Hi! For the first sentence game:
"You want to try that again?" he asks.
Sorry this took a while, but it turned into a whole thing. This is like 2.5K. Not really explicit, but there are some boners and stuff of that nature.
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“You want to try that again?” he asks.
“I don’t need your pity,” Steve says sourly. “I’ll take my stupid three.”
“It’s not pity.” Eddie laughs and waves a hand, generous as a king. “You have advantage.”
“You get to roll twice,” Dustin says. “And take the highest.”
“I know what advantage is, dipshit.” Steve rolls his eyes as the number comes up. “A whole seven.” He makes a whoop-di-doo motion with his finger.
“Your persuasion check fails.” Eddie leans forward threateningly over the screen in front of him. “The guard rings the alarm bell.” A chorus of groans rise around the table. Eddie grins, shifting into the growling scream of a wrestling announcer. “Rrrrolll for initiative.”
___
Steve comes out of the kitchen with a garbage bag in his hand after the kids have all gone. The little shits leave a disaster area of junk everywhere they go: half eaten pizza crusts, scribbled notes, mysterious piles of crumbs that don’t look like anything Eddie actually saw them eat. Steve reaches across the table to pick up a paper plate. He ditched his sweater halfway through the game, a bit of chest hair peeking out of the V of his polo. Eddie blinks and looks away. He sweeps all the miniatures off the table into his old ammo box with a clatter.
Steve sets the garbage bag down and snatches the box from Eddie’s hand. He glares at Eddie and starts organizing the haphazard jumble. “Come on, man. There’s a system.”
“I have my own system. It’s called not having OCD.”
“It’s called not being able to find the ones you need next week.”
“What are you, alphabetizing them?”
“Like I know their names,” Steve scoffs, holding up a furry, long-fanged monster.
“Bugbear,” Eddie says.
“Nerd,” Steve says fondly. Like he didn’t spend four hours at the table tonight. Lately Steve has become, if not a weekly player, at least a recurring guest star. He likes to gripe and act like it’s such a chore. Like he’s doing Dustin a favor. Or humoring Eddie. Being supportive of his nerdy-ass hobbies. Giving up his oh so busy Friday night.
Eddie knows better. If he really hated it, he wouldn’t play. If he really hated it, he wouldn’t keep his character sheet updated. Wouldn’t cover the back with careful notes of the names of each NPC the party meets, bits of lore.
No, Eddie is onto him. Steve gets pushy about his XP in that competitive jock way he has about him. Just as excited about beating one of Eddie’s traps or monsters as the kids. That lit up glint in his eye every time he reminds Eddie he’s immune to charm or poison, like he’s getting one over on him. He’s having fun. And Eddie-
Well.
Eddie came to terms with the fact that he’s horny for his straight roommate long ago. That maybe he even has a fucked up little crush on the guy. But the really fucked up thing is Steve spends a pretty significant amount of time sweaty and shirtless around Eddie, and watching him total up his damage, not forgetting to add his bonuses, is somehow hotter.
Steve glances up from the minis. Whatever’s on Eddie’s face must be a doozy because his eyebrows knit together briefly. But then he smiles. God. The way a smile looks on him. He starts talking about the stat boost he’s going to get when he levels up. He talks about it like he’s been borrowing Eddie’s Player’s Manual on the sly. Hair drooping down over his forehead and that smile on his face and that polo tight against his chest. Eddie wants to jump his bones so bad, it feels like someone punching him in the dick. But in a good way.
“I could put it into strength or charisma,” Steve is saying. “I was thinking charisma, so I could get that plus two.”
“That’d almost catch you up to real life.”
“You think I have a plus three to charisma?” Steve cocks his head, half smiling, half curious. Like he’s trying to figure out if that was a joke or an actual compliment. This is where things get dangerous. Being around him makes Eddie feel almost feverish: too hot, fuzzy headed, all wound up with wanting shit he can’t have. And he’s around him all the time.
The problem with Steve is he doesn’t act like any straight guy Eddie’s ever known. Most straight guys treat Eddie kind of like he’s contagious. Not making a big deal, just… Leaving space. It’s fine that you’re gay, but don’t touch me. It’s fine, but don’t put it in my face. Don’t make it too real. It’s fine, but- It’s the kind of thing that makes Eddie want to push. Get up in a guy’s space, press right against that uncomfortable but. It’s almost a game. Pretty dangerous game, he knows that. Poking at the violence most guys have in them. But Eddie likes the fuck you of it, the little bit of fear in that step they take back when he gets too close.
Steve though- Steve doesn’t back down from anything. Not monsters, not an argument, not even a guy hitting on him. No matter how hard Eddie pushes, he hasn’t found anything that can make Steve blink, take a step back. When Eddie leans into his space, expecting him to flinch, he just slings an arm around Eddie to pull him in even closer. If he touches Steve, Steve touches him back. And Eddie can say the most insane shit. Flirty shit, blatant shit. Steve just plays along. Like it’s all good fun.
Is it really Eddie’s fault if he forgets himself sometimes? Starts running his mouth way too close to the truth? What is Eddie supposed to do when Steve takes all Eddie’s big boys and sweethearts with a pleased smile? What is Eddie supposed to do with the way Steve sprawls out on the couch after a date? Lays his head in Eddie’s lap and plays with Eddie’s rings while he talks about whether this girl gave good head or why he doesn’t think that girl will work out.
This is the kind of shit he’s dealing with, okay? Just the other day Steve came out of the bathroom, nothing but a towel around his waist. And Eddie leaned in to smell him. Look, he’s very aware of how weird that was. But he’d been half asleep, and he’d just- He hadn’t been thinking. It happens kind of a lot with Eddie, actually. He doesn’t think. Maybe that’s why Steve didn’t step back, or give him a well deserved push. Didn’t even look at him funny for doing something objectively weird. Objectively fucked up. He laughed and yanked Eddie in until his nose was squashed into the warm curve of Steve’s armpit. Steve’s hand wide on the back of Eddie’s head as he pushed Eddie’s face in there, tight.
“Take a big whiff,” he said, like he didn’t care that Eddie was pressed up against his bare skin, body to body with Eddie’s hand curving around his waist, brushing against his back. Like he didn’t care that Eddie’s hard dick was obvious against his thigh.
When he let Eddie go, his gaze flicked down to Eddie’s boner. Just as obvious. Making sure Eddie knew he’d noticed it. A teasing lilt to his voice as he said, “Bathroom’s all yours.” Practically inviting Eddie to jerk off. Practically inviting Eddie to think about him while he did it. And Eddie did. Not for the first time, or the last.
What is he supposed to do with any of that except want Steve even more? Sometimes he wishes Steve was just a little less- Cool with it. Not that he wants Steve to look at him with that “It’s fine, but-” on his face. It would be easier though, in a way. If Steve didn’t let him get so close. Didn’t let him press his grubby face up against the glass, so close to what he wants it’s hard to remember he can’t have it.
Steve turns to Eddie with his fist propped under his chin. “Tell me about my charms,” he says. “What is it about me exactly that makes me so damn charismatic?” Voice playful, flirty. Dangerous.
If there’s one thing Eddie knows how to do, it’s bluff. Hey, just joking. You can take a joke, right? “That face, mostly,” he says, putting a palm right into it, pushing Steve away with his cheek turned. Steve lets Eddie move him with an easy laugh. “And your modesty, obviously.”
“Fuck off,” Steve says, still laughing. He moves farther down the table to dump another plate in the garbage bag. He reaches over to gather up a few dice, pausing over the blue one he used during the game. He holds it up, turning it between his thumb and forefinger. He looks over at Eddie, his dark eyes catching Eddie’s. Catching Eddie staring. Eddie quickly busies himself with rolling up his battle map.
“I don’t think I had a single roll over ten all night.” Steve gives the die a toss down the length of the table, flailing a hand as it comes up a four. “I think it’s weighted.”
Eddie snorts. “It isn’t.”
“You gave me a weighted die. You’re a goddamn cheater.” He hides a grin behind the accusation, but Eddie plays along as if he’s serious. Who’s Eddie kidding? Half the fights they’ve had, Eddie picked on purpose just because it was fun. Riling each other up for the hell of it.
“I’m not,” he says. “I’ll prove it.” He plucks the die off the table and shakes it in his hand. “If I roll above a ten, you have to clean up this mess.”
Steve glares, flapping the garbage bag in his hands around in front of him like a matador cape. Annoyance is his second hottest look, in Eddie’s expert opinion. Indignant color on his cheeks, eyes bright. Eddie wants to bite the petulance on his lip. “I’m already cleaning it up.”
“Yeah, but I’m helping you,” Eddie says. “You have to do it by yourself if I win.”
“Doesn’t sound like I have much to lose.”
“Shut up, I’m helping.” Eddie performatively drops a plastic cup in Steve’s bag with a bow.
“That cup wasn’t empty,” Steve huffs. “How many times do I have to tell you to dump it in the sink first. Now it’s going to leak probably and I’ll have to…” Eddie tunes the rest out. Steve’s right, he has heard it before. He rolls the die down the table with a flourish, holding up a finger in Steve’s direction like “wait a sec” and watching as it lands on a fifteen.
“Not a cheater,” he said triumphantly. “And not helping anymore.”
“One good roll doesn’t prove if it’s weighted or not. It’s about the patterns.” Steve rolls again. A two. He motions to it with attitude in the sweep of his hand.
“Fine,” Eddie says. “I’ll go again. How about I roll above a ten two more times, or hey, let’s make it three, if you really want a pattern. If I win, you have to do my laundry.”
Steve rolls his eyes. “Like you’ll follow through if I win.”
Eddie places a dramatic hand on his heart, his voice going shocked. “You’ve besmirched my honor.”
Steve breaks, a laugh cutting through his frown. He gives Eddie a skeptical “go ahead then” tilt of his chin. Eddie rolls. An eleven. He walks backward from one end of the table to the other, to pick up the die where it landed. Makes sure to bump into Steve as he passes. “Pardon me, big boy,” he says sweetly. Steve pushes him into a stumble, but he turns sharply like a flamenco dancer. Arm coming up above his head as he slings the die back down the table. Seventeen. A shit eating grin. Another walk down to the end of the table. Another bump. He can feel the daggers Steve is glaring at him itching hot between his shoulder blades. He tosses the last roll over his shoulder without looking.
“Blow me,” Steve mutters. Eddie turns to see the thirteen on the die. Steve’s delicious, disgruntled face. Grumpy is such a good look on him.
“If you roll under a ten again, I will.”
Steve’s eyebrows rise.
Jesus Christ, Eddie needs to wire his goddamn jaw shut. Steve hesitates on the edge of a laugh. It was a joke. Obviously. Whether it started out there or not, Eddie will make it a joke. But there’s something about the way Steve is caught on the edge of not sure if Eddie was kidding.
Eddie can’t resist a little push. He flashes his teeth. “Scared of a blowjob?”
“You’re serious?” Steve says cautiously.
“Why not?” Eddie shrugs. “It’s just sucking dick. I like dick.”
“Yeah…” Steve says. “But it’s… My dick.”
Like Eddie hasn’t lovingly built a shrine to Steve’s dick in his mind. Like he doesn’t prostrate himself before it basically every time he jerks off. Eddie’s hard as shit right now, his whole body tight with wanting, his blood fizzing, just because Steve hasn’t shut him down yet. Can’t he feel how desperate Eddie is for him? It feels like it’s pouring off him in waves, like ripples of heat off asphalt in the summer.
“Or it’s your mouth.” Eddie’s smile goes sharp. Just a little push. “If you lose.”
Steve flushes, his eyes huge. “You would want that?”
Jesus. Why hasn’t Steve shut him down? Why is he still playing along? It isn’t too late. Eddie can still play it off as a joke. But the way Steve’s looking at him- Steve doesn’t back down. Not from monsters, not from a dare. Would he really… Maybe he would actually let Eddie do it. “And then what?” the small rational part of him that tries to keep him from fucking himself over asks. He pays just as much attention to it now as he ever does.
“I’ll make it easy on you,” Eddie says. “You roll low, just like you have every roll tonight. You can have advantage, even. Triple advantage. Three chances. Get one roll ten or lower. I’ll give you the best blowjob you’ve ever had.” It’s not so much a bet anymore, as an offer. Eddie begging behind the thinnest pretense. Please, please let me suck your dick.
Steve still hasn’t said no. He stands there with the die in his hand instead of telling Eddie to fuck off. Looking at Eddie so close, this heavy, searching gaze that makes Eddie feel like he’s one snarled knot of heat from his throat to his balls. Steve notices Eddie’s hard-on, that heavy gaze lingering for a long second. He’s still looking at Eddie as he throws the die. Eddie can’t quite bring himself to look away, listening to the rattle of it until it stops.
Eddie has to look. Has to know.
A nineteen.
Fuck. He looks back at Steve. “You want to try that again?”
Steve is bright red as he shakes his head no, his teeth sunk into his bottom lip. There’s no hesitation in him now. He keeps his eyes on Eddie, as he sinks down to his knees.
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These have been helping me get back into a writing habit, so I’ll keep it open if anyone else wants to play. The original rules of the game are you leave an ask with the first sentence of a fic, and I’ll write the next five sentences. But the rules I made up are I just write as much as I want. Five sentences minimum though.
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I think fans want Jason to be a good person or be becoming one. To have a character that is well meaning and compassionate but decided murder is ok and to stand against main heroes who’s beliefs and actions go against the people he cares about and wants in his life. It’s confusing for people. People want their fav characters to be happy. But Jason can’t have his family’s support and follow his moral code. He’s cares about people and Gotham, and he’s an asshole who kills. It’s messy. It’s not black and white. I don’t even think Jason cares about being a good person or in the right anymore. I think he cares about what will save the most people instead.
Oh my goodness gracious I’ve been bamboozled
Batman’s definition of Good is not synonymous with absolute good/right no matter how much dc insists it is. Torture, battery/assault, surveillance, those are all condemnable actions too. I won’t get into the exhausting and frankly dumb debate of comic book morality wrt killing because I’ve already reblogged plenty of posts from other people who explained my thoughts on the matter far better than I ever have the patience to sit down and articulate. I also just think the notion that there’s something to be done about fictional characters who kill nazis and senseless murderers is stupid. Jason’s point is that the “main” heroes’ sanitized definition of right has its unaddressed holes and flaws which ultimately result in more preventable fatalities, and that he’ll work to correct those missing spots.
He doesn’t not care about doing what’s right. What he doesn’t care about (at least during his Winick characterization) is whether Batman thinks he’s right or wrong, because he sees the flaws in Batman’s methodology (and since he has a mind of his own). Batman’s methods alone cannot address Arkham’s revolving door and the rogues that come and go through those doors who have no intention (or capability from the doylist pov) of ever changing or undergoing redemption. Jason knows that he’s minimizing the number of preventable deaths by killing his targets, typically Characters Who Simply Do Fucked Up Shit Just Because, Why The Fuck Not?
Secondly, Jason is compassionate … to a fault. That was his fatal flaw. If he wasn’t so hell-bent on saving his potential birth mother he just met from that bomb despite everything she did to him prior, he could have protected himself instead, however slim his odds of survival were. What about his relationship with his other parents? He was a caregiver during his early childhood years for Catherine, until her death. Even mature adults who are financially stable find being a caregiver to a dying parent to be extremely burdensome on their bodies and minds, but he never complained about it or resented Catherine for being unable to care for him. Despite how none of his parents have really been what he needed them to be, he doesn’t blame them for their failings, and even continues to think highly of them (Bruce included).
And post-death? Enter Lost Days. Despite being dead set on plotting his revenge on Bruce, he constantly sidelines this in order to save other victims who are helpless like he once was. His own anger, trauma, and mission don’t remain his priority. (Sound familiar? Something something my own trauma above my son’s, mission above all else, etc.). Why would he waste precious time and risk his own life to do this if he wasn’t empathetic towards these victims or didn’t care about doing the right thing. He is simultaneously horribly traumatized and full of rage, and also incapable of ignoring what’s happening to victims around him (even as he claims that it’s indeed not his priority). And in that same vein, the entire premise of his rebirth outlaws run was that he doesn’t care if the public views him as a villain, an outlaw, so long as he can protect Gotham. And anyway where is this portrayal of him not caring about being in the right anymore. Almost every modern Jason story is about him grappling with where he stands with Bruce/Batman. During the early 2000s was probably the last time he did not care (hello, tentatodd??).
Jason has very evidently been portrayed as a kind and compassionate character. He is also simultaneously a calculated killer who doesn’t hesitate to kill when he deems necessary, and does so without remorse. It’s called being a Complex Character With An Edge™ that as you said, people so often claim to love. However when he fulfills that latter part, that seems to upset people because “killing bad”, and they then try to shave off and round out all his edges and claim he shouldn’t be that angry. In that case I guess you should just stick to liking traditional one-dimensional characters instead of claiming to like Jason but then encouraging his character assassination attempt by dc. Lol.
Lastly, who said anything about the batfam making Jason happy? Just because he’s written nowadays to want acceptance from Bruce (a shoddy attempt at forcing a non-existent nuclear batfamily), doesn’t mean that it’s a sound decision or that it does his character justice. I certainly don’t empathize with the idea that Jason needs the family’s approval or acceptance to be happy. (And anyway he has enough outlets for angst and pain aside from the batfam hello explore his other sources of trauma and do more deep dives into how he thinks when he’s alone). I don’t want them to magically make up and become one big happy family. This is not disney Lol. Besides, there are plenty of stories from dc that have that type of “wholesome” (hate that word utilization) characterization for Jason (Li’l Gotham, Tiny Titans, wfa, and even new stuff like the brave and the bold mini) and that is sufficient imo. Jason fans who are invested in the character deserve accurate, nuanced characterization and well-written stories, whether they be from his robin days (e.g., Batman: The Cult) or as red hood.
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The Metal Maniacs & Their Dog.
I might expound on this more later, but I just had a thought. What if one day while the Metal Maniacs were searching the junkyard for parts, they found a dog amongst the piles of “trash?”
———
Stray
Monkey was on his third set of bumpers this month. He had the worst luck when it came to his car. Usually, after a fender bender, he’d reshape the metal to the frame and call it a day, but lately the damage had been so bad that he couldn’t just brush it off as ‘adding character.’
That’s why he was at the junkyard. Well… that and Porkchop had been pestering him about getting some spare spark plugs for Old Smokey.
He was about elbow deep in a pile of trashed parts when he felt something poke at his back. He’d been tossing things behind him to make more room for his digging, so at first he thought it was something that had just slid back down the pile. But then it happened again…and again.
With a sigh, Monkey pulled his arms out from the pile and turned around to see who was bothering him. The who actually turned out to be a rather large and mangy looking dog. A Rottweiler with no tags and a comically large piece of metal hanging out of his mouth. Big enough to be Monkey’s new bumper actually.
The mechanic brushed his hands off on his shirt, which was also covered in grime from digging through heaps of garbage for the last two hours, and kneeled down next to the dog.
“Uh…nice dog?” Monkey called to it, uneasiness clear in his voice as he beckoned the mutt closer. “…drop it?” Another less than confident command, but the dog followed it without hesitation, barking in satisfaction as it did.
Monkey carefully picked up the near perfect bumper and walked it over to his car. The replacement bumper had been the last thing he’d been looking for so all he needed to do now was load up his finds and leave. There was only one problem. When Monkey popped his trunk and tossed the bumper in, the dog followed it.
“Hey!” Monkey exclaimed. “Get out!”
The dog did not. Instead, he paced around for a second or two, before plopping down and resting his head on the bumper. He did not seem interested in leaving. Not even when Money tried to coax him out with some left over chicken bones he’d had from lunch.
For a while, Monkey stared at the open trunk with the dog lying happily inside. With a groan, he reached up and closed the hatch and walked around to the drivers side door.
“Tork’s gonna kill me. How am I going to explain this? Hey guys- this dog brought me a bumper and then wouldn’t leave me alone, so let’s give a warm welcome to the newest member of the Metal Maniacs??” Monkey was grumbling. He did that when he was nervous. He didn’t stop grumbling until he reached the garage where the Maniacs hung out. Of course, everyone was there when he pulled up.
As soon as he popped the trunk, the dog came happily bounding out and began exploring the garage, sniffing everything in sight, including the people.
“What the hell, Monkey?!” Wylde was the first to say something about their uninvited visitor, despite kneeling down to pet the dog. The dog immediately lunged to lick at his face, and Monkey though for sure that Wylde would try and throw the mutt off of him, but despite his tense words, the driver looked like he was fighting back a smile.
“He hopped in and wouldn’t get out!” Monkey tried to explain, but by the looks of it, Wylde wasn’t listening anymore.
That was when Porkchop and Taro began to meander over to see what all the commotion was about.
“You brought back a dog?” Taro questioned, his eyes flicking between the hound and Monkey for a moment. He looked unimpressed, but all things considered, that was how Taro usually looked.
“I didn’t mean to he just-” Monkey was interrupted by Porkchop as the big guy leaned down next to Wylde and was the dog’s next victim. The mutt jumped up and put his paws on Porkchop’s shoulders before viciously licking him all over his face.
Porkchop bellowed with laughter as he tried to move his face away to speak.
“He reminds me of Baby.” Porkchop said through fits of laughter. Baby was Porkchop’s childhood guard dog, and now that Monkey was really looking at him, he did sort of resemble the pictures Porkchop had shown him.
“Huh, yeah. I guess he does.” Monkey agreed quietly.
Everyone was so caught up with the dog that they almost missed Tork finally approaching the group. He didn’t look too happy, but like Taro, that was par for the course.
“Thought we’d agreed about not taking in anymore strays.” His voice rang out through the garage as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the mutt. The dog was still having the time of his life, alternating between Wylde and Porkchop. “Get rid of it.” He said, fixing Monkey with a look that had the mechanic shrinking in his boots.
“I’ve tried. He just won’t leave!” Monkey tried to explain, but then, against all odds, Wylde jumped in to help.
“Maybe he doesn’t have anywhere else to go.” Just like I didn’t. He wouldn’t say it. Even if he laid awake at night thinking about how having the Metal Maniacs had likely saved his life. How Tork taking him in when his own brother’s actions, or rather inactions, had landed him behind bars for two years, had comforted him more than he’d ever let on. He was a stray once too. One that bit. They’d let him stay.
“I said no.” Tork reiterated, frowning down at Wylde. Wylde frowned right back until Porkchop spoke up.
“He’d make a good guard dog.” He looked scary enough to spook anyone dumb enough to steal from the Metal Mainacs. Plus it would be like having a free alarm system that you could play fetch with.
“I’ll help train it. Besides we were all strays once.” Taro chimed in, but Tork stayed silent. You could hear a pin drop if it weren’t for the dogs loud, excited panting.
Their leader pursed his lips as he surveyed the group. His strays. His people.
With a frown and a sigh he rolled his eyes and finally relented.
“Fine, but the first time that dog barks while I’m tryna sleep, it’s back to the junkyard, understood?” Tork said sternly, but the dog’s tail stayed firmly wagging behind him.
They ended up naming him Bumper, for obvious reasons. He fit in well with the group. He was protective, sweet, and made a good heated blanket when winter rolled around. He even grew on Tork eventually.
By the end of his first year with the Maniacs, Taro had him fully trained to help out around the garage. Needed something that wasn’t within arms reach? Just ask Bumper to fetch it. People parking too close to their cars at a meet? Bumpers got it covered with a few vicious sounding barks and growls. He even helps Porkchop through storms, curling up next to the big guy whenever he hears one rolling in.
In fact, he helps out all the Metal Maniacs when it comes to their mental health. All in all, Bumper ends up being a great addition to their gang of strays.
——— Thanks for Reading ———
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