on company time, as part of our responsibilities. Our day-to-day is doing work for clients.” Although some podcasts like Dissection function under the roof of an existing business, plenty of others stand alone, and thanks to crowdfunding, you can now raise money to get your own podcast off the ground, or if you’ve already proven you have an audience, crowdfunding can help sustain it. Debbie Millman has partnered with Drip, and listeners and fans can support Design Matters through contributions. Out of the Fridge, a podcast about comic books and pop culture, has also found crowdfunding helpful. Out of the Fridge’s Alison Poppy, who manages a comic book store in Washington state and co-hosts the podcast, values all of their Patreon supporters. “They have been paying for our private studio and insurance. It’s been awesome that they have given us the opportunity for that!” But there’s another bonus, and it goes beyond having consistent revenue. Poppy said those contributions also give them direct interaction with their listeners. And that is extremely important since each and every one of us now experience so many varied touchpoints from so many varied brands.

That One Thing

Sometimes sustainability has a lot to do with always being curious and exploring, no matter what the subjects are. Poppy, as well as her Out of the Fridge co-hosts Kelly Okler and Andrew Chard, have a range of interests, and in turn, have created other avenues to share their thoughts about pop culture. “With Pages for All Ages, we wanted to create a resource for parents, teachers, and librarians to find new books for kids, but also a show that kids can listen to as well. With Twice Bitten, Kelly and I are huge fans of horror and we wanted to create a place where we can openly talk about everything in the horror genre.” No matter what show they’re working on, when it comes to what they do and why they do it, there’s one constant, says Polly, “We want them to be different and special, and just take our time to make something we enjoy.” Good advice for any podcaster—veteran or newbie, or someplace in between.

The post Designing the Perfect Podcast appeared first on HOW Design.

Designing the Perfect Podcast syndicated post

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deniseduke · 7 years

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Recap of Reno

My sister flew into Oakland on Friday, I left work early to pick her up. Still arrived late, thanks bay area traffic. Lagged a bit, went to pick up the car, lagged some more. Then we split ways, I had to run an errand before our trip. Totally forgot to get the cooler. Went to my other job, picked up the cooler. Dude. I cannot stress enough how fucken badass this motherfucken cooler is. #YetiCoolerForLife Parked my car, sister bought some alkey and we bounced to Nevada for the Reggae festival. The drive there seemed pretty quick, thanks to the beautiful night sky and my awesome “Amy and Denise’s Epic playlist.” Except when it died in the mountains due to lack of reception. Anyways. The night sky in the mountains are the most beautiful I’ve seen. Side note: I should definitely plan more trips to the mountains. We arrive. I carry all my shit (40 pound pack, Work backpack, Duffel bag full of comfortable adventure shoes, and my newly purchased Hopper Two 20 Yeti Cooler Bag. This cooler is fucken legit. We left our beer, liquor, sodas, waters and snacks in this bag, filled it with ice on the first night and 2 days later, the ice was still in tact. My beer was still cold and we only did one ice run. #BestInvestmentEver Anyways. We arrived around 2AM Saturday morning. The day of the #budandbrew festival and slept for 6-ish hours. Woke up, got ready. Got my fucken period. What a shit show start. Anyways. I was still going to rock out. 2 hours passed. Got my drinks flowing, my sister and I are catching up, talking shit and having deep conversations about ourselves, our futures, and family and I’m thinking to myself God, I missed this. We told ourselves we were going to leave after our 4th drinks, and this bitch is hella extra and decides to open a beer and take another shot. We arrive an hour and a half later than we should, but fuck it, we’re feeling great. When in good company, you feel good, you are good and the universe fucken hears it, and sends great fucken vibes back to you. Our uber driver had fucken snacks in her car, was so fucken cool about everything and seriously made us so relax and chill. I’m digging this vibe entirely. We arrive at a marked location. Reggaes playing. We check in quick, even though there’s security and a fucken line. Shit. Even security was cool af. Got some extra tickets for some beer (we will sooner regret how great we are), got to our VIP section, chilled. Then I saw fucken ducks and dogs. And yes I am seriously that weirdo that wants to pet every animal she sees. So I feed the ducks and they swarm me. Some start attacking each other. I stop. Sister smoked a cig that I didn’t approve of. After that, we went back to our seats. Started to jam with the music and there’s this guitarist who's playing his guitar on the back of his head. FYI, this dude is sweating bullets through his pits. Anyways, Tribal Theory comes on, the band we’ve been wanting to see. Great energy, and then my ass needs to pee. Fled quickly, thought I needed to poop, gosh this damn alcohol and traveling, it messes up my bowel movements. Anyways, my creeper sister later sends me this video of me wandering to the restroom from a distance. *Ugh* What a Creep* AHAHHAH. The game plan was to have us share 1 drink each to keep the vibe up. To not be so tipsy. To still have some self control. And yet that is not what occurred. My sister and I were rotating getting drinks. I first went, came back with one. And then this bitch went, and came back with four. Not sure what really happens next, but this is what I recall: the bass player came out hella energetic and I’m feeling the vibe. Then “My Roots” came on, and I’m on one. I stand up, started dancing like a weirdo, but fuck it, I’m having fun. A majority of the time, my annoying sister is snapping this shit. But I thank her later for it, because it meant I could see what I was seeing / doing. My behavior was not all that bad. #noregrets (Off the record: except when I went to the restroom trying to poop). Anyways. We go to the restrooms. And my sister meets the lead singer and guitarist from Tribal Theory. They recognize her from the audience and wanted to see what’s up. After I come out, super embarrassed btw, I meet the guitarist Peter and we discuss his new tattoos. At this point, I’m super plastered, but I remember to wash my hands and mind my manners. He tells us of the after party, then we part ways. My sister and I begin to wander around. There is this river / aqueduct and we see people practicing body boarding and paddle boarding. We’re super amazed. Mostly because it’s winter and these people are doing this openly by a park. This brings back pleasant memories of ours; especially that one summer back in high school when almost everyday we spent body boarding at the beach with our family that I actually tanned and didn’t burn like the pale vampire I am today. We climb down the rocky exterior to get a better look. I sit down, but somehow my sister decides to join in?! She’s 3 feet deep in water with a scraped knee, and all we can do is laugh at what just happened. I help her out. We almost didn’t make it. (OMG, right?!) and this whole time, this old creepy guy is watching us, but cheering us along the way, I believe he said “you can do it!” but then again, I’m super jacked up rn. The last band is taking fucken forever to play, and my sister and I decide that it’s time the grandmas go home and knit. We call an uber, head back to our room and just “chill” aka “NAP-TIME!” I wake up to her throwing up, which is what I can only describe as “If-you-were-giving-birth-to-over-sized-dragons-through-your-mouth” magic. She’s all right, she tells me and I fall right back to sleep. We missed the after party, which is a bit of a downer, but overall I think was the right decision for the night. The next day, we meet up with cousin Nate, who is all about good vibes. We catch up over coffee, head out and said deuces to Reno. Drove out, stopped by Donner Lake spontaneously and saw this incredibly landscape that mother nature created. Could not help but to think about the recent events of how great and terrifying Mother Nature could really be (Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, and the 5-ish Earthquakes in the bay area that week). We meditate, take some pictures for the gram and soon head out. The landscape is changing but still very eye-catching and delightful. Traffic begins building up, we take a different, longer route, drove through a pleasant small town and then decide to head to San Francisco. Make it to Mystery Spot XXX, one of my favorite spots in the world to be, cracked open a beer, listened to my epic playlist and just enjoyed each other’s company. Retook some pictures of old throwback’s (side note: gotta keep that shit update on the regulars =)). Ate some pho at Kevin’s Noodle House afterwards, got some honey boba at T-Pumps, and we left back to Berkeley. Showed her my other secret spot to enjoy the beautiful views of the bay, and we left to drop off boba to my partner in crime. Then lagged some more, picked up my car, lagged to return it because we forgot to get gas, then got home super exhausted. Played with my little munchkin godson, took a shower and slept. Top notch weekend with great company. <3 Love you sis. Thanks for making the trip. #myrootsandculture #sisterlylove #budandbrewmusicfestival #reno #yetiisstillthegreatest

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