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elizabethwritesmen · 6 months

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i don’t want you like a best friend

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Pairing: College!Steve Harrington x Reader ALSO Ghostface!Steve x Witch!Reader (costumes)

Summary: You’re in Indiana for college. You just happen to be roommates with Steve Harrington’s best friend, Robin. This is a list of the times you bumped into him, starting with July move in day and ending with a friend’s Halloween party.

Warnings/Notes (PLEASE READ) : SMUT 18+, pining, friends to lovers, Robin being intrusive, Robin’s parents also being intrusive, angst, Halloween if ur into that, ghostface!Steve x Witch!reader (costumes obv), also if ur name is Grace this isn’t the fic for you just trust me on this, this is semi-modern I don’t mention time periods at all but I also made no attempt at historical accuracy so do with that what u will. it’s all make believe it doesn’t rlly matter imo. also this is a college au so I made up college friends for them! ALSO i have plans for another halloween fic, a super spooky super sexy one, but it will go up late prob sometime in late. november because i’ve put all my energy into this one and staying alive lol. enjoy! <3

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•Move In Day

I stared blankly at the boxes in front of me. The U-Haul I’d rented was jam packed with furniture and all of my belongings, leaving barely enough room to breathe.

For some reason, I thought it would be easy. I thought I could girl-boss it, get it done, all in a few hours’ work. Clearly I was temporarily insane when I came to that conclusion. Oh, well. Now I didn’t have a choice.

I sucked in a deep breath before resigning myself to my fate and starting.

I carried in the lightest stuff first, wanting to get it out of the way. I figured once I got through all the heavy stuff, I wouldn’t have any energy left for it, so might as well do it first. I got about four boxes upstairs, and I was bringing up a fifth and sixth, when I noticed the door already opened. I was sure I had shut it.

I walked in to see a girl and a guy, both around my age. She was dancing around, placing boxes of her own on the other side of the room. I cleared my throat gently, placing my boxes on the rest of my things.

She snapped out of her trance and her eyes landed on me. As did those of the guy she was with.

“Oh, hi!” She smiled brightly, “You just be my roommate!”

“Must be,” I sent her a polite smile in return, but mine was a lot more shy and reserved, “I’m Y/N.”

“I’m Robin, and this is my best friend Steve,” she introduced, “He’s helping me get all my things up here.”

“Oh, nice to meet you both. Let me know if I can help with anything!” I offered.

“Oh no, that’s fine, I’m sure you have your hands full! Are your parents here helping you?”

“No, just me. I’m new here, so… I don’t really have anyone,” I shrugged, preparing to head back downstairs when she stopped me.

“Hey, wait!”

I turned around, staring at her expectantly, eager to get back to carrying my boxes upstairs. I didn’t want to be rude, but.. there were so many.

“My parents will be here soon to help me, so why don’t you steal Steve?”

“Oh,” I stuttered, looking to Steve, “I couldn’t ask you to help me. Really, it’s fine, I can get it.”

“It’s no trouble,” he shrugged, “I’d like to. I’d hate for you to have to carry everything up by yourself. Besides, any roommate of Robin’s is a friend of mine.”

I breathed out a little chuckle and nodded, “If you insist.”

He followed me to the elevator, pressing the button for me and walking on after me. I expected awkward silence but there was none, he didn’t allow a single lull between his questions. He wanted to know everything, where I was from, what made me choose the school, what kinds of things I was into.

“Do you go here, too?” I asked him as we approached the U-Haul.

“Yes, I moved in yesterday. Robin helped me get everything to my dorm, but I’m on the first floor, so it was super easy. I figured I should help her anyway, though, even though she doesn’t need it.”

“She might not need it, but extra help is always appreciated. Or any help.”

“Is that your way of thanking me for helping you?”

“Well, it was either that or bake you a cake and there isn’t an oven in the dorm.”

“Raincheck on the cake, then,” he chuckled.

We talked the entire way back up, and I was shocked at how easy it came. I didn’t expect to click so well with him, and I silently prayed it’d be the same with Robin.

“There you two are,” she smiled as we walked back in, “Did he talk your ear off?”

“No,” I shrugged, “He talked the normal amount.”

“Yeah, the normal amount for a 6 year old on a road trip.”

Their dynamic was nice. They picked on each other, sure, but it was all friendly.

On the second trip down, Steve told me about his life. His high school experience, his hobbies, his hair. His friendship with Robin. I couldn’t tell whether or not there was something more than friendship there. I couldn’t help the small part of me that hoped not, Steve was really handsome and the nicest person I’d met in a while. But I definitely didn’t want to overstep any boundaries, and I was much too shy to ask. Besides, a guy like him probably wouldn’t want anything to do with me anyway.

By the time we got back up to the dorm, Robin’s parents were there.

“Oh hello,” her mom smiled, “You must be the roommate! Y/N, right?”

“Yes ma’am,” I responded.

“Well I’m Robin’s mom, Melissa, and this is her Dad, Richard. It’s so nice to meet you! Oh, you’re just so pretty!”

“Thank you,” I grinned, a little overwhelmed with how nice the woman was being. She was pretty, much like Robin, and she’d aged well. But she also had a warmth about her that was comforting, welcoming even.

An hour later, they had all of Robin’s things up and unpacked. They didn’t even ask if I wanted help finishing up, they just got to work, carrying the last of my things up with Steve and beginning to open boxes.

“You guys really don’t have to do all this,” I mumbled, sheepishly. I always felt awful accepting help, overwhelmed with gratefulness to the point of guilt.

“Oh, hush!” her mom laughed, “We want to!”

It only took another hour to have everything in its place, and we all stared proudly at our handiwork.

“Thank you all so much for your help,” I smiled at the group.

“Of course!” Mr. Buckley patted me on the back, his grin charming, “And if you ever need anything else, you call us! Now, how about we all go get something to eat? I think we’ve worked up enough of an appetite!”

I at first assumed I wasn’t invited because, well, it’s Robin’s family and Steve has apparently been her best friend for years so he’s basically family too. I was new in all this and definitely didn’t expect to be having dinner with all of them. But when they all walked towards the door and I hung back, everyone turned to me, matching confusion on their faces.

“Come on,” Robin chuckled, “You think we’re gonna let you starve after all the work we just did?”

And just like that, we all piled into Mrs. Buckley’s car. I was squished in the middle between Robin and Steve. I wanted to give her the middle because she was so small, but she told me she would feel carsick from Steve’s cologne and she’d rather have the window seat.

“What’re you kids in the mood for?” Mrs Buckley asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Steve responded, and Robin and I agreed.

“I think there’s a barbecue joint a few miles down the road, let’s stop there,” Mr Buckley decided, turning to the back seat, “I know Robin and Steve like that, but is it okay with you, Y/N?”

“Of course,” I nodded, still shocked to be included in the dynamic.

Mrs Buckley almost missed the driveway to the restaurant and she slammed on her brakes and turned in at the last second, throwing me gracelessly into Steve, my seatbelt the only thing keeping me off his lap. He caught me swiftly as he himself hit the door, making sure I didn’t hurt myself in the commotion.

I risked a glance at him to see his eyes peering into mine, concerned and a bit discombobulated from the startle of it all.

“You okay?” he asked, and I nodded, staring down at his arm that was still around me. He cleared his throat, setting me upright in my seat as we pulled into a parking spot.

I turned to Robin, taking note of the huge smirk on her face. She was looking past me, eyes on Steve. Must’ve been some kind of inside joke I wasn’t part of yet.

We all walked inside together, and the hostess sat us at a booth, pulling an extra chair up to the end of it. I went to sit in it when Robin stopped me.

“Remember what I said about Steve’s cologne? And I get claustrophobic. You’d better sit by him, I’ll take the extra chair.”

I nodded slightly, sliding into the booth and letting Steve slide in beside me. I didn’t understand what the big deal was about his cologne, it wasn’t that strong. It was subtle but sweet, cinnamon overwhelming my senses and filling me with a warmth and comfort I craved. The kind of cologne that, when someone passes you wearing it, you stop and take a deep breath in, soak it up for all it’s worth.

Robin’s mom and dad, and Robin herself, were all giving Steve that strange smirk now, and I suddenly felt left out. I guess they were all in on the joke. Unlucky me.

We made small talk while we looked over the menus, picking what we wanted to eat.

“What’re you gonna get?” Steve asked, and I had to look up to realize his question was just for me. Robin and her parents were talking amongst themselves, completely ignoring us.

“I don’t know, probably just chicken fingers. I’m picky when I try new places.”

“Lame,” he tapped me in the ribs and joked, and I squirmed against his touch.

“It’s not lame! It’s a classic!”

“Let me guess, macaroni on the side?” he raised a brow, and I stared sheepishly at my lap, causing him to chuckle, “You’re pretty predictable, Grace.”

“That’s not my name,” I furrowed my brows at him.

“It’s a nickname. You know, Grace. ‘Cause you fell on me in the car. It’s irony.”

“Giving me nicknames already? My, how our friendship is growing,” I rolled my eyes, “If only it wasn’t such a rude one.”

“You can give me a rude one, too,” he offered, and I thought it over for a moment.

“Okay,” I nodded, “Box Boy.”

“Box Boy?”

“Yeah, cause you brought in all my boxes.”

“That’s the best you got?”

“It probably won’t stick, but I like it for now.”

“What’re you two whispering about?” Robin cut into our conversation, wiggling her eyebrows at us.

“It’s a secret, that’s why we’re whispering,” Steve deadpanned, and she snorted.

“Well, you two keep your secrets, and we’ll keep ours.”

“Fine by me, I have a feeling your secrets are pretty dark.”

I stifled a laugh, taking a long sip of my soda.

The rest of the dinner was full of happy chatting and getting to know each other. It turns out I got along really well with all of them, and I integrated well into the little group.

“You know, Y/N, I’m really happy you agreed to come eat with us,” Mrs Buckley told me as her husband handled the check.

“I’m just thankful you invited me! And paid for my food. Really, you didn’t have to!”

“Now stop with the bashfulness, you’re basically family now!”

With that, everyone stood. Steve helped me out of the booth and held the door open for me on the way out. It was sweet, in an old time kind of way. I fought off butterflies, and a crush that I felt coming a mile away.

Robin’s family dropped us off, and we stood outside talking for a few minutes.

“I’m gonna go inside and crash, but you two kids say your goodbyes,” she waved her hands at us and walked away, leaving us in silence.

“So…” I started.

“So…” he repeated.

“It was nice to meet you,” I offered.

“You, too.”

“Maybe I’ll see you again.”

“Hopefully.”

“Soon.”

“Yeah.”

I paused, not knowing what else to say. He was making no move to ask for my number, of course he probably wasn’t even interested like that anyway.

“Goodnight,” I smiled.

“Goodnight,” he repeated.

He stood for a moment and I stayed there, waiting for him to leave.

“I’m not going anywhere until I see you get inside safe.”

I giggled, “Yes sir.” And with that, I walked in.

The elevator ride to the fifth floor was long, but finally I was approaching my door, and I walked through it sleepily. I collapsed onto my bed, trying to ignore Robin’s staring.

“So…” she sighed, “You and Steve, huh?”

“Me and Steve what?”

“You guys have got it going on!”

“Have what going on?”

“Oh my God, Y/N, seriously, the sparks could’ve lit a cigarette. Did you give him your number?”

“He didn’t ask,” I shrugged, “Besides. I thought you guys were a thing.”

“I’m into chicks,” she rolled her eyes, “And even if I wasn’t, I still don’t know why you’d think that. I forced you to sit beside him the entire day. You think his cologne really bothers me that much? NO. I wanted you guys to… you know…. hit it off!!”

“Well, I think he’s a little out of my league,” I shrugged, sinking further into my sheets sadly.

“He absolutely is not. And I promise he’s into you. He’s just not the best with girls is all. He’ll have your number soon enough.”

“You’re not planning on giving it to him, right?”

“What? No! I’m gonna make the little shit ask you himself!”

“If he ever does.”

“He will.”

•First Day of Class

I walked into the lecture hall, brows furrowed, trying to make sure I was where I was supposed to be. Yes, room 208, I concluded.

It was a large room, but it wasn’t completely full. There were only about 20-30 people there total. I, of course, didn’t recognize any of them, so I took a seat away from everyone else. Nobody even spared me a glance, and I felt comfortable in my solitude, until the heavy door opened and shut behind me and a figure looked over me.

I looked up to see Steve, just as handsome as the first time I saw him. He was wearing a pair of joggers and a yellow sweatshirt, and he pulled off the comfy look well.

“Why are you sitting over here all alone?” he asked, one perfect eyebrow raised.

“I don’t know anyone,” I shrugged, and he scoffed.

“Well come sit by me and the guys from my dorm. I’ll introduce you.”

“I think I’d rather stay here.”

“Really?” I nodded slowly, “Then you leave me no choice.” He plopped down in the chair beside me, setting his things down and getting comfortable.

“What’re you doing?” I asked him.

“Well I’m not just gonna let you sit all alone.”

“But I like being alone,” I huffed, “Plus your friends miss you!” I gestured to the three guys staring holes through us.

He glanced in their direction and nodded, and that’s all it took for them to pile over to us.

“Stevie! My man! You gonna introduce us to your lovely friend?” One of them asked as he took the seat in front of us. He held his hand out for me to shake and I took it carefully, sighing.

“This is Grace.“

“That’s not my name!” I groaned.

“Then what is your name?” the tallest of the guys asked.

“Y/N.”

“Cute,” he winked at me, and Steve rolled his eyes sharply. “Y/N, this is Tate, Drew and Johnny.”

They all greeted me kindly and I responded in turn, but there wasn’t much time to talk before an older man walked in, an air of authority in his step.

“Hello, all. I’m Professor Chomsky, I’ll be teaching this course,” he began. What followed was a list of rules, regulations, class schedules, and lesson plans dull enough to make my forehead hit the desk in front of me.

“This is awful,” Steve whispered beside me, and the other guys nodded, “Another hour of his voice might kill me.”

“Shh!” I hissed at him, trying my best to focus on what the man at the front of the room was saying.

“Oh, get off it,” Steve smirked, “You’re just as bored as we are.”

“I’ll have you know I’m absolutely riveted!”

“Lying isn’t a good look, Grace.”

Just then, Tate chimed in, “Why do you call her Grace anyway if her name is Y/N?”

“It’s an inside thing,” Steve waved him off, “You wouldn’t get it.”

“Yeah, because calling me ‘Grace’ to make fun of me for being clumsy is such a hard joke to understand.”

“I don’t like your attitude today, Grace,” he furrowed his brows dramatically, and I couldn’t help giggling.

We were all interrupted by the sound of Professor Chomsky’s voice, booming at us to be quiet. We obeyed, whispering quietly every now and then but mostly hanging on by a thread to his monotonous words.

The class ended about a half hour later and Steve and I went our separate ways. We ended up having one more class together, and the guys were all in there, too, plus Drew’s girlfriend Natalie and Johnny’s sister Elaine. Robin as well. It was the most fun of all of them. It also happened to be my last class of the day. As it wrapped up and we all packed up our things, Steve stopped in front of my chair.

“Can I walk you back to your dorm?” he asked me.

“Sure,” I nodded with a smile, throwing my bag over my shoulder and following him out.

We chatted on the five minute walk. I found that I didn’t want it to end, but I hoped when it did, he would ask for my number. Or something, at least, to make me think he was interested. Part of me knew he wasn’t, though. Not as more than a friend.

“Here we are,” I sighed as we approached the doors.

“Yeah,” he nodded, “So… umm.. I’m happy we have those classes together. It’ll be nice to hangout every week.”

“Yeah, and we seem to have a good little group going. I like everyone a lot.”

“Everyone likes you a lot, too.”

I swayed on my toes, staring at him, waiting patiently. For what, I wasn’t sure.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow?” he proclaimed, his voice chipper. I nodded slowly. “You know the drill, I can’t leave until you’re inside safe.”

I rolled my eyes and gave him a dopey grin, walking in just as I had the last time.

• Hangout at Elaine’s Apartment

Days of hanging out with Steve in class passed slowly, and I soaked in every moment. I was trying desperately to keep what I felt at bay, but it proved difficult when he wanted to walk me home every day.

A month went by and it was Saturday. I woke up around noon, the week had been especially exhausting, and immediately started studying. Robin did the same, sitting at her desk beside me and rifling through her flash cards.

“How is it that he’s walked you home every single day and still not asked for your number?” she asked out of nowhere.

“Robin, we’re talking about biochem. Not Steve.”

“Believe me, Steve is a scientific anomaly, so it’s close enough.”

I rolled my eyes, “I don’t know, okay? It’s like I wait for him to make a move or something every day, but he never does.”

“Well isn’t there anything between you both? All the rest of us can see it!”

“There’s chemistry, or at least I thought there was, but now I’m sure it was just one sided. He’s just not into me like that.”

“Then why does he walk you home every single day and not me?”

“Well… you have another class after that so you couldn’t walk with us, and he probably just doesn’t want to walk that far twice a day.”

“You’re grasping at straws. The boy wants you.”

“Why are you so invested, anyway? It’s not that serious, Rob. We’re just friends, that’s fine with me.”

“I just…” she started, trying to form her words correctly, “Steve has never been good with girls. He had one girlfriend, in high school. She wasn’t the best. I mean, she was fine, and he was happy, but she hurt him and he.. well, the details don’t matter but anyway. He never really had luck with any other girls. He was always too caught up in something else. But now we’re out of that town and you can’t convince me that your coming into our lives was a coincidence. Steve deserves this, and I want him to have it. If he can just get out of his own way.”

“And if he can’t?”

“He will. Believe me. It’s just gonna take a big push.”

“I’d rather just be his friend than stress myself over it,” I shrugged, going back to my studying.

A couple hours later, Robin got a text from Steve telling her that everyone was hanging out at Elaine’s apartment and we should come.

“Wanna go?” she asked me.

“I don’t know, I have a lot of studying left to do,” I hesitated.

“I was only asking to be polite. We’re going,” she stated, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my closet. “And you’re not wearing those wrinkly old jeans and a baggy t shirt. Pick something cute.”

“I’m not really a ‘cute clothes’ girl.”

“Well, tonight, you are.” She looked through my closet, pulling out a yellow sundress I stole from my mom’s closet at some point in time. I had to admit, it was a beautiful dress.

“You’ll wear this with your white sneakers,” she instructed, leaving no room for argument so I just nodded. “Steve won’t know what hit him!”

“Honestly, he’s probably into Elaine.”

“Why do you think that?”

“She’s… well, she’s older. She’s smart, and beautiful, and she always dresses to impress. She’s just.. she’s got everything.”

“Yeah, that’s why I have a crush on her. But I promise Steve doesn’t.”

“Whatever you say.”

Before long, it was time to get ready. I put on a little makeup, just some mascara, blush, and lip gloss, and paired gold hoops and a gold charm bracelet with the dress, slipping on my sneakers and following Robin out the door.

We were supposed to meet Steve outside of his dorm. The plan was for him to drive us to Elaine’s. As we approached the parking lot, we saw him leaning against the driver’s door of his car. Elaine was right in front of him, and they were locked in what seemed like a deep conversation.

“What’s that all about?” Robin asked as we took a step or two closer. I stopped in my tracks, though, when Elaine leaned up and kissed him square on his lips.

My heart shattered into about a million pieces. It’s crazy how you never know how intense your feelings for someone are until they blow up in your face. Sure, it hadn’t been long since I met him, but everyone has had a crush that spiraled out of control way too quickly.

“Hey, love birds?” Robin called out, her voice accusing.

They broke apart, startled, and stared at us dumbly. No doubt Steve saw the hurt on my face, but I tried so hard to keep it at bay.

“Grace,” he started, making a move to walk over to me, but the scene was interrupted by the other 3 guys joining us.

“Okay, so how’s this gonna work?” Tate blurted as they approached, “I know Y/N and Steve always have to sit by each other, And Natalie will be on Drew’s lap in the back, so I’m assuming Robin is gonna squeeze in the back with us?”

“I’d rather ride on the hood,” she croaked.

“It’s fine,” I sighed, “I’ll ride in the back with you guys, Robin can sit up front.”

“Well, someone can ride with me,” Elaine offered, “And you’ll just have to ride uncomfortably on the way back instead of both ways?”

“I will,” Natalie offered, “Wanna join me, Drew? That way there’s room in Steve’s car for everyone?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, following her to Elaine’s vehicle.

“I still wanna sit in the back,” I shrugged, climbing into the middle and letting both boys climb on either side of me.

Steve stared into the car at me for a moment, fists clenched, before climbing in behind the wheel and pulling off.

The ride had the potential to be awkward, and if it wasn’t for Johnny and Tate, it would’ve been. They lightened the mood a lot. Between their jokes and banter, I felt comfortable a couple minutes in. It was only a ten minute drive, and it went by extra quick with them.

As Steve pulled in, the car lurched to the side and threw me onto Tate.

“Woah there, I see why Steve calls you Grace now,” he laughed as he helped me up. The spark I felt when it happened with Steve wasn’t there, but Steve didn’t know that, and he sent us a death glare through the rear view mirror.

Elaine pulled in right after us and lead us up a flight of stairs to an isolate apartment, quite large. It was a one bedroom two bathroom, but every room was huge.

“Mi casa es su casa,” she sighed as we walked in. “I’ve got drinks, card games, books to study, and lots of movies. Whatever you guys are into!”

“Let’s starts out with the drinks,” Johnny suggested, and everyone nodded.

Moments later, we all had a beer in our hands. Elaine suggested we save the liquor for after, and we agreed. We also all collectively decided we would play Cards Against Humanity until we were tipsy, and then we would watch a horrible movie together.

Music played from the radio in the background as we all settled into our spots for the night. Drew and Natalie on the bean bag chair, Johnny Tate and Robin piled onto the couch, and Elaine cozy in her recliner. That left only the loveseat for Steve and I, and I fought a scowl.

“Scoot over, Rob,” I gestured, but she refused.

“I wanna stretch out and be comfy! There’s plenty of room on the love seat!”

I rolled my eyes and flipped her off, walking begrudgingly to Steve and plopping down beside him.

“Is sitting by me really that bad of a thing?” he asked, and everyone stared at me, waiting for an answer.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just.. Robin was right. Your cologne is a lot.”

He almost looked hurt, but he shook it off as we started the game.

A few rounds in, Steve leaned back in his seat, accidentally shifting himself closer to me. I stared down at his leg, almost touching mine.

“You look nice tonight,” he mumbled so nobody but me could hear, “I’ve never seen you in something so… delicate before.”

“If you’re gonna compliment someone, it should be your girlfriend,” I shrugged off what he’d said and took a long swig of my beer.

“Girlfriend?” he furrowed his brows.

“You know. The girl you kissed.”

“Oh.” He stared at his lap. “Listen, Grace, that wasn’t -“

“I don’t want to hear it,” I shrugged, “Doesn’t matter to me. You guys are super cute together, I’m real happy for you.”

He looked taken aback but my tone told him he should let it go, and he did, taking a swig of his own beer and leaving me alone for the moment. The moment didn’t last long, though, because before long everyone was a little intoxicated from all the alcohol and his arm was resting on my shoulders. I couldn’t fight the way I fell into him, I could barely even fight the sleep.

“Movie time!” Elaine exclaimed, jumping up to find her favorite DVD. She picked a cheesy old scary movie that barely made sense, and we were all more than happy with it. Nobody wants to watch a good movie while they’re drunk. She settled back in as it began, munching on the snacks she’d brought out for everyone.

“Please talk to me,” Steve mumbled into my hair.

“Don’t want to,” I slurred out, closing my eyes and breathing him in. My actions didn’t match up with my words and I knew that, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Well then come here,” he sighed, grabbing me under my knees and pulling me into his lap. He rested me against his chest, holding me snugly, letting me get as cozy in him as I wanted. “Talk to me when you’re ready.”

If I’d been sober, I would’ve worried about cuddling with Elaine’s boyfriend right in front of her, but I wasn’t. I did spare her a glance, though, and she smiled at me. Strange. She didn’t seem to care at all.

“Shouldn’t you be snuggling with Elaine over there?” I whispered to him, my face nestled in the crook of his neck.

He pulled a blanket from beside the armrest and tucked it over me as he responded, “Let’s talk when we’re sober.”

“Wan’ talk now,” I hummed.”

“She’s not my girlfriend, Grace. The closest thing I have to a girlfriend is you.”

“But y’kissed her and you never kissed me,” I pouted. I don’t know whether my attitude came from sleepy delirium or intoxication.

“You’re right,” he nodded, leaving it at that.

“Y’could if you wanted to,” I breathed out as I drifted off into sleep.

I woke up in the passenger seat of the car. Robin was driving, and I looked around frantically for Steve before realizing I was in his lap.

“Oh, hi,” I mumbled.

“Morning, sunshine,” he smiled, “Go back to sleep. I’ll make sure you get in bed safe.”

“I don’t wanna go back to sleep,” I whined, leaning up.

I glanced in the back seat. Johnny was on one side, half asleep leaning on the window. Tate was in the middle, texting someone, and Drew was on the other side with Natalie passed out on his lap.

“Why’s Robin driving?” I asked curiously.

“He didn’t want you sleeping on anyone else,” she smirked at us.

“Oh,” I didn’t know what else to say to that.

He ran his hand through my hair, playing with the strands, twisting them between his fingers.

“That feels good,” I hummed, leaning into his touch.

“Yeah?” he asked as he kept going, tugging the strands a little harder.

“Mmhmm.”

“Get a room,” Tate coughed from his spot in the back, and we all giggled.

Finally, Robin pulled into the parking lot of our dorms.

“Come on,” Steve sighed, opening the car door and helping me out. His hand stayed at the small of my back as he walked me to the door, steadying me when I swayed slightly.

“I’m gonna have the worst headache tomorrow,” I whined.

“Probably,” he laughed, helping me up the stairs.

Robin cleared her throat, “I’m gonna go upstairs and let you guys… talk.” We nodded and watched her go, then turned back to each other.

“I should probably go up, too,” I mumbled, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Okay,” he nodded, but he didn’t let go of me. “I want to talk to you about -“

“I don’t want to talk about Elaine, Steve. Just go.”

“But-“

“No. I’m still drunk and I’m tired and my heart can’t take much more tonight so please just go and we’ll talk about it another time.”

“Grace,” he started, and I could tell he was frustrated, but I was too. It sucked walking up on him lip locking someone else. I didn’t want to listen or get over it yet. Any explanation he had wouldn’t be good enough for me, after all, what excuse is there to kiss another girl if he liked me? The only explanation was that he wasn’t into me, and he was trying to let me down easy. Or trying to have both.

“Stop,” I put my hand on his chest and pushed him away slightly, “I said another time. Please go.”

He watched me for a few seconds, waiting for me to change my mind, but I didn’t. I wanted him to go. For the first time, I wasn’t lingering or giving him that look like he could kiss me if he wanted to.

“Okay. Just take my number in case you need anything tonight.”

I nodded slowly, handing him my phone. He inputted the digits and handed it back, then let me walk inside in peace. I made it all the way upstairs before finally freeing my emotions, and the alcohol in my system caused them to spill out of my eyes.

“Oh, Y/N,” Robin sighed, walking over to sit by me.

“I am so over Steve Harrington,” I huffed.

“You didn’t even hear him out?”

“It doesn’t matter what he says, it’s not gonna wipe the image of them kissing out of my head.”

She nodded, staying up with me a little longer before we both nodded off.

The next morning, I woke up to a message from Steve. Apparently he’d called himself from my phone so he’d have my number too.

Good morning. Just checking on you. You feel okay?

I read it over and over before turning the phone off, deciding not to respond. I could feel my head pounding and I couldn’t take extra stress.

I got up, preparing to go get some water from the vending machine, but when I opened the door I saw a convenience store bag on the outside handle. I opened it to see advil, water, and powerade, along with a note scribbled on the receipt.

“Figured you might need this.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Steve.”

My heart grew as I paced back in the room, sitting on my bed. I texted him to thank him, then fell back to sleep with medicine and hydration in my system.

• The Next Class

I ignored Steve for the rest of that day. I suppose seeing him kiss someone else made the walls build up around my heart, but all I knew for sure was that he couldn’t get through anymore. Of course, I was still a bit sad. I liked Steve a lot, but we were better off as friends.

I walked to class the next morning, running a minute or two late but I knew Professor Chomsky wouldn’t care much. When I walked in, Steve and the guys were in their usual seats, and I took mine right in the center of them.

“Morning, Grace,” Steve absolutely beamed at me. I grinned tightly and politely in return, and pulled out my books, not bothering to respond. It probably seemed a little rude, but to me, it was what I had to do. “You gonna keep ignoring me? I screwed up that bad?”

I glanced over at him, “You didn’t screw up at all. We’re friends, Steve. I’m happy when you’re happy and if you’re happy with Elaine then I hope you guys work out.”

“Saturday night you were practically crying, and now you’re giving me your blessing and saying you want me to date her?”

“I was drunk. I’m not anymore, and yes, I want you to be with her. I’m sure she’s a great girlfriend. Just what you deserve.”

“Unbelievable,” he scoffed, “You really just want to be friends?”

“Yes,” I nodded curtly, turning to my books.

The other guys were looking at us curiously, like we were a soap opera playing right in front of them. They looked even more astounded when I walked out at the end of class without waiting for Steve. I felt horrible. He was the sweetest guy in the world. But clearly he liked Elaine more, seeing as she’s the one he made a move on, and I wasn’t going to stand in their way. I was sure it would get easier with time.

The next class I had with him went similarly. He tried to talk to me, and I brushed him off. I didn’t ignore him, I just didn’t entertain him, and I could tell it drove him nuts.

I could feel Elaine watching us, watching him. She must’ve been wondering why he was so wrapped up in me instead of talking to her. I was wondering that myself, but I let it go.

“Are you ever going to forgive him?” Robin asked as we walked out.

“I already did. It’s just not the same. I dunno,” I shrugged.

“I think you should hear him out. He’s bound to have an explanation for that kiss.”

“Even if he does, I don’t want to hear it, Rob. It happened and even if I decided to go back to how it used to be, I’d still see him kissing her in my brain every time he got close to me.”

“I understand,” she nodded, and we parted ways as she headed off to her next class. I, however, set off for my dorm.

“Grace!” I heard from behind me, and I sighed, knowing only one person called me that.

I turned around to see him sprinting to me, “I’m not letting you walk home alone.”

“Steve,” I sighed.

“No.” He seemed genuine, serious. “I care about you. Even if we’re just friends, I care about you. You don’t get to become one of my favorite people and then just cut me off. I’m walking you home. Like a friend would do.”

I stared at him for a moment, then nodded. Truthfully, I was delighted that he’d asked. I figured, with the way I’d treated him that day, he wouldn’t bother.

“So you and Elaine…” I started as we walked, genuine curiosity gnawing at me.

“Can we not talk about it?” he asked, and I nodded.

“Shouldn’t you be walking with her, though? How does she feel about our friendship?“

“Grace,” he warned, and I heeded, shutting up.

We made small talk the entire way, the awkward kind we weren’t used to. I hoped the “friendship” would come more naturally with time. After all, we’d been the best of friends for the entire two months since we met. And we’d never really been more than friends, so I wasn’t sure why this was throwing us off so much.

“Thank you for walking with me, Steve,” I said, preparing to walk away when he grabbed my hand.

“I really want us to go back to how things were before… what you saw.”

“I want that too, Steve. I just… can we forget everything and just be friends like we were?”

“Please,” he sighed, relief washing over him.

“But it can’t be quite the same. I don’t know if you realize how.. touchy, and close we are. Do you think maybe we could take a step back from that for a while?”

“If that’s what it takes to fix this, but I don’t want to. I hope you know that.”

“Steve, you have a girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend, she’s- well, she’s-“

“She’s what?”

“I can’t talk about it,” he ran his hand through his hair like he did when he was stressed.

“Of course. Well, when you’re ready to, we can go back to how it was. But for now, we’re just friends who don’t constantly sit by each other and hold hands and hug and walk together.”

“That’s fair,” he agreed, resigning himself to his fate.

With that, I left and we didn’t talk much for the rest of the day. He texted me, but I didn’t respond. I wanted him to get the picture.

• The Halloween Party

Another month passed slowly. Distancing myself from Steve was horrible. Every time the group hung out, he was agonizingly close, but I kept away and he respected my wishes and kept away from me, too. It almost itched, how badly I wanted to reach out and grab his hand. I thought it would become easier, but it didn’t. And the worst part was that the group wasn’t adjusting well to the new dynamic, constantly making jokes and comments about “me putting Steve in the dog house.”

Whatever had been going on with Steve and Elaine seemed to be over, they would chat but I never saw any PDA or even chemistry between them. In fact, she’d grown closer to Robin than anything, and when we would hang out, they would stick together. Natalie and Drew were a pair, and Steve would pack in with Tate and Johnny. I was sort of lonesome, but it was okay. Part of me wanted to just forget the kiss and go fully back to how it was, touching flirting and all. But as I told Robin, it was engrained in my memory and I didn’t really want him if he chose her first.

“Y/N,” Elaine snapped me out of my trance as we waited for class to start, all huddled up in our little group.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I was telling everyone about my Halloween party. It’s gonna be you guys, and a few older friends I have in my other classes. Not, like, a banger, but definitely a crowd and a good time. Interested?”

“Of course, do I have to dress up?”

“Well it is a Halloween Party,” she rolled her eyes at me, laughing.

And that was that. We all planned to go. She was having it at her parents’ cabin, about 45 minutes away from the campus. Obviously, she couldn’t do it at her apartment.

The days leading up to it, Robin and I looked for costumes. She decided to go as Velma, and she tried to convince me to dress as Daphne but I suggested that Elaine be Daphne instead, and they both loved the idea. I had a costume of my own in mind.

I dug in the back of my closet until I found a black peasant dress that I’d had for forever. It was long sleeve, and the sleeves were lace and flared at the bottom. The cut was low and accentuated the way the corseted middle pushed up my chest, and the skirt flared out but still highlighted all my curves in all the right places. I paired it with some ripped up fishnets, black boots, and a funky witch’s hat I found at the Halloween store that also had lace lining it. It was perfect, maybe even good enough to get the kind of attention that would help me forget Steve once and for all.

When the day came for the party, Robin went to Elaine’s to get ready and I got ready alone. I curled my hair, did my makeup perfectly for the first time in forever, and finished the look off with red lipstick. Then I got dressed, and I was ready to head out the door when I got a phone call from Steve, whom I was supposed to meet outside of his dorm so he could drive me, Natalie, and the other guys there.

“Hey,” I answered, “What’s up?”

“Hey, just letting you know, don’t walk over. I’m coming to get you. Natalie is gonna take her car, and the guys are going with her, so it’ll just be me and you.”

“Okay, you headed here now?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in like two minutes.”

“I’ll be outside waiting,” I told him and we hung up.

When he pulled up, I was standing on the curb, all dressed up. My nerves were bundled up in my stomach, and I felt like I needed to throw up. What if he didn’t like my outfit? He’d never seen me so dressed up before.

He got out of the car and ran over to the passenger side, opening the door for me. I couldn’t miss the way his eyes scanned me, hungry and searching for every exposed patch of skin he could see.

He cleared his throat as he sat in his own seat, “You look….”

“Different?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Good.”

I smiled, sitting back. My nerves were still there, but they were eased by the way he couldn’t stop staring at me, glances out of the corner of his eye giving him away as he began the drive.

“What’re you supposed to be?” I asked, raising my eyebrow at his black t shirt and black jeans.

“I didn’t want to dress up, but Robin said I had to so I just picked up a ghost face mask.”

“Ghost face, huh? Chicks dig that.”

“That’s exactly what Robin said,” he laughed, “Billy Loomis does it for girls, huh?”

“I’m not telling you what does it for me, but nice try.”

“I see the new look comes with a new attitude.”

I blushed, covering it up by staring out the window. We were doing so well, just being friendly. Why was he suddenly flirting now? And why was I flirting back? I told myself to get a grip, and stayed silent for a moment, so he turned up the radio, taking my hint.

The rest of the ride was filled with silence, heavy with tension. I felt like a rubber band about to snap, the glances he was giving me sending me into overdrive but I pretended I was fine, crossing my legs and staring out the window.

I opened my door before he had the chance when we pulled into the parking lot. There were a good bit of cars, and it seemed like a little more than a crowd. I suppose Elaine’s intimate hangout had accidentally turned into a party. Steve noticed this as well, placing his hand on the small of my back as we walked in together possessively but I brushed him off, walking over to where Robin and Elaine were sitting on the couch.

Robin must’ve been over the moon with all the attention she’d been getting from the older girl. Just by the way they were sitting, I could imagine her pulse racing. Elaine’s legs were thrown over Rob’s lap, her arms wrapped tightly around her neck. If I didn’t know them well, I’d assume they were a couple.

“Welcome to my party!” Elaine grinned.

“It did turn into quite the event, huh?” I chuckled, glancing around.

“One person told another person who told everybody, I guess,” she shrugged.

“Where’s the alcohol?” I asked her.

“Through that door,” she pointed to what I assumed was the kitchen. I walked that way, running into Tate and Johnny on the way, so they walked with me.

“You look hot, Y/N!” Johnny grinned wide as he told me so. He wasn’t being weird or anything, he was genuinely just giving me a compliment, so I grinned in return.

“Really, who knew you had this badass in you? Red lipstick and everything? Poor Steve must be having palpitations,” Tate laughed, and the other nodded.

“Steve and I are just friends.”

“That’s what you want, not what he wants. He loooooooves you, he wants to smooooooooch you,” Johnny sang, tapping his fingers together in a kissing motion.

“I think you’ve had too much too drink,” I scoffed, pouring myself a cup full of whatever looked good and leaving them to go back to the couch. The only open spot was beside Steve, so I took it, sipping on my drink.

“You’re not gonna make yourself a drink?” I asked him, and he shook his head.

“Put on your mask, dingus. It’s a costume party,” Robin reached over and poked him, and he rolled his eyes as he did as she asked.

He looked good. I could feel my heart begin to race as he turned to me, and usually it would’ve made me nervous, but I just felt powerful in that moment. I knew he thought I looked good. I wanted to use it. I wanted to make him burn like I had.

I leaned in close to him, “Wanna play psycho killer?”

“Grace-“ he started, but I cut him off.

“Can I be the helpless victim?” I placed my hand on his chest, my fingers brushing over where hair peeled through the top of his v neck. I almost felt him shiver. “Please don’t kill me, Mr Ghost Face. I wanna be in the sequel!” I trailed my hand down his chest, scratching him lightly with my nails. As I approached his waist line, he grabbed my wrist sharply, halting my movements.

“You think you’re cute?” he huffed.

“You think I’m cute,” I smirked. I pulled my hand away from him and got up, leaving him there basically panting as I walked away.

I found Johnny and Tate chatting with a couple of other guys, and approached.

“Oh, hey! Y/N! I was wondering where you ran off to!” Tate smiled, welcoming me in.

“Just went to mess with Steve,” I shrugged, glancing at the other guys. One of them had his eyes on me, and I took the opportunity.

“Are you friends with these guys?” I asked him, leaning in a little closer.

“Yeah, I stay in the same dorm as them,” the guy nodded.

“Oh, neat! I can’t believe I’ve never seen you before!”

“Yeah, but it’s okay. Plenty of time to make up for it,” he winked at me.

“What are you doing?” Johnny whisper yelled into my ear, “Steve is watching you!”

“Steve and I are just friends. He likes kissing other girls so I’m gonna go talk to another guy.”

With that, I stepped closer to the mystery man. “Wanna dance?”

He nodded, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the center of the floor where people were dancing. He turned me around and I began swaying with him, daring to glance over at Steve. He looked furious, absolutely fuming at the sight of me with someone else. I was thriving off of it.

All of a sudden, Elaine pulled me away from him, pulling me closer to the couches. The guy protested for a second but Elaine sent him a death glare and he backed off.

“Why are you doing this?” she sighed.

“Doing what?”

“Dancing with him. Steve is right there. You’re breaking his heart.”

“Steve kissed you, Elaine. Even if you guys aren’t a thing, even if it didn’t work out or whatever and he likes me now, it happened and I can’t just forget that. He liked you more than me or he wouldn’t have kissed you instead of me and I don’t want to be second choice.”

“But that’s not what happened! Steve and I were never a thing!”

“Well he must’ve felt something, because he sure did swap spit with you.”

“It was a peck,” she rolled her eyes and huffed, throwing her hands up dramatically, “And I’m gay.”

My mouth fell agape, “What?”

“I never knew. I mean, I always thought girls were cute or whatever but I never had romantic feelings for them. Then I met Robin and couldn’t think about anything else. Excuse my bluntness, but I’ve never wanted to scissor anyone so badly. Steve is so easy to talk to, I completely opened up that night. I asked him if I could kiss him to see if I felt anything. To see if it felt right, and he said yes and believe me, neither of us felt anything. It was just weird.”

“So you and Robin are together now?”

“Well… I’m hoping we’ll get together tonight, if you catch my drift.”

“And Steve never liked you?”

“Of course not. Y/N, he’s been head over heels for you since he met you. He doesn’t talk about anyone else, he doesn’t think about anyone else.”

“Oh God, why didn’t I just hear him out sooner when he tried to talk to me about this? I’ve screwed everything up!”

“Look at him. He loves you, it’s all over his face. You haven’t screwed anything up.”

I stared at him for a moment before thanking her and heading his way.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, standing directly in front of where he sat so my knees bumped into his bent ones.

“Why didn’t I tell you what?”

“About Elaine. If I’d just known-“

“I promised her I wouldn’t say anything to anyone until she was sure.”

“Still, you could’ve-“

“You were so upset about me kissing another girl, nothing but the truth would’ve worked.”

“Steve,” I sighed, “If I had known-“

“What would you have done?”

“I would’ve- Well, I would’ve-“

I couldn’t even complete my sentence, he cut me off at the jump, leaning in and slotting his lips onto mine. I was startled for a moment but he didn’t stop, and eventually I kissed back, savoring every second like it was the last. He pulled away as if he wanted to say something but I didn’t let him, pulling him right back in by his shirt and wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands found my back, pulling me closer into an arch and wandering, ghosting over my waist line.

We were cut short by cheers coming from beside us, and we backed away from each other just enough to look.

“It’s about damn time, dingus!” Robin huffed, wrapped tightly in Elaine’s arms. I blushed, hiding my face in Steve’s chest, and he leaned down to my ear.

“Come with me,” he whispered, and I nodded.

He lead me to the backyard, where a lake was glistening in the moonlight. There was a lake house beside it, cute and cottagey, like something out of a story book.

“Elaine is letting all of us stay here tonight,” he explained, “There’s only three bedrooms, though. So she told me we could stay out here.”

“She just assumed I’d be staying wherever you stay?”

“I mean, be honest with yourself, Grace. Even if we were still just friends, you’d rather bunk with me than anyone else here.”

“I suppose that’s true,” I shrugged, following him through the door to see that it was immaculately decorated. It didn’t have a real fireplace like the house did but it did have one of those huge automatic ones, so he turned it on, warming the place up. It was one room, there was a bed in the corner, not huge but big enough for the two of us, a TV above the fireplace and a couch in front of it with some other furniture scattered about. There was a closet and a bathroom, as well.

“We left the party awfully early,” I observed, turning to him.

“I have a night in a lake house with you, and you think I wanna waste it partying?”

“Well, when you put it that way,” I smiled, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer.

“I’m in love with you, Grace. I haven’t loved anyone in a really long time, and maybe never like this. And I know it’s quick, but I don’t care. I love you.”

“I love you too, stupid,” I rolled my eyes, pulling him closer until his lips met mine again and we fell into a dance of teeth and tongue.

He grabbed the fat of my hip, squeezing, the dress bunching up in his fingers.

“Fuck, Y/N, do you even know what this dress does to me?” he groaned, “Never seen you like this before.”

“I only bought it so you could take it off,” I rasped as his lips found my neck. At my words, he started sucking, leaving a mark I was sure would stay for days, and I moaned. Something about him wanting to claim me made me shiver, goosebumps littering my skin, my need multiplying.

“I can do that, baby,” he nodded, reaching behind me and pulling the zipper down slowly. He eased it down my shoulders, his fingertips brushing my skin and his eyes following their path. His irises got a little darker at the sight of the black lace covering my most sacred places, and he went ahead and undid the clasp of my bra, letting it fall with the dress.

“You look so pretty like this,” he sighed, staring at me for a moment, his gaze loving.

“Your turn,” I smirked, slipping my hands under his shirt and pulling it over his head. My fingertips clumsily attempted to undo his belt, and he stopped me, doing it himself one handed and throwing it on the ground. It was one of the hottest things I’ve seen him do. I let out a light moan, and he chuckled.

“Feel like a helpless victim yet?” he asked.

“You’re not wearing the mask, so no,” I shrugged jokingly, and he frowned.

“I can fix that,” he stated, walking to the table by the door where he’d set said mask. He pulled it on his head and my mouth fell slightly agape. He looked so perfect. So pretty.

“Want me to fuck you just like this?” he asked, and I nodded frantically. “Come here,” he grabbed my hips lightly, leading me to the end of the bed. He spun me slowly, “Bend over for me, baby,” he coaxed as he pressed on my back. I did as he asked and all I heard was a rip as he tore off the stockings, not worrying about my shoes.

I looked back to see him falling to his knees, then I felt his fingertips where I needed him most and I gasped. It was slow at first, just light touching, but I was absolutely dripping, desperately waiting for what I wanted.

“Steve, baby, please,” I whimpered, and he chuckled again.

“Anything for you, Grace,” he cooed, pushing one finger in. I let out a sigh and a moan, begging for more, and he obliged, pushing in another and eventually a third. Before long, he had a steady rhythm, pushing in and out of me in a way that had me ready to come apart.

“Please Steve, need it, need more, need you,” I panted, pushing back on him, reaching behind me to touch whatever part of him I could reach.

I heard a sharp zip as he undid his pants, kicking them off. His tip rubbed against my slit teasingly at first, then pushed in slowly, and I let out a shaky breath. He was huge, bigger than I’d probably ever had, and my walls were stretched deliciously. It didn’t help that I hadn’t done anything with anyone in a while. I’d been waiting for Steve since before I even met him.

“Please,” I whined, my voice a broken shell of what it was before he kissed me. He’d wrecked me already and hadn’t even fucked me yet.

“Here you go, baby. I’ve got you,” he sighed, setting a steady pattern of thrusts, hard and quick and perfect, everything I needed from him, His hands found my hips, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises, and I met him thrust for thrust pushing into him like a woman starved.

That lasted for a little longer before he pulled out abruptly. I whined, achingly empty, but he stopped me short by grabbing my hips and turning me over. “Scoot back,” he instructed, “I wanna see your pretty face.”

“I wanna see yours too,” I hummed as I did as he asked, scooting all the way to the top of the bed and laying my head down like a true pillow princess. He nodded, ripping the mask off and tossing it aside, and I gasped at him in all his glory. He was so handsome, hair a mess on his head, a slight sheen of sweat making him glisten.

He climbed up on top of me, grabbing my leg and putting it over his shoulder. He leaned down and captured my lips as he pushed in, and I groaned, the new angle putting him in just the right spot.

“I’m gonna cum if you keep doing that,” I whimpered.

“That’s the point,” he smirked, reaching down to rub circles on my clit as he fucked me harder. “Such a good girl, gonna cum all over me?”

I nodded frantically, wrapping my free leg around his back and pulling him in farther, earning a deep groan.

“You’re so perfect like this, taking it so good. Who woulda known my quiet girl could take it like this?” his words spurred me on, making me see stars as the coil in my tummy got ready to snap.

“Steve baby need to cum, please cum with me,” I gasped, clenching around him as I finally snapped, and he groaned. He wasn’t very far behind me, and we rode out our highs together, staring at each other when we were done like a couple of lovestruck kids.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here,” he whispered for only me, and I giggled.

“It’s okay, Steve. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t spent so long being jealous, this would’ve already happened.”

“I think it happened right when it was supposed to,” he smirked, kissing me on the forehead and walking to the bathroom. He wet a towel and brought it back, cleaning me up and then himself, then joined me in bed.

“Would you wanna, like, go on a date with me?” he asked, nerves clouding his voice.

I thought it over for a moment, leaving him in suspense.

“Of course. How about tomorrow?”

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #steve smut #steve stranger things #stranger things #steve harrington smut #steve harrington fluff #steve x reader #steve x you #stranger things smut #ghostface!steve harrington #ghostface

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weebsinstash · 8 months

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I talk about two different fandoms in this kinda long post but, you know, we've been talking about a lot of the more negative, angst heavy ideas that usually revolves around being burned or betrayed and them having to grovel for your forgiveness, the special catharsis only those stories can bring, but I've been having a lot of ideas on... what if Reader straight up vanishes/leaves their yandere group because they feel like a fucking loser

Like, we keep talking about Spiderverse for example. There's a scene in My Adventures With Superman where Lois Lane finds out there's a multiverse society of other Lois Lanes and she's going through a computer and finding out that, by comparison, she's actually kind of a "failure". She's seeing records of versions of her that were Nobel Prize winners at 19, extremely accomplished, hell it's just meant as a fun reference but one version of her is even a Keyblade Wielder

Imagine being you in the Spiderverse and slowly over time you just start feeling. Bad. All of these other Peter Parkers and their variants are usually so talented, inventors, engineers, technicians. You can't gracefully somersault and perform intricate acrobatics like Gwen Stacey, you can't invent your own tech, you're not some super genius, you're just. A normal person. I can only imagine the absolute fucking punch in the gut of being in the Spider Society for an extended period of time and, feeling like you fit in just a little bit, you fit in here more than your home dimension, you even have nice conversations with Miguel from time to time (which are more significant to him than you know), and suddenly, more Yous start getting scouted, Yous with their customized costumes that are so flattering and chich and mech suits and degrees and accolades and partners and children. You're just in the lunch room one day feeling depressed and they all swarm you trying to eat with you and be friendly, "so what are YOUR studies in? I'm a molecular physicist!" "I served in the army as a lieutenant before I was bit!" "I'm a gold medal Olympic gymnast! What sports do you have medals in?"

And you just. Blink at them, feeling tears well up in your eyes. "I'm just a normal person." before leaving your tray and your food you've already paid for behind so you can run off to cry. Later on you see a bunch of Yous gathered around giggling and you can pick up what they're saying with your super senses and they're all standing around talking about what a fucking loser you are. "They don't even have a degree OR a date!!" just standing around fucking LAUGHING at you

You realize you're no longer needed in the Spider Society, that you're literally just a warm body, there's nothing unique or special or needed about you, you're literally just another body who can be swapped out with hundreds of others whenever needed, like, like a glorified retail employee. You wind up going to Miguel's office when it's empty and leaving your bracelet on a counter without a note or anything before warping home without any intention of, not only coming back, but ever being a Spider ever again (but uh little do you know he IMMEDIATELY notices when you go missing. You're here assuming you're so unnoticeable and unremarkable and the man flips his shit the second he finds out you just QUIT QUIT, he literally won't accept, he'll kept visiting your universe until you accept your watch back even if it means he has to force it back onto your arm and lock it in place. Don't you EVER try to go where he can't follow you or see you 🥺)

And then an idea for Batman because he's the other one we've been talking about off and on. I've been kinda writing blurbs for an idea where Reader is a small time Gotham hero who Batman runs into a few times, maybe starts considering you as Justice League material, and he eventually sees you're, completely alone and really going through some stuff and, after you get injured saving him and are left without a place to live, he lets you stay at the manor to heal up and you slowly start bonding with every member of the Batfam. Damian who is relatively new to the family is still being really outward and hostile and nasty and Bruce is starting to consider military school until he sees you two cuddling on the couch watching the news while the boy calls you big sister/brother/etc and later on the youth actually apologizes and, magically starts explaining his feelings (because you and him have had several heart-to-hearts where you've told him he needs to communicate better and how). Dick sees you bonding with Damian and starts spending time with you as the boy's favorite brother, starting to get attached to you as well, offering to teach you gymnastics. I can just see him taking you and Jason on a really fun parkouring run through the property or the city all costumed up, just to have fun and watch you smile. You open up to Jason about your childhood and the things that made you want to be a hero and he feels kinship with the anger in your heart, the urge to punish those who commit these atrocities, maybe do something even worse to them in return.

You're seemingly integrating into the Batfam EXCELLENTLY but, your demeanor slowly changes. You start seeming uncomfortable. You start mentioning how you feel like you've overstayed your welcome and start bringing up how, you've had enough time mentally and physically recovering, you need to get a job again and move out. Complete silence at the weekly family dinner as someone asks you how your day is and you reply you had a really good job interview that you hope to hear back from soon (you wont, not anymore). You're gradually getting worse, more antisocial, not wanting to join them for events or outings, not even spending time in the same room with everyone, holing yourself up in the room that was given to you. The Batfamily starts worrying and talking amongst themselves, conducting their own research and surveillance to try and figure out your mental state, but you don't want to talk. It's like you don't trust them with your feelings.

One night someone goes to fetch you for something and no one can find you: you left the manor without anyone seeing you and didn't leave any sort of note to let them know where you're going, and even left your cellphone behind, maybe suspicious that they could use it to track you. After a couple hours of frantic scouring the city, Bruce finds you smoking a cigarette, standing out in a park, just trying to get some fresh air, some space, some privacy, acting completely nonchalant and even annoyed by the man's concern as he tries to ask you what's wrong, and you're extremely reluctant to tell him, the man basically badgering you and wearing you down until you answer in the hope he leaves you alone

"Your entire fucking family makes me want to ACTUALLY KILL MYSELF, ok?! I'm not some, genius savant who knows acrobatics and dozens of martial arts! I'm not a gifted programmer! I'm not good at solving puzzles and riddles! I've never read Dickens or Kant, I can't just quote off all these famous references, I'm not some well-read computer with an eidetic memory who hears something once and basically remembers it forever! I can't rattle off the uses for polyurethane foam and the chemical compositions of the gas in your Bat grenades! I can't even pick up a new skill or new hobby or game without YOUR TEN YEAR OLD literally INSTANTLY being better at it than I am! I'm NORMAL! I'm not like you! I'm not like any of you! I'm a LOSER! So, so, I'm starting a new job on Monday and I'm going to start saving money to move out, ok? It's been MONTHS, I want OUT"

And because Gotham weather is notoriously awful it starts suddenly pouring down so now you're upset and sobbing AND wet as Bruce manages to usher you into the Batmobile, kicking on the heat as you're shivering like a soaked stray cat, and he doesn't say much outwardly to you, mostly seeming to just lend an ear before immediately taking you back home, but in his mind it's like "so what you're saying is... you need us now more than ever. You've been extremely depressed and hiding suicidal thoughts and feel alone without any proper purpose in life. I can work with that" and now they're up your ass now more than ever and, I'm growing steadily attached to the idea of a Bruce who actually MAKES you be not just a member of the Batfamily, but a crime fighter to help give you purpose and discipline, so. My man hears you essentially say "I'm jealous I'm not as talented as you or your family and I feel like a loser because I can't do cool things too so I want to leave and never see any of you again. I'm not even good enough to do hero stuff so I'll just go back to being a normal person :(" and he deadass replies "bet, here's your own hypercustomized Bat-themed costume that i already made for you, your training starts tomorrow 7am sharp"

#yandere x reader #yandere batfam #yandere spiderverse #yandere batman #honestly i think a batman who forces you to be a sidekick would be AWWWWWFUL #cause not only is he all yandere protective but then he has EXPECTATIONS and hes trying to teach you and scold you and all that #ughhhh itd be the worsttttt but so deliciously dramatic #sinprompts #yandere stuff

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doumadono · 8 months

Note

Hey! I have an emergency request? If it’s okay and you feel like it, can I request Katsuki, Midoriya, Denki and Eijiro just helping you through a tough time with your family? Like you’re getting into arguments with your parents and it’s been bringing down your mood and mental health for a while. I’ve been going through a hard time with my family lately and it really sucks because we were actually doing pretty okay before.

I hope you have a good day and are taking care of yourself!! *sends virtual hugs* ⭐⭐❤️❤️

A/N: I'm really sorry to hear that you're going through a tough time with your family. It's completely natural for families to have their ups and downs, and even when things seem okay, challenges can arise. Things will get better, and you have the resilience to navigate through this tough period ♥ EMERGENCY REQS MASTERLIST

Kaminari

On a particularly gloomy day, as you were sitting in the hallway of the dorm feeling down after argument with your parents, you were suddenly greeted by an unexpected sight - Kaminari dressed head to toe as Pikachu. The sight of him in the costume made you burst into laughter, and your mood instantly lifted.

With his costume complete, Denki couldn't resist showing off a little. He activated his quirk, and a few sparks of electricity danced around his fingers, resembling Pikachu's abilities.

Grinning from ear to ear, Kaminari decided to make you forget about your sadness. He started humming the familiar Pokémon theme and took your hand, pulling you up from the floor.

At first, you were hesitant, but Kaminari's infectious enthusiasm was hard to resist. He began to dance with you right there in the corridor, twirling you around to the Pokémon melody.

As the two of you danced, you couldn't help but feel your spirits lifting. Kaminari's sense of humor and carefree attitude were contagious, and for a moment, you were able to forget about your family troubles.

"Whatever's bothering you, let's dance it away!" Denki suggested with a cheerful grin.

However, you soon noticed that you were attracting an audience. Members of class 1-A, including Mina, Mineta, Uraraka, Iida, Momo, and Shoto, had gathered to watch the unexpected spectacle in the hallway.

Mina and Mineta were giggling, Uraraka was cheering you both on, Iida was trying to maintain order and safety in the corridor, Momo had a bemused smile, and Shoto was just utterly confused, holding a bowl with soba in his hands.

Despite the embarrassment of being the center of attention, you couldn't deny that Denki's antics had succeeded in brightening your day. You continued to dance, laughing along with your classmates, grateful for the unexpected moment of joy in the midst of your family troubles.

Kirishima

As you sat alone in the common room, your thoughts clouded with family issues, Kirishima approached with a warm smile, holding a plate of homemade cookies.

"Hey there, Y/N," he greeted you warmly, taking a seat beside you on the couch. "I baked these myself. They might not win any beauty contests, but they're seriously delicious!"

Kirishima offered you one of the misshapen cookies, and you couldn't help but smile at their imperfections. When you took a bite, the taste was incredible, just as he had promised.

He asked what was wrong, and you told him about your recent argument with your family.

While savoring the cookie, Kirishima leaned in closer and initiated a heartfelt conversation. "You know, it's completely okay to have misunderstandings with your family. I've had my fair share too."

He shared some of his own experiences dealing with family conflicts, making you feel understood and less isolated in your struggles.

"Sometimes," he continued, "it's those misunderstandings that help us grow and learn how to communicate better."

Kirishima's words were like a comforting embrace, easing the weight of your worries. He encouraged you to keep moving forward and reminded you that you had friends who cared about you.

As your conversation continued, Kirishima noticed the longing look in your eyes when you glanced at his hair. Without hesitation, he leaned a bit closer. "You like my hair, right? It's really soft. Go ahead, you can pet it if you want. Maybe I'm not an adorable pet, but I can certainly offer some comfort right now."

You gently ran your fingers through his hair, savoring its incredible softness. It was a small but heartfelt gesture, a reminder that even amidst challenges, there were moments of warmth and friendship to cherish.

With Kirishima by your side, cookies in hand, and the soft touch of his hair, you felt a sense of comfort and camaraderie that helped you temporarily set aside your troubles and focus on the positivity of the moment.

Midoriya

It was a usual day at U.A. Academy, but as Izuku Midoriya glanced across the classroom, he couldn't help but notice the sadness in your expression during classes.

Throughout the lessons, he kept stealing concerned glances your way, growing more and more worried about your well-being.

After the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Izuku decided to approach you. He knew he couldn't ignore the sadness he had seen in your eyes.

Back at the dormitory, he found you on the balcony, quietly gazing at the horizon. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over everything.

Izuku stepped out onto the balcony and offered you a gentle smile. "Hey, I noticed you seemed a bit down during classes today. Is everything okay?"

You looked at him, your emotions close to the surface, and nodded. "I'm just… going through a tough time with my family."

Without a word, Izuku opened his arms, offering you a warm and reassuring hug. You accepted it gratefully, feeling the comfort of his presence.

"I understand how challenging family issues can be," he said softly. "But remember, it's okay to lean on your friends for support. We're here for you."

As you held onto that hug, you couldn't help but feel a sense of solace and understanding in Izuku's embrace. He reassured you that even in your darkest moments, there was a network of friends ready to stand by your side.

The two of you continued to watch the sunset together, the warmth of friendship and the beauty of the evening sky offering a glimmer of hope in your heart.

Bakugo

It was a particularly challenging day, and you found yourself standing in the corridor, lost in your thoughts, when suddenly Bakugo appeared out of nowhere. Without a word, he firmly grabbed your wrist and pulled you into his room.

You were taken aback by his sudden action, but Bakugo's stern expression left no room for questions. He shut the door behind you and turned to face you, his crimson eyes focused.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, his voice carrying a rare, genuine concern that you hadn't heard from him before.

Feeling the weight of your emotions, you began to explain the issues with your family that had been plaguing your mind. Bakugo listened intently, his usual brash demeanor replaced by a surprising attentiveness.

After hearing you out, he crossed his arms and let out a deep sigh. "Look, sitting around moping won't solve anything, dumbass. If you're feeling down, there's no better way to vent frustration than through a workout. Trust me on this, I'm a pro."

Bakugo's idea of helping you forget about your sadness was to channel it into something productive. Without waiting for your response, he started setting up some exercise equipment in his room.

"Come on," he urged, motioning for you to join him. "We're going to sweat out all that negativity. It's either that or wallowing in self-pity, and I won't stand for the latter, nerd."

Despite his brusque approach, you couldn't help but appreciate his determination to support you. You nodded, and together, you and Bakugo embarked on an intense workout session, pushing yourselves to your limits.

As you both exercised, the physical exertion began to clear your mind, and the endorphins started to kick in. Bakugo's unwavering determination and competitive spirit were contagious, and for a while, you found solace in the intensity of the workout.

By the time you finished, you felt physically exhausted but mentally refreshed. You realized that Bakugo's unorthodox method had indeed helped you forget about your sadness, even if just for a moment. It was a testament to his unique way of caring, and you couldn't help but be grateful for his support during your tough times.

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mantizimus · 25 days

Note

You know,after the Asakura! Reader request, I just got another idea. How about a Headcanon of the dorm leaders with a Shinji Kido! Reader, just to put in a lighter side to it?

It took some time, but there we go.

Shinji Kido!S/O

Riddle Rosehearts

Really appreciates your optimism.

Makes sure that your naivety won't backfire on you.

Riddle once tasted the Gyoda you made. Now you often prepare different dishes for tea parties.

I'm impressed that you, despite all your pacifism, are ready to give your best during battles with Overblots.

Thinks your Kamen Rider form is amazing.

Maintains a relatively warm relationship with Dragreder.

Leona Kingscholar

Sometimes he gets a little pissed off at how loud you are.

However, this doesn't mean that he is against it.

Often takes your snacks with him.

The contrast between your pacifism and your willingness to give your all in battle pleasantly surprises him.

Leona is definitely intrigued by your Kamen Rider form.

Often snuggles up to your Dragredder in his sleep while he curls up into a ball.

Azul Ashengrotto

Your optimistic and naive nature contrasts with his outlook on life, but he doesn't complain.

However, that doesn't mean he won't keep an eye on you to make sure you don't get into trouble.

Your dishes very quickly ended up on Monstro's menu.

Azul was rather puzzled when he saw your enthusiasm for battle.

Kamen Rider's appearance, as well as its abilities, piques his interest.

It is likely that he will try to use Dragreder to gather information.

Kalim Al-Asim

Jamil definitely started stocking up on sedatives.

Loves your cheerful attitude.

Often serves your dishes at parties.

When you first demonstrated your fighting spirit, I was surprised.

Don't even think that he won't ask questions about your appearance.

Kalim periodically brings Dragreder something tasty.

Vil Schoenheit

Because of your antics, he looks in the mirror every morning to see if there are any new gray hairs.

Chuckles at your naivety from time to time.

Loves your cooking.

Impressed by your attitude, but doesn’t show it.

Vil will definitely think your Kamen Rider uniform looks like a superhero costume.

Your kindness and willingness to protect others only strengthens the similarities.

Often carries food with him for Dragreder.

Idia Shroud

You often drag him out of the dorm for socialization purposes.

Idia, of course, is not happy with this, but he is forced to agree.

In especially difficult cases, you have to lure him out with the dishes you have prepared.

I was pleasantly surprised by how enthusiastically you approach battles with Overblots.

From time to time he notices that he saw something similar to your Kamen Rider appearance in some video game or movie.

Has no particular opinion about Dragreder.

Malleus Draconia

Admires your enthusiasm.

Looks after you so that you won't have problems with your naivety.

It's easier to remember those dinners where he didn't serve the food you prepared.

Appreciates your willingness to give your all in a fight.

Malleus will definitely compare your Kamen Rider appearance to the fairy tale knights.

Frequently communicates with Dragreder.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst #twst x reader #riddle rosehearts #riddle rosehearts x reader #leona kingscholar #leona kingsholar x reader #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader #kalim al asim #kalim al asim x reader #vil schoenheit #vil schoenheit x reader #idia shroud #idia shroud x reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader

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iovesia · 1 year

Text

SWEET SERIAL KILLER.

❥⠀masterlist. ⠀:⠀ ( scream masterlist. )

synopsis: what it would be like to date billy loomis.

warnings: gaslighting. mentions of murder. fluff. mild angst.

pairings: billy loomis⠀𝒙⠀gender neutral!reader.

josie’s note .⁺ ˖ �� this is a repost from my old account, but this time i actually fixed my grammar mistakes. your media consumption is your own responsibility, read the warnings and enjoy!— reblogs and likes are greatly appreciated !! ♡

⠀

Billy. Loomis. A relationship with him is not for the faint-of-heart, let’s be honest.

At first, he’d be your average-high-school boyfriend. He would drive you around, hang out in your room, having movie nights, that typical stuff. You’d think every was fine, until eventually his true colors start to seep through the cracks.

“Oh shit!” you jump, nearly spilling the popcorn all over the floor, as one of the camp counselors on TV gets brutally gutted.

Even though you weren’t the biggest horror fan, you tried to tough it out for Billy. You side glance over to the boy laying next to you, his arm wrapped around your shoulder as he intensely stares at movie. It’s hard to miss the excited glint in his eye each time jason goes for the kill.

⠀

His love language is words of affirmation. Since his mom abandoned him, it left him with a lot of insecurities, so words of encouragement and telling him you love him, and you won't leave him eases his anxiety.

He’s much more introverted in comparison to his friends (friends being literally just stu 💀), so he tends to observe other people a lot. You catch him just staring at you for long periods of time, while at first you find it cute, at times it gets a little bit.. unnerving.

You two would sit on the window sill of your room, and talk for hours. Sometimes he’ll bring cigarettes— he doesn’t smoke often, but sometimes he does it to take the edge off.

He’s not big on PDA, so the most he’ll do in public is let you sit in between his legs if you’re at a party or something, or he’ll wrap an arm around your shoulders.

But in private… oh-boy.

He’s much more touchy-feely in private. He feels more comfortable now that it’s just the two of you, rather than having loads of people seeing you guys.

He likes to be little spoon, don’t even fight me on this.

Even though it’s hella greasy, he loves when you play with his hair. twirling it between your fingers, braiding it, or scratching his head is his kink. It makes him feel so relaxed.

He’d vent to you about his mom. You're his only safe space where can put his guard down (or at least some of it). You’d let him cry in your lap, and soothe him by running your nails down his back, or whispering comforting words.

He’s got some anger issues, because deep down he’s a very passionate person. So he tends to yell, and snap a lot.

He would begin to feel a little bad when he sees how you flinch at his outbursts. He’d mumble a quick sorry, and gradually calm down, or just leave you alone for a while.

Random head-canon, but I feel like Billy is one of those people who literally drives in silence. I'm sorry, I just can’t picture him listening to any music. But, when you are with him, he’ll let you play whatever you want.

His favourite holiday is secretly christmas. It reminds him of a time when him and his family were happy— it has a bittersweet sentiment. But he’s not gonna do anything big, like costumes or flashing decorations. You two would spend it together inside, watching christmas horror movies and enjoying each other’s company.

Now, getting into the less fun side of dating Billy.

Like I said before, he has a bit of temper. He’s very passionate about what he thinks, and he doesn’t have a healthy way of expressing that.

If you two disagreed about something, he would definitely give you the silent treatment. Or even worse, probably gaslight you into thinking you were in the wrong, and that you’re the one with issues.

“See! This is why I can’t talk to you about anything, [y/n]. You’re so goddamn sensitive over everything.”

It would get ten times worse after he gets arrested when Sidney calls the police on him. You’d obviously want to stay away from him, and so you do (unofficially breaking up).

You go a few weeks without talking or seeing him, but you can’t seem to shake off the feeling that someone’s watching you.

When Billy loves, he loves hard. He'd let you go, pretending that you're broken up, and let you blow off some steam. But, trust that a certain masked figure will be visiting you soon.

#☆. scream.#billy loomis x reader #billy loomis imagine #ghostface imagine #ghostface x reader #scream imagine #scream x reader #scream 1996 #skeet ulrich

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bowtiepastabitch · 6 months

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Let's Talk Costuming: It'd take a miracle to get anyone to see Hamlet

Huzzah huzzah, we return to the Renaissance for part two! You can click here to see my analysis of Aziraphale's costume through the lens of Elizabethan sumptuary laws, aka our angel is a bit of a fop and we love him for it. As a reminder (or if you don't feel like reading the other at all) we're towards the end of the Elizabethan period, around 1599-1601, and England is protestant now!

Guys I absolutely love these costumes. Chronologically, this is the first time we get to see Crowley being stylish. I mean you could count Bildaddy as being... something, but I'm not sure I'd I would not consider it to be vogue or on trend. It is, as I pointed out for Az, highly indicative of his building an identity on and appreciation for Earth.

Silhouette-wise, he's pretty on the nose, and he continues to follow the trends to some degree for many centuries up until around Y2K. He's learning to blend in with the humans and properly enjoy what they bring to the table: clothes, wine, plays, et cetera.

He's not particularly ostentatious, especially standing next to Aziraphale, but his costume speaks more to a quiet luxury. Black, for example, was a very expensive color to dye things, and the buttons and leather accents betray some level of fashion sense.

( The Royal Progress Of Queen Elizabeth I, 1740)

I think one of my favorite things about this costume is the way they took all these elements of the period and then just had them... in black. Even the little ribbon garters on the stockings! It's one of his rare outfits that's entirely and exclusively black and I love that for him. There's a variety of materials, leather detailing and buttons for example, giving the garments a lot of texture and detail nonetheless (and keeping him from looking like a black void on camera). From the first season, this is one of my favorite fits.

According to this article, these costumes are actually borrowed from the Globe's costume archives! Which makes a lot of sense looking at them, they're very elaborate and theatrical, plus I just have a soft spot for costume collections and things that have been worn for multiple productions over time and the way it ties theatre and people and artsists together. Plus, look at those shoes!!!

As per usual, the two costumes compliment each other beautifully. Their historic costumes highlight their narrative foiling of each other in a slightly different way than their modern ones do. Most notably here, at the Bastille, and in Edinburgh, their clothing has a lot to say, were they human, about both social and economic class. We see Crowley demonstrating a significantly higher level of class awareness than Aziraphale, both in their dialogue (virtues of poverty) and in their dress (Aziraphale showing up to revolutionary era Paris in full aristocratic style). Here, in the Elizabethan era, Crowley blends in much better than his angelic counterpart (see again my analysis of Aziraphale's costume in this scene).They really don't look, to your average human unaware, like they belong together. If they weren't staring at each other with puppy dog eyes, it might would be rather believable that they're not friends.

(Portrait of Sir Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, circa 1613-1614)

I also found this incredibly slutty portrait while I was researching for this post, which bears similarities to Aziraphale's dress, so I figured y'all might enjoy seeing it.

For further reading: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1577/clothes-in-the-elizabethan-era/

Please note that I did write all of this intermittently over several days, and though I've done my best to proofread I'm rather tired so if it's not perfect just look the other way

#good omens costumes #costume design #good omens #good omens analysis #good omens meta

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gamesception · 2 months

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Sception Reads Cass Cain #39

Batgirl (2000) #19 - October 2001 Writer: Kelley Puckett..........Pencils: Damion Scott Inks: Robert Campanella.....Colors: Jason Wright

Another memorable one shot story in what has become the definitive Cass Cain story mold. I don't think I'll have too much to say about this issue specifically. Those who were fans back in the day surely remember it, and if you're new to Cass's Batgirl run then as always for this early period it's a good book and I encourage you to go out and read the issue for yourself, especially since work has been busy this week, so I don't really have time to go through this issue in detail.

Still, by way of brief recap, this is the one where Cass is patrolling extra hard, determined that literally nobody in Gotham should die that night, when she's distracted by a news broadcast:

Wait, whatever state Gotham is in has the death penalty? Then why do all the super criminals never yadda yadda cinema sins ding sound.

The guy himself is super stoic about it. No sign of repentance or reflection or regret, but he's clearly accepted what's about to happen and determined to face it with some degree of dignity.

But then cast abducts him mid-execution

Only to be stopped by the mother of the woman he killed. I know I'm rushing through this summary, but just, the faces in these panels are so good. Cass's pleading and heartbreak, the woman's implacable stone-faced determination in the face of this demon-looking vigilante, the way the murderer, shocked out of his stoicism, can't bring himself to face this woman. Also just thematically, the metaphor here for Cass's own internal struggle with guilt, that no matter how much she's changed, no matter how much good she does as Batgirl, the man she killed, someone's son, maybe someone's father, is still dead, and she can never change that. It's extremely blunt and on the nose, but it works.

So anyway, back the murderer goes, only now that his stoic shell has broken he can no longer face his end with peaceful dignity. All Cass managed to achieve was to make his death more horrific.

And of course we find out that the reason Cass was so determined that nobody should die is that this was the anniversary of the murder she committed. Which of course is a very Bruce-like sort of sentimentality.

....

We've seen this sort of stand alone episodic one shot from Cass several times now. As much as I like the more serialized stuff playing with her various relationships to Bruce, Babs, the rest of the Bat family, or her dad, or her mom (as of yet unconfirmed by canon), these sorts of one shots really do seem to be the stories og Cass worked best in, the stories she was designed for even. While we've talked about this before, here a short bullet-point review of what defines a classic 'Cass Cain story' from her early Batgirl period

Stand alone story. One issue of the comic, one complete story. It might presume familiarity with Cass's character and background, but they're generally meant to be satisfying even if this is your first introduction to Cass.

Human focus. Cass's stories are concerned not with aliens and demigods and magic and science so fictional it might as well be magic and other larger-than-life comic book tropes, rather they're focused on relatable human characters, regular people trying to survive in a dispassionate world.

Somber tone. Cass's stories aren't upbeat action adventures where good triumphs over evil. The overall tone isn't fun, it's sorrow, grief, isolation, where light and hope are all the more precious for how rare and fragile they are.

'Street level' antagonists / no costumed criminals. This is arguably necessary to maintain the above focus and tone, but no super villains whose bombastic gimmicks and personalities would distract from the humanity of the everyday people around them. Even in the rare case when an enemy has super powers - "Meta" in issue 3, Kenny in issue 10, the cybernetic assassin in issue 18 - they're still dressed in more or less normal clothes and treated as regular people, not comic book super villains. And even then they're the minority of antagonists, usually Cass is fighting regular street thugs and mob guys, even though she's arguably the most explicitly superpowered member of the bat family, which in turn minimizes the length and importance of action scenes so the story can focus on human drama and personal themes.

Heavy thematic resonance. Cass as a character is about family - the family we're born to, or that we choose, and about the tension that results when a family member genuinely loves you and yet is still terrible for you or to you. And she's a character about doing the right thing even when it's hard, even when it doesn't seem to make anything better. And she's a character about guilt, about what it does to you, about how it can motivate you to do better while still hollowing you out inside, about how penance alone without the catharsis of absolution is a bottomless pit that will never be filled no matter how many acts of contrition you pour into it. These themes are the core of Cass's character, and her most iconic stories all relate back to one or more of these core theme in some way. "My dad's bad, isn't he" "Maybe he did [change], but my daughter is still dead"

Not every issue of Cass's book has fit into this description, but when she's not caught up in some crossover story or going through some significant shift to her status quo, these are the sorts of stories she's engaging with on a regular basis. Again, these are arguably the stories she works best in.

I've made no secret of the fact that, while I like modern Cass and I'm glad she exists, she doesn't really hit the same to me as Cass classic. And yeah, a big part of that is that her history and relationships just aren't the same. She doesn't have the same fraught relationship with her father, there are no parallels between David and Bruce, Bruce isn't particularly central to how she became a hero - he wasn't even Batman at the time. She didn't become a hero by stepping into a legacy role Babs had left behind, so there wasn't this close generational connection between her and Babs, or even any particular relationship between them at all until a good deal later.

She still felt guilty over killing someone, but it was something she was forced to do under threat, not something she willingly did only to suddenly regret it in the aftermath, so the guilt seems a lot more misplaced. Also everyone knew about it from pretty early on and forgives her for it, there isn't the same period of her actively hiding it sure that everyone would reject her if they found out like we talked about last time.

So yeah, so, so much of her history and relationships are completely different, but something I maybe haven't focused on enough is that her stories are different.

From the moment modern Cass is introduced she's tied up in global conspiracies, the league of assassins, people turning into monsters. She's on teams with super-powered allies fighting costumed super-criminals in serialized stories that take years to play out to any meaningful resolution. The concise, street-level stories focused on the individual humanity of the people involved and on connecting her stories to her history by thematic links... I haven't read all of modern Cassandra's appearances, but I've read enough of them to say that these kinds of stories either simply aren't present or are overwhelmingly in the minority.

Even in the 'Batgirls' title that sadly ended last year, with Cass, Steph, and Babs are working and living together, theoretically my all time dream book. But their interpersonal relationships are rarely the focus and their adventures are mostly fighting various larger than life costumed criminals. It was a fun book, sure, but even in itself that's a break from OG Cass's deliberately somber tone.

So I guess if there was one thing I'd like to see from modern Cass, apart from some sort of retcon restoring the OG David Cain with his difficult and layered relationship to Cass, it would be a return of the archetypical Cass story, because these are the stories that best highlight Cass's best qualities - her empathy, her compassion, her inner conflicts.

#cassandra cain #batgirl #sception reads cassandra cain

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snowrubies · 4 months

Text

Part 2 to In the Dark

Curiosity

Switch! Dahyun x Switch! Tzuyu

Mainly Top! Tzuyu

Reciprocation, pet names, fingering, oral, grinding, mentions of toys, voyeurism, and other idols

Something changed in Tzuyu. She's gotten tired of always being the cute youngest. She'd be lying if she said she didn't like the attention though. That with her being a foreigner let her get away with a lot of stuff. The Unnies always baby her. Which is sometimes comical with her cynical attitude and quick comebacks. Cheayoung and Dahyun always treated her more as an equal. The three are not afraid to crack a few dirty jokes at each others expense. Usually in the form of teasing Cheayoung mercilessly about being whipped for Mina.

Cheayoung was actually the first to notice the sudden behavior change between her friends. Dahyun was definitely not one of the physical members, but she had been practically laying on Tzuyu through most of the tour. She's only ever been like this for short periods after being with Sana a little too long.

Cheayoung caught Dahyun after her solo stage, watching Tzuyu's solo with heart eyes, and confronted her about it. "And yet you tease me about being whipped."

Dahyun jumped a little and turned to see who caught her. "Oh, Chea." She turned back to the screen. "Isn't she just so pretty these days?"

"She's always been pretty. It's kinda what she's know for." She poked Dahyun's cheeks. "Dubu's got a crush."

Like a moth to a flame Sana suddenly appeared, ready for her solo, at the mention of crush. She threw herself at Dahyun who was in her floofy dress still. "Aww! My baby Dubu has a crush?" She looked back to the screen realization hitting. "Is it Tzuyu? Do you want some pointers?"

Dahyun shrugged her off and looked down shyly. Tzuyu had just finished her solo on screen which gave Dahyun a convenient excuse to leave. " I should go get dressed"

"Fighting" Sana yelled after her as she got ready to go on stage herself.

That's how it started. Cheayoung was all bubbly and excited, so naturally she told the news to Mina. Mina is very respectful of privacy so it would have died there, but twice's resident gossip knew. When Sana came off stage she could practically be holding a sign that said I know something ask me about it. She told Jihyo first, then Momo and Nayeon together, and Jihyo filled in Jeongyeon. In a matter of minutes everyone knew, but Tzuyu. They all found it absolutely adorable that the youngens where curious of each other.

They all would claim to be incredibly good wing women after this. They were literally throwing the two together anytime they could. Moving their costumes to the same changing space, bringing them into conversation with each other then making an excuse to leave, and dragging one to dance with the other on stage.

Dahyun got what they were doing, and, although embarrassed, was greatfull. She did end up taking a few pointers from Sana, whether she wanted them or not. She ended up leaning over her during the encore cutely nuzzling her face.

Tzuyu thought that everyone was acting a little weird. She quickly realized that the Unnies were basically throwing her at Dahyun though she didn't know why. Maybe she had upset the others. She did enjoy Dahyun being more affectionate with her. Most of the members were preoccupied with their own 'playmates'. As much as they would deny that, Tzuyu wasn't blind or, unfortunately, deaf. She knew what went on behind closed, sometimes wide open, doors. Quite literally all of them have at least one person for those activities sometimes more, except her. Not for lack of trying. Tzuyu had tried to appear more sexy as of late, but they only ever saw baby Tzuyu. That's why Dahyun getting a little more handsy was actually nice for her.

She sat with Dahyun in the back of the van watching her play a game on her phone. Everyone was pretty quiet on account of Nayeon being an absolute dumb ass during the concert. No one wanted to break the tension between her and Jihyo. She wondered who she was going to pair off with when they got to the hotel. Jeongyeon went to be by herself, and Cheayoung grabbed Mina's hand so fast and pulled her to her. Tzuyu made a mental note to tease her about that later.

Dahyun came up behind Tzuyu and hugged her. "Do you wanna sleep with me Tzu?"

Everyone left in the lobby was surprised Dahyun had the balls to ask, but Tzuyu took it at face value. "Sure Dahyunie. It'll be like old times."

They held hands and walked off towards their room. They got into the room, and the first thing Tzuyu did was ask Dahyun if she minded if she showered first. Dahyun said she didn't mind, mostly because she was still a little scattered that Tzuyu agreed to sleep with her.

Tzuyu headed off to shower. While in there she started thinking about why Dahyun seemed so off. Sure she had been a little bit more touchy as of late, but she had this new awkwardness to her. That combined with the fact the Unnies were throwing them together made her realize. Dahyun must like her. She started thinking out loud. "So when she asked me to sleep with her... Oh!" Everything came to her with a sudden clarity as things tend to do in showers for some reason.

She had always liked Dahyun to a certain extent. Thought she was hilarious and very pretty. They'd always been great friends. She does have to admit though, that she's stolen her fair share of glaces at her over the years. She whispered to herself, "well if that's what she wants..."

Meanwhile, while Tzuyu was showering, Dahyun was panicking. It's not like she hasn't had sex before, but this was Tzuyu. Sweet, innocent, little Tzuyu. She couldn't approach this like her times with Sana. She had to be the one in control here. Make sure the baby is comfortable with it.

She was debating with herself on how to approach it. She couldn't very well just be naked and waiting. She's not even sure if Tzuyu understands her point in having her sleep with her. She settled on changing into a white babydoll nightgown that was, by her standards, a little too sexy (which means it is totally normal), and laying on the bed playing on her phone, waiting.

Tzuyu, now knowing what Dahyun wanted, walked out of the shower in just a towel wanting to tease her a bit. When she saw Dahyun in her nightgown it just further proved her suspicions. Poor Dahyun's eyes nearly popped out when she came out in the towel. "Sorry, Dahyunie. I forgot to bring my underwear in the shower."

Dahyun opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to get words out. "Oh.. it's fine." She managed to mutter. She was going to go back to mindlessly playing on her phone, but then Tzuyu suddenly dropped the towel and shuffled through her suitcase. More than likely" looking " for her underwear.

Tzuyu stole a few glances at Dahyun to make sure she was looking. Looking was an understatement. Dahyun was boring holes into her backside she was staring so hard. Tzuyu found a nice pair of red lace lined panties with sheer parts on the hip bones and a small bow on the front. When she went to put them on, she made sure to bend over in such a way the Dahyun had a clear view of everything she had. When she stood back up she put on a T-shirt that was much too short to be considered a sleep shirt. It barely covered her ass.

Tzuyu climbed into bed next to Dahyun. She nuzzled into her side peaking at what she was doing on her phone. She had no interest in the game at all though. In fact, she couldn't even tell you what it was. She just used it as a convenient excuse to get way too close to a slowly redening Dahyun. She leaned over and suddenly started pecking up and down Dahyun's neck.

"Uh... Tzu.. what are you doing?" Dahyun stammered.

Tzuyu pulled back and looked straight in her face, " Unnie tastes good."

Dahyun nearly died. She can't mean that. She can't know what she's talking about. "Wh-what?"

Tzuyu sighed. Direct approach it is. "I know why Dahyunine asked me to sleep with her. I know the members have that sort of relationship. I hear it all the time, and I am willing." Before Dahyun could open her mouth to refute it, Tzuyu grabbed her face and kissed her.

Dahyun didn't kiss back at first too shocked, but slowly melted into the kiss. When they pulled apart the first thing Dahyun said was, "Wait. You've heard us?!"

Tzuyu giggled, "When have Nayeon or Sana ever been quite, and I've definitely walked in on Sana and Jihyo 'cuddling', in bed, naked more than once." She did air quotes around the cuddling.

Dahyun dramatically threw herself around Tzuyu whining, "Oh my gosh! Not the baby! We've corrupted you."

"As if you weren't staring at my ass minutes ago. " Tzuyu moved to straddle Dahyun shaking her ass a little to prove a point. " Now, if you would, do more than stare please. "

Dahyun raised a hand, but stopped halfway " Are you sure, princess? "

"Very. Now touch me or I'm going to do it myself. "

"Yes ma'am." Dahyun moved her hand up her side from her hip feeling around the soft curves of the youngest while the back side of her other hand caressed her cheek. She pressed her lips to hers and it was sweet, innocent, almost child like.

Tzuyu wasn't having anymore of being treated like a child. She pulled Dahyun by the back of her neck and crashed her lips against hers so hard their teeth clashed. Tzuyu easily won the battle of tongues. When she pulled back she bit Dahyun's earlobe and whispered, "Don't you dare treat me like a baby."

Dahyun stared at Tzuyu. Really looked at her. Her slender yet shapely figure exuded confidence and strength on her lap. Her curves flowed seamlessly, with an elegant arch of her back that accentuated her natural beauty. The gentle contour of her hips and the subtle rise of her collarbone added to her enchanting allure. She seemed to radiant a magnetic energy even in just a simple T-shirt. What stood out as different though was her eyes. There was a certain darkness there that she'd never seen before. She wanted this.

"You're beautiful Tzu." She ran her hand up her abs lightly. She looked at Tzuyu one more time just to be sure.

Tzuyu sighed. "Go ahead and touch."

Dahyun palmed her left breast then gave it a gentle squeeze. Her chest pushed into her touch.

It was sweet. Too sweet and Tzuyu wasn't having it. She threw off her shirt and pinned Dahyun's hands to her sides. She sucked on Dahyun's neck aiming to bruise. " I said.. " She pulled down the chest part of Dahyun's nightgown and bit then sucked on her right nipple," don't treat me like a baby. "

Dahyun sucked in a breath. This is not how she planned it. "Where did you learn.." she stopped remembering Tzuyu had seen them before, "you know what never mind."

Tzuyu smirked. She put her thumb and forefinger to Dahyun's lips. "Wet," she demanded.

Dahyun sucked her fingers into her mouth content. Swirling her tongue around the pads of her fingers.

Moments later these same fingers were twisting and pulling on the nipple not occupied by Tzuyu's mouth. Making them both red, hard, and puffy. A sharp contrast to her pale skin.

Dahyun had her eyes closed, but looked down for a moment. It was the most erotic thing she'd ever seen. Tzuyu attached to her nipple. Her own chest shining with saliva.

Tzuyu chose that moment to bite her other nipple and roll it between her teeth. Dahyun whined out in pain or pleasure she wasn't sure. She bucked her hips as much as she was able to with Tzuyu sitting on her.

"That's better princess." Something in Tzuyu snapped at hearing Dahyun whine, and she wanted to hear more of the sounds she'd make. The power going to her head a little bit.

She decided it would take far too much time to rid Dahyun of her nightgown and instead settled with having her chest exposed and skirt bunched around her waist. With that she could finally see her panties. White, of course, a little ruffly, perfect and turning slightly sheer. Tzuyu licked her lips and put her knee against her pussy hard.

Dahyun moaned and rutted against her knee. Fully losing herself in the moment.

"That's a good girl." She fiddled with the waistband of her underwear. "I think it's my turn to play with Dahyunie."

Dahyun blushed fully up to her ears, but assisted Tzuyu with removing her own underwear by lifting her hips. What she didn't expect was the kiss to her pelvis.

Tzuyu held the panties up as if inspecting them. " Pretty. I think I'll keep them. " She flung them over by her suitcase.

Dahyun was squirming now. " Unnie. " She was too lost to comprehend what she said.

Tzuyu decided she quite like it. She nipped at her inner thighs pushing her legs up over her shoulders." Let's she if the princess tastes like tofu too. "

She licked a gentle strip up her slit. She tasted delicious, and, judging by the scream Dahyun let out, she enjoyed it a lot.

Tzuyu wanted more, so she pushed her tongue into her, past her outer folds.

Dahyun grabbed Tzuyu by her hair to keep her there. She jumped suddenly when she felt teeth. Tzuyu was nibbling on her clit god help her. She couldn't have learned that by watching them. No one watches that closely without being caught.

Her train of thought was cut off when she switched from nibbling to sucking and moaning to send vibration up her spine. She was actually worried for a moment that someone would come check on the amount of screams that she just let out.

"That's right. Let everyone hear you." Tzuyu went back to sucking her clit but also quickly thrust two fingers into her. Her fingers started pistoning in and out of Dahyun rapidly. "Imagine how much better it'd feel if I had YOUR strap. Being fucked with your own strap by your sweet... Little ... Tzuyu." She punctuated each word but a particularly hard thrust.

"I can't... Unnie.. cumming." Dahyun thrashed around bucking up into Tzuyu. She let out a silent scream clenching around her fingers. It took her a moment to calm down.

"How.. how bloody much do you watch us?" Dahyun asked exhausted.

Tzuyu giggled then sucked her fingers into her mouth. "It's very often that I walk into moaning in the dorm. I wanted to know what makes all those noises. To give you a number though, you specifically, about 12 times."

"Tzuyu you little voyeur. God this will just crush Jihyo. She wanted us to keep you pure." Dahyun shook her head.

"Oh trust me I know exactly why she wants that. But that's neither here nor there. " She straddled Dahyun's right thigh. " Can I... Use your thigh Unnie? " All of her earlier bravdo was gone now and replaced by the shy girl they all thought she was.

Dahyun grabbed her hips and pulled her down. "Do what you need to baby. Let me watch you for a change," She jabbed.

Tzuyu started rocking herself back and forth slowly on her thigh. She braced herself on Dahyun's stomach.

Dahyun ran her hands under the shirt Tzuyu was still wearing for some reason and threw it off into the corner of the room. Now she had an unobstructed view of Tzuyu's red panties slowly getting darker on her, now wet, thigh.

Tzuyu's face was turning red. She was biting back moans. She got faster.

"Oh, your so cute." Dahyun sat up. She pushed her thigh up and pinched a nipple. Tzuyu threw her head back. "Look at you so desperate like a puppy."

Tzuyu was whining. It felt so good. Dahyun got dirty feeling she was now in charge here, and so her mouth started running.

" Don't you forget to ask permission princess. You're doing so good." She started guiding her hips. She kissed up her neck." Sweet little girl needs taken care of. Doesn't she?"

Tzuyu nodded panting. " Please. "

" Are you close puppy? Wanna cum? " Dahyun said with a hint of smugness.

"Can I, please Dahyunnie. " Tzuyu asked tears pricking her eyes.

"Cum for me. Let me feel it." Dahyun felt a splash of liquid hit her leg.

Tzuyu fell off Dahyun. "I feel messy." She giggled.

"Once you get your breath back we can take a bath. " Dahyun offered.

"Yes please." Tzuyu said.

Dahyun rolled over to face Tzuyu. "But before that... Where in hell did you learn all that because there is no way you've been watching us that closely."

Tzuyu laughed like really laughed. She let out one word as a response. "Shuhua."

#twice #twice smut #twice chaeyoung #twice mina #twice momo #twice nayeon #twice dahyun #twice tzuyu #sana twice #chou tzuyu #kim dahyun #datzu #twice sana #twice jihyo #twice jeongyeon

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nerdyvocals · 11 months

Note

Need to know your thoughts on Cynthia putting on that jacket when they get home from the dance. Cause I have a couple theories which both might be false.

1. The jacket is their father’s jacket and Cynthia needed some type of love so put the jacket on for comfort.

2. The jacket could be what Cynthia wanted to wear to the dance…

Would love to know your thoughts on this scene.

Hooo boy I am so glad someone asked me specifically about this, because I am actually very qualified to talk about it!!!

If you don't know me; Hi, I'm Levi, I am a theatre student, I'm currently working toward a degree in costume design and technology, and I have Big Opinions on clothing. Before I actually start talking about said opinions, let me first give a quick rundown on Costumes 101. Disclaimer: my education has been largely in the realm of stage production, but in Costume Land there is a very large overlap between stage and screen, with the main differences being on the technical side, which I will get more into later. That said, given the genre and tone of this show, my stage knowledge will apply.

And a word of warning: this anon has released a beast and this is going to be a long post, therefore I am putting my analysis under the cut. Also, apologies to those I tag, just want to make sure images and gifs get their proper credit.

Now, first and foremost, the purpose of costume on both screen and stage is to give insight into each character and passively tell a story. Therefore, nothing is coincidence and everything is intentional. Color, silhouette, piece, and style are all meticulously selected to bring a character to life and tell the audience who they are.

Example: In the live yesterday, Tricia Fukuhara mentioned requesting a beret she saw in the costume shop for Nancy, and while they did end up putting Nancy in several hats, she was told berets specifically were reserved for another character, Lydia. We do actually see another thespian with a beret, Alice (who IMDb tells me is played by Emilee Nimetz), which has... interesting implications, but that's for another post.

So let's see what we're working with here.

(gif by @stbot)

The first thing I notice is fairly obvious: this coat doesn't fit. That shoulder seam should be sitting right on the ball of their shoulder (think top of the shoulder cap); it's nearly halfway down their upper arm. Think it looks long here? Even when they're standing, it hits about mid-thigh. Not to mention that the sleeves themselves are baggy and way too long. They are swimming in this coat.

What does this mean? This coat isn't Cynthia's.

One could argue that it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility that Cynthia would own an ill-fitting coat; given the time period, I imagine it would be hard for a girl to find men's clothing in her size. Except, for the most part, Cynthia's masc clothing does fit.

(gif by @greasegifs)

(gif by @wlwshipper)

(gif by @greasegifs)

(Image by @jealous-kippen)

Cynthia clearly has no problem finding men's clothing that fits. That said, there are technical reasons behind why a garment must fit beyond story-telling. Namely: actors' safety.

Out of any single one of Cynthia's looks, I would argue that this monstrosity:

(Image credit: promo shot)

would be the most likely candidate for ill-fitting garment, character-wise. Everything we know about Cynthia suggests that they aren't the type of person to buy a dress they will likely only wear once (i.e., they are poor: single-parent home, always hungry, excitement over free food (Buddy's campaign candy), and it appears that they live in an apartment).

All this to say, it would make sense for this dress in particular to not fit, and yet, it does. Why? There's a dance scene. While the hand jive itself is not a particularly intensive dance move, Ari is standing on tables, climbing on cars, jumping, crouching, all manner of things that would be dangerous to do in a garment that was too big.

(Side note: I've seen quite a few people suggest that this is an old dress or possibly a hand-me-down from somewhere, or if anything, purchased second-hand. I have reason to believe it's not, but again, that's another post).

Of course, Ari, and by extension, Cynthia, isn't doing anything in the Coat Scene (tm) that would endanger them by wearing something too big. Even still, given their previous wardrobe, it's out of place. And like I said before, nothing is coincidence and everything is intentional. And why is it significant that the coat is too big? Because nothing else that Cynthia wears is.

Now, all this was a very long-winded way to say that this is Papa Zdunowski's coat. It's clearly not Cynthia's, and their dad is the only other person they live with. So yes, dearest Anon, your theory is most definitely correct.

Cynthia had just had probably one of the worst nights in their young life. Their friend group has fallen apart, they've messed up big time with their oldest friend, Richie has been arrested, and they're being forced to confront that they are queer. They come home to an empty house, either literally (dad's still at the shop and mom hasn't been there in a long time) or figuratively (dad's asleep, and mom hasn't been there in a long time). Either way, it's not like they can really talk to anyone about what's been going on with them. But they desperately need comfort. So what do they do?

They wear their father's coat like a hug and get drunk on the couch.

Thank you and good night.

(if anyone wants to hear the costume tangents I forced myself to avoid or just wants to hear more costume rants, feel free to hit up my ask box or dms. I chose this career for a reason and if you give me permission, I Will Not Shut Up.)

#rise of the pink ladies #grease rise of the pink ladies #cynthia zdunowski #ask box #anon ask #rotpl #grease rotpl #costume theory #costuming #long post

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ironbloodaika · 6 months

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Happy Halloween 2023!

This is something long overdue. Even though I stopped posting my commissions on here that doesn't mean I've stopped getting them!

I've especially enjoyed getting Halloween commissions because those are really fun to conceive, order, and see made into reality. I've especially enjoyed getting them from Aeolus06 and he's never disappointed. Sadly due to me being between jobs I couldn't get any this year. :( That said I've decided to use this as an opportunity to show what I've got over the last few years and hopefully you'll love them as much as I do! :)

These first four are unique in that these were all from the same year (2020 to be exact). Since Aeo has a cool down period between commissions, I actually got these all done over a period of a few months. XD Took a lot of luck and prayer, but I got all the ideas I wanted done!

First one was probably the most complex, but was worth it because of how well it fit. Star, Marco, and Hekapoo from Star vs The Forces of Evil as AndrAIa, Matrix, and Older!AndrAIa from Reboot! Much like Matrix, Marco had a bit of age jumping that fit naturally (especially body types and eye scars). Plus Star and Hekapoo are shipped pretty hard with him so it was natural they dress as the different versions of Matrix's lady love.

Also, Fun Fact: Marco's scar/prosthetic eye is on the wrong side compared to his costume, but I felt it was better to ignore it than have Aeo flip the entire costume. XD

Next up we had some classic hotties from Canada, Lindsay and Courtney. Everyone with a pulse will know I'm a Courtney fan, so I'm always eager to give her some love. And while I'm not AS big on Lindsay, she's a fun character and I have some friends who love her too so I didn't mind them sharing the spotlight.

Obviously the theme/inspiration behind this pics conception is the fact Lindsay and Courtney pack the biggest T and A on the island respectively, so they needed some costumes to illustrate that. Thus we got Courtney as everyone's fave lady wrestler Rainbow Mika from Street Fighter and Lindsay as the boxing cheerleader Tiffany Lords from Rival Schools. Both ladies who kick ass and look good doing it! Give these ladies some love folks!

Another Fun Fact: This one took faster to do than I expected, mostly cause I didn't realize my refs were thigh high. In the end I feel it still looked good and didn't bother bringing it up. XD

Here's another cute couple and one I think deserves more love. Eclipsa Butterfly and Globgor are also from SVTFOE and honestly very sweet and adorable. While they're regarded as evil by less tolerant folk, they're honestly some of the sweetest characters you'll see on the show. I feel this is a nice contrast to their costumes, Sindel and Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat. I went with the MK9 versions of their outfits since they were both modern and simple. Didn't wanna be THAT guy who commissions SUPER complicated outfits. I'm not a sadist! While later games would retcon Sindel into being just as evil as Shao (something thankfully corrected in MK1) I still feel this outfit and character works for Eclipsa, even if she and her hubby are as far from evil as you can get. XD

Final pic of this year is another couples pic with Danny Fenton and Paulina Sanchez. I ship these two and take no shame in it. This was originally gonna just be Paulina as Phantom Girl from Legion of Superheroes since the name and colors matched Danny perfectly. But then I figured just having Paulina in costume wouldn't be fair, so I had him dress up as Timberwolf, since I recall them having a few moments in the cartoon. A cartoon, much like this pairing, is very underrated. XD

Now to 2021! This was a fun crossover and and me deciding to avoid "themes" and combining two character pin-ups in one! Once again we have Hekapoo and this year she's dressed up as Otedamako. Who's that? Only my fave Monster of the Day from Sailor Moon! :3 To her side with have a humanoid Rarity showing off her darkside as Martha from Helluva Boss! This one came from the animated opening in G5 that had Rarity showing off some spiky teeth and a crazy look in her eyes. IMMEDIATELY brought Martha too mind. All and all, very happy with how these two came out!

And now to the prior year of 2022. By this point Aeo started coloring the stream commissions and honestly, it was worth the price increase. Dude is a machine! If this one has a theme it's basically me taking the waifus of my close friends (Chill, Terrible, and Raccoon) and dressing them as other sexy waifus. From left to right we have Himiko Toga from My Hero Academia dressed as Harlequin, the Harley Quinn of the Gods and Monsters film. A very hot/underrated design for a VERY twisted take on the character. Toga makes it work! Front and center we have Wilhamena Mettle from OK K.O.! as Starfire, specifically the comic book version for obvious reasons. XD Finally we have Juri Han from Street Fighter dressed in the tight leathers of Penelope Spectra from Danny Phantom, specifically her second form. Lot of specifics in this piece. XD

Final Fun Fact: Was tempted to have Wilhamena as Star Canary, the fusion of Starfire and Black Canary from the Batman/Superman comic. Very hot design. XD

And a bit of a bonus! I ended up really helping out a new friend on deviantART back in 2020 and got to get a bit of art as a thank you. Courtesy of XJKenny we have Meteora Butterfly, daughter of Eclipsa and Globgor as Mileena. Also her MK9 design, this not only works for Meteora herself given her story, but also matches up with her parents' costumes as well!

Well that's everything I wanted to share this year! This has been a rough year for me personally and for the world as a whole. But I'm hoping we can turn things around a bit with what bit of the year we have left.

Happy Halloween everyone! Stay scared and stay safe! 👻 🎃

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horrorsprovider · 8 months

Text

Process Discussion: Fan Design - Fatui Lyney

for my non-art account followers, this is referring to a full illustration + design on my art account!

the really, really long post containing all the research and thought processes behind my fatui lyney fan design 👍

when starting a new fan design, my starting point will be the time period/era

for this particular design, i started with the time period/era the character comes from. in some other cases i look for the origin and/or popular use of a concept began, such as when a certain fabric began being commonly used or the rise and fall of fashion trends. so, i took to fontaine’s “culture” section and some reading on the entries for the regions fashion as my jumping off point.

Fontaine’s fashion (looking specifically at the court’s men’s fashion) ranges from mid/late 18th century to the early 19th century, however Lyney and Lynette’s designs contain elements coming from the early 20th century (circus/acrobatic uses of leotards)

from there, i do some research on the events and era’s in the world at during those times. i found a period spanning from 1871/1880 - 1914 called La Belle Époque, which is considered a highly optimistic time, in which peace, economic prosperity and technological advancements were some of the defining characteristics, as well as a time when the arts flourished.

Fontaine’s women NPCs’ fashion seems to take after the fashion in this period, and it’s likely that this is where most of the inspiration for Fontaine is taken from.

during La Belle Époque, Burlesque performances were more mainstream. Burlesque was a type of comedic, dramatic musical theatre that treated serious subjects in a very joking matter. While actual Burlesque costumes were very interesting, it seems Lynette’s design takes after modern day costumes (3rd image)

unfortunate. but not the point!!

as Burlesque was mostly female dominated, i went looking for another type of theatre that featured more male actors in hopes to find inspiration for Lyney’s design. i dug through the Burlesque wiki page and found that Burlesque is derived from Pantomime, another musical comedy based theatre that was aimed more at family audiences.

from there i discovered Harlequinade, which i think people will find interesting:

“…a variant of the Commedia dell’arte… a comic incident in the lives of its five main characters: Harlequin (Arlecchino) who loves Columbine (Columbina)”

“Originally a mime act (Lyney and Lynette’s stage makeup resembles mime makeup)… the harlequinade later employed some dialogue, but remained primarily a visual spectacle… An often elaborate magical transformation scene… changing the first part of the pantomime, and it’s characters, into the harlequinade… In the late 18th and 19th centuries, the harlequinade became the larger part of the entertainment, and the transformation scenes was presented with increasingly spectacular stage effects.”

additionally:

“Harlequin is the comedian and romantic male lead… His everlasting high spirits and cleverness work to save him from difficult situations into which his amoral behaviour leads during the course of the harlequinade. In some versions of the original Commedia dell’arte, Harlequin is able to perform magic feats.”

so, i’m guessing this is where the idea of magicians came in, and that Harlequinade/the Harlequin character was a core aspect when developing Lyney’s character, considering it’s an adaptation of the Commedia dell’arte (and the Harlequin is essentially a spin-off/“version” of Arlecchino, the Italian name for Harlequin)

although Harlequinade didn’t provide much in terms of design aspects, it did provide some connections i thought were interesting to bring up!

from this point i reeled back in to just researching general mens fashion in the 18th-19th centuries. unfortunately mens fashion has always been very boring, save for the colours of their waist coats, so a lot of this design came from the blending of Lyney and Arlecchino’s designs…

which is what i was aiming to do in the first place! when i’m doing research for fan designs, my intention isn’t to slap a modern-made character into a historical outfit. i want to study the principles of clothing back then, such as what parts of the body are emphasized, what figures/shapes were common/considered attractive, the meaning for colours at the time and how they liked to accessorize, etc

i then took to my canvas and started picking apart Lyney’s in game outfit, trying to find what parts were just for aesthetic reasons, and what parts actually had historical grounds to them. i also did some analysis on it, such as why/how this design fits the idea of the Magician character so well while being so unconventional to the actual concept.

(sorry my notes are so haphazardly done haha, i usually don’t intend to show these to anyone but i thought i would anyways!!)

(small green text on the right reads: clothes themselves aren’t inherently (nearly certain i used that word wrong) complex — accessories are added to basic clothing cuts)

when we think of magicians today, we think black and white 2 piece suit with a matching top hat, black cape and white gloves, who is sometimes carrying a black and white stick wand. however Lyney’s design strays rather far from that idea, while still maintaining the core idea. i think his design is very successful in being able to translate a bland idea into something unique but still reading as a magician.

the suit coat and the magicians cape are translated into coat tails attached to a black leotard. the dress shirt has simply been cut into 3 pieces: a halter collared/frilled shirt with separated sleeves. i believe a very effective design choice was to make the sleeves baggy, to not only bulk up the arms of the silhouette (as the rest of the design is very skin tight), but to be reminiscent of the loose dress shirts that were popular amongst men during that time. he isn’t wearing dress pants, but the stockings and boots serve to fill that purpose.

even with all these changes, Lyney’s design is effective because it fills the criteria to a certain extent while adding a special twist to it (being very very slutty). these aspects are parts i wanted to make sure had very little change when i was making my design, because i felt if that removing them would no longer “make” the character. it would no longer feel like Lyney’s design without them, and thus would not fill the criteria in the same unique way his canon design does. it had to still read as “Lyney” when new eyes set a first glance on it, but still different enough to understand its Lyney, but different.

i wanted my design to emphasize those parts, to really push the image of the Magician. the challenge was to create a distinct design that was still very clearly Lyney, but was also clearly influenced by Arlecchino. to do this, i tried to replicate Arlecchino’s silhouette as closely as possible while also maintaining/emphasizing those 3 main aspects.

the new coat tails would take a similar shape to Arlecchino’s, and the baggy sleeves would end in frills, just as hers does. however, since i really don’t like the idea of Lyney in a suit, i had to find a way to replicate the sharp shoulders that a suit jacket would create without just putting him in a suit jacket. while i could’ve just ignored this detail, i found that his top half would be very bare (literally) and i believe the pointed shoulder silhouette of a suit is rather important! it broadens the shoulders, making the characters silhouette feel more intimidating.

before this little challenge of mine, i was trying to find ways to give Lyney a proper cape, since i really don’t think his little shoulder cape does him justice. during that time, i found his design simply isn’t able to support a cape as is, because it’s set up differently in comparison to the other cape-wearing characters in genshin.

if we take a look at a character like Kaeya, we’ll notice how most of his defining design aspects are towards the top of his body, while the lower half remains rather blank. the cape serves as a way to “extend the areas of interest” down towards the bottom so it remains interesting for longer instead of just stopping at the waist. HYV takes special care to ensure the backs of their playable characters are interesting to look at during gameplay (which is why so many characters have weird long pieces of hair.)

i call this method of designing the “inverted triangle,” as the concentration of design aspects dwindles the further you go down. this can be applied to most other cape-wearing characters — with few exceptions

Lyney, on the other hand, has most of his defining characteristics on his lower half. his design is what i consider an “upright triangle”

save for the hat, most of the large shapes and blocks of colour are located on the lower half of his body (the coat tails, the bagginess of the sleeves, the stockings/garters)

when trying to add a cape on top of that all, the bottom half becomes too busy, and throws off the balance.

a tragedy 😔 the sacrifices we must make (cool cape) due to the existing circumstances (cool coat tails and many, many belts)

so, for this fan design i decided to scratch that itch. i still couldn’t give him the big cape due to the above reasons, but i did make his half shoulder cape into a full one that hung from both shoulders. it was almost like combining his and Lynette’s, haha

originally i left the medal out of the design, but i thought it would imply too much if i did. i didn’t want this design to read as me making Lyney a broken, depressed man, because that feels like such a general sweep for the concept of him as the new Father. the idea behind this design is to really play into him taking Arlecchino’s place, which is why i focused on making his silhouette so much like hers.

Lyney is still allowed to have his own personal tastes in his clothing, but ultimately he will look to her as an example of what he should be for the new children of the House. he would think that Arlecchino is the standard, considering how successfully she raised him and his family (the specifics of “successful” can be debated but shhh), so logically, he would try to mimic her, both consciously and not.

another change i wanted to make (due to my personal tastes in regards to his original design) was to make it more extravagant, more dramatic (especially on the back). the Harbingers’ designs stand out, and i wanted to reflect that in a way. (i really don’t think Lyney is going to take over Arlecchino’s Harbinger position, just as the new Father so she can put her focus elsewhere! but since she’s a Harbinger, i think it’s fair he gets a dramatic makeover as her successor 🫶🫶)

also, Lynette has a friendship level 4 line talking about how their magic shows/magic careers have become convenient fronts to gain access around Fontaine. i wanted to emphasize that mask and really make this design scream “performer.” with his new role, i imagine it would be increasingly difficult to keep up with his image as a famous magician and as the leader of the House, so he exaggerates the performer persona to compensate for it, almost adding yet another wall of the facade. it’s more “over the top,” with smaller changes but glaringly obvious that something is different.

some smaller design notes/commentary that don’t really have much to them so it’s quick fire time

i wanted the inside of his tailcoats to be much more vibrant than they are in game to add to the Drama (also because waistcoats were the Only Thing men really had at the time to customize so they really went all out with the colours)

the medal on the back of his cape is purple as sort of a middle ground between him and Lynette (because i saw an idea that it’s kind of like an ei/shogun situation where 2 people are under the Father identity in the House but the inhabitants just know Lyney and i really like that!!!!! i also think it’d just be weird to have Lynette kind of be in a lesser position to Lyney when they’ve been equals their entire lives so it’d be cool to have her as his double)

the feather(?) on Lyney’s hat is the same as Arlecchino’s hair pin on her ponytail

the magenta lipstick is related to his c6 title “guarded smile.” for context, the colour magenta isn’t a real colour on the light spectrum, it just exists as filler we created on the colour wheel when red and purple mix. i have a lot of Thoughts about Lyney with the colour magenta (and honestly i don’t know if it was on purpose at all but i think it’s cool regardless)

i tried real fucking hard to not make this read as Gogol from BSD and i’ll be deeply upset if any comparison is at all made. do you know how many diamond patterns and card accessories i had to remove because it just looked like Gogol. fucking agony.

thank you for reading this long ass post. i always love reading dev discussions/notes on concept art cause it’s so so so interesting how much story/thought is behind a design that we just don’t know about and it really makes me appreciate stuff more!!!! highly encourage info dumping alllllll the ideas behind ur ocs or art or writing etc its so so so fun i promise i read all authors notes and tags people leave on their stuff. it’s my enrichment.

#lyney #genshin impact lyney #arlecchino #fatui #gensin impact #kiyo’s art discussions

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