#thanks for sending this in!!

[wander-over-the-words]

for that ask game: 🏳️‍🌈 for nick valentine and benny :3

send me a 🏳️‍🌈 and a character name and ill share my gender/sexuality headcanon for them Nick:

Nick is asexual!! He has zero interest in that area. Does not want any. Incorrect buzzer noise. It was one of his (MANY) concerns when it came to getting with Nate, but fortunately for him Nate is ace too so he just "Nick you have no idea how okay that is like seriously"

He himself does not know what he Likes romantically. He's always liked ladies, but y'know. Nate's a man. He's the first man Nick's looked twice at. So Nick doesn't know if Nate has Awakened Something in him or if Nate is just an Exception for some reason. Doesn't rly matter to him either way, and he doesn't rly care to think on it cause he's with Nate for the long run so. who cares y'know c:

Nick identified as a man at first cause the Old Nick did. I imagine one of the first things he did when trying to separate his identity from the Old Nick's was taking a moment to think on it, but he was content to still identify as a man, so. nothing new there. He was built without gender in mind like any other pre-Gen 3 synth so. he's genderless but identifies as a man. He's a man. A metal man.

Benny:

SOMEBODY CALL UP THE FOUR SEASONS CAUSE THIS IS A BI BI BABY. Tragedy: game where you can canonically be bi can't see when it has a Massive Bisexual as one of its main characters smh. He has a preference for ladies, but he is a BI MAN. I've said it before, I'll say it again: the reason the male courier can't fuck him is that he didn't feel like having gay sex that day. Had gay sex yesterday. Ask him tomorrow, see how he feels.

Benny is the most Cisgendered Man I have ever seen. I 10000000% respect anybody who sees him as trans or nb, but personally. He Is the Most Cisgendered Man I Have Ever Seen. To the point that I've always headcanoned him as. hilariously ignorant to stuff like gender.

Not prejudiced in the slightest and like. he knows who/what trans people are. he's met and slept with trans people. He just doesn't know the Ins and Outs of it. Like he's asked Ethan how come he has a moustache and where his charlies went. Has a "you can do that???" response. stuff just blows his mind in a good way. his baby's a badass cause he got his charlies cut off by a Mr. Handy INTENTIONALLY. he PAID for it. he stabs himself with a NEEDLE on a REGULAR BASIS just so he can have a MOUSTACHE AND DEEPER VOICE AND STUFF. you WISH your baby was that badass.

He's accidentally said insensitive things, like asking Ethan what his "girl name" was or wording it "used to be a broad" (I know some trans people are cool with that but Ethan is not). but to his credit he genuinely doesn't mean any harm. he's an asshole but not that much of an asshole. just uneducated (and a little stupid). He's learning. he doesn't understand what dysphoria is but he'd physically fight someone for causing Ethan to have a dysphoric episode. someone says Ethan "throws like a girl" and Benny's sitting there like >:O!!! even tho Ethan doesn't find that offensive in the slightest (hell, he'll agree with it). Ethan shows him a childhood pic and Benny just "baby that's not you?? that's a girl." and Ethan just Stares until Benny has his "oh. right." moment. any involvement Benny has with the topic of trans makes Ethan look at the camera like "he's a little confused but he's got the spirit."

He'll shoot ya in the head but Goddamn will he respect your pronouns and gender identity.

(for added hilarity: Benny's the only Chairman who's Like That.

Swank vc: get woke Benny.)

#reply #answering #thanks for sending this in!! #Headcanon Hell #Benny Gecko #Nick Valentine #Benny/Ethan #Nate/Nick #to be clear Ethan wouldn't be offended by Benny's confusion at his childhood pic. he'd find it hilarious. #just ''did..did you forget I'm trans???'' it's okay Benny he knew you were stupid when he got into this relationship. he thinks it's cute. #Benny x Courier #Nick Valentine x Sole Survivor

[scalacaelumxx]

Who are your top 3 favorite KH characters? ✨

I'm going to try not to ramble on this forever but thank you so much for sending this ask in! I apologize in advance for the can of worms you have opened.

Vidar (Spoilers for Dark Road incoming) Probably the least surprising thing, but currently Vidar is my top favorite. I'm fairly new to the mobile games, and full disclosure, I did not like him when I first saw him. Eraqus was so upset by Vor leaving (even though it was her own choice) that I genuinely felt for him, and therefor didn't approve of Vidar "taking" her away. But continuing the story and learning that he and his friends were so close to achieving what they had been training for for years, only for it to end in the death of not one of his friends, but four of them. And he can't bring himself to strike down what caused their deaths, because Baldr is just a kid and he (presuming that one line was about Hoder) can't bear to face her if something happened to him after she died trying to protect him His character is interesting, he's got a killer design, you can tell how much he cared about his friends, and the tragedy of risking everything to save someone for your friend, only to die by that person's hand trying to protect the friends you have left. I could talk about him for 22 hours a day.

Saix/Isa I know I don't post about him a lot, but Saix (or Isa) has been one of my favorite characters since my friend introduced me to Kingdom Hearts when I was a kid. If it wasn't for Vidar, he'd still be in the top spot! There's just something about how ruthless he was in kh2 and Days. How brutally honest and blunt his deliveries were, and how his boss fight involves catching you off guard with mechanics that don't seem to suit what you've seen of him until you really look at it and realize it does. His relationship with Axel is hilarious on surface level and depressing when you go deeper. His relationship of being Xemnas' right-hand man (next to Xigbar) while also plotting to betray him is so intriguing. And then seeing those sharp eyes and the barbed words and the ruthlessness in him and seeing those compared to the kid who made fun of his best friend and wanted to explore places he wasn't supposed to be in and help someone he had just met is heartbreaking. I loved his redemption in kh3, subtle in the background as it was, and I'm hoping to see more of him trying to be a better person and make it up to Roxas and Xion in 4.

Zexion/Ienzo This one caught me so off guard. I had gotten back into the fandom after a long while and was replaying through the old games to get caught up and Zexion blindsided me in Re:CoM. He was secretive and quiet, but really held no animosity towards Sora or Riku. Which, compared to the rest of the Organization in the castle, stood out a lot. Considering this, he really didn't deserve the death he got, which is still pretty brutal for a Kingdom Hearts death. Then he comes back and immediately throws everything he has into helping the heroes. They were more of a means to an end before, rather than true enemies, and despite their reservations about him he has no problems spending all of his time and resources into helping them stop Xehanort. He was just a kid when he helped start the fall of Radiant Garden but he still feels so guilty and wants to atone so badly. Plus you get extra angst in the "didn't have a heart for 10 odd years and now suddenly has one and is feeling" department.

Runner ups include: Baldr, Vali, Xaldin/Dilan, Vexen/Even, and Terra!

#scala ramble #ask #vidar #saix #isa #zexion #ienzo #I have so many thoughts about Vidar I think I would hit the word limit trying to write it all down #also I hope the gifs work because I've never made a gif in my life but I tried for this #thanks for sending this in!!

[gatheredfates]

🎧 — do you write while listening to music/podcasts/videos/etc, or do you need total silence?

munday asks! / accepting!

Ohh, this is such a good question!

I need music to write! I can't fathom how people sit in either camp of needing silence or listening to videos/podcasts because both sound horrendous to me. I find the former too stifling and the latter far too distracting. My thoughts tend to be a jumbled mess I'm trying to wrangle into some kind of coherence, so I can't afford to let them get away from me LOL.

Music, however, has enough rhythm and flow that I can end up tuning out to the lyrics but also pull them back if I need to channel a particular kind of 'feeling' to achieve whatever I want to transpose onto paper. More often than not, a lot of my edits and drabbles centre around a song or series of songs because I've had a brainwork from sticking it on repeat, or I know it'll achieve some kind of effect in my brain if I'm working with a prompt (looking at you xivwrite).

It's why I have character playlists for pretty much all my ocs. Kor's is the biggest at 408, but the rest have at least 50 or more. They tend to all link to a loose theme that relates to their characterisation, so it makes it easier for me to channel them.

Unless it's a meme song, which can be a bit distracting if I'm really into it. Still, there's always a reason something is there - even if I'm the only one who gets why.

#｡･ﾟﾟ･ — sea answers things #｡･ﾟﾟ･ — sea speaks #thanks for sending this in!! #i'm that person who has songs where i'm like #idk the instruments sound like them #sb: but the lyrics are about x??? #me: i can't explain it /adds to the spotify playlist #FDKJGHFD

[nateslehky]

For the kiss prompt, no. 38!!! for 829

38.…because they’re running out of time.

"Cale, cm'here."

The quiet mumble brushes the edge of Cale's barely awake mind, soft but insistent, coaxing him to consciousness.

"Mhmmm," grumbles Cale.

A weight falls across his back, followed by fingers digging gently into his side, pulling him close. Nate nuzzles into the crook of his neck, his breath warm against Cale's skin as he asks, "Are you awake?"

"No," says Cale groggily, his voice muffled by his pillow.

His dream had been good. It had involved him and Nate, he knows for sure. All the best ones do.

He remembers the warmth of the sun against their skin, Nate's burned a cherry red from its too hot touch. He remembers the creak of wood as they swung on the porch swing at Cale's childhood home. He remembers the feeling of contentment, time stretching before them and behind them, practically infinite.

The taste of coffee still lingers on his tongue and Nate's laugh still echoes in his ear and the breeze still tickles his neck, if he could just fall back asleep--

"I have to leave soon," admits Nate quietly against his collarbone.

"What?" asks Cale, his eyes shooting open, suddenly wide awake. He turns his head until his gaze finds the familiar blue of Nate's irises, feeling himself settle just a little bit, even as his heart continues to beat rapidly in his chest. "What time is it?"

He tries to sit up, reaching for his glasses and scrambling for his phone, but Nate tightens his grip around his side until he settles back down.

"Almost eight," says Nate. "I need to leave by eight thirty."

He doesn't need to say the second half. Cale knew that. Knows that.

He always knows when Nate has to leave.

Cale frowns and gives a little shake of his head. "We were supposed to wake up at six," he says. "I remember setting the alarm. We were supposed to have breakfast, I bought--"

He quiets as Nate reaches a hand between them, the soft pad of his thumb smoothing the crease between his brow. His hand falls to Cale's cheek, cradling Cale's jaw as he leans forward.

The touch of his lips is featherlight, but the weight of the emotions behind it feels heavy.

When Nate pulls back just slightly, his lips still ghosting Cale's, Cale closes his eyes and tries to take a deep breath, but his whole body trembles with it. This never gets any easier.

He presses forward, deepening the kiss to prevent himself from asking Nate to stay. He can't do that. He wouldn't do that.

But still, his fingers twist into Nate's shirt as though his feeble grip will be enough to keep him here, in his bed and at his side, for just a little while longer.

"We were supposed to have more time," he says quietly, his throat clogged with too many emotions to name.

"I know," says Nate. What else is there to say? "I know."

#'what is this?' you may ask #'i don't know' i would answer #where is nate going? why does he have to leave? i don't know #are they hockey players? i don't know #is this some sort of au? #i also don't know that #this was fun tho! #my writing #829 #answered #kissing prompts #ask games #ask memes #writing prompts #thanks for sending this in!! #also i kept a writing prompt under 500 words it's a miracle be proud of me #natecale

[sage-nebula]

whats your opinion on the focus of tails genius versus his combat abilities

I think there should be equal focus on both.

Maybe this is because I grew up on the classic games, but I never understood the mindset that Tails shouldn't be in combat. He was the second character to ever be playable in the series, and in his debut game where he is playable, he is just as capable of bashing badniks apart as Sonic is. You can play 16bit Sonic 2 as just Tails, if you want to. And even if you don't, his A.I. can help against bosses. He landed the final hit for me multiple times. So the idea that he should have been kept out of combat due to his age makes zero sense, because he's been a frontlines combatant since day one.

At the same time, the argument that his genius only came to light in the (3D era) Adventure games is also wrong, because Tails Adventure on Game Gear is a metroidvania that has him using all kinds of gear. You could debate whether he built all of them himself, but it's hard to imagine some, like Robo Tails (ENG: T-Pup), weren't created by him. So his engineering prowess is also something that's been a part of his character since early in his conception, not something that only came to light in the Adventure era games.

So with that said, I think there really should be an equal focus on both. Tails is an engineer and he loves inventing things and working on tech. And in fact, in Tails Adventure we see him making all kinds of things, including a fuckton of bombs of all kinds of varieties that he uses to fight against an invading militia as a one man army. So while Tails can absolutely spindash (and in fact back in the day it was said that it was Tails who taught Sonic the spindash, though I'm fine with it being the other way around since that makes more sense) and bash apart badniks with his bare hands, he can and also does make weapons that he can use to aid himself and others in combat, too. Sidelining him in games like Unleashed, Colors, and especially Forces makes no sense. It especially makes no sense when you consider his arc and actions in Adventure 1 and 2. The boy is a genius, and he uses that genius to blow Eggman's shit up, and I think that should be celebrated.

#thanks for sending this in!! #sonic opinions meme #studioboner #miles tails prower

[leviathans-watching]

Yearning + Lucifer

➳ lucifer x gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned) ; taking place during the early days of nightbringer ; angst

it's hard, having him so close. hard, knowing every intimacy, every preference, every thought that passes over his face. it’s hard, that he’s your everything, but to him, you’re nothing.

to lucifer, you’re nothing more than a watchful eye. another unwelcome constraint put upon him by diavolo, another meddling demon. and it shows in his cool actions, so different from what you’re used to.

a constant, harsh reminder that he’s not your lucifer. and you’re definitely not his mc.

too often, you catch yourself wanting to indulge in old habits. to coak him to bed, to hug him from behind, to welcome him home with a kiss. but you always stop yourself, a relief and a heartbreak all at once.

he’s lucifer, but not yours. you’re mourning a living person, and it’s torture.

#thanks for sending this in!! #super fun to write <3 #leviswriting #leviswriting-obeyme #lucifer x you #obey me

[fromxgrace]

❝ i knew i could count on you. ❞

@luposcainus: "i knew i could count on you."

⟶ accepting prompts! (high fantasy, mature themes, dark)

A yank of the rope around his middle was about as secure as he was going to get. Being that he was in a place where he wasn't quite familiar, keeping his wings hidden was the move, so flight couldn't aid him on this quest today.

“I knew I could count on you.”

Daemon handed the sturdy rope to Caspian, a sign of wry in the glint of his dual-colored eyes. "Hold tight, Caspian, and don't start celebrating just yet. Your confidence might be misplaced." A pessimist by nature, the aasimar had to be realistic when it came to tasks like these.

As he prepared to descend down the cliff, the cold wind nipped his flesh and tousled his hair. "Remind me once more, what exactly does this plant of yours look like? Don't want to end up with something poisonous," Daemon remarked, glancing up at his counterpart. The opening of the cave yawned below, its mystery ready to swallow him whole.

#˗ˏˋ𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨ˊˎ˗ ┊answered #luposcainus #thanks for sending this in!! #lets gooooo

[tdbowie]

zoey for the asks game? :)

zoeyy

Sexuality Headcanon: bisexual zoey :)

Gender Headcanon: i saw this a while back but i like the idea of transmasc zoey!!

A ship I have with said character: zoey NEEDS to get her yuri on. zokota, zawn, joey, annezoey, zolana gwoey stoey heathoey (hoey) i don't have a preference for any specific ship i just think she should've kissed girls.

A BROTP I have with said character: zoey and scott!! all stars could've expanded on their rivalry i thought it was fun :) brotp as in they become reluctant friends i think

A NOTP I have with said character: doey... get duncan AWAY from her

A random headcanon: zoey and sierra are mutuals on tumblr. tumblrina zoey is real to me

General Opinion over said character: for the most part i'm neutral on zoey! i liked her way more in roti than all stars, but i think that's a pretty common sentiment. her design is..... one of my least favourites i'll admit. she WILL kiss girls aaaand post

#thanks for sending this in!! #my post #i like zoey redesigns a lot :)

[stucky-fic-idea-bank]

K so I had this idea for a fic, and I would love to actually write it but it's so far out of my wheelhouse that I'd do one (or more) of the following: push off writing it forever, spend ages researching, write it but never end up being happy with how it comes out.

But I would love love love to read it if someone else writes it!

So my idea is a modern AU, and both Steve and Bucky are on tiktok.

Steve (stevegrrr) is Skinny!Steve and disabled; he mostly adapts recipes for different dietary needs (often by request) but also sometimes reviews disability aids or shows how different things (baking, but also household, community, hobby, etc. things) could be adapted. He's in New York, baking from his college apartment, and has a successful Patreon where he posts unedited videos, outtakes, and videos of his roommates (Morita, Gabe) guessing which versions of his bakes are the original or the modified recipes and rating them.

Bucky (callmebucky) is broody Post-Azzano!Bucky; he bakes recipes from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. He's in Indiana, maybe isn't super happy there.

Steve's and Bucky's followers keep saying they should do a collab, and eventually Steve reaches out and invites Bucky to come to New York for that.

Bucky likes NY and Steve, moves to NY.

They don't do any more collabs but Bucky is there off-camera sometimes when Steve is filming, and vice versa. And their followers start noticing clues, like someone thinks they hear Steve talking or laughing in the background of Bucky's video, or Steve wears a sweatshirt he stole from Bucky and someone remembers that Bucky once wore it in a video X weeks ago. Then all their followers become detectives, e.g. "It can't be the same day as the collab because the calendar is turned to the next month." or "Can't be the same because Steve's bruise is a different color." (if Steve is physical fighty and not just words fighty on the internet)

Eventually, Bucky and Steve announce that they are dating (maybe with another baking collab that's too cheesy for Bucky's liking but he'd do anything for Steve and Steve wants to do it, so).

And yeah, that's it.

The biggest reasons why I don't think I could do it justice is because I'm not on tiktok or any other video-based social media platforms so know little about them, and also because I think it would be best told in part via video transcripts and comments on the videos, and [see reason 1].

Thoughts?

^^^^

holy shit this sounds so good. And you’ve already fleshed like 90% of it out!! Fingers crossed someone picks this up because it sounds like a banger of a fic

#stucky #stucky fic idea #thanks for sending this in!!

[saradika]

hi, j.! if you have time left for your celebration, may i request owk!series and or old!ben kenobi headers or dividers inspired by his oldness?

ahh pls omg YES I would love to!! 👀💖 Since you listed both, I did a blend of photos and header styles for these. Thanks so much for sending this in, this was so fun - I really hope you like them! 💕

———

[saradika’s sleepover celebration - closed]

#I have these with just old!ben kenobi as well #because I had them done before I went back and saw the owk! part #so if you’d like those as an option I can DM them to you! 💖 #thanks for sending this in!! #obiknights #saradika’s sleepover celebration

[wander-over-the-words]

deltaclair for the ship bingo?

MY BLORBO DADS MY LIVING RENT FREE IN MY HEAD DADS

it's about the undying trust!!! it's about how Sinclair makes Delta feel human because Sinclair never once talks to Delta like he's not a person!!! it's how Delta teaches Sinclair how to be human by teaching him what guilt and love are!!! it's about how Sinclair canonically wanted to live with Delta and see him cured!!! it's about how Delta is so content to let Sinclair talk because he loves hearing Augustus talk because nobody has spoken to him like that in like ever!!! it's about how Sinclair canonically disregards his own safety for Delta's twice!!! it's about how Delta has like zero confidence on his own but around Sinclair he does and what he lacks in confidence still, Sinclair has in spades and Delta admires that so much!!! it's about how Sinclair takes the time and effort to understand how Delta communicates and thus he's the only person besides Eleanor that Delta is fully comfortable around cause he knows Augustus will Understand Him!!! it's about Delta going FUCKING APESHIT when Sinclair is in danger and the Gentle Giant is no more until Sinclair is safe!!! it's about Sinclair respecting that Delta doesn't like removing his helmet!!! it's about the height difference and the strength difference and how Delta can just Hold Augustus in his big strong arms!!! it's about how by the end of the game, Sinclair stops talking about getting out of Rapture for the sake of the money and instead keeps saying they need to get Delta to Eleanor so that he can live!!! it's about how Delta's mission to get Eleanor out of Rapture becomes getting Eleanor and Augustus out of Rapture!!! it's about Sinclair's fucking tones of voice when Delta is waking up after Wales knocks him out of the train and Sinclair thinks he might be dead and when Siren Alley is flooding and Sinclair is panicking about Delta's safety!!! it's about how Delta hopes he's "handsome like Augustus" when he's cured!!! it's about how "you and me, kid - we're goin' places"!!! it's about EVERYTHING!!!

#reply #answering #Deltaclair #thanks for sending this in!! #Benny/Ethan has taken over my mind recently but trust me the blorbo dads still live there #they just have some weird new neighbours lmao

[kordeliiius]

for your Crewmates au; what's the endgame for it? Mono living on the Maw with the rest of the crew? Just a bit curious.

Getting Mono out of the tower and physically on board with everyone else was a major goal point for sure!! But at the same time I can't see it ending there either (like how there's a lot of different goals that are met between the beginning and now, life just kinda goes on for everyone). I've thought here and there about how Mono could contribute to the crew's efforts with his unique abilities, and I can never pick just one. But when on a small team, one wears many hats! (lol) Is he more efficient at dispelling vermin? Perhaps he improves the radio's capabilities? Is it possible for him to control the ship even? There's so much possibility.

Tho I just hatch this other idea regarding Dark Six and their role in the story. Throughout LN1, we can see them following Six around; prodding her towards solutions, watching her every move, whatever. But until recently I never thought about how Six's disconnect from her "inner child" could affect life with her new family. I think it'd be interesting if, for the longest time, Six was the only one who could see her own glitching remains. They're a deeply personal issue that she couldn't articulate to anyone and she just kinda has to live with. Now that there's a transmitter on the crew, is it possible for them to re-merge? Does Six even want that? And what would the result be?

I definitely want to take the metaphorical factors of glitches into account when approaching this question too; it's my belief that they're a narrative device representing a character's mental state, while still having a tangible effect on them. Of course, if Six does decide to re-merge with their "inner child," I don't want it to "fix" all their emotional issues or suggest that she could never function without it (because that's not true). Instead I want it to really mean something. The arc I'm trying to set up at this point in her life is letting go of her past regrets or atoning for how she's treated people, particularly Mono. Once she's found fulfillment in that aspect, THEN Six might be ready to ask for him help again.

#asks #little nightmares #crewmates au #this just turned into a six lore post halfway through asfkjsdfldsk #it's a question i had to start asking tho #thanks for sending this in!! #kramblings

[dmitryanya]

top 5 superheroes

put “top 5” anything in my ask and i will answer ok go!

Ooooh tough one, let's go, in no particular order !!

Steve Rogers / Captain America

Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel

Janet Van Dyne / The Wasp

Rogue / X-Men

Diana Prince / Wonder Woman ( though these days it's a toss up between her and superman but 90% of these choices depend on which version of the character we're talking about and how they're written!! )

#thanks for sending this in!! #ask games

[luimagines]

Hello!

I've been lurking for a few months but wanted to say how much I love your work. I'm sorry for us shy lurkers I guess I never know what to say especially cause I feel like I'm much older than most of the fandom I see.

I appreciate all your hard work and you've inspired me to start writing again! I'll do my best to keep sending you notes and appreciation.

Signed a shy and awkward poodle 🐩

Age matters not in fandom. We're all here to have fun because we love the same universes of adventure and story. :D

I'm glad you got into writing again!!

I'm happy to meet you Poodle!!!

#pinky replies #thanks for sending this in!! #<3 #it doesn't have to be much for a comment #maybe just copy and paste your favorite line!! That'll be enough for me <3

[michelangelinden]

hii!! can I please ask for number 2, jukebox, romantic, for the winter prompt list? I hope you're having a good day/night!

Hello!! Of course!!

Here is 2. Pressing your cold nose against their neck from this promptlist for you!!

(i had a couple leftover asks from the Autumn prompts, so I asked them to send in a Winter prompt instead, to fit the season)

this was beta read by me and Grammarly, because writing's not that easy, but Grammarly can help /ref (it sucked btw)

The Molina family had some strange holiday traditions, Luke had come to realize over the last couple years of knowing them. Of course, they celebrated Christmas differently than his family, being Puerto Rican and all, those are definitely not the strange traditions he’s talking about (in fact, he really enjoys it, mostly the food though, he was delighted when he'd been invited to their Christmas Eve dinner for the first time).

No.

There were however the annual “Pyjama ‘Home Alone’ Watch Party”, the “Who Can Buy The Ugliest Tree Ornament Contest”, and the “Building A Snowman So High It’ll Fall Over Mission”, among other things. And then what Luke found by far the strangest, the “Ice Camping In The Mountains Trip” between Christmas and New Year.

That’s where he found himself, in the car, about to reach their destination. Ray had invited him to come along, now that he and Julie had been dating for over a year, much to Carlo’s protests about having to watch him and his sister be lovey-dovey for two days straight. Luke had accepted the invitation, of course, any opportunity to spend time with Julie was taken, although he hadn’t really been sure what exactly “Ice Camping In The Mountains Trip” implied. Then again, he could’ve guessed, because it implied exactly what it was called—a camping trip into the mountains, like up there, where there was ice.

He was already wearing too many clothes for his liking, a sweater with a shirt underneath, a hat, and a scarf, and they hadn’t even exited the car yet. Julie next to him didn't look any different, minus the hat, but she was huddled up in an incredibly soft-looking knitted sweater, that he had felt the urge to hug her in since she had put it on at their last fuel stop. Carlos probably wouldn't approve.

"Five more minutes, guys," Ray announced from behind the wheel, Carlos bouncing in his seat next to him. When Luke looked out the window, he found a thin layer of snow covering everything that wasn't the street, and he shuddered at the sight of it.

"It may look cold now, but it's gonna be really cozy once we set the tent up," Julie told him quietly.

His head snapped towards her. "Tent?"

She frowned at him. "Yeah, tent. How else would we be camping?"

Luke opened and closed his mouth like a fish. "I was hoping on a caravan. Maybe a cabin," he said eventually.

"Cabins are for losers!" Carlos called from the front. "Tents are the real deal!"

"It's minus degrees out there," Luke tried.

"Don't be silly," Julie said and patted his hand, "it's just below 30°F."

Still super fucking cold.

"You won't freeze, Luke," Ray assured him. "We've done this so many times. We have sleeping bags and many blankets and a portable heater."

"And each other," Julie added, slipping her hand into his. Luke smiled at that. He did like the prospect of cuddling with Julie the whole night.

"Ew, gross!" Carlos seemed to disagree. "Dad, they're already holding hands, I can't do this!"

Ray chuckled. "Calm down, mijo, we've talked about boundaries." He caught Luke's eyes in the rearview mirror. Luke nodded back at him, nervous, even though he had nothing to worry about. He really wasn't up for anything other than maybe a small kiss while being around Julie's dad. Ray turned back to the front and addressed his son again. "Wait till you have a partner of your own, then you'll get the two."

Carlos crossed his arms. "I'm never gonna fall in love and have a partner. I'm gonna stay single, like Bobby."

Luke couldn't help but chuckle. "Reggie is Bobby's partner though, even though he doesn't fall in love."

"Yeah, but only platonic. Not as gross as you two."

Luke resisted the urge to tell him that even though Reggie and Bobby were queerplatonic partners, they did kiss sometimes, just because it was fun, and were more touchy than he and Julie. He doubted Carlos would enjoy knowing that.

So instead, to tease him more, he leaned over to Julie and made obnoxious kissing noises. Carlos immediately groaned, turning away, but Julie laughed brightly. She smiled at him when he stopped, eyes fond.

"Idiot," she muttered, then pecked his lips.

They reached the small campsite they were headed to not much later, a large area with benches and fireplaces all over. Luke started freezing the second he stepped out the door, but Julie just placed his flannel coat over his shoulders and shoved a bag with pegs into his hands.

“Working will get you warm,” she said, then patted his cheek and walked off to help her brother unpack the car.

Luke helped Ray set up the tent. To Luke’s surprise, it went really well, considering historically he was not the best guy to set up tents with. But Ray seemed to have mastered the art after years of it, so the hardest part was getting the pegs into the slightly frozen ground, which Luke eventually resigned to using a log for.

Then he watched Julie and Carlos set up a fire in the fireplace, Ray watching them carefully. Julie had asked Luke if he wanted her to teach him how to do it, but he declined, too scared to accidentally set their tent on fire in the process. So he just watched them do it, impressed by how quickly they got it to light aflame, even in the cold.

Everything got a bit more comfortable after that. They were wrapped in jackets and blankets, Luke and Julie huddled close next to each other, the fire heating their cold fingertips. They had dinner and Ray even brought out marshmallows, crackers, and chocolate for s’mores, to all of their delight.

Despite Luke’s hesitation about the whole thing, and the fact that he couldn’t feel his toes, he had a lot of fun. The campsite was basically deserted apart from a group of hikers at the other side, so they were not embarrassed to sing a song or two, Carlos doing his best at keeping up a rhythm on the back of his plate. It was cold as hell, but Luke really got why the Molina’s have made this one of their winter traditions—the smiles on everyone’s faces could have lit up the world, and Luke felt himself warming up a bit from the inside out.

The sun set quickly, stars littering the night sky that were a spectacle of their own, but eventually, it got too dark and late and cold, and they decided that it was time to head to sleep.

Carlos was grumbling again. It was a tent with two compartments, but instead of getting to share one with Julie, he had to sleep in the one with his dad, which he said, “snores like a bear!” Ray suggested he could sleep outside if it bothered him that much, which made Carlos shut up about it quickly.

And then finally, Julie and Luke were laying down on the air mattress, a little cold but comfortable, two blankets ready to go and another one at the side, looking forward to cuddling. Luke pulled Julie close the second they were horizontal, and she let him, hugging his middle.

“I know you feel cold, but you’re like a portable heater from the outside,” she commented as she pushed her face into his chest.

He laughed. “Thanks.” He brushed a hand over the back of her head, hair wrapped in a silk scarf to keep from going frizzy. “Are you warm enough?”

“I don’t know, you tell me,” she responded. Luke frowned, confused, but then she tilted her head upwards and pushed her ice-cold nose into the side of his neck.

Luke yelped and reeled back. Julie just cackled. She turned her head to push it into his shoulder instead.

“Jesus Christ, Jules!” he let out, now laughing with her.

“The chance was too good not to take it,” she said around a giggle.

He sighed loudly but chuckled. His neck calmed down from the shock and he relaxed back into his pillow, turning towards her.

“Come here then,” he said. When she looked up at him, he gently took her chin and tilted her head upwards a bit, so he could press a lingering kiss to her nose. “Gotta warm you up,” he whispered, before kissing her forehead as well.

She giggled. “Thanks.” She reached up to kiss his lips. “Love you.”

Luke’s chest warmed at her words. He kissed her back. “Love you too,” he muttered into her lips.

They melted into each other, a slow cocoon of heat enveloping them underneath the blankets. But the peace wouldn’t stay long.

“Dad, I can hear them being gross from here!” Carlos called. It was followed by a deep sigh.

“You won’t hear them if you go to sleep,” Ray responded tiredly.

“But—ouch!” There was a rustling noise coming from the other side. “Did you just kick me?”

“I know nothing.”

More rustling.

Then, “Luke, if I apologize, will you let me switch?”

“No chance, dude,” Luke called back. Julie snickered as she curled back around him.

#pushing the aroace!Bobby agenda #i write juke so rarely but they're so soft i love them! #thanks for sending this in!! #linden writes stuff #linden answers asks #julie and the phantoms #juke #luke patterson #julie molina #ray molina #carlos molina

[allthepandasintheworld]

i demand all the rene factoids!!

agjhskldjfhls okok uh

rene is a huge fan of dime store romances. like, the trashier the better. he projects onto the protagonists, without realizing that in all honesty, he shares a lot more in common with the 'dark and brooding' love interest type. in modern AU, he's on booktok. he pretends that he's there ironically, but in truth he's not. cringelord. i love him. him and alois are both very cheesy romance novel love interest-coded, although personally i think alois is a little more protagonist-coded than rene is.

#not art #thanks for sending this in!!