#I will try to collect more articles about him and add them in

[darthteeth]

Slavoj Zizek is a disgusting loser(with links)

i struggle to find my original post here's a new one.

Trigger warning for everything from racism, transphobia, xenophobia etc

[dreamofbecoming]

more stobin nonsense from your resident trash goblin. feat. shitty harrington parents, lavender marriage, full party found family shenanigans, steddie flirting, steve&will bonding, and a severe lack of dialogue tags

rating: t wc: 5k ao3

“I knew it!”

Steve sighs. Listen, he knew the minute he opened his mouth that this was coming. There was always a zero percent chance Dustin was ever gonna let him get out the whole thing before bursting in with this exact interruption, but that doesn’t make it less annoying. If the little shithead would just let him finish--

"I knew you were perfect together, I can't believe you didn't tell us you were dating! How long have you been a thing? I have money to collect! Can I be your best man? Never mind, obviously I'm gonna be your best man. You so owe me for not telling me sooner! I cannot believe-"

"Henderson!"

"What?"

"We're not together like that."

In fairness, Dustin is not the only one to give them an incredulous look for that one.

"Steve. You literally just announced you and Robin are getting married. What is even the point of pretending you're not in love anymore? What are you still trying to prove? Just admit I was right the whole time!"

Steve pinches the bridge of his nose and forces himself to take a deep breath, instead of wringing Dustin's weird little boneless neck. It's not his fault, he reminds himself. They haven't gotten to the second part of the announcement, so his assumptions are natural.

Now, it is Henderson's fault that they haven't managed to say the rest of what they came here to say, so maybe he can keep blaming him after all.

"Do you remember when we sat down and we asked you guys to let us say everything we were gonna say without interrupting?"

"Uh, yeah dude, it was like ten minutes ago. We're not stupid."

"Has it occurred to you that maybe we weren't done saying everything we were gonna say, considering I was halfway through a sentence when you jumped in?"

"I mean, I guess, but like, it's pretty obvious where you're going with this, Steve. You're not a complicated guy, no offense. Now, where did we land on the best man issue?"

Nancy must see the offense very much taken on his face, because before he can open his mouth and say something probably horrifically rude that would feel amazing in the moment and which he would immediately regret, she jumps to his rescue.

"Dustin, you're being very rude. Steve and Robin came here to talk to us, and we promised to listen. Let them finish."

It's nice of her to back Steve up, considering how weird this conversation must be for her. Hopefully it gets less awkward soon.

Henderson grumbles mutinously, but years of dealing with first Mike and then the rest of the little dickheads have left Nancy's control ironclad, and he waves sarcastically for Steve to continue.

This kid is spending too much time with Eddie, the attitude is getting out of hand.

"Right. Thanks, Nance. As I was saying, Robin and I are getting married, yes. But not because we're in love. I mean, I love her, obviously, but as a friend. Only a friend. Or, well, I guess a friend and soon a...friend...wife? Frife? Wend? You guys get it."

"We very much don't." Alright, well, fine, add Max to the shitlist.

He looks over at Robin, hoping for help, but she's stiff as a board and trembling all over.

He doesn't want to be the one to say the words for her. They agreed together to tell everyone the truth, it was her idea even, but the last thing he wants to do is steal that moment from her.

Maybe he can just…talk around it, until she feels up to it. And if not, he’ll just tell them his part of it and call it good.

“We’re getting lavender married.”

Okay, so that’s probably not like. A normal way to say that or whatever. Robin just used that term like fifty times last night, alright? She was really excited about the article she just read about it, something about how it was a thing in, like, olden times or whatever, and now it’s coming back because Reagan is a fucking tool, Steve’s not sure, he was only kind of listening. Regardless, now it’s stuck in his head. Sue him or whatever, geez.

Anyway, he isn’t sure how many people in this room will actually understand what that means, but Nancy’s mouth drops open in a perfect little O the way it only does when she’s genuinely surprised by something, and there’s a tiny gasp from over by the table that he thinks might have come from Will, and Max mutters to herself “Oh shit, that explains so much,” so it’s not none of them, which helps. No pitchforks yet, at least.

Jonathan is eyeing him speculatively, and Argyle is offering him an enthusiastic thumbs up, which is nice.

Unfortunately, the other boys and El are giving him blank, expectant stares, and Erica is eyeing him with both confusion and annoyance, so it looks like he still has some explaining to do.

“What the hell does your color scheme have to do with this? I’m not helping plan the wedding, dude, I don’t care that much.”

Steve mumbles a “Language,” on reflex, but his heart isn’t in it. This is somehow more nerve-wracking than evil Russians.

“Mike, that’s not what it means. Now shut up and listen, or I’ll tell Mom how that red sock ended up in her load of white delicates.”

“Oh come on, she’ll kill me!” When all he gets in return is a single raised eyebrow, he groans and slumps further into his seat, glaring at Steve.

“Right. Okay. So basically, last night, my parents--”

“I’m a lesbian!”

There’s a beat of dead silence, which in this group is more unsettling than just about anything else.

Steve keeps his eyes on Robin, who looks just about as shocked at her own outburst as everyone else in the room. He takes her hand, squeezing gently until she unfreezes a little and looks back over at him. She looks terrified, and it breaks his heart a little.

“You okay, babe?” He keeps his voice low, murmuring just loud enough for her to hear. He knows this moment is the opposite of private, but she needs him to pretend for a second, so that’s what he’s gonna do.

She nods, a little jerkily, but she grips his hand back and intentionally evens out her breathing. She’s so fucking brave. He would burn the world down for Robin Buckley, and he doesn’t care who knows it.

He can’t believe she’s willing to do this for him, but he’s so grateful he feels like he’s choking on it.

“Henderdork will literally never shut up and let you live it down if we do this and he doesn’t know the truth. Not even for a single second for the rest of forever, and I, for one, am not putting up with that shit until death or legal marriage reforms do us part, Dingus.”

It was a solid point last night when they came up with the plan, curled on her bed while she stroked his hair and generously pretended he hadn’t soaked the shoulder of her shirt with his sobs, all his worldly possessions packed into a duffel on her bedroom floor, but he knows her insistence was more about knowing how much he hates lying to the kids than it was about protecting herself from irritating teenagers.

He doesn’t think there’s enough room on the whole planet to hold all the love he feels for her, even if you count the Upside Down and any other weirdo dimensions floating around out there waiting to ruin his day.

“I’m okay, bubba. Don’t let go?” Her hand is shaking in his, but he just squeezes harder.

“Never.” He turns back to the room, eyes hard as he scans the faces of their family for any hostility. He wouldn’t have agreed to this part of the plan if he thought any of them would be a problem, but he’s not taking anything for granted with Robbie’s safety. Not now, not ever. "Everyone's gonna be cool about that, right?"

"Of course we are, right, guys?" From the pained grunt that follows her words, Steve assumes Max has dug her elbow into Mike's ribs.

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

"I suppose this makes you slightly less lame, Buckley. It's definitely better than when I thought you liked this loser." Wow, okay, thank you Erica.

"Yeah totally! Thanks for trusting us, Robin." Lucas is a sweetheart, he really is. He's also glancing surreptitiously at Will while he nods enthusiastically, who is still staring open-mouthed at Robin with wide, shiny eyes.

"Yes, thank you for trusting us, Robin." Nancy is smiling kindly, but she's got that glint in her eye that Steve knows means she just came up with more questions and is waiting for the right moment to strike. Fair enough, at least she's letting Robs have her moment first.

He finally drags his eyes back to Dustin, who he doesn't really want to admit, even to himself, he's a little worried about. Not that he'll be shitty about it, necessarily, but there's nothing that brings out Henderson's bitchy side like being wrong, and he's been so fucking wrong this entire time. It's bound to upset him.

And maybe Steve will never say this out loud where the other kids might hear, but the truth is that Dustin's opinion matters to him more than just about everyone else's. Dustin was the first person in the whole world who saw Steve, the real Steve, and decided he was worth keeping around. If Henderson can't accept this part of Robin, it means he can't accept this part of Steve, and if that happens...if that happens Steve isn't sure he'll be able to come back from it.

So he's...not worried, okay? Worried is not the right word. Anxious, maybe. Concerned.

Okay fine fuck off he's worried.

Dustin...looks like he's about to cry. Shit.

"Did you think you couldn't trust me?" His voice is so small. Steve doesn't think he's ever heard it so small. It feels wrong. Henderson's voice should fill every room he's in, always. "You didn't have to lie. You could have told me the truth."

Aw, fuck.

"Buddy,--"

"It's not that simple, little man."

Steve whips back around to look at Robin. Are you sure you’re up for this? She purses her lips and narrows her eyes. Yeah, Dingus, this is my mess. Let me clean it up. Put the lance down, White Knight. Well, alright then. He waves for her to continue, ignoring the looks the others always shoot them when they do their silent conversation thing. Not his fault they can’t read each other as well, it’s not like it’s hard.

"Before today, Steve was the only person in the world who knew about me. And honestly, I don't know if I would have told him if we weren't both coming off torture and truth serum. I've worked hard to hide it my whole life, baby Dingus, that's not an easy thing to stop doing. It's scary."

"But we're your friends. We're your family! We saved the world together! You should trust your family, right?"

Aw, jeez. Steve forgets, sometimes, how young they are. They've been through horrific supernatural trauma, but they're still the kind of kids who think life is a story with a happy ending, like their little dragon game.

"Yeah, bud, you should, but it's not always that easy. There can be really serious consequences for telling the wrong person. Like, last night my parents found out I'm bisexual by accident and now I...well. Now I don't have parents anymore." Oof, okay, little blunter than he meant to be, but Robbie's getting anxious again so he has to take the focus back.

There's an eruption of sound, as every voice in the Party starts shouting all at once, turning the Wheeler's basement into Steve's own personal migraine generator.

"Did they kick you out?"

"You're bisexual?!"

"What's bisexual?"

"They can't just do that!"

"Does this mean we have to find somewhere else for Hellfire nights?"

That last one earns Erica several Looks, but she doesn't flinch. "What? I'm just being practical."

He wishes Eddie was here. The gremlins actually listen to him, unlike Steve, on account of as their Hellfire DM, he has leverage they care about to threaten them with. Well, most of them, but it's definitely a help when he's around.

Sadly he and Wayne are at some kind of Munson family reunion down in West Virginia this week, so Steve is gonna have to do this whole spiel over again when he gets back. He and Robin thought about waiting until he got back and the whole Party could be together, but the kids would definitely notice him not living in Loch Nora anymore pretty much immediately. And Steve hates the idea of telling him over the phone, so double coming out/engagement announcement it is.

"Alright, Jesus Christ, enough! One at a goddamn time, you animals."

He looks back at Dustin, who's definitely crying now. "Yeah, buddy, they kicked me out, but I'm okay. I'm staying with the Buckleys for now, and Rob and I have been saving up to move in together soon anyway, so all this did is move up our timeline. I'm safe and I'm fine, okay? I promise."

Dustin plasters himself to Steve's front, squeezing like he's worried Steve is going to shatter into pieces and he can hold him together by sheer force of will. It's very sweet, even if it's crushing his lungs a little.

"I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't tell me." The words are muffled in Steve's chest, he's not sure anyone else heard him.

"Aw, kid, it's okay. I trust you, alright? Always. You die, I die, remember? I was just...figuring my shit out, that's all."

"Your parents are mouthbreathers." Steve chuckles a little at the mutinous glare on El's face, not pausing his hand where he's stroking Dustin's hair.

"You're not wrong, Supergirl. But it's fine, honestly. They've always been dicks, I've been planning to move out for a long time. They just...gave me the final push, is all." He's definitely leaving out the part where he broke down sobbing in Robbie's bed last night, asking her over and over why he was so broken that his own parents couldn't love him, but the kids don't need to hear that part of the story.

"Does this have something to do with your whirlwind engagement?" There she is, ace reporter Nancy Wheeler. Observant as always.

"Yeah, pretty much. They disinherited me, but they're still legally my next of kin."

"And Dingus has had far too much head trauma for me to trust he's not gonna end up back in the hospital for something at some point, and the last thing we need is Mr. and Mrs. von Child Neglect getting that call. And I was just reading about gay men and women who are marrying each other so they can have someone allowed in to see in them in the hospital, because of the virus, you know? And I thought, hey that's not a half bad idea! We're gonna be living together anyway, and it's not like I'm marrying anyone else, and it'll be good for both of us to have someone who knows about, y'know, monsters and all that jazz, to do our power of attorney stuff, so, voila! Mr. and Mrs. Bucklington!"

"We are not changing our name to Bucklington."

"Well Harringley is worse, so suck it up, buttercup."

"I'm not interested in keeping the Harrington name, Bobs, I'd rather just be a Buckley."

"Aw, bubba, you're gonna make me cry!"

"You should both become Hendersons! Then we'd really be brothers!"

Steve erupts into laughter, the tension effectively broken by Dustin's wide, toothy grin. "What d'ya say, Bobbie? Steve and Robin Henderson?"

"Would we get access to Claudia's lasagna recipe? Because if so, I'm behind this plan one hundred percent.”

"By 'we' you do mean me, right? Because I love you more than life, Bobs, but I'm not letting you anywhere near a casserole dish. I've learned that lesson."

"It was one time!"

"It took me three days to get all the cheese off the ceiling! There's still a stain!"

"Well good! Ceiling grease stains can be the Harrington's problem now, anyway. They deserve it!"

Argyle is nodding sagely from on top of the incredibly deflated bean bag he's sharing with Jonathan. "I do like Bucklington, it makes you sound like a fancy butler. But family is important, brochachos, and so is lasagna. I vote Henderson."

This spurs impassioned arguments from all corners, which Steve is more than happy to relax into the couch cushions and let wash over him.

There's a light, bubbly feeling in his chest. For the first time since his dad walked in unannounced yesterday, interrupting his phone call with Robin at the worst possible moment, the knot of fear and grief in his stomach starts to loosen.

Robin smiles at him, and he grins helplessly back. Who needs parents when he's got a soulmate? They're together, they're safe, they're surrounded by their family. Steve holds Dustin tighter to his side and lets himself feel loved.

He takes advantage of a lull in the Last Name Wars to get out the last of the speech he'd planned. "Anyway, we decided to tell all of you the truth when we came up with this plan last night, because we do trust you and we didn't want to lie to you, and also because we knew you shitheads would never shut up about us being in love if we didn't and that sounded awful."

He laughs delightedly at the chorus of indignant outbursts this gets him before continuing.

"It's really important that you don't tell anyone outside the Party the truth, alright? We're gonna tell Eddie when he gets back, and we might tell Joyce and Hop eventually, but that needs to be our choice to do. You can't do it for us, and you absolutely can't tell anyone else. The whole point of this is to keep us safe by keeping people from finding out the truth, okay?"

El looks vaguely uncomfortable, but not upset. "Will you tell my Dad soon?"

Steve glances at Robbie, who's looking anxious again, and then over at Will. His shoulders are tense, hunched up around his ears, and he's staring intently at the table in front of him.

Steve isn't sure if anyone else knows what he thinks he knows about Will, but he's pretty sure he recognizes the specific flavor of isolation he can see Will struggling with sometimes, and he's definitely sure he recognizes the looks Will shoots at Mike whenever Wheeler isn't looking. Tommy used to look at him like that.

Either way, he knows the kind of fear the kid must be suffering, just like he knows how terrifying today was for Robin. For Steve, the worst case scenario has already happened, so he has a lot less left to lose. He can afford to smooth the way a little, to test the waters and make sure they're safe for everyone else.

It's not that different from his normal role in this group anyway, just a different kind of monster. He's always been good at taking hits so the others don't have to-- this is just another threat to step in front of.

"Tell you what, Ellie, I'll talk to Hop and Joyce this weekend, that way you won't have to keep secrets from him for too long. I'll just tell him about me, though, at first, okay? That way we'll know if it's safe for Robbie." Or anyone else, he doesn't say.

Jonathan hears it, at the very least, and shoots him a look that's equal parts surprised and grateful. Maybe Will has someone else in his corner after all, then.

El nods happily, satisfied with that.

Before anyone else can jump in, there's a clattering on the basement stairs. None of them have time to tense up too badly before the door bursts open and Eddie comes tumbling through it in a flurry of dark curls and frayed denim.

"Fear not, my wayward wastrels, for I have returned from far off lands, bearing tidings and the promise of libations!"

Steve only recognizes, like, four of those words, but seeing Eddie gives him the same happy, fizzy feeling in his gut that it always does these days, so he grins.

"You're back early, Eds, everything ok?"

Eddie blinks at him, then around the room, looking surprised to see it so packed.

"Yeah, my cousin Clarence accidentally broke my MeeMaw's pasture fencing and set all the goats loose in the hills, and if we stuck around we were gonna have to help round them back up, so Wayne and I snuck out early. I was coming to invite the gremlins out for pizza to tell you all about it, but this is more people than I was expecting. Y'all having a family meeting? Without little old moi?"

Steve valiantly suppresses the shiver that the twang in Eddie's voice triggers. Steve's not sure if Eddie notices the way his accent gets stronger when he's been talking to family, but he's had to work very hard to make sure he doesn't notice the way it affects Steve.

Steve has barely tested the flirting waters with Eddie since admitting his crush to Robin, he's definitely not jumping right in with 'It makes me tingly all over when you start talking with a drawl, wanna call me darlin' and see what happens?'

Luckily Bobbie notices his inner struggle and comes to his rescue.

"It was kind of a time sensitive issue- not a life or death one! Or like. Not a monster one, anyway. But shit went down last night and we needed to brief everyone before the geek squad figured out something was funky and came beating down the door. Steve wanted to tell you in person so we were gonna wait til you got back, but here you are!"

Eddie's looking at Robin with an amused smile on his face, one eyebrow raised and his lips quirked in a lopsided grin that is, frankly, unreasonably attractive. "Here I am indeed, my fair Lady of Feathers. So what's the scoop?"

He plops down next to Jonathan and Argyle on the beanbags, nearly sending them all toppling before Argyle hooks both of them around the waists and drags them practically into his lap.

Steve is not seething with jealousy. He's not.

A half a dozen voices chime out all at once.

"Robin's gay!"

"Steve's homeless."

"Robin and Steve are getting married!"

“Purple married.”

“It’s lavender, dummy.”

“Lavender’s a kind of purple!”

"They're gonna be Hendersons!"

"No they aren't, weirdo, they're gonna be Buckleys."

"Bucklington is clearly the superior choice, even if Argyle was right about the butler thing."

“Bucklington my ass, y’all dumb as hell if you think Mom and Dad aren’t gonna try and make him a Sinclair after this.”

"Mama and Papa Harrington didn't like that Stevie boy has double the love to give. Totally bogus. Bi bros for life, man."

"I still call Steve's best man!"

Eddie blinks a little when everyone quiets down, looking vaguely shellshocked. "That was. A lot of information to get in thirty seconds."

And, listen, Steve is like, 97% sure Eddie's cool. More than cool, even. He moves that bandana to the same pocket every time he changes his jeans, no matter what outfit he's wearing. There's no way that's an accident. But if Steve is being totally honest, which he's trying to do more these days, at least inside his own brain, this is maybe not the way he'd have chosen to come out to his crush. It's somehow way more nerve-wracking when he didn't even get to say it himself.

Oh well, it's out there now. It's fine, probably.

Still, there’s a definite feeling of relief when Eddie turns that megawatt grin on him again.

"Man, I wish I'd known there were other queers in Hawkins, I might have listened sooner when Henderson told me how cool you guys were!"

Steve laughs, only a little hysterically. "Dude, if you thought you were the only one, what the hell have you been wearing that hanky for? Who are you hoping will see it?"

It's a little gratifying to see Eddie go flaming tomato red in seconds. "I am not talking about that in mixed company, Steven. There are children here!"

"Ugh, we're literally teenagers."

"Tiny baby infants! If you're so curious, you can ask me again later."

"Promise?" Steve can't stop himself from grinning wolfishly.

Eddie tugs his hair in front of his face to hide, and the frantic little giggle and the quiet "Oh my god," he lets out both sound more than a little strangled. Steve's having the time of his life right now.

"Gross." Ugh, rude. He glares at Robin for ruining his fun. She sticks her tongue out at him.

Before they can devolve into the inevitable slapfight, Nancy cuts in again.

"Alright, unless anyone else has anything to share in private, I think we should take Eddie's suggestion and get something to eat." Good thinking, Nance. "To celebrate the happy couple, of course," she adds with a smirk. Yeah, that makes more sense.

"Onward then, my noble companions, to pizza and to paradise!" Eddie vaults off the beanbag, sending Jonathan and Argyle tumbling. Argyle laughs and accepts Eddie's hand up, while Jonathan just rolls his eyes good-naturedly.

Eddie slings an arm around Robin's shoulders as they head for the basement door. "So, Birdie, what's this I hear about a wedding? I need context."

As the kids go thundering up the stairs, arguing about who gets to drive in which car, Steve lingers. He noticed Will hanging back from the others, and now they're the last ones left, Will still slowly packing up the pens and notebooks he seems to carry around with him everywhere. Jonathan is hovering anxiously in the doorway, so Steve sends him a nod and waves him off. He's got this.

"You ready to go, kid?"

Will fidgets with the zipper on his bag for another few seconds before looking up at Steve through his, frankly tragic, fringe. "I'm sorry your parents suck."

"Yeah, man, me too." Steve shoots him a wry little smile. "It's alright though, sometimes we're better off without them. I've got plenty of family here that love me, I'll survive without Richard and Diane."

Will studies him for a minute. Steve's not sure what he's looking for, but he hopes he finds it.

"That's what Jonathan says about Lonnie." Steve nods, trying not to wince at the memory of the things he spat at Jonathan that day in '83 when everything changed. "I used to think it was my fault he left, but Jonathan says he was just a bastard, and it's better he's gone anyway."

"I didn't know Lonnie," he's careful not to say your dad, "but from what I've heard, Jonathan's probably right. And he's definitely right that it's not your fault."

"Like it's not your fault your parents kicked you out?"

"Yeah, exactly like that. If it was my fault, that would mean I did something wrong. The only thing I did was exist, and be different than they thought I would be. If they can't love the kid they had, then they shouldn't have had a kid at all. That's their problem, not mine. There's nothing wrong with me."

It doesn't matter if he heard all of these things from Robin first, if he's still trying to learn to believe them. Will needs to hear them like they're true, the same way Steve does.

"Are you sure?" Will's voice is trembling now. He's looking at the floor, but Steve can tell there are tears coming. "How can you be sure this is how you're supposed to be? Wouldn't you rather be normal?"

Oh, kid. "I mean, yeah, maybe it would be easier if I only liked girls, but I don't. I tried for a long time to pretend that I did, but it didn't make it true. And yeah, part of me wants to hate myself, because that's what they taught me to think, and I still kinda wish doing that would make them love me, but it won't. But honestly, you wanna know the biggest thing?" Will nods.

"I can't hate that part of myself without hating Robin, and there's no universe where I could hate Robin. Robin's perfect. She's the best person in the world, and she's gay, so being gay can't be bad. It's impossible. So whenever that voice in my head starts saying shitty things to me, I just think about how much I love Robin and tell it to shut up."

There's a beat where Will seems to be absorbing this.

"How did you know it would be safe? To tell us the truth?"

"I didn't."

Will stares at him in shock.

"Not a hundred percent, anyway. I was pretty sure, but it's never a guarantee with stuff like this, you know? But the other option was never telling anyone, and that...it gets tiring, you know? Always having to hide. Always having to check yourself. Lying when people ask the wrong questions. It wears you down. And I've fought monsters with you guys. I've been tortured by spies with you guys. If I can't trust this group to have my back, I can't trust anyone, can I? And I didn't want to live a life of not trusting anyone. I didn't want Bobbie to live a life like that. So, we took a chance. And it paid off, because all of you are the people we thought you were, and we were right to trust you. But it was a leap of faith, dude. It always is."

"What if I'm not ready?" Fucking shit, this kid. He's been through more than any of them, except maybe El, and he's still so goddamn brave. Steve would have crumpled like a tin can in his place.

"Then you're not ready. It's not a test, Will. There's no right or wrong answers. But I will say that every single person out there loves you, and they'll keep loving you no matter what you do. They're not like my parents, or Lonnie. Our friends aren't broken inside the way they are. Their love isn't conditional. You won't chase them away. You couldn't if you tried."

Will lets out a shaky breath, clearly fighting back tears. Steve leans against the table and keeps his head down, offering the kid the illusion of privacy while he pulls himself together. After a few minutes he speaks up again.

"You ready to go, you think?"

Will nods. He goes to walk past Steve to the stairs before hesitating and, to Steve's surprise, wrapping his gangly arms around him in an awkward hug.

"Thanks, Steve," he mumbles into Steve's shoulder.

Steve runs a hand down his back uncertainly. "Anytime, kid."

He keeps his arm around Will's shoulders tentative, but when the kid doesn't shrug him off or move away, he lets it settle more firmly, tugging him closer.

“Come on Baby Byers, let's go get some pizza. You think I can milk the disownment thing to get Eddie to pay for extra toppings?"

Will snorts. "I think Eddie would pay for as many toppings as you want as long as you do that little eyelash thing at him again."

Steve throws his head back and laughs, long and loud from his belly. Yeah, it's gonna be a good night.

my head hurts too much to keep writing this but please know that the pizza parlor engagement party involves plenty of arguing about roles in the wedding party, resulting in MOH erica/best man dustin (scoops troop babeyy), flower girl team lumax (max demanded the role bc her wheelchair means she can carry extra baskets of petals, and lucas will be pushing the chair so her hands are free. he's just excited to be there.) nancy/el bridesmaids and byler groomsmen (mike grumbles and groans but he's secretly thrilled). jonathan does the pictures and it turns out argyle got ordained back in cali as a joke so he officiates. eddie plays crimson and clover for robin’s wedding march. there’s a bit of a kerfuffle when claudia and the sinclairs both try to claim steve as their son, but after someone makes the argument that charles and sue have two kids to carry their name while claudia only has one, they end up hyphenating and becoming the buckley-hendersons. yes, claudia cries. yes, they get the lasagna recipe.

(at the pizza place, eddie asks what his role will be and steve says he doesn't know yet, but he'll save him a dance regardless. eddie has to hide in the bathroom to stop blushing.)

[losing-it-lately]

doing Steve's makeup

wc: 1k

steve harrington x reader fluff

Steve Harrington feels like he’s died and gone to heaven. He didn’t even think he deserved heaven after everything he did in high school and all the girls’ hearts he strung along and all the people he hurt. But now, with his head in your hands and his heart in your palms, he thinks that maybe he did really turn his life around; his mind is mostly empty, just one last question bouncing around the crevices of his brain: “how is he even here?”

If you ask anyone but Steve, the answer would be simple. Ask Eddie, and he would just explain that it’s common knowledge that metal music is a progressive scene, one where man and makeup collide. That, and that Steve melts like butter in the palm of your hand, choosing to do anything to get close to you, even rejecting his “boy-next-door” look for some black eyeliner. Ask Nancy, and she would tell you she’s been waiting for someone kind to come back to Steve and that Steve has been waiting for you to come to him. Ask Robin, and she will wind up about a messy and descriptive but warm anecdote that all starts with you bringing them to Corroded Coffin’s new gig.

The Hideout is never packed, unless it’s a Friday. The combination of loud music, non-functioning lights and Hawkin’s lack of bars and clubs resulted in an absolute haven for youth, and on top of that, Corroded Coffin had been moved from their regular Tuesday shift to the late Friday night one. Usually, the odd scent of the bar mixed with the unnecessary amount of people was enough to turn you away from Friday nights at the Hideout, but Eddie was playing; what kind of hype man would you be if you didn’t drag Robin and Steve with you?

Despite the overfilled bar, someone had still managed to catch Robin’s eye in the corner of the bar.

“Oh my god. She’s here! She’s here and I look like shit!” In classic Buckley fashion, Robin began what should have been a calm night by noticing Nancy Wheeler in the corner of the Hideout with her classic notepad and her permed bangs; a journalist in the making writing for an article in the making, a little column piece on Eddie’s “up and coming band”.

“Rob, you never look like shit,” you reassure as you begin to reach for your purse. Robin’s a smart girl, but she forgets how other people see her and can spiral. Sometimes she just needs something to ground her- “I can do your makeup if it makes you feel better?”

Robin’s lips begin to turn back up, her eyes preen with appreciation and she rasps out a kind “yes please!”

She lowers herself on a barstool. The bar was mostly dark, excusing some random working lamps above varying booths, but it was still enough for Steve to gaze at you, whilst you finished working your magic. Cleaning and then using a soft eyeliner to blend her eyes and then a mascara to draw attention to them, Robin laughs as your collection of tools softly tickles her face.

Steve’s wide eyes repeatedly glance over your face, concentration forcing you to forget about his presence. He has never wanted anything more than how he wants to wear that makeup.

Using the dark brown liner and the random mauve-y, chocolatey shade of old lipstick in your purse, you finished up adorning Robin’s face. The perfect time for Steve to interject. “i want makeup too,” he squeaks out.

Both yours and Robin's eyes zero in on him, a knowing smirk gracing Robin's face before she leaps from her chair and practically runs to Nancy.

“For the concert, I want to look metal,” he adds as a small blush begins to grow from his ears.

“Ok,” you respond with a smile. He starts shifting in his chair, trying to figure out an angle where he can be comfortably near you and you can easily start fixing up his face. As you stand in front of him and manoeuvre your hands to hold him, a gentle feeling starts to spread in his torso. You’re so close, and from this angle, you are so beautiful. His eyes gaze up at you and his hands circle around your legs, firmly grasping the backs of your thighs. His hands are soft and strong, and his touch is light and warm.

You hold his jaw with the palm of your hand; if you press enough, you can feel his heartbeat quicken under your fingers. You had never thought that Steve Harrington would be interested in makeup or metal music, and you were right; he wasn’t interested in makeup or metal music- he was interested in you.

Taking the spare black eyeliner from your bag, you begin to draw on his eyes, occasionally angling his head in a new direction. Steve feels like every time you come near him, his life goes in a new direction. You colour and smudge the eyeliner, ignoring his big brown eyes and the way that they monitor your every move. You feel like you could live in his gaze, and truth be told, he would let you.

Your fingers begin to inch up from his neck and chin to his lips, ghosting over them as both of your breathing dwindles. You can feel the air he breathes out on your finger tips, in fact, without noticing, you begin to feel it on your face as he brings you closer. His hands push you into him as his lined eyes drop down to your lips.

Steve’s eyes begin to close and he can feel your lips getting even closer, and then he hears you gasp loudly in shock. His eyes startle open and his hands are suddenly cold and wet. Somebody's beer is washed down your back, your hair and blouse drenched from behind.

Steve lips frown in a soft pout as it hits him that the moment is gone. Everything turns into white noise as he understands that you nearly kissed him: the apologies from the drunk girl who spilled it, Eddie’s music, the bartender's offer of napkins. It all fades until he watches you slip off to the bathroom, trying to fix your problem.

[jokeroutsubs]

[ENG translation] Jure Maček, Joker Out's drummer: "I don't have time for dating"

An article and interview with Jure Maček, published in Suzy magazine on 1.3.2024.

Original article is available here for Slovenske novice subscribers. Article written by Anita Krizmanić for Suzy magazine. English translation by a member of JokerOutSubs, proofread by IG GBoleyn123.

Music has accompanied the 27-year-old from Logatec since early childhood. He fell in love with it because of his father and grandfather, who were excellent musicians themselves. Besides them, he also had a number of other great teachers who introduced him to various genres, he played in the symphony orchestra and several bands, and just over three years ago, he finally found what he had been looking for – Joker Out, the band that became his new family. A pleasant and open conversation partner, who believed in his dreams and is living them today, gave us an honest interview about what his journey was like before he and his band embarked on the incredible odyssey that started last year before Eurovision.

Tours are tiring, but also incredibly exciting. // "They wouldn't let me play the drums in music school, because they weren't on the curriculum, so I decided that I would learn how to play them on my own."

"Each of us dreamed about one day finding ourselves where we are now. We're aware that many people don't have that chance. We miss home, we haven't been there very often in the past year, which we've already got used to. To each other, as well. We support each other and we know how to coexist. We're doing just fine, but there are moments when you have to grin and bear it. There aren't many of those, though, because we're mostly having a good time and we enjoy making music," a smiling Jure tells us from London, where the boys have been temporarily living and creating since the beginning of the year.

During our chat, he walks around the city and tells us that life with Bojan, Kris, Nace and Jan is very simple. "Because we're great friends, even though we could all use a moment of solitude now and then. Especially now that we're living in a small London apartment. But we know each other so well that we know what each of us is like, when and why he's in a bad mood, what he needs, and how to fix a certain situation. We're a nice and happy family," he smiles, and adds that they all know how to take a step back, but at the same time, they're firm when they want to emphasise their idea or opinion.

"Sometimes it's better if someone says what they're thinking out loud, presents their idea, and if we collectively latch onto something, we can get great results. It's the same with music," he continues.

LIVING HIS DREAMS AT PEACE

The fruits of their hard and dedicated labour over the past few weeks can already be seen, some are yet to materialise. The band recently sent 'Everybody's Waiting' out into the world, a song that centres the personal thoughts and contemplations that accompany many young people.

"When we make music, we try not to think about other worlds and the audience. When a song is being made, each of us has to feel it and add a small part of what makes him happy to it. When we get to the point where all of us are happy with our work, we know that we created something good, and that's also when people can feel it or find themselves in it," he says.

Joker Out, with their magic and meaningfulness, always take us into worlds where everyone is safe and understood, even when they think they're not. He agrees that a loving attitude towards yourself and others is key in the chaotic world that surrounds us.

"I am at peace with the people around me. I appreciate them very much and they make me even more happy to be in this world." He is grateful for fulfilling his dreams, which he never let anyone take from him as a young musician. "I currently make a living only from music, so I am living my dreams," he smiles.

After working on the album, the boys are leaving for the European tour.

DRUMMERS LIKE CONTROL

As a drummer, he keeps in the background, but that doesn't mean he lives in the band's shadow. "We're special people. We're happiest if things are under control. Just the fact that we sit all the way in the back says enough. You can see everything from there," he says, and adds that drummers are pretty technical types who are more reserved than the other band members. "We like the space we create for ourselves around the drums. That is our world and we really enjoy it. We're pretty nuts," he jokes.

We also chat about the band's fans, who are a unique phenomenon, as they know all the lyrics. "It's a crazy feeling when people abroad sing songs in Slovenian." Otherwise, he never craved attention and he's pretty introverted. "Out of everyone in the band, I'm the least enthusiastic about hanging out after gigs, not because I don't like the fans, but because I like my peace. I need time for myself after performances, which the fans very much respect and understand. After each gig, we take time to meet people, even if not all of us are there."

Despite looking thousands of girls in the eyes at gigs, his heart is currently not taken. "There's no time for dating. There was none last year, and none this year yet either," he laughs.

STEALING HIS MUM'S POTS

During our conversation, we also touch on his upbringing, and he tells me that he fell in love with music as a child, since his father Mitja and grandfather Cveto were also musicians. "I remember dancing around the living room with grandpa on Sundays, and moments when I stole my mum's pots from the kitchen, took them to the living room and banged on them with full force. All of that moved something inside me, leading me to being a musician today," he's convinced.

Another key moment happened when his father, who was also a drummer, took him to the concert of the guitarist and frontman of Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, in Tivoli Hall as a boy. "That was probably where it first became clear to me that I really wanted this," he says. His parents enrolled him in the music school in Logatec where he studied percussion instruments for eight years, he played in a brass band and a symphony orchestra, he was a member of various bands in elementary school.

"They wouldn't let me play the drums in music school, because they weren't on the curriculum, so I decided that I would learn how to play them on my own. After that, I had a more and more successful band each year, it escalated until I joined Joker Out," he remembers his younger years, when he was getting to know various genres and enjoying his calling more and more each year.

"We drummers are special people," says Jure.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH FILMING BECAUSE OF HIS DAD

Music, however, wasn't the only thing he spent years getting to know. In high school, thanks in part to his uncle and his dad, who often took him to the field with him as a cameraman, he worked as a correspondent cameraman and editor for RTV Slovenia (Slovenian national television). "When they were looking for a cameraman at RTV Slovenia, I already knew and understood a lot of things. I kind of miss that job. It was very varied because I spent a lot of time in the field, I was at sports, cultural, and political events. During the time when I was both a cameraman and a musician, I realised that there were a lot of parallels between those worlds."

Now, he sometimes misses a slightly more regular schedule. "I used to be home at four in the afternoon, now I won't be home until May," laughs the likable drummer, who really liked working as a cameraman, but was mainly driven by his commitment to music. Now, for just over three years, he's been part of a band in which he's found something more. "I actually didn't really know how to get to that point, because in Slovenia, we often hear that you can't make a living from music and it might be better to find something else, that it's difficult to survive in the music world, that it's not worth it. But there was always something driving me so strongly that I was determined to prove to myself and others that it's possible."

THE CAMERA IS ALWAYS ON

If you want it strongly enough, you can achieve anything you want, he says. He's sure that as a musician, he will never achieve anything bigger than Joker Out. "Even though I like to emphasise that I'm living my dreams, it's not all sunshine and roses. The music world can be very tough, you have to fight every day, because you don't know what you're getting yourself into and what the result will be. Everything is a little unknown."

While the members of Joker Out are constantly discovering new unknown things in their creative world, they're definitely not unknown on the music scene. They caress our ears and souls with their finely crafted lyrics and excellent music. Their fans can now even hope that these outstanding young musicians will record a documentary about their journey in the near future. "We started recording in 2021 and we have a lot of things in stock that might interest people. With us, it's like this: when we're on tour, the camera can be on at any moment, so we have to be a little mindful of how we behave. Actually, everything is recorded – backstage, travelling, hotels, arguments, as well as lovely moments!"

The fans are thrilled by his not-at-all-reserved photos.

DREAMING OF SUMMER AND CAMPING

The magical pinnacle of the band's musical odyssey, which started even before their acclaimed Eurovision performance, happened last October in sold-out Stožice. On this colourful journey, they only had a moment to catch their breath at home before setting off again for new adventures. After a temporary move to London, the boys travelled to Helsinki on the 28th of February, where they did production rehearsals, and their European tour starts on the 1st of March. "We will board the bus which we will live on for one month. I'm looking forward to this experience and the bus tour, as it will be our longest yet," he doesn't hide his excitement. The band will come back to Slovenia for seven days at the end of March to regain their strength, then they will have a few performances in the UK, and on the 15th of April, they will lock themselves into a studio in Hamburg for a month, recording the album that was created in London.

"This year, we were home for three days, until the 4th of January, which makes the days spent in Slovenia even more precious," adds Jure, who is endlessly excited for the summer. "I've seen enough hotels in the past year, so I want a genuine holiday like in the old days, when a friend and I converted a car to be able to sleep in a camp. I miss simple holidays in nature and without a phone. That's what I really want this year, at least for a week or so," one of the most charismatic Slovenian drummers reveals his humble wish to us.

If you repost quotes from the interview, please link back to this post!

[gremlin-girly]

Bubbles

Part of @steviebbboi 's 200 follower writer challenge submissions 💥💥

Prompts: "Just stay still, there you go." + "Thaaaaat's it you're doing so well, honey." + "Be careful there, darlin'."

Kinks: cumeating, dub-con (since it's siren song), cockdrunk

Pairing: Jake Jensen x f!siren!reader

Warnings/Tags: SMUT, but also... FLUFF, but mostly smut who are we kidding?, talks of loneliness, unprotected p-in-v (WRAP 👏 IT 👏), cum eating, monster fucking (barely. It's not like Ari's sorry), Innocence kink if you squint, cowgirl/riding, clawing/Scratching, cock drunk, slight dub con for siren song, virginity loss (not focused on), oral (m recieving), talk of mates (brief), petnames (darling, baby, sweetheart, sweetness, honey), cock bulge

I do try to capture everything but my warnings are non-exhaustive. Read at your own risk!

Not beta'd. I do not give permission for my work to be translated, copied or reposted or put through an AI machine.

Summary: When you rescue one of the strange beasts that visit your island, you're surprised to find that there's something about him you just can't resist.

Word count: 6.1k

Author's Notes are at the end of the fic :)

18+ divider: @/cafekitsune

Bubble divider: @/baexywth

Ionian Sea | Thin Walls | Masterlist | Sun, Sea and Sirens Collection

You don't remember how long you'd been on the island, only that it was long enough that you couldn't remember your name.

Every so often beasts of metal and plastic came near, spewing smoke or or oil into your clear waters. Sometimes they had smaller beasts on them, being loud or hunting your fish. Beasts that only sort of look like you.

You had always quietly observed them, not out of shyness but out of cautious curiosity. You couldn't speak to them even if you wanted to; they spoke in tongues you couldn’t begin to comprehend. They sang but not like how you sang; with broken tones and sounds that echoed across the night sky and into your cave.

Sometimes it sounded nice but most nights it was shouting, drunken gibberish and angry thumping bass that you couldn't escape even in the muted depths of your home.

Thankfully interactions with these strange beasts were rare enough that you didn't mind their brief interruptions to your peace. Occasionally, they’d leave things behind, like gifts for sharing your slice of paradise; articles of strange clothing that was tiny or stringy, or blankets or fuzzy towels that you could use to add comfort to your home.

Edging from your nest of blankets and towels, you climb to your feet and stretch. The light that cascades from a hole in the rock some twenty feet above your head signals it’s still morning, the water along the cave’s pebbled shoreline swishing gently to the current and glittering under the streams of sunlight.

You make your way to the edge studying the two defined lines left on the stones by the tide. High tide has long since come and gone but judging by how far the shoreline had receeded...

You hum to yourself thoughtfully as you stepped into the water, wading until you could comfortably dive underwater. The water was colder than usual too and you shivered as your tail shimmered into existence. You move lazily through the water of your cave, following the current of the open sea through one of the many tunnels that interlink your home to the ocean and other beaches around the island.

You're close to the shore when you raise your head above the surface, peering out into the vast sparkling ocean. You can see one of the big white beasts on the horizon (didn't the little beasts call them... boats?) unsure if it would come closer to your island. Not that you cared much, so long as they weren’t around long and maybe left you some offerings, you would cope with them hanging around. Besides breakfast was more important right now and it a beautiful day with a light breeze. The waves roll calmly onto the shore...

A little too calmly.

You hum with a frown, eyeing the swaying trees. If a storm was on the horizon you’d be in for a turbulent night but then again, that meant the boat wouldn't be around very long.

Diving back under the surface, you begin your daily search of food; much to the fish's dismay.

That night, you couldn't settle.

The boat had in fact come closer, the thrum of voices, of laughter, of sound, calling to you like a damn siren song of its own. You'd wandered around you cave tidying what little items you had, skimmed pebbles into the water before giving up and diving in.

A peek.

A short nosy.

As always keeping your distance and observing from a far. No matter how much you wished you could be a part of their joy.

The sun was quickly setting as you swam to the bottom of the water bowl. You could still see through the water easily enough, thankfully, but the darkness would provide additional cover from the beasts.

The water was tepid now, the current strong, but your curiousity is stronger as you swam through the same tunnel you had this morning. You tried not to rush, pretending to be calm and collected, although you had no one to pretend to.

Approaching the boat, you can hear laughter. You glide through the current like a hot knife through butter, twirling and rolling under the boat as you listen to the happy chatter above you. With the lights of the boat, you would be pushing it getting closer; too risky to be seen. However, being under the boat, hearing the drunken merriment above made you feel.... happy. Sure, you were on the outside looking in but for a short while you could pretend that you were a part of their group, their... pod.

You lay back, staring up at the bottom of the boat. Pod. The word flitted around your brain from time to time; a word from another life, from your childhood, before you were alone. You supposed, from memories with blurred faces you'd pieced together over the years, that having a pod was important for a variety of reasons; passing on tradition, sharing history and social development. It was a shame you didn't have one.

Sighing, you sent a mass of bubbles skyward but before your alien blues could settle in, a sound erupted from above. It wasn't like the sounds you'd heard before. Vibrations flooded the water, wracking your body with sensations of bass. You've never moved so quickly in all of your life to the surface, not even caring if you're within range of the boat lights.

As you surface another new sound erupts; your eyes widen, your heart swoons. It sounds beautiful. And yet... you couldn't begin to describe it in a way that would do it justice. Symphonies echo around you as instruments that you'd never heard begin their piece. Tears well at the sheer emotion evoked deep within you; rocking you to the very corners of your soul.

But then, in a cruel twist of fate, one of the smaller beasts began to attempt to mimic the voice emanating from the boat.

And it was awful.

"Well you can tell by the way I walk I'm a woman's man - no time to talk."

Your hands slap over your ears and you grimace, glaring angrily up at the boat. The voice was too comically high, off-key and off-beat (somehow).

"Jensen! Quit it!"

That was a different voice to the one singing and although you couldn't understand what was being said, from the tone you could tell they weren't pleased at the noise being made either. You grumbled as you sunk slightly lower into the water as the first voice continued. More noises of repulsion from the boat turn to laughter. Then a figure appeared, moving in-time to the music yet still off beat to the lyrics near your side of the boat. You were going to disappear but his back was to you; and you couldn't miss the opportunity to watch the strange movements he was making.

His arms jutted in odd directions; diagonally and back to his hips, left and then right. You silently mimicked them, trying not to stir the water too loudly. The beast then moved his hips fiercely, circling them around and around as he continues yelling the same words as the disembodied voice.

You look down at your tail, barely visible beneath the waves now. Perhaps it would be better when you'd dried off to do whatever he was doing with his hips. However, it seemed like it was too much fun not to join in.

You dip back under the surface, hiding from sight once more and copying the moves you saw from the strange blond beast on the boat. Your tail sliced through the water as you swished your hips, raising your arms and twirling in time to the thuds (and abominable singing). Very soon you were laughing and smiling; this was far better than the other times beasts had been in your waters.

The pitter of rain on the surface came about an hour later, with shouts of anguish from the boat as the party retreated under cover. Howls of wind made the sea swell, your body pushed upwards by the current, the boom of thunder and crack of lightning illuminating thea and sky.

You knew this would happen but it was still disappointing. Your fun had been ruined. Breaking the surface, you gulp at the air and bob ferociously in amongst the waves, a mixture of rain and sea spray splashing your face.

There's shouts from the boat and something catches your peripheral. The boat sits on a wave far above your head. The current and dragged you closer to the bow without you noticing and with the way the boat was rocking you needed to dive and fast.

You dip beneath the waves, fighting your way to the depths as the boat smashes into the current where your body had been seconds before.

Another lightning bolt sends a beam of light through the darkness and you see a figure swimming upwards. Upwards towards the boat, where the swell of the current leads.

You don't think. You swim hurriedly towards the figure, gripping its waist and dragging them back into the depths just as the boat slams down into the ocean with a violent smack.

The figure fights you and you recognise the figure as the blond beast from earlier. Smacking at your back and arms and kicking your tail with muffled grumbles that make your heart rate skyrocket, he tries to pry himself free from your grip.

You growl at him wishing he would be still. The only thing you're chanting to yourself is to take him to safety.

Take him home.

Your tail beats hard, desperately trying to escape the current that mercilessly drags you and your newly saved beast backwards into the depths. Your home isn't far and your spurred on when you feel the beast sag against you, his movements slowing to a limp halt.

Panick-stricken, you push your body to the limit, forcing yourself to get to your cave and carefully navigate around the rocky walls with the beast in your arms. You manage to successfully get through the tunnel entrance and you make a hasty swim to the surface.

The beast is still limp against you as you paddle to the shore line, forcing your tail to transform back to your legs. The process was painful, if you didn't know what you were doing, and there was always an ache afterwards. You'd learned to do it accidentally, it was a survival response but that didn't make the rip of your legs as they separated any less agonising especially with the weight of the beast on you.

With small grunts you angle him onto your shoulder, knees bending painfully under his weight. You tell yourself you'll be better on the morning and push forward, dragging yourself and the beast from the shallow waters and to your nest of blankets despite the urge to collapse against the pebbles and stones.

You half drop, half throw the beast down and collapse next to him, poking his face. He's still not moving. A growl of concern leaves you and you press your ear to his soaked chest. Surely, he had the same organs as you did?

A gentle thumping, eerily quiet, comes from beneath your ear.

You shove him onto his side and smack his back hard. The first smack does nothing but the second makes him cough up water and take a huge inhale of air. You sigh, sitting onto your haunches as he turns onto his back.

There's no light bar the lightning strike and the wind and rain add a vicious cold bite in the air. You turn to the makeshift fire pit you have, beyond the blankets, trying to settle your breathing and wish the ache in your muscles away. You move towards it, setting up a small pile of driftwood and striking stone against flint. Sparks fly and your new companion groans and sputters. Once the fire is steady, you move back to him, checking for any injuries.

Other than a gash on his forearm, he seems okay if not a little disorientated.

“Wow,” He mutters up at you, eyes fluttering under some strange circular crystals. “You’re beautiful.”

You smile back at him but your brows furrow in confusion. You still don’t know what he’s saying but it doesn’t seem aggressive or threatening, it seems.... sweet.

His eyes flutter closed again and he sighs, turning his body towards the warmth of the fire. Towards you.

You run your fingers through the short hair on his head tentatively. You'd never been this close before. Your heart thumped wildly as you moved down beside him, scanning his face and features as he fell asleep beside you. You cuddled closer when he shivered draping one of the many towels and blankets over you both before the adrenaline crash claimed you for sleep as well.

When Jake blinks awake to the morning sun cascading through the high entrance of the cave, his head spins trying to remember the events of the night before.

However, when he looks down he sees you curled into his side and fast asleep, he thinks he must be in heaven. He attempts to move away without waking you but a burst of pain in his left arm makes him groan in agony.

Your head whips up, your heart frenzied, and you stare down at him.

"Good morning," He says slowly, not that you understand or care. "You... saved me?"

You blink at him and tilt your head, your eyes flickering over his face and then down to his arm. The cut is deeper than you'd originally thought but it doesn't look awful, which was a good sign.

"Thank you."

Inching closer, you glance back to him. Your attempts to study him had gone amiss last night. Now, with the light of a new day and no worry of crashing out, you were able to study him a lot better.

You reach out, your fingertips brushing against the patch of... fur ? He has on his face. He jumps at the touch but allows you to trace your fingers around his lips, looking up at you with wide blue eyes.

"You know, you should probably give me your name before you go touching me." He comments, but there's a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. Your fingers continue to brush his soft pink lips, entranced. You don't know why you'd saved him; don't know why you'd brought him to your home or even slept next to him. It was strange, really; your fascination of a complete stranger, a beast so different to yourself, brought on so suddenly and unexpectedly.

You feel your lips twitch upwards back at him as fingers trail up to the clear crystals over his eyes and you tap them with your fingernail.

"Hey now," the stranger laughs, his hands coming up to take yours. "Don't break my accessories. I need 'em to see."

His grip on your hands is gentle, his intent not to restrain you. He still speaks in a tongue you don't understand but like his warm grip, it's soft, playful even. You sit back slightly, your towel-blanket falling away from you as you regarding his features again, when you catch his eyes flicker downward and his head jerks back; his eyes squeezed shut.

"Oh God." He mutters as you watch his face change colour to a berry red. Were all beasts like this? Could their skin colour change?

"You're naked?"

Your hands cup his cheeks and your palms boil against his skin. When you catch the redness appearing from below the clothing he wears, your handsy exploration is halted by a firmer grip on your hands and a panicked, "Woah! No, okay. Let's just slow down."

You give a short huff, brows furrowed at him and lips puffed into a cute pout. An expression the stranger clearly struggles to give in to as he sits up, looking at your face and still clutching your hands.

"My name is Jake," he annunciates the words slowly, searching your eyes to see if you understand but you look at him blankly. "Jake Jensen."

You shrug at him and he points at himself. "Jake."

"Jake." You repeat, getting a feel for his name on your tongue. It felt perfect and it made an excitable feeling bubbling in your chest. "Jake."

"What about you, huh?" He urges, nodding at you. "What's your name?"

You don't remember your name and even if you did, he may not even be able to pronounce it. You settle for bumping your forehead against his instead, staring into his vast, ocean-like eyes.

"Guess you don't have one." Jake chuckles giving you a sympathetic look. "We'll find one. But I need to get out of these damp clothes first."

He moves away from you slightly to look around your home, spotting the fire pit. He gets to his feet and begins humming to himself, setting the wood as you had the night before, lighting another small fire that crackled loudly throughout the cave. But another fire burns; deep within your belly, one that you feel often and one that is only quelled by your hand between your thighs. Your can feel the hairs on your neck stand on end and a warm flush creep up your cheeks as he hums, watching intensely as he removes his damp clothing save for the brightly coloured item below his waist, your eyes trailing his toned body and the strange markings he has etched onto his skin. Climbing silently to your feet, you come up behind him as he relishes the warmth of the fire and take a quiet inhale through your nose, attempting to place his scent. The smell of the sea has stuck to him but he smells delicious; warm and almost tropical. Sweet.

Your fingers dance down his spine, and he shivers and yelps but when he turns his face to you, he has a bashful grin.

"Can't get enough of me can you?"

You blink at him again, wishing you knew what he was saying. Looking down, you press a splayed hand against the taught muscles of his stomach, against another small thatch of the coarse fur that seems to cover him.

He sucks in a sudden breath and you look up at him curiously. Jake's cheeks are that rosy pink colour again. A large hand covers yours and moves it away from his body, warmth radiating from him in waves but when he speaks, his voice is low and laden with a tone you'd never heard before.

"Sweetheart, I'm trying to be a good person but you're making it hard." His breathing is heavier and when you see the bob of his throat and the way his tongue glides over his lips, you squeeze your legs together involuntarily.

Your eyes glance down to the patterns etched on his chest. Memories swirl; you remember seeing something similar as a child. Your hand reaches up, delicately tracing the outline of the image with your finger.

"You like my tattoos?" Jake chuckles down to you, smiling softly at the look of wonder on your face.

"Tah-toooo?" You mimick, flicking at the image on his skin.

"Ow! Yeah, tattoo." Jake rubs his chest where you flicked him and you watch in awe as the image doesn't disappear. "I have this one on my arm too."

He half turns, showing you an image of a ram head on his bicep. You cup the muscle between your hands. Your hands barely emcompass the bicep as you study the image, the tattoo, and Jake flexes his muscles.

What happens instead surprises you both; not only do you squeak but a flurry of giggles erupt from you and you squeeze his arm tighter. Jake was a funny beast, in all senses of the word, and it made your little heart pitter-patter with excitement. No other beast had made you feel like this. No other beast had made you want to risk revealing yourself to them. There was a word on the tip of your tongue for someone like him, someone special, but even if you could remember it you doubted it would translate to whatever language he spoke. But maybe this transcended language.

Your eyes glitter as you look up at him, your heart skipping when you find he's smiling warmly down at you. Your hands explore the width of his shoulders, turning him back to face you, before dropping lower to wander over the hair on his chest again. Your fingers follow a dark line of hair that trails lower and lower....

You can feel his breath on your skin and heat from your core bubble upwards, making your own skin change to a shade of angry, blistering red. Your nipples pebble when they brush against the coarse, rough fur of his chest. Another rush of insatiable hunger, of desperate need for him, washes over you.

Closing what little distance is left between you, your press your face up against his intending to bump your forehead against his again and look into those gorgeous eyes once more. However when his breath catches at your closeness, his lips part temptingly, and you decide to press yours against them.

All inhibition melts away and you wrap your arms around him, squeezing him against you and adoring the feeling of that rough hair on his chest over your sensitive nipples. Your eyes flutter and you hum, your nerves electrified.

When your hips bump with his, your breath catches, and you break the sweet kiss to look down between your bodies. Between his hips, under the brightly coloured clothing there was the outline of something hard.

"Fuck, sorry. You're just beautiful and naked, I-"

His words are cut short when you grab the outline of the thing between you.

"Jesus!" He huffs, prying your tight hands from around his stiff cock. "Be careful there, darlin'. The goods have to be handled with care."

You look up to him, your brows knitted with impatience. Whatever you were feeling towards him, he clearly felt towards you too. You had been on your own for so long that whatever this thing was; you wanted more of it. And it seemed that in order to do that you would need to remove his strange clothing.

You drop so quickly Jake doesn't register it at first until he feels a breeze dance across his now-bare thighs.

"MY GOODS!"

Jake's attempt to cover himself are slapped away by your hands and he eventually sighs, resigning himself to the strange predicament he's in. Not that he was complaining about his situation. A beautiful woman completely enraptured by him and wants to fuck him? He's the luckiest guy in the world right now. Even if he happened to be dead, this heaven was perfect.

His cock twitches when you drag your nose along his inner thigh, breathing in the new musky scent that seems to surround the area of flesh once previously hidden. Even though what you're seeing is entirely new to you, you know from your own explorations of your body that this area tends to be sensitive and that you should proceed with care, despite the deep-rooted primal urge to... well, have him.

You trail kisses along his thigh until you reach the apex of your curiosity. You glance up, surprised to see Jake watching you with a half-lidded expression, his extra appendage emanating heat. You wait for a moment, waiting for him to speak, or another nonverbal cue to halt your exploration of him. But when none come, you give the tip of his appendage a small lick.

"Hooooo 'kay." He breathes out, trying to focus his brain. But when his beautiful eyes flutter you take it as your sign to continue, lapping at the small beads of salty substance that taste like the musk you had smelled. Feeling a wash of excitement when he shudders a moan, you take the entire tip into your mouth, and Jake's hands fly into your hair.

You look up at him, pouting around his cock, and Jake almost busts there and then. Jake gives a small nod for you to continue and you hollow your cheeks, sucking him down your throat eagerly and humming around him. He tasted delicious and from the sounds he was making as your mouth moved up and down his shaft, he knew you thought so too.

You move further down eager to take all of him, if you could, but when his tip nudges the back of your throat you gag. You don't move back though, tears prickling at your eyes as you try to breathe around him, accommodating to his size.

"Just stay still," Jake says gently, stroking a hand over your hair. Your mouth relaxes at his gesture, and you chance another glance skyward and see Jake giving you an encouraging smile. "There you go. Just breathe, sweetness."

You hum around him again and feel him twitch against your tongue. He groans again, head tilting back out of your line of sight. Pride fills your lungs as you take a deep inhale through your nose, slick pooling between your legs. After a few more pumps up and down his shaft Jake halts you with a short tug to your hair.

"Fuck. C'mere gorgeous." Jake joins you on the blankets, pulling your face to his and capturing your lips in a ravenous kiss. A rumbling sound rises from Jake’s chest as his tongue slips between your lips, hungrily tasting himself on your tongue.

The rumbling sound makes your clit throb and you mewl at him, opening your mouth wider to allow him to explore freely as your hands knot in his short hair and you push him onto his back with your body.

Jake's hands slide up and down your body but not once does his mouth stop moving against yours, not even when your legs straddle his hips. There's another rumble when you slide your cunt against his cock and you're first to break the kiss to let out a loud moan.

Jake's chest heaves as he searches your face with a smile, reaching down behind you to drag his hard cock between your wet folds and watching your pretty face contort with pleasure.

"Feel good, baby?"

Your hips jerk downwards and, completely by accident, sheath him completely inside of you. You both stiffen with voiceless gasps. You've never been so full before. You can feel how he twitches at every flutter of your pussy and when you rock back onto his thighs you can feel his cock press against your walls, creating a visible bulge against the soft skin of your mound.

Your nails dig into his shoulders and you bite down on your pouty lips, stifling a moan and making it vibrate through your body instead. Jake's hands grip your flesh hard as he curses in his strange tongue, babbling something that made your body flush and flutter. You move your hips, grinding down in circles rocking back and forth; almost doing the same movements he had the night before. And it feels fucking fantastic.

Mewls and gasps rip from your throat, and you're helpless to stop them as you watch Jake’s blue eyes widen; his pupils dilating so much that the tropical ocean blue is replaced with stormy sea black.

"Thaaaaat's it. You're doing so well, honey." Jake praises, running his hands up the curves of your hips to cup and squeeze and your breasts tenderly. Your breathing hiccups when his thumbs graze your hard, sensitive nipples and your pussy constricts him further. The pleasure he slowly draws from makes you want more and more of him.

"J-Jake." Your voice is shaky and your thighs tremble. The swell of pleasure unlike anything you had experienced had you moaning loudly as your walls spasmed around Jake.

"I know, I've got you." He murmurs, giving your hips a reassuring squeeze before his hips snap upwards, sending him deeper into your cunt and lurching you forward. You brace against his shoulders, whining his name, as your cock-drunk gaze meets his glassy, pussy-drunk one and you feel a cord somewhere within your core tighten.

Pebbles beneath your nest of towels and blankets eat into your knees as Jake moves his hips against yours. He's slow at first, feeling every drag and ridge your tight hole offers before losing himself to the pleasure when you drop your face to kiss him sweetly. Rumbles of pleasure erupt from you both, your mouths caught between moans, kisses and sweet nothings as Jake ruts into you.

The cord you felt earlier tightens and tightens until you feel an almost rising panic, shouting Jake's name when that cords finally snaps. A rush of pleasure makes you feel lightheaded, your pussy squeezing tightly. You're on cloud nine, still being fucked when you suddenly find yourself on your back staring up at Jake.

Open-mouthed kisses and pants litter your neck and you offer the same to him, with the addition of digging your nails into his back and soft whimpers of his name. The cord in your core tightens faster this time and when Jake fucks into you harder than before, you cum over his cock a second time.

"Oh shit oh shit." Jake pulls out of you after a few more thrusts, pumping himself a few times before covering your abdomen with a warm, sticky substance. Without hesitation you dip your fingers down swiping up some of the substance and bringing it to your face, studying the creamy substance for a moment before popping your fingers into your mouth and clean them with a happy, blissful hum.

Jake slumps back onto his haunches watching you with a dopey smile before moving to lie next to you.

"Wow." He pants, moving to lie next to you, propped on his elbow.

"Wow." You mimic, giving him a grin. Jake breaks into a bright smile, leaning over to peck your lips. You giggle and and turn into him, nuzzling against his chest and humming happily.

And for the first time, he mimicks you; humming with a beautiful bass that complements your own song. The elation you feel persists as you hold onto him, both of you in harmony, for moments that stretch eons. You were right before; whatever was between you transcended language.

"You really like singing huh?" He says dreamily.

You nip along his jawline playfully, only half-listening to whatever gibberish he's saying. He has unlocked something that you are unwilling to part with.

"Do you like music?"

"Mewz-ick?" You murmur back to him with another curious head tilt, halting your kisses.

"Yeah, you know," he pauses for a moment and then he begins to do that awful thing with his voice that he did last night.

You lunge at him. Jumping back onto his sprawled body as he shrieks in terror, your hands flying to his mouth, fighting to clamp his mouth shut. But then he hums confusedly from behind your palm, condensation forming on your skin against the soft of his mouth and you relax again, removing your hands from his mouth to cup his face.

"Okay! Okay!" Jake puffs a laugh as you grumble at him. "You don't like my singing - I got the hint."

You lean down, pressing your forehead against his and look into his eyes. They gleam with happiness, like yours do, and if you look a little longer you'd swear you're tail would appear as you drown into the depths of his soul.

Jake's lips meet yours for a tender kiss, a finger trails your spine to make you shiver and he chuckles when you nip his lips for it.

"We should probably clean up." Jake murmurs, although he's not too keen on moving away from you. Despite his being a romantic, and trying (and failing) to find someone, there was something about you that was enthralling. Falling hard and fast was in Jake's repertoire, sure, but this felt different. The way you looked at him, the way you held him, touched him. And by God, the way you fucked him.

You seemed just as enthralled too, which made the entire strange situation better.

Sitting up, you pondered your next move. The word for someone like Jake was itching the back of your mind and it was becoming bothersome. You picked up Jake's arm, the one with the gash, and checked it carefully. It hadn't reopened but washing it out may be a good idea.

Heaving to your feet with a displeased grunt you offer your hand to Jake whose still watching you with a pleasant smile. You smile back at him and pull him to the edge of the water basin. Repeating yesterday morning's routine you wade into the water with Jake closely behind.

The water is cooler than yesterday and reasonably calm. The storm had had its tantrum and had moved on and, much like the usual boats and beasts, left you with a gift you'd forever be thankful for.

You swim further into basin, so that you're deep enough to allow your tail plenty of space to move.

"Wow, talk about a strong swimmer. No wonder you were able to rescue me." Jake comments, paddling idly behind you. Watching his slow movements, a sly idea comes to your mind, making you smirk over at him before you dive to the soft sand at the bottom of the basin.

You curl into yourself and watch the surface, the Jake's legs moving languidly against water. The sound of his garbled voice speaking softly in the echo of the cave.

"Sweetheart? Where'd you go?"

You swim upwards towards Jake's feet slowly, grasping his ankle and pulling him down towards you hard. He yelps but when he sees you giggling under the water at him, cracks into a playful smile and reaches for you; fingers tickling at your ribs. You blow bubbles at him and try and wriggle away, your tail swatting at his legs.

He looks down and does a double take before rushing to the surface, dragging you with him.

"You have a tail! You're a mermaid?" He can't seem to tread water in his excitement, and disappears for a moment before reappearing and splashing excitably, making you flinch.

"Mermaid?" You mutter back to him, confused.

He points wildly at your tail beneath the surface. "Mermaid!" He pants. "You're a mermaid!"

Your purse your lips at him, still not sure what he's saying but he's clearly excited about it. He doesn't seem to mind that you have a tail. Quite the contrary, he's asking you something as his hand tentatively reaches forward to touch your tail.

The muscles twitch under his palm, sending shivers throughout your body, scales rippling multicolour in the tiny inlet of sun. Jake's eyes are wide with fascinatination, stroking up and down your scales and your tail flicks at him.

"The swimming makes sense now," he mutters to himself, running his hands over your hips where scale meets skin. "Why you were out there. How you were able to save me."

He looks to the blankets and fire, then back to you. "But you don't speak English. How... long have you been here?"

When you give him a blank stare he gives you an apologetic look. "Oh yeah. Can't speak English. My bad."

A thought crosses his mind and his skin pales as you move closer to him and his voice drops to a quiet, worried tone,"Did you need me to - to... Breed?"

You pull a face at him , scrunching your nose. Whatever he'd said, you were sure it was a little bit insulting.

Your tail flicks in annoyance, a gush of water splashing Jake's face.

"Okay - yeah, I deserved that."

His shoulders relax and you wrap your arms around his neck, your tail swishing gently between his legs. "I need to find where the boat went. Do you think you could help me baby?"

"Jake," you murmur, placing tender kisses over his face, carefully avoiding to bump his glasses.

"Yeah Bubbles? Oop-" you tip him underwater, giggling happily as you twist around him, holding him close. The rumbling sound that emits from deep within your soul echoes within the water and you watch Jake's eyes go glassy and he grins up at you.

You twist onto your back, grinning right back at him, elation in your bones making you a weightless, perfect semi-circle above him.

Mate.

That was the word you'd been searching for. That's who Jake was to you. Your mate. Now and forever.

There was a myriad of things to do with your Jake, so many questions you couldn't yet voice with answers you couldn't understand and experiences you had yet to live. However, first and foremost, you needed to find where his pod had disappeared to and gather more food.

Then you'd teach him how to sing.

A/N: so, I lied when I said I said this would be shorter lol

I am sorry for making your first "human" song Stayin' Alive 🥲 It just seemed like smth Jake would sing

Anyway this was the first of many ideas I had and I'm sorry it took aaaaages but after rehashing it and figuring out what siren I wanted for this well... my drafts certainly got a lot bigger. But me oh my what a SLOG (this took the longest a fic has ever taken - A MONTH)

Since I have Fluffcember this month, I can't promise any new story uploads HOWEVER I have put a little poll out to see which darling should come next in the collection.

Thanks again to @steviebbboi for the prompts that ultimately ended up inspiring an entire collection. Maybe Jake and Bubbles will get a part 2 (but oh boy I do belive Guppy should get a part 2 first)

- Love, Grem x

a/n2: IT WAS 6.1k???????

[jelly-of-many-ships]

COMPLETE OFMD S2 CONTENT LIST:

To anyone looking for a complete list of trailers, vids, and photos released for OFMD season 2, here ya go.

(I’m not rly active on anything other than tumblr rn so i’m sry if I missed smth)

! LINKS CONTAIN SPOILERS !

So, first of all we have the official teaser trailer, released on August 30th: TEASER LINK

On September 14th we finally got the full length trailer. I’m assuming we’ve all seen these already: TRAILER LINK

There was a promo vid containing new s2 scenes that some people were getting on their TVs and recording and uploading to twitter. What some people don’t know is that that the official OFMD facebook account recently uploaded the same promo thats actually good quality and not just recording off a tv screen. Anyways if there’s a scene you’ve been seeing but it wasn’t in the trailer or teaser, its probably here: PROMO VID LINK

Here’s the links to some of those twitter vids if you don’t know what i’m talking about: twitter vid, twitter vid, These have the same content as the facebook link, just shitty quality.

Oh also Vico Ortez (plays Jim) posts a lot of s2 things on their tiktok. Nothing with spoilers just BTS (not the k-pop band I swear to god) I guess this doesn’t count but some of it’s rly funny: Vico Ortez tiktok

PHOTOS:

The first batch of season 2 photos we got were from Vanity fair on august 24th, but those photos plus a bunch of others are now available together somewhere i’ll say in a sec. Here is the article that showed us the first look at s2: VANITY FAIR ARTICLE

So, warner bros discovery gave us an *almost* complete collection of currently released photos. This does include the vanity fair photos but most of these you can’t find anywhere else. they say which episode every photo is from and let you download them too which is pretty cool. The site also has some great articles in the media releases section but they’re not that relevant. Go to the images section to see the s2 pics: S2 PHOTO COLLECTION

The final thing I found was the exclusive photo “The Streamr” posted on twitter. In fact there’s this whole thing happening with the OFMD twitter fandom and The Streamr and apparently they’ve posted exclusive photos that aren’t in the Warner Bros collection. Once again I am not actively on twitter so I don’t really know that much. I was only able to find one exclusive image posted by them but if there are any more please let me know. THE STREAMR EXCLUSIVE PHOTO

EDIT: found another photo on twitter! YET ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE PHOTO

EDIT: There’s a S2 behind the scenes vid from the max YouTube channel and it’s got so many extra clips it’s practically a third trailer!!! Also apparently there are some more articles that just released and I’m a bit busy rn but I’ll find and add them soon behind the scenes vid

EDIT: OMG THE MAX YOUTUBE CHANNEL POSTED A SCENE FROM EPISODE 1 AND IZZYS CRYING AND THE CREW IS COMFORTING HIM ITS CANON S2E1 SCENE

that is all that I personally know of but if there is anything else you think should be included please add it or lmk, I want this to be a complete list. If anything new comes out I will try my best to add that as well.

I was pretty confused where everyone was getting all the s2 info and I couldn’t find a complete list anywhere so I decided to make my own. hope this cleared it up for anyone else🤗

[headingalaxys-spicy]

hey there! i really loved your interpretation about japan and germany stalking a celebrity s/o! maybe you could do the 2p!allies next + 1p!romano and spain (just bc i love them sm lol)? thank you for taking the time to read this :3

finally I wrote this one. Also I’m sure you need a heavy dose of escapism.

2p England

Olivers makes nice with the Hollywood elites, directors, and producers. Oliver lures them in with his accent and gentlemanly charm. (Plus, Americans really fawn over a cockney accent) He’ll glean information about what things are like for you on set, whether is there a co-star you don’t like / butt heads with/ find creepy, etc, so that he has more ammo to use on you later. 

The dude definitely has a pristine shrine of yours decorated in pinks and blues, complete with enchantment candles, crystals, and incantations all designed to get you to notice him and think of him. Nothing has seemed to work yet, but you did like a few of his posts on Instagram and Twitter.  

Of course, he has sent you cupcakes and other goodies from his bakery to try, and since he runs a legitimate business, you don’t hesitate to eat. (It’s too cute not to eat since he had a decent level of popularity himself.) But don’t count on it always being poison/drug-free. The first few batches are to gain your trust.  

Once he’s gathered enough info, he has a full setup plan to nab you and keep MI6  off his trial and suspicion away from him. He’ll send you one last batch of assorted sweets that know you, your security, & entourage out. Oliver takes care of your video cameras with his magic & leaves no trace. No one will be able to find you. 

2p France 

He attends most of your shows with a VIP pass, where he’ll always want to shake your hand. François will give you his number every other time he sees you backstage in the hopes that you’ll shoot him a text. Every time you see him though he does make your neck hairs stand on high. 

He keeps a picture of you that he expertly took like a paparazzi cameraman in his wallet. He keeps a faint hope that maybe one day you’ll see him more than some adoring fan. 

François does have enough influence to have one of the interns who worked under you steal some of the lingerie or costume(s) you used in one of your shows. 

Follows all of your Twitter and Instagram posts so he can get a good dopamine hit. He will print out your saucy ones & pin them too his walls. 

2p China

Dude definitely has hacked your home security cameras so he has a decent idea of your habits and routines. 

Has spent time making a collage in his office made from magazine clippings, newspaper articles, things he’s found on Weibo, South China Morning Post, etc there isn’t a piece of news or update he’s missed form you. 

Zao is charming and knows how to rizz you up, and he managed to get you to go on a date with him. Being a drug lord who controls most of the Chinese trade and is a powerful political figure, it’s easy for him to take you somewhere exclusive and elusive for a date. Zao will sweet-talk you and shower you with expensive gifts. However, during the date, he’s careful not to give away how much he actually knows about you. He has to downplay that to keep you at ease. If you reject him and don’t want to have a committed relationship with him he won’t outwardly show his rage…at first. 

Zao and his crew will collect you when you’re at some glitzy party. Your critical thinking skills will be marred too much by booze and drugs, especially the ones that make it’s way into one of your drinks. 

2p Russia 

Viktor will keep a journal and give critiques on how you could improve your performances. He never misses a single broadcast, livestream, or when you’re featured in another person's song or in one of those daytime talk shows he usually abhors but you being a topic makes it interesting. 

When you walk the red carpet he’s stolen some member of the press credentials so he now has an advantage to get perfect shots of you, that he’ll later add to his scrapbook collection. 

Viktor will even indulge in reading x reader fanfictions he’ll find across the internet. Viktor is a lurker he won’t comment, subscribe, or interact with posts nada. He’ll observe and print his favorite ones he keeps in a file for his enjoyment when he has a shitty day. He does rank his favorites in which would be the most realistic senarios. 

He will dabble in poetry and pull some strings to ensure you see his masterpieces while you’re in your dressing room, along with a few gifts he’s left behind. 

2p America 

Allen is one of your more rowdy fans when he attends your live performances. Allen puts his all into it when he cheers for you. It feels like he’s reached a new level of euphoria when he sees you on stage hitting extremely high notes. 

Allen of course attends all of your concerts with backstage VIP passes. He will be extremely touchy with you. He doesn’t do anything that would get him kicked out but he feels up your upper arms, waist, and of course will want a hug from you. 

Allen will ask you to autograph his bicep. Later on he will get it tattooed on himself. 

He’ll clean himself up extremely nicely & chat you up at every club, event, & appearance you’re at. The mantra that he lives by: ‘Someday you’ll love me doll & I’ll have you for myself.’ 

2p Canada 

Mathieû had been following your career since it’s infancy. He attended all of your small events as they gradually grew. He was always in the background, recording, taking pictures, and notating your behavior. 

On occasion, Mathieû successfully followed you home & surveyed your entire house. He beats off other stalkers because that job only has one position for him. 

He knows your favorite cafes you like to frequent & once a month he will buy you your favorite drink and simply leave his signature with his cellphone number attached. 

You once left your jacket at a nightclub and yeah you’re not getting that back. Mathieû will relish in your natural scent & trademark perfume. He lets Kuma have a whiff so he can hunt you down when the right time has come. 

1p Romano 

Lovino's house is filled to the brim with all of your merch from concerts and brands that have endorsed you. 

Attends all of your concerts, appearances, & small VIP events. Nation’s meetings be damned! Seeing you again in show was far more important than attending those. 

Lovino does try to be discreet and smooth when stalking you when you’re out in public to get photos or to simply admire you, only to be apprehended by security. 

Bro has a Twitter stanning you and burning any fucker alive that criticizes you. 

Lovino has to fall back and stalk all of your socials. Writing & reading fanfics daydreaming about the days you’ll notice him. 

1p Spain

Only your music & flamenco plays in his house. 

Antonio's obviously happy face will be one you always see in the front row at your shows. He’s got a little bit of a tug on your heart with that charming and disarming smile of his. 

He’ll come armed with roses & a waterproof tracker hidden well within them. He will track you back to your house and strike when you’re away so he can claim your undergarments as his trophies. He will leave a singular red rose on your dresser with a card written in Spanish. It reads 

“Te adoro. 

Estoy enamorada de ti. 

Cásate conmigo y hazme el hombre más afortunado del mundo.” 

I adore you. 

I’m in love with you. 

  Marry me & make me the luckiest man in the world. 

[art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament]

who’s excited for stats so far?? i bet none of you are but i’m inflicting them anyway! ...under a cut.

so far, though, we have 198 separate submissions across 166 works!

so far the longest submission piece is 551 words long! wow! there are also another 3 submissions that are over 300 words long, and one piece has 797 words across 7 submissions! the shortest submission, to contrast, is 5 words long! that’s also great!

there are currently 4 artists that have had 3 pieces of art each submitted, and 8 artists that have had 2 pieces. that means there’s currently 137 other artists! oh sorry, while i was drafting this post we got a fourth submission for one of the four.

how about things anyone can go look at? there are currently 7 pieces of public art that have been submitted! four of them are from canada (and 3 are from the calgary specifically), one is in the netherlands, one is in spain, and one is in new york. the fourth canadian one also has copies in spain, japan, and arkansas. there are also 3 submitted buildings! two are in spain, and one is in thailand!

gender! we’ve got 122 pieces from male artists, and 32 pieces by female artists! yes that doesn’t add up to 166, the other 12 are either multiple artists, unknown artists, or i felt like a creeper trying to trawl through their tumblr/website and it wasn’t in their bio. sadly, we don’t have any openly trans, nb, or otherwise genderqueer artists submitted (where openly is “i could find it in the same 5 second google search to determine nationalities”)

even more niche stats! the largest submission (that isn’t a building, a cave, or public art) is 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) x 34.14 m (112.0 ft) and weighs 4 tons! close behind it is another that's approximately 3.7m x 25.2m (12ft x 72.9ft) but weighs significantly less! i did not feel like mathing which had more square footage. the smallest submission (that is, a physical piece in real life, digital art can be insanely small) is 5.9 x 6 cm (2 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.)!

how about locations? excluding the multiple copies ones, there are 32 pieces located in the united states, 9 in spain, 8 in france, 6 in canada, 5 in england, 4 in italy, 3 each in russia, australia and mexico, 2 each in the netherlands, wales, scotland, and ireland, and 1 each in israel, finland, germany, portugal, poland, japan, austria, ecuador, thailand, latvia, singapore, belgium, and argentina! i know that doesn’t add up but there’s a lot of pieces in private collections, owned by the artist, or we just couldn’t find their location, sadly.

artist nationalities get a lot more variable! i did my best to look up every artist i could and include their birth country and the country they did their works in! except john singer sargent because he just didn’t want to settle down and i didn’t want to give him like six different countries. 

starting off, we have 43 submissions by american artists! 18 by french artists, 17 by english, 8 each by canadians and italians, 6 each by russians and spaniards, 5 each by chinese, irish, and germans, 4 each by dutch, mexican and belgians, 3 by latvians, 2 each by finnish, polish, scottish, malay, serbian, and armenians, and 1 each by portuguese, japanese, austrian, ecuadorian, thai, swiss, argentine, cuban, kazhak, colombian, danish, and iranian! 

i do not currently have stats for jewish artists for you, because i forgot to write it down my first time through wiki, and now i have to go through all ~140 articles and websites again. relatedly: there are 8 works by known-to-be-gay artists, but i’m already running into wikipedia going “well he sure did a lot of male nudes but he also might have had relationships with women” and i am feeling uncomfortable poking through people’s private lives so... i hope you don’t mind it i stop... counting..... i mean if they’re open about it i’ll write it down still.

how about the ages of works? there are 4 things from before the 1400s, 3 from the 1400s, 6 from the 1500s, 3 from the 1600s, and 2 from the 1700s! 5 from 1800-1850, 4 from 1850-1880, 10 from the 1880s, and 9 from the 1890s! 9 from the 1900s (that is, 1900-1909), 5 from the 1910s, 5 from the 1920s, 4 from the 1930s, 4 from the 1940s, and 6 from the 1950s! 3 from the 60s, 4 from the 70s, 7 from the 80s, 15 from the 90s, 12 from the new oughts, 17 from the 2010s, and 13 from the 2020s! and three ongoing projects!

and to wrap things up: there are 101 paintings, 12 sculptures, 17 what i’m calling installations (they’re often mixed media or unusual media, i would give examples but i feel like i would bias submissions), 6 photographs, 2 pieces of textile art, and 21 digital arts, drawings, or comics!

[rosellerivers19]

@umbrulla The importance of noncanon shipping

I ship Ram and Bheem but the thing is I ship it as a headcanon because it is a headcanon it isn't meant to be canon kind of like Gaara and Naruto people ship them because they see ways they could've ended up together but in the end it wasn't canon.

You can disregard the canon ending from your mind and sit in your fantasies if you want thats fine I'm a sasunaru shipper I know that but the only problem I have with you @umbrulla is that you actively stated misinformation you in the beginning of my reply chain with you stated that Sita isn't Ram's fiancee which is untrue she is his fiancee/lover

Second this post you state that Rajamouli said in an interview that there's a romance/bromance between Ram and Bheem only but thats untrue again Sita is Ram's canonical lover and in an article Rajamouli states that his intrepretation of the work was that Ram and Bheem were meant to be a male FRIENDSHIP. The LGBTQ interpretations are okay I have no qualm with that but thats all they are representations Rajamouli never stated them to be a romance between only Ram and Bheem he gave those two love interests in the movie Sita and Jenny.

Since you can't see the article I will show you

Also to support the fact Rajamouli interpretted them as a male friendship Ram and Bheem in Rajamouli's head were a brotherly bond both Bheem and Ram often call eachother bhaiya or brother in the movie and there's a scene referencing Bheem to Ram's brother before he died when both his brother and Bheem eat with their left hand.

Another piece of mis information both Ram and Bheem are Heroes of the stories its not uncommon for their to be double heroes in telugu cinema RRR is a portrayal of that. People have headcanons and ship Ram and Bheem that is true but Bheem never marries Ram actually no one gets married in RRR and the closest thing is sita being Ram's lover/ fiancee that is why she is sent a letter to collect Ram's body when he is sent to be killed because she is his closest family member and fiancee this was set when they were young.

Also Bheem states Ram to be Sita's fiancee

Further more Ram confirms to Bheem that Sita is his lover/fiancee in this scene

Einthusan didn't translate it exactly but the word can also be interpretted as lover/fiancee.

*Ram nods*

Another thing Seetha and Rama are one of the most popular love stories and reincarnation stories of Lord Vishnu this Rajamouli's way of stating they are true lovers.

Ram marrying Bheem is your interpretation but can also be incorrect. In Hinduism people to get married by tying the nuptial thread around one's neck however in this case Bheem is a reference to Hanuman a sacred servant of Rama from mythology his job is to protect rama and reunite him and Sita this reference is made very openly clear in RRR. Ayyapan is a interpretation that isn't as clearly stated can be used for headcanon shipping material though. Bheem gave Ram the necklace to save him.

I don't have a problem with shipping Ram and Bheem the only thing I have a problem with is you repeatedly stating misinformation to prove that I'm wrong now this might just be that you weren't able to get a clear understanding of parts of the movie because of the language barrier or you don't remember them but I also am allowed to defend myself I hope you read this post and get a better understanding of what I was trying to say, I'm wrong in parts as well during the previous argument I accept that.

Edit: One thing I'd like to add to my response I think Rajamouli made the movie seem straight on the front because he was scared of rejection thats why he added the whole Sita being Ram's fiancee and Jenny kind of being Bheem's love interest. This is because Telugu cinema doesn't openly accept LGBTQ cinema however with the overwhelming support from Westerners about this Cinema being about Gay lovers RRR could be a turning point in Telugu cinema. Rajamouli making Ram and Bheem seem Hetero was for his OWN Protection so his cinema wouldn't flop. that doesn't mean you can't make headcanons.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

How's it going, everyone? Did everyone else have a normal night last night? We all had a normal night. We're all doing fine.

Okay. I'm feeling slightly more coherent today, so it's time to treat this audio clip as the important piece of information it is. A new addition to the slew of research that I'd already summarized in my spreadsheet (to which I have new things to add, but annoyingly made plans to spend New Year's Eve in a collection of hot tubs with my roommate, rather than transcribing podcast quotes and translating them into HTML table code, so I'll have to do that later).

Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver claim that they have never heard of the Chocolate Milk Gang, that this term was applied to them without their knowledge. Which means that John Oliver has never read his own Wikipedia page, since it's referenced on there. But to be fair, I can entirely believe that John Oliver has never read his own Wikipedia page.

I was sort of expecting something like this, though not such a clear-cut denial. I thought the truth might be something like, the term was only used a couple of times, David O'Doherty and Russell Howard particularly liked it so they brought it up in interviews sometimes, no one else actually used it. And I've said before that I have a theory about why those are the only two people who kept using a term years later, even though it sounds like it wasn't even used much at the time. David O'Doherty, I assume, does it because he's got a heart of gold and loves his friends; and Russell Howard, I assume, does it because connection to comedians like Kitson give him some street cred after he got too much mainstream success.

So I wasn't surprised that Zaltzman and Oliver didn't immediately have strong associations with the term. But I was surprised to hear them claim that they'd never heard it before in their entire lives. Which does open the possibility that this is all a lie and the term was not really used at all, and David O'Doherty just thought it would be funny to play a prank on us in an interview.

My spreadsheet may not yet be updated with the new information, but it can still help out here with the old information:

Number of references I have found to that group, in which they directly called it some name that was related to chocolate milk or milkshakes (not counting John Oliver and Russell Howard's Wikipedia pages, as those would just be copied from elsewhere): 7

1x "Chocolate Milk Brigade": said in 2015, by David McSavage, on a podcast with a guy who sucks almost (but not quite) as much as McSavage does, claiming it was Andrew Maxwell's name for them

1x "Chocolate Milk Kids": said in 2006, by David O'Doherty, to The Irish Times

1x "Milkshake Brigade": said in 2024, by Russell Howard, to The Telegraph

4x "Chocolate Milk Gang": said in 2008, by David O'Doherty, to some magazine; said in 2007, by Russell Howard, to Jay Richardson for The List; said in 2014, by David O'Doherty, to Stuart Goldsmith, claiming Glenn Wool coined the term; and said in 2016, by Dominic Maxwell, in an article for The Times

That's 3x that it came from David O'Doherty, 2x from Russell Howard, 1x from David McSavage, and 1x from Dominic Maxwell

I mean, I haven't made it up. The sources are out there. The most interesting one to me, in this context - of trying to work out how widely it was ever used - is Dominic Maxwell. Because he probably just got the name off Wikipedia or something.

But the context in which he referenced it was a long article that went into deep and accurate detail about John Oliver's history as a comedian - far more detailed and accurate than most profiles of John Oliver. That article includes references to several times that Dominic Maxwell interviewed/spoke to/watched John Oliver before he moved to America, suggesting that this is a rare John Oliver profile that isn't just someone who dug up his backstory after he got famous in America; Maxwell knew about his British career while it was happening.

Here's the part of his 2016 article that mentions the Chocolate Milk Gang:

Sometimes [John Oliver] would pop up in shows supporting other members of what was dubbed “the Chocolate Milk Gang”: a bunch of proudly geeky comics led by Daniel Kitson and including Alun Cochrane, David O’Doherty and a young Russell Howard. Sometimes he would perform with Andy Zaltzman, the comic with whom he would later reunite for hundreds of episodes of The Bugle podcast — launched in tandem with this newspaper in 2007 — until leaving in June after struggling to keep up his commitment to Zaltzman.

I think there's a chance that Dominic Maxwell used that term because he already knew it, having heard it used by comedians, rather than just grabbing it off Wikipedia. But I may be wrong.

The most likely possibility here is it's a term that Glenn Wool and Andrew Maxwell said one time to David O'Doherty, DO'D found it funny so he repeated it to Russell Howard once, Andrew Maxwell repeated it to David McSavage while making fun of them once, and those are the only times it ever got used outside interviews. Zaltzman and Oliver's lack of recognition of the term does support that theory.

They didn't even think of Favorit, though. Apparently John Oliver was not, in fact, ordering chocolate milk in Favorit. Where does the Favorit menu fit in?

There's an obvious answer here: find David O'Doherty after I see him in Edinburgh next year and ask him. Unless anyone happens to have Glenn Wool's phone number. (I'm joking. I think my moderate breakdown last night proved that my brain absolutely cannot handle asking any comedians about this situation.)

[carnalapples]

specreqs 2024 fic recs

I was so happy to participate in this year's @spectre-requisitions-exchange, and I have a round of recs to share!!

what I received:

Going Up by Kahika, G, Ashley/Garrus

A wonderful story showing Ashley and Garrus’s developing relationship. I love how the similarities between them are pulled out, and this is just so lovely and romantic. I am such a fan of Ashley is written here, she is strong and she cares so much. I can't say enough about this gift!!

what I wrote:

follow me into the dark, M, F!Shep/Tali

“So are you,” she says. She’s trying to buy time. She does the same thing, every day. Tali doesn’t bite. “I trust him,” Shepard finally adds. They watch the water lap at the rocks, the way it has for millennia, the way it will for even more. Shaping the world wave by wave. Unless they lose. “Him,” Tali says slowly. It’s bitter in her mouth. Shepard and Tali, after Rannoch.

factors of safety, T, Tali/Adams

Tali gets crushes. On people who are suave and charming and would fit right in on the screen of a net drama. And if she's being honest, Engineer Adams is none of these things. He is human, he is older than her, and he's an engineer. Lights, camera, action.

(I love my little engineers)

some amazing fics

One Night in Nos Astra by goodnightxgoodbye, T, Kaidan/Liara

I absolutely loved the sense of nostalgia with this fic!! There is a real sense of comfort between Kaidan and Liara, and the details here are just beautiful.

The Crack in Everything by FerindenCadash, T, F!Shep/Ashley

Again, I love how Ashley is depicted as she's struggling with her faith following Shepard's return from the dead. The tone of this piece is just wonderful, and the dynamic between Shepard and Ashley is so perfect to read.

Reception by Vidra_on_the_Rocks, G, Human Refugee Teen & Turian Citadel Guard

This piece is written in the style of a magazine article, and it is so creative! The tone is perfect, and the family formed between these two is just so heartwarming.

Seeing a Salarian About a Ship by SaintMidnight, T, Kaidan/Coats

This fic has the perfect sense of domesticity for these two, starting a new life after the war and settling into things. It's such a hopeful fic, and there's an amazing "we're buying a home together" sense throughout the whole thing. Absolutely loved it!!

I'll probably have many more recs as I work through the amazing collection, but I am so excited to keep reading! And it was an absolute blast participating; can't wait for next year :)

[theic-manic]

Hello! I'm a hellenic pagan (not reconstructionist) that works with Hades, Nyx, and Hermes.

I've been wanting to add Prometheus to my practice, as he seems to only want the best for mankind since, if i recall correctly, he helped MAKE mankind.

If I work with him, would that be offensive to the other gods I work with? Would I ever be able to work with Zeus? I get confused at the ins and outs. I've been practicing less than a year I think.

Also, I've only read of Prometheus in my copy of the Theogony & Works and Days. Is there any other canon literature that features him?

Hey there.

Sorry for the delay, spam asks clogged up my inbox.

Tldr: it's hard to offend a god as a worshipper or someone who works with the gods, as opposed to a devotee or clergy.

I would suggest not working with more than one or two deities at a time, especially when you're starting out.

The deities you work with at a time may change, sure, but I've personally found it most effective to work with a couple at most simultaneously, so I'm

1. Not pushing myself too much

2. not diluting my worship since I only have so many hours in the day.

Now with this, although it's hard for non-clergy and non-devotees to "offend" deities (it requires a deep and personal relationship and even then you need to work spectacularly hard to piss off a GOD unless said god has history of having a bit of a hair trigger personality which is why we must READ THE MYTHS/STORIES of deity interactions with humanity) I would also recommend not mixing deity types on shrines.

E.g. Ouranic and Cthonic deities have different offering and worship practices, this is your cue to read how the deities were worshipped collectively and privately (in homes) and work with the gods accordingly.

You can certainly worship both but it's best (and easier) to have separate altars and/or shrines.

One polytheist compared not researching the gods and their practices to not knowing if your friends have dietary requirements.

Imagine offering your close friend a nicely cooked steak dinner only to have them point out that they're vegetarian?

I'd feel awful, and now I have a steak dinner that I have spent time and effort on potentially going to waste.

As for canonical works, I prefer that people try to fine tune their research skills themselves rather than relying on others who aren't clergy or elders to hand-hold since I have come across many insights via rabbithole that wouldn't have been obtained had someone just given me a reading list.

Ultimately, as a worshipper, the worst you'll do (from my UPG experience and from reading the experiences of others) is cause a god to go off and no longer work with you since that you're clearly not a good fit.

Which isn't a bad thing by the way, this often happens during times of great spiritual growth but can also happen when we simply don't respect a deity enough to do the bare minimum to maintain Kharis and/or honour their preferences.

Which brings my question to the bulk of baby polytheists on tumblr:

What does "offending" or upsetting a pagan deity even mean to you all?

/ gen

Like, what consequences (for lack of a better term) are you actually expecting from somehow being important enough to affect a deity in such a way?

Because from what I noticed, those who are capable of having such an impact, devotees and clergy, have done enough research and study to not easily do that.*

*Unless you're like me and just have had certain deities not quite understand the concept of boundaries, of which I have posted extensively about, then absolutely pull the plug on that devotional relationship if you can't come to an amicable compromise.

But as with everything on the internet, this is just my take and I invite anyone reading this to go and read, read and read some more.

Read widely (books and articles), watch documentaries (YouTube is a starting point) and work on your Polytheistic practice without needing external validation from internet strangers.

Certainly, engage in discourse and even some debate, but ultimately, your practice is between you, your higher self, and the divine.

[cuchillx]

yesterday i read that long article by Lila Shapiro about Neil Gaiman but OP turned off reblogs on it so I couldn’t really share my opinion on it, not that I have a following or anything that adds value to the conversation, but I still wanted to express myself on the subject. I won’t share explicit details but ignore this if reading about abuse in general is difficult for you.

I knew who Neil was, at one point I think I followed him but to be honest the only work by him I was familiar with was Coraline and like many I liked it but that’s about it. I was curious to see good omens but never got around watching it. I think my impression of him aligned pretty well with the facade he was trying to pull off

I saw a lot of people saying the article was horribly written and while I do agree it was very graphic (maybe more than it needed to be?) I kept reading it in spite of not planning to invest too much of my time in it (took me about an hour and a half) and not out of morbid curiosity but because for me (as a person that has english as a second language) the actions and how they connected were really clear to me and it helped me understand the severity of it all. Could it have been explained any other way and still fulfilled the same mission? Probably, but often when reading articles explaining similar topics I end up feeling a bit confused so it was a first time for me to understand so much of a situation and who was involved and how things developed. Is it written in a way that people with trauma would most likely get triggered because of how explicit it is? Yes, there should be alternatives to that article and a source that explains high level the events without being so detailed but this article is not one of them and I wouldn’t recommend reading it in general

The length of how atrocious the situation is doesn’t only include sexual abuse, its also child abuse, gaslighting, cheating, economic manipulation, homelessness, some parts include mention of blood, piss, shit and vomit (that last bit was uncomfortable to me as I have emetophobia but reading about it doesn’t make me tense enough to not continue reading), scientology stuff, and many more difficult subjects so echoing what many are saying, you don’t have to read all of it or any of it all to condemn Neil Gaiman. Even if you were his fan. Its a lot and you dont need to punish yourself by putting yourself through that. You dont need to punish yourself at all, we collectively didn’t know these things about him and it makes sense so many people connected with his stories at one point. Its ok to keep a high level understanding of his actions and not a in-depth one to decide that what he did was not ok. Take care of yourself. You don’t need the details to decide that what he did was awful.

I do hope Neil doesn’t ever have access to someone that he could abuse, I don’t know if he’s capable of true change but it’s not on me to decide that, I just hope that while it doesn’t happen, no more people go trough his horrible ways and I hope the victims of his abuse can find peace, retribution for the damage and a support net (it seems like at least the last one is a reality). Unfortunately there’s still a child involved so currently that wish we all have is still not secured and I really wish that kid eventually is somewhere safe and receives help and support as damage has already been done and what’s scary to think is that possibly more beyond what has already came out into light.

Mind boggling some people still defend that man.

Through his fiction he led on the idea he was somehow either the hero or the victim of his stories. Having the full picture it’s clear he was the hero for many because of his work for a long time, he also was the victim for a long time in his bringing up, but ultimately made the choice to be the abuser so he’s been all 3 at some point but no matter how much he could’ve been the hero and how much of a victim he was, it will never justify that he chose to be the abuser he so much portrayed in his work so he was fully aware of the magnitude of what he did (and most likely, unfortunately, still does)

[tako-cafe]

Idia ED HCs

as the title implies this is covering eating disorders so be cautious if sensitive to this. reader beware type deal, also game spoilers

ok Ive done this before actually but it was vague and I offered zero proof so I’m doing this correctly now. I covered Azul in that old post too and his own post will be coming soon as well. Lets get into Idia now.

To start: how this will be done and his ED I think he has. For card and homescreen lines I’m just going to quote them as I don’t want this bogged down with too many screenshots but I will show as many event and main game ones as I can instead for those.

Now what do I think he has? ARFID but specifically the Lack of Interest variant. For reference this is described by the Eating Recovery Center as showing little or zero interest in food. Which can cause forgetting to eat, low appetite or distracted at eating time, or even extreme “picky eating” which limits what you eat or how much.(note I am also pairing this with a linked dx hc of autism for him link to a short article about this)

Now with this specific HC it more so was picked because he isn’t aiming for a weight goal or focusing on a specific idea (ie clean eating for example) but his foods he will touch are safe + him admitting he forgets to eat. As self admitted in the cooking event.

He seems very sensory on what he picks. In his Student intro sheet he hates raw fish but loves candy. Which is then backed up with his dorm uniform line, “Oh hey, want a gummy worm? …I just love brightly- colored candy.” A Birthday Boy line, “When I was out shopping, Sam said he’d throw in a little extra for my birthday. H-he gave me free candy! What a top-tier guy.” Chef card talking about sensory issues, “Ugh,that slimy feeling when ground meat squelches between your fingers gives me the creeps!”

A line talking about the meat feeling again messing with his sensory issues.

As far as safe foods other than candy while he is picky on fruit he will eat it. In the Applepom event card he mentions buying dried fruit, “TA-DA! Here’s the dried fruit I bought at Kokko Market! I figured it’d be the perfect snack.” In the same event in chapter 2-2 he also states, “I only eat fruit if it’s canned or already sliced and peeled. But peeling this thing myself sounds like a chore…”

There is also his birthday interview about food,

“Thank you. So, what’s your favorite food? ” Idia , “…Snacks. They taste good, and are easy to eat while you’re gaming. Can you name a better combo? If I had to be more specific, I’d go with DIY candy kits, where you make candy sushi and such by mixing water into powder packets. It turns snacktime into a game! It’s easy to get totally absorbed, too. Whee hee hee. There’s something genuinely engaging about being able to change the shape and color yourself. It’s definitely not just for kids, okay?” I love this as a lore he stated because it fits into the idea of finding a way to introduce a food he would try: turn it into a game

Further sensory mentions with him hating raw fish in birthday boy, “Raw fish. It stinks, it’s lukewarm, it’s all slimy and clingy and sticky…”

In the same line from that card he actually talks further about how he feels about eating, “And who’s got time for food you need proper tableware to eat? That’s just a ton of pointless busywork for one lousy meal. Who cares how you get nutrients, as long as you get them? Just eat an energy bar with vitamins and minerals! Bam, EZ.”

This isn’t the only time he talks about wanting an easy way out of eating. In the chef card he described cooking as inefficient and mentions meal replacements. He did however seem open to at least try things if he could build basically a slowcooker that prepped the food along with cooking it.

As one more safe food- ramen seems to be okay. A chef card homescreen line states, “Weird. I was meant to be buying ingredients, but next thing you know I’ve got a new type of instant noodles in my hand. Guess I’ll add it to the collection.”

As a conclusion, I don’t think Idia would see this as a disorder. While his family is stated by him to be concerned including Ortho-

We can see his family has concerns that he knows of but I do not think he sees it as a literal disorder. He is in online gaming circles and really limited diets aren’t uncommon in them so they could also be normalized in his eyes. Along with being so isolated his whole life it isn’t far fetched to think he saw this as normal for a while as is. But I do also think he doesn’t want to be like this. He did, even if just for the credits, join the class and did try his best. He looked upset about Ortho being worried. He is one I don’t think he’ll eat everything under the sun even with the top of the line doctors. But I do think he will eventually work through and with accommodating himself find a few things he can handle and maybe even semi-enjoy.

ending notes: if i missed anything he said lemme know so i can edit/add. hopefully I made sense though thanks for reading my silly thing + reposted from my old account so I can link these HCs together I’m making

[deadweight-at7am]

I really love some of these videos and responses I keep seeing from people online (mainly Tiktok) who are trying to explain away "what happened" in this election result. They keep saying "Trump spoke to the working class better than Democrats". And I keep saying "literally, HOW?" You keep saying that, and what I think you're trying to say is that the working class is full of stupid fucking morons. I am working class. I don't agree.

He didn't speak to me at all. He said nothing of substance. He espoused violent and hateful rhetoric. He gave us no concrete economic plans except for ones that clearly aren't going to be good. He incited a insurrection and refused to accept defeat in 2020. He stole secret documents from the White House. He wants to do things that will add to the debt. He "explained their concerns better" is so useless. If he LIES, what point is there in saying he spoke to them "better". We all know he won't do any of the shit he promised. And define "better", for the love of GOD.

What they're all failing to admit here is that the voter is to blame. The people who voted for him are squarely to blame. No amount of trying, explaining, writing articles, making pie charts, yelling, screeching, etc would have worked. How do I know that? Because, DUMMY, if you need someone to hold your hand and say in a baby voice "PLEASE DON'T VOTE FOR THE RAPIST AND FELON" you are a lost fucking cause. I didn't need anyone to hold MY hand and say that. So, why are you excusing the millions of people who apparently do? It's OUR collective fault they have IQs of 70? You need someone to explain to you in the simplest terms possible that the big orange man who paid off a porn star and lied about it is NOT going to follow through on his promises?

No. You're. At. Fault. And. I'm. Not. Taking. Responsibility.

"They voted for him because of the economy". So what you're saying is that the economy, which sucks because of corporate greed (amongst other things) is going to be changed for the better by the guy who has concepts of a plan. RIGHT. We all watched the same fucking debate. We watched him have zero answers.

Yeah, yeah, totally. That makes sense.

Edited to add: I'm currently in a FB argument with some random chud who is trying to tell me that Trump is not a fascist and that progressives more closely aligns with fascism... he's citing Mussolini (the literal fascist superhero) as examples. Like, no you literal fucking moron, Mussolini wasn't a socialist when he rose to power. OBVIOUSLY. He was a fascists and he formed the fascist party. Fascism and socialism is not the same thing. He keeps arguing with me that I don't know what fascism is and he's just actually wrong. So, I had to screenshot Wikipedia for him. This is his voter base. No ability to go and read for themselves. NONE.

[douglas-rain]

Douglas Rain: All the Information

A collection of pages and articles about the late Shakespearean actor Douglas Rain's life and career. Some of these aren't exclusively about him, but feature quotes/tidbits. If you find any more good stuff, send it to me and I'll add it to the list!

Note: I strongly advise against using posts from the online blog "2010 Odyssey Two Archive" for information about DR, since they do not cite any sources and frequently include material from other articles in their Douglas Rain-centric posts without credit (and then go on to claim those articles plagiarised them instead of the other way around). We've all seen hbomberguy's video; don't do that.

-

Record in the Stratford Festival Archives' Person / Institution Register (biography, list of Festival roles. In addition, the archives have a database of photos, production credits of all the different plays the Festival has done, and items such as costume pieces. From what I've read, they also hold videos of performances and interviews with various cast members, but I'm reasonably sure those can only be accessed in-person) [Note: The link currently leads to an archived version of the page in question via the Wayback Machine, since the Archives' online catalogue is unavailable due to security issues!]

IMDB page (most complete list of film and TV credits; contains some errors though)

Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia entry (short biography)

Canadian Encyclopedia article (short biography)

NFB article by Albert Ohayon about "The Stratford Adventure", 31 August 2009 (DR isn't actually mentioned in the article, but they do note the thing about Alec Guinness' contract stuff that didn't allow rehearsals to be filmed with him performing - which is the reason why DR plays Richard III in the rehearsal scene in the documentary!)

NYT article by Gerry Flahive, 30 March 2018 (specifically about the creation process of HAL 9000 and why it's iconic)

NYT article by Ian Austen, 6 April 2018 (companion piece to the above article, featuring an interview with Gerry Flahive)

The Times article by Gerry Flahive, 25 April 2018 (about the HAL 9000 role and DR's ambivalence towards it, plus some stuff about his theatre work)

POV Magazine article by Gerry Flahive, 10 May 2018 (detailed look at HAL 9000, creation process and lasting impact, DR's life and career both before and after Space Odyssey)

NFB article by Gerry Flahive about "Universe", 10 December 2020 (about the creation process and impact of the documentary, with some focus on DR's voice-over narration)

Wordpress article by K. W. Rushing (me), 19 January 2024 (me desperately trying to figure out what DR's real date of birth is because there are multiple ones floating around the internet)

Various obituaries and articles about his death:

The Guardian

The Times

The New York Times

National Post

Independent

The Globe and Mail

Washington Post

Kitchener

Wral News

BroadwayWorld