#trensu plays tag

[trensu]

Last Sentence Tag

I was tagged by @fuctacles, @doublecherrypiediscosuperfly, and @katdeerly for this!. Thanks guys, I love tag games!

RULES: Post the last sentence you wrote (fanfic / original / anything) and tag as many people as there are words in the sentence.

It was the first time his god ever spoke his name; it was stunning in a way Steve couldn’t describe.

...that's 20 words. I love you all, but I am not going to be individually tagging 20 people, that is simply TOO MUCH for me to handle. If this is a game you wanna participate in, consider yourself tagged!

Anyway, this is from my steddie holy warrior au, Stasis in Darkness which i'm working on as we speak.

#trensu plays tag #stasis in darkness #stranger things #steddie #sorry i took so long to respond #i was so focused on finishing the hawkins halfway house installment that i totally forgot i got tagged in this #but i remembered eventually! #so you all got something from a completely different wip #i've been having difficulty picking wips to work on tbh #i've got this one or other installments for hhh or scenes for chrissy the vampire slayer #if anyone's got any preferences let me know #it might help me prioritize #or not lol #i do not control the fixations

[jill-question-mark]

Put your music on shuffle and list the first ten songs that come up, then tag ten other people.

Like @trensu who tagged me, I’ll just tag people in my notes. Absolutely no obligation to participate!!

And now, prepare for the opposite of cool hip music. I liked it AFTER it was cool:

1. “Mama Knows”, Sister Sparrow

2. “Teach Your Children”, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

3. “Jackie’s Strength”, Tori Amos

4. “Peace of Mind”, Boston

5. “David Duchovny”, Bree Sharp

6. “Sunny Came Home”, Shawn Colvin

7. “Mrs. Robinson”, Simon & Garfunkel

8. “Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)”, Patty Griffin

9. “What A Crying Shame”, The Mavericks

10. “Cry To Me”, Solomon Burke

Not a bad mix. It looks like Youtube Music desktop version is way better at shuffling than the mobile app or Google Home, which play the same songs over and over again every time AUGH

Tagging @kyrkovisan @nemainofthewater @carriecmoney @flowerawry @yougetsomekisses @curiosity-killed @polkadotpeaches @spookykingdomstarlight @roseclaw @stephaniematurin

#music #how would i even absorb new music anymore #without like. effort #the online services have little interest in promoting new stuff it seems #sometimes i try curated playlists like ‘chill summer’ or ‘porch americana’ or whatever #but they’re usually the same stuff yt music has played repeatedly #which is why they recommend me thise lists sigh

[ent-is-indecisive]

@pink-luna-moth yknow what thanks for the tag why not

1. Are you named after anyone?

nah/ eh only in as much that i chose a name and i liked that it was shared

2. When was the last time you cried?

can't remember, a month+ at the very least

3. Do you have kids?

thats a no for me

4. What sports do you play/have played?

..... that list would be too long. Let's say in the past 2 years i've done the larp style of swordfighting and folk dancing

5. Do you use sarcasm?

it happens

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

idk but it's not their face

7. What’s your eye color?

unremarkable

8. Scary movies or happy endings

if given the choice i will always choose happy endings

9. Any talents?

I picked up snowboarding faster than expected apparently, but thats the only skill that came easy (and i cant even PRACTISE IT)

10. Where were you born?

big city

11. What are your hobbies?

we're doing lists because i like lists

art mediums : oil, watercolor, digital, acrylics, ink, linicut

textile stuff : sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet, weaving (i have to fix my inkle loom)

i have a lot more random stuff but i forgor

12. Do you have any pets?

i've had many cats and plan on having many more but i'm not currently in a financial/physical place where i can get one (devastating)

13. How tall are you?

normal amount

14. Favorite subject in school?

english (easy) or french (great fun teacher) (depending of the years it was also art, ancient greek and sign language)

15. Dream job?

listen. ideally i'd work a physical job (like a warehouse) for maybe 3 days a week, teach (art or whatever) and use the last 3 days to make art and garden and stuff (needless to say this will not be my job but we will hopefully survive)

tagging my buddy @trensu for fun but lying on the internet is free and you can fully say i tagged you. no one is going to check.

#ent talks #tag game

[intoxicatingimmediacy]

I posted 4,376 times in 2022

That's 542 more posts than 2021!

562 posts created (13%)

3,814 posts reblogged (87%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@startedwellthatsentence

@zelkam

@solitarelee

@flamingwell

@trensu

I tagged 4,356 of my posts in 2022

#the untamed - 655 posts

#daveed diggs - 373 posts

#art - 312 posts

#our flag means death - 273 posts

#tiktok - 224 posts

#tumblr - 200 posts

#rafael casal - 188 posts

#mdzs - 175 posts

#clipping. - 155 posts

#clipping - 144 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#month four of ‘very mild’ long covid... you don't want this. really. protect your own quality of life at least if you won't protect others.

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

66 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

#4

80 notes - Posted November 24, 2022

#3

94 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

#2

139 notes - Posted July 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Jameela Jamil | JUST THE HULK, DAREDEVIL AND THE ABOMINATION AND HULKKING PLAYING PING PONG. YOU'RE WELCOME! Man I had fun on this set. ❤️

579 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr #year in review #i left 20 posts untagged!? tsk.

[theuntamednarrator]

tagged by @suibianjie (go marvel at their incredible edits if you haven't already done so)

relationship status: single

favourite colour: not to be a cliche ace but purple! all hues and tones and shades.

three favourite foods: uh is coffee a food? probably not right? hm. in that case my nanna's apple crumble, my best friend's spinach, ginger, and tofu dumplings, and vegetarian tacos.

song stuck in my head: how bizzare but specifically this cover by alice ivy, odette, and all day for like a version.

last song i listened to: righteous but specifically this cover by stand atlantic

last thing i googled: was legitimately "are lotus seeds a carb"

time: 7.44pm

dream trip: domestically northern/central western australia. internationally southern europe

anything i really want: more plant babies!! (basically a forever mood if i'm honest). also for all my friends who are currently looking for jobs to find something amazing that also happens to be night shift so we can be awake at the same time more than a cpuple of hours per day XD

tagging: the usual victims @trensu @elvencantation @drwcn @dying-redshirt-noises and anyone else who wants to play (but as always no pressure)!

#tag! #thanks for the tag! #suibianjie #theuntamednarration #yes the google question is for exactly the reason you think XD

[drwcn]

Pick your trope game

got tagged by @gingersnapwolves :D thnx friend! 

slow burn or love at first sight (NEITHER,  sorry i aint got the patience for slow burn nor enough suspension of disbelief for love at first sight. Established relationship only thanks) 

fake dating or secret dating (nothing says traditional family like i’m hiding a long term SO) 

enemies to lovers (yaaaas) or best friends to lovers

 there’s only one bed or long-distance correspondence (le GASP there’s only one bed? how well we go on) 

hurt/comfort or amnesia (eh.....no, hurt and comfort needs to come with significant plot or else it’s just kinda meh)

fantasy au or modern au (depends, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t) 

mutual pining or domestic bliss 

smut or AND fluff 

canon compliant or FIX IT FIX IT FIX IT FIX IT

reincarnation or character death (excuse me you only get to die if i get to bring you back to life)

one-shot or multi-chapter (i’ll read either) 

kid fic or road trip fic

arranged marriage or accidental marriage (arranged marriage is bound to be latent with Plot >:), whereas accidental marriage - i’m sorry did you trip and fall signature first into city hall office of the registrar? or was it vegas? but what if you don’t live anywhere near vegas?)

high school romances or middle-aged romance (neither, high school is too cringe and middle-age is too...much like my folks) 

time travel or isolated together (isolated together only if one of them gets to throttle the other one by the end)

neighbors or roommates (BOTH)

Sci-fi AND Magic au because why not both?

Body swap or Genderbent (BOTH)

angst or crack (BOTH)

Apocalyptic or mundane (depends on context)

tagged people in The Untamed fandom who as far as I know haven’t been tagged by someone else @professorsparklepants @trensu, @dying-redshirt-noises @wangxianbunnydoodles @hildahuffle or anyone else that wants to play! 

#about corie

[bookbutterflies]

Rules: tag 9 people you want to get to know (I love this assumes I know 9 people on this blessed app. I don’t even know 9 people irl)

Tagged by @trensu . Thanks!

3 Ships (I have a terrible memory. I barely remember the title of the things I like, I don’t remember ships unless they’re recent)

 Wangxian -- Can’t never forget them

Francis/Noemi from Mexican Gothic

Dorian/Zachary from the Starless Sea -- As I lay dying please to play Dorian’s sexy sexy chapters from the audiobook. Can’t forget the chapter where they first met!

Currently reading:

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. It features a royal assassin with the tiniest bit of conscience sent to kill a hunter working to return magic back to the land. Sounds like fun to me. Also, it just got name as one of 100 best fantasy novels of all time by TIME Magazine. So, that’s something.

Currently watching:

I’m watching Flower of Evil and Tale of the Nine Tailed. Both kdramas. Netflix just reminded me Someone Has to Die has been released, so I’ll be watching that as well. If something happens to the Mexican queer ballerino I’m suing Spain. There, not a kdrama.

*** I tried watching Someone Has to Die and it repels me. Not watching it after all.

Currently consuming:

Soup. Bacon.

Currently craving:

Sleep, so much sleep. Pan de muerto. Maybe I can sleep like the dead after I eat some pan de muerto.

Tagging: @celiabowens @aimed-so-near @jun-uppie. Sorry for the inconvenience guys, feel free to ignore this.

#tag game

[beautyinfiction]

tag game

Tagged by: @mysweetlifeasme and @kryptonitefreckles thank you :) <3

RULES: bold the statements that are true and tag 10 people

APPEARANCE:

I am over 5′5″ / I wear glasses/contacts / I have blond hair / I wear sweatshirts a lot / I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing / I have one or more piercings/ I have at least one tattoo / I have blue eyes / I have dyed or highlighted my hair/ I have gotten plastic surgery / I have or had braces / I sunburn easily / I have freckles / I paint my nails / I typically wear makeup / I don’t often smile / I am pleased with how I look / I prefer Nike to Adidas / I wear baseball hats backwards.

HOBBIES AND TALENTS:

I play a sport / I can play an instrument / I am artistic / I know more than one language / I have won a trophy in some sort of competition / I can cook or bake without a recipe / I know how to swim / I enjoy writing / I can do origami/ I prefer movies to TV shows / I can execute a perfect somersault / I enjoy singing / I could survive in the wild on my own / I have read a new book series this year /I enjoy spending time with friends / I travel during school or work breaks / I can do a handstand

EXPERIENCES:

I have had my first kiss / I have gotten drunk / I have told a crush I like them / I have traveled outside of the country / I have flown on an airplane / I have stayed awake for more than 48 hours / I have had a near-death experience / I have caught something on fire / I have performed in a talent show / I have shot a gun / I have been on TV / I have gone scuba diving / I have broken a bone / I have slow-danced / I have gone on a shopping spree

RELATIONSHIPS:

I am in a relationship / I have been single for over a year / I have a crush / I have a best friend / I have known a friend for over ten years / My parents are together / I have a brother / I have dated my best friend / I am adopted / My crush has confessed to me / I have had a long-distance relationship / I am an only child / I give advice to my friends / I have made an online friend / I met up with someone I have met online

AESTHETIC:

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell / I have watched the sun rise / I enjoy rainy days / I have slept under the stars / I meditate outside / The sound of chirping calms me / I enjoy the smell of the beach / I know what snow tastes like / I listen to music to fall asleep / I enjoy thunderstorms / I enjoy cloud watching / I have attended a bonfire / I pay close attention to colors / I find mystery in the ocean / I enjoy hiking on nature paths / Autumn is my favorite season

MISCELLANEOUS:

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle / I am the mom friend / I live by a certain quote / I like the smell of Sharpies / I am involved in extracurricular activities / I enjoy Mexican food / I can drive stick-shift / I have memorized an entire song in a day / I believe in true love / I dream up scenarios to fall asleep / I sing in the shower / I wish I lived in a video game / I have a canopy above my bed / I am multi-racial / I am a redhead / I own at least three dogs / I am LGBT

Tagged: @huliganships @thatgirlwiththedeepblueeyes @onehandhook @firewithinyou @trensu @librarian-in-waiting @breakingjen feel free to not do this, though :D ;)

#tag game #personal #about me #ask meme

[trensu]

Rules: shuffle your On Repeat playlist and post the first 10 tracks, then tag 10 people.

Tagged by @tjmystic. Thank you!! I haven't played tag in a while.

Stay - Ghost (boy do I have a steddie au in my head for this one, and with appropriately spooky elements)

Panic Attack - Judas Priest

Poison - Blake Roman/ Hazbin Hotel

Crown of Thorns - Judas Priest

Somewhere Only We Know - Lord of the Lost cover

Trial by Fire - Judas Priest

Loser Baby - David King & Blake Roman / Hazbin Hotel

Dial Drunk - Noah Kahim (i also have a steddie au in my head for this one though this one is a lot sadder and not spooky at all)

The Driver - Maneskin

Only You - Yaz

Tagging: @livenarrator, @ellietheasexylibrarian, @cyanide-latte, @dogsnameisfrank, @amethystunarmed, @redfreckledwolf, @rjwinterfell, @stobin-cryptid, @songonthewind, @theroseandthebeast

As always, you don't have to participate if you don't want to!

#trensu plays tag #half of you i picked because we talk regularly or semi regularly #the other half i picked because i see your usernames pop up in my notes a lot and i'm happy to see them lol #if any of you wanna talk steddie AUs or have watched hazbin hotel recently then hit me up because i'd love to chat about it #no really i am in desperate need of other hazbin fans to talk about stuff #because the tag is full of people who seem to be angry most of the time about all sorts of things #and quite honestly i don't need that kind of stress in my life right now. i just wanna watch my cartoon and sing the songs in it

[trensu]

Personal Playlist Tag Game

Thanks for tagging me, @redfreckledwolf! I ended up alphabetizing my Liked Songs playlist and picking songs from that. I actually had a hard time putting this together because I didn't want to repeat artists but some letters had SO MANY good options while others hardly had any at all. I decided to keep it slightly spooky themed, in case you couldn't tell 😆

Rules: spell your url with song titles and then tag as many people as there are letters.

T - Touch of Evil by Judas Priest

R - Rats by Ghost

E - El Rey Tiburón by Maná

N - Necromancin Dancin by Bear Ghost

S - Shivers by Dio

U - Underworld Blues by The Mechanisms

Tagging: @livenarrator, @dogsnameisfrank, @cyanide-latte, @amethystunarmed , @panicatthediaz and @a-little-unsteddie

As always, you don't have to respond if you don't want to. These tag games are just for fun and if it's not your thing that's totally cool. I won't be offended or anything like that

#trensu plays tag #ngl the last three of you i tagged i did it specifically because you said nice things about my fic #and similar to eddie flattery works on me #😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

[trensu]

Put your music on shuffle and list the first ten songs that come up, then tag ten other people.

Tagged by @xoxoladyaz! I've got like a bajillion playlists (and currently working on a good omens 2-centric one to give my eddie-centric ones a rest lol) so I decided to just shuffle my "liked" songs on my spotify and see what happened.

1. Tight Rope - The Greatest Showman soundtrack

2. Rising From Ruins - Judas Priest

3. Doubt Comes In - Hadestown soundtrack

4. When Can I See You Again - Owl City

5. Stepsister's Lament - Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderalla soundtrack

6. I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers

7. The Doctor is Dying - Chameleon Circuit

8. Rats - Ghost

9. Lights Out - Mindless Self Indulgence

10. Robot Builder - Night in the Woods soundtrack

Okay, i'm gonna tag some people, but please don't feel obligated to participate if you don't want to, okay? I'm just gonna pull usernames at random from my notes because there's no way I'll come up with people to tag otherwise

Tagging: @dogsnameisfrank, @if-i-were-your-raven, @crhodey, @woolasaur, @writeitinsharpie, @androgynousfeline, @strangeweathers, @chaos-and-chill, @jill-question-mark, @amyoosh

#except for you frank #i picked you on purpose lol #still #like i said #no one has to play if they don't want to #i won't feel bad about it or anything #trensu plays tag

[trensu]

9 people you want to know better!

Got tagged by @cyanide-latte and @xoxoladyaz (and possibly someone else, but i couldn't i find them in my notes, so...)

Last song: Rats by Ghost (who i'll be seeing in concert with a friend this year! very excited about that)

Currently watching: if you've seen my reblogs lately, i'm sure it'll absolutely shock you to find out i've been watching Good Omens 2 practically on loop all week. (Did you know the ending stays exactly the same no matter how many times you replay it??!? i'm coping fantastically, why do you ask?)

Currently reading: I haven't been reading proper novels these last few weeks because i am not in the right state of mind to accept new fiction into my mind-scape. HOWEVER, i have recently rediscovered a good omens fanfic that i lost track of YEARS ago called Strange Pilgrims by sousverre. i'm about halfway through and it is just as good as i remembered, with the bonus of it being completed now. i can't wait to find out how it ends!!

Latest obsession: currently i'm not properly obsessed with anything, i don't think, but i HAVE picked up fic writing again, which i haven't done in a while, AND i've been very focused on finishing my pride quilt.

Tagging: @ent-is-indecisive, @ashes-in-a-jar, @dogsnameisfrank, @sp0o0kylights, @rjwinterfell, @life-love-musicaltheatre, @thebimboficationofacademia, @kuroishiraiwa, @fuctacles

#trensu plays tag #gonna be real here #most of these i pulled from my notifications #your usernames keep popping up #which is great! #so i figured an invitation to a game of tag would be welcomed #please don't feel like you have to play though #it's only fun if you WANT to participate after all

[trensu]

Get to know me

Tagged by @ent-is-indecisive. Thanks for the tag! i love these games.

𖦹°‧★ Favourite Songs : my 'liked songs' has over 900 songs so instead i'll tell you what i've currently been listening to on loop which is the album for Sweeney Todd (2023), Honey Are You Coming by Maneskin, Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan, and a random assortment of Ghost songs

𖦹°‧★ Favourite Colours : purple! and green

𖦹°‧★ Currently watching : Our Flag Means Death s2, OBVIOUSLY XD

𖦹°‧★ Last Movie : Annabelle (I've started watching horror movies at random in honor of spooky season)

𖦹°‧★ Sweet, Spicy or Savoury : savory; i like spicy and sweet too but spicy gives me heartburn and i have to be in the mood for sweets to really enjoy them

𖦹°‧★ Relationship Status : No.

𖦹°‧★ Current Obsession: i've been pretty preoccupied with some steddie fics i'm writing. i'm gonna ride this burst of inspiration and productivity to the ground lol

𖦹°‧★ Last thing i googled : i also use duckduckgo so i'm not sure what it was i searched for, but i think it was something about space as research for my stasis in darkness fic

Tags : @dogsnameisfrank, @livenarrator, @cyanide-latte, @redfreckledwolf

as always, there's no pressure to participate! i won't get offended or anything like that

#trensu plays tag #ent-is-indecisive

[trensu]

15 Questions 15 Tags

thanks @jexxica-jade for the tag! haven't done one of these in AGES. hope you don't mind i started my own post since the one you tagged me on seemed to be getting kinda long...

-nickname: trensu

-height: 5ft 4in :( wish i were taller though

-last thing i googled: i looked up a few videos of the nutcracker/dance of the sugar plum fairy for a little steddie ficlet i wrote a few days ago; i don't think i've had to google anything else since then tho

-song stuck in head: la fine by maneskin, which is unfortunate since i don't actually know italian so i can't sing along and it's EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING, WHY CAN'T I JUST IMMEDIATELY KNOW/UNDERSTAND EVERY LANGUAGE EVER? WHY??

-# of followers: 1,100ish, i think? tho lbr, a good chunk of them are probably pornbots

-amount of sleep: 6hrs if i'm lucky, but it's usually more like 4 because i make poor life choices and also seasonal depression SUCKS

-dream job: i'm actually pretty happy where i'm at now? i only have one other coworker and we each have our own office so i rarely have to interact with ANYBODY and it pays WAAAYYY better than my last job. it's almost tailor made for me lol

-wearing: fuzzy jackolantern leggings and a sweatshirt

-movie/book that summarizes you: i have NO idea, but i'm currently really into The Locked Tomb book series, and I've watched the Glass Onion on Netflix twice already, if that says anything about me

-fav song: i mean, i don't have just ONE favorite, but currently maneskin's i wanna be your slave is one i would happily listen on loop (it's got the added bonus of being in english so i can actually sing along rather than enthusiastically humming :D)

-aesthetic: idk if i have one??? not even sure how aesthetics work tbh; i just like stuff and sometimes that stuff meshes and sometimes it clashes.

-fav authors: tamysn muir and neil gaiman, both of whom have tumblrs but i am not tagging either of them on the off chance one might acknowledge my existence and then i'd have no choice but to throw myself off a cliff

-random fact: i have recently started sewing plushies, and i'm hoping to get good enough at it so i can make some fandom-inspired ones

Tagging: @livenarrator, @ellietheasexylibrarian, @metal-dads, @laundrybiscuits, @cyanide-latte, @ent-is-undecisive, @theroseandthebeast, @johanirae, @theoldwalkingsong, @elvencantation

Look, I tried for 15 but I struggled to even get to ten, so I'm just leaving it at that. To the people i tagged, don't feel pressured to play if you don't want to! I will not be offended if you don't, and I'd rather you not do something that might make you uncomfortable.

#trensu plays tag

[trensu]

Steve had always wanted to be a skilled fighter. The schools that churned out the best fighters all happened to be schools for holy warriors. It was possible that Steve maybe sort of lied a little (with the help of his friends Robin and Dustin) to get into this school by claiming he was full to the brim of religious fervor but hadn’t decided who to pledge his sword to yet. It shouldn’t have worked, if he were honest with himself, but by some stroke of luck it did, and he finished his training as one of the top combatants. 

The issue now was that he had to pick a god whose crest to carry. There were all sorts of gods. Gods of water, gods of air, gods of agriculture, war gods, cat gods, plant gods...the list was endless. And while Steve was one of the best fighters around, he was most definitely not one of the best researchers. Thankfully Dustin and Robin were very clever and knew where to find details about the many gods in existence.

“So what kind of god do you want to follow? Maybe we can start there,” Robin asked.

“Uh…a good one?”

“You’re no help at all, you know that?” Dustin grumbled.

They suggested a local god known as Carver who stood for righteousness, but Steve turned that down. It didn't feel like a good fit. They suggested a love god by the name of Chrissy, who valued love of all kinds, romantic, platonic, familial...Steve had been tempted, very tempted, because Steve had always carried an excess of love in his heart. Robin had vetoed that one stating that Steve was already too reckless with his love and she wouldn't stand by and watch him break his own heart over and over again.

Dustin suggested a god of knowledge, Clarke, who blessed and guided those with curiosity, imagination, and a knack for invention. Steve shot that one down immediately. He was never one to be overly imaginative or curious; he preferred to deal with concrete things. Out of their quickly dwindling list, Robin reluctantly suggested Hargrove, a war god favored by a nearby kingdom, but if Carver was ill-fitting, then Hargrove was outright repellent to Steve.

"C'mon, Steve, you gotta pick someone!" Dustin huffed in frustration. 

Robin thunked her head against the table in the library where they were looking up deities. She was obviously at her wit's end too. Steve, however, just dug his heels in with a particularly stubborn scowl.

"I can't just pick anyone!" Steve said. "If I'm going to pledge my sword to someone, it has to be someone...someone good. Someone that, I don't know, someone I can believe in, even when--no especially when things go wrong. That’s the whole point!"

"Yeah, I get that," Robin sighed, a mix of fond and annoyed, "but this is the eighth book we've gone through and the only one left here is called the King of Darkness which is hardly going to--huh."

Robin paused mid-rant to look at the page more closely. Steve and Dustin both huddled around her to peek into the book as well. Dustin also made a sound of curiosity.

"That's weird," Dustin said.

"Right?" Robin asked enthusiastically.

"What? What's weird?" Steve didn't get what caught their attention.

"This god only has a couple of sentences," Dustin explained, "And they don't really make sense. Something about dark creatures and the undeserving? The grammar and structure is all weird though."

"It looks like a half-assed translation," Robin added with a nod. "We should find the original text."

"Yeah! And if we can make a better translation, we could get it added to the next edition and they'd have to put our names on the book," Dustin said excitedly. Robin's eyes lit up at the thought and they both rushed off to the stacks to track down any original sources.

"Guys! Guys, what about my..."

The librarian hushed Steve, irritated. Steve groaned in defeat.

"...godly choices. Yeah, fine," Steve slumped back on his seat. "I need to find non-nerd friends."

Two days later, Robin and Dustin finished translating a slim, dusty book. They were nearly vibrating in their seats as Steve reviewed their notes on what they found. Dustin gripped his arm and gave him a shake.

"So? What do you think?" he asked excitedly.

Robin slung her arm across Steve's shoulders. With more tenderness than Steve expected, she said, "I know it doesn't seem like it, he doesn't really fit with your whole style, but it could work."

"Yeah," Steve said with a hopeful smile. "Yeah, this feels right."

--

It took longer than Steve would've liked, but eventually he managed to track down a small, crumbling shrine. It was an alcove carved near the entrance--no more than a crack in the stone really--of a cave at the edge of a lush forest. He almost missed it, it was so drowned in overgrown crawling vines and weeds. It bore a modest statue, no bigger than Steve, standing atop an equally modest plinth. There was a spot that obviously held a plaque once, but it must’ve been dug out by thieves at some point.

The sight of it made something in Steve's chest twinge; a strange pang of melancholy at seeing a god so forgotten and abandoned. It surprised him as he had never been particularly religious, but there was just something about this one that drew him in.

It was the middle of the day, so Steve quickly made camp and took advantage of the light to begin clearing the shrine. He started where the plaque had been, scrubbing off the dirt and moss that had filled the indentation. He knew a good smith; he could commission a new plaque to be made. After that, he weeded the immediate area around the plinth where worshipers would typically lay their offerings and pray.

By the time he finished that, it was late afternoon and he decided that was good enough for today. He had to eat and get a few hours of sleep so he could be alert once night fell. When he curled up on his bedroll, he couldn't help the grin that spread on his face. He was going to offer himself to his god tonight, and with any luck, his god would accept him.

--

He woke to a multitude of high pitched squeaks and the sound of many, many flapping wings. The sun had just fully set, and the stars that could be seen through the canopy burned brightly. Steve took his time to fasten on his armor and scabbard properly, and fixed his hair so not a strand was out of place. He took a few deep breaths to calm an unexpected bout of nerves before going to the shrine and kneeling.

His god had no official prayers. Or rather, the prayers for his god were forgotten. Robin and Dustin did their best to find anything prayer-like but it had been in vain. They suspected that most of the god's holy items and lore were purposely lost. Lacking that, Steve decided it was best that he introduce himself.

"Um, hi," he started and immediately winced. "Sorry. I'm not used to...this. I couldn't find any of your…holy words? Prayers? The right ways to speak to you, I guess.

"I'm Steve. Steve Harrington. I'm a fighter. I finished my training a few weeks back. I was the top of my cohort when it came to combat. I'm good with my sword and I know how to take a hit. I can turn just about anything into a weapon if it's needed."

Here Steve paused for a moment, straining to hear but there was nothing other than the typical sounds of a night out in the woods. Steve took a breath and plowed forward.

"I want to be more than a fighter, though. I don't want to just wave a sword around for nothing. I want it to...to matter. So I spent a lot of time trying to decide who to wield my sword for. It took me a while, but I found you. I want to be your shield and sword, if you'll have me."

Steve stopped again to listen. Nothing. Robin warned him this might happen. Gods didn't always accept warriors who offered themselves to them, and forgotten gods weren't always reachable. It was fine, though; he’d try again tomorrow night. Steve turned in just before dawn, eager for night again.

--

Steve worked on clearing the vines tangled around the statue's legs and feet. He yanked out the thick, scraggly vines, and carefully picked apart the prickling thorny ones. There was a particular gnarl of vines that didn't seem like they had a stranglehold on his god's statue. They were healthy and strong, and the way they curled and grew looked more like a caress than an invasion. He decided to leave those on, though he gently rearranged them while removing the more invasive vines so they looked more decorative.

When night arrived with the sound of squeaks and wings, Steve went to kneel at the shrine. He introduced himself again, gave the same spiel as the night before. Still he heard nothing. He scratched the back of his neck in mild insecurity.

“I guess I should tell you I didn’t find you on my own. My friends Robin and Dustin helped me. They’re way smarter than me, you know? Total nerds. I can swing a sword like nothing, but books and research? Yeah, that never works out for me, so they helped me look up all sorts of gods.

“There’s a lot of them. Way more than I thought. Dustin and Robin both recommended me ones or vetoed others. They were getting frustrated with me because I kept rejecting the ones they gave me. 

“Then Robin found you. Kind of by accident, to be honest. But she did her research thing and I knew that I wanted to carry your symbol. It took me forever to find this shrine. Robin said this was probably the only shrine you had left, so I had to find it. 

“Dustin kept saying it was on the other side of the forest, but obviously he was wrong. Not that he’ll ever admit it, the little shit, but whatever. I’m sorry your shrine was abandoned like this, but I promise I’ll fix it up. I’m good with my hands, I can do it.”

There was no response to his admittedly disorganized ramble. It was fine, he told himself. He needed to be patient. He’d come back the next night.

–

Around the statue’s waist there was another tangled mess of vines, except these vines had died and rotted to dark sludge. There was fungus growing on it, and it reeked. It was gross. Steve scrubbed at it for hours because the rot had stained the stone. He was able to get rid of the rot and most of the stains before going to catch a few hours of sleep in the afternoon.

Night fell and Steve was kneeling for the third time. He repeated most of what he said the previous two nights. There was still no response. He thought maybe he was pushing too hard. He’d never been the super talkative type anyway. He could share the quiet night with his god, if that was what his god wanted.

A few hours passed when he was startled out of his near meditative state by the sound of snapping twigs. He leapt to his feet, hand on his scabbard. Someone–a man by the look of it–stumbled out of the woods. He was pale and dark haired, dressed in ragged clothes that were probably awful even when they were new. He looked like a vagabond. 

Steve stepped in front of the shrine, protectively. The stranger grinned at him and Steve could already tell he was not going to enjoy the conversation that was about to happen.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Steve asked firmly, cutting the man off before he could speak. The smile only grew wider.

“I could ask you the same thing, sir,” the man said, adopting the annoyed huff of a wealthy lord. Steve scowled.

“I asked first.”

“I asked second!”

“You didn’t ask me anything,” Steve responded, somewhat smug. The man paused and then snorted a laugh.

“Yeah, okay.” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “You got me.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“What are you doing here? Who are you?” Steve repeated shortly. The teasing grin was back, and Steve felt his scowl deepen.

“Nothing and no one, m’lord,” the man bows mockingly.

“I’m not a lord.”

“Huh. Could’ve fooled me. You’re certainly as demanding as any lord I’ve ever met.”

“Oh fuck you,” Steve snapped. “I’m a holy warrior.”

The man laughed at him outright.

“Well that doesn’t sound very holy warrior-ish. Are your type allowed to swear?”

Steve grinded his teeth and decided it was not worth it to continue this conversation for much longer.

“Look, if you’re here to steal, I’ve got nothing on me.”

“That’s exactly what someone with something to steal would say.”

“Well, I don’t! I’m on a pilgrimage and I don’t want to spill blood on holy ground. So.” Steve wrapped a hand around the hilt of his sword. “Leave. Please.”

“Holy ground? Here?” the man barks out a laugh. “Don’t you know what this place is?”

“Yes,” Steve says shortly, placing himself more firmly between the shrine and the man. “Please leave. There shouldn’t be violence done here.”

“Oh, it’s far too late for that. This place used to belong to the King of Darkness. It’s said he was so evil that nothing grew here until he was run out and defeated by the god of righteousness. You know the one. Really plays up the holier than thou thing by making his hair all gold and glowy? Gotta say, you could give him a run for his money though.”

“You’re wrong.”

“No really! Your hair is great. Way better than Carver, even with the glowy thing.” 

“Not that!” Steve said in frustration. This guy really liked the sound of his own voice and Steve was starting to get a headache. It was near dawn and all he wanted was to spend the last hour or so in the quiet night with his god.

“So you agree your hair is better than a god’s?” The man tsks at him. “That’s pretty blasphemous. Are you sure you’re a holy warrior?”

“No! I mean, yes. Wait,” Steve growls at his own bumbling. “No, I’m not better than any god. But I am a holy warrior. Kind of.”

“Kind of.”

“Look, I’m working on it so I need you to leave. You’ve insulted him enough already.”

“Your god is the King of Dark–”

“Call him that again, and I will draw my sword,” Steve said, voice steely. “He’s the Lord of Night, and I won’t let you insult him at his own shrine.”

The man goes quiet for the first time since he showed up. He looked almost surprised, his mocking grin gone. His eyes flicked over to the dilapidated statue and then back at Steve.

“Lord of Night doesn’t sound much different than what I called him,” the man said lightly.

“Well, it is,” Steve told him. “Now, will you please leave?”

The man stared at him for a moment before shrugging. “Yeah, alright.” And then he left as suddenly as he had arrived.

The tension that had built up in Steve’s shoulders drained away. He went back to kneel in front of the shrine again when he noticed the barest hint of sunrise on the horizon. He cursed under his breath then was hit with a wave of embarrassment at cursing in front of the shrine and the whole situation that had transpired.

“I’m sorry about that,” Steve said, abashed. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

–

It happened again.

now with an additional snippet here and here

ps: i do not do those reader tag list things. if you'd like to keep up with my stuff, follow my writing tag: trensu tells stories

#trensu tells stories #stranger things #steddie #steve harrington #robin buckley #dustin henderson #eddie munson #i don't even know what to call this #it's an idea i'm playing with but i don't know how well it works #if you're curious about the setting so am i! #if you figure it out do me a favor and tell me what it is #i have more written but it's not done #i'm hoping to post it as a oneshot on ao3 when i finish it #IF i finish it #we'll see i guess #ETA #came up with a title/tag for this #stasis in darkness

[trensu]

I'm dying to know if you have more ideas for the monster kids au/any plans to write out more - genuinely obsessed with what you've given us

I have some vague ideas including Steve helping Lucas learn to play basketball without wolfing out, Steve defending his kids from Principal Jason Carver's baseless accusations, and Steve meeting the famous Uncle Wayne aka the only human Eddie loves and respects (so far).

idk if any of those will come to fruition though since i've got other things i want to finish first. i doubt it'll become like, a full cohesive fic, if i'm honest but i definitely want to write little scenes within the 'verse at the very least. if/when they get written they'll be tagged as hawkins halfway house for homeless horrors, and trensu tells stories.

#trensu replies #hawkins halfway house for homeless horrors #steve and wayne bond over their love of baseball #in my heart of hearts they're both avid baseball fans #because baseball is the best sport and also the only sport that i enjoy watching XD #i'm so tempted to have steve teach his horde of monster children how to play baseball #but considering how anti-sports the kids are in canon #i'm not sure i can swing it #(SEE WHAT I DID THERE :D)