#brooding squid
Text
Deep-sea mom life
For decades, marine biologists assumed that all squids laid their eggs in clusters on the seafloor, where the eggs developed and hatched without any help from their parents. However, MBARI scientists discovered that some female deep-sea squid, like this Gonatus onyx, brood their eggs by carrying them between their arms until the young hatch and swim away.
Gonatus females will have approximately 2,000 to 3,000 eggs in a sheath between their arms for as long as nine months. During this time they are unable to feed and must rely on stored fats from previous meals. This observation of the first known parental care behavior by squid was also an important discovery made possible by the use of MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles.
3K notes
·
View notes
Text
Daily Cephalopod #33
#squid#gonatus onyx#or the clawed arm hook squid#mama squid brooding eggs!#daily cephalopod#cephalopod#cephalopods#marine life#marine critters#marine creatures#marine animals#marine biology#ocean creatures#ocean critters#ocean animals#ocean life#sea animals#sea creatures#sea life#aquatic life#biology#zoology#animals
201 notes
·
View notes
Text
Skytober day 10; Dark! [Nightfall]
Imo Nightfall's figure colors are cooler than her in game colors, but that's just because I live for the iridescent green she's got going on there.
OG skytober post by hungry-skeleton for anyone who wants to do it!
88 notes
·
View notes
Text
ROUND 2 MATCH 7: CROY VS. MALFICLARK
Croy Propaganda:
"cressida is a girlboss whose first interaction with the party was her (and her retriever spider partner) kidnapping a party member. she has since returned to do all sorts of cool shit with them, like kill squids. roy had to be carefully protected the one time he went on a mission with the party, because he is. a normal-ish dude who cannot fight as well as them. and theyre an amazing ship otp"
"Bounty Hunter With Dark And Brooding Past And A Big Spider meets Sunshine Himbo With Nice Abs"
Malficlark Propaganda:
"Malfina is a sexy powerful demoness and Clark is just. Some guy. From Connecticut. Safe to say he knows a thing or two about good ol fashioned Connecticut hospitality and homemaking."
"You know them, I know them, it's everyone's favorite demoness and blob man back to share their love with the world once again."
#polls#croy#cressida#rwd#rolling with difficulty#clark and malfina#malfina/connecticut clark#malfina the demon witch#malfina and connecticut clark#connecticut clark#conneticut clark
319 notes
·
View notes
Text
yan! giant squid merfolk hcs
cws : shapeshifting because i said so, giant squid brothers (theres 3), the brothers use magic to join you on land (i use a different term but you’ll get it when you see it), giant squid courting behaviors are actually kinda violent, mating for life, mate guarding that leads to murder, camouflaging used to aid in stalking, delusional behavior, i thought it would be kinda cool if they ate their competition so i added that in there… mating mark bc it’s hot, aphrodisiac saliva bc that’s also hot ^^, implied nsfw but nothing descriptive.
— yan! giant squid brothers who were absolute legends in their territory. the three were known to be ruthless, never losing a tussle with any of the other aquatic societies if provoked.
— yan! giant squid brothers who never took a mate. they agreed that the lot of them would share a mate, and thus was unable to find one each of them liked. unhappy with the lack of aquatic mates, they turn to the land dwellers.
— yan! giant squid brothers who surfaced near the coastline, observing at a safe distance. they watched for six days and six nights before they found you.
— yan! giant squid brothers who find you walking along the shoreline with your shoes in your hands as you admire the glittering sea. they were absolutely fascinated with you.
— yan! giant squid brothers who quickly and efficiently use their vytarin to rid themselves of tentacles for the time being.
— yan! giant squid brothers who follow you around, using their composition to slink around the areas you walk about. they find that your human mannerisms are actually super cute <33
— yan! giant squid brothers who eventually approach you after observing how humans interact for a bit. something about them seems a bit off to you…
— yan! giant squid brothers who are absolutely enamored with you. their body language says as much — smiles that seem a bit too wide, eyes that look a bit too dark… everything about them seems a bit creepy.
— yan! giant squid brothers who read your uncomfortable kindness and polite manner of speaking as a go ahead to take you as a mate.
— yan! giant squid brothers who slink around you whenever you take your leave. there’s not a single moment that goes by where they don’t have eyes on you in some form. whether one of them is awake and the others asleep, information is always relayed in an exuberant manner.
— yan! giant squid brothers who take it extremely seriously when they catch you talking to another man. they perceive an action such as this as a threat. this is another potential mate!! they have to get rid of him before they lose you!!
— yan! giant squid brothers who send one off to deal with their competition while the others watch you. their competition is swiftly dealt with and devoured by the lot of them, the three finding that eating from a human mouth is, in a way, somewhat amusing.
— yan! giant squid brothers who conveniently pop up at the best of times, something flashing in their eyes when you smile awkwardly at the three.
— yan! giant squid brothers who enter your home one night and inform you that they’ve taken you as their mate… and that they mate for life.
— yan! giant squid brothers who each sink their incisors somewhere in your body— one mark on your thigh, one on your waist, and the other on the curve of your throat.
— yan! giant squid brothers who are pleased when your body flushes and a light sheen of sweat begins glistening on your skin. they note that their saliva has an affect on humans that they weren’t aware of…
— yan! giant squid brothers who complete the mating ritual that night, hoping they’ll see your tummy well with their brood ^^
— yan! giant squid brothers who continue to protect you despite the mating ritual being complete, doing their best to figure out a way to bring you home with them safely.
— yan! giant squid brothers who take turns returning to their aquatic homeland to build a home large enough for the three of you. they ask for your opinion on each room and outline, valuing your opinion over their own.
— yan! giant squid brothers who find it absolutely adorable when your brows furrow with anger or confusion, the way your eyes soften, how pretty your eyes look when they glisten with tears… they truly couldn’t have chosen a more perfect mate<33
#tw yandere#yancore#yandere x darling#yandere girl#soft yandere#male yandere#yandere#tw: yandere#yandere oc#yandere oc x y/n#yandere oc hcs#yandere oc x you#yan oc#yandere oc x reader#oc hcs#oc#my ocs#yandere imagines#yandere hcs#yandere headcanons#yandere terato#yandere teratophilia#yandere monster x reader#yandere monster#yandere creature x reader
237 notes
·
View notes
Text
splatoon misconceptions i cannot stand
agent 4 is an idiot. i think this one makes me the most upset because 1. they have at least a little experience in a variety of weapon classes and 2. they didn't know who the squid sisters are because they were busy with extracurriculars. people saw them in the anniversary art, suddenly assumed they were an airhead, and ran like the wind with it. extinct (for the most part) thankfully but uuuuuuuughhhhhhh
agent 8 is a soft girl/boy who needs protecting and is a cinnamon roll too pure for this world. almost as upsetting at the first misconception. not only did they save inkopolis as a whole from doom, but they're clearly the thoughtful and wishful type as seen in the mem cakes. also, they don't speak inklish well and are unfamiliar with inkling culture because THEY DIDN'T GROW UP IN INKOPOLIS. also mostly extinct
agent 3 is a brooding jerk who sulks and is mean all the time. just because they don't smile doesn't mean they're flat out rude, they're just hardened by the events of every game. sure, they're more mellow and not super joyful, but that doesn't automatically make them mad at everything. still ongoing, but not on a large scale
that frye/callie are just airheads. they might be, but they're also just. silly. callie is sweet and considerate while frye is also that and an all-in-all team player. haven't seen this much, but i know it's happening
286 notes
·
View notes
Note
I was deeply moved by your Splatoon fanfiction video.
Just wondering how exactly would physical scars and body part loss work on a body completely made of Semiliquid?
Thank you for watching!
Splatoon is weird franchise; the idea of colorful squids turning into goop is rather silly. That's why I had some reservations on making a "serious" story like Takotsubo. To make it work, I think it was necessary not to get too caught up in details about physiology.
That being said, I saw a video about a mother octopus that brooded her eggs for four years. Over time, her body became worn and scarred. I think that in Splatoon, Inklings and Octolings can carry scars as they age, too. When the body reforms from liquid, it can't do so perfectly and their scars stay.
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
you're on your own, kid | e.m - part eleven
eddie munson x singlemom!reader
summary: set after the events of season four, Steve has disappeared and is presumed dead in the upside down. broken and now left to deal with your pregnancy alone, Eddie takes it upon himself to support you to the best of his abilities in Steve’s absence.
chapter summary: a changing of seasons brings everyone out of their comfort zones, and a moment of honesty brings you and eddie closer together
content warnings: fem!reader, adult language, adult themes, unplanned pregnancy, angst, hurt/comfort, some canon divergence/au, mentions of death, reader is 19, anxiety, angst, fluff, no use of y/n, slow burn, brief mention of past abuse
word count: 8.3K+
a/n: the calm before the storm is here. i've had a lot on my plate recently so apologies for the wait, i hope you enjoy and once again thank you for all of the love xx
taglist: @lezzy-bennet @harrypotteranna23-blog @reidstea @sashaphantomhive @bexreadstoomuch @audhd-dragonaut @littlepotatobeansworld @ches-86 @tlclick73 @fckyeahlames @gnocchey @astrolockley @sidthedollface2 @micheledawn1975 @3rd-conchord @eddiesbabe95 @taintedcigs
↳ one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten / eleven
Part Eleven: I'd Love It (If We Made It)
How strange, to peer into a crib and see your best friend in a rabbit-print onesie.
With her thick crown of once dark strands now softening to a caramel-brown. Wide chocolate eyes, lashes that people would pay good money for. Anyone with half a clue could deduce that’s Steve’s kid. And god, it causes Robin’s heart to lurch every time she sees Squid. A spitting image, her annoying co-worker turned closest friend now confined to the tiniest body she’s ever seen. It’s been hard not to wonder how Steve would be with her. Any air of confidence crumbling at the sight of his gurgling lump of a daughter. Nervously shushing her over his shoulder as she fusses, trying his hardest not to get water in her eyes while he gives her a bath. He’s had lots of training with kids, but not ones this small. Robin knew he always longed for a brood of his own, a family to take on holidays out of town and send out cheesy Christmas cards to loved ones. He’d make countless mistakes, putting her diaper on backwards or forgetting the stroller at home. But god knows he’d wake up everyday and try his best. Delicately, she reaches down and brushes the back of her finger across Audrey’s flushed cheek. She doesn’t stir, eyelids remain heavy and lips parted while her chest steadily rises and falls. So peaceful. The front door clicks open behind her, and she glances over her shoulder to see your shadow enter the living room.
“How’s Eddie?” She asks, propping herself on the arm of the couch.
“Yeah, he’s alright.” Your reply is hushed, so as not to wake Audrey. “Andy’s fists must be as thick as his head, he took a few solid hits.”
“Lucky he knows how to take ‘em.” Robin shoots you a wry smile, trying to lighten the room somewhat. “You want me to stay the night?”
“Sure, I might just grab a shower and then join you in bed.” Kicking off your shoes, you give her shoulder a squeeze as you pass her on the way to the bathroom. Curiosity gets the best of Robin as she watches you, the faintest traces of a smile playing on the corner of your lips.
“You were over there for a while.” Raising her eyebrows, her playful insinuation isn’t lost on you. “Anything happen?”
Your cheeks flush, and you let out an incredulous, yet unconvincing scoff.
“No! God, I just helped clean him up and left.”
“Like, ‘scrubbed him off in the shower’ cleaned up?”
“You’re sick, Robin.”
Robin breaks into a smug grin, shaking her head. “Just… remember what we talked about. Taking it slow?”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Thanks, mom.”
“Anytime, darling!” She calls out behind you as you disappear into the bedroom. Stealing a final glance at Squid, she flicks off the living room light. “Lucky kid, getting two badass dads.”
“Nope. Absolutely not.” For all his virtues, Eddie can be so stubborn when he wants to be. And today is no exception.
“C’mon, just give him a chance! I’ll be back at work next week, it’s only for the days when you are Robin are working-”
“Zero chance I’m letting Henderson look after Squid. The kid misses his own mouth when he’s eating, how do you expect him to feed her?”
Huffing, you pace around the living room anxiously. Eddie is laying down in the middle of the carpet, Audrey perched atop his stomach, holding her hands to keep her upright. Toys are discarded around them, a mess of Fisher-Price to clean up later.
“Well, I don’t really have any other options, Eddie. I mean, I don’t have the money for daycare-”
“I’m happy to spot you some cash for that.”
“That’s not the point!” You groan, plopping yourself down beside him. “I don’t want your money, and if I’m gonna pay someone, I’d rather it be someone she knows.”
“Sweetheart, she doesn’t know who anyone is.”
“Well, she knows you.”
Eddie’s lip’s spread into a shit-eating grin, lolling his head to the side so you can bear witness to his smugness.
“Yeah, ‘cause I’m her favorite.” Rolling your eyes, you heave your weary body down parallel to the metalhead. “Tell you what- I’ve got Tuesday off, so I'm on the first babysitting shift. Henderson can come around and help me, and I’ll be the judge on whether he’s ready to look after her on his own. Make sure he doesn’t let her chew on the electrical cords and whatnot. Deal?”
Intellectually, you know this is as good as it’s going to get, so you concede this battle.
“Fine. More electrical cords for you, then.”
Dimples settling deep into his smile lines at your quip, he turns his attention back to the attention-starved baby situated on his abdomen. He lazily maneuvers Audrey’s arms around like a tiny puppet, and you can’t help but smile at the show they’re putting on for you.
It’s hard not to study the way Eddie’s face subtly transforms when he looks at Audrey. Crow’s feet permanently plastered around his temple, lips pressed together so minutely that anyone could miss it. Like he’s bursting at the seams with adoration. Pulling your gaze away from his lips proves to be a mammoth task you have no interest in partaking in. There’s an air of tension between the two of you, existing as a fine mist like a cloud around you. Neither of you have addressed the kiss since it happened, so it’s been easy to chalk it up to an adrenaline-fueled urge. You need to tread carefully, just as Robin suggested. Prioritize yourself and Audrey before adding anything complicated into the mix. But you hope, underneath it all, it was something real. Right now, you’re happy to just exist in this moment, watching Eddie fussing with Audrey’s jumpsuit and squeezing her sides. It’s simpler like this.
-
Tuesday afternoon rolls around, and you’re a mess. Every intention was there of cleaning the trailer before the boys came over, but you’ve spent a good majority of the afternoon scooping out piles of clothes searching for your work vest. As you throw another handful aside, you momentarily wonder if Audrey has been buried under the ever-growing mountain on the bed. But, from the next room, you hear her happily cooing at nothing from her crib, likely vying for your attention post-nap. The hideous green vest makes itself known beneath an old floral dress, and you snatch it up greedily as if it could grow legs and run away from you. Sliding your arms into the vest, a knock rings out at the front door.
“It’s open!”
It’s unlikely that two elephants just entered the room, but with the excitement and shuffling between the two, one could be mistaken. Following the procession into the living room, Eddie and Dustin are unloading the contents of a plastic bag onto the cluttered kitchen bench.
“Hey, momma bear!” Dustin beams at you, quickly abandoning the joint activity to pull you into a tight hug.
“Hey, kiddo.”
“Love what you’ve done with the place.” Eddie’s tone is dripping in sarcasm, brushing aside a pile of unopened mail.
“Ha ha. Would’ve cleaned up but it took me ages to find this fucking thing.” Eddie glances over his shoulder at you, drinking in the image of you dressed in the ugliest green known to man.
“Got all dressed up for us? You shouldn’t have.” His hands dive into the bag, withdrawing assorted-sized Tupperware containers.
“What are you doing in there anyway?”
“Wayne had a pot-luck at work, dunno what he was thinking bringing home all these leftovers. Would rather them clogging up your fridge.” It’s kind of amazing how he can twist his kind gesture into an inconvenience for you.
“You’ve still got the caterpillar I got for her!” Dustin’s voice draws your attention back to the living room, where he is standing over the crib. Dangling the colorful insect above Audrey, the sound of the beads jingle throughout the room, somewhat covering the noise of Eddie haphazardly shoving the containers into your small fridge.
“Of course, she loves it.”
It strikes you now that Dustin hasn’t seen your daughter since the kids came to visit in the hospital. Against the nurses wishes, they broke the two-person limit to cram into the room, excitable faces peering down at your newborn daughter. Surrounded by so much love in her first days on Earth.
“She’s looking more like Steve now, don’t you think?” Dustin asks, dropping the toy onto the couch. A sad smile dances on the corners of your lips, crossing the room to stand next to the younger boy.
“Yeah, she is. She’s growing into her head, though. Or maybe it’s just covered in so much hair that it’s balancing out.” Habitually, you gently comb your fingers through her bed head, never tiring of the feeling of her soft skin against yours. Dustin, all the while, just watches completely awestruck. “You want to hold her?”
“Hell yeah!” He doesn’t miss a beat. His reaction is a stark contrast from when you first asked Eddie the same question, his enthusiasm causing you to grin.
“Here-” Cupping your hands beneath your squirming baby, you gingerly bring her up to Dustin’s awaiting arms. He quickly adjusts to distribute her weight comfortably, making sure to support her head. Robin must have been spitting facts out at him in preparation for this moment, and you beam with pride. “Look at you, you’re a natural!”
As if she’s got any sense of comedic timing, Audrey lets out a small squeal, as babies do. Dustin practically breaks into a cold sweat at this sudden noise, quickly pacing around and giving her a gentle rock.
“Shhh, it’s okay, Squid. Your Uncle Dustin’s here now.”
“Uncle Dustin?” Eddie re-enters, shrugging off his jacket, and you hate the way his ¾-sleeve shirt clings to his frame, highlighting the sinewy muscles of his forearms. Entirely too distracting.
“Yeah!” Dustin quips back. “Y’know, like we’re all her uncles and aunts now.”
“Sure, whatever you say, kiddo.” Eddie places his hand atop Dustin’s baseball cap, rolling it around like an arcade controller. “You got everything?”
Grabbing up your handbag, you shuffle through the contents in search of your wallet.
“Yep, I think so. Shit, this is gonna be so weird. I haven’t gone this long without being with her since- like, before she was born.”
“And she’ll still be here when you get home. Just go and concentrate on making the big bucks.” Eddie gives your shoulder a comforting squeeze, settling the sea of emotions brewing in your stomach. Sure, it’ll only be a few hours but you’re going to miss her so much. Strolling over to Dustin, you give Audrey’s chubby cheek at least half a dozen kisses, eliciting a wide grin from her.
“And me?” Dustin’s playful smile spreads across his cheeks, which he presents for kisses. Obliging, you grab his face and press an obscenely loud squelching kiss to his skin, the wet kind grandparents give. He grimaces, realizing he can’t wipe it away with his hands full. You save him the pain and do the honors yourself, but not before giving his cheek a firm pinch. Eddie stands somewhat awkwardly, waiting for his farewell gesture.
“You play nice, okay? Let Dustin do the dirty work, and help if he needs it.”
“Cross my heart, sweetheart.”
Heart skipping a beat as you take a step closer to him, you catch a whiff of his woody aftershave before landing your lips on his cheek. As much as you’d love to linger, there is a teenager and baby present, and you’re running late for the closing shift.
“Stay out of trouble, kids!”
Two men and a baby. Alone in the trailer. Under any usual circumstances, they would be shitting themselves. But not these men. They’ve fought monsters. They’re changing diapers with confidence by the bucketful. Getting a bit of spit up on their shirt is nothing compared to the sludge and grime coating the Upside Down. Zero reservations or shame around doing what it takes to get Squid to crack a gummy smile. They’re loving every second of it. But it’s hungry work. And it’s everyone’s dinnertime, the last of the sunlight turning golden through the windows.
The boys settle on a delectable takeout menu, consisting of shrimp fried rice and lemon chicken, courtesy of Dustin’s fresh babysitting payment. The succulent aroma fills the small living room, with the two boys scattered across the sofa. Squid, as it turns out, has zero interest in being put back in her crib as long as the boys are around. If she’s excluded from the fun, it’s hell to pay, every time. And so, Eddie resorted to bottle feeding her with one hand with her propped up to his chest, while shoveling rice into his own mouth with his other. A comfortable silence, bar the clattering of plastic utensils and low hum of the TV in the background.
“Gotta say, Henderson. I’m impressed.” Eddie awed, taking extra care not to let the piece of chicken balanced precariously between chopsticks land on Squid’s head. Marinade in her hair is the last thing he wants to deal with, and he wouldn’t know how to explain that one to you.
“You doubted my babysitting skills for a minute there? Ouch.”
“I’m just saying! Wasn’t sure you even knew how to change your own diaper.”
Dustin scrunches his nose up at the older boy, who relishes in his perfectly-landing insult.
“Ha ha. Very funny. ‘M sure you’ve been getting in lots of practice, playing mommy and daddy.”
Eddie’s eyes narrow, a playful glint dancing in his dark-brown irises.
“Is that what you think goes on over here?”
“I mean, it’s clear that you two have some serious chemistry-”
“We’re friends, dingus.” Eddie retorts.
“- Add on top of that the fact you ransacked your own fridge to bring her dinners-”
“I told you, Wayne had a potluck.”
“- not to mention you beating up the only other guy she’s gone on a date with since Steve.”
The older boy scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Yeah well, you would have too…”
There’s a strange silence between the pair, each picking around at their plastic containers of lukewarm takeaway. Dustin’s gaze lands on Squid, whose eyes are growing heavy as she gradually grows happily milk-drunk.
“I think it’s good.” He mumbles, sheepishly returning to his meal.
“You think what’s good?”
“You know, her-” Dustin points his fork in the infant’s direction. “-having someone like you around. I mean, my dad was never around so, I don’t know, just makes me happy to see kids with someone like that in their life. I think it makes a difference.”
Eddie snorts, traces of cynicism palpable.
“Yeah, not always.” As far as Eddie’s concerned, Wayne is practically his father. Not the deadbeat criminal he’s spent his life distancing himself from. Like a reptile shedding its skin, navigating the world raw and free from the binaries forced upon it. When you’ve been stuck in the middle of a situation like that, it’s not hard to gravitate towards people with similar upbringings. Which, of course, led him to Dustin, who has become something akin to an incredibly annoying younger brother that he happens to love to death. His adopted sheep, and Eddie proudly playing the role of the group’s shepard.
Squid, polishing off the remainder of her bottle, burbles contently in the crook of Eddie’s elbow. Abandoning his meal, he heaves her onto his shoulder as he has many times before, and begins patting her on the back. He can’t help but think how much she takes after you, you’re always most content after a big meal. Squid looks incredibly dopey, not too dissimilar to the crowds Eddie would see shuffling out of The Hideout late at night. All the while, Dustin watches him with a smug smile, looking entirely too-pleased with himself for the older boy to let it slide.
“What?”
“Nothing!” Dustin quickly returns to his meal, the grin still playing on the corner of his mouth.
“Spit it out, or I’m making her spit up on you. I’ve got a weapon and I’m not afraid to use it.”
Dustin lets out an on-brand giggle, turning his attention back to the older boy.
“I was wrong. We’re all uncles and aunts, but you- you are daddy Eddie.”
“I will punch you, Henderson. And I’ll enjoy it.”
You return home long after the sun has gone down, face shiny with congealed sweat but a smile plastered on your face. A smile that only grows at the sight in the house. Dustin, heavy-lidded with an equally tired Audrey clinging to his chest like a baby sloth to its mother, all arms and limbs. Eddie recalls the way you pried her off his torso, a day of longing for your child finally drawing to a close. And the immense joy seeping from your pores at the connection with her, infecting the entire house and its inhabitants. A working mother. You felt useful. Confident. And completely fulfilled.
It stung Eddie’s skin like a rash, welting flesh until it was blistered and tender. He wished it didn’t. But the creature now occupying the recesses of his mind had no interest in pure moments, making itself known at the most inopportune times.
He said his goodbyes. Dropped Dustin home, smiling and nodding along as the younger boy recounted his successes with the baby, like changing diapers was his biggest triumph since fighting literal monsters.
He meant to return straight home. But he didn’t. Couldn’t.
The moonlight bounces off the thin veil of the lake, calm from the clear night existing above him in the form of an uninterrupted sky. The only other sound being the occasional clattering of his empty beer bottles at his feet, glass meeting stone. Carbonated liquid trickling down his throat, doing little to inhibit the ferocious war waging internally.
He longed to grant himself the happiness you dish out so freely. Not only to yourself, but to everyone around you. He wanted to accept it. Hold it tight in firmly clenched hands and never let go. But it sits like an ice block, stinging his hands and dripping through his fingers every time.
One word continuously pierced his ears over and over again through the quiet shore like white noise.
Daddy.
What the fuck.
An off-handed comment by Dustin, now stalking him like his own shadow. It disgusts him, how two syllables took his heart in a vice grip and hasn’t let go. As if it’s unlocked something deep within his soul, a purpose he never knew was accessible to someone like him.
Eddie doesn’t know the first thing about being a dad. The closest he’s ever gotten is petty crime, abandonment and cigarette burns on his prepubescent forearm. That’s the hand he was dealt, the masterclass he was given on what a father should look like. It shouldn’t matter regardless, if he knows how to burp a baby or not, because it’s not his place.
Not his role.
It never was.
Eddie scoffs to himself, how selfish it is that he’s indulged in the coulds for so long. But beyond that self-criticism sits temptation, seductive with its alternate narrative. In another universe, another lifetime, he could be Squid’s dad. He could hold her small hands in his own, as chubby, unstable legs find the unconditional support of the ground beneath her feet to take her first steps into the world. He could bring you and her to this very same lake, when the weather is warmer and the shore is filled with sun-kissed skin and beach balls. He could tighten the strap on her bucket hat, dipping her tentatively into the lukewarm reservoir, her first visit to a natural body of water. He could parrot words back to her babbling mouth for hours, clinging to the hope that her jumbled consonants miraculously form that word he loves.
Or loathes.
He’s not sure yet.
Ignorance is bliss, and Eddie has existed in a state of euphoria for so long that he’s not sure if he can go back to the pain of knowing. He’s tasted a life so far removed from anything he’s ever known, relished in its sweetness and left him wanting more. He’s never known how good it feels to be needed.
Not that you ever needed him, Eddie is perfectly aware of that. He’s never met anyone as strong as you, full to the brim with resilience.
But he sees it.
In glimpses.
A low sigh as you attempt to fold laundry with one hand. A hopeful glint shot his way while the room fills with a putrid smell. Fleeting snores as you doze off on the couch, your baby happily staring up at her barnyard mobile.
Moments of unspoken safety, because he’s there.
To lend a hand, skirting around the edges of your life in contented devotion.
Needed.
Wanted.
He’d be lying if he said he hasn’t thought about leaving. Heartache follows him like a specter, waiting for the perfect time to announce itself. The rational side of his brain screams out to go, get away before he gets hurt or worse, hurts you. Solitude is lonely, but at least it’s consistent.
But he knows he never could, not willingly. To leave you, to leave Squid, would be a fate worse than death itself. That kind of heartache would consume him, destined to end up as his father did abandoning him all those years ago.
He won’t.
He can’t.
The clock is ticking, and time is running out. With every trip Dustin makes to Hawkins Lab, returning not with answers, but with hope. Filthy, addictive hope. Every tick of the minute hand taunts him, echoing his inner sabateur’s monologue louder and louder.
You’re gonna lose them.
Once Steve’s back, they’ll be gone.
And you’ll be nothing again.
Here’s the thing about babies. They grow. Fast. It seems every time you blink, Audrey is practically hulking out of another shirt. At this point, the only top she’s comfortably fitting into is the formerly-oversized gray one that appeared one morning in Eddie’s presence. She’s wearing the very same shirt as you push the stroller across the tiled floor of the thrift store, ready to pour your entire paycheck into a new wardrobe. They don’t have a huge selection in the way of baby clothes, but enough to get her by for a month or so.
Trinkets line the walls of the intimate store, haunted-looking dolls peering down at Eddie and Robin. They’re looking at some of the smallest dresses you’ve ever seen, clearly thinking ahead to the impending warmer months.
You’ve always loved thrift stores. The welcoming, musky smell that is so distinctive, a collective odor of multitudes of families. Well-loved utensils that have lived a thousand lives sitting patiently on steel shelves, ready to be passed onto the next person. Shoes of all different sizes and conditions, either outgrown or abandoned. It’s strangely comforting, you think. Even as you donated the tiniest of Audrey’s newborn onesies, the somber feeling morphing into peace as you think of the next baby to wear them, not yet known to the world. Always cyclical, give and take.
Finding your way down the knick-knack aisle, something at the end catches your eye. A wicker picnic basket, with delicate linen lining the interior. Leather straps secure two plates to the cover, along with some old utensils. The wicker on the outside is fraying, clearly from years of love. There’s something so innocent about it. From the cream fabric to the metal latch, it evokes memories of a childhood you never had. The kind of life you only see in films, perfectly manicured families sitting in green pastures on spring afternoons.
A life that has always felt so far removed.
Until now.
A small smile creeps across your face as technicolor versions of the future cascade through your mind's eye.
“Oh good, you’ve found the pots and pans.” A sarcastic voice quips behind you. Eddie saunters up to your side, a finger dusting the shelves. “They’re not quite as good as drums, but Squid’s gotta start somewhere if she wants to make it.”
“Are you ever going to call her by her real name?”
“Sure, when she’s old enough to hate it.”
“You’re an idiot.” The metalhead chooses to ignore your remark, following your eye-line to the shelf.
“This is cute.” Eddie delicately picks up the basket from its home on the shelf to examine it closely. “Could double as a baby carrier. Put a few pillows in there, maybe take out the sharp objects and boom. State of the art baby-mobile”
You sigh. “I miss buying things just because they were fun.”
“I mean, it’s your money, so why don’t you?”
“Let’s call it a change in priorities.” Taking the basket out of Eddie’s grip, you place it back where it belongs. “How’d you and Robin go with the baby clothes?”
“Terrible. She hates everything I pick out, it’s all ‘put that down Eddie, she doesn’t need a tiny leather jacket’, or, ‘I don’t care that you’ve got matching sneakers to those ones, she’s got enough shoes’. Talk about a buzzkill.”
“My ears are burning.” Robin emerges with what appears to be the contents of the entire baby clothes rack stacked up in her arms. “Wanna come and help me sort through this?”
Eddie shoots you a look that can only be interpreted as ‘good luck’ before you trail off behind Robin, a mountain of second-hand clothes demanding your attention.
-
Whether it's the warming weather or your new routine, but you’ve found yourself with an extra spring in your step. One shift a week grows to two, then three. Your rotation of babysitters make themselves available at your beckoning call, each accepting a different form of payment. Dustin is happy with a couple of bucks to blow at the arcade, and maybe an R-rated film rented on your behalf. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Eddie, who refuses any form of payment outside of cuddles with Audrey. And Robin exists somewhere in the middle, not taking any monetary payment but will absolutely help herself whatever lives in your pantry.
Audrey hits the twelve-week milestone before you know it, and it’s bittersweet in the best possible way. The newborn phase is drawing to a close, your tiny baby is now not-so tiny. She’s just discovered her hands, which is the most exciting thing in the world to her. Putting them to work by sucking her thumb or taking her toys in a vice grip, it’s amazing to watch her discover the world around her in a more tactile sense. And the kicking. Excited, chunky legs flailing wildly while she gazes up at you, reminding you of the sharp blows you’d receive to your bladder while pregnant. She’s growing, no longer a tiny frog curled up on your chest but a cheeky little human demanding to be seen. And demand she does. Trips to the grocery store have become an ordeal, with older ladies crowding around the stroller to peer in at Audrey. And she eats it up every time. All gummy grins and babbles, she knows how to work her charm. Definitely got that from Steve.
Weekends are reserved for the pair of you, and when Saturday rolls around, you’re ready for some mother-daughter time. A quiet day was planned, a walk around the neighborhood followed by some ice-cream and then ringing around to the usual suspects for a makeshift-family dinner. It’s been a long time since you felt this happy, this fulfilled. A tiny cheerleader now lives in the back of your head, reverberating shouts of ‘you can do this!’. Little things hold much more weight now, like how you’ve dressed Audrey in a summer dress similar to one that’s been living in your bottom drawer for years before adorning the old garment yourself. She was occupied with staring at her fingers for most of the morning, leaving you to do your makeup in peace. With your matching dresses on, hair brushed and a milk-drunk baby in your arms, the pair of you are ready to take on the day.
Until you hear a familiar knock at the door.
Swinging it open, you find Eddie equally dressed for the spring weather. A cut off singlet allows for his tattoos to be on full display, contrasting against the un-sunkissed skin of his forearms. He drinks the two of you in, a grin spreading across his face.
“Aren’t you two a pretty little picture?” He gives you a final once-over before pulling you in for a hug.
“What’re you doing home? I thought you were working the Saturday shift.”
In the time it took you to form those two sentences, Eddie has robbed the baby from your arms. Not that Audrey was complaining, her hands greedily grabbing at his face for whatever she could reach. Her smile only grows wider as he takes a mock bite out of her hand, causing her to erupt with a ballad of giggles.
“On a beautiful day like this?! Not a chance.” Audrey manages to grab a good fistful of Eddie’s hair. “Just thought I’d- ow, come and visit my favorite girls.”
Cheeks flushing at his choice words, you’re grateful for your daughter’s distraction to keep the metalhead from seeing your giddy expression.
“If you say so. We were about to go for a walk. Wanna come with us?” You drag Audrey’s baby bag from its home beside the front door and hoist it onto your shoulder.
Freeing his curls from Audrey’s grasp, he gives her fist a sprinkling of kisses. She thanks him by smacking her palm down on his nose with as much force as she can muster.
“Actually-“ His tone is uncharacteristically bashful. “- I uh, sort of had a surprise planned. You up for an adventure?”
Eddie Munson has a baby seat in his van.
You’re not entirely sure how or when it appeared, but it now lives as a piece of decor along with the metal cassettes and fast-food wrappers. And even more out of place is Audrey, all smiles in her summer dress against the dim and worn interior. Her energy knows no bounds when she’s awake, legs kicking excitedly to the tune of Iron Maiden coming from the car’s stereo while Eddie smiles at her through the rear-view mirror.
Looks like someone is a little metalhead in there.
Eddie may have been right, after all (unfortunately). Casting your mind back to that sunny afternoon post-ultrasound, the two of you with bellies full of greasy burgers. Singing at the top of your lungs, the way Eddie swerved off the road at the false signal of distress. That was the first time Audrey kicked. And now, here she is, jumping around in her seat to heavy metal like it’s a nursery rhyme. Nothing has changed.
Through the window, you watch as the landscape of Hawkins changes from metropolitan streets to grassy pastures, further out than you’ve ever been before. Expanses of green rolling hills take shape while the van clutters along the asphalt, sunlight trickling through the brush of trees lining the road.
“Nearly there, I promise.” Like a mindreader, Eddie answers the question before it’s had the chance to leave your lips.
“This looks like the perfect place to hide a body, you know.” You joke, noting the total lack of human presence surrounding you.
“Still think I’m gonna make you a human sacrifice?”
“Not if I get the chance first, pal.”
“I’d like to see you try.” Eddie smiles, eyes still locked on the road. As the car reaches the peak of the hill, he pulls off the road onto a dirt path, the wheels kicking up a myriad of pebbles along the way. Bringing it to a halt, he turns off the engine and swings his door open.
“Stay here.” A giddy smile is plastered on his face as he closes the door behind him, a scuffle of shoes on the dusty ground outside can be heard. The sound of metal doors swings open as Eddie yanks something out of the back and then disappears. A few minutes pass, and Audrey begins growing cranky due to the lack of heavy metal in the vehicle. Gingerly, you reach over and unclip her from the car seat to pull her into your lap.
“What’s he doing out there, huh?” Pulling her up to eye level, you watch as a steady stream of drool trickles down her chin. “He’s been telling you secrets, I know it. C’mon, spill the beans, Miss.”
Audrey replies by shoving her fist into her mouth, an indication of her oath of silence. The passenger door flings open, and an out-of-breath Eddie grins at you.
“All ready.”
Propping Audrey onto your shoulder, you swing your legs out of the vehicle and follow Eddie. He leads you to the back of the van, and your breath catches at the image before you.
From here, you can see the entirety of Hawkins, a model town existing in the distance. The grass spread out before you is soft, untouched by human activity, a hidden nook only known to a few people. The scattering of trees part for a perfect view of the landscape, so picture perfect as if a cinematographer had framed it up just for this moment. And sitting in the middle of the plush grass, is the blanket from the back of Eddie’s van. The edges are smoothed down, with half a dozen pillows skirting around the border and Audrey’s baby bag placed to the side. As you approach, you can make out the object placed in the center.
The picnic basket from the thrift store.
“Oh my god…” Your voice trails off, heart swelling to double its normal size at the gesture.
“Pretty sweet, hey?” Eddie grins proudly, hands on his hips as he admires his handiwork. “I went back the next day and got it for you, thought you deserved to have something fun.”
Eddie takes Audrey from your arms in your awed-state, holding her like a teddy bear, front facing to the world. “C’mon, grab a seat.”
As if in a trance, you follow him to the blanket and take a seat beside him on one of the pillows. Eddie places Audrey in his lap, who is already trying to beat you to open the basket with greedy hands. He reaches over and swings the lid open, beginning to unload the goodies inside. Two cans of soda are placed on the makeshift picnic rug, followed by a punnet of ruby-red strawberries and some biscuits.
“And…” Tucked into the corner, Eddie retrieves a small disposable film camera. “Cool, huh? Jonathan had it lying around and gave it to me, maybe you might want some new pictures taken. Now she's chunking up a bit and growing into her skull.”
He hands you the camera, and takes to rummaging through the baby bag for something to keep Audrey occupied. The plastic on the camera is flimsy, likely something bought from a corner store, a cheap means to an end. But you love it. You love all of it. Peering down the viewfinder, the world contorts beautifully through the glass, streaks of light fracturing across the landscape. Turning in the direction of Eddie, you watch as he hands Audrey a brightly-colored baby rattle with a grin. Clicking down, you capture your first image on the fresh roll of film with a whirr.
“Woah, don’t waste the pictures on me, sweetheart. This is for you.”
Thoughtful doesn’t begin to cut it. You understand what he’s saying, he wants you to have pictures of the pair of you together to look back on. Images to fill photo albums, documenting Audrey’s life from day one. But, to you, it’s more important to immortalize the people you love, loving her.
Pointing the camera at them one again, you give Audrey’s leg a tickle to draw her attention in your direction.
“Say cheese!”
Rolling his eyes, Eddie lifts Audrey up off his lap, holding her like a trophy. She squeals with delight as Eddie grins to the camera, another click goes off. As you roll the film over, Eddie repositions Audrey on his thigh while he opens a soda can with his spare hand.
“Dig in. Got the best the supermarket has to offer, I wasn’t sure what kind of snacks you bring on a picnic…”
“No, it’s- it’s perfect, Eddie.” Your gaze returns to the landscape, breeze brushing through overgrown weeds springing up through the soil. “I don’t remember the last time I went on a picnic.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever been on one, so just let me know if I’ve totally screwed everything up.”
You chuckle, in no position to criticize this kind gesture. “How did you find this place?”
Eddie takes a sip of his soda before placing it down beside him, retrieving the rattle that Audrey had impulsively thrown an arm’s length away onto the rug.
“I used to come up here a bit when I was younger. Y’know, when things sucked at home. I’d bring a few beers, blast some music and just unwind. It’s nice, no one ever comes up here.”
“Yeah, I didn’t know there was somewhere as peaceful as this in Hawkins. Thought chaos came with the territory.”
“You can say that again. I mean, even before the whole Upside Down shit, this place was hardly paradise.” Eddie tries to pry the toy from Audrey’s grasp unsuccessfully, stubborn fingers remaining firmly wrapped around the rattle.
Popping open the lid, you grab out a strawberry and pop it into your mouth. Without Robin’s insistence, you wouldn’t ever have fresh fruit in the house. So the sensation of sweet tanginess on your tastebuds is an indulgence you rarely grant yourself.
“Can I ask…” You pause, choosing your next words carefully. The topic of Eddie’s family history had never come up, but something compels you to dig regardless. “You said ‘when things sucked at home’, what was that usually about?”
Eddie scoffs, averting his gaze to the horizon for a beat.
“Most of the time it’d be when my dad came back. He was in and out of jail a lot, usually petty stuff getting him locked up for a year or so at a time. There’d be a month or two in between - before he went and did something else stupid - where he’d come back. Trying to make amends and all that shit. And it just-” His nose scrunches up at the thought. “- it just kills you after a while. All these empty promises and nothing to show for it. I had Wayne, so as far as I was concerned, I didn’t need him. So I’d book it as soon as I heard his car pull up in the driveway.”
His honesty hangs in the air, dense with suppressed emotion.
“I’m sorry about that, Eddie.”
Shaking his head, he distracts himself by wiping the drool from Audrey’s chin.
“It’s fine. I think the worst thing is the aftermath. Like, once the grenade went off there was still shrapnel everywhere. People around town knew what kind of guy my dad was, so it was easy for them to make assumptions about me, too. Call me a screw-up, just like him. For a while, I just went with it. Y’know, if no one expected anything from me, I might as well live up to the Munson name.”
Your gaze doesn’t break from him, patiently giving him the time he needs without rush or pressure. Holding the space for him until he feels ready to continue.
“But then, uh- last year happened. The whole thing with Chrissy-” His chest rises with a sharp intake of breath. “- and it felt like I was back to square one. That’s not the kind of thing you can shake easily.”
“You know the truth, Eddie, and that’s what's important.”
“Yeah.” He replies, a hint of sadness to his tone. “I wish it were that simple. I don’t think there’s anything I could do to change what the people in this town think of me. It just follows me everywhere. Sometimes, I think- I dunno…”
“You think what?”
Eddie takes a moment to sip from his soda can, mindlessly drumming his rings against the metal can.
“I think it’d just be easier to go.”
“Like, move away?”
“Yeah. Y’know, a fresh start, all that shit. Somewhere where people don’t know my name, try to, like, make something of myself.”
“Then why don’t you?”
Your stomach feels heavy, awaiting his answer. He deserves that, a clean slate away from all the rumors and assumptions. But selfishly, you’re not sure if you could handle that.
The cogs are turning in Eddie’s head, willing away the truth mindlessly spilling from his lips. Emotional availability doesn’t come easily for him, and you hope you haven’t pushed him too far.
“You want an honest answer?”
“Of course.”
Eddie discards his drink to the side, taking to fidgeting with the cotton dress Audrey is wearing. The silence feels eternal, you’re hanging onto his every word. The breeze feels more pronounced against your skin, pollen dancing through the air creating an all-too nostalgic atmosphere of spring’s past.
“Because of you.” Gaze finally meeting yours, the chocolate brown of his eyes swimming in vulnerability. His lips purse together, likely chewing on the tender flesh of his mouth to quell his feeling of total exposure. “I uh- I remember when I was walking back home, the night it all happened. And I felt- fuck, like my life was over. Done for. There was nothing to go back to, anyway. I had no idea what to do with myself, I couldn’t bring myself to the trailer yet. And then I came to see you and you- you were so broken.”
A mistrusted exhale brings a swelling of unwanted tears to your eyes, wishing them away immediately. But the visceral reminder of that night transports you back instantly, scabbed over wounds suddenly bursting open with fresh pain.
“So, I just thought, ‘right, if you can’t be strong for yourself, be strong for her’. So I did, or I tried to. I sort of went on autopilot for a while, and I knew I should have felt grateful for what Hopper did, but it just felt like so much nothing. It didn’t fix anything, I just… And then I went into Family Video that day, and that’s when I found out about Squid. And, shit- it’s hard to explain, but it just felt like hope, y’know? Like something beautiful to come out of this shitstorm. And I just felt like- like I needed to protect that. I didn’t want to lose that feeling. I couldn’t…”
At this point, you’re making no effort to conceal the steady stream of tears cascading down your cheeks. All you can bring yourself to do is to shuffle in a little bit closer to him.
“Eddie…” Your voice is barely more than a whisper.
“You know how I hate you thanking me for shit? Yeah, it’s not because I feel like I’m doing you a huge favor or something. It’s because I should be the one thanking you. For a while, I felt like I was gonna spiral out of control. Like all the gravity had disappeared and I was just going to spin into oblivion. But you- you kind of gave me a purpose again, in a weird way. Just a reason to get up every morning and do better than the day before. For you, and for this little hellraiser.”
Eddie’s composure is wavering, but far stronger than your veil which has begun pooling around your ankles.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is- is that I get what it feels like. To just feel totally fucking alone, like it’s you against the world.” Eddie chuckles, remembering how it literally was him against the world in the Upside Down. “And I’m just grateful that you’d want me to be in your life, Squid’s, too. So, yeah. Safe to say, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here as long as you’re willing to have me.”
He shoots you a sheepish smile before brushing a stray hair off Audrey’s forehead. The pads of his fingertips dancing across her skin while she tries to fit the entire toy into her greedy mouth.
It’s as if someone has switched off the world. Like a child digging beneath their doll’s clothing for the on/off button, rendering time in a complete pause. The distant noise of cars and bustling life dulls, muffled by the glass casing delicately placed down around the picnic rug. Three tiny bugs encapsulated under a perfectly sized dome, nothing else existing beyond the parameters of their new world. A fragile environment, maintained only by its inhabitants. So delicate.
Your limbs gravitate towards Eddie before your brain has the chance to catch up. Driven by sheer desire for closeness, to extend comfort to the man beside you, hard exterior all but dissolved. Quivering fingers find his cheek, prickly with day-old stubble. Your thumb caresses the rough surface, so warm. So comforting.
“You care about us that much?” It comes out as a sigh, heart pumping blood through your veins in double time.
Eddie stills, the tendon in his jaw clenching as he chokes back the cascade of emotions threatening to erupt. His palm snaked its way across your hand on his cheek, clasping it before pressing it to his lips.
“I care about you so fucking much.” He mumbles against your skin.
Seven words spoken so softly, yet they silence your whole universe. Perhaps you should say something in return. Utter his two least favorite words, barely grazing the surface of your gratitude, your loyalty. But no sentence could hold enough weight to articulate how you feel about him right now. It’s beyond vocalization, any attempt would be completely unjust in doing service to this man. What exists between the pair of you is intrinsic in nature, a harmonious dance of understanding. Care beyond anything you’ve experienced. Dare you say, even more than you experienced with Steve. It’s scary, completely disarming. Vulnerability at the forefront of your heart, with no threat of a piercing blow. Open. Unguarded. Instead, you press your forehead to Eddie’s and allow the dam to run dry. Filled to the brim with affection, it needs to be purged. It demands to be felt, as terrifying as it may be. Hot tears fall heavily, half a dozen making themselves known before Eddie’s thumb meets your tear troughs with a delicate brush. The two of you remain wordless, Audrey still babbling contendly in Eddie’s lap. He holds you. You hold him. And that’s enough.
“Can I…” Eddie’s voice is meek, lowly held in the base of his throat. Uncertain. Eyes locking with his, your walls completely drop as you coerce the remainder of his sentence out. “... can I kiss you?”
A small nod of your head is all it takes. The minute distance between you is closed with a ghosting of breath dancing across your lips. It’s deliberate, how his lips consume yours with total tenderness, a complete absence of the unadulterated neediness of your last embrace. Slow. Direct. Subconsciously held muscles in your shoulder relax as you sink into the rosy sanctuary, fingers brushing their way to the nape of his neck. The sugary-sweet soda still lingers on his supple lips, the taste making itself known on your tongue as it finds its way through your parted mouth. The tip of your tongue brushes against his nerve endings, his hand finding its way to your waist with earnestness. Yet another exposing layer is shed with this new contact. You know your body is not the same as it used to be. Firm skin and taut muscles softened and stretched to make way for a growing baby, a shell of its former self. An area of insecurity, now being explored in the most intimate of ways. Eddie’s fingers press into the fabric of your dress, kneading the soft skin beneath. Without judgment, as if every inch of your body is sheer perfection. Designed to be discovered and worshiped. The sigh choking up in your throat is indecipherable, a manifestation of your physical refuge. Eddie tugs you closer, thumb caressing the seam of your dress comfortingly. And it’s so much more than enough.
Would it be too much to ask to remain here forever? To indulge in the luxury of his lips eternally?
Audrey thinks not. Fed up with the lack of attention, she hurls the rattle across the length of the rug with Herculean strength, the clattering enough to pull you back to reality. Breaking apart, your faces remain an inch from one another, a smile playing on each of your lips. Collectively, you erupt in a fit of laughter at your daughter’s antics, glancing down at her. Greedily, Eddie steals one more kiss from the corner of your mouth before hoisting Audrey up to eye level.
“Sorry, little Miss. Didn’t mean to leave you out.” He pulls her in and lands a few firm kisses on her plush cheek, satiating her. “Now, how do you feel about Uncle Dustin keeping you company next week so your mom and I can spend some alone time together? Maybe hit up a bar or something- adults only, I’m afraid. It’s nothing personal, I promise.”
Brows furrowing together, you try to play off the giddy smile announcing itself on the corners of your lips. “You mean… like a date?”
“Yeah.” Eddie’s attention turns back to you, repositioning Audrey comfortably in his lap. “But, like- no pressure, of course. Only if- if you wanted to.”
It’s adorable, how he can parkour so quickly between confidence and total shyness, the latter now taking over.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Cool.” Eddie feigns being sly, but is clearly about to burst at the seams with excitement. “It’s a date.”
#eddie x y/n#eddie x fem!reader#eddie x you#eddie x reader#dumbslxtclub#dad!eddie munson#eddie munson fluff#eddie munson angst#eddie munson x reader#stranger things x you#stranger things fic#stranger things x reader
263 notes
·
View notes
Text
I mean to be fair, imagine being a humble shepherd's son. Tending to the flock and going about your normal life when the Dravanian Horde descend upon your village. Rending it naught but ash and killing your entire family. You then are driven by the feeling of hatred and vengeance. You let it lead you to becoming a knight and fighting to defend Ishgard. The Holy See recognizing your talents and your vigor for the cause to send you to train with the old Azure Dragoon who teaches you readily but cautions you against your hate. But you are growing restless and wish to exact that vengeance. You steal away one of Nidhogg's eyes and are hunted by an Adventurer also destined to be the Azure Dragoon and Nidhogg's Bane. You grapple with this feeling as the eye over takes you but the Adventurer stops the corruption in its tracks. Knowing how well you have to guard yourself you prefect the art of mentally and emotionally closing yourself off. You appear in the lead up to a conflict with another Horde invasion at the behest of an old companion who has risen to the station of Lord Commander of the Knights.
You aid in beating back Nidhogg's finest and give chase shortly thereafter. But after finding no path forward and knowing not where the Aery is. You return to Ishgard and over hear a young, naive little lord speaking on making peace with the dragons. You shrug it off as folly but with his adventurer friend seems to of encounters the heretics hideaway. With no other lead you follow them on their peace mission. Slay heretics and meet with their leader Lady Iceheart. You bicker and your eyes begin to open to possibility that the Holy See is also at fault for your village's demise. You learn more and more until you discover the root of it all. You fight the consort of Nidhogg and then the beast itself. Paining your armor red with his corruptive aetheric essence. And then it is over...your long siege now finished. But the job of the Azure Dragoon is never done. You submit to a life forever in service to the Holy See. For those who caused the Dragonsong War are now all dead and gone.
Until the current Heavens' Ward and Archbishop make their intent known. An eternal Dragonsong War with Thordan as its god and propigator. Eternity of tragedies set to unravel and the death of Lord Haurchefant. You join the Warrior of Light in their own quest for vengeance. You see the sacrifice of Icehearts' sacrifice for the future of Dragon and Ishgard peace. You aid in breaking the barrier to Azys Lla and you aid in fending off the Garlean forces. Knowing, just as with Nidhogg, the Warrior's vengeance of the Heavens' Ward is their mission alone. You return to meet with them afterwards, a kinship in vengeance fulfilled. But at the slightest relief that the fight is finally over Nidhogg's essence takes over you. Twists you, corrupts vengeance and years of hatred with its own. Ruining any chance at peace between Broods willing and turns your lance against Ishgard. Which you had never wished.
But the fool Little Lord and the Warrior of Light fight off the shade. And with the eyes removed. You can finally place the mantle away and take up a better cause. To make the future worlds be not fooled by holy surmon and vengeful malice. You armor yourself with Ysayle's namesake and go forth freeing dragonkin and man alike from their missions of wanton carnage. Until you hear word of the Eyes of Nidhogg causing a Storm of Blood in Ala Mhigo. You disable a cannon to enable Resistant forces to cut a path between you and your objective. Once again your allies lay low Garlemald and false Gods. And with a strike of your lance, the eyes of Nidhogg and the spectre of vengeance is vanquished.
You leave to bring Hraesvelgr and Nidhogg's remaining broods back together in harmony. Becoming fond of the dried squid of Kugane. Only to hear Ishgard is at war with Garlemald. You make a mad sprint onto the battleground and find the Warrior about to be struck down by a demon possessed corpse of the crowned Prince. Spiriting them away in a nick of time and quickly leaving as to avoid Aymeric's pestering. But that doesn't save you for long, because Tataru and Krile arrive in Kugane and harass you into taking up the Scions' cause as the Warrior and their companions are in another world. You meet the fabled Black Wolf, Gaius van Baelsar. Who is on his own path of redemption by slaying the Ascians who fed him the right words to become so foolhardy and reckless to go forth in conquest of Eorzea. Not content with such words as he has many a crime to pay for but time is short and the Scions are still gone. So strange bedfellows make better allies than the enemies that close in around Ishgard. You both make for the capital and find the Emperor slain, Zenos empowered and the both of you framed for the Emperor's murder. You break out and return to the Scions to deliver the news where Krile and the returned Warrior of Light. Disliking the Echo as it whispers in their ears and envisions them as Nidhogg did yourself you make your excuses and take leave.
And after ALL OF THAT you now find yourself passing through Ishgard to investigate and question Tiamat about her corrupted brood being used against Eorzea once more. You stand being yelled at so loudly by a person you thought was the Little Lord but isn't. While a miqo'te is singing your praises and acting like you're a living legend. You have no idea what is happening, who these people are or why you are worthy of such praises. But oh god here you are anyway and thank the Fury, here comes the Warrior of Light. HELP! PLEASE!
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
Interesting to think that the Sea Squid is native to Aqua Magna, and was swimming in Spherus Magna’s oceans prior to the Core War. Meaning there’s a good chance that the Glatorian and Agori recognize these creatures, and have stories about their vampiric abilities. I’m imagining Kalmah and/or Ehlek hearing what the locals figured out about sea squids long ago that the Barraki never realized.
Did Agori have to protect their dinosaur mounts from these creatures when sailing? Did the Great Beings study and experiment on them, with a few specimens cybernetically enhanced like the Skopio? Imagine the Water Tribe exporting these critters to use in local waterways and rivers during the Core War. Imagine old cookbooks with sea squid recipes; Although Greg did confirm that the sea squid is considered unpalatable. Some Agori fishermen must’ve been the first to realize this before Mantax ate half a brood.
64 notes
·
View notes
Text
day 17 - sea
from the journal of Estelle de Laussienne, 20th of the 4th Astral Moon, 4 7U.E.
There's something very romanticized about the sea breeze, isn't there? Those stories we loved so well as children certainly seemed to think so. It's calming, refreshing, cleansing, so on, so forth; whatever a grim, quiet man might need to brood over some tragedy in the solitude of nature before the next act of the narrative begins. They always describe it as clean or crisp. Brisk. Bracing. How enticing! I certainly believed them all until I docked in Limsa Lominsa.
I am no professional wordsmith, but perhaps I can paint a picture. It is late afternoon, when the temperature is highest and tides are lowest. I am in the markets, along with hundreds upon hundreds of other gentle citizens who have been marinating in their own sweat since morning tea, as we are gripped with a heat wave and humidity so hellish it has me questioning my faith. It is the zenith of summer, when the sluggish tide movements struggle mightily to properly exchange water out of the bay, and the wastewater grows ripe. The markets are situated in limestone tunnels, which make for a cooler midday, supposedly, save that the only method of exchanging air is through a hot, wet breeze that meanders casually from one end to the other, depositing not only the very specific scent of rotting ocean matter, but all the various excretions of the hundreds of bodies I am unfortunate enough to be downwind from.
These are the nice markets, full of legal goods and respectable importers for Limsa's more moneyed professionals. Like Ishgard, wealth can be measured by altitude here; I have opened a clinic in the lower levels, closer to the water's edge. There are spaces where the water overflows at high tide and leaves behind a sort of -- grime. The markets there have fish that rot on the rack by end-of-day. There is a tannery operating up the canal that dumps an utterly eye-watering amount of piss and pigeon shit into the water (a smell so foul I can only describe it with equal terms). If that wasn't bad enough, the wind carries all the wonderful perfumes of everyday beamhouse operations to all of us who are simply trying to mind our own business. On my first day of work, I asked a patient what the godsawful smell was, and he promptly introduced to a colorful local expression involving Llymlaen and bowel movements.
That is not to say the city is without charm. When the air cools, and the breeze comes to us northerly, from colder waters; when the sun sets behind the limestone spires; when I sit with strangers and a bottle of wine and a table full of these little delights -- thin ribbons of cured ham and toasted bread, olives and olive oil, bits of octopus and fried squid and potatoes spiced with sweet and hot peppers. The people here are friendly and brimming with conversation, happy to sweep foreigners up into their lives once they've passed muster and all the purse-cutting has been successfully thwarted. I don't regret it -- I only wish I had been, perhaps, a little more forewarned.
[roevember 2023 prompt by wintertitania]
#ffxiv#my wol: estelle#roevember#roevemberxiv#roevember 2023#femroe#roegadyn#gpose#my writing#long one today whoops#the siren of worldbuilding called and i was helpless
48 notes
·
View notes
Text
Demon's Head: Mafia Boss CG Yoongi x Little Space Reader
"Where are you? I'm here in the market where you told me to come find you." You spoke into the static receiver of your cheap disposable phone. When you got no response, you had to hang up, you were already low on credit.
The traditional red and cream coloured paper lanterns strung across rope connecting different stalls, loomed on the moon soaked horizon . The sky was an oily black, few stars pockmarked the endless expanse, the light pollution of the night market drowning their iridescence.
The market was busy with throngs of people weaving in and out of stalls, their chatter competing with the music on the radios that few people had. A cold south westerly wheezed a terrible chilling wind, the lanterns must have been affronted by it and leaned back to get out of the way. The night air brought the smells of saline and a distinct, crisp, fishy smell of salmon and squid. Then the warm hearty aroma of the ramyun stalls and oriental cuisine stalls followed on its heels, they were delicious smells to your rumbling stomach. The steam and sizzling smoke from cooktops billowing into the winds.
You saw him sitting on his car, a sleek and shiny black S-class, brooding against the bonnet. You laid eyes on the King.
He wore his face the way a thousand of his ancestors did since the Joseon dynasty, with a single cut through his right eye. It was symbolic. It made his eyes similar to the cross hair of a gun, it made him look like he was scratched by the wild cat of his family crest. The intensity in his eyes took my breath away. He was tall, handsome and radiating wealth, prestige and honour.
And danger. He was a dangerous man above all else, only 29 but was the head of the Korean crime empire-The Demon’s Head Clan. This was the oldest living clan in Korea, rivalling the age of even the 6Eye clan run by the Jeon Family.
Min Yoongi was the only living successor of his Clan. He was revered in the streets as the King, less commonly known as silverfish. He was a ruthless, sadistic murderer, hidden under his deceptively unbothered, bored even plucky exterior.
It was his reputation that made him a walking contradiction.
His predecessors knew little and cared less about the new breed of technological men who came to dominate the crime syndicates. They grew to be creatures of habit, skin pallid and dusty from their environment, clinging to their glory days limpet-like to whatever toe-hold of wealth they could get. They were used to the comfort of illegal gambling and local arms trades and for that their family name was losing the prestige it once commanded. The Min name was quickly fading from tapestries and great annals of history.
That was before Min Yoongi.
Min Yoongi represented a new blood for Korean crime-expansion into the international arenas of gun and drug cartels, and military level technological warfare, uranium trades to countries of the highest bidders. All with casinos, bars, hotels,restaurants and tech companies to launder all the bills. His plan was laughed out of the Min palatial estate for being to ambitious for his weak stature.Min Yoongi became a fine new school, built and skilled at denigrating the old ways, rejecting the past and arousing in new recruits the lust for golden dreams in the industrial millennium.
For that he became the black sheep.
He ascended to the pinnacle of leadership of the Clan by erasing all dissenters. Within one night he had single handedly slaughtered his relatives, effectively eradicating all competing interests for the throne. Then his enemies’ blood spilled afterwards.
It was an impossible task. A job no one could have pulled off. The bodies he eviscerated that day laid the foundation of what he is now. Min Yoongi was focused, angry beyond measure and he had a burning desire to prove himself. The folklore around the event arose, fanned out like an uncontrollable flame. It's alleged that he compiled the corpses, stacked up to the ceiling. When all the ones he spared found the gorey sight in the familial palace, he was sitting picking his nails. He gave himself the mark of the King-the eye cut- and never looked back.
He was only 19.
From the most lordly government officials to the littlest children in the playgrounds knew him now, knew his strength. The children made a story about him- the whale and the silverfish. The moral of the story was not to be a bully as all children's stories and songs go. The whale, Yoongi’s family ,was the master of the world until it espied a stranger in their domain: a big gleaming silverfish. Yoongi was the silverfish that refused to acknowledge the whale’s mastery. The whale grew angry and slapped the interloper with his tail. That was the whale’s fatal error because the silverfish was actually a torpedo. Yoongi's family made the mistake of not acknowledging or appointing him, now they would suffer from the grave.
You gasped when Yoongi's eyes flicked up, noticing you standing in the middle of the crowd looking terribly out of place.You were playing with the hem of your lavender sweater, keeping your eyes on your grey boots. His face was bright with the light of his cellphone. He released the breath of smoke, letting the grey whisps curl around his nose before stomping out the cig. If he wasn't mafia, his lineage should have been dragon. He held eye contact with you, feline eyes watching how you bristled. Everything he did held this mystique and a level of awe and fear inspiring brilliance.
You almost missed all the cars flanking it in the dark for how clearly they reflected the night sky. Yoongi wore an all black custom tailored suit with a matching trench coat. It seemed very cloak-and-dagger. There were similarly dressed men flanking him, some smoking, the red embers of cigarette lighting up like a half-dozen tiny red rat eyes in the dark, a few reloading handguns, one carving an apple into wedges with an absurdly large hunting knife.
He rapped twice on the hood of the car, and you watched the men assemble with precise, practised efficiency.They walked over keeping instep with Yoongi, shrouding him like a horde. They crossed the lot with graceful, careful steps like it was a scene right out of a movie. Yoongi was so casually sexy. The cronies spread out among the market crowd like black scaly tentacles fanning out around the Demon's Head. But Yoon wasn't a demon, at least not to you. Around you he could finally relax, break the staccato tone and his grim reaper appearance. He could smile and be warm with you.
Yoongi was your boyfriend with you.
"H-Hello," you waved to him, curling into yourself to keep warm and make yourself shrink under his gaze. Yoongi looked over your posture with disdain, thinking about starting posture training with you to make you stand confidently af his side.
"Jagi. You're gorgeous tonight, kitten.”
You felt a wave of colour rise to your cheeks but quickly recovered, giving him a slightly ironic look as though rejecting the sincerity of his words. For all your lauded beauty, you had painfully thin skin. Yoongi however was suave with unmatched confidence and charm, he doled out compliments to you in spades because it didn't diminish him. He called you beautiful like it was your name. Care and confidence sparkled in his eyes and radiated from the chiselled contours of coiling muscles visibly straining the Hérmes silk as he bent his arms behind his back.
"Here, I brought you gifts. You can have the one in my right hand or the one in my left."
"Awww Yoonie, I feel bad now! I don't have anything for you, I can't accept this."
Yoongi nodded. Fuck.
He instantly felt awful and guilty for saying that. It was his job to spoil his kitten, and your reaction made him feel ashamed for even refusing you gifts. Real men spoil their women, he reprimanded himself. "I was joking, they're both yours. Don't worry about Daddy,"
He gave you the Shooky plushy with the sassy mouth and strong eyebrow."I know you love these, I bought the company that manufactures-"
Your eyes widened filling up with stars, jaw dropping. He remembered! You had said off handedly once that you loved these plush toys but the originals were ridiculously expensive. It was so precious to you that he would remember, even going through all this trouble for you. You felt impossibly softer when he cupped your cheek,stroking it softly.
"There's that smile, do you like your gift?"
"SHOOKY!"you grinned, scooping him into your arms to cradle him to your cheek. "Thank you daddy, I love him."
"I got you a necklace too, " he flicked the Tiffany box open, showing off the opulent jewellery- a gold Cuban link chain encrusted with white diamonds." I thought we should start simple for you first time. May I?"
He chuckled watching you talking animatedly to the pillow sized Shooky, throwing him up in the air and catching him, kissing him all over his face. You were so absolutely enamoured with the plushie you were in another world. He smiled at how soft you looked, voice getting higher and more garbled and childish. You were having a conversation with him, wiping any fuzz from his eyes so he could see.
He tucked the necklace away. It wasn't very age friendly right now. It was a pocket full of promise with the jewellery put away for later. It would mean there would be a place you could go that was safer than the night market to put it on you. Yoongi smiled internally, he knew the perfect spot.
"Come hold my hand, little one. Let me protect you, don't wander off." He held your hand to lead you around, to the various stalls. His hands were rife with veins, cold like rivers in the night, calluses on his palm like stones. These hands had spilled blood, but I trusted them completely. You held his hand, wrapping around his arm. He kissed your knuckes softly, watching your blush creep north to your hairline, goosebumps on your flesh. While your Shooky held your attention, he was subtly accepting his monthly installation of protection money or kickbacks from vendors.
You shivered and he gave you his trench coat, retaining his suit jacket. The sleeves cascaded far past your fingertips to make sweater paws. You giggled, paddling them to make them dance and dangle in the wind.
"Kitty, kitty rawr." You pointed. You could see the large tattoo on his hand- a tiger tattoo wrapped around a sword- the insignia of the Demon's Head Clan. His people were revered there, treated royally and loyally. The clan moved en masse, avoiding and spewing out other rival clans like a selective plasma membrane.
It subsumed abandoned orphans and adults alike. The children lived in the dormitories or apartments for free, receiving a high quality of education, eating and being clothed for free, some ran errands to earn pocket money, others ran their own block by the time they were 18. The clan gave you the opportunity to leave or stay without repercussions but many stayed for familial ties and a sense of belonging. Afterall, children who weren't given love on a silver spoon learned to lick it off knives. That's when they took the black and tattooed the tiger and sword onto their hands. They belonged to the Demon's Head forever.
At least that was what your parents told you about Yoongi's world, the dark underbelly of the Korea that Yoongi ran like monopoly. He was the zenith of power. A God walking among mortals.
" I like your necklace, daddy, it's pretty ,"there were a simple blue and purple beads that was a gift from Jung Hoseok,the other was a thick gold chain. Jung Hoseok wasn't so much mafia as an independent contractor, he was more of a human resource manager within Yoongi's world. He was a one man team, supplying people to do anything from waste management to prostitution.
Gold Rings and bracelets jingled on Daddy's wrist,he looked so gorgeous and well adorned. One ring caught my attention,it was gold with a panther's open maw, holding a bright red gem with green veins. Something was so fascinating about it, all the other stones in his jewelry were diamonds or tiny clear crystalline blues.
"It's called bloodstone. It protects from excessive bleeding."
"It's beautiful,"
"Yeah? " Yoongi smiled subtly, covering it up with a lip bite. He'd seen dozens of reactions to his ring: morbid fascination, hatred, his men thought it was logical but never this. Never just pure appreciation, almost an infantile sense of love for it. He felt so proud of you, so accepted by you. "Maybe it's time to get this kitten some more jewellery of her own, maybe a collar…definitely a new wardrobe. "
He noticed the way your dress rode up because you'd outgrown it and the tiny hole in the wrist. It was so thin that he gave her his trench, aside from wanting her to smell like his outer layer of his natural aroma and cologne, keeping his suit jacket imbibed with the everlasting scent of Iron and death. He wanted to wrap her up in his embrace and take you away from this world. Or alternatively, burn the world down just to keep you warm.
"I'd get you draped in silks and the best brands in this world if you wanted me to, I can make the call right now."
"Yoon," you called to him sweetly, blushing furiously, your head laid on his stomach. He chuckled breathily a tiny purr escaping his throat as you two snuggled tightly a the lonely corner of the market.
“When was the last time you went shopping?Just to treat yourself?”He asked, his face leaning into yours, nose nudging the pulse point below your ear.
“I dunno, people don't remember that type of stuff.When was the last time you went shopping, huh?”
“A month ago, I bought an airline.”
You visibly wilted, your sweet cherry smile turning acidic. You were hurt.
"Shhh kitten, let Daddy take care of your expenses yeah?"
"Uh uh I'm a big girl now, I can do it,"
"No you're not, stop pretending to know things. Daddy will take care of expenses, kitten. Welcome to my world, baby." He kissed behind my ear, making me blush and giggle loudly.
He bought you hotteok and banana milk, then split a tuna sushi tray in one of the stalls in the night market that he owned. You watched wordlessly when the two customers that were eating rose from their seats mid-meal when you arrived and left after bowing to him. He kept your face pressed into his suit chest, arm over your shoulders. Yoongi was very secretive about you, going to lengths to secure your personal safety. The owner himself retreating outside once he prepared your food.
"Why are the people being weird, daddy? Are we in danger?"
"No baby, daddy's the danger baby. If you'd have let me, I would have brought you to a nice restaurant, spoiled you rotten." He hummed watching you eat, head resting on his palm.
"I can't afford that right now,"
"I know losing your job can be difficult, but maybe it's just for the best? Some people aren't meant to work. "
You were about to ask him how he knew about that when he plucked you up, letting you sit in his lap at the table, feeding sushi to you. He kept stuffing your face full of foods- peeled shrimp in perilla leaves, rice, sushi pieces. You welcomed it all with an open mouth, hardly being able to chew and swallow your chubby full cheeks worth of food. He enjoyed seeing you eating and maintaining a healthy appetite. He liked to know you were keeping on top of your eating schedule and taking care of your health. You swivelled to feed him, "choo choo daddy ,"
"Min-ssi. Your phone sir, from the Mayor Kim." One of his men interrupted, not making eye contact, holding an old fashioned telephone with a rotation dial. I knew that it was the business line, not a social call on his cell. Not that there were social visits in his world.
"Choo choo!" You insisted. Your daddy had created a spoiled brat that demanded attention.
As private as Yoongi was, a part of him was loving the attention once it was from you. He loved feeling needed. He hadn't known this much of your true nature, that you were this soft and gentle and receptive of his care that you would melt into him. He wouldn't know where he ended and you began without his tattoo. You were a pleasant plot twist.
"Tell Namjoon I will return his call later tonight." He accepted the rice, watching as your mouth opened and closed mimicking him chewing. You always thought he ate very prettily. All he could think about while watching you was how much he had changed since meeting his precious little kitten.
He usually only thought of family, his duty and honour code that were enshrined in his mind's temple. He was the leader of this family business that was the lifeblood of a nation, he upheld any moral that came along to facilitate the family business like a malevolent shrine.
He was a soldier, a warrior but here you were a goddess when you smiled. Emperors would have fallen across the ages for such a smile. A smile that could destroy worlds and rebuild them. A smile Yoongi would lay down his life for. He'd worship at your altar if you let him.
He gave you eat more of the food and stone pot rice. He offered a sip of his plum juice then you fell in love with it, leaving your orange juice untouched. He chuckled, watching you struggle to hold the bottle in your little space. He reached inside his coat for a small black leather bag with a sippy cup for you. "There now my princess can eat and drink in peace without accidents. "
He held you across his lap,your head tucked into the crook of his arm while he fed you juice from your sippy. You stared up into his eyes blinking softly at him, your hand pressed under the top buttons of his shirt to feel close to him. You raised your hand to his head. Yoongi pulled away, giving you his chin the way all big cats do to reject touch.
“Please?”
Never would you have believed that Min Yoongi, the King the silverfish could ever purr. If the world could see him now, enjoying head scratches eyes shut in pleasure, a tiny smile on his face. He shut his eyes tipping his head to you to let you scratch behind his ears, nuzzling the palm of your hand when you pulled away. He was pink in the cheeks when he smiled after his scratching.
"Can we get icey cream?"
"Course we can cub,"
His men brought Ice cream to you, hands trembling and set it down in front of you. Bowed and left the room. He left you eating ice cream happily while he washed out your sippy cup. You cooed at him, trying to get his attention.
"Do you want your paci?''
You thought hard, wiggling your hips,"Uh uh....wait yes yes please."
You were quite content dipping paci in your ice cream then sucking on it, leaving Yoongi to deal with the runny strawberry in the cup. He ate his coffee flavour, accepting your ice cream covered paci when you offered it to him.You dipped it in the ice cream, holding it up to daddy. You pressed it to his lips, letting him enjoy it. He didn't dare eat it, wiping it off when you weren't looking.
"Mm thank you cub, but it's your paci okay? Daddy has his spoon. You're sucna good girl for sharing. " He watched you turn rosey from all the praise, giggling and buzzing with excitement. "Nobody else should get to see you smile like that. Nobody else. Only ever with me."
Yoongi came out of the tent with his coat folded neatly over his arm. And an old pocket knife he found in your shoes, on his person. (It was tiny, almost adorable, were you trying to flirt with him?) And his kitten snuggled deeply into his pectoral, perched on his hip snoring and content and drowsy from what he put in her ice cream.
"Bring the car around, Hyojong I'm bringing my baby home,"
Hyojong reached for his piece on his hip, seeing an unknown woman under his leader, immediately assuming the worst and not recognising you. His teeth bared at the unusual scent. "Go on bare your teeth, I'll pull them out one by one."
He barreled through his men, pulling you closer to him. He meant it when he said nobody else deserved to see you smile.
Taglist for this post:
@thelazylemur @lachimolala22019 @lemonpeppersteppersworld @thebangtanvip2021 @myhobari @btsiguess-kpop
@drinkingbloodinthe-darkness @yoongisgirl69 @datfridaygurl69 @y2tae @mrcarrots @yoshileamiyey @idontknowdawg @adventureswithrae @thisishardtothinkof @ukittyu @hotanimeboyssimp @minminsgummysmile @lovelyintattoos @cinnamonspicedreader
@foreignersgodlullaby @anintpnerd42 @34jt @gia-van-van
@ladybuglola @moonchillededits @the-ghostest-with-the-mostest
@28-moonlight @jinniecupcake @gueynomanches @zzkke @veronicamalo01
@kiaraisashipname @scenesroland @exochanyeoltao @snowyydayys @sophiayoongi-hyung @sweetwolfcupcake @chubbycheekschub @rootbear-wg @0t7lover @guktiddiess @geometricdork @yoongsmoonlight @sp1derm4nluver @mila-elie @artsxpe @jungkooksleftnipple @rkivesbby
#bts little reader#bts#mafia bts#bts little space#hybrid bts#jin x reader#bts yandere#namjoon x reader#hoseok x reader#jungkook x reader#taehyung x reader#yandere bts x reader#yoongi x reader#jimin x reader#bts fanfic#bts smut#bts imagines#bts x reader#bts yoongi#bts jimin#bts v#bts namjoon
1K notes
·
View notes
Note
hihi uhhm. sorry if this comes off as creepy but i scoured both your blogs for info on pop and lock but unless i suck at looking for stuff i didtnt find much. you should totes tell me more about them
that's not creepy at all don't worry!!! i've never really posted any oc lore publicly because i'm not sure if people care, and boy do i apologize you having to look through my sideblog because Wow Is There Nothing Important On It, but i'm BEYOND elated to answer any questions about them!!! literally thank you so much for asking, you made my day 😭
i have a looooot of stuff about them written down on places like google docs, a discord server i infodump in, and also In My Head so there's a HUGE amount of previously untapped info about them just around, but i'll stick to their main things for now :)
(i also have a toyhouse, but i never finished setting it up, so i'll also probably post more oc stuff on that when it's done)
pINK Lemonade Official Lore Post™ under the cut!
_________________________________________________________
POP:
Pop is an Octoling based on the Flapjack octopus. They are genderfluid, and thanks to the benefits of the cephalopod form, change their physical appearance regularly just for the hell of it. They vary between masc-leaning and femme-leaning, but usually look some flavor of GNC. (Their physical build remains the same, think of it like how the player characters in Splatoon change their gender and hairstyle. Pop just does that whenever they feel like it.)
They are fruitily charming, outgoing, unserious to a fault, and smug. Pop is a lot more sociable than Lock, often chatting people up or making friends at unexpected times. They are well aware of their charm, but make an effort to be the more likable of the two. They like to introduce themselves first, leading to many close relationships with a lot of people that otherwise would never have talked to them. However, when they dislike someone, they make it VERY known. They are unable to hide their distaste towards anyone they regard as too annoying. They can get aloof at times, but are generally a very peppy and easy-going person.
_________________________________________________________
LOCK:
Lock is an Inkling based on the Whiplash squid. He is the composer and instrumentalist of the duo, and is very talented on the keyboard.
He likes to put on an off-puttingly brooding, "cool guy" persona, but when you get to know him, it becomes clear he is often neurotic and overly sensitive. He can be very visibly depressed, though he tries to play off his inability to take care of himself as part of his uncaring attitude. He pushes people away instinctively, but gets very attached to the people who love him despite this. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to healthily express his emotions and can get rather sulky and mean, leading his closest personal relationships to be... rather strained at times.
He also has a toxic and ultimately doomed relationship with Tide of Suit-Nami that both Shlubby and I have agreed is very fun to watch as it slowly burns. Sorry Lock, you're fated to lose the best boyfriend you'll ever have :')
_________________________________________________________
There's a lot more to both of their backstories, but for the sake of keeping things simple, here's a condensed version.
Lock was a trust fund baby pushed into idol culture that got shunted off to boarding school once he was deemed more trouble than he was worth by his parents. In a petulant attempt to be acknowledged by them, he regularly commits petty crimes and acts of vandalism, but is bailed out from afar every time to avoid his family name getting bad press. It's a real sore spot for him.
Pop had loving parents who encouraged them to explore their love for music, but after they got older and started posting their music to HueTube, they got relentlessly mocked for being cringe and were devastated. They went to boarding school in an attempt to escape their reputation and worked past their trauma by pouring it into their work and reclaiming their identity.
Pop and Lock were placed together as part of an idol internship program during their last year of school. Pop felt bad for Lock, and specifically requested him as means of lending a hand. Lock had previously avoided them for quite some time, but once they were forced to pair up he realized he had found his first genuine friend.
_________________________________________________________
and, special one-time deal, two extra characters! i literally have never posted (or. ahem. finished) any art of these two, but they fill out the gang behind the scenes and they occupy my brainspace just as much as pop and lock do :)
_________________________________________________________
MONA:
Mona is a halfmoon betta fish and handler-turned-posse-member of the group. She's an underpaid and overworked employee of the idol agency Pop and Lock are employed at, and was assigned to pINK Lemonade to keep them in check after they were involved in one too many incidents (read: PR nightmares)
She has a bit of a temper, as most bettas do, but over time has formed a real relationship with Pop and Lock and does not blow up at them as much as she does others. Their friendship has also helped her loosen up and not let her job consume her soul.
_________________________________________________________
CILAN:
Cilan is a calm, easygoing, tall inkling and the oldest of the four. He has long purple hair and seemingly permanently closed eyes. He's the group's resident eye-candy and secretary/flunky. There isn't a whole lot to his personality that I can say right now. He's just hot... sue me...
_________________________________________________________
Thank you so much for asking about my ocs!!
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
Every Dredge Aberration (2023), Part 2
Brood Squid
Encyclopedia #85
Aberrant form of Arrow Squid
Description:
Tentacles sprout from a glowing core inside a gelatinous sac. Other cores lay dormant alongside
Comment: The first aberrant I caught where the original being, if it ever truly lived, appeared lost entirely to the corruption. It has been hollowed out and made the bloated womb for a nameless invader. It invokes two visceral images in my mind’s eye. The first being an infected cell, swelling with viral load until it is bursted, spilling out with new capsules of infection waiting to start the cycle anew. The other is of those real squids in the world which brood their own eggs to hatching. They too, sacrifice the last of themselves entirely to bring their spawn into a hungry world.
How to catch: Another coastal spawner in The Marrows region, albeit only appearing after sunset. Can be gathered in trawl nets.
Snag Squid
Encyclopedia #86
Aberrant form of Arrow Squid
Description:
Tasting tongues writhe wildly around sets of yellowed, crooked teeth. The top row are flattened like human molars.
Comment: The first aberrant that made me recoil back in my chair with a grimaced “Euuh” sound when I saw it appear on my screen. To think of what caution such a thing must be handled with, lest the role of butcher’s hand and sustenance become reversed. The artwork makes horrible suggestion of one animal in a slow transformation to become many. This layered hunger promises terrible growth and sprawling if it is allowed to consume.
How to catch: Ditto
Barbed Eel
Encyclopedia #87
Aberrant form of Grey Eel
Description:
A spine broken with sharp angles and crooked curves. A row of teeth bent on revenge.
Comment: Fortunately for I, there exists frilled sharks with a more unnerving presence than this gnarled creature. It is much like the Marrows themselves, crooked and strange, but conquered easily. Hunger on, scoliotic elver, but you won’t be the one who feasts before the sun rises.
How to catch: This wretch and its kin will require an upgrade from the basic rod to bag. Fish during the day, around the shallow waters about The Marrows. I always found them mostly around the rocks. Can be trawl-netted with the appropriate equipment.
Host Eel
Encyclopedia #88
Aberrant form of Grey Eel
Description:
Numerous glowing shapes flicker and squirm behind a distended ribcage. The rest of the fish is withered and drained.
Comment: Could it be… another strain of what plagues the brood squid? Unlikely, but to the animal, the difference won’t matter- its fate mirrors the other all the same.
How to catch: ^Ditto
Cyclopean Flounder
Encyclopedia #89
Aberrant form of Gulf Flounder
Description:
A sprawling, jellied mass spills from a single eye socket. What appears to be a dark pupil is in fact the center of an egg.
Comment: Oh…. It’s a yolk. That’s the nucleus. Another life, traded for the potential of a new one. Neither encyclopedia nor the artwork help me address the question of whether or not this flounder carries a fertilized ovum, and frankly, I do not know which answer would unsettle me more. Mercifully, ironically, this change has blinded it.
How to catch: Active during the day, and dwells only in the shallow water of The Marrows. Can be trawl netted.
Riddled Flounder
Encyclopedia #90
Aberrant form of Gulf Flounder
Description:
Baggy skin perforated with countless cavities. A singular, shapeless mass spreads underneath.
Comment: Ah, I must wonder at this piece if the devs looked to the Surinam toad, and if they found such inspiration there that they created this. The semblance to one of the real world’s beautiful horrors is unmistakable.
If this were the intention, then the riddled flounder would be all the more foreboding a sight. While the flounder’s skin only shelters a single resident, the flat Surinam’s cavities are each protecting a tadpole. Something else that interests me about the grotesque flounder is that, like the other variant, this one has been rendered sightless. In place of its eyes are protruding siphons of a sort. Their function- unknown.
How to catch: ^Ditto
#dredge game#dredge#aberrant fish#grotesque fish#fish horror#surinam toad#scarlet talks about things
22 notes
·
View notes
Text
Facts of the Day: 🦑Giant Squid🦑
Scientific Name: Architeuthis dux
Length: Maximum size is estimated to be 39 o 43 feet long
Weight: Up to 606 lbs for the males, 330 lbs for the females
Lifespan: About 5 years
Reproduction: This species mates once in their entire lives, laying broods of eggs, some broods being up to 3,000 individuals at a time
Diet: Deep water fish and other squid, including other individuals of their own species
Habitat: They can be found in all oceans worldwide, however they are normally deep under the surface. These squids normally reside in the Twilight Zone of the ocean, at depths of 1,000 to 2,000 feet under the surface.
Status: Least Concern
Summary: Giant Squids are elusive and rare to find creatures due to the depths they reside in. Most of our information on these creatures are based on their bodies found washed ashore or caught in fisherman's nets. What we do know is that these creatures are GIANT. While reports are unconfirmed, there are accounts of specimen 60 to 70 feet in length. While the largest on record is only 43 feet, this shows the species is part of an interesting phenomenon called abyssal gigantism. This is the phenomenon where deep sea creatures are more likely to be larger in size than their shallow water relatives. Despite Giant Squid being huge creatures, they actually have one major predator: The Sperm Whale. Sperm Whale will dive deep below the surface, where they hunt giant squid in the dark depths of the ocean. Sperm Whales will often be covered in scars from the large suckers of the Giant Squid, due to the battles these two species often get into.
#baby shark bites!#sfw age regression#sfw regression#sfw agere#sfw age regressor#sfw petre#sfw pet regression#sfw pet regressor#Age Regression#Agere#age regressor#petre#pet regression#pet regressor#squid#giant squid
37 notes
·
View notes
Text
For three years running…
2020
Kobe. Pandemic. Lockdown. Koalas on fire. Harry and Meg retire. Toilet paper hoarding. Alcoholism. Impeach the f*cker. Parasite. Bonnie Henry. Tiger King. Working from home. Sourdough bread. Harvey Weinstein guilty. Zoom overdose. Dip your body in sanitizer. 6 feet. Quarantine. OK Boomer. Home schooling (everyone passes). Murder hornets. Dolly Parton. Don’t hug, kiss or see anybody, especially your family. Chris Evans’ junk. TikTok. Glory holes. Face masks. CERB. West Coast wildfires. Stay home. Small Businesses lose, big box stores win. F*ck Bozos. ‘Dreams’ and cranberry juice. Close yoga studios, but thumbs up to your local gym. Speak moistly to me. George Floyd. BLM. F*ck Trump. Phase 2, 3 and Summer. RBG. Baby Yoda. Biden wins. Bond and Black Panther die. No more lockdown. Back to school and work. Just kidding... giddy up round 2. Giuliani leaks shit from his head. Resurgence of chess. UFOs are real. Restrictions. Dave Grohl admits defeat. Monolith. “F*ck... forgot my mask in the car”. No Christmas shenanigans allowed. Bubbles. Alex Trebek. Use the term ‘dumpster fire’ one too many times. Jupiter and Saturn form 'Christmas Star'. Happy New Year Bitches!!!! 2021... you better not sh*t the bed!!
2021
“We love you, you’re very special”. Failed coup attempt at the Capital. Twitter, FB and IG ban Donny. Hammerin’ Hank goes to the Field of Dreams. Bozo no longer richest man but still a twat. Leachman, Tyson, and Holbrook pass. The economy is worse than expected. Kim and Kanye split. Brood X cicadas. Dre has an aneurysm and nearly has his home broken into. Bridgerton. MyPillow CEO is a douche. Covid restrictions extended indefinitely. Captain Von Trapp dies. Proud Boys officially a Terrorist Organization. Richard Ramirez. Cancer takes Screech. Travel bans. Impeachment trial (again?… oh and this was barely February? WTF??!!) Suez Canal blockage. Myanmar protest. Kong dukes it out with Godzilla, while Raya watches. Olympics. Friends compare elective surgeries. F9. Canada Women’s Soccer Gold. Free Britney. Multiverses. Residential Schools in Canada unearth children’s bodies. Kate is Mare of Easttown. Cuomo resigns. Disney and Dwayne cruise together. Wildfires. Delta variants. Musk passes Bezos. Candyman x 5. Capt. Kirk goes to space. F*ck Kyle Rittenhouse. Astros didn’t win. Squid Game. Goodbye Bond. Dune is redone. Angelina is Eternal. Astroworld deaths. Meta. Omicron. Three Spidermen. Tornados in December? World Juniors cancelled. Pills against Covid. School opening delayed. And Betty White dies. 2022… my expectations are ridiculously low…
2022
Wow… eight billion people. Queen Elizabeth II passes away after ruling the Commonwealth before dirt was invented. The monkeypox. Russia plays the role of global asshole. Wordle. Mother Nature rocks Afghanistan. Hover bike. Styles spits on Pine. Olivia Newton John, Kristie Alley, and Coolio leave us. Pele was traded to team Heaven. FTX implodes. Madonna and the 3-D model of her vagina. Pig gives his heart to a human. Beijing can brag that it is the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. Uvalde. $3 trillion Apple. Keith Raniere gets 120 years. The Whisky War ends with Canada and Denmark going halfsies. Mar-a-Lago. Nick Cannon brood hits a dozen. Shinzo Abe is assassinated. Inflation goes through the roof (if you can actually afford to put a roof over your head). Volodymyr Zelensky. European heat wave. Bennifer. Salman Rushdie is stabbed on stage, Dave Chappelle tackled, and Chris Rock is only slapped. Thích Nhất Hạnh. Heidi Klum goes full slug. Cuba knocked out by Ian. Liz Truss and 4.1 Scaramuccis. Taylor Swift breaks Ticketmaster. Human shitstain Elon Musk ignores helping mankind and buys Twitter instead. Riri becomes a mommy. NASA launches Artemis 1. Trump still a whiny little bitch. Music lost Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie, and Meat Loaf. Democracy died at least three times. Pete Davidson continues to date hottest women on the planet. Microplastics in our blood. Alex Jones is a cunt. So is DeSantis. Argentina wins the World Cup. Meghan and Harry. Eddie Munson rips Metallica in the Upside Down. tWitch. Roe vs Wade is overturned by the micro dick energy of the Supreme Court. CODA. James Corden shows he is a "tiny Cretin of a man". Amber (and the shit on the bed) Heard (round the world). Sebastian Bear-McClard proves he’s one of the fucking dumbest men alive. Latin America's ‘pink tide’. Anti-Semitic rants by Ye. Bob Saget. A verified blue checkmark. Godmother of punk Vivienne dies. And, Tom Cruise feels the need for speed yet again. 2023… whatcha got for us?!? Nothing shocks me anymore.
64 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
lieutenant76
Report In Cadets
my-aamay-blog-blog
I love ships
michelenigrowordpresscom
NIGRICANTE
gay-gyllenhaal
i ain't quitting u
cherrynwinesk
»𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂«