#i do have some lore stuff I’m working on
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Pink Onyx AU- An Analysis and Theory Post, Part 1
[Part 1- You are here!] | [Part 2] | [Part 3] | [Part 4] | [Part 5]
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Howdy! Those of you who have followed me for a while have probably been seeing my reblogs of the @pink-onyx-au comic made by @ceephorsshitshow. Well, today I wanna share with you something a little different than my usual SU meta… because today I’m gonna analyze this really cool fan work with the same level of seriousness as I do canon. (Like. Seriously. This first post alone is really, really long. I put most of it under a cut.)
This particular comic is a very special one for me to watch unfold, because it’s evident that a lot of deep care and attention to detail has been poured into its creation. There’s fascinating bits of expanded character development to chew into here, as well as plenty of mysteries and lingering questions for us readers to muse and theorize over. If you follow me for Steven Universe and haven’t read this AU yet I highly recommend you check it out. The most basic pitch is that it explores what a fusion between Steven and Jasper might look like, and does a LOT of deep-diving into the similarities and differences of both of those characters’ psyches.
Here’s the episode masterpost on tumblr.
And you can find it on Tapas, too!
(Note: For the purposes of these posts, I was given permission by the comic artist to post screenshots of various pages where relevant in this discussion. For each frame used I will list the episode and page number for easy reference. Additionally, this post and all future ones on the topic will contain full spoilers for the comic thus far.)
Now with all that introductory stuff out of the way, here we go!
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So, on the final page of the most recent update, we get one hell of a visual plot bomb for Steven as ol’ Onyx unfuses:
(Episode 9: Page 22)
He’s now visually expressing remnants of his corruption, where before he was not.
And it’s this mysterious plot point in particular that got me wanting to analyze this comic more deeply in the first place. This is completely new for him in this story. Thus far, he’s never expressed any of these remnants when he’s just himself- not in the way Jasper does. So it made me wonder… how might this shift in his appearance play into the ultimate trajectory of the plot? How does Steven suddenly showcasing corruption scars integrate into the larger story that is being spun here about him and Jasper and how they relate to each other?
Well, there’s a lot of comic details and story lore we need to unpack first before I can take my best theorizer’s stab at this. Let’s dig right in.
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Prelude: The analyst’s treasure is in the speech bubbles
Anyone who’s been a fan of this comic for a while has probably noticed these fun visual details already, but I’m going to take a moment to break down what I believe each speech bubble style signifies for folks who may not have context. It’ll make some of my analysis later a bit easier, too, ahah.
So. Speech bubbles. What kinds do we have here?
(Episode 1: Page 6)
Style number one: Solid with black text
This style is standard for non-fused characters, and is also utilized when a fused character is speaking whilst in a state of internal harmony.
Steven is pink and Jasper is orange, of course. Onyx’s speech bubbles are a distinct darker pink, and the main three Crystal Gems get their own colors as well. More minor characters get white bubbles.
(Episode 1: Page 10)
Style number two: Scribbly pink lettering overlaying black text
Whenever you see this type of speech bubble, it’s a sign that there is some level of internal discord going on within Steven or Onyx that is related to their diamond side. It usually shows up when one of the two is in pink mode, but from what I can tell this is not a solid rule.
(Episode 2: Page 12)
Style number three: Pink/orange mixed bubbles
This is how we see Onyx talking for a good portion of the early comic. Their speech bubbles are a clean mix of Steven’s pink and Jasper’s orange. And most vitally, the color on the top and the tail signifies which of them is “fronting” at that moment.
(Episode 3: Page 11)
Style number four: White bubble with solid pink text
So far, this style has only been used to represent dialogue that is being spoken by Steven’s gem half exclusively. Which makes things very interesting, as in Steven’s own remembrances of shattering Jasper on the very first page of the comic, the line “I have been holding back!” is shown in this specific style, instead of the scribbly pink lettering that signifies internal discord.
There is one additional sub-style here- and this is the one moment where we get Onyx’s mixed bubble but WITH the solid pink text.
(Episode 3: Page 11)
I believe these two styles pretty much mean the same thing… only, the white/pink text is either viewed within memory or a metaphoric fusion mindscape where we the viewer are actually “seeing” Steven’s instability, and thus can “see” his gem half as a separate entity there. While, in reality, this is an argument Onyx is having with the disparate pieces of themself.
(Episode 4: Page 9)
Style number five: Pink/orange tye-dye mixed bubbles
When you see that darker shade of pink start dappling into the standard mixed bubbles, this indicates that there are small whispers of Onyx’s true personality beginning to surface, instead of them constantly being wrested back and forth between Steven and Jasper’s conscious control.
(Episode 4: Page 16)
Style number six: Pink/orange mixed bubbles, but with a darker pink tail
From this page onwards, Onyx’s speech bubbles always have their darker pink shading the tail no matter who is fronting. Sometimes there are little lines of another color etched out of it, and sometimes the tail is solid dark pink. I like to believe that when it’s solid, it means that Onyx is just a little closer to reaching a fully harmonious state than when it’s not.
(Episode 9: Page 6)
Style number seven: Onyx speech/thought bubbles with a hint of pink/orange underlying
This style seems to signify moments where it’s still Onyx fully in control of themself and their actions/words/thoughts, but they’re taking subtle influence from their components or accessing their memory a bit.
These are all of the distinct styles I have caught so far, but quite honestly, it would not surprise me if I am missing something. All of this to say… pay close attention to the speech bubbles. They can tell you a lot about Onyx’s state of mind throughout the story.
Now with all this established, I’d like to finish off this first post with my first big discussion point.
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Question One: What does Jasper actually know about Steven’s “meltdown,” if anything?
The AU author recently solidified this comic’s placement in the SUF timeline in an ask response, saying that the first episode takes place just a week after Steven’s corruption event.
I’m glad this point was clarified, because it was super vital information which deeply influenced the way I analyzed Steven’s actions and responses in my recent re-read… it means this experience is still super raw for him. This is VERY important and we’ll get back to this in more depth later in future posts. But first, let’s explore what Jasper knows of this event.
The full extent of her knowledge is unclear-
(Episode 1: Page 6)
In Episode 1, Steven briefly alludes to his corruption as seen above… referring to it as “[his] meltdown.” Notably, Jasper does not seem to ask any questions about this stray comment. This COULD suggest that she knows what happened to him a week prior via hearsay, but given the context of the rest of the scene and the fact that she’s as isolated as she is out here I genuinely wonder if she thinks Steven’s so-described “meltdown” is his shattering of her.
This idea would make a good deal of sense, as she doesn’t start to make any commentary on the topic of corruption at all until they’re actually fused- with Steven bringing it up first.
(Episode 2: Page 14)
On this page, Steven takes note of Onyx’s very visible spikes (which are Overtly in the same placement as his own when he was corrupted), and initiates the musing upon his own corruption himself.
With the way Jasper phrases her response, the vibe I get is that she somehow gleans a bit of ambient shared knowledge about what happened to him through their fusion.
(Episode 2: Page 15)
“That human form you wear must have been hiding your markings.”
This quote is SUPER vital. We’ll come back to this later on in this post series, too.
(Episode 2: Page 15)
It’s clear that Jasper doesn’t REALLY understand what he went through or what caused it, since she then outright mistakes the casual woes and body pains of organic life as corruption. (As seen above.)
(Episode 8: Page 4)
But later on, she outright relates to him over their shared experience of past corruption, so she must at least know enough from mere ambient thought-sharing by this point to recognize it happened.
It’s obvious that she’s barely scratched the surface on fully understanding her fusion partner, though. Neither of them have. It’s gonna take a lot of fusion, comedic mishaps, and genuine conversation to get there. All in good time, I’m sure.
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Please do join me tomorrow at 7am PST for the next post in this series! This has been a blast to write up and muse upon.
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Why don't Delta and Mariza find Heather after the reunion and now and tear off her head? Like they never wanted to take revenge or at least stop Heather? Okay, at first they were running away, but then why didn't they ever come back to finish off the mermaid hunter? It didn't occur to them that firstly the mermaids would suffer while Heather was alive and secondly that this madwoman could strike at them again, only having prepared in advance. it's just kind of strange that the same Mariza, after reuniting with Delta, did not come to Heather and did not send her to the hospital for a couple of months.
We haven’t gotten there yet
#melody rambles#the whole story isn’t planned yet#there’s still stuff we’re figuring out#and rn it’s kinda on the back burner#but yeah#sorry ive been tired and a bit mia on ocean idiots stuff I’m dealing with shit rn#i do have some lore stuff I’m working on#i need the picture to turn out first#ocean idiots#also sorry if this comes across as rude#I just had to get this out there#this isn’t the first ask we’ve gotten like this
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thinking many thoughts about shams’ journey and clothing tonight:
shams mostly wearing lighter colors before the event of her losing her wings happened, especially light blue and beige which also reflects the association of youth, innocence and most importantly peace, she's always protected by her father and hasn't actually experienced life as it actually is
the first time shams starts wearing darker colors is actually once she comes back from the whole event, except she has put no care in choosing the dresses and clothes herself. she always loved picking dresses and talking about what she likes but she entered such a bad stage of depression that she has no more care for it which is also where her mother comes in
her mother is someone that let the misogny that surrounds them fully change the way she even views herself. not only does she feel like a victim but bc she hasnt properly healed from what happened to her, she lives by the way that every other woman has to live the same way as well
which is why she starts putting shams in more revealing dresses and at the age of 16 she is forced to act as adult while still dealing with her trauma but at the same time she never lets her mother pick any dresses that dont cover her upper back bc she cant bear to have anyone look at her scars and her mother's plan is literally to get her married which is where the revealing clothes come in place
it took her a few months but she starts to try and dress herself up more, like by her own choice. she doesn't quite feel like it which is why she starts wearing green all the time, the colors of her family and also what most monarchs used to wear just to try and fit in and just to pretend that she's fine. she also starts to wear coats over her dresses all the time bc after the long months of having her mother dress her up. she felt very uncomfortable with the way she was sexualized by so many, even if she's not wearing anything revealing
the more she starts to heal, the more she starts wearing red and black. red and black have always been a color of passion, sacrifice and authority. it is in direct opposition to the colors of her family but this was her statement: she has lost so much already that she will not lose anything else about herself. it's a public and private declaration that her interests are only about her and the people she cares about. this was her way to regain her power.
and as she grows older, she still wears those same two colors. she has learned how to love looking at clothing again so the occasional dresses for events and styling her armor happens, but she tends to pick those two colors the most. she has no problem wearing clothes that show her scars now and she's healed mostly, or at least she thinks she does because if anyone would mention anything that happened to her she would go absolutely insane <3
#already sent this to liz a while ago but i’m saving pins for her wardrobe and i’m thinking many thots again#i am sooooooo unwell#i also found a way to link some new stuff for her lore so most of this works in her canon as well#said this lanae but losing your wings as a metaphor for losing something that takes away your innocence…… do you GET IT#i will one day Go more into detail and add examples but until then#you have my half tired half going crazy post <3#tbt /
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So ummm a!au inspired madoka magica au??
#Had soooo much fun with the designs#Also tried to do my eye style with madokas eye shading/lighting style n I think it looks cool..#Gonna draw shapes and Vanessa too probably but not rn bc my outfit ideas aren’t as clear for them just yet#But WOOO MAKING MAGICAL GIRL OUTFITS MY BELOVED#a!au#ahit#ahit au#madoka magica au#this idea is basically just me saying “ok how can I translate aau lore/characters into madoka lore” and it works surprisingly well#I might explain the story idea later but not rn I’m tired oof#I probably will after drawing van n shapes and after brainstorming other ideas#I actually am considering doing this as a fic at some point just bc it’s really clear in my mind#BUT i know that I’d never finish it lol it would probably be just a one shot or a hypothetical thing that doesn’t continue further idk#Actual aau fic is my main priority n stuff but having a little side thing would be fun too#Like I said it’s all just hypothetical but yaya I’m very not obsessed with my current ideas totally normal and regular#ahit moonjumper#ahit the snatcher#ahit the prince#pmmm oc#madoka magica oc#<ig???#They’re basically ocs lol they are very detached from aau outside of similar base concepts and ideas#Crossover but not really idk like I said it’s based on aaus concepts but that’s basically as far as it goes oof
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hey how in the fuck are there two durins at once.
#like i was so excited because!!!!#khazad-dûm looks STUNNING!!!!#the lift they had! amazing!!!#celebrimbor and elrond both speaking fondly of dwarves!!! finally!!! some respect!!!#but then they just. do that??? disregarding the whole Dwarven Lore there???#when frankly. it would have been INCREDIBLY easy to just. Not do that.#not to mention i am. hesistant. about whatever the fuck is in the box and how it’s gonna play into plot.#truly though i’m upset at the like. disregard of one of the more entry level dwarf lore stuff?? yano???#like. they’re named durin because they are the reincarnations of durin the deathless. hello????#how can there be two reincarnations at once??? not how that works.#like man the dwarves get so disrespected already in adaptations.#if they give durin iv the movie!gimli treatment i am going to. hm. lose my shit.#so far tho disa is fantastic i love her.#rings of power#lotr
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The original Gravity Falls pitches and pilot just dropped!!
(Link for those who want it)
For those who don't wanna look through all of it, here are some highlights I found!
Interesting changes from the pitch (What Alex Hirsch showed Disney to make them greenlight the show):
Stan’s secret was that he’s secretly protecting the townsfolk from weirdness, nothing to do with Ford. No mention of Ford in the pitch at all. Stan also wanted Dipper and Mabel to be his successors in this version.
Mabel used to be the unhygienic one instead of Dipper.
Wendy was brunette and didn’t work as the Mystery Shack cashier, instead selling veggie juice out of her van.
As such, Soos (Jesús in this version) worked the register in addition to his handyman job in this version. He was a bit less of a hard worker here, watching telenovelas on the job sometimes, but still loves his job and is extremely loyal to Stan.
Robbie was almost exactly the same, parents’ backstory and all, but there’s an interesting note that he occasionally clashed with Gideon in this version (which we never got in the final show)
Speaking of which, Gideon’s last name in this version was Garrymore instead of Gleeful.
Gideon used to personally harass and prank Stan, going out of his way to vandalize Stan’s stuff himself.
Manly Dan was always planned to be Wendy’s dad. In this version, he hates the idea that his hipster daughter prefers conserving the environment instead of chopping down forests
(For those who wanted more Wendy episodes, I’m surprised Hirsch didn’t use this as a conflict for one of them- it makes her interesting without costing any of her “coolness”)
Sheriff Blubs was originally Sheriff “Blumps”. Durland has the same name likely because Hirsch said he’s named after a real guy.
With no Ford and no Journal mentioned, episodes were originally very different-
“The President’s Cabinet/Irrational Treasure.” Instead of via the journal, Dipper and Mabel find a record of Quentin Trembley in a box buried in the yard. No Pacifica mentioned here.
“Secret Dungeon” Dipper becomes obsessed with a recalled arcade cabinet. Mabel must try and save him by finding the original high scorer.
“Thtupid Thursday” One of the many ‘Shining Twins’ episode concepts Hirsch wanted to do. Dipper and Mabel learn ‘twin telepathy’ from some creepy twins, and soon regret it.
“Periodic Mabel” Mabel invents her own element for the science fair and Dipper is jealous.
“Only the Clonely/Boyz Crazy” The exact same episode just without Candy and Grenda. Sev’ral Timez is called “ReelBoyzzz” in this version.
“Big Dipper” With surprisingly no tie to Little Dipper, Dipper asks a fortune teller to make him older so he can win Wendy over. But she makes him 22, so he and Mabel have to undo the spell.
“Sweater off Dead” Mabel buys an antique sweater and is possessed by the soul of the granny who last wore it. Stan is terrified by the spirit because she reminds him of his ex-wife Marilyn (Deep Edalyn Clawthorne lore???) so Dipper must “Swexorcize” his sister and save her.
“Teed Off/The Golf War” With no Pacifica, this was originally a Dipper vs Gideon episode- No Lilliputtians, either. Instead, the 13th hole is cursed and traps the cast in a time loop.
Now, changes from the Production Pitch (I’m guessing for when the show was already greenlit and this was a way to brief crew members on what the show would 100% be about)
Stan’s secret (likely the portal) and the journal are now set in stone.
Emphasis on continuity and character development. Nothing gets “reset” by next episode. All plot developments are permanent.
All character names and designs are locked in. Pacifica has now been added, as well as Waddles, Gompers, Lazy Susan, Candy and Grenda, and McGucket (No mention or hint at his past here)
Interesting to note is that there is still zero outright mention of Ford and Bill in this version, even though multiple episodes were seemingly in production at this point.
Manly Dan’s conflict with Wendy from the original pitch is still here. Making it even more mindblowing that we never got it in the show
Blubs and Durland are described as a little more playful instead of mean like in the original pitch.
All episode examples made it into the show with no changes this time. They are Tourist Trapped, Legend of the Gobblewonker, Fight Fighters, Boyz Crazy, and The Land Before Swine.
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Its May.
Okay so this is in the same AU I had last year its just changed and evolved while also being the exact same. Except now I have 15,000 words of it written, like 7,000 words of planning and lore and hours upon hours of research that I will be pointedly ignoring. Will be posting more stuff this month about the AU and my hopes and dreams for it
Also slight art improvement check? I’ll put their original mermaid designs below the cut.
It’s Marinette as a mermaid and … its not Adrien or Chat Noir but a third worse thing (Catwalker but in the purest manifestation of it being a curse and not who he wants to be) I will be making designs for mer!Ladybug, and mer!Adrien as its own thing later on.
Okay if you want to indulge me look below the cut
Old mermaid designs first. I am going to be talking about my design thoughts, thoughts and ramblings about this AU and what I’ve been up to. You have been warned
As you can see, some things have changed but neither design I hated, I just wanted to go further with it.
My brain is quite specific about mermaids and how I want them to generally look. I wanted to distinguish biological merfolk from transformed humans by having them being anatomically different. So Adrien has a vertical tail instead which is also way faster underwater. His transformation is quite distressing for him and very chaotic. Of course when he accepts it he’s not so raggedy.
Marinette similarly avoids her life as a mermaid by becoming human and I wanted her mermaid design to hint toward her fascination with humans. She wears a top she fashioned from human fabric she found in a sunken merchant vessel. In general all other merfolk either forgo clothes or wear things fashioned from materials available to them. There’s deep fear of humans and human things so even though human clothes are available to them (off dead bodies but…. Whatever) they choose to difference themselves as much as possible. The same taboos don’t exist for them and their bodies are already adapted from the temperature of their environment. Adrien has stray bits of netting and seaweed on him because he’s not exactly the best at controlling his speed and often crash’s through fishing nets and patches of seaweed resulting in stuff being caught on him.
A lot of their designs are still being worked but I’ve definitely pushed them the right direction!
On to the AU. You might have seem me cryptically talk about something I’m writing the past few weeks. This is because it’s been in my brain since last May and been on and off writing it since then. I decided I’d talk about it once May came back around but and then when I finished writing it, start posting sneak peaks and more spoilery art until it was fully edited and I felt confident in it to post with an aim for it to finish posting once May rolled around again. Oh god.
It’s set in the late 1700s in a fictional version of France that’s actually fragmented over a bunch of islands. I have done more fashion research than I ever thought I’d do and in the end we will still be taking creative license but know I do know what they actually wore! I ALSO did a butt tonne of research about sailing ships and turns out they are super complicated and now I know too much and yet too little still about them. It should be super fun and action packed if I can manage. Have some really good scenes already in my head I know you’ll love. We’re already three ships battle deep and I’ve only written four chapters. (It chills out for a bit after that)
This is entirely self-indulgent by the way. I’m writing this for me, you guys are just a bonus. I literally don’t care as long as it satiates my rabid need for the fic that only lives in my brain at the moment. Saying that, I do want to put my best foot forward.
The next thing I will be posting for this is their human forms and more blabblerings about that. For I am insane and all.
#miraculous ladybug#sizzle sketches#miraculous#miraculous fanart#ml fanart#marinette dupain cheng#adrien agreste#mermay#mermaid au#Ml art
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redrawing my very first chiscara comic/art i ever did for chscr day!!
old comic under the cut!!
lol a bunch of sappy semi serious stuff below bc i cant help but be a bit genuine about this ship today :’3
i cant possibly put into words how important this silly little ship and its community mean to me haha,,,, this comic was made in 2021 but i didnt really get serious about chscr until late 2022 after a bunch of pretty bad interpersonal stuff happened and i needed an outlet,, COINCIDENTALLY a certain someone was announced to be playable around then and i was already thought chscr was Pretty Neat™️ so i ended up diving headfirst into the ship. it also gave me a good excuse to work on more comics too!! i’d done a pretty big zhongven comic earlier that year in the summer, but in terms of lore there was only so much i could have worked with at the moment.
childe and scaramouche have that perfect combination of silliness and angst and violence that could be explored or expanded in so many ways and i love love love seeing other people’s interpretations of their dynamic and relationship. they’re so complex,,,,they’re narrative foils,,,they’re narrative parallels,,,they’re trans allegories,,,they’re flies in the spiderweb of the games lore,,,they’re my stupid little meow meows,,, they’re just two losers i want to see make out,,,
in a nutshell, they’re everything to me. well, i hope i get that kind of sentiment across in my own comics,,,,
and i cant get started on all the people ive met through chiscara or the way that having something i can call “my thing”, as in, the thing that i like and that i will spend a lot of time and effort (and money, but lets not talk about that) to surround myself with because it makes me smile. its stupid to say, but being a nerd about these two stupid guys who have never had a single canon onscreen interaction in some random game has made me a much happier and confident person that i could have ever imagined back in my freshman year of college,,, when i say i dont know who i’d be if i hadnt gotten into chiscara, i really do mean it lol
i’m actually surprised i’m making it to over a full year of regular-ishly making art, especially for the same game and ship! thats never happened before and my art has improved so much over this past year!! more than anything else, i’m happy! i get to be excited talking about these characters with my friends and i love to see art of them pop up on the tl. i make stickers of them and decorate my phonecase with them and have little figures of them in my room that i look at when im up late at night working on schoolwork. sometimes just the thought of finishing a comic or daydreaming about a scenario or seeing what my mutuals are up to are some of the few things getting me through a tough day.
,,,,so believe me when i say, to both childe and scara and to everyone else as obsessed with these pathic losers as i am, thank you! i’m having a lot of fun!!!
(also i just found out tumblrs copy/paste doesnt work on my ipad??? idk if this ends up legible i may or may not have deleted smth by accident and im not in a mood to proofread haha)
#genshin impact#childe#tartaglia#scaramouche#chiscara#scarachilde#my art#comic#no super long rant in the tags this time bc i already made a chscr rant haha#happy chiscara day everybody!!
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Okay, all you aspiring writers out there following my blog listen up, I’m about to lore drop something y’all may need to hear.
Now, I’m a Writer, capital letter and everything. It’s not my profession, it’s just what I am, simple as that. I’m thirty-five as I type this, and I’ve been writing for twenty-three of those years. Made the shift from someone who just does essays and stories and stuff for school to someone who Writes when I was twelve and decided, “I am going to write a Novel.”
Which I did.
Took me four years to finish, a hundred pages on Microsoft Word, single space, because that’s how long I thought it needed to be if it was going to be a novel.
And, y’all.
It’s bad.
Like, so bad.
Like, “I’m not even going to tell you what it’s about, only that it exists, this is a chapter of my life to be mentioned in passing, you will see no more, the way is shut, it was made by the dead and the dead keep it” levels of bad.
While I was doing this, I also wrote a lot of poetry. Some of that was okay. One of my ADHD powers is having a very good ear for both rhyme and rhythm, which is enough to get you labeled as the class poet in 5th grade.
You won’t be seeing any of that either.
It’s not on par with the novel, but like... no one needs to be exposed to my teen-years poetry with the knowledge that that’s what it is.
Being a 1988 model, I didn’t discover fanfiction until about 2006. I was eighteen. The first thing I wrote was an absolute crack!fic that people enjoyed at the time, but which none of you will ever see without accessing the dark web or something similar because I’ve removed it from the legitimate internet. In fact, maybe just kind of treat anything of mine that I wrote before 2010 with extreme caution. And, even then, it’s not until 2014 that we get to my works that are still online which I look back at and go, “That? I’m still really proud of.”
It wasn’t until 2015/2016 that I started seeing myself not as someone who wanted to be a writer, but who already was one.
And it wasn’t until I was a decent start into writing my second mega!fic in 2020 that I looked down and realized that I might be writing something really special. Something that I was so proud of that I didn’t care that it was fanfiction, I was willing to talk to random people about it, because I felt so good and confident about what I was writing.
And that’s actually the point I’m trying to make. When people like me say, “Oh yeah, I’ve been writing for twenty-three years,” it’s not a statement of “Lol, I’m better than you, I’ve been at the top of my game forever, you’ll never catch up.” It’s a statement of, “Writing is a cumulative activity. If I’m good now, it’s because I’ve been doing this for a very long time, maybe longer than you’ve been alive. Look at where twenty-three years of work and practice have gotten me. And, much more importantly... think about where you are right now, and where twenty-three years of work, practice, and life experience will get you.”
Because there are a lot of young writers who I would absolutely consider my equals, don’t think I don’t see you there on AO3 and other places! And that’s what I always wonder when I think of how old you are compared to how old I am. Many of you are so much farther along the path of honing your skills than I was at your age... how much farther along will you be when you’re my age? Keep working at it and you’ll only get better, gain more polish, shine brighter. So many of you are already gems, and it’s my very dear hope that I’ll get to watch you become stars.
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a quick guide to dog lords, telling your arls from your teyrns, and generally how ferelden works
okay, this isn't quite what anon asked for, by which i mean not at all, but unfortunately they activated my interest in some of my favourite lore. it should hopefully contain a lot of the relevant stuff and i’ll try to branch out to less fereldan specific information in other posts!
okay, let’s start with the hierarchy. there’s four kinds of noble in ferelden
royalty: you know who these guys are. except for during the orlesian occupation, ever since ferelden became one kingdom, it’s been ruled by the theirin family. which i think is for 388 years, i really hope that’s right, i got out a calculator
teyrns: these are super powerful lords, basically banns so powerful that other banns swear fealty to them. they’re second only to the king, who is essentially just the most powerful one of them. there used to be a lot of them, but with one dynasty in power for so long, that kind of opposition has been eroded away. there are only two remaining: the couslands of highever in the north, and the mac tirs of gwaren in the south
arls: these are extra special banns. they answer to a teyrn or king and hold a strategic fortress for them. we know of six—amaranthine, south reach, denerim, redcliffe, west hills, and edgehall—but i’m unsure if that’s because they are only six or because there are unnamed others
banns: these are your common or garden noble, the lowest ranking and most common. this is your local lord type. they seem to vary the most in power, though, with some banns having big speaking roles in the landsmeet
but i kind of should have written that list in the opposite direction. what do i mean by that? well, in your standard medieval hierarchy, and in a lot of the rest of thedas, power comes down from the king, who lets you hold the land. but in ferelden, most of the land is owned by freeholders: commoners, well-off enough to own their land but still not by any means nobles.
how does that work? well, let’s say i’m a freeholder.
i own my land, but thedas is a rough place. if i want to keep my land, i’d better swear fealty to a bann. i’ll pay him a portion of the goods produced on my land, and in return, he’ll protect my land from anyone wanting to beat me up and take all my goods... and also, you know, not beat me up himself, as he probably would if i didn’t have any bann looking after me. it kind of sounds like he has all the power, right? like a medieval protection racket? it’s certainly how he gets his power and wealth
so i, freeholder harker, have signed up with bann jeff. it makes sense, because he’s the closest to my freehold, and i want soldiers to actually get here in time if i’m in trouble. that’s why my family has been swearing fealty to his family for generations. it’s just how things are done
but the thing is: i hate bann jeff. maybe he takes too much of my harvests, maybe he sides with a different freeholder when we go to him with a dispute, maybe his men don’t mind their pleases and thank yous when they come for my goods. i’m well within my rights to say fuck bann jeff and leave him. especially if there’s another bann nearby who would be perfectly happy to take my goods instead and treat me right. and the less freeholders bann jeff has, the less resources and men he has to make a fuss about it with. if bann jeff pisses off enough people, he might not have any freeholders left at all. and where will his wealth and power come from then? maybe soon he won’t be a bann at all
of course, bann jeff’s family might feud with the family of the bann that stole me away for a few hundred years. but that’s hardly my problem, is it? “courting” someone else’s vassals is apparently the biggest cause of conflict within the bannorn
anyway, this isn’t just how banns work; it’s how all power theoretically works in ferelden. there are no serfs/“unfree” men. every peasant has a right to go where he will and choose which freeholder he works for, just as every freeholder has the right to choose their bann, and banns who swear to teyrns can break away. (the latter is probably less common because a teyrn could fuck you up. i’m guessing you’d have to get the king’s backing about it to survive that.) and even the king answers to his lessers in the landsmeet, the super ancient gathering of nobles where law is made, which can override the king on any matter of law. (but they’re not going to do it if the king is really popular or powerful, because. you know. there’s a limit to all things called common sense and they would prefer not to get squashed about it.) but generally, everyone who holds power in ferelden has to curry favours with their so-called lessers in order to keep their goodwill.
everywhere else in thedas thinks this is weird as hell, by the way. having to court the approval of those beneath you? even the king having to do that? wtf? but the level of freedom means everything to fereldans. it’s their highest ideal and they’re really proud of it.
(the people who really don’t have a voice are what the ttrpg calls “low freemen”, which according to its handbook, consists of criminals, prostitutes, and elves. they still have the right to freedom of movement and to be paid for their work, but they’re not going to have freeholders and banns seeking their favour and speaking for them, and they typically have to resort to bribery for entrance to cities, their homes are bought and sold by others on a whim, things like that. ultimately it makes their position incredibly vulnerable to abuse, as we see in the games. i’m sure we’ve all played the tabris origin. there’s a reason the potential boon to get a bann for the alienage is so wild.)
so, let’s say you made it, everyone loves and/or tolerates you, and you’re a noble. what good does that do you and what can you do? firstly, you have a voice in the landsmeet, which is super important and means the king wants your goodwill and advice. more generally, you have three basic functions of a noble: raising taxes/tribute, commanding soldiers, and dispensing justice. nobles are expected to live off the wealth provided by their land and it would be hugely looked down on if they did work instead, with exceptions for, like, military careers and the chantry, which are respectable for their status. they raise militia from the commoners when necessary, and they also have trained soldiers or possibly knights (see postscript) in their service. that means you can protect your land and you can win glory and spoils when the kingdom goes to war, it also means you’ll be expected to provide those men when your liegelord calls for them. and lastly the law is their responsibility. remember how in the awakening dlc you had to make judgements as the arl of amaranthine? like that! the smaller scale you are, the smaller scale it’s going to be. in turn, if you want a dispute sorted by a higher power, you have to go up to your liegelord, maybe a teyrn or the king, or if you can’t get one of them, a more powerful bann or arl in the area. possibly the chantry would be an alternate option? if it’s just about finding someone you will both listen to, which is usually the main issue
some privileges other than the standard “power over those beneath you” that you can typically expect to belong to the noble class, even if it’s not specific to dragon age: the right to carry a sword, the right to have a coat of arms, the right to precedence on formal occasions and a special seat up front in your local chantry... sometimes niche ones, like fabrics and clothing that are only permissible to wear for people of a certain rank, so it distinguishes them. you can expect favours from/common class interests with your king, you would expect to be given a trial or treated chivalrously if things did not go your way, depending on era you might be captured for ransom in battle rather than killed outright, you probably have exemptions from certain royal taxation... etc. etc.
that’s what i have! i hope these are some helpful fundamentals and that anyone who has more knowledge than me on any aspect feels welcome to contribute it
P.S. as an aside, i’m a little confused about the fereldan use of knights. they definitely exist as lesser nobility, but i don’t understand how they fit into the hierarchy. a real knight was typically a vassal who held land from his liegelord and fought for him in exchange. i... don’t know how that works in the context of land ownership mostly going upwards. they’re definitely around, anyone addressed as ser is a knight, you have the knights of redcliffe and people like ser jory and ser cauthrien. (someone in an order like the templars has the rank of knight and gets ser and everything, but is not a noble.) as a rule of thumb i think generally they’re probably just members of noble families with that dedicated military training and no greater title to lay claim to? i’m basing that on stuff like nathaniel howe being sent as a squire to his mother’s cousin, a chevalier; if he’d completed that he probably would have been a knight unless/until he inherited his father’s place? i don’t know. i’m making this up. and on the other hand, there’s very little distinction in fereldan between your regular noble and a some kind of warrior class, which is why i struggle to see the purpose. (there are also inexplicable career soldiers who are not knights. what the hell is funding that upkeep and armour, buddy. you and whose land ownership? this is why you were fighting the darkspawn with your whole arms out, aveline. stop trying to imply ferelden has a standing army you can go off and join. yes i see you carver lore. i will not buy it.) ANYWAY, because knights are more prevalent in certain areas, i do wonder if it’s an import from the long orlesian occuption, based on the knightly order of chevaliers? i don’t fucking know. worth chewing on
#dragon age#ferelden#dragon age: origins#sorry to anon for asking specifically what your exact question was#and then going off on one anyway. that is my bad. if anything is not answered here let me know#and to anyone who has noticed the probably obvious things i missed pls be gentle#god this is so fucking long AGSHSJSKKS i thought i was being brief i dodged powerpoint... anyway#i just couldnt get to grips with what a noble can do until you know what different kinds there are and where there power comes from and.#well here we are
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𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄
"i'll be there for you" universe masterlist
pairing: bestfriend!roommate!steve harrington x fem!reader
word count: 1.2k words
warnings: explicit language
summary: in which you join steve during his family video shift and help him study for a test
author's note: nothing much to say about this one. short and sweet<33
general note: everything in this universe/series can be read as standalone oneshots but to understand the full “lore” it would prob be best to read the other stuff too<333
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Winter 1986
“Can I have some help?”
You looked up from your notebook to see a guy standing a few feet in front of you with a small frown on his face. Your head shake in response to his question was immediate. “Oh, no, I don’t work here.”
His frown seemed to only deepen. “But, you’re sitting behind the counter.”
“Yeah, that probably makes things confusing, but I don’t work here,” You responded with a small laugh. You took a brief look at Steve, who was stocking tapes in one of the aisles. “I’m just here to help a friend and make sure he doesn’t fail out of his first ever college classes. Big English test tomorrow. The first one of the semester, actually.”
The guy rolled his eyes at your unnecessarily long explanation and then walked off, and your attention turned back to your notebook and you continued writing notes, or more so rewriting notes, for Steve.
When he finished stocking shelves, he walked over to you, leaning on the counter and looking down at what you were doing. You ripped out the pages you had been working on for the past hour and slid them over to him. “Okay, I have compiled all of the shit that you’ll need to know for the test tomorrow on these two pages, front and back. Enjoy.”
Steve gave you a small smile. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but it was actually pretty easy since you’re taking the class with the same Professor I had last semester; I mainly just redid the notes that I had for that first test. And it only took me like an hour.”
“Thanks, but shouldn’t you be worrying more about your test tomorrow?”
You shrugged. “I just have to give a presentation on the rise of radio for my communications class, and I’ve been preparing for the last couple days. I’ll be fine.”
Steve nodded at that and started looking at the notes you gave to him. You moved from behind the counter and went over to the comedy section and started to look through the shelves.
“Oh, also, can I get a vest and a nametag? Everyone already thinks I work here, anyway.”
“No,” Steve responded almost immediately, which made you laugh. After a second, he walked over to you, papers still in hand. “Surprisingly, I actually remember most of this stuff.”
You smiled at that. “Glad to know you’ve been paying attention in class.” You then showed him the movie you had just pulled off of the shelf. “Thoughts on this for tonight?”
Steve looked at the title for a second before answering. “The person that returned it yesterday said it was shit.”
“Okay, so that’s a no,” You said as you put the tape back in its spot. “Anyway, though, it's good that you remember a lot of stuff already, so when I quiz you on everything later, it’ll be fast.”
He shook his head. “You’re being way too nice to me right now.”
“You told me that you actually wanted to care about your classes and do well in them, so of course I’m gonna help you do that.”
You could’ve gone further into that conversation that you two had a few days before the beginning of the semester, but you didn’t feel the need to fully repeat it aloud right then. Steve had talked to you about wanting to figure out his life, finding what he wanted to do long-term that wasn’t Family Video related, and maybe going to school part-time and taking a few classes would help with that. It wasn’t about his parents, it wasn’t really even about you. It was about him and you admired that, and you also wanted to help him figure everything out. Maybe it could help you figure out all of your shit too.
“Also, if you dropped out after this semester it would actually be devastating to know that our first time ever going to the same school only lasted four and a half months.”
Steve laughed a bit. “I’m not gonna drop out.”
“And I’m completely holding you to that.”
You went back to searching for a movie for later, and after what felt like forever you settled on something that sounded good enough.
Things became pretty quiet for the rest of the night, so you were able to quiz Steve on the notes a couple times, and then you focused on the reading you had to do for the Film and TV history class that he suggested you two take together. Your collective eleven o’clock on Tuesdays and Thursdays mainly consisted of you two playing tic-tac-toe with one another in the margins of Steve’s notebook or writing stupid notes back and forth, and still paying some attention to the lectures that were actually pretty interesting. Aside from Steve being in the class, you really enjoyed it for the most part.
“This article was actually pretty good,” You said. The clock finally hit eleven and Steve went over to the front door to turn the Open sign to Closed. “I think you’ll like it.”
“What’s it about again?”
“Silent films,” You answered as you started putting all of your stuff in your bag. You then picked up the movie you grabbed earlier and went over to one of the computers, looking up the name of it and changing it from in stock to checked out. “Since I know how to do this, I think I definitely deserve a vest and nametag.”
“I would say that’s true, but you only do that for yourself, not for any customers,” He responded with a laugh.
“In a way, I am a customer.”
“Paying customers.”
“I use the “best friend of an employee” discount, which is a hundred percent off,” You said, smiling at him, and then smiling even more when he rolled his eyes at you.
“What movie did you end up choosing, anyway?”
You held up the tape in your hand, Weird Science. “Now I’m thinking that I should’ve chosen a silent film to honor our history class.”
“I’m really glad you didn’t,” Steve responded before stepping out from behind the counter. You slung your bag over your shoulder and followed him to the front.
“Once you read the article, you’ll wish that I picked one of Buster Keaton’s greatest hits,” You said as you flicked off the lights before you two walked out the door.
Steve locked it and then looked at you. “I truly doubt that.”
You only overdramatically sighed and shook your head at him in response as you got in his car, tossing your bag into the backseat. You fiddled with the radio for pretty much the entirety of the fifteen minute drive to the apartment, and you held back your laughter at Steve’s playful groans in frustration at your antics.
When you two stepped into the small space that was your shared home, you changed into your pajamas for the night before settling on the couch, and you quizzed Steve one more time for his test. And then he made you run through your presentation for your class tomorrow because he felt bad about you only helping him study.
The time was nearing midnight when Steve warmed up some of the leftover pizza from the night before as you started the movie. You two fell asleep barely thirty minutes in, your head on his shoulder and a blanket draped over both of your legs that were stretched out on the coffee table.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
let me know ur thoughts<333
(requests are open for stuff you wanna see in the universe/series!🫶🏾)
#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington fic#steve harrington fluff#steve harrington smut#steve harrington x you#steve harrington imagine#steve harrington x fem!reader#stranger things fluff#steve harrington x reader smut#steve harrington x y/n#stranger things fic#stranger things imagine#stranger things series
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have more sleep deprived rambles about a vn (MDNI 18+)
so, with exploring dark romance vns i have been going through itch.io and discovered The Kid at The Back! i have so far enjoyed the plot and am excited to see where things will go, i adore the art style and of course… i am an emo lover. so! the author of the vn does not plan on spoiling anything as to keep us guessing on the lore but i thought i can at least compile everything we know so far in one place where i can update!
the author has also said they are not confirming theories or anything, so this is all food for thought rather than searching for confirmation. i just enjoy compiling info and sharing it so others who may enjoy lore can have something to read off from :)
tw: mentions of abuse, bullying, and violence
day 1 info
1. sol does not like hands on his neck. most likely something to do with his past or something, possibly an altercation with family since it seems he does not like “talking about his past” or his family
2. some sort of event in the past where sol met the mc. i think it was from childhood but i could not say the exact timing. but whatever it was, it made sol so dedicated to the mc that he literally thinks they are soulmates. some guesses: maybe we saved him from a bully in the past? maybe we stood up for him when no one else did? we shall find out!
3. sol always wears a necklace with a key on it, i’ve been wracking my brain to figure out where the key could go to. some guesses: our apartment, a box of something (maybe we gave him something he keeps locked up), a secret room where he keeps our things or something dedicated to us (since we know he does take stuff from us as momentos… like ok sol)
4. sol seems to come from a very well-off family to the point of bullying. he also probably get bullied for his style, but i think it also has to maybe do with family reputation. maybe the family is well-known in some area of the upper class/1%, or maybe the family is infamous for not great things/investments. we’ll learn as we go, but i can at least say with confidence that man has money
5. he does not like bruising on his face, becomes extremely insecure about it and even possibly humiliated. sad to say, i believe he may have experienced possible intense abuse from his family along with bullying. he has low self confidence or low sense of self, i think he thrives on being reassured. he is easily jealous and possessive (which is also a yandere trend) but i think it has to do with years of being overlooked, hurt, and ridiculed
conclusion and other sillies:
i think as days get released, i’ll add onto this or confirm anything we learn. i do believe crowe is the second love interest, which makes the most sense. i think crowe may have some unfinished conflict with sol or his family, but that’s more just a possibility i think about. crowe seems normal but idk… i also have some suspicions but what do i know!
i look forward to day 2/3 release, but remember to be patient! the author i’m sure is working hard, so let’s all patiently wait together and enjoy any side content we receive as we wait.
also fun side note, sol and i have some of the same piercings which was so funny to me (one of his ears has a double helix and three ear lobe piercings… like me…. goofy)
#sol:#me: so u got inspired by jungkook’s double helix too?#anyways fun game!!! ready for more lore drops later on#katb_vn#tkatb_vn#solivan brugmansia#sol brugmansia#the kid at the back#the kid at the back vn
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Oh yeah, time for a big rant about Hazbin Hotel!!!
I haven’t really had much of a chance to sit down and write about this since I watched the episodes, so things I say are probably going to reflect what others have said. I’m just writing this to gush about the things I love about some particular songs in HH.
I didn’t have any big expectations going into the first episode, because I’d mostly heard negative reviews of the show so far. I had heard that the songs, however, were bright spots, so I really looked out for the songs and listened in every time we were graced with one. The characters are truly the best versions of themselves whenever there’s a song going on, even if they aren’t the main focus of the song. It’s amazing to see, especially since my favorite thing about this show is the characters themselves.
My favorites are “Loser, Baby” & “Stayed Gone” and will probably be the main focus of this post because <3333
“Stayed Gone” is sung by Christian Borle (Vox) and Amir Talai (Alastor) and I could not be happier about it. Their voices are amazing here, and my favorite bits of this song are on repeat in my head.
I also love little visuals like the mug Vox has in the talk show format, the scrolling text in the news show format, or Vox’s error message toward the end of their bantering.
(The scrolling text says: “I’m totally not worried about this guy and neither should you be. I totally wrecked his sh*t last time he tried me.”)
Alastor really gets under Vox’s skin and it makes me kick my feet every time. Their dynamic truly is everything, and I’m so excited we got this song that showcases it perfectly.
He clearly enjoys it too, what a little jerk.
Speaking of these two, Vox definitely had/has a thing for Al at some point, right? I mean…inviting him to the Vees for a start. Not to mention just the v i b e s. Poor guy though, it’s definitely one-sided.
I love Al’s use of…modern…lingo. Truly a spectacle. That on top of it being a reveal of Al’s rejection to Vox’s offer 💀 I love this man <333
Last thing about this song, promise, but also I love the casual little lore drops and more pieces to the puzzle of the past that we get. Very exciting! Can’t wait to see how everything fits together once we find more pieces.
Okay okay, moving on. “Loser, Baby” is amazing musically as well as visually.
First things first, I LOVE JAZZ OMG AND IT FITS HUSK’S VIBE AND EVERYTHING SO PERFECTLY???
Keith David’s voice definitely fits Husk in my eyes now, I see it, it works. He’s amazing. Does a fantastic job.
Not to mention Blake Roman’s performance was, of course, incredible as well.
The big, upbeat, brassy sound in this song is amazing and I’m loving the trumpet in it especially (any fellow trumpet players? no?)
I love everything about this song. The visuals, voices, instrumentals, lyrics, message, all of it!
Husk slowly going from “yeah you kinda suck lmao, but so do I” in order to not make Angel feel like he’s not being genuine, to sneaking in a better message of “we’re not perfect but it’s okay, don’t be so hard on yourself” (and getting Angel to believe/go along with it too!!) is amazing. It’s a perfect example of these characters being the best versions of themselves during musical numbers.
This song is what solidified Husk as number 2 in my rankings (and I’m sure I’m not the only one). I mean…just look at the way he moves, it’s so silly.
(We’re going to ignore the Videoshop watermarks, okay?)
Overall, I’m loving this show so far despite some obvious issues with pacing n such and an overall rocky start. Especially loving the songs, which I think kinda make the show rn.
If anyone wants to add anything (because I definitely didn’t cover a whole lot, just surface level stuff because even this took a while to type out) then please feel free to! Also ask me any questions you’ve got for me concerning stuff that has/will happen(ed) in Hazbin Hotel. I love HH discourse!
Thanks to those of you who read all the way through, sorry for such a long post lol <3
#hazbin hotel#hazbin#alastor hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel alastor#hazbin alastor#alastor#alastor the radio demon#the radio demon#radio demon#radiostatic#I mean I guess there’s some radiostatic in here#hazbin hotel husk#husk hazbin hotel#husk#huskerdust#hazbin angel dust#hazbin hotel angel dust#angel dust#vox the tv demon#vox hazbin#vox hazbin hotel#hazbin vox#hazbin hotel vox#i love these guys sm#stayed gone hazbin hotel#loser baby Hazbin hotel#my post
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we need to know what happens when they share that tent NEOW!!!
alright alright!
warnings: nuthin much just a bit of a vibe switch…. y’all will get it when u read it + a bit of jungkook lore
taste of a poison paradise | jjk (m) #11
masterlist
<- previous ; next ->
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
TELL YOONGI YOU’RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING SERIOUS 55,3%
TELL YOONGI YOU REALLY LIKE HIM 44,7%
291 votes
you chose:
TELL YOONGI YOU’RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING SERIOUS
↓
you take a breath to gather your courage
“did you know i,” you start, “i had a big crush on you like two years ago?”
he raises his brows as he processes the new info, a small smile on his lips. “i did not.”
he’s so cute guys ohmydhskdjdjdn
you continue, “well, seeing you again made me…” you sigh as you rub your forehead and avoid his gaze, staring down at the ground. “i got excited and let myself get carried away, you know?”
he nods and just lets you speak
you sigh softly and force yourself to look back up at him
“but since then.. since 2 years go i’ve.. i’ve met people,” you say, “i’ve gotten into some situations and i’m realizing now that i’m still thinking about them too.”
yoongi just stares at you as you talk
and it feels like your throat is tightening
just wrap it up you’re dragging it out!!!
“what i wanna say is that, i’m not looking for anything serious right now. not when i know my mind is still clouded by others, i don’t want you to feel played or anything cause i do enjoy spending time with you.”
wow
that took
a WHOLE bunch of courage to say
you stare at him, waiting for a reaction
then, he smiles. “take a breath.”
oh
you hadn’t realized you were holding your breath
anticipating his reaction
you take a deep breath, fingers fidgeting
he nods his head. “that’s okay.”
just as you part your lips to say something, he continues, “i totally understand what you mean when you say your mind is still clouded by someone else cause i still experience it too. i’m glad you had the courage to tell me cause i’m not sure i could’ve admitted that.”
oh
he’s so
wow
need him. RN.
you blink at him. “so, we’re on the same page, then?”
he nods but then tilts his head to the side. “of course. thanks for being honest and making me realize some stuff too.”
a small smile creeps on your lips. you’re glad it worked out
but his next few words knock the air right out of your body
“will you still let me kiss you?”
aa
aaaaaa
AAAAAAAAAA
you bite your lip in an attempt to hide your smile and nod your head, taking a step closer to close the distance between you two
he cups your cheek and brings your face closer to his, gently pressing his lips to yours
your own hands move up to his biceps, softly squeezing them as you kiss him
he’s so fine
his arms fit right into your hands
like you were made to hold him isn’t that crazy
he slightly tilts his head to the side, allowing himself to deepen the kiss
his lips are so soft, you’re convinced you’re being caressed by clouds
you sigh contentedly into the kiss, goosebumps popping out of the upper layer of your skin
oh how you wish you could have him in sinful ways
his hands respectfully drop down to your waist as he pulls you even closer, pressing your chest flat into his
you smile into the kiss and this makes him poke through your lips with his tongue
you part your lips, allowing him to lick into your mouth
you continue to make out with him in front of dirty tables and dishes that are begging for attention
but standing here with him makes the world around you fade away
and you allow yourself to melt into his kiss, his touch, his embra–
“i don’t mean to ruin your kdrama moment but you’re blocking the way. i can’t reach the dirty plates.”
your heart freefalls to your feet
no, not freefalls
PLUMMETS
into the pit of the fucking earth
your lips part from yoongi’s and you turn to look to the side
to see
jungkook
staring you down
eyes slowly dragging down your body
pinch in his brows
tongue rolling against the inside of his cheek
eyes hooded
FUCK
he just went to go pee, of course it wouldn’t take long for him to return
what if he thinks you’re kissing yoongi just in spite of him?!??
“oh, my bad,” yoongi doesn’t seem to notice the tension between you two as he just pulls you to the side to let jungkook get to the plates
the three of you continue to clean up in silence
it’s
so
fucking
awkward
then, hoseok calls out yoongi’s name
“i’m gonna shut the tent and you’re not getting in if you don’t come right now!” hoseok yells from wherever he is
yoongi chuckles and then reaches out to rub your shoulder. “i gotta go. you can handle the rest, right? i mean, you’ve got jungkook too.”
damn
if only he knew
you force a smile and nod.
he’s so sweet :(
“okay. goodnight.” he gently taps your nose and walks off
oh :(
he’s so cute
you do really like him :(
you watch his figure disappear in silence
you turn to the tables and continue cleaning up
jungkook doesn’t say anything at all
you’ve finally cleaned everything up. “shall we go sleep?” you ask as you turn to face him
he nods as he uses his sweatpants to dry his hands
you quietly follow him to his tent, crouching down to follow him inside
well
“i can’t see anything,” you mumble
he doesn’t say anything as he turns the flashlight on on his phone and turns it face down so it lights up the tent
why is he so quiet :/
“we should reserve our battery as much as we can.” you remind him that you’re still in the middle of nowhere
he shakes his head, wordlessly dismissing you
can he stop being so
quiet?
you’re not used to it from him
you quietly watch as he zips the entrance to the tent back up
you just remembered you have to change your clothes with him.. in one tent
now you’re here, on your knees
he’s on his knees too
and he’s reaching for his own luggage
you slowly reach for your suitcase and open it up, picking out the first pajamas you see
when you look over your shoulder to ask him not to look
he’s
shirtless
with his back to you
changing
his clothes
and then
you notice
an entire fucking sleeve of tattoos
oh shit oh shit
he’s hot as fuck😭
you frown. “since when do you have tattoos?”
his head shoots up and he turns to look at you. “ogling me, you perv?”
this damn junior…
well at least he’s talking again
you roll your eyes as you turn back to your own suitcase and tug your shirt off
the silence makes him speak
“i’ve been getting them since a year ago but i don’t like that the sleeve is unfinished so i don’t like showing it yet.”
ah
is that why he wears rash guards when you go swimming?
“oh, ok.” you slide your pajama shirt on and start buttoning it up. you’re trying so hard not look at him cause he’s so fucking hot and you’re stuck with him in one tent
just
act like he’s not here.
ACT LIKE HE’S NOT HERE
okay. that’s good.
“wanna see?”
fuck
FUCK
you do
u really do
you glance at him as you button up your shirt
your eyes trail his bare chest and torso as he’s now fully turned to you
he’s so toned
he looks…… really good
you glance up into his eyes and he is staring straight into your eyes
he knows you just eyed his body
but he doesn’t comment on it
you finally glance down at his arm
he takes his phone into his hand and directs the flashlight at his arm
you see a whole bunch of tattoos, eyes tracing each line
you reach out and trace the lines with your finger
you glance up at him and he’s not looking at his arm
he’s staring straight at you
look away
look away
LOOK AWAY
before you do something
so fucking stupid
…
NOW
you shift your eyes back to his arm. “what does this one mean?” you rub one flower that he has tatted on the inside of his arm
“that’s my mother’s birthflower.”
you glance up at him and this time he’s staring at the tattoo as well instead of at you
“that’s sweet,” you say, quietly
he nods. “yeah. she always said that if i do ever get tattoos, i’d better start with something in honor of her,” he says with a soft smile as he gently rubs his inked skin
you smile. that’s really cute. who knew he was such a softie? “what was her reaction to seeing the tattoo?”
silence
wow
suddenly
the atmosphere changes
maybe you shouldn’t have asked that
he scrunches his nose up for a split second and then tugs his arm from under your finger away
he reaches for his sweater and slides it on, same with his pants. “she never got to see it.”
and with that, he crawls into his oversized sleeping bag and turns his back to you
oh
thats
:/
what happened with his mom?
you stare at his back for a moment longer
you slowly and quietly crawl into your own sleeping bag and try to sleep without another word
“you’re trembling.” his voice is groggy and quiet
how long have you been trying to fall asleep?
you glance at your phone, it’s 2am
“yeah, well, it’s cold,” you mumble, trying to stop yourself from shivering
he says, “come here,” with a soft sigh
huh
come
come WHERE?
“i’m good.”
“stop being stubborn and come here.”
wow
breathless
that’s the only way to describe what you’re feeling right now
you slowly scoot closer to him. you grumble, “don’t talk to me like that, i’m still your senior.”
“yeah, yeah,” he says as he dismisses your comment and slowly starts unzipping your sleeping bag and his
your breath hitches in your throat
is he telling you to crawl into his sleeping bag?
wait
WAITTTT
“don’t touch–”
“i’m not gonna touch you. there’s enough space.”
you glance at him for a moment longer but you can’t see much
he quietly sighs at your accusing gaze. “not everything i do is underhanded, y/n. sometimes i just want to help you, alright? you’re making it really hard to want to help you.”
well
you can’t help it !! you just don’t trust him
but you’re fucking freezing and you don’t know what else to do
you sigh and slowly crawl out of your own sleeping bag into his
you turn on your side, turning your back to him
it’s quiet
it doesn’t seem like he had any ulterior motives cause you can hear the soft puffs leaving his mouth and it actually sounds like he’s sleeping again
he’s right, it’s quite spacious
your bodies haven’t touched
but his body heat is radiating off of him and you don’t feel so cold anymore
alright
you close your eyes and try to fall asleep
and you’re slowly
dozing
off
…
“i’m glad you hit it off with yoongi. he’s a good guy.”
oh shit
your eyes shoot open and you turn your face over your shoulder to look at him
what
don’t do this.
“you deserve someone that’s going to treat you well. i know we’re always teasing each other but i really do want what’s best for you.”
he continues to talk with his eyes closed
is he talking to you in his sleep?
do you believe him? or is this another one of his tricks?
will he remember even inviting you into his sleeping bag tomorrow morning?
your lack of response makes him open up his eyes, staring directly into yours
you can’t see much but you can definitely see that
so he was awake
you turn your face back to lie back with your back to him and close your eyes. you can’t look into his eyes for much longer. “i told him i’m not looking for anything serious.”
there’s a beat of silence
“why?”
you’re quiet this time
very quiet
his breath hits the back of your neck in the meantime
makes you see every celestial body in the universe on the back of your eyelids
nerve endings set alight
goosebumps all over your body
you finally reply, “i’m sure you know why.”
…..
he doesn’t respond to that
and before you know it
you’ve finally dozed off
hm
light
light hits your eyes
scrunching of shoes against branches and grass reach your ears
you stir
trying to recognize your surroundings
your eyes are met with someone’s back
oh right
you’re in the tent with jungkook
but why
the fuck
is your arm
around jungkook’s waist
WHY ARE YOU SPOONING HIM
STOP
take your arm back without waking him up NOW
you slowly start pulling your arm back, but his own arm is caging yours in
you bite your lip as you continue to try to pull your arm back undetected
but
that mission FAILS
when jungkook suddenly jerks and turns around in one swift motion, wrapping his own arm around you as you lie flat on your back
you almost yelp but looking down at him, you realize he’s still asleep
you freeze
his face is directly in the crook of your neck, breath hitting your skin and awakening goosebumps all over your body
his arm is lazily slung around your waist and his legs are intertwined with yours
you hold your breath as you try to think of a way to get out of this without jungkook ever being aware of it
STEADYYYYY
you slowly move to untangle his legs from yours and it’s extra hard cause you can’t actually see your legs
okay MISSION SUCCESSFUL
WOW he didn’t wake up once
he must be a heavy sleeper
Now moving onto his arm around your waist, let’s get that–
“BREAKFAST IS ALMOST DONE! EVERYONE WAKE UP!”
FUCK
FOR FUCKS SAKE TAE!!!!
he’s yelling it around all tents
jungkook
suddenly
jerks
and you almost whimper at how his lips graze your neck
“hm?” you hear a soft hum coming from him
fuck FUCK HE’S WAKING UP
you shut your eyes tightly as he slowly starts to recognize his surroundings
“oh… Oh?” jungkook suddenly scoots back, creating a bigger gap between your bodies
he looks just as surprised as you
“i’m so sorry,” he quickly says as he turns onto his back and rubs his face
you glance at him, noticing how his ears have turned a bright shade of crimson
“it’s okay,” you mumble as you sit up straight, rubbing your own face
you both sit there for awhile just waking up slowly
“come on, breakfast is ready,” you mumble as you start unzipping his sleeping bag further
“wait–” his hand tightly grips your wrist as he tries to stop you in your movements, his entire upper body slouched over your lap
you frown and glance down at him
he slowly lies back down, his hair sprawled out behind his head on his makeshift pillow of rolled up pants.
did he? give you? his pillow? while you? were sleeping?
you say, “what?”
“i uh,” he scratches his head with his other hand
your frown deepens as you encourage him to finish talking
you’re so confused
so damn confused
he suddenly??? turns his back to you???
“never mind. go ahead.”
huh
????
you frown. “what are you doing? breakfast is ready.”
“i’ll come later, okay?”
your frown deepens. “but there might not be anything left for you if you wait.”
he mumbles, “that’s okay for me. you should go, though.”
“jungko–”
“i’m hard as fuck right now, alright? just go. Damn.”
oh
OH
it’s morning
he’s uhhh
experiencing
morning wood?
okay
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
without another word.
you.
get.
the.
hell.
out.
and after you’ve washed up
you see that the table only has two vacant seats left, one next to yoongi that he probably saved for you
and the two empty seats are right across from each other
meaning you’re gonna have to stare straight at jungkook when he joins y’all for breakfast
after what just happened
while sitting right next to yoongi
😂😂😂😂😂😂 life is so funny
to be continued
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@pix3lplays is back again~ not a request I promise, just a question for you because I’m genuinely curious~
So Nanook the Destruction am I right??
I always fall in love with the ones who would kill me, sigh.
But seriously the potential for yandere! Nanook is so important to me, they are sooo yandere coded~being their favorite little mortal that they’d do anything for…it wouldn’t happen but let me have my moment lol
Anyways I wanted to ask who your favorite aeon is. I tried, I tried so hard to keep it at Aha but…Nanook has swayed me to their side…the design?? The cold stare?? They are IMPORTANT to me.
Idk I think I have a chance with them (Pix is delusional) wish me luck~
No, no, come back Pixel, you are CORRECT. You are RIGHT.
I am so thirsty for Nanook. I don't even use that word often as I keep myself hydrated well.
As for my favorite Aeon.. not so sure. I'll have to catch up on the lore, but I'd say it would be the Aeon of Preservation, actually. [Edit: NOT PRESERVATION. I forgot who, but the one who has like.. all the mirrors and memories and stuff.... pls spare me.] {Another edit – it's Fuli!}
Fun fact, I thought Nanook was a playable character and got into hsr because of him, only to find out with disappointment that he is, in fact far from playable. Although Blade might substitute for an inverted Nanook.
But you're so right. I love Nanook. The yandere potential...
Being some Person™️ like out in the middle of who knows whatever planet, and waking up with the sheer, almost incomprehensible knowledge and fact that Nanook has his eyes on you.
Im not sure how exactly being in an Aeon's favor would work, but I imagine it's no easy work. Especially for someone like Nanook, who finds you, as tiny and insignificant, somewhat.. intriguing. Anyone blocking the now golden, burning path set ablaze in front of you is obliterated almost instantly. His favor works so much on you that sometimes you feel it settle thickly in your bones, the gold of his eyes burning through your tiny heart. No one dares to even look at you. Destruction follows the pattering of your feet, the favor rotting into a curse all too quickly, until you have no one left. You'll be forced to see him. To face him. To bear the fraction of a burden he intends to lay upon you for daring to catch his eye, despite being so pathetic and insignificant in the expanse of the universe. Your fragile, human body is laughable. But the curse that rots in your bones might ascend your vessel, if not aid you. In any case.. Nanook watches. His eyes are fixed on you. A vast, golden expanse always haunts your dreams. It is a contrast to the deathly stale black that comes with the wake of Destruction.
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Wing Man Part 6
Fic Summary: Steve 'the Hair' Harrington is your best friend, and is constantly striking out. Sick of this, you two make a deal; you'll wing man for each other. Hooking Steve up with dates is easy, but he finds himself struggling to find you a date. At least, until Dustin starts talking about his new cool friend Eddie. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9)
Chapter Summary: What DID he mean by five? The second meeting.
5.1k words
A/N: How are we feeling in a post-"Flight of Icarus" world, y'all? I knew from the beginning that I'd want to add some of the lore in and let me tell you, I LOVE Ronnie Ecker. For those of you who did not read the book, or haven't had a chance to, Ronnie is Eddie's best friend who ended up with a full scholarship to NYU. They're siblings, your honor.
Also if anyone can show me on this map where the plot is going, I'd really appreciate it.
This late at night, the only sounds in the trailer park came from the occasional dog barking and the echoes of Eddie’s tapes blasting as he pulled up to Wayne’s trailer. His uncle was working tonight as usual, which would normally allow Eddie time to hog the tv before passing out for a few precious hours before he had to get up for school.
Tonight however, his mind was buzzing with what had just happened less than an hour ago. He liked you, he wasn’t sure how much yet but he did. You were sharp and knew your stuff about metal. It helped that you were cute. Really cute.
He liked seeing you in the passenger seat of his car, matching wits with his friends and ranting about Ozzy. He liked seeing you laughing and the way you watched him play. He really liked the way you had fiddled with the pick he’d thrown at you at the end of the set.
Eddie had never done that before. He’d wanted to, but never had anyone’s attention like that before- no. That wasn’t true. There had been one other person who’d listened to him play like that, two years ago.
Was he always gonna fold to the site of a pretty girl actually paying attention to his music?
“Of course you are.” Ronnie’s voice echoed on the phone. “And I’m gonna laugh every time you do.”
Eddie groaned, holding the receiver to his ear as his forehead pressed against the front of the fridge. He hadn’t planned on running to her with this, but he was nowhere near able to wind down. He hadn’t even expected Ronnie to pick up the phone this late at night with the time zone difference and the fact that it was a school night. He’d have to push his stash a bit harder to pay Wayne back for the long distance call.
The past two years had been a slow crawl of building back trust up with Veronica Ecker. The two had gone almost a whole summer without talking before Eddie had basically groveled for forgiveness outside of Granny Ecker’s trailer before Ronnie left for New York. She had forgiven him enough to let him give her a ride to the airport.
“Last time?” He’d asked.
“Last time.” She’d repeated.
“So why didn’t you shack up with her tonight?” Ronnie asked. “You got her into your van, and you dropped her off like a gentleman.”
“I don’t know, I panicked.” Eddie sighed, bonking his head against the fridge a few times. “She was right there, and she was leaning in and all I saw was Paige leaning in-”
“You know not every girl who shares your taste in music is Paige, right?” Eddie could practically see Ronnie rolling her eyes on the other end of the line.
“Any girl that shares my taste in music ends up fucking off to the opposite end of the country.”
This made Ronnie laugh. “You’re an idiot. Paige fucked off back to her job and I fucked off to college.”
“Fucking off is fucking off.”
“Maybe you need to fuck off.”
“I tried, remember?”
She remembered. Both of them remembered.
“Look, stop being a dipshit.” Ronnie said after a moment of awkward silence. “You’re graduating this year, right?”
“Uhhh...”
“Eddie.”
“Yeah, yeah I’m working on it. I just need those last stupid two classes and then I’m home free.” Eddie confirmed.
“You can’t stay in high school forever.” Ronnie said. “And you’re gonna realize that there’s life outside of Hawkins. Have you even talked to Paige since then?”
He hadn’t, and they both knew it. Eddie gave up two months after she’d bailed him out of jail. Two months of dead air silence. He got the hint.
“No.”
“Then stop worrying about one girl from over two years ago!” Eddie could feel the phantom pain of Ronnie punching him in the arm like she always used to. “Get laid and graduate, Munson. You earned it.”
Eddie snorted, sliding down the fridge to sit on the cool floor. “Is that the only advice you got for me, Ecker?”
“It’s the only advice you need. Did you pass that test last week?” Ronnie asked.
“By the skin of my teeth.” Eddie sighed, leaning his head back against the fridge.
“Your new girl graduated, maybe she can help you study.”
“She’s not my girl. She’s a girl that I’ve met a handful of times-”
“That’s turning your brain to mush.”
“She doesn’t even know who I am, Ronnie.” He fiddled with the chord in his hand, watching the spiral wind and unwind around his fingers. It was already stretched out pretty bad, with a few spirals already tangled beyond repair like his old slinky from when he was a kid.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Ronnie asked. “She doesn’t know you, that means she doesn’t feed into the bullshit of the rumor mill.”
Ronnie had a point and he hated it, but that’s why he called her to begin with. Ronnie was the only person who could cut through his Munson bullshit and give it to him straight. He missed it. As much as he enjoyed the power he had to protect his little lost sheepies, they were all too intimidated to actually stand up to him and call him out the way that Ronnie would.
“Yeah, you’re right. As usual.” Eddie could hear her snort and he couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “So why the hell are you even awake right now? Up til 2 am on a school night, Ecker?”
“It’s barely past midnight, the time zone isn’t that off. I was studying for a test, but hearing you complain about your love life is a far more productive use of my time.”
“You’re using me to slack off, aren’t you?”
“If I have to look at my flashcards one more time tonight my eyes are gonna go square. How’s Granny doing?”
“She’s an empty nester and is determined to turn me into her replacement grandson until you visit again.” Eddie shook his head. “She threatened to give me a haircut the last time she dropped off a plate for Wayne.”
Ronnie had come back to visit a grand total of five times since she’d left, returning for holidays and summers to visit Granny Ecker and by extension Eddie. Each time she’d come back with stories of law school and how different New York is.
It seemed impossible, everything that Ronnie had told him about going to college and about life outside their small town. She was playing Dungeons and Dragons still, having found a group that would play with her. According to her, being a rules lawyer for the game at a law school hit way different than it had their small Hellfire group in high school. No one even cared that they played outside of a few students who had better things to do than enact violence against a few nerds.
Then again, in law school everyone was some sort of nerd. Eddie wondered if even a freak would be accepted there. Well, socially at least. He wasn’t delusional enough to think he’d be able to be accepted into law school with his grades. Ronnie had invited him up to visit a few times, but there was never time or money to do it.
The two continued talking for another hour, catching up until Ronnie was scolding him for staying up so late on a school night.
“Yeah? And what’s your excuse?” Eddie said. “It’s almost 4:20 am there.”
“Ha. Ha. Again, ha.” Ronnie said. “Still not how timezones work. And my first class doesn’t start until noon.”
Right. In college you didn’t have to wake up at the ass crack of dawn every day.
“Night, Ecker.”
“Night, Munson. Graduate and get laid.”
“Does it matter the order?”
“Good night, Eddie.”
Talking to Ronnie had eased his nerves, but there was still something inside that wouldn’t let him lay down and go to sleep. It was late now, way later than he intended to stay up tonight. The night he played at the Hideout always had him up late, and his teacher already considered him more useless than usual on Wednesdays. It’s not like anyone would care if he slept in class, unless they were in a particularly foul mood.
He made his way to a stack of books in his room rummaging through a pile or two until he found what he was looking for. Eddie’s copy of Lord of the RIngs was well loved at best, and completely trashed at worst. The cover of the paperback was nearly torn off, taped back together haphazardly over the years. Pages were dogeared, the spine was cracked, notes were scribbled in the margins, and his name was scribbled in messy cursive on the front page declaring that this book belonged to Eddie Munson and that he was in third grade.
Eddie stripped out of most of his clothes, tossing his jewelry on his nightstand, and hopped into bed. He turned on a small lamp and opened the book. He could probably recite the first chapter from memory if he tried, the words on the page a comfortable lullabye for his wound up mind. But tonight he flipped to a page near the end where his bookmark was. The flower made out of blue construction paper wasn’t nearly as old as the book, and only in better shape because it never left the safe pages of Tolkein’s writing.
His eyes glanced at his arm again, your phone number a temporary tattoo on his skin until it washed off. Shit, it was going to wash off eventually. Eddie grabbed a pen from under his bed and added another scribble to the inside of the book before copying your number carefully onto the paper flower. At least this way he’d always know where it was.
With that aside, Eddie didn’t make it through three pages of his book before he passed out with the light still on.
Fall Semester, 1984
The PrinciPAL’s office was just as interesting and inviting as it always was, which is to say not at all. Eddie was slumped back on a chair, watching as Janice sorted through paperwork, pretending to look busy so that she could avoid any small talk with ‘that Munson boy’. He had been waiting for Higgin’s to show up for almost fifteen minutes now, because why shouldn’t he waste Eddie’s time at this point? The worst that was going to happen today is that they’d do their little song and dance, Eddie would plead his case that the flyers were absolutely serious and that Chris Morrison had every intent to run for student council, and that it was all of the club that had made the posters, Higgins would shake his head and not believe Eddie for a second (which to be fair, this would be the first time that Eddie would admit privately that it was his fault), they’d go back and forth until Eddie got some form of detention or Saturday school.
Honestly, the worst part would be rescheduling Hellfire if he wound up in detention.
Eddie had counted out 13 paper clips that Janice had used in her papershifting before the door to the front office opened up again. He looked up, expecting to see Higgins walk in, ignore him for another five minutes, before Janice would let Eddie go in.
He didn’t expect to see you, pale and shaken, clutching a teacher’s note in your hand. Eddie watched as you handed the note over to Janice who read it, shook her head, and pointed at the chair next to himself. Your eyes never left the floor as you sat next to him, staring at the cheap carpet as if you could somehow burn a hole in it and disappear.
Trouble was no stranger to Eddie, and Eddie was no stranger to trouble. In Hawkins the name ‘Munson’ might as well be in the thesaurus next to the word. This wasn’t his first rodeo, and it would be far from his last as long as Higgins stayed the princiPAL. He’d walk away with a lecture and a sigh and then it would be business as normal.
The look on your face though, that was far from the mild annoyance he felt. You look downright traumatized at the idea of having been sent here. Eddie glanced up at Janice who deigned to make eye contact with him now. Her eyes flicked between the two of you, a disapproving look behind her purple frames as if this was somehow Eddie’s fault that you had ended up here as well. But then, as far as any of the faculty from the office was concerned, even him being enrolled at this school was a death sentence to the rest of the poor student body. Eddie was a disease that they would try to contain until they had the cure to remove him.
The shaking of your knee made your chair (and his chair by proxy) rattle slightly. The quiet of the office and the mundane shuffling of Janice’s papers only added to the tension that was radiating off you.
“Janice, is Higgin’s gonna be long?” Eddie finally asked, and your bouncing knee stopped for just a moment before going back to its nervous movement.
“He’s in a very important meeting.” Came the reply over a stack of papers, still not looking at Eddie.
He sighed again and looked over at you, trying to place where he knew your face. Your eyes were a bit red, and you looked like you were on the verge of crying. Shit, he needed to do something before he had to ask Janice for the tissue box.
“First time?” Eddie asked, and when you didn’t respond he nudged your knee with his.
You jumped slightly, head snapping up. It was a wonder you didn’t give yourself whiplash and it would have been almost funny to Eddie had you not looked like a deer in the headlights looking at him.
“I... Huh?” your voice cracked slightly.
“What are ya in for?” Eddie did his best to give you a smile which he was sure made him look more like a serial killer than a comfort. It was rare he wished that he had his dad’s smile, but in cases like this he’d make an exception.
You looked at the paper in your hand and swallowed. “Uh... skipped.”
“Skipped school or just class?” Eddie prompted, trying to get you to talk more. If you were talking, then you weren’t crying. That’s what he hoped at least.
“Class.” He didn’t think you’d say anymore but you surprised him. “US History.” Eddie caught the way your eyes darted to Janice again as if to make sure she wasn’t listening in, but Janice had better things to do than to eavesdrop on two delinquents. “I wasn’t... I had a bad day. I'm having a bad day. I felt like I was going to explode and I went to the library.”
Eddie nodded, wondering what had happened today that made you need to duck out. It wasn’t his business, and frankly Higgin’s was going to grill you enough as it was.
“Rookie mistake.” He said instead.
“Rookie...?”
Eddie kept his voice low and leaned in closer to you as if telling you a secret. “If you’re gonna skip, you can’t go to the library. You might as well have walked into the teacher’s lounge and announced that you were cutting class.”
You let out a sharp breath that he swore counted for a laugh. “Thanks for the heads up, can you tell me that a few hours ago?”
There was color returning to your face now and Eddie kept going. His brown eyes scanned your face, trying to place where he knew you from. Hawkins was a small town, and there was nothing about you that screamed ‘I’m new!’.
He liked your sarcasm though, and his ‘comforting’ grin shifted into a genuine smile. “If you’re gonna ditch, you need to go to the bathroom or go outside.” He said. “Especially for last period. Go hide outside in the woods and you can slip into the parking lot seamlessly without anyone noticing. By the end of the day the teachers are barely taking attendance anyway.”
“Have you been in the girls rooms here?” you asked, shaking your head. “I think I’d rather take my chances here than stay in there longer than I’d have to.” Eddie wasn’t sure if you were trying to make a joke or if you were serious.
“Would you rather hide in the boys room?” he asked. “I swear it only smells like piss almost all of the time and you’d end up in the splash zone even if you were in a stall.”
That got a laugh out of you, a genuine one. Your shoulders were relaxing and you looked down at the paper again and took a deep breath that you exhaled with a sigh.
“I’ve never been in trouble before.” you said, your hands starting to bend and fold the paper on your lap absently. “I’m not good at being in trouble.”
“Well, lucky for you I’m here.” Eddie nudged your knee again with his. “Being in trouble is kind of my job here at Hawkin’s High. I’m a professional, you know. If I wasn’t here taking up all of Principal Higgin’s time he might have to actually do his job.”
That last part was louder, as he directed it to Janice who refused to take the bait and only reached for her lilac stapler instead.
A small smack on his arm drew his attention back to you, you were smiling at him looking astonished. “You’re gonna get us in trouble!” you whispered at him.
“We’re already in trouble.” Eddie reminded you, his smile never fading. “Look, you’ve never been in trouble before, right? You’re gonna be fine. Just give him a good sob story about being overwhelmed with school, or about a sick pet. If you can squeeze out some tears that’s even better. The worst that he’s gonna do is give you a slap on the wrist and maybe detention if he’s in a shit mood”
You take in his words, listening to him carefully and taking in every word he was saying as if this was life or death. Eddie admittedly, had purposefully slipped into his Dungeon Master voice. It was a skill that normally only worked on his little sheepies in his club, and that was after semesters of training his players to listen and pay attention to his words or else it would be life or death for their characters.
Having someone else listen to him like that? It felt really good.
Your mouth started to open to say something but then the office door opened again and Higgin’s stepped in, nodding to Janice and then looking at the two of you. There was an accusatory look in his eyes as he made eye contact with Eddie again, and it was clear what that look said. Leave her alone, don’t make things worse for her than they already are.
“Munson.” Higgins said and it took everything in him to stay still and not flinch at his last name. He was used to the weight that came with his name, but he hadn’t wanted you to know who he was. Not after he just remembered where he knew you from, glancing down at the note that you had folded into a flower in a fit of nerves.
“I heard you missed me, Sir.” Eddie forced his eyes to meet Higgin’s. “You really should just start saying hi in the hallways instead of inviting me to these little chats every week. You’re taking away valuable learning time from me, you know.”
If the two of them had been alone, Higgins would have snapped back at Eddie about being a smartass. But you were there, and the color had drained from your face again, and there was a shine to your eyes that was threatening to spill over your waterline. Higgins looked at you and motioned for you to follow him into his office.
Eddie wished that you would turn and look at him before disappearing into the PrincePAL’s office. He could imagine you turning to look at him for comfort, he’d give you a smile that would put you at ease and a thumbs up. You’d give him another smile and walk in feeling brave.
Instead it was like you forgot he was there as your figure disappeared behind the heavy wood door that shut with a heavy click.
Of course Higgins had you come in first, even though Eddie had already been sitting here since the beginning of the period when he’d been called in.
He was tempted to go over to the door and press his ear up against it to listen in on what he was saying to you but even Janice would scold him for that. So there Eddie sat for another ten minutes as he waited for you to step out again.
Higgin’s was the one to open the door and let you out of the office, as if he were some gentleman instead of Eddie’s own personal warden five days a week. You walked out and to Eddie’s surprise you gave him a nod and mouthed thank you as you slipped back out the door and into the hallway.
Eddie’s eyes followed you until he couldn’t see you anymore and it took Higgin’s standing in front of him with folded arms and saying his full government name for Eddie to snap back to reality.
“Munson. A word about your little flyers?”
“Well, I’d say a picture is worth a thousand words-”
“In my office.”
Eddie didn’t remember much else about that talk, only remembering the white paper flower that had been carelessly tossed into the trash next to Higgin’s desk.
“He still hasn’t called you?” Steve asked as you, him, and Robin continued your closing routine. The day had been busy, with almost everyone in Hawkins coming to rent a movie for the weekend. Robin was stocking the candy while you wiped down the sticky counter where children had been touching all day. Who’s idea was it to leave out free suckers on the counter anyway?
Oh right, that was your idea because you loved Halloween.
“Nope.” you said, your voice a little tense. It had been almost two weeks since that night at the Hideout. You hadn’t returned to the dive bar, hoping that Eddie would call you and make the next move. Each passing day you had stayed as close to the phone as possible when you were home and you’d checked your voicemail every day when you got home for any sign that he’d attempted to reach out.
Nothing.
You shouldn’t feel this rejected but you did. It was far too early to tell if you had any feelings beyond initial attraction to the guy, but... you’d felt something. An enjoyment of bantering with him and an ease that came as naturally as your friendship with Robin and Steve.
Plus, you had to admit it, he was really fucking hot. Seeing him play guitar two weeks ago had haunted your dreams and slipped into a few of your fantasies when you were alone.
You kept that part to yourself though, that was the last thing that Steve or Robin needed to hear. Besides, that was Steve’s job to go far too into detail about his sex life. Steve had tried ribbing you about going home with Eddie but you’d told him that you were a complete gentleman with him.
That night had left you feeling electrified, almost high as you danced around your room as you got ready for bed. Even as his odd parting rattled around your brain, you couldn’t help but to feel excited at the idea of seeing him again.
Then a few days went by. Then a week. And now two weeks later you hadn’t heard from him. The kids hadn’t stopped by either so you couldn’t hassle them about Eddie either. Even if they had, you weren’t sure if you could ask about him, you didn’t want to come across as desperate.
“Did you ever figure out what he meant by ‘five times?’” Robin asked, opening up a squished package of Reese's Cups. “Like, didn’t you say you didn’t know him?”
You threw your hands up before tossing the paper towels you were using to clean in the trash can.
“I have no idea.” you said. “Either I’m bad at math, he’s bad at math, or maybe we’re both stupid.”
“He did get held back a few times.” Steve muttered to himself.
“There’s a chance that you two have met before though.” said Robin, “I mean think about it, you’re both weirdos who went to the same school. Shouldn’t you both have bumped into each other before?”
“You’d think so, but my group kind of kept to ourselves.” you said with a sigh. “We were private weirdos. When I DID try and make other friends-”
“Yeah, yeah, Chris Morrison shot you down.” Steve said, waving his hand.
“Oh, you heard that story?” you laughed. “I didn’t think I mentioned it to you before.”
Steve gave you a blank stare that only made you laugh more. “I swear you keep talking about that guy more than Eddie. Maybe I should track him down and set you up on a blind date with him instead.”
“Don’t you dare!”
“Hey, that could be fun!” Robin added. “We’ll dress you up super hot, set you up with Chris, and then you can turn him down instead!”
“Excuse you, Robin. I am always super hot.” you declared, straightening out your unflattering Family Video vest. “Who wouldn’t want a piece of this?”
You hadn’t done laundry in a week, and your hair had seen better days. The green polyester vest was wrinkled and if Keith saw you looking sloppy he’d probably have words about it. Not big words or even intimidating words, but words nonetheless. It was night and day compared to how you’d looked at the Hideout and the arcade earlier in the month. But it wasn’t like you had anyone to impress while you were at work anyway.
“Hey, nerdy chicks can be hot.” Steve said. “I mean, Nancy’s an academic nerd and I was crazy about her.”
You hummed thoughtfully and turned to Robin. “How about we get married instead?” you asked. “You, me, a fuck ton of cats, and a tax break. What do you say?”
Robin laughed and shook her head. “You aren’t my type.” Her eyes darted nervously to Steve for a split second and you sighed dramatically.
“Guess it’s just me and the cats I’ll eventually adopt.” you said. “Not even a tax break.”
“You know, Keith thinks you’re cute-”
“I am going to pretend that you did not just say that, Harrington.” you said firmly. “Nope, not happening. Uh-uh. Absolutely not.”
“He’s not... that bad?” Robin said, but you could hear the pain in her voice through the laughter. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”
“The lady is trying not to think actually.” you laugh. “We’re closed, I’m actually done thinking. I just wanna finish cleaning up and go home. What’s left?”
“Rewinding the returns,-”
“Ugh.”
“Cleaning up the kids movies,-”
“Ugh.”
“And cleaning the bathroom.”
“UGHHHHHH.”
“Would you rather clean up the porn room?” asked Robin.
“Yes actually, I would.” You said. “Whatever they think about doing in that room is what they do end up doing in the bathroom.”
“Gross.”
Steve sighed “Okay, I’ll be the hero and save you ladies from cleaning the bathroom. Robin, you fix the kids section, and you can rewind the tapes.”
“I thought I was in charge here.” You crossed your arms.
“Okay, did you have a better way to divide and conquer?”
“...No.”
“Then let’s hurry up and-”
Ding!
“Who didn’t lock the door?!” you asked.
“It was Steve’s job to-” Robin started.
“Oh, shit. Hi.” Steve was staring at the person who had just walked in. You turned around and your heart jumped in your chest and your stomach dropped.
“Cursing in front of customers, Harrington?” Eddie said. “Now that’s not very professional of you.”
Robin’s eyes were darting so fast between you and Eddie that you were surprised she wasn’t giving herself vertigo. You tried to give her a pointed glare but your friend either didn’t get the hint or refused to.
“Well, we’re closed. You can’t be a customer if you can’t pay.” Steve said, putting his hands on his hips.
Eddie looked away from Steve and made eye contact with you. It had been two weeks since you’d seen him, and you glazed at his arm for a second, trying to see if the faded remains of your phone number were still stamped on his arm. Unfortunately for you he was wearing a heavy leather jacket and you had not yet developed x ray vision. Perhaps in another genre.
“Do you want to get out of here?” Eddie asked and you, ignoring Steve who looked mildly offended.
You stood there in shock for a second before Robin nudged you in the rib.
“I- uh. I have to finish closing.” you said, snapping out of it.
“Steve and I can handle the rest of closing!” Robin grabbed Steve and shook his shoulder.
“Guys, I’m literally in charge of you both. I can’t leave before you.” You said, already reaching for your bag under the counter.
“We can handle it!” Steve said.
“And I can handle Steve!” Robin added. “We close without you and Keith all the time, remember?”
You could trust Robin, and as long as Steve didn’t knock down any displays then it wouldn’t take them more than another ten minutes to finish up. You were so tempted to turn them down, make Eddie wait as you had waited for him for the past two weeks.
But you were already stepping behind the counter towards Eddie and tossing the keys to lock up to Robin. Keith would murder you and write you up (in that order) if he knew what you were doing but looking up at the roundest pair of brown eyes you’d ever seen had you in the mood to make questionable choices.
You shrugged off your vest and tossed it at Steve, in an attempt to make yourself look like you hadn’t spent the whole day dealing with unruly customers and screaming kids. Part of you almost wished that you had agreed to bathroom duty, if only to give you an excuse to look in a mirror and straighten yourself out.
“Thanks, guys.” you gave them a quick nod, catching sight of Robin’s knowing smirk and Steve shaking his head before walking out the door that Eddie was holding open for you.
The last thing you heard was the scrambling of the entrance to Family Video being locked.
Part 7
Dividers by @strangergraphics
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