#I'm just juggling ideas lol

[edgepunk]

I've been mulling over some one-off plots that could be considered like an episode of a show for Earth-2710 or just some fun multiverse shenanigans. Imagine these all happened before the Symbiote Remnant arc, i.e. Peter is his regular old self

Idea no. 1:

The one that's been hogging my brain the most is Peter traveling to a universe where his parents are alive. After the shit I put him through, I think he deserves a moment with his parents, even if they're from a different universe. In that universe, he didn't become Spider-Man - that universe doesn't have a spider-person, at all. Other superheroes exist, though.

His parents are both ex-Oscorp scientists who are now in hiding after stealing some documents that could ruin Norman Osborn's reputation, if they ever decided to leak them to the public. Peter swoops into the universe in the middle of Mary Parker being kidnapped by the Vulture who works for Norman. After saving her, his mom immediately clocks him and figures out that he's from a different universe. Then, Richard comes and there's a lot of crying and hugging and Peter is sad/happy that he gets to spend time with them and offers to help them get Norman off their backs.

They invite him for dinner and he meets his counterpart who, unlike him, is kind of a spoiled brat. They butt heads over their parents, because Peter A ("our" Peter) is adamant on helping them while Peter B claims that it's their own fault that they're in trouble because of their own actions and that they should do it themselves. So, yadda yadda Peter A helps them and Peter B swoops in at the last minute to get his own hero moment by using his brains and saves his parents from Norman.

Idea no. 2:

Okay so, I recently found out that Spider-Man: Reign did this, but I've had this idea for months and I've never read the new Reign comic. Putting that out there, in case I get called out for stealing ideas but I swear I didn't know about this until very recently.

Anyway - universe where Peter died and MJ was so struck by grief so much that she bonded with the symbiote and became Venom (yeah that's the thing that Reign did. apparently. idk you can't make me read the radioactive jizz comic come on)

When our Peter arrives in that universe, MJ/Venom immediately recognizes him and takes him with her to their old apartment where she basically keeps him hostage and is trying to woo him. Meanwhile, Peter is very, very carefully choosing his words to not to anger her, because the grief keeps eating her up and she's, well,, unhinged. (in weeb words she is uhhhh kind of a yandere,,, yeah)

Anywho, Peter does end up angering her because he's trying very, very calmly explain to her that he can't stay there, because he's not her Peter and she needs to get over her Peter's death, as painful as it is. She doesn't take his arguments well and they do end up fighting, but Peter manages to get through to her, or rather, she stops herself because she doesn't want to hurt Peter. She breaks down in tears and Peter helps her separate from the symbiote, and visits the other Peter's grave with her.

Idea no. 3

Very original idea: Peter gets thrown into a universe where he became evil. He embraced the symbiote and finally snapped after a series of tragic events (May and his friends dying) and took over NYC, spreading the symbiotes a lá Web of Shadows. It's more of a cat and mouse game where our Peter has to hide from evil Peter. In the end, evil Peter catches up to him, wanting to spread his influence in other universes and the two Peters fight. Our Peter is aware he isn't strong enough to defeat the other Peter, so he makes a run for it, barely escaping from evil Peter's universe.

[welcometogrouchland]

Continuing my owl house dubs saga I FUCKING LOVE THE LATIN AMERICAN VERSION OF THE PRISON CELL SCENE IN ANY SPORT IN A STORM???? IT'S SO GOOD MAN. Skara sounds properly enraged, Gus sounds so genuinely hurt (his VA isn't my fav but he really kills it here) and while it might just be my imagination I think Patricio Lago gives Hunter a small thread of like. Uncertainty in his voice?? During this scene? Not much but just enough that it tells you he's confused and hurt by his friends reactions underneath all the bravado and brainwashed obliviousness. And ofc Willow (who's VA also isn't my fav, like Gus) is so so good in this scene. She's just heart broken that she messed up so bad. She wanted so badly for this to go well, and she feels like she's messed everything up. She's just half a witch Willow.

GOD, anyway, I am loving these other dubs this is so fun

[w1ld-wr1t3r]

Lando (or at least McLaren) need to do well this weekend because it seems I've finally hit my mid-semester stress breakdown and I would really like something to cheer about on Sunday.

[mariasont]

Early seasons Spencer’s gf joining the team and quickly realizing just how used to Spencer she is bc the rest of the team’s reactions to him are so different from hers

Cinnamon Sticks - S.R

a/n: obsessed with the idea of baby spencie having a gf who just gets him while he's still an awkward, nerdy little genius! thanks for requesting bestie so sorry it took so long i am the worst LOL

masterlist

pairings: early!seasons!spencer reid x fem!reader

warnings: established relationship, secret relationship, relationship being exposed bc these two are just so in love

wc: 1.7k

Garcia burst into the bullpen like some sort of whirlwind that was painted in neon, her scarf fluttering behind her almost like a cape. She juggled a precariously full cup of coffee, while her phone teetered between ear and shoulder as if testing the limits of human dexterity.

"I swear to all that is holy, if my life doesn't slow down in the next five minutes--"

The sentence derailed as she misjudged her pace, the coffee sloshing dangerously close to the rim of the cup. She stopped abruptly, her arms a flurry of motion, but not quick enough to stop the scalding liquid from spilling over and searing her fingers.

"Oh, fantastic! Just what I needed!" she huffed, waving her hand like it might stop the sting.

She threw herself into the closest chair with a huff, slumping back and fixing the coffee cup with a murderous glare, like this was just another tally in a long line of grievances.

Your eyes darted up from your work, only for a moment, enough to confirm what you already knew. You hadn't been working here long, but it was long enough to recognize the phenomenon that was Garcia: a blur of motion and words, mid-rant before anyone had the chance to catch up. It was like clockwork really.

You risked a glance across the desk at Spencer, who was so absorbed in his notebook it was a wonder he even remembered to breathe. If Garcia's antics registered as white noise to anyone, it was him. But then, almost like he had a radar for being watched, he looked up, catching your gaze.

His eyebrows lifted into a subtle what can you do? expression, and you couldn't help but smile back.

That was the thing about Spencer. He had this uncanny knack for knowing exactly what you were thinking, almost as if he had a cheat sheet for your brain. And maybe he did--like his brain worked three times faster than everyone else's in the room (which, let's face it, it definitely did). But instead of that being intimidating, it was oddly reassuring.

"At this rate, I'm one bad email away from alphabetizing my entire pantry for stress relief."

Spencer's notebook hit the desk, and there it was--the shift. His shoulders drew back, face lighting up--the kind of thing that signaled his mini-lecture was incoming.

"Organizing your pantry is actually a practical stress management technique. By categorizing items, you create a structured environment that reduces decision fatigue. Its why people feel calmer in tidy spaces, it's psychological."

Morgan held up a hand. "Psychological, huh? Sounds like you’re just trying to justify your weird love affair with labels, pretty boy.”

“Don’t forget,” you added absently, flipping a page in your report, “it also saves time when you’re cooking. I think you called it practical efficiency."

The words slipped out without much thought, but as soon as they did, the bullpen stilled. You glanced up, heart sinking as you saw every face turned in your direction.

Morgan’s grin was the first thing you notice--wide and knowing, stretching across his face. He tilted his head, eyes bouncing between you and Spencer like he was putting pieces together in real time.

“Wait a minute,” he said, sitting forward with a gleam in his eye. “Did you just quote him? Like, word for word?”

Your cheeks heated instantly. “What? No. I mean—maybe. I don’t know.”

“Pretty sure you did,” Morgan shot back, smirking. “Man, what else has he been teaching you? You got the periodic table memorized too?”

You rolled your eyes, leaning back in your chair. “Oh, please. If you’ve been around Spencer long enough, you’re bound to pick up a few things. He’s like a walking encyclopedia.”

“Well,” Spencer said, his head tilting slightly as he spoke, “your cinnamon sticks always end up at the back of your pantry. That’s why I figured you might appreciate the idea of organizing by use frequency. Like I said, practical efficiency.”

The moment the words left his mouth, you knew he’d made a tactical error.

Garcia gasped, her eyes lighting up like she’d just been handed the juiciest piece of gossip of her life. 

“Oh. My. God. Spencer Reid, how exactly do you know what the back of her pantry looks like?”

You froze, rooted to the spot as the realization hit you like a cartoon anvil. This was bad.

Spencer’s expression mirrored yours for half a second—wide-eyed panic—but he quickly scrambled for an answer. 

“It’s, um… a logical assumption,” he stammered, his fingers toying with the pen in his hand, a nervous tell he couldn’t quite suppress. “Spices like cinnamon sticks always seem to migrate to the back of the pantry unless there’s an intentional system in place.”

Morgan let out a long, low whistle, rocking back in his chair with enough force to make it creak. His grin was insufferably smug, the kind that practically begged for something to be thrown at him. 

“Nice save. But I don’t think Garcia’s buying it.”

Garcia tapped her chin, clearly enjoying herself far too much. “Oh, no, no, no. This is too good. I mean, logical assumption my fabulous behind! Cinnamon sticks in the back of her pantry? Really? What’s next? A detailed analysis of how she stacks her cereal boxes?”

You laughed, though it sounded more like a bark than anything natural. “You’re all reading way too much into this. Spencer just knows weirdly specific things about, well, everything. That’s kind of his thing, remember?”

“Mmhmm,” Garcia hummed, clearly unconvinced. “Alright, genius, I’ll let it slide this time. But I’m watching you.”

“Please don’t,” Spencer muttered under his breath, earning a round of laughter from the team.

Garcia spent a solid ten minutes in full interrogation mode after that, her eyes narrowing with each and every pointed question she lobbed your way. Morgan, of course, was no help. He leaned back, grinning like a kid with a front-row seat to the circus, his smirk practically screaming that he knew they were this close to striking a nerve.

Spencer and you had been so careful. You'd been dating long before you joined the BAU, but the moment Hotch had called to offer you the position, you both knew you'd have to keep things under wraps. Dating a coworker was one thing; dating Spencer Reid, a genius with an accidentally too-honest mouth, was an entirely different challenge.

You hadn't expected it to be this hard, though. Keeping the secret wasn't the worst part--it was pretending he wasn't the center of your universe every time you walked into the room. It was keeping your hands to yourself when all you wanted to do was smooth out the messy strands of hair that always fell into his eyes. It was biting your tongue when someone interrupted his long-winded tangents because the truth was, you loved hearing him talk.

The hours stretched on, and the bullpen slowly thinned out. Garcia was the first to leave, blowing a kiss to the room. Morgan left soon after, pausing to flash you one last grin before disappearing. Even Prentiss packed up for the night, muttering something about needed an extra shot of espresso tomorrow morning.

"You handled that well."

You looked up from your report to find Spencer by your desk, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other skimming lightly along the edge of the divider. His expression was surprisingly soft, almost bashful, as though he had been waiting to get you alone.

"Handled that well?" you repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You were the one who almost blew it, Spencer. Cinnamon sticks? Really?"

He smiled, lips twitching upward as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Okay, I'll admit that wasn't my most subtle moment. But in my defense, they do end up at the back of most pantries."

You couldn't help but laugh, shaking your head as you leaned back in your chair. 

"We're lucky Garcia got distracted. If she'd pushed any harder..." Your voice drifted into a soft sigh. "That could've been bad."

"That was a close one."

The quiet that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but it felt a little more substantial, if that was the word, filled with that soft ache that always bloomed in your chest when he was near. 

Spencer stepped closer, his hand brushing against the edge of your desk. His body angled toward you, like even when you weren’t touching, he couldn’t help but gravitate toward you.

“You know,” he said, his voice softer now, “I don’t think she actually suspects anything. But we should probably be more careful.”

"Probably," you replied, drawing out the word in a teasing, sing-song tone. “Unless you’d rather keep showing off how ridiculously well you know me.”

His cheeks flushed a soft pink, but he didn’t look away. Instead, that shy, boyish smile—the one that always made you a little breathless—spread across his lips.

"That's going to be hard," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "I noticed a lot about you."

The words hit you like they always did--soft enough, but with the force of a thousand butterflies taking flight in your chest. You could feel the flush creeping up to your neck, and you mentally cursed him for how easily he was able to do this to you.

"You're lucky I like you."

His smile widened, and his eyes crinkled at the corners in that way they only came out at specific moments. Like when he successfully performed a card trick for the team or when he stumbled across an original copy of a book at a library sale. 

The same one you'd seen when he talked about his mom on her good days, or when you asked him on a date. 

You leaned forward. "And since I like you, any chance you'd want to kiss me right now?"

"How could I not, with you looking at me like that?"

The angle was clumsy--your chair too low, his frame leaning awkwardly over--but all of that melted away the second his hands found your face. His thumbs brushed soft circles against the place where your cheek met your jaw.

His lips were soft against yours at first, testing, before growing firmer, more sure. The kind of confidence that came with a hundred familiar kisses before. 

Time seemed to slow, or at least for you it did, the rest of the world nonexistent.

The sound of a throat clearing broke the spell, and you jerked back from Spencer, your chair wobbling slightly as you turned toward the sound. You immediately regretted it--your lips felt swollen, your face hot, and there was Prentiss, leaning against the doorframe.

"We were... uh, testing something," you blurted, avidly avoiding eye contact. "You know, like... oxygen exchange! For scientific purposes."

Spencer blinked, then mumbled, "Oxygen exchange? That's the best you got?"

"Shut it," you hissed through gritted teeth, not daring to look at him.

Prentiss arched a brow. "Relax, lovebirds. If this is your idea of scientific research, I'll make sure Garcia doesn't find out. You're welcome."

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[axolotl4days]

Honestly I've been thinking about it some more

Theres so many angst opertunitys for a non neglected reader

For example the reader mentally not doing well from juggling school, vigilante stuff, social stuff, all the secrets and possibly a sprinkle of not good enough anxiety with a cherry of "everyone's gone through worse I can't complain" angst

I mean when some of your family members have literally died, or were raised as child soldiers even if they never say it thays probably gonna cause some internal issues

Just imaging yandere batfam finding that out.

Also if we do want neglected reader why not some more neglected reader but not by the batfam? Mr adopted a million kids finding out a kids being neglected or abused by their parents? Sounds like gateway yandere

Damian making a friend at school that treats him like normal, but then he learns about said friends home life and is like "I've decided your my sibling now"(I've thought of a story idea similar to this lol)

What about some story where the reader doesn't know the batfam, but due to reasons became a vigilante on their own and the fam is like "Welp new addition to the family"

It's not kidnapping it's suprise adoption

Honestly the angstiest story of all could be a story without angst at least what it seems

Leaning into the "reader was neglected or abused by previous family" idea where the batfam takes reader, but the reader is like, unnaturally chill about it

"You've been locked here for awhile why are you so calm?? We're glad you aren't fighting us but??"

"Oh this is normal, my parents used to lock me in the basement all the time I'm used to it"

Or "Why are you so okay with all of this" "you haven't hurt me" "o h"

I've been I'm a yandere story mood but I've read so much neglected reader it's gotten meh

I want a reader who's overjoyed at having people care about them

A reader who is already so broken the batfam is like "we were gonna lock you up and keep you away from people but you need friends"

[supernovafics]

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 (𝟏)

PART ONE | PART TWO

pairing: singledad!steve harrington x divorcedmom!fem!reader

word count: 9.4k words

summary: in which you hate him and he hates you— and that mutual disliking is perhaps the only thing you and him agree on. you make it your mission to avoid and ignore steve at all costs, and nothing more or less than withering stares and annoyed eye rolls are shared among you both whenever you have to see each other, which luckily isn’t that often. but when your son and his daughter end up in the same first-grade class and quickly become friends, it forces things to change between you two. it means that you and him also have to be friends, or, at the very least, tolerate each other’s presence. which is something that is much easier said than done

warnings: modern!au, enemies (to friends) to lovers, steve and reader are in their late 20s/early 30s, bestfriend!eddie, mentions of cheating/an affair (reader’s ex was an absolute asshole), explicit language, some angst

author’s note: i had the idea for this lil two part mini series (and have been working on it on and off) for like a thousand years at this point and i'm so glad and excited that it's finally free from the jail cell that is my google docs lol. i really really wanted to finish this and have it up before this year was over, so part two is coming new year's eve<3333

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

For the first time in the past two weeks, you were early. Granted it was only by two minutes, but you still counted that as a win. 

You stepped out of your car and headed to where the other parents were on the sidewalk, waiting for school to be over and the kids to come out. You inwardly ran through the list of things that you still had to do today— on a Friday that should’ve been calm, but instead, it had been pretty hectic. 

It felt like pure luck that you were able to step away from your coffee shop for thirty minutes to pick up Oliver from school. God bless Jude for being willing to take over the rush that was happening. She was your favorite employee, and you knew that she definitely deserved a raise for being able to effectively keep up with the insanity that the last two weeks brought.

That transition from summer into the beginning of the new school year was harder than you had anticipated, and you knew it was mainly because this time last year you weren’t running a business full-time when Oliver had been starting Kindergarten. Instead, the coffee shop was still just an idea, a dream, that felt like it solely lived in your head; even though it had actually been in its final stages, and with each passing day, you only got closer and closer to that October opening date. And when the long-awaited opening finally came, it actually didn’t alleviate an ounce of your stress; instead, it was only increased practically tenfold. 

You’d never say it out loud for fear of being deemed as a bad mom, but it was so fucking hard juggling everything and trying to handle it all.

However, somehow, you were doing it and you were actually doing it pretty well. Although at most times it felt like you were so close to drowning, for the time being, your head was completely above water.

You kept running through your mental to-do list as you waited for the time to go from 2:29pm to 2:30pm, indicating the official end of the school day.

Call the vendors that supply the coffee beans and teas and see if they can change the next delivery date, finalize the work schedule for next week, prep the ingredients for the pastries that will be baked tomorrow—

Your eyes instinctively went to check the time on your watch right as the first handful of kids came barreling out of the front doors. 

When you saw Olly, you waved until his eyes landed on you and he immediately smiled. 

Suddenly, you couldn’t care less about the time and the rest of the shit that you needed to do throughout the day.

“I made a new friend!” Were the first words he said to you when he came over to where you stood.

“That’s awesome!” You kneeled down so that you were pretty much at eye level with him. Hearing him say that made your heart feel so happy. You knew how shy he could be and he rarely ever talked about any kids that he was friends with, especially not with this much enthusiasm. “Who is it?” 

“Maddie,” He answered and then pointed in the direction of where you assumed the girl was standing.

There were a handful of kids standing with their parents in the direction Olly was pointing to about ten or fifteen feet away, but when he further specified that she was “the girl holding the blue lunchbox,” you saw her. A girl with brown hair who was smiling at her dad who was smiling back at her and holding a hand up so that she could give it a high five. 

You recognized him immediately.

In your mind, his name was “the worst person in the world.” In reality, his name was Steve Harrington. 

You didn’t really pay attention to him until this past January because your kids weren’t in the same Kindergarten class. You actually didn’t even learn that he was the only other single parent in the grade until then. 

It was one of your New Year’s resolutions to become more active and involved in school activities, PTA meetings, etc. Mainly because you knew that the other Kindergarten moms were judging you for barely doing anything aside from the occasional bake sale and the school was way too small for you to slip under the radar and not be noticed; those moms noticed everything. 

Therefore, on the first meeting back after the Winter holiday break, you were there— five minutes late, but there nonetheless. Although, it could’ve been assumed that everyone thought you were an hour late with the amount of withering looks you received when you entered the gymnasium. 

You offered a small apologetic smile and made a mental note to never be even a minute late again. 

Leslie, the PTA president, was droning on and on about what big things were planned for the second half of the school year— somehow dragging out a short list of things that you thought could’ve been simply sent out in a mass email— when Steve walked in fifteen minutes after you. You fully expected him to receive the same type of annoyed looks that you had gotten, and maybe even more because he showed up later than you, but he got nothing but happy smiles from the majority of the moms. 

That complete opposite reaction severely confused you and you wondered how he was able to receive such niceness when all you got was the coldest of shoulders. 

Meeting after meeting it was continuously proven that he was the favorite among the moms, and it didn’t take you too long to learn why. He was a charmer, which everyone absolutely loved, and he seemed to effortlessly throw money at any school activity or fundraising event, another reason why he was so goddamn adored. 

You were probably the only one that didn’t give a fuck about his charming personality, and instead, you would inwardly roll your eyes or scoff at pretty much anything he’d say and how easily the moms ate it up. Because when you really looked at it, you two were pretty much doing the same exact things— only moderately participating in events, showing up to the big monthly meetings instead of the weekly ones (and he was still always late to them), and not signing up for fields trips or activities that happened during school hours because of how overly demanding your jobs were; you’d learned from one particularly chatty mom that he worked at a pretty intense marketing firm. However, there was such a stark difference in treatment because he was the “hot single dad that gave a lot of money;” all of the moms practically fell at his feet and seemed to only tolerate you.

Maybe it was a hint of jealousy talking, but he still always managed to piss you off and you didn’t like him at all. It was an animosity that was perhaps just one-sided, and you hated yourself for caring so much, but that changed in April; during a moment where if the circumstances were different, it would’ve felt like some sort of romcom-esque “meet cute.” But, you basically despised Steve, so instead the whole situation just made your blood boil. 

It was a Thursday at almost five o’clock during parent-teacher conference week; it was the only day that could work in your insanely busy schedule and you managed to get the latest time slot with Oliver’s teacher. You were pacing in the hallway where all three of the Kindergarten classrooms were; a coffee in one hand, because it was the only thing keeping you going that late in the day, and your phone in the other as you texted back an employee who was having problems with the oven. You were seconds away from calling him— because you knew that the issue would probably be solved quicker if you did so— but before you could, you were bombarded by someone who was quickly coming around the corner and they crashed into you. The abrupt collision was forceful enough to make your drink spill on you and your phone slip out of your hand. 

You glanced down at your now coffee-stained white shirt and then up at the person who had caused this mess, and of course, it was Steve Harrington standing in front of you. You had to fight the immediate urge to roll your eyes. 

“Oh, shit. My bad,” He quickly said. “I’m minutes away from being late for my parent-teacher meeting, so I was rushing from the parking lot. Now it really does make sense why teachers always said no running in the halls, right? Because something like this can happen.” As he rambled, you picked up your phone off the ground, glad that it wasn’t broken, and then you tossed your now mostly empty coffee cup into the trash can nearby. When you looked back at him, you saw that he was fishing his wallet out of his back pocket. “Anyway, maybe I can pay for your dry cleaning? Or so you can at least get another coffee later or tomorrow?”

If it had been anyone else, you would’ve thought that the gesture was nice. But, since it was coming from Steve Harrington it only pissed you off because, of course, money was his immediate thought solution.

That time it was too difficult to not allow yourself to roll your eyes at him. “Y’know, throwing money at everything doesn’t make you a good dad. It actually makes you kind of an asshole.” 

You knew that you were being a little too harsh, but it was still too hard to feel completely regretful about your words; you were pissed at this current situation that was fully caused by him and you were also pissed simply because he was him.

You weren’t sure what you expected Steve to respond with, but he easily matched your angry energy. He narrowed his eyes at you. “Well, at least, I can do something. You barely show up to things and can’t give money to make up for it, so how much of a ‘good mom’ does that make you?”

Before you could say anything in response to that— a response that probably would’ve started and ended with a simple “Fuck you”— you heard your name being called from behind you by Oliver’s teacher. With everything happening with the man in front of you right then, you’d almost forgotten the meeting you were at the school for in the first place. 

Instead of saying anything to Steve, you simply buttoned up the black cardigan you were wearing to cover the majority of the coffee stain on your shirt and then walked away from him, putting on a smile and greeting Miss Wilson.

It wasn’t outwardly stated right then, but it was pretty much sealed then that this disliking could no longer be confused for being something that was one-sided. You two hadn’t said any words to each other since that moment in the hallway, and instead only annoyed looks and glares were shared anytime you saw one another; which lucky for you, actually wasn’t too frequent. 

On the first day of school, you learned that his daughter was in the same First Grade class as Oliver due to the emergency contact form all the parents had to fill out, which was then condensed into one sheet and shared among everyone for “just in case” purposes, and Steve’s name and number was on there. You really didn’t think it would be that big of a deal because you could still avoid him like the plague that he was, and that was exactly what you’d been doing for the last two weeks. 

However, you did not think that your kids would become friends.

“Can we have a playdate tomorrow?” Oliver asked. 

You racked your brain for a response; a way to say no without actually saying it because you really did hate disappointing him. “Oh, um, this weekend is gonna be really busy. But, maybe soon though, okay?” 

He frowned a bit but still nodded. “Okay.”

You held out your hand so that he could slip his in and then you started heading to your car.

“We have to go back to the coffee shop for a few more hours before we can go home. But, how does pizza for dinner tonight sound?” You asked as you buckled him in his car seat. The offer was an attempt to cheer him up and you hoped it worked; probably like every other six-year-old, Oliver loved pizza.

He smiled at that. “Ooh, yeah, that’s good.”  

You smiled back at him and inwardly hoped that this playdate idea would blow over over the next few days. And that the thought of you having to spend any sort of willing time with Steve Harrington would become a scary thought that only occasionally haunted your dreams, instead of it being something that actually became real.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Of course, it did not blow over. 

Excuse after excuse would fall from your lips, but Olly was determined and your words of “Today’s really busy” or “This weekend probably won’t be good” didn’t discourage him from continuing to ask. 

As the days came and went and a week passed with Olly asking the same question each day, you were so close to sucking it up and calling Steve and finally setting something up, but you were still way too fucking prideful to do so.

That didn’t stop you from thinking about doing it most days, though. But it was easier not to think about it when you were busying yourself at the coffee shop, and it was almost too easy to make yourself busy in some way there. And that was something that didn’t change on this Friday.

Oliver was sitting in his favorite booth working on homework and you were behind the counter, making a simple hot chocolate for the older woman who would come in almost every afternoon, typically around four o’clock. 

“Enjoy,” You said with a smile as you handed her the drink. 

Things in the coffee shop were calm and quiet, and you were about to go see if Oliver needed any help with the worksheets he was doing, but then your phone started vibrating in your back pocket. When you grabbed it, you saw that it was a random number calling, and maybe you should’ve thought about that fact more before answering, but you didn’t. 

“Hello?”

“Has Oliver asked to have a playdate with Madeline?” You quickly recognized Steve’s voice.

You let out a small sigh. “At least once a day since last Friday.”

“Same here with Maddie,” Steve said and then let out a sigh of his own. “We need to let this happen. I don’t think either of them are gonna let it go.” 

At first, you didn’t say anything in response to his words. You wanted to disagree with Steve, but you knew that you couldn’t because it was the truth. And then there was the fact that every time you gave some sort of fake excuse to Olly, you would feel like the worst parent ever, so maybe it would be best to just finally let this happen. “You’re right. Are you free tomorrow?”

“Yes,” He answered. “We can just do a quick thing at the park if that’s good?”

That was exactly what you were about to suggest, but you didn't tell him that. “Yeah, that’s fine. Is twelve okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

Steve didn’t say anything in response to you and instead simply ended the call there. The lack of an actual goodbye almost made you want to roll your eyes in annoyance, but you didn’t because you knew that you probably would’ve done the same thing to him. 

You put your phone back in your pocket and walked over to the two-person booth Oliver was sitting at, sliding in across from him. “Hey, bud, I have really fun news. You and Maddie are finally gonna have your playdate tomorrow.”

Seeing the elated grin immediately take over his face made the fact that you’d be spending a few hours with Steve Harrington tomorrow worth it.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

You never thought you’d witness a moment where Steve was actually on time for something, but for once he was. When you pulled into the small parking lot of the park, you already saw him sitting on one of the wooden benches that surrounded the playground watching Maddie go down a slide.

Moments after the car was put in park, Oliver was unbuckling himself and rushing to get out so that he could head over to where Maddie was. You could only smile at his enthusiasm before telling him to slow down and be careful.

You took your time walking over to where Steve was because of how much you were dreading it, and for a moment you debated whether or not you should sit next to him or go to the bench that was empty and a few feet away. Ultimately, you decided to just sit next to him; you could be civil for a couple of hours. 

“Hi,” You said as you sat down on the wooden bench.

He looked at you just for a second before turning back to the playground. “Hey.”

“How are you?” You asked. It was always easy to go into the mundane small talk you’d have all day with customers; aside from the ones that were the regulars that you knew too well and couldn’t simply ask how they were doing without actually meaning it.

“Good,” Steve responded. “You?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” You answered with a small nod. 

A silence that could only be deemed as awkward began to linger in the air because it felt as if there was absolutely nothing else to say. If he was a customer, you would’ve simply taken his order and he would have walked away by now, but obviously, this wasn’t that kind of interaction. The only sound that could be heard was the handful of other parents with their children and your own kids looking happier than ever. 

It could’ve been easy for you to make some joke to Steve about how weird this entire situation felt because of how much animosity you had toward each other and now there you two were on a sort of playdate of your own because of your kids. And then the two of you would have laughed about this current set of circumstances, and maybe that would’ve allowed things to actually start to feel somewhat okay. But, it just felt way too hard to let yourself actually be civil toward him, even though you had told yourself that you would be.

“I’m very surprised you’re actually on time for something. After all the PTA meetings, I thought you were incapable of it,” You said, still staring straight ahead as you then took a sip from the water you had in your hand. 

“And you’re late, which is not surprising,” He told you with a small scoff.

Aside from that first time you had been late for the meeting, there was one other time where you were late again and, of course, that was also the one time where Steve managed to be a little bit earlier than you. Given that he had been late countless times, you felt that it was both stupid and unwarranted for him to use the single time he saw you late against you.

“Whatever,” You said as you rolled your eyes. “Not that I even owe you an explanation for being only five minutes late today, but the coffee shop was starting to have a rush right before me and Olly were about to leave, and I didn’t want to leave my employee right then to completely fend for himself.”

“That’s interesting because every time I drive by the place, it looks the complete opposite of busy.” 

Perhaps this entire conversation immediately taking the shittiest turn was your fault because you “fired the first shot,” but his words felt equivalent to a low blow. You pretended as if you were completely unaffected by them and tried your hardest not to recognize the slight validity behind them— the coffee shop had its peak times and also its deserted moments, and maybe sometimes it did feel a bit more deserted than not, but you were surviving and right then that was all that mattered you.  

You glared harshly at him although he wasn’t even looking back at you. Muttering a “Fuck you” was right on the tip of your tongue, but you bit it back and instead got up from the bench and started moving to an empty one. Steve didn’t say anything else to you and instead seemed completely unfazed by you walking away from him. 

You watched Oliver and Maddie talking and laughing at the top of a slide that was big enough to fit both of them and they went down it together. Seeing how happy Olly was and knowing that this was the first friend he actually wanted to spend time with outside of school, made dealing with Steve’s bullshit right then completely okay with you. 

When two o’clock rolled around, you were waving Oliver over to you, much to his dismay.

“I know it’s time to go, but can we all get food together?” He asked when he walked over to you.

For once, the excuse for saying no that you were about to tell him wasn’t a made-up one. “We gotta go pick Eddie up from the airport, remember? Also, he told me that he has a bunch of cool stuff to give you from California.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Oliver said, a smile taking over his face. “I almost forgot he was coming today.” 

He went over to where Maddie was now standing with Steve and he gave her a quick hug goodbye before running back over to you.

Instead of giving any sort of verbal goodbye to Steve, you simply gave him a small wave. It was hard to wrap your head around the fact that you’d now probably have to see him more often than not. With how happy Oliver and Maddie looked playing together, you knew that today definitely wouldn’t just be a one-time thing.

Somehow with the wave Steve gave back to you, you could tell that he knew that too.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

You were in no way related to Eddie Munson, but he felt more like family than your actual family. 

He was the first person you met when you moved to Hawkins three years ago. After going through a messy divorce that felt like it had actively taken at least ten years off of your life, it felt so goddamn nice to immediately make a friend in this town that was completely new to you.  

Coming from Chicago, a city that had always felt way too big for you, any small town sounded perfect in your eyes, and you were able to find a cheap-ish house in Hawkins, so it was the winner.

You met Eddie at a grocery store a week after you’d moved in. It was also your birthday, a fact that three-year-old Oliver didn’t fail to tell Eddie when you accidentally bumped into him— quite literally crashed your cart into the guy— in the bread aisle. 

“Happy birthday,” He had said to you and you gave him a small smile before proceeding to say another sorry for bumping your cart into him. He then looked at Oliver. “Are you gonna bake a birthday cake for her?” 

Oliver visibly brightened and turned to you. “Ooh, yeah, can we bake a cake?”

“Sure,” You nodded and smiled at his eagerness. 

He smiled widely and then looked back at Eddie. “Can you come over and help us make it?” 

“Oh, um…” Eddie’s eyes met yours to see what you wanted him to say. 

“You can, if you want,” You told him and you genuinely meant your words. He seemed normal, and even though this was a small town, he was the first person who had been so outwardly nice to you and Olly. 

“Okay, yeah, I’d love to help,” He said with a nod. “I’m Eddie, by the way.” 

You told him your name and then gestured to Olly. “And this is Oliver.” 

“Sorry for suggesting this idea and contributing to the sugar high that will probably be happening tonight,” Eddie told you as you moved to the next aisle where all of the baking stuff was, you were giving Oliver full reign over what cake mix you got. 

“Apology not accepted,” You responded but still smiled at him.  

Many hours later, when the cake was baked and Oliver was tucked away in bed after having two pieces of it, you pulled out a bottle of wine for you and Eddie to drink. And then because of the wine and because of the fact that birthdays always managed to bring something severely melancholic out of you, you started crying to him about your divorce that had just been finalized, the affair that your husband had with his coworker being the catalyst for said divorce, and how you felt so weirdly alone in this new town but also not at all alone because you had Oliver. 

Somehow none of that managed to scare him away— even though you would’ve been completely understanding if it had— and a friendship had been cemented ever since. 

Eight months ago, he moved to California because of a huge opportunity he got with his music; it was something he had been waiting for for so many years. You had called it a “big break,” but he thought that sounded too pretentious. 

You hadn’t really wanted him to leave, he was your best friend— your only friend in this town— but you were also so happy for him. And the distance actually managed to feel somewhat okay because you two would talk all the time and he’d visit every few months.

Oliver especially didn’t mind the distance because whenever Eddie did come back to Hawkins for a visit, it always meant that he’d get some cool new toys from him. And this time proved to be no different. 

The three of you were in the coffee shop. It was quiet right then— you didn’t think about Steve’s words from earlier— and you watched Eddie smile at Oliver as he animatedly talked about something, you assumed he was telling Eddie about Madeline.

Moments later, Eddie walked over to where you stood behind the counter, beginning the clean-up process because you were closing in about an hour. 

“It’s really nice seeing how fucking– I mean fudging,” He turned around to see if Oliver heard what he’d just said, but Olly was too busy playing with his new red toy car to hear anything. “Happy he is. All he’s been doing is rambling about his new friend.” 

“Yeah, it’s really great,” You said, smiling as you thought about how happy he had been at the park earlier. You then thought about Steve and inwardly sighed. “Well, for the most part.”

“Why? Is she a bad influence or something? I didn’t think there could be bad influences in first grade,” Eddie said and then laughed a bit. “Actually, scratch that, I was definitely a bad influence in first grade.”

An amused look crossed your face. “You talk a lot about this “bad boy persona” you used to have, but I don’t know if I really believe it because all I see is a guy that actually enjoys buying toys for a six-year-old.”

He smiled at that. “I changed. Turned over a new leaf.”

“Mhm, got it,” You responded, your voice slightly sarcastic because it was still hard to imagine Eddie as anything other than the nice guy who baked a cake with you and Oliver on your birthday. “Anyway, though, it’s not the girl that’s the problem; she’s really sweet and nice. It’s her parent that’s the worst person in the world.” 

Eddie nodded. “Okay, tell me all about this mean mom drama.”  

“It’s a dad, actually,” You said and then started explaining everything that you had never said aloud before. You told Eddie all of it— how Steve was so easily able to throw money at anything the school needed, how he was basically treated like a King among the other moms because of that, the incident that happened last year during parent-teacher conference week where everything between you two fully came to a head, and the shitty conversation you had with him at the park only hours earlier. 

“Wow, I’ve missed a lot. I can’t believe you have a nemesis, and I also can’t believe you never told me about him.”

“He’s the last thing I ever want to think about, let alone talk about. If it wasn’t for Oliver becoming friends with his daughter, you wouldn’t be hearing about him. Also, I feel like “nemesis” is a bit of an exaggeration.”

“I can call him your mortal enemy, if you want,” Eddie said with a teasing smile and you only rolled your eyes in response, refraining from flipping him off. “What’s his name? Maybe I know him. Aside from you, people rarely ever move to this town for fun, so he’s probably been here his whole life.”

You actually never thought about the potential of Eddie knowing Steve, although it was completely plausible given the reason your friend just mentioned. 

“Steve Harrington.” 

“Oh.” 

From Eddie’s reaction, the answer to your next question seemed pretty obvious but you still decided to ask it. “You know him?”

“Yeah, we were in high school at the same time.” 

“Okay, what was he like?” 

“All the typical high school stuff. He was a popular guy, played sports, was kind of a jerk but pretty much all of the girls still loved him.” 

You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “That sounds very accurate.” 

“By the end of it, though, he seemed like somewhat of a changed guy. Got his heart broken by the nice girl, and then became friends with actual good people,” Eddie told you, and that was the one part of his description of the Steve that he had known that managed to actually surprise you. “I didn’t know he had a kid now.”

“Yup, and he’s also changed back into the jerk that you originally knew him as in high school,” You said. “And the most fuc— fudged up part of it all is that we should be friends. Which probably makes me sound crazy because of everything I just said, but it’s true. Me and him are basically in the same boat— the only single parents in the grade, we both have time-consuming jobs, and now even our kids are friends with each other. It would just make sense if we were actually friends too.”

“I mean, you still could be, right?”

You immediately shook your head. “Wrong. There’s no way that could ever happen.” 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

The rest of September and most of October flew by with what felt like an abrupt kind of quickness. 

Absolutely nothing changed between you and Steve, even with Eddie’s idea that maybe it could. The only time the two of you talked to each other was if it involved your kids and if you were setting up the day and time for another park playdate, which quickly managed to become a weekly thing because of how adamant Oliver and Madeline were— just like you assumed they’d be. 

It may have seemed a little weird, these brief conversations you’d have with one another that were nothing more and nothing less than transactional, but it worked perfectly for you two. 

“This weekend is gonna be pretty busy for me, so is tomorrow after school good?” You asked Steve. A PTA meeting had just ended and you and him were lingering by the same exit that the kids would come out of when school was over. 

You were pretty close to not showing up to this Thursday night meeting, but you knew that you had to because it was about the Winter Carnival happening in December. It was a huge event that would be an “all hands on deck” kind of situation, which was why they talked about it so far in advance and why attendance at any meeting discussing it was pretty much mandatory.  

Steve shook his head at your question. “I have this big work thing tomorrow, so I have to pick up Maddie and then drop her off at the babysitter before rushing back to the city.”

You nodded understandingly at his words. A part of you knew that you should have left it at that, because you tried to set something up and that should’ve been more than enough of an effort, but instead, you found yourself saying, “I can pick her up and take the two of them to the park tomorrow if you want.”

Steve was quiet and your words simply lingered in the open air. You almost regretted making the suggestion because you felt as if he was somehow going to find a way to be a dick about it, but then he looked at you curiously, and another look that you couldn’t decipher crossed his face too as he said, “You sure?”

You nodded at him. “Yeah, it’s really no problem.” And it honestly wasn’t a problem in the slightest; Madeline was the sweetest girl ever. She reminded you nothing of Steve, so you assumed that she got her personality from her mom; you still had no idea what that entire situation entailed. “What time will you be done with work?”

“Hopefully around five or six,” He answered. There was still that look on his face, which you still couldn’t tell what it said, but you really wanted to know.  

“Okay, after the park, I can take them back to my house and you can pick Maddie up from there when you’re done with work,” You said, only a little surprised at how easily this idea came together. “Olly’s been wanting to show her his new fish, anyway.”

“Yeah, I think she’s mentioned his fish to me probably a thousand times. It’s blue and purple, right?”

“Yeah, it’s a betta fish; Barnaby.”

“Barnaby?”

You shrugged. “I have no idea how Olly came up with that name, but I will admit that it does sound more like the name of an old sailor lost at sea rather than a fish. But, in some weird way, both of those things are actually kind of related.” 

Steve laughed at that and somehow it didn’t sound the least bit mocking or condescending, it was more amused. Hearing that sound coming from him shocked you as much as it, surprisingly, made you inwardly smile. 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

The amount of dark clouds in the sky didn’t necessarily faze you until a raindrop hit your cheek as you sat on a park bench watching Oliver and Madeline on the playground. It was a light drizzle that transformed into something heavier in a matter of minutes and you realized that you probably should’ve been more mindful of what the weather was going to be today. 

Neither of the kids really minded the rain putting an end to their time at the park though, because Oliver was happy to go home so that Maddie could finally see the fish.

They bounded up the stairs to Olly’s room the second you unlocked the front door, and you headed to the kitchen, sending a simple text to Steve in the process. 

You: Had to leave the park because of the rain. We’re at my place now

At first, the lack of a response from him didn’t surprise you because it was only around four-thirty and he was probably busy. He was also Steve Harrington and he rarely ever responded to you in a timely manner. 

You heard the sound of footsteps racing down the stairs and you looked up from your phone, after checking it for probably the hundredth time in the past hour, to see Olly and Maddie coming into the kitchen.

“Can you convince my dad to get me a fish?” Maddie asked as she and Olly joined you at the small dining table. 

You smiled and nodded at her. “I can try.” 

“Thanks,” She said, smiling back at you. “The only time I get to see any pets is at my Aunt Robin’s house. She has a golden retriever.” 

“Oh, that’s really cool. What’s its name?”

“Willow. She’s a girl.” 

Oliver looked at you. “Can we get a dog next?” 

“Let’s just worry about Barnaby for now,” You told Olly, giving him a small smile. You could only imagine how much more hectic your life would become if you two got a dog anytime soon. “I was thinking about doing dino nuggets and french fries for you guys for dinner. How does that sound?”

They both perked up at that and nodded and you got up to turn on the oven, purposefully leaving your phone on the table because you wanted a break from impulsively checking it every few minutes. It slightly annoyed you that you heard nothing from Steve yet, and it annoyed you even more that the lack of a response felt personal. You wondered if he actually hadn’t seen your message yet, or if he was simply being an asshole and not responding with a simple “Okay” or even a thumbs up to it on purpose. 

It wasn’t until the time was a little after six, and you still hadn’t heard anything from Steve, that your initial annoyance toward him not responding to you and not giving you any sort of updates on what was happening with him over the past few hours, morphed into something that resembled worry. 

You walked out of the living room and into the kitchen and pulled your phone out of your back pocket so that you could call him. Your gaze moved toward the window as you pressed your phone to your ear; the weather outside still looked pretty shitty. The call went straight to voicemail and you sighed as you waited for the beep. 

“Hey, um, it’s me. That’s probably very obvious. Um, anyway, you said you’d be done with work around five or six, but I haven’t heard anything from you in the last couple of hours… I hope everything’s fine. Um, any sort of update would be really nice. Call, or at least text me, whenever you get this. Okay… Bye.”

You hung up and slipped your phone back in your pocket.

It was an obvious fact that you didn’t like Steve Harrington, but that didn’t mean you wanted anything bad to happen to him. 

The only thing that managed to not make you feel completely worried was that Maddie seemed okay and not worried at all. Instead, she and Olly were in the living room playing in the fort you made for them out of couch cushions and throw blankets.

You went back into the living room and sat down on the small loveseat that was the only piece of furniture that still had its cushion left. 

“You guys okay in there?” 

“Yup!”

“Yes!”  

Hearing their chorus of happy “yeses” made you inwardly sigh in relief and lean back into the chair, letting your eyes shut just for a second and muttering to yourself that everything was and would be fine. 

Your phone was still glued to your hand as you grabbed the remote with your other and turned on a random Disney movie for the kids to listen to as background noise and for you to take your mind off of Steve, even though all you were waiting and hoping for was for your phone to vibrate in your hand with a call or text from him. 

You didn’t realize that you’d fallen asleep in the chair until you were startled awake by the sound of the doorbell ringing. The abruptness of it actually managed to scare you, so much so that you could immediately feel your heartbeat pounding in your ears when you opened your eyes. 

The second Lilo & Stitch movie was now playing on the TV and through your half-awake haze, you found the remote to pause it. You then peeked inside the fort and saw that Olly and Maddie were asleep. 

As you rubbed the slight tiredness out of your eyes and got up from the couch, you checked your phone and saw that the time was 8:11pm. The doorbell rang again as you unlocked the door and the first thing that you noticed when you opened it was that it was no longer raining, you were unsure when it had finally stopped. 

“Hi.”

Seeing Steve standing in front of you managed to immediately wash away the worry you had been feeling for the last couple of hours. And it was quickly and completely replaced with the annoyance you’d initially felt. “What the hell happened?” 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Hearing a genuine apology come from Steve Harrington’s mouth actually managed to baffle you. “My meeting at work ran over, and there was no way to get out of it, not even for a second. And then there was a ton of traffic because of the rain, so a drive that typically only takes thirty minutes took longer than an hour. Also, I have the worst and probably oldest phone in the world because it never holds a charge anymore, and it was plugged in during the entire drive but didn’t turn on at all. So, I’m really sorry that I haven’t been able to call or text or anything. These past few hours have been hell.” He let out a sigh and then looked at you, concerned. “How’s Maddie? Is she okay?”

There were a lot of words that had been thrown at you during Steve’s ramble, but hearing his full explanation and how apologetic he was made your annoyance with him dissipate into nothing just like your worry did. Instead, you felt a little bad for him because of all the shit he had to endure in the past few hours. You pushed the door open further to fully let him in. 

“She’s good. She’s okay. She and Olly are sleeping in the living room. I made them a little fort,” You told him as he walked in and you pointed to where the kids were in the living room, and he nodded when he saw the construction of couch cushions and blankets. 

You looked at Steve and hesitated for a moment. You knew that this was where the goodbyes for the night should’ve started, but it didn’t feel right to have him leave just yet; he still seemed sort of frazzled and stressed about everything that happened. You started heading toward the kitchen and he followed you. “Do you maybe, uh, want something to drink?” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“Okay, I have water and juice boxes,” You told him and turned around to meet his eyes, he was leaning against the small island. “It’s moments like these where it sucks being the “good influence/leading by example” parent because I can’t offer you something fun, like a soda.”

Steve laughed a bit; it still felt so foreign hearing that sound from him. “A juice box is fine. That’s probably all that lives at my house too.”

You grabbed one from the fridge and then closed it. “I hope you like apple.”

“My favorite, actually,” He said as you handed the drink to him, and you couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, but you didn’t have enough time to really ponder that before he completely changed the subject. “How was Maddie when you picked her up? When I told her about it this morning, she seemed excited about it and about hanging out with Oliver after school too, but was she really okay?” 

You nodded at his question. “She was great. They both had fun at the park and didn’t even mind the rain because they really wanted to come here and see the fish.”

He smiled and you could see the immediate relief wash over his face. “Okay.”

“She also wants me to try and convince you to get her a fish.”

“Of course she does,” He said before taking a sip from the juice box. You had to admit, it was a little funny seeing a man wearing professional clothes, that were probably so expensive, drinking from a tiny juice box meant for little kids. 

“I’m honestly kinda surprised that you pick her up every day,” You told him as you turned and went back into the fridge to pull out a water for yourself. “Given your job, I thought you’d just have a babysitter or someone pick her up most of the time. I had no idea it was half an hour away.”

“I didn’t used to do it… Her, um, her mom would,” He said and you could tell by the way he said those words that whatever happened involving Maddie’s mom was a touchy subject. It sounded similar to how you’d usually sound whenever you talked about Oliver’s dad— a little sad and a lot like you’d rather talk about anything else. 

Your mind started desperately trying to think of a way to change the subject; it was what you would’ve wanted him to do for you if the tables were turned. But, before you could say the first thing that came to mind, which was, “So, I wonder if it’s gonna rain tomorrow too,” Steve started talking again. 

“It had become a routine because of how hectic my job is. She’d always drop Maddie off and pick her up. But, she, uh… She left last year, so that changed everything,” He told you. You closed the fridge and turned around to face him; you forgot to grab your water but that was the last thing on your mind right then.

This conversation suddenly felt like completely uncharted territory between you and Steve because you two did not talk about touchy subjects— you and him barely talked about anything at all. But, for some odd reason, you didn’t necessarily mind the serious turn to the conversation because maybe it was a shit ton of honesty that was needed for you two to actually, finally, not dislike each other.

Steve ran a hand through his hair and pulled his eyes away from yours. He instead fixed his attention on his juice box in hand. “It happened around this time in October. She dropped Maddie off at school, but didn’t pick her up.” 

Hearing him say that surprised you as much as it confused you because you had absolutely no idea that happened last year. But with how busy you’d been then, and since you weren’t friends with any of the “gossipy” moms that somehow always knew everything, it did make a little sense why you knew nothing. 

“Maddie was waiting in the office for about two hours after school was over before I could get there because I was in a meeting and didn’t see the calls coming from the school. She didn’t really know what was happening, but she was still so sad and I think that somehow a small part of her did know.” He shook his head and sighed, a look that could only be deemed as melancholic crossed his face. “I never want her to feel abandoned like that again, so I always make sure to drop her off and pick her up now.”

As he said his last words, something managed to shift inside of you in a matter of a split second. Suddenly, his name was no longer “the worst person in the world” in your mind. 

In all of your months of having this “nemesis relationship” — as Eddie would call it— with Steve Harrington, you never thought that your opinion of him would ever be able to change. However, in this moment of you two standing across from each other at your small kitchen island as Steve held a freaking juice box in his hand, it finally did. He was a good person, a really fucking good person.

You were able to see it so goddamn easily then— the exact ways that he and Maddie were just alike. She got her personality from him, you were now quite literally certain of it. And you immediately felt bad for ever thinking differently.

“I’m sorry about what I said last year during conference week,” You told him, suddenly ready to give him your own burst of honesty. “I was pissed that you spilled my coffee all over me, and I was even more pissed because it was you, and you annoyed me so much. Because even though we’re kind of in the same boat with the amount of “active” things we do for the school, all of the moms love you so much and I swear they hate me, and it’s just so annoying.” You let out a small sigh and then met his gaze before saying the words that you didn’t think you’d ever say to him. “Anyway, you’re a really good dad, and I’m so sorry for telling you differently.”

“I’m sorry for what I said that day too. You’re a really great mom,” He said, giving you a small smile, and it slightly shocked you how much hearing that meant to you. Aside from Eddie, you couldn’t remember the last time someone said that to you. “And I don't think the moms at school actually like me. I think they just pity me because of everything that happened, and how they basically saw it all blow up in real time. Since pre-school, Maddie’s mom was dropping her off and picking her up, and suddenly one day she was completely gone. I swear the number of times I got phone calls that were a bunch of them saying, “We’re here for you,” but they really just wanted to get the full story about what happened, was insane during those first few months.”

“Jesus, small town moms are the worst,” You said as you shook your head. “Or, at least, ours are.”

You looked away from Steve and turned around, finally going back to the fridge to grab a water. “Oliver’s dad was kind of the same way. He left too. Or maybe it’s actually not the same because I made him leave— he was having an affair with his coworker. But, he also wanted to leave and be with her, so maybe it actually is a little similar. Sorry, now I’m just rambling about that asshole,” You said and rolled your eyes at yourself. You weren’t sure why you even decided to circle the conversation back to your exes.  

“Do you and Oliver ever see him anymore?” Steve asked, and when you closed the fridge and turned back to face him, you shook your head at his question.

“Not since we moved here. He does the bare minimum and sends Olly checks for his birthday and Christmas. Which I think is dumb because no kid wants a check as a present; even I would rather get an actual gift than a stupid check,” You told Steve as you opened up your water. “Does Maddie ever see her mom, or does she ever come around sometimes?”

With the way she left, you were almost certain that the answer was no, but you were still curious.

“No, she hasn’t, and I don’t think she would ever want to,” Steve answered and you gave him a small nod of understanding before he continued. “I remember about a week after everything happened, and after avoiding my many calls and texts, she finally called me. She was really apologetic about the way she decided to leave, but she said that she just couldn’t do it anymore because none of this life that we had here was making her happy, and she didn’t want me to try and convince her to stay. When she said that, it made me realize that the smallest part of me knew that this would eventually happen. Maddie was completely unexpected and our relationship had already gotten pretty bad before we found out, so neither of us was remotely ready to be parents, but we still decided to do it and try to make it all work. Right when I saw Maddie for the first time I knew that she was the best thing that ever happened to me and I couldn’t imagine my life without her, and that never changed. But, it wasn’t the same way for her mom, and sometimes it seemed like she felt the complete opposite way. So, in a way, I can understand why she knew she had to leave. I hate the way that she did it, but ultimately I understand that this wasn’t the life she wanted, and she’d never want it.” A sad smile took over his face.

“We don’t have to keep talking about this if you don’t want to,” You told him, suddenly feeling bad that you had been the one to bring the conversation back to this in the first place. “We can change the subject to anything else. Maybe the weather? I wonder if it’s gonna rain again tomorrow…” 

“No, it’s okay,” Steve said. “I really never thought I’d say this because we’ve never had a real conversation before, but I think I actually like talking to you.” He shook his head at his words. “I’m sorry, that probably sounds fucked up.”

“No, don’t be sorry. I feel the same exact way. Ten minutes ago I couldn’t really stand the thought of having any sort of conversation with you, and now I feel like an idiot for hating you all this time. So, this is insanely fast progress,” You said and then immediately thought of something. “Wow, I really wish I had some alcohol for us to drink right now because us actually not despising each other anymore is a milestone that truly should be toasted to.”

Steve laughed a bit; it was nice hearing that sound after all the sad stuff that had just been shared by both of you. He raised his juice box toward you a bit. “This will have to do, I guess.”

You raised your water and “clinked” it with the juice box. “Cheers to… whatever we are now.”

It didn’t feel entirely like a friendship, but it, at least, felt like you two could actually be nice to one another and not feel pained to do so. 

“Cheers to that,” Steve said with a quick nod and then finished off the rest of what was left in his small juice box. “I should grab Maddie and head home. She has dance class at eight in the morning. She hates it for the most part, but she has a recital next week and I told her that she should push through until that and then we can quit. A part of me is kind of glad that she hates it, though, because classes are insanely expensive.”

“Olly’s starting soccer at the end of the month,” You told him. “It’s for boys and girls. You should see if Maddie wants to do that.”

“If Oliver’s doing it, she’ll probably say yes.”

You nodded at that and how true it was on both sides. “I’ll text you the information.”

“Thanks,” He said and smiled.

You followed him as he walked into the living room to get Maddie. She was still fast asleep as her arms circled around his neck when he picked her up. You grabbed her bookbag that she and Oliver left by the front door and helped Steve hook one of his arms in it.

Somehow something was silently exchanged in that last look shared between you and him before you said your final goodbyes for the night, and you softly shut and locked your door behind him. It was a look that expressed that you both were glad about what happened in the past twenty minutes— the honesty-filled conversation that led to you two finally understanding one another and realizing how you were actually more alike than either of you had ever thought. 

It was a realization that was simultaneously surprising and refreshing. 

“Goodnight,” You said, giving him a small smile and he smiled back at you. 

“Goodnight.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

PART TWO

let me know ur thoughts<333

[meanbossart]

ASK COMPILATION: LORE, CHARACTERIZATION, AND THE ONE IN WHICH I RUIN A BUNCH OF PEOPLE'S FUN

As usual, this is far from all of the asks in my inbox but I'm trying to catch up 😩thank you everyone for your patience!

For the record, if your ask isn't being answered, that most likely means one of three things:

I am saving it as a possible art prompt.

I sincerely don't have a very interesting or good reply for it yet!

It's a question I have been asked multiple times/the answer is in my pinned post.

Glad you like them!!

As much as I don't limit what I draw to canonical events, vampirism is so antithetical to DU drow's character journey that I couldn't really envision it, to be honest, but who knows! Maybe I'll cook up some Ascended Astarion scenario someday that is kind of a role-reversal of the Bhaalist DU Drow AU I have going on in tandem to the story.

I'll be honest, this is one of the rare times where I'm really not sure which aspect of DU drow's weirdness this is in reference to. Do you know something I don't? 😅

His masochism is very... Classic, I guess? He's in it for the pain and for the emotional connection, and the process of being pierced wouldn't cut it whatsoever, it's too subtle. The body modifications he has are an incidental result of it, but they were never really the goal.

Also having stuff dangling off his face or body would just irritate him, he specifically only does rings because all other types of jewellery get in the way too much. Pre-tadpole Bhaalist drow obviously wore them by the ton, but only as a symbol of status and because he had a permanent new-money complex🤷 so yeah not a piercing-type of character at all, sorry!

He's smooth from the eyelashes-down and profoundly weirded out by body hair LOL

I don't personally think that whatever Astarion had for a home before would bear my resemblance to it after 200 years - having probably gone through several owners, remodeled, if not completely lost to the destruction of the end-game. I do HC that he used to visit it whenever he could as an enthralled spawn to read his mail, but he stopped after his father passed.

THANK YOU, I THINK? I can't say that isn't a passionate description at least!

I'm honestly surprised that this comes up as often as it does LOL but it's just an stylistic choice on my end!

The latter - for sure. He figured that them dying at each other's hands at the end was a given and took that assumption entirely for granted (and I'm sure daydreamed about it often while Gortash went on and on about political strategy during their dinner meetings.)

;))) way ahead of you and by "way ahead" I mean "eventually and whenever I can figure out when to do it alongside the other 30 ideas I am currently juggling" (but I really do want to make a little comic out of it!)

He used them! Not immediately, but he grew to trust the guardian after some initial suspicion and happily gobbled up those squirmy little things alongside Astarion. Because I made his character on a whim and without any planned backstory, I didn't really put any thought into his Guardian's appearance either, so she's just a human woman with a Joan of Arc look going on who's of no significance to him or his past.

But DU drow did trust her, again not immediately but eventually. It was honestly a big kick in the gut to him when the Emperor revealed himself and it definitely set their relationship up to fail from the get-go.

This is also why he didn't ascend to the next stage of Ilithid power, he just stomped the thing dead right on the spot LOL

LMAO I think Gortash is too proud to chase a tail he can't catch like that

He was probably very overwhelmed by the sudden realization that OH, THIS IS ALL HAPPENING BECAUSE OF ME which naturally didn't come across whatsoever to anyone present since he immediately bottled it up and tucked it away out of sight. However, as the story progressed and DU drow helped his friends get out of their respective pickles he was probably able to justify it to himself as it having been for the greater good - since it led to Astarion being freed from his master and Shadowheart to defying the Sharrans.

As for all of the rest of the ensued destruction and death that resulted from it? Well you can't make an omelette without cracking some eggs, or whatever is the wizard version of that saying. He has essentially turned the entire situation into a net-positive in his mind and sleeps great at night because of it.

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

My favorite Conduit Of The Horrors 🩵

Rambles and art stuff under the cut

I love thinking about the primary trio post-nmpd, and there have been some really cool headcanons floating around, and long story short I rewatched Yellow Jacket and I have some ideas in the works. I don't know if this is post-Yellow Jacket or in the middle of it or what, I'm not actually thinking that deep about it I'm just having fun lol. For reasons I needed to have a finalized design for Hannah soooo-

I managed to seriously screw myself over by deciding to try and draw 2 characters I adore that are played by four extremely different looking actors. It was frustrating, but interesting to try and pick out what I thought the most important features of each version was.

So like, for BF Hannah I just used Kendall Nicole as the reference, easy peasy. But aging her up was a bit of a juggle. Eventually I ended up kind of grafting Lauren's expressions onto her face shape, which I also referenced Angela Giarratana for. Just to get that familial connection in there. It really helps that they both have that distinct chiseled chin, it's really fun to draw and fairly easy to replicate. (Side note, Lauren has an incredible ability to suddenly look like a deer in the headlights out of nowhere. The nervous energy that rang through her performance as Hannah was amazing, and I couldn't get over how damn expressive her eyes were)

I was gonna have a more detailed drawing of Ethan in there, because I absolutely love their relationship, but I chickened out. I ended up basically just drawing Joey's version with slightly shorter hair that is longer on one side, like a half-mullet thing. This is partially to try and synthesize the two versions in my head aesthetically, but mostly it's to differentiate him from Pete. Pete is a little difficult too, I actually really like how Nick Lang played him and wanted to incorporate some features from there, but I decided to save it for another day because I was giving myself a headache. Honestly a lot of the stuff is just hair texture, cause one of the most defining traits for their designs in my head was the way their curly hair was styled. But at the same time Joey's current haircut is damn iconic and I love being able to swing it around for the drama Ghibli-style

[societyfolklore]

White Wine In The Sun

Title: White Wine In The Sun (Prompt- let's go somewhere warm for the winter)   Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader Summary:  It’s been years since Bucky has truly celebrated Christmas, but this year, he finds himself reluctantly agreeing to spend the holidays with you at your childhood home—a sunny, warm retreat in Australia.

Word Count: 2k

Warnings:  Romance, Little Angsty and Fluff, Kissing A/N: Another entry for @the-slumberparty December daze challenge- Day 16) As an Australian Christmas is a different experience for us.. Also it’s 40+/104 degrees here today LOL taking inspo from White Wine In The Sun by Tim Minchin

The sound of jet engines roared in the background as Bucky adjusted his duffle bag over his shoulder, glancing down at the boarding pass in his hand. A flight to Melbourne, Australia, was far from how he imagined spending his Christmas. He looked over at you, the excitement on your face unmistakable as you juggled your carry-on and passport.

"You sure you want to drag me along for this?" he muttered, his tone low but tinged with humour.

You smiled at him, nudging his arm. "I'm not dragging you. You're coming willingly. Mostly."

He huffed, shaking his head but allowing you to guide him toward the gate. "Just remember, this was your idea," he said, though there was no bite to his words.

As you boarded the plane and found your seats, Bucky couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. He had never been one for big family gatherings, and the thought of spending Christmas with your family in a small country town made him a little anxious. But as he looked over at you, he saw the excitement in your eyes and knew he couldn't say no.

The flight was long, but eventually, you arrived in Melbourne and made your way to the rural property where you grew up. The drive long from the capital, though Bucky could practically watch you vibrate in the driver's seat next to him, the aircon already blasting in the car. You regaled him with stories of Christmases past in in the country. “Down here, Christmas is typically BBQ, white wine, beers and prawns.” You did wonder if Bucky would miss snow and roaring fires. He listened quietly, his lips quirking into small smiles when you told him about your dad’s chaotic attempts to make pavlova and your siblings’ insistence on Christmas karaoke when everyone got too drunk or had to much sugar.

“It’s… different,” Bucky said cautiously as he looked out car window, watching the paddocks of dry grass and gumtrees past by.

“You’ll love it,” you assured him, squeezing his hand. “It might not be snowy and cold, but it’s still magical. And I want you to experience it with me.” The house was a beautiful, some old farm house with a wrap-around veranda and large trees surrounding it. Dogs running around the gardens by the house as the car pulled up the long drive. As you stepped out of the car, Bucky followed getting hit in the face by the stifling heat that seemed to not affect you at all as he took in the sights and sounds of the property. You led him to the front door, Bucky looked uncomfortable in the heat already.  Your parents came bustling out to greet you, their enthusiasm immediately overwhelming Bucky, though he managed a polite smile as they pulled you into hugs.

“And this must be Bucky,” your mom said warmly, extending a hand. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

Bucky’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “Thank you for having me,” he said, his voice quiet but genuine.

Your dad clapped him on the back, nearly making him stumble. “Come on in! Bet you’re starving after that flight.” “Your fathers even put the aircon on.” “Oh it is a special occasion!” You chime trying not to laugh as you both got ushed inside into the cool. “Thought your poor boy might melt on us if I didn’t.” You hoped Bucky had been around you long enough to understand ‘Australian’ humour or this might be a long few days for him.

Thankfully  Bucky adjusted to the unorthodox holiday traditions your family embraced. He helped your dad man the BBQ as more family descended on the house, earning approving nods for his efficient handling of the steaks. Your sister arrival  with her small family resulted in your shrieking like someone had doused you in ice water, Bucky had barely enough time to register what was going on before you took off sprinting across the lawn almost taking her to the ground in a hug  while her husband carried their new infant daughter from the car. “ABBY!” Abby squealed in delight, squeezing you just as tightly as you embraced her, both of you laughing like kids again. “Oh my God, look at you! You’re glowing!” you exclaimed, pulling back to hold her at arm’s length. “And her! Let me see her!”

Her husband chuckled, carefully shifting the tiny bundle in his arms toward you. “Meet baby Lucy,” he said proudly.

Your heart melted instantly as you reached for the baby, cradling her with practiced ease. “Oh, Abby, she’s perfect,” you breathed, your eyes misting as you took in the soft, delicate features of your new niece. Lucy yawned, her tiny face scrunching up before settling into a peaceful expression, and you swore your heart grew three sizes.

“Bucky!” you called over your shoulder, your excitement brimming over. “Come ‘ere! You ‘ave to meet her!”

Bucky, who had just finished placing a perfectly grilled steak onto a serving tray for your dad, looked up from the BBQ. He hesitated for only a moment, his brows knitting together in a mix of curiosity and cautiousness, before making his way over.

“This is Bucky,” you introduced as he approached, your smile wide as you gestured to him with one hand while still holding Lucy in the other. “And Bucky, this is my sister Abby, her husband Jake, and the newest addition to the family—baby Lucy.”

Abby gave Bucky a once-over, her expression swiftly turning approving. “So ‘is is the famous Bucky,” she said, her voice teasing. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Bucky glanced at you, a faint blush creeping up his neck. “All good things, I hope.”

“Mostly,” Abby teased with a smirk before extending her hand. “Welcome to the chaos. If you survived the BBQ, you’re halfway there.”

Bucky shook her hand, his grin softening. “Thanks. And congrats, by the way. She’s beautiful.”

“Want to ‘old her?” Jake asked suddenly, catching everyone off guard. He stepped closer, offering the baby to Bucky.

“Oh, uh…” Bucky’s eyes widened slightly, and he instinctively stepped back. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“You’ll be fine mate,” Jake assured him with a friendly smile. “She’s lighter than a ‘ag of flour. ‘ust support her head, and you’re golden.”

“Go on,” you encouraged gently, your voice filled with warmth. “She wont bite—yet.”

Reluctantly, Bucky nodded, his expression a mix of uncertainty and determination. Jake carefully handed Lucy over, and Bucky held her with the same precision and care he might handle a priceless artifact. His metal hand rested firmly under her body, supporting her weight as his flesh hand cradled her head.

For a moment, everything seemed to pause. Lucy stirred slightly, her tiny fist waving in the air before she settled again, and Bucky let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“She likes you,” Abby said softly, her teasing replaced with genuine warmth.

Bucky’s lips curved into a small, almost shy smile as he looked down at the baby in his arms. “She’s... so small,” he murmured, his voice full of wonder.

Your heart swelled at the sight. You hadn’t expected this, but seeing Bucky—calm, tender, and utterly captivated by your niece—was enough to make your chest ache with affection. You exchanged a quiet glance with Abby, her knowing smile mirroring your own.

“Well,” Jake said with a grin, “looks like Uncle Buck a natural.”

Bucky’s gaze flicked up, meeting yours with a hint of surprise at the title, but you just smiled softly, nodding in agreement. “Yeah,” you said. “He really is.”

Your younger cousins dragged him into a backyard cricket game, where he quickly became the star player despite his initial protests. Watching him laugh as the kids cheered his every move made your heart swell as you sat with your infant niece asleep on your shoulder.

As Christmas day turned into Christmas night and the endless buffet of festive eating turned into casual grazing under twinkling string lights, you found Bucky sitting on the back veranda staring out at the horizon where the sun dipped below the trees. You joined him, handing him a cold drink. You could see a mob of roos bouncing their way across the far paddock.

“It’s different, huh?” you asked, sitting beside him.

He nodded, his gaze distant. “Yeah. Different… but nice.” He glanced at you, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Your family’s great.”

“They love you already,” you said, leaning your shoulder against his. “And I love seeing you like this—relaxed, happy.”

Bucky’s smile faded slightly, his brow furrowing. “It’s not something I’m used to,” he admitted. “Being around so much… joy. It’s good, though. I’m trying.”

You reached over, taking his hand in yours. “You’re doing great, Buck. And I’m proud of you.” Bucky glanced down at your hand in his, his thumb brushing over your knuckles as his expression softened. The quiet moment between you seemed to stretch, filled with the faint hum of cicadas and the distant laughter of your family inside the house.

“I didn’t think I’d fit in Doll,” he murmured, his voice low and almost hesitant. “I mean, this—your family, all this… normalcy. I wasn’t sure it was for me.”

You smiled, leaning into him just a little more. “You’re wrong, you know. You fit in just fine. Better than fine, actually. I think my dad’s ready to adopt you after that steak performance.”

A small laugh escaped him, a sound that was still rare enough to make your chest tighten with affection. “Yeah, your dad’s good people.”

“You’re good people,” you teased, nudging him lightly with your shoulder. “And, for the record, you’re doing a lot better than the time Uncle Rick burned half the backyard trying to light the BBQ.”

Bucky chuckled at that, the sound warming the cool night air. “Guess I’ve got that going for me.”

For a moment, the two of you simply sat there, watching the horizon as the last hints of sunlight disappeared and the stars began to blink into view. The quiet comfort between you felt like its own kind of holiday magic—simple, real, and grounding.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was quieter, more reflective. “Thanks for bringing me here. For… all of this.”

You turned to look at him, catching the vulnerability in his expression as he stared out at the stars. “You deserved it, Bucky,” you said softly. “You deserve every bit of this—every laugh, every hug, every moment of peace.”

His hand tightened slightly around yours, and when he turned his gaze to meet yours, there was something unspoken in his eyes—something raw and grateful. “You make it easier to believe that,” he said, barely above a whisper.

You smiled, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Good. Because it’s true.”

The distant laughter of your family drifted out onto the porch, pulling both of you back to the present. Bucky glanced toward the house, his smile growing as he squeezed your hand. “So, when do I get my own honorary ugly Christmas shirt?”

You burst into laughter, shaking your head. “Oh, you’re in for it next year, Barnes. And it’s going to have tinsel.”

That night, after everyone else had gone to bed, you and Bucky found yourselves alone on the porch, the warm breeze carrying the scent countryside and flowers. The quiet intimacy of the moment wrapped around you both like a blanket.

Bucky reached out, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “You’ve given me something I didn’t think I’d ever have Doll,” he said quietly. “A home. A place I belong.”

Tears welled in your eyes as you leaned closer, pressing your forehead to his. “You are my home, Bucky. Always.” The kiss that followed was slow and tender, deepening as months of unspoken longing finally broke free. Bucky’s hands roamed your back, pulling you closer until you were both breathless. He scooped you into his arms, carrying you inside.

[jerzwriter]

Thank you to @icecoffee90 for this prompt sent to me 250 years ago! lol I had an idea while driving today, and I'm glad I had the time to write it down!

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Tobias x Casey Carrick (F!MC) Featuring: Jackie Varma, Samantha Carrick (F!OC), and Pietro, original cat. Rating: Teen Words: 1,076 Summary: Jackie stops by for a visit with a gift in tow, but Pietro has some opinions about it.

A/N: I didn't think this could fit a prompt for @choicesjanuary2025, but then I realized Winter Coat did it! :)

Jackie rushed up the steps to Tobias and Casey’s townhome, doing her best to juggle a bottle of Malbec under one arm and a gift bag under the other. A sinister grin came to her lips as she reached the landing, where she pressed the doorbell over and over again. Casey appeared in an instant, little Samantha on her hip.

"Seriously, Jackie!" She grimaced. "Ringing one time was sufficient; you didn’t need to do it a dozen times! What if Sammy had been sleeping?"

"Relax, MacTavish!"

"Carrick..." Casey corrected.

"Whatever..." Jackie dismissed, stepping into the vestibule, the cold of the Boston winter radiating off her body as she hung her coat in the foyer and turned back to her friend and mussing Sammy’s hair. "I called Tobias five minutes ago, so I knew Samantha was awake. I just wanted you to answer the door quickly so I wouldn't freeze to death out there! Besides, I thought it might ward off your demonic beast."

Tobias stepped into the small space as if on cue, furry little Pietro nuzzled in his arms. "Are you blaspheming my precious little boy again? Or are you referring to me?"

"Yes!" Jackie scowled, staring daggers at the at the little feline, but Pietro turned away, uninterested.

"I come bearing gifts," she said, raising the wine and gift bag over her head as she strutted into the living room.

Casey placed Sammy on the floor, delighted as she watched the toddler immediately crawl over to Pietro.

"A gift? What’s the occasion?” Casey asked.

“It’s Friday, and I’m blessing you with my presence. You’re welcome,” Jackie smirked, kicking off her boots. “You said you wanted to get more books for Samantha, and I found this at that used book store we go to in Cambridge.”

Tobias gave Jackie a bemused look as Casey pulled the book out of the bag. “The Complete Works of Edgar Alan Poe?” he laughed. “I mean, I like it, but you understand Sammy is one, right?”

“I’m aware, but I figured if you’re going to let this satanic furball run the place, you might as well lean into the vibe, and nothing says ‘gothic chaos’ like Poe.”

Pietro lept onto the couch gracefully, draping himself beside Jackie like an expensive throw. His blue eyes narrowed at her, who instinctively held up the wine bottle as if it were a shield.

“Relax, Lucifer,” she muttered. “I’m not here to dethrone you. I know my place!”

Casey shook her head with a laugh. “Jackie, you’re so dramatic. He’s literally doing nothing.”

“He’s plotting,” Jackie countered. “Look at him. He’s not a cat; he’s an evil genius!”

Tobias sat on the arm of the couch, lovingly stroking Pietro’s head. “You really have it out for this little guy, huh?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jackie said, rolling her eyes. “Last time I was here, he knocked my phone off the counter while maintaining direct eye contact with me. That’s not a pet. That’s a criminal mastermind!”

Casey chuckled. “Why don’t we pour the wine? Or did you bring that for some ritual intended to exorcize our beloved pet?”

“Well, now that you mention it,” Jackie smirked, picking a chip out of the wooden bowl on the coffee table and popping it into her mouth.

“So, what do you suggest we read to Sammy before bed tonight?” Casey asked. “The Raven? Or The Haunted Palace?”

“I don’t know; why don’t you whip out a Ouija board and have your furry beast decide?”

Pietro stood up and stretched before meandering over to inspect the book with the air of a curator evaluating an unworthy addition to his collection. Then, with one swift movement of his paw, he sent it tumbling to the floor.

Jackie gasped, pointing accusingly. “You see?! I told you! He’s the devil!”

Tobias burst out laughing as Casey picked up the book. “He’s not the devil,” Casey laughed. “He's just curious.”

Pietro rushed over to Jackie, landing on her lap with confidence.

“No. No, no, no," Jackie cried. "Get him off me! Get him off, now!"

“Oh, come on," Casey grinned, rubbing Peito’s head as she took a seat next to her friend. "He’s trying to bond with you.”

“This isn’t bonding. This is a power move. He’s trying to establish dominance.”

"That's not true," Tobias laughed, slinking into an armchair. "I know all about establishing dominance, and that's not how you do it. When Casey and I are..."

"TOBIAS!" Casey and Jackie yelled simultaneously, sending a frightened little Peitro scurrying away.

"TOO much information, babe!" Casey scolded, but Jackie’s eyes were full of relief.

"Whatever, if it got Beelzebub off my lap, I’ll endure your kinky sex talk. I hope you know that cat’s going to kill you in your sleep one day,” Jackie said, keeping an eye on him as he cautiously reentered the room. “They'll write a story about it. ‘The Fall of the House of Carrick,’ maybe... You know, I should try to get movie rights to that now."

"Mmh," Tobias nodded, putting down his glass of wine. "Smart financial move!"

Casey rolled her eyes. “You’re both insane.”

“Perhaps,” Jackie shrugged. “But you’re blind to the evil you’ve welcomed into your home. But don't worry, I’ll be here for the aftermath. I’ll take care of Sammy and all, you know, for the sake of the movie rights.”

"Much appreciated, Jackie," Tobias laughed. “We’ll be sure to leave you the cat in our will.”

“Don't you dare!”

The night went on with the usual revelry that occurred when Jackie visited. Eventually, she ended up on the floor playing with Samantha as Pietro stood watch nearby. When it was finally time to leave, she looked down at the cat, now lounging atop the book Jackie gave them.

“I see you, Satan," she glared. "You're reading the book to get ideas!"

Pietro meowed sharply, accepting the challenge.

“Enjoy the book,” Jackie called to Casey and Tobias as she headed for the door. “And maybe consider getting an exorcist while you’re at it.”

Tobias turned to Casey with a laugh as soon as the door shut. “So... do you want to tell her we're considering getting a second cat?”

Casey shrugged. "Nah, if we do, let's wait and surprise her. But one thing is for certain now."

"Oh, yeah," Tobias smiled, sitting next to Casey and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "What's that?"

"If we get another cat, we’re definitely naming it Poe!"

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfic

[lynxgriffin]

Thank you again for repeatedly drawing monsters eating people jt makes me happy. Do you intend to 'end' (the main plot of) Eldritchrune with a big comic finish at any point, or do you just plan to keep it coasting until ideas strike you?

LOL, I'm glad that you're enjoying the comics!! I'm sure there'll be more of that in the future...just might be a bit of a wait!

I do intend to end the main plot of Eldritchrune with a big comic finish...in fact at this point it's looking to be a pretty massive undertaking. I've been trying to set aside a little time every week to make some progress on it and here's where I'm at now (titles are blurred because spoilers):

All of it's written, just the drawing part takes awhile. I've also got four other mid-story scenes written, and I think another 4-6 planned.

And those are all kinda on standby at the moment since I've got another non-Eldritchrune DR oneshot comic I really want to finish. So I'm just juggling a bunch of big things at once!

[redvexillum]

I know you're doing Kinktober, and GOD you're amazing at it, but I have a request. (You could count it for Kinktober? Idk.) What about Alastor x Dom!Past Overlord!Reader(animal can be your pick) smut? Imagine you, an overlord who peacefully stepped down, are dating Alastor, and you are a very mean-honest and direct person with a lovable but not to be messed with personality. So one day while Alastor's taking you on a shopping spree, Vox runs across you or pops out from a nearby television (your pick). He starts insulting Alastor/asking if he's finally ready to do something useful and join the Vees, so of course you get pissed. Your anger keeps boiling up as he keeps talking, and eventually Alastor starts worrying less about Vox and more about which man you were gonna punch since it was obvious one of them was going to be the object of your anger(yes he's scared of you, you're a badass). Vox is unaware, since he thinks you're weak, you having stepped down before Vox had died. Eventually, one crude insult to Alastor sets you off, and with wide eyes you sucker punch him in the face, which ends up turning Alastor on. In the initial shock, Vox says something sexist about how you're just a weak girl, which pisses you off more and you start to transform into your demon form. You were about to jump at him and beat him up when Vox teleported away, not about to risk fighting you. Alastor would just be standing there shocked with slightly red cheeks, aroused. When you get back to the hotel, you drag Alastor to your shared bedroom, and tell him to undress cause you're pissed and pretty. I'm Sorry it was so long! Had the idea and knew I had to share it! If you decide not to do it, I look forward to reading your next stories. If you do do it, would it be considered Kinktober for Alastor having a dominant partner kink ( idk what to call it :/ )? I have no idea- Have a wonderful day! Can't wait for your next stories!

Hello Yui! Thank you so much for your kind words! I remember you from when I first started my blog (and then nuked it and then opened a new one lol!)

I really do struggle with saying no, so I did strongly contemplated doing your ask. I'm also honored that you'd consider trusting me with your request, but at the time of you sending me the ask, my request box was actually closed for a while per my pinned message. I actually have a long list of requests (close to 60!) and I also have my own projects and series I'm working on while juggling a full-time career.

In other words, I'm unfortunately at max capacity.

I'm hoping if any of my mutuals or followers would read this and pick up this awesome idea? We always love to see more femdom, amirite folks? 🥵

Thank you again for reading all my works 💖! And I hope you stay tune for more of my Kinktober/Flufftober stories! Who knows, maybe I might write some femdom!reader x Alastor one day? 🥰

XOXO,

RedVexi 💋

[tyrantisterror]

So I Saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

...and listen, I went in fully expecting it to suck ass. I was expecting my nostalgia to actually make me hate it even more for sucking ass than I would have if I had never seen Beetlejuice before. I figured it would be a lazy, heartless cashgrab, with tired actors awkwardly forcing themselves to play a caricature of their old roles and young actors given nothing to work with beyond oooing and aaahing at references to a movie that was made before they were born, directed by Tim Burton, a man who hasn't made a good movie since at least 2007, if not even longer.

So I feel really weird about saying it was actually... good? Somehow? Against all odds, it was good?

Like, I assumed it'd be a lazy rehash of the original, but no, it has a very distinct plot from the first film. It takes Lydia and Deelia Deetz and not only allows them to have grown from where they were in the original film, but keep growing to the end of this one. It uses Beetlejuice himself sparingly, shows new aspects of the entertainingly weird and surreal bureaucratic nightmare afterlife of the original, and actually makes a really strong theme about escaping from manipulative and predatory relationships.

There are references to the original, yes, but overall far fewer than I expected - like, there were so many iconic gags from the first film I expected them to repeat in a "See? It's like the first one!" nostalgia moment that just... didn't get repeated at all. On the other hand, there were clear jabs at the stupid bullshit OTHER legacy sequels have been doing - like, you know how the trailer had the groan-worthy "serious" cover of Day-O? Yeah, in the movie itself, the "serious" cover is sung in-universe in what is clearly meant to be a moment of comedic tonal dissonance - the very idea of using that fun song in a serious context is the joke. They also have a "baby Beetlejuice" gag where the baby version of the pre-existing characrer in question is a horrid little ghoul who spends every second of screentime being as repulsive and awful as possible. It's like it knew what I, personally, expected from a shitty Beeltejuice legacy sequel, and decided to goof on those tropes for my entertainment.

It's not perfect or anything - it has a shitload of subplots which it mostly manages to juggle really well but has, like, just one too many, but that one easily cut-able subplot also revolves around having a Monica Bellucci frankenstein, and I'm enough of a freak to admit I can understand not wanting to cut the Monica Bellucci frankenstein even if it added nothing to the movie beyond the pleasure of seeing a Monica Bellucci frankenstein.

But, like, it was funny, it explored a fantasy setting that honestly is ripe for more exploration, and it had surprisingly more heart than I expected. Like, it actually had more sympathy for both Lydia and Delia Deetz than the original, which is one of the flaws of the first movie in my opinion - it understands that Delia is kind of a great artist instead of maing her just a joke, and that Lydia's anxiety and grief actually has some true pain in it beyond "lol teenage girls are so overdramatic amirite," and it lets those two actually form a really great bond while ALSO adding Jenna Ortega's character into the mix kind of seamlessly? It helps that all three of these women have great chemistry together as actresses - Winona Ryder and Catherine O'hara play off each other so well, and Jenna Ortega adds this great third point to the dynamic the former two had in the original film, it's kind of inspired? And Michael Keaton's Bettlegeuse is used just sparingly enough, as he was in the first film, to be funny and threatening without wearing out his welcome.

It was good. I can't believe I'm saying it, but it was good. I enjoyed it, and I'm still kind of baffled by the fact that I did so. I can't believe I'm writing this in 2024, but Tim Burton finally made a good movie again.

[nondelphic]

How many WiPs do you usually have? Probably a common question ngl lol

-@Kiwriter

oh godddd thanks for the question ٩(｡•́‿•̀｡)۶

i don't even knowww tbh it depends because i love to start new projects and abandon them after two weeks!! but if i'm actively in a writing mood (aka the opposite of a writing slump loool) then two, three or even four projects as of recently (*≧ω≦)ﾉﾞ

but it really depends on how passionate i am about each project!! sometimes i hyperfixate on one for months, and other times i’m just juggling ideas like a chaotic writer-circus.

for example, once i finished my first ever full draft (still so proud of that!! 😭💗), i immediately dove into writing the sequel while editing the first book! and then, halfway through the sequel’s first draft, while still editing the first book, i somehow thought, “you know what? why not start the third book in this series??” because i’d already outlined the sequel enough to know where it would end and where the third book should pick up. (truly, my brain = a multitasking gremlin at its finest. (≧▽≦))

oh, and because i clearly can’t stay focused (lol), i started a completely unrelated story during all of this. like, why stick to one series when you can just… not? (ง ื▿ ื)ว

so yeah, the answer is: chaos!! i thrive on it!! but i also love it, because each WIP gives me something different to explore and be excited about. (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ anyway, thanks for the question, it was so fun to answer!! sending you big writing energy and lots of love!! ✧(>o<)ﾉ✧ how many projects do you have going at once? lmk if you want to !! <3

[thewistlingbadger]

Honestly? Truly? I think they shot themselves in the foot with Mel. I have no idea how her story should have went and whenever I try to think it out I just. It just does not work.

Mel, like Silco, was an original character for the show of arcane. All the information about her in the show is ALL we have for her. So she's always been very mysterious and interesting because of that. At the same time, the fact that she was not an original LoL character led the vast majority of fans to believe that she wasn't going to survive the attack. We spent YEARS thinking that Mel was basically dead by the time of season two.

But then the unexpected occurred. Mel SURVIVED. And this was very compelling that they chose to keep Mel around when they killed Silco, the only other character in Mel's situation. By ensuring Mel's survival the audience was then left with two expectations of season two.

Mel was going to survive the majority/entirety of season two, because why would they kill her off when they saved her from the attack?

Mel was going to play a bigger part in s2 and get more story bc why else would they let her live?

Mel DID survive the entirety of s2 thankfully and technically she did get more story and have a bigger impact on the story in this season, but...at what cost? No one thought she was going to live, she was already dead in everyone's minds. And then what they actually DID do with Mel didn't feel like enough. Mel has powers? That's sick, but we never actually get to explore her with her powers. It's literally like one day she has no powers and then the next she's an OP mage. Mel played a big role in the finale but she spent the whole season isolated from everyone else and the rest of the story.

I feel like Mel's character was a "damned if we do, damned if we don't" situation. Had they killed off Mel it would have been a huge missed opportunity because she's a very compelling character with loads of potential. On the other side of the coin, had they killed off Mel, they could have used her death to further Ambessa's or Jayce's motivations in season two and her death could have raised tensions for Piltover and Zaun. I don't think that this would have been the best route, I think it would have been very disappointing but it was an option they had.

Had they let her live then they would HAVE to develop her story to justify why she got to live when other councilors didn't get to. And this would be great bc Mel definitely deserved more screen time and development. But at the same time this would be very tall order because Mel was already so compelling in season on AND they would have to juggle her story alongside the others. Ultimately this was the choice they made and honesty? Can we say it was the right one? Mel got to live and I'm glad she did but her story was so disappointing in s2 that sometimes I wonder if it would have been better if she actually died due to the attack. But then I think about how had she actually died, I probably would have been JUST AS disappointed with we actually got from her in this season.

And if you allow me to be truly honest? I feel like the only reason we got what we got from Mel this season was because she's going to be used to promote the new Noxus show and future league material (And with the recent season trailer for LoL this was proved to be right).

[itsyoung8]

If the preppies had Twitter

HI GUYS I'M BACK!!!! Please excuse me for this long absence, I have just finished my exams. So I'm now available to post again regularly!!

A while ago I had thought about (it doesn't happen often so believe me when I say this lol) to make headcanons on a character but I didn't really know who to do and then came up with the idea of doing a "if the students of Bullworth Academy had twitter" so here is what it would look like for preppies:

Pinky Gauthier:

Popular Twitter

She tweets "Hello", she has 500 likes and 152 RT

Twitter is his diary

In her bio there is a link to her Instagram

Derby Harrington:

"Harrington never lose" in bio

Makes problematic tweets

He was suspended several times

Settles scores with Johnny in space every 4 mornings

Bif Taylor:

Defends Derby at all costs whenever he's in the sauce

His pinned is his thread on his favorite hip-hop and rap sounds

His PP (Profile Picture) is him with his Bose Championship belt

He blocked Jimmy after the latter displayed himself with the boxing champion's belt

Tad Spencer:

He has a private account on which he spits his hatred on Derby

He posts pictures of the pastries he makes in his free time

participated in Mister Twitter (I swear we had that in France lmao) but lost

blocked Cedric Grolet

Gord Vendôme:

Twitter with a lot of followers too

Hit-tweets because they're funny

Makes indirect comments on his crush so that the latter understands that Gord is talking about him (this is Vance)

Once he saw a picture of Jimmy in an "awful" outfit (he was the one who said it) he flagged the tweet for violent speech

Parker Ogilvie:

his tweet "WHAT DO YOU MEAN A FRIEND OF MINE DID SOME WEIRD THINGS WITH MY GARDEN GNOME????" it became an iconic tweet

"gnome stan account" in bio

A real ray of sunshine in the TL

More follows than followers but he doesn't care

Chad Morris:

Has put Chester in header

Rt tweets about animal protection

He and Ricky have blocked each other but insult each other's family trees in space

Has a private account where he likes Lola's tweets

Bryce Montrose:

Doesn't have time to go because he juggles classes, work and boxing

Justin Vandervelde:

Tries to make people laugh with his tweets but they flop

When there's a scuffle in space, it adds fuel to the fire

In his "likes" there are only tweets from Ted and the other preppies

His dream is for Ted to follow him back