#PASSIVE AGGRESSIVENESS AT ITS FINEST

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

OOOOUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH I LOOOOVE THIS SO MUCHH LIKE HE'S BEING NICE TO THEM BUT THAT SUBTLE LITTLE WARNING HE'S GIVING HER AND THAT LOOK AT THE END OAKAJDNSJDNSNSJSWLDMSMDKAMFNAKD OMG I LOVE HIMMMM

[jaykorianddickkoriforlife]

I'm a hostess, and three days ago when I told someone that was my job, they, without hesitation, straight up just nodded, and said with a smile.

"So you're a professional gaslighter."

I haven't been able to stop thinking about it because I started thinking of all the times I've told customers and servers to fuck off so nicely that if they persist they end up looking like the bad guy in the conversation.

[daisychains111]

incorrect chb camper quotes but it's actually just my sister's quotebook from Twitter

Disclaimer: This post is gonna be LONG AF

Percy: "Ahh, die quieter"

Clarisse to Silena: "Do I look majestic?"

Will: "I live in America. Cultures?... casserole"

Nico: "At-home lobotomy"

Baby Nico to Clarisse: "You look like Harry Potter, You just need a scar black hair, different clothes, and to be a boy. "

Annabeth:"I don't know if I have enough sanity for 2 Holy books"

Leo: "I've seen titties before....not really in person, but yk"

Annabeth: "Do you have ears?"

Jason: "I kinda wanna work at Taco Bell"

Piper: "I've never been passive-aggressive in my life"

Will to Apollo: "There's no batteries in my butt Dad I'm not a robot"

Clarisse: "I'm not upset I don't hold grudges"

Ares to Clarisse: "I don't like your clothes it forces me to look at you"

Frank to Leo: "It's not 'drip' it's stupid"

Travis to the whole Hermes Cabin: "I'm the Rizzington bear... like Paddington bear but Rizz" (after his 1st date with Katie)

Nico: "I love Olive Garden, I wish Italians were real"

Rachel: "Come on, you guys stop trying to cockblock the view"

Katie: "If people can smoke weed in the middle of the day, then I can drink chamomile tea"

Rachel: "You don't want to piss me off I'm witewally a werewolf"

Piper about Jason: "All my friends are boys, and one just died... he would have made a great bridesmaid"

Frank: "I was doing a silly but the funny didn’t land"

Jason: "Why am I white"

Rachel: "I am not a whore, I am a celibate queen!"

Drew: "It's not the fashion statement that you think it is"

Nico about the Ares Cabin: "They're gonna call you a slur, but they're gonna be really nice about it"

Piper to Annabeth: "If we both think it, it's not bitchy"

Grover: "I'm just gonna write a paragraph or two about global warming"

Annabeth"I have like a 7th-grade reading level!!! (this is impressive when you're dyslexic)

Jason: "Dude I love yoga"

Will: "They say that Utah is the promise land"

Kayla: *explains what a text-fic is to grandparents (Apollo)*

Clarisse: "Put that on your Twitter!" *points knife at me*

Travis: "Do you eat?"

Katie: "...um yes?"

Travis: "Oh, I mean do you want to eat." (when he asked Katie out the first time)

Hazel: "That's not gonna change my heart. That's just gonna make me cry!"

Alabaster: "I wanna find someone somewhere to impregnate and then steal the baby......Where's your Twitter, that was kinda funny"

Percy about Leo: "I would spoon that man so hard"

Frank: "The closer I get to nature, the closer I get to being a werewolf"

Apollo: "I feel like Jaba the Hut"

Rachel: "It's because you ate girl dinner"

Apollo (same convo^)"I fell asleep, and I woke up, and I ate a girl dinner, and I didn't feel that good"

Percy: Don't mind me just cleaning the ocean" *hand angrily on hip*

Will to the Stolls: "Although my bellybutton was once my mouth I don't want soda in it!!"

Connor: "Look at how majestic I am"

Clarisse: *gasps* *throws uno cards* "This is communism at its finest, and I hate your life." *Is losing* "All I'm doing is humoring you now. There is no reason for me to play anymore." *throws cards* *again*

Nico: *passes out*

Will: "We need to take you to the doctor like right now."

Nico: "No fireworks are more important than my health"

Leo about Percy: "That's a pretty boy right there... if we were in prison, it's over."

Kayla when Will came out to her: "Slay motherfucker"

Annabeth: "I hope to not run over any old ladies...old men are fair game tho."

Percy: "Main characters get bullied, Jesus....yep!"

Leo: "What if I was an astronaut!!!!"

Travis: "Banana, Banana, Meatball"

Clarisse: "I am going to break your toe shut the hell up"

Katie to Connor: "I hope you get bullied in high school."

Clarisse about Leo: "This guy's a fuckin goober"

Clarisse: "What did you do to your sweatshirt? Did you get hungry?"-Grover: *sighs*

Nyssa (Hephaestus kid) to Leo: "Dont hurt me. I'm Batman!.... You better not tweet that"

Kayla to Apollo: "It's called multi-tasking Apollo! "

Apollo: "It's mother to you"

Clarisse: "I could fight God and win"

Percy: "So you wanna fight rn"

Clarisse: "No, I'm good"

Jason; "You look gang"

Leo: "What? I look gay!?!?!"

Jason: "You look straight, but nice"

Leo: "Oh... thanks!"

Apollo to Rachel"Lie, deny, cry, and for good measure be a raging slut."

Silena: "There's all kinds of nature out here"

Katie: "Live, laugh, love, low iron"

Annabeth to Piper: "Keep backing up...Cuz you have a fear of commitment

Lou Ellen to Katie: "Does your knee affect your shoe size... or are your feet just that small??"

Travis: "The amount of testosterone in me, peanuts are allergic to me!"

Leo: "I'm cracked up on feeling sexy"

Connor to the whole Hermes Cabin: "The "10" of us? our parents sp*rm pets"

Apollo about Athena: "OH gods, a single mom"

Apollo about Kayla's dad: "I cheated on myself with a man"

Malcolm about Athena: "She's a mom boogie woogie woogie"

Nico: "I cried at Chick-fil-A the other day"

Nico: "Live, laugh, lobotomy."

Drew about Thalia: "She has no friends and a dead brother."

Katie: "I wrote fanfiction on my i-pod touch"

Lacy to Leo: "Was it a tech? or was it a human?"

Will: "Live, laugh, love, tampons"

Kayla: "Die, cry, hate, condoms"

Aphrodite to Clarisse: "Do you like being a girl? You just always wear pants"

Percy: "Chill I know how to make conversations I have Rizz"

Will: "What! no! cow!"

Frank: "Fvcking knock it off seriously you guys are acting like children!!"

Travis to Lou Ellen: "Yesss pussy-pop you slayed"

Ashlyn (Hermes kid): "Chick-fil-A is mid, Taco bell is where it's at"

Percy during tlt: "You couldn't even buy a gumball with that shit (drachmas)"

Percy (same convo ^): "A quarter? You could buy a gumball with that shit"

Nico: "Your soul and your money!"

Tyson: "You've seen fishes, fishes move fast"

Leo to Frank: "What the fvck is a kilometer"

Leo making fun of Frank: "Mua ha ha ha I'm Canadian"

Percy: "Jesus didn't give up his life he gave up his weekend"

*as seen at 2am in the Apollo Cabin*

Gracie: "You're discriminating against me"

April (the token straight): "It's cuz she's gay"

Will: "We're all gay."

Nico: You don't have any slurs about you."

Leo: "No because I'm perfect"

this was fun to make lol....there will probably be a part 2 but like far in the future. if you made it this far I love you....also if you don't recognize names it's bc I deep-dived Wiki to find canon names for each cabin.

If y'all want one-shots based on these TELL ME I NEED STUFF TO WRITE ABOUT

[rainderthesomeone]

Meet the BLU team!

I figured I should make this so everything is a little more easier to understand when it comes to Blu such as personality and behavior, also its some lore insight.

Blu Soldier the Leader of Blu team, Strong, Durable, and actually has a brain unlike his red counterpart, when not on the battlefield he regularly disappears here and there, no one knows where he go's, he's quite dopy when it comes to social interactions, but he his very very loyal, a trait that is seen with red soldier.

Blu Demo is the complete opposite of Red Demo, he doesn't drink, he doesn't have wisdom or honor, and he doesn't play with swords, he carries sticks of dynamite and takes his role in Blu very seriously, he's a rule fallower and doesn't take kindly to his team relaxing or mucking about, don't piss him off, due to this aggressive personality he has become second in command by default.

Blu Medic, is also the opposite of his Red counterpart, While Red Medic is frolicking in the battlefield as blood is spilt or experimenting on his team with animal organs and playing god, Blu Medic is quite, calculated, and flexible, he can be seen in the background using actual medicine on his team, he is quite aware of his surroundings and is by far the smartest of his team, and has a moral compass that's somehow intact, he is quite anti social and slightly temperamental when it comes to carelessness, he has fallowed the Hippocratic oath to the finest detail, though due to this passive nature he cannot defend himself and is a easy target without his team, the closet to a friend he has is Blu Engineer and Blu Soldier, though he sees there friendship as buissnes oriented

Blu Sniper, A great hunter and Surprise ambusher, but despite that he is very unprofessional when it comes to his job, he loves the thrill of the hunt, and has quick reflexes but in personality...he is quite brain dead, he cant read a map, awful with directions, can get winey when he doesn't want to do something, clumsy, and has little in common with his Red counterpart, he also has the need to upstage Red Sniper in every way.

Blu Spy, A slippery, Sneaky, little snitch, While Red spy is collected and straight faced, Blu Spy takes great pleasure in mockery and humiliating his targets, he is by definition a Sadist, and a narcissist, more narcissistic than Red Spy, everyone in his team hates him and he hates them, in his free time he stalks his team and gathers dirt on them and anything that he can use against them to blackmail them, so he can control them in order to gain more power and influence within the team, he is a backstabber and doesn't play fair, but when caught red handed he flees like a coward or a child in trouble.

Blu Pyro, he is a friendly fella, and he is quite fluent in English and speaks quite well, the most innocent one, cares about his teammates, motherly nature, worries about them, puts them all first before himself, people pleaser, hates violence, but if told he has to do it he will do it.

Blu Scout, is the only one in Blu similar to his counterpart, he just dosent have a crush on Miss Pauling or an interest in women, loudmouthed, and respectless, dosent know what a comic book is or who Tom Jones is (how dare he)

Blu Engie, as of late incredibly grumpy, no longer being pushed around, is the one pushing people around, secretive, not content, developed a rebellious personality as of late, planning something.

Blu Heavy, Simple minded, brute, always go's into hand to hand combat if given the option.

I reworked some of there personality traits and looks to make them more diverse instead of having them always being aggressive and spiteful which was there original personality traits, since originally the story was going to have a slightly more darker undertone when it came to the Blu's.

they are all clones of the Red Team, Blutarch wanted to defeat his brother so why not clone a team of mercs that are perfect and capable as Red team, to make the playing field more fair, (that and the Administrator had something to do with this)

if you have any questions about them let me know, I wont be able to give a clear an answer to some things since that would spoil the story a little bit :)

Edit(redid some of the bios have at it :) )

[lost-in-static-glow]

You're Gonna Go Far || Gilmore Girls

Pairing: Luke Danes x Callum Wilder [OC] Fic rating: Mature Fic Tags: Trans masc OC, trans OC, original character, aligned with canon, many of the Gilmore characters, bisexual Luke Danes, autistic Luke Danes, slow burn, drama, show references, minor canon divergence Summary: Callum Wilder is new to Stars Hollow. With barely any money to his name, a worn down truck, and a fresh start, Callum attempts to implement himself amongst the locals of the town. However, his guarded and introverted behavior makes many townsfolk skeptical of him or rather him skeptical of the town. In spite of this, Callum can prove to them he belongs. A.N: This fic was entirely self indulgent and will remain that way. this fic is for me and any other guy who can envision smooching Luke. Likes/Comments/Reblogs are very appreciated. Fanfiction | Ao3 | Chapter One- You're Here.

Chapter 1: Hollow's Hospitality at It's Finest

If there was ever a voice more irritating than this one man’s, he’d win the award. Callum had his eyes closed tight as the man who called himself Taylor was going on and on about the apartment complex he owned. Callum was not quite sure why he bothered coming in when he couldn’t even afford the rent. A miracle maybe. He blinked his eyes open again, listening and nodding along like he didn’t blank out a moment ago. 

“Now, young man-” He began, which was the only thing Callum hung onto. It was a nice warm feeling of being called that. “The rent monthly would be $750 we require a $750 security deposit, there’s no need for the final month’s rent but this overall would be $1,500-” Callum choked on air. He did NOT have $1,500. This did catch Taylor’s attention. “I know this might be rather pricey but given the area and size its-”

Callum held up a hand. “No- no it’s not that- I’m sure that’s a reasonable price sir-” Callum’s voice cracked slightly which he internally flinched about. “I just don’t really have that sort of money- I can definitely gather that if I had some time…”

The look on the other man made Callum trail off. The older adjusted his sleeve, likely uncomfortable with what Callum was close to offering. A slight sniff of disapproval to top it off. “This place will not be for free, so do not even bother requesting to go around the deposit for the first month.” He wasn’t exactly sure how renting an apartment or even buying a house went, and it wasn’t overly complex and Callum certainly didn’t have enough but he was still a stranger to this town. 

“I’m sorry but I can’t-” Callum cut off the other man again with a nod. “No, it’s alright I get it, I’ll see what I can do and if I can I’ll give a call?” Callum offered. The man called Taylor offered a card. 

“I can not make any promises that it will be here by the time you decide you have the money for it.” The comment sounded dramatic– just like everything about this man. “After all I simply cannot make exceptions. If I did, everyone would demand one, and where would that leave me?” Because being a decent human being is such a downfall of man. Callum thought, but bit his tongue in order not to cause more of a stir. Unfortunate, considering he enjoys causing a stir.

Callum didn’t offer much of a parting goodbye, in fact he was sure the man called Taylor was still going on about how important this building was and that he couldn’t make many exceptions. That noise was blocked out as Callum trudged down the stairs, the steps echoing in the corridor, feeling heavier as Taylor’s voice died out behind him. The truck sputtered to life, and the low gas icon blinked at Callum with the passive-aggressiveness of a parent waiting to say ‘I told you so’.

Callum hit his forehead against the steering wheel. His eyes clenched shut again and he inhaled through his nose, trying to die down the bubbling frustration that seemed to flood his mind. A minor ache swarmed behind his eyes as he could to hear his father’s voice, like a nagging fly. “It’s an adventure.” Everything about the tone was close to that of a bad motivational speaker, where advice sounded like a taunt. Which would sum up his father in a sentence. 

Deciding to save on gas, Callum turned the engine off and got back out, instead taking a walk back into the town towards the square. Most of his things were covered in the backseat, and with the area being so well secured, Callum wasn’t worried about anyone taking them.

The sounds of people talking and walking around was a nice change of pace, a contrast of warmth to the cold air. This town was alive and it breathed community, something Callum was never exposed to. He didn’t think it was a bad place at all, the people seemed nice, minus a few pretentious talkers. There was a diner, but the hardware sign on top of the door made Callum pause. Really, what was this town’s deal? He’d probably check the place out later, and see if its a two-for-one deal.

If there was any worthwhile advice his parents ever gave, Callum had to admit the adventure-taunt his dad always repeated wasn’t the worst of it. So he was homeless, what did that matter? This was a fresh town where nobody knew him, his parents or who he used to be. As Callum walked he took in the blur of mundane details of the townsfolk– What clothes they wanted to wear, what’s new at the high school, when would Luke have a new special? He stopped as he took it all in. He was standing amongst these people, the buildings, and yet Callum felt so far away and reminded he was not even a part of it.

He wanted it. He would get it.

So how would he start to get it? The more he wandered the town the more the weight of being so– new stood out to him. The town was new for him but he was also new to the town. It was unlikely they’d just hire someone they would assume to be a tourist. The sounds of pleasant conversations as people walked in and out of stores seemed to overwhelm him. How did such a small town seem so big? 

A low growl from his stomach made him squeeze his eyes shut again. It ached, and he hadn't had a proper meal in a day. He pulled his wallet out and frowned deeply. Only a few dollars left and it wouldn’t get him anything substantial. The diner crossed his mind again but he’d dread the idea of a handout of a cheap pb&j; It would only make him feel smaller than he already felt. 

An odd look from a passing woman pulled Callum from his thoughts and he realized he was speaking aloud. 

“Great, now they think I’m crazy” He mumbled and continued onto the park, sitting at a bench near the Gazebo. The warmth he felt earlier from the town clouded over as he began to feel more isolated. A list of stressful responsibilities began to pile on him, causing his whole body to feel tense and uncomfortable.

The taunting voice of his father was trying to slip in again. Maybe his parents were right. Maybe he should just get gas and try to plead for forgiveness. He’d even grovel to his knees. The thought of that made his chest ache. The agony of embarrassment of proving your parents right, along with the fact he couldn’t be himself? He had been running from their expectations for so long, and now he was on a bench in a strange town with barely enough to buy himself a meal. The increasing weight of being told that he can’t do this, he can’t do anything for himself, he’s too reliant, it began to feel real. The worst of it all– he began to believe it.

“Start with a small piece, sweetheart.” A motherly voice pulled Callum from his spiral. A mother sat nearby, feeding her son small parts of a sandwich she seemed to have made. The boy was scarfing each one like it was his last. The tightness of his chest unwound itself slowly from watching the scene.

Callum could do that. He could start small. He needed money, so besides robbing banks and mugging old ladies, he could get a job. It didn’t matter where it was– he just needed to get started and make some money. A twist of his mouth and scanning the area before him, Callum got up from his spot walking to the newsstand. Paying out a couple of quarters, he took a paper and walked back to the bench. He scanned over the paper, looking for job opportunities, or something that he could do to make some spare cash. 

“Independence Inn hiring, contact Lorelai Gilmore.”

His eyes bore down on the line over and over, ingesting the words like they were there to give him answers to the universe. It all felt too good to be true, this was a very ideal opportunity. Complained enough and it seemed the universe got tired of the nagging and gave in. The only issue is that when he arrived in town late last night he didn’t pay much attention to the buildings. Looking up from the newspaper, he scanned around before his eyes landed on a person.

Callum stood, clutching the newspaper in his hand and strolled up to a man, standing out from the rest of the town in a suit. Everyone else seemed so casual or flashy and yet he seemed stiff and professional. Possibly, he’d be more relaxed about giving Callum directions if he asked. He was moving around the crosswalk, looking like he was observing the space and walkway. Callum slowed his pace as he got closer but before he could even get a word in, the man looked at him, completely blank faced. As the man stared him down, seemingly waiting, Callum wasn’t sure whether to speak or keep walking.

“Do you like hot dogs?” The man finally spoke.

Callum stared back, mouth slightly open as he paused on his words. 

“What?”

“Hot dogs, yes or no?” This man asked, staring down Callum with an intensity that made him feel like he was being interrogated. 

“I guess?”

“Wonderful, I’m going to be opening a prime hot dog cart across the store here,” He gestured grandly, “since there seems to be a lot of foot traffic. They won’t just be any hot dogs– they will instead be supreme hot dogs, you know those really long ones at baseball games? Well they never make the buns fit, but with my hot dogs? I make the buns fit. No short buns here my friend.”

Callum began to scratch the back of his neck, growing impatient. “Can you tell me where the Independence Inn is?”

“What?” 

“The Independence Inn. Where is it?” 

The man scratched his head now, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. “So you’re not from here.”

“No.” 

“Oh. Well there goes that idea” He proceeded to hand Callum a small card. “Down two blocks, then right.” The man finally answered, “Contact me if you have any good ideas, a tourist’s mind can be a goldmine for business.” 

The man walked off, mumbling about hot dogs and then stopping another pedestrian, likely to ask similar questions. Looking at the card it simply read “Kirk Gleason” with a number at the bottom. No business name, no explanation. Just Kirk. Of course. Callum blinked at the card before slowly putting it in his pocket, glancing back at Kirk and the other guy he was talking to– who also looked confused. Was there anyone in this town that wasn’t auditioning for some cartoon sitcom? Or was Callum the unlucky guest star that they tested their jokes on?

Walking down the road, Callum could only hope it would get simpler from here.

[declaration-of-dramas]

How I wanted Marjory’s labour to go, versus how it wacktually went:

Both fast asleep and her waters break. Peter does the panic.

She doesn’t care at this point, he’s going wild yet all she wants to do is make the frickin bed. Passive aggression at its finest!

So I watch, and peter decides that was unneeded. He decides to leave her suffering alone while he heads out to do the laundry.

And that was where the wee bairn landed, head first into the ground!!

It was twins, but sadly, this means one of the babies didn’t make it on their treacherous journey through the mortal coil.  

No kid could have made that landing, I had to oblige the force kill :(

Peter then had to head off to work, in mourning, as it would have been in the day - childhood mortality was as common as the common cold.

This is how my gameplay uses stupid EA glitches to create realism in Medieval times. 

Realism. . .

Previous

Next

[thelast-nightonearth]

During the separate ways game, Ada basically stalks Leon for more reasons than one, main one being he will lead her straight to the amber.

She only faces herself to Leon after Ashley runs away to that room, when she's no longer with Leon so she can instigate that he leaves Ash and come with her instead- so she doesn't even have the bravery to say what she had to say in front of Ashley. In separate ways on multiple occasions she is on the outside and hears Leon fighting zombies, and on one you can hear Ashley crying in the castle room from her POV. Later, she totally eavesdropped on the conversation between them inside that room. Because she calls Leon on the comms a little later, and gives him a tip about Ashley to help him- even though she was JUST saying to leave her to die.

Jealousy at its finest.

"Look at me Leon, I'm helping you, be grateful! Pick me!"

She proceeds to mock and belittle Ashley, and says "babysittings tough huh?" Another micro-aggression and effort at humiliating and degrading Ash, and to make herself look better, and better deserving for his attention, her desired effect is- she wants Leon to think Ashley is pathetic and isn't deserving of his help. But he doesn't, not for a second.

The next comms they have, Leon becomes passive aggressive this time. A sarcastic "I guess I should be.... Thankful?" With a bit of annoyance in his voice shows me he's not even appreciative of her and is still suspicious. She proceeds to be a bitch still, and say "Yeah. You should." . He knows he can figure it out on his own, and that he doesn't need her. When he sees Ada hung up in the air and he says "he thinks he's gonna lure me out." Leon wouldn't leave her to die, especially with all she's done for him this far-

Ada knows this. She knows his kind heartedness will get her out of that situation. All the "selfless" seeming aid she's given Leon had it's benefits.

She knows he will feel indebted to her because he's a good person. He saves her, and she STILL steals the virus.

She found herself too caught up in Leon, the feelings of envy and anger in her, and she wanted out of the job, even though she knew exactly what unleashing this virus further into the world meant. In a split second, her jealousy got the better of her.

Just like on the comms, she was compelled to do something good for Leon in an effort to prove to him that she's a *good* person and hopefully get his trust, only because she views Ashley as a competition + the plaga sample.

But she knows if the virus gets out, Leon will know it's all Ada's fault and will never like her.

Her pathetic attempts at getting Leon to like her turns her into this insecure broad, chasing Leon's attention.

Like the constant asking if he'll come along with her. Leaving Ashley to die in the process just to fulfill her own selfish needs.

Showing the audience that all the things she did for him was just a ploy to get ahead, which is why Leon doesn't even seem betrayed like he did in re2. He already expected this to happen.They made Ada a bitter, jealous and insulting person in the remake. Constantly calling Leon a dog and dehumanizing him, making bitch faces at Ashley when she demands Ada help him, and getting all upset when he doesn't want to be with her (NAH SHIT!!!) all because her manipulations aren't working. In the remake, she quite obviously has some sort of feelings for Leon but doesn't have the capacity to make non retarded decisions. You can tell the rejection really got to her when she impulsively asked Wesker what he'll do with the virus. She knows what he'll do. He's a mastermind, a psycho. She's not a vegetable and can reasonably understand that he will use it for bad. This isn't her first time around, anyway, can't blame it on naivety.

At the very least he'll use it to experiment on innocent people- but there's always an endgame (world domination and/or destruction). They desperately tried to save her character by making her hijack the plane after she heard there will be billions of casualties.

Ada disappears for the entirety of the saddler-leon fight until the end. She got Intel that Wesker's chopper was making land. And needed to secure the amber immediately. She had the rocket launcher the whole time, but chose not to help because that's her resources. Ultimately, she didn't help until it benefitted her, and when Leon was exhausted from the fight, she swooped in.

She genuinely looks so disappointed that a good hearted hero like Leon doesn't want in on her grimy, terroristic instigating schemes. It's actually gross. And even so, I think the feelings she has for Leon are more of "pick me, choose me" seeing as she demonstrates zero remorse or decent qualities to show she tries for a person as great as Leon.

When Capcom sat down to write RE4make and Separate Ways, they had to have a moment of reckoning when it came to Ada's character:

Do they continue to write out her romance with Leon, or

Do they commit to her role as an ambiguous third party agent keeping her fingers in all of the pies?

They chose the latter. They chose the latter because it was more important, narratively. And they couldn't have both, because having both doesn't make any fucking sense and never has made any fucking sense.

Ada is a selfish character, at her core. To have her constantly be soft for Leon undermines that selfishness and makes her other actions not make any sense; if she cared that much about him, why would she continuously serve the bad guys that make his life a living hell? And the reverse is also true. Why would she care so much about Leon if all he does is get in her way and act as a distraction for her?

So anyone who complains that RE4make's Separate Ways didn't show Ada caring enough about Leon -- that was the point. They solidified her identity as a character by doing that.

The writers of the Remake series made a conscious decision to make Leon and Ada's interactions/relationship in RE2make serve an actual function/purpose for their characters instead of "uwu they're in love."

For Leon -- Ada taught him that the people opposed to him aren't always bad guys. She taught him the true lesson of "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions." He learned to trust that little voice in the back of his head that tells him "something's not right here." She also taught him that there's a way to do the right thing without following the rules -- and, sometimes, by breaking them entirely.

For Ada -- Leon taught her that being independent doesn't mean self-isolating -- because just looking out for herself and no one else actually resulted in her just keeping her head down and not asking questions, which screwed her over big time in the end. Leon didn't teach her love or compassion or empathy; he showed her that she was actually being just as naive as he was, just on the other side of the fight.

Basically, they both taught each other: QUESTION EVERYTHING. Because that was the one thing that neither of them did in RE2make until it was way, way too late.

And so, in RE4make/Separate Ways, Ada spends far less time and emotional energy worrying about Leon because she's actually taking the lesson he taught her to heart and she's questioning the people and circumstances around her in order to protect herself. That was the point of her early voiceover about how Raccoon City changed her perspective and made her start asking where her efforts were going and why she was doing what she was sent to do.

She doesn't ask questions for moral reasons. She asks them for selfish ones. Because Ada is an inherently selfish character.

On the boat, Leon asks Ada: "Are you just trying to use me again?" and Separate Ways answers and repeats over and over and over again: YES. The only reason she helps Leon in the village and at Mendez's house is so that he can continue being useful for her. Because Leon didn't teach her to care about people; Leon only taught her how to better take care of herself -- the same way she did for him.

This is a really damning exchange of words:

So, yes -- Ada is using Leon in RE4make. Yes, she only helps him because it benefits her. No, she genuinely doesn't care whether he lives or dies. Yes, she meant it when she told Leon to leave Ashley for dead, and yes, her sole reason for doing it was to get Ashley out of the way because Ada found Leon's new demeanor hot and she wanted to fuck him. No, she had no intention of taking Ashley with them on the chopper at the end -- because yes, her invitation to Leon was a bookend to her earlier offer for Leon to leave Ashley and go fuck her (Ada) instead.

And that's why Leon tells her to go fuck herself and shakes his head in utter disbelief when she asks if he's coming with her.

Because Ada is a selfish character.

I don't say this to hate on the character or even express dislike for her. This doesn't make her a bad character -- in fact, the opposite is true. It makes her consistent, which makes her a better written character overall from what/who she was in OG.

It also doesn't make her evil or a bad guy. Ada Wong is the most Chaotic Neutral character in the entire RE series -- even moreso than Billy Coen or Jake Muller ever were. She's in it for herself, and that particular approach is neither inherently morally good nor evil.

But Aeon is dead canonically in the Remake-verse. It was sacrificed in the name of bringing consistency and logic to both characters.

And that was the true point of the boat scene.

Neither of them have changed who they are at their most fundamental level. Leon is still the selfless hero, and Ada is still the selfish spy. Their relationship in RE2make served as a strengthening of those core traits -- not an erosion of them. Leon can better protect and save Ashley because of the lessons that Ada taught him, and Ada can successfully outmaneuver Wesker because of the lessons that Leon taught her.

But that doesn't change who she is. It doesn't change who either of them are. In fact, it only served to create a more authentic version of them both. Leon is more zealous in his heroism, and Ada is more committed to her own self-preservation and naked about her selfish intentions.

The only people in RE4make who changed who they were were Luis and Krauser. Luis for the better, and Krauser for the worse. And they both paid for it with their lives.

[queenofcastile]

of a devil with many names

She really does not deserve the attention. But it seems such measures are the only thing keeping this woman child in check. Narcissistic abuse at its finest most vindictive, and passive aggressive. The worst has not been captured but that is of no account, when dealing with the small minded, dragged up in the school of hard knockery, it’s none too difficult to anticipate their child like…

[ladytp]

Passive aggression in its finest form...

attitude 🙄

[honey-sickness]

in paranatural no one but davy is a cishet

[garbagewitchcraft]

Tarot Correspondences

SUITS OF TAROT

SWORDS - related to element of air, Sping and male energy. They have active polarity. It is The Mind of the Suits and the quickest of them all.

Keywords:  logic, intellect, ideas, change, communication, teamwork, decisions, thinking, planning, analysis, ego, cruelty, abuse, conflict, arrogance, manipulation.

WANDS - related to element of fire, Summer and male energy. They have active polarity. It is The Heart of the Soul and the second quickest. 

Keywords: energy, creativity, action, willpower, strength, sexuality, intimacy, adventure, ambition, community, fun, celebration, social skills, soul, aggression, self-centered, impulsive, destructive. 

CUPS - related to element of water, Autumn and female energy. They have passive polarity. It is The Heart of The Suits and very slow. 

Keywords: feelings, relationship, love, healing, family, home, comfort, nurturing, dreams, intuition, spirituality, the past, childhood, subconscious, fantasy, illusion, repression, secrets.

PENTACLES - related to element of earth, Winter and female energy. They have passive polarity. It is The Body of The Suits and the slowest of them all. 

Keywords: health, finances, appearance, education, possessions, career, responsibility, routine, manifestation, stability, security, safety, service, the body, materialistic, strict, critical, greedy, detached. 

Polarity:

active (wands, swords) - changes one’s environment, focused energy outward, direct, extroverted, active.

passive (cups, pentacles) - adapts to environment, focused energy inward, indirect, introverted, reactive.

Interaction between Elements:

Strengthen - increases the intensity of elements, amplifies both positive and negative qualities.

Support - collaboration between elements, build each other up.

Weaken - elements cancel each other out, decrease the effectiveness of each other.

Neutral - elements don’t influence each other.

COURT CARDS

KINGS - related to air element and mutable zodiac signs (end the season; adaptable, flexible, communicative, rebellious). Kings as Control.

King of Wands - Sagittarius. King of Swords - Gemini. King of Cups - Pisces. King of Pentacles - Virgo.

They lead their people and inspire the masses; they’re in the center of attention. Strategic and analyzing.

QUEENS - related to water element and cardinal zodiac signs (begin the season; assertive, initiators, decisive, aggressive). Queens as Creation.

Queen of Wands - Aries. Queen of Swords - Libra. Queen of Cups - Cancer. Queen of Pentacles - Capricorn.

Feminine energy at its finest; they work behind the curtains, far away from the public but not less effective than Kings. Private and wise. 

KNIGHTS -  related to fire element and fixed zodiac signs (middle of the season; focused, stable, stubborn, reliable). Knights as Movement. 

Knight of Wands - Leo. Knight of Swords - Aquarius. Knight of Cups - Scorpio. Knight of Pentacles - Taurus.

Often impulsive and charming, they are the one to act rather than think. They serve. The quickest of all the court cards. 

PAGES - related to earth element. They are usually the students, the least experienced and willing to learn. Pages as Messengers. 

MINOR ARCANA

Ace -  represent the entire element itself, and therefore 3 entire zodiac signs (example: Ace of Pentacles represents Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus).

2, 3, 4 - represents the cardinal zodiac signs (Aries, Libra, Cancer, Capricorn.

5, 6, 7 - represents fixed zodiac signs (Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio, Taurus).

8, 9, 10 - represents mutable zodiac signs (Sagittarius, Gemini, Pisces, Virgo).

Astrology Correspondence

More information here

MAJOR ARCANA

NUMBERS OF TAROT

1 (Fire) - beginnings, potential, opportunity, individual, raw energy, birth. Tarot: Aces, Pages, Magician.

2 (Air) - collaboration, teamwork, opposition, decisions, balance, duality, diplomacy, crossroads, partnership, yin-yang. Tarot: 2s, High Priestess, Justice, Judgement.

3 (Fire) - group, growth, action, friendship, creativity, ambition, expansion, fertility. Tarot: 3s, Empress, Hanged Man, World.

4 (Earth) - foundation, stability, security, comfort zone, protection, focus, stagnation, structure. Tarot: 4s, Emperor, Death.

5 (Air) - chaos, conflict, unknown changes, struggles, challenges, damages, loss. Tarot: 5s, Hierophant, Temperance.

6 (Water) - harmony, support, memories, charity, help, fragile, vulnerable. Tarot: 6s, Lovers, Devil, Knights.

7 (Water) - introspection, reflection, past, experience, knowledge, change of course, motives, asses. Tarot: 7s, Chariot, Tower.

8 (Fire) - success, movement, action, achievement, progress, change, evolution, finishing. Tarot: 8s, Strength, Star.

9 (Earth) - near completion, reward, fruition, moving on, final outcome, transition, fate. Tarot: 9s, Hermit, Moon, Queens.

10 (Earth) - ending, cycle, rebirth, death, extremes, path, renewal, karma. Tarot: 10s, Wheel of Fortune, Sun, Kings.

[imthefailedartist]

I'm five episodes deep into The Watcher it is white nonsense at its finest.

They have no money but have not made one frugal alteration to their lives. In fact they seem to be purposefully making it worse.

Spoilers

Is this all a dream? Because that's how this is feeling. The über weird neighbors. The fact that their house is so much bigger than everyone else's. Nora's wishy washy behavior. KAREN in total. The kids lack of going to school despite the fact that it is clearly fall. They have a sex life but suddenly they don't. The whole John Graff nee List plot. Ellie being dumb as hell. The son barely being a character outside of crying. Nora's a ceramist but we never see her making anything. The home reno going so quickly and smoothly. How long have they been in the house. Dean has a job but it's never clear what he does. The daughters a pianist but never plays and is instead swimming. Everyone keeps repeating phrases. They never go anywhere in town. We've never really seen the town. They lived in NYC for years where are their friends? Nora still has business & a show there she never checks on anything no one ever updates her. The chief or head detective & the PI both weird. The PI having such a convoluted story to how she became a PI. Everyone knows everything but everyone knows nothing. They spent all their money on the house yet have money for country clubs, private detectives, security systems, weeks long motel stays. The house address is 657 BOULEVARD is that the streets name Boulevard Blvd. St. Ln. Trl. Ave. What? Everything is linear but nonsensical like a dream.

I know multiple locations and characters is limited because of covid safety and budget restraints but a lot of this is feeling purposeful.

This whole show feels like one of those really intense hyperfocused scenes where a character is on the verge of a breakdown or just dropped acid and is trying to pretend they aren't tripping.

I think think the Watcher is Karen. I think 657 Boulevard was her house. She lost it when her husband left her. She used the divorce settlement to reinvent herself and get her realtors license. Now she's trying to buy the house, her dream house, back one commission at a time. With every scared seller the price gets lower and lower and she gets closer and closer. It explains why she's so passive aggressive about Nora's marriage. And insists on them selling. And keeps bringing up the Watcher and making it out to be way worse than some letters. It's probably something else but who knows?

It's probably not a dream or novel or story. And instead of a fun guessing game I probably just pointed out a bunch of plot holes. Oh well. Nothing is perfect as long as I had fun watching it I don't care.

Is Dakota one of the guys from Rae Shremmerd?

So I'm past episode 5 onto 6 and I was wrong. It's more normal than what I thought. It's just white people being white people and not minding they damn business. So truly the scariest thing of all the scary things.

Well this is hitting real close to home. I too have neighbors doing things I don't like to their homes. Two put up the world's ugliest and gaudiest fence. Another's fence is falling apart. Another has trash and uncut grass spilling from his back yard. One house removed the shrubbery from the front of house and made it look so plain and ugly. And I live in a normal suburb. I imagine I'd go insane if my house was worth a couple mill and my new neighbors were fucking up.

Also, I'm not selling my house. Keep watching Watcher because I'm gone do what I want in my house and you can suffer. $275,000 less from $3.5 M with improvements, I think the fuck not you trick ass bitch. We moving back in there letters and all.

Is this a dream? When the fuck did Maurice die? What is the timeline. So much time has passed and yet it feels like none has. Why is Karen so shady?

[leporellian]

thinking about this again and like. the whole but where florence and anatoly fall in love in like 4 mins flat and then freddie walks in on them, interrupts by yelling about florence’s missing dad(!), and then stops to calmly passive aggressively explain he’s made a new deal with global television and finishes off the whole thing with that gayass little “aNd wE dOn’T hAvE tO bE fRiEnDs”… operatic logic at its finest!!!! they are all divos and divas that somehow ended up in a musical and not an opera!!!!

usually, as an opera person, whenever a musical is called a “rock opera” i just kind of roll my eyes a little bit bc… smth smth “opera” on its own is an infamously nebulous term and so is “rock opera” and really it’s just a way to say “a musical with rock music” dramatically, but with chess… yeah. that is a Rock Opera. all of the characters are running on opera logic, and so is the plot. if florence and freddie and anatoly were hanging out in a verdi opera they would fit right in.

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Piece by Piece: Healing Touch

"Your back is pretty fucked up, or so I hear every morning." Ignoring Steve's protests, he carried on. "If you let me help you with that, I swear on my guitar I will eat. Something. Nutritious," he spat out with feigned disgust.

"So...you're telling me that I get a massage and you start eating well?" Steve chuckled and the tension was gone, just like that. "You've got a deal. Seriously, Munson, where is the catch?"

But it's not that easy, as Eddie finds out. While Steve pretends to be okay, Eddie still hears the pained grunts, sees the stiffness of his boyfriend's shoulders. He's going to give him that massage if it's the last thing he does.

Part 2 of Piece by Piece series. (previous one HERE)

You can also read it HERE.

Taking care of Steve Harrington was proving more difficult than Eddie had anticipated. Ever since Steve's caring side reared its pretty head with the intent to ensure Eddie wouldn't die of malnutrition or diabetes and they had the talk in which Eddie agreed to eat normal food and Steve promised to have some of his injuries and painful body parts looked at, they lived in a delicate balance. Eddie passive-aggressively munched on pre-cut fruit and vegetables, only to announce "that's it, I kept my side of the deal, now show me that cut, Harrington." Steve would ask Eddie to check a sore spot on his side, letting him treat the scars that wouldn't heal as quickly as the others, and then resolutely shoved an apple in Eddie's hand. It worked, they were both getting what they wanted, except for one thing. The bloody promised massage. Steve's back was still a mess and Eddie was running out of patience.

Not that he would have ever had in his wildest dreams imagined touching the bare skin of the former King and all that (not without significantly improving his sprinting, evasion and subsequent camouflage for the rest of the school year), but life somehow wrapped Steve in a lovely bow and sent him Eddie's way, as if to apologize for the minor murder charges/bat mauling/messed up resurrection fiasco. As grateful and elated as Eddie was (constantly, 24/7 baby, 1986 really had been his year in this regard), Steve didn't come with a manual and Eddie was finding out very fast that his lovable ex-jock was prone to attempted self-destruction every two to three business days, sometimes on weekends and holidays too if he was feeling special (hint: always). The irresistible combination of brave, hot and stupid was suddenly way more concerning when he had the first hand chance to realize that Steve didn't even have the common courtesy to say "hey, I'm about to do something stupid that might get me killed!" as the kids often did (in different words but with the same meaning), he just went ahead and threw himself into danger. Again. And again. And again and again and again.

It wasn't that Eddie didn't appreciate Steve's chivalrous nature, he truly was his knight in shining armor, but he would honestly much rather get punched by some of Hawkins' finest vigilantes once, twice, or any number of times really to ensure that Steve wouldn't get pushed around, hit or worse for trying to protect him. It didn't happen often, fortunately enough, but it still did. And whenever they finally got home, Eddie almost tripping on the stairs to get the first aid kit and treating Steve's wounds, begging him, pleading with him to please not do this again, it's not worth it, he isn't worth it, Steve would just smile at him through his bloodied lips and simply say: "It's not your choice if you're worth it. It's not up for debate." And fuck that, fuck this and fuck that whole happy expression that screamed I'm so glad you're safe Eddie, don't mind my broken lip, don't mind the bruise, you're okay and that's all that matters. How was he supposed to argue against that? He just muttered "You get hurt one more time Harrington, one more time and I'm searching this whole stupid town to find Hello Kitty band-aids to stick on your stupidly pretty face whenever you get stupid ideas like this" and hoped, hoped so strongly, that Steve would listen to him for once, that he would get to keep him around longer and in one piece.

The massage agreement was a very desperate effort to at least give Steve something back, to take care of him for once. But getting Steve to agree to something and actually having him do it were two completely different things. As soon as the topic of the promised massage came up in their conversation, Steve assured Eddie that he was indeed looking forward to it, but really, if Eddie had something better to do, that was absolutely fine, the (terrifyingly familiar, nope, not going there, not thinking of her lifeless gaze, her stiff shoulders, what happened right after, back to Steve!) crunching sounds of his spine were absolutely normal, they never caused him any issues or pain and really, Eddie worried too much (all the snorts in the world couldn't unite in the supersnort Eddie gave at that proclamation. The nerve of this man). As if Eddie hadn't seen his careful stretching in the morning, time and time again, when Steve thought Eddie was still asleep in their bed. As if he couldn't hear the muffled grunt of pain when he touched certain parts of his body, or how Steve rubbed his neck more than seemed normal, or when he sometimes had trouble focusing on letters and played it off as a joke, that of course he can't read fine print, he's the pretty and stupid one of the group, hahaha. Eddie wanted to punch every single person who ever convinced Steve that feeling pain and ignoring his health was normal. And if Steve was the one who convinced himself, well. Then Eddie would have to punch him because he's a man who sticks to his principles. And then he'd kiss it better.

So yes, Eddie learned soon enough that Steve would find every single loophole that would allow him to escape his care. Which had led him to this point - grabbing Steve's hand, dragging him to their bedroom and pointing at the bed. "You're getting the massage now, Harrington, and I'm not hearing any response that isn't yes." But even when Steve is under him, just in his underwear and Eddie is spreading a massage lotion over his fingers, heating it up, when he kneads those stiff muscles, something isn't right. Steve is doing his best to do as Eddie asked, tries to lie still, but he is fidgety, tense, and Eddie is getting worried that he might unintentionally hurt him if they keep this up. And it's so, so frustrating, because he could see Steve was hurting, he had him right there, so obedient, but he couldn't do it right. The helplessness rose into his throat and threatened to choke him. He really tried to keep quiet, to focus on Steve and nothing else, but Eddie's mouth had a mind of its own.

When Steve's muscles tensed against Eddie's fingers again, but he stubbornly pretended that it's all good, it's how his muscles are, Eddie could continue, he just lost it. "I love you, you know. I may not say it enough, but...I hope you know that." Shushing Steve's attempt at a response and rubbing between his shoulder blades, he continued. "Please, just...just listen, okay? That way you feel about others, always protecting them...us...that is amazing, Steve. But have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe we might feel the same?" His voice was more strained now and he was praying that Steve would mistake the change in tone for physical effort. The massive knot in his back wasn't helping either. "But none of us are strong enough to do that. To stop others from harming you. Hell," he chuckled and nope, his hands weren't shaking at all, or maybe it was just the physical effort again, yep, that's it, "hell, we can't even protect you from yourself. I can't even...I can't even keep myself safe so that you don't have to keep rushing to my rescue and...and..."

Shit, he couldn't do it. He had it all planned, well, not for this moment and as much as his racing brain allowed, but instead of explaining to Steve how he could never protect others if he destroyed himself in the process, by appealing to his common sense, he just sat there, straddling Steve's lower back and mindlessly stroking all those scars that should have never been there, not for anyone, especially not for him. Steve's shoulders twitched when one traitorous tear fell between his shoulders and oh no, he was shifting, turning around and Eddie's eyes wouldn't fucking stop watering. He crouched down, fully lying on his boyfriend's chest and breathing a silent prayer to any gods who might be listening that Steve hadn't seen his expression. By the gentle hands stroking his back and tangling in his hair, he guessed that prayer wasn't heard.

"Eddie. I don't- it's what I always tell you. You are worth all of this and more to me. You're worth everything."

"That's not the point , Steve! Can you...can you imagine what it's like, seeing someone you love jumping in harm's way for your sake, again and again and just...being fucking terrified of the possibility that this might be the final straw, that thing which will take them away from you? Can you imagine just feeling good and grateful if I graciously decided to die for your safety?" He stopped himself, biting his lip. Perhaps more than he had to, but man. If  that sentence wasn't stupid, with all that had happened. "Don't-don't answer that. Please. Sorry. Thank you. What I mean is...I really, really want to keep you around for longer. Long. Very long. As long as you'll have me. And I can't bear the thought of that not happening...because of me. Saving the world, well, sure, that seemed like a good priority, but...it's got to be both of us, baby."

The gentle combing through his hair wasn't stopping, strand by strand, and Eddie allowed himself to relax into Steve, finally getting his breathing under control. In his whole life, he found being still very difficult, well, nearly impossible, he always had to be on the move, wild gestures, jumping on tables, pacing and all that, but somehow, Steve managed to do what any arguments, persuasion or yelling couldn't. What a thought.

"I'm sorry."

Eddie thought for a moment that maybe he imagined it, but nope, Steve definitely said that. Pushing by his knees, he moved next to Steve, not breaking their embrace but just changing the level so he could actually see him. Stroking his face and tracing the moles on the cheeks with fingertips, he smiled. "What a man. You even apologize for saving my ass all the time and getting punched when doing that."

Steve smiled back, but very briefly. He bit his lip and Eddie was very, very tempted to just abandon this whole conversation because what business could Steve have biting his lips? That was Eddie's job!  And then he shifted his gaze to the left. Eddie wondered for a split second if he lost Steve's attention, but it was still on him, just - again - his hair and the fingers stroking them. And not that he was a snob or something, but whenever Steve gave him this sort of attention, Eddie swore on all the gods and his guitar that he would get a proper conditioner or something, that if Steve loved his hair so much, it should be bloody worth it (he might have gotten a new shampoo promising to tackle the whole frizzy situation and it hadn't done shit, except for the next time that Steve came behind Eddie and sneaked his hands around his waist, burying his nose into Eddie's curls, he sighed like he was experiencing something special, not just the untamed beast that was Eddie's hair, and muttered "you smell like strawberries. It's nice" and that didn't start Eddie on a quest to figure out all the scents that Steve liked and getting a shampoo selection worthy of his fine nose, well...).

But then Steve spoke up again and that had Eddie abandoning the whole hair train of thought (hair of thought?). "I guess I never...I never saw it this way," Steve admitted in a low voice, still hypnotizing Eddie's curls instead of meeting his eyes. "I never wanted to make you worry, Eddie, I just...it never seemed that important."

"Steve." Eddie raised his other hand and shimmied closer, taking Steve's face in his palms. "There is literally no one more important than you. How could you think for a second it didn't matter if you got hurt?"

The chuckle that came out of Steve's throat got muffled by a peck on his lips, careful, as if he would shatter if Eddie wasn't gentle enough. "No one? Did I finally beat your guitar?"

"Cheeky bastard. For your information, you share the first spot. Don't let it get into your head. It's difficult to decide, you're both drop dead gorgeous and make the most delicious sounds," Eddie nudged Steve's side and enjoyed the moment of shared laughter before getting serious again. "Really, Steve. Why would you think that?"

More biting then, except not just his lips, but also chewing his cheeks and Eddie didn't have to be a psychologist to see that this was a whole new can of worms. "I..." the words got stuck in his throat and Eddie gently took his hands and moved them back to his hair, with a gentle sound of encouragement. That seemed to calm Steve down a bit. "It isn't that I don't think you care, Eddie. It's just that my parents," and oof, the tone makes it sound like an insult (and rightfully so, Eddie isn't a vengeful person but moments like these have him fantasizing of many, many things that the Harringtons deserve, and he has a rich imagination), "my parents never made any fuss about...you know. Me sometimes not coming home completely okay."

Eddie gave a disapproving "tsk" and returned his attention to Steve's moles and freckles. Apparently keeping an eye contact wasn't adding to Steve's peace of mind and...while those amber eyes were always on Eddie's mind, Steve's marks were close second. He could write serenades about them, create a whole campaign about navigating them, if he was willing to share (which he wasn't). Steve's skin was a like a whole new galaxy, just for Eddie to explore. "I know they have the habit to fuck off whenever," he mumbled against Steve's cheek, "so I'm not surprised they didn't take you to a doctor for...all of that. Jesus, Steve, I wish I knew back then, that it wasn't some jock fights or brokenhearted boyfriends. I would have dragged you to the hospital myself."

"I'm sure you would have," and oh, the brief press of lips on his forehead made Eddie's eyes swell with tears again. Not helping. "But it wasn't just the Upside Down stuff. It has...um...sort of always been like that?" Steve's chuckle sounded bitter and resigned at the same time and Eddie was a second away from bursting out the door, gathering the local pigeons and training them as his personal army to shit on the Harringtons' coats, car and preferably faces whenever they had the gall to show up in Hawkins. "I can't remember them ever taking me to a doctor, a hospital or even just putting a band-aid on something."

Eddie's breath hitched. "Not even when you were a kid? Jesus, Stevie! Even...even my shitty dad did that for me."

"Um." Steve's hand left his hair for a moment to massage his temples, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Actually, once. I was what, six or seven? I was running in the street, you know, a normal kid thing, when I tripped and scraped my knee. It wasn't that bad, it was just bleeding a lot, but I was freaking out. My mom took me inside and helped me clean the wound, when he...my dad, he showed up and caused a fucking scene about it. Apparently I was making him look bad." Scratch the pigeon plan, he would train a fucking eagle squad. "It looked like it might need a few stitches, but he forbade my mom from taking me to a doctor. He said that they would look like neglectful parents for letting me get hurt. And whenever I came back later, you know, after sports or fights, he would just look at me with that...that empty, disgusted look and remind me how my mistakes affected his reputation. So...I just did my damn best to hide all that."

"How..." Eddie gasped out, "how do you even hide that? I saw your face, man. After the Russians, after Jonathan, how the fuck did you hide that?"

"Well, they weren't home for most of that. And if they were, I just left them a note that I'm invited to a party or something, left and took my car. They never stay long, so it was just a night or two. It usually got a bit better then. At least the puffiness and color. You okay, Eddie? You...you are breathing kind of weird." Just like Steve, to be worried about him when he was casually talking about years of neglect, as if it was a funny party story.

Eddie fisted his hand in the pillow under Steve's head and, with great difficulty, unclenched his teeth. "I'm just trying to figure out what job would pay enough to allow me hire a hitman," he muttered, squeezing the pillow even harder. "Just...what the fuck, man?! Is that why you think you don't matter? Because you never mattered to them?"

"I don't- I don't think that. I just don't think about it at all," Steve admitted quietly. "And I don't hate it when you...take care of me. It's just not something I'm used to and I feel like I should be doing something. I don't know what. But I do hate that I'm making you worry about me, because you have enough shit to deal with. I just want you to be happy, that's all I've ever wanted."

"Oh, Steve." The words that rolled from his lips were soft and unguarded. Eddie had heard enough, but if he thought that understanding would make it better, boy, was he wrong. He could let so many things go, resigning himself to the knowledge he'd never be able to change things, but now his heart was breaking for Steve, as corny and cliche as it sounded. He climbed up and flipped them around, burying Steve's back in the mattress. He marveled at how Steve, much stronger than himself, never resisted, never complained, he just went along with whatever position Eddie craved. In more ways than one. He was looking up at Eddie now, lips parted, waiting. Eddie cupped his cheek and Steve leaned into it, absorbing the gentle touch as if it was the only thing that ever mattered. "It's you that makes me happy. All the time. Even when you play your crap music or when you shove vegetables down my throat, no innuendo there, I'm the happiest I've been in my whole life. And it's scary as fuck. I've never thought I'd have anything like this, hell, some days I still have to pinch myself. I can't help it but think sometimes that this is just a giant joke that the fate played on me or something, that I got to have you, got to have everything I've ever wanted, just to have it taken away. But when you let me care of you, I..." he bit his cheek, but kept his eyes on Steve's because he deserved to hear it. "I feel like I'm actually doing something to keep this. You. That I'm not just accepting what life gives me, but I'm actually reaching out, chasing it. You're it for me Steve, and don't blame me if I'm ready to do everything in this world to keep you, healthy, happy, all that." And shit, he let his mouth run wild again, that was a lot to swallow even for himself, not to mention anyone else, but Steve was listening intently, gaze hanging on Eddie's lips for every word and Eddie's heart feels like it's going to burst out of his chest. The traitor.

And then there's a hand on his cheek too, mirroring his, and Steve pulls him closer and his eyes are so vibrant, so beautiful. "I get it," he whispers and kisses the wrinkles leading to Eddie's temples. "I think I sort of feel the same, so I...I will try. I still don't know how to make myself more relaxed, but I'll figure something out."

Eddie kisses him then, deep and grateful, and he grins at the twitch Steve's body gives when he presses against him. "Good. Although now that I think about it...maybe I went about it the wrong way?" Seeing Steve's confusion, he trailed his calloused fingers over his boyfriend's chest and reveled in the sharp gasp it elicited. "What I mean is, maybe you don't need to relax during the thing. Maybe you just need to be relaxed beforehand."

"I don't see how that's easier," Steve muttered.

And Eddie felt the familiar wolfish grin tugging at his lips, because this might actually be it, he might have finally cracked one of the key sections of the enigma that is Steve Harrington. Steve who wore his heart on his sleeve, but whose mind and body refused to follow the lead of their honest owner. "Then what about I show you exactly what I mean, baby?" he said and disentangled himself from their embrace to flip Steve on his stomach again.

Turns out, his idea was correct. Because when Eddie's long fingers were taking Steve apart, inch by inch, slowly and with unbreakable focus, Steve's tension gradually went away. He was rutting into a pillow that Eddie had placed under his hips, pushing against Eddie's hand and gasping out incoherent words, only sometimes muttering "please" and "Eddie" as a prayer. Despite those extra years in high school, Eddie was a fast learner. He had months to learn Steve and his triggers, what made him writhe and grasp sheets like a drowning man, and he'd be damned if he didn't use all that knowledge to its fullest. Steve was the patient one in bed, always taking his time with Eddie, and Eddie now finally got what was so great about it, found it intoxicating to be the one holding all the cards. When Steve got too impatient, too lost in it, he would just shush him, still his hand and kiss that strong back until Steve's grip loosened, until he laid himself down and whined "I'm relaxed, I swear I am, for god's sake, Eddie!"

Between the twists of his fingers and gentle coaxing, Eddie lost track of time and he was pretty sure Steve couldn't remember the day of the week or even the month once he was done with him. Steve was lying on his stomach, breathing heavily and too spent to move. Eddie carefully removed his fingers, leaning down to kiss Steve's back and removing the soiled pillow. He absentmindedly wiped his hand on it. "That's it, Stevie," he whispered against his nape and reached for the abandoned massage lotion. "Just stay as you are." He shushed Steve's muttered complaints about not being able to return the favor and finally got to those stubborn muscles which were now too tired to resist. Steve hummed against the mattress but made no effort to resist and Eddie found himself grinning like an idiot.

Much later, when he had cleaned Steve and moved closer to get some well-deserved rest, Steve's lips moved, half-asleep. "Eddie?"

He wrapped his arms around Steve's middle. "Yes, love?"

"This was...so nice. I really liked it." He went quiet for a moment and Eddie thought maybe he was already asleep, but then: "I'm still keeping our deal though. You're getting a healthy lunch tomorrow."

Eddie groaned and buried his face in Steve's shoulder. "The things I do for love."

[stedebonnit]

sunshine ❤️ but also noodle for the angst in joy's DMs 💀

LMAOOOO meow youre amazing.

And because i love you Ill share the angst from yesterday that I was talking about in Joys (@wearfinethingsalltoowell ) DMs 😈

Stede loves birthdays, but not his own. Hes never had a good birthday. His father wanted him to do something that a "real man" would on his birthday. Lots of tearful hunting trips as Stede flinched at the loud shots and cried at the sight and smell of dead animals.

At boarding school, his birthdays were either lonely, or purposefully hurtful. Fake surprise parties that ended with Stede getting cake or pie thrown in his face, planned events that no one showed up to, and so on.

With Mary, Stede mostly stopped trying. He did try, once, to plan a small get together with their neighbours. Everyone forgot, and Stede was left alone at the table, all dressed up, a cake to himself. Mary apologized of course, but Stede never planned a birthday for himself again.

That said, his loves for birthdays never stopped. Stede planned events for Mary and the kids every year. Birthdays were what he and Mary bonded over the most. He bought Mary her first painting set (even if he promptly forgot about it and asked her months later when she decided to purchase painting materials).

Stede was never terribly observant, except when it came to birthdays. He always knew exactly what to get Mary or the kids, how to plan an unforgettable event. He had never been good with anniversary gifts, but birthdays just felt different.

When he left for the sea, his crews birthdays became a centrepoint. A few members didnt remember or know their birthdays, so Stede assigned them, and made parties no one ever forgot. Even for Izzy, Stede would plan an extra bloody raid, and have Ed suggest it because he knew Izzy wouldnt agree if it came from him.

Stedes 40th birthday happened back home, sat alone at the table across from a petrified orange. "How was your day, Edward? Mine? Oh, its my birthday. I suppose I'm not surprised that its just us, here. Ive never had a birthday was wasnt terribly lonely. Though, i suppose there's no one to blame this year but myself."

The next year, Ed and Stede have reunited. Every single birthday on the Revenge has been celebrated with festivities that no one could beat. Eds own birthday was a beautiful dinner party. Fancy dress code, but with none of the rules of high society. They ate cake with the lobster spoons, just because they could. Stede taught Ed the Waltz, and they danced all through the night. Stede never laughed or smiled as big as he did that night, watching Edward unwrap the silk poets blouse with a leather vest, handmade by one of the finest vendors Stede could find. It became a regular staple of Edwards wardrobe.

When Stedes birthday rolled around, he kept it quiet. He'd never had a good birthday, and honestly he didnt want to bring the crew down with his sour birthday memories. Instead of celebrating, Stede decided he would stop at port on his birthday for a spot of shopping. He could buy himself a trinket, and allow himself some extra sweets after dinner. Truthfully, a birthday where he isnt alone would make this one better than any he'd had before, and for Stede that would be enough.

Its a day before his birthday when Charles shows up. Hes another one of Edwards rowdy pirate friends from back in the day, and he's strikingly similar to Jack.

Stede grits his teeth and endures the passive aggressive taunts, the loud noises through the night, the non-stop drinking. He decides he doesn't care if his birthday is terrible. He just wants to survive it this year without breaking down, something hes done more times than he can count.

Even this goal is left unmet when Charles stumbles drunkenly over to Stede on the beach that afternoon, slamming into him. He loses his footing and falls unceremoniously into the passing wave, his trousers becoming caked with wet sand. When he rights himself, Charles is laughing.

"Heh. Oops. Didnt see you there. Guess youre easy to miss. Blackbeard hasnt even noticed you all night. I bet its-"

He stops, not because anyone makes him, but because suddenly Charles is gagging and throwing up, the vomit spraying down Stedes front.

Stede feels the tears gathering, then.

"Oops. My bad. Want me to push you back in the water to clean it?"

Stedes voice wavers as he says

"No. Thank you. I think ill just head back to the ship."

He does, and as soon as the door shuts behind him, the tears start falling.