#really hope somebody out there got both of the references | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thewulf · 9 months

Text

I Missed You || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Request - Hello again! Hope you're having a wonderful week, I was hoping I could get one with Jake Seresin where the reader flirts with all the time, like all day everyday, like playfully and he always laughs it off, but the reader genuinely likes him but doesn't know how to show it ... Read Rest Here

A/N: I really like how this one turned out! Hope you all enjoy. As always thank you for the request @stuffingbuttsandshit !!

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Y/N

Word Count: 4.1k +

“Hey there handsome.” You slid down into the seat next to Jake trying to fake all the confidence in the world. Truthfully, he made you nervous as hell. The more you got to know him the more nervous you found yourself around him. You liked Jake Seresin. You liked Hangman. You’d known of him but finally met him a month ago when you both started training to become Captain’s. A select group of pilots had been chosen for a new accelerated program to push talent through to the top as the workforce ages out. The Navy finding a solution to the rapidly aging workforce.

He looked up from the manual he was reading over with a ghost of a smile crossing his features. The morning sun hit his face framing it so perfectly. Because of course it did. Even the damn sunlight was attracted to him. Not that you could blame it. Look at him, all perfect and shit.

“Bug.” He leaned back crossing his hands over his chest referring to you by your callsign. You’d earned it after accidentally consuming a pot brownie at a party and you wouldn’t stop talking about A Bug’s Life. You hadn’t a clue where it came from. You hadn’t even seen the damn movie in years. Leave it to the weed to earn a callsign for life. You’d grown to love it though.

“How was your weekend cutie?” Smoothly, you fluttered your eyelids rather dramatically before giving him your full-on smile. You’d fallen for the man quickly and he never even looked your way. Every time you were at the Hard Deck as a group his eyes would trail over to some surfer girl or new pilot that caught his attention for the night. More often than not you’d see him leaving with that same girl. Jake got what he wanted. You learned that quick.

It hurt. You tried to play it off like you never noticed, didn’t care. But you did. You craved for his eyes to be searching yours just like he had those other women. He wouldn’t even look at you like that though. He saw you as one of the guys no matter how hard you’d flirted with him. Nothing seemed to grab his attention. It felt like an endless game that you probably needed to drop but didn’t want to. You hardly thought you’d be able to find somebody else like him. Behind that tough exterior is a heart of gold. Somebody who will care so deeply for you. Put all your needs first. Make sure your happy. That was a rare person. Jake was a rare person. And he’d never see you. That hurt.

He smiled now. At least you could get that out of him, it was something, “My sister and nephew’s came to visit. It was nice.” He closed the manual knowing he wasn’t going to read much more with you sitting there. He’d never admit just how much he loved the attention you gave him on a daily basis. How you flirted incessantly with him. He looked forward to the new nicknames and creative ideas you’d come up with to flirt with him. It’d become a daily routine for him that he’d come to adore.

You nodded, “That sounds lovely. My brother told me to ‘fuck off’ when I told him he should come visit.” You laughed knowing he was just kidding. That was just his way of showing love to his younger sister. Brotherly love and all or something like that.

Jake smirked, “Sounds like a brother.”

“Sounds like a man.” You answered right back, quickly. He ran his eyes over your face, observing you. That’s all it took for your heart to speed on up. You just prayed that blood wasn’t rushing to your face, but you knew it was. Betraying you at your most vulnerable moment.

“You’re something else Y/N.” He shook his head turning back to the front of the room making sure Cyclone wasn’t up there yet. The hard ass was teaching your in-person lessons while Viper and Maverick took to the air.

You looked around too. Classmates were trickling in but paying the two of you no mind. It was still early. Cyclone started class right at 7:00 sharp. No excuses. If you were late you were kicked out for the day. It was noted. Always noted. Better get there early.

“I’m taking that as a good thing Jake.” You leaned over poking him in the bicep.

“Take it however you like.” Not a correction. Not a confirmation. A neutral response. He was impossible. There was no way you were ever going to break into the mind of him. You’d been thinking about it for a little bit now, but it might be time to pull away from him. Step back and give your aching little heart a break for a bit. It was impossible to keep at it only to get half smiles and nodding chuckles. You wanted more and he didn’t. That was okay. You couldn’t force it. Nothing ever worked like that.

You leaned back in your chair looking forward now. Time to pull back from him. Not all at once, no. You don’t think even you could quick Jake Seresin cold turkey. Oh, no no no. There wasn’t a way. He was too Jake. Not perfect, but perfect in his own way. A prize that was just out of reach from your grasp. A prize you had to back off from as much as it hurt.

“Alright.” You mumbled. He looked over at you quickly scouring your face for the sudden change in your mood. That was… odd for you. You were always kind. Always cheery. Always rebutting his non advances. You’d always lead the conversation and suddenly you weren’t. it was too quiet for him.

The rest of class you didn’t take your eyes off Cyclone. You’d normally poke and prod Jake for something, but you were backing off. You needed to focus anyway. At least that’s what you told yourself. You’d caught his occasional peak at you from your peripherals every now and then. He’d certainly noticed something, you thought.

Cyclone wrapped the morning session off sending you off to meet up with Mav after you changed. You shut your notebook without a word before putting it in your backpack. Not giving a damn how juvenile it made you look.

Jake peaked over once more expecting you to say something. But when you stood to leave without saying something he had to, “Everything alright?” He asked you already missing your cute little remarks.

You nodded, “Just fine. Watch your back in the skies.” You winked before turning off calling Natasha. Jake watched as you walked out without him and with Phoenix instead. He frowned watching you turn out of the classroom and out of his sigh.

You walked into the Hard Deck trying to spot the group of pilots you’d grown to love. You head Jakes big booming laugh out of the corner of the bar and made a bee line towards the group. A seat next to Frosty or a seat next to Hangman. You opted for the earlier and sat down next to the guy. Jake frowned seeing you sit down across from him instead of next to him like you’d always have. That’s why nobody took the spot next to him, that was your spot.

Nat raised an eyebrow as she saw your choice in seating. You hadn’t disclosed anything to her earlier in the day. She watched as Jake fought the grimace that so desperately wanted to show on his face. Had he done something?

“Evening, ladies and gents.” You smiled brushing out the dress you’d put on. You’d never understood how the guys could wear their uniforms out. You wanted nothing more than to change the second you were off base.

“Bug.” Frosty tipped his cap towards you, “You look nice.” Jake didn’t like the way his eyes raked up and down your frame. Not one bit did he like that. You looked far too pretty to be degraded like that.

Before you could reply to him Jake decided to speak up, “You look beautiful.” He shot Frosty a cold look, one to match his callsign.

Your eyes slowly turned to Jake, cheeks surely ablaze. That was a first. Jake had never complimented you. His eyes had always glossed over your figure. You’d seemed to just blend in with your surroundings.

“Thank you, Jake.” You smiled kindly at him.

He nodded, this time his eyes taking their time to size you up. You did look beautiful. Stunning even. He’d always known. But you were you. You were in his class. He’d have to work with you. He couldn’t think of you that way. Things never turned out good when that happened. So, he had to ignore it. Ignore whatever pull you seemed to have thrown right at him. He’d resisted as long as you paid him attention. He failed when you started to draw back though. He wanted your eyes on him again. He wanted your flirty words that so effortlessly rolled off your tongue.

He shrugged innocently, “It’s only the truth.” He took a sip of his beer shooting you a wink afterwards. You playfully rolled your eyes before elbowing Natasha in the ribs for whispering an obscene remark in your ear.

It was certainly odd behavior for him. He’d never reciprocated anything when you gave it your all not a day ago. But now that you were diversifying yourself he wasn’t having it? What kind of sick game was he playing? Real you in just close enough to bait you then switch? You couldn’t do that either. That’d crush your heart a thousand times over and you’d keep crawling back. Because who could resisted those tanned skin dimples when he smiled? Not you. Certainly not you at all.

You’d attempted to avoid his gaze most of the night only shooting him a wink and stinking your tongue out at him a few times. When you’d gotten up to grab a beer Jake wasn’t far behind you trying to play it off coolly and not looking like the puppy dog he felt like. Like you had him right on an invisible leash. You did though and only he knew that.

“Bug.” That voice brought you out of the conversation you were having with the handsome man at the bar. You felt how close he was to you, his breath right on your ear.

“Seresin.” You shifted your weight away from him, he was playing unfair now.

“How are you?” He asked stepping to the side respecting your boundaries. The last thing he wanted to do was upset you.

“I’m good.” You nodded smiling up at him. He looked, nervous? His hands were fidgeting with the other. His neck was craned looking for eyes on you.

“That’s good.” He nodded.

How odd this was, “And you?” You asked feeling like a complete stranger to him with the tension coating the air thickly.

“I’ve been better Buggie.” He answered you looking down right at you. He was the only one who could get away with calling you that. You’d shot down everyone else you even attempted to mimic Jake.

“Oh?” You asked raising the fresh beer to your lips. Jake watched as you tilted the glass back to take a sip. How the foam coated the top of your lip. How badly he wanted to brush it away once you set you glass back down. The foam vanished when you smiled. You were acutely aware of how he’d been staring right at your lips the entire time. What in the hell was going on with him? He’d never been so forward before. Not in all your attempts over the weeks. Hell, his actions made you feel like a leper not even the remotely attractive to his gaze. But this, this was something.

He nodded grabbing his glass from behind you making sure to brush his arm past yours, “Mhmm.” He was making you beg for the reasoning. Drawing the conversation out.

“Why’s that Jake?” You caved to his mental game.

“You didn’t sit by me. You always do.” He frowned letting his frustration be visible. He didn’t want to mess around now, afraid you might be slipping away from him.

“I don’t sit next to you every time. Plus, I needed to tell Frosty something.” You tried defending yourself.

He shook his head quickly, “Can’t bullshit a bullshitter Buggie. Didn’t your daddy teach you lying’s not a good thing?”

Jake fucking Seresin ladies and gentlemen. He had a masterful way of riling your right on up. Reading right between the lines you’d so intricately crafted. He broke down your façade within an instance. Reading you like a children’s book and not the high-level shields you thought you’d put up. It worked for everybody. Everybody except for him.

“Shut up Hangman.” You rolled your eyes walking back towards the table. But a gentle hand at your elbow stopped you.

“Did I do something?” He asked earnestly once you spun back around in the middle of the bar.

You shook your head playing dumb, “No?”

He sighed deciding not to press any further for the day, “If I did, you’d tell me?” He asked.

You nodded, “’Course Jakey.” You winked at him using the nickname only you could use. Jake nearly bit the head off of anybody else who tried. Jake watched as you walked back towards the group. He shook his head following behind you. Jake was down bad, and he knew it. He’d known it for a while.

The last straw for him was when you walked into the classroom the next morning and sat down next to Rooster of all fucking people. It’s not like Jake hated the man anymore but he certainly wasn’t best fucking friends with the guy either. Jake watched as the two of you conversed almost in front of him. Did you have any idea what you were doing to him at that moment? Driving him absolutely crazy when you threw your head back in laughter from something he said. Rooster, not him. He was so entranced with your conversation he hadn’t even noticed Nat sitting herself down next to him.

“You could just tell her you know.” She spoke up before the Admiral begun for the day.

He jumped at her voice. Shooting her a glare before answering her, “What are you talking about?” He decided to play dumb.

“That you like her.” Nat rolled her eyes, tired of his shit.

He sighed, “Why would I do that?”

She shrugged, “Because you do?” She said as if it were the most obviously thing in the world, “Look, she thinks you don’t like her. That’s why she stopped being so… forward. She thought she was annoying you. That’s not what she wanted to do to you. So, she stopped.” Nat said quickly and quietly out of the corner of her mouth.

He frowned almost immediately, “You’re shitting me.”

She shook her head, “Nope. But you didn’t hear it from me.” She whispered before sitting back in her seat as if no conversation had happened.

You thought he didn’t like you? How could he blame you though. He’d hardly reciprocated anything in the time he’d known you. How dumb could he be? Fuck, he really messed it up this time.

He was distracted the entire time. When Cyclone called on him and he stumbled through the answer the Admiral shook his head muttering something under his breath. You gave him a soft smile and a thumbs up in encouragement. Little did you know it was because of you he’d mucked that up so bad. He had to talk to you before they went up in the air for the day or he’d probably end up crashing.

When Cyclone wrapped it up he stood quickly, lingering by the door. He watched as you packed your bags up and waved Rooster off probably wanting to walk alone. He had other plans though.

“Y/N.” He said your name softly as you passed him, seemingly in a trance.

You looked up to him smiling softly to him, “Jake, hi.”

“Can we talk?” The look in his eyes said he was being sincere. He wasn’t bullshitting you.

You looked around not seeing anybody else in the classroom, “Sure.”

He pulled you out of the doorway before shutting the door. He turned quickly to you. He grabbed at your hands pulling you closer to him. Your heart was hammering in your chest as your wide eyes looked up at his much softer, sweeter ones, “Jake, what’re doing?” You asked almost breathless.

“I miss you.” He admitted, “It’s been a damn day and I miss you desperately Y/N.” He pulled you closer. You let him of course. This was everything you wanted and more. So much more.

“I don’t understand.” You admitted. He’d given you nothing for weeks. Where was this coming from?

“I’m a fucking idiot that’s what.” He pulled you in even closer. Your chest was flush with his. Surely he could feel your heart hammering in your chest. He looked down at you with a wicked grin as your eyes fluttered shut smelling his cologne mix with his own natural scent. Euphoria struck you in that moment, “Sweetheart.” He murmured so close to you goosebumps erupted almost immediately.

Your eyes snapped open feeling his lips brush your naked ear lobes, “Jake, you can’t…” You stopped seeing his expression cross from one of softness to something much more sinister. A darkened desire flashed through his eyes that sent a wicked shiver right down your spine.

He rolled his eyes. Mimicking you as you’d done it so many times before. Hardly feeling like you were at work anymore Jake took over your strongest desires. He was your strongest desire. Right here teasing you like you like the putty for him you were.

He leaned down to your other ear doing the same. Brushing his lips so dangerously close you could feel him. Jake enjoyed the goosebumps that rippled up from his breath. A physical reaction proving his own thoughts true, “I can, and I will. If you let me.” The vibration from his low drawl sent ripples throughout every part of your body. You shook it off thinking for a second.

He took a chance and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear making sure to drag his fingertips across your neck. Grinning when he felt you shiver at his touch. He knew he’d melt the same way at your own touch, “Sweetheart.” He whispered again before pulling back knowing your brain was likely short circuiting. He had the advantage of knowing your feelings. Although he was making it rather obvious that he reciprocated them.

“Jake, what are you doing?” You asked again. You just couldn’t seem to believe that this was actually happening.

He chuckled letting his arms snake around your waist to pull you impossibly close now. He was so much taller than you. Your head level with the top of his chest. But you molded in so well. It felt so good. So true to what you needed.

“I told you. I was dumb. I like you darlin’. More than a friend does. Way more than a friend should.” He was looking right down at your lips as you were looking up at his.

“You like me?”

“Mhmm.” He hummed not tearing his eyes away, “And I think you like me too. Isn’t that right sweetheart?” He was coaxing it out of you now.

He grinned when he saw your pale cheeks coat with a beautiful cherry pink. A blush he’d never grow tired of seeing. In fact, he made it his mission to see it every day. For some reason, he didn’t think it’d be too hard. He’d find something new to compliment you on every day for the rest of his life. He just knew it. It wouldn’t be hard with you. He was going to start making plans with you. He was sure of this one.

“Jake?” You asked feeling the nerves bubble throughout your body. The look he was giving you was one of pure adoration. One that you burned into your memory. A look you’d never seen from such a beautiful man, or any man before. One that told you that you were loved, no matter what. Through thick and certainly through thin.

He used his pointer finger to pull your chin up towards him, “Yes, darlin’?” He asked with a goofy grin sporting his gorgeous face.

“Can you kiss me?” With little confidence you had left you asked him a question you’d wanted since the second you met him. Immediately you trusted the man. You were so drawn to him. It only took you pulling away for a brief moment for him to realize the same. It was different with you.

He nodded with a feverish grin, “Thought you’d never ask beautiful.” Gently, he pushed you up against the wall before pressing his hips into yours. Jake pinned your hands above your head onto the wall as he took a snapshot of your needy face. Doe eyes begged him to kiss your puffy lips full of desire.

A whine burst from your lips as Jake studied you. You couldn’t take it anymore. You really just wanted the man to kiss you. At that, kiss you he did.

With a swift motion he dropped his hands from your wrists and placed them behind your head. He leaned down pressing his lips to yours. Your knees began to buckle as the kiss turned more desperate, quickly.

You pressed forward lacing your hands throughout his golden locks. He let out a guttural groan before snaking an arm around your waist steadying you. He pressed in further brushing his tongue against your lips. Without hesitation you let him in. Let him explore like you’d so desperately wanted him too before. You bucked your hips against his earning another small groan from the man who knew he was in deep, deep trouble with you. A wild card you were.

He pulled away with displeasure knowing it couldn’t go any further at that, “Sweetheart, we are at work.” His grin only widened when he saw your disheveled state. His hands making a mess of your once perfect bun that you’d have to redo in the locker room. A rosy blush coating your face only making you more stunning. Your blown out pupils telling him the whole story, “I don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, but God Damn are you a vision darlin’. Absolutely fucking stunning.” His eyes now surveyed your entire body.

You shook your head, “Can we pick this up later? My place 6 o’clock?” You asked with so much desperation in your voice it should’ve been embarrassing. But you didn’t care. You wanted him to know. You craved him.

He nodded slowly brushing your hair back down so you wouldn’t look too suspicious walking to the locker room, “Absolutely pretty girl. I miss you already.” Another blush rose to your cheeks as the pad of his thumb brushed across your now swollen lips. He smirked at what he’d done. Hopefully nobody’d be none the wiser. But Jake had a sneaking suspicion Nat would notice. She was probably wondering where the two of you were now.

“As much as I want to continue, we should get going before Mav has our asses.” He grabbed your hand pulling you from the wall he’d pushed you against moments ago.

You nodded quickly, “Yeah, yeah.” Dazed and confused you walked into the locker room with Jake hot on your heels. Nat stood there with her arms across her chest looking at you with a curious grin.

“Don’t say a word.” You mumbled opening your locker and pulling out your flight suit with a swift pull.

She laughed, “Didn’t say a thing Bug. But you’re going to have to tell me later.”

You nodded with a stupid smile that wouldn’t go away, “I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Promise.”

She gaped at you, “You better.”

You promised once more before walking out of the locker room with her. When you walked out you found Jake’s eyes on your figure quickly. That same loving look he’d shown you before in the classroom adorning his face made you nearly weak at the knees.

You heard Nat chuckle beside you only earning a swift elbow in the ribs from you and soft, “Shut up.” Before you turned back to Jake flashing him your brightest smile.

Permanent Taglist (Message me or comment below if you want to be added!): @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @buckylov3r @taygrls @ah-blossom

561 notes · View notes

cosmerelists · 1 month

Text

Top 12 Sanderson RAFOs that Haunt Me

[SPOILERS! For Stormlight and Mistborn (both eras) especially]

"RAFO" = "Read and Find Out," AKA, a question that Sanderson says may be answered in a future book. Here, then, are Sanderson's "Read and Find Out" answers that most haunt me...insofar as I'm desperate to know how the answers will play out in the future!

(I'll link to @onlycosmere or the Coppermind for the sources!)

#12: Where is Design in Lost Metal?

Whenever Hoid appears in a book chronologically later than Stormlight 4, we all freak out if Design is somehow not there. There was (seemingly) no Design in Tress and no Design in Lost Metal. Someone asked about the Lost Metal and got RAFO'd (here). Sanderson's response of "oooh, excellent question" makes me especially curious. Like, does something happen to Design? Or is Design some sort of object that we don't realize is Design? So curious!

#11: Is Spook still alive?

Someone asked if Spook is still alive, and Sanderson RAFO'd it (here). I'll admit; I'm mostly curious about this because I'm curious about Kelsier and how he drew Spook into his terrible (?) schemes. And it's always interesting when those characters from early books come back. I wouldn't mind seeing Spook around again!

#10: Taravangian's Perfect Day

Someone asked if anything else of note happened on Taravangian's Perfect Day, and Sanderson said yes (!) and then RAFO'd the details (here). I can't even begin to guess what this might refer to, but it feels pretty important. I wonder what it means!

#9: Valor Will Be Mentioned in Stormlight 5

Well, name-dropped anyway (here). Valor is one of the few remaining shards we don't know much about, so I'm curious as to what we'll learn about her in Stormlight 5 and in what context she'll be name-dropped. I'm not as curious as I should be, I guess, because I frankly can't keep all of the shards straight. But it'll still be cool!

#8: Renarin's Detective Skills

Somebody asked if Renarin figured out on his own that Adolin killed Sadeas, and Sanderson gave it a "partial RAFO" (here). I really hope we find out more about this, maybe when Renarin is the flashback character. I want to know how he knew, and what he did with that knowledge. More Renarin overall, tbh!

#7: Hoid Dated a Dragon

Hoid dated a dragon once; it's canon (here). But which one? That we're still waiting to see! I'll admit; I'm curious.

#6 Were Glys and Tumi Dead-Eyes?

Someone asked if Glys & Tumi were dead-eyes before Sja-anat got to them (here). Sanderson RAFO'd it and said it was a good question (!!). That doesn't mean the theory is true, of course, but it means it COULD be true! And if dead-eyes can be restored by Sja-anat, then........is there hope for Maya???

#5: Missing Yellow From Pinter Ink

Someone asked Sanderson about the hion colors, and how blue and magenta are printer colors, and how yellow is missing. Sanderson indicated that this was exactly as he had planned and RAFO'd the missing yellow "ink" (here). Later, Sanderson explained a bit more that if there were a third Hion line, it would be yellow, and hinted that there was a reason it was missing (here). Sanderson has elsewhere indicated that "yin yang" type investiture is a Cosmere-wide phenomenon...which means...what? That there should be another magic outside of the dichotomy? That it's missing? Just from the hions or from all magic systems? Does this have something to do with aethers as the non-Adonalsium magic type?

I'm not smart enough with Cosmere science to know, but I AM very curious!

#4: If Kelsier and Moash Meet

When asked what would happen if Kelsier and Moash meet, Sanderson RAFO'd it (here). Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that they will meet, of course...but it means they COULD. And now I want it--I want it so much! #Let-Moash-join-the-Ghostbloods-as-Kelsier's-righthand-man-2024

#3: Ask Me About July 18

I think much of the fandom is aware of this RAFO, where Sanderson tweeted that we should all remind him to talk more about the important scene that he wrote for Stormlight 5 on July 18 (here). Like everyone, I am desperate to know what scene he is talking about. The Odium duel? Renarin and Rlain getting together?? Szeth and Kaladin petting a baby sheep while they talk about their feelings??? It could be anything!

#2: Rat skulls glow on Threnody?!

People who pay attention to my every comment on this blog may know that Threnody is my favorite Cosmere planet, and so I was definitely interested to see this RAFO, where Sanderson said that...rat skulls glow on Threnody for a reason?? (here) Not only did he say that they glow for a good reason, but he also "laugh[ed] gleefully" apparently. I am so curious...and so alarmed.

#1: Hoid Drinking Perfume Will Be Relevant

But the "RAFO" that most haunts me is from way back in 2016 (here), when someone asked why Hoid was drinking perfume in Bands of Mourning...and Sanderson RAFO'd it, saying that he planned to delve into it one day. D-Delve into WHAT exactly? How could it possibly be Cosmere-relevant that Hoid was drinking perfume? Is it about where he got it? Is there a perfume-drinking-based magic system??

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN

#cosmere #cosmerelists #stormlight archive #stormlight archive spoilers #mistborn #mistborn spoilers #Hoid #Spook #Kelsier #Taravangian #Threnody

110 notes · View notes

autisticlancemcclain · 7 months

Text

part one

part two

———

“Ugh,” Keith says.

“Ugh,” Lance agrees.

Keith looks up slowly from where he was glowering at his plate of appetizers, staring at Lance for several minutes with eyes squinted in suspicion.

“What the fresh fuck are you talking about.”

Lance wrinkles his nose at him. “What?”

“You love these things,” Keith says, like the Blue Paladin is a particularly slow toddler. “You’re usually – prancing around, making a fool of yourself in front of pretty people. Every time one of these dumbass celebration missions ends you complain. The fuck you mean, ‘ugh’?”

“I mean ugh,” Lance repeats, emphasizing the word. “Sometimes I simply do not feel the party vibe, Keith. You ever think about that? No. Because you never think about anything. Because the only thing in your skull is a hamster wheel covered in cobwebs. So there.”

Keith lets that hang between them for a moment.

“You’re just mad you got called ugly earlier, huh.”

“It was so rude!” Lance explodes, obviously waiting for Keith to bring it up. “Like, who says that? What kind of trained diplomat refers to a random stranger as ‘the homely one’? Why the fuck would you say that? And it’s not even true! I’m a legit snack! I have been propositioned, you know! More than once! It’s actually quite frequent!” He throws his hand up, noise of frustration coming from deep in his throat. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, but no actual sentences come out, just different variations of ‘ugh!’ and ‘how dare!’ and ‘the nerve!’.

Because he is a stellar person, Keith does not laugh, instead biting his tongue as hard as he physically can without biting it clean off. Everytime Lance’s sputtering dies off only to kick back up when he thinks of his transgression again it gets harder.

Contrary to what everyone seems to think, Keith likes Lance. They’re friends. They hang out, they talk shit about other people, they do friend things. That’s why they’re both sitting here, at the edge of some grandiose ballroom on a planet whose name Keith has forgotten because they’ve only been here one day, leaning against each other and picking food off the same plate. (Well, Keith’s plate. He’s being gracious and letting Lance have some because Lance has taken enough massive Ls today, and Hunk is busy, so if Lance gets hangry Keith can’t just pass him off on somebody, so. Better to keep him fed, or whatever.)

“We should go – do something,” Lance mutters, picking apart what appears to be a cookie. Maybe. Alien shit is weird. “Make faces behind Shiro’s back. Convince Coran to get wine drunk.”

“We did that already,” Keith dismisses. “Last time, remember? We can’t do it too many times or we’re gonna have to be supervised again. We just managed to convince Shiro to ease up on the trackers.”

Lance sinks further into his chair. “Ugh,” he says again, with true feeling.

Keith begins to feel bad. Lance doesn’t look genuinely upset, he doesn’t think – he knows what a genuinely upset Lance looks like and it’s fucking heartbreaking; it’s the kind of shit that could stop wars – but Keith is a little bit worried that he is bothered, in some way. It can’t feel good to get called ugly in front of everybody. It was funny. And Keith laughed a little. But, still.

Keith nudges their shoulders together. “You wanna go dance?”

Lance freezes. He turns his head slowly to face Keith, like if he moves too fast Keith is going to change his mind. His brown doe eyes are wide and hopeful and over the top, honestly. God. No one asked for that.

“Really?”

“No. I’m taking back my offer. You’re being weird about it.”

“Nope! Nuh-uh! No takebacksies! We’re dancing!” Lance whoops, shoving back his chair and scrambling to his feet. He wraps his fingers tightly around Keith’s wrist, grinning so wide his face is about to split.

“You are holding me hostage,” Keith complains, smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He gets up at Lance’s urging, popping the last of the weirdo alien cookie in his mouth and wiping his hand on his suit pants. “Let’s go, Homely One.”

If looks could kill, Keith’s intestines would be painting the floor. The look Lance gives him is lethal. It’s made worse when Keith laughs, because that was funny as hell and he refuses to pretend otherwise. He pulls Lance away, though, before he can reach for the butterknife that’s closeby and stab Keith in the eye, clasping their hands together and weaving them through the crowd of dancers and partygoers. Pretty soon the excitement catches up to Lance, because after a minute he’s the one dragging them around, having apparently picked a perfect spot on the ornate marble dancefloor for them to situate themselves. It is, of course, right smack in the middle, surrounded by people on all sides, right under the massive and delicate crystal chandelier that Keith and Hunk spent forty minutes mocking when they first got here.

“You’re extra as all fuck,” Keith informs him, dutifully putting his hand on Lance’s waist as instructed.

“I will have my Sam Montgomery moment or so help me God,” Lance responds. Keith notices he’s closer than he needs to be and immediately orders himself to un-notice that. He can see flecks of amber in Lance’s dark eyes. It’s so actually horrible. He focuses on Lance’s nose, instead, hoping for reprieve, but of course there is where all his freckles are. An attempt to focus on Lance’s mouth is a disaster waiting to happen, so he looks deliberately at Lance’s bigass forehead to distract himself. It kind of works.

The forehead that he is so intensely focused on wrinkles, and Keith says, “What,” and Lance says, “Aw, Keith, gross,” and then before Keith can stop anything Lance is untangling their hands, licking his thumb, and wiping something at the corner of his mouth.

Keith freezes.

He processes.

He gags.

All in that order.

“Lance!” he cries, swiping his own hands at his mouth. “Gross!”

“What’s gross is you walking around with crusty icing on the corner of your mouth, heathen,” Lance says, eyebrow arched and chin tilted defiantly.

Keith makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat. His face matches his armour. He prays that the universe crack open the ground to swallow him whole. He can’t – gah. No one has done that to him since Shiro’s mother would come to visit and take them to get ice cream. When he was eleven.

“Are you a ninety year old grandmother,” he hisses, swiping the corner of his mouth one last time. He thinks his face may actually be glowing.

“Are you a two year old who can’t keep his food in his mouth?” Lance counters. He looks entirely unbothered and Keith wants to strangle him. Who does that. Who, honestly.

“That is not how I wanted your spit near my mouth,” Keith mutters, and immediately wants to open his bayard between his eyes.

Lance stops. A twirling trio of people bumps into him. He does not move. Slowly, his face begins to burn, starting from the sharp jut of his cheekbones and quickly spreading everywhere else. He opens his mouth, then closes it, then narrows his eyes in determination and opens it again.

“Nope,” Keith says before he can say anything. There is no recovery from this. There is only tactical retreat. “I have to – I left my excuse on the castle. I’m gonna go grab it.”

As quickly as he can manage he lets go of Lance’s hand and his waist, gracefully ducking around a dancing couple and high-tailing the hell out of the room. He averts his eyes when he walks by Shiro, praying he doesn’t get stopped, and walks straight out the door. Lance’s calls of his name quickly become faint as he sprints down the hallway.

He can’t believe — God, he said that. Out loud. To Lance’s face. After Lance fucking — licked his thumb and wiped Keith’s face. Like the fussy mother he is.

And Keith is still attracted to him.

He stops in the middle of the hallway, head cradled in his hands, skin hot to the touch.

Fuck, he has a complex.

#i am less happy with this than i wanted to be but i’ve been working on it for hours so time to blow out the candle #vld #voltron #lance #lance mcclain #keith #keith kogane #klance #pre klance #pining keith #mom friend lance #brown eyed lance #lance & keith #banter #bad flirting #disaster keith #my writing #fic #longpost

210 notes · View notes

tmnt-tychou · 5 months

Text

Bayverse Headcanon - Intimacy

As usual, they are adult age when referring to them in this headcanon. The Bayverse boys are always at least mid 20's in my head.

Raph

Raph is the “What do you want me to do to you?” type of partner. He is Burger King and he is taking orders so you can Have It Your Way. He loves to give in the bedroom and he loves to get feedback that he's doing a good job and that his partner is enjoying what he's doing. He will still get his in the end, but he will happily go all night first, making sure the one he is with is thoroughly satisfied with his performance.

If you turn the tables on him, if you ask him to sit back while you give him love, you are going to blow his little turtle mind. And if you blow other things in the bedroom, he will follow you around like a love-sick puppy for days after. He is a big cuddler and is so nice and warm to sleep with on cold winter nights. And an absolute heater in the summer. In the height of summer heat, he will complain that you don't want to cuddle, even if you both get super sweaty because of it. If it's too hot for proper cuddles, if you put a hand and/or a leg on him while you sleep, he will be satisfied. But you'll probably still wake up drenched in sweat with a massive, hot turtle wrapped around you.

He isn't very good at post-coital pillow talk. Especially talking about himself and his feelings. It may take a few times before you can start coaxing the real stuff out of him. And you will need to be patient. Lay quietly next to him for a while after asking a question and give him proper time to form an answer. He appreciates patience and the silent moments in between.

Donnie

Donatello probably has the lowest sex drive of the four turtles. He's a little bit ace and doesn't need sexual satisfaction all the time. Sometimes too much physical and sexual stimulation overwhelms him, especially at the beginning where he's getting used to being manhandled on the regular. He's hypersensitive to physical touch so be gentle with him at first until he acclimates to having an intimate partner.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be near you, share with you, touch you. He wants to be close and interact with you all the time, he just doesn't need quality time with you to involve sex. If he does have a partner with a much higher libido, he can work his way up to it if you give him some time to adjust. Having a regular sex schedule will do wonders in getting him in the mood more often. If you miss one of your scheduled days, he may even go looking for you.

Donnie needs both physical and mental intimacy from a partner. He is big on communication and is always open to anything you want to talk about concerning the relationship. You can ask him what he likes or ask questions about his body and he is happy to respond with all the information. And he hopes he can ask the same things of you and continue with healthy and open conversations.

Donnie gets super chatty afterwards. He's got all the happy hormones swimming around and he's just feeling good. He wants to tell you about every little thought in his head. If you've got him under a starry sky, it's going to get really deep and philosophical. If you're alone in a bedroom, it will be soft, affectionate pillow talk. Either way, he just wants to talk to you. After your bodies were so close, he wants your minds to also be as close.

Mikey

If you're intimate with Mikey, you're intimate with Raph, because he tells his brother EVERYTHING. More than he ever wanted to know. Raphael knows all about your scars and birthmarks, favorite positions, and that thing you did that one time that really blew his brother's mind. So when you're dating Mikey, get used to knowing looks from Raphael. Maybe even a humorous smirk or two. Unfortunately, you will not be able to get Mikey to stop sharing. He is having such a great time with you he has to tell somebody and that somebody is usually Raphael. Mikey is a very intuitive partner. He checks in often to see if the one he's with is enjoying themselves. It's very important to him that his partner is having a good time and he's good at matching energy with energy in bed. If his partner is suddenly not into it, it crashes his libido. He will want to stop and talk about what happened and what he can do to make you feel better.

He is a firm believer that sex should be fun and enjoyed by both participants. He likes to talk a lot and laugh and joke during intimacy. He gives words of affirmation that he's into you, that he finds you so attractive, that he's enjoying himself. He wants to get the same back in return. He will try anything once. You can speak openly to him about things you want to try or any erotic fantasies you have. He also wants to know what your boundaries are and anything you're not into. He wants to make sure quality intimate time with him is always a good experience and he loves having a healthy sex life full of fun and communication.

He's very much a 50/50 partner. He loves to give, but he also wants to receive in kind. Having a “pillow princess” type partner who lays back and makes him do all the work will not satisfy him for long. He wants an active lover who is into it as much as he is. Someone who matches the energy he brings. He needs to be touched and held and loved on just as much as he wants to touch and hold and love on you.

Also, post-coital snack time will be a regular thing. Hope you're okay with crumbs in the bed.

Leo

Leonardo is a tough nut to crack when it comes to intimacy. He is definitely a 'friends before lovers' type of person. He has to have complete trust in a partner and will open up to them first emotionally before he will ever let them get close to him physically intimately. It takes him a while to allow your touch and even a while after to fully be used to it. But then he will start seeking it out and do more initiating. When he sees you as his, he will pull you into his space more and show you his world.

In the bedroom, he will be experimental at first to figure out what you like. Then, it's going to get pretty predictable. While Leonardo doesn't mind doing all the work—in fact he will work you over every time like it's his job—it will always be the same moves in the same order. Because he knows they are moves you like. But if you also like a little variety and spontaneity in the bedroom, you're going to have to have a discussion with him. Also, he will very much follow your lead. If you start trying new things or being spontaneous, you can inspire him to do the same. And though he will never ask for it, he will be absolutely thrilled if you take over every now and then and love on him.

Leo is one of the guys who will fall asleep on you right after the sexy times. Usually because he's worked hard and physical stimulation is a lot for him. Also, a good orgasm makes him sleepy and you are very soft, warm, and cozy. If you want him to stay up for some pillow talk, you'll need to catch him before he drifts off. And even then, if you talk for too long, you might look over and find a sleeping turtle.

How Mutant Turtle Bodies Work

This headcanon is something that changes from time to time depending on my mood and playing with different ideas. This is what is currently my favorite at the moment of writing this and I certainly don't mind if it doesn't align with yours.

Their genitals are kept inside their shells in a cloaca, but can be dropped or released at will. When they are inside their shells, you can finger and even penetrate them, but you should be gentle. They find it to be very pleasurable, though the attitudes about being penetrated vary from turtle to turtle. Once they are out of their shells, however, you have lost your chance to penetrate them until they release and go back inside. They can get hard and even orgasm while still in their shells. But once they are erect and have dropped from their shells, they can't pull back in until sexual release. Testicles remain in the body at all times and are never visible.

For regular turtles, the genitals are kept in the tail. For mutant turtles, this of course has changed. But they still have a pseudo slit in the tail that's very sensitive. They enjoy having their tail played with: stroked, licked or fingered. They can orgasm from just tail play alone and it can be very intense if you work them just right.

Regular turtles are also known for making a lot of noise during mating and the instinct is there for our boys to be noisy during sexy times. They fight it to varying degrees, depending on the turtle. Some prefer not to be loud and some don't really care how loud they are. You'll get a lot of whines and squeaks from them if you're the one giving them pleasure. (Some turtles will deny it, but they totally squeaked at you.) Of course, the beloved turtle churrs. This comes out more when they're being the dominant ones. Though unlike the purr-like sounds of a contented churr during snuggles, sexually aroused churrs have a bit more of a deeper growl to them.

They can get high off their own post-coital hormones. But it's usually after an intense sexy-times session where their pleasure was the main focus. And probably at least one intense tail-related orgasm. Afterward, they are absolutely useless. Completely stoned on feel-good chemicals, they are just big blobs of snuggly, fluffy turtle. If they try to put sentences together, it's funny as hell. But mostly, they just want to snuggle and nap. They WILL lay on top of you so you can't go anywhere while they sleep off the sexy times.

Tag list:

@thelaundrybitch @leosgirl82 @dilucsflame33 @happymoonangel

@fluffytriceratops @thepinkpanther83 @yorshie @yamanekomono

@androidships007 @raphsmuneca @silversunskyless

#tmnt #ninja turtles #tmnt bayverse #tmnt 2016 #headcanon

129 notes · View notes

leewritestoomuch · 23 days

Note

Hello! Small request here~ can you possibly do a Dr,stone headcanon where reader has severely bad memory? They’re memory is so bad to the point they would start to call everyone by fruits, vegetables, plants. You name it. Just so they could remember their faces properly? This has been in my mind for so long..but of course no rush and always take care of urself! <3

Idk if you take emoji anons, but can I be 🌒 or 🪻anon? You can choose which one if both are free!

Hi🪻anon (I picked this one cuz I like flowers and it’s different from the emojis I already have anons for, hope that’s okay) (oh and this request is about plants so it fits!)

I decided to do Senku, Gen, Tsukasa, and Hyoga. (I’m finally writing for Tsukasa, THE WORLD REJOICES)

Senku Ishigami

You called him a Leak.

He’s confused, but then looks in the mirror and… holy shit you’re right.

He’s offended, but like brushes it off.

“Focus” he says, turning you back to your work.

He thinks it’s strange thought when you don’t call him by his name even to others.

Eventually, he realizes you must not remember his name.

He couldn’t care less tbh. Maybe you are bad with names? Thats common enough he really doesn’t dig.

Gen Asagiri

You called him “nightshade”

It’s his favorite flower so he’s not fazed.

Oh, not the mention it means “liar.” And he’s the world’s best.

Eventually, while watching you, he realizes you don’t call him anything but it, so he subtly tests you.

He works to push you towards saying his name, and you really just don’t seem receptive.

Eventually, he’d subtly pry your reasoning out of you when he notices you call everybody plants and vegetables.

He finds out that the amount of different plants in the nightshade family reminds you of his two faced nature and helps you remember him.

He finds it interesting.

Tsukasa Shishio

He was confused when you called him “Rosanne”

Did you think he was a woman…?

From Gen, he finds out that you might be referring to a Rosanne Brown Lisianthus since you call everybody by plant names.

Gen says he doesn’t know the reason and shrugs, shaking his head as he walks away.

You later tell him it looks like a rose and it’s got a beautiful brown color sometimes.

He gets it now… his hair color!

Takes it as a compliment because the flower sounds pretty the way you describe it.

Hyoga Akatsuki

You called him “cauliflower”

He’s confused?

He’s not… a vegetable?

Are you calling him as weak as a mere vegetable? He’s not, so???

Genuinely, he’s confused.

Takes it the wrong way.

Gives you an eye smile and nods, but then straight up walks away from you.

He over hears somebody talking about your odd nicknames for every one and it clicks that you must be remembering him that way. Cauliflower is white… so is his hair. Okay…

55 notes · View notes

hard-core-super-star · 8 months

Note

Hello, I have a request for Hailee Steinfeld x reader: The reader works at a law firm and is a serious and kinda intimidating person, while also being really loving with close ones. The two have been married for a while and have kids, and before their anniversary reader surprises Hailee with the help of their children with a cute little cake and presents. It was chaotic to calm the kids’ excitement but the reader eventually worked it out.

I’m sorry if the request is kinda plain or doesn’t have enough info, it’s my first time requesting:)

I just now discovered your page and I absolutely adore your writing, it’s super original and fun to read.❤️

honeycomb [H.Steinfeld]

pairing: hailee steinfeld x reader

summary: you decide to let your kids help you bake a cake for your wife and cute chaos ensues.

warnings: none; quite literally the softest, most cutest fluff i've ever written; cheesy nicknames; incredibly blunt children; hailee being way too proud of being the favorite

wordcount: 1.7k

a/n: first of all, thank you so much for your kind words, lovely anon! this request was NOT plain, it was wonderful, thank you for sending it in. i was giggling and kicking my feet every time i wrote the word 'wife' and i can only hope you react the same way while reading. [i purposely left the descriptions and names of the kids vague and gender-neutral so you can picture them any way you want...and yes, both of their names are references to hailee projects, i couldn't resist]

* * * * * * *

You’re not sure what possessed you to invite your kids to help you bake a cake for their mom but you’re sure your kitchen will never look the same again.

You couldn’t deny that the idea was cute, and you adored the smiles you received from the twins when you offered to let them help you, but now you were covered in flour and chasing around two eight-year-olds on a sugar high. Hailee can say whatever she wants but they both got that restless spirit from her and not you.

A restless spirit that was going to get somebody in trouble and considering how much your wife loves spoiling your kids, that somebody was going to be you. You don’t really mind, the mere thought of getting ‘lectured’ by her being enough to make you chuckle to yourself.

Unfortunately, you’re supposed to be playing the role of a responsible adult right now and laughing the way you are only makes the twins believe their rambunctiousness is being rewarded.

“Charlie, no pushing,” you say, forcing yourself to sound strict. (Or as strict as you can be with two adorable pairs of brown eyes staring up at you like you hold all the answers to the universe) “Come on, help me clean up a little before your mom comes home.”

Your request gets mostly ignored but at least they walk back to the kitchen with you. You walk around, cleaning countertops with scattered bits of flour and sugar, while pretending you don’t notice how restless they’re getting. Their excitement is too endearing for you to be annoyed by what a hard time Charlie’s having staying still.

It’s almost funny how much more tolerant you are when it comes to your family. If anyone back at the office was tapping their foot the way the small brunette is, you’d probably glare at them. Now, all you can do is smile and try to come up with a way to entertain both kids.

The more reserved of the two speaks up before you get a chance to offer them something to do. “When’s mom coming back?”

“Hopefully in the next thirty minutes,” you reply as you sneak a glance at the clock. You decide it’s best not to point out the fact that you’ve been saying that for the past hour or so.

Hailee was clearly running late but you’re definitely not the right person to complain about that. You’re just glad she’s found another project to be passionate about. Especially since it took a lot of convincing to get her to go back to acting once the twins were old enough to understand why their mom worked at such weird hours.

You were just glad your own job allowed you to work from home a few days a week so your kids never felt like they had to take on the world on their own. The last thing you want is for them to feel like you never spend time together as a family.

Hence why you asked for the day off from your highly demanding job to prepare a surprise for your wife. Every year she insisted more and more that she didn’t need you to do anything special for your anniversary, that spending time with you every day was the only gift she could ever want, but that never stopped you from finding some way to do something for her. This year was the first year that you got your kids involved and you can only imagine the look of joy you’re bound to receive because of it.

“The cake’s done!”

You turn toward the oven as soon as you hear the announcement with a smile on your face. “Good job, little bumblebee.”

The nickname is a little too on the nose for your liking but it’s incredibly fitting and it makes the twins smile like nothing else…except maybe Hailee. They’re going through a phase where all they want to do is be around her and honestly, you can’t be mad about that because you’re exactly the same way. That’s probably where they got that from actually.

The twins start chattering excitedly about the cake while you carefully take it out of the oven and place it on the kitchen island. It honestly looks good as long as you ignore all the chaos making it left behind. Then again, chaos seems to be the main love language of your eight-year-olds and who are you to deny them?

“Okay, who wants to help me decorate it?”

You had no idea the kind of response those words were going to get.

Turns out, the twins not only got their restless spirits from Hailee but they also got her creativity and her badly hidden perfectionism. (Although you might share the blame for that last trait) It takes practically all your energy and your focus to keep them somewhat contained and stop them from arguing about what shape to draw and whether or not to write something. You're in the middle of spelling out the word ‘anniversary’ for them when the distinct sound of your wife’s voice steals your attention.

“What's going on in here?”

The speed at which both Charlie and Em move is enough to amaze any speedster in any universe. Hailee just barely manages to brace herself before they both collide into her body.

“We baked you a cake!” Em announces with a smile that looks identical to the one on your wife’s face.

“Is that right?” Hailee’s warm eyes shift between both of the adorable faces staring up at her.

“Yeah, Em and I did all the work! Right, mom?”

You see no point in correcting your very excited child over something so endearing. “Yeah, that's right, bee. And you both did a great job. You didn't even need me here.”

“Of course we needed you!” You prepare yourself for the sweet comment that no doubt follows. “The shelves are too high.”

The sound of Hailee’s laugh softens the blow a little bit. There's nothing quite like the bluntness of a child, something that you've started to learn the hard way.

“Thank you for the cake, my loves.” She leans down to give each of the twins a kiss on their foreheads. “How about you guys go pick what movie you want to watch tonight?”

They immediately run off in the direction of the living room, giving you and Hailee a small moment of peace.

“Happy anniversary, darling,” you say as you make your way toward her. “Did you like your surprise?”

“Let me think about it,” she replies, her voice tinged with a playfulness you've loved and adored since the day you met her. “I loved it, baby. Thank you.”

You wrap your arms around her and pull her toward you once you’re close enough. “Don't thank me, I didn't do anything according to the twins.”

“Try not to sound so bitter, my love.”

“Oh, shut up.” You roll your eyes but the smile on your face makes it clear that you don’t actually mind the joke. “You’re their favorite and you know it.”

“It’s not my fault that they have good taste.”

You’d love to argue with her but you have more important priorities in mind right now. Starting with kissing your gorgeous wife.

You lean in for a short, sweet, kiss, relishing the feeling of her lips against yours after spending most of the day away from each other. She lets out a quiet hum of approval as you kiss and the sound makes your smile grow until you’re forced to pull away.

“I have a gift for you,” you whisper into the space between you.

“y/n-”

“I know, I know.” You give her a quick peck to silence her yearly complaint. “But I saw it and I couldn’t resist.

You reach into your back pocket and pull out a small velvet box. Hailee raises her eyebrow once she sees it. “You’re not going to propose to me again, are you?”

You laugh and shake your head. “No, I think I got it perfect the first time.”

You lift the box up toward her before opening it up to reveal the necklace inside. It’s not anything extravagant, and you honestly worry it’s a little too cheesy, but your wife’s eyes light up at the sight of it just the same.

“Babe…”

“I thought you’d like to have your little bumblebees around all the time,” you explain as your own eyes drift down. The cute charm dangling from the gold chain is of a small beehive with two tiny bees on either side of it. As soon as you saw it, you thought of the twins and you knew Hailee would love it.

The huge smile on her face tells you you were right. “I want to be mad at you for breaking the ‘no gifts’ rule but this is adorable.” She gently takes the necklace out of its holding place and hands it to you. “Help me put it on?”

She turns around and you’re briefly transported back to your first date. Back when you were young and stupid and sure you would only be a tiny speck in Hailee’s dating history. You’ve never been happier to be proven wrong.

You reach out to move her hair out of the way, letting your fingertips graze her soft skin, before clasping the necklace together and letting it rest on her neck. You can’t stop yourself from placing a few kisses along her shoulder and grinning at the sound of her breath catching in her throat. It’s these small moments that make you fall in love all over again.

The brunette seems to read your mind and she lets out a soft whisper. “I love you, y/n.”

“I love you too, Lee.”

The moment is interrupted by the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching you. “Moms, why are you taking so long?”

You respond to the question with one of your own. “Did you guys pick out a movie?”

“We couldn’t decide,” Em says with a tiny pout. “We want mom to pick.”

Hailee couldn’t hold in her proud grin even if she tried. “I think I love you more and more each day.”

All three of you reply with your own words of affection, filling the room with a small chorus of love. You step back from your wife and motion toward the forgotten cake on the counter. "I'll take care of the cake, go help them figure out what to watch."

She nods in response before leading the tiny rascals out of the kitchen and back toward the living room. You admire their retreating forms for a few moments, feeling like the luckiest person in the world.

#hailee steinfeld x reader #hailee steinfeld x female reader #hailee steinfeld x you #hailee steinfeld x y/n #hailee steinfeld fic #hailee steinfeld fluff #hailee steinfeld imagine #hailee steinfeld fanfiction #hailee steinfeld #hawkeye #hawkeye fanfic #mcu #mcu fanfiction #mcu imagine #marvel #wlw #wlw fic #writing

106 notes · View notes

morallyinept · 4 months

Text

A full transcribe of AGENT WHISKEY'S dialogue/lines from the film KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE.

Includes full dialogue, and dialogue from any deleted/additional scenes available.

I've created this as a point of reference when writing for Pedro's characters, and I hope you find it useful. Even if you just want to read the dialogue. 🖤

FULL MASTERLIST OF PEDRO CHARACTERS DIALOGUE

☝🏻Dialogue has been fully transcribed by myself using reference to original scripts (if available), audio subtitles and using my own two ears. Therefore, mistakes can be made, however I have tried to be as fully accurate as I can. If you spot an obvious mistake, please kindly let me know. Where audio is not clear, I have marked with *inaudible* Scenes are separated for ease of reference.

FULL SCRIPT DIALOGUE:

Kid, looks like we’re hookin’ up with a chick at a rock concert. My favourite kind of mission.

I’m sending my jet to pick you up.

__________________

Well, that's the easy part, kid. Take a look in the glove box.

Goes on your finger. The surveillance tracker is in the tip. Apply light pressure for three seconds to release it.

__________________

I say we both make an approach. Whoever gets on best goes for it.

The hand is not a mucus membrane, Eggsy. Neither is the back. They teach you anything at Kingsman?

Our trackers are designed to enter in through the bloodstream, they circulate harmlessly providing full audio and GPS.

No, Eggsy, it ain’t.

Alright I’ll take first crack, watch and learn, buddy.

Miss, I beg your pardon. I don’t wanna pester you, but I just have to know. What time are you playing?

Oh damn it, now I feel like a fool. I just assumed a woman with your… charisma, well, she just had to be somebody.

No, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean to make me feel like a dumbass, so I’ll let you make it up to me by letting me buy you a drink.

What are we doin’?

Tinder, what?

Be good, be cool.

__________________

Now, is that any way to welcome a visitor from out of town, Moonshine?

Well, pick him up.

Now, that is not what I call a Kentucky welcome.

Manners. Maketh. Man. Let me translate that for ya.

Hoo. I feel like a tornado in a trailer park.

__________________

You can’t make this personal, sir.

Poppy’s stock piles really could be anywhere.

You two need to fix this code name thing. And with all due respect, sir. I don’t think Galahad Senior is ready to return to work.

It’s a lasso.

Yes, sir.

__________________

Hold up, we need ya down here, Galahad. Secure the control room.

I’ll cover.

Galahad we’re coming! All clear at the bottom? Galahad, come in!

Shit.

Shit!

__________________

Let me have a look?

Get down!

Fuck you! I just saved your life!

Alright. They're going for cover and reloadin’. I’ll fix their wagons. Cover me, boys!

Thank fuckin’ Christ I didn’t need any back up!

I’m out of ammo. Troop carrier coming in. What d’ya got?

What is this? Looks like you packed for a fuckin’ slumber party, not a mission.

Hey! Butterfly guy! It don’t look like Ginger fixed you right.

I said I’m empty. Gimme yours!

__________________

Hello gorgeous! I’m Jack, what’s your name? How would you like to ride home on a real cowboy? I got a six pack of cold ones on ice and my roomie's out all night, so you can scream my name as loud as you need to, sugar!

Who’s this pretty lady?

Ginger. Goddamn Butterfly guy shot me in the fuckin’ head!

Well I’m guessin’ you didn’t fix him right! Where the hell is he?

Eggsy’s gonna need back up.

Get the Silver Pony on the runway and ready to take off!

__________________

So. Don’t move, kid. You try anything funny and I turn this thing electric.

Now, give up your guns, fellas. Slide ‘em over.

Nope. My brain’s all good, kid. And you know what? I reckon the same is true for your friend Harry over here. Real fine instincts, I’ll give him that. But you stay still or I’ll dice him up so small you can take him home in a bucket and still have room for what's left of your buddy Merlin.

That ashole? Hahaha. Hell no. It’s a matter of personal principle, agent. No more drug users and the Statesman share price rockets.

Do you wanna know who was innocent? My highschool sweetheart. Love of my life. Pregnant with my little boy. He’d be about your age now. If his momma hadn’t got caught in the crossfire when two meth head freaks decided to rob a fuckin’ convinience store. A world without those people in it? Sure smells like peace to me.

You break the law. You pay the price. Good riddance. To all of them.

That’s why I gotta destroy that case. Now slide it over, Agent Galahad.

Thank you.

__________________

FULL MASTERLIST OF PEDRO CHARACTERS DIALOGUE

#agent whiskey #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #PPCU #agent whiskey kingsman #kingsman the golden circle #agent whiskey jack daniels #jack daniels kingsman #agent whiskey dialogue

59 notes · View notes

bellaramseysgf · 1 year

Text

Home (T.O)

Warning(s); ddlg relationship,Nicknames,the avengers being the sweetest,lowkey angry!thor,daddy kink,lots tooth rotting fluff.

Pairing(s); Daddy!Thor Odinson x Little!Reader

Summary; after not seeing thor for awhile you’re in a hurry and it results in somebody getting in trouble.

A/n; this is so close to my heart but I hope everyone enjoys it. Not proof read

“Really,sweetie you can’t see him yet!” Loki tried to explain while you ran down the hall towards the throne room. Choosing to ignore Loki and only focusing on the sound of Thor’s voice getting closer.

Thor had to go help his earth friends leaving you under the watchful eye of Loki and sif, Loki made the mistake of letting you overhear Sif say he was back. In response you took off towards where you knew he would be your socked feet running as fast as they could.

There was a reason you couldn’t see him,his earth friends came to visit but they had no clue you existed and thor just needed time to explain. The didn’t even believe he’d moved on from Jane but he had,long ago.

The pair of you met in a item shop in his village he saw you and just immediately felt something, his mom said it was true love.

“Darling!” Sif called after you as well to no avail. “Daddy daddy daddy” you repeated as you ran closer to the doors.

“So you just need to understand that I’ve hidden this for a-” Thor was in the middle of explaining when you burst inside “daddy! Daddy!!” You squealing running towards him. “Loki!” He yelled as Loki slid to a stop at the door.

You were already at Thor reaching up at him “daddy you hold?” You asked referring to you. “Of course, hi my little one” he said lifting you up you squealed hugging his neck. “Missed daddy” you said and his hand ran through your hair “I missed you too honey”

“Daddy?” Tony asked “honey?” Steve asked you only then realized the group of people stood infront of you both. Meanwhile all thor was doing was staring daggers at his brother and Sif. “She’s a fast little thing what was I meant to do!” Loki argued. “Use your powers?” Thor offered and Loki went to argue but got quiet. “Oh…yeah, forgot about those in the moment” Thor shook his head.

“Hello! Who is this?” Nat asked pulling the two men from their bickering “uhm” Thor looked between his friends and you. “Daddy? Wan down!” Thor complied and sat you down.

Thor immediately turn to his brother “are you crazy? What if they react badly!” Loki shrugged “I’m gonna actually kill you” Loki scoffed “I’d like to see you try” Thor picked Loki up by his collar “oh. Look at that” Loki said his feet dangling.

Thors attention was drawn away when he heard you squealing, he turned to see nat and Tony tickling you “ahhh! Dada! Help!!” You said between giggles. Thor sat Loki down and walked over “what is going on?”

“So, you have a girlfriend” Bucky said with a shrug “she’s cute, I’m gonna steal her” Tony said and you squealed “nooo!” You rand to hide behind thor “I’m only for daddy!” Thor smiled. He sat his hand on your head “yes you are” he agreed “so you guys aren’t weirded out?” He asked. “No, I’ve dated littles before” Tony said “so have I” nat said “and we are willing to learn” cap said pointing to him and Bucky.

Thor nodded “okay, thank you” he said and lifted you up “now, tell me all about your week baby”

#thor odinson x you #thor x reader #thor odison imagine #thor odinson x y/n #thor fluff #thor odinson x reader #thor of asgard #daddy!thor x little!reader #daddy!thor odinson #thor x y/n #little reader

325 notes · View notes

fics-n-stuff · 1 year

Text

"I love you, dads"

Pairing: Eddie Munson × Steve Harrington (but not really, this is more a story about them and their daughter (and son))

Summary: Sophia can't bring herself to call her adoptive parents, Steve and Eddie, "dad" for a long time. Same universe / continuation of The Interview (and the year and a half to follow)

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: I asked you guys to give me prompts for rockstar!Eddie teacher!Steve pt2 back in November and none of you gave me anything so this is what you get because it's all I could think of. It's been sitting in my drafts for a while because I don't love it and was hoping to think of something better. Next time you ask someone for a pt2 and they ask for prompts to use, SEND PROMPTS!!

Sophia didn't call Steve and Eddie "dad" for a long time. The dad that she'd had for the first eleven years of her life was wrapped around her heart, tangling the word up in complicated emotions. She wasn't sure that she ever wanted to see that dad again, but it felt wrong to give his title to somebody else.

Steve and Eddie didn't mind. They never pushed or questioned it. When she had asked, one day when she was fourteen, if it upset them that she always addressed them by name, they had both smiled and told her that they didn't mind at all.

"Do you mean it when you say you love us?" Steve had asked.

"Of course. Of course I love you guys." She replied.

"Then it doesn't matter what you call us. We're family and we love each other and that's all that matters." He said. Sophia had tried to hold back her tears, but when Eddie snatched her to his chest for a tight hug she couldn't stop the few that slipped out.

She referred to them as her dads when talking to other people sometimes. At school, everyone knew that she was Mr Harrington's daughter, though she had kept her original name after the adoption. She said "my dads" when she talked about her home life with friends, or "my dad" when she was talking to someone new and didn't feel in the mood to have to explain who Eddie or Steve were if she referred to them by name. If anyone asked her "is that your dad?" she just said yes and didn't bother with the nuance. She knew, in her heart, that Steve and Eddie were her dads, she just couldn't call them that.

Darcey called Steve and Eddie dad. It made Sophia feel guilty sometimes. She had been with them for three and a half years when the eight year old boy had joined the household. Darcey was sweet and had been hopping from foster home to foster home since he was four. He didn't have the same complicated feelings about calling Steve and Eddie "dad" as Sophia did, and he started doing it only a few months after his adoption was finalised.

"Just because Darcey calls me and Steve dad doesn't mean that you have to." Eddie had told her, having noticed her guilt and pulled her aside one day. "We know it's complicated for you, and if you never called us dad that would be fine with us. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know, it's just… if Darcey can say it after less than a year and I can't say it after almost four then… I don't know, it feels like a problem with me. Like, do I not love you guys as much as he does?"

"Oh, pumpkin, that's not something you ever have to worry about." Eddie comforted, brushing a hand over her cheek before wrapping a hand around her shoulders and tucking her into his side. "We know you love us, a simple word doesn't change that. When you call for me and you say Eddie, and when Darcey calls for me and he says dad, I answer the same way because you're both my kids and I don't care what you call me. Well, as long as you don't call me anything mean." He finished with a joke, and Sophia chuckled.

"Thanks, Eddie." She mumbled with a slight smile.

"Anytime, Soph. Come on, let's get a snack."

Eddie was on tour when Darcey got his autism diagnosis. Steve and Eddie had both been pretty sure that he was on the spectrum since back when they were fostering him, before even filing for adoption. Neither of them said it but they had suspicions that that was likely a big reason that he had bounced between homes so much. Steve was particularly frustrated he hadn't been tested before he came to them because from the stories that Darcey told of previous foster families it was clear that his needs hadn't been accommodated in those homes.

Sophia was good with her brother. She was protective of him, but not in a way that stopped him from making his own decisions. She liked helping him with his homework, the two of them sitting together at the kitchen table in the afternoons, and she often caught Steve looking on at them fondly as he cooked dinner.

When Sophia was sixteen and Darcey was ten, they spent summer vacation bouncing around Europe following Eddie as Corroded Coffin went on tour. Darcey had hyperfixated on films and cinema in general and had started making his own little movies, so Sophia found herself starring in a series of short films throughout the vacation. Darcey filmed a lot of home videos too, and at the end of the vacation they had all sat down in the living room to watch the memories that he had captured.

Sophia struggled with her college applications. There was no use turning to Eddie, he never even thought about applying to college, so she had gone to Steve. He had grimaced and groaned.

"You know, I don't think I'm gonna be the best help with that." He'd said. "My applications were horrible, it's a wonder I got accepted anywhere."

He had instead called in reinforcements in the form of Aunt Nancy, who worked through Sophia's applications with her, encouraging her ambitions. Steve and Eddie had thrown her a party when she was accepted into her top choice college. Steve even baked a cake and everything.

It was Eddie who took her shopping for a prom dress. They spent hours shopping, Sophia trying dresses on and stepping out to get Eddie's feedback. He was surprisingly involved and enthusiastic with the whole process, and when she found the dress that she wanted he had grinned wide and planted a kiss on her forehead. When prom night came, he and Steve had spent so long taking photos that Sophia was worried that the limo her and her friends had hired together would actually leave without her.

When the time came for Sophia to start college, Steve and Eddie insisted that the whole family go to drop her off. They helped her move into her dorm and got a nice lunch together. Darcey helped her arrange all her trinkets on her desk in a way that he deemed acceptable, and Steve tacked all of the photos that she had printed out on the wall neatly. Eddie didn't do much but talk, but that made it feel more normal.

"Alright, well, I guess you really are all grown up." Steve said, looking over the room one more time as they got ready to leave. "Don't be one of those people that never changes their sheets, okay? You have three sets of bedding, you changed them every two weeks."

"Okay, Steve. I'll change them every two weeks." Sophia chuckled.

"We're gonna call you all the time. You're not even gonna miss us." Eddie smiled.

"You'll be home for Thanksgiving, right?" Darcey questioned, and Sophia nodded.

"Absolutely I'll be home for Thanksgiving. You think I'm gonna miss Steve's Thanksgiving dinner? No way!" She replied, pulling her little brother into a hug. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Promise?"

"Promise. And hey, if you get stuck on your homework just text me, yeah?"

"Okay."

"Good." She smiled.

Darcey shuffled aside and Sophia looked up at Steve and Eddie, who were both smiling at her with such immense pride in their eyes. She flung an arm over each of their shoulders, pulling them close as they both hugged her back.

"Thank you so much for coming to drop me off."

"Don't sweat it, kiddo." Eddie said.

"We wouldn't have had it any other way." Steve added. "We love you, Soph."

"I love you too, dads." She muttered, and she felt it. Neither of them said anything, but both Eddie and Steve held her just a little bit tighter.

"We're always just a phone call away." Steve smiled when they pulled away from the hug, eyes shining with unshed tears as he gently cupped Sophia's cheek in his hand. She nodded in acknowledgment, holding back tears of her own.

"We'll call when we get home." Eddie said. "See you at Thanksgiving, pumpkin."

"See you at Thanksgiving." She echoed.

Her family left, sending her off on the next chapter of her life with all the faith in the world that she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to. They hopped back into the car for the drive home, Steve behind the wheel, but didn't start driving right away.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Eddie asked softly.

"We did that." Steve replied quietly. "We raised that wonderful, cleverl girl in there."

"Yes we did, Stevie."

"She called us dads." He squeaked, a couple of tears finally falling as he smiled. Eddie smiled back, wiped away Steve's tears and kissed him on the nose.

"Yes she did." He nodded. "Because that's what we are."

"Dad, why are you crying?" Darcey asked from the backseat, taking off one side of his headphones and looking up from the video he had been watching.

"No reason, honey." Steve replied and sniffed quietly. "I'm just proud of your sister is all. Happy tears."

"Okay." Darcey nodded and went back to his video. Steve wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath, finally starting the engine.

"You're a good dad." Eddie commented.

"You too." Steve replied. He started the car and pulled out of their parking spot. "I'm proud of us as well."

#steddie #steveddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #steddie fanfiction #steddie fluff #steddie fic #steddie au #stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things season four #rockstar eddie munson #teacher steve harrington #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fic #dads steddie #steddie dads

127 notes · View notes

givehimthemedicine · 1 year

Text

Big Analysis Part 1

Gates, Demogorgons, and Tunnels

[ Part 2 ]

My attempt to iron out explanations for a variety of how-and-when type questions pertaining to.. well, it's there in the title. this is super long, but I really hope you take a look because I think I've got viable explanations if not The Answer for a lot of big questions.

Topics:

The difference between gates and portals

Is the demogorgon Henry?

Is S1, S3, S4 all the same demogorgon?

Why no more portals since S1?

Is Dart the slug Will coughed up?

Where was the demogorgon for seasons 2 & 3?

How the Russians captured the democreatures & particles

How did Dart get in Dustin's trash?

What's the deal with the tunnels? is that the UD?

The significance of the library in the UD

Why do some gates close and others spread?

Theory about the mothergate

Theory about it was a seven / 8:15

this post deals mostly with the literal and not so much predictions/symbolism/character analysis type stuff, but a few topics in the second half start to form theories that flirt with potential spoiler territory, so if you prefer to be surprised about the subject of Will's vanishing in s5, probably don't read.

these sections are ordered to build logic and Realizations as you read straight through, so although I tried to make it browsable, it REALLY makes more sense if you read all of it.

1. Gates and portals

distinguishing gates from portals is not at all my idea, but let me nail down the differences between them because it's super important for the logic of this entire analysis.

both are doorways into the other dimension, both are separated by a goopy pink membrane, but their other qualities aren't consistent. besides who made them and from which direction, some have vines coming out, some don't. some leave no trace, others do.

here's a list of all the different holes I can think of and different qualities they have.

grey is for things we weren't shown, but I filled in based on the logic of the rest and the fact that if it was otherwise somebody would've mentioned it.

so here's the distinction I'm making for the rest of the post:

GATES are opened by humans. they have vines and may be inclined to close or spread, but when they do close, they leave scars:

list of what I consider gates:

'79 in the rainbow room

'83 in the lab (the mothergate)

'83 in the classroom

'84 in Russia just for a minute

'85 under Starcourt

'86 Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, Max gates

most of these are explicitly referred to as "gates" on the show. "door" is also used sometimes to mean gate by both Henry and Alexei.

*vines are always characteristic of gates with the single exception that I'm not certain we saw any in the Starcourt one. it's clearly a legit gate - closing it makes the monster die. I guess it would have vines but doesn't yet, because Alexei says it's not open but openING. I'll remind you when this becomes relevant.

**it looks most logically consistent to me to say that gates always leave scars, but we were never actually shown what either of the laser gates looked like after closing.

PORTALS are small holes opened by the demogorgon which never have vines, always close up pretty quickly, and never leave a trace. list of what I consider portals:

the Byers living room wall, living room floor, living room ceiling, Will's room wall, hallway floor

the Nancy tree where the demogorgon yoinks the deer

the school hallway

the wall in the shed where Will got yoinked

the ceiling of the Lab elevator where the scientist got yoinked

the pool where Barb got yoinked

I can't remember anybody on ST ever referring to one of the temporary holes opened by the demogorgon as "a gate", even though they never explicitly discuss a difference either.

in contrast to gate scars, they make a point of showing that no trace is left behind when portals heal.

"but wait, the demogorgon is totally Henry, doesn't that throw off the data in your stupid little chart?"

no, not the way I understand Henry to "be" the demogorgon. I'll explain more in Is the demogorgon Henry?, but I believe all these portals are being, in deed though not in purpose, opened by the actual demogorgon.

"but wait, what about the time Will opened that portal in the wall??"

no he did not. that was the hole where the demogorgon came through to attack Joyce before - Will found it just before it finished healing.

now, one more huge thing: gates enable portals to be opened.

where am I getting this?

well, if Henry can make a demogorgon open a portal to yoink Will in 1983... why wouldn't he have just done that in 1979? why Henry's whole thing about needing El to open a gate for him, if portals are a thing?

just think: Will got taken when the mothergate opened, but he wasn't taken through the mothergate. the demogorgon didn't grab him in the shed, drag him 2 miles down the road, in the front door of Hawkins Lab, down the elevator [Will and the demogorgon awkwardly listening to elevator music], through the mothergate, back through the Upside Down version of all that backwards, all the way back to his house where they started. no, Will was taken right through a portal in the shed to the UD shed. so what did the gate even have to do with it?

the fact that the demogorgon never opened any portals until immediately after the opening of the mothergate tells us that it couldn't until then.

2. Is the demogorgon Henry?

for sure. but in what sense is critically important. I can think of three ways that we could say Henry "is" the demogorgon:

Henry shapeshifting? This doesn't work for me because I don't think Henry can shapeshift. I don't think what he does to Max in s4 is literally, physically changing his appearance, but rather changing Max's perception of his appearance, like what Kali can do.

and even if he could shapeshift, I don't think that explains what's going on. like wearing an Eleven Halloween costume doesn't grant you telekinesis, Henry shapeshifting as a demogorgon would not personally gain its abilities. and the demogorgon must have abilities Henry doesn't, otherwise he wouldn't need to involve it at all.

Henry tricking observers into perceiving him as a demogorgon? Nah. it showed up in Jonathan's candid photo.

Henry puppeting an actual demogorgon is the only way that makes sense. I believe the demogorgon of s1 is an actual demogorgon that Henry is controlling after possessing it with the Mind Flayer, just like he did to Will.

we see the Henrygorgon open portals a bunch of times, so by whose ability is this happening: the demogorgon, Henry, or the Mind Flayer?

it can't be Henry, because if Henry could open portals himself, he wouldn't need the demogorgon. and it can't be the Mind Flayer, because again, why involve the demogorgon.

portaling can only be the demogorgon's ability, and that's why it's very important that the Henrygorgon is physically a legit demogorgon that's taking orders from Henry, and not somehow Henry in disguise.

"but wait, if portaling is an inherent demogorgon ability, why hasn't the demogorgon been terrorizing Hawkins since forever?"

because you gotta have a gate in order to open portals, and there wasn't a gate open long enough for it to come through until 1983.

3. Is s1, s3, and s4 the same demogorgon?

No.

the one El dispatches in s1 is all burnt because of Nancy & co setting it on fire, but the s3 postcredits one has pristine skin. s1 and s3 are different individuals.

the s3 and s4 look very different, but this dialogue in Hopper's last supper scene explains how they're the same one:

You know why they feed captive predators live prey? Because if they don't, the predator gets bored and stops eating. It needs the thrill of the hunt. And this food isn't to make us strong. It's to make us plump. So we're full of the nutrients and protein that a growing monster might need.

in the s3 postcredits we see them feed a captive prisoner to it, and that's why it's skinny - it's bored. in 4, now that it's been hunting prey that can fight back, it's filled out, muscular, battle scarred. it's so buff Mike would have a poster of it if only it had nipples.

4. Why haven't there ever been any more portals since season 1, if demogorgons and gates are still both a thing?

I first theorized that the demogorgon's ability to open portals gets switched on when at least one gate to our world is open, and off when none are. but if that was it, then the Russian demogorgon should have started portaling all over the prison the moment Chrissy died. I had to get up and take a walk because this ruined my whole thing, but I think I've got it now.

the answer is in the very first scene of the show.

the scientist comes fleeing out from the gate room. but then the thing he's running from is somehow ahead of him, already in the elevator.

to pop out into the RU elevator, the demogorgon had to come from the UD. but we know it was in the RU once already before that, because it already scared the scientist. so how'd it get to the RU that time? it could not have come through a portal to the RU straight from its eternity in the UD, otherwise it would've been doing that since forever.

it's a chicken/egg situation that's only solved by the demogorgon coming in originally through the gate.

Brenner goes down to look at the gate, some guy says "is this where it came from?" and he says "Yes." why TELL us that? the audience can't just see "gaping eldritch hellhole" and "monster on the loose" and put two and two together? this must be REALLY important to be so underlined.

it is. they're showing us that the demogorgon became able to open portals between the UD/RU not just by virtue of the gate existing, but by coming in through it.

the Chrissy gate didn't make the Russian demogorgon able to open portals because it didn't come in through Chrissy's gate. more on that later.

5. Is Dart the slug Will coughed up?

definitely not. those things grow up very quickly, in a matter of days. Dustin found Dart as a pollywog almost an entire year after Will coughed up the slug so there's no way it's the same one.

6. Where was the demogorgon for seasons 2 and 3?

the Henrygorgon of season 1 is either dead or minding its own business in the Upside Down. I don't think it's dead because the same treatment didn't kill Henry.

"but wait, the mothergate was still open, if the Henrygorgon wasn't dead why didn't it just come right back in?"

the process of dematerializing it could also have exorcised it of the MF, so that it was no longer the Henrygorgon. or maybe Henry just didn't want to do season 1 all over again after he already got his ass kicked.

so if season 1's demogorgon is retired, where's the Russian one been during seasons 2 and 3? :)

you know how I said the Russian demogorgon isn't able to open portals because it never came in through Chrissy's gate? well, it never came in through any gate.

how could a demogorgon possibly get to the Rightside Up WITHOUT passing through a gate? there's only one way.

being born on this side.

:) :) :)

The Russian demogorgon is the slug Will coughed up.

"but wait, those slugs grow up to be demodogs, not demogorgons!" they're factually the same animal. here's an interview detailing the creative process for all its life stages from slug to demogorgon, in which ST's VFX supervisor states that the demodog is, quote, "an adolescent model of the Demogorgon."

I'm not saying "wouldn't that be a hoot," I'm saying it can't be any other way. the Russian demogorgon can't be the original one, because it isn't burnt. there were manymany demogorgons born in season 2 (Dart & friends) but it can't be one of them because they all died when El closed the gate. some demogorgons were born at the end of season 1, but all except one were born in the UD where their hosts died (we'll talk about this later), and aren't in play. that leaves only one unaccounted for.

Will coughed it up and it went down the sink, into the sewers of Hawkins. over a matter of days it matured into a demodog and started digging the tunnels of season 2.

7. How the Russians captured the democreatures and particles

Enzo tells Hopper that he's "heard rumors of a monster from America" and in season 3 Erica looks at a steel cage in the Russian bunker and says: "Hey Dustin, how big did you say that demogorgon was?" this spells out for us that the Russian demogorgon was captured in Hawkins and transported to Russia.

this is another reason the Russian demogorgon has to be Will's, and not merely one of Dart's generation that was allowed to grow up instead of being put into suspended animation in those tanks - they want us to know the Russians caught a demogorgon that was already an adult.

I think this is why they made a point of the Starcourt gate being "openING" instead of open - to rule out the possibility that a new demogorgon came in.

since the Russians never opened a gate long/big enough for any democreatures to come through, the demodogs had to be sourced from Hawkins also.

I figure the Russians captured them both underneath Hawkins in season 2.

"but wait, underground Russians were a 3 thing, not a 2 thing!"

you know how long it takes to move that much earth? to have that humongous underground fortress finished and functional by season 3, the Russians had to be well underway during 2. the scene of the failed Russian gate which necessitates them trying again in Hawkins is set in June '84 (that's between 1 and 2). they could have started any time from then on.

In 3x4, we see Hopper look at some land deeds - the people who own Starcourt (Russians) buying up farmland because they "want to expand" - dated 11/13/84. for context, that's like a week after El closed the gate in season 2. the Russians built Starcourt in 1984 to conceal their real construction project, the underground fortress.

so in the process of digging sometime between July-October of 1984 while the mothergate was still open, the Russians must have run into those tunnels that ran all underneath Hawkins. and at that time, the tunnels contained the adult Will-demogorgon and lots of demodogs. they captured the adult and several juveniles - possibly at younger stages when it would've been easier - and put them into suspended animation. they kept the demogorgon awake, and shipped them all off to Russia, where they started feeding the demogorgon prisoners.

"but wait, the Russian demodogs can't be from the s2 Hawkins batch! they all died when the gate closed!"

hang on, I'm about to explain.

now, how on earth did the Russians capture a hunk of the particles?

I can't think of an easier way to capture it than packaged neatly in host bodies. the demodogs the Russians captured were possessed,

"hold it right there, how'd they capture possessed demodogs? wouldn't they just portal away? wouldn't they be all rabid and invincible?" juvenile demogorgons aren't able to open portals. if they could, Dart would've escaped Dustin's cellar that way. and possession doesn't make demogorgons of any age invincible, it just controls them mentally. demogorgons can take 900000 bullets because they're just like that, possessed or not. strong skin or something. but juveniles aren't so tough yet - see Hopper taking out several of them with 1 shot apiece as El closes the gate.

anyway, they took a handful of possessed demodogs back to the facility in Russia and burnt the MF out of them, trapping their combined particles in that holding tank, and then placing the exorcised dogs into suspended animation.

the Russians definitely know about he-likes-it-cold. it's how they're keeping the swirling particles contained behind glass: they've got the area outside its holding tank surrounded with heating elements. it isn't captive because it can't break glass, it's captive because it doesn't want to go toward the heat.

this explains how these several captive demodogs don't drop dead as a result of gates closing: not just because they're in suspended animation, but because they're no longer possessed at the time the gates close.

think of Will in season 2 - they had to hold off closing the mothergate until they burned the MF out of him, otherwise as a part of the army, Will would have died along with all the demodogs.

see, the "democreatures all dropping dead when a gate closes" thing isn't because the creatures just inherently die of homesickness or something, it's because they're almost always possessed by the MF, and the MF is what "dies" (falls down inert) when gates are closed. if the MF "died" while inside Will, Will would have died, but exorcised Will survived the closing of the mothergate just fine, and so did these demodogs. in fact, the exact piece of the MF that was in Will was the piece that was in the flesh monster, and it did "die" when the Starcourt gate closed, which made the monster die.

s4 spells out for us that demodogs/gorgons can and do get possessed by the MF exactly how Will did (the dying Russian guard says that "the shadow went into them"), confirming for us the mechanism for s1's Henrygorgon.

we know the demodogs aren't still possessed while in suspended animation because the shadow wouldn't need to go into them if it was already in them.

"but wait, are we sure those demodogs were possessed in the first place if they were born in the tunnels and not in the actual UD? how did the MF get to them?"

they definitely were possessed because they acted as a part of the hive mind, but I am a bit shaky on how. my best explanation right now is that since the tunnels went right up to the mothergate, the MF could reach into the RU tunnels like it reached through when El was closing the gate, or the demodogs passed freely in and out of the gate and got possessed while in the UD.

8. How did Dart get in Dustin's trash?

my best guess on this one is disappointingly mundane. I saw that shot of Hopper seeing the dead raccoon in the tunnels, and I thought, how about if a raccoon was rooting around in Dustin's trash and coughed up a slug?

this led me down a much more important avenue of thought: where all those demodogs came from. by season 2 there are a LOT. I'd say 20-30 just in that one shot of them falling dead in droves when El closes the gate.

while we do have one demogorgon in play at this time, demogorgons themselves can't reproduce as far as we know. those slugs are planted by a vine.

live bodies are needed to incubate those slugs, but Hawkins is a small town and dozens more disappearances would've surely been mentioned. how then?

animals. Will's demogorgon yoinked any number of animals from the woods to host those slugs, and the slugs soon grew into demodogs which fed on their hosts' bodies.

only they weren't yoinked to the UD, but to the tunnels. that's what that area littered with bones was were Hopper got trapped, the place he called the "graveyard". a demogorgon nursery.

9. What's the deal with the tunnels?

the tunnels act as sort of a bridge area between the RU and the UD.

it's physically the RU, but so heavily infiltrated by the vines and spores due to proximity to the gate that it's functionally the UD. (like how vines and spores spread a little ways into the Lab through the gate, hence hazmat suits needed to even approach it).

it can't be the actual UD, because the hole Hopper digs through to access it doesn't act like a gate/portal. if the tunnels were the UD, if Hopper was even able to break through with his shovel (which humans can't do), he would have fallen into a gravity-reversed UD copy of that pumpkin field. instead, he broke through to a physical tunnel in the dirt.

10. The significance of the library in the Upside Down

ok this is one of my hair twirlingest sections in the whole thing

you know when Will pointed out that spot in the tunnels, and said it was important and the Mind Flayer didn't want him to see there?

and Hopper saw on the soldiers' video feed that they were in "the graveyard," that place Joyce and Bob rescued him from earlier? the demogorgon nursery?

but it turned out Will was just lying about it being important to get those soldiers sent to their deaths?

Will wasn't lying. It really is an important place.

the graveyard is where the ambush happened. and the graveyard is directly underneath the library.

not just because of the X clue, but because, remember how I called the graveyard a demogorgon nursery a minute ago?

and remember what happened to Will in the library?

as above, so below.

the library is the demogorgon nursery of season 1's Upside Down. all six of the yoinked were taken there to get slugged, not just Will.

"but wait, if they were all taken to the library, wouldn't Hopper and Joyce have seen their bodies there?"

they did. people seem to forget.

"but wait, how can Barb be dead in the library if Nancy saw her in Steve's pool in s4?" dead Barb in the pool was a vision Henry gave Nancy to torment her, not current or literal footage.

now check this out.

the Duffers have specifically listed the first Indiana Jones movie as one of their inspirations. remember that scene where they're searching everywhere in that old library for a "ten" marking the location of a tomb? and you know what a roman numeral ten looks like? and Indy finally finds it....

on the floor? and they pull up a tile and drop into a catacombs tunnel full of bones underground beneath the library? that scene sure was neato!!

more X / ten library refs

now remember in the Hopper-stuck-in-the-tunnels part, there's also a moment where he sees a spot of dense vines and tries burning them away and digging his way out? well the vines grow densely like that to cover holes - we saw them quickly grow over and conceal the hole Hopper originally dug into the tunnels. that's why he couldn't find his way out before.

does this not indicate that there was a preexisting but sealed-up hole right there in the graveyard... not another branch of walkable tunnel, but a smaller tunnel leading UP...

to the library??

someone PLEASE Indiana Jones the library floor in s5. it's tile.

"but wait, as far as we know, those tunnels didn't exist until s2, and only demodogs dig, and the only demogorgon in play was already an adult."

right, I am thinking that the slug Will coughed up went on to become the founder of the tunnels, which means that neither the tunnels nor the theoretical library-hole would have existed at the time of the s1 yoinkings.

either Will's demogorgon or any of Dart's friends could've dug the library hole (assuming there wasn't some preexisting ancient tomb under there) but why? why would they need a tunnel from the graveyard to the RU library? and from which direction was it dug? could the five UD demogorgons have dug it down from where they were born in the UD library? I don't think alterations made to the UD affect the RU, but could there be some loophole here given that the tunnels are almost like a bridge dimension? I need to think more.

I'll leave you with this:

remember where Henry found the black widow nest that ended up being his whole life's inspiration? in a vent under the floor in the bathroom? it's giving me Indy under the library floor BIGTIME.

see how the nest is also full of egg sacs? remember how Max stepped on some of those and little baby spiders came out? I just read a little about black window spiders and their egg sacs take about 30 days to hatch. would this be a fun time to mention that Will coughed up that slug 26 days after being rescued? and that Victor Creel said the family had "a month of peace in that house" before the horrors started?

I'm thinking the library was already a significant place for Henry in order for him to take the yoinked there. I'm pretty sure the tunnels were started after the yoinkings, so the graveyard was placed under the library, and not that the library was chosen for being on top of some geographical spot of preexisting importance.

this is where I'll need to hand this topic off to a better analyst because I tend to be too literal, but I think we need to talk about the possibility that something happened to Henry at the library, maybe in the basement. if that's where he took all the yoinked, it must be a significant place for him.

11. Why some gates close and others spread

does the opener of the gate determine its nature? that can't be it. El opened multiple gates that behaved very differently.

the Mothergate started as a crack in a wall and grew enormous. the Lab's controlled burns barely slowed it down its spread. but the rainbow gate was just big enough for Henry and then sealed back up in less than a minute. same with the classroom gate, it sealed up so fast that we didn't even see it.

so what's the difference? why was one huge and spreading and the others small and temporary?

I'm gonna get a little more abstract here than the rest of the post, but bear with me while I take a guess.

the mothergate was created when El made psychic contact with the demogorgon and experienced extreme fear, right? and Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, Max's gates are created when Henry made psychic connections with them and tortured them with fear, despair, hatred, guilt. notice how those are the gates that spread.

the rainbow room gate was created when El overpowered Henry by harnessing her single happy memory of her mother's love. the classroom gate was created when El had such protective love for her new friends that she was willing to sacrifice her life for them.

may I suggest that gate behavior depends on which emotion fuels their opening.

Fear, guilt, bitterness, hate festers. Love heals. but both types of wounds leave scars.

Stranger Things is a live action Monsters Inc

I'll grant you that this symbolism doesn't explain the two gates opened by Russian lasers, but maybe those sidestep the issue due to being artificially created.

anyway if 8-year-old El had successfully overpowered Henry using the power of her sad/angry memories instead of switching to love, that rainbow room gate might have been the spreading sort, the events of 1983/1986 could have happened immediately, and with baby El out of commission, the world would have ended in 1979.

warning - if I'm right at all, we're drifting towards what might be considered spoiler territory for the rest of this.

12. Why did the mothergate open where it did?

when Henry opened gates, they were all formed on the exact spot of the victim's body. and both times El opened gates, they also formed on the exact spot of the victim's body - the wall right behind Henry, and the chalkboard right behind the demogorgon.

if El was the opener of the mothergate, why didn't the gate open right on the "victim" - the demogorgon? and even if we've got it backwards and El is the victim, why didn't the gate open right on her water tank either? Instead of either location, it randomly cracked the wall several feet away.

the boring answer is they probably just hadn't thought out all this gate lore while they were shooting season 1, which was meant to be a standalone with no continuing story.

and while I think that's true to some extent, it doesn't even interfere with the FUN ANSWER, which is:

how about if the mothergate DID form exactly where the "victim" was, and the "victim" was Henry.

Henry, standing in the Upside Down lab during El's Russian spy mission. remembering how she opened a gate in 1979 and trying to recreate it - bracing himself against the nearest wall, knowing that if his plan works, and he can connect with El while she's psychically receptive and get her to experience extreme terror again, another gate will open.

13. It was a seven / 8:15

that seven could be more important than just to show that Will won't lie to Mike.

there are a bunch of other sevens on ST. now, this whole section could be a reach because plenty of them are unrelated, but I can't help notice that a handful of them pertain at least sort of to the bikes/Mike's garage.

"It was a seven"

the 7 on the license plate in the Wheelers' garage

what day does Hopper find Will's bike? the 7th

when the gang has to ride the Wheelers' bikes to Eddie's trailer, he says it's 7 miles away

and if we widen the search to include ones pertaining to DnD, we get a couple more,

Lucas cuts off the thessalhydra's 7 heads at the end of the same campaign

Mike takes 7 points of damage in the s3 DnD campaign

that's like half of the ST "seven" references that I can think of (though I'm sure there are more I've missed) that have some topical overlap with "it was a seven".

PS, the show that's on Ted Wheeler's TV is Knight Rider, and an episode of Knight Rider really did air the night of November 6, 1983. the 7th episode of the season :)

ok, now hold that thought.

s4 Robin says to Nancy, "I know your house is creepily frozen in time, but haven't you always had bikes?" so they take the Wheeler family's bikes to the trailer, and we get one of the coolest cinematic shots in the whole show.

Eddie is on Mike's bike. Nancy is riding her own (unless I'm forgetting, we only ever glimpse it in the garage-bat-practice scene; we know it's hers because it's a girl bike frame). Robin and Steve are on two adult bikes that must be Ted and Karen's.

IF I'm onto something here, this scene came [Vecna voice] so close to the truth, Nancy.

they didn't show us the gang finding and getting on those bikes. they didn't say there were only those four available.

what if I reminded you that we know a specific time frame on Nov 6 1983 - pretty wide time frame actually - when there were more than just four bikes at the Wheeler house.

between roughly 10am-8:15pm, during the ten hour DnD campaign, the party's bikes were there too.

how many bikes does that total? 7.

did I go all that way just for another obscure 7? maybe, but the part that makes me itchy is...

why did s4 have to borderline retcon the idea of Karen and Ted having owned bikes during s1, instead of just putting Steve and Robin on the party's bikes that we saw there canonically? it must be important that they didn't take those specific bikes. hold that thought.

now work with me here...

Will rolled the 7 at 8:15... 7 bikes at 8:15...

this ties in with my eightfifteengate hunch: 8:15pm is the exact time at which the Upside Down is frozen.

IF the 7 bikes thing is important, the Upside Down couldn't be frozen any later than 8:15pm, because the party went home right after Will rolled the seven, so any time after that there wouldn't be 7 bikes there anymore.

now, what doubt I have about the scenario I'm about to pitch isn't at all because it isn't feasible, but because the optics are delightfully goofy depending what we imagine Henry looks like in 1983.

I don't have a solid map of Hawkins, but I know the Lab and Will's house are closer together than Mike's house is from either of them. and our first two sightings of the demogorgon are at Hawkins Lab and then in the road near Will's house. Mike's house would've been significantly out of the way for a stop in between.

what if.... the demogorgon didn't stalk Will home. the lights flickering in Mike's garage? what if that was Henry himself.

I know, that immediately creates a problem: if Henry's at Mike's house, how could he be at Will's house in time for the vanishing? he can't teleport. Will's biking at a fair pace and even raced Dustin part of the way - Henry would have to haul ass the entire way?

you know what means of transportation is available that goes at least as fast as Will's bike?

Will's bike. the upside down one.

THIS is a scenario where it gets important for there to be 7 bikes. for Steve and Robin to have taken Ted and Karen's instead of party bikes.

if the UD is frozen at a time when there are >4 bikes in the garage - and we're certain it was that way at 8:15 btw - Henry could've taken Will's, Lucas's, or Dustin's bike without screwing up the timeline. so that Nancy, Steve, Robin, and Eddie could walk into the UD garage 2 1/2 years later and still find Mike's, Dustin's, Lucas's, Nancy's, Ted's and Karen's bikes.

Nancy naturally would choose her own. Steve and Robin would probably prefer the adult bikes. and Eddie, the newcomer, takes his pick of the kid bikes.

"but wait lol, if Henry had first pick of all 7 bikes why wouldn't he take one of the adult ones?" because he's a cheeky bitch and it'd be just like him to pick Will's bike? also Ted and Karen don't store their bikes in the garage and Henry didn't have time to go rooting around their shed or wherever they keep them while Will was already starting to pedal away.

PS someone please draw for me: Henry, in full Vecna mode, grumpily riding the only bike left in the garage because the timeline got screwed up: a tiny pink tricycle belonging to Holly Wheeler

anyway, 8:15 being the only moment during that night that they timestamped makes me so suspicious about it, because in order to call back to something later for a Big Reveal, you need to make note of it at the time - just not too noticeably. that's why Karen Wheeler opens the basement door and says "it's fifteen after!" and then they bury the "8" in a separate scene, later, when Joyce and Karen talk on the phone. they really wanted the fact that Will rolled the 7 at 8:15 to be documented but not obvious.

I'm still figuring out actual support for the idea beyond that and bikegate but I will keep these lights up until the day I DIE if there's a chance I can prove the UD is frozen at 8:15.

part 2 soon to follow :)

tagged: @mlchaelwheeler @himynameis4 @steviescrystals @strangertwistoffate

#some of this isn't me cracking mysteries it's just me understanding things we were supposed to understand all along #but I promise some of it will be new for most of you #givehimthemedicine analysis #mine #how the upside down works #analysis #givehimthemedicine big analysis #im /hj about the bike part am I wrong probably is it hilarious to imagine yes

163 notes · View notes

universe-friday · 6 months

Text

EXCERPT #3:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening

[...]

You might have remembered that I mentioned my contacts last time. I’m sorry I didn’t go into much detail, old sport, but I feel as though right now is as best a time to do so.

Recently, my main contact for night updates has been talking to me more and more. He goes by K. Well, he goes by ‘Nightcrawler’, actually. Personally, I thought that sounded too stupid. When he first spoke to me, I told him this. I asked him where he got the name from.

The movie? He didn’t know what I was talking about. The superhero? He also didn’t know… I then asked him if he named himself based on the Nightcrawler worm. That’s when he went silent, before defeatedly asking me to just call him K.

Let me get this straight, though. I’ve never met K.

We came in contact one night a while ago. It was the same night I discovered the haunted telephone box as a new hiding place. While the horrors were scaring me much more then than they do today, what shook me the most was the sudden ringing of the phone. I hesitated for so long as I decided whether or not it could just be another horror of the telephone box, before picking it up anyway. It was K who was calling.

Without even saying hi, he began speaking constantly, in what sounded like gibberish, or another language. I listened to him, for about an hour. There must be some meaning behind these words, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Instead… I just sat and listened. I wonder if anyone does the same for me.

Except with his luck, I eventually mustered up the courage to give him an answer. A quiet, ‘...hello?’ between his sentences was enough to confuse him - he was used to ghouls on the other end of the phone. That only meant that he was more than happy to talk to me.

His words weren’t gibberish, but rather code. He doesn’t dare to elaborate further. We both know the City can hear. The line goes quiet, and as I was worrying that our communication had been cut, a sudden slip of paper appears under the door of the telephone box. I look up to see an empty street. K’s voice returns on the phone, asking me if I understand.

The paper, as I scanned it, showed possibly hundreds of code words, alongside their meanings. I reply, ‘I understand’.

I am on call with K every night now. Although I may still have to refer to the code sheet sometimes, I am able to be updated on all the ongoing movements of the night because of him. And we even get to talk in between his updates, sometimes. I really think I’m helping him open up to me, old sport. It’s nice to be able to do that for someone. Even if I still don’t exactly know who he is. Or where he is. At least I have one explanation for my feeling of being constantly watched.

[Distant ringing of a phone is heard in the distance]

Is that…? The… phone box…? Huh. Early call today… that’s new. Well, I better find out what Nightcraw… ‘K’... wants. Hm. The nights are only getting earlier, after all, old sport.

42 notes · View notes

definitelynotshouting · 6 months

Note

Hello again! My ADHD has decided that the Hunger AU is to be my newest hyperfixation, and as such I have some more questions/interpretations I'd like to push forward, if that's alright. As always, no pressure in responding, and I hope this ask is fun to read :)

First off, I was going through some of your Listener posts for Reasons and I noticed a little tidbit in one of them: Watchers cannot feed off of the emotions of Listeners. If this is still the case, why were Martyn and BigB in the Life Games, if Grian can't feed on them, and were their mindsets still adversely affected? Could Grian (or theoretically, any Watcher) tell something was Off about them this way?

Another thing I noticed was that all Watchers are essentially clones of each other. Passing by the question of ecological diversity (I might think on that a different time), this implies that Grian, or at least, the Watcher-larvae that got implanted in him prior to all the code-copying, is a copy of another Watcher. Am I reading this right? Because if so that has implications and I love it.

And finally the biggest thing that's been on my mind: the Void (or the in-between, I've seen both). The space between servers. This thing has vexed and fascinated me since I read chapter one of your fic months ago. I think I've come to my own interpretations on the space, but I'd love to hear what you have plotted as well. For example, you mentioned that Developer Crystals are sort of hubs for servers - considering how you talked about it, the number of servers they can support must be pretty high. I've come to think of it kind of like a galaxy - and elliptical galaxy to be specific. Is this a correct way to think about it?

You've mentioned that being out in the in-between is dangerous for those not prepared - how much training does it take to be a Voidwalker? How does inter-server travel for regular players work? Are there extra steps that need to be taken when traveling from one Crystal's hub to another?

And on a personal interpretation note, I interpret the Void as looking kind of like space (as you often refer to in your work), but also... not. Specifically, when you talked about Developer Crystrals, I imagined them looking kind of like the Paths from Attack on Titan, just minus the ground (and being a lot bigger).

One final question, since it's been bothering me for ages: how does the ground work in the Void? It's been killing me since chapter 1.

Sorry for the massive ask, but it takes a particular sort of worldbuilding for me to come up with so many questions. I'm really having a fun time working with these rules - so thank you for making them!

Heyo!! I finally got a chance to answer this, which ive been trying to do since you sent it but unfortunately real life had other plans 😂😂😂 but i have the time and brain now, so here are hopefully some satisfying answers to your questions!!! :D

1.) BigB becoming a Listener was relatively recent; he was still a Player when he got pulled into the life games. As for Martyn, i think that because Listeners are so new, he was probably the first one Grian had ever encountered (at the time of 3rd Life at least). So he didn't realize he couldn't feed off of Martyn's emotions-- all he saw, in that half-frantic frenzy of "i need to eat right fucking now," was hey, i know that guy, and he's also in close proximity to BigB, so Grian sorta automatically pulled him in.

Afterwards, I'd say once Grian figured out he couldn't feed from him, he still ended up pulled in the next two times because of the familiarity (and because for as much as Grian can't feed off of him, Martyn still causes a lot of edible emotions in other people). But yeah, any Watcher would be able to tell if someone was a Listener!! And Listeners are able to tell if somebody is a Watcher, although their Player usually won't understand what that means beyond "hey theres something Weird going on with that guy."

2.) Yep!! All watchers are structural-code and utility-code copies of each other; their memory codes and surface codes are the only things that differentiate them from one another. This does indeed have some very fun implications to ruminate on fjsbdkdnd

3.) I'm not sure if i would describe dev crystals as a "hub," if only because that sorta implies that they're habitable-- but they are indeed the center of each server cluster, and i would honestly say the description of an elliptical galaxy is totally spot on :] they can indeed maintain a high amount of servers, but if the count grows too high then they can overload and stop processing the flow of unraveled code as efficiently, which can then cause backups, which then make them blow up, which is. obviously, pretty not good akdnwkdjek

Think of the void between servers as the bottom of the ocean. Absolutely crushing depths, the kind that will kill you in an instant if you don't have the right protective gear. Voidwalkers are basically people who are so good at coding that they can keep their code from getting pulverized and walk right through it like they're taking a casual morning stroll. It takes a ton of effort and energy to do, and is very dangerous-- i would say you have to be EXCEPTIONALLY quick-thinking, an efficient multitasker, and have a lot of practical foresight to achieve it without dissolving. Hence why there aren't many of them, and I'd honestly say Xisuma is probably one of, if not the, best. The fact that he was able to take five people including himself into the in-between, and keep them all alive, is INSANE. Brother outdid himself truly

As for interserver travel, thats something im currently working on lore-wise (and will hopefully be able to post about soon)!!! But the basic gist im working off of right now is that there are servers that act as server hubs, or waystations-- basically servers whose only purpose is to act as an in between point to access other servers. I'm toying with the idea of special portals called launchers, and the concept of zip files/share folders + creating folds in the fabric of the Greater Code to cross vast distances within a short distance. If you've read A Wrinkle In Time, thats the sorta thing im thinking of. But unfortunately right now its all spaghetti in my brain, so im still working on straightening that out until i can explain my thoughts coherently 💀💀💀💀

I can say rn that travel between dev crystals and their server clusters is not possible just yet. The universe is fucking HUGE, and there are countless devs and server clusters within it; the ability to travel between them isnt quite feasible right now, but it'll get there eventually :] not within the scope of the main story, though-- all of that fully takes place in this single corner of the universe

For dev crystals themselves, i picture them looking a lot like giant end crystals!!! the thought is that end crystals are basically like. a mini version of a dev, and that the beams you see healing the ender dragon are bursts of raw code pulled in from the rest of the server. so yeah, end crystals except massive on a scale we can barely comprehend and also ten million times more explosive (and more capable of handling the stability of an entire server cluster so it doesnt collapse in on itself)

4.) LAST BUT NOT LEAST. I. will fully admit when i wrote the walking on the void it was, at the time, a purely aesthetic choice. But i am legitimately thinking now about the implications of that, and toying with a few concepts that i wanna noodle on more before i fully commit to them. Sorry for leaving it a mystery for now!!!! 😂😂😂😂 it'll probably get answered in the post i'll eventually make about launchers and interserver travel

hope these were helpful and continue fueling your brainrot!!! thanks for being patient while i wrangled my brain enough to answer them :]❤️❤️❤️❤️

#shouting speaks #asks #hunger au #VERY FLATTERED THIS IS YOUR HYPERFIXATION :DDD #hope this provides some good answers!!!#long post #txt

33 notes · View notes

iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia · 2 months

Note

HI BRAINROTTTTTTTT I know I’ve been radio-silent lately (college life has been, admittedly, kicking my ass) BUT I wanted to reach out and give a little life update that I thought might make you smile!

I recently got into a relationship— my first completely willing, self-initiated relationship, with somebody who actually treats me like a human being (!!! which is honestly a major milestone for me, as I’ve never. uh. had that before)! Genuinely I’ve never met somebody so compassionate and patient and empathetic and,, GRAHH I could ramble about her for hours honestly,, ANYWAYS that’s beside the point! Not only has she been actively encouraging me to ramble about The Arcana, but I’ve actually shown her a handful of your headcanons, and she’s mentioned loving your writing & finding the headcanons adorable!!! So you’ve not only got my support, but hers as well, hehe :]€

Not to mention, she’s actually been asking me to share the headcanons and posts that resonate with me most, and has been making references to a handful of them !!! It makes me grin every single time,,

On that note though— your headcanons have also given me the words to describe & express not only some of my own experiences (particularly with EDs, S/A, insecurity, and much, much more), but also express my wants and needs around those things in a way I’ve never been able to before— and they’ve been a big help in my relationship so far in terms of finding ways to communicate my needs & boundaries by using your writing headcanons as a base for those conversations (I have no clue if this is making any sense; I really hope it is, haha!)

ANYWAYS !!! All of this to say, things have been wild lately— I’ve been happier these past two months than I’ve ever been, honestly— and your writing & openness has helped me and my partner figure out, express, & even connect about our wants and needs in ways we wouldn’t be able to otherwise— so I really can’t thank you enough!

As an attempt at compensation though, here’s two silly doodles of Julian I did recently that I thought might make you smile. :]€

I hope you’re doing well, my friend! Remember to take care of yourself out there, keep doing the things that make you happy, & remember that you have friends in your corner !!

@lurkingposting I am so sorry it took me so long to respond to this, I just couldn't find the words -

There are so many emotions you stirred up with this message: gratitude both for your good fortune and for my small chance to assist you with it, joy on your behalf, pride for how well you're doing - not to mention how deeply humbled I am by the sheer amount of credit you're giving my work, when this is clearly something you've put so much effort into accomplishing!! Well done to both of you for building something so healthy and being so brave about facing your pain and difficulties!!

I am so, so very happy for you friend, and I'm wishing you and your partner only the best moving forward. May you have the sweetest love story :)

Much love to both of you -

brainrot <3

(P.S. - thank you for the Julian art!! I love your style, and his little academic mumbling moments XD)

#ask arcana brainrot #the arcana #the arcana game #julian devorak #julian the arcana #the arcana fanart #not my art <3

16 notes · View notes

herlockslimbo · 11 months

Text

sometimes i think about rui kamishiro a little too hard and absolutely die inside because some of the shit he says casually is so ???

for example, sometimes he just has these throwaway menu lines that make me fucking ill

like the april fools mikudemy menu line where he says he never thought he’d see the day where he felt comfortable and happy at school

or his ny 2020 menu line where he says that this year has been so joyful, but also very emotional for him. (this was the year the game started running so he’s likely referring to joining wxs)

nene’s line, but her saying that rui has always been reluctant to celebrate his birthday because he knew nobody but nene would come… rui and his birthday in general make me fucking sad. like his one wish for his birthday was to have a normal party with his friends because he’d never had one before. what the hell. ughhhh his bday card story is soooo,,, he’s so happy to have friends who support him and care for him now🥲🥲🥲

sorry i’m just spiraling now but also ruis got this reoccurring habit of calling himself childish or cowardly when he gets too emotional about stuff. just for a few examples in cheer squad during both the conversations he had with kaito and luka he says he feels like he’s a coward cause he just can’t overcome his fears of people rejecting him. then in curtain call he says he’s acting like a child when he doesn’t want to “let go” of wxs… somebody PLEASE tell him he’s allowed to feel this way. and let’s not even start on him calling himself selfish every time he talks about not wanting wxs to fall apart. my guy. you found people you belong with. it’s not selfish to want that to stay.

also speaking of the too emotional thing, did y’all read his admidst a dream card story??? JESUS CHRIST. basically what happens is it’s late at night and he’s trying to work, but he can’t focus because he can’t stop thinking about the fact that the day wxs will have to disband is drawing closer. so to distract himself he goes to sekai in hopes of talking to kaito, but everyone’s asleep, except for meiko and luka because luka slept through the entire day and meikos keeping her company lol. rui then says he doesn’t really want to get into why he came here because it’s his own personal thing to sort out, and he just wants someone to talk about SOMETHING to right now. but then he ends up trailing into pretty much just?? ranting about his feelings. he says he hates that even though humans have the ability to use logic and reasoning, our emotions still get the better of us and we can’t control them perfectly. then he says that sometimes emotions get too much and it takes everything you can to hold them in and stop them from overflowing (WHICH IS??). then he adds on the last, horrifying part, where he says he wishes someone could just take his mind and handle his emotions for him, because right now everything is such a mess. eventually meiko and luka manage to get him out of this stream of conscious by talking to him about kaito, and rui thanks them for their help and promises he won’t do anything irresponsible, like just throwing these emotions to the side, and he goes home. LIKE I SAID. ITS FUCKED. was so expecting bumper cars and then i got hit by a BRICK.

alright i’m done now i just needed to get that out of my system

#rui kamishiro #rui #kamishiro rui #project sekai #wonderlands x showtime #someone please give him a hug

44 notes · View notes

dadsbongos · 2 years

Text

steve harrington loses his mojo

7.3K words

warnings - blink and you’ll miss it suicide reference, steve harrington is depressed

summary - Steve and you are both depressed kids working towards nothing specific. Maybe you should kiss (AKA a convoluted three times Steve watches his friends be in happy relationships and the one time he gets into one).

AO3 Link

~~~

Part 1 - king steve’s dead

It’s been a long, long time since Steve has been in a relationship. It’s been a long time since he’s had somebody to lay down next to at night and quietly eat with and wake up to. Since he could turn to the side and see a smile he’d die for - kissing it away just to create a bigger one. Since he could hear someone say they love them.

His big house feels like a pharaoh's tomb as of late. Big and luxurious and for one person to decay in.

In a weird way, crushes made Steve feel alive. The locking of eyes from across a party that neither of them really want to be at, the shy waves and smiles, the giggling and teasing - the giddiness was a rush. The heartache and hopeless pining was pain, but it also worked. Sleepless nights and desperately hoping nobody notices the way you lean into someone a little closer than you should. Daydreams that turn into nightmares. Humiliation when you’re rejected. Having to smile and grit your teeth when you know that person could never feel the same. It all reminded him of the heart that faithfully beat inside his chest. Reminded him he was human and capable of love and loss and adoration and aching. As long as he was human, he could be loved.

When he and Nancy started dating he was alive. The sneaking into her room and kissing in the bathroom during zero hour. The doe eyes and cuddles. That very first time together in his bed.

The brief crush he had on Carol after seeing Molly Ringwald in Tempest - endlessly painful to watch her and his (then) best friend, Tommy H., be happy and gross during that fall of ‘82.

When he and Nancy broke up. He spent a good few weeks holed up in his room and pretending he wasn’t crying. Then he had to get a job and found himself a new friend.

The crush on Robin and the subsequent heartbreak of finding out there’s no way she could like him back.

Then he moved on and it was fine.

But that’s how it remained.

Fine.

Nancy was dating Jonathon. He hadn’t seen Tommy and Carol since graduation. Robin had a crush on a girl that sounded nice. His ball and chain that took form in a group of children were even in healthy relationships.

Steve used to go on a new date every night.

Lately, the dates are decreasing in appeal and the girls in Hawkins, while very pretty and interesting in their own ways, don’t call to him. Not that it’s their fault or responsibility. His heart just can’t get into it the way it used to - which is bizarre because he’s always known himself to fall in love quickly.

A young lady maybe two years older than him is checking out The Tempest. She’s gorgeous - lips that he would’ve been begging to kiss if she came into the store just a few months ago, eyes he’d die to stare into under the moonlight if she came into the store just a few months ago, and hair he’d love to run his fingers through if she came into the store just a few months ago.

“I got a crush on Molly Ringwald from this movie,” he mutters, cataloging the checkout and handing the rental back to the woman.

“That’s…” she can’t even fake a smile, but she’s merciful enough to bring her tone up, “interesting.”

“Yeah,” he can’t even bring himself to be embarrassed and maybe that’s a sign he’s dying. Looking up at the woman, Steve plasters on his golden boy grin and plainly says, “We here at Family Video hope you have an incredible day.”

She nods and rushes away and Steve doesn’t blame her for a second.

“What was that?” Robin groans, coming out from the backroom, “Steve! You cannot parade yourself around as the charmer of Hawkins and then bomb that hard!”

Steve presses his lips thinly and shrugs, “A dud.”

“Do not call that innocent woman a dud,” Robin smacks his arm, “Steven Harrington, what would Mr. Rogers say?”

“‘I’m not mad, just disappointed,’” he grimaces, leaning back so his elbows support him on the counter, “That feels worse than if he was just mad.”

“Good,” Robin bumps Steve over with her hip, “But really - you’re starting to worry me. What’s your problem?” before he can respond, she turns and points in his face, “And don’t say ‘nothing’ because I know that’s not true, you’re totally off. You don’t flirt, and when you do it’s awkward and bad and makes me look like Tom Cruise.”

“I make you look weird?”

“You make me look smooth.”

Steve’s head hangs back, then turns to stare at Robin, picking at her black nail polish, “What if I’m designed to be single?”

“Designed to be single?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not,” Robin pats his shoulder, but doesn’t look up from where her polish is chipping, “Nobody’s designed to be single unless they decide they are. What’s bringing this all up anyway? You’re not even twenty-two, it’s way too early for a life crisis right now.”

“I’m just saying, Rob,” Steve turns towards the double doors, though he still doesn’t stand upright, “I don’t feel good.”

“Like how?”

“Like I’m designed to be single.”

“Stop it,” she frowns now, though just one look at her face would tell him it’s downright mocking, “You’re Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington, you could bag anybody.”

“Don’t say bag,” he huffs.

“Don’t say you’re meant to be single, ‘cuz you’re way too clingy to be by yourself for eternity,” Robin leans on her side to look at Steve.

They’ve always been teasing - sometimes even plain rude - towards one another, but that was just their friendship. They’re best friends and best friends are often more cruel than even an acquaintance, but it’s all out of love and comfort. This time, however, it’s different.

Steve’s responding and trying to joke, but she can see that he doesn’t have it in him right now.

His brows are furrowed and his lips carve a frown into his face. His arms cross over one another and he sighs.

The store is slow on this boring Tuesday afternoon, so Robin bites the bullet and lowers onto her elbows to be eye level with her suffering friend. She leans in and pouts.

“Wanna talk to Big Rob about it?” he doesn’t respond so she presses her thumb into his glabella and smoothens it, “If you keep scrunching your eyebrows like that, you’ll get wrinkles.”

“I use a great moisturizer.”

“Well, all the moisturizer in the world won’t listen to your problems like I will,” she knocks her elbow with his and can’t hold in her laugh when it tips his balance, “So spill. Where is this coming from?”

To be honest - it comes from Nancy Wheeler.

Turns out, being told that you’re bullshit and the entire relationship you’d been harboring was bullshit, and the girl you’d die for didn’t even love you was a real turn-off from relationships in the long run. Who knew that kind of stuff could cause a massive wave of insecurity?

But for the sake of keeping her name out of his mouth unless he’s tempted to vomit those insecurities, he keeps it light.

“I mean, I’m just watching all my friends be in happy relationships and I’m… stuck.”

“Well, tell me about it.”

Steve stands up straight, running a hand through his hair before crossing his arms again, “Fucking Henderson.”

The night is cold and dark and Steve’s shivering because he lent his jacket to Dustin after specifically telling the shrimp to make sure he brought his own. Of course, Dustin was not an excellent listener when it came to anything outside of battling off monsters and left his jacket at home.

He’s left in a thin long sleeve, leaning against the hood of his BMW - he would be sitting inside with the heater on if it weren’t for the fact he was trying to save on gas. Dustin’s at the top of the hill he’d dedicated a makeshift radio tower to talking with Suzie.

Could Dustin just have used the powerful radio he and Suzie upgraded to following the summer of ‘85? Sure, but when Steve suggested that - Dustin shook his head.

“It’s about the nostalgia, Harrington. The old times.”

“I don’t get that at all.”

“And that’s why you don’t have a super genius, super babe, super girlfriend.”

“Shut up and get in the car, Henderson.”

Get in the car, he did, and now Steve was impatiently tapping his foot in wait like a child whose mom just ran into a friend at the grocery store.

It’s been twenty minutes and Steve grows sufficiently fed up (though if he’s being honest, waiting for Dustin isn’t that much of a chore) and climbs up the hill.

What he sees is almost enough to make him believe in young love again.

Dustin is grinning, broad and sweet, mindlessly plucking and twirling grass as he speaks and listens. He cracks a joke or tells a story and waits in earnest until Suzie’s giggles ring through the air and the way he buzzes at the sound is something straight out of a book. He pays utmost attention to whatever Suzie is saying and lights up at every syllable she spills.

Dustin’s eyes land on Steve and his posture shoots upright, “Do we have to go?”

His tone is dismal, almost heartbroken, no matter how hard he’s trying to hide it.

Steve, against his desires for other things to do with his free time, shakes his head, “Just wanted to make sure you were still up here. Hurry up, though - your mom will kill me if you’re not tucked in for story time.”

“Haha,” Dustin sarcastically calls.

Steve makes his way back down the hill and slides down to a lonely sit in the grass. He can faintly hear Dustin speaking animatedly - laughing and teasing and all the things Steve used to do.

“Sounds rough,” Robin pats Steve’s back, “Sorry you got upstaged by a toddler and his girlfriend in Salt Lake City.”

“He’s fourteen, first of all,” Steve glares at the girl, “Second; I wasn’t upstaged.”

“You were jealous.”

“Not jealous,” he grumbles.

“Well, I am sorry that you had to go through that,” she’s not sure what exactly it was he went through in that story, but the words are what Steve needs right now so it’s what she says.

“It’s not just that,” his eyes flicker to Robin for just a second, “Last weekend, too.”

“I’m not a chauffeur, you know.”

“Right, you’re a clerk at Family Video,” Mike looks up at Steve and smiles sardonically, “That sounds a lot better.”

Steve rolls his eyes but doesn’t lower the lackluster sign Mike had made for his girlfriend. Not that he was holding it very high in the first place. Just raised as high as his chest, was a rectangle cut from cardboard with ‘EL’ written on it in Sharpie.

Hawkins wasn’t big enough to justify its own airport, so Eleven had to take a domestic flight from California to an Indianapolis airport. Forcing Mike to force Steve to make the hour drive.

Mike is in the ugliest get up Steve’s ever seen. A yellow and blue floral Hawaiian shirt with neon yellow swim trunks and blue sneakers. Dandelions and wild teasels found on the side of the road are bunched in Mike’s hand, fingers cut and bleeding from the prickly thorns of the teasel stems. He’s smiling as a flush of people come out of the terminal and Steve moves his eyes up to catch Eleven as she comes towards them.

One hand holding a yellow backpack, the other waving at them excitedly.

Steve returns the wave and pretends to not care when she skips past him to hug Mike. It isn’t like he’s the bestest of friends with Eleven, but he’d thought they were closer than her pretending he doesn’t exist.

For the first time since Steve met Mike, the boy actually gives a tight hug - practically squeezing Eleven’s body to his in their reunion.

“How was your flight?” Mike reaches down for his girlfriend’s hand when they pull apart, “Did you get to sleep at all?”

Eleven quietly hums and nods, “It was nice. I got to watch a movie.”

“Wow,” Mike’s actually smiling as he talks, “what movie?”

Steve doesn’t get to hear the answer because while he pops the trunk and takes Eleven’s backpack - the couple move to the backseats and climb in. He’s left alone in the front of his nice car and tries not to overhear whatever plans Mike and Eleven are conjuring.

“A new diner just opened up, actually,” Mike is watching as Eleven plays with his bony fingers, “I could take you, if you want.”

Eleven looks up at Mike, a shy smile peeks at her lips and reaches the eyes. She nods slowly, “I would want that.”

Then the awkward teenage hormones resurface and Mike chuckles, eyes falling to their thighs that are barely touching, “Nice.”

She giggles and leans into her boyfriend’s shoulder, “Nice.”

“I didn’t know Wheeler was capable of that kinda affection,” Robin shakes her head, “He doesn’t look like very good boyfriend material.”

Steve taps his fingers against the wooden counter, “I didn’t know either.”

Hopefully, he’s only taken example from the best parts of how Steve treated Nancy. If he’s taken Steve as an example at all.

God, he hopes not actually.

No colleges. No career endeavors. Just a clerk at Family Video with his best friend who’s still in high school. His other best friend is also still in high school and is currently replacing him with Eddie Munson. Ex-girlfriend basically left him for the guy that took pictures of her through a window while she was half-naked.

Destined for Hawkins. Designed to be a loser. The epitome of peaked in high school.

“Anything else?” Robin asks, tone much more careful than before.

Lucas and Max are on shaky ground, but they’re together. Beginning to get back together, anyway. He’s gentle and soft but still ribbing and acerbic when she needs him to be. Max is getting better slowly - sometimes she falls and curls into a ball, but Lucas is always holding out a hand to help her up (and when she refuses to take it, he sits down next to her and waits until she’s ready).

It’s enough to make a grown man cry.

“Movie’s up to you tonight,” Lucas settles his chin on Max’s head as they stand in front of the horror section.

Steve almost wants to call out how he has to stand on his tip-toes to do it.

Max narrows her eyes at the selections, “They all look bad.”

“Well, what about…” Lucas pauses and then lifts a movie from the shelf, “Halloween - you like Halloween, right?”

“Yeah,” she shrugs, “I don’t know - it’s kinda overplayed now, don’t you think?”

“No,” he steps back and to her side, brows furrowed, “I think it’s cool.”

“Really?” she looks at him like she doesn’t believe him, but her lips are already beginning to quirk up, “You wanna watch Halloween?”

“If you want to, then I’d love to,” he nods resolutely, “Like I said, ‘s all up to you.”

Max takes the movie in his hands and turns it in her own, her lips purse and she looks up at Steve. Then back to Lucas, “Yeah, let’s get this one.”

Steve wonders why he couldn’t be like that for Nancy. What genius did Lucas maintain inside that dense head that Steve was incapable of?

“Ouch,” Robin hisses, “stings for a high schooler to be better at relationships than you. Multiple high schoolers, actually. That sucks.”

“Thanks, Robin. Didn’t know that.”

“Clearly.”

Steve inhales deeply and sighs, “And then there’s you and your pining. With Vic.”

Vic - easy code name for Vickie so that nobody in public knew they were talking about a girl.

“Oh, that reminds me- “ Robin sparks up and claps, “not pining anymore. Dating.”

“What?!”

“Yeah.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I kept forgetting.”

“How do you forget that?”

Robin shrugs, then smiles, “It’s cool though, right?”

“Very, Rob,” Steve musters up a grin and nods, “I’m happy for you. Really, I am.”

“I get it,” she punches his shoulder, “We’ll celebrate when you’re not feeling so…” she tosses up her hands, “bleh!”

“Yeah,” he looks at the clock and sees it’s almost closing time, “wait till the bleh era is over.”

Robin follows his lead and moves to the back room, “I’ll start cleaning, can you get the sign?”

“Yeah,” he knocks his knuckles against the counter.

There’s no customers left inside and Steve flips the sign at the door to read ‘closed’. It’s then he notices a familiar figure sitting right outside on the curb. His eyes widen and he throws the door open, “Holy shit, Birdie?”

Birdie - an easy (and cheap) nickname for the former captain of the Hawkins High golf team, infamous for her luck in making birdies.

You turn and see Steve Harrington hanging out of Family Video, “King Steve? I heard you worked here, didn’t know it was true.”

He pretends that doesn’t sting and moves to sit beside you, “What? Too unbelievable that I have to make a living?”

“No, I just…” you shrug, “I dunno, it didn’t sound like you.”

Steve tilts his head at that, “And what does sound like me?”

Your eyes flip to him and suddenly he’s remembering why he had a crush on you in high school. You crack a grin, “Male stripper.”

“I tried but I couldn’t bulk up enough,” he sighs disappointedly and bathes in your laughter, “What about you? What’re you up to?”

His eyes are strangely sincere, in a way you’d never seen back in school. You had a crush on him back then - who didn’t? With that hair and that smile and that charisma.

“Working at the movie theater,” you find it hard to look away from Steve, his face almost hypnotic.

“You, uh, disappeared towards the end of the year there,” he lays his legs out into the barren street, “What happened?”

“I…” you look away and then look back, waving your hands about dramatically, “dropped out.”

“What?” his jaw drops open.

“Yeah. Well, I just stopped going and then when I failed, I chose to drop out rather than repeat the year.”

“Why’d you stop going?” he moves closer, “Everyone thought you just moved or something, not that you… Nobody knew where you were.”

“Yeah,” you scratch at the back of your neck, “I just lost motivation and then paid for it.”

That was putting it lightly. You were like a candle that someone forgot to put out - burnt at the wick until the wax was too low to be used. Between golf (which you can’t say you even had much passion for by the time you were a senior) and grades and the social hierarchy and realizing how dismal the world of adulthood looked - the idea of even getting out of bed began to sicken you.

You were destined to Hawkins, now. Working easy jobs that would hire without a diploma and hope you made enough to move somewhere far from here.

“What’re you doing here anyway?” you tilt your head and bring your knees up, “I thought King Steve had big, fancy parents to pay for a big, fancy college.”

“King Steve’s dead and his parents didn’t pay for anything,” he sighs, “but I’m kinda glad they didn’t. I don’t think I would’ve learned to be better if they did.”

“Then I’m happy for you,” you nod.

Steve looks up at the swirling sunset sky, “What’re you doing sitting outside this dump?”

“Supposed to meet a guy here.”

Eddie Munson. Your dealer since junior year - turned genuine friend during that summer - then neighbor when you dropped out and your parents kicked you out.

“My car broke down on my way to work, so I’m getting a ride,” you further explain.

“I could give you a ride,” Steve stands when you do, his hands shove into his pockets and he hates the way he wants you in his car.

Guess that high school flame wasn’t as high school as he thought.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” you lean your head out and see Eddie’s van making its way down the road, “He’s already here.”

Steve looks between you and Eddie incredulously, “You’re riding with Munson.”

It’s a statement but the way his voice drags makes it clear he’s giving you room to deny.

“Yup,” you pop the ‘p’ and pat his shoulder, “See you around?”

“Actually,” Steve has no idea where he’s going but thankfully his brain managed to retain some of his flirting ability, “I’d like to catch up more, if that’s okay with you?”

“Catch up how?”

“However you want.”

“You can come over, if Forest Hills won’t infect you or anything.”

“The trailer park?” there must be an underlying tone that he doesn’t even catch because you’re suddenly pulling back and your hand is on the door.

“You don’t have to.”

“No,” Steve steps forward, trying to grin and ease whatever nerves his stupid tone caused, “I want to. I just - asking. I was just asking.”

“Yeah,” you’re quieter than before, “the trailer park.”

A peek at the suspiciously quiet Eddie reveals the disgust painted on his face and Steve has to ignore it if he wants to survive a conversation with the girl he thought was cooler than even him in school.

“Yeah, I’ll be there. When do you want me?”

“Whenever you can be there,” you shrug, “I’m not picky.”

“I just have to finish closing up,” he thumbs back to the store.

“Then when you’re finished closing up,” you open the passenger door and climb into the seat beside Eddie.

Steve turns back towards the front door of Family Video but before he can get inside, you’re calling back to him.

“Hey, Steve!” he turns, eyes stupidly wide and brows raised, “The king doesn’t die until he surrenders.”

What the fuck does that mean?

He doesn’t ask and you don’t explain. You two wave to one another and before Eddie’s even driving off, Steve can hear him talking shit from the driver’s seat. You laugh and Steve doesn’t waste his time on a pity party.

Steve returns to the store and Robin is standing in the romance section, jaw hanging and a few movies scattered at her feet.

“What was that?” she gestures towards the front windows.

“Just an old friend,” Steve shrugs.

“Old friends don’t look like they wanna kiss each other.”

“It was a conversation.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t wanna kiss her.”

When Steve doesn’t respond, Robin makes a proud ‘hmph’ and picks up the movies she dropped.

There’s an underlying numbness to Steve and while you’re a short burst of excitement, you don’t cure it. Something inside him worries this feeling is forever. Another thing inside him worries that he deserves it.

Part 2 - when birdie’s wings were clipped

Wake up. Eat. Get ready and go to school. Smile and pretend you don’t hate the popular kids that wouldn’t hesitate to tear you apart if you weren’t exactly as they wanted you to be. Go home. Eat. Sleep.

And the day repeats until the weekend pops up. Then you get the pleasure of going to whatever party the basketball team and your golf team members begged you to go to until you wind up at home at whatever hour in the morning. It became a dismal existence. Quickly so.

Towards the end of senior year, the four years came to a climax as you realized that everything you’d done had hardly been for yourself. You tried so hard to be popular and successful that now you were drowning in the anxieties of how you could live when you grew up.

It started small - dropping out of golf, intentionally not doing homework, smoking weed in the boys’ bathroom with Eddie, skipping classes. Then you stopped going altogether.

You felt cheated out of high school experiences you really wanted and with college - then careers - so close, one could say that you snapped. Well, if you bothered calling any of the friends you sort of hated and telling them, then they might have.

But you didn’t. Not even Chrissy Cunningham, who you genuinely did like. Eddie only knew you were alive because you still visited him (partially for weed, partially for a laugh when you felt like crying).

Your mom didn’t know you weren’t going every day. Only because you would delete the messages Ms. Kelly left the machine before your parents could come home. Sometimes you left them and would grit your teeth through the lectures and stares. You pretended that graduation wasn’t coming up and you acted as though you would be graduating.

And then, three days before graduation, Ms. Kelly called your mom to tell her that you wouldn’t be graduating in your senior year.

The call was early enough to where your mother hadn’t left for work yet and could answer before it even went to the machine. She was mad enough that you dropped out of golf after earning yourself that cutesy nickname “Birdie”, but now she was seething. You couldn’t even bring yourself to fight her on it.

“Do you even care?!” she threw her hands into the air and laughed humorlessly when you didn’t reply, “Of course, you don’t! Why would you? It’s not like you have to fucking pay for anything! You never even had to get a job because we loved you and wanted you home, and this is how you repay us?! How fucking dare you!”

An apology will get you nowhere and fighting it will get you killed (hyperbolically, at least). So, you keep your head down and stare down at the kitchen tiles.

“Get out,” your mother huffs and that makes your eyes snap to her.

You shake your head - then stand, “What?”

“Get out,” she’s straight-faced, “I’m not kidding. I want you out of my fucking house by the time I’m home from work.”

“Mom, I- I’m sorry, but don’t do this, I have no money and nowhere to go- "

Your mother turns, shaking her head as she charges for the front door, “I don’t give a shit. You wanna slack off and be like your little Munson freak? Go ahead. But you will not do that under my fucking roof.”

Eddie was failing senior year, too. He didn’t tell you, but judging by how unenthused he was for the end of the year, you already knew.

You weren’t even out of your pajamas but you were packing up your childhood possessions - blood boiling and brain set to fuck her mode. If she wanted you out, then fine.

By two in the afternoon, your belongings were packed and you were dialing Eddie’s number. With a tapping foot and two more hours until your mother came home, you were desperate for lodging.

“Hey, Ed? Is that empty lot still available at the park?”

To say you had no money would be a lie. Your money was all a secret, it was what you saved for emergencies when Eddie needed a little help selling or sorting and would pay you. Not enough for an apartment or house, but definitely enough for a trailer and the lot space.

Probably no electricity for a while, but you could live with candles.

By three in the afternoon, you were moved into Forest Hills Trailer Park. No note or call home to speak of and you’re sure that your mother didn’t bother calling your father about your impromptu eviction.

By seven the next morning, you had a job at the Hawkins movie theater (that quickly thrived following the fiery destruction of Starcourt mall) and that next month, you had electricity and water.

If you had an answering machine for your phone, it surely would’ve been out of commission from how many calls your parents left. Depending on which parent called, they were different - but ended the same.

MOTHER

“You knew I wasn’t being serious, you ungrateful brat. You’re making me look bad, now come home and get out of that disgusting park.”

“No.”

“I won’t stand for this, young lady. If you aren’t home by tomorrow morning, I’m sending the police and they will escort you back to me!”

There was nothing the police could do when you were eighteen, so the threat was incredibly empty. You never went home.

FATHER

“You knew your mom wasn’t being serious. Just come home and we’ll get past this.”

“No.”

Dads of the 80s weren’t known for their excessive emotional output, and your father wasn’t a superb exception. He loved you, but he wasn’t about to beg you to come home.

The days rolled by the same.

You got up at noon. Ate. Got ready for and subsequently went to work. Got home late. Ate. Went to bed. Smoke sessions with Eddie are sprinkled throughout the day at your leisure.

The numbness of high school didn’t fade and you were growing alarmed that the burning boredom was forever. Only split up by the momentary joys of sharing life with your friends. Well, lately, it’s only been the sophomores (and one elderly woman) you work with and Eddie that are qualifying as your friends. Not that you’re complaining much, but there’s a certain embarrassment that sparks when people recognize you and ask who you’re running with now.

You’ve heard a few stories about King Steve.

“A total deadbeat.”

“Hangs out with actual kids, now.”

“Best friends with his ex’s little brother.”

It’s never any of your business, so you can’t say that you pay all that much attention to it.

That’s a motto of yours. Sort of.

You keep your head down and stay in your lane. Life spins and Earth continues.

So when you’re heading to Family Video so Eddie can pick you up on his way home, you pretend to not see Steve Harrington - just in case he’s embarrassed to be recognized. Lord knows how much shame builds under your black uniform polo when kids see your Voted-Most-Likely-to-Succeed ass stuck behind the concession stand at the Hawkins theater.

You sit on the curb and act like you aren’t tempted to actually say hi. You had a crush on him in high school, after all. And who doesn’t daydream about rekindling that sort of romance?

Old flames that were only ever smoldering. A chance to start over.

It’s a nice daydream. But even if you did, it’d just be brief, right?

A bell chimes and a voice calls from behind, “Holy shit, Birdie?”

Part 3 - a cheesy line and fairy lights

There wasn’t much to catch up on. Steve knew that before asking you and he’s certain that you knew that before agreeing. Maybe you had enjoyed his presence like he had enjoyed yours. Maybe you were just lonely.

Your trailer is as tidy as the lack of storage space will allow. He gets first pick of the seats on the couch and decides on the one farthest from the door - a peculiar attempt to apologize for his slip of judgment. As if by showing you he has no problem being in your trailer, you’ll forget the sneer he didn’t even notice when he spoke.

Steve remembers you being a breath of fresh air and a sprinkle of sunlight at Hawkins High and he can see glimpses of that in your living room. The fairy lights strung up and the candles carefully set on your coffee table (“They’re prettier than the regular lamps, ya know?” you reasoned as soon as he stepped inside). Your offering of different teas as opposed to water.

Then - suddenly the lights flicker and Steve’s body freezes. They cut and inky black stretches through the room. Not even the streaming moonlight is enough to make up for the sudden blackout.

He’s been here before. In ‘83 and ‘84 and ‘85 and now it’s happening again - he’s been here before. At the Byers’ home and Starcourt - again and again.

His body is frozen and he feels useless, muscles clenching and lungs growing heavy. Memories like hallucinations flash before him in vivid detail. The Demogorgon and demodogs and the Mind Flayer stretch before him and he can imagine each spore and gaping maw that wishes to gnaw the flesh from his bones.

There’s no Nancy to give him orders and there’s no kids to watch and there’s no monster immediately in sight and he’s petrified where he sits.

“Stupid fucking electricity,” you, however, sound completely cool, “Sorry, Steve, this shit goes in and out sometimes.”

When he doesn’t respond, you listen carefully and pick up his labored breathing. It’s the overworked raggings of someone scared and now you really feel bad because you didn’t know he was scared of the dark.

“Here,” you call to him as tenderly as you can, your hand scrambles for his and he jumps - but takes the hand you offer, “You’re okay, Steve, you’re okay. ‘m right here, you’re safe. I promise.”

You have no idea why he’s stuck frozen - not the real reason, anyway, but he thinks it’s sweet of you to try.

Steve feels you crawl closer to him on the couch and his hand winds tighter around yours.

“I’m right here,” you reach out for his other hand and hold it, “You’re okay, Steve. Everything’s fine.”

The lights don’t flicker - they remain off. The scent of blood doesn’t sting his nose and there’s no screeching. No chills that creep over his skin.

It truly is a simple power outage.

He blinks himself into sobriety and clears his throat, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” you release one of his hands but he keeps the one between you two in his hold.

You move back to sitting but now you’re closer than before. He can feel your body heat against his and something about that rekindles the life in him.

Not in a way that he couldn’t live if you suddenly walked away, but that by being next to you he could revive the King Steve that you liked. The nice one, from before his ego stepped in.

The nasty one Nancy killed and Robin burned. A little unrequited love was all Steve needed.

If it weren’t for the women in Steve’s life, he’d be nowhere and he’s grateful every day for them. But it makes him think about every girl from his past and woman of his future that he may wrong or has wronged. If there’s even women in his future.

“You’re quiet,” he feels you gently prod his side with a finger, “You didn’t die, right?”

“Thinking.”

“Uh oh.”

“Shut up,” he’s laughing, though. He doesn’t mean it. He never would.

“What’s on your mind, Stevie?”

“I feel like I’m supposed to be alone,” he admits.

It’s easier to be honest when you can’t see the person’s reaction to your truth. Right now, he’s pretending you’re shocked.

But you don’t sound shocked, “I don’t think anybody’s supposed to be alone, unless they want to be.”

“I’m not a… great guy.”

“Steve, just because you were a douchebag in high school does not mean you’re being punished by the universe with eternal loneliness.”

“But what if I am? I wasn’t a good guy.”

“You were a dick, yeah, but you weren’t a monster. Besides, you’re better - and getting better still. That’s something,” he can hear you sigh, “Besides, if one of us has to be punished, it should be me.”

“Because you stopped going to school? I don’t buy that.”

“I just stopped doing everything. I could barely bring myself to eat and ignored my friends. I feel like I’m just - a barnacle on a whale. Growing up was so terrifying because it was just working and working and working at a job you probably hate after going to college for a degree you probably won’t use and I was so scared of falling into that, that I let the last pieces of my childhood rot.”

“You’re still young… If it makes you feel better - I literally couldn’t get into any colleges without my dad’s money because I never actually did anything other than party and make out with the girl who would eventually say she didn’t love me.”

Yeah, trauma dumping is easier in the dark when you can’t see the other person’s reaction.

“That does. A little. Not that I’m happy you’re not in college or Wheeler screwed you over, it’s just nice to know I’m not crazy for feeling like this.”

He never thought that Nancy screwed him over, not really anyway. Sure, it wasn’t the right thing - to pretend and lie when you knew the other person loved you - but he deserved it, right?

“Yeah. It’s… nice,” his eyes close and he shakes his head, “This might sound dumb.”

“You usually do.”

“Hilarious,” he feels you poke his side again and he swats at the air between you, “I had a crush on you. Like, major crush.”

“No way,” he hears you mock gasp and heat crawls over his neck, “The Steve Harrington had a crush on me?” he nods before remembering you can’t see him, “I had a crush on you, too.”

“No shit?” his lips rise subconsciously, a smile creeping up so hard his cheeks hurt, “Since when?”

“Freshman year.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. You were cute in a nervous, football-playing dweeb-with-cool-hair kind of way.”

“And you didn’t say anything?”

“You were always dating, was I supposed to think that was a ploy to flirt with me?”

“Actually, yeah, you’re right. I sounded dumb.”

“Once again, you usually do. You’re not dating anybody right now, right?”

“Single as the small kid when they pick dodgeball teams.”

“Just say yes, dork.”

“Yes.”

You giggle at his lame jokes and there’s the sting of life at his heart, “Wanna sound dumb on a date sometime?”

“God, yes. I was worried you were just gonna rub it in.”

“I thought about it.”

You changed since high school. You’re more sarcastic. More willing to rib and pick at someone - though never in a hurtful way. You’re still down to earth and he thinks you’re even prettier since those days in the pale halls of Hawkins High.

“I’m glad you didn’t move away,” Steve turns his head in your direction.

Unbeknownst to him, you were looking in his direction this whole time. You nod curtly and squeeze his hand, “I’m glad King Steve changed for the better.”

“I’m not King Steve anymore.”

The lights flicker back on and you’re both swamped in the orange lamp light of your trailer. Steve notices how close your faces are, if he just leans forward a couple inches then his lips would be on yours. You don’t pull away.

The fairy lights are in strobe mode. A gentle twinkling that flutters and reflects off of Steve’s brown eyes.

You grin and press your face just a pinch closer, “Who are you then?”

He has no idea.

King Steve’s corpse is rotting in a big house with no parents. The Babysitter is useless until one of his kids that’s happier than he ever was in high school comes around. Mr. Popular hanged himself in the doorway of Scoops Ahoy and his ghost floats through the neon lights of Family Video. Prom King was dancing alone in the Hawkins High gym to the sound of illusioned cheers.

He peaked in high school and now he has a life he used to make fun of people for living.

“I like to think I’m pretty funny,” he shrugs and pushes back his hair, desperately hoping you can’t see through the false bravado.

He thinks you can, but you just think he’s pretty.

“You are funny,” you agree quietly, “but that’s not all you are. You’re nice, apparently.”

“Apparently?” he rears back, eyes wide, “Wow.”

“Well,” you laugh at his expression, “you hang around the kids, right? The D&D ones? They talk about you sometimes - they like you a lot.”

“Those brats better like me,” he scoffs, “I’m their ride to, like, everything.”

“Don’t tell them I told you,” you lower your voice as if they’re anywhere nearby, “but they wanna take you to see that Ferris Bueller movie.”

“Are you serious?” he sighs and tosses his head back.

“Hey,” you swat his shoulder and he looks back up at you, “they think you’ll like it. You should give it a shot.”

Those kids are a pain in Steve’s ass, but he can’t lie and say he doesn’t love them like his own siblings. Yeah, his best friends are all about six years younger than him, but they’ve gone to hell and war together and when it comes down to it - he’ll die for those little shits. And now he has to stop them from doing the same for him.

The realization thrums warmth through his veins. He smiles and relents, “Yeah, maybe I should,” but before you can tease and snark, he continues, “but if it’s bad, I’m giving them endless shit for it.”

You just roll your eyes, “I bet you will.”

“If you ever want a discount on movie rentals,” Steve jabs a thumb into his chest, “I’m your guy.”

“I’ll certainly rely on you. If you ever want movie theater discounts then you’re shit out of luck because their main goal is to make things as expensive as possible.”

“Damn, I was just foaming at the mouth for half-off popcorn.”

“I know, I know, everyone’s after me for it.”

You two stop talking and the silence is filled with zeal. Usually on dates, the quiet is awkward and bland - but now it’s almost kind. Almost welcomed.

There has never been a collar on his heart quite like the one you leashed him with. All within one blackout.

“I know a lot of people have a no-kissing rule on the first date,” Steve begins, “but technically this isn’t even a date. So…”

You gasp as though scandalized, “Steven Harrington, are you saying you want to kiss me?”

“I am,” he looks up at you through his lashes, “Do you want to kiss me?”

“I do,” you murmur, your free hand coming up to land in his soft hair, “I think a kiss would be nice. For the old high school romance that never happened.”

Steve chuckles and leans up, lips brushing yours as he whispers, “For the old high school romance that should have happened.”

Or maybe it shouldn’t have. Whatever. It was a cheesy line and it got you to giggle and that’s more than enough for him.

If you two were dating in high school then nothing would’ve changed. You probably would’ve crumbled to expectations and kept going to school to land in a college you hated and he never would’ve gotten a terminal case of ego death.

It’s weird, but he’s glad you two didn’t date.

He likes himself a little more than he did a few hours ago. He likes you more now than he did in high school. Past the pretty face and popularity, he likes the lines you spit and he wants to know every thought you harbor.

He didn’t peak in high school, Steve realizes as you tug softly on his hair, he was on the decline of progress - he’s making his way to a peak.

The numbness dies a little more and Steve’s excited to wake up tomorrow for the first time in a long time.

Not necessarily because of you, but he’d be lying if he said you didn’t help. Your words are comforting and eye-opening all at once.

The kids love him and he has a job that pays decently with his best friend as a coworker. He has a nice home and he has every good trait that he used to like about himself.

Steve Harrington is doing just fine - and now he might even be on his way to getting a girlfriend who uses fairy lights instead of proper light bulbs (not that he’d have you any other way).

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fic #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fluff #st x reader #stranger things x reader #stranger things fic #stranger things x you #steve.🥝

169 notes · View notes