#hints of peterpatterlina

[invisibleraven]

Compliment prompt 100, reggie pair of your choice!

The first time Reggie uses his powers, he's a baby.

MeeMaw was trying to feed him, and making ridiculous faces in some vain attempt to shove the spoon into his mouth. Only to reel back in fear and shock as her infant grandson was now wearing her face, right down to the mole above her left eyebrow.

He changed back moments later, giggling and content to play with the pureed yams rather than be fed them, and Chavla took a moment to ensure she hadn't been seeing things. She decides not to say anything-just in case.

The next time is during a game of hide and seek with his cousin Jeb, and Reggie is desperate not to be the first one found. The big kids had claimed he was too much of a baby to play with them, only allowing him to join after MeeMaw gave them her patented glare. So he thinks really hard about how to hide and suddenly, he's a rock.

At first he almost vibrates with glee, knowing there's no way in tarnation that he's gonna get found first now. But then he starts to panic.

What if he doesn't get found at all?

What if he can't change back?

What if Jeb picks him up to throw at the gulls like he does sometimes?

Reggie is back to himself after that, shaking and crying, unable to really tell anyone why he's so upset, and latches himself to his grandmother's side for the rest of the day.

He's a lot more careful about his thoughts after that.

Especially after his mom finds out.

She's scrubbing his face after a fun afternoon of mud pies and sighs as she takes in his red cheeks, thumbing over the warm skin. "I don't know where this rosacea comes from. Certainly not my side of the family," Evelynn said. "Wish there was a way to get rid of it, you'd be the handsomest little man."

Reggie so wants his mother to think highly of him, and hey, this is a flaw he can fix right? So he wills his skin milky pale, the mottled redness melting away, and his mother gasps when he offers her a smile.

At first she tries to use it to gain, but even Reggie's power has it's limits. He can only hold a different shape for a few minutes at a time, and panic makes him instantly revert. Changes to his own appearance seem to last, slipping away as he sleeps, but otherwise his skin stays pale unless he blushes.

Then it becomes a million different comments, about how he looks, things he can fix. Evelynn can enter him into modelling with that, and does.

Reggie hates it.

Hates the heavy feeling of make up on his face, but doesn't dare change his appearance in noticeable ways around strangers. Hates having to stay still as they pin and hem clothes around his slim frame. Hates the mindless hours of standing still, of smiling until his face aches, of always being hungry because they never let him eat on set and his mom sometimes forgets to feed him.

It keeps going for years.

Reggie learns to adjust himself to keep his acne from ever showing up outside of his room. Letting his growth spurt be a little exaggerated so his mom never finds out he'll never be over 5'8, since male models must be at least six feet tall. Gives himself muscles that he knows he doesn't have thanks to years of near starvation. Erases the dark circles under his eyes because he spends his nights catching up on homework and listening to his parents fight over anything and everything.

It all comes to a head when he passes out from exhaustion on a shoot.

He wakes up in the hospital, an IV in his arm, and the photographer from the shoot sitting at his bedside. He's worked with Ray Molina a bunch of times by now, and the man had always been kind to him. Talking to him about how cameras worked, about movies he enjoyed, about his son's baseball team. Always slipping Reggie a cookie or a juice box when his mom wasn't looking.

"Wh-What happened?" Reggie croaks, and Ray almost jumps from the chair before sitting back down and offering him a cup of water.

"You fainted mijo."

"Is everyone mad?" Reggie asks, whisper quiet and ashamed.

"More so concerned about you," Ray replies. "Especially since..."

Reggie glances down at the bed, and finally notices that he's shrunk. Bets if he looked in a mirror his skin would be flaming and spotty. He wants to shrink in on himself, and almost does when he thinks about what his mom is gonna say. "I changed didn't I?"

"You did," Ray replies. "How long have you been able to do that?"

Reggie shrugs. "My whole life?"

"And how long have you been changing yourself to make other people happy?" Ray asks, looking right in Reggie's eyes.

Reggie sniffles in response, which is really all the answer Ray needs. "Well, I have to say, I like this version a lot more."

"At least someone does," Reggie replies. "Mom..."

"Hey, no," Ray says, gripping his hand. "You're perfect just the way you are. Don't let anyone else tell you different." He smiles at Reggie, then lowers his voice, as if sharing a secret. "There is nothing I would change about you."

"N-nothing?" Reggie asks.

"Well, maybe just one thing," Ray ammends.

Reggie deflates. Of course he still isn't good enough. But then Ray squeezes his hand once more, forcing Reggie to meet his eyes.

"The only thing I would change is that you had a parent who loves you and is happy to let you be yourself-no matter what that looks like," Ray says.

The next little bit is full of Ray telling him why he's there instead of Reggie's mom, and it involves words like 'social worker' and 'child endangerment' and 'custody of the state' being thrown around. It involves a lot of uncomfortable talks about his parents. About how much they changed him-or made him change-to suit their own needs.

In the end, he ends up going to stay with Ray and his family. They seem to like him just the way he is, even if Carlos does delight when he can mimic people on the TV with his powers. But Rose encourages him to stay as he is, to finally be Reggie-au naturel for a change.

He finds that suits him just fine.

Plus, Ray's daughter Julie and her boyfriend Luke seem to find him plenty cute just as he is, and well, the feeling is mutual. So he doesn't need to change for people to love him.

He still has to work on loving himself some days, but with his new family, his partners, and a good therapist behind him, Reggie eventually gets to a better place.

And he never uses his powers again.

#filled prompts #ficlet #ray & reggie #hints of peterpatterlina #make reggie a molina 2kalways #julie and the phantoms

[bananakarenina]

20 questions writer meme!

Tagged by the wonderful @breakaway71! A little Friday night break to help me jumpstart some writing, hopefully?

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 26

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 219,077

3. What fandoms do you write for? Julie and the Phantoms, though I have a CW Nancy Drew fic percolating!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

our hearts can speak ourselves unseen (first collab with @where-you-go, peterpatterlina + modern cyrano de bergerac)

complications you could do without (remix of crescent moon, peterpatterlina)

for love's sake only (the fake marriage historical/regency au, rulie)

want your midnights (the OG! new year's eve 1994, hint of peterpatter)

heaven above and closer (the other collab with @where-you-go, the 90s road trip coming of age au, julie x luke x reggie x bobby, willex)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Oh gosh. i try, for real, y'all. i often put it off because i want to get a good grade in commenting/responding, which is something real you can achieve, and then i end up not doing it at all. but i love each and every one i receive! i'm just so inconsistent about actually replying.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? hmmmmm. excellent question; even if i write angst i tend to veer toward a happy or at least hopeful ending (example: leave the light on)

actually you know what, heart like a wheel is probably the angstiest if you think about it. it's just that the main character doesn't know it, lol.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? oh gosh. i love a happy ending, so pick one. they're mostly all varying degrees of happy, lol

8. Do you get hate on fics? i have been very lucky so far in that i don't get outright hate, no.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? it's not the thrust (heh) of what i write, generally, but i have: for love's sake only and its sequel, to love's self alone, are both in the vein of a paperbook romance and are written as such. i do have a carrie x reggie smutfic in the queue though...

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? i can't say that i have! i might nod to another fandom but full crossovers seem so ambitious to me--two different worlds to track, two styles of story. i love reading them, though!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? if i have i'm not aware of it...

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? i have not!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? @where-you-go are now on our third collab (she, through some sorcery and witchcraft, got me to round robin on a luke x bobby fake dating story one week on here, and we're expanding it to a full fic, hopefully out before the end of the year!) and @daintyduck99 and i have put on that old song, aka the "i can't believe you married a rodeo cowboy" au, also hopefully coming soon! also maybe i'll poke @breakaway71 again about some dialogue i sent her ;)

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? i am a proud multi-shipper and you can't make me choose lololol

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? lol is "all of them" a valid answer? kidding. i have been struggling with getting over the finish line with WIPs this year so.

16. What are your writing strengths? dialogue, def. that's my theatre training/playwright classes coming through. i can always tell when i'm tired because my drafts devolve into dialogue only, haha.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Oh gosh. endings! i can never seem to wrap things up in a snappy way! also lately stakes. like figuring out what the characters have at stake to lose in terms of the story.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? i'll do it sparingly but i generally avoid whole conversations. my grammar in spanish is terrible and that's the only other language i'd feel comfortable writing any dialogue at all in. maybe i'd ask family about tagalog.

19. First fandom you wrote for? oh man. hahahahahahahaha the real answer might be "self-insert o-town fanfic in which my friends and i fell in love with the band members"? but i think it might be gilmore girls. i do want to archive all my ff.net and livejournal (well, the stuff i can find :( ) things so you may see them on an ao3 near you

20. Favorite fic you've written? oh gosh. i love them all because they're mine! maybe for love's sake only because it really feels like i finished a full novella with that one. or heart like a wheel because i love tertiary character explorations. or want your midnights because it started this whole thing. see, i can't choose. don't make me

Tagging @innytoes, @jmrothwell, @daintyduck99, @invisibleraven, and anyone else who sees this and wants to participate in the fun!

#writing games #tag games #myfic #ourfic

[onlygenxhere]

You already did the stupid thing, didn’t you? / Peterpatterlina

“You already did the stupid thing, didn’t you?” Julie asked as she walked into the living room.

Reggie and Luke looked up from the laptop and smiled at her.

“Yep,” Reggie said closing the lid with a decisive click. “It’s done and there’s nothing you can do about it but enjoy it.”

“Mi corazones, we talked about this.” She crossed her arms and glared at them both looking way too adorable in their matching Star Wars pajama bottoms. “We don’t have the money to spend on a vacation right now. I realize the band is doing better but we’re all still working full time jobs and we were saving to buy a new van to replace that old clunker Luke bought right after we graduated high school.”

Luke scoffed, “Sky will see us through another year Jules. We need a vacation now.”

She rolled her eyes. “No one needs a vacation.”

Julie watched them warily as they turned to each other and then back to her. They stood in freaky unison coming around the coffee table to her and each taking a hand pulling her crossed arms away from her body reluctantly.

“Sweetie,” Reggie said as they both pulled her gently toward the sofa. “We’ve been working so hard we deserve this.”

“You deserve this Jules,” Luke said as they sat her down between them on the sofa.

“But we can’t af…”

Reggie stopped her with a finger on her lips. “Please hear us out.”

“You can yell at us after you’ve seen the plan.” Luke kissed her on the temple.

Reggie pulled his finger off her lips but held it up silently asking her to stay quiet before continuing. “But I really think you’re going to be as excited as we are once you see what we have planned.”

Julie took a deep breath and nodded trying to keep an open mind as Luke reached for the laptop on the coffee table and handed it to Reggie who opened it up to the itinerary they’d mapped out for their trip.

They talked for nearly ten minutes. Going back and forth between the two of them explaining how much everything cost and how much they had saved on booking this trip with the help of family and friends.

She couldn’t help the smile that started to bloom on her face as they talked about emailing her cousins in Puerto Rico to get the lowest rates possible on a nice beach front hotel and the outings they’d scheduled completely free of charge through those very same relatives and their friends all without her help at all. She knew for a fact some of those cousins didn’t speak a word of English.

She had tears in her eyes when they finally turned away from the computer to see her reaction.

“Oh darlin we didn’t mean to make you cry.” Reggie put the laptop on the coffee table and hugged her into his side tucking her head up under his chin. “We can’t cancel the plane tickets but maybe we can sell them if you’re really this upset.”

She shook her head as the tears escaped down her cheeks. “I’m not sad.” She reached for Luke’s hand as she snuggled into Reggie. “I can’t believe you guys did all this.” She shook her head again as Luke reached over and wiped her tears. “Contacting my family and setting it all up. I couldn’t have planned this better myself.”

“And that’s why we wanted to do this for you boss.” Luke smiled at her and squeezed her hand. “You do almost all the planning and scheduling for us and the band you deserve a break.”

She sniffed and tilted her head up to kiss Reggie on the jaw. “Thank you.” Then she pulled Luke’s hand up to her lips and kissed his knuckles. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Reggie kissed the side of her head. “Sometimes what seems like a stupid and reckless thing on paper is exactly what you need to do.”

She grinned and looked at Luke who was grinning back at her. He looked over her head at Reggie, “Like asking you to join us Reg?”

She felt him chuckle against her back. “I was thinking trying to make it in the music business.” He reached around her and took Luke’s other hand pulling him forward until he took the hint and wrapped his arms around both her and Reggie.

“Asking me to join you was far from stupid.” She felt him lean over and kiss Luke on the side of his head. “I was always a sure thing.”

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #writing prompts #rukebox #peterpatterlina #i could not think of a funny scenario that worked in my head #my funny bone must be broken today #I'll sleep on the rest for now #they apparently wanted to be sweet with each other tonight

[jmrothwell]

For the fic author ask: reincarnation

Another one I had to sit and think on a bit. I've def played around in resurrection of the guys.

I hint at reincarnation in two prompt fill fics(on of which playing more into general surrealism)

Chapter 2: (3 sentence fics) Reincarnation So I Don’t Lose You (Reggie/Julie)

I think I'll expand a little more on the 3 sentence fic.

I was in a bit of a Lackadaisy mindset at the time I wrote that one.

So in their past life the guys play in the band at the speak easy but also work as moonshine runners. Which is actually how they died during one of their runs.

Luke befriends Alex and Reggie but is a little reluctant to bring up the weird dreams. But eventually does and they all laugh it off. But then both Alex and Reggie start having them as well. Only they are dreaming of people that Luke hasn't.

Julie stumbles in their lives and Reggie starts acting weird around her. Same with Willie and Alex. Luke's dreams 'catch up' with the other two and he realizes "Oh, past Reggie and Alex each had relationships with Julie and Willie." (The end game is peterpatterlina but until this point modern times had def been leaning more toward Julie/Luke so things get awkward again.)

Julie, noticing Luke's new weird behavior, and has definitely picked up on Reggie's weirdness around her calls the two of them out. Then gets upset by their 'past life dream explanation."

She changes her tune a few days later. After venting to Flynn and Carrie, Carrie is all some of this sounds familiar. Turns out her great uncle (or whatever amount of greats makes sense for this) also worked as a gin runner and band member for a speakeasy and still had a few photos from the time. One of which definitely includes identical doppelgangers of Julie, Luke, Reggie, Alex, and Willie.

Never have I ever...

#thanks for the ask! #ask game

[daintyduck99]

You really inspire me--peterpatterlina?

Luke has to admit that Reggie was the perfect choice for Alex's best man. No one's been more excited or supportive than him, and he's loved throwing the parties and doing the favors and he just—generally goes above and beyond.

It's also an excellent reminder for certain acquaintances and family members that Reggie and Alex are best friends, and that they simply don't know what sarcasm is.

Still, during his speech, which has moved several people to tears—

How am I the emotional one, Alex mouths, though Luke spies him dabbing at his eyes seconds later.

—as it clearly comes from the heart, Luke can't help but detect a hint of wistfulness that must have been buried down deep beneath Reggie’s earnest joy and love for their friends, especially as his voice breaks, and he has to take a pause.

He swallows. "What Willie and Alex have is special. It's the kind of love that you fight for and work for because it's worth holding onto, and it's too bright to hide. They stand taller together. They were proud enough to say forever, and to share this wonderful moment with us, and I'll always be grateful that I got to be a part of it. Here, in this garden, they've created a space where we can all celebrate our true colors."

Reggie's green eyes, made misty with all of the emotion, linger on him and Julie. Then he looks away and makes a joke that has Willie cackling, moving on smoothly, but Luke can't let it go. He glances at Julie, who's already looking back, biting her lip.

Does Reggie—want to marry them?

The question floats through Luke's mind for the rest of the evening, and he quickly warms to the idea, especially as he and Reggie are dancing, and his eyes shine in the moonlight. He gives Luke a crooked smile as he dips him, and Luke's heart thumps against his ribs like it's the first time, intensifying when he briefly catches Julie's eyes and she smiles at him, too.

Reggie hauls him upright and into a kiss, and he melts even more, mind made up.

It's definitely something they should talk about. Probably not tonight, but soon.

Julie's openly smirking by the time he ends up with her and Alex whisks Reggie away, eyes glittering as she loops her hands around his neck and they sway in place.

"Are you falling in love, querido? Again?"

"Always," he murmurs, squeezing her hips, and her entire face softens, reflecting all of his tenderness right back. She kisses him softly, and there's a whole song in there.

She hums like she knows what he's thinking. "His speech got to you, huh?"

"You two always get to me. I thought the notebook dedicated to you gave it away."

"I don't think there's a single aspect of us you haven't written songs about," she agrees teasingly through a wide smile.

It doesn't matter how many he's written before. He's already composing a new one that could be the bare bones of a proposal.

There's always something new to say about them, about the way they make him feel. They're the color in his world, the things that give so much of his music meaning.

"What can I say?" He sweeps his thumb over the slope of her cheek. "You really inspire me."

"Even when we're doing country duets?"

Luke wrinkles his nose. "I won't lie to you."

"Say it," she breathes, and he's helpless to deny her. She knows it, and her smile reaches her eyes as he sighs.

"Yes, boss. Even then. I love you."

Another set of arms slides around them, gangly and familiar.

"What are you guys whispering about?"

"How much we missed you," Julie says easily, which makes Reggie blush. "And how it's been a while since we've told you that we love you."

He recovers quickly though, shooting her a wink, which makes her giggle.

"Funny. That's why Alex sent me back. As if he wasn't also making heart eyes at his husband the whole time we were dancing."

Luke shrugs. "I can't say I blame him."

Okay, he knows how that sounded, despite the fact that he's blatantly staring at Reggie and Julie. He deserves the teasing he gets for that.

He'll get them back later, one way or another. Someday, they'll have this.

He doesn't care how many talks or songs it takes to get there.

#peterpatterlina #rukebox #willex #one hundred compliments #ficlets with ash #julie and the phantoms

[invisibleraven]

Friday prompts!! 31 for willie & anyone?

Willie takes in a deep breath of cold crisp air as he makes his way towards the lift. He doesn't thank Caleb for much, but a work retreat to a ski resort might just garner him some sincere thank yous. He waves at Dante and Fuego as they head off to the snowboarding slopes. Spies Delilah and Darcy in their matching cross country skis. Caleb is nowhere to be seen as he was nursing a brandy in front of the fire with the silver fox photographer he had met here.

Willie is happy enough to go downhill skiing, and makes his way towards the lift, a guy in a colourful suit standing next to him with a nod, the understanding being that they ride up together. Willie does let out a whoop as the chair scoops them up, the guy next to him letting out his own chortle and gives Willie a toothy grin as they start their ascent.

They're half way up the hill when Willie hears the screech, the chair shudders, and the whole lift stops. "Fuck," he swears, looking down at the expanse of white around them.

"It happens all the time here, give 'em like ten minutes and they'll have it fixed," the guy says, then offers a hand. "Luke."

"Willie. You've been stuck here before?"

"Yeah. My band and I play here every winter, they let us ski and whatnot for free. A couple years ago I got stuck here with two of my bandmates, and we ended up getting together afterwards."

"That's adorable," Willie stated. "Where are they now?"

"They bowed out on skiing this year, wanted to go try out the new ice rink, and I'm no good with skates," Luke said with a shrug. "You should come check out our show in the ballroom tonight. Julie and the Phantoms is our name."

"Oh man, I've heard of you! I was at your show at the Satellite back in October! You guys rock!" Willie exclaimed.

Luke offered him a fist bump at that. "Man that was a wicked show, glad you got to see it. You should definitely come by tonight then, we can hook you up with some signed merch."

"I totes will," Willie replied, then bit his lip. "C-can I ask which two of your bandmates you're seeing or is it hush hush?"

"Nah man, it's cool," Luke said. "The label backs us up, we're out and everything. I'm dating Julie, our lead singer, and the bassist, Reggie." Luke gave a dopey grin at the mention of his partners names. "They're the best."

"So... is your cute drummer single and potentially queer then?" Willie asked, because hey, when else was he gonna have this kind of shot?

Luke laughed loudly at that, the noise echoing over the hills. "Oh man, yes to both, and I am so gonna see how flustered Alex gets when you show up tonight, because I am so telling him he missed out by staying behind to nap today."

Willie giggled, then gripped the bar when the chair lurched and the lift started moving again. Luke grinned, as if to say 'told you it wouldn't take long', the both of them chatting idly as the lift kept going, and they spent the afternoon racing each other down the hill. Willie had an amazing time, and Luke ensured he was coming to the show before they parted, Willie towards the chalet, and Luke towards a very attractive couple holding skates.

The show that night was amazing, but Willie's favourite part was seeing how pink Alex got when Luke introduced them. But he walked away with a new boyfriend out of it by the end of his work retreat, so no one was complaining.

Not even Caleb when Willie gave him a bear hug in thanks for making him come.

#filled prompts #ficlet #luke & willie #hints of peterpatterlina #hints of willex #julie and the phantoms

[invisibleraven]

Apology Prompt! "I'm sorry for hurting you." for the Carrie relationship of your choice, romantic or platonic

It starts as it always does, with Carrie sniping at Julie. The girl had messed up her piano sonata, quite badly thanks to a carpal tunnel flare up. Mrs. Harrison had been sympathetic and given her a make up date.

"Maybe you should take it as a sign to quit music... again," Carrie snarked.

"At least I can play an instrument, not auto tune my way around synthpop," Julie snarked back.

"Well apparently you can't given that performance," Carrie replied. When she saw Julie's face screw up in anger, she sneered. "What are you made about it? Go home and cry to mommy. Oh wait... you can't."

"Fuck you Carrie," Julie replied, the tears streaming down her face as she ran from the classroom.

Sure, Mrs. Harrison had admonished her before chasing after Julie, but Carrie just flipped her hair and sat down. It didn't matter that she immediately regretted what she said, or that the whole class was glaring daggers at her. Not one bit.

Except it did.

The guilt kept eating at her all day, and finally, she tracked Julie down, going through a dance routine with one of the himbos who were constantly following her around. They looked pretty good honestly, moving together as if they were in perfect synch. Julie was smiling at the guy when the song ended, but immediately glowered when she caught sight of Carrie. "What do you want?"

"To talk to you obviously. Alone."

"Maybe she doesn't want to hear what you have to say," the guy bit back, glaring at her, his eyes a cutting green that almost made Carrie shiver.

"It's okay cariño, I'll be okay. Go wait for Luke, he should be done detention soon, and then we can all go home. Watch a movie?" Julie offered, and Carrie watched as her pit bull transformed into a puppy dog, smiling wide and melting under her soft touch.

"Alright darlin', whatever you want. Just... holler if you need me to get Flynn to cut a bitch okay?"

Julie giggled at that. "Will do."

The boy turned, once again looking unimpressed at Carrie before dashing off. "Boy friend?" Carrie asked.

"Like you care," Julie snorted, then crossed her arms. "You came here to talk, so talk."

"Look, I'm sorry for hurting you, okay? I was out of line, and I shouldn't have said it. Your mom was always nice to me, and I'm sorry she's gone," Carrie said, her voice laced with sincerity.

"Then why did you say it?"

"Someone needs to cut you down," Carrie offered in explanation "You lost your music and still stayed in the program while the rest of us had to fight for space. Then you came back with a full band and everyone worships the ground you walk on. Even today when you totally messed up, you got a second chance. But if I had tripped up, my grade would have reflected that."

"So you're jealous?" Julie asked, then scoffed. "Rip me down so you feel better about yourself in the cruelest way possible? Did it make you feel better?"

"No," Carrie admitted.

"Then what does it help?" Julie sighed, shaking her head. "I don't think I'm perfect Carrie, no one does. I'm sorry that the school showing my sympathy irks you, but I didn't ask them to. Maybe they just like me because I'm nice. You can be talented as anything, and even I will admit you are, but your personality is lacking, so no one is inclined to do you any favours. Maybe think about that. I have better things to do with my time."

"Like watch movies with your boyfriend?" Carrie snarked.

Julie rolled her eyes. "Boyfriends," she said, emphasizing the plural. "If you ever want to offer me a real apology for how you've acted over the past few years, maybe stop being so nasty and you can come watch one with us. We used to be friends, and while I doubt we'll ever be that way again, I'd be happy enough to be friendly. Maybe one day you will as well."

With that, Julie whirled away, leaving Carrie in the dust, flouncing off to where Carrie could see two cute guys waiting for her, greeting her with a warm hug. She was sure that Julie wasn't thinking about Carrie, alone and remorseful.

But Carrie was sure she would be thinking about what Julie said for the rest of the night.

#filled prompts #ficlet #julie & carrie #hints of peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms

[invisibleraven]

Haunted Holidays

December 20: Coming Home <-AO3 link!

Emily looked glumly at the boxes before her-she used to love Christmas, once upon a time. Did up the whole house the day after Thanksgiving, started her baking soon after. It was always a joyous time.

She can recall her first Christmas with Mitch, the two of them dancing to Nat King Cole playing on the turntable with only the tree lights to guide them. The year that Luke was nearly four, his big hazel eyes peeking over the counter in amazement as she made butter, sugar, and flour transform into cookies. How she caught him trying to scale the closet in an attempt to find presents the year he was seven.

The joy on his face when she gifted him the guitar the next year.

That was when everything changed. Music became an obsession, consuming Luke’s every waking moment. He was good, there was no arguing that, but Emily missed him helping her bake, or untangling her yarn as she knitted him another beanie.

She missed her son, but she had no idea how much worse it would get.

It was the year he was seventeen-long limbed and voice deep. She had found his grades-all low to failing. When she confronted him, he admitted to having dropped out. Who needed school when he was going to be a famous rock star?

It had been a horrible fight, harsh words that stung her heart to hear, even more vitriol spilling from her lips as Luke packed a bag and left.

He hadn’t been back since. And he never would be, since that July the police came to tell her that he little boy was dead.

That had been twenty five years ago.

Since then, the joy of the season had vanished for Emily. It was hard to decorate the tree with ornaments Luke had made as a child. To hang her and Mitch’s stockings but leave Luke’s in the box. To put aside the pang of the unopened presents still sitting in his room, even though she ached to put them under the tree. Like he would waltz in the door after band practice to open them.

It hurt a little less this year though. That nice Julie girl had given them Luke’s song-an apology and lament for her and what had been broken between them. She had come back a few times, to bring them cookies most recently, and had left with a new scarf wound around her neck.

She struck Emily as the kind of girl that Luke would be into; pretty, musical, kind. Though Luke had told her before he left that he liked everyone, and didn’t see anything wrong with that.

Emily wished she had taken the time to validate him then. To let him know she didn’t care who he loved, or how many people he chose to be with, as long as he was safe and happy. But she would never get the chance.

“Okay hun?” Mitch asked, hugging her from behind.

She hummed. “It’s still hard.”

“We don’t have to-“

She shook her head. “I don’t want to skip Christmas, I just wish…”

“I know,” he whispered, kissing the side of her head. “Let’s get started okay?”

He had already put the outside lights up, though neither of them had bothered turning them on, despite Christmas being less than a week away. They slowly put up everything-the garland, the wreaths, the Nativity.

“Remember when Luke used to play with the shepherds alongside his Ninja Turtles?” Mitch reminisced. “Or the time he replaced the baby Jesus with a Lego figure?”

Emily chuckled, “Oh yes, we got so mad-though Karen Mercer told me Alex used to do the same thing.”

“Have you spoken to them lately?” Mitch asked.

Emily shook her head. “I sent them a card, but that’s all. I don’t expect to get one in return-you know what they were like.”

“And Evelyn?”

“Sent a card to the forwarding address she gave me, but it got returned to sender, so who knows where the Peters are now,” Emily replied, running her finger along the edge of a photo of the boys, all smiling and twinkling eyes.

Soon all that was left was the tree, and Mitch squeezed her hand-it had always been Luke’s favourite thing to trim it. Insisting he could put the star on the top of his dad helped. Then being able to do it himself, with pride. That last year he was alive he hadn’t bothered to help, off at one gig or practice or another.

They had replaced the tree since then, a nice pre-lit thing that was a little smaller than their older one, but that was fine with Emily. With only the two of them they didn’t need a big tree.

She was about to start trimming when a ring of the doorbell sounded through their home. “Carollers or charity?” Mitch bet with an arch of his eyebrows.

“That or the Farris lady wants a cup of sugar again,” Emily replied. “I’ll get it.”

Only when she opened the door, it wasn’t any of those. There, looking just like the day he left, was Luke.

“Hey Ma, Merry Christmas.” He was holding hands with Julie…and was that Reggie? “Can we come in?”

#jatpadvent2023 #emily patterson #with a hint of peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms

[invisibleraven]

"I would never regret a thing in my life, since it led me to you."

Peterpatterlina

PROMPT #800 BABY! Couldn't have gotten here without all of you, but especially my canoe crew who are my constant support and dearest friends. Love you all!

If there was once place on Earth more hated than a hospital, Julie had yet to find it. She hated the weird smell that never seemed to leave her nose until long after. She hated the cafeteria food that always seemed so bland and tasteless-even the pudding, and how did someone mess up pudding? She hated the constant noise from the machines and alerts and various people coming and going.

But most of all she hated seeing her mother in here.

Rose who was so jubilant and full of life was now a pale reflection of her former self as she willingly pumped poison into her veins to hopefully fight the cancer threatening her life. She still tried to stay happy and upbeat for her family, but the chemo was taking it's toll, and her smiles didn't reach her eyes any more.

"You don't have to come with me every time mija," Rose assured her. "And you definitely don't have to stay in here. Why not go exploring, see if there's any kids your age you can hang out with?"

Julie was reluctant to leave her mom, but her father practically pushed her out so she supposed the choice was made for her. She knew she didn't have to come, Carlos didn't, and she bet he was having a great time with tia right now. But her mom had always called her a good luck charm, so maybe, just maybe that would help?

She would rather believe that than the fact that her mother was slowly dying.

So she wandered the halls, until a kindly nurse pointed her to the children's longue, a place where both the sick kids and visitors could just relax. It was pretty empty, save a lone boy with a giant clunky cast on his leg who was playing a game, the tip of his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth.

"Whatcha playin'?" she asked as she took a seat next to him on the lumpy couch.

"Mario, you ever play?" he asked, voice rough and with a tiny hint of a twangy accent. Julie noticed how the fluorescent lights washed him out, but she could see a spray of freckles across his cheeks and nose, which fascinated her-she'd never seen someone with so many freckles before.

"I've played a bit with my brother, though he's way better at it than I am," she replied. "I could never get him to the top of the flagpole like you can."

"You want me to teach you?" he asked, turning to her, the full force of his green eyes hitting her, and Julie had to clench her hands by her sides so as to not play with her curls.

"Sure," she said, and the boy-Reggie-handed her the controller, explaining what to do, giving her tips and secrets on how to get a high score in the game. "How do you know so much about this?"

"I've been here a while," Reggie explained, pointing to his foot. "This is going to be my third or fourth surgery on it, and that means a lot of downtime. So I've gotten pretty good. Plus my grandparents got me a Nintendo for my Bar Mitzvah last year."

"Are there any other games here?" Julie asked, excited to see what else they could play together. She liked Reggie-there was a sadness around him, yes, but he never stopped smiling, and making her laugh with little jokes and comments as she stumbled through each level of the mushroom kingdom.

"Tons!" Reggie enthused, and went through the collection that was there. Julie didn't really want to play Duck Hunt-guns were a big nope for her, but Zelda sounded right up her alley-she loved stories about adventure and princesses.

They whiled away a good chunk of the afternoon playing games together, just chatting and laughing. Nothing too deep, but she told Reggie why she was here and he gave her a sympathetic smile, squeezing her hand. He told her he had been in a bad car accident, thus his mangled foot, but his grandparents smuggled him in good food so he didn't have to put up with the awful pudding.

"Mija?"

Julie turned and there was her papi, smiling kindly at her. "It's time to go. Your mami is tired and I think she'd much prefer to nap at home."

She nodded, but then paused. "If you're still here next week can we play more Zelda?" she asked Reggie.

"I'll be here, recovery time is long," he assured her.

"Then I'll be sure to bring you some real pudding," she promised, and Reggie laughed aloud at that.

Julie and her father left the room, but a nurse caught them down the hallway. "Were-were you just in the game room with Reggie?" she asked.

"Yes," Julie answered. "Was I not supposed to be?"

"No no, nothing like that," the nurse assured her. "But...I heard him laugh?"

"Yeah, we were joking about the pudding here," Julie said, confused.

"Sweetheart, Reggie hasn't spoken more than two words since his accident almost six months ago," the nurse said. "So if you managed to make him crawl out of his shell, well you must be some sort of angel. Do you think you would mind coming back to play with him again?"

"I'll be back next week," Julie assured her. She felt a wave of pity for Reggie-did he have no friends to come visit him? What about his family, couldn't they get him to talk? So Julie made it her mission to come as often as she could, and make Reggie laugh as often as possible.

So she did-every week she went with Rose to the hospital, and hung out with Reggie. Some weeks he was more subdued than others, whispering he was in pain, but always lit up when Julie handed him a pilfered snack from her house, often a pudding, like their little private joke.

Even after Rose entered remission, she still asked to go visit Reggie, and her parents were more than happy to let her. "You're a good friend to this boy mija," Rose told her. "I hope he gets out of there soon though."

"Me too," Julie replied.

It was only a few weeks later that fate intervened-Reggie told Julie he was finally going to be released. But unfortunately, he was going home with his grandparents, back to Georgia. "They've been away from the farm too long as it is, and there's no one else..." he trailed off.

Julie knew this of course, how he and his mom had left his abusive dad and come to LA to make a new life. How the car accident that broke Reggie's foot took his mom's life. That his grandparents had come to look after him while he recovered.

But she still cried at the thought of losing him. "We could always write?' he suggested tearily. Julie agreed, and got his address before leaving. It wouldn't be the same as spending their afternoons playing games and talking together, but it would at least be something.

~

Reggie hated the cold. Why oh why did the most prestigious game design school have to be in the North East? More so why couldn't he have been happy enough going to a school back home in Georgia, or even in LA? But of course, he knew why. He wanted to make games that would help kids just like Mario and Zelda had helped him. And to do that, he had to come to this school even though the cold made his foot ache, the ice and snow were not great for moving around in when you relied on a cane, and he missed MeeMaw and Pops so bad he could scream.

He just had to reassure himself that it would be worth it in the end, even as he hobbled through the crowds trying to get home.

"Reggie!"

He could have sworn he heard a voice calling his name-it wasn't like Reggie was all that common. But when he looked around, he couldn't see anyone he knew. But then, there it was again, a little closer.

"Reggie! Reggie Peters! Your princess is in another castle!"

Finally she came into view-Julie Molina, all grown up, but still recognizable even seven years later. They had kept in touch with letters for a bit, but then lost it after Rose's cancer came back. Reggie always felt bad about that, wishing he had tried harder for the girl who had gotten him through one of the worst parts of his adolescence.

"You got a fire flower or something for me at least?" he said with a grin and then opened his arms for a hug, holding her tight as she rushed in to accept it. Her curls were cut shorter, but still just as curly. Her smile was just as vibrant, and God Reggie had missed her. "What the heck are you doing here Molina?"

"I could ask the same of you!" she exclaimed, smacking his shoulder. "I'm here for college, studying graphic design!"

"Same, only for games!" Reggie replied. "Gosh it's good to see you again, you have time for a coffee?"

Julie bit her lip and shook her head. "Sorry, I've actually got to get to class, but give me your number, we can meet up?"

Reggie nodded and handed over his card, taking hers in turn and waving as she got on her train before hobbling off home. He sighed as he finally got to sit down, and pulled out the card that Julie gave him.

"Whatcha got there bud?" Luke asked as he slumped down on the couch next to him. "Ooh, got a number?"

"It's not like that you doof," Reggie said, shoving him away playfully. "This is from Julie, we were friends as teens, and I ran into her in the station. Apparently she's here studying graphic design."

"Oh cool," Luke said, snuggling back into Reggie's side, and by this time, Reggie had gotten used to his cuddly nature-having lived together for a few years made you used to a lot of things. "She a good artist?"

Reggie recalled the various doodles that covered his casts during his hospital stay-Julie insisting on signing it as it was blank when she met him. Even though Reggie told her he would be getting an new one after his surgery.

"Well I'll sign that one too," she had said with a grin-and she did. Reggie had honestly been a little sad to see them cut off and all Julie's artwork destroyed.

"Yeah she really is," Reggie mused.

"Well then call her!" Luke insisted. "Even if not for dates, just to reconnect. Or hell, you need a designer for your game right?"

"Well it's your game too," Reggie reasoned.

"Eh," Luke shrugged. "I wrote the story and music, but you helped with both of those, and you're doing all the programming."

"Maybe," Reggie said, looking at the card again. "Maybe."

~

It turned out that Julie was very interested in making a game with Reggie, and that summer it was a familiar sight to find her in Luke and Reggie's apartment making the art and helping Reggie play test sequences with each character.

Luke was absent, as his parents insisted he return home to his folks house but he happily let them use the apartment, and claimed he couldn't wait to see what they had gotten done when he returned-and to meeting Julie, since fate hadn't allowed that to happen thus far.

Reggie loved that summer-he and Julie renewed their friendship, they worked together constantly, and while he didn't experience any pain-that would never be a reality for him-he found it lessened due to him keeping busy. Plus Luke had made their apartment as handi capable as possible, so he barely had to use his cane.

Sure, Luke had claimed he would get lost in the clutter if they let it build up, but Reggie knew the truth. Luke was determined to look after him, and while some would resent that, Reggie loved being cared for, and appreciated how much Luke did to make his life easier. And it wasn't like Reggie didn't do anything for him-he made sure Luke went to all his classes and performances on time, as he was involved in the school's music program, and even helped the orchestra for the drama department while he got his English and Musical Composition degrees.

Reggie had even gone to every showing of the school's production of Macbeth, just because Luke was down in the pit every night, and it was his composition that they used to signify the storm-a raucous, crashing thing that made you really feel like the weather was about to change.

That was the only drawback of the summer-that Luke wasn't there. So when he returned, Reggie was almost fit to burst, pulling him in for a hug almost immediately.

"Missed you too buddy," Luke whispered into his shoulder. They broke apart then, exchanging slightly watery smiles before Luke coughed and cast his eyes over to where Julie was standing. "Hi, you must be Julie!"

"And you must be Luke," she replied, giving a little oof as he caught her in a hug. "Oh, you're a hugger."

Luke stepped back then, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry. It's a thing."

"It's okay," Julie assured him, "But maybe a little warning next time?" She then offered him a smile. "Now I wanna pick your brain about a few plot points of your story..."

~

By the end of the summer, they had made good progress on their game, but it was nowhere near done. "We can still work on it," Julie said, "Just not at the same rate."

Reggie sighed in defeat. He knew they weren't going to finish the game, but he had hoped they would be a bit further along. "Maybe... maybe I should take the semester off? Keep at it?"

"Reg you can't do that, your education is important!" Julie insisted.

"It's also extremely expensive, and my grandparents can only help so much," Reggie explained. "A semester off would be a big help to them, and I can always do a class or two through distance if I want."

"I would love to take the semester off too, but since my folks are paying the rent here, I need to stay in school to keep a roof over our heads," Luke lamented. "But my part of things is essentially over anyways."

"We still need to figure out a lot of the score mister," Julie answered him. "Hire musicians and the like."

"Why would we need to do that?" Luke asked. "I play guitar, Reggie plays almost everything, our friend Alex does drums, we just need a vocalist."

Julie was silent at that for a moment. "I-I could do it."

Luke grinned, and handed her the song they had written for the end credits-a lilting ballad that spoke of their main character's journey and her longing to find a place she belonged. A bit cliché, but it was leagues better than Girl In The Tower which had gotten legit radio play, so Luke figured they were good.

Only when Julie started singing, both guys were blown away. Her voice was angelic, the perfect one to elevate the song into greatness. They sat there stunned for a bit after she finished until Luke cleared his throat. "I think you've got the job Molina."

She beamed with happiness, jumping up and down and then ran off to call her dad. Luke turned to Reggie. "How come you never told me she could sing like that?"

"I didn't know!" Reggie insisted.

Later on that night after Julie had gone home, Luke looked at Reggie. "Would you be mad if I asked Julie out?"

An unpleasant feeling settled in Reggie's gut at that, which was ridiculous. Luke and Julie were his two best friends, incredibly well suited for each other, why shouldn't they be happy together? "Maybe wait until the game is done?"

"That's fair," Luke conceded. "And you're sure you don't mind?"

"Why would I mind?" Reggie asked. Luke looked at him queerly for a moment then shook it off, wishing Reggie a good night, a sentiment Reggie echoed. But he found that he couldn't sleep that night, and the feeling in his gut never did go away.

~

It took nearly a year, but they finally finished their game. One of Reggie's professors was going to help them shop it around to different publishers, but the game was done!

"This calls for a celebration!" Luke exclaimed, pulling out a bottle of champagne, pouring them all a glass. Their various friends were scattered around, all of them involved in the process in some way, and they had all ssured the trio the game was amazing.

Reggie toasted but put the glass down-he didn't drink, not after the hell his dad had put him and his mom through. He didn't think about the man often, couldn't really care less where he was. But that memory of whiskey laden breath and heavy hands would never leave him.

Plus his stomach was roiling as he watched Luke pull Julie aside, watched her light up as he spoke, and then-she pulled him in for a kiss. Not a friendly peck, but a deep, romantic kiss that made Reggie have to look away.

God, what was wrong with him? He knew it was coming, had seen the sparks fly between them. It must be the stress of the past year and the anxiety over selling the game getting to him.

"I need some air," he said to no one, as the party raged on around him. He grabbed his cane and went out to walk a little-it usually hurt to do so for too long, but it also always helped clear his head. He was sure he would be back before anyone noticed.

Only he still couldn't get the image of Luke and Julie kissing out of his head, and eventually sat down on a bench. Why did it bother him so much? He never reacted this way when he saw other couples kiss. Heck he'd seen Luke go through a bevvy of girls and guys when they first started living together... though that had started to bother him after a while. He had chalked it up to Luke being careless with his body and heart, and after he voiced his concerns, Luke seemed to have been perpetually single.

Did... did he just not want to be left alone? Was that it?

He was sure Luke and Julie would still make time for him even if they started dating. But it wouldn't be the same. No more late nights chatting until the sun came up about everything and anything. No more of Luke quoting Macbeth ad nauseum due to months of shows, with Julie and Reggie playing the other parts. No more sunrise runs for cheap fast food to keep going even though they should sleep, and then passing out in a pile on the couch.

No more waking up to Julie and Luke snuggled into his side, or making sure he had someone by his side for his appointments. No more of Julie's sunny smile meant only for him, or Luke's teasing as Reggie made eggs for them since Luke was hopeless in the kitchen. No more movie nights or trying out new games together, no more tears when the doubt set in that they were wasting their time trying to make this game.

Reggie rubbed at his chest, as if that would make the pain go away. Kept picturing Luke and Julie, and wishing he was there. Not instead of them, but with them.

"Oh fuck," he swore. "I'm in love with them."

He had to tell them-they didn't keep secrets-and even if it ruined everything, he couldn't bare them not knowing, and living a life where he was silent about his unrequited feelings.

He got up, heading back towards the apartment, going as fast as he could. Only he didn't see the curb, and slipped, feeling the pain radiating through his ankle as he fell. Or the blackness that set in as his head hit the concrete.

~

Reggie hates hospitals.

He knows he's in one before he even opens his eyes-the smell, the beeping, the feeling of various tubes in him. He blinks open his eyes and sees the same generic tiled ceiling and groans.

"Oh thank God you're awake."

Reggie turns his head, and there is Luke and Julie, looking equally worried and relieved. "Hey guys," he rasps. "How long was I out?"

"Few hours, but you still had us worried sick," Julie admonishes. "We didn't even know you'd left the party until Luke got a call from the hospital as your emergency contact!"

"Sorry, needed some air," Reggie replies, and sighs when Luke puts the straw of a juice box to his lips, allowing him to drink, "Didn't mean to slip and knock myself out."

"And bust your ankle," Luke said apologetically.

"Of course I did," Reggie moans.

The doctor has worse news for him-a bunch of pins had come loose-his foot is even more mangled. "It might be time to let it go son," he cautions.

He takes a lot of time to consider it-they always told him it was a possibility-and Reggie had held on for longer than he probably should have to the old thing. So he agrees to the procedure, even though it will mean even more time in this dreaded place.

The night before the surgery, Luke and Julie are by his side. Julie jokes that she won't have a cast to design on now, but Reggie jests she can always glam up the prosthetic he's getting. She lets out a sob at this.

"Too dark?" Reggie asks.

"No, it's just... when Luke first got that call, we were both fearing the worst," she explains. "We thought we had lost you. And we realized... we couldn't bear to lose you."

"We love you Reg," Luke piped up. "Not as a friend, but as the person... our person. The one person we want to be with."

"Me? The both of you?" Reggie squeaked.

"You," Julie said, squeezing his hand. "You make our heart containers full."

Reggie laughed uproariously at that, wiping a tear from his eye. "I love you guys too. And I will tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow."

"That's my line," Luke chuckled.

"Mine now," Reggie said, and grinned as his partners leaned in to kiss him.

~

The night of the Game Awards, Reggie wasn't nervous. Their game had done phenomenally well, and even if they didn't win, he had something better than a dumb old trophy-he had Luke and Julie on his arms. They were far better, plus it meant he could leave his cane at home-they would keep him upright.

But it was still a shock when their names were called, and Reggie beamed as they helped him up the stairs-he was still getting used to his new prosthetic, all covered in Julie's doodles and Luke's song lyrics.

He watched them both speak, thanking everyone they needed to before ceding the mic to Reggie.

"I haven't had the easiest life," he stated. "It's been one quest after another, and I've barely made it out of some of them with all my hearts intact. But I would never regret a thing in my life, since it led me to you. The both of you, and I wouldn't be standing here without your support, your talent, and your love. Thank you."

Julie and Luke leaned in, kissing his cheeks, and Reggie smiled brighter than the blinding lights as they led him off the stage, never once letting him stumble or fall. And they never would.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms #this is very much based on tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow-but you don't have to read it to get the context #gosh this got long

[invisibleraven]

"Feel my heartbeat."

Idc if it's cliche at this point, I WANT IT lol

Rulie or peterpatterlina

If there was one rule when it came to love, was that one could never expect it. Lady Julie knew that more than most-given her propensity for falling for a kind smile and a love of good music. It had gotten her in trouble more than once.

But never like this.

During her season her dance card was always full, and she learned the art of flirtation quickly, fluttering her lashes behind a fan, a sly smile, perfecting her laugh. Everyone expected her to make a particularly good match by the summer's end.

Right now though, there were two suitors fighting neck and neck for her hand, both of whom Julie was quite enamoured by.

Lord Luke Patterson would have been a travelling bard in another life, loving music with a fervour that astounded even Julie. He was also a gifted poet, a sweet soul, and always looked at her as if she rose the sun every morning. Julie looked at him much the same, and always enjoyed sharing a book or walk with him.

Marquis Reginald Peters was comical, always making Julie laugh, whether it was on the dance floor where he cut a fine figure, or out on horseback, a shared favourite pastime of theirs. He referred to Julie as an angel, and the fine blush that painted his features when he said as much thrilled her to no end.

The problem was that Julie cared for them both equally, and could no more choose between them than pick her favourite cloud. Their prospects were close enough to not matter, their manners the same-either would make her a wonderful husband.

And both had hinted they wished to ask for her hand this very night. Leaving Julie to decide which man she wished to spend her life with, making her long for a world in which she did not have to choose.

She unfortunately could not have them both.

That was why she was now wandering out on the patios instead of twirling around the dance floor currently. She had hoped the fresh air would clear her mind and come up with an answer for her. Her mother had urged her to follow her heart, but the traitorous organ was still rebelling against the choice.

She could come to no conclusion, deciding that she might know what to do in the moment and headed back towards the ball. However as she neared the gardens, she heard voices-familiar voices that made her pause.

"How can I be sure this won't change things? That you choosing her will leave you room for me?"

"Hey, feel my heartbeat. Feel that? It belongs to you, it always has. It just... has room for her too."

"As does mine. I just wish..."

"What do you wish?"

"That none of us had to choose."

Julie crept forward, stifling a gasp as she saw her suitors caught in a passionate embrace. One that ignited her, and made her yearn for things proper young ladies should never want.

It also made her see things so much more clearly-all three of them were caught in a cycle of wanting, and terrified of what their choices would mean for those they cared about.

"Why do we have to?"

Her voice broke the men apart, both stammering and blushing, but she holds a hand up to freeze their excuses and explanations. "Do you want to choose?"

Luke steps forward first, ruffling his coiffure into a mess as he gives her a hesitant smile. "Julie...you have to know how much I esteem you. But Reggie...Reggie also holds my heart. Always had, always will. If I could love you both openly, I would."

"And you?"

Reggie fidgets with his cufflinks, pulls at his cravat, his cheeks blooming with a burning blush. "Julie I utterly adore you both. It would be the highest honour to call either of you mine. But I would understand if you wish to decline either offer."

Julie reached forwards, taking their hands in hers, offering them a kind smile. "All this time I have been agonizing over turning one of you down. Of breaking my own heart by doing so, as it holds the both of you equally. I do not wish to choose either. So why should we?"

"You mean... be together? All three of us?" Luke questioned.

"Can we do that?" Reggie asked, but the hint of hope betrayed his feelings.

"I don't see why not," Julie replied. "I know of no law against it. So why choose when we can all be happy together?'

They all shared smiles and glances, before Luke broke the grasp on their hands to pull a small ring from his pocket, oh so carefully sliding it onto Julie's hand. Reggie then followed suit, slipping his own ring onto Julie's other hand, a sign of their vow to one another.

"I do wish we had tokens for each other," he admitted to Luke.

Luke hummed, then tugged his family signet ring from his pinkie, offering it to Reggie with a grin, who traded for his own ring, sliding it home on Luke as the other man repeated the motion.

"There," Julie stated. "We are all agreed-no choice required, only how we are to explain this to the ton at large."

"We'll figure it out," Luke replied.

"Together," Reggie added.

"Together," Julie echoed with a nod. "Now, how about we head back in, as I want to dance with my new fiances."

They all grinned, pulling each other towards the lights of the party, giddy and excited for whatever the future held.

And all of their heartbeats singing with the song of synchronicity and glee-a song of love, for that was the clearest, easiest choice that they never needed to make.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms

[invisibleraven]

It's not that cold, peterpatterlina

When her boyfriends first suggested going away for a weekend, Julie had visions of a cute little B&B up the coast, maybe that historic inn right on the boarder of Oregon she had hinted about with the spa in it.

She wasn't expecting a rustic cabin in the woods.

But here they were, faces shining with pride as they made little 'Ta da!' gestures, and Julie couldn't squash that. "It's very cottage core," she finally landed on.

"Right?" Luke said, still beaming. "Carrie found it for us when I told her we wanted to go off the grid. No frills, just us."

"It does have running water and electricity," Reggie assured her. "But also a fireplace and a nice clawfoot tub."

Julie looked intrigued by that-it did sound awfully romantic, so she let herself be lead inside. The decor was a little dated, but it was homey and comfortable looking. Plus the water did work, and the fully stoked fridge seemed to be functioning. "Alrighty then, which one of you knows how to chop wood for that fire?" she asked.

Luke and Reggie looked at each other, dumbfounded, and Julie sighed. There was a small stack of logs by the fireplace, but she very much doubted they would last her the weekend. "Reggie you grew up on a farm and you don't know how to chop wood?"

"In Georgia," he replied. "It doesn't exactly merit fire weather there very often. And MeeMaw didn't trust me with an axe."

"Given how accident prone you are, that's probably fair," Luke snickered.

"Hardy har Lu, you aren't exactly a lumberjack either. What happened to all those summers with your mom's folks in Quebec?" Reggie retorted.

"They live in Montreal, not some backwater. They didn't even own a fireplace, they had central heating!" Luke argued back.

Julie sighed, then marched out the door once more, finding the woodshed in an effort to avoid listening to them bicker. She did thankfully know how to chop wood, and got to it.

Reggie and Luke came out soon after, both whistling obnoxiously as she cleaved another log in twain.

"Aren't you cold?" Reggie asked, wrapping his flannel tighter around himself.

Julie looked down at her tank top, her own flannel tied around her waist, and shrugged. "It's not that cold," she replied. "Plus this is sweaty work, so why don't one of you run me that bath and the other sort out supper until I'm done?"

They scurried off and Julie went back to her chopping until she was happy with her work. She'd probably have to come out again to get them through to Sunday night and replenish the pile before they left, but it would do for now.

Back inside the cabin there was a small fire going, with Luke whipping together something in the kitchen-probably mac & cheese, one of the few meals he could make masterfully. There was a steaming mug sitting at the counter though and Julie smiled as the spices of the hot cider hit her tongue. "Yum!"

"Thanks, got it at the farmer's market before we left," Luke said. "Though I did get some apples from the orchard stall so I think if we beg Reg enough he'll make us his famous pie."

Julie groaned at the thought of Reggie's pie. Between her and Luke they were pretty decent cooks, but Reggie was a world class baker, and his apple pie was to die for. "How long until supper?"

"At least a half hour," Luke replied. "Go enjoy your bath." She thanked him with a lingering kiss, flavoured with the cinnamon from her drink and the nutty cheese Luke favoured in his mix, but it was a strangely compelling combo, making it only a little bit hard to pull away towards the bath calling her name.

Julie pulled her curls into a messy bun and chuckled when she entered the bathroom to find Reggie testing the water of the bath, piled high with bubbles. "You weren't about to steal my bath were you cariño?"

Reggie turned, a look of guilt quickly vanishing his features. "No? Maybe hoping you'll share. You know I like my occasional bath."

Julie laughed, shaking her head. "I don't think that thing will fit the both of us," she nodded at the tub which looked gorgeous and barely big enough for one.

"Had to try," Reggie said with a shrug. "I'll go start unpacking, you soak."

Julie sighed as she lowered herself into the steaming water, but called Reggie back, pulling him down for a kiss, uncaring that she was getting suds in his hair or that his kiss made the temperature of her bath seem tepid in comparison.

He was grinning as he left, and Julie leaned back, feeling the tension from the surprise of this place and her hard work melt away. Sure it was no luxury resort or five star accomodations, but she was already loving it here.

Especially when by the time they left, fully relaxed, and reluctant to go back to society, Julie did it with a new ring on her finger, and her two fiances promising they could come back next year.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms

[bananakarenina]

Wip Game! ❤️ What can you tell us about Learning To Fiddle (4 times the Molina family referred to Reggie as family)?

I will answer your ask first (@innytoes also asked about it, because as she put it, it is Inny Bait, and she is not wrong about that.) I shall ramble here and then maybe put some excerpts in her ask :) So Learning to Fiddle is one of my earliest earliest fic attempts, like possibly before I even had a glimmer of Peterpatterlina in my eye. Definitely before I got into Rulie. HOWEVER. The "then I'll learn to fiddle" scene has been one of my favorites since first viewing, because of all the layers there (even without the Rulie layers).

Like?? Reggie seems so pleased and also a little surprised she'd readily agree to learn to fiddle! The little fistbump! Luke of course rolls his eyes at the country album idea, and at first so does Julie, but then Reggie shreds on the banjo, so

"Then I'll learn to fiddle!"

It's just such a great snappy title, hahaha. To learn to fiddle for someone! that's love!

Gonna be honest, the fic is mostly vibes, snatches of scenes, but I do genuinely want to flesh it out.

Universe is canon-compliant, post-Orpheum. No romance was planned but I have since gone hard in the Rulie paint hahahaha so who knows. But I do have a fondness for genfic! So I probably will keep it gen with a hint of "this COULD be" romance? That's always fun.

The format is the 4 times format, all 4 members of the [Rose's Maiden Name]/Molina clan:

Victoria

Carlos

Ray

Julie

clicky click on my answer to inny to get mini excerpts from all 4 sections!

#thank you for the ask darling! #learning to fiddle #myfic #writing #fanfiction #ask games #wip games #reggie peters #julie molina #carlos molina #tia victoria #ray molina

[invisibleraven]

Taking a work break to request some prompts lol. 91, peterpatterlina?

Reggie hummed as he fixed his hair, shooting his reflection a wink and some finger guns before leaving the bathroom. "I'm heading out!" he called to his roommates.

"Where you going Reg?" Luke asked, barely glancing up from where he was scrawling out lyrics in his notebook, the words slightly jumbled from the guitar pick he had held between his teeth. His girlfriend Julie draped herself over his shoulders, gently easing the pick out and kissed his forehead, Luke sending her a besotted look.

Reggie tried to keep his face neutral, despite his aching heart at seeing them together. They were so perfect together, and he had to valiantly ignore the way his lonely desperate heart longed to be theirs as well. "I-I'm going speed dating!" he finally stuttered out.

"Speed dating?" Julie asked, straightening up.

Reggie nodded, plastering a false smile on his face. "Yeah, my therapist wants me to try putting myself out there after... well after everything. So I thought this would be a quick and efficient way to meet a bunch of people, maybe get a few numbers, and if not, at least I got myself out of my comfort zone for an evening. Don't wait up!"

Julie and Luke waved at him but both their faces fell as soon as the door closed behind him. "He's going on dates Jules. Dates!"

"He is allowed mi vida, he's been single for awhile," Julie commented, sitting on his lap and ruffling his hair. "You know how hard that last relationship hurt him, and if Dr. Butler thinks this will help..."

"But he should be with us," Luke whined.

"We've talked about this hun," Julie said, her voice soft and soothing. "He has to be ready to be in a relationship. Speed dating might just be the first step down a long road. We can wait for him to come to us, because if we come on too strong..."

"We might lose him for good," Luke finished. "I know, it's just... Julie I love Reggie so much! And you!"

"I know Luke, I love the both of you just as madly. But we don't even know how he feels, so we have to be patient." Julie turned his face to hers, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Trust me."

Only Reggie didn't return until late, heading straight for bed once he got in, and would only shrug about how the speed dating went when asked. So Luke and Julie figured it had only gone okay, and Luke suggested maybe hinting to Reggie that they were an option. Julie was a bit more hesitant, but she caught sight of Luke's pleading eyes, and then of Reggie sitting at the table, looking at them and quickly looking away, so she agreed.

Luke serenaded him with a song, getting in close to ask him his opinion on the romantic ballad. Close enough that Luke could feel the burn of his blush and had to hold himself back from seeing how it would feel against his own skin. "I-it's real nice Luke, I'm sure Julie will love it!" Reggie had stammered, and quickly made up an excuse to dash off once more.

Julie even tried making him his favourite Star Wars shaped waffles as a bribe to get more out of him, but he just gave her a small smile, and all she could do was wipe the syrup away from the corner of his mouth. Reggie's eyes widened at the touch of her finer, and swallowed heavily. "T-thanks for breakfast Julie, I've gotta...go." With that, he scurried away from the table, leaving Julie confused.

It was well established in the band that if anyone had a date, not to schedule it for gig nights, which is why Luke was confused when he saw Reggie getting ready to go out when they had a show in less than an hour. "Reg, where are you going?"

"Oh, I'm going to go pick up my date! This girl I met at speed dating wanted to come see our show, and hang out after, so I'm going to go get her, and I'll be at the venue in plenty of time."

"B-but..." Luke trailed off as Reggie waved and booted it out the door. "JULIE!"

The woman in question ran out of their room, eyes wide with panic. "What? What is it? Is there a mouse? Because you know I don't do mice."

"No! It's Reggie! He's going on a date! Like a real life date!"

Julie tilted her head to the side, a little confused. "But it's gig night."

Luke ran his fingers through his hair in a frantic motion. "Exactly! He's bringing her to the show! This is serious Jules! What if she's like the one or something?"

Julie brought Luke into an embrace, her touch instantly soothing him. "We knew this could happen mi vida, we just have to accept that the time isn't right."

Luke shook his head. "No, fuck that, I'm going after him. I'm going to tell him how we feel, and then we can give up." With that he shoved his shoes on and held his hand out for Julie. "Well, are you coming?"

Julie nodded, sliding on her own shoes, the two of them taking off running. They were panting as they made it to the parking garage, but Reggie's trusty ride was still there, with no sight of the bassist. Only to catch sight of him sitting on the beach across from their building, his favourite place to go.

"Reg!" Luke called, rushing over to him.

Reggie turned, surprised to see them. "Luke? Julie? What are you guys doing here?"

“Don’t go on that date.” Luke panted out, grabbing Reggie's hand.

“What? Why?” Reggie asked, letting Luke's fingers intertwine with his own.

“You know why corazon,” Julie whispered, taking his other hand in hers.

“Say it. I need you to say it, otherwise I'll assume I'm dreaming this," Reggie said, stepping closer to them. "I've had this dream before you see. But I always wake up at this part. So say it, and I'll know it's real."

Luke and Julie stepped in closer, so close that their racing hearts could be felt by Reggie, his own pounding in sync. "We don't want you to go on that date Reggie, because you should be going on a date with us. You should be with us," Luke said.

"We love you Reggie," Julie added. "We're in love with you, and we want you to be with us, if you feel the same way."

Reggie was quiet for a long, aching moment, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. His eyes were misty, but when he finally looked at them, they were radiant, his smile breaking forth and making his whole face light up. "I-i love you too. Both of you. Honestly I only went on that stupid speed dating thing to try and get over you. But it didn't work."

"And your date tonight?" Julie asked.

Reggie's eyes widened in panic. "Oh shoot! Gimme a second, I gotta go take care of that." He pulled out his phone, frantically texting, and once he received a reply, slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Okay, that's done. Now I'm all yours."

Luke grinned, "I like the sound of that." He pulled Reggie into a deep kiss, almost dipping him backwards in his passion. Reggie meeped into it, but gave back as good as he got, if the dazed look on Luke's face was any indication when they pulled apart. Julie then pulled Reggie to her by his necklace, and found out for herself as Reggie's kiss took her apart; a lush, swoon worthy kiss that made her lips tingle and her foot pop.

Reggie was grinning as he pulled away from Julie, looking well kissed and smug, but he figured he was allowed. He had just landed his dream people, and kissed them enough that they still looked shell shocked. "Come on, we have a gig to play, and then tomorrow, you two are taking me out on a date."

Julie grinned, taking his arm in hers, Luke on Reggie's other side, the three of them walking off towards their home, finally together, just like they were supposed to be.

And if Reggie's 'date' for the evening turned out to be his visiting MeeMaw, who absolutely adored Luke and Julie, well, they figured they could forgive him for bending the truth, just a little. It all ended up like it was supposed to after all.

Now all they had to do was find a date to knock Reggie's socks off. But given the way all three of them were starring adorably at one another during every moment they could during the show, none of them had any worries about their date being anything less than a foregone success.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms

[invisibleraven]

9 and 10 for So Close to Reaching that Fateful Happy End(hope I remembered that title correctly)

So Close To Reaching That Famous Happy End

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

Maybe one that included smut? I was really on the fence about adding a smut scene, but this fic was already over 26k, and I decided it wasn't necessary. Otherwise, this story is exactly what I intended to write. It was such a labour of love, and I don't think I'd have it any other way. Though the next time I take smut prompts, or get the inspo... well the scene may manifest itself. We'll see.

10: Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?

Okay, so I am a big Disney nerd, I love Enchanted, and I really wish there was more Disney inspired JatP content. Back in January, I got the idea for the story, and told @bananakarenina who is my eternal fic enabler, and well, then it became her birthday present. But right from the start, I know I wanted to make it Julie/Luke/Reggie, because I love them, hate love triangles, and honestly thought it would be a fun way to adapt the story.

Honestly my brain is frequently finding ways to adapt stories to either make it a Rulie AU, or make the story work with a polyam pairing to make it PeterPatterLina. In fact, the story I am writing for @secretlovesongsfest is such a story, but I am not giving any hints as to what I'm doing because it is going to be a surprise!

#ask games #thanks for the ask hun! #my writing