#Robin is still fascinated with learning about everything

[tiajk]

Amazon strawhat reader

Warnings; fem reader!, everyone crushing on reader if you squint, everyone loves themselves amazon reader, added robin brook franky and jimbei becuase why not even though i haven’t watched that far so if i get something wrong pls tell me, reader can do a lot of stuff

A/N: none!

masterlist. part 2

— luffy would actually love you without a single fucking doubt he was practically jumping up and down asking you to join his crew if you said no he would kidnap you but who could say no to him and his cute face

— luffy uses you as a climbing tool he wants to see something up high and can’t see his going to you asking for uppies and you gladly give them to him

— zoro didn’t want to admit but he liked you on the crew becuase your strong he wants to challenge you and he admires your strength but he’s lowkey scared of you if your taller than him

— let this man see your sword he will literally not want to let it go and he’ll be so honored that you let him even hold it if you let him use it in battle if he lost one of his he’ll be so fucking happy and blushy

— sanji swoons over every women ( and man) but a muscular tall woman that’s race is literally goddess warriors this man is on the floor for you at your every beck and call

— he gets carried by you a lot he tries to carry you but you just carry him and he gets all blushy

— nami thinks that’s your so fucking cool she would 100% want to sun bathe with you all the time

— she also wants to hear about how the stories that your people have made over the years

— ussop is shaking the first time he meets you

— when there’s a fight he hides behind you and says that your under his control when you go along with it makes him very happy that’s why your his favorite

— chopper thinks it’s so cool that your on the crew when you tell him about the animals that your mother told you when you where growing up it makes him feel less like a monster and he does his cute little dance thing

— if you ever in battle and seriously injured and don’t go to him because your stubborn best believe he’s shape shifting and throwing you over his shoulder so you can get treated correctly (you could overpower him but you’ll let him win this one)

— robin has definitely heard of amazons but never seen one before in real life

— you guys will have little reading dates and she loves when you give her books from your home because there so interesting and fascinating

— Franky thinks your SUPERRRR all the time you never understood his obsession with cola but when he had you drink some you were hooked

— he makes you gadgets all the time whether to improve your sword or shield he is always making stuff for you

— when brook saw you he wanted your panties but was kinda scared when you drew your sword at him then he remembered he was dead but it was still kind scary

— jimbei had definitely heard of amazons before but like robin had never seen one

— he’s like a really cool person to be around if you wanna learn about his people culture you would always go to his with no hesitation and he would gladly tell you

— the crew admires you a lot your like there personal bodyguard they love you

— the girls will always make sure that when you guys go shopping you all get matching stuff because why not

— i feel like luffy goes to you for everything he has a cut on his hand he’s going to you instead of chopper it just shows how much he trust you

— when you first join the crew and your kinda timid to the boys they understand because your people say that men are just nasty but they get kind sad because they wanna know you better but over time you learn to love them ask much as you do robin and nami

— tell them stories of your home they wanna hear about it all the time especially if simultaneously they all can’t sleep and want to hear your voice

— they know how stubborn you can be so when you go into battle and almost sacrifice yourself so they can live they can get pretty mad at you but they know it comes from a place of love and respect

— i know that amazon’s have super strength and so does the crew so when you guys them they get kinda scared because of your bone crushing hugs

— if you don’t understand why some people do certain things then they’ll explain it to you

— sanji love it when you tell him about food that you ate when you were a child he tried to recreate it with you helping him

— they know how passionate you can be one time you were telling them how much you love them and made them cry

— whenever zoro gets lost you always find him first or he finds you first becuase he can feel your passion 100 miles away

— luffy definitely flexes on law and kid that he has an amazing warrior on his crew and they don’t (they admire you just as much and are kind jealous)

— if someone were to ever catcall you or harass you before you can get a word at there all jumping the person making there life absolutely fucking miserable

— for your birthday they did the cutest thing they had the sunny decorated like your home island from what they could make out of the books and just made you fell right at home

— when they find out your a princess that doesn’t change a thing about they see you but they can tell that another place you get your passion from

— nami will probably ask you for some money and you give it to her becuase you love her so much and she never charges you because of it

— you love you nakamas and they love you

#ronoroa zoro x reader #strawhat crew x reader #monkey d luffy x reader #luffy x reader #zoro x reader #tiajk #opla sanji x reader #vinsmoke sanji x reader #opla nami x reader #opla luffy x reader #opla zoro x reader #opla ussop x reader #nico robin x reader #franky x reader #opla x reader #one piece x reader #chopper x reader #brook x reader #jimbei x reader #one piece x reader #one piece #one piece fluff #strawhats x reader platonic

[strawberryspence]

There's a red string, strung and tied into a small bow on Steve's pinky finger. It never breaks, never fades. It stretches for miles and miles and miles. There's a shimmer in it when it hits the sunlight. It's beautiful, meaningful. His connection to his soulmate.

Steve's always been excited, always been curious as to who is on the other end of it. His mother has always told him to not follow it, that it may be dangerous, he could get lost.

He only tried following the string once. He was twelve, alone at the big house, with no parents and no friends. The string reminds him that there's a person on the other side of it, there's comfort in that. He follows it— follows, follows, follows— until he reaches the Hawkins Sign and sees the road ahead. The string still goes for ages, and it could go anywhere. He goes home to that dark, lonely house, and cries so hard the string vibrates in the dark.

When Steve finds the other end of his string, he thinks, its too late. The people around him— his parents, his friends, his peers— has already dictated who he was supposed to be. He finds the other end of it just at King Steve's peak. He finds it in between the fame and arrogance. He finds it, in the middle of the cafeteria, standing high on top of a table.

The string tightens, almost like it's pulling him to the other end. But as they stare at each other, from opposite sides of the cafeteria. Both having the realization that they are each other's soulmates and both knowing they can't do anything about it.

Steve tears his eyes away from him, tears his eyes away from Eddie Munson, tears his eyes away from his soulmate and continues back to his life. He continues as he learns that monsters exist, that there are kids being experimented on, that he can still change, that not everything is set in stone.

When the kids first mention the mysterious, eccentric, dungeon master that adopted them. The one with cool tattoos and long, frenzied hair. A name the kids cheered for in between the shelves of Family Video, that makes Steve's string glisten in anticipation. He thinks, maybe it's not too late.

And when Spring '86 finally comes around, and Steve watches as Dustin and Max scurry to find the man. Steve relents, his own concern and worry overflowing from the beams. He tells them to get in the car, as Robin closes up the store. They all silently watch as Steve follows his string.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie whispers, broke bottle held against Steve's neck.

The string between them shimmers in anticipation, its the closest they have ever been to each other. They can almost feel it vibrate in excitement.

"We're here to help." Steve answers back. He wishes— not for the first time— that he knows his soulmate. Knows what comforts him, knows what makes him feel better.

But as Eddie pulls away, finally calming down and telling them what truly happened. Steve thinks that his curiosity could wait till later. It's not too late. Not yet. Steve just has to help Eddie out of this.

"You want to talk about it?" Eddie asks, just after Steve thanks him for coming after him in the lake. Like Eddie would leave his own soulmate to drown and die in the underground world that just ate him.

"About what?" Steve asks. He knows what Eddie's asking, but he wants to be sure, doesn't want to step into boundaries.

Eddie raises his pinky, the string lifting with his hand, and it's fascinating as Steve sees his string being pulled this close by the other end.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Steve asks back, eyes wide.

"Do you?" Eddie challenges.

Steve is tired, and there's an ache in his body, maybe it's the bites or maybe it's the ache to be near Eddie. "Yes. I want to talk about it. But maybe not right now. Not here."

Eddie's taken aback for a second before he chuckles, "Yeah. Okay. We'll talk later."

"Later."

There's no later, not when they're just about to go to war with some evil wizard that can gauge their eyes from the inside. Just before it's time to go, just before it's time to go to war. Steve reminds Dustin and Eddie to be safe, to not be heroes. Steve turns because he needs to leave, if he doesn't do it right now, he's not sure if he'll ever go. Eddie calls him back.

"Steve."

Steve turns back. Only because it's Eddie and he'll always turn back for Eddie.

Eddie looks at him. Big brown eyes shining under the red sky. Eddie raises his pinky again, the ribbon tied on it tightens instinctively. There's a certain softness in his face; tender and hope mushed together.

"Stay alive."

Steve nods, raising his own pinky.

"Later."

Eddie nods, and they both turn from each other.

There's a moment. Just a sliver of it, where they think they won. If Steve has to describe it, he will say that it feels exactly like gasping for air after a long lap in the pool.

Steve realizes that they're wrong when the vibrant red of his string flickers to something duller. It's the first time it ever does that, and his heart drops. No.

"I told you not to be a hero!" Steve cries out, as Eddie's blood spills from everywhere.

"I know. I am sorry." Eddie smiles weakly at him.

"We got to move you. We got to—" When Steve moves him, Eddie moans in pain, tears spilling from his eyes. Steve steadies him again, doesn't move another inch to give his soulmate some kind of comfort. The pain of it goes straight into his ribs and into his chest.

"There's not gonna be a later. I am sorry, sweetheart." Eddie looks up at him, smiling softly as he cups Steve's face. "I am sorry I didn't talk to you earlier."

"I am sorry I didn't either." Steve sobs, clutching on Eddie's hand.

"We're soulmates." Eddie says. There finality in the statement, no room for questions and confusion. "We'll find each other again."

"No, Eddie." Steve shakes his head, stubborn as ever.

Eddie's hand slips off Steve's face, "See you soon, sweetheart."

Steve doesn't know what happens next. Nobody ever explained it to him. He thinks it's cruel that nobody ever prepares you for this moment. As he watches the once bright string finally die down, the shimmering turning into nothing. Slowly, but surely, disappearing. His only connection with his soulmate— with Eddie— forever gone.

The only thing that's left is a black string, tied on his pinky without its other half.

It's too late now.

-> my beautiful @undreaming-fanfiction's happier ending

#should i apologize #i dont feel bad #i love this idea #steddie soulmates forwver #its so mwa chefs kiss #tw mcd #tw blood #tw major character death #hehehehehehehehheheehehhehehehehe #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson angst #steve harrington x eddie munson #steddie ficlet #steddie headcanon #steddie hc #steddie fic #steddie angst #dae writes #daeheadcanons #steddie soulmate au

[estrellami-1]

Steddie Microfic

March prompt: pin

Word count: 388

No warnings apply

Rated G

@steddiemicrofic

Steve’s never liked the phrase quiet enough you could hear a pin drop. Maybe it stems from being alone in that big old house for years on end, but he doesn’t exactly like the quiet.

And it’s never actually been that quiet anyways. In the summer there’s cicadas, in the winter there’s the barren tree branches rubbing against each other.

His friends, too, are rarely quiet. Robin, first and foremost, rambles like there’s no tomorrow. He thinks it’s one of her most endearing qualities. She calls him biased for it.

Dustin is much the same way. There’s rarely a moment he’s not talking, and in those rare instances, he’s usually making noise some other way, since Steve privately thinks he’s allergic to sitting still.

While Steve and Mike don’t usually find much in common to talk about, there are some times they’ll find themselves alone in the car as Steve ferries everyone. He usually requests for the music to be turned up, but there are some times he doesn’t, and he’ll find other ways to make sound. He’s got a certain fascination with all things Eddie, and he’s picked up the same peculiarity to drum on everything within reach.

Steve and Lucas will usually turn on a basketball game, or find their way into a conversation revolving around basketball, but there are times Lucas asks for relationship advice, and Steve does his best.

Will is quiet in general, but Steve asks him about art, and with a shy smile, Will will talk until he can’t anymore.

El is quiet, too, but Steve has learned what questions to ask to get her talking, and she’s just as animated as anyone else in their ragtag group.

Max is a hurricane, loud and brash and unapologetic, and Steve loves it.

Then there’s Eddie. Big, bright, bold, beautiful, loud Eddie. Always drumming a rhythm on something—the dash of the car, his leg, Steve’s leg—or talking, or singing along to the radio.

Even in his sleep he’s not silent. Nights like tonight, when they’re together, are Steve’s favorite. He gets to hear the little snuffles and snores, gets to kiss him awake and hear his little groan. He likes noise just fine, but he likes this little bit of quiet with Eddie more. Because it’s not just quiet; it’s peace, and it’s perfect.

#steddiemicrofic #steddiemicroficmarch #March prompt #pin #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #the party #starambles

[dailydragons]

I am not immune to this propaganda…

Do you like long fantasy series, but are tired of authors never finishing them?

Do you like interesting magic systems?

Do you like when characters form intense even psychic bonds with animal companions?

Do you like your heart getting ripped out of your chest and then stuffed back in full to bursting and but then ripped out again to get stomped on but it turns out you like that too uhhh let's call it... intense yearning

Do you like dragons? Of course you do, why else would you be on this blog!

WELL DO I HAVE THE BOOK SERIES FOR YOU!

The Realm of the Elderlings is a 16-book series is comprised of four trilogies and a quartet. All of which have been finished. Yes that's right, Robin Hobb saw other authors who can't seem to finish their multi-book fantasy epics and said "I will finish mine 4 different times to show you it's incredibly easy actually." She also has written multiple other series (some under the pen name Megan Lindholm), set in different universes.

So, where to start?

The components of RotE are:

The Farseer Trilogy

The Liveship Traders Trilogy

The Tawny Man Trilogy

The Rain Wild Chronicles

Fitz and the Fool Trilogy

The three bolded trilogies above are told from the perspective of FitzChivalry Farseer, one of the main/major characters in this universe and my eternal blorbo. The Liveship Traders trilogy and Rain Wild Chronicles are told from several points of view, and happen in chronological order between the series above and flesh out the worldbuilding, lore, history, etc.

For the most complete look at the universe, you can of course read everything. However if you want to stick with just one character, you can read the three bolded trilogies only. And of course, if you don't want to commit to a metric ton of words either way, you can just read the first trilogy and see what you think. Though I do think the levels of joy/pain/adoration increase with each work as you get more invested in the characters, of course.

OR. You can in fact read the Liveship Traders trilogy or the Rain Wild Chronicles quartet completely independently of the others. I actually started with Rain Wild Chronicles because those books have the highest concentration of dragons--it was actually a follower of this blog who recommended them to me, and I decided to jump into those rather than commit to The Whole Series (which at the time was only 13 books not 16). But I loved the writing style and wanted to learn more about the world, so got into the rest, and now I actually think the Rainwilds books are the weakest of the bunch (though I still enjoyed them initially)!

But You're Following This Blog, DailyDragons, So Here's The Part Of The Pitch You're Actually Invested In

Now I will be up front that you don't get many dragons in the first trilogy. There are a kind of dragons that appear at the end but dragons are not the main focus of this one. However Hobb learns from her mistakes about not including tons of dragons in her fantasy world and you get more in the next parts of the series.

The Liveship books deal with sea serpents and dragons in very interesting ways I don't want to spoil, though it's a slow build. But VERY fascinating reveals into the dragon's biology, life history, and magic.

The plot of the later half of the Tawny Man Trilogy revolves around dealing with how the world of this story used to have dragons but they have practically gone extinct. Less direct contact with dragons but still a dragon-centric last book.

Rainwilds is chock full of dragons. Including as POV characters. Can't complain about lack of dragons here at all.

Fitz & The Fool Trilogy is lighter on the dragons at first and then they show up en force at the end. Ta da!

anyway please read these books and join me in my eternal suffering. wait, suffering? nevermind who said that. shhh. it's fine. you will love fitzchivalry farseer. you will love the fool. you will never be the same again.

#realm of the elderlings #THANK U FOR GIVING ME A HANDY DANDY SOAPBOX #lise-thethinker #i am always ready to weep about these books publically #i have read the entire series uhhh. 3 times? and condensed version 4 times #since i first read them in 2015 #WHEW. yeah. god i love them #ramblings #not dragon art #i guess

[gatitties]

just wondering If you're able to write straw hats x Gn! reader who ate a devil fruit that allows the user to stop time in 10 seconds every time although when overuse the user can exhaust themselves. they also happened to learn rokushiki. The reader is somewhat reserved and doesn't talk much other than speaking a few words because of them thinking that they don't feel like speaking if it not that important so reader says something like "...... ...... .....Words are unnecessary"

─Strawhats x gn!reader

─Summary: you're not a person of many words, but that's okay, you're still super cool!

─Warnings: none

I love silent readers 😌

─ Your abilities fascinated everyone and not just because of your devil fruit powers.

─ Probably only Franky, Robin and Jinbe know about your fighting style, rokushiki, something that only cp9 agents and the like mastered, although they don't care how you learned it because you are now part of the group and you demonstrated your loyalty from the first day.

─ Luffy thought you were mute when he dragged you onto the ship.

─ Then he heard you talk briefly with Sanji because he needed to know if you were allergic to something and your captain decided to bother you until you talked to him.

─ Nami hits him to make him leave you alone, since at least she understood that you were not someone who talked a lot, you liked to listen more.

─ In general, no one had a problem with having a silent partner, everyone adapted well to your silent form of communication, somehow a look was enough to express what you wanted to say most of the time.

─ Usopp always complains that you cheat when you play tag on the deck with Chopper and Luffy because you use your powers, you will never admit that his accusations are true.

─ Zoro adores you because, just as you find it unnecessary to talk, you appreciate silence and when everything is getting too loud you take it upon yourself to silence everyone, and although Zoro is capable of taking a nap even in a life or death situation, also appreciates silence when taking a break.

─ You probably have Chopper constantly worried about the abuse of your power, more than once you have fainted and been scolded for trying too hard in battles, but you feel that your power is an advantage that you need to use, having ten seconds of advantage can be crucial.

─ You love being with Brook because he will just play music, he doesn't ask you to talk, it's just the two of you enjoying the type of music you ask him to play.

─ Just like you like to have tea or coffee with Nami and Robin, (Sanji probably coming and going constantly) because you like to listen to how they argue about different topics, they don't care that you are there simply nodding at their words, your mere presence is grateful since your silence is reassuring.

─ Sometimes you help Sanji in the kitchen and he is completely grateful for the help, since unlike in the Baratie, where orders and insults were shouted, despite not dealing with the same stress, it's always good to have a partner who just listened to his orders and got to work in silence, you just heard the utensils colliding with each other, which made the kitchen time more enjoyable.

─ You have taken up the habit that when you are shopping or in a bar, you look at the person next to you like a little child at their mother/father waiting for them to look at you to say with their eyes 'I want this' or 'order my favorite drink'.

─ They don't usually worry when someone messes with you because before they can do anything you have already stopped time and the poor person who had insulted you had his own finger stuck up his nose and their own fist ready to hit themselves instead of to you.

─ That's why they don't usually play pranks on you most of the time, your power makes you a threat and your revenge is much worse, although Luffy will always ask you to team up with him to annoy Zoro and Usopp.

#op #one piece #one piece x reader #request #reader insert #headcanons #sfw #strawhats #strawhats x reader #one piece x gn!reader #strawhats x gn!reader #x reader #gn reader #gn!reader #one piece x gn reader #strawhats x gn reader

[queerofthedagger]

all this growth and this decay

[Steddie | T+ | 2,9k | ao3]

you will open your wounds / and make them a garden —Wale Ayinla

One of the weirder things in the aftermath of hell dimensions and surviving by the skin of his teeth is seeing Steve Harrington kneel in the middle of a flowerbed, elbow-deep in soil.

Eddie watches him for a little longer than he probably should; the methodical movements of his hands, hair pushed back carelessly, the skin revealed by the loose tank top that, frankly, should not be doing it as much for Eddie as it does.

Sue him; he survived the apocalypse, so he might as well enjoy the aftermath.

“If you’re determined on staring, Munson, at least hand me the hose, will you?” Steve says without turning around, not sounding too bothered about it. Eddie’s still glad that the sticky summer heat hides the flush that rises to his cheeks at having been caught.

“What are you doing anyway?” he asks, once he nudges Steve with the hose and drops down to sit next to him on the warm stone.

Beyond the property, the forest is humming with the August afternoon, everything bright and languid and achingly peaceful.

“If the bushes aren’t taken care of regularly—“

“Not that,” Eddie cuts in with a huff of laughter. “Why are you gardening in the first place? Didn’t exactly take you for the homey type.”

Steve cuts a glance at him, all raised brow and judgmental twist to his mouth. “What, not metal enough for you? Expecting me to chew on Demobats in my free time?”

“Yikes, don’t say that. You know what I mean.”

Steve shrugs, all casual, and scans the rose he has been working on as if it is the most fascinating thing in the world.

Eddie looks at Steve the same way, so perhaps it is a good thing that Steve isn’t looking back.

“Do you know what a pain rose bushes are if you let them run riot?”

Eddie doesn’t; if anyone had asked him ten minutes ago if he thought that Steve Harrington might have the answer, he would have laughed.

Which, really, is probably on him; the last couple of months should have gotten him used to Steve constantly flipping the script on him.

“Still, didn’t expect you to do it yourself,” he says, watching the careful way Steve’s hands push the soil into place.

Steve shrugs, still not looking at Eddie. “It’s nice. I don’t mind.”

It’s the way he says it, quiet and a little tired; or perhaps it’s the way he brushes his fingers over the dark green leaves, his expression oddly pensive. Or, perhaps, it’s all Eddie reading into things—in the end, it doesn’t really matter.

In the end, he watches as Steve waters the rose bushes, careful not to wet the leaves, and chews on the feeling that the explanation he has been given covers only the smallest part of it.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t explain why Hawkins High’s former king suddenly took up gardening; fortunately, Eddie has always liked a bit of a riddle.

---

For the most part, Eddie does not, in fact, think too much about it. Between navigating Hawkins and its continued animosity, the kids, and his ever-growing crush, it isn’t exactly among the top ten things he has on his mind.

He’s reminded of it once October rolls around, the days golden and cool in the evenings.

He spends most of his time at the Harrington residence these days, some nights with Robin, others—most—only the two of them, talking and watching movies and spinning fantastical plans for a future that Eddie still struggles to believe he is allowed to have.

It’s a rainy afternoon, the first real cold one of the season, when he arrives after his physical therapy. Truth be told, the main reason he still goes at all is that Max would never forgive him if he quit, and he still hasn’t learned how to say no to her in the slightest.

The house lies quiet and dim when he lets himself in, which is unusual in itself. For the briefest second, panic wants to climb up his spine, but he pushes it down. Takes a deep breath and walks through the foyer into the living room, and the air still trips out of his lungs with relief when he finds the patio door open, curtains billowing.

The rain has slowed to a drizzle, but puddles are scattered across the porch, and the ground beyond is a riot of colors from the maple trees’ leaves.

On the far end, Steve is kneeling in front of the rose bushes, a stack of cut fir branches beside him.

Eddie grimaces at the gray sky and pulls his jacket closer around himself. In the end, his curiosity wins out, though (or, if he’s honest it’s all concern, but these days any pretense about all the godforsaken emotions Steve causes in him is a welcome one, in Eddie’s books. There is only so much a guy can take before he has to have some serious concerns for his own sanity).

“Hey,” Steve says, once Eddie comes up to him. “I didn’t expect you back this early; you can wait inside if you want, no use in us both getting drenched.”

It’s such a Steve thing to say. Eddie’s fingers are itching to run through Steve’s wet hair, to tip his head back. To make him look at Eddie, perhaps become a horrible, pathetic cliché and kiss him right here in the quiet rain.

“What are you doing here anyway?” he asks instead, burying his hands in his pockets.

“Winter-proofing,” Steve says, as if that makes any sense. “They dislike soil frost.”

Eddie blinks. “Okay but—can that not wait until it’s, you know. Not raining?”

It finally gets Steve to look up at him, a small crease between his brows. The hoodie he is wearing is washed out, fraying at the seams, and he looks tired.

Then again, he always does; it is just rare not to see him pretend otherwise.

“It’s impossible to say how far the temperature will drop tonight. Really though, just wait inside, I’ll be done in a moment.”

His hands are dirty with soil, pink with the cold. There are pine needles everywhere, the smell of them mixing with the rain.

By now, Eddie likes to believe that he has come to know Steve fairly well—hell, it would be quite sad if he didn’t, considering how much time they spend in each other’s pockets.

It’s clearly important, he can see that much. It’s clearly something Steve doesn’t necessarily want to explain, although Eddie is mostly sure that he could needle an answer out of him if he tried.

He’s strangely reluctant to do so, though; the thing he doesn’t understand—about the importance of rose bushes, about Steve’s sudden brittleness, about his own hesitation—is why.

It doesn’t stop him from curling a hand around Steve’s shoulder briefly, squeezing. From saying, “Alright, I’ll warm up some food then,” and letting his hand linger for a moment, for just this little bit more warmth, before going back inside, leaving Steve to his garden.

---

Eddie grows used to Steve’s strange affinity for plants, ironically, when winter washes across the land and most of his gardening gets focused on the various indoor plants that somehow, Eddie hasn’t paid much attention to before.

It’s a thing, though, their presence and Steve’s calm care for them; his herbs on the windowsill in the kitchen, thyme and mint, rosemary and sage and basil. The orchids in the living room that seem fickle even to Eddie, and the ivy climbing up the balustrade of the stairs.

It’s a thing, even when Eddie moves from spending the nights in the guest room to spending them in Steve’s bed, legs tangled together, mouth to skin. When still, some nights, he wakes up alone, knowing he missed one of Steve’s nightmares. How he finds him tending to one plant or another, steady hands and quiet voice.

Eddie will wrap his arms around Steve’s waist, those nights, letting the warm weight of his body leaning back against Eddie’s chest calm them both; he still knows that if he asked, Steve would tell him.

These days, it is more a matter of feeling that he should get it than the charm of a riddle, but something about it remains just out of reach.

---

Spring crawls across the land slowly, spindly fingers pushing back against the seemingly ever-lasting gray. All thoughts on gardening aside, Eddie cannot wait—for longer days, for fewer clothes, for all of his, Steve’s, and Robin’s plans that wear titles like Chicago and two-bedroom apartment.

For now, though, March is still struggling to assert itself, and Eddie is picking up Max from physical therapy. She has been getting better, can walk mostly fine without a cane, and the progress of the last couple of months has made her a little lighter, too.

Still, there is some kinship between them about the months they spent listening to Mrs. Parker droning on about exercises and discipline, about the gritted teeth and pulling scar tissue, and how this godforsaken town has never learned to mind its own business.

They are driving down Maple Street, Bowie playing quietly because it’s a compromise they both can live with. It’s a detour, but it’s Wednesday, which means the market stalls downtown are open, which means they are going to get donuts from that one stall that makes them with enough sugar that they can feel their teeth rot in real time.

Eddie pulls into the parking lot and ignores Max as she climbs out of the van—their deal, after all; he doesn’t help, so she lets him pay. If it works, and all that.

It’s busy, which, of course, doesn’t stop people from staring, but they ignore it. Eddie thinks that if there is one thing he would like to leave behind once he finally gets out of this hellhole, it is for Max to let all the small-town bullshit roll right off her.

Eddie’s never mastered it as well as he would have liked, but he has high hopes for her.

They get their donuts—dark chocolate for him, glazed for her—and huddle around one of the bar tables somewhat out of the way.

It’s when he sees it, one of the stalls at the far end of the market. It’s not been around the last couple of months, ever since autumn made Steve cover his garden with branches of fir, but Eddie remembers it from last year.

He nudges Max, keeping his voice casual when he says, “Hey, mind if we stop at the plant stall for a moment?”

“Sure,” she merely says, her grin knowing, and pops the last bit of her donut into her mouth.

There is a reason she’s his favorite, really.

Truth is, Eddie has no fucking clue about plants whatsoever, and until he started being friends with Steve, he did not much care either. He can admit, though, that there is something pretty about it, and perhaps that’s the point; to make that empty house into a bit more of a home, some self-chosen colors amongst whatever nightmarish monster of decoration the elder Harringtons had let lose however long ago.

He runs his fingers over the petals of some tulips when Max says, “Don’t get cut ones.”

Eddie turns to frown at her. “What?”

“Bouquets; he doesn’t like them.”

Under different circumstances, Eddie may have at least tried to pretend that he didn’t know who she was talking about, but he has been turning over the matter of Steve and gardening for well over half a year now. Steve has never been much help, all Eddie’s assumptions that he could simply ask aside, and no matter how much he has turned it over and over, it always felt like he was missing something obvious. Something that he should get.

So, Max remarking upon Steve’s preferences for flowers, of all things, makes any urge to pretend take a backseat.

“Why not? They are less work, aren’t they? Put them in a vase, give them some water—“

“—Watch them die,” she interrupts with a shrug. She isn’t looking at him. “He likes the work, though; to keep them alive, watch them grow.”

And oh. Oh, Eddie is a goddamn idiot, isn’t he, he thinks as his heart stumbles into a violently painful rhythm.

Steve with his nail bat crusty with blood, always jumping in first; Steve, always ready to be the one to pick the fight, kill the monster, do what needs to be done. Offer up his rose-thorned heart to spare everyone else their shreds of remaining innocence.

Eddie swallows the revelation down like burning absinthe, and if Max notices his sudden unsteadiness, she is kind enough to keep it to herself. He asks the old woman inside the stall for her most long-living plant, barely pays attention to the price, and tugs the dragon tree sapling under his arm as he and Max make their way back to the van.

He has no idea yet what to do with this new piece of information, isn’t even sure Steve is aware of why he’s doing this himself. What he does know is this; if he were to love Steve Harrington for the rest of their days, it still would not be enough.

Fuck him if he isn’t going to try, though.

---

When he finds Steve in the kitchen cutting herbs, of all things, he kind of wants to cry, although it would feel rather selfish, all things considered.

So he carefully puts the sapling on the counter and offers Steve a smile when he turns, raising a brow at the plant first, at Eddie second.

Eddie crosses the distance and wraps his arms around Steve’s waist from behind; slips his hands beneath the worn sweater, traces the path of the scars. With his forehead between Steve’s shoulders, he breathes and breathes and breathes.

“Hey, you okay?” Steve asks when the silence stretches. He turns in Eddie’s arms, knife forgotten and hands heartbreakingly gentle on Eddie’s face. “You’re starting to freak me out a bit here, sweetheart.”

Eddie laughs and it comes out wet, but god. God. 

“Difficult to explain,” he says, because damn it, this shouldn’t be about him, this shouldn’t be—

“Try me, then,” Steve counters, mouth quirking.

Eddie loves him so much, it would be enough to grow a garden of its own.

“That’s why you do it, isn’t it?” he says, not making any sense. “The plants, the gardening, taking care of them—something to keep alive, to take care of? To… I don’t know, something good.”

Steve’s brows furrow, his eyes skittering away, through the kitchen, back to Eddie. The afternoon light is soaking tentatively inside, and it has been a long time since Eddie has felt this untethered; he’s not sure why this feels so monumental, only that it does. That he shouldn’t have missed this.

“I’m not sure…” Steve starts, shaking his head, shoulders tensing. “It’s not that deep, honestly, just—“

“Steve.” Eddie’s voice doesn’t break, but it’s a close thing.

Steve sighs. “It’s… Nice. To make something grow for once, you know, instead of…”

“Yeah,” Eddie whispers, his voice rough. He leans his forehead against Steve’s, breathes him in. “Yeah, I think I get it.”

Because he does, is the thing, the same way he has been pouring himself into their relationship, into his friendships with the kids, with Nancy and Robin and Jonathan. The same way he is tired, so tired of destruction and decay; he has no idea how much more true this must ring for Steve.

He still thinks that he should have gotten this sooner, that it should have been obvious, but he doesn’t apologize. Perhaps, in the end, it doesn’t matter, isn’t really about him or them. Either way, Steve seems content enough where he is, breathing slow and even in the dim kitchen, the smell of thyme and sage still lingering.

“So,” Eddie finally says, pulling back just far enough to grin at Steve. “Update for the flat search then, huh? A garden, or at least a balcony; can’t risk having you take up knitting next, my tattered reputation would not survive self-knitted scarves.”

Steve’s laughter is unexpected and bright, his head falling back so that Eddie can trace the familiar spattering of moles. He nuzzles his nose against it, the crook of Steve’s neck his favorite place in the world.

“Christ, but I love you,” Steve murmurs, his voice turning quiet once more.

It isn’t the first time either of them has said it, but Eddie’s heart still jumps and trips all over itself. He takes Steve’s face between his hands, makes sure to hold his gaze. Says, “For what it’s worth, I think we are growing this, too, just fine.”

He kisses Steve before he can answer, but he doesn’t miss when the dragon tree ends up on the windowsill of their bedroom that same night, re-potted and watered with care.

He doesn’t miss the way Steve’s fingers clench into his skin, trembling and desperate, when Eddie whispers, “Good, you are so good, Steve,” a vow pressed into his skin.

Eddie makes a second one—hours later when Steve is long since asleep—that he won’t stop saying it until Steve believes him, too.

#st #stranger things #steddie #steve x eddie #steddie fic #mona's writing

[boyfridged]

so much of jay’s storyline and his unique position in the narrative is lost/upstaged in contemporary canon because of the retcons regarding his parents. i wholeheartedly believe that the best iteration and reading of his story has to incorporate the og characterisation of them, especially of willis. two aspects to be talked ab here:

a. ethics & crime: when talking ab jay's parents, people usually focus on catherine as a good mom. there's nothing wrong with that, but she is traditionally seen as more of a passive victim of crime, and in post-res jay content (+his backstory retcons, look: cheer) it makes him especially resentful to... dealers. on its own, it could be dismissed, but that along with making willis into an abusive father reframes the early storyline of jay to have a criminal antagonist, which gives him the incentive to become bitter and spiteful towards criminals. and that's, in my opinion, an actual antithesis to everything interesting ab jason's introduction. i talked about it at length here but what is utterly fascinating in his early stories is that jay doesn't care much for labeling people as criminals. he doesn't link the notion of 'crime' with that of moral standing, and explicitly says that he doesn't think that surviving is a crime, a statement that most probably also applies to willis. it's extremely important because it shows that jay is not ever vengeful as robin for the sake of serving any high black-and-white notion of justice; jay's understanding of morality is highly situational. it is both his strength (as it makes it easy for him to empathize with people) and also something that will make vigilantism difficult for him – where bruce's limits are still somewhat dictated by the law, jay will still seek justice guided by his own intuitions (garzonas case.)

b. grief & vigilantism: painting willis as an abusive father is usually followed by writers (and readers) dismissing one of jay's most important storylines. batman #410-#411 covers jay's grief after he learns about willis' death and imo these issues are one of the keys to understanding his character in general. i talk ab it more here (in another context) but tldr; i think that jay's initial way of dealing with grief has little to do with vigilantism and that he seemingly sees it as an independent matter. and around 2-3 years later, we learn that jay is still heavily grieving in private (once again, same quotes as from the linked post, batman #426) “i’ve come upon him, several times, looking at that battered old photograph of his mother and father, crying.”  “in other words, i may have started jason as robin before he had a chance to come to grips with his parents' deaths.” so. it's explicitly stated that unlike in bruce's case, vigilantism isn't a coping mechanism for jay's grief at all, but even interrupts it. and jay grieves after both of his parents.

this is also all interesting in the context of jay's relationship with bruce – bruce views jason as both a victim of criminality and someone who might go down this road in a cyclic reenaction of his father's [willis] life. in batman #410 bruce says clearly that he believes that if he were on the streets, jay would be doomed to die a criminal like his father [willis] did. but jay isn't murdered following a "path of crime" like his first father; he dies living up to his next father's (bruce's) heroic ideals.

#me saying the same thing 4839 times but in a slightly different context? it's more likely than you think. #also another thing #willis presumably goes into a life of crime to provide for the family -> which ends up in his own death and orphaning jay #bruce makes jay a vigilante in hopes of diverting that “fate” -> jay dies #uhm. plus maybe something about how willis is willing to abandon morality to make jay's life better #dc #jay.txt #jay.zip #core texts #robin days

[brothermoth]

1890s America and Red Dead Redemption

Part One: Violent Delights and Violent Ends

-----

The latter half of the 1800s was a time characterized by struggle. Off the back of the Civil War, a country divided in not two but four by the rising industry to the east and the stubborn pastoralism of the west. The southern portion of the country beaten down, burned and disgraced, and the northern portion rolling in gold and prosperity. Whether they knew it or not, the common American had their life ultimately shaped by these divisions.

As the opening lines of Red Dead Redemption 2 state: "The age of outlaws and gunslingers was at its end" (Rockstar, 2018). Yet contrary to the following text, America was far from becoming a "land of laws". Laws for the poor, perhaps, but the wealthy still thrived and skirted just beyond the boundaries of human decency.

From the 1870s to the 1920s, miners and railroad workers unionized and carried out often violent protests in the hopes of gaining better working conditions. The poor had little but their fists, and they had no qualms about using them. It is in this turmoil we find Dutch Van Der Linde with his Robin Hood-esque visions of a crumbling elite and prospering poor. The struggle between workers and their iron-fisted overseers was bloody, and Dutch would not have it any other way. Those he took under his wing were the beaten down lowest tiers of society. How could they not see him as a shining idol of American idealism? What he wants, what he fights for, it is for them. Outcasts with nowhere else to turn, given a cause and a home and something that perhaps felt real to them for the first time in a long time.

Race is a topic not wholly explored, but touched on certainly within the game. Tensions rose as racial divisions were made even clearer, black Americans fighting for their own foothold in a world that has just opened up to them and their children. Lenny Summers is the first in generations to be born free of slavery. Javier comes from a country that has been terrorized by colonialism and corruption, yet he still dreams of returning. 1890s Mexico (and what we see in RDR1) is a topic of its own, though the spirit of people downtrodden by colonialism is echoed throughout both games. Sean, who was chased from the country his father fought for. Whose father was killed in his own bed, likely in the same room as his son. Violence in this world is inescapable, a swirling vortex that consumes everything in its path.

Dutch embraced this, as many leaders of the past and future have. If you cannot fight with peace, then sticks and stones make for much better conversation. I can't say I disagree with him, in all honesty, and that is what makes him so fascinating. He's right. He has a point, a cause. What went so wrong? Do heroes not get a happy ending?

In 1892, railroad employees of Carnegie Steel in Pennsylvania's Homestead plant went on strike when chairman Henry Frick cut their pay dramatically. 300 agents of the Pinkerton detective agency arrived, escalating tensions. Violence erupted, the Pennsylvania national guard was called. Sixteen men were killed.

Leviticus Cornwall is Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Carnegie is Leviticus Cornwall. The Pinkertons are rightful villains in our narrative, the gang is a thorn in their side which must be cut free. Law and order, right? Dutch was right, his killing of Cornwall was arguably deserved. Yet what makes it so wrong?

Dutch's actions are selfish, in the end. Not because he doesn't care for the people around him, as I believe he truly does. He sees things getting worse and worse and only digs in his heels. Dutch is the American Dream. The bloody messiah to the poor and disadvantaged. He guts them the same as any railroad magnate. Power corrupts, this is what we learn. Power and vitriol and paranoia. The people left struggling in his wake are the common folk who get caught in the crossfire, used and abused only to prove a point. They know nothing but violence, and who is to tell them otherwise? Even Arthur in his end of life maturation cannot pry himself free. He kills and kills and in the end he dies for it. Even John, who tried to leave it behind. Even Sadie, who was ruined by it, embraced it in the end.

The American dream is indecipherable from the American nightmare. They are lovers and companions. There is nothing to do but fight, and even then you have no hope of winning. It's a beautiful tragedy, is it not? All these people who never had a chance, yet who tried anyway. Workers who gained little and lost everything still took their signs and marched for what was right. Black Americans who were beaten down again and again still got up each and every day and did whatever it was they had to do. Native Americans, who were nearly erased. Who still cling to their heritage and claw back what has been stolen. Red Dead Redemption is about the small people. The forgotten in the annals of American history.

#red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption #dutch van der linde #arthur morgan

[mr-ame]

I think, this event is a sweet opportunity to tell more about my apprentice and put them finally on the spot. They are pretty developed, but in my head only, because I was not... well secure enough? to give them more credit.

Thanks to @ghoulfriendfangss for such an inspiring prompt list!

So, meet now Robin, my apprentice

Day 1 - Introduction

Pronouns: they/she/him

Familiar: Carrot the european robin

Birthday: 25 may

Height: 5'6,5''(169cm)

Favorite color: ochre

Favorite season: autumn

Fashion sense: boho baroque

Sexuality: Demisexual

Self-insert level: aprox 35%

Robin is a confident and friendly magician. Curiosity and need to be interested, entartained and involved are their key qualities alongside with how stubborn they are. However they find it hard to read people and get attached to them. That never helped making a lot of connections. It leaves Robin having a lot of familliar friendly faces around the district, but very few close friends. Robin is hardly ever bored, they enjoy keeping their aunt's magic shop and providing townspeople with whatever household magic tricks they need.

Resurrection made Robin change from the way they used to be. They lost colors in their appearence and became less loud and superficial. They feel urge to remember themselves again, to get all the pieces connected, but they are also afraid of failing to connect to their past self. Robin became a quiet observer seeking to find hidden truth in details.

Robin likes: nature, traveling, playing on words, working as a shop keeper, doing any sort of fortune telling, learning and discovering new ways of magic, collecting trinkets of all kind; calm people, hot drinks, sunsets, abandoned empty locations like ruins or dead cites; finding traces of ancient or hidden magic in places and objects; music and dancing.

Robin dislikes: too many rules and prohibitions; being told what to do in a humilating way; having somebody make important decisions for them; people who are mean and fast to judge; not being able to find a solution; giving up on people, ideas and objects.

Day 2 - LI and their relationship

Asra is Robin's one and only love interest. I could only see the rest of the routes as friendship routes for Robin.

Their relationship is sweet and caring partnership in crime.

Their connection grew slowly throughout time. Journey from strangers to close friends took them a number of years. Robin was surprised to see Asra coming back to spend time together over and over again, but it was a pleasant surprise obviously. They found themselves the most relaxed around Asra. They bonded over their light playful tempers and shared fascination with magic and it's mysteries.

Asra was the first person who choose to be near all the time and Robin welcomed him naturally. Being on their own was fine to Robin. But finding a friend like him made them realize how meaningful connections can be. Robin started to care more about townsfolk and neighborhood habitants to the point that when the plague came, Robin could not stay a bystander.

After resurrection Robin only saw Asra as a friend and teacher. While appreciating his supportive and patient attitude, Robin desired autonomy. They were eager to learn doing everything by themselves. Asra made everything for Robin not to feel like a burden, but they still wanted to do better, to feel better and to make him proud.

By the timeline of the game prologue Robin started to feel mixed feelings. They were proud of their own progress. Never since they remember themselves they felt as confident as now. And at the same time they noticed Asra distancing himself a lot (I believe it happened because the more mc became resembling the old self, the harder it was to contain his emotions but its my tiny little hc). That was the first time Robin realized that instead of needing Asra's help, they missed his company. Now that they did not need to hold his hand to stand and walk properly, Robin realized that they missed the sensation of his palm in their in a different way.

So they started making steps towards Asra, completely unaware of his true feelings. The way how eager he met them midways was another surprise for Robin. And slowly uncovering his secrets through the route made them fall harder for this person.

#apprenticember #the arcana #the arcana game #fan apprentice #robin the apprentice #robin #asra x apprentice

[lesbiankermitposting]

i’m reading through Jason Todd’s original comic run (post-crisis) and one thing that’s SO interesting to me is that if you just read the batman comics and you learn about jason through that, it’s so easy to write him off as the violent robin like new 52 has been trying to claim. we see a lot more of his vengefulness and impulsiveness, the best example being (other than the famous garzonas incident) is when he beats up two-face after learning he killed his dad. other than a few hints here and there, like jason asking to stay up late to do his homework, we get very little characterization outside of this. however, jason in the detective comics is entirely different. we still get hints of this, but it’s presented much more as a good-hearted, traumatized child making mistakes and trying to find how he wants to be good in the world. even if he’s violent, or vengeful, he’s always presented to have good intentions and to be driven by his past and his moral compass. i think it’s so fascinating that this side of jason from detective comics is almost completely disregarded in modern dc comics. i know fans have been talking for a while now about how jason was never “the angry robin,” but i think we need to see both sides in order to get the most nuanced picture of jason. yes, he can be vengeful and cocky and impulsive, but also everything he does has always been driven by a deep innate desire to do good. even when he does something batman doesn’t approve of, it’s either something a normal teen would do (mouthing off, running into dangerous situations to impress his mentor) or driven by a deep desire to protect victims. i’m not sure what necessarily caused this divide between batman and detective comics (maybe starlin’s disdain for jason just overwhelmed any urge for continuity) but the good-hearted part of jason is so essential for his narrative. it’s what makes his return as the red hood such a tragedy. this sweet kid, who once stopped batman from killing the joker, has been so deeply failed by the system he once upheld.

#batman #jason todd #batfam #detective comics #having normal thoughts about robin

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

Since Yuu is British in the House of Mouse, how do they interact with the British Disney villains?

TEA! TEA! TEA!

As an enjoyer of the beverage myself, I'm going to say that they all drink tea together.

Since Professor Ratigan is a rodent version of Professor James Moriarty (and Basil literally lives with Sherlock Holmes), he's obviously Victorian. And Clayton is as well, seeing that Tarzan is set in the 1880/1890s-ish. I think Yuu would be fascinated to know more about life back then (the Victorian Era is personally my favourite period - right before Hanoverian (in this house we love and appreciate Jane Austen) and Stuart). Like they'd discuss Jack the Ripper and how useless the Scotland Yard was and how The Times is still a highly successful newspaper and how technology and transportation has made advancements since the industrial revolution. I just want to sit down and have an intelligent conversation with Ratigan. Like Maleficent and Queen Grimhilde, everything about him just screams intellectual elegance.

Captain Hook is Scottish but I don't know enough about his origin story before he was a pirate to write about him.

Governor Ratcliffe can go die in a burning ditch.

Cruella would be a blast to hang out with. Yuu would tell her about the current London fashion houses and how styles have changed. Cruella's a rich heiress that lives in a fancy mansion in England so she definitely lived the high life. 101 Dalmations takes place in the 1950s so she'd be interested to see how times have changed and again, Yuu would like to learn more about life back then.

Prince John gets bullied by all the other villains over how weak and pathetic he is (don't get me into how much Scar and Leona like to rip into him being the disappointment of a species and how natural selection is coming for him). Yuu doesn't join in on the bullying but she thinks he kind of deserves it for taxing the poor like that (also, she's friends with Robin Hood so there's that). She does feel sorry for Sir Hiss though so she just lets him wrap his coils around her shoulders and pats his scales as she avoids Kaa's gaze.

They'll definitely have discussions about British traditions like bonfire night and they'll just make her feel more at home.

#house of mouse au #asks #twisted wonderland #twst yuu #fem yuu #twst

[cuephrase]

Thank you so much for the comic recs!! I'm just getting started on my Batfam reading journey so this is super helpful, and I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on your current reads once you're further along. On a related (but opposite) note, anything you'd say to steer well clear of, like run for the hills, hazard sign attached, avoid if at all possible? (for example, I know All-Star Batman & Robin is something I shouldn't read outside of morbid fascination)

yeah ofc! getting into comics, in my experience, was super fun and sort of overwhelming because there's so much content lol, so i hope you're enjoying it and i'm happy to help however i can :)

OMG all-star batman and robin, i still need to read that to satisfy my own curiosity, but perfect example.

so okay, i have three runs + one arcs, but i'm going to preface this by saying, read whatever you want. all three runs and one arc, i read going into it knowing they were absolute messes, but i wanted to experience it for myself. i would say to not read these first, if possible, if you choose to read them because they're just not great intros to the characters and they're not great stories, imo. lose-lose

Red Hood and the Outlaws 2011 (New 52). if you like kory and/or roy, this will be torture. if you don't know who they are, please god do not meet this iteration of them first. but if you're interested in jason, maybe you want to read it because he's there! i get that. but. there's very little, if anything, in rhato 2011 that you'll learn about jason that isn't reiterated in rhato 2016/doesn't get flat out retconned in rebirth. for example, in rhato 2011, his origin story is him stealing from leslie's clinic. that wasn't his preboot origin, and his origin gets retconned back to his preboot origin of stealing the tires off the batmobile. most of rhato 2011 just had me like ???? so bad. just so bad.

Teen Titans 2011 (New 52). full transparency- i did not even finish this run. at some point, i will probably drag myself back to it and force myself through it, but oh god. no one felt like themself. everything was wrong. i like tim's n52 red robin costume, and that's about it. i'm also not sure how much if any of this run is currently relevant in canon so like, even less reason to put yourself through it.

Tim Drake: Robin 2022. i have nothing nice to say. wait. no i do. it got some really cool variant covers. i don't want to bash the art, because i have enjoyed this artist's style in other comics, so i'm just going to be diplomatic and say it was a horrible match/fit. . as far as the writing...no, just no. this is one of 2 pieces of fitzmartin's writing that i've read and so i don't want to speak too harshly, but i really didn't like it. this whole run makes me so sad ngl. dc canonized tim's bisexuality and then supported it with this? bro. c'mon. there's already so many homophobic comic readers, they didn't need to give them "it's bad writing" ammo. genuinely would love to know the though process behind the production of this comic

the infamous Ric Grayson era, Nightwing 2016 #50-74. i just read this. i've legit been putting it off since august. it is so mind-numbingly boring for 85% of the run, first off. this is literally how most of the issues go: "i was shot in the head. i don't remember anything after the night my parents died. they told me i used to a hero. nightwing. i don't remember that. or them. they act like they love me, but it feels fake. i don't want to remember them. i'm happier this way." and then he starts running around, superheroing with a slash of black greasepaint across his face because that is just a+ identity protection and regular clothes because superhero costumes totally only serve visual purposes. and it does all get resolved in the STUPIDEST WAY, but not before the joker takes control of him and has him referring to/responding to “dickie-boy”- reading this i was either bored out of my mind or dying from the cringe. all that’s relevant is a) he lost his memories, b) he gets them back, and c) he had a girlfriend, bea. i knew all of this before i subjected myself to this run. but now i can say i’ve read every nightwing run woooooo. my LCS (local comic store) guy has been trying to get me to read it as a “rite of passage” and he was so entertained when i came in and was like “i read ric” 😐🧍suffice it to say, i do not envy the nightwing fans who had to go through that in real time. i love travis moore’s art but it was not enough to save this arc

as for my thoughts on my current readings, i post those under the tag #cue first read reactions! they’re usually not all that in-depth tbh, just me freaking out haha. if you’re comfortable, my dms are open!

tysm for your ask + i hope you have as much fun reading batfam comics as i do!!

#dc comics #cue answers #anon asks

[dontfeeltoohot]

Barista Steve being a photic sneezer and sneezing maybe once or twice a day? On a bad allergy day, it hits him a little harder and it just so happens to be a day that Eddie stays in and does some work?

Here is part 3 of this oddly specific au! Both Steve and Eddie have the knk, Eddie has a youtube he puts wavs on. His tumblr (if you want to come fangirl with him about Steve finally sneezing, is @thebanishedd ) Enjoy! It's pretty small because I'm still loaded up on meds from surgery but I wanted to get a tiny little bit of Stevie out.

XXX

“Alright Stevie, hit me with something I’ve never had,” Eddie says with a smirk, directing it at the man in front of him. 

It’s a new game of sorts, one that has Steve making ridiculous coffee creations for Eddie to try. They’ve known each other for 3 weeks and yet to the guitarist; as cliche as it sounds, he feels like they’ve known each other forever. Except, of course, there are still things he’s learning about Steve Harrington. 

Yesterday he’d learned that Steve was a jock in high school, and that he was a pretty good one at that. There’s still a photo of him apparently sitting in a trophy case somewhere in Hawkins High. He’d also learned from Robin that Steve was a huge asshole before he’d been given a reality check. 

“Caramel or mocha?” The brown eyed man behind the counter asks, making Eddie smile. 

He wants to lean across the wood and press a kiss to his lips, but he thinks that may be a bit much, especially since he’s pretty sure Steve only likes girls. At least that’s the only gender he’s heard Steve or Robin mention. Another hot guy that turns out to be heterosexual. No surprises there. 

“Mm, surprise me. I like anything,” the musician decides, swiping hair away from his face. 

Waiting off to the side so Robin can take the woman behind him, Eddie watches Steve work. It’s always fascinating, paying attention to how well Steve does everything, like he’s done it a million times. As he drizzles some kind of syrup along the sides of the cup with a precisioned ease, the older man watches. Steve pauses as the sun catches his face, sunlight bouncing off of his freckles, eyes a beautiful brown. They flutter shut and his lips part 

“eHEISHH! Ih-ehhKSHhh!” 

Steve turns away just in time, pressing his arm to his face at the last second, aimed down at the ground. Eddie feels frozen, warmth settling below his belt, fingers twitching. The sound echoes in his head as he licks his lips. It’s harsh but not too loud, wet without being necessarily messy. 

“B-Bless you,” he forces out, and Steve laughs bashfully, waving it away. 

“Thanks.” 

“Does that always happen?” The words fall out his mouth before he can stop them. Jesus. Fucking. Christ. 

“What do you mean?” The other man, who’s pouring ice into his cup, looks at him curiously. 

“The sunlight thing. It happens to me sometimes, is all. Triggers a sneeze, or whatever.” 

Eddie feels like he’s in a nightmare. He can’t get himself to shut the fuck up, and Steve is watching him, and Jesus it’s hot. 

“Oh, uh, yeah, it usually happens,” Steve shrugs, and the long haired man wishes the floor could swallow him whole. 

Who the fuck asks that? Real smooth Munson. He looks away when Steve pours the coffee, unable to keep looking. At the attractive coffee shop owner. 

Steve hands him his drink and Eddie beams, allowing himself to relax. It’s only after he’s said his goodbyes to both managers and is out on the street he sees a phone number written on his cup. Heart in both his throat and pants, Eddie practically skips back to his apartment, excited to tell Chrissy; and tumblr, about the new development. 

#my fic #ytau #em #sh #st

[felikatze]

11 for the video game ask meme

11. Do you prefer ‘blank slate’ main characters you make yourself or otherwise project onto, or characters with a set personality and backstory?

OH MAN. here's the thing. there's no such thing as a character without a personality. i ADORE blank slate protagonists beyond belief, for precisely one reason: i love digging for personality. i don't even project. my all time favorite in this genre of guy is of course the rider from monster hunter stories 2, whose character arc is the main crux of the game's plot, all told without speaking a word. you can project on them, yes, but rider still has their own complex inner feelings - their desire to live up to their grandfather, their fear and love for ratha - and they never speak. it fascinates me.

another excellent example is how people characterize the persona protagonists differently, even though they're all 'blank slates', so to speak. their available dialogue choices, their presentation and design; these things show a conistent personality.

it's also fascinating to examine modern FE protags under this lens, particularly the "My Unit" genre of lord. Robin obviously has their own personality. Their love for their friends and their inner conflict is largely uninfluenced by the player, outside of four choices, only one of which has consequences. the only way the player can project on them is through the pairing system - picking who robin marries - as well as their name and appearance. byleth, on the other hand, is a much more traditional blank slate, following the dialogue option formula. and yet, there is still a struggle all to themself. their silence is a character trait, and their lack of emotion is a deliberate writing choice. they have their own arc of opening up and learning to feel through helping their students. additionally, all the things that make them a blank slate are noticed by others! their silence is odd, their stare tense and unnerving. they also love their father, and fishing.

in the end, creating a character with no personality is impossible in a story. no matter what you do, everything is personality. how they move, how they attack, what kind of grunting noise they make when hit, what kind of minigames you can grind for hours, how other characters perceive them, their design, the witty quips for the player to pick - it just doesn't work.

however, my main experience here is explicitly with rpgs, as my examples easily show. there *are* games with a protagonist for you to craft yourself. immersive sims like deus ex, or skyrim. games with much more player freedom than ye olde standard rpg, which has to abide by ye olde standard story structure.

i *have* self made protagonists, particularly in pokemon games. nowadays, i tend to make up an oc on the spot and try to play the game as they would. it's a ton of fun, but i think, ultimately, i prefer characters with an established character. i just also like digging for it.

i probably wouldn't enjoy games much that require the player to make their own stories, since storytelling is one of the main draws of video games for me. i tend to get bored quickly otherwise, and prefer writing instead, if i'm already letting my own creativity loose.

that was a long answer, because i have many many feelings about supposed blank slate protagonists. a lot of people use the term to loosely. there's a difference between characters you can project onto, and characters meant to *represent* you. eh.

#Feli gets asked #and of COURSE i bring up robin #does mark know the impact they had on the entire series going forward

[wizfurb]

BBC Ghosts 04x04 - Robin’s “William”

Note: Idk if the show has any plans on expanding on some of the past ghosts, but I thought it’d be fun to make up an OC based on one of Robin’s friends he mentions in 04x04. I’m going off the assumption he was just listing them randomly rather than in chronological order necessarily <3 This isn’t like a proper fic (though I may write one someday) but it does run a bit long, buckle in folks :3

Words: 1.5k not a proper fic my ass how did i end up writing this much

Intro:

William was a Victorian hobbyist palaeontologist/archaeologist who died in 1860 when he was around 30. Darwin’s On The Origins of Species had just come out the year before. And a few years earlier, previously uncategorised fossils had just been formally declared as belonging to another species of human altogether-- Neanderthals. 

William was deeply fascinated by the past. However, because he was raised as a woman in his youth (and a common one at that) he had little formal education in the way of science. Once he set out on his own, under a new/correct identity, he learned everything he could from books, seminars he could sneak into, writing to others in the field and self-funded excavation (nevermind that he had never actually found anything, yet). 

How he died: 

Suffice to say, like much of the scientific world, he became obsessed with the concepts of evolution and ancient hominids. So when he heard a rumor that strange bones had been unearthed at some country estate not too far from him he had to investigate. He begged the owners of Button House for the chance to excavate some of the land. Despite the handsome payment offered, they firmly refused, objecting that they wanted no part in this heathen practise.

But William was determined. He set up camp at the edge of the woods so as to not be seen and began his excavation in secret. Soon he had dug a pit as deep as he was tall, but had little definitive findings to show for it. One day, as he was emerging from the pit after a long dig a loud CRACK filled the air, and his shoulder throbbed. Ironically, the bullet wound probably wouldn’t have killed him, but the fall back into the pit did—his head hitting the ground at just the wrong angle. The perpetrators—hunters who mistook him for an animal, residents finally taking care of the intruder, he did not know—  left him where he died, filling in the pit and absolving themselves. The irony of a fossil hunter being buried was not lost on him.

The in between:

During his afterlife, William had a hard time determining if he was in Heaven or Hell. After the initial freak out about death and the existence of ghosts, William was naturally ecstatic to meet Robin. But he despaired the fact that he couldn't record any of his findings, or prove himself share them with the scientific community 

Still, he takes to interviewing Robin constantly, asking about his life when he was alive, and the developments he saw in death (he had to hold back from overtly examining Robin’s features/body, that would hardly be polite). Robin is initially kind of wary of him. After all it isn't often people sought him out for deep discussions, and William asked so much, Robin “have other things to do you know” (he didn’t, but everyone needs me time, so they find a balance).

He talks a bit about himself too. How he feels about his field, not caring to hide just how much passion he has. He firmly believes in the cause, the value of learning about past peoples and in turn learning about ourselves. He thinks it’s ridiculous that so many people regard evolution and hominid study as a heathen craft, doesn’t understand why religion and science can’t co-exist. 

(Robin doesn’t understand it either but he doesn’t understand a lot of what William says anyway. He talks very quickly and uses big science words. But he comes to like the way he says them, and especially likes that he takes the time to explain).

William asks Robin if his people had any such beliefs, stories to make sense of how the world works. Robin tells him about the moon, of course. He tells him about all the legends he watched his friends immortalise on cave walls. He tells him of the camp fires in the sky, the animal spirits that live inside your chest and thump against your rib cage when you’re scared or excited. William concludes that he doesn’t mind being in purgatory, he’d gladly listen to Robin forever. And not just to study. For all he knows now, William must be the greatest scientist in his field. But more than that he just likes being with Robin. He’s very funny, very intelligent, he doesn’t have the words to communicate it, but he understands more about humanity than scientists ever will. William had lived a solitary life, no friends, just passing colleagues that didn’t even value his work or him half the time. In death he found a kindred spirit.

Nonetheless, William never stops being fascinated with the idea of finding Robin’s bones. When he asks Robin about it, Robin claims “Nothing to find. Animals come eat me. Bear, wolf, bird— I very popular. So popular even family scared to come get me. Till one day I come back and nothing left”.

William is fascinated to learn Robin’s people buried their dead. He will not give up on the hope that Robin’s bones—the very bones that brought William here in the first place—are out there somewhere. He asks Robin if his bones might have any identifying features, like a fracture that might have healed strangely or teeth marks from a bad animal attack. Robin puffs up proudly, says “Me good hunter! Never get hurt like that. Back then, you break bone you usually die, so”. William settles for examining Robin’s teeth, and only gets playfully bitten a few times.

How he got sucked off moved on:

They are friends for years and years and years. For the first time in his life—death— William feels valued as a person, and more fulfilled everyday as student of history. And, though he is confident in himself, Robin, too, appreciates that William values him as an equal, as a human, not some savage half-man. They explore the grounds together, talk about the animals they find, share stories, lay on the grass and stargaze. William teaches Robin about constellations, and Robin is enraptured. Something about seeing shapes, animals, in the sky, trying to make meaning of something so vast and unknowable, it’s familiar. It feels like a piece of home (and gives him an idea).

Like always, it’s sudden. The Button’s are having work done in the gardens again, to put in another fountain or some such, when they find him. The constabulary are called, his bones exhumed and taken away. William should probably be more horrified at seeing his own bones, but he’s mostly just annoyed he can’t interact with his now unearthed notebook. The workers suggest a more thorough search of the area, lest they come across any more surprises and have to halt their work again. And that’s how it happens. 

Meer metres from William’s digsite all those years ago is another, smaller concentration of bones. Some are animal, and some are most definitely not. A worker uses a gloved hand to pick up a very human jaw fragment, the molars a little too big and round and— “Robin!” William shouts. He circles the worker, taking in the teeth at all angles before turning back to his friend, positively shaking with excitement. 

William grips Robin’s jaw (and while Robin makes a surprised grunt, he and William clearly have no hang ups about touch/personal space anymore), quickly but gently prying it open to get a better look. There! The second molar with a large brown crack down the middle, and the chipped canine! Keeping a hand on that familiar jaw, William’s voice is somehow soft and filled with fervour when he says “Robin that’s you. They found you!” and realises “...I almost found you”. 

Robin furrows his heavy brows and looks at the jaw, “Me?”.

William is smiling so hard, his jaw would probably hurt, were he alive. “Yes, you! And look at these-” he points to the pit “-these stone bits! They’re not natural. Someone did bury you, you must have just missed it”. Robin laughs, laughs so hard it catches and brings them both to their knees looking into that godforsaken pit. To think, one of the biggest questions of his afterlife answered, thousands of years later, by some fancy man obsessed with bones. 

Robin pokes William in the chest, where the animal spirits live, and says with a rough fondness “You. You found me”. William’s eyes are as wide and bright as the full moon, and before Robin fully realises what is happening, that brightness encompasses William’s whole body, till all that remains of William is his tattered journal still covered in dirt at the bottom of the pit.

William’s death was the adventure of his life. But for Robin those—what? 30 odd years? were a blink of an eye. He stares at where the light disappears. He almost sighs, but huffs out another laugh instead, and heads inside to tell the others.

Later, when the moon is high and thousands of little campfires sparkle in the sky, Robin picks out a star. And later, much later, 132ish years later, he points at the star and remembers. 

#BBC Ghosts #bbc ghosts spoilers #robin the caveman #bbc ghosts oc #robin bbc ghosts #bbc ghosts robin #i rly said this wasnt a proper fic and wrote all That huh #mine #txt #was this cringe of me #can you tell i ran out of steam at the end. sorry. its late #ideally I would like to flesh this out into something longer and put it on ao3 but these are the basics #but also 👀👀👀👀 if anyone is inspired 👀👀👀👀👀

[dairy-farmer]

Thinking of an au where the Batman isn’t Bruce Wayne, but instead an actual eldritch creature that protects Gotham. Like the spirit of the city.

(Ive seen art of it but I can’t find it rn?? But hopefully you know what I’m talking about)

And Tim still stalks this eldritch creature and also the various rogues and baddies of Gotham for his night photos, and he’s the *only* one who can ever catch photos of the bat.

The Batman, who is not really human and can’t speak, like I said, more of an eldritch horror, becomes incredibly attached and protective of Tim. He sees that Tim is neglected in his big empty ‘cave’— Timmy is his sweet little baby bat and he’ll protect him. Incredibly possessive. Gets violent when Tim tries to escape or do something with others. But is so sweet and gentle with him.

But of course, he’s not human, and he doesn’t really have a human concept of morality, meaning he has no concept of what’s platonic and approprsiate and familial and what’s sexual. To him he just needs to be timmy’s everything, his protector— he’s a bit like a dragon. Timmy is his hoard. He protects the city, and everything in the city is miserable save for his sweet little jewel.

He’ll insist on sleeping cuddled to Tim, sometimes tugging off clothes so he can feel bare skin and wrap him in blankets. Tim kisses him on the ‘cheek’ once and the creature insists now upon receiving this sweet little kisses all the time.

He notices that sometimes when he holds him close the cute little pink space between his legs with the curls of black hair grows wet. Initially, he’s concerned, but upon further examination, it appears to bring him no pain. He touches it, nuzzles against it— and Timmy makes such sweet little noises, and the bat realizes it brings his little treasure pleasure.

He’s absolutely fascinated with his cute cunt, his tiny little tits, his wet mouth. He also likes to hand feed him, to wash him, to carry him around.

When it’s finally realized Tim is missing, he’s eventually spotted with the bat, and the search is called off. None of them want to anger that eldritch creature— if the bat wants him, they have to let him have him.

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

okay! the concept of batman being this abstract thing, a song of Cthulu type of thing that rules over gotham and is the actual manifestation of the grimy, slimy rot that’s festered in the city.

that is so good!! when i first started reading robin comics and especially the batman comics where tim is first introduced there was one panel that stuck out to me in particular and that was after tim’s mom is died and his dad is in a coma. bruce is drawn and depicted as this....shadow lurking in the backround. in the hospital he’s outside the room and behind the glass observation panel- but he doesn’t have a face. 

tim, earlier, when he’s talking to dick and alfred, says that the sight of bruce coming down at haly’s circus descending on dick and his parents gave him nightmares for years and he looked so haunted as he said that. even though he learned that bruce was just trying to help, he still couldn’t help but feel afraid. 

 after the incident with his parents he has another nightmare where bruce/batman comforts him and hugs him. only for batman to transform into this nightmarish thing that gets this evil smirk and swallows tim into the shadow of him like he’s a kelpie drowning an innocent boy.

i think for the most part modern interpretation has forgotten it- but its canon that tim was terrified of batman for a long time. 

in this panel which took place after tim’s dad died i think it’s interesting the way bruce is drawn

 where bruce’s shoulders are hiked up, his eyes are blacked out and half of tim is sucked into the darkness. without context this doesn’t really look like a father comforting his son who’s just been traumatized and stumbled across his murdered father and is literally sitting in a pool of his blood.  this is a very, very possessive type of hold, not really one meant to reassure. it’s tim’s hand gripping batman’s that is the only indication that he’s holding onto him for stability and not to get away.

it’s definitely something that’s caught my attention that it’s almost never or very rarely BRUCE who comforts tim but rather batman. it would’ve made sense if the writers had bruce remove his cowl and then hug tim so he could show this stable facade and father who will be looking out for him.

but they don’t. which i feel is a very important detail.

a batman who is more animalistic and driven by impulse abducting tim is just so GOOD!!!! i can’t stop thinking of the last line you used “if the bat wants him, they have to let him have him.”

like they’re letting this boy go into the ether with a monster and they have no idea what will happen to him and thy just have to let it happen!

but the part that i really love is how, since Batman’s instincts are so base- he can’t really comprehend boundaries or how appropriate something is to do with tim.

i love the idea of wither unwilling pleasure where batman fucks tim because he knows it makes him feel good despite his resistance and objection! BUT the concept of tim being taken young enough where HE doesn’t fully understand the concept of sex is so good. he knows it feels good and his batman holds him so gently as he presses into tim’s little body. tim just holding on and gasping, crying at how his body tingles and pulses under batman’s hands and not quite knowing what it is or what’s happening!!

tim being a tender little kept thing, batman’s most prized possession stored in his cave.his claws digging into tim’s tender flesh and shivering with delight as some unknown feeling rushes through him when he presses into the wet hole of his squirming treasure.

in many way i think eldrich batman would be as socially aware as tim, in many ways they’re both like two kids playing together and discovering each other’s bodies together.

batman carries tim around on his back as he flies through gotham and sometimes citizens see them up on the top of buildings curled up together.

but those could just easily be gargoyles. the top of wayne enterprises is teh sight of many batman sightings since it’s the tallest building in the city.

a week after security cameras are installed on the roof to prevent break-ins, bruce wayne,  the city’s richest patron, quietly deletes the hours of footage featuring the batman tenderly fucking timothy drake. the boy that was famously abducted by him months ago.

the batman does a lot of good for the city, more good than bruce could ever claim to accomplish. the people are already scared of him. the fact that timothy seems both alive, healthy, and well is the only reason the GCPD hasn’t mobilized against him.

but if this were to get out then...

sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good. but from the looks of those tapes. timothy didn’t seem to believe it was all that much of a sacrifice.

over the years the story of timothy drake, the young boy who was quietly abducted by the batman becomes a cautionary tale to the children of gotham. warning them to not misbehave, to not miss curfew, to not cause trouble or else batman would come and take them like he did to little timmy whose devastated parents left the city and never returned. so enraptured in the grief of losing their only child.

bruce continues to keep tabs on batman as he always has. he has a small team of tech experts who track and delete all footage from the security cameras all around the city. 

one day a grim face barbara gordon, the head of his tech team, comes to him with a small flash drive. on it are a handful of images and videos of the batman, in his arms timothy drake, and in timothy’s drake’s arms, a little dark-haired baby whose hair floats just a little too unnaturally.

it’s been a long time since images or videos of batman have been captured. in the home of timothy drake, stored in a shoebox under his bed,hundreds of images had been uncovered and they were the best-recorded footage of the gotham myth ever taken.

bruce was certain they had timothy drake to thank for why the gotham specter became even harder to trace even with dozens of cameras constantly searching him out after discovery of the timothy drake pictures.

the spot the video was taken was a spot frequently visited, it was the top of wayne enterprises, right under the letters of bruce’s last name.

bruce knew that they knew cameras were pointed there. bruce knew that they knew that they’d been caught on the footage.

the city belongs to the batman and bruce is certain it knows exactly what bruce has been doing all these years.

bruce isn’t sure why but for some reason, the batman wanted bruce to see both timothy drake and...their child?

bruce wasn’t sure. he didn’t know. he really didn’t.

he couldn’t understand batman, not even a little.

this could’ve been a promise.

but it just as easily could’ve been a threat.

#anonymous #asks #answered asks