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#maybe because I started with her pure fantasy books?
kestrellady · 9 months
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August 2023 Reading Wrap Up
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Yeah, I had a bad time right in the middle of the month...
Stand Out Books from August Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher This book was just so sweet. (Yes, people die gruesomely, it's a T. Kingfisher book. It's still super sweet.) Novella length story that asks, what if Sleeping Beauty was put in the tower for good reason? And who would guard her?
The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis This book took me a while to get into. The writing style is a bit more abrupt than I'm used to-it kind of reminded me of old noir mysteries, though it's set in ancient Rome- but the ending absolutely hooked me for the series.
The Veil by Chloe Neill I'm not sure why I'm surprised that I liked this book (and the sequels) so much. It's an interesting, vivid world with fun characters. There's plenty of drama, but Neill doesn't let it drag on to the point where you're like "would you just talk to each other!" If only the library had the last book! (I'm getting it ILL and hoping it comes in before I leave on vacation. Maybe I'll just have to start her Chicagoland Vampires series in the meantime.)
What I'm Reading Now I just started Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston, which is a shifter romance and it's a wild trip. I'm thoroughly enjoying it! I'm still working through The Mummy, slowly but surely. I'm stuck in Spain, for some reason, with no mummy in sight. I really need to just sit down and finish it.
What I'm Looking Forward to in September This is going to be kind of a weird month, since I'll be traveling for a good chunk of next month, which means I have to be really careful what physical books I get out from the library. I'm in the middle of a re-read of the Abhorsen series, which have long been a favorite (I wanted to be either Lirael or Evie from The Mummy when I grew up). I also finally picked up Ancillary Justice from the library, after seeing several recommendations for it. And we're heading in to spooky season, so I've got a couple of horror/thriller books lined up.
Reading Challenges I'm in the middle of three reading challenge books! The Eye of the Mammoth, a book of essays by Stephen Harrigan for Book Riot's Read Harder challenge, 13. an author local to you, and The Sad Bastard Cookbook for 11. read a cookbook cover to cover (honestly one of my least favorite prompts in this challenge, but the book is funny!) I also started A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa, which will count for Angola for my Reading Around the World challenge.
Follow me on The StoryGraph!
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wonderlandwalker · 2 months
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First Impressions | Eddie Munson x Reader
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Stranger Things Masterlist / Inbox
Summary: Eddie learns that Dustin has a recently reunited sister, and from the moment he meets you he's a goner.
Content Warnings / Tags: Pure fluff, henderson!reader, tiny mention of a fight but nothing descriptive, not edited, no use of y/n
Word Count: 1.4k
A/N: Eddie brain rot cause I couldn't keep it in. Don't know if this is my best work but I'm planning to write more chapters on this so it's just a start, hope you like it
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“You need a ride home after this?” It was more of a formality than an actual question, he always drove Dustin home after a session.
“Oh that’s okay, my sister is picking me up.” Dustin didn’t even look up from packing his things away, but Eddie’s head shot up.
“Your- you have a sister, since when?” As far as he knew Dustin was an only child, but now he was wrecking his brain trying to think if he had ever mentioned you before.
“I know you’re bad at math Eddie, but I just told you she’s driving so try and put the pieces together.” Dustin was looking up at him now, challenging him.
“Alright smartass, it’s time for you to shut up.” He told him as he ruffled through his hair, leaving behind an agitated Dustin trying frantically to fix it. 
The others had already gone home, but Dustin stayed behind late to help Eddie finish up, a habit that became more and more common as the two grew closer. When they finished packing up Eddie locked the door behind them, and while walking to the parking lot decided he wasn’t quite done interrogating Dustin.
“If you have an older sister, how come I've never seen her around before?”
“I mean she’s been around during holidays before, she lived with dad though but they had a big fight so she’s moved here.” It seemed like a sore topic, so Eddie dropped it for now.
As they got to the entrance of the school and felt the cool air on their skin Eddie indeed noticed another car in the usually empty lot, and you were sitting on the hood of it, a book in your hands as you patiently waited. The last rays of sunshine graced your figure as if the heavens themselves were blessing you, and Eddie had never been so sure he’d seena goddess in his life. It was just like the tales he knew so well, the ones he still devoted his life to, it was as if they were becoming true. You looked up when you heard them approach, smiling at the sight of them and giving Dustin a quick side hug as they reached you.
“It’s nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot of good things.” You held your hand out for Eddie to take, but all he could do was look at it, staring ahead as if hitting pause in a game, he stood still. He wanted to react, to not make the most horrible first impression possible, but the longer he looked at you the worse it got, getting lost in sight of your smile. “Alright, not a fan of handshakes, notes.” You chuckled as you withdrew your hand, and Eddie cursed himself for not having taken the opportunity to feel how soft your skin must’ve been. You looked at him again, your eyes piercing straight through his soul and he wondered if maybe he had found himself in one of his fantasy worlds, he must have. But the next second he shook himself out of it, because you were real, you were real and in front of him and expecting him to say something.
“I’m Eddie.” he said, nodding his head as if to confirm his own statement.
“So I’ve been told.” Another giggle slipped past your lips, and Eddie wasnt sure if it was from nerves or entertainment, but he was dying to hear more of it, even if he had to make a fool of himself to do so.
Dustins head kept going back and forth as if watching a tennis match of idiocracy. He had never seen Eddie so flustered, so used to the man flaunting with every opportunity that presented itself that this seemed quite out of character. In full disclosure, it was kind of freaking him out to see Eddie so beside himself, and it was freaking him out even further that he couldn’t figure out why. It was probably blatantly obvious to anyone else, but maybe it was for the best that Dustin couldn’t place where the tension originated from, either way, his patience had run out
“Can we go home now, I still have to call Mike to discuss our net strategies” You tore your eyes from Eddie, deciding that maybe it was for the best to head home.
“Yeah alright, maybe I’ll see you around Eddie.” You gave him one last smile as you got in the car with Dustin and drove off, but it took him another minute to pick his shambled ego up from the concrete ground as he berated himself for not being able to utter one coherent sentence. As he got in his van and drove home as well he decided he’d have to grill Dustin for more information on you the next time he’d see him. As he got to the trailer he grumbled a hello to Wayne before disappearing to his room, ignoring the backhanded comment he got about his grumpy disposition. 
He wondered if he’d ever be able to convince you he was cool, whether he’d be able to get you to agree to see him again, but after what just transpired he figured the odds were slim. Not that he’d give up so easily, he didn’t have much of a reputation to lose and if he’d be able to get you to laugh again that would be more than enough. But he didn’t get to wonder for long as Wayne knocked on his door, he was ready to tell the man to leave him alone, but the next sentence was one that confused him immensely
“Someone on the phone for you.” Wayne held the phone out to him, expecting him to get up from the bed and take it, but Eddie didn’t move an inch.
“For me, you sure?” He was still not quite sure what to do. “Unless another Eddie is living here I’m pretty sure.” He moved his hand again to accentuate the phone that was still on hold, but once again Eddie just sat there.
“If you want I can tell her to call back-” That’s when he sprung into action, snatching the phoen out of Wayne’s hand 
“No! No, I got it. Thank you.” The old man simply chuckled as he left again, closing the door behind him to give his nephew some privacy.
Eddie cleared his throat once before picking up the line put on hold. 
“Hello?” he asked, still not quite sure what to do.
“Hi, Eddie it’s me, just wanted to see if you were doing alright.” your sweet voice blessed his ears once more. He doesn’t know what he did to get the universe on his side like this, but he was grateful for it nonetheless.
“Yeah I’m good, listen-” Eddie figured this time he shouldn’t waste his chance, and he probably had some making up to do. “- I’m sorry if I freaked you out earlier, just never seen anyone that pretty before.” You were giggling again, and it brought the biggest grin onto his face. “You didn’t weird me out at all, it was kinda cute. I had to bribe Dustin to let me use the phone so I don’t have much time but I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go out this weekend?” Maybe he should’ve waited a beart before answering, but he was too eager to care.
“Go out, as in a date?” It got him blushing, the red creeping up on his cheeks as he wondered if that’s really what you were asking
“I mean, kinda, if you want to.” He could almost see you blushing on the other side of the line as well, and he decided it was now or never.
“I’d love to.” 
“That’s great, I’m still kind of new around here, do you know any good places?” Your smile was present as you spoke, and he was already looking forward to seeing it again, now knowing he wouldn’t have to wait long.
“How about I come and pick you up, we can go to the mall.” His confidence was growing with the minute now, absolutely elated by the turn of events.
“Im looking forward to it” He wondered what you’d wear, knowing whatever it was it would look beautiful on you, and he knew he’d spend the entire date amazed at your presence. 
“Me too” he said before the both of you hung up the phone, he had already started planning the most amazing evening out, and maybe, he thought, maybe this year really would take a turn for the better.
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sanakimohara · 5 months
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“COLA” B.C. PT.2
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“Wish you wanted it a little bit. More, but it’s a chore for you to give…”
Synopsis: Having a crush on her best friend’s older brother was a secret Y/n L/n had managed to hide for years. She presumed those feelings had disappeared over time, but when Chris—or rather, Chan, as he’s called by the rest of the world—makes a surprise visit to Australia to spend his last break of the year with his family, Y/N is bewildered to find that she, in fact, is still infatuated with her best friend's brother. Unbeknownst to her, Chan is already well aware of it and isn’t above taking advantage of her innocent crush on him. All fun and games, right?
WARNINGS: [MDNI! 18+] pining, fluff, smut, a bit of angst, cursing, smoking, and alcohol use. oh and the DDGL dynamic is implied…
A/N: Let’s hope I don’t scrap this and at least finish writing it…also Chan is his current age 25 and the reader is 18+
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People.
She hated so many people around her but had no other place to go.
Airports always irked Y/n. Maybe it was because she’d been to so many in her childhood, forced to behave like an adult in the presence of a crowd all the time, and always afraid of losing her parents when they were there. Which was rare to say the least.
The repulsion and discomfort never really left her system when it came to large crowds. Even at the ripe age of 19 Y/n would rather walk all the way to the Bang residence then deal with constant bustling of an airport.
Unfortunately, walking to her destination would be miserably hot in the Australian weather so she was stuck with waiting for her planes boarding announcement to be made all alone. Thankfully, she’d arrived at a decent time and since it was a continental flight it wouldn’t be long before said announcement would be made.
She occupied herself with a book, earbuds tucked securely in her ears, and her favorite boba drink nestled between her thighs as she read to pass the time. Y/n’s eyes scanned every word on the worn pages of her book, soaking in every detail it could give even though she’d read twice before, but an enticing dark romance novel tends to keep her attention better than anything else.
She delights in the fantasy that’s described in its pages. Where the plot is lack, steamy and disgustingly lustful filler scenes are written, and when a major event does take place it dwarfs in comparison to the impact of headlines the next smutty paragraph brings.
Dark romances are her escape in some way, an acceptable binge she’s allowed herself to indulge in. It’s not a dirty secret or a guilty pleasure for her to read them but rather a way for her mind to envision less then pure fantasies of her design.
Each one of them involves Chan is some way.
She’ll never admit it to anyone, nor dare to say a word alluding to her desires, but it’s hard to put down a book that helps you satiate a hunger you can’t manage right?
Whatever the answer is, Y/n continues to bury herself in the images described in the pages she scans, and if anyone who knew her had walked by they would’ve recognized the tale tell blush starting to coat her cheeks. A sure sign she was either flustered or perpetually turned on.
Luckily, no one around her noticed the tinge to her cheeks, and so she was left to enjoy her book in peace for the time being. Thirty minutes and a couple of sips from her drink later Y/n heard the announcement that informed passengers it was time to board. “
Flight C18 to Sydney, Australia is now boarding. Passengers please make your way to gate 3 and loading dock 3A.”
Y/n nearly jumped out of her skin as the announcement echoed around the waiting area. Her heart thumped in her ears as people around her started to make her way to the designated gate. She clutched her book close as a few strangers briskly walked past her. For some reason or another she assumed they’d judge her if they saw what she’d been reading.
A ridiculous fear, but a fear she favored anyway.
With a few swift movements Y/n packed her book away into her carry on bag and finished off her drink before gathering her bags and phone. She double checked if she’d grabbed everything before making her way to Gate 3 but stopped when the subtle echos of cheering sounded from somewhere in the airport.
“Wonder what’s that all about…” a man asked another as they walked past her.
Y/n had the same question and looked around to pinpoint where the shouting was coming from. When she pinpointed the oncoming noise she rose to her tip toes to see who the crowd was bombarding all of a sudden.
Her investigation was cut short though when a woman tapped her shoulder. “Are you line for the ticket check miss?,” she asked and Y/n nodded sheepishly before responding, “I am, sorry I got a bit…distracted.”
The older woman only nodded in understanding, following behind Y/n as she walked up to the gate assistant and handed them her ticket to check. “Must be some sort of celebrity with how much racket those people are making…” the woman scoffed under her breath and Y/n stifled a giggle at how annoyed she sounded.
“Maybe,” she mumbled to herself, taking one last glance back at the moving crowd heading towards the gate before going to board the plane.
By the time Y/n had officially steeped onto the plane she could hear the shouts of excitement roaring where she’d been standing only moments ago. She didn’t bother to look back, deeming it impossible to get any clue to what’s going from staring again, and opted to find her seat. Which was in Business Class as per usual.
One of the few perks she was happy to have due to traveling so much with her parents when she was younger. Less people were crowded together in Business Class and she sometimes ran into interesting or famous people too.
That was if they were seated next to her and as of right now she hoped no one would be. Sleep and read was her only objectives during this short flight and being next to someone might force her to be social at some point.
Y/n found her designated spot, sat down, got comfortable, and placed her carry on in the seat next to her. The cabin was still fairly empty and so she assumed it would stay that way. All there was left to do was wait for take off which the pilot announced would be in a matter of minutes.
She took the opportunity to text Hannah before putting her phone on airplane mode for the flight.
<< Boarded and about to lift off Han! 💕
>> yay finallyyyyy
>> can’t wait to see you. Mom and dad keep asking how long it’ll take you to land lol.
<< that’s sweet of them :) tell them I’m excited to see them after so long btw!
>> what about me??!? :(
<< Han you’re so dramatic…
<< of course I’m excited to see you too dummy..
Y/n smiled at her phone as she hit send, finding it cute how clingy Hannah could be, but her happiness was cut short as someone came to stand beside the seat her bag was placed in.
“Uhm, sorry but I think that’s my seat..”
Her heart fell to her stomach and if it weren’t for the cushioned seat underneath her she would’ve fell straight through the floor of the plane out of shock.
Her cheeks flushed pink and she gulped softly as the familiar voice spoke up again.
“Miss, sorry, but this is my se-“ Chan immediately cut himself short as the girl in front of him lifted her head to look up at him.
His mask hid most of his shocked expression when their eyes met but Y/n could still see the recognition in his chocolate brown eyes.
She didn’t know what to say, how to say it, or even how to react to seeing the one person -the one man- she’d hoped not see.
This can’t be fucking happening…., she thought watching his eyes crease into crescent moons from the smile forming behind his mask.
“Long time no see, princess,” he greeted her in plain English, accent clearly coming through as he called her the same nickname he’d given her the last time they met.
Hearing it, hearing him call her that again, and just being face to face with him had her chest feeling light and her mouth running dry.
She hadn’t moved or stopped staring at him since their eyes met and Chan was slightly worried he’d startled her into a permanent stupor, but then she blinked slowly and timidly spoke back to him. “H-hi Chris..”she inwardly panicked hearing herself stutter and fought the urge to bite her lip in embarrassment. He’d know she was incredibly flustered then and whether that’d make the situation more awkward or not was the least of her concerns now.
Chan laughed softly when she addressed him as Chris. Even after years of knowing him she’d refused to call him anything else. Every once in a while she’d slip and call him “Channie” but that was rare. He didn’t hold it against her though, moving her bag, and sitting himself down next to her instead. Y/n instinctively flinched form his sudden close proximity and avoided looking at him as he got comfortable next to her.
She was almost certain he could hear heartbeat thudding like rolling thunder in her chest and she prayed to god her face wasn’t ten shades of red.
It definitely was.
Chan didn’t point that out though, choosing to enjoy her flustered state rather than teasing her further.
*buzz buzz*
Her phone vibrated on the floor, laying right next to her feet, and it caught Chan’s attention.
She froze, wondering when she dropped the device and how she failed to notice, but snapped out of her thoughts when Chan spoke.
“Let me get that for you.”
He reached down before she could react, picking up the device and placing it back in her lap. Y/n felt her skin grow hot as he gently returned her phone, his hand grazed over her thighs as he withdrew and it felt like he’d shot electricity through her from the subtle touch. It was an accident, she reminded herself as he leaned back into his seat again.
A pure, one time, accident. That’s all.
She shifted her legs, unconsciously pressing her thighs together as a ripple of warmth coursed through her core, and she cursed herself for wearing a shorter skirt than usual.
“Thanks,” Y/n whispered to him, not fully composed yet, and still trying to act normal around him.
Finding her footing felt impossible the longer he sat near her though.
Chan removed his mask, flashing her a kind smile, “You’re welcome. I did sort of scare you, so it’s the least I can do, Princess.” He nudged her shoulder with his and Y/n forced herself to smile despite wanting to scream from the feeling of his muscular arm against her.
This was going to be the longest 5 hour flight of her life….
And he was going to enjoy every last second.
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Soon, the plane was off the ground and headed to Sydney but Y/n was still trying to maintain her demeanor towards Chan.
She was failing miserably.
During take off all she could do was stare out the window and try to breathe like her life depended on it.
Ascent and descent on aircraft was her worst enemy and Chan only had to take one glance at her to notice how pale she got as her manicured nails dug into the lush leather of her seat.
He wasn’t the type to not help someone in need or at least a girl who hated ascending turbulence on a plane. So, he reached over, gently resting a hand on her leg, massaging the expanse of her thigh as a gesture of comfort.
At first Y/n was board stiff under his touch, quite literally considering hurling herself out of the plane the second she felt his firm and warm menstruations on her thigh.
Ever so slightly she started to unwind, welcoming the steady pace of his hand running up and down her skin. She let out a sound, somewhere between a sigh and a whimper -Chan couldn’t tell but it made his head spin a little hearing it.
She was so cute.
Still the same pure girl he remembered.
He watched her expression transform from anxiousness to relief as the plane leveled out. She lifted her head off the window, glancing at him with a look of gratitude on her face, and he bit back a smile at the docile action.
“Feelin better?,” he inquired just loud enough for her to hear and she nodded, eyes fixed on his hand that was still on her thigh. He’d stopped stroking it when she sat up right but had yet to withdraw his hand completely.
Y/n swallowed thickly as her mind delved into what would happen if he just slid his hand a little higher up her skirt. But….his hands felt and looked so perfect on her thigh and she could see every vein in them too.
What would it feel like to have them wrapped around her throat, or better yet, clasped over her mouth while he fucks her-
She bit her tongue hard as self inflicted punishment for imaging such inappropriate things but it was proving difficult for her to not let him do it.
He’s your best friends older brother…snap out of it, she scolded herself for what felt like the 50th time since Chan’s surprise appearance…
She took a breath, peeling her doe eyes away from where his hand was and looked him dead in the eye. With the little confidence she had left she answered his question assertively, “Yes, I’m fine now. Thank you for…comforting me.” A shy smile graced her lips and Chan hummed in approval, satisfied with her response, and finally willing to retract his hold on her.
“Good…I’m glad I could help…” he held her gaze, voice uncharacteristically low, and his dark chocolate eyes sharpening on her when she looked away from him.
Y/n had to fully cross her legs at this point, needing pressure on her mound in someway or another. She masked the action as an effort to fix her skirt and then lowered it as if she were some proper lady of a royal family.
Chan didn’t comment, smirking to himself at her innocent attempt to be modest. He’d seen and slept with enough women in his time as an idol to know the signs.
She couldn’t hide anything from even if she tried.
Y/n, on the other hand, couldn’t stop fidgeting, every now and then squirming in her seat as if to get comfortable. She wasn’t obnoxious about it, more naive of her arousal is what Chan called it, and he found it increasingly adorable as the flight went on. If he so much as stared at her for too long she’d squirm like an ant under a magnifying glass. Chan could only imagine how’d she react to him touching her intimately.
That thought alone gave him a hard on.
He controlled himself well though, not letting on how he felt was a skill he’d mastered after years of practice.
Eventually, they made small talk at some points of their trip. She asked why he was in Australia despite his supposed ‘busy schedule’ and he told her the truth.
“I wanted to surprise my family. Since I didn’t get to see them on my break earlier this year I’m making that up with this trip.”
Y/n smiled, forgetting the heat persistently pooling between her thighs, and finding it endearing how much Chan valued time with his family.
“That’s sweet of you Chris…” she chirped with a beaming smile.
He nodded, “I’m guessing you’ll be staying with us again for the holidays?”
Y/n hummed in agreement, “Hannah wouldn’t let me say no.” She giggled softly and Chan laughed lightly at the mention of his sister.
“Yeah, she was pretty ticked you didn’t come last year..”
His face shifted from joyous to slightly reprimanding, “I was too..”
She bit her lip as he stared at her, “I…I got really busy…”
That was a lie. A lie that Chan didn’t believe for a second .
Y/n glanced into his eyes but regretted it seeing the stern haze in them. He knew she was lying and he hated being lied too. That was a fact she’d discovered while watching him and his members on some reality show a long time ago. She also knew it from Hannah herself. He mentioned his hatred of lying many times in many coded ways in his weekly ‘Chan Room’s’ as well.
Of course he saw right through her but at least she’d attempted to cover up her faults from last year.
Y/n did not want divulge her true reasons for ditching her plans with the Bang family but she knew his next words would be, “Don’t lie to me…” and at that point she’d have to tell him.
She’d have to tell him he was the primary reason she chose to cancel.
It wasn’t something she wanted to reveal, ever, so before Chan could interrogate her Y/n stood from her seat and excused herself to the restroom. “I’ll be right back.,” she chirped with a false sense of calm
However, this meant she’d have to shuffle past him to some degree. Not ideal, but necessary if she wanted to escape his questioning.
Chan raised a brow at her. Letting her squeeze past him and into the aisle. Her skirt rode up a bit as she did so, giving him a split second glance at what she wore underneath, and that gained her an instance of much needed distraction on his part.
Pink lace, I knew it…, he thought.
Y/n hurriedly smoothed her skirt back to normal, trying very hard to ignore his lingering gaze as she scurried off to the restroom. Her head was spinning the whole ten foot walk there and it felt like the air was swallowing her whole until she shut herself in the semi-clustered bathroom.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck…” she whispered as her nerves blazed and her mind raced to come up with a plausible excuse to answer Chan’s oncoming questions. Nothing seemed to be sufficient. Every excuse she thought of he’d probably disprove or see though. It was impossible.
The throbbing in her core was no help either, it intensified every time she thought about him, and at this point she couldn’t think straight at all.
“God, I can’t do this…” she whined in defeat, going to the sink for cold water to dab on her neck for some sort of relief. The shitty attempt at control helped for milliseconds before the feeling of Chan’s hand running up and down her thigh had her body shivering again.
A quiet moan escaped her throat and Y/n dabbed more cold water on her neck to relieve the tension she desperately needed to release.
“Pull it together,” she scolded herself, glaring at her reflection, and attempting to find any flaws that might be there. If she walked out of this bathroom worse than she came in Chan might out her completely.
He already had, years ago, but he wasn’t about to tell her that.
Still, that just wasn’t an option she’d like to choose right now and so after a few minutes of steady breathing paired with a silent moment to think Y/n felt composed enough to exit her seclusion.
She opened the door, expecting to walk right out with no problems, but there stood Chan already peering down at her.
A very heavy silence passed between them.
Y/n managed to hold his gaze despite her heart rate accelerating. On the other hand, Chan wasn’t sure why he’d followed her. At first he chalked it up to a sort of proactive protectiveness.
She was his little sisters best friend after all and any stranger could try to harm her. He’d do the same for any other friend…right? Wrong…
Another lie.
An invisible little truth he told himself was valid to justify his urge to watch over her.
The truth was he had less than pure intent to guard her and more interest in helping her solve a problem she clearly wanted to hide from him.
“Sorry, do you need to?…” she politely shifted away from the entrance, allowing him the opportunity to pass by her if he needed to, but he didn’t move a muscle…
Y/n swallowed thickly as familiar sparks ran up her spine the longer he held eye contact with her.
“You okay Chris?..” she sounded concerned, successfully masking her real reaction to his unwavering gaze.
Her voice snapped him out of whatever trance he’d been in and he returned to his normally friendly disposition.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Princess. You were just gone for a while and I thought something might be wrong.” He laughed softly, as if to throw her off with the sound so she wouldn’t think too hard on what he’d said, but Y/n held onto his every word.
He’d followed her, waited for her to come out, and admitted it too.
Creepy,,,but something in her liked it.
Her stomach was doing flips, cheeks turning a light shade of pink as a soft “oh..” slipped past her lips. It felt odd to have someone this interested in her, especially Chan, but he seemed to be like that with everyone he knew.
She couldn’t take this one instance as anything more than her best friends protective older brother looking out for his sisters pleasantly naive friend.
Nevertheless , she found it attractive. The idea that Chan wanted to protect or guard her was enough to feed her fantasies for the rest of her life.
Chan shifted, standing to the side and motioning for her to walk past him, “Shall we.” Y/n nodded, smiling softly as she walked past him and back to her seat. He trailed after, stopping to reach into the overhead compartment for his carry on bag.
She caught sight of his shirt lifting, his skin taut with muscle underneath the black hoodie he wore, and his jeans resting on his hips perfectly to show off the band of his boxers that hugged his sculpted v-line just right.
Y/n wanted to reach out and graze her fingertips over his skin, have the blessing to touch him just once, but settled with just stealing glances at him as he retrieved whatever he needed from his bag. He suddenly looked down at her, a smirk on his face as she quickly turned her head towards the window. He’d caught her staring where she shouldn’t be and gave her no time to act as if she hadn’t been.
“You okay?,” he asks her, gaze lingering on her frozen posture before refocusing on the items in his bag. She clears her throat quietly, nodding in response, and shifting in her seat.
Chan didn’t pry further, knowing she was the quiet type of girl who’d get even more shy under pressure, so he let her be. Y/n kept her eyes fixated on the cloud filled sky outside, hands tucked under her legs.
Embarrassed couldn’t begin to describe how she felt right now but it was dangerously close.
Chan had caught her staring and not even at his face.
She was fucked.
Totally fucked.
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TAGS: @imastraykidsfan 🖤 + @channniesslefttt 🖤
Just wanted to thank you all for supporting this series and all my other posts. It’s good to know I’m not the only delulu and extremely unhinged stay out there….thats all I have to say lol 🖤
BONUS CONTENT +
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ystrike1 · 6 months
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The reincarnated villainess cannot escape from the demon king's obsession - By 朝凪りん 朝凪りん (6/10)
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This one is seriously frustrating. An author reincarnates into her own novel. Everything is different. There's a demon king, and she wasn't a fantasy writer. She wrote historic drama. She's so dumb that it makes the story less enjoyable. The yandere is good.
Elisa wrote a sweet but dramatic tale about an evil illegitimate daughter, and a pure true daughter destined to return and take the crown.
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She lies down and relaxes. All is well. She reincarnates before the main character, Iris, is impregnated by the prince. That's when Elisa starts doing horrible, illegal things to ruin her sister's perfect future. Elisa was never kind, but she leaves Iris be to be wooed by the prince.
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It's all very sweet? Elisa wrote this novel...she should know her fate better than anyone. Iris has true love. Their father favors only her. The prince pushes every bully off of her flowery path. Elisa was always a poor replacement for the real daughter too. It's clear that they intend to get rid of her. Elisa became a villainess in an attempt to survive and get power. The original author KNOWS this but she thinks hiding in her room will solve everything.......she doesn't even make any alliances.
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Idiot author reincarnator even cries at their wedding, like a fool. Completely oblivious to the fact that she's standing alone at the biggest social event of the season. She's of age, but she doesn't even have a date or a suitor. While Iris is literally in the royal family. It's politics 101. Elisa is CLEARLY being pushed out. One sister marrying, and one not even being considered by anyone, is kind of a big deal in a historic setting.
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There's a Demon King running around.
Her memory is fuzzy.
She knows she died.
She doesn't remember how though, and the Demon King isn't trying to take over. He has the country gripped in fear, because nobody knows what he wants.
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The obvious plot twist happens right after the wedding. Elisa has stained the honor of her family (she's an adopted daughter they no longer need) so she must marry a corrupt man. By the way its clear they've always despised her. They give her to a man that likes to beat women.
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She's so dumb its unbelievable. She protests for 5 seconds, but then she remembers Elisa was a big fat meanie pants.
....maybe that means she deserves to get tortured???
Huh??.?
Did you forget you're the author???
You are not Elisa, and you are not responsible for her actions. You didn’t interfere with the royal wedding at all this time, so they're clearly being cruel because you've lost the power you once had. Elisa's villainy was the only way to survive in a pit of vipers that didn’t want her around. She's kind of the victim if you think about it for two seconds, but you wanna suffer forever because you were born in her sinful body...
...
...
I can't even...
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Demon King Noah saves her from her constant idiocy. The truth begins to become clear. Her soul is connected to his. He dragged her into this world somehow, and he changed it to make it their ideal world. In the human world he was actually a small child, and the author was his other half. The age difference made being with her impossible so bang. New world. Is this world even real? Is Noah powerful enough to make a peaceful fantasy land exactly like her book?????
That would be incredible, but the author is dumb as a brick. A stump. Hey. Romance authors. Self insert crap ruins almost everything it touches. Please stop. Nobody wants to watch a brain dead doll get plowed. I would much rather see a terrified reincarnator run away in the middle of the night. She escapes to a border town. It shakes like a mirage. The whole world is a mirage. Noah appears and says he's been looking for her, and he made a world just for them....
But nooooooooooooooooooooooo erotica has to be dumb.
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I'm most likely right about the child version of him luring her to her death. That's still cool, but she's supposed to be the author of this story. Any published author with a working brain would question what's happening. They'd be creeped out. They would explore. You can keep the page count the same too. It wouldn't be hard to remove all the dumb lines and replace them with her being suspicious of the other "humans", who don't quite feel real.
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Wasted potential.
Squandered potential.
Boo.
I'm booing in the stands.
Don't marry a r****** just cuz your abusive not father tells you to.
Blah.
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abitofboth · 2 months
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even more owen carvour hcs because I’ve got brain worms or something
he got his ears pierced when he was younger, and even though he rarely wears them now, he’ll put studs in every now and then just so the holes won’t close up.
he’s a bit of an insomniac. sleep doesn’t come easy to him and he can spend hours just tossing and turning. half the time he’ll just give up and find something else to do- read a book, go over mission plans, sit at the window with a cigarette and watch the world go by.
a shakespeare snob through and through. he has a quote ready to go for every single situation possible and he doesn’t care how many eyes roll every time he whips one out.
he’s semi-decent at drawing. not the best, but he does have a sketchbook he uses in his downtime that he’ll draw whatever’s in front of him in.
he learnt how to hot wire cars when he was bumming around as a kid. every time he gets the chance to steal a car on a mission it’s like he’s 13 all over again, filled with the thrill of not getting caught.
he thinks mrs mega is maybe the best woman alive. her and her antics entertain him endlessly and he adores how much she loves curt. he hasn’t met her many times, but every time he gets the pleasure of staying at the safe house he finds himself wishing he had a mum like her.
he has a soft spot for barb. every time curt makes a mean passing remark about her he’ll smack him across the arm.
he’s thought about (more often than he’d like to admit) running away with curt. taking them both far from the danger and secrets and living life quietly as just the two of them. (and a cat. his fantasy definitely involves him being with curt and owning a cat. he has two hands for a reason!!)
he never got to meet tatiana before he was in his cunty villain era, but if curt and owen would have found her before the fall in their prime time I just KNOW that they would have been the ultimate team (I literally drew it hehe). owen and tati would have been bitchy best friends and I don’t even doubt it for a second.
he and curt have had so many “romantic” patching up sessions after missions. before they were officially together, there were so many uncertain gentle touches and lingering caresses where they both wish they could say and do more. the moments when there’s been some serious blood loss and things that would normally remain unsaid start slipping out are the moments when the two start realising that they might just feel the same way about each other. (I also literally wrote this hehe :P)
in a similarly trope-y way, there have been so many ‘Whoops! Only One Bed!’ situations. before they got together owen loved being able to sleep curled up right next to his crush (he hates the term ‘crush’ btw), and then after they got together it just gave him an excuse to spoon him all night long.
curt snores. owen hates it.
he can ride motorbikes and he can do it well. he loves when curt rides behind him and clings onto him with his arms around his waist. he drives extra fast to sate curt’s adrenaline junkie tendencies (and he loves the way curt laughs out of pure joy right next to his ear).
if he finds himself being tortured, as spies do, his go to is pretty much get so cocky and smarmy until it pisses off the torturer so much that owen can find an opportunity to overpower them and fight back. works like a charm.
once, he was captured and had his head forced underwater and was threatened with being drowned to death. the whole experience fucked him up for a good while.
regularly gets curt to light his cigarette for him while he’s holding it in his mouth.
every injury the fall gave him is a painful reminder of curt. even years down the line, every time a scar smarts or his knee plays up he’s filled with too many emotions to name.
he doesn’t actually remember a whole lot of the actual fall happening, it’s all very patchy, but he has vivid memories of curt’s horrified face getting further and further away from him as he got closer to the floor.
he learnt how to play an old family violin when he was a kid, and he’s gotten a little rusty over the years but he can still play a pretty tune on one.
he loves late night walks through cities. he thinks it’s the best way to really get to know a place. plus, it’s like he can hide in the shadows for a few hours and be someone other than owen carvour.
he’s a bit of a lightweight when it comes to booze. it doesn’t take many drinks to get him tipsy, and he’ll be full on drunk before you know it. curt can handle alcohol much better than him and has had to drag him away from bars more times than he can count.
he’ll frequently stop to fix curt’s tie and collar if they’re in disguise. everything needs to be perfectly in place or he thinks curt’ll look sloppy and give them away.
when they’re more into their relationship, owen starts buying in coffee to keep in his flat, and curt starts taking tea bags back to america with him every time he visits the uk.
spicy, be warned
post fall he tried sleeping with someone else but he could literally think of nothing but curt the entire time. he was never eager to try again.
if he’s in a submissive mood, he will go nuts if you call him a ‘good boy’. ‘my good boy’ is even better.
if he’s pent up he’ll just unashamedly jerk off in the shower whether he’s alone in there or not.
if he’s feeling particularly decadent and has the time, he’ll touch himself with a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of wine in his hand.
shotgunning. he’ll take a drag and kiss it into curt’s mouth. they both think it’s hot as fuck.
if truth serum is something at their disposal, he's definitely used it during sex.
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brf-rumortrackinganon · 4 months
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Will we never see the day the Harkles get what they deserve rumour tracking anon? I'm losing faith and I'm really tired. They are saved from all those scandals that demand their answer just with this one incident. I cannot anymore
I know, anon. It's really frustrating to see them keep getting away with it, almost as if they're constantly rewarded for bad behavior.
Some things that have helped me (bolding for emphasis to break up the giant chunks of text):
Taking breaks. Just walk away from it. A day, a weekend, a week. There isn't a whole lot happening in the BRF to counteract the Sussex shenanigans so Harry and Meghan are dominating the news There are no tiara or glam events. No tours/foreign visits. No projects being announced. 3 out of 7 senior royals are on medical leave and the ones who are working don't generate the same kind of headlines, attention, or coverage. Take a break from all this - maybe do a deep dive into another royal family or read historical books about the BRF (especially ones that pre-date the modern House of Windsor) or non-text books (like Angela Kelly's books or Chris Jackson's photobooks).
Spend time pursuing a creative hobby. I find that doing something creative helps keep my mind from wandering to the Sussexes and the nothingness coming from the BRF too often. Some of my creative pursuits: baking and cooking new recipes, DIY and craft projects (I love going to Goodwill, thrift stores, and architectural salvage places for home decor and furniture. Also, I'm not saying you need to pledge allegiance to Catherine, The Princess of Wales in every aspect of your life, but I'm also not not saying that Kate's Ring is an excellent accent color for an end table), learning how to make craft cocktails (it was a pandemic thing), and organizing decades and decades of family photos.
What I also find a cathartic is fanfiction writing. I've had dreams of being a writer since I was Princess Charlotte's age but listen. I cannot stick to a plot for the life of me, because I always want to know "what happens next." But let me tell you. It is hugely cathartic to write a fanfiction novel where a Meghan-like evil witch gets everything she deserves and a Harry-like tortured prince is redeemed by the pure love of an ordinary American girl (okay, that one was pre-Oprah before we all learned how truly messed up Harry is) or where a revenge fantasy where a Harry-like spoiled brat loses everything when he treats his saintly Kate-like girlfriend abominably and when he tries to win her back, she's fallen in love with a Henry Cavill-like swashbuckling Real Man or where the Harry-and-Meghan-like entitled spoilt prince and his wife try to overthrow the saintly and universally loved heir but the Queen swiftly, immediately, justly, and properly handles them with eviction, termination, and worldwide embarrassment. You can do everything to your characters and you can make them suffer in a way the real Harry and Meghan may never.
Find trashier, more trainwreckier drama to get stuck in. Bravo, anyone? A new season of Vanderpump Rules has just started, Summer House is about to start, and two of the villains from OG Vanderpump Rules (Jax and Kristen) have a spinoff series that's about to launch.
Changing your perspective. There's a famous leadership quote about problem-solving: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. In other words, you have to take big things (big problems) one at a time, piece by tiny piece. So yes, the big "elephant" is that the Sussexes look like they have everything - they still have titles, they still have massive million-dollar deals, they've got the Olive Garden, the BRF isn't stopping their PR. But also look at everything they don't have anymore:
They can't use their HRHs.
Their RPOs were taken away.
Their royal charities and patronages were taken away.
Charles isn't paying them as much money, if he's even paying for them.
Everyone is blaming them for hastening Philip's and The Queen's deaths.
They were evicted from Frogmore Cottage.
It took six months for the palace website to add Prince/Princess titles to Archie and Lili but it was instanteous to change George, Charlotte, and Louis to "of Wales."
Charles calls them "Harry and Meghan" or "my other son and his wife."
The family doesn't want to be seen with or around them. Even Eugenie seems to have abandoned ship these days.
William isn't taking Harry's calls.
Lili doesn't have a webpage on the royal website.
Harry's military titles and honors have been revoked. All he has left is the merit-based rank he "earned" as an enlisted soldier. (Which is being generous.)
Their Spotify deal was cancelled early. (Scobie admits this in Endgame.)
No more social media birthday greetings/shout-outs from official royal accounts.
Nothing has come out of Netflix except a whinefest docuseries that no one has taken seriously. Everything they've pitched gets shot down and Meghan isn't getting the talent she wants for her movie.
The only awards they're getting are the ones that they pay for - no Grammys for Spare's audiobook, no Emmys or Golden Globes for their documentaries or the Oprah interview, no Pulitzers or Literary Awards for their books. No Nobel Peace Prize for their recordbreaking humanitarian aid work.
They got the knockoff Kennedys (William got the real ones).
Meghan isn't "in" with A-List Hollywood. The celebrities she's been namedropping haven't had commercial box office hits in at least a decade. She isn't hosting or presenting at award shows.
Meghan isn't getting the lucrative influencer sponsorships and merching she wants, which is why she papwalks in parking lots.
Their foundation is a joke and their philanthropy/giving is increasingly under scrutiny for things that don't make sense.
Their "good deeds" are actually ulterior motives designed for maximum PR and celebrity bandwagons, rather than actually helping underserved communities.
There is actual, open, frequent speculation that their children aren't even real and that has to hurt as a parent.
The British press doesn't take them seriously.
They're a comedy punchline, and not just for satire. The Golden Globes made fun of them. The whole world laughed at them after the "car chase."
Harry's lawsuits aren't going well. He's now trying to relitigate a court finding so he doesn't have to pay his fines.
Elton John isn't flying them anywhere anymore. Oprah and Gayle have cut ties. Ellen DeGeneres seems disinterested. Tyler Perry noped out.
Harry's balding is atrocious. (I mean, really. In the overhead camera angles of The Queen's funeral, his bald spot jumps out at you from a mile away. Not even William's bald head stands out that much.)
They/Archewell bleed staff faster than a flesh wound.
Andrew -- ANDREW! -- still has a royal residence, still has RPOs, still gets papped with members of the royal family, still gets friendly press coverage (on occasion), still gets to wear/use some of his honors (like the RVO at coronation).
Eugenie got to have her own personal social media while Harry and Meghan got a "business" account.
The Sussex wedding was overshadowed by so much drama that still persists to this day (thanks for the Markle v Markle lawsuit, Sam!).
Spare made everyone realize Harry is as bad as Meghan and it's not all on her.
Harry's "Hero Harry"/Queen's Soldier PR persona has been completely and thoroughly shattered. Everyone knows it was just a publicity facade now.
Harry isn't even getting the "William's brother" edit anymore - that's now Mike Tindall.
They were erased from most of the Platinum Jubilee - their only official event was the service of thanksgiving. They didn't even get Trooping - Meghan had to arrange for a pap to take her picture to show us they were at Trooping.
They were erased from the Coronation - Harry got lumped in with the extended family (vs the line of succession, order of precedence, or working royals) and didn't get into any of the official programs, memorabilia, or portraits.
They've been shunned by most of British aristocracy - no invite to the Grosvenor wedding later this year.
No royal christening for Lili, and it's exceedingly more and more likely that the BRF hasn't met her yet.
The British media/press actually shows up and will be the first to defend the BRF against Sussex allegations when it really matters.
There are accusations of stolen valor against Harry because he seems to be supporting American military more than British military.
Harry's African charities, of which he is the figurehead, are in crisis with the discovery of SA and other allegations.
Supposedly Harry's role with BetterUp has been downgraded/demoted.
Invictus Games is going through some serious money issues. There's talk of cutting Harry and Meghan loose because they aren't/can't fundraise, and you know they won't go down swinging.
I'm sure there are more, but my point is that even though it looks like the Sussexes are getting away with things, they really haven't. after all, it's death by a thousand cuts...or eating an elephant piece by tiny piece -- it builds up over time.
Also I just realized that the Kate's Ring paint chip linked up earlier shows it being more of a teal or an inkier blue. It isn't - it's more of a cobalt blue or a royal blue.
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hawkinshighdropout · 2 years
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Welcome to Hellfire, Kid.
Pairing: Eddie Munson x (female) Reader
Summary: You're the new kid in school and have no one to hangout with during lunch hour, Eddie comes and seemingly saves the day with his group of doe eyed misfits!
Warnings: No warnings, this is purely fluff/pure content. Unless you count a couple of curse words as needing a warning? Idk, I haven't written fanfics in like 8 years so I'm a little rusty...
Note/Request: Requested by @marvelfanfn2187a113. "Could you do a fic with Eddie and a shy reader (we all know he loves taking in ‘lost sheep’). Like maybe he sees her looking for somewhere to sit at lunch and lets her sit with Hellfire, then sees she’s totally obsessed with fantasy (maybe not DnD, but she loves fantasy genre books). And like he becomes like her ‘protector’ and maybe defends her if anyone teases her about hanging with ‘freaks’"
Word Count: 1.7k
Send me prompts to write about!
First days were hard for everyone, especially if you joined in the middle of the school year because your parents just decided they wanted to leave sunny Los Angeles and raise you and your younger siblings in a town much quieter, much safer. It felt very rushed. One day you’re waking up, heading to school, and hanging with your friends at lunches, the next? The next you’re standing alone in the cafeteria with your packed lunch, looking for somewhere to sit, somewhere you belonged.
Eyes casting around the bustling lunchroom, keeping your packed lunch close to your chest as you let out a dejected sigh. Everyone had already found their cliques; you were just another outsider trying to find your place. A few seats were free, those being closest to the trash cans or seats that were a little cracked and worn down from wear and tear. Nothing suitable for what you needed, at this point? You considered even taking your lunch outside and sitting by the bike racks. Anything was better than the awkward tension that was building as you scanned the room for options. The only saving grace of this whole situation was the fact you were graduating this year, so you wouldn’t be suffering for too long.
“Excuse me, sweetheart?” a deep voice said from behind you, warm palms suddenly placed upon your shoulders as you jump out of your skin from the shock. Turning your head with wide eyes as you glance over your shoulder at the curly haired rocker dude that’s suddenly talking to you, feeling your cheeks flush warmly.
You stepped to the side, mumbling a shy ‘sorry…’ in response, assuming he wanted to get past you to sit down with his friends. A little more confusion overcame you when he made no effort to move past you, he just folded his arms across his chest and offered a fond smile in your direction.
“Are you new here? Are you… okay?” his voice grew more concerned, clearly picking up on your nervous energy whilst you were searching his expression for a reason as to why he’s speaking to you. Tough guy appearance paired with tender and caring personality? Your weakness.
“Uh, yeah. Hi. I’m new, and I’m okay, I’m just… I don’t know, I don’t know where I can sit without bothering people. I was thinking of just sitting outside, it’s a nice day and all…” you start, interrupted by one of his hands waving in a dismissive manner.
“Absolutely not! You’re not sitting outside by yourself, okay? Come sit with us, there’s always room for more.” He offered with a fond smile, before you got the chance to even protest it, he was placing his hand on the small of your back and guiding you towards his group of friends. “I’m Eddie, by the way.”
Smiling shyly, you nod in acknowledgment before clearing your throat subtly and looking up at him. He towered over you a little, and the arm around your back made you feel safe at least just for a moment. “Y/N, it’s nice to meet you.”
Just as you finished introducing yourself, you both were suddenly at the head of the table. The conversations simmered into a comfortable silence, multiple sets of eyeballs staring your way from the table below. Glancing across the various ages of kids sitting at the table, all seeming to be wearing the same Hellfire Club shirt, you smile nervously in their direction.
“Henderson, Wheeler, Fellow Nerds, I present you with our new friend, Y/N! She’s new, be nice to her, got it?” Eddie said with a playfully stern tone of voice, to which the group smiled up at you welcomingly before being instructed by Eddie to all shuffle down one spot so you could sit beside him.
Thanking them politely as you set your lunchbox down on the table, sinking into your seat and tucking loose strands of hair behind your ears whilst getting comfortable. Wide eyed at the sudden outburst from the younger curly haired boy beside you, who seemed to be taking a particular interest in your lunchbox.
“Whoa, Star Wars?! Nice!” Henderson offered up a high five to you, which you reciprocated with a sweet giggle. It took mere seconds for the excitable boy to start up a whole conversation about the Star Wars movies, asking you what felt like hundreds of questions whilst you did your best to answer them.
You had gotten through most of lunch without any issues, the group opened up to you and let you into their squad without hassle, everyone being friendly and talkative with you whilst you ate lunch together. You gave the backstory of why you moved here midway through a school year, and they all gave a brief overview of themselves to level the playing field. It’s only when a bratty and nasal filled voice walked past you that you were brought back to reality.
“Ew, you’re sitting with these freaks?” The voice said, causing your group to look up in the direction it came from. You looked back down at your lunchbox, playing nervously with the zipper as to avoid confrontation.
“Really, Mariah?“ Dustin questioned, sounding annoyed. Clearly this happened a lot as the group knew each other by name and seemingly nature. “We’re not Freaks, and she’s cool.”
“It’s not like your little cheerleaders made any rush to offer her a seat, so just walk away.” Mike added, rolling his eyes as he seemed already disgruntled by having to defend his buddies yet again.
You started to pack up your lunch bag, not wanting to be a burden to those who had been nice to you. Not a word had passed your lips whilst you slowly raised from your seat to leave, just wanting to get the attention off of you and the heat away from the guys. A squeeze to your palm is what once again snapped you out of your daze and took you off of autopilot, glancing down to see Eddie giving you a comforting squeeze and encouraging you softly to stay. You look unsure, but his expression convinced you. Slowly sinking back down into your seat and he rose from his, watching him wander the few steps towards her with a smug look on his face.
“Listen here, Prissy Princess. I don’t know what your problem is, but save it, yeah? Just cause Tommy dumped your sorry ass doesn’t mean you get to wander around like a bitch with a stick up your ass. Okay? See ya later, sweetheart.” Eddie announced proudly, voice oozing with sass, clearly he was amused by this.
The cafeteria had gone quiet, apart from a couple “ooooh” or snort laughs at the cheerleader being shot down and burned for her attempted bullying. She was red in the face and clearly bursting to say something back to him, only to let out an annoyed grunt before storming out and letting the heavy doors slam behind her. Eddie turned on his heels and wandered smugly back to your table, stepping up onto the tabletop with glee in his eyes.
“Anyone else wanna say something, or?” He questioned to the room, everyone kept their head down or shook their head ‘no’ in response, jumping down from the table with a delighted grin as he pats you gently on the back. “See? Not so tough…. remind me to get you a shirt, yeah? One of us now.”
You giggled to yourself as Eddie would then ball is hand up into a fist, raise it in the air and slowly chant “One of us, one of us, one of us”, one by one, the other guys would join in and chant alongside him, until the whole table was chanting in a playful cult-like fashion, voices getting louder and attention being snapped back to your table.
“Munson, enough already!” Called a lunch lady from the corner, causing him to break out in a fit of giggles, dropping his fist and stuffing his face with a handful of Mike’s M&Ms. Not a single apology was uttered to the authoritarian, just shrugging his shoulders and leaning back to get comfortable in his seat.
“Heeeeeey….” Mike whined, narrowing his eyes in the direction of Eddie, causing you both to giggle as he rolled his eyes fondly at the younger kid. “Asshole!”
The attention was off of you just as quickly as it had been thrust upon you, the guys getting lost in various conversations across the remainder of the lunch hour. You would get involved in subjects you cared about such as Lord of The Rings and Star Wars, and you would happily sit whilst they would excitedly ramble about their latest DnD campaign. Truly grateful to just be surrounded by such sweet and carefree guys, they even were kind enough to invite you to their next Hellfire session so you could experience it first-hand.
Glancing over at Eddie, you noticed he hadn’t said a word in a while, he seemed to just be content with munching on his lunch and admiring the small group he had acquired, the small family he had built. A collection of outcasts who had found solitude in the company of one another, a proud look on his face as you all mingled and found a home in one another.
“Thank you, Eddie...” You mumble quietly to him, appreciating him sticking up for you. The fact he did it without even waiting a beat, his natural instinct was to keep those close to him safe and make sure they felt like they had somewhere to belong. Shaking his head in disregard, a fond smile on his face, clearly showing you that it wasn’t something that deserved gratitude.
“Welcome to Hellfire, kid.” He smirked.
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n7punk · 5 months
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i know this is a long shot because i remember little and i'm pretty sure i've asked before and no one knew what book i was talking about but does anyone know a book that:
came out 10+ years ago
aimed at SOMEWHERE in the 8-15yo range (i realize this is a big range, but i don't remember when i read it, just that it was in the childrens section).
is a werewolf book but there's very little werewolf in it (do you know how hard it is to find a specific, non-popular childrens/pre-teen barely-werewolf book. google does not like it)
the setting is vaguely medieval/generic fantasy although i dont remember there being much fantasy outside of werewolves. maybe some alchemy? i really dont think magic obviously existed for much of the story
the main character is a girl (Also in the 8-15 range i would guess) who is living with a family that isn't her exact birth family (stepmom, grandparents, orphan taken in, i dont remember but it was something like that) and it isn't Great but mostly because they're poor and she's the weak link i think
for some reason she gets taken to a quarry and i remember it being her family's fault. like they didn't protect her from the working draft, did it to pay off their debts, etc. she's forced to work but makes friends with the other workers and i think she ends up seeming unusual in some way (strength to work when grown men cant, healing and recovering, etc. a plague sweeps through and she's fine and it's suspicious) there.
somehow she ends going from there to the palace. i remember her having some tie with the royal family but i think she also might have just befriended their daughter or something.
she was on the run either on the way to the palace or afterwards. she hid in a barn or under a trapdoor or something
here's the distinct part: that book ends with her in the woods, discovering she's a werewolf with the help of other wolf(ves). she has an injury at the base of her neck where the hair has grown back pure white (a sign of werewolfism???)
i feel like it was setting up for a sequel but have no idea if that ever happened. a few Extremely sparse details of this book have been burned in the back of my mind for like fifteen years and i have no clue what the fuck it was. any parts of this could be incorrect/missing because ive remembered this so many times off and on over the years that idk what parts are real or my brain filling in the gaps. i might be combining two books honestly but i dont think i am.
like i feel like her birth parent(s) (maybe just one) were wolves in the woods that she didnt know were werewolves, she started showing signs of being supernatural in the quarry, someone (rasputin-ish) kind of recognized that in her and had her brought to the palace to more carefully study (unbeknownst to her, to a certain degree), she became really good friends with a noble lady there her age, discovered her family might have ties to the royal one, but was still essentially a prisoner. one night she tried to sneak out and the princess(?) caught her but then ended up covering her ass so she could climb the wall and went on the run. she hid in a barn at one point, was discovered by a family and hid from the same kind of patrol that took her to the quarry. somehow she ended up injured, limping into the woods, where she discovered she was a werewolf. and then the book ended. but that sounds so inexplicable i feel like half of it has to be wrong! so i really want to find this book again but i cant figure out what to even google to find this weird fucking story again and i would feel like a lunatic going back to my childhood library 15 years later or whatever and trying to describe this fever dream to them.
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mareenique · 2 years
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After reading many brilliant thoughts by others about it, I’ve managed to put my own thoughts about AMC’s IWTV and race in order and write it down. I’m only talking about the tv series because I’ve only recently started reading the books and it’s been a while since I watched the movie, so I won’t compare them. I’m also a white European woman so I’m sure there are things that I’m missing, but maybe I can still contribute something.
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One thing that was a big take-away for me while watching this series in regard to how it talks about race, is how you don’t have to be a racist in order to profit from a racist society and your place within white supremacy.
Or in other words: Lestat expresses how strange and stupid he finds the racial hierarchy that he encounters in America (and surely doesn’t believe in the race theory of the time, contrary to the other white rich men Louis has to deal with on a daily basis) but he still profits from his place in a racist society.
The show explicitly shows us that neither Louis wealth nor his existence as a vampire allow him to get away from how he is perceived and treated. And Lestat doesn’t get it. Because he sees himself as an individual. Someone who is neither connected to humanity, nor to whiteness. But Louis doesn’t get that luxury.
I think what upsets some people is that because in this adaptation Louis (and Claudia) are Black suddenly Lestat can also no longer be seen as an individual but also as someone in the context of how he is racialized = white. And that‘s something that makes us white people so uncomfortable when we are forced to do it for the first time (or the xxxth time, if we don’t learn to work through it...), because we are so used to seeing ourselves purely as individuals. And it really enhances the story in my opinion. Because the story was always set in “our” reality, not in a race-, gender-, or class-less fantasy world. But now race can’t be ignored. Just like it can’t and shouldn’t be ignored in the real world. Just like homophobia (external and internal) isn’t ignored in this series either. And it’s not done in a way that tells the majority audience “oh no look, sad Black/gay people.” but in a way that resonates with the minority audience (as far as I can tell) and forces the majority audience to think about why they are feeling uncomfortable and sit with it.
Over on my Twitter I talked about how wonderfully not sensational (not “oh look! two MEN kissing!”) the intimate scenes between Louis and Lestat are in this series are, how their homosexuality isn’t shown as shocking or scandalous to the viewer but treated as just two people in a (very complicated) love story. But I’m sure that someone with a lot of unresolved homophobia might feel very uncomfortable with that, and that’s good. I hope they sit with that feeling and THINK. But I’m getting off-track.
Lestat doesn’t think of Louis and Claudia as “lesser than” because of their race, however he also doesn’t see them as his equals. Which is probably because he just knows how much they don’t know and how vulnerable they will be in the “world out there”. But he also doesn’t tell them, yes because he wants to protect them, but also BECAUSE he doesn’t see them as equals.
After ep 6, I’ve seen some posts where people were upset about Claudia talking about Lestat as “massa” when she speaks to Louis, but I think it’s really just her interpreting not being treated as an equal in the way that comes most natural to her given the world she grew up in: She would read his behavior as racism and misogyny. Yes it’s uncomfortable, but it makes sense in the story and the timeline.
She emphasizes the racial context in her conversations with Louis because she knows that their connecting elements are that they’re both Black and they’ve both been turned by Lestat and thus belong to him in a way. So she does what she thinks she has to do to get Louis on her side. Because she knows she can’t break free of Lestat on her own.
And Lestat in that train scene is such a perfect performance of how you can be horribly racist and misogynistic without actively thinking that the other person is “less than” because of their race or gender, but simply by employing the tools that you have been handed IN a racist and misogynistic society. He wants to make her stay because he doesn’t want Louis to retreat back into his shell again like the last time Claudia was gone. But how does he do that? By employing the tools handed to him by a racist and misogynistic society: He uses the image of the cage and his knowledge about the abuse that happened to her against her. As a white man both of these tools (racism and misogyny) are easy for him to use in order to get what he wants, because there are systems of oppression behind his words that make them more powerful. Does he know that that’s what he’s doing, or does he just pick the low hanging fruits handed to him by the society he lives in? I don’t know.
But I mean, it’s basically summed up in Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) quote, right?
"If a white man wants to lynch me, that's his problem. If he's got the power to lynch me, that's my problem. Racism is not a question of attitude; it's a question of power."
So anyone being angry about how “the series made Lestat racist and he wouldn’t do that” is missing a point in my opinion. I don’t think the series ever portrays him as a racist in the way that it does with the other white characters around him. The series just shows us what every white person living in a society rooted in white supremacy is capable of doing (not because we are inherently bad or whatever bs) because we live in a society that allows us to do these things, and gives our actions power if we follow the easy route and choose to act in a way that is in line with the power structure we exist in.
The racism of the time that the story Louis is telling us is set in is very overt and so we can see it more easily and it’s more easy to see why it’s wrong. So we don’t want ourselves or the white characters we love to be associated with THAT.
But rather than stopping there, we should take the lesson taught to us and allow it to reflect on how we view the story as a whole. How do we view our own emotional relationship to the characters in this context, and how do we or don’t we relate to them and why?
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Louis in the present is very rich and thus somewhat outside of the restraints still put on racialized people in our modern world. But I hope the series will keep the way they are incorporating race, gender and sexuality in the past story line in the present story line as well. So far we’ve only seen our modern day vampire(s) interact with one person: Daniel. So it hasn't really come up. Aside maybe from the way Daniel sees no issue with interrupting Rashid during prayer (which could be read as a comment about the way western anti-religious people often have low respect for religiosity, especially non-Christian religiosity. But tbh I don't think it's THAT deep and just another random incident of Daniel being a bit blunt and a bit rude). But I wonder how things might change once we step outside of that tower in Dubai and meet other vampires and see how they interact with the world.
And maybe there is also a comment about race in how present day Louis chooses to surround himself with a majority of non-white humans in Dubai. Now that he is in a situation where he gets to make the rules about who he keeps around, how and where he lives, and how he sustains himself, this is the environment he had built for himself. He is rich enough to exist outside of a human-made white majority power structure, and rich enough to have human blood without going against his personal moral codex.
That seems like a pretty perfect situation from the perspective of past!Louis. But even if we can say that he has achieved to break free from a lot of the restraints of a racist and homophobic world in the present day, he still doesn’t seem like he enjoys the kind of life he has now, living nearly alone in that beautiful but also cold and sterile tower...
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crazylittlejester · 6 days
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I'm still on my Four Swords brainrot detour so you get to hear all about that today. Consider this my vote for you to read the book. I have the legendary copy, it was my big summer purchase last year (it's not that expensive, I'm just a broke college student) and I love it to pieces. I'm usually more into LU due to the fact that the FS fandom is pretty small and I'm not very active in it and my favorite artist is on hiatus. However. When the brainrot circles back around I am stuck in it for a while.
Anyway, it's the only LoZ game I've written anything for (except HW but that was a short bit about gender crises so it hardly counts).
I've taken inspiration from @zarvasace's series Shatterproof, and started working on a disability AU for FS out of pure indulgence.
Have I made basically any progress since I started it? No.
Has it been completely rotting my brain this past week? Yes.
The way I have it planned out is that I'm going to write a chapter for each of the Links, including Shadow, and one for Zelda. Each chapter is going to be a short story about their experiences with being disabled and how they feel about that. I'm supposed to be working on Green's chapter right now and I think it's maybe half done, but I'm contemplating taking it apart and picking at the pieces some more before I actually write the second half out.
The thing about Green is that he's kind of your generic Link. He's as close as you get to the original as far as personality and temperament go, so that's been my main issue thus far. He's just... really, really vanilla. Even his part of the story is kind of vanilla! He gets his death faked twice and he's not even the person doing the faking! He's just there as a driving force and it bugs me sometimes because he's like the FS version of the nameless "prince charming" and I could go off on a whole extra tangent but I should save that for when you've actually read the book.
The point is, he's not a character I easily get vibes from, so I've had to do a bunch of thinking and I came to the conclusion that he's going to be the one to be hit over the head with a work-related injury. Literally. He ends up with a bad head injury that impacts his ability to do a lot of things that knights need to be good at.
I haven't decided if he ends up keeping his job after he recovers or not, but he does have a lot of angst over that because he's a bit of a workaholic and spent most of his time working so that Red, Blue, Vio, and Shadow could focus on taking care of the house and each other. He considers himself to be the main breadwinner and then suddenly can't work because of his injury and has to wait and see if he'll be able to go back to work. There's going to be a whole thing about overcoming internalized ableism, and how even if you aren't ableist towards other people you can still be ableist towards yourself and it's a lot of work to build up the self-esteem necessary to stop that thought process.
I just love his chapter so much even though I'm probably going to use those themes throughout the entire work. There's just something about his part that really scratches the itch in my brain.
I have rough ideas planned out for Vio, Blue, and Red, but I'm not really sure what to do about Shadow and Zelda. Prior to finding out about your Warriors having blood sugar problems I was thinking about giving her diabetes or something similar, but I'm not really sure how much I can fudge in a fantasy setting without accidentally killing her. So I'm still at the drawing board for her.
Thank you for being my FS brainrot victim. :)
I gotta get the four swords legendary edition, I thought I had it but i dont 💔💔💔 I’m also a broke college student so i feel ya
GREEN ISNT EVEN THE ONE WHO FAKES HIS OWN DEATH TWICE ALSKSKDK?
ooooooh work related injury and overcoming internalized ableism, I’m so excited to read that!! (if you share it)
You could totally still give her a blood sugar issue if you wanted, it’d be cool to read about if you do decide to do that, but also anything else you come up with would be cool, all of this sounds awesome
THANK YOU FOR THE DAILY BRAINROT, TODAY WAS EXHAUSTING AND I DONT FEEL GREAT AND THIS LITERALLY CAME AT THE PERFECT TIME >:)
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ninja-muse · 10 months
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As you can maybe tell by the three reviews I posted in July, it was a good reading month! Overall, at least. I still had a couple “this was fine” and one DNF, but there were a lot of hits and I read more books than I have the last few months.
So, highlights: The Hollow Places was fantastic, as was Bookshops and Bonedust but for very different reasons. If you’re worried that Baldree won’t be able to repeat the magic of Legends and Lattes, stop now. It was pure cozy delight. March’s End didn’t get a review simply because I already had three coming, but it was also very good. It examines family dynamics and the realities of a portal fantasy world in a very complex, adult way. The characters are believable if not necessarily likeable, the world-building is great, the writing is strong… all the things.
But between March’s End, The Hexologists, and The Hollow Places, I needed a lot of lighter books to balance, as you can probably tell by the rest of my list. I enjoyed pretty much everything! I’m just sorry I didn’t like the Sanderson more but I guess that’s a sign he isn’t an author for me since I didn’t like the last book of his I read either. I’m also a bit sorry I couldn’t get into The Atlas Six because so many people love it, but I dropped it in a Little Free Library and it got snapped up almost instantly so hopefully it’s found a better home.
So that was my unhaul of the month! I … did not do well with my book haul, or perhaps I did too well with it. The Odyssey and Thud were both damaged books that came in at work and I couldn’t say no. Thud has some wear to the cover; the Odyssey has some uncut and weirdly bound pages I’ll need to slice open. (Have I read and do I own other editions of both? Absolutely.) Love in the Time of Serial Killers was an unexpected rebound—I originally got it as a reading copy and passed it on to a coworker, who sent it back when she’d finished.
And then, well. There’s a new bookshop opening in my metro area. They’ve taken over from a used bookstore and have to sell off its stock before they can properly move in their own. I had to go help out, right? I couldn’t find anything in their SFF section I wanted but still left with three books: Gaudy Night, Evelina, and a collection of Molière. I went with friends, the same day we saw Barbie. ’Twas a very good day, all around.
And last but not least, I have started on one of those long, dense reads that will last ages. I’ve had Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century on my shelf for years and made it a goal to finally start it this year, since it’s totally up my alley but also huge and academic. There was a point in July where I didn’t want epic stories, light stories, or narrative non-fiction, so I figured that was as good a time to start it as any. I’ll probably read a section or two a month, whenever a similar mood hits.
And now without further ado, in order of enjoyment…
The Hollow Places - T. Kingfisher
Kara moves into her uncle’s museum of weird after her divorce, only to discover another universe behind a wall.
9/10
🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (gay), disabled secondary character
warning: body horror
Bookshops and Bonedust - Travis Baldree
Viv is recuperating from an injury in a sleepy town, where she finds a struggling bookshop, new friends, and a mystery. Out in November.
9/10
🏳️‍🌈 main character (sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (sapphic)
March’s End - Daniel Polansky
The Harrows have been tasked for generations with protecting a fantastical other world, but now the family is fracturing and that could endanger everything.
8/10
major 🏳️‍🌈 character (lesbian), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (sapphic), African-American secondary character
warning: toxic family dynamics, commentary on colonialism
Imogen, Obviously - Becky Albertalli
Imogen puts the A in Ally and that’s fine. Then she visits her best friend in college and meets a girl….
8/10
🏳️‍🌈 main character (bisexual), main character with anxiety, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (nonbinary, pan, lesbian, bisexual), Jewish secondary character, Brazilian-American secondary characters, secondary character with ADHD, Japanese secondary character, Black secondary character, 🏳️‍🌈 author, #ownvoices
warning: biphobia, discourse
The Hexologists - Josiah Bancroft
The Wilbys get more than they bargained for when they’re hired to find a lost royal heir and stop the king from baking himself into a cake. Out in September.
7.5/10
possibly biracial main character
The Bookbinder - Pip Williams
When World War I pushes Peggy out of her routine, she’s forced to choose: a life binding the books of the Oxford Press or a life studying them?
8/10
major autistic secondary character, disabled secondary character
warning: war, injuries
The Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel - KJ Charles
Rufus is the new Earl of Oxney, saddled with a crumbling estate and a bitter family. Desperate for a good secretary, he hires Luke—who has a hidden agenda which doesn’t involve tupping the boss. And yet. Out in September.
7/10
🏳️‍🌈 main characters (demisexual-gay, gay), main character with dyslexia, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay), minor Black British character
warning: toxic family dynamics, abuse
Weird Rules to Follow - Kim Spencer
Mia starts to notice that she and her best friend are living very different lives, with very different expectations from the adults around them.
7/10
Ts’msyen protagonist, Mexican-Canadian secondary characters, Ts’msyen secondary characters, Gitxsan secondary character, Ts’msyen author, #ownvoices, 🇨🇦
warning: racism, alcohol abuse
A Man and His Cat, Vol. 3 - Umi Sakurai with Taylor Engel (translator)
Kanda begins to deal with his emotional baggage, with the help of his cat and a fellow teacher.
7/10
Japanese cast, Japanese author, #ownvoices
Bookshop Cinderella - Laura Lee Guhrke
Evie is quite content as a spinster with a bookshop. Duke Maximilian has wagered he can make her the diamond of the season. This is a strictly platonic alliance, of course.
6/10
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England - Brandon Sanderson
An amnesiac man wakes up in a country that may or may not be Anglo-Saxon England with an exploded guidebook. Good thing he has ~*~Mystical~*~ ~*~Powers~*~™.
6.5/10
Persian secondary character, Chinese-American secondary character
Picture Books
The Skull - Jon Klassen
Otilla finds a large house in the woods inhabited by a talking skull, so she helps him in return for shelter.
🇨🇦
DNF
The Atlas Six - Olivie Blake
Six ambitious magicians compete for a coveted place at the Library of Alexandria.
🏳️‍🌈 main characters (multisexual); Black-British, Cuban, Japanese, and Persian main characters; Filipino-American author
Currently reading:
Kill Show - Daniel Sweren-Becker
A teen goes missing after running back to her school bus for a bag. Forget podcasts: time for the reality show! Out in October.
warning: missing child, murder
The Wager - David Grann
A secret mission in the Age of Sail. A shipwreck and a mutiny. The perils of the sea—and your fellow man.
Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.
Stats
Monthly total: 11+1 Yearly total: 75/140 Queer books: 4 Authors of colour: 2 Books by women: 7 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 1 Off the TBR shelves: 1 Books hauled: 6 ARCs acquired: 4 ARCs unhauled: 6 DNFs: 1
January February March April May June
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fromasgardandback · 2 years
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The Dungeon Master and the Theater Nerd
Eddie Munson x Reader
description: Eddie meets a girl who’s in the theater club while setting up for hellfire.
word count: 1.1k
warning: none, pure fluff
a/n: did i write this because i’m a theater nerd and would’ve loved to have someone like eddie? yes. 
masterlist | oneshots
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Y/N was a senior at Hawkins High and the star pupil of the Drama Club. She was a very talented actor and aspired to go on to be one of the best actors of her time. But growing up in Hawkins didn’t show her what she could really do with her life other than being a caddy housewife to an unloving husband. She knew that this was not something she dreamed of, yet that’s where her life was headed. Ever since she was young she was different than her friends. While being different from the others in town, she was left out of a lot. It was easy for her to fall into being someone different for the night. She spent all her time outside of school devoted to the Drama Club and everything that had to do with acting. Her parents were the opposite of the romantic love stories she read in books and plays. So when the opportunity showed itself to be away from them, she took it.
This night was not any different. There was a week before the school’s opening of the play and Y/N was still working on set designs. Friday nights were also the nights that the Hellfire Club would meet backstage in the auditorium where the storage was. Eddie was in there alone setting up for the campaign when Y/N walked in.
���Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your game. Just wanted to get a few items.” She said, blushing slightly seeing her crush look this good in the low-dimmed lighting of the room. Eddie slowly looked up, hearing a soft female voice.
“Uh. I-it’s alright. Get what you need, you’re not bothering me.” He offered a gentle smile. She nodded awkwardly, walking past him to get the items. There was a few moments of silence before he looked over and spoke.
“Uh, so how's the play going?” Eddie mentally smacked himself upside the head.
“It’s going good. Just trying to finish the sets. Hopefully, by early next week, they will all be off-book, then we can really dig deep into the acting.” She smiled at him. “How’re your campaigns going?” She said standing up.
“They’re good. Didn’t realize you knew anything about D & D.” He leaned against the table.
“I’ve seen and heard my cousins play it. It sounds really fun and it's fantasy, maybe one day I’ll bribe you into teaching me?” She chuckled. Little did she know that he would love that. He has been trying to find a common ground to even speak to her.
“You don’t need to bribe me, but I won’t be opposed.” He slyly smirked, earning a giggle from her.
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Eddie’s campaign went on while she went to work on the backdrop. She paused her music taking a break. She could hear them laughing and yelling at each other. Y/N smiled to herself finding it adorable, only to imagine what Eddie looked like at that moment. She’d be lying if she said she wished to be sitting outside the room to hear them clearly. She knew Eddie since they were in kindergarten. He was always kind and loving, but something about him just made him stand out. Then in middle school, he became more interested in different music, games, fantasy, etc. Y/N liked those things too but liked to keep that part of herself to only a few people. Not that she didn’t want to be outcasted, cause she already was, just that she wasn’t as into it as Eddie was. Y/N admired Eddie for being different and loved everything about him. Her crush truly started when they were kids and it just kept growing.
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Their campaign ended for the night and while Eddie was packing up he could still hear Y/N’s music in the background. He walked around to see her moving some heavy boxes on the stage.
“Y/N!” Someone called her name. She turned around to see Eddie running towards her. “Hey, let me help you with those.” He took the boxes out of her hands, walking back into the auditorium with him.
“I didn’t think you were still here. Thought your game ended a while ago.” She said leaning against the stage.
“It just ended, but I was cleaning up. Then got an idea to add to the storyline, so lost track of time.” He smiled lightly at her.
“Well, I’m near my curfew, so I should get going.” Y/N frowned a little.
“You driving?” He asked.
“No, walking. Can’t afford a car.” She shrugged.
“Let me give you a ride. It’s late and Hawkins can be creepy at night.” She graciously accepted his offer. Eddie led her to his van, being the gentleman that he is, and opened the door for her. They talked the whole way to her house about their shared interests. Being in theater she loved stories and being in the hellfire club he wrote stories. Their creative brains connected on a deeper level than either of them expected.
“Oh my gosh, I love Star Wars! It’s so cool and George Lucas is a genius in his works. The only thing of his I don’t like is Labyrinth. Puppets freak me out.” She shivered talking about it. Eddie just looked at her and laughed.
“Don’t laugh at me. It’s been a fear of mine since I was a child. Muppets, puppets, literally anything Jim Henson freaks me out.” She said hitting his arm.
“Woah, not even the Dark Crystal?” Eddie gasped when her reaction was a no. 
They continued talking and laughing, eventually having to end the conversation when he pulled up in front of her home.
“This is me.” She sighed. “Thank you for driving me home. You didn’t have to.”
“I didn’t really have a choice. Can’t let a gorgeous girl go missing because I didn’t care.” Eddie smirked. He didn’t realize what he was doing until it happened. Eddie leaned over and gently held the side of her face in his hand. Without thinking, he kissed her. She was surprised but quickly kissed him back. After a few minutes, they pulled away, both faces redder than a tomato.
“Go out with me tomorrow night?” Eddie asked boldly.
“I’d love to.” She kissed his cheek. “Goodnight, Eddie.” She wrote her number down on a piece of paper before getting out and walking into the house, waving him goodbye. He loved this newfound confidence and cannot wait until tomorrow night.
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lucas-deziderio · 4 months
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Dezi reads Pact
I am a newcomer to Tumblr and have just found out about liveblogging books. It seems pretty darn fun! So I decided to try my hand at it to both exercise my literary analysis muscles and to maybe make a few friends in this site. And I've decided that my first subject on this will be John “Wildbow" McCrae's web serial Pact.
I've been a huge fan of his other work, Worm, for years now (though I do have a couple issues with it). And I'm also a big fan of urban fantasy stories with well designed magic systems, so the premise of this book is already very appealing to my tastes.
I have actually started reading through it before but put it on hold for a while. I am currently sitting in the middle of Signature 8.7 and will be picking up the story from there. I'll try to post once I finish each chapter, sharing my overall thoughts and analysis, and maybe once I finish each arc to stitch them all together and make predictions about the plot.
The road so far
Here are some assorted thoughts I've had on what I've read of the story so far:
Blake Thornburn is definitely a protagonist of all time. This little wet blanket of a man has successfully fled his toxic family, survived homelessness and got adopted into a found family of queer artists only to then be dragged back into his family's issues. And the skeletons in his grandma's closet want to eat his soul.
Also he totally fumbled a threesome. My dude simply can't get a win.
Rose Thornburn is a character who is completely devoid of any trans subtext, thank you very much. At the beginning I thought she was an excellent addition to the story, being a tool to get Blake to externalize his thought process and opinions. The first arcs would have been really dry without her. But she has grown so contrarian; convincing her to help is now an additional step Blake has to do every time he comes up with a new plan of action. I suspect she might become an antagonist even before the end. Is it just me? Is it some kind of ingrained misogyny?
Evan is the best character in the story. He's such a ray of sunshine that every line of his is like a breath of fresh air in this dark and gritty narrative Blake is trapped in. Please, let him become a fire bird. I beg you. He's just a cinnamon roll too pure for this world.
The magic system is maybe the best I've ever seen and is definitely what makes the story stand out. It feels like what I, almost instinctually, always imagined magic should work like. But defined and refined to a point where it actually becomes a usable set of rules. Everything from true names, binding, spirits, demesnes... It's ugh, so good! I will probably dig more into each of those elements as they come up in the next chapters because there's so much to chew on.
The monsters. The author has this amazing ability of grabbing well-known concepts of mythological creatures and giving them their own spin while at the same time seemingly distilling them to their core appeal. After meeting Wildbow's goblins, that's how I expect all other goblins to be like. The same goes for demons, fey, ghosts... As with the magic system, I'll dig into each of those as they come up in the next chapters.
During the discussion of the binding contract, the imp Pauz has mentioned some “inviolable rules", which caught Blake's attention for a second but were not clearly explained. This has been living rent-free in my head since then and I am very sure it will come back later.
Isadora, the sphinx, could step on me. Also, she has mentioned the fact that in the classical Greek myth Oedipus actually gave the wrong answer. I've been dying to know what is the true answer the the classic sphinx riddle, but unfortunately I don't think it will be revealed...
The way they defeated Conquest was, to me, a total copout. I couldn't fully follow Blake's plan until it was all over, and I can't understand why Conquest needed to travel into the mirror world to catch Rose when previously he just pulled her out of it like it was nothing. It just felt anticlimactic to me.
Also, please, can we actually just give him an actual arsenal of stuff he can use? I know Wildbow likes to keep his protagonists as the underdog but this is getting ridiculous. This magic system allows for basically anything but still our main man only has two or three tricks up his sleeve at any time and is constantly losing resources as fast as he can get more of them.
Last time I saw Blake he was swallowed whole by an ontophagic demon, being completely erased from reality as we know it and leaving Rose to steal his life. I know he'll come back, he's the protagonist after all, but I'm really excited to see how it will play out. Will he fight his way out Hell itself? Like Kratos??
The spoilers I already got
I don't care that much about spoilers, but still would like to avoid them if possible. I decided to list here what I could already gather from the future of the story simply by osmosis from the fandom:
There will be a mermaid called Green Eyes who is super cute in a “bite your face off" kind of way.
Blake will become part tree(?).
The ending is bittersweet at best.
Next
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girlfromthecrypt · 10 months
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My first Writeblr tag game!!
Thanks so much for the tag @mthollowell-writes! This is one of my first ever tag-games, so I'm pumped. Also, this made me realize I rly need to do a WIP intro for my main project. It's a dark fantasy/horror with some romance, too. The working title is Fucked Up Fairytale. That aside, let's goooooo
1) What motivates you to write?
Anything and everything! Writing is my coping mechanism, for good times and bad. It helps me keep hold of happy feelings and release negative ones. 
2) A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)
I have multiple WIPs, but I'm going to refer to the one I plan on actually turning into a book. The working title is Fucked Up Fairytale. That may undergo revisions. Anyhow, I'll share two lines/snippets, if I may! Mainly because the first one is very short indeed. Here it is:
I braced myself for stupidity, and he didn’t let me down. —This is in the main character's (Margot's) narrative inner voice during a conversation with her little brother. 
And here's the other one, same chapter, same conversation! I feel like I may have gone a little overboard with Margot's world-weariness, but I kinda like it:
“The world I dream of has me making six figures at a job where my boss doesn’t need me to show him my tits,” I said, a chill creeping into my tone. “It has me going home at a reasonable hour so I can watch TV and fall asleep with a bag of spicy chips, preferably next to a spouse who doesn’t mind that they make me gassy.”
Neither of us spoke for a couple beats. Then, softly, my brother asked, "And where's the magic in that?"
"Nowhere, Callie. That's kind of the point."
3) Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?
That would apply to Margot's love interest from Fucked Up Fairytale. He's, um… special. To me, and in general. Seeing as he's one of the Folk, it would be unwise to share his name, especially since not even Margot knows it as of right now. He calls himself the Huntsman, so that'll work for now.
He's this rather delicate-looking youngish man; slender, short and long-haired—he's quite pretty, really. And he's the smuggest, most self-satisfied dork you've ever met, but in a sweet, non-threatening way. I just love his and Margot's more wholesome exchanges. They clash a lot; she's a recent university graduate, has been a skeptic all her life and didn't mean to get roped up into any supernatural stuff, and he's this forest-dwelling fairy-like entity. But they end up being really good for each other, despite (or perhaps because of) their differences. Even though their dynamic starts off based purely on physical attraction, it grows into something more and their interactions really feel cathartic at times.
4) What process of writing do you enjoy the most?
I love what happens shortly after getting the idea for something. It's like a little twitch in the brain that grows and grows and it's just… awesome. And I'm not actually doing anything at that stage, so it's also the easiest step. Also, I just love writing dialogue.
5) What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)
I think that's also writing dialogue! Not much else to say there. Oh, and nature descriptions sometimes. I've been told my nature descriptions are beautiful.
6) What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?
How passionate everyone is! We all do the same thing, we write, and we all love doing it. And there's such an undertone of positivity to it all, of openness. That's really nice.
7) A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)
Oof. This one's too hard for me. I'm honestly struggling with a lot of writing software so… I don't have a good answer to that. 
8) A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)
The majority of Fucked Up Fairytale takes place in a single location. It's a magical forest that is its own entity, almost deity-adjacent. Certain characters worship it to gain its protection and power, but it can also be dangerous, trapping humans and turning them into so something they're… not. 
I just really like that forest! I enjoy describing it, I enjoy creating new creatures it may be harboring, I enjoy lending this seemingly inanimate idyllic environment a personality that kind of shines through in a lot of scenes. I almost wish it were real. Almost.
9) What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?
I'm with you.
That's all I, or anyone, can really offer, I believe. I've dealt with month-long dry spells, really horrible ones. I know it's shitty, I know it sucks. My advice, if I had any, would be to force yourself to write anyways. It's the only way to get back into it, and you should never ever give up writing. Writing is worth it.
10) Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters
Well, obviously I'm gonna have to mention @prismatic-bell who once wrote a wonderful thirty-part fanfic to one of my stories and is, in fact, amazing. Xe has contributed greatly to a lot of my stories and I will be forever grateful for that. Also @rehnwriter who helped me set up my blog because I'm bad at internet stuff and need constant surveillance.
I'm tagging… uh… anyone who sees this and wants to participate! I'm really eager to get to know more folks from this community.
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thxtmarvelchick · 5 months
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✨BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS ORGANIZED BY GENRE (and tropes listed)✨
i will do the cut thing because this is going to be long…
THIS WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY ADDED ONTO AS I READ MORE BOOKS THAT FIND THEMSELVES IN MY FAVOURITES
Fantasy/Sci-fi (because I feel like they go hand in hand)
•A Court Of Thorns And Roses (the entire series) by Sarah J Mass
I can genuinely say that this series had such a massive impact on my life and it will always be in my top recs. The writing is SO beautiful and the world- building is IMPECCABLE you can vividly picture everything and it just completely transports you to this magical world.
Tropes: fae (ik this isn’t a trope i just had to say it), a little enemies to lovers, a little friends to lovers, royalty, FATED MATES (my personal favourite), forced proximity, they dream of each other, she owes him a debt, slow burn, found family
spice is included✨ and honestly pretty fricking spicy (spiciest on this list probably)
•Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Another book that like altered my brain chemistry because it was so good. The main character has a chronic illness (that is the same chronic illness the author has). It’s such a comfort book to me and i really wish i could read it for the first time again because there’s twists and the ending had me SHELLSHOCKED and i do not get shocked easily because most of the time i can tell it’s coming but i genuinely had NO IDEA that is how good Rebecca Yarros’ writing is.
Tropes: enemies to lovers (but they’re attracted to each other from the very start), kind of forbidden love (parents were enemies), they’re bonded to each other so kind of fated mates?, THEY’RE AT A COLLEGE TO BECOME DRAGON RIDERS THAT’S LITERALLY SO COOL, oh did i mention DRAGONS THAT TALK AND ARE SASSY LITTLE SHITS, also kind of found family bc the MC’s is dysfunctional as hell
also spice is included✨ i’d rate it maybe a 3/5?, it’s not SUPER detailed and there’s not a lot but there’s one scene where my jaw was dropped the entire time
•One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
This is a comfort read FOR SURE. I felt so seen because the MC is just like me (socially awkward, book lover, nerd) and she has a huge crush on this other girl ( YES IT’S LGBTQ!!) who is totally like 70s rockstar vibes (she’s literally so cool i cannot). It’s a book that’ll have you squealing and kicking your feet. Oh did i mention the love interest is ACTUALLY a 70s pink chick who’s accidentally time travelled forward after an accident she had on the subway?
tropes: this is pure fluff guys like seriously you can’t not love it, kind of coming of age (she’s 23 and finding her confidence and place in the world) , the love interest doesn’t remember how she got there (so amnesia), found family (just now noticing a theme with all my recs so far..)
there’s spice mentioned but not actual spicy scenes!
Romance
•Bridgerton series
This series is a staple however due to you not having to read all the books/ the books in order there are a few that i don’t think i’ll reread (i haven’t even read Francesca’s yet) like for instance i didn’t like Benedict’s book because of the Cinderella retelling aspect and I ended up dnfing
BUT the rest are REALLY good, my favourites being Colin/Penelope’s (Romancing Mister Bridgerton) and Hyacinth’s (It’s In His Kiss)
Tropes: (just doing the main one for each book)
Book #1 (Daphne)- fake relationship
Book #2 (Anthony)- enemies to lovers
Book #3 (Benedict)- fairytale retelling (cinderella), she was a lady’s maid for one of his sisters (i think… it’s been awhile)
Book #4 (Colin/Penelope)- friends to lovers, she’s a socially awkward wallflower and i relate immensely (there’s twists and overall is just a beautiful love story)
Book #5 (Eloise)- they’re pen pals and she runs away to his home (he has children that are an absolute MENACE to her it’s hilarious)
Book #6 (Francesca)- haven’t read yet but i know that the main premise is her late husband (who died not long after she married him) ‘s cousin has always loved her since he met her
Book #7 (Hyacinth)- mystery, they’re trying to find his family’s hidden jewels (their dynamic is amazing and hyacinth is my favourite bridgerton she’s so funny to me)
Book #8 (Gregory)- they’re friends and they realize they’re in love with each other as they’re about to marry other people (he crashes her wedding it’s fantastic)
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syndxlla · 11 months
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Saw your 'corruption' ZeLink fantasy and felt I should share what I would love to use it for if I had the writing skills. So... while reading, I thought of how some people are of the HC (myself included!) that every Game!Zelda is Hylia reborn just as she had been in SS but people In Universe think that's naught but fanciful stories, that Hylia Ascended into Divinity once more after her SS!life ended. Now, for my version of your Zelink 'corruption' fantasy I think that Link is very much aware and fully believes such 'stories', (maybe through Fi or his dreams or just a sort of sixth sense or because of his being The Hero or however else one can reason it out) so when Zelda's trying so hard to be 'pure as the Goddess' as the various factions of clergy tell her she should be he's like, 'fuck that.'
He's of the opinion that she doesn't need to be 'pure' as those of Mortal ken would describe it, but that she needs to be 'pure' to Herself as She is. A Goddess. To be worshipped, not to worship. Especially towards a replacement/false idol since they do not remember Her as She once was before Time made Mortals forget that She walks among them as Her own descendant when Demise's Curse rears its head once more.
So he teaches her in a sort of reverse psychology way. He bugs and bugs and bugs (maybe leaving some books on her desk that she'd never find in the Royal Library 'cause they were 'immoral', 'disgusting', or that whoever enjoyed such {whether reading about it or performing it} are 'abnormal' and/or 'heathens', maybe he does one thing or another that she should be punishing him for but isn't because she's 'practicing charity/turning the other cheek' as the clergy taught her the Goddess would want her to do, maybe teasing her and saying something along the lines of, "Oh, dear. Are you frustrated? Tsk, darn. If only my Goddess would command me to finish what I started. Too bad she doesn't seem to be listening.") until she finally finds it in herself to take charge as his Mistress, his Princess, his Goddess. He was her Servant, her Appointed Knight, her Hero. So it is time for him to repent his blasphemy by learning at her feet to stand unless she bids him bend the knee or face punishment. (Orgasm denial? Overstimulation? Edging? Humiliation? Training him to the point he can only orgasm with her 'help?) He should be answering to her and her alone; kneeling to no one but her. And that includes her father!
This might even be the type of AU that involves her then 'unlocking her power' (one could even have it be that she then uses her power in creative ways when she's playing with her hero; justifying it as 'for science!') but she then keeps quiet about it as validation that everyone around her telling her what to do was wrong and a bit of vindictiveness because 'she's found her worth in herself with her hero's help and love and support so why should she go looking for it with those who tried so hard to knock her down for so long? She'll do her duty when it's time but for now? Let them sweat it out, the bastards.'
What do you think? Do you like my addition to your Zelink 'corruption' fantasy or...?
FOAMING at the mouth rn.
I love female worship okay, the orgasm training is kind of what i was going for in my original post when i talked about them getting turned on when they would pray because they were trained to associate those prayers with the sexual touch of the other.
I also LOVEEEE inappropriate uses of magic (when i was in my star wars era, inappropriate use of the force was my FAVE). and i love the potential of Zelda unlocking her power and using it on Link unexpectedly (lowkey in cnc area, but not in a toxic way haha), or even better Link using his totk right arm to mess with zelda (i reblogged some art of this), even though i know i’m zelda canon the latter couldn’t happen.
REGARDLESS i am OBSESSED with corruption zelink rn and WILL be writing a short fanfic for it! But i wanna finish my current fic ‘best friends’ first!
Zelink smut go brrrrrr
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