Hello! Female, she/her, Pansexual. I like superheroes, magic, history, sitcoms, and musicals. Singer, dancer, seamstress. This is a safe space for everyone! ✦💛✦
Okay so I LOVE modern family right? As much as- fuck that - MORE than the next person, literally rewatching it to the point of memorisation.
So yeah, I love that show but a few details didn’t really sit well with me as the seasons progressed. None of this is said with hate, so please don’t come for me.
LUKE.
He was an adorable inquisitive child always searching for out of the box ways of exploration. Sure he was kinda shown as dumb as a child but that could be attributed to his childish innocence or just asking “why not?” . But as he grew into an adult, I really wish we got to see his character progress. I want to see Luke who sure likes girls but isn’t OBSESSED with him. Let him grow out of his teenage phase. I want him being as dorky as Phil with weird extravagant but incredibly sweet ways of talking to his crushes, I want to see Luke who sure may not have done the best at school but had different strengths too and was deducted points due to his out of the box thinking and forgetting to abide by the rules. A Luke that becomes the idea guy at a good company or entrepreneur. Luke who is surprisingly very emotionally perceptive. Luke who stands up for Haley when the adults overshadow her with Alex. Luke who protects Alex from the constant stress of being lonely and feeling like no one understands her. Give me Luke and Manny shenanigans that are reminiscent of “put two brain cells in a room and suddenly they’re stupid”. Luke bonding with Lily over creative inventions, Luke sharing Phil’s interest in trampolining and dancing and does it for the girl he really really likes. Luke who isn’t dumb, just not as strict and academically inclined but does well in what he sets his mind to. Luke who has Claire’s business sense and Phil’s mind for inventions. Luke who is sharp and kind, Luke who is the glue of the family. Luke who is quick to tell when someone’s being manipulative, Luke who can easily charm a guy into giving him their own wallet, Luke who is business smart and Luke who loves corny things but will defend them with all he’s got. Luke who is the go to person everyone calls when they’re lost or scared. Luke who is actually crazy rich because he invests in stock market. Luke who donates a lot of money for noble causes such as forest fires, dog shelters etc because he has a kind generous heart. Luke who doesn’t tell anyone how rich he is and continues childish shenanigans that are hilarious.
Cuz I believe Luke’s character was never meant to be portrayed as dumb, and seeing his potential keeps me wondering what more we could’ve seen him become.
Feminist Quotes From Marvel, Harry Potter, and the Arrowverse:
"I know my value. Anyone else's opinion doesn't really matter." - Peggy Carter
"I'm a doctor, not a dame." - Jemma Simmons
"I'm stronger than you know..." - Daisy Johnson
"How about I do you a favor and not tell anyone that a tiny little Asian woman kicked your ass?" - Melinda May
"Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say 'No, you move'" - Sharon Carter
"I have nothing to prove to you." - Carol Danvers
"It's time we stand up for what's right." - Gamora
"I'm sorry. Did I step on your moment?" - Natasha Romanoff
"I can't control their fear, only my own." - Wanda Maximoff
"No, I'm not. I'm hoping to do some good in the world." - Hermione Granger
"Being different isn't a bad thing. It means you're brave enough to be yourself." - Luna Lovegood
"Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve." - Ginny Weasley
"Even if it's hard, if you face it you can conquer anything." - Alex Danvers
"If the government wants to stop me from helping people, let them try." - Kara Danvers
"The greatest gift we can give each other is our authentic selves and sharing that. Sharing our truth is what makes us strong." - Nia Nal
"I can absolutely be the hero of my life." - Felicity Smoak
"(The) Future isn't always what it seems. We decide what it gets to be." - Iris West-Allen
Musicals Aren't Supposed to Have Encores | Luke Dunphy x fem!reader
Based on season 4 episode 14 of Modern Family: "A Slight at the Opera."
Warnings: None? Two eighth-graders kiss a few times... does that need a warning?
Word count: 2,052
Summary: Luke and Y/n step up to new roles in "The Phantom of the Opera" performance their middle school is presenting. Cam doesn't know what to do when the audience calls for an encore at the end of the show.
A.N.: Notes vs notes became a very hard thing to keep track of while writing this. Because I had notes, as in musical notes that you sing or play. And notes, as in theatre notes, directions as to what to do, and ideas of what needs to change. The struggle of being both a music kid and a theatre kid is real.
"What do you mean Genevieve is sick?" Cam exclaimed to the girl's mother over the phone, "First our Phantom falls ill, and now our Christine? Does the world think our theater department is filled with actors?... No, of course, I'm sorry. I hope she feels better soon."
Theatre never goes exactly as planned. You're bound to have bumps along the way. Cam was prepared for that. He had backup props and backup lavaliers. What he hadn't prepared for was for both his Phantom and his Christine to get sick.
Having already found and lost hope in having Luke play the Phantom, Cam felt he was running low on ideas and patience. So, he turned to his assistant director/stage manager: Y/n.
"Well, Y/n. What do you think?" Cam asked.
"About which?" she replied, "We've got a couple problems right now."
"Either. Any. All. I don't know," he was obviously at the end of his wits.
"I think that you should show Manny the video you have of Luke so that he can see what you want him to be doing," she offered.
"Alright," Cam agreed, calling Manny over to watch the recording, "And what about Christine? I hate to say it, but Genevieve was the only soprano we had who could--"
"Luke has to do it," Manny cut in, before rushing off to undo the damage he had done.
"Well, that solves that problem," Y/n said cheerfully.
"I doubt any of them even know all the words, let alone the right notes, the right timing..." Cam trailed off, "Luke could you run 'The Phantom of the Opera,' please?"
"The whole show?" Luke asked, surprised.
"No, the song," Cam clarified with an exasperated shake of his head that looked much more like Mitchell's mannerisms than his own.
"Uh, sure, yeah. I don't know my cue without Christine's part, though."
"Y/n, could you sing Christine's parts until I figure out a replacement?" Cam requested turning to her.
"Well, I don't normally... but I guess I could... I do know the words, and the notes, and the timing and blocking... Sure." She replied.
The two walked over to the piano to practice. Y/n hadn't gotten more than four lines in when the whole theater was staring at her. Cam realized that maybe his Christine had been hiding in plain sight just like his Phantom. Her vibrato was perfect. Her voice paired perfectly with Luke's. Y/n and Luke looked up shocked when the entire ensemble came in perfectly on cue to find that Cam was conducting them like a choir. Y/n smiled at Luke, as they turned so the entire cast was rehearsing together. When they got to the part where Christine climbs up in notes, everyone's jaws hung open. Y/n herself was a tad surprised at how cleanly the notes came from her chest. Sure she loved to sing. Sure she had practiced this entire musical what felt like a million times. But to hear it in a theater. To hear how creepy her friend Luke could sound, perfectly portraying the Phantom. To hear the song all around her. It felt unreal. Especially when she got to the E6. She knew that for Genevieve they had lowered it, but she also knew that she could hit it. So, she ditched the note Cam had given the original Christine and chose instead to follow the regular notes of the song.
"Y/n," Cam started once the song was over, "You need to play Christine. Your voice is perfect. You know all the directions I gave. You understand what I'm trying to do with this show. Please, we need you as Christine."
"Okay, okay," she replied quickly.
They were very lucky that the costumes, which had been brought in for different actors, fit Y/n and Luke almost perfectly. Everything after casting Y/n had been rushed chaos. She had called her mom to bring her a pair of white heels since the original shoes didn't fit. But she neglected to tell her mom why she needed the shoes, simply insisting that the show sounded amazing and her family just had to come. Standing backstage, Y/n and Luke were talking while she used safety pins to shorten his cape. They didn't exactly have a replacement stage manager after all and she had offered to continue with both roles.
"You look really pretty," Luke commented as she stood up and handed him his pinned cloak.
"Thank you," she replied, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks, "you should wear suits more often, you look quite dashing. I'd lose the mask though, your face is too cute to be covered."
Now it was Luke's turn to blush. He knew that Y/n was good at flustering people, of course he did, they had been best friends for years and she was his long-time crush, but he had never found himself on the receiving end of her flattery.
"Hey!" She called out quietly to one of their castmates, "That's not where that prop goes. Go put it on the prop table where it belongs."
"You know we're supposed to kiss, right?" Luke asked when Y/n turned back to him.
"Yes," she answered, "Poor Genevieve and Marcus, do you think that's why they're both sick? They had to kiss so much in rehearsal."
"Oh yeah, poor things, they had to kiss someone over and over again," he said, sarcasm dripping off every word.
"Careful," Y/n chided, "I'll kiss you over and over again."
"Like that's a threat," Luke snarked, before remembering who he was talking to, the confidence leaving him at once, "--I mean, we should probably practice at least once. Just, so we're on the same page. Know what to expect."
"Hmm, probably," she said slowly, before grabbing his hand and pulling him toward her.
Y/n kissed him gently, sweetly. And then it was over, and Luke decided he would do whatever it took to be able to kiss her again.
"Alright," Cam called, all the actors gathering around, "Uh... Luke, Y/n if I could talk to you for a moment after we're done. Alright, everyone, this is going to be great, there's nothing more we can do at this point. I know we've had a few hiccups, but I think we've come out stronger. So, good luck. Just, don't think about the audience. Be loose, speak clearly and enunciate, and have fun. Break a leg!"
When he had dismissed everyone else, Y/n and Luke walked over to Cam.
"Ah, good," he began, "I just want you to know how proud I am of you. And I wanted to make sure you didn't have any questions. Last minute confusions?"
"Nope," Luke said.
"None," Y/n confirmed.
"Good, good. And the kiss, I know we didn't talk about it. You're both alright with it?"
"Yep."
"Yes. We made sure to go over that with each other. We're on the same page. We know what to expect," she clarified, smiling at Cam, before looking at Luke with what he swore was a smirk.
"Wonderful. Then I'll go introduce our show, and we will begin," Cam said before leaving with a flourish.
The show was going perfectly. The audience was already captivated and they were only five songs in. When the iconic opening notes to "The Phantom of the Opera" began to play Y/n could feel people shift in their seats. She felt the pressure to perform the song well but didn't find herself nervous. One glance at Luke told her he felt the same way. Hearing how their voices melded together perfectly, Y/n was filled with giddy happiness. She couldn't have really explained it, but it pushed her further. When she began her climbing notes they were even stronger than they had been earlier.
They had taken an intermission between the two acts, and Y/n was enjoying some lemon honey tea, while a speaker next to her played "Something to Believe In" from Newsies. Luke was sitting in a makeup chair, across from her with his own cup, fidgeting as prosthetics were being applied to his face. In between taking sips of tea, the two were softly singing along to their favorite musical number, causing the poor kid trying to do Luke's makeup to continuously snap at him for moving his head.
"And if I'm gone tomorrow"
"What was ours still will be"
"I have something to believe in"
"Now that I know you believed in me."
Out in the audience, Haley had arrived during intermission and was now entering the theater with everyone else.
"I left the house as soon as I got your text," Haley exclaimed to Alex, "I can't believe Luke is playing the lead!"
Backstage, Cam called quietly: "Curtain's up again in five! You're doing great, y'all!"
Finally, they were reaching the end of the play. Alex was clinging to Haley's arm, practically holding her breath. By that point she had all but forgotten that her brother was playing the Phantom, having become deeply invested in the story. Not until Christine was standing, turning the Phantom to face her, did Haley lean over to Alex to whisper: "Can you believe that's Luke?"
Then, Christine kissed him.
"Oh my gosh," Alex exclaimed lightly to her sister, "They like each other."
"Who?" Haley replayed, "The Phantom and what's-her-name?"
"No, Luke and Y/n."
"Oh, yeah, duh. They have for years."
Then, Christine was kissing him again.
The curtain came down and then raised again, leaving the cast to bow. They led the audience in applause to the sound crew, the lighting crew, the musicians, and then Cam who joined them on stage. The curtain went down again, but the audience's applause didn't die down with it, rather it picked up. A few parents in the audience called for an encore, and soon the entire theater joined in.
"We don't have an encore," Cam quickly whispered to the cast, "Musicals aren't supposed to have encores. But they seem to really want one, does anyone have anything?"
"We do," Luke said, looking at the girl next to him.
"We do?" Y/n questioned, her eyebrows raised.
"Sure, 'Something to Believe In,'" he told her, before turning to Cam, "From Newsies."
"Are you sure?"
"We know the whole thing by heart," Y/n assured him.
Cam walked out in front of the curtain.
"Well, ladies and gentlefolk. You asked for an encore, so an encore you will receive," as Cam spoke, Manny ran to tell the pianist what the encore would be.
Cam continued, "But first, I'd like to thank my terrific cast for getting over humongous hurdles, especially my incredible leads, who only stepped into their roles today, having previously not been a part of the cast, but the crew. And who, just now, pulled an extra song out of their hats, like theatre magicians,"
He looked at the pianist asking, "We're ready?"
The pianist confirmed he was, indeed, ready.
"This is 'Something to Believe In' from Newsies," Cam said with a smile, before walking off stage.
The curtain had risen again, revealing that the mobile set pieces had been removed. There stood Luke and Y/n, the former of which had changed slightly: he had ditched his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, messed up his hair, and was standing so the audience could only see the normal side of his face. Their plan was to run the scene from first line to exit, and that's exactly what they did.
Sitting in the audience, Alex and Haley quietly squealed to each other. For years, they had been having monthly movie nights, just Haley, Alex, Luke, and Y/n. And each month, they watched one of four movies. Newsies being one of those movies. They had often joked that Y/n was like Katherine, joining another family. And each time "Something to Believe In" would start, someone would say it must be one of the best love songs ever, and the rest of the kids would agree.
Boy, did the two actors have fun with it. The nudging, the kiss. The playful looks turned to silent flirting. Everything they wanted to do in their own lives, and the song required all of it. When the curtain lowered for the final time, the audience erupted in cheers. Backstage, Cam ran to Y/n and Luke, engulfing them in a hug only a proud director/uncle could give.
I don't own Modern Family or any of its characters/plots. I don't own The Phantom of the Opera or any of its characters/plots/songs. I don't own Newsies or any of its characters/plots/songs.
Once they start kissing you they just can't stop, you just have this... this... taste, it's so, so sweet and- and- addictive and makes it impossible for them to stop
They can just go in for a sweet and innocent little peak and not even 5 seconds later, they're already full making out with you, they just can't resist it, can't resist you.
And everyone in the room will be side eyeing you and telling you to get a room, but they can't hear it, no, they are more focused and interest in your lips, in you. - someone literally has to drag one of you away because you will be late to something.
BENEDICTBRIDGERTON, Bellamy Blake, GEORGE WEASLY, DICK GRAYSON, Hawk Moskowitz, EDDIE MUNSON, Finn (Gilmore Girls), ISAAC LAHEY, Kol Mikealson, Kuroo Tetsurou, SUNA RINTARO, Atsumu Miya, Luke Dunphy, Marcus Lopez, MALIA TATE, SERO HANTA, Steven Hyde, Sweet Pea, Carl Gallagher, Finnick Odair
Do any other demisexuals have the strange experience of starting to think a character is cute after you get attached to them and like their character as a whole, but the actors themselves are a whole different ball game? For example, I think Daisy Johnson is a little attractive, but Chloe Bennet isn't really at all. Characters and actors are completely separated in my mind, because while they may look the same, the actor is not the character and has a very different personality.
I don't know if it's the same for others, but the character changes slightly in my mind. Maybe they're younger or maybe they're a combination of a few actors who have played them.
And personality is what really matters, so just because they share an appearance doesn't mean I'm attracted to both.
Fitz, Keefe, and Dex all take time to do their hair in the morning.
Fitz styles his short hair in perfect waves. They’re controlled and stay perfect the entire day.
Keefe styles his hair to look careless but actually spends a lot of time on it. It looks cool and messy, but not messed up, and also stays just how he styled it all day.
But Dex...
Dex tries to style his hair as perfectly and pristinely as Fitz’s. And it never works. It stays how he styled it for an hour, at best. But it ends up an actual, if not adorable, mess over the course of spending the day working, worrying, and chasing the triplets.
Summary: Keefe and Sophie prepare for their first real date. Keefe looks for a gift, and Sophie tries to look nice. Ironically, they both go to Biana for help.
I originally posted this on Wattpad but thought Tumble might enjoy it too.
He wanted to get her something, needed to. It had been so long since they'd had time to hang out. Honestly, if he really thought about it, the last time they were alone was when he first kissed her...and she had kissed him back. No matter how much he smirked at her, winked at her, teased her, and tried to hide behind confidence, he still woke up giddy every morning knowing she had kissed him back.
But what was he supposed to get her? They didn't exactly have the most normal relationship.
Did they even have a relationship? He wasn't entirely sure.
Clearly, they had something; otherwise, the Mysterious Miss F. wouldn't fall into his arms every time they got bad news or leap up to hug him when they figured out even the smallest detail. Clearly, they had something because he was the one who got to kiss her goodbye every night, even if it was always after she made him promise not to do anything stupid without her.
His first thought was to ask Fitz; after all, Fitz was his best friend and Foster's Cognate. But just as he was about to leap to Everglen he stopped. What he was about to do clicked. He had been planning to go to Foster's ex-boyfriend, who had been really hurt when he found out she and Keefe had kissed, and who had probably not gotten over her that quickly, for help finding a gift.
What a stupid idea.
His next idea was to go to Dex: they had grown closer over the years, but...Dex had also had a crush on Sophie for a bit. And, during that time, had given her a few gifts. Thinking about it, Keefe didn't actually know how long Dex had like Foster. Besides, she'd be able to tell if he went to Dex for help.
Okay. So I need a new plan.
He sat back down and pulled out his Imparter.
"Biana Vacker," he said slowly, having not fully thought out what he was doing.
A moment later Biana's face popped up on his Imparter, though to Keefe it felt like hours.
"Honestly, don't either of you know how to date someone?" was the exclamation he heard first.
"What?" Keefe asked caught off guard.
"Your girlfriends here," Biana explained, then quickly added, "Well not right here. I left the room when you hailed. I figured you were hailing me because of something to do with your date, so...how can I help?"
"I...First of all, not sure she's my girlfriend–"
"Yeah, you're just two friends who kiss all the time and are constantly jumping into each other's arms," Biana cut him off sarcastically.
"I feel like I should get her a gift," he confessed, "but I only thought of that an hour ago and I can't figure out what to get her."
"Well, jewelry is always an option, though Sophie doesn't care about all that stuff as much as I do. I know my brother gave her a very cheesy teal heart necklace once, so don't do anything like that. He also used to try and bake stuff, but since you're going on a picnic and Edaline's cooking I wouldn't suggest you do that either."
"Okay, no cheesy heart necklaces in her 'favorite' color. And no cooking. You're so helpful... has she told you anything she wants?"
"Not really," Biana answered truthfully before joking, "If I were to ask her now though, she'd probably say you."
"Thank you. That gave me a perfect idea," he told her before turning back towards the Leapmaster and saying clearly, "Atlantis."
(Sophie’s pov:)
"Is everything alright?" Sophie asked when Biana walked back into her room.
"Probably," Biana responded. "Your boyfriend just needed help with something."
"He's not... we're not... I–" Sophie stumbled over the words.
"He's not your boyfriend, I know. He's just your friend who winks at you and smirks at you and who always has his arm draped around your shoulders."
"I want to wear something red," Sophie shot out, changing the subject.
"What?"
"Before he hailed you, you had asked me what I was thinking of wearing. I want to wear something nice. And red. And less fight-y than what I normally wear."
"So, like, a dress?" Biana asked, eyebrows raised.
"Yes," Sophie replied with a sigh, "But NOT a gown. And I'm not wearing the type of heels you normally wear."
"Sorry, all I'm hearing is that you want to wear a dress (which you never do) and that you want to wear heels...Who are you, and what have you done with Sophie Foster?"
Sophie laughed, "Biana, I'm going on a date, not into battle. And I find it as weird as you do, but I came to you because I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to clothes for the sake of looking nice."
"Oh, honey, we don't want you looking nice. Looking nice is for school and talking to the Council. We, want you to look good. Cute. Hot."
And with that, Biana turned towards her closet to begin the both organized and messy, task of finding something that both she and Sophie could agree on. And eventually, they did agree on something, with a surprisingly few number of compromises.
And so, Sophie left Everglen in a very pretty red dress. It was made of a velvety soft berry red satin. The dress pattern itself was a very simple a-line wrap dress. It had sleek bishop sleeves that fell three-fourths of the way down her arms. What made the dress so special was the detailing. It was adorned with pure gold embroidery. Flowers and swirls, stars and vines. And, as Biana made sure to point out, beautiful swans outlined in gold and filled in with black.
With the dress, Biana had convinced Sophie to wear very slight kitten heels. They were mostly black with gold swirls embossed onto the inward-facing side of the shoes and one-inch block heels that Sophie found to be surprisingly comfortable. And, "to top of the look," as Biana had put it, ruby earrings hung from Sophie's ears and a scattering of matching ruby hairpins decorated her braided headband like fresh morning dew decorated the pastures of Havenfield.
When the gates of the impressive Everglen estate closed behind her, Sophie could have sworn they sounded lighter than normal. As if even the cold metal gates were telling her to lighten up and enjoy one of the few quiet, comforting moments of her life.
With that, she raised her home crystal up toward the light, stepping into the beam and leaping back to Havenfeild.
When Sophie arrived back home, she immediately went to Havenfeild's beautiful kitchen.
"Well, don't you look pretty," Edaline commented.
"Thanks. Biana really worked her magic," Sophie said, before asking, "Where's the picnic box? I don't want to be late."
I also don't know where I'm going.
Unsurprisingly, given their quick planning, Sophie and Keefe had forgotten to set an actual place for their picnic date.
"Keefe already took it," Edaline explained. "He wanted me to tell you to meet him where Flori told Sandor and Grizel to go. I think he made that intentionally confusing because I have no idea where that is. I take it you do, though, given the mix of understanding and 'oh how sweet' that is your current facial expression."
Maybe it wasn't a mistake that we didn't set where to meet or where we were going. Maybe he had a plan.
"I do," Sophie replied.
As she left the house again and began to walk down through the pastures and trees, she couldn't help but reminisce about all the ways her life would be darker had she not realized that Keefe really liked her. And, that she liked him just as much.
Finally, she pushed back the curtain of vines blocking the hidden area from the rest of their cruel world. And, laid out on the ground in front of her was the most perfect sight ever.
Her not-yet-actually-boyfriend-but-still-definitely-dating boyfriend was sitting on the most cliche human-style picnic blanket surrounded by all of their favorite foods, moving each plate the tiniest bit so it would all be perfect.
And she couldn't help the tiny giggle that passed by her lips.
And his head immediately shot up so he was looking at her.
"Foster!"
"Hi, Keefe," she said, at first fighting the grin that was trying to spread across her face before giving up and letting her happiness shine through.
He jumped up, rambling, "I wanted to get you a present. You know, 'cause this is our first real date and all. And at first, it was really hard. And, I almost made the terrible mistake of going to Fitz for help, but instead I hailed Biana and she gave me the perfect idea. Wait here."
And with that, he disappeared behind a tree. Sophie wasn't sure if she should sit down yet or not, so she settled for leaning against a tree with the plan to take cues from Keefe.
He reemerged a moment later with a giant bow on his head. And not just any type of bow either. A big silk ribbon bow. The type with wire to support the bow someone might tie it in. And, as she studied it longer, Sophie realized that one side of the ribbon was an absolutely beautiful ice blue and the other was a stunning brown that shone gold in the light. Each of their eye colors was displayed on one side of the ribbon; a perfect balance of them.
Seeing her cocked eyebrow he explained, "I'm your present, Foster; if you'll have me."
"Are you asking me if you can be my boyfriend?"
"Yes."
"Which means you're asking me to be your girlfriend..."
"That would be how that works, yeah–"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
"And–"
"I still have no regrets. And you aren't going to mess this up. You are already doing an amazing job. You have been doing an amazing job."
He went back to sitting on the picnic blanket and picked up one of the many delicious-looking treats Edaline had made for them.
"C'mere, Foster," he said, sounding almost dopey from the calm and content feeling they were sharing and patting the ground next to him.
And she obliged. Sitting down next to him, picking up one of the pastries, and leaning her head on his shoulder.
Keefe sighed, "I could get used to this...Sophie."
