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rainylana · 2 months

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“I’m not always bad.”

Eddie Munson x female reader

summary: eddie finds you crying. why does he care?

warnings: bully eddie, bad boy, awkward and meanie eddie, language, crying, upset reader, talk of cancer, readers dad has cancer. a potential series if you want it, let me know!

gif is not mine!

update! part two has been posted and is located on my masterlist!

He supposed maybe over time it wouldn’t be absolutely crazy to have some sort of care for you, after all, he had known you since the both of you were in diapers in preschool together, and ever since, he’d treated you like dirt beneath his leather boots.

He was an absolute prick to you, and you couldn’t remember one memory of him being nice to you. Maybe it was because you came from a ‘white picket fence’ home, had good grades, an honor student, actually. Maybe it was because you were pretty? Maybe he liked you? No. You had long since disregarded that idea many years ago. He wouldn’t be this mean.

You walked as quickly as you could to the gymnasium, pink heels clicking with every step and turn. Your eyes blurred with tears and you hiccuped a breath. You pushed open the door, relieved no one was in there, at least, not to your knowledge, and plopped down on the closet set of bleachers to your right. You put your head in your hands and cried like a baby pathetically.

Eddie was closing up a deal when you’d come busting in dramatically. He quickly hid his stash, thinking it was a teacher as his customer quickly left the scene, muttering a thank you as he did so. When he say it was you, he cursed under his breath and put away his things.

He adjusted his jacket, putting away his weed and wallet as he watched you. He squinted his eyes. Were you crying? He’d seen you cry before, that wasn’t anything new, but you looked upset. He walked across the gym floor, adjusting his junk like a typical male specimen.

“Why the long face, L/n?” His demeaning voice boomed and echoed.

You jumped, revealing your tear stricken face. You groaned. “Fuck! I- I didn’t know anyone was in here. Sorry.” You went up to leave.

“Woah, woah,” He held up his hands. “You’re on my turf, L/n. Crying and trespassing on my property are not to go unpunished.” He tried to ignore the fact you were visibly upset, thinking maybe you got a bad grade or tripped over your own feet and embarrassed yourself. That’s usually what it was, anyways.

Today, however, you couldn’t deal with his dramatics. Your face crumbled into tears and you sobbed, slowly sinking back down to your seat and hunched back over. Eddie, despite his antics, couldn’t help but furrow his brow. He watched you for a moment, looking to see if anyone else was around he could pass you off to. He looked back at you, and when you pushed out a particular harsh sob, he knew that this time was different. Something was wrong.

Unbeknownst to him, he frowned, pursing his lips and climbed up to bleachers to sit beside you. He looked at you like you were from another planet, eyes wide and alert like you were playing a joke on him. He didn’t like this said joke.

“Hey, uh,” He cleared his throat, looking for the quickest way out. “Stop crying.” Way to cheer her up, buddy.

“I can’t.” You sobbed into your hands. “My life’s falling apart!”

That broke him out of his shocked state and he rolled his eyes at your dramatics, leaning back into his seat. “What happened now?”

“Just leave me alone, Eddie!” You snapped angrily, jerking your head toward him so hard he thought it was fly clean off and roll onto the floor with the rest of the disregarded basketballs. “Do you have to be such a jerk everyday of my life? Can’t you let me cry in peace just for once?” You stared at Eddie, who was startled and wide eyed, looking at you like you’d gone made.

He sighed heavily, a mask of irritation and annoyance falling over his hooded eyes. “Fine.”

He got up to leave, obeying your wish for once. You watched him get up and leave, and for some odd reason, your heart seemed to sink even further. Once again, you sank back into yourself, listening as his footsteps got further and further away.

He cursed when he got to the gymnasium door, turning back to look at your weeping figure. “Fuck.” He clenched his fist and brought it up to his teeth angrily. Why? Why did he suddenly seem to care about your distress?

He was back beside you, sighing loudly like he didn’t care. “Alright, L/n, what’s going on?”

You gave him a sharp glare, shooting him daggers. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t.” He fired back. “But I don’t need you busting in during my deals, so you might as well get whatever it is off your chest and wipe your damn tears.” He lifted himself off the seat briefly, reaching back and grabbing his black bandana and handing it to you. You didn’t grab it, so he placed it on your lap with a huff.

It was your turn to look him strangely, like he was from another planet, a strange land you’d yet to be aware of. “You’re being weird.”

“Shut up.” He retorted. “You’ve got snot all over your face.”

You purposely rubbed your nose with his bandana, making sure to clean your face of mucus and tears. He recoiled, grossed out at the action. “Yeah, you can keep that.” He said.

He gave you a minute. Nobody said anything as you calmed down, sniffling to yourself here and there. His concern grew when he noticed the shaking of your hands. “Hey,” He said, voice deep and gruff. “What’s the matter with you?”

You looked at him sadly, shaking your head. “My dad has cancer.”

He couldn’t help it then. His whole face dropped. His jaw fell slack and his eyes widened.

“I just found out yesterday.” Your voice was full and thick with tears. “I was in math class and just had to get out before I had a public fucking breaking down like I’m doing now!” You said, angry with yourself.

“It doesn’t even make sense!” You continued. “My dad is a good man! He’s done nothing to deserve this! I don’t understand!” You cried, rambling to him at this point. He didn’t mind, he didn’t know what to say anyways.

“My whole family is just…numb. Dad’s pretending he’s not bothered by it. He’s doing everything he normally does. Mowing the grass, helping mom with the flower bed.”

You kept talking and Eddie listened, and in that moment, he felt pure sorrow and remorse, compassion and empathy for you. He listened to your words and felt his stomach sink. And you were beautiful, a random thought jostled in the middle somewhere between sorrow and empathy.

You cried to him for almost an hour. You talked about your family falling apart, but continuing on despite the downfall. The number of months the doctors had given your father to live. You talked about not being walked by him down the aisle, him not seeing his grandchildren. It was all here and there, but Eddie listened and said nothing, and after awhile, you forgot he was there and that it was Eddie.

When two o’clock rolled around, you breathed heavily and looked at your watch, then him. “You didn’t need to stay.” You were completely exhausted, mentally and physically.

“It’s alright.” It was the first thing he’d said in an entire hour. “You needed someone to talk to. I’m just being a good samaritan.”

“Still,” Your eyes were red and raw. “Why?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not always bad.”

You managed to smile. He didn’t.

“Well, thanks.” You said softly. “My friends don’t know yet. Nobody does. Please don’t tell?” You looked at him with round eyes that were always so full of innocence.

“I won’t say anything.” He shook his head.

You sniffled once more and nodding, standing up and fixing your white skirt. “Well, I better get back to class. Thanks for listening.”

He let you walk all the way across the room and to the door before he spoke. “I’m sorry.”

You didn’t look at him and he didn’t look at you, but both of your hearts seemed to lighten. The door clicked open loudly and shut, leaving him to himself.

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #bully eddie #stranger things #stranger things season four #joseph quinn #eddie munson imagines #eddie munson headcanons #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson x female character

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dnd-smash-pass-vs · 6 months

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On the left, the kobold! 2 foot (61 cm) clever dragon people full of passion and teamwork, switching wildly between complete cowardice and pure bravery! They're also CONSTANTLY making traps and mining. Fun fact: Generally speaking, kobolds make long-lasting romantic or platonic relationships, but not sexual. Those are frequent and chosen for practical reasons. So chances are they're going to be very experienced, comes with the turf when you're a classic minion!

On the right, the white dragon! It's a chromatic dragon, so adults are roughly in the 20-80 foot (6-24 m) range. These ones have a sort of primal energy to them, preferring to focus on the thrill of the hunt and simple pleasures like a well decorated home. A bit less intelligent than the average human (adults have a -1 int), but has a perfect memory!

#dnd 5e #smash or pass #dnd #d&d #5e #d&d 5e #kobold #white dragon

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deadsetobsessions · 2 months

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More triplet tim PLEASEE

Aye, aye!

@batman-soup your idea just gives on giving omg what magic are you cooking in your head bc this prompt literally went absolutely crazy in mine

Commissioner Gordon was a decorated veteran of the GCPD, having lasted in the force longer than most without buckling under the pressure and temptation of being a dirty cop. That means he’s seen some shit, and he’s been in some shit. Even when Batman made his debut, even when he had to cover for Bru- ahem, Batman’s fool ass, James Gordon hadn’t even considered stoping in his effort to better the GCPD.

As he blankly stared at Batman, who looked as tired as Gordon felt, and the- not one, not two, but three- Robins following him, Commissioner Gordon seriously considered going down stairs and handing in his letter of resignation on the spot.

“Batman,” he greeted the Dark Knight, in the tone one might use when saying “Batman, what the fuck?!”

“Commissioner Gordon.” Batman said, sounding like he swallowed gravel and spent his nights crying instead of beating up Gotham’s criminal underbelly. “This is… the Robins. They’ve been… switching out until they were all ready.”

“Hey, Mister Gordon!” One of the Robins chirped. Commissioner Gordon pinched himself. Maybe he got micro-dosed with fear toxin? Commissioner Gordon nodded at the Robin who spoke.

“Commissioner Gordon!” The second one smiled at him.

“Commissioner Gordon.” The third one said, shoulders back.

“Have there always been… three of you?” Gordon asked, perplexed.

“You’ve actually all met us before, but don’t worry about it! Whatcha got for us this time?”

“Robin,” Batman growled.

“Yes?” “Yeah?!” “What.”

Commissioner Gordon chugged his coffee, to avoid laughing at Batman’s exasperated demeanor. Privately, he wished the coffee was a strong, black out worthy drink, and that the Robins gave Batman the stress Gordon experienced at Batman’s antics.

“It is important.”

“Yeah, yeah, we got it, B.” Regular Robin, Gordon deemed, waved him off.

“But we’re currently not taking mental health advice from you, you walking therapist’s wet dream.” Serious Robin scoffed.

“So you can stick your opinion where the sun doesn’t shine!” Chirpy Robin said. Gordon had wanted to name him happy Robin, but he’s not getting the feeling of “happiness” from him.

“I will bench you.”

“Try me,” all of them defiantly said at the same time. Gordon smothered a laugh, but by the glare Batman sent him, he wasn’t too successful at hiding it.

Batman visibly gave up, shoulders slumping. “Commissioner Gordon, what do you have for…us.”

“There’s, heh, Penguin’s expansion.” Gordon looked away from Batman’s baleful look, mustache twitching with suppressed laughter.

“He’s expanding his weapons trading.” Regular Robin said. Serious Robin nodded, leaning back on his heels in thought.

“That’s a sign of an upcoming turf war.”

“Red Hood’s part of it! I saw Penguin’s guys lurking around his safe house!”

“Why do you know where his safe house is, Robin?” Gordon might acknowledge that they’re trained vigilantes, but at the end of the day, Robin is still a child that shouldn’t be near a crime lord, especially a highly dangerous and highly trained one like the Red Hood.

“Prank! Don’t worry about it!”

Gordon side-eyed the Bat. When Batman didn’t move to say anything, he shrugged and let it go. There’s only one person more protective of Robin than the rest of Gotham’s non-criminal city, and that’s Batman. Gordon caught the three of them exchanging glances- a whole conversation he and Batman were not privy to- and suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to go home and never leave his bed again.

“You know where he’s staying, Robin?” Batman asked, when the silence got too long.

“Yep!” They chorused, even the serious one. Batman looked like he wanted to step back but held on like his pride was on the line.

“We can handle Penguin.” The serious one stated.

“You can get the goons, Batman!”

“I’ll rob them blind,” regular Robin grinned.

“Dibs on Penguin!”

“I’ll get the weapons.”

Batman sighed.

“Godspeed, Robins.” Gordon told the youngsters. To Batman, before he left, “Good luck.”

Batman grunted and disappeared. It sounded like a tearful thanks. Commissioner Gordon took a puff of his smoking pipe and decided to end the day today. He did not want to deal with the Robins and whatever terror they were about to unleash on Penguin.

——

“Penguuuuuiiiiiiinnnn, where aaaaare youuuu?!” Lionel sang, whacking a goon across the head with a pipe. “Come ooout!”

Archy, gleefully lugging away bags of tech and guns, jerked his head at the left hallway. He wound around the bodies of the unconscious goons Batman beat up. Lionel grinned at him in thanks and, bouncing along, went to beat up the Penguin.

“Robin, that is evidence.” Batman stopped Archy.

“It’s only evidence if it gets logged. Besides, I’m not going to do anything with them… much.”

Batman scowled, remembering the parenting books he devoured after adopting Jason. Be firm.

“You are not going to give them to Hood to help with his turf war.”

“Give me one good reason why.”

Tim, passing the arguing pair, snorted. “C’mon B, at least Hood’s guys will make sure to not use them to hurt kids. Who knows what the GCPD will do with this many guns.”

“And, not to mention, you let me get shot when we fought Dent.” Archy looked up at Batman balefully, rubbing his side. Batman grimaced… but stood aside.

Archy smirked.

“B, help me out with this,” Tim shouted, patting the top of Penguin’s heavy safe. Batman sighed and took out his laser cutter. Or, as Dick named it, Batlaser.

“Batman is supposed to be a symbol,” Batman rumbled.

“Yeah, of vengeance and justice. I’m getting justice for my stolen bat-tech, Robin L is getting vengeance for that one time Penguin kidnapped him, and Robin A is getting… stuff. Now c’mon, I can’t carry all this gold by myself. I gotta loot the goons too!”

“Do not loot the goons.”

“You’re right. If they had cool stuff, they probably wouldn’t be working for Penguin.” Tim brightened as he shuffled through the Penguin’s hoard of treasures. “Oo! Lookit! Tax evasion!”

“… You memorized his tax returns when Oracle hacked it, didn’t you.”

“Obviously. Keep up, old man.” Archy snarked as he walked back in to grab some more stuff. “Hood’s on the way with Nightwing and I want froyo, so chop chop!”

Batman sighed.

——

Penguin huddled against the crate, heart pumping a rhythm of abject terror.

His night had been going so well! He had drinks in one hand, a beauty in another, and the weapons trading game underneath his feet! The Cobblepots were going to rise once more!

Then, the slide of gravel, here and there.

Fear.

A low chuckle. The Bat?

Fear.

The squeal of a hinge.

Fear.

Bubbly laughter. Oh no. Robin.

Batman and Robin had dropped to the floor of the base, knocking his goons out left and right.

“Ge’ your fat nose outta my business, Bats!” He had went to wave his umbrella to send spikes at the pair, only to be stopped cold.

He turned around slowly and … Robin?

“Wha-?”

“Heya, Penguin! Nice seeing you again!”

“Agh!” Blinding pain erupted on his face, nose leaking blood. Penguin stumbled back as the psychotic Robin laughed.

“There’s two Robin! Run!” His goons shouted. “Boss, run!” Cobblepot stumbled away, mentally noting to give that goon a raise, once he could see more than red tinged blurs.

“Wrong. There’s three.” A cold voice sounded out, followed by the quick sounds of bodies dropping. Oswald Cobblepot ran, because he was not meant to deal with more than one Robin. The world was not meant to have more than one, so it definitely wasn’t ready for three.

The door creaked open. Oswald Cobblepot peeked his head out from behind the crate. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw an empty doorway. Maybe he forgot to close it when he ran in.

“Heya, Oswald!”

Penguin looked up, eyes darting from the blood stained pipe and straight into the grinning maw of a Robin.

“… Bollocks.”

#batman #tim drake #that one triplet au #Tim Drake is a triplet AU #triplet Tim Drake #Batman is getting guilt tripped #he knows but also he deserves it #i mean come on #Penguin: I have no fear #lionel existing as Robin: ;)))#Penguin: I have one fear #Archy just straight up sedating a bunch of goons with sleep darts #Batman and Robin Tim were the distractions

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vixensbrainrotts · 7 months

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Tokyo revengers headcanons

Content: Tr headcanons

Content warnings: None I hope, please let me know if there are any!

Vixen's two cents: I’ve been wanting to dump all my headcanons somewhere for a while now so here! I don’t think that these are all, but I’m gonna make a second post about any further headcanons I have. Also, i apologize for not including everyone here, ill make sure to include them next time. I hope you enjoy, and if you do, please tell me about it! Don’t be afraid to send me requests either, I’d love to write most anything (I’m uncreative sometimes)! Oh also, what are some of your headcanons? Do you agree with any of mine? I’ll link the part two once i figure out how to do that lol

(VOLUME II)

Kokonoi who is genuinely so bothered by bugs you won’t believe it. He has to leave the room as soon as he sees the „threat“, and fast.

Izana who curses loudly on Filipino whenever he accidentally hurts himself. You can hear him shout from across the whole house when he bumps himself on a corner.

Chifiyu who has a passion for graffiti. He loves tagging and wild styling and spraying elaborate throwup-styles on walls on Toman turf.

Inui who is colorblind, which is really unfortunate because he has an interest in fashion and styles. He relies on Koko for the greater part, but has recently discovered apps that identify color, which has vastly improved his personal style and allowed him to take on more challenging shades.

The Katawa twins who have an honestly really impressive Pokémon card collection and often play against each other to pass time. The amount they have spent on it is sorta concerning and more often than not stop by the little magazine store to buy another pack to "improve their decks" before gang meetings.

Hakkai who has a distinct dislike for the color orange but keeps finding himself surrounded it. He hates it but the walls in his room are orange. He could puke because his favorite faux-fur-coat is a darker orange. There’s no reasoner doesn’t like the color but something about it makes his skin crawl.

Hanma who is German/Russian and makes sure everyone knows it. He is proud of his heritage and will often use German and Russian idioms when conversating. It’s all fun and games till he starts swearing in his mother tongues during fights, bashing in his opponent’s skulls whilst cursing in a foreign, very aggressive manner.

Nahoya and Souya who work like devils in the kitchen. It’s a perfect tandem in between them, they somehow always know what the other wants and needs. If Nahoya needs a hand in opening the oven, Souya’s doing a 360 no look opening. If Souya’s hands are messy from kneading the dough, Nahoya automatically turns on the tap for hand washing. Twin telepathy is real and they’re the number one proof.

Mucho who can’t do shit in terms of math. You need him busy? Ask him for 7x9 and he’ll be unresponsive for the next 3-5 minutes. It’s really frustrating to him because he genuinely puts in so much effort to understand the formulas, but the numbers simply don’t click in his brain.

Smiley who got the smiley piercing the moment he found out about it. It’s really impressively healed and works so well on his face. Some even say that his smile has gotten wider ever since he got it. He also has a poorly healed nose stud on the left side that he only keeps in for sentimental value. He got it in the seventh grade during school and he got his ass whooped when he came back home with it.

Kisaki who unintentionally practices calligraphy because he writes exclusively in cursive. All of his notebooks look fake because all the letters look identical and everything is evenly spaced. The highlighter girlies in his classes wish death upon him on a daily.

Rindou who’s cracked at Chemistry for no reason. He doesn’t even have to try, it’s like the formulas unfold in front of him and the laws and rules just make sense. He can’t even explain it but ask him anything, and I mean anything he can give you the right answer. Just don’t ask him to be your lab partner. He has a nasty history of breaking test tubes.

Kakucho who knows how to dress. Like really know how to dress. Anywhere, anytime he’s looking like a Pinterest board. He doesn’t really try or occupy himself with things fashion, but he just looks so good and coordinated all the time. He thought it was natural to know what looks good or not, so he’s sometimes a bit perplexed by the things that his peers wear. He tries to be nice when he tells them it doesn’t work, but comes across a little brash because it frustrates him.

Kazutora who has unnaturally sharp canines. Like, it’s kinda scary sometimes because they poke out of his mouth even when it’s closed. He’ll commonly run his tongue over them when he’s bored, poking and prodding at them to check if they’re still sharp. It’s one of the features of his face he really does like.

Mitsuya who gossips like a Girl. He lives for drama and tea (silently) and due to his club being occupied by mostly girls, he’s surrounded by it constantly. The girls talk and talk and talk and he eats it up. The scary part is that he remembers nearly every part of it, so he knows so much. He’ll never share it with anyone but likes to know what’s happening. Sometimes he even correctly predicts scandals due to background knowledge.

Leading from the last one, Mitsuya who has a deep voice. One that rumbles softly when he speaks and sounds like the ocean when he laughs. It’s a killer during after-noon classes when he has to present or read something cause it has such a calming effect. He’s put multiple of his classmates asleep accidentally.

Draken who know just the tiniest bit about sowing from helping out in Mistuya’s workshop. He knows how to close a seam, he knows how to sew a button and he knows how to patch a hole and that’s it. He’s lowkey proud of it though.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo rev x reader #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo rev x you #Tokyo revengers headcanons #headcanon #headcanons #tr headcanons

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bestworstcase · 2 months

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Grimm behavior reassessment thought: y'know that sister training session called on account of Rather Tanky Ursa? Could Ruby & Yang have avoided that fight if they'd known to treat the big lug like careful hikers would an 'ordinary' bear encounter? There were a few 'pause & rear/roar' moments on its part which I guess *could* be read as 'hey stop that' or 'my turf, leave'.

yang’s character short has always interested me bc the ursa was there the whole time they were sparring.

like. yang throws a punch, ruby panic-flies into the bushes and then passes out:

on this screenshot i’ve marked ruby’s approximate path in red and circled the clump of bushes the ursa emerges from (using the logs laid around the perimeter as markers):

note the very dense foliage around the grimm; he’s completely hidden. yang gets concerned when ruby doesn’t respond, startles when she hears a twig snap in the area circled in yellow, this is what she sees:

and then he stands up:

which. ok. he’s a really big guy. there is no way he crept up on them and got that close before making a noticeable sound, and most grimm behave like pursuit predators besides—they wander around in the open and give chase when they come across prey. (although there are exceptions: the pack of apathy at brunswick drag the lamp around a corner and go dark to lie in wait, for example.)

the point is, he’s there, but yang can’t see him until his eyes illuminate because he’s lying down in the bushes. his markings are also ‘off’ and only begin to glow as he stands up.

we’ve seen grimm Do That a couple times:

and we’ve also seen in v8 that just because there don’t seem to be any grimm nearby doesn’t mean they aren’t there:

<- same thing happens in the mine. dozens of centinels pop out of the ground when the geist signals for them to screen his retreat deeper into the mine. which suggests that grimm may spend a lot of time… not hunting. unseen, hidden just under the surface or in the densest thickets, crevices, whatever. and no one knows because when grimm aren’t on the hunt they don’t attack unless provoked.

the big guy was just There! taking a nap! and he didn’t aggro until yang got spooked by ruby’s silence.

he also doesn’t seem to be all that interested in attacking after his initial charge and swipe; he knocks yang across the clearing and then turns away, until yang shoots him again:

i do think it’s really interesting that WOR: grimm implies that grimm are most strongly drawn by violence, not negativity per se: “what is perhaps even more unsettling is the basis of their attraction,” and the accompanying image is

a person killing another person with a rock.

i think—much more so than real animals—grimm are kind of emotional mirrors, in that they reflect the energy they’re shown. one thing that stands out to me about both salem and cinder is that while there is obviously an element of magic or kinship or both behind their influence over the grimm, from both of them we see these occasional moments of tenderness toward the grimm; cinder’s very gentle and soothing “shh, this is your home now” when she calms the wyvern, and the way salem softens when she caresses the goliath’s face in the v6 stinger:

and i wonder if there isn’t a meaningful correlation there. the two characters in the story who demonstrably have the ability to communicate and work with grimm are also the two characters who, in private moments when no one else is around to see, choose to be gentle with these creatures. is salem able to command grimm the way she does by magical compulsion or is she their leader, as raven put it, whom they follow because she’s kind to them and protects them.

#the ursa in the jaundice arc does something similar…#it swats cardin’s mace away and tosses him around a little but it’s not rly #attacking. it’s more investigatory behavior. like it’s curious #until jaune attacks it and attacks back #mirroring!

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rainybubbles · 2 months

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Silent- Gaz x plus size reader

Summary : Finding a way to relieve the stress of work in a DnD discord, Gaz meets Silent. A player whose microphone is always turned off, using chat only. Maybe he'll find a way to break the silence with them and finds why their mic is off…

(Sorry in advance, English is not my first language, so sorry if it's bad or OOC.)

-TW social anxiety.

-"What a quiet kid you've got there. I wish mine was as calm at home."

-"Oh, you know, they're pretty mature for their age."

-The laughter faded into distant murmurs as I glanced over at the other kids.

-Yelling, chasing, breaking a vase or two—my eyes couldn't look away from them.

-They seemed to inhabit a world entirely different from mine.

-A world where scraping by at month's end, nightly dinners, locking up the house, solo bus rides, laundry routines, and helping siblings with homework simply didn't exist.

-Because, after all, they were just eight years old.

- But so was I…

-So why didn't I have the right to have fun, yell, chat, ask for sweets, act immature, or doodle on walls?

- My hand reached out briefly, hoping for a connection, but my mom's glance quickly reminded me to stay put…

-Being silent seemed to be the key to earning praise and keeping peace.

-So, I stifled that urge, withdrawing into myself, standing alone behind her legs, engulfed in a heavy silence.

____________

"Silent, huh?"

-My gaze drifted slowly to the chat.

-"Yeah, dude, they're usually a regular on Thursdays. Never says a word, their mic's busted, can't afford to fix it," one of the guys responded.

-The tone carried a hint of disdain.

-I felt out of place.

-Yet, I stayed put, unable to leave the server.

-It was the only place where I felt I could express myself.

-Through words, carefully chosen, controlled, retyped, erased, and sculpted to bring a story to life—a space where my imagination, so often overlooked, could finally roam free.

-By chance, I'd become enamored with Dungeons and Dragons.

- The only snag, of course, was the void in my social life.

-So, like figuring out how long it takes to cook broccoli, I scoured the internet.

- Discord groups organized sessions. I panicked at the sound of mics, voices.

- What would they think of me? What should I say? What could I do? And then someone asked if my mic was broken.

- Ever since, I'd stayed that way, and the nickname Silent stuck.

"Hi Silent, then :) I'm Kyle aka Gaz."

-Usually, I ignored introductions.

- People interested me little, their characters were the interesting ones.

-However, Gaz hadn't spoken those words aloud.

- He had written them. It was stupid honestly, but few people wrote back to me, few people responded to me in writing.

-Everything was done orally.

-Suddenly, someone was on my turf, reaching out.

-The campaign proceeded as usual.

-My thoughts were focused on my actions, the dice rolls, and the resulting outcomes.

- Yet occasionally, I let my eyes wander over Gaz's profile.

________________

-"Hello guys, I don't know if I've played with some of you before or not. "

-"Don't worry, we accept everyone. The days are rarely fixed."

-Gaz was back. It was Friday. It was my favorite group, the game master Ylias really managed to transport you.

-"Well, I'll start then-"

-Ylias started rambling, I followed the story when I noticed a notification in the discord. My finger brushed it, and then ignored it.

-What would he think if I clicked now? that I'm a friendless attention-seeker? But if I wait, they'll think I don't care about the campaign?

-So I waited 5 minutes, trying to find the right balance between the two.

-"Hey, Silent. I missed a campaign without you, the others keep on rambling about their athletics, last time I even had a guy mimicking a goblin with his mic, I'm glad to see you back in text :) !!!"

-Pressure flooded over me. What should I reply? A heart? Thanks? Ignore it? Tell him he's nice too?

-"Thanks."

-Too cold, too short. I thought it wrong, I should delete it, rephrase it, add a smiley, make it warmer, he must think I'm a monster.

-"I think we should try opening the door, are you coming with me? I don’t feel like going into the forest with the rest of the team."

-Oh. Usually in campaigns, I go with the flow, I heal and stay in the background. I never-

-"You need a score of 13 for that, folks". Ylias said.

-"Come on, Silent, roll the dice." Gaz replied

-Nervously, my mouse hovered over the virtual dice. With a score of 15 showing, I heard Gaz's laughter.

-"I knew we had to do it! Let’s go, plus with your stealth, impossible to get spotted. "

-"We'll see about that." Ylias replied, laughing.

-And just like that, Gaz made me smile. It was probably one of the worst campaigns, but it was the first where I could finally choose my actions.

__________________________

-"Back again :) ?"

-" Yes."

-Dry, too dry.

-"I was waiting for you. "Gaz replied.

-" Why? "

-"I don’t want to play a campaign without you, you bring me luck."

-" I'm not sure about that. "

-"Yes. I tried a campaign with colleagues, we died blowing up. "

-"Probably because of your colleagues. "

-"Okay, maybe my colleague set fire to a mystery barrel. But it was their first campaign. "

-"You're recruiting? "

-"Introducing them. He's trying to quit smoking, and I thought DnD could occupy his free time."

-I stopped myself.

-Curiosity, imagination, everything overwhelmed me.

-What was it like to be close to colleagues like this, to freely discuss your passions, to laugh…

-"And then?"

-" It's not his thing, he's more into action. "

-"I see. "

-"It's not for everyone. "

-"Is it your thing? "

-"What? "

-"To let off steam? If your colleague needs it, so do you, right?"

-Stupid. Too personal a question. Invasive.

-"Yes. It allows me not to think, to be someone else."

-" Me too."

-" Plus, being an elf is great."

-" You say that because I am one."

-" Maybe. "

-"Thank you. "

-"For? "

-"Talking in chat. People usually ignore me outside of campaigns, they don't respond by text."

-" They ignore the sexiest elf?"

-" There's no image, you don't know what I look like"

-". Hm, exactly! I imagine your elf tall, muscular like the Rock, hair like Gordon Ramsay's, and maybe makeup like Ru Paul's."

-" I'm not sure about the result. "

-"Sexy."

-I snorted at my screen.

-"Ok."

-" How do you imagine me? "

-"Your wizard? "

-"Yes. "

-"With long hair, maybe dreadlocks, white eyes, and a smile. "

-"A smile?"

-" Your voice sounds soothing. "

-"Really? "

-"Yes, sorry, it's weird to say that, I shouldn't have."

-" No. No. I've never been told that, I was just surprised, that's all."

-" I see. "

-"So, a sexy elf and a smiling mage.

-"Sounds like the beginning of a weird porno."

-He responded with a meme.

_________________________

-"So, what do we decide, Silent? Honestly, I don't want to raid the goblin but the vampire to face, I'm sure the score will be high." Gaz asked through his mic

-"It's your choice, not mine."

-"they're right, Gaz, this one's all on you," Ylias said.

-"Can't I even ask for help?"

-"Score of 15 in insight to spot an ally." Ylias announced.

-Gaz scored a 10. No one addressed me throughout the campaign.

________________________

-"Back, Gaz?" someone said.

-Three weeks of radio silence.

-My mind had been looping, wondering if my refusal to break the rules had driven him to find a more interesting group, a more exciting duo.

-But there he stood, his username glowing green.

-"Yeah, I finally got some days off."

-"Good for you, man."

-"So spill, I see some new names and all!"

-Strangely, his voice had become grating to me. I didn't understand why, so before he could reach me, I disconnected.

- Alone in my apartment, I held my knees to my chest.

-Why am I reacting like this? He's entitled to a life, damn it.

-I fet like he...gave me up.

-Shit it's stupid.

-I didn't understand. I tried to calm myself, but the deafening silence of my apartment seemed to slowly engulf me, and before I knew it, I found myself in a new spiral of anxiety.

____________________________

-There were no campaigns. I just liked reading. Reading what had happened. Living vicariously, imagining their voices, their reactions.

-"hey :)"

-The off-campaign tab was blinking.

-He was addressing me, I knew it, I was the only one online with him.

-My thumb grazed the notification, but I ended up entering the chat.

-"hey."

The period was too harsh, too dry.

-"It's been a while! Something happened?"

-"Work." I answered.

-That's a lie.

- But lying is like oxygen, it's easy to come up with excuses to avoid others.

-But harder to let go of it to face the potential risks of social suffocation.

-"I know quite a bit, just got back from mine."

-"At 1 am?"

-"Yep."

-"Cook?"

"Soldier."

-A shiver ran through me. Uniforms had never been positive in my life.

- As the long seconds passed, I hesitated.

-"Not a fan?" Gaz asked.

-"You could say that."

-"Military family?"he asked.

-"yes."

-"I see."

-"Sorry, that's stupid."

-"No, I understand, I mean, we all have red flags." He said.

-"It's not a red flag."

-"You'd been quiet for 5 minutes."

-"With everyone." I answered.

-"Everyone?"

-"I'm not the best at socializing."

-"Really? Yet when you blew up a castle instead of talking to the princess in a campaign, it seemed normal to me." He joked.

-A laugh escaped.

-"And you?" he asked.

-"Me?"

-"Your job?"

-"Proofreader."

-"For books?"

-"Yes, I read, annotate, and correct."

-"No humans."

-"Exactly."

-"Would you like to add me? I'm not super comfortable with everyone seeing this."

-"Why?"

-Stupid. I should have accepted without questioning.

-"To prevent everyone from knowing the secrets of the sexiest elf on the discord."

-Always there to catch my blunders.

-I accepted it even though suddenly there was added pressure, what to say when there's a pause?

_____________

-"A dragon arrives and—"

-My eyes glanced at my notifications. Kyle was in the campaign but—

-"The narration is terrible, isn't it? The guy has been stuck on the dragon for thirty minutes while Théis killed it."

-He was writing to me. Like someone whispering in your ear during class.

-"Yes, Roxanne is a beginner, but she'll get there."

-"So kind."

-"Not really, one day I insulted a game master."

-"Oooh, a gangster among us?"

-"Never, besides, you'd arrest me, wouldn't you?"

-The ellipses seemed to linger.

-"I wouldn't mind."

-Oh.

-"I don't want to end up in a secret government cave."

-"Caves are old school, we have containers now."

-"I don't know if you're joking."

-"Classified."

-"Gaz…"

-"I'll keep the secret, I think you won't have a choice but to be arrested by me someday."

-"… it won't happen."

-"Why?"

-"I haven't committed any crimes."

-"Not even indecent exposure? I thought you were 45 years old and hiding in bushes naked."

-"For that, I'd have to leave my house."

-"Quite the homebody?"

-"You could say."

-"I'm the same, I don't like going out much."

-It's different. I didn't know what to add, so I let him continue the conversation.

-----------------------------

-"Still into your nerd stuff?"

-Gaz looked up at Soap.

-"It's not nerd stuff." Gaz said.

-"Dragon, princess, elf, discord all mixed together. It's nerd stuff. "Ghost replied

-"Dressing up as a skeleton at Hot Topic too, L.t."

-"Ooh, I wouldn't have liked that. "Soap laughed. "But seriously, don't you think about doing it for real? I mean, gathering around a table."

-"They think about it, but we all live in different parts of the world."

-But it would be amazing. Maybe he could even hear Silent's voice, see them…

-"Hm." Johnny said with a smirk

-"What?"

-"It sounds like you have someone in mind."

-"I don't have anyone in mind."

-"Not even an elf you get along with, Garrick?" Ghost retorted

-"I- we're a duo, it

-"It's different."

-"I mean it, we just get along."

-"So if you check discord in a military bar at 11 p.m., it's not to reply to him second by second?"

-"Shut up," Gaz said as the two laughed.

__________________________

-"You're not participating anymore?"

-I ignored his message.

-Three months.

-Three long months of descent, of confinement, of discomfort, of crises.

-Everything was too much.

-Crowds, outside, errands, people.

-My lungs constricted at the thought of meeting someone's gaze. My eyes avoided every contact. My lips were dry from lack of words.

-"I admit that campaigns suck without you," he had written.

-That was two weeks ago.

-"I refused to play with Théo, he wanted to take your place," he had sent.

-That was three months ago.

-"The office GIF."

-Three weeks.

-He… Gaz had never stopped.

-No matter the views, the winds, his boldness didn't stop.

-I was confused.

-Usually, people quit after a month.

-They had better things to do, and I understood. The burden of my social anxiety was mine and shouldn't inconvenience them.

-So why was Gaz standing there carrying this burden unknowingly? Coming back every day, bearing a heavier load…

-"hey."

-Three letters.

-Too short.

-Too dry.

-"Sorry." I continued.

-For what?

-I didn't deserve his forgiveness, I knew it.

-"Glad to see you're back :)" he replied.

-A tear rolled down my cheek.

-"thank you." I replied by text.

-For staying.

-For not asking questions.

-For welcoming me.

______________

-"Sorry, I was at the hospital, do you think I can join the campaign or not?" he had sent.

-My eyebrows raised.

-"No. Wait, you're just out of the hospital and your concern is DnD?"

-"I should really stay by my favorite elf's side."

-"Gaz, seriously, are you okay?"

-"Fractured ribs."

-"Ouch."

-"Broken arm."

-"Wait, what—"

-"And a bullet in the thigh."

-"Wtf."

-"But I'm fine."

-"No."

-"I assure you, I've had worse."

-"And???? You need to rest, not focus on rolling dice to defeat Mindflyers."

-"…but I have no distractions."

-"I'm here."

-"You're in the campaign."

-"No."

-"Wait, what—"

-"I- I saw you were absent so I didn't…join that one."

-"But you only play on that day."

-"I know. But it's not the same without you."

-I didn't know he was currently smiling like an idiot.

-"Thanks, Silent."

-"No worries. Besides, I was also coming out of the hospital."

-"WHAT?! Why didn't you start with that?!"

-"It's ridiculous."

-"No, are you okay?"

-"It's awkward."

-"Oh, serious awkward or-?"

-"No, I'm used to it. I- I took the tram and I couldn't handle it, the crowd was too big, I passed out inconveniencing a hundred people, embarrassing."

-"That's not embarrassing."

-"Yes, I made people late, Gaz."

-"And??? It was for your health."

-"No, I should've known I couldn't handle taking the tram. It's been two years since I couldn't do it, I shouldn't have tried again."

-"Two years?"

-Shit. I said too much.

-"Forget that."

-"Wait, no. You help distract me when I'm on base, I can listen to you in return :)! "

-"There's nothing to say, I don't handle social stuff, that's all."

-"So, your mic, that's it?"

-"Yes."

-"My sister has it too."

-"Has what?"

-"Social anxiety."

-"I see."

-"I know it's different for everyone, but don't give up. Honestly, it's a huge step, right? Taking the tram after two years. Surely you wouldn't succeed all at once, I mean it's like rolling a 20-sided die hoping for a 35."

-I snorted.

-"Nerd."

-"You're a nerd too, Silent."

-"yes, I- I just thought I could succeed, tell myself I could do it."

-"You did it."

-"I passed out."

-"So what? next time can't be worse."

-"Yes, if I have another one."

-"Then you'll have another one, I'm sure you'll manage. Look, I can even show you a tutorial."

-I furrowed my brows and saw a video. A man in an apartment, a cast on one arm, his face cut off from the frame.

-"Quick tutorial for falling on a tram. So lesson 1, stand next to a tall person. We want a good pillow when we fall, so tall people are perfect. Then manage the fall. Fall on the person, not forward. We want to avoid a bloody nose. Especially if there are vampires on the horizon." Gaz said in the video.

-He lay on the ground pretending to fall.

-"Step three, play dead to see sexy firefighters and avoid stares, and step 4 get taken home while flexing in the truck."

-I snorted.

-"Wow, thanks for the tutorial."

-"I know, I know. Passing out pro here."

-"Do you often fall on fridges?"

-"Hm, considering the build of my colleagues, you could say that."

-"Are they as tall and wide as a fridge?"

-"My L.T. yes. With Soap, we even thought he was an android, I mean it's not human to be that built."

-"You look fit too."

-"Oh, a compliment?"

-"Gaz, I-"

-"But yes, honestly, I try to do his routine but I think his genetics play a big part."

-"Shame, no Fridge Gaz then."

-"No, you'll have to settle for Normal Gaz."

-A smile slowly spread across my face.

-"Thanks for the video, it was funny."

-"You're welcome. Plus, if I can flex with my favorite elf."

-"I'm not an elf."

-"Nothing proves me wrong."

-"Gaaaaaazzzz"

____________________________

-"Who are you posing for? "

-"No one."

-" So shirtless, sunlight, flexed arms for no one? Damn, don't tell me it's for your mom. "

-"SOAP!"

-" I'm just asking, man."

-" It's for Silent. "

-"Oh, your magical voiceless elf."

-" It's not— "

-"Yes, yes, not a magical elf, I know, no need to give me another DnD lecture."

-Gaz sighed.

-His selfie was good.

-Shirtless, in the sand, sun rising.

-He looked good.

-But he was nervous.

-What if it was too much?

-After all, this little game of sending each other sunrises or sunsets had started by chance.

-Silent had told him the view was beautiful and sent him a sunset from their window.

-Gaz replied with one from Las Almas, and eventually whenever he went to a new country, he would send a photo.

-But now… maybe it was too much?

-Sending his face.

-Price would kill him.

-But he wanted to progress the relationship.

-Maybe his face could appeal to Silent, they would send him a voice note or even a selfie back?

-"Is this too much? "

-"Hm? "Soap asked confused.

-"This photo, is it too much? "

-"For a thirst trap?"

-" To say hello."

-" It depends on the hello. "

-"Hello as in "I'm showing you my face for the first time." "

-"Oh, maybe. I thought it was a "hello, did you sleep well because look what I could bring to your bed" kind of thing. …But if I received this photo, I'd be happy. "

-"Soap. "

-"I mean, man, you're handsome."

-" Soap. "

-"Plus, who would say no to your abs? "

-"No need to- you know what, I'll send it. "

-"Also, you—"

-Gaz ignored him and sent it.

-Damn, he hoped everything would be fine.

________________________

-Beautiful.

-Too beautiful.

-My eyes scanned that smile not knowing what to do.

- How could someone like that end up playing DnD?

-I closed the conversation.

-I am…. Out of his league.

-So much.

-I could barely bring myself to look at my mirror.

-I knew what I would see there.

- My rolls, my thighs, my stretch marks, my horrible hair, this disproportionate face.

-I'm not ugly.

- But I'm not…I'm not like him

-. I'm the second choice, I'm aware of that.

-I don't get free compliments.

- Nobody turns back to look at me. I'm just…there.

-And him.

- He seemed so radiant, so kind. Damn, I wasted his time.

__________________________

-"So? " Soap asked

-"It's been two weeks with no response."

-" Ouch. "

-"It's not— Sometimes it happens, I think they are doubting."

-" Doubting what? "

-"Themselves. They…before every message, they take 5 minutes to rewrite it, every syllable is thought out and then I send this out of nowhere, I didn't handle it well."

-" You couldn't have known, Kyle. "

-"Yes. YES, I could and I messed up. They told me about their anxiety and then I send them a half-naked photo when I've never even heard their voice. "

-"Try to talk to them then. hmph."

_____________________

-"hey."

-My eyes hesitated.

-"hey." I finally replied

-" For the selfie, I can explain. "

-"No, I- it's not your fault."

-" Yes, honestly, I screwed up" he texted back

-". No, I've been looping again. "

-"You- "

-"seeing you, it was…good, really, but too good." I answered.

-" Too good?"

-"I feel- Illegitimate to talk to you. "

-"what- "

-"You're so- beautiful, and smiling and nice, and the only thing I do is disappear for days and turn up out of the blue. I-"

-" And it's okay, we talked about it." he said.

-" But you deserve better as friends."

-" I decide what I deserve, Silent. And no one beats you. "

-"…I- I don't know what to say. "

-"Send me your sunset :) I haven't had mine."

-Damn. A tear rolled down and I took my phone and sent my sunset. How can someone be so adorable?

-"Perfect." he replied

_________________

-He had continued to send his face on the sunsets. It was stupid, but I waited every time he could and I rewatched them.

-However, it had been three months of silence. I wasn't worried, he was probably on a mission somewhere.

-By a stroke of courage, I had put my phone down to take a photo with the sunset.

-He wouldn't see it. I would delete it.

-But for a moment, I felt beautiful. The sunlight on me warmed me, my outfit was cute, my curves were beautiful.

-I sent it. I would delete it tomorrow. After all, Kyle had said it could last four months.

___________

-"Hey, everything alright, mate?"

-"They're amazing."

-"Lasswell or tony ? For Lasswell of course, why do you think her wife is—"

-"Look."

-Soap raised an eyebrow and glanced at Kyle's phone.

-"Oh, oh."

-Kyle couldn't tear his eyes away from his screen

-. During the mission return, he had picked up his phone and seen a notification. Clicking out of habit, he saw it.

-their smile, their hair, their body. My god.

-"Lucky bastard." Soap said.

-They were perfect. And their belly, their hips, everything was beautiful. Kyle had always preferred curvy people, it was a fact.

-Sure, he had imagined that silently they could be one, but the fact that it was true… It filled his heart with joy.

-"They… damn. "he murmured, zooming in on every detail.

-Mole or freckle, he observed every pixel.

_____________________

-"So the elf wasn't the only one sexy." he texted.

-I raised an eyebrow at the notification as I woke up.

-"Hm?"

-"The photo. "he replied.

-Oh fuck.

-"You saw it?"

-"Yes, I shouldn't have?"

-"I thought of deleting it before, I—"

-"Oh."

-"But did you like it?"

-"Yes. you— I— honestly, I can't stop looking at it. you look radiant."

-He was lying. -No?

-"And that outfit is amazing on you, really."

-It hugs everything, why… why is he complimenting that?

-Usually, people say "those jeans make you look thinner than you are" "you look better in loose clothes" "hide your rolls".

-"Thank you."

-" I have to admit I'm so relieved. I mean if you ended up being a 40-year-old, I wouldn't have been so confident I think."

-"Oh really, wrinkles and gray hair aren't your thing?"

-"No, I'm more into curves and people my age."

-"Damn, I was about to confess that I was 70 years old". I joked.

-"I can make exceptions, but only for elves."

-"I'm lucky then."

-"Very. I— I hope to have more, or occasionally."

-"Of?"

-"Photos of you, it's more beautiful than a sunset."

"-oh."

-A warmth spread to my cheeks, a smile settling in.

-"ok."

-"ok?"

-"Okay."

___________________

-"Do you think I'll hear your voice someday?"

-It was late, or early for him and late for me.

-"I don't know."

-showing my face in a photo…

-I could control that, take back the photo, delete it, edit it. But talking…

-Talking is taking up space.

-"I imagine it smooth."

-"My voice?"

-"Hm, like a stream, it rocks slowly."

-"I might have a smoker's voice."

-"That would suit you too."

-"Maybe one day then."

-"I'm looking forward to that."

_____________________

-Those were the last words sent from him.

-No more contact.

-His absence wasn't due to missions, he had confessed to me that he was off the day before.

-So he had decided to stop.

-I tried to find excuses, before accepting the reality of it.

-Days passed and I hoped he would come back.

-Maybe he was like me, needing time to recover.

-Maybe he was hurt.

-Everything was silent.

-When four months had finally passed, I understood.

-He had grown tired of the silence. I held back a sob and closed the discussion.

-A stab wound would have been better I think.

-To ease the constant pain and intense questions in my mind.

-What had I done wrong? Was I too much? Did I ask the wrong question? Should I have kept quiet?

-Everything was spinning and I finally closed the app. damn.

_____________________________

-My feet led me to the publishing house.

-Today I had to make the final corrections for Madame Lasswell before her vacation with her wife Kate.

-Hesitant, I knocked on her door.

-An "enter" was heard and I entered the already crowded room.

- A mustached man in a beanie, a masked man, a mullet, Kate, and Gaz were watching me.

-My eyes betrayed my surprise at his presence. What was he doing here? Why now? How should I react?

-"Y/n, sorry for the crowd. I guess you have it."

-"Yes ma'am."

-My voice barely above a whisper was usual for Jocelyn. I handed her the manuscripts.

-"We're going to drink at the bar downstairs, do you want to come?"

-Come? To a crowded place, surrounded by drunk people, constant noise, blinding lights with the icing on the cake being a guy who blew me off for the year?

-"No, I'm busy tonight, sorry."

-"No problem."

-Slowly my heels turned, I took the elevator but I heard footsteps. Kyle was with me.

-"I was on a mission."

-"hm."

-"I know I told you no, but he… there were quite a few problems and I had to leave, I didn't have time to warn you, it dragged on, Ghost broke my phone by sitting on it with his stupid hard ass, and we just got back from the airport actually. Lasswell, Kate finally— she works with us so that's why I'm here"

-A silence stretched, he took a breath.

-"you didn't have to explain… I mean after the word mission, I understood I was wrong."

-"I wanted to be clear."

-"I should have asked and sent you messages."

-"No, it's okay, it must have seemed suspicious. I ask for your voice, you say no, and I disappear. The conclusion was logical."

-"but it wasn't the right one."

-"It's okay, we're here, aren't we?"

-"yes."

-The elevator rang, the door opened. Hesitant, I watched him.

-"I love it." -"hm?"

-"your voice."

-"Oh."

-"I… you're really busy tonight or…"

-"No, I just don't like…"

-"The crowd."he guessed

-"Hm."

-"I— I can invite you for dinner? At my place, we'll grab takeout, no crowds, no one to see us."

-"That sounds like the pitch of a serial killer."

-He widened his eyes. I snorted.

-"Okay, you got me." he chuckled.

-" At your place sounds good. Better than a restaurant." I admitted.

-"Cool, so…"

-"Shall we go then, yes". I murmured as he finally released the elevator button and we stepped out of the elevator.

_________________

-At his place, everything was calm.

-Not me.

-How should I stand? Too close? Too far? What to talk about? And what if I'm boring in the end? What to order? Does he like seafood or is he allergic? My eyes focused on every detail and…

-Everything's fine.

-His hand on mine, he took the initiative for the restaurant to order, asking me my preferences, and we waited for the delivery guy.

-Slowly, he asked questions about my work. I mastered it.

-And slowly everything unfolded naturally.

-Sitting on his couch, his hand not letting go of mine, he drew circles with his thumb while talking.

-I liked that. In groups, I liked… listening.

-People like to talk about themselves and I like listening to that, not participating, and Gaz understood that in such an impressive way.

-Occasionally, he asked questions in return, gauging my desire to speak, I answered and this back and forth held until the food arrived.

-Maybe everything would turn out for the best.

-Standing in front of his door, I didn't know what to add to this evening.

-A not-so-stranger, three years of virtual chat and now I was unable to figure out the right goodbye on his doorstep.

-Hesitant, we observed each other.

-"I hope we'll do this again."

-"Yes. "I replied.

-He stepped forward.

-I remained still, his face close to mine. -Kiss? Cheek? Goodbye? Whisper? -Which action would he choose? -I wished for a dice to decide, a title, or a "Gaz approves".

-"May I?"

-Oh. -I nodded. -His hands on my hips, he placed a brief kiss on my lips. -"I'm glad we managed to break the silence." -"me too."

-Perhaps, after all, I wouldn't return to my solitary silence tonight. His hands guiding me back to his apartment and the door closing behind us.

-I could easily guess that a die had just been thrown for a long evening and we both seemed to have the right score.

If you want more my COD Masterlist

#cod x reader #kyle gaz garrick x reader #gaz x reader #kyle garrick x reader #kyle gaz garrick x plus size reader #cod x plus size reader

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coreene · 5 months

Text

Gonna leave one more for my boy Gorty and add the others i find interesting to my que so I don't spam you guys.

This is his invitation through the Steel Watch guard:

Steel Watcher: Greetings, old friend. Orin told me you were on your way here, but I scarcely believed it. Welcome back to Baldur's Gate - welcome home. devnote: voice only, no mocap. Voice coming from Steel Watcher. warm

This is the greeting for Dark Urge. The devnote is same in both sentences.

Gonna put the rest under the cut because it's gonna be long.

Steel Watcher: My most esteemed guest, we meet at last. I am Lord Enver Gortash. You are the Prism-bearer, slayer of the dread General Ketheric Thorm. devnote: Polite, formal, smug

Steel Watcher: I welcome you to Baldur's Gate. My city. devnote: a warm welcome, with an edge of warning on 'my city'. As in this place is mine, don't step out of line.

This was the welcome now the following are the answers player can choose and Gortash's responses to them:

1 (if it is Karlach)

Player: Your city? Gortash, you fuck. Steel Watcher: By the Black Hand - I'd recognise that voice anywhere. Karlach! It's been an eternity. devnote: surprised and seemingly delighted

Player: This city will never be yours. Steel Watcher: It already is. Granted, there are a few formalities to complete, but... well, why don't you come and see? devnote: smug

Player: A pleasure to meet you. Could we talk face-to-face? Steel Watcher: Of course, of course. My Steel Watchers are rather adept at keeping the peace, but not entirely suitable for polite conversation. devnote: apologetic, but still extremely pleased with himself and the virtues of his 'steel watch'.

Player: I'm going to find you, and I'm going to kill you. Steel Watcher: I admire your audacity... but it'll be the death of you. Ketheric had an army of corpses and a crumbling tower. I have a city and an army of steel. devnote: genuine on first phrase, but the threat/warning on the latter phrase is much more serious than any admiration Steel Watcher: It would be better for us both to resolve our differences amicably, and I have the perfect venue for a face-to-face meeting. devnote: reasonable

And this is the end of the conversation:

Steel Watcher: Allow me to formally invite you to my inauguration. Make your way to the ceremonial hall. devnote: smug, but the invitation is genuine. This is no trap.

That last note made me realize that if he wanted - he could have easily attack the player at his inauguration. He kills a bunch of patriars after that so he clearly doesn't give a fuck about making a scene about that.

It is his turf, filled with traps - he has the absolute advantage. So why doesn't he just do that? Why does he offer an alliance? Only to get Tav to kill Orin? He is such a confusing and complex villain.

#Gortash #Enver Gortash #bg3 Gortash #Lord Enver Gortash #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 devnotes

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abyssalshriek · 16 days

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I'm tired so I'm going to share a random Agent 24 headcanon of mine (there's Pearlina in the background/premise).

When the bouquet toss happens at Pearl and Marina's wedding, Captain 3 super jumps to be the one to catch it. They then realize, a bit embarrassed, that all eyes are on them as they just did that in front of everyone.

Pearl leans over to Eight and tells her, "Yo, now would be like, the funniest time to propose."

And so she does. The Captain says yes, but laments that, not planning to propose at someone else's wedding (because that is normally considered very very rude), they left their own ring for Eight at home.

Anyway, after that, Pearl and Marina announce they have some planes ready to fly the guests to a Shifty Station for a couple Turf War matches. Someone says that sounds excessively expensive, to which Pearl responds, "Eh, it was just a couple billion g."

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bornonthesavage · 1 year

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Tell Me "Don't", So I Can Crawl Back In Part 7

Part 6 Part 8 Read on AO3

By the time Steve pulled up outside the dingy bar on the outskirts of town, the nerves he’d been forcefully suppressing for the last few days showed up in full force. Because no matter how many times he told himself this wasn’t a big deal, it was. This was Eddie’s home turf, a place he spent his time with friends. So Steve being here meant something. Right?

Eddie had invited him, which meant he wanted him there. Unless, of course, he’d only done it because he felt bad. Poor Steve, fallen from grace and begging for friends. No. Steve had to believe that this was genuine. It was the only way this friendship was going to work.

He looked at himself in the mirror once more. His hair was perfect, of course, but that didn’t stop him from running his fingers through it once more. It had taken hours to pick an outfit. Nothing had seemed right for the occasion. He wasn’t like, a rocker or whatever. For a brief moment, he had considered actually going out and buying an entirely new outfit for this occasion. But he’d quickly brushed that thought off. Instead, he’d found a black V-neck t-shirt that he’d bought two years ago. It was too small now, a little tight across the chest and arms, but he still thought he looked good in it. Paired with his brown leather jacket and best pair of Levi’s? Yeah, he was killing it.

There was no bouncer at the door when Steve walked in, which was only mildly surprising. The places wasn’t as dead as he’d expected it to be for a Wednesday night. There were around a dozen people spread out around the room and lining the bar. As he walked further inside he spotted the rest of Hellfire club. Or at least, the one’s who weren’t in the band, which left only Josie, Mic, and Todd. All three were leaned together in conversation when Steve approached.

“Hey guys!”

They jumped apart, eyes snapping up to look at Steve. Had Eddie not told them he’d be coming? Josie was the first to recover.

“Oh, uh, hey Steve. We didn’t think you’d actually show up.”

He dropped down into the chair beside her. “What? Why not?”

Mic shrugged. “This isn’t your scene, is it?”

Steve looked around, taking in the dingy carpet and stale smell of cigarettes. “Honestly? No, not really. But still, I wasn’t going to not come.”

Todd raised an eyebrow and leaned forward on his elbow. “Why not?”

“For the same reason you’re here,” Steve said, looking up at the makeshift stage. “Eddie.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the others all exchange looks. When he glanced back at them, Josie was eyeing him up curiously.

“So, you’ve been hanging out with Eddie a lot recently, huh?””

Steve titled his head back and forth. “I mean, I wouldn’t say ‘a lot’. We got dinner together last week and then I gave him a ride home over the weekend. But yeah, we’re hanging. I’m not sure if he considers me his friend yet, but I’d say he’s mine.”

Todd snorted and shared a conspiratorial look with Mic. “Oh, I’d say Eddie wants to be your friend all right.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot up. Had Eddie talked about him with the rest of his friends? Had he told them something? He wanted to ask, but also, he probably shouldn’t. Right? That was something he should trust Eddie to tell him himself. Boundaries, and all that shit. Before he could think about it anymore, the curtain behind the stage was pulled back and Corroded Coffin appeared.

Eddie was the first to step out, and Steve’s brain had to do a double take when he saw him. Eddie had squeezed himself into the tightest pair of ripped black jeans Steve had ever seen. It looked like he’d cut the sides out of the band shirt he wore, leaving it open and flowing on the sides. Pair that with the black eyeliner and the way Eddie had pulled his curls up into a bun on the top of his head? Steve had never before thought of another guy as hot, but, yeah. That’s what this was. Eddie looked hot. And with his guitar slung low on his hips? Jesus.

Steve licked his lips and tried to focus as Eddie gripped the microphone. “Good evening to all you fine gents and dapper ladies at the Hideout tonight! You’re all looking splendid and we’re thrill that you’ve decided to spend your precious nights off from the local brothel with little old us. We’re Corroded Coffin, but if you didn’t already know that, where the hell have you been?”

They received a smattering of applause from around the bar, though none so loud as from Steve’s table. Eddie turned toward them, and when his eyes landed on Steve they went wide. Steve wasn’t sure why he would look surprised, considering he’d said he would be here. But it was fine. They were building trust. The shock only lasted a second, as Eddie’s face shifted into one of wicked delight.

“We have a few new faces in here tonight, and we look forward to thoroughly melting them with our killer riffs. Let’s go!”

They immediately began in on a song that was a little heavy for Steve’s tastes, but he could at least appreciate how they played. He could especially appreciate how Eddie played. God, it looked like he was trying to make love to his guitar with the way he thrust his hips. It was damn near pornographic. And the way he sang? Yeah, Steve could get used to hearing more of that. Eddie’s singing voice was a little deeper than when he spoke, and there was a bit of a raspy tone to it that was pleasing to the ears.

As they continued playing, Steve got a little lost in it as he leaned forward with his elbows. As Eddie sang, he would periodically glance over in Steve’s direction. He would also look away as soon as their eyes met. Which was fine. It gave Steve more time to appreciate the whole performance. It was magnetic, the way Eddie lit up on stage as if he were meant to be there. And Steve could see it. Years down the line, Eddie performing for sold out shows in giant venues with thousands of people screaming his name. Steve would be one of them.

But before Steve knew it, the hour was up. Eddie dipped into one last bow, his face split into a wide grin. “That’s our set, folks! Don’t forget to tip your bartender!”

The band disappeared behind the curtain and Steve sat back in his chair for the first time in an hour. For some reason, he felt dizzy. Had he been breathing? He had to have been, otherwise he’d have passed out. So why did he feel lightheaded? Something cold pressed into his hand and he looked down to see Josie handing him a cold beer.

“Oh, uh, thanks. How much was it?”

She waved her hand, and for some reason she looked extremely smug. “You can get the next round. So, what did you think of the show?”

Steve smiled. “It was great! I had no idea Eddie was such an awesome singer.”

“Oh, yeah, he’s really good. What was your favorite part?”

His favorite part? Had there been a part that wasn’t Eddie? “Um, I mean, I liked that slower song in the middle.”

It looked like she had to bite back a smile. “Huh, yeah, that was new. He doesn’t usually play love ballads. Eddie must have added that to the set list since last time.”

“Oh, well, it was really good.”

She nodded. “It was. You should tell him that.”

As if on cue, the chair next to him scraped against the floor as Eddie pulled it back and dropped down. He looked like he’d cleaned off, but his hair was still damp with either sweat or water. The smile he gave Steve was almost manic, and it made something like excitement twist in his gut.

“Hey there Stevie. What did you think of the show?” Despite his smile, Steve thought he saw nerves in the tightness of his eyes.

“Dude, it was awesome! You totally killed that. I had no idea you could play like a total rock god!”

Color flooded into his face, followed by a look of panic. Steve didn’t understand why. Was Eddie so unused to compliments? That couldn’t be true. Surely others had told him how good he was. Eddie ducked his head down and hid his mouth behind his hand, the lights from the bar catching on his rings.

“Are you being serious, or are you just fucking with me?” Eddie mumbled.

Steve huffed and threw his hands into the air. “Okay, seriously, why would I be fucking with you? Did you see yourself up there? You have to know how good you are.”

Eddie removed his hand from his mouth, but his face was still a bright shade of pink. He looked over Steve carefully, then shrugged. “I mean, I know how good we are. But I sort of figured you’d stay for one song, realize you hated it, then leave. So excuse me for being a little surprised.”

“Yeah, well.” Steve took a swig of beer. “I did like it. And maybe I’m a little biased.”

“Oh?” Eddie leaned forward to rest his chin on his hand. “And why is that?”

Steve rolled his eyes at the obvious fishing for a compliment. “It probably has something to do with me liking the lead singer.”

Eddie made some sort of choking sound before immediately erupting into a coughing fit. Steve leaned forward in alarm, patting him on the back.

“Whoa, you okay man?”

“Yep,” Eddie wheezed. “Fine. Choked on my own spit.”

“Here, drink this,” Steve said, offering is beer.

Eddie eyed it for a second before grabbing the bottle and taking a gulp. Once the coughing had settled, he set the now half empty beer onto the table before turning his wide eyes back on Steve.

“So, you um, you like me huh?”

Steve smirked. “Uh, yeah, duh. It would be sort of shitty if I didn’t like my friend.”

The look Eddie gave him at that was unreadable. After a moment gave a short nod. “Your friend. Right. Of course. That makes sense.”

“Did I say something wrong?”

Eddie shook his head, his eyes focused somewhere off on the distance. “No, of course not.”

Steve sort of didn’t believe him. God, why was he like this? This was exactly why he was friendless at the ripe age of eighteen. There had to be something wrong with him, right? Something that others could see but he couldn’t that made it impossible to connect in any meaningful way. But god, he was trying. He had to. Because he knew, in the quiet place at the back of his mind, that as soon as he stopped trying, he would drown. But it was fine. He could get this back on track. Just keep it casual.

“Do you want a drink? I promised to get the next round, so it’s on me.”

With Eddie’s eyes back on him, Steve felt like he could breathe again. The bright smile he was graced with helped. “Yeah, sure Stevie.”

They made their way to the bar together, where Steve ordered eight beers. He wasn’t asked for an ID, which maybe should have been surprising, but wasn’t. This place didn’t exactly seem like it was big on rules and regulations. Eddie leaned against the bar, his arms braced behind him, and legs kicked out. Off in the other corner of the room, the sound of pool balls clacking together caught Steve’s attention. When he looked up, his eyes met with a girl leaning against the pool table. The look she gave him was no doubt salacious. Steve thought he recognized her from school, though he was pretty sure she had graduated the year before. There was another girl with her, and they were both eyeing him and Eddie up with obvious interest.

Steve nudged Eddie’s arm. “I think we have a couple of admirers.”

Eddie’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“Those girls. They’re into us. You want to go talk to them?”

The confusion cleared from Eddie’s face as he looked over Steve’s shoulder. It was replaced by what seemed like irritation, but quickly shifted back into indifference.

“Nah, I’m good. You go ahead though.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “What, you’re not interested in getting laid?”

Eddie’s jaw clenched up, his face turning a light shade of pink. “I didn’t say that. They just aren’t my type.”

Huh, Steve hadn’t considered that. The girls looked like they fit right into the rock scene, and he would have guessed that Eddie would be into someone more like himself. But hey, that wasn’t always the case. He tilted his head.

“Okay, so what’s your type?”

Eddie picked up a bottle of beer from the bar top and took a sip, not looking at Steve. “Sporty.”

That surprised a laugh out of Steve. “No way. You’re fucking with me.”

“Why would I be fucking with you?”

Steve turned his whole body to face him and crossed his arms. “Uh, maybe because you make a habit of climbing onto tables and mocking the entire idea of sports.”

“Yeah, well,” Eddie shrugged. “Trust me, I don’t like it. But I can’t help who I’m attracted to.”

Hmm. Steve knew that was true enough. “So, what then? Cheerleaders?”

At that, Eddie finally looked back at him. There was clear amusement in his eyes, though Steve didn’t understand why. “Yeah, Steve. Cheerleaders. Too bad those dang cheerleaders will never be interested in me.”

Now Steve felt like he was talking in some sort of code. But maybe he wasn’t. Maybe Steve was just an idiot.

“Hey, don’t say that. It’s always possible. You have a lot of good qualities that I think anyone would be attracted to. Even cheerleaders.”

Eddie bit his lip, his eyes dipping down. “Yeah, right. I’m the Freak, remember? There are some things that’ll be out of reach no matter how badly I want them.”

Steve reached out and wrapped a hand around Eddie’s arm. “Dude, no, that’s not true. You’re weird, but also like, really hot. I guarantee if any cheerleader saw you up on that stage like I did tonight, they’d totally be throwing themselves at you.”

The corner of Eddie’s mouth quirked up. “You think I’m hot, Stevie?”

Heat bloomed in Steve’s face, but he fought back the embarrassed retort he wanted to throw back at the other boy. “I mean, yeah, I have eyes don’t I? I’m sure even you can recognize a hot guy when you see one.”

Eddie tossed his head back and laughed, his eyes crinkling in a way that made something soften in Steve’s chest. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I can recognize a hot guy. I mean, you are standing right next to me.”

Steve’s face grew even hotter. God, he must be bright red. He huffed and shoved Eddie’s shoulder playful. “Oh shut up. I was being serious.”

“So was I,” Eddie said, batting his lashes.

Which, huh. Why did he suddenly have butterflies in his stomach? He’d fake flirted with friends before, but none of that had ever had any sort of effect on him. Maybe his brain was getting confused, considering Eddie had long hair and big doe eyes. Yeah, that must be it.

“You’re an idiot, Eddie Munson.”

“Aww, don’t flatter me, Stevie.”

Eddie continued grinning until his eyes landed back on the girls across the bar. It dropped then, and he shifted slightly away from Steve.

“But, um, really. If you want to go for those girls feel free. I’m not going to stop you.”

He sounded slightly dejected, as if he was sure Steve was going to ditch him to get laid. And maybe the old Steve would have. But he wanted to be done with that. He didn’t need another one night stand that would end with him being just as alone as when he started. That wasn’t what he’d come out for.

“No thanks. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Eddie’s eyes widened. “But, Steve—”

“Dude, stop. I’m serious. I only suggested it before because I thought you might be into it. I was trying to be a bro, you know? But I came out here tonight for you. So if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to hang out for a while more.”

For several seconds, all Eddie did was stare. There was something a little lost about his eyes, as if he were searching for something he couldn’t find. Finally, to Steve’s relief, Eddie nodded.

“Yeah, okay Stevie. I’d like that too.”

Steve brought up his beer to clink against Eddie’s. “Then it’s settled.”

*****

Much to Eddie’s shock and elation, the night was going better than he could ever have hoped. Steve had come to his show, and what’s more, he had stayed. He actually liked it. Well, okay, maybe he didn’t love the music. But that was even better, because it meant that he like Eddie. Even if it wasn’t in the way he wanted him to like him, it was something.

And god, Steve was so fucking sweet. He hadn’t anticipated that in the beginning, yet here they were. When he leaned in to talk to Eddie, or to listen as he rambled, there was something so open and caring about it. Like he really, truly cared what Eddie had to say. It was fucking addicting. He could already tell he was going to crave this, this attention and admiration, as if it were a physical drug. It was dangerous.

But it was too late to stop. He could already feel it in his bones. Eddie had always been one to lean into his vices, to allow them to guide his actions. It was why he was so careful. He never did anything harder than weed, and when he drank, he stuck to beer. But Steve was inside that wall now, and Eddie had no plan of kicking him out. Why would he, when it made him feel so good?

Yeah, okay, he knew the reason he should. Because it wasn’t always going to feel like this. Eventually he’d have to come down from this high, and when he did, it was going to hurt. But that was a problem for future Eddie. Because present Eddie was basking in the glow of Steve’s laugh, delighting in the soft touch from those long fingers.

“Dude, that’s crazy. There’s no way you did that.”

“I did!” Eddie insisted. “I showed up in full costume and everything.”

Steve shook his head, pretty brown eyes catching on Eddie’s. “You’re insane, man.”

“That’s what people keep telling me.”

They were technically still sitting at the table with the rest of Hellfire, but the others had moved on to their own conversations an hour ago after it became clear that Steve and Eddie were only interested in talking to each other. Steve was angled toward him, their knees bumping against each other under the table. And no, Eddie was not obsessing over that fact, thank you. He was being normal tonight. Well, as normal as he could be.

“Ew, gross, don’t do that!” Steve cried when Eddie licked up his spilt beer from the table. “You have no idea what’s been on there.”

Eddie shrugged. “My tongue has been worse places.”

He didn’t think that was necessarily true, but it got Steve to blush, so it was worth it. Eddie was pretty sure he would do anything to keep getting that look.

“Dude, you’re going to catch some incurable virus.”

Eddie looked away. Yeah, alright, that hit too close to home. He cleared his throat. “Don’t you worry about me, Steve. I’ll make sure to keep my cooties away from you.”

“Oh shut up, you know that’s not what I meant. Sorry for not wanting your tongue to fall off.”

“Hmm, thinking a lot about my tongue, aren’t you?”

Steve rolled his eyes all the way around in his head. “You’re insufferable. I’m going to go out for a cigarette, you want to come?”

Eddie shrugged, as if he was ever going to say no. “Yeah, sure.”

He motioned to his friends that he was going to follow Steve, but they barely paid him any mind as they waved him off. Which, rude. Outside was cold, the biting February air stinging his cheeks as he leaned up against the side of the building beside Steve. He watched as the flame lit Steve’s face in shadows, dying down as the embers of the cigarette caught. Steve took a long drag before holding it out for Eddie. Which, yeah, he could totally be normal about. So what if Steve’s mouth had just been wrapped around it? So what if this felt a little bit like an indirect kiss? Fuck, he was such a freak. He took the cigarette and pressed it between his lips. Hopefully Steve would chalk his shaking fingers up to the cold.

“Hey, thanks again for inviting me out tonight. It was fun.”

Eddie rolled his head to the side, giving Steve a small smile. “No problem. Just returning the favor since you asked me out to eat last week. And I had fun too, for the record.”

Steve looked pleased at that. “Good. I’m glad.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, just trading the cigarette back and forth. Each time Eddie took a drag, he tried to see if he could taste Steve’s mouth. But if he could, then Steve’s mouth must taste like cigarettes. After a few minutes, Steve shook out his sleeve to look at his watch.

“Crap, I should probably head home. I have to pick up Dustin before school tomorrow.”

Eddie tried not to look disappointed. It’s not like he wasn’t going to see him again. “Yeah, makes sense. I’ll probably head out soon too. Want me to walk you to your car?”

Steve snorted. “My car is literally right there.”

“Yeah, but,” Eddie said with a smirk. “You never know what ruffians might be hiding around the corner, just waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting damsel.”

“Damsel?” Steve asked, narrowing his eyes. “I thought I was a knight.”

“Oh, don’t worry big boy, you are. I was referring to me.”

Steve tossed his head back in a laugh, his whole body shaking with it. Shit. Why was he so pretty? It wasn’t fair. Eddie had never stood a chance. When Steve finally looked back to Eddie, his face was still soft with laughter.

“Yeah, alright Munson. Walk with me to my car.”

It was a little silly, considering Steve’s car was only parked around thirty feet from where they’d been standing. As they approached, Eddie stepped forward and dropped into a low bow, holding his arm out.

“Your chariot, Sir Steven.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but much to Eddie’s delight, tilted forward in his own bow. “Why thank you, Sir Edward.”

Butterflies erupted inside Eddie, their tiny wings swirling up from his gut and into his throat, threatening to choke him. He coughed and straightened up, masking the sudden rush of emotion with a wide grin.

“Oh, I’m no knight. Too much of a coward, me. I’m more suited as the court jester. Maybe a bard.”

“Hmm.” Steve’s eyes roamed over the expanse of Eddie’s body. God, he hoped it was too dark for him to see how that made Eddie blush. “I don’t know about that. I bet if it came down to it, you could be pretty damn brave.”

Shit, shit, shit. Abort. If this pretty, straight boy kept looking at him like that… Well, he was going to do something very stupid. Eddie stepped back.

“I think you need glasses, Steve-o.”

He began to walk away, to escape to the safety of the bar, when Steve called out again. “Hey, Eddie?”

His body stiffened, but he turned back to Steve. Because of course he did. “Yeah?”

Suddenly, Steve looked a little nervous. He’d gotten the car door open and was leaning against it, the dim neon light from the sign over the bar illuminating his face.

“I actually wanted to ask if you want to come over this Saturday. If you have nothing else going on, that is. I figured I could rent a movie and we could order in a pizza. Drink a few beers. Only if you want.”

And shit, Steve looked so nervous and hopeful. How was Eddie supposed to do anything besides exactly what Steve asked of him? He smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds like fun. I’m in.”

Steve’s whole face lit up, and Eddie knew he was in serious trouble. Because there was no doubt in his mind that he would do absolutely anything to make him look like that again. Damn it.

“Awesome! You want to come over around, say, five?”

“Sure. Sounds like a plan.”

He walked back inside after that, warm all over despite the cold. Eddie was still smiling like an idiot when he approached the table, which he realized too late had gone quiet as all eyes turned to watch him. He dropped into a chair and looked up, eyes darting to each of his friends.

“What?”

“Sooo that went well?” Josie asked, though it felt more like a statement.

Eddie nodded, trying and failing to hide his grin. “Yeah, it did. He loved the band.”

Mic scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, the band, sure. As if he didn’t have moon eyes, staring at you like that.”

“No, stop that,” Eddie said, burying his face into his hand. “He’s straight.”

Jeff hummed. “I’m not sure about that now. He seemed, like, singularly interested in you. I mean, he stared at you the entire night.”

And the thing was, Eddie wanted that to be true. He wanted to let his friends join him in his delusions. It would make all of this so easy. To fall into the fantasy of someone like Steve wanting someone like him. But he couldn’t. Because once he allowed that, it would make him hope. And once he began to hope, that was the beginning of the end.

“Yeah, sorry to bust your bubble guys, but that’s not true. He literally suggested we go hook up with two of the girls by the pool table. So, no. He’s not interested in me like that.”

His friends each shared another look.

“I don’t know,” Grant said. “Maybe he did that to try and gauge your interest.”

God damnit. No. “Guys, no, stop. Please. We’re friends. That’s all. We’re just… hanging out. And I want to keep hanging out with him, which I won’t be able to do if I let this stupid crush fester. I’m going over to his house again this Saturday, and I’ll prove to you that this is just friendship.”

Eddie was studiously looking at the table while he spoke, so he didn’t see the identical expressions of shock that cross all his friends faces. It wasn’t until the silence stretched on for just a little too long that he looked back up.

“What? Why are you all staring at me like that?”

Gareth leaned forward on the table, giving Eddie a dubious look. “You said you’re going to his house this Saturday?”

Jesus, these assholes needed to learn how to listen. “Yeah, so?”

“Dude.” Gareth shook his head. “This Saturday is Valentine’s Day.”

A cold spike of shock shot through Eddie, followed immediately by an intense rush of heat. Valentines Day. Steve had invited him over to hang out, alone, on Valentines Day. Steve Harrington, notorious lady killer and school slut, wanted to spend the day with him. Well. Shit.

#steddie #steddie au #steddie fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #My writing #These boys are only going to get stupider before they get it together

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aceilyell-blog · 4 months

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I know I mostly lurk on this site but I have had these AU rotting in my brain for a month now so I’m just gonna share it here.

So far I’ve only seen like one person actually write about it on ao3 and I definitely don’t think I’m the only one to ever think about a crossover between JRWI Riptide and QSMP where slimecicle and Gillion are the same person but let me explain how that shit would work from my perspective.

—————————————————

The federation is really RAFT. making quesadilla island not only Navy turf, but really a prison. If I remember correctly they were all called sinners and criminals by the one eyed freak from Purgatory. What if it was some kind of prison for the worst of the worst in RAFTS eyes

And you know how we were seeing the leviathan bones and detailed explanations on the recreations of leviathans with jay at the stronghold in the Black Sea?

…what if the eggs were failed leviathan projects…

So I imagine the communicators as wrist watch type things, and what if the “communicators” not only translated the languages so they could understand each other, but also altered what they saw? What if they made them more digestible for their altered thinking? Yes there are hybrids on the island, gods/demigods as well.. but they are all human looking. Don’t you find it strange that on such a magical island, the craziest creatures to exist are the Dragonborn “eggs”?

So we see when he is in the luxpurus pearl that he had stabbed Jayson in the chest during the peace treaty meeting. The navy could have issued a statement where if the undersea government were to banish Gillion to the island prison, they would not immediately wage war on the undersea. (Keeping an eye on “undersea champion” the one to either wipe out the land or destroy the sea, and the undersea’s greatest protector sounds like 2 major pluses to me)

But he is so ashamed of himself for being banished, he hides his armor, whale bone sword and his shield. You know the shield with the religious symbol.

The symbols he casts ALL of his magic out of!!

because of Gillion’s moist skin, he gets dubbed slime by most of the other island residents.

And he doesn’t question the eggs because, fuck it he was one too!

And of course he is going to marry his egg protecting partner, he was raised religious and a good religious man marries, reproduces and dies in war!! Not only that but he can officiate it himself!!

And what if all their nights of… promising action… was just gill tearoom Mariana how to sword fight. And Flippa told the other residents that she would hear loud grunting downstairs after being put to bed, the other parents took it the wrong way. And Gillion-committed to the bit-Tidestrider and his bitch wife thought it was so funny that they didn’t correct them.

And you know the rampage that Gillion went on if the Fay wild when pretzel was taken From him.. and how he went on a similar rampage when Flippa was killed?

And when he killed Telin, he couldn’t revivafy her because he didn’t have his shield on him. He ended up exiling himself once more for not being able to keep his loved ones safe. Praying everyday to the moon goddess to bring her back, take him instead. Only for one white bear brings the grieving fish more bad news…

And he continues rarely venturing out of his home in eggsile (still training, maybe training more to distract himself) and when he gets word of a big event he might go back to the main island to visit and meet new people.

And then… his birthday happens…

He finds Flippa in that little grove down in the mines… but she’s not acting right… she doesn’t smell right…

And he recognizes the sent…..

The sent of a code monster…

And that is when he decides to leave the island for good.

Maybe he writes a letter for Mariana or any of the people on the island he has become friends with…maybe he rips his communicator off and smashes it to pieces…. He definitely grabs his armor, his sword and shield before he walks out the door… and maybe he looks back at the crack shack he has been living in for one final goodbye…

Diving into the ocean he swims for miles and miles and miles, and when his arms go numb and he can no longer think, his still pushes away from that island. But as the island fades from view… his memories of it also seem to fade..

Turning over to finally let himself rest he looks up at stars, asking the moon for guidance. Hoping she would answer him this time..

And that would be the night he was pulled from the sea.

Only months later would he remember that island.. when his skin was ripped from him and life drained from his eyes. Waking on the fish hook would he remember his friends still trapped on quesadilla island.

And when he runs to protect chip from the beasts attacking him does he remember where he fist smelt that putrid stench, the dim lighting, the moss, the water dripping…

And the thing pretending to be his daughter.

Not knowing how to process this, not know when to bring this to light, he never tells Chip and Jay about his family, well what’s left of it. But that’s okay, curing the sea, finding Arlin and stoping the mole on the Grandberry pirates is far more important than that.

Because the islanders didn’t know slimecicle left. The federation couldn’t afford to let the islanders know that he left. They were able to kill off sprees and Dan easily, But the chosen one was not going to be easy. And someone who the island had saw as poor, weak and helpless?? There would be questions on his disappearance. So the replaced him for the time being.

Sure he doesn’t act quite the same,

they didn’t make him with ALL his memories

And maybe the code was appearing on his clothes and skin.. but he has been latching onto the obvious code that’s been pretending to be his daughter, that’s to be expected right??

————————————————————————

I could go on a whole tangent with more world building but I think this post is already too long. I just really wish there was more stuff like this because I rarely see fics or art of this stuff and I’ve kinda been rotting on this since episode 114 and I can’t stop:)

And there is no way in hell I proof read or looked up anything before posting this so information I gave may just be coming out of my asshole

#gillion tidestrider #jrwi gillion #just roll with it #jrwi chip #jay ferin #jay jrwi #slimecicle #charlie slimecicle #just roll with it riptide #jrwi riptide #qsmp #qsmp slimecicle #qsmp purgatory #qsmp mariana #qsmp juanaflippa

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