#I love this chapter and this ending so friggin much I just HAD to do something for it 😁❤️

[mrs-gauche]

The Dread Wolf Take You (Part 1)

~~Link to the complete 31 page comic here~~

"Imagine that, overlooking the god in your mids!"

May I present, my attempt at illustrating the last four pages of Tevinter Nights. 😁 (Also, the first time I'm posting art on here!)

As the whole thing was quite literally too long to post on tumblr, I uploaded the full version on a customized site made for reading webcomics (via ComicFury). Feel free to check out the link above if you like to read the rest! Also, if you're on mobile, there's a "Scroll View" option for easier navigation. :)

And, obviously, HUGE spoilers for those who haven't read Tevinter Nights!!

On a personal note though, I can't believe I actually finished it... As it had been a *very* long time since I drew (and finished) anything, let alone a 31 page comic and reading Tevinter Nights again finally sparked my motivation (and the courage to post it lol). So I want to thank Patrick Weekes for helping me overcome this massive art block and over two decades of Case Closed mangas for inspiring me how to draw an overly dramatic "exposing the imposter" moment. 😂 I tried my best to be as faithful to the book as possible and it took me forever, so... hope you like it! :D

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi,

I just finished TVL for the first time and I'm so enamoured. Lestat is just so much in the best way. But what a mess of trauma his early life, both human and vampiric, was. Magnus when I catch you.. His relationship with Nicki is so beautiful and ultimately heartbreaking. There is so much love there but it's hard for two people both struggling with different kinds of mental illness to be able to help each other. Gabrielle is incredible. I can't wait to see her portrayed next season. And oh my god Armand. Armand Armand Armand. I love him. I'm looking forward to seeing Assad do those scenes with Sam. I love Lestat and Armand together. I love their antagonism as well their immediate attraction and strange love. Part of me wishes that I could see what a love story of theirs could look like. I struggled getting through Marius's chapter just because it got a little dry but omg Lestat waking up Akasha was just peak Brat Prince behavior. Ofc the brief rehash of Interview confirmed some things for me especially about Claudia and Louis. And finally the reunion had me in tears and then laughing at the "You will *lose* that sweater and those pants" line. And of course the ending was just devastating. Anyway there is so much here. I really feel like it needs 2 seasons or 1 long one. And reading it, I really hope that they get Lestat's voice right because one thing I noticed about his narration is how so much of the time his words are dripping with love and empathy. It makes him a particularly fascinating monster because he is definitely a monster. I hope that they hit that note. I'm curious to see who they will pick for Akasha too but I haven't read QotD yet to have an opinion. Have high hopes and expectations now for Season 3. Ah and one more thing I need for sure is animal lover Lestat with his mastiffs and the horses in the stable. God there is so much I want them to adapt. The Witches Place and Wolves and Lestat offering to cut Gabrielle's hair. Do you have any scenes that you are dying to see?

Ahhhhh, I really cannot really narrow it down??? :))) I so hope that we will get to see his dogs!! and the Witches Place, yes.

Personally the wolves feel like a "must" for me, as well as the inn and the "golden moment". And the dark moment, after. I would also love to see the Notre Dame scene with Armand, and of course we need Akasha stepping on Nicolas' violin :)))

Ahhhh, so many defining moments coming up, and moments that have been hinted at already^^ I cannot wait to see how they do it. The first time we've seen it on screen!!! Ever! It's been 40 friggin' years, it's about time.

And geez, can you imagine Gabrielle going after "new clothes", and hers and Armand's relationship?????? Ahhhhhhh, I'm shivering just thinking about it. Gimme :)))))))))

[novantinuum]

Which one is knowing, loving, being? Is that one about the blorbo Steven?

Yessss ahahah, this is the one with the Gem Steven design I won't shut up about on discord XD

(thank you for taking my bait and asking me about this fiUSHKFNSUGJH my evil plan worked)

E eeeeee *cracks knuckles* time to RAMBLE! I am so excited about this one, lmaooo. If you're wondering where all my "Crack the Paragon update progress" energy went these past few months, I am so sorry besties- but it got funneled to this project instead. I need to finish this goddamn fic by the end of the year like I need air.

The tl;dr of it all is that this story is my adult human!Steven/gem!Steven/Connie propaganda piece, and also a place to explore my personal take on how Steven works like,,, biologically,,, as a bizarre hybrid of two beings who are fused but also Not Really. Certainly not in the way fusion works for OTHER people.

Mind you, this fic is very NSFW, as will be the snippit I share- so the rest of my rambles will go under a cut. You have been warned.

Okay, so the broad strokes. This one's gonna be 4 chapters-

Chapter one will focus on a recently married 23 yr old Steven heading out to Rose's Room so he can work through some mental bullshit regarding the split he experienced as a kid. That trauma still lingers all these years later, and there's still so much he doesn't fully understand about... about what happened. About being outright cleaved in two. He ends up having the Room conjure a cloud version of his Gem half- the most unfamiliar and alien one of the two, to him- so he can try and talk out his confusions.

Chapter two features Steven nosediving into an obsession over an impulsive kiss he shared with that friggin' cloud version of his Gem half, and one thing kinda just leads to another, and well- said obsession ends with his component halves briefly split apart so they can fuckin' bang to work through whatever crunchy ass emotions they've got all stewed up in there. Progress wise, I am at this part of the fic right now, and I am having a lot of fun making this segment as "emotions and stimuli all mixed together" and intentionally confusing as I can. I am taking the depiction of "split POV" we had in Change Your Mind VERY seriously and literally, because I haven't seen too many writers dare to try.

Chapter three is mostly like, an interlude chapter- it's the aftermath of chapter two, where a confused and sheepish Steven opens up to his wife Connie about what he just experienced. In my head, my version of Steven is VERY demisexual, so he's like... just as "huh" as anyone else about what just took place. He and Connie talk shit out, and then Connie is basically like "baby. sweetheart. love of my life. why the HELL would you rip out your own gem like that, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, why would you ever do that when i'm not here to help you if things went wrong??" By the end of the convo though, Steven extends an open invitation for Connie to join in at some point and enjoy some intimacy as the three of them, both of his component halves and her.

Chapter four is entirely about that precise encounter, both the planning and the actual sex. The broad purpose I have in mind here is to showcase how such an encounter is something that's innately healing for them as a couple, in the way they get to re-contextualize this scenario in tones of love and trust and willful choice... as opposed to the horrid experience of being ripped apart by another's hand. I also just want them to get WEIRD about it, because like. Come on. Steven's half-alien. He (and the organic and Gem who combine to MAKE him) deserves to be weird about himself and the way he interacts with his own sexuality. And you just KNOW Connie would be into that. There is a lot of genital shapeshifting here, and they have a fucking great time.

I have overtly had the extremely general sketch of this idea floating around in my head since 2019, but never had the guts to actually tackle it until now. Now, though... I've actually gotten some practice with writing smut and feel confident in my ability to swing these scenes in the way I envision them, AND I finally have a circle of people who are down to talk about Steven being really goddamn weird about himself lmafo. Like, it's 2024, I'm allowed to ship selfcest if I want, fuck you.

But yes, chapter 1 is already done at 5.3K words, and I've got a solid 7.4K on chapter 2 (and rising.) For my actual WIP share, here is a snippit I recently wrote for chapter 4, working ahead a bit-

“So this is your idea of a big finale, huh?” he says with an impish smirk as he reads the last item on the list, a healthy dose of humor lightening his words. “Both of them fucking like rabid animals in heat as you merely lounge on the bed and watch?” “Oh, shut up,” she bites back, unable to even look her dear husband in the eye as she clunks her head down on the kitchen table, her cheeks burning like she’s destined to crumble to cinders amidst her own personal inferno of runaway lust. But Steven, damn that ridiculous man, won’t let her live this down. Ugh. Of course he wouldn’t. “Now, tell me… how long have you been secretly dreaming of this scenario?” She groans, mumbling her shameful little response straight into the table mat. “Only like… every other night since I saw you fall apart…” His rumbly chuckle— brimming with unquestioned warmth and just a tinge of bashfulness at the sheer risqué inanity of this never-before-spoken revelation— rings loud and clear, coating the whole room in its dense, chocolatey tenor. “What?” Connie whines as she snaps upright, her hands fidgeting on the table in the throes of such excruciating embarrassment. “What exactly’s so funny about that? I’m being very brave and vulnerable about this, you know!” He raises a placating hand, pushing himself through the final notes of his laughter before moving to respond. “Sorry, sorry, I promise I’m not making fun, it’s just— I guess you never really struck me as the, uh… the voyeuristic type?” “Does that… bother you?” she frowns, tilting her head a little. “The idea of me just… watching? I— it’s only a suggestion, we can always take it off, if you—” “No, I’m okay with it. Depending on how we set things up, I think it could be pretty hot. In fact…” Steven grabs for a pencil, and— waggling his eyebrows at her— begins to write one last line on their collective beat sheet. “I actually have a little idea of my own that I think would be fun to try out during this…”

[violetasteracademic]

Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow: Chapter Ten (Ao3 Azriel x Elain Fanfic)

I hope it is a lovely day wherever you are in the world! Chapter 10 of Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow has just dropped, and as the namesake chapter it is SO friggin special to me! I will be sharing some amazing treats by @rae2velaris tomorrow that have been secretly at work for this chapter, and there will be much more to come after that! She has been doing some seriously incredible work and there have been tears. On my end.

If you are not caught up, you can find a master list of each chapter here. Link to the new chapter will be at the bottom of this post, as well as updated on the master list!

And now for our sneak peak!

Preview:

Elain

Elain could still hardly believe how the bodysuit looked and felt. Like it was perfectly crafted for her body and hers alone. Nuala and Cerridwen had helped her braid back her hair to keep it out of the way while she and Azriel did… well, whatever it was they were going to do. She really had no idea what it meant to explore the nature of power sharing. Nor did she know where she was going.

She turned and looked over her shoulder in the mirror one last time, taking in the upward curve of the faintly glowing feather barbs extending outward from her spine. Impenetrable Ascalaphus feathers. It was breathtakingly beautiful. And strong. She had run the sleeves directly over a lit candle. Nothing. The flame didn’t so much as leave a yellow stain behind.

It meant so much to her that Azriel had not thought less of her for the way she chose to approach fighting. He made her feel like… like her magic was enough. Her sight and the way she could wield the earth in her hands was enough. She did not need to be a High Lady or Valkyrie to be powerful. She and Azriel, with their new shared abilities, would be able to speak to each other in any confrontation. To give and take from each other, and work as a team. For one of the most feared warriors and spies in Prythian, she knew he would not make that decision lightly.

When she was ready, Nuala and Cerridwen shadow-walked her to the outskirts of Velaris. Azriel kept hidden beneath the loosely swaying tendrils of a willow tree. He was absolutely devastating in his leathers, the dark counterpart to her gold-trimmed light.

“We’ll be on alert all night if you need anything,” Cerridwen said quietly.

Azriel nodded his thanks before they disappeared and extended his arms to Elain. She stepped in close to him and gasped as he swept her up, cradling her to his chest as he so often did. “You ready?” He whispered into her ear.

She couldn’t help tilting her chin up to press her lips softly to his, sighing a bit before she replied, “Yes.”

His eyes danced, that beautiful grin reserved only for her gracing his full lips before they leapt into the skies.

She had flown with Azriel before, but it had been such a long time. And now that she had become so intimate with him, so addicted to his scent, it was as if the sky itself smelled like him. The night air and mist in the clouds, the cedar trees peppering the mountainside as they soared. It left her completely breathless.

Azriel had truly never looked so beautiful as he did when cloaked in moonlight. She reached up to cup his cheek, and she knew his shiver was from more than the cold as he leaned into her touch.

She nuzzled up against him and enjoyed the view as they flew. She had no idea where they were going. It saddened her to admit it, but she simply hadn’t seen as much of Prythian as her sisters had. She didn’t notice any change in courts as Azriel smoothly carried them on the wind. They only went over the mountains, an endless forest on the other side of them.

A small clearing revealed itself, a low valley amongst the trees. Night blooming jasmine clustered in lovely, wild patches. They almost seemed to glow under the light of the moon.

Elain was circling slowly, taking in every inch of the valley, when Azriel grabbed her by the waist and pressed her back into a nearby tree. Her mind quickly scrambled as Azriel slid his tongue along her bottom lip. She opened for him, and he gripped his hands around the backs of her thighs to hoist her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around him as their kiss became desperate and frantic, her hands running up his firm chest and through his hair. His tongue stroking her exactly how she liked it.

He pulled away, taking a few sharp breaths before lowering her back to the ground. “Sorry,” he panted. “I needed to do that just once before we got started. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to focus.”

“Mmm,” she murmured, her lips still ghosting his. “Very wise, shadowsinger.”

He stole one more deep, thorough kiss before releasing his grip on her.

“I thought the frenzy was something that only occurred with the mating bond? Since it’s for… well… mating.” Elain mused. She hadn’t expected it to happen to them. And now they could barely stand to be near each other for more than five seconds without being overwhelmed with the need to tear at each other’s clothes and press their bodies together.

“Orissa’s notes didn’t say anything about it. I mean, she might have left that part out but… I think— I think it might not be the carranam bond. I think it’s just us,” Azriel replied, his simmering gaze not fully cooled.

She had to shake her head to clear the fog of lust. It had been less than twenty-four hours and they had already had numerous, exceptionally thorough lovemaking sessions. But there were important matters at hand.

They needed to master what their unique bond could do. Prove to everyone that it was real, and hopefully somehow set a precedent for the rarity of what they had. Like her own powers, like the feathers of the Ascalaphus owl. Something forgotten, thought extinct, only to suddenly emerge. Something so deep and intrinsic, so interconnected between them that perhaps it would even trump a mating bond. She smiled at the thought.

“Shall we?” She grinned, and he did not let go of her hand as they walked to the center of the valley.

[lazywitchling]

Alright, I’ve just finished Consorting with Spirits by Jason Miller.

Summary:

8/10 if I can ignore the author

7/10 if I can’t

So here’s the thing. I have come out of this book with a deep distaste for this guy. He just… oof, there are times that he just reads like a twitter tech bro who, within ten minutes of meeting him, will tell you all of the famous people who follow him on twitter. There’s just something about the constant name-dropping of Super Cool and Edgy spirits that just got on my nerves to no end. Like, buddy, can I get some more examples of you working with local no-name spirits in your area? Spirits that are just a lil guy? Or do they ALL have to be big name demons from ancient grimoires and cryptids from local legends and shit?

Also, yeah there’s too many times where he’s… maybe not always outright saying, but definitely heavily implying that closed cultures can be yours to take from if you really really really want to. I don’t love that.

AND chapter 2 definitely opens with a little example story of how Dave Chapelle’s Netflix comedy special is a case of people just ~*~*not understanding a joke and being too sensitive*~*~ and HELLO SIR????????

(He doesn’t specifically say it’s that comedy special, but check the timeline of writing vs that comedy special. It’s 100% what it is.)

So. Yeah. I’d love to meet this guy so I can throw a drink in his face.

THAT BEING SAID.

I am so annoyed to say that as much as I hated this guy, that’s how much I loved the book.

UGGGGGGGHHHHHHH. Friggin’… out here like goddamned Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft. WILL YOU PLEASE LET ME HATE YOUR BOOK?? I WANT TO!

But no, it’s actually a pretty good one. Best ever? Nah. But good. I am definitely better for having read it, and it gave me a lot of stuff to think about. There’s a section about how you *can’t* be bad at meditating, and it just… [chef kiss]. It was a really good section and I’m very glad to have read it.

Some of the criticisms I’ve heard of this book is that if you’re not interested in working with Hekate, St Cyprian, or Astaroth, then this book isn’t going to be very useful. And I can see what they mean, because they make up the bulk of the examples in the book. You’d think they were the only entities out there to work with. But though Jason isn’t always the best about saying it, the Hekate/Cyprian/Astaroth rituals are supposed to be examples of how to structure your own thing to fit the entities you work with.

There’s good, practical advice about working with and communicating with spirits, and it’s stuff you can actually put into practice. Additionally, I don’t recall him having any real “You need to buy this fancy thing!” stuff in there, which is nice. Even the anti-capitalist witch books I’ve read have had SOME kind of consumer element to them.

He says that this should not be your first witch book, and I (sort of) agree. This isn’t a basic-witchcraft text, so you should know how to put together some basic protection, do some divination, etc. There’s a good quote in chapter 7 that says “If every book has to contain every possible preliminary and protection, then there will never be room for the substance of the book itself.” I LOVE that. I’ve read too many books that are supposed to be about some specialty, but they spend so long rehashing the basics that they barely even touch on the thing the book is supposed to be about.

That being said, while I wouldn’t consider this a Basic Witchcraft book, I would consider it a Basic Spirit Work book. If you know what you’re doing and you consider yourself a spirit worker, I don’t know that you’ll really get anything much out of this book. If you want to learn to be a spirit worker, though, this one has enough foundational things in it to get you started, imo.

(This is the part where I usually link you to the book in the Portland Button Works shop, because I want you to buy things from Alex, but I don’t see the book there anymore? idk if it’s gone gone or if it’ll restock. Anyway. Support your local bookstore, support witches with indie bookstores, etc.)

[sonickedtrowel]

🐤 orrrr 🕊️ or both if you feel like it!

Hey so I'm really terrible at the internet!!! I went and posted a thing and then didn't even answer all the responses I got, I'm sorry anon!! So... this is about this fic ask thing! Okay! Here we go!

🐤 a mystery quote (take out the context, even censor the names if you want! let em guess!)

Ooh okay I had to go ahead to my "notes" doc because I haven't gotten to this part yet lol, but love to let you guess. Although I think it's pretty obvious lol.

Now, don’t be alarmed.  I had to see exactly what sort of creature could inspire our Doctor to such new heights of idiocy.  Because, I’m sure you know, Ms. Does-Her-Research, Time Lords don’t really ‘do’ marriage.  The concept exists, of course, but it’s an enterprise of the eccentric.  The black sheep cousin who rocks up to Nana’s funeral in a studded leather jacket, sure, they’d have a wife.  Everyone would be whispering about it.  But it’s very much not the done thing.   So naturally, we both married young.  Rebels do.  And that’s when you learn the real lesson: it’s not just that sentimentality is discouraged.  It’s a dangerous liability when it goes well, and when it doesn’t?  You think you’ve seen a messy divorce?  That’s when the funny collars come off.  No, the real problem is: it ends, one way or the other.  One’s with solicitors, and the other is worse.  And if you’re the unlucky one left standing, you may find you have more lifetimes left to think about it than you’d like. I had to take a little peek at the one who made him forget such a lesson.  Of course, he is a moron.  Spending centuries going round picking up humans?  It’s like, you keep on buying hamsters, then come crying to me when it’s time to get out a shoebox?  Maybe after the first twenty you’d start to see a pattern? 

🕊️ a sweet quote (something sweet, fluffy! maybe it's cute or funny banter! or sappy wedding vows!)

Throughout their centuries together, the Doctor counted every day spent with River as a good day.  But some of them were just that little extra bit good.  Some days, her eyes lit up with immediate recognition of his age, and she greeted him as “husband” before even mentioning diaries.  He did so love when she was naughty, even if it was their own rules she was bending.   Some days, for example, they narrowly avoided being burnt as a ritual sacrifice on the way to dinner, then rushed back to the TARDIS on the sort of giddy adrenaline high that pushed dinner right to the bottom of the list. “We should be burning at the stake right now!” River scolded as he shook out his umbrella.  “It’s lucky for you you’re pretty.” “You were in no danger.  I knew something would come up.” “No you didn’t!” “I did!  I promise I did!” “Rubbish,” she declared, striding up to the console and pulling off her gloves.  She tossed her hair over her shoulder, shooting a wry glare back at him, and very nearly managed to hide the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.  The Doctor was overcome with such a fierce wave of adoration, his rational mind checked out entirely for a moment.   “Okay,” he admitted as he stepped up behind her.  He slipped his arms around her waist and dipped his head; inhaled the cool, earthy scent of ozone and petrichor that clung to her hair, mingling with her perfume.  “I was just hoping,” he muttered in her ear.  “And they got lucky.  We wouldn’t be the ones burning if they dared lay a finger on you.”

You ask me for a quote you get a friggin novel because I have no self control. Thank you anon if you're still around, I hope you see this!!! I am going to try to write more and complete the second chapter if not before the holidays then very soon after!!

[karahalloway]

Kara Halloway - WIPs Update

Happy Friday Everyone!

First off, thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read, reblog and comment on my latest fic, which was Polo! Hope you enjoyed my weird and slightly crazy HC! The things I subject Drake to, eh? 😅

I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that while I know that I have a lot of WIPs in the works (Sleepless in New York, (Less Than) Noble Intentions, Thanksgiving, and various requests, etc.) I have finally started something that I have been putting off doing for the past 2 years (much to my husband's disgust lol), which is... working to publish an actual, real-life book 😱

I have had various original story ideas over the years, but TRR kept pulling me back into fanfic. But, a few months ago, I decided that rather than try to fight the tide, I should maybe adapt to it. So, this was how the idea of converting Sleepless in New York into a non-TRR original story was born, and last night, I finally took the pluge and decided to start working on it.

As a result, I don't know when I will go back to working on my various TRR stories (though I do want to finish them, as I have all the endings in my head, I just need to get to writing it all!!). It really depends on how the muse flows...

But I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that over the next several months, my Tumblr posting frequency will probably be a bit haphazard as a result of this new project that I've started.

At the moment, I am not planning on posting chapters of this original story (I don't even have a working title or a cover yet!) as I am hoping that you will all buy the book when it gets published 😇, but when the time comes, if anyone is interested, I am happy to provide advance copies for beta-reading, Amazon/Goodreads reviews, spreading the word, etc.

In the meantime, I hope you will bear with me and thank you to everyone who has read my stuff and encouraged me to keep writing! 😘 I would not have gotten here, or built up the courage to actually try and publish an actual friggin' novel!

Love,

Kara

@twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @kingliam2019 @petiteboheme @aussiegurl1234 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tessa-liam @alyshak92 @secretaryunpaid @princessleac1 @walkerdrakewalker @angelasscribbles @nestledonthaveone @tinkie1973 @twinkle-320 @knaussal @nikkis1983 @lunaseasblog @ficloverevie @indiana-jr @differenttyphoonwerewolf @xpandass420x @eversoaringqueen12 @peonierose @3pawandme @alexabeta @veebug8 @fangirling12566 @queenmiarys @berriesandpixels​ @coco-lina-s @lolablackwrites @ivyflowers13 @persephone13 @hollygirl1269 @adri-ja-96 @harleybeaumont @katedrakeohd @uneravine @bebepac

13Jan2023

[lactodebillus-bulgaricus]

yo so like this is my most favourite thing that I’ve ever written it’s probably the best thing that I’ll ever write it’s like my magnum opus I love this so much that I wanna share it with u guys

25/04/2020 - this is the day I wrote this on and posted it on fanfic dot net, it’s the first chapter of my (still unfinished, as I’m posting this) fanfic called bulgarian yogurt takes over the world here are some links

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31859650

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13564222/1/bulgarian-yogurt-takes-over-the-world

it’s pure crack and parody, anyways now let’s get to the point:

.

one day, bulgaria was sitting in his home all alone (coronavirus be damned!) and was about to eat yogurt. it was one of the few things that kept him happy in the current situation. he couldn't even go for a walk in the forest, dang it!

was it homemade yogurt? idk he can consider any brand of bulgarian yogurt homemade yogurt bc it's produced in his country i guess whatever now let's go back to the story

the world hadn't been going well recently. a pandemic on top of all the problems it had to deal with, like wars, oppression, humanitarian crises, hunger, epidemics, corruption, demographic catastrophes and tension between many countries... seriously?

anyways bulgaria had been working from home for most of the time. he would usually contact his boss by videochat and do paperwork online. he would rarely go out and he did it mostly to buy natural bio milk (other milks suck and can't be used in yogurt-making), so he could make homemade yogurt. now, he was just about to open the just-fermented yogurt jar. he could already feel the taste in his mouth. the only thing in his mind now was yogurt. yogurt. YOGURT.

bulgaria put his hand on the jar lid, grasping it gently yet firmly, and twisted it around, opening the jar. immediately, the ambrosial scent of yogurt filled the air, invading bulgaria's nostrils and from there, his entire being. he could almost feel tantalizing electric shocks striking his tongue while its taste buds were anticipating the most heavenly gift on earth: BULGARIAN YOGURT.

its sourness, its sweetness and its aroma were indescribable. soon, bulgaria was going to be united with the most wonderful dairy product- no, the most wonderful food on earth. he was going to enter this transient nirvana, when the time around seems to stop. before picking up a spoon and scooping into the yogurt, he decided to shortly enjoy how pristine it was. bulgaria held the yogurt jar in his hands and gazed at it with tender eyes. finally, after what felt like an entire eternity while it lasted and seemed like a flash after it had ended, he spoke. "omg yogurt i love you so much" he said.

"i love you too, mr bulgaria"

then bulgaria FRIGGIN SCREAMED, THREW THE YOGURT AT THE WALL AND RAN AWAY

[seancamerons]

1, 10, 15, 16

Thanks for leaving me some fanfiction asks too!!

How long ago did you start reading or writing fanfiction? Damn, I had to been when I was around about twelve or maybe thirteen. I don't know if anyone remembers the-ndotcom message boards, various Degrassi message boards (mainly Degrassi boards aka DB, anyone around, I honestly doubt it?), and of course, fanfictiondotnet my online life in the mid-2000s.💗

When I was third grade, I remember writing things that resembled fanfiction. Typically based off of some shows I saw (such as Sabrina the teenage Witch, TGIF line up was awesome) or books I read like The Boxcar Children or Junie B, for these writing journal prompts for school the teacher would assign us. When I say it's all cringe and embarrassing as hell, Let's just say I'm glad no evidence of that writing existed. That wasn't even the tip of the iceberg there, I also wanted to *be* a friggin' author. I'd even include these cheesy bios for each 'book' I would make for myself bc I'd always see them in books I read in childhood.

Fast forward to 2003, my first fanfiction (when I knew I was writing fanfiction) was a doozy for Degrassi written about Sean, Craig, and Emma in some weird season 2 timeline with a love triangle, an ill-fated camping trip, Sean's newly sober mother made an appearance in the form of a camp organizer desperate to reconnect with her son and bring him home much to his chagrin, and other things I forgot about and wouldn't wanna think much on. I was basically winging it. I'm afraid it's gone. I had notebooks and notebooks filled with stories around this time.

10. Worst writing habits? Abandoning and giving up without a doubt. A horrid habit that becomes tempting when I get writer's block, and then I just start the hell over and make something totally new and forget about it drop it like a bad habit, and the cycle comes back around like a shitty boomerang. I then will read the old one months or even years later and be filled with regret or have five million new ideas for said abandoned story. Maybe then I rework it in the future someday or in a whole dif story which has been done before. I am already my own worst critic, but I hate super flaming, negative criticism that shit doesn't help anyone except be tempted to give up.

Some fic I abandoned needed to be, such as the Zoemund vehicle in a weird alternate season thirteen titled The Starlet and Dealer. Not that I need to explain myself, but I didn't feel right writing something portraying a couple with literally no chance on any planet, not even interested in men on the whole didn't make much sense. Also who would read that considering all that? It's available on fanfictiondotnet who cares? I moved on it's never gonna have an ending.

Backtrack has more of a chance of getting an ending, and yes, it's an *almost* ten-year-old fic, just saying.😄😄😄

Another habit is simply beating myself up, comparing myself and just simply hating on myself which I gotta stop doing. Honorable mention, stuff like not being in the mood to write, or getting too much on my plate and then not writing.

15. One-shots or multi-chapters? Multichapters Angst? Yes. Fluff? Yes. Smut? I'm not that brave ha, not for a lack of trying. I usually do the ol' Disney-style cut away. I'm so lame. Hurt/comfort? Yes. Fantasy? Nah. Romance? My bread and butter🥰. Which one is your favorite? Hmm I'd say romance with multiple chapters all the way! Which one is your least favorite? My least favorite is when the protag gets pregnant and the whole story is just fucked after that because it just doesn't interest me. It's just so unoriginal and a little predictable. Unpopular or popular opinion who cares, not every love story or romance ends with a baby or a pregnancy 🤷‍♀️. I'm down for a wedding that would be something fun to tackle in writing. No, really though, out of the listed, I'd say I don't care for fantasy.

16. What’s your favorite headcanon or trope? For semma related fic's stories, I like incorporating things such as emphasis on photographs, flashbacks to past events, and some other memories from their past relationships with one another or things we didn't get to see. For example, Emma had this little box with moments like movie ticket stubs, Sean's old denim jacket (before he started wearing hoodies), Emma's retired dolphin pants, obviously photographs, a few burned mix CDs, letters, and or notes passed from class, and more miscellaneous items.

As for Emma and Jay another Degrassi pairing I write often, for example, I like including a treehouse motif. It's a long story, but in my invented backstory for Jay, Connie (Fancy) is his mother, She left his father for Mr. Edwards (Darcy and Clare's father) she met at the strip club. They had an affair resulting in pregnancy so there's a drama with that. Obviously, Jay and Darcy clash (naturally) and act like they're not related at school is an arrangement beneficial to both for Darcy's popularity and Jay had a reputation to uphold and also there's Jay's young maybe five year old half-sister from Randall and Connie named Christina affectionately nicknamed Chrissy. Jay resents his mother for leaving their father and making this new family with these stuck-up people he seems to detest and what it did to his father who had fallen in a reclusive depression since their divorce.

Chrissy idolizes Jay and serves as an honorary shipper for Emma and Jay, and sometimes provides comic relief. At Jay's dad's house is where the treehouse comes in, and Jay's super attached to it and his father too who he is still close with. The treehouse is a special spot for Jay. He eventually brings Emma into his world and treehouse, and the setting symbolizes a lot in their relationship. All this lore was created long before Jay or Darcy had a canon backstory or last names purely based on speculation. There's also related Jay/Alex lore about their past relationship, invented things from their dysfunctional childhoods. I also have a host of headcanons for Emma, Manny, and JT's childhood memories growing up together.

For tropes, I dig the first love/true love, mutual pining, enemies to lovers, slow burns, and secret relationships/forbidden love is always fun to write. I recently attempted a fake dating story Faking It/(a03)

This all is a lot of fun to write. Thanks Emma! I hope you also like writing responses to these type of questions! I’m always available and down for more questions about fanfiction! 💌

[eloiselikescheese]

THINGS THAT WERE IN THE RWRB BOOK THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE MOVIE AND I’M MAD ABOUT IT (don’t get me wrong the movie was a masterpiece and I have literally watched it eight times but I’m still mad)

JUNE

JUNE

JUNE

JUNE

J

U

N

E

June and Alex going through magazines together

Alex and Nora pretending to be dating for the tabloids

CASHHHHHHHHHH

“Alex has seen her stab someone in the kneecap with a very similar embroidery needle” page 9, about Amy 

ALEX CARESSING HENRY’S PICTURE IN JUNE’S MAGAZINE WHEN HE WAS A KID OMGGGGGGGGGGGG I PHYSICALLY CANNOT 

Henry being “infuriatingly” tall compared to Alex 

Literally the entire first chapter minus the cake falling. They even changed the set up and dialogue for how it fell!

Chapter 2:

“Alexander,” Ellen says, her tone eerily calm. “Shut up.”

“You’re a dumbass. Love you.” -Ellen

ALEX’S LISTS OH MY GOD I MISS HIS LISTS

Alex bi panicking for Shaan 

Henry riding in from polo practice on his horse looking perfect, and Alex saying “I am going to throw up on you.” (Page 36)

Alex’s parents being divorced, it made Ellen even more powerful. 

The entire cornettos scene: Alex seeing Henry in a plain t-shirt, the post Alex made, Henry commenting on Alex’s glasses 

That mysterious part where Shaan gives Henry a pill, it intrigued both me and Alex. (Pg 41)

Actually hearing Henry’s interaction with the girl in the hospital. He’s so sweet. (Pg 45)

“You know,” he says into Henry’s hair, “we have got to stop ending up like this.” -When they fall on each other in the hospital closet. (Pg 46)

ALEX ELBOWED HENRY THEN HE PINNED ALEX DOWN WITH HIS THIGH IN THE HOSPITAL CLOSET. THAT WAS NOWHERE IN THE MOVIE I DESERVE THAT FRIGGIN PART. (Pg 47-48)

Alex putting his number in henry’s phone. So good.

Chapter 3

RAFAEL LUNA. RAFAEL LUNA. R A F A E L  L U N A. HE WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN MIGUEL RAMOS. HIS PLOT TWIST IS SO MUCH BETTER.

LEO!!!! HE’S SO SWEET!!!!! I LOVE HIM!!!

Ellen doing a wiping motion in front of her face, turning president face off and mom face on (pg 63)

The conversation where Henry texts “one does not foster a lifelong love of Star Wars without knowing an “empire” isn’t a good thing.” (Pg 72)

“tell shaan I say hi and I miss that sweet sweet ass xoxoxo” “I will not.” (Pg 74) 

Chapter 4

The extended turkey scene. literally the entire thing. So funny. SO MANY good lines. (Pg 76-83)

Ellen and Oscar’s divorce also made Alex a deeper character in a way.

Alex’s entire HOUR LONG phone call with Henry after his parents fight on Christmas Eve

June’s resistance to Ellen wanting her on the campaign (little details like this made the story so real.)

“Legendary Balls-Out Bananas White House Trio New Years Eve Party.” (Pg 95)

Pez actually asked June out, not Nora. You can’t just replace her like that!

The fact that Alex kissed NORA on new years. It was more personal.

Alex and Henry leaning against the tree together before they kiss (Pg 106)

Chapter 5

Alex tripping and scraping his knee on a run with June because he can’t stop thinking about Henry (Pg 113)

Alex having an actual job on the campaign 

Henry going out with a girl, it built more tension 

Amy being gay

Liam Liam Liam Liam Liam Liam Liam Liam Liam

Chapter 6

Alex being into henry’s accent just from the word “Oh.” (Pg 129)

“You’re not going kill him, are you?” “Probably not.” (Pg 131)

HENRY’S TIE IN THIS SCENE OH MY GOD I LOVED THAT ALEX GRABBED HIS TIE HE WAS WEARING A FRIGGIN BOWTIE IN THE MOVIE I’VE BEEN ROBBED.

“Stop thinking.” “Yes. Gladly.” (Pg 132)

Alex grabbing henry’s tie and whispering the “I’m going to do some very bad things to you” line. I’m serious that tie was important to me.

“Yes, you preening are, I’ve wanted you so long I won’t have you tease me for another fucking second.” (137)

“Alex rolls his eyes. “For fuck’s sake, man, you just had my dick in your mouth, you can kiss me good-night.” Henry looks back up at him, his mouth open and incredulous, and he throws his head back and laughs, and it’s only him, the nerdy, neurotic, sweet, insomniac rich guy who constantly sends Alex photos of his dog, and something slots into place. He leans down and kisses him fiercely, and then he’s grinning and gone.” (145-146) THEY EVEN ADDED A PAUSE WHERE HE WOULD HAVE SAID IT LIKE COME ON

Alex absolutely dying over the way Henry looks in polo gear

Seeing the actual emails they sent to each other, they left out a lot of the emails and the way they addressed each other was SO GOOD.

Chapter 7

“You’re a mad, spiteful, unmitigated demon, and I’m gong to kiss you until you forget how to talk.” -Henry texting Alex (158)

“Listen,” Henry is saying, heated, over the phone on a Thursday night. “I don’t give a damn what Joanne has to say, Remus John Lupin is gay as the day is long, and I don’t want to hear a word against it.” - Literally Iconic. *chefs kiss* (160)

Zahra telling Alex she’d chop off her own tit before letting him do something stupid to let Ellen lose reelection. (162)

Catherine, the badass way she married an actor even though the queen forbid it, because she loved him. 

WASPy Hunter, that’s literally the only way Casey McQuinston refers to him and I love it.

“You have so much in you, it’s almost impossible to match it. But he’s your match, dumbass.” June (178)

The entire scene of Alex coming out to June 

The entire phone call where Pez answers Henry’s phone and teases them (183-185)

The way Pez made MATCHING. KIMONOS. For The Super Six when they did karaoke in LA.

Bea being a bigger and cooler character 

Alex convincing Henry to do karaoke by… lets just say being sexy.

The scene after karaoke in the hotel, Alex wishing he could get up with Henry every morning, Cash bringing them hangover coffee

Chapter 8

“If only you had known the mighty work of thine loins would be undone by a gay heir who likes it when American boys with chin dimples are mean to him.” An email, from Henry to Alex. (203)

Alex being so extremely passionate about flipping Texas with the Texas binder and everything

Phillip being an absolute prick at Wimbledon, then Henry escaping the match to have sex with Alex in a storage closet, the last thing they “should” be doing. (216-218)

The extended piano scene where Alex is most definitely falling in love but is in DENIAL

I said it once but I need to repeat, RAFAEL LUNA’S BETRAYAL/PLOT TWIST

Henry just showing up for Alex because of Rafael. 

“Henry kisses his mouth over and over again and says quietly, “You are good.” (230) OH MY GOD HOW DARE YOU TAKE THAT FROM ME

Henry making a joke about being closeted when he hides in the closet from Zahra, also the fact that he “comes literally tumbling out of the closet.” 

“Oh my god, I thought you were getting into international relations or something.” “I mean technically-“ “If you finish that sentence, I’m gonna spend tonight in jail.” (232)

Chapter 9

Ellen basically saying “oh, that’s all?” At his bisexuality, THEN being shocked at the bomb drop of Henry.

ELLEN’S POWERPOINT ELLEN’S POWERPOINT ELLEN’S POWER POINT E L L E N ‘ S  P O W E R P O I N T. IT WAS AMAZING, HILARIOUS, HONEST, AND STILL SUPPORTIVE OF HER BISEXUAL SON. 

History, huh? Being in an email and becoming the big quote that people used in support of the relationship later.

The way they ended emails with gay/romantic quotes from letters in history

Henry said “Hi, Love.” Into a hug with Alex then they held hands in the jeep on the way to the lake cabin and if that isn’t love WHAT. IS. (249- 250)

Henry learning how to eat ribs (256)

Henry ending his goodbye note with “Thank you for everything. X” was 1. Heartbreaking. 2. Extremely romantic and makes you go “ooooohhhh he’s no just leaving for family stuff.” (265)

Chapter 10

After Henry left the lake cabin, Alex smashed a mug and his phone because he was so upset and restless (267)

Alex screaming at henry’s window making a huge scene until he was let in to the palace

“My birthright is a country, not happiness.” (272)

“What do you want?” “I want you—“ “then fucking have me.”

The fact that their argument descended straight into making out because Henry loves him and it kinda sucks but he still does and he’s crying as they kiss

The morning after Alex storms the castle, Henry and Alex are laughing snd kissing and Henry accidentally presses play on Ellen’s voicemail, which is “Diaz, you insane, hopeless romantic little shit, It had better be forever. Be safe.”

V&A, Alex “taking a picture of a national gay landmark, and also a statue.”

They clink together under his shirt, two homes side by side. (I admit the narration would be hard to do in a movie but readers would just KNOW and the camera could just focus on his necklace.)

Chapter 11

“You had the absolute audacity to love me back.” Henry in an email (300)

AN INCOMPLETE LIST: THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HRH PRINCE HENRY OF WHALES     !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 12

Alex comforting Henry in the car because he’s getting a panic attack due to the pressure of lying (311-312)

“It would be a lie, because it wouldn’t be him.” Alex’s talking about getting a wife, arguing w/ Rafael Luna (317)

“Should I tell you that when we’re apart, your body comes back to me in dreams… “Fuck!” He says a third time, spiking the newspaper at the floor. That one was his.” (324) AJSDHFLAGAHLKFAJG 

Chapter 13

Alex thinking he’s getting some sort of lecture or game plan from Ellen after the email leak only to have her ask if he’s okay like the good mom she is. (326)

Alex’s family all standing there for him after the leak, then Alex crying and collapsing to the floor in their arms. (331-332)

When Zahra gets Henry on the phone, Henry asks how Alex is doing But Alex immediately asks how Henry is instead because it is harder for him. Also, Phillip broke a vase that belonged to Anne Boleyn??? Amazing detail.

“I love him on purpose.” (344)

“I’ve been gay as a maypole since the day I came out of mum, Philip.” (353) it was better and funnier in this fight than their first night together.

Catherine sticking up for Henry so strongly against the queen 

Bea spilling tea on Phillip to shut him up (and just generally keeping him away from Henry to be protective.) (357)

Chapter 14

June wearing a “History, huh? Shirt and Alex tackling her into the tightest hug that they fall into a shrub (360-361)

Richards’ campaign being the cause of the email leak and Nora working her ass off to prove it 

THE FACT THAT ALEX MEMORIZED LUNA’S FIVE GUYS ORDER, AND IT WAS A SECRET. CODE. IN THE EMAILS. THATS SO FRIGGIN COOL ARE YOU KIDDING ME

“You are,” he says, “the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.” (372)

I just need to repeat, R.A.F.A.E.L. L.U.N.A. A BADASS KING. I. WAS. ROBBED.

Chapter 15

Phillip starting to not be a prick

There is an entire page written, just describing the moment that Ellen officially got reelected. Everyone in different little bits of joy, and I think that could have been beautiful. (413)

HENRY BOUGHT A BROWNSTONE IN BROOKLYN FOR THEM YOU GUYS. PRETTY IMPORTANT DETAIL.

This list is so long but I could have made it so much longer I’m not even kidding. I cut it down to make it readable, and there is still so much in the book that just doesn’t translate to movies, but makes the story so much richer and amazing. Books are honestly ALWAYS better than the movie, but again, the list could be longer. This book is so beautiful.

Things that I actually liked that changed in the movie

“You act like the sun shines out of his ass, and you have a vitamin D deficiency.” (Instead of “and you make it convincing) 

“You’re wearing lifts, I know that too, sweetheart.” 

Alex saying “You’re late” smirking and closing the door, only to have henry walk right in and start to make out with him

“And I thought Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz was a mouthful.” “He is.” 

“I want you chewing on a goddamn crumpet by sunset… *Bows* Your Royal Highness.” 

“I wanna see your face COVERED in barbecue sauce, and then, I wanna lick it off.” 

That part where Henry asks why they have to maintain a traditional royal image and the king says “beca-beca-becau-Because!” Rambles about the country, then says “a prince who is… ✨HOMOSESGXSGSUAL.✨” but in the most funny disgusted voice

[dumdumsun]

I posted 2,661 times in 2022

155 posts created (6%)

2,506 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@youcandalekmyballs

@fiveisnumber1

@madmadmilk

@yurtletheturtlehenderson

@sbyderman

I tagged 316 of my posts in 2022

#stranger things - 91 posts

#suns inbox - 78 posts

#stranger things x reader - 54 posts

#lost and found - 52 posts

#lucas sinclair - 49 posts

#stranger things fic - 48 posts

#will byers - 45 posts

#mike wheeler - 45 posts

#st x reader - 45 posts

#will byers x reader - 45 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#luke the nerve if they actually had the sparrows be actual people and numbers second while the umbrellas all got shit- like its unlikely

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Lost and Found

A/N: Welcome, lovelies! I'm finally back to uploading and let's just say that this one has been a long wait for me. I've been so friggin excited to finish and upload this story. I miss this show so much and I can't wait for season four to come out. This fic was all I thought about for a long time and now that it's done, I can obsess over writing the other two installments of it. But for now, I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

Warnings: bullying, brief racism (Troy towards Lucas), mentions of vomit

Word Count: 3254

—————————————

Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers

On a dark autumn’s night, at the edge of Maple Street’s suburban cul-de-sac, sat two sprinklers. They spat out their water to refresh the newly mowed lawn of the Wheeler residence. This lawn, amongst other aspects, was a symbol for the perfect nuclear family residing within the two-story home. Below those two stories, within the basement, sat the four members of Hawkins Middle School’s Audio Visual Club and players of the current Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

“Something is coming. Something hungry for blood,” whispered the president of the AV Club, Mike Wheeler, eyes trailing across his three friends who sat around his square table. “A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here.”

“What is it?” The soft voice of Will Byers impatiently asked across from Mike.

“What if it’s the Demogorgon?” Dustin Henderson raised his brows at his friends. Will sighed out and slumped against his chair in distress. “Oh, Jesus, we’re so screwed if it’s the Demogorgon.”

Lucas Sinclair, across from Dustin, widened his eyes and spoke with gestured hands, “It’s not the Demogorgon.”

Mike smirked at his friends’ groans and moans before grabbing a figure from behind his cardboard covering and slamming it upon the board in the middle of the table. “An army of troglodytes charge into the chamber!”

“Troglodytes?” Dustin grinned at Lucas, who smugly smiled back at him.

“Told ya.” He chuckled.

After the three unsuspecting boys’ laughter trailed off, a moment of silence passed before Mike’s face dropped in feigned confusion. “Wait a minute. Do you hear that? That… That sound? Boom… boom… Boom!” He banged against the table, causing the boys to jump and gasp. “That didn’t come from the troglodytes. No, that… That came from something else.”

Lucas and Dustin shared a knowing look before Mike slammed another figure onto the board. “The Demogorgon!”

Three sets of groans filled the basement, Dustin smacking his hand against the table. “We’re in deep shit.”

“Will, your action!”

“I don’t know!” The Byers boy exclaimed.

“Fireball him!” Lucas said as if it were obvious.

“I’d have to roll a 13 or higher!”

At this, Dustin widened his eyes. “Too risky. Cast a protection spell.”

“Don’t be a pussy. Fireball him!”

“Cast Protection.”

The argument between Dustin and Lucas ended abruptly upon Mike banging his hands against the table yet again. “The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering! It stomps toward you. Boom!”

“Fireball him!”

“Another stomp, boom!”

“Cast Protection.”

“He roars in anger!”

From above the basement, on the other side of the closed door, a figure leaned against the wall, listening to the clamoring of the boys. Her sock-covered feet excitedly tapped the hardwood floor as a small smile graced her features. At Dustin’s chants of ‘oh my god’, a soft giggle escaped from her throat. From behind her, she heard the approaching footsteps of her mother, Karen Wheeler. The woman moved to her side and opened the basement door, revealing Mike at the bottom of the staircase, seemingly searching for something. “Mike!” She called out.

See the full post

195 notes - Posted March 14, 2022

#4

Upon A Smile | "Wild World" Part 2

A/N: Due to popular demand, I have made a part 2. Thank you so much for the love and support "Wild World" received. I hope you enjoy ❤️

Warnings: broken limbs, a bomb ass song, a large amount of the words "shit" and "fuck" in one setting, mentions of death/dying and S4 SPOILERS!!!

Word Count: 4139

—————————————

“You don’t have a favorite song?”

(Y/N) looked up from her stack of cassettes to meet Steve’s look of disbelief he was throwing over his shoulder. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to sifting through the options in her hands that they had already deemed unworthy. “No, I don’t.”

“Everyone has a favorite song.”

“Well, not me.”

The group consisting of Dustin, Lucas, Robin, Nancy, Max, Steve, (Y/N) and Eddie made their way through the woods. Dustin’s head constantly moved up and down between his compass and the woods before him as he led them all to their destination. Lucas was the only one who knew not to question anything his friend was doing since he had been the only one in the group to have gone through something like this with him before. But, since everyone had all encountered the unspeakable at least once before, they were all learning not to doubt any of Dustin’s theories.

Understandably, they were all on edge for obvious reasons. The most obvious being the possible demise hanging over Max and (Y/N)’s heads. The former had already escaped Vecna’s grasp before, but the latter was on thin ice. For the past twenty minutes, she and Eddie had been thinking and pondering any song that had personal meaning to her, but they always drew up a blank. Still, it was a good distraction for the both of them.

Steve sighed and his eyes turned solemn, a look (Y/N) hated receiving from anyone. “You gotta make a decision soon, (Y/N). You need to be prepared for this asshole.”

“I know, Steve…”

Eddie hummed as he held up a cassette. “You think Stevie Nicks is gonna save you?”

“I doubt it.” (Y/N) chuckled, taking the tape from him and adding it to the stack in her hands. “I-I don’t even have a favorite artist, honestly.”

“Too bad you have none of my songs on tape,” He nudged her. “I just know those are your favorite.”

Everyone thought they had been dreaming when they heard the laugh (Y/N) let out. No one had ever heard her laugh out loud like that. Like she was genuinely living for once, like she was finally finding joy in something, in someone. It wasn’t a particularly loud or boisterous laugh, but they’d never seen (Y/N) react to anything that positively. Of course, Eddie Munson would be the one to make it happen. Little did they know, she surprised him every time she laughed. He always tried his hardest and prided himself in humoring the statue that was (Y/N) (L/N). Her laughing subsided as she shook her head. “You wish, Munson.”

“Oh, I really do.” He leaned closer to her face in a mocking manner before holding up another tape. “AC/DC?”

“Mm-mm.” She shook her head. Eddie sighed dramatically and handed it to her.

“What about Foreigner?”

“Probably not.”

“Black Sabbath?”

“Uh-uh.”

“Bon Jovi? Led Zeppelin? Fleetwood Mac?”

(Y/N) perked up and plucked the cassette from his hand. “Hey, maybe.”

A sudden gasp not loud enough for anyone but (Y/N) to hear came from Eddie as he slowly presented a tape to her. “Oh, my dear… dear, (Y/N)... Where, oh, where have you been hiding this?”

“Give me that!” She quietly hissed, snatching it from him and putting it at the bottom of the stack before leaning close to Eddie. “You will tell no one.”

“Tell what?” His volume lowered to match hers. “That the reclusive, stoic, mysterious (Y/N) (L/N)... listens to Madonna on the down-low?”

“Yes, that exact information.” She felt her face burn at the wicked smile that spread across his stupid face. “Eddie, I’m serious. I know it’s stupid, but please.”

He held his hands up innocently. “Your dirty secret is safe with me, sweetheart. I promise.” He chuckled and went through the other options in his hands. “I didn’t know you listened to Cat Stevens.”

See the full post

241 notes - Posted June 10, 2022

#3

Lost and Found Masterlist

—————————

*if there's no link, the chapter has yet to be posted*

Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers

Chapter Two: The Search for Will Byers

Chapter Three: The Weirdo on Maple Street

Chapter Four: One Day

Chapter Five: Holly Jolly

Chapter Six: The Heroes

Chapter Seven: The Body

Chapter Eight: In Contact

Chapter Nine: The Flea and the Acrobat

Chapter Ten: The Compasses

Chapter Eleven: The Monster

Chapter Twelve: Just Like Me

Chapter Thirteen: The Bathtub

See the full post

478 notes - Posted March 10, 2022

#2

Wild World | Eddie Munson x Reader

A/N: This may be a bit later than I said I’d post this. But this is a treat for helping me reach a milestone of 500 followers. I said I’d give you an Eddie x Reader oneshot, so I made you one ❤️ This may not be my best work since it’s my first time ever writing for Eddie, so I hope I did good. Lmk if you want a part 2. I kinda already have something in mind. Enjoy ❤️❤️

Warnings: implied self-harm, mentions of death, blood, marijuana and corpses. S4 SPOLIERS!!!

Word Count: 3735

—————————————

She had never truly smiled until she met him.

(Y/N)’s journey through life had always been more of a trek, a trudging through the cruel and unapologetic wild. She couldn’t exactly call herself a gazelle, for even a gazelle destroys for its own benefit. (Y/N) was more of the grass that sprouted and grew from the dirt. A natural, living organism that is constantly taken advantage of. Trampled over, cut, burned, eaten alive. The gazelle uses her for its nutrients, only to be hunted and preyed on by the lion, the most superior, who no one in the wild is safe from.

On her rainy days, even when it feels she may drown, she is strengthening. So that on those bright, sunny days, she may flourish and prosper with the brawn of the lion, but with the vulnerability of the gazelle. And the knowledge that this will not last. When the cold falls over, she will wither and dry, she will break easily under the pressure of the winter snow. She will shiver and weep and she will freeze nearly to death until the spring takes her stand to rain and shine upon her again, continuing the cycle.

(Y/N) found herself existing in a cycle she desperately wanted out of, but lacked the knowledge on how and the desire to even get out of bed to do so. She couldn’t remember the last time she smiled, truly smiled. She had her friends; Steve and Robin were a hilarious duo that always kept her guessing. Nancy wasn’t as humorous as them, but (Y/N) didn’t need humor to break out into a small smile. The kids, ever since starting their freshman year, were around her more than they had ever been. Everyone she was close to was around her, save for El, Will and Jonathan. She had fought alongside this group. She shed sweat, blood and tears with this group. She fought off the Demogorgon in Joyce Byers’s home with the teens in the fall of ‘83. She helped Steve with the kids in their journey through the Upside Down in ‘84.

They held her as she sobbed her eyes out after defeating her flayed mother who had attacked her in the summer of ‘85.

Everyone had noticed her shift in emotion since then. The girl had never shown much emotion before then, but now she was hollow, a shell of the girl they had befriended and loved. She hardly reacted to humor besides a huff of a laugh and a hint of a smile she felt she had to give. Conversation with her was mostly one-sided. She claimed she never had time to hang out, always disappearing after school. Sometimes, she would resurface at the supermarket where she worked. Sometimes she would simply be at home. They knew someone had to take care of the house while her father was at work. They also knew that he had told her she didn’t have to, but (Y/N) felt herself partially responsible for her mother. She was home alone when she was flayed. She was alone because her father was working and (Y/N) was late coming home.

(Y/N) knew it was unwise to blame herself for her mother’s death, but who else would she be able to blame? The Mind Flayer? It was dead, it wouldn’t be able to feel her wrath on a daily basis, it wouldn’t know that it ruined her life, that it ruined Hawkins and sent it into the deepest pit of despair it had been in yet. She couldn’t blame her father, he did nothing wrong. He was completely unaware of interdimensional creatures intending on wiping out the human race. She couldn’t blame her friends. Not after everything they had done for her. She was the only one left to hurt.

She suffered under her own hands, under her own words. She started during her mother’s funeral. Her father held her in his arms and she felt the sob he was holding shudder his entire body. Afterwards, she told him that she didn’t want him to hold in his sadness, she wanted him to freely grieve under their roof. He didn’t need to be strong for her. He needed to let himself feel. Meanwhile, she was the one holding in everything. She couldn’t tell her father how his wife had actually died. That she had been possessed, that she had attacked their daughter against her own will, that it was between the two of them. That (Y/N) had come close to dying that night and had to bash her mother’s head with a frying pan continuously until she watched her melt into a pile of meat right before her very eyes. (Y/N) held the truth, the anger, the sadness, the guilt, all within her sternum. And one day, she would die with it. It would die with her.

(Y/N) tried everything in her power to push Eddie Munson away. He wanted to get close, he wanted to peek behind the walls she put up. He wanted to break them down to see the real her, the one not everyone gets to see. But (Y/N) was terrified. Everyone knew her mother had died in the “fire” that engulfed the Starcourt Mall, but he made her want to tell him everything. He could have intimidated her at first glance, but she had been through enough. She had him in a class or two and was surprised the past two years when seeing him in classes, swearing to herself that he should have graduated in ‘84. She didn’t mind, he was intriguing. His tresses of brown curls and crazy hot tattoos pulled her right in. His charm and his alluring voice held her down. But once he let go, once he allowed her to decide, his caring nature and ability to see right through her was what made her want to leave, but ultimately was what made her stay.

She didn’t want him to see why she was hurting and she definitely didn’t need him to read her aloud like a storytime book when they were alone for the first time. It made her feel transparent, like anyone would be able to see her, but she soon realized that his ability to see through walls was what made him different.

“You could be a tree.” He had shrugged, bringing the joint up to his lips. (Y/N) frowned and turned to him, her mind hazy from how much she had been inhaling from that same joint. Eddie saw the confusion on her face. “Your little analogy on who you are in this world. The grass, the gazelle, all that. Doesn’t have to be like that. You could just be a tree.”

She hadn’t even realized she was speaking that much. Fuck marijuana, honestly. “A tree?”

“Yeah,” He pulled the joint from his lips and blew the smoke up to the ceiling of his bedroom. The two were sprawled out on his bed, a safe distance, but close enough to pass the smoke to each other. “You know, you could be like a tree. You’re already this grand, beautiful creature, if I may be so praiseful, if not flirtatious.”

“You may.” She accepted the offered joint, a small and bashful smile on her face.

“Well, alright then,” He grinned. “So, yeah, you’re beautiful and amazing and you know you are. You’ve always known. You don’t need me to tell you, you don’t need anyone to tell you. Deep down, past all that guilt, you know who you are. You stand firmly in place where you know you belong and you exist for yourself. You change through the seasons and you’re still you, even when your leaves turn brown and fall away from you.”

“Eddie-”

“And you wanna know what the best part of it is?”

She released the smoke from her lungs with the shake of her head. “What?”

“There would be no gazelles or lions to eat you and use you. No feet to trample you.”

“But I’d still be cut down at some point when I’m in the way of what someone wants to do.”

Eddie sat up and waved his hands about as he spoke. “I hate to break it to you, honey, but aren’t we all gonna be fucked over at some point? That damn lion that eats the gazelle that ate you, the grass, is gonna end up some rich asshole’s mat in their bedroom. And then that asshole that uses that lion? The one who ordered for you, a possible tree, to be cut down? His life would soon end and everyone would say ‘oh, man, he’s dead! Who gets his money now?’, like they actually gave a shit about him. But you? You will be avenged, you beautiful creature. Because… we need the trees, (Y/N).”

She looked up to find him staring tenderly at her. She couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across her features.

“We need them.”

Her heart never got used to seeing Eddie or hearing his voice. It still sped every time his eyes locked on hers and it burst whenever her name left his lips. God, those lips… She never got used to him, not even when they felt that they knew each other more than anyone had ever known them. They didn’t care for labels, didn’t care what people thought of the two of them spending so much time together. (Y/N) was certain they weren’t dating. That would require too much trust, too many obligations. She didn’t want either of them to get hurt, especially not Eddie. He didn’t deserve any of that.

“(Y/N)!” She heard him call out to her in the crowded hallway. She continued on without looking back to acknowledge him. A few seconds later, she felt his hand on her arm. “Hey, you never showed up yesterday. I had to get high all by myself. And let me tell you, it is not the same anymore without you.”

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562 notes - Posted June 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I need Eddie Munson x Reader content STAT

632 notes - Posted May 27, 2022

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[crippling-pages]

I just finished Ep52 of Hooky (since I am STILL waiting for the physical version of the book from the library, I started reading it on Webtoon), and I am SCREAMING

DORIAN MY BABY <3333333333333333 BRO I LOVE HIM SO MUCH *SOBS* he's so cute and adorable GAH he's PERFECTTTT omg the way he's not used to compliments and the way he's always blushing and PROFESSOR WYTTE AHHHHH omg literally in 52 (or 51) Dorian's face literally turns red and he's like "THATS CHEATING" bro thats my favorite thing ever man ToT omg the way he's throwing himself out there anytime ANYONE says "hey wanna play/hang out with us?' and he's like "UHH YESSSS" because he's never had any friends to play with before and dude was so freaking excited when Nico's friends asked him if he (and Monica, but she said no) he's literally running out the door ToT

UGHH AND HIM AND MONICA>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> THEY HAVE NO REASON TO BE THIS CUTE ARGHHHHHH the way right after Dorian left to play with Nico's friends Nico is like "BROOO NO WAY MY FRIENDS ARE GONNA LIKE HIM??? HE'S SO WEIRD AND CRINGE AND WEIRDER" and then Nico says "Right Monica" and she goes into a panic for a second and then she pictures Dorian and she's like "I THINK HE'S CUTE?!??!?!?!" girl you've thought he was cute since the beginning (well in the middle)

I knew Dorian and Monica were going to be a thing (the friend who told be about hooky told me) and I wasn't so sure because Monica was a bit of a brat ToT but her development throughout the story is MWAH one of the best I've seen no doubt she goes from bratty princess to literally a beautiful person inside and out and i just i love her

and NICOOOO bro what about Nico ??? ToT Everyone is forgetting about him!! DANI PLEASE BRING HIM BACK TO FULL SIZE ToT speaking of Dani, Nico is DOWN BAD DUDES... I'm on his side I swear no matter how much I laugh at him being jealous of Mark and just spying on Dani and him lmaoo i love the jealousy trope>>

and DANI AHH MY SWEET CHILD oh WHY did you quit being a witch!!??! ToT Well I do know actually- She and Nico are so cute and hilarious omgg ToT Dani and Mark are an amazing duo tooo (tho I dont think it as romantic tbh more platonic) okay but Dani with short hair is so friggin cute>>> she looks like a 9 or 10 year old thought- But still adorableeeeeeeeee

Mark is amazing too btw. During the ep/chapter where they go to the beach, I saw so many comments saying "What about a shirtless Mark???" and I was laughing so hard lmaoo Mark is great

Also William and Damien>> Haven't seen much of them but they are in love. What I GASPED and went into shock for a full minute when Dorian and Dani said that Damien was their older brother?? Like WHAT???

Btw kinda hating on the parents. Like they do care for their children but like....

One question though; on the Webtoon version, when does the second book start? Because I have books 2 and 3 in physical form next to be, and I want to know when book 1 ends so I can start reading my copy of book 2. I also heard there were bonus??

Okay well I'm off to go read ep53 now- ADIOSS TYSM FOR BEING HERE FOR MY TED TALKK

[zepskies]

Aww thank you, lovely!! 🥰 They're getting a sweet start to this romance...

I don't know why, but that moment was so relatable. Poor girl 😂

Lmfao all I know is that's exactly how I'd be feeling if Dean friggin' Winchester was coming towards me like that.

We've talked about this in the last chapter, but that is so unbelievably cruel. I really feel for Jo here. I really do 💔 As much as I love swooning over Dean, I wanna slap that man so hard here. God help me 😭

As usual, Dean's thinking with his dick and nothing else. 😫 It's a shitty situation that the reader has no idea is happening, but I felt for Jo while I was writing it. 💔

Monica? Is that you? 😂

LMFAO you know what, this reader character is very much a "Monica" now that I think about it. 😂

(Btw I'm actually rewatching Friends from the beginning lol. I'm already on season 2. 🤣)

Oh... Oh! I did not put that together until now that Andrea was that Andrea lol

Oh yes!! We're doing deep cut cameos in this AU. 😂

Oh, I hope she quits that stupid sales job and opens her own bakery by the end of this series. Since she went to culinary school, it'd be perfect! She already has a whole firehouse as a customer 😆

Ugh ikr? Her career and her ultimate decision there will definitely be covered in this story. And lol yesss that whole house would be lining up!

Oh dear effing Lord! That whole "burn & ice" bit killed me! If he had done that to me, I would've just made a sound like velociraptor and died on the spot. Holy fucking crap, that was some icy hot action! 🔥🫠

LOLLL. Girl same. Let's be honest, I'd melt right along with that ice and be a fucking puddle on the floor if he did that to me. 🫠❤️‍🔥

Oh Grandpa George, you never disappoint ❤️ I probably swoon more over him than Dean in this series. Isn't that something 😂

Awww I absolutely love to hear that. 🥹🥹 George is so special to me too.

And the 70s roller rink! Omg now I have an extra reason to put Plastic Hearts on my reading list as well. 💖 Love me an 80s theme.

And I loved the getting ready scenes with Dean and the reader and that they both mirrored each other and showed their nervousness. But I hated the fact that Dean thought he had to be someone else and change for her. That's not why she picked you, you dumbass! But also, so typical of Dean to think he wouldn't be enough... 😔

Ahaha Dean's trying a little too hard, isn't he? But yes Sam coming in as the voice of reason (as usual). Dean's whole "relationship" game is weak AF at this point (a hot mess, as you rightly pointed out lmfao), so he's kind of like an early seasons Chandler, just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Red was what? What the hell is a Malbec? Sounds like a kind of fish. That can’t be red wine.

His inner monologue is killing me 🤣

LOL it's my headcanon that canon Dean as well as an AU Dean would have no idea what the fuck wine is about. He's more of a beer or whiskey guy. Tequila if he's feeling frisky.

Although they had their initial difficulties, I'm so happy she saw how he was struggling and they ended up having such a sweet and honest date ❤️ While it was cute he tried to "impress" and "woo" her, how long could he have kept up that ruse, huh? If he wants to have a real relationship, he needs to be real and, thus, himself.

It took them a hot minute, but they got there eventually! 😅 You're so right though; keeping up that "ruse" would've just left him exhausted and her feeling like he's trying to just get into her pants. A real relationship is based on honesty and trust, like you said. And him finally being honest about "women liking the firefighter thing until they don't" -- that's kind of been the crux of his problems with dating so far.

I'm so very glad you enjoyed this chapter!!! Next time you'll see Part 2 of their date. 😘💕💕

Smoke Eater - Part 3

Pairing: Firefighter!Dean Winchester x F. Reader 

Summary: Dean Winchester is the cocky, but well-respected Lieutenant at Firehouse 25. He leads by example, but he’s also known to break a few hearts. He’s starting to crave something he’s never had, though. Something stable. Something real. 

That’s when he meets you, on a truly terrible day, trapped in a rickety old elevator.   

AN: Ready for some more ridiculous flirting? lol

🔥 Series Masterlist

Song Inspo: “Got a Hold on Me” by Christine McVie (of Fleetwood Mac) Word Count: 5,800 Tags/Warnings: Mutual pining, fluff, first encounters and first dates

Part 3: “Got a Hold on Me”

Your gaze drew a path onwards, eventually reaching the other end of the bar.

There you caught sight of red flannel over a black undershirt, familiar broad shoulders, and an even more familiar face. Your eyes widened a fraction as his met yours, gleaming with recognition…and interest.

That slow smile of his was familiar too. It made a lance of heat run down your spine. You gripped the counter, mostly to steady yourself as you let out a breath.

Lieutenant Winchester.

You couldn’t help but smile back as you met the man’s gaze across the bar.

You recognized his bearded friend, Benny, who leaned over and said something to Dean. You couldn’t hear him, of course, but maybe he was asking a question. Because Dean nodded and said something in reply before he picked up his glass of what looked like whiskey. And he smoothly got up out of his seat.

Anticipation and nerves coiled together in your lower belly. You turned to your friend, who was already sipping at her vodka cranberry.

“Dre, help me,” you pleaded.

Andréa discreetly followed the path of your gaze, and her brows raised. A smirk curved her lips.

“Oh, babe. You need to help yourself,” she replied.

“I haven’t done that in a while,” you admitted. Your dating life had been sorely lacking, between the demands of your job and taking care of things at home. “I’m gonna say something demented.”

Andréa huffed in amusement.

“So? That’s half the fun,” she said. A smile curved her lips. “I think I’m going to go play some pool.”

And with that, your friend abandoned you. She slid off her seat and patted your ass on her way over to one of the pool tables. You watched her go with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. 

“There you go, hun,” said Jo. She slid your drink in front of you. It came in a deep round glass on a stem, with a straw on the side.

“Thanks,” you replied.

You opened the straw and took a small sip to steady yourself, as you saw Dean coming out of the corner of your eye.

You even pretended not to notice the handsome man sliding into the seat next to you. His elbows rested on the counter next to yours, and you finally glanced over at him.

“Can I help you, sir?” you asked. A coquettish smile played at your lips, but you even surprised yourself with your smooth delivery. Inside, you had butterflies.

You didn’t notice the way Jo’s gaze lingered on you and Dean, a frown marring her features. Though she soon moved on to another patron.

And Dean’s attention was solely on you. He gave you a handsome smile, full of charm. You gave him expectant brows. 

“Well, we’ll see. I’ve got a question for you,” he said.

You indulged him with a nod. “Okay. What’s your question, Lieutenant?”  

“Why Girl Scout cookies?” he asked, speaking of the baked goods you’d brought by the firehouse yesterday. “I mean, we’ve gotten cakes, muffins, Krispy Kreme donuts. But I gotta say, we’ve never gotten some bakery-style Trefoils.”

Your smile brightened a bit.

“Who doesn’t like ‘em?” you asked. “I mean, you can walk by their table and be all coy and pretend you’re not going to buy anything, but then you walk away with half a dozen boxes of Thin Mints.”

Dean chuckled, and you enjoyed the way it crinkled the corners of his eyes.

“Or is that just me?” you added, and once again sipped at your drink. 

Meanwhile, Andréa felt a hot gaze on her as she set up the cue balls on the pool table. She allowed it with a subtle smile. If it was the same one she’d crossed paths with earlier when she walked in with you, then she didn’t mind.

She was, however, getting impatient.

“Mind if I join you?”

The pleasant drawl of the man’s voice licked up her spine. When she glanced over her shoulder, her smile widened a fraction. Finally.

“For a game?” she asked. She straightened, brushing a smooth wave of dark hair off her shoulder.

And she turned to meet the bearded man standing casually behind her, resting his glass on the edge of the pool table. The gray of his rolled up, buttoned-down shirt brought out the vivid blue of his eyes. But even though he was tall and broad, he didn’t seem intimidating.

“To start with,” he said. His lips quirked at a smile. “But first, I think it’d be a damn shame if I didn’t ask for your name.”

Andréa’s head tipped to one side as she considered him. She picked up the second pool stick and handed it to him.

“Are you going to ask?” she replied. Her fingers curled around her own stick as she leaned a hip against the table. 

It made him smile. Those eyes of his considered her dress, an earthy green that brought out the hazel in her eyes, warm against her tan skin. But he lingered on her face, full lips and long, dark lashes.

“What’s your name, beautiful?” he asked.

“Andréa,” she answered, and gestured to the pyramid of cue balls. “I’ll even let you go first, if I get your name.”

His smile deepened, and he leaned over beside her to line up his shot. He glanced over and found the challenge in her eyes was more than welcome.

“I’m Benny,” he said. He took the shot without looking at his target, breaking the pyramid and scattering cue balls across the table.

Back at the bar, your drink and your conversation were both bringing a pleasant buzz to your brain. You nodded along with the music when “Got a Hold on Me” by Christine McVie replaced Boston.

“You’re liftin’ me up,” she sang through the speakers. “Never let me down…and I smile whenever you’re around.”

Dean glanced at you with a small grin, shaking his head.

You couldn’t help but smile back. “What?”

“Nothin’,” he said. “I just didn’t expect to see someone like you here.”

Your brows furrowed. “Someone like me?”

He caught the look on your face, and his turned apologetic.

“Nah, I just mean…this doesn’t seem like your usual vibe,” he said.

You weren’t quite sure how to take that, but you eventually shrugged.

“To be honest, I don’t go out all that much,” you replied. “I like it here though. Good music, good drinks—”

“And good company, I hope,” Dean added in. You allowed that with a smile.

All the while, Christine kept singing.

“I’ve been down. I’ve been used. Now I know, I know, I know, I just can’t lose…”

“So did you guys like the cookies? Or did the Girl Scout thing put you off,” you teased. Dean’s lips quirked.

“Sweetheart, those delectables were gone by end of shift. I’m talking that afternoon. They were easily some of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted…I’m serious,” he said, when you became a bit bashful, and maybe disbelieving.

“I’m tellin’ you, if you had your own bakery, I’d be lining up every damn day,” he said. He then sent you a playfully suspicious look. “Matter of fact, you didn’t just buy those, did you?”

Your smiled warmed as you considered your half-empty glass. Your fingers traced the rim.

“Well, don’t laugh but…I actually went to culinary school,” you said. Dean’s brows rose high at the confession.

“Why would I laugh about that? That’s awesome!” he said. “Why didn’t you become a chef or something?”

Your gaze drifted downwards. “Well…let’s just say, life got in the way.”

His face dimmed a little at that. But you noticed, and you tried to perk up.

“So yes, sir. I baked all five dozen of those cookies with my own two hands,” you said more cheerfully. You raised waving fingers. “I’ve got the burns to prove it.”

You’d actually made a rookie move, trying to move one of the trays before it had sufficiently cooled down. It was bad enough that you had to apply some aloe last night.

Dean made a show of furrowing his brows, with playful concern.    

“Let me see,” he said. He straightened in his seat, acting more “Lieutenant Winchester” as he took your hands and examined your palms and fingers. You blushed, and you bit your lip against a smile as his larger hands handled yours with care.

He did notice the redness on your fingertips, and part of your right palm. He glanced up at you.

“Do they hurt?” he asked.

You blinked at the genuine note in his question.

“Oh, not really,” you said. But you smiled at the fractional raise of his brows. “Well, maybe they still sting a bit, but it’s nothing. I had worse in school, believe me.”

Dean hummed as he considered your hands. Your face heated up further as you tried to get a read on what he was thinking. Was he about to do the cheesy thing and kiss it better? (Though you probably wouldn’t mind, even if he did.)

Instead, Dean reached into his own glass and grabbed an ice cube. After shaking off some excess water droplets, he moved the ice against the pads of your fingers, then down the fading red mark on your palm.

“That feel better?” he asked.

If possible, your blush intensified as your insides warmed and melted like hot butter. It was a sweet, and seemingly earnest gesture that plucked at your heartstrings.

And that was how Dean Winchester got your number before “Got a Hold on Me” ended.

Andréa was still chatting away at the bar with Benny by the time you decided to call it a night. She understood why you wanted to get home, to check on your grandfather.

You saw a bit of disappointment in Dean’s eyes when you said you needed to go, but he graciously offered to walk you to your car. It was pretty late, after all, and you had more than one reason to agree as he stepped out with you into the night.

You didn’t know if it was the evening chill, or his presence burning beside you that made a small shiver run through you. But once the two of you reached your car, you hesitated and looked up at Dean. You realized that you were reluctant to end this, whatever it was.

He quirked a smile down at you and tucked a wily strand of hair behind your ear.

“It was good to see you,” he said.

“Likewise, Lieutenant,” you replied, with a teasing gleam in your eyes. His were drawn to your face, lowering to your lips.

“Can I see you again?” he asked.

Again, your face warmed. “I think I’d be okay with that.”

His smile grew with his huff of amusement.

“Okay, how about I pick you up tomorrow night?” he offered. “That’s, uh…if you don’t got any plans.”

Your heart was hammering in your chest. Play it cool, for the love of God. Just say yes.

You didn’t usually agree to let a man pick you up on the first date, but something about Dean felt intrinsically trustworthy. Maybe it was the fact that he’d already saved you once this week.

“Sure,” you agreed, sounding more casual than you felt. “What did you have in mind?”

Dean considered that with a thoughtful look.

“Tell you what, let me take you to dinner. Somewhere nice,” he said. His hand raised to thumb at your warm cheek. He couldn’t see your blush, but you were sure he could feel it.

“I like dinner,” you admitted. Though you immediately wanted to slap yourself. Idiot!

Dean just laughed, and your blush turned to one of embarrassment.

“All right. Something we can agree on,” he said in amusement. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. Get home safe, okay, sweetheart?”

You nodded, though you paused, looking up at the indecision on his face. His gaze roamed your face, once again falling to your lips. Nervousness trilled down your spine, though you didn’t know why.

Maybe you were just a coward, but you didn’t wait for him to decide. You just gave him one last smile before you turned from him, unlocking your car with a press of a button on your keys.

“Well, goodnight,” you told him. “See you tomorrow.”

He nodded, stepping back from you. “See you soon.”

Well, it was tomorrow. And you were trying not to freak the hell out.

“That’s it,” Andréa said. “That’s the one.”

You had her on FaceTime, with your phone propped up on your dresser as you raided your closet.

Your hair was pinned up, your makeup done, and now, she’d helped you find the right outfit—a dress in vibrant emerald green that hugged your curves and fell to about mid-thigh. You smoothed out the straps and twisted to see yourself in the mirror.

“Why’re you frowning. This is perfect!” Andréa said.

“I just…” You sighed, once again trying to tug up the neckline. It was a bit lower than you preferred, but if you remembered right, your friend had encouraged this purchase a while back.

“It isn’t too much, is it?” you asked.

“Not for a first date with a smokin’ hot firefighter, mind the pun,” Andréa teased. “You’re a knockout, babe. He won’t be able to pick up his tongue off the floor…but I’m sure you can find a place for him to put it.”

You spluttered laughing, even after you made a scandalized sound. “You’re ridiculous.”

Still, you knew you could always count on Andréa to hype you up. You appreciated that about her; she was confident without being petty or prideful. And while she never begrudged you for your more cautious approach to things, she did try to get you out of your comfortable shell when you needed it. This, apparently, was one of those times.

You chose a pair of black suede heels Dean hadn’t seen before, along with a few spritzes of perfume in strategic locations on your body.

“Okay, Dean’s supposed to get here at 8:00. Until then, regale me with more about your night with Captain Benjamin Lafitte,” you said, drawing out each word of the man’s name with a suggestive flourish.

Andréa gave a dreamy sigh. She smiled as she sat back against her headboard in bed.

“He was just so…” she trailed, like she was sorting through a collection of memories, savoring each one, all while trying to find a way to distill it all into a simple sentence. She had an artist’s mind, and so tended to romanticize. But you enjoyed the way she spun her stories.

“Earthy, and real, while still being charming,” she said. “I’m pretty sure he let me win the pool game. Which ordinarily would annoy the shit out of me, but when he offered to buy me another drink, I couldn’t say no, and…we talked until the bar closed.”

“Wow.” Your eyes widened as you made the finishing touches on your clipped up hair.

“Right? I’ve never had an experience like that with a perfect stranger,” she said. “I think…I think it was like, one of those connections you hear about, see on TV but never think it happens in real life. I’ll tell you, when we walked into the bar, his eyes were the first thing I saw. And they were the last thing I remember from that night, after he kissed me goodnight…well, more like made out against my car, but you get the idea.”

She smiled as her face became lost in thought. Meanwhile, you tried not to be envious that she’d had more courage than you.

“Are you going to see him again soon?” you asked. Andréa seemed to come back down to Earth at the question, meeting your gaze.

“I think so,” she said. “We’re trying to plan something for next week. He’s also a construction contractor.”

You nodded. “Yeah, Dean was telling me that a lot of them have part-time jobs when they’re not on shift.”

“Does he do anything on the side?” she asked.

“If I remember right, he said he fixes cars sometimes, but I’m not sure if he’s a certified mechanic,” you replied.

“Well, maybe he can spruce up your old-ass Toyota Camry. How long have you had that thing?” she asked.  

You scoffed. “Since college. And it was old then, since I got it used…I think I’ve racked up about 200,000 miles on it.”

Andréa grimaced. “Oh God. You really need a new car, before that thing breaks down on you.”

“That’s what I keep tellin’ her,” said Grandpa George. He appeared in the doorway with a mug of tea. He waved at Andréa on your phone screen. “Hey there, sweetheart.”

“Hey, George. What’re your plans this evening? Go-karting or roller blading?” she teased with a grin.

George matched it with a hearty laugh. Andréa was his favorite.

“Well, I think I’ll start at the roller disco and see where my heart takes me,” he replied. Though he had fond stars in his eyes, and you smiled, knowing what memory he was about to recall.

“Ah, my wife and I met at one of those cheesy-ass places in the ‘70s,” he said. “She was a regular there, had the knee-high socks, the shiny skirt, her long hair whipping around like a rope… I remember she skated past me and knocked me clean onto my ass. I watched her skate away, that little skirt swishing. I think I was half in love right there.”

Your heart twinged, both for yourself and for him, as you could see the sting of melancholy in his eyes. Your grandmother had passed away a few years ago, but it was still deeply painful for both of you.

George shook his head, as if clearing the ghosts of memory from his mind. He looked over at you with a fond smile.

“Well, don’t you look beautiful?” he said. And he reached out for your hand, playfully raising it above your head and twirling you around as you smiled. “Reminds me of when your grandma helped you get ready for the senior prom.”

You snorted at that. “You mean when she almost glued my eyes shut, trying to get those fake lashes on?”

You’d rather pluck out your own eyes than have to ever again go through the “de-gluing process,” as she’d called it.

“It’s a shame we don’t have any pictures of you that night,” George considered. A knowing smile crossed his face. “You looked adorable.”

“I looked like I had a wonky eye,” you retorted. “Why do you think I burned all the evidence?”

Andréa tried not to, but she chortled at your expense. You shot her a narrowed look.

“Careful,” she teased. “Don’t strain yourself, Wonky. You’ve got a better night than prom ahead of you.”

“Speaking of, when’s that boy supposed to pick you up?” George asked.

You let out a breath, slightly nervous as you checked the time on your phone.

“In about ten minutes.”

“Okay, for the third time,” Sam said, trying his best to be patient. He sat on Dean’s bed while the man stood in front of the bathroom mirror. He was debating the age-old question: tie, or no tie?

“Red wine goes with red meat. White wine goes with chicken and fish,” Sam reminded him. “If you get red, you want to order a bottle of merlot. It’s full bodied without being dry as hell.”

“Yeah, merlot with meat. Got it,” Dean nodded. “What’s white again?”

“Everything else,” Sam said, once again. “If you order white, I’d say go with a pinot grigio. It’s light, can be dry or can be fruity. It all depends on personal preference, but I really like—”

“Well, I’m probably getting steak, so no to pinot,” Dean said. He finally decided on no tie, just a black suit jacket over the dark blue shirt, with a couple of buttons left open at the top.

Sam sighed and gestured at his brother. “And what if she wants fish? What if she hates red wine?”

Dean frowned. “Right. Okay. Pinot or merlot, got it.”

“Always ask to try it first,” Sam added. “Or here’s a thought. You could just be yourself. Order a beer and let her get whatever she wants.”

His frown deepening, Dean shook his head and left his bathroom. He crossed his bedroom to find his shoes—the nice black ones he only wore for weddings and funerals.

“Nah. This girl’s classy, Sam. Can’t half-ass this,” he said. A bit of unease coiled in his stomach, but he tried his best to ignore it.

He couldn’t remember the last time he got nervous to meet a girl…maybe because he hadn’t gone out on an actual “dinner and conversation” date in a while.

Or at least, he didn’t think he could count his dates as real ones.

“You’ll be fine,” Sam said. He could see plainly what his brother didn’t want to admit, only because they knew each other so well.

Dean glanced over at Sam and flickered at a smile. He grabbed his keys, his wallet, and didn’t think he was missing anything…

“Dean,” Sam said. He nodded over at the bundle on the dresser. Dean reached for it and shot his brother a wink.

“Hold the fort, Sammy.”

His car rumbled to a stop in front of your house just a few minutes late. Dean took a moment to admire the nice-looking beige house with its dark trim, old but still in good condition. And he wondered if you had roommates, or if you lived alone. Maybe you even owned this place. 

He wasn’t sure, as he could only see one car in the driveway (your car, he recognized). He knew he’d need about two or three other roommates to be able to afford this two-story house. 

He straightened his collar and blew out a breath. Get it together, asshole. You’re going on a date, not running into a burning building.

Funny, he’d probably be less nervous with the latter.

You’re not nervous, he reminded himself. You like her, that’s all…yeah.

Rolling his eyes at himself, Dean turned off the car and grabbed his key out of the ignition on his way out. He walked up the red brick path up to the porch and knocked on your door.

His pulse picked up a bit when he heard a pair of heels approaching the door. Soon enough, it opened, and Dean was greeted with a sight. Namely your face, and a smile spreading across it.

Beautiful, he couldn’t help but think, as his gaze dipped to take in the rest of you. He liked the color of your pretty green dress, the soft and classy makeup, the goddamn sexy heels, and the way your hair was pinned up. (Even though it looked so soft, he wanted to see it loose.)

He liked it all, especially that you seemed happy to see him.

“Hey there,” you said, a little breathy, like you’d been hastening down the stairs.

Dean gave you a smile, along with the small bouquet of flowers he’d been hiding behind his back.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said. His smile deepened when you uttered a gasp at the modest bundle of red tulips. “Feel like I should’a gone with something more impressive to match you. You look beautiful.”

You glanced up at him with a sweet smile, but you took the flowers and shook your head.

“No, these are gorgeous. I…can’t remember the last time someone gave me flowers,” you admitted.

It was a bit old-fashioned, but one of Dean’s earliest memories as a kid was seeing his dad come home, late from work as he so often was. But he’d stopped along the way at his mom’s favorite flower shop. He brought her red tulips rather than red roses.

Dean didn’t know why. Maybe that was her favorite flower, or maybe the roses were all out. In his memory though, his mom’s upset faded whenever she saw those flowers.    

“Thank you,” you said warmly, taking Dean out of his thoughts. He flashed you a smile touched with slight embarrassment. He drew a hand through his short hair at the back of his head.

“Well, uh, are you ready?” he asked.

You nodded. “Yep! Just need to grab my purse and put these in some water.”

You welcomed him inside the house while he waited for you to find a vase. Dean took the opportunity to look around from where he stood in the hall. It looked big on the outside, but inside, it looked like a cozy family home. He took in the wood furniture, a paisley couch in the living room, family pictures on the wall and in a China cabinet rather than actual fine China.

It didn’t exactly scream high-powered saleswoman, but maybe you’d inherited it from your family. Or you were going to have it fixed up before you sold it, like some Property Brothers-type action. Or he was reading too much into it entirely, and should just focus on the fact that you’d agreed to go out with him to begin with.

Dean perked up when you returned with your purse on your shoulder and the tulips in a vase, which you set down on the living room coffee table for now. You greeted him again with smile.

“I’ll find a better place for those later, just didn’t want to keep you waiting,” you said.

“You’re good,” he said. He offered you his hand, along with a grin. “I hope you’re hungry though. I know how much you like dinner.”

You giggled, ducking your head in embarrassment. You followed him out the front door.

“If we can forget about that tipsy foot-in-mouth moment, that’d be great,” you said. Dean shook his head.

“Sorry, my mind’s like a steel trap,” he teased, even as he led you down the few steps of your porch in your heels.

“Oh, really?” Your brow raised. “Okay, I’ll remember you said that.”

Dean smirked. “Uh oh. Why do I feel like that one’s gonna bite me in the ass someday?”

“We’ll see,” you replied in amusement. “Future dinners might be on the line here.”

Your eyes widened when you finally saw his car parked behind yours in the driveway. Big and black and sleek and Chevrolet.

“Wow. That’s your car?”

Dean shot you a grin that was somehow proud without being smug.

“You like her?” he asked. He unlocked the car and even opened the passenger side door for you.

Wow again. A rare gentleman. You smiled and obliged him by climbing in.

“I think I do,” you said. Dean got in on his side after closing your door. The doors creaked and the engine rumbled when he turned the ignition. He looked over at you in a way that made your insides both flutter and melt. Anticipation and warmth.

“Think she likes you too,” he said.

Shit, what did Sam say? Dean stared down the wine menu, which may as well have been a Chinese grocery list, for all he knew.

Red was what? What the hell is a Malbec? Sounds like a kind of fish. That can’t be red wine.

He discreetly raised his gaze above the menu. You were sitting there, pretty much perfect while you looked over the appetizer menu. This was an Italian restaurant. A nice one, and a cut above Dean’s usual dining spots. Neither of you had eaten here before, but you looked vastly more comfortable than he felt. 

“What sounds better to you, clams or bruschetta?” you asked. Your eyes flicked up to his thoughtfully. “You don’t strike me as a clammy kinda guy.”

A smile tugged at his lips. There was a “clam” joke in there somewhere, but he wasn’t sure you’d appreciate it.

“Bruschetta is the toast with little tomatoes, right?” he asked.

“Yep,” you nodded, but then your head tilted as you looked down at the menu again. “Or we could do meatballs. Comes with two—a ball each.”

You bit your lip over a smile, tinged with embarrassment, like you didn't realize what you were saying until you said it.

Dean smirked. Maybe your sense of humor was more in line with his than he expected.

“Well, I don’t typically go for balls, meaty or otherwise. But whatever you want, sweetheart,” he teased. Truth be told, he loved Italian meatballs, but right now, he liked your snort of amusement even more.   

By the time the server, Liam, came to the table, you seemed to know what you wanted, while Dean was still looking over the wine list like it was Calculus homework. 

“Would you like something to drink?” Liam asked.

Dean paused, unsure of how to respond. He glanced at you on reflex. You were waiting for him to say something, he knew. He just wasn’t sure what he could say that didn’t make him look like an idiot.

“I’ll have a glass of this Cabernet Sauvignon,” you replied to the server, and pointed out the name of the wine on the list. He nodded and wrote that down, then turned to Dean next.

“And for you, sir?” Liam asked.

Again, Dean had a conundrum.

He decided to play it safe. “I’ll have the same.”

You eyed him a moment, before you turned back to Liam.

“Can we try it first? See if we like it,” you said.

“Certainly,” he nodded. “Do you want to start with an appetizer?”

“Yes. The meatballs, please,” you replied, glancing at Dean with secret amusement. His lips hinted at a smirk.

When the server left to put in the order, you rested your elbows on the table and folded your hands under your chin.

“Something tells me you’re not big on wine,” you said.

Dean’s smile became more self-deprecating as he tapped a finger on the table.

“That obvious, huh? …Well, can’t say I didn’t try.”

“Dean Winchester.” Your head tilted as you considered him. “Are you trying to impress me?”

“Trying, maybe. Doubt I’m succeeding,” he admitted with a short laugh.

You let out a small sigh, but you didn’t look disappointed.

“I just want to get to know you,” you said. “You don’t have to woo me or anything.”

His brow rose in a subtle challenge. “What if you deserve a bit of wooing?”

You glanced down then, with a pretty blush beginning to dust your cheeks. He could still spot it in the dim lamplight, and it made him smile.

“I get what you’re saying,” he inclined his head. “I just have a feeling the guys you go out with know how to order a bottle of wine, at least.”

You met his gaze at that. Your brows drew together, and it wasn’t until that that you realized what Dean seemed to be thinking. Like you were somehow better than him, or out of his league. While that was incredibly flattering (and downright surprising), it just wasn’t true, you felt.

You’d been nervous as hell up until this point, convinced that this man’s interest was half because he’d saved you. Because really, between the cut of that jaw, that smile, and those eyes, he could have anyone. And yet, he’d noticed you.

So now, you gained enough courage to reach across the table and rest your hand over his. It earned his attention.

“Look, Dean,” you said. “You don’t know anything about the kind of guys I go out with, so why don’t you just try to get to know me, instead of being whatever you think I want?”

There was a challenge in your eyes, but your smile softened it, along with your hand in his. Dean curled his fingers around your hand, and he nodded.

“That’s fair,” he said. His thumb drew across the back of your hand as he considered what you’d said. He realized he wasn’t being fair…

“See, women tend to like the firefighter thing, until they don’t,” he said. 

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“Well, after a little while, it’s like the shine wears off,” Dean admitted. “Between the long, sometimes inconsistent hours, the weight of the job… It’s either too much, or not enough, you know?”

As much as that disheartened you to hear, you kind of understood what he was saying. First responders led challenging lives, and you could imagine how hard it would be to maintain relationships—from family and friends to lovers. And when he met your eyes, you had a feeling you knew what he was really saying underneath.

It’s not enough…or he’s not enough?

You frowned and squeezed his hand.

“That must make it hard to find a real connection with someone,” you said.

Dean read the look in your eyes: sympathetic, but not pitying. He appreciated that, and you right now. But he was also getting a bit embarrassed. Good job, Mr. Overshare.

He let go of your hand just to lean back in his seat and card his fingers through his hair. He blew out a breath.

“Sorry. Don’t know why I’m saying all this crap,” he said with a chuckle.

You smiled and crossed your arms on the table. “It’s not crap.”

He gave you a wry smile.

This Dean is not what I expected, you thought. He was all panty-dropping smiles and one-liners, until he wasn’t. Behold, the softie underneath.

Liam soon returned with two glasses with a sample of the wine you’d requested. Dean took his glass, but waited a moment to watch you bring yours up to your face. You inhaled first before you took an experimental sip. You smiled and hummed at the taste. It led Dean to sip his as well.

He immediately made a face at the bitter, strong taste that razed across his tastebuds. He was used to the burn of alcohol, but this was just gross.

That’s when he caught that look on your face—a small smile as you gauged his reaction.

“Refreshing,” Dean quipped. And dry as hell.

“You want a beer instead?” you asked.

“Definitely,” Dean nodded, looking up at Liam. “Heineken, if you please.”

“That I can do.” The other man quirked a smile. “And for you, miss?”

You tapped on the rim of your wine glass. “A glass of this please. Thank you.”

“Absolutely,” Liam replied. “I’ll bring those shortly.”

Dean watched you with a smile. You caught him at it and smiled back questioningly.

“What?” you asked.

He shook his head. “Nothin’.”

He liked the way you carried yourself. Smart and classy, without being a snob. Confident and sexy at times, while shy and freakin’ adorable at others…

Damn, Dean thought. He liked you. He did.

And he didn’t want to admit it, but that kind of scared him.

AN: Hohoo, so believe it or not, this is just part 1 of the first date! The rest is to come in the next chapter. But how did you like this so far?

Next Time:

You watched him curiously as he shrugged out of his jacket. He wrapped it around your shoulders, like this was some kind of Hallmark moment.

Heh. Can’t believe Meg had it right, he thought, as he caught your blush.

“Thanks,” you said softly.

“Can’t let you catch cold in this little dress,” Dean reasoned.

He gently tugged you in closer by the ends of his jacket. Once again, his gaze was drawn to your face, your eyes, and finally your lips. You still held both ice cream cones between you two, but he could be careful enough to sample something else.

He started to lean in…

Keep Reading: PART 4

Dean Winchester Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Series Tag List (Part 1):

@hobby27 @kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007 @wincastifer @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb @vanillawhiskeyflavoredkisses @roseblue373 @this-is-me19 @emily-winchester @spnexploration @deans-spinster-witch @deans-baby-momma @iprobablyshipit91

@melancholictearz @nic-kolas @sleepyqueerenergy @wayward-lost-and-never-found @thewritersaddictions @just-levyy @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @deanwanddamons @antisocialcorrupt @lacilou @adoringanakin @theonlymaninthesky @teehxk @midnightmadwoman @brianochka @branj19

@agalliasi @venicesem @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @ladysparkles78 @solariklees @xsophianicolex @deansbbyx @candy-coated-misery0731 @curlycarley @sarahgracej @bagpussjocken @ultrahviolentart @chernayawidow @beskarfilms @mimaria420

[shyinadarkplace]

Love Between Shelves- Chapter 3

Pairing: OMC Taishiro (Tai) Kageino x OFC Renee (Ren) Jackson Warnings: this chapter does contain mentions of past physicals abuse by a partner and mild violence. Word count: A/N: I love Tai and Ren and I hope that you all fall in love with them too. I do not give permission Series Summary:

Sometimes just when you think you will never find love, you find it in the one place you always dreamed. Between shelves of books. Renee (Ren) Jackson is a single mom with a rocky past but she is doing the best she can to provide for her mom and little boy. She can feel the loneliness like a physical ache but she is determined not to mistake loneliness for love ever again. Ren can’t afford to choose wrong. It's not just her after all, it's her little boy too. So she’s built up her walls and resigned herself to being alone, because it’s better than the alternative. Taishiro Kageito lost everything . His home. His business. The life he had built. All in one fell swoop. Just when he’s at rock bottom he finds out his parents left him his childhood home and nest egg when they passed away. The only stipulation he has to move back to small town he grew up in and stay for three years. So he does. He starts doing what he always did best and slowly building a business. He runs in to Ren and from that moment he wants nothing more than to give her the world. He’s just gotta win her over.

Ren 

After my collision with what could only be a Nephilim or half giant, I went to join my mom and kiddo. We didn’t spend much longer gathering a few books before heading to check out. 

“I heard you squeal. Did you knock another shelf down?” John asked teasingly as he rang us up. 

I rolled my eyes hard while my traitorous family smothered giggles behind me. “ John I have told you like a million times, there was a friggin screwdriver in the middle of the aisle. If there hadn’t been I would not have slipped and grabbed a shelf to keep from falling only to have it come down with me. Also, who owns a bookstore and doesn’t bolt down the shelves?!” 

John for some reason enjoyed this trip down memory lane. My natural clumsiness seemed to bring him no end of amusement. He chuckled. “Oh come on Ren. I have owned this place for YEARS and until you the only time I have ever seen a shelf fall like that is the movies. Also why would I bolt them down? What if I have to move them? Which I have had to do more than once, am I just supposed to keep putting bolt holes in my floor?” She just sighed. "We gotta go John. Coffee and Pastries await. Have a good day.” with that, me and my little family headed out the door to complete our biweekly ritual and head home. I was still trying not to think about what John had said when my mom whispered “Don’t worry baby girl, it won’t be much longer.” I didn’t say anything, just shared a look and sighed. She knows how hard it is for me at times, while she has a way of just knowing things I really wish this one would hurry. Before long we head home to enjoy a day of naps and reading. Honestly it was the small things that you have to cling to when crap gets hard.

Tai

“I could introduce you to her if you want. She needs someone like you in her life.” John said as I worked on the back side of his building. “Damn it. Will you just let it be. She ain’t got no interest in me.” I snapped. All he had been talking about for the past couple of weeks when I came to work on extending his building was Ren. It didn’t help that she was all I thought about anyway. John nudged my backside with his shoe, almost making me lose my balance. “Fuck!” I glare up at the smug older man. “First off don’t cuss at me. Second, you don’t know what she is interested in because you won’t talk to her.” I sighed “Look I don’t think me being a pushy bastard is gonna earn me any points and what do I have to offer her? Not just her but her little boy and momma? Nothing man. That’s what.”

I stand up and stretch. “Anyway if I get to work now. I can have the exterior framed up and ready for brick in a few days. Then it will take me a few weeks to get all the brick laid, the wiring and insulation, finally drywall and paint. It should all be done in ‘bout two months even though it is just me.” John just gave me this look like changing the subject was useless but nodded. Then a thought struck me and I sighed "Hey John, when exactly am I supposed to take down the existing wall? You’ll have to close the store for at least a few days for me to take it down.” He was quiet for a minute. “Well the missus and I usually take off the first week of June you can do it then. Gives ya time to take it down and seal off with plastic or whatever.” I just nodded. “I guess I better get over to the hardware store. I have some ordering to do.” John just nods and we walk back into the store. Heading towards the front I hear voices and John soft sushes me.

Ren

“Look Jack I told you already, I’m not interested.” I say once again facing away from Jack Freeman with my hands braced against the counter, praying that John materializes from wherever he is to save me. “Well just come on now Renny. We would make a great couple,” he says, pressing the front of his body against my back with his hands on my hips. I want to hurl. “Sides that little one of yours needs a Daddy, and I can fill that role real nice.” I am so uncomfortable I want to run but the only way for me to move is to the side which won’t work since assface has a death grip on my hips. “Jack get your hands off me. That is your one warning.” There is a sinister chuckle and suddenly I feel like I can’t breath and I want to cry. “Oh Renny, everybody in town knows what Isacc did to you and it didn’t matter how hard you fought him, did it?”

My blood runs cold. I am sweating and freezing. He is so close. I brace my feet to try and run but I can’t move. I take a deep breath, I can hear the back door softly open, and John hush whoever he is talking to. If I can just get Jack off me. “See that’s what I like when you just do as you’re told.” he sneers. “Get off of me Jack. Last fucking chance or you’re -” I don’t get to finish the sentence before I hear stomping and an animalistic growl. My head snaps to the left and for a split second I am more afraid of what’s coming toward me than what’s holding me. That is until a hand reaches out gripping Jack by the neck and tears him off of me. John whispers holding his hand out, “Come this way honey,” as I move past the giant holding a struggling cursing Jack to stand at the end of the counter with John he asks “Are you alright? He didn’t hurt you any did he?” I shake my head no. John puts an arm around me and leads me to sit down on a tall stool. It’s only then I realize I’m shaking. John straightens up , his face morphing from concern to rage. “Tai if you would be so kind as to get that trash out of my store.” Tai doesn’t answer, just hauls Jack out the door as though he weighs nothing.  John turns back to me. “Are you sure that you’re okay?” I take a deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah I am fine. Just tired is all.” John nods and dials up his wife. A few moments later she comes in with some coffee and I couldn’t be more grateful. 

Tai

My daddy always said that there was no doubt in his mind that he would kill for my momma. He didn’t care if it seemed like something small, she was his and he was hers. I thought that he was crazy. I mean I knew he loved my momma more than anything but I couldn’t fathom the idea of ending someones life over bumpin in to someone. Not until today anyway. Today I realized that I would crush a windpipe if its owner breathed at Ren the wrong way, if it made her uncomfortable. 

Seeing Jack with his hands on her like that, the way I could see fear etched in every line of her body, I don’t think seeing red covers what happened. I saw the way she looked at me , for a split second I’m sure I looked like a monster, but the relief when she realized that was everything. Grabbing Jack felt like grabbing a rag doll. I felt like I could rip his arm off .  He tried to fight at first but once my hand was at the back of his neck, maybe he sensed that at that moment I really could have snapped his neck. When John asked me to take him outside I was grateful as all hell. I dragged that man to his truck and slammed him against it. “What the fuck Tai. You can ease up now man. She can’t see you.” Jack said with a pained laugh. I slid him up the side of the truck, making it creak, until he was eye level with me, which meant his feet dangled in the air.

“Jack this aint no fuckin show I’m puttin on. She told you to back off and then you put your hands on her. She ain’t yours Jack.” The fucker had the nerve to laugh “Well she ain’t yours either. Only man that has a claim to that fine piece of ass is Isacc.” I cocked my fist back and connected with his face before the thought even fully formed, his head smack hard against the truck. Jack groaned blood pouring from his nose and lip. “She ain’t property fucker." I snarled "Let me make this as clear as can be. If you or Isacc for that matter, decide to be stupid enough to show your face, call, send a text, telegram, morse code message, write a letter, take out an add about, or think about her or trying some shit like that again I promise No one will find your fucking bodies. This is the only warning you get." He tried to knee me but the way he was dangling gave him no leverage. He had to spit blood before he could speak. "You're makin a mistake boy. Issac aint gonna like this." I couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't give a rats ass what that slime does or doesn't like. If you need to hear it in caveman her and her family are protected by me. And you know better than most not to fuck with what's mine. Now go crawl back under your rock fucker." Then I drop him and watch as he scrambles away into his truck and peels off. When I turned around I saw John's wife blushing from head to toe, she gave me a smile. “John was right, you would be good for Ren.  Go clean the blood off your hands then come to the bookstore.” She continued on with cups of coffee in hand and I went into her shop to do as she said. The whole time thinking well fuck, I probably scared her.

[valhala90]

My fav chapters of SK were Yoh and Anna’s story. Not ‘cause I was searching for romance in shonen manga, believe me I don’t pay attention to that when reading shonen, but I always wondered if there was more to it than just arranged marrige. So, imagine my friggin’ surprise when I read the thing more than a decade ago and got blown away with the beautiful bond they created and continued to share, which 2001 anime didn’t explore at all. It blew me away how for Yoh it was love at first sight and how Anna is a complicated character with shitty past and extremly dangerous powers (like Hao). So, we get to the reason why I pushed watching the new adaptation for more than a year. I was so afraid they would cut that out or shorten it.

And when I started watching anime, my fears came true. Most of the fights and extra scenes were shortened and omitted since they had a limited number of episodes and had to cram as much as possible. 

BUT 

I actually enjoyed Yoh and Anna’s story and thankfuly they animated it properly.

To me, it’s the core of the story, especially Matamune (character omitted in 2001 anime adaptation) and mentions of the man Hao once was.

 I like Matamune’s manner of speaking and the poems, and it was so much better than I imagined it when I read manga.

At certain point it brought me to tears to see the anguish and pain not just Anna’s but Matamune’s because he had to turn against Hao.

And most of all, they did this justice.

I didn’t want to make Shaman King posts or for any other anime I watched/will watch because I felt like I’m too old for that shit haha, but it’s so nice to know that what I once loved I still love no matter the age. And I believe Shaman King is more mature manga than people give it credit for. So many life lessons and at one point Mikihisa answered why children were involved in such terrible trials/fights and he said something like- because adults can see their ceiling. Children can’t, so their potential is unlimited. Basically, our adult brain set our limitation and we think we can’t do things we once wanted, our dreams remain unfulfiled because we think “it’s too late for that,” “I’m too old for that” versus children who still have freedom to dream big and achieve anything.

Which makes the ending heart-breaking when they grow-up and realize they can’t change the world. 

[fighting-and-drawing]

Dorm Leader’s Drinks

Based on this post here. Kudos to @scertifiedsavanaclawstan​. Check them out before you keep going here.

This is my interpretation of the drinks’ descriptions I saw in the linked post above. I love Twisted Wonderland (although the ENG devs did us dirty on Chapter 5) and this was just an excuse to see how these drinks would be in real life.

Warning: Alcohol (respective TWST characters are obviously aged up [pretty sure they’re in some AU if memory serves]) Minors DNI. You have been warned. None of the cocktails were my idea (reference the linked post above). 

I repeat: Minors. Do. Not. Interact. 

Always Drink Responsibly (or better yet, don’t [your future self will thank you for this]). Exact recipes will not be posted and several key ingredients will be omitted.

Riddle’s Screaming Rose

From OP’s post, the Screaming Rose is supposed to be “SWEEET [...] flavored like strawberry and is good with food.” What the drink’s image and description reminded me of is a strawberry caipirinha/caipiroska, but instead I chose to make a sweet forward cocktail based on a Strawberry Smash. With a sweet, aged dark rum and a little amaretto liqueur, this shaken cocktail uses a rich 2:1 simple syrup, and fresh muddled strawberries to produce a cocktail that is not only very sweet but also fruity and a nice addition to any meal. 

However, I may have overdone it with the amaretto. Because I did not have access to any strawberry liqueur, I felt as if the minty amaretto would be a nice addition to the tart-sweet of the strawberries, but ended up slightly overpowering it. In the future, I would use more strawberries (either in puree or liqueur form) and maybe a few drops of rosewater. Overall, the drink is a 7.5/10.

Leona’s Purring Kitten

Now, this drink was a grand slam. Because the “drink of his is made with coffee” and can be “bitter” for some, this was very similar to a White Russian. However, instead of heavy cream or bailey’s as a float, I made whipped cream with a healthy dose of Rumchata to replace the cinnamon sticks appearing in the drink as well as forming the whipped cream dollop (although, I mistook Kalim’s drink with Leona’s so it came with an entire whipped cream float Whoops).

Like the description, this drink is bitter due to the coffee, but is very nice when mixed with the Rumchata whipped cream. I would have lessened the amount of cream put into the drink. Also, the animal cracker was a nice addition, making this a very delicious dessert cocktail. Definite 9/10

Azul’s Mermaid’s Tears

Oh, Great Sevens, Azul! Our only Martini and you had to have a “taste in drinks [that] was boring” (Floyd) and “tastes...healthy?” From the description and appearance of a drink served up and with edible flowers and a salt rim, it got me thinking of a Blue Margarita. However, keeping with Azul being from the ocean, I chose to use a lightly aged Puerto Rican Rum (to at least make this a little tropical) and a few drops of orange blossom water for some crisp, floral notes. 

I definitely overdid the half-salt rim. But, this drink was sadly exactly what I pictured: boring (according to Floyd), ...fine (according to Jade), and while not healthy tasting (technically since the healthiest drink in the world is Dihydrogen monoxide), it does make for a decent-ish drink that while I would drink once, would probably not order again. Azul, get a friggin’ Mai Tai, a Zombie, a Rum Punch—anything else! GDI!  6/10

Kalim’s Sleepy Tiger

With Kalim’s drink, I did not have much to go on. Other than the drink being “a mango-infused spirit with whipped cream” before the addition of date syrup (which I could not find dates to make into a syrup), it was the most mysterious. Luckily, I had extra whipped cream batched for Leona’s drink, so I decided to make another dessert-style cocktail. Using Casamigos Reposado (a reposado tequila with notes of dried fruits and vanilla/cocoa), chocolate liqueur, a few other ingredients, and mango simple syrup, I managed to create a cocktail I think best resembled the drink. 

At first, the flavors clashed between the whipped cream and the drink itself. However, this drink reminded me of a mango milkshake and slowly began to taste great. In the future, I would substitute the tequila with a rum (maybe a demerrara rum), but would risk ruining the vibrant orange color of the drink. 6.5/10

Vil’s Cranky Virgin

I had high hopes to make this drink amazing, as Vil (whether canon or AU) is a perfectionist. The drink is described as “appropriately expensive tasting, made with apple syrup and a VERY herbaceous liquor,” as well as being garnished with red apple slices and rosemary. Immediately, I knew gin was the key spirit, but it couldn’t be anything but Empress 1908 Gin. This indigo-colored gin is distilled with eight botanicals, including butterfly pea flower, that turns into a vibrant purple when mixed with citrus. Although the description described “apple syrup” I added rosemary when making a custom apple simple syrup to enhance the herbal notes of the spirit. A tiny amount of grenadine was added at the bottom to give the syrup its red hue. 

While not as purple as I would like it to be (possibly due to the addition of too much grenadine) the drink tasted like a classic, fruity, herbal Tom Collin’s. The rosemary may have been slightly overpowering and I would have appreciated more of an apple taste. In the future, the simple syrup would probably be made with apple juice instead of water or be simmered with apples for a longer time. I will definitely be revisiting this drink later on. 7/10 Don’t curse me, Vil!

Idia’s Gamer Rage

Did you know how hard it was to find Blue Raspberry Soda!? Well, I couldn’t find the damn thing, so I did the next best thing. For a “boozy root beer float” with blue raspberry flavor, I used a clear raspberry soda mixed with blue curaçao and a vanilla bean ice cream float and a cherry on top. 

Now, lemme tell you sumthin’, I wanted to not like this drink. Idia’s not my favorite character, but goddamn if this drink wasn’t good. I love ice cream sodas, Italian sodas, etc., and Idia’s Gamer Rage was no different. This was probably one of the top three drinks because it is a simple concept (unlike Vil’s or Kalim’s) and the combination was solid. Sweet, bubbly, and creamy. 8.5/10

Malleus’ Dragon’s Tantrum 

I had already covered Malleus’ drink prior to making everything here, but to summarize, the Dragon’s Tantrum has a lot of “lime mixed with [...] absinthe [that] makes it a drink almost no one other than Malleus orders.” I couldn’t use absinthe as the main spirit due to it having a super high alcohol percentage and turning cloudy when mixed with water. However, a Midori Sour is a perfect drink to have a large absinthe rinse.

I love absinthe (only buy the real stuff). Although Midori is a sweet melon liqueur, the Dragon’s Tantrum is very absinthe forward with hints of licorice and star anise and sour at the end that makes you pucker a bit. For those who love sours, this is a wonderful drink that outclasses (in my opinion) everything on this list. Solid 9/10

Final Thoughts

The drinks were a blast to make. I had always wanted to make cocktails based on the characters of the games I play (I’m looking at you, Ikemen Sengoku), and while I never imagined doing one for Twisted Wonderland, this post inspired me to exercise my growing knowledge of mixology and cocktails. Thanks so much to the OP, @scertifiedsavanaclawstan​. Bartender!Yuu has their work cut out for them. As always:

Drink Responsibly or stick to water (your future self and liver will thank you) Cheers!

Tags: @scertifiedsavanaclawstan