#ONLY THE ESSENTALS

[starberryroad]

[cent-scratchnsniff]

doodle dump

[lucysparks2468]

Noodle Ninja Au : Name

So In one of my previous posts I mentioned how Ray and Maya renamed Kai, Implying that Kai isn't his real name. I have two names in mind for Kai birth given name. If I choose the first one I have in mind, the au goes in a different path than If I choose the other one. What are the names I have in mind? Huǒ háizi (which means fire child) and Hóuzi ( which means Monkey son). I might do a poll getting you guys to decide but If I'm being honest I feel like Hóuzi is the better option.

[cantarella]

y'know thinking back on it childe always referring to himself as a knight to his siblings and making up stories for them fits really well with fontaine's theme of fables and playing a role in a story, makes me wonder if his involvement with fontaine's main shitstorm was planned from the start. it probably was bc the whale business has to have been planned ahead but it's surprising how well he fits thematically in the nation, he's such an honest character always surrounded by trickery and unreality

[cupcakegalaxia]

Huuuuurg, trying to figure out a plausible motivation to my antagonist is like pulling teeth rn.

[thee-radio-host-is-a-kookaburra]

seeing ppl on this website unironically put shit in their bio like "i'm very wary of transmascs" or "i only follow transmascs who actively deny transandrophobia" like yeah bro you're totally not transphobic you're definitely not regurgitating radfem gender essentalism at all

[vidavalor]

*dings the bell* … I’m back.

My Ukrainian friend made potato salad! It has cucumbers, carrots, onion, & canned green peas in it, and it’s absolutely delicious!

Sooo… can I ask what moment/scene you found the most devastating so far? I guess The KissTM is the most popular but I wonder if you’ve spotted something even more heartbreaking?

Hi @procrastiel Much love to you and your Ukrainian friend & please thank her again for me for the recipe as we made it and it was delicious. 💕Hope she's doing well. The KissTM is pretty heartbreaking for sure but I had a couple of moments that I found at least equally as heartbreaking...

The blues below the cut. TW: Depression.

What really got me in S2, in terms of heartbreaking stuff, was the focus on the less "showier" kinds of depression in Aziraphale and Gabriel. I'm not dismissing the amazing Crowley story the show has been telling but it tends to be more overt. The story focusing on depression lingering beneath different types of exteriors-- those who project themselves as being upbeat and/or fine-- was really well-executed and it had moments as devastating to me as the kiss.

The "but that's for professional conjurers only" scene and, in particular, the choices made in Aziraphale's response to Crowley's "my Nefertiti-fooling fellow" response is probably my favorite bit of acting in the series entirely to date. Michael Sheen broke me into little pieces with the way he conveyed a lifetime of pain, depression, anxiety and sleepless nights in Aziraphale's eyes on the "professional conjurers" bit and the smile...

...I love how you literally watch the pain of it all melt off his face at Crowley gently reassuring him and the smile that starts and then becomes just a beam of love he can't keep off his face. It's gorgeous.

It's actually what makes The Final 15 hurt even more, really, I think-- because you know that this is what Aziraphale needed. It's the same core set of problems but he needed 1941!Crowley and he got AlphaCentuari!Crowley because of where they both were at in the moment. It just makes 2.06 even more brutal because it shows you how they do understand each other and how right they are for each other if they could just stop being idiots lol.

I also actually think this is one of the most intimate scenes in the show. It shows a lot of guts on Aziraphale's part to be honest about how he's feeling and that's courage that Aziraphale has in general but was lacking a bit in the present in S2. He lets Crowley in here-- which is the theme of all of it and what he's not doing in S2 very much, especially in 2.06-- and we get a scene where Aziraphale is vulnerable and hurting and trusts Crowley with it and Crowley is there to help him as much as Aziraphale helps Crowley. It's very sweet and romantic but in a heartbreaking way because of how it shows how much pain Aziraphale is carrying around with him all the time. The lovely bit, though, is how it also shows how Crowley knows and is trusted with it. That it all takes place in largely the same space as the mess in 2.06? Gah. Devastating...

The other storyline that broke me was Gabriel. I know not everyone has the empathy for him that I do and he can be a total jerk, no doubt, but I thought he was the best example of the show bringing in other perspectives on life in Heaven/Hell in S2. We had angles like Furfur and Muriel illustrating that life for those not on Earth is lonely, isolating and boring and that many are yearning to live a bit more. Crowley and Aziraphale have not had it easy by any means but we are given characters whose perspective is that they're jealous that Crowley and Aziraphale have at least been able to be on Earth and have one another this whole time, which is more than a lot of other angels and demons can say, and that's fair. Expanding upon the glimpses of Gabriel that we saw in S1 and showing that, really, he's more complicated than we might have expected, was something I both loved and was a bit broken by.

Essentially, S2 shows that Gabriel is actually arguably the worst off character of all of them-- Crowley and Aziraphale included. That he really had no one until Beez is shown on his face so well-- Jon Hamm and Shelley Conn selling Gabriel's depression and how healthy this relationship is in almost no time at all really shows how great they both are. Look at this poor bastard, though, really...

He has the worst job of all of them. The Metatron is really in charge of Heaven-- Gabriel's the pretty face, forced to keep everything going or be killed for disobeying. S2 emphasizes how much he and Beez did what they did at the end of S1 basically at gunpoint-- it was kill or be killed and neither of them have the power to overthrow anything on their own. They have enough power, in the future, to probably help sway some things. Gabriel's always had enough power to make differences where he could and he used it to try to protect people. He can be a judgy jerk but he also fundamentally cares about the people around him and he's been drilled for so long into believing that upholding Heaven is his only purpose and only reason for existence that he's even still mulling over the ghosts of those thoughts when he has his whole gravity crisis in S2, even when he can't remember his name.

This is the bit that got me actually teary, though:

Imagine being thousands of years old and no one's ever given you a present. You don't have a birthday. You don't celebrate holidays. No one's ever protected you or been on your side or even just listened. You don't have any friends because everyone is afraid of you and you have to put up those pretensions to stay alive. The people you spend your entire life with are out for blood-- they'd sooner see you stripped of your sense of self and tossed through the ranks or to Hell and take your seat. Your life is one, long, never-ending meeting with your abusive dad and charming personalities like Michael and Uriel and Sandalphon. For six. thousand. years. Gabriel had never eaten anything before S2. He's never slept. Imagine six thousand years of being the Senior VP of Climb Every Bullshit Mountain without ever having a lunch break or ever going home. It's kind of no wonder that Gabriel spent half of S2 taking a nap-- he's exhausted.

He's not from anywhere. He doesn't even have a desk. Is it any wonder that this poor bastard was already rebelling a bit in S1? That he didn't totally get Earth but he was sneaking down there to get tailored suits made just so he could have something that is his own and taking himself for jogs in the park so he could get away from everyone for awhile? He's vain, sure, yes, but really because his looks are all he has that actually belong to him. It's why Beez gives him a pass on the statue-- because they know that this poor guy doesn't have anybody but them. The humans immortalize him in marble like he's a God and everyone in Heaven and Hell is terrified of him-- and he's been terrified of trying to be real with others because who is he going to trust who won't stab him in the back?

All Gabriel has that is his own are his clothes and Heaven even takes that, too. Beez is the first person who has ever seen Gabriel as a person. Is it any wonder why Gabriel likes and goes to Aziraphale for help? He knows that Aziraphale is the only angel who is both kind and sorta sees him there sometimes. He's the only one who ever seems to consider that Gabriel might exist in there as more than just The Supreme Archangel.

Gabriel's memory loss is actually very much akin to the real world occurrence of retrograde amnesia, which can and does actually happen to people who have undergone traumatic events. (It doesn't happen all the time but it's also not as rare as you'd think it might be.) The mind shuts down in such a way as to intentionally forget everything related to the trauma in order to protect itself and that can sometimes result in a loss of identity. The forgetting, though, also frees Gabriel because when he can no longer recall the fascist system of Heaven that has been harming him for so long, the actual self that he's been repressing and hiding shows up.

I see a lot of people talk about Jim as if he's a separate entity from Gabriel and he's really not-- he's Gabriel without the self-protective airs that Gabriel puts on. Jim is really not much different from glasses-free Crowley-- they have the same approach to self-preservation. It turns out, when he's free from the toxic masculinity hellscape that is Heaven, Gabriel likes hot chocolate and tiny dinners and bookselling and is emotionally available and mindfully curious about everything. He's a lot of fun and he cares about his friends and is grateful to have them. He's still a snarky bitch sometimes but so is Crowley lol so... That Gabriel was so miserable before, though, I thought was really pretty heartbreaking.

Now that I've depressed you, we'll leave on the sweeter note of Gabriel torturing some humans to romance Beez...

[whalesforhands]

kaizen daycare! 5

previous masterlist next

“Does everybody have a copy?”

“Yes, (name)-sensei!” A chorus of cute voices answer your call. Loud chattering and shiny eyes all whilst excited stamping of little, socked feet upon the padded floors as they point at the colourful paper.

“I’m gonna ask Nanamin to let me wear my tiger trunks! Gao!” His tiny arms are stretched into the air, fingers splayed out into claws as he roars in attempts to terrorize his blank-faced friend, his blue eyes too mesmerized by the swimming brochure you had handed out to him with a pat to his head and a cooing of his name.

(“I hope you’ll come with your sisters, Megumi-kun. Tsumiki-chan is welcome to join, too!”)

PERMISSION SLIP

Kaizen Daycare will be hosting a swimming class this weekend! Located at the Mei Mei Swimming Centre, we will be teaching essent—

And Megumi decides that he really, really wants to go.

“Noba-chan! We should bring our pool floaties! Then we can play in the water together!”

“I’ll ask my Granny to pack extra strawberries!”

“Nana and I will ask Papa for extra snacks too…!”

(“Senseeiiiiii!” Yuuji clings onto your leg as his hands grip onto your apron. “Can I bring Choso too?!”

“Yuuji-kun, please have your permission slip signed first…!”)

And that’s how you ended up here, squatting down and helping Nobara fix her hair under her swim cap by the side of the children’s pool with her accompanying, feeble grandmother comfortably settled nearby on one of the benches, sipping on a complimentary bottle of tea provided for accompanying parents and simply enjoying the atmosphere of the swimming complex.

(They were the first to arrive.)

“Eh? So (name)-sensei has friends other than Shoko-sensei?” The curious tilt of her head, an innocent finger on her lip as she looks up at you, heart-shaped goggles pulled up to her forehead to reveal just as innocent, questioning brown.

And you feel something in you crack.

You swear you can quite literally feel your spirit leave you, swirling out of your mouth as your eyes blank out, hands frozen midair and the urge to fall onto your knees to lament about your lack of socialization with more people your age on the tip of your tongue as you let her words sink in.

You have friends! Plenty! There’s Shoko, there’s Utahime… Does Yaga count? He might be a touch too old, but you’re on friendly relations with your boss! Even though… You barely see him since he’s taking care of the older kids on another floor. And you have plenty of them online in Jujutsu Kaisen!

Yes, you assure yourself. Your eyes squeezing shut and your biting your lip in nervous contemplation. You have friends, you aren’t alone, you aren’t a NEET, and you’re only slightly addicted to video games! Slightly!

Though, that doesn’t discount the fact that your children already think you’re some sort of lonely shut-in…!

“(name)-sensei has a lot of friends, Nobara-chan!” Your hands clap together as you stand up, slowly leading her away from the edge of the pool as you gently place your palms onto her shoulders. “Am I not friends with your grandmother?”

“Mmm…” She crosses her arms, albeit with a little bit of struggle due to the pink arm-floaties. Her eyes closed as you fix a stray strand of hair on her forehead. Yep, you’ve convinced her. This is definitely enough to—

“Nope!” She pops the ‘p’ at the end.

“Granny says she sees you as her daugt-her!” Her hands are on her hips staring at you as she smiles, patting your arm with an excited hand. “So can you teach me to swimmy now? I wanna get ahead of Yuuji!”

Your eyes swirl with panic, totally defeated as you want to slump onto the ground and curl into a ball and cry. You don’t even notice the way Nobara was hugging against your torso, her face against the swimming cover-up as she wraps her tiny arms around you, your hand instinctively going around her and patting her head as you keep wallowing in your sadness.

“(name)-seennnnnseeiiiii! Nobara wants to swim!”

“Nanamin! Over’ ere!” Loud clattering of sandals against tiled floors, and a jump of a tiny, soft presence into your arms as an excitable, cub-like boy makes himself known, your arm opening and catching the canon-balling child just in time before he hurts himself.

“Let’s swimmmmmm!” He squirms in your hold as your mind still floats away at the thought of being an adult whose children think of you as lonely and incapable of having other adult friends…

“Yuuji.” Calm and authoritative baritone meet your ears. “What did I say about running?”

“Boo… That I shouldn’t do it in areas outside the track field…” You can practically feel his pout as he hides his face inside your coverup with Nobara.

“And what do you have to say for yourself?”

“Yuuji’s sworry…” His apology is muffled into your clothing as you just continue to pat both of their heads, their mumbled conversation with each other not quite floating to your ears. “So can Nobara and I go play by the sprinkly toys? Pleaseee?”

“Yea, yea! Pleaseee? We’ll be back when everyone comes!”

Your eyes snap back to reality by pure professionalism as you glance at the nearby sprinkler play area and a thought flurries back to the awaiting parents behind you.

“You can, but only if you ask your parents, okay?”

And the duo are quick to crawl out of your coverup, eyes pointedly staring up at Yuuji’s guardian first due to his proximity.

Sparkly eyes meet tired, passive almond.

“…yes, you can. But be back when your teacher calls for you.”

“Yay! Now let’s go ask y’er granny! And we won’t run!” And so, they power walked as fast as toddler feet could carry them.

It’s silent, only momentarily when you’re both left alone. Calls of the duo asking for permission from Kugisaki’s grandmother a distance away.

“Nanami-san, you’re really good at handling him.” And you mean it. He was an exemplary caretaker, respectable, responsible and trusted you with his child wholeheartedly. A really nice man.

“It’s no issue at all. I’m just glad he likes you so much.” A shift of his cheekbones, a soft, growing smile on his face with tender eyes. He doesn’t even hesitate to settle down next to you, crossing his legs and making himself comfortable on the ground.

“It’s more of a pleasure to see him be so happy with you.”

Two gazes stare on as you giggle and continue to chat with the taller man, your conversation getting lost on toddler ears as they let themselves get pelted by light showers of water droplets, the plastic, leaf-like gardens of the area providing adequate fun for them.

And the fact that your smiling face was more entertaining for they to watch.

“Wah… (name)-sensei and your daddy look like pretty friends!”

“Mhm! Sensei and Nanamin are super supppeerrr close!” He’s haughty, proud even, as his hands go onto his little hips, face slightly red from accidentally rubberbanding the goggles onto his nose.

“I bet (name)-sensei likes my Nanamin the most!”

“No way! Sensei definitely likes my grand—!”

“Is that so?” A glowering aura of darkness starts to encapsulate behind him, the sheer weight his tone carried capable of making any normal person freeze in place from sheer fear.

Yet, it’s totally ineffective on cute kids.

(“Ah! It’s Sa-chan!” The glowing boy’s face grows even brighter, arms thrusted up to start waving at him.

“Ohhh! The big man that you say teaches you martial arts, right? Cool!”)

“That’s right! And Sa-chan wants to know, Yuuji-kun~ Why don’t cha tell me allllll about how close Nanamin is to the cute sensei?” His tone was not growing with more bite, more venom in them. “I wanna know every little bit, down to the very last— Ow!”

“Stop harassing children, you menace.” A grab, a decisive pull; and Sa-chan’s ear had been captured by a tall, black-haired man’s fingers, the skin growing red under his touch, one arm preoccupied with carrying two children as two more head pop up from behind him.

“Owoww owww! Sugurrruuuu, you’re so mean!”

(“Ah! Gumi, Nanako and Mimiko! Finally, let’s play together!”)

——

[whisper] you: satouuu. (; ; ）

[whisper] satouuu: yeaaaaa?

Your fingers hesitate in their typing, coming to an abrupt stop as they twitch just as you’re about to hit send. Shoko would laugh at you if you ever told her… So your only online friend is the closest, and safest bet, right?

[whisper] you: what do you think about me?

Specifically, you just want to see how you’re perceived. You act about the same offline and online anyway, right? You’re just… A little more forward on the net.

(Surely, you’re likable, right? You’re not that hopeless. At least… You don’t think so.)

You wait in anticipation, cold sweat starting to form on your hands as they clam up, a nervous rumbling of your character-themed cup as you try to down your nerves with another chug of chocolate milk.

This is making you far too nervous for what it actually is.

[whisper] satouuu: hoho? what’s this all of a sudden? (๑･̑◡･̑๑)

Now you wish you could retract every word you ever thought about sharing with this—

[whisper] satouuu: i’ll answer u if u pick up! ✌︎('ω')

(Incoming invite from User satouuu to join a voice-chat room!)

Ahhh…! Sly bastard! It’s too late to back out now, isn’t it? Maybe, just maybe… Some part of you has been anticipating something like this happening.

And so you accept.

Your throat feels dry, feels uneasy and uncertain. Yet, it leaves you before you can even comprehend. Was it nerves that pushed you to do this? A culmination of some odd, built up responsibility? Maybe you just weren’t made for this, maybe you should just quit this game and find a different one to get addicted to—

“…hello…?”

And you’re met with silence.

It makes you uneasy, makes the acid in your stomach feel like it was bubbling up and threatening to vomit out every last bit of your convenience store dinner as you nervously await.

(Do you sound bad or something…?)

“You sound cuter than I thought.” Followed up by a mock sigh of disappointment. “Not a nekama, huh? Pfft, borrrrinnnnggg!” He stops to let out a laugh, a smacking of his tabletop heard as you hear a clink of glass.

And you feel your heart palpitate just that little bit more.

“I’m sorry for being so boring then, you mean jerk.” You’re retorting back, a dumb smile unknowingly making its way onto your cheeks as you begin to… Talk. No longer needing to have the delays of typing in between the both of you.

It feels freeing, feels like a heavy weight has been lifted, feels… Right.

“And you haven’t answered my question yet.”

“Aww~, you’re just as impatient even on voice chat rooms too!” You hear him hum, a quiet drumming of his fingers against his desk.

“But if you sound like this,” He begins, a breath being drawn in. “Then you have nothing to worry about. It’s cute.”

“If you’re gonna joke around—“

“I’m being serious, honey! It really is cute!”

It makes your face burn in absolute shame, as much as you would hate to admit it. Just hearing someone with such an attractive voice has you wanting to choke back a sputter and break into your nervous rambling. It’s been bothering you ever since you heard him, how similar his voice was to a certain neighbour you had, yet how dissimilar it was at the same time.

(There’s no way. Coincidences like that only ever happened in fiction.)

Yet, you can’t help but imagine it all the same. Gojo Satoru calling you cute, his hand on your head or a tap of your nose with his finger as he teases you for being so shy. Or even Geto Suguru smoking next to you, gently grabbing your chin and sharing the smoke of his cigarette with you in the form of a—!

“Hey,” His voice takes a serious tone, drawling out his words in a smooth resonance that sends a shiver down your spine. “Say yes for me.”

(Oh… You would do anything for that voice—! No!)

Your eyebrows furrow only slightly, eyes snapping out of your daydream and eyes concentarted on the way his profile picture lit up when he spoke to notice the little pop-up at the corner of your screen.

“Yes…?”

[Voice activation confirmed.]

A shock of bursting, twirling pink hearts and flurry white laces that intertwine alongside snow white roses overtake your screen as your mouth hangs open in shock.

[Congratulations on your engagement! We wish you happiness with your partner!

Minimum damage will now increase by 20% when forming a party as a couple—]

“What?! You nearly choke on your spit, fingers hurrying to your keyboard to start spamming the backspace key, and every other letter in attempt to— “Cancel! Cancel—!”

[Request denied. Engagement is valid for 30 days, please try to work out your issues together.

Fun Fact: Only 48% of players who become couples choose to stay in their relationships after the valid period.]

“What?!”

“Ehehe.”

previous masterlist next

Notes:

NEET — Not in Education, Employment or Training

nekama — usually a grown man who roleplays with a super sexy/cute female character online.

for EN: Ieiri Shoko’s username is ‘shosei’, literally short for ‘Shoko-sensei’ because she registered the account at work. (For you.)

for JP: Originally meant to be written 所生 (しよせい)- birth place/creation/child

shosei character profile username: shosei level: 79 class: sorcerer notes: looks almost like a carbon copy of the shoko ieiri you know in real life. full courtesy of you, who designed it with her when you begged to play together. she paid actual money to buy you a player-designed accessory once. you never want to have it out of your inventory.

Fact: True love is never easy! Engagement rings are one of the hardest items to obtain in game. Prove that your love can best even the most treacherous bosses on Floor 520, or simply purchase one from the player Market!

(Customization of rings are allowed! Personalise and make your love a unique existence!)

nvy’s aftertalk:

haha nvy ur so funny shosei which means birth place because she’s a doctor who works in a daycare haha funny

[jackfrombaskinrobbins]

road trip as a teenage avenger headcanons!

type of writing: headcanons / scenario

word count: 1k

request: yes / no

dynamic: avengers x teen!reader (teenage avenger series)

characters: lots ofc but i'd say big emphasis on reader (duh), harley keener, peter parker, miles morales, scott lang, clint barton, bucky barnes, sam wilson, tony stark, happy hogan, natasha romanoff, and bruce banner. more are prob in it but i don't wanna type it all out lol

a/n: y'all i think my pictures are getting more chaotic & tbh i think it's a good thing anyways requests are still open, send in an ask whenever :)

taglist: @nutellani @thecloudedmind

(fill out this form to be on my taglist!)

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it was an annual tradition for the avengers to go on a road trip.

steve always said it was "team bonding". it was honestly kind of fun.

better than the other "team bonding" you did, which mainly consisted of running long distances!!

anyways, they usually would do it soon after you, harley, peter, and miles finished school (also yes im including miles now bc i love him)

tony would come over the intercom while you all were lounging around and tell you to pack your bags.

packing is always a big issue.

let's just say that SOME people are big overpackers...

COUGH scott COUGH

no offense to him but like ppl have had to sit in the trunk before because of him

and he overpacks with stuff that rly doesn’t make sense

like once y’all went to colorado

and he packed snorkeling equipment

and so you were like “scott. seriously?”

and he looked at you with such a serious face

“y/n. what if all the snow melts? then we would be underwater!! i have an extra snorkeling mask too. i was gonna give it to you, but now idk….”

HAHA

bruce overpacks too

but he overpacks in a good way

guys bruce is like the mom on vacation

well him and tony both

you’d think steve would be but he is NOT

like the man doesn’t even wear sunscreen

and then here comes bruce with a tote bag full of snacks

which tony eats half of by the way

smh

the best part of having thor on a trip is that he will ALWAYS pick you up if you’re too tired

like once he had you and peter under both his arms like footballs bc u got tired

and clint was sad bc he was tired too

he tried to get scott to pick him up but scott wasn’t ready and they both fell and they like hit their heads

that was an interesting day

ok so setting the scene again

you, peter, harley, miles, natasha and bruce were in the middle of a very competitive round of uno

like y’all

competitive doesn’t even begin to cover it

anyways you were about to get uno

FR

you put down your card and suddenly 

“HEY EVERYBODY” “SHHH you’re being too loud” “ohh sorry HEY EVERYBODY”

you started laughing at the quite obvious blunders of thor and clint in the intercom room

“thor, buddy? you don’t need to be kissing the mic when you speak, alright?”

tony, from another room, always quick with the jabs.

“AH! MY BAD STARK. HAHA! THIS MUST BE BETTER”

natasha just shook her head but you and peter, harley and miles were DYING

“ANYWAYS IT IS ROAD TRIP TIME. EVERYONE PACK UP AND BE IN THE FAMILY ROOM IN TEN MINUTES… what? MY MISTAKE. ONE HOUR. THAT’S RIGHT ONE HOUR.”

with that done, you all got up, groaning.

“uno.” natasha smirked at you, noticing that you only had one card.

“darn it!!!” you said. “well, doesn’t matter now. we have to go anyways.”

“we can always resume it later, y/n :) “ 

“fine, nat. but i’m going to win this time!! right bruce??”

“well, kid, you know i’m usually on your side, but…”

“aw, come on!!”

ok fast forward. 

you were in the family room

aw guys isn’t that cute that they call it a family room

bc ur a family

awwwwww

ok anyway

and here comes scott with his fifty bags

“relax sharpay, we’re not gonna be gone for THAT long”

guys i wanted a cool tony nickname and tbh i just remember vaguely that sharpay had like suitcases on the cover of her movie i never even watched it so i could be wrong but that was my intention

“tony, these are my essentials.”

“scott, why don’t you just shrink that down? like seriously, man.” miles remarked, and you couldn’t help but agree.

“hey, y’know what? that’s a great idea miles!!”

and so he ended up shrinking his luggage

but then he couldn’t find it

oh scott

sigh

anyways tony and happy did a lot of car assignment work

to make sure everyone would get there safely

and your car

was

drum roll please

ok also this was only for the trip there

the trip back would be different

ok the car was

tony, happy, clint and peter

tbh this was not a bad car at all

poor miles and harley were stuck with scott, bucky, sam and steve

natasha and wanda and pietro and thor were the other one

although here’s the issue

guys

fr

tony is a bad driver

but happy didn’t feel like driving

and u were just starting to drive so clint was like “NO WAY do i trust y/n in a car!!!”

that goofy clown fr

so tony was driving

oh and btw y’all were going to the compound

tony told you and you were like 

“dude, that’s not a road trip”

and he was like “we’re in the car for more than an hour. it’s a road trip, kid.”

and miles and harley kept texting like theorizing about where u were going

harley said europe

and you were like

harley

anyways ya 

so tony is like swerving and speeding everywhere 

ok maybe thats dramatic

but happy was holding the little bar

and he was like yelling at tony to slow down

meanwhile clint is just singing along to the music thats BLASTING

and u and peter are ready to accept ur deaths

like u literally texted sam a video of what was happening and he almost called happy to tell him to pull over 😭 

sam’s got ur back thats for sure!!

anyways tony pulled into a drive thru

bc he needed coffee

guys hes tony stark he needs stuff like that

and he got u and peter and clint happy meals :D

and clint was so excited like ���� 

love him

happy made sure u and peter had ur seatbelts on 

he said it was bc he didn’t want to have to explain to midtown why yall didnt come back for the next year 😭 

that and “too much paperwork”

smh

anyways tony finally got it together

u and peter decided that he just needed an acoustic song on the radio bc as soon as something more relaxing came on he was a lot better lol

the rest of the drive was pretty alright

i'm gonna do another headcanon set about the avengers actually on vacation but yeah there ya go :)

thats how the road trips work yahoo

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[tblsomedoodles]

yes I mean webs

Alright! : ) In that case, here's a little comic of Jennika seeing her brothers for the first time.

I've talked about it before but it's lost to the blog now lol. But essentally, when the boys meet Mama in the office for the first time, Jennika's there. (she has this hidden nook in the ceiling where she can see everything that's happening in the office without being seen.) She recognizes them immediately b/c her inactive nimpo reacted slightly to their presence. (i talked about that before at one point. for this the nimpos react ever so slightly when they're nearby eachother. the turtles don't realize this b/c they've always been around each other. Jennika picks up on it b/c, unlike them who are only feeling one new recognition, she's feeling four, which is a lot easier to pick up on, recognize, and be excited about.)

But yeah, that's what's taking place in the ceiling during Chapter 1 lol. Jennika recognizing and getting excited about her brothers : )

Thank yoU!

[freakbytvface]

Stolas and Valentino are the same character

Hear me out.

Warning: Long text. Also hot take?

Disclaimer: I don't hate HH or HB, or any real person involved. While I'm not shy to criticize, at the end of the day it's still a fictional world and not worth getting too mad over.

So, I'm one of the people who had never heard of the Hellaverse before HH dropped earlier this year. Never seen either pilots, never heard of Hazbin or Helluva, never seen or known anything of the characters, and thus had 0 attachment to any of it. This year I watched HH after it released in whole before knowing what a helluva boss was. Now, Valentino deserves the bullet, we all know that and most people would agree. So when I got around to HB, I was shocked to see the Valentino archetype....being adored and a fan favorite? Unironically, too?

Like... They're so similar in both how they look, act and feel towards those around them and their version of AngelDust/Blitz.

Let's compare; 1. Rich, high on the social hierarchy, with an authority that's difficult or impossible to challenge: Check.

Valentino is a rich, famous overlord pimp who uses souls and substances to control and exploit people beneath him.

Stolas, demon royalty, filthy rich and so powerful he ranks only below Charlie. Has entire legions and a palace-full of (imp) servants at his beck and call.

2. Tall, red eyed, twink with effeminate gestures, pleasant voice and distinct manner of speech. Also dark purple/grey -ish.

Like come on, check.

3. Obsessed with a low rank, underprivileged poor sack/object of desire.

Check.

4. Gone out of their way to acquire control over their object of desire.

Valentino, through means unknown so far, bought AngelDust's soul, keeping him bound to him. This leaves AngelDust unable to leave or refuse him.

Stolas had his book stolen by Blitz, but instead of reporting him or simply getting it back, waited long enough for the latter to build his business depending on the Grimoire, and only after it became essental to his job, Stolas set inappropriate demands, knowing Blitz would do anything for the book he now relies on.

5. Their objects of desire are expected to perform sexual acts whether they want/like them or not, and are bound to suffer negative consequences for not complying.

AngelDust has to do porn and prostitution work to make Valentino money and afford his addiction. He gets physically abused, belittled/insulted, and verbally/emotionally abused and manipulated for not doing so.

Blitz is expected to sexually please Stolas each full moon however the prince desires, to keep his (very difficult to make and keep for his low rank in society) business afloat, pay his employees, and financially support his adoptive daughter. Failing to keep Stolas happy means putting himself and especially his loved ones at risk or significant disadvantage.

6. On top of their transactional relationships with their OoD, romantic/romance-coded feelings or behaviours are one-sidedly involved.

AngelDust is Valentino's number one star/moneymaker, perhaps favourite employee, yet Valentino throws jealous tantrums when he's ignored/not suckered up to, and feels entitled to Angel's time, attention, availability, and texts him like a clingy boyfriend.

Stolas, not satifsfied with their arrangement, began expecting Blitz to fullfill a romantic role in his life and deliberately tries to have him perform this fantasy; by trying to get him to be his knight in shining armor, dropping everything and coming to his rescue when he's in danger that Stolas could have easily avoided/gotten out of if he didn't want to be a damsel in distress in the romcom in his head. Is shown to be upset/dissapointed when Blitz doens't want to do anything with him outside of their deal; not staying over after sex, not visiting him in the hospital, not wanting to be near him anymore than he has to. Acts wronged, petty, belittling/mocking and ghaslights/guilttrips Blitz when the latter doesn't act like a devoted boyfriend, when in reality Stolas has made him essentially an indebted prostitute.

7. They treat those they see beneath them poorly.

Valentino is sadistic and exploits, physically assaults, emotionally/verbally and psychologically abuses his contracts and coworkers. Is creepy and predatory to those who aren't bound to him yet.

Stolas, less sadistic than Valentino, yet he exploits and physically abuses his palace servants. Is entirely indifferent to seeing his staff mistreated by his wife. Outside his castle, he's classist and racist, belittling imps, feeling entitled to their services showing no gratitude, or straight up ignoring their existance. He only sexually abuses one imp, though :))

8. They treat those on the same level as them poorly or are neglectful.

Valentino is shitty to Vox and Velvette, breaking their stuff, yelling, insulting and being petulant around them. Even to Charlie, who is above him, he assaults and insults her all the same.

Stolas publicly cheated on his wife, flaunts it with no shame, has no concern or care for how this affects his daughter, who he claims is his reason for living and the only one he actually cares about. Doesn't assume any responsibility for his actions, expects everyone to accommodate to him. Carelessly leans out his daughter's inheritance and seemingly her studies, which are his responsibility, are subpar. Also forgets about his daughter constantly, stayed hours in the human world watching a shitty sitcom rather than go look for his missing daughter in a place she's never been in and, as far as he thought, was in danger. Is happy ditching/neglecting his family and princely duties to pursue his OoD with no care for the consequences and harm on others.

9. They often display sexually charged speech and actions that are inapprioriate to the people they're with or the situation.

Valentino is a creep and sexual predator off the go to pretty much anyone, specially vulnerable/gullible people or straight up people who don't want/like it.

Stolas speaks openly of his sexual desires in front of his family, reads imp erotica at the dinner table in front of his wife and teenage daughter. Speaks of Blitz sexually in public despite his protests.

I'm tired of typing at this point lol, sorry for any mispellings, but come on, genuinely asking, why are these two so differently received by the fans?

It's not even about which one is worse, because they way I see it they portray different versions of an abuser; Valentino is the more overt "textbook" type, the one everyone recognizes as abusive, and Stolas is the more covert one that everyone sees as the victim instead and paint the actual victim as the bad guy for not acting like a regular textbook victim. I get that everyone was iffy about Stolas at first, as it's reasonable, but I truly don't get how everyone grew to adore him so much?

Personally, I don't even find him neither funny or charming. At least Valentino has some funny moments/lines, but Stolas is just so whiny and annoying to me, which is a shame because I really wanted to like him and his owl design is cool. I love good villains, and I would like Stolas more if they treated him accordingly, like a villain, instead of a poor uwu sad gay babyboy who's crush doesn't call him back.

If you read this far; first of all, ur cool

I welcome any thoughts and additions as long as you're polite and respectful about it. <3

[blorbobutworse]

Who wants me to do a Young Logan AU? So far, this is what my brain has dredged up:

16 year old Logan shows up the way he does in the 1st X-men movie, but without Rougue (this is still up in the air). It's probably more like a X-Men Evolution setting, but still, the X-Men movie meeting is pheasable. This WILL be a Short King Wolverine (as all my Wolverines are), but him and Sabretooth are NOT related in this AU thank you very Little.

I'm probably not going to focus on Sabretooth a crazy amount, but this is Important for Lore reasons. So!

Basic turn of events:

Logan is 8 when his powers manifest (poor baby), everyone dies, he runs away and spends three years in the wilderness running around the borders of the US and Canada. Then he gets temporarily fostered by a nice family that he runs from after they realize he's a mutant, and is finally ""recruited """ to the Weapon X project. He meets Sabretooth there.

In this au, Sabretooth is 1 year older. He's 10 when he Loses His Mind on his POS father and also spends years in the wilderness! Joins around half a year before Logan. They become best buds, but Wolverine is firm on what he believes in and is essentally Sabretooth's Moral Compass. Not that they always follow it, the boys are Feral after all. So when 'soft little Lgan' is selected to undergo the Adimantium process, Sabretooth goes a little bonkers. He's the fav, the best at taking orders, taller, and they pick the runt?!

The process is actually (accidentally) interrupted by Sabretooth in this universe, also similar to the X-men movies, with Wolverine hearing his voice and the conversation he and Stryker have. He busts out and spends two more years in the wilderness before finally being captured by meeting up with the X-Men.

Also, the reason Logan is so short in this universe is explained pretty simply: He was in the middle of puberlty when it was put on him. This also means he is a little lither than he is when he gets older, and I am keeping his OG kitty hair.

As for the X-Men themselves, I am debating if I want to make this a Reverse AU, where all of the X-Mmen are full adults and he's one of the only kids, or if I want them to be in highschool with him. (The high school thing comes with its own set of questions such as: do I want the X-Men to be older or younger or his age? Which X-Men do I want to be hanging out with him? Etc etc. All problems for a later date.)

Send asks!!!!! Please my brain is bubbling

[eddiessluttywaist]

desiderium

an eddie munson series

AGELESS/BLANK/UNDER 18 BLOGS ARE NOT WELCOME TO INTERACT. PLEASE RESPECT MY RULES AND BOUNDARIES.

summary: eddie’s odd, forgotten childhood friend seeks him out when he needs her more than he realizes.

pairing: bsf!mechanic!bartender!eddie x eccentric!bsf!fem!reader

word count: 10,076 words

content/warnings: eventual smut so MDNI, fluff, swearing, depictions of low self esteem, anxiety, wet clothes (idk about you but that needs a warning in my book), wandering eyes oooo, boobs? (not detailed), mentions of porn, smol eddie :(. i think that’s it!

a/n: creds to whoever owns and posted those ^ photos! they’re not mine, i just made the collage!

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5

*

Sunday, October 6th, 1991. 2:02 AM.

You wound up returning to the motel late that night. Not late enough to truly spend as much time together as you wanted... but late enough that you knew you'd regret it as soon as your alarm went off. You spent most of that time in the garage talking or goofing off once there was nothing left of your meals but crumbs, grease stains, and leftover ketchup packets. Eddie was kind enough to drive you and even offered to drive you around until your car was fixed. You were unsure as the concern of becoming a burden rang through your head, but he insisted. So there you were.

You were certain it was because of the time of night, but that Autumn chill you had felt before seemed to have sunk into a wintry bite. The heat blasting in his van created a cozy sanctuary in dramatic contrast to the air outside, so much so that you never wanted to move from your spot. You were enveloped by the rushing warmth and the smell of toasty plastic and leather that came from it. Everything worked together to lull you in that passenger side seat, especially with the way Eddie surrounded you without him ever moving from his spot. Coffee and fresh tobacco lingered in the air. Spicy deodorant and shampoo and skin salted by sweat. Notes of the auto shop and the bar that dug deep into the fibers of his clothing.

"Thank you. You really didn't have to do this," you finally spoke the first words since you both stepped into his car. There was no awkward silence. Only comfort and dips in energy in a town where everyone else was already tucked into their beds.

"Well, I am the one that stole your car from you," he smoothed over your consternation with a roll of his head in your direction and a lazy smile. He looked tired. Your appreciation extended to a gentle brush of your fingertips against his forearm.

"And you didn’t have to do that either, but you did so thank you," you teased in return, a sleepy contentment reflecting in both your tone and your face. "You look exhausted, Loogie."

He sighed as his focus turned to the view through his windshield, his lips pushed forward by his exhale, and the small amount of extra skin folding underneath his tipped chin.

"That's because I am, my dear, dear Critter," he murmured honestly but benevolent enough to show the absence of irritation.

That relaxed smile came back with a vengeance as his focus returned to you, eyes hunting for any visible response to his words. He received the exact expression he was striving for, all signs pointing to that relapse of anxiety steadily unwinding from your body. There was no need for it. He helped you because he wanted to, and nothing in the world could turn you into a burden. Nothing. Your weary heart swelled with gratitude over his innate ability to take care of you so wholeheartedly without any consequences.

"'s nothing to do with you. And I'm happy to help out," he tacked on.

Sides of heads rested on plaid fabric secured to worn leather, tired stares tracking the details of the other's face. You found the freckles he had back in 1976 and lines that he didn't, comforted by the rumbling of the van's hearty engine. This all occurred within seconds, but those moments of refamiliarizing yourselves -- even in the absence of words -- were essential these days. They happened naturally and beautifully within the occasional pause, a recent habit that neither of you seemed consciously aware of.

His scent that was permanently imbedded into the interior of his car followed you as you leaned over. The potent silence seemed to amplify the sound of clothing shuffling and old leather creaking in your wake. Your arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a hug that was unbelievably awkward at this angle.

"You're the best," you whispered in a softened tone. The best. It reverberated through his skull then shook through the rest of his body like he was too close to pulsing speakers. Best, best, best.

"Thank you," you repeated now.

It was simple. Genuine concern about shitty brake pads. A casual willingness to drive you to work. Small things that probably didn't need to be ruminated on but meant everything to you.

"Yeah...," he returned in an equally gentle but surprised voice, eyes swimming with restrained emotion as his hand settled on your back. "Yeah, of course..."

It was simple. Genuine concern about his eating habits. An unshakeable gratitude for his very existence -- altering him from someone to leave, to someone worth finding. Small things that everyone else seemed to have but meant everything to him.

It was clear Eddie had something to say when you pulled away and parted from his van, but he was left speechless just like at The Hideout earlier that night. Only this time you didn’t get a halfhearted shrug before he found his voice again, you only got large Bambi eyes staring at you and then a muttered: “Uh… never — never mind.”

“O-kay…” you trailed off with a light laugh, hand resting on the edge of the door. You stared at him as if you’d find the answers written in the pigment of his irises or those freckles scattered over his nose. “Well… I’m gonna head inside. Thanks again for everything.”

You sent one last, tight-lipped smile in his direction before closing the door and spinning on your heels.

Eddie swallowed some much-needed moisture back into his throat, watching you head towards the motel entrance. Coward.

“Shit, shit, shit,” he huffed, finally leaning over to grasp the passenger side window crank. His seatbelt locked him in place, earning a few curses in a pitched voice before he finally unbuckled. He lunged himself to the passenger side and rolled the window down as quickly as he could.

“I’m happy too!” he called out.

With furrowed brows, you spun around as a curious smile toyed on your lips.

“What?” you laughed out, both voices echoing through the quiet parking lot.

“I’m…” he struggled, not to find the words but the confidence to say them without feeling like a complete and utter fool. His full lips parted, then closed, then parted again as his eyes sought you out. “I’m happy to have my best friend back too.”

“What?” your giggle danced through the late-night air again, taking a couple steps forward to hopefully catch his suddenly softer tone.

Idiot. His eyes rolled up towards the ceiling of his vehicle, placing most of his weight on one side while his free hand rubbed over his face in a brief lapse of frustration. His rough hand slapped back down to grasp the top of the sunken window.

“I’m happy to have my best friend back too!” he repeated, louder yet weaker somehow. Being forced to repeat himself had him wondering if it was a sign to take it back. To say something else. Anything but admit how touched he was by you coming back to him. Anything that didn’t feel so… vulnerable. The emotions in his eyes wavered, years of earned distrust spiraling the pit of his gut.

Then within an instant, Eddie was overly aware of how he had never considered how wonderful streetlights were. They were something to forget until you had to walk somewhere late at night. Or until they gave him the opportunity to see that ethereal smile that rounded the apples of your cheeks. You toyed with the strap of your purse.

“Good night, Loogie.”

*

Monday, October 7th, 1991. 9:36 AM.

“I’m scared,” Thach murmured to Lin as they observed Eddie from afar.

The young mechanic was leaning over the popped hood of a station wagon years beyond being on its last legs. The ancient vehicle creaked and groaned with nearly every touch, mirroring the state of Eddie's employer. The crotchety owner infamous for giving everyone but Thach a hard time had left the car behind with the promise of it being in his experienced -- albeit aching -- hands and his alone; but the cold front prematurely making its way through Indiana locked up the middle-aged man's joints enough that even holding a coffee mug was a hardship.

So there Eddie was, working on some trash heap he supposedly shouldn't have even been breathing near. The smell of its innards infiltrated the shop's usual fragrance of vulcanized rubber and chemicals with its own signature scent of stale cigarettes and wet dogs. And while he wasn't as impacted by the bite in the air as his boss, it was still a miserable feeling to be trapped in a cinderblock of a garage with a space heater that was more of a placebo than an actual chance for warmth. Ever incapable of dressing accurately for the weather, the cold had trespassed his coveralls and minimal clothes underneath to settle into his bones with a sort of foreshadowing that promised a future like Thacher's. Even the coffee in the break room that he depended on raising his body temperature was particularly bitter that Monday.

Everything was pointing towards a miserable rest of the day, and he was smiling. Nothing consistently toothy, it was more of a tug on his closed lips that showed itself intermittently as he became lost in his thoughts to distract from the stink, the cold, the putrid taste of bad coffee clinging to his taste buds. It wasn't a grin suggesting a drastic change of personality, but it was there. He never smiled like this — or really at all these past few years.

“I think he might even have a pep in his step,” Linda diagnosed as the two regarded him with astonishment.

“I can hear you guys, y’know,” Eddie muttered, his previously uncharacteristic expression suddenly being covered by all his hair as he studied the open hood. His hair elastic broke. He looked up now with a glare and flared nostrils.

“Ah, there he is,” Thacher breathed out in relief before him, and Lin retreated from the doorway to the front in a fit of titters.

Eddie mumbled under his breath, clomping over to his leather jacket and vest hung up on the coat rack. Hands hardly cleaned by his rag fished through his pockets before pulling out a black bandana. His smile returned at his sense of luck being refueled, swiping a thumb over the old piece of fabric before securing it around his head. He contained his curls again, save for a few rebelling bangs, and returned to the compactor candy reeking up the garage.

“Hey,” a man in similar dress greeted him as he walked through.

“Hey, Rick,” Eddie raised one hand in place of a wave before getting back to work. The dipstick entrenched in oil as he raised it from its designated reservoir earned a groan as his coworker walked over.

“Hey, are you — oh, shit,” Rick hissed in through his teeth when he caught a glimpse. “Again?”

“Again,” Eddie nodded, placing the long strip of metal back down and wiping his hands on his coveralls.

“Good luck,” the 30-something snorted and wandered away again before remembering his initial question. “Oh, are you working on the blue Bug?"

The blue Bug. The casual mention of a car in the shop never brought a glitter to his eyes the way that VW Beetle did. There was only one time he could remember anyone in the shop being star struck by a car that had been brought in. That was a couple years ago when some passerby had graced them with the presence of a glistening, ruby Plymouth Fury for the sake of replacing a flat tire. All other cars that came through were about earning a living then sending people on their way -- there was nothing special about them, simply a means to an end. But that Bug was special. It was special because it was yours.

"Uh, yeah," Eddie cleared his throat, keeping a casual tone to his voice. "Why?"

"Just wondering. Nice car. Looks like it's from the '70s," Rick shrugged, eyeing his odd behavior before moving on.

"Yeah, definitely," He nodded, glancing over at him and then back down as he sucked in his cheeks to keep from smiling. He didn't need Rick joining in on humiliating him.

Once his coworker disappeared into the break room, he finally raised his gaze. All of his tentative attention went to that classic car painted a shade of azure that had gone pastel at the hands of time.

When he walked in that morning, all he could think about was sitting in your usual place to start the engine with your overly decorated keys and put it through the usual tests. The chance to feign your presence and provide himself that specific comfort that he once forgot he had. A kind of comfort that soothed his loneliness. A kind of comfort he hadn't had in years.

And that car was sitting there taunting him with its existence as if it took on a personality like yours, conjuring up images of you sticking your tongue out at him. He wanted to leave the old wagon to rot in favor of rescuing your precious Sherry. He wanted to leave her in perfect condition. He wanted to do the best work he's ever done. He wanted his payment in the form of drinking in every ounce of appreciation in your soft features and the timbre of your voice. He wanted your arms circled around his middle with a Thank you, thank you, thank you pressed into the material of his shirt as he said it was no trouble at all -- really.

Wanted, wanted, wanted. And he'd have to wait.

*

Thursday, October 17th, 1991. 10:01 AM.

The unexpected reliance on Eddie and his beloved Chevy stretched out over the past couple of weeks. When you left for Indiana, you hoped with every ounce of your being, down to the very last cell, that he would accept your sudden return to his life. All you wanted was to spend all your time together like when you were kids, but now as those hopes came to life all you could do was sink into your nerves. It was too soon to be around him this often. Surely, you were ruining everything. With every ride or shared shift or phone call, you worried he was steadily becoming exhausted by your constant presence. And every time, he smoothed over your inflamed concerns with words of reassurance or the nasty things you feared he could say but never did. The only drop of frustration he showed was in the form of a playful groan and an I swear if you apologize one more time.

It was funny how quickly embarrassment and nerves were swept away once your interactions sweetened back up. How the meekness melted away to the childhood ties at the core of your bond. Between The Hideout, phone calls, and car rides, you and Eddie were in a good flow. The tension from years of distance was like some sort of tide rather than a brick wall in your way. It rolled in and surrounded you both as your faces grew blotchy and mouths fought to find something to say; or it sunk back, and you settled into that deep-rooted connection that no amount of time or physical space could take away. Lately, your metaphorical tide was imperceptible. The few times it threatened to creep back in, recounting a pleasant memory or a perfectly timed joke pushed it back again.

Everything that had taken over your mind since moving away all boiled down to the current moment. Everything concentrated into a single pull from your deck.

The commonly ostracized card laid on top of your motel bedding, drawing all the attention to its ominous imagery in comparison to the yellow gingham fabric. Death himself sat upon his white steed, raising his flag as he brought upon misfortune and loss to those at his feet. Only you didn't see the message as a warning of misfortune. It laid upright and conjured thoughts of your past melting away. Everything that broke you bit by bit finally lead you here and your life in Ohio was left in the dust to be swallowed whole. Things that weren't in your best interest were being killed off one by one, and at the sight of a card that struck fear in most -- you picked it up and held it close to your heart.

New beginnings. Plain, but beautiful, even in a place like Hawkins. You thought it over as you rejoined the card with the others and settled them all together in their assigned drawstring bag. The pad of your thumb smoothed over the velvet pouch, and as your touch created a path in the disturbed fibers of the material you saw a new path of your own. This was your personal interpretation. All you could do was hope it was true.

It certainly felt true.

Beyond all things Eddie, work was going well too. Ron and Sandy were unbelievably kind and patient, no matter how much Ron wanted to come off as an intolerable grouch. There were still some things you confused or had to ask about, but your previous experience saved you from making a mess of things. Ron's oldest, David, was quiet and didn't seem interested in befriending you, but he wasn't rude or unprofessional. It was clear early on that all he wanted was to get his work done and go home. He had no interest in workplace chitchat beyond the customers and his parents, so you respected it. You found surprising growth where you once needed everyone to like you and want to interact with you. You had Ron and Sandy. You had Eddie.

Now a few weeks into your new job, the only downside seemed to be all the time you missed sharing with Martha. The thought of leaving her lonely was intolerable for your sensitive heart so you were taking advantage of your open schedule today. Mood uplifted by wondrous Death and no work; you might as well have skipped to the small lobby.

"It's a beautiful day, my lovely Martha," you sighed as you leaned into the opposite side of the check-in area.

At the very beginning of the month, that numbing cold that crept in had sunk deep into the town earlier than expected. All signs pointed towards a particularly bitter winter in the near future until the temperatures started letting up recently. Now there was that autumnal chill to the air where you shivered without a sweater, but the sun shone brilliantly to heat up anyone in its path. It was the perfect weather for loungewear, freshly baked goods, and mugs of tea that warmed your palms and hovering face.

And you were quickly learning how much you loved this town for its dedication to the season that perfectly matched your own. The decorations slowly popping up everywhere. The themed foods at restaurants or deals at the market. All the local farmers with offers on pumpkin and apple picking. The advertised films available at the local video store. The signs fluttering throughout the center of town or stapled to poles that displayed seasonal parties or activities -- hayrides, jack-o-lantern contests, themed options for all ages at a local recreational center. Not to mention all the good things you heard about Halloween night, particularly from Martha. There was the occasional group of teenagers that wound up in trouble, but it was like the trick or treating you had back home. All the participation, all the goodness -- a beautiful moment in the community that made you proud to be in a small town.

"Someone's in a good mood," Martha noted, glancing away from her book to look over at you. "Why are you still in your pajamas?"

"Why aren't you in your pajamas?" you countered, making your way around to her side of the desk.

She eyed your Aerosmith baby tee and old pajama pants, unsure if she approved. Martha was a stubborn spokeswoman of starting your day right -- which included taking the time to get dressed in the morning. But then she saw the bunny slippers covering your feet and the only thing she could be bothered to do was laugh.

"What?"

"Those poor things," Martha cackled and put her mystery novel down to give her full attention to your choice in footwear. "They look miserable!"

"What?" you gasped, staring down at them now. The once plush fluff was now matted with age and the abuse of countless machine washing. The white of their fur had taken on more of a gray hue and the pink of their ears and noses were awfully dingy. The left one lost a beady eye ages ago. You could have replaced them by now, but you loved them. Abandoning them, just like abandoning Sherry, would be a tougher heartbreak to get over than your last boyfriend.

"They're perfect!"

"Whatever you say, dear."

*

3:33 PM.

Despite your jokes that you refused to spend time with Martha after she spoke so poorly of your beloved slippers, you still curled up beside her in your usual chair to watch her favorite documentary series together. The two of you enjoyed the usual quiet of the motel for hours with frequent breaks for food, curled up in office chairs as information about different animals out in the wild was told in calm, British accents.

"Oh wow... that thing is ugly," you muttered into your cup of hot cocoa as a random creature came up on the fuzzy screen. A posh tone went on to explain its secluded nature before the poor connection left his words choppy and the footage buzzing with snow.

"Now don't you feel bad?" Martha chided in the disguise of a question, smacking at the side of her television. "That poor thing is all lonely in the forest and you're here calling it ugly -- ugh, c'mon, ya piece of --"

She muttered under her breath, forcing herself out of her spot to mess with the rabbit ears in hopes of a better connection. You're a breath away from cracking a joke when the jarring tone of someone laying on their horn nearly made you jump out of your chair. With furrowed brows, you twist in your spot to glance out the window and see who was disturbing your time dedicated to watching Martha beat up her TV.

The only thing to smooth out your pinched expression was the very van you saw parked outside. Fresh drizzle freckled the pavement as you watched your old friend get out of his car and sprint towards the front door. You watched a few drops drip down and splotch the surface of the window before you turned around in anticipation of today's visitor.

"A-ha!" Martha clasped her hands together, sitting back down now that the image cleared up. While she celebrated, you welcomed the usually unpleasant sound of wet shoes squeaking on freshly mopped floors, sitting up more in your chair to give the man at the entrance your full attention.

"Sorry, I wanted to surprise you but then I was getting out and I accidentally caught the horn and..." Eddie breathed out, gesturing hands coming to a pause as he caught a glimpse of the screen. "Wow, that thing is really ugly."

"What are you doing here?"

You did your best to contain your joy, but even your intentions couldn't dampen your excitement over a surprise visit.

A miniscule bead of rain that had found purchase on his nose finally slid down and wet the shirt underneath his partially unzipped coveralls. He gave you a beautiful smile of his own before rubbing at his face with the back of his work jacket sleeve. After a solid lecture from Lin over him working in the freezing garage without it, Eddie had finally taken the coat out of that old Rubbermaid hamper he shoved his seasonal clothing into. Realistically, while he imagined most others had a sizeable assortment of different attire to keep them warm later in the year, his "seasonal" container only held his work jacket; hats he despised wearing because of how they charged his fluffy hair with that obnoxious static which made him zap his fingers on every metal surface he came in contact with (not fun for a mechanic); then the occasional mismatched glove he hoped to find the twin of by the following Winter (he never did).

Everything else he owned he pretty much wore no matter what the weather was like. Not that fashion was something he considered much anymore, now that he spent every day working. The effort he enjoyed as a peacocking teenager steadily died down with every second of adulthood that drained him. He still found joy in the same accessories he donned daily, even if they had to be taken off while he worked on someone's car, and you'd be hard-pressed to see him ever give up his vest and his leather jacket. He had more opportunities to express himself at the bar, but he supposed the opinions of him swirling around this town had steadily begun to succeed. Only in subtle, small changes, but enough to be depressing if you truly knew him from before.

"I don't have work today," you added onto your question.

"I didn't realize I was just a chauffeur," he feigned hurt with a hand over his chest.

"Oh, shut up," you scoffed out amidst your laughter.

And scene. At the sight of your eye roll -- which was arguably just as dramatic as his behavior -- you got a lopsided smile from him as he chuckled, leaning further into the barrier between the two of you.

He started to reply before catching how Martha was staring in his periphery. A smile caught in a sudden shift in feelings stuck in place, then faltered before disappearing. Overly aware of being watched by someone from Hawkins, his now bashful gaze worked its way down to the countertop. He felt the pains of carelessly rushing in there after all the times he specifically remained in the parking lot for this very reason. He tilted his head down, rubbing his knuckles on the counter.

"I was just uhm..." his attention drifted to your attire now, eyes trailing over the curve of your bra-less chest on pure accident as he read the symbol at the center. His face burned at the realization of how that must have looked -- and all for a crummy Aerosmith logo at that -- and he finally looked away to wind up with Martha at the center of his view. Great.

"Hi Mrs. Peters," he spoke like a young child awaiting some kind of reprimand, rapping his knuckles to appease his nervous energy. You flailed your arms and flopped back into your seat in playful exasperation over his attention span.

"Hello Eddie," she returned with a calm voice and a knowing smile. "How are you?"

Given his reputation, he never really knew how someone from this town would respond to his presence, so he was left stupefied by how polite Martha was. Even if she was silently cheeky about his flushed face. His bottom lip that he had been rubbing raw with the edge of his teeth finally released again in disbelief of something as simple as someone asking how he was.

"I'm -- I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm well. Been spending time with your lovely friend over here," Martha hummed in response, motioning over to you.

"Oh good... that's good," he nodded.

"She's..." deep inhale "good..." he exhaled before bubbling with nervous laughter over his inability to speak, or at least not feel like a complete idiot when he did speak. He kicked his elbow up onto the counter and gnawed at his nails out of habit.

"You still haven't answered my question," you complained, leaning into Martha's side of the check-in window to reach forward and hold onto his canvas-clad arm. His eyes shot up to you in all their usual glory and fluttery eyelashes while he continued his nervous quirk. "What's up?"

"Oh, uh — right," he pulled his hand away from his lips to unhook something from his wallet chain. He held up the array of accessories on an exhausted metal ring, then placed it down onto the counter. "Sherry's all good if you want 'er."

You gasped as you collected your key chain and rushed around to where he was.

The work on your car had taken longer than expected, since he found more damage while inspecting your car, but he insisted on returning your car to you in the best condition possible.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," your excitement sunk into his shirt as you hugged him tight, pressing your face into his chest. "You're the best."

Martha couldn't help but smirk over the way the young man's expression and stature completely crumbled over your touch. The relief before the pure joy as he captured his opportunity to wrap you up in a hug before you could pull back. The squeeze as he settled his cheek on top of your head. It was clear that every moment of work he put into that car was with the hope that this would be the outcome, and you certainly didn’t let his efforts be in vain.

"It's no problem, really," he insisted, barely rocking the two of you side to side simply because he could. The basic need for movement without having to let you go.

"You're the best. The absolute best," you repeated the sentiment, satiating the man holding you who lived off of any moment of praise he could possibly get. The best.

You pulled back enough to look up at him. "What do I owe you?"

At that, Eddie pulled his lips down into a dismissive frown as he shook his head.

"Nothing."

"Fuck off," you huffed out a laugh, pulling back completely to shove him just for your attempt to end up a nudge to his shoulder as that crooked smile beamed down at you. "Really, how much?"

Eddie took a step back as a confused expression took over his face with an air of drama and excitement that made it clear he was messing with you.

"What?" he said, furrowing his brows and cupping his hand behind his ear as he pretended to lose his sense of hearing.

"Eddie— "

He started circling around you to head back to the door, pointing to one of his ears.

"'m sorry! I just — I'm having a really hard time hearing you!" he kept up his façade as best as he could before it fell apart, and let his cheeky grin shine through as he pushed the door open again with his back. "C'mon. Let's go get her."

"Ugh, you are such a -- Oh! Bye, Martha!" before you could finish your thought as you stalked after him, you turned to ensure the older woman didn't feel forgotten. Eddie snickered evilly, rocking back and forth on his heels and moving the front door with him.

"I'll be right back! I just have to get my car."

"Oh! Of course!" she pretended to be caught off guard by you roping her back into the conversation as if she had been thoroughly invested in her show. "You know where I'll be."

Eddie's quick farewell was the only time his quiet politeness returned, earning your attention again. Martha reciprocated his gesture as you turned to face him with a displeased look. His sweet behavior with her melted away as you walked closer to him, pointing your index finger at him with the promise of a lecture. The tip of his tongue darted out to a point over his curved lip and giggles poured out. He steadily backed out of the motel then booked it back to the van, partially to avoid the rain that was steadily increasing in intensity, partially to avoid your impending speech.

"Edward!" you gasped, chasing after him.

Martha leaned back in her chair to spy from the window, the scene of bubbly youth in her parking lot pulling a calm hum of amusement from her. Between the streams and blotches of water, she could make out how Eddie pretended to start driving away when you tried to get into the passenger side. Right as you reached the door, he jerked the car forward a few inches before stopping so you could actually get in.

"You're an ass!" she heard you announce, clambering into the passenger side. Eddie’s laugh echoed through the parking lot, followed by a slammed door and a speedy retreat.

*

So much for that perfect Fall weather.

The drizzle had formed a consistent thrum on the roof of the garage by that point, a soft hum just for you and Eddie, and Lin up at the front desk. You loved the rain. You really did. That didn't mean the former sprinkle of rain wasn't a poor warning for the way the skies opened and unleashed an amount of water that was approaching biblical proportions.

The sky was deep and ashen, making the fluorescent lights feel harsher and colder somehow whenever you caught glimpses of the occasional window. Goosebumps came and went, shuddering along the skin of your arms as you raised them up to grasp the familiar steering wheel.

"I have my Sherry back," you sighed happily, hands gliding over the surface.

The very moment you could, you had sat yourself right in the driver’s side while Eddie went over everything he fixed from the passenger side. His words were rambling as his hands gestured, his gaze constantly and nervously flicking over to you to capture your reaction. To thrive on your appreciation that he was lucky enough to be a part of. To take in every bit of excitement to have your car back in relatively perfect condition. Eddie lived off every single gluttonous and desperate bite of your joy, until his brightened mood began swirling down the drain at that shift in your face. It was small at first. A change to your previously elated eyes. A twitch to your lips indicating a need to frown instead of smile, even if you did your best to hold it off. He was scrambling for crumbs now.

"I have my car back," you repeated now, a glum tone tinting the words that had excited you only a few seconds ago.

"Isn't... isn't that a good thing?" Eddie wondered with a partial laugh indicating his poorly masked nerves. His hands rubbed over the rough texture of his coveralls.

The fact that you sounded so ungrateful just now was not lost on you and formed into a sort of panic in your eyes.

"Yes! Yes, Eddie, of course,” your hands parted from the wheel to seek out his left arm, shifting your body to face him. “Thank you for everything. Really.”

His doubt dug into the lines on his face and the bags under his eyes. He kept his gaze on your hands, lips dried out by his constant picking and drag of his tongue now parting and closing as he tried to find his next question. Then why don’t you seem happy?

“It’s just,” you sighed, both hands sliding to his now. He stopped rubbing that hand against his thigh, slowing down to welcome the touch of your gentle but chilly fingers. “Well… I have my car back.”

"Oh, well that clarifies things," he murmured now, trying for a break in tension with his sense of humor. You rolled your eyes as you snickered with him, but there’s a softness now just like that first night he drove you back to the motel. His murmur about how cold your hands were could hardly even be heard before he enveloped them in both of his to warm them. The reason why you wished Sherry needed more work done floated around the air before you even spoke the words.

"You won’t be driving me around anymore," you finally admit. He continued to put all his attention on warming your hands, although his efforts slow just a touch. He wet his parched lips with a quick swipe of his tongue. His silence for even a matter of seconds was suffocating, and your need to fill that quiet took over with one more comment.

"Which sucks cause I've really liked sleeping in the passenger seat."

He gifted you that uneven smile of his as he let out a light laugh. He hardly adjusted the downward tilt to his head, staring at you through his lashes. His eyes had been rendered a dull bister in the poor lighting, but they certainly hadn’t lost their ability to lock you in place.

"It's not like we wont see each other," he offered, taking his eyes away from you once more to return his attention to your hands that were a perfectly normal temperature by that point. "Well, unless you were using me for free services and rides to work."

That cheekiness returned, his crooked smiling providing a slight glimpse at his teeth as he finally rolled his head to the side to fully look at you.

"Oh totally, I moved here just hoping you'd be a mechanic," you giggled.

"Can't beat a plan like that," fluffy hair shifted with a light shake of his head, one of his legs gently bouncing as a question comes to mind. He unfortunately removed his hold on your hands that you had grown accustomed to encasing you in his body heat. He smoothed his sweaty hands over his legs again, just hoping you weren’t put off by the perspiration.

"Hey, uhm...” he chanced a look over in your direction before instantly cowering to stare at his steel toe boots. “Why did you move?"

"Oh, well I..."

The sound of knuckles suddenly rapping on your window made both of you jump, hearts racing over Lin’s sudden appearance when your heads snap over in her direction. She motions rolling down the window, speaking up the second you do so.

“The streets might be flooding soon. I’m gonna leave early, okay?”

"Alright, be careful," Eddie replied, his brow furrowing as he tried to get a good look at the storm through one of the garage windows. "You sure you don't want me to drive you home?"

Lin waved him off but smiled anyways over his thoughtfulness.

"Johnny's actually picking me up on his way from grabbing the kids from their clubs. I can always come back for my car. You two be safe, okay?"

You both wished her the same, and she took one last look at the two of you with the kind of smile that earned her a warning glance from Eddie. The noise of rain sloppily pounding into asphalt and wind groaning temporarily swelled before being muffled again once the door shut.

"Guess we should head out too," you sighed, watching him step out of the car. He separated from you to look out the window.

"Do you want me to drop you off? It looks like it's really bad out there," he murmured as his brow frowned with concern. His lower lip rolled inward for him to nibble at.

"I think I'm still capable of driving in the rain," you snorted lightheartedly as you toyed with the open car door now that you were standing up. His worry remained anyways, glancing at you before his attention went right back to the window. You sighed, only earning his focus on you again at the sound of you closing your door.

"Really, Eddie, it's fine. You just did all that work. I promise Sherry can handle a little rain on my way back," you did your best to reassure him as he returned to you with an impish charm to his gait. The second he was close enough, you reach up to zip his coveralls the rest of the way to his collarbones as if that little bit of added protection would shield him completely from the elements.

"Besides, I'm not even on the way. You'd be adding an unnecessary trip when you should just be heading home."

"So, you admit it's dangerous out there right now," he tilted his head to one side, hair draping with him as he eyes you. A playful simper tugged at his lips over his efforts to balance messing with you and looking out for you. There's a beat of silence before you decide to distract from the current topic, rather than engage in his insistence to drive you.

"How much?" you asked, holding up your wallet from your purse.

Eddie began his whole act again where he cups his hand over his ear as he struggles to hear you, and you groan out a laugh, grabbing his wrist to gently try and tug his hand away from his ear.

"I'm paying you whether you like it or not, Eds," you insisted amidst your bubbling mirth which he joined in on.

"How about a compromise?" he offered at the tail end of his most recent chuckle, with a focused glint to his eyes as he slowly let his work jacket slide off of his arms.

"I'm not doing anything porn-y for the car work," you joked immediately, and he considered it a miracle that he didn't choke on his own spit. He cackled through it with a subdued Jesus... as his cheeks burned, draping his coat over your shoulders.

"Nothing like that," he clarified, hearing his own pulse in his ears from the heat that had crept up his neck. "I would consider you letting me drive you back as payment."

"Nope," you responded defiantly, popping the "p", and cheesing up at him. He slowly deflated with an exhale, quietly entering a staring contest with you as he juts out his arm to rest his hand on the roof of your car.

"You'll be on the roads longer for no reason. I'm paying you."

If it weren't for the fact that you'd lose the unofficial contest between your gazes, you'd immediately start fishing out cash from your wallet. Whatever amount that seemed appropriate, and then you'd ask Lin how much more tomorrow.

"Well," he sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he glanced elsewhere. You won. "Then come over."

He brought his eyes back down to yours, grounding you enough in your spot that you didn't even flinch at the thunderclap outside. You searched for any signs that he was joking but find none. You glanced down at your hands, shaking your head and starting to mumble something about how you shouldn't.

"Last chance to use me as a personal driver," he teased in a whisper, leaning into your personal bubble as he grinned at you. "And I want you to come over. It'll..."

He sighed out again, one hand abandoning a pocket to gesture as he looked off to nowhere in particular, and you looked up at him again.

"It'll be like when we were kids. You come over, we probably eat garbage and watch tv. If the power goes out, you'll have fun watching me burn my thumb a million times while I try to light candles."

At that, you couldn't help but giggle. He held up his hand to your eye line where you could see that pink side of his thumb that he apparently still burned constantly. You'd figured he would've gotten better at handling a lighter, especially as a smoker, but apparently not.

"I dunno..."

"Are you really gonna deny me of my requested form of payment?" he whispered in faux shock, that hand now resting over his heart just like earlier. "As the mechanic, I have the right to withhold the vehicle if I don’t receive payment for my labor."

"I said I'm not doing anything porn-y, and that was right out of some porno and you know it," you reached out to grasp onto that hand over his chest as you both laugh, leaning into his personal space with an affinity for closeness akin to his.

"My, my... Been watching a lot of mechanic smut, Critter?"

That shit-eating grin gleaming down at you felt so natural coming from him, where it might have looked menacing on someone else. You nudged his chest with his own hand that you're still holding onto before separating from him again, giggles rising up in both of your chests.

"You're insufferable."

"And you love it!" he announced, giving the roof of your car a slap to celebrate his success before turning around to close up for the night.

*

Let it be known that you were grateful for Eddie loaning you his work jacket, but it didn't really save you from the rain as much as you had hoped it would. It was the kind of downpour that soaked through your clothing within a matter of seconds, leaving both of you with your hair drenched and flat against your heads as you shivered inside your saturated attire.

The cold sunk into every fiber of your being, leaving you shaking like a leaf inside his trailer as droplets clung to your lashes and dragged along your nose and lips. You blinked a few times in hopes of ridding yourself of the water in your view, licking your lips to stop the racing globules in their tracks.

"Here... here," Eddie breathed out, rushing over to you with a towel.

"Thank you," you got out through chattering teeth, slipping off his jacket so you could trade, and he could toss it into the drier. You shoved your face into the material he offered you, taking a moment to let its proximity warm your face before starting to rub at your hair.

"Do you want to take a quick shower? I could put your clothes in the drier too," he offered, and you notice his gaze move downward for a split second before shooting up to your eyes again. Usually, you'd insist he go first. It's his house, you don't want to be rude, really, it's fine you can go after him, blah, blah, blah. But you were frozen to your core. The storm had soaked your clothes to the point that they were clinging to you in the most uncomfortable way, and you could practically hear the heavy slap they'd make dropping to the bathroom floor. The sneakers you quickly slipped on earlier had filled with water, squishing with your every step and leaving that moist feeling in your socks that gave you unpleasant memories of some infection you had gotten as a kid after going to the local pool. You felt itchy already.

"Could I?"

"Of course. Yeah," Eddie nodded, long hair spraying some water around at the enthusiastic shake of his head. He held out a hand to guide you to his bathroom, settling it on your back as you passed by. He quickly showed you how to work the shower, including how hot water came from the cold faucet and vice versa.

"Just call for me when you're in the shower and I'll come grab your clothes,"

You thanked him as quickly as he rushed away and closed the door behind him so you wouldn't have to wait.

*

"Okay!" you shouted from inside the bathroom, and Eddie entered to collect the soggy pile of clothes left on the floor.

"I'll come back and leave something for you to wear until these 're dry," he held up the dripping mess in his hand even though you couldn't see his gesture.

"Thank you, Eddie," you murmured, voice steadily losing that previous shiver as steam filled the tiny room. "You're being so nice, I guess I'll have to leave some hot water for you, huh?"

Eddie snorted, flicking the shower curtain just to make you gasp.

"Never mind!" you called after him, amusement you wished you were better at disguising joining in with his cackling on his way out of the bathroom.

Along with his jacket, Eddie added your clothing to the machine snug beside that table for two he never used anymore. He could've tossed them into the tub without a second thought, but for some reason he added your garments in one by one. Wet pj pants that had been a gray plaid before the rain turned them into a sloppy black mess, a momentary glimpse of panties clung to the inside. Wet baby tee with that crummy little Aerosmith logo that surprisingly didn't melt away by this point. He’d have to give you something far better, even if it wasn’t as pleasantly form fitting. No bra, although he didn't need to do your laundry to know that -- especially after you were out in the rain. He tried not to linger on that fact like some adolescent boy who had never seen breasts before, but some small part of him that you brought out, the part of him that was stuck in a perpetual state of your childhood memories felt perverted and awkward. He felt like he saw something he wasn't supposed to, like a teen about to be chastised for sneaking past that red curtain at the video store.

You're a grown man, Jesus Christ.

He shook his head of his childish concerns and moved on to get you some pajamas from his bedroom.

*

You kept the shower brief even if you wanted to stay in the onslaught of hot water until it really did start to grow cold.

Since your visit was unexpected and your need for a shower even more so, you stepped out onto the bathmat smelling like Eddie. Some off brand body wash filled with aromatic spices and something floral you couldn't put your finger on, along with the matching shampoo and conditioner. You could see Eddie going through the toiletry aisle and just slapping that 3-pack deal into his cart with a simple Yeah, you'll do.

Padding over to the sink counter after drying off, something possessed you to bring the ends of your hair up to your nose and inhale his fragrance. It comforted you, yet made your heart skip a beat as you indulged in it. You're letting out a soothed sigh over the scent when his fist banged on the door.

"I'm naked!" you shrieked out of instinct.

"Good for you," he countered, and you rolled your eyes as you picked up the shirt he left for you. Dio. "My nuts are frozen."

"Good for you," you repeated back with a smirk, his groan sounding from outside the door. You slip on his shirt, the pair of blue boxers he left for you and pajama pants similar to the ones you had already been wearing earlier.

You didn't realize just how close he was waiting by the door until you swung it open and he was right there, the breeze created by the motion brushing both of your hair back.

"I left some popcorn on the counter if you want to make some while I'm in here," Eddie offered, hand settling on your side as you step out of the way. It's probably just to keep you where you are as he moves past you. It's subtle. Enough that you could've never caught it, but you did and with a blushing smile.

You stood there for a moment, toying with your hands as you actively reminded yourself of the importance of best friends staying best friends. You heard him trip over his coveralls, a wet squeak on the floor combining with a pitched Shit and his hand smacking on the wall as he caught himself. That should've pulled you out of it. That should've made it easier to roll your eyes and remember he's just your weird friend. But it didn’t. It made it harder.

"You alright in there?" you called out in a poor attempt to hide your amusement.

"Uh -- shit -- yeah! I'm fine!"

You snorted and walked down the hall with a warmth spreading from the center of your chest that made you feel like a complete and utter fool. You needed something to force you away from developing feelings for him. Something, but you couldn't think of what. He needed a detrimental, irredeemable flaw of some kind, but you couldn't think of any. He was sweet, funny, and caring. He was the kind of guy to give you his jacket, to really listen when you talk, to fix your car for you. He loved your happiness so much even when it was begrudging on part of his stupid jokes that he leaned into it. When he emphasized his words, he stepped closer. When your laugh made him laugh, he leaned further in. It was as if some part of him hoped that being closer would make it last longer. By brushing up against you, the memory of your reactions he adored so much would sink into his skin and he'd never have to lose how he felt in that moment.

He was Loogie, that obnoxious kid in the grade above you who would copy what you said right back to you until it made you furious, yet let you slept in his bed when nightmares woke you up in a mix of cold sweat and tears. He was Eddie, that grown man that lived in Indiana who was infuriatingly pretty and took care of anyone he felt lucky enough to still have in his life.

And he was your friend. Your best friend. And for once, you needed to fight those feelings like a punch to your gut and keep it that way.

You had gone into autopilot as you wandered through your thoughts, the only thing to pull you out of your own head being the smell of burning popcorn.

"Fuck," you hissed out, quickly pulling the bulging aluminum pan away from the stovetop. After scrambling through his drawers for his cutlery, you finally grab a fork to poke and prod at the container to check the damage.

"Remind me to never put you on popcorn duty again," Eddie chuckled as he walked in, still ruffling his hair with one towel, the other one draped loosely around his hips. Your gaze briefly traveled down before shooting up to his face again. "Had to come out here and make sure you weren't burning my trailer down."

With one hand, he tugged at the hot foil over and over to peel it back. The action was broken up by frequent jerks backwards as he hissed through his teeth over the heat.

"It's almost like your body is trying to tell you something, caveman," you joked, waving the fork around in front of him.

"That's quitter talk," he explained, a bit of his teeth flashing at you again as a partial smile formed. He inspected the popcorn and shrugged.

"Eh, should be fine. Probably just a bit burnt at the bottom,"

"Thank you, I never would've found that out on my own," you gasped, once again holding up that fork as he walks away again.

He turned to glance at you one more time as he approached the corner before the hall. He made a few caveman-like grunts, and you couldn't help but drop your head back with hearty laughter.

*

Falling seamlessly into old habits, you were both staying up past your bedtime. Every now and then, at the occasional yawn you’d remind him he had work in the morning and he’d shrug it off. You’d nod off here and there, and he’d remind you that you had a shift in the evening. I can sleep in late, you can’t you’d argue.

You binged popcorn as he threw out jokes about how if pretzels aren’t dinner, then why is popcorn? That typically earned him a kernel flung at his head, which he’d open his mouth for to try and catch because for whatever reason he liked crunching on them. He never caught one, though, and one even got him right in the eye. He was as theatrical as ever about it as you apologized incessantly and tried to get a good look at it. You shot me, you shot me he’d cough out until he was cackling when you smacked at his chest.

At some point, you considered figuring out a real dinner, but Eddie and you were so full of snacks that a meal on top of that would have only been a one-way ticket to puking on his rug. Again.

So there you were. Full of a myriad of snacks in place of an actual dinner and sprawled out on his couch as you zoned out to whatever was on the TV. He apologized for the constant drafts that sent shivers down your spine whenever they made their way through the mobile home. You couldn’t be bothered to care about breezes working through the cracks and crevices of his home; the two of you huddled together under a bunch of blankets as you laid against his arm, until he eventually raised it up to settle on the back of the couch and you rested on his chest instead.

You stared thoughtlessly at the commercial currently going on about McDonald’s new burger option. 91% fat free? Yuck. You sighed over the lack of stimulation, seeking out a conversation instead.

“I wish it was colder,” you murmured suddenly, and his disbelieving guffaw shook your head where it was resting.

“What? It’s true,” you insisted as you moved from resting against him to get a better look at him. “If it was any colder, we’d have snow,”

Eddie tilted his head to the side as he stared at you, taking in the way you beamed even in your fatigued state. Movement from the television flashed against your features in the dark, dancing along your skin as your eyes filled with excitement over snow that wasn’t even here yet. He bent his arm at the elbow to squish his cheek against his fist, looking at you in a way that just-a-friend should never look at another just-friend. His lashes fluttered and he let out a soft breath through his nose, thoughts of your lips drawn back in that pretty smile swirling around in his sleepy brain like those flurries you loved so dearly until he finally broke free by clearing his throat and glancing away. He faked a yawn until it turned into a real one, pushing himself on the couch cushions to sit up more.

“You really want blizzards before Halloween?”

“Well, no… I guess not,” you hummed out, glancing down at his bouncing leg that was nudging you. “Just can’t wait for that first snowfall.”

“You say that until the plows come through and all the snow is turned into filthy piles and you’re eating shit after slipping on ice,” he pointed out, dragging his grinning teeth over his lower lip at the glare you gave him.

“You’re so gloomy.”

“So is Winter, but you like it,” he pointed his finger at you now as he makes his argument. He snatched it back with a lazy huff of a snicker when you pretend to go and bite it like you used to.

“Yeah, you’re alright,” you murmured, leaning in. You’re centimeters away from his face, kicking up his heart rate as his eyes dart over your facial features. “I guess I’ll keep you.”

At that, you pulled away from him completely to get up off the couch and he’s left stumbling over what to say as he recollected himself. Eddie lets out a halfhearted laugh, craning his neck to watch you get a glass of water.

“That’s plagiarism, y’know. I could sue,” he threatened, but his smile showed just how hollow it was.

Your giggle weaved through his trailer, and it made it a home worth living in for the first time in years, even if he was sure the increase in value left him horribly unworthy of having it. He observed the way you moved in his small kitchen, in his old clothes that sat loosely on your form. And at that gnawing feeling in his gut – he forced his tired, sad, unworthy eyes away.

*

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[ofmdrecaps]

07/04/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi & Rita Ora; Con O'Neill; Nathan Foad; Samba Schutte; Disability Pride Month; Fan Spotlight; Love Notes; Daily Darby / Today's Taika

== Rhys Darby ==

Yet another FFXIV Tural Commercial! Please keep them coming!

Rhys was also out on July 4th for his son Finn's Great Big Cow Band's concert! He was heard saying "Merry Christmas everbody!". You can watch the whole video Finn shared on Great Big Cow Band's Instagram

Source: Great Big Cow Band's Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

Out at a celebration of Maria Sharapova with Aman Essentals as well as at the Girls Aloud Concert with Rita!

Source: krisroma's Instagram

Source: amanessentials Instagram

Source: RitaOraHun Instagram

Source: Instagram

Source: kyaora29 on Twitter

Source: YulYY4 on Twitter

== Con O'Neill ==

Con's been asking everyone to #VoteTheFuckersOut and here he was reminding everyone to go out and vote in the UK! (Hey good news, they "voted the fuckers out"!

Source: Con O Neill's Instagram

== Nathan Foad ==

Our friends over at @adoptourcrew wrote up a very lovely dedication to Nathan being one of the Hot Shots 2024 Top Writers and Script editors! Nathan loved it! You can read the article here!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba sent some love and PSA for July 4th <3

Source: Samba Schutte Instagram

== Disability Pride Month ==

Did you know July is Disability Pride Month? I know many of our crewmates are disabled and so I wanted to highlight this pride month in honor of them. Below is a wonderful video by ChronicallyJenni on instagram. I'm including the transcription of the video as well below. Found via the lovely @a-little-revolution here on tumblr.

"It's July & that means it's Disability Pride Month! But what actually is DPM?! I didn't know until a few years ago either so here's the run down!

Disability Pride Month was born out of the disability rights movement in July 1990 to commemorate the passing of the Americans with disabilities act (ADA). It has since become a global celebration, as well as an act of protest in order to campaign for the world to be more inclusive of disabled people. The first Disability Pride Parade in the UK was held in Brighton in 2016. Whilst we love our LGBTQIA+ friends & community members, #DisabilityPrideMonth has nothing to do with LGBTQIA+ Pride, they just happen to be next to each other.

The 3 main goals of Disability Pride Month are: ✨ To change the way people think about & define disability. ✨ To break down & end the internalised shame felt by people with disabilities. ✨ To promote the belief in society that disability is a natural, beautiful part of human diversity in which people living with disabilities can take pride.

All of these things are so incredibly important & change needs to be made in wider society in regards to ableism, accessibility & representation. Especially as being disabled is one of the only minority groups anyone can find themselves in overnight. Things are improving but I long for more disability representation in the media & in governance.

It's taken me a long time to discover my self worth as a person with a disability. And, don't get me wrong, being disabled is really tough But my disability has made me stronger, more resilient , more adaptable & has helped me find myself and the things that are important to me in a way I wouldn't have experienced otherwise. It's also helped me find the most incredible friends & community across the world.

I am disabled and I am proud." Happy Disability Pride Month Lovelies! I hope you have many many good days <3

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenni | Chronic Illness Hacks (@chronicallyjenni)

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

More cast cards from @melvisik! Thank you as always hon! Today's cast cards are Jochen FitzHerbert who is "another Emmy submission 'for Outstanding Picture Editing in a Comedy Series for The Innkeeper' - AdoptOurCrew" annnnd, Pancho Cardena was a patron of Spanish Jackie's establishment in "A Gentleman Pirate"!

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! It's, well, now it's Friday cause I'm a bit late, but Happy Friday and early Saturday to the folks on the other side of the world!

I truly hope that you are doing well at the end of this week. It's been a long one to be sure, even if you've had a holiday. Remember that you are doing the best you can-- don't let anyone tell you anything different <3 Love notes are gonna be short today since I'm so late, just know we're thinking of and rooting for you <3

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Katie Abey 🌈 (@katieabey)

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Tonight's theme is nose scrunches <3 Gif Courtesy of our darling Jodi! @saltpepperbeard

[coffeelikesbaking]

Let's do some cookies!!

First of all, we need the 💫ingredients💫

So we need: • 150 grams of flour v • 100 grams of butter v • 100 grams of powder sugar v • 1 vanilla essent v • 100 grams of chocolate chips v • 2 eggs v • a pinch of salt

(All the ingredients can be dubled so you can make as much as you want)

Step 1: The butter cream.

Put in a bowl the butter (soft butter) with the powder sugar and mix with a spatula until it turns into a cream.

^ Like this!! ( I know, it's not really a good quality foto, yeah bad camera)

Step 2: Incorporate the eggs, flour and chocolate chips together.

For this, you will star with putting one egg, and then mixing. After incorporating the first egg you can put the second.

After finishing with the eggs you can put the vanilla (for giving a better aroma to the cookies).

Now, the only thing that we need to incorporate is the flour and the pinch of salt. After that you need to have it like this:

It needs to be much dense than after you put the eggs.

Step 3: Chocolate and bake!!

If you dont have chocolate chips (as me) you can take some chocolate bars and cut the in little pieces. Now put them into the bowl!

Just like this! Haha

Now the fun part! Baking!

Take a tray and put baking sheets on it. Take a spoon and put some composition, just as much as you want. (You can make a giant cookie if you want!)

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees, and bake the goods for 10 minutes at the same heat!

And there you have, some really good cookies! Enjoy

[knizuu]

Talk to me abt uhhh anything- Fang, Petey, OC, idc. ANYTHING U WANT💖💖

PLEASE IM GENUINELY INTERESTED IM NOT DOING THIS JUST CUS U LET ME- /gen

I get so nervous writing asks wtf

DUDE IM SO DUCKING HAPPY +omg same </33

COUGH well imma go in order lets go with the

FANG🫧….

SIGHH I LOVE HIM SM. tbh I see how people react to the recent idw miniseries which left the Hooligan fans really sour </33 to me, though, it wasn’t too bad?? I see how it works and honestly the only sad part to me is WHY DID HOOLIGANS BREAK UP AUH but im so used to “sonic canon ew” so like-I should’ve expected that sigh. So I can reason with how excited people headcannon/draw/make whatever of the guy it’s really cool since we all kinda agree? Like even with such a variety we all take the guy lovingly <33 which is sweet :> like its pretty chill-WHCIH IS FUNNY because Im actually really scared in small communities <- i made a post bout it once i-I EAT UP ANY FAN MADE FANG CONTENT FR i love all fangs really [so far] ^ ^ tbh even my school knows that-I did pottery of him, drawn him, spoke of him, my teacher saw a drawing of Fang I did and HE QUOTE: I was looking for that [SIR I GET IT IM PREDICATABLE/silly]

PETEY💠

Ok as much as heartfelt I feel about Fang-Petey is just some other freak of nature my family knows. I’m NOT EVEN JOKING-MY MOM SANG ABOUT HIM WHILE MAKING LUNCH/GEN GEN GEN-cough. Idk why but ever since my brother [the first dog man fan obviously] inserted dog man into my family [by 1. SHOWING MY FANART/BOOKS TO MUM 2. LETTING ME SING THE MUSICAL ALL DAY LON-/positive fs] its been insane/sILLY because-who expected everyone to say “Papa Petey” [i do NOT know how some typo made mo-ok my mom has a Petey problem/sILY AGAIN] in the car-at home…NOT ME THATS WHO. WHY IS PETEY SUCH A NORMAL THING IN MY HOUSEHOLD/positive sigh

OC🌸

OKK well they are ALMOST a wasteland but I have an original story to bring some ocs to life ^ ^ [including-sigh vague mention-the space dog lady and red haired lady ocs i have :3] ESSENTALLY: I’m calling it Brink of Bryony!! [Bryony is about a flower but in plot idk a city??] it’s just a human loser [red haired lady MAYBE] meeting alien folk [Cordella is there…i showed her ONCE] like my self insert hehe [Norolist] because OH NO beeg mister evil guy wants to take over Earth and this NICE alien people gonna protect it! That’s the entire thing, very unserious lmao. Pyrexavul is my precious <33 I don’t think I shared him?? I’ll share em all sometime hehe im too lazy LMAO. So yes yes I’ve been into making that story recently :> !!

ANYTHING🦐

OK SO my Luxury AU has been MANIFESTING MOI cuz i decided: why yes I WILL make a fic bout it!! Yknow just remaking the lore[cough this means me rewriting the first book of DogMan] and putting some stuff into one work ^ ^’ SO FAR I’m really getting into the vibes but what’s crazy is how I turned what I THOUGHT was oughta be a comedy-to a tragedy. No like I KNOW IM GONNA WRITE CUTE STUFF I WILL I JUST-….also might’ve included grief, addiction, ETC I dont even know how I got there 🙂‍↔️but it’s been fun! Especially since it makes me go down a nice study check with me lmao [I’ve been learning the medical field, laws, how media handles stuff, types of _, etc] hehe rubbing my hands together imma be so happy to write it all hehe and with that I’m learning about my characters a lot better! I thought of it more one noted because its a good start but now im actually learning more bout em :0 !! Love reworking stuff, redesigning, it’s been a huge part of me since idk when ^ ^’

COUGHHHH i think that all works out!! TYSM FOR ASKING I CANNOT EXPRESS THE WHIMSY I FEEL RN <33